BAGHDASARYAN PROPOSES TO SET UP GROUP FOR INVESTIGATING CAUSES OF ARMENIAN JET CRASH
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 3 2006
YEREVAN, May 3. /ARKA/. Armenian National Assembly Speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan proposed to set up a group to investigate causes of
Armenian A320 jet crash near Russian resort of Sochi.
He offered each parliamentary fraction to put up its nominee for
inclusion in the group.
Along with that, Baghdasaryan said the intergovernmental commission is
already set up and Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan traveled
to the site and has already reached the destination.
“Armenian National Assembly thinks it must compose its own group for
supporting families of those killed in the crash”, Baghdasaryan said.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan set dates for official mourning.
Armenian National Assembly canceled its today’s session because
the crash.
Armavia Armenian Air Company’s aircraft with 113 on board plummeted
in the Black Sea on a flight from Yerevan to Sochi. None of those
aboard the plane has reported survived.

ALL PASSENGERS OF ARMAVIA AIRLINE INSURED IN CONFORMITY WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 3 2006
Yerevan, May 3. /ARKA/. All the passengers of the Armavia airline
were insured in conformity with international standards, the press
service of the airline reports.
The risks were re-insured at the international market. The amount
and order of payment of compensations will be determined after the
investigation, which is being conducted with the involvement of
independent experts appointed by the re-insurer companies.
The “Armavia” plans to report on the rules of compensation immediately
after the investigation.

TURKEY WARNS FRANCE NOT TO MAKE DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A CRIMINAL ACT
Voice of America
May 3 2006
Turkey has warned France that ties between the two countries will
suffer what it called “irreparable damage” if French lawmakers
approve a measure making denial of the Armenian genocide 90 years
ago a criminal offense.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Namik Tan, told reporters in
Ankara his country’s views on the issue are being conveyed to French
officials. The proposed bill would provide fines and imprisonment for
denying that Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were victims of genocide
during World War One
If adopted, the bill would follow a 2001 French parliament decision
that the deaths of one and a half million Armenians amounted to
genocide.
That vote infuriated Turkey, which acknowledges the deaths of hundreds
of thousands of Armenians but insists that as many Turks also died
in civil strife and a Russian-backed Armenian uprising against
Ottoman rule.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMMUNIST PARTY OF ARMENIA PRESENTS ITS CONDOLENCES TO RELATIVES OF VICTIMS OF AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 03 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Central Committee of
the Communist Party of Armenia expresses its deep condolences to the
relatives of the victims of A-320 Yerevan-Sochi plane that crashed
on May 3. This was mentioned in the report provided to Noyan Tapan
from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia.

TURKISH COURT REJECTS JOURNALIST’S APPEAL
Nanaimo Daily News (British Columbia, Canada)
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
Final Edition
ANKARA — A Turkish court rejected an appeal by an ethnic Armenian
journalist against a conviction that found him guilty of insulting
Turkish national identity, in a case watched closely by the European
Union.
Hrant Dink, editor of the weekly Agos newspaper, in October received
a six-month suspended sentence from an Istanbul court for articles he
wrote in 2004 about the killing of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks in 1915.
The appeals court in Ankara upheld the substance of the ruling Tuesday.
“I am deeply saddened by the decision,” Dink said. “We were expecting
the court to say that the accusations were baseless.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN NATIONAL TEAM TAKES SECOND PLACE IN CHAMPIONSHIP OF DIVISION “B” OF EUROPEAN RUGBY ASSOCIATION
Noyan Tapan
May 03 2006
BUDAPEST, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. On April 29, the Armenian national team
had a match with the Hungarian national team within the framework of
the championship of division “B” of the European Rugby Association
and in a hard struggle gained a victory with a score of 24 to 13
(10 to 6). After this victory the Armenian national team took second
place on the tournament table with 6 points (two victories in two
matches). The Hungarian national team that held 3 games took first
place with 7 points. The national teams of Lithuania, Bulgaria and
Slovenia are also among the rivals of the Armenian rugby-players in
the division. The national team of Armenia will hold its next match
it its field on May 13 with the national team of Slovenia.

ESTONIAN PRESIDENT SENDS CONDOLENCES TO ARMENIA
Baltic News Service
May 3, 2006 Wednesday 3:07 PM EET
Tallinn
Estonian President Arnold Ruutel has sent a message of condolences
to Armenian President Robert Kocharian in connection with the crash
of an Armenian passenger aircraft.
Ruutel expressed condolences on behalf of himself and the Estonian
people in connection with the accident above the Black Sea.
“It was with a feeling of deep sorrow that I received the news of the
dreadful accident with the Armenian passenger aircraft, in which more
than a hundred peopl lost their lives. I wish you and your people
strength to overcome this severe tragedy,” Ruutel said his message
of condolences.
An Airbus 320 of the Armenian aviation company Armavia en route from
Yerevan to Adler disappeared from radar screens at 2:15 local time
near Sochi.
According to foreign news agencies there were 85 Armenian, 25 Russian,
one Georgian and one Ukrainian citizen on board the plane.
All the 113 people were killed in the accident.
A representative of Armavia said that the technical condition of the
aircraft had been ideal and the crew well trained.
Referring to heavy rain, the airfield at first denied the aircraft
permission to land, but then changed its decision. The aircraft
attempted emergency landing in the airfield but fell into the sea
at a very sharp angle. The body of the aircraft lies at the depth of
about 300 meters.

LITHUANIAN FM EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES OVER ARMENIAN PLANE CRASH IN BLACK SEA
Baltic News Service
May 3, 2006 Wednesday 3:06 PM EET
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has expressed heartfelt condolences
to Armenian leaders and families of those killed in an Armenian plane
crash in the Black Sea.
The plane, an Airbus A-320, crashed into the Black Sea near the Russian
seaside resort of Sochi in heavy rain on Wednesday. All 113 people
on board were presumed killed, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
The plane unsuccessfully tried to land at the airport of Adler
several times and then crashed into the sea. The aircraft’s fuselage
is located at around 300 meters depth.
At least five children were traveling by the plane, its crew was
comprised of eight persons.

FREEDOM HOUSE: CORRUPTION OBSTACLE TO ARMENIA’S POLITICAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 3 2006
Yerevan, May 3. /ARKA/. Corruption is an obstacle to Armenia’s
political and economic development, days a report “Nations in Transit
2006. Armenia” published by the international human rights organization
“Freedom House”.
“The close links between the political and economic elite and the
lack of effective law enforcement procedures have fostered official
corruption,” says the report.
Although some steps to battle corruption are made in Armenia, they
are not effective enough.
According to “Freedom House”, corruption index is 5.75 in Armenia on
the 7-mark scale, 6.25 in Azerbaijan and 5.50 in Georgia.

AZERBAIJAN IS MUCH OBLIGED TO THE USA
by Irada Alekperova, Alexei Slobodin
Translated by A. Ignatkin
Source: Vremya Novostei, April 28, 2006, p. 5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
…But It Isn’t Going To Participate In An Operation Against Iran
AN UPDATE ON PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON; Wrapping
up his first visit to the United States, President Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan will meet with US President George W. Bush today. Aliyev
met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Secretary of State
Robert Zoellick. On Wednesday, Aliyev addressed the Council on
Foreign Relations.
Wrapping up his first visit to the United States, President Ilham
Aliyev of Azerbaijan will meet with US President George W. Bush
today. Aliyev met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Secretary
of State Robert Zoellick. On Wednesday, the first day of the visit,
Aliyev met with US Representatives and addressed the Council on
Foreign Relations. Along with bilateral relations and war on terrorism,
his speech concerned regional problems with an emphasis on Iran and
Nagorno-Karabakh, and security of energy exports and transportation
projects in the basins of the Caspian and Black seas.
Before the Azeri president’s arrival, a White House press release
announced that “the United States regards Azerbaijan as a key ally
in this strategically vital region of the world” and “an invaluable
partner assisting with Iran.” No matter how seriously the human
rights community is concerned about human rights in Azerbaijan, it
was clear that the US authorities weren’t going to raise the matter of
“the democracy shortage in Azerbaijan” during the talks.
“It was extremely important for Baku to make its worries and concerns
known to the US Administration,” said political scientist Rasim
Musabekov. “It stands to reason, however, that it was important for
the United States too, if it had invited Aliyev to Washington.”
Aliyev, a graduate from the Moscow State Institute of International
Relations (run by the Soviet Foreign Ministry at the time),
delivered his speech in English. Aliyev said that “Baku regards
relations with the United States as a strategic priority” and added
that cooperation between the two countries encompassed all spheres,
including military. Aliyev said that it was time to put an end to
“any and all speculations” on Baku’s participation “in the potential
operations in Iran nearby.” Aliyev reminded the Council on Foreign
Relations that nearly 30 million ethnic Azeris live in Iran, whose
population amounts to 70 million. And besides, Azerbaijan and Iran
signed an agreement pledging not to provide the territories for
“any threats with regard to the partner.”
Aliyev implied that Baku would make a fine intermediary in the Iranian
nuclear crisis. “If it is the opinion of the international community
that our participation is a must, then it may be discussed,” he
said. Defense Minister of Iran Mustafa Mohammed Nadjar had visited Baku
last week. “President Aliyev may tell the US authorities the correct
direction in the matter of American-Iranian relations,” he said.
Political scientist Ilgar Mamedov from Baku believes that Aliyev’s
whole visit to Washington is centered around Iran. According to
Mamedov, “the United States needed to gauge Azerbaijan’s reaction
to possible economic and political sanctions or a military operation
against Iran.”
“In return for concurrence with economic sanctions, Baku is bound to
try and secure help from America in the return of at least some of
the Armenian-occupied territories on the border with Iran,” Mamedov
said. “After all, absence of Baku’s control over these territories
will certainly render the sanctions ineffective.”
Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations, Aliyev emphasized
that territorial integrity of his country (“acknowledged by all but
Armenia”) is not to be questioned or discussed. However, Azerbaijan
is prepared to offer Nagorno-Karabakh “extensive rights of an
autonomy.” Aliyev hopes that the United States “as a world power and
one of the chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will facilitate resolution
of the conflict.”
The Azeri visitor complimented the hosts by saying that Azerbaijan
would have never developed its energy sector without help from
America. He said that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum
pipelines were “mostly regional” at first and urged the United States
and European Union to “join” the future energy projects.
Fikret Sadykhov, Director of the Center of Political Information
(Baku) believes that the invitation may be considered without undue
delays because “energy security problems in the southern part of the
Caucasus do worry the American political establishment nowadays.”
When in the United States, Aliyev praised relations with Moscow and
said that “they do not depend on any external factors.” When asked
what he thinks of the assumption that Baku and Moscow are vying for
influence in the post-Soviet zone, Aliyev replied, “Aspiring for the
role of an ‘island of stability,’ Azerbaijan considers itself a region
of cooperation, not confrontation.”