TOROSIAN: ARMENIA MADE NO STATEMENTS ON INTENTION TO JOIN NATO
Yerkir
14.06.2006 16:35
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – June 13 Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran
Torosian met with the joint delegation of the subcommittee of the
future security and defense potential, the committee for defense and
security and the subcommittee for democratic administration of the
NATO PA, reported the RA NA press service.
Welcoming the guests, the RA NA Chairman assessed the visit as a
recurrent step towards the Armenia-NATO cooperation and expressed
satisfaction with the dynamics of its development.
The significance of the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action
Plan (IPAP) was also stressed. According to Tigran Torosian, Armenia’s
status of an associated NATO PA member is an important stimulus for
deepening relations. At that he remarked that these relations are
developing not only in the defense sector but also for harmonization
of the RA legislation with the democratic, political and European
standards.
During the meeting the NATO PA representatives inquired whether
Armenia, whose priority is the EU membership, is going to join the
NATO. In reply Tigran Torosian reminded that there are EU member
states, which are not NATO member states and this is a normal
phenomenon.
He confirmed that the priority of Armenia’s foreign policy is the EU
membership. As for the intention to join the NATO, Armenia has made
no statements of the kind but pursues a consistent line for deepening
relations with the Alliance, the RA NA Speaker remarked.
The National Assembly Speaker also underscored that Armenia has always
been an adherent to normal relations with the neighbor states without
preconditions and considers that contacts, debates and open dialogue
are essential for the establishment of relations.
He said Armenia has already taken certain moves within the PACE and
the South Caucasian Parliamentary Initiative and expects similar
steps from the neighbors.

SITUATION IN JAVAKHK REACHED DEADLOCK OVER ABSENCE OF STEPS FOR CHANGING SITUATION
Yerkir
14.06.2006 16:44
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The socio-economic problems of Javakhk are urgent
for the governments of Armenia and Georgia, chairman of “Javakhk”
friendly association Shirak Torosian stated in Yerevan. In his words,
the situation reached a deadlock because no one takes serious moves
to change the situation.
“No serious investigations are carried out to reveal the causes of the
tension. Instead some Armenian politicians make public statements that
conflict with the interests of Armenia and the Armenian population of
Samtskhe-Javakhetia. Sometimes it seems they do not even know where
Javakahk is located,” Torosian remarked.
Shirak Torosian underscored that the region is an Armenian historical
land with aboriginal population, which standing on a geopolitical
crossroad can play an important role for the improvement of the
Armenian-Georgian relations.
“The Georgian language is essential for the integration of Armenians
into the state structures. The Armenian language should be recognized
as the second state language in the region. It’s inadmissible to
prohibit it,” the association chairman said.
As for the idea of independence of the region, Torosian considers
that presently the necessity of raising the level of the local
administration is more urgent. “The Akhalkalaki authorities should
have the right to form the budget and deal with the cultural and
educational issues. Separatism is not in the interests of Armenians. If
Georgia becomes a federal state Javakhk will become a unit of the
federation. Unlike Abkhazia and South Ossetia we do not strive for
separation,” Shirak Torosian stated.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
14.06.2006 17:02
An international conference on “Dual Citizenship: Alternative
Arrangements, Economic Implications, and Social Dimension” will be
held on June 17-18in Yerevan.
The conference will gather academic and policy specialists from a
variety of fields and countries to discuss legal, economic, and social
aspects of dual citizenship arrangements around the world and their
alternative models. This large international event is co-sponsored
by UNDP-Armenia, Armenian Revoluti onary Federation, Armenian Bar
Association, Birthright Armenia, and American University of Armenia
and will be held in collaboration with relevant government agencies
and civil society groups.

OLEG HAYRAPETOV: BARBARITY CAN BE COUNTERED ONLY BY CULTURE
ArmRadio.am
14.06.2006 17:14
“The relations between Armenia and Russia are in a stage of
development, when we need to demonstrate moderateness and
comprehension. Barbarity and violence can be countered only by
culture and knowledge,” said Oleg Hayrapetov, Adviser of the Agency
on Interregional Cultural Ties of the Office to the President of the
Russian Federation.
“As a Russian official and as an individual I am concerned with
the recent xenophobia in the large cities of Russia,” said Oleg
Hayrapetov. He is confident that the attitude of Russian intellectuals
toward Armenians has not change and the recent murders are not an
expression of hatred toward Armenians.
“No one asks to close the eyes on what is happening; it is, however,
unserious to speak about hatred towards Armenians,”the speaker
said. In his words, a generation that was brought up in 1990s without
comprehension and moral intelligence burst out to the streets of
Russian cities. “I understand the concern of Armenians. Their reaction
to the recent events is quite natural. However it’s not serious to
speak of Armenophobia in Russia,” Oleg Hayrapetov said.

VAHAN HOVANISIAN: OUR PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED THE MOST FROM STALIN REPRESSION
Yerkir
14.06.2006 16:14
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – National Assembly has recently named June 14th
the Day of Commemoration of the Repressed. The initiative came from
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
Dozens gathered on Wednesday at a memorial erected in Yerevan to
mark the day for the first time. The event was organized by an NGO
called Hushamatian and was attended by National Assembly’s ARF faction
members, National Self-determination Union leader Paruyr Hairkian,
people who were victimized by the Stalin regime.
Addressing the gathering, ARF Bureau member and National Assembly
Vice-speaker Vahan Hovanisian said that our entire people have suffered
the most from the repression.
He recalled that the Stalin repressions – followed by those applied
by Lenin – were carried out in waves: first it was the ARF members
who were sent to jails and executed, then those who were called
Trotskyites, then others. And this had been going on until the collapse
of the Soviet Union.
“Unfortunately, the dreadful practice didn’t stop after the Soviet rule
was over, Hovannisian went on saying. “Under the Armenian National
Movement too there were political prisoners. There is none now,
and I am sure there will be none in the future.”
June 14th was chosen to mark that day because it was on June 14,
1949 that mass arrests were made in Armenia without any political
motivation taken into account.
“The goal of the project was to deport Armenians to Altay,” Hovannisian
said. “And this when thousands of Armenians returned to their homeland
hoping the Soviet Union would become a normal country after the
WWII. Most of them were deported to Altay.”
“The only guarantee that such things would not repeat in the future
is a strong and independent Armenia,” Hovannisian concluded.

ARMENIAN AGENCY ARMINFO “IMPLEMENTS A SPECIAL PROGRAM TO DESTABILIZE THE SITUATION IN AZERBAIJAN”: AZERBAIJANI MP
Baku, June 13. ArmInfo. “The Armenian news agency ArmInfo implements a
special program on destabilization of the situation in Azerbaijan,”
Azerbaijani parliamentarian Mussa Guliyev told journalists, APA
reports. M. Gulyev attended the 27th session of OBSEC Parliamentary
Assembly in Armenia. He said Ogtay Asadov did not congratulate the
Armenian speaker Tigran Torosyan on his election. He said that such
information aroused tension in the Azebaijani public.
Commenting on the T. Torosyan’s words that Ogtay Asadov addressed
him a congratulation message, Mussa Guliyev said his colleague Asyaf
Hajiyev read out congratulations addressed to Russia only on the
occasion of the Independence Day. “No other congratulation was read
out. Simply, ArmInfo agency prepared a special program to destabilize
the situation in Azerbaijan. The agency spread this information in
Azerbaijan via Internet. Now, the information war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan continues despite the observance of the cease-fire by
Azerbvaijan. Their journalists acted quite aggressively with respect
to Azerbaijan. Whereas our press is not aggressive. Out press is more
interested in creating tension in the relations of the government
and the opposition,” the Azerbaijani MP said, APA reports.
To note, commenting on this information spread by the Azerbaijani
party, Speaker Tigran Torosyan told ArmInfo: “It is simply senseless
speaking of this topic. All you heard the text read out by the member
of the Azerbaijani delegation. What can I add to it?”

ARMENIA IS WORLD LEADER IN SPHERE OF SEISMIC ISOLATION OF BUILDINGS
Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. Armenia is the world leader in the sphere
of seismic isolation of buildings. Mikael Melkoumian, head of the
Armenian Association of the Quake Proof Construction, said this.
He said that at present Armenia is the first and the only country in
the world, where seismic isolators were installed to the buildings
without the dwellers’ preliminarily moving. He stated that 60-70
complete sets of seismic isolators are required for enforcement of a
9 storied building. A complete set of seismic isolators costs about
$550-$700. The application of these technologies help considerably
strengthen the buildings without troubling the dwellers. Melkoumian
stated that the application of the new method elaborated by the
Armenian specialists requires twice less sources, as no construction
materials are needed and the dwellers do not have to move to temporary
dwelling places.
It’s worth mentioning that Melkoumian is the author of the new
seismic isolators.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TRAP FOR FOOLS OR ARMENTEL PLAYS GAME WITH NO RULES
Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. The users of “Armentel” network had the
opportunity to participate in a competition by sending “Football”
to 2006 number. But the company didn’t send any rules for the game,
or the prices of the SMS messages, fearing to waste the resources of
the SMS station.
Yesterday, “ArmenTel” announced about a squeeze dedicated to the World
Championship of Football. Anna Soghomonian, head of the “ArmenTel”
department for additional services, said that a SMS message for the
squeeze costs AMD 100. “The more answers the user has, the more balls
he and more opportunities for winning the squeeze he receives. The
squeeze is based on mere luck,” she said. She added that technical
support of the squeeze is carried out by OTE Greek company. While
“ArmenTel” is responsible for the initiative and services of the
squeeze.
In response to the question why the users didn’t get any information
about the cost of the SMS messages for the squeeze, Soghomonian
said that the company informed the users through the June 8 issue of
“Efir” weekly and TV advertisements. At the same time she accepted
that the above mentioned information didn’t prove to be sufficient
for the users. Soghomonian didn’t exclude that soon the company may
inform the users about the price of the SMS messages for the squeeze
by sending them relevant SMS messages.

INDIAN STUDENT GETS KNIFE WOUND IN YEREVAN
Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. A student from India was wounded with a
knife in Yerevan. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia reports
Rakesh Kumar Suma (born in 1981,) a student of the Yerevan State
Medical University, was taken to hospital late night on 8 June.
Investigators found out that an unknown wounded the Indian student
with a knife the same day approximately at 22:20pm in the area of
“Youth” underground station. A criminal case has been initiated on the
Article 113.1 of the RA Criminal Code. The investigation is underway.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TIGRAN TOROSIAN CALLS FOR TURKISH REPRESENTATIVE TO NATO NOT TO OVERESTIMATE HIS PLENIPOTENTIARIES
Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. Tirgran Torosian, Speaker of RA National
Assembly, called for Frank Cook, British representative to PA NATO,
to make corrections in the regional report he made.
The press service of RA Parliament informed that in the course of
the meeting with PA NATO delegation, Mr. Torosian emphasized the
importance of making corrections in the report. In particular,
it is stated in the report that “the international entities that
sympathize Armenia” recognized the fact of the Armenian Genocide in
the Ottoman Turkey in early XX century. He stated that it’s necessary
to name these countries and admit the fact that the Armenian Genocide
was recognized by the European Parliament, as well. In response,
Vahid Erdem, representative of Turkey, began denying the genocide,
and stated that merely 400-500 thousand people attacked Turkey by the
instructions of Russia. Mr. Torosian interrupted the lecture of Erdem,
called for him to behave himself and told him not to overestimate his
plenipotentiaries. He reminded Erdem that he has no right to give
evaluations to the Genocide, to the European Parliament and to the
countries that recognized the Armenian Genocide.