FSS IMPRISONED ARMENIAN SENATOR OF KALMYKIA LEVON CHAKMAKYAN WHILE TAKING BRIBE 300.000 DOLLARS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 6 2006
Federal Security Service imprisoned Armenian senator of Kalmykia
Levon Chakmakyan while taking bribe 300.000 dollars, as a result of
operation implemented in Transaero air company, General Prosecutor’s
Office of Russia informed.
During the operation Russia- Armenia Economic Cooperation Association
chief accountant Igor Arushanov and Account Chamber chairman assistant
Armen Ohanesyan have also been imprisoned. General Prosecutor’s Office
has stated that the three persons have detained for their being busy
with crme related to getting money from businessmen. Special operation
has been implemented in accordance with the information of Accountant
Chamber. Igor Arushanov and Armen Ohanesyan is convicted with the
article in taking money in the form of group and roguishness. Since
Levon Chakmakyan has deputy inviolability, official conviction has
not been initiated against him. Levon Chakmakyan has stated that
Transaero Company Board of Directors chairman Pleshakov asked him
support for being selected Russia-Armenia Economic Cooperation
Association vise-president.
“Pleshakov also asked for help in the organization of advertisement
of the company he runs, I promised him to familiarize him with a
person that I know.” The investigation defined the name of that
person to be chief accountant Igor Arushanov. Levon Chakmakyan said
that after they met in the office Pleshakov gave a briefcase to his
acquaintance. Kalmykia senator and chief accountant while leaving
the Transaero company office Federal Security Service associates have
detained them. Levon Chakmakyan was released after two hours.
Transaero company public affairs department chief Sergey Bikhal
said the information of Armenian senator to be false. “We leave
everything to his conscience.” Federation Council chairman Sergey
Mironov applying to Kalmykia parliament demanded to put an end to
authority of senator Chakmakyan. Today Kalmykia President Kirsan
Ilumjanov expressed his confidence for the parliament to put an end
to authority of Levon Chakmakyan. Accounting Chamber chairman Sergey
Stepashin identified the events happened. He stated that chairman
of Board of Directors of the organization, Pleshakov applied to him
related to examinations in Transaero Company. “Pleshakov stated his
dissatisfaction related to the issues in our report. The matter is
about paying 14 billion dollar compensation to customs office while
purchasing plane from foreign companies. Some mediators applying
to Pleshakov stated that they can change the opinion of audit of
Accounting Chamber for 3 mln dollars. During the talks this figure was
reduced to 1,5 mln. dollars. After Pleshakov has informed me about,
I informed Federal Security Service director Nikolay Patrushev.”
According to Sergey Stepashin, President Putin, Federation Council
chairman Mironov and state Duma speaker Boris Grizlov were informed
beforehand of the imprisonment. According to him, if Kalmykia
parliament does not deprive of him his authority, by the award of
Supreme Court, he will be imprisoned. In the investigation materials it
was identified that the names of those mediating to change Accounting
Chamber opinion for 1,5 mln dollars, is Armen Ohanesyan and Levon
Chakmakyan.

NKR IN FIGURES: REPUBLIC NATIONAL STATISTIC SERVICE REPORTS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 6 2006
According to the information DE FACTO Information-Analytics Agency
correspondent got at the Nagorno Karabakh Republic /NKR/ National
Statistic Service, for January -May, 2006 793 children were born in
the Nagorno Karabakh, which is 4,5% less as compared with the same
period 2005. Death-rate was cut by 6, 7% for the same period.
The natural increment of population for January – May 2006 made 246
people – 0, 8 % higher than the level of the same period last year.
The mechanical increment of the population made 97 people for the
same period.
For January – April 2006 industrial production for 5 milliard 937
million drams was made in the Republic, which surpasses last year’s
level by 1, 1 %.
For the same period 695, 3 tons of meat of cattle and bird was realized
in the Republic, which is 25, 9% more as compared with the same period
of 2005, as well as 9542, 6 tons of milk /101,1%/ and 4 million 23,2
thousand eggs /72,7%/ .
In April – May 2006 capital construction for 3 milliard 84, 2 million
drams was implemented in the NKR, which is 36, 7% more as compared with
the same period 2005. 57, 8% of the capital construction’s amount was
ensured at the expense of the NKR state budget. In May 2006 consumer
price index made 106 % compared with last December.
In January – May 2006 consumer price index was 102, 7 % compared with
the same period last year.

NKR PRESIDENT CONGRATULATED RA CHESS PLAYERS ON VICTORY IN WORLD OLYMPIAD
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 6 2006
Nagorno Karabakh Republic /NKR/ President Arkady Ghoukasyan sent a
congratulation message to RA Chess Federation President, DM Serge
Sargsyan on the victory scored by the RA men’s team in the 37th World
Olympiad in Turin.
According to the information DE FACTO received at the Nagorno Karabakh
President’s Press Service, the message runs, in part, “the victory of
the men’s team on the Italian land showed the world the high level
of the national chess school, resuming the traditions of glorious
victories founded by unforgettable Tigran Petrosyan”.
“Besides, our chess players’ victory at the international level has
exhibited our nation’s unfailing mental capacity, staunchness and
belief in its strength. The victory in Turin will become a powerful
impetus for the chess’s development in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh,
as well as for the growth of new talented chess players”, the message
says. In conclusion, Arkady Ghoukasyan invited the chess players to
visit Artsakh.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORTHCOMING TALKS MIGHT OFFER PROGRESS FOR ACHIEVEMENT FINAL PEACE BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA – AZERI STATE OFFICIAL
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 6 2006
The current situation in the talks in the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh continues
representing a pressure on Armenia. I hope the further talks will
provide a necessary base for progress in the direction of achievement
of final peace between the sides. Novruz Mammadov, the head of the
Foreign Relationships Department of the Azerbaijani President’s
Apparat told journalists on 6 June, Trend reports.
During the summit “The Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Partnership”
in Bucharest the Azerbaijani president delivered a paper which
introduced detail information on the country’s achievements in the
economic and political spheres. The head of state also touched upon
a topic on the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Mammadov also noted that the talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
President were held in large format with participation of the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs and Foreign Ministers, as well as in the forma
of tete-a-tete. “The meeting was held in two days: 3.5 hours on the
first day and over an hour on the second day.
The talks continued in tense conditions, he noted. The agreement
was achieved only on definite issues, while there does not exist
final conclusion.
The same time Mammadov said that though the concrete date of further
meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents is to still to be
defined, they are expected to be held till the end of 2006.

TURKEY EAGER TO HAVE FRIENDLY TIES WITH ALL NEIGHBORS
Today, Azerbaijan
June 6 2006
State Minister Beshir Atalay said on Monday that the government’s
policy of seeking to avoid problems with neighboring countries
included Armenia.
“As the government, our policy is, first of all, the elimination
of all problems with our neighbors,” Atalay told the Anatolia news
agency in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, where he was attending
a summit aimed at fostering cooperation in the Black Sea region.
Stating that Turkey has so far settled many of its disputes with
neighboring Syria and Greece within a reasonable framework, Atalay
said: “There are problems with Armenia due to well-known reasons. We
expect Armenia to act reasonably and wish as a neighbor to normalize
our relations with Armenia.”
The border gate between the two countries has been closed for more
than a decade. Turkey closed the gate and severed diplomatic relations
with Armenia after Armenian troops occupied the Azerbaijani territory
of Nagorno Karabakh.
Ankara now says normalization of ties depends on Armenian withdrawal
from Nagorno Karabakh as well as on progress in the resolution of
a series of bilateral disagreements, including Armenia putting an
end to its support of Armenian diaspora efforts to win international
recognition for an alleged genocide of Armenians during the latter
days of the Ottoman Empire.
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AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER WOUNDED IN ARMENIAN CEASEFIRE VIOLATION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 6 2006
Armenians broke the cease-fire in Aghdam frontline in Garabagh
yesterday wounding an Azerbaijani army soldier, APA’s Garabagh
bureau reports.
Armenian armed forces from their positions located in the occupied
Sarijali village in Aghdam fired on the opposite positions of
Azerbaijani armed forces at 21.20 yesterday. As a result, the wounded
Azerbaijani soldier, Mireliyev Elmar Shahkerem was hospitalized, he
is in better health now. The soldier was drafted from Davachi region.
The Armenian armed forces from their positions in the occupied
Yusifjanli village of Aghdam fired on the opposite positions of
Azerbaijani armed forces at 24.00 last night. Azerbaijan’s Defense
Ministry press service did not confirm this information.
It is also reported that Armenians are torching the occupied villages
of Aghdam in Asgharan direction.

EXPERT ON SPECIAL NEEDS RIVETS AUDIENCE AT ARMENIAN SYMPOSIUM
Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
Reuters, UK
June 6 2006
‘No matter what the severity of their disability’ every special
needs child has the right to develop to their maximum potential,
was the revolutionary message delivered by a Russian specialist to
a largely East European audience at the international symposium on
Child Protection organized by World Vision in Armenia last week.
The speech was inspiring for the 170 experts, educators, students,
directors of special needs schools and program staff presented in
cooperation with USAID and UNICEF, said Mary Ellen Chatwin, the MEER
child development and protection advisor.
‘For the officials and specialists at this conference, it was an
incredible message giving them the authority to be creative and
flexible, to think and act more humanely, coming from one of the best
references in the world,’ said Chatwin.
The address was by Nikolay N. Malofeev, a specialist in hearing and
speech disabilities. Malofeev is the Director of the Special Education
Research Institute,, Russian Academy of Education as well as Member
of the Council of Disabled Person’s Affairs under the supervision of
the President of the Russian Federation. He is a respected specialist
known in the US, said Chatwin.
Malofeev astonished everyone with a story of seeing Braille playing
cards in Switzerland, and asking why, said Chatwin. ‘We only help
kids who are blind to function, and never think of them as having
fun!’ he told the gathering.
‘The old Soviet approach was a variation on ‘arbeit macht frei’
(work brings freedom),’ said Chatwin, referring to a slogan above the
gates of the Auschwitz concentration camps during World War Two. ‘It
was all geared towards an individual’s possibility to contribute to
the society at large, especially economically.
‘The Soviet system didn’t want parents taking much time to deal with
children with disabilities. Lots of institutions kept children out
of the way and let the parents get back to work. The children were
taught ‘functional’ things like making baskets,’ she said. Malofeev
knew that system well, yet has moved ahead dramatically into modern
therapies. He told his audience to work for the child’s maximum level
of development and make children’s rights and the family the twin
cornerstones of all special needs programming.
Malofeev’s theories of total respect for children’s needs and rights
are new in Eastern Europe, and especially the former Soviet countries,
where the enduring Soviet era term of ‘defectology,’ is still used as
the name of the science of ‘special needs’, said Chatwin. He exhorted
his audience to modernize the educational approaches for children
with disabilities.
‘He was adamant about keeping children with their families and teaching
the parents techniques, training them as early as possible in ways
to create a good learning and development environment for a child
with special needs, Early detection and intervention of special need
is the key to Malofeev’s work”, said Chatwin. He is the editor of a
world-famous Russian journal, and pioneers special needs publications
on the Institute website.

BLACK SEA STATES AGREE ON STRENGTHENING REGIONAL TIES
Gulf Times, Qatar
June 6 2006
BUCHAREST: Leaders of states around the Black Sea committed during a
summit in Bucharest yesterday to work together on regional problems
such as organised crime, security, energy supplies and economic
development.
The nine states also called on the European Union to get more involved
in the region, where many countries are struggling to forge closer
ties with the West as they move away from Russia’s orbit.
“The Black Sea region now has a chance to become an attractive partner
for the main centres of economic power if it is capable of transforming
itself from a source of problems into a source of solutions for
Europe,” Romanian President Traian Basescu told the meeting.
But they made little progress in outlining an end to several
territorial disputes which stem from the messy dissolution of the
Soviet Union and cloud the prospects for stability in the region,
also known to be a major illegal trafficking area.
“We announce the launch of the Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and
Partnership, a process that will serve as a regional platform … to
define a common vision of democratic and sustainable development,”
the countries said in a declaration, which was not signed by Russia.
“The Forum will provide a framework for generating new ideas …
encouraging regional co-operation in crisis management,” said the
nine states including EU candidates Romania and Bulgaria, as well as
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine.
The EU, which is looking for alternative routes for energy supplies
throughout Asia, welcomed the agreement, urging regional leaders to
take action on organised crime and territorial conflicts.
“Our aim is to see a stable, democratic region here … to help
fight human trafficking, (the) transit of drugs, to prevent weapon
smuggling,” said Peter Semneby, EU special representative for Caucasus
and central Asia.
But presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, locked in a dispute over
the Nagorno-Karabakh territory, appeared to be no closer to resolving
the conflict.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan
but under the de facto control of ethnic Armenian separatists and
has been a scene of conflict in which about 35,000 people were killed.

SERIOUS PROGRESS NOT ACHIEVED IN TALKS OF AZERI, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS IN BUCHAREST – AZERI FM
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 6 2006
It is impossible to state on the achievement of a tremendous progress
in a meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Bucharest
and at present there is necessity for coordinating the positions
of both conflict sides, Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister, told journalists on 6 June.
On 6-7 June the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will hold additional meeting
in Bucharest, which will define the necessity for next round of talks
of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.
“There is still hope for the peaceable resolution of the conflict
and we are eager to continue efforts in this direction,” Mammadyarov
underscored. “Work for bringing closer the positions of the conflict
is continuing. The issue on the withdrawal of the Armenian troops from
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan and repatriation of refugees is
under consideration,” the Azerbaijani FM stressed.
Moreover, Mammadyarov noted that Azerbaijan does not rule out possible
application of Triest model in the issue on economic autonomy.
“However, the issue on autonomy concerns not only the Armenia. But
also the Azerbaijani communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh,” said the
Azerbaijani Minister, noting that the issue on referendum found its
exact implication in the Constitution of Azerbaijan.
With respect to rotation of the US Ambassador Steven Mann, the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chair, Mammadyarov noted that the new diplomat was
still to be renamed and the issue will be resolved in the nearest two
months. “I can only state that the United States is really keen on
rapid resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict,” Mammadyarov
underlined.

ARMENIANS PROTEST HATE KILLINGS IN RUSSIAN CAPITAL
MosNews, Russia
June 6 2006
Several dozen protesters rallied outside the Russian Embassy in Yerevan
on Monday, protesting a series of attacks on ethnic Armenians in Russia
by skinheads and racist nationalists, The Associated Press reports.
The demonstration, organized by rights activists, came just 10 days
after a group of apparent skinheads stabbed a teenager on a train
outside of Moscow – the sixth such fatal attack on ethnic Armenians
in or around Moscow this year.
Avetik Ishkhanian, head of the Helsinki Committee of Yerevan, said
protesters were calling on government authorities to condemn the
Moscow attacks.
Russia has seen a marked rise in xenophobia and hate crimes in recent
years, with a series of attacks on dark-skinned migrants, foreigners
and Jews. Rights groups say authorities do little or nothing to combat
the crimes.
According to the Moscow-based Sova human rights center, last year
31 murders and 382 assaults had racist motivations. So far in 2006,
14 people have been killed in xenophobic attacks.