Zaman, Turkey
June 2 2006
New Genocide Denial Bill on Agenda in Netherlands
By Anadolu News Agency (AA), Cihan News Agency, Hague,
Published: Friday, June 02, 2006
zaman.com
After the delay of the French bill to penalize the denial of the
so-called Armenian genocide, a similar offer came from the
Netherlands.
Prepared by the Christian Union (CU) party having three seats at the
150-seat Dutch parliament, the draft was presented to the assembly.
The bid aims to criminalize denial of the so-called Armenian
genocide.
Tineke Huizinga-Heringa, who submitted the motion, said the bill does
not contradict the freedoms of thought and speech.
Huizinga-Heringa said they thought legal regulation was called for
after certain developments were not initiated for the so-called
Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust, adding they expect support
from other parties for the bid.
The Netherlands Armenian Federation and Dutch antiracism organization
(LBR) supported the offer.
The Turkish community showed immediate reaction to the latest
development by Dutch deputies.
Last year, the Danish Administration had attempted to prepare a law
criminalize people and foundations who voice their ideas about
neglecting, approving or rejecting terrorist actions.
The bill, which accepted genocide as a crime, did not mention the
so-called Armenian Genocide explicitly. The government later
abandoned this attempt.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 2 2006
Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents to have one-on-one meeting in
Bucharest
[ 02 Jun. 2006 16:57 ]
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian will pay a two-day working visit
to Romania on 4 June (APA). He will participate in the Black Sea
Forum for Dialogue and Partnership in the capital Bucharest.
Kocharian is expected to meet with Romanian President Traian Basescu
and have other bilateral talks.
In addition, Azerbaijan and Armenian Presidents are due to meet in
Bucharest. The meeting will start by presence of Foreign Ministers of
the two states, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister
Karel de Gucht as well ad OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Steven Mann
(US), Bernard Fassier (France) and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) and
Andrzei Kasprzyk, personal representative of the OSCE chairman, and
then there will be one-on-one meeting between the Presidents.
The MG co-chairs are assembling in Bucharest. They will hold a
consultation on preparation for Ilham Aliyev-Robert Kocharian meeting
in Bucharest on 3-4 June./APA/

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 2 2006
SENOR ASRATYAN: `HOUSES WERE DESTROYED 13 YEARS AGO BY RETREATING
AZERIS’
According to the Spokesman of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic /NKR/
Defense ministry Sub colonel Senor Asratyan, the information
circulated today by the APA Karabakh Bureau on the fact that
`Armenians began setting fires to the houses on the territories they
had occupied in the Azeri Aghdam region villages of Yusifjanly,
Novruzlu, Baghmanlar, Sarijaly and Saybaly’ is `an awkward propaganda
action’.
While commenting on the information on DE FACTO Information-Analytics
Agency’s request, Mr. Asratyan said the information had nothing in
common with reality. In his words, the houses were destroyed 13 years
ago by the Azeri troops `retreating under attack of the Karabakh
army’.
Senor Asratyan also noted the Azeri party’s affirmations that
Armenians had allegedly taken their property from the houses to the
cars first could hardly be taken seriously: `If someone was about to
do it, why should he be waiting for over ten years?’

ARMENIA OFFERS SPECIAL FORCES TO QUELL AZERI PROTESTS IN IRAN – ACTIVIST
Azerbaijani news agency APA, Baku
1 Jun 06
Baku, 1 June: The Armenian ambassador to Iran, Gegam Garibdzhanyan,
suggested during secret talks with the Iranian government that
his country can send military forces to crush protests in southern
Azerbaijan [northwestern Iran], Sirus Azadi, a member of the World
Azerbaijani Congress and the committee to support the National Movement
of Southern Azerbaijan, has told APA.
There is no doubt that the sides have secured some kind of agreement,
Azadi said. “It is possible that special forces will be brought from
Armenia to crush protests in southern Azerbaijan.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BELARUS TO HOST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE WITH RUSSIA IN JUNE
Belapan news agency, Minsk
1 Jun 06
Minsk, 1 June: For the first time the [Belarusian-Russian] Union
Shield-2006 command-post exercise involving the command bodies of
the 20th Army of the Moscow Military District [to be held in Belarus
on 17-25 June] “will test the functioning of not only the command
structures of the regional military group of the two countries but will
also assess its efficiency and viability. This, in turn, will allow
us to set development priorities in view of modern warfare methods
and cutting-edge information technologies,” Lt-Gen Syarhey Hurulyow,
chief of the armed forces’ General Staff and first deputy minister
of defence, said at a news conference in Minsk today.
He said the main goal of the exercise, which will be held in Belarus
on 17-25 June, will include “the assessment of the capability of
command bodies of units of the Belarusian and Russian armed forces
to fulfil tasks dealing with the union state’s armed defence within
the framework of the regional group of forces”.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
About 8,800 servicemen, including about 7,000 Belarusians and 1,800
Russians will participate in the manoeuvres along with more than 40
tanks, about 180 armoured combat vehicles, more than 40 artillery
pieces, 30 multiple fire rocket systems, six helicopters and 23
military planes from Belarus, and six helicopters and 13 military
planes from Russia.
The exercise’s practical stage will be held at three ranges of the
Belarusian armed forces in Brest and Hrodna regions. Representatives
of more than 40 states will be invited to observe the exercise.
Hurulyow said that the observation of the exercise’s active phase
by the heads of member states of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization [CSTO, member states are Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus,
Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan] and by the [CSTO] defence ministers
and the secretaries of security councils at the Abuz-Lyasnowski range
on 24 June is being considered at present.
About 1.9m dollars will be allocated for the manoeuvres by both sides
in proportion to their involvement.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN KAZAKHSTAN TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC TIES
Khabar Television, Almaty
1 Jun 06
[Presenter] The head of state [Nursultan Nazarbayev] received the
Armenian foreign minister today. Vardan Oskanyan has come to Kazakhstan
to expand political, economic and cultural cooperation.
Trade between Kazakhstan and Armenia exceeded 45m dollars last year.
Relations between the two countries are based on the principles of
mutual understanding and respect, the high-ranking guest from Yerevan
noted at a press briefing.
[Vardan Oskanyan, in English with Russian translation overlaid] We
view Kazakhstan as a major regional leader. We therefore would like
our relations to develop as deep and broadly as possible. There are
no political disagreements between our two countries. A great number
of political agreements have been signed and an intergovernmental
commission is working. We agree that great significance should be
attached to developing our economic relations.

TOO EARLY TO DEPLOY PEACEKEEPERS IN KARABAKH – ARMENIAN OFFICIAL
Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow
1 Jun 06
Yerevan. 1 June: Armenia’s Foreign Ministry believes it is too early
to consider a possible deployment of peacekeepers in the conflict
zone in Nagornyy Karabakh.
“At present there are no final agreements concerning the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, so it is premature to speak about a deployment of
peacekeepers,” a representative of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry told
Interfax on Thursday [1 June].
The Armenian diplomat also refused to comment on the possibility
of sending CIS peacekeepers to the conflict zone in case Baku and
Yerevan reach an agreement on a settlement.
Armen Rustamyan, the chairman of the foreign policy parliamentary
commission, told Interfax “at present it is too early to talk about
the possible presence of any peacekeeping forces in the zone of the
Karabakh conflict”.
“The issue of peacekeepers’ deployment in the conflict area is only
a component of the whole package on the Karabakh settlement, and it
makes no sense to comment on it separately,” said the MP.
“We think that all issues concerning the possible deployment of a
peacekeeping force in the zone of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
can be discussed only when some agreement on the Karabakh settlement
has been reached but not apart from the general package of issues,”
said Rustamyan.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS HEADS OF TWO STANDING COMMITTEES
ArmRadio.am
02.06.2006 13:58
Elections of Heads of NA Standing Committees on Defense, National
Security and Domestic Affairs and Social, Health and Ecology Issues
started today at the National Assembly. For the first position the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation suggested Aramayis Grigoryan’s
candidacy. In response to this, Hmayak Hovhannisyan suggested the
candidacy of former Head of the Committee Mher Shahgeldyan representing
Orinats Yerkir Party. Secretary of the opposition Justice Block Viktor
Dallakyan suggested Hmayak Hovhannisyan’s candidacy. The latter changed
his decision, suggesting Viktor Dallakyan’s candidacy for the position.
The newly elected Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan
called on the Deputies to take their duties more seriously. To
avoid further disagreements the Chairman informed that Gagik Mkheyan
(Orinats Yerkir), former Head of the Committee on Social, Health and
Ecology issues, has no intention of being suggested for the position.

CALLS FOR FREEDOM MAKE THE JIGSAW OF EUROPE MORE COMPLICATED THAN EVER
By Jeremy Page and Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor
The Times
June 02, 2006
MOST people would struggle to point out Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya
Respublika on a map, let alone pronounce it.
Those who can, know it as a hotbed of smuggling, the site of a vast
Soviet-era weapons dump, or perhaps the home of Sheriff Tiraspol
football club.
But this tiny sliver of land, known in English as Transdniestr, is
the latest European enclave to make a bid for independence following
Montenegro’s decision to declare statehood last month.
Igor Smirnov, Transdniestr’s “President”, has announced that its
550,000 people will vote in a referendum in September on whether to
seek formal independence from Moldova.
“The recent example of Montenegro proves that a referendum is
becoming a norm for solving conflicts,”, said Mr Smirnov, 64, a
former metalworker.
In the unlikely event that Transdniestr wins independence, it would
become Europe’s 19th new country since the collapse of communism in
1989, and the fragmentation goes on.
>From the Basques of Spain to Turkey’s Kurds, there are minorities
who yearn for a country of their own, and Montenegro’s example has
kindled hopes that even tiny enclaves in Europe’s forgotten corners
can still become viable states.
The fear is that declarations of independence by mini-states could
spark fresh instability in already unstable regions.
In the Balkans, Montenegro’s independence drive is likely to be
followed by Kosovo, a predominantly ethnic Albanian province of
Serbia. That could spark fresh moves by the ethnic Serb Republika
Srpska to break away from Bosnia, and Herceg-Bosna’s Croats to join
Croatia.
In the Caucasus, Russia is still struggling to contain the
separatist rebellion in Chechnya. Georgia is split by breakaway
regions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There is still no resolution to
Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed enclave in Azerbaijan that is controlled
by Armenia.
Not even Western Europe is immune. Nationalists in Northern
Ireland still seek a united Ireland. Scotland is in theory closer
to independence that at any time since the Act of Union with England
300 years ago. Separatist movements are active in the Basque country,
Corsica, Sardinia and Italy.
As for Europe’s newest would-be state, Transdniestr broke away from
Moldova in 1990 and the two sides fought a war in 1992 that left more
than 1,500 people dead. Although never recognised internationally,
it has close ties to Russia, which helped the ethnic Russians in the
war and has maintained 1,500 troops there.
Officially, they are there to keep the peace and guard a stockpile of
40,000 tonnes of weapons stored there in case of a Nato invasion. In
reality, this remains Moscow’s westernmost strategic outpost —
a bulwark against the expanding EU and Nato. It is also a haven for
money-laundering, smuggling and illegal weapons sales.
Mr Smirnov runs it as a personal fiefdom, financed by local oligarchs
and propped up by nostalgia for the Soviet Union. It has its own
currency based on the old Soviet rouble, uses the old Soviet Moldovan
flag, and stages annual Soviet-style military parades. Police wear
uniforms bearing the hammer and sickle.
There is no direct telephone link to Moldova and no mobile
network. Shop windows display tawdry goods from the 1970s and
1980s. The only redeeming feature is Moldova’s only FIFA-approved
football stadium, which is home to the country’s top football club,
Sheriff Tiraspol.
Peace talks, mediated by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation
in Europe, have stalled over Transdniestr’s refusal to accept autonomy
within a Moldovan state. Russia has backed the referendum.
Karel De Gucht, the Belgian Foreign Minister and OSCE chairman, has
said that there is no legal basis for a referendum and urged both
sides to return to the negotiating table.

KILLING ON A COMMUTER TRAIN
by Rustam Taktashev
RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
May 31, 2006 Wednesday
Armenian youngster killed in another racist attack
A group of young men yelling “Glory to Russia” stabbed an Armenian
teenager to death last week on a crowded commuter train, prosecutors
and the lawyer of the victim’s family said Tuesday. Prosecutors are
classifying the fatal attack as a hate crime.
Artur Sardaryan, 19, was on the train at about 11 p.m. Thursday when
he was approached by the assailants and repeatedly stabbed in the
chest with a knife, said Yelena Rossokhina, a spokeswoman for the
Moscow region prosecutor’s office. There were thought to be about
20 people on the train, heading from Moscow to the city of Pushkino,
at the time of the attack.
No suspects had been detained as of Tuesday.
“According to witnesses, the killers were yelling, ‘Glory to Russia’
and ‘Long live Russia,'” said Simon Tsaturyan, the Sardaryan family’s
lawyer. Tsaturyan said the attackers pulled the train’s emergency
lever after stabbing Sardaryan and fled the scene. Sardaryan died
on the spot, Tsaturyan said. The lawyer added he did not know why it
took the authorities five days before issuing any public statements
about the stabbing. Rossokhina did not comment on the time lag.
Sardaryan was a Russian citizen.
The killing came one month after a 17-year-old ethnic Armenian was
stabbed to death on the platform of the Pushkinksaya metro station
in central Moscow. There have been numerous hate crimes across the
country in recent months, with victims including Africans, Central
Asians and other dark-skinned people. President Vladimir Putin,
in his Victory Day speech earlier this month, linked skinheads and
other violent extremists with the fascists of the previous century.