ARMENIA AMBASSADOR TO IRAN PROPOSED TEHRAN TO BRING MILITARY FORCE FROM HIS COUNTRY TO STOP ACTIONS IN SOUTH AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 1 2006
Armenia ambassador to Iran Gegam Garibjanian holding secret talks
with government of Iran proposed bringing of military force from his
country to stop the actions in South Azerbaijan.
World Azerbaijanis Congress and South Azerbaijan National Movement
Support Committee member Sirus Azadi has informed. Azadi has stated
that there is no doubt to understanding between the sides. “Special
destination forces might be taken from Armenia to stop the actions
in South Azerbaijan.”

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTS NEW SPEAKER
RIA Novosti, Russia
June 1 2006
YEREVAN, June 1 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s parliament, the National
Assembly, elected a new speaker Thursday following the resignation
of the previous incumbent in May.
The new man is 50-year-old Tigran Torosyan, the head of Armenia’s
delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
and deputy chairman of the country’s Republican Party.
Torosyan’s name was the only one put forward for the position and was
backed by five parliamentary groups, although two opposition factions
refused to take part in the voting.
Artur Bagdasaryan resigned from the post after his party announced
on May 11 that it was pulling out of the ruling coalition.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY FM: CIS COUNTRIES NEED NEW INTEGRATION STRATEGY ON COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
Yerevan, June 1. /ARKA/. The CIS countries must elaborate a new
strategy of integration based on the community of interests, RA Deputy
Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan stated in Tsakhkadzor.
“Our major task is to elaborate a new integration model on the basis
of community of interests and present-day national priorities of
the CIS member-countries,” Gharibjanyan stated at the scientific and
practical conference “CIS as a new structure of interstate cooperation:
prospects of achievements and development.”
According to him, the formation of the CIS was not an easy process.
“Together we have to think over the past stage of the CIS’ development,
achievements and miscalculations, as well as the role in maintaining
and further development of multilateral political, economic and
humanitarian cooperation,” Gharibjanyan said.
According to him, an integrated alliance of a new quality facilitates
the accomplishment of tasks. As regards the CIS improvement and
modernization of mechanisms, Gharibjanyan pointed out the importance
of not only interstate dialogue, but also the dialogue between the
countries’ public, scientific, cultural and education spheres.
“Cultural relations and spiritual unity between our peoples formed
for centuries helped them to jointly overcome historical trials,
and gain victory. All this is a basis for cooperation in the CIS,”
Gharibjanyan said.
The conference is being held in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia. Among the
participants are scientists, political figures, diplomats from the
CIS countries, including Vice-Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee
Asan Kozhanov.

22.39% OF OVERALL INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMY MADE BY GREEK INVESTORS IN JAN-MAR 2006
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. 22.39% of overall investments in Armenia’s
economy was made by Greek investors in January-March 2006. According
to the Armenian National Statistics Service, $21.1116mln was invested
in Armenia in the period under review. $13.968mln of them was direct
investments in the real economic sector (30.75% of the overall direct
investments in Armenia in the period under report).
According to the indicator of investments in Armenia’s real economic
sector, Greece ranks 2nd after Lebanon. Greek investors directed all
their funds to the communication sector.
As compared to January-March 2005, investments from Greece decreased
by 44.7% simultaneously with the 17.3%.decrease of direct investments.
The overall foreign investments in Armenia’s economy totalled $94.3mln
in January-March 2006. $45.423mln of them was direct investments in
the real economic sector.

KOCHARYAN: ARMENIA WILL CONTINUE ACTIVE REFORMS OF INVESTMENT, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
Yerevan, May 31. /ARKA/. Armenia is not going to stop at what has been
achieved and intends to continue active reforms of its investment
and business environment, RA President Robert Kocharyan stated at
his meeting with WB Regional Director for Europe, Central Asia and
South Caucasus Donna Dowsett-Coiloro and Director of the WB Yerevan
office Roger Robinson.
The sides made a high appraisal of the implementation and results of
joint programs.
Dowsett-Coiloro pointed out that Armenia tops the WB’s ratings of
programs of reforming investment and business environment. The sides
also addressed a number of problems and ways of resolving them.
President Kocharyan pointed out that serious reforms in the customs
and taxation spheres are aimed at making these operations public and
transparent. Attempts are being made to minimize the possibility of
contacts between customs officers and economic entities.
The sides also addressed problems of corruption control. The RA
President reported that active judicial reforms are under way.

COMPLEX MEASURES AGAINST XENOPHOBIA MUST BE TAKEN: URA PRESIDENT
Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. Complex measures against xenophobia and
nationalism related crimes must be taken in Russia, President of the
Union of Russian Armenians (URA) Ara Abramyan reported during a press
conference in Moscow.
According to him, the second murder of a Russian citizen of Armenian
descent has been committed over this month. However, he believes that
“this is not the problem of the Armenian society, but Russia”. “This
is not the Armenian people’s problem. It is our country’s problem,
a common problem, and we can get out of such situation only with
joint efforts,” he said.
RIA Novosty reports that Abramyan believes that atmosphere of
dislike toward participants of radical nationalistic groups should
be established. “They should know that they have no place in the
society,” the URA president said. He also suggested that the problem
of xenophobia be solved by means of “round tables” participated by
public figures, police mass media representatives.
Besides this, according to Abramyan, to combat xenophobia in Russa
much attention should be paid to upbringing of the youth and a dialogue
with school and university students.
Abramyan reported that 390 attacks on people out of nationalism
related reasons and 30 murders have been committed in Russia in 2005.
During this year seven Russian citizens of Armenian descent have been
killed in Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEAVES GEORGIA
Prime News Agency, Georgia
June 1 2006
Tbilisi. June 01 (Prime-News) – 44 items of Russian military equipment
left the Autonomous Republic of Adjara on Thursday, Prime-News was
told by representatives of the Ministry of Defence.
Train loaded with two infantry vehicles (BTR 60), trucks and other
equipmentheaded to Giumri, Armenia at 12.05 am.
The equipment had been withdrawn from 90th regiment in Khelvachauri
district for several days.
Another train loaded with Russian military equipment will leave Adjara
within a week form June 1. The other one will leave on June 8.

DERVISHES’ DANCE ON THE CHRIST’S IMAGE
Marina Grigoryan “Golos Armenii” (The Voice Of Armenia)
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 1 2006
Turkish Advertisement with Religious-Political Implication The
shots from the Turkish video clip have been “walking” by the World
Network three days and have already been titled “Dervishes’ Dance
on the Christ’s Image”. According to the Yerkramas newspaper of the
Russian Armenians, in St. Petersburg the Armenian activists are going
to institute legal proceedings against a Turkish agency circulating
cadres, which are offensive for Christians: the Christian cultural
monuments on the territory of modern Turkey are presented as cities
that have sunk, where only mermaids swim, while the image of Jesus
Christ has turned into a dance hall.
Such provocative video clips can hardly be considered just a commercial
subterfuge. Too little time has elapsed since a scandal caused by
Danish caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad, so one is inclined
to believe in obvious premeditation of the step undertaken by Turks
to artificially foment interreligious passions.
Turkey, which is doing its best to position itself as a secular
state that observes ethnical minorities’ rights, evidently cannot be
considered a civilized country, for even commercial interests are
unable to conceal political and expansionist ones. The Christian
cultural monuments, on which the heirs of nomads perform ritual
dances, testify to the fact that the very nomads that have arrogated
to themselves the invaluable monuments of the world history pretending
to be the region’s autochthon population are unworthy of such legacy
and can just spoil and destroy it. It is quite symbolic that Armenians
have been the first to make those who committed sacrilege responsible
via litigation – without mentioning other factors, the wound and pain
of the deprivation of thousands of the Jugha khachkars destroyed by
Turkish vandals is still with us. And yet, if political interests
hampered the Christian world’s consolidation in the issue referring
to khachkars, perhaps, this time the blasphemous cadres will make
Christians rebuff the provocateurs stirring up interreligious rows and
setting the representatives of various confessions against each other?

CUP VIEW FROM THE STREETS OF NEW YORK
By George Vecsey
The New York Times
May 31, 2006 Wednesday
Late Edition – Final
WE were having lunch outdoors the other day, the way one does on the
first warm afternoon in Lyon or Paris or New York, three cities where
Youri Djorkaeff has lived.
A stocky Argentine man, dining a few tables away, did a double take
when he spotted the alert dark features of the patron at the corner
table.
“It’s like talking to God,” the Argentine man sputtered in English,
as Djorkaeff accepted a hug and posed for a photo. “I know Maradona,”
the stranger continued. “He used to come to my house when he was
hiding out. Who do you think will win the World Cup this year? You
think my country has a chance?”
This question is being asked in 32 nations around the world this
week. Djorkaeff replied that Argentina and Italy are always good,
but in the end Brazil has so much talent.
“It’s like an exact science,” Djorkaeff said. “The same three, always,
and maybe France or England or Germany.” Reluctantly but civilly,
the Argentine man went back to his lunch, letting Djorkaeff get back
to his seafood salad and rose.
In 1998, in the World Cup final won by France, Youri Djorkaeff aimed a
corner kick toward the talented scalp of Zinedine Zidane, who headed
in a goal against Brazil. Now playing for the New York Red Bulls of
Major League Soccer, Djorkaeff, like billions of other people, is
preparing to watch the world’s most popular sports event next month,
on the tube from Germany.
“This will be my first World Cup,” Djorkaeff said the other day.
“I will sit on the sofa and watch, like a good fan. I am checking
the web to get all the information on the French team.”
Djorkaeff and his wife and three children are living in the Gramercy
Park section of Manhattan. As a proud Frenchman of Armenian and
Kalmuk ancestry, Djorkaeff is a little disappointed there is not
more of an Armenian presence in New York, but he loves the long
and mostly anonymous walks around this city. He also does not mind
being lionized at French places like Frederick’s Lounge at Madison
and East 65th Street, where he is one more sporting prince of this
international city where soccer is a thriving daily presence.
He was born to the spotlight, since his father, Jean, was captain of
France in the 1966 World Cup in England. When Djorkaeff was a child,
he played with a fuzzy replica of World Cup Willie, the mascot of
the English cup.
He became a star for Inter Milan, living close to the fabled Duomo.
(“Milan is an amazing city, but a lot of it is hidden. You open
a door, and there are these amazing courtyards and gardens.”) He
joined the French national squad after the breakup of the beautiful
underachieving team of the 1980’s.
In the sunlight on Madison Avenue, Djorkaeff pointed to goose bumps
on his arms as he recalled how the charismatic, multicultural French
team rolled toward the 1998 Cup.
“Half of us played in Italy,” Djorkaeff said, recalling those heady
days a decade ago, when Italy had the best league in the world. He
still marvels at how the French coach, Aime Jacquet, confided in 1997
that “everything is ready” to win the World Cup. Djorkaeff thought
Jacquet had gone mad, “Coach, are you O.K.?”
Exactly eight years ago, Jacquet assembled 23 superb individuals at a
rural camp. “Those little games in training, six men on a side, were
fantastic,” Djorkaeff recalled. “You ran a drill, the ball never went
out. But it’s not just you. It’s the other team. Your whole group. I
never saw soccer like this. On our team, if anything went wrong,
Jacquet had two or three solutions. Everybody was together.”
After the 3-0 victory over Brazil for the championship, Jacquet gave
the players two options: Celebrate in the City of Lights or go back
to the training base with their wives — “the last time we would all
be together,” Djorkaeff said in a hushed voice. The players chose
to go back to the chateau, while millions of fans celebrated along
the Champs-Elysees.
In 2002 in South Korea, Djorkaeff and his mates were older, more
brittle, and did not make it out of the first round. “It is harder
when you are champion,” Djorkaeff said. He retired from the national
team, and last season he chose to play in M.L.S. for the experience
of living in Manhattan.
“If you think about football in Italy or France, you would go home
in a week,” he said, respectfully, “but I am at a point where I want
to help build something here.”
He is busy on the phone these days, plugging his new book, “Snake”
— the English nickname by which he is known in France — written
with Arnaud Ramsay, and published only in French by Grasset.
The American league will soldier on during the World Cup, with the Red
Bulls playing a game the same day, June 17, the United States plays
Italy. Still Djorkaeff is marking off all the games he can possibly
catch. He has helped win a World Cup. Now it is time to watch one.

WHO IS TRYING TO SPLIT THE CIS?
by Roman Simakov
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
Source: Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kuryer, No. 20, May 2006, p. 2
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
June 1, 2006 Thursday
The West doesn’t want a rival in Eurasia
Ill-wishers say that the CIS will soon disappear; It must be admitted
that there are serious political disputes in the framework of the
CIS. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – that is, the countries where
overtly anti-Russian political elites hold power – are saying more
and more often that they’re prepared to quit the CIS.
For several years now, certain circles with an interest in the matter
have been saying that the days of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) are numbered. In the light of recent events, this issue
is once again being raised in various media outlets and some CIS
countries. But the CIS, going through a reform phase, continues to
exist and function effectively in various areas. One of the more
robust areas that links most CIS countries is military cooperation.
The latest confirmation of this is the fact that another meeting of
the CIS defense ministers’ council is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan,
on May 31.
The meeting plans to consider a number of very important issues. The
defense ministers intend to confirm the basic areas of activity and
measures for the CIS Military Cooperation Concept to 2010, and discuss
the state of flight safety in the armed forces of CIS countries. They
plan to reach agreement on documents required to establish a common
(unified) military communications system for CIS countries. The
defense ministers will also consider the performance of the Joint
Peacekeeping Forces in the Abkhazian conflict zone.
The question of next year’s funding for the CIS Unified Air Defense
System (UADS) will also be considered. A command-staff training
exercise involving UADS management bodies and forces was concluded
on April 25. The exercise involved air forces and air defense forces
from eight CIS countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.
On the whole, military contacts within the CIS framework remain active
– although not all countries are showing interest or initiative.
What would replace the CIS?
All the same, it must be admitted that there are serious political
disputes in the framework of the CIS. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine –
that is, the countries where overtly anti-Russian political elites
hold power – are saying more and more often that they’re prepared to
quit the CIS.
On May 2, President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia instructed the
government to consider the expediency of Georgia’s continuing
participation in the CIS and to present an accurate economic
justification within the next two months. Vladimir Ogryzko, Senior
Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, says that Ukraine doesn’t receive
real results from membership in the CIS. Similar statements are made
periodically in Chisinau.
Nonetheless, so far not a single one of these countries has dared
to undertake the final withdrawal from the CIS. Why? The answer is
obvious: political and economic losses from this action will be much
bigger than received benefits. Moscow has already demonstrated that
if necessary it can tighten up economic nuts. Russian government is
considering liquidation of various preferences for some CIS member
states because of the statements of their authorities about possible
withdrawal from the CIS.
Nonetheless, the “divorce” the strongest on people’s masses who already
experience hard times. It is necessary to bear in mind that Tbilisi,
Chisinau and Kiev try to bargain and seek additional protection of
those who lobby withdrawal of these countries from the CIS. It is
clear for whom it is beneficial to finally break up what is left from
the USSR: the West doesn’t need a competitor in Eurasia.
Integration could improve significantly the level of competitiveness
of each of the 12 countries. For instance, Washington has already
promised to compensate for the losses expected because of withdrawal
from the CIS.
Against this background Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova
with assistance of overseas sponsors started working more actively in
the framework of the so-called GUAM, an amorphous organization whose
main task is economic cooperation in words and dilution of the CIS in
deed. Experts state that no real economic basis has been created for
GUAM and it will hardly appear in the near future. We would also like
to say that the major part of disputes appearing in the framework of
the CIS is exaggerated and invented according to prompts of Western
puppeteers. Along with this, due to the obstacles appearing on this
path some functions of the CIS went to new international organizations
like the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Eurasian Economic
Community and Common Economic Space. Cooperation in the framework
of these organizations is gradually gaining scale in its specific
directions and is already bringing certain fruits.
Apsheron attracts
It is symbolic that meeting of CIS defense ministers will be held
in Baku. Lately, the Trans-Caucasus in general and Azerbaijan in
particular has been acquiring special importance on the international
geopolitical arena. First, this happens because the Trans-Caucasus
is a key to the Caspian region rich with hydrocarbons. It is a good
economic advantage and hence a reason for increased interest of the
“omnipresent” US. Second, the region attracts attention of the West
in the strategic aspect. Nobody has promised that sooner or later
aggravation of the American-Iranian relations will not lead to a
forceful action of Pentagon against Iran. In this case assistance of
Azerbaijan would be very valuable. It’s no coincidence that the US is
already on its way to basing two radar stations in the republic. On
the one hand, these stations will track operations of the Russian
military base in Armenia. On the other hand, they will control the
Caspian region and the territory of Iran. The official version of the
radar stations construction is strengthening of border control. A year
ago, it was rumored that an American military base would be deployed
in Azerbaijan. Various sources mentioned at least three possible
locations for the base, namely the Apsheron Peninsula, Lenkoran and
military airfield Shirak not far from the Georgian-Azeri border.
Against this background reports appeared in Azeri press in March with
reference to the Institute of Radiation Problems of the National
Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan saying that due to work of the
Russian information and analytical center Daryal (Gabalinskaya radar
station) the level of electromagnetic radiation in the populated
spots neighboring the station allegedly exceeded the norm by a
few hundreds percents. When checked these stations proved to be
ungrounded. According to the press service of the Russian Space Forces,
such statements of representatives of Azeri public “unfortunately very
often ignore results of real research and are at odds with facts.” It
is obvious that intentions to impose opinion about negative impact of
the Russian radar station on environmental situation on Russian and
Azeri public represent attempts to hinder development of Russian-Azeri
relations. It is remarkable that Azeri experts have not turned to
the Russian party officially with statements about any registered
breaches although there is an agreement of Russia and Azerbaijan on
joint conduction of monitoring.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said, “The fact that the
topic of ecology is often used for political goals primarily by
nongovernmental organizations is no secret to anyone.”
Earlier, Baku did not support the Russian initiative about
establishment of the tactical theater group of ships of the Caspian
countries Casfor in the Caspian Sea. Along with this, Washington
already started implementation of its project in the region for
establishment of Caspian Guard for guarding of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian Sea. It is
known that for the US the Caspian region remains one of the most
important lines of foreign policy as an alternative option for supply
of hydrocarbons because the Persian Gulf area is very unstable. The
Caspian region is also important for promotion of American interests
to the east.
Between Moscow and Washington
Commenting on the recent official visit of Azeri President Ilkham
Aliev to Washington, the official spokesperson for the US Department
of State said that “Azerbaijan is an important country for the US.”
Along with this, Washington is prepared not only to pay money and
to create a foreign policy protection but also to shut its eyes to
breaches of democratic rights and liberties in the republic for a
time being. For the US Azerbaijan is a tasty morsel also because
political landscape in this country is diverse and unstable, which
enables the US to manage the situation in its own interests through
pressurizing of official Baku when necessary. The main factor of
instability in Azerbaijan is the problem of territorial dispute
between Baku and Yerevan. Struggle for democratic values may become
such factor in the future. Incidentally, the US is already doing the
relevant preparatory work.
Lately, Russia has been trying to raise relations with Azerbaijan to
a new level more actively. This is said in the joint statement of the
presidents of the two countries signed in February in Baku. In this
situation Azeri political elite tries to maneuver between Moscow and
Washington bargaining about certain benefits for itself. Nonetheless,
practice shows that sooner or later such “diplomacy” ends. As a rule,
this happens exactly because of excessive appetite and pressure of
overseas friends. On the contrary, cooperation with close neighbors
seems to be the most promising, mutually beneficial and long-lasting.