GRICHENKO: UKRAINE’S MILITARY COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA WON’T HARM OTHER STATES
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
“Ukraine recognizes sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Anatoli Grichenko told
following the meeting of the CIS Board of Defense Ministers in
Baku today.
He gave this answer to APA’s question “The declaration on conflicts
signed by heads of state in latest GUAM Summit reads that Azerbaijan’s,
Georgia’s and Moldova’s territorial integrity has been violated. Two
days later Ukraine signed a contract on military cooperation with
Armenia. What cooperation does this contract mean and isn’t it contrary
to the declaration signed by the presidents?” (APA).
Mr.Grichenko said that Ukraine’s cooperation with Armenia does not
mean any harmful actions against other partner states.

IVANOV: “I DO NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PEACEKEEPERS APPEARING IN NK CONFLICT ZONE”
Today, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
A long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno
Karabakh region should be resolved by the two countries themselves
and not by third parties, Russia’s defense minister said Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, Sergei
Ivanov said: “Any settlement scheme imposed from the outside could
in my opinion be not only counterproductive, but also very dangerous.”
He said international mediators should not try to impose a solution
on Armenia and Azerbaijan, but should facilitate the implementation
of any agreement the sides may reach over Karabakh bilaterally,
RIA Novosti informs.
Ivanov also said peacekeepers could be deployed in the zone of the
conflict, which claimed 30,000 lives on both sides between 1988 and
1994 after the Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian population
proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan in a bid to join Armenia.
“I do not rule out the possibility of peacekeepers appearing in
the Karabakh conflict zone in the foreseeable future to enforce all
political agreements that will be reached sooner or later,” he said.
URL:

AZERBAIJANI DM CALLS ON HIS CIS COUNTERPARTS TO CALL ARMENIA AGGRESSOR
Today, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Today Baku is hosting the 50th meeting of Board of Defense Ministers
of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
As APA reports, the meeting has brought together the CIS executive
secretary Vladimir Rushaylo, delegations from Defense Ministries of
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Russia and Ukraine as well as delegations of the CIS Executive
Committee and Defense Ministers Board Secretariat.
Addressing the meeting, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev
said Azerbaijan is having military cooperation with international and
regional organizations and attaches great importance to its activity
in the CIS Board of Defense Ministers. Touching on economic successes
Azerbaijan achieved during its 15-year of independence, the Minister
stressed that the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict poses a great obstacle
to improvement of these successes.
“There is a great deal of uncalculated military equipment and supplies
in the Azerbaijan’s territories under Armenian occupation currently
and terrorists are trained there. There is illegal traffic in arms
and weapons of mass destruction and illicit drugs transferred to
different regions of the world from there,” Minister Abiyev underlined.
Abiyev also reminded that Armenia ignores the UN Security Council’s
four Resolutions on unconditional withdrawal from Nagorno Karabakh
without further delay. The Azerbaijani Defense Minister addressing
his counterparts said it is high time to take a fundamental and
objective stance.
“Armenia should be called aggressor and Yerevan should be demanded to
comply with international legal norms and withdraw from the Azerbaijani
territories it has occupied,” he stressed.
He also noted that CIS’s existence much depends on its ability to
solve the conflicts in the Commonwealth territory.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov called the meeting efficient
at the new conference following the closed meeting. He said they
discussed military and military-technical cooperation and adopted a
decision on improving the structure of working bodies of the Board.
URL:

AZERBAIJANI DM DOES NOT EXCLUDE GUAM PEACEKEEPERS’ PLACEMENT IN NK
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Azerbaijani defense minister Safar Abiyev while responding the question
on establishing peacekeepers, said that this issue has been update for
several years, he discussed this matter with his Ukraine counterpart
Anatoly Grichenko. (APA)
Safar Abiyev stating that “Establishing of peacekeepers is in the
preparation level said that defense ministers do not decide these
kind of decisions themselves. Those proposals will be submitted to
discussion of state heads after the defense ministers agreed.
Azerbaijani Defense minister answered to the question “Can those
forces be placed in Nagorno Garabagh?”-“time will show it”.

KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED BILATERALLY – DEFENSE MINISTER
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 31 2006
BAKU, May 31 (RIA Novosti) – A long-running dispute between Armenia
and Azerbaijan over the Nagorny Karabakh region should be resolved
by the two countries themselves and not by third parties, Russia’s
defense minister said Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, Sergei
Ivanov said: “Any settlement scheme imposed from the outside could
in my opinion be not only counterproductive, but also very dangerous.”
He said international mediators should not try to impose a solution
on Armenia and Azerbaijan, but should facilitate the implementation
of any agreement the sides may reach over Karabakh bilaterally.
Ivanov also said peacekeepers could be deployed in the zone of the
conflict, which claimed 30,000 lives on both sides between 1988 and
1994 after the Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian population
proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan in a bid to join Armenia.
“I do not rule out the possibility of peacekeepers appearing in
the Karabakh conflict zone in the foreseeable future to enforce all
political agreements that will be reached sooner or later,” he said.
The Russian minister’s remarks came a day after Armenia and Azerbaijan
both claimed fatalities following a shootout between soldiers on the
border near Nagorny Karabakh and accused each other of breaching a
1994 ceasefire agreement.
More than 100 people have been killed in the region since the ceasefire
was brokered.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EACH OUTSIDE-THRUST PLAN OF NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IS VERY DANGEROUS – RUSSIAN DM
Author: R. Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Each plan of settlement thrust from the outside is not only
counter-productive, but also very dangerous, Trend quotes Sergey
Ivanov, Defense Minister and Vice Premier of Russia, commenting May
31 the totals of CIS Defense Ministers session.
“The final plan of settlement, first of all, shall be based on
agreement of the two parties, and in case such agreement is achieved
the warrant-countries will do their best to ensure meeting these
assumptions”, – Ivanov said.
He said also Russia had several times opined on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. “Moscow greets peaceful political settlement of this
conflict. Alongside the US and France, Russia is a co-chair of OSCE
Minsk Group. I know OSCE Minsk Group is regularly talking to Azerbaijan
and Armenia on the matter”, – Ivanov added.
“However, one should be followed with another, not the contrary. Some
people say, let Russia, US and France develop the model, thrust it
on the parties and execute it. It is not good”, – The RF official said.
“I cannot estimate the progress or its absence, but consider it the
only right way”, – Ivanov concluded.

IVANOV: “RUSSIA STATED FOR SEVERAL TIMES THAT NK CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED IN PEACEFUL WAY”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
“Russia has stated for several times that Nagorno Garabagh conflict
should be solved in peaceful way”, Defense minister of Russia Sergey
Ivanov has told these words. (APA).
Sergey Ivanov reminding his being one of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen stated that Azerbaijan and Armenia should find the solution
way of the problem themselves. “The system applied by force outside is
of not effective and dangerous. If the sides agreed co-chair countries
will suggest any chances for realizing the agreement.” The minister
has stated that, some powers invite Russia, the USA and France to
apply their models by force in the solution of the conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CRASHED A-320 DATA COULD BE DECODED IN TWO MONTHS – MINISTER
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 31 2006
MOSCOW, May 31 (RIA Novosti) – The decoding of the flight data from
an Armenian Airbus that crashed into the Black Sea May 3 could take
up to two months, the Russian transportation minister said Wednesday.
Igor Levitin said experts would have to check about 300 technical
parameters from the flight data recorder to establish the cause of
the tragedy, and that Armenian technicians would have to be involved
because the plane’s pilots spoke Armenian during the tragedy.
The recovery operation at the scene of the disaster was officially
declared over on May 24.
Tatiana Anodina, head of the Interstate Aviation Committee, said
earlier that experts might face problems deciphering data from the
cockpit flight recorder, because of damage to the recording medium.
The airliner, operated by Armenia’s Armavia, crashed while flying
from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, in stormy weather 6 kilometers
(3.7 miles) from Russia’s Adler airport, which services the popular
resort of Sochi. All 113 people on board died.

VIC “RAGING BULL” DARCHINYAN HITS LAS VEGAS!
East Side Boxing
May 31 2006
(Las Vegas, USA: 31st May 2006) Reigning IBF/IBO flyweight world boxing
champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan – Australia’s only current male
boxing world champion – has arrived in Las Vegas and intends on making
a huge impression when he competes for the first time in the famous
boxing metropolis this coming weekend.
“My training has been perfect and I am feeling very strong,” said
Darchinyan. “People around the world are going to take notice of me
when they see my fight this weekend. My opponent Luis Maldonado is
a very good boxer, but I am still going to knock him out!”
Considered one of the hottest new stars in world boxing, Vic “Raging
Bull” Darchinyan will defend his two world titles against undefeated
28 year-old Mexican Luis Maldonado (33 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw, 25
knockouts) on a card that will see them as the main support bout to
one of the world’s ‘Fights of the Year’ in Jose Luis Castillo versus
Diego Corrales III at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas, USA.
Darchinyan’s trainer and three-time world boxing champion Jeff Fenech
has been pleased with Darchinyan’s sparring over the last three weeks.
“Vic wanted to come to the USA early to get the best sparring possible
and he has been in awesome form,” said Fenech. “We have sparred the
best boxers available in Los Angeles and Phoenix and I couldn’t be
happier with the way things are going.”
30 year-old Darchinyan, the Armenia born Australian citizen southpaw,
has an undefeated record of 25 wins, 0 losses and 20 knockouts. In
his last fight on March 3 at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez,
California in the USA, Darchinyan knocked out IBF mandatory challenger
Diosdado Gabi from the Philippines spectacularly with one punch in
round 8.
Darchinyan is promoted by well-known American Gary Shaw, who guides
the careers of some of the best active boxing talent today.
The Darchinyan versus Maldonado fight will be televised live
into Australia from 11am this Sunday 4th June 2006 by Main Event
Pay-Per-View, Fox Sports Pub & Club Vision and Sky Channel.

PRESS RELEASE
Black Maria Gallery
3137 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact: Zara Zeitountsian
Tel: 323. 660 9393
Fax: 323. 669 2821
E-mail: [email protected]
web:
Black Maria Gallery Will Host
Exhibition to Raise Funds for a Cross-Cultural Mission in Turkey
– Installation will Feature New Sculptures by Kardash Onnig –
Los Angeles – Black Maria Gallery announced a major installation by Kardash
Onnig, featuring new and recent works by the New York-based sculptor.
Opening on Thursday, June 8, at 7 PM, the exhibition will continue until
Sunday, June 11.
The installation at Black Maria Gallery will serve to raise funds in support
of a peace mission that Kardash plans to undertake in Turkey. The mission
will include the creation of linkages with Turkish artists and cultural
leaders, collaborative projects designed to promote cross-border dialogue,
and a teen apprenticeship program in sculpture and carving taught by Kardash
Kardash’s installation is part of his evolving “Tools” project, now entering
its third decade that consists of sculptures based on the idea of the
quaternary.
“It’s all about universality,” Kardash explained. “Virtually every culture
on the planet has symbols and metaphors deriving from the quaternary, or the
principle of four. Think of the four seasons, the four elements, the four
corners of the world. In other words, our most profound cultural aspirations
speak of the universal, of embracing the whole, whereas we’re stuck in
two-dimensional modes of thinking such as nationalism or corporate
globalization, and we worship two-dimensional devices, such as our
technological wonders that actually prevent us from experiencing things
beyond our cocoons. The ‘Tools’
Project is my way of shattering the barriers of two-dimensionality, of
crossing borders, to both acknowledge and experience ‘the other.'”
Kardash said his project owes much to his travels throughout the world. He
has lived and worked in a number of diverse societies, and many of his
sojourns have inspired him to undertake various teaching and writing
initiatives. For the past 20 years he has conducted a Teen Apprenticeship
Program in New York, fostering unfettered artistic expression grounded in
advanced techniques and discipline. He has also authored several monographs
and children’s books, all of which share a message of nonviolence and
cultural concordance through mutual understanding.
“Ninety-one years have passed since the Genocide of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey, yet Armenian-Turkish dialogue is not only nonexistent today, it’s an
enormous taboo,” Kardash explained. “But I’m not pursuing a specifically
political mission by trying to create links with Turkish cultural workers
and teaching sculpture to talented kids. I’m just doing my thing as a
sculptor and as someone genuinely interested in advancing peace across
national divides. In the past, I’ve conducted similar programs in
Nagorno-Karabagh and elsewhere, and I’m not interested in only the
Armenian-Turkish issue. I believe the canvas of peace and mutual
understanding should be spread throughout the world, irrespective of one’s
background.”
Kardash’s installation at Black Maria Gallery will include an interactive
feature whereby visitors will be encouraged to move around his sculptures to
form distinct “ensembles” and set-ups. These movements will be taped by an
overhead camera and projected onto a screen in the main space of the
gallery. There will also be shown a mini documentary on Kardash, including
clips of the artist discussing the concept of the quaternary.
Black Maria is located at 3137 Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village.
Gallery summer hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 6 PM. For more
information, call 323. 660 9393
# # #