AZG Armenian Daily #074, 22/04/2006

Karabakh issue
SERGE SARGSIAN BELIEVES AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO GRAB THE MOST IT CAN
“I have the impression that Azerbaijan wants to grab the most can,
making new suggestions that are not acceptable for us. If each of us
tries to grab as much as we can, we will hardly ever come to
agreement,” RA defense minister Serge Sargsian said at the end of the
military exercises in Nagorno Karabakh.
As for the participation of the Nagorno Karabakh republic in the
negotiations, Mr. Sargsian said that he doesn’t think big changes will
take place in near future. “Certainly, it is very desirable that NKR
participates in the negotiations as well but our wishes do not always
come true, ” he said. As for Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to
USA, Mr. Sargsian said it is quite normal, besides it is important
for any country to meet with U.S. President. “I am sure that
U.S. president called for Aliyev to settle the conflict through
peaceful negotiations,” he underscored.
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily #074, 22/04/2006

Karabakh diary
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO CATCH DEFENSE ARMY BY SURPRISE
NKR Defense Minister Assures
Military drills organized by the Army of Defense of Nagorno Karabakh
on April 12-20 proved a higher level compared to that of previous
years. The exercises of all military unites – from infantry troops to
military aviation – were supervised by NKR President Arkady Ghukasian,
Armenian and Artsakhi defense ministers, head of Armenian armed forces
headquarters Mikael Harutyunian and senior military officials. Serge
Sargsian assessed the drills as normal adding that the experts
imminent report will highlight the progress in the army. Mikael
Harutyunian stated, on his part, that these large-scale drills, that
are staged for already 5-6 years, secure higher level of performance
emphasizing army’s preparation.
Distinguished unites, commanders and servicemen were presented with
gifts and diplomas.
At the meeting with journalists before the final stage of drills, NKR
defense minister Seyran Ohanian said the Army of Defense not only
readily overcame all tasks but also proved to be able to defend the
motherland without the help of a third power. “There is still no need
of the third power – a peacekeeping contingent. The Army of Defense is
the best power for peace.” The minister stated that the most important
thing is to feel confident in the face of Azerbaijan’s threats. And
they do feel confident. “It’s impossible to catch the Army of Defense
by surprise.”
As to the borderline incidents, the minister assured that the
situation is calm. “Exchange of fire and sniper shots are a usual
thing on the borders, and even privates take them quietly.” Seyran
Ohanian added that the process of mutual concessions is not properly
introduced to the public and it indeed needs to be introduced. Asked
whether he believes in a settlement this year, the minister said:
“We’ll do everything to reach the finish but the settlement depends on
the process of negotiations.”
By Gohar Gevorgian in Stepanakert

AZG Armenian Daily #074, 22/04/2006

Music
JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH IN ARMENIA
“Jazz Appreciation Month” will launch in Armenia on April 26. This
will be the fifth international jazz festival held in Yerevan. The
U.S. Embassy to Armenia informed that within the framework of the
festival they will hold not only concerts but also film sessions on
the history of jazz, a dancing performance staged on jazz music,
“Colors of Jazz” the exhibition of young artists. It is expected that
both Armenian and American musicians will hold concerts at the
festival.
By Nana Petrosian

Armenpress
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN ASSOCIATION TO MEET IN BATUMI IN MAY
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Vladimir Badalian,
an Armenian parliament member and a cochairman of
Armenian-Georgian and Armenian-Ajarian Associations,
told Armenpress an Armenian-Georgian-Ajarian business
forum will be held in Ajaria’s capital Batumi in late
May, to be followed by the meeting of the
Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission on
cooperation in Tbilisi.
Badalian said the Associations have been active for
two years already and have managed to remain balanced
organizations despite some tension in bilateral
relationships. Badalian said the major goal of the
Armenian-Ajarian Association is to expand the network
of resorts on the Black Sea coast of Georgia’s
autonomous region of Ajaria that could be available to
Armenia’s middle class. He said last year some 12,000
Armenians spent their summer vacations in Ajaria. He
said if the government of Georgia repairs roads
leading to the region this number may double.
Now it takes 16 hours for mini-buses to travel from
Yerevan to Batumi, but a massive repair of roads
launched by the government of Georgia in Javakheti is
expected to cut the trip to a 6 hour journey.

Armenpress
50 ARMENIAN STUDENTS JOIN BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Some 50 young
Armenians, all members of Nikol Aghbalian student
union, closely affiliated with the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF), have joined today the
Armenian Bone Marrow Registry (ABMDR), established to
respond to those families in crisis, whose members are
suffering from life-threatening blood diseases and who
need a bone marrow transplant from another Armenian.
The action was dedicated to the 91-st anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide and is being held under the
motto ‘Our blood is life for others.” Because of
unique genetic make up of Armenians, it is nearly
impossible to find suitable matches among the existing
international registries and hence a great number of
Armenian children and adults have lost their lives due
to the lack of compatible donors. To address this
imbalance, a volunteer donor registry for bone marrow
transplant has been established in Armenia to help to
overcome this difficulty.
The Armenian Bone Marrow Registry has now 11,000
registered donors. It is a member of the World Marrow
Donor Association, sharing its database information
with other registries around the world and cooperates
with several international medical centers, including
the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust in England, St
Jude Hospital in Memphis and Glendale Memorial
Hospital in Los Angeles.

Armenpress
YEAR OF ARMENIA IN RUSSIA RECEIVES WARM WELCOME
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Vigen Sarkisian, an
aide to president Robert Kocharian, told a news
conference today that the audience in Russia is giving
a warm welcome to an extensive range of events held
there as part of the Year of Armenia in Russia.
He said the initiative to hold the Year of Armenia
in Russia should not be confused with what is known as
days of culture, because the Year of Armenia in Russia
is a broader idea encompassing also educational,
scientific programs to be added soon by athletic
events. He said the symphonic orchestra of the Russian
republic of Bashkortostan held a concert with invited
Armenian violinist Martin Yavryan and a singer Vahagn
Makvetsian. Moscow’s Pushkin Museum hosted an
exhibition of treasures from Etchmiadzin, the Russian
Center for International, Cultural and Scientific Ties
is hosting an Armenpress photo exhibition titled
‘Armenia: 15 Years of Independence.’ The exhibition
displays 110 photos shot by Armenia’s leading
photographers.
Saint Petersburg hosted an exhibition of paintings
of local artists of Armenian descent. The museum in
southern Russian Astrakhan is hosting an exhibition
titled ‘Famous Armenians of Astrakhan.’ As part of the
Year a n extensive Armenian delegation, headed by
territorial minister Hovik Abrahamian was in the
southern Russian province of Rostov on April 17-19.
Vigen Sarkisian said exchange visits of students
from sister schools in Yerevan and Moscow are expected
soon and in summer businessmen of both countries will
meet for a business forum in Moscow. Deputy foreign
affairs minister Gegham Gharibjanian said the Year of
Armenia in Russia is a good moral impetus for
thousands of Russian Armenians. ” We felt it during
all our meetings. They are sure that the Republic of
Armenia stands ready to support and defend their
interests,” he said.
Vigen Sarkisian said also the First Russian TV
Channel with the biggest audience will screen on April
24 Armenian-Canadian Atom Egoyan’s’ Ararat’, a film
about the genocide.

Armenpress
KARABAKH PARLIAMENT HOLDS HEARINGS ON THE CONFLICT
RESOLUTION PROSPECTS

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Parliamentary
hearings on prospects for settling the Karabakh
conflict began today in the National Assembly of the
Nagorno-Karabakh republic. The hearings are attended
also by parliament members from Armenia.
Parliament chairman Ashot Ghulian said the presence
of counterparts from Armenia signified the importance
of the hearings. Foreign minister of Karabakh Georgy
Petrosian said this were the first hearings of that
type and they were important as they would allow
lawmakers to shape a clear-cut position on the ongoing
related process. He said the core of this problem is
that Azerbaijan did not respect the right of the
people of Karabakh to self-determination and
retaliated in 1988 by ethnic cleansing.
Petrosian said the international community’s
position on this issue is wrong because it did not
acknowledge so far the outcome of the 1991 referendum
in Karabakh that decided to separate from Azerbaijan.
Armen Rustamian from the Armenian parliament, said
Armenians have to foil Baku’s efforts to shift the
conflict resolution efforts from the OSCE to other
international organizations. He said the conflict
should be solved through diplomacy and peaceful means
and slammed Azeri leaders for their incessant war
rhetoric.

Armenpress
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TO VISIT FRANCE AND RUSSIA

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian
parliamentary delegation headed by its speaker Arthur
Baghdasarian is flying on April 22 to Paris, France.
Invited by Claude Godin, the deputy president of the
French Senate, the Armenian delegation will be in
France until April 25.
In Paris and Marseille Armenian MPs are slated to
meet with Christian Poncelet, the president of the
Senate, Jean Claude Godin, the mayor of Marseille,
Pier Leluch, the chairman of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly, the director general of UNESCO and members
of the Armenian community.
In Marseille on April 24 the Armenian delegation
will participate in the opening of a memorial honoring
the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide. From France
the delegation will fly to Russian Saint Petersburg to
participate April 26-27 in events marking the 100-th
anniversary of Russia’s State Duma (parliament).
In Russia Baghdasarian will have a series of
meetings, including a meeting with his Azeri
counterpart Oktay Asadov.

A1+
«AZERBAIJAN IS LOST IN ILLUSIONS»
[07:54 pm] 21 April, 2006
Armenia would be content with the precedent if the Foreign Ministry
of Azerbaijan really positively answered the announcement of the
Armenian Foreign Ministry considering is constructive. At least this
is what the RA FM press secretary says, as `It could stimulate
positive developments in this issue.’
Tair Taghizade, the press secretary of the Foreign Ministry of
Azerbaijan, positively assessed the announcement of RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan who said, `If Azerbaijan recognizes the right
of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to decide their future status by
themselves, Armenia is ready to discuss the issues of eliminating the
results of the war seriously’. At the same time the press secretary of
the Azeri FM commented that by saying `self-determination’ for Nagorno
Karabakh, they understand `highest sovereignty’ as part of
Azerbaijan. This comment gives the RA Foreign Ministry ground to think
that there has been no progress.
`As soon as someone speaks about the right of the people of Nagorno
Karabakh of self-determination, Azerbaijan starts to nurture Soviet
illusions about `highest sovereignty’. The Foreign Minister of Armenia
clearly expressed the position of Armenia which presupposes the
recognition of Azerbaijan of the right of self-determination of the
Karabakh people first, for reaching compromise. Only after that can we
discuss the issues about eliminating the results of the war. I am
sorry that Azerbaijan is lost in illusions instead of understanding
what they see and hear,’ said Hamlet Gasparyan, press secretary of the
Armenian Foreign Ministry.

A1+
OSKANYAN MET MERZLYAKOV
[07:05 pm] 21 April, 2006
On April 21 Moscow hosted a regular session of the Council of Foreign
Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
An important theme on the session’s agenda was consideration of the
questions concerning further improvements in the structure of the CIS
bodies and the enhancement of their effectiveness. In particular, a
report was heard on the progress in the implementation of the Decision
of the CIS Council of Heads of State on Perfecting and Reforming the
Bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States, of August 26, 2005,
and on the Establishment of a High-Level Group on the Issues of
Raising the Effectiveness of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Meeting participants examined and approved the drafts of a number of
documents on humanitarian cooperation issues, namely an Agreement on
the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation among the Member States of
the Commonwealth of Independent States and a Program of Principal
Measures of Cooperation among the CIS Member States in the Field of
Culture Till 2010.
Same day Minister Oskanyan met the OSCE Minsk group Russian co-chair
Yuri Merzlyakov. No details of the meeting are given in the press
release of the Foreign Ministry.
Oskanyan will return to Armenia on April 22.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress