RUSSIAN MILITARY VEHICLES WITHDRAW FROM GEORGIA TO ARMENIA
Agence France Presse — English
May 25, 2006 Thursday 7:44 AM GMT
Russia has transferred a batch of military equipment to its base
in Armenia from neighbouring Georgia as part of a planned troop
withdrawal, a senior officer said.
“A first column arrived at Gyumri, home to the 102nd Russian Base.
There will be many more columns,” said the head of the Armenian
military’s general staff, Mikael Arutiunian, on Wednesday.
The equipment being transferred from Russia’s Akhalkalaki base in
southern Georgia consists mainly of communications equipment and
non-armoured vehicles, he said.
“Under the terms of an agreement with the Russian side, tanks and
other armoured vehicles will not be transferred to Armenia. They will
be sent to Russia,” Arutiunian said.
Under a May 2005 agreement, Russia is to complete the closure of two
military bases in Georgia by the end of 2008. Withdrawals of tanks
and other heavy weapons are ongoing, with trainloads of materiel
heading through Azerbaijan and across the border into Russia.
Armenia maintains close military and economic links with Russia.

RUSSIA UNION OF ARMENIANS FOR PEACEFUL KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
by Syuzanna Adamyants, Tamara Frolkina
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 25, 2006 Thursday 10:44 AM EST
The Union of Armenians of Russia calls for peaceful settlement of
the Karabakh problem, Ara Abramyan reelected president of this public
organization told Itar-Tass in an exclusive interview.
He said, “The Karabakh problem was one of the main problems discussed
at the organization’s third congress in Moscow”. “We must be friends
with the Azerbaijani diaspora and must try to settle the problem
peacefully,” Abramyan said. “There are no problems between the Armenian
and the Azerbaijani diasporas.”
Abramyan pointed out the main trends of the organization’s work,
among them work with the youth, with law enforcement bodies, contacts
with the country’s top leaders, promotion of the social and economic
development of Armenia, recognition of the Armenian genocide, work
with the Armenian diasporas broad and in Russia and with all other
national associations. He believes it is essential to attack xenophobia
and racial discrimination and to inculcate tolerance.
The Armenian diaspora, Abramyan said, “will actively participate in
the parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia.” “The Union
of Armenians of Russia will actively participate in the parliamentary
elections through the lobbying of the interests of Russian citizens
of the Armenian origin.”
“The Union of Armenians of Russia will support in every way all the
parties that will take ethnic diversity of Russia into account in
their programmes,” Abramyan said.

ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA CONTRIBUTE TO STRONGER BILATERAL COOP – PRES
by Susanna Adamyants, Tamara Frolkina
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 25, 2006 Thursday
Russian-Armenian relations have been developing in the spirit of
partnership and mutual respect, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
said in his greeting message to participants in the congress of the
Union of Armenians of Russia.
“Representatives of the Armenian and Russian diasporas always played an
important role in the two countries’ relations. The Armenian diaspora
fully integrated into the Russian society contributing to all areas
of its activities,” he said.
The Union of Armenians of Russia made a considerable contribution
“to keeping good traditions of cooperation between the two countries,”
Kocharian said.
He expressed the hope that this organization would help translate
into reality projects involving all Armenians of Russia into multiple
activities both in Armenia and Russia.

KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE WOULD SET PRECEDENT FOR EX-SOVIET REPUBLICS – ZHIRINOVSKY
Interfax
Ukraine General Newswire
May 25, 2006 Thursday 8:31 PM MSK
If Kosovo is granted independence, the self-proclaimed republics
in the territory of the former USSR could also claim independence,
Russian State Duma Deputy Chairman Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the Liberal
Democratic Party has said.
“If Kosovo gains independence this year, which is likely to happen,
such republics as Transdniestria, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh
will also have a legitimate right to independence,” Zhirinovsky told
journalists Thursday.
“Kosovo is seeking self-determination on a territory that does not
belong to it, while the populations of those republics live on their
territories fro the most part,” Zhirinovsky said.
“Transdniestria has never been a Moldovan territory: Moldova is
historically Bessarabia, but Transdniestria is what [Russian military
leader Alexander] Suvorov won from the Turks. Abkhazia joined the
Russian Empire earlier than Georgia. As for Nagorno-Karabakh, I would
not like to offend Baku, but it should gain absolute independence
and maintain strategic relations with Armenia,” he said.
Zhirinovsky suggested that these republics might in the future join
the CIS.
Zhirinovsky is attending the 3rd congress of the Union of Armenians
of Russia as a guest. The congress opened in Moscow on Thursday.

TRAIN WITH RUSSIAN HARDWARE BEING WITHDRAWN FROM GEORGIA ARRIVES IN ARMENIA
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
May 25, 2006 Thursday 6:04 PM MSK
The train carrying property of the 12th Russian military base arrived
in Armenia from Georgia on Thursday, a spokesman for the headquarters
of the Russian military force in Transcaucasia told Interfax-Military
News Agency.
“Armenian customs officers have already cleared the cargoes, and the
train is heading for its destination, the town of Gyumri, where the
102nd Russian base is stationed,” the spokesman said.
The 12th Russian military base is being withdrawn from the Georgian
town of Batumi. The train carrying its property left Batumi overnight
to Thursday.
“The materiel pulled out of Batumi, namely the command post vehicle
and over 50 pieces of logistics support hardware, will be added to
the 102nd base inventory,” the spokesman said.
It is the first train with Russian materiel that has left the Batumi
base. According to the headquarters, the next train will leave Batumi
for Armenia on June 1. The entire materiel is being handed over to
the 102nd base.
Earlier reports said that two trains with military hardware,
munitions and other materiel of the 62nd military base stationed
in Akhalkalaki left Georgia for Russia on May 15 and 23. According
to the headquarters, a total of 19 trains are to leave for Russia
this year to carry materiel of the Russian military bases away from
Georgia. Six trains are to leave Batumi for Armenia.
The Russian military bases are being withdrawn from Georgia on the
basis of the bilateral agreement on their stationing conditions, terms
and order of withdrawal, signed in Sochi on March 31. The document
provides for pulling out the heavy hardware from the Akhalkalaki base
this year and withdrawing the entire base no later than December 31,
2007. The Batumi base is to be withdrawn in 2008.

SEAN MCCORMACK HOLDS STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING (RE-AMB. EVANS)
Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
CQ Transcriptions
May 25, 2006 Thursday
SPEAKER:
Sean Mccormack, Assistant Secretary Of State For Public Affairs
Location: Washington, D.C.
State Department Regular News Briefing
May 25, 2006
[irrelevant parts omitted]
QUESTION: Do you have anything about the U.S. ambassador to Armenia?
Apparently the Congress is concerned about the dismissal of this
ambassador.
MCCORMACK: Well, my understanding is that he will be the — he has
plans to leave post after two years. Usually the tour is three years.
There has been an individual, a Mr. Hoagland, I believe — Mr.
Hoagland has been intent to nominate yesterday.
All appointed officials — me, everybody else who goes through
Senate confirmation — serve at the pleasure of the president and the
secretary. And certainly Mr. Ambassador Evans should be congratulated
for his long career and his distinguished service to our country.
He has served in the State Department for, what? — 35 years?
Thirty-five years.
QUESTION: Does it have anything to do with any comment on the genocide
of the Armenians.
MCCORMACK: (inaudible) Like I said, we all serve at the pleasure of
the president.
QUESTION: Is it (inaudible) that he wants to retire?
MCCORMACK: Excuse me?
QUESTION: Is it your understanding that he wants to retire after he
leaves the post?
MCCORMACK: I believe so, but you’ll have to check with him about what
his plans are.
QUESTION: And I suppose that you wouldn’t — since you didn’t answer
her question, would you be able to say whether he’s leaving post
because of his own decision, or was he asked to leave post?
MCCORMACK: Like I said, we all serve at the pleasure of the
president. And he’s done a fine job for the American people over 35
years. And we appreciate his service.
There is somebody who has been — at least the intent to nominate
has come out. And we would hope that the Senate would act in a speedy
manner on that nomination, as we would hope with all nominations that
are coming out of the State Department and going up to the Hill.

LE KARABAKH VEUT SUIVRE L’EXEMPLE DU MONTENEGRO
Agence France Presse
25 mai 2006 jeudi 1:44 PM GMT
Le territoire azerbaïdjanais du Nagorny Karabakh, contrôle par des
separatistes armeniens, a salue jeudi la separation du Montenegro
de la Serbie, esperant etre lui aussi reconnu comme Etat independant
par la communaute internationale.
“Le referendum au Montenegro a cree un precedent important. (…) Je
pense que nous avons toutes les raisons d’esperer etre reconnus (comme
Etat independant) par la communaute internationale”, a affirme le
“president” du Nagorny Karabakh, Arkadi Goukassian, en visite a Moscou.
“La republique du Nagorny Karabakh est independante et le restera,
independamment de ce que veut l’Azerbaïdjan”, a ajoute M. Goukassian,
cite par l’agence Ria Novosti.
Le Nagorny Karabakh, peuple de quelque 145.000 Armeniens, a fait
secession de l’Azerbaïdjan au terme d’un conflit arme qui a fait,
entre 1988 et 1994, quelque 25.000 morts et des centaines de milliers
de deplaces.
Un cessez-le-feu est intervenu en 1994 mais la situation reste tendue,
malgre des efforts de mediation de l’OSCE.
Le Montenegro a vote dimanche a 55,5% pour sa separation de la Serbie,
lors d’un referendum, un choix qui a marque le demantèlement definitif
de la Yougoslavie.
La separation du Montenegro pourrait ouvrir une “boîte de Pandore”
pour une myriade de mouvements independantistes en Europe et dans
l’ex-URSS, estiment les analystes.
Les independantistes du Pays basque (nord de l’Espagne) et de Catalogne
(nord-est), ainsi que la republique separatiste non reconnue de
Transdniestrie, en Moldavie, et celle d’Abkhazie, en Georgie, ont
exprime leur satisfaction après le referendum montenegrin, esperant
etre legitimes par un processus similaire.
–Boundary_(ID_d/CRkJyvrBEtkdtXLZlE/g) —

AGO GROUP ARRIVING IN YEREVAN JUNE 9
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2006 16:00 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 9-10 Ago Group of the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe (CE) will be in Armenia, acting Spokesperson of
the Armenian MFA Vladimir Karapetyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
Ago Group is monitoring the implementation of commitments, assumed by
Armenia and Azerbaijan when entering the CE. From Yerevan the group
will leave for Baku.

ARA ABRAHAMYAN RE-ELECTED UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA PRESIDENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2006 16:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ UNESCO Good Will Ambassador Ara Abrahamyan
is re-elected President of the Union of Armenians of Russia
(UAR). Delegates of the UAR III Congress in Moscow voted for his
candidacy unanimously.
Making the summary report, the Armenian community leader said that
he considers “contribution to strengthening of the Russian state,
international peace and accord in the society” as a major task.
Besides, the largest NGO representing interests of 2.5 million
Armenians intends to “actively participate in the public and political
life of Russia, building of civil society valuable institutions.”
“We also consider boosting strengthening and development of
self-organization of our Diaspora, which is the largest in the world,
for the benefit of Russia and Armenia,” Ara Abrahamyan said. In
his words, the UAR also intends to counteract to demonstrations
of ethnic extremism, xenophobia, racial and national intolerance,
terrorism. “Our task is to bring up the young in an environment
of tolerance, as well as to strengthen centuries-old traditions
of friendship and fraternity of the Armenian and Russian peoples,”
Abrahamyan remarked, reports Interfax.

KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL NOT SOLVE SOON, BAKU THINKS
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2006 16:28 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not
predicted soon. The problem is becoming more conserved and is reaching
a deadlock, Musavat Party chair Isa Gambar stated in Baku. In his
words, foreign powers promote it.
By means of the Karabakh conflict Russia not only influences the
foreign policy of the two countries, but is also able to have impact
of government change in Armenia. In general, Russia considers conflicts
in the Caucasus as source of its influence,” he remarked.
Isa Gambar believes that Moscow is ready to resort to settlement of
the conflict only in case its peacekeeping forces are present in the
conflict zone.
“The West wants to change the status quo without Russia’s
participation, thus Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot find common points,”
he said. “Armenia states indirectly and sometimes even directly that
it is not going to step aside from its policy. Thus, settlement of
the NK conflict is not predicted in the near future,” Gambar said,
reports Day.az.