LAWYER QUITS AZERI OFFICER’S DEFENSE
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 19 2006
Baku, April 18, AssA-Irada
Since the status of defense lawyer for Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani
officer sentenced for life by a Hungarian court for killing an
Armenian counterpart in 2004, has not helped him achieve anything,
Adil Ismayilov has decided not to go to Hungary in this capacity any
more, he told a news conference on Tuesday.
“Even though I had very little decision-making powers, the blame for
all the failures is now being put at my feet. Not many people know
that I didn’t even have the right to speak in court,” he said and
added that there was no opportunity to influence Safarov’s Hungarian
lawyer either.
“I have many cases to deal with in Baku. Nevertheless, only out of
respect for Ramil Safarov, I had to travel all the way to Budapest
every time. If I go there again, I will go only as his friend,”
the lawyer stressed.
He also said he was pleased with the measures taken by the Azerbaijani
state to defend the officer, but acknowledged that the efforts would
have been far more effective if properly coordinated.
“All powers must be vested in one person who can then be held
accountable for the results,” he said and concluded that he could
take up that mission if asked to do so.

HOPES REMAIN DESPITE LATEST FRUITLESS TALKS, ARMENIAN MINISTER SAYS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 19 2006
Baku, April 18, AssA-Irada
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has said that the latest
fruitless round of talks between Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert
Kocharian in Rambouillet, France in February should not be considered
as the overall failure of talks to settle the long-standing Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
“Although the two leaders were unable to reach agreement at
Rambouillet, we do not consider the negotiating process unsuccessful
as a whole,” Oskanian said in a recent meeting of the EU-Armenian
inter-parliamentary commission. He said that based on the progress
achieved prior to the meeting, hopes remain for the future.
Oskanian said that earlier Yerevan had refused to table any other
issues prior to the determination of Upper Garabagh’s status.
“However, in the course of the talks, it backed away from the previous
stance by making a serious compromise,” he maintained.
“If Azerbaijan admits to the right of Upper Garabagh Armenians to
self-determination, if not immediately, then a little later, the
Armenian side will be ready to solve other matters, including the
withdrawal from [Azeri] territories, return of refugees and security
issues,” the Armenian minister said.
Oskanian said the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering
settlement to the conflict are currently working to arrange for the
next meeting of the Azeri and Armenian presidents, but “real grounds”
should be created for this. He added that the date of such meeting
is unknown at this point.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TAKE PLACE IN ATHENS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
ATHENS, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A number of events
dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took
place at the last week-end in Athens, on the innitiative of the
Athens Governor’s Offoce, Mayor’s Office, the RA Embassy to Greece
and the Armenian community. A solemn ceremony of requim took place
on April 15 in the square of the district of Nea Zmirni of Athens
where the memory monument to the Armenian Genocide victims is
erected. Primates of two dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
the Armenian Catholic and Protestant churches prayed at the same
time. Vahram Kazhoyan, the RA Ambassador to Greece, representatives
of the Athens Governor’s Office and Mayor’s Office, other officials
made speeches. Then wreaths were laid to the memory monument by the RA
Embassy, the Athens Governor’s Office, the Nea Zmirni Mayor’s Office,
RA military students studying in Greece and the Armenian community. A
march of complaint towards the Embassy of Turkey to Greece took place
after the end of the event. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA
Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, on April 16,
on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
a solemn sitting took place at the “Atikon” hall of Athens, on the
initiative of the Athens Governor’s Office, Armenian Rights Council
of the Armenian Liberal Democratic Party and the Hay Dat Committee
of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun. Ioannis Tragakis, the Parliament Deputy
Speaker of Greece, Teodoros Kasimis, the Deputy Foreign Minister of
Greece, representatives of political parties of Greece made speehes
at the event. Vasos Lisaridis, the former Speaker of the Parliament
of Cyprus made a speech. RA Ambassador Vahram Kazhoyan’s speech was
also read. Deputies of the Parliament of Greece, representatives of
political parties, local self-government, primates of two dioceses of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic and Protestant
churches, representatives of Armenian political parties and the
community, students from Armenia studying in Greece and military
academy students participated in the sitting. The event was finished
with a march towards the Unknown Soldier’s Grave in the Sintagma
central square of Athens where wreaths were laid by the RA Embassy,
the Greek Government, Parliament, political parties, the Embassy of
Cyprus to Greece and the Armenian community of Greece.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL COMPLEX DISTORTED IN LYON
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
LYON, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The memorial complex
dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims was distorted
in the city of Lyon, France, a week before the 91st anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide. “Association Press”, quoting the Hay
Dat French Committee and the Council of Armenian organizations in
France, informs that unknown people wrote on the memorial complex:
“No Armenian Genocide happened.” The Armenian organizations of France
expressed their indignation on the occasion of the event and demanded
to strengthen in the whole contry the protection of monuments to the
Armenian Genocide victims.

AZERI LAW ENFORCERS THWART SMUGGLE OF ARMENIAN GOODS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 19 2006
Baku, April 18, AssA-Irada
Azeri law enforcers have prevented an attempt to smuggle Armenian-made
food containing harmful substances from its northern neighbor Russia,
officials have said.
Investigators say that an individual named Rovshan Hajiyev was planning
to deliver the consignment from the Russian Vladimir province to the
Baku-based Kutas Limited Liability Company, according to the Samur
border checkpoint.
The same source said that substances harmful for the human body were
found in the goods, which mostly included breadcrumbs.

HIGH-RANKING RUSSIAN OFFICIAL VISITS ARMENIA
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 19 2006
Baku, April 18, AssA-Irada
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin started his unexpected
visit to Yerevan on Tuesday. He is to hold talks with Armenian
officials as well as meet with the Russian ambassadors to Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Armenia and Turkey, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The gist of the discussions is not elaborated, but the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh will
undoubtedly be in spotlight.
The French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating settlement to
the long-standing dispute, Bernard Fassier, who has recently completed
his visit to the region, informed Karasin in Moscow of the outcome
of his talks in Baku and Yerevan.

AMBASSADOR OF ARMENIA TO GEORGIA VISITS JAVAKHK TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH SITUATION AT PLACE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Hrach Silvanian,
the RA Ambassador to Georgia visited the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi region on
April 15-16. The goal of the visit was to meet with representatives of
the regional administration, regional authorities as well as of public
organizations to get acquainted with the situation at place. First,
the RA Ambassador visited the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church
of Akhaltskha, then a meeting with high grades students, teachers and
representatives of the intellectuals of the region took place at the
Akhaltskha Armenian school. The RA Ambassador presented the meeting
participants the present state of the Armenian-Georgian relations,
programs implemented and envisaged by the authorities of Georgia
and Armenia to improve the social-economic state of the region, he
also touched upon a number of issues causing anxiety of the Armenian
society of Georgia, including the educational reforms implemented in
the country. Then a meeting with the Georgian President’s Authorized
Vice-Representative to the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi, the Akhatskha Mayor,
heads of the legislative and executive bodies of the region took
place in the building of the Mayor’s Office. Issues relating to the
social-economic state of the region were discussed. The Akhaltskha
Mayor proposed to discuss the idea of establishing a close cooperation
between Akhaltskha and a city of Armenia. The Ambassador’s next meeting
was with Giorgy Khachidze, the Authorized Representative of Georgia to
the Samtskhe-Javakhk region which took place in Akhalkalak. Hamlet
Movsisian, a deputy elected at the Parliament of Georgia from
Akhalkalak and Melik Raisian, a deputy elected by proportional order
participated in the meeting as well. G.Khachidze presented programs
addressed to settlement of the social-economic problems of the region,
events implemented during the recent period of time. Then he touched
upon the new law on electing the local self-govenrment bodies,
taking into account that those elections will take place already
this autumn. The necessity of establishing a close cooperation
between the administration of the region and the Embassy was also
discussed at the meeting. The RA Ambassador also raised the issue of
founding the Armenian-Georgian University in the region about which
the agreement was reached between the RA and Georgian Prime Ministers
during 2005. At the end of the conversation Khachidze thanked the RA
authorities for constant assistance shown to Javakhk. Late the same
day, the RA Ambassador visited Ninodsminda where he participated
in the Easter liturgy celebrated in the Surb Sargis Church. Then,
as Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press
and Information Department, a meeting took place with heads of the
executive and legislative bodies of Ninotsminda, the Mayor and Henzel
Mkoyan, a member of the Georgian Parliament elected from the region of
Ninotsminda. The RA Ambassador’s meeting with representatives of public
organizations of the region took place the next day, on April 16, in
Akhalkalak. At Ambassador Silvanian’s request, participants presented
problems of the society of Javakhk. The RA Ambassador also visited the
Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church of Akhalkalak and participated in the
Easter Liturgy and the following celebration. Georgian President’s
Authorized Representative G.Khachidze participated in the church
service as well. A.Amirkhanian, the Georgian President’s Authorized
Vice-Representative to the Samtskhe-Javakhetsi region accompanied
the RA Ambassador during the visit to the region. The visit was held
during the days of the Easter holiday and took place jointly with
the visit of Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, primate of the Virahayots
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The RA Ambassador returned
Tbilisi on late April 16.

INT’L CONFERENCE TO TABLE TURKISH-ARMENIAN TIES
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 19 2006
Baku, April 18, AssA-Irada
A conference, “Establishing a common culture of the Ottoman society:
Turkish-Armenian relations”, will be held in Kayseri, Turkey on April
20-22, Anadolu news agency quoted the Kayseri Unviersity president
Chingiz Utasi as saying.
125 representatives from various countries will attend the event,
including the Armenian Patriarch of the Constantinople diocese Mesrol
Mutafian. The participants will primarily focus on the political and
social aspects of Turkish-Armenian ties.
“We hope that the conference will serve as a new bridge between Turkey
and Armenia,” said Metin Gulgun, head of the event organizational
committee. He added that a similar conference is to be held in
Armenia later.

RA MINISTER OF TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION AND ROSTOV GOVERNOR OFFICIALLY OPEN DAYS OF ARMENIA IN REGION
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
ROSTOV-ON-DON, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The
visit paid by the Armenian delegation headed by RA Minister of
Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamian to the region of Rostov
continues. Hovik Abrahamian and RF Rostov Governor Vladimir Chub
opened on April 17 in solemn conditions the Days of Armenia in the
region of Rostov. The RA Minister of Territorial Administration
mentioned in his speech that holding of the Days of Armenia will
give new filling to development of the Armenian-Russian relations
in the humanitarian sphere as well as will give possibility to the
inhabitation of the region of Rostov to contact with the Armenian
culture closer. The concert of opening the Days of Armenia took place
in a warm atmosphere. High-ranking officials of the legislative and
executive authorities of the region of Rostov and representatives
of the Armenian community of the region were present at the
concert. Concerts took place on April 18, within the framework of
the Days of Armenia, in the city of Novocherkask and the settlement
of Chaltir populated by Armenians. As Noyan Tapan was informed by
the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, signing
of a Statement is envisaged on April 19 between the sides in which
further directions of development of the commercial-economic and
humanitarian cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the RF
region of Rostov will be fixed.

PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA TO HAVE ADVISOR FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES’ INTEGRATION ISSUES FROM NOW ON
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Position for
President’s Advisor for Integration Issues was created in the staff
of the President of the country to make working out of the ethnic
minorities’ integration policy of Georgia more effective. And Anna
Zhvania was appointed on that post. According to Anna Zhvania, in
the affair of working out the policy of the national minorities’
integration, representatives of those minorities will probably be
involved. Especially for that as well as for acquaintance purposes,
A.Zhvania envisages to visit Samtskhe-Javakhk and Kvemo Kartli
soon. The “A-Info” agency reminds that another state institute, the
State Ministry on Integration Issues (Minister Zinaida Bestayeva)
functions in Georgia for settling the issue of integration of the
national minorities. But the latter was mostly engaged in the issue
of the South Osetia.