ARMENIAN TEAM’S BEST PARTICIPATION IN THE OLYMPIAD
A1+
[12:15 pm] 25 May, 2006
Armenian Chess team displayed its best participation in the 4th round
of the World Olympiad held in Turin and beat the Nigerian team 4:0.
Our chess players Levon Aronyan, Vladimir Hakobyan, Smbat Lputyan and
Gabriel Sargsyan celebrated their victory. After the meeting with
the Nigerian team Armenia tops the fixture table with 13.5 points
alongside with the Russian team having the same index.
Armenia occupies the 2nd place with its additional indexes.
By the way, Armenian chess players will meet the Russian
representatives in the 5th round. This will be the central and the
vital meeting of the Olympiad where the winner will have an opportunity
to become a champion though there is much time left by the end of
the Olympiad. It is noteworthy that only Armenian, Russian and Dutch
teams celebrated the same number of victories in the past four rounds.
Armenian women team also celebrated its victory in the 4th round
beating Ecuador 2:1. The decisive point for our team was provided
by Siranoush Andreasyan whereas Lilit Lazarian and Elina Danielyan
tied their meetings. So far Armenian women team is in the 11th place
and will meet the Greek team in the next round.

THEY DID THEIR BUSINESS “NEATLY”
A1+
[12:37 pm] 25 May, 2006
Today the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) decided
that the RA citizens don’t need the radio station “A1+” the slogan
of which was to be, “Listen to us and recognise yourselves.”
The contest packets for FM 90.3 MHz and FM 90.7 MHz radio frequencies
were opened on April 7 so we can say for sure that 48 days are
enough for the NCTR members to make all the necessary “consultations”
and comparisons.
Let us remind you that the rivals of “A1+” for the same radio frequency
in the above mentioned competition were “Ulyss-Media” on the one hand
and “Radio-Pro” on the other hand.
We shall inform you about today’s session of the NCTR more thoroughly
today.

NATO TOOK NEUTRAL POSITION IN EVERYTHING
Panorama.am
20:13 23/05/06
Special Representative of NATO Secretary General on South Caucasus
issues Robert Simons distrusted the statements of some of our leaders
that in 2015 the Armenian army will completely comply with NATO
standards. “It will not take place at once. It will be impossible
to finish the process by 2015, as it is impossible to graduate the
university at once. Even NATO member states continue their reforms. In
this sense, it is hard to set deadlines and to affirm that reforms
will be over before the set time. It is a continuous process,” he
told a news conference at foreign ministry.
Speaking on Karabakh conflict regulation, R. Simons noted that NATO
is not directly involved in the negotiation process but hopes that
the sides will find a mutually beneficial solution. After that, they
themselves will decide which forces they want to see in those areas –
peacekeeping, frontier or other.
Concurrently, the representative mentioned that NATO supports OSCE
Minsk Group.
Speaking about Russian military bases in Armenia, R. Simons noted
that it is the internal issue of the country to decide if it wants
any military bases in the country. In his words, if Armenia wants the
Russian forces to go, NATO will support the country in doing that as
in Georgia.
Speaking about Armenian-Turkish relations, R. Simons said, “Turkey
is the member of the alliance and consented to implement Individual
Partnership program in Armenia. However, NATO is not going to engage
in the relations between the two countries and will not deal with
their foreign policies. In fact, it is a bilateral issue between
Armenia and Turkey.”

PARUYR HAYRIKYAN: THE STATE POLITICAL LIFE IS ACCOMPANIED WITH DISGRACEFUL EXPRESSIONS
ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 17:30
Head of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan
evaluated today the events in the domestic political life of the
country, assessing these as dangerous steps for the Republic.
The state political life is accompanied with disgraceful expressions;
this is the way the Head of the National Self-Determination Union
characterizes the internal political events.
Paruyr Hayrikyan does not see anything unusual “Orinats Yerkir”
Party’s seceding from the coalition. At last, it is the party that
should decide where it must belong.
Paruyr Hayrikyan was discontent with the phenomenon of rat race. He
said these people do not know what a party means and what it is being
formed for. He considered it necessary to explain that a party should
either comprise part of the state or promote its creation.
According to him, the facts show that there are no parties, in reality
these are balloons.
The President of the National Self-Determination Union attached
importance to the choice of national symbols. “Choosing as an anthem
Aram Khachatryan’s melody of Communist era would mean breaking
ourselves,” Paruyr Hayrikyan said.
He will fight against the “shadow of Communism.

THE DELEGATION OF MEDIATORS HAD A MEETING WITH AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER
ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 17:44
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Grigori Karasin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried
and Director on Political Issue of the French Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Stanislas de Laboulaye had a meeting with the Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan in Baku today.
The meeting lasted for one and half hours, no statement was issued in
the result of it. Today the delegation of mediators will meet also
the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev. The Ambassador of Romania
to Azerbaijan Nikolae Ureke declared that the Presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan may meet in Bucharest in the framework of the “Black
Sea Forum of Dialogue and Cooperation.”
“Romania is ready to provide for the necessary conditions for the
meeting of Presidents,” the diplomat said.

DANIEL FRIED CALLS ON THE PARTIES TO TAKE DECISIVE STEPS
ArmRadio.am
24.05.2006 18:05
US Assistant Secretary of State declared today in Baku that the
“parties should take decisive steps for the final resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Daniel Fried noted that the situation in the negotiations will be
finally known by the end of the week.
“Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are able to resolve the conflict
in a peaceful way,”the American diplomat said.

UKRAINIAN MILITARY DELEGATION VISITING ARMENIA TO DEVELOP TIES
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
24 May 06
[Presenter] A Ukrainian delegation led by the chief of the general
staff of the Ukrainian armed forces, Serhiy Kyrychenko, paid an
official visit to Yerevan today. Meetings with the chief of the general
staff of the Armenian army, Col-Gen Mikael Arutyunyan, and the Armenian
deputy speaker are planned within the framework of the visit.
The delegation will visit the Vazgen Sarkisyan Military Institute
and the Humanitarian Mine Action Centre.
The Ukrainian delegation led by Kyrychenko had an official meeting
with representatives of the Armenian Defence Ministry immediately
after their arrival in Yerevan.
[Kyrychenko, speaking in Russian with an Armenian voice-over] This
is an important visit for the development of military relations. We
have met several times and have common subjects. Today we have the
opportunity to continue cooperation between the armed forces of
Ukraine and Armenia.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER BLAMES EX-SPEAKER FOR HIDING TRUTH ABOUT RESIGNATION
Mediamax news agency
22 May 06
Yerevan, 22 May: The leader of the Orinats Yerkir Party, Artur
Bagdasaryan, who resigned from the post of the parliamentary speaker
today, and the leader of the National Unity Party, Artashes Gegamyan,
traded mutual accusations at the National Assembly session today.
Artashes Gegamyan in particular said that “the Armenian president and
the defence minister managed to pull down the Orinats Yerkir Party
within several days”.
“Artur Bagdasaryan is speaking about the atmosphere of fear reigning
in Armenia. Most likely, this atmosphere of fear is hindering him
to tell the whole truth that precisely Robert Kocharyan and Serzh
Sarkisyan forced him to resign from the post of speaker,” the leader
of the National Unity Party said.
In reply, Artur Bagdasaryan said that if the National Unity Party
had not left the opposition camp after the first round of the 2003
presidential elections, “a different political situation would have
emerged in the country”. Artur Bagdasaryan said that Artashes Gegamyan
had thus implemented “Serzh Sarkisyan’s order”.
The politicians’ quarrel lasted for quite a while after which they
decided to continue their dispute on the air of one of the Armenian
TV channels.
[Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 1733 gmt 22 May 06 quoted Serzh Sarkisyan
as saying that he was “absolutely uninterested in the quarrel between
Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan and the leader of the opposition National
Unity Party”.]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI OFFICIALS, OSCE MEDIATORS DISCUSS CURRENT STAGE OF KARABAKH TALKS
ANS TV, Baku
24 May 06
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs had a meeting at the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry today. During the meeting, they discussed the current stage
of the talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and prospects for its
settlement. Details of the meeting have not been disclosed. After
their meetings in Baku, foreign diplomats will visit Armenia.
[Video showed Minsk Group co-chairs and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Grigoriy Karasin, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, French Foreign Ministry political
director Stanislas de Laboulaye]
[At 0954 gmt on 24 May, Turan news agency quoted Karasin as saying
that the talks were “useful”, while others declined to comment.]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RESTORE THE DUELS
Anna Israelian
Aravot.am
24 May 06
According to one of the ARF deputy if tradition of duels is restored
we w?n’t be forced to hear the offences which the OEP and “National
Unity” addressed to each other in the NA yesterday.
Here are passages from those declarations.
Hovhannes Margarian /OEP/; “Where were today’s Pharisees when hundreds
of thousands issues were being discussed in the parliament? Where was
that same Geghamian who betrayed the leader of the opposition Stepan
Demirchian in the second stage of the presidential elections in 2003
taking some thousands of dollars? Where was he when the question of
deposits was being discussed, when schools and nursery schools were
being privatized very cheaply, when problems of disaster zone were
being discussed? When were you, the Savior, when the opposition was
fighting in favor of justice? Certainly he was hiding waiting for
new commands from the influential officials who using Geghamian’s
oratorical potential were financing him in indirect way. Everybody
knows what happens to those who have become unnecessary after
being used. I must mention that Arthur Baghdasarian being 37 years
old and the OEP is 10 have had more serious achievements than you
with your empty critics addressed to Robert Kocharian and Serge
Sargsian. Speaking about robbery you ownbuildings and complexes,
criticizing the corruption you are fed by the authority.
Hmayak Hovhannisian /independent deputy/; “A scenario is being realized
here making each other abolish public politicians for anti-ideological
and anti-political elements. Our so-called political field has become
a stable… The journalists and I are the unhappiest persons in this
hall, because we have to find some regularity in the stable. Stable
rules act here.
Mher Shahgeldian /OEP/; “If anybody likes to feel himself in the
stable it is his choice… I turn to “National Unity”, you try to
carry out your policy by craftiness. Don’t you ask for economic
orders periodically from the Minister of Defense and get it. We know
about it.”
Samvel Balasanian /OEP/; “I don’t know what Hmayak Hovhannisian speaks
about. I compare this misfortune with Alyonka from Russian tale who
was sinking.
Dear Alyonka, Alyonushka, maybe you have lost your patrons. /”Sheep”, –
Hmayak Hovhannisian cried from his sit. A.I./. Becoming the opposition
we are criticized by Hmayak Hovhannisian, we also were being criticized
when we were the authority”.
Gagik Kostandian; /National Unity/ “You betrayed the ANM and Levon
Ter- Petrosian in 1998, and you betrayed the coalition in 2006. If
you have taken money for your betrayal, it’s a problem but if you
are a principal betrayer, it’s another problem. You declare that
you have defended Robert Kocharian in the first and second stages,
but how can we understand your step, is it a betrayal or next play
of the authorities to form a false opposition. Didn’t you know with
whom you were going to work? Your partner political powers are the
same, they haven’t changed, admit that posts admired you. And you
awakened before the elections, that the coalition///// I have been
in the boxing ring since for about 17 years, and I have seen a lot
of blows below the belt, we considered those sportsmen as sons of
the beach. I haven’t seen a political power, which blows below the
belt. Your declaration that we are financed by Serge Sargsian and
are engaged in supplies, that information is false and old”.
Artashes Geghamian; “I’ll compliment Arthur Baghdasarian. He is too
///. He said here that the way of lie is short like the way of the
thief, it lasts 40 days. It seems he saw today. His way last only a
day /and read the declaration signed on 19 of February according to
which the results of the elections can’t be recognized legal. -A.I./
Let the people decide which category he is.”
Stepan Zakarian /”Justice”/; If there was a healthy society it would
be interested from the beginning where Serge Sargsian has got such
big money for being able to but a politician or a party… I think
that the feeling of fear about which he was speaking prevented the
NA chairman to say it.”
Vram Gyulzadian /OEP/; “Geghamian says that when the Public Prosecutor
is engaged in planting trees, potato specialist must carry out
policy. It is honor for me to be a potato specialist. And thanks
to my farmer partners we had potato in cold and famine years. Has
anybody been saved by your pompous speeches?”