KAREL DE GUCHT: I’M NOT A PESSIMIST, BUT NOT AN EXCESSIVE OPTIMIST, EITHER
ArmRadio.am
23.05.2006 15:58
“I’m not a pessimist, but I’m not that optimistic about reaching mutual
concessions in the Karabakh issue in 2006,” declared Karel de Gucht,
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Belgium.
In his words, the OSCE takes every effort to have the parties come
to a common solution of the Karabakh issue. Sometimes the hope for
soon settlement reinforces, sometimes weakens.
“Everything depends on both Armenia and Azerbaijan, they should come
to an agreement themselves, the OSCE can only provide assistance,”
Karel de Gucht underlined.
He noted also that the resolution of the conflict is sometimes hindered
by side circumstances, which worsen the situation. One of these side
circumstances in the Karabakh issue is the closed Armenian-Turkish
border, which hinders the settlement of the issue. As for the prospects
of resolution, the OSCE Chairman advises to be optimistic in any case.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE END OF COMMUNITY PROSECUTOR
Panorama.am
17:50 22/05/06
Today we received information that Yerevan Malatia-Sebastai community
prosecutor Hamlet Hovsepyan was dismissed by the president’s decree
late last week. Today Viktor Soghomonyan, president’s press secretary
confirmed the information.
Our sources say that the reasons for dismissal are just
scandalous. Recently national security officers prevented smuggling
of large volumes of cell phones into the republic. The General
Prosecutor’s office also disseminated information on the case. The
information, however, overlooked some of the important facts. It
said, in particular, that criminal case is instituted on the incident
of smuggling of 433 different types of cell phones costing USD 70
thousand equivalent 30 million Armenian drams via Dubai-Yerevan
flight on May 17. G. Hairapetyan, a private businessman, suspected
in the case with a group of other people, is arrested. According to
our sources, Malatia-Sebastia community prosecutor’s son was among
the group. Moreover, when H. Hovsepyan learned about it, he hid his
son from law enforcement bodies. Our sources say that was the reason
for dismissal.
President’s press secretary confirmed the information.

DELAY OF GENOCIDE CRIMINALIZATION DISASTER FOR FRENCH PARLIAMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.05.2006 13:59 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The aim of the comedy that we witnessed was to
prolong the discussions not to put the draft criminalizing the denial
of the Armenian Genocide for discussion, Patrick Devedjian, an MP
representing the Union for Popular Movement and Adviser of Interior
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, told Le Figaro. “I did not think they would
dare to go that far. The aim of the comedy that we witnessed was to
prolong the discussions not to put the draft for discussion. This game
was organized by the socialists’ spearhead and part of the rightists
acting apparently on demand. This is a disaster for the parliament
where seems to be a ban on discussing concerns facing the French,”
Devedjian remarked, the Azg newspaper writes.

NA SPEAKER AND OYK MEMBER CHAIRMEN OF TWO STANDING COMMITTEES OFFICIALLY PRESENT THEIR RESIGNATIONS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Artur Baghdasarian
officially presented at the May 22 first sitting of the four-days of
the RA National Assembly the application on resignation from the post
of the Parlaiment Speaker. According to the decision of the “Orinats
Yerkir” (Country of Law) party’s leaving the political coalition and
on the party’s resigning the post undertaken within the framework
of the coalition memorandum, Mher Shahgeldian, the Chairman of the
Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs,
the OYK Deputy Chairman and Gagik Mkheyan, the Chairman of the Standing
Committee on Nature Protection Issues also presented resignations. The
above-mentioned people having presented resignations thanked the
Parliament for joint work and expressed a hope that as OYK faction
members, they will be able to assist adoption of laws securing the
country’s progress in future as well. To recap, according to the NA
regulations-law, in the case of again presenting the resignation in 5
working days after the NA Speaker’s resignation, it will be considered
adopted. In the case of resignation of Chairmen of Standing Committees,
it will be considerd adopted if the application is not taken back
during 3 working days after its having been made public at the NA
sitting. A.Baghdasarian also stated officially that 11 deputies left
the OYK faction according to their own applications. To recap, 10
of them had also left the party according to their application, and
Artak Sargsian was earlier expelled the party by the party’s decision.

OSKANIAN-MAMEDYAROV MEETING TAKES PLACE IN STRASBOURG
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 19 2006
STRASBOURG, MAY 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian’s meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov on the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
took place in Strasbourg on May 18, with the presence of OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairmen Steven Mann, Yuri Merzlyakov and Bernard
Fassier. Then the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
continued the negotiations with the Co-Chairmen in a separate
format. The Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers’ meeting was
aimed to prepare the visit envasiged to be paid late in May to the
region at the level of Deputy Ministers of the Foreign Ministries
of Minsk Group Co-Chair countries U.S., Russia and France. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, settlement principles and approaches put on the negotiation
table were discussed at the meeting. The Armenian side estimates the
meeting positive, in spite of the fact that there are still unsolved
and not agreed issues.

IN MY SPEECHES I EXPRESS MI PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW: VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. I am retired diplomat and in my speeches
I express my personal point of view which has nothing to do with
the official position of Russia, the former Russian co-chair of the
OSCE MG Vladimir Kazimirov says in an interview to Radiolur while
commenting on Azerbaijan’s officially complaining of Kazimirov’s
recent statements about territorial integrity and self-determination
principles and Baku’s bellicose statements.
To remind, in response to Kazimirov’s statements, the head of the
foreign relations department of the Azeri president’s administration
Novruz Mamedov said that Kazimirov has lost his good sense and that
he has been bribed by Armenians. “I am for speaking to the point and
against vulgar statements,” Kazimirov says about Mamedov’s response.
He notes that the Armenian journalist who interviewed him misunderstood
much of what he said and he asked him to remove the interview from
the site right after it was published.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN CONDEMNS ARMENIAN OPPOSITION FOR GIVING THEATRE PERFORMANCE AT RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. The coming few months will become a test
for the Armenian political forces. Tigran Torosian, Deputy Speaker
of RA National Assembly, said this at today’s press conference.
Mr. Torosian condemned the opposition demand to dissolve the parliament
in connection with the fact that the political coalition stopped
existing after the withdrawal of “Country of Law,” party and that
the coalition is no longer a majority at the parliament. “First of
all, I wander, who said that the coalition should be the majority
at the parliament and a majority memorandum should be adopted. The
first step was taken after the parliamentary elections in 2003,
and I think this step will become a precedent for the future one,
but nothing makes us adopt the memorandum, now. In many countries of
the world the coalitions function without adopting any documents,”
he said. He emphasized that it is precisely stated in RA Constitution
what a parliamentary crisis means and in which cases the legislative
power should be dissolved, underscoring that nothing of the like
happens at the parliament at present.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN: ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR IS SPREAD IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. An atmosphere of fear is spread in Armenia,
the Armenian parliament speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan told today in
the Parliament, having declared about his resignation.
According to Baghdasaryan, much have been done for the past
three years, however, a number of problems still remain unsolved,
particularly, a sad state of the border regions of the country and the
area of Spitak earthquake. He emphasized that disagreements with the
republic’s ruling coalition appeared a year ago. These disagreements
were aggravated more and more for a number of reasons.
Particularly, Baghdasaryan paid attention to the demographic crisis
in the country, which threatens the national security, to the problem
of corruption and other issues. The speaker sees the Armenia’s future
in the European Union and not in the Russia-Byelorussia Union. At
the same time, he is a follower of active relations development with
Russia. He promised to call, during the further work, concrete names
and facts concerning the available problems.
As for the decision about the party’s withdrawal from the coalition,
A. Baghdasaryan reminded that 21 attempts were made to discredit the
“Orinats Yerkir” party’s name for the past three years. As a result,
the party itself decided to leave the coalition. As for the RA
President Robert Kocharyan and the Defense Minister Serzh Sarkissyan,
the party was always respectful to them as to political figures,
speaker said.
To be noted, based upon the Law about the RA Parliament Regulations,
the Parliament Chairman has to confirm his resignation during the
nearest five days. On the basis of the existing legislation clauses,
the duties of the Armenian Parliament speaker will be fulfilled by
the RA Parliament Vice Speaker Tigran Torossyan.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER CALLS LEADER OF NATIONAL UNITY PARTY FOR TV DEBATE
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Arthut
Baghdasaryan has called Leader of National Unity party Artashes
Geghamyan for a TV debate.
Speaking at the parliament Monday, Arthur Baghdasaryan said that A.
Geghamyan has never attended discussions of bills urgent for the
country, he has always occurred in scandalous situations using them
in his favor. The speaker mentioned that it was A. Geghamyan who was
repeatedly stated that Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan funds “Orinats
Yerkir” party. “Now, Geghamyan says that just the president and the
defense minister are involved in the resignation of the speaker,
which is illogic” A. Baghdasaryan said.
To note, A. Geghamyan was constantly making remarks during the final
speech of the speaker. A. Geghanyan believes that the president and
defense minister have ruined the party “Orinats Yerkir” within a
short period of time.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION IN RA PARLIAMENT INTENDS TO INITIATE DISCUSSION OF HEARING IN PARLIAMENT FOR PROBLEM OF COUNTRY’S CIVIL AVIATION
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. The Armenian opposition in the RA
Parliament intends to initiate the discussion of hearing in the
country’s Parliament for the problems of country’s civil aviation,
the Secretary of the “Justice ” oppositional bloc Viktor Dallakyan
said today in the RA Parliament.
According to him, the opposition included the legislation about
Civil Aviation in the Parliament agenda earlier which was, however,
failed by the country’s ruling coalition. After the tragedy of the
Armenian airbus A-320 in the Black Sea, the issue became more actual,
Dallakyan said, having called up the deputies to put their signatures
under the opposition’s initiative.