SURPRISING ENTRIES ADVANCE IN EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
Christine Pirovolakis, dpa
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 18, 2006 Thursday 11:11 PM EST
Amid a cluster of ancient Greek gods, Spartan warriors and mythical
creatures, musicians from 23 countries battled it out for a place in
Saturday’s main Eurovision 2006 Song Contest in Athens.
Competing for 10 places for the main event in the former Olympic city,
Russia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine,
Ireland, Sweden, Turkey and Armenia made the cut after a public text
and telephone vote.
Ranging from pop to ethnic music to rock, the winning acts for the
semi-finals included a wide assortment of genres, including Belfast-
born singer Brain Kennedy’s soft, heartfelt ballad with soaring vocals
and a simple arrangement.
Russia’s Dima Bilan performed a modern pop song with a serious edge,
while Sweden’s Carola’s Invincible was an anthemic production that
started slow and built to a thumping chorus.
Again this year, Eurovision is producing its fair share of controversy
and extreme behaviour.
Among the more unusual and surprising bands to advance to the finals
were controversial Finnish heavy metal band Lordi, whose act features
gruesome masks, armour and jets of flame.
“We are so satisfied – imagine a band that look’s like us can reach
the finals in a song festival like this,” said Lordi’s lead singer
during a press conference.
Other unexpected winners also included Lithuania’s Lt United with
their title We are the winners, as well as Turkey and Armenia, the
latter competing for the first time in Eurovision.
Hosts Greece, nine top-scoring nations from last year’s contest and
four major countries have automatic berths in the final: Switzerland,
Moldova, Israel, Latvia, Norway, Spain, Malta, Germany, Denmark,
Romania, United Kingdom, France, Croatia and Greece.
France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom qualify automatically
as the four most populous countries in the event.
Eager to entertain the more than 10,000 fans in the Olympic Basketball
stadium in Athens and the more than 100 million people who tuned in to
the event from 40 countries, dancers dressed-up as Zeus and Aphrodite,
the Greek goddess of love, took to the stage singing past Eurovision
hits Volare and Diva.
The show’s choreographer, Fokas Evagelinos, said he wanted to inject
a dose of humour while also showcasing Greek culture in the event.
Still basking in the glory of the 2004 Olympics, when they impressed
audiences by bringing the history and authenticity of the event back
to its homeland, organizers have spared no expense for Eurovision.
Athens won the right to host the event after Helena Paparizou triumphed
last year in Kiev with her song My Number One.
This year, Greece’s ancient capital and its 5 million people have
embraced the contest with even greater enthusiasm than the Olympic
Games. With the necessary infrastructure from stadiums to transport
already in place, Athenians are confident of Eurovision success.
Anna Vissi will be battling it out to score yet another win for Greece
with Everything, a ballsy, heartfelt rock ballad about the breakup
of a relationship.
Despite being described as a showcase of kitsch, Eurovision is one
of the most watched television programmes in the world, and the
competition has served as a springboard for such international stars
as Abba and Celine Dion.

TANKS ROLLING NORTH: WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS FROM GEORGIA: SCANDALS CONTINUE
Albert Yeremjan, Mikhail Moshkin
Source: Gazeta, May 16, 2006
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 19, 2006 Friday
Twenty-One Echelon With Military Hardware, Armaments And Material
Will Leave The Russian Base In Akhalkalaki (Georgia) Before October;
An update on the withdrawal from Georgia.
Russia is pulling out. The accords signed in Sochi this March, give
Russia until 2008, to withdraw from Georgia completely. The matter
concerns Russian military bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki.
It took the military two days to load all armored vehicles of
the 62nd Base (Akhalkalaki) on flatcars at Tsalka station in East
Georgia. The process began on Saturday. Carrying seven T-72 tanks,
eight armored battle vehicles, two armored personnel carriers, and
four communications vehicles, the echelon departed for Russia via
Azerbaijan, yesterday.
“Running echelons across Azerbaijan will simplify matters, because it
will do away with the necessity to unload the military hardware from
flatcars and load it again to a different transport means,” Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus Second-in-Command Vladimir Kuparadze told
this correspondent. “The military hardware loaded in Tsalka will ride
the flatcars right to the destination in Russia.” Kuparadze did not
say what units of the Russian army were under orders to receive and
store the military hardware. Tactical and auxiliary teams made it to
Tsalka last week.
Departure of the second echelon is scheduled for May 23.
Twenty-one echelon with military hardware, armaments, and material
of the Akhalkalaki base will leave Tsalka before October, 2006.
The locals, mostly Armenians, are vexed to see the Russians pull out.
It is hardly surprising because the Russian base provided them with
jobs. Special forces of the Georgian Interior Ministry were moved to
Akhalkalaki on the night of May 13, to deal with all and any potential
disturbances. Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili had said not long
before that Russia was orchestrating “provocations” in Akhalkalaki
“to be able to claim that it was the indigenous population that was
interfering with the withdrawal.”
Along with everything else, official Tbilisi accuses Moscow of
dereliction of its commitments with regard to the Gudauta base on the
territory of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia. The Georgians
demand international monitoring while Moscow replies that the base
is closed. The NATO delegation on a visit to Georgia last week was
not permitted to see the base. NATO representatives said that had had
Russia’s consent to a visit the base but the permit was annulled at
the last moment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBOT TO CONTINUE WORK ON SEABED TO DETECT FLIGHT RECORDERS
by: Dmitri Nezdorovin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 19, 2006 Friday 12:29 AM EST
The weather conditions allowed to continue the operation at the A-320
crash site on Thursday to find and raise the flight recorders from
the seabed.
The deep-water robot sank at 19:30 Moscow time on Thursday and ended
the work at 04:00 on Friday, a source at the operational headquarters
told Itar-Tass.
Fragments, the colour and form of which resemble the recorders, are
found at the seabed, and each of the objects is examined. The robot
has to remove obstructions. Some of the fragments are in the silt,
and it complicates the work, the source said.
The team operating the robot had a short rest on Friday morning,
and if the weather allows, the work will resume soon.
According to the earlier reports, the recorders are at the depth of
496 metres, and the distance between them is about five metres.
The A-320 of Armenia’s Armavia airline crashed into the sea on the
night to May 3 when attempting to land at Sochi’s airport. All the
113 people who were aboard died.

EBRD TO ISSUE ARMENIA’S SHEN $5-$6 MLN LOAN TO BUILD DRYWALL PLANT
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
May 19, 2006 Friday 2:14 PM MSK
The Yerevan-based Shen Concern, Armenia’s largest producer of
construction materials, plans to receive a $5-$6 million loan from the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which owns a
blocking stake in the company, for the construction of a drywall plant.
This project will be considered at an EBRD shareholder’s meeting in
London at the end of June, Shen president Samvel Beglarian said.
The project would then be discussed at the Shen annual shareholders
meeting in Yerevan on July 9.
At present, drywall is not produced in Armenia and is imported from
Iran and partially from Russia. Armenia annually imports about 1
million-1.5 million square meters of drywall for a total of $5 million,
Shen said.
To set up production, Shen intends to begin developing a gypsum field
in Armenia. Beglarian expects the EBRD funds will be sufficient for
the development of the field and the construction of the plant.
Shen saw its sales grow a tentative 20%-25%, or by $300,000-$400,000,
in 2005, he said.
Shen Concern was set up in 1995. The EBRD has a 36% stake in the
concern, while the remaining shares are distributed among various
residents of Armenia.

ABOUT 500 HARDWARE PIECES TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES IN GEORGIA IN 2006
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
May 19, 2006 Friday
Over 500 hardware pieces and in excess of 2,000 tonnes of materiel
and ammunition will be withdrawn to Russia from its military bases
in Georgia in 2006, Army General Alexander Baranov, commander of
the North Caucasus Military District, said in an interview with the
Krasnaya Zvezda daily, published on Friday.
“If Georgia observes all its commitments as outlined in the agreements
signed, we will guarantee the withdrawal in the timeframes set. We
must implement the agreements reached by the heads of states in a
civilized manner, and we are ready for that,” he said.
Compliant with the agreements reached a quota has been granted for
400 railway cars to carry Russian weapons and materiel from Georgia
into Azerbaijan, Baranov noted.
He added that part of the equipment will be handed over to the 102nd
military base in Armenia to increase its combat potential. “The first
column of tracked and wheeled vehicles will march there soon,” he said.
In response to questions, he said that the construction of
infrastructure for two mountaineer brigades in Dagestan and
Karachayevo- Cherkessia should be completed in the first half of 2007.
“The deployment of these brigades is an important military and
political objective of the country, because now we have to bring
forces to the republics from other regions of the country when this
is necessary. But soon we will no longer have to do so. Moreover,
the mobile mountaineer brigades will be able to exercise missions
assigned not only inside the responsibility zone, but also wherever
this might be needed,” he said.
Baranov added that the selection of commissioned and non- commissioned
officers for the brigades will start in 2007. “I can reassure you
that the brigades will be manned with best trained servicemen, with
mountain climbing qualifications, and, which is even more important,
most advanced weapons,” he said.

IMF APPROVES 3RD TRANCHE OF PRGF LOAN FOR ARMENIA
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
May 19, 2006 Friday
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund approved the
third tranche this week of a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
(PRGF) for Armenia worth 3.28 million SDR ($4.9 million), the IMF
representation in Yerevan said in a press release.
The IMF will have provided Armenia with 9.84 million SDR (about $14.7
million) under the PRGF program once it provides the second and third
tranches, the release says.
The IMF implements the PRGF program in low-income countries to
stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty. The loans are provided
for 10 years at an annual 0.5% with a grace period of five and a
half years.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : ROUQUET (PS) DENONCE “UNE PARODIE DE DEMOCRATIE”
Agence France Presse
19 mai 2006 vendredi 5:02 PM GMT
Rene Rouquet, depute-maire (PS) d’Alfortville (Val-de-Marne), a denonce
vendredi “la lourde responsabilite du gouvernement” dans la “parodie
de democratie” a laquelle a abouti l’examen avorte de la proposition
de loi PS visant a reprimer la negation du genocide armenien.
“Les obstructions, les manipulations et les pressions de ces jours
derniers pour repousser l’examen du texte ont connu leur apogee
durant” la seance de jeudi a l’Assemblee, qui a ete levee avant la
fin du debat et le vote, ecrit M. Rouquet dans un communique.
M. Rouquet etait l’un des orateurs du groupe socialiste qui devait
s’exprimer a l’occasion du debat.
Le gouvernement “porte une lourde responsabilite dans ce qu’il convient
d’appeler une parodie de democratie, car il est inadmissible que
l’Etat francais ait cede de la sorte aux basses pressions commerciales
de la Turquie”, poursuit le depute, en rappelant l’intervention du
ministre des Affaires etrangères Philippe Douste-Blazy qui avait juge
la proposition “inamicale” a l’egard de la Turquie.
“Cette course de lenteur a laquelle vient de se livrer l’Assemblee
nationale est indigne (…) d’un tel sujet”, ajoute M. Rouquet.
–Boundary_(ID_4BNWiaqimmo2hLVTj0ceEA)–

DEBATS PARLEMENTAIRES EN FRANCE SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: EREVAN PRUDENT
Agence France Presse
19 mai 2006 vendredi
Les autorites d’Erevan se sont montrees prudentes dans leur reaction
vendredi au report d’un vote a l’Assemblee nationale francaise sur
une proposition de loi visant a penaliser la negation du genocide
armenien de 1915.
“Nous avions salue le fait que cette question soit placee a l’ordre
du jour mais nous considerons qu’il s’agit d’une question interne du
Parlement francais”, a declare a l’AFP un porte-parole du ministère
armenien des Affaires etrangères, Vladimir Karapetian.
Un vote prevu jeudi a l’Assemblee nationale francaise sur une
proposition de loi visant a penaliser la negation du genocide armenien
de 1915 et qui divise la classe politique francaise, a ete reporte
sine die après un debut de debat houleux.
La Turquie, qui nie avec vigueur tout genocide, a aussitôt encourage
les deputes francais a abandonner pour de bon l’examen du projet,
qui a accru les tensions entre Paris et Ankara.
Les analystes armeniens estiment pour leur part que l’Assemblee
nationale marque simplement une pause face a ces tensions et que la
proposition sera votee cet automne.
“Ce serait un pas en arrière si le Parlement votait contre la
proposition. Cela porterait un prejudice moral a la France en tant
que porteur des valeurs de la democratie”, a declare le politologue
et depute armenien Amaïak Ovannissian.
“Le report de la question ne changera pas la position de la France
qui a deja reconnu le genocide armenien de 1915. Le Parlement a deja
montre qu’il avait une attitude positive pour le règlement de cette
question”, a declare de son côte l’historien Babken Aroutiounian.
–Boundary_(ID_pJskzii/2eB/IIm6+pWF 4g)–

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: RICHARD MALLIE “PROFONDEMENT DECU”
Agence France Presse
19 mai 2006 vendredi
Le depute des Bouches-du-Rhône Richard Mallie (UMP) s’est declare
vendredi “profondement decu” de ne pas avoir pu voter la proposition
de loi socialiste reprimant la negation du genocide armenien.
Co-auteur d’une proposition de loi identique, le depute “pensait
arriver a la fin d’un long combat en faveur de la communaute
armenienne”.
Il s’en prend au president du groupe socialiste qui “en inscrivant
trois textes a l’ordre du jour, savait qu’il compromettait fortement
les chances de la proposition de loi d’etre votee, car le temps
imparti a la seance se deroulait de 9h30 a 13h00”.
Le sarkozyste Patrick Devedjian (UMP) a accuse de son côte vendredi le
gouvernement et le president de l’Assemblee Jean-Louis Debre d’avoir
“deliberement” empeche le vote sur ce texte, qui selon lui, aurait
ete adopte.
La proposition de loi socialiste fait de la negation du genocide
un delit punissable d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000 euros
d’amende. Son vote eventuel ne pourra pas desormais intervenir avant
la prochaine session parlementaire a l’automne.
–Boundary_(ID_JJ+kq+BNHDIqSeP7JL3CVg) —

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : DEVEDJIAN DENONCE UNE MANOEUVRE
Agence France Presse
19 mai 2006 vendredi
Patrick Devedjian (UMP) a accuse vendredi le gouvernement et le
president de l’Assemblee nationale Jean-Louis Debre d’avoir sabote
le debat sur la proposition de loi socialiste reprimant la negation
du genocide armenien, pour empecher son adoption.
“Le debat aurait dû commencer a 09H30 il a commence a 12H15 et il
a dure trois-quarts d’heure”, a-t-il dit sur Europe 1 en jugeant ce
procede “scandaleux”.
Selon M. Devedjian, qui a des origines armeniennes, “on a suspendu
(la seance) parce qu’il y avait une majorite massive presente dans
l’hemicycle qui aurait vote le texte sur tous les bancs”. “On
a deliberement agi pour que les deputes ne puissent pas voter”,
a-t-il insiste.
Il a ajoute que Jean-Louis Debre, qui presidait la seance et l’a levee
avant la fin du debat et le vote, et le gouvernement “ne souhaitaient
pas que ce texte soit soumis au vote, parce qu’ils savaient qu’il
serait vote”.
Le depute des Hauts-de-Seine, conseiller de Nicolas Sarkozy a l’UMP,
a qualifie de “pur fantasme” de penser que le vote d’un tel texte
allait penaliser les echanges commerciaux avec la Turquie.
La proposition de loi PS vise a completer la loi de 2001 par laquelle
la France reconnaît le genocide armenien. Elle fait de la negation
du genocide un delit punissable d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000
euros d’amende.
–Boundary_(ID_TBtx/a/9hk5ONmdvOaE/ug)- –