SENIOR DIPLOMATS FROM US, RUSSIA AND FRANCE TO ACCOMPANY THE OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 18:10
During their visit to the region May 24-26 the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs will be accompanied by senior diplomats from Russia, United
States and France.
MEDIAMAX Agency informs that the delegation of mediators will comprise
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 D’Labouiet.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA AND AMERICA TO RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF KARABAKH IF THEY REACH A CONSENSUS
Lragir.am
17 May 06
The South Caucasian states are not capable of solving the question of
peace and stability in the region, said political scientist Andranik
Mihranyan May 17 in Yerevan. He supports his words with the fact that
the South Caucasian countries do not have sufficient experience to be a
subject of the international law. Therefore, says Andranik Mihranyan,
regional stability and security was constantly maintained by centers
of power and great powers from the outside.
The Russian politician says the reality constantly shatters peace
in the Caucasus, and the problem longs for the intervention of
great powers. Emphasizing the fact of the race involving Russia
and the United States, Andranik Mihranyan suggests, nevertheless,
that these two countries may go on to cooperate and adopt mutually
favorable decisions.
“If Russia and the United States reach a consensus on the independence
of Kosovo, they may also recognize the independence of Abkhazia, South
Osetia and Nagorno Karabakh,” says Andranik Mihranyan. According
to him, it will allow resolving the minor conflicts in the South
Caucasus and focus on civilization problems related to the region,
such as the Iranian problem, says Andranik Mihranyan. He does not
exclude that after reaching a consensus on minor problems the great
powers may come to an agreement on global controversies.

RUSSIA DISTORTS HISTORY OF THE CAUCASUS
Lragir.am
17 May 06
An interesting incident was reported May 17 in Yerevan between
two Russian politicians. On this day, Russian Member of Parliament
Constantine Zatulin addressed the conference, organized by the chairman
of the Union of Armenians of Russia. Speaking about the history of
the Caucasian peoples, he enumerated the Armenians, Georgians and
the Azerbaijanis or “ancient Albanians,” as Zatulin referred to the
Azerbaijanis. Armenian political scientist Andranik Mihranyan living in
Russia, sitting not far from him, displayed a keen sense of national
identity and corrected his mistake. “Those are different nations,”
said Mihranyan.
“Maybe,” Zatulin replied to Mihranyan with an ambiguous smile. “Maybe,
although there can be different opinions on this,” announced Zatulin,
deepening the historical roots of the Azerbaijanis.

REPUBLICANIZING OF TEACHERS IS UNDERWAY
Lragir.am
17 May 06
The head of the Department of Education of Armavir region
Gayaneh Sardaryan, a cadre of Albert Heroyan, governor over the
past 10 years, who has occupied different offices following the
forever-with-government principle, called the directors of schools of
the region on May 16 and instructed them to write two applications:
one for resignation, the other for affiliation with the Republican
Party. The first application is for those who are reluctant to write
the second application. Those who choose the second application and
join the Republican Party will have to create party cells in places.
Some school directors are said to be dissatisfied with this instruction
of the regional administration. A direction said, “if I tell my
teachers to become Republican, they will tell me you sold yourself,
and now you are making us sell ourselves, won’t they?”
Note that in early May “republicanizing” of 120 teachers was reported
in Yerevan. In the meantime, the government has been constantly
asserting how unacceptable it is to turn schools politically partisan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“THE PLAN OF KOCHARYAN AND SARGSYAN FAILED”
Lragir.am
17 May 06
“Our society, our state is exposed to the situation in the political
sphere,” says Hmayak Hovanisyan, political scientist.
He says people’s disappointment with what is going on in the political
sphere is growing deeper. Even “the brain center Freedom House reported
how firmly the political and economic elites are connected, which
hampers democratic development, deepens antidemocratic processes
and corruption.” In this context, the political parties based on
this fusion of political and economic elites “are not political
organizations, in fact. And since the political parties are tenaciously
being ousted from the political sphere, public politics is ousted,
and the abovementioned fusion is growing deeper, the death of public
politics is imminent.”
Hmayak Hovanisyan goes on to conclude that the election 2007 will
be anti-political and predetermined by the current situation in the
political sphere of Armenia. “The plan of Robert Kocharyan and Serge
Sargsyan to politicize the business elite in a civilized way failed.”

A. MIGRANYAN: RUSSIA’S RETREAT FROM CAUCASUS PROGRESSIVE
Yerkir
17.05.2006 17:30
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – “Presently we can observe the progressive retreat
of Russia and the increase of the U.S. presence in the Caucasus.
The U.S. aims at joining to the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which will
become one of the instruments for cutting Russia off the geopolitical
processes in the region,” political scientist Andranik Migranyan stated
at the international scientific conference titled “Caucasus without
conflicts and terror: dialogue of civilizations on the Caucasian
crossroad” held in Yerevan today. In his words, the U.S.’s regional
plans base on the states which are incapable to settle the domestic
problems by own strength.
It’s quite obvious that Georgia will not be able to return Abkhazia
and South Ossetia and hopes for the support of the U.S. that takes
the advantage of the situation.
However all attempts of Russia and the U.S. to knock each other form
the South Caucasus are doomed to failure,” the political scientist
remarked. At that he underscored that Georgia even with the support
of the United States will not be able to solve its internal problems.

TURKEY EXPECTS FRENCH PARLIAMENT TO REJECT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
Anatolia news agency
17 May 06
Ankara, 17 May: “We expect the French parliament to reject the draft
law envisaging punishment of those who deny so-called Armenian
genocide,” said Namik Tan, spokesman for the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday [17 May].
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Tan said: “We expect France
not to allow any initiatives that will harm our historical relations.
We welcome that the French government and people share the same views
with us.”
The French parliament will debate the draft law tomorrow.

ARMENIAN PAPER SPECULATES ON FUTURE OF KARABAKH TALKS
Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
17 May 06
Excerpt from report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak on 17 May
headlined “Is Oskanyan being canny?” by Anna Akopyan
Yesterday Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan made a sensational
statement. He did not rule out the signing of a document at the
forthcoming negotiations on the Karabakh issue. Certainly, Oskanyan
did not divulge any details but gave a strong hint.
In reply to questions from journalists, the minister said that if
his meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in
Strasbourg goes ahead as planned and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
visit to the region yields positive results, the two presidents might
also held a meeting.
[Passage omitted: reiterates the point]
The very fact of signing the document is not as important as Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s hint. Generally speaking, the
Armenian side, which has always been very restrained when it comes
to the Karabakh settlement talks, has recently started to divulge
information about visits by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and a
possible meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents and
predict the “strengthening of positions” at the ministerial level.
Thus the “message” to the world community and mediators is that Armenia
is ready for this kind of development. Incidentally, Vardan Oskanyan
stressed yesterday: “If at all possible we shall try to bring our
positions closer.” He also added: “The Karabakh settlement process
goes its way; one should continue to work towards settling the issue
as soon as possible.”
Judging by the fact that Robert Kocharyan has refused to go to Vilnius
and Paris, one might come to a conclusion that the Armenian president
has been trying to avoid events where there might be any mention of
the Karabakh conflict. Under the circumstances, Vardan Oskanyan’s
intense activities and readiness for settling the Karabakh conflict
as soon as possible and the “message” that he directed at the world
community are surprising.
Since Oskanyan would have never made such a statement independently,
without agreeing it first with Robert Kocharyan. Evidently Robert
Kocharyan and Vardan Oskanyan have a joint programme of actions.
According to the programme, Oskanyan has been allocated the role of
“cover” for Robert Kocharyan. That is to say, at the time when Robert
Kocharyan thinking of how to avoid meeting Aliyev, Vardan Oskanyan
talks about the OSCE Minsk Group and the possibility of meeting
Azerbaijani officials and signing the document.
Certainly, we cannot rule out that such actions are part of a broader
picture, the goal of which is to blame the failed talks on the
Azerbaijani side. The next two weeks will bring clarity as the next
Kocharyan-Aliyev meeting is expected to take place at the beginning
of June.
[Passage omitted: quotes from Azeri press and the world community
has big expectations]

HOLY SEE OF ECHMIADZIN YET SILENT ABOUT DA VINCI CODE MOVIE
Yerevan, May 17. ArmInfo. The Holy See of Echmiadzin has not yet
expressed its attitude towards the sensational Da Vinci Code film,
reports the press service of Echmiadzin.
Meanwhile, the Georgian Orthodox Church has already criticized the
movie to be shown in Tbilisi May 18. It says that the movie distorts
the life-story of Jesus Christ. But Tbilisi movie houses are still
going to show it.
To remind, the movie is opening the Cannes Festival today.

THREE STRONG QUAKES TAKE PLACE NEAR INDONESIA
Yerevan, May 17. ArmInfo. A 6.8-point earthquake took place 260 km
south-east of Sibolga, Indonesia May 16 08:58 PM local time, reports
the National Seismic Protection Service of Armenia.
In the epicenter the magnitude was 9-10 points on 12-point scale
(MKS-64). The quake was followed by two more tremors – 5.6 and 4.9
points. No reports of casualties or following tsunamis yet.