TED MUM ON PLAN FOR GREENWAY
By Jay Fitzgerald
Boston Herald General Economics Reporter
Boston Herald, MA
May 16 2006
The future design of a post-Big Dig park was thrown into question
yesterday after Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and a key conservancy executive
refused to endorse a planned memorial for victims of the Armenian
genocide.
Local politicians yesterday officially broke ground on the $3.7
million Chinatown park that will anchor the southern end of the Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
Kennedy, whose late mother’s name will adorn the entire park system
stretching for more than a mile through the heart of downtown Boston,
hailed the Chinatown park as a major milestone toward creating a
“marvelous Greenway.”
But after a Chinatown event yesterday, the Massachusetts Democrat
refused to endorse or reject a proposal to build a memorial in another
section of the Greenway near Faneuil Hall that would honor Armenian
heritage – and possibly honor the Armenian victims of genocide.
“I certainly can’t make” a decision on it, he said, noting a
conservancy board will have to judge the merits of the park plan.
Edwin Schlossberg, a member of the Greenway Conservancy Board and
husband of Kennedy’s niece, Caroline, has expressed reservations
about singling out one ethnic group within the Greenway.
Nancy Brennan, the board’s executive director, said the Armenian
heritage park is “still in discussion.”

RATE OF DIVORCE AND AIDS GREW
Lragir.am
17 May 06
The National Statistics Service reports that in the first quarter of
2006 4100 marriages were registered compared with the 4164 marriages
in the first quarter of 2005. Unlike marriages, the rate of divorce
is 831 against 498 in the first quarter of 2005.
The cases of AIDS/HIV grew as well. If in March 2005 no cases of AIDS
were reported, and only three people contracted HIV, in March 2006
7 cases of AIDS and 8 cases of HIV were reported.
From: Baghdasarian

GOVERNMENT GRABS OPPOSITION’S VOTES
Lragir.am
17 May 06
Let the opposition not be happy about the secession of the Orinats
Yerkir Party from the coalition and government divide, said Vazgen
Manukyan, the leader of the National Democratic Union, May 16. He
says this case does not mean the system has changed. “Yes, if such
cases are many, they certainly influence the government, but the
system has not changed, it is the same,” says Vazgen Manukyan.
According to him, it is difficult to tell now if Orinats Yerkir is
opposition or not. Vazgen Manukyan says if it is not in the government,
it is opposition, but everything depends on their activities. The
leader of the National Democratic Union says the place of this party
in the opposition will be determined by the next steps of the Orinats
Yerkir Party, emphasizing that there is not a question of accepting
or rejecting.
“If the places in the government are limited, the places of the
opposition are not limited. Therefore anyone can find their place in
the opposition and there are no guards like in the government, there
are no chiefs to decide who is going to be in this wing or that wing.
Arthur Baghdasaryan is still young and he has not received blows.
After a blow a person either breaks down or becomes stronger. Life will
show whether he will be able to find his place in the opposition. But
this is the problem that he must solve,” says Vazgen Manukyan.
Vazgen Manukyan is willing to cooperate with all the opposition forces,
if the goal of this cooperation is not going to be battle against a
person but development of a civil society in Armenia. The leader of
the National Democratic Union does not think that Arthur Baghdasaryan
is likely to win over the opposition’s votes. Vazgen Manukyan believes
that the government grabs the votes of the opposition, not this or that
opposition force. The leader of the National Democratic Union says
the entrance of new people into the opposition is free, and the more
people appear in the political sphere, the better. But Vazgen Manukyan
also says what we have is quite enough, all we have to do is choose.

PEOPLE’S DEPUTY WILL NOT JOIN COALITION
Lragir.am
17 May 06
Vahram Baghdasaryan, the secretary of the People’s Deputy Group of
the National Assembly, told out reporter that People’s Deputy is not
likely to replace the Orinats Yerkir Party in the coalition.
“It is not worth going in for such talks,” suggested Vahram
Baghdasaryan. “Let the coalition go on to work. What is the problem?”
Besides, Vahram Baghdasaryan mentioned that no one has been
negotiating with him for joining the coalition, and he has no idea
of such negotiations.
The Unites Labor Party is said to be the next potential candidate
for coalition.

PACE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN NAKHIJEVAN
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 10:28
The PACE Commission on Culture will discuss today the fate of the
Armenian monuments in Nakhijevan.
PACE Rapporteur on preservation of cultural heritage in South Caucasus
Edward Ohara is expected to deliver a speech.

CONFERENCE ON “CAUCASUS WITHOUT CONFLICTS AND TERRORISM” TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 10:45
At the initiative of the World Armenian Congress and the “Dialogue of
Civilizations” National Center an international conference on “Caucasus
without conflicts and terrorism: The dialogue of civilizations at the
Caucasian crossroad” will be held today in Yerevan. The event will
be attended by political and social figures, experts from EU states,
Russia, Georgia, Iran and Turkey.
From: Baghdasarian

35TH EUROPEAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF INTERPOL TO START TODAY IN MINSK
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 11:10
The 35th European regional conference of Interpol will start today
in Minsk.
The Armenian delegation is leaded by head of the Interpol Office in
Yerevan, Colonel Vardan Yeghiazaryan. Some issues of Interpol strategy
to counter terrorism and organized crime will be discussed. The
participants of the conference will focus also on fighting trafficking
and illegal migration.

PETER SEMNEBY: THE THREE SOUTH CAUCASIAN STATES MOVE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 13:00
EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby considers
that the three South Caucasian countries “move in different
directions.”
“Georgia has taken a special course towards the European Union and
the West.
Armenia differs with that it still feels the influence of restrictions
coming from the atmosphere of isolation. Azerbaijan carries out
rather balanced policy towards its neighbors and partners,” Peter
Semneby said.
“All three countries face the necessity of reinforcing their state
institution. Georgia and Armenia have special problems with their
“big neighbors,” the first with Russia, the latter with Turkey,” Peter
Semneby declared in his interview to the Moscow based “Nezavisimaya
Gazeta” newspaper.

US OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO AGREE UPON THE KARABAKH ISSUE
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 13:17
US Deputy Secretary of State Mathew Bryza declared that the US
evaluations of opportunities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to come to an
agreement on the Karabakh issue are optimistic.
MEDIAMAX Agency informs that speaking before the Congress on May
16 Mathew Bryza said “today the parties are closer to an agreement
than before.”
According to the American diplomat, the governments of the two
countries should demonstrate political courage to overcome the
remained disagreements.
“We consider that the coming few months will provide that opportunity,”
Bryza assured.

KONSTANTIN ZATULIN: ADMINISTRATIVE BORDER IS THE ONLY BASIS THAT ALLOWS AZERBAIJAN TO LAY CLAIMS TO KARABAKH
ArmRadio.am
17.05.2006 13:52
“Non-complete peace is more preferable than war. From South Caucasian
countries only Armenia is interested in the maintenance of peace,”
Director of the CIS Institute, Deputy of the Russian State Duma
Konstantin Zatulin said today in Yerevan.
“The status-quo in the Karabakh issue is not favorable for the Azeri
side, which considers its interests are violated. Azerbaijan demands
resumption of territorial integrity recognized in Soviet era. The
administrative border is the only basis that allows Azerbaijan to
lay claims to Karabakh,” Zatulin said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress