SAFAROV’S VERDICT TODAY
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
Life Imprisonment or…?
The Azerbaijani embassy in Hungary refused to hand the Hungarian
court alleged 100 thousand signatures witnessing for the defense
of Ramil Safarov charged with murdering Armenian serviceman Gurgen
Margarian during Nato exercises in 2004. According to Azeri Day.az
agency, the 3-member Azeri delegation transporting the signatures to
Budapest was rejected an admission to the embassy.
As was preliminarily reported, today the Hungarian court will bring
in the verdict for the Azeri murderer. In prosecutor’s words, Safarov
was sane while committing the crime and deserves 30 years in prison
with no right to amnesty.

TURKS TO WATCH EGOYAN’S ‘ARARAT’ TODAY
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
Private Turkish KanalTurk TV will air today Atom Egoyan’s “Ararat”
today, Agence France-Presse reports.
The Turkish presenter assured yesterday that the film will be shown
without cutbacks and censorship.
Interestingly, in presenter’s words, the decision for airing the film
was taken after a public opinion poll revealed that 72 percent of TV
viewers wants to see Atom Egoyan’s movie on Armenian Genocide.
According to AFP, the Turkish government does not hinder movie
screening. Yet, the agency reminds that another Turkish company
intended to show “Ararat” at a theatre but changed its mind fearing
possible protests.

ENVER’S MONUMENT IN BAKU
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
The Azerbaijani opposition has embarked on pulling down the statues
of Soviet leaders in the country.
Popular Front leader Ghudrat Hasankuliev appealed to the parliament
demanding to erect the statue of Enver Pasha. He elaborated that
the latter saved the Azerbaijani people from a genocide at the hands
of Armenians. Writing about this, Milliet Turkish newspaper informs
that the parliament speaker sent the proposal to an ad hoc commission
for discussion.

ITALIAN SPECIALISTS TO CARRY OUT RESTORATION OF KOBAYR FRESCOS
By Ruzan Poghosian
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
This year, a group of Italian restorers of ancient frescos and
Armenian archeologists, will work in Armenia, on the initiative of
Gayane Kasnati, professor at the Milan-based Center for the Armenian
Archeological Studies, and with the assistance of the Italian
government. It is already for several years that Mrs. Kasnati
successfully cooperates with the Department of Preservation of
Cultural Monuments at the Armenian Culture Ministry. She has carried
out researches in Yereruyk, Dashtadem and Amberd. She believes that
Armenia greatly needs to have skillful restorers of architectural
monuments. Certainly, the current situation required carrying out
training and exchanging programs of specialists. Mrs. Kasnati stated
that the Italian government has allocated education grants for the
Armenian students for Italian studies.
Mr. Kasnati stated that she can state that the state has changed its
attitude in the issue of preservation of architectural monuments,
as during the last two years the state assistance in these issues is
quite obvious.
Gagik Gyurjian, deputy RA culture minister, Roberto Nocielli, first
secretary of the Italian Embassy to Armenia, and other officials were
also present at the press conference held at RA Culture Ministry.
Mr. Nocielli stated that the Italian government pays special
attention to preservation and restoration of various countries’
cultural values. “This policy helps unfold cultural dialogue between
the countries. He added that the education grants are designed for
the people both with compulsory and higher education degrees, as well
as for the specialists of the Italian language.
Gagik Gyurjian also touched upon the issue of the current works
directed to restoration of the architectural monuments. As for the
issue of surrounding Saghmosavank monastery with a gate, he said
that he is informed about the situation and added that not a single
project will be implemented without the Ministry’ permission.

BAZEYAN CALLS ON PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS BY OUR OWN STRENGTH
By Marietta Khachatrian
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
Albert Bazeyan, chairman of National Revival party, expressed concern
about the recent incidents with Yerkrapah Union. He said that the
law enforcement bodies didn’t arrest one of the organizers of the
attempted murder against Sasoun Mikaelian, member of Yerkrapah Union,
though they were informed about that a week earlier. Bazeyan said that
the suspect who wasn’t arrested was attacked and wounded. As a result,
he was taken to the hospital. “If the criminals are not punished,
the crime causes another crime, while the punishment of the criminals
is of mere preventive character,” he said.
He also reminded about the incident in Armavir, stating that Rustam
Gasparian survived by a miracle and is recovering at present. Bazeyan
believes that the threats of the authorities to deport Zhirayr
Sefilian, former commander of Shushi battalion, is conditioned by the
fact that Sefilian and his colleagues criticized the recent tendencies
in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. “In the conditions, when
the enemy constantly threats to settle the conflict through war the
presence of the members of Yerkrapah Union of home guards in Armenia
is very important,” Bazeyan said. He called for all participants of
Artsakhi war to unite and struggle for the rights of their colleagues.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESENTATION OF ‘ARMENIA IN A TRANSFORMING WORLD’
By Marietta Makarian
AZG Armenian Daily #067
13/04/2006
Yesterday, the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) presented to the public its third major volume entitled
“Armenia in a Transforming World”. Head of ACNIS investigation
group, Stepan Safarian opened the ceremony and shared with the
content of the book. Gevorg Lalayan is the editor-in-chief of this
annual publication, Stepan Safarian did the scientific editing and
maps by Hasmik Mkrtchian. The three-language (Armenian, Russian,
English) book is the result of scrupulous studies done in concert
with a group of experts from the USA, Europe, Middle East, CIS and
other states. Authors of the book had a goal to present to experts,
analysts and circles interested in politics the basic tendencies of
the transforming world, Armenia’s priorities in this context and the
ways of meeting challenges our country faces. The 3 parts of the
study include experts’ researches such as the “Collapse of States
as a phenomenon of Foreign Relations” by Austrian military analyst
Martin Malek.

NA DISCUSSES PRIVATIZATION OF STATE PROPERTY
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
As a result of privatization processes in 2001-2003, the state property
was squandered away, Hovhannes Margarian, member of Orinats Yerkir
Party, said at parliament on April 11. He said that the government
keeps complaining of the lack of financial sources. He added that
this is quite possible, as the property costing AMD 5 billion 850
millions was sold at AMD 950 million, which makes the 16,2 % of its
real cost. In particular, the assets of Orbita CJSC were valued at
AMD 3 billion 212 millions but the company was privatized for AMD 116
million, which makes 3,6% of its real cost. “How can our authorities
restore the banking deposits of the population or secure the residents
of earthquake zone with flats, to reconstruct the transportation
infrastructures of Ashotsk and Amasiya regions that connect Armenia
with Javakhk if the people’s wealth had been squandered?” he posed
a rhetoric question.

IRAN WANTS TO SEND MAN INTO SPACE
Armenpress
Apr 11 2006
MOSCOW, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS: Iran wishes to send a man into space. The
country plans to ask Russia for help and Russia is not opposed to
the idea, a Russian expert said on Tuesday.
“The idea of the first spaceflight by an Iranian is very attractive
to Iran in the light of the country’s ambitions to become a key state
not only in the region but in the whole Islamic world,” the director
of the Russian Centre for Modern Iranian Studies, Rajab Safarov,
was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying while on a visit to Tehran.
Safarov said “the Russian side does not object” to helping Iran. He
added that the Iranian leadership would put the proposal to Russia
“in the very near future.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SAAKASHVILI ASSIGNS HIS DEFENSE MINISTER TO PROMOTE WINES
Armenpress
Apr 12 2006
TBILISI, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili
was quoted by his press office today as saying that he has assigned
defense minister Irakli Okruashvili to promote Georgian wine on new
foreign markets.
“I have instructed Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli to be in charge of
the promotion of Georgian wine on domestic and CIS markets; this will
be his prime goal until Russia lifts embargo on imports of Georgian
wine. I have also instructed defense minister Irakli Okruashvili to
take charge of issues related to the export of Georgian wine to new
foreign markets,” said Saakashvili after attending the Georgian-Chinese
business forum in Beijing.
He also said that Okruashvili’s experience in business management
was the reason behind his decision.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KOCHARIAN AND CHIEF OF CUSTOMS DISCUSS WAYS TO FIGHT SMUGGLING
Armenpress
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian received
today the chief of customs committee Armen Avetisian to discuss
a string of issues on the results of the first quarter, fighting
contraband and the pace of fulfillment of instructions issued by the
president earlier this year.
Kocharian’s press office quoted Avetisian as saying that the committee
collected in the first quarter 31.5 billion drams, which was 400
million more than projected. In regard to fighting smuggling of goods,
the president ordered mapping all transit routes that could be used by
smugglers, especially after Georgian authorities closed the biggest
wholesale market in the South Caucasus in Sadakhlo. Kocharian said
these roads must be taken under tight control to prevent smuggling.
The two men also discussed progress in fulfillment of Kocharian’s
instructions. Avetisian was quoted as saying that they all were
fulfilled in due time.