DASHNAKTSUTIUN DEMANDS ORINATS YERKIR’S SEATS FROM KOCHARYAN
Lragir.am
15 May 06
Dashnaktsutiun is said to claim the offices of the minister of
education and culture and the governor of Gegharkunik region,
formerly occupied by members of the Orinats Yerkir Party. After
Arthur Baghdasaryan’s resignation Stepan Barseghyan, the governor of
Gegharkunik region, resigned too. The minister of education and science
Sergo Yeritsyan rejected the party like the other ministers of the
Orinats Yerkir Party, however it is not likely that he will keep the
office. Kocharyan is said to have accepted Dashnaktsutiun’s claims in
return for “something”, we could not find out what. This may be related
to taking certain steps against the Orinats Yerkir Party in the future,
however. On the other hand, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutiun) badly needs the educational sphere to stay in the
parliament and to maintain their status in the next parliamentary
election. The arrangement between Kocharyan and Dashnaktsutiun is
said to have been disapproved by Serge Sargsyan and the Republican
Party, however.

AZERBAIJAN KEEPS TALKING TERROR LANGUAGE TO KARABAKH
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.05.2006 15:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hearings on the 15th anniversary of Koltso operation
for forced exile of Armenian population from Getashen and Martunashen
villages of Shahumyan region and Nagorno Karabakh were held at
the NKR Parliament. In NKR Speaker Ashot Gulyan’s words, Soviet
Azerbaijan authorities “organized and implemented an unprecedented
cruel military operation to exile Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh
and adjacent regions” in April-June 1991.
He also noted that Karabakh people’s struggle hampered implementation
of those plans. “Only a state structure could rebuff that policy,
which resulted in the establishment of the NKR in September 1991,”
he emphasized.
He spoke in favor of joining efforts of state structures and
competent persons to collect facts, confirming anti-Armenian policy
of Azerbaijan.
Hearing participants qualified Koltso operation as a terrorist action
by Azerbaijan. It was underscored that Azeri authorities are not only
responsible for the crimes, they also continue speaking terror language
to Nagorno Karabakh by threatening to solve Karabakh issue by force.
During Koltso operation of special destination detachments of the
Azeri Ministry of Interior, USSR Ministry of Interior troops and
detachments of the 23rd division of the Soviet Army 6030 persons from
24 villages were deported.

JEWISH LOBBY TO ASSIST AZERBAIJAN TO LIQUIDATE SECTION 907
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.05.2006 16:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) intends
to promote liquidation of Section 907, as well as Jackson-Venick
Amendment, adopted by the US Congress regarding Azerbaijan, EAJC Head
Joseph Zisels stated in Baku. “We want to engage Israel and Jewish
lobby to held Azerbaijan eliminate those amendments,” he emphasized.
In his words, sponsored by the EAJC, during their May summit GUAM
member states will adopt a statement addressed to the US Congress,
urging to repeal all discriminating amendments regarding Azerbaijan
and Moldova, which are GUAM members. Zisels also emphasized that the
Jewish lobby understands the idea of unification of Azerbaijan with
South Azerbaijan province in Iran and the EAJC is ready to support
those tendencies, reports Day.az.

AZERI AND TURKISH SCHOLARS UNITE IN ANTI-ARMENIAN STRUGGLE
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.05.2006 17:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ To make the international community “aware” of the
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire Azeri and Turkish scholars
will form a joint working group. The decision was made at Armenian
Issue in the History of Azerbaijan and Turkey international conference
May 15. Head of the Department of Turkish History, professor Yusuf
Khalachoglu, and rector of the Baku State University, Abel Maharramov,
signed Baku declaration. The second item of the document envisages
the establishment of the joint working group. Along with Maharramov
and Khalachoglu, the head of the Institute of Azerbaijani History,
Yagub Mahmudov, and the chairman of ATIB, Ahmed Erentok are to be
other 2 co-chairs of the group.
The working group will meet every 3 moths in Baku and Ankara by
turn. The first gathering will be held in Ankara. Moreover, in
compliance with the Baku Declaration, with respect to inform the
international community about “the Khojaly tragedy, as well as those
that happened from the beginning of the 20th century to 1992,” it
was resolved to establish a Coordinating Center to be governed by ATIB.

EU-AZERBAIJAN TALKS POSTPONED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.05.2006 17:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The next phase of talks over the EU-Azerbaijan
Action Plan within the European Neighborhood Policy was to be held
today. The new schedule of the talks is not known, as the reasons of
cancellation are not know either.

ROBOT IS IN SOCHI
Lragir.am
15 May 06
Relying on Russian sources, ARKA News Agency reports that a underwater
apparatus PT1000 with a special manipulator will be used to lift from
the sea bottom the black boxes of the Armenian A320, which crashed
near Sochi. The apparatus was created at the Russian State Scientific
Center of Southern Sea Geology. The experts of the center said the
apparatus is an underwater robot with remote control.
Minister of Transport of Russia Igor Levitin announced several days
ago that the lifting of the black boxes will begin on May 16 and will
last for 2-3 days. “The rest depends on the weather.” The robot was
transferred to Sochi on May 15.

ARMENIAN OFFICIALS TO GET MEDALS OF RUSSIA
Lragir.am
15 May 06
On May 16 at the Russian Embassy to Armenia a group of citizens of
Armenia and Russia will receive the medals of the Russian Academy of
Lawfulness, Defense and Security, reports ARKA News Agency.
Peter the Great Degree 1 will be conferred on Nikolay Pavlov,
Russian Ambassador to Armenia, Defense Minister of Armenia Serge
Sargsyan and Attorney-General of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan. Michael
Harutiunyan, Chief of the Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Armenia,
and Mher Shahgeldyan, the chair of the Standing Committee of Defense,
National Security and Internal Affairs, will receive Alexander Nevsky
Degree 1. The Medal of the Great Victory will be conferred on Gurgen
Dalibaltayan, the chief military inspector of Armenia. Mikhail
Baghdasarov, the president of Mika Company will receive Peter the
Great Degree 2.

RUSSIAN DUMA MEMBER SUGGESTS ESTABLISHING PARTY SIMILAR TO ARF
Yerkir
15.05.2006 14:08
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Dmitry Rogozin, the former leader of the Rodina
Party and a member of the Russian State Duma, called for establishing
a party in Russia similar to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
As reported by Yerkramas, a newspaper published by the Armenians of
southern Russia, Rogozin, speaking of a patriotic movement’s future
in Russia with a Russian online publication, said the example of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation could be useful.
“ARF has been the key anti-Turkish force during the genocide of the
Armenian people at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Armenians became
a ‘scattered’ nation but they had the ARF whose branches operated in
different countries.
There was an international bureau which made decisions on main issues,
there were creative, cultural and educational elites.”

TV REPORTS RUSSIAN TROOPS PULLOUT FROM GEORGIA
NTV Mir, Moscow
15 May 06
Excerpt from report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir “Segodnya”
news on 15 May.
[Presenter] The first echelon with Russian hardware has left the
Akhalkalaki base. The military hopes that this train as well as all
the subsequent ones will not have problems while travelling across
Georgia. The first echelon left three hours ago. The Russian and
Georgian defence ministers have agreed to close down the base and it
has to be closed down completely by the end of 2007. Our correspondent
Vadim Fefilov was watching the withdrawal of the first consignment of
Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and reconnaissance patrol
vehicles from the Georgian territory.
[Video shows troops leaving] [Correspondent] Lt-Gen [Valeriy]
Yevnevich makes a short report by satellite telephone to his bosses
in Moscow and the first echelon with Russian hardware pulls out of
the Ahkalkalaki base to make its way across Georgia and Azerbaijan to
Russia. Russian servicemen, just as they had promised to the Georgian
side, have managed to move tanks, combat reconnaissance vehicles,
ammunition and missiles from Akhalkalaki to the railway station of
Tsalka. That was not simple.
[Passage omitted: they had to move along difficult routes in the
mountains at an altitude of 2,500 metres; but the vehicles are in
good order because soldiers are really professional; everything is
proceeding without problems so far.]
[Correspondent, continues] It has transpired that Armenia has feared
that some of the Russian equipment may be left in Azerbaijan for some
reason. Azerbaijan’s military attache are telling their Armenian
colleagues that there is nothing to worry about.
[Passage omitted: Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed the equipment will
not be stopped in Azerbaijan; locals around the base are primarily
ethnic Armenians and they are now losing their jobs because of the
withdrawal]
[Correspondent, continuing] In line with earlier agreements between
the Russian and Georgian defence ministers another 20 echelons with
Russian heavy hardware will leave the area before the end of the year.
[Passage omitted: the correspondent signs off]

RUSSIANS START WITHDRAWAL FROM MILITARY BASE IN GEORGIA
Channel One TV, Moscow
15 May 06
[Presenter] The first convoy of military equipment left the Russian
base at Akhalkalaki two hours ago. It contains 20 tanks and an
equal number of reconnaissance vehicles. The heavy equipment will be
completely removed from Akhalkalaki by the end of the year, and the
personnel by the end of next year. Our correspondent Mikhail Robakidze
reports from Georgia.
[Correspondent] The first convoy of Russian military equipment left
the Tsalka railway station at 10 o’clock. Yesterday the military were
saying that the departure might be delayed until midday because of
customs paperwork. But in the event everything was done in time and
the convoy will cross the Georgia-Azerbaijan border by the end of
the day. It will cross Azerbaijan on its way to Russia.
[Igor Konoshenkov, head of information service, Russian Ground
Troops] The Georgians are responsible for security inside Georgia. In
Azerbaijan, the Azeris are responsible. And on Russian territory,
the Group of Russian Forces in the Caucasus will provide guards to
travel with the convoy.
[Correspondent] The first convoy to leave Akhalkalaki will take seven
tanks, eight infantry fighting vehicles, two radio stations and four
communications vehicles. [Note: figures as heard, at variance with
presenter’s lead-in] In the meantime, enough hardware, weaponry and
other resources for another two convoys have been gathered at Tsalka.
Twenty-one convoys will go from the Akhalkalaki base by the end of
this year. A further one convoy will go from Batumi to Russia via
Azerbaijan. Only a small proportion of the hardware here is planned
for redeployment at the Russian base in the Armenian town of Gyumri.
[The entire process of vacating the base at Akhalkalaki will be
completed on time, the deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s Ground
Troops told Interfax-AVN Military News Agency. “The first convoy
with armour deployed at military base No 62 in the Georgian town of
Akhalkalaki departed for Russia today in accordance with the plan and
schedule,” Gen Valeriy Yevnevich said in a report at 0646 gmt. “And
there should be no doubt that the other convoys will also leave in
strict compliance with the plan and schedule endorsed by the chief
of the General Staff.”]