Vardan Oskanian: Co-chairs haven’t made new proposals to settle Garabagh conflict
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006
[ 20 Apr. 2006 17:58 ]
“The people of Nagorno Garabagh should decide themselves which status
they need – this is Armenia’s stance,” Armenian foreign minister
Vardan Oskanian stated (APA).
“Armenia is ready to discuss matters of overcoming the consequences
of the war when official Baku recognizes Garabagh people’s right to
self-determination. Only after that, speaking about territories that
form the security belt and return of internally displaced persons
will be possible. As coming to OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs making new
proposals, this is both true and not. Proposals, or rather principles
of the settlement, remain the same. Mechanisms are subject to change,”
Oskanian said./APA/

Tigran Torosian: “Diplomats co-chairing OSCE Minsk Group might be changed”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006
[ 20 Apr. 2006 18:36 ]
“Changes might happen in OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing Institute. I
do not exclude change Mann- Merzlyakov-Fasie trio. International
mediating process format has changed, therefore I do not exclude
change of anyone in OSCE Minsk Group diplomatic corpse,” head of
Armenian delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe
Tigran Torosian has stated. (APA).
He stated the impossibility of valuing the situation right after
Rambouillet talks. “But statement of official Baku after talks
on strengthening the army and increase of military budget worries
me.”/APA/

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006
Eldar Ibrahimov: We’ll try to achieve OSCE PA adopt document on
Garabagh being under control of Armenian separatist forces
[ 20 Apr. 2006 17:40 ]
“We try to achieve in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly like Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly to acknowledge Armenia as invader.
We’ll also try to achieve OSCE PA adopt a document on Nagorno Garabagh
being under control of Armenian separatist forces,” Eldar Ibrahimov,
member of Azerbaijani delegation to OSCE PA told journalists (APA).
He said that the delegation will do their utmost to achieve this very
difficult goal.
“I admit that this is a very difficult issue. Armenian lobby, Armenians
try to prevent bringing of the Nagorno Garabagh conflict up for
discussion in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,” Ibrahimov underlined.
The delegation member also said OSCE PA rapporteur on Nagorno Garabagh
conflict Goran Lenmarker is due to visit Azerbaijan on May 5 this
year. The rapporteur will meet several officials during the visit.
Mr.Ibrahimov noted that it is not yet known what is on the agenda
of the OSCE Summer Session, and he thinks it will be known during
Lenmarker’s visit. Stating that it is not known whether Lenmarker’s
report will be discussed in the summer session, the parliamentarian
said the delegation will try to include the report on the agenda.
Ibrahimov said that Lenmarker could not visit the region due to the
parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan last year. His visit scheduled
for March was postponed later on./APA/

ARMAVIA AIRLINE GIVE VALUABLE PRESENT TO ITS 100,000TH PASSENGER IN 2006
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 20 2006
Yerevan, April 20. /ARKA/. The “Armavia” airline has given a valuable
present to its 100,000th passengers in 2006, the resident of Ashtarak
Marina Sarkisyan.
The present has been given to her in Yerevan by Director General of
the “Armavia” airline Norair Belluyan. The present costs AMD 200,000
($500).
This is an interim result of a special action announced by the airline
in 2006. According to the action terms, the first 100,000th, 700,000th
and 1,000,000th passengers can receive valuable presents.
The 700,000th passenger will receive keys of a “Peugeot” or “Renault”,
and the 1,000,000th passenger will be presented with a “Mercedes”.
The “Armavia” airline intends to exceed last year’s air transportation
index, 550,000 passengers, by October 2006.
The “Armavia” airline was founded on December 12, 1996. The airline
is currently owned by MIKA Armenia Trading. Î.À. -0–
–Boundary_(ID_8f4zKQxfPGR2ns/LVYh8hQ)–

ARMENIA-EU NEGOTIATIONS SECOND ROUND TO BE HELD IN EARLY MAY IN
BRUSSELS AS PART OF ENLARGED EUROPE – NEW NEIGHBORS EU PROGRAM
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 20 2006
YEREVAN, April 20. /ARKA/. The second round of Armenia-EU negotiations
is to be held in the beginning of May in Brussels as part of Enlarged
Europe – New Neighbors EU Program, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan said at a news conference given Thursday after meeting with
his Austrian counterpart Hans Winkler in Yerevan.
In his words, the program will give a new impetus to cooperation
between Armenia and European Union and raise it to a new level. He
said the program will pay special attention to democratic reforms in
Armenia, especially taking into account parliamentary and Armenian
presidential elections expected in 2007 and 2008. Oskanyan stressed
that if the elections are conducted in wrong way, Armenia will loose
not only moral, but also financial support from European institutions.
Austrian Foreign Secretary Hans Winkler, in turn, noted that
the program adoption will lay proper groundwork for deepening
cooperation between the countries. He also expressed hope that
Armenian parliamentary and presidential elections will be up to
European standards.
EU Three delegation headed by Austrian Foreign Secretary Hans Winkler
arrived in Armenia on Thursday as part of his regional visit. The
delegation is made up of Austrian and Finnish Ambassadors to Armenia,
EU Special Envoy in South Caucasus as well as European Commission
and European Union representatives.
The delegation members are set to meet Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan and Armneian National Assembly Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan
in Yerevan. M.V. -0–

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS HOPE AZERBAIJAN TO RECOGNIZE KARABAKH
PEOPLE’S SELF-DETERMINATION RIGHT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 20 2006
YEREVAN, April 20. /ARKA/. European parliamentarians hope
Azerbaijan to recognize Karabakh people’s self-determination
right, Marie-Anne Isler-Beguin, Chairwoman of the EU Commission on
Parliamentary Cooperation, said Wednesday in Yerevan. In her opinion,
self-determination right is one of the most important principles in
Karabakh conflict settlement.
At the request from Armenian side, the concept was included in the
proposals made by EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission at
its Wednesday’s session in Yerevan.
Isler-Beguin also pointed out refugees return to the conflict-stricken
region among the key parts of the conflict settlement process.
She said the European Union is ready to provide any assistance in the
process of Karabakh conflict settlement and added that the conflict
must be solved only by peaceful means.
The commission’s eighth session was held on April 18, 19 in Yerevan.
At their session, lawmakers also discussed issues related to Karabakh
conflict peaceful settlement, Armenia’s home and foreign policies
as well as the process of activity program preparation as part of
European Neighborhood Program. M.V. -0—

Scientific conference dedictaed to Atmenian-Turkish relations to be held in Turkey
ArmRadio.am
20.04.2006 12:38
A scientific conference dedicated to Armenian-Turkish relations will
be held in the University of Kesari city of Turkey. The debates will
focus on “The art of living together in the Turkish society: Issues of
Armenian-Turkish relations. 125 scientists from different countries
will participate in the conference. The organizers were particularly
inspired with the fact that an invitation to participate was accepted
also by the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Archbishop Mutafyan.

Military exercises in Nagorno-Karabakh are over
ArmRadio.am
20.04.2006 12:55
The military exercises of the NKR Armed Forces came to an end in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
The military exercises were held according to the 2006 Army
preparedness program for the purpose of determining the combatant
preparedness of the Armed Forces.
The process of the military exercises was followed by NKR President,
Chief Commander Arkadi Ghukasyan, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan,
Deputy Defense Minister, Head of the Genetral Staff of the Armed
Forces of Armenia, Colonel-General Mickael Harutyunyan. In the result
of the exercises, the best officers and soldiers were awarded diplomas
and valuable prizes.

The US mediator had meetings at the Minitry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
ArmRadio.am
20.04.2006 13:35
The Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia informs
that “preceding the visits to Baku and Yerevan, US Co-Chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann was received April 19 at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.”
“Issues related to the coordination of further steps for the progress
of the settlement process in the OSCE Minsk Group format were discussed
during the meeting,” the press release of the Russian MFA says.
Today Steven Mann will arrive in Yerevan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Serge Sargsyan: Armenia does not develop its relations with NATO at the expense of Armenian-Russian cooperation
ArmRadio.am
20.04.2006 14:08
“Armenia does not develop its relations with NATO at the expense of
Armenian-Russian cooperation,” RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan
declared in his interview to “Krasnaya Gazeta” newspaper. According
to him, Armenian-Russian cooperation can only expand in all directions.
“However, we understand that we should learn about the experience of
development of Armed Forces in other countries,” the Minister added.
Turning to the military and technical cooperation between Armenia and
Russia, the Defense Minister emphasized the importance of permanent
development of these relations. In his words, the 102nd Russian
military base has a special role in Armenian-Russian relations.