Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
April 7, 2006 Friday 8:11 PM MSK
Yerevan seeks implementation of EU partnership plan
Armenian President Robert Kocharian has discussed the importance of
swift implementation of the Armenia-EU individual cooperation program
with newly-appointed European Union Special Representative for the
South Caucasus Peter Semneby, the presidential press service told
Interfax on Friday.
The president believes this program “will be a new resource for the
development of reforms in Armenia.”
Semneby said the EU is concerned about the establishment of peace and
stability in the South Caucasus and, in particular, about the soonest
possible settlement of the conflicts existing in the region.
Kocharian and Semneby discussed ways for a peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the organization of parliamentary and
presidential elections in Armenia in 2007 and 2008, the presidential
press service said.
The Armenian president praised the establishment of the institution
of an EU representative in the South Caucasus, saying that this would
make it possible to systematize relations with all European Union
institutions.
The Armenia-EU individual cooperation plan within the EU’s New
Neighborhood program is being finalized now. The program should be
endorsed in May this year.

Armenian minister discusses regional and bilateral relations with top
Syrian officials
AP Worldstream; Apr 08, 2006

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian on Saturday discussed
bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East with top
Syrian officials, the state-run news agency reported.
An estimated 100,000 Armenians live in Syria. They moved to this Arab
country early last century after being deported by Turkey.
In the first meeting, Oskanian and President Bashar Assad discussed
the “historical relations” between the two countries along with
developments in the region, SANA said.
Later, the Armenian spoke with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Moallem,
about ways to develop bilateral relations and regional issues of
mutual interest, the agency said.
Oskanian told reporters after meeting Moallem that they spoke about
regional problems. He did not elaborate.
Oskanian’s three-day visit ends Sunday.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Young Armenian Threatened with Forced Deportation to
Baku
08.04.2006 20:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Illegal emigrant Karen Avanesyan,
who arrived in the UK three years ago at the age of
16, could not prove his right for asylum and
authorities decided to deport him to his fatherland.
According to his relatives, Avanesyan studied at
school and lived on an allowance paid by the state, as
he did not have the right to work. Karen is born in a
mixed marriage: his father is Azerbaijani and left the
family, when the boy was very young.
As Avanesyan was born in Nagorno Karabakh, which is
still de jure considered part of Azerbaijan, the
English decided Azerbaijan is his fatherland and
resolved to deport him to Baku. Avanesyan is already
informed that April 12 he will be taken aboard a
London-Moscow plane. From the Russian capital he will
be deported to Azerbaijan.
According to British laws, a person cannot be deported
to a country, where he is exposed to threat of
torture, Mediamax reports.

PanARMENIAN.Net
US to Intensify Efforts in Karabakh Settlement

08.04.2006 20:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ United States are in support of the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and will intensify its
efforts in that direction, the US State Secretary, Condoleezza Rice
stated at her meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov in Washington. Rice expressed her support towards the
democratization policy in Azerbaijan and suggested that the strategic
development dialogue should be continued during the visit of the
Azerbaijani president to Washington.
Mammadyarov in his turn thanked for consistent policy on `recognition
of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan’ and support in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict resolution. After the talks with Washington
officials, Mammadyarov stated they wish to enhance US-Azeri relations,
which meets Azerbaijan’s national interests. `The US supports the
far-sighted strategic policy of President Ilham Aliyev regarding the
country and the region. The US is grateful to Azerbaijan for efforts
within the anti-terror coalition. They view us as a regional leader,’
Mammadyarov underscored.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Ghukasyan Noted Stepanakert Participation in Karabakh Talks Necessity

08.04.2006 21:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Arkady Ghukasyan met with EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby in Yerevan. During the meeting the parties
presented their approaches to the latest developments in the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and possible activation of
EU role in the peace process. Ghukasyan noted it was necessary to
sustain the cease-fire regime and provide for Nagorno Karabakh direct
participation in the talks.

PanARMENIAN.Net
US Presents New Proposals on Continuing Prague Process
on Karabakh
08.04.2006 20:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US has presented new proposals
on continuing the Prague Process on settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov
stated when commenting talks with US Administration
officials in Washington. In his words, `the proposals
are interesting.’ Official Baku will analyze these and
will present its attitude during the visit of OSCE
Minsk Group American Ambassador Steven Mann’s regional
visit scheduled on April 18, reports Trend.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia to Be Elected to UN Human Rights Council

08.04.2006 20:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia claims membership at UN
Human Rights Council established lately. According to
the UN Office in Armenia, Armenia is nominated for the
Group of Eastern European States (6 places). Within
the Council a Group of African States (13 places), a
Group of Asian States (13 places), a Group of Latin
America and Caribbean Basin States (8 places) and a
Group of Western European and other states (7 places)
will also be formed. The first election of the UN
Human Rights Council will take place May 9, 2006 at
the UN General Assembly session. GA members
individually elect Council members by a direct
majority vote.

U,S. hopeful for progress on rift over Nagorno-Karabakh
AP Worldstream; Apr 07, 2006

The State Department said Friday it is hopeful Azerbaijan and Armenia
can make progress toward ending their dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
That issue came up on Friday during a meeting between Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarove.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that ahead of the
meeting, Rice spoke with the Azeri and Armenian presidents.
The two leaders met recently in France.
“We hope that both sides can in the wake of the talks in France again
provide some renewed impetus to those discussions and come to an
agreement that would resolve this longstanding issue,” McCormack said.
Rice and Mammadyarove also discussed economic reform and
democratization in Azerbaijan.
“The secretary emphasized the importance of respect for human rights
and moving forward on the democratization process in Azerbaijan,”
McCormack said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
April 9, 2006
Armenian Church Blesses Children
Palm Sunday has been declared to be the `Day for Blessing Children’ in the
Armenian Church by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians.  On this occasion His Holiness extends his message of love
to all children everywhere.
Message of Blessing of His Holiness Karekin II
Catholicos of All Armenians
To All Young Children
On the occasion of the wonderful feast of Palm Sunday, we send to you, our
dearest children, our fatherly love and blessings from the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin.
Today we commemorate the glorious entrance of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ into Jerusalem, when along with the adults, young children went out
to greet Christ with palm branches and songs of praise.  Jesus would always
receive boys and girls with open arms and bless them, citing their innocent
souls and honest emotions as examples to men of a path to God filled with
faith.
And today in our holy churches, the daily blessings of our Lord are granted
to our beloved children, so that they may grow full of faith, grace and
wisdom; and through their life and works, become the worthy sons and
daughters of our Holy Church and people.
>From deep in our heart, we pray to our All-Merciful God that He keep and
protect all children of the world under His Holy Right Hand in peace.  May
He bless the course of their lives with happiness, goodness and benevolence.
With Blessings and Love,
KAREKIN II
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS

From: Sebouh Z Tashjian
Subject: There Will Be No War
A1+
THERE WILL BE NO WAR
[07:45 pm] 07 April, 2006
«There must not be any war in the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict», Mher Shahgeldyan, head of the NA
Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and
Internal Affairs thinks because of several reasons.
First of all, the international community and the
international organizations will not accept the
military solution, and for the second, the RA attitude
is the same: the conflict must be solved peacefully,
via negotiations.
«Both the RA and the NKR armed forces must be on the
proper level to secure the protection of the country.
The correlation between the armed forces of the
countries shows that the way out of the conflict is
through negotiations», Mher Shahgeldyan said in the
«Pastark» club.
According to him, the negotiations have not reached a
deadlock. «This was a phase of the negotiation
process. The year 2006 can be a good chance to record
progress as the solution can be more complicated
during the coming years. The continuation of the
negotiation process is extremely important. It is also
important to find the approaches to mutual agreements
and compromise».
And what is Azerbaijan ready for? «I think Azerbaijan
must be eager to make compromise, but I can’t say
exactly what they will do».
According to Mher Shahgeldyan, USA wants to support
the settlement of the conflict, `We must welcome the
efforts of the international organizations and the
world powers in the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. The RA speaks with the terms of peace and
negotiations, and Azerbaijan speaks with those of war.
Our approaches correspond with those of the
international communities», he says.