Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 19 2005
ALEXANDER ISKANDARIAN: STATEMENTS OF AZERI AUTHORITIES ABOUT INCREASE
IN MILITARY BUDGET ARE MADE INTENTIONALLY ON THRESHOLD OF ELECTIONS
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. “I think that the military budget
of Azerbaijan doesn’t pose any danger for us. It’s quite obvious that
its increase isn’t aimed at war with us,” Alexander Iskandarian,
Director of Caucasian Media Institute, declared in his interview to
Noyan Tapan’s correspondent, answering the question, how Azerbaijan’s
military budget amounting to 600 mln USD will go with the agreement
“On Reduction of Conventional Armament in Europe.”
Quite recently Azeri President Ilham Aliyev declared that Azerbaijan
intends to increase its military budget up to the level of Armenia’s
total budget. In particular, Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan lives
in conditions of a war, that’s why its attention to the army must be
at the highest level. Namely, Azerbaijan’s 2006 budget envisages to
increase expenditures on defence up to 600 mln USD instead of 300 mln
USD allocated for the current year.
Alexander Iskandarian doubted of adoption of the budget in the
above-mentioned amount. “If it is even adopted, obviously, a
considerable part from this money, if not the most part, will be
lootted.”
Besides, according to him, military budget isn’t an exactly defined
notion, it may include both expenditures on buying of rubber arms and
shields for dispersal of demonstrations and on training of servicemen
in the West or construction of cantonments. At the same time,
Alexander Iskandarian didn’t exclude that Azerbaijan can spend money
on armament, as well. “It’s clear that all these quotas on armament
aren’t observed well by not only Azerbaijan but by averybody around.”
A.Iskandarian mentioned that such statements made by Azeri
authorities quite fit into the logic of the forthcoming parliamentary
elections. “They have great problems with power’s consolidation. The
use of these threatening anti-Armenian statements in the internal
rhetoric is an instrument, which was worked through very well for the
home policy and is always used by them.”
Armenia as a country-winner, in which the society and political
forces with a very small exception are consolidated in the issue of
Karabakh conflict settlement, doesn’t need using such instruments,
the Director of Caucasian Media Institute emphasized.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
THE TOWN OF SURB KHACH (BUDENNOVSK) IS 206
The town of Buddenovsk is 206. According to the newspaper of
Armenians of Russia Yerkramas, today inhabitants of the town are
celebrating `the Day of the city’.
Since the morning people gathered at the town’s central square, where
the festival of the three cultures: Slavic, Armenian and Caucasian,
opened. Numerous guests from the Armenian communities of the
Stavropol region took part in the concert.
Igor Lazaryan is a young leader of the Armenian community of `the
Saint Cross’ who contributed to the holiday’s organization. He said
the celebration was great. He added they would do their best to
organize such a great holiday next year.
A NOTE: the town of Surb Khach (the Saint Cross, now Budennovsk) was
founded in 1799 by Armenians – emigrants from Karabakh.

Jordan News Agency (Petra), Jordan
Sept 20 2005
Regent Congratulates President of Armenia
Amman, Sept. 20 (Petra)– His Royal Highness Prince Ali Bin Al
Hussein, the Regent, on Tuesday sent a cable to President of the
Republic of Armenia Robert S. Kocharian congratulating him in his
name and on behalf of the Jordanian people and government on the
occasion of his country’s Independence Day. The Prince wished the
President continued good health and happiness and the Armenian people
further progress and prosperity. //Petra//
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2005
RA FOREING MINISTER MEETS WITH FOREIGN MINISTERS OF AFGHANISTAN,
CROATIAN FM, LITHUANIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA TIMOR-LESTE

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian continued series of bilateral meetings on
his second working day in New York, where he is participating to the
60th anniversary of the UN General Assembly.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, on Friday, Minister Oskanian met with Dr.
Abdullah Abdullah, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Kolinda
Grabar-Kitarovic, Croatian FM, Antanas Valionis, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Lithuania, Mladen Ivanic, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Jose Ramos-Horta, Senior Minister, Minister for
Foreign Affairs & Cooperation of Timor-Leste.
During meetings parties discussed bilateral issues and regional
developments. They also exchanged positions on ongoing UN reforms.

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 19 2005
USAID TO ALLOCATE 10 MLN DOLLARS FOR IMPROVING ARMENIA’S TAX SYSTEM
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Head of the State Tax Service
adjunct to the RA government Felix Tsolakian and Director of the
USAID Armenian office Robin Philips signed on September 19 a
memorandum of mutual understanding aimed at implementing reforms in
Armenia’s tax administration.
According to the State Tax Service PR Depertment, 10 mln dollars is
envisaged for the program’s implementation. Within the next three
years, assistance will be provided to increase the revenues of the
Tax Service and make its other operations more efficient.
According to the same source, the USAID has been providing advisory
and techical assistance to the process of modernizing Armenia’s tax
system since 1998.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
VARDAN OSKANYAN: NAGORNO KARABAKH PEOPLE HAVE PROVED THEY CAN PROTECT
THEIR INDEPENDENCE
`Self – determination is a man’s right. Nagorno Karabakh people have
struggled and protected their right to self – determination. To
achieve the aim Nagorno Karabakh people resisted political and
military aggression of the government (of Azerbaijan – ed.) that did
not perceive the choice and tried to oppress it using violence’, RA
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said speaking at the 60th session of
the UN General Assembly.
According to the Minister, the struggle for the rights was not
Nagorno Karabakh people’s choice. `Their rights were neither abstract
nor excessive. Nagorno Karabakh people strive for what a lot of us
have, – the right to peaceful life on their own land free from
violence. Since then Nagorno Karabakh people have displayed their
ability to govern, develop democratic institutes and protect their
independence’, stressed RA Foreign Minister.
Vardan Oskanyan emphasized under conditions of regional conflicts
belligerent statements (of Azerbaijan – ed.) were unreal and
expressed obvious lack of perception of the notions of democracy,
human rights and legal society.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN PARTICIPATE IN MILITARY TRAINING IN GEORGIA
The training with the participation of servicemen from 18 countries
started in Georgia on September 19.
According to RIA Novosti, the exercises are held on the military
ground of Vaziani. Servicemen from Armenia, Albania, Bulgaria,
Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Latvia, Macedonia
and the US are taking part in the training. Commander of the US
European Command, Colonel Russell Richardson heads the maneuvers.
Rescuer – medcuer – 05 exercises are held under the patronage of the
US within the frames of NATO Partnership for Peace program.
Representatives of the program member countries follow the training’s course.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
EACH ONE HAS HIS OWN MORALS
Haykakan Jamanak newspaper (20.09.05) has criticized RA Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s statement referring to the construction of
Kars – Akhalkalaki railroad. In the course of a press conference
Vardan Oskanyan stated Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey had no moral
right to construct the road, as they received aid from the US and the
EU.
According to Haykakan Jamanak, Vardan Oskanyan has realized that
Armenia’s future is endangered each time when it is out of a current
regional program. The newspaper notes the above – mentioned project
can strike at Armenia’s economy.
However, Haykakan Jamanak notes morals have nothing to do with
politics, especially when the matter concerns economic interests.
What is immoral for one party is moral for another one.
Two days ago Azeri President Ilham Aliyev commented on RA Foreign
Minister’s utterance. He said Vardan Oskanyan’s statement was `quite
amusing’ and stressed Armenian lobby could not hamper the railroad’s
construction. As for `morals’, Aliyev said: `We have got the moral
right to liberate our occupied lands, and we are going to do it’.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2005
RUSSIA IS EAGER TO RETAIN ITS INFLUENCE IN THE UNRECOGNIZED STATES
Russia is eager to retain its influence in the unrecognized states,
i.e. Abkhazia, the South Ossetia, Pridnestrovie and Nagorno Karabakh.
And yet, Russia wants all the unrecognized states to pursue one
political course. Today Armenian Democratic Party leader, RA National
Assembly deputy Aram Sargsyan made the statement in the course of the
press conference in Yerevan. To remind, he took part in the Moscow
conference titled `Parallel CIS. Abkhazia, Pridnestrovie, the South
Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh as the realities of the post – Soviet
territory’.
He noted the Karabakh party’s stand differed from that of the South
Ossetia, Abkhazia and Pridnestrovie. `If representatives of
Pridnestrovie and the South Ossetia literally requested to become
members of Russia, and Abkhazia stated it wished to become an
associative member of Russia, if not affiliate with it, Nagorno
Karabakh has never made such statements, as it strives for
independence from Azerbaijan. If the matter will concern affiliation,
Nagorno Karabakh can affiliate only with Armenia, its historic
Motherland’, stated Aram Sargsyan.
The Armenian parliamentarian stressed the Karabakh issue could not be
settled without Nagorno Karabakh’s participation. He added all the
talks on the possibility of the conflict settlement in the near
future were aimed at the society’s disorientation.

The Nation (Thailand)
September 19, 2005, Monday
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
SPECIAL: Armenia and Thailand, a historic relationship bolstered by
trade
In November 2002, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all
Armenians visited Thailand as part of his regional tour. He met with
about 50 Armenians living in Thailand. Most of the Armenians here are
in the gem and jewellery, footwear and construction industries.
Last week Virachai Virameteekul, the vice minister of foreign affairs
of the Republic of Armenia, led a Thai delegation to Yerevan, its
capital, to boost bilateral relations. One of the highlights of the
trip was a visit to the Holy Etchmiadzin and St Gregory the
Illuminator Cathedral and its environs. The Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin is the pre-eminent centre of authority in the worldwide
Armenian Apostolic Church.
Located near Yerevan, it is a huge complex consisting of the Mother
Cathedral of the entire Armenian Church, a monastery and monastic
brotherhood, a residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians and
various religious and cultural institutions such as the Kevorkian
Theological Seminary and a museum.
The cathedral is a beautiful structure. Its construction dates back
to the 4th century, and it is reckoned the oldest Christian cathedral
in the world. Christianity was declared the state religion of Armenia
in AD 301. Armenia thus became the first nation to adopt Christianity
as a state religion.
This was largely due to the efforts of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.
Born a nobleman, he converted Armenias King Tiridates III, who had
formerly persecuted the Christians. Conversion of the rest of the
population soon followed. It was St Gregory who built the Mother
Church at Etchmiadzin in AD 303.
The Thai delegation was taken around the compound, visiting the
museum and the cathedral. In 1958, while efforts were under way to
strengthen the structure of the cathedral, workers found underneath a
4th-century altar, which had also been a fireplace. This showed that
the ancient Armenians worshipped fire before Christianity came in.
This marked a triumph of Christianity over paganism.
In the morning, the Thai delegation also went to visit a jewellery
factory called Jacobs Jewellery Armenia. Some elements of the
jewellery products had been prepared in Thailand. The Armenians are
very good at working with gems and jewellery, with good
craftsmanship. Uncut diamonds are imported from everywhere, from
South Africa to Europe.
The Thai delegation also visited Armenias largest brandy-producer,
Yerevan Brandy Co.
Armenia is very famous for making brandy. The Ararat brand, produced
at this plant, is of
the highest quality. There was a guided tour of the facility as well
as a tasting session featuring brandies aged three, 10 and 20 years
old.
Winston Churchill, the British prime minister during World War II,
had brandy shipped from this plant. Yerevan Brandy Co is now turning
out nine million bottles a year. The brandy is exported to 25
countries, though 82 per cent goes to Russia.
Thanong Khanthong