RA PM ANDRANIK MARGARIAN CONDEMNS ANY ATEMPT OF EXERTING PRESS ON
MASS MEDIA
Yerevan, July 22. ArmInfo. RA PM Andranik Margarian condemned any
attempt to exert pressure on the journalists. He said this at today’s
press conference, commenting on the recent attempt to set on fire
the editorial office of "Chorrord Ishkhanutyun" newspaper.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko not to partake in the CIS non-official
summit
ArmRadio.am
21.07.2006 16:18
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will not participate in the
non-official summit of CIS leaders in Moscow, Ukrainian Presentment’s
Spokesman Irina Geraschenko informed, ITAR-TASS reports.
"Considering the political situation in the country, the President
decided to stay in Kiev," Geraschenko clarifies. She said Viktor
Yushchenko will send an official letter to the President of Russia,
in which he will explain the reasons of his non-participation in
the summit and will confirm that Russia is the strategic partner
of Ukraine.
Azeri official says Karabakh talks reach "most sensitive point"
ANS TV, Baku
20 Jul 06
[Presenter] The Baku government has already commented on the
report prepared by the personal representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, on fires set by Armenians [in
Nagornyy Karabakh]. Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov rated highly
the report that confirmed that Armenians set the fires.
The Baku government hopes that the expected visit of the US co-chairman
[of the OSCE Minsk Group], Matthew Bryza, to the region will have
a positive effect on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement. Araz Azimov
commented on the situation in the settlement process in the run-up
to the visit.
[Azimov] The process has reached the most sensitive point. The latest
statements by the co-chairmen have somehow impacted on the process. If
necessary measures are not taken, this impact can be negative.
We are ready to take appropriate steps to further discussions in an
effective way. But again, like in all cases, we should be based on
law. Any idea can be considered only within the framework of these
principles.
Armenians try to block nominee
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
July 21, 2006
Ambassador-pick Hoagland must admit genocide, critics demand
BY LISA FRIEDMAN, Washington Bureau
Armenian-Americans in Southern California and elsewhere are leaning
on the U.S. Senate to block President George W. Bush’s ambassadorial
nominee to Armenia until he utters the word "genocide."
So far, no lawmaker has placed a hold on Ambassador-designate Richard
Hoagland. But Sen. Barbara Boxer and several others say they are
frustrated by the refusal of Hoagland and the U.S. State Department
to recognize the killing of 1.5 million Armenians during the Ottoman
Empire as a genocide.
The controversial issue cut short the tenure of John Evans, the
previous U.S. ambassador to Armenia, after he openly declared that
the slaughter of Armenians between 1915 and 1923 should indeed be
called genocide.
"My concerns are about the absurdity of a policy that does not allow
an ambassador to recognize the genocide of a people in the country
in which he is serving," Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said Thursday.
Coleman likened the situation to hypothetically having a
U.S. ambassador to Israel who was unable to call the massacre of 6
million Jews during World War II the Holocaust.
Elizabeth Chouldjian, spokeswoman for the Armenian National Committee
of America – which this week formally requested that the Senate delay
Hoagland’s confirmation – said the organization believes he cannot
represent U.S. interests in Armenia.
"Sending a genocide denier to Armenia is a disservice to the American
people," Chouldjian said. "How effective can a U.S. ambassador to
Armenia be if they, in confirmation hearings, deny the genocide?"
Hoagland, in written responses to Senate lawmakers, denied being
instructed not to us the word genocide.
At the same time, he repeatedly sidestepped questions about precisely
why the administration feels the mass deportations and killings should
not qualify as genocide.
"This tragedy is of such enormous human significance that its
historical assessment should be determined not on the basis of
politics, but through heartfelt introspection among civic leaders,
scholars, and the societies at large," Hoagland wrote to Boxer.
The U.S. government, sensitive to offending Turkey – a traditionally
close and strategic NATO ally – has steadfastly refused to refer
explicitly to the issue as a genocide.
Turkey, for its part, acknowledges that atrocities were committed
against Armenians, but maintains there was no intention to eradicate
a people – and therefore no genocide.
Turkish officials point out that Armenian militias teamed up with
advancing Russian armies, killing thousands of Turks in the chaotic
aftermath of World War I. They contend about 300,000 Armenians
were killed.
Omer Taspinar, director of the Turkey program at the Brookings
Institution in Washington, D.C., said the Hoagland controversy comes
at a difficult time in U.S.-Turkish relations.
Resentments, he noted, still linger in the U.S. over Turkey’s refusal
to allow America a northern front in the Iraq war and the Turkish
government’s recent decision to host Hamas leader Khalid Mishal.
Meanwhile, Turkey has signaled it will send an army into northern
Iraq to confront Kurdish terrorists, despite U.S. warnings that the
country should not take unilateral action there.
"It is no longer so easy to talk about a strategic partnership between
Turkey and the United States," Taspinar said.
The problems, he added, have significantly eroded the rationale that
the U.S. should not alienate Turkey with genocide resolutions because
of its role as a key ally in the region.
"For the lawmakers, there is no reason why they should defend
Turkey. Ankara has proven to be an unreliable partner in Iraq. There’s
quite an anger," he said.
Meanwhile, Boxer and other lawmakers say Hoagland’s nomination will
be delayed.
"A lot of people have concerns, so nothing’s happening on it,"
Boxer said.
Added Chouldjian, "At the very least, the State Department has an
obligation to explain clearly what its policies are with respect to
this issue."
Regardless of when Hoagland gets to his post, Taspinar said the
genocide dispute underlying the nomination could further erode an
already rocky U.S.-Turkey friendship.
"Any kind of recognition of the genocide issue will poison
Turkish-American relations, which have already gone to hell because
of Iraq. The White House does not want that," he said.
ARMENIAN IMPORTS GROW IN HALF 1, EXPORTS SLIGHTLY DOWN
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: In the first six months of 2006 Armenia’s
foreign trade amounted to $1.395 billion, posting a 12.7 percent growth
from a year ago. Armenia’s National Statistical Committee (Armstat)
said the volume of foreign trade without cut diamond output, was $1.159
billion, a 23.3 percent year-on-year upsurge. Armenia’s exports in
January-June stood at $437.7 million, down 0.6 percent from a year
ago, while imports amounted to $951.8 million, marking a 20 percent
year-on-year growth. Armstat said exports, not counting cut diamonds,
was $324.8 million and imports $834.9 million. Growth from a year ago
was respectively 7.6 and 30.6 percent. Armstat also said population
money incomes in this time span amounted to 684.4 billion Drams,
while expenses rose to 685.3 billion Drams. Some 545 billion Drams
were spent on purchase of goods and services. Growth from a year
ago was respectively 17.4 and 19.2 percent. Armstat also said the
number of officially registered unemployed by the end of June stood
at 90,000, down 7 percent from a year ago. Average wages were 59, 600
drams, 21.6 percent higher from a year ago. Wages in public sector
were 41,800 drams (approximately $100) and 73,000 drams in private
sector. Growth from a year ago was respectively 21.9 and 20.7 percent.
Aussies escape by bus
Dance troupe now safe in Syria
Border Mail, Australia
July 18 2006
Members of an Armenian dance troupe who had been stranded in Lebanon
were among 86 Australians safely evacuated from the war-torn country
by bus, braving Israeli bombing attacks to cross to safety into Syria.
A Sydney spokesman for the Sevan Dance Group, Archbishop Aghan
Baliozian, said the 45 young performers and 36 parents and supervisors
had been picked up from their Beirut hotel in a three-bus convoy
yesterday morning.
The busloads of Australians fled Beirut, heading north along the
Mediterranean coast road and early last night crossing the Syrian
border and on to the capital Damascus.
"They had an uneventful trip to Syria and I can confirm they are
now in Damascus," Archbishop Baliozian said.
"We expect them to be taken to Jordan tomorrow, where they will fly
to Bahrain, and to be in Sydney in two days."
Thousands more Australians remain trapped in Lebanon as Australia
struggles to get them home, but last night’s successful operation
could be repeated in days to come.
"Tomorrow, we will endeavour to try to repeat this exercise,"
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said as he announced the evacuation
in Adelaide last night.
Hundreds more are set to be evacuated by ship later this week, he said.
Mr Downer had earlier warned of the potential danger of evacuating
Australians by road, saying some Italians fleeing Lebanon had almost
been hit by a missile.
The coastal route north from Beirut to Syria has been used by several
other nations to evacuate their citizens, but convoys have been
held up by Israeli bombing attacks as part of their campaign against
Hezbollah guerillas.
While Mr Downer said earlier yesterday that Australia believed it
had found a safe land route out of Lebanon, he warned: "This is a
difficult and hazardous exercise".
"It’s a war situation and in a war there are high risks – there
are risks trying to get out of the country, there are risks staying
in the country."
Mr Downer said he had spoken to Israel’s Foreign Minister before the
busload of Australians departed Beirut, but said Israel had given no
assurances about the safety of those on the buses.
However he said Australia’s close relationship with Israel was a
factor in the operation.
"I really appreciate the fact that we gave the information to the
Israelis about what we were doing and the route we were taking,"
he said.
Robert Kocharian Congratulated French Embassy Staff on Bastille Day
PanARMENIAN.Net
14.07.2006 13:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian and first lady
Bella Kocharian visited the French Embassy in Yerevan to congratulate
the diplomatic mission on the national holiday, the Bastille Day. The
RA President remarked that the Year of Armenia in France in 2006 and
the Year of France in Armenia to be held in 2007 prove the high level
of the Armenian-French cooperation. He also added that the Year of
Armenia in France will help the French people to get familiarized
with the centuries-old traditions and culture of Armenians, reported
the RA leader’s press service.
IAC to Furnish Outcomes of A-320 Crash Late July
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.07.2006 16:42 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Late July the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC)
will furnish the final outcomes of A-320 jet crash, IAC chairperson
Tatyana Anodina said. In her words, the investigation of the crash
reaches the final stage. "The IAC possesses the essential data for
objective clarification of the crash causes and no pressure was
exerted upon the committee during the investigation," she underscored.
To remind, on May 3 night Airbus-320 owned by Armavia national carrier
crashed in the Black Sea 6 km away from Adler airport killing all of
113 people aboard, including 6 children and 8 crewmembers. Among them
were 26 Russian citizens, one Ukrainian and one Georgian citizen,
while the rest were Armenian citizens.
IAC HAS ALL THE NECESSARY FACTS TO MAKE A FINAL CONCLUSION ON THE
ARMAVIA A320 CRASH IN SOCHI
Yerevan, July 12. ArmInfo. ‘Today it can be at last officially stated
that the IAC (International Aviation Committee) has all the necessary
facts to make a final conclusion on the ArmAvia A320 crash in Sochi,
May 3, and complete the preparation of the official report by Russian,
Armenian and French experts,’ said on a press conference in Yerevan
Tatiana Anodina, head of the Committee.
Ms. Anodina also said that all the works on analysis of objective
control and flight modeling are completed and all that remains is to
revise all the materials and bring them into one. By the end of July
2006 all the documents will have been published. She also stated that
the information about the pilots’ talk published by mass media is
incorrect, as the recordings of the talks are never being presented
to the public.
Speaking of her meeting with President of Armenia Robert Kocharian,
T. Anodina said that Armenian Head of State fully realizes the
necessity of making an objective conclusion about the causes of the
catastrophe. Nothing of making agree the decisions and recommendations
with the Government was spoken, as the IAC is an independent structure,
free of any governmental influence.
Ms. Anodina said that immense finance resources were spent to find
out the details of eth catastrophe. Now, the blackbox recorders,
so difficultly lifted from the sea, are completely deciphered. She
said that the last minutes of the flight are modeled and affirmed
the information that the weather conditions at the airport wiftly
changed when landing and were one of the catastrophe’s causes.
NOT FEARING TO BE FLOODED, ARMENIAN PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
STILL BUILD SERVICE OBJECTS ON SHORE OF LAKE SEVAN
AZG Armenian Daily #131, 14/07/2006
The Interdepartmental government commission shaped by the order of RA
President in end June revealed a number of violations concerning the
construction of service objects near Yerevan-Sevan road, in Tsovagyugh
village, as well as in the Varser and Sevan towns. The Press Service
of RA Government informed ArmInfo that 43 of the 77 constructions were
illegally built near the Lake Sevan. Besides, 32 of the 43 buildings
were situated at the height of 1908 meters, when the level of the
lake has already reached 1899 meters. As a result, 36 buildings were
destroyed. More severe sanctions will be exerted against the private
constructors that ignore the construction norms near the Lake Sevan.