Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

KOCHARYAN SATISFIED WITH CURRENT LEVEL OF ARMENIAN-SWISS RELATIONS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 13 2006

YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is
satisfied with the current level of the Armenian-Swiss relations. The
press service of the Armenian president reported that Kocharian
reported this during his meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline
Calmy-Rey.

Kocharian highly appreciated that assistance rendered by Switzerland
with the current reforms in Armenia, and pointed out the country’s
inclusion in the Agency for Development and Cooperation.

In its turn, the foreign ministry of Switzerland stated that the
country closely watches the processes in South Caucasus, showing
especial interest in the problems of stability, security and migration.

According to Switzerland, Armenia enjoys a big "capital of sympathy"
in this country, as well as thanks to the Swiss Armenians.

At the same time, both sides pointed out that the indicators of the
bilateral economic relations are rather inconsiderable. They emphasized
the need in a more systematized cooperation.

In this relation, they stressed the importance on the agreement on
exclusion of double taxation signed the day before, and on the economic
forum currently held in Zurich and the bilateral business contacts.

The President of Armenia and the Swiss Foreign Minister also
highly appreciated the two countries’ cooperation at international
organizations.

NATIONAL UNITY FACTION’S INITIATIVE TO CONVENE SPECIAL SESSION OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FAILS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The NA National Unity faction’s
initiative to convene a special session of the National Assembly
with the aim of setting up an ad hoc commission failed. The task
of the commission would be to examine losses incurred by the local
producers and population as a result of the unfounded appreciation of
the Armenian dram in 2005-2006. By the end of the signature collection
deadline – June 14, 1:20 pm, only 26 deputies joined the initiative,
whereas the signatures of at least 44 deputies are required in order
to convene a session. According to the faction member Aghasi Arshakian,
7 deputies from the National Unity faction, 8 from the Justice faction,
5 from the Orinats Yerkir Party, 3 independent deputies and 3 from
the People’s Deputy group joined the initiative.

LETTER TO THE KING OF RUSSIANS
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
14 June 06

The Armenian society is writing a letter to Putin, the president of
Russia. Our intelligentsia announced this June 13 during a meeting at
the Writers Union. The list of participants allows judging about the
content of the letter, which is connected with the killings of Armenian
citizens in Russia. So, we may suppose that the letter is going to be
a little categorical, expressing a little concern, a little hard. In
other words, a little like a letter that intelligentsia may write to
the president of an inhospitable country.

The list of people who wrote the letter is prominent: Levon Ananyan,
the president of the Writers Union, Academician Vladimir Barkhudaryan,
Vladimir Aghayan, the Union of Armenians of Russia, Astghik Gevorgyan,
the president of the Union of Journalists, Garnik Ananyan, the dean
of the Department of Journalism of Yerevan State University.

After having read this list it is not difficult to imagine the content
of the letter. Putin cannot have received a tougher letter all through
his conscious life or scrutinized through the period of his life in
KGB. It is possible that the Armenian intelligentsia has announced
about the letter but has not published it to hide its toughness. Either
the letter is not ready yet or they want Putin to receive the letter
without knowing its content. The letter can be so hard and bold that
some trouble may befell to the mailman, preventing him from frightening
Putin. In the meantime, the mail carrier is going to be Seyran Avagyan
himself. Perhaps the cherished dream of the adviser to president
has come true, and he is already promoting small and medium-sized
businesses by his personal example, opening his own mail delivery
service. And judging by the choice of the mailman, we may reject the
thought that the Armenian intelligentsia is going to be hard on Putin.

The point is that Seyran Avagyan is the adviser to the president of
Armenia, and the representatives of the intelligentsia enumerated
above would not dare to risk the life of the adviser to the president
by placing in his hands a chilling letter addressed to Putin even
if a dozen of Armenians were killed at once. As for Seyran Avagyan,
he would not dare to deliver this letter, for it would be the first
and the last order of the mail delivery office, and the office would
“die” long before its registration.

On the other hand, the Armenian intelligentsia need not shock Putin
by a letter. The president of Russia will be shocked on hearing the
news that the Armenian intelligentsia decided to write him a letter.

It will be enough for Putin to call Armenia and find out if there had
been a change of power. Naturally, he will be immediately reassured.

They would not even allow Putin to call first. The top-level
Armenia-Russia phone calls are usually initiated by the Armenian
party. Only Robert Kocharyan must learn about the letter sooner
than Putin will receive it. Although in this sense too everything
is under control because the letter will be delivered by the adviser
to president. It is also possible that in Moscow they will deliver a
blank sheet of paper with the signatures of Armenian intelligentsia
to Putin. Let Vladimir Vladimirovich try to guess during the rest of
his office what the Armenian intelligentsia had meant to tell him.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN NORTH-ATLANTIC COUNCIL-ARMENIA SITTING

ArmRadio.am
13.06.2006 11:15

Today RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyanis leaving for Paris to have
a meeting with his Azeri counteropart Ilham Mammadyarov. The meeting
will feature the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chars.

June 14 Minister Oskanyan will leave for Brussels to participate in the
meeting of the North-Atlantic Council and Armenia in the 26+1 format
together with Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan. During the meeting
teh parties are expected to discuss the process of accomplishment
of NATO’s Individual Partnership Actions Plan (IPAP)with Armenia,
based on the results of midterm evaluation of the IPAP.

June 19 the Foreign Minister is scheduled to pay an official visit
to Kiev, where he will meet the President of Ukraine and the Foreign
Minister.

June 21 Minister Oskanyan will be in Geneva to participate in the
opening sitting of the UN Human Rights Council.

June 27-28 RA Foreign Minsiter will pay an official visit to Georgia.

BAKU PREFERS PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

ArmRadio.am
13.06.2006 11:56

Baku prefers peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The Foreign
Minister of azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov declared this yesterday
during the meeting with members of the Foreign Ministry delegation
of the South-African Republic, Day.az reports.

Azeri Foreign Minister informed the guests about “occupation of 20
percent of Azerbaijani territory by Armed Forces of Armenia and th
ethnic cleansings here.” Elmar Mammadyarov emphasyzed the necessity
of withrdrawal of Armenian troops from the above-mentioned territories
and provision of conditions for the return of refugees.

ANCA CALLS ON SENATORS TO DEMAND FULL EXPLANATION OF EVANS FIRING

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 12 2006

WASHINGTON, JUNE 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) urged U.S. Senators to demand a
full and open explanation of the highly controversial firing of the
current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, before the Senate
moves to confirm a new envoy to Yerevan. In June 9th letters, ANCA
Chairman Ken Hachikian encouraged Senators to vigorously investigate
the reasons behind the Administration’s decision to recall the
Ambassador more than a year prior to the end of his normal term of
office. The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Fresno Bee
have reported that the State Department’s actions against Ambassador
Evans were due to his comments, made during February, 2005 speeches
to Armenian American audiences, accurately and openly describing the
Armenian Genocide as a clear instance of genocide. Despite more than
60 Members of Congress having called for an official explanation of
the Administration’s policies and actions on this matter, over the past
four months the White House and State Department have yet to offer any
meaningful explanation about the dismissal of this highly-regarded,
35-year veteran of the Foreign Service. Hachikian stressed, in his
letters, that, “The U.S. Senate cannot, in good conscience, approve the
nomination of a new ambassador to Armenia until the circumstances of
the current envoy’s highly controversial firing are fully, officially,
and openly explained to Congress and the American people. More broadly,
the Administration needs to honestly explain its policies and actions
concerning the Armenian Genocide. This is especially true given
that serious questions remain unanswered concerning the role that a
foreign nation – the Turkish Government – played in Ambassador Evans’
firing.” The ANCA letter closed with Hachikian urging Senators to delay
the final approval of the incoming ambassador until the Administration
clearly and openly explains its policies and actions in connection to
the firing of Ambassador Evans. Hachikian’s letters to the 18 members
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee addressed their special
oversight during the panel’s upcoming confirmation hearing for the
President’s nominees to serve as the next Ambassador to Armenia.

TIGRAN TOROSYAN: OGTAY ASADOV CONGRATULATED ME ON MY ELECTION PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AND WISHED ME SUCCESS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006

“Azerbaijani delegates really read the congratulation addressed to me
by speaker Ogtay Asadov,” Armenian parliament speaker Tigran Torosyan
told journalists (APA).

Commenting on the recent scandal regarding Azerbaijani parliament
president Ogtay Asadov’s congratulatory message to him, Torosyan said
he regrets the Azerbaijani side’s denial of this fact. In his words,
Azerbaijani parliamentarian Asef Hajiyev addressed the meeting of
the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parlaimentary
Assembly in Yerevan.

“Asef Hajiyev read the message of speaker Ogtay Asadov. In the message,
he thanked to the Armenian parliament for providing a good opportunity
for the meeting participants. Besides, Ogtay Asadov congratulated me on
my election parliament speaker and wished me success,” Torosyan said.

The parliament press secretary Akif Tavakkuloghlu told APA that
speaker Ogtay Asadov refuses to say anything about that.

HRANT KHACHATRYAN NAMES HIMSELF

Lragir.am
09 June 06

Hrant Khachatryan, the leader of the Constitutional Right Union, is
trying to define the structural problems of the current situation, and
those which are aggravating the political crisis. These reflections
led him to an idea, which he announced May 9 at the National Press
Club. The leader of the CRUsaid that since the state system is not
based on the political system, it is necessary that the political
forces, which recognize the imperfection of this fact, direct their
efforts at the Central Election Committee.

`It is not enough to say that we are preparing to hold a fair
election, we want to combat electoral fraud, any degree of it is bad.
We have to make efforts today,’ says Hrant Khachatryan. He emphasizes
the continuousness of these steps and announces about the step he has
thought of.

`I am ready to reject my mandate if all the political parties agree
that I become chair of the Central Election Committee. For me it would
mean giving up my position. Everybody thinks this is another hopeless
step but I think all the political forces will accept my proposal, my
initiative, my concession, and I think it is possible that the
political system, independent of its present quality will have a
common interest, a common hope that the next election will be
controlled by the political parties rather than the clannish system,’
says the leader of the CRU Hrant Khachatryan. He urges the Republican
Party and Dashnaktsutiun to accept his proposal. Hrant Khachatryan
thinks it is in their interests too, for the Republican Party, for
instance, is facing divide to become parliamentary majority again.

ALIYEV: “IT IS NECESSARY TO CARRY KARABAKH PEACEFUL RESOLUTION THROUGH”

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.06.2006 18:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I am sure the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be
settled within the framework of international norms and principles,”
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev told NBC TV channel. In his words,
terms of settlement of the Karabakh issue depend not only on
Baku. “Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is recognized by the
international community and all countries, except Armenia. We will
never agree to secession of NK, we will provide it widest autonomy
within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev underscored.

“They advice our country not to think of settlement by force. We
believe that until there is an opportunity to settle the conflict
peacefully, it is necessary to carry that way through,” Aliyev said.

PREFER YOUR FRUIT IN A BOTTLE? TRY POMEGRANATE WINE
By Peggy Grodinsky

Houston Chronicle, TX
June 7 2006

Wine lovers occasionally use the term “pomegranate” to describe the
flavor or color of red wines. Now there’s a wine that’s actually
made from the fruit. You can find a bottle for $9 at Central Market,
where a shelf label touts its antioxidant benefits. Add to that
the much ballyhooed claims that red wine is good for you (now being
re-examined), and you’ve got “double bang for your buck,” says the
store’s wine and beer manager, Martin Korson. The wine, from Armenia,
is sweet, fruity and pleasant, perfect for a novice drinker. “I like
this in a wine-cooler, back-in-high-school kind of way,” one taster
commented. Chronicle wine guru Mike Lonsford suggested pairing it
with smoked turkey and cranberry sauce — or using it in a wine
spritzer. “Well-chilled,” he added.