Author: Chakrian Hovsep

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI FMS OVER NK PROVIDE BASIS FOR FUTURE PRESIDENTIAL MEETING

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 14 2006

YEREVAN, June 14. /ARKA/. The negotiations of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers, started yesterday in Paris, provide
a basis for a future meeting between the two countries’ presidents,
Armenian Premier Andranik Margaryan told reporters.

"After Bucharest, there is the necessity in making new steps toward a
peaceful settlement to the conflict. The foreign ministers currently
attempt to supplement what was not achieved by the presidents,"
Armenian Foreign Minister said.

The negotiations between foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
Vardan Oskanyan and Elmar Mamedyarov were held in Paris on 13 June.

They discussed the available principles and approaches that give rise
to disagreements between the sides.

GREEK CHURCH LEADER CALLS ON TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Yerkir.am
June 09, 2006

The leader of the Greek Orthodox Church and Athens Archbishop
Christodulos said it is important that Turkey recognize the Armenian
Genocide and the genocide of Greeks in Turkey, PanArmenian reported.

He made the statement at the World Church Council in Switzerland,
according to the Greek Church mission in European Union.

Commenting on Turkey’s bid to join the EU and the Armenian Genocide
issue, the archbishop said that “while the modern Turkey could not be
held responsible for the horrible facts of the past, the recognition
of the crime is a matte of honor for Turks.”

Regnum, Russia
June 10 2006

Ex-MP: Somebody in Russia wants to undermine friendship between
Yerevan and Moscow

`Armenia is Russia’s only partner in the South Caucasus, and certain
players in Russia want to end this friendship,’ said former Deputy of
the National Assembly, ex-Head of Armenian Security Service Gurgen
Yegiazaryan at a press briefing on June 10.

He said that crimes committed in Moscow against ethnical Armenians in
the last two years are not a result of the official Russian state
policy. `The Russian elite are not interested in the worsening
relations with Armenia, since nationally colored crimes have a
negative impact on the Russia’s own image.’ Yegiazarian argued that
if Russia’s President Vladimir Putin took timely and harsh measures
against the so-called `skinheads’ the second assassination of
ethnical Armenian Artur Sardaryan would not have happened.

Yegiazaryan is also convinced that the so-called `ethnically-based
crime’ is committed against people of the non-Russian ethnicity in
general, although its effect is especially evident in the Armenian
case. `Not a single Georgian was murdered during this period, since
relations with Georgia are bad enough even without that, so it was
not necessary,’ he contended.

On May 25, 2006 an ethnical Armenian, 19-year-old Artur Sardaryan was
slaughtered in a Moscow suburb electric train. Investigators believe
that the crime’s motive was `national hatred’. Two unidentified men
stabbed the youth in the eyes of tens of witnesses. That was not the
first murder of ethnical Armenians. On April 22, on the Moscow subway
station Pushkinskaya a 17-year-old Vigen Abramyants was stabbed by a
skinhead gang, according to numerous witnesses’ evidence. Four of his
friends were beaten, two received injuries. In this case too,
investigators presumed that the motive was ethnically based. Criminal
tracking have not yet yielded results.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS MEETS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
COPTIC AND SYRIAN CHURCHES

The meeting of representatives from the Coptic Church, Syrian Church and
the Catholicosate of Cilicia was recently convened in the Catholicosate’s
Antelias headquarters. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkisian (Primate of the Diocese
of Tehran) and Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) represent the
Catholicosate in the meeting.

The committee of representatives has been formed by the religious leaders
of the three churches, His Holiness Zakka I, His Holiness Pope Shnouda III
and His Holiness Aram I, nine years ago with the aim of strengthening
cooperation between the churches.

Meeting with the committee’s representatives, the Catholicos stressed the
importance of strengthening the internal unity and cooperation between the
Oriental Orthodox (Non- Chalcedonic) churches. In this context, His Holiness
made several comments related to ecumenical and inter-church relations. The
guests were then invited to lunch with the Pontiff.

The committee’s sessions concluded on June 3.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian and Azeri FMs Will Exchange Opinion to Fill in Gaps
09.06.2006 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the upcoming meeting the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers will discuss the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement process. They will also touch upon the steps that
can possibly be taken after the Bucharest talks, Azeri Deputy FM Araz
Azimov stated. In his words, the FMs will fill in the gaps that
occurred during the negotiations. `We should determine the further
direction of the dialogue for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement,’ he said.

As for the change of the OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair, Araz Azimov
remarked that the diplomat who will replace Steven Mann will be less
mature in the Karabakh issue. However, according to the Azeri Deputy
FM, the replacement of the Co-chair will not have an impact on the
settlement process.

Azimov rated Steven Mann’s activities as positive. He made an
important contribution to the dialogue for the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement, he considers, reported Trend.

President Robert Kocharyan received members of the the Ago Group

ArmRadio.am
10.06.2006 13:08

President Robert Kocharyan received today the Ago Group of the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe headed by Permanent
Representative of Germany to the Council of Europe Roland Vegener.

The President said that Armenia has passed an important way since the
previous visit of the Group: Armenia has adopted the package of
Constitutional amendments. Mr. Kocharyan noted that currently attempts
are made to match the legislation to the Constitutional changes.

According to Roland Vegener, their objective is to monitor the process
of adoption of 67 new laws, which derive from the reformed
Constitution, emphasizing the fact of having the conclusion of the
Venice commission before the start of the discussions.

The parties turned to the freedom of media and the reforms of the
Electoral Code, emphasizing the necessity of conducting free and fair
elections in 2007. Reference was made also to the process of
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. President Kocharyan presented the
latest developments in this direction.

AGAINST OLIGARCHIZATION OF ECONOMY

Lragir.am
09 June 06

Recently a number of owners of kiosks and small businesses have turned
to the Orinats Yerkir Party, asking to help to defend their
rights. Thereupon the Political Council of the Orinats Yerkir Party is
deeply concerned about mass dismantling of kiosks in different
communities of the capital, on highways and undergrounds (namely
Barekamutiun and Sasuntsi Davit underground stations, underground
passages of Abovyan and Koryun Streets). The relevant agencies have
initiated a real massacre of small businesses, referring to
architectural reasons. Not allowing owners to improve the appearance
of their kiosks themselves, they, in fact, aim to deprive thousands of
people of the only means of earning their living.

Considering the high rate of unemployment in the country, we think it
is unacceptable to close down jobs artificially.

The aim is clear: to consolidate and center kiosk trade in the hands
of a group of people. Condemning every effort of oligarchizing the
economy, the Orinats Yerkir Party calls the relevant agencies to stop
activities, damaging the interests of people, under the guise of
different decisions, and to allow small businesses to continue trade
in kiosks.

As usual the Orinats Yerkir Party is determined to back protection of
interests of small businesses, who can apply to the Orinats Yerkir
faction of the National Assembly.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 9 2006

Azerbaijan rebuffs media reports on congratulatory message sent by
Azeri speaker to chair of Armenian parliament

Source: Trend
Author: R.Abdullayev

09.06.2006

Media reports on congratulatory message reportedly sent by the
Azerbaijani speaker Oktai Asadov to the chairman of the Armenian
National Assembly, Tigran Torosian are groundless and lying, Akif
Nasirov, the spokesman for the Milli Majlis [Azerbaijan parliament]
told Trend.

`It is wrong information, which is part of anti-Azerbaijani
propaganda held by Armenia,’ Nasirov stressed.

Spread of such reports is behind the ethic norms. `Azerbaijani
journalists should not fall under tricks of the Armenian intelligence
services,’ he underlined.

Earlier the Armenian media spread reports on congratulatory message
as though sent by the Azerbaijani Speaker to the chairman of the
Armenian National Assembly. In accordance with article, the message
was read by Azerbaijani MP Asef Hajiyev at the plenary session of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation’s Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan on
8 June.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO RECOGNIZE RESULTS NEITHER OF
ALREADY HELD REFERENDUM NOR OF ONE TO BE HELD IN FUTURE

YEREVAN, JUNE8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Nagorno Karabakh
was the first in the post-Soviet territory that used the right of
one-side self-determination by a held referendum, thus, within the
international norms. But then the public opinion of the world was yet
not ready to accept such a mechanism completely. Vahan Hovhannisian,
the RA NA Deputy Speaker, ARF Bureau member stated about it,
responding journalists’ questions on June 7. According to him, the
time showed that that mechanism functions, becomes usable and enters
international political practice. He mentioned as examples factual
independence of Eastern Timor, Eritrea, already of Chernogoria at
present, maybe the possible one of Kosovo in future. According to
V.Hovhannisian it is incomprehensible why that mechanism must not
function in Nagorno Karabakh. The NA Deputy Speaker noticed that if in
the case of self-determination of Chernogoria, Serbia, however,
recognized results of the referendum of separating from it, Azerbaijan
fostered a coarse position and does not want to recognize results of
not only already held referendum but also of one to be held in future.

TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS INDEPENDENT FROM ERDOGHAN AND KOCHARYAN

Lragir.am
08 June 06

Turkish-Armenian relations have always been on different planes and
are not confidential, stated Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan June 8.

He was asked by news reporters to comment on recent information in
Turkish press about Turkish-Armenian secret negotiations. “There
have always been regular meetings, sometimes top level, sometimes
on a foreign minister level, sometimes on a deputy foreign minister
level. There are no secrets, there is a dialogue,” says Vardan
Oskanyan. The minister disagrees with the observation in the Turkish
press that this relation was set up by the letter of Erdoghan and
Robert Kocharyan’s answer. The Turkish-Armenian relations have nothing
to do with it, said Vardan Oskanyan, adding that there is no news
about progress in Turkish-Armenian relations.

Instead the foreign minister of Armenia commended the news about the
nuclear program of Iran, particularly the prospects for negotiating
the issue. Vardan Oskanyan said Armenia commends the willingness to
negotiate and is hopeful that the nuclear problem will be settled
peacefully.