Hearings Dedicated To Dual Citizenship Problems Held At Parliament

HEARINGS DEDICATED TO DUAL CITIZENSHIP PROBLEMS HELD AT PARLIAMENT

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Representatives of
parliamentary and extraparliamentary forces, government, analytical
centers, institutions of higher education, diplomatic corps and
international organizations took part in the parliamentary hearings
on the subject "Problems of Dual Citizenship: International Law and
Experience" organized on June 23 by RA National Assembly Standing
Committee on Foreign Relations. The participants of the hearings
were given the conception of the bill "On Giving a Status of Dual
Citizenship to Foreign Armenians in the Republic of Armenia." As Armen
Rustamian, Committee Chairman, member of ARFD faction, mentioned,
this is still the working variant of the draft that can be changed
as a result of these hearings.

According to him, after summing up the results of the hearings, the
Committee will come up with a conclusion. At the end of the hearings
Rustamian said that there was a wrong understanding and a subjective
perception about the dual citizenship institution in the society and
as a result of the hearings they succeeded in moving the issue to
the subject professional field.

ANKARA: President Sezer And President Adamkus Hold Joint News Confer

PRESIDENT SEZER AND PRESIDENT ADAMKUS HOLD JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE

Anatolian Times
June 22 2006

ANKARA – "We should encourage our businessmen to make joint
investments," said Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Tuesday.

President Sezer and President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania held a
joint news conference following their tete-a-tete meeting.

Speaking at the news conference, President Sezer said, "we discussed
ways to further develop cooperation between Turkey and Lithuania. Our
economic and commercial relations have been improving day by day. We
should encourage our businessmen to make joint investments. Also,
we should exert more efforts to improve our relations in the areas
of culture, education and tourism."

"Turkey welcomed Lithuania’s accession to the EU and supported its
membership to NATO. I believe that President Adamkus’ visit will
accelerate the bilateral relations between our countries," President
Sezer added.

Meanwhile, President Adamkus said in his part that he could not think
of an EU without Turkey.

He extended Lithuania’s full support to Turkey’s EU membership process.

Recalling that a number of Lithuanian businessmen were accompanying him
during his visit to Turkey, President Adamkus said that Lithuanian
businessmen would hold a series of talks with their Turkish
counterparts.

Referring to the Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
President Adamkus said that they were in favor of a peaceful solution.

Tigran Torosyan Hindered Mher Shahgeldyan’s Visit

TIGRAN TOROSYAN HINDERED MHER SHAHGELDYAN’S VISIT

Lragir.am
22 June 06

On June 22 Speaker Tigran Torosyan elucidated Mher Shahgeldyan’s
resignation from the post of the head of the Armenian parliamentary
delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Mher Shahgeldyan
told the media that he had had to resign from the post of head of
the Armenian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Tigran
Torosyan says he talked to Mher Shahgeldyan about it and even
proposed him not to stay at the post because little time is left and
it would be better if Mher Shahgeldyan finished the work. But there is
another circumstance in this story, which is outside the scope of any
delegation. Mher Shahgeldyan had told Tigran Torosyan before submitting
his resignation that he had been invited to visit the United States
in the framework of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. On learning this
Tigran Torosyan said they would try their best that his visit took
place. The visit was scheduled on June 19-23. But some days later
Tigran Torosyan learned that a Rose Roth seminar would be held in
Sochi on June 22-24 on the topic "Russia-NATO Security Issues in the
South Caucasus." During this seminar conflicts and namely the Karabakh
issue would be discussed. Tigran Torosyan decided that Mher Shahgeldyan
should visit Sochi instead of the United States. "It was said that they
invited a representative of the government. I saw the letter. Like, for
instance, last September, when we were discussing the Karabakh issue in
Paris in NATO Parliamentary Assembly, they had invited a representative
of the executive of Armenia to present the view of the government. Of
course, it does not mean that it cannot be a member of parliament. On
the contrary, there should be a member of parliament. Therefore,
I said that since these overlap, we must be where a more burning
issue for Armenia is being discussed," says Tigran Torosyan. In fact,
he sent Mher Shahgeldyan to where a representative of the government
had been invited. In other words, the participation of the member of
parliament was not obligatory in the Sochi seminar. There is nothing
we can do but guess why Tigran Torosyan preferred the Sochi seminar
to the American visit of Mher Shahgeldyan. But there is no need to
guess after learning the purpose of the American visit. It was for
preparing the report of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on the role
of NATO in the South Caucasus. Evidently, the program of the American
visit and the seminar in Sochi had almost the same goal. Therefore,
it is interesting to know why Tigran Torosyan thinks that the seminar
in Sochi is more important. Yes, it included the Karabakh issue. But
does Tigran Torosyan really think that the seminar in Sochi would
be more important if even Bucharest proved insignificant? There is
a subtlety, however, that Tigran Torosyan could have omitted, but he
did not keep silent not to appear in a more awkward situation in case
this circumstance becomes known later. Or maybe because there was a
higher-level decision to prevent Mher Shahgeldyan’s visit, and it was
necessary to hint at it as a display of power. The meetings that Mher
Shahgeldyan would have in America mattered. He was supposed to meet
with a number of U.S. officials, such as Mr. Fried, whom we know,
Dan Fried, who has visited Yerevan too, as well as representatives
of different analytic centers, says Tigran Torosyan.

In fact, there is no need to make other suggestions. Official Yerevan
considers Sochi more important, and funny though it may seem, safer.

This makes it clear why Mher Shahgeldyan resigned from the post of the
head of the delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and refused
Torosyan’s proposal to stay. Tigran Torosyan says the question of the
head of the Armenian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
will be solved after the summer session of the OSCE. Most probably,
however, the question of the entire delegation will be solved rather
than that of the head of the delegation. Tigran Torosyan mentions that
the correlation of representatives of the government and the opposition
in the delegation including three members has changed. "The question
is which one of the three members should head the delegation. Either
one of the old members must be named or a new delegation must be set
up and a new head named," says Tigran Torosyans. Bookmakers can offer
betting which option Tigran Torosyan will choose.

Cooperation In Different Directions Highlighted

COOPERATION IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS HIGHLIGHTED

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
June 21 2006

On June 20, the members of the NA Standing Committee of Defence,
National Security and Internal Affairs met the delegation of the
Committee of Foreign Relations, Defence and Security Affairs of the
Senate of the Czech Republic.

Aramayis Grigoryan, Committee Chairman expressed conviction that the
visit is an important step in the development of the Armenian-Czech
relations. He considered important the cooperation between the
parliaments, relevant committees of tow countries. The cooperation was
considered useful in the international organizations in particular,
within the framework of CE and NATO, the experience of the Czech
Republic in the integration to the European structures and experience
exchange in the legislative field was highlighted. Mr. Grigoryan
introduced the activity of the committee, the current level of
Armenia-NATO relations. The cooperation in the spheres of defense
reforms, fight against terrorism, improvement of the legal field was
considered important with NATO. Mr. Grigoryan noted that Armenia joined
the process of planning and reviewing Partnership for Peace, as well
as the agreement on the status of the Armed Forces NATO-Partnership
for Peace.

Rostislav Slavotinek, Vice President of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, Defence and Security Affairs of the Senate of the
Czech Republic, expressed conviction that the visit will boost the
friendship and cooperation of two countries. The cooperation at the
level of committees in the sphere of inter-parliamentary cooperation
was highlighted. Mr. Slavotinek briefly presented the structure of the
Czech parliament, the committee’s functions, spheres, and touched upon
the peculiarities of the Czech army, reforms of the police system. It
was noted that the Czech parliament is bi-cameral and consists of
Deputies Chamber and Senate. The Senate is shaped by the principle
of majority electoral system, 81 MPs. The Czech army is professional
from January 1, 2005, and it has 30000 soldiers. Mr. Slavotinek noted
that in the Czech Republic a military university of having high quality
and proposed the Armenian side to send officers there for training.

During the meeting the sides touched upon the problems of regional
cooperation, highlighted the activation of parliamentary cooperation.

Other issues of bilateral interest were also discussed, the directions
of further cooperation were pointed out.

Armenia Fund’s Martakert Regional Development Underway

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206

Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222

Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2006

Armenia Fund’s Martakert Regional Development Underway
Large-Scale Program Implementation on Schedule

Los Angeles, CA – Armenia Fund – U.S. Western Region is pleased to
announce that its large-scale regional development plan for the war-torn
Martakert Region in Nagorno-Karabakh is currently underway. The multi-level
development program was developed by regional and urban planning experts
from the United States, France, and Armenia. The plan focuses on developing
the region through a series of projects that include construction of new
schools, healthcare facilities, drinking and irrigation water systems, and
regional agricultural development.

While Armenia Fund’s main affiliate in Armenia jointly with Nagorno
Karabakh’s relevant government agencies, including the office of the Prime
Minister and Ministries of Construction, Agriculture and Health was focusing
on the design and planning phase of the project, its 19 worldwide
affiliates, including the U.S. Western and Eastern Regions were busy
collecting the promised pledges from the past November Telethon. At the same
time, the regional affiliates are undergoing rigorous financial audits in
order to maintain high levels of transparency and ensure the proper
implementation of financial accounting policies, both internal and external.

All Armenia Fund projects undergo a comprehensive planning stage before the
construction begins. This includes preparation of a conceptual design,
construction design as well as independent architectural, technical and
technological expert review. Once the construction design package is ready,
Armenia Fund announces a two-stage construction competitive bid process in
the local newspapers and on its website and accepts construction proposals
from construction firms. Once the proposals are submitted, the Bidding
Committee, which consists of Armenia Fund construction and legal experts,
representatives of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Relief
Society and Armenian Assembly of America, as well as government
representatives from Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, reviews submitted
proposals. Participating construction firms are checked against their
qualifications, prior experience, organizational, technical and
technological ability as well as quoted time and cost needed for the
completion of the project. The winner is chosen by a vote. Armenia Fund then
signs a construction contract with the winning firm. Depending on the scale
of construction this process and its entire planning stage may take several
months.

During the construction, Armenia Fund, the designing firm, which produced
the construction design, as well as representatives from the Armenia Fund
affiliates sponsoring the project, controls the process by frequent visits
to the construction site. Once the construction is over, Armenia Fund
withholds 10% of the entire payment as the new structure enters its one-year
warranty period. If any defects are found, the construction firm is required
by law to correct them. Once the warranty period is over, Armenia Fund
disburses the remaining 10% of the payment and transfers the structure to
the balance sheets of the local government. From that point maintenance
becomes the responsibility of the government.

The statuses of the various projects within the Martakert Regional
Development Plan are presented below:

Water Main Pipeline – Drinking Water Systems

Armenia Fund will construct a 30-km-long drinking water pipeline to deliver
water to the town of Martakert, with a population of 5,000 people. The
pipeline will double water supply to the city. The construction competitive
bid process is in its final stages. The winning firm will begin construction
within a month.

Water Distribution Networks

Armenia Fund will construct drinking water distribution networks in the
villages of Maghavuz, Mets Shen, Vaghuhas and Varnkatagh. Armenia Fund’s
Argentinean affiliate is sponsoring the project in Vaghuhas. As a result of
the project every household of these villages will have a constant, abundant
supply of fresh drinking water. The construction competitive bid process is
in its final stages.

Healthcare
The healthcare component will largely focus on the complete reorganization
and reconstruction of the Martakert Regional Hospital, alongside with an
emergency ambulance dispatch center with 5 new ambulances. The project is
being spearheaded by the U.S. Western Region affiliate. Conceptual design
has been prepared by Los Angeles based hospital architect Arturo Fribourg in
collaboration with the NKR Health Ministry. Currently the final construction
design is being prepared. Five new ambulances have been ordered.

Agricultural Development

The U.S. Eastern Region affiliate, Armenia Fund USA is spearheading the
agricultural development program. The affiliate is closely working with the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Ministry of Agriculture. The first Agricultural
Development Association is in the process of being formed. Some of the
modern tractors, trucks and other agricultural equipment have already been
purchased from China and Belarus. More will be purchased as the project
progresses.

Education

Construction of the new school in Madaghis village has already begun. The
foundation and the first floor are complete. The project is sponsored by
Armenia Fund’s Canadian affiliate in Toronto. The affiliate has also
sponsored the construction of a new school in Verin Horatagh village, which
is in its construction design stage. Construction design of another school
in Kochoghot village, sponsored by Armenia Fund’s French affiliate, is in
the process as well.

Natural Gas Pipeline

Responding to the critical energy demands of the fledgling region, the
International Board of Trustees of Armenia Fund has decided to construct a
regional gas pipeline, including a distribution network for two
highly-populated villages – Chldran and Arajadzor. Currently, the plan is
undergoing design development.

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of "Hayastan"
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698

www.armeniafund.org

Enlarged Discussions On Bill "On Yerevan" To Be Organized

ENLARGED DISCUSSIONS ON BILL "ON YEREVAN" TO BE ORGANIZED

Noyan Tapan
Jun 20 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The current works and reforms in
the sphere of territorial government were discussed at the June 20
working meeting of RA President Robert Kocharian and RA Minister of
Territorial Government Hovik Abrahamian.

First of all they spoke about the necessity to give quick solutions
to problems connected with potable and irrigation water that emerged
in consequence of rise of air temperature. The President charged to
organize a duty and to strengthen control over the irrigation system
for villagers to get water in time an in a sufficient amount. They
also touched upon the changes made in the Yerevan Water Canal and
Armwatercanal.

H.Abrahamian presented the positions of the government and NGOs about
the bill "On Yerevan" and was instructed by R.Kocharian to organize
an enlarged discussion with participation of political forces, NGOs
and the government.

The issue of transferring social services to the jurisdiction of town
communities and the possibilities of implementing pilot programs in
some towns in the future was discussed. They also spoke about the
proposal of the State Committee of Cadastre to raise the cadastre
value of the land and decided that the respective departments should
present their motivations in connection with this issue.

Deputies Express Concern On Central Bank Policy

DEPUTIES EXPRESS CONCERN ON CENTRAL BANK POLICY

Panorama.am
14:33 20/06/06

"The devaluation of dollar and evaluation of the Armenian dram are
not related to economic patterns but to paradoxes," Gagik Melikyan
from Republican Party told a debate today during a discussion with
his opponent Tatul Manaseryan from opposition. He is sure that Central
Bank has become uncontrollable, "a state within a state on which the
whole population depends on."

Tatul Manaseryan shared his concerns saying "authorities are also
discontent with CB Head Tigran Sargsyan’s policy."

RA Foreign Minister Off To Ukraine

RA FOREIGN MINISTER OFF TO UKRAINE

ArmRadio.am
19.06.2006 10:26

RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan will start on an official visit
to Ukraine today. During the visit the Foreign Minister is scheduled
to meet the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister
Yuri Yekhanurov and Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk.

Georgian Minister Invites Armenians To Ajaria

GEORGIAN MINISTER INVITES ARMENIANS TO AJARIA

Panorama.am
15:03 19/06/06

Today Armenian-Georgian friendship train will leave for Batumi from
Yerevan for the first time. The opening of the rout was officially
celebrated on June 17. Georgian economic development minister Irakili
Chogovadze thanked the routers for completing their job in short
time. "Armenians will have cheap and comfortable opportunity to come
to Ajaria," he said.

According to Georgian minister, 20 000 tourists went to Georgia last
year and this year the number is going to rise to 50 000.

While Writing Transdnester Is Karabakh Implied?

WHILE WRITING TRANSDNESTR IS KARABAKH IMPLIED?

"Golos Armenii"
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 13 2006

The process of establishment and actual recognition of the so-called
unrecognized states on the CIS territory is being hastened. The report
titled "The State Sovereignty of the Transdnestr Moldavian Republic
(TMR) Pursuant to International Legislation" provides ample evidence
of the fact. The report has been prepared by a group of experts –
scientists from the Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, Cambridge Universities,
as well as the participants of the Dayton agreements on Yugoslavia’s
division.

According to the report’s resume, the TMR corresponds to all the
criteria submitted to the U.N. member countries, and yet the TMR
was formed in line with the international legislation. However,
it is noteworthy that all the postulates the report’s authors are
based upon almost fully correspond to the situation connected with
the declaration of the Nagorno Karabakh’s independence.

While reading the report one considers if "Nagorno Karabakh" is written
instead of "Transdnestr" the substitution will be difficult to notice.

Judge yourselves.

First, the report’s authors say "the territory Transdnestr is situated
on has never been a part of Moldova"; "historically Transdnestr has
never been within Moldova". The postulate is directly employed to
Nagorno Karabakh. The Armenian party has always stated and confirmed
by a legal folder that Nagorno Karabakh has never been a part of
Azerbaijan in history, just because Azerbaijan state did not exist
up to early XX century, when such a state formation was established
by the Soviet government.

The experts write: "Modern Republic of Moldova bases its emergence
and existence on the one-sided declaration of independence that
announced forced amalgamation of Moldova and Transdnestr implemented
by Stalin at the beginning of the World War II deprived of any "real
legal foundation", that is to say it was realized illegally…" The
difference between Transdnestr and Nagorno Karabakh is only that
Nagorno Karabakh was included as a curtailed autonomous region
within the Azerbaijani SSR illegally, having no legal basis not at
the beginning of the World War II, but in 1921 by a decision rendered
by a body called "RSDRP Caucasian Bureau".

Then experts underscore: "The juridical and actual analysis proves
that during the USSR’s collapse Moldavian SSR disintegrated to two
successor states – Moldova and Transdnestr – and that the present
border between them totally corresponds to the traditional historical
border separating them since the early medieval period…" As it
is known, during the USSR’s disintegration the Azerbaijani SSR also
actually broke up to two state formations: Nagorno Karabakh and the
Azerbaijani Republic, yet the latter declared itself to be cessionary
of the Republic of Azerbaijan of 1918, while Nagorno Karabakh was not
within Azerbaijan then. The boundaries of the Azerbaijani SSR and
former Nagorno Karabakh autonomous region were drawn artificially:
certain territories were cut down from the Nagorno Karabakh autonomy.

However, as a result of a war imposed by Azerbaijan on NKR and won
by the latter the borders have become more logical and at present
they reflect the objective historical realities much closer.

The American experts write: "When Moldova withdrew from the Moldavian
SSR Transdnestr had already separated and governed its territory
regardless of Kishinev", which totally corresponds to the history of
the NKR’s formation as well.

The experts sum up: "Many years of the international practice
reflected in charters enable us to mention the criteria applied to
define statehood: constant population, certain territory, government,
capacity to establish relations with other states. Nowadays Transdnestr
corresponds to all the requirements. It has its own democratically
elected President and a legislative organ being controlled by the
opposition party now. Its government is in command of armed forces
and holds discussions with other states. In case of TMR the state’s
viability is established, as well as legitimacy of the process of
the state’s formation.

Over half a million people living in Transdnestr occupying the
territory of 4,163 cube meters successfully conform with all the
indications of statehood along the lines of the international law.

Transdnestr has well-functioning government with its own organs,
Constitution, currency, levy, law and population surpassing the amount
of inhabitants of a lot of member states of the U.N.". It all is also
applicable to Nagorno Karabakh, has been repeatedly mentioned by the
international experts, n part, the observers at the elections of the
NKR power bodies. NKR concedes to TMR only in the size of population,
however, the difference is not principal, as there are a lot of states
conceding to the NKR by the size of population in the U. N.

Ruben MARGARYAN P.S. To note, the American experts’ report does not
refer to the fact that, if Russians have already "self-determined"
in Russia, Transdnestr does not have the right to self-determination
…For Ilham Aliyev’s information.