Author: Hovhannisian John

$1,097,115,610,000: 19,954,934: THE SIZE OF THE WORLD’S ACTIVE MILITARY FORCES

The Guardian – United Kingdom
May 25, 2006

And The Terror Groups They Are Fighting: World’s Active Soldiers:
World’s Defence Budget: 46% The Increase In US Combat Power By 2008

North America

60 Canada 62,100 108,850 10.9

2 US 1,546,372 2,502,574 561

Caribbean and Latin America

162 Antigua and Barbuda 170 245 0

53 Argentina 71,400 102,640 1.9

158 Bahamas 860 860 0

160 Barbados 610 1,040 0

156 Belize 1,050 1,750 0

78 Bolivia 33,000 70,100 0.1

17 Brazil 287,159 2,012,759 16.1

48 Chile 78,098 166,098 1.9

23 Colombia 207,000 396,700 4

165 Costa Rica 0 8,400 0.1

69 Cuba 49,000 114,500 1.4

90 Dominican Rep 24,500 39,500 0.2

71 Ecuador 46,500 164,770 0.7

102 El Salvador 15,500 25,400 0.1

81 Guatemala 29,200 85,900 0.1

155 Guyana 1,100 3,270 0

166 Haiti 0 0 0 *UN multinational stabilisation mission currently
in place

112 Honduras 12,000 80,000 0.1

146 Jamaica 2,830 3,783 0.1

27 Mexico 192,770 517,770 3.4

105 Nicaragua 14,000 14,000 0

167 Panama 0 11,800 0.2

120 Paraguay 10,300 189,600 0.1

46 Peru 80,000 352,000 1.1

151 Surinam 1,840 1,840 0

147 Trinidad and Tobago 2,700 2,700 0

92 Uruguay 24,000 24,920 0.2

45 Venezuela 82,300 90,300 2.1

76 Belgium 36,950 55,600 3.2

65 Bulgaria 51,000 388,000 0.7

94 Czech Rep 22,272 27,872 2.3

96 Denmark 21,180 150,880 3.2

140 Estonia 4,934 28,934 0.2

20 France 254,895 420,820 41.6

18 Germany 284,500 639,150 28.8

32 Greece 163,850 492,850 4.5

79 Hungary 32,300 88,300 1.3

163 Iceland 0 130 0.4

28 Italy 191,152 501,952 14.6

139 Latvia 5,238 16,442 0.3

107 Lithuania 13,510 34,810 0.3

157 Luxembourg 900 1,512 0.3

63 Netherlands 53,130 85,330 9.4

89 Norway 25,800 236,200 4.6

34 Poland 141,500 396,900 5.6

73 Portugal 44,900 303,530 2.3

44 Romania 97,200 281,100 2.1

98 Slovakia 20,195 20,195 0.9

136 Slovenia 6,550 36,050 0.5

33 Spain 147,255 539,6150 8.5

9 Turkey 514,850 1,045,750 8.9

22 United Kingdom 216,890 458,410 50.2

95 Albania 21,500 22,000 0.1

70 Armenia 48,160 49,160 0.2

75 Austria 39,900 39,900 2.2

55 Azerbaijan 66,740 381,740 0.6

50 Belarus 72,940 472,440 0.3

113 Bosnia-Herzegovina 11,865 11,865 0.2

97 Croatia 20,800 139,000 0.6

121 Cyprus 10,000 70,750 0.3

84 Finland 28,300 287,300 2.7

114 Georgia 11,320 23,020 0.1

119 Ireland 10,460 25,335 1

117 Macedonia 10,890 39,490 0.1

149 Malta 2,237 2,237 0

135 Moldova 6,750 76,029 0

58 Serbia and Montenegro 65,300 360,400 0.7

85 Sweden 27,600 325,200 5.2

143 Switzerland 4,300 319,300 3.8

29 Ukraine 187,600 1,272,500 2.9

5 Russia 1,027,000 21,442,000 23.7

35 Algeria 137,500 468,700 2.9

115 Bahrain 11,200 21,360 0.5

10 Egypt 468,500 1,277,500 2.5

8 Iran 545,000 935,000 6.2

21 Iraq 227,000 227,000 0

31 Israel 168,300 584,350 7.2

43 Jordan 100,500 145,500 1

101 Kuwait 15,500 45,800 4.3

52 Lebanon 72,100 85,100 0.5

49 Libya 76,000 116,000 0.6

100 Mauritania 15,870 20,870 0

25 Morocco 200,800 400,800 2.1

74 Oman 41,700 46,100 3

164 Palestinian Autonomous Areas 0 56,000 0

111 Qatar 12,400 12,400 2.2

26 Saudi Arabia 199,500 215,000 25.4

13 Syria 307,600 769,600 1.5

77 Tunisia 35,300 47,300 0.4

67 UAE 50,500 50,500 2.7

56 Yemen 66,700 137,900 0.9

40 Angola 108,400 118,400 1.2

142 Benin 4,550 7,050 0.1

127 Botswana 9,000 10,500 0.4

118 Burkino Faso 10,800 11,050 0.1

68 Burundi 50,500 81,500 0

93 Cameroon 23,100 23,100 0.2

154 Cape Verde 1,200 1,200 0

148 Central African Republic 2,550 2,550 0

80 Chad 30,350 34,850 0.1

122 Congo 10,000 12,000 0.1

59 Dem Rep of Congo 64,800 64,800 0.2

123 Djibouti 9,850 12,350 0

152 Equatorial Guinea 1,320 1,320 0

24 Eritrea 201,750 321,750 0.1

30 Ethiopia 182,500 182,500 0.3

141 Gabon 4,700 6,700 0

159 Gambia 800 800 0

134 Ghana 7,000 7,000 0

124 Guinea 9,700 19,300 0.1

125 Guinea Bissau 9,250 9,250 0

99 Ivory Coast 17,050 28,550 0.2

91 Kenya 24,120 29,120 0.3

150 Lesotho 2,000 2,000 0

104 Liberia 15,000 15,000 0

108 Madagascar 13,500 21,600 0.3

137 Malawi 5,300 6,800 0

132 Mali 7,350 15,150 0.1

168 Mauritius 0 2,000 0

116 Mozambique 11,200 11,200 0.1

126 Namibia 9,200 15,200 0.2

138 Niger 5,300 10,700 0

47 Nigeria 78,500 160,500 0.8

66 Rwanda 51,000 53,000 0.1

106 Senegal 13,620 18,620 0.1

161 Seychelles 200 450 0

109 Sierra Leone 13,000 13,000 0

169 Somalia 0 0 0 *Transitional national government has formed with
an estimated 5000 troops but only has control of northern Somalia

61 South Africa 55,750 115,750 3.8

42 Sudan 104,800 207,300 0.5

87 Tanzania 27,000 108,400 0.4

130 Togo 8,550 9,300 0

72 Uganda 45,000 46,800 0.2

103 Zambia 15,100 19,500 0

83 Zimbabwe 29,000 50,800 0.3

86 Afghanistan 27,000 27,000 0

36 Bangladesh 125,500 251,700 0.8

3 India 1,325,000 5,494,815 23.5

57 Kazakhstan 65,800 100,300 0.6

110 Kyrgyzstan 12,500 17,500 0.1

54 Nepal 69,000 131,000 0.2

7 Pakistan 619,000 921,000 3.7

38 Sri Lanka 111,000 235,500 0.7

131 Tajikistan 7,600 12,900 0.1

88 Turkmenistan 26,000 26,000 0.2

62 Uzbekistan 55,000 91,000 0.1

64 Australia 52,872 73,672 13.2

133 Brunei 7,000 11,450 0.4

12 Burma 375,500 482,750 6.2

37 Cambodia 124,300 191,300 0.1

1 China 2,255,000 7,024,000 34.9

153 East Timor 1,250 1,250 n/a

144 Fiji 3,500 9,500 0

15 Indonesia 302,000 982,000 2.6

19 Japan 260,250 316,895 40.7

4 North Korea 1,106,000 9,495,000 1.9

6 South Korea 687,700 8,692,200 23.5

82 Laos 29,100 129,100 0

39 Malaysia 110,000 430,900 3.1

129 Mongolia 8,600 152,800 0

128 New Zealand 8,660 19,460 1.4

145 Papua New Guinea 3,100 3,100 0

41 Philippines 106,000 317,500 0.9

51 Singapore 72,500 522,800 6.2

16 Taiwan 290,000 1,995,650 7.9

14 Thailand 306,600 665,300 2

11 Vietnam 455,000 5,495,000 3.2

IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE PROGRAM ON RESETTLEMENT OF MESKHETIAN TURKS IN GEORGIA TO START SOON

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 24 2006

AKHALKALAK, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In late May, 6
Meskhetian families will be resettled from Azerbaijan in the region
of Gori within the framework of the state program on resettlement of
Meskhetian Turks in Georgia.

According to Georgi Khaindrava, Georgian State Minister on Issues of
Conflicts Settlement, the parliament will soon adopt the respective law
on resettlement of Meskhetian Turks in Georgia. After the adoption
of the law the government will work out the respective actions
plan. Khaindrava hopes that in the respect of program’s financing
the Council of Europe and the international community will render the
respective assistance as the Georgian government cannot allocate the
respective resources.

It is not concretely calculated today how many Meskhetian Turks will
want to return to Georgia but their number can reach 500 thousand.

The A-Info agency also mentions that the government is going to
resettle the Meskhetians mainly in Samtskhe-Javakhk populated with
Armenians.

‘GOLDEN APRICOT 2006’ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO LAUNCH JULY 10-15
By Tamar Minasian

AZG Armenian Daily
23/05/2006

“Golden Apricot 2006” international film festival will launch in
Yerevan on July 10-15. Moris de Hadeln, Godfrey Regio and Arsine
Khanjian will lead the competitions for the fiction films, documentary
and “Armenian Panorama” competitions respectively. The organizers of
the festival informed that 257 films from 56 countries will participate
in the festival.

Besides the competition program, the festival also had 4 out of
contest programs. Best 10 European films shot in 2005-2006 will be
represented within the framework of “One Day in Europe” program. While
“The Summer Euphoria” program will include 10 films picked up by Andrey
Plakhov. The new films by the festival guests will be included in
“Yerevan Premier” program, while “The Documentary World” program will
represent the films chosen by the organizers. On July 12-13, “Directors
without Borders” international seminar will be held in Yerevan by
the financial assistance of the European Cultural Parliament.

The organizers of the festival informed that Artavazd Peleshian,
one of the most contemporary prominent directors, will attend the
festival as an honored guest. He will receive the prize of “Golden
Apricot 2006” for the greatest contribution to the world cinema.

Harutyun Khachatrian stated that they have settled many issues and the
festival can compete with other festivals that cost $4-5 million. It’s
worth mentioning that the festival is being held within the framework
of budget of $300 thousand.

Mikeal Stanboltsian stated that they try to be strict when chosing
the Armenian films, trying to represent the most interesting ones,
so that the foreigners get familiarized with Armenian cinema.

VEDANTA RESOURCES IS READY TO INVEST $80 MLN IN GOLD MINING IN ARMENIA

Yerevan, 17.05.06 ArmInfo. According to the information distributed
by an Indian News Paper Economic Times Vedanta Resources is planning
to enter the precious metal business in Armenia.

The Economic Times also informs that the intention of Vedanta –
India’s major player in non-ferrous metals, in investing in gold
mining industry is based on an all-time high current prices of gold.

The Vedanta Resources listed in London Stock Exchange may make an
investment in Sterlite Gold, controlled by Agarwal family through
Volcan Investments. For expansion of their gold mining project Sterlite
needs $70-80 mln. Vedanta is likely to step in by investing the money
and thereby picking up a stake in the company.

The Armenian operations are controlled through Ararat Gold Recovery
Company (AGRC) owned by Sterlite Gold Ltd. As per the information
provided by Economic Times Vedanta is yet to decide on the move and
the rout to be followed, – ” A decision on whether to bring in funds
through Vedanta or through thee holding company is being debated.”

The company currently has a negligible presence in gold but is a
major player in copper, zinc and aluminium.

AGRC presently is doing mining at Sotk and Meghradzor gold deposits and
operates processing plant at Ararat. AGRC plans to expand capacities
in exploration, confirmatory drilling, mining and increasing gold
processing plant capacity to 1 mt per annum. The mine life, based upon
proven reserves and proposed capacity will be at least 10 years. AGRC
plans to upgrade some of the facilities of Ararat plant and to build
a brand new processing plant with POX technology. AGRC already has
invited expression of interest from companies, which can provide the
latest technologies, engineering, design, supply of equipment and
training of manpower for implementation of new project.

As per the available information, Vedanta is listed in London stock
exchange since December 2003 and is controlled by Agarwal family,
which also has full control over Sterlite Gold Ltd – the owner of
AGRC. Vedanta is the 3rd largest supplier of aluminium in India,
with a market share of 20%. In 2005 a new 300,000 tpa copper smelter
was commissioned. Another 250,000 tpa of copper is produced at their
property in Zambia. The company produces 210,000 tones of zinc planing
to increase production up to 400,000 tpa. Vedanta’s annual sales are
of $1.9 bln. Company properties are located in India, Australia and
Zambia. Vedanta is investing over $2 billion in growth projects over
the next three years.

The publication in Economic Times looks to contradict the information
circulated within trans -governmental circle in Armenia, which
particularly states that the Indian company has an intention to
terminate mining at Sotk.

We remember that AGRC’s suggestion to put up a new processing plant
at Sotk mine was rejected by Armenian Government because of certain
environmental concerns. The Government at that time did not display
any interest in that project and refused to further discuss this
matter. As per rumors, circulated at that time AGRC was to terminate
its activities in Armenia if approval for new plant in Sotk was not
granted. We have requested AGRC management to comment on this. As
we were tald by AGRC management – “AGRC does not have any intention
to terminate its activities irrespective of any circumstances. The
proposal for putting up a new processing plant at Sotk mine site was
just one of our several options, conditioned by certain technical
problems. We are ready to discuss and accept any other reasonable
suggestion by RA Government and immediately start investing of $70-80
mln. Unfortunately our numerous written requests to the Government
on this matter remain unanswered till now.”

In fact the publication in the Indian news paper gives a clear message
to Armenian government, that Indian company is ready to invest in
Armenian economy tens of millions of dollars, irrespective of where
the new processing plant will be located. Meanwhile the Investors are
still waiting for answers… If the matter is associated only with
environmental issues it is really difficult to apprehend why Armenian
Government does not make any suggestion to the company on location for
new processing plant, which is safe from environmental point of view,
thereby giving “green light” to inflow of millions of dollars.

EUROVISION 2006 SEMIFINAL DUE IN GREECE TODAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.05.2006 21:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The semifinal of Eurovision 2006 is due in Greece
today. Armenia will for the first time represented at the contest
by singer Andre with a song titled “Without your love”. As head of
the voting project of the Armenian Public Television Ruben Muradyan
told PanARMENIAN.Net, residents of Armenia will have the possibility
to vote for the singer they liked via SMS or a phone call. The phone
number will be announced just at the beginning of the contest.

Voting service will be available within ten minutes.

Several calls from the same number are allowed. As R. Muradyan remarked
that Armenia will benefit from the big number of votes since it will
prove the interest of the Armenian audience. Armenian Diaspora can
view the contest via local channels. For example, Armenians in France
will watch the French channel, since the information on the screen
and the phone numbers vary depending on the state. It should also
be noted that the contest rule prohibits residents of any state from
voting in favor of its representative.

GEGHARKUNIK AGRICULTURE TO BE REPLENISHED BY 5 NEW MODERN TRACTORS

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

GAVAR, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. This year the agriculture of Gegharkunik
marz will be replenished by 5 modern tractors. NT correspondent was
informed at the agriculture department of the regional government
staff that Sonilka-1 tractors to be sold by auction will be provided
within the framework of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental
cooperation. These tractors can perform 4 operations: ploughing,
cultivation, sowing and reaping. Although the real value of a tractor
makes 12 thousand USD, their reserve price at the auction will be 2
mln drams (about 4.5 thousand USD). The difference of this sum will
be compensated by the Indian government.

M.F.A.: WE EXPECT FRANCE NOT TO ALLOW ANY INITIATIVES THAT WILL HARM OUR HISTORICAL RELATIONS

Anatolian Times, Turkey
May 18 2006

ANKARA – “We expect the French parliament to reject the draft law
envisaging punishment of those who deny so-called Armenian genocide,”
said Namik Tan, spokesman for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
on Wednesday.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Tan said, “we expect France
not to allow any initiatives that will harm our historical relations.

We welcome that the French government and people share the same views
with us.”

The French parliament will debate the draft law tomorrow.

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-10) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Minister Oskanian Meets with Azerbaijani FM and OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs

On Thursday, May 18, in Strasbourg, France, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in the presence of
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, in the ongoing Nagorno Karabakh negotiation
process.

Following the bilateral meeting, the co-chairs met with each minister
separately. The purpose of this round of talks was to prepare for the visit
to the region later this month of a high-level delegation from the co-chair
countries.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Oskanian positively assessed the
talks, despite the outstanding issues that remain, he said.

On Friday, May 19, Minister Oskanian will take part in the 116th Session of
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: UNE PROPOSITION DE LOI PS QUI EMBARRASSE LES DEPUTES
Avant-Papier
Par Suzette BLOCH

Agence France Presse
16 mai 2006 mardi

Les deputes examineront jeudi matin une proposition de loi socialiste
rendant passible de prison la negation du genocide armenien de 1915,
un texte qui divise et embarrasse les elus tout en provoquant des
tensions entre Ankara et Paris.

Le texte vise a completer par un volet penal la loi du 29 janvier 2001
par laquelle la France reconnaît le genocide armenien. Elle fait de
la negation du genocide un delit punissable d’un an d’emprisonnement
et de 45.000 euros d’amende.

La proposition de loi ne devrait pas etre adoptee, une très large
majorite des deputes UMP y etant opposee.

Une incertitude demeure cependant et tout dependra du nombre de
deputes presents en seance. Des deputes UMP sont en effet favorables
a ce texte et le groupe leur a laisse la liberte de vote.

En outre, deux propositions de loi similaires d’elus UMP, ont ete
deposees juste après le texte du Parti socialiste, l’une d’Eric Raoult
(Seine-Saint-Denis) et l’autre de Richard Mallie (Bouches-du-Rhône)
et Roland Blum (Bouches-du-Rhône).

Très mobilisee, la communaute d’origine armenienne, estimee a 500.000
personnes (80.000 dans la region de Lyon et autant dans la region de
Marseille), represente un electorat non negligeable.

“Le negationnisme n’est sanctionne actuellement que s’il concerne
l’Holocauste. Cette specificite prive les victimes du genocide armenien
du respect de leur memoire et de leur identite que le negationnisme
remet en cause regulièrement”, argumente le rapporteur PS du texte,
Christophe Masse (Bouches-du-Rhône).

Il en veut pour preuve les evenements recents de Lyon où
l’inauguration, en avril, d’un memorial du genocide armenien a
entraîne des profanations et des manifestations pro-turques, avec
des slogans negationnistes.

L’UMP, echaudee par la recente polemique sur la colonisation, est
cependant opposee au texte.

Le rôle de la loi n’est “pas d’ecrire l’histoire”, a souligne le
president de l’Assemblee nationale, Jean-Louis Debre. “Nous avons tous
participe a un debat qui a conclu a la necessite de ne plus legiferer
sur les faits historiques, sur leur interpretation, sur la memoire”,
a rencheri Bernard Accoyer (UMP).

A la suite d’un tolle chez les historiens, les defenseurs des droits
de l’Homme et dans les rangs de l’opposition, le gouvernement avait
dû faire supprimer l’article 4 de la loi du 23 fevrier 2005 sur
“le rôle positif” de la colonisation en Afrique du Nord. A droite
comme a gauche, beaucoup avaient alors convenu qu’il ne fallait pas
legiferer sur l’histoire.

Plusieurs historiens de renom opposes au vote de “lois memorielles”
se sont declare “profondement choques” de l’initiative du PS.

Parmi les socialistes, elle ne fait pas non plus l’unanimite. Le chef
de file du groupe, Jean-Marc Ayrault, a fait part de ses “extremes
reserves”.

Du côte des centristes, la position est plus claire et selon Francois
Rochebloine, qui sera leur orateur, les deputes UDF devraient voter
le texte.

La proposition crispe a nouveau les relations avec Ankara deja furieuse
de la reconnaissance du genocide armenien. La Turquie a rappele son
ambassadeur a Paris pour consultation en avertissant la France que
les relations bilaterales pourraient etre gravement affectees par
cette loi.

Les Armeniens estiment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide organise par l’Empire ottoman entre 1915 et 1917,
tandis qu’Ankara evoque des massacres de part et d’autre mais recuse
les accusations de genocide.

–Boundary_(ID_fm1yzs9aigzj8d1J2yc8ig)- –

VAZGEN MANUKIAN: “THERE IS NO COALITION FROM FORMAL POINT OF VIEW”

Noyan Tapan
May 16 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. There is no coalition from the
formal viewpoint, as, according to one of the points of their
agreement, by one of member parties’ leaving, the coalition is
supposed to be liquidated. Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman of the
National Democratic Union expressed such an opinion at the May 16
press-conference. According to him, any separation (the “Orinats
Yerkir” (Country of Law) party’s leaving the coalition: “NT”)
brings some weakness into the rulling system. Manukian finds that
the Republic Party of Armenia makes use of the given situation, and
it is a “intimate situation” for the ARF Dashnaktsutiun. According
to Vazgen Manukian, it was decided for some reasons that National
Assembly Speaker, “Orinats Yerkir” party head Artur Baghdasarian
must be punished, and people engaged in business from the inside of
the party were easily obliged to leave the party. Thus, it shows that
“we live in a state the government system of which is the same Soviet
Union system, with a bit more “riff-raff” forms.” “And the country
may not develop with such a government, he emphasized.” According
to V.Manukian, the whole society must be anxious that this way of
government is destructive for the country. And it is necessary to
create a public movement to change this form, where not only parties
but the society, intellectuals, businessmen as well must unite. In
responce to the question if the “Orinats Yerkir” party may occupy
a place in the opposing field, the NDU Chairman said that places
of the authorities are limited, of the opposition are unlimited:
“So that, anybody may find his place in the opposition. The life
will show if Artur Baghdasarian will be able to find his place in
that field.” According to Manukian, it is sensible to cooperate in
the opposing field, if a public, political field is created as a
result of that cooperation. As for the NDU’s participation in the
coming elections, Manukian mentioned that if the electoral system of
Armenia continues to remain alike its present state, they will not
participate in any election.