Author: Hunanian Jack

BROTHER OF ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER AND “IRAVUNK” NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT SQUABBLE

Yerevan, May 23. ArmInfo. The brother of Armenian Defense Minister,
MP Alexander Sargsyan and “Iravunk” newspaper correspondent Taguhi
Tovmasyan squabbled at the Armenian National Assembly over the article
published in the newspaper. The publication says that A. Sargsyan
joined a quarrel with the drunk at a restaurant in Yerevan.

The parliamentarian attacked the journalist in the corridor of the
Armenian parliament demanding the source of her information otherwise
she would face problems. However, asked if he threatens her, A.
Sargsyan said that he just warns. The correspondent proposed the
parliamentarian to refute the information in the newspaper or to
apply to the Court against her, In response, A. Sargsyan called the
newspaper nothingness and its correspondents complete nonentities,
stating that he will not “stoop to” write a refutation. In response
to another journalist’s attempt to support T. Tovmasyan, A. Sargsyan
called him too young to speak.

ARMENIAN JUDO TEAM LEAVES FOR FINLAND

A1+
[05:29 pm] 23 May, 2006

Tomorrow Armenian judo delegation will leave for Finland at the
head of chairman of the federation Alexander Avetisyan. Europe-2006
championship will be held in the Finnish town of Tampere on May 26.

Armenia will be presented in the championship by Armen Nazaryan
(60kg, from Hrazdan), Hovhannes Davtyan (66kg, from Gyumri) and
Ghazaros Grigoryan (73kg, from Yerevan). We have great expectations
from Armen Nazaryan, the winner of the former championship who is a
popular sportsman and has great achievements on international level.

Chief coach of the Armenian judo team, Gagik Aghamalyan informed “A1+”
that our sportsmen leave for Finland in good shape and are properly
trained. “We go to win a medal,” claims the coach of the team. His
assistant in the European championship will be Arthur Gevorgyan.

ARMINEH CHELEBIAN ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS FOR 40TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT RACE

California Chronicle, CA
May 22 2006

WINNETKA, CA – The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Los Angeles
County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, and Los Angeles City Councilman
Greig Smith have endorsed the candidacy of Republican Armineh Chelebian
for the State Assembly in the western San Fernando Valley’s 40th
assembly district, the Chelebian campaign announced today.

Chelebian, an accountant and business woman with deep roots in the
Valley’s cultural and business communities has also won endorsements
from:

Former Gov. George Deukmejian, State Sen. Chuck Poochigian & Mrs.
Debbie Poochigian, State Sen. George C. Runner, Assemblywoman Sharon
Runner, Assemblyman Keith S. Richman, Former Assemblyman-Caucus Chair
Tony Strickland, Former Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland, Glendale City
Councilman Bob Yousefian, California Republican Assembly, and Armenian
American Republican Association.

Her supporters also include party and community leaders, among
them Mary Hawkins, Doug Boyd, Walter Allen III, Al Han, Sylvia
Granados-Southerland, Cesar Castellanos, Gary Aminoff, James Pavik,
Albert Abkarian, Paul H. Weisman, Heather Peters, Sean McCarthy,
Gretchen Martin, Juan Hovey, Eric Wickland, Richard Hunter, Terry L.
Higham, Esq., Jeffers MacArthur Dodge, Boghos (Paul) Boghossian, Gene
Giegoldt, Duke Ritter, Hrand Safarian, P.E. and Zabelle Safarian,
Hovannes and Kohar Chelebian, Nora Basmadjian Linda Safarian, Anahid
Grigorian, Adrineh Safarian, Porter Arthur Sims, Jozef T. Essavi,
Nina F. Essavi, Anthony Sims, Delores Sims, Isabel M. Oelgardt,
Kenneth Baldwin, Alex Dadourian, Pat & Russ Milham, Duane C Buckley,
Rose Injejikian, Dianne Ohanesian, Vatche Terzian, Andria Page, Erma
Smith, Zaven Atashian, Andria Page, Erma Smith, Dave and Lora Thomas.

A graduate of California State University, Northridge, Chelebian
is founder of A.S.C. Accounting and Financial Consulting Services,
Winnetka, CA., a member of the executive board of the Los Angeles
County Republican Party, for which she serves as Assistant Treasurer;
Chair of the 40th Assembly District Republican Central Committee;
and an elected board member of the Winnetka Neighborhood Council
also serving as the Chair of Public Works Transportation Committee
and Vice Chair of Planning and Land Use Committee.

Garnik Isagulyan: No political crisis expected in the country

ArmRadio.am
20.05.2006 15:00

`There is no crisis in the domestic life of Armenia, and it is not
expected in the future,’ said today Garnik Isagulyan, Adviser to RA
President on National Security, thus disappointing all those who
expect sensational events. The reason is very simple: we enter a
vacation period. And in September-October the political forces will
calmly and peacefully prepare for 2007 parliamentary elections. Garnik
Isagulyan assures that these elections will be held normally, he does
not see grounds for the opposite. So far the Adviser to the President
does not see the groups and political forces that will make an
alliance.

According to Garnik Isaghulyan, what happened to `Orinats Yerkir’
Party was simply the result of disagreements within the coalition, and
should not be presented as an internal crisis. He rejected the talks
that the party was punished for not obeying the President’s Office.

AMERICAN SCHOOLCHILDREN PREFER KARABAKH, KARABAKHIS PREFER CYPRUS

Lragir.am
20 May 06

The graduating class of Ferrahian High School is in Karabakh. For
seven years now several Armenian schools of the United States travel
to Karabakh in May. Presently there are 40 children in Karabakh. In
three days another group will arrive in Karabakh, reported the Artsakh
Agency for Development of Tourism.

40 children from Karabakh left for Cyprus to spend their summer
vacations there. This is another tradition: for the third year now the
children of soldiers killed in the Karabakh war travel to Cyprus. On
May 27 another group will arrive in Cyprus. In September children from
Karabakh will spend a holiday in Greece.

OF `ROUTINE’ OF ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

Lragir.am
20 May 06

`It should be noted that businessmen normally stand beside the
government and the state. Take any historical period, any
country. This is a regular thing, and maybe they had an inner feeling
how things would develop, and made a decision relying on talks between
them,’ stated Garnik Isagulyan, adviser to president, May 20,
commenting on the step of the businessmen who quit the Orinats Yerkir
Party. He says there was no pressure on these businessmen, and there
is no evidence to it either. `If there were pressure, there would be a
leak to the press. There is no such thing,’ says Garnik Isagulyan,
adding that he meets with everyone, and would know if there was
pressure. Garnik Isagulyan says if someone who remain in Orinats
Yerkir asserts the opposite, he is ready to apologize in the presence
of reporters. This is to confer.

WITNESSES OF THE QUEST

Garnik Isagulyan, adviser to president, said he can see no danger of
having a parliament of oligarchs. The parliamentary election in 2007
is concerned, and the entire company of oligarchs is preparing for it
at full, at full and with all its political parties. Garnik Isagulyan
considers the establishment of political parties by oligarchs because
we do not have an established sphere of political parties. `A quest is
underway in Armenia, and I thinkthis phenomenon is normal in the
context of this quest,’ says the adviser to the president. He says
Armenia is a small country, and even a man with a small property is
referred to as an oligarch. Garnik Isagulyan says oligarchs enter
parliaments in different countries, and this should be accepted
normally.

IMF APPROVES 3RD TRANCHE OF PRGF LOAN FOR ARMENIA

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
May 19, 2006 Friday

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund approved the
third tranche this week of a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
(PRGF) for Armenia worth 3.28 million SDR ($4.9 million), the IMF
representation in Yerevan said in a press release.

The IMF will have provided Armenia with 9.84 million SDR (about $14.7
million) under the PRGF program once it provides the second and third
tranches, the release says.

The IMF implements the PRGF program in low-income countries to
stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty. The loans are provided
for 10 years at an annual 0.5% with a grace period of five and a
half years.

KOSOVO IS REMARKABLE WITH THAT IT WAS THE FIRST AUTONOMY TO BE SEPARATED FROM A REPUBLIC

Yerevan, ArmInfo. Former Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir
Kazimirov called groundless statements by Western diplomats that the
issue of Kosovo is unique and cannot be taken for example in settling
conflicts on the post-Soviet area.

Kazimirov said that in order to prevent escalation of conflicts
it is necessary to take into account the unique circumstances of
each conflict, formed through long years. He admitted that people’s
right for self- determination should be preferred to the principle of
territorial integrity in case the will of the people is obvious and
especially in case blood is spilt to prove that will. In this sense
Kosovo is remarkable only with that it was the first autonomy to be
separated from a republic (unlike numerous republics that separated
from federations).

Natural demographical shifts cannot be avoided but they are
unacceptable if caused by administrative persuasion or military force,
said the former Co-Chair of the Minsk Group. ‘One cannot neglect
that Kosovars became majority in Kosovo, and it is obvious that they
cannot be deported so that the Serbs become majority again, as it
was centuries ago. The same situation is in Nakhijevan and Karabakh
in case of Armenians and Azeris,’ noted Kazimirov.

THE ROADS WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED

A1+
[07:49 pm] 18 May, 2006

IN THE GOVERNMENT SESSION

About 598 million AMD will be allocated to the RA Ministry of
Transportation and Communication to implement construction works of
Voskepar-Baghanis road section of Voskepar-Noyemberyan highway which
is of intergovernmental importance. The Ministry of Transportation
and Communication is allowed to select contractor-organization
through contest.

MINISTRY OF DEFENSE WILL GIVE ITS TERRITORY

While discussing the procedure of implementation of investment contract
N1 signed between the RA Ministry of Defense and “Ingeokom-Yerevan”
LTD on March 19, 2005, the two sides decided to annul the agreement
in order to cease the commitments of the “Ingeokom-Yerevan” LTD as
the main contractor of the MD building complex through compensating
the expenditure.

The bill foresees compensation of 3 milliard 825 million AMD equal
to 8.5 million USD to the company for the planning and constructive
assembling works of the MD building complex. Besides, a territory of
4844 square meters on Admiral Isakov Avenue belonging to RA Ministry
of Defense will be given to the Ingeokom-Yerevan”LTD.

AYVAZYAN IS NO LONGER AN INSPECTOR

According to the decision of the Government, the provision of the
legislation of the RA Ministry of Environment according to which the
minister is at the same time the chief inspector of the RA Environment,
is out of force as according to the law on “RA Environment Control”
the chief state inspector of the RA Environment is the RA Environment
state board chief.

JUNE 14 IS THE DAY OF PRISONERS

The Government approved of the amendments of the bill on the “dates of
RA holidays and memories” introduced by the initiative law enforcing
group. The bill foresees to celebrate June 14 as the day of prisoners
and people subjected to torture in the years of Soviet period.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGITION ISSUE TO BE REFERRED TO INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL

Yerkir
18.05.2006 17:16

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – A commission of experts held a meeting in Yerevan
and discussed the possibility of referring the Armenian Genocide issue
to the International Tribunal to reach recognition of the Genocide
by Turkey and Turkey’s effective responsibility.

“For the first time, a group of experts is discussing the possibility
of implementing responsibility through court procedures or arbitrage,”
a press release acquired by PanArmenian.net said. “The members of
the commission are to discuss and clearly state their position on
the issue.”

The commission comprises scholars from Armenia, Russia, United States,
Germany, Israel and Austria.