Author: Nalbandian Eduard

PACE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES STABILITY PACT IN SOUTHERN CAUCASUS

Today, Azerbaijan
June 29 2006

Rumanian parliamentarian Adrian Severn’s memorandum was heard at
the meeting.

He thinks that parallel treat with Southern Caucasus countries and
Balkan countries is impossible, APA reports.

He thinks it is impossible to admit Balkan and southern Caucasus
countries to the EU.

Stability Pact was put forward for the first time by Bulgarian MP
Vlachezar in 2004.

Head of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Samad Seidov stated that he
was satisfied with the document.

Armenian parliament speaker and head of Armenian delegation Tigran
Torosyan told that both sides’ positions on Garabagh were heard at
the meeting. He said that it was not a report but a memorandum.

"It is so far difficult to say anything about the memorandum. Some
items in the document is in contradiction with PACE conceptions. It
is necessary to harmonize these documents. I talked with Severn about
the issue. He promised to work on the document once more. The topic
was indirectly linked to Garabagh issue, but was not discussed widely.

Severn said that because some other reporters work on Garabagh issue,
it is unnecessary to discuss it here."

URL:

KNIGHT FELLOW ORGANIZES WORKSHOPS IN ARMENIA

International Journalist’s Network
June 29 2006

Young people in Armenia are getting some new journalism skills,
as they start up newspapers and Web sites in their communities with
help from local trainers.

Three Armenian journalists are instructing youth clubs and students
in various cities, as part of their own training in educating fellow
journalists. The training is part of an effort – led by the Knight
International Press Fellowships at the International Center for
Journalists (ICFJ) – to develop more qualified journalism trainers
in Armenia.

Suren Deheryan, a reporter for the ArmeniaNow online newspaper,
talked to students in the village of Lchashen about the "5-Ws."

Yerevan State University journalism student Siranouish Gevorgyan
discussed reporting techniques with youth leaders in the village of
Vahagni. Finally, fellow YSU student Sara Khojoyan led a discussion
with the youth club in Dilijan, which publishes its own newspaper
and plans to start a community radio station.

Timothy Spence, a Knight fellow working with journalists and trainers
in Armenia, organized the sessions with help from the Academy for
Educational Development (AED). The academy sponsors youth clubs
throughout the country.

For more information on the training, contact Spence at
[email protected].

ICFJ organizes the Knight Fellowships with support from the John S.
and James L. Knight Foundation. The program sends veteran journalists
abroad to train their colleagues around the world. For more
information:

ROBERT KOCHARIAN CONDOLED ON KILLING OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS IN IRAQ

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.06.2006 17:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian conveyed
condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the killing of
Russian diplomats in Iraq.

The condolence message says in part, "With pain and indignation
the Armenian people learned of the barbarian murder of the Russian
diplomats. This tragedy once again proved that we must struggle against
the inhuman essence of terrorism." The Armenian leader also expressed
condolences to the relatives of the killed diplomats and the Russian
people, reported the RA President’s press office.

MATTHEW BRYZA TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS IN ISTANBUL

ArmRadio.am
29.06.2006 10:33

"Democratization and security in the Black Sea region" international
congress will be held in Istanbul. The event will be attended by US
Assistant Secretary of State, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Matthew Bryza
and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby.

WHY DO YOU RECALL EVANS?

Lragir.am
26 June 06

The Armenian National Committee of America told the news agency ARKA
that four U.S. House representatives sent a letter to Condoleezza Rice,
calling for reconsidering the decision to recall U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans. The letter was signed by George Radanovich, Adam
Schiff, Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg. John Evans is said to have
been recalled for directly using the word "genocide" in a meeting
with the Armenian community in the United States. The letter says
that the reason for the recall is unclear, and if John Evans remained
ambassador to Armenia, it would be a powerful signal to Turkey to
recognize the genocide, and would reinforce the stance of the United
States on this issue, think the representatives of the U.S. House.

INTERVIEW WITH KARO TOROSYAN FROM ORCUS

Cellular-News, UK
June 25 2006

Glendale, California’s progressive black metal band, Orcus has been
making its mark on the local Los Angeles music scene with their dark
and mysterious brand of heavy music. They are getting ready to release
their debut album ‘Birth’ on June 26th and have recently opened for
the likes of Obituary and My Ruin. I took some time recently to get
some questions answered by their bassist, Karo Torosyan.

Rocket: So are you originally fom Glendale?

Karo: No, I was actually born in Armenia. I was about four years old
when my family decided to move to California and I’ve been roaming
around Glendale and Los Angeles ever since.

Rocket: When did you start playing the bass guitar?

Karo: Well, it’s actually kind of funny because I started out with
playing Classical guitar at the age of 12, and that didnt go too
far and I started playing classic rock and then metal. When I played
metal it just seemed natural for me to switch to bass, and I think
it worked out pretty well. I definitely have a lot more fun playing
bass than any other instrument.

Rocket: What kind of basses are you playing? Give us the model
and specs.

Karo: Currently my most prized possession is my Fender Jazz bass. Its a
remake of the 60s model. I did most of the recording on our new record
Birth with a pretty decent Ibanez Soundgear bass, but I definitely
prefer the Fender Jazz over anything else Ive played.

Rocket: Nothing beats the Fender tone. Never will. What kind of
amp rig?

Karo: What I really want is a good Ampeg rig, but I’ve been using a
pretty decent Fender combo amp that pumps out 300Watts and is very
easy to get a few really good tones out so it’s working fine so far.

Rocket: What kind of strings do you use currently? Give us the Brand
name and is it light or heavy gauge?

Karo: I’m really infatuated with flatwounds lately. DAddario makes
a good set of flatwounds, and anything with regular tension is perfect.

They’re a lot smoother to play on and you get a deeper and more hollow
tone out of the bass that way. If you’re downtuning flatwounds will
typically just sound like shit, so you just stick to higher tensions
and you’re good.

Rocket: Right on. I can hear all the notes being taken by the students
of metal out there right now. Ha! Do you play with your fingers or
a pick?

Karo: Fingers! It just seems much more natural to me and I prefer the
sound you get from fingerpicking, plus it gives you room to slap the
strings when you need to.

Rocket: My sentiments exactly. To me, playing with a pick is really
like masturbating with gloves on. So who are a few bass players past
or present that have had the biggest influence on your playing?

Karo: Martin Mendez from Opeth, Cliff Burton of Metallica, and of
course Geezer Butler.

Rocket: That ole Geezer! Haha! Wicked bassist… just listen to early
Sabbath… I mean, really listen… and he’ll simply blow you away.

How does the songwriting process work with Orcus, where you are
involved? Do you have something to do with the song being created at
inception or are you the last guy in line to add yer two cents?

Karo: With Orcus, everyone pretty much gets to take part in the
songwriting. We’ll all come up with little things here and there and
put them together. Every now and then I’ll come up with a guitar riff
or two and I’ll put together all my basslines. I’m also involved in
writing some of the lyrics.

Rocket: What’s been your favorite metal album for 2006 so far?

Karo: That would have to be Stormblast by Dimmu Borgir. I dont know
if that would be considered cheating since its a re-issue with better
recordings and production, but that’ll have to be it. Dimmu Borgir
has been nothing short of pure genius ever since Spiritual Black
Dimensions, so its by far the best album this year as far as my
opinion is concerned.

Rocket: So do you ever take time to answer fan mail on the Orcus
Myspace profile?

Karo: All the time, pretty much every day. If you send us something
on myspace, well definitely read it and reply.

Rocket: What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you on stage?

Karo: That would have to be when my A string randomly popped in
the middle of a set. Thankfully, I had a second bass that I was
originally just going to use for the songs where we downtune, so I
had to use that bass for all the songs and try to tune as quickly
with the keyboards as possible in between songs.

Rocket: What’s the next Orcus show we need to keep our eyes open for?

Karo: We’ll be playing on July 7th at the Key Club in Los Angeles.

Well be playing with our good friends, Neurobox.

Rocket: Give a shout out to your biggest supporters.

Karo: Of course my family, and the long list of amazing friends: Meher,
Arman, Vartan, Monica, Nayrie, Gev, Tuft, JB and her friends, Tak,
James, Jess, Anna, Marine, etc. Most importantly, I’d like to thank
everyone that takes the time to listen to our music and appreciated
as we intend it.

tails.cfm?newsid=19882

TURK PARLIAMENTARIAN VISITED ARMENIA ADDRESSES TWO DOZENS OF LETTERS OF
COMPLAINT AGAINST RA AUTHORITIES

ISTANBUL, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vahid Erdem, a
representative of Turkey arrived in Yerevan in the staff of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly’s delegation the last week addressed letters
of complaint against the authorities of Armenia to representatives
of the European Union and other two dozens of ones. The Istanbul
"Marmara" daily informs about it. Erdem stated after returning from
Armenia that RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian "seriously
interfered in the Armenian Genocide issue," and then favoured him
with a tactless attitude, particularly, did not accept him to the
VIP hall of the airport, he had to take a taxi, etc. To recap, the
Parliament Speaker of Armenia disproved Vahid Erdem’s accusations and
assured that no tactless step was taken against the latter, and he was
accompanied to the VIP hall with other NATO parliamentarians. To recap,
at the June 13 meeting with the NATO PA delegation, Tigran Torosian,
speaking about the regional report being prepared by the delegation,
mentioned a number of principles which needs improvement: it was
particularly mentioned in the report that "international co-thinkers"
of Armenia consider that a genocide took place, when it is proper to
mention EU member countries and the European Parliament which have
recognized the Genocide. In response, representative of Turkey Vahid
Erdem attempted to disprove the fact of genocide: according to his
insistence, neither an Armenian Genocide took place in 1915 nor there
was a state command to kill Armenians, and one may speak only about
400-500 thousand people who themselves attacked Turks by the Russians’
excitation. Tigran Torosian interrupted the Turk Deputy’s "lecture
on history" and calling him to properness, considered incompatible
such a behaviour with the post occupied within the framework of the
international organization. Tirgran Torosian reminded Vahid Erdem
that he had no right to give estimations either to Genocide or to
European Parliament or to countries recognized the Genocide.

AKHUNDOV: HITLER OCCUPIED 9% OF THE USSR WHILE ARMENIA HAS OCCUPIED 20% OF AZERBAIJAN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 22 2006

The presentation ceremony of the book titled "Karabakskiy konflikt:
azerbaijanskiy vzglyad" published in Moscow by the Russian "Regnum"
New Agency was held today (APA).

Azerbaijani President’s Office sector director Fuad Akhundov addressing
the presentation, criticized the "Regnum" agency’s pan-Armenian
activity reminding that this event takes place on the same date when
the fascist Germany attacked the USSR 65 years ago.

"Hitler occupied 9 percent of the USSR while Armenia has occupied 20
percent of Azerbaijan. As the 1941-1945 war was Great Patriotic War
for the USSR peoples the Garabagh war means the same for Azerbaijanis,"
Mr.Akhundov underlined.

Commenting on the "Regnum" chief editor Konstantin Kazenin’s statement
that the aim of publishing this book is to familiarize Russian audience
with Azerbaijan’s position regarding the Nagorno Garabagh conflict,
Akhundov said, "If you want to contribute to the resolution of the
conflict, take a neutral stance."

"According to my three-month-analyze, "Regnum" has publicized 8,000
stories on Armenia and 2,000 on Azerbaijan. Most of the stories on
Azerbaijan were about the Nagorno Garabagh. This is enough to consider
the "Regnum" as pan-Armenian," the sector director said.

Criticizing the title of the book, Akhundov underlined Azerbaijan’s
position regarding the Garabagh issue bases on the international law.

He reminded that Azerbaijan supports peaceful solution of the conflict
on the basis of territorial integrity.

Akhundov also said it is not clear to him what principle was based on
while collecting the stories in the book and considered it as gross
mistake to compare the Khojali and Sumgayit events which happened in
the end of the same month.

"Armenia is a mono-national state and this is the result of Armenia’s
ethnic cleansing policy not just a natural process. The number of
people massacred by Armenians in the Azerbaijani town of Khojali is
twice more than that of the people massacred in Songmu village of
Vietnam. Armenians are living in Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia
which border on Armenia but there is not any Turk or Azerbaijani in
Armenia," Akhundov underlined.

Reminding that Armenian Grigoryan stood behind the Sumgayit events,
Akhundov said during the investigation in Moscow, witnesses answering
the question "Who inflicted torture on you?" said "Grigoryan". The
President’s Office sector director also said he hided his Armenian
friend’s family in his home, "You cannot come across a person in
Armenia, who saved an Azerbaijani family. The former USSR authorities
used to say Azerbaijanis were deported from Armenia within two weeks
and a half."

Akhundov concluded that if it is impossible to liberate Garabagh by
peaceful way, other ways will be considered.

PROVIDING ANY STATUS TO KARABAKH OUT OF BAKU COMPETENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 18:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement on readiness to provide
Nagorno Karabakh highest autonomy in the world, including that equal to
Tatarstan status in Russia, if it is not a regular propagandistic step,
by the essence means the readiness of the leadership of Azerbaijan to
federalize the country, stated NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan. In his words,
from that point of view it is possible to express hope, that the status
in question will be given to Lezghins, Talishs and other people, living
in Azerbaijan. "As of the NKR, with whom the Azerbaijani leadership
continues to avoid any contacts, it is necessary to emphasize, that
official Baku cannot give any status to Nagorno Karabakh, as the given
issue does not enter into the competence of Azerbaijan. The status of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is determined within the legal framework of
the people living here. The essence of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
is concluded in the fact, that Azerbaijani side turned out to be
non-capable to solve similar issues in a civilized way and resorted
to armed aggression.

Official Baku continues to ignore the existing reality, concluded in
the fact, that the NKR independence is the most superior value of the
Republic’s people, which is being supported at national referendum
on state independence on December 10, 1991. The NKR people not only
protected their right to deal with their own fortune in the course of
the war, imposed on them, but for the last 15 years as minimum 7 times
confirmed their will by the means of democratic national presidential
and parliamentary elections, conducted in the NKR, when the electorate
voted for the programs of separate candidates and political parties,
appealing for the Republic’s state independence". The status of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is determined within the legal framework of
the people living here. The essence of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
lies in the fact, that Azerbaijani side turned out to be non-capable
to solve similar issues in a civilized way and resorted to armed
aggression," Georgy Petrosyan said.

He underscored that official Baku continues to ignore the existing
reality, i.e. the fact that the NKR independence is the most superior
value of the Republic’s people, which is being supported at national
referendum on state independence on December 10, 1991. "The NKR
people not only protected their right to deal with their own fortune
in the course of the war, imposed on them, but for the last 15 years
as minimum 7 times confirmed their will by the means of democratic
national presidential and parliamentary elections, conducted in
the NKR, when the electorate voted for the programs of separate
candidates and political parties, appealing for the Republic’s state
independence," the Karabakh FM said, reports the NKR MFA Press Service.

ROAD BYPASSING BAGRATASHEN CUSTOMS-HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Noyan Tapan
Jun 21 2006

IJEVAN, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The construction of a road, which
links the village of Bagratashen with the motorway by bypassing the
Bagratashen crossing point, started in May. Levon II LLC (Noyemberian)
is carying out the construction work. Ladik Mamyan, chief engineer of
the company, told NT correspondent that it is envisaged to complete
the construction of this 1,310-meter road by mid July.

The company is repairing the road from the interstate motorway to
Deghzavan with state funds. A 1,620-meter section of this 4,960-meter
road was repaired last year, while the repairs of the remaining
part will be completed this year. The company is also repairing a
800-meter section of the road connecting the city of Noyemberian to
the border settlement Dovegh (the work is also being done with the
RA state budget resources).