Author: Nalbandian Eduard

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

28-03-2006

Minister Vartan Oskanian concluded two-day working visit to
Washington DC

Minister Vartan Oskanian concluded meetings with officials at the
US State Department, on the second day of a two-day working visit to
Washington DC.

In addition to delivering a statement at the signing of the
Millennium Challenge Compact on Monday, March 27, Minister Oskanian
held meetings with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Daniel Fried,
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,
and Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs.

In each meeting, the Minister and US officials discussed bilateral
issues including economic and democratic assistance programs. They
also discussed regional matters, including energy security and
diversification.

Prospects for the negotiation process and the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict was also on the agenda. In addition, that was the
focus of a meeting between the Minister and Ambassador Steven Mann,
Minsk Group US co-chair. Minister Oskanian reiterated Armenia’s
readiness to pursue a negotiated resolution.

THE AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ACCEPTS CREDENTIALS FROM THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR
Author: R. Abdullayev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006

The Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev has accepted credentials from
the French ambassador Bernard Amodrique du Shafo, Trend reports.

In the course of the ensuing conversation the Azerbaijani leader
confidently emphasized that the relations between Azerbaijan and France
will continue to strengthen. “Cooperation is very successful in all
areas. Several visits that I have made to France confirmed that our
cooperation in political, economic and cultural areas continues to
grow,” the President said, adding that growth of relations between
Azerbaijan and EU also positively influences relations between the
two countries.

France as an OSCE Minsk group co-chairman has also made a huge
contribution to the cause of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution,
Aliyev said. “I hope that the co-chairmen ` s efforts will yield the
results,” he added.

Amodrique du Shafo in his turn reminded about the friendly relations
between the presidents of the two countries, emphasizing that “that
these truly friendly relations give an impetus for the bilateral
relations development.”

The French diplomat has mentioned in the conclusion, that the President
Jacque Chirac treats Armenian- Azerbaijani conflict very sensitively
and fully “realizes his political duties.”

RALLY TO BE HELD IN CANADA ON 31 MARCH – DAY OF AZERI GENOCIDE
Author: S.Ilhamgizi

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 27 2006

A rally will be held in Ottawa on 31 March, the day of Azerbaijani
genocide, Trend reports quoting Saleh Ildirim, one of the organizers
of the action.

The rally will be staged at front of the Armenian embassy, UNESCO and
Canadian Parliament on 31 March from 12.00pm to 14.00pm. Attending the
event will be Azerbaijanis, living in Montreal and Toronto, as well as
representatives of the Azerbaijani-Turkish Diaspora Organizations in
Canada. The participants of the rally will first gather at front of the
Armenian embassy to protest against the Armenian aggression in regard
to Azerbaijan, genocide and terror committed by Armenians. They will
condemn merciless murder of 40,000 Azerbaijanis by Armenian dashnaks
and armed bandits in 1918, as well as require recognition of the bloody
genocide from the Canadian Parliament and international organizations.

REPRESENTATIVES OF RA ARMED FORCES TO TAKE PART IN “JOINT ARCH” AND “JOINT STRIVING” EXERCISES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 27 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Best Joint Effort” and “Joint
Partner” exercises held within the framework of the Partnership for
Peace NATO Program were unified in 2006 being named “Joint Arch”. The
preliminary (was held on January 16-20, 2006) and main (was held on
February 6-11, 2006) planning conferences of these exercises were held
in Moldova with participation of two headquarters officers of RA Armed
Forces. Representatives of RA Armed Forces will also take part in the
final planning conference to be held in May and the exercises’ working
meeting to be held in September. The place of their holding is not
clear yet. The exercises will be held on September 11-29 in Moldova.

According to Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, Spokesperson for RA Defence
Minister, 2 headquarters officers, 1 doctor, 1 signaller and a large
detachment consisting of 8 persons from the peace-keeping battalion
of RA Defence Ministry will take part in the exercises. As for the
“Joint Striving-06” interco mmunication exercises, they are organized
by the U.S. European Command. Their two conferences were held in 2005
in Albania and Macedonia and the main planning conference on January
22-28 this year, in Croatia. The intercommunication specialists of RA
Armed Forces took part in all of these conferences. The final planning
conference of the exercises was held on March 21-24 in Georgia.

Representatives of RA Armed Forces took part in it, too. The exercises
will be coordinated by means of an intercommunication hub located in
Germany, with which the participants should get in touch from their
countries. Representatives of RA Armed Forces will take part in the
above-mentioned exercises from the territory of Armenia, through
a satellite communication. The preliminary planning conference of
the “Joint Striving-07” exercises will be held on September 11-15
in Yerevan.

Panorama.am

14:38 25/03/06

ARMENIA TO TAKE PART IN NATO EXERCISES `JOINT BOW – 06′ AND `JOINT
ASPIRATION”

NATO exercises `Best joint aspiration’ and `Joint companion’ were
united in `Joint bow’ in 2006. The preliminary (16-20.01.2001) and
main (6-13.03.2006) planning conference of the exercise were carried
out in Moldova with the participation of 2 staff officers from RA
Armed Forces.

As it has been informed in Defence Ministry Press Department the RA AF
representatives are going to take part in the final planning
conference (May, 2006) and the exercise congress (September,
2006). Yet, the places of the conferences to take place are not
determined yet. The main exercise will be held from September 11-29 in
Moldova. Two staff officers, a doctor, a signalman, a detachment of 8
from RA DM peacekeeping battalion will take part in the exercise.

The main exercise will be systemized by the signal office centre
located in Germany the participants must establish connection with
from their countries. The representatives of TA AF are going to take
part in the above mentioned exercise from Armenia by means of
satellite connection. The preliminary planning conference of `Joint
Aspiration – 07′ will be held in Yerevan from September 11-15.
/Panorama.am/

Congressional Quarterly
March 24 2006

J. ADAM ERELI HOLDS STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING

SPEAKER:
J. ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESMAN

WASHINGTON, D.C.

[parts omitted]

QUESTION: One question on Armenia: The Los Angeles Times, in an
editorial from your ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, under the
title, in quotation, “It Was A Genocide,” wrote, inter alia, quote,
“Punishing an ambassador for speaking honestly about a 90-year-old
crime befits a cynical double-dealing monarchy, not the leader of the
free world,” unquote.

How do you respond to that?

ERELI: I haven’t seen the article. Let me look at it.

Thanks.

END

RA AMBASSADOR TO ITALY TAKES PART IN ROUND TABLE ON SUBJECT “SOUTH
CAUCASIAN COUNTRIES IN PROCESS OF RAPPROCHEMENT WITH WEST”

ROME, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On March 22, Armenian
Ambassador to Italy Ruben Shugarian took part in the round table on
the subject “South Caucasian Countries in the Process of Rapprochement
with the West” within the framework of the seminar “European Strategic
Arena” organized by Ambassador Pietro Ago. The seminar was held within
the framework of the 57th session of the Higher Defensive Educational
Institution under the patronage of the Italian Defence Ministry.

Georgian Ambassador Zaal Gogsadze and Adviser of Azerbaijani Embassy
G.Bayram, as well as more than 50 experts and political scientists
were among numerous participants. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA
Foreign Ministry Press Service, Ruben Shugarian in his speech
presented the priorities of Armenian foreign policy, paying a special
attention to the communities and differences of the process of
Europeanization of Armenia and other South Caucasian countries. During
the discussion they also spoke about the course of development of
South-Caucasus-NATO relations, about frozen conflicts and ways of
their settlement. R.Shugarian presented Armenia’s position regarding
the above-mentioned issues. Concluding his speech, Ambassador
Shugarian emphasized that even under conditions of non-settled
conflicts of the South Caucasus common verges in different issues can
be found for carrying out cooperation among the three countries of the
region.

REASON OF TRANSFERRING COMPANIES TO RUSSIA WERE SECRET FILES

Lragir.am
24 March 06

The leader of the National Self-Determination Union addressed a letter
to the government calling to celebrate the 40th anniversary of
establishment of the United National Party along with the independence
of Armenia. On March 24 Paruir Hairikyan, the leader of the National
Self-Determination Union, gave a news conference at the Pakagits
Club. He is convinced that the 40th anniversary of the UNP in 1966,
which was reshaped into the NSDU in 1987, should be celebrated
nationally for this political party was alone to raise national
strategic problems in the Soviet Union.

`The UNP-NSDU generated the Christian Democratic, the Republican and
several other political parties. If not for all the parties, but for
some of them the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the UNP-NSDU
should be like the duty of the son before his father,’ says Paruir
Hairikyan.

The National Self-Determination Union is negotiating with the
government for the national celebration of the 40th anniversary of the
United National Party. To organize the celebration Paruir Hairikyan
has even put aside his contradiction with regard to the national
liberation past of the prime minister.

Hairikyan does not even deny that Andranik Margaryan had been involved
in the activity of the United National Party but later voluntarily
wrote a letter of repentance to the Soviet government. `I do not
accuse people who wrote a letter of repentance because the pressure
was tremendous. I simply told them that such people have no right to
speak in the name of the United National Party,’ says Paruyr
Hairikyan. According to him, the government worries that the
celebration of the anniversary of a party is celebrated nationally,
others not.

`But is there any other party that has set and reached strategic aims
for the nation. If we assume that the Communist Party, for instance,
is an Armenian party; its aim was to build socialism. Where is it now?
Dashnaktsutiun pursued the sovereignty of West Armenia. What is the
outcome? Similarly, the Hnchaks, Democrats, and others,’ says Paruir
Hairikyan, emphasizing that the aim of the United National Party to
reach the independence of Armenia is the reality. Paruir Hairikyan
believes that the UNP-NSDU was the center of the Soviet dissent and
the force that directed the liberation movements that followed.
Hence, the movement for independence of the United National Party
deeply undermined the Soviet Union, which facilitated independence.

`The 15th anniversary of independence will be celebrated. If we fail
to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the UNP-NSDU, it will be similar
to admiring one of the ballets by Aram Khachatryan without mentioning
the author’s name,’ says the leader of the National Self-Determination
Union. He announces that the struggle for independence is still going
on, this time against Russian chauvinism. Hairikyan says there are no
problems with Russia, the problem is the chauvinism and KGB agents
swarming all over Armenia. `If Russia were a genuine democratic
country, its special services would not keep secret files on dozens of
thousands of Armenians,’ says Paruir Hairikyan. He believes that these
files are the reason why the Armenian factories are transferred to
Russia in return for the debt.

A1+

SPEAKING SCULPTURES

05:02 pm 23 March, 2006

more images In the works of the young sculptor Margarita Matulyan one
can feel the touch of humour, love and inexhaustible imagination. The
sculptor’s first private exhibition opened today in the exhibition
hall `Albert and Tov Bojadjan’ of the Yerevan Fine Arts Academy. The
student of the Fine Arts Academy exhibited the sculptures of 15 metal
statuettes the creation process of which, in the author’s words, is
connected with the everyday problems, joy and sorrow and
disappointments. Her father, Tigran Matulyan says that his daughter
has a gift and a wish to compose and create, `The most difficult is
not my task while presenting her works but hers while creating her
sculptures.’

‘Art has always been the cradle of the education and its development,’
says the painter Mushegh Mkhitaryan emphasizing the love of the young
generation towards Art. He thinks it important that the hearths of art
exist regardless of the political and social situation in the country
as they are the basis of the nation and the number one condition for
mingling the outer world. Mr. Mkhitaryan expressed his opinion on
Margarita’s exhibition, `I have known Margarita since her
childhood. She is a little crazy, has an observant, sound mind and
will go ahead.’

Cape Times , South Africa
March 23 2006

Telling it like it is
March 23, 2006

By the Editor

Johan Evans is the US ambassador to Armenia, as of this writing. But
he probably won’t be for long.

Evans, a career diplomat who was selected to receive an award last
year for his frank public speaking, irked his superiors at the State
Department by uttering the following words at the University of
California Berkeley in February 2005: “I will today call it the
Armenian genocide.”

For that bit of truth-telling, Evans was forced to issue a
clarification, then a correction, then to endure having his award
rescinded under pressure from his bosses, and finally to face losing
his job altogether.

What happened in Armenia in 1915 is well known. The Ottoman Empire
attempted to exterminate the Armenian population through slaughter
and mass deportation. It finished half the job, killing about 1.2
million people.

Yet the State Department has long avoided the word “genocide”, not
out of any dispute over history but out of deference to Turkey, whose
membership in Nato and location between Europe and Asia make it a
strategic ally.

It is time to stop tiptoeing around this issue and to accept settled
history. Genocide, according to accepted UN definition, means “the
intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial
or religious group”.

Armenia is not even a borderline case. Punishing an ambassador for
speaking honestly about a 90-year-old crime befits a cynical,
double-dealing monarchy, not the leader of the free world.

One day, the country that was founded as a direct repudiation of its
Ottoman past will face its history squarely, as part of a
long-overdue maturing process.

Some day before then, we hope, the State Department will too.