Author: Nargizian David

“OGTAY ASADOV DID NOT ADDRESS ANY CONGRATULATION LETTER TO TOROSIAN, IN THE MEASURE HELD IN ARMENIA”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 13 2006

“Not any congratulation letter by Ogtay Asadov to Tigran Torosian,
was sounded in the measure held in Armenia. Spread of these kinds of
information is aimed to create tension in Azerbaijan society. ”

Parliamentarian Musa Guliyev, who participated in Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Organization Parlimaentary Assembly’s 27 meeting held
in Armenia has informed. (APA). Musa Guliyev expressing attitude to
Tigran Torosian’s statement on the opinion “Ogtay Asadov has sent
to me a congratulation letter” in the conference only Asef Hajiyev
sounded congratulation on the occasion of Independence Day of Russia.

“There was not any congratulation issues. Simply “Arminfo” Agency has
prepared special program to violate stability in Azerbaijan. It was
transferred through internet to Azerbaijan and the media has spread
this information not expecting our return. At present, information
exchange is continued between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Though there is
ceasefire in our side their journalists are more aggressive against
Azerbaijan; we do not have this aggression in our press. Our press
is more interested in aggravating opposition-authority relations.”

Israeli minister offers security cooperation to Azerbaijan

ITV, Baku
8 Jun 06

[Presenter] Mutual interests of Azerbaijan and Israel involve
cooperation not only in energy and other economic spheres, but also in
security, the minister of national infrastructure of Israel, Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer, has said at a news conference he held on the outcomes of
his visit to Azerbaijan. The minister also said that the gas exported
to Europe via a gas pipeline under the Caspian Sea is of great
importance for Israel.

[Correspondent] Along with cooperation in energy and other economic
spheres, Israel and Azerbaijan share common strategic interests.
Therefore, Israel is interested in cooperating with Azerbaijan in all
areas, the minister of national infrastructure of Israel, Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer, said.

Israel is a potential buyer of the high-quality Caspian oil
transported to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, he said. In addition, like
many other countries, Israel wants to base its energy consumption on
gas.

[Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, captioned, speaking in English with Azeri
voice-over] We have researched the importance of Caspian gas which is
to be transported to Europe via the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline. Hence,
we came to Baku with leaders of the business community. I believe that
before I leave for Israel, my visit will achieve its task of taking
relations between Azerbaijan and Israel to a higher level. From now
on, Israeli businessmen are ready for broader cooperation with
Azerbaijan.

Since Azerbaijan is a strategically important country for us, we can
cooperate not only in energy and other economic spheres, but also in
security. [Correspondent] The minister also said that the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main [oil] export pipeline is crucial not only for
Azerbaijan and the region, but also for a number of leading Western
states and for Central Asia.

[Binyamin Ben-Eliezer] The pipeline is not important for one nation or
one country. Azerbaijan and Turkey, which currently ensure the
security of the pipeline, are independent states and are able to see
the difference between economy and security issues.

[Correspondent] The minister said he was satisfied with the rapid pace
of development in Azerbaijan over the recent years and with the
results of his visit.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

PRIM ATES MEET IN ANTELIAS

His Holiness Aram I presided over a meeting of diocesan Primates in the
Antelias headquarters of the Catholicosate of Cilicia on June 5. The meeting
brought together a number of primates who had arrived in Lebanon on the
occasion of bishop ordination.

The Catholicos made a few reminders and passed on some information to the
Primates about issues related to Catholicosate-diocese relations, the
upcoming Armenia-Diaspora conference in Armenia in September, the upcoming
educational conference in the Catholicosate in August, as well as a number
of spiritual and administrative issues.

In the evening, His Holiness presided over a dinner with the participation
of the Cilician Brotherhood members and the Primates. The Pontiff grabbed
the opportunity to remind Primates of the need to serve the Armenian Church
and nation with more dedication.

##
View photo here: tm#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the dioceses of
the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
June 9, 2006 Friday 11:59 AM MSK

CSTO peacekeeping force may be used for managing conflicts in various
regions of world – secretary general

The peacekeeping contingent being tailored under the auspices of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) may be employed for
managing conflicts in various regions of the world under the UN
aegis, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha told
Interfax-Military News Agency.

“Judging from the situation, conflict intensity and its possible
impact on the developments in the region, the Collective Security
Council of the organization may request a mandate of the UN Security
Council to mount a peacekeeping operation,” Bordyuzha said.

He noted that the secretariat of the organization has almost
completed the package of peacekeeping documentation. “Almost, because
not all the members of the organization have finished ratification
procedures. The final decision will of course be made by the
presidents of the CSTO member-states,” he said.

If peacekeeping operations are to be held outside the territories of
the Collective Security Treaty state parties, the UN Security
Council’s mandate will be obligatory, he said.

The UN will be also informed immediately if such an operation is
going to be held on the territories of the CSTO nations, he noted.

Bordyuzha also said that peacekeeping will be voluntary in the
Collective Security Treaty Organization. “Which means that even if
the Collective Security Council adopts the decision on a peacekeeping
operation in the region, it will not mean that all its six members
will have to contribute personnel for the mission. Each of the
member-states reserves the right of unlimited participation of its
peacekeeping contingents in operations under UN mandates or under the
aegis of other regional organizations, including the CIS and the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” he said.

The CSTO is developing a Collective Peacekeeping Force, its state
parties contributing specially trained units of own peacekeeping
contingents to it. “Such units are now available in almost all member
states,” Bordyuzha emphasized.

The summit of the organization will be held in Minsk on June 23 and
24. The CSTO includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia,
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

DAYS OF ARMENIA ORGANIZED IN CITY OF TORUN, POLAND

WARSAW, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The third Days of
Armenia were organized on June 3-4 in the city of Torun, Poland, by
the “Armenian Researches Center” and the Torun University Humanities
Department, in which RA Ambassador to Poland Ashot Galoyan, RP Senate
Deputy Mikhal Voytchak, Kuyavsko-Pomorski province Sejm Marshal
Valdemar Akhramovich, Armenians of Poland and representatives of the
Armenian community participated.

Reports dedicated to present problems of Armenians living in Poland as
well as to historic past of Armenians in Poland were presented during
the Days of Armenia. “Noah’s Heirs,” “Solomon’s Trial” and “Shades of
Forgotten Ancestors” films were shown.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, within the framework of the visit paid to
Torun, RA Ambassador Ashot Galoyan had meetings with RP Senate Deputy
Mikhal Voytchak and Seim Marshal of Kujavsko-Pomorski province
Valdemar Akhramovich.

The RA Ambassador attached importance at the meetings to the existence
of the “Armenian Researches Center” functioning attached to the Torun
University and to the fact that Poles of Armenian origin cooperate
with the center. The Polish side is interested in holding joint
research works with Armenia, particularly, in the sphere of
archeology, ethnography, problems of modern social development as well
as problems of new migration during the last 10-15 years. The RA
Ambassador proposed to promote cooperation between the Torun
Copernicus and Yerevan State Universities as well as considered
possible the prospect of establishing sister-cities between Torun and
one of cities of Armenia.

REPORT DETAILS MIXED HUMAN TRAFFICKING PICTURE IN EUROPE, EURASIA
By Jeffrey Thomas
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington File, DC
June 7 2006

Improvements Noted In Switzerland, Greece, Slovak Republic, Ukraine

Washington — The campaign to stop to what Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice has called a “modern day form of slavery” is achieving
mixed results in Europe and Eurasia, according to the Trafficking in
Persons Report released by the U.S. State Department June 5.

Several countries improved their efforts and achieved higher rankings
in the congressionally mandated report, which places nations in one of
four categories based on their efforts to control human trafficking,
prosecute those involved and support and assist victims of these
crimes. But just as many countries were downgraded for their lack of
effort, and the State Department continues to estimate that roughly
800,000 people are trafficked each year.

Even though the number of convictions in Europe and Eurasia for
trafficking increased over the previous year, the report criticized a
number of countries for undercutting those convictions with weak or
suspended penalties, and the number of prosecutions for trafficking
fell substantially.

The report recognized Switzerland’s new legislation and greater
commitment to combat trafficking by raising it from Tier 2 to Tier 1.

Seventeen European countries now meet the Tier 1 standards established
in the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

The report cites as praiseworthy the actions of three European and
Eurasian countries in its section on International Best Practices:
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tajikistan and Romania. Bosnia is cited for
major raids made by its Anti-Trafficking Strike Force, which rescued
26 victims and apprehended at least 14 traffickers. Tajikistan is
commended for setting up elite anti-trafficking units in regions
throughout the country, which led to a significant increase in
trafficking investigations in 2005. Romania is cited for cooperating
with private researchers on the most comprehensive report on human
trafficking in Romania to date.

Greece, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine improved from the Tier 2
Watch List classification to Tier 2, which comprises countries that
are demonstrating commitment to address their trafficking problems
but have not yet achieved international standards. The Tier 2 Watch
List includes countries that show signs of falling backwards.

Among the positive developments in Greece cited by the report were
increased capacity to protect and assist victims, improved cooperation
with NGOs, the signing of a child repatriation agreement with Albania
and a national public awareness campaign.

In the Slovak Republic, the government has a national working group on
trafficking and an increased network for victim services, and it has
adopted its first national action plan on trafficking, the report said.

Ukraine improved by increasing its law enforcement capacity and
strengthening its anti-trafficking criminal code, the report said.

Tier 3 comprises countries whose governments are not making significant
efforts to meet international standards. Uzbekistan fell from the
Tier 2 Watch List to the Tier 3 category in the 2006 assessment —
the only country in Europe and Eurasia to be ranked so low. The report
said Uzbekistan failed to fulfill any of its commitments to adopt
comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation, to raise trafficking
penalties, to support its first trafficking shelter and to approve
a national action plan.

Cyprus fell from Tier 2 to Tier 2 Watch List because of its failure to
show evidence of increasing effort to solve its serious sex trafficking
problem, according to the report.

Both the Czech Republic and Portugal, which in 2005 were rated Tier
1 countries, have been dropped to Tier 2. In the Czech Republic,
there were “inadequate sentences for traffickers,” the report said,
and it also cited concerns over forced labor. Portugal “failed to
prescribe punishment sufficiently stringent to deter trafficking”
and “virtually all convictions for trafficking resulted in suspended
sentences in 2004,” the report said.

The report keeps Armenia on the Tier 2 Watch List for a second
consecutive year because of its “failure to show evidence of increasing
efforts over the past year, particularly in the areas of enforcement,
trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection.”

Russia is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a third consecutive year
because of its failure to “show evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking, particularly in the area of victim protection
and assistance,” the report said.

Russia remains a significant source of women trafficked to more than
50 countries for commercial sexual exploitation, according to the
report; Russia is also a transit and destination country for men and
women trafficked from Central Asia, Eastern Europe and North Korea.

The report also expressed concern over forced labor in the maritime
industry, the trafficking of women from rural areas to urban centers
within Russia for commercial sexual exploitation and the trafficking
of men internally and from Central Asia for forced labor in the
construction and agricultural industries.

The report said Russia is making “significant efforts” to comply with
the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but made
“uneven progress” during the period covered by the report, April 2005
through March 2006. It urged Russia to work with NGOs to establish
more shelters for victims of trafficking and to pass and implement
comprehensive legislation on victim assistance.

WORLD CUP ISSUES

Tier 1 status does not mean a country has solved its trafficking
problems. Germany, for example, while ranked in Tier 1 because it
“fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking,” is a source, transit and destination country for men,
women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor
exploitation. Many of the victims come from Central and Eastern Europe,
including Russia, the report said.

The report noted concerns among some nongovernmental organizations
and governments over the potential for increased human trafficking in
Germany during the World Cup Soccer championship, which opens June 9.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), for
example, expressed concern April 12 that between 30,000 and 60,000
women might be trafficked for sexual exploitation during the World Cup.

German federal and state governments say they have taken steps
to prevent trafficking during the championship by improving
victim-screening mechanisms and police safeguards, sponsoring seminars,
expanding print and video outreach and strengthening interagency
coordination, according to the report.

“Nevertheless, due to the sheer size of the event, the potential for
increased human trafficking surrounding the games remains a concern,”
said the report. Germany expects more than 3 million fans to attend
the matches in 12 cities across the country between June 9 and July 9.

“Germany should continue to focus attention on domestic
demand-reduction efforts, implement the 2005 penal code amendments, and
consider releasing more detailed statistics that include the full range
of charges — including non-trafficking charges — that traffickers are
prosecuted for and the sentences they receive,” the report recommended.

The transcript of Rice’s remarks is available on the State Department
Web site, as is the full text of the report.

ARMENIA IS INDEBTED TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 9.9 MLN DOLLARS AS MEMBERSHIP FEE

Noyan Tapan
Jun 07 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Expenses of the sphere of foreign
political activity by the 2005 state budget made about 9.5 bln drams
(22 mln U.S. dollars) or 97.7% of the program expenses. Among them,
about 6.9 bln drams or 97% of about 7.1 bln drams allocated to the
Foreign Ministry was factually spent.

It was said at the June 6 joint sitting of the NA Standing Committees
which was dedicated to discussion of the report on implementing the
law on 2005 state budget.

According to Atom Janjughazian, the RA Deputy Minister of Finance and
Economy, all the envisaged programs were completely implemented in
practice, excluding buying a building for the RF Consulate General in
Gyumri for what 187.8 mln drams were envisaged. According to Deputy
Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian, negotiations are led between
the RA and RF Foreign Ministries for the building of the RA Ambassy in
Moscow is given to Armenia as property in return for buying a building
for the RF Consulate General in Gyumri by financial resources of the
Armenian side. The money envisaged and not spent in 2005 was passed
to the 2006 budget.

Additional 940 mln drams were allocated in 2005 to the Foreign Ministry
from the Government’s reserves fund, besides the financing envisaged
by the state budget. Additional 18 mln drams as well were allocated
for implementation of the foreign political activity. Fees for the RA
membership to international organizations made 910 mln drams. Besides,
1.693 bln drams were paid to international financial organizations
by the RA membership line.

According to G.Gharibjanian, the Foreign Ministry’s debt on the
RA membership fees to international organizations made 9.9 mln
U.S. dollars at present, and the Ministry intends to pay off previously
gathered debt in a year.

KARABAKH TO HOLD CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN DECEMBER
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 7 2006

The leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh will hold a referendum next December
on its draft constitution that declares the Armenian-controlled
territory an “independent and sovereign state,” a senior official in
Stepanakert said on Wednesday.

Rudik Hyusnunts, deputy speaker of the Karabakh parliament, told RFE/RL
that the decision was made on Monday at a meeting of a government
commission that has for years been working on the text of a first-ever
Karabakh constitution. The commission is headed by Arkady Ghukasian,
president of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

“The NKR president will sign a decree to hold a referendum on the
constitutional draft on December 10,” said Hyusnunts.

The decree can be signed only after the NKR National Assembly debates
and endorses the commission’s constitutional draft. According to
Hyusnunts, the assembly will receive the draft on June 15 and open
debates on it in September. The Karabakh parliament is dominated
by members of Ghukasian’s Democratic Artsakh Party and its junior
coalition partner, the Azat Hayrenik Party.

Stepanakert’s decision to effectively set a date for the referendum
came on the same day as the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
again failed to reach a framework peace agreement, all but dashing
hopes for a settlement of the Karabakh conflict in the near future.

Meeting in Bucharest on Sunday and Monday, Robert Kocharian and Ilham
Aliev apparently discussed a peace deal that would enable Karabakh’s
predominantly Armenian population to determine the disputed region’s
status in a future referendum.

Ghukasian and other Karabakh leaders have been less than enthusiastic
about this formula proposed by international mediators, saying that
the Karabakh Armenians had already voted to secede from Azerbaijan in
December 1991. The legitimacy of that referendum was never recognized
by Azerbaijan and the international community, however.

“On December 10 we will try to reaffirm the results of our independence
referendum,” said Hyusnunts.

THE SUPERPOWERS CLASH
by Malcolm Pein

The Daily Telegraph (LONDON)
June 5, 2006 Monday

ARMENIA took an unassailable lead in the 11th round of the Chess
Olympiad at Turin by defeating the Czech Republic 3-1 and are 3.5
points ahead with just two matches to play. Armenia should coast home
now and the battle will be for the minor medals. The world number
three, Levon Aronian, won after the remarkable intermezzo 11.Nf7!
with the point 11…Kxf7 12.dxe6+ and Bxb7 winning material.

L Aronian – D Navara

37th Olympiad Turin

Queen’s Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 Ne4 7.Bd2 f5
8.Qc2 Bf6 9.Ne5 d5 10.cxd5 Nxc3 11.Nf7! Qd7 12.Bxc3 Bxd5 13.Bxd5 Qxd5
14.e4! fxe4 15.Nxh8 Nc6 16.0-0 Ke7 17.Rae1 Rxh8 18.Rxe4 Rd8 19.Rfe1 Rd6
20.Rf4 g6 21.h4 Rd7 22.h5 Bxd4 23.hxg6 hxg6 24.Qxg6 Ne5 25.Qf6+ 1-0.

EXTERMINATION OF ARMENIAN CULTURAL PRESENCE IN NAKHICHEVAN – OUTCOME OF BAKU CRUEL POLICY

Yerkir
05.06.2006 12:30

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian cultural monuments of Nakhichevan can
be spoken about only in the past tense, Hayk Demoyan, Candidate
of Historical Sciences, told journalists. “This was an outcome of
vandalism policy of Azerbaijan against Armenian monuments for many
years,” he said.

According to Demoyan, such cruel policy is being pursued in Azerbaijan
for many years at the state level. In his words, full extermination
of the Armenian cultural presence in Old Jugha was a logical outcome
of that policy, reports Novosti-Armenia.