Author: Tadevosian Garnik

RA GOVERNMENT APPROVES STRATEGY OF DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY SPHERE

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. During the June 23 sitting RA
government approved the strategy of development of energy sphere in
the context of development of RA economy. Noyan Tapan was informed
about this by RA government’s Information and Public Relations
Department. The goal of the strategy is provision of the security of
energy sphere, stimulation of country’s energy independence, provision
of maximum use of production capacities, efficient use of local energy
supplies and alternative sources of energy and application of economic
and legal mechanisms aimed at this.

Armenpress

SAAKASHVILI KNOWS WHO THREW HAND GRENADE AT GEORGE BUSH

TBILISI, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS: Georgia’s president Mikhail Saakashvili
revealed yesterday that the authorities have identified the man who threw a
hand grenade at US president George W. Bush when he was addressing a huge
crowd in downtown Tbilisi during his May 10 visit to this former -Soviet
republic.
Russian Itar-Tass news agency quoted Saakashvili as saying that it is “a
mean and unworthy man,” but he did not say who the man was and whether he
was arrested. FBI agents who traveled to Georgia to investigate the case on
the ground revealed that the hand grenade thrown at George Bush was live and
could have exploded, though at first Georgian officials insisted the
explosive device was an “engineering grenade” which would have had to be
very close to the president to cause any damage. FBI said the hand grenade
only failed to explode because of a chance malfunction in its detonator. The
grenade, wrapped in a dark tartan handkerchief, had been thrown towards the
podium where Bush was speaking but hit a girl in the crowd. This cushioned
its impact and stopped it detonating. FBI offered a reward of 20,000 laris
(about ?6,000) for any information that could help reveal the identity of
the man.

AZG Armenian Daily #115, 23/06/2005

Turkey-Armenia

‘BORDER WITH ARMENIA SHOULD OPEN’

European Commission Warns Turkey

On June 22, Turkish public television and press informed that the European
Commission warned Turkey to open its border with Armenia. The warning
concerning Armenian issues came from European Enlargement Commissioner Oli
Ren who backs Turkey’s accession to EU.

Answering parliamentarians’ questions at the Commission for External
Relations, Oli Ren said, “I think the Turkish government should open border
with Armenia. That’s important”. Meanwhile, he positively assessed Turkish
prime minister’s proposal of a “joint group of historians from both
countries” and pointed out that the European Commission attaches special
importance to implementation of laws on freedom of speech, national
minorities and laws on estate.

“I sent a written appeal to foreign minister Abdullah Gul two days ago
concerning these laws. We think the present draft laws are insufficient. We
demanded that they revise them. If there are still derelictions, we’ll have
to take appropriate steps”.

By Hakob Chakrian

OVER 500 VOTERS LEFT OFF THE ELECTORAL REGISTERS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 June 05

The ongoing process of development of civil society is entering a new
stage. The turnout of voters in the capital was very high and the
voters were highly organized. At least, this means that people trust
the authorities and are aware of their rights. Even the omissions on
the electoral rolls did not cause disorders, and the voters were
determined to observe the law and overcome the obstacles. The
omissions on the electoral rolls were corrected at the NKR Trial Court
without wasting a second. The names of five of the nine members of a
family were omitted in the roll; generally, the omissions were of this
kind. A woman was indignant with the fact that being registered in the
same election district for 40 years, her name was omitted every
time. Another person complained that electoral registration form in
the names of dead people had been delivered to them. The officer of
the polling station 7/2 Alina Beglarian was filling in the special
form for going to court for the 27th citizen. The Presiding Justice of
the NKR Trial Court Seyran Amirkhanian told us that about 500 people
had gone to court to defend their rights. He also pointed out the
activity of the citizens to defend their rights, for up to the end of
the poll people went to court. There were also people who had to leave
the polling station without voting. Besides, it should be noted that
the members of the election committees were too scrupulous. It is up
to the corresponding agencies of the City Hall to work out the
electoral rolls not to waste the time and nerves of the people.

NVARD SOGHOMONIAN.
22-06-2005

TRANSPARENCY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF ARMENIAN STATE BODIES TO HELP IN
FIGHTING CORRUPTION

YEREVAN, June 22. /ARKA/. The transparency of the activities of
Armenian state bodies will help in fighting corruption, stated Armen
Khatchatryan, Program Coordinator of OSCE Yerevan Office addressing
the seminar on “Transparency of State Bodies Activities and
Information Availability”. He also said that the transparency of state
structures will also contribute to the creation of “bridges” between
the authorities and the society.

As Lusine Margaryan, the head of “National Centre for Liberalization
Processes Monitoring” NGO stated at the opening of the seminar, the
objective of the seminar is to develop a transparent and available
covering of state bodies’ activities. According to her, that will also
promote moire intensive cooperation between the state structures as
well.

The seminar was organized by the “National Centre for Liberalization
Processes Monitoring” with the assistance of OSCE Yerevan
Office. Representatives of financial-economic sector, David Avetisyan,
RA Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, Samvel Avetisyan, RA Deputy
Minister of Agriculture, Vache Gabrielyan, member of CBA Board, Artsvi
Minasyan, member of RA Securities Committee and others participated in
the seminar. L.V.–0–

ARMENIAN POLICE OFFICERS RENDER FIRST ASSISTANCE TO AZERBAIJANI
HERDSMEN SUFFERED FROM SEVERE WIND AND HAIL IN GEORGIA

YEREVAN, JUNE 22. ARMINFO. Armenian police officers proved to be the
first to render assistance to the Azerbaijani herdsmen suffered from
severe wind and hail in Georgia.

According to A-INFO, several hundreds of Azerbaijani herdsmen every
year go to the pasture of Ninotsminda region from Sagarejo staying
there in tents the whole summer. However, severe hail on June 19
damaged their tents and caused bodily injuries to many of them. The
police officers of Ninotsminda region arrived in the place and took
the causalities to the city hospital, where a group of physicians head
by doctor Kristine Arzumanyan rendered them first aid. A 5-year child
was also injured, doctors are concerned over his sight. The child was
taken to a hospital in Tbilisi. For further treatment of the injured,
employees of the medical center of natural calamities arrived in
Tbilisi from Javakhq.

Armenpress

FOOD STALLS FINED FOR SANITARY NORMS VIOLATIONS

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: In a follow-up to its previous warnings on
Yerevan residents to refrain from buying foods and soft drinks from street
food stalls, the hygienic-epidemic inspection of Armenian health ministry
moved today to penalize owners of more than a dozen food stalls in a
downtown pedestrian subway for violation of sanitary requirements.
The stalls are located at a busy crossing near the Medical University,
and their main customers are hundreds of students, consuming hot-dogs and
kebab. The Inspection has sent relevant documents to Economic Court asking
it to levy fines, each 40,000 drams (around $90). It said such kiosks are
allowed to sell only packaged food, but none has running cold and hot water,
neither waste water systems.
Earlier this month Yerevan Mayor’s Office and sanitary inspection
officials called on Yerevan residents to abstain from buying food and drinks
in the streets, saying they contain toxic germs hazardous to public health

CNN
June 21 2005

Bomb kills anti-Syria politician

Tuesday, June 21, 2005; Posted: 7:32 a.m. EDT (11:32 GMT)

Hawi, a Christian, frequently spoke out against Syrian intelligence
and interference in Lebanese affairs.

Car bomb kills anti-Syrian politician in Beirut(1:54)

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — A car bomb has killed an anti-Syrian
politician in Beirut, a day after opposition leader Saad Hariri’s
camp won Lebanon’s parliamentary elections.

George Hawi, former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist
Party, died instantly in Tuesday’s blast, police said. It was the
second slaying of an anti-Syrian figure this month.

Hawi had actively campaigned for opposition alliance candidate Elias
Atallah, a co-founder of the left-leaning Lebanese Democratic
Movement, according to sources close to Hawi’s family, CNN’s Beirut
Bureau Chief Brent Sadler reported.

That movement was heavily influenced by prominent anti-Syrian
journalist Samir Kassir, who was killed June 2 during the election
period.

Kassir died when a bomb apparently planted in his car exploded. He
was a columnist for the Lebanese daily newspaper An Nahar, a
publication often critical of Syrian influence in Lebanon.

Police said Tuesday’s bombing was similar to the one that killed
Kassir.

Tuesday’s bombing “will be seen here in light of what happened during
the weekend, when the opposition won an outright victory, giving them
an outright majority in parliament,” Sadler said.

Hawi, a Christian, frequently spoke out against Syrian intelligence
and interference in Lebanese affairs, The Associated Press reported.

Hawi was related to an Armenian candidate who was standing for
parliament in the national elections that finished on Sunday, Sadler
said.

The bombing, which authorities said occurred about 10 a.m. (3 a.m.
ET) in a western Beirut neighborhood, left Hawi’s black Mercedes
crumpled.

Witnesses and security sources said the car had just left a gas
station and was traveling on a road when the bomb exploded.

Hawi’s driver escaped with only minor injuries; police sources said
the bomb apparently targeted Hawi, who was in the passenger seat.

“We are stunned,” said Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who
visited the blast site. “With every achievement by the Lebanese
state, we see there are those who want to target security and send
messages of this sort.”

On Monday, opposition leader Hariri said his anti-Syrian camp had
emerged as the winner in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections.

“The elections are behind us and we don’t see anything in front of us
but the future of Lebanon,” said Hariri, who became a candidate after
his father, Rafik, was assassinated.

Interior Minister Hassan Al Sabaa, speaking on national television,
said 72 of the 128 seats will be allocated to Hariri’s Future
Movement, an alliance that includes Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive
Socialist Party, Lebanese Forces and Qurnet Shahwan.

Another 25 seats will go to Amal (Nabih Berri) and Hezbollah; and 21
seats will go to an alliance of the Free Patriotic Movement, Skaff,
Franjieh and Tashnak, the minister said. (Full story)

“This victory is to be given as a present to the soul of the martyr
Rafik Hariri,” the son told reporters a day after the fourth and
final voting took place, in the country’s north.

The four elections, spread out over four weeks, marked the first vote
since the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanese territory.

VARDAN OSKANYAN IN BRUSSELS

A1plus

| 21:53:18 | 16-06-2005 | Official |

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan presented in Brussels two
documents proving Armenia’s progress in the process of integration
into the European structures. Vardan Oskanyan submitted Armenia’s
Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP).

After the welcoming speech by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer the RA FM presented Armenia’s approaches towards further
cooperation as well as the priority directions of the Armenian
foreign policy, the Armenia-NATO relations and efficient mechanisms
of cooperation. The document was elaborated by the interdepartmental
commission co-chaired by the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Minister of Defense.

The Ambassadors highly appreciated the document and welcomed Armenia’s
consistent steps towards strengthening of cooperation, specifically
the participation of the country in the NATO peacekeeping activities.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer highly appreciated cooperation with Armenia
and expressed assurance that the IPAP will offer new opportunities
for further cooperation. At request of the NATO Secretary General
Vardan Oskanyan presented the current stage of the Karabakh conflict
settlement.

On the same day Vardan Oskanyan handed the draft package of EU-Armenia
Plan to Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations
and European Neighborhood Policy. The parties also touched upon the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

During the visit the RA FM also met with Javier Solana,
Secretary-General of the Council of the EU, High Representative for
CFSP to discuss the Karabakh problem, prospects of regional cooperation
as well as opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.

June 17 the RA FM will depart for Paris to meet with Azeri Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov by mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs.

Zaman Online, Turkey
June 16 2005

Armenian Bill Submitted to US Congress
By Ali H. Aslan
Published: Thursday 16, 2005
zaman.com

A pro-Armenian group of representatives submitted a bill to US Congress
on Tuesday for the recognition of the alleged Armenian genocide.

The bill would officially recognize the Armenian genocide realized
in 1915 in Turkey. Republican Party California Representative George
Radanovich and Democrat Part California Representative Adam Schiff are
leading the group of about 50 members of the House of Representatives
who support the bill. First, International Affairs sub-committees need
to take up the bill in order for the document to be presented to the
General Council and then it needs to be passed in the International
Affairs Committee. Two possible sub-committees are the Europe and
Human Rights committees. Some Congress sources claim the bill will get
stuck in the International Affairs Committee led by the Republican
Henry Hyde. Within this process, it is possible to hold sessions at
the sub-committee level. It is less likely that the Armenian lobby
will bring the bill to the agenda at the US Senate. These kinds of
bills are non-binding even if they are approved by the Congress.