Author: Tamamian Anna

REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGIONS OF GEORGIA TO TAKE PART IN
TBILISI SEMINAR

AKHALKALAK, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 22-25,
"New Generation, New Initiative" NGO and the U.S. Embassy in Georgia
will held a seminar in Georgia on "Active national minorities for
democratic society", in which representatives of Samtskhe-Javakhk
and Kvemo-Kartli regional organizations (also non-governmental),
non-governmental organizations engaged in issues of national minorities
will take part.

As the A-Info agency informs, during the seminar the participants will
receive information from the experts about the role of the political
organizations in electoral processes, details of elections’ monitoring
and about the comprehensive programs to be implemented during the
pre-election period.

ATTORNEY GENERAL MADE UP HIS MIND

Lragir.am
24 July 06

The culminating political developments and developments inside the
government push their key actors to make up their minds. The Lragir
has learned that Aghvan Hovsepyan, the Attorney General of Armenia,
has finally made up his mind, and despite rumors he is not going
to join the Republican Party, which was expected in the context of
Serge Sargsyan’s membership to the Republican Party. In fact, the
Attorney General declined the offer to join the Republican-Serge
Sargsyan Alliance.

West Wishes to Push Russia out of Karabakh Process

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.07.2006 17:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The West will never succeed in pushing Russia out
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process, Director of
the RF Institute of the U.S. and Canada Sergey Rogov considers. "The
resolution of this problem demands multilateral efforts but no one
will be able to deprive Russia of the mediating mission and moreover to
substitute it by NATO or any other western structure," Rogov said. In
his opinion, the mentioning of Karabakh in the resulting document of
the G8 summit is conditioned by the West’s wish to press Russia.

Sergey Rogov reminded that Russia "maintains balanced relations
with Armenia and Azerbaijan". Besides, he said, the appearance of
a provision on the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant proves the G8’s
contradictory approaches. "Western Europe and America’s idea about
the construction of a new silk-road bypassing Russia and use of the
Caspian energy resources prompt them to support Azerbaijani positions,"
Rogov underscored, reported RIA Novosti.

Iran Addresses Azerbaijan Notes on Forest Fires

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.07.2006 16:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran has sent to Azerbaijan a note in the risk
of spreading of fires to the near-border regions, Azeri Minister
of Ecology and Natural Resources Huseyn Bagirov said. "Since
2002 Azerbaijan has received notes from Iran on the possible risk
of spreading of the forest fires in Karabakh security zone onto
the territory of Iran. I say this because our arguments are often
considered to be unimpressive, and this is the argument of a third
party," the Minister said.

To note, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karl De Gucht submitted to the
Armenian and Azerbaijani MFA a report on the outcomes of the monitoring
held in the near-border regions by his Personal Representative
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

NKR Hails G8 Statement on Supporting OSCE MG Mediation Efforts

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 15:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "One may only welcome the statement of the Great
Eight countries on maintenance of the mediation efforts of the OSCE
Minsk Group and on necessity of coordination of the core principles
of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict," stated
NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan, when commenting on statements made during
G8 summit in St.

Petersburg. In his words, Nagorno Karabakh has always advocated
peaceful resolution of the problem and is ready to exert every effort
to come to agreement over establishing long-term peace in the region.

Unfortunately, not everything depends on the mediators. Considering
Azerbaijan’s extremely destructive position and its unwillingness
to be in any contact with Nagorno Karabakh it is very difficult to
find an acceptable and fair solution to date, the Minister said. In
his words, the President of the Russian Federation has fairly noted
that Russia is not going to impose any solutions on the parties to the
conflict and that the compromise must be reached by people. Taking into
account the Russian Federation’s readiness to become a guarantor of
fulfillment of the agreements, we remind once more that the achievement
of solutions, directly concerning the future of our country and our
people, is possible only with participation of representatives of
legally elected authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the
main and the most suffered party to the conflict," reports IA Regnum.

Conflict hinders evacuations from Lebanon

ABC Online, Australia
July 18 2006

Prime Minister John Howard says it is becoming more challenging for
officials to evacuate Australians as fighting intensifies in Lebanon.

Buses took 86 Australians to Syria last night and the Federal
Government is hoping to evacuate more by bus today.

Mr Howard estimated 4,000 Australians had registered with the embassy
in Beirut.

He says the Government is doing everything it can to help Australians
wanting to get out.

"The fighting is getting heavier, it’s more dangerous [on] the
alternative exit routes and I ask people to bear with us in a situation
that is very traumatic for them, but extremely challenging," he said.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says he hopes more busloads can
leave Lebanon today and another 600 people can be ferried to Cyprus
by a chartered ship later this week.

Safely home

One of the Australians evacuated from Lebanon says it was a long and
hard journey to safety.

Levon Demirian, from the Armenian Sydney dance troupe, stranded in
Beirut, says it took 17 hours to get to Amman.

"It was very tiring, especially for the young ones and the old ones
that we have, but for the freedom’s sake we were actually happy for
it," he said.

About 30 Queenslanders are still stranded in Lebanon.

Australian Lebanese Association Queensland president Antoine Ghanem
says his son, cousin and uncle are among those trying to get out.

He says the Australian Government should avoid using buses to evacuate
Australians because the roads are too dangerous.

"I think the best option is a ship … to Cyprus, I think it is a
better option and a safer option especially if they coordinate it
with the Israelis," he said.

One woman who arrived at Melbourne Airport this morning says she and
her two daughters spent several days trying to get back to Australia.

She says they were fortunate to make it.

"It was very dangerous everywhere, especially near the embassy down
there," she said.

"Wherever we go, the road blocked behind us – we were so lucky –
some families weren’t that lucky."

70 citizens will arrive in Yrevan from Aleppo tonight

ArmRadio.am
17.07.2006 18:05

This evening 70 Armenian citizens will arrive in Armenia with a direct
Aleppo-Yerevan flight. Because of the military actions in Lebanon, they
will first move to Syria, and later to Armenia. Employees of RA Embassy
in Lebanon are waiting for them at the Syrian-Lebanese border to secure
the safe passage of the buses to Aleppo. Third Secretary of the Embassy
told "Armenpress" that to the extent possible Armenians of Lebanon
have been informed about the transportation. It has been announced
on radio, and no RA citizens are left in Beirut. "Transportation is
voluntary, and those who will can stay in the country.

The Armenian Embassy continues to work in the normal regime. It
is located in a Christian district and has suffered no damage. The
Armenian district is far from the war zone.

Russia ready to become guarantor of accords on Nagorno-Karabakh

TREND, Azerbaijan
July 16, 2006

(Itar-Tass) – Russia is ready to become a guarantor of implementing
agreements on Nagorno Karabakh by Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian
President Vladimir Putin told a news conference on Sunday.

"The two countries should reach a compromise and Russia together
with its partners is ready to become a guarantor of implementing the
agreements," he said.

Putin recalled that "most G8 countries try to help settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to a certain degree," he said. French
President Jacques Chirac and U.S. President George W. Bush are actively
engaged in this process, he said.

"We want Armenia and Azerbaijan find a reasonable decision. We will
not impose our decision on them," he said.

French Ambassador issues a welcoming speech on the occasion of the National
Holiday of France

ArmRadio.am
14.07.2006 15:30

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France ïÃ" Armenia Henry
Cuny issued a welcoming speech today on the occasion of the National
Holiday of France. The French Embassy in Armenia informed "Armenpress"
that the message says, in part,

"I’m glad to celebrate July 14th in Armenia again. This is the fifth
time already. It’s a pleasure for me to work in this country. I like
its history, culture and talent.

I think that July 14th is a holiday not only for the French, but
also for the Armenians: the high values of July 14th, i.e. freedom,
equality and respect for human rights, are dear to Armenia. No one,
no nation has completely achieved all of its wishes. These are,
however, stars shining in the sky, which guide us.

I wish this bright sun of July 14th to continue shining for all
Armenians."

–Boundary_(ID_Iau2ajAe8QEQ+ PSIEjAfPg)–

Israeli aircraft attacked Beirut airport

ArmRadio.am
13.07.2006 15:30

Israeli aircraft bombed the international airport of Beirut after
Rafik Harriri. Israei radio informs that the attack aims to distort
the normal working regime of the airport. Beirut airport is currently
closed, and all planes flying to Lebanon are forced to land in
Cyprus. According to "Al Jazeera" TV Company, 15 people were killed
in the bombarding.

The Israeli aircraft attacked also the two bridges and highways
linking the North and the South of the country. 22 were killed,
including 8 children.

Another airstrike, on al-Manar television station, was carried
out because the station is used by Hezbollah to incite and recruit
activists.

Before the attack on Lebanon, the Israeli Government allowed the
Army to start military actions against the Lebanese Hezbollah armed
grouping, which exerts control over the South of Lebanon. This actually
means that Israel is starting a new war against Lebanon.