Yerevan’s Kentron Community Zoning Project To Be Developed In 2006

YEREVAN’S KENTRON COMMUNITY ZONING PROJECT TO BE DEVELOPED IN 2006

Noyan Tapan
May 11 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Yerevan Mayor’s Office has developed a
draft program of measures to enact the Master Plan of Yerevan. The
draft will be soon submitted to the Armenian government for
approval. Chief Architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielian stated this
on May 11. According to him, one of these measures is development
of the city communities’ zoning projects. He said that this year it
is envisaged to develop the zoning project of the Kentron community,
for which 314 mln drams (about 698 thousand USD) has been allocated. S.
Danielian noted that the zoning projects of the other communities of
Yerevan will be developed in 2007.

NKR DM: Nagorny Karabakh Will Not Be Subordinate To Azerbaijan In An

NKR DM: NAGORNY KARABAKH WILL NOT BE SUBORDINATE TO AZERBAIJAN IN ANY SCENARIO OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Stepanakert, May 10. ArmInfo. “When we liberated Shushi we understood
that we can protect our homeland, our faith, our rights and dignity
on our own.

And today we can say that the liberation of Shushi was the beginning
of all our further victories,” NKR Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan
said during the May 9 celebrations in Stepanakert.

Ohanyan said that the formation of the NKR defence army was one of
the key achievements of the Karabakh movement.

Speaking about the Karabakh conflict settlement, Ohanyan said that
any settlement scenario will be based on the present realities in
the region – that is, Nagorno Karabakh will never be subordinate to
Azerbaijan, will have land communication with mother Armenia and strong
guarantees of security for its people. “In any case the NKR Defence
Army is strong and ready to rebuff any encroachments,” Ohanyan said.

ANKARA: Turkey Reacts to French Motion on So-called Genocide

Zaman, Turkey
May 9 2006

Turkey Reacts to French Motion on So-called Genocide
By Celil Sagir

ISTANBUL – Reactions against the legislative offer to punish anyone
that denies the so-called Armenian Genocide in France continue to
echo.

Turkey also forwarded a communiqué against the act in addition to a
warning issued by a group of French historians asking the French
government “not take historians hostage”.

Nine journalists, authors and academics in Turkey, renown for their
denigrations regarding the so-called genocide claims, will release a
declaration in the French press warning those supporting the
proposal.

The declaration prepared by intellectuals in Turkey will be published
on Friday in the French daily Le Figaro. It asks for the disapproval
of a legislative proposal that will hamper freedom of expression.

Signed by Ahmet Insel, Hirant Dink, Halil Berktay, Murat Belge, Elif
Safak, Baskin Oran, Etyen Mahcupyan, Muge Gocek, and Ragip Zarakoglu,
the notice reads that Armenians and Turks experience a normalization
process, in which freedom of expression and free dissemination of
information are essential to move forward with the process.

Speaking with Zaman, Agos Newspaper Editor in Chief Hirant Dink said
their call is to everyone behind the French proposal; and warns
French-Armenians not to be involved in making such a serious mistake.
Due for discussion in the French parliament on May 18, the Genocide
recognition legislation motion, put forward by the Socialist Party
making denial of the so-called Armenian genocide a crime, is
anticipated to be denied.

Other 15 School Buildings To Be Repaired In Kotayk Marz This Year

OTHER 15 SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO BE REPAIRED IN KOTAYK MARZ THIS YEAR

HRAZDAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. 103 secondary schools, 3 special
secondary (2 of them boarding schools), 4 private schools, 6 state and
1 non-state (Hrazdan College of the European Regional Academy) middle
professional educational institutions, 2 non-state institutions of
higher education function in the Kotayk marz at present. 41388 pupils
study at schools of the marz, 3336 teachers work, with middle loading
of 22 academic hours weekly. Schools of distant settlements of the
marz were completed with 16 specialists teachers the last year. Almost
all the schools has computers, computer rooms have been opened in 85
of them, and 26 schools have joined the Internet connection. On the
account of the 2005 state budget resources, 15 schools were repaired
in the Kotayk marz, and one new school building in the rural community
of Geghard and one in the rural community of Hatsavan were put into
operation. Other 5 schools were repaired by the program of social
investments. It is envisaged to repair other 15 schools in different
communities of the marz during this year. 35 schools of the marz has
local heating.

Defection Begins from Orinats Yerkir

Armenpress

DEFECTION BEGINS FROM ORINATS YERKIR

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS: The second largest
parliamentary faction of parliament chairman Arthur
Baghdasarian suffered yesterday an anticipated setback
after two of its members announced their pullout.
Arshak Mkhitarian and Melik Manukian, two
businessmen-lawmakers, refused to explain their
decision. One of these two, Arshak Mkhitarian, was
elected on the party’s slate and according to the law
on elections Orinats Yerkir will replace him by the
next on its slate.
The second lawmaker, Melik Manukian, was elected
from a majoritarian constituency. The faction had 22
members before the defection.

Azerbaijan: Trying To Keep Washington And Tehran Happy

AZERBAIJAN: TRYING TO KEEP WASHINGTON AND TEHRAN HAPPY
Shahin Abbasov and Khadija Ismailova

Eurasianet
5/05/06

Iran is dangling the prospect of greater cooperation on Caspian Sea
energy issues in order to secure Azerbaijan’s neutrality in the ongoing
confrontation with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with his Azerbaijani
counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku on May 4, ahead of an Economic
Cooperation Organization summit. According to the official IRNA news
agency, Ahmadinejad expressed a desire to increase bilateral energy
cooperation. Such a development could have profound regional economic
and political ramifications, given that Iranian-Azerbaijani tension has
served as a major obstacle to the development of Caspian Sea energy
resources. In 2001 and 2002, Iran resorted to gunboat diplomacy to
force Azerbaijani to halt development of the disputed Araz-Alov-Sharg
offshore oilfields [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Ahmadinejad did not offer specific ideas concerning possible
Azerbaijani-Iranian cooperation, although he expressed an interest in
having Iran serve as an export conduit for Azerbaijani oil and gas,
IRNA reported. The offer seemed clearly designed as an incentive for
Azerbaijan to remain on the sidelines of the international crisis
revolving around Iran’s nuclear ambitions. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. The US government, which is convinced Iran
intends to develop atomic weapons, has openly contemplated using force
to compel Iran to abandon its nuclear program. Iranian officials
insist the program is designed solely for peaceful purposes. At a
May 5 news conference in Baku, Ahmadinejad reiterated the Iranian
government’s intention to proceed with its nuclear program, while
criticizing the United States. The Azeri-Press Information Agency
quoted the Iranian leader as saying; “If nuclear weapons are bad,
why do they [Americans] have them? If they are good, then why can’t we
[Iranians] possess them?”

The Iranian nuclear issue figured prominently during Aliyev’s visit
to Washington in late April [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. Many political analysts in Baku believe US officials sought
Azerbaijani support for possible efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear
ambitions. Aliyev publicly ruled out any involvement in such an
anti-Iranian coalition.

During his Baku visit, Ahmadinejad emphasized the benefits of
neutrality. IRNA reported Ahmadinejad as telling Aliyev that “national
resolve on the part of the two nations to develop cooperation would
neutralize the conspiracy of the enemy to sabotage Tehran-Baku
relations.”

Aliyev was generally tight-lipped about his discussions with
Ahmadinejad. The Azerbaijani president’s press service told journalists
only that Aliyev welcomed the Iranian proposal to explore closer
energy ties, while stressing “the importance of historical links”
between Azerbaijan and its southern neighbor. At an ECO-related news
conference, Aliyev indicated that he backed a negotiated solution to
the Iranian nuclear crisis. “All issues that are provoking concern
should be resolved peacefully, in the spirit of talks, to maintain
the fragile stability in our region” Aliyev said.

The Aliyev administration’s position is buttressed by widespread public
opposition among Azerbaijanis to US policy toward Iran. “All recent
surveys conducted in Azerbaijan show the raise of anti-American moods
in Azerbaijani society,” said Arif Yunusov, head of the Conflict
Prevention Department at the Baku-based Institute for Peace and
Democracy.

The ECO summit — bringing together representatives of 10 states
in the Caspian Basin, as well as Central and South Asia — examined
several regional issues, including Caspian Basin energy exports, and
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Aliyev expressed hope that ECO could
help break the existing stalemate in Karabakh peace talks. He also
asserted that Kazakhstani participation in the BTC pipeline was not
needed to fill the export route to capacity. Aliyev said Azerbaijan
would export upwards of 50 million tons of oil via BTC by 2008,
the APA news agency reported.

Editor’s Note: Shain Abbasov and Khadija Ismayilova are freelance
journalists based in Baku

New Fragments Of Bodies Found

NEW FRAGMENTS OF BODIES FOUND

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 19:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A search group found two fragments of bodies
presumably belonging to crash victims in the water area of a resort
station in Adler, a source in the search headquarters reported. A
plane wreck was also found in the same area. The source said the
human remains were found 250-320 meter off the shore.

Presently a boat was sent to the site to get them out of the water
and convey to the shore, reported Interfax-South.

Estonian President Sends Condolences To Armenia

ESTONIAN PRESIDENT SENDS CONDOLENCES TO ARMENIA

Baltic News Service
May 3, 2006 Wednesday 3:07 PM EET

Tallinn

Estonian President Arnold Ruutel has sent a message of condolences
to Armenian President Robert Kocharian in connection with the crash
of an Armenian passenger aircraft.

Ruutel expressed condolences on behalf of himself and the Estonian
people in connection with the accident above the Black Sea.

“It was with a feeling of deep sorrow that I received the news of the
dreadful accident with the Armenian passenger aircraft, in which more
than a hundred peopl lost their lives. I wish you and your people
strength to overcome this severe tragedy,” Ruutel said his message
of condolences.

An Airbus 320 of the Armenian aviation company Armavia en route from
Yerevan to Adler disappeared from radar screens at 2:15 local time
near Sochi.

According to foreign news agencies there were 85 Armenian, 25 Russian,
one Georgian and one Ukrainian citizen on board the plane.

All the 113 people were killed in the accident.

A representative of Armavia said that the technical condition of the
aircraft had been ideal and the crew well trained.

Referring to heavy rain, the airfield at first denied the aircraft
permission to land, but then changed its decision. The aircraft
attempted emergency landing in the airfield but fell into the sea
at a very sharp angle. The body of the aircraft lies at the depth of
about 300 meters.

Hovhannes Hovhannisian: Karabakh Problem Can Become Adjunct Of Irani

HOVHANNES HOVHANNISIAN: KARABAKH PROBLEM CAN BECOME ADJUNCT OF IRANIAN ONE

Noyan Tapan
May 02 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The settlement of the Karabakh problem
can become an adjunct of the Iranian nuclear problem. Chairman of
the Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia Hovhannes Hovhannisian
expressed such an opinion at the May 2 meeting at the Hayeli
(Mirror) club. According to him, it is the first time in the
whole process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement when U.S. tries to
find personal solutions. “The activity of U.S. during the recent
year shows that U.S. makes an attempt to speed up the process of
settlement,” the speaker mentioned. According to Hovhannisian, the
“Iranian dossier” served as a spur for the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem. According to the speaker, the programs of Armenia’s
and Azerbaijan’s neighbor Iran on creating nuclear weapons indeed
pose a serious danger for the world. Hovhannes Hovhannisian said
that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent visit to U.S. and
his meeting with President of that country George Bush show that
U.S. tries to make Azerbaijan a country of the international class,
which will have its influence on the world processes. According to the
speaker, millions of Azeris living in Iran, as well as Azerbaijan’s
own and transit energy resources are a trump for Azerbaijan.

Director General Of Political Affairs Of The Council Of Europe MrJea

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE MR JEAN-LOUIS LAURENS VISITS ARMENIA

Lragir.am
03 May 06

On 4 May, Director General of Political Affairs of the Council of
Europe Mr Jean-Louis Laurens will pay official visit to Armenia.

The visit is organised in the context of celebrating the fifth
anniversary of Armenia’s membership in the Council of Europe. On
this occasion Mr Laurens will address the “Armenia and the Council
of Europe: Five Years of Membership” conference, which will take
place in Yerevan, on 5 May. On the sidelines of the conference,
Mr Laurens will have meetings with RA Foreign Minister Mr Vardan
Oskanian, RA Parliament Speaker Mr Arthur Baghdasaryan, RA Human
Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan and other high-ranking officials
as well as representatives of international organisations.

On 6 May, Mr Laurens will participate in the opening ceremony of the
Yerevan School of Political Studies (YSPS) academic year 2006 and
will deliver the first lecture for the new YSPS students.