Author: Varosian Antranik

ANOTHER BATCH OF RF MIL HARDWARE REACHES GEORGIA-ARMENIA BORDER
Author: À.Mammadov

TREND, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006

(Itar-Tass) – A convoy of 15 wheeled military vehicles and six guns
withdrawn from the Russian military base in Georgia’ s Akhalkalaki
reached the Georgian-Armenian border on Thursday. The convoy will
keep on its way to the Russian military base in Gyumri after passing
the corresponding border and customs procedures, a source in the
headquarters of the Akhalkalaki base told Itar-Tass.

A train that is carrying 40 vehicles and some property from the Russian
military base in Batumi, western Georgia, left the city, a source in
the headquarters of the Russian Troops in the Transcaucasia said. The
train will pass 470 kilometers in Georgia and is expected to cross
the Georgian-Armenian border on Thursday afternoon, reports Trend.

Under the Georgian-Russian agreements the withdrawal of the Russian
military base from Batumi should be completed by the end of 2008. The
Russian base in Akhalkalaki should be closed by the end of 2007. Most
military hardware and weapons will be supplied to Russia; the remaining
part will be transferred to the Russian base in Armenia.

–Boundary_(ID_EWhou/LwlbRIH9D35Nc3Sw)–

THEY REMEMBERED ABOUT THE FRONTIER VILLAGES

A1+
[05:41 pm] 08 June, 2006

Our authorities finally realized that the economic growth is only
obvious in Yerevan. It is necessary to promote the economic growth
of rural areas as well in order to provide compete development of
the country.

The 3rd Armenia-Diaspora Summit which will be held on 18 – 20 September
will serve this aim. The agenda of the summit will be the economic
promotion of the rural regions.

Today Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian informed that first of all they
want to assist the frontier villages the number of which is about 150.

“A question will be aroused – to reconstruct the substructures of
the rural areas, to contribute to their economic development and to
create conditions for decent life and work in rural areas with the
joint efforts and contribution of the RA Government, business circles,
Diaspora, and many international organizations.”

By the way, this idea probably occurred to our authorities
after international organizations became interested in RA rural
territories. The interest of foreigners towards Armenia made our
officialdom reconsider their own approach to the economic growth and
the terrible state of Armenian villages.

The date of the summit will coincide with the 15th anniversary of the
RA Independence. In Oskanian’s opinion serious work was implemented
in order to strengthen the Armenia-Diaspora relations.

“Armenia-Diaspora Summit is a serious institutional structure,”
announced Vartan Oskanian in today’s press release and connected it
with the festival “One nation, one culture” Pan Armenian games, and
the festival “Golden Apricot.” Two forums will be held during the
summit; economic, organized by the Ministry of Trade and Economic
Development and agro-forum, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Vartan Oskanian presented the program; the plenary session will
be convened on the first day of the summit, on September 18 during
which the Presidents of RA and NKR, the Catholicos of all Armenians
will deliver speeches. The key issues of the next day meeting will
be related to the Armenian rural areas.

The participation of the summit is free but the participants must
place their orders in advance.

EXPERT ON SPECIAL NEEDS RIVETS AUDIENCE AT ARMENIAN SYMPOSIUM

Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
Reuters, UK
June 6 2006

‘No matter what the severity of their disability’ every special
needs child has the right to develop to their maximum potential,
was the revolutionary message delivered by a Russian specialist to
a largely East European audience at the international symposium on
Child Protection organized by World Vision in Armenia last week.

The speech was inspiring for the 170 experts, educators, students,
directors of special needs schools and program staff presented in
cooperation with USAID and UNICEF, said Mary Ellen Chatwin, the MEER
child development and protection advisor.

‘For the officials and specialists at this conference, it was an
incredible message giving them the authority to be creative and
flexible, to think and act more humanely, coming from one of the best
references in the world,’ said Chatwin.

The address was by Nikolay N. Malofeev, a specialist in hearing and
speech disabilities. Malofeev is the Director of the Special Education
Research Institute,, Russian Academy of Education as well as Member
of the Council of Disabled Person’s Affairs under the supervision of
the President of the Russian Federation. He is a respected specialist
known in the US, said Chatwin.

Malofeev astonished everyone with a story of seeing Braille playing
cards in Switzerland, and asking why, said Chatwin. ‘We only help
kids who are blind to function, and never think of them as having
fun!’ he told the gathering.

‘The old Soviet approach was a variation on ‘arbeit macht frei’
(work brings freedom),’ said Chatwin, referring to a slogan above the
gates of the Auschwitz concentration camps during World War Two. ‘It
was all geared towards an individual’s possibility to contribute to
the society at large, especially economically.

‘The Soviet system didn’t want parents taking much time to deal with
children with disabilities. Lots of institutions kept children out
of the way and let the parents get back to work. The children were
taught ‘functional’ things like making baskets,’ she said. Malofeev
knew that system well, yet has moved ahead dramatically into modern
therapies. He told his audience to work for the child’s maximum level
of development and make children’s rights and the family the twin
cornerstones of all special needs programming.

Malofeev’s theories of total respect for children’s needs and rights
are new in Eastern Europe, and especially the former Soviet countries,
where the enduring Soviet era term of ‘defectology,’ is still used as
the name of the science of ‘special needs’, said Chatwin. He exhorted
his audience to modernize the educational approaches for children
with disabilities.

‘He was adamant about keeping children with their families and teaching
the parents techniques, training them as early as possible in ways
to create a good learning and development environment for a child
with special needs, Early detection and intervention of special need
is the key to Malofeev’s work”, said Chatwin. He is the editor of a
world-famous Russian journal, and pioneers special needs publications
on the Institute website.

KARABAKH SETTLEMENT MEDIATORS TO WORK WITHOUT CHANGES

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.06.2006 17:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ No changes in the OSCE MG mission for settlement of
the Karabakh conflict are foreseen due to replacement of Steven Mann,
acting Spokesperson of the Armenian MFA Vladimir Karapetyan told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, the mediators will continue
their work, as before. We remind that the US has replaced Ambassador
Steven Mann, appointing him Deputy Assistant State Secretary for
Central and South Asia.

VICTOR DALLAKYAN IS NOT GOING TO WORK AS BUTTON

Lragir.am
03 June 06

Member of Parliament Victor Dallakyan, Ardarutiun, assures that the
Security Council of Armenia has not been operating since 1997 and it
is hard to tell where the problems of security of Armenia are solved,
in `casinos or saunas’ .

Victor Dallakyan criticized the current policy on national security by
citations from the conception of national security of this
government. `Among internal threats the imperfection or failure of the
government system, corruption, public mistrust in the government are
mentioned. The government is to blame for these vices, and one of the
major threats for the Republic of Armenia is an illegitimate
government. This is a confession that there is no national security,’
says Victor Dallakyan.

He thinks that Armenia should have friendly and mutually beneficial
relations with its neighbors, and the three South Caucasian countries
musthave an integrated system of security. Two out of these three,
Georgia and Azerbaijan are craving for appearing in NATO, Armenia is
for a close and individual partnership with NATO. `95 percent of the
energy sector was given to another country. This is a problem related
with our security and independence,’ says Victor Dallakyan. He says in
the recent 15 days the citizens of Armenia have lost 26 million
dollars as a result of dram-dollar exchange games. Economists have
calculated that in the same game `the government annually robs people
of 300 million dollars.’ More figures: the minimum consumer basket is
28 thousand drams, whereas 530 thousand pensioners in Armenia get an
average retirement benefit of 10 thousand drams a month, and 170
thousand people receive an average monthly benefit of 7000 drams.

`80 percent of the population is poor, 40 percent is malnourished,60
percent do not see the doctor because they have no money, birth rate
has halved against 1991, 700 thousand young people are unemployed,
forests are destroyed ` under the auspices’ of officials and generals,
migration rates aresoaring, and Armenia is facing a demographic
disaster. The income of the poorest class is 26 percent times less
than the income of the poor class, and the richest class possesses 95
percent of the country’s wealth. There is a grave social polarization
in Armenia.’ It is not clear yet how Victor Dallakyanwill contribute
to the struggle against these problems, but after stating thesefigures
he announced, `I am not going to work as a button at the National
Assembly.’

The Sweet Science
June 2 2006

Aussies! Vic Darchinyan Defends Title
by David A. Avila

Flyweights are the smallest of guys in the world of boxing at 112
pounds and less, but inside the ring they can dazzle with their
speed. Sometimes a guy like Australia’s Vic Darchinyan emerges with
his knockout power and sparks the division.

Get ready to be sparked.

Darchinyan, the IBF flyweight titleholder, makes his fourth defense
of the belt he captured against Irene Pacheco, a tall flyweight out
of Colombia who defended it six times before running into the Aussie
buzzsaw. Darchinyan meets Mexico’s Luis Maldonado (33-0-1, 25 KOs) at
the Thomas and Mack Center on Saturday. It will be televised on
Showtime.

It’s been three years since an opponent lasted all 12 rounds with
Darchinyan. He likes it that way.

`It is very important to me to win by knockout,’ said Darchinyan
(25-0, 20 KOs) who is also known as `Raging Bull.’

See, it’s the knockouts that get you noticed in the flyweight
division. Not since Ricardo `Finito’ Lopez has someone grabbed the
attention of the casual boxing viewer. He did it with his surprising
knockout power.

Darchinyan knows this.

`I am looking forward to this fight Luis Maldonado. He is a good,
strong fighter,’ said Darchinyan, who is trained by the former Aussie
great Jeff Fenech. `It is a very good opportunity for me. I have won
a lot of my fights since winning the title by knockout.’

Knockouts are his choice. He also wants to meet other titleholders
like Jorge Arce who reigns supreme in the 112-pound class with his
ability to end a fight by sudden knockout.

A proposed matchup with Arce was shrugged off by the popular Mexican
prizefighter.

`I’m going up in weight,’ said Arce last month, who has struggled to
make weight the last several fights. `There are a lot of good
fighters I can meet at junior bantamweight like Martin Castillo and
Jose Navarro.’

Darchinyan was disappointed but might go up to a heavier weight class
too.

`I was very unhappy. Maybe he (Arce) didn’t want to lose his belt. I
am looking forward to fighting all champions,’ Darchinyan said. `I am
ready for super flyweight (115 pounds), I am ready for bantamweight
(118 pounds) and I am ready for super bantamweights (122 pounds).’

One thing he knows, knockout victories are the key to success.

`If you can show your power, people really love you,’ said the
Armenian boxer. `That is why I want to show my power.’

Flyweights are some of the quickest and slickest prizefighters in the
sport, but even without Arce, the weight class has some pretty
exceptional boxers like WBO flyweight Ivan `Iron Boy’ Calderon,
Lorenzo Parra, Omar Narvaez, and Giovanni Segura.

Panorama.am

20:15 01/06/06

ENTERPRISES HANDED OVER TO RUSSIANS MUST BE NATIONALIZED

`We behave like a younger brother in front of Russia. We are always
embaraced. There is a tendency to kill Armenians in Russia now,’ the
leader of People’s Party Tigran Karapetyan told a debate today,
speaking about murder of Armenians in Russia. In his opinion Ara
Abrahamyan does not take necessary steps in that direction and does
not use his contacts with Putin and Russian elite. Therefore, the
issue must be solved between the presidents and officials from Armenia
must participate in the investigation process, Karapetyan
thinks./Panorama.am/

BELARUS TO HOST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE WITH RUSSIA IN JUNE

Belapan news agency, Minsk
1 Jun 06

Minsk, 1 June: For the first time the [Belarusian-Russian] Union
Shield-2006 command-post exercise involving the command bodies of
the 20th Army of the Moscow Military District [to be held in Belarus
on 17-25 June] “will test the functioning of not only the command
structures of the regional military group of the two countries but will
also assess its efficiency and viability. This, in turn, will allow
us to set development priorities in view of modern warfare methods
and cutting-edge information technologies,” Lt-Gen Syarhey Hurulyow,
chief of the armed forces’ General Staff and first deputy minister
of defence, said at a news conference in Minsk today.

He said the main goal of the exercise, which will be held in Belarus
on 17-25 June, will include “the assessment of the capability of
command bodies of units of the Belarusian and Russian armed forces
to fulfil tasks dealing with the union state’s armed defence within
the framework of the regional group of forces”.

[Passage omitted: minor details]

About 8,800 servicemen, including about 7,000 Belarusians and 1,800
Russians will participate in the manoeuvres along with more than 40
tanks, about 180 armoured combat vehicles, more than 40 artillery
pieces, 30 multiple fire rocket systems, six helicopters and 23
military planes from Belarus, and six helicopters and 13 military
planes from Russia.

The exercise’s practical stage will be held at three ranges of the
Belarusian armed forces in Brest and Hrodna regions. Representatives
of more than 40 states will be invited to observe the exercise.

Hurulyow said that the observation of the exercise’s active phase
by the heads of member states of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization [CSTO, member states are Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus,
Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan] and by the [CSTO] defence ministers
and the secretaries of security councils at the Abuz-Lyasnowski range
on 24 June is being considered at present.

About 1.9m dollars will be allocated for the manoeuvres by both sides
in proportion to their involvement.

MEMORIAL COMPLEX PERPETUATING MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF ARTSAKH STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE OPENED IN ASHTARAK

Noyan Tapan
Jun 1 2006

ASHTARAK, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Opening of the memorial complex
perpetuating memory of heros perished in the Artsakh struggle for
existence took place in Ashtarak. It was built on the initiative
and by the financial resources of the Mayor’s Office. As Mayor Gagik
Tamazian informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, as there is already a
water pipe towards the memorial complex, works of planting of greenery
will start in the territory soon. The Mayor’s office will take care of
the future issues of care and keeping of the memorial complex as well.

ARMENIAN LEADER AND WB REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSSED IMPLEMENTATION OF JOINT PROGRAMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.05.2006 18:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with
World Bank Country Director for Europe, Central Asia and South Caucasus
Donna Dowsett-Coirolo and WB Yerevan Office Director Roger Robinson,
reports the Press Service of the Armenian leader. During the meeting
the parties appreciated the process of implementation and results of
joint programs. Dowsett-Coirolo informed that Armenia is leading in the
World Bank rating on implementation of WB programs and steps undertaken
to improve business and investment atmosphere. Expressing satisfaction
with that fact, the President stated that the republic will not stop on
what is achieved and the process of reforms will continue. The matter
of struggle against corruption was also discussed. The Armenian leader
informed that process of reforms in the judicial and legal sphere
has been launched and Armenia expects consultative assistance from
the WB in that respect.