ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DISMISSES JUSTICE MINISTRY OFFICIAL
Arminfo, Yerevan
29 Jun 06
Yerevan, 29 June: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has signed a
decree dismissing Samvel Ovannesyan from his post as head of the
criminal execution department of the Armenian Justice Ministry,
the presidential press service has told Arminfo.
"GAREGIN NZHDEH" MEMORIAL MEDAL GIVEN TO SERGE SARGSIAN
Noyan Tapan
Jul 6 2006
GORIS, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Serge Sargsian, RA Defence Minister,
President of the Chess Federation of Armenia and the members of
the men national team of Armenia, the champions of the World Chess
Championship of Turin visited Syunik on July 4.
During the solemn event held in the theater hall of Goris, Surik
Khachatrian, Regional Governor of Syunik marz, awarded memorial
medals and letters of thanks to Karen Asrian, Vladimir Hakobian,
Gabriel Sargsian, Artashes Minasian, Tigran Nalbandian and Smbat
Lputian. S.Khachatrian handed a "Garegin Nzhdeh" memorial medal to
Serge Sargsian.
ARMENIANS BROKE CEASE-FIRE FOR 160 TIMES IN THE CONTACT FRONT LINES OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Armenians violated the cease-fire for160 times in the contact front
lines of Azerbaijani and Armenian Armed Forces in the past 6 months.
According to the results of APA’s monitoring held on the basis
of information confirmed by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the
cease-fire was violated for eleven times (twice in Fizuli, six times
in Aghdam and three times in Terter) in different part of the front
in June this year.
OSCE monitored the contact line of troops (Terter, Agdam) twice in
June. The monitoring did not suffer any incident.
The cease-fire was violated in April most of all and least of all in
January, May and June. The Azerbaijani Army positions and dwelling
houses were fired on by Armenian Armed Forces ten times in January,
14 in February, 50 in March, 65 in April, 10 in July and 11 times
in June. The cease-fire was often broken in the state border of
Azerbaijan-Mazam, Gizilhajili, Baljafarli and Baganis Ayrim villages
of Gazakh region; Hasangaya, Chayli, Jerabert, Gapanli villages of
Terter ;Bash Garvand, Orta Gishlag, Gulchuluk farm of Agdam region
and Ashagi Seyidahmadli and Ashaghi Andurrahmanli villages in Fuzuli.
Azerbaijani army forces’ 34 servicemen and one civilian having military
men status were killed and 11 were wounded due to the enemy’s bullets
and other reasons in the past six months. Four of them were killed in
a fire, six due to misuse of service gun, nine in car accident, two
committed suicide, two in snow-slide, one was hit by thunderstorm and
11 were killed by the enemy. As coming to the wounded, nine of them
were shot at by the enemy, one hit by a mine and one misused service
gun. Seven of the killed were officers, two ensigns, one sergeant and
the rest 24 were soldiers. 14 of them died outside the battle fields.
Azerbaijani Armed Forces lost 11 servicemen in January, 2 in February,
5 in March, 6 in April, 3 in May and 5 in June. Two of the killed
served for the Border Troops and the rest in the military units of
the Defense Ministry.
BAKU’S BELLIGERENT STATEMENTS INTENDED FOR DOMESTIC AUDIENCE – NKR DM
Yerkir.am
July 01, 2006
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs should communicate with the presidents of
Armenia, Azerrbaijan as well as the president of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic, NKR Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian has told journalists.
He has added that the co-chairs should resume the talks process to find
a peaceful solution to the conflict. He also said that the conflict
cannot be solved through using force. "It has been solved through force
once in 1994," he said, adding that the meetings of the presidents
indicates Azerbaijan has no intention to conduct negotiations.
Commenting on Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev’s statement
that ‘ Armenians are scared of war,’ Ohanian said, "Armenians are
not scared of war; beginning from 1988 and up to the present, we have
such a defense system that are fully confident of our capabilities."
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 30 2006
GREAT EIGHT UNDERSCORED KARABAKH CONFLICT PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT’S BASIC
PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE RAPIDLY COORDINATED
The great eight urged RA and AR to elaborate the Karabakh conflict
settlement’s principles to achieve it current year, the statement of
the great eight’s Chair circulated on the outcomes of the FMs’
meeting runs.
`We underscored the basic principles of the conflict’s peaceful
settlement should be rapidly coordinated to achieve it in 2006. We
urge Azerbaijan and Armenia to display political will and achieve
agreement on the issue current year, as well as to prepare their
nations for peace, not for a war’, the statement says, RIA Novosti reports.
Leicester Mercury, UK
June 29, 2006 Thursday
Gripping end to a traumatic day
Philharmonia Orchestra, with conductor Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos
That this concert took place at all demonstrates the generosity of
the region’s musicians.
They stepped in when the Philharmonia lorry containing instruments,
music and concert dress was impounded near to King’s Cross, in
London, following a nearby fire.
Armenian-born violinist Sergey Khachatryan was the soloist in
Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor.
A haunting, dark Nocturne, leads to an angular Scherzo, then to a
sometimes romantic Passacaglia, finishing with a challenging solo
cadenza and rondo finale in Burlesque style. Khachatryan transfixed
the listener with his total envelopment in the music.
Part of me wished the work had ended with that solo cadenza, leaving
the memory of such gifted playing.
Mahler’s Symphony No 1 was originally written as a tone poem
depicting the life of an abstract hero.
A slow movement is followed by a strong, recurring, melodic theme.
The interesting juxtaposition of the children’s theme Frère Jacques
used as a funeral march explodes into a brassy finale with the whole
orchestra rising to the final challenges of this complex and exciting
piece.
The trauma of the day was invisible in an exhilarating and gripping
performance throughout.
THE PRINCIPLES OFFERED ARE NOT REALISTIC
Karine Asatryan
A1+
[01:19 pm] 30 June, 2006
"We can’t claim that the negotiations within the framework of the Minks
group are over after the famous statement", said Stepan Demirchyan, the
member of the Armenian delegation to PACE. He reminded about the last
part of the statement which says that "the co-chairs will be ready to
participate in the process again if the sides really decide to continue
the negotiations with political will which has been absent by now".
At the same time Mr. Demirchyan does not consider the principles
stated by the co-chairs realistic, namely those about the removal
of the Armenian armed forces from the areas near Karabakh, about the
referendum in Karabakh in order to decide its status, etc.
"Karabakh must become a negotiating side. The settlement of the
conflict without the participation of Karabakh is not realistic",
the leader of the "Justice" bloc mentioned. According to him, Armenia
should not have replaced Karabakh in the negotiation process. "Armenia
must be the guarantee of security for Karabakh, but we must not
replace them".
Neither does Stepan Demirchyan consider the re-launching of war
realistic, despite the fact that one of the Azeri delegates, Pashaeva,
mentioned that war is probable if the OSCE Minsk group has no other
options. She promised to comment on the statement of the co-chairs
after consulting it with the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan.
By the way, asked the question if the CoE can have influence on the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict Mr. Demirchyan said, "I don’t think
so. The Minsk group has been engaged in the issue for quite a while.
I don’t think CoE will replace OSCE in this issue".
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF ARTSAKH TOURS YEREVAN
By Tamar Minasian
AZG Armenian Daily
29/06/2006
"One Nation, One Culture" All-Armenian Cultural Festival dedicated
the evening of June 27 to classical music. The chamber orchestra
of Artsakh headed by conductor Gevorg Muradian performed Komitas,
Vividly and Bach at "Aram Khachaturian" concert hall.
Before their trip to Yerevan the chamber orchestra with the assistance
of Archbishop Pargev Martirosian, head of Artsakh diocese, made a
pilgrimage to Martakert dedicated to John the Baptist and afterwards
toured to Berdzor. Gevorg Muradian promised to perform a few concerts
a year in Berdzor.
Founded in September 2004, the orchestra enjoys the support of the
Armenian General Benevolent Union. AGBU not only grants financial
support to its members but also cares for public utilities of those
musicians who moved to Artsakh from Yerevan. Yet, the chamber orchestra
is enrolling Artsakhi musicians with every day.
ARMENIANS CELEBRATE CULTURE, TRADITION
By Janine Anderson
Journal Times Online, WI
June 25 2006
CALEDONIA – Since 1938, Racine’s Armenian community has gathered
together for the St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church’s annual picnic
to celebrate the culture they have in common.
Early Sunday morning, church members came to Johnson Park to dig a
pit and build a fire, over which they cooked beef stew and bulgar
wheat. The "Madagh," or offering, can be traced back to Abraham.
Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son to God, but God told him to
spare the boy and sacrifice a ram instead. The Madagh is an expression
of love, faith and gratitude which St. Hagop’s shares with its members
and guests. Once the stew and bulgar is cooked, families bring smaller
pots and take the stew back to their eating area.
"That’s how the picnic starts," said Zohrab Kaligian, chairman of the
picnic committee. "People start to come with their pots and pans to
get their stew."
When people came Sunday, there were families from far-flung places
like Boston, Washington and California. The annual picnic is a time
when people who have left Racine often come back to be a part of the
community again.
Here they can enjoy sarma (stuffed grape leaves), shishkabob,
Armenian pastries, and penelee (deep-fried cheese puffs). Every
Armenian community has a pastry stuffed with cheese, Kaligian said,
but the penelee are hard to find unless you are in Racine.
Women from the church spent Father’s Day making more than 1,600
penelee. Younger men and women took their turns over the deep fryers
Sunday, cooking for the people who lined up to place orders.
"We’re doing our best to pass that on," Kaligian said. "The little
old ladies aren’t going to be around forever. We’ve got to pass it on,
generation to generation."
The band that provided music from 2 to 6 p.m. is also committed to
passing on the Armenian folk music tradition. Members of The Mid-East
Beat have been playing together since the early 1980s. Vahan Kamalian
plays the oud, a fretless stringed instrument with a rounded back. He
started playing when he was 15; the instruments were not available in
music stores, and his grandmother helped find one overseas. He and
the other members of the group taught themselves to play, listening
to old records and playing together.
"We just love the music and want to keep the tradition going of the
music and pass it on to future generations," Kamalian said. "It’s
soulful, melodic and driven, perfect for the kinds of dancing they do."
The Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, prelate of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of America, oversees Armenian churches in the eastern half of
the United States. He was in Racine Sunday for his eighth St. Hagop
celebration. He said the Armenian church and culture are tied together
incredibly closely.
"The Armenian church officially is the oldest (national) church in
the world," he said. "We embraced Christianity in 301. It’s like
a mother for our nation. Through the church the literature, music,
art, architectures, all these cultures were kept through church. The
church and nation can’t separate."
Armenians immigrated to the United States in the first quarter of
the 20th century, Choloyan said, after Ottoman Turks killed about
1.5 million of them and drove many others into the Syrian desert.
"Wherever we established, we immediately built a church," Choloyan
said. "They kept the church alive and the church kept them alive."
Choloyan loves to come to Racine’s picnic, where the sense of community
runs deep. He said if he had been given a choice as a young man, where
he would be a priest, he would have picked Racine, and now, if he
were given a choice on where to retire, his answer would be the same.
"I love these people," he said. "You find the true American spirit
here in the countryside. It’s simple, lovely, caring. You see the
closeness. This is the America I know."
RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS MIGHT BE SENT INTO NAGORNO-KARABAKH
by Sergei Bekirov
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
Source: Rossiiskie Vesti, No. 23, June 22, 2006, p. 6
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
June 26, 2006 Monday
BREAKING THE DEADLOCK;
Azerbaijan is a promising partner for Russia; It’s no secret that
relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia remain strained due to the
protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nagorno-Karabakh is called a
"frozen conflict." If that is the case, a question arises: what might
happen after it’s "unfrozen"? Another war?
The complexity of intra-CIS relations was vividly demonstrated at
the latest meeting of CIS defense ministers in Baku, Azerbaijan. The
Armenian defense minister stayed away because Azeri authorities
refused to guarantee his personal safety.
It’s no secret that relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia remain
strained due to the protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This
problem isn’t being resolved, despite measures taken by various
international negotiation mechanisms. Nagorno-Karabakh is called a
"frozen conflict." If that is the case, a question arises: what
might happen after it’s "unfrozen"? Another war? But geopolitical
circumstances have changed since the last war, and if Nagorno-Karabakh
flares up again now, it might further destabilize the situation in
the Greater Middle East region, which the West defines as including
the former Soviet republics of the Trans-Caucasus. Therefore, no
expression of readiness to take part in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
resolution passes unnoticed.
This applies to a recent statement from Russian Deputy Prime Minister
and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, made at a news conference in Baku:
"I don’t rule out the possibility that in the foreseeable future, our
peacekeeping forces may be sent into the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
zone to carry out all the political agreements that will be reached
sooner or later."
"A ‘neither one thing nor the other’ situation cannot last forever,"
said Ivanov.
Clearly, the decision to send in peacekeepers would primarily depend on
the two sides involved in the conflict: namely, the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic and Azerbaijan. However, it is undeniably Russia that has
attempted to break the deadlock, with this proposal.
This "push" has been met with approval in Azerbaijan and alarm
in Armenia.
>>From Baku’s perspective, the deployment of peacekeeping contingents
would open up the prospect of liberating the Azeri districts which are
presently controlled by Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR). But the most important aspect here is that for the
first time in many years, Moscow is taking a constructive approach and
supplementing the efforts of other Minsk Group c-chairs. Presumably,
Russia and its Western partners have made some significant decisions
about the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. To all appearances, Russian
keepers might be deployed in the conflict zone beneath the OSCE flag
and under OSCE command; moreover, most of the contingent would be
made up of military personnel from NATO member states. These issues
were considered in the process of preparing a step-by-step conflict
resolution plan in the mid-1990s, and the principal points were
discussed at the OSCE’s Budapest summit. It isn’t very appropriate
to draw parallels with the situation in Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
or the Trans-Dniester region. The Nagorno-Karabakh proposal bears a
greater resemblance to Russian participation in the Bosnia and Kosovo
peacekeeping forces.
Thus, geopolitical processes in the South Caucasus are developing
some new directions. It’s worth noting that Nagorno-Karabakh marked
the start of the USSR’s disintegration process and the emergence of
hot-spots across the former Soviet Union. At the time, the influence
of external forces was clearly aimed at undermining the situation
in this region, and Russia subsequently had to to "lock" quarreling
entities together, while distancing itself from conflict zones.
Nowadays, much has changed. Russia and the West are establishing
a substantial dialogue with regard to conflict resolution in the
former Soviet Union. On the other hand, the South Caucasus is
being increasingly drawn into processes in the Middle East. For
example, political processes in Iran now have a direct impact on the
Armenian-Azeri conflict. As Azeri awareness grows and the ethnic Azeri
component of Iranian politics becomes stronger, this will certainly
make the regional geopolitical situation worse for Armenia.
Moreover, given that Russian troops are being withdrawn from Georgia,
the Armenian government’s position becomes even more vulnerable from
the geopolitical standpoint.
As for Azerbaijan, it seems to be a promising partner for Russia.
Baku maintains the most balanced and moderate position within GUAM.
At a press conference after GUAM’s Kiev summit, Azeri President
Ilkham Aliyev indicated directly that in his view, the GUAM project
is not aimed against any other country. That was a veiled reply to
those who are trying to intensify an anti-Russian tendency within
GUAM. Aliyev’s stance is understandable: unlike Ukraine, Moldova,
and Georgia, which are closer to Europe and have direct contacts with
it, Azerbaijan is surrounded by Russia, Iran, and Armenia. Geography
itself requires Azerbaijan to be cautious. All the same, it should
not be forgotten that Azerbaijan’s sole truly strategic ally – Turkey
– is an influential NATO member and European Union candidate. The
aim of ensuring security and development for Azerbaijan prompt an
analogous choice. Baku’s movement toward NATO and the EU could be
rapid or relatively slow, depending on the situation. Incidentally,
Turkey doesn’t even object, in principle, to the prospect of Armenia
joining NATO. How would Yerevan react to a new situation in the
conflict zone, with the West no longer prepared to give unconditional
support to Armenia’s Nagorno-Karabakh claims? So far, the reaction
has been cautiously hostile: while ignoring the Baku summit, Armenia
has been transferring a great quantity of arms and military hardware
to Nagorno-Karabakh.