Author: Vasilian Manouk

HERMAN GOLDS: RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS A STRUGGLE BETWEEN TRUTH AND FORGERY

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2006 14:41

“The issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not a battle
between Armenia and Turkey, but a struggle between truth and forgery,”
Professor of the German Research Center after Lepsius Herman Golds
told in his interview to ” Armenpress” correspondent. In his words,
the interest of Armenians in this issue is an all-human interest,
the demand of Armenians obtains a universal support.

Golds was in Armenia to participate in the third sitting of the
international commission of genocide experts held 17-19 May in Yerevan,
during which the experts were studying the documents through which
an application on recognition of the Armenian Genocide and calling
Turkey to responsibility will be submitted to the International Court
of Human Rights.

According to the German scientist, this way the aim of the resolution
of the issue is justified, but the commission of experts should be
expanded into and international one and should comprise lawyers from
different countries of the world including Turkey. “There are people
in this country who back the truth,” he noted.

According to Herman Golds’s assessment, there are good chances to
win the case. He considers that the issue should be brought to the
Court not by the Armenian side, but by the commission of scientists.

“This is not an Armenian issue only, but an international one. It is
not only the Armenian government that should be interested in this
issue, but the whole international community,” he said.

BLACK SEA CRASH PLANE BLACK BOXES MAY NOT BE FOUND – MINISTER

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 19 2006

MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s transport minister admitted
Friday that the flight recorders from an Armenian airliner that
crashed May 3 off Russia’s Black Sea coast may never be found.

“In crashes like this there is the probability that the black boxes
will not be found,” Igor Levitin said.

Levitin said experts with deep-sea equipment were combing an area of
20 square meters where signals from the radio beacons on the black
boxes had been detected, but admitted that the beacons could have
become detached on impact.

All 113 people on board died when an Airbus A-320 operated by Armenia’s
Armavia flying from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, came down in stormy
weather six kilometers (3.7 miles) from Adler airport, which services
the popular Russian resort of Sochi.

17 PEOPLE DIED IN ARMENIA IN 2005 IN CONSEQUENCE OF BREAKING LABOUR SECURITY NORMS

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Because of breaking labour security
norms, in consequence of 73 labour accident in 2005, 75 people got
different types of body injuries and temporarily became invalid. The
last index reduced by 11.8% compared with 2004. According to data
of the RA National Statistical Service, specific weight of those
injuries made 0.7 on account of 1000 employees. 9 people or 12%
among those injured are women. In consequence of breaking the labour
security norms, 23.6% of those injured or 17 people died (1 of them
is a woman). The biggest number, 35 cases, of accident fixed in the
republic in 2005 was fixed in the marz of Syunik. In consequence
of injury connected with implementation of employees’ occupational
obligations, occupational diseases and other types of problems with
health in the republic in 2005, expenses of compensation of the done
damage made 124.7 mln drams (about 277.1 thousand U.S. dollars).

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES 598 MLN DRAMS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VOSKEPAR-BAGHANIS ROAD SECTION

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. At the May 18 sitting, the Armenian
government made a decision to allocate 598 mln drams (about 1.3
mln USD) from the 2006 RA state budget-envisaged governmental
reserve fund to the RA Ministry of Transport and Communication for
construction of Voskepar-Baghanis section of Voskepar-Noyemberian
motorway of interstate significance. According to the RA Government
Information and PR Department, the Ministry of Transport and
Communication was allowed to choose a contractor organization by
means of tender negotiations. According to another decision, 110
mln drams was allocated to the State Water Industry Committee of
the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration to implement measures
on protection of the Arax River banks from spring floods in Janfida
and Ervandashat communities of Armavir marz, up to 68 mln drams was
allocated to the Ararat regional administration for repairs of the 1.2
km Dimitrov-Araxavan road section of Araxavan community, and 12 mln
drams – for providing a subsidy to Ayntap community of Ararat marz
in order to pay the community electricity debt for pumping ground
waters from two deep wells.

GENOCIDE ARCHIVE PROJECT LAUNCHED SECOND DVD ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 19:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Genocide Archive Project, Inc. launched
its second educational DVD, titled “1915 Turkish Genocide of
the Armenians,” specifically to educate students, teachers, and
lawmakers. Hundreds of these DVD were hand-delivered to members of
the U.S. Congress during March and April of this year by the two
major Armenian advocacy groups based in Washington, D.C.

The DVD “1915 Turkish Genocide of the Armenians” consists of a powerful
documentary and survivor accounts, detailing cause, implementation,
German complicity, and aftermath of this World War I genocide. World
indifference towards this progenitor of modern state-sponsored genocide
led directly to its repetition by Nazi Germany against European Jews
and other groups.

This DVD is available to the general public, by contacting the Genocide
Archive Project via email at [email protected].

The Genocide Archive Project is a non-profit foundation dedicated
to educating the general public on genocide and related acts of mass
extermination, in particular through its unique digital archives and
wide range of academic resources.

ABOUT 30 THOUSAND HECTARES OF LAND IN ARARAT VALLEY BECOMES DESERT AS RESULT OF SALINATION

Noyan Tapan
May 16 2006

ARMAVIR, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Some lands in the Ararat Valley
remain uncultivated: about 150 ha become desert here each year. NT
correspondent was informed from Sanasar Baghdasarian, Deputy Head of
the Agriculture and Environmental Protection Department of the Armavir
regional administration that some peasants were allocated saline lands
during the privatization process, and as in 1990-1991 the drenage
system was not cleaned, a double salination occured in these areas,
as a result of which peasants are not able to cultivate the privatized
land plots. For example, the Artashar community of Armavir marz has
about 500 ha, nearly 300 ha of which are saline lands. The community
cannot convert saline lands to crop lands with its own resources,
so the area of saline land is increasing each year. The peasants
claim that the land salination process could have been prevented
if the drenage system had operated. But the drenage system has not
been operating for a long time, and no cultured plants can be grown
in these areas. According to S. Baghdasarian, desalination requires
much investment, and a necessity for state assistance has arisen. He
said that about 30 thousand ha of land in the Ararat Valley has
become desert as a result of salination. Considerable work on land
desalination was carried out in the Soviet time, and before 1990,
almost 1,500 ha of land was desalinated. However, today these lands
are again facing the treat of salination.

FLIGHT SAFETY IN ARMENIA IS ZERO

Lragir.am
16 May 06

The Ardarutiun Faction of the National Assembly has reconsidered its
three-year-old proposal to set up an ad-hoc committee to study the
situation in the aviation of Armenia, stated Tatul Manaseryan May 16.

He says after the crash of A320 near Sochi the proposal has become
more urgent. Under the current geopolitical situation aviation is not
just a means of transportation for Armenia but a key and strategic
sphere, the development of which determines the development of
the other sectors of the economy. At the same time, the civil and
military aviations guarantee the country’s security and particularly
the economic security. In the meantime, Tatul Manaseryan says the
government does not pay due attention to aviation.

“There is zero word and figure on aviation in the state budget.

An entire sphere is left out of the budget. Whereas our aviation
can supply 1.5-2 budgets,” believes Tatul Manaseryan. Probably the
lack of governmental care makes the civil aviation to think about
the secondary instead of the primary. Instead of thinking about
legislative provisions it is busy spending another grant. According
to Manaseryan, Ardarutiun consulted the veterans of the Armenian
aviation, Dmitri Atbashyan and others, worked out an air legislation,
which was disapproved by the government, and the General Department
of Civil Aviation promised to work out its own project but it has
done nothing over the past 9 months.

This is not the worst thing, however. Tatul Manaseryan believes that
aviation cannot suffer losses. He states that in Yerevan they spend
10.5 million dollars to repair 1800 meters of runway, whereas in
Dushanbe they spend 2 million on the repair of 3000 meters of runway.

“They write down exaggerated numbers to show that they allegedly suffer
losses.” This is no less concerning. If in the Soviet Union 80 percent
of passenger transportation was carried out by the Armenian aviation,
now foreign airlines hold 70 percent. The remaining 30 percent is
carried out by the Armenian Armavia which, in fact, belongs to the
Russian Siberia Airlines and does not pay profit tax to the Armenian
state budget.” The opposition member of parliament is not against
private capital, however, he insists that control and regulation must
be the monopoly of the government.

OPPOSITIONIST POLITICIAN DOES NOT DRAW PARALLELS BETWEEN ARMENIAN SPEAKER AND GEORGIAN PRESIDENT

Yerevan, May 16. ArmInfo. “The speaker of the Armenian Parliament,
Arthur Baghdasaryan, and the symbol of the rose revolution Mikhail
Sahakashvili have similar height, however, I cannot speak of other
parameters,” Vazgen Manukyan, Chairman of National Democratic Union
opposition party, said at a press conference, Tuesday.

He said M. Sahakashvili differs from his forerunner Eduard Shevardnadze
only by “more successful management of the Central Committee,” but no
real progress has been observed in democratic processes. The upcoming
days will become a strength test for “Orinats Yerkir” party led by
the speaker as “it is one thing having 60,000 party men when in power,
and it is quite another thing when in the opposition.” As regards the
refusal of the ministers representing “OY” from fulfilling the party
Board’s demand to resign, V. Manukyan said “there are so many materials
compromising Education Minister Sergo Yeritsyan and other ministers
representing ‘OY’ that they have become easy governed.” Whereas,
“Athur Baghdasaryan is a young politicians who has not received
serious blows so far, the time will show if he will become stronger
under blows or he will fail,” V. Manukyan said.

On the whole, NDU leader thinks the party’s withdrawal will stop the
activity of the political coalition as when formed, the coalition
did not envisage a two- party format. He assured journalists that
the opposition should not welcome the speaker’s resignation like
“white-emigrants” should not have welcomed the settling of political
scores with Zinovyev and Bukharin under Stalin.

HAMLET GHUSHCHYAN ADMITTED HIS MISTAKE AND APOLOGIZED TO SAMVEL BABAYAN

Lragir.am
15 May 06

After three and half years of absence Hamlet Ghushchyan returned
to Armenia to lead AR and Hayrenik channels reorganizing into Grant
Media. Hamlet Ghushchyan said he quit a well-paid job in Moscow to
come here. Hamlet Ghushchyan says we will meet on TV in September. In
the meantime, Hamlet Ghushchyan is apologizing on May 15 to Samvel
Babayan for shooting a film about him, entitled “The Lord of Hell
and Heaven” and calling him a general.

In his one-page printed repentance and the videotape of the same thing
Hamlet Ghushchyan repeats for three times that the information the film
was based on was provided by the former NKR Attorney-General Mavrik
Ghukasyan, the tax agencies and television of NKR. The information
was “false and distorted.” “We did not have much time to think. We
did not possess facts” while working on the film, which was shot in
three days. Now Samvel Babayan has given him the record # 12200800 of
his file, which is the reality, says Hamlet Ghushchyan. Ghushchyan
who called Samvel Babayan “the lord of hell and heaven” relying on
the information provided by Mavrik Ghukasyan, now does not express
any opinion on Mavrik Ghukasyan, relying on the information provided
by Samvel Babayan, he simply blames the former official. Fortunately,
Ghushchyan does not blame the old lady, a viewer, who phoned Ghushchyan
after Samvel Babayan’s arrest and demanded explanation. Of course,
Ghushchyan does not simply apologize to Samvel Babayan. He also thanks
God that Babayan “was released from prison, and justice prevailed
to some degree,” and simultaneously honors him. Ghushchyan knows
very well that Samvel Babayan was pardoned, nonetheless, he uses the
following phrases to describe him: “Behavior of a knight. I would be
colder, more indifferent. Incredible. Humane, a behavior of a general,
a soldier. I am amazed by the qualities of this man. I did not meet
him while shooting the film. Now I have met him, three times. Every
time I discovered him anew and found out something new.” At the last
meeting, Samvel Babayan stood up, shook hands with Hamlet Ghushchyan
and said he was glad to meet him. “He is not the way he appears to
be. Believe me,” says Hamlet Ghushchyan.

Currently Ghushchyan is shooting a film about Samvel Babayan, entitled
“Insight from Aside” which will show that Samvel Babayan had 4 cars
instead of 86, his wife’s jewelry cost 50 thousand dollars instead of
3 million dollars, he had 400 head of cattle instead of 20 thousand,
etc. “There will be an honest, frank word.” Accusing Mavrik Ghukasyan
for several times, he repeats for several times that the second film
is his own initiative, he was not pressed, he will cover the expenses,
for his own conscience, as well as “for the public.” Ghushchyan did
not conduct an opinion poll; he simply supposes that the society
needs a second film. In the second film, Hamlet Ghushchyan is going
to meet Mavrik Ghukasyan and ask him reproachfully – why did you give
us wrong information?

AZERI POLITICAL SCIENTISTS ABOUT RESIGNATION OF ARMENIAN SPEAKER
Author: S.Ilhamgizi

TREND Info, Azerbaijan
May 15 2006

The key reason for the Armenian speaker’s leaving from the government
coalition is his intention to take an active part in the parliamentary
and presidential elections, the chairman of Democratic Reforms
Party, MP Asim Mollazade, said. He was commenting on the resignation
of Armenian Speaker Artur Bagdasarian, and a crisis arisen in the
Armenian government, Trend reports.

He noted that the last developments in the Armenian government are
preparations for the parliamentary and presidential elections. The
forces striving for participation in the elections have been determined
and even Kocharian intends to nominate his candidacy. “A struggle
of political parties for presidency will start. One of reasons
for Bagdasarian’s resignation is linked with his intention of as an
oppositionist to take an active part in presidential and parliamentary
elections,” he said.

He noted that the reason for absence of progress in the resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was linked with activities of
Kocharian’s activities.

In his turn Rasim Musabayov, a political scientist said that when
the pint reaches the adoption of an unfavorable resolution in the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenians are used
to win time through internal fictions. He did not exclude that the
similar developments in the current Armenian government.

Meanwhile, Musabayov said that collapse of Kocharian’s power does not
seem real for the time being, as the force bodies of the country are
under the control of Kocharian-Sarkisian tandem. He did not rule a
serious chaos within the country.

“This is a bilateral process. On the one hand the people in Armenia
are sick and tired of the current situation in Armenia, which makes
the authorities elected through democratic way to search other ways.

It crosses through the settlement of the problem with Azerbaijan,”
Musabayov stressed.

He does not expect tension in Armenia to cause changes in the
government soon. “Using his capacities Kocharian will try to collapse
the party led by ex speaker and maintain the parliamentary majority.

It testifies for weakening of Kocharian’s regime,” he underlined.

According to Zardust Alizade, a political scientist, the Armenian
did not resign on his own will. “I suppose there was an agreement. It
is a manifestation of Russia’s pressure. It can be caused by a rise
in Russian gas prices. Armenian wants to show that the number of
anti-Russian forces might grow in Armenia if Moscow continues economic
pressures. This is a game,” Alizade underlined.

He also noted that the ongoing political developments in Armenian
will not affect the negotiation process on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
resolution, as Armenia does not take a unilateral position.