RA PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARGARIAN’S CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS ON OCCASION OF HOLIDAY OF VICTORY AND PEACE

Noyan Tapan
May 09 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
addressed a congratulatory message to the veterans of the Great
Patriotic War and to the participants of Artsakh liberation fight on
the occasion of the Holiday of Victory and Peace marked on May 9.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan from RA Government
Information and Public Relations Department, the message read: “Dear
compatriots, Dear veterans of the Great Patriotic War, participants of
Artsakh liberation fight, I warmly congratulate you on the occasion of
the Holiday of Victory and Peace. It was achieved at the cost of the
selflessness, deeds, overcoming hardship and many difficulties and at
the cost of the life of our glorious heros. This year we mark the 15th
anniversary of declaration of our state’s independence. Preservation of
the independence, constant strengthening of the bases of our statehood
and our state requ! ire the everyday devotion of all of us. I wish
all of you festive mood, good health and long-lasting peace on this
beautiful day of victory and peace”.

SEARCH WITH NEW EQUIPMENT

A1+
[01:06 pm] 10 May, 2006

The search works of the Armenian plane A-320 have been going on since
morning with the participation of French specialists and their new
equipment. The French specialists are mainly looking for the record
boxes. For this purpose special equipment has been installed on the
ship “Navigator”.

“The five French specialists who have arrived in Sochi have brought
the necessary equipment to find out the record boxes,” one of the
members of the search group informed the agency “Interfax-South.” He
also informed that the installing will take about 6 hours after which
the French specialists will take up work.

Let us remind you that the experts of the French Bureau of aircrash
investigation announced that the record boxes of crashed A-320 planes
can be preserved up to 30 days up to about 6 000 meters deep under the
water. The radio of the boxes will continue to work for all those days.

One of the boxes records all the data of the flight – the speed,
the height, the course and the work of the pilot. The other one
records all the conversations in the cabin of the pilot. Everything
is recorded every second.

One of the boxes weighs 10 kg, 7 of which is the armored shell. So,
the box can sink up to 6 000 meters and endure heat up to about 1
100 C and pressure of about 2.2 tons for a whole month.

By the way, in 2004 the French specialists managed to take about the
Egyptian plane which crashed in the Red Sea. The plane lay 1000 meters
under the water.

The agency “Ria-Novosti” has just informed that the search works have
stopped because of the coming storm.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERGE SARGSIAN: ARMENIA EXPECTS FROM AZERBAIJAN ONLY RECOGNITION OF KARABAKH PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO LIVE FREELY

Noyan Tapan
May 09 2006

STEPANAKERT, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The President of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghukasian, the Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian, the RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian, the RA
Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian and other high-ranking officials
laid a wreath at the Stepanakert Memorial Complex on May 9 on the
occasion of the anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic
war and the liberation of Shushi. Then they went from Stepanakert to
Shushi to attend the liturgy celebrated in St Ghazanchetsots Church.

Responding to reporters’ questions, the defence minister stated with
confidence that Karabakh has won the war, expressing his disagreement
regarding the statement that victory is half the matter and the
most difficult thing is to keep it. “If you win by 80%, it means
you have not won, you have achieved success for a short time. I
think Karabakh has won. And if there are new disas! ters, we’ll see
then…,” he noted. As regards the opinion expressed recently by
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Co-Rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh
Goran Lenmarker that there will be no peace without the cession of
territories, the defence minister said: “The cession of territories”
is a spacious word-combination. I am convinced and I repeat today
that there must be a peace or the solution of the problem only on the
basis of compromises and not unilateral concessions.” In his words,
today Armenia expects from Azerbaijan the same thing as 18 years ago:
Armenia expects Azerbaijan to recognize the Karabakh people’s right
to live freely. “I have no other expectation from Azerbaijan. We do
not want oil or some other thing. We just want them to understand
that the Karabakh people also has the right to live the way it wants
to.” As for the future fate of Shahumian region, Serge Sargsian
said that it depends on the negotiation process and versions of the
problem solution.

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO MEET AGAIN

A1+
[02:19 pm] 10 May, 2006

The next meeting of the Armenian and Azeri Foreign Ministers is
anticipated on May 18-19 in Strasbourg within the framework of the
CE Political Council session.

Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov announced that the OSCE
Minsk group co-chairs have “several interesting ideas” about the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, agency “Trend” reports. According
to Mamedyarov, this meeting will reveal if there is a necessity for
the Presidents of the countries to meet.

Nevertheless, the rumors about the coming meeting of the Presidents
testify that it can be organized at the end of May in Paris, within
the framework of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

ARMENIA WAS NOT ELECTED MEMBER OF THE UN NEWLY-CREATED COUNCIL

A1+
[03:15 pm] 10 May, 2006

Early in the morning in New York the UN Assembly General elected the 47
members of the newly created “Human Rights Defense Council”. Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia had also applied for membership. Armenia wasn’t
elected member of the Council, whereas Azerbaijan was.

The countries of Eastern Europe fought hard for membership in the
council. It took them three phases to finish the election. 13 countries
fought for 6 places. Armenia received 70 votes and disqualified from
the first phase. After the second phase only Russia, Poland and Czech
Republic received the necessary amount of votes. And in the third
phase Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Hungary were elected.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PENSIONERS DO NOT WANT TO BE “ENUMERATED”

A1+
[03:28 pm] 10 May, 2006

Today a group of pensioners was gathered opposite the Government
building. They have not received their old-age pension for a year
because of not having a social card.

The system of social cards was introduced on June 1, 2004. More than
70 people have already applied to court. They have refused to get a
social card and demand to make the cards compulsory.

The people who are against social cards see a religious and spiritual
pretext in this phenomenon and do not want “to be enumerated and to
sell their soul to the devil”. “They sold the whole country and now
they want to sell our souls”, Amalya says. She left his office as
doctor where she had been working for 48 years because she did not
want to get a social card.

Hranoush Kharatyan, head of the RA Administration of National
Minorities met the participants of the meeting. She promised to find
a solution to the problem within the framework of the law.

AZERI, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET IN STRASBOURG ON 18-19 MAY

Turan news agency
9 May 06

Baku, 9 May: The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers will
meet on 18-19 May in Strasbourg, Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan has
told reporters.

Mammadyarov confirmed Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s
statement that the two would meet in Strasbourg to discuss the
possibility of holding a meeting between the presidents of the two
countries in June. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk will also join
the talks to be held between Oskanyan and Mammadyarov.

“MIKA” WON THE FOOTBALL CUP OF ARMENIA FOR THE 5TH TIME

A1+
[12:03 pm] 10 May, 2006

In the final match of the Armenian football cup “Mika” from Ashtarak
beat “Pyunik” 1:0 for the second time in a row and won the cup of
Armenia for the fifth time in its history.

Armen Shahgeldyan became the hero of the game. At the 26th minute
he made use of the mistake of Rafayel Safaryan, defender of “Pyunik”
and scored.

During the press conference after the game coach of “Mika” Armen
Adamyan mentioned that after the A-320 crash it was more difficult for
the players to prepare for the game as “Armavia” is their sponsor. “We
did not have the right to lose the game, and we did it. I’m proud of
my players”.

TURKISH SPEAKER VIEWS ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS, ADDRESSES SWEDISH PARLIAMENT

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
9 May 2006

Stockholm, 9 May: “Turkey will never recognize so-called Armenian
genocide because such a thing has not happened in our history,”
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said on Tuesday [9 May].

Arinc, who is currently paying a state visit to Sweden, responded to
questions of Swedish MPs at the parliament.

Upon a question about so-called Armenian genocide, Arinc said:
“This issue has been discussed for a long time. It is a fact that
tragic events happened during the World War I. However, there is not
any court verdict that Turks committed genocide against Armenians.

Also Turks, Arabs and Kurds died during the World War I. Therefore,
it is a serious mistake to say that only Armenians were subject
to genocide.”

“Armenians had always lived freely during the Ottoman Empire era.

Last year, we proposed Armenia to set a joint independent commission
of historians to research the issue. However, Armenia turned down
Turkey’s proposal. On the other hand, Turkey’s archives are kept open
for researchers,” he stressed.

When asked whether Turkish people were ready for EU membership,
Arinc said: “Turkish people have always wanted to become a member
of the EU. Although Turkey has fulfilled the necessary criteria,
the EU asked Turkey to fulfil additional criteria. We do not want
any privileges, the EU should not discriminate Turkey. Turkish people
regret such humiliation and discrimination.”

“The EU is a 40-year process for Turkey. Our relations with the EU
are based on international agreements and mutual interests,” he said.

Replying to another question, Arinc said: “Turkey is a secular and
democratic state. Our citizens worship freely.”

“Turkish people’s religious belief has not prevented secular Turkey
from being an indispensable part of Europe so far, and it also has not
prevented Turkey from being member of organizations which represent
the Western world,” said Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. He
added: “Nobody questioned our religion when Turkey both joined NATO
in 1952 and defended freedom during Cold War in Europe.”

Arinc addressed parliamentarians at Swedish parliament on Tuesday. He
said: “Swedish parliament has a respectful place in the world. Sweden
is one of the leading countries that preserve democratic values and
contribute to peace and harmony. Similarly, Turkey preserves democratic
values in its region and produces stability by contributing to peace,
harmony and dialogue of civilizations.

Peaceful, realistic and coherent foreign policy is our basis on the
path to modernization.”

“The will of Turkish people and their spiritual values are two basic
elements of our foreign policy,” noted Arinc. “We are pleased that
all political parties in Swedish parliament support Turkey’s full
EU membership. Although there are people who are against Turkey’s
membership, the number of people who support Turkey is increasing
each day,” added Arinc.

“Those who oppose to Turkey’s EU membership are concerned about our
population and our religion. Our religion has not prevented us from
being an indispensable part of Europe so far. It will not obstruct
our membership to organizations representing the Western values.

Turkey is one of the founder members of the Council of Europe.

It means that Turkey has played an active and constructive role in
efforts to shape the project for a political Europe from the very
beginning. When Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and defended freedom in
Europe during the Cold War era, no one questioned our religion,”
he said.

Arinc said: “The EU showed its strategic vision and its will by
formally opening accession talks on 5 October 2005. The screening
process has been continuing since then. We expect the EU to start
negotiations on at least two chapter headings during the presidency
of Austria.”

“Turkey will create new political and economic horizons for the EU,
and it will further strengthen the EU in its efforts to become a
global actor. After Turkey’s accession, the EU’s influence will
increase in a huge area from the Balkans to Caucasus, from Central
Asia to Mediterranean and broader Middle East,” he said.

Arinc added: “Turkey has the potential to make important contributions
to the EU’s joint foreign and security policy and to the European
security and defence policy.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF MICHAEL BAGDASAROV, ARMAVIA AIR COMPANY OWNER, TO PANORAMA.AM

Panorama.am
17:10 09/05/06

– Mr. Bagdasarov, what does the air company Armavia undertake to deal
with the present situation?

-First, I would like once again to render my condolences to the
relatives of victims of May 3 airliners crash. Second, Armavia will
get another airliner – Airbus -319 in a week. Besides, Armavia has
already rented TU 154 M. Armavia tries to settle the issue of insurance
payments to the relatives of the victims.

-How the insurance is going to be settled?

-These issues are almost settled. The families of victims will receive
about $20 thousand since our insurance company pays about $2 mln
annually.