CONTROL OFFICER KEPT HIDDEN FROM RELATIVES OF KILLED

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 19:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The airport administration keeps hidden the flying
control officers who were on duty on the Airbus crash night. The police
and FCS fear of lynch law. The control office, who was “leading” the
Yerevan-Sochi flight, was classified as secret the same morning. The
airport employees fear that the flying control officer can share the
fate of his Swiss counterpart Peter Nilson who was knifed near his
house by Ossetian Kaloyev who lost all his family in the crash.

The investigators have no claims to the control officers’ work. The
Russian law allows the pilots of foreign aircrafts to take decisions
on landing in complicated meteorological conditions. Pilot of the
crashed jet Grigory Grigoryan exercised the right unfortunately.

Meanwhile the relatives of the killed passengers blame the flying
control officers for the tragedy. “They could bar landing but did
not do it,” a man says.

Friends try to calm him down. “We should not look for those guilty. The
prosecution is dealing with it. Our duty is to pay our last respects
to our relatives, to bury them and bewail,” they say.

However, situation is tensed and any sparkle of anger can cause an
outburst. A FCS member said any contacts with the flying control
officers are prohibited. It was decided to give them a leave. I
suppose they are in a safe place now,” he said, reported Zhizn (Life)
Russian newspaper.

HUMAN FACTOR
Aram Abrahamian

Aravot.am
04 May 06

Human factor exists in every tragedy. In the crash of Armavia A320
airplane exists, too. But it isn’t right to detect constantly that
human factor and solve some problems by it.

For example, it can be a temptation to use this tragedy for squaring
accounts with “Armavia”. Frankly speaking I don’t cherish kindly
feelings to that Airline and its owner. But in this case it can be
proved that just ”Armavia” is responsible for the crash, for example
it has sent for flight an airplane out of order or without sufficient
quantity of fuel, or has trusted the airplane in non-professional
pilots. As there aren’t any sufficient facts for those accusations
all those conversations will be sounded cynically.

But the circumstance but we shouldn’t find for guilty people, doesn’t
mean that we shouldn’t examine the tragedy at all. Even the earthquake
in’88 which caused hundreds of thousands victims also cause a lot of
problems in connection with “human factor”. I say, “even”, because
it seems from the first sight that the blind disaster of earthquake
wasn’t ruled by people. Anyways, people at that time were speaking
very fairly how they were constructing buildings at the beginning of
80-s. And why the earthquakes of the same strength didn’t cause such
victims in Los Angeles and Japan.

Human factor in case of A320 airplane crash has played its role besides
the bad weather. For example, some specialists think that the airplane
fell into storm but the Russian weather forecasters affirm that there
was no storm. Why nobody felt mortal danger in the plane and nobody
didn’t wear life jacket.

Why did the airplane disappear from radars at 2’15 am, and the lifeboat
found the pieces of the plane only after two ours. Perhaps it was
possible to find human lives in those two ours. And the most important
problem who is guilty for the fact that the airplane appeared in bad
weather conditions? Disaster is disaster but all kind of tragedies
happen because of criminal mistake, indifference, non-professionalism
of the people.

Let’s hope that all these questions will get entire answers. But today,
let’s grieve with the relatives of the victims and share their grief.

–Boundary_(ID_bBWj//VLQsDqpSkZLOY+lw)–

STATE THAT CHOOSES MILITARY SETTLEMENT OF CONFLICT HAS NO RIGHT TO REMAIN COE MEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 19:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Five years is a term sufficient enough for the
assessment of the way Armenia has passed towards the European
integration, Mr. Jean-Louis Laurens, the Director General of Political
Affairs of the Council of Europe stated at a press conference in
Yerevan. In his words, there are positive outcomes these being the
consolidation of the state system, development of civic society and
Armenia’s engagement into the European Neighborhood Policy.

“The South Caucasus is a part of Europe and we are interested in
strengthening of democracy and promotion of reforms. Armenia has fixed
certain progress in the direction. The next step should be come the
bringing of the state legislation in correspondence with the reviewed
Constitution. First of all the Penal Code and the juridical system
should be reformed,” he remarked.

“The most important events both for Armenia and the CoE are the
forthcoming elections in 2007 and 2008.

It’s very important that the parliamentary and presidential election
corresponded to international standards. I cannot say what will be
next years but I hope the elections will be fair,” the CoE Director
General of Political Affairs said.

He also remarked that the conference dedicated to the 5th anniversary
of Armenia’s CoE membership is held at the time when Brussels launched
the final stage of negotiations on the Armenia-EU Individual Action
Plan within the European Neighborhood Policy. The way towards the
European Union is the same as that towards the Council of Europe, since
the tasks and objectives are the same. Armenia like the other states
should fulfill all the commitments undertaken. This refers to the
conflict settlement as well. A CoE member state that chooses military
settlement of any conflict has no right to remain CoE member. This rule
refers to all. The Council of Europe is a roof under which the states
are obliged to live in peace and friendship,” Lourens underscored.

GENETIC EXAMINATION HELD FOR IDENTIFYING KILLED

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 19:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The genetic analysis for the identification of
the remains of those killed in the A-320 crash near Sochi has been
launched. Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitin told reporters
that genetic data was taken from 21 relatives of the killed. The
analysis will take 3 days.

RECORD BOXES TO CLARIFY COMPLETE PICTURE OF CRASH

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 20:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The complete picture of the crash will be clear only
after the record boxes discovered by the French and Russian specialists
at a depth of 680 meters are withdrawn, RA Security Council Secretary,
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan stated. In his words, although the
International Civil Aviation Organization and French specialists
requested the leading states for assistance, the world practice hasn’t
recorded a case when an object was withdrawn from such a depth so far.

“At present we can say for certain that the plane left Yerevan in a
working order, flew to the responsibility zone of the Sochi control
service and made a request for landing. The flying control officer
said the weather was unfavorable and the plane turned around and
headed for Yerevan. Being rather far from Sochi and entering the
Georgian responsibility zone the pilot requested Sochi once again. On
receiving the answer that the weather improved and that the plane can
return the pilot started coming in the land. When the height made
some 300 meters the control officer and the meteorological service
said the weather worsened and the plane should do another circle
and then land on another landing ground. Immediately after this the
communication with the plane was lost and as it was found out later,
it crashed into the water,” Serge Sargsyan said.

OSKANIAN SAYS ARMENIAN AND AZERI LEADERS LIKELY TO MEET NEXT MONTH

Armenpress
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian
said today Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents are likely to have
another meeting early next month, but added there were no concrete
arrangements about the venue and the date of the possible meeting of
Robert Kocharian of Armenia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of “Armenia and the Council
of Europe: Five Years of Membership” conference, kicked off today in
Yerevan, Oskanian said the anticipated meeting may suffer a setback
as the one earlier this year in the French castle of Rambouillet.

Oskanian said again that Armenia had done everything it could and now
the turn was for Azerbaijan to make its concessions in order to give
a fresh push to the process of peaceful talks.

“The problem now is to avoid a setback and we expect appropriate
moves from Azerbaijan,” he said, adding otherwise it would be very
difficult to move forward. Oskanian downplayed media allegations that
Aliyev’s recent visit to Washington has given an additional weight to
Azerbaijan’s positions. “We know that Aliyev was made understand in
Washington by very top US government officials that seeking a military
solution to the Karabakh conflict is not an option. We appreciate it,”
he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW POST

A1+
[01:20 pm] 05 May, 2006

By the May 4 decree of Robert Kocharyan Arshak Poladyan has been
resigned from the post of the Armenian Ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary to the United Arab Arabian Emirates (Abu Dhabi).

Vahagn Meliqyan has been appointed instead.

Let us remind you that two days ago by the decree of RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan Vahagn Meliqyan had been resigned from the post
of hte head of the agency of “State Ceremonial Service” of the RA
Foreign Ministry.

“ARMAVIA” SUFFERED THE LEAST?

A1+
[02:35 pm] 05 May, 2006

There is an unwritten law in the aviation sphere: “Aviation laws are
written in blood”. After each crash the laws and rules concerning
the sphere are improved.

The crash of the airplane flying from Yerevan to Sochi will give
the specialists another occasion to think if everything was done to
maximally guarantee the security of the passengers.

But there is not a single aviation company in the world which will
confess that it did not do everything possible for maximum security. It
is noteworthy that if the aviation company is able to prove in
court that they did everything possible, but it was impossible to
prevent the crash, the company will be able to avoid making insurance
payments. Nevertheless, nothing of the kind has ever happened. One
of the reasons is that any judge is also a potential passenger.

Going back to the May 3 air crash, let us first speak about who
suffered most, naturally leaving aside human casualties which are
irreparable and immeasurable. It is noteworthy that the greatest
financial loss is inflicted to the re-insurance companies. In this case
these are British companies. The aviation company suffers the least as
they will be compensated according to the rules of airplane insurance,
although there is also a non-compensated sum: about 100 thousand USD.

Let us remind you that the airbus was bought in February 2004 by
leasing, for 25 million USD. And as it was insured, the insurance
companies must compensate the total sum of 25 million minus the
above mentioned 100 thousand USD which is the loss of the aviation
company. It should also be mentioned that the aviation company from
time to time makes payments to the insurance companies.

By the way, the insurance sums for the lives of the passengers are paid
again by the re-insurance companies. In this case, the 20 thousand
USD to each family is paid to by “Grand” insurance company, but by
the British organizations. This is why the company avoids speaking
about specific sums and dates as it can be a long process.

According to the specialists of the field, first the investigation of
the criminal case must be concluded, then the British specialists must
examine all the documents in order to assess the case as an “insurance
case”, after which they will make a decision about compensation. Only
after that will the process of compensation start which in itself will
be quite long, as there is not one re-insurance company but several.

“Financially this is not an insoluble question, but it is rather
difficult to solve from the organizational and administrative points of
view”, said on of the specialists of the field who refused to introduce
himself. “It has nothing to do with Armenia. The process lasts long in
the whole world”. Let us remind you that after the terrorist acts in
New York the insurance companies announced that the process can last up
to 20 years. As for the Armenian insurance companies, “Grand” in this
case, it has to do the most thankful business: to get the money and
to give it to people, forming positive image for the insurance field.

And still, the most important question is that why the sides
try to insist on the weather factor. Perhaps it is done to avoid
responsibility. If it turns out that the reason was not the weather
but carelessness, it will be necessary to find out whose carelessness
it was. If it turns out that the reason was technical malfunction of
the plane, the re-insurance companies can raise the insurance tariffs
as the aviation company was unable to provide necessary technical
criteria b previous tariffs. In the worst case a criminal case can
be initiated against the aviation company.

At present while the investigation process is under way and the
weather factor is the main hypothesis, we can state that the loss of
“Armavia” is mainly moral, plus the factor of damaged image with
partial financial losses proceeding from them.

P.S. There are several cases when the insurance companies can
refuse to pay. According to one of them the insurance company is not
responsible for the crash if the plane was overloaded with luggage
or with passengers. That’s why during the investigation process the
insurance companies will probably be extremely careful.

ARKADY GHUKASYAN BOTH CONTENT AND DISCONTENT FROM ALL ARMENIA FUND

Panorama.am
15:03 05/05/06

Most of the board members of All Armenia Fund say that the fund is
making big steps forward. According to Naira Melkumyan, Executive
Director of the Fund, the organization had 12 mln 700 thousand
drams in income last year which is 2.5 times more than in the year
2003. According to her, the figure indicates great trust from the
side of Diaspora and Armenia. Incomes from Armenia and Artsakh also
increased by 25 percent in 2005, Naira Melkumyan said shortly before
15th session of the Board of Directors. She thinks, however, that this
does not reflect the real Armenian potential which, according to her,
should be USD 20-25 mln.

The Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, Chairman of the Board of
Directors said that the fund is born with independence. It has high
fame within Armenia and within the Armenian community outside Armenia.

The board included three new members in its lines. The members
watched a film on the activities of the fund during 2005 picturing
the achievements of the fund.

“I am both content and discontent,” Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady
Ghukasyan said. He said that Diaspora is a very strong structure and
may be more involved in Karabakh. He also thinks that the fund should
reinforce its control mechanisms.

A. Ghukasyan made hardly any one-man suggestion, leaving the issue
with the board of directors.

MATERIALS ON CRASHED AIRLINER TO BE EXAMINED FIRST BEFORE THINKING ON FURTHER ACTIONS PM SAYS

Panorama.am
14:27 05/05/06

Armenian Prosecutor’s Office is in charge of 95 % of information
possessed by Georgian ground controllers.

However, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan refused to make
early judgments. “Let’s wait a few days to come to right conclusions,”
he said. According to him the technical examination will unveil
everything.

Earlier reports say that the Defense Minister, Armenian-Russian
intergovernmental committee co-chairman, rescue service head
and several other officials are still in Sochi. Present are also
representatives of our prosecutor’s office who are there to investigate
the case.

According to Andranik Margaryan, Georgian side is willing to provide
the necessary information and have done so for about 95%. At this
moment, the prosecutor’s office needs to examine the materials before
taking any other steps, he said.

Both Russian and Georgian sides are effectively responding to our
needs, Andranik Margaryan said.

Interested is also the French side willing to prove that its airliner
was technically equipped.