HYDROGEN SULPHIDE DECOMPOSES THE BODIES

A1+
[12:46 pm] 05 May, 2006

Special equipment will be transported from Novorossiysk to Sochi in
order to get the record boxes of the plane out of the water. French
specialists have also promised technical support.

RF Minister of Transportation Igor Levitin underlined the importance
of finding the bodies, the record boxes and other parts of the plane
as deep under the sea the bodies are quickly decomposed under the
influence of hydrogen sulphide, and the parts of the plane are damaged.

“ARMENFILM” DOESN’T EXIST ANY LONGER

A1+
[05:21 pm] 04 May, 2006

The state non-governmental organization “ArmenFilm” studio after
“Hamo Beknazaryan” was renamed a state non-governmental organization
“Armenian National Film Centre.” Amendments and additions were made
on this score in the Government’s resolution N417 on “the Creation
of State Non-Governmental Organizations” of April 17, 2002.

WE SHALL HAVE NEW SYMBOLS

A1+
[05:27 pm] 04 May, 2006

The Government passed the draft projects on “the RA Flag” and “RA
State Emblem” which will be presented to the NA. The corresponding
Ministries are to make interpretations on this score and involve them
in the bills.

The RA Government decided to hold a contest for the selection of
the RA hymn and the music. 2 million AMD will be allocated to the
RA Ministry of Culture and Youth in order to hold the contest, to
provide the necessary information and to grant the author of the
words and music. Each of them will be awarded with 700 thousand AMD.

IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE AZERI CULTURE IN ARMENIA

A1+
[05:32 pm] 04 May, 2006

The RA Government allocated 2million and 308 thousand AMD in order
to find the Azeri graveyards and monuments of historical and cultural
importance, to fix their sites and to take photos.

THE SHAHUMYAN RESIDENTS WERE DISPLACED 15 YEARS AGO

A1+
[06:10 pm] 04 May, 2006

A large-scale military operation “Koltso” was implemented in April –
June, 1991, with the joint efforts of the USSR Interior Ministry and
special-purpose groups of the Azeri Interior Ministry in order to
evict Armenians from the Armenian villages Gatashen and Martunashen,
the region Shahumyan and Karabakh. At the same time, Armenia and
Nagorno – Karabakh appeared in economic blockade by Baku.

According to the NKR Foreign Ministry data, the increase of the
tension was determined by the above-mentioned “Koltso” operation as a
result of which the Karabakh conflict was taken to a new – military
level. According to the OSCE review, “the situation became more or
less tense from April to June, 1991, when the Soviet army displaced
Armenians from many rural areas of the region with the assistance of
the Azeri Interior Ministry. This act was realized very severely.”

“Unfortunately, neither the operative nor the military crimes carried
out within that period found their political and legal evaluation,
and this resulted in new vandalism from the Azeri side – ethnic
groups’ evictions.”

“The tragedy of Getashen, Martunashen and Shahumyan still continues
as the displaced Armenians haven’t got a right to return and they
haven’t been compensated.

These villages are left out in the reviews of international mediators
and in projects of the Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement,” this
is a quotation from the NKR Foreign Ministry statement.

By the way, there are many documents which testify to the fact that the
Azeri authorities find that the Karabakh conflict settlement is closely
connected with the residents’ displacement or their annihilation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TRAINING COURSES FOR ARMENIAN PROSECUTORS

A1+
[06:19 pm] 04 May, 2006

YEREVAN, 4 May 2006 – Preventing and prosecuting sexual crimes was the
focus of a training course for Armenian prosecutors and investigators
that ended today in Yerevan.

The two-day event was organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the
Warsaw-based OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR), and the Training Centre of the General Prosecutor’s Office.

ODIHR has been helping Armenian prosecutors since November 2004,
with funding from the United States.

“Emphasis should be placed on appropriate treatment of victims of
all types of crimes, including sexual violence,” said Cynthia Alkon,
Head of ODIHR’s Rule of Law programme.

Tatul Badasyan, Deputy Director of the Prosecutors’ Training Centre,
praised the close co-operation with the OSCE, adding that it was
important to share the best practices in the field, including
investigative techniques and prosecution of cases of sexual violence.

Around 25 participants and two experts from Austria and the United
States discussed various case studies, international legal provisions,
and the psychology of investigations , as well as issues connected
with domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE FLIGHT SCHEDULE HAS CHANGED

A1+
[08:50 pm] 04 May, 2006

The flight schedule of “Zvartnots” airport has changed which is
determined by the “A – 320” aircraft crash.

Today the flights Yerevan – Moscow and Yerevan – Amstedam were
cancelled. And the flights Yerevan – Minvod and Yerevan – Istanbul were
annulled. All these flights are realized by the air company “Armavia.”

IT IS NOT EASY “TO FIND COMPROMISE” ACCORDING TO AZERBAIJAN

A1+
[09:25 pm] 04 May, 2006

RA Forign Minister Vardan Oskanyan participated in a conference titled
“General review on general neigbourhood” which was held in Velnyus,
the capital of Lithuania. The Presidents of Armenia and Lithuania
made openig speeches at the conference.

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus expressed his condelence on the
Armenian airplane crash at the beginning of the conference.

Many high-rank officials and Foreign Ministers of Baltic and Eastern
European countries also participated at the conference.

RA Foreign Minister Oskanyan first of all thanked the participants
for their sympathy and then focused on political developments of
the post Soviet region. The Minister aslo referred to the Nagorno –
Karabakh conflict settlement.

“Democracy cannot be established within a night. We know and claim
that while we go ahead on the right way, the evolutional and upward
approach towards democracy will be more efficient and firmer,” noted
vardan Oskanyan.

While speaking of the NKR conflict peaceful settlement Minister
Oskanyan underlined that “with its great oil supply and the oil
current high prices Azerbaijan thinks or at least announces they have
the military way of the conflict settlement. We cannot find compromise
if they have such position. But the EU and the international community
must make them understand that the matter has no military solution. As
Armenia has already stated, compromise is required in order to settle
the conflict peacefully.”

Oskanyan held many bilateral meetings during the conference. He
diccussed the final phase of the Armenian – EU program within the
realms of the European neighbourhood policy with Javier Solana, the
highest representative of the EU joint Foreign and Security policy. The
two sides also referred to the negotitaions on the Karabakh conflict
settlement and their prospect.

Oskanyan also met with Romanian Foreign minister Razvan Ungureanu. The
Ministers focused on the issues of mutual coooperation and the upcoming
Black Sea conference “Dialogue and Partnership Forum” which will be
held in Bukharest.

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN BOOK-EXPO AMERICA

Armenpress
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian book publishers will show their
products at a May 18-22 Book EXPO-America in Washington, USA.

Vahan Khachatrian, the chairman of the Armenian Association of
Publishers, said some 150 Armenian books-fiction, children books and
also books about the Armenian genocide and the Armenian alphabets
will be displayed. He said Armenian publishers are also expected to
have a series of meetings with local Armenian community. He said this
is going to be the first show of Armenian books in the USA.

OSCE HOLDS TRAINING COURSE ON COMBATING SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ARMENIA

Armenpress
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Yerevan Office held a two-day
training course for Armenian prosecutors and investigators which was
aimed at preventing and prosecuting sexual crimes in Armenia.

OSCE Yerevan Office’s press service informed Armenpress that the event
which ended today was organized by the Yerevan office, the Warsaw-based
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR),
and the Training Center of the General Prosecutor’s Office. ODIHR has
been helping Armenian prosecutors since November 2004, with funding
from the United States.

“Emphasis should be placed on appropriate treatment of victims of
all types of crimes, including sexual violence,” said Cynthia Alkon,
head of ODIHR’s Rule of Law program. Tatul Badasian, deputy director of
the Prosecutors’ Training Center, praised the close co-operation with
the OSCE, adding that it was important to share the best practices
in the field, including investigative techniques and prosecution of
cases of sexual violence.

Around 25 participants and two experts from Austria and the United
States discussed various case studies, international legal provisions,
and the psychology of investigations, as well as issues connected
with domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.