ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONVEYED CONDOLENCES TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS KILLED IN PLANE CRASH

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 19:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian president Robert Kocharian has conveyed
today his condolences to the relatives of 113 passengers of
Yerevan-Adler flight and eight members of the crew who died in the
crash near Sochi.

“It was with a big sadness that I have learned about the crash. I
convey my deep condolences to the relatives and beloved of the
passengers and crew members. I assure that the families of the
killed passengers will get all necessary assistance and support. The
authorities will exercise every effort to detect the reasons of the
crash,” Robert Kocharian’s message says.

MAY 5 AND 6 DECLARED MOURNING DAYS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 19:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian proclaimed May 5
and 6 the days of mourning for the passengers killed the Yerevan-Sochi
crash, reported the RA leader’s press service. To remind, May 3 night
À-320 Armavia-owned plane crashed into the Black Sea most likely
over bad weather conditions. The plane was conveying 113 passengers
including 23 Russian citizens. They all died. The place was trying
to land in the airport of Adler, however the control officers did not
allow the landing because of bad weather conditions. The communication
with the plane was lost at 2.12 a.m., six minutes before the scheduled
landing in the Sochi (Adler) airport. A criminal case according to
Article 263.2 of the Penal Code (violation of operation of an aircraft)
was initiated.

The A-320 wreckage of the plane lay 300 meter deep in the Emeretin bay.

–Boundary_(ID_sYmS6cMIE2eCRRc9qMO5lw)–

SPECIALISTS DON’T EXCLUDE A-320 RECORD BOXES WON’T BE FOUND

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 19:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official representative of the Russian Ministry for
Emergency Situations Victor Beltsov said the bad weather conditions
are considered to be the principal cause of the crash. It was due
to heavy meteorological conditions that the crew requested for
crash landing twice. Bodies of 38 passengers of the Yerevan-Sochi
flight have been already found. The rescue works are being impeded
by heavy meteorological conditions. The speed of the wind at the
site reaches 10-11 meters per second and tends to increase. 23 boats
and a deep-diving vehicle “Gnom” that allows to make examinations
at the depth of 400 meters are at the site now. A special echo-lead
that can fix big objects is also used. According to the Russian MES,
the wrecks of the plane lay deep in the sea. Specialists do not rule
out that the record boxes won’t be found.

ARMAVIA’S A-320 PASSENGER PLANE CRASHES NEAR SOCHI

AZG Armenian Daily
03/05/2006

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER GOES TO SOCHI TO INVESTIGATE INTO CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE A-320 CRASH

Yerevan, May 3. ArmInfo. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan held
an extraordinary meeting in connection with the crash of Armavia’s
A-320 plane in Sochi.

—————————————— ————————————–

Attending the meeting were Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, Defence
Minister Serzh Sargsyan, Territorial Administration Minister Hovik
Abrahamyan, Prosecutor General Agvan Hovsepyan, Chief of Police Hayk
Haroutyunyan, Chief of National Security Service Gorik Hakopyan,
Head of Chief Department of Civil Aviation Artem Movsissyan.

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The presidential press service says that Movsissyan reported to
the president on the crash. Kocharyan instructed Defence Minister,
Co-Chair of Armenian-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission Serzh
Sargsyan to go to Sochi to inquire into the circumstances of the
tragedy. A special commission led by Territorial Administration
Minister Hovik Abrahamyan will bring the bodies of the victims to
Armenia and will organize their funerals.

————————————— —————————————–

Prosecu tor General Agvan Hovsepyan said that his office has instituted
a criminal action. Earlier the prosecutor’s office of Krasnodar region
(Russia) instituted criminal proceedings according to article 263
of Russia’s Criminal Code (violation of the rules of security during
aircraft operation causing the death of two and more people).

—————————————- —————————————-

To remind, Armavia’s A-320 plane flying from Yerevan to Sochi crashed
near Sochi 02:15 AM. 113 people (6 children) were onboard. 26 of
them were Russian citizens, 1 woman was from Ukraine, the rest were
Armenian citizens.

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Armavia has opened a hot-line in Yerevan: (+37410) 28-63-56.

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To remind, June 2005 100% of Armavia’s shares were bought by President
of Mika Armenia Trading Mikhail Bagdassarov. In 2005 Armavia’s
passenger turnover was 507,000 people against 380,000 in 2004. In 2004
the crashed A-320 was leased from Vermille International Services B.V.

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77 ARMENIAN AND 28 RUSSIAN CITIZENS WERE ONBOARD THE CRASHED ARMAVIA
PLANE

Yerevan, May 3. ArmInfo. 77 Armenian citizens and 28 Russian citizens,
mostly of Armenian origin, were onboard Armavia’s A-320 plane which
crashed 5 km of Sochi this night, says the head of the chief department
of civil aviation of Armenia Artem Movsissyan.

A total of 113 people were onboard, with the bodies of only 18 ones
found to date.

Movsissyan says that the plane took off from Yerevan 01:47 AM. Because
of bad weather over Georgia the captain decided to go back to Yerevan,
but the controller said that the weather was improving and the plane
could land in Sochi. 03:15 AM the plane disappeared.

According to the preliminary information, the plane crashed because
of bad weather, but the final answer will be given only after the
investigation. Movsissyan says that before the flight the plane was
in normal technical condition and its 10 tons of fuel were enough for
coming back to Yerevan – from Yerevan to Sochi a plane consumes only
3.5 tons of fuel.

Movsissyan says that A-320 was produced in 1995 and was insured.

Today the Armenian President called a meeting and gave instructions to
relevant services. One more Armavia plane with relatives and experts
onboard flew to Sochi today morning.

—————————————- —————————————-

ARMAVIA’ S A-320 PASSENGER PLANE CRASHES NEAR SOCHI

Yerevan, May 3. ArmInfo. A-320 plane of the Armavia company (Armenia)
crashed near Sochi (Russia) today 03:38 AM.

The press secretary of the chief department of civil aviation of
Armenia Gayane Davtyan says that the plane with 105 people onboard
was flying from Yerevan to Sochi. When approaching Sochi, because of
bad weather, the crew was told to make one more turn and suddently
disappeared. Some time later its debris were found in the sea.

According to the preliminary information, all passengers and crew –
65 men, 36 women, 6 children and 8 pilots died.

Davtyan says that 9 experts have gone to Sochi to inquire into the
circumstances of the crash.

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18 BODIES OF PASSENGERS OF ARMAVIA’S CRASHED PLANE FOUND IN BLACK SEA

Yerevan, May 3. ArmInfo. 18 bodies of passengers of the crashed A-320
plane of the Armavia company (Armenia) have been found in the Black
Sea, report Russian sources. Also found are debris, fragments of
bodies, baggage. The plane fell 300 meters deep into the sea.

It was produced by Airbus Industry, the biggest European concern,
in 1987 for short and medium distance flight. It flew for the first
time Feb 22 1987.

The search is underway. The plane was making a crash landing. It
flew from Yerevan to Sochi and got lost from radars 02:15 AM. The
prosecutor’s office of Sochi has instituted criminal proceedings in
the case “violation of the rules of aircraft exploitation.”

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AR MENIAN PRESIDENT EXTENDS HIS CONDOLENCES TO RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
OF THOSE KILLED IN TODAY’S AIR CRASH

Yerevan, May 3. ArmInfo. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan extended
his deep condolences to the relatives and friends of the passengers
and the pilots of the Armavia’s plane that crashed today night while
flying from Yerevan to Sochi.

“I was deeply grieved to learn about the night crash.

I extend my deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of the
passengers and the pilots. I assure that all the aggrieved families
will be provided with support and our authorities will do their best
to find out the reasons of the crash,” says Kocharyan.

AZERBAIJAN US’S ‘KEY ALLY’ AND ‘PRECIOUS PARTNER’
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
03/05/2006

The April 28 meeting between president Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
and his US counterpart George W. Bush almost got no coverage in Azeri
and Turkish press. The reason must be lack of information. As to the
Turkish Public TV, it considers the White Home reception of Aliyev
a step to keep Azerbaijan back from Russia.

This view of the Turkish TV was indirectly confirmed by the White
House spokesperson Scott Mcclellan dubbing Azerbaijan “key ally” and
“precious partner” of the USA in a strategically important region.

One may assume that Azerbaijan – US’s precious partner and key ally
– should desist from getting closer to Russia and should not try to
counterbalance US influence with the Russian one and should in the
meantime back Washington in the Iranian issue.

Meanwhile, Aliyev declared in Washington that Azerbaijan will not
take part in possible assault on its southern neighbor.

The presumption that president Aliyev could be successful in offering
support in the Iran standoff against US support in Nagorno Karabakh
issue did not come true. Both presidents did not mention the Karabakh
issue at the meeting with journalists. Ilham Aliyev only familiarized
president Bush with Azerbaijan’s stance on the dispute. It’s hard to
say what was president Bush’s response to this, but Baku’s position
should not be something new for Bush.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTERNATIONAL FORUM IN BRUSSELS

AZG Armenian Daily
03/05/2006

Raffi Hovhannisian, first foreign minister of Armenia, presented
the Republic of Armenia at an international forum in Brussels on
April 28-30.

“Transatlantic Challenges in a Global Era” forum is an annual
high-level meeting of the most influential American and European
political, corporate, and intellectual leaders to address pressing
challenges currently facing both sides of the Atlantic. Heads of
state, senior officials from the European Union institutions and the
member states, US Senators, and Parliamentarians participated among
the 200 participants.

The head of Heritage Party urged in his speech the leaders of the
states to evenly apply the standards of democracy, human rights
protection and genocide prevention to all nations regardless their
place in the world.

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II VISITS SPECIAL-CARE ORPHANAGE IN NOR KHARBERD

AZG Armenian Daily
03/05/2006

On the afternoon of Sunday, April 9, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, visited the special-care
orphanage in the city of Nor Kharberd. His Holiness brought his
Pontifical blessings and fatherly love to the 240 mentally and
physically handicapped children residing in the orphanage who do not
have the opportunity to attend church services on a regular basis.

Upon his arrival in Nor Kharberd, His Holiness was greeted by
Minister of Labor and Social Services Aghvan Vartanian; the Dean of
the orphanage, Mr.

Haroutiun Balasanian; and the dedicated staff of the center. They
accompanied His Holiness as he first visited the bedrooms of those
children who could not be moved due to medical reasons. The Catholicos
offered a prayer and gave his blessing to all of the children as he
presented each one with a small cross.

On the occasion of the visit of the Pontiff of All Armenians, a special
program had been prepared by the children of the Armenian Church Youth
Center of Nor Nork, operating under the auspices of the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin and the AGBU. The dean of the orphanage welcomed the
Catholicos and his accompanying clergymen, stating that their visit and
blessings would help the children withstand their physical ailments and
emotional pain with greater courage. In appreciation for the musical
and dance program presented by the Youth Center, the children of the
orphanage also presented a program filled with songs and music.

His Holiness addressed his message of blessing to the children and
stated, “We wanted to visit the Nor Kharberd Orphanage because we
know that our dear children living here do not have the opportunity
to come and visit our churches and participate in our services. We
came to bring with us our love for you and our blessings from Holy
Etchmiadzin and to tell you, our boys and girls, that we love you,
we are grateful and proud of you.”

His Holiness also addressed his message of appreciation to the dean
and the staff of the center, noting, “We all know that the message
of Christ is the message of love. We know that God created the world
through His love and that guided by that same love, He sent His Only
Begotten Son to save the world. As St.

Paul says, ‘Love never fails’, and as we know from our faith – Love
conquers all.”, stated His Holiness, asking for God to strengthen the
staff and volunteers of the orphanage, granting them unending love
and patience, so that they may transmit the warmth of their spirits to
the children and lighten the burdens placed upon these innocent souls.

At the conclusion of the visit, His Holiness offered a service
for blessing children prepared especially for this day. Prior to
His Holiness’ departure, the children of the Nor Nork Youth Center
distributed presents which they had prepared for the children of the
Nor Kharberd Orphanage.

“HOT LINE” CREATED

A1+
[12:15 pm] 03 May, 2006

There is still no clear-cut information about the crash of the airplane
A-320. “Armavia” airlines to which the plane belongs has opened a
“hot line”.

Calling (+37-410) 28-63-56 people can get information about the
passengers of the plane. As we were informed by the service, they
still have no information about those saved.

The working group of the civic aviation chief administration has left
for Sochi to learn the details of the crash.

NA SPEAKER CONDOLES

A1+
[12:26 pm] 03 May, 2006

RA AN Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan has sent a condoling message to
the families and relatives of the crew and passengers of the plane
which crashed the previous night.

“I’m shocked by the grievous news about the crash of the Armenian
plane flying from Yerevan to Adler.

On behalf of the National Assembly I condole with the families and
relatives of the crew and passengers of the plane. I am convinced
that we will do everything possible to reveal the reason of the crash.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN RESCUERS LEFT FOR SOCHI

A1+
[12:31 pm] 03 May, 2006

At 11 AM a group of Armenian rescuers left for Sochi, the place of
the air crash of the plane A -320. As the Emergency Administration
informed, the delegation is headed by General-Major Edik Barsegyan,
the head of the RA Rescue Mission, and Sergey Azaryan, the head of
the Administration of protection of population.

The group consists of 10 rescuers. Let us remind you that the
representatives of the RF Emergency Administration arrived at the
place of accident at 07:00 AM.