ASBAREZ ONLINE [05-13-2004]

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05/13/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Opposition No-show for Negotiations 2) Karabagh on Rice's Moscow Agenda 3) Ambassadors Ordway, Dryukov Meet with ARF 4) Armenia and Iran Seal Pipeline Deal 1) Opposition No-show for Negotiations YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Scheduled dialogue between Armenia’s ruling coalition representatives and the opposition was halted, when the opposition was a no-show for negotiations that were to take place Thursday. The opposition canceled the planned crisis talks with the governing coalition, saying that President Robert Kocharian has not stopped the month-long crackdown on his opponents. Opposition representatives were scheduled to meet on Thursday with leaders of the three ruling coalition parties. The meeting was supposed to be the first official “negotiation” between the two sides that have held a series of unofficial consultations over the past week. According to Artarutyun’s Victor Dallakian, the opposition will resume the contacts only after the authorities take “practical steps” stemming from the resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). “We have nothing to discuss with the coalition now,” he said. Parliament majority leaders said the decision to pull out of the talks was not immediately communicated to them as they waited for opposition representatives inside the parliament building in the evening. The boycott followed Artarutyun’s and the National Unity Party's (AMK) decision to resume their joint rallies in Yerevan on Friday. The opposition says it is only prepared to discuss with the authorities ways of ensuring Kocharian’s resignation “without upheavals,” suggesting in particular a referendum of confidence in the Armenian leader. The international community has strongly encouraged both sides to try to bridge their differences through negotiations, with the PACE resolution calling for a “dialogue without preconditions.” The head of the Yerevan office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Vladimir Pryakhin, echoed the calls on Wednesday. “I encourage both sides to engage in a meaningful and genuine dialogue in order to resolve, within the constitutional framework, the continuing difficulties,” Pryakhin said in a statement. Pryakhin also urged the Armenian authorities to “review the cases” of all those detained during recent opposition demonstrations and end the controversial “administrative detentions” repeatedly condemned by the Council of Europe and other human rights organizations. “This practice is incompatible with European human rights standards,” the Russian diplomat said. 2) Karabagh on Rice's Moscow Agenda MOSCOW (Armenpress/Itar-Tass)--US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice told Russian newspaper Itar-Tass on Wednesday that she will discuss possible resolutions to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict while in Moscow May 14-16. “Along with Russia, we are trying to settle a range of conflict situations. I think we are disappointed to some degree that we have not succeeded in the case of Karabagh," Rice said. She said that the issue has become “too protracted,” and has had a negative political and economic impact on both Armenia and Azerbaijan. She stressed that the two governments must resume seeking a settlement with a “serious attitude.” Rice is expected to focus on the situation in Iraq during her talks with Russian officials. “Whatever differences the two countries might have had in the past, now the accomplishment of success in Iraq is of key importance; stable, democratic, and prosperous Iraq meets bilateral interests,” Rice told journalists. Rice was last in Moscow in April 2003 to discuss bilateral relations in connection with the US military campaign in Iraq. The upcoming talks will also focus on the common fight against international terrorism, as well as bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. 3) Ambassadors Ordway, Dryukov Meet with ARF YEREVAN (Yerkir/A1Plus)--US Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway met with the leadership of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Armenia on Thursday to review the political situation of the country and ways to remedy the situation. The ARF also met with the Russian Ambassador to Armenia Anatoly Dryukov on the same day. The ARF emphasized that dialogue is key to reaching a political agreement, and that the authorities and the opposition must meet each other halfway to jointly tackle critical issues vital to the welfare of the people. They agreed that destabilization of the situation in Armenia jeopardizes not only the development of the republic, but also in the entire region. Discussions were along the same lines between Ambassador Druykov and ARF Armenia Supreme Body representative Armen Rustamian, who said that the ARF and the other coalition partners are determined to resolve current tensions through dialogue with the opposition. Druykov praised the push for dialogue, pointing to Armenia’s stability as key to that of the region. Armenian-Russian relations were also discussed. 4) Armenia and Iran Seal Pipeline Deal YEREVAN (Armenpress/RBC/RFE/RL)--After more than a decade of negotiations, the Armenian and Iranian governments took the final step and signed an agreement on Thursday to begin construction of a pipeline which will be operational before January 1, 2007, and will continue to operate for at least 20 years. “Negotiations on this agreement have lasted for about 12 years and it has become a reality today,” Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian said at the signing ceremony, attended by Iran’s visiting Oil and Gas Minister Bijan Zanganeh. The Armenia-Iran intergovernmental agreement covering the route of the 141 kilometer pipeline was signed in 1995. The construction of the Armenian part of the pipeline linking the city of Meghri with Yerevan at a length of 100 kilometers is estimated at $96-100 million. The Iranian portion of the pipeline will be 41 kilometers, and is estimated to cost $120 million. Each of the two countries is responsible for constructing its part of the pipeline. According to Movsisian, Iran has agreed to deliver no less than 1.1billion cubic meters of natural gas to Armenia, which will pay for gas with electric energy supplies. The minister declined to comment on possible sources of financing the construction. His Iranian counterpart Zanganeh declined to name the agreed price of gas supplies. He stressed that under the 20 year agreement, Iran is to deliver 36 billion cubic meters of gas to Armenia. Some estimate that the cost of gas supplies agreed to is $84 per 1,000 cubic meters. The Iranian minister said that the Iranian part of the pipeline will be constructed by the National Gas Export Company. Movisian only said that construction of Armenia’s portion would be financed by Armenians, and that proposals put forth by Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, China, and the US would be considered. Zanganeh arrived in Yerevan and met with President Robert Kocharian earlier in the day. A statement by the presidential press service said the gas project will double the volume of Armenian-Iranian trade, which stood at $90 million last year. Armenian leaders say the pipeline will be of strategic importance for their country as it will provide it with an alternative source of natural gas, which is used for meeting approximately 40 percent of its energy needs. Russia has been Armenia’s sole supplier of the vital fuel since the mid-1990s and was, until recently, uneasy about having a major competitor in the Armenian energy sector 80 percent of which is controlled by Russian firms. "We regard this project as a serious question for Armenian energy security," the President Kocharian stressed. Armenia imported about 1.2 billion cubic meters of Russian gas last year through a single pipeline running through Georgia, which is reportedly in poor condition and needs urgent repairs. The agreement commits it to buying almost as much Iranian gas in 2007. The annual volume of Iranian deliveries is due to jump to 2.3 billion cubic meters in the future, raising the question of whether there will be that much demand for the fuel inside Armenia. Armenian and Iranian officials have indicated in the past that Armenia could serve as a transit route for Iranian gas exports to third countries, notably Georgia and Ukraine--an option reportedly opposed by Russia. The Ukrainian government has shown interest in the project ever since its inception, and the issue was on the agenda of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s visit to Kiev this week. Markarian was reported to call for Ukrainian involvement in the pipeline’s construction. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. 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