Month: June 2005

Baltic News Service
June 10, 2005
ESTONIA, ARMENIA TO CONCLUDE DEFENSE COOPERATION ACCORD
TALLINN, Jun 10
Estonia and Armenia will this fall sign a framework agreement on
bilateral defense cooperation, officials say.
The agreement is planned to be signed in the course of a visit by
Armenia’s defense minister to Estonia, which may take place in
September, spokespeople for the Estonian Defense Ministry told BNS.
Similar agreements, which Estonia has concluded with 28 countries by
now, lay the groundwork for cooperation in areas that are of interest
for both sides and in the future enable the parties to draw up annual
plans of bilateral cooperation.
The plan to conclude the framework agreement was approved by the
Armenian government on Thursday, Russia’s Regnum agency reported.
Estonia is the presiding country of the roundtable for South Caucasus
this year and it intends to establish bilateral contacts in defense
also with Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The Estonian Ministry of Defense made a proposal to the defense
ministries of the two latter countries this spring to conclude
framework agreements on bilateral defense cooperation.
Meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Estonian Defense Minister Jaak
Joeruut and his Georgian counterpart Irakli Okruashvili decided to
start drawing up an annual plan for defense cooperation in the near
future.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 10, 2005, Friday
BAKU DOES NOT RULE OUT COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST RUSSIA
Russia replied to Azerbaijan’s note regarding the relocation of
weapons from Georgia to Armenia. Moscow stated that this is an
ordinary relocation of military property from one base to another.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan stated, “It’s a legal
procedure to relocate weapons from one base to another. However,
Southern Caucasus need to be demilitarized. This is why there is no
need for tanks and other heavy weapons.” The minister said that Baku
is prepared to use countermeasures. He refused to elaborate. Some
sources do not rule out that Azerbaijan will not let Russia use the
Gabala radio-locating station.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 10, 2005 Friday 7:24 PM Eastern Time
Holland Gr finance ministers, bank gov’s to meet in Tbilisi Sat
By Iya Barateli
TBILISI
An annual working session of the Finance Ministers and State Bank
Governors of the member-countries of the Holland Group to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank is to be held
here on Saturday.
IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato will attend the session. He
will also hold bilateral meetings with the delegations of the
Netherlands, Armenia, Romania, Macedonia, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria,
and Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Those present at the forum in Tbilisi will discuss the current
activities of the IMF and the World bank, theIMF policy and strategy,
the role of the World Bank and its influence on the development of
the European Union, various aspects of fiscal and monetary policies,
and work out a one-year plan for activities.
Rodrigo de Rato is to meet with Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, Parliament Speaker Nino
Burdzhanadze, Finance Minister Valery Chechelashvili, and National
Bank President Roman Gotsiridze.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 10, 2005 Friday 9:39 AM Eastern Time
Russian bases’ withdrawal from Georgia may have int’l funding
By Eka Mekhuzla
TBILISI
The withdrawal of military hardware and armaments from the Russian
military bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki, Georgia, may have an
international funding, Russian delegation head, Ambassador Igor
Savolsky said in Tbilisi on Friday.
“The withdrawal and relocation of a huge amount of military hardware
and armaments are an extensive operation, which will take 3.5 years.
We agreed with the international community in the past that an
additional funding might be given within the framework of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to make
the operation quicker and safer,” he said.
He confirmed the media reports that some of the military hardware and
armaments would be moved from Akhalkalaki to the Russian military
base in Gyumri, Armenia. He did not say how much it would be.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
June 10, 2005 Friday 8:30 AM Eastern Time
Pullout of mil equipment to Armenia won’t upset balance – lawmaker
By Alexander Konovalov and Sergei Ostanin
MOSCOW
A pullout of part of the Russian military equipment from Georgia to
Armenia will not boost the quantity of Russian armaments in
Transcaucasia, nor will it change the balance of forces in the
region, member of the committee on security under the State Duma
lower house of the Russian parliament Gennady Gudkov told reporters
on Friday.
“Part of the military equipment of the Russian military bases in
Georgia, which Russia plans to deploy in Armenia, will be handed over
to the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri, to replace the
decommissioned vehicles,” Gudkov answered in response to an Itar-Tass
query.
“The balance of forces in the region won’t be upset because it’s
about bringing to strength the equipment of the 102nd base,” he
noted.
In his connection, he noted that Azerbaijan has no reasons to be
concerned.
“This is Russian equipment; its transfer to Armenia is not
envisioned,” according to the lawmaker.
The parliamentarian also said that the transfer of the administration
bodies of the Russian troops in Georgia to the Gyumri base is in the
plans as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse — English
June 10, 2005 Friday 2:31 PM GMT
Withdrawal from Georgian bases on time “impossible”: Russian MPS
MOSCOW
Russia is technically unable to deliver on an agreement to dismantle
its two remaining Soviet-era military bases in Georgia before the end
of 2008, Russian deputy Gennady Gudkov was quoted as saying on
Friday, citing a report by the lower house of parliament.
“Russia will only be able to respect the agreed timetable if it
leaves behind half of its material and all its troops in the field,”
he was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Moscow and Tbilisi agreed on May 30 the approximately 3,000
servicemen on the two bases — one in Akhalkalaki, near the
Georgian-Armenian border, the other in Batumi, on the Black Sea coast
— would be put on withdrawal status and would pullout totally by the
end of 2008.
However, Gudkov said a technical feasibility study by a group of
visiting deputies from the State Duma lower house of parliament had
shown that was impossible.
Withdrawal from Batumi by sea would take between three and a half and
five years, while withdrawal from Akhalkalaki would be even more
difficult, he said.
The May agreement marked a breakthrough after years of rancorous
negotiations over the two bases, which were once part of Soviet
defences on the southwestern flank with NATO, but have recently
become a bargaining chip in Moscow’s fight to retain influence in the
Caucasus.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Europe Energie
10 juin 2005
L’ARMÉNIE VA CONSTRUIRE UN NOUVEAU DÉPÔT POUR LES DÉCHETS NUCLÉAIRES
Le parlement arménien a donné le 25 mai son feu vert pour la
construction d’un nouveau site de stockage des déchets nucléaires de
la centrale de Metzamor, exploitable pendant 50 ans. Le nouveau site
sera construit en trois tranches qui seront mises en exploitation en
2007, 2012 et 2018.
Le coût total de la construction est de 10 millions d’euros. Avant
1989, le combustible usagé arménien était stocké en Russie. Et le
premier site de stockage construit en 2000 par la compagnie française
Framatome est plein. L’Union européenne demande à Erevan de fermer
son unique centrale nucléaire, ce que le gouvernement arménien
refuse, arguant de l’absence de sources d’énergie alternatives. La
centrale de Metzamor construite en 1977 produit 40% de l’énergie de
la république. Elle avait été fermée en 1988 après le tremblement de
terre de Spitak qui avait dévasté l’Arménie, et n’avait été relancée
qu’en 1995 à cause d’une crise énergétique. La centrale munie de deux
réacteurs à eau pressurisée de type VVER-440 est gérée depuis 2003
pour 5 ans par le monopole d’électricité russe SEU.

Bundesagentur für Außenwirtschaft
bfai – Ausschreibungen im Ausland
10. Juni 2005
[English follows]
Medizin. Ausrüstung
Vorgesehen:
Lieferung und Installation medizin. Ausrüstung für 70 kommunale
Ambulanzstationen, für ein Schulungszentrum für Allgemeinmediziner
und div. Schwesternschulen
Ausschreibende Stelle:
Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency
Weitere Details entnehmen Sie bitte dem nachfolgenden Originaltext:
The Republic of Armenia has received a credit from the International
Development Association toward the cost of the Health System
Modernization Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds
of this credit to payments under the contract for procurement of
Medical Equipment No: CR/A-G/001-05.
The Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency now invites
sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for procurement and
installation of medical equipment for 70 community ambulatories in 10
Marzes (regions) of Armenia, Family Physicians Training Center in
Yerevan and Nursing Medical Colleges in 3 Marzes of Armenia (all the
project sites are 5 – 320 km from Yerevan).
Bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive
Bidding (ICB) procedures specified in the World Bank’s Guidelines:
Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits (h) (May 2004), and is
open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the
Guidelines.
Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from
Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency, Mr. Narek
Yervandyan, Procurement Officer (e-mail: [email protected]) and
inspect the bidding documents at the address given below from 1100 to
1700 hours (+004 GMT), Monday to Friday.
A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by
interested bidders on the submission of a written application to the
address below and upon payment of a non refundable fee in AMD 45,000
or US$ 100. The method of payment will be transfer to the following
bank account:
(a) HSBC Bank Armenia 001-141472-004 – for AMD transfer.
(b) HSBC Bank Armenia 001-141472-104 – for USD transfer.
The bidding documents will be sent by airmail for overseas delivery
and surface mail or courier for local delivery.
Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 21 July 2005
at 1100 hours (+004 GMT). Bids will be opened immediately in the
presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend in
person at the address below on 21 July 2005 at 11:10 hours.
Electronic bidding will not be permitted. Late bids will be rejected.
All bids must be accompanied by a bid security of US$ 20,000 or an
equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency.
A Pre-bid conference will be held at the address below on 27 June
2005 at 1500 hours (+004 GMT).
The address referred to above is:
Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency.
Mr. Narek Yervandyan, Procurement Officer.
2 Acharyan Str. (in the building of the Institute of Hygiene and
Occupational Diseases after N. Hakobyan; in front of “Avan Salt
Factory” State CJSC; the terminal station of micro-bus No: 10), 2nd
floor, Avan.
Yerevan 375040, Armenia.
Tel: (374-10) 622-310, 622-148.
Fax: (374-10) 622-334.
E-mail: [email protected]
Betrifft: HEALTH SYSTEM MODERNIZATION PROJECT; PROCUREMENT OF MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT
Vorgesehen:
– Lieferung und Installation medizin. Ausrüstung für 70
kommunale Ambulanzstationen, für ein Schulungszentrum für
Allgemeinmediziner und div. Schwesternschulen
Ausschreibende Stelle:
– Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency
Weitere Details entnehmen Sie bitte dem nachfolgenden Originaltext:
The Republic of Armenia has received a credit from the International
Development Association toward the cost of the Health System
Modernization Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds
of this credit to payments under the contract for procurement of
Medical Equipment No: CR/A-G/001-05.
The Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency now invites
sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for procurement and
installation of medical equipment for 70 community ambulatories in 10
Marzes (regions) of Armenia, Family Physicians Training Center in
Yerevan and Nursing Medical Colleges in 3 Marzes of Armenia (all the
project sites are 5 – 320 km from Yerevan).
Bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive
Bidding (ICB) procedures specified in the World Bank’s Guidelines:
Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits
(h) (May 2004), and is open to all bidders from eligible source
countries as defined in the Guidelines.
Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from
Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency, Mr. Narek
Yervandyan, Procurement Officer (e-mail: [email protected]) and
inspect the bidding documents at the address given below from 1100 to
1700 hours (+004 GMT), Monday to Friday.
A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by
interested bidders on the submission of a written application to the
address below and upon payment of a non refundable fee in AMD 45,000
or US$ 100. The method of payment will be transfer to the following
bank account:
(a) HSBC Bank Armenia 001-141472-004 – for AMD transfer.
(b) HSBC Bank Armenia 001-141472-104 – for USD transfer.
The bidding documents will be sent by airmail for overseas delivery
and surface mail or courier for local delivery.
Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 21 July 2005
at 1100 hours (+004 GMT). Bids will be opened immediately in the
presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend in
person at the address below on 21 July 2005 at 11:10 hours.
Electronic bidding will not be permitted. Late bids will be rejected.
All bids must be accompanied by a bid security of US$ 20,000 or an
equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency.
A Pre-bid conference will be held at the address below on 27 June
2005 at 1500 hours (+004 GMT).
The address referred to above is:
Health Project Implementation Unit State Agency.
Mr. Narek Yervandyan, Procurement Officer.
2 Acharyan Str. (in the building of the Institute of Hygiene and
Occupational Diseases after N. Hakobyan; in front of “Avan Salt
Factory” State CJSC; the terminal station of micro-bus No: 10), 2nd
floor, Avan.
Yerevan 375040, Armenia.
Tel: (374-10) 622-310, 622-148.
Fax: (374-10) 622-334.
E-mail: [email protected]
Finanz.: Weltbank, Loan-Nr. Credit No 3920-AM; Project ID P073974
Deutsche Botschaft kann bei der Beschaffung der Unterlagen (gegen
Kostenerstattung/ Zusendung einer Kostenübernahmeerklärung)
behilflich sein. Weitergehende Informationen sind unter Angabe der
Ref.-Nr. (s.o.) erhältlich bei:
– Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Tscharenz Str. 29
375025 Jerewan
Armenien
Tel.: 00374741/ 559755, 523279, 586591
Fax: 00374741/ 524781
Weitere Details zu obiger Ausschreibung liegen der bfai nicht vor.
Interne bfai-Nr. 0610518
Bitte bei Rückfragen bei der bfai angeben!
Finanzierung:
Weltbank
SIC-Code mit Beschreibung:
Weltbank – IBRD(9722b2)
Medizin. u. zahnmedizin. Geräte, Ausrüstung(3840)
Grosshandel mit med. u. Krankenhaus-Ausrüstungen(5047)
Medizin. u. chirurgische Geräte und Instrumente(3841)
Chirurgie-, Prothetik-, Arbeitsschutz-Bedarf(3842)
Elektromed. und elektrotherapeutische Apparate(3845)
Allgemeiner Krankenhausbedarf(3849)
Gesundheitswesen, Praxen, Krankenhäuser(8000)
Medizinische Grundversorgung(8001)
Krankenhäuser(8060)
Medizinische Ausbildungseinrichtungen(8240b1)

Neue Zürcher Zeitung
10. Juni 2005
Türkischer Handelsminister sagt Reise in die Schweiz ab
Ankara/Bern, 9. Juni. (ap) Der türkische Handelsminister Kursad
Tuzmen hat eine Reise in die Schweiz auf unbestimmte Zeit verschoben.
Nach Angaben der Nachrichtenagentur Anatolia wollte Tuzmen Ende Juni
ein türkisch-schweizerisches Handelsforum besuchen.
Aus Protest gegen das in der Schweiz laufende Strafverfahren gegen
den türkischen Historiker Yusuf Halacoglu hat er die Reise abgesagt.
Gegen diesen läuft seit 2004 in Winterthur ein Strafverfahren wegen
Verdachts auf Verletzung der Rassismusstrafnorm. Laut Medienberichten
soll der Präsident der Türkischen Historischen Gesellschaft in einer
Rede in der Schweiz den Völkermord an Armeniern von 1915 geleugnet
haben. Wie die Nachrichtenagentur Anatolia weiter schreibt, wird
Bundesrat Joseph Deiss die Türkei im September dieses Jahres
ebenfalls nicht wie vorgesehen besuchen. Im Eidgenössischen
Volkswirtschaftsdepartement bestätigte Sprecher Manuel Sager auf
Anfrage lediglich, dass von einer Reise von Deiss in die Türkei die
Rede gewesen sei. Diese sei jedoch bisher von türkischer Seite nicht
bestätigt worden.

Newropeans Magazine
June 6 2005
Turkey legalizes the Denial of the Armenian Genocide – 1st Part –

Written by Houry Mayissian

90 years have passed since Ottoman Turkey committed genocide against
its Christian Armenian subjects in 1915. Although several parliaments
have recognized the Armenian Genocide and many historians have
established that it is a historical fact, the Turkish government
still refuses to acknowledge it. It has, in the past 90 years,
implemented several methods to deny the genocide ever happened. The
latest of these measures was the recent criminalization of the
acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide in the new Turkish Penal
Code, which took effect on June 1.
As part of the several reforms it adopted during the last few years,
Turkey devised a new Penal Code in September 2004. The adoption of
the code came after much debate and a bitter row between Turkey and
the European Union over a controversial article criminalizing
adultery*. It was a must for Ankara to adopt a new code: the European
Commission threatened that it would advise EU leaders not to start
accession talks with Turkey unless it adopts the new code**. The code
was adopted without the article criminalizing adultery, and the
European Commission welcomed the move*.
Another controversial article, however, article 305* did not receive
much attention and was adopted as part of the Penal Code. The article
`threatens authors with jail sentences over statements that are
construed by government officials to undermine Turkish `national
interests”, and its explanatory report mentions as examples of such
statements recognition of the Armenian Genocide and calls for the
withdrawal of the Turkish Army from Cyprus***.
The full text of article 305 is as follows:
Action against the fundamental national interests
Article 305
1) A citizen who either directly or indirectly accepts from a
foreign individual or organization pecuniary benefits for himself or
for another person in return for engaging in activities against
fundamental national interests or for that reason shall be sentenced
to imprisonment for a term of three to ten years[…]. The same penalty
shall be imposed on the person who provides the benefit or makes the
promise.
2) If the act is committed during wartime or benefit has been
given or promised in order to spread propaganda through the medium of
the press and media, the penalty shall be increased by half.
3) Except in cases where the act is committed during wartime,
the prosecution of the offence shall be subject to the authorization
of the Minister of Justice.
4) Within the meaning of the present article, fundamental
national interests shall mean independence, territorial integrity,
national security and the fundamental qualities defined in the
Constitution of the Republic.****
The explanatory report of the article clarifies that `the article
protects, in general, the fundamental national interests and punishes
those who acquire benefit by making actions against them’*****. The
explanatory report also illustrates each paragraph of the article and
gives further explanations on how they should be interpreted. The
interpretation of the second paragraph of the article is as follows:
`Furthermore, according to this paragraph in case money or benefit or
promises have been accepted for conducting propaganda via
publications and the Media, the penalty will be increased. For
example such as the conducting of propaganda via publications and the
Media, by accepting money or benefit or promises for the withdrawal
of the Turkish troops from Cyprus, or for accepting a solution that
is against Turkey on this issue, or for the genocide of the Armenians
at the end of World War I, aimed only at harming Turkey, contrary to
the historical realities.’*****
Therefore, the article proposes punishments for those who
specifically conduct `propaganda’ in the media and other publications
for the withdrawal of the Turkish army from Cyprus and recognition of
the Armenian Genocide `by accepting money or benefit or promises’.
Furthermore, the article dismisses affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide as propaganda and legalizes its denial, by claiming that
such statements are `aimed only at harming Turkey’ and are `contrary
to the historical realities’.
Current Status of Article 305
The new Turkish Penal Code was supposed to enter into force on 1
April 2005, but in the face of fierce objections to it by Turkish
journalists, lawmakers agreed to postpone its implementation till
June in order to introduce certain amendments (6). It seems, however,
that some of the amendments Turkish lawmakers adopted aims “to
introduce even greater restriction.” (6)
In fact, the correspondent of Irish Times in Istanbul reported on May
5 that just hours before a revised draft of the penal code was
presented to the parliament, three MPs succeeded in extending the
remit of article 305, initially applicable only to Turkish citizens,
to include “foreigners in Turkey.”(7) Amnesty International issued an
action alert on May 13, expressing concern that the new version of
the Turkish Penal Code “may be used to unnecessarily restrict the
freedom of expression.” (6) Amnesty International cited article 305
as well as the amendment proposed to it as examples of breaches of
freedom of expression.
Just days before the law was supposed to take effect on June 1, the
Turkish parliament introduced amendments in response to wide
criticism by the media. Some clauses restricting media freedom were
amended, but there are still restrictions that will raise eyebrows in
Western Europe: criticizing some state institutions is still a
criminal offence, as is publishing material deemed “contrary to
fundamental national interests” – such as suggesting that the
killings of Armenians in World War I was a genocide.'(8)
The Turkish Penal Code thus entered into force on June 1. It is
notable, however, that the code entered into force in its original
version, as President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has not yet approved the
last-minute amendments.(9)
(1) Lungescu, O. Turkey’s quest to join Europe. Retrieved 01-01-2005.
(2) EU demands new Turkish Penal Code. Retrieved 01-01-2005.
(3) The new Turkish Penal Code would criminalize recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. Retrieved 01-01-2005. Some of the initial reports
called the article “article 305”. Later it was established that the
number of the article is 305. The number 305 is used in this paper
throughout.
(4)Haraszti, M. Review of the Draft Turkish Penal Code: Freedom of
Media Concerns. Retrieved 19-05-2005.
(5) Criminalization by Turkey of the Affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide and of the request for a withdrawal of the Turkish troops
from Cyprus. Retrieved 01-01-2005.
(6) Turkey: Freedom of expression/torture/prisoners of conscience.
Retrieved 19-05-2005.
(7) Birch, n. Turkey extends ban on alluding to genocide. Retrieved
19-05-2005.
(8) Dymond, J. Turkey adopts Penal Code reforms. Retrieved
27/05-2005.
(9) EU-sought penal code takes effect in Turkey despite criticism.
Retrieved 02-06-2005.