ASBAREZ Online [03-30-2006]

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/30/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Motion to Recognize Armenian Genocide 2) French Socialists to Introduce Bill against Denial of Armenian Genocide 3) Bill Introduced in Senate to Block Funding for Proposed Railway Project Excluding Armenia 4) World Bank Gives Armenia Grant to Support Renewable Energy Project 5) More Clashes in SE Turkey as Kurds Bury 3 Dead 1) Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Motion to Recognize Armenian Genocide YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The parliament of Bulgaria turned down a draft resolution calling for the official acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide and designating April 24 as the day of remembrance for its victims. The motion was initiated by the Ataka party last January. Armenian ambassador to Bulgaria, Sergey Manaserian, said that the Bulgarian parliament is not likely to resume debates about the issue this year. He said the motion is being strongly opposed by another parliamentary faction, the Movement for Freedoms and Rights party, which represents ethnic Bulgarian Turks and is also a member of the governing coalition. Another factor that led to the Bulgarian parliament's decision is its active economic and trade contacts with Turkey. In 2007 Bulgaria is expected to become an EU member and would not like to stir up additional problems with its neighbors or its biggest national minority. The Armenian ambassador said this April 24, events commemorating the 91st anniversary of the Genocide will be held in various Bulgarian cities. 2) French Socialists to Introduce Bill against Denial of Armenian Genocide YEREVAN (Yerkir/Armenpress)--The Socialist faction of the French Parliament decided to introduce a bill against the denial of the Armenian genocide. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation's (ARF) Western Europe Central Committee issued a statement welcoming the decision, which resulted from petitions sent by the ARF to the Socialist Party leader Francois Holland. "This is the second time that the Socialist faction is showing its support for Armenians," the statement says. The Socialist Party of France also helped pass a law recognizing the Armenian genocide in May 1998. "The Socialist Party could use May 18, 2006 to pass a law that would outlaw the denial of the Armenian genocide," continues the statement If passed, the law will make it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide and deniers would be convicted. 3) Bill Introduced in Senate to Block Funding for Proposed Railway Project Excluding Armenia WASHINGTON, DC--Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and newly appointed New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation this week that would prohibit US assistance for the building of railroads traversing the Caucasus that circumvent Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The legislation mirrors a similar House measure (HR 3361) called the "South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005," introduced by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in June, 2005. The House version of the legislation currently has 77 cosponsors. "We welcome this effort to protect US taxpayers from subsidizing an ill-advised and over-priced railroad project that--at the insistence of Turkey and Azerbaijan--has been specifically designed to exclude Armenia," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "Constructing this railroad around Armenia runs directly counter to US foreign policy, is commercially untenable, and will only serve to institutionalize Turkey and Azerbaijan's blockades of Armenia." In his speech on the Senate floor, S 2461 original cosponsor Senator Menendez noted the Turkish government's ongoing campaign to "isolate Armenia economically, politically, and socially," citing Turkey's 13-year blockade of Armenia and, more recently, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which also circumvents Armenia. "US policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional cooperation and economic integration and supports open borders and transport and communication corridors. US support for this project would run counter to that policy which is why Senator Santorum and I are introducing this legislation today." In May, 2005, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and Turkey's President Akhmed Nedget Sezer announced their intention to construct the railway corridor linking Turkey, Tbilisi, and Baku. The project would effectively replace the Kars-Gyumri railroad route, which has been blockaded by Turkey for more than a decade. The governmental and commercial interests involved in the project, estimated at between $600 million and $1 billion, will almost certainly turn to the US government for financial support, subsidies, favorable lending terms, and low-cost risk insurance, as they did for the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline route. In October 2005, the European Commission added its voice to the growing international opposition to a Caucasus railroad. The Commission's position was articulated by the Directorate General for Transport and Energy. In explaining why the European Union would not support the creation of this rail line, the Directorate noted that its construction was both unnecessary and inefficient in light of the existing railroad connecting Kars, Gyumri, and Tbilisi. Sen. Menendez' complete statement follows. Statement by Senator Robert Menendez upon Introduction of S 2461 Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to block US support for yet another anti-Armenian initiative. In numerous cases over the last few years, the Turkish government has methodically sought to isolate Armenia economically, politically and socially. One of the most egregious examples was the imposition of a 1993 blockade against Armenia in support of Azerbaijan's war against Karabagh Armenians. The Turkish government has routinely sought to exclude Armenia from projects that would benefit the economies of the countries of the South Caucasus. The latest example of this policy is the proposal to build a new rail line that would connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Similar to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, this rail link would specifically go around Armenia. Now, geographically, we all know that a pipeline or rail line that seeks to connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan would have to pass through Armenia. One would have to make a special effort to bypass Armenia. The US should not endorse Turkey and Azerbaijan's politically motivated attempt to isolate Armenia. I therefore rise today in opposition to this plan, and to introduce legislation, along with my colleague, Senator SANTORUM, that would bar US support and funding for a rail link connecting Georgia and Turkey, and which specifically excludes Armenia. This project is estimated to cost up to $800 million and would take three years to complete. The aim of this costly approach, as publicly stated by Azeri President Aliyev, is to isolate Armenia by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades and to keep the existing Turkey-Armenia-Georgia rail link shut down. This ill-conceived project runs counter to US policy, ignores the standing Kars-Gyumri rail route, is politically and economically flawed and serves to destabilize the region. US policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional cooperation and economic integration and supports open borders and transport and communication corridors. US support for this project would run counter to that policy which is why Senator Santorum and I are introducing this legislation today. We cannot continue to stoke the embers of regional conflict by supporting projects that deliberately exclude one of the region's most important members. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. 4) World Bank Gives Armenia Grant to Support Renewable Energy Project YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)--The World Bank approved Wednesday a Renewable Energy Project for Armenia totaling $25,050,000. The amount includes a $5 million International Development Association (IDA) credit and a $3 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project will also be supported by co-financing of $3 million from the Cafesjian Family Foundation. This project will assist the government in increasing privately owned and operated power generation utilizing renewable energy and to reduce greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emissions. Although Armenia has achieved remarkable results in reforming its energy sector, a few challenges remain. Armenia must shift its reliance from costly and polluting sources of energy to lower cost and environmentally friendly alternatives. Also, Armenia needs to diversify its energy sources and utilize indigenous renewable energy resources. While the overall legal and regulatory framework in Armenia is supportive to the development of renewable resources, private investments in renewable projects are impeded by a number of legal, regulatory, informational, financial, and institutional barriers. The Renewable Energy Project will provide assistance to remove the existing barriers and debt financing, as well as technical, legal, managerial and business support to a selected number of renewable projects. "The project will increase the role of renewable resources in Armenia's electricity generation mix in the future thereby increasing the diversification of electricity supply and energy security," said Gevorg Sargsyan, Head of the World Bank team designing the project. "It will also generate environmental benefits by reducing emissions and pollution." World Bank officials also discussed anticipated repercussions of the upcoming surge in the price of Russian natural gas on Armenia's population and economy. Roger Robinson, head of the World Bank office in Yerevan, predicted that the doubling of the gas price, which is due to take effect this Saturday, will mainly affect the cost of electricity generated by thermal power plants, as well as the cost to heat households using gas heaters, usually poorer families. "While the raising of the gas price in Armenia will have some negative impacts on certain parts of the economy and will hurt the budgets of some people, my personal feeling is that the overall impact will not be as severe as some people believe or fear," Roger Robinson said, He said, however, it was difficult discuss more precisely the effects of Russia's decision because of ongoing talks over the price. 5) More Clashes in SE Turkey as Kurds Bury 3 Dead DIYARBAKIR (Reuters)--Kurdish youths hurled stones and molotov cocktails at Turkish police and burned tires on Thursday in a third day of violent clashes, which have so far claimed three lives and wounded more than 250 people. The fighting erupted when thousands of people attended funeral ceremonies for the three people--two young men and an eight-year-old boy--killed during Wednesday's clashes in Diyarbakir, a major city in Turkey's mostly Kurdish southeast. According to Kurdish officials, two of the three victims were shot by police. Some of the mourners, ignoring calls for calm from local officials, attacked a police station they were passing. Police used tear gas and truncheons to disperse them. In a sign that the unrest may be spreading, CNN Turk television said about 3,000 protesters had also fought with police in the nearby town of Batman. More than 10 people were hurt in those clashes, it said. In Diyarbakir, a city of nearly one million on the river Tigris, most shops and offices were shut on Thursday. The Turkish army has stationed combat vehicles in the suburbs in a bid to discourage protesters. The violence first erupted on Tuesday after funeral ceremonies for 14 guerrillas of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), killed by security forces last weekend. Diyarbakir governor Efkan Ala told a news conference late on Wednesday that police had detained around 200 people during the clashes, the worst seen in Diyarbakir in 30 years. "This violence damages the image of Diyarbakir, which had been steadily improving ... It will delay the flow of investment here that would curb unemployment," Ala said. Political analysts say the riots are rooted in high unemployment, poverty and a belief among the Kurds of the region that Ankara is not seriously interested in improving their lot. Under pressure from the European Union, which it hopes to join, Turkey has removed restrictions on Kurdish language and culture, but critics say it is too little too late. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government is also under fire from Turkish nationalists who view the concessions to Kurds as rewarding terrorism. Ankara holds the PKK responsible for the deaths of more than 30,000 people since it launched its armed campaign for an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey in 1984. "We are now paying the price for Erdogan's Diyarbakir adventure," Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), said in televised remarks. Erdogan infuriated nationalists last summer when he visited Diyarbakir and said Turkey had made mistakes in the past in its handling of what he called the "Kurdish problem." The PKK is also on the terrorism blacklist of the European Union and the United States. 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) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.