Month: September 2006

SERGEY IVANOV: GANGSTERISM IN GEORGIA ACQUIRED STATE COLORING

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 13:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Gangsterism in Georgia has acquired a state coloring,
said Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov. "We have warned the
military and their families not to go leave homes if it’s not extremely
necessary," he added.

The Russian Defense Minister accused "some new NATO member states of
selling to Georgia the armament that they purchased from the USSR with
a veto on re-export." "This is a grave violation of the agreement on
the control of armament and nothing else but piracy," said Ivanov,
who will take part in the Russia-NATO Council sitting in Slovenia.

As it was reported earlier, since September 27 evening the
Georgian police have detained 6 Russian military on accusation
of espionage. Presently officers Alexander Sava, Dmitry Kazantsev,
Alexander Barantsev, Alexander Zavgotodtsev and first sergeant Ruslan
Skrylnikov are kept in custody. The Georgian side asserts that another
serviceman Konstantin Pichugin is hiding in the Russian Embassy,
reports RIA Novosti.

GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES" ACTIONS CAN LEAD TO WAR, SERGEY MIRONOV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 13:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The actions of the Georgian authorities can lead to
war, said Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Sergey Mironov. In
his words, in history similar attacks of espionage-mania have served
as a start for launching military operations. Meanwhile, according to
the latest data, Georgia produced formal accusation to four Russian
military, who were detained earlier, reports Lenta.ru.

To remind, on September 27 evening in Tbilisi and Batumi four Russian
military were detained. Two other officers were arrested later. One
of them, first sergeant Ruslan Skrylnikov was released on September
29 night. According to Shota Khizanishvili, the administration
head at the Georgian Ministry of Interior, Skrylnikov is a Georgian
citizen. Another prisoner, Amir Aslanyan, is a Georgian citizen too and
"he is not ranked among the detained Russian officers." Khizanashvili
confirmed that lieutenant colonel Alexander Sava, lieutenant colonel
Dmitry Kazantsev, lieutenant colonel Alexander Baranov and captain
Alexander Zavgorodnev have been accused of espionage. Besides,
similar accusations were brought against 11 Georgian citizens,
who are Armenians, said Chief of the RA Armed Forces General Staff
Mikael Harutyunyan.

ARMENIA POSITIVELY ASSESSES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION ON TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 13:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia positively assesses the outcomes of the
European Parliament vote on the issue of Turkey’s recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in Yerevan
today. In his words, the withdrawal of the precondition does not
reflect the general tendency on the issue among the EU member states.

"The decision of the European Parliament is a serious political
document. It’s important not only for Turkey but also for any
other state. As a matter of fact Turkey is obliged to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide and open the Armenian-Turkish border. The
political consequences of this decision are positive for Armenia,"
the RA FM said.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: OSCE MG TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA OCTOBER 3

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 13:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An agreement on a regional visit was achieved during
the meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in New York, Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian stated at press conference in Yerevan.

In his words, the mediators will arrive in Armenia October 3. "After
the consultations with the Co-chairs it will be possible to speak
of a new meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs," he said. At
that he remarked that since the meetings with Mammadyarov produce no
proper results, they become unnecessary.

"After the GUAM’s initiative on the ‘frozen conflicts’ in the UN the
situation has changed and meetings lost sense. An initial document
and some agreements are essential for talks. It makes no sense to
meet for no particular reason, the Minister said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TENSION OF RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS TO HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 14:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Armenia is concerned about the events in Georgia,
since the tension of the Russian-Georgian relations will have a
negative impact on Armenia," RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said
at a press conference in Yerevan. In his words, the Armenians, accused
of espionage, are Georgian citizens and Armenia cannot interfere into
the internal affairs of a neighbor state. "However, as you remember,
there are also Armenian citizens arrested in Georgia.

Presently the Foreign Ministries of the two states hold intense talks
on their release," Oskanian said.

FRANCE WARNS ITS CITIZENS AGAINST VISITING SOME GEORGIAN REGIONS

Armenpress
Sept 29 2006

TBILISI, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: France’s foreign ministry has
warned French citizens traveling to the former Soviet republic of
Georgia against visiting some of its regions, saying they should not
either take strolls in Tbilisi streets at night.

The foreign ministry also asked French citizens to refrain from
traveling by Tbilisi underground and using pedestrian subways.

RUSSIAN GAS DELIVERIES TO ARMENIA STOPPED

Armenpress
Sept 29 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Russian gas deliveries to Armenia
were stopped on September 29 noon. A spokeswoman for HayRusGazArd
joint Russian-Armenian venture that ships the Russian gas to Armenia
via Georgia, said the shipment was stopped because of reconstruction
of a section of the main pipeline in the territory of Georgia.

The spokeswoman said supplies of the Russian gas are expected to resume
in four days. Until then Armenia will use gas from its underground
storage in Abovian.

ISRAELI ARMENIANS SEEK REFUGE IN YEREVAN

Armenpress
Sept 27 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: Rosanna Petrosian, head of the
migration department, affiliated with the territorial ministry, said
six or seven Lebanese families who were granted temporary asylum in
Armenia in the wake of the military conflict with Israel, have gone
back to Lebanon. She said overall 326 people have asked so far for
temporary asylum, 260 are Lebanese and 61 are Israeli citizens.

She said 245 of Lebanese were ethnic Armenians, 15 were foreigners,
including one USA and four Syrian citizens. The majority of Israelis
were ethnic Armenians. She said more Israeli Armenians are coming
to Armenia because of the deteriorating situation and fears of a new
war with Lebanon.

ARMENIA AND U.S. FORMALLY INAUGURATE $235 MILLION RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Armenpress
Sept 29 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: On September 29, 2006, the five year
Millennium Challenge anti-poverty development program agreed to earlier
this year by the United States and Armenia was officially inaugurated
with an exchange of letters. In a ceremony held at the Ministry of
Finance and Economy, Finance Minister Vardan Khachatryan and Alex
Russin of the Millennium Challenge Corporation exchanged letters
which formally inaugurate the $235 million anti-poverty program.

The Armenian Compact is designed to reduce rural poverty through a
sustainable increase in the economic performance of the agricultural
sector. Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a five-year program
of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure
and technical and financial assistance to improve the supply of water
and to support farmers and agribusinesses. The Program will directly
impact approximately 750,000 people, or an estimated 75 percent of
the rural population, and is expected to reduce the rural poverty
rate and boost annual incomes.

The Compact includes a $67 million project to rehabilitate up to 943
kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia’s proposed
Lifeline road network. When complete, the Lifeline road network will
ensure that every rural community has road access to markets, services,
and the main road network. Under the Compact, the Government of Armenia
will be required to commit additional resources for maintenance of
the road network. The Compact also includes a $146 million project to
increase the productivity of approximately 250,000 farm households (34%
of which are headed by women) through improved water supply, higher
yields, higher-value crops, and a more competitive agricultural sector.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government corporation
designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is
based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces
good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that
promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.

ARMENIAN FM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REPORT ON TURKEY

Armenpress
Sept 29 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian described the European Parliament’s September 27 highly
critical report on Turkey and its progress on EU membership talks as
‘positive’, although it has dropped a suggestion that Ankara must
recognize the Armenian genocide before it can join the bloc.

Back from New York where he took the UN rostrum to back the
right of people of Nagorno- Karabakh to exercise their right to
self-determination, Oskanian told reporters today in Yerevan that
the report’s positive political consequences will be felt in future.

Oskanian regretted over the drop of the genocide suggestion saying
it would have been an ideal report, in terms of Armenia’s interests,
had the genocide clause been retained. But he argued that this will not
have a negative impact on the report’s value because it asks Turkey to
lift its transport blockade of Armenia and normalize relations with it.

Oskanian singled out a paragraph of the report which says that though
the recognition of the Armenian genocide is not a Copenhagen criterion
for Turkey’s EU accession, however, a country striving to join the
EU must accept its past. Oskanian said it was a remarkable wording,
which can be considered as a precondition.

Concerning elimination of the transport blockade and establishment of
diplomatic relations with Armenia, Oskanian said the report is very
clear about these two issues demanding that Turkey lifts the blockade
and normalize relations with Yerevan without any preconditions.