Month: October 2006

PACE SITTING TO START

A1+
[01:14 pm] 02 October, 2006

The fall sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) is to start today in Strasbourg. The delegation of
the RA National Assembly, with Speaker Tigran Torosyan at the head,
will participate in it.

The delegation includes head of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations Armen Roustamyan, member of the Republican Party Hermineh
Naghdalyan, head of the Justice faction Stepan Demirchyan and head
of the National Unity faction Artashes Geghamyan.

The fifth anniversary of Armenia’s membership in the CoE will also
be celebrated this week in Strasbourg.

The main issues of the CoE agenda are the situation in Kosovo and in
Balkans, as well as the speech of the Hungarian Prime Minister.

Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov will make a speech on
Wednesday. The letter presides over the CoE Ministers’ Committee.

ANKARA RESOLUTE OVER ARMENIAN BILL, SOLE CONCERN TIES WITH FRANCE
EmÝne Kart

Turkish Daily News
Sept 30 2006

‘The Armenian lobby should abandon backstage games and come up
with concrete arguments supported by historical facts,’ say Turkish
diplomatic sources

The French National Assembly has decided to vote in the coming
days on a highly contentious bill — shelved last spring, leading
to dismay and anger among the Armenian diaspora in France — that
penalizes any denial of an alleged Armenian genocide at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire.

The assembly’s decision for the vote, scheduled for Oct. 12, came
at the request from the main opposition Socialist Party, the bill’s
architect.

When the bill first appeared on the agenda in May, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, backed by Turkish business leaders and unions,
appealed to France to block the contentious item, warning of the
potential threat to bilateral relations.

As of yesterday the Turkish capital didn’t feel the need to release
an official response to the recent development in France, which comes
at a time when the atmosphere in domestic French politics is heating
up with the approach of presidential and parliamentary elections,
both slated for next year.

Yet diplomatic sources at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, speaking with
the Turkish Daily News, underlined the importance Turkey attributes to
bilateral relations with France and expressed concern that adoption of
such a controversial bill would harm relations between the two peoples
as well as French businessmen doing business in and with Turkey.

"Even if this bill is adopted, it is not possible for Turkey to accept
such a theory," the same sources said, while noting that Ankara
has been contacting French officials at every level to prevent the
bill’s adoption.

Turkish officials drew attention to the fact that Armenia, with its aim
of having genocide accusations against Turkey accepted by third-party
countries, is trying to damage bilateral relations between Turkey
and other countries to secure an advantage in the political arena.

"The Armenian lobby should abandon backstage games and should come up
with concrete arguments supported by historical facts," the diplomatic
sources said, referring to Ankara’s proposal last year to establish a
joint committee of Turkish and Armenian experts to study allegations
of an Armenian genocide in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.

Earlier this month, during talks with his French counterpart, Philippe
Douste-Blazy, as part of a visit to France, Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul suggested that France participate in such a body.

Gul said at the time that other countries, including France, could
join the proposed committee of Turkish and Armenian academics to
study the allegations.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan sent a letter to Armenian President
Robert Kocharian proposing the establishment of such a committee,
but his proposal was turned down by Kocharian, who instead offered
an intergovernmental commission that would study ways of resolving
problems between the two neighboring countries. Turkey says its
proposal is still on the table.

During talks with Douste-Blazy, Gul also raised Ankara’s uneasiness
over the French bill penalizing any denial of the alleged genocide.

Gul told Douste-Blazy it was a contradiction to hold a parliamentary
debate on a bill that restricts freedom of expression, while the
European Union presses Ankara to amend Article 301 of the Turkish
Penal Code (TCK) under which a wave of authors and journalists has
been tried. "We cannot accept a historical issue being dragged onto
a political platform," he said at the time.

Chirac’s first trip to Armenia:

Ahead of his first official visit to Armenia at the invitation of
Kocharian, Chirac used the phrase "the Armenian genocide committed
by the Ottoman Empire."

Chirac employed the wording during an interview with an Armenian
journal; the transcript was translated into Turkish by the French
Embassy in Ankara.

"Europe is first of all an effort of reconciliation, peace, respect
and openness to others. I believe in Turkey’s ability to pay historical
tribute, as the spirit of Europe lies in that," he said.

Chirac, who was scheduled to depart on Friday for the official two-day
visit, is also scheduled to visit a monument dedicated to the killings
of Anatolian Armenians called the "Memorial to Armenian Genocide."

Today, Chirac and Kocharian will attend a concert by the renowned
Charles Aznavour that will be performed to mark the beginning of the
Year of Armenia in France, called "Armenia, My Friend."

–Boundary_(ID_qhVD+TQMXVFwxShB8754 4A)–

SAAKASHVILI IS CARVING A STRAIGHT PATH TO THE GOAL HE ALONE SEES CLEARLY
by Yuri Simonjan, Anatroly Gordiyenko, Vladimir Ivanov, Alexandra Samarina
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 29-30, 2006, pp. 1, 6
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
October 2, 2006 Monday

TBILISI: BEYOND THE POINT OF NO RETURN;

The Latest Russian-Georgian Scandal: Tbilisi May Have Pushed Moscow
Too Far; On Wednesday, September 27, the authorities of Georgia had
six Russian officers arrested and charged with espionage. Relations
between Moscow and Tbilisi have finally passed the point of no
return. The Russian Embassy in Tbilisi is longer accepting visa
applications from Georgians.

On Wednesday, September 27, the authorities of Georgia had six
Russian officers arrested and charged with espionage and subversive
activities. "Their arrest is a valid reason for having the UN Security
Council handle the problem," because "the situation is quite serious,"
said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The gravity of his words
is a clear indication that relations between Moscow and Tbilisi have
finally passed the point of no return.

Everything started when Georgian police surrounded the headquarters
of the Russian Army Group in the Caucasus. Interior Minister Vano
Merabishvili immediately made a public statement, announcing that
Georgian counter-intelligence had caught "several persons including
four officers of the Russian Armed Forces GRU (Main Intelligence
directorate) and over a dozen Georgians." As for the police cordons,
Merabishvili explained that Georgian law enforcement agencies wanted
another Russian officer ("GRU Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Pichugin")
for espionage, and that he was inside the building. "We appealed to
the command of the Russian Army Group in the Caucasus to hand over the
spy who enjoys immunity on the territory that is off limits to us,"
the minister said.

According to Merabishvili, the network of spies was run by Colonel
Anatoly Sinitsyn of the Russian intelligence – organizer of the
terrorist act in the town of Gori on February 1, 2005, where several
Georgian police officers were killed. "He is running his assets from
Yerevan, Armenia, from Unit 44843 of the Armed Forces of the Russian
Federation," Merabishvili said.

Merabishvili also said that the "network we’ve neutralized concentrated
on Georgia’s combat readiness, programs and plans for Georgia-NATO
cooperation, opposition parties and non-governmental organizations,
certain units of the Defense Ministry of Georgia, personnel, arms
procurement, sea ports, railroads." Merabishvili even identified the
arrested Russians by name and rank: GRU lieutenant colonels Alexander
Savva and Dmitri Kazantsev, detained in Tbilisi, Lieutenant Colonel
Alexander Zavgorodny, and Major Alexander Baranov (both from the GRU)
in Batumi. On the morning of September 28, the Georgians reported
the arrest of two more Russian officers.

The Foreign Ministry of Georgia made its move without delay. Ivan
Volynkin at the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi was given a strongly-worded
protest note demanding the handover of Pichugin, still at the
headquarters of the Russian Army Group in the Caucasus.

"The Embassy official was given a thorough account of the reasons
for the arrests made by Georgian law enforcement agencies," a press
release stated. The document proceeded to announce that the Georgians
had permitted the Russians a meeting with the arrestees.

Obviously, all these gestures and explanations failed to satisfy
Moscow. Lavrov, in his comment from the town of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk,
revealed Tbilisi’s true designs and motives. Lavrov presented the
latest developments as all being linked. He recalled Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili’s recent criticism of Russia at the UN General
Assembly, and Tbilisi’s actions in the Kodori Gorge.

"Typically, the latest provocation and the latest statements with
regard to the Kodori Gorge that conflict with all existing accords
took place and were made bare days after endorsement of the policy
of advanced cooperation with Georgia by NATO countries," Lavrov
pointed out. The UN Security Council will ponder resolution on the
Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in the near future. "We will insist on
making this document a principal evaluation of Georgia’s subversive
actions in defiance of its own commitments," Russian minister said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s reaction to the news from Georgia was
instantaneous. Georgian Ambassador Irakly Chubinishvili was summoned
to the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation on the evening of
September 27. Grigori Karasin, State Secretary and Deputy Foreign
Minister, protested against Georgia’s action and reminded the Georgia
diplomat that the Russian military is organizing the withdrawal of the
Russian military bases from Georgia under the terms of Russian-Georgian
agreements.

Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov described
the events in Georgia as "absolute lawlessness." "They are clearly
trying to provoke us into an inadequate reaction. Russia’s reaction
will remain adequate and reasonable," Ivanov told journalists before
boarding the plane to Portoroj in Slovenia (meeting of the Russia-NATO
Council is scheduled there on September 29). "They deliberately
aggravate the situation in the hope to distract attention from the
problems Georgia is facing. I’m sorry for the Georgian people."

Dismayed by the latest developments, Moscow doesn’t rule out the
possibility of sanctions against Georgia. "Arresting senior Russian
officers on charges of espionage is absurd, to put it mildly. Such
actions conflict with the CIS agreements which state in no uncertain
terms that CIS countries do not spy on one another," said Yuri
Sharandin, chairman of the Federation Council Constitutional Law
Committee and head of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe. The lawmaker maintains that "these
patently invented and absurd charges" against the Russian officers was
a deliberate gesture. "Inventing evidence of espionage or intelligence
activities is the easiest. What secrets could Georgia be hiding,
a country as small as it is?" Sharandin warned the authorities of
Georgia of the consequences their actions may bring about. "Russian
answer will be more than adequate. We will invoke sanctions against
this country," Sharandin said.

Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Duma Committee for International
Affairs, evaluates the latest action taken by the authorities
of Georgia as an element of a general strategy aimed at causing
Russian-Georgian relations to deteriorate as much as possible.

Kosachev attributes it to the lack of progress in resolution of
conflicts between the government in Tbilisi and breakaway provinces of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "When the Georgian leadership is compelled
to explain the situation to the population, it immediately refers
to the malicious Russia," the lawmaker said. "We must do whatever it
takes to have our officers released. We must insist on coherent and
exhaustive information on why actions of this sort are undertaken. If
the conflict is not resolved at once, we may always resort to an
adequate response. Say, we may press similar charges against some
Georgians in Russia. I don’t doubt that our secret services have all
necessary information."

By engineering such provocations, Georgia violates all international
norms, Gennadi Gudkov of the Security Committee of the Duma said.

"Under the circumstances, the Russian response may take the form of a
show of strength – say, a blockade of the Georgian Black Sea ports,"
Gudkov said. "Send the Black Sea Fleet to run an exercise somewhere
off the Georgian coast. Why not? Assign secret services and make sure
that they do their job. We have so many Georgians in Russia doing
what not exactly checks with the acting legislation. Methods must
be adequate. If the Georgians calm down, it’s okay. If they don’t,
we must show them to what lengths we could go."

A source close to the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces says
that the latest developments in Georgia are just another attempt by
Tbilisi to negate Russian control over the situation. "Saakashvili
must have secured Washington’s support in the matter of Abkhazia.

Otherwise, his aggressiveness, which transcends all accepted and
acceptable practices and Russian-Georgian accords, could only be
described as political stupidity," the officer said. The source
confirms that Russian peacekeepers operating in Georgia "might include
some intelligence officers at the tactical army level – who provide
the peacekeeper command with the information necessary for planning
or whatever." "It is even possible to assume – as unlikely as it
is – that there may have been a small group of GRU officers at the
headquarters of the Russian Army Group in the Caucasus," the officer
said. "If there were, then they merely observed the American military
instructors training units of the Georgian national army."

Even Western analysts suspect "American involvement" in the latest
developments in Georgia. Arnaud Kalika, Strategic Information Bulletin
editor (TTU, Paris), said: "Military contacts between Georgia and the
United States being so close, I cannot imagine such an operation being
organized by the Georgians without Washington’s knowledge." Kalika
went on to say: "In fact, such an operation could even be coordinated
with the CIA. The Americans and their CIA made it plain more than
once that they would try to thwart the Russian policy in the southern
part of the Caucasus. The episode with the Russian officers fit the
pattern. Washington views Georgia as its own turf now. I’d even say
that the United States will try to prevent Russian sanctions against
Georgia. Presidents Putin and Bush will probably be discussing the
matter before very long."

The situation in Tbilisi remains complicated. Russian Embassy
spokesman Mikhail Svirin maintains that the headquarters of the
Russian Army Group in the Caucasus remains surrounded by Georgian
police. The Russians have assigned an armored vehicle to guard the
entrance. Svirin confirms that the Embassy is longer accepting visa
applications from Georgians.

Economic leverage

Even if Moscow decides to suspend all import from Georgia, economic
effect of this decision cannot hurt Georgia as bad as the ban on wines
and mineral water did. Statistical data from the customs indicate that
Georgian wines and mineral water accounted for 56.4% of all Georgian
export to Russia last year. Nothing else can match these articles:
spirits accounted for 12.2% of all export, ferrous alloys for 12%,
and nuts, fruits, and so on for 19.2%.

Foods account for almost half of the Russian export to Georgia
(51.1%). Tbilisi can always recompense with enlarging import of
foodstuffs from other countries.

Fuel and energy supplies are the chink in Georgia’s armor. Georgia
is almost entirely dependent on Russian natural gas. It is paying
$110 per 1,000 cubic meters nowadays. If Russia decides to boost the
price or suspend the deliveries altogether, Georgia will be compelled
to seek alternative sources of gas – and do it without delay. (And
Moscow should bear in mind that Russian gas to loyal Armenia is
exported via the territory of Georgia.) Along with everything else,
RAO Unified Energy Systems sells electricity to Georgia in winter,
when Georgia experiences power shortages.

GEORGIA TO IMPORT ENERGY NOT ONLY FROM RUSSIA, BUT TURKEY, IRAN

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 30, 2006 Saturday

Georgia will be able to import electric power it needs in winter not
only from Russia, but also from Turkey and Iran by transit via Armenia.

Tbilisi prolonged the relevant agreement of 2005 with Ankara and
sealed deals with Yerevan and Tehran, Georgian Energy Minister Nika
Gelauri said on Saturday.

Under the agreements, Georgia will import electric power from Turkey
and Iran by transit via Armenia on a barter basis.

Georgia will import 100 megawatts from Turkey and another 150 megawatts
from Iran.

Gelauri pointed out that "at present, Georgia is insured from any
incidents and emergencies in the country’s energy system."

"The Russian-Georgian agreements remain in force. Pursuant to them,
Georgia will be able to import 200-250 megawatts from Russia by the
end of the year," a ministry’s official told Itar-Tass.

"At present, electric power supplies from Russia are suspended, but
if it is necessary, they will be resumed," the official said pointing
out that Georgia plans to prolong these agreements in 2007.

Georgia’s demand for electric power in winter makes up 1,700
megawatts. Georgia’s hydropower and thermal-power stations account
for 76 percent.

JACQUES CHIRAC: FRANCE FULLY RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 30 2006

Robert Kocharian Does Not Object To Creation Of Commission On Solution
Of Armenian-Turkish Problem

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. "Remember". This was the only
word that the French President Jacques Chirac wrote on September 30
in the memorial book of the Museum-Institute of the Armenian Genocide
after visiting the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex, laying flowers
at the eternal flame in memory of the genocide victims and becoming
acquainted with some museum documents. Jacques Chirac also planted
a fir-tree in the memorial alley of the complex.

During a press conference following their tete-a-tete meeting, the
two presidents responded to reporters’ questions. At the request
of a reporter of "Le Figaro", J. Chirac touched upon the draft law
on recognition of denial of the Armenian Genocide as a punishable
action. It is envisaged to discuss this draft in the French National
Assembly in the near future. "I want to remind that France recognized
the Armenian Genocide by force of law and this law applies to
everybody," J. Chirac noted. In his words, France is a legal state
where criminal responsibility is envisaged for ethnic intolerance
such as racism and actions instigating it. He pointed out once again
that France fully recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Responding to a question of "Le Monde", President Kocharian said:
"Today our relations with Turkey have not actually been formed. We are
interested in having relations with a more predictable, more secure
and democratic country. Of course, Armenia does not see any danger in
the issue of Turkey’s membership of the EU, quite the opposite. We
would like the issues concerning us to be solved in this process,
as well as the European system of values regarding free movement and
openness of borders, to be used in Turkey as well, and at the initial
rather than final stage of its membership."

The French president in his turn noted that every state develops
by admitting problems of its past: "By recognizing the genocide of
Jews, Germany did not lose its greatness and self-confidence. On the
contrary, a country and nation develops by admitting the mistakes
made in the past and striving to enter the union that respects human
rights. Turkey must think about discussion and admission of its past,"
President Chirac underlined.

Asked by Paris correspondent of the Turkish paper "Huriet" why the
Armenian president does not respond to the Turkish prime minister Recep
Erdogan’s proposal to set up a commission of historians to discuss
the issue of "massacres", Robert Kocharian replied that the heads
of neighboring countries should communicate not through the press
but through their diplomatic missions and by holding consultations
of their foreign ministries. "I regret that no such relations exist
between Turkey and Armenia. Responding to Erdogan’s letter, I proposed
setting up an interstate commission to find solutions to all problems,
including the issue of creating a commission of historians. There
has been no response so far," the Armenian president said.

TURKEY FOR RAPID REHABILITATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY – SEZER
Author: M.Tagiyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006

Turkey is proud to witness Azerbaijan developing successfully and it
will occupy a reserved place in the World Policy, Turkish President
Ahmet Sezer stated at the Turkish Parliament.

‘Turkey wants the formation of stability and friendship in the
South Caucasus. In this context Ankara continues with its efforts to
establish a peace, stability and confidence in this region," the Head
of State stressed.

With respect to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, he said that Turkey supports the rapid rehabilitation
of the Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Turkish President also stated that his Country is interested in
the provision of the political stability in the Eurasian region. The
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline that was put into
exploitation in July 2006 is a notable and obvious example of
successful regional co-operation. "Thanks to Kazakhstan involvement ,
the project pipeline will soon stretch to Central Asia," Sezer stated.

CYPRUS STATE OF DENIAL: NOTHING LIKE PEACE TO KEEP CNN AWAY
by Nikolas K. Gvosdev

The National Interest Online, DC
Oct 2 2006

Cyprus hasn’t been grabbing news headlines lately. Sure, there is
concern about the possible derailment of Turkey’s EU-accession process
because Ankara still won’t deal with the government of the Republic
of Cyprus, which it chooses not to recognize as being legitimate. But
other than that, it’s not on the list of the hotspots of the world’s
"frozen conflicts"-waiting for war to break out in the Caucasus is
much more interesting.

It is an indictment, however, of the "squeaky wheels get the grease"
approach to conflict resolution. The United States and the Europeans
have not put a great deal of effort behind efforts to get Cyprus
"solved" because there is no pressing urgency, or so it is said.

But the failure to take advantage of a number of windows of opportunity
to get a workable bi-zonal, bi-communal federation up and running on
the island (and to get Turkish troops out, and to remove the Cyprus
question as a roadblock for Ankara’s EU aspirations) has not gone
unnoticed in the region.

There are four lessons to be "unlearned" from Cyprus-all of which
will make our task of ending other regional conflicts all the more
difficult.

Lesson number one: Don’t resettle your refugees. After the 1974
invasion of the island, the government in Nicosia made a tremendous
decision. Refugees would not be permanently confined to squalid
camps and kept in perpetual limbo (guaranteeing the emergence of
second and third generations of refugees), as had happened with
the Palestinians. No, resettlement would occur by creating new
neighborhoods (with refugees acquiring the ability to eventually own
property) and by directing investment to create job opportunities
(rather than have people on a perpetual dole). The end result: no
"showcase" camps filled with desperate, radicalized people. The
international community, however, has interpreted this to mean that
there is no problem at all. This is why in more recent conflicts
governments have quite cynically allowed and encouraged refugees
camps to develop and become permanent; nothing better than to parade
before international observers the dispossessed. And usually, the
refugees-encouraged to vote as a bloc-give their ballots to the
political forces most disinclined for compromise or moderation. The
"refugee factor" is an important reason for the lack of progress in
settling the conflicts in Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Lesson number two: Highlight ethnic conflict. When the "green line"
separating the Greek and Turkish areas of Cyprus opened in 2003, the
world media was prepared to televise the predicted violence; that
once Greek and Turkish Cypriots encountered each other, "age-old"
ethnic hatreds would flare up, leading to dramatic clashes. For the
last three years, millions of cross-zonal visits have taken place with
almost no incidents. There’s nothing like peace to keep CNN away. The
Kosovar Albanians, in contrast, have adopted a more successful
strategy-by having extremists continue to target the minority Serbs,
the argument is made that accommodation is impossible and independence
(and separation) the only solution.

The third lesson: Don’t compromise. The government in Nicosia could
have used its veto to prevent EU accession talks with Turkey from
ever starting, on the grounds that Ankara’s refusal to recognize
the government of an EU-member state and its continued deployment
of 40,000 troops on the island constitute an illegal occupation of
European territory. It didn’t. It signaled that it would even support
Turkish membership in the EU and wouldn’t act as the proxy for those
central European states who don’t want Turkey in the EU but don’t
want to provoke Washington by scuttling Ankara’s European bid.

Nicosia gambled that its moderation would lead to some reciprocal
gestures on Turkey’s part. Those hopes have been, so far, dashed.

The lesson the rest of the region is learning is that might makes right
and that compromise is a sign of weakness. Nowhere in the region are
rivals prepared to make the concessions necessary to move forward on
long-term peace arrangements.

Finally, the Cypriot case shows that the vaunted "European approach"
is, so far, zero for one. This thesis is that the incentive of
joining the EU-with all the economic benefits entailed plus the
protections provided by EU institutions-can motivate political leaders
to reach a settlement. (The "EU approach" is the one advocated
by former secretary of defense, Frank Carlucci, in these pages
?id=11962 "The Crucial
Final Step", rests on the assumption that competing Serb and Albanian
interests in Kosovo can be reconciled via EU membership for both Serbia
and an independent Kosovo state.) So far, that approach has not worked
to reunite the island nor caused Turkey to modify its stance. And the
extent to which the EU backs away from its commitments (to recognize
the territorial integrity of the island under the government of the
Republic) only erodes confidence that any EU-based settlement can in
fact be trusted to be implemented.

Failure to reach a final settlement for Cyprus, with all of its
positive conditions, makes it that much harder to believe that the
more difficult cases-Kosovo, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and even
Iraq-will prove easier to resolve, especially when leaders in those
states and entities conclude that there’s no benefit to be gained
from being moderate and reasonable.

Nikolas K. Gvosdev is editor of The National Interest.

FRANCE DAYS IN ARMENIA BEGAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2006 15:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ France’s Days in Armenia started in Yerevan October
2. According to Armenian Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik
Poghosyan, these will expand the format of the Armenian-French cultural
ties. As H. Poghosyan underscored, exhibitions at the National Picture
Gallery of Armenia marked the opening of the Days.

French Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny noted the Days of France
in Armenia immediately after the visit of President Chirac are
symbolic. "Before departure for the fatherland French President Chirac
was highly content with his stay in Armenia," the Ambassador said. The
diplomat added that the Square of France, opened in Yerevan lately,
is surrounded by concert halls, museums and musical establishments
again confirms the Armenian-French cultural and art cooperation.

In Cuny’s words, within half a month works of French classical and
avant-guarde artists and photographers will be exhibited in the
Armenian capital. Days of France in Armenia will last till end of
November 2006.

Some ten art and photo exhibitions, several theater performances,
a festival of French films, classical music concert, as well as
fashion show are planned, reports Novosti-Armenia.

FINNISH FM CHAIRING AT EU ASSURES ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ IS STILL OPEN

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006

The Finnish Foreign Minister, Erkki Tuomioja, who leads the European
Union’s ‘trio’, stated in Yerevan on 2 October that the EU supports
the efforts taken by the OSCE

Minsk Group regarding the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and stated that ‘the window of
opportunity’ for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
is still open, Trend reports citing Mediamax.

Addressing a news conference in Yerevan, Tuomioja announced that
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who will begin touring the region
on October, visited Helsinki last week and informed the EU on the
situation and informed the EU Chairmanship on the situation of the
negotiation process.

"The window of opportunity for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict
is still open and we ask both parties to take this opportunity,"
Tuomioja stated.

ARMENIA POSTS 0.3% DEFLATION IN SEPT

Interfax, Russia
Oct 2 2006

YEREVAN. Oct 2 (Interfax) – Armenia had deflation of 0.3% in September,
the National Statistics Service told Interfax.

Consumer prices rose 2.3% in January-September.

Prices for food, including alcohol and tobacco, fell 0.9% in September
compared with August. Nonfoods went up 0.2% while service charges
fell 0.5%.

Average monthly price growth was 0.3% in January-September 2006,
compared with a reduction of 0.4% in the same period of last year.

The state budget targets 3% inflation for the full year in 2006.

Prices fell 0.2% in 2005.