Month: November 2006

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
Armenian Armed Forces Break Ceasefire Regime Again

Source: Trend
Author: Sh.Jaliloglu

10.11.2006

On 9 November, the divisions of the Armenian Armed Forces once again
broke the ceasefire regime on the frontline, Trend Regional
Correspondent reports.
On 9 November, from 22:30-23:15, the divisions of the Armenian Armed
Forces fired at the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the occupied
village Bash Garvend of Agdam District of Azerbaijan, using machines
guns and sub-machine guns.
The Azerbaijani Armed Forces retaliated causing the enemy to back
off.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
Armenia let 350mn cube/meter, Georgia 330mn cube/meter waste water
into the Kur irrespectively
[ 10 Nov. 2006 14:00 ]
Armenia let 350cube/meter, Georgia 33-cube/meter waste water into the
Kur, as a result heavy metals, phenol and oil products gets polluted
in Azerbaijani part of the Kur, Ecology and Natural Resources
Ministry press service told the APA .
Azerbaijan is situated in the lower part of South Caucasus water
transit and that is why gets more polluted. The National Monitoring
Department of the Ministry defined that the most of Transit Rivers
are polluted with ingredients that can cause heavy complications.
Phenol and Copper take a special place among those ingredients. /APA/

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
TUSIAD establishes new union to expand business relations with
Armenia
[ 10 Nov. 2006 13:43 ]
The TÜSİAD-led Union of Black Sea and Caspian Confederation of
Enterprises (UBCCE) will hold its first general assembly on Nov. 27
to which executives from the Armenian Industrialists and
Businessmen’s Association have been invited, APA reports quoting
Turkish Daily News.
The union was established with the aim of developing economic and
commercial relations among neighboring Black Sea and Caspian
countries.
TÜSİAD President Ömer Sabancı initiated the establishment
of the union with the aim of developing economic and commercial
relations among neighboring Black Sea and Caspian countries. A
decision was made at preparatory meetings in May and June of this
year to locate the headquarters of the 12-member UBCCE in Istanbul.
The union was formed with the participation of several TÜSİAD
counterparts from member countries. Armenia became a member of the
union with the Armenian Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association.
The UBCCE general assembly will be held at Istanbul’s Sail Halim
Paşa Yalısı on Nov. 27, at which Armenia will be
represented by Arsen Gazeryan, head of the Armenian Industrialists
and Businessmen’s Association and also co-chairman of the
Turkish-Armenian Business Council.
TÜSİAD’s Brussels representative, Bahadır
Kaleağası, said the UBCCE was formed after intensive
studies around the Black Sea and Caspian region. The preparatory
meetings of the confederation have been completed. Armenia is a
member of the union, and they have been invited, he said.
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council deputy head Noyan Soyak
said TÜSİAD and the Turkish-Armenian Business Council had been
exchanging views since 2000. Gazeryan served as a bridge between the
business worlds of the two countries, both in his capacity as head of
the Armenian association and as co-chairman of the council, he noted,
adding that Gazeryan and TÜSİAD were in constant contact with
each other.
`Armenian businessmen are informed of every development in
TÜSİAD. When Sabancı was elected president, Armenian
businessmen congratulated him. We, as the council, also organize
meetings where Turkish and Armenian businesspeople come together,’ he
said.
The meeting in November aims to develop Turkey’s relations with its
neighbors, Soyak said.
`Armenia is invited within this context. We see this as the
continuation of previous meetings. In the upcoming meeting, the
launching of bilateral talks between the two countries may come up,’
he said.
Turkish business circles said nay commercial or economic cooperation
with Armenia doesn’t serve the interests of Turkey and those
cooperating with Armenian businessmen are Jews and Armenians by
origin. /APA/

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
NKR PARLIAMENT SPEAKER URGED YOUTH TO MORE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN
THE REFERENDUM’S PREPARATION
On the eve of the World Youth Day the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
National Assembly Head Ashot Gulian received the representatives of
the Republic youth organizations.
Having congratulated the meeting’s participants and the Republic’s
youth as a whole, the Speaker mentioned the importance of the role
and significance of the youth organizations in the civil society’s
construction and the democratic principles’ establishment in the
various spheres of the country’s vital activity.
According to the Speaker, the Republic leadership, including the
legislative organ, is ready to promote the process of formation of
the country’s youth field.
Ashot Gulian answered numerous questions referring to strengthening
state control over the new generation’s spiritual upbringing,
ensuring the youth’s employment, improving the young families’ living
conditions and establishment of the youth parliament in the NKR.
The Karabakh Parliament Head urged the youth’s representatives to
more actively participate in the preparation and propaganda of a
referendum on the NKR Draft Constitution, the NKR MFA Press Centre
reports.

The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 10 2006
United Javakh leader warns of protests if Kars-Akhalkalaki railway
goes ahead
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Tiko Giorgadze)
The United Javakh NGO is against the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway project, a segment of railroad that will
extend from Turkey into Georgia via the Armenian populated Javakheti
region.
United Javakh, which calls for greater autonomy for Javakheti, is
often characterised as a radical organisation, and sometimes held to
have links to Russia, one of the organisations leaders has warned of
large scale protests if construction goes ahead.
A railway already exists linking Turkey to Azerbaijan via Armenia;
however this route is unusable due to the Turkish government’s
closure of its border with Armenia in response to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia is against the construction of the
new railway, saying it further isolates the country and further
reduces the chances of settling its problems with Turkey.
At the meeting of foreign ministers at the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) summit last week, Armenian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Vardan Oskanian, stated that the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki railway should not go ahead, and called on the
Georgian government to not participate in the project.
On a recent visit to Moscow, Oskanian said that new transport routes
were being constructed without the participation of several BSEC
member countries, and already existing routes were being completely
ignored.
United Javakh leader, Vagan Chakhalian, has expressed concern that
violent protest might erupt in the area. Last month Armenian police
detained Chakhalian for illegally crossing the Armenian border. He
was released only after several political organizations held protests
in Yerevan demanding his release. Chakhalian has been making more and
more radical statements since his release.
Kote Gabashvili, chair of the parliamentary Foreign Relations
Committee, says there will not be any confrontations or conflict
between the people of two friendly nations, but at the same time he
adds that provocative statements and actions of this kind should be
prevented in the provinces. It is worth stressing that the
construction of the railway will bring much needed jobs to the area,
which is one of the poorest in Georgia.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze says that the issue of Javakheti
is often raised when Georgian-Russian relations becomes tense. He is
concerned that Russia will encourage the Armenian side to create
problems in Georgia.
According to Sakvarelidze some steps should be taken to ease tensions
locally, but the Georgian government should also pay attention to its
relationship with the president of Armenia, because the population of
Javakheti always listens to Yerevan’s opinion.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
Georgian scientists appeal to President Saakashvili
[ 10 Nov. 2006 12:27 ]
60 Georgian scientists declared that Armenians commit genocide
against Georgians, APA East European bureau reports.
Georgia National Assembly appealed to Georgia president Mikhail
Saakashvili and asked to recognize the genocide committed by
Armenians. The appeal says that Armenian military unit Bagramyan
fought together with Abkhazians against Georgian army in 1993 and
killed Georgians living in Abkhazia.
`There was any Armenian in Chavakhetiya region before that Tzar
Russia replaced Armenians in this region. But today Chvakhetiya is
shown as a part of Armenia. Armenians destroyed some Georgian
monuments in the region. All these are their systematic work and
should be recognized as Georgian genocide.’
Abkhazian parliamentarian in exile Akaki Gasviani stressed that
Armenians had great role in Abkhazian separatist regime. /APA/

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
Azeri Delegation to Participate in NATO PA Session

Source: Trend
Author: E.Huseynov

10.11.2006

The delegation of Milli Majlis [Azerbaijani Parliament] left for
Canada to participate in the 52nd session of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly scheduled to take place from 14-17 November. The delegation
included the first Vice Speaker, Head of the Azerbaijani delegation
to NATO, Ziyafet Askerov, and his Deputy, Siyavush Novruzov, Trend
reports with reference to Milli Majlis.
Within the Conference, meetings will be held of the Political
Committee, Defense and Security Committee, Economic Committee,
Committee for Science & Technology, as well as the Political Group
and Permanent Committee. During the meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee
`Future Possibilities of Security and Defense’ and Defense and
Security Committee, a report will be delivered on the topic `Role of
NATO in the region of South Caucasus’, an exchange of views will be
held on the situation in the countries of the region, the development
of relations with NATO, work carried out with regards to individual
co-operation and other issues. The event will also focus on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In addition, the session intends to consider the Declaration of the
NATO Riga Summit, which reflects the importance of providing
assistance to the countries of South Caucasus and Balkan and
following of the democratic standards in the member-countries.
Azerbaijan deputies will also participate in discussions and present
the position of the Azerbaijani side.
The visit will conclude on 19 November.

ARKA News Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES TO REDUCE SHADOW ECONOMY
YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Government structures must deal with the
problem is reducing the share of shadow economy, President of the
Union of Jewelers of Armenia Gagik Abramyan told reporters.
“The observation of laws and timely tax payments must be demanded,”
he said.
In his turn, President of the MIKA Armenia Trading Company Mikael
Bagdasarov pointed out that “right laws” should be applied in
battling shadow economy. “The Armenian Parliament and Government must
combine their efforts in elaborating such mechanisms that would put
an end to shadow economy,” Bagdasarov said. He stressed the
importance of transparency of this process. P.T. -0–

ARKA News Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
RUSSIAN BUSINESSMEN INTERESTED IN LARGE-SCALE INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Russian businessmen are interested in
large-scale investments in Armenia, President of the Union of
Jewelers of Armenia Gagik Abramyan told reporters.
“Russian businessmen, irrespective of their nationality, have
recently been greatly interested in making investments in Armenia,”
he said.
He said that many Russian companies intend to implement investment
programs in Armenia.
In his turn, President of the MIKA Armenia Trading Mikhail Bagdasarov
pointed out that Russian businessmen are interested in expanding
their business throughout the CIS now.
“Russia is the richest country in the post-Soviet area, and Russian
business has extremely intensified its activities in Belarus,
Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan and even in Georgia,” he said.
The RA Statistical Service reports that Russian investments in
Armenia totaled $19,220.9ths in January-June 2006 – a 41.9% increase
compared to the corresponding period of last year.
A total of $11,679.5ths (60.76%) of Russian investments were directed
to the metallurgical industry, $2,963ths to the recreation sphere,
$1,318.5ths to private services, $1,335ths to production and
distribution of electric power, gas, water and steam, $853.9ths to
computer-related activities, $861.2ths to trade (except trade in cars
and scooters), and $192.7ths to other sectors of mining industry.
In January-June 2006, Russia made the third largest investments in
Armenia’s economy after Lebanon and Greece.
A total of 589 enterprises with Russian capital are currently
registered in Armenia, about 300 of them actively working. P.T. -0–

ARKA News Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
MIGRATION FROM ARMENIA TO POLAND REDUCED TO MINIMUM
YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Migration from Armenia to Poland has
recently been reduced to a minimum, Marshal of the polish Senate
Bogdan Borusevich told reporters.
He said that quite a few Armenians came to Poland in 1990s, the
reason being the Karabakh war and general instability.
“The current situation is stable in Armenia, and economic factors
mostly account for Armenians’ migration,” he said.
Borusevich added that there is no large Armenian Diaspora in Poland
now.
“Some of the migrant returned to Armenia and others went to better
places – Germany or France,” Borusevich said.
He pointed out that Poland is a liberal country for migrants even if
they violate the country’s legislation.
“We do not practise what other countries do – hunting for foreigners
and repatriating them,” he said.
He also pointed out that Poland’s migration legislation must be
regulated because the country intends to join the Schengen zone and
must observe the established standards.
A total of 100,000 currently reside in Poland. P.T. -0–