Month: November 2006

NO ONE WANTS THIS TO HAPPEN
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 9 2006
The President of the Republic of Armenia – Mr. Robert Kocharian
The President of the Mountainous Republic of Karabakh – Mr. Arkady
Ghoukassian
We would like to draw your attention to a recent series of reports
that have appeared in both the Armenian and diasporan press focusing
on the worsening socio-economic situation in the Kashatagh region. As
a result, Armenians are leaving this vitally strategic area in
increasing numbers.
When the Karabagh war ended, Armenians the world over heaved a
collective sigh of relief and jubilation. After years of struggle and
much sacrifice, Artsakh was once again delivered into the hands of
its rightful owners. So too had Kashatagh (Lachin), the lands once
artificially separating Armenia from Artsakh, been liberated.
But Kashatagh needed an influx of Armenians to make the land flourish
once again. Therefore, in 1994, Armenia initiated a much-heralded
policy of repopulating Kashatagh and its environs. Primarily,
Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and other indigent families
from Armenia were encouraged to move to Kashatagh with promises of
generous financial and material assistance. Many did heed the call and
moved to Kashatagh. Given the fact that Armenia itself was in dire
financial straits at the time, this initiative was both commendable
and noble. According to various sources, Kashatagh’s repopulation
reached a peak of about 20,000 in the late 1990s. Today, however,
the remaining population has dipped below 10,000. Some say it has
reached a low of 7,000. In the last few years, authorities of the
NKR have taken over the governance of Kashatagh from Armenia, and
yet the situation has continued to deteriorate.
Armenians who initially were encouraged to move there now feel a sense
of neglect and isolation. Surprisingly, some news reports cite the
fact that many local officials agree that the situation in Kashatagh
needs immediate attention. We fear that if conditions do not improve,
we soon might be facing an area of land devoid of Armenians. No one
wants this to happen.
We the undersigned find it troubling that the responsible authorities
in Armenia and Karabakh seem to be indifferent to the unfolding tragedy
in Kashatagh. Therefore, we ask that your respective governments
analyze the situation and take the necessary measures to ameliorate
the conditions faced by the residents of Kashatagh and thus reverse
the present exodus from the region.
We also ask that your governments clarify their positions regarding
the resettlement policy in Kashatagh. Unfortunately, many Armenians
there believe they have been betrayed and are to be used as pawns in
future political negotiations. The Armenians of Kashatagh deserve to
know where they stand.
As Armenians concerned with the plight of our compatriots in
Kashatagh we can no longer remain silent when faced with the inaction,
mismanagement, and dare we say, corruption, that is the hallmark of
many local officials in Kashatagh. “Business as usual” should not be
tolerated and we urge you to take appropriate and quick action.
Respectfully,
Coalition in Support of Kashatagh.
From: Baghdasarian

ON NOVEMBER 7, A BUSINESSMAN MIKHAIL BAGDASAROV CONFIRMED HIS INTENTION TO SELL 30% OF SHARES OF VTB-ARMENIA,
A SUBSIDIARY BANK OF VNESHTORGBANK
Agency WPS
Banking and Stock Exchange, Finance, Economics (Russia)
November 9, 2006 Thursday
Reference: RIA RBC, “VBT-Armenia Is About to Lose a Shareholder”,
RBC daily, November 8, 2006, p.9.
The businessman disagrees with the policy being followed by the bank’s
management. For example, he is discontented that the bank intends to
wind up 40 branches by reason of their unprofitability.
Mikhail Bagdasarov is sure that these branches may start to yield a
profit under a good management. Russian Vneshtorgbank controls 70%
of VTB-Armenia’s shares.

WHAT’S SAAKASHVILI GOT TO DO WITH IT?
by Pavel Zarifullin
Translated by Elena Leonova
Agency WPS
Source: Russkii Kurier, November 6, 2006, p. 7
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
November 9, 2006 Thursday
The Caucasus becomes a field for Russian-US confrontation
Russia, the United States, and the geopolitical chessboard of Eurasia;
For some people, the break-up of the Soviet Union was like a physical
pain. These days, Russia – as a living, youthful organism – wants
to breathe deep, arrange itself comfortably, regain what belongs to
it. Well, why not?
BODY:
South Ossetia will hold an independence referendum on November 12. A
similar referendum took place 15 years ago. Back then, the South
Ossetians voted in favor of independence. They’ll vote the same way
now; no doubt of that.
For some people, the break-up of the Soviet Union was like a physical
pain. These days, Russia – as a living, youthful organism – wants to
breathe deep, arrange itself comfortably, regain what belongs to it.
Well, why not?
Look at Turkey, for example. It came into existence as a geopolitical
formation in the course of Kemal Ataturk’s reforms. It feels naturally
comfortable within certain borders. Besides its state borders, there
is also Northern Cyprus, a de facto part of Turkey.
Until recently, the Turks themselves and everyone else accepted this
“living” Turkey. These days, some are seeking to “squeeze” Turkey.
Through various political machinations, they want to take Northern
Cyprus away from Turkey and draw it into the European Union; they want
to take away south-eastern Turkey – Turkish Kurdistan – in favor of
the pro-American Iraqi Kurdistan, de facto established already.
Armenia hasn’t expressed any territorial claims as yet, but current
developments are quite enough for the Turks. The Turkish leadership
– the military in power – is sounding the alarm. It has started
seeking strategic partners in the east, working on relations with
Russia and China. There is talk of Turkey joining the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization, or even withdrawing from NATO. In recent
years, Turkey has stopped providing any real support to Turkic
nationalist organizations in Russia and China – organizations
originally established by Turkish and American intelligence agencies
for specific purposes.
Why is Turkey doing all this? Because the West is trying to take
away what the Turks see as inalienably theirs. They know that if
they surrender Northern Cyprus, the entire complex Turkish system
established by Kemal Ataturk will crumble.
And Turkey’s neighbors would ask for more: Syria wanting Arab Antakya,
Bulgaria and Greece wanting Edirne, the Armenians wanting Kars,
Trabzon, and Van. Soon there would be nothing left of Turkey.
Now, based on Turkey’s experience, let’s look at the current situation
in Georgia, South Ossetia, and the Russian Federation.
Russia is recovering from the knockout blow dealt by perestroika,
and as it wakes up, it’s naturally asking where it is (the search for
a national ideology) and exactly what it is in geographical terms (a
map showing what is or is not part of Russia). De facto, South Ossetia
and Abkhazia have been part of Russia for 15 years, whatever anyone
might say. De facto, Georgia is not part of Russia. That’s understood.
But the point is that besides Russia, there is also a power which
is even stronger (thus far): the United States, which is building an
empire of its own on the Eurasian continent – an empire known as the
Greater Middle East. And the United States has its own notions and its
own map. That map shows a United Kurdistan, for example, and Georgia
– including South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Two maps are superimposed;
two giant states are gradually returning to Cold War policies; two
empires are butting heads in the Caucasus for “Lebensraum,” each of
them pulling Caspian Sea oil towards itself via its pipelines.
That is the grim truth, in contrast to the fairy tales told to the
media by official Foreign Ministry spokespersons or courtier political
consultants from the Kremlin and the Cabinet. Eurasia has long since
become a giant chessboard: Moscow moves a piece called Yanukovych,
America responds by moving Saakashvili, the Kremlin surrenders Adjaria,
America plays Limonov.
According to the logic of this game of civilizations, the people
of South Ossetia will vote for independence in their referendum –
just as the people of Montenegro did, according to the logic of a
similar game. America took Montenegro, although it had no right to
it; but Russia will take what belongs to it by right – South Ossetia,
Abkhazia, Trans-Dniester (Pridnestrovie), and later on, perhaps, most
of Ukraine. And there’s no need to fear that this will complicate
relations with the West. The Cold War is already underway. And
Saakashvili is completely beside the point here. On the geopolitical
chessboard, he’s nothing but a pawn; he may be protected, or he may
be sacrificed.

ILKHAM ALIYEV CHANGES ROUTES
Dmitry Butrin
RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
November 9, 2006 Thursday
Azeri President to hold talks with Vladimir Putin
Today Russian President Vladimir Putin will suggest to Azerbaijani
President Ilkham Aliyev, who is visiting Moscow after a trip to
Brussels to meet with European Commission President Jose Manuel
Barroso, that he decide whether Azerbaijan intends to continue with its
“strategic partnership” with Russia. If Azerbaijan responds positively,
Moscow will request Baku’s cooperation in Russia’s struggle with
Georgia and will offer Russian arms and investment by UES Russia and
RusAl in return.
President Aliyev’s visit to Europe unnerved the Kremlin chiefly
because of Azerbaijan’s projected defense spending for 2007: the
country will spend $1 billion on the military next year, up from $600
million currently. Russia fears that this could be a preliminary step
towards membership in NATO. If Azerbaijan joins neighboring Georgia
in a NATO bid, the ex-Soviet Caucasus could end up hosting NATO and
American military bases as the West seeks to control Iran.
In an effort to forestall the possibility of NATO bases near its
southern border, Russia is attempting to lure Azerbaijan back to its
own camp with promises of increased sales of cut-rate Russian-made
weapons. Russia has been curtailing its arms trade with Azerbaijan,
fearing to fan the flames of Azerbaijan’s long-standing feud with
neighboring Armenia.
Russia is also focusing on Azerbaijan in an attempt to create a
unified front within the CIS against the Kremlin’s latest enemy,
Georgia. Moscow is seeking to impose an energy blockade on Georgia
in the winter of 2006-2007, while Azerbaijan last winter stepped
in with emergency supplies of electrical energy and gas when Russia
interrupted deliveries to Georgia. In 2007, Gazprom is threatening
to raise the price of gas for Georgia from $110 to $230 per thousand
cubic meters. According to unofficial sources, the same proposal
has been made for Azerbaijan as well, angering President Aliyev. The
country currently pays $95-100 per thousand cubic meters for the 1.5
billion cubic meters of gas that it imports from Russia annually.
Other proposals from the Kremlin are more palatable: according to
Kommersant’s sources, Vladimir Putin will offer President Aliyev
investment by the company RusAl to the tune of a $1 billion aluminum
plant in Azerbaijan. Mr. Putin will also mention interest on the
part of the Russian company UES Energy in investing in Azerbaijan’s
energy sector.

CYPRUS IS HURDLE TO TURKISH EU HOPES
by Rory Watson in Brussels and Suna Erdem in Istanbul
The Times (London)
November 9, 2006, Thursday
Turkey was told yesterday to open its ports and airports to Cypriot
traffic within the next month or face the suspension of talks to join
the European Union.
The ultimatum from the European Commission -the first delivered to a
potential EU country -solicited a promise to speed up domestic reforms,
but the Turkish Prime Minister insisted that the Cyprus issue could
be solved only by Greece and Greek Cypriots. “Don’t expect us to open
our ports and airports until the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot
state is lifted,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Suspension of accession talks would damage relations between Turkey
and the EU.
Opposition to Turkish membership in Germany and France would make
restarting the process difficult if stalled.
It could also fuel hostility towards the EU within Turkey, where the
polls show a strong majority of Turks believing that their country
is being treated unfairly by Brussels.
The Commission report on the progress Ankara is making to prepare for
membership said that Turkey is discriminating against an EU member
state, Cyprus, by refusing to recognise it and failing to remove
obstacles to the free movement of goods and transport.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the Commission President, called on Turkey to
focus on breaking the deadlock “in the coming weeks”. If it failed
to do so, he said the Commission would present recommendations to EU
leaders before they meet in Brussels for their summit in the middle
of next month.
Finland, the current EU president, will use the next four weeks to
try to broker a deal. But after the collapse of attempts to organise
a meeting with Turkish negotiators last weekend, the prospects of a
breakthrough are slim.
Neither Mr Barroso, nor Olli Rehn, the Enlargement Commissioner,
who presented the report, would spell out what the recommendations
might be. But with pressure growing for a tougher response to Ankara,
especially from France, Cyprus and Greece, temporary suspension of
the negotiations is a likely option.
However, Turkish commentators predicted that EU leaders might decide
to put off any decision into next year. Such a move would allow the
Turkish Government a clear run for re-election against a rising tide
of nationalism. Only once re-elected would the Government be likely to
make concessions on Cyprus. Election victory might herald another round
of reforms from Mr Erdogan, but in the meantime he is shying away from
the pro-EU stance that characterised the early days of his Government.
The veteran commentator Hasan Cemal said: “All sides have an interest
in the talks continuing, even Cyprus, who would lose their leverage
to demand concessions if Turkey were no longer in talks with the EU.”
The Commission noted political and economic reforms in Turkey but
said that their pace had slowed. It singled out freedom of expression
and treatment of the Kurds as areas where improvements are still
required. With Romania and Bulgaria set to join the EU on January 1,
the Commission’s policy is that no further countries should be allowed
to enter before the EU has overhauled its decision-making structures
to cater for more than 27 members.
Such a settlement is highly unlikely before 2009. As a result, Croatia,
next in the membership queue, will have to wait at least three years.
OBSTACLES TO MEMBERSHIP
1999
Turkey becomes official EU candidate
October 2005
Austria and Croatia withdraw objections. Among 35 negotiating issues
are reforms of military and judiciary and improvement of situation
in Kurdish areas
June 2006
Talks on first of 35 negotiation “chapters”
September 2006
Turkey told to open ports to Greek Cypriot traffic. It refuses unless
EU ends restrictions on northern Cyprus
October 2006
French make it a crime to deny Turkish responsibility for Armenian
genocide in First World War.

MOSCOW REPORTEDLY AGAINST ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER BECOMING PRESIDENT
Iravunk, Armenia
Nov 7 2006
“Will Robert Kocharyan become the CIS secretary?”
According to our Russian source, during [Armenian President Robert]
Kocharyan’s visit to Moscow [on 30-31 October], [Russian President]
Vladimir Putin suggested that Kocharyan occupy the post of CIS
secretary until “the level of control is sufficient in the country”.
The source did not specify what Kocharyan replied but said that
Kocharyan’s visit to Moscow could not be considered as successful
since his suggestion that [Armenian Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan
take over from him as president was turned down.
According to the same source, in Moscow Robert Kocharyan attended
the wedding party of the Armenian ambassador to Russia, Armen Smbatyan.

ARMENIAN LEADER, US OFFICIAL DISCUSS COOPERATION
Public TV, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
President Robert Kocharyan has received the co-chairman of the working
group on the Armenian-US economic cooperation, Coordinator for US
Assistance to Europe and Eurasia Thomas Adams and the US deputy
ambassador to Armenia, Anthony Godfrey.
President Kocharyan expressed gratitude for US assistance to Armenia
in carrying out effective reforms.
The sides discussed a wide range of issues concerning Armenian-US
cooperation. President Kocharyan pointed out the important role of
the working group on the Armenian-US economic cooperation and said
that the group’s activity had became well-organized and the results
more pleasing.
The sides also discussed the issues of organization and conduct of
fair and just elections. The USA will continue to assist Armenia in
strengthening democracy.

TURKEY MOVES TO IMPROVE RIGHTS OF NON-MUSLIM MINORITIES
Agence France Presse — English
November 9, 2006 Thursday 5:48 PM GMT
The Turkish parliament passed Thursday a law to improve the property
rights of the country’s tiny Christian and Jewish communities, a key
European Union demand, and faced criticism that the bill falls short
of expectations.
The legislation, which needs the president’s approval to take effect,
paves the way for mainly Greek, Armenian and Jewish foundations to
recover properties seized by the state since 1974 under a controversial
court ruling.
Community representatives have slammed the bill for failing to provide
a remedy for the return of or compensation for properties the state
had since sold to third parties, warning that Turkey risks hefty
compensation cases at the European Court of Human Rights.
They have also denounced a provision that limits the period for
applications for the return of properties to 18 months.
In a report on Ankara’s progress towards membership, the European
Commission said Wednesday that “non-Muslim religious communities have
no access to legal personality and continue to face restricted property
rights,” even though freedom of worship is “generally respected”
in the country.
The bill, an overhaul of the Foundations Law, loosens the tight state
control over all foundations and broadens their rights on property
and administration.
In another move to address EU criticism, it allows foundations to
operate abroad and receive foreign funds, but only on the condition
that international activities are mentioned in their statutes,
a restriction which, critics say, effectively excludes non-Muslim
institutions.
The bill, on parliament’s agenda since September, faced harsh
objections by the main opposition, which accused the government of
compromising Turkey’s interests under EU pressure.
Non-Muslims in Turkey are mostly Greeks and Armenians, often viewed
with suspicion because of deep mistrust towards Greece, a historical
rival, and Armenia, which accuses Ottoman Turks of having committed
genocide against its ancestors during World War I.
In September, legislators also broadened the rights of minority
schools, but scrapped a proposal that would have allowed them to enrol
foreign students, in a move to avoid laying ground for the reopening
of a Greek Orthodox theology school, another EU demand.
The 1971 closure of the century-old seminary, on the island of Halki
off Istanbul, deprived the Eastern Orthodox Church, seated in Istanbul
since Byzantine times when the city was called Constantinople, of a
facility to train clergy.
The issue of Christian minority rights is also likely to figure high on
the agenda of Pope Benedict XVI when he visits Turkey in late November.

RUSSIAN, AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS TO MEET FOR FOURTH TIME THIS YEAR
By Judith Ingram, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
November 9, 2006 Thursday 2:05 PM GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev
on Thursday hailed their countries’ burgeoning economic ties, amid
signs of concern from Moscow about its southern neighbor’s improving
relations with the West.
“Our bilateral relationship has reached the highest level since we
got independence,” Aliev said at the start of the two leaders’ fourth
meeting this year. “It is necessary to continue cooperation … It
will help not only to strengthen ties between Russia and Azerbaijan,
but also stabilize the situation in the region as a whole.”
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, is the starting-point for a
newly-completed U.S.-backed pipeline that transports Caspian oil to
Western markets bypassing Russia. It also sent troops to serve in
the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.
Aliev arrived in Moscow after a trip to Brussels, where he and NATO
leaders discussed energy security. Earlier this year, he got a warm
White House welcome from U.S. President George W. Bush.
Russia’s Kommersant daily said Moscow was worried that Azerbaijan would
be making more military purchases in NATO countries as it builds up
its armed forces and ultimately building a “strategic relationship”
with the Western alliance and even allowing NATO and the United States
to use its military bases.
Kommersant, citing unnamed sources close to the Kremlin, said Putin
would offer Aliev a deeper strategic relationship with Russia by
allowing it to purchase cheaper Russian weapons something that had
been blocked earlier by Moscow’s desire to keep Azerbaijan from
strengthening its military at the expense of Russia’s main ally in
the Caucasus, Armenia.
“Evidently the creation of a united front … against Georgia is more
important for Russia: The main topic of negotiations is supposed to
be Azerbaijan’s participation in an energy blockade against Georgia
in winter 2006-2007,” Kommersant wrote.
Russia’s Gazprom natural gas monopoly said last week that it was
seeking to double the price Georgia pays for gas; Georgia accused
Moscow of “political blackmail” and said it would look for alternate
suppliers, including Azerbaijan.
Kommersant said Putin would also offer investments in Azerbaijan by
the Russian aluminum giant OAO Rusal and RAO Unified Energy Systems.
Putin said that Russian-Azerbaijani trade had grown by half already
this year over the same period in 2005, and he predicted it would
double within a year or two.
“We have very extensive bilateral relationships (with Azerbaijan)
in the political field, international affairs and the economy,”
Putin said.
Putin and Aliev were expected to discuss developments in the
Caucasus Mountains region, including the prolonged dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin said ahead of the meeting.
The disputed territory in Azerbaijan has been under the control of
Armenian and ethnic Armenian Karabakh forces since a 1994 cease-fire
ended a six-year separatist war that killed about 30,000 people and
drove about 1 million from their homes. The region’s final status
has not been worked out, and years of talks under the auspices of
international mediators have brought few visible results.

JO-2008: FRANCK PICCARD POURRAIT DEFENDRE LES COULEURS DE L’ARMENIE EN VOILE
Agence France Presse
9 novembre 2006 jeudi 6:37 PM GMT
GRENOBLE 9 nov 2006
Le champion olympique de ski savoyard Franck Piccard a annonce jeudi
qu’il pourrait defendre les couleurs de l’Armenie dans les competitions
de voile de 470 aux jeux Olympiques de Pekin en 2008.
“J’ai decouvert la voile avec mon ami le skipper Jean-Philippe
Delapierre et il m’a propose de me lancer dans l’aventure sous
les couleurs de l’Armenie, pays qui est invite d’honneur des jeux
Olympiques de Pekin, et dont les equipes ne sont pas obligees de passer
par les epreuves de selection”, a-t-il declare a l’AFP confirmant
ainsi l’information parue a la une de l’hebdomadaire l’Essor Savoyard
de vendredi 10 novembre.
“Nous avons deja dispute des courses de l’Euro Cat a Carnac et nous
avons bien marche. On va participer a des courses l’annee prochaine
sur la Côte d’Azur et surtout aux Championnats du monde de l’ete 2007
au Portugal”, a-t-il dit.
Le champion de 45 ans, pour qui la voile est devenue sa “nouvelle
passion”, estime qu’il y a de “nombreux points commun entre le ski
et la voile, qui sont des sports de glisse.”
Son ami Delapierre et lui meme n’ont pas d’origine armenienne “mais
beaucoup de sympathie pour ce petit pays.”
–Boundary_(ID_2aODBCQvrcTYFfTybesI9g )–