Month: November 2006

EU WELCOMES TURKEY’S REFORM MOVE
Peninsula On-line, Qatar
Nov 7 2006
BRUSSELS ~U The European Union sought yesterday to defuse a looming
crisis with Turkey over Cyprus and lagging reforms, welcoming a pledge
to amend a key law on freedom of expression in line with EU standards.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan announced the policy shift on Sunday,
three days before a European Commission report expected to sharply
criticise Turkey, saying he was ready to change a law used to prosecute
writers for “insulting Turkishness”.
“The stated intention by Prime Minister Recep (Tayyip) Erdogan to bring
Turkish legislation on freedom of expression into line with European
standards is a welcome initiative,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn said in a statement.
“It shows that the Turkish prime minister is personally committed to
free speech and EU accession,” Rehn said.
The EU executive is to issue a progress report on Wednesday criticising
a slowdown in reforms in the year since Turkey began EU membership
talks and noting Ankara’s failure to meet a requirement to open its
ports to shipping from Cyprus.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Turkey’s EU bid will
be in serious trouble if Ankara does not open its ports and airports
to Cyprus.
Diplomats say the negative findings could prompt EU leaders to suspend,
at least partially, accession negotiations with Turkey when they hold
a summit on enlargement in mid-December.
But German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose country
takes over the EU’s rotating presidency in January, warned against
any premature move to break off the talks.
“I would strongly urge that in our interests and in the interests of
Turkey, we should not be overly hasty in our conclusions. We ought to
leave scope … for a political compromise between Turkish interests
and the interests of the Cypriots,” he told a conference of the Party
of European Socialists in Berlin.
That appeared to contradict Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said in
an interview with Monday’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily that Turkey’s
EU accession talks would be in serious trouble unless Ankara lifted
trade restrictions against Cyprus.
The Commission has repeatedly urged Turkey to amend article 301 of
the penal code used to prosecute journalists and intellectuals such
as Nobel literature prize winner Orhan Pamuk over comments on the
killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.
Only last week, Erdogan appeared to rule out any change, with an eye
on nationalist voters ahead of elections next year. But in a timely
move to show goodwill, he said on Sunday:
“We are ready for proposals to make the article 301 more concrete if
there are problems stemming from it being vague.”
“We are studying several options for how we can handle article 301
in harmony with the spirit of the (EU-oriented) reforms,” he said,
without elaborating.
Rehn sounded a note of caution, saying Brussels wanted to see practical
action. “We expect this stated intention to be followed by concrete
deeds and we are thus waiting for concrete decisions,” he said.
Rehn said pressure for a change in the penal code also reflected the
growing strength of Turkish civil society.
Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot told Reuters in Ankara Turkey needed
to send a “political signal” to the EU that it was doing all it can
to push through reforms, including plans to ease property rights for
religious minorities.

ROUNDTABLE ON INTELLIGENTSIA’S ROLE IN NKR’S PUBLIC LIFE HELD IN STEPANAKERT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 7 2006
STEPANAKERT, November 6. /ARKA/. A roundtable “Intelligentsia’s role
in the public life of Nagorno-Karabakh” was held in Stepanakert on
the initiative of the NKR Union of Journalists.
Chairman of the NKR Union of Journalists Kim Gabrielyan pointed out
the intelligentsia’s great role during the Nagorno-Karabakh movement
and now.
“We are still in the process of forming our state, its principal
component being the recognition of the NKR’s independence,” Gabrielyan
said.
According to him, the NKR intelligentsia must display a common
approach to the national problems. With this end in view, the country’s
intellectuals, as well as representatives of state government bodies
must direct their efforts to the benefit of the NKR people.
Speaking at the roundtable were Chairman of the Standing Commission
for Foreign Relations, NKR Parliament Vahram Atanesyan, Chairman of
the Stepanakert Press Club Gegham Bagdasaryan, Chairman of the NKR
Presidential Commission for Ethics Murad Petrosyan.
Attending the roundtable were members of the NKR Parliament,
intellectuals, members of the NKR public and political organizations
and journalists.

4 (±1.5%) INFLATION FORECAST IN ARMENIA FOR NEXT 12 MONTHS
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 7 2006
YEREVAN, November 6. /ARKA/. Despite inflationary pressures,
inflation is expected to range within the planned 4±1.5% during the
next 12 months.
The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) reports that external inflationary
pressure is maintained despite certain reduction and stabilization
of the world prices for oil products in August 2006. The expected
decrease in the crop yield in Russia and in Ukraine may cause risks.
The CBA Board members pointed out that the economic growth in Armenia
is mainly recorded due to the construction and service sectors. As
a result, the increase in the population’s cash incomes, accompanied
by increase in private transfers, creates inflationary pressures.
Inflationary pressure caused by the agricultural sector is maintained
as well.
In conditions of dramallization (replacement of the USD by the AMD),
the CBA’s policy of satisfying the demand for Armenian drams through
the purchase of foreign-exchange, accompanied by huge on-budget
expenditures, will cause excess liquidity in economy. The CBA Board
members believe that this liquidity is possible to neutralize in
conditions of the current interest rates.
In case the inflationary pressures increase, the CBA will gradually
neutralize their effect during 12 months.
The RA Statistical Service reports that 2.5% inflation was recorded
in Armenia in October 2006 compared to December 2005. The consumer
price index was 106% in October 2006 compared to October 2005.
–Boundary_(ID_tVsv9uXcFJtakKc9Pzc3XA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
ARMENPAC, The Armenian-American Political Action Committee
421 E. Airport Freeway, Suite 201
Irving, Texas 75220
Contact: Jason P. Capizzi, Esq.
Tel: (972) 635-5347
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
ARMENPAC LEADS THE WAY BY SPONSORING NATIONWIDE EVENTS IN SUPPORT OF
REPRESENTATIVE KNOLLENBERG
Irving, TX – ARMENPAC recently shepherded Armenian-Americans across
the nation to gather in support of Representative Joe Knollenberg’s
(R-MI) reelection campaign at two very successful fundraisers hosted
in the Detroit, Michigan and Boston, Massachusetts areas. Members of
the local communities as well as several prominent Armenian-American
leaders were in attendance at both events. “ARMENPAC applauds the
Boston and Detroit communities for their financial commitments in
support of Representative Knollenberg. ARMENPAC also received many
contributions in support of Representative Knollenberg from the
Armenian-American community across the nation, and would like to
thank those from California to Florida who generously supported this
fundraising effort,” said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Edgar Hagopian.
Representative Knollenberg’s record on Armenian-American issues is
unparalleled. Most notably, he serves as one of the Co-Chairs of the
Congressional Caucus of Armenian Issues. Throughout his tenure in this
post, Representative Knollenberg has been instrumental in advocating
for Genocide affirmation and increased foreign aid to Armenia, in
addition to other legislative initiatives aimed at ensuring the
future stability and prosperity of the Republics of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh.
Representative Knollenberg represents Michigan’s ninth Congressional
district, as well as the interests of every Armenian-American across
the nation. In addition to his commitment to the Armenian Caucus,
Representative Knollenberg is a member of the powerful Appropriations
Committee, which is responsible for, among other things, determining
how much foreign aid to grant foreign countries. As Chairman of
the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and
Housing and Urban Development, Representative Knollenberg is dubbed a
Cardinal among his colleagues in the House of Representatives. Thus,
Representative Knollenberg’s reelection is critical to the Armenian
community, both here in the United States as well as in Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh. “Representative Knollenberg’s dedication to the
Armenian cause is supreme. He is a true champion of all Armenians
and we must do all that we can to ensure that he remains in office in
order to carry on his mission,” said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Edgar Hagopian.
ARMENPAC recognizes and appreciates the great effort of those who
helped organize this national fundraising effort, namely Raffi and
Nina Festekjian (MA) and Tom and Debbie Krikorian (MI) who volunteered
their beautiful homes as venues for each event. ARMENPAC is also
grateful to the individual Co-Hosts of this fundraising effort,
including Dr. Noubar Afeyan (MA), Mr. Bryan Ardouny (VA), Mr.
Robert Avakian (MA), Mr. Gregory and Anita Boyajian (MI), Mr. Gerard
and Cleo Cafesjian (MN), Mr. George and Flora Dunaians (CA), ARMENPAC
Co-Chair Edgar and Sarah Hagopian (MI), Ms. Lucine Hartunian (MI),
ARMENPAC Board Member Jirair and Elizabeth Hovnanian (NJ), Mr.
Gregory and Sandra Jamian (MI), Mr. Aram Kaloosdian (MA), Mr. George
and Grace Kay (CA), ARMENPAC Treasurer Dr. Sarkis and Ida Kechejian
(TX), Mrs. Michael Ohanian (MA), Mr. Joe and Joyce Stein (CA), Mr.
Charles Talanian (MA), and Mr. Chuck and Tulie Yessaian (MI).
Both fundraising events were a tremendous success as well as a
wonderful opportunity for the Armenian-American community to show its
gratitude for Representative Knollenberg’s leadership. “ARMENPAC is
confident that with the support of the Armenian-American community,
Representative Knollenberg will succeed in his reelection campaign,”
said ARMENPAC Executive Director Jason Capizzi.
ARMENPAC is an independent, bipartisan political action committee
with a nationwide membership. ARMENPAC raises awareness of,
and advocates for, policies that help create peace, security and
stability in the Caucasus region. ARMENPAC provides financial support
to federal officeholders, candidates, political action committees
and organizations that actively support issues of importance to
Armenian-Americans. For more information and how to join ARMENPAC,
please call (877) 286-1046 or visit
###

TURKEY IS FACING TOUGHEST HURDLE YET ON ROAD TO JOINING EUROPE
By David Rennie in Brussels
The Daily Telegraph, UK
Nov 7 2006
Turkey faces the toughest hurdle yet in its uphill struggle to join
the European Union with a report on its progress towards meeting a
raft of demands necessary for accession.
The European Commission report, published tomorrow, is certain to be
seized on by European leaders who oppose Turkish admission.
By the end of this year such opponents, who include Angela Merkel, the
German chancellor, want to suspend Turkey’s accession negotiations,
at least in part, in punishment for Ankara’s refusal to meet key
pledges such as opening its ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus.
advertisement That hostility is mirrored by rising anger inside Turkey
towards the EU, which is seen by a growing number of ordinary voters
as guilty of double standards in its dealings with Ankara.
In a sign of how bad things are, the commission – a champion of
Turkish membership, along with Britain – yesterday seized on a largely
symbolic gesture of goodwill from Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish
prime minister.
Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner, expressed delight after
Mr Erdogan said that he was ready to re-examine a notorious section
of the penal code, article 301, which has been used to prosecute
writers for “insulting Turkishness”.
Mr Rehn said: “It shows that the Turkish prime minister is personally
committed to free speech and EU accession.”
The commission, which is in charge of monitoring Turkish readiness to
join the EU, has repeatedly urged Mr Erdogan to change article 301,
which has been used to prosecute journalists and intellectuals such
as Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel literature prize winner, for discussing
the massacres of Armenians.
Mr Erdogan, seen as a moderate Islamist, had previously shied away
from changing article 301, rather than confront nationalist voters
ahead of elections next year.
However, EU diplomats said that the real crisis for Turkey stemmed
from the far more concrete question of access to Turkish ports and
airports for ships and planes flying the flag of Cyprus, which joined
the EU as a divided island in 2004.
Turkey has until the end of the year to comply, but insists it cannot
open its ports unless the Greek Cypriot government stops blocking other
EU nations from engaging in direct trade with the Turkish-occupied
north of Cyprus.
Cyprus refuses to allow any such linkage, setting the scene for a
standoff that Mr Rehn has called a “train crash”, when EU heads of
state and government meet for a summit next month.
A last-ditch effort at crafting a compromise, led by Finland, which
holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, failed
last weekend.
Mrs Merkel told the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper yesterday that if
Turkey’s ports remained barred to Cyprus “the situation becomes very,
very serious”.
For countries like Britain, which expended huge political capital
to set Turkey’s accession talks in motion a year ago, the focus is
on trying to persuade partners to freeze only those areas of talks
directly related to things like trade or transport.
However, other EU diplomats noted that when the time came to unfreeze
talks, next year or in 18 months, the political landscape of Europe
was likely to be even more hostile.
In France, the centre-Right favourite to win the presidency next May,
Nicolas Sarkozy, is an opponent of Turkish membership.

BABAJANYAN SUBMITS AN APPLICATION TO PAY FINE AGAINST PRISON SENTENCE
Panorama.am
16:28 06/11/06
The appeal court will hear the case of Arman Babajanyan,
editor-in-chief of Jamanak Yerevan newspaper, who was sentenced to
four years of imprisonment for faking documents and evading military
service. Three defense attorneys are going to defend Babajanyan –
Robert Grigoryan, Zaruhi Postanjyan and Haik Alumyan.
Grigoryan believes Babajanyan does not deserve punishment close to
maximum because he has seriously confessed his misconduct. “Babajanyan
is not the person who must be re-educated isolated from the society,”
Grigoryan says. He believes the court ruling is against the authority
of the Republic of Armenia and the justice system. On October 16
Babajanyan submitted an application to Shengavit military commissariat
with a request to pay a state fine and receive his military license
to which he is entitled based on law “On citizens who did not pass
military services in violation of the stipulated order.”
Babajanyan’s defense attorney says his application has not been replied
yet and must be approved by a committee headed by the minister of
defense. According to Law on Freedom of Information, the application
must be replied in one-month period – still ten more days to fly. The
fine is set in the amount of 1 million 800,000 Armenian drams or 150
times of minimum salary for people who received education abroad. The
defense attorney says the committee ought to approve the application
because “our budget is not very rich to keep one more prisoner.” Many
mass media outlets, deputies of parliament gave their signatures in
protection of Babajanyan. Some international organizations have also
made reactions to the case.
The defense attorneys complained today that Babajanyan is deprived
of some opportunities in prison like to engage in creative work or
use computer. Upon the mediation of the defense attorney, Babajanyan
was given a chance to use computer for only two days after which it
was taken away.

IRAN EVENT ON CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IN YEREVAN
IranMania, Iran
Nov 7 2006
LONDON, November 7 (IranMania) – Iran opened its Seventh Solo
Exhibition on Construction Materials in Yerevan, the capital of
Armenia, on Monday, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported.
Running for a week, the exhibition is displaying construction materials
and urban development equipment presented by over 20 Iranian firms.
At the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition, Iran ambassador to
Armenia, Alireza Haqiqian said that Tehran and Yerevan have managed
to expand trade ties because of attempts made by economic activists
to identify new investment opportunities in industrial sector.
He added that Iranian and Armenian private sectors and industrial
owners play crucial role in the expansion of bilateral ties, and they
can enjoy the support of their respective governments in this field.
Armen Movsesian, Armenian energy minister also said that both nations’
economic relations have significantly grown during the past year.
Movsesian, who is also the chairman of Iran-Armenia Economic
Cooperation Commission, noted that the commission intends to facilitate
bilateral cooperation of the industrialists and develop trade and
economic ties between Iran and Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KAZAKHSTAN, ARMENIA INK BILATERAL AGREEMENTS
Gazeta, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan today
Nov 7 2006
ASTANA. A number of bilateral agreements were inked as a result
of the closed and open talks that took place Monday, November 6,
in Astana between Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, and
Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia, Kazakhstan Today correspondent
reports.
In particular, an intergovernmental agreement was inked on mutual
travels of citizens. Kassymzhomart Tokayev, Foreign Minister of
Kazakhstan, inked the document from Kazakhstan and Gegam Garibadjanyan,
Foreign Minister of Armenia, from Armenia.
Also a Convention on avoidance of double taxation and prevention
of evasion from payments of income and property taxes was inked
as a result of the talks. Natalia Korzhova, Minister of Finance
of Kazakhstan, initialed the document from Kazakhstan and Karen
Chshmarityan, Minister of Commerce and Economic Development of Armenia,
from Armenia.
An intergovernmental agreement on international road communication was
signed by Serik Akhmetov, Minister of Transport and Communications
of Kazakhstan, from Kazakhstan and Karen Chshmarityan, Minister of
Commerce and Economic Development of Armenia, from Armenia.
Vladimir Shkolnik, Minister of Industry and Commerce of RK, and
Karen Chshmarityan, Minister of Commerce and Economic Development of
Armenia, initialed an intergovernmental agreement on promotion and
mutual protection of investments.
An agreement on co-operation in culture was inked by Yermukhamet
Yertysbayev, Minister of Culture and Information, and Asmik Pogosyan,
Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs of Armenia.

ARMENIA SURRENDERS TO RUSSIA…
Fikret Ertan
Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 6 2006
Georgia is not pleased with its dependence on its enemy, Russia,
for natural gas; neither is Armenia which is Russia’s ally.
As a matter of fact, both countries are looking for alternative
natural gas sources. In this context, Georgia is holding meetings
with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran. And Armenia believes that the
Iran-Armenia natural gas pipeline, still under construction over the
last several years, would curb its dependence on Russia.
The construction of this natural gas pipeline started in 2004 after
an agreement between Armenia and Iran’s national natural gas company,
NIGC. The pipeline which starts from the vicinity of the Iranian
city of Tabriz, will end in the Iran-Armenia border and then will be
linked to Armenia’s own natural gas pipeline. Forty kilometers of the
160-kilometer pipeline, extending from Kacaran to Mergi, is expected to
be completed next month. The second part of the pipeline, which extends
to Armenia’s Ararat region, will be completed in 2007 and is expected
to be linked to the existing ArmRosGazprom (ARG) pipeline there.
As the name suggests, ARG is a joint natural gas pipeline project.
Until early November, Armenia owned 45 percent of this pipeline,
Russian natural gas giant Gazprom 45 percent and the remaining 10
percent belonged to an obscure intermediary company called ITERA.
However, the percentage of shares has changed after a deal between
Armenia and Gazprom in early November.
According to the agreement reached early this month during Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan’s visit to Moscow, Armenia increased its
shares in the ARG Company from 45 percent to 58 percent. This increase
took place after ARG announced new shares amounting to $119 million
and Gazprom bought these shares. With these new shares, Gazprom has
effectively taken control of the 5th unit of the Hirazdan electricity
plant along with the Iran-Armenian natural gas pipeline.
The basis of this recent development lay in the agreement signed
between Armenia and Gazprom in April 2006. Under the deal, Gazprom
raised the natural gas price for its ally, Armenia, from the
preferential $54 per 1,000 cubic meters to the still preferential
$110 per 1,000 cubic meters, which will remain in force until Jan. 1,
2009. This in fact was a favorable price for Armenia, which is highly
dependent on Russia for natural gas.
However, there was a price to Russia’s compromise. In return, Russia
demanded concessions from Armenia as regards the acquisition of the
Iran-Armenia pipeline and the 5th unit of the Hrazdan electricity
generating plant. Russia particularly insisted on limiting the
Iran-Armenia pipeline’s diameter to 700 millimeters instead of 1.420
millimeters as stipulated in the original agreement reached with
Iran. The reason is obvious. Russia was trying to block the transfer of
Iranian natural gas via Armenia to Georgia and Ukraine in particular,
and to Europe through the Black Sea, by keeping the diameter of
the pipeline limited. The recent deal and latest news reports show
that Russia achieved its goal and prevented use of the Iran-Armenia
pipeline for the transfer of natural gas to other countries.
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan defended the recent
agreement and said it would be illogical to have a separate ownership
for the Iran-Armenia pipeline since Gazprom already controlled natural
gas supply in Armenia, thereby trying to rationalize the deal.
This recent deal I have dwelled upon is a geo-political achievement
for Russia (thanks to this deal Russia has limited the potential
significance of the Iran-Armenia pipeline in the future) while sealing
Armenia’s dependence on Gazprom, and consequently on Russia.
This is the picture the recent geo-political success of Russia,
using its natural gas card.

CHINESE LEADER MEETS ARMENIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER IN YEREVAN
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 6 2006
(ARKA) – Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing gave a good mark to
Armenian-Chinese relations as met Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister
Armen Bayburtyan on Friday in Beijing.
The Chinese minister said a mutual trust has been created by the two
countries for recent years. He pointed out that cooperation between
the countries in various areas is increasingly developing.
Bayburtyan, in his turn, said Armenia attaches a special significance
to its relations with China. He also stressed the importance of
cooperation between the two countries in international organizations,
reports Trend.
National Statistical Service of Armenia says trade turnover between
Armenia and China totaled $71.5 million in Jan-Sept 2006 after growing
77.7% over the same period a year earlier.