Month: November 2006

RA DEFENSE MINISTER: THERE WAS NO SKIRMISH ABOARD A-320
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 15:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan refuted
the information of alleged skirmish aboard of A-320 that crashed into
the Black Sea on May 3. In his words, Russian and French specialists
were engaged in the investigation of the crash causes along with the
Armenian experts. The Minister emphasized that as a matter of fact the
French side representing the producing company could be interested in
a skirmish, since the image of the company can be damaged. “If there
had been a skirmish aboard hearsay would have been spread everywhere,”
Serge Sargsyan said, reports IA Regnum.

POLAND ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today RA parliament speaker Tigran Torosian
met with Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, reported the
RA NA press office. The Armenian Ambassador to Poland and Polish
Ambassador to Armenia were also present at the meeting. Pointing out
to the dynamic development of the Armenian-Polish relations Tigran
Torosian said that the current visit will convey a new impulse to
cooperation. He also stressed the importance of the visit within
the context of European integration, since Poland being an EU member
state has gained experience that can be interesting and useful for
Armenia. In his words, after the signing of the Armenia-EU Action
Plan the Armenian-Polish relations will acquire new possibilities
for development. When touching upon relations with the NATO the RA
NA chairman said there are opportunities to cooperate with Poland in
this context as well. “A deputy friendship group was formed in the RA
parliament, there is rich experience of contacts within international
structures. This is a good foundation for the development of the
Armenian-Polish relations,” Torosian said.
For his part Bogdan Borusewicz said that his delegation includes
members of the Seym, Senate and government. This fact proves the
importance Poland attaches to relations with Armenia. “As compared
to 1990-ies Armenia has made a big move,” he remarked.
Pointing out to the policy of deepening relations with the EU and NATO
the Polish Senate Marshal said Poland is ready to assist in these
processes. He also stressed the importance of holding the upcoming
parliamentary election in accordance with European standards and
peaceful settlement of the existing conflicts.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN: OSCE MG RECENT PROPOSALS REMARKABLE FOR REAL PERCEPTION OF SITUATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recent proposals made by the OSCE Minsk
Group on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement are remarkable
for real perception of the situation, since they base not only on
two separate principles of territorial integrity and the right to
self-determination but also on their comparison, Armenian National
Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian said at a meeting with Polish Senate
Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, reported the RA NA press office. In his
words, such approach is more flexible for the search of solutions
admissible for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh.
When touching on the Russian-Georgian relations Tigran Torosian
remarked that Armenia is interested in the soonest resolution of the
problems and alleviation of tension. He also stressed the importance of
balanced approach of the EU and other European structures. The sides
also noted that Armenia incurs losses because of the Russian-Georgian
opposition.

POLAND CAN MEDIATE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Torosian met with Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, members
of the Seym, Senate committees, political factions and deputy groups
reported the RA NA press office. Tigran Torosian thanked Bogdan
Borusewicz for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the
Polish Seym and stressed the importance of this step for prevention
of similar tragedies in future. Confirming Poland’s interest in the
development of Armenia and the whole region Bogdan Borusewicz pointed
out to centuries-old Armenian-Polish cooperation. He informed that
the Polish Foreign Ministry offered the RA MFA to mediate between
Armenia and Turkey for establishment of relations between the two
states. In this view Tigran Torosian reiterated that Armenia is ready
to hold a dialogue without pre-conditions. The RA NA Speaker also
reminded that Turkey still keeps on imposing a blockade on Armenia
and assessed Turkey’s aspirations for the EU as inadmissible under
the circumstances.
Bogdan Borusewicz offered the RA NA chairman to pay a formal visit to
Poland describing mutual visits as a serious stimulus for strengthening
relations.

KOCHARIAN: ARMENIA COUNTS ON INCREASE OF KAZAKH INVESTMENTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:52 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia counts on increase of Kazakh investments
in its economy. RA Presisent Robert Kocharian said at a meeting with
Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. “We are watching the investment
activities of Kazakh entrepreneurs and we welcome Kazakh business in
our region,” the RA President said.
“Armenia would also like to expand humanitarian cooperation. The
resources are huge here and we see the genuine wish of the Kazakh
side to develop this cooperation,” Robert Kocharian said.
“We are interested in cooperating with a state which occupies leading
positions in the Central Asian region. We are trying to gain such
positions in the South Caucasus,” the Armenian leader said. For his
part Nursultan Nazarbayev remarked that there are no obstacles for the
development of the Armenian-Kazakh relations adding that Kazakhstan
is ready to expand bilateral ties, reports Kazakhstan Today.

ARMENIA AND KAZAKHSTAN SIGNED SEVERAL BILATERAL DOCUMENTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 18:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A number of bilateral documents were signed
today in Astana upon completion of talks between Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian. The sides
concluded agreements on mutual travels of the citizens, the convention
on cancellation of double taxation and prevention of avoiding
taxation on income and property, the intergovernmental agreement on
international automobile communication, the intergovernmental agreement
on encouragement of mutual protection of investments and agreement
on cooperation in the cultural field, reports Kazakhstan Today.

ILHAM ALIEV’S POLICY CONCERNING THE QUESTION OF ARMENIA IS FULLY IN DEADLOCK
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.11.2006 GMT+04:00
Matthew Braisa: “The President of Azerbaijan can say whatever he wants;
we are not going to comment on any of his statements”
The only obstacle for the continuation of the negotiations and for the
achievement of the success in the settlement is the absence of trust
between the nations. Absolutely everybody speaks about it, including
EU, OSCE, and the co-chairmen countries of MG OSCE in the adjustment
of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. And exactly in that question the
whole world is powerless. The reason is not the unwillingness of
the Armenian side to carry on a normal dialogue as it is the way of
putting up the things in Azerbaijan but in the idea carried on by
Ilham Aliev about the total isolation of Armenia.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Sometimes it even seems that the president of
Azerbaijan has lost his sense of reality and proportion and he thinks
that if Azerbaijan still lives in the feudal Middle Ages then the rest
of the world has the same idea as he has -to annihilate the Armenia
that dares to stand on the way of the “Great Azerbaijan”. We can
only guess what the reactions of the political figures and world-wide
mass media towards these statements are, since the Azerbaijan press
comes breathless with delight from their president’s openness at
the time when the other countries keep absolute silence. We can
suppose that this silence is not a mark of consent but just an
unwillingness to comment on this absurdity. Matthew Braisa from the
USA in the framework of MG OSCE reacted best of all to junior Aliev:
“The president of Azerbaijan can say whatever he wants; we are not
going to comment on his statements”.
Ilham Aliev will fail to drive Armenia at a deadlock and to become
“the second national leader’ by the example of his father for a
variety of reasons. The main cause that he, being just the image of
his father, makes statements that match only for a tribal princeling
with excessively developed ambitions. By the way, Haydar Aliev will
never let himself to make such statements. He treated the question
more seriously; the unfounded statements were not enough for him,
but he paid the mass media for reports in the favor of Azerbaijan. It
was the way during the war of Karabagh. And later in Moscow and not
only there the matter was quickly taken under control and they began
writing and showing what was really going on. Making the impact of
the Armenian lobby greater, roughlyspeaking Azerbaijan doubts the
common sense of the whole world.
The fact that Ilham Aliev’s policy in the matter of Armenia is driven
at a deadlock is clearly known in Baku. They also know that not the
Azerbaijanis can become impatient, as by the highest standards nothing
matters to them but the world community can lose the patience. Ilham
Aliev’s hopes concerning the political dividends from the oil-pipe line
can not become the very truncheon with the help of which the Armenians
of Karabagh can be “pacified”. To put it mildly, these dividends are
more like soap bubbles, as judging by the words of American expert
Richarg Giragosyan, the value of the oil-pipe line Baku-Tbilisi-Ghehyan
turns to be in the direct dependence on Kazakhstan. That is to say
if tomorrow Nursultan Nazarbaev decides that there is no point to
support Azerbaijan than he will just turn off the tap. And it will
mean the end of Aliev’s flow of the oil dollars. And if we add onto
all this the steady slump in oil prices then Azerbaijan will appear
in difficult straits. The oil in Caspian Sea makes 3% of the world
wide explored reserves; in the Middle East it makes 63%. It is a
simple arithmetic-Azerbaijan can not be seriously perceived by the
USA and Europe as one of the leading suppliers of hydrocarbons. And
it means that the political influence of that country is in the direct
dependence on that very 3%.
“PanARMENIAN.Net” analytical department

SAAKASHVILI MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURE OF GEORGIA
Armenpress
Nov 06 2006
TBILISI, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: A public opinion survey in Georgia
has found that its president Mikhail Saakashvili remains the most
influential figure of the country.
The survey conducted by a Georgian weekly -Kviris Palitra- among 552
readers found that 91.3 percent trusted their president. This was 0.7
percent down from a similar poll conducted by the weekly two years ago.
Second most influential figure was defense minister Irakly Okruashvili,
followed by interior and national security minister Vano Merabishvili
and parliament chairwoman Nino Burjanadze.

ARMENIAN DM SAYS DEFENSE BUDGET ENOUGH TO ENSURE HIGH COMBAT READINESS
Armenpress
Nov 06 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenian defense minister Serzh
Sarkisian said today the amount of defense spending envisaged by next
year’s government budget is quite sufficient to keep an effective army.
Speaking to journalists after parliament hearings on 2007 budget the
minister said Armenia’s military budget for next year will soar by
35 percent. He said from now on Armenia’s military budget will make
3.65 percent of the country’s GDP. “Therefore the stronger Armenian
economy is the bigger the defense spending will be,’ he said.
The minister said nearly half of this budget will be used to pay army
officers. Next year the average wage of a military officer will grow
to 165,000 drams (approximately $450). The minister commented also
on Azerbaijan’s plans to increase its military spending for next year
up to $1 billion, saying a wise and thrifty use of the budget is more
important than its volume.
The draft 2007 budget calls for 100.4 billion drams (about $300
million) in military spending.

ARMENIAN AND KAZAKH PRESIDENTS HIGHLY ASSESS DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
Armenpress
Nov 06 2006
ASTANA, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: Delegation headed by the Armenian
President Robert Kocharian has left today on a two-day official
visit to the capital of Kazakhstan Astana. The delegation consists of
Armenian Trade and Economic Development Minister Karen Tshmaritian,
Armenian Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Hasmik Poghosian, deputy
foreign ministers Gegham Gharibjanian and Samvel Avetisian, deputy
defense and education ministers Yuri Khachaturov and Bagrat Yesayan,
Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank Tigran Sargsian, Chief Prosecutor
Aghvan Hovsepian and other officials.
After the meeting ceremony negotiations took place at the residence
of the Kazakh president after which a number of intergovernmental
documents have been signed. At a joint press conference, followed
after the signing ceremony, the presidents of the two countries noted
that the documents will create a better basis for cooperation. Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbaev said that during the meeting with
his Armenian counterpart they mainly referred to the development of
trade-economic cooperation between the two countries as the volume
of the turnover does not satisfy either of the sides.
President of Armenia Robert Kocharian pointed out the high level of
the political dialogue existing between the two countries but he said
bilateral economic cooperation between the countries is rather weak.
“Kazakh business has started displaying interest towards Armenia,”
Kocharian said, noting that the Armenian-Kazakh inter-governmental
commission for economic cooperation, which held its second session
yesterday, may have an essential role in the development of bilateral
relations.
The two presidents also referred to the cooperation in the humanitarian
sphere. Robert Kocharian said that the potential of the two countries
is not being fully used in this sphere.
Kocharian also said that during the meeting with his Kazakh counterpart
he presented to him the current pace of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
regulation process.
Tomorrow the Armenian president will meet with the representatives
of the Armenian community in Kazakhstan.