Month: March 2007

TO START PROCEDURE OF RETURN OF AZERI REFUGEES IS AS MEANINGLESS AS TO START BUILDING A HOUSE FROM ROOF: OSCE MG FRENCH CO-CHAIR

Arminfo
2007-03-12 19:25:00

OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair Bernard Fassier considers that at the
moment, to start the procedure of return of the Azeri refugees to
their habitual residence is as meaningless as to start building a
house from the roof.

Today, during a press-conference in Yerevan, B.Fassier emphasized
that the return of refugees and internally displaced persons is a
politicized issue and it is very often used for propaganda purposes. He
added that the return of Azeri refugees is a very hard task, and
its settlement is conditioned by provision of a number of factors,
the most important of them being the psychological factor based on
the ability of joint residence. The consent of Azeri refugees and
POW to return to the territory they formerly lived on, as well as
the Armenian side’s ability to receive back these Azerbaijanians
also matter, the Co-chair noted. He added that the infrastructure
will also have to be restored for the refugees’ return.

DEATH THREATS FAIL TO DETER NILE

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Malcolm Brown
March 14, 2007

THE Christian Democrats leader, Fred Nile, has proceeded with
distribution of 230,000 copies of a pamphlet outlining his nine-point
plan to tackle "the militant Islamic threat to Australia", despite
death threats to himself and at least one of his candidates.

Mr Nile, who has proposed a moratorium on Muslim immigration to
Australia until "things settle down", said threats had been made to
his party’s candidates, Allan Lotfizadeh in Auburn and Karen Pender
in Granville.

The party had decided not to distribute its pamphlets in Lakemba,
Granville, Auburn and Bankstown because of the risk of inflaming
passions.

Dr Lotfizadeh, who is of Armenian origin, said he received a phone
call at 9pm on Friday. The caller reportedly said: "You Christian pig,
you are dead." Ms Pender was allegedly approached by a man at 8am on
Monday asking where Mr Nile was. The man reportedly said: "What has
he got against Muslims? Tell him I will act out my faith on him."

Mr Nile said yesterday both threats had been reported to the police.

But they would not stop distribution of pamphlets elsewhere in
Sydney’s western and southern suburbs, including Sutherland Shire,
the Hills District and some country areas.

The nine-point plan includes a proposal to remove Sheik Taj el-Din
al Hilaly from his leading role among Australian Muslims. Mr Nile
also calls for "action" against another Muslim leader, Sheik Feiz
Mohammed, whom he accuses of making inflammatory remarks on DVDs. And
Mr Nile wants the "removal of Islamic murderous threat videos against
Australians by Muslim youth gangs from YouTube".

He supports a NSW school dress policy that stipulates that students
must wear "approved school uniform", not full Muslim headdress,
and calls for a ban on the face-covering burqa as part of the "war
on terrorism".

He calls for "regular Education Department inspections" of Muslim
schools and youth groups so as to "prevent the preaching of hate
speech by Muslim extremists".

Mr Nile wants the English language and "Aussie values" to be accepted
by all Australians, and calls for the support of "moderate" Muslims
in opposing Islamic extremists.

He urges all Australian Muslim leaders to support freedom of speech
and religion, human rights, and the establishment of Christian churches
in Muslim countries.

The Christian Democratic Party, which has two members in the
Legislative Council, Mr Nile and Gordon Moyes, has 58 candidates
standing in the state election.

RETIRED GENERAL COMMITS HIS FUTURE TO DASHNAKTSUTYUN
By Karine Kalantarian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 13 2007

Former Deputy Defense Minister Artur Aghabekian on Tuesday committed
his political future to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), saying that he will not leave the governing party
even if it joins the opposition.

Aghabekian, who has the rank of lieutenant-general ,was relieved of
his duties and discharged from the armed forces last month in order
to be able to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections
on the Dashnaktsutyun ticket. His name is 10th on the list of the
nationalist party’s election candidates.

Aghabekian has long maintained close ties with Dashnaktsutyun despite
his reputation as a figure close to Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian,
whose rapport with the party has often been frosty. The two men
are natives of Nagorno-Karabakh and played a major role during its
1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan.

In an interview with RFE/RL, Aghabekian insisted that he will
remain loyal to the Dashnaks even if they move into opposition to
Armenia’s current leadership after the May 12 elections. "I can see
Dashnaktsutyun in both opposition and in government," he said. "I have
no problem with that. I didn’t even set myself the goal of becoming
a parliament deputy."

Dashnaktsutyun leaders have warned that they will join the opposition
camp if the vote falls short of democratic standards or if their party
fails to make a strong showing. They have also indicated that they will
not endorse Sarkisian’s candidacy in next year’s presidential election.

Aghabekian’s resignation fueled speculation that he might be
offered the post of defense minister in return for a Dashnaktsutyun
endorsement of Sarkisian’s anticipated presidential run. According
to some media reports, the party is also considering fielding the
retired general’s candidacy in the presidential ballot to be held in
Karabakh this summer.

Aghabekian pointedly declined to refute those rumors. "If
Dashnaktsutyun sets the aim of having a defense minister, soldier
Aghabekian will perform that duty with pleasure," he said. "If
Dashnaktsutyun decides that I have nothing to do in Armenia and must
again go back to Karabakh, then I can work as a [Karabakh] village
mayor or president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic."

UNTIL TURKEY RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ARMENIA’S SECURITY UNDER THREAT

Yerkir
13.03.2007 16:42

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – 218 votes are necessary for the adoption of the
Armenian Genocide resolution by the U.S. Congress, which hopefully we
can reach., Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) Aram Hamparian told a press conference in Yerevan. He
said, the U.S. legislature has such a system that neither the State
Department, and moreover nor the Turkish Foreign Minister can influence
on it.

"I would advise not to believe in what is written in Turkish
press. More often Turkish media gives misinformation in order to
show the public that it actively works for preventing the possible
adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the U.S. Congress,"
Hamparian stressed. He also said that until Turkey recognizes the
Armenian Genocide, Armenia’s security will be under threat. "As to
Turkey’s opinion that the United States needs Ankara’s assistance,
it is a temporary phenomena. May happen that the U.S. will be able
to find strategic allies in the region without Turkey.

Alongside I would like to underline that President George Bush does
not have a clear stance on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. He says
neither "yes" nor "no". If such a policy existed the American Armenian
community wouldn’t protest against Richard Hoagland’s nomination as
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.

Really, Armenia needs a U.S. ambassador, but the future ambassador must
not be pro-Turkish in any cases," the ANCA Executive Director told.

MUSIC NIGHT HITS THE RIGHT NOTE

Northumberland Gazette, UK –
March 13 2007

A SELL-OUT evening of music and fun has helped raise funds for local
and international charities.

The Northumbrian Evening at Alnwick Playhouse was produced and compered
by Fred Calvert on behalf of Amble and Warkworth Rotary Club.

More than £1,300 was raised, £500 of which was handed over to Bas
Darby for The Spitak Project, helping earthquake victims in Armenia.

The club presented cheques to The Duchess’s High School Girls’ Choir
for a trip to Canada and to Borderbox for their instrument fund.

The balance will go towards a communications system for a doctor in
Uganda and to help furnish an orphanage in South Africa.

The club also plans to put together a disaster box filled with basic
provisions, which can be sent anywhere in the world in the event of
a major emergency.

Other artists who took part in the evening were Ernie Coe, Alec Swales,
Malcolm Bennett and Margaret and Andrew Watchorn.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FM: FORMATION OF NATO INFORMATION CENTRE IN ARMENIA NECESSITY

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 13 2007

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The formation of the NATO information
centre in Armenia is a necessity, said Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian.

"The matter is that on the post soviet territory the opinion formed
about NATO does not fully correspond to the truth, taking into account
the years of the "cold war" and stereotypes, this is not surprising,
but NATO is not the organization that existed during the USSR,"
he said.

Oskanian said that the formation of the NATO information centre in
the previous USSR countries is a necessity, particularly, in Armenia
with its complementary policy.

"Today Armenia is a CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization)
member and at the same time it actively cooperates with NATO under
IPAP. This cannot but arouse bewilderment of our citizens which will
drift away when receiving information at first hand," he said.

Armenia implements the cooperation with NATO under the Individual
Partnership Action Plan Armenia-NATO (IPAP).

Armenia has been a CSTO member since it was established in 1992.

Russia, Byelorussia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
are also members of the Organization.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE FOR ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 13 2007

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The upcoming parliamentary elections are
of paramount importance for Armenia’s future and further reforms,
Speaker of the RA Parliament Tigran Torosyan stated at his meeting
with a delegation headed by Vice-President of the Millennium Challenges
Corporation John Hewko.

The Public Relations Department, RA Parliament, reports that Speaker
Torosyan stated that a number of international organizations have
been invited to Armenia to observe the parliamentary elections. A
task group is expected to be formed at the RA Parliament to actively
cooperate with the observer mission in eliminating the shortcomings
of the election process.

Speaker Torosyan addressed some changes after the constitutional
reforms in Armenia. Among them is the abolition of administrative
arrest, the right to apply to the Constitutional Court granted to
the parliamentary opposition and ordinary citizens from July 1,
2006, radical changes in the local government and judicial systems,
which made them independent of the executive power. Torosyan added
that the parliamentary elections will be followed by the enforcement
of the constitutional amendments concerning the political system.

Torosyan also stated that the changes in political rights and social
freedoms in Armenia are not accurately reported on the website of
the Millennium Challenges Corporation. He said that democracy is not
perfect in Armenia. On the other hand, he stressed the inadmissibility
of "biased assessments".

Speaker Torosyan pointed out that the assessments of the situation in
Armenia made by Freedom House and other organizations must correspond
to the facts, which is of high importance for both the Millennium
Challenges Corporation and Armenia’s public.

The goal of John Hewko’s visit to Armenia is to get acquainted with
the implementation of the Corporation’s programs in Armenia, as well
as an open talk about the upcoming parliamentary elections with the
Armenian side.

The program of the YUS Millennium Challenges Corporation was launched
in Armenia on September 29, 2006.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FM EXPRESSES HIS ANXIETY ON U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 13 2007

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA – Novosti-Armenia/. Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian expressed his anxiety to the US Charge d’Affaire
Anthony Godfrey concerning a number of provisions on the U.S. State
Department’s report on human rights, said Godfrey last Friday.

He said that he will inform Washington about Oskanian’s positions.

The USA goes on providing protection of human rights in Armenia and
supporting the OSCE Minsk group in the settlement of the Karabakh
issue, said Godfrey.

During the Friday conference Oskanian said "that there is a kind of
subjectivism in the State Department’s report to which we intend to
react." He said that there are some shortages towards Armenia which
should be treated seriously and removed in the future.

According to the U.S. State Department’s annual report, certain
progress in human rights issues was recorded in Armenia in 2006. In
particular, Armenian citizens obtained the right to apply to
the Constitutional Court, and strong measures are taken against
trafficking.

The report also said that the Government was not involved into
political assassinations, in contrast to 2005, neither government nor
human rights organizations reported about deaths caused by oppression
or humiliation.

However, the report mentions negative phenomena, particularly, use of
force against private soldiers by army officials and use of violence
against citizens and apprehended by police.

WB TO CONTINUE HELP ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 13 2007

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The World Bank (WB) will continue helping
Armenia maintaining the economic growth rates, creating jobs and
reducing poverty, says the WB Country Assistance Strategy Progress
Report (CASPR) endorsed by the WB Board of Executive Directors.

"Armenia has come a long way over the past few years and should
be proud of its accomplishments. The Progress Report provides
a clear framework for measuring these achievements," says Donna
Dowsett-Coirolo, World Bank Country Director for Armenia.

The past few years have been a period of considerable progress
for Armenia, including GDP growth rates in the double digits,
macroeconomic stability, important policy reforms and significant
progress in combating poverty.

To date, the financial sector is growing strongly, with the
loans-to-GDP ratio rising from 5.9 per cent in 2003 to 8.2 percent in
2005. Private sector growth has also been supported by infrastructure
improvements. Transparency and accountability in the provision of
government services has been strengthened. Poverty has declined from
around 50 to 30 percent in the last few years, with extreme poverty
dropping to below 5 percent. Good progress is also being made in
social sector spending and reforms.

In light of Armenia’s growing GDP per capita and improving
creditworthiness, the CASPR confirms Armenia’s eligibility to begin
some limited non-concessional borrowing from the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, in addition to its soft loan funding
from the International Development Association. This is a clear sign
that Armenia is entering the ranks of middle income countries. At the
same time, the transition will have to be gradual in order to avoid
a premature buildup of debt.

The CASPR indicates that the Bank has delivered all of the activities
included in the CAS, including both annual policy support and
investment lending. Investment lending during the first half of the
SAC period included the Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development
Project, Yerevan Water and Wastewater Project, Urban Heating Project,
Renewable Energy Project, Avian Influenza Control Project, and the
third replenishment of the Social Investment Fund. The CASPR also
describes the growing involvement of the International Finance
Corporation, the World Bank’s private sector arm in Armenia.

The current CAS covers the 2005-2008 period and sets out three broad
pillars of engagement: promoting private sector-led economic growth,
making growth more pro-poor and reducing non-income poverty.

The Board of Directors also approved three additional operations
alongside the CAS Progress Report – the third Poverty Reduction
Support Credit, the Health Modernization Project and the Judicial
Reform II Project.

Since 1993, the WB has allocated a total of $1.025bln to Armenia for
the implementation of 47 programs. Armenia plans to receive $38.5mln
credits from the WB before the end of 2007.

13.4% economic growth was recorded in Armenia in 2006 compared to
2005. GDP per capita made AMD 827,394 or $1,989.

IRAN-ARMENIAN GAS MAIN TO BE OPENED LATE IN MARCH

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 13 2007

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The Iran-Armenia gas main is to be opened
late in March, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan told
ARKA.

"The official ceremony is scheduled for the end of March," Gharibjanyan
said.

The gas main was to be commissioned last December, but the process
was later postponed until this spring.

The construction project is estimated at $120mln. The construction
of the first 40km-long section, Meghri-Kajaran, got under way on
November 30, 2004. The section section, Kajaran-Sisian-Jermuk-Ararat,
is being constructed by the Iranian "Sanir" company.

At the initial stage Armenia will receive 300-400mln cubic meters of
gas from Iran annually, with the volume to be increased to 2.3bln
cubic meters. Under an Armenian-Iranian agreement, Armenia is to
receive a total of 36bln cubic meters of natural gas during 20 years.

The agreement may be prolonged, with the gas supply volume to be
increased to 47bln cubic meters.