Month: March 2007

CONDOLENCE BOOK OPENED AT RA EMBASSY IN BELARUS

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2007 16:27

State and political figures of Belarus, representatives of the
Armenian community, heads of more than 40 diplomatic missions
accredited in Belarus visited the Armenian Embassy in Belarus to
express their condolences for the death of RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan. More than 40 messages were written in the condolence book.

Armenian Ambassador to Belarus Oleg Yesayan told Armenpress that the
Turkish Ambassador also visited the Embassy to extend his condolences.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus was the first to write down
in the condolence book.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia to launch probe if Ahtisaari Kosovo plan accepted – FM-1

16:17|27/ 03/ 2007

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will demand inquiries into the
implementation of all previous UN resolutions on Kosovo if the UN
Security Council approves a UN special envoy’s plan on the status of
Kosovo, the Russian foreign minister said Tuesday.

Marti Ahtisaari, a special UN envoy for talks on Kosovo, has proposed
that the province be granted internationally supervised sovereignty,
but Serbian authorities have strongly opposed the plan as threatening
Serbia’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We will be checking how existing UN Security Council resolutions on
Kosovo, particularly Resolution 1244, are being implemented," Sergei
Lavrov said. "We want to objectively, without imposing any one-sided
evaluations, determine who was implementing UN Security Council
resolutions and how, and who was not."

On Monday Ahtisaari returned his proposals on the future status of the
breakaway Serbian province to the UN Security Council following
fruitless top-level talks in Vienna between Pristina, Belgrade and the
European Union, which said later in a statement that it fully backed
Ahtisaari’s plan.

As a veto-wielding member in the 15-nation UN Security Council and a
traditional ally of Serbia, Russia has insisted that a decision on
Kosovo should satisfy both Kosovar and Serbian authorities, and that
it must be reached through negotiations.

Serbia’s predominantly ethnic Albanian Kosovo province, which has a
population of two million, has been a UN protectorate since NATO’s
78-day bombing campaign against the former Yugoslavia ended a war
between Serb forces and Albanian separatists in 1999.

The Serbian parliament unanimously approved a resolution February 14
rejecting some provisions of the plan.

Unlike Russia, NATO has made it clear that it favors independence for
Kosovo, but a final decision will be up to the UN Security Council.

In its foreign policy review, published Tuesday, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said that the lack of an alternative to the proposed
independence for Kosovo could strain the international community’s
efforts to resolve the issue as a whole.

"The formation of an independent state of Kosovo could result in
serious complications for stability in Europe," the ministry said. "It
is doubtful that an independent Kosovo that does not enjoy the consent
of all the countries involved will resolve the fundamental tasks at
hand, such as the formation of a multi-ethnical society and the
implementation of other standards for Kosovo."

Russia has been opposed to the internationally backed plan to grant
sovereignty to Kosovo, also arguing that it would set a precedent for
the breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union it is believed to
support – Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Moldova’s
Transdnestr.

Addis Fortune, Ethiopia
March 27, 2007 Tuesday

Ethiopia;
Agency Approves Three Enterprise Privatisations

The Privatisation and Public Enterprises Supervisory Agency (PPESA)
has passed a decision to privatise three state enterprises with a
total cost of 34 million Br.

The Agency had floated a tender to privatise Adea Flour and Pasta
Factory, Yerer Flour SC and Debre Zeit Pig Farm but only one
interested candidate showed up for each of the enterprises.

The Agency’s decision to sell to those bidders that showed up to the
tender process, began with the sale of Adea, to Aynalem Abdulkedir, a
local investor who presented a bid amount of 19 million Br.

Aynalem and the Agency signed the agreement to finalise the sale of
the factory on April 15, 2007, after being notified that her offer
had been accepted. She has paid the required 35pc of the sale price
and will pay the remaining 65pc over the coming two years, according
to the agreement.

Adea, located in Debre Zeit (Bishoftu) 45Km east of Addis Abeba, was
established in 1967 by the Benesnilian family, Armenian investors
that moved to Ethiopia. The family continues its business in the
country, with the sons having established Hagbes, a major import firm
in the country.

The factory, established with a capital of 1.1 million Br, was run
using Italian and British machines that were purchased at a cost of
440,408 Br by the Armenian investors. In 1975, the factory was
nationalised by the Derg military regime.

While under the control of the state, a significant investment of 6.3
million Br in expansion projects was conducted. The factory’s balance
sheet shows that the company has annual revenues of 25 million Br and
the capacity to produce 362qt of flour and 42qt of pasta a day.

Yerer Flour SC, the other company that was put on the auction block,
found interest from Anwar Abdulkadir, the only investor to enter a
bid. The agency accepted his 10 million Br offer and informed Anwar
that he had been chosen for the sale, although an agreement between
him and the Agency is yet to be signed.

Yerer Flour SC, established 32 years ago, is located in Nazaeth
(Adama), 100Km east of Addis Abeba. Situated on the route from
Nazareth to the popular Sodere Resort, the factory employs 108
workers and produces 6,728tn of flour annually.

Debre Zeit Pig Farm, resting on an 11hct plot in Bishoftu town, the
third enterprise that PPESA decided to privatise, only captured the
interest of Mekia Enterprise, which offered five million birr.
Although the Agency has informed the Enterprise that it has been
selected for the sale, they have yet to sign an agreement.

Mekia Mamiyo, general manager of Mekia Enterprise, told Fortune that
they have not decided to take the Agency up on the offer that it has
made.

Mekia explained that the Enterprise wished to purchase the pig farm
to augment the bid that they had put in for the Dairy Enterprise,
another state owned institution that is being privatised by the
Agency.

"We wanted the farm so that we would be able to raise cattle for milk
supply for the Dairy Enterprise," said Mekia. "Until we know the
decision of PPESA regarding our other bid, we are not going to
respond to their offer."

Mekia Enterprise, along with five other contenders, bid in the tender
that was floated by PPESA to sell the Dairy Enterprise two months
ago. Known for its brand milk Shola, the Enterprise attracted high
bids from the interested candidates.

Although Mekia Enterprise made the highest offer of 47.7 million Br,
the Agency’s Tender Committee chose Kangaroo Plast, which offered
46.5 million Br.

When the Committee’s decision was passed on to the Board of the
Agency for approval it asked that another suggestion be made so it
could re-evaluate.

The sale of this enterprise is yet to find a solution.

Mekia Enterpirse, established by Mekia and members of her family, now
has 300 million Br capital, and has been involved in agriculture,
floriculture and livestock rearing for the past 27 years.

Itar-Tass News Agency, Russia
March 27 2007

Yerevan says restoration of Armenian church in Turkey "unprecedented"

Holy Echmiadzin (Armenia), 27 March: The Holy See of the Armenian
Apostolic Church will not send its representatives to an opening
ceremony of the restored Armenian Surb Khach Church (Holy Cross) on
Akhtamar Island (Lake Van) in Turkey, the press service of the Holy
See of Echmiadzin told our correspondent today.

An Armenian government delegation led by Deputy Culture Minister
Gagik Gurjyan will take part in the opening ceremony, Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said on 21 March.

The minister described the restoration of the unique monument of the
Armenian medieval architecture in Turkey as "positive", since "this
initiative taken by Turkey is unprecedented". In fact "hundreds and
thousands of Armenian monuments have been sunk into oblivion and
destroyed in Turkey, which prove that Armenians have lived on this
territories for many centuries," Oskanyan said. Yerevan hopes that
this [restoration of the church] will be a good start and the Ani
fortress situated on the border with Armenia will be also restored,
the minister noted.

Oskanyan believes that "only normalization of relations between the
two countries can become" a positive development in mutual relations
between Armenia and Turkey". "Unfortunately, Turkey does not take
steps to normalize relations with Armenia," the minister said. The
restoration of monuments is a single act and it does not normalize
contacts between the two neighbouring countries which have no even
diplomatic relations, the minister said.

The minister described as "ironic" the circumstance that the Armenian
delegation could have reached Akhtamar by a car for over four hours,
if the borders would have opened between Armenia and Turkey. But it
will be forced to reach Istanbul by plane and then travel to eastern
Turkey, or the delegation should travel via Georgia which will take
12 hours.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUobserver.com, Belgium
March 26 2007

Royal backs Turkey’s EU membership
26.03.2007 – 09:27 CET | By Honor Mahony

French socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has spoken out
in favour of Turkish membership of the EU, putting her at odds with
her two main opponents from the right.

"Eventually Turkey has a vocation to join Europe provided it
satisfies the adhesion criteria, which are not only economic and
financial but also democratic," she says in an extract of her
campaign book published in French daily Le Monde on Sunday (24
March).

The socialist contender, currently second in the polls, said that "in
principle" she was in favour of Turkey joining the EU but "not yet
because Europe has broken down and it is necessary to revive it
before enlarging again."

Ms Royal also said that neither geography nor religion – Turkey is
predominantly muslim – should not be used a reason to discriminate
against the country.

"We should not oppose Turkey’s membership on an argument of
geography. Europe is not a territory…but a political project."

"The religious argument also does not hold. A country whose
population is mostly Muslim has a perfect right to be in Europe which
is not a club of Christian nations."

It is the first time Ms Royal has been clear on the subject. When she
was asked about it early on in her presidential campaign she was
criticised for appearing to flounder on the issue and then saying her
opinion would be that of the French people.

Although Ms Royal qualified her Turkey statements by saying Europe
first needs "a time of stabilisation of its borders" and to prove
"its concrete utility in the daily life of those it already unites"
her position is much more positive than either right wing candidate
Nicolas Sarkozy, currently topping the polls, or the centrist
Francois Bayrou, lying in third place.

Both have said that Turkey should not become a member of the European
Union.

Ankara’s EU bid has long been a thorny issue in France, with opinion
polls showing that the majority of French voters are against it
becoming a member – opposition to further enlargement of the bloc is
also thought to have played a role in France’s rejection of the EU
constitution in 2005.

On top of this, Ms Royal’s fairly positive comments towards Ankara
are tempered by the fact that at the end of the membership
negotiation process, the French will have a referendum on Turkish EU
membership, following a 2004 promise by president Jacques Chirac.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 27 2007

Wilson: US stance will not change

While Turkish officials who gathered in Washington to attend a
conference expressed hope that the Armenian genocide resolution
pending in the US Congress would not pass, the US ambassador showed
support.

"Everything has been said already, God willing, the resolution won’t
pass," said Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun, who
attended a reception at the Turkish Embassy in Washington prior to
the opening of the annual conference on US-Turkish relations
organized by various business associations led by American-Turkish
Council’s (ATC) to promote commercial and cultural relations between
the two countries.

"We don’t want this resolution to pass," said Ross Wilson who is the
US ambassador to Turkey, attending the reception in Washington,
adding that the US administration would not change its stance no
matter how the US Congress acted on the resolution.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert
Gates, with a letter sent to senior members of Congress, indicated
the damage that Turkish-US ties could suffer if the pending
resolution on Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of the Ottoman
Turks was passed.

The resolution was presented to the US House of Representatives
earlier this year though the timing of the vote has yet to be
decided. Turkey has warned that passage of the resolution would harm
strategic relations with the United States and undermine cooperation
in key regions across the world, in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Rýfat Hisarcýklýoðlu, president of the Turkish Union of
Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), commented that Americans
were wise and would not meddle with an issue that should be in the
hands of historians.

Message from Bush

The US and Turkey share mutual interests and improve global wealth
together has expressed US President George W. Bush, in a message sent
yesterday for the opening of the ATC conference. He also expressed
gratitude for the Turkish-Americans’ contribution to the American
culture.

Turkey sends an "indirect" message of condolence to Armenian authorities

ArmRadio.am
27.03.2007 12:40

Official Ankara is sending an indirect `condolence message’ to the
Armenian authorities connected with the death of RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan.

Because of the absence of diplomatic relations between Turkey and
Armenia, the telegram of condolence of the Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan to RA President Robert Kocharyan will be passed
to the Armenian Embassy in Georgia through the Turkish Embassy in
Tbilisi, Turkish `Zaman’ informs. In the same way the Vice-Premier and
Foreign Minister of Turkey Abdullah Gul will express his condolences
to RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The newspaper mentions also
that official Ankara has not received an invitation to participate in
the funeral of Andranik Margaryan and `in case of receiving an
official invitation Ankara will decide what to do.’

Moscow warns U.S. Iran policy may spark "clash of civilizations"

16:28|27/ 03/ 2007

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow urges the United States to
avoid escalating tensions around Iran over its nuclear program as it
could lead to a "clash of civilizations," the Foreign Ministry said
Tuesday.

Washington has been pushing for tougher international sanctions
against Iran, which it suspects of pursuing a nuclear weapons
program. The UN Security Council passed a new resolution Saturday
introducing further sanctions on Iran.

"The international community should not risk escalating the situation
around Iran and should wait for the U.S. to make a good-faith effort
to normalize relations with Tehran," the Foreign Ministry said in a
foreign policy review signed by the president.

The Russian ministry said the Iran crisis could have devastating
consequences for relations between "civilizations," and then the
U.S. would have to prove it is not preparing for a "clash of
civilizations" by building up "Fortress America," separated from the
rest of the world by two oceans and strict border controls.

The term "clash of civilizations" is part of a theory that people of
different cultures and religions will be involved in a post-Cold War
conflict. Samuel P. Huntington popularized and expanded the term in
his book The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order in
1996.

The Russian ministry said the U.S. was capable of reaching a
compromise with Iran, and cited a visit by former Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami to the U.S. in August.

"The trip of former Iranian President Khatami to the U.S. in August
showed that dialogue between civilizations could become a useful
channel for the Americans to establish contacts with Tehran," said the
ministry review ordered by President Vladimir Putin in June.

Khatami was the most senior Iranian official to visit the U.S. outside
the UN framework in more than two decades after the Islamic Revolution
and the embassy hostage crisis in Iran.

Unlike the U.S., Russia, which is building a nuclear power plant in
southern Iran, has opposed any tough sanctions against the Islamic
Republic. Russian authorities have also been seriously alarmed by
U.S. plans to deploy a missile shield in Central Europe to prevent
possible strikes from Iran or North Korea.

In his outspoken address to the Munich security conference in
February, President Putin said the U.S. missile defense plans could
trigger a new arms race, and accused the U.S. of ignoring
international law and imposing its own rules on other countries.

"We are seeing an increasing disregard for the fundamental principles
of international law," Putin said, adding that Russia would amend its
military strategy in response.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russian intelligence sees U.S. military buildup on Iran border

17:31|27/ 03/ 2007

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Russian military intelligence
services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near
Iran’s borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

"The latest military intelligence data point to heightened
U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation
against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has
probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be
launched.

He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against
Iran "that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its
knees at minimal cost."

He also said the U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the
first time in the past four years reached the level that existed
shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of
Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to
deliver a massive air strike on Iran’s military infrastructure in the
near future.

A new U.S. carrier battle group has been dispatched to the Gulf.

The USS John C. Stennis, with a crew of 3,200 and around 80 fixed-wing
aircraft, including F/A-18 Hornet and Superhornet fighter-bombers,
eight support ships and four nuclear submarines are heading for the
Gulf, where a similar group led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has
been deployed since December 2006.

The U.S. is also sending Patriot anti-missile systems to the region.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
March 27, 2007 Tuesday 11:39 AM EST

No ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, March 27

The monitoring by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) has not established violations of ceasefire along the
line of contact of the Azerbaijani and Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces,
Itar-Tass learned on Tuesday from the Foreign Ministry of the
un-recognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

In accordance with the arrangement with the Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities, the OSCE mission held a planned monitoring of the line
of contact of the armies close to Talysh settlement of the Mardakert
district of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The monitoring was
conducted on schedule. No violations of the ceasefire regime have
been registered, the Foreign Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh noted.

The agreement on ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict zone was signed
with the mediation of Russia and the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly
in May 1994 and is in the main observed by the parties. An agreement
on the principles of settlement of the conflict is now being drafted
with the assistance of the co-chairmen of the OSCE group on
Nagorno-Karabakh representing Russia, France and the United States.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress