Month: April 2007

MERKEL TO ERDOGAN: TRUST US, WE WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL TO SHRODER’S WORD

Hurriyet, Turkey
April 16 2007

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Germany for meetings
with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, received a message from the
German leader that her administration would remain faithful to the
principles and decisions taken by the previous Schroder government
in regards to Turkish membership in the EU.

Erdogan and Merkel met yesterday for an hour before Erdogan left to
attend the opening of the Hannover Industrial Trade Fair, at which
Turkey is participating as a "Partner Country." During the meetings
with Merkel, aside from Erdogan, only top ranked AKP consultant Cuneyd
Zapsu was present.

Erdogan reportedly relayed to Merkel during the meeting Ankara’s
discomfort with not having been invited to the 50th birthday
celebrations for the EU in Berlin, as well as Merkel’s recent
assertions that the "EU’s foundation is based on Christianity."

Erdogan also reportedly brought up the subject of a bill being
prepared which would bring about fines for people denying the so-called
Armenian genocide.

In response to Erdogan’s complaints, Merkel brought up the topic of
EU expectations from Ankara in regards to Cyprus, and harmony with
protocols which Ankara had previously promised to follow.

The two leaders laters answered questions at a joint press conference.

MAMMADYAROV: "I CANNOT SAY ALL THE ISSUES WILL BE SOLVED IN BELGRADE"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 16 2007

"The core principles of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
will be debated at the meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan in Belgrade," Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said while
commenting on his meeting with his Armenian counterpart.

"Last time we met with Armenian Foreign Minister in Geneva. We try
to work on the main principles of the settlement and approve these
principles on any consensus. I can not say that all the problems will
be solved in Belgrade. The negotiations will last until there is a
result," he said.

Elmar Mammadyarov said the date and place of the meeting was determined
at OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ proposal.

Commenting on US Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried’s statement "In
case Azerbaijan starts war, it would harm all the progress achieved
by now," Foreign Minister said that Azerbaijan intends to achieve
peaceful solution of the problem.

"As Foreign Minister I will make all efforts for the peaceful solution
to the conflict. But not everything depends on me. Much depends on
Armenia too," the minister underlined.

DANIEL FRIED: "TURKEY OUGHT TO OPEN UP THE BORDER WITH ARMENIA AND RESTORE NORMAL RELATIONS"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 16 2007

"We think that Turkey ought to open up the border with Armenia and
restore normal relations.

"We’re pleased by recent steps Turkey has taken, like restoring the
Armenian church in Eastern Turkey, even if as a museum. That’s still
something. And there is in Turkish society a constituency for this kind
of reconciliation. Hrant Dink was murdered by an extremist nationalist,
but then 100,000 Turks were in the street saying we are all Armenians,
we are all Hrant Dink. It didn’t mean literally that they’re Armenians,
but it means we reject nationalism. We embrace a Turkish identity which
is tolerant. That’s very hopeful. That’s a very good thing. That’s what
we want to encourage," said Daniel Fried, US Assistant Secretary for
the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at a daily press briefing.

The Assistant Secretary stressed that the Turkish Government has
never blackmailed or threatened the U.S. Government. They have never
said that they will take retaliatory steps if the Armenian Genocide
resolution passes.

"The Turkish government has said that Turkish opinion would be inflamed
and outraged by this resolution and that they, the Turkish government,
fear what the Turkish parliament might do in reaction to something
our parliament might do. So it’s a little bit different than what
you described.

"Turkey is a good ally. It is also a country which is undergoing a
profound democratic transformation itself. Turkey has for decades had
the formal elements of democracy, but in the last 10, 15, 20 years
it has deepened this democracy, and especially in the last 5 to 10
years. The boundaries of freedom of expression are now much greater
than they were before. Civilian institutions are much stronger. The
role of the military is much more circumscribed. These things
are advancing, and as this happens there is a growing discussion
in Turkey about their own past, and in particular the past of the
Ottoman Empire and its relationship to the Armenian community there
and the mass killings that took place in 1915 and afterwards. Turks
are beginning to discuss this.

"We encourage them to examine their history and the painful, what can
be called dark spots, and they’re not the only country that has them.

The United States has plenty of our own: slavery, treatment of American
Indians, treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. We have a
lot of things in our history of which we’re not proud," Fried said.

EBRD TO BECOME THE SHARE-HOLDER OF PROCREDIT ARMENIA BANK, WHICH WILL START FUNCTIONING IN SEPTEMBER

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
April 16 2007

Yerevan, April 16 /Mediamax/. The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) will become the 20% share-holder of ProCredit
Armenia Bank, which will start functioning in Armenia in September
of 2007.

Mediamax reports referring the statement of the EBRD that the
participation of the European Bank in the capital of ProCredit Armenia
Bank will make 1.2bln AMD, or $3.2mln.

The EBRD statement reads that the ProCredit Armenia Bank will be
specializing in financing of micro and small enterprises outside the
Armenian capital, and the European Bank will allocate a credit at
the sum of $7mln with maturity of up to five years financing micro
and small enterprises.

Mediamax notes that the ProCredit Group consists of 19 banks,
functioning in Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America, whose
operations are overseen and guided by ProCredit Holding AG, located
in Frankfurt.

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE HOPES FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF POSITIVE RESULTS IN REGULATION OF NAGORNI GARABAGH CONFLICT IN 2007

Demaz.org, Azerbaijan
April 16 2007

US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, Daniel Fried,
answered questions of mass media representatives at "round table"
meeting held in Washington within the frames of program on exchange
of journalists.

Asked "What can you say in connection with blockade of Armenia?",
diplomat said: Republic of Armenia is not in blockade. Its road
through Georgia is open. Armenia’s alleged statement on no-go and
isolation from the world is not real.

Asked about his relation to the fact of occupation of 20% of
Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, D. Fried declared that he would
be brief. He said: We can speak of Nagorni Garabagh hourly. The
main point is to achieve regulation of the conflict. Nagorni Garabgh
conflict should be regulated peacefully. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
are active in assisting Armenia and Azerbaijan to find ways of
solving the problem. We hope that this year success will be achieved
in regulation of the conflict. We are actively working with France
and Russia in this connection and we have achieved some progress and
hope for achievement of desirable results this year.

Azerbaijan undertook some positive steps in the field of democracy.

However, we hold that much still have to be done. Azerbaijan has many
opportunities for further development and achievement of democratic
future. I hope that these opportunities will be duly used.

USA NOT TO RECOGNIZE THE FORTHCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN NAGORNI GARABAGH

Demaz.org, Azerbaijan
April 16 2007

The United States of America do not recognize forthcoming presidential
elections in Nagorni Garabagh. Jonathan Henick, public relation
attache of US embassy to Azerbaijan, told AzerTaj.

American diplomat underlined that position of his country in connection
with Nagorni Garabagh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan is
unchanged. Official Washington will never recognize any elections,
referendums in Nagorni Garabagh.

On commenting information spread by Armenian mass media concerning
preparation of general plan for occupied Shusha town on the part of
American company, J. Henick said that embassy has no information
of this kind. Presently this issue is being learnt. Every year US
Department of State informs in written form citizens of USA about trips
in foreign countries. It reads that occupied territories including
Nagorni Garabagh are integral part of Azerbaijan.

LEBANON FOR PEACEFUL REGULATION OF NAGORNI GARABAGH CONFLICT ON THE BASIS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

Demaz.org, Azerbaijan
April 16 2007

As press center of ministry of foreign affairs informed, minister,
Elmar Mamadyarov, who continues visiting countries of Middle East,
came to Lebanon on April 12.

During the meeting held the same day between E. Mamadyarov and
his Lebanon counterpart, Fauzi Salluh, perspectives of development
bilateral relations, opening of embassies in both countries and other
issues were discussed.

Fauzi Salluh extended his gratitude for constant support and
humanitarian aid rendered to Azerbaijan by Lebanon.

E. Mamadyarov informed in details about Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorni
Garabagh conflict. He emphasized importance of support of friendly
states concerning peaceful regulation of the conflict.

Lebanon minister said that Armenian diaspora in his country has no
political influence. He specially stressed that his country advocates
peaceful regulation the above conflict on the basis of international
law.

View exchange relating to ongoing processes at international and
regional level was held.

The same day E. Mamadyarov met with member of the parliament of
Lebanon, Valid Jombulat, and held view exchange on bilateral issues.

Deputy of parliament informed minister about ongoing processes in
the region.

E. Mamadyarov told about large scale energy and transport projects
going on in our country, economic development and our relations with
neighbor states.

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LEVEL OF BIRTH RATE INCREASED IN KARABAGH

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 16 2007

According to the information DE FACTO received at the Nagorno-Karabagh
Republic National Statistic Service, 468 children were born in
the Nagorno-Karabagh in January-March, 2007, which is 0, 6% more as
compared with the same period last year. Death rate was reduced by 6,
7 % as compared with the first quarter of 2006.

For the same period natural increment of population made 133 people,
which is 25, 5 % more than the level of the same period last year.

For January-March, 2007, mechanical increment of population was 87
people, which is 33, 8% more than the level of the same period of 2006.

ARMENIAN PROSECUTORS PLEDGE TO COMBAT ELECTION FRAUD
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
April 16 2007

Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian assured on Monday election
observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe that Armenian law-enforcement authorities will do their best
to counter possible attempts to falsify the results of next month’s
parliamentary elections.

Hovsepian told senior members of the OSCE’s observer mission in Armenia
that he has formed special "working groups" led by senior prosecutors
and tasked with quickly examining and reacting to reports of serious
vote irregularities.

Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General, Police Service and
other law-enforcement bodies have been widely criticized, both
domestically and internationally, for their failure to do so during
the previous elections. There have been virtually no reported cases of
government-connected individuals prosecuted for ballot box stuffing,
voter intimidation and other election-related crimes so far. The
OSCE and the Council of Europe say this has created an atmosphere of
impunity that hampers the proper conduct of future Armenian elections.

"Electoral violations during past elections have never been
satisfactorily investigated and prosecuted," a delegation of
the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly said at the end of a
fact-finding visit to Yerevan late last week. "A climate of impunity
for electoral violations and election related violence can not be
allowed to exist in Armenia."

A statement by the Office of the Prosecutor-General cited Hovsepian as
saying that one of the ad hoc groups will investigate the most serious
instances of reported fraud. Another team will oversee similar efforts
by regional prosecutors and, if necessary, help them press charges
against individuals involved in vote rigging, he said, adding that
the prosecutors will operate in close collaboration with the police
and the National Security Service.

"Taking into consideration the past experience, we have created a
mechanism which we believe will make it easier to ensure an adequate
legal evaluation of possible violations committed during the electoral
process," Hovsepian said, according to the statement.

The chief Armenian prosecutor further assured the OSCE observers that
he is taking "all measures" to rule out his subordinates’ involvement
in the election campaign and "political processes" in general.

The announced anti-fraud measures are bound to be shrugged off by
the Armenian opposition. Opposition leaders have long claimed that
the authorities do not tackle the problem because they themselves
organize and benefit from falsifications.

Western governments, which are pressing hard for the freedom and
fairness of the elections, seem less pessimistic on this score. "We
don’t expect perfection," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel
Fried said last week in reference to the Armenian government’s handling
of the vote. "We don’t expect to go from deeply flawed to perfect, but
we do expect to see substantial forward progress. That is important."

RULING PARTIES ON COURSE TO POST HIGHEST CAMPAIGN SPENDING
By Hovannes Shoghikian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
April 16 2007

Armenia’s two main governing parties have officially declared far
more funds than their rivals for the ongoing campaigning for the May
12 parliamentary elections, officials said on Monday.

Under the Armenian Election Code, parties and blocs can finance their
campaigns only from special transparent funds which they have to set
up in advance of elections. Each of them is allowed to spend up to
60 million drams ($160,000) for that purpose. The maximum amount of
a single campaign donation is set at 2 million drams.

The election contenders have to submit detailed financial reports
to a Central Election Commission division charged with monitoring
compliance with these rules. Most of them are believed to spend a
lot more than they declare.

According to Ara Harutiunian, head of the CEC division, only 18 of the
24 parties running for parliament claimed to have raised campaign funds
so far. He said Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of
Armenia (HHK) boasts the largest campaign fund with 29 million drams
worth of donations declared with the CEC as of last Friday.

The HHK is supported by most members of the country’s business elite
and has never lacked the funds to contest elections.

"We prefer to work with our voters on a daily basis," Eduard
Sharmazanov, the party, told RFE/RL. "Naturally, that work, especially
in the regions, requires some financing. That is why the HHK spending
is close to the maximum level allowed by the law."

The HHK is followed by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), another party represented in President Robert
Kocharian’s government. Its reported pre-election fund had 28 million
drams as of Friday, according to the CEC official.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) of Gagik Tsarukian, a businessman
close to Kocharian, comes in a distant third, claiming to have raised
only 12 million drams ($33,000) so far. Tsarukian is thought to have
already spent millions of dollars on promoting his party ever since it
began its activities in late 2005. The BHK posted zero expenditures
in 2006 despite a massive distribution of politically motivated aid
to impoverished people across the country.

According to statements received by the CEC, Artashes Geghamian’s
National Unity Party (AMK) is the most well-funded opposition contender
with a campaign fund totaling 7.5 million drams. Other parties vying
for 90 of the 131 parliament seats contested under the proportional
system claim to have raised less than 5 million in donations each.

The election code sets a separate spending limit of 5 million drams for
individual candidates running for the remaining 41 seats distributed
on the first-past-the-post basis. A member of the HHK boasts the
largest of the campaign funds opened by those candidates.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress