Month: April 2007

LAVROV AGAINST USING FORCE IN IRAN, TALKS KOSOVO, KARABAKH

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 3 2007

YEREVAN, April 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is totally against using force
in international conflicts, including the Iranian nuclear problem, and
advocates diplomacy in Kosovo and a breakaway region in the Caucasus,
the foreign minister said Tuesday.

The UN Security Council passed a new resolution on Iran March 24
toughening economic sanctions against the country suspected of a
covert nuclear program. Russia, which is building a $1-billion nuclear
power plant in Iran, has resisted any strict sanctions against the
Islamic Republic.

"The UN Security Council has set an international legal framework for
influencing Iran, and it excludes the use of force. We call on those
who have such ideas to keep within international law," Sergei Lavrov,
who is in Armenia for a two-day visit, said in an apparent reference
to recent media reports about possible U.S. strikes against Iran.

The U.S. Administration sees Iran as a "rogue state" and is determined
to stop the Islamic Republic, diplomatically or otherwise, from
obtaining nuclear weapons. Washington now plans to deploy a missile
defense shield in Central Europe allegedly to protect itself from
potential missile strikes from Iran or North Korea.

In comments on another international problem, the status of the
breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, the Russian minister said a
unilateral approach to the issue was unacceptable.

"Russia will only support a resolution that meets the interests of
both Belgrade and Pristina," Lavrov said.

The UN Security Council will consider a plan of Martti Ahtisaari,
a special envoy for talks on Kosovo, outlining the future status of
the province April 3. Ahtisaari pushes for Kosovo’s internationally
supervised sovereignty. Serbian authorities strongly oppose the plan
as a threat to their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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 satisfy both Kosovar and Serbian authorities, and that it must
be reached through negotiations.

The Russian foreign minister said the UN Security Council decision on
Kosovo would affect other territorial conflicts and set a precedent for
other self-proclaimed regions, including the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh
province in Azerbaijan.

The breakaway province, which was plunged into bloodshed in the early
1990s, has been a bone of contention between Azerbaijan and Armenia
ever since. Moscow has been more supportive of Armenia’s position in
the conflict.

"We hope an agreement will soon be reached on Nagorno-Karabakh,"
Lavrov said.

The minister said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict where the Minsk Group
of mediators – France, the U.S. and Russia – were working under the
auspices of Europe’s largest security organization, the OSCE, was
unique because the interests of Russia, the European Union and the
U.S. did not contradict each other and those of the conflicting sides.

But Lavrov added the leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan would have
the final say in the issue.

"We appreciate the efforts of Yerevan and Baku to promote the
negotiations, above all, between the presidents and foreign ministers,"
he said.

SERGEY LAVROV: RUSSIAN, US AND OSCE INTERESTS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT DO NOT CLASH

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 3 2007

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unique in its nature and it is the
only conflict, where interests of Russia, the United States and OSCE
do not contradict each other, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
stated a joint press conference with Armenian Acting Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan, APA reports.

Russian Minister said the OSCE Mink Group has worked out such a
document for settling the conflict that a lot of other conflicting
countries would envy. "I hope exactly this uniqueness will help Baku
and Yerevan to reach a new level of settlement. Authorities of Armenia
and Azerbaijan must make final decision, but mediator countries,
including Russia, will be guarantees of commitments reached during
the negotiation process," Sergey Lavrov underscored.

Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said still there is no
agreement on principal issues of the settlement. "Exactly principles
of settlement become a stumbling block. At the coming April meeting
with Azeri FM talks over these issues will be continued, which will
allow the Co-Chairs to begin preparation works for a meeting between
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan after parliamentary elections
in Armenia," Oskanian said.

CAPTURED SOLDIER’S FAMILY ANXIOUS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 3 2007

Parents of the soldier of Azerbaijani Army Samir Mammadov captured by
Armenian forces wrote a letter to him for the next time, the soldier’s
uncle Vidadi Mammadov told the APA. They will present the letter to
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Vidadi Mammadov
said that his relatives are anxious as they could not get information
about him.

"He was captured four months ago. Samir’s parents are very anxious,"
he said.

Shahin Sayilov, secretary of the State Commission for Prisoners of War,
Hostages and Missing Persons told the APA that all related instances
have been appealed for, and they are expecting for Armenia’s answer.

Representatives of ICRC last visited the captured Azerbaijani soldier
on March 21.

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS SIDES OF ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS TO CLARIFY POSITIONS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 3 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend , corr. E. Husseynov/Elmar Mammadyarov,
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, has told journalists in Baku today that
the sides of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should
keep their approach to negotiations peaceful, Trend reports referring
to the privately owned TV Channel "ANS" (Azerbaijan News Service).

Speaking of the last round of negotiations between the Foreign
Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan
Oskanyan respectively, held in Geneva in the middle of March, the
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister noted that the OSCE Minsk Co-Chairmen
had proposed "to meet once more to clarify their positions" and this
is presently being considered.

Mr. Mammadyarov said that international mediators proposed to hold
another meeting with the two Foreign Ministers of the conflicting sides
prior to Armenia’s parliamentary elections in May 2007. "The Co-Chairs
are likely to see the need to hold one more meeting to continue the
process of peaceful negotiations immediately after Armenia holds its
election campaign," he concluded.

BOARD OF THE ARMENIAN CENTRAL BANK LOWERED THE REFINANCING RATE, ESTABLISHING IT AT THE LEVEL OF 4.5%

Mediamax, Armenia
April 3 2007

Yerevan, April 3 /Mediamax/. The Board of the Central Bank (CB) of
Armenia lowered today the refinancing rate for 0.25 percent points,
establishing it at the level of 4.5%.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the Armenian CB, in March
2007, as compared to February, 0.6% price-cutting is registered. In
these conditions the inflation made 4.4% in the 12-month period –
0.7 percent points lower that the planned level of inflation for the
first quarter of 2007.

The Board of the Armenian Central Bank believes that the inflationary
pressure from outside has considerably smoothened, and the existing
tendencies in economy do not create conditions for the increase
of the inflationary pressure, reasoned by the development of the
aggregate demand.

In this situation, the Board of the Armenian CB considers it realistic
that the real inflation will be lower than the level, targeted at
the level of 4%.

In the conditions of preservation of the present prospects of economy
development, the CB Board does not rule out the probability of a
further clarification of the interest rates.

MAYOR OF ARMENIA’S SECOND LARGEST CITY ATTACKED, 3 KILLED, 6 INJURED

Regnum, Russia
April 3 2007

Mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, Vardan Ghukasyan
was attacked yesterday in Armenia. As a REGNUM correspondent report
citing data received in the hospital, where the mayor is undergoing
treatment now, three persons who were accompanying Ghukasyan were
killed in the attack, six others received severe injuries.

Contradicting reports are coming about the deputy mayor, Gagik
Manukyan. Under some data, he died, according to other sources,
he is in poor condition.

Vardan Ghukasyan’s motorcade, consisting of two cars, a Mercedes and
a Volga, was moving by the Yerevan-Gyumri road at about 10:00 p.m.,
when a an SUV-car without license plates blocked the road near the
town of Ashtarak and attackers opened fire. Under most recent reports,
life of the mayor is not under threat. He was injured in his back,
and doctors are now performing a surgery on him. There are a lot of
people in the hospital yard, including acting Defense Minister Serzh
Sargsyan, members of the Armenian Republican Party (RPA) and members
of the parliament.

Vardan Ghukasyan was participating in the RPA council session in
Yerevan that proposed to President Robert Kocharyan to appoint Serzh
Sargsyan as prime minister’s post that has been vacant since Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan died on March 25.

AZERBAIJAN TO CHAIR COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS IN 2014

Today, Azerbaijan
April 3 2007

Serbia will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
from next year.

The Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis paid a two-day
visit to this country in connection with rotation of the chairmanship
to Serbia. Serbia will take over the chairmanship of the Committee
of Ministers from San Marino in May.

The chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers transfers to one of
the CE member states once in six months according to the alphabet.

Azerbaijan will chair the Committee from May till November in 2014.

Armenia will chair the CE Committee of Ministers on May-November 2013,
Turkey November-May in 2011.

The period of the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers can change
in connection with admission of new members to the Council of Europe,
APA reports.

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ARMENIA’S FOREIGN DEBT GROWS BY $192.49 MLN TO $2.05 BLN IN 2006

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 3 2007

YEREVAN, April 3 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s foreign debt increased by
$192.49 million to $2.05 billion in 2006, the country’s top statistics
body said Tuesday.

Armenia’s National Statistics Service said the Armenian government’s
foreign debt was $1.02 billion, the private sector’s liabilities
stood at $390.19 million, the debt of monetary authorities amounted
to $185.76 million, commercial banks owed $211.01 million and foreign
direct investment in the form of loans totaled $244.44 million.

Long-term liabilities accounted for the largest part of Armenia’s
foreign debt ($1.45 billion or 70.60%), the statistics service said.

Armenia’s international assets increased by $307.06 million in 2006,
to $1.39 billion as of January 1, 2007, the statistics service said.

XENOPHOBIA RUSSIA’S "MISFORTUNE" – FOREIGN MINISTER

Arminfo
3 Apr 07

Yerevan, 03 April: "I treat any violence negatively, including
violence which is in any manner connected with xenophobia," Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said in a joint news conference
with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan in Yerevan.

Lavrov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has also referred
to this issue several times in his speeches and has ordered to step
up the fight against it.

"Unfortunately, we see such cases in societies around the world. It
is our misfortune, and each society should fight it within itself. A
joint front should be formed, which would prevent the countries of
modern Europe from turning into a place where such things happen,"
the Foreign Minister said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEWLY APPOINTED ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Arka News Agency, Armenia
April 2 2007

YEREVAN, April 2. /ARKA/. The newly appointed Italian Ambassador to
Armenia Massimo Lavezzo Cassinelli presented his credentials to RA
President Robert Kocharyan.

The RA presidential press service reports that President Robert
Kocharyan congratulated the diplomat on his appointment, pointing out
that the Armenian-Italian cultural and economic ties were intensified
during the previous Ambassador’s term.

Kocharyan stressed that he will be happy to see a logical continuation
of this activity during the newly appointed Ambassador’s term.

In his term, Ambassador Cassinelli sad that after staying in Yerevan
for a few days he noticed that Armenians and Italians have similar
ways of moving and speaking, which inspires confidence that the
strengthening of bilateral relations will not be difficult.

The Italian Ambassador intends to focus his attention on bilateral
cooperation in small and medium business.

The Armenian President wished the Italian Ambassador success, pointing
out that Armenia is ready to render all possible assistance.