Month: May 2008

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 27 2008

OSCE official: `If Azerbaijani Government appeals, we will send
fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh in regard to arsons’

[ 27 May 2008 14:06 ]

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva -APA. `OSCE cannot pass a unilateral decision
on fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh to estimate damage
assessment of arsons. The Government should pass a decision on it’,
David Swalley, OSCE Regional Desk Officer for the Southern Caucasus
told APA.

The OSCE official noted that the Government of Azerbaijan had not
appealed to the organization to send mission to the region. He
mentioned that there were several recommendations for Azerbaijani and
Armenian Governments in the report last year.

`We are engaged in observation of implementation of recommendations at
present. These are recommendations, but not commitments. We cannot
insist on implementation of these recommendations. If there is any
problem, we will help to both countries’, he said. Mr. David Swalley
has estimated arsons committed in Nagorno Karabakh as painful fact.

`These arsons have caused damage to flora and fauna’, he said.

Today.az, Azerbaijan
May 27 2008

Vladimir Kazimirov: "Western countries were not interested in
attainment of ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh conflict by Russia’s
efforts"

27 May 2008 [13:35] – Today.Az

The state and opportunities of western countries and Russia in the
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict were incommensurable on the
initial stage, consider former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
deputy chairman of the association of Russian diplomats Vladimir
Kazimirov.

"Russia lived for many decades within a single state with the conflict
parties and of course it knew the situation in the region better, knew
its people, while western countries were just establishing diplomatic
relations and creating their embassies. If they really strived for the
resolution of the conflict, at least, its forced phase, the shortest
way to it would be the support of the mediator, which would be more
successful", said Kazimirov on May 27.

According to the former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, interestsof
western partner on the OSCE Minsk often differed.

"They thought of reducing Russia’s influence in the region. I do not
want to say that western partners were so cruel that they wanted the
continuation of hostilities. I do not mean that.They did not wanted
the ceasefire to be attained to Russia’s efforts", said the Russian
diplomat.

He noted that western mediators on the OSCE Minsk Group feared
deployment of any Russian armed forces in the conflict area as
separating forces even more.

/Novosti-Armenia/

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ARMENPRESS

JAPAN TO PROVIDE EXTRA CREDIT TO ARMENIA TO BUILD NEW
POWER PRODUCING UNIT

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Energy and
Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian and Yasuo
Saito, Japanese ambassador to Armenia (seated in
Moscow ) signed today in Yerevan an agreement
according to which Japan will provide Armenia with
extra credit to accomplish construction of a new power
generating unit near the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant.
Under the 2005 agreement signed by Armenia and the
International Cooperation Bank of Japan the latter
provided Armenia with a 15.9 billion Yen credit for
construction of a new steam-gas energy producing unit.
The new unit is supposed to produce approximately
2.-2.5 times cheaper electricity and reduce
substantially green gas emissions.
The government of Japan agreed to provide extra
10.4 billion yens worth credit in view of the glowing
prices of equipment and assembling work between
2004-2007.
The extra credit will be released on the same terms
as the main one- with a 30 year repayment period, 10
year grace period and 0.75 percent annual interest
rate.
The Armenian minister said the power generated by
this unit will be for domestic consumption. He said
they have chosen an equipment that will enable to
produce power at the lowest possible cost. The new
unit is supposed to produce up to 1.5 billion
kilowatt/ hours electricity annually.

Hürriyet, Turkey
May 27 2008

Turk PM forsees fall in FDI inflows due to closure case

Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan said foreign direct inflows (FDI) to Turkey
is expected to decrease to $13 billion, lower than earlier estimates
of $25 billion, due to the rising uncertainty after the closure case
filed against the AKP, Referans business daily reported.

Economists and analysts had already estimated a fall in the FDI
inflows because of the fallout of a credit crunch in the global
markets.

"We want the ruling in the closure case to come as soon as
possible. So that it does not harm Turkey; we see no economic
disturbance and no impact on our fight against terrorism. Moreover
there will be elections on March (2009)," Erdogan told a group of
reporters from a number of newspapers, including Hurriyet and Milliyet
dailies, in his plane en route to Turkey from Lebanon.

Turkey needs FDI inflows to finance its huge current account deficit,
which is expected to hit $50 billion in 2008. Turkey has attracted $22
billion in FDI in 2007.

Erdogan added the government is trying to convince foreigners to
invest in Turkey, saying `continuity is crucial in state
administration," Referans reported on Tuesday.

Turkey’s Constitutional Court is expected to deliver its ruling in the
closure case by year-end. The top prosecutor demanded the
Islamist-rooted AKP’s closure claiming the party became `the focal
point of anti-secular activities,’ and the banning of 71 party
officials including Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul.

"A French automotive company will invest $800 million to Turkey."
Erdogan said the government reassured the company’s concerns by ruling
out political repercussions between Turkey and France would effect
such investment decisions.

Turkey and France relations had soured after the French parliament
approved a bill that defines denial of the `Armenian genocide’ claims
as a crime. France’s constant opposition to Turkey’s EU membership is
another problematic issue in the relations.

A1+

MINISTERS RESIGN
[08:41 pm] 27 May, 2008

-Ministers of the Dashnaktsutyun (Armenian
Revolutionary Federation) Party are going to resign in
a week’s time-, declared ARF Bureau Representative
Hrant Margarian today. However, the grounds for
resignation are not political. The Ministers have been
elected ARF Bureau members and are going to resign to
be able to properly carry out their membership duties.
They will be substituted by other members of the
Dashnaktsutyun Party but the final resolution will be
made by the Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Board. In reply to
the question if the reason for resignation is not the
fact that the same people are always in power, Hrant
Margarian answered: -The decision was made by the
ministers themselves. It was their wish.-

At the meeting held in Tsakhkadzor on May 21-26 the
ARF Party made an announcement saying: -After the
Presidential Elections the Dashnaktsutyun Party could
assume the role of opposition but the post-election
events put the country’s sovereignty and stability on
stake and the party members had to take the
responsibility to preserve them at any rate.-

On the other hand, it was stated in the announcement
that if the coalition government does not fulfill its
promises, the ARF will leave the coalition and become
opposition to be able to implement its plans out of
the government -without staking the country’s security
and betraying its democratic, political and
ideological principles.-

However, the divergence in views between the ARF and
the Government has already revealed itself. The ARF
does not welcome Zhirayr Sefilian’s deportation from
Armenia and Hrant Margarian himself informed Serzh
Sargssian about ARF’s disagreement on the matter. The
party also believes that every Armenian must be a
citizen of the Armenian Republic and calls to the
Armenians all over the world to become RA citizens.

Concerning the 1 March events the ARF Board declared:
-We have never laid the blame on one side only.
Everyone is to blame for the situation.- Hrant
Margarian even blamed the aggressive mass media that
is ready to tear up any individual who has uttered any
reasonable word. He also blamed the intellectual and
asked them to freely express their views -without
further calculations-.

-We are a party that is willing to support the
country’s security-, Hrant Margarian declared.

A1+

SEFILIAN’S DEPORTATION – A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE
LEBANESE EMBASSY
[07:12 pm] 27 May, 2008

Today in defence of Zhirayr Sefilian the latter’s
relatives and friends staged a protest action at the
Lebanese Embassy in Armenia. As it turned out the
employees of the Lebanese Embassy were as much
concerned about Sefilian’s probable deportation from
Armenia as his relatives and friends were.

Some of the protesters were kindly accepted by Ibrahim
Assaf, temporary envoy of the Lebanese Ambassador to
Armenia.

-Zhirayr Sefilian is a citizen of Lebanon and we must
consider the fact. Our Embassy is aware of Sefilian’s
problem and the Ambassador has been visiting him in
the detention cell-, informed Ibrahim Assaf.

Noting that the Embassy is not competent to interfere
in the affairs of Armenian authorities, the Envoy
promised to raise the problem through diplomacy and
philanthropy.

-We know that the Armenian authorities have turned to
the Administrative Court with the request to deport
Zhirayr Sefilian from Armenia but we have received no
official notice proving the fact. We learnt about it
only through mass media-, states Assaf. -The Armenian
authorities were to have come to an agreement with the
Lebanese Embassy about the deportation of Sefilian
since he is a citizen of Lebanon. Besides, according
to the Armenian Constitution if the citizen has
under-age children in the given country he cannot be
deported from there.-

By the way, as Zhirayr Sefilian’s wife is an employee
of the Lebanese Embassy to Armenia, her husband and
children have the right of at least temporary
residence in Armenia and the possibility of his
deportation is once again excluded.

-I sincerely hope that Sefilian’s problem will be
solved and his family will not suffer-, said Ibrahim
Assaf and promised that the Embassy would continue to
give humanitarian aid and support to its citizen.

In defence of Zhirayr Sefilian another protest action
was staged at the French Embassy in Armenia.
Sefilian’s friends sent an open letter to the
Ambassador with a request to demand that the Armenian
authorities stop violating Sefilian’s rights.

Boston Globe, MA
May 27 2008

In season finale, BMOP charts the Armenian experience

Centuries of upheaval have made the Armenian diaspora one of the
world’s largest; by some estimates, almost three times as many
Armenians live outside the country as in it. Charting Armenian music
and inspiration, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s season finale,
"Armenia Resounding," balanced perspectives from within and without.

Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Gil Rose, artistic director
Performing "Armenia Resounding"
At: Jordan Hall, Friday

The late Alan Hovhaness represented the latter; the Somerville-born
composer embraced his Armenian roots early in a prolific, 67-symphony
career tinged with varieties of exotic influence. His three Armenian
Rhapsodies, dating from 1944, adapt folk melodies without much
exegesis. Hovhaness layers melodies among a string orchestra (leavened
by percussion in the first Rhapsody), musical sentences ending in
drones to undergird the next phrase. It’s an austere evocation,
distilling a constructed essence of the culture.

By contrast, Vache Sharafyan’s "Sinfonia No. 2 un poco concertante," a
BMOP commission and world premiere, takes that essence as its starting
point. Melodies erupt into dense, slow-shifting harmonic clouds; a
repetitive figure builds into crashing waves of multitudinous, Ivesian
dissonance. A solo duduk, the Armenian folk oboe (pre-recorded for
this concert), spins periodic arabesques, the instrument’s microtonal
inflections transmuted in the orchestra. Sharafyan creates complex,
deliberate, ultimately captivating grandeur – artistic director Gil
Rose led a terrific, vivid performance.

The program’s other commission/premiere came from an Armenian icon,
composer Tigran Mansurian, making the outward gaze literal with "Three
Arias: Sung Out the Window Facing Mount Ararat" the sacred mountain
now, via the vagaries of history, just beyond the Armenian border with
Turkey. Kim Kashkashian’s solo viola took eloquent lead, over
delicate, economic orchestral accompaniment. Consistently gentle, even
nostalgic, the music remained content in its poised cinematic
loveliness. Kashkashian was excellent, with not just a ravishing,
singing tone, but a singer’s phrasing, the lines as much breathed as
bowed.

Hovhaness’s Symphony No. 1, "Exile" – subtitled in reference to
Armenians displaced by the 1915 genocide – was, in fact, the concert’s
least Armenian-sounding work. The melodic exoticism seemed more
geographically generic, among evidence of the 25-year-old composer’s
as yet unassimilated models: vigorous, rustling strings from Sibelius,
Mussorgsky-like fanfares and modal chorales that would become
Hollywood-epic cliches. But the incisive reading also revealed virtues
Hovhaness would forever rely on: a sturdy orchestrational scaffold, an
uncanny dramatic pace, a transcendental faith in the power of his
unadorned musical materials.

Rose and company plan more Hovhaness in advance of the composer’s 2011
centenary; Friday’s performance proved them ideal guides for that
magical mystery tour.

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
May 27 2008

Swiss ambassador to Azerbaijan: "Forced way of the Karabakh conflict
resolution will not lead to protracted peace"

27 May 2008 [11:41] – Today.Az

Day.Az interview with Swiss ambassador to Azerbaijan Alan Guidetti.

– What do you expect from the further development of Azerbaijani-Swiss
relations following the first, I would say, historical visit of Swiss
President to Azerbaijan?

– Yes, this was the first visit of the Swiss President to Azerbaijan
and he laid foundation for the further, more active development of the
bilateral relations. As you know, the Swiss embassy has recently
opened in Baku and Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Bern a little bit
earlier. This fact promotes development of our relations in various
spheres, from communications to energy and culture. The list of
spheres, in which mutual cooperation is mutually profitable, is and
extremely wide.

Switzerland participates in the economic sector of Azerbaijan, there
are opportunities for expanding cooperation in energy sector, Swiss
companies are especially interests in purchasing of Azerbaijani gas.

– You have once said that Azerbaijan may use its economic potential
for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

– For sure Azerbaijan can develop comprehensively by using its oil
strategy, which may be attractive for all partners and in a wider
sense used for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

– How will the world society, especially Switzerland, react in case
Azerbaijan uses forced way of the conflict resolution?

– In this case I can only speak for my country. Switzerland has always
spoken for the peaceful resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. My
country considers that the forced resolution of any conflicts in the
world, including Nagorno Karabakh, may never lead to conclusive
peace. It is true that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which
started over 15 years ago, has not been settled yet. The military
phase of the conflict has evidenced that the peaceful resolution has
no alternatives. This is the main principle of the external political
course of Switzerland on such problems.

Moreover, we see that the potential of the problem resolution by way
of talks has not been exhausted yet and there are chances for
attaining positive result.

– Some experts state that without Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan could
have been the second Switzerland in its region in the sense of
economic and political stability. What would you say to it?

– I agree that Azerbaijan experiences fantastic economic growrth rates
and has brilliant prospects for further development. But we can not
judge whether Azerbaijan could have been the second Switzerland,
though some common features are observed in this comparison. Anyway,
Azerbaijan has strongest potential for strengthening of its economic
development and these prospects could have been wider in case of the
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

/Day.Az/

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Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
May 27 2008

Darchinyan confident of beating champ

May 27, 2008 – 3:06PM

Australian Vic Darchinyan rates IBF super flyweight World champion
Dimitri Kirilov as very beatable and predicts he will "destroy" the
Russian in their world title bout in August.

Darchinyan recently returned from Armenia, the country of his birth,
where he spent a few weeks preparing for his big fight return to North
America.

His August 5 clash with 29-year-old Kirilov will take place in either
Las Vegas or Vancouver.

Darchinyan was unimpressed by Kirilov’s performance in his first
defence in which he managed only a draw against Mexican challenger
Cecilio Santos, who had suffered seven previous professional losses.

"I know I’m going to destroy him, I’m very confident about this
fight," said Darchinyan of Kirilov, who has a record of 29 wins (9
KOs), 3 losses and a draw.

"I think he’s very beatable. All he can do is move, he’s not a big
puncher."

Darchinyan will head to America on June 24 for extensive pre-fight
sparing in Los Angeles and Texas.

His manager, Elias Nassar, revealed Darchinyan was also getting
assistance from staff at the NSW Institute of Sport.

"They are getting involved in nutrition and vitamin intake, so Vic
peaks on the day," Nassar said.

If Darchinyan defeats Kirilov, his first defence could be against his
old adversary Nonito Donaire, the only man to beat him in the
professional ranks.

Filipino Donaire, who took away Darchinyan’s IBF and IBO flyweight
world titles last year, is expected to move up to super flyweight and
could challenge WBO champion Fernando Montiel provided the Mexican
successfully defends his title this weekend against former Darchinyan
victim Luis Maldonado.

Donaire is also expected to appear on the August 2 promotion.

Used to beating up bigger sparing partners in the ring, Darchinyan is
now doing the same on computer games.

He was involved on Tuesday in one of several launches world-wide of
the Don King Prizefighter game.

As the only super flyweight, Darchinyan was testing himself out
against bigger foes in the game including lightweights Joel Casamayor
and Nate Campbell.

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
May 27 2008

Russian expert: "By stressing its isolation, "Nagorno Karabakh
Republic" became trapped by the same processes that occur around other
unrecognized countries"

27 May 2008 [10:16] – Today.Az

"Today Nagorno Karabakh occupies special place among the unrecognized
countries", said Alexander Skakov, chief of department for problems
of near abroad of the Russian Strategic Researches Institute, taking
part in the international conference in the Nagorno Karabakh center.

"On the one hand, Nagorno Karabakh proved its political and economic
independence and flexibility. On the other hand, "Nagorno Karabakh
Republic" distances itself from other unrecognized countries and in
the result from Russia as well. Russia also does not strive for
involving Nagorno Karabakh into its orbit and does not intend to spoil
its positive relations with Azerbaijan.

Paradoxical situation emerged in the result-by stressing its
isolation, "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" became trapped by the processes
and pressure of the other unrecognized countries", said Skakov.

According to him, "the intention of Brussels and Washington to break
the status-quo, unfreeze the existent conflict, transform the system
of international relations, established in the South Caucasus, did not
bypass Nagorno Karabakh".

"Since the Moscow meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group in 1993, Nagorno
Karabakh had been a conflict party, a participant of the negotiation
process and remained that until autumn of 1997, despite the sharp
resistance of Baku. Nevertheless, a number of factors, including the
emerging internal crisis in Armenia, as well as Azerbaijan’s growing
prestige resulted in Minsk group’s refusal to hold talks with
participation of Khankendi under pretense of the urgent presidential
elections in "Nagorno Karabakh Republic".

"Nagorno Karabakh Republic" is right to insist on its full
participation as a conflict side in the negotiation process under the
auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. Baku is against it", said the
Russian expert.

At the same time he noted that the said situation is unambiguous. "On
the one hand, the status of Nagorno Karabakh, as a conflict side, has
lowered, as the talks are held without its participation. On the other
hand, "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" gets an opportunity to block the
implementation of any peaceful plan without participation in the talks
and Armenia is free in its actions.

Anyway, the non-participation of "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" in the
negotiation process can not be considered logical, as the interests of
Yerevan and Khankendi are not the same, though close to each others",
said Alexander Skakov.

He said Russia distances itself from the search of ways of the
conflict resolution, shifting the responsibility to the conflicting
sides and other mediators. This reduces Russia’s influence in the
region, he thinks.

Speaking about possible renewal of hostilities in the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, he noted: "Most officials in Azerbaijan do not rule out
forced way of resolution in case there will not be any other peaceful
solutions. Nevertheless, the variant of Azerbaijan’s strengthening its
position in the international arena and isolation of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh is the most important for Baku".

He noted that militaristic spirits are stronger among the military
leadership of Azerbaijan than among the political one. "Generals
develop plans of military revenge and start to believe in their
possibility. The most surprising is that in line with some sources,
the Azerbaijani military authorities also admit the variant of front
attack to the "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" for outlet to the Karabakh
defense, which seems quite unreal.

Anyway, the confidence about the possible revenge creates conditions
for initiation of large scale military actions in case of any
provocation. I admit that such militaristic spirits may also exist
among the Armenian servicemen. In particular, Armenian mass medias
admit that in case Yerevan and Khankendi are confident about
Azerbaijan’s readiness to war, they may undertake a warning attack. It
seems to me that both scripts are possible only in the result of a
large scale crisis in the whole region", said the Russian expert.

The current plans of the peaceful resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict should be considered in the sense of their preparedness, he
considers. Yet, he says that all of them are unreal and face
insuperable obstacles in the current conditions.

"To overcome them requires either good will or peace-loving, which
both sides do not have, or unilateral steps from one of the parties,
demonstrating its good will, which is unreal so far. Today the only
chance for the peaceful resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict on the
long-term basis is a course for reconciliation of the peoples and
rejection of the forced resolution of the problem", said Skakov.

/Regnum/

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