Month: August 2008

COMMANDERS ARE PREPARED FOR COMBAT COOPERATION
by Denis Telmanov

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 18, 2008 Monday
Russia

Discussion of the air defense of the CIS passed as if there were no
war in Transcaucasia

A TRAINING AND METHODICAL ASSEMBLY OF AIR FORCE COMMANDERS OF THE
CIS MEMBER STATES TOOK PLACE IN DUSHANBE; Contrary to expectations,
participants of the training and methodical assembly of air force
commanders of the CIS member states fully ignored the Georgian-Ossetian
crisis and focused on continuing the modernization of the air defense
forces of their countries forming the united air defense system of
the CIS.

Contrary to expectations, participants of the training and methodical
assembly of air force commanders of the CIS member states fully
ignored the Georgian-Ossetian crisis and focused on continuing the
modernization of the air defense forces of their countries forming
the united air defense system of the CIS.

Representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Oleg Balayan, explained
this stance by saying that air battles took place at external borders
of the system and did not threaten its security.

At the meeting of the coordinating committee, it was decided that in
the next year, Russia would allocate 21.5 million rubles to member
states of the united air defense system of the CIS for modernization
of their air defense.

Of this amount, Tajikistan will receive 4 million rubles for the repair
of P-18 radar between September and October of 2008, Uzbekistan will
receive 1.3 million rubles for components for air defense systems
and Armenia will receive 3.4 million rubles for the restoration of
two missile aiming stations 1S32M1 in August of 2008. Belarus will
also be given 4.2 million rubles for repair of air defense missile
systems S-300 PS.

A representative of Belarus, commander of the Belarusian air force
and air defense forces, Igor Azarenok, was chosen as the chair of
the council.

According to Azarenok, since the beginning of the year, the main
efforts of the committee were aimed at the development of military
technological cooperation on bilateral and multilateral basis, as
well as at conduction of joint exercises. Staff command exercises
with participation of air force and air defense forces commanders
of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and
Ukraine took place on April 22. The exercises included 107 flights
of crews of 98 airplanes and helicopters. Russian airplanes performed
the biggest quantity of flights (67).

Radar reconnaissance A-50 airplanes were tested in the course of
the exercises in Belarus and Kazakhstan and Russian air base Kant in
Kyrgyzstan was used too.

The next exercises of the air defense system of the CIS Combat
Cooperation-2009 will take place at Ashuluk training range but their
content has not been approved and discussed yet. Participants of the
meeting say that the program of these exercises will be corrected
taking into account the conflict in South Ossetia.

FRIENDSHIP OF SPECIAL SERVICES AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

Ekho
Aug 7 2008
Azerbaijan

Cooperation of intelligence services of Iran and Armenia is openly
against our country

Iran and Armenia have launched comprehensive cooperation between their
special services, many aspects of which are directly or indirectly
against Azerbaijan. The exchange of intelligence data, deployment of
means of technical reconnaissance, dispatch of agents to Azerbaijani
territories and not only to Azerbaijani through own channels for the
interest of a partner are not a complete list of points of contacts
between "knights of the cloak and dagger" from Iran and Armenia.

In early July, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheykh-Attar
paid a visit to Armenia. The high-ranking Iranian guest held a
host of meetings and talks in Yerevan. Amongst people he met was the
secretary of the Armenian National Security Council, Artur Bagdasaryan,
whom Sheykh-Attar handed over a very intriguing proposal on behalf
of the secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council,
Sa’id Jalili: to hold bilateral political consultations between the
national security services.

And at the same time, to expand cooperation between special services
and intelligences in spheres like regular consultations and exchange
of intelligence data. Moreover, Sheykh-Attar invited Artur Bagdasaryan
to Tehran where consultations with Sa’id Jalili will take place and
a relevant agreement would be signed. The Armenian-Iranian "security
summit" is in the offing. However, as Ekho has learnt from reliable
sources, the intelligence services of the two countries already
cooperate in full swing without waiting for corresponding documents
being drawn up and signed.

Technical infrastructure between Iran and Armenia exists

First of all, in a record shortest period on the territory of Armenia
and, naturally, with consent and blessing of the authorities of the
latter Iran has set up an impressive infrastructure of technical
intelligence, incorporating into itself a unique system of optical
radars and passive optical and electronic range finders a part of
which has been manufactured in China, a part in Iran using the state
of the art European technology adopted from France and Germany.

On 18 July, Col Naser Arab-beygi already reported on the erection of
the first section of the state-of-the-art "espionage" system, which
enables Iran both expand own potential of technical reconnaissance and
also significantly increase own knowledge on a "possible enemy". In
particular, the system of optical radars and range finders will enable
"to register" takeoffs and landings of "enemy planes" already at the
earliest stage.

What Iran will actually consider enemy planes and will a helicopter
carrying the next shift to "contractual" drilling platforms fall on
this list, or a civilian "board" performing a regular flight between
Tel Aviv and Baku, this is a question requiring an explanation.

Iran controls the whole region

But at the same time, one can with great confidence quote another
point: Iran has established a network of similar type of reconnaissance
"stations" on its territory which keep under control practically
all adjoining with Armenia countries of the region Azerbaijan,
Turkey, Georgia. So, a station in [the western Armenian town of]
Gyumri "oriented" to eastern regions of Turkey. Another one has been
situated in northern Armenia near the town of Akasar its "zone of
responsibility" includes Georgia. Another two stations emerged in
the eastern Armenia and it is to track Azerbaijan.

Iran pledged to share obtained intelligence data with its partners
and it is hardly that Iran does not understand that for Armenia,
Iranian technical reconnaissance is of great importance exactly in
case of war with Azerbaijan. By the way, cooperation between Iran
and Armenia is not limited to technical reconnaissance.

The exchange of intelligence data, according to information available
to Ekho newspaper, includes analyses of data obtained by official
Tehran from its partners the special services of Syria as well as from
terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, patronized by Iran the point
here is about Israeli weapons systems and tactics which as Armenia is
confident, exported from Israel by Georgia and Azerbaijan at present.

And it is clear that this aspect, apart from other things, should
"calm" the Muslim society in case of information leakage about whom
and against whom Iran cooperates: of course, Israel is involved at
this point and so, for the sake of opposing the "Zionist regime",
one can do everything. Even reach an agreement with authors of the
Xocali [a settlement in Nagornyy Karabakh where the Armenian troops
killed hundreds of innocent civilians on 26 February 1992] genocide
against Azerbaijanis.

The cult of terror exists not for the first ten years, persons
like Vazgen Sisliyan and Varuzhan Karapetyan, not to mention of
Monte Melkonyan, have been raised to the level of national heroes
[in Armenia].

[Passage omitted: reference to historical ties between Islamic and
Armenian terrorist organizations]

In a nutshell, today when Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad, who,
incidentally, before going to big politics, had direct relations to
secret operations of the Iranian mullahkratia, is refusing to visit
the mausoleum of Kamal Ataturk during his visit [on 14 August] to
Turkey, and the Iranian special services from the Armenian territory
is about to spy on Turkey and Azerbaijan – this cannot be accidental
coincidence. However, the most obvious and dangerous case is another
aspect of the Iranian-Armenian cooperation of special services.

[Passage omitted: Reference to illegal businesses in South America]

Cooperation between intelligence services against Azerbaijan and Turkey

Judging by information obtained by Ekho, Iran and Armenia contracted
to cooperate also in the sphere of intelligence-terrorist "coyotes". To
be true, bearing in mind the regional specifics of jackals.

So, Iran is keeping an eye on existing in Armenia, close to the Turkish
borders, secret bases of the PKK [the Kurdistan Workers Party] with
absolutely clear calculation: to use channels of the PKK to infiltrate
its agents first into Turkey, and then to the West, first of all
to Europe, where the PKK has comprehensive and divaricate network
to legalize own agents under the guise of "political refugees". In
exchange, Iran pledged Armenia to transfer its agents through own
channels to countries Yerevan is keen on. First of all, to Azerbaijan.

Here this is an "alliance of jackals" where Armenia has already a
solid experience of such kinds of cooperation. It is quite sufficient
to remember how the Armenian special services sent militants of the
Lezgin Sadval to Azerbaijan tasking them with acts of terror in the
[Baku] metro.

[Passage omitted: Reference to cooperation between ASALA and the PKK]

At the same time, it is obvious that if Turkey and Iran are regional
rivals and an "embarrassing example" of secular democracy in an Islamic
country, then Azerbaijan is a more dangerous "bomb". Therefore, as
an example, the independent Azerbaijan on the northern bank of the
Araz River cannot remain unnoticed in the south where the tension of
the national-liberation movement is already growing.

So, one should not surprise that Iran is engaged in "selling short" in
Azerbaijan, using for this whomever and whatever possible, beginning
Armenia until drug trafficking: drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan are
trafficked very much as it cannot be possible without the connivance
of the official circles.

However, at the same time, one cannot but pay attention to another
aspect. That very "alliance of jackals" made known itself in the region
exactly at the time when Iran is under attention of the whole world,
at least, anyway of the Western political elite in general, and of
the USA, in particular. As the analyses of the current events, in
particular, the hearings on Azerbaijan in the US Helsinki Commission
of Congress show the tension around Iran did not compel the same USA
to forget about the processes in the South Caucasus.

But at the same time, such a state of affairs are hard to be explained
minimum cooperation between Armenia with probably the most dangerous
as of now state-rogue, and moreover, this cooperation envisages
such spheres which a priori cannot be declared "natural relations
of neighbouring states", and moreover "humanitarian and civilian
cooperation". At the same time, it is better not forget that Armenia
within the framework of the Organization of the Treaty of Collective
Security has an access to intelligence data obtained, for example,
from the Qabala radar station, which Russia proposes to the USA in
exchange for the European anti-missile system with all, as the saying
goes, ensuing.

However, the first signs of concern have already emerged: the latest
report of the US Department of State on international terrorism
directly points at concern of Washington with regard to close
cooperation between Iran and Armenia. There remains only hope that by
saying "a", Washington will find the political will to also pronounce
"b" with regard to Armenia.

THEY DO NOT WANT TO STAND OFF
by Anna Hakobyan

Haykakan Zhamanak
Aug 5 2008
Armenia

It became known yesterday [on 4 August] that the US Senate approved the
candidacy of Marie Yovanovitch for the office of the US ambassador to
Armenia. We have numerously said in the past the Armenian-US relations
were not at their height due to absence of an ambassador to Armenia
and this could not but have had an impact on the quality of relations
in general. However, the US administration seemed not to spare place
for Armenia and did not engage seriously in the issue of having a
plenipotentiary ambassador to Armenia. The [former] ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans, was recalled with the official interpretation
that he had expressed an opinion contradicting the official opinion
of the US administration and made a statement recognizing the Armenian
genocide.

[Passage omitted: reference to candidacy of Richard Hoagland to the
post of the US ambassador to Armenia]

It is noteworthy that Yovanovitch like Richard Hoagland did not
describe "the events" of the 1915 a genocide.

[Passage omitted: description of Yovanovitch’s formulation of the
Armenian Genocide, which contained the word "genocide", but said it
is used by the Armenians]

Armenian lobby dissatisfied

Naturally, this response could not content the Armenian lobby and
the senators influenced by it. However, this did not at all hinder
the approval of Yovanovitch’s candidacy, and Senator Robert Menendez,
who became a great hero of the Armenian community in the USA, did not
veto her candidacy, as he did two times in Hoagland’s case. Meanwhile,
Hoagland’s and Yovanovitch’s responses are not different in any way –
the Armenian "Medz Yeghern" [Armenian phrase meaning "great genocide"]
expression could not have satisfied the senators, who had demanded
that candidates for the ambassador call the massacres of 1915 a
"genocide". This means that the USA has not had an ambassador to
Armenia for two years not because John Evans pronounced the word
"genocide", and Richard Hoagland did not pronounce this word, and,
moreover, not because the Armenian lobby in the USA and some senators
did not like Richard Hoagland, but only because the US administration
just did not need it.

Time to have an ambassador

Why it was not needed is a separate issue, but a fact remains a fact
that the candidacy of the ambassador has been approved now, which
means, in turn, that a necessity to have an ambassador in Armenia
has emerged finally. This cannot but be directly connected with the
political situation in Armenia.

At the time, when the USA did not have an ambassador and the US
administration did not make special efforts to achieve the opposite
two national elections were rigged in Armenia – the [May 2007]
parliamentary and the [February 2008] presidential, and the 1 March
events [disturbances with casualties] followed the presidential
election.

At present, an autumn of turbulent political developments and
changes is expected in Armenia. And by strange coincidence, the new
US ambassador to Armenia will start her active work in autumn. It
does not follow at all from the abovementioned that Yovanovitch’s
coming or not coming to Armenia will anyway influence the course of
developments expected in Armenia. Not at all, this is most likely the
case when the US government just does not want to miss what is going
on – upon necessity, why not, also spreading news that it happened
with the US support and participation.

It is not incidental that a week prior to Yovanovitch’s appointment,
she was characterized as a specialist of "coloured revolutions" in
the Azerbaijani press. On the other hand, Russia apparently supports
Armenia’s [opposition] Popular Movement and is entirely loyal to
the Armenia government, which is breathing its last breath. No
matter how strange it is, the PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe], which decided to give Armenia time till January
[prolonging the term of its resolution, which recommends democratic
reforms in Armenia], unexpectedly tightened its position – speaking
about a deadline in September. It turns out that all of them do not
want to stand off the expected political developments in Armenia,
and when activity and participants emerge around a matter, it means
that the result is near.

CIS COUNTRIES HOLD MILITARY EXERCISE IN ARMENIA

RIA Novosti
Aug 18 2008
Russia

Moscow, 18 August: More than 1,000 Russian servicemen are taking
part in the Rubezh-2008 command-staff exercise held by the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Armenia, Col German Zhitenev,
spokesman of the Ground Troops information service, told RIA-Novosti
of Monday [18 August]. "This exercise is special in that it is being
held in the Caucasus rather than in the Central Asian region. Its
participants will train in giving military and military-technical
assistance to Armenia in case of aggression against this country. The
exercise’s concept is hypothetical, however it takes into consideration
the military-political and military-strategic situation that is taking
shape in the region," the agency was told.

Units of Armenia’s Ground Troops as wells as servicemen from Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan as part of task force are taking
part in the exercise. "The drill in Armenia is the third stage of
the Rubezh-2008 joint CSTO exercise, which started on 18 August. The
first stage was held in Armenia is early July, the second at the CSTO
HQ in Moscow in late July. The exercise will end at a test range in
Armenia on 22 August," Zhitenev added.

IRAN TRYING TO PROVIDE SECURITY IN CAUCASUS SECURITY CHIEF

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA
Aug 18 2008
Iran

Tehran, 18 August: Secretary of Supreme National Security Council
(SNSC) Sa’id Jalili said Iran tries to provide security in the region
of Caucasus.

According to the report of SNSC public relations office on Monday,
Jalili in a meeting with Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan
referred to Iran’s strategic ties with countries of the region,
especially Armenia, and said Iran will do its best to decrease problems
of the people in the region.

The visiting Armenian Energy minister, for his part, by referring
to Iran’s role in regional security arrangements, appreciated Iran’s
support for Caucasus region countries especially in hard situations.

ARMENIAN PHOTO JOURNALIST HARASSED AT OPPOSITION TRIAL – PAPER

Aravot
Aug 6 2008
Armenia

A photo correspondent of Aravot and Chorrord Ishkhanutyun newspapers,
Gagik Shamshyan, was harassed yesterday [on 5 August] in the Kentron
and Nork-Marash court of the first instance of Yerevan where the
trial of the [opposition] Republic Party’s political board member,
Smbat Ayvazyan, is under way.

Yesterday like any other time, the small courtroom was filled by
half with plain clothes policemen of the Kentron department and
Shamshyan was taking pictures there. Then judge Gagik Avetisyan
ordered officers of justice to take the photo correspondent out of
the courtroom. Disorder started at the court.

After isolating Shamshyan, officers of justice and policemen kept him
about one hour at the ground floor of the court building – under a
staircase. They transported him afterwards to the Kentron department
of the police without any grounds, where they released him after
keeping for another one hour and accusing him under article 206 of
the Administrative Code (disrespect for court).

In the meantime, policemen and officers of justice restricted the
right to free movement of other journalists and lawyers present in the
court building. Smbat Ayvazyan’s trial was postponed until 6 August.

CONSEQUENCES OF FORESEEABLE CONFLICT

Shekulli
Aug 15 2008
Albania

A brief, unforeseen, and brutal war ended negatively for Georgia,
with thousands of dead, the de facto – and also perhaps de jure –
loss of southern Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the prospective weakening
of the grip on power of its charismatic president Saakashvili. The
Western media were quick to blame the latter for his emotional moves
and his failing to make a realistic assessment of the situation as he
decided to respond to the provocations of the [Ossetian] separatists by
means of an offensive which was beaten off by the Russian intervention.

The same for the passive stand taken by the European Union, whose major
leaders, like German Chancellor Merkel, had never looked with a kind
eye on the venturesome moves of a young president who soon disappointed
his Western allies with his uncontained – if not altogether childish –
behaviour towards Russia.

Still, going from general considerations to the conclusions that may
be drawn from the sudden and dramatic development of a situation which
was precipitated within a few days, we may perhaps begin by saying
that these breakaway regions have often been likened to Kosova. This
is especially true in the Kremlin’s official statements, which were all
too ready to draw destabilizing parallels between a precedent allegedly
created in international law by the way the Kosova issue was solved.

Without waiting for the proclamation of the independence of Kosova,
Moscow warned that it would entail changes in the situation in the
Caucasus.

On the other hand, in other similar situations which, apart from
Ossetia and Abkhazia, are worth mentioning – like the region of
Nagorni-Karabakh, which has for years been contested between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, or the breakaway region of Transdniester in Moldova –
the Russians are more interested in the preservation of the status
quo, that is, the frozen conflicts which are intended to maintain
Russia’s influence in the region and its control of its strategic
ways of communication.

Russian policy aims at achieving the same goal over Kosova too,
by trying to impede its international recognition and any manner of
cooperation between the two state entities there – the Albanians and
the Serbs. This strengthens Russia’s international position and gives
it a chance to exercise its geostrategic influence on this part of
Europe, which in return increases Serbia’s dependence on Russia and
adds to its hostility to the Western world. "Frozen" conflicts increase
the negotiating power of the Russians who also wield other cards in
their hands, such as their wealth of natural resources, their control
of the means of communication with Russia’s neighbouring countries,
the continuous increase of the value of the petrodollar, and the
increase of internal cohesion and the absence of an opposition –
all factors that enable Russia to play a unique political role in
bilateral and multilateral relations.

However, returning to the recent conflict in Ossetia, it is worth
stressing some of the benefits and costs for each side to see how
they may have an influence on the future diplomatic configuration of
these countries.

To begin with Georgia, it appears that it suffered a net loss in the
recent conflict, paying dearly for its desire for real independence
from the Kremlin. The loss of Southern Ossetia, which was an autonomous
region to a certain extent, brought about the establishment of a
"bastard" government and a tax and monetary management totally
independent of Tbilisi, and made both Ossetia’s course as a breakaway
region and Abkhazia’s ethnic cleansing (of the Georgian population)
much easier. Besides, with the calming down of the situation, the first
head to roll is expected to be that of Saakashvili’s, who failed both
in his calculations and in ensuring effective international support
for his country; that is, he lost his diplomatic gamble. An isolated
Georgia, in which all roads lead to Moscow, cannot allow itself the
luxury of keeping for long a president whom Moscow considers its
"black sheep."

Another great loser may be George W. Bush who had made Georgia’s and
Ukraine’s NATO membership a personal point, which was rejected by his
sceptical French and German partners. The Georgian army suffered a
disastrous defeat, although it was 18,000-strong and was considered
the best US-trained army in the former Soviet republics. It must also
be borne in mind that Saakashvili enjoys the reputation of the most
pro-US and the most independent leader from Moscow among the other
leaders of the former Soviet republics. The failure of US diplomacy
in preventing and, later on, sanctioning Russia’s aggressive policy
is no minor setback for a president in the last year of his term,
a president who is also known for his tough foreign policy.

Another consequence of the Georgian-Russian conflict is that the
revolutions Washington has been trying to export to the former Soviet
republics will no longer make headway, although at a point it was
supposed that there would be a general drift towards democracy in
these countries. About a year ago, Uzbekistan, which was known as
the United States’ staunchest ally in Central Asia relinquished its
partnership with the United States and turned towards Moscow. But
this country’s leader Karimov was not alone. Kazakhstan President
Nazarbayev also rejected an oil pipeline project that was supposed to
go around Russia and, instead, signed some important agreements on oil
and gas pipelines that will link his country not only with Russia but
also with China. His example was followed by Turkmenistan’s president,
who sold to the Russians the right of exploitation of the natural gas
of a country that is considered the world’s richest in this field,
thereby dashing the hopes of the Americans who were expecting that
he would change his course. For its part, Belarus is under the total
domination of its Russian neighbour, even going to such lengths as
expelling US diplomats, as it did only a little time ago. Ukraine,
Washington’s last hope, is divided between the eastern part that
identifies itself with Russia and the western part that supports the
pro-Western Yushchenko-Timoshenko bloc, which is also reflected in
its parliament.

Russia’s victory, however, is a relative one. Although it consolidated
its international position and put an end to speculation about the
real dominant power in Eurasia, blocked NATO’s expansion towards the
east, and changed the world geopolitical and geostrategic balance to
its advantage, it cannot be said that it won everything. Russia’s
affirmation and especially the reconfirmation of its influence
on the Caucasus and beyond, arouses the fear of an uncontrolled
Russian economic and military hegemony. But there is another – and
more important – problem for Russia. It cannot play simultaneously
and equally on several fronts – in the Caucasus, Iran, and Kosova
[Kosovo] – or in opposing US defensive missile systems in Azerbaijan
and, perhaps, at a later time, in Serbia too. The Americans’ turning a
blind eye to what is happening in the Caucasus – where they could not
lend limitless support to an anathematized and improvident president –
along with an eventual easing of tension with Iran and the, at least on
the face of it, rehabilitation of North Korea, leaves all paths open
to what they [the Americans] insist is a major goal of the foreign
policy of [President] Bush’s Administration and, in a way, the "pearl"
of his presidency: stepping up the international recognition of the
new state of Kosova and making Russia give up its intransigence on
this issue. This can by no means be considered a presidential whim
of Bush’s. It serves US strategic interests in this important part
of Europe, in which the United States has not too many friends, as
well as the crowning of the diplomatic work that has long overcome
partisan differences over this issue.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baltic News Service
August 11, 2008 Monday 3:05 PM EET

AT LEAST 45 LATVIAN CITIZENS TO FLY ON YEREVAN-RIGA CHARTER FLIGHT

RIGA Aug 11

The charter flight organized by the Latvian Foreign Ministry and
Latvian national carrier Airbaltic to bring home people who want to
leave Georgia from Armenia’s capital Yerevan, is planned for Tuesday
night or early Wednesday morning.

Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins said at the government’s
meeting on Monday that 54 people have been transported from Georgia’s
Tbilisi to Yerevan, including 45 Latvian citizens as well as citizens
of Lithuania and Estonia. Riekstins said that there might be more
people wishing to return to Riga as some of them might have traveled
to Yerevan on their own.

The Foreign Ministry and Latvian embassy in Georgia are gathering
information about Latvian citizens and residents who want to return to
Latvia, and if there is a larger demand, another charter flight might
be organized.

Airbaltic spokesman Janis Vanags said that the plane will head from
Riga to Yerevan between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and return back to Riga
late at night or early next morning.

The problem is that Yerevan’s airport usually receives fuel from
Georgia, but at present there are problems with fuel supplies,
therefore the airplane has to be provided for sufficient amount of
fuel.

Vanags repeatedly underscored that Airbaltic is doing everything to
take all people from Georgia to Latvia.

A group of 15 youngsters and three teachers from Latvia, who
participated in an international camp in Georgia, are on the way to
Istanbul in Turkey, and some of them will return to Riga on
Tuesday. Airbaltic has booked eight seats on its Tuesday’s flight and
seven seats on its Thursday’s flight to Riga for the group and looking
for other flights to get people from Istanbul to Riga.

The group of Latvian mountain climbers are still in Georgia as there
had been problems with transport. They are on the way to Batumi in
Georgia to head to Istanbul, said coordinator of the rescue team
Viesturs Silenieks.

The Latvian Foreign Ministry is gathering information about Latvian
citizens and residents who wish to return to Latvia. People planned to
return to Latvia on Tbilisi-Riga flight on Sunday night, but it was
canceled due to security reasons.

Russia has launched war against Georgia on Friday, bringing troops to
Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. War has been declared in
Georgia, there is news about thousands of people killed and new
bombings performed by Russia.

Baltic News Service
August 11, 2008 Monday 11:56 PM EET

LITHUANIA: AIRBALTIC PLANNING FLIGHT FROM GEORGIA’S NEIGHBORING
YEREVAN TO RIGA

VILNIUS Aug 11

The largest airline in the Baltic States – airBaltic – is saying it
will also help Lithuanian citizens return from Georgia. AirBaltic
plane landed in Yerevan from Riga, flight no BT7726, which will bring
passengers to Riga from the Armenian capital. Most passengers are
Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian citizens, who have left Georgia for
the capital of neighboring Armenia. There are some 150 seats on the
aircraft, with the final passenger list still under specification. The
airBaltic plane is due to land in Riga around 1 a.m. The Yerevan
national airport is currently faced with the problem of fuel supply to
airplanes (it was supplied from Georgia), therefore the airBaltic
aircraft came from Riga carrying a reserve of fuel, so as to be able
to return with passengers without having to make a stop. AirBaltic has
been typically carrying passengers from Riga to the Georgian capital
and back five times a week – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
Fridays and Sundays. However, airBaltic cancelled the 22.40 flight
Sunday because of the war in Georgia, with the fate of future flights
to be decided in consideration of the situation in Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baltic News Service
August 11, 2008 Monday 11:57 PM EET

ESTONIA TO BRING AWAY ITS CITIZENS FROM GEORGIA VIA ARMENIA

TALLINN Aug 11

The Estonian Foreign Ministry in cooperation with Estonian Air will
send a chartered aircraft to bring back Estonians from Yerevan,
Armenia.

The aircraft will leave Tallinn Monday evening and will arrive in
Yerevan early on Tuesday. The aircraft will be back in Estonia Tuesday
morning, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry told BNS.

Estonia will also send humanitarian assistance to Georgia on board the
plane — first aid kits, blankets, thermolinen and light beds. The
handing over of the consignment to Georgia will be organized by a
member of the rescue team going to Georgia with the chartered
aircraft.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that if possible, the aircraft would
take on board also other European Union citizens.

At least 46 Estonian citizens went by bus from Georgia to Yerevan on
Sunday.

In all the Foreign Ministry and the Estonian embassy in Tbilisi were
in contact in Georgia with 133 persons who had received advice and
were given assistance to leave the country. There were two Finns and a
Lithuanian among them and they too would be brought back from Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress