Month: August 2008

ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT RULES OUT RESTORATION OF THE BATTLE ACTIONS IN NAGORNYY KARABAKH

arminfo
2008-08-15 12:34:00

ArmInfo. There will be no war in Nagornyy Karabakh over the next years
at least. Restart of the battle actions by Azerbaijan maybe possible
only in case if the West stops being interested in Azerbaijan as an
energy carrier, Armenian political expert Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan
told ArmInfo correspondent. ‘I don’t think the West is ready to have
big losses for the territorial ambitions of Azerbaijan. And this is
a very important moment’, – he said.

He thinks that the South Ossetian and Nagornyy Karabakh conflicts
differ principally, as unlike Azerbaijan Georgia is supported by the
USA, England and other western states, since the same USA and England
are against war because of their oil interests.

‘As for Azerbaijan, all this is clear to it, and Ilham Aliyev’s
statements have three goals: first, they are for local usage; second –
they want to blackmail the West "if you do not help, we shall start
the war and you will not have our oil", and the third – to be far
from the legal side of the issue as much as possible.

Since if we hold legal revision on the issue of the NKR and Azerbaijan
self-determination, it will turn out they cannot be compared’, –
the political expert concluded.

CSTO MEMBER-STATES COORDINATE STANCES ON AGENDA OF 63RD SESSION OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

arminfo
2008-08-15 11:59:00

ArmInfo. CSTO member-states coordinated their stances on the agenda
of the 63rd session of UN General Assembly, CSTO Information Office
Adviser Vitaliy Strugovec told ArmInfo.

CSTO member-states focused on strengthening of versatile
initiatives in world affairs, the increase of UN’s role in search
for adequate responses to new challenges and threats, and reforms
of the Organization. Security and stability especially in the CSTO
responsibility area were outlined during the consultations. Russian
party informed the participants of the developments in South
Ossetia. Representatives of CSTO member-states discussed the settlement
of conflicts in particular in Afghanistan, Iraq and the situation
after the unilateral independence of Kosovo. They agreed to continue
effective practice of consultations to coordinate the stances of CSTO
member-states on key international problems including through their
permanent representatives at international organizations in New York,
Geneva, Vienna and Brussels.

Representatives of all the member-states participated in the
consultations chaired by Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Department for International Organizations Vladimir Zayomsky.

CIS MINISTERIAL DISCUSSIONS ON PARTICIPATION IN UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION

Arminfo
2008-08-15 09:43:00

ArmInfo. CIS inter-ministry consultations for agenda of the
63rd session of UN General Assembly were held in Moscow on
August 13. Representatives of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and CIS Executive Committee
participated in the traditional meeting. Ukraine was presented as an
observer-state. CIS Executive Committee press-service reports that
the constructive exchange of opinions confirmed the coincidence and
commonness of stances on prior directions of UN activity, general
interest in strengthening the central role of the UN in world affairs.

The representatives made common evaluation of the importance of
the forthcoming session for consolidation of efforts of the world
community in meeting global challenges and threats, fostering the UN
collective security system and settling urgent social-economic and
global ecological problems.

They came out for coordination and further deepening of practical
cooperation of CIS signatory-states in a series of issues on agenda of
the upcoming session that are urgent for CIS. They agreed to continue
regular contacts of CIS delegations to the 63rd Session of UN General
Assembly scheduled for 16 September.

KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IS A SECONDARY TYPE OF ACTIVITY FOR MATTHEW BRYZA, ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT THINKS

arminfo
2008-08-15 11:46:00

ArmInfo. Karabakh conflict settlement is a secondary type of
activity for the American co-chair of the OSCE MG Matthew Bryza,
Armenian political expert Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan told ArmInfo
correspondent. ‘The main direction of Bryza’s activity is to supervise
oil and gas pipelines running from region to region; and the main task
is to do everything for the pipelines to bypass Russia’, – he said.

At the same the political expert did not rule out that in his priority
activity Bryza might gain serious success, but in the inter-ethnic
American co-chair "failed" and one cannot say he is a serious expert.

‘I have repeatedly said that M. Bryza acts as cowboy that throws a
lasso. If he succeeds, it is good. If he didn’t, he will pretend
like not throwing it at all. Geopolitical power of the state he
represents at OSCE MG gives him confidence in it. M.Bryza is not a
serious politician and apparently it seems to him that if he states
something in Baku, they in Yerevan will not know about it and vice
versa’, L. Melik-Shakhnazaryan said. To recall, earlier M. Bryza
stated that the residents of Nagorny Karabakh will decide if the
country will be transferred under jurisdiction of Azerbaijan or it
will get independence. Karabakh residents will determine their will
at a referendum, he told media. Later Bryza refuted his statement.

ACCORDING TO THE UNFOUNDED DATA, RUSSIAN RATM HOLDING ACQUIRES HRAZDAN CEMENT PLANT

arminfo
2008-08-15 11:44:00

Arminfo . According to the unfounded data the head of the Mika Limited
company, Mikhail Baghdasarov, sold Hrazdan cement plant (Mika Cement),
that belongs to him, to the Russian RATM Holding, a source close to
the plant told Arminfo.

There is still no information about the sum of the bargain and the
investment бommitents of the new owner. Mikhail Bagdasarov said
earlier that besides Armavia company he is going to sell the assets
belonging to him, including "Mika- Cement" plant, one of the biggest
cement plants in Armenia.

"RATM Holding" was founded in 1992. It involves such business areas
as: cement industry, machinery construction, OE construction, glass
industry, defense industry, investment and development activity and
some others branches.

The structure of the Holding is diversified and includes enterprises
carrying out their activity in the different regions of Russia,
such as Moscow, the city of Novosibirsk, and Irkutsk, Novosibirsk,
Yaroslavl, Kurgan, Altay and Moscow regions.

In the structure of the Holding there are more than 20 Russian
enterprises and Companies. The total number of the personnel is above
15 thousand persons. The aggregate funds’ volume of the "RATM Holding"
exceeds 27 billion rubles which is more than billion USD. The Holding’s
gain in 2006 reached 520 million USD, EBITDA – 200 million USD.

The "RATM Holding" merges several holdings which are independent
business branches and the physical persons equally with the affiliated
Companies possess the control stock.

"RATM Holding" is the member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of the Russian Federation, the member of the Russian Union of
Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

–Boundary_(ID_5/jKJBcyyBnzQgfCyVy GGg)–

STRUCTURAL CHANGES

NKR Government Information and Public Relations Department
August 13, 2008

NKR Government Session

Today, a regular session of the NKR Government chaired by the
Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan has taken place. Before passing to
agenda issues, on Executive’s behalf, the head of the Government
congratulated Lernik Hakobyan the newly appointed Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs, as well as Valeri Balayan, Karen Shahramanyan and
Sergey Shahverdov correspondingly appointed Chiefs of Production
Infrastructures’ Department, Capital Construction Department and
Tourism Department adjunct to the NKR Government.

At the session, first of all information of Spartak Tevosyan, Minister
of Finance, concerning implementation of the NKR Budget 2008 in the
first half year was heard to.

It was noted that in January-June the GDP of the Republic has formed
35.3 mlrd drams, which is 8 percent more than it was in the same
period of the previous year. The factual economic growth formed 13.6
percent. With regard to private incomes 8 mlrd 776.7 mln drams were
collected, which is 1 percent more than it was foreseen. According
to the Minister’s information, with regard to tax incomes the task
was fulfilled by 100.2 percent, which considerably surpasses the
index of the first half year in 2007. With regard to non-tax incomes
non-fulfillment was recorded, though the index is also considerably
higher than in the previous year. S.Tevosyan also announced other
figures which evidence of excellent implementation of 2008 state
budget in the first half year in different spheres.

Touching upon the issue being discussed the Prime Minister
A.Haroutyunyan in particular noted that in the accounting period 600
mln drams more total tax sum, than it was foreseen, were entered into
the State Budget. It was mainly provided by appropriate organization of
banking activities,-the Prime Minister has emphasized. The index of the
previous year’s same period was surpassed by 43.2 percent. Equal status
is created for everyone and all must be involved into the process of
tax obligations fulfillment. It was accentuated, that conditioned
by the large-scale tax-payer "Base Metals" company’s paid means,
safety of tax entries had considerably increased. Our economy must
not have strong dependence on separate great tax-payers,-the head of
the Government said. – Thus, great importance is attached to small
and middle business development.

In the first half year expenses foreseen by the State Budget was
implemented at 82.8 percent. In this concern, the Prime Minister
A.Harutyunyan has specified that over-expenditure were mainly recorded
in the sphere of construction: some design estimates works were not
carried out in terms and the dependent construction was hindered. The
Prime Minister has expressed confidence that wastes will be catch up
within the next months and before the end of the year builders will
realize all construction programmes foreseen fore the 2008. "We shall
overfulfil the NKR Budget 2008",- A.Haroutyunyan assured.

Considerable part of the agenda issues were concerning structural and
status changing of the NKR Government’s separate departments. The
Executive has approved of the resolution on foundation of state
governing establishment "Staff of Production Infrastructures’
Department adjunct to the NKR Government", has affirmed the regulations
of the new structure, the structure of its staff and the quantity
and size of the property handed over to it. Similar resolutions
concerning capital construction and tourism departments’, adjunct to
the NKR Government were adopted. The division of historic and cultural
monuments’ study, which by today was within the structure of the NKR
Culture and Youth Affairs Ministry, is passed into the structure of
Tourism Department.

Changes into some Executive’s previously adopted resolutions were
introduced. The Juridical Division of the NKR Government Staff
was reorganized into Juridical Department. The Division of Social
Issues and Urban Planning and the Division of Natural Resources of
the Government Staff through joining were reorganized and passed
into Administrative Service of the Government. By fixation of the
mentioned and other changes the structure of the new state governing
establishment "NKR Government Staff" was affirmed. According to it,
nine subdivisions: including Prime Minister’s Control Service,
Legal Department, Department of Territorial Administration and
Local Self-governing, Information and Public Relations Department,
Administrative Service, National Minorities and Religion Issues
Division, First Division and Finance and Accounting Divisions will
function.

In accordance with the new structure of the Government the State
committee of Water Industry was renamed into department and the
activity of Archive Board Department was ceased. It was reorganized
into SNCO and will function within the structure of the Ministry of
Justice. The resolution will come into force from November1, 2008.

Changes and additions were introduced in the regulations and
the structure of the Staff of the NKR Economic Development
Ministry. All this is defined in the adopted last law about the NKR
Government. According to it a part of competences retained to the
Economic Development Ministry were passed to Production Infrastructures
and Tourism Departments adjunct to the NKR Government.

The last change adopted at the session was in concern with Department
of Migration, Refugees and Resettlement adjunct to the NKR Government.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR IS LOYAL TO ITS PRINCIPLES SINCE 1994
Norayr Hovsepyan

Azat Artsakh Daily
14 Aug 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On August 11th in the axis of briefing, convened by the chairman of
permenant commission of NKR National Assembly’s foreign relations
Vahram Atanesyan, were the tendencies noticed recently in the process
of Karabakh conflict settlement and new developments taken place in
the South Caucasus.

The reality "As we know, the last meeting in Moscow of Armenian
and Azerbaijanian ministers of Foreign Affairs either the negotiating
parties or negotiatiors have estimated constructive",- Vahram Atanesyan
touched upon last developments of the process of regulation, seeing
nothing strange in a number of publications about them found place in
the press.An interview of the american co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group
given to "Interfax" agency, stands out from this generality. Unlike
other co-chairs’ united, careful statements, Mathew Bryza has
expressed personal viewpoint in the interview given to "Interfax", that
Nagorno-Karabakh itself will decide its future fate. This statement
logically contradicting preaching policy of Azerbaijan, has found a
wide response not only in Azerbaijan, but in Armenia and NKR.But it was
only the beginning: some times later the same Mathew Bryza in exclusive
interview given to azerbaijanian service of BBC radio station, tries
with=2 0diplomatic uncertain formulations to allay the above-mentioned
accentuations of his interview given to "Interfax". Such denouement
the chairman of permenant commission of NKR National Assembly’s
foreign relations considers inadmissible. "Co-chairs should be sincere
with the parties and they should construct their accentuations and
stresses proceeding from the realities of negotiating process.: other
approach, which can proceed from innerpolitical situation of one of the
negotiating parties, we consider inadmissible and inappropriate towards
negotiators’ attitude,-finds out V.Atanesyan,- it’s not a criticism,
but only natural desire. …By our conviction, in the interview given
to azerbaijanian service of BBC radio station, the american co-chair
has guided by immediation of not straining the innerpolitical situation
in Azerbaijan on the eve of presidential elections". "I think it’s
time, that the co-chairmanship of MG performs at diplomatic official
higher level, than it has been till today.Such opinion has been
expressed also by the international crisis group",-added V.Atanesyan.

NKR hasn’t changed its postion And it’s not all yet: such statements
done at different levels create the wrong picture, that karabakhian
side is agree, that after abolishment of after-effects of the
conflict’s armed stage, within some prelonged period of time th e
status of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be determined by referendum.

"This impression doesn’t conform to the reality,-V.Atanesyan formulated
distinctly.- Nagorno-Karabakh many times has declared at the highest
level, that Karabakh has been interested in the question of abolishment
of armed stage’s after-effects of azerbaijan-karabakhian conflict so
far as Azerbaijan will show interest in the question of recognizing
NKR and establishing bilateral relations with it" .Any development
out of this context the public speaker considers incompatible with
NKR safety. "It’s official position of NKR…If Azerbaijan is ready
to recognize NKR, so NKR in its turn is ready to take into discussion
the whole complex of questions exciting Azerbaijan". The conclusion
– from here: "If negotiations are conducted in the direction not
corresponding to the situation, so one of the negotiating parties is
competent to consider them out of its interests". And such approach
has sufficient basis: "NKR is a side of full value of ceasefire
established in May,1994, bears direct responsibility in the question
of keeping forces’ balance in the territory, and it’s impossible to
put this balance of forces to the change,- V.Atanesyan summed up the
question, emphasizing the international recognition of NKR as its
main problem. – This is our official position since 1994: it hasn’t
been changed an d can’t be changed". The next, may be unwarranted
evidence Naturally, the chairman of permenant commission of NKR NA’s
foreign relations also touched upon the situation created last days
in South Ossetia. "Georgian authorities tried to solve the problem
by power variant: today we can say, that this trial was failed",-
V.Atanesyan commented so the reality. In the result South Ossetia
incurred human and material great losses, positions of Georgia were
also damaged. Of all these a lesson is one: power variant of conflict
regulation has been convicted from the first, and the above-mentioned
is the next evidence of it.

At the end of the meeting V.Atanesyan answered the journalists’
questions.

NKR MFA CONDOLENCE TO SOUTH OSSETIA ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Azat Artsakh Daily
14 Aug 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

The NKR MFA expresses its deep and sincere condolences to the relatives
of the civilians perished and wounded as a result of the tragic
events in South Ossetia. The people of Nagorno Karabakh, who had
experienced ethnic cleansings, pain and bitterness of the war, fully
realizes the tragedy of the people who went through the recent days’
horrors. We flatly condemn the use of any force actions in conflicts’
settlement and urge the parties to eliminate contradictions via
peaceful, political means. We are convinced that those responsible
for the ethnic cleansings of the civilian population will be brought
to international justice because crimes against the humanity do not
have justification and time limitation. Expressing our deep sorrow at
the perished civilians we wish endurance and courage to the relatives
in overcoming this humanitarian catastrophe.

THE CAUCASIAN CONFLICT CAN BE ENDED WITHIN DAYS
Sergei Kremlev

1 4.08.2008

What are the prospects of Russia’s policies in the Caucasus following
the rebuff of the Georgian military intervention in South Ossetia
under conditions when according to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov "the current Georgia’s leadership is a special US project"
and the Washington administration has chosen to speak to Moscow in a
master’s voice saying "that Russia should act in a way that…", or
"Russia must do this or that…. " ?

If we were to speak about other things that are not half-measures
rather than about a continuous following the political course
predestined by the course of operation of Georgia’s coercion to peace,
that is about something that Russia does need to do, namely: to give
its consent as soon as possible to make a completely vindicated and
natural as well as a long-ripe decision to satisfy the many-times
repeated requests of the peoples of South Ossetia and the Republic of
Abkhazia about granting them the membership of the Russian Federation.

Let me remind the reader who may have forgotten that within the
Russian Constitution it is legal to extend the Russian Federation by
way of including new territories in the composition of the Russian
state. Article 65-2, Chapter 3, ("The Federal Composition") r eads:"
The incorporation of a new subject of the Russian Federation is to
be effected in the order set out by a federal constitutional law."

The peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have long been prepared to
get under Russia’s control. In the situation when the Western pressure
on Moscow in the area where the Georgian issue is concerned is going
to grow every day, there is the only way to put an end to it, that is,
based on the inalienable right of self-determination of the Abkhazian
and South Ossetian peoples, to satisfy the pressing requests of the
peoples of these two republics.

For how long would Georgia under Mikhail Saakashvili enjoy its
stripes-and-stars "independence" beseeching for "territorial
integrity" they are making a myth of? Why is Moscow failing to state
unequivocally and resolutely that calls of Tbilisi and Washington for
"the territorial integrity" of the present-day Georgian state within
the boundaries of the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic are
equal to the call for respect of the territorial integrity of the
Russian Federation within the boundaries of the Soviet Union of 1991?

In 2006 I wrote;" Virtually without shooting a single shot we can have
a Caucasus that would be stable and inherently friendly to Russia. We
can have it within a matter of weeks…"

And even today in the current tense situation when shots c ontinue
to sound we can still resolve the problem within 24 hours.

Here’s a tentative algorithm of the (potentially) historic 24 hours:

1) Moscow informs the leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that
Russia is ready to incorporate them.

2) An extraordinary federal Constitutional Act is to be worked out
installing the order of incorporation of a new subject of the Russian
Federation. Such an act can be produced in just one day.

3) An urgent extraordinary plenary joint session of the two
houses of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation with the
participation of the president, the prime-minister and Russia’s
government is convened to vote in a new federal constitutional law
in three readings, voting in on its basis the incorporation into
the Russian Federation of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic
of South Ossetia in accordance with the principle of the rights of
nations for self-determination. Given that Georgia seceded from the
USSR making reference to this right proclaimed in 1917 in US President
Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Articles, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have every
right to join the Russian Federation based on this very programme!

4) Russian assault force troops are to be deployed in Abkhazia
and South Ossetia to ensure efficient defence of the new Russian
territories.

5) The leadership of Georgia and all the countries of the world are
warned against any action by force20threatening the security of the
residents of the new Russian territories that would be treated as
an act of aggression against Russia with the full range of ensuing
consequences.

6) The RF Federal Assembly would then appeal to all the Caucasian
nations to express its preparedness to carry out hands-on activities to
ensure peace and stability in the Caucasus, including the preparedness
to incorporate into the new federative Russia both Georgia and Armenia.

These 6 items can become the basis of a long-term programme of settling
all the conflict situations currently developing in the Caucasus.

*** Shortly before he died in Paris, Russian émigré writer Vladimir
Maksimov said:" Should we firmly and resolutely say "Dry up!" once,
they in the West would listen to Russia’s voice. Here in the West
they are getting obedient and urbane very fast, beginning to speak
the normal human language. But should you give in, you can forget
all about mercy from these civilised people. They treat people who
give in shamelessly, losing all sense of decency and respect; and
they would not be satisfied until they do you in."

Vladimir Maksimov knew what he was talking about. These words of his
should be remembered. Should we wait till they do us in first within
the Russian geopolitical space as they are trying to do at present,
and then – if we remain idle, what would be inevitable =E 2 within
the Russian land.

Is it not time for us to say firmly and resolutely:"Dry up!"?

–Boundary_(ID_RrlfnOUM0hO5Jzr/D8zuzw) —

PATRIKEEV RECEIVED ARMENIAN FOURTH BRONZE MEDAL

Panorama.am
20:03 14/08/2008

Yuri Patrikeev who presents Armenia in the Olympics Games in Greco
Roman wrestling received fourth bronze medal. Competing in 120kg
rate silver medal has been won by Russian representative Hasan
Baroev. Mikhaina Lopes from Cuba has been awarded golden medal.

Remind that first three bronze medals are awarded to Gevorg Davtyan,
Tigran Martirosyan and Roman Amoyan.