Month: August 2008

WEST TELLS MOSCOW: ‘YOU ARE IRRESPONSIBLE’
by Antonella Rampino

La Stampa, Italy
Aug 27 2008

Rome: Predictably enough, in a game in which Moscow’s tactics involve
forestalling the West’s moves, the Kremlin has recognized South
Ossetia’s and Abkhazia’s independence….

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini made no secret of the
risk which the Caucasus may end up becoming "Balkanized," with the
principle of "change of citizenship on an ethnic basis" heading the
list. The minister’s analysis pointed out the fact that the "West has
made the mistake of humiliating Russia for 10 years, demanding that
it provide energy but not play any political role and that anger has
now erupted". There is no threat to Italy’s gas supplies, he said
(and the ENI [Italian National Hydrocarbons Agency] bore him out on
this), rather, Frattini said, "There is a threat to Italy’s security"
and there is also the risk (albeit one which Moscow has denied) that
Russia may shut off the airspace that NATO so badly needs for the war
against the Taleban in Afghanistan. Former Russian President Vladimir
Putin placed that airspace at the United States’ disposal, playing the
go-between with the Caucasian republics, when [US President George]
Bush first decided to launch the "Enduring Freedom" mission back
in 2001.

Many diplomatic sources, speaking under the cover of anonymity, have
remarked that the allies pointed out to Washington that the precedent
of independence for Kosovo from Serbia would entail risks. Others
believe that Bush is playing the Georgian crisis for its potential
impact on the upcoming US election – Republican candidate John McCain’s
wife Cindy McCain’s currently trip to Tbilisi is held up as evidence in
support of that theory. But the danger is that there may be a knock-on,
"domino" effect in the Caucasus, given that the Nagorno-Karabakh with
Armenia, and Transdnestria with Moldova, have placed themselves in
South Ossetia’s wake.

FOOTBALL: NANTES SACK DER ZAKARIAN AND HIS ASSISTANT

Agence France Presse
August 26, 2008 Tuesday 5:02 PM GMT

French first division side Nantes have sacked coach Michel Der
Zakarian and his assistant Patrice Gentil, according to a club
spokesman Tuesday.

Nantes are anchored in the second-bottom slot after a bad start to
their league campaign, losing twice and drawing once.

Armenian Der Zakarian, 45, is a former Nantes player. He has been in
charge of the club since 2006.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA IMPOSED RESTRICTIONS ON PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL BANKS IN THE INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT SETTLEMENT SYSTEM WESTERN UNION

Banking and Stock Exchange, Finance, Economics (Russia)
August 27, 2008 Wednesday

Reference: Yulia Lokshina "Untransferable", Gazeta, No 160, August 26,
2008, p.13

"A decision was made to decrease risks for banks, since Western Union
violated terms of agreements with commercials banks conducting business
in Armenia without any grounds or reasons," the Central Bank of the
republic reports.

The public relations department of the Central Bank of Armenia said
that they didn’t know if this prohibition would be temporarily or
permanent. However, if customers are not served in some branches
of banks, it could ruin the usual procedures of banks and their
financial standing and even cause unforeseeable developments in
the money transfer sector. The Russian office of Western Union said
that the company hadn’t received any grievances from Armenian banks
concerning issues, to which the Central Bank referred. Nevertheless,
Western Union will hold negotiations with Armenian banks concerning
the further conditions of provision of services in the country and
ways to settle the dispute.

"The cash flow between Russia and Armenia is rather high and if banks
are prohibited to deal with Western Union, other payment transfer
systems will turn it to advantage," Igor Duda, first deputy chairman
of the board of Sobinbank, maintains.

RUSSIA SLAMS BRITISH STANCE ON GEORGIA, SAYS IT STICKS TO "ORIGINAL" PEACE PLAN

Interfax, Russia
Aug 27 2008

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed the criticism of
Russia’s actions in Georgia contained in the speech made in Kiev by
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. He also insisted that Russia
was not a party in the conflict in Georgia and that it was committed
to the peace deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy –
but only in what he described as its "original form". According to
Lavrov, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili did not sign the deal
itself but only "the letter addressed to him" by Sarkozy. The Russian
minister also repeated his usual criticism of Saakashvili and well as
of NATO expansion. The following is text of report by corporate-owned
Russian news agency Interfax

Dushanbe, 27 August: Russia is perplexed by the Western countries’
criticism of Moscow’s actions to resolve the Georgian- Abkhaz and
Georgian-South Ossetian conflicts, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov said, responding to a speech in Kiev
by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

According to Lavrov, the British minister had said that the sight of
Russian tanks in Georgia on the 40th anniversary of Prague Spring
showed that force instincts were still active. "What actually
happened was not the appearance of Russian tanks in a neighbouring
country but an attack by Georgian tanks, Grad systems and aviation
working on peaceful Tskhinvali, and it happened on the opening day
of the Olympic Games, and thus the Olympic truce declared by the UN
General Assembly was rudely trampled by [Georgian President Mikheil]
Saakashvili," Lavrov said.

The minister also responded to the statement about Moscow’s alleged
attempt to redraw the map of the region. "This map consists, among
other areas, of conflict zones, which are regulated by agreements,
one of the signatures under which was Georgia’s, and which Saakashvili
treacherously tore apart," Lavrov stressed.

The Russian foreign minister regards the admonitions made by the
British representative about democracy being suppressed in Russia
as ridiculous. "We know what the Saakashvili regime is, and how his
Western patrons forgive him everything: acts of provocation against
peacekeepers, dispersal of rallies, attacks on the opposition, and a
clampdown of the broadcasts of all Russian television channels since
the start of his aggression against South Ossetia," the minister
stressed.

Lavrov stressed that he did not agree with Miliband’s view that NATO
was "an anchor of stability, democracy and economic development". "I
have not heard about NATO’s being engaged in democratizing, but maybe
the times are changing," he said.

"I shall leave this without comment, as well as the assertion that
this is the price of division of Europe," Lavrov added. "It is the
totally unjustified and unfounded expansion of NATO that leads to
this division," the minister said.

The Russian foreign minister also drew attention to a number of factual
errors in Miliband’s information; the latter said that Russia had
blocked ports, tunnels and other infrastructure facilities in Georgia.

"God only knows where he got it from – all the more so that there
is evidence from journalists, international representatives and
civilians," Lavrov noted. "And when they say that they do not wish to
dwell on who started it first, we believe that prudery and hypocrisy
are out of place here with regard to those who were attacked in the
middle of the night," he said.

Lavrov stressed that Russia was committed to the six "Medvedev-
Sarkozy" principles, but in their original form. "The six ‘Medvedev-
Sarkozy’ principles are their common position which was addressed
to the parties in the conflict, namely to Georgia, South Ossetia and
Abkhazia; Russia is not a party in the conflict," he stressed.

The minister expressed regret with the fact that, after the principles
were signed, "constant redrawing of the text began". As a result,
he said, Saakashvili signed the letter addressed to him by Sarkozy,
"which has no legal or practical bearing" [as received]. The letter
itself was not shown to Russia, and Moscow only agreed to the message
to make it easier for Western partners to win Saakashvili over.

Speaking of the principles, Lavrov also noted gross distortion
of the final point, "ensuring the security of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia". "Saakashvili signed the text which speaks of the security
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," he added. "This, however, is no
longer of any importance because from now on, their security will
be safely ensured by their own forces and by Russian peacekeepers,"
Lavrov stressed.

The Russian Foreign Minister answered the questions posed by his
British opposite number in his speech. In particular, the latter
urged Russia to recognize Georgia’s territorial integrity. "We have
long recognized it, despite everything, even despite the violation of
the right of autonomous areas to determine their status," he recalled.

"It is the Georgian leaders, starting from Gamsakhurdia, who undermine
Georgia’s territorial integrity. As for Russia, it is absolutely
committed to the principle of territorial integrity of its neighbours,"
he added.

Miliband’ second call concerned the need to clarify the attitude of
the Russian Federation to the use of force. "We have stated on many
occasions that we are against the use of force in resolving conflicts,
be it in Yugoslavia, Iran, Iraq and the Middle East, [or] the Caucasus
region," he stressed.

The British colleague also asked for Russia’s attitude to long-
term economic interests to be clarified. "He suggests punishing us
but in such a way that the interests of Britain and other Western
countries are not hurt, which means that they will take [Russian]
gas but on the terms that they will themselves explain to Russia,"
was Lavrov’s interpretation of his words.

"Moreover, we have long been speaking of the need to create early
warning mechanisms, but we call for transit countries to be included
there too because all the problems with gas supplies to Europe always
arose because of them," the Russian Foreign Minister said.

The minister also responded to the call to review relations with Russia
at international institutions, including the G8 and the OECD. "Russia
is interested in partnership in exactly the same degree as our Western
colleagues are," the foreign minister stressed. He noted with regret
the recent trend of building a bloc against Russia, "even though we
had agreed to cooperate on the basis of one country – one vote".

Another of Miliband’s calls concerned the need for "the end of the
empire and peaceful settlement of conflicts in post-Soviet space,
including in the Dniester region and Nagornyy Karabakh". "Here I
would like to ease David’s worries: in neither case is Saakashvili the
principal player. In neither case are there deranged leaders striving
to settle the conflicts from the position of strength," Lavrov said.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES A HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION
FROM THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

His Holiness Aram I received a 7-member high-level delegation from the
Presbyterian Church in the St. Asdvadzadzine Monastery in Bikfaya on August
26.

The Pontiff and his guests met for about an hour discussing various issues
related to the activities of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). As
President of the MECC, His Holiness briefed the delegation members on the
various aspects related to the Council’s work.

Another topic on the agenda was the Christian-Muslim dialogue. His Holiness
spoke in detail about the engagement of the churches in the Middle East in
general and the Armenian church in particular in different dialogue
activities on regional and international levels.

The two sides also discussed the "Djinishian Memorial" humanitarian service,
which is also supported by the Presbyterian Church. His Holiness expressed
his praise to the Church for its systematic support, which he added,
encouraged the Djinishian center’s staff to serve those in need in the
various sectors of social life.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Institute for War and Peace Reporting Armenia Branch
Country Director
Address: Yeznik Koghbatsi 39
0010 Yerevan, Armenia
Tel/Fax: + 37410 539 204
Mobile: + 37491 220 719
E-mail:[email protected] <E-mail%[email protected]>;sedamuradyan@gm ail.com
Url:

Caucasus Reporting Service
Caucasus home

Georgia: Shock and Anger as Russia Recognises Breakaway Regions
Analysts in Tbilisi say decision to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia
will rebound on Moscow.

By Mikhail Vignansky in Tbilisi (CRS No. 457, 27-Aug-08)

A crowd several thousands strong is rallying outside the Russian embassy
in Tbilisi, with many participants carrying Georgian flags and banners
saying `Stop Russia!".

`The world has now seen the real face of Russia,’ said one protester,
24-year-old Dato. `The country is an aggressor; it’s an empire of evil.

`We have nothing in common with them, they’ve wiped out everything,
they’ve declared war on us, they’ve been trying to occupy us, annex our
territories, and all of it is happening in the 21st century.’

On August 26, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev recognised Georgia’s two
breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as independent states.
His final approval followed decisions passed by the two houses of
parliament the previous day.

`I had been expecting it, but the news that Medvedev had signed the
document gave me the shivers, and I cried,’ said Marina, one of the
protesters outside the Russian embassy, who is herself a refugee from
the Abkhazian war of the early Nineties which left the region a de facto
separate entity, albeit an unrecognised one.

The secretary of Georgia’s Security Council, Alexander Lomaia, said
Russia’s move had brought the relationship between the two countries to
a halt `for a long time to come, if not for good’.

Lomaia said Moscow’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia had no
legal significance for Georgia, as sovereignty over the two territories
were underpinned by its constitution.

President Mikheil Saakashvili described Moscow’s decision as `absolutely
illegal’ and a `strategic mistake’.

In a televised address after an emergency meeting of the Security
Council, Saakashvili spoke of a `Russian imperialism newly reborn’, and
assured his people that Europe would not tolerate the redrawing of
national borders.

`Georgia will come out of this crisis ten times stronger ` we won’t be
brought to our knees. And may God preserve us,’ he said.

Some diplomats and analysts had expected Saakashvili to break off
diplomatic relations with Russia, but he did not go as far as that,
although the Georgian parliament may yet seek to do so.

`I’m depressed, I’m at a loss,’ said Dmitry, a 41-year-old engineer. An
ethnic Russian, Dmitry was born in Tbilisi and has spent all his life
there.

`I hope attitudes towards Russian people in Georgia won’t change,
whatever the Russian leadership does.’

Dmitry had been planning to meet former classmates to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of their leaving school, but the war foiled their reunion.

One of the group of friends, Khristo, came back from Greece especially
for the party. An ethnic Greek, he emigrated in the mid-Nineties to
Salonika , where he works as a medical equipment engineer.

`In Tbilisi I left behind one small part of my heart ` my school
friends,’ said Khristo.

Driving from Turkey to Georgia by bus, he never made it as he was held
up at Borjomi, 190 kilometres from Tbilisi, because of the Russian
incursions into Georgia.

`For the two days I was on the road, I only heard snatches of reports
about the war. But what I ultimately saw was not at all what I had
expected to see,’ he recalled. `There were Russian tanks on the main
highway connecting Tbilisi with the country’s west. We could not proceed
on our way, and it also transpired that the Russians had blown up the
railway.’

Temur Yakobashvili, the Georgian state minister in charge of
reintegrating Abkhazia and South Ossetia, told IWPR that Russia’s
decision would be a headache for that country, by isolating it from the
international community.

`Russia is trying to legitimise ethnic cleansing,’ he said. `No serious
country will support it in these efforts.’

He added, `What kind of independence are they talking about, when there
are only 45,000 people living in Abkhazia and 15,000 in South Ossetia?’

In its conflict with Moscow, Tbilisi has urged the international
community to condemn Moscow’s actions unequivocally, and highlighted the
Russian incursions into areas south of Abkhazia including the key port
of Poti ` far from the South Ossetian conflict zone.

In these western regions, local residents have staged a series of
rallies in which the central slogan is `Hands off Georgia!’

Georgian commentators are predicting that Russia’s military actions and
now its diplomatic recognition of the two territories will backfire on
it.

`Russia will fall victim to its own moves, as they are sure to lead to
instability in Russia,’ said former foreign minister Irakli
Menagarishvili, who now heads the Centre for Strategic Studies in
Tbilisi. `Overall, world stability has been placed in jeopardy. The
empire of evil has reared its head again.’

Caucasus expert Mamuka Areshidze said the populations of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia were now `doomed to live next to Russian military bases’.

Despite the continuing protests near the Russian embassy in Tbilisi, the
mission’s spokesman Alexander Savinov told IWPR, `The diplomats have
been working as normal. Ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko is in situ. The
consular division continues to issue visas to Georgia citizens.’

Meanwhile, Khristo is already planning his next attempt to join his
friends in Tbilisi in five years’ time.

`I’m going to start saving up again for another visit,’ he said. `I hope
there are no Russian troops in Georgia on the 30th anniversary of our
graduation.’

Mikhail Vignansky is a Tbilisi-based commentator with the Vremya
Novostei newspaper.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKO SAHAKYAN CONGRATULATES THE PRESIDENTS OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA

armradio.am
28.08.2008 12:40

On 28 August President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Republic of
Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh, Central Information Department of the Office
of the NKR President.

The letter reads as follows:

"On behalf of the people and authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic I cordially congratulate You and the people of Abkhazia on
this momentous event, the recognition of state independence of the
Republic of Abkhazia.

The people of Artsakh heard with great pleasure this news so
long-awaited by your people. Abkhazia has achieved its goal overcoming
numerous difficulties for many years.

I am confident that international recognition will give a new impetus
to the development and prosperity of the Republic of Abkhazia.

I once again congratulate You and the people of fraternal Abkhazia. I
wish you peace and prosperity."

On the same day President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Bako
Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter also to the President of the
Republic of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity. The letter reads as follows:

"On behalf of the people and authorities of the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic I cordially congratulate You and the people of South Ossetia
on this momentous event, the recognition of state independence of
the Republic of=2 0South Ossetia.

For the people of South Ossetia the path to independence was thorny,
full of difficulties and hardships. However, the Republic has found
strength and come off with flying colors.

Artsakh is genuinely glad for the recognition of South Ossetia’s
independence.

I congratulate You and the people of fraternal South Ossetia once
again. Let peace be established in your country forever. I wish you
prosperity and wellbeing".

RUSSIA’S INTERMEDIATION IN GEORGIAN-SOUTH OSSETIAN CONFLICT CLOSES PANDORA’S BOX IN REGION, EXPERT SAYS

ARKA
Aug 27, 2008

YEREVAN, August 27. /ARKA/. Russia has closed Pandora’s Box in the
South Caucasus acting as a mediator between Georgia and South Ossetia,
Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan, political expert, said today at the Novosti
International Press-Center in Yerevan.

"Azerbaijan knows perfectly well that the conflict is being settled
not in the way they have expected, and even the politicians with an
extremist ideology take a different line," he added. "It is obvious
that they hate Russia much more than their Georgian colleagues."

The political expert believes Azerbaijan cannot use force to settle
the Karabakh conflict.

The Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Artsakh, mainly populated
by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.

On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority
of the population (99.89%) voted for independence from Azerbaijan.

Afterwards, large-scale military operations began, as a result of
which Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven
regions adjacent to it.

On May 12, 1994 after the signing of the Bishkek cease-fire agreement,
the military operations were stopped.

Since 1992, negotiations over the peaceful settlement of the conflict
have been carried out within the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the
USA, Russia and France.

130 CARGOES ARRIVE IN ARMENIA FROM GEORGIA IN 48 HOURS

ARKA
Aug 27, 2008

YEREVAN, August 27. /ARKA/. About 130 cargoes have arrived in Armenia
from Georgia for the past two days, reported Susanna Tonoyan, press
secretary of the RA Minister of Transport.

She said 48 cargoes of wheat, 10 cargoes of petrol and 72 cargoes of
other goods had successfully arrived in Armenia.

Another 15 wheat cargoes and seven freight cars are still stuck in
Sadakhlo checkpoint in Armenian-Georgian border. Tonoyan said the
cargoes are expected to arrive in Armenia soon.

She added that 191 Armenian freight cars are now on the Georgian
section of the railway. "Ten cargoes of petrol and 13 freight cars
of wheat have been loaded in the Georgian port of Poti and will leave
for Armenia soon," Tonoyan said.

7 ARMENIAN COMPANIES LIST ON ARMEX

ARKA
Aug 27, 2008

YEREVAN, August 27. /ARKA/. Seven local companies have listed their
bonds (9 issues) on the Armenian Stock Exchange (ARMEX), with two
being financial organizations, reported Arkadi Pinachyan, head of
ArmSwissBank’s the corporate finance department.

The total value of the bonds is 4.1bln drams. ArmSwissBank has been
the underwriter of four issues with a total yield of 2.5bln drams.

According to Pinachyan, Valletta Ltd with its two issues has signed
20% of transactions on ARMEX. He said many changes occurred in local
banking system last year, and the leaders of the stock market were
Valletta and Armenian Copper Program.

ArmSwissBank with 100% Swiss ownership was licensed on February
25, 2005.

The bank’s assets and capital totaled 22.4bln drams and 3.9bln drams
respectively as of end-June.

The first-half net profit was 92.6mln drams. The bank’s balance sheet
profit amounted to 343.2mln drams as of end-June. ($1 – 304.54 drams ).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress