Month: October 2008

MOSCOW AND BAKU HAVE NOT SYNCHRONIZED THE CLOCKS

Turan News Agency
Sept 17 2008
Azerbaijan

On 16 September, the presidents of two self-sufficient countries
Azerbaijan and Russia, as they like to underline in the Kremlin, had
a two-hour talk in the Meindorf residence of the Russian president
outside Moscow. As Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev said upon
receiving his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, he invited him
to synchronize the clocks.

The Russian president did not elaborate under which time zone the
synchronization of the clocks will take place under Moscow or Baku
times. The political hands of clocks in Moscow and Baku rotate in
different ways, not only with one-hour time difference but also in
opposite directions. This is a cause of a certain discomfort at the
one-to-one meeting or to be precise, when they have to look each
other into faces and synchronize the clocks.

The results of the check for the durability of the Azerbaijani-Russian
relations with the Georgian crisis turned out to be deplorable. In
such a vitally important issue for the partitioned Azerbaijan as the
territorial integrity, Russia behaved unpredictably (it is not by
chance that at the meeting Aliyev made an emphasis on a factor of
predictability in the Caucasus) as usual, destroying fragile hopes
which emerged three months ago that Moscow would clearly adhere to
the principles of inviolability of borders in the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem.

As early as July when the presidents synchronized the clocks in Baku,
nothing predicted a military threat in the Caucasus and the sides were
satisfied with the talks each obtained what they could. Having signed a
joint Declaration on Friendship and Strategic Partnership, Azerbaijan
obtained from Russia a guarantee on unacceptability of forcible
changes of internationally-recognized borders, swift settlement of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict on the basis of universally recognized
norms and principles, and first of all, adherence to the sovereignty,
territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of the states.

For its part, Moscow obtained a guarantee from Baku that it will
increase bilateral trade from 1.7bn dollars to 2bn dollars by the
end of the year and a vague pledge on cooperation with [the Russian
gas giant] Gazprom.

The violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity by Russia has become
a threatening signal for Baku, which tried to sit in own trench during
hot days of the Georgian-Russian confrontation. The timid words of
support for Georgia’s territorial integrity by the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry and the regret about what happened obviously did not remain
unnoticed in Moscow.

At the end of the meeting with Aliyev, Medvedev in his public statement
did not say anything this time about the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict on the basis of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Moreover,
he returned to Putin’s vision of the settlement, backing the need
for continuing direct talks between the presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia without giving preference to any of the sides publicly.

This shows that the sides have not managed to synchronize the clocks
together: at the meeting in Moscow, Medvedev most likely did not
manage to hear a clear answer to the proposal on re-orientation of
the geopolitical and energy course of Azerbaijan in favour of Russia.

Ilham Aliyev could only guarantee an increase in turnover between the
two countries in the amount wished by Moscow. Thus, Russia obtained
only a guarantee for the purchase of its consumer goods for extra
300m dollars, including tractors, vehicles, equipment and popular
commander’s watches. And prudent Azerbaijan so far managed to keep a
certain freedom for manoeuvring. So the Moscow way of synchronization
of the clocks has not led to any changes.

VIRTUAL SILK ROAD PROJECT’S COUNCIL MEETS IN TASHKENT

UzReport.com
October 2, 2008 Thursday
Uzbekistan

The regular meeting of the council of the NATO’s Virtual Silk Road
project started in Tashkent on 1 October, UzA reported. The event has
been organized by the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan
and NATO Science Committee. Professionals, experts and scholars from
Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Azerbaijan, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Britain, the Netherlands,
Belarus, Norway, Hungary, Turkey and Armenia are taking part in the
session. Opening the meeting, President of the Academy of Sciences
Shavkat Salikhov said that in Uzbekistan telecommunications and
information technologies were being intensively introduced in all
spheres. In the framework of the Virtual Silk Road project Uzbekistan
is involved in the creation of the scientific network of Central
Asia and the Caucasus. With this purpose, the UzSciNet network was
created in the country. It contains information related to science
and culture of Uzbekistan and assists in preparation of specialists
in the IT field. During the two-day meeting, issues of multilateral
cooperation in the framework of the Virtual Silk Road project, as
well as intensifying the exchange of experience and information will
be considered.

GEORGIA/ARMENIA: CONSTRUCTION SYNDICATE TO BE SET

Regnum
October 2, 2008 Thursday
Russia

Georgia and Armenia are to set a construction consortium to build a
new motorway along the Black Sea coast. The road will pass through
Adjara and will help unclog Tbilisi – Batumi motorway.

Another road connecting Georgia and Armenia worth US$ 170mn (EUR
109.03mn) is already under construction and is to be completed in
two years.

TREE CANADA TO VISIT ARMENIA

Marketwire (previously known as CCN Matthews)
October 2, 2008 Thursday

Building International Bridges for Forestry Futures Enters Phase 2

OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 2, 2008) – Tree Canada President
Michael Rosen and Tree Canada Associate, Adrina Bardekjian Ambrosii
will be in Armenia from October 11-25 to share their forestry
expertise to help combat desertification. The two-week trip is the
second phase of the Building International Bridges for Forest Futures
project. In April 2008, Tree Canada sponsored two Armenian foresters,
Alla Berberyan and Gagik Amiryan, to learn about sustainable forestry
and conservation practices by touring urban and rural forests in
south/central Ontario. Project travel is financed by the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA).

Armenia is a small country with limited resources. Only 8% of Armenia’s
forests remain intact. Conservationists fear that the country will
become a desert within 20 years if deforestation is not stopped. They
see education as a key component in promoting the benefits of healthy
forests for the social and economic well-being of Armenians. After
the visit by Tree Canada staff, both organizations will identify and
implement practical projects that can be developed collaboratively
in the future.

Tree Canada will be visiting (amongst others):

Minister of Environment, Mr. Harutyunyan

Director, Sevan National Park, Mr. Ziroyan

Director, Gugark Forestry Agency, Gagik Amiryan

Dean Sayadyan, Agricultural University of Armenia

K. Menvelyen, Director World Wildlife Fund, Armenia and

Nazeli Vardanyan, Director, Armenian Forests (NGO)

Phase 3 of the project will consist of how Tree Canada and Armenian
officials will be able to work together to help restore that nation’s
forest cover.

nationalbridges.htm

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit charitable organization established
to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and
rural environments. A winner of the Canadian Environmental Award
(2007), Tree Canada engages Canadian companies, government agencies
and individuals to support the planting of trees, the greening of
schoolyards, and other efforts to sensitize Canadians to the benefits
of planting and maintaining trees. To date, more than 75 million trees
have been planted, more than 450 schoolyards have been greened, and
Tree Canada has organized 8 national urban forestry conferences. More
information about Tree Canada is available at

THE ARTIST INSIDE DR. DEATH JACK KEVORKIAN TO OPEN EXHIBITION OF HIS PAINTINGS AT ARMENIAN MUSEUM IN WATERTOWN
by Erica Noonan Globe Staff

The Boston Globe
October 2, 2008 Thursday
MA

GLOBE NORTH 1

The art is severe, and at times disturbing.

So is the artist, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who will be in Watertown on
Sunday to unveil an exhibition of 16 of his paintings owned by the
Armenian Library and Museum of America.

This weekend’s planned appearance will be a rare out-of-state trip for
Kevorkian, a former pathologist from Michigan who earned the nickname
"Dr. Death" for his advocacy of assisted suicide, and who by his
estimate helped 130 terminally ill people take their lives. Kevorkian
has been free on parole since June 2007, after serving eight years in
prison. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 1999 for giving
a lethal injection to a 52-year-old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Visiting the museum is a homecoming of sorts. Kevorkian, 80, is the
child of two Armenian genocide survivors, and the anguish suffered by
his ancestors is reflected in several of his pieces. "1915 Genocide
1945" mixes real human blood with paint to commemorate the extinction
of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish empire,
and three decades later the murder of 6 million Jews under Nazi
Germany.

In a phone interview last week, he said he doesn’t consider himself
an artist, just someone who "puts in paint the condition of the world
that we live in."

Kevorkian said he began to paint as a hobby when he was a young
man. But he kept delving into the topics of life and death that he
dealt with as a medical examiner. "Everyone was painting landscapes
and clowns and I couldn’t see the value in that. I guess the rebel
in me was thinking I’ll shock them," he recalled.

That urge provoked him to paint "Very Still Life," a brightly rendered
image of an iris bloom growing through a denuded skull and scattered
bones.

"I thought I’d shake them up and they’d be shocked," he said of
the piece. But instead, he said, his classmates and instructor
"were fascinated."

Most of Kevorkian’s artworks are political or religious in nature,
although the exhibition includes a later triptych tribute to composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his music that portrays a brighter view
of life, said museum curator Gary Lind-Sinanian.

Many of his original works were stolen from a storage unit in
California, where Kevorkian was living in the late 1970s, but he
repainted many from memory. He donated them and other personal effects
to the Watertown museum before entering prison in Michigan to serve
a 10- to 25-year term, which was shortened for good behavior and
because Kevorkian was ill with hepatitis and diabetes.

The exhibition will feature some new works, including portraits of
the artist’s parents, that are on loan to the museum, Lind-Sinanian
said. The 3 p.m. reception Sunday is part of a slate of provocative
events at the museum this fall, including an appearance next Wednesday
by Mark Krikorian, author of "The New Case Against Immigration,
Both Legal and Illegal."

Bringing Kevorkian to the library and museum may upset some people
who disagree with physician-assisted suicide, acknowledged director
Mariam Stepanyan. But its mission is "to preserve the heritage of
Armenians for future generations, and to make it relevant for current
generations," she said, and the doctor is among the world’s most
famous Armenian-Americans.

"His art and how he intersects it with religion and the present day
is informed by the experience of the Armenian people," she said. "He
is very connected to his heritage."

Kevorkian is scheduled to follow his Watertown appearance with an
open forum Monday at Harvard Law School, where he expects to discuss
his current run for Congress, among other topics.

"My platform is talking about the real problems in this country,"
he said. "I call myself a radical, which some people think implies
violent behavior. But it comes from the Latin root, which means
`growing straight from the ground.’ I see it as getting straight to
the gist of a problem."

He runs as a independent, Kevorkian said, because belonging to a
political party "straitjackets your mind."

Kevorkian, who was stripped of his Michigan medical license in 1991,
is forbidden under his parole agreement to discuss specific euthanasia
techniques or his assisted-suicide work, including the 1998 case
that led to his conviction after a videotape of the procedure was
broadcast on "60 Minutes." He must also get special permission to
travel out of Michigan.

Kevorkian’s political platform includes prison reform, public
education overhaul, and constitutional rights. He’s also quick to
opine on the news of the day, including the current economic meltdown:
"The solution is not so simple as to throw a lot of money at it,"
he said. "It will just make leaders more corrupt."

His art will stay on public display in Watertown for two months. "We’re
hoping people come and keep an open mind and see the rest of the
treasures that are here," said Lind-Sinanian.

The opening reception for "The Doctor Is Out: The Art of Dr. Jack
Kevorkian" is 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Armenian Library and Museum of
America, 65 Main St., Watertown. The show will run through Dec. 5. More
information is available at

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT ADDRESSES MILITARY TOP BRASS

Rustavi-2 TV
Oct 2 2008
Georgia

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on 2 October delivered a
speech to senior officials from the Joint Staff of the Georgian
Armed Forces. He discussed the military successes and failures of the
August war against Russia and announced a reshuffle in the top brass
of the Armed Forces. The main changes, such as the appointment of
Davit Nairashvili and Devi Chankotadze as deputy chiefs of the Joint
Staff and the dismissal of Davit Aptsiauri from the post of National
Guard commander, had previously been reported in the Georgian print
media. Saakashvili said that about 80,000 Russian military personnel
and some 3,000 pieces of armoured equipment were involved in the
invasion of Georgia. "According to various sources", about 2,000
Russian troops were killed and 17 Russian aircraft were shot down in
the war, he said. He warned that, since Russia had not achieved the
main goals of its operation, which, according to him, were to bring
about a change of regime in Georgia and take control of the transit
energy pipelines, "the aggressor may launch new attacks and acts of
aggression at any moment". The following is the text of Saakashvili’s
speech, broadcast live by the Georgian TV station Rustavi-2:

[Presenter] The Georgian president is currently at the Joint Staff
of the Armed Forces where he is holding a meeting with the leadership
of the military department. We are going live to the Joint Staff.

Threat of "new aggression"

[President Mikheil Saakashvili] We have just had a very open discussion
about our findings, our analysis, combat operations against the Russian
aggressors. Our country has endured aggression on an unprecedented
scale. By the way, I recently opened a monument to [Georgian-Armenian
poet] Sayat Nova together with the Armenian president and I said
that since the invasion of Agha Mohammad Khan [18th-century ruler of
Persia] there has been no such attack against Georgia. Up to 80,000
Russian soldiers have been taking part, in various forms, in these
operations. More than 3,000 pieces of armoured equipment were inside
Georgia and several thousand more were at the border of Georgia. There
was physically not enough space for them to enter Georgia. Dozens
or maybe hundreds of aircraft flew more than 200 sorties, and almost
all of their combat pilots were mobilized.

Of course, we did not want this war. You know full well that we had
discussed many combat plans in this room, but they certainly did
not include plans for defensive operations of this type, especially
in Tskhinvali and on the territory of South Ossetia. But the enemy
decided that without a war – after the embargo failed, after their
provocations failed, after internal destabilization failed – that
without a war it would not be able to achieve its two main goals: to
remove from Georgia this government, which irritates them – which also
included destruction of our armed forces and our state apparatus –
and to control the oil pipelines and dominate the Central Asian and
Caspian region. But I want everyone to remember, friends, that they
have so far failed to achieve these two goals. They have been unable
to overthrow the Georgian government and they have been unable to
destroy the armed forces and the state apparatus, and they have been
unable to control the oil pipelines. Therefore, I want everyone to
understand full well that the threat has not been averted and the
aggressor may launch new attacks and new aggression at any moment.

Russian war casualties

On the other hand, we should understand that we are now facing new
tasks. A very significant part of Georgian territory is occupied. We
are now conducting – [changes tack] European monitors have arrived,
which is a very important step forward towards preventing further
extension of the aggression zone in Georgia and gradually pushing
them [Russian troops] back. However, at the same time, we should
analyse everything that has happened. It is very important. We have
had unique experience of conducting war against the world’s largest
country, which has traditionally had one of the most aggressive and
well-developed armed forces. Without your heroic resistance for several
days and without the huge damage suffered by the opponent – according
to various sources, about 2,000, as they say, 2,000 troops were killed
there on the other side, in the Russian Armed Forces, according to
their own information which we are receiving from various sources, 17
aircraft were downed and a great deal of other equipment was destroyed.

I repeat that we do not have our own final data. This is what we are
receiving from various sources. But it seems that this is not without
foundation because you know full well what discussions they had in
their own legislatures and what harsh findings they have reached about
the readiness of their own armed forces, how they tried to explain
their heavy casualties by claiming that Georgia had some extraordinary
equipment. Here I have information from a Russian newspaper saying
that it was impossible for Georgians to have such specialists, that
they operated so well that they must have been foreigners. Our air
defence system operated like clockwork, if you believe the Russians. In
central Moscow, they displayed equipment taken from our factory –
because we were unable to evacuate some equipment from Gori that was
being serviced at the factory – several of our tanks with improved
electronic systems and several of our artillery systems, and they were
very excited about wonderful equipment the Georgians had. I wish we
had really had such equipment, but there was nothing extraordinary
about what we had.

But they needed that in order to explain why they had suffered such
heavy casualties, why so much of their equipment had been destroyed,
and why most of the strike force of the 58th Army, the main army
in the North Caucasus, had been put out of action. Those were the
people who entered Georgia first, before we responded. In brief,
they needed to explain they had not seized the Georgian capital,
because the questions they were asked in the Duma were about why
they did not seize Tbilisi. According to all reports we have, their
military intended to seize Tbilisi, but at the last minute, as a
result of your resistance, the world woke up and the Georgian people
declared full mobilization. Many people were irritated by the rally
in Tbilisi, but it played a big role at a time when our armed forces
were continuing with their resistance. Their political leadership
backed down. That is what I know for certain. This happened after
they had a very big debate about whether it was possible in those
conditions to seize Tbilisi and overthrow the Georgian government,
that is to bring about a change of Georgia’s political leadership
and put an end to its independence.

Georgian Armed Forces strengths and weaknesses

This war has shown us the strengths of our country and army. As I said,
in some areas, such as artillery, personnel, equipment, training and
morale, we really rose to the occasion. Artillery really operated
incredibly well and had a clear advantage over the adversary. In
aviation, we were technically well behind them, of course. We did not
have fighter jets. We simply had old-type bombers. However, aviation
delivered several very accurate strikes and the pilots showed a lot
of courage.

This war has also shown us our weaknesses. It has revealed areas
that need to be developed and improved. It has revealed many things,
such as shortcomings in control systems, serious shortcomings in
communications, and serious shortcomings in the training of individual
officers. Mistakes, of course, happen in an inexperienced young army
and mistakes also happen here. However, once you have already been
through a baptism of fire, failure to rectify these mistakes would be
a serious crime. This war has of course shown us major aspects that
require improvement and also that there are people who deserve more
encouragement, there are people who need to regroup and be redeployed,
and there are people who should be sent abroad to study at the best
schools and because of that be temporarily replaced by others, so
that once they return, they can be of more benefit to the country.

Top brass reshuffle, Georgian war casualties

That is why, as a result of the experience we gained in this war,
we, together with you, have made certain personnel decisions. In
particular, we are carrying out an overhaul of the command and,
based on the experience of those days, are promoting the military who
particularly distinguished themselves by showing professionalism,
good organization, courage and military knowledge. Artillery
commander Devi Chankotadze has been appointed deputy chief of the
Joint Staff in place of Aleksandre Osepaishvili. Artillery operated
very well. Another deputy chief Giga Tatishvili has been replaced by
Davit Nairashvili. [addresses Nairashvili] I would like to specially
praise your actions as well because the entire aviation group did a
splendid job. Artillery has a new commander, Maisuradze. The new Air
Force commander is Zurab Pochkhua, who, as we said, did a very good
job. I must disappoint Russian experts and say these were Georgian
operators, Georgian officers and Georgian military personnel. It was
Georgians that shot down the planes that were bombing Georgia. There
were no Americans, Israelis or especially Ukrainians here operating
this equipment, however much they would like believe that. Tariel
Londaridze has replaced Givi Revazishvili at Joint Staff J1
[personnel department], Mamuka Liparteliani has replaced Kavtaradze
at communications, that is J6, and Lela Chikovani has replaced Irakli
Batkuashvili as head of planning at J5.

I think that while many officers and practically all soldiers
displayed extraordinary heroism – [changes tack] 169 of our troops
were killed and 41 are missing. More about the heroism of many of
them will probably be known later. I have heard of people who refused
to leave Tskhinvali and fought the aggressor and enemy until the last
bullet. Some of them were killed and are regarded as missing. We will,
of course, continue looking for all these missing people. We hope
that we will manage to get some of them back.

At the same time, I must say that I am not happy with how the reservist
system worked. There was a serious failure in the reservist system,
not because of the reservists but because of the commanders. We
had enthusiastic young people. We must revamp this system. We must
review the whole recruitment system. National Guard commander Davit
Aptsiauri has been dismissed from his post. The commander of the 3rd
Brigade, Givi Kapanadze, has been replaced by battalion commander Kakha
Kopaidze. The commander of the 5th Brigade, Zurab Agladze, has been
promoted to Land Forces commander, replacing Mamia Balakhadze in that
post. Besik Gogodze has been appointed commander of the 5th Brigade.

"We will continue developing our armed forces"

Our army is very young. We started building the army for real only four
years ago. Major investment began only three years ago. That is why
we have a lot to do together, friends. Fully-fledged armies cannot
be created in the space of three years. However, the whole world
and all observers who are more or less objective acknowledge that
our army has displayed a level of training much higher than normal,
much more sacrifice and much more professionalism. Ten times as much
is required. Ten times as much is yet to be done.

We have achieved the main task as far as you are concerned. We have
saved Georgian statehood, together with you, and we have preserved
the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces have preserved an overwhelming
majority of their equipment and all our ammunition, which is more
than enough. We have also preserved practically the entire structure
and practically the entire manpower except for the 169 troops who
were killed and several dozen who are missing – our main treasure,
our troops, our officers and our soldiers.

The adversary has failed to achieve its main task. Georgia’s
adversary already knows that any future attempts to encroach on
Georgian independence will be met with very strong resistance from
the Georgian nation and the Armed Forces of Georgia.

I must also stress that various ethnic groups fought, fight and
serve in our Armed Forces. We have Ossetians, Abkhaz, Armenians,
Azerbaijanis, Russians. That is how it should be. Georgia’s identity
is not ethnic identity, but our common idea that our country should
be our common multiethnic home. We have an excellent wall, a boundary
separating us from Russia, which is the Caucasus mountains. We did
not break into Russia, and the Caucasus mountains are there to stop
Russia breaking into Georgia. Unfortunately, their aircraft can fly
a little higher than Elbrus or Qazbegi, Mqinvartsveri [the latter
two are Georgian names for Mount Kazbek, the third highest peak in
Georgia]. But the main thing is that Georgian statehood has been
defended and will always exist. We will continue developing our armed
forces. No-one should have any illusions about that.

Armed Forces to be open to public scrutiny

On the other hand, there is a public inquiry into these hostilities and
all aspects of Russia’s aggression. We should welcome that. Our people
are proud of their army. That is why our people have a right to know
everything about the weak or strong sides of our army. A commission
has been established in parliament. It is led by the parliamentary
opposition, people whom we may not always like. However, I must ask
you and require of you that you cooperate with this commission on
the details and provide it with as much information as possible.

We will include opposition representatives in the trust group in
order to enable the general public and the opposition to have an
accurate view of how funding takes place, where the money is going,
what it is being used for, and what the future is for all of us. In
general, we should be totally transparent and open to public scrutiny
and parliamentary process.

This does not make us weaker, but, on the contrary, it makes us
stronger. We are the army of a democratic country and the armed
forces of a democratic country. The armed forces belong to the
public. The public is behind you and supports you. You know that
perfectly well. The more contact we have with the public, the more
issues we make public and cooperate, the more support we will have
in the future and the better our chances of repelling major acts of
aggression in the future through the unity of people and army.

This is merely "beginning of struggle"

I repeat that we are at the beginning of this struggle. Only the
first few pages of this big book have been written so far. How
this book will continue and how it will end depends on all of us,
and it has to be written by all of us. If someone wants to say that
Georgia has been defeated, it is their own business. The fact that
we are sitting here, the fact that Georgia exists – [changes tack]
Historically, whenever such an enemy invaded Georgia, the Georgian
state effectively ceased to exist. But now the Georgian state exists,
will be revived and stand tall. No-one has managed to bring us to
our knees. Yet, nor should you believe people who say that we have
won, as you know all too well that there is a long way to go before
the final victory and this path will not be paved with violets and
roses. We are at the beginning of the struggle. We should conduct this
struggle together with the entire international community and restore
the principles of justice, principles of humaneness, principles of
international law and principles of stopping foreign aggression.

I am a specialist in international law by training and my PhD thesis,
which I did not complete, was entitled Jus possidetis jus non oritur
[as heard; possibly "Uti possidetis jus non oritur"]. It is a Latin
maxim meaning an illegitimate act cannot be legitimized. Russia has
not managed to legitimize its actions with regard to Georgia. Everyone
has seen the illegitimacy of its actions. However, in order for the
de-facto results it is trying to achieve never to be legitimized,
we have to make a lot of effort and do a lot of work together.

We should continue our integration into NATO structures and become
the armed forces of a genuinely democratic civil society that pose no
threat to civilians. I would like to say special thanks to our troops,
who were especially careful in their treatment, for example, of the
population of Tskhinvali and other villages. I have heard many stories
of self-restraint and courtesy shown by our troops and what a contrast
it was with the behaviour of the aggressor and the bandits it brought
in. I would like to thank all officers and soldiers for that. When
troops whose lives are in danger treat civilians with care, this is a
sign of special talent and dignity. This was always our instruction,
as you well know. Whatever the situation, even if you have to put
your life at risk, it is our citizens that we are talking about,
irrespective of their ethnic origin, and it is they that should be
protected above all. I think that our troops coped with this task
very well in general – not just in general, but I think always.

Damage to Russian economy

Unfortunately, many tragedies have happened among the civilians
because of the invaders, but no-one will get away with anything. Let
us promise each other and promise our public that we will continue
strengthening and developing, our economy will be revived – [changes
tack] By the way, they have not managed to destroy it. The blow
inflicted on the Russian economy during this clash was ten times
as big as that suffered by the Georgian economy. I repeat that I
am not so interested in that. But just as the Russian Armed Forces
suffered much more damage, because they were the aggressors, because
they were on the offensive and we were defending ourselves, and not
the other way round as they tried to claim initially, so did their
economy suffer more harm than ours. Our economy will strengthen and
develop. True, there will be difficulties. There are difficulties,
very big difficulties, but we will overcome them. Together with the
economy, all state institutions, such as the law-enforcement system
and the Armed Forces, will continue developing and getting stronger,
above all thanks to our individual training, intellect and patriotism.

No "major" arms purchases planned

I must also say that in the months to come we are not planning to
buy any major new weapons. We are spending the bulk of the money
on developing the economy. However, we will continue training the
military, equipping them, primarily with knowledge, and improving
their social conditions at an even more accelerated pace. Not only
will you not get less attention but your achievements so far and in
the future will receive even more appreciation.

I would like everyone to draw appropriate conclusions from the
personnel changes I announced today. Professionalism will always be
encouraged. Some changes have taken place and people who have filled
the new places will try to be better achievers. You know that there
are people who have been released from the system altogether. This is
also correct and that is how it will always be. People will be judged
by results, professionalism and how they realize themselves and serve
their country. We should always be learning from our successes and
especially from our mistakes.

I remain your loyal supporter, and I hope, or, rather, I am sure that
we will have new achievements, and all of us together will always be
loyal to our country, its unity, its democracy and its people as a
whole. We are carrying on with our work.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW US ENVOY PRAISES ARMENIA’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TIES WITH TURKEY

Armenian Public TV
October 2, 2008 Thursday

[Presenter] The newly-appointed US ambassador to Armenia, Marie
Yovanovich, held her first news conference for the Armenian media
today. Yovanovich spoke very warmly about Armenian hospitality and
shared her first impressions with journalists. Ambassador Yovanovich
covered all the issues on the political agenda and also spoke about
the meeting between the Armenian and Turkish presidents [in Yerevan
on 6 September].

[Ambassador Marie Yovanovich, addressing the news conference in
English, with overlaid translation into Armenian] I think it was a
historic moment; [Armenian] President [Serzh] Sargsyan’s move was
a courageous initiative that was accepted by [Turkish President]
Abdullah Gul. This initiative tends to reform the region and opens up
new opportunities for normalizing diplomatic relations. We also hope
for the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement. I assure you that the
United States will do whatever possible to bolster those developments.

NEW ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN ROAD TO BOOST REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Hayots Ashkharh
October 2, 2008 Thursday
Armenia

The future road that will connect Armenia to Georgia’s region of
Ajaria via the Armenian-populated Georgian region of Javakheti will
offer new economic benefits for Armenia and will give Georgia access
to the Black Sea, alternative to the one that comes through the road
adjacent to the Georgian-South-Ossetian border.

In the report entitled "What will the Gyumri-Akhalkalaki-Batumi road
give?", Vardan Grigoryan writes that the Russian-Georgian war proved
that the Gori and Khashuri sections of the road leading to the west of
Georgia and Ajaria and the railroad that runs along those areas are
not reliable enough because they are too close to the South Ossetian
border. The author of the report says that a contemporary road leading
from Javakheti to Ajaria could largely neutralize possible risks
faced by Armenia and become the second communication route passing
through Georgia.

Grigoryan says that plans to build a railroad in the same direction
existed in the Soviet time, but the Georgian government rejected
them, and former Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia also rejected
Armenia’s suggestions to build a similar road, because Ajaria did
not obey the Georgian government at that time. Grigoryan believes
that due to the changed situation in the region – after loosing South
Ossetia – Georgia now needs this road because the current road that
connects its capital Tbilisi to the Black Sea ports passes along the
Georgian-Ossetian border.

The new road will allow speedy transportation of Armenian loads
to the port of Batumi, Grigoryan writes. It will pass through
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and is called to improve the region’s
economic situation and balance "unilateral Turkish penetrations" into
Javakheti, the author believes. Grigoryan says that instead of being a
joint of Turkish-Georgian interests, Ajaria will turn into an important
link in economic cooperation of the three countries in a while.

FORMER WINE-MAKER BECOMES ARMENIAN SPEAKER

AssA-Irada
October 2, 2008 Thursday
Azerbaijan

A member of the Armenian parliament from the ruling Republican Party,
Ovik Abramian, has been elected speaker of the countrys legislative
body. Abramian, who will succeed former Speaker Tigran Torosian, won
110 out of the 115 votes. Born in Armenias Artashat region in 1958,
Abramian is a graduate of the Yerevan Institute of National Economy. He
was the director of a cognac and wine-producing factory in Artashat and
held the posts of chairman of the city hall, mayor of the city and the
Governor of Ararat province. Abramian also held ministerial posts and
acted as the deputy prime minister. Ex-Speaker Torosian resigned from
his post on September 19. He is expected to join the opposition forces.
From: Baghdasarian

THE BEAR VERSUS ANACONDA: OUTLINES OF AN ASYMMETRICAL ANSWER
Yuri Baranchik

en.fondsk.ru
14.10.2008

Having analyzed Russia’s recent foreign policy moves one can state
that visible in them are outlines of the "asymmetrical" answer the
Russian leadership pledged to make given the deployment of the U.S.

anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic as well as the
continuing US attempts to destabilize the post-Soviet space (first
of all, Georgia and Ukraine).

The US strategy in Eurasia has the systemic long-term character
in line with what is referred to as "the anaconda plan". (See, for
example V.Dergachev’s "The Anaconda Loop: New Vistas of US Eurasian
Policies", V.Korovin "Rings of Time and Space", What is meant is
the plan called "Anaconda" the army of the North devised to destroy
the southern adversaries during the Civil war in the United States,
that was fulfilled in full, resulting in the capitulation of the army
led by General Robert Lee. The gist of the plan was the consecutive
cutting off of significant Confederation -controlled territories,
rounding and strangling it to make the adversary stop fighting.

In the wake of the break-up of the Soviet Union the United States
chose to opt for a similar strategy regarding new democratic Russia
definitely taking into account the difference of the scale of current
developments. "The Anaconda Loop" gets tighter around Russia: a)
geographically, by the steady edging it out from the sea shores;
b) geopolitically, by steadily narrowing the Eurasian territory
it controls, formation of a chain of adversary states around it,
and the contracting the space of its political manoeuvring in its
relations with the countries in this region; c) economy-wise, by the
deliberate creation of obstacles at the export routes of Russia’s
hydrocarbons, destabilisation of transit territories and backing of
competitor projects.

In terms of geography, the break-up of the Soviet Union diminished
Moscow’s influence in many regions of the world, primarily in Eastern
Europe. After the Baltic republics departed for NATO, Russia’s clout
in the Baltic Sea was seriously reduced. The possible departure for
NATO of Georgia and Ukraine would also do irreparable harm to Russia’s
interests and defence potential in Black Sea and the Caucasus.

The narrowing of Moscow’s political influence resulted in the fact
that all the Eastern European countries that previously were Warsaw
Pact members are now NATO member-states, guided in their relations
with Russia primarily by directives of Washington and Brussels.

Under the circumstances the territories of the post-Soviet states
becomes the principal direction of the Russia-US geopolitical standoff.

Keeping the countries of the former USSR with in Russia’s zone of
interests is one of the most burning issues Russia’s foreign policies
have to address. Should these countries join the North Atlantic
alliance that counterpoises Russia, the next US move would be an
attempt to gain control of the territories across from the Russian
frontiers, primarily the Northern Caucasus.

Economy-wise the United States does its best to lobby transport
and energy projects "by-passing Russia" ("Nabucco" and others). The
current degree of Russian presence in the European energy sector is a
serious obstacle to the US determination to completely control European
political and business elites. Simultaneously Washington makes its
best to withstand Moscow’s efforts to integrate the single Eurasian
space relying on infrastructure, transport and energy "braces."

No doubt, Georgia’s invasion of South Ossetia was one of the elements
of the "anaconda loop." Russia’s interference into the conflict on
the side of South Ossetia and Abkhazia was both a military defeat of
the aggressor and a serious blow on the strategy of strangling Russia
by the "anaconda loop." The Georgian-Ossetian conflict was apparently
the last drop that overfilled the cup of Russian leadership’s patience.

But which Russia’s moves enable us to speak about discerning outlines
of an "asymmetrical" answer to the United States?

Returning to Latin Ameri ca First of all, it is the Russian comeback
to Latin America.

As early as the 19th century "the Monroe doctrine" defined Latin
America as the exclusive area of US interests, a sort of Yankees’
closed national park. Therefore Americans were very bitter about
the establishment by the Soviet Union of its influence zone (Cuba,
Chile and Nicaragua) in the south of the American continent.

After quite a lengthy lull, at long last Russia began to pursue
offensive strategy and interact with Latin American countries. These
relations received a great boost following "the 5-day war "in the
Caucasus.

Russia’s stepping stones in Latin America can be Venezuela, Bolivia
and Ecuador. Relations with long-time allies in the region, Cuba and
Nicaragua have risen to a new level. The agreements in the course
of the recent visit to Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua of Russia’s
vice-premier I.Sechin will enable these countries to implement a number
of energy projects including the Cuban shelf at the Gulf of Mexico.

The Russian return to Latin America also has a military dimension. In
September, two Russian strategic bombers landed in Venezuela, and in
November an entry of a Russian Navy squadron is planned to take place
in Venezuela. This is how Moscow makes Washington understand that if
need be, it could control the main route of oil delivery from Persian
Gulf to the United States.

Fightin g Somalia’s Pirates In this connection Moscow’s concern over
the rise of pirate activities in Somalia’s waters becomes clear,
as that country both controls the entrance to Red Sea from Persian
Gulf and the by-pass around Africa.

Pirates’ actions are a threat to the energy security of Europe,
Moscow’s chief trade partner.

It should be stressed that a similar strategy of addressing the
problems of its energy resources’ delivery have deteriorated of late,
is pursued by China. Relying on its military presence in Pakistani
seaports it plans to both ensure a safer routes of delivery of Middle
Eastern oil to its markets, and to begin rendering continuous pressure
on the United States (given that potential emergence of the Chinese
Navy in the Ormuz Strait is a serious argument).

The Caucasian Pact and Georgia’s Break-up The latest reports shed
much light on the covert side of the "Caucasian pact" Turkey came
up with immediately following the active phase of the Georgia-South
Ossetia conflict. In essence what it was all about was the plan of
Georgia’s federalisation and its potential follow-up break-up, after
which Azerbaijan (with the campaign of issuing national passports to
the Azeri community in Georgia), Armenia and Turkey, that could also
hope to annex Adzharia.

This way the key ally of the United States could be removed from the
region, making the Caucasian situat ion more stable and providing
grounds for studying the issue of transport of Central Asia’s and
Iran’s energy resources to Europe via the Caucasus.

Natural Gas and the Railroad: A Route for the Economic Integration of
the Korean Peninsula During the recent visit to Russia of South Korea’s
president the parties concluded a $90-billion agreement on the supplies
of Russia’s natural gas to South Korea. The gas pipeline is to cross
the territory of North Korea. Besides, the JSC "RZhD" and Deutsche
Bank came up with the idea of building a railroad to tie up all the
tree countries providing an entry to the Trans-Siberian Mainline.

Both projects feature a serious political potential with an eye to
the future reunion of the Korean peninsula. Besides, it is all about
a serious consolidation of North Korea’s negotiating position in its
dialogue with the United States. It was not by chance that shortly
before the South Korea’s president paid his visit to Moscow, Pyongyang
began to vigorously reinstate its nuclear infrastructure. The "carrot"
of their supplies of fuel oil that Americans held before Koreans at
the negotiations, is no longer a stimulus, provided that in several
years North Korea would be able to meet its demands of natural gas,
and correspondingly, electricity that would have a direct impact on
the entire chain of DPRK’s industries.

Finally, by ce menting the Korean peninsula by two serious
infrastructure projects, the transport and energy ones, would allow
Russia to both earn significant profits from its supplies of resources
and cargo transit, channelling it to the development of Siberia and
the Far East, and would have a considerable rise of Russia’s political
weight in the entire Asian and Pacific Rim region.

Conclusions Over the period following the August war in the Caucasus
the Russian leadership succeeded in demonstrating to Washington that in
the event of its stake on further confrontation it can create serious
problems on those directions of ensuring US national security where
to date Americans felt secure.

First, Russia can answer to the deployment by the US of elements of
its anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe and American interventionist
policies in the former Soviet republics by installing its continuous
military presence at the routes of petroleum delivery to the United
States. That would cast doubts on the notorious "Monroe doctrine"
in the Western hemisphere.

Second, the needed liquidation of the Georgian swelling makes it
possible that Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan can reach a
strategic agreement on having control over "the Caucasian knot". Should
Georgia actively counteract this plan, the issue of mounting pressure
by relevant communities in Georgia on its leadership could be raised
with an eye to achieving the=2 0country’s federalisation, and –
as an extreme – even its liquidation as a failed state.

Third, by acting the way it does in the Korean peninsula, Russia shows
a principally different logic of development of present-day states
than does the United States. If Americans aim at inciting conflicts,
creation of "the controlled chaos" and reaching of agreements relying
on the military force and ultimatums Russia’s offer to its partners
mutually profitable economic projects upon which to build political
collaboration.

It can be assumed that in the conditions of further escalation by
the US side of tensions with Russia we might soon learn about other
"asymmetrical" answers Moscow can give to the challenges of the
"global superpower" that overestimated its potential.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress