Month: December 2008

ARMENIA TO MAKE USE OF GSP+ TRADE REGIME STARTING FROM JANUARY 2009

Noyan Tapan

Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 9, 2008, the European
Commission approved the list of countries eligible to use the EU’s GSP+
(GSP – Generalized System of Preferences) trade regime for sustainable
development and efficient governance. The countries can make use of
the GSP+ trade regime in the period of January 1, 2009 up to the end
of 2011.

Among the countries to use GSP+ system are Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Sri Lanka
and Venezuela. The precondition for using GSP+ system is ratification
and efficient use of the conventions adopted by the United Nations and
the International Labor Organization (ILO), as well as 27 international
conventions. The conventions are related to human rights, major labor
standards, environment and governance principles.

GSP+ allows countries to export about 6,400 types of goods to EU
market at zero or considerably reduced customs duties (the reduction
of customes duties makes: for cigarettes – up to 52%, various natural
juices – 30%, fruit – 20%, vegetables – 14%, fish products – 20%,
and honey -17%).

In 2007, the trade conducted within the framework of GSP+ system
amounted to 4.7 billion euros. The exporters from the countries using
GSP+ system paid customs duties by 357 million euros less than they
would pay in case of using GSP.

AUCTION OF STATE BONDS WITH 11-WEEK REDEPTION PERIOD HELD

Noyan Tapan

Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. An auction of state (treasury)
short-term bonds of AMGT11053095 issue with a 11-week redemption
period was held on December 18.

According to the RA ministry of finance, the total amount of bonds
subject to placement made 1 billion drams (about 3 million 247 thousand
USD), demand – 1 billion 306 million 572 thousand drams. The placement
of bonds made 1 billion drams. The revenues from placement amounted
to 981,112,233 drams.

The weighted average yield of placement made 9.0006%. 9 dealers and
the treasury depository participated in the auction.

BAHCELI ASKS FOR NEW VOTER COUNT

Hurriyet
Dec 19 2008
Turkey

ANKARA – According to the Supreme Election Board, or YSK, more than
48 million citizens will vote during the March 29 local elections,
constituting 6 million more voters than the general elections in
2007. Devlet Bahceli of the Nationalist Movement Party demands a new
electoral list

The confusion over the increase of 6 million registered voters can
only be solved by a new voter registration, which is needed to save
the legitimacy of upcoming local elections, according to a political
leader.

"There is a need for correction … to prevent a post-election
debate. They should be controversy-free elections. There is obviously
a problem that has to be fixed before the elections," said Devlet
Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, in a
meeting with media yesterday. "But postponing the elections would
not be good. I do not approve of postponing elections."

According to the Supreme Election Board, or YSK, more than 48 million
citizens will vote during the March 29 local elections, constituting
6 million more voters than the general elections in 2007. The YSK
will examine the increase and other assertions, while the Turkish
Board of Statistics, or TUÄ°K, said the confusion stemmed from a new
address-based census system.

Bahceli said the upcoming local elections were important and its
results would point to the country’s future ruling party. "These
elections will have two major results: they will disclose the next
government, and in the case of serious decrease in votes, it will
cause the ruling party to set its house in order," Bahceli said,
adding that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party had been
walking on air since the July 22 elections, in which they received
47 percent of votes.

"For Erdogan, the 47 percent represents the national will, but the
remaining people have no meaning. He is trying to zero the will of
the rest. His head is in the clouds. Instead of meeting the media the
way I do here, he prefers talk to them onboard. It is perhaps more
enjoyable for him. But this is something I have never tried," he said.

When asked about the recent polemic between him and Deniz Baykal, the
leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, over the latter’s
initiative to register women who wear a black chador in his party,
Bahceli said he did not need to create an argument, but was curious
about the motive of this surprising move.

"No one can say anything to the personal choices of people and we
cannot have a say about the clothes of these people who joined the
CHP. But if this is a new sort of opening to the black chador, then I,
like many others, even from the CHP itself, have to ask what kind of
an opening this is," he said.

Bahceli said there had already been an effort by some forces from the
across the ocean, such as the United States, to move Turkey toward
moderate Islam. He said Baykal was performing his role in this as the
leader of the left and asked his political rival to openly explain
this move. He said, "The right wing move has been completed. Is Baykal
playing his role in this plan?

"Politics over one’s attire is wrong. We are waiting for Baykal’s
explanation as to where he and his party are floating, and what
brought the new concept of the ‘left in chador,’" he said.

PM sees the reality Bahceli also spoke about Erdogan’s radical change
on the Kurdish issue, his approach toward the Democratic Society
Party, or DTP, and Erdogan’s comments that he shared the views of
Bahceli on these sensitive issues, repeating his motto of one state
and one nation.

Bahceli said it is purely a re-awakening by the prime minister as he
has begun to see the realities. "We see the prime minister has begun
to understood where Turkey was headed, since his visit to Diyarbakır
in 2005," he said. He said the problem in southeastern Anatolia is
socio-economic and his party will run in each city in the region.

Ashamed of apology to Armenians When asked about the prominent
intellectuals’ initiative to apologize to Armenians over the
incidents of 1915, Bahceli said he had felt ashamed on behalf
of Turkish people. "What was pleasant though was to see so many
counterstatements that represent the national stance," he said.

On the Iraqi journalist’s protest against U.S. President George
W. Bush and the thrown shoes, Bahceli differed from many other Turkish
politicians, saying the protester was right. "[Bush] should pray,
some other things could have been thrown as well."

–Boundary_(ID_YpQJlK5QhTbWlfFEg4CVAQ )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IT IS PROPOSED CREATING PRIVATE COMPULSORY ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The team of the program studying the
current compulsory enforcement system in Armenia and the expediency
of introducing a private system has proposed creating a private,
self-sufficient and self-financed system of enforcement of court
acts and decisions in the country and discontinuing the functions of
the current state system. This World Bank-financed study was done by
consulting companies DPK Consulting (the U.S) and Ameria (Armenia)
and the Program Implementation Office of the Ministry of Justice that
propose creating a parallel private system competing with the state
one – as an alternative, as well as a third version: the gradual
introduction of a private system, during which the functions of the
state system will be reduced.

The program executives propose compulsory enforcement-related reforms
in Armenia, in particular, a new law on compulsory enforcement system.

The program head Joseph Traficanti said that the problems of the
service on compulsory enforcement of court acts are system ones in
Armenia. According to him, an educational visit of 5 persons from
Armenia to three countries: Macedonia, Bulgaria and Estonia was
financed under the program. The experience of the indicated countries
was studied during the visit. J. Traficanti said that a private system
will be of great use to Armenia: one of its positive aspects is that
it is neutral for the state in terms of expenditures. In reality
the system is a semiprivate one as its activities are regulated by
a state body and sums collected are also managed at the state level.

In the words of Nevenka Ivanovska, an expert representing Macedonia’s
compulsory enforcement system, Macedonia, Estonia, the Netherlands,
Latvia and Lithuania are examples of positive experience for Armenia
because the efficiency of activity has increased threefold after the
introduction of a new system in these countries.

The Armenian government will examine the conclusions of the study
and make a respective decision.

SOYUN SADIKHOV: "VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY SHOULD PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE TO AZERBAIJANI PEOPLE"

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 19 2008
Azerbaijan

Moscow – APA. "We want the court to assess the book "The last march
to the south" by Vladimir Zhirinovsky and publicly apologize to
Azerbaijani people.

We can not allow anyone to stir up national and religious conflicts,"
says the article written by Soyun Sadikhov, president of "AzerRos"
National-Cultural Autonomy of Azerbaijanis in Russia, member of Public
Council of Russian Regional Development Ministry.

AzerRos sued Vladimir Zhirinovsky grounding that Azerbaijanis people
were insulted in the above-mentioned book. The article says that
the book written by Vladimir Zhirinovsky insults Islamic world and
Azerbaijani people.

"Separation of Muslim world is to the advantage of the entire
humanity. The danger coming from the Islamic world should be
prevented. Other religions are not able to conduct large-scale
religious wars. We should realize finally who has brought
civilization? Who conquered space and invaded other countries? Who
plundered other nations, turned them into slaves, turned Christian
churches into mosques? What culture did the Turks bring to the Central
Asia? There is no such a notion as Turkish culture, those riding
horses with swords in their hands can not have culture. Janissaries
forming the basis of the Turkish army are Slavonic children captured
together with their parents. They killed their parents and brought
up their children in Turkish, Muslim spirit, and strengthened their
army. Slavonic children killed Slavonic peoples under the Turkish
flag, this is horrible. Who will answer for this? Who will answer
for the humiliation of Byzantine culture, Slavonic peoples?"

Zhirinovsky’s unique ideas about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
were also involved in the article. "How long will the confrontation
between Azerbaijanis and Armenians continue? Will it continue until
the liquidation of all Armenian people by not the Turks already, but
by Azerbaijanis, the another Turkic-speaking people? The Turks and
Azerbaijanis are the same people in substance. The Turks killed one and
half million Armenians in 1915 and Azerbaijanis started to do it in
1988. The Turks committed it within three days, but Azerbaijanis are
doing it for almost 15 years. They intend to wipe out both Armenian
people and state. Why? because, they are Christians. Armenians
tackled uniting of Turks and Azerbaijanis. What is Nakhchivan? It is
an artificial institution, the place in Armenian lands populated by
Azerbaijanis, the territory set for direct links with Turks. Those
lands always belonged to Armenia, the great Armenia from sea to
sea. What is Armenia today? It is only small piece remained after the
Urartu, a powerful state with a great culture. The civilization began
there and moved to other territories. Azerbaijanis are the Persian
tribe revived by the way of conquest. Seldjug Turks moved from the
East in that time and made this Persian tribe the Turks. Who are
the Azerbaijanis? It is a tribe lived in the Caspian cost. It is
a country equaled to the territory of one district of Moscow. Can
you imagine the Sokolniki is the state and people living there are
Sokolniki nation. Azerbaijan is like this, the populated region in
the Caspian cost".

Soyun Sadikhov said many offensive phrases were used in the book
against Azerbaijani and Turkish peoples and made some refreshers for
Zhirinovsky: "I would like to remind Mr. Zhirinovsky that Azerbaijan’s
history and culture have very ancient roots. Unfortunately Vladimir
Zhirinovsky doesn’t know Ismayil bin Yassar, Musa Shehevat, Abdul
Faraj Isfahani, Khatib Tabrizi, Ibn Sina’s student Bahmanyar,
genius poets Nizami, Fuzuli, Molla Panah Vagif, great dramatist Mirza
Fathali Akhundov, or their names are not interesting for him. A list
of Azerbaijani world-known doctors, philosophers, writers, poets,
musicians, architects can be extended more and more. But if you
consider it not as culture, but barbarism, there is no need to extend
this list. I believe that any person not depending on his nationality
and religion must secure the national solidarity. The government
officials have to take responsibility for these issues, because
these persons are heard. We asked the court to evaluate the Vladimir
Zhirinovsky’s book "Attack toward the South" and demanded the author
to apologize demonstratively to the Azerbaijani people. We cannot
allow the building up a fire in the ethnic and religious conflicts".

GENERAL STAFF DISAPPROVES "APOLOGY CAMPAIGN"

Today’s Zaman
Dec 19 2008
Turkey

Turkey’s powerful generals on Friday stepped into a deepening
controversy over an apology by Turkish intellectuals for the mass
killings of Armenians in World War One, saying the campaign had
"harmful consequences".

The General Staff has said that it disapproved the online apology
campaign for the events of 1915.

Gen. Metin Gurak, chairman of the General Staff Communication
Department, said at a press briefing in Ankara on Friday, "we
definitely do not consider the campaign right. This apology is wrongful
and it may lead to harmful consequences."

A group of Turkish intellectuals and academicians issued an apology to
Armenians on the internet earlier in the week for the events of 1915,
boosting a nationwide discussion.

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he did
not accept or support the campaign. "They might have committed such a
crime themselves as they are apologizing now. The Republic of Turkey
does not have such a concern. One can apologize if there is a crime
necessitating such an apology. Neither my country, nor my nation has
such concerns," Erdogan said.

Yesterday, the Presidential Press Center said in a statement that
President Abdullah Gul considered recent discussions in the Turkish
public opinion and academic circles over the events in 1915 a sign
of existence of a democratic discussion atmosphere in Turkey which
was more civilized and freer than many other countries and a sign
of Turkish people’s reconciliation with their history and their
self-confidence.

Armenia and Turkey do not have diplomatic relations and their shared
border has been closed since 1993 when Turkey protested Armenia’s
occupation of the Upper Karabakh.

In September, President Gul visited Armenia to watch a World Cup
qualifying match as a goodwill gesture.

BLOOD IS SILENT
By Ergun Babahan

Turkish Press
Dec 19 2008

SABAH- Yesterday we unfortunately neglected a statement by Canan
Aritman in which the Republican People`s Party (CHP) Izmir deputy
linked President Abdullah Gul`s statement about the `apology campaign`
concerning Armenians to his mother`s ethnicity. This is a clear example
of fascism. This mentality, which attributes a person`s criticism of
unfair treatment to ethnicity alone, also claims that the group the
critic feels attached is given a free pass on mistakes. But people
espousing all sorts of ideologies live in countries. When one of these
people comes to power and makes a mistake, the whole nation can`t be
held responsible, because the person holding state power monopolizes
all sorts of power.

The deportation of Armenians (during World War I) is something which
happened in this land, just like the capital tax, the Thracian
incidents, the massacre in Kahramanmaras, etc. To confront these
incidents, one doesn`t need to be an Alawite, Greek Cypriot, Jewish
or communist, but rather a democrat, someone who believes in the rule
of law and defends human rights and dignity. A member of a Turkish
party which calls itself `social democrat` and which claims to be
promoting reconciliation through welcoming members wearing chadors
thus questioned a historical incident through a racist stance. Aritman
linked the stance about the Armenians` deportation to having Armenian
blood in one`s veins.

Our nation has people of many different ethnicities. We shouldn`t
judge a person by the ethnicity of their grandparents, but on their
humanitarian stance and position on racism. Being a human requires
questioning the mass deportation of a group of people. Whether it was
right to do this is another question. But it`s disgraceful to fail
to acknowledge the right to question it, along with a racist stance
towards people who respect this right. We can say only one thing to
Mrs. Aritman: Blood is silent, but the conscience speaks volumes.

MHP’S BAHCELI: "I’M ASHAMED OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE APOLOGY INITIATIVE"

Turkish Press
Dec 19 2008

Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli
yesterday he was ashamed of the scholars who started an initiative
to apologize for the 1915 killings of Armenians at the hands of the
Ottomans. Speaking with reporters, Bahceli said that Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that he wouldn’t let Turkey be
divided shows that even after his 2005 visit to Diyarbakir, Erdogan
sees the plots threatening Turkey. He said the premier’s statement also
shows his agreement with the MHP’s ideas, calling this an "important
step." These issues should be solved in Parliament, not on the streets,
he added. Bahceli also criticized an initiative by the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) to welcome members who wear chadors,
saying that Baykal should clarify his stance on the issue.

AZERBAIJAN TO VOTE TO END PRESIDENTIAL LIMIT

Javno.hr
Dec 19 2008
Croatia

The ex-Soviet republic between Russia and Iran has been dominated by
the Aliyev family for more than three decades.

Azerbaijan on Friday edged closer to a referendum on scrapping a
two-term presidential limit, a step that could prolong the Aliyev
family’s grip on the oil-producing state.

The ex-Soviet republic between Russia and Iran has been dominated
by the Aliyev family for more than three decades, first under former
Communist boss Heydar Aliyev and then his son Ilham since 2003.

Ilham Aliyev, 46, won a second term in October in a landslide election
boycotted by the opposition and faulted by European monitors as less
than democratic.

The constitution limits Aliyev’s rule to two consecutive terms. His
mandate expires in 2013.

Parliament on Friday voted 95-4 to ask the Constitutional Court to
rule on amendments to the constitution lifting the two-term limit. The
initiative was proposed by Aliyev’s ruling New Azerbaijan party,
which dominates parliament.

A parliamentary source told Reuters the court would likely endorse
the amendments by the end of December, and parliament would then put
the issue to a referendum.

"These constitutional amendments provide for the protection of human
rights in Azerbaijan in a more effective way," said Ali Huseinov,
head of the parliamentary commission on legal policy and human rights.

The ruling party argues the limit is undemocratic. The opposition,
divided and marginalised, accused the authorities of trying to
"legalise monarchy".

Ilham Aliyev’s rule has coincided with an oil-fuelled economic boom,
driving record growth rates and a building boom transforming the
capital, Baku.

But analysts question whether he commands the same respect as his
father, and critics say his continued grip on power owes more to
curbs on democracy and media than genuine popularity.

The opposition accuses the West of turning a blind eye for fear of
losing access to Azeri oil reserves in the Caspian Sea and influence
over energy transit routes to Western Europe, bypassing Russia.

Heydar Aliyev was a local KGB chief who went on to rule Azerbaijan
over several periods first as Communist party boss and then as
president. The personality cult built around Heydar persists today,
five years since his death.

Some analysts say Ilham Aliyev has been overshadowed by his father’s
legacy and the inner circle he inherited, disappointing those at home
and in the West who expected him to reform the country of 8.3 million
people, mostly Shi’ite Muslims.

The falling price of oil has some analysts questioning the stability
of his rule. The country’s breakaway, Armenian-backed Nagorno-Karabakh
territory also poses a threat to peace in a region rocked this year
by war between Georgia and Russia.
From: Baghdasarian

FRENCH OFFICIAL SAY NO WORRY ABOUT TURKEY-EU RELATIONS IN 2009

Dec 19 2008
Turkey

France’s Secretary of State for EU affairs Bruno Le Marie said on
Friday that "there was nothing to worry about," regarding EU-Turkey
relations in 2009.

Speaking during EU’s 6th Accession Conference, Le Marie said EU
expected Turkey to proceed with the reform process, be loyal to
neighbourly relations and fulfill its commitments regarding Cyprus.

He said Turkey bore high strategic importance for EU noting that it
contributed to EU’s stability by taking up an active role in solution
of regional problems and acting in line with EU’s foreign policy for
the most part.

Le Marie praised the role played by Turkey in the conflict in
Georgia, Iraq, Middle East peace process, and in indirect talks
between Israel and Syria. He said Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul’s
visit to Armenia had a symbolic significance and expressed their hope
that this process would result in complete normalization of relations
between the two countries.

Also speaking during the conference EU Commissioner for Enlargement
Olli Rehn said EU needed to act fairly towards Turkey and be loyal
to its commitments.

Rehn pointed out that it was important for Turkey to carry out the
reform process after two tough years and said they expected Turkey
to meet the criteria in chapters regarding taxation, social policy
and employment, environment and competition which were likely to be
opened in the near future.

Rehn said there was a positive atmosphere recently in EU-Turkey
relations noting that the conflict in Georgia highlighted Turkey’s
strategic importance.