Author: Adrine Hakobian

Iran: Bomber of Revolution Court building appeals against death sentence
Baztab web site
0 Nov 04
Tehran, 20 November: After investigations into the dossiers of two
people responsible for bombing the building the Islamic Revolution
Court in Tehran, the Branch Six of the court has condemned one of
them to death.
Iran daily reported that Hojjat Z., a member of the Monafeqin [i.e.
Mojahedin-e Khalq] Organization, is accused of bombing the building of
the Revolution Court on 12 khordad 1377 [2 June 1999] and martyring
three people – Haj Hasan Salehi, Mozafar Nikzad and Wilhelm Aton
(an Armenian compatriot) – and injuring 22.
At the end of the trial the court found the two guilty. As the main
element responsible for the bombing Hojjat Z. was condemned to death
and his culprit condemned to imprisonment.
The dossier has been sent to the Supreme Court with the appeal of
the accused.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zerkalo, Baku, in Russian
17 Nov 04, p 1,2
AZERI RIGHTS ACTIVIST URGES SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS WITHOUT EUROPE’S
INTERVENTION
The Ago Group of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) is expected to pay a visit to Baku shortly. Its members will
become familiar with the fulfillment of Azerbaijan’s commitments to
the Council of Europe, the situation on human rights and freedoms and
the preparations for municipal elections (on 17 December).
The visitors will tour the regions and penitentiary institutions and
meet convicted opposition members (for organizing post-election riots
in Baku on 15-16 October). Besides, they are scheduled to meet human
rights activists and representatives of the official circles,
political parties and public associations.
(Passage omitted: irrelevant details)
The head of the Azerbaijani foundation of democratic development,
Murad Sadaddinov, and a member of the monitoring group of human
rights organizations, Saida Qocamanli, have shared their views on the
forthcoming visit with Zerkalo.
Sadaddinov said that the members of the group will visit not only
Azerbaijan, but Armenia and Georgia as well.
(Passage omitted: known details)
Asked about possible results of the visit of the Ago Group,
Sadaddinov said: “The Committee of Ministers is the only Council of
Europe entity whose decisions are mandatory for all members of this
organization. Their opinions play a positive role in resolving
certain issues pertaining to human rights and democracy.”
Qocamanli agreed with Sadaddinov. She said the main topic of
discussion during the meeting of the foreign visitors with human
rights activists will be the issue of political prisoners. She said
that this topical issue was actually a hot potato, being one of the
main commitments of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe.
The list compiled by the members of the monitoring group now includes
a total of 62 political prisoners, while this number was 716 before,
she noted. “We are concerned over this issue because a new cohort of
inmates comprising those involved in the October events and the
leaders of opposition parties has emerged in the country,” she said.
The sides will focus on public TV and the freedom of speech during
the meeting, as well as discuss the fulfillment by Azerbaijan of the
European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,
Qocamanli said.
Speaking about a possible outcome of the visit, the human rights
activist said: “We should not pin hopes on the Council of Europe with
regard to the problem of human rights, but deal with it ourselves. I
think there are issues that we can resolve ourselves.”
As an example, Qocamanli cited the last year meeting of the
monitoring group of human rights organizations with high-ranking
officials in the hierarchy of Azerbaijan’s ruling pyramid. About 30
political prisoners have been released following meetings of this
kind, she said. “I am not in favour of having all our ‘vexed
problems’ discussed at the Council of Europe. I am for resolving our
problems inside the country,” Qocamanli said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Not many people desert from military service
By Karine Mangasarian
Yerkir/arm
October 29, 2004
According to data provided by the Armenian Defense Ministry, only
about twenty people have chosen the option of alternative military
service duringthe last army call-up in Armenia. The government has
adopted decree N940 on â=80=9C Locations for alternative military
service and alternative service uniform’.
According to this decree, those who choose the alternative service
will serve in Syunik, Gegharkunik and Tavush regions working in
psychiatric hospitals, orphanages and clinics. National Assembly
vice-speaker Vahan Hovhannissian presented a draft law that proposes
several amendments to the law on alternative military service.
Before commenting on the amendments, Hovhannissian reminded that his
law had stirred wide public discussions and fears that it might
encourage desertion from the army and increase membership in various
religious organizations.` Judging from the applications we have
received so far, those fears were not justified.
Many National Assembly deputies including some members of the
opposition were suggesting that this law would result in mass
desertion from the army. However, it turned out that they were
underestimating the Armeniansâ=80=99 conscious attitude towards the
army. The twenty applications that we have received sofar are the best
proof for this point,’ Hovhannissian says.
However, time showed that the law needs some amendments. Hovhannissian
believes this is a result of lack of experience in drafting such
legislation. The amendments will specify the rights and obligations of
those choosing alternative service. The amendments will determine the
social security guarantees and the scope of responsibility in case of
violations.
Another issue to be addressed in the amendment is the examination of
the applications for alternative service. Initially it was planned
that each ofthe local army committees would examine the applications
for alternative service. However, it turned out that it would be
impossible to send corresponding experts to all of the local
committees.
The amendment proposes to create a special committee within the
central army committee that will examine the alternative service
applications. `There will be no problems in this respect especially
taking into account that there are not that many applications,’
Hovhannissian concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
October 14, 2004
CHRISTMAS IN THE BIG APPLE:
THE PRELACY WILL SPONSOR FAMILY CONCERT
NEW YORK, NY – At close proximity to the Christmas tree at Rockefeller
Plaza, the French Institute/Alliance Francaise will be the site of a
Armenian-style Christmas spectacular. The concert, sponsored by the
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, will
feature Nvair and a special guest from California-Taline. Together
they will regale young audiences and their families with song and
dance. The much-anticipated concert will take place on Saturday,
December 4, 2004, at 3:00 PM, at the French Institute’s Florence
Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street, in New York City.
This highly anticipated Christmas concert will feature new Christmas
songs as well as old favorites in enjoyable singing, dancing, and just
pure fun for the whole family. Nvair and Taline will be accompanied
by their mascots and singing characters.
A committee of mostly young mothers invited by the Eastern Prelacy has
been hard at work organizing this unique concert, which will feature
Armenian Christmas songs, old favorites and a sing-a-long. The stage
will be decorated in festive motifs. Of course Gaghant Baba will make
his appearance and the whole program will be replete with surprises.
“My objective is to produce entertaining and educational Armenian
songs and videos that today’s children can relate to and to keep
the Armenian spirit alive in our new generation,” says Taline of her
highly popular and successful entertainment venues.
Nvair notes that, “Many of these songs are musical treasures to be
kept and nurtured in the family environment. Some are new, some are
translations and others have been sung at Armenian holiday gatherings
for generations.”
This east coast concert comes on the heels of a monumental gathering
in California, where over 1,400 students from nine Armenian schools
gathered for two concerts. Parents and grandparents enjoyed watching
the enthusiasm of the children, and found many of the songs to be
familiar reminders of their own childhood. Critics have described
concerts by the two performers as “a very entertaining show for both
children and parents. It was very well produced and presented..Teachers
and children relate to Taline and her music extremely well because her
videos and CDs are very entertaining and educational at the same time.”
“Taline and I share the important goal of nurturing our children’s
interest in the Armenian language and culture”, says Nvair. “We
started performing together with joint concerts in Boston and New
Jersey. Our collaboration is producing great results.”
Both Taline and Nvair have new DVD’s and CD’s that will be available
for purchase.
Committee members are: Lucie Bandazian (chairperson), Silva
Kouyoumdjian (co-chair), Aline Kassabian, Meghanoush Alashaian,
Asdghik Inedjian, Karen Toufayan-Nargizian, Sophie Khatchatryan,
and Gilda Kupelian.
Please make your reservations early, as seating is limited. For
tickets, contact the Armenian Prelacy at 212-689-7810 or Silva at
201-779-6744.

Finnish foreign minister calls for closer ties with Azerbaijan
AP Worldstream
Oct 04, 2004

Finland’s foreign minister on Monday called for closer ties between
his country and Azerbaijan, saying bilateral trade could soon reach
US$50 million (Aâ=82¬40 million), news agencies reported.
Speaking after a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart and other
top officials, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said Finland was deeply
concerned about stability in the Caucasus region, which has been
plagued by instability since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war in the early 1990s that ended with
a cease-fire in 1994. No final settlement has been reached, however,
as the two countries remain at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave,
which Armenian forces seized from Azerbaijan.
Tuomioja said annual trade between Finland and Azerbaijan is currently
about US$5 million (Aâ=82¬4 million). He said that figure could
increase tenfold in coming years, particularly in the communications
and information technology sectors.
“Before today, there has been no tangible advancement in trade
relations between our countries,” Tuomioja said in remarks broadcast
on local television.
Prime Minister Artus Rasi-zade said Finland’s best opportunity for
increased trade with Azerbaijan would come in the oil and gas sector,
Azerbaijani news agencies reported.
Located on the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, which produced half the
world’s oil in the early 1900s, controls some of the largest proven
reserves of oil andgas in the world.
On Tuesday, Tuomioja flies to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, for talks
with Armenian officials.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Entretien entre les présidents chinois et arménien
Xinhua News Agency – French
27 septembre 2004 lundi 11:01 AM EST
BEIJING — Le Président chinois Hu Jintao s’est entretenu, lundi à
Beijing, avec son homologue arménien Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan,
qui effectue actuellement sa première visite d’Etat en Chine en tant
que président arménien.
Hu a déclaré que la Chine était prête à travailler avec l’Arménie
afin de promouvoir les relations bilatérales à un nouveau palier.
Il a appelé à renforcer les échanges et la coopération bilatéraux
dans tous les domaines, tout en ajoutant que la Chine encourageait
les entreprises chinoises à coopérer avec la partie arménienne,
à augmenter leurs investissements et à participer à la construction
des infrastructures en Arménie.
La Chine apprécie la politique diplomatique arménienne et remercie
l’Arménie pour son soutien aux problèmes de Taïwan et de Tibet,
a ajouté le Président chinois.
Kocharyan a souligné que son pays souhaitait renforcer les relations
bilatérales avec la Chine ainsi que leur coopération dans les
domaines d’énergie, d’industrie chimique, d’agriculture et de
technologie. L’Arménie reconnaît le statut d’économie de marché de
la Chine, a-t-il fait remarquer.
Il a aussi ajouté que l’Arménie continuerait à soutenir la politique
d’une seule Chine et la réunification de la Chine.
Les deux parties ont signé une déclaration conjointe à l’issue de cet
entretien et assisté à une cérémonie de signature de trois accords
coopératifs.

FREEDOM HOUSE:
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2004
Armenia / Azerbaijan
NAGORNO-KARABAKH
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 5
Status: Partly Free
Population: 150,000
Religious Groups: Armenian Apostolic Church (majority)
Ethnic Groups: Armenian (95 percent), other (5 percent)
Ten Year Ratings Timeline [OMMITTED]
Overview
Internationally mediated efforts to find a political settlement to the
protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict made little progress in 2003. With
presidential elections scheduled for both Armenia and Azerbaijan during the
year, neither country’s leadership appeared willing to risk a public
backlash by agreeing to compromises over the disputed territory’s status.
Meanwhile, a mounting number of cease-fire violations led to concerns over a
possible threat of renewed larger-scale confrontations.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, a territory largely populated by
ethnic Armenians inside the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, was
established in 1923. In February 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh’s regional
legislature adopted a resolution calling for union with Armenia. The
announcement triggered the first mass violence related to the conflict with
attacks against Armenians in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait several days
later.
Successive battles and counteroffensives were fought over the next several
years between various Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Nagorno-Karabakh forces. At
its inaugural session in January 1992, Nagorno-Karabakh’s new legislature
adopted a declaration of independence, which was not recognized by the
international community. By the time a Russian-brokered cease-fire was
signed in May 1994, Karabakh Armenians, assisted by Armenia, had captured
essentially the entire territory, as well as six Azerbaijani districts
surrounding the enclave. Nearly all ethnic Azeris had fled or been forced
out of the enclave and its surrounding areas, and the fighting had resulted
in thousands of casualties and an estimated one million refugees.
In December 1994, the head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s state defense committee,
Robert Kocharian, was selected by the territory’s parliament for the newly
established post of president. Parliamentary elections were held in April
and May 1995, and Kocharian defeated two other candidates in a popular vote
for president in November of the following year.
In September 1997, Foreign Minister Arkady Ghukasian was elected to replace
Kocharian, who had been named prime minister of Armenia in March of that
year. In the territory’s June 2000 parliamentary vote, 123 candidates
representing five parties competed for the assembly’s 33 seats. The ruling
Democratic Union Artsakh (ZhAM), which supported Ghukasian, enjoyed a slim
victory, winning 13 seats. The Related Territories Reports 643 Armenian
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutiun won 9 seats, the Armenakan Party
captured 1 seat, and formally independent candidates, most of whom supported
Ghukasian, won 10. International observers described the electoral campaign
and voting process as calm and largely transparent, although problems were
noted with the accuracy of some voter lists.
In February 2001, former Defense Minister Samvel Babayan was found guilty of
organizing a March 2000 assassination attempt against Ghukasian and
sentenced to 14 years in prison. His supporters insisted that the arrest was
politically motivated, as Babayan had been involved in a power struggle with
Ghukasian. Others, however, welcomed the arrest and conviction of Babayan,
who had been accused of corruption and reportedly wielded considerable
political and economic power in the territory.
Ghukasian was reelected to a second term as president on August 11, 2002,
with 89 percent of the vote. His closest challenger, former parliament
speaker Artur Tovmasian, received just 8 percent. Voter turnout was close to
75 percent. Observers from countries including the United States, the United
Kingdom, and France reported no serious violations. While a number of
domestic and international nongovernmental organizations concluded that the
elections marked a further step in Nagorno-Karabakh’s democratization, they
did voice some criticisms, including the limited access for the opposition
to state-controlled media. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry described the
election as a violation of international norms, insisting that a legitimate
vote could be held only after a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
With both Armenia’s president, Robert Kocharian, and Azerbaijan’s president,
Heydar Aliev, poised to seek reelection in 2003 – and the domestic political
risk associated with either leader’s making significant public concessions
over the territory during a campaign year – few observers expected any
breakthroughs in the conflict during 2003. An upsurge in shooting incidents
along the ceasefire line in the summer, which both Armenian and Azerbaijani
officials accused the other side of instigating, fueled concerns of a
further and more widespread escalation of violence. Meanwhile, speculation
grew over the impact of Aliev’s failing health and the October election of
his son, Ilham, to succeed him as president on prospects for a negotiated
settlement to the conflict.
Despite continued high-level discussions in the framework of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group – which
was established a decade earlier to facilitate dialogue on a political
settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh’s status – a resolution of the long-standing
dispute remained elusive at year’s end. While Yerevan insists that
Nagorno-Karabakh should be left outside Azeri jurisdiction, Baku maintains
that the territory may be granted broad autonomy while remaining a
constituent part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan also has refused to negotiate
with Ghukasian, who has demanded direct representation in the peace process.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties
A self-declared republic, Nagorno-Karabakh has enjoyed de facto
independence from Azerbaijan since 1994 while retaining close political,
economic, and military ties with Armenia. Parliamentary elections in 1995
and 2000 were regarded as generally free and fair, as were the 1996 and
1997 presidential votes. However, the elections were considered invalid by
most of the international community that does not recognize 644 Freedom in
the World – 2004 Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence. Nagorno-Karabakh’s
electoral law calls for a single-mandate system to be used in
parliamentary elections; lawmakers have rejected the opposition’s demands
for the inclusion of party-based lists.
The territory officially remains under martial law, which imposes
restrictions on civil liberties, including media censorship and the banning
of public demonstrations. However, the authorities maintain that these
provisions have not been enforced since 1995, a year after the cease-fire
was signed.
The government controls many of the territory’s broadcast media outlets, and
most journalists practice self-censorship, particularly on subjects dealing
with policies related to Azerbaijan and the peace process. Some observers
maintain that the government used the attempted murder of President Arkady
Ghukasian in 2000 as a pretext to intensify attacks against its critics.
The registration of religious groups is required under Nagorno-Karabakh’s
1997 law on religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church, which is the territory’
s predominant religion, is the only faith registered with the state.
According to Forum 18, a religious-freedom watchdog group based in Norway,
members of various minority faiths, including Pentecostals, Adventists,
Baptists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, have faced restrictions on their
activities. In 2003, a local Baptist was beaten, was threatened with
mind-altering drugs, and had threats made against his wife by law
enforcement officials for distributing religious literature on the street,
Forum 18 reported; authorities denied that any threats were made against
him.
Freedom of assembly and association is limited, although political parties
and unions are allowed to organize.
The judiciary, which is not independent in practice, is influenced by the
executive branch and powerful political and clan forces. Former defense
minister Samvel Babayan alleged that he had been physically assaulted during
his interrogation and detention as a suspect in the failed assassination
attempt against President Ghukasian in March 2000. The presiding judge in
the case announced that the subsequent guilty verdict against Babayan was
based on pretrial testimony in which Babayan confessed to the charges,
although he later retracted his admission of guilt, claiming that it had
been obtained under duress. The republic’s government announced that it had
replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment as of August 1, 2003.
The majority of those who fled the fighting continue to live in squalid
conditions in refugee camps in Azerbaijan, while international aid
organizations are reducing direct assistance to the refugees. Landmine
explosions continue to result in casualties each year, with children and
teenagers among the most vulnerable groups. According to the International
Committee of the Red Cross, at least 50,000 anti-personnel mines were laid
during the war, although in many cases, records of minefield locations were
never created or were lost. The HALO Trust, a British nongovernmental
organization, is the major de-mining group operating in the territory.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s fragile peace has failed to bring significant improvement
to the economy, particularly in the countryside, and pensioners are
particularly hard hit. Widespread corruption, a lack of substantive economic
reforms, and the control of major economic activity by powerful elites limit
equality of opportunity for most residents.
—
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Anand predicts tough times for menâ^À^Ùs team
Press Trust of India
Tuesday, September 14, 2004 at 0014 hours IST
MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 13: World rapid chess champion Viswanathan Anand
today said it would be a tough task for the Indian menâ^À^Ùs team to
win a medal at the forthcoming Olympiad at Spain as they would be up
against some strong opposition.
â^À^ÜWe will be playing some top chess playing countries like Russia,
Israel, Ukraine, USA and Armenia among others and it will be a tough
task for us to win a medal as all the members of the team will have
to do well consistently,â^À^Ý Anand told reporters here.
â^À^ÜCompared to the menâ^À^Ùs team, the womenâ^À^Ùs team has a
better chance of winning a medal as they not only have a very good
team but their opponents too are not as formidable as in the menâ^À^Ùs
field,â^À^Ý Anand said.
Touching on various topics, the champion said that his next important
assignments are to see that his team does well at the Olympiad and
to win the Chess Oscar.
On his recent performances this year, Anand said, â^À^ÜThis year has
been very good for me and I hope it will continue for some time. I
think I did pretty well to win the Corus Grandmasters tournament in
Wijk Aan Zee and then the Dortmund chess and Mainz chess in Germany
which had chess greats like Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik in
the fray.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse — English
August 26, 2004 Thursday 3:28 PM GMT
Equa-Guinea prosecutor accuses Armenian flight crew over coup
MALABO Aug 26
Equatorial Guinea’s attorney general said Thursday he was surprised
at the protestations of innocence by the crew of a cargo plane
accused of helping to plot a coup, saying the sole reason they were
in the central African country was “to wait for mercenaries.”
The six Armenian crew members, including captain Ashot Kerapetyan,
told the court earlier that they were unaware on what charges they
were being held until a few days before hearings into the alleged bid
to oust long-time Equato-Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema
began on Monday.
Samuel Darbinyan, 41, a co-pilot of the aircraft leased by a company
belonging to Gerhard Eugen Merz of Germany — one of 15 alleged
mercenaries arrested in March and accused of fomenting a putsch —
said he did not know why he had been held in Malabo’s notorious Black
Beach prison since March along with five other crew members and eight
South Africans.
Merz, who was arrested along with the others, died in detention,
officially of cerebral malaria, but with rights groups saying he was
tortured to death.
But after listening to their testimony, Attorney General Jose Olo
Obono said the crew’s ignorance surprised him.
He hurled the accusation at them: “It is quite clear that your
mission here was to wait for the mercenaries’ action.”
The Armenians arrived in Equatorial Guinea in January this year.
Their Antonov-12 aircraft was hired the following month by Nick du
Toit, the South African former soldier turned businessman who risks
the death penalty for allegedly leading the botched coup plot.
>From the time they arrived in the tiny central African country, the
Armenians flew out of Equatorial Guinea once on board the Antonov,
bound for Democratic Republic of Congo where they were to deliver
cargo picked up at N’Dola in Zambia, they told the court.
Merz had given them the instructions for that trip, they said in
separate testimonies.
The flight crew said the shipment was never delivered to DRC because
the airport they were bound for there was closed. They said they
returned to Malabo with nothing in the hold.
Du Toit told the court Monday that the Antonov was to have picked up
ammunition for security agents at mines in DRC. The crew members said
they were unaware of what their payload was to have been.
The Armenians are on trial alongside eight South Africans and four
Equato-Guineans, all accused of complicity in a plot to topple
Obiang, who has been in power since 1979.
Obiang announced their arrests on March 9, saying: “A group of
mercenaries entered the country and was studying plans to carry out a
coup d’etat.”
Without going into details, Obiang said interrogation of the suspects
revealed they were financed by multinational companies and “countries
that do not like us.”
The arrests came days before some 70 men were detained when their
plane stopped off in Zimbabwe, allegedly en route to Equatorial
Guinea for the coup.
The group arrested in Zimbabwe has consistently said it was on its
way to DRC to protect diamond mines.
A Zimbabwe magistrate is expected to hand down verdicts on Friday
when the trial resumes of the suspected mercenaries held in Harare.
They are led by Briton Simon Mann, a close friend of the son of
British former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Mark Thatcher, who
was arrested Wednesday in South Africa and accused of involvement in
the increasingly complex alleged coup plot.
Du Toit is so far the only one of the 18 defendants on trial in
Equatorial Guinea to admit any involvement in a coup plot.
On Wednesday he told the Malabo court that he had been in contact
with Thatcher in July last year, but strictly for business purposes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 20 2004
RUSSIA TO TREAT CSTO MILITARY ALLIANCE ON PAR WITH DOMESTIC
PARTNERSHIP: PUTIN
SOCHI, August 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is willing to treat military
partnership with other countries on the Collective Security Treaty
Organization on a par with partnership ties within the country,
reassures President Vladimir Putin.
He made the statement at a news conference he and President Robert
Kocharyan of Armenia were addressing after today’s summit in Sochi,
Russia’s Black Sea coastal spa.
The State Duma, Russia’s lower parliamentary house, will debate the
prospects. The Kremlin is ready with a respective resolution, which
implies all exports/imports within the Treaty Organization proceeding
from Russian domestic prices, said President Putin.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization brings together six
post-Soviet countries-Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan.
Mr. Putin spoke about Russian-Armenian economic partnership, too.
Thus, several Russian industrial companies intend to invest a total
$26 million to update the Armenian-based Armenal Co.
Power industrial partnership is an essential aspect of bilateral
ties, added Russia’s President.
President Kocharyan, in his turn, approved current trends and
developments in bilateral economic contacts. They became much more
diversified within the preceding two or three years, and capital
investment is on an upswing, he said.
The President highlighted 600 presently available Russian-Armenian
joint ventures, and stressed an increasing Russian corporate
participation in Armenian business.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress