Author: Antonian Lara

CONSULATES OF SEVERAL EUROPEAN EMBASSIES IN ARMENIA DISCREDIT NATIONAL
INSURANCE COMPANIES
YEREVAN, JULY 13. ARMINFO. Consular services of the embassies of
Schengen zone – Germany, France and in several cases of Italy
accrediting in Armenia – take measures against Armenian insurance
companies, refusing to recognize insurance policies acquired by
citizens, who leave for foreign countries.
As President of the Association of Insurers of Armenia Levon Altunian
informed ARMINFO, since Jan of the current year several clients of
insurance companies of Armenia began to apply to the insurers, who had
given them accident and acute disease policies. They complain that the
embassies of the Schengen zone refuse to declare validity of the
policies and they put a claim to obtain the policies of foreign
countries for receiving the entrance visa.
According to the president of the Association, similar requirements
cause not only material, but more moral damage, thus undermining the
grounds of the development of Armenia’s insurance market. “One should
not deny that the Armenian insurance market is far from being
perfect. Unfortunately, dumping tariffs and imitation of re-insurance
and cases of groundless denials of insurance payments take place, but
at the same time during the last years the national insurance market
grew, strengthened and very positive processes are taking place in the
market”, Altunian said. During the last years the Armenian insurers
established very close business mutual relations with largest and
authoritative insurance companies of the West, many of which are in
the lead in the world ratings. the insurance market of Armenia became
quite attractive for foreign, including institutional investors as
well.
Moreover, this new practice of invalidation of the policies of
Armenian insurance companies by the consular services of the countries
of the schengen zone contradicts both the goals of the development of
Armenia’s economy and the acting legislation of Armenia, Altunian
said. In particular, the Law on insurance and Civil Code of Armenia
prohibit sale of policies of foreign countries and those unlicensed
organization, who today sell them for these embassies, in fact, are
liable to be punished according to the Criminal Code, the head of the
association said.
In order to avoid undesirable problems, Altunian suggests consular
services to restore earlier acting institute of accreditation of
Armenian insurance companies in foreign diplomatic representations and
in this connection to establish closer consultative relations with
Insurance Supervision of the Ministry of Finances and Economy and
Association of Insurers.

ARMENIA’s FOREIGN MINISTRY SPEAKS ABOUT PRESENCE OF CONTACTS OF MIDDLE
LEVEL BETWEEN OFFICIAL YEREVAN AND ANKARA
YEREVAN, JULY 12. ARMINFO. Contacts between Armenia’s and Turkey’s
Foreign Ministries have always been and they will be continued.
Countries’ FM representatives meet at good opportunities, within the
framework of various international actions, Armenia’s FM
press-secretary Hamlet Gasparyan stated in an interview to ARMINFO.
In his words, such meetings take place at the level of middle
echelon. “As regards meetings of Foreign Ministers, the society is
widely informed about it”, Gasparyan reminded.
To remind, radio Liberty, referring to the CCN-Turk TV-channel,
released an information about some secret meetings of Armenian and
Turkish diplomats in Europe. According to the source, the first
meeting has been already taken place, the second one will be soon.
Issues of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations have been
discussed there.

KYRGYZSTAN BECAME PARTIALLY DEMOCRATIC
A1+
11-07-2005
Yesterday Kyrgyzstan elected a new President. His name is Kurmanbek
Bakiev. The International Election Observation Mission which followed
the course of Presidential elections held after the long period of
agitations published today preliminary findings and conclusions about
the elections.
`The 10 July Kyrgyz presidential election marked tangible progress
towards meeting OSCE and other international commitments for
democratic elections, although the vote count proved to be
problematic. Fundamental civil and political rights were generally
respected and there was an improved media environment.’
Albert Jan Maat, Head of the European Parliament delegation, said:
“This election was a step forward, even though it was not without
flaws. Electionday was a sign of this. Now the European Union faces
the challenge of supporting further strengthening of democracy in
Kyrgyzstan.”

ANKA News Agency, Armenia
July 11 2005
ANNUAL CATALOGUE “NATIONAL EXPORT REGISTER-ARMENIA 2005″TO BE
RELEASED IN ARMENIA IN NOV 2005
YEREVAN, July 11. /ARKA/. The annual catalogue “National export
register – Armenia 2005” is to be released in Armenia in November
2005. The Center for Promotion of International Integration “Master”
reports that the annual project “National export register – Armenia
2005” is aimed at informing prospective foreign partners of Armenia’s
leading enterprises and organizations interested in exporting their
products in services. The catalogue is disseminated to 50 countries
by subscription. Among subscribers are now over 200 business
associations, including chambers of commerce and industry, sectoral
unions, big foreign exporters and importers. The catalogue is
simultaneously disseminated at forums, congresses and business
meetings held both in and outside Armenia. Among subscribers in
Armenia are representative offices of almost all international
organizations, foreign embassies, as well as top officials of
ministries and institutions.
A CD- version of the “National export register-Armenia 2005”
catalogue is to be released. The information on all the subscribers
can be found on the web-site The catalogue helps to
find new sale markets, increase exports, popularize Armenia goods and
services, establish new effective ties between the business
communities of Armenia and other countries.
The catalogue was complied by the “Master” center, with official
sponsorship of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, RA
Foreign Office and RA Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen. P.T.
-0–

A1plus
| 12:24:44 | 09-07-2005 | Politics |
ZAKHARYAN INNOCENT, CONSTITUTION TO BLAME
For already year and a half `Investigating Journalists’ public organization
has been at law with the Yerevan city administration. All the suits of the
organization were satisfied.
However the city administration does not consider it a basis for fulfilling
the decisions of the courts and furnishing the organization with the
information needed. The Yerevan city administration still remains a closed
structure and does not want the residents to be aware of its activities. The
demand to make the Mayor elected is in a way targeted at the settlement of
this problem.
The elected Mayor will have to account to the people. `For example the
people have no influence upon Yervand Zakharyan. The whole city is being
ruined. A great construction project has been launched and nobody asked the
opinion of the city residents. The Mayor is subordinate to the President. In
normal states the Mayors are afraid of taking personal decision, since he is
elected by the people. If he makes a mistake the citizens can claim his
resignation’, chairman of the `Investigating Journalists’ Edik Baghdasaryan
says.
In the opinion of the chairs of the `Investigating Journalists’ and
`Association for Sustainable Human Development’ Edik Baghdasaryan and Karine
Danilelyan, a separate article of the Constitution should state that the
Mayor is an elective official. `Details can be regulated by the law’, Karine
Danielyan says.
There is an opinion that if Ervand Zakharyan were elected by the people and
not by the President, there would have been no problems with the building up
and the residents would not have remained without roof, the green
plantations wouldn’t have been cut down and Yerevan would have remained a
harmonic city. The reviewed Constitution contains an article, which, in
Karine Danielyan’s opinion, can be come disastrous for Armenia. It article
says, `The right of property of foreign citizens and people without
citizenship can be provided by the law’. `One day residents of the Ararat
valley can wake up to find out that the valley belongs to an oligarch. After
his descendants will inherit it or sell it to a Turk or Persian. According
to Karine Danielyan, this clause would be admissible with the operating
clause of dual citizenship, when a foreign citizen would be subordinate to
the Armenian laws.
Lena Badeyan

A1plus
| 19:30:48 | 08-07-2005 | Official |
PM DECISION
By the decision of the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, Artsruni
Aghajanyan has been resigned from the post of the RA Shirak region deputy
governor.
By another decision Rouben Sanoyan has been appointed Shirak region deputy
governor.

MORE THAN 75 MEMBERS OF U.S. CONGRESS SIGN TO DOCUMENT WITH CALL TO
WHITE HOUSE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
YEREVAN, JULY 7. ARMINFO. The American Assembly of America today
commended the Armenian-American community for rallying congressional
support for H. Res. 316, a bipartisan resolution that would reaffirm
the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide. To date, more than 75
Members of the House have signed on as cosponsors to the bill, which
was introduced by Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff
(D-CA) and Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank
Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).
ARMINFO was informed in AAA, the four sponsors introduced the
resolution in the House of Representatives on June 14 with the strong
backing of the pan-Armenian community. H. Res. 316 calls upon the
President to “ensure that the foreign policy of the United States
reflects appropriate understanding” of the “Armenian Genocide” and to
“accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of
1,500,000 Armenians as genocide” in the President’s annual message.
Prior to the congressional July Fourth recess, Congressman Schiff
introduced an alternative measure without the support of the Armenian
Caucus that would also reaffirm the U.S. record on the Armenian
Genocide.

Zaman, Turkey
July 6 2005
Aliyev’s Historic Gesture to TRNC: Baku Begins Flights and Trade
Azerbaijan will take more concrete measures to end the isolation
imposed on Northern Cyprus, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said
yesterday, June 30.
Saying, “I have given the order for charter flights to TRNC” Aliyev
announced the Azerbaijani companies would open offices in the
northern part of the island. In Baku for a two-day official visit,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Aliyev
yesterday. In a joint news meeting, Aliyev said the Cypriot Turks
should be saved from isolation and the embargoes imposed on them,
adding that his country is ready to do its best on the subject.
Indicating that he gave the order for the start of flights to TRNC,
Aliyev said Azerbaijani companies would also go to the island, see
the investment opportunities, and open branches there. The policies
of the two countries overlapped about Cyprus said Erdogan and Aliyev
had given him “good news” during the conversation, the Prime Minister
added.
Both leaders talked about regional and international issues as well
as bilateral relations. Aliyev mentioned, the two friendly countries
would be in close cooperation in the future just as it was in the
past. The Azerbaijani President thanked the Turkish Prime Minister
for the support Turkey had given on the “Upper Karabag (Karabagh)
issue” between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Turkey and Azerbaijan would
make efforts to take their relations to a further point with the ‘two
states one nation’ understanding said Erdogan, indicating, Turkey
shared the same opinions with Azerbaijan about the Upper Karabagh
issue: “We are in favor of a solution. Armenia’s attitude will
determine the solution.” When reminded that the European Union (EU)
sets a condition for Turkey to open an Armenian border, Erdogan
responded: ” There is no such thing in the EU Copenhagen political
criteria. No such thing can be imposed on Turkey. This is Turkey’s
own decision. Turkey knows how it will decide about this.”

RA STATE BUDGET REVENUES FROM PROFIT TAX INCREASE BY 71.2% IN
JANUARY-MAY
YEREVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-May, 2005, the profit tax
revenues of the RA state budget grew by 71.1% to 18.9 bln drams (about
41 mln USD). According to the RA National Statistical Service, in the
months under review, VAT increased by 20.8% to 52 bln drams, the
excise tax – by 8.7% to 14 bln drams. The income tax grew by 28.1% to
9.1 bln drams in the period under review, the simplified tax – by 7%
to 2.7 bln drams, while the fixed payments – by 14.6% to 5 bln
drams. The amount of customs duty revenues grew by 39.5% to 6 bln 98.8
mln drams. Other tax revenues of the state budget increased by 138.6%
in January-May and made 1.4 bln drams.

Saakashvili vows to reunite Georgia – fuller version
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
4 Jul 05

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has pledged that the separatist
conflict in South Ossetia will be resolved “very quickly”. In a speech
at the Georgian Technical University on 4 July, he said that the
success of last year’s “revolution” in Ajaria reinforced his belief
that no challenge was too big and that Georgia would eventually also
regain control of its other breakaway region, Abkhazia. To allay
widespread fears in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts, which are
populated almost exclusively by ethnic Armenians, about unemployment
following the departure of Russian troops from the area, Saakashvili
announced that farmers in these two districts would have a monopoly on
food supplies to the Georgian armed forces. He also announced measures
to fight organized crime, which, he said, had “spread to all spheres
of life without exception”. The following is an except from
Saakashvili’s speech, broadcast live by Rustavi-2 TV; subheadings
inserted editorially:
Late PM Zhvania helped Saakashvili enter politics
[Saakashvili] Good evening. I am very pleased to see you all here. It
is a great honour for me to unveil the Zhani Kalandadze auditorium at
the Georgian Technical University this evening.
Zhani Kalandadze was governor of Guria [who was killed in a road
accident in May]. He was one of the most brilliant representatives of
Georgia’s new generation. Just as Zurab Zhvania [late Georgian prime
minister] in the past opened the way for many politicians, including
myself, into Georgian politics, I am proud that I created an
opportunity for Zhani and many of his friends – we created this
opportunity and we are still creating such opportunities every day
because these doors are open to everyone – to realize their
potential. [Passage omitted]
Fighting organized crime
There have always been two kinds of mentality in Georgia. Political
struggle is a normal phenomenon. When people quarrel or even swear at
each other because of their political convictions, this is part of a
normal democratic process. However, when people are ready to stoop to
anything, even harm their own country, just because they do not like
Saakashvili, [Education Minister Kakha] Lomaia or someone else, this
smacks of something completely different. This is about us not having
a tradition of statehood. [Passage omitted]
We know that we are facing a fierce battle. We are not going to go
back on our promises. Since we said that we would fight corruption, we
will fight to the death in order finally to defeat it. This fight will
not cease even for a minute. Since we said that we would eradicate
organized crime, we will eradicate it. The past few days have shown us
that, despite several brilliant operations by Georgian police,
organized crime in Georgia has deep roots. It has spread to all
spheres of life without exception. It has sufficient power to
influence public opinion. It has spread to politics. When I saw the
politicians who took to the street to defend bandits, I was not
surprised to see some of them, but there were several whose presence
there shocked me personally. It could not believe it was possible.
I am saying this because we are not going to put up with this. Later
this week I will be sending a bill to parliament. I am using the
president’s right to initiate legislation. It is a Georgian bill on
the fight against organized crime that will punish criminals not only
individually – all countries punish killers – but the way it is done
in America, Italy and other countries that have faced similar
problems. Membership of an organized crime gang will be punishable.
You know that that there are kingpins in some areas. Some young people
who, unfortunately, are involved in this because of social problems
look up to them as an example to follow. Anyone found guilty of being
an area kingpin will go to prison. Crime bosses will automatically
find themselves in prison, irrespective of whether or not they are
personally involved in theft and extortion. We will starve organized
crime of oxygen. We will adopt a law that our country needs. You want
to be a so-called tough guy and member of an organized crime gang, you
can do it, but only in a Georgian prison, not as a free person in any
part of Georgia.
Ethnic Armenians to supply food to Georgian troops
That is one initiative we will propose. Second, we must understand
that there are very important issues we need to address. That is what
we discussed today with the defence minister. Russian troops will soon
withdraw from Georgia, so this is the other plan we have drawn up. You
know that the population of Javakheti – in Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki
– has always been wary of it [Russian troop withdrawal] because they
are the military base’s suppliers. This is their livelihood. Two
thousand Russian military personnel buy Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki
potatoes, milk, cheese and other produce, helping local people to make
ends meet. Naturally, they always had fears that they could face
problems once the Russian base went.
Today, together with the Georgian defence minister, we have decided
that all 20,000 military personnel of the Georgian armed forces –
catering standards in our army are now better than they are at this
military base – will be fully supplied with agricultural produce by
residents of Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda. We will buy this produce in
Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki, so that none of our citizens of Armenian
origin or any person living there has any concerns about the loss of
income because the Georgian state is growing stronger in the area and
foreign influence is weakening.
No challenge is too big
Naturally, there are many problems in Georgia. What I have mentioned
are just some of our problems. Almost half of Georgia’s population
lives below the poverty line set in accordance with European
standards. That is a catastrophic problem. You know that there are
people who are still unable not only to go to university but even go
to school. However, there are two ways of looking at things.
[George] Bernard Shaw used to say: There are people who see things and
say, why? But there are also people who dream things and say, why not?
Zhani Kalandadze and all of us belong in the group of people who say,
why not? You know that we have been answering this question all the
time. When last year masked gunmen prevented the Georgian president
from crossing the Choloki [river] and entering Ajaria, it all looked
like an impossible dream. At the time, many politicians and political
pundits who are active today were saying that it was impossible, that
the situation was terrible, that there was no hope for the future and
that it was impossible to solve this problem quickly. All attempts to
solve it were described as deliberate acts of provocation and excesses
of revolutionary zeal by the Georgian government. What Georgia
witnessed in Batumi on 5 May when we arrived there on the first
anniversary of the Ajarian revolution, when the whole of Batumi was
celebrating in the streets, was indeed a dream come true.
South Ossetia conflict to be settled “very quickly”
Is it not a dream come true, for example, that at the end of this week
in Batumi, in rooms where they for years discussed future plans for
Georgia’s disintegration, we will be holding a conference, together
with our citizens of Ossetian origin, on a peaceful settlement of the
conflict in the Tskhinvali region? I promise you, as president of
Georgia, that this conflict will also be resolved very quickly.
When all this was happening in Ajaria last year, people in the first
group kept complaining, whereas we were saying, why not, everything
would be fine. That is how it worked out in the end. [Passage
omitted]
Energy problems to be resolved
Georgia is currently facing energy problems. You know that all our
power facilities were run down for many years. Yet, every family in
Georgia needs electricity. Until recently, the majority of analysts
thought this would be impossible. I say to you that this is
possible. Why not? We need to work on it and we will achieve it.
Pessimists proved wrong over Russian troop withdrawal
Or, for example, last year people were saying that we should accept
that Russian troops would not leave. They kept telling us that we
should understand that such issues could not be decided in Georgia,
that Georgian diplomats could not deal with them and that such issues
were decided somewhere else, I don’t know where. We said, why not,
this would be decided in Georgia and we would stand together and
achieve this. We have done it: an agreement has been signed and the
process has begun.
Abkhazia will “most definitely” be reclaimed
Or take, for example, people who do not believe in their own country
and say that [reclaiming] Abkhazia is impossible. I recently attended
a conference in Monaco where I received a prestigious award. I can
tell you, without any false modesty – you know that we, Georgians, are
fond of saying that we are the best, which is good – that Bichvinta
[Georgian name for Pitsunda, a sea resort in Abkhazia] and Gagra [in
Abkhazia] as well as, by the way, Kvariati and Gonio [Ajarian sea
resorts] are certainly nicer places [than Monaco], providing they are
well looked after. When I said this to one or two of my compatriots
who accompanied me there, they said, come on, Bichvinta and Gagra may
well be better, but when will Bichvinta and Gagra be [under Georgian
control again]? This is not possible.
Why not? Most definitely, yes. Most definitely, we will achieve
this. I saw a roadside poster today saying that Abkhazia is causing us
pain. Of course it is, but we should not just be writing that it is
causing us pain. Forget about pain, let’s take down these posters, get
ready and get strong instead of constantly grieving over our pain and
distress and the tragedy that has befallen us. All that could have
befallen us has done so. It is now time to get back on our feet and
improve.
Georgia to emerge as “developed European country”
I would particularly like to say this today: can Georgia ever be a
developed European country? Together with Zhani Kalandadze and each of
you, who are the best part of Georgian society and its best young
representatives – I would like to say on Zhani’s behalf and on your
behalf, why not, it certainly will.
Thank you very much. [Applause]