Author: Badalian Vardan

PanARMENIAN.Net

Caucasus Has Always Been Tasty Morsel for Western Europe
15.12.2006 15:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Caucasus has always been a tasty morsel for many
West European states which have never bordered with the region, head
of the center of Caucasian Studies at the Moscow State Institute of
International Relations (MGIMO) Vladimir Zakharov said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, everyone is aware of the
significant geopolitical location of the Caucasus not only for the
states bordering with it but also for the powers which currently
assumed the rights to act the Justice of the Peace, to share and
rule. `Some analysts voice opinion that the Caucasus attracts the
United States only by prospects of wide energy corridor. If we analyze
the U.S. external political activity it will coincide with the
functioning or planned routes of hydrocarbon transportation,’ he said.

Zakharov considers that the peculiarities of geopolitical and
geostrategic situation of the South Caucasus states played an
important role during the recent period. `They offer the U.S. and
other leading Western European states various possibilities to realize
their interests not only in economic but also in political and
especially military sectors. Multivectoral competition and sometimes
opposition between the states bordering with the region (Iran, Turkey)
and the states situated far away from the region is observed,’
Zakharov said.

AZG Armenian Daily #241, 16/12/2006

Concern

VANDALS PAINT MEMORIAL PLAQUE TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN BLUE
IN POLAND

Unknown vandals painted the memorial plaque to the victims of the
Armenian Genocide in blue in city of Lyublin, Poland. The memorial
plaque is placed on the monument to the victims of the Armenian
genocide erected near the church of Pope of Rome John-Paul II. It’s
worth mentioning that in 2005, in Warsaw the vandals painted the
plaque on the wall of the Armenian Embassy to Poland. Till now, the
police haven’t found the guilty.

By Aghavni Harutyunian

NKR MFA SURPRISED AT THE REACTION OF EUROPEAN STRUCTURES

ArmRadio.am
14.12.2006 12:40

In a message disseminated yesterday NKR MFA expressed surprise at the
reaction of the European international structures to the Constitutional
referendum in Nagorno Karabakh and the attempts to question the
possibility of Nagorno Karabakh people’s being in the legal field.

The Ministry notes that the mentioned referendum is a new phase on
the way to consolidation of democratic principles and legislative
development, in general. It pursues the aim of formation and
development of new liberal principles, as well as development of
civil society. In this regard, it is at least strange that European
structures are trying to ignore and deny the democratic and legislative
processes in Nagorno Karabakh. At the same time, the Ministry expresses
confidence that the adoption of the Constitution cannot deter the
constructive efforts of the international mediators to resolve the
Karabakh conflict in a peaceful way. If we follow the logic of the
recent statements, which say the NKR Constitution will obstruct
the talks, we can conclude that by adopting the Constitution of the
Republic of Azerbaijan in 1995 and its amendment in 2002, official
Baku was also intending to damage the negotiations.

Then why didn’t the European structures criticize the policy
of Azerbaijan? The fact that in 1991 the international community
unilaterally recognized the results of the referendum on independence
in Azerbaijan, it only encouraged Azerbaijan’s claims on Nagorno
Karabakh and served as a reason for aggression against Nagorno
Karabakh. NKR MFA expresses hope that guided by their fundamental
principles, the European structures will reconsider their prejudiced
approach to democratic procedures in Nagorno Karabakh," authors of
the statement consider.

ASHOT HOVAKIMIAN HANDS HIS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT OF SLOVAKIA

Noyan Tapan
Dec 14 2006

BRATISLAVA, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Ashot Hovakimian handed
Ivan Gasparovic, the President of the Republic of Slovakia, his
credentials of the RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
Slovakia on December 11. During the conversation taken place between
the President of Slovakia and the Ambassador of Armenia, sides,
estimating as positive the friendly relations established between the
two countries and peoples, at the same time attached importance to the
necessity of stimulating political, economic, cultural cooperation in
marzes (regions). The interlocutors touched upon the issue of future
development and deepening of the bilateral and many-sided cooperation
within the limits of possibilities given by the Armenia-EU Actions
Plan within the framework of the EU New Neighbourhooh Policy. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, the issue of Gasparovic’s possible visit of return to be
paid to Armenia during 2007 was touched upon during the meeting. Early
on the same day, Ambassador Hovakimian had meetings at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia with State Secretary Olga Algayerova
to who he handed the copy of his credentials. He had meetings with a
number of other high-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry as well.

Ambassador Hovakimian had meetings with compatriots living in Slovakia
as well, laid a wreath to the khachkar (cross stone)-monument to
memory of the Armenian Genocide victims, placed in 2005 in the region
of Petrzalka, Bratislava.

AGREEMENT ON PENSION AND SOCIAL INSURANCE SPHERES TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND RF

Noyan Tapan
Dec 12 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Joint consultation of heads of
RA Social Insurance State Fund and RF Pension Fund took place on
December 5-6 in Moscow. As Vazgen Khachikian, RA Social Insurance
State Fund Chairman, said at the December 12 press conference, during
the consultation they discussed issues relating to compulsory pension
insurance of two countries’ citizens promoting working activity in
these two countries, as well as of labor migrants, as well as reforms
in pension sphere, perfection of the funds’ activity.

V.Khachikian said that currently more than 100 thousand RA citizens
work and make social payments in Russia. In his words, a number
of problems emerge when setting a pension to them: in particular,
which country should set it and which country should pay for this
period. V.Khachikian said that it is planned to sign the respective
agreement in 2007 for the purpose of regulating these issues. In his
words, this will enable to protect RA citizens’ interests connected
with realization of labor and pension rights. According to the draft
agreement, each state will pay on the part of years a citizen worked
in its territory. It was mentioned that Russia has such an agreement
with Belarus, Spain, Israel.

V.Khachikian said that soon it is planned to clarify the precise
number of RA citizens working and receiving pension in RF.

ARMENIA ARRESTS LEBANESE NATIONAL OVER PLANNED COUP

MOSNEWS, Russia
Dec 11 2006

Armenian authorities detained the head of a public organization
accusing him of plotting a coup attempt, the Reuters news reports.

Lebanon citizen Zhirair Sefilian, who heads For Protection of Liberated
Territories organization, was detained on charges of plotting to
overthrow the government of Armenia and sentenced to deportation,
said Armen Agaian, a leading member of Sefilian’s group.

Agaian has refuted the charges.

An anonymous official at the Armenian National Security Service
confirmed that Sefilian had been arrested but refused to elaborate
on the charges against him.

Sefilian is a veteran of the 1988-94 war in the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended when Armenia-backed separatists drove
out Azerbaijan’s government forces.

DATE OF ARMENIAN AND AZERI FMS MEETING NOT DETERMINED YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.12.2006 17:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The RA Foreign Ministry holds consultations to
exact the date of the meeting of the Armenian and Azeri Foreign
Ministers late January, RA MFA Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian
told PanARMENIAN.Net. "We cannot confirm the date, since it has not
been determined yet," he said.

Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov stated that the recurrent ministerial
meeting will be held late January.

CBA TO PUT INTO CIRCULATION SILVER COINS WITH THE NOMINAL VALUE OF 100 DRAMS

ArmRadio.am
08.12.2006 15:39

Starting December 11 the Central Bank of Armenia will put into
circulation a silver coin with the nominal value of 100 drams.

The Central Bank informs that cat of arms of the Republic of Armenia
will be depicted on the face of the coin. Below the coat of arms will
be mentioned the nominal value of the coin in Armenian and English,
and the year of issue will be mentioned at the top.

The reverse side of the coin will depict Fridtjof Nansen’s portrait. On
the right of the portrait is written "INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR."

GERMAN EXPERT: TURKEY TIES TO SPLIT EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 17:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s proposal on opening a port and an airport
for Cyprus is a ‘successful move’ that aims at splitting the European
Union and prevent it from deciding to freeze talks with Ankara,
said Elmar Brock, the head of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs
Committee. "Anyway there won’t be a unanimous decision on Turkey and
it means that nothing will happen. Turkey has won," he said.

At least UK stands against breaking accession talks with
Turkey. Earlier the European Commission offered the EU Foreign
Ministers to consider the possibility of freezing talks with Turkey
on 8 out of 35 subjects, reports Deutsche Welle.

COMPETITION TO DEVELOP AND BROADCAST TV PROGRAMS ON CORRUPTION ISSUES

ArmRadio.am
08.12.2006 16:15

Within the framework of its activities to support the fight
against corruption in Armenia, and in the context of UNDP’s project
"Strengthening Awareness and Response in Exposure of Corruption in
Armenia", UNDP is launching a project component, which utilizing
the capacity of the media, aims at contributing to the fight against
corruption in Armenia.

To this effect, UNDP announces a competition to develop and broadcast
TV Programs on corruption issues. Attached please find a full package
of competition documents that contain the necessary information for
interested parties.

The objective of the competition is to develop and broadcast television
programs (talk shows, debates, discussions, PSAs, street polls,
documentaries etc.) that center on corruption issues, in particular
the fight against corruption, in Armenia.

Those eligible to enter the competition are TV stations registered
according to the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, and individual
journalists or groups of journalists with experience of working in
Armenia not less than one year.