Author: Chalian Meline

Withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia to be completed by December

ROSTOV-ON-DON. Nov 10 (Interfax-South) – Commander of the North
Caucasian military district Gen. Alexander Baranov told the press on
Saturday that the withdrawal of Russian troops and military hardware
from Georgia will be completed on December 1.

"Not a single Russian solider, nor a single kilo of materiel will
remain in Georgia by December 1," he said.

He reminded journalists that the withdrawal has been conducted since
2005. He said that 43 trains and 38 convoys pulled out over 1,500 units
of equipment and vehicles and over 5,000 tonnes of property to Russia
and Armenia from the bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki.

"The last train with weaponry and equipment [of the Russian army] will
leave Georgia for Armenia on November 15," he said.

Besides, six remaining facilities will be transferred to the Georgian
side by the beginning of December, Baranov said. ml

ARMENIAN AND LITHUANIAN DEFENCE MINISTERS TO SIGN MILITARY COOPERATION PLAN FOR 2008

Noyan Tapan
Nov 9, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. A delegation headed by the Lithuanian
defence minister Juozas Olekas will come on a three-day official
visit to Yerevan on November 12.

The ceremony of meeting the Lithuanian defence minister will take place
at the defence ministry on the same day, which will be followed by a
meeting of the ministers of the two countries. The military cooperation
plan for 2008 will be signed between the defence ministries of Armenia
and Lithuania.

During the official visit, the delegation will have official meetings
with the Armenian president Robert Kocharian, the prime minister Serge
Sargsian, the foreign minister Vartan Oskanian and the chairman of
the RA National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence, Security and
Internal Affairs issues Artur Aghabekian.

The delegation members will visit the History Museum, the Matenadaran,
the Military Institute after V. Sargsian, the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial
Complex.

The delegation headed by Juozas Olekas will return to Lithuania on
November 14.

ARMENIA TO HAVE SUPER MODERN BALLISTIC MICROSCOPE

Panorama.am
16:59 08/11/2007

The American government has donated today equipment costing about
$280.000 to the National Bureau of Expertise of the National Academy
of Sciences. Among the equipment, especially important is the ballistic
comparative microscope.

Thus, Armenia will have one of the super modern ballistic microscopes
that will enable the National Bureau of Expertise to engage in
different ballistic tests.

Until today, the U.S. government has provided assistance of more
than $630,000 to the National Bureau of Expertise. In addition to
the equipment, the building of the bureau has been renovated. Also,
bureau employees have passed training in Armenia and abroad.

One of the aims is to grant the National Bureau of Expertise of the
National Academy of Sciences with an accreditation as a laboratory
that complies with international standards. To accomplish the aim,
U.S. government is going to spend more than $2 million in the course
of coming few years.

NORWAY DUMPS VEDANTA RESOURCES FROM OIL FUND

Reuters
Wed Nov 7, 2007 10:41 AM GMT

OSLO, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Norway has dropped British mining and metals
group Vedanta Resources (VED.L: Quote, Profile , Research) from its
$350 billion oil fund at the recommendation of the fund’s ethics
council, which blamed it for environmental damage and human rights
violations, the finance ministry said.

Norway’s Government Pension Fund – Global, commonly known as the "oil
fund", invests Norway’s petroleum wealth in foreign stocks and bonds
to save for when the oil and gas run out. It is one of the world’s
biggest sovereign wealth funds.

At the end of 2006, the oil fund owned Vedanta Resources stock worth
about 81 million Norwegian crowns ($15.16 million), corresponding to
a 0.16 percent stake in the company, the finance ministry said.

The shares have all been sold, the ministry said.

"According to the recommendation (of the ethics council), the
Fund runs an unacceptable risk of complicity in present and future
severe environmental damage and systematic human rights violations
by continuing to invest in the company," the finance ministry said
in a statement late on Tuesday.

Vedanta Resources’ core business is mining and production of copper,
aluminium and zinc in India. It also has operations in Australia,
Zambia and Armenia.

"Vedanta Resources is accused of having caused environmental damage
and contributed to human and labour rights violations," the ethics
council said in its recommendation to the ministry.

"The Council finds that the allegations levelled at the company
regarding environmental damage and complicity in human rights
violations, including abuse and forced eviction of tribal peoples,
are well founded," the council said.

A Vedanta Resources spokesman said the company had no immediate
comment.

Vedanta Resources shares traded up 0.9 percent on the London stock
exchange at 21.32 pounds on the London Stock Exchange by 1032 GMT.

The council said its review extended to Vedanta subsidiaries in
India, Sterlite Industries (STRL.BO: Quote, Profile , Research),
Madras Aluminium Company (MSAL.BO: Quote, Profile , Research), Bharat
Aluminium and Vedanta Alumina, though the fund did not have direct
holdings in those companies.

The council said it had contacted Vedanta Resources in March asking for
its comments on its draft recommendation, and, after an extension,
had given it until April 20 to respond. But the company did not
respond to its enquiry by May 15.

Last month, thousands of tribal people protested against a Vedanta
Resources alumina refinery being set up in the Lanjigarh area of
India’s Orissa state and vowed to stop the $874 million project.

Norway has earlier excluded a number of arms manufacturers, miners
and the world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart (WMT.N: Quote, Profile ,
Research), from the fund for ethical reasons. (Reporting by John Acher,
additional reporting by Eric Onstad, editing by Will Waterman)

DAVID NALBANDIAN LOOKS TO CONTINUE TORRID RUN AGAINST RAFAEL NADAL IN PARIS FINALE

Tennis-X.com, MI
Nov 4 2007

Two impressive runs will collide in Paris today as the championship
final of the BNP Paribas Masters takes place in the French capital.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will try to remain perfect in Paris, having
gone 21-0 at Roland Garros (winning it the last three years) and now
4-0 here (in his first attempt at this tournament).

David Nalbandian, currently ranked No. 21 but formerly the world’s
No. 3-ranked player, is trying to become the first player to beat
Roger Federer and Nadal at the same tournament twice while the pair
is ranked No. 1 and No. 2 (he achieved the feat en route to winning
his first ATP Masters Series shield in Madrid two weeks ago). Perhaps
fittingly, that was the first time Nalbandian and Nadal had ever
played, and the Argentine was a straight-sets winner. On Sunday,
he will chase his second ATP Masters Series title while Nadal will
seek his 10th (and fourth of the year).

NALBANDIAN FASTFACTS

Making third appearance here; fell second round in 2002 (l. to Safin)
and 2005 (l. to Haas);this year, d. Almagro, No. 14 seed Moya, top
seed Federer, No. 5 seed Ferrer and No. 10 seed Gasquet en route to
his second consecutive AMS final 2007 Highlights: W: AMS Madrid (d.

Federer); QF: Barcelona (l. Ferrer).

Comes into final of AMS Paris with 30-18 season record (22-10 on hard).

Made best performance of season two weeks ago at AMS Madrid, becoming
just second player since Becker at 1994 Stockholm to d. Top 3 players
at same tournament (d. No. 2 Nadal in quarterfinals, No. 3 Djokovic
in semifinals and No. 1 Federer in final, snapping a four-match
losing streak against the Swiss superstar); was first AMS shield;
the next week, rose from No. 25 to No. 18 in ATP Rankings but fell
first round at Basel (l. to Wawrinka).

Had reached just one quarterfinal in 15 tournaments going into
AMS Madrid, at Barcelona (d. Moya en route; l. to Ferrer); has won
back-to-back matches at six other events, however, reaching fourth
round at Australian Open (l. to Haas), AMS Indian Wells (l. to
Ljubicic) and Roland Garros (l. to Davydenko), and third rounds at
Wimbledon (l. to Baghdatis), AMS Canada (l. to Djokovic) and US Open
(l. to Ferrer in five sets after holding match point).

Is 3-0 against Top 2 players this year, beating Federer and Nadal
at AMS Madrid two weeks ago and Federer again this week; he is 8-11
lifetime against the Top 2, five of those victories coming against
Federer, one against Roddick, one against Hewitt and one against Nadal.

Comes from Cordoba, the second-largest city in Argentina; his Armenian
grandfather built a cement court in his backyard, where David learned
to play against his two older brothers.

Compiled outstanding junior results, winning 1998 US Open title
(d. Federer) and finishing runner-up at 1999 Roland Garros (l. to
Coria); won 1999 Wimbledon doubles title (w/Coria).

Biggest of six career ATP singles titles came at Tennis Masters Cup
in 2005 (l. to Federer in round robin portion but made it to final
anyway, then d. Federer in fifth set tie-break after coming back from
two-sets-to-love down) and AMS Madrid two weeks ago (d. Federer in
final); has seven career wins over Federer (is 8-8 lifetime against
the Swiss, which began as 5-0 but Federer has won eight of their last
11 matches).

NADAL FASTFACTS

Making tournament debut; after first round bye, d. unseeded players
Volandri, Wawrinka, Youzhny and Baghdatis in second round, third
round and quarters and semis, respectively 2007 Highlights: W: AMS
Indian Wells (d. Djokovic), AMS Monte-Carlo (d. Federer), Barcelona
(d. Canas), AMS Rome (d. Gonzalez), Roland Garros (d. Federer),
Stuttgart (d. Wawrinka); F: AMS Hamburg (l. Federer), Wimbledon
(l. Federer); SF: Chennai (l.

Malisse), AMS Canada (l. Djokovic); QF: Australian Open (l.

Gonzalez), Dubai (l. Youzhny), AMS Miami (l. Djokovic), Queen’s Club
(l. Mahut), AMS Madrid (l. Nalbandian).

Another incredible season from the 21-year-old Spaniard, maintaining
his World No. 2 status throughout (has not budged from the No. 2 spot
since first rising to it on July 25, 2005).

Comes into AMS Paris final 68-12 on the year (29-9 on hard), with
six titles in eight finals.

Best results have come on clay courts, going 31-1 (capturing five of
his six season titles at AMS Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, AMS Rome, Roland
Garros and Stuttgart; his only loss on the surface came to Federer in
Hamburg final, snapping a record 81-match clay court winning streak;
has won 93 of 94 clay court matches since April 2005); won Roland
Garros for third straight year, becoming first to do so since Bjorn
Borg won four in a row from 1978-1981.

His only non-clay court title this year came at AMS Indian Wells,
his fifth career hardcourt title and breaking a 12-tournament drought
(hadn’t won a title since 2006 Roland Garros).

Two-time runner-up, at Hamburg (l. to Federer; see above) and Wimbledon
(l. to Federer).

Two-time semifinalist, at Chennai (l. to Malisse) and AMS Canada
(l. to Djokovic).

Five-time quarterfinalist, incl. Australian Open (l. to Gonzalez in
first career quarterfinal at Australian Open, completing his full set
of career Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances) and AMS Miami (l. to
Djokovic just two weeks after beating him in AMS Indian Wells final).

Has fallen prior to quarterfinals only three times in now 19 events,
two of the losses caused by retirement (Sydney first round, AMS
Cincinnati second round) and the other defeat after winning three
rounds (falling to Ferrer in fourth round at US Open).

Has ranked No. 2 for a record 118 consecutive weeks (since July 25,
2005).

Has a 133-13 career record on clay (18 titles) and 97-37 mark on hard
courts (5 titles).

In 2006, became the first Spaniard to reach Wimbledon final since
Santana won it in 1966.

In 2005, won a teenage record 11 titles and became first teenager
to finish No. 2 since Boris Becker in 1986 and highest year-end ATP
Ranking ever by a Spaniard.

Has a sparkling 23-5 career record in finals (9-2 in ATP Masters
Series) with four of the losses coming to Federer (’05 Miami,
’06 Wimbledon, ’07 Hamburg, ’07 Wimbledon). (ATP Digital Services)

4/h.php

PRESS RELEASE
The Armenia Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

05.11.2007

The Armenia Fund Launches the President of the Republic Prize 2007

Yerevan, 05 November, 2007. The Armenia Fund announces launch of the
President of the Republic Prize 2007. The President of the Republic Prize is
an annual prize awarded as part of The Armenia Fund’s activities. The Prize
is sponsored by the Robert Boghossian and Sons Foundation (France). Winners
are granted with certificates, medals and monetary awards.
The Armenia Fund Executive Director Vahe Aghabegians noted the significant
input of the Robert Boghossian and Sons Foundation in promoting Armenia’s
cultural life. "The President’s Prize was and is a strong supporting factor
in developing Armenia’s scientific and cultural life. Works presented to the
competition are values in their own right," Mr. Aghabegians says.
In the nomination "Persons Having Made a Valuable Contribution to the
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide" two Prizes are awarded: one to a
citizen and/or persons with Armenian origin or Armenia-based organization,
the other to a foreigner or an overseas organization. Applications are
accepted from November 12, 2007 to February 22, 2008.
President of the Republic Prizes are also granted in the following
nominations: Natural Sciences, Technical Sciences and Information
Technologies, Physics, Medical Sciences, Arts (including architecture, fine
arts, theatre, film, photography, video art, multimedia art and art theory),
Literature and Liberal Arts and Activities Promoting Human Values.
Applications are accepted from December 3, 2007 to January 31, 2008.
The President of the Republic Youth Prize 2007 will kick off in December
2007. The Youth Prize is given in the Fine Arts and Film, Literature, and
Classical Music – Vocal and Instrumental Performance – nominations.
Applications are accepted from January 10, 2008 to February 28, 2008.
For more information visit The Armenia Fund website
( e_Prize_2007_ARM.pdf )

The Armenia Fund

PROTEST ACTION IN TBILISI MAY TURN INDEFINITE

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2007 18:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The duration of the rally organized by the Georgian
unified opposition may be indefinite, if the authorities refuse to
open dialogue, the opposition staff said. "We will wait till 6 p.m. We
drew over 100 thousand people into the street and this is the best
proof that the nation doesn’t agree with the leadership’s policy,"
said Giorgi Khaindrava, one of the opposition leaders.

Shota Rustaveli Avenue is crowded. It’s impossible to estimate the
exact number of protesters, as people continue to come. The main
demand of the opposition is pre-term parliamentary elections.

Georgian parliament speaker, Nino Burjanadze is holding consultations
with parliamentary majority.

Givi Targamadze, chairman of the committee on defense and security,
said if the situation in Georgia was like that in Ukraine, President
Saakashvili would make a similar decision. "President should know
better. But the opinions of the President and opposition differ,"
he said.

Georgian ex-President Eduard Shevarnadze called on the authorities to
seek for compromise. "Compromise should be found anyway. Bloodshed
is inadmissible. It can provoke a civil war. The government should
demonstrate patience and flexibility," he said, Novosti Georgia
reports.

Eduard Shevarnadze sent in his resignation as result of the Rose
Revolution in 2003.

LOGGING IS PROHIBITED IN NKR

KarabakhOpen
02-11-2007 10:33:07

Yesterday Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan held a meeting of government
on forestry. The government decided to reorganize Artsakh Forest
CJSC into a non-profit organization, which will deal with forest
preservation and engineering. The organization will not do economic
activities any more. The government also affirmed the new order of
issuing forest logging license.

The prime minister voiced concern about illegal logging and instructed
the relevant agencies to make pro-active efforts for the prevention
of illegal logging. Logging will be prohibited, especially in forest
situated close to settlements. Wrongdoers will be punished severely,
the department of information and public relations of the NKR
Government reports.

IT IS UNPREDICTABLE THEREFORE WE NEED TO BE READY FOR ANYTHING

KarabakhOpen
31-10-2007 19:21:19

I think the escalation of tensions around our region has geopolitical
reasons, said Gagik Petrosyan, member of the Board of the Azat Hayrenik
Party, in an interview with Karabakh-Open.com.

"First and foremost, it is control over regions of carbohydrates and
the routes of transportation of carbohydrates. Secondly, the nuclear
program of Iran which I think should be aimed at peaceful development
of atom. Thirdly, it is the wish to keep the U.S. troops in the region
and increase the contingent. Fourthly, it is an effort to create
a Kurdish state in the territories of Iran, Turkey and Syria which
will close the issue of the Armenian and Turkish border forever and
will become a precondition for Iran’s involvement in war. Finally,
it is shift of the focus and concentration of world powers from other
regions to this," Gagik Petrosyan says.

"Unfortunately, I have to note that the activity about the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. House, the support of the Jewish
organizations of the U.S. relate to the developments in the region.

In this context I do not rule out a war, an unfair resolution of the
issue, deployment of the NATO troops in Azerbaijan, a flow of refugees
from Iran.

It is unpredictable therefore we need to be ready for anything,"
Gagik Petrosyan says.

TER-PETROSIAN: IS ARMENIA READY FOR A COMEBACK?
Marianna Grigoryan

EurasiaNet, NY
Oct 30 2007

Both in public and in private, one question has dominated conversations
in Armenia over the past month: Will Levon Ter-Petrosian’s return to
politics prove a true comeback?

While Ter-Petrosian’s chances for success in next year’s presidential
elections remain uncertain, an upsurge of popular interest in the
62-year-old ex-president and support for his reelection campaign
suggest that Armenia’s political field is changing fast.

"He is the most pivotal statesman and politician in Armenia’s political
life and has no competitors in this sense," argued political analyst
Suren Sureniants, a member of the political council of the opposition
Republic (Hanrapetutiun) Party.

Charisma, intellect and hands-on experience are the attributes used to
tout Ter-Petrosian, yet no opinion polls have been taken on how voters
compare these attributes with those of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian,
the government’s projected presidential candidate. Aharon Adibekian,
the head of the independent polling center Sociometer, said that a
survey run in January 2007 gave the former president a "rather low"
assessment, but added that "everything is still ahead and we cannot
draw a conclusion yet." Polls on the question are expected "in the
near future," he said.

For now, though, the lack of hard data to back up their hopes for
a Ter-Petrosian win does not disturb the opposition. Reactions to
Ter-Petrosian’s candidacy may vary, commented Sureniants, but, for
the opposition, the ex-president’s return to politics "is perhaps an
exclusive chance to get noticed."

The October 26 demonstration at which Ter-Petrosian announced his
candidacy arguably marked the beginning of a new period for the
opposition, elaborated one rank-and-file supporter. "I think that was
an historical moment," translator Hakob Mkrtchian said. "We have waited
long for him to return to politics. I think his statement opened a new
page in Armenia’s dull political life." Sixty-year-old doctor Laura
Harutiunian agreed. With a candidate that has "the respect of many
intellectuals," she said, voters can "finally make a choice." [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"I think that a new opposition movement has been formed and
consolidated around Levon Ter-Petrosian and, if it takes more actions
in the future, it will convince many to follow," said pro-opposition
columnist Tigran Paskevichian.

A first step should be deciding on a response to what the opposition
terms a "news blockade" by public television and other television
stations against stories about Ter-Petrosian’s campaign and the
October 26 rally, Paskevichian said.

Many supporters agree. A report by public television about the
demonstration showed the square in downtown Yerevan where thousands had
gathered to hear Ter-Petrosian speak as "half-empty," related teacher
Narine Hakobian, who attended the rally. "The report alternated with
black-and-white footage showing ‘what terrible years we had’ under the
first president. What is being done by the authorities is not honest,
I think."

One public television employee has dismissed the criticism. "And
why should public TV show what you want? Our camera showed what was
taking place," asserted Haroutiun Haroutiunian, director of Armenian
Public Television’s Haylur news program.

Political analyst Alexander Iskandarian, however, contends that
a television blockade will have little effect on Ter-Petrosian’s
campaign.

"If the authorities try their chances with television broadcasts,
which is not ruled out, then the struggle will pass to the streets.

…. The field of struggle will be through public rallies," he said.

"And in that field, Ter-Petrosian feels quite confident, as he is an
experienced public figure. "

However, political analyst Aris Ghazinian argues that other images
could well tarnish that of Ter-Petrosian as the crowd-pleasing leader
of Armenia’s Soviet-era nationalist movement.

"Ter-Petrosian’s tactic was like the tactic followed by the leader
of Soviet Armenia, Karen Demirchian. He also stayed in voluntary
retirement for 10 years and it was during that period that his image
became legendary and he turned into an epic national hero," Ghazinian
said. "But, unlike Demirchian, Ter-Petrosian does not have the same
resource of nostalgia, the memories of the secure … peaceful and
satisfied Soviet past."

For many voters, other analysts agree, Ter-Petrosian’s rule from 1991
to 1998 is identified with the simultaneous crises of war, economic
depression and electricity shortages — a combination that brought
the newly independent state to the brink of collapse. Pro-government
media has been touting roughly the same line for the past month, with
regular television programs and pro-government newspaper commentaries
reexamining the difficulties of the early post-Soviet period.

"Why do I need Ter-Petrosian’s return [to power]?" asked Yerevan taxi
driver Artush Mkrtchian. "Are we so satisfied with our life today
that we want to return to the dark and cold years?"

Attacking the government will do little to change that impression,
argues parliamentarian Armen Ashotian of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia. "We don’t see Levon Ter-Petrosian as a new fresh force and,
in fact, there is nothing new in what he says."

As have other pro-government lawmakers, Ashotian expressed "full
confidence" in Prime Minister Sarkisian’s ability to prevail at
the polls.

To political analyst Iskandarian, though, Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian
are evenly matched. "The struggle will be not only between the
two ideologies, between the two figures, but between two methods of
struggle," he said. "What is important is which of the two the public
will believe."

Editor’s Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a deputy editor for the
independent ArmeniaNow weekly in Yerevan.