Author: Chmshkian Vicken

ARMENIA CAN SUSTAIN ONE SCIENTIFIC SYSTEM
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 9 2006
Armenia has delayed considerably the reform in science, stated the
economist Edward Aghajanov November 9 at the Pastark Club. For the
new policy on the scientific reform, Edward Aghajanov said he is not
acquainted with this policy because he was not invited to cooperate
on working it out. However, the economist thinks that the financial
possibilities of Armenia does not allow having both academic and
university science.
“Armenia is a poor country. I think Armenia needs a system of
scientific education. In order not to demolish the Academy, and not
to destroy and cause a painful transition, I think institutions of
scientific educational should be established, which combine both
science and education,” says the economist.

AZERBAIJAN INTERESTED IN DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH POLAND
Author: S. Aghayeva
TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 8 2006
“Azerbaijan is interested in the development of bilateral relations
with Poland”, Ogtay Assadov, Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan’s
Parliament), said during the today’s meeting with Bogdan Borusevich,
Speaker of Poland’s Senate, Trend reports.
He expressed his confidence that his present visit to Azerbaijan
would give an impetus to the further development in bilateral
relations between the two countries. According to the Azerbaijani
Speaker, these relations began as far back as the beginning of the
last century. Mr. Assadov expressed his gratitude to the Polish
guest for the Polish support to Azerbaijan’s fair position in the
Azerbaijani-Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Poland and Azerbaijan
are friendly nations, and the present visit must serve developing both
parliamentary and bilateral relations in al spheres of cooperation
between the two countries.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: IF FOREIGN MINISTERS WILL RESULT WELL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET WITH ILHAM ALIYEV
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 8 2006
2006 is convenient year for Azerbaijan and Armenia to solve Nagorno
Garabagh conflict, because any elections are held during this year,”
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said during his meeting with the
representatives of Armenian community in Astana, APA reports.
He did not rule out his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev in Minsk
Summit in late November.
“If foreign ministers talks will result well, we will be able to
meet with the president. My last meeting with the president was not
optimistic and it seems to me that the conflict will not resolved in
2006,” Robert Kocharyan said.

Rocklin & Rosevill Today
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
California gains clout with House switchover
Wednesday, November 08, 2006 / MICHAEL DOYLE (McClatchy Newspapers)
WASHINGTON — Parochially speaking, the Republicans’ Capitol Hill loss
could be California’s gain.
When the 110th Congress is sworn in next January, a Californian will
hold the most powerful position in the House of Representatives. At
least 17 other California House Democrats are likewise poised by dint
of seniority to chair committees or subcommittees.
“It’s always great to have people in leadership, from either party,
from your state,” noted Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced.
The full impact of Tuesday’s election will unfold over time, as House
Democrats adjust to their newfound majority status. There will be
unforeseeable ripple effects, as one change begets another.
“There’s a lot of jockeying that’s going to happen before the end of
the year,” Cardoza said.
Still, the ascension of Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco to House
speaker will give the Golden State considerable clout. She will be the
first Californian to take the House’s top job, as well as the first
woman.
As speaker, Pelosi will direct what bills reach the House floor. She
picks who gets plum assignments. She appoints House negotiators who
compromise with the Senate. She will be in earmark heaven, shaping
legislative bottom lines to her own satisfaction.
“It’s a big step forward,” said Vic Fazio, a Washington lobbyist who
formerly represented the Sacramento Valley in the House. “For the
region, it’s actually quite good.”
Pelosi’s top lieutenants are likewise attuned to California’s
appetites. They include close advisers like Rep. George Miller,
D-Concord, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Eureka. Pelosi’s chief of staff,
John Lawrence, holds a doctorate in history from the University of
California at Berkeley and cut his political teeth with Central Valley
water politics.
Californians will chair at least five full committees, if seniority
prevails.
Miller will take over the House Education and the Workforce
Committee. Even the committee’s name might change. When Democrats
previously controlled Congress, they symbolically saluted their union
allies by calling the panel the Education and Labor Committee.
More substantively, Pelosi has promised that within the “first 100
hours” of the new Congress, Democrats will emphasize six priorities
that include increasing the national minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, up
from the current $5.15. California’s current minimum wage is $6.75 an
hour.
The wage hike could still founder amid Senate and White House
resistance. So could other House Democratic priorities, like the
costly proposal to screen 100 percent of the 7 million-plus ocean
cargo containers that arrive annually in Oakland, Long Beach and the
nation’s other ports.
Currently, inspectors reach only about 5 percent of seaborne
containers entering the United States.
“It is realistic to set out an agenda,” said Tim Ransdell, executive
director of the California Institute for Federal Policy Studies. “It
is less realistic to think that every item on a grand wish list can be
achieved.”
Another Bay Area lawmaker, Rep. Tom Lantos of San Mateo, is the senior
Democrat on the House International Relations Committee. The panel
will certainly become a forum for critiquing Iraq policies. More
narrowly, fresh hearings are likely for ethnic political disputes,
such as an Armenian genocide resolution favored by San Joaquin Valley
lawmakers.
The House Government Reform Committee under Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los
Angeles, will aggressively investigate the Bush
administration. Californians are likewise in line to chair committees
handling ethics and House administration.
The state’s defense industry is watching whether Los Angeles Democrat
Jane Harman will head the House intelligence panel. She has the
seniority and is lobbying hard, but she’s at odds with Pelosi, who
handpicks the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Besides committees, power will flow anew to certain coalitions.
Cardoza and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, are among 37 members of the Blue
Dog coalition. The centrist Democrats seek more influence, bridging
the gap between Democratic liberals and moderate Republicans.
“We will have to shift into defensive mode,” said Rep. Devin Nunes,
R-Visalia. “This will mean working in a coalition with the Blue Dogs,
to stop bad things for the Valley from coming through.”
California is also losing some stature. The House water and power
subcommittee responsible for shepherding a San Joaquin River
settlement bill, for instance, is now passing from the hands of
Republican Rep. George Radanovich of Mariposa.
“I think the Valley agenda will be the same,” predicted Rep. Richard
Pombo, R-Tracy, “but it will be much harder to get things done.”
(Distributed by Scripps-McClatchy Western Service.)

BORUSEWICZ: POLAND SUPPORTS TURKEY IN EU ACCESSION
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.11.2006 16:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Poland may become a mediator in improving the
Armenian-Turkish relations, however bilateral agreement of the parties
is necessary to that end, Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz
stated November 7. In his words, Polish leadership offered it to
Turkey and there are positive responses from the Armenian party
over the matter. “Turkey and Armenia have mutual interests and there
is a need to present these now,” the Marshal noted. Remarking that
Poland supports Turkey in EU accession, Borusewicz underscored that
Turkey’s accession to the EU issues also from interests of Armenia. In
his turn Armenian Speaker Tigran Torosyan also noted that Turkey’s
accession to the EU is in line with Armenia’s interests, as if it is
the case the Turkish party assumes the obligation to follow democratic
principles. Moreover, Torosyan added, it is hard to imagine Turkey
joining the EU having closed borders with a friendly country to the
EU, reports IA Regnum.

ARMENIA EYES INCREASE IN MILITARY AND SOCIAL SPENDING
By Ruzanna Khachatrian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 6 2006
Armenia is set to increase its military spending by almost 39 percent
next year, officials said after closed discussions of the 2007 draft
budget in parliament on Monday.
Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian said the allocation of some $285
million to the defense sphere could not be compared to neighboring
Azerbaijan’s $1 billion military spending, but “is enough if managed
well and expended purposefully.”
In an RFE/RL interview First Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance
Pavel Safarian called next year’s budget socially oriented despite
the drastic increase in military spending. “It is not the year-to-year
spending increase in a separate sphere that characterizes the nature
of the budget, but the share this sphere has in the overall budget,”
the deputy minister said.
A total of 198 billion drams (around $555 million) in the $1.48 billion
budget are envisaged for all social spheres, including education,
public health and pensions, against 102 billion drams (around $285
million) to be spent for the Armenian military and law-enforcement
agencies.
According to Safarian, a total of some 20 percent increase is planned
in social spending, with the largest share of this increase to fall
on healthcare.
Last week Freedom House urged the U.S. administration to withhold
promised economic assistance to Armenia which it believes has failed
to meet “reasonable standards” for democracy and civil liberties.
The New York-based leading human rights organization charged that
the Armenian government has been “backsliding on promised reforms”.
The Corporation is set to approve the list of nations eligible for
that aid on Wednesday.
Armenia’s Minister of Economy and Finance Vartan Khachatrian, who on
behalf of the Armenian government signed a $235.6 million MCA compact
with the scheme managing Millennium Challenge Corporation last March,
downplays the impact of the Freedom House findings and hopes the
Corporation will not suspend the program.
“I think we don’t have problems. Freedom House studies only two
indexes in one of the three blocks of questions. The decision to be
made will not be based on Freedom House evaluations only, opinions
of other NGOs will be compared and a final decision will be made,”
the minister told RFE/RL.
The promised U.S. aid would be used for upgrading Armenia’s battered
irrigation networks and rural roads. Officials say the vast majority
of approximately one million Armenians dependent on farming would
directly benefit from that.
Khachatrian says at least $12 million of the expected allocations
have been considered in the 2007 budget expenditure pattern.

Freedom House (press release), DC
Nov 3 2006

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Amanda Abrams

Millennium Challenge Corporation Should Hold Countries to Higher
Standards of Democratic Governance

Washington, D.C.,November 2, 2006
The American government should withhold foreign assistance under the
Millennium Challenge Account from countries which fail to meet
reasonable standards of political rights and civil liberties, Freedom
House said today.
On November 8, the MCC Board of Directors will select governments
eligible to apply for assistance in fiscal year 2007. Freedom House
urges the MCC to bypass those countries with low scores on political
rights and civil liberties that otherwise meet the eligibility
criteria – namely Armenia, Bhutan, Egypt, Jordan, Maldives, Tunisia
and Vietnam – during this year’s selection process.
Additionally, Freedom House urges the MCC to rigorously follow up
with those countries, like Armenia, that have been awarded compacts
but have not met promised benchmarks in the area of democratic
governance. Armenia is an important test case of MCC policy, as it
signed a compact with the MCC earlier this year but has been
backsliding on promised reforms since the agreement was signed.
“Freedom House strongly supports the MCC’s efforts to reduce poverty
by rewarding sound policies,” said Jennifer Windsor, Executive
Director of Freedom House. “However, because democratic governance
plays such a key role in enabling broader social and economic
development, it is vital–if the fund is to be truly effective–that
only those governments that have demonstrated commitment to democracy
and human rights be eligible to receive MCC funds,” she added.
Currently, countries qualify for MCC funding based on their
performance on three baskets of indicators that measure “ruling
justly,” “investing in people,” and “economic freedom.” At a minimum,
a country needs to perform above average in half of the indicators in
each of these three categories to qualify for the funds. However,
because the agency views corruption as such a serious obstacle to
development, a score below average in corruption automatically
eliminates a country from consideration for the pool of eligible
countries.
Freedom House encourages the MCC to consider officially amending the
eligibility process to automatically disqualify any country that
falls below the equivalent of a 4 (out of a worst possible 7) on
Freedom House’s index of civil liberties and political rights, which
is used by the MCC to determine a country’s level of democratic
governance.
“Democratic governance is fundamental to development and can have an
enormous effect on a country’s future growth. Like anti-corruption
efforts, therefore, it should be treated as a priority among
priorities by the MCC,” said Christopher Walker, Director of Studies
at Freedom House. “On occasion, the MCC Board has exercised
discretion to eliminate from consideration some of the worst
democratic underachievers, and Freedom House would like to see this
prioritization formalized as an official standard,” he added.

Based on the published MCC scorecards for 2007, Armenia, Bhutan,
Egypt, Jordan, Maldives, Tunisia and Vietnam officially pass the MCC
criteria even though they fall below the equivalent of a 4 on Freedom
House’s index of political rights and civil liberties.
Armenia
Armenia has failed in its pledge made to the MCC to improve its
institutional commitment to democracy and tolerance of opposition.
Allegations of fraud in the November 2005 constitutional referendum
have not been investigated, as called for by Ambassador Danilovich,
Chief Executive Officer of the MCC. Implementation of the
referendum’s tepid reforms stalled in 2006, and the opposition
expects upcoming parliamentary elections to once again be marred by
fraud. Multiple anti-democratic methods are used to maintain a hold
on power, including the following:
Election fraud characterized both the presidential and parliamentary
elections of 2003 and the constitutional referendum of 2005.
Harassment of opposition supporters, ballot box stuffing, and
inflated turnout figures were among the methods used, and the
elections were denounced by European observers.
The judicial branch remains subject to political pressure from the
executive branch and suffers from considerable corruption, while
proposed reforms have not been implemented.
While new legislation to improve media independence was passed, the
Armenian media climate has not improved and violent attacks on
journalists continue.
Freedom in the World 2006: Armenia
age=22&year06&country=6912
Countries at the Crossroads 2006: Armenia
age=140&edition=7&ccrpage=31&ccrcountr y=109
For other countries, click on the link
=70&release=435

BY PROGNOSIS OF Jane’s RESEARCH CENTER, KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
TO 2009 IS “VERY UNLIKELY”
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia Nov 3 2006
By prognosis of the authoritative Jane’s Research Center, the
Karabakh conflict settlement to 2009 is “very unlikely, “Svoboda”
Radio Station reports.
According to the source, in the opinion of the Center’s experts, the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia will hardly reach a consensus,
despite some encouraging signs, even if they meet again this year.
According to experts, “since no side wishes to make concessions in
such a delicate issue in electoral years, reaching of consensus
till 2009 is very unlikely “. In their opinion, the probability
of Armenian-Azerbaijan war, which is not so great at present, may
increase with time.

ARMENIAN POLLS SHOW VARYING PUBLIC OPINION TO PRESSING ISSUES
Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
The results of an opinion poll carried out by the Baltic Surveys/
The Gallup Organization among 1,200 Armenian residents from 31 July
to 10 August on order of the US International Republican Institute
(IRI) were made public this week, Mediamax has said. The first opinion
poll was carried out by the Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization
in Armenia in May 2006. The aim of the opinion pools were to compare
their findings and determine differences in public opinion regarding
to foreign policy issues and the Karabakh conflict. The following is
an excerpt from report entitled “Foreign policy preferences of the
Armenian residents” in Russian, published by Armenian news agency
Mediamax; subheadings as published:
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
A total of 75 per cent of Armenians polled in August and 75 per cent
in May said they considered the swift settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem “very important”. This stability shows that despite
statements made in Armenia from time to time that the preservation
of the existing status-quo is in favour of Armenia, the overwhelming
majority of the country’s residents believe that the non-settlement
of the conflict dissembles a myriad of threats. Anyway, like in May,
only two per cent of the respondents said that a quick settlement of
the Karabakh problem was “not very important”.
There were no significant changes in the views of Armenia’s residents
on ways of settling the conflict. A total of 39 per cent of those
polled in August consider that Nagornyy Karabakh should be an ordinary
region of Armenia without the right to an autonomy. In May, 41 per
cent of those polled supported this opinion. Some 27 per cent of the
respondents of the second survey said that Nagornyy Karabakh should
become an autonomy under Armenia. In spring, 31 per cent of the polled
supported this option.
Thirty-three per cent of respondents polled in August consider that
Nagornyy Karabakh should become an independent state. In May, 27 per
cent supported this idea.
None of the respondents in the both surveys supported the idea of
Nagornyy Karabakh being part of Azerbaijan.
The overwhelming majority of Armenian residents believe that the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict should be resolved peacefully. In August,
82 per cent of the polled supported a peaceful settlement to the
conflict, in May, this totalled 85 per cent.
Relations with Russia
Over 90 per cent of the respondents in both opinion polls answered
positively to the question of “Do you think Russia is a reliable ally
of Armenia?”. In August, 46 per cent of the polled answered “yes”
to this question, in May 45 per cent. A total of 44 per cent of the
polled in August answered “probably, yes”. This was 42 per cent in May.
Answers of Armenia’s residents to the question of “Does the presence
of Russian military bases in Armenia have a positive or negative
influence on Armenia’s independence and stability in the country?”
was interesting.
Sixty-seven per cent of the polled in August consider this influence
positive, but this figure was 66 per cent in May. Two per cent of
those polled gave a negative assessment. Not least significance were
answers of those who found it difficult to give definite answers.
Some 15 per cent of those polled in August consider that the presence
of the Russian military bases in Armenia has neither positive nor
negative influence on Armenia’s independence (16 per cent in May),
and 12 per cent consider that the military bases have both positive
and negative influence (11 per cent in May)
Relations with NATO and European Union
The number of supporters of Armenia’s joining NATO have increased
by two per cent as compared to the survey carried out in May,
and amounted to 42 per cent. If in May, the number of supporters of
Armenia’s membership of NATO was 10 per cent of the polled, in August,
this number dropped and totalled 7 per cent. Instead, the number of
respondents who do not rule out the possibility of Armenia’s membership
of NATO in future increased from 30 to 35 per cent.
It is interesting that the number of strong opponents of Armenia’s
membership of the North Atlantic Alliance dropped considerably. In
May this number was 17 per cent but in August this number decreased
almost twice, and amounted to 9 per cent.
The number of supporters of Armenia’s joining the EU grow steadily.
In May 80 per cent of the polled were in favour of Armenia’s joining
the EU, in August, this number reached 84 per cent.
Iran’s nuclear programme
In May, 56 per cent of the polled in Armenia supported efforts of the
USA, the EU and Russia to prevent Iran from its aspiration to possess
nuclear weapons. In August, the number of those polled increased
by 65 per cent. In May, 11 per cent of the polled were against the
international efforts concerning Iran, in August, this number fell
7 per cent.

Moscow Nationalists to Rally in spite of Ban
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.11.2006 14:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 2 the whole day Moscow officials were
discussing the firm intention of organizers of Russian March to hold
that measure in the Moscow metro in spite of the ban. As a result the
authorities said they will take steps not to admit the nationalist
action. However, neither the organizers, nor the participants of the
future rally were intimidated and kept open discussion on where and
how to gather. Moreover, it appeared that there may be at least two
“nationalist events” in the capital. Worried by the attention of
authorities to the Russian march, fascist and skinhead groupings
decided to do it in a different way.
Tuesday Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov prohibited the holding of the
Russian March in Moscow November 4.
Thus, the organizers – the Movement against Illegal Migration
(MAIM) decided to gather in one of the metro largest stations –
Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya instead of the street, as “the authorities
cannot close it and working on the platform would be difficult to
law-enforcers.” After a certain number of participants arrive, the
organizers intend to announce the destination for holding the march,
stated MAIM leader Alexander Belov.
Owing to the stir a number of nationalist organizations refused from
participation n the event.
Lately members of those groups discussed their plans for November 4 in
Internet forums. Fascists decided not to go to the metro in order not
to appear on tracing cameras. They will probably visit an authorized
meeting of liberals on the Bolotnaya Square. The organizers of “the
alternative measure” urge their brothers-in-arms to go and “explain
to liberals why they are wrong.”
At that long-standing national patriots urged their colleagues to be
careful, as well as to come to the rally not in “organized crowds,”
not to shout slogans and dress in a simple manner to avoid militia
suspicion, reports Vremya Novostey.