Author: Elizabeth Jabejian

Euractiv, Belgium
July 5 2005
MEPs support “rigorous” negotiating framework with Turkey
In Short:
The EU will stick to its commitments and will not change the
conditions for opening accession talks with Turkey, Commissioner Rehn
has told MEPs. “Let us give Turkey the opportunity to prove itself,”
he added.
MEPs on the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee were generally
supportive of the Commission’s negotiating framework with Turkey when
on 4 July they met with Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. Several
MEPs stressed the need for Turkey to achieve real and visible
progress in the fields of human rights, women’s rights, religious
freedom and Cyprus. They agreed with Rehn that Turkey has to
translate all its words into deeds.
According to Rehn, Turkey is set to extend its customs union to the
EU-10 states, including Cyprus, this summer. At the same time, Turkey
and Cyprus would have to continue working on opening bilateral trade
and economic relations, he said. Furthermore, Ankara will have to
normalise its ties and open its borders with Armenia. However,
recognition of the events of 1915-1916 is not a precondition for
opening accession talks with Turkey, said Rehn.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 17:54:40 | 04-07-2005 | Official |
PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATES
Today the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan delivered a congratulating
message in connection with the 10th anniversary of the RA Constitution.
«The past ten years showed that being adopted in a hard period for our
country the first Constitution of the Republic of Armenia fulfilled its
mission contributing to the realization of the statehood of our country,
securing the internal and external stability of our country and the process
in gradual integration into the civilized world.
The course of development of our country and society, the new demands of
life showed the necessity of reforming the main law. The political powers of
the country, together with the society carried out work for our main law to
correspond to the international criteria. These works are in the finals
stage and will soon be represented to the people.
I congratulate you on the 10th anniversary of our Constitution and I hope
the reformed Constitution will deserve your confidence in the fall
referendum as the previous one did 10 years ago».

MAJOR TASK AT GIVEN STAGE OF SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT IS STRENGTHENING OF CEASE-FIRE: V.KAZIMIROV
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. The major task at the given stage of
settlement of Karabakh conflict is strengthening of cease-fire and
guarantee that military actions will not be resumed, the former
co-chair of OSCE MG Vladimir Kazimirov tells APA.
He says the opening of communications is, indeed, important, but it
is not of the most important ones. The circumstance that despite the
confidentiality of negotiations, initiatives were made public
testifies to the focus on the external effect and not fundamental
developmental work with Armenians, Kazimirov thinks. ‘For over 17
years Azerbaijan had strictly blocked Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia
and inclined Turkey and other states to it despite the calls of
international structures. Is it easy to believe in a readiness for a
sharp change at present?’ Kazimirov asked. Giving a positive
assessment of the proposal on contacts with Nagorny Karabakh,
Kazimirov says that aspiration to bring everything to a dialogue at a
level of communities once more confirms the unwillingness to resume a
direct contact Baku-Stepanakert. Karabakh is a conflicting party and
it can be seen in international documents and a number of agreements
of 1993-94 on restriction and stoppage of military actions, Kazimirov
says. In his words, neither the road nor the oil pipeline can
guarantee that military actions will not be resumed, but they can
contribute to it indirectly.
As regards the expected involvement of experts into the negotiation
process, Kazimirov called it inevitable when ideas agreed on must be
put on paper, adding that “it will open a new line of difficulties in
the process of formulation and details. Sometimes, there is a
temptation to escape with general mutually- acceptable formulas, but
it will save from disagreements only for some period of time.
Shrotly, experts will have must uneasy work to do,” Kazimirov thinks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
June 20 2005
School hate crimes spike
LAUSD police report that incidents have quadrupled in past decade
By Naush Boghossian and Lisa M. Sodders, Staff Writers
Hate crimes in Los Angeles’ public schools have surged more than 300
percent over the past decade — the highest growth rate of all campus
crimes, fueling concerns about racial tensions in the nation’s
second-largest school district.
Nearly all of the 52 hate crimes reported in the 2003-04 school year
were racially motivated, up from 12 in 1995-96, according to the
latest figures available from Los Angeles Unified School District
police.
In recent months, officials have continued to grapple with
race-related issues, including a spate of high-profile campus brawls
at Jefferson and Taft high schools and an e-mailed threat of
race-related gang violence that kept hundreds of kids out of dozens
of schools.
While some civic leaders fear that the tensions could spread into the
broader community, school officials say it is simply a reflection of
stresses that already exist in the community.
“It’s always been there, but schools are getting more diverse and
ethnic tensions are growing and we have to deal with it. But there’s
so much ethnic conflict in the city. If we don’t get together and
talk about this in a responsible way, we’re going to be the lesser
for it,” said Sheila Roth, student cabinet adviser at Taft High
School, where fights in May prompted a massive police response and a
campus lockdown.
“And, what do you expect when you throw 3,700 kids in a school
designed for 2,400?”
Officials note that it’s not just race-related incidents that are
increasing. According to LAUSD crime statistics, weapons possessions
rose 18 percent in the last three years, to 646 in 2003-04;
robbery/extortion arrests rose 35 percent, to 345 last year;
loitering/trespassing arrests increased by nearly 26 percent to 545.
District officials attribute the increases partly to better
reporting. But they also have moved to make school safety a priority.
“I think there are some ethnic and cultural tensions, and those
emanate in the community, oftentimes in the homes. It’s a school’s
job to do the best they can to defuse that kind of attitude and
that’s what we have to work on and we have to work on it with other
agencies,” said LAUSD’s Chief Operating Officer Dan Isaacs.
“Our schools are much safer than the communities in which they rest,
but we want to address the issues that occur in society and
oftentimes spill over into our schools.”
Superintendent Roy Romer has authorized $3.7 million over three years
to increase school police staff by 30, and $4.3 million to add more
than 130 safety aides to assist with supervision programs at
secondary schools.
The district is working on a systemwide discipline policy and has
established “safe zones” around some schools to combat gang violence.
Efforts also are set for elementary and middle schools, where the
district wants to teach students about cultural and ethnic
sensitivities and how to resolve disputes better.
LAUSD reflects a national trend of rising campus violence, said
Delbert Elliott, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention
of Violence at the University of Colorado.
There were 48 reported school deaths — including suicide and
homicide — in 2003-04 — the highest number ever recorded, Elliott
said. That compared with 17 in 2001-02 and 16 in 2002-03.
The number of students involved and injured in fights also is up, as
well as students being threatened or injured by a weapon.
“It looks like we’re seeing a reversal of trends. We saw a bottoming
out in 2001, but there’s not only more homicides, more fights, more
injury, and carrying a weapon is going back up again,” Elliott said.
“The evidence is pretty clear that we’re seeing escalating levels of
violence at elementary and secondary schools. So something’s going on
that’s creating very, very high rates of very serious violence.”
Overcrowding and increasingly diverse campuses are seen as key
factors for the rising tensions, according to parents, teachers and
students.
The national average of students per teacher and counselor is 16 but
in many LAUSD schools it’s more than 25 students per teacher, said
John Rogers, associate director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy,
Education and Access.
LAUSD is in the middle of a $14 billion construction program designed
to ease overcrowding, but some schools still are bursting at the
seams. California recommends 45 students per acre in secondary
schools — but many LAUSD high schools have many more, including
Jefferson High with 206 students per acre.
“The high rates of overcrowding in many schools in LAUSD and a number
of other opportunities create a climate where there are no strong
relationships between young people and adults like teachers and
counselors,” Rogers said. “And you’re packing in so many students in
one space, you’re demanding young people to negotiate their personal
space with others on an ongoing basis.”
Rogers believes a key to preventing such race-related tensions is to
make the multiracial character of the student body part of what is
studied at school and to get the community involved in leading by
example.
As officials wrestle with safety issues, some students say the fights
have simply been random, with racial tensions not playing a
significant role.
Catalina Araneda, 18, of Grant High School said that after four years
at the school, though, she may have just adjusted to the environment.
She remembers when as a freshman she thought the tension was
palpable, with Armenians and Latinos in their designated turfs on
campus.
“I don’t know if I’ve grown accustomed to it, but I think if people
actually take the time to get to know people, then there wouldn’t be
any tension,” Araneda said. “I’m Hispanic and I have Armenian
friends.”
But Grant freshman Sheldon Flores said he feels racial tensions are
definitely growing.
“More people of different races are coming to this school, and
they’re starting fights and stuff,” said Flores, 15, who’s black.
School board President Jose Huizar believes the district has a
responsibility to be better prepared to prevent large-scale fights.
Ethnic tensions have always existed, but not at this intensity and
frequency, Huizar said — a problem that could spill into the
community if left unchecked.
“The bigger question is: Is this a prelude to what the city of Los
Angeles will be facing in the next five to 10 years — these same
types of issues on the city streets?” Huizar said. “We need to help
them deal with the issues at schools or the city has to prepare
itself.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Bundestags-Resolution hässlich
Passauer Neue Presse – 18.06.05 03:34 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat Bundeskanzler
Gerhard Schröder mit scharfen Worten dafür kritisiert, dass er die
Bundestagsentschließung zu Massakern an Armeniern im Osmanischen Reich nicht verhindert habe.
Die Entschließung nannte … … Bei Massakern hatten Türken 1915/1916über
eine Million Armenier getötet, Tausende wurden vertrieben. Das damals mitdem
Osmanischen Reich …
Der Völkermord an den Armeniern
FNP – 17.06.05 21:53 Uhr
Berlin. Der Bundestag hat mit den Stimmen aller Fraktionen eine Entschließung
zum Gedenken an die türkischen Massaker an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915
verabschiedet. Die Menschenrechtskommission der UN hat die der Türkei zurLast
gelegten Gräueltaten an den … … Schweiz und die Niederlande. Der für die
Armenier erste Völkermord des 20. Jahrhunderts begann mit dem Ausbruch des Ersten
Weltkrieges. Weil …
Genozid-Streit: Türkei attackiert den Kanzler
N24 – 17.06.05 21:39 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat Bundeskanzler
Gerhard Schröder mit scharfen Worten dafür kritisiert, dass er die
Bundestagsentschließung zu Massakern an Armeniern im Osmanischen Reich nicht verhindert habe.
Erdogan erklärte am Freitag, … … In der heutigen Türkei leugne niemand die
Leiden der Armenier, die Tragödien während der Zwangsumsiedlung sowie die
Verantwortung der …
Ankara bestellt deutschen Gesandten ein
FNP – 17.06.05 20:14 Uhr
Ankara/Berlin. Aus Verärgerung über eine gemeinsame Entschließung aller
Fraktionen im deutschen Bundestag zu den türkischen Massakern an den Armeniern im
Ersten Weltkrieg wurde der Gesandte der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara gestern
ins türkische … … dass die Taten der jungtürkischen Regierung zur fast
vollständigen Vernichtung der Armenier in Anatolien geführt habe. In der
Begründung …
Erdogan nennt Schröder rückgratlos
Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten – 17.06.05 20:08 Uhr
Berlin/Istanbul – Mit einer scharfen persönlichen Attacke auf Kanzler Gerhard
Schröder hat der türkische Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan auf den
Bundestagsbeschluss zu den Massakern 1915/16 an den Armeniern reagiert. Ihmseien Politiker
mit Rückgrat lieber, sagte … … nachdem der Bundestag der im Osmanischen
Reich getöteten Armenier gedacht hatte. Noch Anfang Mai habe Schröder bei
seinem Besuch in der Türkei …
Türkei verärgert über Armenien-Resolution
Netzeitung – 17.06.05 19:24 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan nennt die Bundestagsentschließung zu
den Massakern an den Armeniern falsch und hässlich . Vor der deutschen
Botschaft in Ankara kam es zu Tumulten. … In der heutigen Türkei leugneniemand die
Leiden der Armenier, die Tragödien während der Zwangsumsiedlung sowie die
Verantwortung der …
Völkermord als Fußnote
Berliner Zeitung – 17.06.05 18:15 Uhr
Der Bundestag hat nach langem Ringen um die Worte nun doch noch eine
Entschließung über die Vernichtung großer Teile des armenischen Volkes verabschiedet,
die vor 90 Jahren während des ersten Weltkriegs im Osmanischen Reich … … 5
Millionen Armenier gedacht, die in der Folge planmäßiger und systematischer
ethnischer Säuberungen ums Leben kamen. Gleichzeitig wird …
Erdogan kritisiert Schröder in der Armenienfrage
Welt – 17.06.05 17:38 Uhr
Ankara/Berlin – Der türkische Ministerpräsident Tayyip Erdogan hat
Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder für die Bundestags-Resolution zum Massenmord an den
Armeniern kritisiert und ihm indirekt mangelndes Rückgrat vorgeworfen. Die
Bundesregierung bezeichnet die … … in dem die Armenier die russischen
Invasionstruppen unterstützt hätten. Die EU hat die Türkei aufgefordert, vor Beginn der
…
Erdogan kritisiert Schröder wegen Armenien-Resolution Reuters.de – 17.06.05
16:35 Uhr
Türkei beweist mangelnde Reife in der Armenier-Frage | Politik | Deutsche
Welle |
Deutsche Welle – 17.06.05 17:29 Uhr
Ankara empört sich über die Armenien-Resolution des Deutschen Bundestags.
Darin wird die Türkei aufgefordert, die Verantwortung für die Vertreibungen und
Massaker an den Armeniern vor 90 Jahren zu übernehmen. Das Ausmaß der Massaker
und Deportationen 1915 … … wie viele Armenier vor 90 Jahren im Osmanischen
Reich getötet wurden. Hunderttausende waren es gewiss, vielleicht auchüber
eine Million …
Erdogan kritisiert Schröder: Kein Rückgrat
FAZ – 17.06.05 17:00 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat den
Bundestagsbeschluß zur Armenierfrage als falsch und häßlich kritisiert. Nach der Rückkehr von
einem Besuch im Libanon äußerte sich Erdogan besonders enttäuscht von
Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder … … die fast vollständige Vernichtung der Armenier
in Anatolien vor 90 Jahren im Osmanischen Reich nicht möglich sei. Mit tiefer
Sorge sehe es …
Erdogan attackiert Kanzler frontal
Focus – 17.06.05 16:00 Uhr
Der türkische Regierungschef hat Schröder für die Bundestags-Resolution zum
Massenmord an den Armeniern heftig kritisiert. … in dem die Armenier die
russischen Invasionstruppen unterstützt hätten. Die EU hat die Türkei
aufgefordert, vor Beginn der ..
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMPOST PLANS TO ENGAGE IN FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE ACTIVITIES
YEREVAN, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Converse Invest company that
assumed the trust management of Haypost CJSC has submitted a bid to
the Central Bank of Armenia to get a license for foreign currency
exchange activity. According to a reliable source, it is planned to
open exchange offices in all the 900 branches of Haypost. The licenses
of 30 exchange offices have lately been recognized invalid by CBA for
the reason of violating the currency legislation. Converse Invest is
an investment company registered in Latvia, which, according to our
information, is founded by the Armenian Converse Bank.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman Online, Turkey
June 13 2005
So-Called Genocide’s Passionate Claimer Manoyan Seeks Dialogue
By Fatih Ugur,Tuncay Kayaoglu
Published: Monday 13, 2005
zaman.com
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Balikesir Deputy Turhan
Comez, who continues his contacts in the Armenian capital Yerevan,
held a surprise talk yesterday with Giro Manoyan, deputy of the Dashnak
Party and one of the most passionate claimers of the so-called Armenian
“genocide” allegations.
Comez and Manoyan announced at a press conference following the talks
that Armenian-Turkish relations should be developed. “A dialogue is
certainly necessary,” said Manoyan, “However, building a dialogue does
not mean that all problems are solved. Both parties should sincerely
express their perspectives. The media, in this respect, also has
a huge responsibility to undertake.” He acknowledged meeting with
a politician from Turkey for the first time: “We have conveyed our
stance. Negotiations are our hope. It is possible for our people to
live in peace together.” Comez in return remarked about the exchange
of opinions with Manoyan: “The meeting was held to share our intentions
and ideas. I thank Armenia for their hospitability. We, as two nations
sharing the same geography, can take steps forward in harmony and
mutual understanding, and open the channels of communication with
warm dialogue. Dialogue is a must. ”
Visiting the Horvirat Monastery at the Turkish-Armenian border,
the AKP Deputy bought a pigeon from local children and set it free
by saying, “This was the peace pigeon.” During the Monastery visit,
Comez also attended a national talk show on an Armenian television.
When asked, “Why didn’t you visit the genocide monument?” he replied
that it was not included in his program. To another question, “Will
you visit it during your next visit?” Comez answered by saying,
“Let’s not speak with false assumptions”.
for photo:
;ned=ca&q=armenia+OR+armenian+OR+armenians+OR+karabakh+OR+Qarabagh+OR+Garabagh+OR+karabagh&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&sa=N&start=20
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Media Advisory
OSCE Office in Yerevan
13 June 2005
A Roundtable on a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) will be held on
Wednesday, 15 June 2005, in Hotel Marriott-Armenia, “Tigran the
Great” Room.
Mass Media are invited to cover the opening and the closing sessions
at 9.30 and 17.00 respectively.
Representatives of the Government of Armenia, leading NGOs active in
the field of anti-trafficking and international organizations will
discuss the National Referral Mechanism, a formalized system of
comprehensive rights-based anti-trafficking policies, with the
ultimate objective to develop an effective NRM for Armenia. Ms.
Astrid Ganterer, Adviser on Anti-Trafficking issues from the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR),
will present international experience on NRM.
The event is organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan supported by the
OSCE/ODIHR and the US State Department.
Representatives of the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs will open the event.
For more information, you can contact Mrs. Gohar Avagyan, Senior
Press and Public Information Assistant, tel. 541062, 63, 64, ext.
108, cel. (091)436389. Email: [email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Diplomat: Russian weapons transferred to Armenia won’t destabilize region
By AIDA SULTANOVA
AP Worldstream
Jun 02, 2005
A Russian diplomat sought to assuage Azerbaijani concerns about the
relocation of weapons from Georgia to Armenia, saying Thursday that
the arms and equipment would remain under Russian military control
and would not destabilize the region.
Azerbaijan has voiced fears about Russia’s plan to move weaponry
from Georgia to Armenia, which has been locked in a conflict with
Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia is
a staunch ally of Russia.
Pyotr Burdykin, Russia’s acting ambassador to Azerbaijan, said Thursday
that the weaponry was being relocated under pressure to speed up the
Russian military withdrawal from Georgia.
“We initially talked about returning all these weapons to Russia
in normal conditions, but Georgia and other nations have insisted
on speeding it up and applied very strong pressure,” Burdykin told
reporters in Baku.
Russia agreed to begin withdrawing from two Soviet-era bases in
Georgia by the end of the year and complete the pullout over the
course of 2008.
“This transfer isn’t directed against any third country, and it’s not
going to affect the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,” Burdykin said. “There
is no sense in blowing it out of proportion.”
But Tahir Tagizade, a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, said
moving the weapons to Armenia would compromise Russia’s role as one
of the international mediators to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “We
will insist that Russia listen to our concerns,” he said.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region inside Azerbaijan, has been
under the control of ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s, following
fighting that killed an estimated 30,000 people. A cease-fire was
signed in 1994, but the enclave’s final political status has not been
determined, and shooting breaks out frequently between the two sides
across a demilitarized buffer zone.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s military on Thursday denied Azerbaijani reports
that an Azerbaijani soldier was killed Wednesday in a skirmish on
the border.
The head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s election commission, Sergei Nasibian,
defended the enclave’s plan to hold parliamentary elections on June 19.
“Azerbaijani’s concerns that the parliamentary elections would be an
obstacle to peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are
unfounded,” Nasibian said Thursday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Head of Russian arms exporter praises cooperation with Belarus
Zvyazda, Minsk
26 May 05
Military cooperation between Belarus and Russia is proceeding
apace, the director-general of Russia’s Rosoboroneksport federal
state unitary company, Sergey Chemezov, has said in an interview
with a Belarusian state daily. He gave examples of beneficial
collaboration in arms trade and urged all CIS arms exporters to
forge a single pricing policy in external markets. He said that the
legal framework governing cooperation between Belarusian and Russian
defence companies was adequate. The following is an excerpt from the
interview with Chemezov by Alyaksandr Komlew entitled “Whose armaments
are better?” and published in the Belarusian daily Zvyazda on 26 May:
[Komlew] What defines military cooperation in the post-Soviet space?
[Chemezov] Russia has signed bilateral military cooperation agreements
with Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Military cooperation with each
of these nations has country-specific features.
[Passage omitted: Chemezov outlines cooperation with CIS countries]
[Chemezov] Experts have long calculated that involvement in joint
military projects implemented by three or four countries allows the
participants to reduce their costs by 41-50 per cent. As about 500
Russian defence companies cooperate with more than 1,200 enterprises
throughout the CIS, this interaction spurs the economic development of
host nations. It is common knowledge that 103 companies from Russia,
Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine are involved in the manufacture of the
S-300 missile complex.
[Passage omitted: Chemezov says that the disintegration of the Soviet
Union has negatively affected Russia’s military-industrial complex]
[Komlew] What countries are at the forefront of integration?
[Chemezov] Cooperation between Russia and Belarus could be held up
as an example in this respect. The Belarusian-Russian interaction,
which has been accelerating since the late 1990s, translates into an
increasing share of jointly developed weaponry in the Russian arms
exports. Some estimates put it at 30-35 per cent. Another reason behind
this trend is the fact that about a third of all manufacturing and
research facilities is concentrated in Belarus. Also, the leaderships
of both countries are keen on furthering integration.
[Komlew] Did a rupture of ties between defence companies in the wake
of the Soviet Union’s implosion affect arms exports?
[Chemezov] Some companies are still involved in dumping. On the
whole the potential for unbridled competition between CIS weaponry
manufacturers has been exhausted. It is high time to join forces in
the development and sales of weaponry. A single pricing policy is of
utmost importance. If all arms exporters stick to the same prices,
their revenues will jump 10-14 per cent. We are talking about millions
of dollars. Mutual supply contracts promote cooperation between Russia
and Belarus. Agreements for license, duty and quota-free shipments of
more than 600 types of inputs manufactured by 59 Belarusian companies
for 68 defence enterprises in Russia were concluded last year. About
500 types of inputs of Russian manufacture are shipped to 33 Belarusian
defence companies under similar contacts. To a great extent, Russian
and Belarusian arms exporters act in concert.
[Komlew] How would you define the legal framework governing
military-technical cooperation between Russia and Belarus?
[Chemezov] It is fairly efficient. Belarus and Russia have been
cooperating in the military realm since July 1992. Since then several
intergovernmental agreements have been signed. The agreement between
the governments of Russia and Belarus on safeguarding intellectual
property either developed or used in the course of military-technical
cooperation signified another step forward. The parties to this
agreement undertake not to supply third parties with jointly developed
military hardware without the consent of the other party. A similar
agreement was signed between Russia and Kazakhstan early this year.
[Komlew] What role do interstate financial-industrial groups play in
the CIS markets?
[Chemezov] They play an immensely important role in creating a
single technological space both within the framework of the union
state [of Russia and Belarus] and the CIS as a whole. Several
Russian-Belarusian financial-industrial groups exist in the union
state, namely, Oboronitelnyye Sistemy [Defence Systems], BelRusAuto,
Electronic Technologies, etc. The possible involvement of Ukrainian
companies in Oboronitelnyye Sistemy is currently being considered.
[Komlew] What areas are most promising in the Belarusian-Russian
military cooperation?
[Chemezov] The overhaul and modernization of military hardware,
including Su-22, Su-27, MiG-29 planes, Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters,
BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-60 and BTR-70
armoured personnel carriers, S-300B anti-aircraft systems, as well
as communication equipment, hold the greatest promise. Specifically,
more than 100 Belarusian companies are involved in modernization of
Soviet-made weaponry. A Russian-Belarusian centre for servicing,
modernization and repairs of air defence equipment set up by
Oboronpromservice holds a great deal of promise. This interstate
body will make sure that air defence hardware stationed in Belarus,
Kaliningrad Region and the northwest of Russia is properly
serviced. We also pursue a number of international projects. For
example, Rosoboroneksport, [Belarusian state weaponry exporter]
Beltekhekspart and [Belarusian optical instrument maker] Pelenh along
with France’s Thales are taking part in a tender for a contract to
supply India with a fire control system for T-72M1 tanks. The fire
control system is based on the Belarusian-made Sosna-U daylight and
night multichannel heat imaging sight.
[Passage omitted: Chemezov praises the MILEX defence industry show
in Minsk]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress