Author: Emil Lazarian

AFX News
January 29, 2007 Monday 2:28 PM GMT
LENGTH: 243 words

Moscow and Yerevan to explore uranium deposits in Armenia

YEREVAN (AFX) – Moscow and Yerevan want to explore uranium deposits
in Armenia which could supply the Armenian nuclear power station in
Metsamor, the Armenian presidency announced.

‘Uranium deposits were first prospected in Armenia in the Soviet era.
There are documents which confirm their existence in the Rosatom (the
Russian federal agency for atomic energy) archives’, spokesman to the
Armenian president Viktor Sogomonian told the press.

Specialists from a Russian-Armenian commission (to be created for
this project) will evaluate the reserves of these deposits and
determine whether they would be worth mining, the spokesman said.

‘The uranium will not be enriched and will be produced exclusively
for the Armenian nuclear industry’, Sogomonian said.

Armenia’s only nuclear power station is in Metsamor, 30km west of
Yerevan. It produces 40 pct of the country’s electricity. Since 2005,
it has been managed by Inter SEU, a subsidiary of the Russian
electricity giant SEU.

According to the Armenian energy minister, 70 pct of electricity
produced in Armenia depends on deliveries of Russian gas and nuclear
fuel.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turan News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 28 2007

AZERI OPPOSITION LEADER SLAMS "CORRUPT" GOVERNMENT

Baku, 28 January: The authorities are enjoying themselves at resort
centres and on [foreign] visits. They do not have time to think of
ordinary people, [opposition] Musavat Party leader Isa Qambar told a
rally today.

This year [President] Ilham Aliyev has stayed in the country for only
few days. He has spent most of his time enjoying himself abroad, the
Musavat leader said.

The current tense social situation in the country is the result of
the brainless and inept policies of the government, which do not have
an idea or a programme on the country’s social development, Qambar
said.

The government remains to be a fully corrupt structure, which does
not care about the people or state needs. Today’s rally is an
expression of social protest. It is not a fight for power. Hundreds
of thousands of people should take to the streets to fight for power.
And they will if need be, Qambar added.

By raising energy prices, the authorities want to collect money from
the people to pay back loans received from international
organizations, other speakers at the rally said.

Addressing the rally, refugees from Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh
blasted the authorities, demanding that the authorities not speculate
using refugees.

"We do not support these authorities and no-one should speak on our
behalf," a female refugee from Karabakh said.

At the end of the rally, participants called on other political
parties to join efforts and attend future opposition rallies.

Police reported no incident or clash during the rally.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"OUR ARMY INSPIRES ALL ARMENIANS WITH PRIDE" RA PRESIDENT IS SURE

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. "The army is the structure which
inspires all the Armenians, every citizen of the RA with pride, enjoys
the people’s respect and confidence," RA President Robert Kocharian
mentioned on January 27, during the ceremony of giving a number of
servicemen new titles and state awards on the occasion of the Army Day
and the 15th anniversary of formation of the RA Armed Forces celebrated
on January 28. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian, RA National Assembly
Speaker Tigran Torosian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, Defence
Minister Serge Sargsian, high-ranking officials of the Ministry were
present at the ceremony. In R.Kocharian’s words, the formation of the
Armenian statehood starts with formation of the Armenian Army. He
mentioned that "we were imposed those conditions for improvement of the
statehood, but that is our people’s fate and we are responsible for all
those." R.Kocharian expressed a hope that "today our state’s
development is directly depends on the state of our army, its
efficiency." "You justify the confidence of keeping our country’s
peace," R.Kocharian emphasized, addressing to the rewarded servicemen.
In the President’s words, he met with most of them "in completely other
statuses, other conditions and situations. And though the years were
fierce, they are heroic pages in our people’s and country’s history."
"All of us remember with pride those years and the victory we had with
our joint efforts," the state head said. RA Deputy Defence Minister,
Lieutenant General Artur Aghabekian rewarded with medal of 1st degree
for "Services to the Fatherland" told journalists after the ceremony
that "everybody is today proud of our army, its victories, is proud of
the fact that our army, implementing a martial instruction, secures the
people’s peace."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN ECOLOGY MINISTER: LAKE GILI RECOVERY PROGRAM HAS FAILED

Yerevan, January 29. ArmInfo. The program for Lake Gili recovery has
failed because of the lack of financing and the reluctance of local
residents to cede their privatized land plots on the former bottom of
the lake, says Armenian Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan.

At first, some residents agreed to cede their plots in exchange for
government reserve lands in other areas. The Government drafted a
program for irrigating the lands and even a program for developing
tourism in the recovered basis of Gili. However, $1mln provided by
Global Ecological Fund proved to be not enough for the whole project,
says Ayvazyan. However, he does not specify how much money has already
been spent on the project.

To remind, Lake Gili was drained in 1960s. 2 years ago the Government
started a program for its recovery in some 3-4 years. Relevant
memorandum was signed in Nov 2004 by UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP
Resident Representative in Armenia Lise Grande, Armenian Ecology
Minister Vardan Ayvazyan and Governor of Gegarkunik region Stepan
Barsegyan. The Government planned to fully restore the fauna of the
lake – once a home to over 240 species of birds, even flamingo.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 29 2007

Saffet Karahisarli: We have suggested extending
Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkelek-Kars railway to Nakhchivan through Igdir

[ 29 Jan. 2007 11:37 ]

`Founder of the Republic Mustafa Kamal Ataturk said: `Peace in the
country, peace in the world’. We want peace in our country and
support to establish peaceful relations with our neighbors.

Armenia should accept to live in peace with us’, stated Igdir
governor-general Saffer Karahisarli, APA’s correspondent reports.
He said that Armenians have always pursued a policy to create
problems for Turkey. They want to bother us with groundless issue of
Armenian `genocide’. It is not a sign of friendship. Armenia has
occupied Azerbaijani territories and killed tens of our diplomats. We
have stipulations for establishment of relations with Armenia:
Armenia must reconsider its behavior, treat Turkey friendly and
liberate occupied Nagorno Karabakh territories unconditionally’, he
said.
Saffet Karahisarli stated that Turkish nation is going to make
correct decision. Commenting on the impact of close borders with
Armenia on the region, he noted that Armenia suffers from the
situation most.
`The formation of economic and trade relations with neighborhood
countries will benefit us in some fields. But if they see us as
enemy, I don’t believe bilateral relations are possible’, he stated.
Saffer Karahanli said that a new customs check point will be opened
in the border with Iran.
`We want to establish friendly relations with Iran. Both governments
are working on the opening of Boraman customs check point in the
border line’, he said.
The governor-general stated that Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkelek-Kars railway
will open large perspectives for the further development of the
region.
`The implementation of Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkelek-Kars railway project
is on the agenda. We suggested extending the railway to the
Nakhchivan through Igdir during the meeting with President Ilham
Aliyev in Baku. Nakhchivan will gain additional access to the world
if the idea is realized. We presented our proposals on the issue in
written form. We believe it will be realized’, he said.
Saffer Karahanli said that the economic relations between Nakhchivan
and Igdir are developing in high level.
`We raise awareness on investment in Nakhchivan. We are ready to
support any step for the improvement of economic relations between
the two brother countries. We are going to improve relations with
Nakhchivan in social, cultural and educational fields’, he noted. /APA/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Jan 29 2007

Turkish army’s and govt’s Washington visit and balances
Cem Sey29 January 2007

Next week Washington will witness a wave of high level visitors from
Turkey. Both Yaşar Büyükanıt, the Chief of the General
Staff, and Abdullah Gül, the Foreign Minister, will be in Washington.

At the same time there are several problems on the agenda of both
countries. Most of them defined from the view of Ankara: Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) in Northern Irak, Kirkuk and the Armenian
problem.

In Turkey there may be clarity on these questions. At least the
public majority seem to share the same ideas in these areas:

`PKK has to be eliminated militarily, Kirkuk should never be part of
a Kurdish entity, and the US Congress shouldn’t pass any resolutions
claiming there has been genocide against the Armenians.’ This may be
the summary of these `clear’ ideas in the Turkish public.

Seen from outside none of these `clear ideas’ seem so clear.

Americans -and even the Europeans- understand that the existence of
PKK just behind the border is disturbing Turkey. The Americans have
in Irak other problems to deal with though and don’t need more of
them. This dilemma binds their hands in terms of military action
against the PKK. Not only that they cannot fight the PKK, but they
also are not able to tolerate any Turkish military operation, because
their only real ally in Irak are the Kurds. The Kurds in Irak are
very suspicious about any Turkish military actions on their soil.
Probably therefore the US diplomacy tries to bring Turkish and
Kurdish officials together to work out this problem. Which in turn is
seen in Ankara as a delaying tactic?

Kirkuk is definitely an Iraqi city. Therefore Turkey is not really in
a position to influence the decisions and it seems to almost
everybody in the world normal, that this question should be dealt
with, as it is foreseen in the Iraqi constitution. The US would
listen to Turkey. Even the Iraqis could listen, what Ankara has to
say about Kirkuk. But nobody believes that Turkey could and should do
more than telling its opinion. But Turkey says in fact nothing.
Ankara is just warning or sometimes even threatening. What Turkey
wants in Kirkuk to happen, is -at least for the public- not clear.

The Armenian question is only in Turkey a question. Every where else
not only the politicians but also the public believe that there has
been a genocide against Armenians in Anatolia. This is not new and
will not change in the future. Even if some day a historian committee
assembles the result will not really be different. Therefore outside
Turkey not condemning the genocide is seen as a big courtesy to
Turkey, which is becoming disturbing over time.

So one can say that nobody really understands what Turkey wants.

In all of these problems Turkey can and has to take some steps
forward to change the political climate in which it operates.

Further reforms to ease future steps in the PKK issue -like preparing
a sincere amnesty for PKK members and cutting down the 10 percent
hurdle in the election laws, and so allowing the political entities
preferred by the Kurdish part of the population to enter the Turkish
parliament- would change the mood of all other parties involved.

Turkey very often states that it has severe national interests in
Kirkuk. This phrase alone doesn’t persuade anybody to think about
other steps than applying the Iraqi constitution. If Ankara wants to
stop these developments, it has to explain, what these interests are
and has to find any other logical reason than stopping the emergence
of a Kurdish political entity in the region.

And in the Armenian question Turkey has to move forward again.
Pragmatic politicians and diplomats know that you have to talk to
your foes to solve the problems you have with them. Thus, Turkey has
to begin talks with Yerevan to open the border. It is the negotiation
table, where you mention your conditions. If Turkey can bring itself
to take this step, then the international community will be truly
shocked. Because nobody believes that Turkey can talk to Armenians.
Everybody believes it is the denial policy, what prevents Turkey
negotiating with its difficult neighbor.

Next week Gül and Büyükanıt will not be able to change anything
seriously unless they have some kind of pragmatic approaches to
present. I doubt it very much.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARF believes in success

29.01.2007 15:43

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The Armenian Revolutionary Federation will present
its own platform in the upcoming parliamentary election and believes it
will get the support of the people.
The party will participate with its own candidate in the 2008
presidential election, ARF Bureau representative reiterated today. The
party’s list of candidates in the parliamentary election will include
about 100 people, with the number of those who are not member of the
party reduced to minimum.

The ARF is not going to criticize others to show itself in a better
light but will present its own ideas and platform.
Hrant Margarian believes that the time has come to make a serious
choice; it should be realized that today’s election would define the
quality of the authorities for the four years to come.

Margarian said that though the people still live in hard economic
conditions, but they realize that the elections solve issues of
tomorrow and not those of one day. The ARF is the party that is able to
solve those issues. This makes Margarian believe that his party will
get more votes than it did in the previous election.

"I think that today, the situation is that even those who do not like
us, will vote for us," Margarian said. "There are many advantages,
because no one in the ARF follows anyone else, no one can impose its
opinion to others in this organization. This organization is a living
and breathing structure, comprising those from the middle and deprived
classes.

This organization knows how to lead its leadership, it knows how to
restrain its leadership, and knows how to hold its leadership
accountable. Everybody is good before elections but they are different
after them. We cannot allow us such things because our ranks will not
allow us do that."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 29 2007

President Aliyev: "Azerbaijan not to agree to Karabakh independence"

29 January 2007 [15:31] – Today.Az

Azerbaijan will never agree to the independence of Nagorno Karabakh,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who is beginning a visit to Paris
on Monday, said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper.

The Azerbaijani leader blamed Armenia for the absence of progress in
the negotiations. According to Aliyev, "the so-called referendum on
the constitution, held in Nagorno Karabakh last December, was
absolutely illegal."

"Armenia should realise that we shall never agree to the independence
of that territory," he said.

Aliyev assured that Baku would grant Nagorno Karabakh "the broadest
possible autonomy within the framework of Azerbaijan."

Responding to the question about whether or not he regarded as real
the prospect of an armed settlement of the conflict, Aliyev said:
"Obviously, our economic might and political prestige will make it
possible for us some day to take steps for the liberation of our
land. We prefer to settle the problem by peaceful means, however,
without starting a war." Itar-Tass

URL:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

122 TITLES OF BOOKS MAINLY IN 500-700 COPIES TO BE PUBLISHED WITHIN
FRAMEWORK OF STATE ORDER THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. 122 titles of
children’s, popular scientific, encyclopedic, jubilee and translation
books will be published within the framework of state order in 2007 as
compared with nearly 130 titles of 2006. For this purpose RA government
allocated 135 mln 400 thousand drams (nearly 370 thousand USD) to Book
Publishing Agency of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs. As
Seyranuhi Geghamian, Head of Publishing Department, said in her
interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent, Sergei Dovlatov’s collection
"Zona" will be published for the first time in Armenian and Khachik
Dadayan’s work "Armenians and Baku" in Russian. Encyclopedia "I am
Citizen of Armenia" will be also published for schoolchildren this
year. In S.Geghamian’s words, 120-130 titles of books have been
published within the framework of state order since 2002, which is
equal to the number of books published before, but its circulation is
still inferior to the index of the Soviet years: formerly they were
published in 50-100 thousand copies, while now they are published in
500-700 copies. At the same time, according to S.Geghamian’s
observations, demand for books has increased, the evidence of this are
opening of 5-6 new bookstores in 2005-2006 in Yerevan. Saying that a
great number of Russian-language literature is currently brought to
Armenia, S.Geghamian mentioned that this does not mean that books
published in Armenian are not of much demand. Fiction published in
Armenian almost is not sold, but children’s, popular scientific and
encyclopedic literature is sold very well. In Geghamian’s words,
readers prefer to read works created in the past: the modern writers do
not attract them. Nevertheless, in her words, one should not disregard
the modern writers and the modern literature should be published for it
to be studied and estimated by literary critics in the future.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GREATEST PROBLEM OF ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK IS ABSENCE OF WORKING PLACES

YEREVAN, JANUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The greatest problem of Armenians of
Javakhk is mass emigration caused by absence of working places. It was
mentioned at the January 27 conference of the "Georgian Armenians’
Unity" public organization. In the words of Vardan Ayvazian, the
Co-Chairman of the organization, RA Minister of Nature protection, no
branch of industrial production is practically developed in the region
of Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda. But, in his words, natural reserves of
Javakhk can give possibility to ones making investments to get best
profits during the shortest period of time. Chairman of the Ninotsminda
Regional Meeting Stepan Yeranosian mentioned that it is possible to
produce such ecologically clean products in Javakhk which will be
competitive in the international market. Taking into consideration the
sightseeings of Javakhk, making investments in the sphere of tourism is
also long-lasting. As for this issue, V.Ayvazian mentioned that a
program on development of tourism will be implemented in Javakhk
starting from the second half of the current year. The total cost of
the program is 5 mln evros which will be given by the Federal Republic
of Germany. Presenting the organization programs and goals, V.Ayvazian
stated that the most pivotal among them is to support strengthening of
the Armenian-Georgian relations, all-embracing regional cooperation and
development of a legislation necesary for bilateral trade, activization
of cultural ties between the two peoples. He also mentioned that the
organization is anxious about the tension existing in the
Russian-Georgian relations from which the Javakhk Armenians also
suffer. During the conference Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the RA stated that, within the framework
of the Millennium Challenge program, Georgia was given 300 mln dollars
the one third part of which will be directed to development of
sub-structures of Javakhk. As for restoration of Armenian schools of
Javakhk, in this case, in the Ambassador’s words, financing is from the
budget of Armenia, according to the intergovernmental agreement signed
between Armenia and Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress