Author: Emil Lazarian

OSKANIAN PRESENTS DETAILS OF HIS BRUSSELS MEETINGS
By Harry Tamrazian in Brussels
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 16 2006
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian spoke of ‘some little progress’ made
at the Armenian-Azeri ministerial talks in Brussels earlier this week,
but said the “moderate expectations” from the meeting with his Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov were not fully met.
“A general outline of agreement around the proposals and thoughts
voiced during the Moscow meeting and discussed in Paris began to
emerge, though I cannot say that this is some complete agreement,”
Oskanian told RFE/RL after the meeting on Monday. The minister added
that “negotiations should be continued.”
Oskanian found it reassuring that after listening to the sides the OSCE
Minsk Group cochairmen suggested that the two countries’ presidents
should meet on the sidelines of the CIS summit due later this month.
“They are likely to have seen some positive moments in our discussions
and based on that made a decision to invite the presidents to such
a meeting,” Oskanian said.
“Of course, the presidents will decide whether to accept the invitation
or not after listening to their ministers. And for this very reason the
cochairmen will pay a visit to the region next week,” Oskanian said,
adding that the international negotiators are expected in Yerevan on
November 21.
The minister reiterated that the expression of the Karabakh people’s
will remains a key principle for Armenia at the talks.
“This is one of the key issues, and, of course, it is essential to the
Armenian side,” Oskanian said. “Whether it is done through a referendum
or in some other way, the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to
self-determination must be stated in the document that should serve
as a means for resolution.”
To the question whether he felt any change in Azerbaijan’s tough
position during the meeting, the minister said: “I can say only that
the atmosphere was quite positive. It was a constructive meeting,
some serious discussion went on, some thoughts were expressed.”
“I cannot say that we made concrete arrangements, but the bottomline
of those discussions is that positions have in some way moved closer
together,” Oskanian said. “We want to consider it to be a flexible
approach, a compromise, I don’t want to give qualifications. I can
only state that some general outline of agreement appeared to have
emerged during that meeting.”
Assessing Russia’s role in the Karabakh peace process, the Armenian
minister praised this country’s constructive position. “Russia’s
approaches have always been consonant with those of the other
cochairmen,” he said.
Evaluating the Armenia Action Plan as part of the EU new neighborhood
policy, the minister emphasized that “with the adoption of this
document Armenia has raised its relations with the European Union to
a qualitatively new level.”
“It holds out serious prospects before us to move towards closer
integration in that structure and deepen our relationship,” Oskanian
said. “This program has a five-year duration, it has a solid financial
basis, it well serves its purpose, and, indeed, Armenia can benefit
from it immensely if it implements it properly.”
“I’ve said on many occasions that if we manage to take full advantage
of the opportunities offered by this program, in five years Armenia
can be a politically and economically different state,” the minister
underscored. “And we, indeed, must be consistent in its realization.”
Speaking about the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections
in Armenia, Oskanian said: “One of the key questions raised during
the meeting of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council was our future
elections. Our future elections have been high on the agenda of any
bilateral meeting I’ve had in the past few months. It has been so
much talked about that we, indeed, have no room for mistake this
time around.”
The minister urged all political forces and the public to work
together to hold qualitatively better elections, as otherwise, he says,
‘Armenia has much to lose’.
“Armenia’s further democratic development largely depends on
the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections,” Oskanian
emphasized.
While in Brussels, Oskanian also participated in the closed meeting
of the foreign ministers of the three South Caucasus states with EU
representatives. He said the whole spectrum of issues in the region,
including the continuing standoff between Russia and Georgia, was
discussed by the parties.
According to Oskanian, Armenia has friendly relations with both Russia
and Georgia and wants to preserve its impartial attitude. At the same
time, the Armenian minister is concerned over more tensions emerging
in the relations between these two countries, which, according to him,
is against Armenia’s political and economic interests.
“We want to see good relations between Russia and Georgia in the
interest of the whole region,” Oskanian stressed. He denied that
Russia has exerted any pressure on Armenia to cooperate with it
against Georgia.
“Such thoughts may have been voiced within public circles in Russia
that expected Armenia to cooperate on that matter. But I assure you
that no such position was officially expressed to Armenia. Armenia
has not taken sides in this standoff and will continue to appear from
neutral positions,” the Armenian minister concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENT EXPECTED TO MEET IN MINSK
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 16 2006
A meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take
place on November 28, in Minsk, on the sidelines of the summit of
the Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told ITAR-TASS in Vienna on Thursday.
According to him, such an agreement was reached between the two
countries’ foreign ministers in Brussels two days ago.
Earlier, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told RFE/RL that
the issue of the presidents’ meeting will be finally specified after
the visit of the international negotiators to the region planned for
next week.
On behalf of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen Yuri Merzlyakov urged the
two countries’ presidents to take the unique opportunity and agree on
principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement, since, according to
him, no such opportunity will be offered in the coming year. He said
that elections will be held in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2007-2008,
which, according to him, will have a negative impact on the process
of negotiations.
“Besides, key political figures that have participated in the
negotiations during the last ten years from the Armenian side will
start to drop from the negotiating process next year.” Merzlyakov did
not expand on whom particularly he means. In the past several years
Armenia’s president and foreign minister have participated in the
high-level talks around the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The presidential
election in Armenia is due in 2008.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OFFICIAL BOASTS OF CIVIL INTEGRATION POLICY ON TOLERANCE DAY
Civil Georgia, Georgia
Nov 16 2006
Georgia is building a state where its citizens’ identities will
be based “not only on their blood and ethnic background, but on
the idea to build united strong state,” Chief of the President’s
Administration Giorgi Arveladze said on November 16, which is
celebrated as International Day for Tolerance.
Arveladze was speaking at a launching ceremony of the National
Integration and Tolerance in Georgia (NITG) – the USAID funded 4-year
program, run by UN Association of Georgia (UNAG), and implemented in
partnership with the Georgia government in an attempt to increase the
sense of tolerance and national unity among Georgian citizens. The
event was attended by the U.S. Ambassador in Georgia John Tefft.
Arveladze said that the Georgian authorities spare no efforts to put
an end “to infrastructure collapse” in some of the regions, which
is hindering process of civil integration. Arveladze was referring
to Samtskhe-Javakheti region populated with large group of ethnic
Armenians.
“The U.S. assistance is of special importance in this regard, I mean in
frames of Millennium Challenge Account [USD 295 million aid program]
large part of which will be spent on infrastructure rehabilitation
projects,” Arveladze said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY SEVERS MILITARY TIES WITH FRANCE
United Press International
Nov 16 2006
ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 16 (UPI) — Turkey has severed military ties
with France over a century-old dispute involving the alleged slaughter
of Armenians.
At issue is the French Parliament’s adoption of a draft bill that
makes it a crime to deny Turks committed genocide against Armenians
in the late Ottoman period during World War I, the Cihan news agency
reported Thursday.
While the bill still requires the approval of the French Senate and
president to become law, Turkish Land Forces commander, Gen. Ilker
Basbug said he was following the Turkish parliament’s lead.
“There are no high-level (military) visits between the two countries,”
Basbug said.
Last month, Turkey’s Grand National Assembly issued a declaration
denouncing France’s insistence of genocide.
“The French National Assembly has not only inflicted great damage on
bilateral ties but has also dealt a blow to efforts to normalize our
ties with Armenia,” the declaration said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VIMPELCOM CEO: ARMENIA, GEORGIA CAPEX IN LINE WITH STRATEGY
Cellular-News, UK
Nov 16 2006
NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Dow Jones) — Capital expenditure plans for Georgia
and Armenia will generally follow OAO Vimpel Communications’ pattern of
investment in second-tier countries, Chief Executive Officer Alexander
Izosimov told Dow Jones Newswires on Wednesday.
That is to say $100 per subscriber, Izosimov said. He added that the
company could reach one million subscribers – and $100 million in
expenditures – in both countries in about 36 months.
Izosimov said he couldn’t disclose more specific numbers or timeframes
at the moment.
In the case of Armenia, the deal in that country has just won approval
from the Armenian government and it is too early to talk about set
numbers, Izosimov said.
“We are very happy to see the Armenian government give its blessings,”
he said. “We have yet to finalize a capex plan.”
VimpelCom last week bought 90% of Armenian operator Armentel from
Greece’s Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA or OTE, for
EUR341.9 million in cash and EUR40 million in debt. The deal met
official approval last week.
Izosimov was in New York to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary
of listing in the New York Stock Exchange. VimpelCom, as it is more
commonly known, is Russia’s No. 2 mobile phone provider after OAO
Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS.
“We already entered key markets” outside Russia, such as Ukraine,
he said. “We’re now going through the second-tier (countries)” and
Armenia and Georgia are important for the company’s strategy in the
Caucasus region, Izosimov said.
In terms of measuring its growth, the company is now focusing on
“real, quality subscribers” rather than raw subscriber numbers based
on phone card sales.
Real subscribers are people who not only buy mobile phone cards but
also use them in a chargeable transaction in three months’ time,
he said.
“Our aspiration is leadership,” Izosimov said. “We are very close,
we are a stone’s throw from closing the gap.”
Izosimov said relations between Russia and Georgia aren’t interfering
with company’s business in Georgia.
Relations between the two countries have become strained, with Georgia
recently vowing to reduce its dependence on Russian gas and in an
apparent effort to counteract pressure from its neighbor.
“It has not affected at all. We enjoy great support from the (Georgian)
government,” he said.
In September, VimpelCom posted a 23% rise in second-quarter net
profit, driven by price increases and tight cost controls. Net profit
increased to $194.9 million from $158.8 million a year earlier,
and revenue rose 46% to $1.12 billion from $769.8 million.
Shares of VimpelCom in New York were down 0.2% at $66.50 in early
afternoon trade Wednesday, when most Russian American Depositary
Receipts were seeing red.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CEASE-FIRE REGIME BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIAN IS BROKEN
Author: Sh. Jaliloghli
TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006
Today, units of Armenian Forces have broken the cease-fire regime on
the contact line, Trend Regional Correspondent reports.
It started at 10:00 a. m. and lasted for 30 minutes. Shots came from
the positions located in the occupied Azerbaijani Village of Talish
of Tartar District. The enemy was stifled by the back fire. Neither
victims nor injures have been reported.
Employees of “Lider” TV Channel were taping the cease-fire line in
the village of Borsunlu of Tartar District of Azerbaijan. Units of
Armenian Forces subjected “Lider” TV Special Correspondent Gabil
Aslanoghli and Operator Ilgar Farmanli to gun fire as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ETHNIC HATE AMONG LEADS IN ARMENIAN BOY MURDER PROBE
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 16 2006
MOSCOW, November 16 (Itar-Tass) – Investigators do not rule out
ethnic hate as a prime motive behind the murder of an Armenian boy
in the town of Ivanteyevka, Moscow Region, on November 11, the press
service of the regional prosecutor’s office told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
“Various leads are checked in the course of the probe, including
the version that the crime was motivated by ethnic hate and strife,”
a prosecutor said.
“The case is supervised by the regional prosecutor’s office”,
she underlined.
Earlier, police reported that a 15-year-old boy was found not far
from the railroad platform of the town of Ivanteyevka with multiple
stab wounds in the back, and brought to hospital where he died.”
The victim, Narek Kocharyan, lived in the Moscow region and was
in hairstylist training. He was out for a walk with his friends on
that day.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY CUTS FRANCE OFF OVER ARMENIA
Gareth Cartman
Paris Link, France
Nov 16 2006
The issue of the proposed law penalising denial of the Armenian
genocide continues to rumble on. Turkey has cut off military ties
with France, one of its main suppliers.
Turkey’s continued belligerence in the face of a law proposed by the
French Assemblee National has resulted in the freezing of military
relations between the two countries. The proposal, which proposed
criminalising denial of the Armenian genocide during the First World
War, has no chance of becoming law, and was voted through the lower
house thanks to mass abstention.
General Ilker Basbug, the Turkish commander, announced the suspension
last night, adding that there would be no military visits between the
two countries and that none had been planned. Turkey, for so long a
customer of France’s armament production, has already taken a strong
line against France, encouraging consumer boycotts and suspending
business deals.
The proposed law has received international criticism, with the EU
claiming that it has harmed negotiations with Turkey. Internally,
the proposal has been given a lukewarm reception, with President
Jacques Chirac privately fuming at the attempt to pass the law through
parliament. Chirac attempted to calm the situation in a conversation
with Prime Minister Erdogan, and will annul the proposal if it gets
through the senate.
The issue further clouds Turkey’s increasingly small chances of
joining the European Union. Ankara maintains that the word genocide
is unfair and that killings took place on both sides in what it calls
ethnic conflicts. Armenians, backed by most international historians,
claim that 1.5 million Armenians were massacred as the Ottoman Empire
came to an end.
CLE/1409/2006-11-16.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS CALL FOR SAVING POLITICAL PROCESS
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
The leader of the Christian Democratic Party of Armenia Khosrov
Harutiunyan thinks that economy cannot be separated from politics, and
if we want to have a competitive economy, we must have a “political
system able to make effective political decisions in any sphere of
the public life. I am inviting all the political parties: let us
save the political process.” The leader of the Christian Democratic
Union presented his standpoint to the news reporters on November
16. Khosrov Harutiunyan thinks that the best way to reach this is
to step up political struggle instead of struggle for power, when
the political teams of the political parties struggle, when before
the election the political teams of the political parties present
the pattern of the future parliament to the public, they say who
the minister of science or culture is going to be. In this case,
according to Khosrov Harutiunyan, the finance and the number of
the members of the party will not be the only and deciding factor,
“Everyone who has something to say and does not have money will be
able to become involved in the political struggle.”
Of course, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party does not think
that the financial factor can be ignored completely, but he is for
the existence of “political teams which make effective political
decisions” and he thinks “the purpose of the political parties
should not be coming to power but having a positive influence on the
processes underway in the public life and politics.” Thus the factor
of the personality will diminish in the political processes. And
now the political forces are thinking about coming to power and “if
you want to be a minister, you have to do two things: guess who the
prime minister will be and do him a favor.” The Christian Democratic
Party thinks that today the Republican Party, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
and maybe also Bargavach Hayastan have the potential to present a
political team. There is no such force in the opposition but it is
commendable that alliances with an ideological basis are outlining.
Khosrov Harutiunyan is for criticizing the governments, against
swearing, and he also thinks that the success of the present government
is the success of all the previous governments. “Newton says I could
see far because I was standing on the shoulders of the giants.”
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union says the media have
an important role in saving the political process. Today, however,
he says there are no serious analyses in the media, “I had expected
more from the media.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE UNITED STATES HELPS KARABAKH ONLY
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
Nagorno Karabakh should not be mixed with South Ossetia or the other
post-soviet conflicts, and we should not think that the policy of
the United States not to recognize the referendums held in these
territories will be applied to Karabakh. On November 16 Kiro Manoyan
in charge of the Hay Dat and political affairs of the ARF Bureau at
the National Press Club.
He said it does not mean that the White House cannot reject Karabakh
but it is a fact that Nagorno Karabakh is the only conflict area,
the only unrecognized country which gets annual assistance from the
United States.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress