Author: Emil Lazarian

RUSSIA OPENS CLOSED BORDER FOR TEN DAYS
The Messenger, Georgia
Aug. 24, 2006
Almost two months have passed, according to Akhali Taoba, since
Russia closed a Georgian-Russian border crossing at Larsi Checkpoint,
allegedly due to repair work there. Russia made the decision a long
time ago but informed Georgia only two hours before the closure. The
Georgian side has negotiated with the Russian side several times, but
the Russians said they need more time to carry out necessary repairs.
The paper reports this will last for a long time, as Tbilisi doubts
that Russia will open the border in the near future. As a result the
Roki tunnel is expected to stay busy as it remains as the only route
to Russia. Russia’s decision has damaged Georgians as well as Russians
themselves, but most of all Armenians, who received big profits from
the now-closed Larsi route.
Now, to reach Russia, Armenian citizens have to pass through Georgian
territory and have their documents scrutinized at the Georgian
checkpoint.
In order to facilitate the procedure the Russian side decided to
open the Larsi checkpoint for a week to let Armenian citizens pass,
and then close it again. The suggested they would keep reopening
the border for some time to let Armenian citizens in and out. They
suggested that during this period Georgians will also have opportunity
to move through the checkpoint.
When Georgians learnt the reason for Russia’s proposal to reopen
the border and the timeframe, they turned it down and said that they
would rather Russia finish repair works and then permanently reopen
the border.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN EMBASSY GRATEFUL TO ARMENIANS FOR THE CONDOLENCE OF ARMENIANS OVER TU-154 CRASH
ArmRadio.am
25.08.2006 11:17
Russian Embassy in Armenia has expressed gratitude to RA authorities,
organizations, political parties, diplomatic missions in Yerevan
and all Armenian citizens who conveyed condolence on the occasion
of the crash of the Pulkovo Tu-154 plane, the statement of the RF
Embassy states.

TO RENT OFFICE FOR NATO
Lragir.am
24 Aug 06
The government of Armenia, which immediately finds place for cafes and
other public places, has been unable to find office space in the past
few months for the information center of NATO. This has been considered
since last autumn when Robert Simons, the special representative of
the Secretary General of NATO. It took the government of Armenia about
a year to settle the problem of office of the information center.On
August 24 the executive decided to allocate 3 m 200 thousand drams
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the reserve fund to open the
Information Center of NATO in Yerevan to cover office expenses in
September-december 2006.

NKR PRESIDENT AND PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE DISCUSS ISSUES RELATING TO PRESENT SITUATION AT CONTACT LINE OF CONFLICTING SIDES
Noyan Tapan
Aug 23 2006
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian
received Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Ambassador Andrzej Kasprczik on August 22. Noyan Tapan was informed
about it by the NKR President’s Press Office. A.Kasprczik informed
the NKR President about results of the monitoring implemented on
the same day by the OSCE mission in the north-eastern part of the
Karabakh-Azerbaijani contact line. The Ambassador mentioned that the
monitoring was held according to the preliminary worked out program,
and no breaches of the cease-fire regime were fixed. The interlocutors
touched upon a number of issues relating to the situation existing
on the contact line of the conflicting sides.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

3517.6 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID BROUGHT TO ARMENIA IN JANUARY-JUNE
Noyan Tapan
Aug 23 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. 3517.6 tons of goods with the total
cost of 29.1 mln U.S. dollars were brought to Armenia as humanitarian
aid in this January-June. 4384.2 tons of goods of the total cost
of 20.5 mln U.S. dollars were brought in the same period of time of
2005. According to data of the RA National Statistical Service, 46.4%
of the got aid made products of chemistry and industrial branches
connected with it, 23.9% is devices and apparatuses, 7.4% is machines,
equipment and mechanisms, 4.1% is paper and goods made of paper.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WOMEN MAKE 71.5% OF PEOPLE HAVING UNEMPLOYED STATUS IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Aug 23 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The average number of the
economically active population in Armenia made 1186.9 thousand people
in January-June of this year, 92.4% or 1096.9 thousand of who were
engaged in economy. 90 thousand people had no job and were registered
at the “RA Employment Service” agency of the RA Ministry of Labour
and Social Issues, getting an employed person’s status. According to
data of the RA National Statistical Service, women made 71.5% of the
officially registered unemployed people. 4.4 thousand people found job
from the beginning of the year, and women made 2.6 thousand or 59.1%
of them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JON HUNTSMAN PLANS TO FOUND ONCOLOGICAL CENTER IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Aug 23 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The famous American businessman,
Chairman of Huntsman Corporation Jon Huntsman, who is once again in
Armenia with some serious programs related to education and health
care, has expressesd a desire to found a modern oncological center
in Armenia. Assessing this idea as quite interesting and long-term,
the Armenian President Robert Kocharian said during the August 23
meeting with the American businessman that he is ready to assist with
its realization in every possible way. The President also attached
great importance to assistance programs in the sphere of education,
noting that in conducting its policy, the Armenian government respects
human rights.
He expressed confidence that the efficient cooperation with Jon
Huntsman that has formed over years will continue and his intentions
will be put into practice. According to the RA President’s
press service, the sides spoke about Armenian-US relations as
well. R. Kocharian presented the economic situation in Armenia,
the priorities and prospects of development of the country’s economy.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AN ARMENIAN ENTREPRENEUR INTENDS TO SELL 30% OF VTB BANK SHARES
Yerevan, August 23. ArmInfo. Renowned Armenian entrepreneur Mikhail
Bagdasarov intends to sell 30% of VTB-Armenia bank, which belong
to him.
In an interview to ‘Haykakan Jhamanak’ newspaper he stated that at
present he considers 2 possible ways of selling the shares. By the
first one the shares will be purchased by the Russian Vneshtorgbank,
owner of the remaining 70% VTB shares. His intention Mr. Bagdasarov
explained by resigning the office of the Head of VTB-Armenia Bank
Council. Recently on that post was elected the vice-president of
Vneshtorgbank.
According to ArmInfo analysis, Mikhail Bagdasarov is rather
dissatisfied with the passive and instable stance of the VTB-Armenia
bank in the Armenian market. At the same time the Russian side has
already invested $15-20 million for the development of the former
Armsavingsbank. By the end of the first half of 2006 the authorized
capital stock of the bank equaled $18 million.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

200 FOREIGNERS IN ARMENIA NEED FOOD AND CLOTHES
ArmRadio.am
24.08.2006 13:05
The Norwegian Council of Refugees, the UN High Commissioner on Refugees
and the Migration Agency of RA Ministry of Territorial administration
applied RA Governmental Commission coordinating benevolent programs
with the request to provide food and clothes to about 200 foreigners
residing in Armenia, including those from Lebanon.
Head of the Commission Simon Ter-Simonyan told “Armenpress” that the
issue will be discussed in the upcoming sitting of the Commission.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRENCH MIDEAST EXPERT FEELS UN SANCTIONS WILL STRENGTHEN IRAN
Liberation website, Paris
23 Aug 06
Olivier Roy, French expert on Iran and director of the National
Scientific Research Counci, has said that possible UN sanctions would
only strengthen the Iranian regime. The following is an excerpt from
an interview with Roy, by Marc Semo, headlined ‘Iran is asserting
itself as a major regional power”, published by French newspaper
Liberation website on 23 August:
[Passage omitted]
[Semo] Why does Iran refuse to suspend its nuclear programme?
[Roy] In this area Iranian policy is a constant: Teheran wants to
be able to continue enriching uranium, officially for a civilian
programme but at the same time without forgoing the military option.
That is also why Iran is working to conquer the strongest possible
position on the regional chessboard, which explains its role in the
latest crisis in Lebanon.
Curiously, the Westerners saw nothing coming. Since the start they
have managed the Iranian nuclear question in a narrowly bilateral
manner by proposing a package to Tehran, a graduated programme of
incentives and pressures, to encourage it to yield.
On the other hand the Iranian strategy, especially since the arrival in
power of Ahmadinezhad, has been to regionalize this test of strength to
force the Westerners to make a drastic choice: Either have a general
crisis or let Iran continue the enrichment.
The Iranians have the feeling this strategy has paid off. In Lebanon
they have emerged strengthened from a conflict in which they did not
directly participate. Granted, they finance, arm and train Hezbollah,
but they were able to stay in the background.
Similarly, without ever appearing at the front of the stage they are
benefiting from the other conflicts in the region, in both Afghanistan
and Iraq. Furthermore, they are more discreet there, knowing that
time is in their favour.
[Semo] Is the Iranian government united on the nuclear issue?
[Roy] There are inevitably debates and disagreements, but I do
not believe the disagreements are such that they can be exploited
by a policy of pressure. The pragmatic Rafsanjani (editor’s note:
the former president, considered a reformist) wanted to gain time by
presenting Iran as an essential element to regional stability. Mahmud
Ahmadinezhad, by contrast, thinks a forceful approach is the best
solution. There were reportedly tensions within the Tehran government
when he denounced the “illegitimacy” of Israel for the first time.
Since then there have been other provocations, the latest of which
is the exhibit of cartoons about the Holocaust, but each time he has
been able to claim he is the winner.
That being said, Ahmadinezhad must not be seen as a madman with
his finger on the nuclear button. He is consistent with the line of
the Islamic Revolution, not in the “Thermidorian” trend, of course,
but in that of a revolution after the revolution. Furthermore, his
strategic choices are not in complete contradiction with those of
his predecessors.
Iran feels its nuclear capacity will enable it to assert itself
as the major regional power. For Ahmadinezhad, taking the lead of
the rejection front against Israel has the taste of revenge. This
pan-Islamic talk plays on the chord of anti-imperialism, Arab
nationalism and anti-Zionism. This was also seen during the Lebanese
crisis. It enables Tehran to delegitimize a bit more the Arab regimes
in place. The leader of Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah, is today seen in
the Arab street as the new Nasser.
[Semo] What will be the effect of possible international sanctions?
[Roy] They always strengthen the authoritarian regimes in place. In
this case, there is also no consensus in the UN Security Council
and these possible sanctions will not be supported by true coercive
measures. The regional actors and the neighbouring countries, although
almost all allies of the West (Dubai, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
the Kurds, and so forth), will not hesitate to circumvent them to do
lucrative deals. Major economic powers like Japan, and also China,
have already announced their refusal of any embargo on Iranian energy
exports. Tehran will therefore be able to continue selling its oil,
and at a higher price thanks precisely to the sanctions. At the same
time, the Iranian leaders will strengthen their power by managing
the distribution of the concealed income from the smuggling.
[Semo] So what can the international community do?
[Roy] If they want to be consistent, the Westerners must find a
global strategy for the Middle East. Up to now they have managed
these various regional conflicts separately, as if they were
compartmentalized. Or in the name of ideological visions of fighting
terrorism or Islamo-fascism.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress