63rd Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to be held in
Sochi
ArmRadio.am
17.06.2006 14:15
The 63rd Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly will
be held in Sochi, Russia June 22-24. The participants will exchange
views on the following topics: "Security issues in the South Caucasus,"
"Frozen conflicts in the South Caucasus: the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict"
and others.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
The Nation, Kenya
June 17 2006
58 passes are cancelled in Armenians row
Story by PATRICK NZIOKA and BERNARD NAMUNANE
Publication Date: 6/17/2006
All the 58 airport security passes that were irregularly issued in
the Armenian brothers’ saga have been cancelled.
"Disciplinary action will be taken against all those who violated
the rules in issuing the passes," Transport assistant minister Cecily
Mbarire said yesterday.
A committee appointed by President Kibaki to investigate an incident
in which the Artur brothers breached security measures at the Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport is expected to point out those involved.
The assistant minister, who is in charge of civil aviation at the
ministry, said more people would be affected once the committee
completes its work.
She defended the Government against claims that only junior officers
were punished.
"The committee will be able to come up with recommendations on who
is responsible for disciplinary action to be taken," she said after
a tour of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority premises at the airport.
Initial investigations had revealed that a senior Kenya Airports
Authority official issued 41 security passes, including those held by
the Armenian brothers – Mr Artur Margaryan and Mr Artur Sargasyan –
and their accomplices. The two have since been deported.
A list obtained by the Nation last week indicated that Mr Margaryan
was among 184 people, including politicians and directors of companies,
who had unrestricted access to all the airports in Kenya.
The assistant minister denied claims that the British high commission
had protested to the Kenyan Government following the security breach
at country’s main airport.
She added that such a protest note had not reached her ministry
"if indeed it was delivered to any arm of the Government".
Ideally, a protest note of that nature would reach her ministry as
it was the parent ministry in charge of airports, said Ms Mbarire.
The two controversial Armenian brothers were deported following an
attack on a customs officer at the airport as they resisted attempts
to inspect bags of an accomplice, who had arrived from Dubai.
Guns were drawn inside the airport’s arrivals hall, where the customs
officer was assaulted.
But Ms Mbarire said the incident took place at the airport’s parking
lot. She further assured users of the airport that it was secure.
—————————————– —————————————
Two parliamentary committees will jointly seek to unravel the story
behind the deported Armenians.
The national security and administration of justice and legal affairs
committees ended their tussle yesterday and agreed to work as a unit –
in public interest.
There was a stand-off between the two committees early in the week
over which had the right to investigate the saga surrounding the entry,
stay and deportation of the Armenians.
They met at County Hall in Nairobi yesterday and resolved to launch
the investigations – which touch on senior members of the Government –
as a unit.
Said Mr Paul Muite, the chairman of the committee on justice: "The
issues relating to the two Armenians are cross-cutting the mandates
of the two committees. We have agreed that the best way forward is
to act as a team in carrying out the investigations."
The Nation, Kenya
June 17 2006
Row over Armenians’ container
Story by PATRICK MAYOYO
Publication Date: 6/17/2006
A tug of war erupted yesterday over the verification of goods in a
container belonging to the Artur brothers, which is still awaiting
clearance at Mombasa port.
The row pitted Trade ministry officials against the Customs department,
as the latter was accused of failing to follow procedures and
overstepping its mandate.
A police officer, with assistance of a sniffer dog, examines goods
in the container belonging to the two Armenian brothers during the
verification at the port of Mombasa yesterday.
Trade ministry officials said their department, which is responsible
for authenticating weights and measures, were locked out during the
verification.
Standard procedures for examining goods under dispute required that
all the items in a container had to be displayed and verified before
being cleared.
But this was not done for the goods belonging to the Artur Margaryan
and Artur Sargasyan.
During the verification all the goods were removed but they were not
checked item by item or a stock taken before they were re-packed into
the container. "A 100 per cent verification requires that goods being
subjected to such an exercise should all be removed from a container
and a stock taken before being returned in the container but this is
not what happened," said one of the Trade ministry officials.
The officials, who did not want to be named, also said cases of false
imports declarations were handled by Trade ministry and not Customs.
The latter was responsible for cases of under-valuation of goods.
"All matters related to false entries on Import Declaration Form
(IDF) are dealt with under the Trade Descriptions Act and this was
the case with the Artur brothers’ container," the officials said.
But the Kenya Revenue Authority officials defended their action,
saying it was not compulsory that all the items in the container be
inspected and their inventory done.
The senior deputy commissioner in charge of Southern region, Mr
Ntogaiti Muronga, confirmed that the goods found in the Armenian
brothers container were not what they had declared.
"The declaration form indicated that the goods were colour televisions
but we have found in the container generators, gas cookers, DVDs,
music systems and mobile phones," he said.
Three mattresses were also among the imported goods, raising questions
why the Artur brothers had to import mattresses yet they could buy
them locally.
Questions were also raised over the failure to check the bottom of
the container as there was suspicion that it had a false compartment.
But a senior police officer said the search by the sniffer dog cleared
doubts of contraband goods being in the container.
Mr Muronga said KRA had also launched investigations into reports
that there were 29 containers linked to the Artur brothers which
had entered the country but which are suspected to be still waiting
clearance or could have been cleared without correct duties being paid.
He said that out of the 29 containers said to have been brought into
the country by the Artur brothers, KRA had located three and was
still looking for more.
"Upon verifying one the three containers in our custody, we have
established that the Government could have lost more than Sh3 million
in taxes," he said.
Mr Muronga confirmed that the three containers belonged to Kensington
International Ltd in which the Artur brothers are directors.
Immediately after their deportation last week, one of the Artur
brothers refuted reports that the container was carrying contract
band goods, saying it had generators he wanted to donate to Mama Ngina
Children’s Home. Before the verification, there was an attempt to bar
journalists from the place. They were only allowed to stay on after
they protested.
The verification started shortly after 9am when all the goods were
removed from the container before and randomly checked. It ended
at 1.30pm.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Uproar in House over Armenians
BY EDWIN MUTAI
Kenya Times, Kenya
June 17 2006
PARLIAMENT early this week was in uproar, accusing the government
of attempting to cover up the true circumstances surrounding the
stay and deportation of Brothers Artur arising from the mayhem the
Armenians had caused at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
In a motion of adjournment, legislators from both sides of the House
accused trying to cover up real issues by going for "small fish"
instead going for the big ones implicated in the fiasco. They also
trashed the commission of inquiry set up by President Kibaki to look
into the matter.
Agitated MPs also faulted the deportation of the duo whose activities
in the country remain shrouded in a mystery even as it emerged that
they jetted out of the country in a business class flight headed for
the United Arab Emirates contrary to legal procedure. Parliament also
heard that their passports were never stamped.
The debate under the motion of adjournment saw Leader of the Official
Opposition Uhuru Kenyatta rally legislators to lash out at the
government’s failure to protect the integrity, security and dignity
of the sovereign republic.
Internal security John Michuki’s bid to exonerate the government from
any dealings or protection of the controversial aliens was met with
outright rejection even as a section of MPs booed him. Efforts by
Ministers Martha Karua (Justice and Internal Affairs) and her Trade
counterpart Mukhisa Kituyi to absolve the State from alleged cover
fizzled in rejection from legislators who accused the President of
allowing the country to be "governed by foreigners as the Police
force remained divided down m the middle."
Kenyatta in moving the motion charged that the security , integrity,
dignity, honour and sovereignty of an independent self governing
nation is at great stake and scorn among the community of nations. He
put questions which were unanswered by Michuki as he hit out at the
government for allowing the foreigners to access unrestricted security
passes at the airport, brandish weapons and secure the release of
unchecked luggage.
He asked Michuki to tell Kenyans the relationship between the
Standard/KTN raid which he owned up to have ordered carried out and
the Artur brothers possession of the Quick Response Unit uniforms,
caps and hoods which were recovered from their Runda residence.
The Gatundu South MP demanded to be told why guns belonging to
security forces, Identity Cards identifying the Armenians as assistant
commissioners of police, Kenyan passports, government, diplomatic and
civilian car plate numbers among others, were giving to them and who
gave them and for what reasons.
"We must ventilate the anger of Kenyans on this Armenians issue who
have insulted us. We as a House have a responsibility to restore the
integrity, dignity, honour and sovereignty of our people is this
government has failed. We are not a banana republic," charged an
emotional Kenyatta.
Michuki in his ministerial statement narrated the Armenian fiasco that
has been raging on since March this year, saying that the attention
of government was attracted to them when questions were raised on
their motives after being alleged to be mercenaries whose mission
was to assassinate political leaders.
He said investigation was launched by the police during which several
leaders and the Armenians were interrogated and statements recorded
and with the assistance of Interpol, the foreigners were found to be
in the country legally as businessmen.
The Minister said the two Armenians were arrested on Friday last week
on his instructions after they wrecked havoc at JKIA the previous
evening. But which MPs were not convinced.
In the search undertaken by police, Michuki said two forged passports
and other identification cards, 13 vehicles, three vehicle plate
numbers for GK, Diplomatic and civilian, three bullet proof vests
and facial masks were recovered.
After the find, the government reached a conclusion that Margaryan and
Sargasyan were a threat to national security and therefore should be
expelled from Kenya and that the immigration minister moved to deport
and declare the duo persona non grata.
Legislators Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu Rural), Joseph Nkaissery (Kajiado
Central), Billow Kerrow (Mandera Central), Paul Muite (Kabete),
Orwa Ojode (Ndhiwa), Moses Wetangula (Sirisia), David Musila (Mwingi
South), Charles Kilonzo (Yatta), Kirugi M’Mukindia (Imenti Central),
William Ole Ntimama (Narok South) and nominated MP Amina Abdallah
accused the State of cover up and demanded the sacking of government
officials involved in the controversy.
"Mr Speaker, the highest echelons of this country is compromised
and it can not, therefore, be its own judge. We demand independent
investigations and the President must come out and sack these
ministers," charged Nyong’o. Nkaissery termed it an act of terrorism
and that "a government that defends defilement of national security
has no place governing."
Said M’Mukindia; "I am ashamed that the respectable and well known
John Michuki would cower in front of foreigners. That somebody coming
from Kangema in Murang’a would crawl in front of foreigners is a big
shame and the whole country has been let down by this government."
Muite accused the government of protecting the deported due and
dismissed the inquiry set by the State as escapist and elusive since
"who doesn’t know that the proposed chair Kiruki, a former Police
Commissioner has no face before Kenyans. He was himself sacked as a
Police Commissioner and there cannot be any impartiality.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
AZG Armenian Daily #112, 17/06/2006
Seminar
DIFFERENCES IN FOREIGN POLICY AS BASIS OF
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
Experts Discuss
The seminar on prospects of Armenian-Georgian
relations organized by the Spectrum Center for
Strategic Analysis and supported by the Friedrich
Ebert Foundation had one main approach ~V not to harm
Armenian-Georgian relations as much as possible.
Georgian ambassador to Armenia, Revaz Gachechiladze,
welcomed all participants saying that
Armenian-Georgian relations are very important in
terms of regional stability. Meanwhile, he stated that
new problems in bilateral relations are reducing with
time.
Senior expert at the Georgian center for Development
and Cooperation, Paata Zakareishvili, thinks that
while discussing Armenian-Georgian relations one
should first of all consider different vectors in both
states~R foreign policy. The less differences, the
fewer problems in Armenian-Georgian relations, the
expert said.
Paata Zakareishvili thinks that if Georgia is declared
to conduct a pro-American policy than in Armenia~Rs
case it is not pro-Russian but a forced pragmatic
policy. In taking decisions Armenia considers Nagorno
Karabakh issue, but Georgia creates a hostile image of
Russia and takes steps based on this assumption; also
the country~Rs authorities are young and have not
necessary experience to establish priorities.
Speaking about Javakhk the Georgian expert said: "This
issue is more fuming than burning." The issue of
churches, for one, should not be that overrated; let
the historians deal with it. In effect, viewing such a
vital for the Armenians issue out of the public
context, Mr. Zakareishvili stated that our peoples
were strong enough to preserve their culture and
history.
His approach to the Armenians of Javakhk is somewhat
different. Mr. Zakareishvili is not scared by the
statements about autonomy, he simply regrets that such
issues are not discussed in Tbilisi where they
listened to. As to the possible return of Meskhet
Turks to Javakhk, the Georgian expert said that the
state~Rs authorities understand this is a risky step.
The language issue remains topical but in this issue
too the local population should work in concert with
the authorities to integrate into public life.
Paata Zakareishvili thinks that everything that was
possible to spoil in Armenian-Georgian relations has
been already spoiled. Gayane Novikova, head of the
Spectrum Center for Strategic Analysis, agreed to this
idea. Considering the Armenian-Georgian relations
generally outlined, she emphasized that there are few
negative moments in these relations. Gayane Novikova
thinks that problems arise also because of discrepancy
in economic interests of Armenia and Georgia and as a
consequence participation in different regional
projects. Meanwhile, In her words, our countries do
not properly use the chance to integrate into the
Euro-Atlantic structures.
However, the experts preferred to round off on
optimistic note saying that it~Rs time put in order
Armenian-Georgian relations and settle issues on the
agenda. But, in Georgian expert~Rs words, as the
experts do not have much influence on politics, we can
only wait for the Armenian and Georgian authorities to
sit at a table in such optimistic mood and meet the
challenges.
By Aghavni Harutyunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
AZG Armenian Daily #112, 17/06/2006
Home
CASCADE INSURANCE INCREASES ITS LEGISLATIVE CAPITAL
The paid legislative capital of Cascade Insurance has increased by
500 million AMD (1.1 million USD). As a result the Cascade Insurance
belonging to Cascade Capital Holding became a company with the greatest
paid legislative capital in the insurance market of Armenia.
To remind, 65% of Cascade Insurance’s shares belong to Cascade Capital
Holding and 35% belong to the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development. The Cascade Capital Holding, in its turn, belongs to
the Gefeschian Family Fund.
By Ara Martirosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
FAMILY BUDGET OF 36% WAS REDUCED
A1+
[11:56 pm] 16 June, 2006
This week the poll question of the "A1+" website is "Which TV Channel
do you prefer to watch?" Before that, let us represent the results
of the previous poll. The state officials of Armenia with Robert
Kocharyan at the head like to repeat from time to time that the
economic progress in Armenia for the last five years is obvious.
According to statistics, the economy prospers in the
country. Nevertheless, according to the polls of the "A1+" website,
the family budget of the 36% of the readers was reduced for the last
five years, 40% felt no changes, the family budget of 18% increased,
and 6% was undecided.
365 readers participated in the poll.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
NUMBER OF GRANTED DIVORCES DOUBLES
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS; The number of marriages in the first
four months of this year fell 1.5 percent to 4,100 from a year ago
while the number of granted divorces rose 67 percent to 831.
The biggest number of divorces was registered in March, though
last year the biggest number of marriages were celebrated in this
month. According to the statistical service, the number of divorces
per every 1000 marriages rose this year to 203 against 120 from a
year ago. More couples divorced in Yerevan, Vayots Dzor, Lori and
Tavush regions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
RESTORATION OF ABKHAZIA RAILWAYS SECTION TO TAKE FROM 12 TO 18 MONTHS
Armenpress
TBILISI, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: Vladimir Badalian, an Armenian parliament
member and a cochairman of the Armenian-Russian and Armenian-Georgian
Business Associations, told Armenpress a set of documents, which
are necessary for starting restoration of the Abkhazian section of
the Georgian railway will be ready by the end of the year and the
reconstruction will take from 12 to 18 months.
Badalian said the 197 km-long section of the railroad stretching across
Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia needs to be fully restored
together with bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure. Badalian said
the restoration will comprise two stages-first will be resumed trains
for transportation of cargo and then restoration of infrastructure
and stations will begin.
He said the Armenian-Georgian-Abkhazian-Russian consortium, founded
for this purpose, will meet in Tbilisi on July 10-15 to specify
some points, particularly, sources of funding. Badalian said it was
possible also to resume the operation of an automobile road stretching
through Abkhazia. He said the road may even start operation before
the railway resumes.
By the way three buses with Armenians, relatives of the passengers of
the plane that fell into the Black Sea on May 3 and reporters traveled
from Yerevan to the crash site in Russian Sochi for a commemoration
ceremony through Abkhazia. Badalian said it was a remarkable event,
as the road opened for the first time for civic passengers.
ALM HOLDING HEAD PROPOSES HIMSELF AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENCY OF ARMENIA
Panorama.am
14:48 16/06/06
Dance and song staged at ALM Holding perhaps have bored the owner
of the holding Tigran Karapetyan, leader of People’s Party. He has
declared that he is going to nominate himself as the president of
Armenia in 2008 presidential elections. Assessing his chances to
win at the elections, Karapetich prudently noted that everything is
possible and everything has its beginning and end.
Tigran Karapetich said that people should have the right for
choice. Speaking to Panorama.am, he said that he is not going to
share his votes with any other candidates. He his sure he will lose
trust of people if he did so. /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress