Author: Emil Lazarian

AZG Armenian Daily #102, 04/06/2005
Concern
‘RA GOVERNMENT DOOMS THOUSANDS OF PENSIONERS TO HUNGER’
Accumulation of Signatures against Social Cards
RA Government had doomed to hunger thousands of pensioners. This
statement was made by the Armenian Constitutional Law Enforcement
Center on June 2.The government doesn’t deprive them of the right
to receive pensions, but they don’t pay it, as the pensioners have
no social cards. According to the data, submitted by RA Social
Security Minister, 600 thousand Armenian citizens refused to take
social cards. Gevorg Manukian, Head of ACLE, applied to RA National
Assembly for permission to apply to RA Constitutional Court to define
the law on Social cards. The appeal was signed by 30 deputies of RA
Parliament. They failed to accumulate the required 44 signatures. The
representatives of ACLE submitted a bill on making amendments to the
abovementioned law, accumulating 70 signatures given by the lectors of
ARF Dashnaktsutiun and Republican Party of Armenia. ACLE is determined
to organize a large-scale accumulation of signatures. The members of
the center are sure that they will gather thousands of signatures,
as the law was forced to the people. They believe that this action
will turn into an unofficial referendum for the law on social cards
and RA citizens will vote “against” that.
By Nana Petrosian

OSCE READY TO HELP ARMENIA IN ELABORATING AND IMPLEMENTING LAWS
Pan Armenian News
03.06.2005 07:35
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur
Baghdasarian met with OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights (OSCE-ODIHR) Director Christian Strohal, RA NA press
center reported. Artur Baghdasarian noted the efficient cooperation
with OSCE thanks to which the Election Code has been improved and
adopted. The NA Speaker also informed Mr. Strohal of the discussions
held over the process of constitutional reforms. The parties pointed
out to the necessity of joint work with the Venice Commission.
Christian Strohal confirmed OSCE’s readiness to promote reforms
adding that the organization is ready not only elaborate the laws
but to implement them as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Leaders from ex-Soviet states look for ways to keep CIS afloat
Agence France Presse — English
June 3, 2005 Friday 12:27 PM GMT
TBILISI June 3 — Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States met
in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Friday to discuss ways to breathe
life into the loose and increasingly divided alliance of Russia and
11 other ex-Soviet republics.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov responded to internal divisions
over the direction of the CIS with a call for unity. “We don’t see
any serious problems in relations with these countries… We are
still aiming for integration,” Fradkov said.
The group’s executive secretary, Russia’s former interior minister
Vladimir Rushailo, said: “It is too early to bury the CIS. It is
necessary to boost its effectiveness, even if there are certain
difficulties.”
“I believe that a new model and strategy for the CIS will be decided
in the very near future,” he said.
The new emphasis would be on economic and security ties, he said,
something which Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulya Timoshenko indicated she
supported. “The future of the CIS is in the economic sphere,” she said.
The CIS, which includes all ex-Soviet republics except for the three
Baltic countries, has struggled since its creation at the fall of
the Soviet Union in December 1991 to establish its priorities.
Many of the former republics chafe at the sense that the
Russian-dominated CIS is a vehicle for Moscow to wield influence
in its backyard. Several of the autocratic regimes in the CIS have
also been unnerved by the revolutions that shook Georgia, Ukraine
and Kyrgyzstan in the last 18 months following rigged elections.
Georgia and Ukraine have expressed strong hopes of joining Western
institutions, further weakening CIS unity.
The split was particulary acute over Ukraine, where Russian
President Vladimir Putin supported the candidate accused of rigging
last year’s presidential election, which was later re-run amid huge
street protests, then won by pro-Western opposition candidate Viktor
Yushchenko.
Timoshenko has yet to visit Russia following a row over the Russian
authorities’ announcement that she is wanted on fraud charges.
Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi are also problematic, although
one major sticking point was recently cleared with a Russian agreement
to pull two military bases out by the end of 2008.
Fradkov said that Moscow is also looking into removing visa
requirements for Georgians, which were imposed in 2000 amid sharply
deteriorating relations.
The premiers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Moldava, Tajikistan Ukraine and Russia attended the meeting, as well
as officials from Kyrygzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russian armaments transferred from Georgia to Armenia will not exceed CFE Treaty norms
RIA Novosty, Russia
June 3 2005
MOSCOW, June 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russian armaments which will be
transferred from Georgia to Armenia will not exceed the norms set in
the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.
Russia’s permanent representative at the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe Alexei Borodavkin said this at a session
of the OSCE Permanent Council.
Commenting on Azerbaijan’s concern over the transfer of Russian
armaments and military hardware from the bases in Georgia to Armenia,
Borodavkin said: “Such actions do not pose threat to the adjacent
states.”
Russian armaments and military hardware to be removed to Armenia
will not exceed the limits of CFE Treaty and will be under Russia’s
permanent and total control, he added.
Borodavkin said: “Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov
and Salome Zurabishvili instructed their delegations at the military
talks to draft an agreement on the terms, functioning and withdrawal
of the Russian military bases from Batumi and Akhalkalaki and other
Russian military facilities in Georgia.”
“This work has already begun,” Borodavkin added.
Moreover, the sides came out for the resumption of Germany’s efforts
in the OSCE to set up an international mission for monitoring the
situation on the territory of the former Russian military base
in Gudauta in Abkhazia (a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia),
Borodavkin said.
The Russian and Georgian foreign ministries said that the withdrawal of
military hardware from the Russian bases would begin in 2005. At least
40 pieces will be pulled out by September 1, 2005. The withdrawal of
the Akhalkalaki base will be over before by the end of 2007 depending
on the weather. The withdrawal of the Batumi base and the command
of the Russian group of forces in the Transcaucasian region will be
completed during 2008.

MACEDONIAN FOOTBALLERS ARRIVAL IN ARMENIA QUESTIONABLE
Pan Armenian News
03.06.2005 07:22
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday Turkish authorities did not let the
plane conveying the Macedonian National Football Team to Armenia. The
footballers were coming to Yerevan to participate in an elimination
match of the World Championship-2006 scheduled for June 4. The plane
of MAT airlines remained in the Turkish airspace for half an hour 20
kilometers short of the Armenian border and had to turn back. As A1
Macedonian TV Company reported that yesterday Turkish authorities
apologized to MAT airlines assuring that similar incidents will
not take place any more. According to Utrensky Vestnik Macedonian
newspaper, Ankara explains the incident by the fact that the “crew did
not have appropriate documents for crossing the Turkish airspace.” At
the same time Makfax conditioned the incident by the tension available
between Armenia and Turkey. Presently Macedonian Football Federation
is searching for ways for conveying the team to Armenia via another
air route avoiding Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE ACTIVITY OF ARMENIA WILL BE EVALUATED IN ANOTHER CLOSED EUROPEAN SESSION
A1plus
| 18:11:33 | 03-06-2005 | Official |
On 3 June, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received the GRECO
monitoring commission headed by Mr. Carlo Chiaramonte, a member of
the GRECO Secretariat.
Minister highly valued the work of the commission and noted that
Armenia seriously understands the need to take necessary steps to
make the fight against corruption more effective.
During the last five days, the GRECO delegation had met with officials
and specialists responsible for the fight against corruption, through
legislative reforms and other steps. During the next six months, the
commission will draft a report with conclusions and recommendations for
steps to be taken in Armenia to overcome this obstacle to democratic
and economic development.

ARMAVIA COMPANY PLANE ROLLED OUT OF VNUKOVO AIRPORT RUNWAY
Pan ArmenianNews
02.06.2005 05:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Armavia company A-320 plane that was
executing Yerevan-Moscow flight rolled out of the runway in Vnukovo
Moscow airport. None of the passengers was wounded. The airport was
closed due to the incident, however resumed operation later. Airport
Press Secretary Konstantin Konanykhin reported that “there were no
circumstances indicating at the incident judging from the state of
the landing strip.” At present a commission is formed to find out
the causes of the incident, Regnum news agency reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #100, 02/06/2005
Region
PART OF HEAVY ARTILLERY IN AKHALKALAKI WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO GYUMRI
Russia and Georgia Decide, Armenia Plays an ‘Outpost’
Georgian foreign minister did not exclude that part of military equipment in
Russian 62d base of Akhalkalaki will be transported to Armenia. “We did
everything possible to convey the major part of the equipment to Russia. But
we do not exclude that part of the equipment will be distributed in the
territory of Armenia where necessary infrastructures exist”, Novosti agency
quoted minister Salome Zurabishvili as saying. Earlier the foreign minister
told BBC about the possibility of ammunition transportation to Armenia
adding that Armenia is no threat for Georgia.
On May 30, Russian and Georgian foreign ministers signed a joint statement
of withdrawing the 12th base of Batumi and the 62d of Akhalkalaki by the
year 2008. The sides agreed on starting the removal this year. The base of
Akhalkalaki is first to be removed. 40 unites of armored vehicles, including
20 tanks, will get out of Akhalkalaki by September of the current year. By
the end of 2006 there will remain no heavy artillery in Akhalkalaki, and the
base will eventually close in October 1 of 2007.
Russian-Georgian agreement came for many as a surprised. Georgian President
hailed the event as “historic”. The joint statement points out that “the
bases will stop functioning to their purpose” from May 30.
Russian Commersant wrote that the equipment of Batumi base will head for its
new destination via sea and the ammunition of Akhalkalaki base will be
transported to Gyumri on “trailers”. On May 23 President Vladimir Putin
said, according to Interfax, “We have to create necessary conditions for the
withdrawal of our forces be it to Russia or any other place”.
Under “other place” Putin obviously meant Armenia. Earlier on May 19 head of
Russia’s armed forces Yuri Baluyevski said that part of the heavy artillery
of Georgia’s Russian bases will settle in Armenia. While in Yerevan Dmitri
Medvedev, chief of Russian President’s administration, answered a question
concerning the transportation of Russian military equipment to Armenia,
“That’s a complex issue, one that needs first to be discussed by Russia and
Georgia. But there are aspects that we would like to discuss with other
neighbors as well”.
This statement by Medvedev cannot but be viewed as offensive for a sovereign
state as Armenia. It turns out that Russia, preparing to convey its military
equipment, precisely rusty weapons of Soviet times, considers it first of
all an issue for Moscow and Tbilisi to discuss. Medvedev’s “other neighbors”
is undoubtedly a hint at Azerbaijan, which raises an alarm that Moscow keeps
on arming aggressor Armenia.
Meanwhile official Yerevan keeps silent about the issue of conveying Russian
equipment from Georgia to Gyumri. In this situation either Russia follows
its own wishes while using Armenia’s territory for its military aims, or
Armenia greets stationing of old Russian equipment in its territory. The
first variant seems more possible. Cooperation with Russia is certainly one
of the primary elements of Armenia’s safety. But Moscow visibly misuses the
reality called Armenian-Russian strategic cooperation.
By Tatoul Hakobian

AZERBAIJAN OPPOSES THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN MINISTRY BASES IN THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 1, 2005, Wednesday
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, of Azerbaijan, stated at a press
conference on May 30, that Azerbaijan supports Georgia’s position to
make Russia withdraw its military bases. He noted that Azerbaijan is
concerned about Moscow’s intention to relocate part of the weapons
from these bases to Armenia. He said, “Azerbaijan has already sent a
note to Russia, and expects to receive an answer.” The deputy foreign
minister said, “We think that the presence of foreign military bases
contravenes the interests of nations living in this region.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Three Syrian officers “running” election campaign in north – Lebanese paper
Al-Mustaqbal web site, Beirut
31 May 05
Text of unattributed report entitled “Three Syrian security officers
running election battle in the north” published on Lebanese newspaper
Al-Mustaqbal website on 31 May, subheadings as published
In the wake of the big victory achieved by the lists of the martyr
Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri in the three constituencies in the
capital and amid public welcome of the success of the lists of national
partnership, which Sa’d al-Hariri described as “solidarity by the
people of the capital with 14 March”, several election developments
took place yesterday in a number of constituencies in the districts,
foremost of which is the information on three Syrian security officers
working shifts in the north to run the election battle against the
opposition.
First, Gen Michel Awn has continued to attack the election results
in the capital, saying that “the petrodollar has swept Beirut” and
referring to “a kind of serious factional control over the country”.
He said that “the citizen in Beirut does not act spontaneously and
is guided”. He also announced that the “mourning period (over prime
minister Al-Hariri) is over”. The interesting thing is that Awn,
who attacked what he described as the “guided citizen” in Beirut,
addressed a delegation from the Kisrawan-Jubayl constituency and
told them: “Follow us and we will handle the responsibility of (…)
[ellipsis as received] I will show you the way and if you want to
take that road, you will rid yourselves and Lebanon (…)” [sentence
as published] He also attacked the “petrodollar in Kisrawan-Jubayl”.
It was also interesting that there was convergence between Awn and
[former] Prime Minister Salim al-Huss, who said that “the results were
settled in advance”, adding that the “poor turnout raises questions
about their legitimacy”. He also “observed” that “the factors which
decided the result are religious and sectarian bias, political money
and the emotional reaction to the heinous crime”.
Secondly, Awn continued with the alliances with the symbols of the
era of Syrian custodianship. After he settled the alliance with MP
Talal Arsalan in the B’abda-Aley constituency, Al-Mustaqbal learned
that progress had been made in the negotiations on the alliance with
the former interior minister, MP Sulayman Franjiyah, but full details
are not yet known.
Regarding the elections in the north, informed sources have told
Al-Mustaqbal that a Syrian team made up of three security officers,
who were part of the Syrian security agency which operated in Lebanon
in the past, is running the election process from Tripoli to confront
the opposition lists. The team held several meetings with candidates
and “key” figures. The three officers are Muhammad Khalluf (former
security official in Beirut), Nabil Hushaymi (who was in charge of
the Syrian security in Akkar) and Khalil Zughayb (former security
official in Tripoli).
B’abda-Aley
Thirdly, in the B’abda-Aley constituency, it was learnt that
negotiations between the Progressive Socialist Party [PSP] and the
National Liberal Party are making progress towards adding Ilyas
Abu-Asi, a leading figure in the Liberals, to the opposition list
in the constituency. Parallel to this possible development, the
coordination committees between the PSP and the “Forces” in the
constituency have been active (the candidate of this constituency is
Dr Edmond Na’im). These committees are organizing meetings for the
staff of the two sides and also conducting tours in various areas.
In the meantime, there was a “surprising” shift by candidate Shakib
Qurtubawi from the Qurnat Shahwan [Gathering] to the Free National
Current. Awn will announce today the list of the alliance between him
and Arsalan. The list includes a Shi’i, Ramzi Kanj. It also includes
Shakib Qurtubawi, Hikmat Dib, Naji Garyus and Ghalib al-A’war, in
addition to Arsalan, Marwan Abu-Fadil and As’ad Abu-Ra’d.
MP Walid Junblatt, head of the Democratic Forum, paid a visit yesterday
to Al-Musaylih, where he met with Chamber of Deputies Speaker Nabih
Birri. part of the discussion focused on the elections in B’abda-Aley.
Al-Matn-Kisrawan-Jubayl
Fourth, in Al-Matn al-Shamali [northern Al-Matn], sources in
the opposition have told Al-Mustaqbal that the formation of the
opposition list is still in collision with the “Armenian factor”
because of [former] President Amin al-Jumayyil’s wish not to nominate
an Armenian on the list. On the other hand, MP Nasib Lahhud is keen
on nominating Rafi Madayan. It was understood that Al-Jumayyil does
not want Al-Tashnaq to declare mobilization against the opposition
list, while Lahhud believes that this does not change anything and
that Madayan can secure Armenian votes for his list.
As for the Armenian factor, there is a discussion about the possibility
of not forming a closed list, while the Catholic seat seems to favour
Roger Ma’luf (from the Liberals). With regard to the Free National
Current, it is apparently heading towards forming a dual list that
includes Edgar Ma’luf (Catholic) and Ibrahim Kan’an (Maronite). Awn
did not deny the alliance with MP Michel al-Murr and said that he had
expressed his thanks to Al-Murr “if he wants to give us his votes,
but we do not have anything to give him in return”.
Fifth, as for Kisrawan-Jubayl, which the opposition describes as
the “mother of battles”, the alliance is settled between two MPs
Mansur Ghanim al-Bawn and Faris Sa’id with the Lebanese Forces and
the National Bloc through its dean Carlos Iddah, and the Democratic
Renewal Movement, which has nominated former MP Kamil Ziyadah.
B’alabakk-Al-Hirmil
Sixth, in the B’alabakk-Al-Hirmil constituency, and while Hezbollah
has not yet decided the name of the candidate who will replace the
Ba’th candidate, Al-Mustaqbal has learnt that a strong list will
confront Hezbollah’s list, including former MP Albert Mansur (facing
the nationalist candidate Marwan Faris); Tariq Habashi (facing MP Nadir
Sukkar, candidate of the Baqraduni Phalanges Party); and two Sunni
candidates, Husayn Sulh and Husayn or Mustafa al-Hajjiri. There are
efforts to include former MP Yahya Shams, who is described as strong
in the constituency since he enjoys the support of the tribes and
families of Al-Hirmil area, and to include Rif’at Nayif al-Masri,
Hafiz Amhaz, Hasan Nabha and Ali al-Musawi for the Shi’i seats.
Meanwhile [former] parliament Speaker Husayn al-Husayni is standing
in the elections on the alliance list with Hezbollah.