Author: Frangulian Shushan

SERGE SARGSIAN: ACCORDING TO ESTIMATIONS OF AUTHORITATIVE PROFESSIONAL CENTERS OF THE WORLD, DOCUMENT "STRATEGY OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY" CORRESPONDS TO MODERN STANDARDS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2006

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. "The very fact of President’s
putting into operation the first National Security Strategy in the
history of Armenian statehood is a political event of both national and
regional importance," Serge Sargsian, Secretary of National Security
Council under RA President, RA Defence Minister, declared this in
his interview to Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, Spokesperson of Defence
Ministry. Serge Sargsian headed the Interdepartmental Commission on
elaboration of this document. In the Minister’s words, from point
of view of political practice the newness of RA National Security
Strategy is introduction of progressive political-technological
culture of preparation of strategic decisions in Armenia in not
apparatus way traditional for post-Soviet countries, but by the
method of interdepartmental preparation of system interdisciplinary
product. S.Sargsian also mentioned that by the results of all
approbations in authoritative professional centers in Washington,
Moscow and Brussels, written confirmations of correspondence of
product of Interdepartmental Commission to modern standards were
received. At the request to comment upon the opinion of a number of
foreign experts mentioning that "delay of the Azerbaijani document is
conditioned by incompatibility of despotic essence of Baku authorities
with democratic character and transparency of political technology of
non-apparatus interdepartmental preparation of strategic decisions,"
the Armenian Defence Minister mentioned: "It is quite possible that
foreign experts are right. At the same time this is Azerbaijan’s
business when and how to work out its main political document. Let
me limit myself to this in my commentaries."

EVEN A WEAK EARTHQUAKE WILL LEAVE 35 FAMILIES UNDER RUINS

A1+
[02:41 pm] 12 February, 2007

The third building of the Abovyan "Shintrest" dormitory is recognized
as a forth-degree breakdown building and ought not to be inhabited.

Nevertheless, 35 families are currently living there with their
children and grandkids. Even the workers of the municipality accept
that there can be a catastrophe there every minute.

There are a number of the problems in the dormitory.

The building has not been reconstructed since 1980.

The residents do not have normal bathrooms, the pipes are out of order,
plus the residents have to lodge here together with a number of rats
and mice.

"Two of my kids are constantly having infectious and intestinal
diseases", says one of the residents and adds, "The water pipes
are rusty, and the water keeps dripping on us whenever we enter
the bathroom".

The residents say they do not even have clear drinking water because of
a new construction opposite their which damaged their water pipes. But
they are afraid to turn to court in order to avoid future persecution.

The residents of the dormitory have turned to mayor Karo Israyelyan
more than once. The latter promised them to find a new building for
them to live. But still, all in vain.

Armenian party urges international groups to monitor polls

Arminfo, Yerevan
6 Feb 07

An Armenian opposition party has urged international organizations to
monitor the parliamentary election in the country, Arminfo has
reported.

In a statement made public in parliament, the National Unity Party
(NUP) said that the dangerous situation exists in Armenia and Armenian
statehood is in jeopardy. Therefore the party asked the OSCE, the
Council of Europe, the CIS member states and foreign ambassadors in
Armenia to monitor the entire election process.

The party accused the authorities of encouraging those flagrantly
violating the Electoral Code. The NUP said that there are forces that
"are generously distributing pre-election bribes in the form of
potatoes, charitable dinners and gifts", Arminfo quoted the statement
as saying.

The NUP also complained about the high price for election ads and
about Public TV’s refusal to give free air time to party leader
Artashes Geghamyan. The party said that it was made under direct
orders from President Robert Kocharyan. "Everything has been made to
ensure that only President Kocharyan and political forces and figures
who are under his control are provided with free air time," the
statement read.

Prime-Tass Business News Agency
Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
February 9, 2007 Friday 2:18 PM EET

Russia’s VimpelCom says has 450,000 mobile users in Armenia

The mobile user base of ArmenTel, a subsidiary of Russia’s second
largest mobile operator VimpelCom, rose to 450,000 users as of Friday
from 400,000 users in November 2006, Sergei Avdeyev, VimpelCom’s
executive vice president for business development in the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS), and chief technical officer, said
Friday.

VimpelCom acquired a 90% stake in ArmenTel in November 2006. ArmenTel
provides mobile and fixed-line services. It has about 600,000
fixed-line users.

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER:’ TALKS IN US ON ARMENIAN ISSUE "POSITIVE"

Anatolia News Agency
Feb 8 2007

["FM GUL AT THE US CONGRESS" – AA headline]

WASHINGTON D.C. (A.A) -08.02.2007 -Deputy PM and FM Abdullah Gul met
several members of the US Congress in order to discuss the recent
developments on Turkish-American relations. He essentially emphasized
the threat that constitutes the resolution on the so-called Armenian
genocide regarding the relations between the two countries. The said
resolution was recently introduced to the Congress.

After meeting John Murtha , chairman of defence sub-committee of the US

House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Gul had talks with
House Majority Leader and Congressman Steny Hoyer (Democrat).

After participating in the luncheon given in his honour at the
congress by the officials of USA-Turkey Congress Working Group, Gul
met Robert Wexler, co-chairman of the Turkish-American Friendship
Group and Democrat Party congressman from Florida.

Gul also got together with Tom Lantos, Jewish-origin congressman from
California and chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Relations,
as well as Congressman Roy Blunt of Missouri (Republican).

-BILMAN: "GUL’S IMPRESSION POSITIVE"-Meanwhile, Turkish MFA spokesman
Levent Bilman stated that Gul left the US Congress with a positive
impressions.

Bilman indicated that Gul replied to the questions of the members of
the Congress on Armenian allegations and clarified the issue.

T.TOROSIAN: ARMENIAN-TURKMENIAN RELATIONS HAVE BEEN AND REMAIN FRIENDLY

Noyan Tapan
Feb 08 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian
received on February 7 Khidir Saparliyev, the Ambassador of
Turkmenistan to Armenia, on the occasion of completing the Ambassador’s
mission. The NA Speaker thanked the Ambassador for the short but
effective cooperation, mentioning that he assisted development of
the two countries’ mutual relations in a normal way. The relations
of Armenia and Turkmenistan have been and remain friendly: the
two countries have good bilateral ties, cooperate in international
structures.

Mr.Torosian attached importance to accomplishment of the
intergovernmental commission’s sitting which will also symbolize
continuation of development of the interstate relations. Touching
upon the Turkmenistan president’s elections appointed on February 11,
T.Torosian expressed a hope that they will be held in the normal way
and will secure stable development for Turkmenistan. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the RA NA Public Relations Department, Ambassador of
Turkmenistan to Armenia Khidir Saparliyev, expressing gratitude for
the cooperation with the authorities of Armenia and their assistance,
mentioned that during a short time he got a great number of friends
and Armenia will for a long time remain in his heart and memory as the
second Fatherland where one always wants to return. He assured that
Turkmenistan will continue the policy fostered by its first President
and the Turkmenian-Armenian relations will continue in the direction
of friendship and cooperation after the new president’s elections
appointed on February 11 as well. He expressed confidence that the
parliament of the new convention will be a worthy continuer of its
predecessors gifted with the most important function in the state,
the legislative one.

AZERI CAPTIVE DOES NOT WANT TO RETURN HOME

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.02.2007 14:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian side passed Azeri soldier Samir
Mamedov’s message to ICRC (International Committee of the Red
Cross), which asks to let him settle in a third country. Citing its
well-informed sources, Day.az reports that the Azeri captive has
asked to pass him to a European country or U.S.

The same sources report that Azeri Ministry of Defense tries to
influence on Samir Mamedov through his parents to make him change his
decision. The letter of his parents, which asks their son to return
home, has already been given to Red Cross representatives.

IRRIGATION WATER TARIFF NOT TO INCREASE IN ARMENIA THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Feb 08 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. This year the tariff of irrigation
water will not increase, remaining the same – 8 drams (about 0.02
USD) for a cubic meter. Andranik Andreasian, Chairman of the State
Water Industry Committee, told this to reporters on February 8. He
said that in 2007 subsidies of 5.4 bln drams will be provided to
water user unions from the state budget against 5.7 bln drams last
year. According to the committee chairman, subsidies will be provided
in the next 5 years. It was noted that last year the water user unions
did not have debts to the energy system and big water supply companies.

The level of payment collection grew by 200 mln drams on 2005 and
made 3.2 bln drams.

TOP DIPLOMAT SAYS USA NOT AGAINST REGIONAL RAILWAY PROJECT – AZERI TV

ANS TV, Baku,
7 Feb 07

Excerpt from report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 7 February

The USA does not support the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project,
but it is not against it either. We wish success to our friends,
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza [who arrived in
Baku for consultations on 6 February] has said.

The US Congress believes that Armenia should not be excluded from
projects in the South Caucasus.

In an interview with reporters, Bryza also spoke about the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. Next week the US and French co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza and Bernard Fassier, will hold consultations
in Paris on the sidelines of an international energy conference.

Bryza said that the exact date of the next meeting between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers is not known yet. But he
expressed the hope that the meeting will be held in a few weeks. The
meeting will depend on the ministers’ work schedules.

Bryza does not agree with the view of his Russian counterpart [Yuriy
Merzlyakov] that the Kosovo settlement plan could be used in resolving
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. He said that each conflict has its
own specific features and that a settlement plan cannot be used as
a model for the resolution of other conflicts.

[Passage omitted: Bryza says that the Bush administration does
not support a draft US Congress resolution on the alleged Armenian
genocide.]

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER TO DISCUSS ISSUES CONNECTED WITH DINK’S MURDER, ANKARA-YEREVAN RELATIONS WITH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Feb 06 2007

ANKARA, FEBRUARY 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Israeli Prime
Minister Ihud Olmert will pay his first official visit to Ankara
on February 15, where he will meet with his Turkish counterpart
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The sides will discuss issues relating to
Palestine-Israeli conflict and issues relating to the region.

According to the Hurriyet Turkish daily, Olmert will discuss the
issue of murder of Agos newspaper’s editor-in-chief Hrant Dink with
Erdogan, as well as will express his support to Ankara in the issue
of improving its relations with Armenia.