Author: Harutyunian Christine

KARABAKH CONFLICT PROBLEM MAINLY DISCUSSED AT VARTAN OSKANIAN’S MEETINGS IN BRUSSELS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 06 2006

BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vartan Oskanian, participating in the OSCE Foreign Ministers’ Council
sitting in Brussels had a number of bilateral meetings on December 4
and 5. At the meeting with Daniel Fried, the U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State, the interlocutors discussed a wide circle of issues on
bilateral cooperation. Issues relating to development of democracy
in Armenia, the coming elections were also discussed.

The sides agreed that proper organization and holding of
the parliamentary elections will support deepening of the
Armenia-U.S. cooperation and implementation of bilateral programs. At
the meeting in which Matthew Bryza, the Deputy Assistant of State
took part, it was separately spoken about the recent developments of
the negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. The
interlocutors also touched upon the regional issues, possibilities
of settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Jean Asselborn,
the Foreign Minister of Luxemburg was the RA Foreign Minister’s next
interlocutor. At the latter’s request, Minister Oskanian presented
results of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents’ meeting taken
lace in Minsk, emphasizing the side’s readiness to continue the
negotiations at the Foreign Ministers’ level. The interlocutors
emphasized activization of the bilateral cooperation within the
framework of the Armenia-EU Actions Plan. It was mentioned that
the latter gives wide possibility for promoting mutually beneficial
cooperation in different spheres.

The European theme was the pivotal one during the conversation with
Urmas Paet, the Foreign Minister of Estonia. The Ministers agreed
to touch upon practical steps of the bilateral cooperation during
the Armenian Foreign Minister’s official visit to be paid to Tallinn
which will be scheduled for the first quarter of 2007. Possibilities
of bilateral visits were spoken about during the meeting with Noel
Treacy, the Ireland State Minister for European Issues.

Relations with Armenia with Ireland, the leader of democracy on the
European continent are still at the embryonic stage and agreements
to widen the legal-contractual field and assists business contacts
reached during the conversation are addressed to its change. By the
Ireland Foreign Minister’s invitation, Armenia Foreign Minister’s
visit is scheduled for the first quarter of 2007.

Bilateral relations and initiatives to be moved forward during the
Spain chairmanship were touched upon at the meeting with Bernardo Leon,
the Spain State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, undertaking the OSCE
chairmanship in 2007.

The State Secretary expressed his country’s readiness to assist as
much as possible peaceful settlement of conflicts existing in the
region, particularly, in the direction of making additional efforts
in the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

For this purpose, the Spanish Foreign Minister’s visit to the region is
scheduled for February of the next year. Minister Oskanian presented
in his turn the recent developments and existing possibilities to fix
progress in the NKR peaceful process. The Spanish side stated about
its intention to open the Embassy in Armenia. The EU chairmanship will
pass from Germany to Portugal in the second half of 2007. Prospects
of development of the cooperation and bilateral relations of Armenia
with the EU within the framework of the EU New Neighbourhood Policy
were discussed at the meeting with Manuel Lobo Antunes, the State
Minister for European Issues of Portugal. Issues relating to the
OSCE reforms and Nagorno Karabakh problem were discussed at the
meeting of Vartan Oskanian and OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de
Brichambeau. At the end of the day, the Armenian Foreign Minister
met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen. The state created after
the RA and Azerbaijani Presidents’ last meeting was estimated, coming
events were discussed. The text of the statement on Nagorno Karabakh
adopted on December 5 by the OSCE Foreign Ministers’ Council was also
worked out and given its final appearance at the meeting. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, Minister Oskanian met on December 5 with Dr.Kinga Goncz,
the Foreign Minister of Hungary. The sides appreciated the bilateral
relations, agreeing to implement concrete programs for their future
development. The Foreign Minister of Hungary emphasized its country’s
readiness to support efforts of Germany undertaking the EU chairmanship
to activize the EU cooperation with the South Caucasian countries. He
expressed intention to visit Armenia in future. At the meeting with
Goran Lennmarker, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Speaker, opinions
were exchanged concerning prospects of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. Minister Oskanian’s last meeting was with Christian
Strohal, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR). The interlocutors discussed organization issues relating to
the coming elections in Armenia as well Mr.Strohal’s coming visit to
Armenia and possibilities of cooperation with Armenia of the structure
headed by him. In the second half of the day the RA Foreign Minister
left for Antwerp where Minister Oskanian’s speech at the Antwerp
Lessius University is envisaged. The delegation headed by Minister
Oskanian was to leave for Strasbourg late in the evening where meetings
with Terry Davis, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
Mateo Sorinas, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe, and the members of the group (Ago’s group)
observing implementation of Armenia’s obligations of the Council of
Europe Ministers’ Council.

TURKEY HOPES 2007 WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT AS YEAR OF BREAKTHROUGH
Author: A.Ismaylova

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Dec 5 2006

We hope 2007 will go down in history as the year of breakthrough
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister,
Rafet Akgunay, stated while giving a speech at the OSCE Ministerial
meeting in Brussels, Trend reports. He stressed that In light of the
recent briefing by the Co-chairs of the Minsk Group in Vienna, Turkey
is heartened by the continuing enhanced dialogue between Azerbaijan
and Armenia. "We are pleased to record expression of optimism, albeit
with a dose of caution, that the prospect of a political resolution
in the history of this conflict has never been so close. We hope 2007
will go down in history as the year of breakthrough," said Akgunay.

HAKOB AVETIKIAN AND LEVON SARGSIAN GIVEN HIGH REWARDS OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Noyan Tapan
Dec 05 2006

ETCHMIADZIN, DECEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. For services to the Armenian
Apostolic Surb (Holy) Church, Hakob Avetikian, the editor-in-chief
of the "Azg" daily was decorated with Surb Sahak-Surb Mesrop and
diplomat Levon Sargsian with Surb Nerses Shnorhali high orders of
honour. The ceremony of giving the awards took place on December 2
at the ceremonial hall of the Gevorgian Theological Academy of the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzian. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by
the Information Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. It
is particularly said in the Patriarchal kondak given to L.Sargsian:
"Having implemented diplomatic work in Syria for long years, You have
had great contribution in more strengthening relations of Armenia with
that friendly country and in strengthening the Fatherland-Diaspora
ties. When officiating in Syria, You assisted with great efficiency
overcoming of problems arisen before the Damascus Armenian Diocese
and building and brightness of national and church life of Armenian
sons settled far from the Fatherland, sacred mission of deepening
striving for keeping our sacred heritage and native language in their
souls." It is mentioned in the Patriarchal sacred kondak given to
H.Avetikian that "Azg" with interesting publications dedicated to the
spiritual life always encourages and stimulates pious Armenian sons’
faithfulness towards the Armenian Church and our holy cradle of belief,
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin."

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN: YEAR OF ARMENIA BECAME A NEW STAGE IN HISTORY OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 04 2006

SAINT PETERSBURG, DECEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Official closure ceremony
of Year of Armenia in Russian Federation took place in the evening of
December 2 at the Yekaterinskaya Palace of Saint Petersburg. RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian and First Vice-Chairman of RF Government
Dmitry Medvedev made speeches at the ceremony. The latter in his speech
emphasized the high level of Year of Armenia in Russia. "We once more
made sure that the Armenian people is very talented, it subtly feels
the art, takes care of values and achievements of culture, science
and education," D.Medvedev said. At the same time, he emphasized that
Armenian and Russian peoples kept the experience of tolerance between
different nations for many centuries, and today no manifestations of
xenophobia can exist in the two peoples’ cooperation. "Unfortunately,
we come across such hideous manifestations lately, but I am convinced
that such ideas cannot find support in Russia where 160 nations live,"
the First RF Vice-Prime Minister said. M.Margarian in his turn said
that Year of Armenia in Russia became a new stage in the history of
Armenian-Russian relations. He expressed the hope that Year of Armenia
gave Russians the opportunity to reveal Armenia with its potential
and abilities. In the Prime Minister’s words, the events organized
within the framework of the year gave the opportunity to enrich
many-sided Armenian-Russian cooperation, opened good prospects for
mutually beneficial unification of trade and economic, educational,
scientific and cultural potential. "In the modern world, together
with political relations, economic relations are also the basis of
mutually beneficial long-term partnership.

Russia is the biggest trade and economic partner of Armenia. At the
same time, I would like to mention that there is unused potential
in this sphere and active mutual steps should be taken in this
direction. We attach primary importance to development of further
cooperation with Russia in such spheres as energy, metallurgy,
transport, chemistry, etc," A.Margarian said. He also mentioned that
the biggest Armenian Diaspora lives in Russia. It was formed during
centuries. In A.Margarian’s words, in all periods of history Armenians
made a contribution to establishment and development of the Russian
state as far as possible, in which there were all conditions for
keeping the national originality, language and culture. "We are sure
that problems and aspirations of our compatriots in Russia continue to
be in the focus of attention of the Russian leadership. Exclusion of
any manifestation of national intolerance is an issue of responsibility
of all of us. In this context we are too anxious about cases of
violence towards our compatriots in RF. Armenians in Russia just like
Russians in Armenia are bearers of centuries-old traditions, the bridge
of friendship between the two countries we should strengthen and keep
with all possible means," RA Prime Minister emphasized. According to
the report submitted to Noyan Tapan from RA government Information
and Public Relations Department, in connection with closure of Year
of Armenia a concert was held at the Yekaterinskaya Palace and a
reception on behalf of RA Prime Minister at the Gilded Hall, which
was concluded with fireworks.

A1+

REFUGEES MUST BE GRANTED NKR CITIZENSHIP
[05:04 pm] 30 November, 2006

Over 25 – 30 thousand Armenian refugees, forcibly
displaced by Azerbaijan, don’t want to return to their
former dwelling places reports `Refugees and
International Right’ Civil network.

In 6000 questionnaires the refugees claim that `they
will continue to protect their rights refusing any
material and moral compensation’.

The polling was held among the Armenian refugees
living in the NKR, USA and Russia.

Today the network introduced a bill referring to the
refugees’ citizenship.

The network intends `to increase the number of the NKR
citizens by 500 – 550 thousand people within 3 – 4
years’.

The Refugees and International Right Civil network
turned to Robert Kocharyan, Minsk group Co-Chairs,
Ilham Aliev with this request.

Today there was a heated argument on the bill. The
participants of the debate wondered who will be
granted the NKR citizenship by law, on which criteria
they will be chosen and which territories the refugees
will return.

Arman Melikyan, advisor to the NKR President, claims
that taking into account the principle of dual
citizenship, all the NKR citizens born in the
territory of the NKR (both Armenians and Azeris) will
be granted citizenship.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian-French Relations at Unprecedented Level
01.12.2006 13:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Secretary of the Security Council at
the RA President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan met
yesterday with newly appointed French Ambassador to
Armenia Serge Smessov. As RA Defense Minister’s
Spokesman Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net,
congratulating the diplomat on the appointment Serge
Sargsyan said that the Armenian-French relations are
at unprecedented level and voiced assurance that the
potential of relations between the two states is
great. When touching upon the Nagorno Karabakh problem
the parties expressed assurance that the only way of
settlement is the peaceful one.

NATO DOES NOT INTEND TO GET INVOLVED IN THE SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH ISSUE

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 29 2006

NATO Spokesman James Appathurai has declared that the alliance does
not participate in the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict
and does not intend to engage in the process in the future," Mediamax
agency reports.

The Spokesman said NATO’s position is as follows: "The OSCE plays
a very important role in the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict
resolution."

In response to the question about the perspectives of launching an
intensive dialogue with Azerbaijan, James Appathurai said Azerbaijan
has not applied to the alliance with such suggestion."

NATO will not interfere with the debate over Armenian-Turkish relations
29.11.2006 11:33

"NATO will not get involved in the debate over Armenian-Turkish
relations," NATO Spokesman James Appathurai said in response to the
following question of Mediamax agency: "NATO’s border with Armenia
remains closed, since Turkey has been keeping it closed for 14 years.

It does not only hinder the perception of NATO among the Armenian
society, but also prevents the integration processes. What can NATO
do to improve the current situation?"

"Armenia is not working in the direction of integrating into NATO, but
our cooperation in the framework of the Individual Partnership Action
Plan is wonderful. As for the bilateral issues and questions connected
with the border, the countries should resolve these themselves, and
NATO will not interfere with the debate," declared James Appathurai.

ERDOGAN WELCOMED POPE IN PERSON

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.11.2006 18:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in the Turkish capital
of Ankara on his first visit to a predominantly Muslim country amid
very tight security measures. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, whose party has Islamic origins, welcomed the Pontiff soon
after he disembarked the plane. Erdogan and Pope Benedict then entered
the VIP Hall at the airport and had a brief meeting.

Five archbishops and five cardinals will accompany Benedict XVI during
the papal visit. The four-day visit to Turkey is his first one to
a predominantly Muslim country as Pope. He arrived in Turkey at the
invitation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Thousands of law-enforcers
and snipers are invited to secure the Pope during his visit. Besides,
the authorities intend to use a false motorcade, which will move
in the city without the Pope. Authorities say nothing will threaten
the Pontiff.

Benedict XVI will be the second Pope visiting a mosque. Besides,
the Pontiff will meet with Muslim and Judaic leaders, as well as
heads of Christian communities of Turkey, reports BBC Russian service.

EUROPE SHOULD NOT TURN ITS BACK ON TURKEY, VATICAN ENVOY SAYS
By Lucia Kubosova

EUrobserver
5
27.11.2006 – 09:29 CET

EUOBSERVER / ISTANBUL – As thousands of Muslims protest against this
week’s visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey following his comments on
Islam and Ankara’s EU bid, the Vatican’s chief spokesman in Istanbul
tells EUobserver the Muslim country belongs in Europe and opposition
towards it is based on fear of the unknown.

Over 25,000 people gathered in Istanbul on Sunday (26 November) in a
demonstration against the visit by the leader of the Roman Catholic
church starting in Ankara on Tuesday, shouting "Don’t come, Pope!" –
a statement also written on posters displayed throughout the city.

The country’s Muslims were angered by a speech by the Pope in September
in which he suggested a link between violence and Islam.

His apology afterwards and Sunday’s message of "esteem and sincere
friendship" to the "beloved Turkish people" did little to quell
the anger.

But Mons Georges Marovitch, the spokesman for the Vatican as well as
for the tiny Catholic community in Turkey, estimated to number around
33,000 or 0.5 percent of the population, hopes that the Pope’s visit
will serve to heal the rifts.

"His previous statements were misunderstood and I’m sure that he
will now find words of conciliation for those that have been hurt
so that the dialogue between the two biggest religions is resumed as
the world’s peace depends on it," said Mons Marovitch.

On Ankara’s EU membership – openly contended by cardinal Ratzinger
before he became pope – Mons Marovitch said: "At the moment, any of
us can and must admit that Turkey is not prepared to join the EU but
to say a definite no would be a big mistake from Europe."

He added that the inter-cultural and inter-religious experience
dating back to the Ottoman empire, as well as the core moral values
of Islam being so close to Christianity mean that the country would be
"a huge enrichment for Europe."

"In Istanbul, in the time when in Europe you couldn’t imagine that a
mosque or synagogue would be constructed, the Turks built a mosque,
a church and a synagogue almost next to each other where people of
all these religions could pray."

Mons Marovitch acknowledges that over time the freedoms of religious
minorities have deteriorated, an issue also highlighted by the European
Commission in a recent report on Turkey’s progress towards membership
of the EU.

But he says the EU membership process has triggered a series of
positive changes that could significantly change the life of those
minorities.

"We can recognize the fear of Turkey in Europe. But this fear is there
because Europeans don’t know Turkey well," Mons Marovitch points out,
stressing that both concerns over an influx of economic immigrants
and fear of Islam as a different religion can be challenged.

"If Europe helped Turkey’s economy a bit to get on the same level as
other European countries, I’m sure that no Turk would want to leave
his country and go to Europe as Turkey is three times as big as Italy
and twice as big as France and has many riches to give to its people."

"On the other hand, Islam as the different religion could also be
enriching as many Europeans have lost some of their moral values and
supported laws which are against the basic ideas of both of these
monotheistic religions and which Turks as Muslims would never approve."

Mons Marovitch noted that many in Turkey actually oppose EU membership
saying that instead of being "a last and looked-down-on van in the
back" the country should become a "locomotive in a train consisting
of Islamic countries."

"But if this happened, it would be a historic loss for Europe as it
would mean that we would see an emergence of two camps that could
easily end up standing in confrontation against each other."

"So it’s better if Turkey became a bridge for dialogue and a bridge
between these two diverse civilisations," he added.

EU Christian heritage Mr Marovitch is aware that although he is
referred to as the Vatican’s representative in Istanbul, his views
are not necessarily shared either in the Vatican or elsewhere Europe.

But he argues that they are well-known and are also shared in the
Catholic community in Turkey, with other Christian denominations also
expressing similar opinions.

"Of course I am not a politician," he says but he does not refrain
from commenting on political issues such as the French law on denial
of Armenian genocide in 1915, saying those French deputies who voted
in favour "didn’t know the problem."

"That bill is a result of a political discourse and I hope it will not
pass through as it would be a big mistake. Turks themselves acknowledge
that there was a massacre of Armenians but it was not genocide. In
any case, we should let the historians deal with this not politicians."

Unlike some in Europe, he also disagrees that a future EU constitution
needs to refer exclusively to the Christian religion and its values.

"The reference to such values is not as crucial as the values
themselves and so we should be careful about the words that we are
using but instead highlight the moral values that we have – and these
we share with the Muslim community. And so for me, it would be better
not to use such words," he said.

EurasiaNet, NY
Nov 25 2006

AZERBAIJAN: COPING WITH THE OIL WINDFALL
Ahto Lobjakas 11/25/06
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

>From the minute you arrive in Baku, you can smell the oil.

In a glass jar it looks nothing like the black viscous substance one
would expect, but more like petrol. Experts praise Azerbaijani oil as
among the best in the world.

Overheat Concerns

But the oil does have a dark side. According to a recent report by
the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),
Azerbaijan is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with over
26 percent growth.

However, local officials admit the economy could "overheat."
Azerbaijan remains an economy in transition whose long-term future
can only be secured by means of a viable non-oil sector. And the
question many are asking is how, in a country where corruption is so
rampant, is that money going to be spent?

Clare Bebbington, a spokeswoman in Baku for multinational oil company
British Petroleum (BP), which is Azerbaijan’s main partner in tapping
the oil wealth, describes managing this wealth as an "enormous
opportunity," but also an enormous challenge.

"In 2006, the government of Azerbaijan will receive around $3 billion
in oil revenues from our projects. At $60 a barrel, the full-cost
revenues are actually around $230 billion. That is an unprecedented
shock for any economy, it’s also many, many times the current levels
of GDP," Bebbington says. "Now, it’s impossible to predict the oil
price, what the oil price will be in the future and BP doesn’t make a
prediction. But what we have tried to do is to be as open as possible
in terms of making some sort of projection about the likely level of
receipts so that people can begin to understand what will happen over
the next decades."

Apart from oil, Azerbaijan is also betting on gas. The Shah Deniz gas
field in the Caspian Sea southeast of Baku is estimated to contain
some 50 to 100 billion cubic meters of gas.

Diversification

One of Azerbaijan’s potential pitfalls is lack of economic
diversification. Mikayel Jabbarov, Azerbaijan’s deputy economic
development minister, says his government is aware of the dangers.

"We’re planning well enough against any severe shocks. Our non-oil
economy is growing very fast, in fact last year, data which analyses
non-oil economic development in Azerbaijan for the years 1999-2005
indicates that the non-oil sector in Azerbaijan on the average has
grown faster than in CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]
countries, in EBRD countries, and also in Black Sea and Caspian Sea
countries," Jabbarov says.

The government has set up what Jabbarov calls a "hydrocarbon fund" of
$1.5 billion to stabilize the economy. In March, a state-run
investment company with an initial budget of $100 million was created
to give loans to small- and medium-sized companies working outside
the oil industry.

However, within Azerbaijan there is much criticism of the
government’s oil fund. Its critics have said there is little to no
oversight of the body. And corruption is still cancerous in
Azerbaijan. The country languishes near the bottom of the annual
corruption perceptions index drawn up by Transparency International.

Energy Hub

Jabbarov says that Baku also has clear ambitions to become a transit
hub for Central Asian oil and gas.

"What we would like certainly to see, is the continued increase of
transit, [the] continued increase in shipping, in transportation of
hydrocarbons, and in other products as well," Jabbarov says.

Oil tankers already cross the Caspian Sea to feed the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey. Hopes for a trans-Caspian gas
pipeline to supply Turkey and the EU further down the line are
receding, however, despite Baku’s lobbying.

Energy experts in Baku say Western multinationals do not believe
there are sufficient gas resources available cheaply enough in either
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to justify such an investment. This
augurs well for Russia’s drive to dominate the transit market from
Central Asia.

Problems With Democracy

Azerbaijan’s democracy is still weak, with restrictions on media and
dubious electoral practices. Recently, an Azerbaijani court gave
police the right to detain two journalists for two months for
publishing an article allegedly insulting Islam.

And on November 16, Azerbaijani police broke up an opposition rally
demanding an end to pressure against independent media.

Critics say the EU has turned a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s nastier
democratic practices largely because it is interested in Azerbaijani
oil.

Frozen Conflict

Then there is the unresolved issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region
inside the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, but
occupied by Armenian troops together with seven neighboring districts
since a 1994 cease-fire ended fighting.

The war with Armenia has bequeathed Azerbaijan more than 800,000
refugees, most living in bleak conditions in and around Baku.

Azerbaijan’s government says it wants the conflict resolved by
peaceful means, but has not ruled out war. According to Deputy
Minister Jabbarov, the defense budget accounts for 15 percent of all
government spending in 2006, and exceeds $1 billion.

Compared to Azerbaijan’s neighbors, that’s a huge sum that’s likely
to be sustained. But in the military, as in every other sector of
public life, a problem remains: where exactly is that money going?

Sometimes the answer to that question is visibly evident. On the
outskirts of Baku, palatial villas perch on hillsides overlooking the
Caspian Sea. Fancy restaurants are packed with foreign and local oil
executives.

But there is another Azerbaijan of rural poverty and refugee camps,
of post-apocalyptic vistas of oil-polluted wastelands — an omen
perhaps of what could happen when the oil runs out.