Author: Jalatian Sonya

AZERBAIJANI MP PREPARES DOCUMENT UNMASKING AGGRESSIVE ARMENIA

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
April 15, 2008 Tuesday

On the first day of the Parliamentary? Assembly of the Council of
Europe spring session, member of the Azerbaijan delegation to the
PACE Rafael Huseynov has prepared and submitted to the Committee of
Ministers a new document proving that Armenia does not deserve to be
a PACE member.

The document titled The need to end the Council of Europe`s double
standards approach to occupant and anti-democratic Armenia indicates
that Armenia has been regularly violating CoE Statute since January
2001, and highlights a number of facts exposing Armenia`s occupation
policy.

The document is to be published by the PACE Secretariat. The Committee
of Ministers is expected to discuss it shortly.

IF A PEACEFUL AGREEMENT IS ACHIEVED WITHIN MINSK GROUP, PROBLEMS OF AZERBAIJANI REFUGES WILL BE SOLVED FOREVER – COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMISSIONER ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Trend News Agency
April 16 2008
Azerbaijan

France, Strasburg, 16 April / TrendNews corr. A.Maharramli / Thomas
Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner on Human rights,
delivered a final report for 2007 during PACE plenary session on 15
April. MPs asked Commissioner several questions after the session.

MP Ganira Pashayeva, a member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE,
expressed his regret that Hammarberg did not touched upon the problems
of rights of millions of Azerbaijani refugees, who have been displaced
from their lands as a result of occupation of Azerbaijani territories
by Armenia. "Hundreds thousand of people cannot return back to their
motherland. Mr. Hammarberg, what do you think as a Commissioner,
what can we do for these people? Should we reinforce care?" Pashayeva
stated.

In his turn, Hammarberg replied to the Azerbaijani MP’s question by
stating that the delegation paid a visit to the country to investigate
the situation in Sept 2007." We developed a special report after the
visit. The report reflected most of the issues. We visited the camps
where the refugees lived and met with them.

Furthermore, the report says that the Azerbaijani Government is
taking all the necessary efforts to make the conditions of refugees
better. However, I believe that the complete solution of the issue can
be achieved only through the peaceful agreement between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. I hope that the report will be useful on restoration of
human rights. I believe that if a peaceful agreement is signed within
the framework of Minsk Group then the problem will be solved forever,"
he stated.

GOVERNMENT MUST LAUNCH UNSTOPPABLE REFORMS

ARKA
April 14, 2008

Below is an exclusive interview by RA Prime Minister TIGRAN SARGSYAN
to the ARKA News Agency.

ARKA: Mr. Premier, how well is the Government prepared to relieve
the negative influence exerted on Armenia’s economy by the continuing
rise in the world prices?

T. Sargsyan: The principal threat to us is a price rise. International
experts say that low prices should be forgotten for the following
15 years.

Of course, this is a painful process, first of all for transitional
economies, for the countries struggling against poverty. So the
Government’s measures must be adequate to the challenges.

It will be an urgent priority. This first of all requires effective
coordination of the Government’s monetary and financial policies –
the Central Bank is supposed to assume part of the responsibility,
with the rest of the responsibility to be laid on the fiscal policy.

We must first of all consider social programs, which are supposed to
protect the most vulnerable sections of the population.

ARKA: Do you share the opinion that Armenia needs qualitative reforms,
a kind of "economic revolution"?

T. Sargsyan: I certainly share this opinion, as these are the
principal theses put forward by President Serge Sargsyan, which were
also discussed by the ex-president Robert Kocharyan. We are starting
reforms of the second generation, which first of all implies the
necessity for involving professionals in the process.

ARKA: Which reforms can be expedited?

T. Sargsyan: Among the priority tasks are specifically a project
of making Armenia a regional financial center, foundation of a
pan-Armenian bank, development of the capital market in cooperation
with the OMX, development of the postal service and foundation of
a post bank, introduction of compulsory insurance, creation of a
universal e-database in the health system, adoption of legislation on
investment funds, introduction of corporate management principles into
joint-stock companies, formation of consumer protection institutes
on the financial market.

ARKA: Is any special program being elaborated to redress the imbalance
between Armenia’s capital and regions?

T. Sargsyan: If you remember, one of the priorities of the program
presented to Parliament by Serge Sargsyan is Armenia’s regional
development.

Imbalance reduces the potential for economic growth. It is obvious
that Yerevan hinders Armenia’s economic development, while Yerevan’s
development is being hindered as well. A new concept of Armenia’s
regional development must of course deal with the problems.

ARKA: Armenia has been recording two-digit economic growth over the
recent years. What do you think, will the planned key inflation and
GDP indicators be ensured?

T. Sargsyan: As regards inflation, the planned indicator for this year
can hardly be ensured as the global situation is most unfavorable,
and we have no instruments to absorb the negative inflationary
fallout. As regards economic growth, I hope that the budgeted figures
will be ensured.

ARKA: What is your viewpoint on Armenia’s national debt? Is the
Government going to issue Eurobonds?

T. Sargsyan: Armenia has a moderate foreign debt and we are not afraid.

Everything depends on the purposes you borrow money for. If your
investments contribute to the increase in your national produce,
such a debt is a necessity for the countries that must eradicate
poverty. So we have no problems here.

The issue of our own bonds depends on our progress in implementing our
project of forming a financial center and in the project of developing
the financial market jointly with the OMX.

ARKA: What do you think of the possibility of enhancing the Diaspora’s
efficiency in Armenia’s economic development?

T. Sargsyan: I think that we are not making full-scale use of this
factor now. It would be naïve to think we are. But, if you remember,
this is one of the priorities of the Serge Sargsyan-headed Government,
and one of its principal theses is the unification of the Armenian
people and the use of the Armenian Diaspora’s potential.

ARKA: In what state have you left Armenia’s banking system?

T. Sargsyan: We can state that we have a stable banking system, that
is, we may not be concerned over it. Its potential for stability is
so great that we may not be afraid of any international financial
crises. In this aspect, a conceptual solution to the problem has been
found, and this stability only needs maintaining.

The Central Bank personnel have rather serious intellectual potential,
which we must use. I think that this potential may be of benefit to
the Government as well.

ARKA: Looking back at the achievements of the last ten year, what is
your view of Armenia in five years or so?

T. Sargsyan: About what we have not done. We delayed pension
reforms and mortgage. We have not a mortgage fund so far, which is
unpardonable. We delayed the concept of financial center, reforms of
post service, foundation of a post bank and creation of a universal
database on health system. We have no effective investment laws. Open
joint-stock companies have not established themselves in Armenia,
and the institute of banking ombudsman has not been founded. We are
just launching financial education programs for the population.

It would also like to point out crediting in Armenia’s regions,
social programs for rural settlements and settlements located far
away from Yerevan. We have numerous unresolved problems, and they
are all our faults.

In principle, if the Government does not want to be a provisional one,
it must launch unstoppable reforms. But if the Government works for
the situation of the moment, it will be a short-lived one and can be
dismissed in a few months. However, if we launch all the aforementioned
long-term projects, they can not be stopped. For example, if we start a
pension reform, it cannot be stopped, but must be carried through. The
same can be said of the insurance and social reforms. This is teamwork,
and dissolving the team means destroying the country. So my task is
to launch the reforms.

ARKA: The last question. How does the new Premier plan to work with
the press?

T. Sargsyan: I think that the previous experience of our cooperation
was positive in that we tried to be as transparent as possible,
implemented special programs for our work style to be clear. However,
I should point out with regret that we did not see a reciprocal
attitude on the part of mass media, as personal insults and biased
assessments of our activities constituted a rather high percentage.

I think that the yellow press plays quite a role in our life. I
understand that any society will have such kind of press, but when
it prevails it means that society has rather serious problems. This
situation requires serious bilateral reforms, which must be initiated
by the Government.

–Boundary_(ID_2WA8+XXgIs7lBnfB4Pay+Q )–

THE KNESSET GOES ON HOLIDAY, BUT ANKARA HAS ALREADY STARTED PUTTING PRESSURE ON ISRAEL IN THE ISSUE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2008 GMT+04:00

Ankara is against the discussion of the question of the Armenian
Genocide in the parliament of Israel, strongly believing that it will
damage the strategic relationship between Turkey and Israel.

The Israeli Knesset will be on holiday till May 18, and now Turkey
is doing its best "to persuade" the deputies to forget about the
discussion of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has already started
implementing the well-known method; blackmail, which works so well
in the USA and so badly in Europe. It is quite obvious that it will
be much easier with Israel, than with any other country, especially
with Europe.

However, it should be mentioned that Turkey, which have chosen the
Islamic Justice and Development as the leading party of the country,
will most probably want to join the Islamic world, whose main aim is
to raze Israel to the ground.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At present, the reconsideration of the main
directions of the Turkish foreign policy is in process. The recent
conclusion of agreement on cooperation in the energy sphere with Iran
and the reestablishment of the cooperation with the Arab countries
speak of the fact that Ankara is getting closer to the Islamic world,
and in the Islamic world the friendship with Israel and the USA is
considered betrayal of Islam. However, Turkey still needs both the
USA and Israel.

The official Ankara is against the discussion of the question of the
Armenian Genocide in the parliament of Israel, strongly believing
that it will damage the strategic relationship between Turkey and
Israel. The Chairman of the Commission for International Relations
of the Parliament of Turkey Murat Mercen declared, "This is a very
delicate question for the Turkish society, and we wouldn’t want it
to be discussed in the Israeli Parliament. We have only asked our
Israeli friends to make it clear for several Israeli politicians,
that there is no need to "write" a history resting on some momentary
political passions, which will do a serious harm to the strategic
partnership between Israel and Turkey.

Having been in Israel, the delegation of the Turkish parliament thinks
that "the advertising of the Armenian problem is a very delicate
issue for Turkey."

The representatives of the delegation have declared this to the
advisors of the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Shalom
Turgeman. "We prefer that this issue isn’t discussed in the Israeli
Parliament, since it will damage the Turkish-Israeli relations,"
said the Turkish deputies. It was mentioned, that this problem
must be resolved between Turkey and Armenia with the participation
of historians. "Israel recognizes the strategic importance of its
relations with Turkey, but there are questions and parliamentary
initiatives, which have nothing to do with the government," said the
Prime, adding that the government of Israel is not interested in the
worsening of the relations with Turkey. "I am convinced, that Israel
realizes the negative disposition between the two countries, which
may be caused by the issue of the Armenian Genocide," said Mercan.

According to the deputy of the Knesset from party "Kadima", the
chairman of the inter-parliamentary union "Israel – Armenia" Zeev
Elkin, it is not possible to predict the result of the discussion
of the Armenian Genocide in the Israeli the Knesset. "The fact
that the issue is already involved in the agenda is already a big
achievement. During the past 20 years the issue of the Armenian
Genocide has not at all been discussed in Israel. The deputies already
feel great pressure from the part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the Turkish lobby, which now has the support of Azerbaijan as
well. It must be mentioned that their reaction was rather quick and
effective, which unfortunately can’t be said about Armenia and the
Armenian Diaspora. The discussion, of course, will not become a bill,
but I think that we, in case of a positive decision, may adopt a
declaration on the issue of the Armenian Genocide," said Elkin. He
reminded that the given initiative is suggested every year around
April 24, before the spring holidays of the parliament. "But this time
the opposition’s demand was supported not only by the opposition,
but also by party, included in the coalition. As for me – I was
led by pure moral understanding, since I know history very well,"
emphasized the deputy of The Knesset.

In his turn, the Director of the Institute of the Oriental Studies of
the National Academy of Science Professor Ruben Safrastyan thinks,
that the discussion of the Armenian Genocide in the Israeli the
Knesset is an instrument of pressure on Ankara. "The Resolution on the
Armenian Genocide will hardly be passed, and this issue is once again
becoming a stumbling block among the three countries. In particular,
one of the reasons of the discussion of the issue of the Armenian
Genocide was Israel’s and the US Jewish Community’s resentment with
Turkey’s attitude towards the Arab countries and the Israel-Palestinian
conflict," said Ruben Safrastyan.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Azeri MPs think hearings on Karabakh necessary
12.04.2008 14:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Azerbaijani MPs think it’s necessary to discuss
the current developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
process.

`Certain changes occurred in the negotiations. Therefore, holding
hearings in Azerbaijani parliament regarding has become a necessity,’
said Panah Huseyn, member of Musavat group of MPs which represent
opposition in the parliament.

`The Nagorno Karabakh conflict was discussed in the parliament
once. It is quite possible to organize another debate,’ said Aydin
Mirzazade, member of the Political Council of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party and member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE.

The Chairman of opposition Democratic Reforms Party of Azerbaijan,
Asim Mollazadeh, supposes that hearings are possible in case of
progress in the negotiation process. `Holding hearings on urgent
issues is a normal phenomenon,’ he said.

According to the leader of opposition Great Establishment Party, Fazil
Gazanfaroglu, the source of Azerbaijani public’s indifference
concerning the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the parliament. `The MPs
have repeatedly raised the issue of holding at least closed hearing on
Nagorno Karabakh. However, it yielded no results and the hearings were
not organized. The parliament of Azerbaijan should express its
attitude about the ongoing process,’ he said, Trend Azeri news agency
reports.

ARMROSGASPROM’S INVESTMENTS IN YEREVAN’S GAS SECTOR $24MLN SINCE 2002

ARKA
April 11, 2008

YEREVAN, April 11. /ARKA/. Since 2002, the ArmRosgasprom Company’s
investments in Yerevan’s gas-supply system have totalled 7.5bln AMD
($24mln).

Director of the Yerevangas branch, ArmRosgasprom Company, Vardan
Harutyunyan reported that the company’s investments in the city’s
gas-supply system totalled 506.9mln AMD in 2007 alone.

He reported that ArmRosgasprom’s investments in Yerevan’s gas-supply
system totalled 186.6mln AMD in 2002, 963.8mln AMD in 2003, 1,479.5mln
AMD in 2004, 2,149.4mln AMD in 2005 and 2,221.1bln AMD in 2006.

On March 7, 2008, The RA Public Services Regulatory Commission approved
ArmRosgasprom’s 45,188.5mln AMD (VAT exclusive) investment program
for 2008-2010.

ArmRosgasprom’s investments in Armenia’s gas-supply system are to
reach 31.2bln AMD (about $100.8mln) in 2008.

The ArmRosgasprom Company was founded in 1997, and its current capital
is $580mln. The Gasprom Company holds 57.59% of the company’s shares,
RA Ministry of Energy 34.7% and the ITERA oil and gas company 7.71%.

PROTESTS MARK ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT INAUGURATION

EuroNews – France
April 9, 2008

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in Armenia to
protest against Serge Sarkisyan’s inauguration as the country’s
new president. It comes a month after clashes between police and
anti-government demonstrators left at least eight people dead.

The protesters claim February’s election was rigged and that opposition
leader Leon Ter-Petrosyan, who is under self-imposed house arrest,
was the real winner. The government has denied claims it rigged
the ballot. Sarkysan was declared winner of the vote with around 53
percent, beating his nearest challenger who polled about 21.5 percent.

VARDAN OSKANYAN: "I WILL NOT BE REPRESENTED IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT"

Azeri Press Agency
April 9 2008
Azerbaijan

Yerevan-APA. Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan will not be
represented in the new government, APA quotes Novosti-Armenia.

Oskanyan said: "I will continue working but not in the government. I
will try to contribute to the development of the country and
strengthening of statehood. I will be in Armenia and make maximum
efforts, but not be involved in the government". He said he was
repeatedly stating that 10 years are quiet enough time to take the
same post. "I am thinking so because of I am not tired, but I need
in renovation. The new president has to appoint the new minister".

According to Armenian Constitution, the government resigns at the
same day with the president’s inauguration. Speaker of the Armenian
parliament Tigran Torosyan said the new government would be announced
next week. Armenian new president Serj Sarkisyan took the office
on Wednesday.

NEW PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA ADDRESSES THOSE WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR HIS CANDIDATURE

arminfo
2008-04-09 14:39:00

ArmInfo. New President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan addressed everyone
who did not support his candidature for president.

In his inaugural address he stressed that voters had a right not to
vote for him whereas he has no right not to be their president. ‘We
must not divide the people into parts and be indifferent to the
pain and troubles of each other. We must not exceed the frames of
accessibility to each other. Even if there is a wall of disagreement
between us, I call upon you for crashing it’, Serzh Sagrysan says.

BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus Unit
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
April 5, 2008 Saturday

Roundup of Azeri, Armenian, North Caucasus reaction to NATO summit in
Bucharest

NATO’s refusal to grant the Membership Action Plan to Ukraine and
Georgia has caused mixed media reactions in Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Russia’s North Caucasus region.

NATO’s "weakness"

Zerkalo, an independent Russian-language daily in Azerbaijan,
believes that the decision, which it said was taken "under Russian
pressure", would create new "real and potential" problems for the
former Soviet countries suffering from separatism.

Zerkalo commentator Rauf Mirqadirov said that the refusal would be
followed by Russia’s increasing pressure on Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Moldova and Ukraine.

"Having felt the ‘weakness’ demonstrated by NATO, Russia will step up
its pressure on these countries," Mirqadirov wrote. "On Georgia and
Ukraine (one should not forget about the issues of Crimea and Eastern
Ukraine) [the pressure] will be direct, and on Azerbaijan it will be
through Armenia," he said.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s recent statement that his
country can recognize Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagornyy
Karabakh as an independent state was also reflective of that
pressure, Mirqadirov said.

The Azerbaijani-language daily Ayna, however, said that NATO gave
"the green light" to Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership of the
alliance by welcoming their aspirations to join the military bloc.

The opposition newspaper Yeni Musavat said that the NATO summit in
Bucharest would mark the start of a new "Cold War" between Russia and
the USA.

The Azerbaijani media highlighted NATO’s expression of support for
the territorial integrity of the countries involved in territorial
disputes. Ayna quoted Azerbaijan’s representative office at NATO as
saying that "in the Bucharest declaration… the alliance once again
demonstrated its principled position on the recognition of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. It said that the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict should be resolved on the basis of
principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty."

Zerkalo’s Mirqadirov noted that getting NATO to reiterate support for
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity was part of Azerbaijan’s
"diplomatic offensive". He suggested that it was time for Baku to
"determine its priorities", or to choose between NATO and Russia.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu,
told the Russian media that his country "is in no hurry to join
NATO", Azerbaijan’s ANS TV channel reported. Bulbuloglu added that
Azerbaijan maintained good neighbourly relations with Russia and that
the two countries were cooperating in a number of areas, including
culture, economy and politics.

"Cowardice"

The Chechen rebel website Daymohk described NATO’s refusal to accept
the membership bids of Georgia and Ukraine as "cowardice".

"The [NATO] decision was conditioned by only one thing – cowardice
before the Russians," said the website, accusing the West of
"trapping" Georgia and Ukraine.

"The slaves who had been seeking an easy way of liberation from the
elder brother [Russia] once again fell into the trap of a common
plot… Europe and the West have not yet realized with what problems
they have again left the Ukrainians and Georgians, who have got tired
of Russia’s unrestrained and constant attacks in the past 20 years."

Another rebel website Chechenpress criticized the "treacherous"
position of Germany, which was opposed to Georgia’s and Ukraine’s
membership of NATO. It quoted a German expert as saying that Germany
would not be willing to support former Soviet republics like Georgia
and Ukraine if their imperial master decides to recapture them. This
position encourages Russia to implement its "aggressive plans", the
website said.

"Starting point"

The Armenian pro-government daily Hayots Ashkharh said that the NATO
summit in Bucharest could mark a new starting point for geopolitical
developments in and around the South Caucasus region. It said that US
President George W. Bush’s efforts to include Georgia and Ukraine in
NATO’s Membership Action Plan were not fruitful. This shows that the
outgoing US administration’s European policies have ended in failure.
"This means that before November 2008 when a new leader of the White
House takes office it is unlikely that the US-EU-Russia triangle will
make any principled decision on strategic issues related to the South
Caucasus," the paper said.

The opposition newspaper Aravot said it was difficult to agree with
the statements that NATO’s refusal to grant Membership Action Plan to
Ukraine and Georgia was a victory for the Kremlin.

"As was expected, several Russian media have described this as the
Kremlin’s victory. However, it is hard to agree with those
statements. European observers say that Ukraine and Georgia have not
been rejected… Europe simply does not wish to spoil its relations
with Russia at a time when the change of the leadership of the
Kremlin is not over yet," Aravot commentator Tigran Avetisyan said.