Author: Jilavian Emma

NKR DRAFT CONSTITUTION ADOPTED IN THE SECOND READING

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Nov 1 2006

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic National Assembly has adopted the NKR
Draft Constitution in the second reading. The overwhelming majority
of the deputies participating in the voting were for the Draft.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament has rendered a decision to submit
the Draft Constitution to a nation-wide referendum, DE FACTO own
correspondent in Stepanakert reports. The nation-wide referendum’s
day will be fixed by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President.

LET RUSSIA CALM DOWN

A1+
[06:30 pm] 31 October, 2006

"Russia is Armenia’s main partner," claimed Karen Chshmarityan,
Minister of Trade and Economic Development, while commenting on the
RF president’s announcement.

Vladimir Putin was concerned that Russia is in the third place due
to its investments in Armenia, its military partner.

The minister says that Russia was in the first place in 1991 – 2005
by the index of its total investments.

Russia invested 67.5 million USD in Armenia in 2005.

By the way, 42.6 percent of the gross foreign investments and 49.9
percent of the direct investments in 2001 – 2005 were made by the EU
member countries.

An abrupt increase has been perceived since 2003.

Last year the total foreign investments in Armenia outnumbered 400
million USD; 215 million of which was made by the EU countries.

Germany, Greece and France are leaders of investment initiatives
in Armenia.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA TO VISIT KAZAKHSTAN IN EARLY NOVEMBER

Gazeta.KZ, Kazakhstan
Oct 31 2006

ASTANA. Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia, is going to visit
Kazakhstan officially on 6 – 7 November, Kazakhstan Today correspondent
reports.

Yerzhan Ashikbayev, official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Kazakhstan, stated yesterday, October 30, at a traditional
briefing in Astana that Mr. Kocharyan plans to meet the country
leaders. "Bilateral documents will be inked during the visit and a
"round table" with participation of Kazakhstani and Armenian business
circles will be held," – he observed.

At the same time on 5 – 6 November there will be a second meeting of
the Kazakh-Armenian commission for commercial and economic co-operation
in Astana. "Development of co-operation in commercial, economic,
investment, transportation, innovation, agricultural, and education
areas will be discussed," – the MFA spokesperson said.

‘TURKISH ACCESSION DANGER FOR EUROPE, ILLUSION FOR TURKEY’
Fulya Ozerkan

Turkish Daily News
Oct 30 2006

Jacques Toubon, French member of the European Parliament, voiced
strong opposition to Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, defending
privileged partnership for Ankara instead of full membership.

"Our position is to be against full accession of Turkey into the
EU and in favor of privileged partnership. We think Europe will no
longer be Europe we want if Turkey becomes a full member of the bloc,"
Toubon, a Christian Democrat, former French minister of budget and
spokesperson of President Jacques Chirac’s government, told a group
of Turkish reporters here.

The European parliamentarian argued that Turkey was not European in any
sense and accused one of the Turkish reporters of being provocative
when they asked if Turkey and Greek Cyprus were located on the same
longitude, how was it possible to say that Turkey did not belong to
Europe geographically, while the latter did.

"In Turkey this EU issue is a fantasy… The EU accession is not
[your] only destiny. You have a good future without the EU. Turkey’s
accession is a danger for Europe and an illusion for Turkey," he said.

"Why is Article 301 already on the penal code? It is a question of
national sovereignty. Are you ready to abandon your sovereignty? Are
you ready to get rid of your principals?" he asked.

Toubon also criticized the French bill penalizing any denial of the
alleged Armenian genocide, saying: "I’m strongly against it. History
is not made by law. History is made by facts. If we want to discuss
[history] we have to avoid provocation."

He also stressed the EU was not a Christian club and said if Turkey
remained as regional power and privileged partner of the EU, the bloc
would then have a strong ally "in this crucial region of the world."

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 28 2006

Is Turkey’s EU Bid Becoming a Mirage?

SELCUK GULTASLI
10.28.2006 Saturday – ISTANBUL 14:55

The EU progress report on Turkey, to be released on Nov. 8, is just
as important as the one that paved the way for membership talks with
Ankara two years ago.

The report’s tone and the recommendation to be made on the Cyprus
issue will, to a great extent, affect the opinions of leaders who
will be attending the EU summit in December.

While an ordinary report was being expected on a country which has
already started membership talks, both Turkey and the European Union
agree that the document has become very important, amid rumors that
the negotiation process will be suspended, making many people wonder
how far the entanglement will go.

Or, as eloquently stated by an Arab writer, have the negotiations
become a mirage? And if they have, is it wise to vent anger only
against the European Union?

Turkey has started to believe that what it has done for the sake of
progress does not mean much to the European Union. If the already
ambiguous full membership goal is further diluted by the influential
EU leaders, who believe 2025 is Turkey’s most probable admission
date, it means it is time for those in Brussels to clarify their
minds over what they have offered to Turkey. Jose Manuel Barroso, the
president of the European Commission, whose remarks imply that Turkey
cannot be a full member in 15-20 years, is as irrational as France’s
bill on the so-called Armenian genocide. Just as the voices of those
who sought amendments to Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code have
become weaker since the French bill was adopted, Brussels is now
compelled to figure out how to encourage a candidate country to
embark upon further reforms for the sake of a very vague membership
perspective that will materialize in 15 years at the earliest.

And just as the anti-Turkey meeting between Paris, the capital of
secularism, and the Vatican, the capital of Christianity, is seen as
contradictory; it is also strange that the Justice and Development
Party (AKP) administration, the innovator of the Ankara criteria,
cannot comprehend what the reluctance in implementing the reforms
signifies. This is because for the AKP administration, the EU
membership process is like riding a bicycle; when the reforms come to
a halt, the pedals of the administration’s bicycle spin aimlessly.

In such an environment, the visionary politician turns into a
populist, while President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and People’s Republican
Party leader Deniz Baykal `confuse’ official messages with Ramadan
holiday messages, and issue `progressive’ warnings against
reactionary movements. Then, Washington-based think tanks express
support for the remarks of Baykal, who gives assurances that they
will replace the reactionary order with the enlightened revolution of
the secular republic. All of a sudden, these think tanks label Sezer
and Chief of Staff Yasar Buyukanit as the Turkish `Senate.’ Hence,
the generals, aware that their statements will be reflected on the
progress report, partake in politics with their uniforms on to show
that the EU membership goal, in fact, is nothing more than a mirage.

No matter how negative it might be, the Nov. 8 report and the
decision to be made at the December summit may present new dynamics
that could possibly prevent the process from turning into a mirage,
and make both Turkey and the EU question the weight of the whole
issue. We are getting closer to the days when both sides will need to
make such evaluations.

Regnum, Russia
Oct 27 2006

Armenian and Russian presidents to have a separate meeting in Moscow

Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan is to depart to Moscow for a
work visit on October 30. On the same day, a separate meeting of
Russian and Armenian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharyan
will be held in the Kremlin.

As REGNUM is told at the Armenian president’s press office, Robert
Kocharyan is also planned to have meetings with Russia’s Prime
Minister Mikhail Fradkov and Moscow City Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.
President Kocharyan is also planned to participate in the opening
ceremony of a monument to great Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian
in Moscow.

As REGNUM reported earlier, during the visit, most vital issues of
the bilateral cooperation will be discussed. Implementation of
agreements on increasing Russian-Armenian cooperation particularly in
transport and fuel and energy sphere will be discussed in detail.
Exchange of opinions in extending cooperation in CSTO (Collective
Security Treaty Organization), further strengthening of the
organization facing new challenges and threats is planned. An
important place in the agenda will be taken by CIS issues. The sides
are expected to focus upon coordination of the countries’ effort in
improving the situation in Caucasus, establishing the atmosphere of
trust for regional cooperation and settlement of conflicts on this
basis.

Aravot, Armenia
Oct 26 2006

MAJORITY SYSTEM AS AN ADDITIONAL STYMULUS

When Hranush Hakobian says she is elected by majority system as a
parliamentarian without any falsification, she isn’t completely
sincere. Certainly, it is difficult to imagine that she keeps a band
in Gavar, which attacks on polling stations during the elections and
decide the results of the elections as other parliamentarian of
majority system do. But let Mrs. Hakobian admit if she didn’t have
good relations with Communist, then ANM and Kocharian’s regimes, if
she opposed to one of them, will she manage to fill a post in the
parliament?
The factor of fortuity sometimes operates. For example Ruben Hakobian
was elected as a parliamentarian in the Center of Yerevan in 1995 who
was the only ARF representative in the NA. In 1999 Vano Siradeghian
won in the parliamentary elections in his native Lori, when the whole
state machine was against him. In 2003, Victor Dallakian was elected
in another region of Lori. But the exception of such cases proves the
fact that nobody has succeeded in electing twice by majority system
and opposition status. The majority seats as the "reserves" of the
authority. Currently both "People’s deputy", the majority Republicans
and OEP members who left that party lately and the major part of
independent parliamentarians elected by majority system vote as the
president’s residence orders. So 37-38 seats, if not 41 of the future
parliament are in the authority’s pocket.
But the authorities have more weighty reason to keep more seats for
majority system. It’s all the same the businessman will become
parliamentarian personally or by party list. These are different
thinks in practice. The oligarch has stronger motivation to work for
the authority if he is nominated by majority system. T’s all the same
for the party it will have 63 or 56 seats in the parliament but for
the oligarch this is a matter life and death as he can fill the 57
place in the party list or doesn’t fill at all. That’s why he is
interested to solve his problems by majority system. Majority
electoral system is a special award for the oligarchs’ good work.

Aram Abrahamian

TURKEY: TOP EUROPEAN COUNCIL OFFICIAL VISITS

AKI, Italy
Oct 26 2006

Istanbul, 26 Oct. (AKI) – Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
President Rene van der Linden on Thursday met with top Turkish
officials, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, for discussions
focusing on human rights and dialogue between civilisations. Van der
Linden was also scheduled to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan but the meeting was cancelled since Erdogan is on a
prolonged vacation following his fainting at a public gathering last
week. The fainting incident was attributed to a drop in Erdongan’s
blood sugar level caused by his fasting for the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan.

On his arrival in Turkey on Wednesday, Van der Linden who supports
Turkey’s bid for membership of the European Union, criticised the
French lower house of parliament’s passing of a bill that makes it
an offense to deny that the massacre of Armenians under Ottoman rule
amounted to genocide.

Van der Linden criticised suggestions in France and elsewhere that
Turkey should officially recognise that the Armenian genocide took
place as part of the conditions it has to comply with in order to
enter the EU.

"It is inappropriate trying to set new criteria for Turkey’s
membership. You cannot change the rules of the game after you start
playing," he said.

Ahead of a progress report on Turkey’s bid due to be presented on
8 November, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said in an
interview with the Italian daily Corriera Dela Sera he was concerned
that the EU-championed reform process in Turkey was slowing down.

Turkish enthusiasm for EU membership also appears to have cooled
according to a survey released Thursday indicating that only 32
percent of Turks think that ‘Turkey must enter EU’, compared to 57
percent who thought so last year. The survey was conducted by A&G
research company with a sample of 2,408 people being interviewed.

PARTICIPANTS OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION BRING FORWARD THEIR VERSIONS OF CRASH OF A-320 PLANE

Noyan Tapan
Oct 26 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. "I have a reliable information
that before the A-320 plane took off, a brawl took place among
the passengers of the plane in the VIP hall, at that the conflict
was not settled." Vladimir Poghosian, first class pilot who worked
in civil aviation more than 20 years, declared at the October 26
public hearing dedicated to the reasons of the tragic crash of the
A-320 plane in the air above Sochi. The public hearing was organized
by the anti-criminal movement. In his words, the airport Security
Service, the Air Flights Inspection and other structures responsible
for flight security were not informed about the incident. Besides,
the examination of passengers’ luggage was formal. According to
the version brought forward by the pilot, judging by the conduct of
the crew and, in particular, by the decision to land in Sochi made
by it, despite of information about bad weather conditions, it can
be concluded that the crew was in a state when it was not able to
rightly analyse the situation: "I have information that the flight
proceeded in special conditions of psychological influence on the
crew," V.Poghosian declared. He did not exclude that the brawl that
started on the land continued in the air, with use of fire-arms. In
V.Poghosian’s words, the report that the plane disappeared from
the radars’ screens means that the plane exploded still in the air,
before falling into the sea. He also declared that there are no final
conclusions on the accident’s reasons yet, but any version has "the
right to live." RA National Assembly Deputy Aghasi Arshakian agreed
with him declaring that this tragedy was the logic end of the collapse
of the national aviation that begun as early as in 1992 and was
initiated by the former authorities and continued with the efforts of
the current power. In the MP’s words, for purpose of gaining profit,
the authorities specially led to bankruptcy the Armenian Airlines
state company. Garnik Margarian, Chairman of the Homeland and Honor
Party, said that one of the most spread versions of the accident is
the version about lack of fuel. Before the flight to Sochi A-320 had
left for Moscow from where it returned with full tanks. At that,
fuel is bought in Russia at a much lower price than the price of
fuel mentioned in the passenger tickets of Armavia airline. As
G.Margarian assured, in Yerevan, part of the fuel was poured out
for again filling the tanks in Sochi. "Thanks to such business,
the airline owner, Mikhail Baghdasarov became a multi-millionaire,"
G.Margarian declared. The participants of the discussion pointed to
necessity of an independent investigation.

NA PASSES THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTORAL CODE

A1+
[01:24 pm] 26 October, 2006

Today, RA National Assembly passed the amendments to the Electoral
Code with 84 votes for, 6 votes against and 2 abstentions.

It is noteworthy that "Justice" faction voted against the amendments.

At present, the NA is discussing the amendments to the law on
"Alienation of Property for State and Public Needs." Let us remind
you that it is already the fourth time the RA government has put the
amendments to the NA voting.

The deputies are currently asking questions Rafik Petrosyan, the head
of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. By the way,
yesterday the latter complained of the government’s attempts to cheat
them by introducing the same draft law with slight changes. Whereas
today he tries to persuade the deputies to endorse the amendments after
the first hearing provided the amendments are worked out later on.

"Though there are still "obscure" points in the draft, it differs from
the ones the government formerly introduced," says Rafik Petrosyan.