Author: Karabekian Emil

NATO REPRESENTATIVE ASSURES NAMSA READY TO ASSIST AZERBAIJAN IN MINE CLEARING OF OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AFTER LIBERATION

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 3 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Ò corr S. Aghayeva / NATO Maintenance and Supply
Agency (NAMSA) is ready to assist the Azerbaijani Government in the
mine clearing of the occupied territories after their liberation,
the Manager of the Agency, General Karl-Heinz Munzer, stated to
journalists in Baku on 3 June.

NAMSA is now dealing with this practice in the Near East, he said.

The peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can prevent
the threat caused by military ammunition in the region," Munzer stated.

The Agency can assist the Azerbaijani Government with technical
assistance in the clearing the mines in the occupied territories,
he said.

NAMSA is already co-operating with the Azerbaijani Government in
the project at the Saloglu settlement of Azerbaijani Agstafa region
to clear mines that remained during the USSR period. Previously,
the largest in the Transcaucasia ammunition storehouse was located
in Saloglu. As a result of a fire in 1991, uninterrupted explosions
continued for four days in Saloglu.

Another direction in the activities of NAMSA is its participation
in implementing the project on the neutralization of MELANJ missile
fuel. "NAMSA is satisfied with the co-operation from the Azerbaijani
Government in these projects and is interested in further co-operation
in different projects," Munzer noted.

–Boundary_(ID_n1K6ZbZ/Nq21Nq5JT0e0Sg)–

Surgeon appointed as minister

Story from BBC NEWS:
/6254724.stm

Published: 2007/06/29 15:11:44 GMT

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has appointed a practising surgeon as a minister
at the Department of Health.
Professor Sir Ara Darzi, who is charged with improving patient care, has been
promoted from his previous role as National Advisor on surgery.
Sir Ara, chair of surgery at Imperial College London, supports government
plans to reconfigure NHS services.
When he took over as prime minister, Mr Brown said he planned a broad-based
government of "all the talents".

My working life has, is and will continue to be centred on patient care
Sir Ara Darzi

But the Conservatives have criticised the appointment, accusing Sir Ara of
having a poor record of supporting access to services for patients and
rubber-stamping the demands of the Department of Health.
In a report published earlier this year Sir Ara said 80% of operations should
be carried out on patients in their local area, with the remaining complex
cases undertaken at specialist centres by highly skilled surgeons.
Ministers have already embarked on a policy of reconfiguring services along
these lines – leading to controversial decisions about individual NHS units
which have been bitterly opposed by critics.
Sir Ara will combine his ministerial duties with his research and clinical
commitments, including the supervision of students.
Sir Ara, 47, said: "It is a great honour and privilege to be asked by the
Prime Minister to continue that work for patients across the country.
"I will be working closely with Alan Johnson to map out the next steps of the
reform agenda that has achieved so much in the last 10 years. But we can do
better."
Frontline experience
He said he would draw on his experience from the frontline to fulfil his new
responsibilities.
"I am not a politician by profession. My working life has, is and will
continue to be centred on patient care."
Sir Ara is internationally respected for his innovative work in the
advancement of minimal invasive surgery and in the development and use
of allied technologies including surgical robots and image-guided
surgery.
Dr Jonathan Fielden, chair of the BMA’s consultants’ committee, said: "Having
a focus on improving patient care is a positive step forward.
"We will be looking forward to him listening to our concerns and working
closely with him to ensure that the concerns of the profession and the public
are utilised to improve patient care."
Mr Bernard Ribeiro, President of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: "I am
delighted that a practising surgeon, who deals with patients on a regular
basis, has decided to take such a high position.
"It is an opportunity for government to engage directly with the profession."

The prime minister’s spokesman said Professor Darzi would work Monday
to Thursday as a minister – being paid for three days – and continue
to work as an NHS surgeon, unpaid, on Fridays.
Any income from his international private practice will be paid direct to
Imperial College to fund research, the spokesman said.

75 DANGEROUS FOOD PRODUCTS FOUND IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
28.06.2007 17:24

75 dangerous food products have been found on the territory of Armenia
in the first half of 2007, head of the "Defense of consumer rights"
NGO Abgar Eghoyan told ArmInfo.

Like before among the dangerous products are wafer, caramel, cookies,
chocolate, halvah, chips and canned food.

The laboratory examination has revealed microbes in the "Cicorella"
chocolate cream (Saray, Turkey), "Chonik" chocolate bar (Arcor S.A.I.C,
Argentina), "Bubble Gum" chewing gum (Amos Sweets, China).

In Abgar Eghoyan’s words, such low-quality goods are sold not only
in the market, but also in shops. "Our monitoring revealed a number
of shortcomings also in the supermarkets of the city," he said.

Mr. Eghoyan also informed that the volume of sale of low-quality
Turkish goods has increased in the Armenian market. These are mainly
imported in an illegal way and withought special certification.

AZERBAIJAN STATES COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN THE EVENT OF LIBERATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED TERRITORY: AZERBAIJANI DELEGATE TO PACE

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 28 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend I.Alizade / Azerbaijan states that it
will cooperate with Armenia only in the event of Armenia withdrawing
its troops from Azerbaijan’s occupied territory. Ganira Pashayeva,
an Azerbaijani parliamentary representative to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), made this statement at
the summer session of PACE during the discussion on a report by the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) policy in
East and Southeast Europe, developed by Jean Lemierre, a Spanish MP
and President of the Bank.

Pashayeva said that the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani areas is
a factor, negatively affecting the development of the entire region.

"Regional cooperation depends on the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Osetia conflicts. From this
aspect, international organizations, including the Council of Europe,
should intensify their efforts for the resolution of conflicts.

Otherwise, chances for the realization of the Pact of Stability in
the South Caucasus, mentioned in the report will be at a minimum,"
she emphasized.

Pashayeva noted that the EBRD supported the implementation
of the project on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline. "As the report states there is
cooperation between the rapidly growing Azerbaijan and the EBRD,"
MP added.

According to Pashayeva, cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EBRD
is at a high level. Huge projects financed by the EBRD, including the
construction of hydro-power stations, reconstruction of the State Power
Station in Azerbaijan, improvement of the water supply system of Baku,
upgrade of the air navigation system, are carried out in Azerbaijan
with the financial support of the EBRD. Moreover, the EBRD participates
in projects on the establishment of several big banks and separate
fields in the private sector. The bank plans to expand cooperation
in the sphere of agrarian business, tourism and communications.

"Touching upon ideas relating to the tough economic state of
Armenia with the political factors and absence of this country’s
cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkey, I reminded of Azerbaijan’s
close cooperation with its neighbouring friendly countries. I stated
that Azerbaijan cannot cooperate with Armenia, which occupies 20%
of its territory," Pashayeva stressed.

The PACE summer session began on 25 June and will last until 29 June.

Azerbaijani parliamentary representatives are attending the session.

DILIJAN – A FINANCIAL CENTER?
By Ara Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/06/2007

Serge Sarkisian’s suggestion for changing Armenia into a regional
financial center

The Chairman of the Union of Armenian Banks Stephan Gishian summarized
the results of 2006 in the annual meeting of the union on June 25.

According to Gishian an intense competition was recorded among the
21 banks of Armenia in 2006. Thanks to it the service level rose and
the services were developed.

In 2006 all the banks had profits – 17.1 billion drams in total. The
banks’ assets increased by 20% – 544 billion drams, the deposits
exceeded 150 billion drams.

Stephan Gishian was sure that this year the results would be better,
but he mentioned that there were also many things to do.

The deposits are only 5% of GDP in Armenia, while in European countries
it is 50%. The banking level is very low in the regions.

The Chairman of the Union of Armenian Banks called all the bankers
to put more efforts in order to direct money turnover to the banks
and to reduce the shadow.

The Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian in his speech assured that Armenian
banking system is involved in the world financial processes. He also
mentioned that the role of banking system in the development of the
economy is unsatisfactory, that’s why the specific weight of the
loans in GDP does not exceed 10%.

The Prime Minister also spoke about the projects that the Government
would realize together with the Central Bank and Union of Armenian
Banks.

The first proposal is to change Armenia into a regional financial
center. Taking into account not-proportional development of the
Armenian regions and that most of the people who live out of the
capital are deprived of making use of the banking system, the Prime
Minister proposed choosing a medium or a little town in Armenia and
changing it into a financial center. "For example, Dilijan or another
town. It will also contribute to the development of the whole region",
he said.

The Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank Tigran Torosian responded
to the proposal of the Prime Minister and said that the Central Bank
and the Union of Armenian Banks would discuss what investments and
how long it would take to change one of the Armenian towns into a
financial center.

The Chairman of the Central Bank mentioned that the annual 20-30%
development of the banking system was not enough for the aim of
increasing the role of the banks in the development of the economy. It
might be at least 40%.

He also attached importance to the growth of the involvement of natural
and juridical persons in the banking system. The bank clients’ number
increased only by 8.5% (60.000 people) and was 763.000: 723.000 –
natural persons and about 40.000 – juridical persons.

The next issue is the strengthening of the competition of banking
system. 5 foreign banks will start their business in the Armenian
banking system soon: "Armpostbank" with Dutch capital, Russian
"Gasprombank", Lebanese "Byblos" bank, Austrian "Rayfazen" and German
"Procredit" banks.

Tigran Torosian attached importance to the development of hypothec
market and mentioned that in the next 5 years it is planned to increase
the volumes of crediting to 350 billion drams instead of present 30
billion drams.

Not-compatible companies leave the insurance sphere.

In the security market the Swiss OMX will get the Armenian Stock
Exchange and Central Depositary and will start the development of
this sphere.

The Chairman of the Central Bank also promised to create 600 billion
drams savings 5 years later in virtue of the reforms in the pension
system.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO PARTAKE IN BSEC SUMMIT

ArmRadio.am
25.06.2007 11:28

In Istanbul RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian will participate in
the summit dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Organization. The Minister will deliver a speech. Vartan
Oskanian is expected to have bilateral meetings on the sidelines of
the summit.

The summit will be held under the slogan "Towards new horizons," a
BSEC representative said. He noted that the meeting of the Presidents
of BSEC member states will be preceded by the special sitting of
the Foreign Ministers, where the final statement of the summit will
be determined.

"The declaration to be signed by the Presidents of BSEC member states
will become a unique political directive that will determine the
future of BSEC," said the diplomat.

Georgia parliament gives tentative backing to repatriation of
long-persecuted minority
MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI, AP Worldstream
Published: Jun 22, 2007

Georgian lawmakers gave preliminary backing Friday to legislation
authorizing the repatriation of a long-persecuted largely Muslim
minority who were deported en masse to Central Asia in the 1940s.

Parliament voted 134-14 to pass the bill, introduced by President
Mikhail Saakashvili’s ruling party, which would mainly benefit the
Meskhetian Turks, although it also gives legal authorization for the
repatriation of others "forcibly deported by authorities of the USSR
from Georgia."

Stalin deported the Meskhetian Turks from regions along Georgia’s
border with Turkey to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan during
World War II. In 1989, racial violence broke out in Uzbekistan, with
the Meskhetian Turks and other deported ethnic groups targeted as
outsiders. Many members of the minority fled.

Georgian authorities delayed allowing the Meskhetian Turks to return,
fearing, among other things, violence with ethnic Armenians who moved
into the lands vacated when the largely Muslim group was deported.

Some 20,000 Meskhetian Turks have lived for years in legal limbo in
southern Russia, unable to get official residence permits or to rent
land _ the result of strict anti-immigrant regulations. Thousands were
given refugee status in the United States in 2004 and resettled there.

As a condition of joining the Council of Europe in 1999, Georgia agreed
to guarantee the return by 2011 of the Meskhetian Turks, an estimated
300,00 of which are scattered in several former Soviet republics. About
40,000 are believed to be actively seeking to return to their ancestral
homelands.

The Georgian bill, which must go through two more readings, provides no
financial assistance for resettlement and no guarantee that those
applying for repatriation will be allowed to return. Those returning
must also give up any other citizenship they have, take tests on
Georgian language, history and laws.

Saakashvili supports the measure. However, among Georgians, who are
mainly Christian, there is still deep suspicion of the Meskhetian Turks.

Opposition lawmakers voting against the measure complained that more
should be done to help ethnic Georgian refugees driven out of their
homes in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia during
wars in the 1990s.

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE OF KENTRON AND NORK-MARASH COMMUNITIES
SATISFIES COMPLAINT OF RAFFI HOVANNISIAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of first instance of Yerevan’s
Kentron and Nork-Marash communities (chairman – Judge Samvel
Tadevosian) on June 22 satisfied the official complaint of Raffi
Hovannisian, founder of "Heritage" Party. The court decided to
eliminate the decision to refuse initiation of a criminal case, which
was taken on November 15, 2006 by prosecutor Karapet Karapetian, of the
State Interest Protection Service of the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office. In fact, the RA Prosecutor General’s Office has been instructed
to open a criminal case and conduct an investigation into the fact
pointed out in the application.

According to a press release received from "Heritage", on March 8,
2006, some unknown persons entered the main office (illegally locked)
of the party and obtained information about activities and members of
"Heritage" from office computers. In this connection complaints were
filed, which, according to the press release, were not properly
examined by the police and prosecutor’s office. The court of first
instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities on February 13, 2007
made a decision approving the decision of the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office to refuse initiation of a criminal case.

ARMENIAN PRES SAYS DEFENSE REFORM TO REMAIN IN FOCUS OF GOVT ACTIVITY

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
June 21, 2007 Thursday 03:43 PM EST

Dymanic and efficient defense reforms will remain a centerpiece of
activity of Armenia’s government, President Robert Kocharian said
Thursday as he received Robert Simmons, NATO’s special envoy to the
Caucasus and Central Asia.

As the two men discussed the current stage of cooperation between
NATO and Armenia, they voiced satisfaction with the progress of joint
actions under a plan for individual partnership, the presidential
press service said.

Kocharian and Simmons also discussed a number of international issues.

During Simmons’s meeting with parliament speaker Tigran Torosian,
the latter man spoke in favor of a revision of the plan, saying some
of its provisions have long been fulfilled while new opportunities
for cooperation have opened up.

According to Torosian, these opportunities emerged after the recent
parliamentary election in this country and improvements in the
national legislation.

Speaking on behalf of NATO’s Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer,
Simmons congratulated Torosian on the occasion of high assessments
that western observers gave to the election process.

He said he was quite satisfied with how the partnership plan was
being implemented and called for deeper cooperation between NATO and
Armenian parliament.

The North-Atlantic bloc plans organizing a familiarization course in
Brussels for newly elected MPs and for workers of the parliament’s
administrative machinery.

Simmons said he hopes the parliament of the new convocation will make
a contribution to the partnership plan, including its aspects like
the setting up of a system of crisis management and maintenance of
security on Armenia’s state borders.

He also praised the performance of Armenian peacekeepers in Kosovo.

"As a full-fledged member of the international community, Armenia is
ready to expand its engagement in the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo
and the parliament is prepared to give support to this activity,"
Torosian said.

MINISTER OSKANIAN TO PARTAKE IN BSECO SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL

ArmRadio.am
22.06.2007 15:35

June 24 RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian will leave for Istanbul to
participate in the summit dedicated to the 15tha anniversary of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, where Minister Oskanian
will deliver a speech.

RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian is expected to have bilateral
meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

In the evening of June 24 in the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul
Minister Oskanian is scheduled to meet with representatives of the
Armenian community.