Author: Karakhanian Suren

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN: ARMENIAN-IRANIAN ECONOMIC CONTACTS INCLUDE ELEMENTS
OF REGIONAL COOPERATION AS WELL
YEREVAN, JULY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Rather high political level of relations
between Armenia and Iran is built on the centuries-old friendship
between the two peoples, on cultural-historical communities and
mutual respect and confidence. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
declared this on July 11, receiving IRI Minister of Medical Services
and Medicine Kamran Bagheri Lankarani.
A.Margarian expressed gratitude to the Iranian President and
government for their efforts in the issue of providing permanency
in the relations with Armenia. He expressed confidence that the
agreements reached between the Presidents of the two countries will
be fulfilled under extension of cooperation and full-value use of
the potential existing in various spheres. From this point of view
the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the work of the
Intergovernmental Commission.
According to RA Government Press Service, the interlocutors also
touched upon a wide range of issues regarding construction of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, third line of electric conductivity,
construction of a joint HPP on the river Araks, fact of exploitation
of the new repaired sector of Armenia-Iran motorway, building of
wind power plants by Iran in Armenia, the opening of which took place
in 2005.
A.Margarian emphasized that Armenian-Iranian economic contacts
include elements of regional cooperation, as well, so it is possible
to involve other regional countries in these relations. RA Prime
Minister said that during his recent visit to Georgia the authorities
of this country showed interest from point of view of joining
the Armenian-Iranian partnership. A.Margarian also emphasized the
importance of the memorandum on mutual understanding in the sphere
of health protection signed in April 2005 between Armenia and Iran,
which includes a great number of events.

SUKHUMI’S ANTI-GEORGIAN STANCE JEOPARDIZES INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INITIATIVES
By Zaal Anjaparidze
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
July 10 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
The promising movement toward reopening railways to link Russia,
Georgia, and Armenia via Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region is now
in jeopardy. The $300 million project to restore the Abkhaz section of
the Russo-Georgian railway after it was cut in 1992-93 appears to have
stumbled over the mutual animosities between the Georgians and Abkhaz.
The first hints that the issue was moving toward resolution began
last summer, when Tbilisi backed away from its initial tough
stance regarding restoration of the rail link (see EDM, June 17,
2005). Georgian officials and specialists subsequently participated
in talks about the rehabilitation of the Abkhaz section of the rail
link and onsite technical inspections.
Last December EU officials visited Sukhumi, the Abkhaz capital, and
offered Abkhazia an impressive package of economic aid if it toned
down its secessionist agenda (see EDM, December 12, 2005). Some
Georgian officials and pundits believed that reopening the railway
could become an organic part of a large, Western-sponsored plan
of economic rehabilitation for post-war Abkhazia, and help move
the region toward eventual reintegration into the Georgian social,
economic, and political space.
On January 20, leaders of Georgian, Armenian, and Russian railway
companies signed a protocol on establishing an international consortium
to eventually open the rail link between Ingiri (Georgia) and Veseloe
(Russia). The document appealed to the Abkhaz leadership to join
the cause.
On May 4 in Moscow, officials from Georgia, Armenia, Russia, and
Abkhazia signed a protocol establishing the Black Sea Railways
consortium. The consortium, set up as an open joint-stock company,
must rebuild the Abkhaz section of the railway. Andrei Turukin,
Abkhazia’s representative in Russia for railway issues, said that
members would discuss where to register the consortium during its
next meeting, scheduled for late July in Tbilisi, and underlined that
“the Abkhaz side was represented as a full-pledged party.”
Some Georgian pundits and officials assessed this remark as one more
step facilitating the acknowledgement of Abkhazia’s independence.
Symptomatically, prior to the Moscow talks on the consortium,
Sergei Bagapsh, the self-styled “president” of Abkhazia, told Abkhaz
parliamentarians that Sukhumi must agree to resume railway traffic,
which requires making Abkhazia an independent member of the project. He
also declared that no political demands should be put forward as a
precondition for the project (Apsnypress, Regnum, April 26).
Georgian officials connected with the consortium initiative are
tight-lipped about the political and economic details of the
deal. Irakli Ezugbaya, director of Georgia’s state-run Railway
Company and the chief Georgian negotiator at the Moscow talks, told
Georgian lawmakers last December that a political decision about
the consortium is still pending (Civil Georgia, Regnum, Apsnypress,
May 5; Akhali Taoba, June 3). Parliamentarian Shota Malashkhia,
chair of the Commission for Territorial Integrity, expressed doubts
about the expediency of the consortium due to the remaining legal
questions. Meanwhile, according to a poll commissioned this April by
the International Republican Institute, 75% of the 1,500 Georgians
polled thought the restoration of the railway would “suit Georgian
national interests” (, Civil Georgia, May 30).
But now, as Sukhumi appears to be stepping up its secessionist agenda,
the Georgian government is reconsidering whether to give a green light
to the railway project. Kakha Bendukidze, Georgian state minister
for economic reforms, responded to reports from Russian and Abkhaz
sources about the Abkhaz separatists’ intention to rehabilitate the
railway on their own. He said that the rehabilitation of the railway
“is an issue of goodwill and politics,” and it is up to the Georgian
government to decide whether to use the railway or not” (Kavkaz Press,
June 26).
The Abkhaz increasingly regard the railway project as a political
trap set by Georgia. Meanwhile, the Abkhaz also likely fear excessive
integration into Russia, which the railway project might entail and
prefer to take a “wait-and-see” attitude. There have been reports that
Russia is pressing Sukhumi to reopen the railway link (Alia, June
27), while a July 4 statement by the Abkhaz government states that
Abkhazia will contribute to the project only if it serves Sukhumi’s
interests. (Apsnypress, July 4).
The statement follows a June 27 roundtable by the Forum of Abkhaz
People’s Unity, which includes opposition parties and public
movements. Forum participants noted that Abkhazia should not join
international consortiums until the international community recognizes
its independence. They said that the railway consortium aligns
with Russia’s geopolitical interests, while neglecting Abkhazia’s
interests. The Forum particularly disliked the wording of the May
4 protocol that, they argued, considers the Abkhaz railway to be a
“portion” of the other [Georgian] railway route. Some opposition
parliamentarians suggested that Abkhazia should join the consortium
only after international recognition of its independence. A Forum
statement issued on June 30 stressed that the international railway
consortium poses a threat to Abkhazia’s sovereignty. The influential
Abkhaz public-political movement Aidgilara (Unity), which is linked to
the government, recently called on Bagapsh “to disavow” the protocol
on creating an international consortium on the issue. On July 3 still
more Abkhaz civic groups came out against the railway consortium
(Apsnypress, July 7).
Bagapsh, who apart from security issues wants to discuss with Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili (EDM, July 6) reopening closed air,
sea and rail routes with Abkhazia to relieve the region’s economic
blockade, downplayed the Forum’s concerns. He told a news conference
on June 29 that the project is beneficial for Abkhazia in an economic
sense and that Russia needs this strategic railway (Kavkaz Press,
Apsnypress, Civil Georgia, Regnum, June 28-30).
Although the Abkhaz government formally denounced the Forum’s
allegations as groundless and said that agreements regarding the
consortium are not legally binding, it seems that the Abkhaz government
is using the Forum to send a message to all stakeholders; to put them
on notice that they must accommodate Abkhaz interests.

IAC to complete the discussion of A-320 crash reasons
ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 12:15
Today the International Aviation Committee should complete the
professional discussion of the reasons of the crash of the Armenian
A-320 on May 3. Experts of the Committee have investigated the
records of the black boxes and have carried out modeling of the last
flight in Toulouse.

NATIONAL STATISTICS SERVICE: BIRTH RATE DECLINED
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
07 July 2006
In the first half of 2006 983 children were born in NKR compared
with 1019 children in the first half of 2005. The death rate was 661
compared with 678 in 2005. The natural growth of the population in the
first half of 2006 was 322, declining by 19 or 5.6 percent compared
with the first half of 2005. In the same period 315 marriages were
registered compared with 281 of the previous year. The rate of divorce
is 59 against 55 of the previous year. By official records, in the
first half of 2006 426 people arrived in and 411 people left NKR.
AA. 07-07-2006

OSCE chairman in-office personal representative Andrzey Kasprzyk is on a visit to Yerevan
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 7 2006
[ 06 Jul. 2006 17:48 ]
OSCE chairman in-office personal representative Andrzey Kasprzyk is
on a visit in Yerevan, Andrzey Kasprzyk’s field assistant has told APA.
It should be noted that under the mandate of OSCE chairman in-office
personal representative yesterday monitoring was held in Veyselli
village direction of Fuzuli region under the occupation of Armenian
Armed Forces and Khojavend region Kuropatkina village territory,
contact lines of the troops related to burning of Azerbaijani
territorie’ under the occupation by Armenia. Field assistant did not
give any information on the results of the monitoring in his talk
with APA correspondent./APA/

CONFIRMATION OF THE NEW US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA DESIGNATE POSTPONED
ArmRadio.am
06.07.2006 12:20
“Senate has postponed the confirmation of the new US Ambassador to
Armenia Designate, considering the criticism voiced by Congressmen
and mass media connected with the recall of John Evans,” wrote the
Los Angeles based ” California Courier.”
The periodical noted that last week the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee discussed the candidacies of new US Ambassadors to Ireland,
Switzerland and Armenia. The same day the new Ambassadors to Ireland
and Switzerland were confirmed by the Committee, later by the Senate.
While Senate has postponed the confirmation vote for US Ambassador
Designate to Armenia, and it is not known when the Committee will
turn to the issue again.
The Armenian National Committee of America informs that a number of
Committee members, including former candidate for President John Kerry,
submitted a series of detailed written questions asking the nominee
to explain the guidance he has received from the State Department
concerning its policy on the Armenian Genocide.
According to the newspaper, last week Senators asked some harsh
questions connected with recalling John Evans ahead of time.
Publisher of the “California Courier” Harut Sasunyan told “Radiolur”
correspondent Marlena Hovsepyan that the confirmation hearing on
Richard Hogland’s candidacy has been postponed for an unknown period,
negotiations in the backstage are still expected. IN Harut Sasunyan’s
words, non-confirmation of an Ambassador is not an unprecedented
phenomenon. Such cases have been registered before.
According to the publisher of the “California Courier” Harut Sasunyan,
“the Senators pressed Hoagland into a hard situation. Ambassador
Designate Hoagland had to say that in case his candidacy is confirmed,
he will take steps to change US position in regard to the Armenian
Genocide.

INTERESTS OF POLES OF POWER CLASH
Lragir.am
06 July 06
The essential in the context of home political developments in Armenia
is that there is not a common interest in government. This opinion was
expressed by the political expert Manvel Sargsyan during the seminar
in Yerevan on July 6. The seminar was devoted the reform of the home
political sphere. Manvel Sargsyan says there are preconditions for
this reform.
“The interests of Robert Kocharyan, the corps of functionaries and
businesses divided. The energy of these three components of the ruling
camp went in different directions, which led to the erosion of the
ruling elite. In addition, the efforts made by each of these three
components contradict to the plans and interests of one another. This
circumstance reassures that the principles of establishment and
structure of government will change,” says Manvel Sargsyan.
According to him, the cause of the present situation is the collapse of
the of the “contract-based mechanism” of preserving power, established
by the coalition memorandum of 2003 and dissolved because the Orinats
Yerkir Party seceded from the coalition. Therefore, according to
the expert, the two important conditions of the future activities
and controllability of the government – the principle of division of
spheres and style of work based on camps – disappeared.
“In the government camp real power passed to Robert Kocharyan, and the
political parties of the coalition lost their levers of influence on
the situation because they lost the factor of being a parliamentary
majority. Facing the problem of quitting power in 2008 and under
external pressure Robert Kocharyan steps up his personal political
program, which clashes with the interests of high-ranking public
officials and politicized business. The appearance of the Bargavach
Hayastan Party [Prosperous Armenia Party] on the political stage was
marked by the emergence of fundamentally new approaches of laying
out the image of the future government,” says Manvel Sargsyan.
According to him, Armenian officials wonder why Robert Kocharyan
rejects the traditional Armenian path of reproduction of power,
why he fails to use his resources to make Serge Sargsyan president.
Manvel Sargsyan says the officials realized late that the president
is unlikely to choose the traditional path of reproduction. The
expert says the consolidation of officials by way of a fusion of the
Republican Party is the evidence to this perception.
Manvel Sargsyan believes that consolidation has one goal – to prevent
the application of a new, especially an electoral principle of forming
government by concentrating the administrative resource.
“The success of such a program is possible only in case Kocharyan’s
individual political program is neutralized by separating him from
administrative and financial levers,” says the expert. According to
him, the factor of the business corps acquires a special importance
in this situation.
“The parliamentary businessmen are in a paradoxical state. At
one time their mandates were a “roof”, and presently the property
of businessmen having mandates of parliamentarians has become a
target of political aspirations of different poles of the government
camp. The clannish mechanism of protection of property has lost its
effectiveness. Moreover, it contains additional threat for their
property. The threat of punishing businessmen for a “wrong” political
orientation has come true,” says Manvel Sargsyan.
Manvel Sargsyan thinks that the development of the process depends on
this state of things, and generally the situation in the government
camp. According to the expert, though it may sound exaggerated, the
outcome or consequence of the developments underway in the government
camp depends on the political role and plans of the new opposition
of Armenia.
“Especially the stance of businesses greatly depends on this. The
factor of the leader of the Orinats Yerkir Party is acquiring great
importance. The dissatisfied electorate and businesses are bound
for perceiving such an oppositionist image. The interests of such an
opposition may objectively overlap with the interests of the Bargavach
Hayastan Party,” says Manvel Sargsyan.
The expert believes that if the principals of the new opposition do
not win, and it displays a differential approach towards processes
inside the government, the reform of the political system may be real.
“All the internal preconditions for it are there. For external
preconditions, they have always existed,” says Manvel Sargsyan.

FLOOD KILLS CATTLE
Panorama.am
15:52 06/07/06
Aragatsotn region sources say that Nerkin Sasnashen village river has
flooded due to rain on July 4, at 18:30-19:00. The water has flooded
nearby farms and cattle-sheds killing some cattle.
Today’s hail also damaged wheat fields of Sotk, Kut, Norabak villages
in Gegharkunik marz. Both marzes have established committees to
estimate to cost of the damage.

ARMENIA’S WORLD BOXING CHAMP INSPIRES CHILDREN IN ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES
Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
Reuters, UK
July 4 2006
Raging Bull’ Darchinyan Signs Autographs Surrounded By Children
Over 70 children in especially difficult circumstances were treated
to an inspirational surprise visit from Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan,
the Armenian World Boxing Champion by World Vision last week.
‘I admire Vic and watch each and every fight of his on TV. He was
never knocked down and can beat anyone in the world! ‘, said a proud
12-year-old Asatur Hakobyan, as he joined others who crowded around
Vic to take his autograph and have a photo taken with their famous
compatriot.
Asatur and the other children are cared for by the Vardashen No.1
Special Educational Complex in the capital Yerevan and are from
families with no means to support themselves, and children who display
anti-social behaviour or are in especially difficult circumstances.
‘Vic’s visit has had a serious psychological impact on our children.
They feel really privileged that a world champion came to visit them’,
says Larisa Sargsyan, Head of the school.
This is especially important for the children in Vardashen who need
attention and contacts with outside world, especially with people
who can serve as role models for them.
‘I wanted not only to promote healthy lifestyle among the children,
but also help them see perspectives, to show them they can achieve
their goals if they are hardworking and dedicated’, said Vic as he
shared his childhood memories with the children.
He told how ‘an ordinary boy from Lori who just loved to fight’
realised his dream of becoming a world-famous boxer.
Sam Mamikonyan, a cheerful boy of sixteen, held up his huge hands
and boasted: ‘We compared fists and Vic told me I have great physical
potential to be a boxer. I think I’ll start to think seriously about
boxing now’. He was also impressed that Vic was awarded by a rank of
‘Knight of Lori’ for his chivalrous manner in the ring.
Vic presented Vardashen school with a TV set, and promised keep an
eye on the children he got acquainted with.
World Vision provides the children of Vardashen with social and
psychological services, organizes various activities and cultural
events, as well as offers vocational trainings to give them an
opportunity for successful integration into the society after they
graduate.

2006 NANSEN REFUGEE AWARD GOES TO JAPANESE MAN WITH GLOBAL VISION
Reuters, UK
July 4 2006
GENEVA, July 4 (UNHCR) – The prestigious Nansen Refugee Award will
go this year to Japanese optometrist Dr. Akio Kanai, who over more
than two decades has improved the quality of life of over 100,000
uprooted people around the world by testing their eyes and providing
them with spectacles.
The Nansen Refugee Award Committee selected Dr. Kanai, chairman and
chief executive officer of Fuji Optical, for his practical commitment
to humanitarian work and dedication to easing the plight of refugees
by improving their eyesight.
The committee found Dr. Kanai had “rendered exceptional service to
the refugee cause” and had made a huge and genuine contribution to
uprooted people in human as well as financial terms. Dr. Kanai’s
company is based in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.
The annual Nansen Refugee Award is given to individuals or
organizations that have distinguished themselves in work on behalf of
refugees. It includes a US$100,000 grant from Norway and Switzerland
for a refugee-related project of the winner’s choice and is scheduled
to be presented in October during the annual gathering in Geneva of
UNHCR’s governing Executive Committee.
“Tens of thousands of displaced people living in extremely difficult
circumstances have been given a new outlook on life thanks to Dr.
Kanai,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. “The
gift of sight is precious. Restoring it makes a huge difference in
individual lives, making learning possible for children and adults
and pulling them back from the fringes of marginalisation.”
Dr. Kanai, himself forcibly displaced from the northern Pacific island
of Sakhalin at the end of World War II, started his humanitarian
optometry work in 1983 in Thailand with Indochinese refugees, many
of whom had lost or broken their glasses while fleeing. Many were
undergoing courses ahead of being resettled and needed glasses to
study. Dr. Kanai checked the sight of the refugees and, in doing so,
started a long engagement with refugee work.
He began cooperating with UNHCR in 1984, and has since conducted
more than 24 missions to help uprooted people in Nepal, Thailand,
Azerbaijan and Armenia. He has donated more than 108,200 pairs of
glasses, provided optometry equipment, made cash grants and trained
local medical staff. Fuji Optical is UNHCR’s longest-serving corporate
partner.
Dr. Kanai’s family and his staff are also involved in Fuji Optical’s
Vision Aid missions. Some 70 employees have taken part in the aid
missions, using their holidays to work in refugee camps.
The Nansen Refugee Award, created in 1954, is named after Fridtjof
Nansen, the celebrated Norwegian polar explorer and the world’s first
international refugee official. Previous recipients include Eleanor
Roosevelt, Medecins sans Frontières, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
and Graca Machel.
Last year, the award went to Margarita Barankitse, also known as the
“Angel of Burundi,” in recognition of her work with separated children
whose lives have been devastated by war and the scourge of HIV/AIDS.
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