Author: Khoyetsian Rose

MAKING RUSSIA A BETTER NEIGHBOR
By Mark Brezezinski
The Boston Globe
March 08, 2006 Wednesday
Third Edition
LAST SUMMER, the Council of Europe issued a report urging Russia to
cease treating “neighboring and other countries in the region as zones
of special influence.” The report urges Russia to “constructively
contribute to resolution of open issues and cease with activities
. . . which undermine the countries’ sovereignty and territorial
integrity.”
A key message from President Bush to President Vladimir Putin should
be that Russia’s own integration into the world, a highly desirable
objective, is jeopardized if at the same time the Kremlin has a policy
of undercutting democratic development along its borders.
It’s unlikely that there’s a Kremlin master plan guiding Russia’s
actions toward her neighbors. Instead, Russia’s actions are driven
variably by ambition and nostalgia, confusion or misinterpretation,
irritation or resentment.
And Russia’s policy toward the former Soviet republics varies it’s
manifested in different ways and it produces different results. The
Baltic States today are confident of their independence and
sovereignty, but they remain afraid of Russia. Baltic leaders and
Ukraine claim that Russia uses energy to assert leverage, by having
Russian concerns acquire key elements of their energy sectors.
Ukraine and Belarus are themselves contrasts between striving for
independence and extreme dependency. Ukrainian President Viktor
Yuschenko has been clear about the goal of Ukraine’s membership in the
European Union. But he realizes the vital importance of not estranging
Russia and has taken steps to develop dialogue with the Kremlin, even
after Russia shut off gas supplies on Jan. 1. By contrast, Belarus
remains a dependency where democracy demonstrations in the lead-up
to the March 19 presidential election have been brutally crushed.
In the Caucasus and Moldova, Russia has tried to readjust the
orientation of her neighbors, with little success. In 2002, Russia
told Georgia to end its political and security relationship with
NATO, and urged Georgia to accept Russian bases for the long-term. In
Central Asia, dictators who previously resisted closer cooperation with
Moscow have been encouraged by the Kremlin’s urging to be heavy-handed
with any signs of religious revival. Only Russia and China endorsed
the Uzbekistan government’s killing of hundreds of demonstrators in
Andijon last summer.
There are signs that Russia is adjusting to new realities. In Georgia,
Russia accommodated itself to Georgian central control over Ajaria
and helped with the removal from Georgia of separatist leader Aslan
Abashidze. In 2005, Russian and Georgian authorities agreed to troop
withdrawal with a timetable and benchmarks, and ended their demand
for financial compensation. But there are potential loopholes through
follow-on pacts, and Russian troops and arsenals in Georgia may be
redeployed to Armenia alarming Azerbaijan.
It’s in Russia’s interest, and in America’s, for there to be greater
trust and cooperation between Russia and her neighbors. The United
States should strive to get Russia to understand that it is not
pursuing a policy to transform the region into a zone of American
control through “color revolutions.” Instead, what’s been happening
there is part of a process of what’s been happening in Europe for
more than 50 years.
At the same time, countries in Russia’s neighborhood need reassurance
that the United States is committed to their independence, integrity,
and stability. The lack of Western reaction to Russian meddling
made some new democracies worry that their sovereignty is entirely
subordinate to other key US interests with Russia.
In the near-term, the upcoming Belarus presidential election provides
an important test. Today Belarus is one of the most repressive former
Soviet republics. Last week, police beat and detained Alexander
Kozulin, an opposition presidential candidate. A new law pushed
through Parliament last year makes organizing a public protest or
making statements that discredit the state punishable by three to
five years in prison.
Symbolizing solidarity with the opposition, Bush met recently with
the widows of two Belarusan leaders who were murdered by Alexander
Lukashenko’s government. But as Western governments develop a strategy
in the event that international monitors report electoral fraud on
March 19, it must be remembered that Lukashenko’s major financial
and political sponsor is Putin.
In the long term, the West might consider a more dynamic vision of
its relationship with a democratic Russia. As the Russia task force
of the Council on Foreign Relations recommends: “Western leaders
should also diversify their political contacts within Russia. It’s
not enough to meet with representatives of `civil society.’ Open and
routine contact with opposition political figures and organizations
carry a more potent message.” Doing so would give credibility and
consistency to Bush’s freedom agenda.
NOTES: MARK BRZEZINSKI Mark Brzezinski, a Washington attorney, was
director of Russian and Eurasian affairs on the National Security
Council in the Clinton administration.

RA PRIME MINISTER’S CONGRATULATION MESSAGE ON OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Government’s Information and
Public Relations Department submitted to Noyan Tapan Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian’s congratulation message on the occasion of March
8. The message reads: “Dear Women, I warmly congratulate You upon
the Women’s Day. This nice holiday is another wonderful occasion to
address words of our gratitude and love, regard and appreciation to
You for Your devotion and care, inexhaustible kindness, patience, Your
inspirating presence. Dear women, mothers, sisters, Your contribution
in firmness of our families, education of generations and upbringing
by the spirit of national values is undenialable. Faithful to Your
mission devoted to the nation, You participate in improvement of our
independent statefood as well, having a significant contribution in
most different spheres of the public-political life of our state. I
wish all You health, boundless love and happiness, family warmness
and spring high mood.”

US DEPARTMENT STATE ANNOUNCES ITS 2005 REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES IN AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 9 2006
The US Department of State today made public its 2005 report on human
rights practices in Azerbaijan (APA).
The following human rights problems were reported in Azerbaijan:
restricted right of citizens to peacefully change their government,
torture and beating of persons in custody; arbitrary arrest
and detention; particularly of political opponents; harsh and
life-threatening prison conditions; police impunity; lengthy pre-trial
detention; pervasive corruption in the judiciary; some restrictions of
privacy rights; periodic interference with media freedom;excessive use
of force to disperse demonstrations; limited instances of violence
and societal discrimination against women;trafficking in persons;
limited workers rights.
The report says that Armenian forces continued to occupy some of the
countrys territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh. The government did
not exercise any control over developments in territories occupied
by Armenian forces. The report also touched on the arrest of Haji
Mammadov, former official of the Interior Ministry and the murder of
the journalist Elmar Huseynov.
It is also stated in the report that during the year the government
did not punish MIA officials for the beating, torture, and verbal abuse
of persons detained in the aftermath of the 2003 presidential election.
The report also touched on arrest of Yeni Fikir opposition youth
activists Ruslan Bashirli, Said Nuriyev, Ramin Tagiyev as well
as former state officials Akif Muradverdiyev, Ali Insanov, Farhad
Aliyev, Fikrat Yusifov, Fikrat Sadigov, Rafig Aliyev and academic
Eldar Salayev.
According to the report, although the law provides for an independent
judiciary, in practice judges did not function independently of the
executive branch. The judiciary was corrupt and inefficient. The
executive branch exerts a strong influence over the judiciary.
The report also says that a large number of opposition and independent
media outlets operated during the year. The print media enjoyed more
freedom than the broadcast media and expressed a wide variety of
views on government policies. However, most broadcast media adhered
to a pro-government line in their news coverage. There were over 40
active independent newspapers and magazines and 23 television and 12
radio stations. There also were 10 national state newspapers and 80
newspapers funded by city or district level officials. In contrast
to pro-government newspapers, the distribution of many opposition
newspapers was limited to the capital, and their circulation was low.
Harassment and violence against individual journalists continued. The
Media Council, an independent NGO, reported that 40 journalists faced
physical attack or harassment during the 6-month period preceding
the November parliamentary election.
During the year the government expelled four students from Baku
State University, the State Economic University, and the Pedagogical
University due to their political activities in support of opposition
parties.
The report said that the 6 November parliamentary elections did not
meet a number of the countrys OSCE commitments and COE standards for
democratic elections. Local executive authorities frequently misused
administrative resources to the benefit of pro-government candidates.
Local authorities also restricted freedom of assembly for opposition
candidates. Police used disproportionate force to disrupt rallies.
State and private television news coverage of the campaign period
disproportionately favored pro-government candidates, according to
the report.
The report also touched on President Ilham Aliyevs decrees on
improvement of election practices and use of finger inking procedure in
voting. It was stated that the government complied with the Electoral
Code.

MP SAYS PUTIN “BROKE THE PROMISE”
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 9 2006
Baku, March 7, AssA-Irada
An Azeri parliament member has said that Russian President Vladimir
Putin failed to “keep his word” stated to his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev during his recent visit to Azerbaijan.
“During the visit, Putin promised to hold serious talks [on the Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict] with the Armenian president Robert
Kocharian. But he failed to do so. On the contrary, after a phone
conversation with the Russian leader, Kocharian made his stance even
more acute,” the chairman of the opposition-leaning Whole Azerbaijan
Popular Front Party Gudrat Hasanguliyev said in parliament Tuesday.
He stated that if the peace talks stall after this, Armenia is likely
to recognize “the independence of Upper Garabagh”.
Armenian top officials earlier warned that the country may recognize
the self-proclaimed republic, following Azerbaijan’s warning on the
use of military action to solve the long-standing dispute.
Hasanguliyev further suggested tabling the issue in the Milli Majlis
and subsequently granting President Ilham Aliyev the right to launch
war without prior authorization from the parliament, if Armenia takes
the step.

Calcutta Telegraph, India
March 10 2006
Revival recipe for landmark Revival on the menu
– Restoration will triple table count at continental cuisine stop
SUBHRO SAHA

The downed shutters of Sky Room, on Park Street, may reopen by next
Poila Baisakh. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya
Sky Room is planning to serve it up again – prawn cocktail,
minestrone soup and all.
What used to be the city’s most-loved continental cuisine stop is set
to reopen its doors in a year, around Poila Baisakh time. The Park
Street landmark has remained shut for over a decade, following labour
trouble.
Part of the restoration and adaptive-reuse initiative undertaken on
the 95-year-old Park Mansions by the Apeejay Surrendra Group, the
eatery could return with its table count tripled.
`Yes, we will surely revive Sky Room, since it has such a strong
brand recall even now,’ Jit Paul, adviser to the group, told Metro.
`However, to be commercially viable in today’s high-cost scenario,
the eatery has to be much bigger than it used to be. We are looking
at 150 covers and the place will most likely be managed by The Park
Hotels,’ he added.
With large sections of the old structure having been freed by paying
off tenants, there are plans to expand either horizontally or `go up’
to accommodate the extra covers being planned for the new-look Sky
Room.
The reopened restaurant will also have its dedicated parking space at
the sunken parking lot in the revamped Park Mansions, plus valet
service linked to the Rawdon Street Parkomat.
`We want to create a destination that will give Park Street another
landmark,’ stressed Paul.
Paul is the brain behind the revival scheme for Park Mansions, being
anchored by architect Dulal Mukherjee.
Constructed by Armenian jute merchant Thaddeus Mesrope Thaddeus in
1910, Park Mansions was acquired by Paul from estate managers Talbot
and Company.
Besides Sky Room, it housed the French cultural centre premises
Alliance Francaise, Bombay Photo and Rajniklal. While Alliance was
ravaged by a fire, Sky Room, which had its interiors done by German
expert Messerschmidt and borrowed the food format from Mocambo across
the road `lock, stock and barrel’, downed shutters in the early
1990s.
Architect Mukherjee plans to use deconstruction architecture to
`create a feel of unlimited space with a strong pedestrian axis’
through a blend of hard and soft landscaping at Park Mansions.
`The second and third floors of the restored building will house a
heritage hotel or service apartments, and we plan to do boutique
retail on the first floor,’ said Paul.
The group, which also runs T3 – The Tea Table at Park Mansions, plans
to retain the quaint, old Flury’s-style place and add to its munch
menu as well. `We are looking at the possibility of pushing back
closing time till 10 pm to begin with, to give people the option of a
late-evening sip and bite,’ smiled Paul.

a/story_5948265.asp

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
ARMENIA, “MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES” CORPORATION TO SIGN $235.6MLN
AGREEMENT ON MARCH 27
YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. An agreement between Armenia and the
“Millennium Challenges” corporation is to be signed in Washington,
USA, on March 27, 2006.
The press service of the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy reports
that the $235.6mln 5-year agreement is to be signed by RA Minister of
Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatryan and Director of the
corporation John Danilovich.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to attend the signing the
ceremony.
On March 10, 2006, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan made a
decision under which an Armenian delegation headed by the RA Minister
of Finance and Economy is to leave for Washington on May 25-30 to
sign the agreement.
The Armenian delegation is to include Chief Presidential Economic
Advisor Vahram Nersisyants, RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. The
Armenian program “Millennium Challneges” was prepared by an
interagency group chaired by the RA Minister of Finance and Economy
under the patronage of the trustees of the Armenian program of the
“Millennium Challenges” corporation headed by the RA Premier.
The goal of the program is rural poverty reduction through ensuring a
stable increase in agricultural output. P.T. -0–

CNN REMINDED THE WORLD ABOUT THE ANTI-ARMENIAN POLICY OF AZERBIAJAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 11. ARMINFO. Today the CNN channel reminded the world
public about the events of Sumgayit, 1988, and the ‘heroic’ deed of
Ramil Safarov, who in February 2004 assassinated with an axe sleeping
Gurgen Margarian. The topic was prepared for CNN by the ‘Armnenia’ TV
channel, which has been cooperating with CNN during the recent years.
Gagik Mkrtchian, chief executive of ‘Armenia-TV’, informed that CNN
broadcaster an episode of the last demonstration in Yerevan, as well
as shots from the mass murder of 1988 and the national liberation
movement. The CNN let the world to see barbarian destruction of
Armenian cemetery in Nakhijevan. ‘We were able to show the world the
results of anti-Armenian propaganda of Baku, its cynicism, barbarism
and national-religious intolerance,’ said Mr. Mkrtchian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse
10 mars 2006 vendredi 4:48 PM GMT
Forte hausse des tarifs du gaz pour la population arménienne
EREVAN 10 mars 2006
Le gouvernement arménien a annoncé vendredi une forte hausse des
tarifs du gaz pour la population à partir du 10 avril à la suite de
l’augmentation du prix du gaz fourni par la Russie à cette
ex-république soviétique du Caucase.
Les tarifs pour les particuliers vont passer de 59.000 drams (130
dollars) pour 1.000 m3 à 90.000 drams (200 dollars). Pour les
entreprises qui consomment plus de 10.000 m3 de gaz par mois, le
tarif se fixe à 146,51 dollars pour 1.000 m3 contre 79,1 dollars
auparavant.
En 2006 l’Arménie compte importer 1,7 milliard de m3 de gaz russe
dont la moitié est consommée par les particuliers.
Le monopole du gaz russe Gazprom a augmenté les prix du gaz à
l’Arménie à 110 dollars pour 1.000 m3 à partir du 1er avril contre 56
dollars auparavant.

Kenyan daily gives details of alleged foreign mercenaries
Daily Nation website, Nairobi
12 Mar 06
Police detailed to investigate the alleged presence of Russian
mercenaries in the country have not questioned any of the suspects –
despite circulation of copies of Armenian passports of two of the men.
“We only saw some documents displayed on a news report on television
on Friday evening but police have not received any document,” a senior
CID officer said.
The Sunday Nation can reveal today that the men Langata MP Raila
Odinga claims are mercenaries working for the government are two
Armenian “businessmen”.
Travel documents indicate the two men – aged 33 and 36 – arrived in
the country early this year from Dubai, but have also visited Kenya in
the past on missions that remain a mystery.
Investigations have established that the suspects have changed their
residence four times since they arrived in Kenya separately on 23 and
24 January.
On arrival, they booked in at a five-star city hotel before they moved
to the upmarket Runda Estate in early February.
A leading city hotel confirmed yesterday that one of the men had been
a guest there on different occasions since 2003.
They allegedly moved to Lenana Road after Mr Odinga gave details of
the Runda house to police.
Runda residents in the vicinity of the single-storey mansion confirmed
to Sunday Nation that a truck pulling a 40-ft container entered the
estate at around 9.15 p.m. on Thursday night and moved all the
household goods.
The relocation from Runda capped a week of dramatic happenings in the
palatial residence and its vicinity, including an assault on an
alleged police officer in circumstances that remain unclear.
Not interviewed yet
Police have not interviewed the two men despite the furore and have
dismissed Mr Odinga’s claims even after inviting him to record a
statement on Wednesday.
On arrival in January, the two men were granted a two-year category H
permit, which is for professionals or foreigners investing in the
country.
They paid 60,000 shillings each and posted a bond of a similar amount
for the permits.
A Mombasa politician and businessman yesterday denied being among
those who had been seen in the company of the alleged mercenaries.
Following the 2 March raid by hooded police officers on the Standard
Group offices, there have been claims of involvement of foreigners.
Mr Odinga displayed faded photocopies of the passports of the two
foreigners on Friday, saying they were Armenians and not Russians as
earlier claimed.
But police say they have not received such documents and do not,
therefore, know who the alleged mercenaries are.
“We have not received any documents or fresh information regarding the
presence of mercenaries. We only saw some documents displayed on a
news report on television on Friday evening but police have not
received any document,” a senior CID officer said.
It would be easy for police, through the Immigration Department, to
find out who the people are, how they entered the country and who
posted bond for them when they entered the country. The category ‘H’
visa issued to them would also identify the kind of business they
intend to engage in and the name of the company, if any.
On Friday, police officers led by the Deputy Nairobi Provincial
Criminal Investigations Officer, Mr Isaiah Osugo, began investigations
into the alleged existence of mercenaries as ordered by the
commissioner of police, Maj-Gen Hussein Ali.
But even as the investigations were going on, the CID boss Joseph
Kamau were dismissing the story of the alleged mercenaries as a lie.
CID boss Joseph Kamau, whose team is supposed to investigate Mr
Odinga’s allegations, on Wednesday dismissed the mercenary claims as
“untrue” and urged Kenyans not to take them seriously.
Mr Kamau said this as Mr Odinga made a formal complaint to the
commissioner of police, Maj-Gen Hussein Ali.
Mr Kamau said the MP was spreading propaganda, which should not be
taken seriously.
In a statement signed on his behalf by Senior Superintendent Gideon
Kibunja, Mr Kamau dismissed the MP’s dossier as “baseless, wild,
unsubstantiated”.

Chief U.S. diplomat on Europe to visit Turkey, three Caucasus countries

AP Worldstream; Mar 10, 2006
The State Department’s top official for Europe will visit Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Armenia and Turkey next week.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried will meet with Azerbaijani
officials Monday and Tuesday, discussing democracy, Nagorno-Karabakh
and other issues.
He flies to Georgia on Tuesday, Armenia on Wednesday and will be in
Turkey Thursday and Friday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress