Author: Maghakian Mike

Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkmenistan not to attend CIS summit
ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 21, 2006 Friday 08:25 AM EST
The CIS informal summit to begin later on Friday will not be attended
by Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian and Turkmen presidents.
Turkmenistan’s President Saparmurat Niyazon, who is holidaying at
the Caspian seaside, said he would not participate in the summit
beforehand, while Ukraine’s Yushchenko, Georgia’s Saakashvili and
Armenia’s Kocharian decided on this spontaneously.
These changes did not affect the summit’s agenda. The assessment of
international situation and the CIS upgrading and reforming will be
of priority.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin invited his counterparts to meet
in Moscow on July 21-22 to discuss the CIS reform informally ahead of
the regular summit in autumn,” presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
Ukraine’s Viktor Yushchenko hesitated for a long while, as his
participation in the forum depended on Ukraine’s political situation.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian presidential press service said
Yushchenko has strong intention to come, but a few hours after press
secretary Irina Grishchenko announced of Yushchenko’s refusal.
“Taking into account Ukraine’s internal situation, the president
decided he should stay in the country,” she said.
Yushchenko will wrote a letter to Putin explaining the reason of his
refusal and confirming that Russia remains Ukraine’s strategic partner,
she said.
“In his letter Yushchenko will also invite Vladimir Putin to visit
Ukraine. He hopes that his Russian counterparts will understand his
decision,” Grishchenko said.
Georgia’s Saakashvili, who earlier on Friday dismissed the government,
and soon after re-appointed all ministers, except from state minister
for conflict settlement – Georgy Khaindrava and environment protection
minister – Georgy Papuashvili, decided not to go to Moscow, although
his plane was ready to land off.
Merab Antadze, who replaced Khaindrava and was preparing
Putin-Saakashivili meeting in Moscow said “he failed to agree on the
bilateral meeting within the framework of the CIS summit.”
“However, we’ve agreed to hold such a meeting in the near future,
and the two presidents will be able to consider Tbilisi’s proposals,”
he said.
Armenia’s Robert Kocharian got heavy cold and will not take part.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who currently presides over
the CIS, confirmed his participation and prepared a program document
on the CIS reform for the Moscow summit, Kazakh Foreign Minister
Kasymzhomart Tokayev said.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin will also attend the summit. On
July 19, he said he “was not satisfied with current relations with
Russia.”
“Most problems the two countries face are concentrated on the Dniester
region conflict settlement,” he said.
Voronin sees no political undertones in Russia’s gas export price
hikes.
“Russia is reconsidering its economic policy in the CIS, not only in
relation to Moldova, but also to other countries of the CIS increasing
gas export prices for them,” he said.
As for Russia’s ban on import of Moldovan wines, Voronin expressed
the hope that this step “will make Moldova’s winemakers to look for
new markets.”
The schedule of Voronin’s bilateral meeting is now being coordinated,
the Moldovan presidential press service said.
“The Belarussian delegation led by President Alexander Lukashenko will
arrive in Moscow on Friday,” the Belarussian Foreign Ministry’s press
secretary, Andrei Popov, told Itar-Tass. “The program of Lukashenko’s
visit is now being finalized.”
He pointed out that Lukashenko believes that “the CIS has the future
and it is necessary to define areas for further cooperation once
again.”
Azerbaijan’s Ilkham Aliyev will arrive in Moscow after a short
vacation, the head of the presidential administration’s foreign
affairs department, Novruz Mamedov, said.
Aliyev will express “his attitude to cooperation prospects within
the CIS framework,” he said.
Tajikistan’s Emomali Rakhmonov, who also confirmed his participation in
the upcoming summit, believes that “it is too early “to decommission”
the CIS.”
The Kyrgyz and Uzbek presidents are also expected to take part.

TO CREATE SYNERGY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIMINALITY OF THE POLITICAL AREA
Margaret Yesayan
Aravot.am
21 July 06
PPA leader Stepan Demirchian thinks that this must be the aim of the
opposition powers.
Mr. Demirchian, how duo you describe political situation of Armenia
today, it is already obvious that parties from the authority and
political powers prepare for the coming elections more actively.
It’s a pre-electoral year and everyone prepares for the elections. It’s
obvious that the authority will make all efforts for reproduction. But
it isn’t workable because there is no positive improvement in the
country in these years: neither people’s life has improved nor
complaints has reduced and nor injustice. People won’t vote the
representatives of this authority though all their efforts. As regards
the opposition, it will say its word. The PPA is busy in its inter
party problems, strengthening its structures, and we prepare for the
coming session of our party in autumn.
Will you participate in the elections alone or with the bloc?
I haven’t decided yet.
There are analyzes that the current opposition can’t be in the
Parliament 2007, do you agree with this opinion?
You shouldn’t pay attention to those analyzes and
predictions. According to ”Gelap” polling the PPA has no problem
for entering the Parliament and only 7% of society won’t give votes
to the PPA.
There is an opinion that the opposition has never been so weak and
passive than it is now. How do you explain it?
I should remind that same opposition won both in presidential and
parliamentary elections in 2003, now it will also win in a fair
fight. It’s another matter that the society doesn’t believe that
something is possible to change in this country in civil way. The
overwhelming majority of the society doesn’t believe in fair
elections. The reform of “Electoral Code” is meaningless here. It’s
very amusing, every time they rig the elections and speak of “EC”
reforms. And the problem is still the same, as it was before, this
is the problem of the whole society: to prevent falsifications and
forbid reproduction of the authority in illegal way. I’m sure, we
can solve that problem.
It seems the oppositionist parties will find effective mechanisms of
collaboration. It is spoken a lot about the necessity of formation of
ideological unions, it is important, but first of all serious political
powers must create synergy against criminality of the political area.
But the authorities don’t hide that they will do their best for
reproduction.
We also must do our best to give the authority back to the people,
because reproduction of such authority will bring misfortune to
the people.
–Boundary_(ID_YZdH3pJrUl1Z9IZDRSR+BQ)–

RA FOREIGN MINISTRY HOT LINE SERVICE FOR CURRENT SITUATION IN LEBANON
AZG Armenian Daily #135, 20/07/2006
Emergency Actions
Today, RA PM Andranik Margarian held a consultation for rendering
assistance to the Armenians who wish to leave Lebanon RA Territorial
Management Minister
Hovik Abrahamian, RA Finance and Economy Minister Vardan Khachatrian,
RA Deputy Foreign Minister Gegam Garibjanian, head of RA Civil
Aviation Department Artem Movsisian, and other officials participated
in the council.
RA Government’s press service informed that RA Prime Minister expressed
anxiety about the events in Middle East, where a considerable number of
Armenians live, and emphasized the importance of assisting them. RA
Deputy Foreign Minister Garibjanian informed that the diplomatic
representatives of Armenia in Syria, Lebanon, Aleppo are working 24
hours a day and are ready to render any available assistance. The
Foreign Ministry organizes transportation of Armenian citizens from
Lebanon to Armenia. Mr. Garibjanian said that already 160 citizens have
reached Armenia through Syria. He also said that those ethnic Armenians
who do not have Armenian citizenship, can also enter Armenia, being
given free visas for 3 months. Head of RA Civil Aviation Department
Artem Movsisian represented the opportunities to organize charter
flights to Beirut and Syria.
The relevant departments of RA Foreign Ministry were ordered to
find out the exact number of Lebanese Armenians who want to move to
Armenia and create a telephone hotline. RA Civil Aviation Department
was ordered to start negotiations with ArmAvia company for organizing
special flights to Syria. The Government is ready to partly finance
the flights.
By Ara Martirosian

OSKANYAN AND “SKINHEAD PRESS”
Lragir.am
19 July 06
Last week Vardan Oskanyan, the minister of foreign affairs of
Armenia, made an unprecedented statement about the internal political
developments in Armenia. It is not clear what made the foreign minister
take that step. For in Armenia they do not announce every day that
a political reform is necessary, which not only intends to upgrade
the country but also strikes the economic and political interests of
the elite.
Considering that Mr. Oskanyan emphasized for several times that
his words must be viewed from the point of view of international
developments, his words appear to be quite serious. We do not think
that someone perceived his words as a joke. It became clear from the
reaction of a number of opposition newspapers “washing the shores” of
Serge Sargsyan. These newspapers, which have been recently referred
to as “skinhead press” very typically, tried their hardest to hide
Vardan Oskanyan’s statements “terrible” for their boss.
Well, it is already good that they understood what Oskanyan said. It
is bad, however, that now they again failed to draw a conclusion for
themselves. And now, as it usually happens, they will say we did not
know how it happened. Oskanyan is perhaps happy that he could convey
the “challenge” to the “elite”. Reading his statements is useful for
the “elite”, the others understand everything perfectly.
They also undersand that the “skinhead press” serving the criminal
downplays street skinheads who threaten unbiased reporters. They can
also understand the fear of this press that it is also going to undergo
the second surge of reforms in Armenia. Go “reform-Oskanyan”! Skinheads
cannot stop you.

Plane of the Syian airlines to land in Yerevan tonight
ArmRadio.am
19.07.2006 15:11
Currently names of 200 RA citizens and Armenians willing to leave
Lebanon are included in the list of RA Embassy in Beirut, acting
Press Secretary of RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetyan
informed, noting that the number is not final.
According to him, up to now 160 people have arrived in Yerevan
from Lebanon. “Today the plane of the Syrian airlines will arrive
in Yerevan. Armenian citizens may be among the passengers,” Vladimir
Karapetyan noted.
The Press Secretary informed that the Armenian side intends to organize
one or two charter flights to Aleppo tomorrow.

New US envoy to Armenia may fail to win confirmation
Turkish Daily News; Jul 19, 2006
A controversy over the firing of the U.S. ambassador to Yerevan,
who has classified the Armenian killings of World War I as genocide,
may lead to a blockade of the new envoy’s appointment in the Senate,
analysts said
U.S. President George W. Bush dismissed John Evans as ambassador to
Armenia in May after the latter, in violation of an official American
policy on the Armenian killings, accused Ottoman Turks of conducting
genocide
But since then powerful Armenian American groups have been protesting
against Evans’ firing, urging the Senate to delay the confirmation
of Richard Hoagland, who has been nominated by Bush to replace the
outgoing ambassador
In the latest development, under apparent influence of the Armenian
groups, the Los Angeles Times called on the Senate to block Hoagland’s
confirmation.
“They [members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee] should block
the nomination altogether until the ambassador-to-be dares to utter
the g-word,” the newspaper said in an editorial on Sunday. During
his confirmation hearing at the committee, Hoagland declined to use
the word “genocide” despite pressure by pro-Armenian senators.
Hoagland tried to eschew insistent questions over how he would qualify
the Armenian killings during his planned tenure in Yerevan. Recalling
that in his latest April 24 statement Bush referred to the Armenian
killings as “a tragedy
the world must not forget,” Hoagland said, “I represent the
president.”
“Instead of getting stuck in the past, and vocabulary, I would like
to move forward,” he said.
Under the U.S. constitution, all senior U.S. government officials,
including ambassadors, need to be confirmed by the Senate.
But nearly half of the committee’s 18 members back the Armenian
cause against Turkey, and have sent written questions to the State
Department, seeking an official statement on why Evans has been
dismissed.
“Hoagland’s appointment could hang in the balance,” said the Los
Angeles Times, and some analysts said he may fail to win the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee’s final approval.
The fact that this is an election year for Congress has been boosting
the influence of ethnic and other lobbies in congressional decisions,
the analysts said. One third of the Senate and the whole of the House
of Representatives will be renewed in the November elections
Presently Bush’s Republican Party is in control of both houses,
but the polls could provide the opposition Democrats with a majority
in at least one of the chambers. So even one single seat carries an
enormous importance for both parties
“The Bush administration should have the courage and explain
forthrightly — not just to Armenian Americans but to all Americans who
believe in calling evil by its proper name — why U.S. policy is being
dictated by Ankara nationalists,” the Los Angeles Times editorial said.
Los Angeles is in California, the United States’ largest state and
home to up to one million Armenian Americans
Addressing an Armenian audience in the United States in February
2005, Evans said that the World War I killing of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide. Warned by his superiors at
the State Department, he then issued a “clarification” where he
said his remarks reflected his own views. Still pressed by the State
Department, Evans later issued a further “correction,” admitting that
his statement misrepresented the U.S. policy. But Bush fired Evans
in May after the latter continued to deviate from the official U.S.
policy, according to administration sources.
“Ambassadors serve the president and they are obliged to follow his
policy. President Bush’s policy as it regards the mass killings of
Armenians is precise and he mentions it in his annual statement,”
said recently Matt Bryza, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state
for European and Eurasian affairs.

Georgia attempts to ease Armenian discontent
ISN, Switzerland
July 18 2006
Language discrimination, the lack of cultural privileges and scarce
economic opportunities are plaguing the Armenian minority in Georgia.
Georgian government officials and civic activists are taking the
initiative to address the growing discontent among the Armenian
minority and prevent the potential escalation of the growing tensions.
By Florence Mardirossian for Eurasianet (18/07/06)
Officials, academics and nongovernmental organization representatives
are pondering ways to defuse a potential crisis in the Georgian region
of Samtskhe-Javakheti, where discontent is brewing among the area’s
Armenian community.
Some local leaders and civic activists warn of socio-political
trouble if no action is taken to address the demands of the local
Armenian community for expanded language rights and other cultural
privileges. Discontent has already reached the point where one local
Armenian cultural organization – United Javakhk – reportedly adopted
a statement in early July calling on the Georgian government to grant
the region autonomy status.
The language issue is intertwined with other issues, namely a
lack of economic opportunity in the region. Most Armenians in
Samtskhe-Javakheti don’t speak Georgian, and they say the Georgian
government should do more to protect their cultural traditions.
Georgian officials, meanwhile, want Armenians living in the region to
learn Georgian. Some quietly question the sincerity of the Armenian
community’s desire to integrate.
The compulsory use of the Georgian language for education is the
chief source of discontent among Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Ethnic Armenian demands also include an acknowledgment of the Armenian
genocide of 1915, a removal of the ban on teaching Armenian history,
the adoption of new laws covering minority rights and self-governance.
A recent roundtable discussion, held in the regional center of
Akhalkalaki, sought to bring all sides together to discuss problems and
explore possible solutions. Participants – including local politicians,
experts and NGO representatives from Georgia and Armenia, generally
agreed that giving the region autonomous status was not a viable
option, especially given Tbilisi’s experience with separatism in
Abkhazia, Ajara and South Ossetia over the past 15 years.
At the same time, attendees suggested that Tbilisi couldn’t ignore the
complaints of local Armenians. One of the event’s chief organizers,
Sevak Artsruni, head of the Armenian union of NGOs for repatriation
and settlement cautioned that cultural issues, left unaddressed,
could develop into a major headache for Tbilisi.
Samtskhe-Javakheti sits along a trade corridor that is growing in
geopolitical importance. In particular, the recently inaugurated
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline runs through the territory. As a
result, international development funds have been earmarked for
local infrastructure improvement, including over US$100 million in
US assistance made available under the Millennium Challenge program
for local road construction and renovation. The region also figures
prominently in plans to build a rail link connecting the Turkish city
of Kars and the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.
“Socio-economic projects could bring stability if the cultural and
linguistic rights of the Armenian minority were respected,” he said.
“But if ethnic Armenians do not take part in these projects, the
cultural problem could turn political and Javakheti could definitely
[encounter] a crisis.”
Meanwhile, another conference participant, Georgian political scientist
Ghia Nodia, said tension in Samtskhe-Javakheti is a reflection of poor
local governance in Georgia. “Many people are calling for autonomy
because local democracy […] is weak or does not work,” Nodia said.
Mutual suspicion marks relations between ethnic Armenians and
Tbilisi. Last March, tension boiled over and resulted in a prolonged
period of rioting, ignited by the killing of an ethnic Armenian in
a brawl.
The political atmosphere became charged following the Rose Revolution
in November 2003 and has been exacerbated by the decision to withdraw
Russian troops from a permanent base in Akhalkalaki by the end of 2007.
The base was a major source of employment for the Armenian community,
providing well-paying jobs for roughly 10,000 civilians. The Georgian
government has promised to implement programs that diminish the
economic impact of the Russians’ departure, but Armenians remain
skeptical. Many view President Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration
as focused mainly on nationalist concerns, namely reestablishing
Tbilisi’s authority over Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Speaking at the Akhalkalaki roundtable in early June, Meka
Elbakidze, an analyst with the Caucasus Institute for Peace,
Development and Democracy (CIPDD), provided a road map for a Georgian
conflict-prevention strategy. Tbilisi should focus on the linguistic
issue and ethic Armenian’s disenfranchisement from local and national
politics, he suggested.
Georgian officials seem interested in exploring solutions to Javakheti
dilemmas. During a mid-July meeting, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Noghaideli discussed with his Armenian counterpart Andranik Markarian
the feasibility of opening an Armenian-Georgian university in Tbilisi,
according to news accounts of the meeting. In addition, Markarian
said the Armenian government was prepared to assist in efforts to
improve Samtskhe-Javakheti’s infrastructure.
Eurasianet provides information and analysis about political, economic,
environmental, and social developments in the countries of Central Asia
and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest
Asia. The website presents a variety of perspectives on contemporary
developments, utilizing a network of correspondents based both in the
West and in the region. The aim of Eurasianet is to promote informed
decision making among policy makers, as well as broadening interest
in the region among the general public. Eurasianet is operated by
the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute.

INTENTION OF ARMENIAN DM TO JOIN REPUBLICAN PARTY IS CONTRARY TO CONSTITUTION
Yerevan, July 17. ArmInfo. The statement of Armenian Defence Minister
Serzh Sargsyan that he is going to join the Republican Party of
Armenia is contrary to the law on parties and the Constitution,
says the Human Rights 96 party.
For the first time in the history of Armenia Sargsyan has violated
the principle of the army’s political neutrality. His decision is a
blow on the national security of Armenia. Nobody can interpret laws
the way he wants – everybody is equal before law.
To remind, July 14 Sargsyan publicly stated that he had already
applied for joining the RPA.

MAJOR BREAKDOWN OCCURS IN ARMENIA’S ENERGY SYSTEM
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 14 2006
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was cut off
from the country’s energy system Friday morning, Ashot Martirosyan,
Chief of State Inspection on Supervising Atomic Energy and Radiation
Security, said, as Novosti-Armenia News agency reports. He confirmed
that a major breakdown occurred today in Armenia’s energy system,
after which many consumers were cut off electric power. Martirosyan
excluded nuclear safety norms violation.
“It is not clear yet whether Armenian Nuclear Power Plant switched
off because of breakdown or the breakdown was caused by the plan’s
cut off from the system. The no final idea about causes so far,
but the incident is under intense scrutiny now”, he said.
Martirosyan said the plant worked in normal regime and safety
conditions are normal. However, automatic safety system operated and
the plant was switched off.
He didn’t exclude the plant cutoff from electricity generation system
as presumable cause of what happened.
Some Yerevan’s banks and large-scale establishments remained without
electric power today and halt their work temporarily.
Armenian Electric Network CJSC possesses no information about when
power supply in Yerevan will be restored.
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was put into exploitation in 1976. Today
the second 407.5-megawatt block of the plant operates. Specialists
say the plant can be functional till 2016. M.V.-0—

VARDAN OSKANYAN HAS NOT CONSIDERED BECOMING PRESIDENT BUT…
Lragir.am
14 July 06
“I think I can contribute to the processes underway in Armenia,
state building, development, but at the moment I cannot say how my
contribution is going to be, I can say that I have not thought about
it,” Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated July 14 in the Hayeli
Club commenting on the rumors that he may be named president in 2008.
“Now I am focusing on my work, I am facing serious problems –
the Armenia-Diaspora forum, the issue of Nagorno Karabakh, foreign
policies. So, my attention is presently focused on my work,” Vardan
Oskanyan stated. He did not say anything with regard to the timing
of decision on the form of his political activities. Vardan Oskanyan
said one thing is clear, he wants “to become engaged in processes
underway in Armenia, make his contribution.”
Besides Vardan Oskanyan announced that he has not considered joining
a political party and has not received proposals from any political
party. As for the other ministers, who are eager to become engaged in
political processes, particularly Serge Sargsyan, who is politically
the most active, Vardan Oskanyan declined to comment on Serge
Sargsyan’s membership to a political party, even on its compliance
with the path of qualitative change of Armenia he mentioned. The
point is that Vardan Oskanyan considers it important to decide the
important goals of the country rather than the ruling political force
in order to go on to figure out which political force or figure is
able to solve these problems. Proceeding from the formula proposed
by Vardan Oskanyan, it is important to know whether Serge Sargsyan’s
party affiliation and superpartisanization of the Republican Party
fit into the qualitative change of the country.
“I would not like to comment on the actions of my colleagues or their
decisions. You know, everyone makes their decision, what participation
they want to have in the political life of Armenia. If Serge Sargsyan
has decided to follow this path, it is his personal decision. I would
not like to comment on it,” says Vardan Oskanyan.