Author: Maghakian Mike

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.

Elmar Mammadyarov discontent with the self-estrangement of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs
ArmRadio.am
14.07.2006 13:16
Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov declared he is not satisfied
with the “self-estrangement” of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs from
the negotiations process over the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Elmar Mammadyarov declared that the Co-Chairs should continue their
activity. The Azeri Minister noted that “almost all the points have
been agreed upon. There are, however, a number of provisions, which do
not allow the parties to come to an agreement.” He said that currently
the sides are exchanging views on these issues.
To remind, RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said this week that
Baku and Yerevan are not holding any consultations for bringing
positions closer. Vardan Oskanyan noted that the Armenian side is
ready to continue the talks based upon the mediators’ suggestions
and anticipates the same on the part of Azerbaijan.
Elmar Mammadyarov said also that he met US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group Matthew Bryza, who will soon visit the region. The Azeri Minister
noted he anticipates new ideas from Bryza, since “new Co-Chairs always
do that way.”

EUROPEAN PARTY OF GREENS DEMANDS UNBLOCKING TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER
Armenian Genocide Issue
Marie Anne Isler Beguin, Chairwoman of the EU
Parliament’s delegation to Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan, recently published the materials she
accumulated during her visit of the Armenian Turkish
border. The Armenian Federation of Europe informed
that according to her, “the European Parliament in its
resolutions never missed the opportunity to emphasize
the importance of unblocking Turkey’s borders with
Armenia, as in the terms of the blocked borders, not
only the Armenian and Turkish borderline dwelling
places suffer, but also the region does.” Isler
emphasized that the issue of unblocking the borders
should become a criteria for Turkey’s admission to EU.
She reminded that 10 years ago, when blocking the
borders with Armenia, Turkey intended to exert
pressure on the process of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict development. In its turn, the Committee for
Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament postponed
the discussion of the draft resolution “On Turkey’s
Progress for Admission to EU.” The voting for the
draft resolution was postponed till September. This
was conditioned by several drawbacks in the
translation of some amendments for Turkey to apply.
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Armenian premier says Lebanese ties “harmonious”
Arminfo
11 Jul 06
Yerevan, 11 July: Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan today
received a government delegation headed by Lebanese Foreign Minister
Fawzi Sallukh.
Markaryan noted that there are no political problems between Armenia
and Lebanon, Arminfo learnt from the government press service.
Bilateral ties are developing harmoniously and there is a sufficient
legal framework for the development of cooperation, the prime minister
said. He added that the sides have rich cooperation experience within
international organizations and it needs further deepening.
Markaryan noted the need to resume the work of the Armenian-Lebanese
intergovernmental commission which has become less efficient following
the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The three joint practical projects signed with Hariri’s participation
remain topical and can be implemented, but certain efforts need to
be made.
During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation in
the areas of finance, tourism, agriculture, insurance and culture.
Under agreements reached, the sides will organize Days of Armenian and
Lebanese culture in the two countries. It is planned to open branches
of Lebanese banks and set up joint enterprises in Armenia. A number
of joint Armenian-Lebanese companies are already operating in Armenia.
[Passage omitted: Markaryan thanked Lebanese MPs for recognizing
massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey; Sallukh praised contribution
of ethnic Armenians to the development of Lebanon]
[Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 1323 gmt 12 Jul 06 reported that Sallukh
was received by President Robert Kocharyan on 12 July. At the meeting,
they praised the high level of bilateral ties]

U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS FRANK
MERMOUD VISITS ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Frank Mermoud, U.S. Special
Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the
U.S. Department of State, is visiting Armenia July 11-13. During
his visit, Mr. Mermoud met with representatives of the American
Chamber of Commerce in Armenia, other business representatives
and Armenian government officials regarding economic, commercial
and business issues. Mr. Mermoud discussed ways to further increase
U.S. investment in Armenia and noted positive cooperation between the
United States and Armenia in the economic sector. He also encouraged
all Armenians to continue to fight against corruption and to work to
increase transparency as a means of promoting economic growth.
According to the report provided to NT from the U.S. Embassy in
Armenia, Frank Mermoud has served as Special Representative for
Commercial and Business Affairs since June 3, 2002. Mr. Mermoud is
responsible for managing U.S.
commercial and business affairs programs, developing strategic advocacy
assistance for U.S. businesses, and integrating business perspectives
into U.S. foreign policy. He possesses significant private sector and
government experience, having served in such positions as Co-Founder
of SageMetrics Corporation, Executive Vice President of International
and Corporate Affairs and a member of the Board of Directors for Aegis
Communications, Director of Legislative Affairs at the Department
of State, and Congressional Liaison Officer for the United States
Information Agency.

Baku: Armenian and Azeri Presidents Weren’t Invited to G8 Summit
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.07.2006 13:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian and Armenian Presidents were not invited
to Saint Petersburg to discuss the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
within the framework of the G8 summit, head of the department for
foreign relations at the president administration Novruz Mamedov
said. He voiced surprise at the information spread by some media on
behalf of the Azeri Foreign Minister on the possible meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Saint Petersburg within the G8
summit framework.
“I possess no information on the issue though the invitation would be
admissible for us,” Mamedov said adding that there is little chance
for it. “We have not received any invitation so far and I do not know
whether it will be ever sent,” Mamedov underscored, reported Trend
news agency.