Author: Maghakian Mike

ARMENIA, TURKEY NEGOTIATING POWER SUPPLY VOLUME

/ARKA/
May 21, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenia and Turkey are negotiating an increase in the volume of
expected power supply to Turkey from Armenia. RA Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan reported that Armenia was to start
supplying electric power to Turkey this spring. A relevant agreement
was signed on September 4, 2008, by the RA Ministry of Energy and
Natural Resources, High-Voltage Networks Company and UNIT Company
(Belgium), which imports and distributes high-voltage power in Turkey.

The Minister said that Armenia continues the work to ensure the supply
of electric power to Turkey, resolving technical problems. He expressed
the confidence that Armenia will soon start supplying power to Turkey
because active work is in progress.

The Turkish side has made serious investments in the project to meet
technical requirements and purchased capital equipment, which proves
its intention to guarantee power supply, Movsisyan said.

The Minister said that the Turkish side is unlikely to cancel the
agreement. He pointed out that "all the trends have so far been
positive".

Without citing any figures, Movsisyan pointed out that they will
exceed the ones indicated in the tentative agreement.

As regards the construction of a nuclear-power station in Turkey,
Movsisyan believes that it will not cause any changes in that
country’s plans to import electric power f rom Armenia because
that is a long-term project, and the new station is not supposed
to satisfy the energy needs of Turkey’s developing economy. Under a
tentative agreement, Armenia is to start supplying 1.5bln kwh a year
to Turkey and bring the volume of supply up to 3.5bln kwh during the
following years.

The initially set price was US $57 for 1MW, but the final price will
be adjusted to the recent changes in the gas prices and finally set
terms of supply.

THREE POSTS INSTEAD OF THE THIRD TERM
YEGHISHE METSARENC

LRAGIR.AM
12:08:31 – 19/05/2009

Serge Sargsyan gave another post to the ex-president of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkadi Ghukasyan. Besides the post of the RA
Ambassador for special assignments, Arkadi Ghukasyan got also the
post of the Vice-president of the All Armenia Fund. In addition,
this post is just created, consequently, we may state that it was
created just for Arkadi Ghukasyan. At least, is it difficult to say,
what the need to create such a post was. If something lacks for the
increase of the efficiency of the work of the All Armenia Fund, it
is not surely this post. A third post is left to be given to Arkadi
Ghukasyan and everything will be completed in this way. It is not
ruled out even that Arkadi Ghukasyan refuted his intention to run
for NKR president for the third time, with the condition that he will
have three posts in Armenia. The third will be, probably, that a new
post of the vice-president of Armenia will be created especially for
Arkadi Ghukasyan. Some constitutional amendments will be needed in
this case, but it is all right. If it is needed, it can be done.

Otherwise, imagine that Arkadi Ghukasyan may get angry, return to
Nagorno-Karabakh on his post of the president, and start to quarrel
with Bako Sahakyan. Bako Sahakyan did not promise him three posts
in Armenia. Consequently, it would be unfair if Bako Sahakyan bears
the responsibility for this pledge and loses the post of the NKR
president. Thus, the struggle of Ghukasyan against Sahakyan will be
one for the sake of justice. But, on the other hand, Ghukasyan will
be right in this case too. After all, he was promised three posts,
but he did not get them, so he returns to his previous post. The
best solution will be to set co-presidency. So, it will turn out
that the co-chairs are always in Stepanakert, though not those of
the OSCE Minks group. But, this is not important, but the fact that
the co-chairs will always be in Stepanakert.

But, if we remember the experience of Arkadi Ghukasyan’s presidency,
he will hardly stay in Stepanakert for long. When he was alone to be
the president, he was going abroad several times a month. If he has
a co-president, in other words, if he knows that Bako Sahakyan is in
Stepanakert, Ghukasyan will probably not return to Stepanakert at all.

Let us hope that the problem will not reach the situation when
Arkadi Ghukasyan has the third post in Armenia, even if it will
not be that of the vice-president of Armenia. However, the post
of the RA vice-president is needed. For example, the American
vice-president called our president two times, and we do not have a
single vice-president to call Baiden at least once.

HEGHINE BISHARYAN POSITIVELY ASSESSES THE PAST 20 DAYS OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
19.05.2009 18:22

Number one of the Orinats Yerkir candidate list Heghine Bisharyan
positively assessed the past 20 days of the election campaign. She
has understood from numerous meetings with electors what they are
concerned with.

The citizens of Yerevan face the problem of jobs and social problems.

Besides, they want to have a clean city, Heghine Bisharyan told
reporters.

"I am the only female candidate alongside six men and thus I differ
from the other candidates," Heghine Bisharyan says.

How does the election platform of the Orinats Yerkir Party differ
from that of the others and what is awaiting Yerevan if she is elected
Mayor? "I want to see Yerevan clean, and want to see hanging gardens
in the city," Heghine Bisharyan said.

Heghine Bisharyan views all the political teams as contenders and
urges everyone to refrain from offensive expressions.

ARMENIA SUBMITS COMPLAINT TO EUROVISION 2009 ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

ArmInfo
2009-05-19 11:21:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Public Television has lodged a complaint against
Azerbaijan over violation of Eurovision regulations.

Armenian Public Television (APT) complains that the part of the
screen with the number for viewers in Azerbaijan to call and vote
for the Armenian entry, Jan, Jan by Anush and Inga Arshakyans, was
obscured. This is a gross violation of the Eurovision regulations
and may result in fining or disqualifying Azerbaijan.

To recall, Armenia finished the 10th at Eurovision final in Moscow on
May 16. Norway and the song Fairytale, performed by Alexander Rybak,
proved to be the runaway winner. Yohanna from Iceland was second
with her song Is it True? Aysel and Arash from Azerbaijan took the
3rd place.

CO-PRESIDENT OF MINSK GROUP OF OSCE GIVES INFORMATION ON DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING UPPER KARABAKH TO TURKISH OFFICIALS

Anadolu Agency
May 18 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) – 18.05.2009 – Turkish officials stressed the importance
Turkey attaches to the Minsk process during talks held with Bernard
Fassier, co-president of the Minsk Group of the Organization for the
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in Ankara on Monday while
Fassier presented information on the developments that took place
recently on Upper Karabakh.

Fassier met on Monday with the Undersecretary of Turkish Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan as part of efforts
to find a peaceful solution to Upper Karabakh, a territory under
Armenian occupation.

Bernard Fassier visited Armenia and Azerbaijan before coming to
Ankara. He had argued that the issues of the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations and Armenian-Azerbaijani problems are
separate ones.

"These issues are different but are parallel processes," Fassier
noted.

RA Ministry of Health: Recent fire at Nairit factory poses no threat
to the health of population
16.05.2009 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Recent fire at Nairit factory poses no threat to
the health of population,’ Head of State Department for
Anti-epidemiology and Hygiene at RA Ministry of Health, Sos
Hovhannesyan told a news conference in Yerevan. `Right after the
catastrophe RA Health Ministry experts conducted an operative
examination of air samples to test for the presence of chemical
substances. According to experts, sanitary norms were not exceeded’
According to Hovhannesyan, no one in Nairit neighborhood required
medical help. `If people felt no acute changes in their health right
after the catastrophe, no negative consequences should be expected in
future,’ Sos Hovhannesyan stated.
Yesterday, around 6:40 p.m. two explosions occurred at Nairit Factory;
later the fire erupted. 9 fire-brigades arrived at the site within 15
minutes of the incident.
One absorption tower has burned down as a result of breakage at
chloroprene section. Due to firemen’s efforts the fire was fully
extinguished. 4 people are dead and 8 injured as a result of fire.
A professional council was formed at the factory yesterday to
investigate breakage causes, and work towards overcoming fire
consequences.
The breakage caused no contamination, no dangerous emissions are
registered. Other technical lines of the factory continue operating.
Two criminal cases are started. Explosion causes haven’t yet been
determined.

GORAN LENNMARKER: THERE IS A NEED TO ASSIST NAGORNO KARABAKH PROCESS BY FOREIGN, SOME THIRD FORCE

Noyan Tapan
May 15, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. There is no need to change the Nagorno
Karabakh negotiations process format, but there is a need to assist the
process by a foreign, some third fore. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Honorary President Goran Lennmarker said in his May 15 interview
to journalists. In response to the question of whether Turkey’s
speaking the language of preconditions does not hinder the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement, G. Lennmarker said that the two processes
of Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno Karabakh settlement are
processes assisting each other.

According to G. Lennmarker, rather a good situation, atmosphere has
been formed in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh settlement, a possibility
to solve the problems unsolved for a long time has been also created
for Armenia and Turkey. "People in all countries should understand
that problem’s peaceful settlement is the compromise, and all regional
countries should build their relations on the basis of cooperation,"
he said.

3 PEOPLE DIE AND 7 INJURED AS A RESULT OF FIRE AT NAIRIT PLANT

ArmInfo
2009-05-14 20:05:00

ArmInfo. 3 people died and 7 have been injured as a result of fire at
Nairit Plant. An explosion took place at one of the sections of the
chloroprene rubber workshop of Nairit Plant today at 05:40 PM. As
a result the section took fire, Advisor to Head of Rescue Service
under the Armenian Emergency Ministry, Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan told
ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, the rescue service is still looking for 3
employers of Nairit, who were at the workshop at the moment of
explosion. Meanwhile, the press service of Nairit Plant reports that
2 people died and 8 are injured.

17 fire squads went to the scene. The fire has been localized.

BRYZA MAKES PUBLIC BELIEVE IN INEVITABILITY OF RETURNING NKR

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.05.2009 18:00 GMT+04:00

OSCE MG Co-Chair Matthew Bryza’s wrong predictions and official
Washington’s subsequent statements on NKR conflict settlement
principles are interrelated with each other, Armenian political
scientist Sergey Shakaryants says. "The fact that US insists that
NKR-surrounding territories be returned and Azeri refugees be resettled
in their former residences, and forgets about Armenian refugees is
a campaign aimed at extorting unilateral concessions from Armenia
and NKR."

Shakaryan finds that "Ekho Moskvy" radio station’s recent report on
"step-by-step return of NKR and NKR-surrounding territories" was made
on purpose. All that reflects Washington’s position on NKR; it’s an
attempt to make public believe in inevitability of such outcome.

Today Armenia has extremely scarce resources for making political
maneuvers, that’s why it is attempting to hold positions that can
no longer be avoided, the political scientist says, referring at the
same time to the statement of Arpi Vardanyan, ANCA director of Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh offices. Ms. Vardabyan believes Karabakh to be
the last defense barrier not be conceded NKR authorities.

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 6 2009

ARMENIANS START MILITARY DRILLS

Armenian troops have started military exercises on occupied
Azerbaijani territories, Lider TV reports. The armed forces are
conducting large-scale military training in an area called Uzundara
near the occupied town of Agdam. All types of military hardware are
being used. Armenia has been conducting military exercises in Upper
Garabagh and seven other occupied Azerbaijani districts for over 15
years.