Author: Nahapetian Boris

TURKEY REFUSES TO ACCEPT SWISS DEFENSE CONTRACT BID

United Press International
April 11 2006

ANKARA, Turkey — Ankara has barred a Swiss aircraft producer from
tendering for a contract to supply the Turkish Air Force with trainer
planes, citing political reasons.

Defense officials said Pilatus, a Stans-based manufacturer of small
aircraft, had been forbidden from bidding for the $500 million contract
because of a diplomatic row between the two countries, Turkish Daily
News reported.

“There is an understanding that Swiss bidders should not join Turkish
military contracts,” a senior official said. “We don’t think Swiss
contenders would be reliable partners in defense contracts.”

Bilateral relations between the two countries were severely strained
by the Swiss parliament’s 2003 adoption of a resolution condemning the
Ottoman Empire’s “genocide” of Armenians during the First World War.

A 1991 arms embargo on Turkey was lifted by Bern last year.

However, Ankara seems determined to keep the Swiss defense industry on
its red list. Turkey last year removed South Africa from its red list
of countries that cannot participate in defense procurement contracts,
while opening up towards European Union defense industries.

There are currently three international bidders involved in the
procurement of the jet trainers: Brazil’s Embraer, Korea Aerospace
Industries and U.S. company Raytheon.

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE

Lragir.am
12 April 06

Recently the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline has appeared on the way
of Russian-Armenian inventory, although the Armenian government
officials consistently refute the information that Armenia agreed
to sell the shares of the gas pipeline to Russia. In the meantime,
it is notable that Gasprom published information for a while and hid
it without refuting. On April 11 new, even confidential information
was given by Serge Sargsyan, Minister of Defense of Armenia, Co-Chair
of the Russian-Armenian Intergovernmental Commission. In answer to
the question on the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline Serge Sargsyan said a
few words which, however, mean much.

“Let us leave it for the next time, because there are other interesting
things about it,” stated Serge Sargsyan. If Serge Sargsyan says this,
no doubt there will be interesting things.

However, it is not clear how interesting it will be and whom it will
interest, because if we are going to face sale of property, it is not
going to surprise anyone in Armenia. But a new method would really
arouse interest.

ALWAYS BE READY TO WAR

Panorama.am
13:16 11/04/06

“The Defence Minister of any country, the RA Defence Minister in
particular, must realize that military operations may start at any
moment,” announced RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsyan in the talk
with correspondent in the Constitutional Court today in reply to the
question whether or not he can see an opportunity of war.

Touching upon the situation in Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone the
Defence Minister mentioned that there is no difference between the
present and former situations, and “there have always been fires, and
even if there is a difference, then the situation has become milder,”
he added.

ARMENIA PAID WITH ITS ENERGETIC INDEPENDENCE FOR THE RUSSIAN GAS

Yerevan, April 8. ArmInfo. The last deal with Gazprom was a serious
blow to the economical independence of Armenia, said in an interview
to ArmInfo Edward Agadjanov, independent economist.

To his opinion, handing all the energetic factors to Russia was a
serous mistake by the Armenian authorities. The expert said that
Armenia has lost its blocking share holdings by increasing Gazprom’s
share in ArmRosgazprom. Mr. Agadjanov said that Armenia could receive
aid from foreign donors for reducing the consequences of raise gas
prices if those objects were not given to Russia.

To Agadjanov’s opinion Russia did not succeed in preventing Iran from
entering the European market by blocking the way through Armenia. He
said that Iran still can enter Europe via Azerbaijan. Nevertheless
he admitted that Iran depends on Russia in sense of transporting
its recourses.

The matter is that the 5-th bloc of the Hrazdan HPP was sold to Russian
Gazprom for $248,8 million. The first part of the Iran-Armenia pipeline
is also to be handed to the Russian side by the agreement. This deal
aims recompensing the raise in gas prices for Armenian consumers.

Armenpress

PARLIAMENT MEMBER SAYS ARMENIA MUST RESPOND ADEQUATELY
TO BAKU’S PLANS TO BOOST ITS MILITARY SPENDING

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS: A senior member of
Armenian parliament slammed today Azerbaijani leaders
for continued war rhetoric and their plans to double
the country’s military spending to $600 million.
Mher Shahgeldian from Orinats Yerkir party of
parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian, who is
chairman of a parliament committee on defense and
security issues, told a news conference that Armenia
should likewise take appropriate action to boost its
military. He said Azerbaijan’s military activity was a
gross violation of Conventional Forces in Europe
agreement. He said under the agreement all OSCE member
countries have assumed obligations which they cannot
violate. He said Azerbaijan was the first OSCE member
to declare publicly it was going to breach this
agreement.
Shahgeldian urged Armenian diplomats to raise this
problem at international organizations, adding that
neither Armenia nor superpowers want a new war in this
region, which many believe would entail catastrophic
consequences. Shahgeldian commended the latest
intensified efforts of the USA to help resolve the
Karabakh conflict. He also spoke in favor of including
Karabakh authorities in the talks, citing the example
of Serbia and Kosovo, saying it would have a positive
impact on the talks, but speculated it should stem
‘from the logic of the negotiation process.”

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IranOilGas.com , Iran
April 8 2006

Armenian Official Denies gas Pipeline Deal

07/04/2006,YEREVAN, Armenia (AP)

Armenia’s energy minister denied Friday that the impoverished
Caucasus Mountain nation had struck a deal with Russia’s state-run
gas monopoly to hand it control of part of a new Armenian-Iranian gas
pipeline.
OAO Gazprom a day earlier announced that it had struck a 25-year-deal
giving Gazprom’s Armenian joint venture ownership rights to the
Armenian segment of a planned pipeline bringing Iranian gas to the
country and an electricity power generating unit.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO PAY 4-DAY WORKING VISIT TO SYRIA AND LEBANON

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Late April 7, the RA
Foreign MInister Vartan Oskanian will leave for a 4-day working visit
to Syria and Lebanon. At the invitation of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU), V. Oskanian on April 9 will participate in
the festivities to mark the 100th anniversary of AGBU foundation and
the 75th anniversary of foundation of the Armenian Youth Association
(AYA), as well as will attend the opening ceremony of the Gyulbekian
Center. V. Oskanian will meet with Aleppo Governor in Aleppo.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, meetings of
Vartan Oskanian with the Syrian President Bashar Assad and Foreign
Minister Valid Muallim are scheduled for April 8 in Damascus. V.
Oskanian will also meet with the heads of some Armenian religious and
secular bodies of Damascus. On April 10, V. Oskanian will leave for
Beirut, from where he will visit the Catholicosate of the Great House
of Cilicia in Antelias. RA Foreign Minister will return to Armenia on
April 11.

Interfax-Religion, Russia
April 7 2006

Issue of gas deliveries to Armenia settled – Lavrov

MOSCOW. April 7 (Interfax) – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
has expressed satisfaction that the issue of gas deliveries to
Armenia has been settled.

“We state with satisfaction that the issue was settled in a way that
will not have a negative effect on consumers,” Lavrov said at a
briefing after a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian on Friday in Moscow.

The issue “will be resolved through additional investment in the
Armenian gas and energy industry,” the Russian foreign minister said.

The resolution of the gas issue will reduce costs and increase
profitability in the Armenian energy industry, he said.

AZERBAIJAN WILL BE DESTROYED BY THEIR OWN ANNOUNCEMENTS

A1+
[04:09 pm] 05 April, 2006

“The Karabakh Conflict Has No Military Solution”

17 years later Peter Semneby has returned to Armenia with a new post
– as the EU special envoy to Southern Caucasus. In 1988 Mr. Semneby
arrived in Armenia to support the earthquake victims on behalf
of Sweden.

During the meeting with the RA Foreign Minister the EU special envoy
discussed two issues – the course of the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict and the Armenian-Turkish relations

“Mr. Talvitie, the previous envoy, created good background for my
activity, but my mandate is a little different. The EU wants to have
more active participation in the settlement of the frozen conflicts
in Southern Caucasus”, Mr. Semneby said during the meeting with the
journalists. As for how the activity of the EU will be revealed,
Mr. Semneby did go into details.

In any case he said that the UE highly appreciates the activity of
the French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group and added, “There is a
real possibility to settle the conflict and we must use it. This year
is very important and I’m sure that both sides are eager to settle
the conflict”.

Encouraging as Mr. Semneby’s announcement was, the military
announcements of he Azeri high officers come to testify the opposite
– that Azerbaijan has no desire to settle the conflict via peaceful
negotiations. “I have told the Azeri high officers that I do not
welcome their announcements and they can be dangerous. I think my
message was clear”, Peter Semneby said.

According to Mr. Semneby, in case the settlement of the conflict is
postponed, the blockade of Armenia will continue, and development of he
economy will be hindered and Azerbaijan will be destroyed because of
the announcements to solve the conflict by the military way. Sharing
Mr. Semneby’s opinion, Vardan Oskanyan said, “The Karabakh conflict
has no military solution. The only way out is the negotiations and
mutual compromise. Armenia has already made compromise and cannot go
back. Now it’s Azerbaijan’s turn”.

By the way, on April 7 in Moscow the OSCE Minsk group Russian co-chair
Yuri Merzlyakov will meet Vardan Oskanyan in Moscow.

GEVORG GEVORGIAN: ARMENIA APPROACHES ISSUE OF NATIONAL MINORITIES WITH ALL RESPONSIBILITY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 03 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Gevorg Gevorgian, the RA Minister of
Culture and Youth Issues received on March 30 the Chairman of the
Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection
of National Minorities of the Council of Europe, a commitee member
and a representative of the Framework Convention Council. The
Minister presented those current and long-lasting initiatives and
programs implemented by the Ministry which are aimed to protection and
development of the ethnic identity, language, culture, activization of
the public life of the RA national minorities. The Advisory Committee
representatives were particularly interested in issues relating to
legislative settlement of the problem, protection of immovable cultural
monuments of national minorities, creation of cultural centers and
to youth. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press Service of the
RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues, G.Gevorgian mentioned that
Armenia approaches the delicate and vulnerable issue of national
minorities with all readiness and responsibility.