Author: Navasardian Karapet

MUBARIZ AHMEDOGHLU: "IF THE VIDEO TAPE ABOUT THE SO-CALLED VIOLENCE IN THE AZERBAIJANI ARMY IS TRUE, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO OFFICIAL STRUCTURES FIRST"

Today.Az
08 October 2008 [15:52]
Azerbaijan

I am not an expert to assess the authenticity of the video tape about
the so-called violence in Azerbaijani army, but I am sure that if it
was really true, this material should have been brought to official
structures first", said Mubariz Ahmedoghlu, head of the center of
political innovations and technologies.

He noted that the appearance of this video tape in the internet is not
timely, as the presidential elections of Azerbaijan will be held soon
on the one hand and after the events in South Ossetia Armenians state
that Azerbaijan fears to make bellicose statements, on the other hand.

"Violence is partially present in the army of any state. 32 servicemen
died in Armenia in the first half of 2008, by official statistics. In
the end, the Armenian ombudsman intends to hold investigation in the
armed forces personally.

Now Armenians try to use any, even insignificant, negative fact to
throw shadow on Azerbaijan and its armed forces", said Ahmedoghlu.

He said it should be admitted that Azerbaijani armed forces are
currently much stronger than the armed forces of Armenia and Georgia.

ARMENIANS OBSERVE KANSAS NUCLEAR DISASTER DRILL

NTV
Associated Press
October 2, 2008 1:24 PM ET

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – A team of Armenian leaders is watching how Kansas
officials respond to a potential nuclear power plant disaster.

The leaders are observing Thursday’s exercise in hopes of gaining
insight into how the United States would respond to a nuclear
event. The exercise simulates an accident at the Wolf Creek Nuclear
Generating Station in northeast Kansas.

Observing are representatives from Armenia’s rescue service, ministry
of defense, ministry of health, its power plant and nuclear regulatory
agency.

In 2007, the Armenians approved a plan to dismantle a Soviet-era
nuclear plant near the capital of Yerevan over concerns about it
safety. That plant supplies nearly half the country’s electricity.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

EU, U.S. CONDUCT TWO-PRONGED DIPLOMACY IN CAUCASUS
By Ahto Lobjakas

Payvand’s Iran News
10/02/08
Iran

BRUSSELS (RFE/RL) — The two-pronged diplomatic strategy by the EU
and the United States is very evident in the South Caucasus this week
and shows what the division of labor between Brussels and Washington
will be.

The EU has its sights set on the short term. Trying to exploit whatever
influence it has with Moscow, Brussels’ aim is to get the Russian
troops to pull back from as much of Georgian territory as possible.

The United States, on the other hand, is focusing on the longer-term
objective of shoring up the resolve of the governments in the region
to stand up to Moscow. It believes Azerbaijan is key to this effort.

The EU on October 1 formally launched its 340-strong monitoring
mission in Georgia. Armored cars carrying unarmed EU observers set
out from their bases with the aim of entering the so-called buffer
zone set up by Russian troops outside the administrative borders of
South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In Tbilisi for the inauguration of the monitoring mission, EU
foreign-policy chief Javier Solana on September 30 reiterated the
bloc’s view that Russia has committed itself to withdrawing its troops
from the "buffer zone" within 10 days of the observers’ deployment.

"I hope very much that by the end of [October 10] that Russian forces
will be withdrawn," Solana said. "That is the aim that we have, and
that is, at least for the first part, the obligation that we have
from the agreement. And we’d like very much to see that done."

Complications From Both Sides

Unfortunately for the EU, its observer mission had trouble gaining
access to the areas in Georgian proper that are still controlled by
Russian soldiers.

Moscow is obliged to cease all military activity outside Abkhazia
and South Ossetia under the terms of an agreement it signed with
the EU on September 8. That agreement modifies an earlier accord,
reached on August 12, which allowed Russia to carry out "additional
security measures" in Georgia outside Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The August 12 agreement also stipulates that an international
conference will be convened in Geneva on October 15 to discuss the
"stability" and "security" of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Preparations for the conference have been fraught with
difficulty. Russia insists on the full presence of the Abkhaz and
South Ossetian authorities — both of which it has recognized as
independent countries. Georgia, on the other hand, vehemently rejects
any arrangements that could be seen as conferring independent status
on either region.

As a result, the first talks on October 15 will be low-key, featuring
junior ministers from Georgia and Russia as well as mediators from
the EU. They will be preceded on October 14 — also in Geneva —
by a summit of top officials from the United Nations, OSCE, EU,
and the United States.

President Mikheil Saakashvili indicated last month that Tbilisi is
prepared to talk to the separatists about refugees, but not the status
of the regions.

"The next stage is, and a parallel stage is returning [internally
displaced persons] in secure and dignified conditions, getting
internationalization of the process — but not of the status, I
have to say the process — and getting Russians out of Georgia’s
territory, deoccupation of Georgia, because these are, right now,
territories occupied by a foreign military power against the will of
the government of a sovereign, independent country," Saakashvili said.

To complicate matters further, Georgia has launched criminal
proceedings against the Abkhaz and South Ossetian leaderships,
accusing them of high treason and banditry.

Regional Confidence-Building

While the United States has remained on the sidelines in Georgia,
Deputy Undersecretary of State John Negroponte’s visit to Azerbaijan
is the second in recent weeks by a senior U.S. official. In early
September, Vice President Dick Cheney was reportedly given a cool
reception by Baku, but this appears not to have put off Washington.

With considerable gas and oil reserves of its own, Azerbaijan holds
the only viable transit route between Central Asia and Europe that
bypasses Russia. Without Baku’s cooperation, the EU’s projected
Nabucco pipeline between bringing Caspian hydrocarbons through Turkey
to Austria would be doomed — and Russia’s grip on the EU’s energy
supplies would tighten.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have adopted a wait-and-see posture in the
aftermath of the Russian tour de force in Georgia in early August.

Western diplomats say Azerbaijan’s self-confidence, which had been
buoyed by the huge windfall profits it was making from oil and gas,
has been visibly dented. Along with it were the short-term hopes it may
have entertained about retaking Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia by force.

Armenia, forced into an uneasy alliance with Russia because of its
standoff with Azerbaijan, is now worried it may itself become a
target for Moscow. Yerevan has in recent weeks taken steps to break
out of the regional isolation it finds itself in. On September 6,
Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan. On
September 30, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian arrived in Tbilisi
for his first visit to Georgia since the war.

Diplomats in the region say Yerevan is pressing Turkey to open up the
mutual border, which has been closed since 1993. Western officials
say there are rumors that in order to secure a breakthrough in
relations with Turkey, Armenia may consider returning to Azerbaijan
five of the seven Azerbaijani provinces it currently occupies around
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Currently, Georgia provides the only overland access route between
Armenia and the outside world, and maintaining good relations with
Tbilisi remains a must for Yerevan.

The delicate interdependence between the three countries will be
brought into sharp relief this winter. Like last winter, Georgia
will need Azerbaijani gas to survive. Aside from Iran, Armenia can
only turn to Georgia in its quest for gas as it lacks a border with
Russia and remains on nontrading terms with both Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Meanwhile, Russia is actively seeking to reestablish control over the
region. Moscow is said to be intent on frustrating any rapprochement
between Yerevan and Ankara, and has blocked Armenian attempts to
restore a key railway link to Turkey that is owned by a Russian
company.

Russia is also putting pressure on Baku. Russia has offered to buy all
of Azerbaijan’s gas and oil exports at world prices. There are also
reports that Russian passports are being handed out in Azerbaijan’s
restive north, bordering Daghestan, which could serve as a warning for
Baku and certainly evokes uneasy parallels with the Russian action
in the Georgia’s breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
in August.

Copyright (c) 2008 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington
DC 20036.

TOP ART EVENTS OCT. 3-10 – ISABEL BAYRAKDARYAN

OCRegister
Thursday, October 2, 2008
CA

Upcoming classical music, dance, theater and visual art events.

Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano – The acclaimed Canadian singer of
Armenian heritage brings a program celebrating her ancestral home,
specifically with the songs of Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935), Armenia’s
national composer. Music by Bartok, Ravel, Gorecki and Skalkottas is
also performed, the Mantitoba Chamber Orchestra provides support. 7
p.m. October 5. Tickets are $30-$195. Renee and Henry Segerstrom
Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 949-553-2422.

ARMAVIA EYES 13% PASSENGER GROWTH BY END-2008

ARKA
Oct 1, 2008

YEREVAN, October 1. /ARKA/. Armenia’s national air carrier Armavia
plans to boost passenger traffic by 13% after it opens five new
flights, reported Mikhail Baghdasarov, president of the company.

"This is a considerable growth, taking into account that airlines
across the world have been hard hit by reducing passenger traffic,"
he said Tuesday during the celebration of the Aviation Day.

Last year Armavia’s passenger traffic reached 572,300 (21% year-on-year
increase).

Earlier this year, the air carrier planned a 20% growth, but the
record-high fuel prices hit the global aviation market.

According to Baghdasarov, Armavia carried 480,000 passengers in
January-September, recording a 12.9% year-on-year rise.

The president of the company believes 2009 will also be a successful
business year for Armavia, taking into account downtrend fuel prices.

This will result in reduction of ticket prices. Baghdasarov said.

Armavia will have a fleet of 16-17 aircrafts soon and will carry
out flights to the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom,
Italy and Spain.

The air carrier currently offers flights to the CIS, Russia, Middle
East and Europe.

The company currently operates 9 aircrafts, including tow A 319
airbuses, two A320 airbuses, one Boeing 737, one CRJ 100, one YAK 42,
one Tu-134 and one IL-86.

END OF THE UNIPOLAR WORLD?

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.09.2008 GMT+04:00

US ambitions multiplied at Russia’s weakening and at "colour
revolutions" resulted for America in fatal perception of
self-exclusiveness.

Rejecting a $700 billion bailout package meant to save the financial
market the US Congress made another step towards driving the unipolar
world into the grave. Judging from the dramatic course of events
the USA is losing its status of a superpower in the financial world,
and, consequently, its political authority. The current situation is
compared to the Great Depression of 1929, when stock markets plummeted,
and ruined bankers jumped out of the skyscraper windows as Don Corleone
would put it "after lack of imagination".

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The House of Representatives rejected the "Emergency
Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" with 207 pro and 226 con votes, the
Republicans voting mainly for and the Democrats against it. According
to the Press-Secretary of the White House Tony Fratto on the eve of
the polls George Bush had himself phoned the members of the House of
Representatives trying to talk them into supporting the bill. However,
most of the lawmakers took into account the fact that many Americans
regard the Wall Street rescue plan as an attempt to save bankers at
the expense of common people. The congressmen have to act with great
caution in order not to ruin their reputation among the electorate,
for besides Presidential Elections there will also be held legislative
elections in November.

As EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said on Monday, "
U.S. lawmakers have taken leave of their senses by rejecting a
$700 billion financial bailout plan. I hope that in Europe we will
not see politicians and parliamentarians replicating the sort of
irresponsibility and political partisanship that we have seen in
Washington ," Mandelson said in an interview with the BBC. In his
words a broader international response to the global financial crisis
was needed. The EU’s executive Commission would propose measures to
reinforce cooperation among regulators, bankers and governments and
to clarify the role of credit rating agencies. By the way the news
entailed serious consequences – collapse of stock indices, first in
the United States , then in other world trade areas.

Meanwhile the global financial crisis leads to new structural changes
in the world banking system. The other day the biggest American bank
"Citigroup" declared about its purchase of the US bank "Wachovia"
(the sixth in size); Belgium , the Netherlands and Luxemburg partially
took over the struggling bank "Fortis" after the collapse of its
shares. Earlier the British government had nationalized mortgage lender
"Bradford & Bingley".

Great Depression of 1929, which ended only in the second half of
1930s, affected not only more or less developed countries of the
West, but spread all over the other states as well. Industrial
cities suffered most of all and construction almost ceased in a
number of states. Because of the cutback in effective demand, prices
of agricultural products fell 40-60%. And the world became unipolar
then: the USSR was on the way to development and European countries
had not yet recovered from the World War I. Years later the "New Deal"
of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the World War II and the USSR growth made
the world bipolar. The situation carried on until the USSR breakdown,
and it seemed nothing could "promise" the current collapse. However, US
ambitions multiplied at Russia ‘s weakening and at "colour revolutions"
resulted for America in fatal perception of self-exclusiveness.

The crisis is not a novelty however; it broke out still at the time
of President George Bush Senior, when the latter "liberated" Kuwait
from the Army of Saddam Hussein. Then came the turn of the Iraqi
Dictator himself, not to mention the division of Yugoslavia and the
war in Afghanistan . In fact, Washington cut down the branches on
which its economy stood: energy resources from the Near East and
drugs from Afghanistan . It is already a widely known secret that a
great amount of opium is imported into the United States . All that
the present Administration did was directed to controlling the energy
resources and drugs. To be more exact, it aimed at the growth of oil
and pharmaceutical corporations. And everything seemed to be quiet
until the beginning of 2008, when the country went into an economic
recession. The country was struck by mortgage crisis and banks closed
one after another. Saakashvili’s intrusion into South Ossetia and
his infamous defeat speeded up the process. Actually the Georgian
President made the world realize that the neocon policy towards the
post-Soviet republics and towards the whole world had been erroneous.

According to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world’s second
richest man, no country in the world can protect itself against the
current economic crisis. "The crisis will affect the whole world. The
situation is so complex and serious that it can affect the economy of
every country," said Slim, who has an estimated capital of $60 billion.

What worries the Mexican magnate most of all is the risk that the
financial crisis may find a passage from the bank level and mortgage
crediting into the sector of real economy. Slim considers that American
authorities are already late in taking measures for softening the
crisis consequences.

Let us assume that the new US President will take up a "New Deal"
too. But will he be potent enough to put it into practice like
Roosevelt did?

PRESS RELEASE
Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia
50 N La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211-2227
Email: [email protected]

Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan visited California

An international conference on `Doing Business with Armenia’,
organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia and the
Armenian American Chamber of Commerce was held between September
16-19, at the World Trade Center, Long Beach, California. Co-partners
of the event were the US Department of Commerce and the Armenian
Development Agency. Armenia’s official delegation was led by the
Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan.

More than a 100 of California and Armenia businesses participated in
the conference that primarily focused on Armenia’s tourism, banking
and pharmaceutical industries.

In his keynote address Minister Nerses Yeritsyan presented Armenia’s
economic development perspectives and investment opportunities.

Danica Starks, representative from the US Department of Commerce,
spoke of the changes and reforms taking place in Armenia and stressed
the importance of encouraging small and medium sized enterprises.

The conference then split into three separate panels, where
representatives from the above mentioned industries introduced their
business projects and trade opportunities.

Within the framework of his visit Minister Yeritsyan delivered a
comprehensive presentation on Armenia’s economy, highlighting key
priority sectors and projects and reforms implemented by the
Government. Members of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce,
representatives of the Armenian community and the Consular Corps, city
officials and businessmen were in attendance. Presentation was
followed by the Q&A session.

During his meeting with the Los Angeles based Armenian Jewelers
Association, the Minister discussed possible ways of strengthening
Armenia’s domestic jewelry-related businesses. The Minister then
visited the St. Vincent Jewelry Center and was introduced to their
business initiatives.

As a part of his visit the Armenian Minister of Economy met with
representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Western
region) and Ramgavar Azatakan Party (Western Region), as well as with
the Lincy Foundation President J. Rakow and Vice-President Harout
Sassounian. At those meetings an exchange of opinions took place
concerning Armenia’s development, regional situation, and future
assistance projects in Armenia.

The Minister of Economy attended a luncheon in his honour hosted by
Archbishop Hovnan Terterian, the Primate of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and spoke about future projects
envisaged by the Armenian Government.

The Minister of Economy also paid a visit to Archbishop Mushegh
Martirosian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of the House of Cilicia, where the two discussed issues
relating to Armenia’s development and consolidation.

Mr. Yeritsian was interviewed by local media on a number of topics
pertaining to social and economic development of Armenia. -0-

COVERSEBANK: INTEREST RATE UPWARD TREND RECORDED IN ARMENIAN BANKING SYSTEM

ARKA
Sep 30, 2008

ARMAVIR, September 30. /ARKA/. An interest rate upward trend has been
recorded in Armenian banking system, Executive Director of Armenia’s
Conversebank Ararat Ghukasyan told journalists.

Increase in interest rates will depend on efficiency of steps taken
for rectifying the international situation, he said.

Earlier, the Vice-Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Vache
Gabrielyan said that change in interest rates in Armenia will depend
on sources of bank financing.

CBA is consistently raising interest rates. Currently the annual
refinancing rate is 7.75% against 5.75% in the beginning of the year.

CBA’s rates on deposits attracted from banks and pawn loans are also
growing and constitute 4.75% and 10.75% respectively against 2.75% and
8.75% in the beginning of the year. Along with increase in refinancing
rate, interest rates are growing also in REPO market.

PIPELINE COULD BREAK NAGORNO-KARABAKH STALEMATE
By Shahin Abbasov

ISN
1 Oct 2008
Switzerland

A potential Azerbaijani pipeline deal could help settle the frozen
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Economics may hold the key to breaking the stalemate in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Turkish and Azerbaijani officials
reportedly are seriously mulling the possibility of Armenian
participation in the long-planned Nabucco pipeline project as part
of a comprehensive Karabakh peace pact.

Turkey is leading efforts to energize the Karabakh peace
process. Turkish, Armenian and Azerbaijani officials met in New
York on 26 September to discuss the Karabakh issue and other security
matters. That meeting kindled hopes that a settlement could be achieved
by the end of 2008.

Although details of the recent discussions have been scarce, some
experts believe that the three sides have probed a possible bargain
under which Armenia would become part of the Nabucco pipeline plans,
in return for a greater degree of flexibility concerning Yerevan’s
position on Karabakh.

Yerevan’s willingness to modify its long-standing demand for Karabakh
independence would appear to be the key as to whether this latest
push for Karabakh peace can be successful. Azerbaijani officials seem
willing to work with Armenia on the Nabucco project, if Yerevan shows
sufficient flexibility on Karabakh.

"Of course, Azerbaijan has set political conditionality related to
the Karabakh conflict on this [Nabucco] issue," Elhan Shahinoglu,
the director of the Baku-based Atlas center for political research,
told EurasiaNet.

Turkish analyst Sinan Ogan, the chair of the Ankara-based TURKSAM
think tank, said that the topic of Armenia’s participation in the
Nabucco project came up during US Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent,
controversial visit to Baku.

"There are serious plans to involve Armenia in this project. Turkey
and Azerbaijan were against this idea at first, but now Armenia’s
participation seems realistic," Ogan said in comments broadcast
September 19 on Voice of America radio.

Initial indicators are that the three sides did not make significant
headway on the Karabakh issue during the 26 September meeting in
New York. On 28 September, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan flatly
admitted that "there are no concrete results yet," according to a
report distributed by the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul also revealed that there has not yet
been any movement on the matter of Turkey ending its economic embargo
against Armenia. The AzerTaj news agency reported Gul as telling a
Turkish diaspora group on 28 September that "no talks over the border
[re-]opening with Armenia are possible before Armenia’s liberation
of Azerbaijani occupied territories."

While the notion of linking a potential Armenian role in Nabucco to the
Karabakh peace process has not been raised publicly, Gul came close
to making a public admission on 10 September during a diplomatic
trip to Baku. "No doubt that the fast liberation of the occupied
[Azerbaijani] territories would be an important step and it would
encourage very efficient economic cooperation in the region. Pipelines
and transport communications would cover the entire Caucasus region,"
Gul said in Baku.

Shahinoglu, the Baku political analyst, believes the peace process
is now at a delicate stage. Any potential breakthrough will likely
require the United States and Russia – two of the three co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group – to set aside their present differences and
engage in diplomatic cooperation, Shahinoglu suggested.

"Obviously, there is a completely new dynamic surrounding the evolution
of talks on the Karabakh conflict, creating unique opportunities for a
breakthrough," Shahinoglu said. "However, this dynamic could [possibly]
result in resumption of the war, if the great powers – first and
foremost Russia and United States – continue to differ fundamentally
on their approach to the future of South Caucasus region."

Shahinoglu added that the Kremlin was not especially interested in
seeing the Turkish initiative concerning Karabakh succeed. He reasoned
that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and the settlement
of the Karabakh question, as well as Yerevan’s potential involvement
in Nabucco, would all do considerable harm to Russia’s geopolitical
interests in the Caucasus.

ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS OF U. S. CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE BARACK OBAMA

De Facto
2008-09-29 16:02:00

YEREVAN, 29.09.08. DE FACTO. Ani Hagopian, an Armenians for Obama
activist, and Karine Keshgegian, an active Armenian Youth Federation
member of the Philadelphia chapter, went door to door in Delaware
County, PA, to promote Senator Obama and ensure his victory in this
key battleground on Nov. 4th, Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region reports.

"It was really exciting to participate in battleground state. So
much emphasis is being put on Pennsylvania and the time I have been
spending here has been intense and non-stop," said Hagopian. She added,
"You can tell the amount of effort people are putting into the campaign
is making a difference."

To note, Armenians for Obama has taken an active role in campaigning
for Senator Obama in numerous states, including, California,
Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, and Virginia. It is a nationwide voter
registration, education, and mobilization effort dedicated to electing
Barack Obama President. Based in Los Angeles and with chapters and
affiliates across the nation, Armenians for Obama will harness the
energy and enthusiasm for Barack Obama’s candidacy to ensure record
high Armenian American turnout in critical battleground states.