Author: Tambiyan Samvel

RUSSIA: ANGARSK ENRICHMENT CAPACITY TO BE BOOSTED

EnerPub, TX
by World Nuclear News
June 25 2007

The capacity of the Angarsk uranium enrichment plant in Russia could
be quadrupled by 2015

The capacity of the Angarsk uranium enrichment plant in Russia could
be quadrupled by 2015, according to Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the
Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom). He also reported that Russia
would no longer import depleted uranium for storage and processing.

He said that three projects were currently underway that would expand
production at the Angarsk Electrolysis and Chemical Combine (AECC).

Firstly, capacity at the existing plant would be uprated from
the current 2.6 million separative work units (SWU) up to some 4.2
million SWU. Secondly, the establishment of the International Centre
for Uranium Enrichment at the site, while using existing facilities,
would also raise its capacity. In addition, setting up a joint venture
uranium enrichment plant with Kazakhstan will provide a further
production capacity of some 5 million SWU. The proposed joint venture
plant would enrich uranium mined in Kazakhstan by a joint venture
set up with Russia. This would be in addition to the International
Centre for Uranium Enrichment, in which Kazakhstan already holds a
10% stake. Kiriyenko said that production capacity at Angarsk could
therefore reach some 10 million SWU by 2015.

Kiriyenko was speaking at the Angarsk plant on 22 June following
the signing of an agreement on cooperation between Rosatom and the
Irkutsk region, in which the plant is located. The agreement was
signed by Kiriyenko and Alexander Tishanin, governor of the Irkutsk
region. Kiriyenko said that Angarsk will become a priority site for
Russia’s international programs. "We are going to invest over $2.5
billion in the city and create 2000 additional jobs," he said.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on 10 May on creating the
International Centre for Uranium Enrichment. Kiriyenko said that the
first investments into the joint venture for uranium enrichment in
Angarsk will make up "at least $2.5 billion just for centrifuges." He
noted that Ukraine "could approach the stage of formalizing documents
for its participation" in the project by the end of 2007. Armenian
president Robert Kocharian said in late May that Armenia was ready to
join the project. Kiriyenko added that a number of other countries
had expressed interest in participating. He said, "Russia has a 90%
stake in the project, while Kazakhstan has 10%. Russia does not need
such a large stake, and it may transfer some of the stock to other
countries." Kiriyenko said, "Each country may acquire a stake in the
centre, receive uranium enrichment services and certain revenues." He
added: "The only thing they won’t get will be the Russian uranium
enrichment technology."

Kiriyenko also announced that Russia will no longer import depleted
uranium from Europe for enrichment. Western enrichers have been
sending materials from the uranium enrichment process to Russia,
including uranium hexafluoride (UF6) and uranium tailings, since
the 1990s. "France and Germany have less advanced technology for
enriching uranium, and we ‘squeeze out’ [additional uranium] from
their uranium hexafluoride." However, Kiriyenko said, "We decided
over a year ago that we would not sign new contracts or extend old
ones, but we cannot tear up agreements that we already have – they
expire in 2009-2010." He added, "We are now looking for technology
to defluorinate uranium tailings. And if we fail to find a solution,
I will ban tailings imports into Russia."

Russia produces over 3200 tonnes per year of uranium oxide
concentrate (U3O8), according to Kiriyenko. He told Reuters, "Our
confirmed reserves and resources are about 850,000 tonnes within
Russia." He added, "Our reserves are more than one million tonnes
if we include our joint ventures abroad, including our joint venture
in Kazakhstan." Kiriyenko said Russia has enough uranium deposits to
ensure steady supply of raw materials for its enrichment plants for
the next 30-50 years. "I am sure that we have enough natural uranium
for decades ahead," he said.

* SWU, or Separative Work Unit, is the unit used to measure the energy
required to separate uranium-235 from uranium-238.

GUAM POISED TO EXTEND FORMAT, GEOGRAPHY
Nino Edilashvili

Daily Georgian Times, Georgia
June 25 2007

The participation in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the
UN and OSCE and the formation of a energy and transport corridor –
these were the major issues, which Georgian Foreign Minister Gela
Bezhuashvili raised during the GUAM summit ( Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan and Moldova) held in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 18-19.

The summit brought together presidents from other regional countries
of former socialist orientation – Ilham Aliyev, Mikhail Saakashvili,
Victor Yushchenko, Lech Kaczynsky, Trian Basescu, Valdas Adamkus,
Bulgarian Vice-President Angel Marin, Moldovan Prime Minister Vasili
Tarlev as well as delegations from the US, Estonia and other countries.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressing the summit hailed the
strong showing of the organization during the one-year chairmanship
of Ukraine. Touching on the already operating Baku-Supsa,
Baku-Novorossiysk and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipelines,
Aliyev refreshed participants’ memory on the large debate on
Odessa-Brody-Gdansk oil pipeline at a recent summit in Krakow and said
political support was demonstrated for the project at the previous
summit. "Moreover, European market is taking a keen interest in
Azerbaijani gas, including the Shah Deniz gas pipeline.

Azerbaijan’s operational gas fields contain 1.5 trillion cubic
meters of gas. Moreover, there exists the most advanced transport
infrastructure: Baku-Tbilisi-Arzurum gas pipeline. which will transport
this gas to European markets," he added.

GUAM, which is a regional organization comprised of four ex-Soviet
and now CIS member countries (Commonwealth of Independent States),
was established in 1997 as a political, economic, and strategic
alliance to counter Russian presence and influence in the area and
to seek deeper ties with Euro-Atlantic and European structures.

Initially an informal grouping, GUAM morphed into the more structured
Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (ODED), with
headquarters in Kiev, last year. For most observers, and even
participants, however, the organization still goes by the old name.

Valeri Chechelashvili, former Georgian First Deputy Foreign Minister
is the current secretary general.

As he was speaking of the implementation of the Odessa-Brody oil
pipeline, Ukrainian President Yushchenko said that the pipeline is
planned to reach Poland. "We aim to ensure complete operation of
free trade zones. The free trade zones will conform to the demands
of the World Trade Organization. There are Abkhazian, South Ossetian,
Transdnestrian and Nagorno Karabakh conflicts in our countries. These
problems need to be debated. The solution to these problems will
establish security, stability in the region. GUAM is committed to be
a guarantee of stability and security in the region," he stated.

Describing how trade turnover between GUAM member states has increased,
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili informed of the railway
projects, presenting Azerbaijan as the initiator of a geopolitical
revolution carrying out the Baku-Tbiisi-Kars project.

"We face the question of territorial conflicts. We should act in
solidarity regarding such issues," Saakashvili said.

Polish President Lech Kaczyñski said that GUAM transformed from an
economic organization into a political alliance. "A part of these
debates are connected with energy. Odessa-Brody oil pipeline is of
great importance. On the other hand GUAM member states are considering
prospects of cooperation with NATO. We have enough practice in this
field. We can offer assistance to GUAM states," he said. Kaczyñski
also stressed that GUAM member states are of great importance for the
European Union. "GUAM states have large energy resources. Cultural
relations among these countries is a very significant issue. We
are interested in political cooperation with GUAM states. There are
interesting initiatives in GUAM which are observed for the first time,"
he noted.

At a meeting of foreign ministers from the GUAM member states, Georgian
Foreign Mnister Gela Bezhuashvili well underlined the need to establish
tighter economic ties among GUAM member states. The creation of a
competitive energy and transport corridor and the harmonization of
border and customs procedures, he said, should become an important
part of economic cooperation, which eventually should help diversify
transit routes to allow Caspian and Central Asian crude oil and other
hydrocarbon based energy products to easily make there way through
GUAM member states towards Europe.

Azerbaijani President also drew attention to the protracted conflicts
within GUAM member state’s territory. "These conflicts are called
frozen conflicts. In fact they are not frozen. This peace is very
fragile and can be violated any time." He underlined that the world
community will never recognize criminal regimes in Abkhazia, South
Ossetia, Transnistria and Nagorno Karabakh."

However, most vital at the Baku summit for Georgia was the issue
of establishing joint peacekeeping units since Tbilisi has long
been striving to replace Russian-dominated peacekeeping units in
its conflict zones of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Minister Gela
Bezhuashvili called for increased military-political cooperation among
GUAM member states, and in particular, for the formation of a joint
peace forces. "Participation in peacekeeping operations under the
auspices of the UN and OSCE would further boost the organization’s
international status," Bezhuashvili said.

The issue was earlier discussed at a meeting in Tbilisi a year ago.

On August 17, 2006, the closed-door meeting in the Georgian capital of
Tbilisi, which brought together representatives of defence ministries
and general staffs of the Armed Forces of Georgia, Ukraine and
Azerbaijan, addressed further development of military cooperation in
the framework of GUAM. Creation of a joint peacekeeping battalion
reportedly topped the agenda of the discussion. This battalion,
according to the Georgian Ministry of Defence, will be comprised of
contingents from each member-state and could potentially be engaged
in the humanitarian and peacekeeping operations led by the UN, OSCE,
NATO and the EU.

Russian-backed separatist conflicts within GUAM, namely in Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, Transdnestria and Nagorno-Karabakh, give good reason
for GUAM member countries to unite in search of a lasting solution to
their conflicts. All GUAM members, having challenged CIS membership,
either officially or unofficially, regard military cooperation within
GUAM as a prerequisite for entry into NATO, which is seen in the long
run as a guarantor of eventual stabilisation in the conflict zones,
and most importantly, as guarantor of diminished Russian influence
in the Caspian-Black Sea region.

Within the framework of the summit, Baku also hosted a GUAM-U.S. format
meeting as well as a GUAM-Japan format meeting, which was another
interesting point of the event since Japan has only recently
demonstrated interest in the organization. Last November, Japanese
Foreign Minister Taro Aso called for greater ties with GUAM member
states as part of Tokyo’s "arc of freedom and prosperity" initiative.

Unlike Japan, the United States has been a staunch supporter of GUAM
since its inception in 1997.

The Baku summit of GUAM ended with concluding four documents: Baku
declaration, GUAM’s development strategy on spheres, 2007-2008 program
on rotation of chairmanship to Azerbaijan and communique of the second
summit. Baku declaration states that the mutual cooperation of GUAM
member states will contribute to finding a fair solution to regional
conflicts. The declaration calls on GUAM member states to strengthen
relations with partnership countries and ratify GUAM’s regulations
with the parliaments of the member states.

–Boundary_(ID_X5Vvqc6Z69SvrUDxxn8S0g)–

Scientific Conference Opened in Shoushi

23-06-2007 10:56:26 – KarabakhOpen

On June 21, a scientific conference on the subject of `Shoushi – a
Cradle of Armenian Civilization’, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of
the town’s liberation, was opened in Shoushi. Well-known scientists
from Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh attend it.

The participants were welcomed by the NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian.

`This forum of the representatives of the Armenian science is,
undoubtedly, a significant event as a part of various measures on
Armenian studies and similar undertakings, held in Nagorno Karabakh
Republic during 15 years of its independence’, the message in
particular says.

The Head of the Republic underlined that the event differed by its
historical, cultural, legal and political importance, since it had been
dedicated to Shoushi – an ancient administrative, educational,
spiritual and cultural centre of Artsakh, and one of the cradles of the
Armenian civilization. He expressed confidence that the issues
discussed at the conference with their thematic and deep coverage will
have a significant role in the historical-scientific confirmation of
the region’s being a part of the national historical Armenian ethnicity.

`Today it is becoming more than actual in the context of speculations
and distortions, which our opponents bring into the process of the
Karabakh conflict settlement’, Arkady Ghoukassian emphasized.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: STEPHEN HARPER CONDEMNED INTERFERENCE OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES INTO INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF CANADA

Yerkir
20.06.2007 13:50

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – During a roundtable discussion with the National
Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC) Prime Minister of
Canada Stephen Harper reaffirmed that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by Canada is a government policy and not "the position of the
elected guys" as some insubordinate civil servants tried to represent.

Stephen Harper also said that he finds it unacceptable the interference
in Canadian internal affairs of representatives of foreign governments
and pressuring or coercion of Canadians and Canadian organizations
to follow certain policies.

The Prime Minister condemned such practices, the Armenian National
Committee of Canada (ANCC) reported. "As the head of the Government
of Canada I can not tell you what to write in your newspaper and
foreign governments can not tell what to write," Prime Minister of
Canada stated.

On April 24 in his annual address in connection with the 92nd
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Stephen Harper made a statement,
for which he was "roughly criticized" by the Turkish MFA. A week
prior to April 24 Turkey had "warned" S. Harper against delivering
a speech on April 24, where events of 1915 are called genocide.

Canadian Prime Minister was warned through diplomatic channels
that "repeating these claims annually will not help in normalizing
Turkey-Armenia relations and will harm Turkish-Canadian bilateral
relations as well. However, Stephen Harper did not cave in Turkey’s
blackmail. He stood firm to his principled stand vis-a-vis the Armenian
Genocide issue.

TWO ARMENIAN OFFICERS TO TAKE PART IN NATO MANOEUVRES "AMBER ARROW-2007" AS OBSERVERS

ArmInfo
2007-06-20 10:52:00

The eighth manoeuvres of NATO "Amber Arrow-2007" started on June 18
in Klaipeda, Lithuania.

As RA DM’s spokesman Seiran Shahsouvaryan told ArmInfo today, NATO
member-countries and 11 states, included in the "Partnership for
Peace" Programme, participate in the manoeuvres. Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Great Britain, USA, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland,
Finland, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine take part in
the manoeuvres as observers. The manoeuvres are purposed to develop
participation of representatives of the Armed Forces of different
states in crisis situations for NATO and their cooperation. The
manoeuvres are distinguished by the fact that all the kinds of troops:
the infantry, aviation and navy will cooperate during them for the
first time. Participants in the manoeuvres (over 1800 people) will be
divided into 3 multinational battalions to be headed by representatives
of Lithuania, Finland and Great Britain. The manoeuvres will last
a fortnight and be held in two stages: the actions aimed at peace
maintenance (locality reconnaissance, base stations, neutralization
of the armed groups, etc. ) will be worked over at the first stage,
and the knowledge and skills, gained during the manoeuvres, will be
demonstrated at the second stage on June 25-29.

Participation of Lithuania (1200 people), Finland (about 300 people),
Great Britain (165 people), Latvia (120 people) and Poland (60
people) is the most representative in the present manoeuvres. The
Armed Forced of Armenia are represented by Major Mkrtich Minasyan
and Captain Rouben Papyan.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: SHAMEFUL STIGMA OF "POLITICAL PRISONER" SHOULD BE ERADICTED IN COUNTRY

Noyan Tapan
Jun 20 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Official petitions signed by the
members of the RA National Assembly "Heritage" faction were filed,
with the request to release Alexander Arzumanian, Zhirayr Sefilian
and Vardan Malkhasian from preliminary detention during their trials.

NT was informed from the press service of "Heritage" that the petition
concerning the former Armenian foreign minister A. Arzumanian was
filed to the RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian, while petitions
concerning the leader of the social initiative "Protection of
Liberated Territories" Z. Sefilian and the member of the political
board of the "Fatherland and Honor" Party V. Malkhasian – to Judge
Mnatsakan Martirosian.

In this connection the leader of the faction Raffi Hovannisian sent a
letter to the speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosian and all
deputies, asking them to put their signatures and join the appeal for
release of "the three". "In the coming years of our public service,
we should eradicate the shameful stigma of "political prisoner",
also its theory, practice and even phenomenon in our country,"
R. Hovannisian said.

ACCORDING TO AMERIA’S STUDY, ABOUT 5.5% JOB INCREASE EXPECTED IN ARMENIAN EMPLOYMENT MARKET THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Jun 18 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The surveys conducted by Ameria
company among Armenian employers show that an about 5.5% planned job
increase is expected in the Armenian employment market this year. 23%
of surveyed employers envisage up to 10% salary growth, 11% of them –
up to 20% salary growth. 19% of surveyed employers envisage up to 10%
growth of annual turnover, in the opinion of 13%, this growth may
reach 20%.

In February-May 2007, Ameria company conducted a fundamental study
of the labor market under the Social Protection Sector Management
Program at the request of the State Employment Service agency and
with financial assistance of the World Bank. Problems of employment of
noncompetitive groups on the labor market of Yerevan and all Armenian
marzes were studied.

According to a press release submitted to NT, most employers are
well dsiposed in terms of giving jobs to members of noncompetitive
or vulnerable groups but they consider the existence of necessary
professional skills as the most important condition for employing
such people. Whereas, according to this study, about 46% of members
of noncompetitive groups have secondary education, 29% – specialized
secondary education and only 12.6% – higher education.

The study showed that those surveyed attach importance to computer
knowledge in addition to high educational level.

DISTRIBUTION OF REPUBLIC’S PRESIDENT’S PRIZES TO BE HELD ON JUNE 18

Noyan Tapan
Jun 15 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The Hayastan All Armenian Fund has
been giving Prize of President of the Republic since 2001 in spheres
of the humanities, physics, medical science, art, literature, as well
as Youth Prize of President of the Republic is given in the spheres
of painting, cinema, literature and classical music. This year the
distribution of prizes will take place on June 18.

As Noyan Tapan was informed from Fund’s Public Relations Department,
since 2005 prizes have been also given to persons having made a
considerable contribution in the issue of recognition of Armenian
Genocide.

This action is financed by the Robert Poghosian and Sons Fund. In
total, 62 prizes have been given to 94 people so far.

IN 2008 THE US AND RUSSIA WILL RIVAL TO BE FIRST IN CONGRATULATING AZERBAIJAN ON ITS VICTORY: RUSSIAN POLITICAL EXPERT

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 14 2007

Russia, Moscow / corr Trend R.Agayev / It is not worth it to be
optimistic and consider that any progress between the United States
and Russia on the Gabala Radar Station could lead to the resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to political expert,
head of the Department of Inter-Nation Relations of the Institute of
Political and Military Analysis, Sergey Markedonov .

Commenting on the results of talks between the President of Azerbaijan
and Armenia in St. Petersburg on 9 June, Markedonov noted that he
does not see any ground to state that any progress is possible. There
are no compromises in approaches and compromises in the figures, and
these compromise are not predicted, while statements by mediators
are an attempt to justify their activities, or more exactly their
inactivity, because no real projects are being offered," he added.

Over fifteen years of conducting talks on resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh, all possible, even the by-package, by-stage
resolution, and exchange of territory, has been offered. They will
hardly offer something new. Karabakh cannot be considered the Western
bank of the Jordan River and the Gazza Sector. This is a Jerusalem
sacred for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

If progress between the United States and Russia in the issue of
joint use of the Gabala Radar Station leads to any result, this will
be the resolution of the problem. "Indeed such attempts will be taken
by Azerbaijan and it is logical. I am not sure that it will produce a
serious breakthrough, both the United States and Russia have factors
that restrict a pro-Azerbaijani policy," Markedonov stressed.

For the United States it is an authoritative Armenian lobby, and
similarly, the Armenian community in Russia is 1,000,000 strong. The
political expert is sure in the intensification of talks on Kazakhstan,
appearance of new or projects introduced as new, whereas the settlement
is presented as impossible at present.

As to success of the United States, or Russia in the Gabala issue,
the political expert stressed that the project has two components
– political and military. With respect to military constituents,
Markedonov said that even dilettantes understand that radar cannot
blow up missiles. "It can only note the launch of the so-called
possible enemy, but cannot blow them up. It certainly does not
cancel the missile-defense system. Some Western media wrote, and
not accidentally, that ‘Putin accepted our truth and acknowledged
that there is a need for a missile defense system. That is all what
concerns the military constituent." Markedonov noted.

As to the political constituent, the political expert said that it is
necessary to note that the United States and Russia need Azerbaijan as
stable and secular, even if authoritarian. " Russia does not have any
interest here, while the United State might have. The United States
forgives Azerbaijan for stepping back towards traditional canons on
human rights, democracy, etc. In 2003, like in 2005, Russia and the
United States received the Azerbaijan presidential elections in a
regular way. But I think in 2008, the United States and Russia will
rival to be the first in congratulating Ilham Aliyev [the Azerbaijani
President] on his victory," Markedonov stressed.

The Russian political expert said that in political sense, Russia ad
the United States need stable, secular and modern Azerbaijan, i.e. a
point of contact. " it seems only possible to find common spheres
of cooperation between the United States and Russia, in particular,
in the South Caucasus. It can be fully realized," he emphasized.

House Appropriations Committee votes for parity in military assistance for Armenia and Azerbaijan

Yerkir
13.06.2007 17:41

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed
the Fiscal Year 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill,
which included a number of provisions to assist and support Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh.

Mr Sean Oblack, press secretary for Representative Adam B. Schiff (D –
CA) has said that as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on
State and Foreign Operations, Rep. Schiff requested strong funding for
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and pivotal language affecting the region,
much of which was incorporated into the measure. The bill funds the
U.S. international affairs budgets, including the U.S. Department of
State, foreign military support programs through the Department of
Defense, and most foreign aid.

The bill will now be sent to the floor for a vote before the full
House.

"Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are good friends and allies of the
U.S. and this bill represents the strength of our close relationship,"
Schiff said.

"I am pleased that they will get this needed assistance, which will
greatly benefit the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh."

The Fiscal Year 2008 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs
Appropriations bill:

* Provides $68 million in aid to the Republic of Armenia;

* Urges USAID to allocate up to $6 million to Nagorno Karabakh in
humanitarian assistance;

* Ensures assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan is
maintained by providing Armenia with $3 million in Foreign Military
Financing funds and $300,000 in International Military Education and
Training assistance;

* Prevents further changes to the conditional waiver of Section 907 of
the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. aid to Azerbaijan until
the President determines and reports to Congress that Azerbaijan is
taking steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh; and

* Provides a confidence-building measure to advance a peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.