Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

ARMENIAN, TURKISH, AZERI PRESIDENTS’ MEETING IN ISTANBUL PRELUDE FOR TALKS IN U.S.?

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.11.2008 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s proposal for
a regular meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in
Turkey indicates Ankara’s intention to maintain initiative in the
South Caucasus geopolitics, a Turkish expert said.

"With the help of Turkey, the West wants to strengthen its positions
in the Nagorno Karabakh process," Tural Kerimli said.

Turkey has tools of pressure on Armenia, which understand that the
status of Russia’s outpost will hamper its economic growth, according
to him.

"The meeting in Istanbul will prepare the ground for Armenian-Azeri
talks in the United States," Kerimli concluded, 1news.az reports.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul is reported to be readying to take
another bold step to contribute to regional peace in the Caucasus
by soon hosting a trilateral summit with the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

Gul, who introduced his proposal for the trilateral meeting during
his meeting with Azerbaijan’s visiting President Ilham Aliyev on
Wednesday, received a positive response from the Azerbaijani leader,
diplomatic sources said.

"The summit may take place in a few months," said a Turkish official
on condition of anonymity.

DECLARATION SIGNED BY PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA AND RUSSIA REFLECTS THE MAIN POINTS OF TALKS CARRIED OUT SO FAR, KH. IBRAHIM

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
November 4, 2008 Tuesday

The Declaration signed by presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia
in Moscow on 2 November is an important document and reflects the
main points of the talks carried out so far, stressed the spokesman
of Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim at the briefing held
at the Ministry on 2 November.

The talks needed a ground for higher level of talks on resolution
of the conflict, he underlined. It therefore necessitated signing
of such Declaration at such level. The core of the Declaration is
that the conflict can be solved in political ways. And, of course,
it should have its points and terms, too. The document presents these
necessary terms, Mr. Ibrahim emphasized.

Azerbaijans policy bases on realities, development and national
interests. The conflict should be solved on the principle of
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the signed Declaration
reaffirms this, he underlined.

Khazar Ibrahim reminded that there are international legal norms and
principles and also documents and resolutions adopted in the frame
of these principles. According to him, this standpoint is all the
same in the international documents.

Azerbaijan has respect for the international laws and adheres to
settlement of the conflicts on the base of international norms and
principles.

RA POLICE SUMMARIZE STATISTICAL DATA ON CRIMES IN FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2008

Noyan Tapan

Nov 5, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. 6,825 crimes were recorded in
Armenia in the first nine months of 2008 against 6,510 crimes in the
same period of 2007, with the growth making 4.8% or 315 crimes. The
head of the RA Police PR and Information Department Sayat Shirinian
said at the November 4 press conference that the growth in the number
of crimes is conditioned by the police chiefs’ intolerance of the
practice of not registering crimes. He explained the decline in the
crime detection index by the overwork of police units due to the
presidential election and the postelection developments which had a
negative impact on crime detection. S. Shirinian announced that the
number of crimes per 10 thousand residents makes 21.3 in Armenia. For
comparison, this index makes 172.8 in Russia, 63.4 in Ukraine, 22.8
in Uzbekistan and 65.7 in Kazakhstan.

Out of the crimes against man in the first nine months of 2008,
there was an increase in the number of murders and crimes against
sexual immunity, including rape and attempted rape. At the same time,
there was a decline in the number of such crimes as attempted murder
and infliction of willful damage to health. As regards crimes against
property, there was a decline in the number of housebreaking thefts,
car thefts and frauds. The number of such crimes as robbery, theft,
embezzlement and peculation increased. The number of crimes committed
with the use of fire-arms declined as compared with the same period
of last year.

In January-September 2008, 182 illegally kept guns were seized from
citizens, and thanks to explanatory work 349 guns were voluntarily
handed over to police.

The number of persons subjected to criminal liability fell by 1.3%
– from 3,862 last year to 3,813 this year.

Out of the total number of those who committed crimes, 52 ones were
foreigners, 36 were citziens of CIS countries, and two were persons
without citizenship.

The number of crimes committed my minors declined by 63.

413 cases of drug trafficking were disclosed, which is fewer by 4
cases as compared with the same period of 2007. At the same time,
the number of drug sale cases grew by 21.

1,199 persons wanted by police were detained, including 18 persons
wanted for murder, 2 for rape, 15 for robbery, 67 for theft, 52 for
fraud, 40 for hooliganizsm, and 34 for inflicting willful heavy damage
to health.

78 persons wanted by police of other countries were arrested. 38
persons wanted by Armenian police were arrested in other countries
and brought to Armenia.

1,587 road accidents were recorded in Armenia in the first nine
months of 2008, as a result of which 285 people died and 2,295 were
injured. The number of road accidents grew by 213, of those killed –
by 18, and of those injured – by 345 on the same months of last year.

In the indicated period of 2008, disciplinary penalties were imposed
on 164 employees of the police for committing various disciplinary
violations, including 12 ones who were warned about not corresponding
fully to their posistions, 7 were demoted to a lower position or rank,
and 12 employees were dismissed from the police service.

SHARON WIENER: OBAMA UNDERSTANDS IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY AS STRATEGIC ALLY AND FRIEND

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2008 17:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. president-elect understands the importance
of Turkey and the two countries would work together even more closely
under the new administration, a high-level U.S. diplomat said.

"America cannot face the challenges alone and the next administration’s
partnership with Turkey will continue in the fight against the PKK and
other terrorists, in building a democratic, secure and stable Iraq,
in finding new energy resources and routes of supply and in promoting
peace in the Middle East and other regions," U.S. Consul General in
Ankara Sharon Wiener said.

She said Barack Obama understands the importance of Turkey as a
strategic ally and a friend, in a bid to soothe concerns that a
possible problematic period lay ahead in the relations of the two
countries due to the Democratic new president’s approach the Armenian
Genocide.

"We will work together even more closely as Turkey has been elected to
the United Nations Security Council," Wiener added, Hurriyet reports.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: "THE SIGNED DECLARATION INTENSIFIES TALKS ON THE KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Today.Az
politics/48735.html
Nov 4 2008
Azerbaijan

Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan hopes that
intensification of talks on the Karabakh problem after the meeting
of the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will pave a way
for the conflict resolution.

"This initiative is extremely important for opening a new stage in
the sense of intensification of talks. The Presidents instructed
the foreign ministers of the two countries to intensify talks",
said Nalbandyan.

He noted that a constructive meeting was held with the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs after signing a declaration and talks.

"The co-chairs intend to visit the region – Armenia, Karabakh and
Azerbaijan, soon to continue talks and intensify the process", said
the Armenian Foreign Minister.

He noted that during Serzh Sargsyan’s recent visit to Paris the
Armenian President will meet with his French counterpart Nicholas
Sarkozy to discuss results of the trilateral meeting in Meindorf.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA LEAVES ANNUAL REFINANCING RATE AT 7.75%

ARKA
Nov 4, 2008

YEREVAN, November 4. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia decided
Tuesday to leave annual refinancing rate unchanged, at 7.75%.

The press office of the Central Bank of Armenia told ARKA News Agency
that inside and outside environment was developing throughout the
third quarter, just as the board forecast it at the previous meeting.

Outside inflation pressures due to declining world demand reflected
in downward movement of world food and non-food prices kept weakening
in October.

According to the Central Bank’s report, outside inflation pressures
started weakening on domestic market.

Taking into account volatility on markets amid the world financial
crisis and uncertain prospects as well as slow correction of prices
on the domestic market, the Central Bank found it reasonable to leave
refinancing rates on its operations pegged.

In October, compared with September, 0.7% inflation was recorded.

Year-on-year inflation was 8.6% after lowering 2.7 points.

Inflation was planned at 4% (±1.5%) in the 2008 state budget

–Boundary_(ID_SBaF3AoAS68WSDZ9l3zZXQ)–

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Oct 29 2008

ARMENIAN FM CLAIMS AZERBAIJAN BACKING DOWN FROM WAR

Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian has claimed the August
hostilities in Georgias unrecognized republic of South Ossetia have
held back Azerbaijans attempts to settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict by force. Nalbandian told the BBCs Russian
bureau that the brief Russia-Georgia war was allegedly a cold shower
for Azerbaijani leaders. They halted their militarist rhetoric and
statements on a possible resolution of the Garabagh problem through
military action. If it werent for the South Ossetia developments,
Azerbaijan, which is openly preparing for war, could have tried to
solve the Garabagh problem through military action, Nalbandian
alleged. The Armenian minister noted that political and diplomatic
talks were the sole option to settle the conflict. He said military
operations lead not to the solution of outstanding problems but, on
the contrary, to the emergence of new conflicts, which are even harder
to settle afterwards. No military option could lead to a solution, as
after any given war or such a decision, diplomats have to launch talks
in any case. But this time, in more challenging conditions, Nalbandian
said.

RUSSIAN ACADEMICIAN: NEW NPP TO GIVE ARMENIA GEOPOLITICAL ADVANTAGE

ARKA
Oct 23, 2008

YEREVAN, October 23. /ARKA/. Construction of the new nuclear
power plant (NPP) will give Armenia a huge export potential and
a geopolitical advantage as compared with other countries, Head of
"Doctor of Business Administration" program academician of the Russian
Academy of Sciences Abel Aghanbegyan said.

If this happens, Armenia will start supplying electricity to Turkey
and Georgia and these countries will depend on Armenia to a certain
extent," Aghanbegyan told journalists Thursday. He also pointed out
the possibility of exporting power also to Iran and Iraq.

Earlier, Armenian Deputy Minister of Energy and natural Resources Areg
Galstyan said that the construction of the new nuclear power plant
may start in 2011. The new NPP is expected to be commissioned in 2017.

According to estimates of PA Consulting Group, the construction
of the new unit will cost $5.2-7.2bln if the output of the unit is
1,200 megawatt.

Expected prices for power produced by the new NPP are 7.2-12.7 cents
per kilowatt-hour depending on investments.

AT THIS MOMENT UNITY IS NEEDED MORE THAN EVER, "RPA" FACTION’S DEPUTY SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 21, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. "Internal political disagreement is
sometimes inevitable, whereas in foreign policy one should be above
petty speculation and ambitions," Eduard Sharmazanov, member of NA
"Republican Party of Armenia" (RPA) faction, RPA’s spokesman, stated
during the October 21 sitting of the National Assembly. In his words,
the all-nation unity around the national goal is the key touchstone
of solving the Karabakh problem. Noting that at this moment unity is
needed more than ever, he made an appeal to give up "the shameful and
dangerous struggle of vanity and to unite in the name of Armenia’s
development and strengthening".

RUSSIA, IRAN AND QATAR AGREE TO FORM AN OPEC-STYLE GAS CARTEL

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.10.2008 17:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ World gas powers Russia, Iran and Qatar pledged
on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation and Tehran said there was a
consensus to form an OPEC-style grouping, comments likely to worry
Western consumer nations.

Iran’s Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said he and Qatar’s Energy
Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah and Chief Executive Alexei Miller of
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom agreed to establish a high-ranking
natural gas committee.

Unlike Nozari, Miller did not refer to a "gas OPEC" at a joint news
conference but said the three sides had set up a "major gas troika"
that would help implement joint projects.

Russia, Iran and Qatar are ranked the first, second and third biggest
holders of natural gas reserves in the world and together boast more
than half of the global total.

"We have made major decisions," Nozari said after talks in the Iranian
capital. "There is a demand to form this gas OPEC and there is a
consensus to set up gas OPEC."

Major gas exporters have met informally for several years at the annual
Gas Exporting Countries Forum, a grouping including also Venezuela,
Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia and Libya.

Iran wants to turn it into a more formal organization akin to the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the 13-member
cartel which makes output decisions that can sway the oil price.

Europe and the United States have warned against such a gas export
body, saying it could pose a danger to global energy security and
create room for price manipulation.

Gazprom has previously played down the idea of a gas OPEC, saying
it was not feasible. But Miller told Tuesday’s news conference:
"We have decided to be in close contact and we can say that today a
major gas troika was formed."

Some analysts say any gas OPEC could be expected to share insights on
upstream contract terms with investors rather than act on restricting
gas supply as the oil OPEC does.

"Surely this gathering of gas exporting countries is to give assurances
over gas supply to the world," said Miller, whose country is the
world’s largest natural gas exporter, Reuters reports.