Author: Toneyan Mark

ARMENIA WILLING TO EXPAND TIES WITH IRAN ON LONG-TERM BASIS

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
March 19 2007

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said on Monday that Armenia is
determined to expand its relations with Iran and that it considers
such ties as long-term.

According to a report released by the Presidential Office Media
Department, the statement was made during his talks with President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Nordouz border area on the sidelines of the
inaugural ceremony of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

Turning to his country’s requirement of energy resources, the Armenian
president called for cooperation with Iran in this regard.

"Armenia is willing to use Iran’s experience in various fields,
including establishment of refinery and power plant, connection of the
railway networks of the two countries and cooperation on development
of the infrastructures of Armenia’s telecommunication," he added.

He appreciated the quick implementation of the mutually signed
agreements and contracts, he said that this provides a highly favorable
ground for further expansion of relations.

"The good will of our Iranian partner, in particular that of President
Ahmadinejad, plays a decisive role in bolstering bilateral relations,"
concluded the Armenian president.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
March 16 2007

USA TURKISH MPS PRESENT VIEWS ABOUT "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" BILL

Washington, 15 March: Turkish parliamentary delegation, which is
currently in Washington to hold talks regarding the draft law on
so-called Armenian genocide (presented to US Congress), continued its
meetings with members of House of Representatives at the Congress on
Thursday [15 March].

The delegation held talks with 10 members of the House of
Representatives today.

On the other hand, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Istanbul
Deputy Egemen Bagis (who also took part in the delegation) delivered
a speech to an expert group in think-tank organization Council of
Foreign Relations.

Bagis conveyed the views of Turkish government to the group regarding
the draft law on so-called Armenian genocide, as well as recent
developments about Iraq and other regional issues.

Turkish parliamentary delegation is comprised of AKP parliamentarians
Vahit Erdem and Reha Denemec, as well as main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) parliamentarians Bihlun Tamayligil and Ersin
Arioglu.

Iran nuclear issue must be solved by diplomacy -Russian official

12:53|18/ 03/ 2007

LESNIYE DALI, (Moscow Region), March 18 (RIA Novosti) – The Iran
nuclear issue must be solved by diplomatic means, the secretary of the
Russian Security Council said Sunday.

Since Iran resumed uranium enrichment in January 2006, the country has
been the focus of international concerns, as some Western countries,
particularly the United States, suspect Tehran is pursuing a covert
weapons program. But Tehran has consistently claimed it needs nuclear
development for civilian power generation.

"Iran and the international community must take a pause and find a
solution through negotiations and come to a common conclusion," Igor
Ivanov told a session of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense
Policy.

According to Ivanov, Iran should take a pause with regard for its
uranium enrichment while the UN Security Council must also take a
pause in relation to its resolution on Iran.

"All the parties need to stop and sit down to a table of negotiations
at the level of experts," Ivanov said.

The Islamic Republic, already under limited international sanctions,
is facing tougher penalties from the UN Security Council over its
refusal to halt the uranium enrichment.

A new draft resolution of the 15-nation UN Security Council on Iran,
issued Thursday, stipulates sanctions against 10 Iranian companies and
three companies of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an elite
military organization in the country.

The draft resolution has been prepared by the Iran-Six, comprising
Germany and the five permanent Security Council members – the United
States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

Ivanov said the international community does not have a biased
attitude towards Iran.

"If the Iranian leadership states that it has no military plans and
its plans are only civilian, then Iran should not have any concerns,"
Ivanov said.

PanARMENIAN.Net

NATO indicated Azerbaijan has exceeded quota of armament
17.03.2007 13:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan exceeded quotas of Conventional Armed
Forces in Europe Treaty (CAFET), NATO Secretary General’s Special
Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Robert Simmons stated
in Baku. `This year we indicated Azerbaijan that it has acquired more
armament exceeding CAFET quota, and this issue must be solved in the
framework of OSCE in Vienna,’ he stressed.

At the same time Simmons noted that Russia maintains quotas. `Indeed,
NATO several times indicated the importance to withdraw Russian
armament from Georgia and Moldavia,’ NATO. Sec. General’s Special
Representative told.

Russian Plane Crashes in Samara; 7 Dead

Saturday March 17, 2007 11:31 AM

MOSCOW (AP) – A Russian airliner crash landed in the central Russian city of
Samara on Saturday, killing seven people and injuring 23, emergency
officials said.

It was unclear what caused the incident. Emergency Situations Ministry
spokesman Viktor Beltsov described the accident as a “hard landing.”

Another Ministry representative, Irina Andrianova, said the plane was
landing in heavy fog and grazed the runway with one of its wings. She said there
was no fire after the crash.

The Tu-134 plane, an ageing model, belonged to the Russian airline UTAir and
had 57 people on board, including seven crew members, the company said in a
statement. Two of the crew were among the injured, it said.

Andrianova said seven people were killed, 23 were hospitalized, six of them
in serious condition. Earlier, officials had said 51 people had been injured,
but they revised the figure to 23, explaining that the rest were being
treated for psychological shock.

Some Russian media, citing local emergency officials, reported that the
plane landed on its fuselage after the landing gear failed to come down.

The plane had flown to Samara, about 550 miles southeast of Moscow, from
Surgut, about 1,000 miles to the east.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the incident, transport
officials and prosecutors said.

Tu-134s are widely used in the former Soviet Union. The last major crash of
a Russian airliner was on Aug. 22, when a Tu-154 of Pulkovo Airlines crashed
in Ukraine, killing all 170 people aboard.

In July, an Airbus-310 of S7 airlines went off the runway after landing in
Irkutsk, smashed into adjacent buildings and caught fire, killing 123 of the
203 people aboard. In May, an Armenian Airbus-320 crashed into the Black Sea
while trying to land in the southern Russian city of Sochi, killing all 113
people aboard.

Belgian Senator conditions Turkey’s EU accession with recognition of
the Armenian Genocide

ArmRadio.am
17.03.2007 11:42

During the conference dedicated to the assertions about the Armenian
Genocide Belgian Senator representing the MR Party Roland de Vivier
conditioned Turkey’s accession to the European Union with recognition
of the Armenian Genocide.

According to the Turkish `Yeni Shafar,’ the Belgian Senator said
Turkey can join the European Union only after acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide. In Senator de Vivier’s words, the Belgian
politicians of Turkish origin must also recognize the Armenian
Genocide. Noting that de Vivier is one of the supporters of including
the bill criminalizing the negation of the Armenian Genocide in the
agenda of the Belgian Parliament, the paper wrote the law still
expects its discussion in the Belgian Parliament.

President Kocharyan received WB Regional Director Donna Dausette-Coyrolo

ArmRadio.am
16.03.2007 16:16

President Robert Kocharyan received the World Bank Regional Director
Donna Dausette-Coyrolo and the newly appointed Director of the World
Bank Office in Yerevan Aristomene Varudakis.

The parties appreciated the high level, volume and effectiveness of
bilateral cooperation.

Considering the rapid and quality reforms the guarantee of the future
and success of the country, the President emphasized the importance of
the relations with the World Bank from this very
perspective. According to Robert Kocharyan, the economic success
Armenia registers is greatly conditioned by the productive activity of
the World Bank.

Presenting the newly appointed Director of the WB Yerevan Office,
Donna Dausette-Coyrolo assured he will uphold the path of positive
cooperation and will promote the process of economic
reforms. Aristomene Varudakis confirmed he will apply all efforts for
the accomplishment of more large-scale programs.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the programs the World Bank
implements in Armenia and reforms under way in different spheres. The
President said social issues remain a priority for the country and
suggested to pay greater attention to the programs of the field.

EXPERT COMPETITION ANNOUNCED ON "ARMENIA’S COMMUNICATION SECURITY, PRESENT SITUATION, CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTIVE"

Regnum, Russia
March 15 2007

"Noravank" Foundation announces a research work competition on the
subject of "Armenia’s communication security, present situation,
conclusions and prospective." As REGNUM is told at the foundation,
the following problems will be welcomed:

The problems connected with Armenia’s communication security.

The influence of up-to-date communication means on Armenia’s defense,
foreign policy economy (particularly energy) and demographic picture.

The main factors threatening Armenia’s communication security:
Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s strategy directed to Armenia’s blockade
and, in this connection, international legal norms referring to
communication problems.

Georgian-Russian boarder problems caused by Russian-Georgian conflicts,
the influence of RA-Javakhk communication-economic problems and
the scenario of possible destabilization of Georgia’s situation on
Armenia’s economy.

Armenia-Iran communication problems.

Air-communication problems.

Initiatives/projects directed to ensuring Armenia’s communication
security: Foreign policy initiatives, Economic field (for example,
the steps undertaken by state and business structures), Energy field
(the problems of developing alternative energy or its private energy
potential and the ones of supply and diversification).

International-legal field (which are the leverages that can further
deblocking Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Azerbaijani borders),
Information field.

The works are accepted only in electronic version (MS Word program):
the works, which should not exceed 25 pages, are to be presented in
Armenian, Russian and English languages.

In addition to research works are also accepted projects of innovation
character and conceptual approaches directed to securing Armenia’s
communication security, which should not exceed 3 (three) pages.

All interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to email their
applications to [email protected] till June 1, 2007. Attach your
Curriculum vita (CV) to your application please.

The three best works will be awarded. The competition commission may
also pay encouraging rewards. Best works (including prize-winning ones)
will be published by the Noravank Foundation and presented at the
"Armenia’s communication security, present situation, conclusions
and prospective" scientific conference.

OPPOSITION OR PROTESTING ELECTORATE?
Naira Hayrumyan

KarabakhOpen
13-03-2007 14:55:46

In Karabakh the election campaign set out strangely with accusations
against the opposition. Тhe opposition is constantly accused
of venality, scandals, and even anti-democracy. However, nobody
has stated yet who is opposition in Karabakh. The opposition is
an organized political force which disagrees with the policy of
the government and wants to come to power to conduct a different
policy. It follows from this classic definition that there is no
opposition in Karabakh. There is not an organized force (party) or
separate people who do not trust the government and desire to come
to power. There are political parties which are dissatisfied with
something. For instance, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun is dissatisfied
with the internal policies, namely the manpower policy and the
policy of re-settlement. However, this organized force apparently
does not desire power. This is the only item on the list of the
dissatisfied politicians. There is a considerable mass of people
in the country, however, who are not organized politically and
do not aspire to power but are dissatisfied with the government’s
policies. They are the protesting electorate. These people do not
have political ambitions, they are interested in politics to the
degree it affects their lives. Businessmen who are stifled with
taxes and bureaucracy, pensioners whose retirement benefit is not
enough to buy food, people who suffered from legal arbitrariness,
in short the protesting electorate. In most cases the government has
levers to pressure on them, therefore they do not become an actively
protesting electorate. On the other hand, they are a major force and
every candidate will be fighting for the votes of these people in
the upcoming election.

For a number of reasons the protesting electorate in Karabakh is not
organized. First, this electorate does not have a leader. Second,
the government has isolated the society for such a long time from
governance playing politics with itself that the society has already
forgotten the rules. Third, the electorate does not have access to
the mass media, especially television. Fourth, the electorate has
not had an opportunity to voice protest: the elections did not have
an alternative so that it is hard to call them election.

This time everything may be different. And the protesting electorate
may have a deciding role.

–Boundary_(ID_VIHosj4mbuTMOr1XlT+gFQ)–

NUMBER OF TOURISTS TO ARMENIA GROWS BY 19.6% IN 2006 ON PREVIOUS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2006, 381,136 tourists
visited Armenia against 318,563 tourists in 2005: the growth made
19.6%. According to reports submitted by hotels to the RA National
Statistical Service, in 2006, 54,474 tourists stayed at 40 hotels
of Armenia; in 2005, 50,025 tourists stayed at 39 hotels of the
country. In 2006, CIS countries accounted for 23.9% of the growth in
the number of tourists (in 2005 – for 29.4%), including Russia that
accounted for 17.6% of the total number of tourists in 2006 (for 22.8%
in 2005).

Tourists from European Union countries accounted for 35.5% of
the total number of tourists to Armenia in 2006 (in 2005, 29.2%),
including tourists from France 14.8% (8.9%), Germany – 5.3% (5.4%),
Great Britain – 5.3% (5.4%), tourists from other EU countries – 10.1%
(9.3%). Tourists from other countries accounted for 40.6% in 2006
(41.4% in 2005), from the US – 21.6% (22.5%), from Iran – 5.3% (7.5%).