Author: Torgomian Varazdat

GOAL OF TALKS IS TO LEGALIZE CURRENT SITUATION IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.02.2007 18:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We cannot speak about serious success in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict negotiations," stated Armenian President Robert
Kocharian at the meeting with representatives of Armenian Community in
Paris. He said, the problem is to find final solution. "Negotiations
have one goal, that is, to bring to conformity with law what we have
now in Nagorno Karabakh," stressed the president.

Asked if it is possible to sign an agreement with Azerbaijan this
summer, Robert Kocharian gave a negative answer.

As to Armenia’s current situation, according to the RA President,
"the country has got out of heavy situation and is entering the stage
of stable development."

Touching on the problem of recognizing the Armenian Genocide by Turkey,
Robert Kocharian stressed that this issue for Armenia has not only
moral aspect, but also it is connected with the security of the
country, RFE RL reports.

NEW LAW COULD QUADRUPLE NUMBER OF ARMENIANS

San Diego Union Tribune, CA
Feb 21 2007

YEREVAN – Armenia’s parliament has passed the first reading of a bill
giving ethnic Armenians the right to hold dual citizenship, a law
which could almost quadruple the number of the country’s nationals
around the world.

Wedged between Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan, Armenia has a
population of just 3.2 million but a diaspora of 8 million spread
across the globe, mainly in the United States, Russia and France.

The new law, debated on Tuesday, would allow the emigres to gain
Armenian citizenship.

Most fled the region after World War One, following mass killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915. Turkey denies there was systematic
genocide and says large numbers of both Christian Armenians and Muslim
Turks died as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing.

‘Adoption of this law is conditioned by a wish to restore human,
civil and historical justice,’ Gegham Manukian, a member of the
parliament and one of the authors of the law, told Reuters.

Armenians supported the idea of dual citizenship in a November 2005
referendum on constitutional amendments. The new proposal needs to
pass three readings in parliament to become law.

ITC LEADER: IRAQ STILL UNDER US OCCUPATION
Ilnur Cevik – The New Anatolian – Erbil

New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 20 2007

A leading Turkmen official in Erbil says Iraq remains under U.S.
occupation and the Americans have the final say in all security
matters.

Pointing to how U.S. forces recently arrested Iranian officials in
the heart of Erbil at 2 a.m. much to the opposition of the Kurdish
leadership, Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Erbil Provincial Chairman
Nezhet Abdulgani said, "This proves we are still under American
occupation. The decisions taken by local officials in a country under
occupation are null and void."

Abdulgani said the situation in Iraq is growing worse as political
groups fail to reach a common understanding and the country is
being divided along sectarian lines. "The people don’t trust the
administration in Baghdad," he explained. "Each state minister is
linked to a sectarian group and serves their interests and thus there’s
no harmony. The Shiite state ministers control ministries dealing
with security and they’re accused of leading death squads against the
Sunnis. So the security establishment can’t exert its authority. We
need to have the Interior Ministry run by an independent figure."

The Turkmen official said Turkmens have to accept the reality that
Iraq does indeed have a constitution and despite the controversies
surrounding it, everyone has to abide by the rules.

He stressed that the ITC isn’t against anyone in the Kurdish region.

"We respect everyone and we want to be respected. However, we see
that the administration doesn’t accept us as a counterpart."

He said other Turkmens got into the Kurdistan Regional Parliament but
the ITC did not. "We see today that the Turkmen deputies who entered
the Kurdish regional assembly haven’t achieved much," he observed.

"We see that Turkmens didn’t get the rights they deserve in the new
draft constitution for the region. Even the Assyrians are represented
by five deputies in the regional parliament, while the Turkmens,
who are the second-largest population in the region, have only four
seats. Turkmens didn’t benefit from entering the Parliament. We were
criticized, Turkey was criticized, but we see that the Turkmen deputies
who are now in Parliament haven’t achieved much."

He said the region has tough financial problems. "There are fuel
and electricity shortages. This region can’t survive without money,
fuel and electricity from Baghdad. The people are facing serious
economic hardship."

Asked who is behind the violence and recent bombings in Kirkuk,
he said, "Some accuse the Arabs, some accuse the Kurds and others
accuse the Turkmens for the explosions. I feel this violence is a
mini-extension of the violence that has gripped Baghdad."

On the prospects of the Kirkuk referendum being held later this year,
he said, "We don’t oppose the referendum. We feel if the referendum
is to be held then it should be under United Nations supervision. But
of course it remains to be seen if a referendum can be held there as
there is a poor security situation in the area."

"Another problem regarding the Kirkuk referendum is the population.

We see inflated Kurdish figures. According to official figures the
number of Kurds who were forced out of the city was around 10,800,
while the Kurds who returned to the city number more than 300,000.

Where did they come from?"

He said a passport scandal in Switzerland may shed light into some
of the controversies. "The Iraqi embassy in Switzerland issued 26,000
passports to people who are not Iraqi citizens," he stated. "A Swiss
state minister was implicated. This is now under investigation by
the Swiss authorities."

The Turkmen official said there are other issues in Article 140 of
the Iraqi constitution that covers Kirkuk which are being overlooked.

"What happens to Al Najaf, according to Article 140? If this article
is to be implemented, Duhok should be given back to the governorate
of Mosul."

He said that besides all this the Americans still set the rules in
Iraq as the occupation force and thus the rules set by the Iraqis
don’t mean much.

"We have deep respect for Turkey but we also feel it’s wrong to expect
everything from Turkey. Turkey has its own problems with the European
Union and on the Armenian issue. So we shouldn’t expect Turkey to do
things on our behalf. If we do, then we will be branded as agents of
Turkey in this region."

Abdulgani said the reality is that the Americans are the supreme
power in Iraq and if it were not for them Turkey would have entered
Iraqi soil and moved all the way down to Kirkuk. "Turkey doesn’t have
a political presence in the (Kurdish) region. I also feel that the
Turkish Foreign Ministry is ineffective here."

The Turkmen official said the policy of the Kurdish leaders should be
evaluated as taking place in two phases. "The period before 2003 was
when the Kurds only had the Turkish border gate as an outlet, and it
was a period when Turkey was giving them arms and material support to
fight the PKK," he said. "But the reason they never finished off the
PKK was to keep a trump card to be used in the future. The Kurds have
other border gates as outlets and they could afford to turn their
backs on Turkey now that the Americans are helping them and the PKK
trump card remains in their hands."

Asked about the lack of dialogue between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds,
he said, "We want this dialogue. As a result of such a dialogue they
may not become friends but at least they may not turn into enemies."

"As I said before, the American presence here is a reality and I feel
the U.S. role in this dialogue could be fruitful. So if people see
that the Turks and Kurds are talking, then potential enmities could
be set aside," he concluded.

NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS INCREASE UP TO AMD 6,664BLN IN ARMENIA IN 2006

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Feb 19 2007

YEREVAN, February 19. /ARKA/. The volume of non-cash transactions
increased by 1.4 times and made AMD 6, 664bln in Armenia in 2006 as
compared to 2005.

Of that, payments through payment systems of the Central Bank of
Armenia (CBA) made AMD 4,815bln by the end of 2006 – a 1.6-fold
(AMD 1,818bln) increase, the CBA’s press service reported.

A 1.2-fold increase was recorded in the number of non-cash
transactions, bringing it to 2,422,060, with payments through CBA
payment systems making up 1,053,339.

The average daily volume of money transfers through CBA systems
totaled AMD18.8bln (AMD7bln increase), with the average number of
transfers being 4,115 per day (increased by 761). Of them, AMD5.7bln
was due to increase in transfers related to operations on the stock
exchange. ($1 = AMD354.99).

GERMAN FM TO LAY WREATH ON MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2007 13:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will
visit Armenia February 20, the RA MFA Press Office reports. During the
visit the German FM will have meetings with his Armenian counterpart
Vartan Oskanian and Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.

The German delegation at the head of Steinmeier will visit the
Tsitsernakabert Memorial Complex, where they will lay wreaths on the
Memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Feb 16 2007

Farewell Visit of the Ambassador of Italy to the National Assembly

On February 15 Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, received Mr. Marco Clemente,
Ambassador of Italy to Armenia, on the occasion of the completion of
his diplomatic mission.

Mr. Clemente, who goes back to Rome after working 3 years and 8
months in Armenia to officiate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Italy, noted that he is sad for his departure, but he leaves with
great professional and personal experience. He expressed his
gratitude to the President of the National Assembly for personal and
working warm relations, which helped him during his mission. Mr.
Clemente ensured on behalf of the Presidents of two Chambers of the
Italian Parliament and people friendly relations of his country
towards Armenia and Armenian people, who could defend his European
nature and returned to the European family with dignity, and Italy
was one of the first countries that welcomed its entrance.

Mr. Marco Clemente, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy, highlighting
the NA President’s and the Parliament’s contribution in the Armenian
reforms and particularly in the reforms of the Electoral Code,
expressed confidence that the legislative bases of holding the
elections in compliance with European standards were established, and
the country has all opportunities to prove the irreversibility of
deepening of democracy in the May elections.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, wishing
successes to the Ambassador in his further activity, thanked him for
the productive work, which gave a good quality to the relations of
two countries. Mr. Torosyan expressed hope that though the work of
the next Ambassador will considerably be more difficult as Mr.
Clemente did his best, the Armenian-Italian relations will continue
to develop. The upcoming parliamentary elections were highlighted not
only in the view of forming the power but also in continuing the
implementation of general reforms. Mr. Torosyan expressed hope that
they will fully comply with the international standards. He noted
that doing its legislative duty, the National Assembly will have an
important role also in the solution of technical problems. An
agreement was reached with the international organizations
implementing observation mission for cooperating with the working
group comprised of political forces of the National Assembly in order
to eliminate the technical problems emerged before the elections, and
steps will be taken in that direction before the end of February.

Other issues were also touched upon during the meeting.

Berliner Zeitung
16. Februar 2007 Freitag

"Es ist eine der größten Tragödien";
Paolo und Vittorio Taviani ("Das Haus der Lerchen") über den
Massenmord an den Armeniern

Bei seiner Weltpremiere am Mittwoch im Filmpalast beeindruckte und
erschütterte das neue Werk der Brüder Taviani das Publikum. Der
türkische Massenmord an den Armeniern wird in "La masseria delle
allodole" ("Das Haus der Lerchen") in all seiner Grausamkeit
aufgegriffen. Ein Gespräch mit den Regie-Legenden Vittorio und Paolo
Taviani über ihre Verfilmung von Antonia Arslans Bestseller.

Wie sind Sie als Italiener zu dem Thema gekommen?

Vittorio Taviani: Wir wussten natürlich schon etwas über den
Völkermord an den Armeniern. Aber als wir das Buch "La masseria delle
allodole" von Antonia Arslan lasen, da enthüllte sich plötzlich eine
Welt von Schmerz, von Ungerechtigkeit, und uns gingen wirklich die
Augen auf. Danach haben wir uns auch mit den schrecklichen Kriegen
der Gegenwart und jüngeren Vergangenheit auseinandergesetzt. Nehmen
wir Kosovo oder Ruanda oder was heute in Asien und Afrika passiert.
Wir glauben, es gibt keine schlimmeren Kriege, als solche wie
zwischen Völkern, die eigentlich einander nahe stehen. Als wir
Arslans Buch lasen, wurde uns klar, dass wir hier die Vergangenheit
mit der Gegenwart verknüpfen konnten. Als wir den Film dann
tatsächlich drehten, da hatte die gesamte Truppe den Eindruck, dass
dies der gegenwärtigste und aktuellste Film sei, den man überhaupt
machen könne.

War die Finanzierung schwierig? Der deutsche Produzent Ottokar Runze
ist seit 20 Jahren bemüht, die Gelder für die Verfilmung von Franz
Werfels Armenien-Roman "Die 40 Tage des Musa Dagh" zusammen zu
bekommen.

Paolo Taviani: Es war durchaus schwierig, das Budget zusammen zu
bekommen, deswegen ist es auch eine Koproduktion zwischen Frankreich,
Spanien, Bulgarien und Italien geworden. Anderseits haben wir dadurch
die Möglichkeit gehabt, wirklich frei auf dem europäischen
Schauspielermarkt auszuwählen. Uns hat es gefallen, dass wir mit den
Schauspielern unserer Fantasie ein Antlitz verleihen konnten, ob es
nun die von Paz Vega verkörperte deportierte junge Armenierin Nunik
ist oder der von Moritz Bleibtreu gespielte sich in sie verliebende
Youssouf. Es war uns wichtig, mit Arsinee Khanjian auch eine echte
Armenierin mit einer Hauptrolle zu besetzen. Zu "Musa Dagh": Das ist
wirklich traurig, dass dieses Meisterwerk der Weltliteratur noch
nicht verfilmt worden ist. Aber vielleicht schafft es ja jetzt
Sylvester Stallone, der alle Hebel in Bewegung setzen will.

Zur Premiere gestern waren Tumulte erwartet worden, die zum Glück
ausblieben. Haben Sie aus Angst davor die Pressekonferenz abgesagt?

Vittorio Taviani: Nein, wir hatten keinerlei Angst und haben auch
deswegen nicht die Pressekonferenz abgesagt. Wir haben diesen Film
als Ausdruck dieses bestimmten Augenblicks in unserem Leben gemacht,
und wir werden den Film überall hin begleiten, welches Schicksal ihn
auch immer erwarten mag. Die Pressekonferenz wurde abgesagt, weil es
Hakeleien zwischen den verschiedenen Pressebüros gab, aber auch weil
wir uns um fünf Uhr morgens aus Italien aufgemacht hatten und einfach
zu müde ankamen. Wie Sie wissen, sind Paolo und ich nicht mehr die
jüngsten.

Sie haben auch türkischen Journalisten Interviews gegeben. Wie haben
diese den Film aufgenommen?

Paolo Taviani: Erstaunlich gut. Eine türkische Reporterin, mit der
wir vor Ihnen gesprochen hatten, sagte: "Dieser Film ist wichtig.
Dieser Film soll gezeigt werden."

Wie intensiv waren Ihre Recherchen?

Paolo Taviani: Wir haben bei unseren Recherchen vor allem zwei sehr
wichtige Bücher gelesen, eines von dem bekannten italienischen
Historiker Flores, wo es heißt "Der Völkermord an den Armeniern", und
das zweite von einem in Massachusetts lehrenden deutschen Historiker,
der eher vom "Massaker an den Armeniern" schreibt. Aber daneben hat
uns Antonia Arslan mit viel Material versorgt. Wir haben auch selbst
in Archiven und Bibliotheken geforscht. Allerdings: Wenn wir einen
Film drehen, liegt uns nichts daran, einen historischen Aufsatz zu
schreiben.

Finden Sie die Bezeichnung "Völkermord" korrekt?

Vittorio Taviani: Wir sind keine Historiker. Es obliegt uns nicht,
hier den richtigen Begriff zu wählen. Für uns ist es eine der größten
Tragödien in der an Barbareien nicht armen Geschichte der Menschheit.

Ihr Film ist bis über die Schmerzgrenze hinausgehend grausam, er hat
aber auch kammerspielartige Züge. Was war Ihnen wichtiger: harter
Realismus oder Stilisierung?

Paolo Taviani: Beides, aber wir wollen die Zuschauer natürlich
wachrütteln. Außerdem ist es ja leider so gewesen. Die Zeitungen
bilden natürlich in erster Linie die schönen Bilder ab. Das ist
vielleicht ein falscher Effekt. Die Entwicklung müsste in
Fotostrecken oder zumindest zwei Bildern – vorher, nachher – gezeigt
werden.

Vittorio: Unsere Devise lautet beim Filmemachen: Realismus plus
Fantasie.

Gespräch: Marc Hairapetian

Panorama.am

18:55 15/02/2007

PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE MAKES DOUBLE CHECKS

The representatives of prosecutor’s office got
offended on courts and Judicial Acts Compulsory
Execution Service (DAHK).

Panorama.am asked why Aram Tamazyan, deputy general
prosecutor, thinks that `DAHK is trying to get away of
prosecutor’s office’s supervision.’ DAHK referred to
statistical data and certificates according to which
DAHK always reported to the prosecutor’s office.

The prosecutor’s office made several checks at
district offices of DAHK. On 08.02.07, the
prosecutor’s office decided to make double checks at
Siunik regional office in order to study the
protection of state interests in terms of state
property,

It’s interesting that the prosecutor’s office made a
second check. Either they do not trust themselves or
they `have not performed a proper job.’

Source: Panorama

Print – SPIEGEL Interview with Directors Paulo and Vittorio Taviani: "Why
Conceal the Armenian Tragedy?" – International – SPIEGEL ONLINE –
NewsSPIEGEL ONLINE – February 14, 2007, 05:34 PM

URL: ,1518 ,466444,00.html

SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTORS PAULO AND VITTORIO TAVIANI

"Why Conceal the Armenian Tragedy?"

The film "The Lark Farm" promises to be among the more controversial at this
year’s Berlin Film Festival. SPIEGEL spoke with the film’s directors about
the Armenian tragedy and how slaughtering the innocent is part of human
history. ()
Vittorio (left) and Paolo Taviani on the set of "The Lark Farm."

SPIEGEL: You don’t hold back in showing the atrocities committed on the
Armenians. Aren’t you concerned about shocking your audience?

Vittorio Taviani: Each scene was historically verified, even the most
gruesome. We didn’t want to hide anything. The slaughtering of the innocent
is part of human history and, since the Greek tragedies, part of art. On
Sundays our priests deliver sermons about infanticide in Bethlehem. It
remains nothing but a word when it is said in church. It is the cinema’s job
to show it — not just to emphasize dramatic camera angles, but to quietly
show it.

Paolo Taviani: The film isn’t just about Turkey in 1915, but also about the
present. There have been similar scenes in the Balkans, in Rwanda and in
Sudan. We Italians murdered, and the Germans murdered. The horror can happen
any time and any place. Why conceal the Armenian tragedy?

SPIEGEL: The Armenian genocide remains a blind spot in Turkey’s national
identity. Hrant Dink, an Armenian-Turkish journalist, was murdered only
recently. Isn’t there a concern that the film could trigger violent
reactions among Turkish nationalists, similar to the reactions to the Danish
cartoons?

Vittorio Taviani: We didn’t think about that when we made the film.

Paolo Taviani: We aren’t calling it genocide. Whether it was genocide or not
is for the historians to decide. We call it a tragedy. This is not a
documentary film. We have no intention of supporting any theories with our
films. We relate one page from the history books through the fates of our
characters. The truth is always only its own truth. At this point in our
lives, we wanted to recount a collective experience through a series of
personal fates, each of them unique and distressing in its own right. After
all, we tell the story of the impossible love between a young Turk and an
Armenian woman. The film ends with a trial in which Youssuf, the Turkish
soldier, testifies about the crimes. It is not a film against Turkey. On the
contrary, it is a film for everyone in Turkey who confronts history. After
all, 100,000 people demonstrated in Istanbul against the murder of Hrant
Dink. I am convinced that the film will be shown in Turkish schools within a
few years.

SPIEGEL: Why did you cast a German actor Moritz Bleibtreu in the role of the
good Turk?

Vittorio Taviani: The director is entitled to select the faces to go with
his fantasies irrespective of nationality. Bleibtreu is remarkable. The
cinema is always illusion. Even (Italian director Luchino) Visconti cast an
American, Burt Lancaster, in his film "Gattopardo."

Paolo Taviani: Besides, we have cast a well-known actor of Turkish heritage,
Tchéky Karyo, in the film. Karyo told us that after this film, he knew that
he hadn’t become an actor for nothing.

Georgian Times, Georgia
Feb 15 2007

ECONOMY
Friendship stretching 556 km to the East and 1441 km to the West

The visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Tbilisi on February 7 dominated
last week’s regional news as several documents were signed in
Tbilisi.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili described the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku Railroad Project as a "momentous
geopolitical breakthrough’ after negotiating with visiting Turkish
and Azerbaijani leaders on February 7. He underlined that this new
regional railway will link Asia with Europe to become `a modern
version of the new Silk Road.’

Speaking at a joint news conference, Saakashvili said: `This is a
project that will lead to a geopolitical revolution in our region
because this will be a new line that will connect not only our three
countries, but that will also interlink the Asian and European
regions with each other.’ The project, which he said would cost
`several hundreds of millions’ of U.S. dollars, will bring `several
hundreds of billions’ in revenues.

Under the agreement between Azerbaijan and Georgia, Azerbaijan will
allocate USD 200 million to finance construction and rehabilitation
works for the Georgian portion of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku
Railroad. Georgia will have to repay the loan with 1% annual interest
within 25 years. Tbilisi says the revenues from the
Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway will be used to cover the loan. It is
estimated that the railway will have the capacity to transport 15
million tons of cargo annually.

While evaluating importance of the new railroad project, Saakashvili
also said that after their gloomy past, the South Caucasus countries
have only one alternative, which is to strive jointly for development
of the region. Not a single country of this region, he added, should
refrain from the global projects.

Here Saakashvili referred to Armenia, who voiced vigorous objection
to construction of the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway, claiming that
the project will further isolate landlocked Armenia. In 2006, as a
result of insistent lobbying by Armenian Diaspora groups, the US
Senate banned US-based Ex-Im Bank from financing the construction of
the project. As an alternative to the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway,
Yerevan is pushing for reopening the already existing
Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway. Presently, the railroad between the
Turkish town of Kars and Armenia’s Gyumri is not operational because
of trade blockades imposed on Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Objections to the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway have been expressed
in Georgia as well. Namely, some politicians – including Georgia’s
former Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili – expressed fears that
project will be economically unjustifiable in the long run as the
launch of the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railroad will redirect the flow
of cargo from Georgia’s Black Sea ports of Batumi and Poti, which
could lead to significant financial losses for Georgia.

However, authorities downplayed these concerns. Georgian Economy
Minister Giorgi Arveladze has commented: `Additional transport routes
are of especial importance for us against the continuing economic
blockade from Russia.’

A 29 km-long railway will be constructed on Georgian territory from
Akhalkalaki to the Turkish border, and a 192 km section of already
existing railway infrastructure will be rehabilitated. According to
officials, project implementation will take about two and a half
years.

Georgia’s Gag Concerns and Neighbours’ Promises

Following talks with Georgian and Azerbaijani leaders in Tbilisi on
February 7, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said: `We are doing our
best to allocate 800 million cubic meters of gas to Georgia from the
Turkish share by this July. This is our promise.’

In recent months, Tbilisi has been striving to convince Turkey to
give up part of its Shah-Deniz gas quota in order to lessen Georgia’s
reliance on costly Russian gas, but a final agreement has not yet
been reached. As the Turkish media reports, Ankara is reluctant to
give the highly anticipated go-ahead because it already has
commitments to deliver part of its Shah-Deniz quota to Italy and
Greece.

However, Saakashvili said at the February 7 press conference that
Georgia would start receiving Turkey’s share of gas. `First, I want
to say that we will be receiving Turkey’s quota as soon as Shah-Deniz
is put into operation. At the same time, Azerbaijan will gradually
increase gas supplies to Georgia. This means that the share of more
reliable and cheaper gas in Georgia’s gas balance will increase,’ he
stated.

Making all efforts to diversify its gas supplies, Georgia currently
receives gas from three suppliers: Russia’s Gazprom, at USD 235 per
cubic meters of gas; State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), USD
120; and Azerbaijan’s Shah-Deniz, USD 62.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan noted that Turkey, like Georgia and
Azerbaijan, faces energy-related problems. `But it is important to
solve these problems based on solidarity between these three
countries,’ he added.

Saakashvili pointed out that the most important thing is that the
three countries have managed to put into operation an alternative
energy supply route. `This is an alternative route for Europe (to
transport) oil and gas… That is why we call this cooperation (between
the three countries) historic.’

Shah Deniz gas is being pumped to Turkey, and onward to Europe
through Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline. The USD 4.5 billion Shah Deniz
project started December of 2006 and is expected to produce 8.6
billion cubic metres of gas each year.

New terminal of Tbilisi International Airport Festively Opened

On February 7, Saakashvili, Aliyev and Erdogan solemnly cut red
ribbons at the new terminal of Tbilisi International Airport. The
leaders of all three countries noted that the airport of European
standards would be a precondition for the development of tourism and
business in Georgia.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony last Wednesday, Saakashvili said,
"This is one of the best airports in Europe. Two years ago I promised
to have it and we have done it. This airport is much better than the
airport in Brussels, or the airport in Munich."

Construction of the new terminal began in January 2006. Teamed up
with the Turkish construction firm Urban, TAV Georgia, which is a
daughter company of Turkey’s TAV Airport Holding (Tepe-Akfen-Vie),
has been in charge of the construction. According to the deal struck
in the autumn of 2005, the Turkish company acquired the Tbilisi
Airport on BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) terms with 15-year management
rights.

Overall, USD 90.5m has been invested in the project. EBRD and IFC
have well provided a 54 m Dollar credit to TAV Georgia for the
construction works. The latter has spent USD 65m on the reconstructed
airport, which the investor says is the biggest, and has the most
contemporary design in the region. The new glass-walled,
square-shaped airport will handle 1500 passengers an hour and 2.8 m
passengers a year. The new terminal has a total area of 24.000 square
meters and three passenger-boarding bridges. Equipped with three
telescopic platforms, it has a new round-the-clock checkpoint and a
new luggage check-in system.

TAV is also constructing a new airport in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous
Republic. The Turkish company has invested about USD 100 million into
the two projects.

President Aliyev, who returned to Baku after the opening ceremony,
was the first passenger to depart from the new airport.

New Project, New Memorial, New Triumph – Even in Football

On February 7, Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish leaders signed the
Tbilisi declaration on Common Vision for Regional Cooperation between
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The declaration says that by
realizing major regional projects involving oil and gas pipelines and
a railway network, the three states are establishing `long-term and
predictable’ relations.

A declaration has been signed to launch the construction of an
electricity transmission line that will link Azerbaijan with Turkey
via Georgia. The document reads: `We agree to support the
construction of a new electricity transmission line from the Republic
of Azerbaijan through the territory of Georgia to the Republic of
Turkey, as well as other appropriate projects, which will enhance
electricity exchange between the Parties in future.’

On the right bank of the River Mtkvari in Tbilisi, Saakashvili and
his Azerbaijani counterpart inaugurated a 5-meter memorial board for
Heydar Aliyev, as a section of the river bank has been renamed after
Heydar Aliyev, late President of Azerbaijan and the father of Ilham
Aliyev. The monument is 556 km from Tbilisi to Baku and 1441 from
Tbilisi to Ankara.

Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze commented that Heydar
Aliyev was the political figure that "has contributed much in
boosting strategic ties between Azerbaijan and Georgia."

After participating in the inauguration of the New Airport Terminal,
Ilham Aliyev left for Azerbaijan, while the Georgian President and
the Turkish Prime Minister attended a friendly Georgian-Turkish
football match at the Boris Paichadze stadium, where Georgia’s David
Siradze scored the only goal of the game to defeat the Turkish
National Turkish team 1-0.

By Maia Edilashvili ,Georgian Times