Author: Torgomian Varazdat

IRAN TO START GAS EXPORTS TO ARMENIA BY OCT. 13

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2008 13:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran will start gas exports to Armenia by October
13, the director of the gas export operation office of the National
Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said here on Sunday.

"Armenia also started electricity export to Iran on Sunday," Rasoul
Salmani added, IRINN reported.

"Iran plans to annually export some 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas
to Armenia. In the first phase Iran will export less volume to Armenia
but will increase the export volume gradually, and in 2019 will raise
it to 2.3 billion cubic meters" he explained.

"In return Iran will annually import 3.3 billion kw/h of electricity
from Armenia," Rasuli stated.

The 100km Iranian section runs from Tabriz to the Iran-Armenia
border. The Armenian section runs from Meghri region to Sardarian.

Iran is expected to supply all of Armenia’s gas needs within the next
two years. The total outlay for the pipeline is about $28.2 million.

Czech parliamentary delegation to visit Armenia

armradio.am
04.10.2008 17:21

Members of the Commission on Constitutional and Legal Issues of the
Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic headed by Vice-Speaker Jan
Kasal will arrive in Armenia on October 6.

On September 7 members of the delegation are expected to have meetings
with the Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan,
Vice-Speaker Hrayr Karapetyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on
State and Legal Issues David Harutyunyan and members of the Committee.
At Tsitsernakaberd members of the delegation will lay a wreath at the
memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims.

On October 8 meetings with the President of the Constitutional Court
Gagik Harutyunyan, Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan, President
of the Administrative Court Tigran Mukuchyan are expected.

On October 9 the Czech delegation will be received by the President of
the Court of Appeal Edward Muradyan.

On October 10 the delegation will be received by the First Deputy
Minister of Justice Gevorg Malkhasyan, Human Rights Defender Armen
Harutyunyan and the Deputy Prosecutor General.

V. OSKANIAN: BORDER’S OPENING – A CRITERION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS’ NORMALIZATION

DeFacto Agency
2008-10-02 15:20:00
Armenia

YEREVAN, 02.10.08. DE FACTO. According to the RA ex FM Vardan Oskanian,
estimation of activation of the process around Armenian-Turkish
relations is untimely. Oskanian stated it during a press conference
held in Yerevan on the occasion of official opening of CIVILITAS Fund
he heads.

"Naturally, both the President and FM are quite active. It should
be added that Turkish President’s visit was also unprecedented. So
we are engaged in ebullient activity, however, time will show its
practical results. Consequently, I would like to refrain from specific
estimations", Vardan Oskanian stated. As for Turkey’s willingness to
participate in Karabakh settlement as a mediator, in V. Oskanian’s
words, Turkey does not rank in the talks, since the border still
remains closed, while the railway is out of order.

In V. Oskanian’s opinion, there is a criterion of Armenian-Turkish
relations’ normalization – unblocking border with Armenia. According
to him, there are no other criteria. Or, at least, opening existing
railroad can be considered the beginning of normalization. "Unless it
takes place in the near future it will mean that Turkey politically
speculates on the opportunity it has been given", V. Oskanian
said. According to the diplomat, Turkish President’s visit to Yerevan
consolidated the country’s authority ten times, however, it has also
positively influenced on Armenia’s image.

Being asked to comment on Turkish President’s statement, according
to which the border will be opened, only in case "the occupied
territories" are "returned" to Azerbaijan V. Oskanian stated the
statement was not a surprise. "If Turkey connects the border’s opening
with the issues referring to the territories I have to state with
regret that nothing has been changed and we undertake some efforts
in vain", the diplomat underscored. Answering a question if Armenia
should recognize the NKR V. Oskanian said the weapon must be in
Armenia’s arsenal. "However, the weapon should be used in proper
time. I think the time has not come for NKR yet", V. Oskanian stated.

SERZH SARGSYAN MET THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF LATVIA

armradio.am
02.10.2008 17:46

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the President of the
Constitutional Court of Latvia Gunara Kutris.

Stressing the importance of close cooperation between the
Constitutional Courts of the two countries, President Sargsyan
characterized such contacts as extremely useful, and said that new
ideas and undertakings emerge during the meetings.

Serzh Sargsyan turned to the Armenian-Latvian relations in general,
saiying those are successfully developing in all spheres. He said he
met with the President of Latvia Valdas Zatler in New York a few days
ago and discussed the prospective directions of cooperation.

The President of the Constitutional Court of Latvia also said the
reciprocal visits are the best way of exchange of experience.

ON TURKEY’S NEW UNDERTAKING IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Ruben Safrastyan

"Noravank" Foundation
29 September 2008

The five day long war in August between Russia and Georgia have
resulted important changes in South Caucasus. It is still early
to speak about the final results; however, it is already known the
main tendency – strengthening of Russia’s geopolitical position in
the region.

Displaying its political will and decisiveness and winning the war
Russia has reestablished its role in South Caucasus as the main power
center which it had lost at the end of the last century. It has not
only succeeded in furthering the establishment of the two new states –
South Ossetia and Abkhazia – in the region, but also in "legitimating"
deployment of its troops in their territories. Georgia, which in the
period of M. Sahakashvili’s presidency has became the main ally of
the west, namely the US, not only suffered irreversible loses in the
region, but also lost fighting capability of its armed forces and
efficiency of the military infrastructures.

Among the closest neighbor states of South Caucasus Turkey was the
first to respond the geopolitical changes in the region. That respond
appeared in the form of establishing South Caucasus Stability and
Cooperation Platform (SCP). The author of the undertaking is Professor,
Racep Tayyip Erdoghan’s closest advisor, chief architect of the=2
0Justice and Development party’s governing circle’s foreign policy
course who is also considered to be one of the leading geopoliticians
and strategists of Turkey. In particular, he is the author of
a distinctive geopolitical conception called "Turkey’s strategic
depth" which aims at theoretically grounding the necessity to develop
geostrategy directed at creating spheres of influence around Turkey so
reestablishing its privileges over its neighbors due to its favorable
geography and magnificent imperial history.

In the beginning stage Turkey’s suggestion was envisaging to include
the US into the structure, besides the three South Caucasian countries,
Turkey and Rusia, however, later on, as a result of discussions among
the leaders of Russia and Turkey in Moscow, was elected 3+2 format –
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia and Turkey.

In this case the situation was quite different: Turkey was responded
positively by all the possible participants of the Platform, besides
Georgia. The later one refused to take part in any undertaking
together with Russia, as Russian troops were on its territory, which
is politically quite perceptible. It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan has
not officially appeared with any suchlike objections in connection with
Armenia. It is clear that it is the result of Turkey’s tough pressure.

However, from the geopolitical standpoint it is much more important
that Turkey=E 2s undertaking is supported by Russia. As a matter of
fact, this circumstance is conditioned by Turkey’s readiness to exclude
the US from the Platform participants. We think that Russia positive
approach to SCP is only of tactical character as it is difficult to
imagine that country’s geostrategic prospective involving another
active player in South Caucasus beside itself. This circumstance
makes a ground to characterize SCP’s plan as hardly realizable.

We suppose that if Turkey and Russia being well aware of that
circumstance, nevertheless actively further preliminary works of
founding SCP, they have an objective to use that process in favor of
their tactic interests. Turkey tries to assure its neighbors and the
world that the foreign policy it carries out is based on active and
multi-polar world order perceptions, just like it befits the successor
state of the Ottoman Empire. At the same time SCP processes provide
a chance for Turkey to have "privilege" in the centuries-old struggle
with its regional and historical rival Iran – wakening its positions
in Caucasus. Russia spares no efforts to hinder the US entrance into
South Caucasus.

As for us, our involvement into SCP processes will raise Armenia’s
geopolitical "value" in the region. Accordingly, Turkey will get
more interested in settling its relations with Armenia which will
further mollifying "enforcement" po licy implemented by Turkey. As
it is known, the expression of that "enforcement" policy is the three
preconditions put forward by Turkey and for it settlement of diplomatic
relations and opening of borders are conditioned by realization of
these preconditions. By the way, the visit of Turkey’s president
to Armenian provided a favorable chance to develop dialogues over
normalizing the relations.

SERZH SARGSYAN AND CONDOLEEZZA RICE MET

A1+
[01:47 pm] 25 September, 2008

On September 24 Serzh Sargsyan had a series of meetings on the
sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly in New York. During his
meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice the sides
discussed a wide range of issues concerning U.S.-Armenia relations
and regional developments.

Serzh Sargsyan expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for
the show of support to Armenia. In response the Secretary of
State noted that Armenia is progressing in political reforms and
that serves as a good basis for further contributions. The sides
touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement process in the
format of the OSCE Minsk Group. Serzh Sargsyan reaffirmed Armenia’s
readiness to peacefully solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through
negotiations. Condoleezza Rice stressed the importance of the
peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict and underlined that the
peaceful settlement will contribute to the establishment of peace
and cooperation in the region. Rice congratulated Sargsyan for his
initiative aimed at regulating ties with Turkey and expressed hope
that the visit of the Turkish president to Armenia and the recent
meetings of Armenian and Turkish officials will set grounds for
future cooperation.

Before his meeting with Condoleezza Rice, Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting
with Dutch premier Yan Peter Balkenende during which the premier
touched upon the recent discussions regarding Armenian Genocide in
the Dutch parliament.

Serzh Sargsyan also met with the OSCE Minsk Group copresidents. The
sides discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement, as well as
issues concerning the possibility of the next meeting of the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In his meeting with president of Serbia Boris Tadich, the sides
mentioned the many common historical-cultural ties between Armenians
and Serbs, the cordial ties between the peoples of both countries and
touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. After that, Serzh
Sargsyan had a meeting with Latvian president Valdis Zatlers. The
presidents expressed content with the level of bilateral relations
and underlined the importance of realizing direct flights between
the capitals of both countries.

COURT SUSPENDS EXAMINATION OF VARDAN JHANGIRIAN’S CASE

Noyan Tapan

Se p 22, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The court examination of the case
of Vardan Jhangirian, brother of the former prosecutor general of
Armenia Gagik Jhangirian, has been suspended because of V. Jhangirian’s
health problems.

The Yerevan Criminal Court presided over by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosian
took this decision on September 22, thus granting a petition of the
defence, NT correspondent was informed by the press service of the
RA Cassation Court.

V. Jhangirian did not attend the court sitting scheduled for the same
day due to deterioration of his health.

To recap, V. Jhangirian is charged under Article 316 part 2 of the
RA Criminal Code: commiting violence (dangerous for life and health)
against a representative of the authorities.

Georgiandaily, NY

Paul Goble’s Window on Eurasia Shorts for September 20 – Georgian Events

September 20, 2008

Some news items about events in and around Georgia during the last
week which have attracted less attention than they deserve:

RUSSIAN BANK RESERVES HIT FIRST BY GEORGIA, THEN BY WORLD FINANCIAL
CRISIS. Prior to the war in Georgia, the Russian Central Bank’s hard
currency reserves had been growing approximately five billion
U.S. dollars a week in 2008. In the six weeks since the conflict
began, they have declined more than 40 billion, initially because of
the war and more recently because of the world financial crisis.

TWO GEORGIANS IN FIV E THINK TBILISI COULD HAVE AVOIDED CONFLICT.
According to a telephone poll conducted by Georgian IPResearch in
early September, 42.4 percent of 450 Georgians surveyed said that
Tbilisi could have avoided the conflict if the Georgian government had
acted differently. Three out of four said the international community
had played a key role in stopping Russian aggression, more than 70
percent said the United States is the "most friendly" to Georgia or
any foreign country, and more than four out of five said they expect
NATO to extend a membership action plan (MAP) to Georgia in the near
future.

MEDVEDEV SAYS GEORGIAN WAR SHOWS NEED FOR MILITARY UPGRADES. President
Dmitry Medvedev said that the performance of the Russian military in
Georgia shows that the Russian army must be significantly upgraded
both in terms of equipment and frequency of e exercises. His statement
comes on the heels of a series of articles by military commentators
who have been sharply critical of the Russian army’s performance
( 51134340.html and
).

RUSSIANS, GEORGIANS DISPUTE WAR LOSSES. As is the case in almost all
military conflicts, each of the sides says the other is understating
its losses and overstating the number of casualties it inflicted. In
this case, some Russian articles have suggested that as many as 3,000
Georgian soldiers died in South Ossetia, a number that is 20 times
more than Tbilisi acknowledges, and Georgian sources say that the real
losses of Russian forces were as much as five times greater than
Moscow has said. For a survey of the debate and the various figures
being offered, see

GEORGIA PLANS TO BUY MORE FROM UKRAINE, LESS FROM RUSSIA. Valery
Chchelashvili, the secretary general of GUAM, said that Georgia will
purchase less from Russia and more from Ukraine, with the latter
country moving from third or fourth place in terms of bilateral trade
to first.

CIS DEFENSE GROUP CAN’T INCLUDE ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA UNTIL ALL
MEMBERS RECOGNIZE THEM. Moscow may want to include the two states it
has recognized to be included in the CIS Collective Security Group,
but it cannot do so until all the current members of that organization
extend diplomatic recognition to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, according
to Nikolai Bordyuzha, the secretary general of that
organization. Bordyuzha’s statement raises questions about some of the
provisions of the bilateral accords the Russian government has signed
with these two republics.

TURKEY, IRAN EXPAND DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS IN CAUCASUS. Both Turkey and
Iran have sought to expand their diplomatic presence and political
leadership in the southern Caucasus in the wake of the conflict in
Georgia, with Ankara presenting a new "stability platform" include
most states in the region and Iran reaching out to the three states in
the region and to Muslim republics within Russia
( 7962 and
).

GE ORGIA’S AZERBAIJANIS DON’T SEEK AUTONOMY. Azerbaijanis represent the
largest ethnic minority in Georgia, but they have been overwhelmingly
loyal to Tbilisi. During and after the conflict with Russia, the
leaders of this community repeatedly stressed that they, unlike other
groups such as the Armenians of Georgia, do not have any interest in
an autonomous formation.

‘KOMMERSANT’ SAYS NATO DEFENDS SAAKASHVILI FROM INTERNAL ENEMIES. An
article in Moscow’s "Kommersant" says that NATO is doing more to
protect Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili from his domestic
enemies than from his foreign opponents, a suggestion that appears
intended to provoke discussions in NATO capitals about the Western
alliance’s involvement with Tbilisi. Meanwhile, Vladimir Zhirinovsky,
the flamboyant leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)
told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that Washington has already decided
to replace Saakashvili with Irakli Alasania, who, Zhirinovsky said,
has been working for the CIA for a decade.

CAUCASUS DIASPORA GROUPS IN TURKEY CONDEMN GEORGIA. Eighteen Caucasus
diaspora groups in Turkey, which represent communities numbering some
five million people in all, have denounced Georgia’s actions and
welcomed Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Their
declaration suggests they view Moscow’s move as a step toward the
independence of their own homelands.

ITAR-TASS, Russia

Armenia marks 17th independence anniversary

21.09.2008, 20.22

YEREVAN, September 21 (Itar-Tass) — Armenia has managed to defend
itself, develop the state system, lay down the foundation of the
national economy and give a fresh impetus to culture, education and
health care in the 17 years of independence, President Serzh Sargsyan
said at the Sunday event that marked the national Independence Day.

`Our country is developing,’ he said. `Our fellow citizens, their
labor and loyalty are the backbone of this process.’

`We are forming new traditions of the Armenian state,’ Sargsyan
said. `We are a mature country, which must eradicate the phenomena
hindering our progress and encourage the values gained through the
effort of generations ` freedom, democracy and everyone’s equality in
the eyes of the law.’

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Sargsyan on
Independence Day, the Kremlin said earlier in the day.

`I cordially congratulate all citizens of the friendly Armenia and you
personally on the national holiday, Independence Day,’ the message
runs. `Over recent years Armenia has achieved impressive results in
the consolidation of statehood and the economic development and has
built up its authority on the international scene.’

`Russia values high the traditional friendship with Armenia. I am sure
that mutual confidence, dynamic political dialog and efficient
business cooperation will promote further development of the allied
relations between Russia and Armenia. This course fully meets the
interests of out states, as well as the goals of peace, stability and
security in the South Caucasus,’ the message runs.

Medvedev wished health and success to the Armenian president and
prosperity to the people of Armenia.

L’ANCIEN ESPACE SOVIETIQUE SOUS LE CHOC GEORGIEN
Laure Mandeville

Le Figaro
18/09/2008
France

Les anciens satellites de l’URSS, reunis dans la Communaute des Etats
independants, ont observe avec effarement l’entree des chars russes
sur le territoire georgien.

C’est une veritable onde de choc qui parcourt l’ancien espace
sovietique depuis le debut de la crise russo-georgienne du
mois d’août. De la Bielorussie a l’Asie centrale, en passant par
l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie, pays directement voisins de la zone de
conflit, tous ces anciens satellites de Moscou se sont mis a trembler
en observant avec effarement l’entree des chars russes sur le sol
georgien au nom de la defense de l’Ossetie du Sud et des minorites
russophones qui y habitent. La transformation de l’operation russe
destinee a "forcer la Georgie a la paix" après son attaque contre
la capitale ossète, Tskhinvali, en occupation d’une large partie du
territoire georgien et en destruction de son potentiel economique et
militaire, represente une lecon que les pays de la CEI ne sont pas
près d’oublier. "Ils sont paniques", resumait recemment un diplomate
europeen base a Bakou.

Profonde inquietude en Moldavie

L’inquietude est particulièrement vive en Azerbaïdjan, pays en première
ligne dans la fameuse route energetique alternative de sortie des
hydrocarbures d’Asie centrale – Bakou, Tbilissi, Ceyhan – que les
Occidentaux se sont ingenies a construire dans le but de reduire leur
trop grande dependance vis-a-vis de la Russie. Ayant perdu, comme les
Georgiens en Ossetie et Abkhazie, le contrôle de la region separatiste
du Haut-Karabakh au terme d’un conflit particulièrement meurtrier,
les Azeris se sentent concernes par la crise. Le president Aliev
"va devoir naviguer entre les echeances electorales d’octobre et
les pressions russes. Mais il maintiendra sa volonte de creation
d’un axe sud, car il sait que dans la region, face aux Russes et
aux Iraniens, sa chance tient a sa relation avec les Occidentaux",
confie une source diplomatique francaise. L’inquietude est egalement
profonde en Moldavie, dont le destin est entrave depuis des annees
par le conflit gele de Transnistrie, province russophone separatiste
soutenue par Moscou. Le discours poutinien sur la necessaire
defense des russophones eparpilles a travers l’ex-empire, suscite
aussi bien des questions en Ukraine, où la crise georgienne a fait
voler en eclats la coalition orange Timochenko-Iouchtchenko. Avec son
importante communaute russe, concentree au nord du pays, le Kazakhstan
se sent aussi vulnerable. Meme les Baltes, pourtant proteges par
le parapluie de l’Otan, s’inquiètent des consequences. Lors d’une
conference de l’association Grande Europe a Paris, vendredi dernier,
un depute lituanien affirmait d’ailleurs que dès le debut du conflit,
les trois ambassadeurs de Russie en terre balte avaient menace les
trois capitales de "sanctions, s’ils plaidaient la cause georgienne
au sein de l’UE".

–Boundary_(ID_qllIMa4xkLdOEg62AMnT8A )–