Author: Torgomian Varazdat

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
Azeri Delegation to Participate in NATO PA Session

Source: Trend
Author: E.Huseynov

10.11.2006

The delegation of Milli Majlis [Azerbaijani Parliament] left for
Canada to participate in the 52nd session of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly scheduled to take place from 14-17 November. The delegation
included the first Vice Speaker, Head of the Azerbaijani delegation
to NATO, Ziyafet Askerov, and his Deputy, Siyavush Novruzov, Trend
reports with reference to Milli Majlis.
Within the Conference, meetings will be held of the Political
Committee, Defense and Security Committee, Economic Committee,
Committee for Science & Technology, as well as the Political Group
and Permanent Committee. During the meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee
`Future Possibilities of Security and Defense’ and Defense and
Security Committee, a report will be delivered on the topic `Role of
NATO in the region of South Caucasus’, an exchange of views will be
held on the situation in the countries of the region, the development
of relations with NATO, work carried out with regards to individual
co-operation and other issues. The event will also focus on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In addition, the session intends to consider the Declaration of the
NATO Riga Summit, which reflects the importance of providing
assistance to the countries of South Caucasus and Balkan and
following of the democratic standards in the member-countries.
Azerbaijan deputies will also participate in discussions and present
the position of the Azerbaijani side.
The visit will conclude on 19 November.

RENEWED PUSH FOR GENOCIDE BILL
By Lisa Friedman, Washington Bureau
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Nov 9 2006
WASHINGTON – The e-mail early Wednesday from the Armenian National
Committee of America was positively enthusiastic.
“It’s just past 1:30 a.m. on election night and I’m wide awake,”
Chairman Ken Hachikian wrote to the organization’s members as news
networks projected the Democratic Party takeover in the U.S. House.
Hachikian and others said they now see a hopeful future for passage
of Armenian issues in Congress, including a hotly disputed resolution
officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
“Our chances are excellent,” agreed Bryan Ardouny, executive director
of the Armenian Assembly for America.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, passed the
House Foreign Relations Committee this year, but Republican Speaker
Dennis Hastert blocked it from a full House vote.
As recently as last week, Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-San
Francisco, expressed support for the bill.
“I think the prospects for passage of the genocide resolution just
got much, much better,” Schiff said.
Armenians contend that the Ottoman Empire began an orchestrated
slaughter in 1915 in which about 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Turkey denies that it was a genocide, saying about 300,000 were killed
and noting that Armenians sided with invading Russian troops in the
aftermath of World War I and took up arms against Turks.
Bural Gengiz, president of the American Turkish Association of
America, said he believes Pelosi will consider Turkey’s alliance
with the U.S. and its position as a NATO ally when the genocide issue
next arises.
Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora, who co-sponsored the Armenian genocide
resolution but did not push GOP leaders to bring it to the floor,
was circumspect about predicting the bill’s future.
“There will clearly be a discussion on that,” Dreier said.

ANALYSIS: GERMAN GOVT SPLIT OVER TURKEY
By Stefan Nicola
UPI Germany Correspondent
United Press International
Nov 9 2006
BERLIN, Nov. 9 (UPI) — The European Union’s growing dispute with
Turkey is sure to dominate the German EU presidency, which starts on
Jan. 1, 2007, but the two top politicians in Berlin are at odds over
whether to push for Turkey’s EU accession or not.
Wednesday’s “progress report” by the European Commission in unusually
harsh words gave Ankara an ultimatum to solve the conflict with Cyprus
within the next month or face suspension of the talks to join the
25-member club.
The report, which also asserted that Turkey had slowed down its
democratic reform process, is a serious setback to the accession
talks that started in October 2005.
While the current Finnish presidency has constantly stepped up
its efforts to find a compromise between Turkey and the Republic
of Cyprus, an EU member, the issue will likely be passed on to the
German government, which will take over the EU’s rotating six-month
presidency at the start of the year.
Germany, in a way, mirrors the European attitude towards Turkey:
It is deeply divided, with a majority against Turkish accession.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, of the center-right Christian
Democratic Union, recently said that if Turkey wants to be accepted
into the EU, Ankara would have to open its airports and harbors to
Cypriots and recognize the Republic of Cyprus.
Cyprus, a popular Mediterranean tourist destination, has been
divided into a Republic of Cyprus — the Greek Cypriot south — and
a Turkish-occupied north since a 1974 Turkish invasion. Ankara wants
the EU to recognize the Turkish state in the North before it agrees
to any compromise, it has said on repeated occasions.
In the wake of the report, Ronald Pofalla, the general secretary of
Merkel’s CDU party, said if Turkey wouldn’t solve the Cyprus issue,
then this “must lead to consequences for the accession process.”
Merkel has been critical of Turkey’s EU accession and favors the
model of a “privileged partnership” instead — as many conservatives
in Europe do, she feels that Turkey, a country with unsolved regional
conflicts and roughly 70 million citizens, nearly all of them Muslims,
is a burden, rather than an asset to the EU.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, however, strongly
favors Turkish EU membership because the country could serve as a
bridge to the Islamic world, and fuel democratization efforts in
the region.
Breaking off talks with Turkey would thus be a bad and “hasty”
decision, Steinmeier said earlier this week at a conference of European
Socialists in Berlin. He added that he was optimistic that a compromise
with Ankara could be found before Jan. 1.
“I am in favor of fair negotiations with Turkey. I know and I maintain
that the Ankara Protocol will be ratified,” he said.
While Germany’s grand coalition government has agreed to officially
endorse the accession process, the conflicting statements of Merkel
and Steinmeier make experts wonder how Berlin will really conduct
its Turkey policy once it is in the driver’s seat of the EU.
“Berlin right now reminds me of a two-headed creature, each head
wanting to go off in the opposite direction,” John Hulsman, Europe
expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations, told United
Press International in a telephone interview. “To me, a privileged
partnership sounds like ‘we care about you but we don’t want you in
the club.'”
Observers say it is no wonder Ankara is less energetic in its reform
process given the EU’s cautious to repulsatory stance whether to
invite Turkey in.
In what observers say was a bid to bank on anti-Turkey sentiments,
France recently angered Ankara by adopting a bill that makes it a crime
to deny that an Armenian genocide occurred in Turkey during World War
I, a move that was criticized in most of Europe. France is home to
roughly 500,000 people whose families came from Armenia, many of them
descendants of families that experienced the 1915-1923 violence that
killed some 1.5 million people. Turkey denies that genocide took place.
In Turkey, many people feel the EU treats them unfairly; in Western
Europe, the sentiment on the street is that Turkey doesn’t really
share the club’s values, a view that could eventually spell disaster
for Europe’s security policy if Turkey stays away from the EU,
Hulsman said.
“Nobody wants Turkey going into the arms of Syria and Iran,” he
told UPI.

ARAM ASATRYAN WILL BE BURIED IN ARMENIA (video)
A1+
[05:40 pm] 08 November, 2006
more images This time yesterday it didn’t even occur to the
participants of the baptizing ceremony in Oshakan that the godfather
will not be alive soon. The godfather was famous singer Aram Asatryan
who died suddenly at about 07:00 p.m. yesterday. Asatryan was 53
years old.
According to eyewitnesses, he was in high spirits till the end. He
told the participants of the party that they would have a wonderful day
together. But shortly after that Aram Asatryan lost consciousness right
in the hall. He was taken to hospital immediately, but the doctors
failed to save his live. According to them, he died from heart attack.
Aram Asatryan was born on March 3, 1953, in Echmiadzin. He had three
sons and a daughter. One of his sons died a few months ago at the age
of 30. Could the personal grief be the reason for his death? Asked
this question his press secretary Hrachuhi Yeranosyan answered,
“He never spoke about his problems”.
Aram Asatryan arrived in Armenia from the USA five days ago. His
family is still in the States. On November 10 the presentation of his
new CD titled “My Sons” will take place in the Armenian Music Center.
After that he intended to go on a concert tour in Russia and Europe.
Tomorrow the singer’s family will arrive in Armenia to participate
in the funeral. According to the preliminary information, the Office
for the Dead will take place on November 10 at 06:00 p.m. in the
singer’s house in Echmiadzin. On November 11 the body will rest in
the concert hall after Aram Khachatryan in order to give his fans a
chance to say good bye to him. The funeral will take place on November
12 in Echmiadzin.
We managed to get the photos of the singer taken a few hours before
his death, as well as the video of the baptizing ceremony. Press the
“video” button in order to see part of the video.

ASKING FOR EXAMPLES
Naira Mamikonian
Aravot, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
Serge Sargsian asks for certain examples when the Russian party
manages to use its economic levers for political purposes.
Serge Sargsian, the RA Defense Minister and the cochairman of
Armenian-Russian economic intergovernmental commission in answer to
the question that “taking into consideration that the Russian party
manages to use its economic levers for political purposes, doesn’t he
have any apprehension that the share of Russian capital is added and
important strategic objects become Russian?” said; “I don’t consider
it dangerous. Because I haven’t seen yet how the Russian party uses
its economic levers. Give me an example, when the Russian capital
in Armenia has made pressure on us”. In answer to S. Sargsian’s this
question, it isn’t difficult to give a lot of examples, such as the
fact of rise in gas price. Russia announced about its intention to
raise the gas price from $56 to $110 at the beginning of last winter.
It isn’t secret any more that it was the answer to the RA authorities
attempt for diversification of risks in power sphere. The point is
that the RA government has given its privilege to Iranian “MAR”
and “Sanir” companies after long negotiations in two contests of
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction and project of modernization of
the5th Thermal Power Plant in Hrazdan. But suddenly Russian “Gasprom”
state company appeared and wanted to participate in the contest with
a joint consortium. Russians simply blackmailed the RA authorities,
imposing certain conditions. They bought the 5 th Thermal Power Plant
by $250 million, at the expense of which the RA authorities will
manage to subsidize the expenses of gas users in case of rising in
gas price. As a result, the Russians didn’t only owned the 5th Thermal
Power Plant but were subsidized at our expense and strengthened their
position in the power market of Armenia. The blackmail wasn’t obvious,
that’s why the Armenian officials kept silence.
Vahagn Khachatrian, the RA first President’s advisor in economic
issues and NA former deputy gave another example. The latter reminded
that the Russian supply of energy for the atomic station was stopped
for the accumulated debts. We should remind that the RA authorities
had to give the Russians Sevan-Hrazdan cascade. “He knows very well,
that economic levers are the best way of political blackmail”, – Mr.
Khachatrian said alluding to Serge Sargsian. “That threat will always
be a danger for us”, – V. Khachatrian assured.
Economist Eduard Aghajanov gave one more example, reminding “Estate
instead of debt” agreement. “Russian entered its strategic partner’s
land, our home, and demanded our strategic objects instead of $97
million debt. While Russia ignored other debts to other countries,
$40million to Turkey, Syria etc.”, – Aghajanov said.
Stepan Grigorian noticed, “the Russians have taken our objects and
neither operate them nor make investments, what means those factories
have simply been conserved. It isn’t important for me the reasons
are political or economic. Why should I believe that The Russian
will act in the same way in case of selling the Armenian Railways,
Armenian-Iranian gas pipeline or “ArmenTel” or they will be operated
more effectively? And in general, what a way of answer it is “give
examples” when it is spoken about the security of Armenia,”- Mr.
Grigorian said.

EXPORTERS FEAR FURTHER DRAM UPSURGE
By Shake Avoyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 7 2006
A manager of Armenia’s leading diamond exporting company fears a
further appreciation of the national currency may leave producers
oriented for foreign markets counting their losses.
Head of the British-registered Diamond Company of Armenia and President
of the International Association of Armenian Jewelers Gagik Abrahamian
told the media at the Hayeli (Mirror) club on Tuesday that if the
situation continues it may cause many exporting businesses to wind
up their operations altogether.
Abrahamian, who is brother of influential President of the Union
of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamian, said exporting companies in
Armenia do not yet work at a loss, but he said their profits have
considerably reduced.
“I suggest temporarily fixing the dram’s exchange rate to the dollar
or the euro to curb its further appreciation. It should be fixed
for a certain period of time allowing for a certain percentage of
fluctuation of course,” Abrahamian said, describing the exchange rate
of some 400 drams per U.S. dollar as quite acceptable.
On the whole agreeing with Abrahamian, the owner of the Mika Limited
Company, wealthy businessman Mikael Baghdasarov thinks, however, that
the appreciation of the Armenian currency will have a long-term benefit
for the economy, although he said as a cement producer he has suffered
losses. “The timing for the strengthening of the dram has been chosen
correctly, because all world prices are high, they have never been so
higher before and are likely to start to fall in the near future. If
international prices go down and the dram in Armenia gains in value,
the losses will be greater, as now prices abroad compensate the losses
incurred because of the exchange rate,” he explained.
Baghdasarov, a fuel tycoon believed to have super profits from the
favorable situation with the dram/dollar exchange rate, says nothing
should be changed in the Central Bank policy. “Only the dollar fall
should be made slower,” he said.
The Armenian dram has gained more than 40 percent in value against
the U.S. dollar since December 2003 and its appreciation is hurting
domestic manufacturers and many people dependent on cash remittances
from their relatives working abroad.
The authorities strongly deny any exchange rate manipulation. The
Central Bank ascribes the upsurge primarily to recent years’ increase
in hard currency wired home by hundreds of thousands of Armenians
living and working abroad. Another explanation is the recently observed
construction boom in the country that attracts millions of dollars
from abroad invested in property.
Last month Suren Bekirski, director of the export-oriented textile
company Tosp, told RFE/RL that as an exporter their company loses
twice as much as it gains marketing its products locally.
“If things go on like this, we will last for only a few more months,”
he said.

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Url:
PRESS RELEASE
Contact ~ Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]
Mayor Villaraigosa Gives Support to Armenia Fund’s Telethon 2006
LOS ANGELES, CA – Armenia Fund is pleased to announce that the Mayor of
the City of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa has joined in rallying
support for the Armenia Fund’s Telethon.
In his special appeal given to the Armenia Fund, Mayor Villaraigosa said
“Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Armenians living
outside the Republic of Armenia and happens to be the home city of
Armenia Fund’s largest affiliate”. Commending Armenia Fund’s solid track
record Villaraigosa highlighted the fact that since its inception
Armenia Fund has raised over $160 million dollars for the construction
of roads, hospitals, schools, housing units, and waterways in Armenia.
“You should be proud of your efforts,” added Villaraigosa.
The Mayor said that he is looking forward to the sister city partnership
with the City of Yerevan and Los Angeles. The special partnership will
bring the two cities closer through various exchanges, including
humanitarian assistance to Armenia. Indeed, Villaraigosa has been at the
forefront of bringing Los Angeles to the international community through
an aggressive pursuit of economic, trade, and tourism development
abroad. His recent visit to China marked the opening of a first ever Los
Angeles Office of Tourism and Trade in the capital – Beijing.
“Using this opportunity, I would like to also congratulate all Armenians
around the world for the 15th anniversary of Armenia’s independence,”
added Villaraigosa.
Armenia Fund’s 9th International Telethon is a live 12 hour broadcast
airing in all major U.S. cities, as well as internationally in Europe,
the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and South America. The live program
will also be webcasted via Armenia Fund’s website at
Armenia Fund’s Thanksgiving Day Telethons have been
a tradition in the greater Armenian Diaspora. The Telethon is an
international act of unity that brings together Armenia Fund’s
supporters, community and religious leaders, as well as celebrities with
one mission – to help rebuild Armenia. The telethon also features live
connections from Paris, Buenos Aires, New York, Moscow, and other cities
where Armenia Fund has a presence. Over the last two years, the Telethon
has raised more than $20 million for reconstruction projects in Armenia.
During the 2005 Telethon, Armenia Fund registered the highest number of
donors, marking an all time high in public participation and support.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $160 million in
development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is
the U.S. Western Region affiliate of `Hayastan’ All-Armenian Fund. Tax
ID# 95-4485698

ARMENIA SAYS ITS PRICE OF US$110 FOR RUSSIAN GAS WILL REMAIN FIXED UNTIL END OF 2008
The Associated Press
November 4, 2006 Saturday 5:18 PM GMT
Armenia said Saturday that the price it is paying for Russian gas of
US$110 (~@86) will stay fixed until the end of 2008, an announcement
certain to rile neighboring Georgia which has been told to pay more
than double that from next year.
Armenian Finance and Economy Minister Vardan Khachatrian said that
Russia’s Gazprom state monopoly had agreed to freeze the price
until Jan. 1, 2009, in return for Armenia transferring control
of an electricity power generating unit for almost US$250 million
(~@197 million).
He also said that Yerevan was in talks with OAO Gazprom over the sale
of ownership rights to the Armenian segment of a planned pipeline
bringing Iranian gas to the country, which is due to open later
this year.
Gazprom this week said it plans to charge Tbilisi US$230 (~@180) per
1,000 cubic meters of gas, compared with the US$110 that it pays now,
ratcheting up economic pressure against Moscow’s small, pro-Western
southern neighbor.
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said that the sharp price
rise was obviously political because other ex-Soviet nations were
paying far less.
On Saturday, Nogaideli said that Georgia would not agree to pay such
a high rate because it was not commercially justified. “We are not
going to pay an non-market price,” he said.
Energy Minister Nika Gilauri said Friday that talks were taking place
with Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey to secure alternative supplies of
gas. Analysts in Georgia warned of a repeat of the gas war between
Russia and Ukraine at the start of this year when Gazprom cut off
supplies.
That stoppage, amid fierce negotiations over a higher price
demanded by Gazprom, was seen as punishment for Ukraine’s pro-Western
policies. Ukraine, which finally agreed to pay almost double at US$95
per 1,000 cubic meters, has since managed to limit the increase for
2007 to US$130 after Russian-leaning Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych
took over as head of government in the wake of his party’s success
in March polls.
Neighboring Belarus faces a fourfold rise in gas prices to US$200,
although Gazprom is believed to be willing to compromise if the
country hands over 50 percent of the state pipeline through which
Russian gas transits to western Europe.

A DECISIVE BATTLE FOR THE CAUCASUS
Daily Georgian Times, Georgia
Nov 5 2006
After the rejection of the EU constitution, the expectation was that
European countries would develop a common foreign policy. Had Europe’s
Constitution been endorsed, the interests of traditional European
countries would have been balanced by the new member countries which
are under the strong US influence, and Europe’s foreign policy would be
subordinated to US foreign interests. This outcome would be absolutely
unacceptable to influential countries Germany, France and Italy.
Apparently, this European triumvirate has independently developed a
foreign policy track which would serve the interests of Europe. It
has to decide two strategic objectives today:
1. Not to allow hostilities near the borders of Europe;
2. to provide energy supplies to Europe via independent stable routes.
The Middle East and the Caucasus are near Europe’s borders but
remain potentially explosive regions. Germany gave a tactical and
polite refusal to strike an energy alliance with Russia despite
Russia’s offer to provide gas from the Shtokman deposit exclusively
to Germany. Instead, Germany and France created a French-German
energy consortium.
Thus, “the job assignments” among European states took place. Italy
was assigned to establish and maintain peace in the Middle East while
France and Germany are taking responsibility for peace in the Caucasus
and will protect a Caucasian energy corridor which will deliver energy
supplies to Europe.
European forces are now concentrating on the Caucasus because Europe
can no longer inhabit the role of “independent observer” in the
US-Russia tug of war. Europe has to take action, or it will miss out.
If the US “wins,” the energy resources of the Caucasus will be taken
over by Turkey and the US, and will then serve as an important lever
in the hands of the US to pressure Europe. If Russia “wins,” it will
acquire total control of Europe’s energy supplies.
The sentiments of Germany, France and Italy are well reflected in
the interview of EU Representative to the South Caucasus, Mari An
Izler Bogen, who said: “Many think today that Georgia has become an
arena of confrontation of the interests of Moscow and Washington, and
that the US tries to acquire control on the Caspian energy resources
and Baku oil deposits. If it is so, than it is really regrettable as
the US is putting its interests above those of all others. Now the
time has come whenever everyone should show their cards and gage the
interests of all parties. I think the EU should condemn such policies
as the whole Caucasus, especially Georgia, is falling victim to this
energy interest.”
Apparently Europe is more concerned about US interests rather than
about Russia’s traditional interests in the Caucasus, where it
itself wants to cooperate with Russia and increase its influence in
the region.
France’s decision to punish those who will not admit the genocide
of Armenians (something which Germany could not afford to do because
of its traditional friendship with Turkey) gives evidence that roles
are now being assigned because of the Caucasus. France has suddenly
acquired dominance in Armenia where Russia (a traditional ally)
and the US (with its Armenian lobby in the Congress) have strong
influences. Add to this France’s historically good relations with Iran
and it seems clear that France is building an Armenian-Iranian vector.
Meanwhile, given its relationship with Turkey, Germany has much
at stake with the Georgia-Azerbaijanian vector. If we imagine that
both vectors are directed by the European center it will not be a
difficult to guess how much influence Europe wants to obtain in the
South Caucasus.
Along with these developments, Russia is putting pressure on Georgia
and on the Georgian population in Russia, bringing the domestic
political situation to a boiling point. The domestic political pressure
in the country will explode somewhere.
The solution is certainly in Europe. In a telephone conversation
between Bush and Putin, Putin forbade the US from mediating
Russian-Georgian relations. However, when asked by Germany, Russia
agreed to soften its resolution about Georgia. We can conclude
that mediation by Germany in the South Caucasus would be acceptable
to Russia.
Thus, pressured by Russia, Georgia should look not to the US but to
Germany (and Europe) for assistance.
The impression is that the Russian-German (European) game has been
agreed.
Russia too has two strategic objectives in the region. First,
to ensure the security of Russia by maintaining peace in the North
Caucasus. Second, to control on the Caspian energy resources transited
via Georgia. The key to both of these objectives lies in Georgia.
Russia’s relationship to the breakaway republics in Georgia have much
to do with ethnicity and history, and less to do with security. If
Georgia joins NATO, the breakaway republics cannot create a buffer
zone to protect Georgia from the provocations of Russia, as Georgia
has quite a big border with Russia. All pipelines are run from
Tbilisi. Therefore, control of the breakaway republics is not enough
to help Russia. Russia wants to have a stronger lever in order to
acquire control of the Caucasian pipelines.
An ideal form which would be acceptable both for Europe and Russia
would be Georgia’s neutrality. That would bring security to Russia,
and joint control of the energy routes without the involvement of a
third party such as the US.
And why not? If Germany and Russia cooperate closely on the North
gas pipeline, why not to do the same on the Southern one?
Besides, why not to implement a scheme similar to the one proposed
by Speaker of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz to Vladimer
Putin about creation a Russian-Ukrainian-German gas consortium? In
this event the strategic interests of both Russia and Europe would
have been upheld in the Caucasus and in Georgia.
The big European triumvirate will not compromise its relations with
Russia for lobbying Georgia’s entry into NATO, as they do not expect
threat from this region. Georgia’s accession into NATO would be in
the interest only of the US who would like to see Georgia in NATO not
because of security considerations but to implement its aggressive
policy. With that in mind Russia and the three European states would
like to squeeze the US out of the Caucasus. The UK which has a big
interest in the region has apparently saw the game, jumped off from
the Iraqi train and is now trying to get on the European one.
It things go as Europeans want to see in the Caucasus, Georgia
will distance itself from all it existing problems by integrating
into Europe and by providing security at the Southern border of its
Northern neighbor.
But the question is will the incumbent government of Georgia pursue
this political tack? Certainly, it will not. The incumbent government
of Georgia has exhausted the limit of trust and confidence in relation
with Russia and represents the only weapon of the US in the Caucasus.
It could only serve the national interests of the US, not those of
Georgia let alone the interests of Russia or Europe. The US which has
the highest level of democracy in the world assesses democracy of other
states according to the level of loyalty of their governments to the
US while resorts to force to ensure its security. In contrast, Europe
sees the security of its interests in the development of democratic
values in these countries.
The incumbent regime with its domestic and foreign relations does
not fit the above-described sceme. The security of Georgia and the
whole region would depend on how fast the US dominance will retreat
in the Caucasus and how soon the undemocratic governance of Georgia
will be changed by democratic one in a true democratic way.

TURKISH PM OFFERS TO AMEND LAW USED TO PROSECUTE WRITERS
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Reuters
Nov 6 2006
Istanbul: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday he was
ready to amend a law used to prosecute writers, including Nobel prize
winner Orhan Pamuk, apparently aiming to head off a crisis with the EU.
The European Commission is expected to sharply rebuke Ankara over
judicial action against journalists, scholars and writers for
expressing peaceful opinions in a progress report on November 8 on
Turkey’s European Union accession process.
The EU says article 301, which makes it a crime to insult Turkish
national identity, unfairly restricts freedom of expression and should
be changed.
It has recently been used to bring charges against Pamuk, later
dropped, and to convict journalist Hrant Dink for articles about the
alleged mass killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.
“We are ready for proposals to make article 301 more concrete if
there are problems stemming from it being vague,” Erdogan was quoted
by state-run Anatolian news agency as saying.
“In order to prevent a violation of freedoms … we are studying
options for how we can handle article 301 in harmony with the spirit
of reforms,” he said.
Only last week, Erdogan indicated there would be no movement on
301 after earlier this year promising to look into amending it. The
article has raised questions in Europe about the country’s commitment
to freedom of speech.
The Commission is about to issue a list of criticisms of Turkey for
failing to carry out reforms as promised, particularly over Cyprus.