Author: Vanyan Gary

VIMPELCOM TO REJECT MONOPOLY THAT ARMENTEL ENJOYED
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
15/11/2006
Russian Company Comes to Substitute OTE
Russian Vimpelcom Communications Company became the new owner of
ArmenTel yesterday. The Commission Regulating Public Services gave
its consent to the deal of selling 90% of ArmenTel and Greek OTE
Company’s shares. The Commission’s decision reads that the deal does
not go against Armenia’s national interests and that the new owner
gets all the rights and obligations of ArmenTel. Yet, the new company
will not enjoy the monopoly that ArmenTel used to enjoy anymore.
Representatives of the two companies made statements during signing
of the deal. ArmenTel Executive Director, Vasilis Fetsis, asked the
Commission to agree to the agreement between OTE and Vympelcom. He
emphasized that Vympelcom is a trustworthy company with a big
representation in the communications sphere.
Representative of Vimpelcom, the candidate for ArmenTel general
director Oleg Bliznuk said that the deal will be completed this
week. He said that Vympelcom is going to introduce its experience and
up-to-the-minute telecom technologies and to significantly improve
the quality of phone services in Armenia. Bliznuk said that Vympelcom
is negotiating with RA Government over the latter’s 10% stake in
ArmenTel. The Government requires that Vimpelcom gradually renounces
the monopolies granted to ArmenTel by license 60. “Monopoly spoils
a producer and only competition allows him to achieve high quality
standards,” says Bliznuk. He notes that they are considering changing
the brand from ArmenTel into Beeline.

DILIJAN REGIONAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS OPENED
Panorama.am
16:07 14/11/06
The Dilijan Regional Tourism Information Center officially opened
today in the city. The center’s development has been supported by
USAID, in close collaboration with the Dilijan Mayor’s Office and the
Dilijan Tourism Association (DTA). According to the USAID Yerevan
representative office, the official opening was followed by a tour
of Dilijan’s improved tourist infrastructure.
The establishment of the Tourism Information Center is a major step
in implementation of the Dilijan Pilot Project launched by the CAPS
competitiveness project’s tourism cluster strengthening. In March
2006, Dilijan became the pilot site for USAID’s Competitive Armenian
Private Sector (CAPS) tourism development project.
Since then CAPS has trained local tourism service providers to improve
Dilijan as a tourism destination.
A Tourism Managers of the Future training enriched participants’
knowledge of tourism, hospitality and management. The Information
Center Operations program provided training to local tourism businesses
serving tourists who visit Dilijan. To help market their products and
services, training program participants from ten local tourism-related
businesses have designed and published for the first time brochures
to promote their businesses.
Dilijan’s Pilot Project is also enhancing the physical tourism
infrastructure. Friendly, multi-lingual Information Center staff will
provide high quality customer service to local and foreign visitors on
accommodation, attractions, and other tourist information to make their
stay in Dilijan more enjoyable. A new bicycle rental enterprise will
operate for visitors who want to use the newly marked bike path. CAPS
and the DTA have been placing signs for local attractions and helping
the city to improve the destination in other ways, such as placing
trash containers in high-traffic areas. The Information Center will
also offer Internet access to visitors for a small fee.
Armen Santrosyan, the Mayor of Dilijan and the President of the Dilijan
Tourism Association, said, “Because Dilijan takes such great pride
in its natural beauty, we are very pleased that so many of us have
come together for the benefit of all parties to make improvements
which add value to our tourism product.”
Engaging local communities in commonly beneficial projects, CAPS aims
to promote sustainable, cluster-based (a cluster is all stakeholders
including hotels, restaurants, tour operators, local governments and
business associations, for example, in tourism) economic growth by
demonstrating the value of cluster competitiveness. The Dilijan Pilot
Project can become a model for other cities to use in implementing
low-cost, high-impact local tourism development programs to benefit
all stakeholders.
“The USAID CAPS mission is to help companies create jobs, increase
exports and boost revenues through assistance in several areas, for
example, in customer service, branding, market research, marketing,
international best practices,” said Hayley Alexander, CAPS Project
Director. “We are working closely with members of the tourism sector to
help Armenians project their natural hospitality and warmth in a more
professional service setting. Our focus is on practical interventions
that we hope can be helpful in making individual businesses, and
Armenia as a whole, more competitive.”
“Armenia is at an important point in its tourism development. Even
small numbers of new visitors can have an important positive
economic impact. We plan both individual firm-level assistance,
plus cooperation with existing projects in the areas of training and
education, improvements in the quality of marketing communications,
including more effective translation, promotional materials and
Internet presence. We look forward to working together with tourism
cluster members, and helping them to find new and creative ways to
realize the tremendous potential of this beautiful and historical
land,” said Mr. Alexander.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER LEAVES FOR IRAQ
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Radio Liberty, Czech rep.
Nov 13 2006
Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian left for Iraq on Monday
morning.
Sarkisian gave a press briefing at the airport before departure
during which he told the media that the goal of his visit is to get
acquainted with the daily life and service conditions of Armenian
servicemen in Iraq, as well as to meet Iraq’s defense minister and
leadership of the multinational force.
Asked about the condition of Armenian senior lieutenant Georgi
Nalbandian, who was wounded while on duty in Iraq last week, Sarkisian
said that the officer had been transported to Germany for treatment
and that his life was now out of danger. The minister said that after
recuperation Nalbandian will return to Armenia to continue his service
to the homeland.
The 25-year-old senior lieutenant of the Armenian peacekeeping
contingent in Iraq lost his right leg below the knee in a mine
explosion and received fragmentation wounds to his left leg.
“I express my support for his family and I am sure that we still need
his experience and knowledge,” Sarkisian told the media.
“Armenia cannot only be a security consumer. It ought to have its
modest but consistent contribution to the world security processes,”
Sarkisian emphasized. “As time shows, our officers and soldiers are
on an important and difficult mission, but it is first of all Armenia
that needs this mission, and by their duty our soldiers once again
confirm that Armenia is a full-fledged state.”
The defense minister said that a considerable number of Armenian
soldiers and officers who have served in Iraq in the past two years
have expanded their knowledge. “Certain officers use their experience
of our [Karabakh] war and some young men just begin to serve in
combat conditions,” the defense minister said, adding: “No doubt,
it is useful for us.”
The minister also spoke about the prolongation of the term of service
of Armenian peacekeepers in Iraq, saying that the Ministry of Defense
had already submitted a related proposal to the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian told RFE/RL on Monday
that they haven’t yet received an application from the Ministry
of Defense.
“I think when soldiers are sent to such hotspots no one wants them
to be wounded there and everything is done to avoid that, but it is
impossible to exclude that. I don’t think that people who went there
did not know that there was a certain threat,” Torosian said.

BORUSEWICZ: KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE SETTLED WITH TWO PRINCIPLES
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.11.2006 16:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Karabakh conflict should be settled taking
into account the principles of territorial integrity and the rights
of nations to self-determination, Polish parliament speaker Bogdan
Borusewicz said. These two principles are opposed in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, which should however be resolved with appliance
of both of them, Borusewicz told a news conference in Baku. “Poland
is not an adherent to conflicts and I am not a representative of
any of the sides. But I think that the conflict should be settled
peacefully and the only way is to follow the directions of the OSCE
Minsk Group, which should determine the steps to be taken for the
conflict resolution,” he added.
Borusewicz also reiterated the proposal he made in Yerevan early
this week. He said Poland is ready to mediate for alleviating tension
between Turkey and Armenia. “Poland enjoys good relations both with
Turkey and Armenia. We can advance initiatives that will reduce
distrust. Our diplomacy can represent Armenia’s interest in Turkey
and Turkey’s interests in Armenia. Despite blockade there is trade
and contacts.
There are also difficulties but we consider that certain conditions
should be created and both sides should demonstrate interest,” he
resumed, reports Day.az.

Panorama.am
17:55 11/11/06

OPPOSITION MEMBER SAYS POLICE ARE NOT GUILTY
Gagik Kostandyan, vice chairman of National Unity,
said the police are not guilty that the `trend of
criminalism’ goes up in the country. Kostandyan said
so at a press conference on rising trends of
criminalism.
He said a mid level police officer gets 77,000
Armenian drams. He is provided no car and petroleum,
Kostandyan said suggesting to raise the salary of the
police as well as to introduce new technologies in the
system.
Kostandyan also recalled tax and customs officials who
get 200,000 drams but sit in their offices and do
nothing. `I do not say that if salaries are raised,
corruption will be eliminated but it will be reduced,’
he said. /Panorama.am/

DUTCH LABOR PARTY REGRETS EXCLUDING TURKS FROM LIST
By Basri Dogan, Ali Cimen, The Hague
Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 8 2006
Wouter Bos, leader of the Dutch Labor Party, issued a statement
shortly before the early parliamentary vote on Nov. 22 in a bid to
ease the Turkish reaction against his past decision to exclude some
Turks from party lists because they had refused to acknowledge an
Armenian genocide.
Bos said he was sorry for his offhand use of ‘genocide’ as a word.
“There is too much confusion about our views. We’re solely responsible
for this. I’m so sorry for lackadaisical use of genocide as a word,”
Bos told a news conference.
Dutch Labor Party Chairman Michiel van Hulten, Nebahat Albayrak and
other Turkish members of parliament who managed to remain on the list
were also by Bos’ side when he apologized.
“So many people, both Turkish and Armenian, lost their lives in a
war in the early 20th century,” said Bos in an attempt to clarify
his party’s view on the Armenian question.
The question calls for historical and legal examination, said Bos,
adding his hopes that Armenians will match Turks in their attempts
to reach a settlement over the question.
Bos admitted to his lack of knowledge in this area of history.
Bos expressed his feelings of disappointment for excluding Erdinc
Sacan from the party list as a candidate for a place at the parliament,
but he defended that Sacan was not totally excluded from politics.
Turkish-origin members of Dutch society will take a cautious approach
to such statements from Bos, as they were made prior to the upcoming
elections.

AZERBAIJAN: EU TAKING NOTE OF BAKU’S STRENGTH
By Ahto Lobjakas
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Nov 7 2006
Aliyev (left) is greeted by EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana in
Brussels today
BRUSSELS, November 7, 2006 (RFE/RL) — A visit to EU headquarters by
a confident Azerbaijani president on November 7 marked a new stage
in the relationship between the two sides.
EU officials in Brussels were left clearly impressed by President
Ilham Aliyev’s record — even if they do stress it is marred by
democratic shortcomings.
Azerbaijan owes much of the respect it is winning in the EU to its
huge oil and gas deposits — but not all of it.
The only blemish on the EU-Azerbaijani relationship remains Baku’s
conspicuously weak democratic record.It is also increasingly seen
in Brussels as a rare example regional example of a country able to
put its strengths to good use. Its economy is growing at what one EU
official today described as a “phenomenal rate.”
Balanced Approach
The country has a good relationship with Russia, but is seeking to
establish a balance by securing good ties with the EU and the United
States. Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh
remains a problem, but does not appear to hinder its foreign-policy
objectives.
This was the backdrop to EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana’s
description of Azerbaijan as an “important country in an important
region” after his meeting today in Brussels with the country’s
president, Ilham Aliyev.
“We want very much to deepen our bilateral relationship with
Azerbaijan, not only in the field of energy — which is important.
But Azerbaijan is not only a producer of energy, it’s an important
country [in] an important region, with which we want to have a deep
relationship.” Solana said. “The EU is to sign European Neighborhood
Policy “action plans” with Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia next week
(November 14). The “action plans” set out the priorities for the
countries’ cooperation with the EU and will open, in Solana’s words,
“a new era” in EU-South Caucasus relations.
However, Azerbaijan increasingly stands out in the region. It alone has
been able to give up EU financial aid, which totaled some 400 million
euros before a steep hike in energy revenues made it redundant. Baku
also avoids controversy by speaking in general terms of its wish to
pursue “Euro-Atlantic” integration, while refraining from demanding
EU or NATO membership.
Position Of Strength
As one EU official noted today, Azerbaijan is also able to speak with
Russia from a position of strength without jeopardizing good-neighborly
relations. At the same time, it manages to get along with Georgia at
a time when that country’s relationship with Russia has hit a new low.
Aliyev, who signed a broad energy accord with the European Union today,
was careful to distance himself from more radical voices seeking to
diminish Russia’s dominant role as an EU energy supplier.
The Azerbaijani president promised oil and gas, but indicated that
Baku’s hand will not be forced regarding the selection of transit
routes.
“We never considered our country as any kind of alternative to any
other country [regarding energy supplies],” Aliyev said. “We just did
our job, did what was right for the country, [right] for the region.
And our energy infrastructure today allows us to transport large
volumes of oil and gas to European and international markets.”
Azerbaijan is currently exporting oil via Russia and Georgia, and gas
through Georgia. Aliyev today expressed interest in the development
of a Ukrainian-Polish oil pipeline. But along with Russian and Kazakh
authorities he also appeared to link deliveries to a wish to acquire
a stake in European processing facilities and distribution networks.
Not In The Pipeline
Hopes for direct gas links from the Caspian Sea region to the European
Union, on the other hand, appear to be fading. An EU official told
RFE/RL today that the so-called Nabucco pipeline — recently billed
as a major alternative to Russian supplies by transiting gas to
Southeastern Europe via Turkey — was not discussed at the meeting
with Aliyev.
In another bad sign for the future of the alternative pipeline,
Kazakh Foreign Minister Qasymzhomart Toqaev last month told the
European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee that the construction
of a gas link between his country to Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea
appears increasingly unlikely.Toqaev suggested that Kazakhstan is
content with continuing to use Russian transit facilities.
Another issue on which the EU is keen to cooperate with Azerbaijan is
neighboring Iran. While the EU is seeking to thwart what it fears
are Teheran’s ambitions to build nuclear weapons, Azerbaijan is
seeking backing for its efforts to improve the standing of the up
to 30 million Azeris living in Iran. Aliyev told EU officials today
that Baku is unhappy that the Azeri language is banned from schools
and the media in Iran.
Sore Spot
The only blemish on the EU-Azerbaijani relationship remains Baku’s
conspicuously weak democratic record. Both Solana and the president
of the European Commission, Jose-Manuel Barroso, said after their
respective meetings with Aliyev that they had raised the issue.
But Barroso also highlighted extenuating factors, praising Azerbaijan’s
relative successes. “Let’s not forget that Azerbaijan never had a
democratic state as we consider it in the European Union,” he said. “So
Azerbaijan is making efforts [toward] economic and political reform.”
Barroso also appeared to suggest that Baku is entitled to some sympathy
and understanding owing to its location.
“Let me tell you that what we are doing is exactly the way to promote
democracy and the rule of law in Azerbaijan,” Barroso said. “Today
in the meeting I raised also these issues with the [Azerbaijani]
President Aliyev, and he gave me his analysis and his assessment of
the situation; namely, the situation of a country that is in a very
peculiar region.”
Promises Of Reforms
Aliyev himself repeatedly said that a “strong” political system is
needed for a “strong” economy. He also said Azerbaijan and the EU hold
“shared values,” and promised political and democratic reforms.
However, in a sign that the EU considers such difficulties to be
relatively minor at this stage, foreign-policy chief Solana announced
after meeting with Aliyev that he will soon be visiting Baku.

LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT ENVISAGED TO PROMOTE SUGAR PRODUCTION IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 2 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the draft law on making an addition to
the RA Customs Code, whose purpose is to promote sugar production in
Armenia and protect the interests of local producers, NT was informed
from the RA Government Information and PR Department. Adoption of the
law will help ensure equal conditions for various economic entities
of the same branch of the economy and increase the demand for locally
produced sugar on the domestic market. It was mentioned during the
sitting that for example, the sugar plant of Georgia exports its
production into Armenia without paying customs duties in accordance
with the Free Trade Agreement. In essence, a situation has formed,
in which unequal conditions have been created for various economic
entities operating in the same branch. The taxation field is more
favorable for forein economic entities than for domestic producers.

SAINT PETERSBURG AUTHORITIES BARRED NATIONALIST ‘RUSSIAN MARCH’
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.11.2006 17:39 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The ‘Russian march’ as well as other actions were
prohibited by the Saint Petersburg authorities on the Day of National
Unity celebrated November 4. Governor Valentina Matviyenko said
she will not allow ‘any nationalist manifestation’. All the appeals
received by the administration have been rejected. The initiators of
the ‘Russian march’ describe their procession as ‘the most important
action of the year symbolizing national solidarity of the Russian
people.’ They were going to march from the Oktyabrsky concert hall
down the Nevsky Avenue.
Valentina Matviyenko said the city administration will undertake
tough measures to prevent conduction of unauthorized actions. “No
‘Russian action’ will be held in Petersburg,” the Governor said.
Meanwhile Fontanka.ru reports that the authorities just offered the
action initiators to change the route.
Earlier Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov prohibited the ‘Russian
march’. However nationalist say they will hold the action despite
the decision of the city administration. Annual ‘Russian march’ has
been held twice. This time it’s being organized by the Movement of
Illegal Migration, reports Lenta.ru

RF – ARMENIA TRADE IS HAMPERED BY TRANSPORT COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Oct 31 2006
MOSCOW, October 31 (Itar-Tass) – Russian-Armenian economic cooperation
and bilateral trade are on the rise, but this process is hampered by
transport communication problems, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on
Tuesday.
This problem “is compensated for by serious investment projects,”
he said.
“We witness the growth of investments in our cooperation, mainly in
processing, construction and electric power,” he said.