Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

New York Times
October 11, 2007

Turkey May Request Incursion Into Iraq

By REUTERS

Filed at 9:46 a.m. ET

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s prime minister will ask parliament next
week to authorize a military push into north Iraq to fight Kurdish
rebels amid Turkish anger on Thursday at a U.S. vote branding Ottoman
Turk killings of Armenians genocide.

Analysts say a large Turkish cross-border incursion remains unlikely,
but Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government will seek authorization
for it after a public holiday which ends on Sunday, a ruling party
member told Reuters.

Washington fears an offensive could destabilize Iraq’s most peaceful
area and potentially the wider region, but Erdogan has been under
mounting pressure to act after Wednesday’s vote on the highly
sensitive issue of the killings in 1915 of Armenians.

The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a
resolution branding the killings genocide — a charge Turkey hotly
denies. The resolution was proposed by a politician with many
Armenian-Americans in his district.

The United States relies on Turkish bases to supply its war effort in
Iraq. Any Turkish offensive into northern Iraq would seriously strain
ties with Washington and possibly hurt Turkey’s European Union
accession bid.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned Turkey
against a possible incursion. "Any possibility of complicating even
more the security situation in Iraq should not be welcome and
therefore that’s the message that we passed to our Turkish friends,"
he said.

Ankara says 3,000 rebels from the outlawed separatist Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) are based in northern Iraq from where they stage
deadly attacks into Turkey.

"The resolution won’t go to parliament today. It will be sent to
parliament after Bayram (public holiday)," the senior ruling AK Party
politician, who declined to be named, told Reuters. The holiday begins
on Friday and ends on Sunday.

The Turkish government cautioned that relations with its NATO ally
would be harmed by the U.S. committee’s decision. The non-binding
resolution now goes to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives,
where Democratic leaders say there will be a vote by mid-November.

Ankara will lobby Congress to prevent the bill from being approved.
Erdogan is due to travel to Washington in early November for talks
with U.S. President George W. Bush.

The Bush administration on Wednesday urged Turkey not to take any
"concrete" action after the congressional committee angered Ankara by
passing the Armenia genocide resolution.

"The problem that we have is that this is clearly a very sensitive
subject for one of our closest allies and an ally that is incredibly
important to the United States in terms of our operations in Iraq,"
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in London on
Thursday.

Potential moves could include blocking U.S. access to the Incirlik air
base, cancelling procurement contracts, downscaling bilateral visits
and joint military exercises, diplomats say.

CROSS-BORDER OFFENSIVE

The committee’s decision on Wednesday is expected to weaken U.S.
influence over Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army, at a time
when the government ponders whether to push for the military operation
into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq.

"Unfortunately there is a linkage between the bill and a Turkish
incursion into northern Iraq because the Turkish public will be much
angered towards the United States and the government will feel so as
well," Faruk Logoglu, an influential former Turkish ambassador to
Washington, told Reuters.

"However I think the madness of the Armenian bill wouldn’t be a green
light for an incursion into northern Iraq. On the contrary the U.S.
should, and may, do something against the PKK to please the Turkish
state and its people," he said.

Turkey’s military has frequently called on the government to give them
the green light to pursue the PKK — which is considered a terrorist
organization by the United States, Turkey and the EU — into Iraq.

Parliament, where Erdogan’s ruling centre-right AK Party has a big
majority, would have to grant permission for troops to cross the
border into Iraq. Passing the measure would not automatically mean
troops going into northern Iraq.

Big incursions by Turkey in 1995 and 1997, involving an estimated
35,000 and 50,000 troops respectively, failed to dislodge the rebels.

A senior Turkish diplomat told Reuters Ankara was disappointed with
what he said was U.S. and Iraqi failure so far to stop the PKK. He
said the government was still holding out that their counterparts
would deal with the rebels.

(Additional reporting by Evren Mesci in Ankara, Emma Ross-Thomas in
Istanbul, Sue Pleming in Washington and David Brunnstrom in Brussels)

Source: -turkey-iraq.html?ref=world

LE CONGRèS AMeRICAIN VEUT RECONNAîTRE LE GeNOCIDE ARMeNIEN

Le Figaro
Mardi 9 Octobre 2007
France

Le premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a telephone a
George W. Bush vendredi pour s’inquieter d’un projet de resolution
au Congrès qualifiant de " genocide " le massacre de quelque 1,5
million d’Armeniens entre 1915 et 1923. Le president lui a indique son
opposition a ce texte, selon la porte-parole de la Maison-Blanche,
Dana Perino : " Il considère ces evenements comme l’une des plus
grandes tragedies du XX e siècle, mais il estime que la question
de savoir s’ils constituent ou non un genocide relève de l’enquete
historique, pas de la loi. " Une position en porte-a-faux avec sa
propre decision de qualifier la situation actuelle au Darfour de "
genocide ", en depit de l’embarras de la communaute internationale.

La resolution deposee par le representant de Californie Adam Schiff,
dont la circonscription compte une forte minorite armenienne, a le
soutien de 226 representants et a de bonnes chances d’etre approuvee
cette semaine par la commission des affaires etrangères de la Chambre
basse. Un texte identique circule au Senat. La Turquie a multiplie
les pressions a Washington depuis le debut de l’annee, menacant
implicitement de fermer l’accès a la base d’Incirlik, dans le sud du
pays, par laquelle transite une grande partie du materiel militaire
achemine en Irak et en Afghanistan. L’Administration Bush fait valoir
que le moment est mal choisi pour irriter son allie turc. En 2000,
Bill Clinton etait intervenu pour neutraliser une initiative similaire.

–Boundary_(ID_Chuq6bn4b5RAYT2HtVCVtw) —

TURKISH FM TO DISCUSS SYRIA IN J’LEM
By Herb Keinon

Jerusalem Post
Oct 7 2007

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is scheduled to arrive in Israel
on Sunday following a brief visit to Damascus. High on his agenda
in Jerusalem will be Israel’s air strike on Syria last month and the
American Jewish community’s stand on whether the World War I killing
of Armenians constituted genocide.

Babacan arrived in Damascus on Saturday, and was scheduled to hold
talks during his visit there with President Bashar Assad and Foreign
Minister Farouk Shara.

His visit to Damascus came as ABC News quoted American officials
over the weekend as saying that the IAF raid on Syria was planned
for several months and was postponed a number of times due to heavy
US pressure.

According to the report, Israel presented US officials with satellite
imagery which clearly showed North Korean nuclear technology in a
Syrian facility.

According to a US source, Washington officials were astonished by
the imagery and by the fact US intelligence had not picked up on the
facility previously.

"Israel tends to be very thorough about its intelligence coverage,
particularly when it takes a major military step, so they would not
have acted without data from several sources," said ABC News military
consultant Tony Cordesman.

A different source told ABC News that Israel had planned the strike
as early as July 14, and in confidential meetings with high-ranking
US officials, debated the appropriate response.

Several officials supported Israel’s decision to strike, although
others, led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, firmly opposed
it and offered to publicly condemn Syria for operating a nuclear
facility instead.

US officials who initially opposed the raid, according to ABC ,
apparently feared the negative influence it might have over the
whole region.

Consequently, officials in Washington persuaded Israel to push back
the raid, but in September, Israel feared that information about the
facility might be leaked to the press, and went ahead with the strike,
despite objections by Washington.

After the strike, fuel tanks were found on the Turkish side of its
border with Syria, something that led to protests to Israel from
the Turkish foreign ministry. Babacan, who at the time said "this
situation is unacceptable for Turkey," also said that Israel promised
a quick investigation of a possible violation of Turkish airspace.

Babacan was greeted at Damascus Airport Saturday by assistant
foreign minister, Abdul-Fattah Ammora. In addition to Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, he is also expected to visit Jordan during
this Middle East swing.

This is Babacan’s first visit to the region since being appointed
foreign minister in August, replacing Abdullah Gul, who was elected
Turkey’s president.

He visited Israel for the first time in 2004 as Turkey’s minister of
state for economic affairs.

Turkish media reports have said Babacan is expected to play a mediating
role between Syria and Israel. If so, he has his work cut out for
him, as A-Baath, the official newspaper of President Bashar Assad’s
government, warned Saturday that Syria would not hesitate to start
a war with Israel to restore its control over the Golan Heights.

In an article to mark 34 years since the outbreak of the Yom Kippur
War, A-Baath said: "Our people and our leadership are determined to
liberate our conquered lands using all means, methods and ways."

Babacan was expected to discuss the US-sponsored Mideast peace
conference planned for later this year both with his Syrian, Israeli
and PA hosts. Syria has said it will not attend the conference if
the Golan issue were not addressed.

Babacan did not make any comments upon his arrival in Damascus,
but before departing Turkey he said: "The region is going through a
sensitive time and we are facing problems, primarily the Palestinian
issue and developments in Iraq that could affect the entire region."

"Turkey will continue its efforts and contributions for the
establishment of peace and stability in the region," he said.

Alongside Syria, Babacan is expected to talk with his Israeli
interlocutors about legislation that will come before the US House
Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that would declare the World
War I era killings of Armenians a genocide. While this measure comes
before Congress every year, this time it seems to have enough votes
to pass both the committee and the full House.

In August, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reversed its long-standing
position on the issue, and said that the events of that period were
tantamount to genocide. At the same time, the organization said it
opposed legislation on the matter.

Jewish organizations in Washington – because of the close
Turkish-Israeli ties – have traditionally lobbied against this piece
of legislation, and in August Turkey’s ambassador to Israel Namik
Tan told The Jerusalem Post that Turkey expected Israel to "deliver"
American Jewish organizations and ensure that the US Congress did
not pass the resolution.

Tan said he understood that Israel’s position on the matter had
not changed – which is that Turkey and Armenia should resolve their
differences over this matter through dialogue – but "Israel should
not let the [US] Jewish community change its position. This is our
expectation and this is highly important, highly important."

Turkish and American officials have been pressing lawmakers to reject
the measure, and on Friday US President George W. Bush and Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan talked by telephone about their
opposition to the legislation.

The dispute involves the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
during the waning years of the Ottoman Empire.

Armenian advocates, backed by many historians, contend the Armenians
died in an organized genocide. The Turks say the Armenians were victims
of widespread chaos and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old
empire collapsed in the years before Turkey was born in 1923.

Though the largely symbolic measure would have no binding effect on
US foreign policy, its passage could nonetheless damage an already
strained relationship with Turkey.

After France voted last year to make denial of Armenian genocide a
crime, the Turkish government ended military ties.

Many in the US fear that a public backlash in Turkey could lead to
restrictions on crucial supply routes through Turkey to Iraq and
Afghanistan and the closure of Incirlik, a strategic air base in
Turkey used by the United States. In Israel, too, there is concern
that passage of the bill could harm Israeli-Turkish ties.

During his two-day stay in Israel, Babacan will meet President Shimon
Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni,
Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu. He
will also go to Ramallah for talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas
and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Baku can’t continuously speculate on its oil

If Europe’s demands for energy depended on Baku’s oil only, Ilham
Aliyev would be sure to unleash a war.
04.10.2007 GMT+04:00

Baku takes all the possible measures not to let the EU and PACE
Representatives into Nagorno Karabakh. The most surprising thing is
that Europe doesn’t ignore these `calls’ of Baku and refuses visiting
Nagorno Karabakh through Armenia. In this regard the visit of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals to the conflict zone through
Baku became `a bad example’. Azerbaijan thought that if it was
possible for the diplomats and intellectuals to pass through the mine
fields, it will be applicable for the Europeans too.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is quite understandable though that no one can
make the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh Conflict regulation
reach there through this or that route. But as for the EU
Representatives and Members of PACE Mission they may be influenced
easily, and Baku successfully takes advantage of it, and example of
which may be the returning of the EU Representative in South Caucasus
Peter Semneby. It is only incomprehensible what could have scared them
away… As the member of Azeri delegation to PACE Rafael Huseynov has
lately announced, the Head of the PACE Mission for protection of
historical monuments Edward O’Hara wanted to visit Azerbaijan first,
but he planned to visit Nagorno Karabakh through Armenia. `We don’t
think it is right and we expressed our preconditions beforehand. It is
of great interest to the official Baku that the reporter studies the
condition of the monuments in Nagorno Karabakh. Nagorno Karabakh is
the inseparable part of Azerbaijan and the reporter must go there
through Azerbaijan. O’Hara represents international organization and
his safety will be provided,’ emphasized Huseynov. The same happened
on the autumn session of PACE when the visit of the PACE subcommittee
for Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict with Russell Johnston at the head
scheduled on October 8-12 was canceled because Azerbaijani side came
forward with a precondition according to which the delegation was to
visit Nagorno Karabakh through Baku. The head of the Armenian
delegation in PACE David Harutunyan once again emphasized that
Azerbaijan creates artificial obstacles for this visit and reminded
that for many years visits of the representatives of international
organizations to Nagorno-Karabakh, including PACE, have been organized
through Armenia.

In this case the position of PACE causes bewilderment, if taking into
account the fact that Russell Johnston mentioned, that the Council of
European is upset with the home policy in Azerbaijan and Armenia. `The
noticeable economic growth in the in Azerbaijan shouldn’t lead to
ignoring the principles of democracy adopted by the European
countries. Our basic worry regarding the political prisoners is that
many of them are old and ill. We are also concerned about the freedom
of speech, for recently seven journalists have been arrested in
Azerbaijan,’ said Johnston.

For the first time Baku was understood that it can’t continuously
speculate on its oil. If Europe’s demands for energy depended on
Baku’s oil only, Ilham Aliyev would be sure to unleash a war. But
luckily it is not so. Russia remains the main gas supplier, oil is
also provided by Russia and the Near East. Thus relying on such a
factor, which according to Aliyev may decide whether or not to let the
representatives of other countries to Nagorno Karabakh, is simply
unreasonable. By the way this is what the Deputy Chairman of RA
National Assembly Vahan Hovhannisyan. `The factor of the petrodollar
plays a very essential role in Azerbaijan’s actions. Most probably
they do not realize that any act of aggression will lead to sharp
seizure of this stream, since the first thing that will be destroyed
in the result of the Azeri aggression will be the oil facilities. It
will be destroyed immediately this is why the Azeri side must think
first whether or not it is worthy to saw the branches it is seated
on,’ he said. It should be reminded that the first thing Iraq did when
invaded Kuwait in 1990, it burnt the oil wells. But the clearest
depiction of Azerbaijan was given by political scientist Zardusht
Alizade: `Now we are on our direct way to the state of a country from
third world; with no science, no culture, and no perspective of normal
economic development. Money incoming from oil devours the soul and
body of our elite, and the people, who have never been bearers of rich
culture turn to those deprived of any values.’

PanARMENIAN.Net» analytical department

TURKEY’S EU BID MAIN TOPIC OF KOUCHNER VISIT

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 5 2007

Turkey’s EU membership bid will be the main topic of French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner’s visit to Turkey today.

Kouchner, will hold talks with Foreign Minister and Chief EU Negotiator
Ali Babacan and will be received by President Abdullah Gul and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Bilateral political, economic and cultural relations, Turkey’s EU
membership bid, Cyprus, regional and international problems will be
discussed during the talks.

The French proposal regarding the establishment of a "Mediterranean
Union," –which envisages Turkey’s membership to it– and "the high
level group (HLG) of eminent persons" to be formed to shape the
boundaries of the EU and its future strategies, are expected to come
up during the talks.

Turkey is expected once again to reiterate its firm stance on full
membership (to the EU) and will affirm that it will never accept
the "privileged membership" status offered by France, diplomatic
sources said.

Turkey will also ask France not to submit to the Senate the draft
law criminalising the denial of the Armenian allegations regarding
the incidents of 1915 and will point out the harm done to relations
because of this issue in the past.

Bilateral economic relations and French investments in Turkey are
also expected to be discussed.

OMBUDSMAN IS CONCERNED OVER HAKOBIAN’S ARREST

A1+
[03:16 pm] 05 October, 2007

The arrest of Gagik Hakobian, the owner of the Royal Armenia Company,
caught RA Ombudsman Armen Harutiunian unawares.

Reminder: on October 3 Gagik Hakobian was detained at Zvartnots airport
on returning from Spain. Though Armen Harutiunian had officially
petitioned the Court of Appeals to review the preventive punishment the
court ordered law-enforcement authorities to arrest the businessman.

During the Appellate Court hearings Gagik Hakobian was in Spain for
medical treatment. The Court upheld the prosecutor’s petition thus
scrapping an arrest. The court dismissed Hakobian’s assurances to
return to the country after completing the treatment.

On the whole, the RA Ombudsman is discontent with the level of justice
in the country. To the question whether courts are dependent of the
authorities Armen Harutiunian said, "People are skeptical about courts.

Our citizens do not believe that courts are entitled to administer
justice."

SHOULD RELATIONS OF ARTSAKH AND DIASPORA BECOME TRANSPARENT?

Karabakh Open
Oct 5 2007

In considering the role of the United States in global politics
Zbigniew Brzezinski notes in his famous book "The Choice: Global
Domination or Global Leadership" that the influence of ethnic lobbies
in America has grown in the recent years. The political scientist says
although the United States was built on supraethnic policies, ethnic
diversities, the desire to preserve their identity is intensifying,
especially among tight-knit communities. Many explain this behavior
by globalization threatening nations.

It is notable that Brzezinksi enumerates the Jewish, Armenian, Greek
and Cuban lobbies as the strongest in the United States. In addition,
the influence of these lobbies is gradually growing stronger, and
is starting to have a deciding role in the decisions made by the
American government.

Evidence to this is the size of the U.S. government assistance:
Israel gets most assistance, Armenia is the second. Besides, the
United States is the only country which provides direct assistance
to the Republic of Karabakh.

Presently, the Armenian lobby is preparing for the discussion of the
resolution on the Armenian Genocide at the U.S. House. In fact, the
adoption as well as the rejection of this resolution may considerably
change the correlation of forces in the South Caucasian region. The
decision will be evidence to a change in the relations of the United
States and Turkey.

That the approach has changed becomes clear from the support of
the influential Jewish organizations to the resolution. Besides,
Washington’s "plans" regarding the military orientation of Armenia
will become clear.

In this context, it is worthwhile to recall the immense contribution
of the Armenian Diaspora, including the U.S. Diaspora, to the post-war
reconstruction of Artsakh, support to people. The relations of Artsakh
and the Diaspora are based by a tacit agreement on a strange parity –
the Diaspora helps Karabakh because it exists.

Karabakh is essential to the preservation of the identity of the
Diaspora which itself is one of the main guarantees of the existence
of Karabakh.

In addition, judging by pronouncements of politicians on the enhanced
role of ethnic lobbies, the Diaspora may have a much greater role
not only in the economic development of NKR but also the political
settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Perhaps the Artsakh-Diaspora relations should be reviewed. In the
first meeting of the government President Bako Sahakyan mentioned
among the points of his program that the relations between Artsakh
and the Diaspora should become transparent. Some of our compatriots
confirmed that these relations are not the best they can be who say
humanitarian aid and investments in Karabakh shrunk due to lack of
confidence. In particular, our compatriots are not sure that their
donations reach the beneficiaries and how these are used.

There is another aspect of these relations. Since the Diaspora itself
is not homogeneous, and is divided by affiliation with political
parties and "post-Soviet background", assistance to Karabakh is
largely related to "jealousy" regarding "competing parties". And it
has a rather negative impact on the amount of assistance to NKR.

For the rehabilitation of these relations, it is perhaps necessary
to convince the Diaspora that the issue of Karabakh should not be
a dividing issue. The first move towards this could be the meeting
of Bako Sahakyan (immediately after the inauguration) with the
deputy president of the LINCY foundation. The foundation, in fact,
has not operated in Karabakh, if we say nothing about a million
contribution to the construction of the highways Goris-Stepanakert
and North-South. What was discussed in this meeting is not known,
but the fact of the meeting is itself very eloquent.

Perhaps it is worthwhile to set up a department on relations with
Diaspora in the ministry of foreign affairs. The international
organizations do not have direct contacts with NKR, and the best way
to set up international contacts is via the Diaspora. It is strange
that there is no such department yet. Perhaps because the contacts
with the Diaspora are viewed as the prerogative of separate people.

LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARMENIA ASSESSES CHANCES OF FIRST PRESIDENT AS LITTLE
Editor: Khachatrian Haroutiun

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The Democratic Party of Armenia
(DPA) is preparing to run in the upcoming presidential elections but
the final format of its participation will be decided by the party’s
leading body, the chairman of DPA Aram G. Sargsian stated at the
October 5 press conference.

He said that DPA will join some political bloc only based on the
principle of ideological community with other parties. Otherwise,
DPA will not join any political union. Aram Sargsian gave the example
of the "Justice" bloc which has united political forces of various
ideological directions. "Experience shows that activities of such
unions are not effective," he noted.

In his opinion, the upcoming presidential elections will resemble
not a real political struggle but rather its imitation.

As for the chances of the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian,
Aram Sargsian said that they are quite little: "I realize very well
what kind of attitude the people will show to L. Ter-Petrosian’s
running in the elections. The principle of choosing between the bad
and the worst is ruining for our peole," DPA leader said.

MEETINGS FAILED TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION
by Safarov

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
Source: Ekho (Baku), Septembber 26, 2007, EV
October 3, 2007 Wednesday

… according to a spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
who refers to truce violations on Armenia’a part

IS THERE ANY POINT IN THE MEETINGS BETWEEN AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN
DEFENSE MINISTERS?; Expedienccy of meetings between defense ministers
of Azerbaijan and Armenia is questioned.

Meetings between Azerbaijani and Armenian defense ministers failed
to improve the situation on the front. Armenia continues to blithely
violate the truce and cease-fire agreement. "The Armenian violated
the cease-fire regime many times these last several months. We
reported it to the general public every time," Major Ilgar Verdiyev
of the Defense Ministry Press Service said, commenting on the words
of Andrzej Kasprscik, personal representative of the OSCE chairman
currently in London. The OSCE executive said the OSCE was ready to
arrange another meeting of the two defense ministers if they wanted
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem solved. "I do not think anybody wants it
at this point. If both sides are interested, however, we are ready,"
Kasprscik said. He added that Armenian Defense Minister Serj Sarkisjan
had become the prime minister this summer and left the Defense Ministry
to Mikael Arutyunjan.

Sarkisjan and his then Azerbaijani counterpart Safar Abiyev met on
the Ijevan-Gazakh area of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on September
20. They mostly discussed border control and the truce.

"I do not presume to know what hopes Kasprscik pins on another hope,
but the Armenians keep violating the cease-fire regime," Verdiyev
said. "Not even Sarkisjan’s promotion to the premier improved the
situation." Rauf Rajabov, the head of the Third Eye Information and
Analysis Agency and military expert, is convinced that meetings between
the defense minister are needed to minimize losses, exchange of fire,
and so on. "Azerbaijan and Armenia were recently asked to sign a new
cease-fire agreement," Rajabov said. "Azerbaijan explained that we
already have the Bishkek Protocol. It remains valid and why should we
sign anything else now? A political accord resolving the conflict is
what is needed." On the other hand, it is wrong to expect a lot from
meetings of defense ministers because political decisions are made
elsewhere. "Decisions like that are made at the level of the heads of
state. On the other hand, meetings such as this may lead the involved
parties from the search for a political solution," Rajabov admitted.

RA PARLIAMENT RATIFIED FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT BETWEEN ARMENIA AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION

ArmInfo Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2007

ArmInfo. Today, the Armenian Parliament ratified a framework agreement
between Armenia and the European Commission.

As RA deputy Finance and Economy Minister David Avetisyan told RA
parliamentarians, the agreement is called to replace the agreement on
the order of applying the financial memorandum, signed on February
3, 1994. Basically, all the provisions of this agreement have been
preserved in the new document. The agreement establishes the tax and
customs privileges, determines the allowances for operations during
the currency import. The document determines that, according to the
agreement, all the contractors are excused from tax liabilities during
financing of EU programmes. Privileges with respect to the physical
persons, engaged in EU programmes, have been also determined.

In particular, the matter concerns their property. However, unlike
the agreement, 1994, the new one differs by the fact that an income
tax is applied with respect to the permanent residents. It means
that RA citizens have to pay this kind of tax. The agreement is of
strategic nature, in view of which its application terms have not
been established. EU will send 7 mln Euro in 2007 for implementation
of different programmes in Armenia. As for 2008, the republic will
receive means by separate tranches. Ratification of the document will
allow to activate the cooperation with the European Union.