Category: News

European Report
December 15, 2004
EU/TURKEY: CONSENSUS COMING TOGETHER ON ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS IN
THE SECOND HALF OF 2005
EU Foreign Ministers remained divided on a date for launching
accession talks with Turkey at the conclusion of their meeting in
Brussels on December 13. The issue will have to be settled by Heads
of State and Government at European Summit on December 16 and 17. A
date in October 2005 is mentioned most often by diplomats and appears
to be supported by a significant majority of Member States. However,
persistent differences on other items point to furious bargaining
behind the scenes in the run-up to the European Council. Firm
supporters of Turkey’s accession such as Germany and the United
Kingdom, lukewarm supporter France and detractors such as Austria
continue to lock horns. Austria in particular wants open-ended
negotiations with no guarantee of Turkish membership at the end of
the line.
Date for negotiations.
A significant majority of Member States, including Germany and the
United Kingdom, support the opening of negotiations in “autumn 2005
and most probably October 2005”. France in particular is keen to
avoid the Turkish issue interfering with the referendum on the
European Constitution, scheduled for spring 2005, concerned lest it
lend weight to the arguments of those campaigning for its rejection.
Whereas the Dutch Presidency of the EU and Turkey are pressing for
negotiations to begin in the first half of 2005, France is keen that
talks should not begin before July 2005.
Objective of the negotiations.
In order to reassure the general public and political circles, France
has called for the conclusions of the European Summit on December 17
to state that this is an “open and transparent process”. This formula
would leave the door open to an alternative “structure for
co-operation between the EU and Turkey” instead of EU membership
should the negotiations break down. The French Minister Michel
Barnier nevertheless declined to suggest what form this option might
take, choosing not to mention the “privileged partnership” defended
notably by Germany’s CDU Conservatives. President Jacques Chirac has
indeed already promised the French people that they will be consulted
at the appropriate juncture through a referendum on Turkish
accession. Besides public opinion which, according to a poll
published on December 13 by the daily Le Figaro, is 67% against
Turkish accession, France’s politicians are also opposed, notably
within the ruling right, which is divided on the issue up to the very
highest level.
Dutch Foreign Minister and acting Council President Bernard Bot
insisted there can never be a “Plan B” for Turkey whilst
acknowledging that the negotiating process remains open.
Other Member States like Austria and Denmark would prefer to offer
Ankara a “privileged partnership or special status” instead of full
accession. However, this option does not appear to be shared by the
other Member States. Berlin which firmly supports Turkey’s candidacy,
believes the opening of negotiations is in the interest of both
Turkey and the Union. “We are not deciding today on Turkey’s entry
into the EU, which might take at least 15 years”, said Joschka
Fischer. He believes negotiations should have but one goal: full
membership in the EU. He warns that “weakening this objective in
whatever way might strike a fatal blow to the process of
modernisation and reforms that has been so beneficial to Turkey”.
Cypriot question.
During the debate, Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou called for
a gesture from Turkey before the March 2005 European Summit on the
“normalisation” of relations with the Republic of Cyprus, which
Ankara still doesn’t recognise. Mr Iacovou suggested this
normalisation might stem from the extension by the Turkish Government
of the EU/Turkey customs union agreement of 1996 to the 10 new Member
States. Such a measure would de facto represent a first step towards
recognition of the Cypriot Republic by Ankara. Mr Bot, echoed by Mr
Barnier, suggested the normalisation of relations between Turkey and
Cyprus is not “a legal pre-requisite for the launch of negotiations
with Ankara”. However, he added that it is “necessary and logical” if
Turkey wishes to join the Union. “I am negotiating with Ankara and
Nicosia and I remain optimistic as to the outcome of these
discussions”, said Mr Bot. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan meanwhile repeated during a visit to Brussels on December 10,
that Turkey’s recognition of Cyprus is not one of the so-called
Copenhagen criteria.
Armenian genocide.
At France’s behest, the issue of the Armenian genocide was once again
raised. Mr Barnier indicated that France will request in the course
of accession negotiations with Ankara that the issue of “recognition
of the Armenian tragedy” be raised. He suggested that since the
European project is built on the notion of reconciliation with others
and with one’s own past “Turkey must make this gesture”. This demand,
which Mr Bot claims is not covered by the Copenhagen criteria, has
thus far been given short shrift by Turkey which rejects the claim
that the death toll among Armenians in 1915 amounts to a “genocide”.
Parliamentary debates.
The European Parliament is meanwhile expected to vote by a clear
majority at its plenary session on December 15 to adopt the report by
Camiel Eurlings (EPP, Netherlands) on Turkey’s accession, even though
a debate on December 13 confirmed the national differences reflected
in European public opinion. Subject to some 80 amendments, the
European Parliament should adopt a non-binding opinion, the final
decision resting with the December 17 European Council. Echoing the
Commission’s recommendations of October 6, the Eurlings report
proposes opening negotiations without undue delay, whilst listing a
series of conditions that must be met by Turkey, notably recognition
of the Republic of Cyprus and zero tolerance of torture. Whilst
referring to an “open process”, the report does not go so far as to
envisage an alternative to accession. Mr Eurlings is supported within
the EPP by Spanish, Italian and British members, but has been
criticised by the Germans (CDU) and French (UMP). This is not however
likely to sway the outcome since he also enjoys the support of the
Socialists and the Greens.

Financial Times (London, England)
December 15, 2004 Wednesday
London Edition 1
Chirac to defend his backing for Turkey’s talks with EU
By JOHN THORNHILL
PARIS
Jacques Chirac will tonight give a rare television interview to
explain why he favours opening accession talks with Turkey while the
majority of his compatriots oppose the idea.
The French president will have to be at his persuasive best, just two
days before European Union leaders are expected to approve a European
Commission recommendation to start entry talks with Turkey.
An opinion poll published by Le Figaro newspaper this week showed 67
per cent of French voters opposed Turkey’s entry, making France the
most sceptical of the EU’s big countries. Resistance runs even higher
among Mr Chirac’s own party, with 71 per cent of UMP supporters
against Turkish membership.
There are several reasons why Turkey’s admission inflames such debate
in France, ranging from esoteric arguments about the dilution of the
EU’s essence to scarcely veiled Islamophobia on the extreme right.
Many MPs are also angry that Mr Chirac has not allowed them more of a
say on such an important issue. The government allowed a
parliamentary debate in October on Turkey but did not subject itself
to a binding vote.
Sylvie Goulard, a political science professor, says that if Turkey
were admitted to the EU – becoming its biggest and poorest member
state – it would kill the dream of Europe’s founders of an ever
deeper and closer union. The French government’s failure to initiate
a proper debate on this issue has created a public backlash.
“If you want to change the whole European project then you have to
take into account the views of the people,” she says. “But they have
refused until now to talk to the public and that is why they are in a
mess.”
France’s Armenian population, estimated at about 300,000, has also
been influential, highlighting Turkey’s refusal to accept
responsibility for the Armenian genocide of 1915 and Ankara’s poor
human rights record.
The French government has scrambled to mollify public opinion by
insisting that the future is not pre-ordained, that Turkey’s possible
admission is more than a decade away, and that voters will be given
their say on Turkey’s membership in a referendum. French diplomats
have also been exploring the possibility of offering Ankara a
“privileged partnership” with the EU.
Moreover, Michel Barnier, the French foreign minister, has this week
attempted to parry criticisms from the Armenian community by urging
Ankara to face up to its past.
Opinion polls show that many French voters could be persuaded to
change their minds on Turkey’s membership if Ankara fulfilled its
promises to reform over the next decade.
Even Harout Mardirossian, president of the Committee for the Defence
of the Armenian Cause, says it is possible to imagine a thoroughly
reformed Turkey being admitted into the EU. “A Turkey that recognises
the Armenian genocide, a Turkey that accepts the Kurds, a Turkey that
respects human rights and evacuates Cyprus would no longer be the
Turkey we see today. In this sense, we do not want to shut the door
to Turkey.”
But Mr Chirac is staking an enormous amount on Turkey’s ability to
deliver on reform. In the meantime, he risks isolation within his own
party and among the public. His great fear is that the intensity of
the Turkey debate could yet infect next year’s referendum on the EU
constitutional treaty. Turkey’s elite, Page 21

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
December 15, 2004 Wednesday 11:43 AM Eastern Time
Armenia – Russia’s outpost in South Caucasus – Duma speaker
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
Armenia is Russia’s outpost in the South Caucasus, State Duma Speaker
Boris Gryzlov currently on an official visit in the Armenian capital
said on Wednesday.
The speaker of the lower house of Russian parliament discussed with
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan the prospects of Russian-Armenian
relations in view of bilateral political, economic cooperation,
harmonization of the legislation and cooperation on the international
arena, the presidential press service told Itar-Tass.
The Armenian president stressed with satisfaction the considerable
improvement of the trade structure with Russia this year. “The high
level of Russian-Armenian relations allows to achieve more results,”
Gryzlov emphasized.
The interlocutors discussed an upcoming meeting of the
intergovernmental committee on economic cooperation of the countries
in Moscow late in December.terprises that Armenia handed over to
Russia as the repayment of the state debt to Russia.

Tehran Times
Dec 16 2004
Armenia, a good market for Iran gas
TEHRAN (IRIB News) — Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani here on Tuesday called for further expansion of
Tehran-Yerevan relations in all fields.
In a meeting with Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Gegham Garibjanian he
called for implementation of the agreements reached between the two
sides.
Stressing the importance of the project to transfer the Iranian gas
to Armenia, Rafsanjani said that by putting into operation the
project Iran will gain access to an appropriate market.
Calling for settlement of the existing dispute between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, he expressed the hope that peace and durable stability will
be established in the entire region through all-out cooperation among
all regional states.
Iran and Armenia share various historical and cultural common points,
the EC chairman said urging the two states to make use of the
existing potentials in both countries.
Appreciating Iran’s efforts in settlement of the regional crises, he
said a powerful and developed Iran is to benefit the entire region.
He further lauded Iran’s economic achievements after the victory of
the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Armenian ambassador to Tehran further called for promotion of
Tehran-Yerevan bilateral relations.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 15, 2004, Wednesday
BUILDING THE ARMY OF THE XXI CENTURY
SOURCE: Krasnaya Zvezda, December 11, 2004, p.1, 4
by Aleksei Ventslovsky
On December 10, Russia(tm)s Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met with
defense officials and diplomats accredited to Moscow. The meeting was
held in the Academy of the General Staff. The minister outlined the
major lines and priorities for defense construction in view of the
current international situation.
The priority tasks the minister named for the armed forces include
maintaining a nuclear potential enough to deter aggression and
improve the capacities of permanent combat readiness units. Mr.
Ivanov stressed that Russia makes a point of observing all previously
signed and confirmed international agreements.
In the minister’s words, the five-year defense schedule will be
completed in 2005 though there is ongoing work around drafting
conceptual documents related to this topical issue. The minister paid
particular attention to the concept of defense construction for the
period until 2021, the Scheme of the Russian Army’s construction and
development for the period until 2016, the national armaments program
for the period until 2015, the federal program of establishing
defense facilities across the country for the period until 2025.
The minister also pointed out that the Russian armed forces are
prepared to carry out preventive strikes on terrorist bases in any
place of the world and they will not use nuclear weapons at that.
According to the minister, currently there are up to 200 foreign
mercenaries in Chechnya, but there is no need for the all-out
presence of the armed forces in the republic as the law-enforcement
agencies and the special services backed by the forces deployed on
the permanent basis in the region are capable of counteracting
terrorists by themselves.
In the minister’s words, the strategic missile forces are being
re-equipped with the silo-based Topol-M missile system according to
schedule. The testing of the mobile version of the system and marine
missile system of the new generation “Bulava” is equally successful.
Besides, in the following year the Navy will adopt a nuclear
submarine of the fourth generation “Yury Dolgoruky and the air forces
will adopt two Tu-160 bombers. “A great amount of new and upgraded
defense hardware will also be supplied to the general forces,” Sergei
Ivanov reported. “It is mostly meant for permanent combat readiness
troops. On the whole, meeting the main priorities will make it
possible to establish armed forces that would be able to cope with
the challenges of the XXI century.
Sergei Ivanov made a point of international issues. As he put it,
“whether we want it or not, the armed forces remain the common tool
for achieving political goals and are a very effective means of
combating global security threats, primarily terror and weapons of
mass destruction. The minister emphasized that Russia prefers to use
political, diplomatic and other non-military ways to observe and
protect its interests though it admits it has to possess enough arms
in order to make this protection effective.
The minister observed that participation of Russian battleships in
the NATO Mediterranean Operation Active Endeavor is supposed to
promote the integration of Russia into Europe. We plan to regularly
spare one or two battleships for the operation and a support vessel
from the Black Sea Navy,” he observed. In 2005, this period will
cover three months and in the years to come it may change depending
on the situation and conditions for the operation.”
Regarding the relations between the CIS states Sergei Ivanov remarked
that in 2006 the Russian border troops will pass the authority over
the Tajik-Afghan section of the border to the Tajik forces. However,
the republic(tm)s defense forces can always count on support of the
Russian military base in Tajikistan and a special border defense task
force of Russia’s Federal Security Service that is being established
there at the moment,” he said. It should be mentioned that apart from
Tajikistan, the Russian troops maintain a presence in Georgia,
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. These troops are equally important for
security of Russia as well as Collective Security Treaty
member-states and the CIS on the whole.
Sergei Ivanov also spoke for establishing a joint Russia-Georgian
body for collaboration in counteracting terrorism. “We might propose
to the Georgian side to set up a counter-terror analytical center on
the basis of the Group of Russia Forces headquarters in Transcaucasia
which is situated in Tbilisi, he said. In Batumi, we can set up a
training center for counter-terror operations on sea and transport
communications. In Akhalkalaki, it is possible to set up a training
center for frontier troops and the emergency ministry staff on the
basis of the 62nd Russian military base.
At the close of the meeting the defense minister answered the
questions of foreign military diplomats.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
December 15, 2004, Wednesday
13:49:44 Central European Time
ROUNDUP: E.U. Parliament votes for Turkish entry, nixes plan ‘B’Eds:
epa photos including 00330317 available
Brussels
The European Parliament on Wednesday voted with a big majority for
Turkey’s entry into the European Union and firmly rejected demands
that Ankara should instead be offered a special relationship. The
vote is not legally binding on European Union (E.U.) leaders who are
meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to decide whether and when to
open entry talks with Turkey. But the opinion of the bloc’s only
democratically elected body sends a strong signal of support for
Ankara ahead of the E.U. summit. A total of 407 E.U. lawmakers voted
in favour of Turkey’s membership of the Union, with 262 voting
against accession. The E.U. assembly counts 732 members but not all
deputies participated in the ballot. Reflecting the political
sensitivity of an issue which continues to divide Europeans, some
parts of the resolution on Turkey were voted in by “secret ballot”.
Those asking for such an option said they wanted to “vote freely
according to their conscience,” said Parliament president Josep
Borrell. Members of the parliament’s conservative European People’s
Party were split on how to vote, with the party’s group leader
Hans-Gert Poettering saying he favoured negotiations on a privileged
partnership with Turkey but others backing full accession.
Poettering’s stance reflects the hardline stance taken by the
conservative opposition in Germany which mainly rejects allowing
Turkey to join the E.U. Turks, numbering about 2.4 million in
Germany, comprise the country’s biggest minority. However, socialist
deputies, representing the second largest group in the assembly,
voted in favour of opening talks with Turkey as did most members of
the Liberal Democrat and green groups. “The European Parliament has
given its full support for opening negotiations without undue delay
… we have fully rejected plan ‘B’,” Borrell told reporters. Plan
“B” is generally taken to be an E.U. offer of second class membership
to Ankara, something the Turkish government rejects. Borrell
cautioned, however, that the E.U. assembly had set key conditions
that Turkey would have to meet during the accession talks. These
include more efforts to upgrade the rights of the Kurdish minority
and recognition of the killing of Christian Armenians between 1915
and 1923 as genocide. But the Armenian issue was “not a new
prerequisite” for starting negotiations with Turkey, just a
recognition of historic events, he said. The assembly chief said
Turkey and the E.U. would have to work harder to get to know each
other, adding: “We are all victims of stereotyping and historical
prejudices.” Borrell will be giving E.U. leaders the Parliament’s
message on Dec. 17, the second day of the bloc’s summit. Camiel
Eurlings, a conservative Dutch member of the Parliament who drew up
the report on Turkish accession approved by the assembly, lauded
Ankara’s efforts at reform. But he warned that the Parliament would
continue to exert pressure on Ankara on human rights issues, the
emancipation of women and religious freedoms. “There must be no
torture,” he underlined. European Commission president Jose Manuel
Durao Barroso, is also pressing for the start of negotiations with
Ankara. “This is the time to say yes to opening negotiations with
Turkey, which has made an enormous effort” to meet E.U. criteria,
Barroso said. Barroso said he opposed offering Ankara a watered-down
version of membership, adding: “That would not be fair to the Turks.”
E.U. leaders on Thursday face tough discussions on Turkey, with
France, Austria and Denmark still insisting that the final summit
statement must refer to the fall-back option of a “special
relationship” if membership talks fail. This is strongly opposed by
the leaders of Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy, however. Turkey
will also be asked to recognise (Greek) Cyprus but this will may be
done through Ankara’s extension of its current customs union
arrangement with the E.U. to all ten new members which joined the
bloc in May this year. Turkey has so far refused to do this. If E.U.
leaders do agree to start talks, negotiations are expected to open in
October 2005, once France and other E.U. states have held their
national referendums on the bloc’s new constitution. The process is
expected to be difficult and last 10 to 15 years. The Commission
which will be conducting the talks has said it will keep a vigilant
eye on Turkish reform efforts during this period to ensure there is
no slippage. The two-day summit will be chaired by Dutch Prime
Minister Jan Peter Balkenende whose country holds the current E.U.
presidency. dpa si lm sc

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 15 2004
EPM Cohn-Bendit: This is not the Right Place to Discuss Armenian
Issue
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, member of European Parliement, critized France
for bringing the Armenian Issue to the EUP. Cohn-Bandit said the
European Union was not the right place to discuss the Armenian
issue.”
“The right place is Turkey and Armenia. Turks and Armenians should
discuss the problems and they should find a solution.” added EPM
Daniel Cohn-Benditt.
France wants to bring the issue to Turkey’s EU Agenda. Teher is a
strong Armenian Diaspora in France. The Diaspora organizations make
pressure on the Government.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 15 2004
British F.M. Straw: Britain Supports Azerbaijan’s Efforts in
Nagorno-Karabakh
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says Britain fully supports
Azerbaijan’s efforts to find a peaceful solution to a territorial
dispute with Armenia.
Mr. Straw made the comment about Nagorno-Karabakh Tuesday, following
a meeting in London with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan that
declared independence in 1988. A six-year conflict over the area
claimed some 35,000 lives.
Mr. Straw also described Azerbaijan as an important energy partner
for Britain, and he thanked Mr. Aliyev for his country’s
contributions to the multinational forces serving in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Mr. Aliyev succeeded his ailing father, Heydar, as Azerbaijan’s
president in October 2003. The elder Mr. Aliyev died two months
later.
Azerbaijan marked his passing Sunday, the first anniversary of his
death.

Detroit News
Dec 15 2004
What kind of kids love opera? 3,000 will find out on Friday
By Neal Rubin / The Detroit News
Ed Hingelberg, the first person I ever heard sing “Amazing Grace” to
the tune of the “Gilligan’s Island” theme song, approached me the
other day with a musical question:
What kind of kids love Armour hot dogs?
Those of you too young to remember the Armour jingle can surf
directly to Google on your hiptops and look it up. For everyone else,
stay tuned; the answer will be along shortly. If it helps, the verse
mentioned six types of children.
Meantime, consider a more elevated — yet eminently approachable —
musical format, all but gift-wrapped for the holidays.
The Motor City Lyric Opera will present “Amahl and the Night
Visitors” this weekend at the Music Hall. It’s in English, it’s
inexpensive as these things go, and it gives me a chance to answer
another musical question — what do you get when the 14th of 18 kids
marries the third of nine?
Nearly 28 years together, says Patrick Lynch, a lot of singing, and a
modest two children. “We just did the division and came up with two,”
he says, “and it seemed to work for us.”
His wife, operatic soprano Mary Callaghan Lynch, founded the MCLO in
2002. Since then, thousands of inner-city kids have seen their
productions at no cost. A robust 3,000 will attend “Amahl” Friday,
which is one of the reasons she’s hoping for a beefy turnout for the
public performances Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.
“We desperately need to sell tickets,” she says, to make all the
charitable work possible. They’re $25 for adults and $10 for children
younger than 12; call (313) 963-2366.
This is beside the point, but the Lynches met at a funeral and were
set up by their parish priest.
His family owns five mortuaries. Patrick, a baritone, is frequently
asked to sing at services, but it was young Mary Callaghan who
provided the vocals at the funeral of a close friend of his family.
“I decided right then and there I had to have a date with her,” says
Lynch, 54, of Bloomfield Hills. Leaving little to chance, he let
future bishop Bernard Harrington of Holy Name in Birmingham do the
actual asking.
One other irrelevant but noteworthy fact: Mary Callaghan Lynch is
Aretha Franklin’s voice coach. And now on with the rest of today’s
non-sequiturs.
AMONG THE brothers and partners of Patrick Lynch is Thomas Lynch of
Milford, the noted poet. Because it’s an increasingly small world, I
found myself speaking last week to Thomas Lynch of Garden City —
also an undertaker, and no relation to the Milford Lynch, no matter
how often he’s asked.
“I met him a few years ago,” says the Garden City Lynch, “and I told
him, ‘Gosh, I’ve signed so many of your books.’ ”
THE FAMOUS Armenian vocalist Onnik Dinkjian will perform a selection
of hymns Jan. 15 at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Dearborn.
They tell me he’s famous, anyway. I’d have no idea, but I figure
mentioning the show is the least I could do for the Nork Marash
Medical Center in Yerevan, Armenia, the beneficiary of the night’s
receipts.
If you’re thinking I just wanted an excuse to type the words Onnik
Dinkjian and Nork Marash a few times, well, what’s the harm?
Assuming you’re a big fan of Armenian music, by the way, you’ll want
to know that Ara Topouzian and Michael Mossoian will perform tonight
at 9 at Crave, 22075 Michigan Ave., Dearborn.
Topouzian plays the kanun and Mossoian rocks the dumbeg, an
hourglass-shaped drum. The kanun is sort of a Middle Eastern zither,
if that helps any.
I didn’t think so.
YOU CAN’T get enough lyric opera, I’ve always said, so be advised
that the Great Lakes Lyric Opera will hold a Christmas concert to
benefit Mom’s Place Friday at 7 p.m. at Beverly Hills United
Methodist Church.
Tickets are $10, or $25 maximum for parents accompanied by minor
children. Call (248) 646-9777 for details.
Chances are the program will not include the Armour hot dog song,
which went like this:
Hot dogs, Armour hot dogs,
What kind of kids love Armour hot dogs?
Big kids, little kids,
Kids who climb on rocks,
Fat kids, skinny kids, even kids with chicken pox
Love hot dogs,
Armour hot dogs,
The dogs kids love to bite!
Neal Rubin appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him
at (313) 222-1874,
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
Dec 15 2004
ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DISCUSS BILATERAL TIES
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS: The chairman of Russian State
Duma (parliament) Boris Gryzlov, who arrived in Yerevan Tuesday
evening, was received today by parliament chairman Arthur
Baghdasarian to discuss ways for boosting ties between the two
nations’ parliaments.
They also spoke about economic issues. Parliament press office
quoted Baghdasarian as saying that Armenians are waiting for Russia
to resume the operation of five enterprise which were handed to it by
Armenia to settle its outstanding debt. Under the deal known as
Assets for Debt the Russian side pledged to resume their operations
as soon as possible, to invest in them and create new jobs.
Later in the day Gryzlov was received by president Kocharian and
discussed with him, according to the presidential press service, the
pace of development of Russian-Armenian political and economic issues
“in the context of harmonization of their legislations and
interaction in international organizations.”
Kocharian and Gryzlov also spoke about a meeting of bilateral
commission for economic cooperation later this month in Moscow which
is expected also to focus on resumption of the five enterprises.
Gryzlov said the Russian side is considering the question of
placing orders for Mars plant, specialized in electronic equipment
production.