Category: News

RUSSIA-ARMENIA: FINE PROSPECTS FOR ECONOMIC TIES, SAYS PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 14 2004
MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia
is in Moscow on visit. Today, he held conference with the organising
committee of a nascent Russian-Armenian Business Partnership
Association.
Bilateral economic contacts have excellent opportunities, far exceeding
their present scope, which is impressive, too-suffice it to mention
close on 600 joint ventures and Armenian-based companies with Russian
participation, most of them prosperous, said the President.
Russian-Armenian economic partnership is making good progress,
especially in iron-and-steel and non-ferrous metal industries,
construction and banking. Chemical industrial contacts are very
promising, he added.
Mr. Kocharyan consented to become honoured association president. “If
this is to be my initial contribution, I say yes,” he replied to a
request by Nikolai Ryzhkov, organising committee chief and member of
the Federation Council, Russia’s upper parliamentary house.
The association is a fruitful idea, and President Kocharyan is
surprised just why no one has come on the idea before, what with both
countries’ ample attention to their economic links. Armenia will do
all it can to get the association going, he pledged.
Expected to be established next month, the association had its
organising committee maiden session in Moscow, April. It will promote
bilateral social, economic, research and technological contacts,
beneficial to either country. It has a solid tentative corporate
membership-more than a hundred Russian-based companies and seventy
Armenian have applied to join in for today.
A bilateral parliamentary commission for Russo-Armenian partnership,
which Senator Ryzhkov co-chairs for Russia, is having its nearest
session in Yerevan, June 2-3, he announced. The agenda is already
determined, and will concern economic contacts.
The commission has 22 members on either side. Representing Russia
are ten Senators and twelve members of the State Duma lower house.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NAGORNY KARABAKH HOPES FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 15 2004
YEREVAN, May 15 (RIA Novosti) – A two-day seminar entitled “European
integration as a guarantee of peace and stable development” closed in
Stepanakert, the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorny
Karabakh. The seminar was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the
armistice in the Armenian-Azeri conflict area in Nagorny Karabakh,
an enclave region with mainly Armenian population. The region claimed
its secession from Azerbaijan after the Soviet Union’s collapse.
The roundtable resulted in a number of proposals which will be
submitted to the Nagorny Karabakh government, the republican foreign
ministry said on Saturday.
Nagorny Karabakh Prime Minister Anushavan Daniyelyan and Speaker of
the National Assembly Oleg Yesayan met with seminar’s participants
and organizers. They welcome such forums and pointed out their
importance. Mr. Daniyelyan expressed readiness for the implementation
of seminar’s proposals.
“I believe the seminar will contribute into the research of nature
and prospects of regional and all-European political developments,
in particular, European integration and the role and tasks of Armenia
and Nagorny Karabakh in this process,” said Oleg Yesayan.
The seminar was organized by the Nagorny Karabakh committee “Helsinki
initiative-1992”, the European Integration public association,
Nagorny Karabakh and Armenian permanent commissions for foreign
relations and the Foreign Ministry of Nagorny Karabakh.
On May 9, Victory Day, President of the self-proclaimed republic Arkady
Gukasyan claimed Nagorny Karabakh armed forces’ readiness to rebuff
all Azerbaijan’s attempts to reclaim the enclave. This provocative
statement echoed in Baku and Nakhichevan, an Azeri enclave separated
from the country by Armenian territory. Azerbaijan’s President Ilkham
Aliyev told Nakhichevan residents that Baku would never put up with
the loss of Nagorny Karabakh. According to him, the Azeri army is now
strong enough to take Nagorny Karabakh back by force. However, Gukasyan
and Aliyev’s statements should not be taken seriously. No country,
first of all Russia and the USA, would stand the recurrence of the
1990s tragedy. Besides, one should not forget about the Baku-Ceyhan
pipeline, which is highly important for the economic development of
Azerbaijan and the South Caucasian region. The international consortium
allocated money on this project on the security of peaceful settlement
of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

Azeri paper says USA gives Karabakh to Russia in return for Ajaria
Zerkalo, Baku
14 May 04
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers continued its work at
yesterday’s session in Strasbourg. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan was the first among the representatives of the 26 countries
of the Council of Europe to sign the supplementary 14th protocol to
the European Convention on Human Rights relating to the reform of
the European Court (Regnum [news agency]).
Yesterday also saw the second day of the negotiations on the resolution
of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict within the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group.
[Passage omitted: Minor details]
Also yesterday, US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice announced
plans to discuss the prospects for settling the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict in Moscow, together with other regional issues. She made
this announcement during a briefing in the run-up to her visit to
the Russian Federation.
[Passage omitted: More about the briefing]
It is interesting to note that the day before yesterday, in an
interview with [Russia’s] Nezavisimaya Gazeta, First Deputy Foreign
Minister of Russia Vyacheslav Trubnikov noted that Russia does not
want non-regional powers to be present on the territory of the former
Soviet Union. He said that over the past few years America’s presence
in the former Soviet Union has increased. The diplomat said that the
talk is about the Caucasus and Central Asia. Trubnikov believes that
the Americans are hardly going to abandon the regions they have just
“discovered”.
[Passage omitted: Minor details]
As can be seen, everything is clear here. While Washington is calling
on Moscow to cooperate in resolving the Karabakh conflict, the latter
is trying to reduce “the American presence” in Karabakh.
Another thing is surprising as well. Condoleezza Rice, delighted
with the settlement of the Ajaria issue, obviously does not quite
realize that as a result of the Georgian president’s “raid”, Ajaria was
deprived of the notorious “right of nations to self-determination”. And
probably, the democratic Condoleezza Rice does not worry about Ajaria’s
future fate.
[Passage omitted: Similar ideas]
It seems that Washington intends to “give” Karabakh to Russia in return
for Ajaria. And as always, no-one is taking account of Baku’s view.
In numerous private conversations between our political experts
and influential Europeans whose statements made behind the scenes
reflect Europe’s real attitude towards the Karabakh problem, they have
repeatedly said: “You are the loser, therefore, sit and do not fidget
around” or “Go and take Karabakh by force if you can. The strong side
one is always right.”
Therefore, if we discard all the numerous politically correct
statements of the EU “for and against”, we have to admit that there
is no other way than to retake by force what belongs to us. Long live,
as the Americans said, “Mr Kalashnikov”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian opposition vows to “block” president’s office on 21 May
Mediamax news agency
15 May 04
Yerevan, 15 May: The secretary of the Justice parliamentary faction,
Viktor Dallakyan, has spoken about the opposition’s plans to block
again the presidential residence and the Armenian parliament’s building
on 21 May.
Dallakyan said this in his address to another rally of the united
Armenian opposition in central Yerevan on Friday [14 May].
The opposition leaders declared again their rejection of a dialogue
with the ruling coalition, explaining this by the fact that the
opposition’s proposal to include a clause on “Ways to overcome the
internal political crisis after the 2003 presidential elections” in
the agenda of the talks has not been fulfilled in full, i.e. to be more
precise, the word “crisis” has been replaced with the word “situation”.

Azeri media official displeased with BBC programmes
Sarq, Baku
15 May 04
Text of Lala report by Azerbaijani newspaper Sarq on 15 May headlined
“The BBC’s activities in Azerbaijan are not satisfactory’ and subheaded
“The National TV and Radio Council voices its protest”
The National TV and Radio Council has joined the protests that have
lately been aired against the anti-Azerbaijani reports constantly
disseminated by the BBC Central Asia and the Caucasus Service in
its Russian language programmes and the radio station’s pro-Armenian
position on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
The ruling New Azerbaijan Party has already voiced its protests
against anti-Azerbaijani propaganda by the Russian service of the radio
station. In the opinion of the National TV and Radio Council chairman,
Nusiravan Maharramli, in its activities in the Caucasus, BBC radio
should take into account the region’s subtle points. “Particularly,
it should take an impartial stance on the issue of Azerbaijan and
Armenia. We think that in this regard, the activities of BBC radio
are not satisfactory,” he said.
He went on to say that the National TV and Radio Council does not
have the power to deal with the problem. “The BBC is carrying
out its activities in Azerbaijan on the basis of international
agreements. For this reason, the Council has no right to intervene in
its activities. An opinion about the activities of this radio should
be voiced at the state level because the agreements were signed at
the state level,” Maharramli said.
The Council has started monitoring radio programmes. “We cannot
intervene in their creative process. But we should learn whether
these steps are being taken constantly or not. If the monitoring
shows that anti-Azerbaijani activities are under way, we will have to
ask the president to voice his attitude. If the radio is constantly
carrying out these activities in Azerbaijan, why should we not ban
their activities here?”

Railway from Russia to Transcaucasia must be unblocked
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — The railway from Russia to the Transcaucasia must
function again, holds Vadim Gustov, the chairman of the Committee
for CIS affairs of the Federation Council upper house of Russian
parliament.
“There is a need to look for the solution of this problem, and there
might be a non-standard decision”, Gustov said. He takes part in the
conference on interregional Russo-Armenian cooperation.
Nearly 90 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade cargoes are carried
along the Georgian railway. The transit of Armenian cargoes along
this territory and then through the ports of Poti and Batumi involves
certain problems, Gustov said. The cost of goods transportation over
the first 700 kilometres on the way from Yerevan to Moscow makes up
80 percent of the total transportation costs.
Gustov believes the MPs of the three countries concerned – Armenia,
Georgia and Russia – must participate in the solution of this
problem. “One of the ways is jointly to provide the funds for the
reconstruction of the destroyed part of the railway and then Armenia
might rent this stretch”, he said. Gustov proposes that the road be
guarded by peacekeepers so it could function properly.
“In this way the road will be unblocked and be open again to the
flow of goods to Armenia for the transportation of Georgian goods to
Russia”, Gustov noted. He believes this question should be discussed
in the by the interparliamentary assembly of the CIS countries.

Iran, Armenia sign agreement on gas export
IRNA, Iran
May 15 2004
Tehran, May 15, IRNA — Iran and Armenia signed an agreement in
Yerevan on Thursday to construct gas pipelines that will tranport
Iranian gas to Armenia.
According to the Persian-language daily Hamshahri, the agreement was
signed during a visit by Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh
to Yerevan by and between the Iranian National Gas Export Company
and officials of Armenia.
According to the agreement, Iran will export 1.1 billion cubic meters
of gas to Armenia with the possibility of exports being raised to
2.3 billion cubic meters.
Under the agreement, exports of Iranian gas, estimated at 10 billion
dollars, will be paid through a barter system.
Iran will launch gas exports to Armenia in 2007. Total volume of
gas exports to Armenia is targeted at 36 billion cubic meters, which
could be increased to 47 billion cubic meters.
The agreement is an added step to strengthening the position of Iran
as a secure energy provider, especially of gas.
In addition to exports of gas, the two countries have agreed to the
construction of a gas pipeline that will open a new route for the
transport of Iranian gas to the region via Georgia, the Black Sea
and Ukraine.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Regional coop should promote to implement Russo-Armenian agts
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — Cooperation between regions must help implement
agreements reached by Russian and Armenian presidents, believe the
participants in a conference on the interregional Russian-Armenian
cooperation that opened in the Russian city of Samara on Friday.
The conducting of Samara interregional conference simultaneously with
the meeting of the two presidents in Moscow has a particular meaning,
Sergei Mironov, the Speaker of the Federation Council, or the upper
house of Russian parliament, told reporters.
“The fact that President Robert Kocharyan went to Moscow at the same
time as Armenian parliament speaker, Artur Bagdasarian, went to Samara,
one of Russia’s 89 constituent territories, testifies to the stability
of our relations,” Mironov said.
He is sure that the Armenian president’s visit to Moscow and his
dialogue with Vladimir Putin would promote a solution of the problems
witnessed by regions of the Caucasus.
Armenia is “our strategic partner, and our countries have a traditional
special relationship,” Mironov said.
During the conference, Russian and Armenian parliamentarians signed
a number of documents on inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well
as on interaction between the Samara Region and some regions of the
Republic of Armenia.
“We’ve agreed in principle on building up friendship between our
regions,” Artur Bagdasarian said.
He stressed Armenia’s position of the most stable partner that Russia
has in the Caucasus.
Bagdasarian said it was important to augment mutual understanding
at the high level with specific actions and contacts between regions
and with cooperation between regional populations.
Governor of the Samara Region, Konstantin Titov, shared that opinion,
saying that the partnership between the regions “is the most effective
form of cooperation between states”.
The framework agreements that the sides signed Friday “are a serious
basis of the multifaceted Russian-Armenian cooperation,” Titov said.
“The authorities should set up conditions for economy and business
development, essential for implementation of political accords.”

Russia, Armenia discuss econ interaction
By Veronika Romanenkova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
OGARYOVO, May 14 – Issues of the development of trade and economic
ties were high on the agenda of a meeting between the Russian and
Armenian presidents here on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcoming the visiting Armenian
leader, said he was confident that their top-level talks on Friday
would contribute to more intensive development of bilateral economic
interaction.
“Not only I am hoping, I’m confident that your working visit today
will help our interaction and intensify our relations,” Putin said.
In 2003, bilateral trade turnover increased by more than 34 percent,
Putin said, adding that it was a record indicator and the best sign
that “we are proceeding in the right direction.”
In his view however, Moscow and Yerevan have many opportunities to
work better and more effectively.
For his part, Robert Kocharyan noted that “the big deal” under which
Armenia repays its debt by giving part of its property to Russia was,
on the whole, an impulse to the development of not only military but
also economic cooperation.
“Until that time, we only talked about military cooperation while
mentioning that economic interaction was lagging behind,” the Armenian
president said.
“Now I can state with full confidence that we began to move in all
directions very synchronously. It serves as a very serious impulse
to effective cooperation and its diversification,” he said.
Kocharyan noted “interesting events in the economic sphere,” such as
the appearance of Russia’s Vneshtorgbank on the Armenian market.
A very interesting contract in the sphere of chemistry has been signed
with the help of Russian investments, implying that “grand chemistry
has come to Armenia,” Kocharyan said.
There are interesting examples of investment activities by Russian
business people in construction and other spheres, according to
the president.
Putin underlined that his meetings with Kocharyan were regular. “We are
meeting for the fifth time in the recent past, to discuss bilateral
ties and coordinate activities on the post-Soviet territory and
international arena,” Putin said.
He added that he was very glad to see Robert Kocharyan.
Kocharyan congratulated Putin on his inauguration as head of the
Russian state for a second term. “I also wish to thank you for the
invitation /to visit Russia/,” he added.
The Armenian president became Putin’s first foreign guest after his
inauguration on May 7. The head of the Russian state welcomed the
Armenian leader on the threshold of his Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The
two presidents then retreated for talks in a conference hall. Taking
part in the negotiations for Russia were Security Council Secretary
Igor Ivanov and presidential adviser Sergei Prikhodko.

Parl heads of four Caucasian states to meet
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — Parliament heads of the four Caucasian countries
(Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia) will meet without fail,
Russian Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said on Friday
during a briefing.
The group of four meets once a quarter. But there was some pause to
wait for the results of the Georgian elections, Mironov explained.
The elections have passed, and the meeting can be held, he said.
The next meeting is expected to take place in Tbilisi.
The timing is not set yet. But the meeting will not be postponed for
a long time, Mironov noted.
One of the subjects to be discussed will be the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem, Armenian parliament head Artur Bagdasaryan said.
It is necessary to sit at a negotiating table and search for peaceful
solution to the problem, he said.
Commenting on the recent statement made by the Azerbaijani leaders on
Karabakh problem settlement, the Armenian speaker noted that such
statements were not new, but Armenia remained firmly adhered to
peaceful settlement of the problem.