BAKU: AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT AGREE TO ANY COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2006 16:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The solution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue does
not depend on other countries but is the own business of Azerbaijan,
which has to solve it on its own,” Azeri Deputy FM, former Ambassador
to the US Hafiz Pashayev stated November 2. “Azerbaijan, which has
already proved to be as a stronger state, will solve the conflict on
its own,” the diplomat said. When commenting on the opportunity to
form the Caucasian House, the Deputy FM reaffirmed the position of
the country’s leadership, stating that under the current conditions
Azerbaijan will not agree to any cooperation with Armenia, Azeri
media report.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REFERENDUM ON NKR CONSTITUTION SCHEDULED IN DECEMBER
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2006 17:00 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The NKR National Assembly has adopted the NKR draft
Constitution at the plenary session on the second reading. The draft
was adopted with the support of overwhelming majority, one against
and one abstained. The MPs also decided to provide the document for
a nation-wide vote scheduled December 10.
The draft specifically notes that the NKR is a sovereign, democratic,
legal, social state. The names NKR and Artsakh are identical. The
power belongs to the people, who exercise their power via elections,
referendums, etc. The state ensures basic human and civil rights and
liberties. Before restoration of the unity of the state territory
of the NKR and specification of the borders the public authorities
is executed on the territory under the NKR jurisdiction in fact,
reports IA Regnum.

EU CANCELED EXTRA MEETING OF TURKISH AND CYPRUS FMS
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2006 17:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The EU today canceled the talks between Turkish and
Cyprus FMs scheduled Sunday. The extra meeting in Helsinki was to be
held to prevent failure of the talks on Turkey’s accession to the EU.
Mikko Norros, who is Speaker during Finnish presidency at the EU,
stated that the meeting will not be held as “gathering everyone at
the same table is impossible,” reports RFE/RL. Next week the European
Commission will publish the basic report on the reforms implemented
in Turkey, which according to informed sources, will be extremely
critical.

FORMER PILOTS’ COMPLAINT
A1+
[12:53 pm] 02 November, 2006
Today, the former pilots of “Armenian Airlines” Ltd initiated a rally
of complaint opposite the RA Government.
They assemble in the same place every Thursday, on the day of the
government’s session, and demand their salaries.
Reminder: 343 ex-workers of “Armenian Airlines” haven’t got salary
(over 186 million AMD) for 6 months. “Last time we were received
by Manuk Topuzyan, the head of the Personnel. Mr. Topuzyan claimed
that our demand was justified and supported us. In his words, he had
turned to the RA Prime Minister in this connection but the latter
didn’t reply to him.”
“We believe none of them. They all deceive us,” said one of the
pilots. Edik Revazyan, board engineer, added that as far as they
know the company has 200 million AMD but Mr. Gambaryan, head of the
bankruptcy committee, doesn’t give it saying, “Though we have money
we haven’t been ordered to distribute it.”
Under Article 5 of RA government’s decision (March 27, 2003),
“Armenian International Airlines” Company was to pay back the debts of
“Armenian Airlines” from the sum allocated by the RA government to the
pilots. The debt was to be repaid by December 31, 2003. “Three years
have passed since the government’s decision but nothing has changed,”
complain the strikers.
By the way, the pilots have turned to the RA President and Justice
Minister with the same request but so far they have got no answer to
their concern.

OLLI REHN: RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE NOT PRECONDITION FOR TURKEY EU ACCESSION
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2006 15:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn stated
that recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not a precondition for
Turkey’s EU accession. He expressed an opinion that EU-Turkey talks
should not “hang in the air,” if Turkey “does what it should”. He
urged the EU to have a “fair” stance on Turkey. “We should keep our
promises to Turkey, if we want it to respect European standards of
basic liberties, freedom of expression and belief. We undervalue the
importance of Turkey,” stated the EU Enlargement Commissioner.
Olli Rehn underscored that there is “a vicious circle,” based
on the one hand on widely spread opinion among Turks that the EU
does not want to see Turkey among its members, on the other hand –
EU disappointment in democratic reforms in Turkey. “We should tear
down this vicious circle, otherwise we will not have any progress,”
Olli Rehn said, reports RFE/RL.

TEMPTING SPHERE
A1+
[02:42 pm] 02 November, 2006
The further reconstruction and development of the Armenian small
hydroelectric power stations requires long-term credits and great
investments.
It can not be implemented with the sum allotted by the state budget
as it is too little.
Today, the Committee Regulating Public Services (CRPS) and “Energy
Economy Fund” convened a joint seminar to present the current state
of hydropower plants to the banks, investors and owners of small
hydroelectric power stations.
Robert Nazaryan, head of CRPS, assures that investments in the
above-mentioned sphere seem to be “attractive, promising and not
risky.”
There were 11 small hydroelectric power stations in Armenia in 1997,
most of them were tumbledown and didn’t work. In 2004 their number
was increased to 29.
At present there are already 46 small hydropower stations in
Armenia. Mr. Nazaryan assumes that they will outnumber 51 by 2010.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AN EARTHQUAKE IN ERZRUM
A1+
[03:38 pm] 02 November, 2006
Today, a 4.8-force earthquake took place in the territory of Turkey,
65 km South-West to the city of Erzrum at about 01:19 (local time).
The underground shakes were measured 6-7 on the Richter scale.
Let us remind you that on October 2 an earthquake of 4,3 force took
place 40 km South-West to Erzrum. The underground shakes were 6 forces
and were followed by quakes measuring 4-5 and 5-6 forces.

RUSSIANS ARE GUILTY OF THE EVENTS IN JAVAKHQ
A1+
[04:11 pm] 02 November, 2006
Today, Vahagn Chakhalyan, member of “United Javakhq” democratic
alliance, rendered a press conference where he spoke of the activity
of the alliance, his arrest and their immediate connection.
Reminder: Vahagn Chakhalyan was arrested on October 11 and was
accused of “illegal breech” of the Armenian-Georgian borderline. He
was released from the isolation of the National Security Service on
October 30.
Today, Mr. Chakhalyan qualified the motives of his arrest “mere
aspiration” as, in his words, the reasons are deeper and have political
grounds. “The general situation in Javahkq must be connected with
the worsening of Russian-Georgian relations”.
Hmayak Hovhannisyan, NA deputy, claims that the pursuit and arrest
of Chakhalyan and his partner Gourgen Shirinyan was determined by
the construction of Kars-Akhalqalaq railway.
Let us remind you that Hmayak Hovhannisyan initiated signature
collection in the National Assembly in protection of Vahagn Chakhalyan
with the request to release him. 16 NA deputies participated in the
signature collection.
The point is that “United Javakhq” alliance announced during its
first session that “the construction of Kars-Akhalqalaq railway
has political motives and represents the interests of Turkey and
Azerbaijan, i.e. to penetrate into Javakhq and to isolate Armenia”.
This is a serious concern taking into account the fact that the
Armenians of Javakhq are abandoning the territory, and the adjacent
territories of the new-built railway “will be inhabited with Turks”
in Chakhalyan’s words.
“This is really a serious threat for Javakhq as only 30 thousand
Armenians live in Javakhq today in comparison with their number in
the Soviet period – 70-80 thousand people. We had 14 deaths and only
one birth in August of the current year,” claims Mr. Chakhalyan.

UN NEW SECRETARY GENERAL MET WITH PRESIDENT OF WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 2 2006
The elected Secretary General of UN, Ban Ki-moon, has met with the
President of the World Armenian Congress, Ara Abramyan, who is also a
good will ambassador in UNESCO, the day before in Moscow. As ITAR-TASS
reports, an interested opinion exchange took place about the role of
UN and its organizations in keeping the cultural heritage of peoples,
the development of education and science.

AUTOMOBILE MARKET IS ONE OF MOST QUICKLY GROWING IN ARMENIA
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 2 2006
According to the data of the National Statistical Service of Armenia,
a retail turnover of goods of Armenia has increased by 16,1% within 9
months, 2006, as compared with the similar period, 2005, and made to
1,052 trl drams. The automobile trade has grown most of all (by 34,2%)
and made up 48,646 bln drams. The scope of specialized automobile
trade includes the cost of sale of spare parts and component parts,
as well as technical inspection and repair of cars.
The volume of services rendered has increased by 22,1% to 338,881
bln drams within the reporting period. The retail trade has raised
by 10,9% to 536,274 bln drams.
To be noted, 85,5% or 458,369 bln drams of the total volume of
retail trade fell to the share of Yerevan. At that, the volume of
retail trade in the capital has exceeded the average indicator per
country 2,5 times. 1104.2 thsd people live in Yerevan, while 3220.0
thsd people – in the Republic in whole.