GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR THANKED ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT FOR BALANCED POSITION IN GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN CONFRONTATION
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 30 2006
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosyan met with Georgian
Ambassador to Armenia Revaz Gachechiladze, Monday.
The Armenian parliamentary press-service told ArmInfo that during the
meeting the Ambassador thanked the Armenian Speaker for the balanced
and acceptable for the international community position in the
Georgian-Russian confrontation. Tigran Torosyan expressed hope that
the contradictions between the two countries will soon be overcome,
and noted that, with its balanced position, Armenia is willing to
contribute to the settlement of the problem. He said that Armenia
advocates peace and prosperity in the region and will do its best
for it.
Tigran Torosyan and Revaz Gachechiladze discussed the report devoted to
the creation of a pact of stability in South Caucasus to be presented
in San-Marino on November 17. They also touched upon the possible
development of the Armenian-Georgian inter-parliamentary relations.

DOGGED BY TRIVIAL CONTROVERSIES, MACKAY IS DISTRACTED FROM VITAL WORK
by Mike Blanchfield, The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen, Canada
October 30, 2006 Monday
Final Edition
Foreign policy experts lament time spent on petty squabbles in House
The night before he allegedly called his ex-girlfriend, Liberal MP
Belinda Stronach, a dog in the House of Commons, Foreign Affairs
Minister Peter MacKay was doing something one would more closely
associate with his job — he was offering up bon mots to polite
applause at an embassy soiree.
No slurs were hurled on the evening of Oct. 18, as Mr. MacKay spoke
for several minutes at the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. He expressed
thanks for “the warm embrace that Canadians received from the Turkish
people” when their ports welcomed ships carrying stranded Canadians
from war-torn Lebanon last summer.
The nights of foreign ministers around the world are filled with
such events, and most of them are mundane and attract little, if any
attention. But in the wake of Dog-Gate, the serious business of how
Canada conducts its relations with the world has now been pushed even
further to the backburner.
The daily assault in question period has included calls for
Mr. MacKay’s resignation.
The noise has drowned out serious discussion of Canadian foreign
policy at a time when Canada is fighting a war in Afghanistan, and the
nuclear brinkmanship on the Korean Peninsula has reached new heights,
to name just a couple of crises.
But when Canadians hear about Mr. MacKay, more often than not, it
appears it is in the context of his failed relationship with Ms.
Stronach, or unsubstantiated speculation that there are romantic
sparks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — a level of
discourse that seems more in keeping with a high school cafeteria
than the halls of international diplomacy.
“He should concentrate more on the international agenda. There’s
not so much about his visits, or his activities as a real foreign
minister. There is much more on this issue with the dog and Belinda.
For us, it is not very encouraging,” said a western diplomat, who
offered that assessment on the condition of anonymity.
Douglas Goold, president of the Canadian Institute of International
Affairs, said it really doesn’t matter who is responsible for
diverting the public’s attention from the global agenda — whether
it is opposition politicians, the media, or Mr. MacKay himself —
it is Mr. MacKay who will suffer in the long run, if it continues.
“Who the hell knows whether he actually made the comment? But if
he did, I guess he brought it on himself. … Whether he deserves
this reputation or not, there has been that list of things. It does
definitely detract from the things the government is trying to say,”
Mr. Goold said.
David Bercuson, a University of Calgary defence and foreign affairs
analyst, said he doubts the dog fixation will hurt Mr. MacKay in the
eyes of the U.S., the European Union, China or any country watching
Canada.
“It reflects not only the state of politics, but the state of mind
of a lot of people in the country today that when we’re facing some
really serious issues — and I don’t think anything is more serious
than a war in Afghanistan — that this is the sort of thing that gets
the attention,” he said.
As Canada’s No. 1 diplomat, the ability to choose words carefully is
one of the top priorities for Mr. MacKay.
On Oct. 19, a Liberal apparently shouted to Mr. MacKay “what about your
dog?” during a boisterous exchange on climate change in the Commons. On
tape, a voice that could be Mr. MacKay’s responds: “you have her.” The
Liberals say he gestured toward Ms. Stronach’s empty seat.
Mr. MacKay’s trip to the Turkish embassy the night before the dog
drama flared had a serious intent. He had welcomed the Armenian
foreign minister the same day. The Turks and Armenians are at polar
opposites in interpreting the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915
by Ottoman Turks. Canada and two dozen countries call it genocide,
while Turkey flatly rejects that.
So Mr. MacKay offered an olive branch to the Turks: “The Canadian
government supports the Turkish government’s practical proposal
to establish a joint committee composed of Turkish and Armenian
historians, as well as historians from a third country, to look
into the events of 1915 and encourages the government of Armenia to
participate in this committee.”
Mr. Goold said he has no doubt Mr. MacKay is doing other valuable work
on the diplomatic front, but until he learns to watch what he says,
he won’t be seen as an effective minister.
“He’s got to approach his portfolio with a degree of seriousness that
is important to anyone who is managing Canada’s external relations,”
he said.

SECRET POLICE CHARGE DENIED BY EU CANDIDATE
by Jamie Smyth In Brussels
The Irish Times
October 28, 2006 Saturday
ROMANIA: Romania’s candidate for the post of EU commissioner has
rejected allegations that he collaborated with secret police during
the communist era or accepted corrupt payments.
Romanian prime minister Calin Tariceanu and president Traian Basescu
also backed their nominee yesterday, describing media reports carrying
the allegations as unsubstantiated.
However, senator Varujan Vosganian, who was nominated on Thursday
for the high profile post, has still not received the endorsement of
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, leading some EU
insiders to speculate he is now a “dead man walking”.
Mr Barroso’s spokesman said consultations were still ongoing over
Romania’s nominee, who is relatively unknown in Brussels circles.
“There are no specific vetting procedures but there are certain
requirements that a member of the commission must fulfil,” said the
spokesman, who denied there were problems with the nominee. “No one
is afraid of anything, people are consulting.”
Media reports in Romania carried two specific allegations against
Mr Vosganian: that he collaborated with the Securitate secret police
during the communist era and that he received money inappropriately
from a businessman.
At a press conference in Bucharest Mr Vosganian strenuously denied
the allegations.
“I had never co-operated . . . with the Securitate or intelligence
organs,” he said. “Since 1990 my income came exclusively from my
salary as senator, leader of the Armenian community and the writers’
union, and dividends from my two small companies.” EU sources said Mr
Barroso was being very careful to scrutinise Mr Vosganian’s background
before deciding whether to back him. “He doesn’t want a repeat of
the Buttiglione affair,” said one source, referring to the European
Parliament’s rejection of the Italian nominee to the commission in
2004, who Mr Barroso had supported.
Other sources predicted Mr Vosganian was a “dead man walking” after
failing to get the endorsement of Mr Barroso at a meeting with him
on Thursday.
Mr Barroso endorsed Bulgaria’s nominee after a meeting on the same day.
Difficulties over the appointment of the Romanian commissioner
coincided with renewed tensions between EU officials and industry
commissioner Gunter Verheugen.
Civil servants are reported to have asked for Mr Verheugen’s
resignation following his strong criticism of EU officials.
Earlier this month the German commissioner launched a scathing
attack on officials saying they are far too powerful, have their own
fiefdoms and advance their own opinions as the official position of
the commission.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE LEADER SAYS FRENCH ARMENIAN ACT NOT TO AFFECT TURKEY’S EU TALKS
Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
28 Oct 06
Gelibolu, 28 October: The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
(PACE) president, Rene van der Linden, who is visiting Gelibolu town
of northwestern city of Canakkale, said that even France reacted
to the decision of French National Assembly regarding so-called
Armenian genocide.
Replying to a question on effect of the bill criminalizing denial of
so-called Armenian genocide that was approved in the French National
Assembly to Turkey’s EU accession process, Linden indicated, “Turkey is
a part of Europe but this process can take a long time. The decision
made by the French National Assembly will not make a negative impact
on Turkey’s EU accession process because even France reacted to this
decision. It was not approved in many European countries, either.”
Stating that PACE had a positive stance regarding Turkey, Linden
underlined that Turkey has been playing a significant role in works
and efforts of the EU for a long time.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THERE IS NO PROBLEM CAPABLE OF VIOLATING AZERBAIJAN-RUSSIA TIES
by Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
October 29, 2006 Sunday 06:42 AM EST
Russia and Azerbaijan achieved pushing aside all unsettled problems
in their relations, claimed President Ilkham Aliev. “There is no
single problem now which can darken our relations. On the contrary,
we have very good achievements in developing cooperation in the
economic, political and cultural spheres,” the president said in an
interview with members of the foreign mass media, the text of which
was circulated in Baku on Sunday through official channels.
Aliev noted that Russia is one of the three co-chairmen of the Minsk
OSCE Group, having a mandate of a mediator in settling the Karabakh
conflict. He called as “positive experience of work with Russian
officials and their policy on settling the Karabakh problem”.
“We see tht the Russian government takes sincere efforts at a peaceful
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict,” the president said,
noting that the period of tension between the two countries which
was present in the 1990s, is over. Aliev noted that Year of Russia
in Azerbaijan is nearing completion, and the year 2005 will be Year
of Azerbaijan in Russia.
He does not believe that good relations with Armenia prevent Russia
from having similar good relations with Azerbaijan. Replying to
reporters, Aliev also said that tension between Russia and Georgia
“has not influenced and will not influence” Baku’s relations with
Moscow and Tbilisi. “The two countries are our neighbors. We have
good relations with both of them, which are relations of strategic
partnership,” he said in conclusion.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO MOSCOW TO DISCUSS GAS SUPPLIES, REGIONAL SECURITY
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
October 29, 2006 Sunday
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan will arrive in the Russian capital
on a two-day working visit on Monday.
His meeting with President Vladimir Putin, the fourth one this year,
“will be continuation of the active political dialogue between Russia
and Armenia that matches the strategic character of Russo-Armenian
partnership,” a representative of the Kremlin administration told Tass.
According to the source, “the agenda of the meeting will center on
issues of bilateral relations, new opportunities of economic ties,
and cooperation in the fields of energy, transport, investments,
and real economy.” He also stressed that “there will be a detailed
discussion of prospects of cooperation in the natural gas sector.”
Trade between Russia and Armenia reached US$278million in the first
eight months of 2006, a 60-percent increase from the same period last
year, he said.
“Russia is the most important trade partner of Armenia and one of
major investors in its economy,” he said.
“It is planned that in the course of the visit, the parties will
exchange opinions on the most important international and regional
problems: including coordination of efforts to improve the situation
in the Caucasus,” the official said.

VNESHTORGBANK MAY INCREASE STAKE IN ARMENIAN VTB TO 100%
SKRIN Market & Corporate News
October 30, 2006 Monday 1:49 PM GMT
Vneshtorgbank may increase its stake in VTB (Armenia) to 100%,
Kommersant quoted Senior Vice President of Vneshtorgbank Vasiliy Titov
as saying. Vneshtorgbank holds a 70% plus 1 stake in Armsberbank,
which is operating under the Bank VTB (Armenia) brand.
Mikhail Bagdasarov, owner of a 30% stake in Bank VTB (Armenia),
is conducting talks on sale of the stake to Vneshtorgbank.

COMSTAR UTS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF ARMENIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS GROUP
SKRIN Market & Corporate News
October 30, 2006 Monday
Comstar UTS announced the acquisition of 75% plus one share in the
Armenian transit operator CallNet, which also owns 100% of Cornet,
an ISP with an extended corporate customer base, Aton Capital said.
According to a company press release, Cornet provides Internet services
to 76% of the Armenian banking sector and is the sole provider of
WiMax services in the country. The purchase price was not disclosed,
but with $4.3mn in consolidated 2005 revenue for Callnet and Cornet,
Aton estimates it could be around $15mn. Comstar-UTS also has an
option to acquire the remaining 25% stake in the group.
Aton sees the acquisition of telecommunications assets in the CIS as
positive news for Comstar-UTS: since the IPO in February, investors
have waited for expansion outside Russia.

TO WHOM ARE MILITARY EXERCISES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH ADDRESSED?
by Nurani
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
Source: Echo (Baku), October 26, 2006, p. EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
October 30, 2006 Monday
Saber Rattling Against The Background Of Negotiations;
Azerbaijani Observer Is Afraid Of Armenia’s Provocations In Nagorno-Karabakh;
Negotiations of foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris
are accomplished.
Despite that the ministers agreed to continue the dialog in Brussels
on November 14, many observers hurried to announce that negotiations in
Paris were fruitless. Really, the region already heard more than enough
conversations about “constructive meetings,” “interested discussion”
etc but there was no real progress in the dialog.
At any rate, another thing is more possible. During the days of the
latest round of negotiations in Paris dedicated to resolving the
conflict and held at the level of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia, Senor Asratyan, press secretary of the Defense Ministry of
self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic announced that the army
of Nagorno-Karabakh was conducting preplanned tactical exercises
“aimed at improvement of interaction between the branches of armed
forces and troops formations in the course of counterattacking and
defensive combat operations and improvement of skills of personnel
and commanders.” Representatives of the separatist regime developed
impressive media activeness around these military exercises.
Practically simultaneously with the meeting of the ministers in Paris
it was announced in Yerevan that between October 30 and 31, President
of Armenia Robert Kocharjan would visit Russia and a significant
part of the agenda would be again dedicated to military and military
technological cooperation. Such unambiguous readiness of Russia for
“asymmetric” military cooperation in the region definitely pushes
Yerevan towards a new “dance with sabers” against the background
of negotiations. Yerevan also drew unambiguous conclusions about
the stance of another co-chair – France too. Whereas Paris states
that disagreement with the thesis about “genocide of Armenians”
is a crime that Yerevan may not be afraid of harsh reaction on the
part of Paris. Against this background apprehensions about possible
provocative actions of Armenia are far from being ungrounded.

ARMENIAN LEADER TO VISIT KAZAKHSTAN 6-7 NOVEMBER
Interfax, Russia
Oct 30 2006
Astana, 30 October: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan will pay an
official visit to Kazakhstan on 6-7 November.
“Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s official visit to Kazakhstan
will take place on 6-7 November. He will hold meetings with the
country’s leadership,” the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s spokesman,
Yerzhan Ashikbayev, said at a news conference in Astana today.
During the visit, a number of bilateral documents are expected to
be signed and a round-table meeting, attended by the two countries’
business circles, is due to be held, Ashikbayev said.