NAGORNY-KARABAKH: REFERENDUM LE 10 DECEMBRE SUR UNE PREMIèRE CONSTITUTION
Agence France Presse
6 novembre 2006 lundi 3:13 PM GMT
Le territoire du Nagorny-Karabakh, republique autoproclamee non
reconnue par la communaute internationale et que se disputent l’Armenie
et l’Azerbaïdjan, tiendra le 10 decembre un referendum pour l’adoption
d’une première Constitution, a annonce lundi sa “presidence”.
Le 10 decembre 1991, le Nagorny-Karabakh s’est separe de l’Azerbaïdjan
a l’issue d’un referendum et a proclame son independance, conduisant
a des combats qui ont provoque la mort de dizaines de milliers de
personnes côte azerbaïdjanais et armenien.
Depuis, ce territoire a organise trois elections presidentielles et
quatre scrutins parlementaires.
Le referendum se deroulera conformement a un decret signe le 3 novembre
par le “president” Arkadi Goukassian, a precise a l’AFP son service de
presse. Le projet de Constitution a ete auparavant discute et adopte
par les deputes de l’Assemble nationale du Nagorny-Karabakh.
Le Nagorny-Karabakh est une enclave en territoire azerbaïdjanais
habitee en majorite par une population armenienne. Après le conflit
meurtrier du debut des annees 1990, un cessez-le-feu est intervenu
en 1994, mais la situation reste tendue.
Paris, Washington et Moscou ont ete charges de la mediation de ce
dossier au sein du “groupe de Minsk”, une emanation de l’Organisation
pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe (OSCE).
–Boundary_(ID_PWxNB7XZ56N+T3eMGbIvUg)–

POLISH DELEGATION VISITED TSITSERNAKABERD
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 6 2006
The delegation headed by the Marshal of Senate of the Republic of
Poland Bogdan Borusewicz visited Tsitsernakaberd today to lay a wreath
of flowers at the memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims.
According to Bogdan Borusewicz, sufferings of the Armenian people
should become a outlook to the future. The Marshal the Senate urged
to remember the past without forgetting about future, since “it is
the responsibility of political figures to think about future.”
The delegation visited also the Genocide Museum, where Bogdan
Borusewicz wrote in the Memory Book: “We should remember the history,
the tragedy of the Armenian nation without forgetting the future. And
the good future is the good relations between everyone in the region.”
It should be noted that on April 19, 2005 the Polish Senate recognized
the Armenian Genocide.

VARTAN OSKANIAN RECEIVED IOM REPRESENTATIVE MRS. THOMAS WEISS
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 6 2006
October 6 RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received Mrs. Thomas
Weiss, Representative of the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) to Scandinavian, Baltic and EU New Neighbors Policy participant
countries.
During the meeting the parties discussed issues related to the
migration sphere in the light of the high-level dialogue in the UN
in September 2006. Reference was made to the cooperation between the
IOM and the Republic of Armenia on important issues in the migration
field, particularly fighting labor migration and trafficking.
Mrs. Weiss highly assessed Armenia’s cooperation with the UN and
expressed willingness deepen it, particularly in the filed of amendment
of the legislation promoting legalized migration.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY APPEARS TO MISS OUT ON RAPID EU ACCESSION
Workpermit.com, UK
Nov 6 2006
The European Commission will decide this week if it will recommend
a partial suspension of Turkey’s membership negotiations for joining
the European Union. Turkey has failed in several key areas, including
failure to open up its ports to Cyprus and other trade issues.
This, on the heels of a new French law last month that makes it
illegal to deny that the deaths of 600,000 to 2 million Armenians
during 1915 – 1917 is genocide. The law equivocates denial with the
Jewish Holocaust during World War II.
Turkish law allows severe penalties for persons who refer to the
event as “genocide,” or the equivalent, as being subversive of the
government of Turkey.
While this last is a rather dramatic example of differences that must
be resolved, it is by no means the only one.
The controversy is complex, with a number of strong arguments in
favour of Turkish accession as well as a number of equally strong
arguments against.
Economic and trade disputes are more likely to have the final word.
The European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, and Olli Rehn,
Enlargement Commissioner, are considering a recommendation to suspend
three negotiating topics closely linked to the ports dispute.
Other commissioners are urging Brussels to send out a strong message:
that many more parts of the negotiations will be affected if Ankara
does not meet the EU’s demand. Austria wants the Commission to
distinguish Turkey’s case from that of Croatia, the other country
currently in EU membership negotiations.
France, Cyprus, Austria and Greece are all pushing for a tough
line with Turkey, with the UK championing efforts to keep the talks
on course.
“If the issue was just Turkey not opening its ports, that would
be one thing and you could just suspend three chapters,” said an
EU diplomat. “But remember that the Commission will also report on
Wednesday that Turkey is not making progress on reforms. This is a
question of political control of the EU’s enlargement process.”
Turkey’s prime minister appears ready to amend a controversial
article of the Turkish penal code that the Commission says inhibits
free speech. “We are ready for proposals to make article 301 more
concrete if there are problems stemming from it being vague,” he said.
The Commission debate opens the way for a full-blooded EU dispute over
Turkey, which some officials fear could bring the entire negotiations
to a halt.
On Wednesday the Commission will also adopt a strategy paper for future
enlargement, which says that, before any new expansion takes place,
the EU will have to deal with its own institutional arrangements –
which were to have been decided by the ill-fated European constitution.
With the expansion of the European Union to the EU-27 on 01 January
this year, most EU States are ready to take a slower approach,
with a more structured and restrictive attitude toward new potential
accession states. Croatia, Turkey and the Ukraine look like they will
have to meet tougher standards to get a treaty, and then will likely
face more restriction internally from existing member States as the
economic changes begin to settle out.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VYMPELCOM GOING TO STRENGTHEN ARMENTEL’S POSITIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 15:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When commenting on the bargain sealed with Greek
OTE President of VympelCom Russian company Alexander Izosimov said,
“We are glad to announce the agreement, which will allow us to
launch activities in Armenia, the sixth CIS state our company offers
its services to. Covering some 40% of the Armenian cellular market
ArmenTel has a strong position and we are going to consolidate it.”
According to the information posted on VympelCom’s website, the
ArmenTel package costs 341.9 million euros plus 40 million euros of
net debt and obligations of the company. The final conclusion of the
bargain will depend on a number of terms including consent of the
Armenian government till end of 2006.

RA DEFENSE MINISTER: THERE WAS NO SKIRMISH ABOARD A-320
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 15:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan refuted
the information of alleged skirmish aboard of A-320 that crashed into
the Black Sea on May 3. In his words, Russian and French specialists
were engaged in the investigation of the crash causes along with the
Armenian experts. The Minister emphasized that as a matter of fact the
French side representing the producing company could be interested in
a skirmish, since the image of the company can be damaged. “If there
had been a skirmish aboard hearsay would have been spread everywhere,”
Serge Sargsyan said, reports IA Regnum.

POLAND ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today RA parliament speaker Tigran Torosian
met with Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, reported the
RA NA press office. The Armenian Ambassador to Poland and Polish
Ambassador to Armenia were also present at the meeting. Pointing out
to the dynamic development of the Armenian-Polish relations Tigran
Torosian said that the current visit will convey a new impulse to
cooperation. He also stressed the importance of the visit within
the context of European integration, since Poland being an EU member
state has gained experience that can be interesting and useful for
Armenia. In his words, after the signing of the Armenia-EU Action
Plan the Armenian-Polish relations will acquire new possibilities
for development. When touching upon relations with the NATO the RA
NA chairman said there are opportunities to cooperate with Poland in
this context as well. “A deputy friendship group was formed in the RA
parliament, there is rich experience of contacts within international
structures. This is a good foundation for the development of the
Armenian-Polish relations,” Torosian said.
For his part Bogdan Borusewicz said that his delegation includes
members of the Seym, Senate and government. This fact proves the
importance Poland attaches to relations with Armenia. “As compared
to 1990-ies Armenia has made a big move,” he remarked.
Pointing out to the policy of deepening relations with the EU and NATO
the Polish Senate Marshal said Poland is ready to assist in these
processes. He also stressed the importance of holding the upcoming
parliamentary election in accordance with European standards and
peaceful settlement of the existing conflicts.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN: OSCE MG RECENT PROPOSALS REMARKABLE FOR REAL PERCEPTION OF SITUATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recent proposals made by the OSCE Minsk
Group on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement are remarkable
for real perception of the situation, since they base not only on
two separate principles of territorial integrity and the right to
self-determination but also on their comparison, Armenian National
Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian said at a meeting with Polish Senate
Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, reported the RA NA press office. In his
words, such approach is more flexible for the search of solutions
admissible for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh.
When touching on the Russian-Georgian relations Tigran Torosian
remarked that Armenia is interested in the soonest resolution of the
problems and alleviation of tension. He also stressed the importance of
balanced approach of the EU and other European structures. The sides
also noted that Armenia incurs losses because of the Russian-Georgian
opposition.

POLAND CAN MEDIATE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Torosian met with Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, members
of the Seym, Senate committees, political factions and deputy groups
reported the RA NA press office. Tigran Torosian thanked Bogdan
Borusewicz for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the
Polish Seym and stressed the importance of this step for prevention
of similar tragedies in future. Confirming Poland’s interest in the
development of Armenia and the whole region Bogdan Borusewicz pointed
out to centuries-old Armenian-Polish cooperation. He informed that
the Polish Foreign Ministry offered the RA MFA to mediate between
Armenia and Turkey for establishment of relations between the two
states. In this view Tigran Torosian reiterated that Armenia is ready
to hold a dialogue without pre-conditions. The RA NA Speaker also
reminded that Turkey still keeps on imposing a blockade on Armenia
and assessed Turkey’s aspirations for the EU as inadmissible under
the circumstances.
Bogdan Borusewicz offered the RA NA chairman to pay a formal visit to
Poland describing mutual visits as a serious stimulus for strengthening
relations.

KOCHARIAN: ARMENIA COUNTS ON INCREASE OF KAZAKH INVESTMENTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 17:52 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia counts on increase of Kazakh investments
in its economy. RA Presisent Robert Kocharian said at a meeting with
Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. “We are watching the investment
activities of Kazakh entrepreneurs and we welcome Kazakh business in
our region,” the RA President said.
“Armenia would also like to expand humanitarian cooperation. The
resources are huge here and we see the genuine wish of the Kazakh
side to develop this cooperation,” Robert Kocharian said.
“We are interested in cooperating with a state which occupies leading
positions in the Central Asian region. We are trying to gain such
positions in the South Caucasus,” the Armenian leader said. For his
part Nursultan Nazarbayev remarked that there are no obstacles for the
development of the Armenian-Kazakh relations adding that Kazakhstan
is ready to expand bilateral ties, reports Kazakhstan Today.