ARAM SARGSIAN: “ARMENIA LOST REAL CHANCES TO PARTICIPATE IN GREAT SILK WAY”
Today, Azerbaijan
Aug. 29, 2006
China’s and Kazakhstan’s participation in the construction of
Kars-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway is another failure of Armenia’s
Foreign Ministry.
Aram Sargsian, chairman of Democratic Party of Armenia, said this in
the interview to ArmInfo that Armenia had real chances to contribute
to construction of an alternative railway in Near East from Europe
and the Central Asia, convincing the interested sides in necessity
to restore the railway connection through Abkhazia. In response to
the issue of ArmInfo whether RA Foreign Ministry would manage to do
what RF Foreign Ministry failed to, Sargsian said that Russia has
quite complicated relations with Georgia and Armenia could act as an
active subject in this direction.
He emphasized that in 1998, in the course of the TRACECA conference in
Baku, Armen Darbinian’s, Head of Ministerial Cabinet of Armenia, report
on construction of railway communication from Europe to the port of
the Near East aroused interest of the European Ministers. “In order to
reach the Near East ports, the Europeans have to sail across 5-6 seas,
and it isn’t surprising that we had been receiving the messages of 10
European Ambassadors during a month after the report,” he said. He
believes that Armenia missed the opportunity to participate in the
Great Silk way, after refusing to hold the summit of the European
Transport Ministers.
In response to the request of ArmInfo to comment on the fact that the
draft law directed to isolation of Armenia was declined by the US
House of Representatives and supported by the country in the chair
of Shanghai Organization for Cooperation (earlier DPA stated that
strengthening of SHOC is a favorable factor for the foreign policy
of Armenia), Sargsian said that it is quite natural, as China gets
dividends from direct railway communication with the Turkish ports,
while USA is too far and isolated with oceans. He added that Armenia
had to display interest to SHOC in time to get the support of China
for realization of its alternative “Great Silk Way.”
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INDIA INTENDS TO GET CRUDE PRECIOUS METAL FROM AZERBAIJAN
Today, Azerbaijan
Aug. 29, 2006
Indian Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and
Azerbaijani businessmen met in Baku.
Head of GJEPC 8-member delegation, Sangay Gutari, spoke of his country
economic achievements and said that India GDP beat $3 trillion and
annual economy growth rate constitutes 8%.
He said that India gains over $16bn from jewellery because this sphere
is very profitable.
“800 000 people are employed in this sphere while only 8 000 in Israel,
and 15 000 in Belgium.”
As to prospects of cooperation with Azerbaijan, he said that they
intend to open a small enterprise and brought gold, silver and
platinum.
Azerbaijani Trade and Industry Chamber vice-president Mehman Ahmadov
stated that the economy of Azerbaijan is leading notable development.
Mr. Ahmadov said that international institutions estimate that GDP
is at the highest level in Azerbaijan and the income of people rose
by 30%.
Mr. Ahmadov expressed their readiness for more close delegation. A
film describing potential of I(Indian jewellery) industry was shown
at the end of the day.
Indian ambassador to Azerbaijan Cyoti Svarub also attended the meeting.
The delegation will stay in Azerbaijan by August 29 and then will visit
Georgy and Armenia. The have also been to0 Kazakhstan and Ukraine,
APA reports.
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LEADER OF RUSSIAN ARMENIANS’ UNION INTENDS TO ATTEND THIRD ARMENIA-DIASPORA FORUM IN YEREVAN
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 29, 2006
YEREVAN, August 29. /ARKA/. Ara Abramyan, leader of Russian Armenians’
Union, said Tuesday in his interview with Liberty radio station
he intended to attend the third Armenia-Diaspora forum in Yerevan
in September.
He said the development of Armenian villages would be discussed among
other issues.
Abramyan said he had discussed the program with Armenian president
and foreign minister.
In his opinion, each Armenian community overseas should take care
of a certain number of villages in Armenia. He said he meant water
supply and schools repair.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DRNOVSEK AND ALIYEV DISCUSS ENERGY COOPERATION
EASTBUSINESS.ORG
August 29, 2006 Tuesday 5:01 PM (Central European Time)
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev stressed that good possibilities are
opening up for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU in the field
of energy, as he met his Slovenian host and counterpart Janez Drnovsek
in Brdo pri Kranju Tuesday.
The presidents also shared a view that the two countries have a lot of
leeway in developing cooperation in the fields of politics, business
and culture. Drnovsek told the press after meeting Aliyev that they
also discussed the situation in Nagorni Karabakh, a disputed region
in the west of Azerbaijaninhabited mainly by ethnic Armenians.
Drnovsek said that he hopes the situation in the region, with ownership
claims coming from Azerbaijan and neighbouring Armenia, would be
resolved soon and offered Slovenia’s help in solving the issue.
According to Drnovsek, it is also in the EU’s interest to solve
the issue as soon as possible. He believes that the leaders of the
neighbouring countries are capable of solving it by themselves.
Aliyev, meanwhile, presented Azerbaijan’s take on the Nagorno Karabakh
issue, stressing that his country wants to solve the dispute –
a threat to the development of the entire region – in line with
international standards.
Azerbaijan also insists that Armenia unconditionally withdraws its
forces from the region, Aliyev added. He also pointed out that with
its natural resources Azerbaijan presents an important state for
securing Europe’s energy independence.
Drnovsek said that there is a great potential for Slovenian companies
to take part in Azerbaijan’s development. As an EU member, Slovenia
is also ready to help the Asian state in building institutions in
line with European standards and pass its experience on establishing
contact with the EU, he added.
Trade between the two countries amounted to a mere EUR 5 million in
2005, yet the number presents a substantial increase on the figure
in 2004, which stood at EUR 1.8 million. In the first four months of
2006, Slovenian exports to Azerbaijan amounted to EUR 1.12 million,
a 54.7-per-cent increase year-on-year.

TRAIN WITH RUSSIAN ARTILLERY, PROPERTY LEAVES GEORGIA – OFFICIAL
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
August 29, 2006 Tuesday 12:13 PM MSK
Part of the artillery systems and property of the 62nd Russian military
base in Akhalkalaki, Georgia left by train to Russia on Tuesday,
Col. Vladimir Kuparadze, deputy commander of the Russian military
force in the South Caucasus, told Interfax- Military News Agency.
“Another train left the Tsalka railway station early on Tuesday,
carrying three howitzers, two bridge-laying vehicles, 70 tonnes
of rocket projectiles, and 90 tonnes of 152-mm shells, as well as
other artillery materiel of the 62nd base withdrawn to Russia,”
Kuparadze said.
“It is the last train leaving for Russia under the summer plan.
Five more trains are to leave before the end of the year,” he noted.
He said 179 pieces of armament and hardware and 217 tonnes of other
materiel have been shipped from the base in Batumi to the base in
Gyumri, Armenia since the beginning of the year. Another 190 pieces
of armaments and hardware and 738 tonnes of other cargoes have been
pulled out of Akhalkalaki.
Russian military bases should be withdrawn from Georgia during 2008
under the Russian-Georgian agreement.

KARABAKH CONFLICT A SOURCE OF DANGER FOR REGION – ALIYEV
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
August 29, 2006 Tuesday 11:54 AM MSK
A lack of a solution to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a
predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, is a source of a
major danger for the region, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said after
Monday talks with Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek in Bled, Slovenia.
“The absence of a solution to this problem represents a constant
source of considerable danger for the region. And my opinion is that
the sooner this conflict is settled, the quicker peace and prosperity
come to the region and the risks are reduced,” Aliyev told a joint
news conference with Drnovsek.
Azerbaijan’s position is based on international law, he said.
“Naturally, a solution based on the norms and principles of
international law is the sole possible way to end the conflict.
Azerbaijan will continue to pursue its policy within these boundaries,”
the Azeri president said. Karabakh talks are currently proceeding
within the Prague format, which generally involves a stage-by-stage
settlement process, he added.
“In our opinion, it is an acceptable option. We hope that Armenia
will eventually demonstrate its constructive position and make its
own efforts to sort out this problem,” Aliyev said.

ARMENIAN, U.S. OFFICIALS DISCUSS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
August 29, 2006 Tuesday 11:45 AM MSK
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian met with U.S. OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairman Matthew Bryza in Bled, Slovenia, on Monday to
discuss the ongoing stage of talks on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and their prospects, an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman
told Interfax.
The spokesman, however, declined to disclose the details of the
meeting.
Speaking at the Caspian Prospects 2008 international conference in
Slovenia, Oskanian said that “militaristic statements by the Azeri side
regarding the possibility of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem
in a military way are obstructing the settlement process today.”
“Today the Karabakh negotiations have reached their critical point.
And the international community should do everything possible to
persuade Azerbaijan to begin thinking realistically again and to
seriously discuss the principles that are presently on the negotiating
table,” the Armenian minister said.
The Armenian authorities insisted earlier that the international
brokers had drafted a document outlining the fundamental principles
of the peace process in the predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave in
Azerbaijan. They said that they had already approved the document,
calling on the Azeri authorities to do the same.
However, the Azeri government said that there was no major agreement
on the Karabakh settlement process.

SEC HOLDS MEETING
Emirates News Agency
August 28, 2006 Monday 1:04 PM EST
The Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) held here today its ordinary
weekly meeting, presided over by its deputy chairman, Sheikh Abdullah
bin Salim Al Qasimi, Chief of the Sharjah Emiri Court..
During the meeting, which was held at the Sharjah Ruler’s Office,
the council reviewed a memorandum referred to it by the Sharjah
Department of Culture and Information.
The memo deals with the department’s decision to renew cultural
cooperation agreement with the Armenian Ministry of Culture and Youth..
The council also reviewed a number of general issues related to the
emirate, discussed a number of reports and issues on its agenda and
took the appropriate decisions on them.

PKK THREATENS TURKEY-IRAN PIPELINE LINK
UPI Energy
August 28, 2006 Monday 9:18 AM EST
Members of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, have threatened
to blow up gas pipelines from Turkey to Iran unless Ankara agrees to
a cease-fire.
“Last Saturday, two Turkish jets shelled some of our bases in the
little Qandil,” Haval Welat, a PKK official, told Sunday’s edition of
Iraq’s independent Aso newspaper. “The leadership has warned Turkey
and Iran to stop the military incursion. Otherwise, we will blow up the
gas pipelines linking Turkey and Iran as a first step of retaliation.”
He also said Turkey had rejected the PKK’s call for a cease-fire.
Both Turkey and the United States regard the PKK as a terrorist
organization. The group is fighting for an independent Kurdish state
encompassing parts of Turkey, Iran and Syria and Armenia.
Iran, with an estimated 970 trillion cubic feet in proven natural
gas reserves, is the world’s No. 2 in reserves; Russia is No. 1.
Turkey is one of the largest customers of Iranian natural gas. In
2002, the two countries inaugurated a pipeline link. Exports of
Iranian natural gas to Turkey could reach 960 million cubic feet
per day by 2007, according to the Energy Information Administration,
the U.S. Department of Energy’s data arm.
Iran sees Turkey as a conduit for the sale of natural gas to Europe.

DES RENDEZ-VOUS POUR PARTIR
Le Figaro, France
29 août 2006
Le 30 septembre a Erevan. Le plus celèbre des Armeniens de France,
Charles Aznavour, chantera dans la capitale du pays. Ce concert
celebrera l’annee de l’Armenie en France (“Armenie, mon amie”)
qui debute le 21 septembre dans les musees, theâtres et operas de
l’Hexagone.
–Boundary_(ID_feC4U2Av9+IbtXGAERB 26A)–