EU DECIDES TO SLOW DOWN
By Sargis Karapetian

Yerkir.am
May 19, 2006

On May 15 the European Union made an unexpected decision to postpone
approval of the Action Plan for the South Caucasus. The EU’s foreign
political relations commissioner Benita Ferero-Waldner announced this
decision in Brussels.

Waldner stated a new round of negotiations will be held with Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan. “The negotiations will be held as soon as we
see that the parties are ready for them. I hope we will be able to
reach an agreement,” Waldner stated.

The statement was made on the day when the third round of EU-Azerbaijan
negotiations was to be held. Neither Azerbaijan nor EU representatives
have made any comments on this. It can be assumed that Baku and
Azerbaijan failed to come to an agreement on the position of the Greek
Cyprus which had protested against Azerbaijan’s attempts to establish
relations with the self-proclaimed Turkish Cyprus Republic. Media
report that Baku and Nicosia failed to overcome their disagreements
and Cyprus, being a member of the EU, uses its right to veto.

Meanwhile, the Azeri political scientist Rasim Musabekov believes
Brussels’s decision derived from the EU’s special approach to the
Karabagh conflict and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Musabekov says, “The documents EU signed with Moldova and Georgia
clearly state that territorial integrity should prevail.” This means
that EU supports the territorial integrity of these states. “Azerbaijan
insists on a similar wording but EU seems hesitant to agree,” Musabekov
stressed. Political analysts note that this is what prevents the
parties to start the discussion of the action plan.

Azerbaijan seems to include its ambitions towards Nagorno Karabagh into
the action plan for cooperation with the European Union. However, it
has miscalculated its chances forgetting that on the one hand France,
an EU member, participates in the Karabagh settlement process, and
on the other hand, EU does not want to be a direct mediator leaving
this mission to the OSCE Minsk Group.

Georgia hopes for EU to directly engage in the settlement of conflicts
on its territory. Meanwhile, EU states that it is ready to assist
economically with post-conflict rehabilitation. EU has a similar
position on Nagorno Karabagh. EU has strategic objectives in the
region, one of them being use of transit routes that have been unused
because of the conflicts. This is why EU supports regional cooperation.

Azerbaijan is an obstacle for such cooperation since it refuses to have
any cooperation with Armenia until the final settlement of the Karabagh
conflict using Turkey and Georgia to bloc cooperation attempts. The
South Caucasus Stability Pact was discussed on May 12 in Brussels.

The discussion was initiated by the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe. Radio Liberty reports, head of the OSCE department
at the Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry Varuzhan Nersissian stressed
in his statement that the Stability Pact can work only if two
preconditions are satisfied: first and most important, political will
and the willingness of the parties, second, there must be a clear-cut
perspective, a promise that the South Caucasus states can join the
EU in the future, just like it happened after the Stability Pact was
signed in the Balkans.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe Mamadarov
once again voiced Baku’s demand for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Azerbaijan seems to ignore the European Union’s interests and go
against European integration policies rejecting cooperation and
trying to preserve its right to resort to force. Such a position goes
against the EU’s interests. The latter, meanwhile, has not yet found
the right leverage to influence Azerbaijan.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN AWARDED FRITJOF NANSEN MEDAL

Yerkir.am
May 19, 2006

Natioanal Assembly Vice-speaker and Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisian was awarded Friday a Fritjof
Nansen gold medal for public humanitarian activities and active
involvement in Armenian Genocide recognition process.

Bestowing the medal, Felix Bakhchinian, chairman of the Fritjof
Nansen Foundation, Hovhannisian was awarded the medal not only as a
politician but also as an intellectual and archeologist.

Hovhannisian, in turn, said the Armenian society sees the importance
of the Genocide recognition. “But I cannot consider me as the real
owner of this medal, it is for my part of the huge work the ARF Bureau
has been doing,” Hovhanisian said. “That enormous work is not for
only one person, or one body. It is the work of the Hay Dat offices
scattered around the world, of our compatriots and now the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.”

The Fritjof Nansen Foundation was established in Moscow in 1994,
in 2002, it moved to Armenia. About 100 people have been awarded the
medal during the 12 years of its existence.

RUSSIA IS BRINGING OUT MILITARY POSSESSIONS FROM BATUMI

Source: Vremya Novostei, 19 May, 2006
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 22, 2006 Monday

Withdrawal of the Russian military equipment from Georgia is still
being carried out. As it was declared to “Vremya Novostei” by Second
in Command of the Group of the Russian troops in Transcaucasia,
Vladimir Kuparadze, the first in this year echelon with property of
the 12th Batumi base will come out from Georgia on the 25th of May.

On the whole, this year along this route Batumi-Gymri in Armenia,
where the 102nd Russian base is deployed, will follow seven echelons.

(…)

This year Georgia will be given five units of the Group of the Russian
troops in Transcaucasia, including two units in Adzharia (these are
the former sanatorium of the Air Defense forces in settlement of
Makhindzhauri and a town of the artillery troops in Batumi). Before
the Russian bases are finally closed, and this will be in 2008, the
Russian military men in Adzharia can use according to the agreement,
together with the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, training area
Gonio. But the Russian military men said that the Georgian side under
different pretexts doesn’t allow them to use this training area.

TAX REVENUES EXAMINED PUBLICLY
By Mher Ohanian

Yerkir.am
May 19, 2006

The State Tax Service publicized the list of 1000 largest tax payers
of the country. The list shows that there are almost no changes among
the leaders of Armenian business.

The top three largest tax payers are companies with foreign capital.

Nevertheless, the fact that the list included 1000 companies as opposed
to the previous list of 300, can be considered a positive development
which can sober up a little the shadow segment of our economy.

What is the distribution of the tax payers?

The copper-molybdenum factory in Zangezur is the largest tax
payer. The company paid 5 billion drams in taxes in the first quarter
of 2006. The second largest tax payer is ArmenTel which paid 3.8
billion drams. The third largest tax payer is ArmRusGasArd Company
that has paid approximately 3.2 billion drams in taxes.

There are not many companies in the list that have changed their
position compared to the list of 300 largest tax payers publicized
earlier. One of such companies is K-Telecom, the second operator of
mobile telecommunications, which was the 15th in the last year’s list
while this year it moved up to the 7th position.

In the first quarter of 2006 K-Telecom paid 1.5 drams in taxes. The set
of hydro-power stations in Vorotan moved up from the 24th position it
occupied last year to the 12th this year. Fleetwood Company that was
the 5th in the last year’s list moved down to the 32nd position this
year. This company is a monopoly company importing sugar to Armenia.

The companies dealing with fuel, cigarettes and alcohol have stable
positions in the list of largest tax payers. Flesh and Kaghpetrol
Service Companies specializing in import and sale of petrol and diesel
occupy the 4th and 5th positions respectively. In the first quarter
of this year they have paid 3.6 billion drams in taxes. Grand Tobacco
and International Masis Tabak Companies specializing in production
and sale of cigarettes have paid 2 billion drams in taxes together.

DM OF AZERBAIJAN HAD A VISIT FROM COMMANDER OF AIR FORCE OF NATO
Translated by Anastasia Zanina

Source: Information agency “Trend”, 19 May, 2006
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 22, 2006 Monday

Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Safar Abiyev received Commander of
the Air forces of NATO in Europe William Tom Chobbins. (…) During
the meeting, Safar Abiyev remarked that Azerbaijan is working
closely with NATO and the USA. Cooperation with NATO is successfully
continued in accordance with the Plan of the activity of individual
partnership. Touching upon the existing military-political situation
in the region of Southern Caucasia, the Minister remarked that
the main reason of non-settlement of peace and stability is the
Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict. (…) In his turn, General W.T.
Chobbins remarked progress in cooperation of Azerbaijan with NATO.

During the meeting, there was an exchange of opinions realized
concerning the perspectives of military cooperation of the USA and
Azerbaijan, the integration into European structures, activity of
Azerbaijan within the framework of antiterrorism coalition and other
questions. (…)

NATO SPECIAL ENVOY, ARMENIAN LEADERS TO HOLD TALKS
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 21, 2006 Sunday 09:57 PM EST

NATO continues to manifest close interest in Armenia. This is evidenced
by the upcoming two-day working visit here by Robert Simmons, NATO
Secretary-General’s special representative for the South Caucasus
and Central Asia.

Mr. Simmons arrives here on Monday for meetings with Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and other leaders of the republic.

Kocharyan, in his remarks at the end of April, said, “Armenia
does not intend to join NATO”. “Under the programme for individual
partnership, Armenia actively gives greater scope to cooperation
on security-related matters with the North Atlantic Alliance as the
key European organisation,” the Armenian President pointed out. “We
hope for fruitful cooperation (with NATO), particularly in matters
concerning a reform of the Armed Forces of Armenia and peacekeeping
activities,” he said.

Kocharyan pointed out, “Armenia’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions are
well-considered and realistic. They are regarded positively by European
organisations and do not bring about problems in relationships with
Russia”. “We make public our stand equally in Moscow, Brussels,
and Washington,” Kocharyan said.

CRASHED ARMENIAN AIRBUS BLACK BOX RECORDER RECOVERED

Agence France Presse — English
May 22, 2006 Monday 2:04 PM GMT

The black box voice recorder from an Armenian Airbus passenger plane
that crashed in the Black Sea earlier this month has been raised from
the sea bed, an official at the transport ministry said Monday.

“We found the black box yesterday during the night,” a source at the
ministry, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

All 113 passengers and crew died when the Armavia airlines Airbus A320,
which had taken off from Yerevan, crashed May 3 during its approach
to Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi. Eighty-five of the victims
were Armenians, many of them on family visits.

The transport ministry source said the recovered black box was “the
one with voice recordings and was lying 25 to 50 centimetres (10 to
20 inches) under the mud. This evening we should find the flight data
recorder, which should lie about five metres away.”

A submersible vessel has been used to search for the flight recorders,
which were reported to be lying at a depth of some 500 metres (1,600
feet) below the surface.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SPEAKER OF ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENT RESIGNS

Agence France Presse — English
May 22, 2006 Monday

The speaker of Armenia’s parliament resigned Monday, citing differences
within the ruling coalition over whether the nation should align
itself more with the European Union or Russia.

Artur Bagdassarian’s resignation follows the decision of his Rule of
Law Party to quit the government.

“I renounce my position as speaker of the National Assembly,” he
told the parliament, going on to thank the deputies of all parties
for work accomplished during the three years of his speakership.

Bagdassarian discussed the discord that prompted his party to leave
the coalition, formed with the Republican Party of Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian after legislative elections in 2003.

“There are two paths that Armenia can follow,” he said. The country can
“be part of the union with Russia and Belarus and be on good terms
with Europe, or it can be part of the European Union and be on good
terms with Russia. Our party is for the second path,” he said.

Before fragmenting, his parliamentary group counted 21 members,
but 11 among them — mainly businessmen — quit the party.

The heads of two parliamentary committees also resigned Monday.

ARMENIA SEEKS TO MAINTAIN COOPERATION WITH NATO – PREMIER

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 22, 2006 Monday 02:00 PM EST

The development of cooperation with NATO should be considered within
Armenia’s policy to European integration, Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan said.

In his meeting with NATO Special Representative for the Caucasus and
Central Asia Robert Simmons on Monday, the Armenian prime minister
said, “Cooperation with the Alliance is one of the most important
components of Armenia’s multi-level security system.”

He attaches significance to the expansion of the Armenian-NATO
political dialogue and the defence reform. In his words, these reforms
will be carried out consistently to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,
security in the region and the normalisation of Armenian-Turkish
relations.

“By maintaining cooperation with NATO Armenia never opposes different
security systems and pursues its policy to meet mutual interests,”
Margaryan said.

“Armenia continues its support for NATO’s efforts aimed at developing
constructive interaction between the states of the South Caucasus
and regional cooperation,” he stressed.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan said cooperation with
NATO and the participation in NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme
is one of the components of Armenia’s security system. The diplomat
stressed that it is important to expand a political dialogue with
NATO and carry out the defence reform, in particular in working out
a national security concept.

“Armenia does not intend to join NATO,” Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said at the end of April. At the same time, the president
stressed, “Under, the Individual Partnership Programme Armenia is
actively deepening its interaction with the Alliance as a key European
security organisation. Armenia’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions are weighty,
realistic and are positively interpreted by European structures. They
do not create problems in relations with Russia.”

Kocharyan pointed out that Armenia “states its position identically
in Moscow, Brussels and Washington.”

Simmons said NATO lauds the expansion of Euro-Atlantic cooperation.

The Alliance does not consider such cooperation rivalry with other
security system, he added.

Armenia’s Individual Partnership Programme has become a step forward
and meets Armenia’s interests. It also helps carry out defence reform
and strengthen democracy, Simmons stressed.

He said it is important to broadly inform the Armenian public about
NATO’s activity. The NATO official expressed satisfaction with
Armenia’s efforts aimed at implementing its Individual Partnership
Programme. The Alliance seeks the successful implementation of this
document due NATO’s bigger interest in the situation in the South
Caucasian region.

FLIGHT RECORDER OF CRASHED ARMENIAN JET RETRIEVED

Xinhua General News Service
May 22, 2006 Monday 10:30 AM EST

A flight recorder of the Armenian passenger jet that crashed into
the Black Sea more than two weeks ago was retrieved from the sea on
Monday, the Interfax news agency reported.

“One of the flight recorders has been lifted from the sea bottom,”
a source close to the investigation was quoted as saying.

The Airbus A320 plane of the Armavia airlines crashed near the Russian
resort town of Sochi on May 3, killing all 113 people on board,
among them six children and eight crewmembers. Among the dead were
28 Russian citizens.

The remnants of the airliner sank to a depth of more than 600 meters
below the sea surface. A deep-sea apparatus was involved in the search
for the plane’s flight recorders.