NAGORNO-KARABAKH: NO LONGER ABSTRACT AND DISTANT FOR EU
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
June 8 2006
A gathering of Black Sea leaders in Bucharest, on June 5, also served
as the venue for the latest set of talks between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, legally
part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenian separatists since
1994. Armenian leader Robert Kocharian and his Azerbaijani counterpart,
Ilham Aliyev, met twice. No progress was reported, but the region
is growing in importance for a power once relatively remote from the
South Caucasus, the European Union. RFE/RL Armenian Service director
Hrair Tamrazian and Azerbaijani Service correspondent Kenan Aliyev sat
down with Peter Semneby, the European Union’s Special Representative
for the South Caucasus about Nagorno-Karabakh, and asked why Brussels
is showing greater interest in Nagorno-Karabakh and what the European
Union is doing to help promote a resolution to this frozen conflict.
RFE/RL: What is your outlook on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Are
you hopeful the issue will be resolved?
Peter Semneby: I’ve been asked very often in the last few months
whether I’m an optimist or a pessimist regarding Nagorno-Karabakh
and relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I would say that I’m
neither. I don’t want to say that I’m an optimist, because so far
it’s always been the pessimists who have been proven right in this
conflict. Still, one should always maintain hope, and I’m still
hopeful that this conflict will be resolved soon. This is a very
good moment for the region. It’s a time when there are no major
domestic considerations in the countries. It’s also a time when the
European Union is taking a much stronger interest in the region, in
both countries, which is demonstrated by the inclusion of all of the
Southern Caucasus into the European Neighborhood Policy. Of course,
the European Union does this in the anticipation that the region will
develop together and that the links will be reestablished between
the countries, and that joint products will be developed that can
benefit the further development and the prosperity of all countries
in the region.
Doing More…
The army of the self-declared republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in exercises
in 2005 (Photolur)RFE/RL: The International Crisis Group, a think tank,
recently came out with a report urging the EU to be more engaged in
conflict resolution in the region because it has the best leverage
there, both financially and institutionally. Do you agree that the
EU should put a priority on this issue?
Semneby: There is a lot that the European Union can do. There was
also a political signal sent when the mandate of the European Union
Special Representative was changed from a rather passive role in
terms of conflict resolution, as opposed to assisting conflict
resolution. Now he is expected to contribute to conflict resolution.
That change of wording may not change very much in practice. But it
is an important political signal. What is changing in practice is
the resources and the instruments that the European Union has at its
disposal. When the European Neighborhood Policy starts to take effect
with the new financial perspective of the European Union in 2007,
there will be considerable resources available for various activities,
not least related to conflict resolution and support of the development
and rehabilitation of the conflict areas. Already at this stage, if
there is a resolution, if there is an agreement between the parties,
there are considerable rapid-reaction funds that the EU can also put
at the disposal of the two governments [of Armenia and Azerbaijan]
to repair what has been broken by the conflict.
RFE/RL: Are your authorities and powers much wider now than those of
your predecessors?
“The EU has sent a political signal that it wants to engage in conflict
resolution.”Semneby: They’re not much wider, but the EU has sent a
political signal that it wants to engage in conflict resolution. In
terms of Nagorno-Karabakh, it does not mean that the EU is a part
of the Minsk Group process [conducted under the auspices of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe]. That process
is one that was established a long time ago, and I sincerely hope
that it will now lead to a settlement, to a resolution — or at
least to the beginning of a settlement, because I think this will
be a long process also. There will be issues that will also have to
be dealt with along the way. The important thing now is that there
is a framework settlement under the auspices of the Minsk Group to
build on in the future. The role of the EU in this conflict will
be to support the settlement. Once a basic settlement, a framework
settlement, is reached, most of the resources that I mentioned that
the EU has at its disposal can be released.
…But Why Now?
RFE/RL: Nagorno-Karabakh is not an easy conflict to resolve. Attempts
have so far been unsuccessful and may not be successful for many more
years. Why has the EU decided that now is the time to become involved
in conflict resolution?
“What happens in the Southern Caucasus is no longer something abstract
and distant. It is becoming an area of direct concern to the EU. It’s
also an area that is important for energy resources.”Semneby: The
reasons why the EU is more interested now than in the past has to
do, of course, with the change of the environment in which we are
living. The European Union is enlarging.
Very soon it will have two members bordering on the Black Sea —
including the country where we are at the moment, Romania. The EU
has started to negotiate for membership with Turkey. And that changes
the perspective. What happens in the Southern Caucasus is no longer
something abstract and distant. It is becoming an area of direct
concern to the EU. It’s also an area that is important for energy
resources. It’s important because it’s close to very volatile regions
to the south. The Middle East, all the problems that we’re facing
with Iran have also focused attention on the Southern Caucasus. And
it’s also an important aspect of EU relations with our biggest and
most important partner country in the east, and that is Russia.
RFE/RL: Turning to Russia, the Caucasus reportedly figured in
discussions at the EU-Russia summit on May 25. Was Nagorno-Karabakh
on the agenda? Are there instances where Russia is heavy-handed in its
foreign policy in this area, and if so, do you express your concern?
Semneby: When the Caucasus is discussed with Russia, the three frozen
conflicts that we have in the area are obviously high on the agenda.
These conflicts — in particular, the ones in Georgia — are a direct
issue in our relations with Russia. What I hope and believe is that
we will be able to resolve the two conflicts in Georgia together
with Russia, because I fundamentally believe that it is in Russia’s
interests to have stable neighbors along all its borders and neighbors
with which it maintains predictable and friendly relations.
And only when the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been
resolved once and for all will the problematic relationship between
Russia and Georgia become normal.
Democracy, The EU, And The South Caucasus
Azerbaijani opposition supporters protesting in November 2005 against
what they viewed as flawed parliamentary elections (ITAR-TASS)RFE/RL:
How much do you engage in dialogue with governments in the South
Caucasus on democracy issues? There are those in Azerbaijan, for
example, who say that the EU and other Western powers are not doing
enough to remind the government of its commitment to promote democracy
and respect human rights. How do you respond to such criticism?
Semneby: Fundamentally, we regard the countries in the South Caucasus
as partners. And what you have to do with partners is you have to
discuss the issues and you have to agree on what needs to be done.
That takes some time, because our thinking has developed in different
contexts, historically and otherwise. Through an intensive relationship
over the course of the last few years, I do think that we have come
to a common understanding of what the standards are that need to be
fulfilled. The proof of that is that we have in fact agreed more
or less on quite extensive Action Plans to implement the European
Neighborhood Policy, which includes the most important parts of the
EU acquis [communitaire, the European Union’s body of laws], in terms
of democracy, human rights, rule of law, and so on. This is the first
step. We will have the Action Plans very soon. I’m convinced that the
last parts of the negotiations will be done very soon and they will
be signed. That marks a new step in our relations, when the focus
will be on the implementation of those action plans.
“I think that the EU has proven in other cases that it does have
considerable transformational power.” RFE/RL: What will happen if they
do not implement this action plan? There are OSCE commitments, there
are Copenhagen commitments to have free and fair elections, to not have
political prisoners. According to the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan
still has political prisoners. So what guarantee is there that this
Action Plan will be signed? Many think the government is using it as
a tool to show they’re pro-Western so they can stay in power.
Semneby: I think that the EU has proven in other cases that it
does have considerable transformational power, and I very strongly
believe that through the carrots and sticks that the EU will have at
its disposal as part of the Action Plans that there will be such a
transformational power in the Southern Caucasus. That is not to say
it will be easy. We have seen many of the most difficult issues in
other countries that have acceded to the European Union only being
resolved at the very final stages. Here we do have an issue that we
have to look at, since we don’t have a membership perspective in the
European Neighborhood Policy, one of the most important carrots is not
present. But I think there are still enough instruments of the same
kind that have been very successfully applied in other countries in
Central and Eastern Europe that can also be used in the South Caucasus.
RFE/RL: Finally, on a very specific issue, Armenia for several years
had only one independent television broadcaster, A1 Plus. It was then
shut down, and has repeatedly reapplied for a license and been turned
down. You have raised the A1 Plus issue with the Armenian government,
and it may eventually be handed to a European court. Can you comment
on the issue?
Semneby: Let me compare it to what I’ve seen in other countries. I have
worked for the OSCE in Latvia and Croatia, two countries that were at
an advanced stage in terms of their EU membership negotiations. Issues
of this kind were very much on the agenda in those two countries on
a very concrete level. I don’t want to comment on this specific case,
but it’s certainly something that is of interest to the EU.

ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AGAIN FAIL TO BREAK NK DEADLOCK
Emil Danielyan
EurasiaNet, NY
June 8 2006
Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to have lost the last realistic
chance for a near-term deal to end the bitter conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh. A face-to-face meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents June 4-5 again failed to make any headway
toward a settlement. Although international mediators insist that a
breakthrough remains possible this year, observers see little prospect
of that happening before national elections scheduled to take place
in both South Caucasus states in 2007 and 2008.
Armenian Presidents Robert Kocharian and his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev held two days of intensive negotiations for a second time
in less than four months on the sidelines of a high-level forum of
Black Sea nations in Romania. American, French and Russian diplomats
spearheading the Karabakh peace process aimed to use the meeting to
finalize a framework agreement. But Kocharian and Aliyev apparently
refused to budge from their respective negotiating stances, despite
strong pressure from mediators.
The two leaders have so far declined to publicly comment on their
Bucharest talks, leaving it to their foreign ministers to acknowledge
that the talks ended in failure. Armenia’s Vartan Oskanian told state
television on June 6 that “they did not succeed in registering progress
and giving a new impetus to resolving the Karabakh conflict.” The same
day, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told reporters
in Baku: “I can’t assert that we have a major movement forward in
the negotiating process.”
The three mediators co-chairing the OSCE’s Minsk Group on Karabakh
insisted that the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord this
year is “both imperative and achievable.” “The Co-Chairs continue to
believe that the basic principles they have identified and proposed
to the parties for settlement of the conflict offer an equitable basis
for such a resolution,” they said in a June 6 statement. “They regret
that the parties have not yet come to agreement on these principles.”
These principles call for a gradual settlement of the dispute,
reportedly culminating in a referendum in Karabakh on the
Armenian-controlled territory’s status. Leaks reported by Armenian and
Azerbaijani media over the past year indicate that the referendum would
take place at least 10 years after the start of an Armenian military
pullout from all but one of the seven Azerbaijani districts surrounding
Karabakh. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Hopes were high that Aliyev and Kocharian could cut a framework deal
along these lines when they met outside Paris in February. The
mediators, as well as a number of senior European officials,
made unusually upbeat statements in the weeks leading up to the
Armenian-Azerbaijani summit, suggesting that the conflicting parties
had already agreed on this peace formula in principle. However,
those talks collapsed because of what Armenian officials claim was
Aliyev’s last-minute rejection of the referendum option. Commentators
in both Baku and Yerevan believe that the proposed vote in Karabakh
would almost certainly legitimize the disputed enclave’s reunification
with Armenia. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Since the February talks, Aliyev has repeatedly stated that he
will never agree to a de jure loss of any part of Azerbaijan’s
internationally recognized territory. Given Aliyev’s comments,
Kocharian said prior to going to Bucharest that he had “very modest”
expectations for his latest round of discussions, despite a flurry
of diplomatic activity by France, Russia and the United States. In
late May, US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, along with
high-ranking Russian and French diplomats, visited the Armenian
and Azerbaijani capitals in an effort to generate fresh negotiating
momentum. In a joint statement, the diplomats emphasized that “now
is the time for the sides to reach agreement on the basic principles
of a settlement.” Also, Karabakh was high on the agenda of Aliyev’s
talks with US President George W. Bush at the White House in April.
[For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
According to Vahan Hovannisian, the pro-Kocharian deputy speaker of the
Armenian parliament, the Bucharest talks failed because Aliyev again
refused to agree on referendum terms for Karabakh. Oskanian was more
diplomatic, saying that the unspecified “issue which the presidents
had failed to solve at Rambouillet was also not solved at Bucharest.”
“They (the Armenians) want Nagorno-Karabakh to gain independence,”
a top Aliyev foreign policy adviser, Novruz Mamedov, was quoted by
the Azerbaijani APA news agency as saying on June 6. “President Ilham
Aliyev categorically rejected this proposal by Robert Kocharian.”
For his part, Vafa Guluzade, a former top aide to Aliyev’s late father
and predecessor Heidar, complained about international pressure on
the Azerbaijani leadership to give up not only Karabakh but also some
of the Armenian-occupied lands in Azerbaijan proper.
“The West has a coward position on the Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani lands,” Guluzade told the Baku daily Zerkalo on June 7.
“Instead of condemning the aggression and evil, the West is demanding
certain concessions from Azerbaijan, the victim of the aggression.”
Mediators have warned that failure to achieve Karabakh peace this year
would delay a settlement until at least 2009. They have pointed to
the fact that both Armenia and Azerbaijan plan to hold presidential
elections in 2008. Armenians will also be electing a new parliament
next year. Domestic political jockeying in both countries is likely
to tightly constrain Yerevan’s and Baku’s negotiating positions.
Armenian and Azerbaijani officials say Aliyev and Kocharian could
meet again before the end of this year in yet another attempt to break
the Karabakh deadlock. In their words, that depends on the outcome of
ongoing consultations between the mediators, and a possible meeting
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers.
“We are now awaiting news from the co-chairs,” said Mammadyarov.
It emerged this week that the Minsk Group’s American co-chair,
Steven Mann, will step down to take up another position at the US
State Department. For some observers, this is a sign that Washington
has essentially lost hope of a speedy Karabakh settlement.
Aravot, an independent Armenian newspaper, editorialized on June 7
that a settlement remains elusive because Karabakh peace would make it
much harder for the ruling elites in Armenia and Azerbaijan to cling
to power, and thus retain control of lucrative sources of income,
including cash gained by corrupt means. The paper suggested that
governing politicians in both Yerevan and Baku must have let out a
big sigh of relief after the Bucharest summit. “They will prolong
their meaningless existence for a while,” the editorial added. “To
the great detriment of their countries.”
Editor’s Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS: RUSSIA’S VIMPELCOM BIDS FOR 90% IN ARMENIA’S ARMENTEL
Cellular-News, UK
June 8 2006
MOSCOW, June 8 (Prime-Tass) — Russia?s second largest mobile
operator VimpelCom has filed a bid to participate in the tender of
a 90% stake in Armenian fixed-line and mobile operator ArmenTel,
Vedomosti business daily reported Thursday.
The stake is currently owned by Greece’s OTE, which said in late April
that it planned to sell the stake. The remaining 10% in ArmenTel is
held by the Armenian government
Besides VimpelCom, seven more companies have filed bids for ArmenTel,
including Russia’s MTS and MegaFon, the daily said, citing MDM Bank.
ArmenTel has a monopoly on fixed-line and long-distance services in
Armenia. The company also had a monopoly on mobile services until
mid-2005. ArmenTel’s fixed-line subscriber base stands at about
600,000 users and its mobile subscriber base at about 330,000 users.
Armenia’s population amounts to about 3.2 million people, of which
about 20% use mobile services.

OSCE OFFICE IN YEREVAN ORGANIZES ROUNDTABLE ON FUTURE OF NATIONAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING PLAN
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

June 8 2006
/noticias.info/ YEREVAN, 8 June 2006 – The development of a new
National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings and the
implementation of the 2004-2006 National Action Plan are the focus of
a meeting that started today in Yerevan. The event is organized by
the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian Inter-Agency Commission
with support from the U.S. State Department.
Members of the Armenian Inter-Agency Commission on Anti-Trafficking
Issues and representatives of key non-governmental organizations
working with trafficking victims will participate in the meeting.
The roundtable is part of the Office’s activities geared toward
assisting the Armenian authorities in addressing the problem of
human trafficking.
Hana Snajdrova from the Czech Interior Ministry and Liliana Sorrentino
from the OSCE Anti-Trafficking Assistance Unit will present national
strategies and plans of action of various OSCE participating States.
“A comprehensive national strategy is critical in achieving success
in combating trafficking in humans in Armenia and elsewhere,” said
Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
He emphasized the significance of the OSCE Action Plan, which
provides a comprehensive toolkit to combat trafficking through a
multidimensional approach, covering protection of victims, prevention
of trafficking and prosecution of those who facilitate or commit
the crime.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI MPS REJECT LEO PLATVOET’S PROPOSALS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006
The Council of Europe Parlaimentary Assembly (PACE) rapporteur for
missing persons Leo Platvoet and PACE member Mack Nevil had several
talks today in Baku. They first visited the International Committee
of the Red Cross office in Baku.
Then Mr. Platvoet met with families of prisoners of war and missing
persons at the State Committee for Prisoners of War, Hostages and
Missing Persons.
The European visitors also had talks with members of the Azerbaijani
parliamentary delegation to PACE-Gultakin Hajiyeva, Ali Husyenov
and Elmira Akhundova. Ms. Hajiyeva said to APA that Platvoet offered
some proposals at the meeting but Azerbaijani parliamentarians did
not accept them. The European rapporteur proposed the Azerbaijani
side to maintain contacts with institutions and NGOs functioning in
Nagorno Garabagh to make more specific investigations on the prisoners
of war and missing persons.
“We told them that Nagorno Garabagh is Azerbaijan’s territory,
and cooperation with any organizations acting there is contrary to
Azerbaijan’s state policy. On the other hand, we said the government
established in Nagorno Garabagh is not recognized by the world and
is not independent. Therefore, we said it would be more efficient to
cooperate with the Armenian government which is ruling the so-called
government in Nagorno Garabagh,” the parliamentarian said.
Platvoet’s proposal on sending families of the missing persons to
Nagorno Garabagh to search for their missing relatives was also
rejected by the Azerbaijani parliamentarians.
“It would not be right to charge the families with this issue. We also
said to Platvoet that one day Armenia will stand international court
for its aggression against Azerbaijan. Therefore, it is important
that the international organizations make unbiased assessment of the
issue,” she said.
Azerbaijani parliamentarians informed Platvoet about that fact that
there are nearly 5,000 prisoners of war and missing persons.
PACE rapporteur for missing persons in Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Georgia Leo Platvoet and PACE member Mack Nevill has been visiting the
region since June 4. They were in Armenia and George before visiting
Azerbaijan. The European parliamentarians will have officials talks
tomorrow.
Platvoet will draw up a report on the visit and present to PACE.

LOCAL JOINS PEACE CORPS
By: Tony Regina, Managing Editor
Record Breeze, NJ
June 8 2006
Leigh Paynter always wanted to do this.
Last Friday, Paynter, a Laurel Springs resident, left for Armenia
to join the Peace Corps. She will be teaching English as a foreign
language to younger students.
“I really needed to do this because I wanted to help,” Paynter,
a Sterling High School graduate, said.
The Peace Corps decided what country Paynter would be stationed in,
she said. She found out she had been accepted into the program around
Christmas last year.
Since then, Paynter’s prepared for her experience by attempting
to familiarize herself with the Armenian culture “Since I found
out, I’ve bough three CD-roms on the country. I’ve done so much
Internet researching,” she said. “I’m trying to learn to speak the
language. It’s very overwhelming.”
Before leaving for the Peace Corps, Paynter spent a year in Sarasota,
Florida working as a photo-journalist for a local television station.
She graduated from Rowan University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree
in communication.
“I’ve always been interested in working with people. I like finding
out information,” Paynter said of her decision to enter such a career.
In many ways, her experience as a photo-journalist prepared her for
the journey ahead, Paynter said. Covering the murder of an infant
as well as Hurricane Wilma helped her build a sense of self-reliance
and independence.
“You do something different every day,” Paynter said. “I think going
to Florida was a really great move for me. I had to handle everything
on my own. I have a little more self-confidence now.”
Paynter went through a “vigorous” application process to become
a member of the Peace Corps, she said. She chose to gain a year’s
experience as a photo-journalist before applying for the organization.
“I picked up some more projects tutoring. I took some training courses
in Sarasota,” Paynter said.
Although she had intention of leaving her position with the television
station, Paynter couldn’t pass up an opportunity to join the Peace
Corps, she said.
“I couldn’t turn it down. I got my mind wrapped around it as something
I really wanted to do,” she said.
As a teacher in Armenia, Paynter hopes to implement new teaching
methods, she said. An avid reader, she hopes to relay that passion
to her students.
Paynter also intends to take a lot of lessons with her from the
experience.
“The number one thing for me would be appreciation for what I have
here in America. I also want to learn to appreciate the Armenian
culture and language,” Paynter said.
Since she’ll serve as a volunteer, Paynter can leave her position in
Armenia at any time, she said. She wants to stay over there for at
“least two years.”
“I really am optimistic that I will be able to make a difference. I’m
more excited than nervous,” Paynter said.
Although Paynter’s departure for Armenia was “hard on her parents,”
her family is “very supportive” of her decision to join the Peace
Corps, Paynter said.
“They’re very proud of me. It’s going to be hard, not being able to
talk to them when I want to,” she said.
Paynter joins more than 182,000 Americans who have served in the
Peace Corps since its inception in 1961. The organization currently
has 7,810 volunteers serving in 75 different countries.
For more information, visit the following Web site:

IMF, WB DUTCH GROUP TO MEET IN YEREVAN
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
Yerevan, June 8. /ARKA/. A representative meeting of the Dutch group
at the International monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB)
is to be held in Yerevan on June 17-18, the RA Ministry of Finance
and Economy reports.
During the annual meeting, a number of high-ranking officials,
particularly Ministers of Finance and Presidents of Central Banks of
12 group members, are to arrive in Armenia.
Among the meeting participants will be IMF Managing Director Rodrigo
Rato, WB Vice-President Danny Leiptziger, and others.
The IMF and WB Dutch group includes Armenia, Holland,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Moldoa, Georgia, Romania,
Ukraine, Cyprus and Macedonia.

COUNCIL OF IABP TO SUPPORT ARMENIAN OFFICE IN LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES IN BUSINESS SPHERE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
YEREVAN, June 8. /ARKA/. The IABP Secretary General Frederick
Hyde-Chambers told journalists in Yerevan that the Council of the
International Association of Business and Parliament (IABP) will
render assistance to the Armenian office in legislative activities
in the business sphere.
“A separate businessman can’t understand the whole economy. We are
going to use business-skills of separate businessmen, generalize them
providing information about the European economy”, Chambers said.
According to his estimates, not only the Armenian economy is in
transitional period but also it politics and society.
“I am sure that the great potential of the Armenian people will enable
to overcome this period successfully”, Chambers finds.
He emphasized that the Council of the association is very serious
towards foundation of an Armenian office and intends to render all
kind of assistance.
In his turn the Vice Speaker of the European Parliament Edward
Macmillan Scott welcomed foundation of IABP Armenian office.
“We will support the activity of the national office taking into
consideration the fact that Eurointegration process is attached great
importance in Armenia”, he said.
On June 7, IABP Armenian office was opened in Yerevan. The
IABP office has the guarantee and support of the organizations’
structure functioning in Great Britain that secures transparacny and
uncorruptedness of its activities, and may be possible resource for the
RA National Assembly from the viewpoint of exchange of international
experience.
The coordinative council of the office is already formed, and it
includes deputies of almost all factions and groups of the RA National
Assembly, as well as representatives of small, medium and large-scale
entrepreneurship and NGOs, which will act on the basis of principles
and standards worked out by the IABP.

RA FM ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO EP’S ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND EU
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
YEREVAN, June 8. /ARKA/. During his meeting with the Vice-Speaker of
the Euro Parliament Edward Mcmillan-Scott the RA Minister of Foreign
Affairs Vartan Oskanian said he attaches great importance to the role
of the Euro Parliament in the development of dialogue between Armenia
and EU, the Press and Information Department of the RA Ministry of
Foreign Affairs reports.
Interlocutors with satisfaction pointed out the fact of active
cooperation and development of relations between Armenian
parliamentarian and Euro Parliament, particularly touching upon
issues connected with work of the session of Armenia-EU Committee of
Parliamentary Cooperation held in 2006.
Upon Scotts’ request Oskanian presented in outline recent developments
in the process of peace settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and Armenian’s position regarding this problem.
The EP Vice-Speaker is in Yerevan in order to take part in the opening
ceremony of the national office of the International Association of
Business and Parliament.

EP VICE-SPEAKER WELCOMES ARMENIA’S JOINING NEW EURO NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
YEREVAN, June 8. /ARKA/. The Vice Speaker of the Euro Parliament
Edward Macmillan Scott welcomed Armenian’s joining the new European
neighborhood policy.
“We welcome Armenia’s joining the new European neighborhood policy,
as well as negotiations over individual plan for Armenia within the
framework of this policy”, Scott told journalists in Yerevan on June 7.
He believes this policy requests individual approach to each country
in the region taking into account cultural and historical features.
“This principle was used in Balkans as well, and I don’t see a reason
why it can’t be used in this region”, Scott finds.
The EP Vice-Speaker is in Yerevan in order to take part in the opening
ceremony of the national office of the International Association of
Business and Parliament.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress