ARMENIA IS CONSIDERED A FOE IN GEORGIA

Lragir.am
28 March 06

The news agency Regnum informs that the Georgian Kviris Palitra
Newspaper conducted a poll, and 28.1 per cent considered Armenia one
of Georgia’s foes.

Fortunately, the poll does not suggest that Armenia is the prime foe
of Georgia, for 34 per cent named Belarus among Georgia’s foes. 4.7
per cent of the participants of the poll think referred to Turkey as
a foe, and 1.6 per cent think the same of Azerbaijan. By this opinion
poll Russia was “recognized” the chief “enemy” of Georgia, for 95 per
cent of the participants of the poll conducted by the Kviris Palitra
Newspaper think so.

POLITICAL PROBLEMS MADE ARMENIAN COMPANIES MORE FLEXIBLE

Lragir.am
28 March 06

Michael Davy, the regional director of the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Belarus and Moldavia announced in Yerevan on March 28 that the EBRD
granted a loan of 20 million euros to four Armenian banks.

According to Michael Davy, the funding involves a rather wide range
of spheres: pharmaceutics, energy, insurance, etc. At the same time,
the EBRD representative pointed out the importance of diversity of
activities of Armenian companies and the search for new international
partners, informs the news agency ARKA.

Michael Davy said the Armenian companies have become more flexible
due to the political problems that the Armenian economy is facing.

KARABAKH IS NOT A GREY AREA BUT IT MAY BE SENSITIVE

Lragir.am
28 March 06

On March 21 and 22 the meeting of the industrial and environmental
commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of Black Sea Economic
Cooperation took place in Bucharest. Member of Parliament Gagik
Minasyan, who represented Armenia at the meeting, reported details
to news reporters on March 28.

The issue of cooperation in struggle against economic crimes was on
the agenda of the commission. Fighting bird flu was discussed as a
burning issue.

Gagik Minasyan said during the discussion of the issue
on the agenda Azerbaijan again spoke about Karabakh, the
refugees and territories. The representatives of Armenia was
not startled. Addressing the Parliamentary Forum, Gagik Minasyan
announced: “The economic blockade of an entire country is a specific
economic crime organized on a top governmental level. Azerbaijan has
been committing this economic crime of the government level against
Armenia for a number of years.” And proposed to uproot all the types
of economic crime, including blockade.

Georgia proposed to state in the resolution on fighting economic crime
that ” One of the main types of economic crime is the so-called grey
areas, such as, for instance, the post-conflict areas of Abkhazia and
the former South Osetian sovereign region in Georgia, where there are
illegal markets and illegal circulation of foreign currency.” Georgia
proposed to include in the recommendations of the resolution that
in grey areas, particularly, in the mentioned places, the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation should assist in seeking for peace settlements
of the conflict.

The phrase “grey area” was disapproved by Armenia, as well as Turkey
with regard to Cyprus, and Russia with regard to Chechnya. The
phrase in the Georgian proposal was replaced by “sensitive areas”:
“One of the main types of economic crime is the so-called sensitive
areas, which favor illegal trade and illegal circulation of foreign
currency.” Many disliked the phrase “sensitive areas” used in the
recommendations as well, for the phrase “sensitive areas” can suggest
anything. But the resolution has already been passed.

TRIBUTE OF HONOR TO ASHOT NAVASARDYAN’S MEMORY

ArmRadio
28.03.2006 16:38

On the occasion of 56th anniversary of the founder of the Republican
Party of Armenia, participant of the national liberation war Ashot
Navasardyan, representatives of the Republican Party headed by RA
Prime Minister, President of the RPA Council Andranik Margaryan,
members of RA government and a number of NA Deputies attended Erablur
to pay a tribute to his memory.

According to Andranik Margaryan, the Republican Party continues to
accomplish the theses of their program, which is a continuous process.

“Our major purpose is independence, which Asot and his friends were
fighting for in Soviet times,” RA prime Minister noted.

According to the decision of the Yerevan City Hall, school #196 in
Davitashen was named after Ashot Navasardyan. The school will be
sponsored by the republican Party.

OSCE MISSION TO CARRY OUT REGULAR MONITORING AT THE CONTACT LINE OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2006 16:53

On March 29 the OSCE Mission will carry out regular monitoring at
the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

>From the Armenian side the monitoring will be carried out by
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador
Anjey Kasprchik and his field assistants Alexander Samarski and
Imre Palatinius. From the Azerbaijani side the monitoring will be
accomplished field assistants of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Harry
Erronen and Peter Key.

AGAIN GAS, AGAIN FRAUD?

Lragir.am
28 March 06

The government is taking measures to relieve the consequences of
expensive gas, but meanwhile it is waiting for the outcome of the
negotiations with Russia, stated Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
to news reporters on March 28.

However, the prime minister declined to reveal what Armenia had offered
Gasprom in return for “a not very high price,” as the co-chair of
the Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission, Defense Minister
Serge Sargsyan had put it.

“We will tell when it is time,” says Prime Minister
Margaryan. According to him, the negotiations will finish in the
nearest future, so the Armenian society will soon learn how our
government managed to persuade Gasprom. It is obvious, however, that
the public will not learn about it on time, as the prime minister said;
as soon as it becomes known what Armenia had offered to Russians in
return for low price of gas, it will not be essential, for it will
already be a fact. Whereas, the problem is much serious. In fact,
they are preparing the society psychologically and mentally that there
is only one alternative to what we are going to cede or to offer –
expensive gas and hard social consequences. So this time the government
of Armenia prepares an excellent social basis, and naturally people
predicting a threat to their budgets will instinctively agree to
anything except emptying their already empty pockets.

Let us suppose, however, that the government of Armenia has,
nevertheless, made a dignified deal for the state with Gasprom. It
does not imply that everything was done for the sake of the Republic
of Armenia. After guaranteeing a low price of gas the government will
have to account for the decision of the Public Utilities Commission,
which has already boosted the tariffs of gas for the population and
industries, assuming that the price of gas would be 110 dollars on
the border. And the decision of the commission will be in effect
for at least 6 months, and the price will not be reasonable. But the
government will not allow this, stated Andranik Margaryan once again.

“We can solve this problem by a government decision only. In other
words, what additional resources the government possesses that can
ensure certain compensation. The commission has done its job, the rest
is our problem, it is a matter of resources, what resources we have,
how much we will manage to cut the price,” said the prime minister.

It would be reassuring if it were not so very sly and extremely
distressing.

The Public Utilities Commission has, apparently, decided on something
that does not exist yet. The government is still negotiating, whereas
the commission already has adopted a decision. If the government
belonged to Armenia, and the commission belonged to Equatorial Guinea,
for instance, the disaccord in their actions could be justified. But
in this case two governmental organizations are concerned. And now
the prime minister announces that the government will find a way
to compensate for the price of gas, maintained by the commission,
on its resources.

EXPECTATIONS OF DEMOCRACY ARE NOT GREAT

Lragir.am
28 March 06

“Will there be upward democracy?” Lragir.am offered its readers
this question, which was one of the burning topics in the public
and political life over the past week. The results of our opinion
poll suggest that expectations of democratization, what is more,
of upright democratization, are not great.

Only 29 per cent answered “yes”, thus expressing their confidence
that upward democracy is possible. 33 per cent think that upward
democratization is unlikely to happen. 12 per cent think there are
no preconditions for “upward democratization” in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VANO SIRADEGHYAN SHOULD GET BACK TO ARMENIA

Lragir.am
28 March 06

If a certain political figure wants to become engaged in the internal
political developments in Armenia, he is supposed to live in Armenia
first, said Prime Minister Andranik Manukyan to news reporters on March
28 with regard to the interview with Vano Siradeghyan, published in
the Haykakan Zhamanak Daily.

“Every political figure has the right to express an opinion, especially
Vano Siradeghyan, who has been out of Armenia for six years and follows
the political processes from afar; I do not agree to everything that
he said, but everyone has the right to express an opinion. I think
that people who want to be engaged in politics in Armenia must live
in Armenia, participate in these processes, and only then analyze
and offer remedies,” stated the prime minister.

REPUBLICANS AND DEFENSE MINISTER HAVE NOT ARRANGED, SAID THE PRIME MINISTER

Lragir.am
28 March 06

The most curious intrigue of the upcoming developments, related to
the possible alliance or divorce of Serge Sargsyan and the Republican
Party in the parliamentary election of 2007, remains obscure. We have
information that the parties have arranged to issue a joint statement
soon. There is such information in press as well. However, on March
28 Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, answering the question of the
Lragir.am reporter, denied arrangements to run for parliament with
Serge Sargsyan. In answer to the question if there has been such an
arrangement, the prime minister said, “We will tell when there is.”

STANDSTILL IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATION, DEADLOCK IN THE KARABAKH ISSUE (ANALYSIS)
Tatul Hakobyan

“Radiolur”[ArmRadio.am]
28.03.2006 18:15

On April 4, 1993 the Armenian-Turkish border was closed on Turkish
government ‘s decision. Soon it will be 13 years of the blockade. The
ground for the blockade was taking control of Kelbajar region by Armed
Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh. Preceding that, in late 1991 Ankara had
recognized Armenia’s independence and established diplomatic relations
proposing two preconditions: Armenia should refuse from its ambitions
regarding the Eastern regions of today’s Turkey and should recognize
the borders of contemporary Turkish state, as well as stop the campaign
for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In fact,
the withdrawal of forces from Kelbajar and later from the security
zone around Nagorno-Karabakh became the second precondition.

However, Ankara was not content itself with the blockade. In
1993 Turkey intended to penetrate into Armenia, about which
former Ambassador of Greece Leonidas Khrisantupolis wrote in his
recollections. Former head of the State National Security Agency of
Armenia Eduard Simonyants confirmed the statement.

Simonyants had stated in his talk with “Noyyan Tapan” Agency, “In
autumn 1993 Turkey was really intending to attack Armenia. And it
is not the sole case, for several times Armenian territory has been
under threat of Turkish attack.

The threat of invasion was really immense.”

In the recent 13 years there have been a number of meetings on the
level of Presidents and Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Turkey;
Armenian-Turkish relations, however, were not brought out of the
deadlock. Like 13 years ago, today Ankara does not refuse from
preconditions. On the other hand, however, Armenian-Turkish relations
have undergone certain transformations lately, to be more correct,
another component has been added to these relations, that is the
Karabakh issue.

The West is trying to include the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict and the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations in a
single package, i.e. to find a simultaneous solution to these two
most complex and extremely important issues for Armenia. Here, it
is important for us to understated the core of the solution, i.e. in
case we receive something useful in the Karabakh issue, what should
we give instead to Armenian-Turkish relations? And the opposite, if
we gain something in Armenian-Turkish relations, what and how much
should we yield in the Karabakh case?