PROXIMITY IN POSITIONS OF AZERBAIJAN AND BELGIUM IS BASE FOR PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE – ARIF MAMMADOV
Author: E.Huseynov

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006

Interview of Trend with Arif Mammadov, the Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the Benelux countries
and the European Union

Question: How do you estimate the current level and perspectives for
the development of relationships between Azerbaijan and Belgium?

Answer: The relationships between Azerbaijan and Belgium differ for
their friendly character, there are broad opportunities, particularly,
economic capacities for further development of bilateral relationships
and we try to utilize every opportunity for consolidation of the
relationships. The establishment of diplomatic bonds between the two
countries dates to 17 June 1992, while the diplomatic representation
of Azerbaijan in Belgium has been functioning since 1995.

Despite comparably short period of establishment of diplomatic
relationships, it was possible through joint efforts to familiarize an
ordinary citizen of Belgium with Azerbaijan, its ancient history, rich
culture, huge economic potential. Today one can listen to Azerbaijani
music on Belgium Radio in the performance of our [Azerbaijani]
composers, read familiarity articles about Azerbaijan in the magazines,
while some Azerbaijani musical instruments, including tar and saz,
are displayed in the Royal Museum of musical instruments, the biggest
in Europe. Moreover, a monument dedicated Dada Gorgud epos was erected
in the Center of Brussels.

The top-level political contacts are developed intensively. During
the last visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Belgium
in May 2004 the two sides signed bilateral documents promoting the
development of economic relationships. The parliamentary bonds continue
successfully. Last year the chairman of the Chamber of Representatives
of Belgium paid an official visit to Baku.

This year the chairman of the Senate of Belgium is expected to pay
an official visit to Azerbaijan. Next year it is planned to open
an embassy of Belgium in Baku, which will undoubtedly intensify the
bilateral relationships. Our plans also include the establishment of
the Belgium-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce, which would play a major
coordinating role for Belgium entrepreneurs in the search of partners
in Azerbaijan. Active cooperation is carried out in the sphere of
military cooperation. There was reached an agreement on signing of
a Memorandum on mutual understanding in the military sphere and the
sides had exchange of texts of the draft Memorandums.

Proximity in the relationships between Azerbaijan and Belgium are real
base for broad and productive dialogue in all levels. It is necessary
to note that in connection with chairmanship at the OSCE this year,
Belgium’s interests in the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict have increased. The Foreign Minister of Belgium paid one of
his first visits to Baku as an OSCE chair and mulled both multilateral
and bilateral issues.

Question: What efforts are taken in the issue of development of
interstate relationships with Luxemburg?

Answer: On 15 March 2005 I presented my credentials to Great Herzog.

Though Luxembourg is a small country, the amount of per capita
incomes is higher than the EU. The banking system is very much
developed in Luxembourg. With this consideration talks have been
held with the Agency for Transition of Financial Technologies, ATTF,
on rendering assistance to Azerbaijan in the training of banking
specialists. Under the project it is planned to organize short-term
and long-term courses for the improvement of the banking system both
in Baku and in Luxembourg.

The improvement of the legal agreement base of the relationships
continues. Draft text of an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of
culture, education and science has been submitted to the consideration
of Luxembourg. An agreement on avoiding dual taxation, which is
scheduled for signing in the near future, has been initialed. Close
contacts have been established with different state bodies of the
country. The cooperation within the framework of international
organizations, including UNESCO and ECOSOS, go on successfully.

Question: In what stage are the mutual relationships with the
Netherlands?

Answer: The Azerbaijani embassy received an accreditation in the
Kingdom of the Netherlands on 26 January 2005. Last year a number of
meetings were held at the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands with
respect to discuss issues of development and strengthening of the
Azerbaijani-Dutch cooperation in different spheres both in bilateral
format and in the international organizations. Close relationships
have been set up with many state bodies and public organizations.

They conduct constant work with the governmental international
organizations in Hague, such as the International Tribunal, the
International criminal Court, and EuroPol. Work over the achievement
of an agreement with the Dutch organization on education, attraction
of Azerbaijani students to different universities of the Netherlands
is also being cared out.

Positive tendency in the relationships between Azerbaijan and
the Netherlands also reflects on the strengthening of economic
relationships. Increase which has been observed in the goods turnover
between the two countries over the past few years testifies for it.

Work over the development and improvement of the legal-agreement
base not only in the political and humanitarian, but also economic
sphere, is underway. The discussions on inclusion of Azerbaijan into
different economic, humanitarian programs, which are implemented by
the Netherlands, continue.

Question: In what stage is the issue on coordination and adoption of
an Action Plan under the European Neighborhood Plan?

Answer: The Action Plan is an important program instrument of
the European Neighborhood Policy. It is intended to reflect major
milestones of strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU.

Azerbaijan implemented substantial work with regard to hold talks
on the Action Plan with European partners. The official opening and
the first round of talks were held last December. The second round of
consultations was conducted in Brussels on 7 March 2006. Summarizing
the results of the talks I want to say that we succeeded to achieve
agreement on a number of questions. However, there are some items
still to be coordinated. So, there is necessity in one more meeting.

In general, I can’t say that the Action Plan should be ready by
autumn meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Council of Cooperation, which
is expected to adopt this document. But for the time being both the
EU and Azerbaijan are carrying out painstaking work over the text of
the document to meet the deadline.

Question: What about the resolution of an issue on opening of the
European Commission’s diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan?

Answer: A resolution on the opening of a representation of the European
Commission in Baku has been already taken – it is to open and set up
activities in 2007. At present a special representative of the EC on
Azerbaijan, Alan Waddams, represents the organization.

>>From 2003 to February 2006 Heikki Talvitie, a Finnish diplomat,
had been the EU special envoy on South Caucasus. From February 2006 a
Swiss diplomat, Peter Semnebi, replaced him in this post. Along with
different tasks, he is also in charge of assisting the resolution of
existing conflicts in the region.

Question: What work is being carrier out for unifying the efforts of
the Azerbaijani Diaspora in the EU countries, including Belgium?

Answer: Several organizations representing the Azerbaijani Diaspora
function in Belgium, but, unfortunately, there is no unity among
them. The Diaspora mainly includes ethnic Azerbaijanis, citizens of
Turkey and Iran. There is also small Diaspora comprised of Azerbaijani
citizens.

Our embassy tries to unite common efforts in the name of Motherland.

At present the key task of the work with the Diaspora is assistance
in the establishment of a unified, strong, efficient body, which
could unify all Azerbaijanis. It is necessary to maintain or install
national originality, culture, language. We try to render comprehensive
assistance to our Diaspora in the organization of different culture
events, political actions. The embassy permanently carries out joint
meetings with the participation of representatives of Diaspora, marks
Novruz Bayram, the Independence Day of Azerbaijan, and Solidarity
of World Azerbaijanis. It all target unification of uncoordinated
organizations, representing the Azerbaijani community in order
to enable them to state Azerbaijan’s stance from the tribunes in
accessible for diplomats.

It is very important to establish and strengthen the youth, the student
organizations in Europe. They could be base for lobby activities in
the international organizations.

Work experience in Europe testifies that the practice of conduct
of pickets and demonstration by the Diaspora is less efficient. It
is necessary to carry out painstaking work on the level of student
organizations, as the results can be achieved only at the expense of
the high intellectual level.

Question: What are the perspectives for Euro-integration of
Azerbaijan? What is the most difficult in this process?

Answer: Perspectives for the development of relationships are of
course very good and the talks on Action Plan testify for it. The EU
is interested in the cooperation with Azerbaijan and considers it as a
country which plays important role in ensuring the energy security of
the EU. However, the Euro-integration requires tremendous efforts and
close interaction between different bodies of the EU and Azerbaijan
on the expert level.

Due to some problems, we could not achieve the adoption of European
standards, establishment of necessary legislative basis and sanitary.

With huge capacities of export of agriculture products and fish,
unfortunately, we are unable to realize it. Even import of Greece nuts
from Azerbaijan was ceased due to high-toxic substance – aflotoxine –
in connection with non-observation of technical norms while collection
and preservation of the product.

Frequently, people without knowledge of foreign languages come to
Europe for different important events, where no interpretation is
provided. As a result, there is no benefit of their participation
and additionally, it damages the country’s image.

Concerned on the above-mentioned it is necessary to carry out a set
of actions on the improvement of personnel working in the direction
of Euro-integration. It is also necessary to give incentives to the
attraction of highly educated specialists to the state service. The
state service should become more attractive than the work in the
foreign companies.

CHAIRMAN OF CBA: FOREIGN TRADE IS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE FOR ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 28 2006

YEREVAN, March 28. /ARKA/. Foreign trade is of significant importance
for Armenia, as the Chairman of the CBA Tigran Sargsyan stated during
the first international bank conference on issues of financing foreign
trade, which has opened in Yerevan today.

“Foreign trade is of significant importance for Armenia, a little
country, still adhering to the principles of open economic policy”,
he stated.

“In this case offering new instruments to the participants of the
market may establish more favorable conditions for exporters and
importers by increasing effectiveness of our economic system”,
Sargsyan finds.

“Unfortunately we must register that many instruments, used in
the international practice, are not introduced and adopted yet by
commercial banks in the Armenian market, which creates difficulties
for importers and exporters”, Sargsyan added.

In his words, main instruments used in the Armenian market are letters
of credit or short-term credits.

‘From this viewpoint introduction of new instruments, usual for the
international practice, into Armenia may become a significant stimulus
both for exporters and importers”, Sargsyan finds.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HARRY ORBELIAN — SET UP GORBACHEV’S S.F. TRIP
by Cecilia M. Vega, Chronicle Staff Writer

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California)
March 28, 2006 Tuesday
FINAL Edition

Harry Orbelian, an Armenian immigrant with a rags-to-riches life story
who will be remembered as the man who persuaded Soviet President
Mikhail Gorbachev to visit San Francisco in 1990, has died at the
age of 85.

Mr. Orbelian had cancer and died Sunday at his Sonoma home.

He arrived at Ellis Island in 1948 with only $10 in his pocket, took
a job as a janitor at a San Francisco department store, climbed the
ranks and became a millionaire who hobnobbed with politicians and
brokered international trade deals.

His biggest success, however, came by chance — and after a few
glasses of champagne — during a dinner at the Kremlin in 1985.

Never bashful, Mr. Orbelian, who was overseas with a trade delegation
that included then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, worked
up enough courage to talk his way through Russian bodyguards and
introduce the American mayor to the Soviet leader, whom Mr. Orbelian
had never met.

They extended Gorbachev an invitation to San Francisco, and Mr.

Orbelian, never known to take no for an answer, continued to work
the diplomatic channels for five years until Gorbachev made a visit
in 1990.

“He was quite a guy … nobody could have done that except Harry,”
said longtime friend Donald Doyle, a former state assemblyman who
previously ran the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, where Mr.

Orbelian also worked. “Harry never gave up on any issue.”

Mr. Orbelian was born in Armenia to a mother who worked as a
high-ranking official in the oil industry and a father who became a
general in the feared KGB secret police and was killed during one of
Josef Stalin’s purges.

At the start of World War II, the young Orbelian was drafted into the
Red Army and later was captured and sent to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp
in Germany. After the war, Mr. Orbelian and other POWs were labeled
traitors by Stalin’s regime and turned away from their homeland.

He attended medical school in Munich, where he met a doctor who would
become his wife of 53 years, Vera Voznesenskaya.

He never finished medical school, but he found success elsewhere.

Upon arriving in San Francisco in 1949, one of the first things he
did was look for the first Armenian name he spotted in the phone book
and make a phone call.

“That person helped get him a job as a janitor at Gump’s,” said Mr.

Orbelian’s son, George.

Mr. Orbelian’s tenacity caught the attention of higher-ups, and he
was quickly promoted, ultimately rising to become the famous store’s
director of operations and a member of the board of directors.

By 1954, he had earned money to buy a 10-unit building in San
Francisco, and he prospered in the city’s lucrative real estate
market. Eventually, he owned numerous apartment buildings and an
office building in Los Angeles, and he split his time between homes
in San Francisco and Sonoma.

He joined the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in the late 1970s,
where he headed the international department and organized trade
missions to more than 50 countries.

“He is a priceless gem, this fellow,” the late San Francisco Mayor
George Christopher once said about his friend. “I’ve never seen a
man with so many talents.”

Thanks to his far-reaching influence, Mr. Orbelian returned numerous
times to the Soviet Union as an ambassador of sorts, encouraging
trade and business interests.

In 1992, he founded the San Francisco Global Trade Council, which works
to promote economic ties between the Bay Area and foreign countries. He
worked on everything from trying to get the San Francisco Giants
to host the Cuban national baseball team to connecting California
businessmen with the president of Kazakhstan.

He also was a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which
recognizes those who have helped strengthen free society. In January,
he and his wife received an award from the Russian Consulate for
being exemplary parents and role models for their children.

“One of his great lines,” said his son George, “that he greeted
everybody with was, ‘My wonderful brother.’ ”

Mr. Orbelian is survived by his wife, Vera; sons George Orbelian of
San Francisco and Constantine Orbelian of Moscow; daughter Helen
Burns of San Francisco; brother Konstantine Orbelian of Glendale
(Los Angeles County); six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Services will take place Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the St. Gregory
Armenian Apostolic Church, 51 Commonwealth Ave., San Francisco.

GRAPHIC: PHOTO Harry Orbelian entered the United States with only
$10 in his pocket and became a millionaire.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TIME TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL LEADER

UK Newsquest Regional Press – This is Herefordshire
March 28, 2006 Tuesday

Herefordshire

Two films detailing the work of the Greek-Armenian spiritual master
George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (1866-1949) will show at the WRVS
Riverside Community Centre, Vicarage Road, Hereford, on Monday,
March 6 and Monday, March13 at 7pm.

Meetings with Remarkable Men, directed by Peter Brook, will show first.

Based on Gurdjieff’s book and filmed in the rarely photographed
mountains and deserts of Afghanistan, the film includes rarely seen
footage of sacred dances directed by Gurdjieff’s pupil Jeanne de
Salzmann (1979).

The Seekers of Truth, a documentary film of Gurdjieff’s unending
search from early years in the Caucasus to his last days in Paris,
will show second.

INTERNATIONAL BANKING CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN TO DEAL WITH TRADE FINANCING
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
March 27, 2006 Monday 11:12 PM EST

Armenia’s trade financing matters of current importance are to
be discussed at an international banking conference opening here
on Tuesday.

The conference, which has been organised by the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Armeconombank,
the republic’s leading commercial bank, one quarter of the assets
of which belongs to the EBRD, is held within the framework of the
EBRD-devised trade assistance programme for the banks of Central and
Eastern Europe and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries.

The Programme is aimed at stepping up intra-regional and international
trade through encouragement of the activities of West European banks.

The EBRD, in particulr, assumes political and payment risks in favour
of Armenian companies that transact export-import operations.

The Conference is to be addressed by Central Bank executives and
officials of the Armenian government and various international
financial organisations.

The delegates of the banks of Russia, Austria, Belarus, Britain,
Germany, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, the Netherlands, the United
Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Ukraine are to share their experience. The
guests are to get acquainted with the peculiarities of banking, tax
and customs legislation of the republic and its practical applications.

The forum has already attracted the attention of numerous companies
which operate in Armenia and are interested in the crediting of
their commercial activities. They operate in most diverse sectors of
the the economy ranging from engineering and communications to the
production of canned food and toys. A practical training seminar is
to be conducted for them with the participation of the experts of
the EBRD and other organisations.

The Armeconombank, which is the legal successor to the Armenian
republican bank of the Zhilsotsbank of the USSR (housing and social
development bank), was the republic’s first one to get reorganised
from the state-run bank into a joint-stock one. At present, it has
39,000 clients who are catered for in 40 branches of the bank.

On the strength of last year’s results, Armenia’s Central Bank
and the Ministry of Finance referred to the Armeconombank as the
republican government’s best agent in the management of the national
domestic debt.

RUSSIA SEES KOSOVO AS THE ANSWER
By Simon Saradzhyan
Staff Writer

The Moscow Times, Russia
March 29 2006

Russian officials are floating the idea of making the world’s largest
country a little bit bigger by adding a new region called Alania —
an area that would consist of a merged North and South Ossetia.

The proposed expansion hinges on Georgia’s breakaway region of South
Ossetia voting for independence — a vote that would mirror a similar
plebiscite planned for Kosovo. Russia insists that Kosovo’s vote
could be copied to resolve conflicts in separatist regions across
the former Soviet Union.

While talk of uniting the two regions into a single Russian
subject might be a trial balloon, Russia would face potentially
deep repercussions if it were to set the precedent of embracing the
supremacy of a people’s right to self-determination.

Gennady Bukayev, an assistant to Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov,
told a joint session of the leaders of South and North Ossetia on
March 22 that the federal government had agreed in principle to
incorporate South Ossetia.

The two republics would then be united into one, “the name of which
is already known to the world — Alania,” Bukayev said at the meeting
in the North Ossetian capital, Vladikavkaz, Vedomosti and Nezavisimaya
Gazeta reported.

Bukayev’s comments were received enthusiastically by the attending
officials, and he was interrupted by applause several times, said
Madina Dzhanayeva, an Itar-Tass reporter who attended the meeting,
Vedomosti reported.

Hours after Bukayev spoke, the Foreign Ministry released a statement
denying that Moscow had plans to incorporate South Ossetia, even if
the region held a referendum in the wake of the planned Kosovo vote.

Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in the statement on the
ministry’s web site that Bukayev had been misquoted and that Russia’s
position remained that the status of South Ossetia should be determined
within the Joint Control Commission, a group that includes South
Ossetia, Moscow and Tbilisi.

Repeated attempts to contact Bukayev through the federal government
press service were unsuccessful.

The Foreign Ministry’s attempt to contain the news failed, however,
as government officials and analysts alike began to publicly debate
how far a Kosovo precedent could propel separatist regions across
the former Soviet Union toward de jure independence.

Despite attempts by Washington, Tbilisi and Baku to present a vote
in Kosovo as a unique situation, North Ossetian President Taimuraz
Mamsurov said the unification of North and South Ossetia was
“inevitable.”

“When and how it will happen is a different issue,” he told Interfax
a day after the March 22 joint session.

Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov was only a bit more
diplomatic, saying the question of whether South Ossetia would become
part of Russia depended on the final status of Kosovo.

“We are closely watching what is happening in Kosovo. The situation
there is very similar to South Ossetia, and they are heading toward
the establishment of an independent state,” Mironov said, Interfax
reported.

“The people of North and South Ossetia are one people, even if it
[the territory] is divided. And as history shows, people like them
unify eventually,” he said.

Mironov’s position dovetails with Russia’s view that whatever status
Kosovars choose and the international community seals should be
treated as a precedent for the resolution of similar conflicts.

Ethnic Albanian and Serbian officials are currently engaged in United
Nations-mediated talks on the future of Kosovo. Albanians, who comprise
about 90 percent of Kosovo’s 2 million people, want full independence,
while Serbia and Kosovo’s Serb minority insist that Belgrade retain
some control over the province. Despite Serbia’s stance, some form
of independence appears almost certain for Kosovo, which has been run
as a UN protectorate since 1999, when NATO air strikes drove Serbian
forces out and ended a crackdown by then-Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic on Albanian separatists.

President Vladimir Putin voiced Russia’s position during his news
conference on Jan. 31. “If someone thinks that Kosovo can be granted
full independence as a state, then why should the Abkhaz or the South
Ossetians not also have the right to statehood?” Putin said. Abkhazia
is another separatist region of Georgia.

“I am not saying that Russia would immediately recognize Abkhazia or
South Ossetia as independent states, but international experience has
such precedents,” he said. “I am not saying whether these precedents
are a good or a bad thing, but in order to act fairly in the interests
of all people living on this or that territory, we need generally
accepted, universal principles for resolving these problems.”

In the weeks after Putin’s remarks, officials from the separatist
governments of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh have voiced
support for the argument that Kosovo could serve as a precedent,
while senior officials from Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan have
challenged the argument. Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave claimed by
Armenia and Azerbaijan, while Moldova is struggling with a separatist
region of its own, Transdnestr. With the exception of Transdnestr,
all of the breakaway regions are populated by a dominant ethnic group.

Georgy Khaindrava, Georgia’s minister for conflict resolution, said
Putin’s remarks came as no surprise given Russia’s “unilateral support”
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

“The Kosovo model is not a universal one,” said Georgian Foreign
Minister Gela Bezhuashvili.

Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Kosovo “must not set
a precedent, regardless of its outcome.”

Even U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Rosemary DiCarlo weighed
in, telling Kommersant that Kosovo was a unique case that had grown
out of the violent breakup of Yugoslavia.

Political experts said, however, that Kosovo’s case was not so unique
and could easily be applied to most of the frozen conflicts in the
former Soviet Union.

“How many parameters can one list to make their case unique? Is
Kosovo all that unique? I don’t think so,” said Monica Duffy Toft,
an expert on ethnic conflicts in the former Soviet Union at Harvard
University’s Kennedy School of Government.

She and Alexei Malashenko, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center,
said the Kosovo vote would set a precedent that the leaders of South
Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh would rely on to strengthen
their independence bids.

“The Kosovo vote will open the floodgates, it will be a wake-up call
that the principle of territorial integrity is no longer absolute in
the tradeoff with the right to self-determination,” Malashenko said.

He and Mikhail Roshchin, a Caucasus expert at the Institute of
Oriental Studies, expressed doubt that Russia had any imminent plans
to annex South Ossetia and said Bukayev’s statement looked like a
trial balloon. “They might be probing to see what the reaction is,”
Roshchin said.

However, the statement should not have been permitted even as a trial
balloon if Russia was truly interested in absorbing South Ossetia,
Malashenko said. “They should have kept mum until after the vote and
the subsequent recognition of Kosovo,” he said.

Nikolai Silayev, a senior expert with the Center for Caucasus
Studies at the Moscow State University of Foreign Relations, agreed
the statement could have been a test and questioned the wisdom
of incorporating a willing South Ossetia. He said the economically
depressed region would become a new burden for the federal budget and
that unification of the two regions might fuel Ossetian nationalism.

Silayev said Russia would benefit most if Georgia formed a weak
confederation state with Abkhazia and South Ossetia and that state
was anchored to Russia.

Toft also questioned the viability of Russia’s position on Kosovo
being a precedent for South Ossetia, noting that Russia could face
the uncomfortable prospect of Chechnya and other Russian regions
dominated by one or two ethnic groups in the North Caucasus also
seeking independence through referendums.

South Ossetia fought and won a bloody war to achieve de facto
independence from Georgia in 1992. Since then, the region’s economy has
relied heavily on Russia for support, and its leaders have periodically
called on Moscow to incorporate the region into Russia.

South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity made the latest call at the
joint session in Vladikavkaz last week, saying he would ask the
Russian Constitutional Court to look into whether his region could
be “re-integrated” into Russia. He cited the 1774 Treaty of Kuchuk
Kainarji between Russia and the Ottoman Empire that made South Ossetia
part of Russia, and said no later treaty had transferred the region
to Georgia.

Both Georgia and the United States criticized Kokoity. Julie Finley,
the U.S. ambassador to the Vienna-based Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, said the United States reconfirmed “our
unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Georgia and the peaceful resolution of both the South Ossetia
and Abkhazia conflicts based on that principle,” The Associated
Press reported.

Khaindrava, Georgia’s minister for conflict resolution, also attacked
Bukayev’s statement, calling it “absolutely irresponsible” and urging
Moscow to condemn it.

Russia officially maintains that it honors Georgia’s territorial
integrity, and it keeps a peacekeeping force in South Ossetia. But
Tbilisi has accused Moscow of supporting the region through trade,
economic aid and the distribution of Russian passports to residents.

As of 2003, 70,000 people lived in South Ossetia, with 67 percent
of them ethnic Ossetian and 25 percent ethnic Georgians, according
to Izvestia. A total of 95 percent of the residents hold Russian
passports, which Georgian officials say is a reflection of Russia’s
tacit support for the independence movement.

A similar number of residents in Abkhazia and a sizeable part of the
population of Transdnestr hold Russian passports.

IT IS NOT FOR MILITARY MEN TO ANSWER QUESTION IF KARABAKH WAR CAN BE RESUMED: ARMENIAN DEPUTY DM

YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. It is not for military men to answer the
question if the Karabakh war can be resumed, says Armenian Deputy
Defence Minister Artur Agabekyan while commenting on the growing
number of skirmishes on the Armenian-Azeri contact line.

He refutes the reports that young people are not allowed to leave
Armenia. He admits that there is certain “activity” on the contact
line but it is due to spring engineering work (digging of trenches)
and also to the constant bellicose rhetoric from Baku. There has
always been exchange of fire – if the Azeris fired at the Armenians,
the Armenians responded – “as we cannot allow them to fire at our
positions.” “Our military men serve perfectly and are always ready
to rebuff any local or large-scale attack,” says Agabekyan.

THIRD INTERNATIONAL MILITARY-MEDICAL CONFERENCE HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. The 3rd in international military-medical
conference has set off in Hotel Congress in Yerevan today. The event
is sponsored by the US European Command.

The 1st conference was held in Yerevan in 2004. Then attending the
event were 20 representatives from 8 countries. Now too attending the
conference are 20 military doctors from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia,
Albania, Ukraine, Georgia and Austria. The conferees will discuss
the development and strengthening of military-medical cooperation
between the participant countries.

Armenian Deputy Defence Minister Artur Agabekyan says that this year
Armenia will host NATO Rescuer 2006.

PEACE AND STABILITY BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY POSSIBLE ONLY GIVEN NORMAL RELATIONS AND DIALOGUE

YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. Peace and stability between Armenia and
Turkey is possible only if the countries establish normal relations
and dialogue, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan says in an
interview to Turkish Hurriyet.

Oskanyan says that though having problems with some other neighbors
too Turkey has no diplomatic relations only with Armenia. Meanwhile,
the Turkish-Armenian border is internationally accepted political
reality. The reality is that Armenia and Turkey are neighbors and
must live side by side. Besides, Armenia poses no threat to Turkey’s
security and this alone is enough for taking the first steps towards
each other. There are many misconceptions about Turkey ad Armenia which
are due primarily to Turkey’s refusal to have diplomatic relations
with Armenia.

Asked if it was because of the Armenian Diaspora that Armenia
and Turkey have bad relations, Oskanyan says that were it not for
the events of 1915 there would be no Armenian Diaspora at all. And
now Armenia and the Diaspora seek the international recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. On the other hand, the closure
of borders and the lack of diplomatic relations are making people
nervous and increasing farther from one another. The Armenian Diaspora
wants Armenia to have good relations with all of its neighbors. Armenia
hopes that Turkey also wants to have good relations with its neighbors
and expects relevant steps from Ankara.

Oskanyan notes that Turkey has not yet responded to Amenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s address to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
that “a historical commission” can be formed only between countries
having diplomatic relations and open borders and can become part of
a large-scale governmental dialogue.

INTERNATIONAL BANK CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN TRADE FINANCING HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. A big international bank conference
on foreign trade financing has set off in Yerevan today, reports
ARMINFO correspondent. The initiators of the conference are EBRD,
EU and ArmEconomBank.

President of Armenian Central Bank Tigran Sargsyan read out Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan’s welcoming address to the conferees.

Kocharyan notes the importance of such events for the development
of Armenia foreign trade. He wishes the conferees fruitful work and
strong ties.

Deputy Trade and Economic Development Minister Tigran Davtyan read out
the welcoming address of Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan,
who notes the importance of enlarging joint trade projects, increasing
the export of Armenian products, raising their competitiveness in
the world, improving the business climate in Armenia.

CB President Tigran Sargsyan noted the importance of new international
trade financing instruments but regrets that few of them are applied
in Armenia. Most Armenian banks just give elementary bills of credit
and short-term credits to exporters and importers, which strongly
limits the capacities of Armenian producers and importers. The
application of internationally accepted instruments will allow to
enlarge partnership, to reduce risks in foreign trade and to give
stimulus to the economy development.

Sargsyan noted the big role of EBRD’s trade financing programs, which
allow Armenian banks to finance trade with foreign partners. He said
that Armenian banks need international ratings for establishing strong
direct contacts with authoritative international banking structures.

EBRD Director for South Caucasus, Belarus and Moldova Michael Davey
said that the trade financing sector is dynamically developing in
Armenia and urged the international conferees to establish tighter
cooperation with Armenian banks. He said that last year alone EBRD
allocated 20 mln EUR for financing trade, pharmaceutics, energy
and insurance in Armenia. He noted that there are certain political
risks in Armenia but they play no big role in the cooperation with
Armenian partners.

ArmEconomBank President Ashot Osipyan said that due to its involvement
in EBRD programs Armeconom has established own ties with foreign
partners and is actively working in trade financing.

Attending the conference are representatives of such big international
banking structures as American Express Bank, Reiffeisen Bank, Deutsche
Bank, CommerzBank, Dresden Bank, City Bank, International Financial
Corporation as well as of UAE, Russian, Syrian and Ukrainian banks.