ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN NOT AGAINST HANDING FRESH ASSETS TO RUSSIA
Armenpress
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian parliament chairman Arthur
Baghdasarian indicated today he was not against handing over fresh
assets to Russia in return for what he described ‘the best price of
natural gas,” that Russia sells to Armenia.’ Speaking to reporters
he said any option that would not run counter to Armenia’s strategic
interests and its national security could be acceptable. He said
Armenian and Russian authorities should consider all compensation
mechanisms to mitigate the aftereffects of the doubled price
of gas that became $110 per one thousand cubic meters from April
1. Baghdasarian praised a previous Armenian-Russian deal christened
as Assets for Debt by which Armenia handed to Russia five enterprises
in return for its almost $100 million debt, saying the same scheme
could be applied concerning gas.
Baghdasarian said he was unaware if Armenia and Russia were negotiating
selling 45 percent of shares in Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to Moscow or
handing the fifth unit of Hrazdan power plant. He said Armenian and
Russian energy officials continued talks which he said would be over
in a couple of days and only then one can asses what has been achieved.

KOCHARIAN AND CADASTRE CHIEF DISCUSS LAND AUCTION, ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION
Armenpress
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS: Land auctions, illegal construction
and some other issues pertaining to real property market topped the
agenda of a meeting today of president Kocharian with Manuk Vardanian,
head of the state cadastre committee.
Kocharian was quoted by his press office as saying that the process
of land auctioning must become more transparent and open and more
accessible to all. In this regard Kocharian stressed the necessity
of revising the land zoning, which he said would help to set real
starting prices when a land plot is auctioned.
Kocharian and Vardanian also discussed options for resolving the
problem of illegal constructions that were not legalized before
the end of a deadline set by the government. They also spoke about
trends in the mortgage market and some other issues. Particularly,
it was stated that the number of deals in mortgage market increased
27 percent in the first two months of this year from a year ago.

ERDOGAN’S ADVISOR SAYS TURKS ENTRUST WHAT IS MOST DEAR TO THEM TO ARMENIANS
Armenpress
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS: Egemen Bagis, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s foreign policy adviser and Justice & Development
Party (AKP) deputy, said international observers expected Turkey to
open its border with Armenia.
Speaking at the New York Foreign Relations Council, he said Turkey
recognized Armenia as a sovereign state. “We do not have diplomatic
relations with Armenia, but we respect Armenians’ sovereignty as we
respect the sovereignty of all other former Soviet republics,’ he
was quoted by RFE/RL as saying. Bagis said Turkey did not open its
borders with Armenia and did not seek establishment of diplomatic
relations because ‘Armenia does recognize these borders.”
“Armenian Constitutional does not say that Armenia recognizes its
border with Turkey,’ he was quoted as saying.
He then said around 50,000 Armenian citizens were living now in Turkey,
the majority without relevant permissions. He claimed the majority
of Armenian citizens worked as babysitters in Turkish families.
“Turks have entrusted their children, the dearest they have, to
Armenians, which is evidence there is no enmity between them. This
means we have much in common,” he was quoted as saying.
Meantime a survey conducted by Sociometer polling center among 1000
young Armenians revealed that the overwhelming majority was against
normalization of relations with Turkey if this is to be done by
ignoring Armenians’ territorial claims to Turkey and without its
acknowledgement of the 1915 genocide. The Sociometer said 90 percent
of respondents said they were against that way of improvement of
relations with Turkey. The share of those who would seek economic and
other ties with Turkey before it recognized the genocide and met other
Armenian demands was only 4 percent., while 6 percent were undecided.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI LEADER PRAISES TIES WITH TURKEY
Turan news agency
4 Apr 06
Baku, 4 April: “Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are at the
highest level,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told journalists
after the completion of talks with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer.
Aliyev said that during their talks they had discussed the development
of bilateral ties in the political, economic and humanitarian areas.
Aliyev noted that economic growth in both countries makes it possible
to actively develop trade and economic cooperation. Entrepreneurs of
the two countries should use opening opportunities for cooperation,
he said.
The presidents also discussed topical international problems and
regional cooperation, Aliyev noted. He said that Turkey and Azerbaijan
are successfully implementing energy projects of international
significance.
“The energy corridor which will start operating with the launch
this year of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline will bring us even closer and
increase the importance of our countries,” Aliyev said.
He said that they had also discussed the construction of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Aliyev said that there are no disagreements
on the issue. “Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia are fully determined
to achieve the successful implementation of this project,” he noted.
Aliyev and Sezer also exchanged opinions on the Karabakh settlement.
Aliyev thanked Turkey for its “fair” position on the issue. Aliyev
confirmed that Azerbaijan’s position on this problem is the same: the
conflict must be resolved on the basis of norms of international law,
within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, provided
that Azerbaijani refugees return to their native lands.
Sezer said that Azerbaijani-Turkish ties have a firm foundation and are
based on common interests. Turkey fully supports all of Azerbaijan’s
aspirations towards revival. During the talks, they discussed possible
joint steps to settle the Karabakh conflict and other problems in the
South Caucasus. Turkey favours a peaceful solution to the Karabakh
conflict within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
in line with international law. He stressed Turkey’s readiness to do
its best for the establishment of lasting peace in the South Caucasus.
Sezer also expressed satisfaction with Azerbaijan’s support for
bringing [the self-declared Turkish Republic of] Northern Cyprus out
of international isolation.
[In a separate report, Turan news agency, Baku, in Russian 1423 gmt 4
Apr 06 quoted Sezer as saying that Turkey had invested in Azerbaijan
4.5bn dollars, including 2.2bn dollars in the non-oil sector.]

PACE SPRING SESSION FOCUSES ON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Lragir.am
04.04.2006
Strasbourg
Relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union will
be a major theme of the Spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg from
10 to 13 April 2006.
Later in the week, on Thursday, parliamentarians will debate a
memorandum of understanding between the two European organisations
as well as the specific issue of the EU’s new Fundamental Rights
Agency. Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis and the
Chairperson of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee
Elmar Brok will take part in the debate.
A possible urgent debate on stopping trafficking in women before the
FIFA World Cup, as well as debates on the human rights of members of
the armed forces and combating the resurrection of nazi ideology, are
among other highlights. Representatives of the Palestinian Legislative
Council and the Israeli Knesset have been invited to a debate on the
situation in the Middle East.
Debates are also due on the place of mother tongue in school education,
refugees and displaced persons in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia,
the social reintegration of prisoners and poverty and the fight
against corruption in Council of Europe member states.

PROSECUTOR DEMANDED LIFE SENTENCE
Lragir.am
04.04.2006
On April 4 the recurrent sitting for the trial of the Azerbaijani
officer Ramil Safarov indicted for the assassination of the Armenian
officer Gurgen Margaryan took place. The prosecutor stated that at the
moment of committing the crime the murderer was sane. The prosecutor
demanded a life sentence for Safarov, without the right for pardon
for 30 years. According to him, it is the harshest punishment by
the Hungarian criminal code. The prosecutor started his speech with
the statement that by this monstrous murder Ramil Safarov disgraced
the honor of Hungary as a host country. According to the prosecutor,
on arriving in Hungary Gurgen Margaryan did not think that he would
not be able to return home, he did not think that his life would be
endangered in Hungary. After the prosecutor’s speech, the defender
and the defendant pronounced their final speeches. The verdict will
be passed on April 13.

PRICE OF GAS HAS A POLITICAL CONTEXT
Lragir.am
05.04.2006
The results of the poll conducted by the Lragir.am on the context of
the developments around the price of gas suggest that 60 per cent can
see a political context in the developments connected with gas. 21
per cent of readers who voted within the past week think that the
context is geopolitical. 10 per cent suggest that these developments
have an economic context. 9 per cent believe that these developments
are connected with the upcoming elections.

TURKS THREATENED ANDRE
Lragir.am
05.04.2006
Under the rules of Eurovision, before the contest the singers are
invited to sing in other countries participating in the international
song contest. Andre who will represent Armenia has already received
invitations from 7 countries: Russia, Belarus, Moldavia, Cyprus,
Greece, etc. On April 6 Andre will set off on a concert tour to
these countries. In Russia Andre will sing with Irina Allegrova,
Iosif Kobzon, and others. In Belarus Andre will be the guest of a
number of TV shows and radio programs. Armenia has invited Cyprus,
Greece, Israel and singers from other countries. Andre considers the
representatives of Greece, Romania and Andorra his chief opponents.
While other countries are voting for the song, representing Armenia,
Turks hack Andre’s website out of envy, and the website did not work
for 7 hours. Then our neighbors sent letters to Andre, containing
abuse and threats to kill him.
Andre is open to criticism of his song in Armenia. “For me the opinion
of professionals is important, those who do not like the song, they
may not listen to it,” Andre offers such a remedy.
Moreover, he thinks, criticism is free advertisement, and he believes
that 90 per cent of people in Armenia are beside him.
Andre was first shocked when he learned he was going to open Eurovision
2006. “I don’t know why my family thought I would be the 23rd,”
says the singer.

ARMENIA READY TO RECEIVE AZERI FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
4 Apr 06
The test match between the Armenian and Azerbaijani national teams as
part of the Euro 2008 qualifiers can be held in Yerevan. The Armenian
government will be happy to receive the Azerbaijani football team and
fans and to ensure their security, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Markaryan told UEFA Chief Executive Lars Olsson at a meeting.
Lars Olsson said that the UEFA is expecting similar guarantees from
the Azerbaijani side as well. Baku has immediately sent a denial
message. The president of the Azerbaijani Football Federation
Association announced that the Azerbaijani team would not be able
to go to Armenia. He said that it is also unacceptable for Armenian
football players to come to Baku.
[Video showed the meeting]

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN: WE HAVE ALREADY EXHAUSTED POSSIBILITIES OF HOLDING ELECTIONS BY OUTLINED AND FALSIFIED SCENARIOS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. A European expert group will pay a
visit to Armenia in the coming month for the purpose of working with
the Armenian parliamentarians on the draft amendments and additions
to the Electoral Code.
Extra-parliamentary and civil society representatives will be
also involved. RA National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian
informed Noyan Tapan correspondent about it. According to him, the
above-mentioned draft has been already sent to the CE Venice Commission
and to OSCE. It is rather large and envisages over 100 amendments
and additions. According to NA Speaker, they are serious changes
of both editorial and “political character.” He did not exclude the
draft’s revision and the possibility of accepting the reservations
of the groups and factions during the future discussions. “We have
already exhausted the possibilities of holding elections by outlined
and falsified scenarios,” NA Speaker emphasized.