WHAT SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI NEEDS
Lragir/am
21 March 06
The results of the poll on the problems of Samtskhe-Javakheti among
the readers of Lragir.am show that opinions on the ways of settlement
of the problems of Samtskhe-Javakheti are quite different.
The majority voted for sovereignty. 48 per cent of readers think that
Samtskhe-Javakheti must become sovereign. 22 per cent think that
the improvement of the social and economic state in the country is
urgent. 14 per cent think Samtskhe-Javakheti needs greater integration
into the Georgian society, and 13 per cent think that it is urgent
to eliminate discrimination in this region. 3 per cent think that
Samtskhe-Javakheti wants an official status for the Armenian language.

OSCE OFFICE ORGANIZES DISCUSSION IN YEREVAN ON CYBER SECURITY THREATS
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

March 21 2006
YEREVAN, 21 March 2006 – Combating cyber crime and threats to cyber
security were the topic of a roundtable discussion, organized today
by the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Experts from the Armenian Task Force on cyber crime and cyber security
presented the main challenges in the field and suggestions to improve
the situation, recommending as a first step that the country’s
Parliament ratify the 2001 Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime.
“Cyber security is strategically important for Armenia as the country
expands the IT-services sector,” said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin,
the head of the OSCE Office.
“It is vital to protect people and businesses from financial fraud
and any attempts to alter, steal or destroy information on a computer
system. Inadequate legislation and a lack of technical preparedness
make the sector vulnerable. Fighting cyber crime is part of the
struggle against organized crime and terrorism. As such, it is an
essential component of the OSCE’s focus on countering the new threats
to security that have arisen in recent years.”
The Task Force was created in 2005 on the initiative of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan, and includes key national players in the field
— the Defence Ministry, the National Security Service, the Police,
the Central Bank, the National Assembly, as well as the Presidential
Administration. It helps raise awareness of the issue and advises on
ways of improving the legislative basis and operational measures to
effectively combat cyber crime.

KENYAN PRESIDENT IN TROUBLE AS PARLIAMENT REOPENS
By Wangui Kanina
Reuters, UK
March 21 2006
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki opened a new session
of parliament on Tuesday but he looked in deeper trouble than when he
suspended the assembly four months ago after a humiliating referendum
defeat.
Kibaki postponed the opening of parliament on November 25 in response
to opposition calls for snap elections after voters defeated the
referendum on a new constitution.
But Kibaki’s attempt to win breathing space has backfired and he is now
beset by a string of problems including two big corruption scandals,
a blundering raid on the media, and a worsening east African drought.
In his opening address, Kibaki defended his record against corruption
and attacked opposition exploitation of the issue.
“Those that seek to politicise the fight against corruption should
know it is not words that will eradicate the vice but firm action,”
Kibaki said.
He said political turmoil could scare away investors from Kenya,
east Africa’s biggest economy
The referendum defeat and corruption scandals that forced three
ministers to resign have fractured Kibaki’s ruling coalition,
strengthened the opposition and further tarnished his image as
a reformer.
As if that was not enough, the government dug itself into a deeper
hole on March 2 when masked police commandos raided Kenya’s second
biggest media house, the Standard group.
Far from intimidating Kenya’s critical media, the raid has provided
damaging ammunition for the front pages every since.
The coverage became even more colourful after opposition allegations
that two Armenian businessmen, mocked in the press for their taste
for heavy gold chains, watches and rings, led the raid and had shady
dealings with Kibaki’s government.
Nation newspaper columnist Macharia Gaitho said on Tuesday: “With
every new claim, every new revelation, every new accusation, the
Kibaki government sinks deeper into the muck.”
Kibaki has still not referred directly to the raid but in his speech
he said press freedom must have some limitations.
“Although the freedom of media cannot be over-emphasised, it is clear
that freedom must be exercised within the bounds of responsibility,”
he said.
‘OUT OF TOUCH’
Prominent opposition politician Kalonzo Musyoka — who fell out with
Kibaki in 2004 — said the president should have apologised for the
raid instead of talking as if nothing had happened.
“This afternoon we heard from a president that is completely out of
touch with his people,” Musyoka told Reuters.
Outside the tightly guarded parliament, about 100 people protested
against Kibaki’s government.
“Everywhere you go there is corruption, there’s nowhere you can go
here without paying a bribe,” Yussuf Galgalo said to cheers. “The
government is not able to lead the country.”
Analysts say political battles between the opposition, itself split,
and Kibaki loyalists keen to restore his credibility could paralyse
attempts to pass a backlog of bills dealing with everything from the
next budget to sexual crimes.
Instead, assembly sessions are expected to be dominated by debate
over the corruption scandals, Kibaki’s worst crisis since he took
power in 2002 on promises to create jobs, tackle poverty and stop
high-level graft.

LOVELY DAY FOR WEIGHT OF GOLD
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
March 21 2006
Gold for Deborah Lovely.
AUSTRALIA’S Deborah Lovely won a gold medal after a tight battle in
the women’s 75 kilogram weightlifting event at the Games last night.
It was Australia’s second weightlifting gold of the day, after Alex
Karapetyan earlier won the men’s 94 kilogram event.
Lovely was equal with Nauru’s Sheba Deireragea after the snatch,
but outlifted her by six kilograms in the clean-and-jerk to take
the title. Deireragea won silver and South Africa’s Babalwa Ndleleni
bronze.
Lovely won a silver medal in the same event at the Manchester Games
in 2002.
The woman who won gold on that occasion, India’s Pujari Shailaja,
had been favourite to defend her title here until she was disqualified
from competing after she recently tested positive to a banned drug.
Karapetyan’s 94 kilogram event was an Australian success. He took
gold and compatriot Simon Heffernan silver.
Karapetyan, defending the title he won in Manchester in 2002, was
far too strong for the rest of the field and his win was never in
serious doubt.
The former Armenian’s total of 350 kilograms was well ahead of
Heffernan’s 332 kilograms. Bronze medallist Thomas Yule, of Scotland,
lifted 326 kilograms.
It was Australia’s second weightlifting gold after Ben Turner won
the 69 kilograms event on Saturday night.
Heffernan delighted his home-town crowd with his exuberant
celebrations, including an air guitar solo.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH WAR MEMORIAL IN NAHCIVAN OPENED
By Cihan News Agency, Ordubad
Zaman Online, Turkey
March 21 2006
A Turkish War Memorial, for Turkish soldiers who died protecting
Nahcivan (Naxcivan/Nakhchivan) lands from Armenian occupation during
World War I, was opened with a ceremony in Ordubad.
“Turkish Armed Forces will always stand beside its Azeri brothers as
was the case in the past,” said Staff Officer Celalettin Bacanli in
his speech.
“Have no doubts; the Turkish people and Turkish Armed Forces will
always stand beside Azerbaijan, just as they did throughout history,”
added Bacanli, declaring the memorial a sign of recognition for Azeri
and Turkish brotherhood, as he reminded of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s
words, “Azerbaijan’s problem is our problem, its happiness is ours.”
Turkey’s Nakhchivan Ambassador Ismail Sefa Yuceer, Military Attache
of Naxcivan Mehmet Torun, Deputy Governor of Ordubad, Itibar Ismailov;
and many citizens from both countries participated in the ceremony.
During World War I, soldiers from some of the divisions under Nuri
Pasha were martyred fighting against Armenians.
The location of the Turkish Memorial was determined after talking
to witnesses of the war and historians. President of the Nakhchivan
Assembly Vasif Talibov also helped in the preparations of the war
memorial.

DWELLING FOR NKR OFFICERS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006
March 20 delivery in usage of two twelve-flat houses for the officers
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Defense Army took place. The NKR
President Arkady Ghoukasyan, Prime Minister Anoushavan Danielyan, the
Republic Security Council Secretary Karen Baburyan, Minister of Defense
Seyran Ohanyan and other officials participated in the solemn ceremony.
Presenting the servicemen with the orders for the new flats Arkady
Ghoukasyan noted, in part: “I believe we must pursue the policy.
Civil authorities and army together try to settle the tasks,
the solution of which will enable our officers to fulfill their
professional duties under calmer conditions”.
Talking to journalists Arkady Ghoukasyan again mentioned the
necessity of improving social position of the NKR Defense Army Staff
Officers. “Providing an officer with normal living conditions we
resolve a strategic task as well”, stressed the Head of the Republic.
The NKR leadership goes on undertaking measures on providing the
families of the perished and invalids of the Karabakh war with
dwellings.
At present over 400 officers of the Karabakh army are provided with
new flats. For this purpose 1 milliard 200 million drams have been
allocated by the Republic state budget in 2006 versus 750 million
last year.

DARTMOUTH CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN MARCH 29
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 21 2006
According to the information De Facto received at the RA Democratic
Party press service, the Dartmouth conference Co-Chairs on Nagorno
Karabakh Harold Saunders and Vitaly Naumkin would arrive in Yerevan
March 29, after visiting Baku March 27-28. From Yerevan the Co-Chairs
will leave for Stepanakert. The visit’s program is being verified,
however, according to the preliminary data, top-level meetings are
expected to be held in the three cities, RA Democratic Party leader
Aram Sargsyan told De Facto Information-Analytics Agency.
To remind, after the delegations of public of Armenia, NKR and
Azerbaijan approved draft of Framework Agreement on peaceful process
in the conflict region last September meetings within the Dartmouth
conference frames have not been conducted.

KARABAKH “WILL INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN MILITARY SPHERE”
Regnum, Russia
March 21 2006
In capital of Nagorno Karabakh – the city of Stepanakert two
12-apartment two-storied houses are put into operation for officers
of NKR Defense Army.
As a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reports, presenting officers
with vouchers for apartments, President of NKR Arkady Gukasyan
mentioned that the republican authorities and the military command
should together solve everyday social problems of servicemen.
According to him, the state will increase investments into the
military sphere.
The state gave 750 million drams for construction of serviceman
housing in 2005. The sum totaled 1,200 million drams in 2006.

AT NA FOUR-DAY SITTINGS
National Assembly, Armenia
March 21 2006
On March 20 NA regular four-day sittings commenced with the endorsement
of the agenda. Only the Ardarutiun/Justice faction-submitted draft on
setting up NA Ad-hoc Committee on Offences committed at the referendum
on Constitutional amendments held in RA on November 27, 2005, which
was to be put on the session agenda, was not endorsed. The MPs passed
the drafts debated at the previous four-day sittings, too. Artur
Baghdasaryan, NA President, informed that the debate of the draft on
Making Amendment to RA Law on Energy is adjourned by the government’s
consent to make up the disagreements on the suggested amendment and
come to an agreement.
The MPs debated the RA government-submitted drafts on Making Amendments
to RA Land Code and Making Amendment to RA Law on the Repressed.
Davit Lokyan, Minister of Agriculture, presented the draft on Making
Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on State Duty.
Manvel Badalyan, Chairman of the Civil Service Council, presented
the draft on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Civil Service.
The MPs also debated the draft on Precious Metals and the related
amendments suggested to other laws, the drafts on Making Amendments
and Addenda to RA Law on Pawnshops and Pawnshop Activity, on Making
Amendment and Addendum to RA Law on Gambling and Casinos, on Making
Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Acts on Civil State, on Making
Addendum to RA Law on Advertisement and Conventions on Cybercrimes
and International Protection of Plants, Development Credit Agreement
Number 4144 (Second Poverty Reduction Support Credit) between Republic
of Armenia and International Development Association.
According to the main speaker Armen Gevorgyan, Deputy Minister
of Trade and Economic Development of the Republic of Armenia, the
draft on Copyright and Co-rights solves the problem of intellectual
property rights’ protection and regulates the rights of the authors
and performers of the works in the sphere of literature, science and
art, of sound-recorder and filmmakers, of broadcasting organizations,
publishers and database makers with regard to their work. The draft
regulates the management of property rights on collective bases, too.
The debate of the draft will be continued at the March 21 sitting.
March 21 2006
Karabakh “will increase investments in military sphere”
In capital of Nagorno Karabakh – the city of Stepanakert two
12-apartment two-storied houses are put into operation for officers
of NKR Defense Army.
As a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reports, presenting officers
with vouchers for apartments, President of NKR Arkady Gukasyan
mentioned that the republican authorities and the military command
should together solve everyday social problems of servicemen.
According to him, the state will increase investments into the
military sphere.
The state gave 750 million drams for construction of serviceman
housing in 2005. The sum totaled 1,200 million drams in 2006.

CRISIS “SPECIALISTS” APPEAL TO EU TO COMPETE MORE ACTIVELY WITH RUSSIA AND USA IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Regnum, Russia
March 21 2006
“Defending its own security, the European Union should be
closer involved in conflict settlement in South Caucasus, to
prevent the conflicts from breaking out as scaled wars immediately
neighboring Europe,” is said in report of International Crisis Group
non-governmental organization. In its “Settlement of Conflicts in
South Caucasus. EU Role” report, the ICG tries to analyze current
efforts of EU “in strained situations, arisen around Nagorno Karabakh,
Abkhazia, and South Ossetia”, and also denotes additional expectations
from EU to settle these conflicts. “Just recently, Brussels started
reacting to the challenges more profound,” stated, in particular,
Director of ISC Caucasus program Sabine Freizer.
According to her, “several very promising steps were made, but a long
way is still ahead to be gone through.”
As it is mentioned further, the UN is occupied with settlement in
Abkhazia, and the OSCE – in Nagorno Karabakh and South Ossetia.
However, decades later, talks are not crowned with peaceful
agreements. “Having authority of ‘honest mediator’, various soft and
hard instruments of influence, as well as ability to offer closer
European integration, EU can play more significant role, and add to
UN and OSCE efforts,” believe ICG authors.
“In order to avoid destabilization of its own borders, the EU
wishes to establish around itself a circle of states with effective
governing. It is interested in South Caucasus because of one more
reason; it wishes to guarantee access to oil and gas of Caspian
region, to develop communication corridors between Europe and Asia,
as well as to restrict such threats as trafficking, smuggling, and
environmental pollution. It is hard to imagine, that the EU will let
have its membership to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan within the next
few years, and that is why it should find new approaches to ground its
assistance and use it as instrument of influence. Action program of
New European Neighborhood policy is now at stage of generalization. It
provides a good opportunity to strengthen EU role, especially if
peaceful conflict settlement will be fixed as a necessary one. New
special EU representative is to become observer at talks on settlement
of Abkhazian, South Ossetian, and Karabakh conflicts. The European
Union has considerably contributed to reconstruction of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia. It must evaluate, what it may do in Nagorno Karabakh
and neighboring areas,” pointes out the ICG.
“The EU tries to define its role in new neighborhood, where there
is neither peace nor war,” says Director of ICG European program
Nicolas Wait. “If the EU is not able to implement strategy of safe
neighborhood, then, trust in it will suffer comparing with Russia
and the USA. Most of all, the fact worries, that if the conflicts
in South Caucasus continue to escalate, then, the EU can turn out to
be not ready for looking for answers in wars between its neighbors,”
believes Wait.
From: Baghdasarian