RESIGNATION OF ARMENIAN SPEAKER NOT RESULT OF CONFLICT WITH PRESIDENT: HEAD OF RPA FACTION
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. “The expected resignation of Armenian
parliamentary speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan cannot be connected with
his interview with the German newspaper ” Frankfurter Allgemeine
” wherein the speaker tried to specify the priorities of Armenia’s
foreign policy ahead of the country’s president,> Galust Sahakyan,
Head of RPA faction, told ArmInfo.
G. Sahakyan believes that “withdrawing from the coalition, “Orinats
Yerkir” team is settling its own tasks.> He thinks it untimely
forecasting the election of the new speaker. Naming no nominee from the
RPA, G. Sahakyan stressed the role of the party in the election of the
new speaker. “The frames of cooperation with political forces remain
wide enough and our legislative activity will not be interrupted,
he says.
Commenting on the statement by “Orinats Yerkir” representative
Hovhanness Margaryan, that “OY” displayed readiness to leave the
posts for ideas, hereby gaining new voters, G. Sahakyan says:
“We shall only welcome if they gain new voters.”

BAKU-JEYHAN AND THE GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS (ANALYSIS)
Armen Manvelyan
12.05.2006 14:20
“Radiolur” [ArmRadio]
Mass media report that Turkish Prime Minister Rajab Tayib Erdoghan
invited US President George Bush to participate in the official
ceremony of opening Baku-Tbilisi-Jeyhan pipeline to be held July 13
at Jeyhan port. The invitation was sent to the White House through
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The response of the American side is not known so far. It is noted,
however, that Washington has promised “to participate in the ceremony
on the highest possible level.”
It should be noted that still a year ago Baku-Jeyhan pipeline was
officially opened. Then it was asserted that everything was ready and
in autumn 2005 the first oil carrier loaded with Azeri oil would leave
from the port of Jeyhan. Despite the fact that a year has passed from
that day, Azeri oil has not even reached Jeyhan, which means that it is
still early to expect entry of oil carriers to this Mediterranean port.
It should be noted that the pipeline is of great political importance
for the real owners of it, i.e. Americans, who constructed it
proceeding primarily from political considerations. In this regard,
it is important just for the foreign policy of Armenia to correctly
comprehend and evaluate the political value of the program. We should
note that both underestimation and overestimation of the project are
equally dangerous, since it can result in incorrect understanding
of the political developments in the region and the struggle between
the heavy powers around these. Speaking about the politicization of
Baku-Jeyhan, we should first of all understand that the White House
is interested in the pipeline primarily as an alternative route for
exporting oil from the Caspian region, which will allow Washington
to reduce the so-called pipeline dependency on Russia. That is to say
that directing the oil flows to Baku-Jeyhan from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan
and later from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the US attains not only
economic, but also complete political control over these countries.
>>From the geopolitical perspective Central Asia is of strategic
importance for official Washington, and Baku-Jeyhan is the means
through which the US can subject the countries of the region to its
interests. It should be noted that this region has nothing to offer
to the world except for oil and gas, therefore domination over this
branch means control over these countries. Hence, the United States
conceives Baku-Jeyhan as the most essential factor in the gradually
strengthening struggle between the US, Russia and China. What is
the most attractive for the United States in Central Asian region
is its geopolitical location. It’s not a secret that the region
neighbors four possible rivals of the US, i.e. China, India, Russia and
Iran. Therefore, considering these countries as possible competitors,
number one superpower of the world aspires to exert control over
a region, from where it can threat its potential enemies. In this
geopolitical game the South Caucasus and the Baku-Jeyhan pipeline
are mere links to help the US make its control more complete.

VAZGEN MANUKYAN: “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY’S LEAVING THE COALITION WAS NATURAL AND EXPECTED
ArmRadio.am
12.05.2006 14:50
“Orinats Yerkir” Party’s leaving the coalition was natural and long
expected,” Head of the National Democratic Union, MP Vazgen Manukyan
said in his interview to “Arminfo” correspondent.
According to Vazgen Manukyan, “Orinats Yerkir” declared long ago that
it is unable to control the situation in the country and came forward
with statements counter to the coalition policy. Therefore there is
nothing surprising in yesterday’s statement of the political council of
the party. But what is unnatural is that the party started dissolving.
Vazgen Manukyan confirms that by leaving the coalition, “Orinats
Yerkir” automatically gains the status of an opposition party. However,
time will show whether the party will join the existing opposition
or will operate separately.
Speaking about the probable candidates for the Chairman of the National
Assembly in case Arthur Baghdasaryan resigns, the Deputy said his
party does not intend to participate in any elections on candidacy.

NA CHAIRMAN ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN RESIGNED
ArmRadio.am
12.05.2006 14:56
Few minutes ago Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Arthur
Baghdasaryan declared about his resignation.
To remind, at a special sitting on May 11 the political council of
“Orinats Yerkir” Party took the decision to leave the coalition.

“JOINT EFFORT – 2006” MILITARY EXERCISES TO START TODAY IN GERMANY AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
ArmRadio.am
12.05.2006 11:42
Under NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program “Joint Effort – 2006”
military exercises will start today in Germany and Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Earlier the Armenian side participated in the planning
conference in Tbilisi.
“If Armenian Officers participate in the planning activities, they
will take part also in the military exercises. The issue is that
Armenia should be invited by the organizing party,” Press Secretary
of the Defense Minister Seyran Shahsuvaryan said.

AMBASSADOR OF NIGERIA HANDED HIS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDNET KOCHARYAN
ArmRadio.am
12.05.2006 14:30
Today the newly appointed Ambassador of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria to Armenia Ibrahim Ganyama Abubackari handed his credentials
to President Robert Kocharyan.
Noting that currently Nigeria restricts its relations with Armenia
to cooperation in the framework of international organizations,
the President expressed confidence that accreditation of the first
Nigerian Ambassador in our country will promote the development of
bilateral relations and clarification of the possible directions
of collaboration.

BILL REPROACHING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL AS CRIMINAL FELONY SUBMITTED TO THE BELGIAN PARLIAMENT
ArmRadio.am
12.05.2006 12:35
Another resolution reproaching Armenian Genocide denial as criminal
felony was submitted to the Belgian Parliament.
Referring to the Turkish “Hurriet,” Istanbul based “Marmara” daily
informs that the bill has been worked out by the powerful “Movement
of Reforms” coalition party. Members of the part Fransua de Vivie
and Christine Dofrey suggest to consider Genocide denial a criminal
felony and offer that the Law on Holocaust applies also the 1915
Genocide carried out against Armenians by Young Turks.
The draft had been developed still two years ago. It was, however
recalled because of strong resistance.

ARMENIAN SPEAKER SUBMITS RESIGNATION, MP SAYS
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
11 May 06
Yerevan, 11 May: The speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia,
Artur Bagdasaryan, has decided to resign, and his party Orinats Yerkir
(Law-Governed Country Party) will quit the ruling coalition.
Ovannes Markaryan, a member of the Orinats Yerkir parliamentary
faction, said this in a live appearance on Yerevan’s Shant TV channel,
Mediamax news agency reports. He said that the speaker’s decision
to resign and his party’s decision to quit the ruling coalition was
adopted tonight at an expanded session of Orinats Yerkir’s political
council and was unanimous.
Markaryan said that Artur Bagdasaryan will hold a news conference at
1400 [1000 gmt] tomorrow and officially declare his resignation and
Orinats Yerkir’s decision to quit the coalition.
Several MPs quit the Orinats Yerkir faction in the last few days,
Mediamax reports.
Orinats Yerkir is a member of the ruling coalition along with the
Republican Party of Armenia and the Dashnaktsutyun Party on the basis
of a memorandum signed after the 2003 parliamentary election.

ARMENIAN AND HELLENIC CAUCUS LEADERS JOIN TOGETHER IN OPPOSING MISSILE SALE TO TURKEY
ArmRadio.am
12.05.2006 10:46
The Co-Chairs of the Hellenic Caucus, Reps. Michael Bilirakis and
Carolyn Maloney, were joined today by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank
Pallone and Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsor George Radanovich
in calling on Congressional leaders to reexamine a controversial $162
million U.S. missile sale to Turkey.
In letters addressed to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the
House Armed Services and International Relations Committees, the
four legislators voiced their “deep concern and opposition to the
application currently before your Committee for the foreignmilitary
sale to Turkey of 50 AGM 84K Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles –
Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and associated equipment and services.”
Noting that Turkey has enforced an illegal blockade against Armenia
for the last twelve years, provides support to Azerbaijan against
Nagorno Karabagh, and refuses to normalize relations with Armenia,
they stressed that, “there are no safeguards in place to ensure that
the transfer of these advanced new weapons to Turkey will not be
used to threaten Armenia.” Commenting on the presence of more than
40,000 Turkish military troops in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus,
the legislators argued that the sale would “exacerbate the already
existing military imbalance over Cyprus,” and “worsen the uneasy,
insecure and disadvantaged position of the Republic of Cyprus in terms
of its defense and weapons proliferation.” They closed the letter
by requesting a “thorough reexamination of all factors pertaining to
the sale” of the missiles to Turkey.

ALLEGATIONS OF WWI GENOCIDE IRK TURKEY
By Benjamin Harvey
Associated Press Writer
AP
Thursday May 11, 2006 10:31 PM
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – Turkey has pulled out of a military exercise
in Canada and hinted at economic repercussions against France,
stepping up protests of accusations that Turks committed genocide
against Armenians during World War I.
Ankara this week briefly recalled ambassadors from NATO allies France
and Canada to protest the Canadian prime minister’s declaration last
month that the killings of Armenians constituted genocide, and a
French bill that would outlaw denying that Armenians were genocide
victims. The ambassadors returned Thursday after four days in Turkey.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it was pulling out
of an Air Force training exercise in Canada, to which it had been
expected to send officers and several F-16 fighters.
“This decision is Turkey’s and we would not comment on why they have
made this decision,” said Pamela Greenwell, a spokeswoman for Canada’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Turkey is an important NATO ally and
we hope that they will be able to participate in future exercises.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday held a private
meeting in Ankara with representatives of large French firms with
investments in Turkey, where he warned of serious harm to relations
if the genocide measure was allowed to pass.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million Armenians died or were killed over
several years as part of a genocidal campaign to force them out of
eastern Turkey. Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians
died, but says the overall figure is inflated and that the deaths
occurred in the civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey is facing increasing pressure to fully acknowledge the killings,
particularly as it seeks membership in the European Union.
But many in Turkey feel that, by using the word genocide to describe
the killings, other countries put the Ottoman Turks in the same
category as Nazi Germans.
Turkey has made it government policy to fight genocide assertions with
diplomatic and economic sanctions if necessary. But it is unclear how
far Turks are willing to go, especially if that could mean harming
the bid to join the EU.
“Sometimes you talk, then you have to behave according to the way
you talk, and you get to a place you never wanted to go in the
first place,” Ilter Turan, a political scientist at Istanbul Bilgi
University, said of whether Turkey would carry through on all of
its threats.
Stephen Harper recently became the first Canadian prime minister to
publicly declare that the Armenian deaths constituted a genocide. He
was expressing his support from a House of Commons resolution in 2004
characterizing them as such.
Turkey sent a parliamentary delegation to Paris this week and Turkish
chambers of commerce sent letters to their counterparts in France
pleading for help and warning of a boycott.
If passed, the French bill, to be voted on May 18, would make it
a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against Armenians. A
similar law forbids the denial of the Jewish Holocaust in World War II.
In 2001, Turkey, which has no diplomatic ties with Armenia, canceled
millions of dollars worth of defense deals with French companies
after lawmakers in France recognized the Armenian killings as genocide.
A Turkish court this year dropped charges against the country’s
best-known novelist, Orhan Pamuk, who went on trial for “insulting
Turkishness” after he said Turks have killed more than a million
Armenians and more than 30,000 Kurds. He could have faced up to three
years in prison.
The United States, which has a large Armenian diaspora community,
has not declared the killings a genocide.