ROMANIA NEVER SAW RUSSIA AT THE SUMMIT
by Vladimir Soloviov
Translated by A. Ignatkin
Source: Kommersant, June 6, 2006, p. 10
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
June 6, 2006 Tuesday
Black Sea Forum For Dialog and Partnership summit held in Romania;
A summit of the Black Sea Forum For Dialog and Partnership took place
in Bucharest yesterday. The national leaders of Romania, Armenia, and
four GUAM countries met to discuss common problems. Russia pointedly
ignored an invitation to the summit.
The Black Sea Forum For Dialog and Partnership summit was organized
on Romania’s initiative. Official Bucharest went to great pains to
prepare everything. Who would be representing Russia at the forum:
that was the main point of suspense until yesterday. Romanian President
Trayan Besesku met with journalists from the participating countries
(those he assumed would participate) to speak about the importance
of the forum.
He apparently wanted the Kremlin to know how strongly Romania wanted
to see Russia as a participant. Besesku said he had sent an invitation
to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin long ago. “It would be all
right even if Russia is represented by someone else,” Besesku told
journalists. “As long as its representatives are here among us. The
regional structures of which Russia is not a member stand to lose a
great deal.”
No wonder the Romanian leader was so persistent in inviting Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry had declared several months ago that
the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation is doing just
fine with the problems of the region and that there was no need for
a parallel structure. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was particularly
critical of the forum initiative. “We are fairly skeptical about the
abstract forums with an unclear agenda undertaking to encompass the
Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Baltic Sea on the basis of some unnatural
criteria that have nothing to do with what is really important,” he
said. To cut a long story short, Moscow assigned Russian Ambassador
in Bucharest Alexander Tolkach to the forum.
The presidents of the GUAM countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan,
Moldova) and their Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian went to
the capital of Romania. Turkey sent a state minister, Bulgaria its
foreign minister.
As soon as they met, the presidents began talking of their own
problems. Moldovan leader Vladimir Voronin recalled the unresolved
conflict with Tiraspol and demanded that the forum’s communique should
include a provision on separatism. Jack Crouch, National Security
Advisor to the US President, reassured Voronin that official Washington
supports the territorial integrity of Moldova and withdrawal of the
Russian troops from its territory.
President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine proposed an energy dialogue
covering the three seas (Black, Caspian, and Baltic) as a means
of boosting regional energy security. President Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan and President Robert Kocharian of Armenia discussed the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict the day before the forum.
Independent Romanian observers are ironic on the subject of the whole
undertaking. Their comments brand the forum as “Romanian mini-vacation”
for GUAM leaders. Many of them maintain that such forums are just a
waste of time without Russia.

RENEGADES WITH CALCULATORS
by Anastasia Kornya, Alexei Nikolsky
Translated by A. Ignatkin
Source: Vedomosti, June 6, 2006, p. A2
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
June 6, 2006 Tuesday
Corruption scandal in the Auditing Chamber; The Auditing Chamber itself
is at the center of a scandal – for the first time in its history. One
Auditing Chamber official has been arrested, and several others have
been suspended. Auditing Chamber Chairman Sergei Stepashin promises
that further action will be taken.
Auditing Chamber Chairman Sergei Stepashin has given his own version
of the situation involving Kalmykian Senator Levon Chakhmakhchjan and
some Auditing Chamber officials. Stepashin told Interfax yesterday
that Transaero CEO Alexander Pleshakov had informed him that some
mediators were asking for $3 million to intercede with the Auditing
Chamber on Transaero’s behalf. The Auditing Chamber audited Transaero
recently and decided that the company owed 14 million rubles to
customs authorities. Informed that a fraud was under way, Stepashin
went directly to Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Nikolai
Patrushev. President Putin and the heads of both houses of parliament
were informed in advance of the planned arrests. Hence the swiftness
with which the Federation Council set out to clean its slate. The
operation took place last Friday, June 2, and the following day
Sergei Mironov was already appealing to the Kalmykian authorities to
recall their senator. Once Chakhmakhchjan is stripped of senatorial
immunity, the question of pressing criminal charges against him will
be considered, a source in the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
Transaero and the Economic Development Ministry signed an investment
agreement in 1999 (procurement of ten TU-204 planes by Transaero in
return for no more customs duty on imports of foreign planes into
Russia). Then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed the agreement
as well. The expected investments in the Russian aircraft industry
never materialized. The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed to the
government in 2004 to demand compensation from Transaero. The Economic
Development Ministry tried to have the courts annul the agreement,
but failed. Minister Herman Gref and Pleshakov signed a supplement
to the agreement, extending it to 2007.
Insiders report the arrests of Igor Arushanov and Armen Oganesjan
under Article 195 of the Criminal Code (fraud). The former is a
book-keeper with the Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation Association,
headed by Chakhmakhchjan; the latter is an assistant auditor and
Chakhmakhchjan’s son-in-law. “The detainees demanded $1.5 million
from a certain businessman in return for deleting negative conclusions
from an audit report drawn up by the Auditing Chamber,” a source said.
Stepashin promises that other crooks will be exposed as well.
Experts are skeptical, saying that auditors are unlikely to be
really involved. Ex-auditor Vladislav Ignatov maintains that amending
documents drawn up by the Auditing Chamber is easier through technical
personnel. “Auditors only draw a report and forward it to the Board
for endorsement. It is the Auditing Chamber bureaucratic machinery
that is responsible for the final text of the document,” Ignatov said.
Kirill Kabanov, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee,
points out that this is the first corruption scandal to involve
Stepashin’s Auditing Chamber.

SUSPECTS IN MOSCOW POLICEMEN MURDER CASE DETAINED
ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 7, 2006 Wednesday 01:58 PM EST
Two suspects in a Moscow policemen murder case have been detained.
One of the suspects is David Zviadadze, a citizen of Georgia. He
was charged with compliance in the murder of two policemen in the
southeast of Moscow on April 28, as well as with robbery.
A court has issued an arrest warrant for him.
The other suspect is also a citizen of Georgia, Teimuraz Gognadze,
43. He was detained in Georgia. “The question of his extradition is
being decided,” the Moscow prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.
Moscow police have initiated a search for five more suspects involved
in the same case. These are Noye Gvenetadze (aka Nukri), 41, with
previous convictions, Nikolai Meladze (aka Niko), 33, with previous
convictions, David Asatiani (aka Asatyani), 39, with previous
convictions, Paliko (aka Parmen), 40, with previous convictions,
and Vakhtang Dzhjavakhadze4, 34. The latter two are from Tbilisi.
The Moscow prosecutor’s office said “a decision has been made in
absentia to put them in custody and put them on the international
wanted list.”
On April 28, 2006, the residents of one of the flats at 17-1,
Kirovogradskaya Street called police and said they could hear noise
and calls for help from one of the flats on the ground floor in their
house, where Armenians were living. A group of policemen was sent
to the scene. Senior Lieutenant Andrei Ashurkov and Master Sergeant
Sergei Rebrikov entered the flat and came under automatic gunfire.
Ashurkov was killed, Rebrikov was seriously wounded and died later.
Police asked those who may have information about the suspects to
call at 200-94-70, 200-98-35 or 200-85-47. Their photographs are
posted on the Moscow city police’s website at

TURKISH WRITER ON TRIAL FOR DEFENDING CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
June 7, 2006 Wednesday 10:14 AM EST
The trial of Turkish newspaper journalist Perihan Magden on charges
of “encouraging people to refuse to do their military service” began
in Istanbul Wednesday with small scuffles between nationalists and
Magden’s supporters.
Magden was charged after writing an article last December in which
she defended Mehmet Tarhan who had been imprisoned for refusing to
do military service.
If found guilty Magden faces up to two years’ imprisonment.
A number of people outside the Istanbul court who described themselves
as “the families of those martyred” shouted slogans such
as “every Turk is born a soldier” before getting involved in minor
scuffles with Magden’s supporters and police.
The case is the latest test of Turkey’s acceptance of freedom of
speech as it tries to convince the European Union that it has not
just legislated for, but has actively implemented human rights reforms.
Turkey has been criticized for the way in which zealous prosecutors
lay charges whenever they detect a slight against the state.
In a similar case earlier this year, charges against novelist Orhan
Pamuk for “insulting Turkishness” were dropped on a technicality.
Pamuk was charged after being quoted in a Swiss newspaper as saying
that “30,000 Kurds and one million Armenians were killed in these
lands, and nobody but me dares talk about it.”
Despite constant criticism from human rights groups and the European
Union the government has refused to change the notoriously vague
Article 312 of the penal code under which many journalists have
been charged.

VIMPELCOM SUBMITS BID TO TAKE PART IN ARMENTEL TENDER
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
June 7, 2006 Wednesday 6:15 PM MSK
Russia’s No. 2 cellular operator VimpelCom (RTS: VIMP) has submitted
a bid to take part in a tender to sell Armenian telecommunications
company Armentel, the company’s press service told Interfax.
Greece’s Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (OTE) announced
plans earlier to sell its 90% stake Armentel. Russia’s No. 1 cellular
provider Mobile TeleSystems (RTS: MTSS) (MTS) has also submitted a bid.
Renaissance Capital analysts said the these two operators are the
most likely contenders to buy Armentel.
“Expansion on the Armenian market, which has a low level of mobile
phone penetration, could be good for MTS and VimpelCom, which we think
are the most likely candidates to acquire the asset,” Renaissance
Capital said in a report.

NEXT TRAIN WITH RUSSIAN MILITARY HARDWARE TO LEAVE GEORGIA
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
June 7, 2006 Wednesday 5:28 PM MSK
This year’s seventh train with materiel of Russian military bases
being withdrawn from Georgia will leave the city of Batumi on Thursday,
Colonel Vladimir Kuparadze, deputy commander of the Russian military
force in Transcaucasia, told Interfax- Military News Agency.
“The train will depart from Batumi, where the 12th Russian military
base is stationed, to Armenia early on Thursday,” Kuparadze said.
“The train will deliver 42 wheeled vehicles and other materiel to the
Armenian town of Gyumri, where it will be added to the 102nd Russian
military base’s inventory,” he noted.
In addition, a convoy of wheeled vehicles of the 62nd military base
will leave for Gyumri from the Georgian town of Akhalkalaki early on
Thursday. “These are 15 KamAz automobiles carrying materiel and six
cannons,” Kuparadze said.
He recalled that six trains with armaments, hardware and other materiel
of the Russian bases have left Georgia. Four of them carrying materiel
of the 62nd base headed for Russia, while the two others left Batumi
for Armenia.
The Russian military bases are to be withdrawn from Georgia in 2008.

U.S. BELIEVES YEREVAN, BAKU COULD SETTLE N. KARABAKH PROBLEM IN 2006
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
June 6, 2006 Tuesday 9:49 PM MSK
The U.S. believes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could be settled in
2006 and urges the Azeri and Armenian presidents to increase efforts
toward this end, Matthew Bryza, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of
state for European and Eurasian affairs, told journalists in Baku
on Tuesday.
Bryza said an encouraging draft agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh was on
the table now and that the U.S. believed a consensus was possible.
Bryza confirmed that a meeting between the Azeri and Armenian
presidents in Bucharest on Monday failed to produce the desired
results.
Bryza said more consultations were expected with Ambassador Steven
Mann, the U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, after the latter
completes the discussion of further ways to settle the conflict with
his Russian and French counterparts.
The U.S. diplomat pointed out that the internal political situation in
Armenia would be more complicated in 2007, and therefore the current
year is viewed as more favorable for achieving an agreement.
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections in 2007 and presidential
elections in 2008.

DES JEUNES PROVENCAUX A LA DECOUVERTE DES MEMOIRES JUIVE ET ARMENIENNE
Agence France Presse
7 juin 2006 mercredi 4:12 PM GMT
Trente-six elèves de la region marseillaise vont participer fin juin
a un voyage pedagogique pour decouvrir des lieux de memoire juifs
et armeniens, a l’initative conjointe des deux communautes, a-t-on
appris mercredi auprès du Conseil representatif des institutions
juives de France (Crif).
Les elèves, accompagnes de six enseignants ainsi que de responsables du
Crif et du CCAF (Comite de coordination des organisations armeniennes
de France), viendront d’ecoles et collèges laïques, juifs et armeniens
de la region marseillaise, selon Marc Knobel, chercheur au Crif.
Il s’agit du collège Anatole France de Marseille, du collège des
Gorguettes a Cassis, de l’ecole juive Yavne de Marseille, du lycee
professionnel de l’ORT a Marseille et du centre d’enseignement
armenien Hamaskaïne a Marseille. Le voyage, soutenu par la region
Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, est organise avec l’accord de l’inspecteur
d’academie, a precise M. Knobel.
Les jeunes partiront de Marseille le mercredi 28 juin pour se rendre
a Valence, au Centre du patrimoine armenien, puis a Lyon pour se
recueillir devant le memorial du genocide armenien et visiter le
Centre d’histoire de la resistance et de la deportation.
Ils iront ensuite a Besancon d’où ils partiront le jeudi visiter le
camp du Struthof (Bas-Rhin) en compagnie d’anciens deportes.
L’objectif est d’amener les elèves a s’interroger sur le crime contre
l’humanite et sur deux genocides qui ont marque l’histoire du XXe
siècle, celui subi par les Armeniens en 1915 et la Shoah où six
millions de juifs ont peri durant la deuxième guerre mondiale.
Fin mai, la discussion d’une proposition de loi socialiste, visant a
faire de la negation du genocide armenien un delit punissable d’un an
d’emprisonnement et de 45.000 euros d’amende, avait ete interrompue
avant d’etre votee.
–Boundary_(ID_pRRyY1I+RwCCAjI0+lMzkg)–

TURKISH JOURNALISTS FACE ONGOING CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS
CPJ Press Freedom Online, NY
Committee to Protect Journalists
June 7 2006
New York, June 7, 2006- The Committee to Protect Journalists is
concerned by the ongoing criminal prosecution of journalists in
Turkey. Three journalists are before the courts in Istanbul this week
for their work.
Perihan Magden, a columnist for the weekly magazine Yeni Aktuel,
went on trial today charged with discouraging Turks from performing
military service by defending conscientious objectors.
In a December article, Magden took up the case of Mehmet Tarhan, who
received a record four-year sentence in military jail for refusing
to wear his military uniform, The Associated Press reported. Magden
called for the establishment of civilian service as an alternative
to military conscription. She faces up to three years in jail if
convicted under article 318 of the Turkish penal code. Magden’s trial
was adjourned until July 27.
The trial of journalist Murat Belge of the daily Radikal resumes
tomorrow. He is charged with attempting to influence the outcome of
judicial proceedings through his writing. He wrote an article last
year challenging the decision of an Istanbul administrative court to
ban an academic conference on the mass killing of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1917. The Armenian massacre is still taboo
in Turkey. If convicted, Belge faces up to four and a half years in
prison under article 288 of the Turkish penal code. Charges against
four other journalists prosecuted along with Belge for writing about
the conference ban were dropped in April.
Another journalist for Radikal, Ismail Saymaz, will also appear in
criminal court tomorrow on charges under article 288, which stem
from an article alleging the torture of children by authorities,
according to the Turkish press freedom organization Bia.
“The existence of repressive laws in Turkey gives an opening to the
enemies of press freedom. We urge Turkish prosecutors to withdraw the
charges against these journalists, and refrain from filing future
charges,” CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. “We call on the
Turkish government to continue to work for the repeal of laws that
restrict work of the press.”
Bia says that since the new Turkish penal code went into effect on
June 1, 2005, 17 journalists who discussed human rights cases, the
Armenian conference ban case, and torture cases, have been charged
with attempting to influence court decisions under Article 288.
7june06na.html

ANOTHER SENATOR ARRESTED FOR TAKING BRIBES
Russia Blog
June 7 2006
Photo: Chahmahchyan getting ready for a well-deserved “vacation”
This week the parliament of Kalmyk region was asked to fire their
federal Senator Levon Chahmahchyan, so that the FSB could press charges
when he is no longer immune from prosecution. Among other crimes,
the Senator was caught carrying $300,000 cash out of the offices of
the local company “Transaero”, for whom he had been doing favors. The
hundred dollar bills were marked this time, and his suitcase was full
of them, stacked neatly just like in a Hollywood movie.
Senator Chahmahchyan is of Armenian origin. The Armenian mafia has
always been very powerful in Russia. Many Armenians are dominant
players in the construction business which is booming in major Russian
cities. Several Armenians are close business partners with Moscow Mayor
Luzhkov’s wife, who along with her husband has become a billionaire
during his term in office.
Chahmahchyan’s son in law is a senior official at the Russian Ministry
of Finance. When he was first caught, Chahmahchya joked that this
was just a political game between him and “Transaero” executives,
but later in the day his son in law was arrested as well.
The Senator had just been elected the day before as the new president
of the Russian Armenian Association.
The Governor of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, doesn’t want to get
involved in the criminal case. Ilyumzhinov “doesn’t feel sorry for
the Senator who got caught and thinks that the Federal Assembly knows
what it’s doing.” Governor Ilyumzhinov is quite a character himself;
he is a very stylish billionaire, who has ruled the state of Kalmykia
for a decade without worrying about the Russian Constitution, which
imposes term limits. The Governor fancies $5,000 neck ties, $20,000
suits, riding white horses, and playing chess – everyone in Kalmykia
is required to play chess.
Elsewhere in Russia, corruption is causing unrest in the city of
Perm. Yesterday the citizens rushed into the City Council building
with the mayor inside. These angry citizens are trying to cancel
construction in their state park, which started few days ago. The state
park near the city is the only public space where Perm citizens can
enjoy the outdoors and fresh air; however, the park was leased by the
city to a construction company which is fencing off a major part of
it for building multi-million dollar homes. The homebuilders’ clients
include the local judge, mayor, chief of police, general prosecutor,
the Orthodox priest and other respectable mafia leaders in the region.
Local conservationists tried to block development by filing a lawsuit,
however the future home-owner/judge decided that there was nothing
wrong with fencing off this piece of public property and building
on it. This has been done many times before in many other Russian
regions. Russia Blog wishes the best of luck to the citizens of Perm
and feels sorry for them.
n_keeps_on_rolling_on.html