DO AS I SAY, PLEASE
Matthew Swibel, 04.26.06, 3:00 PM ET
Forbes
April 26 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The president of Azerbaijan, home to the world’s
fastest-growing economy and $10 billion in investments from leading
oil companies, including BP, worries that a military confrontation
between its southern neighbor, Iran, and the U.S. will destabilize
his country’s fast-growing energy sector.
Marking his first official visit to Washington D.C., on Wednesday,
Ilham Aliyev, an ally who has sent soldiers to assist the U.S. in Iraq,
is warning the White House in blunt terms that escalating rhetoric with
Iran will lead to “hurtful consequences” for the Caspian Sea region, an
increasingly important oil source for Europe and other Western markets.
Rather tough talk from a guy in charge of a place with only 8 million
people and a military that has yet to overcome its painful loss
in battle to tiny Armenia. Here’s why Aliyev can get away with it:
The twin pressures of $72 per barrel oil prices and Iran’s unabashed
nuclear ambitions make him a key player in high-stakes energy and
security policy issues.
Aliyev’s comments during his maiden voyage inside the Beltway as a
head of state also underscore an uncomfortable truth within U.S.
foreign policy. The U.S. faces an uphill battle in rallying support
against Iran’s nuclear plans so long as Azerbaijan and other
often-ignored countries nearby currently developing their natural
resources–and in the process adding to the coffers of U.S. oil
firms–transform into proverbial Slurpee cups quenching America’s
insatiable thirst for oil.
Azerbaijan’s world-record 25% gross domestic product growth last
year will be matched again this year, predict government officials
and World Bank economists (this rate of growth is a multiple of the
performance of even such notables as China and Dubai). Bordering
Russia to the north and Iran to the south and with an energy sector
developed by American and European companies, Aliyev jokes that his
country is a model of “energy internationalism.”
Azerbaijan oil revenues will hit $42 billion by 2010, ushering vast
wealth into an economy ranked No. 137 out of 158 countries listed in
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
A bevy of well-known companies have taken the plunge into this murky
market, which is dominated by state monopolies and the president’s
well-placed friends. Aside from BP (nyse: BP – news – people ), which
owns a 30% stake in the newly opened Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline that
sends up to 1 million barrels of oil per day to the Mediterranean port
of Ceyhan, Turkey, Chevron (nyse: CVX – news – people ) and ExxonMobil
(nyse: XOM – news – people ) both own minority stakes in Azerbaijan’s
largest single oil production site, the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field,
or ACG. Even Citigroup (nyse: C – news – people ) got a piece of
the action, helping arrange a $56 million, 12-month loan for the
International Bank of Azerbaijan, last summer.
The American people are investors too through taxpayer-funded USAID
programs in Azerbaijan’s energy and food processing sectors, notes Reno
Harnish, who steps down as U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan on April 24.
Aliyev, keenly aware of the business interests in his country, told
an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations this morning that his
administration will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on new roads,
power stations, schools and hospitals.
But Aliyev rejected the notion that his country’s air bases could
be used for U.S. surveillance or combat missions against Iran. Nor
does he envision his government, based in Baku, cooperating with
intelligence-gathering efforts against Iran.
“Azerbaijan will become a prosperous economy,” Aliyev said. “It’s
better to be friends with us than not.”
Spot on, if you’ve visited a gas station recently.

A NUMBER OF EVENTS HELD IN GEORGIA IN CONNECTION WITH 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. On April 24, in Georgia a number of
events were held dedicated to 91st anniversary of Armenian Genocide,
according to the Press and Information Department of the RA Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
About 150 representatives of Armenian NGOs of Georgia organized a
peaceful meeting in front of the Turkish Embassy in Georgia as well
as ceremony of candle lighting.
“Participants of the meeting read letter directed to the Turkish
Government, in which they demanded recognition of the crime committed
against Armenians”, the press release states.
Later liturgy and requiem were chanted for victims in St. Gevorg
Church in Tbilisi.
Besides that in the state Armenian theatre of the Georgian capital
a mourning evening was held, during which Ambassador of Armenia to
Georgia Hrach Silvanyan made a speech.
In the evening ecumenical evening of spiritual song took place in St.
Gevorg Church with the assistance of choruses of Christian churches
of Georgia.
Mourning events in Tbilisi were completed with lighting candles around
St. Echmiadzin church.
Similar events were held in other regions of Georgia as well.
Particularly in Armenian churches of Akhltskha, Akhalkalak, Ninotsminda
and Batumi liturgies and requiems were chanted and mourning meetings
were organized.
“In Akhalkalak meeting was concluded with laying wreaths on memorial
of victims of the Armenian Genocide, erected two years ago”, the
message says.
Besides that Republican TV of Ajaria broadcasted “Ararat” film of
producer Atom Egoyan on that day.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EVENING OF ARMENIAN CULTURE IN MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TAKES PLACE IN POLAND
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. An evening of Armenian culture dedicated
to the memory of victims of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey
in 1915 took place in Gdansk (Poland). According to the Press and
Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
evening was held in Gdansk under the patronage of RA Ambassador in
Poland Ashot Galoyan.
During the evening “Legend of Last Thoughts” book of Edgar Hilsentrat
was presented to the attention of the audience and a lecture read by
lecturer of Gdansk University Norayr Ter-Grigoryan was listened to
during the evening.
Show of pictures of a Polish artist of Armenian origin Gagik Parsamyan
took place in the context of the evening.
Compositions of Armenian great composer Aram Khachaturyan were
performed by Polish musicians during the evening as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GLOCOMS GROUP AMERICAN COMPANY INTENDS TO DEVELOP ON ARMENIAN MARKET IN 2006
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. Information technologies, finance management
and public sector are among basic spheres of Armenian companies’
activities.
Glocoms Group Company participated in four programs of the Armenian
Foundation: “Enterprises’ Incubator”-“Course of IT Project Management”,
“Course of Information Security”, “Course of Web-developing Based on
Java-2” and “Course of Programming of Java-Based Security Systems”.
Glocoms Group developed and evaluated these projects, aimed at
developing IT in Armenia, as application of Java-technologies is a
priority course for the sphere’s 60% of specialists.
“Implementation of these projects is a starting point for encouraging
these activities in Armenia,” the press release says.
Glocoms Group was founded in 1998. Mission Statement: to provide
solutions that Grow from Strength to Strength. With representative
offices in 5 continents and access to more than 800 senior level
management and technology consultants worldwide, Glocoms Group
is involved in more than 140 national and international prominent
projects.
Glocoms Group is actively involved in WB programs in developing
countries, and over the last time it carried out large-scale activities
in CIS countries.
In 2005 Glocoms Group implemented international projects in the areas
of finance, procurement, management, e-government and IT in Angola,
Armenia, Bosnia, Brazil, Cape Verde, China, Croatia, Gambia, Malawi,
Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Romania, USA, Vietnam.
In 2006 alone the company plans to implement four tax and customs
consulting programs: “Reorganization of State Customs Process”
(Russia), “State Tax Papers Management System” (Ukraine), “State Tax
Information Systems” (Ukraine) and “Strengthening of State Control”
“Azerbaijan”.

PROPOSITION DE LOI UMP POUR PUNIR LA NEGATION DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Agence France Presse
25 avril 2006 mardi 6:28 PM GMT
Eric Raoult, depute-maire UMP du Raincy (Seine-Saint-Denis), a indique
mardi par un communique qu’il venait de deposer une proposition de
loi visant a penaliser la negation du genocide armenien.
“Les recents evenements survenus a Lyon, a l’occasion de l’edification
d’un monument a la memoire du Premier genocide du XXème siècle, et les
polemiques qui s’en sont suivies, comme les declarations frequentes du
gouvernement turc, ne peuvent laisser l’opinion, comme le legislateur,
indifferents”, a affirme M. Raoult.
Il propose “d’etablir des poursuites, dont les peines s’inspirent
de la loi Gayssot, et du negationnisme de la Shoah”, soit “un an
d’emprisonnement et 45.000 euros d’amende”.
Le groupe socialiste a l’Assemblee nationale propose lui aussi une
loi sanctionnant la negation du genocide armenien, qui sera debattue
lors de la seance d’initiative parlementaire le 18 mai.
La France a reconnu officiellement ce genocide dans une loi du 29
janvier 2001.
Les Armeniens affirment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide orchestre par l’empire ottoman (1915-1917).
Le 18 avril, cinq des 36 stèles d’une monument a la memoire du genocide
armenien, a Lyon, ont ete profanees. Comme lors d’une manifestation
pro-turque un mois plus tôt, des slogans negationnistes ont ete
releves.
–Boundary_(ID_7O0NIcf0JT69g3HS11lzr A)–

1000S OF IRANIAN ARMENIANS MARCH IN TEHERAN ON MONDAY TO EXPRESS CONDEMNATION OF 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. 20 thousand Iranian Armenians took to the
streets in Teheran on Monday holding banners with words of the 1915
Armenian Genocide condemnation on them, Armenian Foreign Ministry
press service reports.
On the same day, Haykazun Alvrtsyan, lecturer at Yerevan State
University, spoke in Ararat culture center as well as Armenian
Ambassador to Iran Karen Nazaryan and Armenian Apostolic Church
Teheran Diocese Archbishop Sepuh Sargsyan.
A memorial service was held in St. Sargis church in Teheran and floral
tribute was paid to the genocide victims.
Iranian media outlets paid attention to Armenian Genocide. In
particular, Iran News daily published an interview of Armenian
Ambassador to Iran.

PRESSURE ON TURKEY CONCERNING ARMENIAN ISSUE INTENSIFIED: EXPERT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. Pressure on Turkey concerning the Armenian
issue intensified, mainly by Europe, Head of the Department on Turkey,
the Institute of History of the Armenian National Academy, doctor of
historic sciences Ruben Safrastyan stated today during a round table
on the genocide issues and the Armenian-Turkish relations.
“The Europarliament’s resolution of 1987 ‘On Political Resolution to
Armenian Issue’ means that Europe admits existence of the Armenian
issue and proposes its solutions. The integrated Europe considers
recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey to be the most important
precondition to it,” Safrastyan said.
On the other hand, according to him, the genocide issues and
Armenian-Turkish relations are not included in the list of the 150
issues, which will be discussed in connection with Turkey’s admission
to the EU.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EVENTS DEDICATED TO 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY TAKE PLACE IN LONDON
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. Events dedicated to 91st anniversary of
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey took place in London. Armenian
Foreign Ministry press service says Ealing Mayor Michael Elliott, MP
Rt. Hon. Stephen Pound and Armenian Ambassador to Great Britain Vahe
Gabrielyan spoke at an event held on April 21 in London Borough of
Ealing. Polish, Representatives of Albanian and Assyrian communities
of British capital attended the event.
On April 22, a march was staged by Armenian community in one of
London’s central streets.
500 marchers carried banners demanding to recognize Armenian Genocide
fact and condemning the policy of the genocide denial by Turkey and
Great Britain.
Upon completing their march, representatives of Armenian organizations
sent a message to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Memorial services for the genocide victims were held in Armenian
churches in London.

ARMENIAN-LITHUANIAN TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION STILL ON LOW LEVEL
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. The Armenian-Lithuanian trade and economic
cooperation is still on a low level and does not open up the two
parties’ potentials, despite the fact that some goods turnover growth
was recorded in 2005 compared to 2004.
The Public Relations Department and Press Service of the RA Government
reported that Armenian Premier Andranik Margaryan expressed such an
opinion during his meeting with Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
In this context, Margaryan expressed confidence that organization
of a business-forum in the frameworks of the Lithuanian President’s
visit to Armenia will serve as an additional incentive for a further
extension of trade and economic relations between the two countries The
parties also pointed out the importance of signing of the agreement
“On Encouragement and Mutual Protection of Investments”, and also
amendments to the agreement “On Trade and Economic Cooperation
between Governments of Armenian and Lithuania” Margaryan and Adamkus
emphasized the importance of business conferences, frequent mutual
visits, periodic exchange of business information and organization
of exhibitions for encouragement of trade and economic relations.
“Extension is necessary in the cooperation between chambers of commerce
and industry, manufacturers and enterprise unions, strengthening of
interaction in the field of small- and medium-scale enterprises’
development, and also fields of science, technologies, innovation
policy, agriculture, transport and tourism,” they said.
In their turn, the two countries’ vice-ministers of agriculture and
transport presented possibilities of cooperation in these fields.
Adamkus stressed the necessity in improving transport networks,
including putting the Abkhazian railway into operation. Margaryan
responded that Armenian repeatedly expressed readiness to participate
in practical works in this field.
They also touched upon cooperation in the sphere of energy,
particularly the energy security issues.
Margaryan also told the Lithuanian president about the current
situation with Armenia’s relations with the region’s countries in
the frameworks of the regional cooperation.
The delegation led by Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus is currently
in Armenia by invitation of Armenian President Robert Kocharyan until
25-26 April.

1000 ARMENIAN BIGGEST TAXPAYERS TRANSFER OVER AMD 61.2BLN TO STATE BUDGET IN 1ST Q 2006
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 26 2006
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. 1000 biggest taxpayers in Armenia
transferred over AMD 61.2bln to state budget in the 1st Q 2006.
According to the list placed on the State Tax Agency’s official
Internet site, tax receipts made about AMD 33.7bln and customs AMD
27.6bln.
Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Plant, who has paid AMD 5bln over a period
between January and March, is placed atop the list. The second biggest
taxpayer is ArmenTel Telecommunication Company with its AMD 3.8bln. The
company is followed by ArmRosgasprom CJSC with its AMD 3.2bln.
Flash and Kah Petrol Service oil traders, who injected AMD 1.9bln
and 1.67bln in the state budget, ranked 4th and 5th.
Armenian Electric Networks (AMD 1.34bln), Armenian-Canadian Grand
Tobacco (about 1.1bln), Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (AMD 1bln),
MIKA Armenia Trading (AMD 655mln), Armenia-International Airports
(AMD 530mln), Coca Cola Hellenic Bottlers Company (AMD 300mln),
HSBC Bank Armenia (AMD 175.8mln), Armenian Railway CJSC (173.6mln and
Armenian Savings Bank (161.3mln) are included in the list of hundred
largest taxpayers of Armenia. ($1 = AMD 447.36).