ARMENIA SUPPORTS KAZAKHSTAN INTENTION TO PRESIDE OSCE IN 2009
Pan Armenian
13.10.2005 22:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia expresses “solid support of Kazakhstan’s
intention to preside the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
European in 2009,” stated the Armenian party upon completion of the
talks between Deputy FM of Kazakhstan Nurlan Onjanov and Armenian
MFA leaders in Yerevan. The first session of the Intergovernmental
Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Kazakhstan and
Armenia was held in Yerevan October 12.
The Commission determined strengthening the contractual basis,
increasing Kazakh investments in the economy of Armenia, support of
joint venturing, promotion of transport community and interaction
in agriculture as priority directions. An inter-departmental
Agreement on Cooperation in Archiving was signed in the course of
the meeting. According to the Kazakh MFA, the Armenian Government has
expressed readiness to provide copies of Kypchak manuscripts of 14-16
centuries being kept at Matenadaran treasury of ancient manuscripts,
reported Kazakhstan Today.

ARMENIA AND RUSSIA DID THEIR BEST FOR KAVKAZ-POTI TRAIN-FERRY FUNCTIONING
Pan Armenian
14.10.2005 00:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Armenia is a participant of the North-South
corridor and we devoted much time to develop the transport corridor,
specifically its Iranian party, which is not used enough in my
opinion,” stated Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Governmental
Commission for Economic Cooperation, Russian Minister of Transport
Igor Levitin during a briefing in Yerevan today. The Commission meeting
discussed various transport directions that may pass through Armenia,
but avoid doing it “due to political considerations,” he reported. “Not
using these directions is not right in my opinion. We discussed it
as well,” he reported.
As of resumption of communication via the Abkhaz part of the Georgian
railway, Levitin noted an act on examination of the Abkhaz segment
with participation of Russia, Georgia and Abkhazia will be signed
in October. The sitting of the Russian-Georgian Inter-Governmental
Commission will be held in Tbilisi next week, he reported. “A goal of
our visit to Tbilisi is to provide for Georgian party confirming its
agreement to restore traffic through the Abkhaz part,” he stated. In
Levitin’s words, some 2 years may be necessary for restoration of
the part of the railway and Russia, Georgia and Armenia still have
“strength and means to restore it.”
Touching upon the question of Kavkaz-Poti train ferry passage and
answering a question on prospects of its development, Mr. Levitin
stated, “the Ministries of Transport of Russia and Armenia should
form conditions for attraction of rolling stock and additional load
for transit transportation.”
“Up to now that states have done everything for the functioning of
the passage. It should be done by the business, thus not everything
depends on Armenia and Russia,” he explained. Georgia is a participants
of this transport direction, he also remarked. “We have questions on
the tariffs to be discussed in Georgia,” however, the states have done
their best for the functioning of the passage and it’s the business’
turn, Levitin concluded.

LEVITIN: RAO UES WILL FURTHER PROMOTE ENERGY GRIDS OF ARMENIA
Pan Armenian
14.10.2005 00:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The matter of RAO UES participation in development
of energy grids of Armenia was discussed in the course of meetings
of Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation, Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitinwith
Armenian President and PM, Levitin reported at a Press briefing in
Yerevan today. He reported RAO UES is a participant of an energy
holding, operating in Armenia. RAO UES will continue dealing with
development of energy grids and generation of additional electric
power, he also confirmed. “As of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, the matter
was also discussed and we understand Armenian party’s actions. I
consider these logical and correct in the situation that is available
between Gazprom and RAO UES and the Armenian party,” I. Levitin stated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

USA GRANTS 2M DOLLARS TO ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT REFORMS
Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005
Yerevan, 13 October: Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Artur
Bagdasaryan and the head of the Yerevan office of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), Robin Philips, today
signed a memorandum on cooperation programme totalling 2 m dollars.
Artur Bagdasaryan said that the programme is aimed at carrying out
effective reforms in the Armenian parliament, increasing contacts
between people and parliament and strengthening democratic institutes.
Robin Philips noted that cooperation between the National Assembly
and USAID, which started in 2004, will continue. He expressed the
hope that the programme will help strengthen the role of parliament
in Armenia’s political life.

GEORGIAN COUNTERINTELLIGENCE MAY PROBE ANTI-ARMENIAN POSTER INCIDENT
Imedi TV, Georgia
Oct 13 2005
[Presenter] The hour of revenge has come; Armenians, we are coming and
whoever stands in our way will die; even Russia will be unable to help
you because their time on our land is over – such posters appeared on
almost every house in the main street of Akhalkalaki [mostly ethnic
Armenian town in Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region] in the last
two days. The authors of the posters call themselves Akhaltsikhe
[administrative centre of Samtskhe-Javakheti] Liberation Brigade.
According to the chief prosecutor of Akhalkalaki, Suren Barekyan,
evidence is being gathered and the case is being referred to the
counterintelligence service for further action.
All the posters have now been removed.
There have been no such incidents in Akhaltsikhe.
Van Baiburt, an ethnic Armenian member of the Georgian parliament,
has said that this is an act of provocation by people who do not want
peace in Georgia.
[Baiburt] This is an act of provocation. They think that Armenians
will now rise up. The likely aim of the perpetrators was to provoke
residents of Akhalkalaki into staging another rally, so that what
happened could be discussed.
[Question] Do you think Russia may be behind this?
[Baiburt] I am sure of one thing. Who else could have done it? Who
is against peace in Georgia?

RUSSIA PLEDGES TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS OF IDLE ENTERPRISES IN ARMENIA
Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005
Yerevan, 13 October: Igor Levitin, Russian transport minister and
co-chairman of the Russian- Armenian intergovernmental commission,
admitted in Yerevan today that Russia has not fully met conditions
of the property-for-debt deal.
Speaking at a news conference on the outcome of the sitting of the
commission in Yerevan today, Levitin said that the main problem was
that Russia did not identify the types of goods to be manufactured
by the enterprises handed over to Russia within the framework of the
repayment of Armenia’s state debts.
The Russian minister said that a joint working group had been set
up for the full resolution of the issue of the enterprises and it
will submit its proposals to the chairmen of the intergovernmental
commission in early 2006. “Russia understands its responsibility for
the fate of these enterprises,” Levitin said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU ENVOY HOPES FOR “BREAKTHROUGH” IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER PROBLEM
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005
Yerevan, 13 October, ARMINFO: The opening of the borders with Armenia
does not only arise from Turkey’s economic interests but also from the
interests of the European Union [EU], the head of the EU delegation in
Armenia and Georgia, Torben Holtze, has told an Arminfo correspondent.
He said that Turkey also realizes the necessity of opening borders
with Armenia and the frequent statements by Turkish representatives
on a need for lifting the blockade of the borders show this. The
envoy expressed the hope that a “breakthrough” will be marked in the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders within the next six months.
“I think we shall soon eyewitness the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
borders despite the fact that this is a very complicated and even an
emotional issue,” Holtze said.
He pointed out that the EU is making every effort for the establishment
of the regional cooperation and is not only interested in the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish but also the Armenian-Azerbaijani
borders. Nevertheless, he said that for the time being, we cannot
say that the Armenian-Turkish borders are fully closed as flights
between Yerevan and Istanbul are regular and Turkish lorries deliver
goods to Armenia via Georgia or the other way round.

PAMUK OBSERVES IMPROVEMENT IN TURKEY IN RECENT YEARS
Turkish Daily News
Oct 13 2005
Diplomacy Newsline
ANK – Turkish Daily News
There is more freedom of speech, as well as certain economic
improvements, encouraged by optimism stemming from the country’s
European Union membership process when compared to the environment
of the country when he was writing his novel “Kar” (Snow), published
in 2002, renowned Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk has said.
In an interview with Italian daily La Stampa, Pamuk, however, admitted
that certain problems still remain.
“A horrible discrepancy between the poor and the rich persists.
While Istanbul has been experiencing a kind of explosion, there is
still poverty in eastern parts of Turkey,” Pamuk was quoted as saying
by the Anatolia news agency.
A court case against Pamuk for his February remarks published
in a Swiss newspaper sparked harsh reaction from EU officials and
politicians. When asked about it during the interview, Pamuk declined
to comment on the legal proceedings against him for his remarks on
Armenian and Kurdish deaths some 90 years ago.
“Let’s talk about my books,” he said in the interview titled “Optimist
Defendant Pamuk.”

GOVERNMENT AGENCY CALLS ON TURKEY TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST WRITER
The Associated Press
10/13/05 18:03 EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. government human rights group is calling
on Turkey to drop charges against Orhan Pamuk, a writer indicted for
speaking openly on the Armenian question.
The appeal was made by commissioners of the U.S. Helsinki Commission,
which monitors rights issues, mostly in Europe.
They sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
urging him to authorize the removal of charges against Pamuk.
Pamuk is charged with “public denigration of the Turkish identity.”
“A stable democracy cannot blossom until the government ends the
practice of stifling free speech and removes the clouds of deception
and censorship from a true telling of history,” said Commission
Co-Chairman Rep. Christopher Smith.
The commission, known formally as the Commission on Security and
Cooperation in Europe, monitors progress in the implementation of
the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords.
The Commission consists of 18 members of the U.S. Congress and
representatives from three cabinet agencies.
Eastern Turkey was once a heartland of Armenian culture but was
consumed by ethnic conflict as the Ottoman Empire splintered at the
end of World War I.
Yerevan says Turks slaughtered 1.5 million Armenians. Turkey strongly
denies there was any genocide, saying Armenians were killed due to
civil unrest.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION IMPORTANT
MECHANISM OF DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS: ARMENIAN
PRESIDENT
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13. ARMINFO. Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation is an important mechanism of development of
Armenian-Russian relations. It has always been significant by its
effective activity. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan made this
statement today, during his meeting with Russian Transport Minister,
Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, Igor Levitin.
The presidential press-service reports the sides as discussing the
programs of bilateral cooperation, focusing on the energy, transport
communication issues. The sides are reported to touch upon the
activation of the Abkhazian branch line of the Georgian railway and
the participation of Russia, Georgia and Armenia in its construction.
According to the source, Robert Kocharyan said that reactivation of
the branch line will open new possibilities of cooperation. The sides
also discussed activation of the Armenian enterprises transferred to
Russia under the program “Property for Debt.” In his turn, Levitin
said: “Russia is also interested in activation of the enterprises.
For this purpose, working groups have been formed.”