KARABAKH ANALYST: ILHAM ALIYEV JUSTIFIES MILITARIZATION AND HYPER-CENTRALIZATION BY KARABAKH FACTOR
15:44 04/07/2006
“Oil drug heavily influenced minds of Azerbaijani politicians: their
optimism, caused by inflow of oil dollars into Azerbaijani economy
and Azerbaijan’s advantages concerning Armenia turns into bragging and
creating political mythology, which are very dangerous for societies,”
stated Karabakh analyst David Karabekyan to REGNUM.
At the same time, he stressed, most likely Baku will intensify
its activity in foreign policy in future, wishing to strengthen its
positions as independent actor of sub-regional and regional politics,
that more and more firmly and harder proclaims its interests and
readiness to defend them. “In the situation, when the neighboring
country strengthens its pressure on us, it is necessary to defend
our position more fundamentally, more heartily to correct errors,
look for resources to solve problems. I personally believe that to
deal with aggressive regime, propagating hatred against Armenia,
is the same as to put out fire with petrol or to try to calm down
predator with victim’s meat. Every new concession will cause new
demand,” said David Karabekyan.
The analyst stressed, by manipulating the Karabakh factor, Azerbaijani
leaders solve questions of internal policy and of their power’s
strengthening. “Manipulating the Karabakh factor, Aliyev-senior
succeeded in dismissing his fellow countrymen from Nakhichevan Abulfaz
Elchibey from the presidential post, and conjointly, having clearly
calculated political state of affairs in the country and around
Transcaucasia, he got rid of competitors-representatives of national
security, defense and law enforcement agencies, and opponents, as well
as suppressed mutinies in Lenkoran and people’s liberation movement
of Lezghins, living in the North of Azerbaijan,” said David Karabekyan.
According to the analyst, Aliyev-junior smartly uses the factor for
justifying of military expenditures growth, hyper-centralization of
governing, and abundantly wide and active participation of power
structures’ representatives in social and political life of the
country. “As for the struggle against opposition, everything is
easy and effective here. Like his father, Aliyev-junior succeeded
in persuading Azeri and international community, that the post
and political niche, occupied by him, are exactly those, he is
to occupy and will do it for benefit of all and everyone. In
contrast to impulsive and unpredictable Saakashvili, Aliyev is
predictable and bears certain traditions. It means, unlike his
opponents-oppositionists, Aliyev-junior intends to carry out
more reserved and considered policy in direction Russia-West and
Iran-Turkey-Russia-USA. Evidence of it is pretended successes of his
regime, which are proclaimed by Azerbaijani propaganda to be real,
in Karabakh settlement, economy, and growth of Azerbaijani factor in
regional policy,” said David Karabekyan.
The analyst believes, forces opposing to the current regime are not
able to change fundamentally the situation in the country, whereas the
ruling regime demonstrate that it anyhow pushes the country forward.

DIASPORA IS MAIN INVESTOR
Lragir.am
10 April 06
83 per cent of foreigners who made investments in the economy of
Armenia are Diaspora Armenians. According to the news agency ARKA,
this fact was provided by the director of the research center
Economy and Values Manuk Yerghinyan. “Considering the indices of
foreign investments in 1994-2004, this percentage is 69,” says the
expert. According to Manuk Yerghinyan, the majority of Diasporans
investing in Armenia are from the United States, Russia and Iran. They
make 60 per cent of investments by Diasporans.

ARMENIA HAS NOT DISCUSSED IRANIAN GAS PIPELINE
Lragir.am
10 April 06
In the negotiations with Gasprom on the compensation for the price of
gas Armenia did not discuss the Iran-Armenia pipeline, and did not
make any arrangements with the Russian party, stated Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan on April 10. Andranik Margaryan said to the reporter
of the Lragir.am: “No arrangements. These are independent projects. We
continue the implementation, negotiations over the construction of
the third high-voltage transmission line, and the second project
with Iran is supply of gas; when we build the second line, it will
go on. In other words, one is not related to the other.”
The official website of Gasprom, informing about the outcome of
the Russian-Armenian talks over the price of gas, reported about an
agreement on buying the first section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
from Armenia. However, several hours later the information was edited,
and the sentences on buying the gas pipeline were deleted.

THE STATEMENT OF NKR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Lragir.am
10 April 06
Recently cases of violation of the ceasefire at the front line have
become more frequent due to the lack of an adequate appraisal of
top-level militaristic statements voiced in Azerbaijan.
The border incidents, which caused the number of casualties to go
up, deepen mutual mistrust and may lead to a serious escalation of
tensions in the zone of conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, threatening
stability in the entire region. With regard to this Nagorno Karabakh
Republic confirms its standpoint on a peace settlement of the conflict
and commitment to the maintenance of cease-fire, set down in the
February 6, 1995 agreement signed by the defense ministers of NKR,
the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
We call the other two parties, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the
Republic of Armenia, which signed the abovementioned agreement,
for joining our initiative, and we hope that by cooperative effort
and mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as well as other
international mediators and interested parties, it will be possible
to confirm commitment to this agreement and fulfill the instruments
set down in the document for localizing incidents at the front line.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PACE SPRING SESSION TO START TODAY IN STRASBURG
ArmRadio.am
10.04.2006 10:24
The spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe will start today in Strasburg. Two issues immediately related
to Armenian are included in the agenda, i.e. the state of refugees
and displaced persons in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan and the
rights of servicemen.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MG CO-CHAIR BERNARD FASSIER TO ARRIVE IN BAKU
ArmRadio.am
10.04.2006 10:39
This evening the French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard
Fassier will arrive in Baku. The visit comprises part of his regional
visit, in the framework of which Fassier will pay a visit to Armenia.
Issues related to the negotiations process after the meeting of
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents will be discussed during the
meetings to be held in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

RA PRESIDENT RECEIVED CHARLES AZNAVOUR
ArmRadio.am
10.04.2006 12:35
RA President Robert Kocharyan received today famous singer, public
figure Charles Aznavour, who arrived in Armenia with the first flight
of the “Air France” Company.
Warmly welcoming the guest, the President noted that he should pay
at least one or two visits to Armenia annually and should visit not
only Yerevan but also other marzes to get to know whole Armenia.
“I’m glad to see that the life in the country progresses,” Charles
Aznavour said. The interlocutors discussed humanitarian issues, and
turned to the process of implementation of the programs by “Aznavour
in Armenia” Fund and the new initiatives. Robert Kocharyan informed
that a number of interesting programs including various spheres are
being discussed currently with the French side.

SERGEY HAMBARTSUMYAN – ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
ArmRadio.am
10.04.2006 14:12
At today’s enlarged sitting of the National Academy of Sciences RA
Prime Minister presented the acting President of the Academy Sergey
Hambartsumyan.
To remind, on April 6 the Armenian government suspended President
Fadey Sargsyan’s liabilities according to the latter’s own application.
The Prime Minister informed that he has accepted Fadey Sargsyan’s
resignation and appointed the latter his advisor.
The elections for the vacant position of the President of the Academy
have not been set so far.

‘MEDIA SHOULD FUSE FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITY’
By Saban Gunduz, Kenan Bas
Zaman Online, Turkey
April 9 2006
Antalya hosted on Saturday a “general assembly” amid the Dialogue
Eurasia Platform’s four-day meeting over “media.”
Anar Rizayev, an Azerbaijani poet and the Honorary President of the
program, pointed the finger at the role of media.
The notion of freedom should not lead to impropriety, that is why,
the media, the most powerful tool in the 21st century, ought to keep
a fine balance between freedom and liability, said Rizayev.
Islam suffers from a lax attitude from the media towards equivalence
of it with terrorism, Anar stressed.
The recent incidents in the West are a clear sign of drought of western
influence on the East, said Harun Tokak, the Head of Journalists and
Writers Foundation.
The program here is a ground to introduce eastern values to the West,
said Tokak.
“The western optimism relies today on the eastern enlightenment.”
The program sets a fine example of progress towards universal peace,
said Tokak.
“This is a region hard enough to adjust to. We are under threats
of conspiracy theories that aim for disintegration. There are evil
forces working on the deterioration of hostility and abhorrence. This
program, in this sense, is meant to be a response from the eastern
intellectuals to such evil forces.”
The Euro-Asian communities need to develop mutual relations with each
other, said Elcin Efendiyev, the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan.
It is the “truth” that Azerbaijan can only ally with in search of a
resolution to the question of the Mountainous Karabagh, said Efendiyev.
The failure, however, came over the inability to speak the truth
against the whole world, Efendiyev concluded.
Dialogue Eurasia Platform Honorary President and Azerbaijan Authors
Union President Anar Rizayev told 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories
were occupied by Armenia, claiming that the world media does not
reflect the facts about the Karabagh issue.
“I do not want problems to be solved with bloodshed; however, Karabagh
is a matter of honor,” acknowledged Rizayev.
He told that they may one day cooperate with Armenia on condition
that it does not demand soil from Turkey and give up from genocide
allegations.
Prime Minister Erdogan noted that societies sharing the same geography
pour into the same sea although they flow in different beds and meet
in the same vastness.
Indicating that this fact is valid for the Eurasia region the most,
Erdogan said: “Today, the Dialogue Eurasia Platform is making
significant efforts in order to re-establish the bridges among
Eurasian societies, which have similar adventures and develop future
perspectives. I believe that the benefit of gathering around common
interests and uniting our power will appear here. The Dialogue Eurasia
Platform will be a ground where good wills turn into real steps.”
Emphasizing the platform will make important contributions to our
historical and cultural bonds, the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament,
Bulent Arinc, told, “I wish to live in a world where civilizations
do not clash but unite.”
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul underlined that
Eurasia is the region, which will be influenced by the international
developments and influence the other regions of the world in the
next period.
Indicating that the region countries should evaluate the developments
in the Eurasian geography in a healthy way, Gul asked to show
the necessary support in order for Eurasia to become a region of
cooperation and welfare more than a region of competition.
Teenagers to Handle Problems of Eurasia
Eurasian countries will find solutions to the world as well as
their own problems with conscious teenagers. Youth platforms will be
established within the framework of Dialogue Eurasia Platform (DEP).
DEP will reach a younger and more dynamic structure with youth
platforms from every country.
Dialogue efforts, which start with the word “da” meaning “yes” in
Russian, are traveling to new horizons. A “Youth Platform” will be
set up within the framework of DA. Leadership of Turkey and Azerbaijan
is expected to be an example to other Eurasian countries.
DA Platform Assistant Editor Cengiz Simsek expressed that together
with DA Youth Platforms, they aimed at creating a responsible youth,
cognizant of the World’s and Eurasia’s problems.

ARMENIA DENIES RUSSIA DEAL ON IRAN PIPELINE
The Moscow Times, Russia
April 10 2006
YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenia’s energy minister denied Friday that the
impoverished Caucasus nation had struck a deal with Russia’s state-run
gas monopoly to hand it control of part of a new Armenian-Iranian
gas pipeline.
Gazprom a day earlier announced that it had struck a 25-year-deal
giving Gazprom’s Armenian joint venture ownership rights to the
Armenian segment of a planned pipeline bringing Iranian gas to the
country and an electricity power generating unit.
Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian, said that the pipeline
was still under construction and therefore “it cannot be sold.” He
insisted that Armenia had only agreed to transfer control of the
country’s Razdan-5 gas-fired power plant for almost $250 million.
The deal was expected to draw fire from Armenia’s opposition, which
has expressed concern over Russia’s already heavy control over the
small, landlocked country’s energy infrastructure.
But Movsisian said the proceeds from the deal — which will give
Gazprom the right to export electricity from the power plant unit —
were needed to soften the effect for the population of a doubling in
the price of Russian natural gas supplies.
The agreement sets a price for Armenia of $110 per thousand cubic
meters of gas up to Jan. 1, 2009, according to a Gazprom statement —
roughly twice what Armenia has paid in recent years.