PARLIAMENT APPROVES CONSTITUTIONAL DRAFT IN SECOND READING
Armenpress
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: With a vote of 98, 1 abstention
and no ‘against’ votes Armenian parliament has approved today in the
second reading a package of constitution amendments. The lawmaker who
abstained was Manuk Gasparian. Lawmakers from opposition Ardarutyun
bloc and National Unity boycotted the voting.
President Kocharian’s representative, Armen Harutunian, said unlike
the acting constitution that vests the president of the country with
sweeping powers, the amended one reserves the key role for parliament.
“The parliament will have the leading role given that political
forces in it would be able to organize themselves and consolidate,
but if they fail to do so the president of the country should be able
to ensure that the country remain immune from crisis,” he said. The
third and final reading is expected in late September and in 40 days
the package should be put on a national referendum.

ARMENIAN SPEAKER CONGRATULATED STUDENTS AND PUPILS ON KNOWLEDGE DAY
Pan Armenian News
01.09.2005 06:25
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the occasion of the Knowledge Day Chairman
of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia Artur Baghdassaryan sent a
congratulation message to teachers, students and schoolchildren of the
Republic, reported the Press Service of the Armenian Parliament. The
message specifically notes, “Annually the higher and general education
institutions of the Republic of Armenia hospitably open their doors to
thousands of students and pupils. Owing to the skilled and experienced
pedagogues there is an opportunity to acquire knowledge. The NA as the
legislative body has and is implementing legislative changes called to
make the education system of Armenia in tune with the common European
criteria. Passing and ratification of laws and conventions concerning
education and science are priority in the Parliament. I am convinced
that the competitive education will form study opportunities for
all those, who irrespective of their social status, have elected the
way of science. Confirming the state attention to education issues
and expressing gratitude to all pedagogues, I congratulate on the
occasion fo the Knowledge Day and wish good luck.”

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT PASSED PACKAGE OF AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION IN SECOND READING
Pan Armenian News
01.09.2005 06:05
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Parliament of Armenia has passed the package of
amendments to the Constitution of Armenia in the second reading. 98
MPs voted for the document, one abstained, none of those present was
against. It should be noted that National Unity and Justice opposition
factions did not take part in the vote. The third reading of the
amendments will tentatively be held in late September 2005. After
40 days the package of constitutional reforms will be submitted for
nation-wide referendum, reported IA Regnum.

GOVERNMENT REGULATORY UPHOLDS ITS DECISION TO FINE ARMENTEL
Armenpress
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: A government-affiliated commission
for protection of economic competition upheld yesterday its August 12
decision to fine ArmenTel telephone operator company $400,000 for the
more than month-long breakdown of its network that caused widespread
anger among its nearly 300,000 subscribers from June 30 to July 10.
The ruling came in retaliation to ArmenTel August 26 complaint. The
commission ruled yesterday that the Greek-owned company, which
maintains its legal monopoly on fixed-line telephony and Internet
services in Armenia, has abused its “dominant position” in the
cellphone business. ArmenTel will have to pay the fine within one day
after it receives the commission’s decision, otherwise the commission
said it will take the case to court.
In the meantime ArmenTel telephone operator has denied today rumors
that it is going to switch off cellphone communication for ten days
offering all its clients instead a 5,000 drams worth compensation
for further conversations. A spokeswoman for the operator, said the
company is working to improve the quality of communication which will
‘once and for ever improve in a couple of weeks.”
She also confirmed that the operator is going to ask transport and
communication minister ‘to balance the tariffs for fixed telephone
lines,” which may implicate that ArmenTel is going to raise them.

OSCE HEAD EXPECTED TO VISIT YEREVAN SEPTEMBER 7
Pan Armenian News
01.09.2005 05:25
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel will visit Baku September 6. Next day Rupel is expected
in Armenia. Within the framework of the visit Rupel intends to get
information about the outcomes of the Kazan meeting of the Armenian
and Azeri Presidents. In the course of his regional visit the OSCE
head will meet with Presidents of both countries. With Azeri officials
Mr. Rupel is expected to discuss the process of preparation to the
parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. While in Armenia, the matter
will concern the coming referendum on introducing changes to the
Constitution of the country, IA Regnum reported.

650 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-JULY, 2005
ARKA News Agency
Aug 31 2005
YEREVAN, August 31. /ARKA/. A total of 650 traffic accidents were
registered in Armenia in January-July, 2005, which is by 0.9% higher
than the accidents registered during the corresponding period in 2004,
the RA National Statistical Service reports. The statistics reports
that 129 individuals died in these accidents (by 4% higher than
in January-July, 2005), and 922 individuals were injured (by 9.2%
higher than in January-July, 2004). A.A.

ARMENIAN NA SPEAKER CONGRATULATES TEACHERS, STUDENTS
ARKA News Agency
Aug 31 2005
YEREVAN, August 31. /ARKA/. Speaker of the RA National Assembly Artur
Baghdasaryan has addressed a congratulatory message to Armenia’s
teachers, students and school-children on the occasion of Knowledge
Day. In his message Baghdasaryan pointed out that every year Armenia’s
high and higher educational institutions open their doors for thousands
of pupils and students. Experienced teachers impart them knowledge,
which will open up new prospects for students depending on their
capacities and preferences. The message says that the RA Parliament
has been making amendments to Armenia’s legislation to harmonize
the country’s education system with European standards and enable
Armenian school-children and students to find their place in the
present-day world. The RA Parliament gives priority to the adoption and
ratification of laws and conventions on education and culture. Speaker
Baghdasaryan expressed the confidence that competitive education
will allow all those choosing the way of science to study. In his
message, Speaker Baghdasaryan gave assurances that the RA Government
gives appropriate attention to tasks of education and thanked all
the teachers, congratulated them and wished them success. P.T.

AZERI, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS’ KAZAN TALKS RAISE HOPES
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 1 2005
Hopes for a settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper Garabagh
conflict increased after another around of talks, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists following the closed-door meeting
of the Azeri and Armenian presidents in the Russian Volga river city
of Kazan on Saturday.
The previous meeting of the two presidents in Warsaw raised
expectations for progress in the conflict resolution.
Prior to the Kazan meeting held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of
Independent States summit, there were presumptions that the sides would
reach a specific agreement or sign a document. However, it became clear
after the meeting of the foreign ministers in Moscow shortly before
the presidents’ talks that considerable results would not be achieved.
As before, the presidents’ meeting was attended by the co-chairs of
the meditating OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann of the United States, Yuri
Merzlyakov of Russia and Bernard Fassier of France, as well as the OSCE
chairman’s envoy Anzhei Kaspshik. The talks, which first started with
participation of the two foreign ministers and OSCE representatives,
were followed by a private meeting of the heads of state.
Although no extensive information was available on the details and
outcome of the meeting, Foreign Minister Mammadyarov’s statement
enables a conclusion that major results were not achieved. He said,
however, that the meeting cannot be considered fruitless, as talks
between the two presidents always yield results. “The hopes that
emerged after the Warsaw meeting further increased after the Kazan
talks.”
The Minister noted that new proposals were made at the Kazan
meeting and a week or two are needed to analyze them and assess the
situation. Although Mammadyarov did not elaborate, it is clear that
the mediators made certain proposals on the conflict resolution.
Touching on the timeframe for the next meeting, the Minister said
the sides agreed to consider it after analyzing the results of the
presidents’ meeting.
A spokesman for the Armenian President Viktor Sogomonian said
official Yerevan considers the meeting a ‘positive development’ in
the negotiating process. “The two countries’ foreign ministers will
continue working considering the agreements reached in Kazan”, he said.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealed to the two countries’
leaders prior to the Kazan meeting. In her phone conversations with
the Azeri and Armenian presidents, she said Washington attaches great
importance to the talks on the conflict settlement. Rice also voiced
a hope for a peaceful conflict resolution.
Mammadyarov said prior to the meeting that progress would be achieved
in peace talks if Armenia accepts the proposals made by Azerbaijan.
“The sides have mutual understanding on certain issues. If Armenia
is ready to accept all of our proposals, there will be a breakthrough
in the negotiations.”
The Minister noted that the mediators have stepped up their activity
and continue to put forth ‘compromise’ proposals.
Touching upon the Garabagh status, Mammadyarov emphasized the
importance of discussing the issue strictly within Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. “There are different ways to resolve the
issue. Dialogue on the matter should therefore continue… The
main idea is for us to find a way for Azeris and Armenians to live
peacefully in a small territory. The sooner we find a way for this,
the more rapidly our states will develop, as the conflict is an
obstacle for our countries’ development. We should focus on the
processes ongoing around the world and look to the future.”
Meeting ‘was doomed to failure’ A well-known Armenian political analyst
said the meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian was
‘doomed to failure’.
“The meeting certainly means some progress. But both Aliyev and
Kocharian understood well that it would be extremely difficult to agree
upon anything on the eve of the parliament elections in Azerbaijan”,
Andranik Migranian told Russian media.
“The pre-election situation has heated up in Azerbaijan so much that
any discussions on compromises are harshly disapproved there. The
meeting was therefore doomed to fail beforehand.”
Asked what Azerbaijan and Armenia should do to achieve success in the
conflict settlement, Migranian said ‘the conflicting sides cannot do
anything on their own’.
“In this case, the decision may be imposed by the international
community or the status quo in the current situation will remain.
This may continue until one of the sides deems itself strong enough
to solve the problem through military action.”
The analyst said that certain progress in the conflict resolution
could be achieved if superpowers ‘impose a compromise solution on
the conflicting sides’.
“Without this decision, it is difficult for the authorities of
Azerbaijan and Armenia to explain to their own electorate why they
would accept such unfavorable concessions.”
In reply to a question whether Russia may step up its mediating role
in the conflict settlement, Migranian said this country is involved
in the process anyway. “However, Russia’s current potential does not
allow doing more that it is doing now.”
“Russia has limited financial, economic and military-political
potential, not to mention the fact it has almost lost its influence
in Georgia and Azerbaijan…Many do not see Russia as a country that
has a key to the solution of the Garabagh problem any more.
Azerbaijan binds greater hopes for Washington or Brussels rather than
Moscow in this respect.”
The analyst said that the increase of Azerbaijan’s military spending
stated by President Ilham Aliyev earlier is a ‘move aimed at pressuring
Armenia’.
Migranian did not rule out that the Azeri government will be ‘tempted
to make a decision to fight back’. “When they build up certain military
potential, they may resort to fighting back”, he said.

Q&A with Council of Europe Secretary General
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 1 2005
Q. Mr. Davis, first of all we would like to ask you several questions
on the Summit of heads of state and governments of the Council of
Europe member states. What do you believe has changed since the Summit
or what do you think will change?
A. The Summit was an important landmark in the history of the Council
of Europe because we were given a clear mandate to continue our work
in developing democracy, defending human rights and advancing the rule
of law throughout Europe. These values are not stagnant concepts. They
develop with time and are all interlinked. One concrete step resulting
from the Summit is that the Council of Europe will establish a Forum
for the Future of Democracy, open to all member states and civil
society, to strengthen democracy, political freedom and citizens’
participation. Another important decision was to set up a center of
expertise on local government reform, which will contribute to good
local and regional governance by promoting standards and good practices
and assisting member states with capacity-building at the local
and regional level. The Summit also decided to launch a Europe-wide
campaign against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
Q. What are your personal expectations on the future of Europe?
A. Europe is a process, which is under continuous construction,
and we must see it as a long-term project. The Council of Europe
was established to encourage European unity. With 46 member states,
we now have a pan-European dimension – only Belarus is regrettably
missing from the European family. Our goal is to translate our values
of democracy, human rights and the rule of law into reality throughout
Europe. It is a slow process, but we will succeed.
Q. We would like to ask for your comments on the recent developments
in Azerbaijan. The recent statement of the PACE Monitoring Committee
contained very strong elements of red alarm regarding the current
socio-political situation. Do you think the situation is so complex?
Is there any possibility of achieving a peaceful solution of the
problems between the authorities and the opposition parties?
A. The two Committee rapporteurs on Azerbaijan are both experienced
parliamentarians well-acquainted with the political and human
rights situation in your country. I have every confidence in their
assessment of developments in Azerbaijan. There is no doubt that
there are some serious shortfalls – such as obstacles to freedom of
assembly and expression. These are basic human rights that should be
respected in a democratic country. There are also other areas where
there is plenty of room for improvement. In particular, sincere and
constructive dialogue between the authorities and the opposition
parties is essential. Political will is needed from both sides to
normalize the relationship and to create a climate of openness in
the political life of the country.
Q. What do you expect from the November parliamentary elections in
Azerbaijan? Does the Council of Europe have any action plans to assist
the country in avoiding possible social catastrophes or the widely
speculated ‘revolution’? Does the CE have any tools or mechanisms to
assist Azerbaijan in achieving civil dialogue within the country?
A. It is not my place to speculate about the forthcoming elections.
As far as I am concerned, there is no alternative to free and fair
elections – especially since the previous elections were marred by
irregularities. We have therefore prepared an action plan to support
the organization of honest elections. The plan has a three-fold focus:
election assistance, which includes revision of the Election Code and
assistance to the election administration; awareness-raising and voter
education aimed at increasing public participation in the election
process; and promotion of Council of Europe standards and values
through civil society and media. I hope that our action will have an
impact in the conduct of fair parliament elections this autumn. I
think Azerbaijan has a remarkable tool if people want to improve
democracy in their society. This tool is membership of the Council of
Europe. The country has at its disposal a wealth of knowledge of our
norms, standards, values and practices. Cooperation with the Council
of Europe also gives an opportunity to learn from the experience of
other member states in the sphere of political interaction between
the various actors in society as well as in participatory democracy
in general.
Q. If any registered falsifications during the parliamentary elections
were to re-occur, what would be the position of the Council of Europe?
A. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will send
an observation mission for the elections. Much will depend on their
assessment of the conduct of the poll, and I am not going to make any
premature judgments. My message is that the elections should be held
in an irreproachable manner. Azerbaijan has a chance to show that it
can pass the test of democracy, and that it can be the flagship in
this regard for other countries in transition.
Q. Mr Secretary General, having been a rapporteur on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper Garabagh conflict, what are your comments
on the recent ceasefire breaches on the frontline? What do you think
about the recent developments in the negotiating process between the
two governments? Do you see the end of this conflict?
A. I am very concerned that the ceasefire has not been kept. Every
loss of life is tragic, and too many people have lost their lives in
Armenia and Azerbaijan. On the other hand, it is encouraging that the
negotiation process has resumed. I think that since the so-called
Prague process started a year ago, the prospects for a peaceful
settlement have increased considerably.

SWISS BAN EGYPT, ARMENIA AIRLINES ON SAFETY CONCERNS (UPDATE1)
Bloomberg
Sept 1 2005
Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) — Switzerland has banned two airlines from its
airports in a list released today for the first time to increase
transparency after five plane crashes worldwide last month focused
public attention on carriers’ safety.
Egypt’s Flash Airlines and Armenia’s Air Van Airlines are forbidden
from landing in Switzerland, Raymond Cron, head of the Federal Office
for Civil Aviation said at a briefing in the Swiss capital Bern today.
Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger decided to publish the Swiss
blacklist after meeting last week with his French counterpart,
Dominique Perben. French regulators, releasing their list for the
first time, said Aug. 29 that they have refused landing rights to
five airlines over the past four years. Belgium said the same day
that it bars nine carriers.
European Union countries each have separate safety policies on
approving airlines serving their countries. A carrier blacklisted in
one country isn’t necessarily banned elsewhere in the 25-nation bloc.
EU regulators have proposed legislation forcing the bloc’s 25 nations
to publish an annual list of all banned airlines in order to create a
consolidated, region-wide list of these carriers. The U.K. makes its
list public, while Italy and Germany don’t identify which airlines
they keep out of their airports.
“Only a Europe-wide list will lead to the goal,” said Cron, who took
over the safety dossier at the European Civil Aviation Conference one
week ago. “I am convinced we will have this European list. If we’re
fast, it will be ready in 2006,” he said.
Revelations of Swiss Ban
Revelations of a Swiss ban against a Flash Airlines Boeing 737-300 that
wasn’t widely publicized in the EU helped unblock the initial debate
over a public blacklist after the jet crashed in January 2004 in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt, killing all 148 passengers, including 135 French
citizens. Switzerland bans both airlines and individual aircraft.
The Swiss list doesn’t cover airlines that don’t operate in the
country, but any airline that is banned by another country will
automatically be rejected by Switzerland if it issues a request.
Swiss authorities will reassess the permits of airlines operating in
Switzerland that have been banned by another country, Cron said.
In addition, the aviation authorities aim to revise a law stipulating
that travel agencies must inform customers which airline they will
fly with. In order to be taken off the blacklist, a banned airline
must prove its flight safety.
“Just because we’re making things more transparent, doesn’t mean it’s
safer to fly,” Cron said. “But transparency will help consumers be
more aware, and airlines be more aware.”
French, Belgian and U.K. Lists
France’s blacklist includes Air Koryo of North Korea, Thailand’s Phuket
Airlines, Mozambique’s Linhas Aereas de Mocambique, Air Saint Thomas
of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and International Air Services of Liberia.
Belgium has banned Air Van Airlines as well as the Central African
Republic’s Africa Lines, Egypt’s Air Memphis, Central Air Express
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya’s ICTTPW, Nigeria’s
International Air Tours, Ghana’s Johnsons Air Ltd., Rwanda’s Silverback
Cargo Freighters and Ukraine’s South Airlines.
The U.K. has banned aircrafts registered or operated by companies with
an Air Operators Certificate from the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, and Tajikistan,
according to a January 2004 report found on the government’s Web
site. The U.K. has also refused or suspended permits of Mauritania’s
Air Mauritanie, Kyrgyzstan’s Phoenix Aviation and Phuket Airlines.
Four of the five plane crashes in August were fatal. None involved
an airline on the banned lists. All 309 on board an Air France Airbus
A340 survived after the plane slid into a ravine and burst into fire
during a rainstorm Aug. 2 at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Nineteen of the 39 people on a Tunis Air ATR-72 regional aircraft
were killed Aug. 6 in a crash on the coast of Palermo, Sicily. All
121 people aboard died when a Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 went down
north of Athens on Aug. 14.
An Aug. 16 crash in Venezuela of a Medellin, Colombia-based West
Caribbean Airways plane killed all 160 people aboard, including 152
French tourists. Forty people died Aug. 23 in the crash of a Tans
airline Boeing Co. 727-200 in the Peruvian Andes jungle.