Armenian opposition vows to “block” president’s office on 21 May
Mediamax news agency
15 May 04
Yerevan, 15 May: The secretary of the Justice parliamentary faction,
Viktor Dallakyan, has spoken about the opposition’s plans to block
again the presidential residence and the Armenian parliament’s building
on 21 May.
Dallakyan said this in his address to another rally of the united
Armenian opposition in central Yerevan on Friday [14 May].
The opposition leaders declared again their rejection of a dialogue
with the ruling coalition, explaining this by the fact that the
opposition’s proposal to include a clause on “Ways to overcome the
internal political crisis after the 2003 presidential elections” in
the agenda of the talks has not been fulfilled in full, i.e. to be more
precise, the word “crisis” has been replaced with the word “situation”.

Azeri media official displeased with BBC programmes
Sarq, Baku
15 May 04
Text of Lala report by Azerbaijani newspaper Sarq on 15 May headlined
“The BBC’s activities in Azerbaijan are not satisfactory’ and subheaded
“The National TV and Radio Council voices its protest”
The National TV and Radio Council has joined the protests that have
lately been aired against the anti-Azerbaijani reports constantly
disseminated by the BBC Central Asia and the Caucasus Service in
its Russian language programmes and the radio station’s pro-Armenian
position on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
The ruling New Azerbaijan Party has already voiced its protests
against anti-Azerbaijani propaganda by the Russian service of the radio
station. In the opinion of the National TV and Radio Council chairman,
Nusiravan Maharramli, in its activities in the Caucasus, BBC radio
should take into account the region’s subtle points. “Particularly,
it should take an impartial stance on the issue of Azerbaijan and
Armenia. We think that in this regard, the activities of BBC radio
are not satisfactory,” he said.
He went on to say that the National TV and Radio Council does not
have the power to deal with the problem. “The BBC is carrying
out its activities in Azerbaijan on the basis of international
agreements. For this reason, the Council has no right to intervene in
its activities. An opinion about the activities of this radio should
be voiced at the state level because the agreements were signed at
the state level,” Maharramli said.
The Council has started monitoring radio programmes. “We cannot
intervene in their creative process. But we should learn whether
these steps are being taken constantly or not. If the monitoring
shows that anti-Azerbaijani activities are under way, we will have to
ask the president to voice his attitude. If the radio is constantly
carrying out these activities in Azerbaijan, why should we not ban
their activities here?”

Railway from Russia to Transcaucasia must be unblocked
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — The railway from Russia to the Transcaucasia must
function again, holds Vadim Gustov, the chairman of the Committee
for CIS affairs of the Federation Council upper house of Russian
parliament.
“There is a need to look for the solution of this problem, and there
might be a non-standard decision”, Gustov said. He takes part in the
conference on interregional Russo-Armenian cooperation.
Nearly 90 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade cargoes are carried
along the Georgian railway. The transit of Armenian cargoes along
this territory and then through the ports of Poti and Batumi involves
certain problems, Gustov said. The cost of goods transportation over
the first 700 kilometres on the way from Yerevan to Moscow makes up
80 percent of the total transportation costs.
Gustov believes the MPs of the three countries concerned – Armenia,
Georgia and Russia – must participate in the solution of this
problem. “One of the ways is jointly to provide the funds for the
reconstruction of the destroyed part of the railway and then Armenia
might rent this stretch”, he said. Gustov proposes that the road be
guarded by peacekeepers so it could function properly.
“In this way the road will be unblocked and be open again to the
flow of goods to Armenia for the transportation of Georgian goods to
Russia”, Gustov noted. He believes this question should be discussed
in the by the interparliamentary assembly of the CIS countries.

Iran, Armenia sign agreement on gas export
IRNA, Iran
May 15 2004
Tehran, May 15, IRNA — Iran and Armenia signed an agreement in
Yerevan on Thursday to construct gas pipelines that will tranport
Iranian gas to Armenia.
According to the Persian-language daily Hamshahri, the agreement was
signed during a visit by Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh
to Yerevan by and between the Iranian National Gas Export Company
and officials of Armenia.
According to the agreement, Iran will export 1.1 billion cubic meters
of gas to Armenia with the possibility of exports being raised to
2.3 billion cubic meters.
Under the agreement, exports of Iranian gas, estimated at 10 billion
dollars, will be paid through a barter system.
Iran will launch gas exports to Armenia in 2007. Total volume of
gas exports to Armenia is targeted at 36 billion cubic meters, which
could be increased to 47 billion cubic meters.
The agreement is an added step to strengthening the position of Iran
as a secure energy provider, especially of gas.
In addition to exports of gas, the two countries have agreed to the
construction of a gas pipeline that will open a new route for the
transport of Iranian gas to the region via Georgia, the Black Sea
and Ukraine.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Regional coop should promote to implement Russo-Armenian agts
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — Cooperation between regions must help implement
agreements reached by Russian and Armenian presidents, believe the
participants in a conference on the interregional Russian-Armenian
cooperation that opened in the Russian city of Samara on Friday.
The conducting of Samara interregional conference simultaneously with
the meeting of the two presidents in Moscow has a particular meaning,
Sergei Mironov, the Speaker of the Federation Council, or the upper
house of Russian parliament, told reporters.
“The fact that President Robert Kocharyan went to Moscow at the same
time as Armenian parliament speaker, Artur Bagdasarian, went to Samara,
one of Russia’s 89 constituent territories, testifies to the stability
of our relations,” Mironov said.
He is sure that the Armenian president’s visit to Moscow and his
dialogue with Vladimir Putin would promote a solution of the problems
witnessed by regions of the Caucasus.
Armenia is “our strategic partner, and our countries have a traditional
special relationship,” Mironov said.
During the conference, Russian and Armenian parliamentarians signed
a number of documents on inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well
as on interaction between the Samara Region and some regions of the
Republic of Armenia.
“We’ve agreed in principle on building up friendship between our
regions,” Artur Bagdasarian said.
He stressed Armenia’s position of the most stable partner that Russia
has in the Caucasus.
Bagdasarian said it was important to augment mutual understanding
at the high level with specific actions and contacts between regions
and with cooperation between regional populations.
Governor of the Samara Region, Konstantin Titov, shared that opinion,
saying that the partnership between the regions “is the most effective
form of cooperation between states”.
The framework agreements that the sides signed Friday “are a serious
basis of the multifaceted Russian-Armenian cooperation,” Titov said.
“The authorities should set up conditions for economy and business
development, essential for implementation of political accords.”

Russia, Armenia discuss econ interaction
By Veronika Romanenkova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
OGARYOVO, May 14 – Issues of the development of trade and economic
ties were high on the agenda of a meeting between the Russian and
Armenian presidents here on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcoming the visiting Armenian
leader, said he was confident that their top-level talks on Friday
would contribute to more intensive development of bilateral economic
interaction.
“Not only I am hoping, I’m confident that your working visit today
will help our interaction and intensify our relations,” Putin said.
In 2003, bilateral trade turnover increased by more than 34 percent,
Putin said, adding that it was a record indicator and the best sign
that “we are proceeding in the right direction.”
In his view however, Moscow and Yerevan have many opportunities to
work better and more effectively.
For his part, Robert Kocharyan noted that “the big deal” under which
Armenia repays its debt by giving part of its property to Russia was,
on the whole, an impulse to the development of not only military but
also economic cooperation.
“Until that time, we only talked about military cooperation while
mentioning that economic interaction was lagging behind,” the Armenian
president said.
“Now I can state with full confidence that we began to move in all
directions very synchronously. It serves as a very serious impulse
to effective cooperation and its diversification,” he said.
Kocharyan noted “interesting events in the economic sphere,” such as
the appearance of Russia’s Vneshtorgbank on the Armenian market.
A very interesting contract in the sphere of chemistry has been signed
with the help of Russian investments, implying that “grand chemistry
has come to Armenia,” Kocharyan said.
There are interesting examples of investment activities by Russian
business people in construction and other spheres, according to
the president.
Putin underlined that his meetings with Kocharyan were regular. “We are
meeting for the fifth time in the recent past, to discuss bilateral
ties and coordinate activities on the post-Soviet territory and
international arena,” Putin said.
He added that he was very glad to see Robert Kocharyan.
Kocharyan congratulated Putin on his inauguration as head of the
Russian state for a second term. “I also wish to thank you for the
invitation /to visit Russia/,” he added.
The Armenian president became Putin’s first foreign guest after his
inauguration on May 7. The head of the Russian state welcomed the
Armenian leader on the threshold of his Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The
two presidents then retreated for talks in a conference hall. Taking
part in the negotiations for Russia were Security Council Secretary
Igor Ivanov and presidential adviser Sergei Prikhodko.

Parl heads of four Caucasian states to meet
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — Parliament heads of the four Caucasian countries
(Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia) will meet without fail,
Russian Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said on Friday
during a briefing.
The group of four meets once a quarter. But there was some pause to
wait for the results of the Georgian elections, Mironov explained.
The elections have passed, and the meeting can be held, he said.
The next meeting is expected to take place in Tbilisi.
The timing is not set yet. But the meeting will not be postponed for
a long time, Mironov noted.
One of the subjects to be discussed will be the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem, Armenian parliament head Artur Bagdasaryan said.
It is necessary to sit at a negotiating table and search for peaceful
solution to the problem, he said.
Commenting on the recent statement made by the Azerbaijani leaders on
Karabakh problem settlement, the Armenian speaker noted that such
statements were not new, but Armenia remained firmly adhered to
peaceful settlement of the problem.

Putin confident of intensive econ cooperation with Armenia
By Veronika Romanenkova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
OGARYOVO, May 14 – Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was
confident that the Russian-Armenian top-level talks on Friday would
contribute to more intensive development of bilateral economic
interaction.
“Not only I am hoping, I’m confident that your working visit today
will help our interaction and intensify our relations,” Putin said
at a meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
The head of the Russian state noted that his meetings with Kocharyan
were regular. “We are meeting for the fifth time in the recent past,
to discuss bilateral ties and coordinate activities on the post-Soviet
territory and international arena,” Putin said.
He added that he was very glad to see Robert Kocharyan.
Putin welcomed the Armenian president on the threshold of his
Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The leaders then retreated for talks in a
conference hall. Taking part in the negotiations for Russia were
Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and presidential adviser
Sergei Prikhodko.

Trade between Samara region, Armenia increases 14 times
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — The trade turnover between the Samara region and
Armenia has increased 14 times for seven years, regional governor
Konstantin Titov cited the figure at the conference on interregional
Russian-Armenian cooperation on Friday.
He noted that “the CIS states are serious partners of the region, their
share in the export of the Samara region is stabilising and Armenia
holds one of the leading places in it.” The regional law on investments
that protects the deposits of businessmen promotes the capital inflow
in the region. The Samara region is a big supplier of oil, electricity,
aluminium, produce of machine-building and chemical industry.
The governor noted that the Samara region is traditionally
multinational, and the Armenian diaspora is one of the biggest there
that promotes the development of bilateral cooperation. “The state
support of multifaceted cooperation between Russian constituents
and the CIS states” is needed for the development of this tendency,
the governor pointed out.

Russia-Armenia confer on regional cooperation opens in Samara
By Lyudmila Yarmakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 14, 2004 Friday
SAMARA, May 14 — A conference devoted to inter-regional cooperation
between Russia and Armenia opened in the city of Samara on Friday.
Delegations of the two countries comprising parliamentarians,
businesspeople, public leaders and regional officials are headed by
Speaker of the Federation Council (upper house of Russia’s parliament)
Sergei Mironov and Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Artur
Bagdasaryan, respectively.
The conference participants expressed the view that direct ties
between regions are a vital component of cooperation between Russia
and Armenia, which also can boost this cooperation strengthening and
developing it.
Mironov called Armenia “Russia’s reliable strategic partner in the
international arena.” He stressed that bilateral economic cooperation
is also developing rather dynamically.
Last year’s bilateral trade turnover increased by almost 35 percent,
as against 2002. Mironov admitted, however that “the economic
potential is just 35-40 percent used.” According to the Russian
speaker, the two states have reserves for expanding cooperation,
such as interregional ties.
Bagdasaryan has agreed with Mironov saying “ties between regions make
it possible to solve many problems more quickly and effectively than
it is done in the centre.”
The Armenian official pointed out that Armenia has adopted the law on
local self-government, which does not restrict the sphere of activities
of local administrations, but encourages them in every way, including
international activity.
Badgasaryan also admitted, “the positive dynamics in bilateral
relations exists, but the cooperation falls short of possibilities.”
Conferences of this kind, in the view of the Armenian speaker, should
be held annually. He proposed to hold the next conference in Yerevan.