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03/30/2006
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1) Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Motion to Recognize Armenian Genocide
2) French Socialists to Introduce Bill against Denial of Armenian Genocide
3) Bill Introduced in Senate to Block Funding for Proposed Railway Project
Excluding Armenia
4) World Bank Gives Armenia Grant to Support Renewable Energy Project
5) More Clashes in SE Turkey as Kurds Bury 3 Dead

1) Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Motion to Recognize Armenian Genocide

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The parliament of Bulgaria turned down a draft
resolution
calling for the official acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide and
designating April 24 as the day of remembrance for its victims.
The motion was initiated by the Ataka party last January. Armenian ambassador
to Bulgaria, Sergey Manaserian, said that the Bulgarian parliament is not
likely to resume debates about the issue this year. He said the motion is
being
strongly opposed by another parliamentary faction, the Movement for Freedoms
and Rights party, which represents ethnic Bulgarian Turks and is also a member
of the governing coalition.
Another factor that led to the Bulgarian parliament’s decision is its active
economic and trade contacts with Turkey. In 2007 Bulgaria is expected to
become
an EU member and would not like to stir up additional problems with its
neighbors or its biggest national minority.
The Armenian ambassador said this April 24, events commemorating the 91st
anniversary of the Genocide will be held in various Bulgarian cities.

2) French Socialists to Introduce Bill against Denial of Armenian Genocide

YEREVAN (Yerkir/Armenpress)–The Socialist faction of the French Parliament
decided to introduce a bill against the denial of the Armenian genocide. The
Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s (ARF) Western Europe Central Committee
issued a statement welcoming the decision, which resulted from petitions sent
by the ARF to the Socialist Party leader Francois Holland.
“This is the second time that the Socialist faction is showing its support
for
Armenians,” the statement says.
The Socialist Party of France also helped pass a law recognizing the Armenian
genocide in May 1998. “The Socialist Party could use May 18, 2006 to pass a
law
that would outlaw the denial of the Armenian genocide,” continues the
statement
If passed, the law will make it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide and
deniers would be convicted.

3) Bill Introduced in Senate to Block Funding for Proposed Railway Project
Excluding Armenia

WASHINGTON, DC–Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and newly appointed
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation this week that
would prohibit US assistance for the building of railroads traversing the
Caucasus that circumvent Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
The legislation mirrors a similar House measure (HR 3361) called the “South
Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005,” introduced by
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) in June, 2005. The House version of the legislation currently
has 77 cosponsors.
“We welcome this effort to protect US taxpayers from subsidizing an
ill-advised and over-priced railroad project that–at the insistence of Turkey
and Azerbaijan–has been specifically designed to exclude Armenia,” said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “Constructing this railroad around
Armenia runs directly counter to US foreign policy, is commercially untenable,
and will only serve to institutionalize Turkey and Azerbaijan’s blockades of
Armenia.”
In his speech on the Senate floor, S 2461 original cosponsor Senator Menendez
noted the Turkish government’s ongoing campaign to “isolate Armenia
economically, politically, and socially,” citing Turkey’s 13-year blockade of
Armenia and, more recently, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline, which also circumvents Armenia. “US policy in the South Caucasus
seeks to foster regional cooperation and economic integration and supports
open
borders and transport and communication corridors. US support for this project
would run counter to that policy which is why Senator Santorum and I are
introducing this legislation today.”
In May, 2005, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili, and Turkey’s President Akhmed Nedget Sezer announced
their
intention to construct the railway corridor linking Turkey, Tbilisi, and Baku.
The project would effectively replace the Kars-Gyumri railroad route, which
has
been blockaded by Turkey for more than a decade. The governmental and
commercial interests involved in the project, estimated at between $600
million
and $1 billion, will almost certainly turn to the US government for financial
support, subsidies, favorable lending terms, and low-cost risk insurance, as
they did for the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline route.
In October 2005, the European Commission added its voice to the growing
international opposition to a Caucasus railroad. The Commission’s position
was
articulated by the Directorate General for Transport and Energy. In explaining
why the European Union would not support the creation of this rail line, the
Directorate noted that its construction was both unnecessary and
inefficient in
light of the existing railroad connecting Kars, Gyumri, and Tbilisi.
Sen. Menendez’ complete statement follows.

Statement by Senator Robert Menendez upon Introduction of S 2461

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to block US
support for yet another anti-Armenian initiative.
In numerous cases over the last few years, the Turkish government has
methodically sought to isolate Armenia economically, politically and socially.
One of the most egregious examples was the imposition of a 1993 blockade
against Armenia in support of Azerbaijan’s war against Karabagh Armenians.
The Turkish government has routinely sought to exclude Armenia from projects
that would benefit the economies of the countries of the South Caucasus. The
latest example of this policy is the proposal to build a new rail line that
would connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Similar to the Baku-Ceyhan
pipeline, this rail link would specifically go around Armenia.
Now, geographically, we all know that a pipeline or rail line that seeks to
connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan would have to pass through Armenia. One
would have to make a special effort to bypass Armenia.
The US should not endorse Turkey and Azerbaijan’s politically motivated
attempt to isolate Armenia.
I therefore rise today in opposition to this plan, and to introduce
legislation, along with my colleague, Senator SANTORUM, that would bar US
support and funding for a rail link connecting Georgia and Turkey, and which
specifically excludes Armenia. This project is estimated to cost up to $800
million and would take three years to complete. The aim of this costly
approach, as publicly stated by Azeri President Aliyev, is to isolate Armenia
by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades and to keep the
existing Turkey-Armenia-Georgia rail link shut down. This ill-conceived
project
runs counter to US policy, ignores the standing Kars-Gyumri rail route, is
politically and economically flawed and serves to destabilize the region.
US policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional cooperation and
economic integration and supports open borders and transport and communication
corridors. US support for this project would run counter to that policy which
is why Senator Santorum and I are introducing this legislation today.
We cannot continue to stoke the embers of regional conflict by supporting
projects that deliberately exclude one of the region’s most important members.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

4) World Bank Gives Armenia Grant to Support Renewable Energy Project

YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)–The World Bank approved Wednesday a Renewable
Energy Project for Armenia totaling $25,050,000. The amount includes a $5
million International Development Association (IDA) credit and a $3 million
grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project will also be
supported by co-financing of $3 million from the Cafesjian Family Foundation.
This project will assist the government in increasing privately owned and
operated power generation utilizing renewable energy and to reduce greenhouse
gas (carbon dioxide) emissions.
Although Armenia has achieved remarkable results in reforming its energy
sector, a few challenges remain. Armenia must shift its reliance from costly
and polluting sources of energy to lower cost and environmentally friendly
alternatives. Also, Armenia needs to diversify its energy sources and utilize
indigenous renewable energy resources.
While the overall legal and regulatory framework in Armenia is supportive to
the development of renewable resources, private investments in renewable
projects are impeded by a number of legal, regulatory, informational,
financial, and institutional barriers. The Renewable Energy Project will
provide assistance to remove the existing barriers and debt financing, as well
as technical, legal, managerial and business support to a selected number of
renewable projects.
“The project will increase the role of renewable resources in Armenia’s
electricity generation mix in the future thereby increasing the
diversification
of electricity supply and energy security,” said Gevorg Sargsyan, Head of the
World Bank team designing the project. “It will also generate environmental
benefits by reducing emissions and pollution.”
World Bank officials also discussed anticipated repercussions of the upcoming
surge in the price of Russian natural gas on Armenia’s population and
economy.
Roger Robinson, head of the World Bank office in Yerevan, predicted that the
doubling of the gas price, which is due to take effect this Saturday, will
mainly affect the cost of electricity generated by thermal power plants, as
well as the cost to heat households using gas heaters, usually poorer
families.

“While the raising of the gas price in Armenia will have some negative
impacts
on certain parts of the economy and will hurt the budgets of some people, my
personal feeling is that the overall impact will not be as severe as some
people believe or fear,” Roger Robinson said,
He said, however, it was difficult discuss more precisely the effects of
Russia’s decision because of ongoing talks over the price.

5) More Clashes in SE Turkey as Kurds Bury 3 Dead

DIYARBAKIR (Reuters)–Kurdish youths hurled stones and molotov cocktails at
Turkish police and burned tires on Thursday in a third day of violent clashes,
which have so far claimed three lives and wounded more than 250 people.
The fighting erupted when thousands of people attended funeral ceremonies for
the three people–two young men and an eight-year-old boy–killed during
Wednesday’s clashes in Diyarbakir, a major city in Turkey’s mostly Kurdish
southeast.
According to Kurdish officials, two of the three victims were shot by police.
Some of the mourners, ignoring calls for calm from local officials,
attacked a
police station they were passing. Police used tear gas and truncheons to
disperse them.
In a sign that the unrest may be spreading, CNN Turk television said about
3,000 protesters had also fought with police in the nearby town of Batman.
More
than 10 people were hurt in those clashes, it said.
In Diyarbakir, a city of nearly one million on the river Tigris, most shops
and offices were shut on Thursday. The Turkish army has stationed combat
vehicles in the suburbs in a bid to discourage protesters.
The violence first erupted on Tuesday after funeral ceremonies for 14
guerrillas of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), killed by security
forces last weekend.
Diyarbakir governor Efkan Ala told a news conference late on Wednesday that
police had detained around 200 people during the clashes, the worst seen in
Diyarbakir in 30 years.
“This violence damages the image of Diyarbakir, which had been steadily
improving … It will delay the flow of investment here that would curb
unemployment,” Ala said.
Political analysts say the riots are rooted in high unemployment, poverty and
a belief among the Kurds of the region that Ankara is not seriously interested
in improving their lot.
Under pressure from the European Union, which it hopes to join, Turkey has
removed restrictions on Kurdish language and culture, but critics say it is
too
little too late.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government is also under fire from Turkish
nationalists who view the concessions to Kurds as rewarding terrorism.
Ankara holds the PKK responsible for the deaths of more than 30,000 people
since it launched its armed campaign for an independent Kurdish state in
southeast Turkey in 1984.
“We are now paying the price for Erdogan’s Diyarbakir adventure,” Devlet
Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), said in televised
remarks.
Erdogan infuriated nationalists last summer when he visited Diyarbakir and
said Turkey had made mistakes in the past in its handling of what he called
the
“Kurdish problem.”
The PKK is also on the terrorism blacklist of the European Union and the
United States.

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