Author: Antonian Lara

ZUBKOV SATISFIED WITH TALKS IN ARMENIA, SIGNS DOCUMENTS

Interfax
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 6, 2008 Wednesday 1:28 PM MSK
Yerevan

Russia and Armenia have signed documents on renewal of trade and
information regulations between the two countries.

During his visit to Yerevan, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov met
with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan, with whom they signed
a protocol of changes to the free trade agreement signed between the
Russian and Armenia governments on September 30, 1992.

The parties have also signed an agreement on cooperation in information
technologies, postal services and electronic communication, as well
as a protocol approving a draft concession finalizing the last details
of management of the Armenian railways.

Moreover, a memorandum has been signed between Rosatom (the
Russian Nuclear Energy State Corporation) and Armenia on developing
cooperation in the field of geological exploration, uranium production
and processing. The parties exchanged the documents stating that
Armenia has joined the treaty on setting up the International uranium
enrichment center in Angarsk.

The Russian and Armenian prime ministers adopted a joint statement on
cooperation on increasing safety and capacity of the Armenia Nuclear
Power Plant and developing a new nuclear energy sector in Armenia.

Talks with the Armenian counterpart were "quite successful," Zubkov
said. "Russia remains Armenia’s leading partner in foreign trade,"
he said.

ARMENIAN POLICE BRIEFLY DETAIN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE’S SUPPORTERS

Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia
Feb 6 2008

"Arrested but released"

The police have launched another illegal campaign of oppression against
[opposition presidential candidate] Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters,
residents of Ararat town, the head of the first president’s [Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s] Ararat campaign headquarters, Hakob Grigoryan,
has said.

He said that in the morning of 2 February five police officers
arrested Ararat town residents Artur Avetisyan, Artak and Gagik
Ziroyan, Samvel Avlishoyev and Murad Sadoyan. They were brought to
the Ararat town police station, then to the Vedi town police station,
and then back to the Ararat police station. All this process lasted
until 1400 [1000 gmt], after which they were released.

Grigoryan also said that these people had been apprehended for various
reasons and only at the police station they were told that the case
concerned their political activity and they were advised not to display
activity. Yesterday the police took Murad Sadoyan to a police station
again for distributing leaflets about Ter-Petrosyan’s visit planned
for today.

MUBARIZ AKHMEDOGLU: "AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA SHOULD DISCUSS THE THREAT POSED BY THE NORTH CAUCASUS"

Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 6 2008

Azerbaijan and Georgia should discuss the problem of threat posed by
the North Caucasus.

The due announcement was made by Mubariz Akhmedoglu, head of the center
for political innovations and technologies, at a press conference on
political results of January, Day.Az reports.

The political scientist noted that announcements from North Caucasus
resemble somewhat of a military chronicle and it is clear that Russia
is not able to regulate processes in North Caucasus and Russian
strategy in this region is not correct.

He said no one is aware of the military and ideological potential of
this region.

The political scientist considers that any destabilization in the
region will affect the South Caucasus and all actions can pass to
the territories of the South Caucasus countries.

"Armenians by the order from the United States do everything possible
to destroy North Caucasus, while Russia does not want to understand
it. When we speak about it Russia thinks that such anti-Armenian
announcements from Azerbaijan are natural", he said.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES NOT TO OBEY MUNICIPALITY’S CALL TO REFRAIN FROM HOLDING RALLIES

Aravot
Jan 18 2008
Armenia

No brochures and leaflets

[Presidential candidate and former foreign minister of the unrecognized
republic of Nagornyy Karabakh] Arman Melikyan yesterday [17 January]
presented his election manifesto in the Hayatsk club.

"Of course, there is a financial problem. But for the people who have
a belief work is more than brochures, leaflets and so on," he said.

Asked by Aravot who has been financing your election campaign, he
replied:" I do not expect much donations and I will not make big
expenses. Thus, this issue is not a priority for me." Melikyan also
does not trust results of opinion polls and believes that society’s
distrust in opinion polls stems from distrust in the authorities.

In the context of Armenia’s foreign ties, the following is the
candidate’s regional and geopolitical analysis: "The Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict is in reality what hinders the programmes of the European
Union in this region. This is why the European Union does not think
about the fair and legal settlement of the issue, and only thinks about
establishing peace in the region in order that communications open and
there will be no threat to them in future. I believe this is a very
serious threat to our strategic interests, as today’s negotiations
process does not include elements based on main concepts and principles
of human rights. I particularly mean the interests of the Armenians
of Azerbaijan [who used to live in Azerbaijan before the conflict]
and the issue of recognizing the right for self-determination of the
Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR]."

In response to the last statements by the [OSCE Minsk Group]
co-chairs that the sides could reach if not a written, at least
a verbal agreement in 2008, Melikyan said: "We have been hearing
similar statements for years. At the moment, they speak about the
verbal agreement as against the written one. Then who are signatories
to this agreement? A president will be replaced in Armenia and no
one can say what policy the next president will carry out in regard
to the NKR issue."

If elected president, Melikyan says he will try to proceed from the
logic of the issue back in 1988 [when the conflict started] and to
find the settlement from the point of view of human rights. Asked
by Aravot: you are constantly speaking about the rights of Armenian
refugees, what do you think about Azerbaijani refuges, Melikyan said
:"A refugee is a refugee, but in regard to the Azerbaijanis one should
realize what part of them can be considered refugees?

Armenians faced violence in Azerbaijan and were expelled starting
from cases in Sumqayit [killings of Armenians in the town of Sumqayit
in 1988], and violence against Azerbaijanis in Armenia was recorded
starting from the end of 1988. But most part of them left Armenia
much earlier, by the way under conditions beneficial for them –
they [Azerbaijani refugees] exchanged their basic property here with
quite good apartments in Baku and Kirovabad [former name of the city
of Ganca]. In addition, they also received compensation from the
Armenian government, I believe 110m dollars. So, see the problem of
the 500,000-strong "army" of the Armenian refugees, and the problem
of the 160,000 Azerbaijanis who used to live in Armenia."

Arman Melikyan raised this issue before international institutions
when he was NKR foreign minister. But this point of view received no
reaction as "they [international institutions] do not have an answer
to this question and will not answer to it as long as Armenia does
not raise it officially," he said.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: I AM READY TO SERVE MY COUNTRY RESPONSIBLY, BUT I NEED NATION’S SUPPORT IN IT

arminfo
2008-02-04 19:27:00

ArmInfo. "I am ready to serve my country responsibly, but I need the
nation’s support in it", Armenian Prime Minister, Leader of Republican
Party of Armenia, presidential candidate Serzh Sargsyan said at his
meeting with voters of Avan community in Yerevan, February 4.

According to the premier, he has a distinct program of the country’s
development. "I have passed a difficult path, I know very well what
is necessary for full development of Armenia", he emphasized. "Every
time I visit Avan community with special feeling, as my friend
Andranik Markaryan lived here. I am sure, were Andranik with us,
he would be proud of his country", S. Sargsyan said. He emphasized
that he will allow regress neither in economy nor in democracy and
human rights. "I assure you that our program is a real one, and we
will be able to implement it", he said

OIC "CONDEMNS" ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.02.2008 12:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The final declaration of the Cairo meeting of the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) declared "the Turkish Cypriot
State," after intensive lobbying by the Turkish delegation.

"OIC member states are invited to prove their effective solidarity with
the Turkish Cypriot State and continue close relations to help it to
overcome the isolations," said the declaration of the 5th Conference
of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Conference
Member States.

The declaration also touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It
condemned the "Armenian occupation on parts of Azerbaijan", and the
pressure and discrimination against Turkish minorities living in
Western Thrace, Greece, The New Anatolian reports.

US AZERBAIJANIS TO SUPPORT JOHN MCCAIN IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Azeri Press Agency
Feb 4 2008
Azerbaijan

US Azeris Network (USAN) stated that they will support republican
candidate John McCain in the presidential elections, APA’s US bureau
reports.

According to the USAN’s statement the organization brings together
US Azerbaijanis and other Turkish-speaking American citizens.

"400,000-men Azerbaijani community especially in California, New York,
New Jersey and Texas and other Turkish-speaking communities intend
to appear as a new force," the statement says.

USAN notes the candidate’s features, his experience in foreign policy
and military sphere and legislative initiatives, and underlines that
McCain is informed about the South Caucasus, Caspian basin and post
Soviet countries, visited Turkey and Azerbaijan, prefers the principle
of territorial integrity in Nagorno Karabakh problem and has unbiased
position on the so-called Armenian genocide.

Republican candidate also supports Azerbaijan’s integration into
Euro-Atlantic space in terms of economy and security.

BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER: EU DOES NOT REGARD BAKU-TBILISI-KARS RAILWAY AS A TRANSPORT ROUTE HAVING AN INCLUSIVE AND "REGIONAL" CHARACTER

Azeri Press Agency
Feb 4 2008
Azerbaijan

European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner interviewed by APA

– What is the main purpose of the EU Troika visit to the South
Caucasus?

– The EU Troika will have a broad discussion with Azerbaijani
authorities on issues of common interest, such as the implementation
of the ENP Action Plan, human rights and elections, frozen conflicts
in the region, regional cooperation and energy.

– What necessitates the opening of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan?

– The Commission Delegation in Baku will be inaugurated during
the EU Troika visit. We are confident that, thanks to the presence
of a Commission office in Baku, we will be able to strengthen our
relations with Azerbaijan and facilitate our contacts, including the
implementation of assistance projects aimed at supporting the full
implementation of the ENP Action Plan.

– Why doesn’t the European Commission, which does not support the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, make Armenia, the ENP country,
set free the occupied territories of Azerbaijan?

-As regards the railway, the Commission has always stressed that
it would support both politically and financially, transport routes
having an inclusive and "regional" character. This does not seem to be
the case of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, at the least for the time
being. Concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Commission fully
supports the efforts being made in the context of the OSCE Minsk Group
to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Commission has been
inviting both Armenia and Azerbaijan to participate in more regional
cooperation initiatives, which can gradually build confidence between
the two sides and facilitate the conclusion of a peace agreement.

– The EU was expected to cooperate with the GUAM…

– GUAM is a regional organisation with which the European Commission
has relations and links and a certain amount of coordination is
taking place.

-Is the EU support to Azerbaijan for WTO accession included in
certain projects?

– The EU supports Azerbaijan in her accession bid to the WTO, through
projects and dialogue. We hope that Azerbaijan will soon join the WTO,
but this is a question of obtaining a consensus among WTO members
and that is difficult to predict.

A WTO component has been included into the previous TACIS Project
"Support to Implementation of PCA".

– How does the EU assess the Odessa-Brodi-Gdansk-Plotsk oil pipeline?

– The European Commission continues to support the Odessa-Brody-Plotsk
project, including through a financial assistance which prepared a
feasibility studies for the extension to Poland.

Therefore we welcome that Azerbaijan and other countries are involved
in this important project. In addition, the Azeri involvement through a
joint project of a refinery to be located in Ukraine, will contribute
to enhancing the energy supplies in this region and Azerbaijan’s full
participation in the EU energy market.

– Will the European Commission financially support the Trans-Caucasus
oil and gas pipelines and the Nabucco project?

– The Trans-Caspian and Nabucco project continue to feature as priority
projects for EU efforts to diversify our energy supplies.

More generally, the European Commission is supportive of those pipeline
projects that prove to be economically and environmentally viable. The
extended mandate of the European Investment Bank, covering also
south Caucasus countries, is now ready to finance also infrastructure
projects as well as other financial institutions.

-Which measures does the EU take for peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, one of ten priorities of the Action Plan?

As I said, the EU fully supports the OSCE Minsk Group in its mediation
efforts and urges both Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a rapid,
peaceful and mutually acceptable agreement. What the Commission can
do in this context is to help to improve the preconditions for the
peace deal and the environment in which it should occur. Therefore,
the Commission has been inviting both Armenia and Azerbaijan to
participate in more regional cooperation initiatives, which can
gradually build confidence between the two sides and facilitate the
conclusion of a peace agreement.

THOUSANDS RALLY FOR ARMENIAN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE

Agence France Presse — English
February 3, 2008 Sunday 5:21 PM GMT

Thousands of Armenians took to the streets of the capital Yerevan on
Sunday to show their support for opposition presidential candidate
Artur Baghdasarian ahead of elections on February 19.

Baghdasarian, the leader of the Country of Law party and a former
speaker of parliament, used his address to the crowd to criticise
President Robert Kocharian’s government over corruption and social
and economic problems.

"If I become president, I will double salaries and pensions, create
100,000-150,000 new jobs, cancel obligatory military service to
make the army professional and reduce taxes," Baghdasarian, 39,
told the crowd.

Thousands travelled to the capital from outlying regions to support
Baghdasarian, who polls show is running a distant second to Kocharian’s
hand-picked successor, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

Organisers said that around 100,000 people were present but media
reports said the total number was significantly less. Police declined
to give an estimate.

"Our country needs a young and educated leader, who many can connect
with their future. Artur Baghdasarian could be such a president,"
said Gegam Kazarian, a 25-year-old builder from the city of Abovian.

Sarkisian is facing eight opponents in the race, including
Baghdasarian, former president Levon Ter-Petrosian and the deputy
speaker of parliament, Vahan Hovhannisian.

After two five-year terms in office, Kocharian is constitutionally
barred from seeking re-election.

An ex-Soviet republic bordered by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey,
Armenia remains mired in poverty despite enjoying record economic
growth in recent years.

A1+

`I SHALL NEVER STAND BEFORE ARMENIANS WITH A HANGING HEAD’
[05:24 pm] 01 February, 2008

Residents of Malatsia-Sebastia community received
presidential candidate Serzh Sarkissian rather
`coldly’ today.

Probably, the main reason for it was that most of the
presentees were schoolchildren who had rather come to
see their favourite singers than get familiarized with
Serzh Sarkissian’s pre-election programme.

One could also see employees of Malatsia fair among
the presentees who had been forced to attend the
meeting.

Armenian pop-singers entertained the presentees before
Serzh Sarkissian’s addressing speech. When finally the
Prime Minister showed up, the crowd began dispersing.

The Prime Minister said he had never dodged
responsibility and would never shirk it. `I shall
never stand with a hanging head before the Armenian
people,’ he said.

Afterwards, Serzh Sarkissian presented some economic
figures. `Armenia’s external debt mounts one milliard
360 million dollars today.’

According to the Prime Minister the sum is not great
if compared with those of other countries.

The Prime minister reiterated that `there is only one
official of Karabakh decent in Armenia.’ `To tell the
truth, the Artsakh people may scold me for my stance.
But they know quite well that while designating
someone I take into account two
characteristics-professional skills and humane
qualities.

The Prime Minister’s speech was occasionally
interrupted by shouts, `Onward, Armenia!’