Author: Antonian Lara

US CONGRESS MIGHT REMOVE SANCTIONS AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
05.06.2009 12:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, a senior
member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Robert
Wexler and Co-Chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, member
of the House of Representatives Bill Shuster introduced legislation
that would repeal Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions on Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani embassy in Washington told APA’s US bureau about it. The
congressmen believe that Azerbaijan, which is a strategic security
and energy partner of the United States, has long met its obligations
to comply with freedom of emigration requirements and that Congress
should remove Jackson-Vanik requirements for Azerbaijan.

According to the 1974 Trade Act of the United States, the Jackson-Vanik
amendment denied most favored nation to certain countries with
non-market economies that restricted emigration rights.

"I strongly support repealing Jackson-Vanik for Azerbaijan, one of
America’s most important strategic allies in the Caucasus region,
which has met all obligations to comply with freedom of emigration
requirements and continues to ensure that these commitments are
fulfilled," Congressman Wexler said. "Passage of this legislation
would send a strong signal to Azerbaijan about American intention to
enhance relations and cooperation in a number of key areas, including
energy security, counter-terrorism cooperation and trade," APA cited
Wexler as saying.

AZERBAIJAN VIOLATES THE PROVISIONS OF THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS

armradio.am
04.06.2009 18:18

On May 31, at 2 p.m. recruits of the NKR Defense Army Ohan Harutyunyan
and Gevorg Tovmasyan voluntarily left the military unit and crossed
to the Azerbaijani side, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of
Defense reports.

"Over the past days Azeri media have been disseminating information
about the captured soldiers, where the latter tell about the
deplorable situation and illegalities in the Armed Forces of the
Republic of Armenia.

Making use of the unstable psychological-moral condition of the
recruits and applying special means of influence, the special services
of Azerbaijan aim to raise the reputation of their own armed forces by
disseminating false information about the Armed Forces of the Republic
of Armenia and the Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Such tricks of the Azerbaijani propaganda once again prove
that Azerbaijan is trying to compete with the NKR Armed Forces,
which prevails with the level of military and moral-psychological
preparedness.

The international community has to address the above-mentioned
actions of Azerbaijan, since they violate the provision on defense
from the "public curiosity" envisaged by Article 13 of the Third
Geneva Convention and Article 27 of the Forth Convention," reads the
statement of the Ministry of Defense of the republic of Armenia.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN EXPRESSED CONDOLENCES TO HIS BRAZILIAN AND FRENCH COLLEAGES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMEN IAN.Net/ The Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia,
Hovik Abrahamyan, expressed his condolence to On behalf of the National
Assembly of Armenia and himself, Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan expressed
sympathy with the people and authorities of Brazil and France, as well
as the families and friends of the dead crewmembers and passengers.

LOW COMPETENCE AND STRONG COMPLEXES HAMPER SERZH SARGSYAN’S UNDERSTANDING OF OBJECTIVE REALITY

Today.Az
s/52826.html
June 3 2009
Azerbaijan

The world is witnessing a geopolitical process of transition from
globalization to localization, or the formation of local regions with
their leading powers.

This trend is clearly observed in a symptomatic statement of Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili, who, while being in Baku, stated
the actual creation of an informal confederation between Azerbaijan
and Georgia.

"It is obvious that Saakashvili was asked to voice this idea by
certain powers close Georgia", considers director of the Center for
Political Innovation and Technology Mubariz Ahmedoghlu, according
to Novosti-Azerbaijan.

Speaking Wednesday at a press conference, he said that owing to
circumstances, namely, the strong economy, rich energy resources,
population and territory, Azerbaijan is outstripping both Georgia
and Armenia, taken as a whole.

"Azerbaijan is an undoubted regional leader and not a single regional
issue can be settled without taking into account its opinion and
interests", said Ahmedoghlu.

According to the political scientist, this pattern is not yet
understood or accepted in Armenia.

"Serzh Sargsyan’s provincialism, low literacy level and personal
complexes hamper his understanding of this", announced he.

VLADIMIR KARMIRSHALIAN GIVEN DEGREE OF AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF RA

Noyan Tapan
June 3, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Under RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s
June 2 decree, Vladimir Karmirshalian was given a degree of Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Republic of Armenia to Argentina,
Chile, Uruguay. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by RA President’s
Press Office.

TURKEY DEFEATING CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 961

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009 00:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ National and grassroots Turkish American associations
joined power to defeat California Assembly Bill 961, a proposed law
that sought to punish companies who did business in the Ottoman Empire
or do business in Turkey today. The bill was introduced by Armenian
Assemblyman Paul Krikorian and supported by nationalists Armenian
groups, TurkishNY reports.

On the front line were activists from ATAA component organizations,
the Turkish American Association of California (TAACA) and the
Association of Turkish Americans of S. California (ATASC). Ergun
Kirlikovali and Karahan Mete lead over 25 local Turkish Americans
to provide statements at the public hearings of the Business and
Professions and Judiciary Committees.

ATAA President Nurten Ural submitted a statement to the California
Assembly that A.B. 961 was an unconstitutional creation of foreign
policy and an unconstitutional interference against the private
sector. President Nurten stated: "A.B. 961 is nothing more than
Armenian ethnic politics to legislate Turkish history and a genocide
conviction against Turkey, and to vent that condemnation by punishing
companies, including but not limited to energy (e.g., BP, Shell,
Exxon), insurance (e.g., New York Life, AXA), and other sectors
(e.g., Nestle), who did business with the Ottoman Empire nearly one
hundred years ago and to prohibit them from doing business with the
State of California. A.B. 961 contravenes good history, good law,
and good social responsibility in business. A.B. 961 contradicts
federal foreign affairs efforts to support truth and reconciliation
between Turkey and Armenia."

DIRECTORS OF NABUCCO AND WHITE STREAM BRITISH COMPANY TO VISIT BAKU

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
01.06.2009 16:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nabucco Managing Director Reinhard Mitschek and
White Stream Pipeline Company Director Roberto Pirani will arrive in
Baku to participate in International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition.

Euro 7,9 billion project, Nabucco gas pipeline, (with maximum capacity:
31 billion cubic meters a year), will deliver gas from the Caspian
region to Europe. Nabucco’s shareholders are Austria’s OMV, Hungary’s
MOL, Romania’s Transgaz, Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz, Turkey’s Botas and
Germany’s RWE.

In accordance with White stream project, gas from Azerbaijan’s
Shakh-Deniz Caspian Sea field will be delivered through Georgia to
Ukraine and EU states.

In the first phase, the initial pipeline carrying capacity will
comprise 8 billion cubic meters of gas daily. In this case, the gas
will be exported from Azeri Shakh Deniz gas field. Later, the "white
stream" will be connected to Transcaspian gas pipeline. The second
line will be laid down the Caspian Sea, to increase annual pipeline
capacity up to 24-32 billion cubic meters of gas.

According to Azeri Minister of Energetic Natic Aliev, "Despite
the abundance of different gas export projects – Russian, Iranian
directions, White stream, Nabucco, Turkey-Greece-Italy, strategically
we’re considering one main direction while diversifying transfers."

"It doesn’t matter what market the gas will be delivered to. Long term
perspectives of purchase are of major importance, as well as stable
financial possibilities of consumers. Considering International
financial institutions’ forecasts, Europe can become an eligible
market for Azerbaijan," The Minister stated.

Azerbaijan has already been exporting gas to Georgia, Turkey, and
conducting swap operations with Iran. Negotiations are held with Russia
over annual export of 1,5 billon cubic meters of gas to Dagestan,
as well as purchase of gas at market prices from the second phase of
Azerbaijan’s Shakh-Deniz Caspian Sea field.

"A decision to launch the second phase of Azerbaijan’s Shakh-Deniz
Caspian Sea field will be passed within nearest future," Natic Aliev
stated, adding that the decision depends on gas purchases from the
second phase.

Touching on Nabucco implementation perspectives, the minister
complained about West’s lack of interest to this project.

Nabucco pipeline construction project was officially presented in
March 2-9 in Sophia.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ENDORSES PUBLIC COUNCIL STRUCTURE

ArmInfo
2009-06-01 17:55:00

ArmInfo. On 29 May Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed an order
about endorsement of Public Council structure.

As press-service of the president reported, here are the members of
Public Council – Robert Atoyan, Stepan Gishyan, Karine Danielyan,
Hovanes Tadevosyan, Babaken Harutyunyan, Genrikh Havannisyan,
Markos Hovannisyan, Ara Minasyan, Hovik Musaelyan, Hayk Sargsyan,
Sos Sargsyan and Armen Ter-Tachatyan.

By another order of the president, signed on 30 May, Vazgen Manukyan
was appointed chairman of the Public Council.

THE CRIMINAL-EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT OF ARMENIAN MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
ENSURES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ELECTORAL RIGHT OF THE IMPRISONED
PEOPLE

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: 463 from the 483 imprisoned people having
a right to take part in the elections of Council of Yerevan Elders
have refused from voting.
Press secretary of the Criminal-Executive Department of Armenian
Ministry of Justice Arsen Babayan told Armenpress that the
criminal-executive institutions have ensured the transportation of 20
imprisoned people to the polling stations established in the places of
their registration where they voted.
For the imprisoned person document which confirms his identity is
the passport or the card of first type. An imprisoned person presents
written application about participation or refusal to the head of the
institution which has authorities to keep under arrest.

‘Orinats Yerkir’ does not intend to leave ruling coalition under any
diplomatical landscape upon results of election for Council of Elders
of Yerevan

2009-05-31 11:44:00

ArmInfo. ‘Orinats Yerkir’ party does not intend to leave the ruling
coalition of Armenia under any diplomatical landscape upon the results
of the election for the Council of Elders of Yerevan, Secretary of the
National Security Council of Armenia, "Orinats Yerkir" party leader
Artur Baghdasaryan told journalists today after having voting.

‘I do not think the election of the Mayor may become a reason of our
withdrawal from the coalition. In any case, we shall act as always: we
shall wait for publication of the official election results, draw our
conclusions and make the relevant statement’, he said. A. Baghdasaryan
expressed confidence that the election will be held peacefully and
fairly.

The election are held on a proportional system, that is, on party
lists. The Council of Elders will comprise 65 members. The first
candidate in the list of the party that gains the majority of votes,
will automatically become Yerevan Mayor. About 30 local monitoring
organizations, as well as the delegation of CE Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities will monitor the course of voting.