Author: Basmajian Ani

No danger over Garabagh mediators’ proposals – analyst

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 7 2006

Baku, July 6, AssA-Irada — The "framework agreement" on settling
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict disclosed
recently by the mediating OSCE Minsk Group (MG) includes quite a few
provisions in favor of Azerbaijan, a political analyst has said.

The document, made public by the US co-chair Matthew Bryza, neither
mentions Azerbaijan’s city of Shusha [an ancient town occupied
by Armenia during the hostilities] nor deals with the issue of
"independence" of Upper Garabagh, head of the Center for Political
Innovation and Technology, Mubariz Ahmadoghlu, told journalists.

"The report doesn’t suggest anything specific with regard to a
referendum on the status of Garabagh. Why do we dwell upon the
dark side of it? There is no danger related to a referendum that
many expect."

The expert said that whereas liberation of three or five Azerbaijani
districts from occupation was on the negotiating table earlier,
the liberation of 7 districts is now on the agenda.

"The document is not tragic for Azerbaijan. But it can’t be considered
as one that will please the country either," Ahmadoghlu said.

The analyst also said there are divergent opinions in Armenia on the
disclosed report. It will take at least 20 years to hold a referendum
and Azerbaijan "can do much work in the meantime", he said.

"The conflicting sides are waging a war of nerves. The side that is
strong in this respect will get the upper hand," the expert said. He
added that any document that is put on public discussion would not
be fully accepted by either side.*

RA NA ADOPTS DECISION ON ANNOUNCING AMNESTY

YEREVAN, JULY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. At the July 7 sitting, RA National
Assembly unanimously, with 84 votes, adopted the decision "On
Announcing Amnesty." RA President had applied to the parliament
with such a proposal in connection with the 15th anniversary of
RA independence.

The decision will come into force on the day following the official
publication and will be applied to persons having committed crimes
until June 1 of current year inclusive. The decision on amnesty is
subject to fulfilment until September 30 inclusive. As a result, it
is expected that over 300 convicts will be released. Most of them
will be persons setenced for crimes envisaging maximum 3 years’
imprisonment. Besides, persons towards which the penalty was not
conditionally applied or serving of the sentence was postponed, as well
as persons sentenced to punishments not connected with imprisonment
will be released. First or second group disabled sentenced to maximum 5
years’ imprisonment, persons who turn 60 until September 30 inclusive,
as well as persons having committed a crime before they were 18 and
not having served sentence connected with imprisonment earlier will
be released. The persons sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment having
participated in the Great Patriotic War, fights for RA defence or
persons equalized to them will be released.

Persons not convicted before for committing a deliberate crime,
as well as those having convicted for committing a crime due to
carelessness will be released under some conditions.

With some exceptions, criminal cases being examined by investigation,
preliminary examination bodies and courts on crimes committed until
June 1 2006, as well as the non-served part of the sentence will
be quashed.

The decision on amnesty does not extend to persons having committed
grave and especially grave crimes, as well as to a number of
kinds of crimes not considered to be grave, in particular, illegal
deforestations, electoral falsifications, profanation of corpses
or places of burying. The amnesty will not extend, either, to those
having intentionally violating the order of serving sentence, to those
having committed a crime at a penitentiary institution, in cases of
repeated commission of especially dangerous crimes and in a number
of other cases.

NKR PARLIAMENT SPEAKER: LATEST PROPOSALS MADE BY OSCE MG MAY SERVE AS A BASIS FOR NK TALKS

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 6 2006

Latest proposals made by the OSCE Minsk group on Nagorno Karabakh may
serve as a basis for the Karabakh talks, Nagorno Karabakh Republic
/NKR/ National Assembly Chair Ashot Gulyan stated in Stepanakert today,
while commenting on the OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs’ joint statement
on the principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan
devoted to the outcomes of their U. S. visit, Ashot Gulyan at the same
time noted not all provisions of the statement were acceptable for
the Nagorno Karabakh and RA leadership. In his words, the mediators
made public the proposals on the settlement’s basic principles to
initiate their discussion by the conflict parties’ societies. He
expressed opinion that the OSCE Minsk group made an opportunity for
the parties to find the issue’s settlement on their own. Ashot Gulyan
took a favorable view of the fact that "judging by the Minsk group
Co-Chairs’ proposals, the settlement will be overall".

While speaking about the possibility of the conflict settlement current
year, Ashot Gulyan underscored that "the situation in Azerbaijan and
the Azeri leadership’s behavior testifies to the fact that Baku is
not ready for the settlement, which was mentioned in the course of
the U. S. meetings". In his opinion, the Azeri party’s consent to a
dialogue with Nagorno Karabakh will become a signal that Azerbaijan
really strives for the conflict settlement. "I believe till the end
of the year the mediators will attempt to invigorate the settlement
process, however, one should hardly wait for Azerbaijan to alter its
stand", the NKR Parliament Speaker noted.

Commenting on the possibility of the international peacemaking forces’
introduction to the Karabakh conflict zone, Ashot Gulyan stated,
"The talks on a peacemaking operation are premature". Having called
the peacemaking forces a guarantor of the preservation of peace and
implementation of an agreement achieved by the parties, the Speaker
stressed armistice in the conflict zone was observed by the parties
without third forces’ participation, which is possible in the future
as well.

In his turn the NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan said, "We regard the
peacemaking forces’ possible dislocation with care". The NKR FM
underscored the Karabakh party would wish to see the problem’s
solution, and not the elimination of the conflict’s aftermaths.

Georgy Petrosyan informed that the Karabakh party had expressed its
concern to the OSCE Minsk group U. S. Co-Chair Matthew Bryza on the
settlement principles’ publication. "Our stand is unchangeable –
Nagorno Karabakh participated in making a truce, therefore it has
got the right to take part in the negotiation process that resolves
its destiny", the Minister underscored.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE AT "ZVARNOTS" AIRPORT DISTURBED BECAUSE OF FUEL CRISIS

ArmRadio.am
07.07.2006 10:58

In the recent days some flights from "Zvartnots" airport are either not
executed, or the planes refuel at reserve airports, Press Secretary of
the Chief Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia Gayane Davtyan told
"Noyyan Tapan."

According to her, the problem with the avian fuel is connected with
its sole importer "Mika Armenia Limited," which has not imported a
sufficient quantity of fuel. It is hard to say when the issue will
be regulated.

For executing direct Yerevan-Moscow flight, the planes have to land
at Sochi airport for refueling.

The price of avian kerosene at "Zvartnots" airport currently makes
US$843 per one ton. It is expected that in 10-15 days "Mika Limited"
Company will supply kerosene at a higher price.

It should be noted that recently the price of tickets of the
traditional Russian flights rose with 10-15 percent and it is not
clear so far whether the rise of fuel prices will lead to new rice
in ticket prices.

INCOME OF 8 MILLION DRAMS TO BE DECLARED

Lragir.am
07 July 06

The bill on declaration of property and income of natural persons,
which sparked heated debate, became a law on July 7. Armen Alaverdyan,
Deputy Chief of the State Tax Agency told the news agency ARKA that
the government edited the bill, and now natural persons whose income
is over 8 percent have to declare their property and income. Initially
it was 6 million drams.

Property worth over 40 million drams is also to be declared. In case
of declaring false or reduced data the declarer will have to pay a
fine equal to 10 percent of the income that was not declared. During
the adoption of the law the representative of the government said
the law will be helpful in fighting corruption.

U.S. THINKS OSAMA BIN LADEN HIDES IN ONE OF CIS STATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.07.2006 17:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Osama bin Laden is hiding on the territory of
one of the central Asian states of the former USSR, Richard Clarke,
former presidential adviser on counter-terrorism said in an interview
with the National Public Radio. "You are looking for him throughout
Pakistan and can’t find him. Maybe it’s just because he is not there,"
he said. However he did not exclude bin Laden may be in Somali or
Iran. Russia refused to comment on the statement.

"We do not know whether such statements are grounded and cannot
comment on them," said the press office of the Russian Intelligence
Service. In response to the statement by the U.S. official the law
enforcement bodies of Kyrgyzstan said today they do not possess any
information on the issue.

"This statement should be given serious treatment," Secretary of
the Security Council of the republic said. He underscored he doesn’t
exclude the possibility of bin Laden’s appearance in the region.

The Central Asian republics should be vigilant, he added.

Bin Laden is the "most wanted" man in the western countries. As part
of an intensified effort to capture terrorist mastermind Osama bin
Laden, the State Department is considering doubling the bounty on his
head to $50 million. Bin Laden was rumored in the press to have died,
however the rumors did not prove true. In an address to the U.S. Osama
bin Laden urged to return the body of his top deputy Musab al-Zarqawi,
who was killed in Iraq June 7. Washington said the voice was genuine,
reported Vsglyad Russian newspaper.

GAREGIN II: TERRORISM ACQUIRES NEW COLORING BY INVADING INTO CULTURAL LIFE

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.07.2006 17:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today terrorism acquires new coloring by invading
into the cultural life. We have frequently witnessed outrage of
religious feelings of people recently, Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II stated at the World Summit of Religious Leaders in
Moscow. In his words, efforts must be targeted at maintenance of
morals of people and free expression of will. Serious steps should
be taken to prevent cultural and spiritual vandalism and genocide.

"Religious leaders should not be indifferent to the experiments for
demoralization of the public," the head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church said.

Garegin II called on the summit participants to join efforts to
prevent the development of modern technologies, politics and economy
from serving to violence, spreading of weapons, xenophobia, moral
degradation and other vices, reported RIA Novosti.

MONITORING OF FRONTLINE BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES HELD WITHOUT BREAK OF CEASEFIRE REGIME

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 4 2006

STEPANAKERT, July 4. /ARKA/. Another monitoring of the frontline
between Armenian and Azerbaijani Armed Forces on Aghdam-Hindarkh road
and in the vicinity of Novruzlu settlement passed without break of
the ceasefire regime.

The Press Service of the NKR Foreign Ministry reports that, the
observations group from the side of the NKR Armed Forces was led
by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-office Anjey
Kaspshik. The group included Kaspshik’s field assistants from Great
Britain and Germany.

The monitoring was held according to the schedule; however the
Azerbaijani side, unlike Karabakh side, did not lead out the OSCE
mission to its frontline.

Representatives of the NKR Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs
accompanying the OSCE mission emphasized that despite messages
exaggerated by the Azerbaijani side about arson of settlements within
the security zone of the NKR, participants of the monitoring haven’t
registered such facts. On one of districts between positions of the
sides have been found traces of arson sourcing from a territory which
is under the control of Azerbaijan, and this fact proves earlier
version of the NKR Government regarding burning of grass by the
Azerbaijani side.

Monitorings will be held on different parts of the frontline on July
4 and 5 as well.

On June 15, 2006, the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned
to Kaspshik’s office with a request to hold a monitoring on the
frontline between Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to estimate the
situation and make sure that accusations of Baku about alleged arson
of settlements next to the frontline ad under control of the NKR are
made up.

UK REPORTER BARRED FROM RUSSIA BECAUSE OF CHECHNYA

Kavkaz Center, Turkey
July 3 2006

Russia has refused a visa to a British journalist well-known for his
coverage of Chechnya and the turbulent Caucasus, citing the needs of
"state security".

Thomas de Waal, who has previously worked in Moscow for the
English-language Moscow Times, the BBC and the Times, said on Monday
he had been due to attend the presentation of a Russian version of
his book on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

But the Federal Migration Service refused him a visa.

The service was not available for comment on Monday but in its letter
refusing the application, which was obtained by Reuters, it cited
a 1996 law that says a visa can be refused "in the aims of securing
state security".

De Waal said he had cooperated with Russian officials in the past
on Nagorno-Karabakh, a South Caucasus region officially part of
Azerbaijan but ruled by Armenians, and did not believe they would
bar him for his views on the conflict.

"This clearly has to be because of the other main thing that I write
about, which is Chechnya," de Waal, 39, told Reuters by telephone
from London.

Russian officials have been very sensitive about Western criticism of
the war in Chechnya, where they have struggled to crush separatism
for more than a decade, and local journalists have been prosecuted
for sympathising with the rebels.

President Vladimir Putin in 2002 said a foreign journalist critical
of Russia’s policy in the region become a Muslim and be circumcised
"in such a way that nothing grows back".

Russia barred U.S. channel ABC news from Russia after it ran an
interview with Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.

Press freedom groups say Russia tries to intimidate journalists into
only reporting the Kremlin view on Chechnya. A Russian journalist in
February was convicted of provoking racial hatred after he printed
articles by rebel leaders.

De Waal is best known in Russia for appearing as an expert witness for
the defence at the extradition trial of rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev
in London. He said this could be behind his failure to get a visa.

The British court in 2003 declined to extradite Zakayev, giving him
political asylum instead — a move that infuriated Moscow, which
calls Zakayev a terrorist.

"It is possible that the wheels turn rather slowly, or that this is
a cumulative account of things I have done over the last 10 years,"
de Waal said. He last visited Russia in January 2005.

30 PERCENT OF ARMENIAN BANKS SUFFER LOSSES

Lragir.am
03 July 06

7 out of 21 banks registered in the Republic of Armenia suffered
losses of billions in 2005. Another ten companies, which contain the
word "bank" in their names and used to offer banking services, also
suffered losses in 2005. However, there is no official information
on the official website of the Central Bank, although it was last
updated on June 29. And according to the information of the State
Tax Agency, only Econominvest Bank is broke. In other words, two
major state agencies, which deal with the state money of Armenia,
do not have enough information and do not inform the society or are
definitely careless.

So, 31 banks operate or are at least registered in Armenia, and if
16 suffer losses, a simple arithmetic sum shows that 50 percent of
banks suffer losses. The Central Bank of Armenia must have done this
sum as well, so they inform that there are only 21 banks in Armenia
and 7 suffered losses. When 30 percent of the system is dying slowly
is not as bad as 50 percent.

First of all, let us list the banks the Central Bank does not know
anything about. In 2005 United Bank’s losses totaled 15.528 billion
drams. Credit Yerevan, Akunk and Credit Service follow with 10.573
billion, 1.863 billion and 1.577 billion drams respectively.

Lend Bank is the last on the list of banks, whose losses exceed one
billion. Its losses totaled 1.074 billion. The dissolving Econominvest
Bank’s losses totaled 466 million. Armagrobank’s losses totaled
158.7 million, Trust Bank’s 83.5 million, Shirakinvest 73.4 and
Russian-Armenian Bank 34.864 million drams.

Among the banks registered with the Central Bank ASHIB’s losses
are the highest – 5.2 billion drams. The losses of Ararat Bank and
Armenian Development Bank also exceed one billion, totaling 1.132
billion. BTA Invest Bank’s losses totaled 3.09 million, Cascade Bank
34.468 million and Armswissbank’s losses totaled 13.143 million drams.