Author: Hovhannisian John

ARMENIAN ‘MERCENARY’ SAGA STIRS UP KENYAN POLITICS
By C. Bryson Hull

Reuters AlertNet, UK
March 16 2006

NAIROBI, March 16 (Reuters) – It was a bizarre twist in Kenya’s
increasingly chaotic political climate: claims that foreign mercenaries
led a police raid on a major media house.

But what began as a minor mystery from one of the most controversial
moments in President Mwai Kibaki’s three-year-old rule has quickly
escalated to convulse local politics and bemuse Kenyans with its
theatrical elements.

The story began with the overnight March 2 raid on the Standard
Group, and reached a crescendo this week with an opposition leader
who first made the mercenary charges trading weighty accusations with
the Armenians he named.

“The whole thing looks orchestrated on both sides. It doesn’t
taste real,” security consultant and former Criminal Investigation
Department officer Ambrose Murunga, told Reuters. “No one has ever
really connected those Armenians to the raid.”

Already reeling from graft scandals and a fall in popularity, Kibaki’s
administration provoked international condemnation when hooded police
with assault rifles struck the KTN television station and its sister
newspaper the Standard.

Security cameras captured images of masked, light-skinned men.

Opposition chief Raila Odinga said that supported his accusation the
government had hired eastern European mercenaries to lead the raid
and kill opposition politicians.

“These two men were in on the raid and the police have given them
Kenya police force certificates,” Odinga said.

Odinga, who wants to run for president in 2007, raised the stakes by
recording two statements with police and producing copies of passports
of two Armenians he said were the guns-for-hire.

Police denied any foreign involvement and are now investigating
his charges.

VIP TREATMENT?

The men Odinga named then stepped out of the shadows to hold a press
conference on Monday to deny the accusations and level their own
against him over business dealings.

The venue of their appearance — the government VIP lounge of Nairobi’s
international airport — raised some eyebrows.

Appearing in dark suits and heavy gold jewelry, the men said they
were Armenian brothers from Dubai who had come to invest in Kenya,
to complement businesses including trading diamonds and gold from
the Democratic Republic of Congo.

One of the men, who identified himself as Artur Margariyan, said they
had to counter Odinga’s allegations to save their reputations.

“The next thing he was going to say was that we had tails and horns,”
Margariyan told Reuters in an interview.

He said it was the press who had led him into the VIP lounge.

But the setting of the conference has fuelled speculation the two
men have powerful government friends, as did their accusations that
Odinga had approached them for money.

Margariyan said the government was not protecting him and until they
assured his safety, he would not record a police statement.

He also alleged Odinga and fellow opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka
approached him and his brother for 3 billion Kenya shillings ($41.44
million) to finance a vote of no confidence against Kibaki.

Margariyan said they refused to loan money for political purposes,
but gave Odinga $1.5 million in cash – in a plastic bag in a posh
Nairobi hotel suite in December – to sort out a domestic problem.

Odinga called the charges against him and Musyoka “hogwash.” Musyoka,
who recorded a statement with police, has said he met the two briefly
last year but never discussed money.

“These people were being kept hidden by the government and these are
very dangerous criminals,” Odinga told Reuters.

He declined to reveal where he had got their passport copies, saying he
needed to protect a source “who was not from the government as such.”

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said Kenya was not protecting the
two Armenians. Police are probing all players in the puzzling drama,
he said.

“We are investigating these guys. We think there are a lot of politics
involved in this,” Mutua said.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

16-03-2006

Council of Europe Cooperation with Armenia 2006- 2007 Approved

On March 15, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
approved the Action Plan on Cooperation with Armenia, for 2006-2007.

The Council of Europe prepared this Action Plan in close collaboration
with the Armenian authorities. As Ambasador Christian Ter-Stepanian,
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, noted,
the Action Plan assesses the progress Armenia has made in regard to
her obligations since becoming a member of the Council five years ago.

Ambassador Ter-Stepanian expressed his satisfaction that the
Action Plan takes into consideration the prospects offered by the
constitutional changes geared toward strengthening democratic
institutions, independence of the judiciary, and human rights
protections.

He also noted that since the Government of Armenia has approved the
schedule of legislative reforms resulting from the constitutional
amendments adopted through Constitutional referendum in November 2005,
this plan has even greater utility.

“We are aware that this cooperation will help Armenia adapt its laws
and practices to European norms and standards, and will facilitate
the reforms policy necessary for deepening Armenia’s integration
process with European structures,” stated the Ambassador.

KENYA: RAILA: ARMENIANS VISITED STATE HOUSE
Martin Mutua And Harold Ayodo

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
March 15, 2006
Posted to the web March 14, 2006

Nairobi

The Government stage-managed the Monday morning press conference by
two Armenians, Lang’ata Member of Parliament Raila Odinga has said.

Raila yesterday said the men, whom he described as “dangerous
criminals”, had been seen at State House and were accorded VIP
treatment by the Kenya Airports Authority under the supervision of
a personal assistant to an Othaya Narc activist.

He said Armenians used the office of the KAA deputy managing director,
Naomi Cidi, where the Press statement was crafted and printed.

“She (Cidi) was the one who arranged the VIP treatment for them,”
he added.

Raila spoke to journalists at a news conference called by the
Orange Democratic Movement to denounce the mercenaries at Parliament
Buildings.

He said the so-called mercenaries had not flown in since they had been
in the country and were driven from their Runda house in GK vehicles
with police escort.

He said at first the organisers of the media conference had claimed
that the two had flown in aboard a Kenya Airways plan from Dubai and
locked journalists in a room as they stage-managed the scenario.

“The faces are familiar and they have been seen at State House,”
said Raila, adding that the Immigration minister Gideon Konchellah
claimed they had come in a private jet when their names missed in
the KA manifest.

“Although they are now able to manipulate things we need to be told
which private jet they used and its registration.”

He said allegations that he had asked for money to sort out a domestic
problem was insulting.

“Is it possible that you meet a stranger who then goes ahead to give
you Sh100 million to sort out a domestic problem, what sort of a
domestic problem would one have to require that kind of money?” posed
Raila.

He said it was even intriguing that a stranger would give you that
kind of money without any documentation and wondered how one would
carry such huge amounts in cash unless he was a drug dealer.

“We are dealing with very dangerous international criminals on the
loose in our country that can only be referred to as the mafia,”
he said.

Raila said last Wednesday a Kenya Power and Lighting Company official
who had gone to take meter readings at the Runda house was chased away.

Meanwhile, Nyanza church leaders yesterday challenged the Armenians
to produce the agreement they signed with Raila for the Sh100 million
loan they allegedly gave him.

Bishops Washington Ng’ede, Julius Otieno and Jusper Ogelo accused
the Government of dictatorship.

In Siaya, Rev Kenneth Wachianga of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK)
said there would have been a signed agreement for the alleged Sh100
million Raila pocketed.

“We want to see copies of signed agreements showing Raila took the
money and clarifications whether it was paid in cash or cheque,”
Wachianga said.

Wachianga told the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to stand strong
and not crumble over the Government’s arm-twisting.

“We want a democratic Government that tells its people the truth
and clears the air whenever there are threatening allegations,”
Wachianga said.

“President Kibaki is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and
should explain the alleged presence on mercenaries in the country,”
they said.

The clerics demanded to know why the State had not apologised for
sending police to attack Standard and KTN offices and printing press
two weeks ago.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/15/2006
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1) Photos of Demolished Armenian Cemetery in Nakhichevan Published
2) Andrew Goldberg to Discuss His Genocide Documentary on KFI Radio
3) Anniversary of Talaat Pasha’s Death Marked in Yerevan
4) State Dept. Again Refuses to Directly Comment on Reports of Amb. Evans’
Recall
5) Turks in France to Protest Genocide Monument in Lyon

1) Photos of Demolished Armenian Cemetery in Nakhichevan Published

(PanArmenian/A1Plus)–The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
circulated
photos of the former Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Nakhichevan, which shows that
it has been completely demolished by Azerbaijan.
According to a statement released by the MFA, “By 2005 only 3500 out of
10,000
Armenian khatchkars remained standing in Old Julfa. These 3500 monuments were
demolished by Azeri soldiers.”
After fully eliminating the remnants of the khatchkars (cross-stones) and
removing them from the cemetery, several eyewitnesses have reported that Azeri
soldiers began using the cemetery as a military shooting range.

2) Andrew Goldberg to Discuss His Genocide Documentary on KFI Radio

–ArmeniaTV announces it too will broadcast documentary

LOS ANGELES–KFI 640 AM, the largest talk radio station in the country, has
invited director/producer Andrew Goldberg to discuss issues surrounding his
upcoming PBS documentary [The Armenian Genocide] with John Ziegler. Goldberg
will appear for a 45 minute segment on the John Ziegler show, which airs every
weeknight from 7:00 PM-10:00 PM, on Thursday, March 16.
According to KFI, their decision to invite Andrew Goldberg on the air was due
to the many recent high-profile issues surrounding the film, and most recently
an article in the Los Angeles Times. According to the KFI producer “Free
speech
issues are the bread and butter of our show, so naturally this issue is
something we’re looking forward to exploring in depth.”
[The Armenian Genocide] is the story of the first Genocide of the 20th
century–when over a million Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Turks
during World War I. This unprecedented and powerful one-hour documentary,
airing April 17th on PBS was written, directed and produced by Emmy
Award-winning producer Andrew Goldberg of Two Cats Productions, in association
with Oregon Public Broadcasting.
In an “act of solidarity,” Armenia’s largest television broadcaster, Armenia
TV, announced that it will be airing Goldberg’s documentary in exactly the
same
time slot and date as the PBS broadcast in the US.
Two Cats Productions, which produced the film, has waived all costs and
donated all broadcast rights for the film to Armenia TV.
Canadian Broadcaster TV Ontario has also acquired the rights to the film and
stated they too will be showing the film in April.
“That so many millions of people across the world will be seeing the film in
April, and that so many will do so at the same time as the PBS Broadcast,
really affirms for us that we did the job we set out to do. Our goal was
clear,
we wanted to tell the story of the actual events of the Genocide and to make
clear on national, and now international television, that this event was
Genocide, and cannot be denied,” said Goldberg.

3) Anniversary of Talaat Pasha’s Death Marked in Yerevan

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–The anniversary of the assassination of Armenian
genocide perpetrator Talaat Pasha was marked by over 200 people Wednesday at
the unveiling of a Soghomon Tehlirian monument in Yerevan.
ARF Supreme Body of Armenia representative Armen Rustamian was present at the
ceremony and said, “This event that happened 85 years ago had a great
impact on
the fate of the Armenian nation. Tehlirian’s example has been educating our
present and future generations.”
Rustamian went on to explain the importance of the day and underlined the
efficiency of the plan “Nemesis,” named after the Greek Goddess of vengeance,
meant to punish the main organizers of the Armenian genocide.
On March 15, 1921, one of the main perpetrators of the Armenian genocide,
Talaat Pasha, was gunned down in Berlin by then 24 year old student Soghomon
Tehlirian. A Berlin court later acquitted Tehlirian and posthumously convicted
Talaat.
“Punishing a genocide perpetrator is never a crime,” Rustamian said, adding
that Turkey should realize this.
Rustamian noted that “the demand of the Armenians was fair” and the trial
held
in Germany proved that.
Rustamian also noted that along with Talaat, other organizers of the
genocide,
Enver and Jemal, were also assassinated following the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation’s decision to carry out the “Nemesis” operation.

4) State Dept. Again Refuses to Directly Comment on Reports of Amb. Evans’
Recall

WASHINGTON, DC–For the fourth time in the last week, the State Department’s
official spokesperson has failed to directly respond to questions raised by
journalists during the Department’s daily press briefing about reports that
the
US Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, has been recalled due to his
truthful statements about the Armenian genocide, reported the Armenian
National
Committee of America (ANCA).
“It’s certainly disappointing seeing State Department officials hiding behind
their spokesperson to avoid directly answering questions about whether
Ambassador Evans is being recalled because he had the courage to stand up
against what effectively amounts to a ‘gag-rule’ preventing our nation’s
diplomats from speaking truthfully about the Armenian genocide,” said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in a March 8 letter to Secretary Rice, wrote
that, “If, in fact, the State Department has taken punitive steps against
Ambassador Evans, you should fully and openly explain your policies and
actions
to the American people. If, on the other hand, the Department has not taken
any
such steps, you owe it to the American people to affirm that it is not the
policy of the United States of America to punish its diplomats for speaking
the
truth about the Armenian genocide.”
Questions concerning Ambassador Evans were raised on March 8 and 10 and again
on March 13 and 14. Each time journalists asked for official comments about
Ambassador Evans’ reported recall. Reflecting the growing frustration among
journalists over the lack of a clear response to their inquiries, a member of
the State Department press corps publicly described the answers provided by
the
official spokesperson as “a bit of a dodge.”
The growing controversy surrounding reports of Ambassador Evans’ recall has
resulted in separate letters being sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
from ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the
Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, as well as formal Congressional
inquiries by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA).
Speaking last year to an Armenian American gathering at the University of
California at Berkeley, Ambassador Evans said, “I will today call it the
Armenian genocide. . . I informed myself in depth about it. I think we, the US
government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of
discussing this problem. Today, as someone who has studied it~E there’s no
doubt
in my mind [as to] what happened. I think it is unbecoming of us, as
Americans,
to play word games here. I believe in calling things by
their name.” Referring to the Armenian genocide as “the first genocide of the
20th century,” he said: “I pledge to you, we are going to do a better job at
addressing this issue.” Evans also disclosed that he had consulted with a
legal
advisor at the State Department who had confirmed that the events of 1915 were
“genocide by definition.”
Within days of his remarks, Ambassador Evans was apparently forced to issue a
statement clarifying that his references to the Armenian genocide were his
personal views and did not represent a change in US policy. He subsequently
issued a correction to this statement, replacing a reference to the Genocide
with the word “tragedy.”
Later last year, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), in
recognition of his honesty and commitment to principle, decided to honor
Ambassador Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,” recognizing creative
thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service. AFSA states,
“The
purpose of the [award] is to encourage Foreign Service career employees to
speak out frankly and honestly.” Sadly, as Washington Post staff writer Glenn
Kessler revealed on June 9, AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from
“very serious people from the State Department” just days before Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington, DC to meet with
President
George W. Bush.
The full text of the four exchanges are provided below:

1. MARCH 8, 2006 ­ DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (WASHINGTON, DC) SEAN MCCORMACK,
SPOKESMAN

QUESTION: [. . .] Why did you recall your Ambassador to Armenia, Mr. John
Evans? Are you going to replace him?

MR. MCCORMACK: I’m not aware that we have recalled anybody — our Ambassador
to Armenia.

QUESTION: Not in Germany, in Armenia.

MR. MCCORMACK: What’s that? I’m not aware that – I believe that he’s still
serving as Ambassador in Armenia.

2. MARCH 10, 2006 ­ DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (WASHINGTON, DC) TOM CASEY, ACTING
SPOKESMAN

QUESTION: Is the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia having his time there cut short,
maybe his career? A couple of Congressmen have asked Secretary Rice about it
and apparently have not gotten an answer.
He’s supposed to have suggested that Armenians were the victims of genocide,
which doesn’t happen to be Bush Administration policy.

MR. CASEY: I think Sean addressed this a couple of days ago.

QUESTION: I think it’s been brought up — further up to date. If you could
—

MR. CASEY: I don’t have anything beyond what he said on it. I’ll look into it
for you and see if there’s any changes in —

QUESTION: He said that ambassadors serve at the privilege of the President

MR. CASEY: Yeah. And as far as I know, he’s . . . still ambassador. I’m not
aware that anything’s changed that situation.

QUESTION: You can’t — well, all right, if you don’t have anything further.
(Inaudible.)

MR. CASEY: I think, Barry, I will — yeah, I’ll look into it for you. I
haven’t gotten an update on it, but I’ll try and see if there’s something and
we’ll post an answer for you.

QUESTION: And also if somebody ghosted an answer from the Secretary to Mr.
Schiff and the other Congressmen.

MR. CASEY: Okay. I’ll let you know. Let’s go back here. Oh, to you guys first
and then we’ll come over to this side.

3. MARCH 13, 2006 ­ DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (WASHINGTON, DC) TOM CASEY, ACTING
SPOKESMAN

QUESTION: Is the Ambassador of Armenia being — having his career shortened
because he spoke out against genocide in Armenia?

MR. CASEY: Barry, I know we promised you an answer on that one on Friday.
Still don’t have it and I’ll get something for you this afternoon.

QUESTION: You mean his future hasn’t been decided yet?

MR. CASEY: Not that I’m aware of.

QUESTION: I think it has.

MR. CASEY: I believe you think it does.

QUESTION: No, I do believe it does and so do — and I have reason to believe
it does and I know there are at least two members of Congress who believe it
does. No, I just think the State Department is having difficulty finding words
to announce his premature retirement.

MR. CASEY: No. We owe you an answer on that.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. CASEY: I’ll get it for you. Yes, Saul.

[. . .]

QUESTION: And one on Armenia. Representative Frank Pallone in a strong
statement expressed his extreme disappointment with regards of the Department
of State decision to rid finally Ambassador John
Evans from Armenia as a retaliation for statements he made in recognition of
the Armenian genocide in Los Angeles by Ottoman Turks. And it was reported
that
already you have decided to replace him. Could you please clarify for us what
is going on exactly this particular moment of this issue?

MR. CASEY: That was the question Barry asked. We owe you an answer and we’ll
get you one.

QUESTION: Is the same answer.

MR. CASEY: Yeah. It’s the same issue; it will be the same answer.

QUESTION: Is there an ambassador on post in Armenia right now?

MR. CASEY: Yes, there is.

QUESTION: Is his name Evans?

MR. CASEY: Yes, it is.

QUESTION: Does he have suitcase packed?

MR. CASEY: Not that I’m aware of.

QUESTION: But when you do announce this, would you kindly tell us the
difference between what happened and genocide?

MR. CASEY: I think —

QUESTION: Because U.S. policy is there was no genocide.

MR. CASEY: Our policy on this issue is well known. It was reported in a
presidential statement and, yeah, I don’t have anything to add to it.

4. MARCH 14, 2006 ­ DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (WASHINGTON, DC) ADAM ERELI,
SPOKESMAN

QUESTION: Mr. Ereli, on the DOS [Department of State] Web site, regarding
yesterday’s taken question about U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans’
status,
you have put quote, “genocide,” unquote, in quotes. I’m wondering why, if you
can say so.

MR. ERELI: I think because it was referring to remarks that somebody made.

QUESTION: Do you know whether John Evans was recalled or whether he’s been
recalled due to his speech on Armenian genocide?

MR. ERELI: I think the question was answered in the – that was answered in
the
question posted.

QUESTION: Should DOS [Department of State] employees have been advised not to
use the term, quote, “genocide,” unquote, when discussing the extermination of
the (inaudible)?

MR. ERELI: No, I think our guidance on that is the same. And we posted that
guidance last week.

QUESTION: Is it not true that Mr. Evans’ 35-year diplomatic career will be
shortened because of the remarks he made, saying that … genocide?

MR. ERELI: I think the question was answered in the – that was answered in
the
question posted.

QUESTION: Had DOS [Department of State] employees been advised not to use the
term, quote, “genocide,” unquote, when discussing the extermination of the 1
­1/2 million . . .

MR. ERELI: No, I think our guidance on that is the same. And we posted that
guidance last week.

QUESTION: Is it not true that Mr. Evans’ 35-year diplomatic career will be
shortened because of the remarks he made, saying that Armenians were the
victims of genocide, since the U.S. government
or the State Department doesn’t believe what happened was genocide? It doesn’t
fit the definition of genocide?

MR. ERELI: I really don’t have anything more to add to what we posted.

QUESTION: Well, what you posted yesterday was a bit of a dodge.

MR. ERELI: No. I think it’s the situation as it is. (CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: There is very strong reason to believe, in Congress and elsewhere,
that this man is going to lose out; he’s going to be brought home early
because
of what he said.

MR. ERELI: Look, I’d like to be able to — Ambassador Evans is our ambassador
and he continues to exercise that honor and privilege. And he takes it
seriously; we take it seriously. And I really don’t have any more to add to
that.

5) Turks in France to Protest Genocide Monument in Lyon

(Zaman)–Several Turkish organizations in France have organized a protest on
March 18 against the construction of an Armenian genocide monument in Lyon,
France.
After two years of political debate, construction of the monument has begun
despite Turkish attempts to stop it. The Council of Turkish Culture
Associations in Rhone-Alpes resorted to the French courts to stop the
monument,
but did not succeed.
Turkish organizations are also angered that the French built a Komitas
genocide memorial in Paris in 2001, but have not found an appropriate place to
build a statue of Ataturk despite Turkey’s efforts for years.
The Armenian genocide monument in Lyon will be located in the heart of the
city’s historical center.

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IT IS NECESSARY TO THROW OFF THE TENSION

Panorama.am
17:36 14/03/06

Today not only politicians are concerned with the strained situation
in Javakhk but also Javakhk citizens living in Armenia.

The official opinion of Armenian government is known and it was
sounded today once again by ARF Grouping leader, NA Deputy Galoust
Sahakyan. “In general I don’t estimate the events in Javakhk as
political.

Moreover, I can see solutions to that problem in the context of
Armenian-Georgian interrelations and I think several problems are
trying to be solved in the recent years. The problem is based on a
social ground.”

In his turn another NA Deputy, oppositional representative Albert
Bazeyan thinks the Armenian government has something to do in the
present situation. “I think we must use our diplomatic connections
to have an influence on these processes.

Probably, our compatriots have such problems as the problem of national
identity, language, culture besides a number of social-domestic
problems. What refers to political problems, I think it is worth
discussing the variant of giving cultural self-government to
Javakhk Armenians so that they could solve all the above mentioned
problems. Besides, Armenia must take a certain responsibility
to give assistance in the process of solving such problems,” he
said.

RUSAL-ARMENAL TO MANUFACTURE IN MARCH FIRST 100 TONS OF PRODUCTION AFTER BEING RELAUNCHED

Noyan Tapan
Mar 07 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, NOYAN TAPAN. RusAl-ArmenAl CJSC resumed its operation
in February and will manufacture the first 100 tons of its production
in March.

Artur Ashughian, Head of the Nature Use Economics and Mining Industry
Department of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development,
said it at the March 7 press conference.

In his words, in 2005 alone, the company made investments of 39
mln euros for equipment modernization, which allowed the company
to produce 7 micron wide foil which is in great demand on the
international market.

To recap, work on re-equipment of RusAl-ArmenAl started in the
4th quarter of 2004. The first stage of the work was completed in
December 2005. 70 mln USD was spent on re-equipment of the enterprise,
with 30-35% of this amount being spent as salaries and payments for
equipment supply.

It is envisaged that since 2006 the enterprise will produce 25 thousand
tons of foil a year, with an annual production of 9 micron wide foil
amounting to 18 thousand tons.

RA NA SPEAKER HANDED OSCE MEDAL FOR PROMOTING CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THIS ORGANIZATION

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 7 2006

YEREVAN, March 7. /ARKA/. Armenian National Assembly Speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan received a medal from OSCE for promoting close cooperation
with this organization, Armenian Parliament press service told ARKA
News Agency on Monday. The medal was handed by OSCE Yerevan Office
Head, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin.

The Ambassador stressed the importance of Parliament’s role in forming
civil and democratic institutions and pointed out kind relations
established between OSCE and Armenian Parliament.

Baghdasaryan, in turn, said the cooperation had produced particular
results.

Pryakhin also handed books in Armenian, Russian and English languages
to parliamentary library.

GAS HIKES TO AFFECT ARMENIAN INDUSTRY, OFFICIAL SAYS

Armenpress
Mar 07 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenal foil plant has issued in February
the first output-100 tons of foil, after accomplishing a major $70
million modernization project. Arthur Ashughian, head of a department
of the trade and economic development ministry, told a news conference
today that the annual volume of foil production will reach 25,000 tons.

Ashughian said Russia’s decision to double the price of natural
gas it sells to Armenia would lead to higher primary cost of local
metallurgical industry’s products. He said the share of energy in the
primary cost of metallurgical products makes now from 30 to 42 percent
and when the gas price raises it will be from 52 to 60 percent. He
said higher gas price may kill Armenian cement industry and make it
unable to compete with other regional producers.

He also said Armenia’s metallurgical industry produced $31.7 million
worth output in January. He said prospecting in Getik mine by Global
Mines has showed that it has some reserves of uranium, but added it was
premature to talk about whether they may have industrial significance.

ISN, Switzerland
March 10 2006

Minsk Group fails in Nagorno-Karabakh talks

The co-chairs of the OSCE’s Minsk Group — France, Russia, and the
United States – have issued a statement after two days of meetings in
Washington D.C. on March 7 and 8 expressing their regret that the
Minsk process “has not moved forward in recent weeks” despite “ample
opportunity to do so.” There was no announcement of a date for
another high-level presidential summit between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The tensions between Yerevan and Baku has been escalating
lately, with an increasingly testy exchange of words between the two
countries’ presidents, since they met in the Paris suburb of
Rambouillet in February but failed to reach agreement over the
disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and other issues.

By Julie A. Corwin for RFE/RL (10/3/06)

In their statement, the co-chairs called “upon the government of each
country to take steps with their publics to prepare them for peace
and not for war.” The co-chairs’ next meeting is scheduled for March
20 in Istanbul.

The Minsk group, which consists of 13 OSCE countries, has provided a
forum for negotiations to settle the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh
since 1992.

As part of that effort, the co-chairs of the group — France, Russia,
and the United States — held two days of meetings in Washington this
week to press for a new meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents.

In the runup to this week’s sessions, the U.S. co-chair expressed
optimism that progress could be made.

U.S. Ambassador Steven Mann said this year could bring a breakthrough
in the impasse over Nagorno-Karabakh because neither Armenia nor
Azerbaijan are holding an election in 2006.

A Window Of Opportunity, Closing
But some other observers were less hopeful.

Corey Welt, deputy director of the Russian and Eurasian Program at
the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies,
told RFE/RL that Ambassador Mann’s emphasis on achieving an agreement
this year stems “more from desperation than optimism.”

“He’s trying to emphasize that it’s important that an agreement be
reached this year because if not the fear is that the window of
opportunity will be closed because domestic politics will then take
over in both countries in the lead up to election periods in 2007 and
2008,” Welt said. “So what they’re trying to do is, in a sense, put
pressure on the parties almost to convince them that now is the time
to reach an agreement. If they do not, it is unlikely they will be
able to get their houses in order and they will be unlikely to really
be able to get full outside support.”

Welt suggests that it might be wiser to keep expectations from this
week’s meeting low.

“It’s a troubling road to take when you put that kind of pressure and
that [many] expectations on a process within one year. It’s going to
be a tough battle and if they don’t accomplish what they set out to
accomplish this year then there is a danger of a self-fulfilling
prophecy, making further efforts at reconciliation impossible.”

Political Will Needed For Settlement
The Minsk Group talks follow an exchange of heated words between
Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev. Aliyev said on March 1 that talks with Armenia were at a
“dead end” and called for freeing Nagorno-Karabakh “no matter what it
takes.” The next day, Kocharian declared that if Azerbaijan drops out
of further negotiations then Armenia will formally recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Liz Fuller, RFE/RL Caucasus analyst, suggests that Aliyev’s words
were “nothing new” but said some of the realities on the ground may
have changed.

“There is also the question of whether the Azerbaijani Armed Forces
have improved over the past decade to the point that they could
defeat the Armenian army. Armenia’s Defense Minister Serge Sarkisyan
said that he considers Azerbaijani statements as being more in the
realm of pressure or blackmail than a real threat. And he made the
point that if you are going to launch a surprise attack on your
adversary then you don’t go round beforehand saying that we’re going
to do it.”

Fuller suggests that the failure of the Rambouillet talks to produce
an agreement represents a “minor setback,” not a “major disaster.”
She characterizes the Minsk process overall as a positive one, which
almost produced a peace agreement in 2001.

“The current progress dates back just about two years to when Elmar
Mammadyarov replaced Vilayet Guliev as Azerbaijani foreign minister
and the two foreign ministers began meeting regularly first in Prague
and then in other European capitals,” Fuller explained. “And it’s
primarily thanks to them with some input from the three co-chairmen
that they have gradually reached agreement on the [seven out of nine]
basic points that would form the sort of skeleton of a future formal
peace agreement.”

Given the political will, Fuller suggests, that it might still be
possible to reach agreement on the basic points of a peace settlement
this year.

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 10 2006

U.S. warns citizens against visiting Armenian conflict zone
16:19 | 10/ 03/ 2006

YEREVAN, March 10 (RIA Novosti) – The United States Embassy in
Armenia warned U.S. citizens Friday against visiting areas that have
seen renewed violence recently in a conflict with neighboring
Azerbaijan.

In particular, the embassy advised against using the
Kirants-Baganis-Voskevan stretch of the Ijevan-Noyemberyan highway in
Armenia, which is near the dividing line of troops from the two
countries.

On Thursday, Azerbaijan and Armenia accused each other of numerous
ceasefire violations near the disputed territory of Nagorny-Karabakh,
which has been at the center of a bitter dispute since the early
1990s.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has reported that Azerbaijani troops
have been daily violating the ceasefire regime in this area.

Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Seiran Shakhsuvaryan said
Azerbaijani troops continued shooting at Armenian positions in the
Ijevan, Baik and Noyemberyan regions through March 7-8.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, said
Armenian troops had fired at Azerbaijani positions 500 kilometers
from the capital, Baku, and 250 kilometers from the zone of the
Nagorny-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two former Soviet republics over
Nagorny-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian
population, first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed
independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Over 30,000 people were reported dead on both sides between 1988 and
1994, and over 100 others died after a ceasefire was concluded in
1994, leaving Nagorny-Karabakh in Armenian hands, but tensions
between Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted.