Author: Jagharian Tania

A NA DEPUTY WROTE A LETTER TO PUTIN

A1+
04:16 pm 21 March, 2006

Though the negotiations of the gas price increase still go on in
Moscow the Committee Regulating Public Services (CRPS) has already
decided that the gas price must go up starting from April 10.

The most interesting point in the given situation is that neither
the political figures nor the economists reject the possibility
of an agreement according to which after the negotiations the gas
price may reach not 110 dollars as it is expected but, let’s say,
95 dollars. In the current situation even the Armenian inhabitants
will have to pay for the gas with the increased price. This is a law
provision according to which the price accepted by the CRPS will be
in force for at least 6 months.

“Will You and Robert Nazaryan resign if Armenian gas price does not
go up to 110 US dollars,” the deputy of the NA Manuk Gasparyan asked
the Vice – Chairman of the CRPS Nikolai Gasparyan today during the
debate on the gas price increase in the club “Mirror.” By the way,
the question remained without any answer. The deputy claims that the
committee violated its liabilities and made a groundless decision when
there isn’t even a final agreement on the increase. Manuk Gasparyan
will apply to the Court on this matter on April 2 – 3. Before that
he wrote a letter to the president of the RF Vladimir Putin. In
his letter he asks the president why the same country uses various
strategies and policies towards its military partners; it sells gas
to Byelorussia for 46 dollars and to Armenia for 110 dollars. Manuk
Gasparyan claims that he sent his letter to the right addressee as the
gas price issue is not to be solved by the “GasProm,” it has merely
a political outcome. Manuk Gasparyan expects a definite answer from
Vladimir Putin.

As for the effects of the gas price “groundless” (according to the
assessment of certain people) increase it is already known that the
Heating and Power Station (HPS) of Hrazdan decided to increase the
price of its product by 90%, other HPSs will have a less increase.

COMMODITY TURNOVER BETWEEN ARMENIA AND INDIA GREW 50% DURING RECENT YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2006 01:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The visit of the business delegation led by RA
Honorary Consul in Bombay Harshad Mekhta proves the wish of the
Armenian and Indians parties to strengthen cooperation, RA Deputy
FM Armen Bayburdian stated opening the Armenian-Indian business
conference in Yerevan today. The conference was attended by 36
representatives of Armenian companies and departments and 18 Indian
entrepreneurs. For her part Indian Ambassador Rina Pandei noted
that during the recent years the commodity turnover between the
two states has grown with 50 per cent. In her words, the expansion
of the economic cooperation will be discussed at the sitting of the
Armenian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Development
to be held in Yerevan this year. According to RA Deputy Minister of
Trade and Economic Development Tigran Davtian, the potential of the
Armenian-Indian trade and economic relations is great. In his words,
both counties entered the stage of sustainable and dynamic economic
development.

DIRECTOR OF THE STATE HERMITAGE TO PAY A VISIT TO YEREVAN

ArmRadio
20.03.2006

Correspondent-member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of
the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovski will arrive in Yerevan on March
21, the development fund of the “Caucasus Institute for Democracy”
told ARMINFO Agency.

In the framework of the visit, Piotrovski will deliver a lecture for
the students of the Russian-Armenian University. A similar lecture
and a meeting with the faculty of the Yerevan State University are
scheduled March 23. Visits to Matenadaran, National Art Gallery and the
Institute of History are also expected. Mikhail Piotrovski will meet
RA President Robert Kocharyan, RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs
Gevorg Gevorgyan and the Russian Ambassador to Armenia Nikolay Pavlov.

PRESS RELEASE
The National Citizens’ Initiative
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 27.16.00, 27.00.03
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected]
Website:

March 16, 2006

NCI: Armenia’s First Ombudswoman Presented Her Special Report

Yerevan–The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) today convened a
roundtable on “What Armenia’s Citizens Gained and Lost in 2005.” The
meeting brought together political and social activists, human rights
advocates, analysts, experts, and media representatives.

NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian welcomed the audience with opening
remarks, “The authorities had declared the constitutional referendum
of 2005 as a crucial step toward the establishment of democracy
and legitimacy in Armenia. However, after the immediate ‘passing’
of the constitutional amendments, human and civil rights not only
deteriorated, but repression including unlawful arrests against
politically active citizens continued, followed by similar violations,
this time against political parties. A vivid illustration of this is
the illegal closure of the Heritage Party’s headquarters. Moreover,
the first Ombudswoman of the Republic of Armenia Larisa Alaverdian
was dismissed for performing her designated duty.”

Prior to discussing her special report, Larisa Alaverdian expressed
dismay that the public had lost the ability to read and comprehend
written texts of political or legal nature. Subsequently, she briefly
presented her 20-page special account on the situation of human
rights in Armenia in the year past. Unfortunately, she was not
allowed to present this report to the National Assembly. “I would
like to call this report also ‘An Infringement Upon the Right of
Effective Legal Protection,’ an entitlement set forth by Article 13
of the European Convention,” Alaverdian noted. With respect to the
large-scale encroachment upon the property rights of the residents
of the Northern Avenue and Biuzand Street in downtown Yerevan,
Mrs. Alaverdian observed that in democratic countries, for the sake
of state interests, private assets of people at times are alienated,
but with proper compensation. Yet in this case, compensation was not
only unforthcoming, but people through the courts were forced to sign
purchase agreements and on top be subjected to state and income taxes.
Larisa Alaverdian had made an appeal to President Robert Kocharian
and Prime Minister Andranik Margarian concerning this matter. She
had even addressed a formal letter to the President with respect
to the widespread violation of human rights. Yet, she received a
response in which she was charged for breaching Section 5 of Armenia’s
Constitution, that is for misusing her official power.

The next speaker, Heritage Party’s political secretary Vardan
Khachatrian, gave his assessments of the constitutional referendum of
2005. According to him, “As a result of the ruling clique’s methods of
‘passing’ the constitution and ‘establishing’ democracy, the notions
of ‘state,’ ‘constitution,’ and ‘democracy’ have been discredited in
the eyes of the majority of the people who draw a perfect parallel
between the current authorities and the unlawfulness which is reigning
in the country.”

Khachatrian pointed that the way out of this situation is carrying
out a fundamental transformation, but not ruling out the prospect
for a peaceful revolution.

The remainder of the session was devoted to exchanges of views and
policy recommendations among the public figures and policy specialists
in attendance. Also noteworthy were interventions by Rafael Ghazarian
and Vahan Shirkhanian from the Forum of Intellectuals of Armenia;
MPs Tatul Manaserian, Manuk Gasparian, Hrant Khachatrian, and Arshak
Sadoyan; deputy chairman of the National Unity Party Gagik Tadevosian;
chairman of the Democratic Motherland Party Petros Makeyan; “18+1”
election observers’ mission chief Vahagn Khachatrian; Republic Party
member Rafik Mkrtchian; deputy chairman of the National Rebirth
Party Armen Mkrtchian; deputy chairman of the Liberal Progressive
Party Edward Antinian; director of the Heritage Party’s main office
Gevorg Kalenchian; chairman of the Social-Ecological Party Armen
Dovlatian; deputy chairman of the “Victims of State Needs” NGO Sedrak
Baghdasarian; and many others.

In the ensuing discussion Academician Rafael Ghazarian blamed the
opposition leaders for pursuing their personal ambitions instead of
bringing the nation out of this situation in unity.

In Dr. Tatul Manaserian’s opinion the reasons for the current situation
should be searched within ourselves since the public has become very
apathetic as to the future of the country.

Manuk Gasparian called upon the participants to work together in
getting at least one or two independent television channels to
reopen so that people can come out of the informational blockade
and be informed of the illegalities of the ruling powers and what is
happening in the country.

Avetik Ishkhanian of the Helsinki Committee was in concurrence with Mr.

Gasparian and added that the public’s apathy was due to the suppression
of freedom of speech and that our citizens’ first real defeat came
when A1+ and Noyan Tapan were closed down.

Gagik Tadevosian’s question as to the validity of the conclusion that
the falsification of the constitutional amendments had resulted in more
illegalities by the government was answered in the affirmative by Mrs.

Alaverdian. She agreed that the ruling administration’s declaration
according to which 93 percent had said “Yes” to the new constitution
was a disgrace and that the very same powers were very much aware of
this fact.

In his turn, Avetik Ishkhanian stated that in line with confidential
information ascertained from fairly high state echelons, with the
exception of military servicemen, only 7 percent of eligible voters
had actually cast ballots in the constitutional referendum. Vardan
Khachatrian added that he had received information about a mere 6.5
percent voter turnout.

In his closing remarks, NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian noted
the fact that Armenia’s public elite calls attention to ideological
discussions and the search for the roots of and solutions to the
problems facing the country. And in the words of Khurshudian, this
roundtable is its proof.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is a public non-profit association
founded in December 2001 by Raffi K. Hovannisian, his colleagues,
and fellow citizens with the purpose of realizing the rule of law
and overall improvements in the state of the state, society, and
public institutions.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is guided by a Coordinating
Council, which includes individual citizens and representatives of
various public, scientific, and educational establishments. Five
commissions on Law and State Administration, Socioeconomic Issues,
Foreign Policy, Spiritual and Cultural Challenges, and the Youth
constitute the vehicles for the Initiative’s work and outreach.

For further information, please call (37410) 27-16-00 or 27-00-03;
fax (37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected]; or visit

Envoy rejects anti-Iran remarks voiced at Azeris conference

IRNA website, Tehran
18 Mar 06

Baku, 18 March: Iran’s Ambassador to Baku Afshar Soleymani said here
Saturday [18 March] that the remarks of some anti-Iran individuals
at the second conference of the world Azeris is not to the interest
of bilateral relations.

Speaking to reporters, he dismissed the comments voiced against Iran
in an official meeting.

The Iranian diplomat said, “Such measures are not to the interest of
Azerbaijan, and will be detrimental to mutual ties.”

Warning against the irreparable losses which will be inflicted by
such moves if they are not prevented, he noted that such conferences,
during which comments against Iran are made, cannot be officially
recognized by the Iranian government.

He regretted that such remarks were voiced at an official conference in
Azerbaijan, despite the recent visit of President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad
to Naxcivan and his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, which resulted
in signing several cooperation agreements and the beginning of gas
transfer from Iran to the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic.

“This is while since Azerbaijan’s independence Iran has always helped
it to strengthen its sovereignty. Besides the 70-million Iranian
nation and government have always supported this country,” he added.

He pointed to the historical, cultural and spiritual commonalties of
the two states as a good asset to be used to strengthen mutual ties.

Soleymani urged that Iran and Azerbaijan should use their spiritual
and religious commonalties to bolster mutual ties in various domains
without interfering in each other’s internal affairs.

Turning to Iran’s assistance to Azerbaijan in solving its problems
such as the difficulties facing the homeless and needy Azeri people,
setting up tents and refugee camps for the war victims during the
Karabakh conflict, he said that such approaches are unjustified.

In response to a question whether the US and Israel’s security services
took part in such measures, he said that they attempt overtly to
damage Iran-Azerbaijan relations in every possible way from.

Stressing that their hostile measures cannot be effective, he said
that mutual relations will further broaden according to the will of
the government and people of both states.

In an official meeting in Azerbaijan on Thursday, some hostile parties
brought up false and baseless issues against Iran leading to objections
by Iran’s embassy in Baku.

The liberated territories are the major guarantee of peace (analysis)
By Armen Manvelyan

17.03.2006 13:05
“Radiolur”

Turning to the issue of liberated territories we should mention that
the time has come to understand that the question of territories cannot
be a matter of direct policy of concessions, since the past years have
proved that Azerbaijan carries out a policy, which can be characterized
in the following way – either everything or nothing. That is to say
that confident of its economic power Azerbaijan tries to turn it into
military one to resolve the conflict through military means. Under
these circumstances a different approach toward the liberated
territories solely prepares ground and encourages the opposing party,
which is confident that it can return these territories earlier
or later. Thus, turning to the Karabakh issue and particularly the
liberated territories, we should note that these have been liberated
at the price of Armenian blood and cannot become a matter of trade,
especially when we realize that the return of territories will not
bring peace. On the contrary, it will cause a new war in the region
by breaking the political balance. In this regard it needs to be
mentioned that the political map of Europe and the borders between
countries have been drawn not in the result of great love for each
other but as a consequence of two bloody World Wars. It is clear that
all European countries, or at least most of these are dissatisfied
with these borders.

Later, however, a decision was taken to recognize each other’s
territorial integrity and try to cooperate according to this principle
in order to stop the confrontations between the parties. According to
the same logics, our society should accept and recognize Armenia within
the borders, which are currently controlled by Armenian soldiers. The
liberated territories should not become a matter of trade. These
should be actively settled by Armenians forcefully displaced from
Azerbaijan. Thus, we can say that Armenia should be recognized within
the borders liberated by Armenian soldiers, and not the ones drawn
by Stalin.

THE US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE ADVISED TURKEY TO GIVE ESTIMATION TO THE TRAGEDIES OF THE PAST

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. The question of recognizing the fact
of the Armenian Genocide is a very complicated one and it should be
thoroughly attended by both the sides, stated on his visit to Ankara
Daniel Fried, assistant to the US Secretary of State.

‘Zaman’ newspaper notes that Mr. Fried arrived in Turkey together
with Steven Mann, the American Co- Chairman of the Minsk Group, and
met with representatives of the Foreign Ministry of Turkey. After the
meetings Mr. Davies said that the tragedies of the past must be given
an objective estimate and the nations must be mostly concerned by their
future. He said that the position of the United States on this question
is known to everyone and that President Bush will hold a speech about
it in April. Mr. Fried said that US Government’s demand to open the
border with Armenia was also considered on the meeting in Ankara.

RA MINISTER OF ENERGY FINDS THAT POSSIBLE SELL OF INTER RAO UES TO
GASPROM TO HAVE NO EFFECT ON ENERGETIC SYSTEM OF ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 17 2006

YEREVAN, March 17. /ARKA/. The RA Minister of Energy finds that
possible sell of INTER RAO UES to “Gasprom” will not affect the
energetic system of Armenia.

“I don’t think that it may somehow affect the energetic filed of
Armenia”, Movsisyan told journalists on Thursday.

At the same time he stated that there was no information about
such plans.

Heads of Russian RAO UES earlier stated of their intention to sell
part of their daughter enterprises, particularly INTER RAO UES.

Russian Gasprom Holding is mentioned among claimants to purchase
this company.

In Armenia “Electric Networks of Armenia” international energetic
corporation belongs to the INTER RAO UES and it also manages financial
flows of Armenian nuclear power plant. S.P.–0–

Scandals eclipsed by mercenaries issue
By KIPKOECH KOMUGOR

Kenya Times, Kenya
March 16 2006

The mercenary sub-plot has been so captivating the original drama,
the attack on the Standard Group by hooded police officers, from
which the new succulent saga broke, has completely been pushed to the
periphery. Not only has the main plot been ignored, other previously
hot issues like the Anglo Leasing, Goldenberg and Ndung’u Land Report
have had to contend with playing supporting roles as the mercenary
drama takes over the starring role on the national stage.

Perhaps it’s got something to do with the swashbuckling mannerisms
of the alleged dogs of war. Watching them walk to the VIP lounge on
Monday, one couldn’t help feeling that he was watching a blockbuster
movie unfold live on location. Like the really bad guys in a film,
the men in their heavily accented English bragged of their money bags
status (they can’t pay us but we can pay them… your country’s budget
cannot afford our services even if we were mercenaries), dropped names
( they apparently are family with the Armenian president or something
and one of them is set to vie for one such big post next year).

They are living in Runda which is easily one of the poshest addresses
in the city, they move around in fast flashy cars, they are dripping
gold from the neck and wrists… it can make the sleepiest head
want to stay up late and watch the movie. Mr. Artur Margaryan and
Artur Sargsyan are built alright. But they don’t look like your
run-of-the-mill, River Road musclemen for hire. Nor do they give the
impression of struggling businessmen from the former Soviet Union
out to try their luck for an honest buck or two in some backwater
African country. They cut the image of thoroughbreds who are used to
doing business with the high and mighty. They look rough in a smooth,
refined way.

But the most intriguing thing about the mercenary story has been its
flow. Too many unexpected twists and turns. Too many loose ends. And
the number of people it has been able to suck into the cast in a
very short time has been truly amazing. It opened with a claim by
former Cabinet Minister Raila Odinga a few days after the attack
on the Standard that some of the people involved in the operation
were foreigners from Russia whom he termed as mercenaries hired by
powerful people in Government to eliminate some undesirables in the
ODM. Raila’s claim (though it could have been easily dismissed then
as the now commonplace crying wolf ramblings the ODM leader has made
a career of) seemed to ring a bell. According to some employees of
the Standard Group who witnessed the attack on their offices on the
morning of March 2, the gang that raided their office on the fateful
Thursday night were being ordered around by people speaking in a
foreign accent probably Arab or something close.

Pressed by the police spokesman Jasper Ombati to record a statement
with the police over his allegations, Raila refused but later gave in
and met the Police Commissioner Hussein Ali. Later, Raila recorded
a statement where he claimed he had given police crucial leads into
the whereabouts of the alleged hit men. Raila followed his statement
with the release of passport copies to the Press showing that the
men were actually Armenians and not Russians as he had claimed earlier.

Raila seemed to have the whole story down to the minutest details. He
claimed he knew where the men lived and who their Kenyan associates
were. The most interesting name there was obviously one of a Narc
activist. Raila did not need to give details of the particular
activists since that title in Kenyan’s minds has come be associated
with one influential woman who has been linked to State House before.

State House has however taken the trouble more than once to deny
in the Press that the said woman was in any way associated to the
President’s family.

Raila was to go the whole hog later by dragging State itself into the
mess with claims that the two men had in fact been to the country’s
most important address. State house didn’t take this allegation with
the trademark silence. Instead the PPS fired off a prompt statement
warning Raila to desist from dragging State House in the mercenary
saga. By making public copies of the passports of the two men,
Raila had clearly yanked the cover off the two foreigners for no
sooner were the documents in the public domain than the men were out
facing the cameras and telling their side of the story. They didn’t
waste time sucking Raila into the labyrinth making it even more
complicated. Suddenly Raila was no longer a concerned spectator. He
was a major actor. According to the two Armenians, they had met Mr.
Odinga and his fellow ODM luminary Mr. Kalonzo Muyoka sometimes
last year.

And no it was just a meeting. They had done business with the two .

The ODM leaders had apparently asked for some funds towards the
referendum campaigns and later a vote of confidence in Kibaki’s
Government. The two claimed they refused to give Raila and Kalonzo
the money but loaned Raila some 108 million shillings on humanitarian
grounds. The LDP leader, they alleged, was in a financial fix over
a matter concerning a girlfriend.

As expected, Raila and Kalonzo were swift to rubbish the Armenian’s
story even as the latter admitted having met the them in unclear
circumstances. Raila was, however, adamant that he had never met the
alleged mercenaries. The former ministers have had to record statements
with the police, Raila for the second time and Kalonzo for the first
time. The game of swapping blame has been on for the past week. While
Raila and Co. are accusing the Government of retaining the mercenaries
to do their dirty work like the attack on the media and assassinations,
the government wants to turn the tables on Raila and Kalonzo.

They have been quick to seize the two men’s claims that they knew the
LDP leaders on a first-name basis as prove that they were connected
to the Armenians. A group of Government of |National Unity (GNU) MPs
have accused Raila of using the mercenary claims as a red herring to
divert attention from the investigations into the Ndungu Land report in
which Raila’s name appears in connection to the controversial Kisumu
Molasses Plant. On the other hand the opposition side is suggesting
that the whole saga is a smokescreen to divert people’s attention
from the Anglo Leasing Scandal.

While the “mercenary” have become so hot a potato that no one wants
to hold, so far the Government story seems to have the widest holes.

Most leads appear to be pointing to the direction of the Government.

The Monday drama at JKIA where one of the Armenians claimed to have
just arrived in the country to clear his name turned that it may have
been just that- a well choreographed drama. It later emerged that
there were no documentary evidence to show that the man had used a
Kenya Airways flight as he had claimed. Then the story of the private
jet came in to do damage control but it was too late.

Another glaring hole is the embarrassing failure by a group of police
officers to act on the two after visiting their Runda residence on
Tuesday. After trying to obtain statements from the one of the men in
vain, the officers were reportedly ordered to call off the operation
by a senior officer. The division in the police force over this matter
has also been out in the open with the Police commissioner ordering
an investigation

I can handle crowds – Armenian
By Cyrus Ombati

Standard, Kenya
March 17 2006

The man at the centre of the mercenary saga, Artur Margaryan,
yesterday remained defiant and proud while Kenyans expressed shock
at his defiance.

Margaryan said he expected hostility and was ready to handle it when
he stepped out in public on Thursday afternoon.

He, at the same time, questioned what crime he had committed to
warrant police interrogation.

“I knew some people could shout at me. I thought I could meet the
hostility when I arrived, but I don’t fear anything,” he said.

Margaryan said as a trained soldier he knows how to handle the general
public especially an agitated crowd. “You don’t shout at them. Just
laugh to the end as I did.”

A crowd charged at the foreigner as he left I&M Building on Thursday
forcing police to come to his rescue.

Speaking to journalists outside his compound in Runda estate, Nairobi,
the foreigner said he is in the country legally for investment
purposes to benefit the locals and dared MPs Fred Gumo and Reuben
Ndolo to make good their threats to evict him from his house.

“They should not come after a week. Let them come now and if they
want to fight me I will also fight,” he said.

In the meantime, he is beefing up his personal security. Margaryan
said he is not leaving the country. Instead, he is bringing in more
dogs to guard his compound against intruders.

Yesterday, there was an additional dog at the compound; a white dog
nicknamed “Amigo”, which he described as dangerous. That brings the
number of dogs in the compound to two.

He said four more dogs are on the way to bring the total number to
six and warned people to stay clear of his home.

“If anyone comes here without being invited, he will be mauled and
I don’t care who he is. This is private property,” he said.

The foreigner also denied reports that his passport and that of his
brother were fake. “My passport is legal and if it was illegal I
could be in jail. We do not have a consular or embassy of Armenia
here in Kenya so the claims are false.”

Margaryan later drove out of the compound in the company of his
girlfriend saying he was going to inspect his projects elsewhere in
the city.

On Thursday, he visited The Standard Group offices to clear his name
over the illegal police raid that was staged there.