Author: Kharatian Ani

"SETTLEMENT OF FROZEN CONFLICTS: LEGAL ASPECTS OF SEPARATIST CRISIS IN MOLDOVA" REPORT PRESENTED

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Nov 20 2006

The GUAM countries’ representation at UN held presentation of the
report named "Settlement of frozen conflicts: legal aspects of
separatist crisis in Moldova", prepared by New York Association of
Lawyers (NAL).

In their remarks, the authors of report – chairman of NAP’s Europe
Affairs Committee, professor M. Meyer, chairman of NAP Committee on
UN E. Defies, professor K. Borgin have noted, that the basic purpose
of preparation of the report consists in "finding of the fair legal
settlement of the question there, where the policy has failed".

Authors of the report have come to conclusion, that the non-recognized
"Republic of Pridnestrovye" does not possess the right of
self-determination outside of the state in which it locates.

In their statements, representatives of Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan
have especially estimated the approach to the report from legal
aspect and have emphasized the opportunity of the settlement of
similar conflicts only on the basis of international law.

Representative of Azerbaijan has noted, that conclusions at which
arrived the authors of the report, in present conditions are of
great importance not only for conflicts in Moldova, but also for all
existing conflicts in territory of the GUAM countries. Azerbaijan’s
representative noted similar aspects of conflicts on GUAM
space, specified presence in them of the facts of separatism
and participation of the third parties and supports from abroad,
illegal presence of foreigners and, at last, abusing principles of
self-determination. He especially emphasized the conclusion sounded
in the report – the "Republic of Pridnestrovye" does not possess the
right of self-determination outside of the state where it enters.

Then, the authors of the report have answered questions. Answering
question of the representatives of Armenia, professor M. Meyer has
noted, that, despite of distinctive features of conflicts, supremacy
of law is common for all. Professor K. Borgen in his answer, having
listed the basic terms of self-determination of peoples, said that
cession of rights could be accepted as an exclusive variant only with
the consent of the state.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE AREAS WHERE ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL ARMIES FACE EACH OTHER
R. Orujev
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Ekho (Baku), November 11, 2006, EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 17, 2006 Friday

Situation In The Areas Where The Armenian And Azerbaijani Armies Face
Each Other As Seen From Baku; A Look At The Azerbaijani-Armenian
Conflict From Baku.

The situation on the front line is somewhat unclear nowadays. The
OSCE Caucasus mission arranged a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian
defense ministers not long ago. It was compelled to do so because of
the frequent violations of the cease-fire accord that caused numerous
casualties on both sides.

Reports on casualties did become less frequent after the meeting.

Does it indicate an improvement in the areas where the two armies
face each other? Opinions of official structures and independent
experts differ.

Ilgar Verdiyev of the Press Center of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
couldn’t say anything conclusive yesterday. "The Armenians must
observe the cease-fire regime," was all he said.

Yashar Jafarov, the head of the Union of Retired Officers, refuses to
call what is happening at the front line a lull. "It will pass. As
soon as negotiations are reactivated and the terms of the conflict
resolution are brought up, the situation will immediately deteriorate
and violations of the cease-fire regime will become more frequent
again," he said.

"I was surprised to hear the recent statement of Andrzei Kasprsic,
OSCE Chairman’s Personal Envoy, on a visit to Yerevan concerning
what he called a relative tranquility.," independent military expert
Uzeir Jafarov said. "It seems that few bother to watch our independent
TV-stations that always begin their daily news bulletins with reports
from their Karabakh correspondents on how the Armenians fire at us.

When the situation in the Fizuli district was monitored not long ago,
Kasprsic’s aides met with Muhtarov, the head of the executive power
structures there, and he informed them of daily violations of the
cease-fire regime on the Armenians’ part. As I see it, it’s just that
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry is simply happy that it does not have
to report casualties now. In the meantime, our people involved in
the sowing campaign in the border areas are not happy at all. They
are forced to work nights. I’m convinced therefore that whenever
official Baku or Yerevan find it convenient, they have their media
outlets reporting on skirmishes on the hour. When they do not need it,
on the other hand, they report no skirmishes. There must be some sort
of pact in action."

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER HAS TO THINK FIRST

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

Even if the personal representative of the OSCE CiO Andrzej Kasprzyk
offers the defense ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to have another
meeting by the end of the year, and Kasprzyk has already stated about
the possibility of the meeting, the defense minister of Armenia may
turn down the offer.

Serge Sargsyan told the news reporters on November 17 that he did not
get any offer to meet, but if he gets such an offer, he will have to
consider it. "I did not get any offers, even if there is one, I will
have to think because the defense minister of Azerbaijan made other
statements on our previous meeting," said Serge Sargsyan.

34 CRIMINAL CASES ON TRAFFICKING, SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND INVOLVEMENT INTO PROSTITUTION CASES REGISTERED IN 9 MONTHS OF 2006

AZG Armenian Daily
17/11/2006

In the course of the nine months of 2006, the relevant bodies of
Armenia 34 criminal cases on the articles 132,132.1, 261 and 262 of
RA Criminal Code of Armenia that include such crimes as trafficking,
enrolment of people for exploitation, sexual exploitation, involvement
into prostitution, contribution to prostitution. The press-service
of RA Prosecutor’s office of Armenia informed that 26 people were
convicted and no judgment of acquittal was delivered.

7 suspects are wanted, 5 criminal cases are on investigation, 4
cases are united. According to the materials of the criminal cases,
121 people, including 118 women, underwent sexual exploitation. 64
persons were brought to administrative responsibility during the
period under review.

RAILWAY TRAIN WITH GRTT LEAVES TBILISI FOR ARMENIA

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006

(Itar-Tass) – An ahead-of-schedule removal of the equipment and
hardware of the Tbilisi garrison of the Group of Russian Troops
in the Transcaucasus (GRTT) began Thursday, an officer at the GRTT
headquarters here has told Itar-Tass.

The officer said, "The first railway train with hardware and equipment
is heading for Armenia, to the Russian military base at Gyumri".

Another train will go to Russia via Azerbaijan in one week’s time, on
November 23. Before the year is out, two more trainloads of hardware
and equipment of the Tbilisi garrison of the GRTT will be removed,
one to Armenia and the other one to Russia.

The timetable for the pullout of the Tbilisi garrison of the GRTT has
been fixed with the Georgian side, which, in line with the existing
accords, ensures the safety of the removal of the garrison’s hardware
and servicemen, reports Trend.

"A small group of GRTT staff officers will be set up to stay on in
Georgia next year as well, at the Russian military bases at Akhalkalaki
and Batumi, to finalize the bases’ removal process," the officer said.

The earlier-than-planned pullout of the Tbilisi garrison of the GRTT,
which is being carried out by a decision of the Russian Ministry of
Defence, is to be completed before the end of this year.

In all, 100 hardware units, 350 tonnes of equipment and ammunition,
as well as 387 servicemen will be relocated.

In keeping with the Georgian-Russian accords, the Akhalkalaki base
will be closed down before October 1, 2007, and the one at Batumi
will be wound up before October 1, 2008.

One of Nairi Kocharian’s "Friends" Was Skinhead

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2006 15:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New facts are being revealed in Nairi Kocharian’s
case, head of the information department of the Union of Armenians
of Russia (UAR) David Babayan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In
his words, there emerged a version that the teenager who accompanied
Kocharian was a skinhead. "He could put his fellows on track," Babayan
said adding that the police is carrying out a thorough investigation.

November 11 a 15-year-old Armenian Nairi Kocharian was killed on a
railway platform of the settlement of Ivanteyevka (Moscow oblast). The
boy was brutally beaten and knifed. The assassins also tried to
smother or hand their victim. A scarf with an image of a skull and
bones was found next to the killed boy thus clearly pointing to the
affiliation of the assassins to a fascist grouping.

NATO, France downplay impact of Turkish military decision

Turkish Daily News, Turkey
Nov 17 2006

ANKARA – TDN with wire dispatches

Both NATO and the French capital have remained calm over a decision
by the Turkish military to freeze military ties with France in
a growing diplomatic row, saying the decision would not have an
immediate impact on the two courtiers’ cooperation with NATO or on
the existing cooperation between Turkey and France, particularly in
NATO-led overseas operations.

French Defense Ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau said yesterday
that France believes that existing cooperation with Turkey will
continue. Specifically, he mentioned operations in the Balkans and
in Afghanistan. "There is a relationship of work and cooperation in
these operational commitments with Turkey that are extremely important
and which, in our eyes, will continue," he said.

Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. İlker Başbug announced
the suspension of military relations with France late Wednesday
in retaliation for a French parliamentary bill criminalizing any
denial of the alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire. Başbug was speaking to reporters at a reception
in Ankara on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the founding of
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

"Relations with France in the military field have been suspended,"
Başbug said. Asked whether there were any cancelations of
military visits, he replied, "There are no high-level visits between
the two countries."

Bureau noted that the suspension was announced by a military commander,
not Turkey’s civilian government. "Until now, the announcement has
not had any practical or concrete effect," he said, although he added
that there could be some in the future. He also noted that military
relations have recovered in recent years from a previous chill in 2001,
when France passed a law recognizing the Armenian killings as genocide.

In Brussels, NATO officials said the alliance’s operations would
not be affected by the Turkish army’s decision. "It’s a bilateral
issue. It won’t affect their relations at NATO," an official said.
Both French and Turkish troops were operating in Kabul, he added.
"They’re there today," he stressed.

French and Turkish troops operate side by side in the Afghan capital,
under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),
combating a fierce insurgency by the Taliban.

Turkey has warned that bilateral ties will suffer a great blow if
France adopts the controversial bill, which foresees one year in jail
for anyone who denies that Armenians were subjected to genocide.

The bill was passed in the French National Assembly last month but
still needs the approval of the Senate and the president to take
effect.

"This doesn’t concern NATO," a diplomat at NATO said. "We don’t foresee
any difficulties in the NATO sphere. There won’t be any impact on
the functioning of the Alliance."

Top military officers from NATO and partner nations were completing
two days of talks in Brussels yesterday, two weeks ahead of a NATO
summit in Riga to shape and inform military advice for the North
Atlantic Council.

RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN TENSION RAISE CONCERNS IN ARMENIA, BUT NO REAL IMPACT YET
Haroutiun Khachatrian

Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, DC
Nov 15 2006

Armenia, a vulnerable country in both the geopolitical and geographical
senses, stands to suffer serious damage due to the increasing tensions
in the crisis in Russian-Georgian relations. The danger has several
aspects. First, Armenia is a military ally to Russia, and risks to
become separated from it by a potential member of NATO, which Georgia
seeks to adhere to.

Second, the Russian-Georgian conflict, not to mention any instability
in Armenia’s northern neighbor, would cut the most important
communication link between Armenia and the outer world. As the land
borders of Armenia with two of its neighbors – Azerbaijan and Turkey
– are closed due to political reasons, Armenia can trade goods with
the outer world only through Iran and Georgia, the latter serving
more than half of Armenia’s foreign cargo turnover. Third, worsening
Georgian-Russian relations could hinder vital supplies from Russia from
reaching Armenia, first of all natural gas, which flows to Armenia
through a pipeline crossing the territory of Georgia. Fourth, the
large Armenian community of Georgia may be involved in the conflict,
especially the Armenians living in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region
of southern Georgia, whose living standards are poor and who are
traditionally pro-Russian. The latter danger becomes more acute given
the perspective of construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi
railroad, which is to traverse the region, bringing fears among
local Armenians that the region would fall into the sphere of Turkish
influence. Finally, of vital importance for Armenia are not only its
good relations with the immediate parties of the conflict, Georgia
and Russia, but also with the western countries and in particular
the United States. These relations might suffer should Washington
protect Georgia more actively in its conflict with Russia.

Not surprisingly, the tension among Russia and Georgia provoked vivid
discussions in the Armenian political elite. For the second time in
less than a year, politicians – even those belonging to the parties
of the ruling coalition – raised the issue of the necessity of a
revision, or at least clarification, of the terms of the "Strategic
alliance" with Russia. The first instance was in January, when Armenian
politicians were surprised to learn that the "strategic partnership"
with Russia did not protect Armenia from a sudden doubling of the price
of the Russian natural gas. There is a consensus in Yerevan that in
its actions, Russia does not always take into account the interests
of its only ally in the Caucasus. The criticism was especially high
after Konstantin Zatulin, a member of the Russian State Duma, said in
an interview with a local newspaper that Armenia "does not support
its strategic partner [Russia]" in its conflict with Georgia. If
Armenian-Georgian relations are an obstacle for Russia’s relations
with Armenia, we [the Russians] have the right to call on Armenia
to choose: either you have normal relations with Russia or you have
normal relations with Georgia," Zatulin said.

The Armenian leadership has managed to escape such a pitfall, at least
for the time being. The transport blockade of Georgian territory did
not harm Armenian cargoes, as formally Russia banned only contacts
with the Georgian transport operators, and Armenian businessmen never
used their services. Ironically, Russia’s earlier actions had indeed
hurt the interests of Armenian business, but this did not attract
significant attention. It was the closure of the Verkhnii Lars
(Upper Lars) checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border last June,
the only land link between Russia and Armenia. By closing it under the
pretext of "repairs", Russia sought to activate an alternative route
through the territory of pro-Russian South Ossetia, not controlled by
Georgian authorities. However, Tbilisi prohibited foreigners from using
this route (and there were no other foreigners except Armenians which
needed it), whereas the citizens of Georgia were free to use it. Thus,
Armenian carriers were forced to switch to other existing options,
namely, through the Black Sea ports of Georgia to Russia or Ukraine,
causing another wave of grumble in Armenia. In any case, these latter
routes were not affected by the Russian October sanctions against
Georgia, and the Armenian businessmen did not suffer anew.

Armenia’s gas supplies are also unlikely to suffer, even if Georgia
and Russia fail to reach a purchase agreement for the next year,
similar to what happened last winter in the Ukraine. First, Georgia
is unlikely to take gas set for Armenia, as this would be seen as an
obvious hostile action in Yerevan. Second, in December, Armenia will
inaugurate an alternative gas supply pipeline, from Iran, which can
in principle fully cover the needs of Armenia, enabling Russia simply
to cut its supplies through Georgia.

As for the Samtskhe-Javakheti issue, the surprise October arrest
in Yerevan of Vahan Chakhalian, a radical leader of the Javakheti
Armenians, was interpreted by most of experts as a gesture aimed
to show the Georgian leadership that Yerevan would not support any
actions capable to destabilize that sensitive region.

Yerevan has managed to keep stable relations with both conflicting
parties, which was demonstrated in a series of recent contacts,
including the Russian-Armenian summit meeting in Moscow in late
October and a meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia and
Georgia, also in Moscow. The relations with Washington have not
suffered either, as evident from the recent statements of American
officials that the Millennium Challenge program of Armenia will not
be interrupted despite the calls of human rights watchdogs.

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ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY: METHODS OF FORMULATION
by Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarjan, Press Attache of the Defense Ministry of Armenia
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Novye Vremya (Yerevan), November 9, 2006, EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 15, 2006 Wednesday

ARMENIA IS ABOUT TO COMPLETE WORK ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY;
An interview with Major General Gaik Kotandjan.

Interdepartmental Commission for the National Security Strategy had
the draft document examined in the leading professional centers
of Washington, Moscow, and Brussels. Colonel Shahsuvarjan of the
republican Defense Ministry met with Commission Secretary Major
General Gaik Kotandjan who graciously agreed to answer some questions
concerning the methods of formulation of the document.

Project leader Kotandjan, advisor to the Defense Minister of the
Republic of Armenia, studied at the leading scientific centers of
Russia, United States, and West Europe. Kotandjan is a specialist
in the sphere of political science of national security whose
authority is recognized by the Russian Academy of Management, Center
of International Relations Studies of the Diplomatic Academy of the
Russian Foreign Ministry, and Department of Military and Political
Sciences of the Military Academy of the Russian General Staff.

Kotandjan teaches counter-terrorism at the National Security School of
the US University of National Defense. He finished the senior officer
training courses of the G. Marshall European Center of Security and
RAND Defense and Security Analysis Program (United States).

Question: Could you please explain exactly how the strategy was
formulated?

Gaik Kotandjan: The Defense Ministry of Armenia has been working
on it since 1992, since inception of the Armed Forces of independent
Armenia. I’d like to make an emphasis on close contacts and cooperation
in the course of the work with progressive experts who studied the
strategy of transition processes in the post-perestroika democratic
Russia. We appreciate help from our colleagues from the Center of
International Relations Studies of the Diplomatic Academy of the
Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian Academy of Management who stayed
in touch with colleagues from the Harvard and Yale specializing
in political sciences of transition periods. Their cooperation was
extremely beneficial. As a matter of fact, also helpful were contacts
with experts from the Russian Foundation of National and International
Security and Russian Academy of Military Sciences.

Revision of "Fundamentals of military policy of the Republic of
Armenia: military-political aspect of national security," a guiding
document of the Defense Ministry, began in 2000, when Serj Sarkisjan
became defense minister again.

Knowing the methods used in composition of the Russian national
strategy concept, Sarkisjan decided to push back the horizons of
theoretic knowledge of our Defense Ministry in the sphere of national
security through an appeal to the leading research centers of the
United States and Europe. A specialist of the Armenian Defense
Ministry was dispatched to study programs of the US University of
National Defense, RAND Corporation, and Marshall Center ("Formulation
of National Security Strategy", "New Techniques of Defense and Security
Analysis in the 21st Century", and "Asymmetric Threats in the National
Security Framework"). Aware of the changes taking place around Armenia,
our specialists also mastered the "Strategy of NATO Transformation
in International Security Framework" NATO Staff Officer Program.

Question: Does it mean that the Armenian document is a carbon copy
of the American or Russian original?

Gaik Kotandjan: Armenian military-political leadership is aware of
the difficulties a certain Central European country encountered when
it all but copied the American document. We know for a fact that some
post-Soviet countries contracted foreign specialists to draft their
national security concepts. They merely had the documents translated
into national languages and went through the motions of having their
own specialists involved in the process.

We know better than that. We drafted the document ourselves, just
using experience and expertise of the best professional schools of
Russia and the West.

Question: Is there anything unique that distinguishes the end product
perhaps?

Gaik Kotandjan: From the standpoint of content, the strategy stipulates
a multifold balance of security bearing points and transformation of
society through democratization and integration into the international
community. There is one other distinctive feature. The Commission was
working on two mutually complementary documents at once: the National
Security Strategy itself and a package of departmental programs that
will see to its implementation.

Question: There were reports that the draft document would be submitted
to the leading centers abroad to get their opinion…

Gaik Kotandjan: US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Russian
Secretary of the Security Council Igor Ivanov, and NATO leaders
responded to Commission Chairman Sarkisjan’s request and studied
the document.

Question: What will you do now to promote the National Security
Strategy?

Gaik Kotandjan: Enlarged meetings of the Science Councils of the
Yerevan State University and presidium of the Armenian Academy of
Sciences will discuss the document in November. Experts from scientific
circles and non-governmental organizations will also be invited.

The document is to be discussed by parliament at an open meeting in
November, as well. Once that is done, the Interdepartmental Commission
will forward the document to the government.

UNDP REPORT STATES GLOBAL WATER CRISIS DOES NOT THREATEN ARMENIA SO FAR
By Karine Danielian

AZG Armenian Daily
16/11/2006

Yesterday, at the UN Office in Yerevan Vartan Aivazyan, RA minister
of nature protection, and Consuelo Vidal, UN resident coordinator and
UNDP resident representative in Armenia, represented the 2006 global
human development report (HDR). The 2006 UNDP report is entitled
"Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis". The
Report calls on the governments of rich states to act urgently
to address the global water crisis: each year, the authors state,
1.8 million children die from diarrhea that could be prevented with
access to clean water and a toilet; 443 million school days are lost
to water-related illnesses; and almost 50 percent of all people in
developing countries are suffering at any given time from a health
problem caused by a lack of water and sanitation. Besides, the HDR
2006 calls on governments to spend 1% GDP on water and sanitation.

"Everyone should have at least 20 litres of clean water per day and the
poor should get it for free," said Ms. Consuelo Vidal. A Global Action
Plan should be created to overcome this crisis under leadership of G8,
she stated. The Report advocates for all governments to go beyond vague
constitutional principles in enabling legislation to secure the human
right to a safe, accessible and affordable water supply. At a minimum,
this implies a target of at least 20 litres of clean water a day for
every citizen-and at no cost for those too poor to pay, the authors
of the document emphasize. The Report’s authors urge all governments
to prepare national plans for accelerating progress in water and
sanitation, with ambitious targets backed with financing to the tune
of at least one percent of GDP, and clear strategies for overcoming
inequalities. In his turn, Vartan Aivazyan stated that in the course
of the recent years, Armenia initiated a number of reforms in the area
of water and sanitation management, as well as sustainable use of water
resources. Thanks to these efforts, water management and accessibility
have gradually improved in Yerevan and other major cities.

Similar positive trends were registered in terms of the level of
Sevan Lake. These achievements need to be acknowledged, but at the
same time we need to use this opportunity to draw the public and the
government’s attention to the existing issues: endangered ecosystem
of Sevan due to the emerging swamping phenomena; lack of access
to potable water in many rural and urban communities in Armenia;
intensified desertification processes in Ararat and Armavir marzes;
increased deforestation in Tavush and Lori marzes. Under the UNDP
report, the HDI (human development index) for Armenia is 0.768,
which gives Armenia a rank of 80th out of 177 countries. Hence,
Armenia leaves behind Azerbaijan and Georgia, which occupy the 99th
and the 97th places, respectively. In the report, Armenia is among the
countries with average level of human potential. It has fallen by 3
positions as against the previous year. HDI comprises GDP per capita,
life expectancy at birth, adult literate rate. According to the report,
GDP per capita in Armenia makes up $4.1 thousand, in Georgia – $2.8
thousand, in Azerbaijan – $4.1 thousand. Life expectancy index in
Armenia is 71 years, in Azerbaijan about 67, and in Georgia – 70.

Adult literacy level in Armenia makes up 99.4%.