Author: Kharatian Ani

PanARMENIAN.Net

Kars Mayor Going to Work for Opening Armenian-Turkish Border
16.09.2006 14:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Conference of the Festival of Cultures of the
Caucasus, planned to be held in Kars, is postponed, Consul of
Azerbaijan in Kars Hasan Zeynalov reported. In his words, it is due to
a collision between a folklore group from Armenia and representatives
of Azerbaijan. As a result the folklore group from Armenia expressed
«protest to Kars municipality» and left Turkey. Noting that he met
with Kars municipality leader, Zeynalov reported that in the course of
the discussion the Mayor said that he will attain opening of borders
and then will try to solve the Nagorno Karabakh issue. The conference
was planned to start tomorrow. Some time ago Kars municipality made a
statement that it will continue activities on opening of the
Armenian-Turkish borders and will attain it without fail, reports APA.

GEORGIA’S TIGER ECONOMY?
By Christina Tashkevich

The Messenger
September 12, 2006 Issue

The World Bank’s Roy Southworth,
Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli
and report author Simeon Djankov

After a World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
report named Georgia the top global reformer of 2006, the government
plans to continue to work its way up the list of easy-to-do-business
countries.

The author of the report Simeon Djankov, who is currently in Tbilisi
to present his findings, said on Monday that Georgia has made the
biggest jump seen by any country since the report was launched four
years ago: from 112th place last year to 37th this year.

Djankov was hopeful that Georgia could be able to repeat the success
of Singapore and Korea, who made an incredible progress in the last
few decades.

He said Georgia improved in six of ten areas studied in the Doing
Business report.

The report looks specifically at construction licenses and
permits. Georgia this year created a one-stop shop for building
licenses. The government also introduced shorter time limits for the
issuance of permits. "As a result, compliance with building regulations
in Tbilisi is as easy as in Hong Kong," the report’s conclusion says.

The report also notes the Supreme Court can now decide which cases to
review. Previously it dealt with every case sent by the lower courts.

Djankov noted the new labour code as one of the best of the country’s
reforms. The new law provides for one month’s severance pay, replacing
several complex rules. Georgia also reduced the social security
contributions paid on wages by businesses from 31 to 20 percent.

According to the report, these changes make Georgia the sixth easiest
place to employ workers globally.

Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli proudly said on Monday that the IFC
called Georgia’s labour reform among three best reforms in the world.

The prime minister pointed out that it has become easier to start a
business in Georgia. "Georgia reduced the minimum capital required
to start a new business from GEL 2000 to 200," he said. As a result,
business registrations rose by 55 percent in 2006 compared with
last year.

However, World Bank’s experts also say "there is a considerable room
for improvement" in several areas.

In the ease of paying taxes, Georgia ranks only 104. A company
still takes about 53 days per year to pay taxes. Georgia is poorly
ranked in regards to closing a business and here the experts call
for bankruptcy reform. However, the prime minister said a new law on
bankruptcy would be enacted by the end of the year.

Regarding trading across borders Georgia is ranked at 95, due to
a relatively high cost to import and export, and a large number of
required procedures.

Finally Georgia ranks only 135 on protecting investors, lower than
most of its CIS neighbours.

Other countries in the list of global top performers include Romania,
Mexico, China, France, Croatia, and Tanzania. Within the CIS, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russia,
and Ukraine each implemented at least one reform to make it easier
doing business. Tajikistan had no reforms and Uzbekistan made it even
harder to do business.

The prime minister said on Monday that in 2005 the Georgian government
had a goal to be among the fifty countries where it is easy to do
business. "This promise was kept. Next year we have a new task:
to be in the top twenty-five countries," he said.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

08-09-2006

Minister Oskanian Meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

On September 12, Minister Oskanian met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
in Paris.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed three issues connected to
the present state of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

They identified the still disputed issues on the negotiating table, and
explored ways of addressing them; the Minister and Co-Chairs paid attention
to obstacles and initiatives beyond the peace process itself that only
impede the process, and finally, they also touched upon future steps to be
taken, and a possible meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers

VARTAN OSKANIAN LEAVES FOR PARIS WHERE HE WILL MEET WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 11 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian left for Paris on September 11. As NT was
informed from RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department, RA
Foreign Minister will have a meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
the same day in the evening. Joint press conference of Armenian and
French Foreign Ministers Vartan Oskanian and Philippe Douste-Blazy and
RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosian and French
Minister of Culture and Communication Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
dedicated to Year of Armenia in France will be held on September 12
in Paris.

ARMENIA EXPO 2006 6th INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FORUM BEING HELD IN YEREVAN WITH PARTICIPATION OF 180 ENTERPRISES OF 10 COUNTRIES

Noyan Tapan
Sept 11 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia Expo 6th regional
trade-industrial exhibition forum is being held on September 8-11 in
Yerevan K.Demirchian sport and concert complex with participation of
trade enterprises and businessmen unions of Armenia, Russia, Ukraine,
Belarus, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Poland, France and China. The event
includes Industrial Armenia, Trans Expo, Shin Expo, Furniture Hall,
Comp Expo, Foodstuffs and Drinks, Printing, Publishing, Advertisement
exhibitions held parallelly. According to the data of Logos exhibition
center, the organizer of the event, 180 companies and organizations
take part in the exhibition forum that has become the biggest one in
the region. The number of these companies and enterprises is more by
15% than the number of participants of 5th exhibition forum held in
2005 and the exhibition area is more by 10% and makes 1630 sq.m. Round
tables will be held within the framework of the Armenia Expo 2006,
individual companies will be presented, High Quality competition will
be held within the framework of Foodstuffs and Drinks exhibition,
the results of which will be published on the day of the exhibition’s
closure. Armenia Expo is held with official support of RA Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development, Foreign Ministry and Union of
Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia.

ARMENIA VIOLATES CEASE-FIRE AS OSCE MONITORS KARABAKH FRONT LINE – AZERI TV

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Sept 12 2006

[Presenter] An incident has occurred during the OSCE’s monitoring of
the contact line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces
near the villages of Qiziloba and Qapanli in Azerbaijan’s Tartar
District. The Armenians fired on Qapanli with incendiary shells.

Sahin Rzayev has the details.

[Correspondent by phone] The Armenians fired on Qapanli with incendiary
shells when the OSCE was carrying out monitoring of the contact line
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces near the villages
of Qiziloba and Qapanli in Azerbaijan’s Tartar District.

Villagers said that the bombing had taken place about 15 minutes after
the OSCE representatives left the village, i.e. when the monitoring
was in progress.

The shells mainly hit the house of [name indistinct] Cafarov. He said
that he first had heard a strong rumble and when the shells exploded
smoke appeared in the yard. Luckily, no one was hurt as there were
no inflammable objects in the affected area.

The OSCE representatives visited the head of the Tartar district
executive authorities at about 0930 local time [0430 gmt]. They
were briefed on the situation in the front line zone. They were
told that Armenian regularly fired at the Azerbaijani army positions
and villages from the front line. The OSCE representative were also
informed about fires that Armenians set to the occupied territory and
to territory adjoining front line villages. At about 1030 [0530 gmt]
the OSCE representative headed for Qapanli. The monitoring lasted
for about one hour.

Sahin Rzayev, ANS Qarabag bureau.

[Presenter] The Defence Ministry press service is unaware of the
incident.

ARAM SARGSIAN CLAIMS THAT BRANDY SOLD BY YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY EXCEEDS AMOUNT OF GRAPES PURCHASED

Noyan Tapan
Sept 08 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. In his open letter published
recently in a number of Armenian newspapers, Herve Caroff, director
of the Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC), neither denied nor confirmed the
facts which indicate an illegal and unsparing use of reserve spirits
by the company. Aram Sargsian, chairman of the Democratic Party of
Armenia, deputy of the RA National Assembly, said that during a talk
with NT correspondent on September 8. According to him, the fact of
spirit embezzlement at the YBC was confirmed by the RA Prosecutor
General during a meeting with him. Commenting on this letter addressed
to him, A. Sargsian noted that only his allegation about the company’s
sale is refuted without any arguments. He said that the examination
of the data presented by the YBC management on how much grapes was
purchased in these years, how much brandy spirit can be obtained from
this amount of grapes, and how much brandy was sold allows to conclude
that the YBC has produced at least twice as much brandy as it would
be possible in case of the given amount of grape purchase. "According
to the agreement they signed at the time of the company’s purchase, the
initial amount of the basic spirit must have been kept," A. Sargsian
noted. At the same time, he said that his questions were addressed
not to the YBC’s director but to the management of Pernod Ricard. "I
applied to our authorities, which conducted a transaction with the
company’s management and are obliged to protect state interests,"
he stated.

DASHNAK: COMING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA UNPRECEDENTED

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 8 2006

YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Coming parliamentary elections in Armenia
are unprecedented, Armen Rustamyan, a member of Dashnak party board,
said Thursday at the party’s 10th summit meeting.

"The renewed Constitution gave National Assembly a serious role in
governing system and parliamentary and presidential elections have
never been as significant for the country’s future as now", he said.

"It means fair election is the only way to overcome this crucial
period of time without shakes and losses", he added.

Rustamyan thinks that any leadership will came across the necessity
of deepening democracy by implementing substantial reforms.

AZERI, ARMENIAN MINISTERS TO MEET WITH MEDIATORS SEPARATELY

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
September 8, 2006 Friday 5:43 PM MSK

Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian will discuss the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem with the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on different
dates and in different European capitals, Mammadyarov said.

"Oskanian will meet with the co-chairmen in Paris on September 12, and
my meeting with the mediators will take place in London on September
31," the Azeri foreign minister told journalists.

He said he did not see the point in meeting with his Armenian
counterpart at present.

"We need to clarify our positions with the co-chairmen and analyze
some ideas," Mammadyarov said.

At the upcoming negotiations, the parties will continue "working in
the same direction in which we have worked before," he said.

"We will try to work on the fundamental principles of a settlement.

I would be interested to know the opinion of the co-chairmen themselves
and to hear their proposals, and we will discuss how to find a
way to advance the settlement of the conflict through compromise,"
Mammadyarov said.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 7 2006

Ukraine Upholds Azerbaijan’s Initiatives on Nagorno-Karabakh –
Interview With Ukrainian President Yutshchenko

Source: Trend
Author: P.Kesamanski

07.09.2006

Trend’s exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Victor
Yutshchenko

– What would be your opinion on the current Azeri-Ukrainian
relations? Are they matching the potential?

– Ukraine considers Azerbaijan an important strategic partner and we
are going to extend and improve the existing mutual relations with
your Country.

The basis for Ukrainian-Azeri partnerships is formed by mutual
interests of both the countries and their favorable geostrategic
location. This, in turn, opens up prospects for the creation of
mutual transport corridors, firstly those related to energy.

I would like to mention the high intensity of mutual contacts that
have been observed last year and in 2006. The most fruitful of these
was our interview during the May summit of GUAM member-countries
leaders in Kiev.

Intensification of the trade and economic relations between our
Countries is observed as well. We can see both the increase of Azeri
goods imported to Ukraine and Ukrainian goods delivered to Azeri
markets. However, respective figures are still far from the limits of
our capabilities and its significant opportunities.

I would like to say that the most important field of co-operation
between Ukraine and Azerbaijan is establishing the new route of
Caspian oil delivery to European consumers
(Baku-Supsa-Odessa-Brodi-Plotsk).

Furth ermore, at present we have huge opportunities for the extension
of mutually profitable co-operation in aircraft construction,
transport, building construction, agriculture, SMB and other fields.

We also have unused capacity for increasing the export of oil and oil
products, as well as oil industry equipment, chemical and
petrochemical production from Azerbaijan to Ukraine. In turn, Ukraine
may deliver food and pharmacological production, engineering
facilities, metallurgic and agricultural production to Azerbaijan.

– What are the main issues to be discussed during your official visit
to Azerbaijan?

– During my visit to Azerbaijan, on September 7 and 8 I am meeting
with my Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev, visiting the Parliament and
speaking to government officials of Azerbaijan. I, together with
Ilham Aliyev, are going to discuss our countries’ co-operation in the
trade and economic field, as well as the joint energy security
projects. Undoubtedly, the most actual issue of our collaboration is
establishing the new route for Caspian oil transportation
(Baku-Supsa-Odessa-Brodi-Plotsk).

– What would be your assessment of prospects of CIS organization?

What, in your opinion, is GUAM’s future?

– "Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM" is
very promising and sets very ambitious tasks as well. The current
stage priority is GUAM’s recognition as an effective organization of
democratic states, whose activity boosts the economic development of
its members, ensures security and stability in the region, and
strengthens domination of law and basic rights and freedom of people.

We need to acquire the positive experience of other countries, in
particular WTO, and I am sure a rosy future is awaiting GUAM should
this be successful.

The global community development trends witness the striving of
various countries economy to the more liberal movement of finances,
goods, services and so. Namely for this reason last and this year,
the significant attention was paid to implementation of the Agreement
on Free Trade Zone creation among the "Organization for Democracy and
Economic Development – GUAM" member-countries. At present one may say
the signing of the relevant protocol among the said countries
formally states the commencement of work of this free trade zone
within the borders of four states: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and
Moldova.

– Does Ukraine uphold the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan? Will
Ukraine perform with some incentive on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict?

– Ukraine pays much attention to the settlement of conflicts in GUAM
member-countries, including Azerbaijan.

Ukraine’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, apart from its
policy of non-intervention in internal affairs of other states,
remains all the same: we always advocated its immediate settlement on
the basis of universal norms and principles of international
legislation, as well as sovereignty and territorial integrity and
inviolability of universally recognized frontiers of states and
adherence to the related resolutions of UN Security council and OSCE
decisions.

Ukraine upholds the relevant Azerbaijan’s initiatives on this issue
both individually and within international organizations. We are
ready, under the agreements signed within GUAM, to uphold Azerbaijan
in order to attract the attention of global community to the
necessity in joining efforts for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
and other so-called "frozen" conflicts in GUAM member-countries.