Author: Kharatian Ani

Armenian and Azeri NGOs Should Communicate without Any Terms

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.07.2006 18:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Let’s fancy that one of the Armenian NGOs has
recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This cannot
change anything," Azeri writer and publicist Alekper Aliyev said when
commenting to PanARMENIAN.Net on the statement of some Azeri NGOs
which are ready to cooperation with those Armenian non-governmental
organizations which recognize the "territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan".

"If we are prohibited from communicating the Azerbaijani authorities
should formally ban communication. If we are not, it’s not serious
to take into account a statement made by a group of NGOs," he
remarked. "Even if someone in Armenia recognized the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan it should not be taken seriously," Alekperov
added.

EBRD Will Provide $20-Million Credit to Reconstruct Zvartnots Airport

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 17:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD) will provide Armenia – International Airports CJSC a credit of
$20 million to reconstruct Zvartnots Armenian airport. The financing
is provided for completing the building o the new passenger terminal
of the airport and to buy equipment to enhance service quality.

In the words of head of EBRD Yerevan Office Michael Wallerstein the
project will play an important role in development of the internal
transport network and effective transport system of Armenia, which
does not have an access to sea and notably depends on air transport
services. The deal is implemented along with German Investment and
Development Corporation (DEG), which is part of KfW German group, which
will provide another credit of $10 million, reports Novosti-Armenia.

NO ARRANGEMENT ON SELLING THE GAS PIPELINE

Lragir.am
12 July 06

There is no arrangement with Russia on the sale of the Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline. The news agency ARKA reports that this was stated by
Serge Sargsyan, Defense Minister, co-chair of the Armenian-Russian
intergovernmental committee, July 12. "There is no such arrangement
because there is no such pipeline yet. If there is lack of information,
I will ask the minister of energy and the director of Armrusgasard
today to provide necessary information on this question," Serge
Sargsyan said.

There is no arrangement on selling Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to Russian "Gasprom" Company

ArmRadio.am
12.07.2006 17:40

There is still no agreement on selling Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to the
Russian "Gasprom" Company," since the pipeline does not exist so far,"
Armenian Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission
for Economic Cooperation, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan declared
during the joint press conference with the Russian Co-Chair of the
Commission, RF Minister of Transport Igor Levitin.

Summing up the results of the Commission’s work during the past six
months, the parties attached particular importance to the agreement
between RA Government and the Russian "Gasprom" Company on selling
the 5th energy unit of Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant, which, in Igor
Levitin’s words, will provide the opportunity for the accomplishment
of gas and energy programs on the territory of Armenia.

To remind, in late June Deputy Director of "Gasprom" Company Alexander
Ryazanv declared that the Company intends to buy also Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline.

‘S7’ COMPANY WILL PAY FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF AIR CRASH VICTIM
KAREN ANDREASIAN’S BODY

Yerevan, July 11. ArmInfo. "S7" ("Sibir") Air Company will take the
expenses of transportation of the body of Karen Andreasian, victim of
the recent crash in Irkutsk, to Armenia. "S7" manager for marketing and
flight promotion in Armenia Garik Saroyan said that the company will
pay for the transportation and the burial of the body, wherever Karen
Andreasian’s corpse will be laid to rest – in Moscow or in Yerevan.

To be reminded, A310 airbus flying from Moscow to Irkutsk crashed
when landing on July 9, 2006. 124 of 203 passengers were killed,
among them citizen of Armenia Karen Andreasian.

Kiro Manoyan: Karabakh conflict settlement intention optimistic but not realistic

11.07.2006 15:34
Yerkir

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Kiro Manoyan, the director of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Bureau’s Political Affairs and Hay Dat Office,
said on Tuesday that the intention to settle the Karabakh conflict
in 2006 is very optimistic but unrealistic.

Speaking at a round table discussion with National Assembly member
Hmayak Haovhannisian, Manoyan said that it is unrealistic due to the
Azerbaijani president’s destructive position.

"The optimism was based on a sole fact that there will be no elections
in Armenia or Azerbaijan in 2006," Manoyan said.

Hovhannisian, in turn, said that Azerbaijan pursues an aggressive
policy and is not ready for any concession.

Manoyan also mentioned it was not right to say the negations are
deadlocked since Azerbaijan had no intention from the very beginning
to settle the conflict based on mutual compromise. He also added
that the only positive provision in the latest statement by the OSCE
Minsk group co-chairs is the inclusion of a provision that gives the
Karabakh people a right to self-determination.

Hovhannisian noted that the Karabakh negotiations have been
favorable for Armenia after 1998 because there was no mentioning of
a self-determination referendum in proposals made before 1998.

Manoyan said Stepanakert has never formulated a proper position
towards the liberated territories.

"The ARF position is that especially today that Nagorno Karabakh is
working on a constitution, Karabakh should declare its dominance
on those territories, " Manoyan said. "However, both Yerevan and
Stepanakert view those territories as part of compromise, something
we don’t agree with."

Manoyan said Karabakh’s agreement to hold a referendum is a compromise
in itself since it had conducted one years ago.

Manoyan also called the OSCE Minsk Group’s US co-chair’s statement an
inappropriate statement made by a newcomer because he (the co-chair)
revealed the proposals part-by-part while the official joint statement
was made only a week later.

Pesident of Georgia to participate in the opening of BTC oil pipeline

ArmRadio.am
11.07.2006 11:46

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili will leave for Turkey today
to participate in the official ceremony of opening Baku-Tbilisi-
Ceyhan oil pipeline.

During the visit to Turkey the Pesident of Georgia will dwell on
the issue of acquiring an extra amount of gas after exploitation of
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum gas pipeline. Georgia intends to receive about
2 billion cubic meters of gas at a reduced pride.

ONE ARMENIAN WAS ON BOARD OF CRASHED A310 IN IRKUTSK

Yerevan, July 10.ArmInfo. Karen Andriosyan, Armenian by origin,
citizen of Russia, was on board A 310 Airbus that crashed at the
airport of Irkutsk. The RA Foreign Ministry press-service told
ArmInfo. The source has no data on the age, place of resident of K.
Andriosyan. It is not known if he is alive or not either.

A-310 belonging of Siberia airline was making Moscow-Irkutsks flight.
When landing at the airport in Irkutsks, the plane failed to break
and ran out of the runway and crashed into a building. 122 people
were killed, 50 escaped.

KPA and the taxman differ on status of Arturs cargo
Story by NATION Correspondent
Publication Date: 7/11/2006

The Nation, Kenya
July 11 2006

There was conflicting information on the status of containers imported
by the two Armenian brothers as the joint parliamentary committee
began receiving evidence on the saga in Mombasa.

According to the Kenya Ports Authority, there were only four containers
belonging to the Artur brothers. But the Kenya Revenue Authority says
there were more than seven whose whereabouts remain a mystery.

KPA container terminal manager James Rarieya told the team co-chaired
by Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe and his Kabete counterpart Paul Muite,
that the four containers had been seized and were being held by the
port police.

"Three containers are being held by Mombasa port police, while the
fourth was intercepted while being transported to Nairobi, and is
being held at the Inland Container Deport in Nairobi," Mr Rarieya said.

But a KRA southern region senior assistant commissioner Alphonse
Ntongaiti said there were more containers linked to Artur Margaryan
and his brother Artur Sargsyan that had not been cleared.

"Two of the containers imported by Kensington Holdings Limited have not
been claimed, as the clearing agent has gone underground," Mr Ntongaiti
told the team that was going round the port’s container terminal.

Only one container in police custody had been opened to have the
goods verified, but the remaining two were still intact, awaiting a
court order to have them opened and goods determined.

Earlier, Mr Muite raised concerns that the container verified did
not have its false wooden bottom opened to ensure proper verification.

The two containers that have not been claimed bear serial numbers
PONU 761388 and PONU 801448, and were imported by Kensington Holdings
from Dubai.

Mr Muite called on those with information involving the two people
and the companies associated with them to present it to the committee.

"We will also want to collect information from companies such as
Brotherlink International, Kensington Holdings and the clearing
agents of the companies that handled the goods for the Armenians,"
Mr Kajembe said.

Mr Muite said the joint committee was interested in establishing
where the other containers were, whether duty has been assessed and
paid and the type of goods that the two brothers had imported.

Jailed Azeri ex-minister on hunger strike over rights violations

Turan news agency
6 Jul 06

Baku, 6 July: The former minister of economic development, Farhad
Aliyev, was forced to resort to an extreme measure and start a 48-hour
hunger strike since he has no other possibilities to protect his
rights, the ex-minister’s lawyer, Elton Quliyev, said during a news
conference at the International Press Centre today.

He said that the hunger strike started on the night of 6 July.
According to the lawyer, no investigative actions have been taken
with regard to Farhad Aliyev during the nine months of his arrest.
Quliyev denied the accusations of the Prosecutor-General’s Office
that the former minister had illegally privatized 18 enterprises.

Commenting on accusations of Aliyev’s involvement in a coup attempt,
the lawyer said that this circumstance "inevitably" lends the case a
political nature and gives us grounds to regard the former minister
as a political prisoner.

Quliyev said that Aliyev wants the problem to be resolved inside
the country, which is why he has not appealed to the European Court
of Human Rights. Quliyev pointed out that the investigation has not
provided evidence regarding any of the charges.

Lawyer Adil Ismayilov said that in Azerbaijani realities, lawyers
do not have mechanisms of influencing the investigation. Ismayilov
pointed out that Aliyev is trying to use the hunger strike to attract
attention to the violation of his rights and deliberate delays in
the investigation.

Farhad Aliyev was arrested on 19 October 2005. He is charged with a
coup attempt, organizing mass disturbances and abusing power.