Author: Mamian George

TOROSYAN: ATTITUDE OF COE AND ARMENIA TOWARDS REGIONAL ISSUES COINCIDE

Arka News Agency, Armenia.
Dec 29 2006

YEREVAN, December 29. /ARKA/. The attitude of the Council of Europe
(CoE) and Armenia towards regional issues coincided with each other,
Speaker of the RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan said.

He said that the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoF was an important
structure for Armenia from the viewpoint of the international
cooperation. "Political and democratic constituent of Armenia’s
the eurointegration was being formed in the scope of the PACE",
he pointed out.

In that connection Torosyan emphasized that in 2006 the PACE had
approved two important resolutions. "In April I adopted a resolution
on the state of refugees in South Caucasus, according to which the
situation in Armenia was incomparably better that in Georgia and
Azerbaijan", he said.

Torosyan pointed out that the number of Azerbaijani refugees, totaling
83ths people, was fixed in the report, and the number of displaced
people from regions, bordering Nagorno-Karabakh, slightly topped
500 thsd.

"After this many high-ranking officials and representatives
of international organizations began indicating it", he informed
and added that those figures were also noted in the PACE report on
Stability Pact for the South Caucasus.

Torosyan finds that it’s a rather important step to break the
stereotype that the Azerbaijani side tried to thrust on the
international community regarding this issue.

TURKEY ACCUSES ARMENIAN LOBBIES OF EFFORT TO EXPLOIT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN USA

Yerevan, December 28. ArmInfo. "Turkey follows with regret the efforts
of the Armenian lobbies (seeking to win votes) to exploit political
developments in the United States," Turkish Foreign Affairs spokesman
Namik Tan told a weekly news conference in Ankara on Wednesday.

Asked to comment on a bill on Armenian genocide, claimed to be
discussed at U.S. Congress and on the recent statements of the Armenian
executives, Tan said, "we have observed that there were expectations
of the Armenian circles about adoption of so-called Armenian genocide
after the elections held in the United States in November."

Tan said relations between Turkey and the United States were "multi
dimensional" and "strategic", and indicated that the relations included
comprehensive topics.

"The United States has been pursuing a commonsensical approach so
far. We believe that U.S. administration will maintain the relations
with the same understanding. Relations between Turkey and the United
States have importance beyond this small expectations," he added.

PUTIN WINS THE HEARTHS AND MINDS OF EUROPE
by Tony Halpin

The Times (London)
December 27, 2006, Wednesday

Vladimir Putin is entitled to take immense satisfaction from 2006.

The year opened with Russia cast as the great gas ogre, embroiled in
a bruising "cold war" over supplies to Ukraine that also threatened
to dim the lights from Poznan to Paris.

As 2006 closes, the state monopoly Gazprom has become the energy giant
that ate Europe, extending the Kremlin’s influence from the corridors
of power to the kitchens of consumers. Add in his success in forcing
Shell to hand control to Gazprom of Sakhalin-2, the world’s largest
private oil and gas project, and Mr Putin can reflect on a year
well spent.

Europe depends on Russia for a quarter of its gas supplies, so Mr
Putin can fairly claim to be responsible for warming the homes of
millions of citizens across the Continent. Hence his tone of injured
surprise at international criticism of Moscow’s energy strategy,
which he argues is based on mutual self-interest. Russia needs the
markets, Europe needs the gas.

In reality, it isn’t that simple. Collectively, Europe has a chance
of negotiating with Russia on equal terms. Individually, Russia holds
the upper hand -Moscow can always find another buyer.

Russia’s closest neighbours know this very well. The row with Ukraine
exposed how far Gazprom was prepared to go to enforce its terms -the
sound of the taps being turned off reverberated across the European
Union. This was the wake-up call that prompted the EU to regard Russia
in a different light.

Belarus’s President Lukashenko imagined that he enjoyed a special
relationship with Russia through his much-postponed plan for a union
state. Mr Putin has disabused him of that notion by having Gazprom
demand a fourfold increase in gas prices next year to $200 per 1,000
cubic metres.

The "incentive" -more a ransom -on offer is to cede ownership of half
of Belarus’s network of pipes in return for a price reduction. Mr
Lukashenko is said to be deeply offended at this betrayal of his
loyalty.

But he cannot claim to have been surprised. At last month’s summit of
former Soviet republics hosted by Mr Lukashenko in Minsk, Mr Putin
made plain that Russia now sought "market-based relations in our
dealings with all of our partners, without exception".

Georgia’s difficulties with Russia run much deeper than energy, but
Gazprom has adopted the same strategy: turn over your gas network
or face a massive price increase, in Georgia’s case up from $110 to
$235 per 1,000 cubic metres. This is about the same price paid in EU
states, but by a country where the average income is $120 a month.

Georgia talked tough, insisting that it would seek alternative
supplies, principally from neighbouring Azerbaijan, rather than submit
to "blackmail". But submit it did, agreeing last week to meet Russia’s
price for this winter when it became clear that Azerbaijan could not
meet Georgia’s needs.

Neighbouring Armenia buckled without a fight. It handed Gazprom control
of a vital supply pipeline from Iran in return for holding down the
price of gas until after Armenia’s next presidential elections in
2008. Thus, Russia strengthened its presence in the strategically
important Caucasus while controlling Iran’s route to Europe as a
potential gas competitor.

For Kiev, Minsk and Tbilisi today, read Berlin, Rome and Paris
tomorrow. Turkey is even more dependent, relying on Russia for two
thirds of its gas supplies.

Gazprom is awash with cash, making profits before tax of £ 8.9 billion
in the first six months of this year alone. It aims to bolster earnings
still further by using its market strength and financial muscle to
gain direct access to western Europe’s consumers.

Gaz de France signed a new contract last week to extend Russian
supplies from 2015 until 2030 in return for allowing Gazprom immediate
access to homes and business consumers. Gazprom aims to sell 1.5
billion cubic metres a year, about 10 per cent of the gas it supplies
to France.

A similar deal was signed in November with Italy, which relies on
Russia for a third of its gas. Gazprom extended the supply contract
from 2017 to 2035 in return for the right to sell 3 billion cubic
metres directly to Italian consumers.

And what about Britain? Gazprom sparked a flurry of stock market
activity earlier this year with rumours of a takeover bid for
Centrica, owner of British Gas. That came to nothing, but deputy
chairman Alexander Medvedev fanned the flames again last month by
admitting that he would "never say no" to a bid as part of Gazprom’s
acquisition strategy.

He set a target of gaining 10 per cent of the UK gas market by the end
of the decade. An audacious swoop for Centrica’s 16 million customers,
however, would be likely to draw a sharp political reaction from the
British Government.

However strongly Mr Putin protests to the contrary, it is impossible
to separate Kremlin strategy from Gazprom’s activities, now and in
the future. The chairman of Gazprom’s board of directors is Dmitri
Medvedev, first deputy prime minister and a leading contender to
succeed Mr Putin as President in 2008.

Europe may be forced into uncomfortable compromises with the Kremlin
on democratic reform and human rights by too close an embrace of the
Russian bear over energy.

Russia argues that what’s good for Gazprom will be good for Europe
by ensuring stability of supplies in an unpredictable world.

Nervousness over the future in gas-rich Turkmenistan after the death
last week of "Turkmenbashi", the eccentric dictator Saparmurat Niyazov,
illustrates how dependent Europe now is on far-away places to keep
the lights burning at home.

The gamble across the Continent is that Russian gas will prove the
safest bet for Europe’s energy security, and not a political weapon
with which to extract concessions.

–Boundary_(ID_aMolLOHwu01hoI4+h5Vzo Q)–

ROMANIAN LEADER CALLED TO SOONEST SETTLEMENT OF FROZEN CONFLICTS AT EU GATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.12.2006 17:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Frozen conflicts in South Ossetia, Abkhazia,
Transdnistria and Nagorno Karabakh represent a serious menace to
the EU stability, Romanian President Traian Basescu told Le Monde on
December 26.

"This dangerous zone will become the eastern border of the EU and
NATO in 2007," he underscored.

Basescu called on the international community to exert efforts for the
soonest settlement of the frozen conflicts at the EU gates. "Romania
cannot settle these conflicts alone," he said. In his opinion, the
conflicts can be resumed any moment. "Only with common political
will of the EU, U.S. and Turkey these problems can be resolved. If
we fail the zone will remain a menace for whole Europe," he supposed,
reports IA Regnum.

IN 2006 ARMENIAN GDP TO EXCEED LAST YEAR’S INDEX BY AT LEAST 13.5%

Noyan Tapan
Dec 26 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2006, Armenia’s GDP will
exceed last year’s index by at least 13.5%. The RA Minister of Trade
and Economic Development Karen Chshmaritian stated this during the
December 26 press conference.

According to him, in 11 months of 2006, Armenia’s GDP amounted to
2 trillion 293.9 billion drams (about 5 bln 452 mln USD), while GDP
growth rate made 113.2%. The number of officially registered unemployed
made 84.4 thousand, declining by 6.2% on 2005. Monetary incomes of
the population made 1 trillion 463.3 billion drams (the growth rate
of 119.3%), while monetary expenditures made 1 trillion 424.9 billion
drams (growth rate of 119.4%). The minister said that in 2006 the
main directions of the ministry’s activities were the development
and approval of the Action Plan of the EU European Neighborhood
Policy, the formation of the legislation on state assistance to
innovation activity in Armenia, and the creation of the basis for
implementation of the program on developing Tsakhkadzor as a tourism
center. K. Chshmaritian underlined that the envisaged work has been
successfully done in all the three directions.

SHOULD STUPID THOUGHTS BE CRIMES?
By Michael Dickinson

CounterPunch, CA
Dec 25 2006

Deny Santa If You Wish, But You Can’t Deny This

Earlier this week a junior school in England was forced to apologize
after a teacher used a worksheet with a class of ten year olds
revealing that Santa Claus was a myth. The students had to make up
replies from mail staff to children’s letters to Santa asking for
presents, explaining why they couldn’t have them.

One parent said: "My wife and I made a special effort to keep the
belief in Santa in our daughter’s mind. What gives the school the
right to decide when children should know the truth, when knowing
the truth does take away that little bit of magic?"

The headmistress of the school said the choice of worksheet had
been a sad mistake and it would never be used again. "As a school
we delight in the magic of childhood and believe that Christmas is
a special time."

The Hamilton Trust, which produced the worksheet, didn’t think it
would come as much of a shock to children of that age, claiming that
by the age of 10 children tend to know that Santa does not exist.

And yet millions of parents in the West persist in feeding the lie
of Father Christmas to their innocent trusting children for as long
as possible, until they realize they’re being punked, and maybe I
shouldn’t trust mommy and daddy so much any more? It’s an accepted
acceptable untruth. Santa deniers are killjoys and spoilsports,
not to be listened to. They have the right to deny, of course. One
wouldn’t dream of jailing them for simply stating their opinion.

After all, aren’t we in the West entitled to freedom of speech and
belief? You may not agree with me, but I have the right to say what
I think — don’t I?

Denial of something more serious than Santa has been making news of
late. A Holocaust Denial conference held last week in Iran, which
called into question the systematic murder of six million European
Jews by Nazi Germany, suggesting that the history of the genocide has
been falsified to justify the foundation of Israel, was described
by British Prime Minister Tony Blair as "shocking beyond belief",
and by the White House as "an affront to the entire civilized world."

So what is this Holocaust denial, and why is it so bad? Isn’t it just
like a Conspiracy Theory? Like, you can believe that the American
government masterminded the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers in order
to spark Armaggedon, and tell other people what you think, without
fear of being arrested in the United States, where freedom of speech
is protected in the first amendment. A lot of people might call you
a crank. We want proof. Give us the evidence.

But if you’re living in Europe, and you suggest that some facts and
figures were rigged in the historic presentation of the Second World
War in order gain guilty sympathy for, and facilitate the exodus
of European Jews to the then newly born state of Israel — you are
likely to find yourself in prison for your views, cranky or no. You
are guilty of the crime of ‘Holocaust denial’.

Apart from being a crime in Israel itself, Holocaust denial is a penal
offence in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland and several other
European countries, one of them being Austria, from where British
historian David Irving was released this week, after having served 13
months of a three-year sentence in an Austrian prison for denying the
Holocaust. Lord Janner, president of the Holocaust Educational Trust,
said Mr. Irving’s release was "unwarranted", and Lord Foulkes of the
Labour Friends of Israel, said he should be watched closely by the
police since his return to England.

So what do Holocaust deniers (who actually prefer to be known as
‘Holocaust revisionists’) actually say, that causes such offence?

They don’t, of course, deny the death of a huge number of Jews,
but they dispute the number, claiming the figure of 5-6 million is
exaggerated, saying that many emigrated or escaped. They claim that
gas chambers were not used to mass murder Jews, nor were cremation
ovens used to dispose of millions of extermination victims. They say
that most of the photos and film shown after the war were manufactured
propaganda by the Allies against the Nazis; that Jews as a group were
not in particular singled out from other persecuted people such as
Romanies, gays or Communists, and that the Holocaust in general is
nothing more than an elaborate Zionist hoax.

I’m sure there are many who hold stranger and uglier views, (and
those who stir up antagonism on the basis of either race or religion
should be accountable to the law), but like the ‘Conspiracy Theory’
it resembles, Holocaust denial should not be an imprisonable offence.

I don’t like David Irving. He supported apartheid in South Africa,
describes himself as ‘a mild fascist,’ but he should not have been
jailed for his views. As Voltaire put it: "I disapprove of what you
say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

There are many other examples of genocidal denials around the world.

In Turkey for instance, it’s a crime to refuse to deny the alleged
Armenian atrocity, and we have yet to hear an American President
stand up and apologize for his white countrymen’s ancestors for
extinguishing numberless tribes of indigenous people in the land they
came to conquer which they named America.

Whether the Holocaust happened or not, there is no denying that
people can be very cruel to other people, especially when they are
in the position of power, now and in the past. The world is full of
examples, everywhere. The Jews certainly suffered terribly under the
Nazi regime, and those Jews in power now years later in their own State
of Israel certainly seem to have learned a few tricks from their former
overlords. The harsh conditions to which they subject the Palestinian
people resembles the way the Jews themselves were treated under Hitler,
putting thems into prison camp getthoes, creating an apartheid system,
stealing their land, destroying their homes and fields, imprisoning
thousands, and causing the deaths of countless innocent people and
children in bombings and shellings, all of this is really "shocking
beyond belief", and "an affront to the entire civilized world."

Deny Santa if you wish. You may even deny the Holocaust. It’s your
right. But you can’t deny this affront. It’s happening now.

Michael Dickinson is an English teacher who lives and works in
Istanbul.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT CALLS CIS USELESS, GUAM PRODUCTIVE

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 25 2006

"CIS is useless organization and does not give anything practically,
"Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told in his interview to "Exo
Moskvi" radio station, APA reports.

Saying that Azerbaijan has built its relations with CIS states
on bilateral basis, Ilham Aliyev called CIS the opportunity for
presidents to meet and talk. Commenting that it is not right to wait
for something or demand from CIS, President stated neither CIS, nor
UNO, neither some other these kinds of organizations solve global
problems. The president estimated GUAM as productive organization and
reminded that on the initiative of this organization Draft resolution
on Frozen Conflicts was presented to UN.

"It was possible to unite all conflicts about separatism in a
unique format. Nevertheless, in West Abkhazia, South Ossetia and
Transdniestrian conflicts were treated as separatist, but Nagorno
Karabakh as freedom movement," he said.

IS ALIVEV AWARE THAT AZERBAIJAN UNDERTOOK TO SETTLE KARABAKH ISSUE PEACEFULLY?

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.12.2006 13:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "In the interview with Echo of Moscow Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev puzzled with intrusion into an unexpected field. No,
it’s not Nagorno Karabakh. This issue was more or less expected,
since he makes promises of the kind every month," OSCE Minsk Group
Russian Co-chair in 1994-1996 Vladimir Kazimirov told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

In his words, lamenting over deficit of gas in Azerbaijan the President
uttered a reproach: it’s not good, he said, to use the deficit for
raising prices for Russian gas. "Apparently, it’s pleasure to use the
others’ gas years even not at half price but for peanuts during 15
years. No doubt, it’s a valuable contribution to ethics and aesthetics
– the doctrine of morals and the beautiful!" the diplomat said.

At that Vladimir Kazimirov underscored, "Of course, he could not forget
about Nagorno Karabakh promising to fight for the region "even by use
of force." "This is our land, our territory", the Azeri President said.

Here you will not find either ethic or aesthetics.

It’s a recurrent show. Has the President ever heard that his state at
the times of his predecessor undertook before the OSCE, Council of
Europe and other international organizations to settle the conflict
peacefully? Certainly the son doesn’t have to be held responsible for
his father (even on the eve of his birthday) but the matter doesn’t
concern leaders of states and moreover a national leader. Here
responsibility should be taken for all in all.

If there are no more persuasive arguments there remains nothing but
to proclaim "everything is ours."

However, Nagorno Karabakh became a "disputable territory" long ago,
from the times of the League of Nations and republics in Armenia
and Azerbaijan during the period of 1918-20. The Caucasus Bureau of
the Russian Communist Party also tossed about in 1921," the Russian
diplomat said.

He also reminded that "NK is not an uninhabited territory. People
lived and live there. And they are not Azeris only. "They say, the
Tsar settled Armenians there. However, how could he change demographic
situation there? In early 20th century Azeris, despite high birth
rate, made the minority. In short, it’s a matter for consideration
and talks but not for threats to launch new bloodshed. By the way,
Europe keeps silent. When Armenians of Karabakh two weeks ago held
a peaceful vote on the Day of Human Rights some sterile European
figures stirred up a noise.

Nevertheless, when the leader of a state not constrained by obligations
taken by father has again threatened with war – silence was the
answer. Whether Terry Davis and Karel de Gucht do develop European
tolerance or they have just no time for it while enjoying the pleasure
of Catholic Christmas!" Vladimir Kazimirov said.

CELEBRATIONS MARKING ARF’S 116TH ANNIVERSARY CONTINUE

Yerkir.am
December 22, 2006

Another event marking the 116th anniversary of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation was held at the Yerevan Chamber Music House
on December 15.

Vahan Hovhannisian, a member of the ARF Bureau and a National
Assembly vice speaker, said that the day is marked in 30 countries
with significant Armenian communities.

After its foundation 116 years ago, the ARF began its fight to liberate
the Armenian people. The ARF’s task was to create home for the Armenian
people, who at that time were not even a majority in their homeland.

Merely a quarter century later, the ARF created an independent Armenia
on one part of the eastern Armenia. We had a weak Armenia, with many
problems with its neighbors, with newly established Army, hundreds of
thousand of exiles and no state budget. But what was most important,
after 700 years, Armenia appeared on the world. For all those years,
Hovhannisian said, the ARF was guided by one: "Love your homeland
more than you love yourself and your pocket."

"Following this rule, the ARF prime ministers did not build palaces
for themselves, the ministers did not accumulate money, the first
president, Aram Manukian, who died of an illness, did not go to Berlin
or Paris to seek cure," he said.

When the ARF was in exile, it began to work in the Diaspora, helping
the survivors of the Genocide, not letting them to assimilate. "We
were sure that one day Armenia would become independent again, and
will return what the bolshevism took from us," he said, adding that
one should not expect that everything would improve in a matter of
months; the former regime has made so many mistakes in the initial
stage that we continue to feel the consequences.

The ARF has the answers to all the questions: how to root out
corruption, restore the moral environment, restructure the education
system, restructure the army, and how to deal with the neighbors.

RA PRIME MINISTER OPTIMISTIC ABOUT INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION GROWTH IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian is optimistic about the issue of industrail production growth
in the country, which he substantiates by the increase in production
of several big and medium enterprises. He stated this at the December
22 meeting. Responding to NT correspondent’s question what steps the
government will take to promote industrial developemnt, he noted that
the company RusAl-ArmenAl is operating at full capacity since November
2006. According to A. Margarian, the RA government is also taking
steps to ensure the work of the Vanadzor Chemical Complex through
attracting investors. He expressed satisfaction at the fact that the
share of mining industry is growing in the industrial production,
expressing a hope that the sector’s enterprises will contribute to the
growth of production and export. Nevertheless, A. Margarian considered
medium entrepreneurship as the major force of Armenia’s industrial
developemnt, particularly in agricultural food processing where about
10 enterprises opened in 2006. It was noted that the RA government
will take measures to rule out sharp fluctuations of the exchange rate
of the Armenian dram against the US dollar, ensure equal competition
conditions and reduce the shadow sector of the country’s economy.