Muqtada stirs new storms

Asia Times, Hong Kong
Aug 7 2004

Muqtada stirs new storms
By Sudha Ramachandran

BANGALORE – The recent series of attacks on Christian churches in
Iraq that left 12 people dead and scores injured have drawn Iraq’s
Christian minority into the insurgency, and an exodus of Christians
from Iraq to countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Australia
can be expected.

Meanwhile, Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – whose supporters are said
to be behind the attacks on Christians – on Thursday declared a
“revolution” against US-led forces in Iraq. This followed a truce of
two months and led immediately to fighting in the holy city of Najaf
and other Shi’ite areas that claimed the lives of at least 50 Iraqis
and an American soldier, and brought down a US helicopter.

The fighting continued on Friday, with US military forces conducting
a second day of air strikes in Najaf. Aircraft bombed positions held
by Muqtada’s Mehdi Army as American soldiers and Iraqi security
forces advanced on the insurgents.

In the attacks on Christians, a wave of well-coordinated bombs ripped
through four churches in Baghdad and two in Mosul last Sunday. Aimed
at having maximum impact, the attacks coincided with the evening Mass
when worshippers would be present in the church in large numbers.

The attacks are the most significant on the community since the fall
of the Saddam Hussein regime 15 months ago. Individual Christians
have been attacked over the past year, but those were more in the
nature of vigilante violence or moral policing by Islamist groups.
Several Christian storeowners have been victimized – some have had
their shops burned and others have been sent letters threatening them
with death. And some have been killed. But these acts of violence and
threats have to do with the fact that most shops selling alcohol or
Western music cassettes in Iraq are owned by Christians.

These latest bombings are said to be the work of supporters of
Muqtada as part of the larger strategy of Islamic militants seeking
to create an Islamic society in Iraq. Their violence is aimed at
enforcing an Islamic code of behavior, including the wearing of the
veil by women and a ban on alcohol.

Several Iraqi Christians have been kidnapped over the past year. This
again has to do with a general perception in Iraq that the Christian
community is wealthy. But not all Christians are, and some of those
who have been abducted have not been able to raise the enormous
ransom demanded by their kidnappers.

Because of their religion, and the fact that many Iraqi Christians
speak English or have relatives abroad, there is also a perception
that Christians are pro-American and that they are supporters of the
US occupation of Iraq. This perception has proved costly to the Iraqi
Christian community.

Some of the Christians who have been murdered over the past few
months are believed to have been working with the occupation force,
providing intelligence or simply providing services as launderers,
interpreters, supplying groceries and so on.

The Iraqi Christian community, concentrated around Baghdad and in the
northern cities of Kirkuk, Mosul and Irbil, is one of the oldest in
the world. The 800,000-strong Christian community constitutes 3% of
Iraq’s population. Most Iraqi Christians belong to the Chaldean
denomination. Other denominations include the Assyrians, who
constitute a sizable section, Catholic and Orthodox Syriacs, as well
as Catholic and Orthodox Armenians.

The Christian community in Iraq has not suffered general persecution
as such. But it has been at the receiving end of violence from time
to time, usually in periods of transition. In 1932, for instance,
when Iraq gained independence from the British Empire, hundreds of
Assyrian Christians were slaughtered by the Iraqi military. Their
villages were destroyed, their houses, shops and churches burned. The
Assyrian Christian collaboration with the British colonial power is
said to have triggered the violence.

Iraqi Christians consider themselves generally well treated under
Saddam’s largely secular rule. Some Christians even rose to top
positions in government – former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz is
one example. The Saddam Hussein government is also said to have kept
anti-Christian violence under check. But as part of the “relocation
programs”, which sought to create Arab majorities near strategic
oilfields, Christians, too, suffered. Christians living in the
oil-rich areas were among the communities that were forced to move
out. But Christians did not suffer the kind of persecution that the
Shi’ites or the Kurds did. The Ba’ath Party did not consider the
Christians as threatening and so allowed them considerable religious
freedom in return for their political submission.

The exodus of Christians from Iraq grew in the 1990s, especially
after the Gulf War and the imposition of sanctions thereafter.
According to a 1987 census, there were about 1.4 million Iraqi
Christians compared with about 800,000 today. The fall of the Saddam
Hussein government last year, the weakening of the generally secular
atmosphere, the growing Islamization and the spread of lawlessness
has prompted hundreds to flee.

All Iraqis are suffering on account of the deteriorating security
situation in the country. Iraqis irrespective of their religion have
been targets of violence by insurgents and the occupation forces.
What has led to the heightened feeling of vulnerability among the
Iraqi Christians now is that a sizable section of the Iraqi militants
view the US-led coalition as a Christian crusade and Iraq’s Christian
community as its supporters and collaborators.

Analysts have blamed the recent church bombings on groups with links
to al-Qaeda. They point to similar church bombing by outfits linked
to al-Qaeda in the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan as evidence of
this trend.

Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s al-Tawhid and Jihad, which
has al-Qaeda links, has emerged as the foremost suspect for the Iraqi
church bombings. The aim was not only to heighten terror among
Christians and deepen divisions in Iraqi society (as part of an
effort to destabilize society) but also to undermine the US-appointed
interim government. The attacks might also have been aimed at
inflaming anger among President George W Bush’s supporters in the US
Christian Right.

While the coalition forces might be more favorably disposed toward
Iraqi Christians, members of the community have suffered, as have
Iraqi Muslims, on account of random searches, bombings, food and
power shortages, and the daily humiliation that the coalition forces
mete out to Iraqis. At the same time, the Christians are viewed as
collaborators with the “crusader forces”, making them vulnerable to
violence from Iraqis. As the movement for the Islamization of Iraq
gathers momentum, their religious rights – and more worryingly, their
personal survival – is likely to come under further threat. Clearly,
this community is caught in the crossfire.

Sudha Ramachandran is an independent researcher/writer based in
Bangalore, India. She has a doctoral degree from the School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, in New Delhi. Her
areas of interest include terrorism, conflict zones and gender and
conflict. Formerly an assistant editor at Deccan Herald (Bangalore),
she now teaches at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai.

Iran, Armenia Keen to Expand Cultural Ties

Persian Journal, Iran
Aug 3 2004

Iran, Armenia Keen to Expand Cultural Ties

A visiting high-ranking Armenian delegation reached an agreement on
urban architecture and cultural interaction with officials from
Tehran Municipality Art and Culture Department here on Monday.

During this meeting, Head of Tehran Municipality Art and Culture
Department Esfandiar Rahim Mosha’ie named Iranian Armenians “good
citizens” and said that they had a crucial role in pivotal occasions
such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Sacred Defense and
in cultural, political and social affairs, IRNA reported.

Referring to the history of Tehran Municipality in seeking expertise
of other countries in optimizing Tehran architecture, Mosha’ie noted
that he expects close cooperation with Armenian architects along with
art and cultural interaction in the future. For his part, Armenian
Deputy Minister of Culture Gagik Gurjian mentioned the history of
Iran-Armenia cultural and artistic cooperation and appreciated Iran’s
special interest in such collaboration.

Regarding the monument of Zorzor church in West Azarbaijan province
which was previously flooded by water “The ancient church was
restored at a higher altitude through joint efforts of Iranian and
Armenian experts and engineers,” he said, adding that the church is
currently being examined by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “In addition to
architectural cooperation between the two countries, Iran and Armenia
can also cooperate in other fields such as introducing their
religious and spiritual ceremonies,” he concluded.

Commercial Banks Attract Over a year Maturity Deposits at 9% rate

COMMERCIAL BANKS ATTRACT MORE THAN YEAR DEPOSITS WITH HIGHEST INTEREST
FROM JULY 22-29

YEREVAN, August 2 (Noyan Tapan). In the period from July 22 to 29, the
commercial banks of Armenia attracted more than a year deposits with
the highest interest rate (9%) and 30-day, 60-day and 90-day deposits
with the lowest interest rate (5%). According to the data of the
Central Bank of Armenia, during the same period the commercial banks
extended 180-day, 360-day and more than a year loans with the highest
interest rate (21%) and 30-day loans with the lowest interest rate
(13%). The dynamics of the deposits attracted by commercial banks is
as follows: 22.07.04 29.07.04 30 days 2% 5% 60 days 2% 5% 90 days 8%
5% 180 days 4% 7% 360 days 8% 7% More than a year 8% 9% The dynamics
of the interest rates of the loans issued by commercial banks:
22.07.04 29.07.04 30 days 17% 13% 60 days 25% 20% 90 days 23% 20% 180
days 14% 21% 360 days 20% 21% More than a year 21% 21%

World Bank extends Armenia $34.3 mln for three programs

Interfax
Aug 2 2004

World Bank extends Armenia $34.3 mln for three programs

Yerevan. (Interfax) – The Armenian government and World Bank signed
three credit programs on Friday for an overall $34.3 million.

At a briefing after the signing, Finance and Economics Minister
Vardan Khachatrian said that $10.15 million will be used in
overhauling the state management system for the country and $19
million for modernizing its healthcare system. The other credit of
$5.15 will be used to finance the social security sphere.

The credits will be extended on easy International Development
Association terms for 40 years at an annual rate of 0.75% with a
ten-year grace period.

Khachatrian said the World Bank is the first to allocate money for
the reformation of Armenia’s state management sector. The funds are
slated for introducing an electronic digital signature system, which
will improve the state management system’s operation and the
transparency of its actions.

The healthcare credit money will be used to overhaul medical
institutions, buy new equipment, retrain doctors and develop the
institution of family doctors. An additional $1.25 million grant will
be attached to this credit.

Shoplifter wants hands cut off as punishment

Ananova, UK
July 30 2004

Shoplifter wants hands cut off as punishment

An Armenian caught shoplifting bottles of whiskey in a Belgian shop,
asked the judge if he could have his hands cut off as punishment.

The 20-year-old had been caught on camera taking three bottles from
the shop in Dessel.

The man told his solicitor he was prepared to lose his hands as a
penalty for shoplifting. The solicitor said: “I told him in Belgium
we don’t do such things.”

The man had originally denied the shoplifting charge, says Het
Nieuwsblad

Great Game Over

Moscow Times
July 28 2004

Great Game Over

By Ian Bremmer and Nikolas Gvosdev

The new great game is over — it ended in a draw. Russia failed in
its attempt to monopolize the Caspian region’s energy transportation
links; the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, in
particular, ensures that not all Caspian oil will cross Russian
territory on its way west. On the other hand, exclusive transport of
Central Asia’s gas reserves remains in the control of Gazprom, and,
as in Soviet times, will continue to pass through Russian-controlled
routes.

Moscow cannot prevent limited U.S. inroads into Central Asia, but
given the traditional dependence of Central Asian governments on
Moscow, Russia will remain a heavyweight regional player for the
foreseeable future.

There is nothing further to be gained by either side from
geopolitical gamesmanship, but there is much to be won through
partnership.

Given the United States’ current range of security commitments around
the world, it is more vital than ever that Washington diversify its
energy supplies. Russia too has much to gain from a cooperative
relationship with the West in the exploration, exploitation and
transport of Caspian-area energy reserves.

The foolish zero-sum notion that there are a certain number of
barrels of oil in the region to be fought over by the regional powers
is dangerously shortsighted, particularly at a time when the world’s
hunger for energy is growing so quickly and ever more pipelines and
export routes are needed to get supplies to market. The United
States, EU, China, Russia and other Caspian states should view the
Caspian area as a single integrated energy marketplace. Together they
should begin a comprehensive Eurasian energy dialogue that will bring
together the major outside investors — especially the United States
and EU — with the region’s key actors, especially Russia, Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan.

One element of this dialogue should be economic — helping to direct
investment where it can bring the most effective return. Joint
projects that combine the skills, resources and assets of Western,
Asian and Russian firms can bring online energy deposits that would
otherwise remain in the ground.

Another part of the dialogue should center on those challenges to
regional security that threaten new investment. Chechen insurgents
would very much like to produce a wider war across an area of
southern Russia vitally important to the transport of Caspian energy
products. The threat of violent Islamic extremism has led to
crackdowns by the authoritarian Central Asian regimes.

Governments must also battle the influence of organized crime if they
are to attract investment in energy projects. Porous borders,
smuggling and the drug trade, in particular, threaten the social and
political stability necessary to establish a long-term international
energy investment project.

Yet opportunities for real U.S.-Russian security cooperation in
Central Asia are not being exploited. In Kyrgyzstan, both the United
States and Russia maintain military bases and both ostensibly serve
the same purpose — to prevent the spillover of Islamist terrorism
into Central Asia. Yet U.S. and Russian forces have no mechanism for
joint action, not even the ability to communicate by cellphone.

Creating a joint U.S.-Russian base under the aegis of a NATO-Russia
partnership, a proposal Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev has publicly
endorsed, could lay the basis for practical cooperation that could
then be extended, both to the countries in which Russia enjoys the
dominant foreign influence (such as Armenia) and those seeking
greater integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions (such as Georgia,
Uzbekistan or even Azerbaijan).

Russian and Western intelligence-gathering capacities complement one
another. Russia continues to have the most effective network of
contacts in Eurasia.

First steps have already been taken in coordinating intelligence
collection, marrying Russia’s considerable human intelligence
capabilities with American technological capacity. Russia and Western
governments should create a new security organization, grounded in
the NATO-Russia Council, which would develop joint institutions for
joint security challenges.

The United States and Russia have already produced some positive-sum
security interactions, in helping to resolve Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili’s standoff with Aslan Abashidze, for example.
Fears have risen in Russia and in Armenia recently that the added
revenue produced in Azerbaijan by increased hydrocarbon production
and transport could finance a new round of violence over the disputed
region of Nagorny Karabakh. Joint operations in Bosnia and Kosovo —
in which Russian and NATO forces collaborated in peacekeeping for the
first time — provide a precedent for extending such cooperation to
potential trouble spots where instability threatens both Russian and
Western interests.

There are few areas where a Russian-Western partnership can realize
more mutually beneficial economic, political, and security goals than
in Central Asia.

Successful partnerships there will encourage useful Russian-Western
partnerships elsewhere, as in the construction of new Siberian
pipelines to the Pacific.

Missing the opportunities such a partnership might provide will
threaten the stability of a region vitally important to both the war
on terrorism and the development of future sources of energy.

Ian Bremmer is president of the Eurasia Group and a senior fellow at
the World Policy Institute. Nikolas Gvosdev is executive editor of
The National Interest. They contributed this comment to The Moscow
Times.

CoE Contributes to Elaboration of General Layout of Comunities

COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONTRIBUTES TO ELABORATION OF GENERAL LAYOUTS OF
REGIONAL COMMUNITIES OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). It is expected that the general
layouts of the communities situated out of Yerevan will be elaborated
this year for the first time. Ruzanna Alaverdian, RA Deputy Minister
of Urban Development, said that the general layouts of 12 communities
of Ararat, Syunik, Gegharkunik, Kotayk and Vayots Dzor will be
elaborated owing to 100 mln drams allocated by the state
budget. Discussions on the preparation of plans and planning of
strategy of communal development were held with correspondent
departments of Vayots Dzor, Jermuk and Syunik. They are financed by
the CE program “Armenia as Innovative Bridge in ECMRRP Model Regions
European Network”. The “European Conference of Ministers Responsible
for Regional Planning” Organization is the Ministerial Committee
responsible for territorial planning of states-members of the Council
of Europe. According to Ph. D Oygen Heller, the Armenian delegation
contributed a lot to the process of the elaboration of ECMRRP projects
and programs. Armenia has great potential and may become a bridge in
the process of the involvement of other countries in the European
structures. Taking all this into account, it was decided to implement
the two-year program “Armenia as Innovative Bridge in ECMRRP Model
Regions European Network” under the patronage of the Council of
Europe, which will give an opportunity to develop new European
approaches to the development of the communities.

ARKA News Agency – 07/23/2004

ARKA News Agency
July 23 2004

Armenian Culture Days to take place in Strasbourg in September 2005

RA President conducts working meeting with the leaders of ruling
coalition parties

First Pan-Armenian Culture Festival `One Nation – One Culture’ starts
on August 15

RA PM to leave for Georgia with two-day official visit

Regional Bridge-2004 international business-meeting to be held
tomorrow, on July 24 in Tsaghkadsor (Armenia)

*********************************************************************

ARMENIAN CULTURE DAYS TO TAKE PLACE IN STRASBOURG IN SEPTEMBER 2005

YEREVAN, July 23. /ARKA/. Armenian Culture Days will take place in
Strasbourg in September 2005, RA MFA told ARKA. This was said in the
letter of the Chairman of City Council of Strasboug Rober Grossman
addressed to Regular Representative of Armenia to CE Christian
Ter-Stepanian.
Culture Days are conducted in cooperation with City Administration of
Strasbourg, RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs and Regular
Representative of Armenia to CE. L.D. –0 –

*********************************************************************

RA PRESIDENT CONDUCTS WORKING MEETING WITH THE LEADERS OF RULING
COALITION PARTIES

YEREVAN, July 23. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian conducted
working meeting with the leaders of ruling coalition parties,
President’s press office told ARKA. The parties discussed process of
constitutional reforms.
Political coalition in Armenia was created after parliamentary
elections in 2003 by three pro-presidential parties – Republican
Party, Orinats Yerkir Party and ARF Dashnaktsutyun. L.D. –0 –

*********************************************************************

FIRST PAN-ARMENIAN CULTURE FESTIVAL `ONE NATION – ONE CULTURE’ STARTS
ON AUGUST 15

YEREVAN, July 23. /ARKA/. First Pan-Armenian Culture Festival `One
Nation – One Culture’ starts on August 15 in Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. According to Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs
Karine Khodikian, the goal of the festival is strengthening of
culture links between Armenia and Diaspora, representation of
Armenian culture, creation of mechanisms for productive cooperation.
According to her, the festival will not only allow reveal culture
values, but also create exceptional opportunity for discussion of
problems of art and culture.
The festival will start on August 15 with Gala-concert in National
Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet after Spendiarov and will end
with performance at the Square of Republic on August 22.
The program of the festival includes 6 directions – theater, music,
art, dancing and singing. More than 1500 Armenian art figures from
Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, France, Austria, GB, USA, Syria, Lebanon,
Iran, Russia, Georgia and Kazakhstan will take part in the festival.
According to Director Executive of All Armenian Fund Hayastan Naira
Melkumian the Fund gathered $100 thousand for realization of the
festival. According to her, `it is a small budget for conduction of
such a large activity’. L.D. –0 –

*********************************************************************

RA PM TO LEAVE FOR GEORGIA WITH TWO-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT

YEREVAN, July 23. /ARKA/. RA PM Andranik Margarian to leave for
Georgia with two-day official visit. As RA Public Services and Press
Department at RA Government told ARKA, in the frameworks of his visit
MArgarian to meet with his Georgian colleague Zurab Zhvania and
Georgian President Mikhail Sahakashvili. Before he plans
participating as Co-Chairman on sitting of Armenian-Georgian
Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, during which
the Heads of two Governments to sign final documents. During his
visit, RA PM to visit the Armenian Pantheon, Memorial of Heroes
Fallen for Unity of Georgia, Art Museum and State Museum of Georgia.
The Armenian Intergovernmental International Delegation to include
VArdan Khachatryan, RA Economy and Finance Minister, Karen
Chshmarityan, RA Trade and Economic Development, Armen Movsisyan, RA
Energy Minister, Vardan Ayvazyan, RA Ecology Minister, Tatul
Margaryan, RA Deputy Foreign Minister, Artak Sahradyan, RA Deputy
Education and Science Minister, Gagik Gyurjyan, RA Deputy Culture and
Youth Minister, Gagik Khachatryan, RA Deputy Chairman of State
Customs Committee, Stepan Sargsyan, Advisor to RA PM, as well as
Ararat Khrimyan, General Director of Armenian Railways, Hovsep
Kloyan, RA Deputy Agriculture Minister, MP Vladimir Badalyan and
Managers of relevant departments of RA Foreign Ministry and RA
Government. T.M. -0–

*********************************************************************

REGIONAL BRIDGE-2004 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS-MEETING TO BE HELD
TOMORROW, ON JULY 24 IN TSAGHKADSOR (ARMENIA)

YEREVAN, July 23. /ARKA/. Regional Bridge-2004 international
business-meeting will be held tomorrow, on July 24 in Tsaghkadsor
(Armenia). As ARKA was informed in Master center for international
integration assistance, entrepreneurs from Russia, the Ukraine,
Georgia, Iran, India, Egypt and Turkey will arrive in Armenia to
establish partner relations. Round-table discussions, special
sessions, plenary and section sessions are planned to be held within
the framework of the meeting. `In the conditions of favorable
economic climate in the region, as well as considering the location
of Armenia, Regional Bridge-2004 international business-meeting
creates maximal favorable conditions to establish relations between
the partners from the North and the South’, as stated in the press
release.
The organizer of the Regional Bridge-2004 international
business-meeting, which will last till July 26, is Master center for
international integration assistance with the support of RA Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development and RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A.H.–0–

Russian gas concern to take part in building Iran-Armenia pipeline

Pravda, Russia
July 20 2004

Russian gas concern to take part in building Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline

President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and a delegation of the Russian
Gazprom gas concern headed by deputy chairman of the board Alexander
Ryazanov discussed on Monday the building of Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline.

The press service of the Armenian president reported that the sides
also discussed the current state of gas supply to Armenia and the
promising programes in this sphere.

Kocharyan expressed satisfaction over the present level of Armenia’s
cooperation with Gazprom.

It was pointed out that the ArmRosgazprom company intensifies its
activity from year to year, and the gasification rates and the number
of clients are growing in the republic.

The Armenian-Russian enterprise ArmRosgazprom is the only supplier of
the Russian natural gas to Armenia. The company was created in 1997
by Gazprom and the Armenian energy ministry which have 45% of shares
each, and the international group of companies ITERA (10% of shares.)
The authorized capital of ArmRosgazprom is $270 million. In 2003 the
ArmRosgazprom had 186,000 clients.

After his meeting with the Armenian president Ryazanov told
journalists that the construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
will cost $140 million.

“It is now necessary,” he said, “to choose the sources of financing,
and if they are determined no problem will appear in connection with
the building of this pipeline.”

Ryazanov also pointed out that they can be either state credits or
the means of Gazprom.

At the same time the deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom ruled
out the possibility of the transit of the Russian gas via the
territory of Armenia to third countries since “Armenia is not a
transit country but a consumer, and the Iranian gas pipeline will
satisfy Armenia’s gas requirements for energy and transport needs.”

On May 13, 2004 Armenia and Iran signed a treaty on deliveries of
Iranian gas to Armenia for 20 years. During this period of time the
republicwill receive from Iran 36 billion cubic metres of gas in
exchange for the Armenian energy.

Turkey to Decline Presidency at OSCE?

TURKEY TO DECLINE PRESIDENCY AT OSCE?

Abdullah Gul Explains

Azg/am
21 July 2004

Arminfo, citing Anatolu news agency, informs that the Turkish deputy
prime minister and foreign affairs minister Abdullah Gul officially
stated that Ankara declines the OSCE presidency term of 2007. Gul
refuted all the rumors that Armenia is the cause of this decision.

On June 14 Vartan Oskanian, foreign affairs minister of Armenia,
declared at Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies
that Armenia will veto Turkey’s presidency at the OSCE because of the
policy Ankara adopted against Armenia. “The OSCE presiding country has
to have relations with allmember states”, Oskanian declares.

Meanwhile Gul explains the refusal saying that the 2007 is the year of
Turkey’ s presidential elections and they cannot effectively preside
at the OSCE asa result. Gul’s excuse seems strange as far as the
Turkish officials were well aware of the elections in their country
while running for the OSCE presidency.

The foreign affairs minister of Cyprus said earlier that Turkey
refused the presidency as considered the probability of veto from
Armenia.

The USA State Department spokesman Richard Baucher declared: “Turkish
diplomats in the OSCE informed that Ankara turned down its candidacy
as theTurkish government will have other problems to consider in
2007. They said that won’t be able to run a decent tenure, and we
respect their decision”.