Author: Nahapetian Lilit

OBAMA GETS GUIDELINES ON GENOCIDE
James Reinl

The National
1/FOREIGN/136500802/1002
Dec 10 2008
United Arab Emirates

NEW YORK // A new report focused on preventing genocide can guide
the incoming Obama administration on tackling mass atrocities in
such trouble spots as Darfur and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
former senior US officials say.

A document compiled by a group that includes Madeleine Albright, the
former US secretary of state, urges Barack Obama, the president-elect,
to establish a genocide early warning system and not to shirk from
using military force to prevent atrocities.

"There are a broad range of foreign policy options between standing
aside and ordering in the marines," Ms Albright told reporters at UN
headquarters in New York.

"The more diligent we are in detecting and addressing potential
problems the more favourable our options will be."

The report draws from experiences gained in Rwanda and Bosnia, where
atrocities occurred while Ms Albright served under Bill Clinton,
while pointing towards current crises in Darfur and the DRC.

Omar al Bashir, Sudan’s president, faces allegations of instructing
his forces to wipe out ethnic groups in the western Darfur region,
where 300,000 people have died since Feb 2003.

Mr Obama’s transitional team has welcomed the 147-page report,
titled ‘Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for US Policymakers’. The
president-elect has already spoken of "setting up a no-fly zone at
relatively little cost" to prevent Sudan’s air force from bombing
villages.

Several Obama appointees have taken hardline positions on Darfur,
including Susan Rice, the UN ambassador-designate, and Hillary Clinton,
who has been nominated as secretary of state.

Ms Albright was joined by her colleague from the Genocide Prevention
Task Force, William Cohen, the US defence secretary under Mr Clinton,
to launch the report on the 60th anniversary of the UN Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The anniversary was also marked by a public letter addressed to world
leaders and signed by 24 survivors of the Holocaust and mass-slaughters
in Armenia, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan.

The letter was co-ordinated by the Genocide Prevention Project and
was released alongside a watch list of countries at risk of atrocities.

"The best way to stop genocide is to prevent it from happening,"
said Jill Savitt, the project’s executive director. "We need a new
framework, one focused on working, aggressively and proactively, to
avert mass atrocities at the earliest stages – before the killing on
a mass scale begins."

The list highlights 33 nations where ethnic cleansing, genocide
and other war crimes are taking place or likely to occur. Those at
greatest risk are Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UN has asked for a European Union "bridging force" to bolster
the struggling 17,000-strong blue helmet deployment, but EU ministers
are split about how to respond.

The UN and major nations were widely criticised for failing to act
when ethnic rivalries spilt over into bloodshed in Rwanda in 1994
and Kosovo the following year.

Ms Albright said failure in Rwanda "weighs very heavily" on the
conscience of contemporary statesmen, but added that poor data about
a rapidly emerging crisis impeded decision-makers.

She recommends that Mr Obama establish a task force to meet
regularly and monitor potential genocide hot spots in advance of
bloodletting. The report also recommends that Congress provide US$250
million (Dh918m), "less than a dollar for every American each year",
for rapid use to deter genocide anywhere in the world.

Navi Pillay, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, said she
supported "systematic approaches and plans to prevent genocide"
while scouring for "early warning signs" to predict violent outbreaks.

Mr Cohen warned that mankind was witnessing an "era of great disorder"
and advised the US and friendly powers to tackle genocide and other
atrocities that spawn failed states and terrorist breeding grounds.

But military chiefs remain loath to commit troops to tackle overseas
atrocities unless they can ensure the mission is "well-defined,
achievable, desirable… and, most importantly, has an exit strategy",
he said.

"SYSTEM OF A DOWN" TO REPRESENT ARMENIA

AZG Armenian Daily
10/12/2008

Culture

The soloist of the well-known rock band "System of a down" Serj
Tangian announced that the rock band intends to represent Armenia
at Eurovision song contest 2009 on condition that the lyrics of his
song mention the Armenian Genocide. He said that the Eurovision is
a good opportunity to inform the world about the Armenian Genocide,
the French-Armenian independent journalist Jean Eckian reported.

Besides fighting against the denial of the Armenian Genocide, the
band’s repertoire embraces also some other urgent themes – drug abuse,
wars, religion, etc.

According to Eckian, similar songs generally have a success at
the Eurovision song contest; for example, the song of the Greek
singer "Panaki mu" in 1976 about the Cyprus war, the song of Bosnia
Hertsogovina in 1993 about the war in that region, or Great Britain’s
song "Just a little bit" that was a hidden message about the genocide.

ARMENIAN TRADE GAP REMAINS DEEP THOUGH OCTOBER AS IMPORTS KEEP SURGING
Venla Sipila

World Markets Research Centre
December 3, 2008

According to the latest customs-based foreign trade data from the
Armenian Statistical Service, the country’s trade deficit measured
$2US.638 billion in January-October, ARKA News reports. This
imbalance was the result of only marginal growth in exports and
soaring imports. Indeed, exports in the ten-month period gained 0.9%
year-on-year (y/y), reaching $941US.2 million, while imports rose by
42.8% y/y, totalling $3US.579 million. Notably, exports of precious
and semiprecious stones and precious metals decreased clearly,
while exports of non-precious metals also eased slightly in annual
comparison. Rapid gains were posted in several import categories,
among these a surge of some 64% in imports of equipment and tools. The
January-October data signal some strengthening of exports in October,
as the first three quarters of the year had seen exports fall by
1.8% y/y. On the other hand, coming after import growth of 38.3%
y/y reported for January-September, the latest figures also suggest
accelerating import growth.

Significance:The cumulative trade deficit for the first ten months
of the year already clearly exceeds the trade gap for last year as
a whole, which measured some $2US.1 billion, corresponding to 23% of
GDP. This year has seen Armenia’s trade gap soar as domestic demand
has persistently maintained very high growth rates, fuelling imports,
at the same time as export potential remains weak. Economic growth
should finally start to ease from double-digit rates, and this will
have a moderating impact on imports. On the other hand, the increase
in the price of gas charged by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, the
monopoly gas importer in Armenia, will increase to $154US per 1,000
cubic metres (cm) from the beginning of April 2009, up from $110US
per 1,000 cm this year, having an upward impact on import costs. The
trade deficit further continues to put pressure on the overall current
account position, which leaves Armenia vulnerable to external shocks,
as financing of the deficit is dependent on investment and transfer
inflows. On the other hand, a large part of imports relates to capital
goods, which bodes well for export potential in the future. Then again,
the gloomy global growth prospects also represses the export outlook
for Armenia.

RUSSIAN COMPANY REPAIRING ARMENIAN TRAINS IN TBILISI

The Messenger
Dec 6 2008
Georgia

The owner of Armenian Railways, South Caucasus Railways, which is
itself a daughter company of Russian Railways, is repairing its trains
in the Tbilisi railway yard. The pro-Government Armenian newspaper
Aiots Ashkhar has made a huge scandal out of this. The newspaper has
accused the Russian company of wasting investment funds on buying cars
and apartments in Yerevan and paying an inordinately large amount of
money for the repair of the trains. The director of the South Caucasus
Railways, Aleksander Kuznetsov, denied these allegations at a press
conference on December 2.

Aiots Ashkhar claimed that the real cost of the repair works was
supposed to be USD 200,000, but South Caucasus Railways is repairing
the trains at a cost of USD 1.8 million. In response to this, Kuznetsov
noted that the cost of new trains ranges from USD 4 million to USD
6 million, and the cost of individual carriages from USD 80,000 to
USD 120,000. "In fact repairing a train costs 1/3 of the price of a
new one. I think we benefit, because most of the 42 trains owned by
Armenian Railways are not functioning," Kuznetsov noted.

Kuznetsov said that the body of each train and then its remaining
parts have been sent for repair. The repaired trains are guaranteed
to last for 35 years.

PanARMENIAN.Net

`Eastern Partnership’ has been adopted to keep the balance of power
that was upset on the post-Soviet territory

Unlike Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Moldova and Belarus
have not yet determined their position in priorities: whether to
choose the European way or to finally head for Russia.
04.12.2008 GMT+04:00

South Caucasus states made another step towards European
integration. The European Commission decided to back the initiative of
`Eastern Partnership’, which presupposes closer cooperation with
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and the Ukraine. According to
Jose Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, only with strong
political will and commitment on both sides will the Eastern
Partnership achieve its objective of political association and
economic integration. `We need to make an even greater investment in
mutual stability and prosperity. This will be quickly compensated by
important political and economic benefits and will lead to more
stability and security both for the EU and for our Eastern partners,’
Barroso stated.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ After August 2008 developments in the Caucasus, as
well as in the whole world sped up, and `Eastern Partnership’ was
adopted to keep the balance of power upset on the post-Soviet
territory. In our opinion, with this move the EU first of all aims to
cut down Russia’s influence and power in the region, as well as to
have a more unyielding position in talks with Moscow. After the latest
NATO summit in Brussels, when Georgia and Ukraine were refused into
Membership Action Plan (MAP), stance of the West in the region may
become more vulnerable. Unlike Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as
well as Moldova and Belarus have not yet determined their position in
priorities: whether to choose the European way or to finally head for
Russia. On the whole, in either case the post-Soviet countries are
subject to obedience, and it is still a question which Big Brother
would be better to choose. In fact, in such cases the notion of good
or bad is generally replaced by the concept of
«expediency», and there is no choice as such. Neither
are there clear perspectives as to the outcome of partnership with the
EU or Russia.

The draft communique proposes holding an "Eastern Partnership Summit"
in June 2009 to launch the project. Follow-up meetings of EU and
Eastern Partnership foreign ministers are to take place each Spring,
while "Senior officials" from the "27 + 5(6)" countries are to meet
twice yearly to prepare for the ministerials. The European Partnership
is to raise the EU’s per capita spending in the region twice by 2013
and 3.3 times by 2020. The shift will cost Ð?2.1 billion, atop
the lost income of Ð?75 million per year as a result of waiving
EU visa costs. Under the EU’s `Eastern Partnership’ initiative, talks
would be conducted on creating visa free travel in the long-term, the
six countries ` Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and
Ukraine ` would be eligible for comprehensive free trade agreements,
and EU-funded educational, environmental and energy supply exchange
programmes would be organized.

According to The Financial Times, the plan’s primary purpose is to
raise the EU’s profile and reinforce political and economic stability
in the area between the 27-nation bloc and Russia ` a region that
Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, laid claim to as a
`privileged’ sphere of influence after the fighting in Georgia.

In the words of Karen Bekaryan, Head of the `European Integration’
NGO, changing the format of relations between the EU and the European
Neighborhood Policy (ENP) states was dictated by time and by the
problems that the ENP faced in the process of its realization. `As to
the benefit Armenia can derive from the Eastern Partnership, it’s
apparent. New programs will be launched, economic cooperation will
expand; Armenia will be rendered assistance in implementation of
reforms it needs so much,’ Bekaryan noted.

However, Azerbaijan has a different view on the matter. According to
Azeri political analyst Zardusht Alizade, democracy ideals are alien
to the current Azerbaijani leadership, that is why instead of getting
down to work, it will take to imitation. `Some laws will definitely be
amended, but, most apparently, they will not work. Any measures
suggested under the program `Eastern Partnership’ and aimed at
creation of active civil society in Azerbaijan will be met with bitter
hostility by the authorities. The latter have no state, and,
accordingly, they see no point for Azerbaijan to integrate into the
EU,’ Alizade believes. And, basically, he is right. Official Baku
greatly fears democracy, which will not tolerate intimidating the
public and making a fool of them. As for EU membership, Azerbaijan,
like Armenia, is still too far from it. But unlike Armenia that either
by word of mouth or in practice does not yearn for integration into
the European Union, as it can see by Turkey’s example how difficult it
is, Azerbaijan for some reason is sure that sooner or later it will
become a EU member and for the sake of oil which, by the way, will
soon be over Brussels should turn a blind eye to complete absence of
democracy in the country. Though, if the pipelines continue
functioning, violation of human rights can be treated quietly, but
it’s a long way in the future and Turkey’s example is again
educational. No matter how hard Ankara tried, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan did
not serve as a permit to Europe in spite of the fact that certain
reforms are being carried out in Turkey – though slowly, unwillingly,
something is being done anyway. Baku lacks even slow development,
which cannot be said about Armenia. And, as we have mentioned more
than once, it may even happen so, that with successful course of
events and with a change of balance in the region, Armenia should
become a EU member sooner than Turkey. And in that case `Eastern
Partnership’ might serve as an additional stimulus for Armenia to
refuse care from Moscow.

Karine Ter-Sahakyan
«PanARMENIAN.NetÂ&#xB B; analytical department

RUSSIA TO DEPLOY ALPINE UNITS AT ITS MILITARY BASES ABROAD

RIA Novosti
16:57 | 04/ 12/ 2008

MOSCOW, December 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Defense Ministry plans
to deploy special mountain units at military bases in S. Ossetia,
Abkhazia, Armenia and Tajikistan, as well as in the Urals and Far East,
a ministry official said on Thursday.

"All military contingents deployed in mountainous regions will
have battalion-level units specially trained for mountain warfare,"
said Col.

Vladimir Chabanov, deputy head of the Ground Forces combat training
department at the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russia has already deployed two mountain brigades in the North Caucasus
republics of Daghestan and Karachayevo-Circassia. They are manned by
contract soldiers and total about 4,500 personnel.

Chabanov said the newly formed units would be equipped with special
weaponry and equipment developed for combat at high altitudes in
mountainous areas, including professional mountain-climbing equipment.

Russia currently deploys a military base in Gyumri, Armenia and
a military base near the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, which hosts the
5,000-strong 201st Motorized Rifle Division.

Moscow is also planning to open one base in Gudauta, in the west of
Abkhazia, and another in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia,
following a five-day war with Georgia over South Ossetia in August.

ARMENIA-RUSSIA INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION COMMISSION TO MEET IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
05.12.2008 11:02

The 15th sitting of the Armenia-Russia Interparliamentary Cooperation
Commission will kick off at the National Assembly of Armenia on
December 5.

The agenda includes the issue of participation of the members of
parliament of the two countries in the arrangements dedicated to the
20th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake. Opening speeches will be
delivered by the President of Parliament of the Republic of Armenia,
Hovik Abrahamyan, Co-Chair of the Armenia-Russia Interparliamentary
Cooperation Commission Nikolay Rizhkov and Vice-President of the
Russian State Duma Lyubov Sliska.

The same day members of the Russian delegation are expected to meet
with the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and have a
meeting at the Russian Embassy in Armenia.

On December 6 members of the delegation will be received by the
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and the Catholicos of All
Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II.

On December 7 members of the Commission will leave for Gyumri
to participate in the commemoration events dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of the earthquake of 1988.

The delegation will return to Moscow on December 8.

MINISTER OF DIASPORA MET WITH HEAD OF ARMENIAN DIOCESE IN GEORGIA

Lragir.am
18:40:05 – 02/12/2008

On December 2 the minister of the Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan met
with the primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia Bishop Vazgen
Mirzakhanyan and his representative to Javakheti Father Babken
Salbiyan.

The representatives of the Armenian clergy in Georgia presented the
state of the Armenian community in Georgia, as well as the issue
of churches misappropriated during the Soviet rule, and the recent
encroachment upon St.

Norashen Church in Tbilisi.

They also discussed the preservation of historical and cultural
monuments, renovation of schools in Javakheti, teaching of history
of the Armenian church at schools, as well as training of teachers.

REGULAR ISSUE OF "THE KARABAKHI COURIER" PUBLISHED

De Facto
Dec 2, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 02.12.08. DE FACTO. Regular issue of "The Karabakhi
courier" is in print, which is published in the NKR Permanent
Representation in Moscow.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the NKR MFA Press
Office, materials on the 17th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic recognition are featured here under the heading "Nagorno
Karabakh: yesterday and today". In his address to the people the NKR
President Bako Sahakian particularly mentioned that September 2 "has
opened a new page in Artsakh’s fate and laid down the foundations of
independent Armenian statehood restoration".

The NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossyan’s speech at the NKR
Parliament’s solemn sitting dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the
Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Ministry’s establishment is also placed in
the issue.

In "The Karabakhi courier" large space is given to the problem of the
Armenian refugees. The necessity to recognize on the international
level the right of refugees living in the NKR to have compensation for
material and moral harms is particularly mentioned in the materials.

NKR President Bako Sahakian’s interview to the RBK daily, in which the
head of state underlined the idea that without the NKR’s participation
the conflict settlement process could not be effective, is also
inserted in the=2 0regular issue of the publication.

A number of materials are devoted to the OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen’s
visit to Stepanakert, as well as to the fact of recognition of the
state independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia.

Interviews with experts and political scientists on the conflicts in
the South Caucasus are also published in this issue.

DIESEL FUEL PRICES INCREASE BY 11.4% IN ARMENIA IN NOVEMBER 2008 ON SAME MONTH OF 2007

Noyan Tapan

Dec 1, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Gasoline prices fell by 2.1%,
while diesel fuel prices grew by 11.4% in Armenia in November 2008
on November 2007.

According to the RA National Statistical Services, gasoline prices
fell by 11.9%, diesel fuel prices – by 11.7% in November on October
2008. Gasoline prices fell by 2.5%, diesel fuel prices grew by 6.2%
in November 2008 on December 2007.