Author: Tamamian Anna

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Jan 28 2005

OSCE FACT-FINDING MISSION ARRIVES IN BAKU
[January 28, 2005, 17:36:52]

The OSCE fact-finding mission has arrived in Baku to carry out
investigations on illegal settlement of the Armenians in Nagorny
Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia. On
January 28, the OSCE co-chairs and head of the mission met with the
foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov.

After the meeting, the Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov disclosed
that the Azerbaijan side has presented detailed information on
illegal settlement of the Armenians. The meeting with Mr. Elmar
Mammadyarov was useful, the Russian co-chair said.

Yuri Merzlyakov said, as agreed earlier, the mission would carry out
investigations in all the occupied seven regions of Azerbaijan around
the Nagorny Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the OSCE Acting Chairman’s
personal envoy, ambassador Andzey Kaspshik will accompany the
fact-finding mission comprising representatives of Italy, Germany,
Sweden and Finland. The mission to carry out a weeklong investigation
on January 29 will go to Yerevan, and then to the occupied Khankendi.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
January 25, 2005 Tuesday 9:48 AM Eastern Time

PACE calls for settlement of Karabakh conflict

By Yuri Ulyanovsky

STRASBOURG

Ten years after the end of the hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh the
conflict in this region is not settled yet, the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said on Tuesday.

In a PACE resolution that was adopted after the discussion of a
report on settlement of the Karabakh conflict within the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group the PACE supported the work of the group, called
on Azerbaijan and Armenia to keep going on the way to reconciliation
and proposed to delegations of the countries to discuss the
negotiating process at PACE sessions.

The PACE instructed the secretary general of the Council of Europe to
prepare the plan of actions to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan in this
process.

Russia has never taken the side of Armenia or Azerbaijan in the
Karabakh conflict, chairman of the State Duma Committee for
International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev told Itar-Tass.

“As for arms supplies, Russia cannot be reproached of any bias. We
supply armaments to Armenia and Azerbaijan and fulfill equally our
commitments to both sides,” he pointed out.

“As for Tuesday’s resolution on settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
we worked on this project with our colleagues from Armenian and
Azerbaijani delegations, found common language on many issues and
reached compromise agreements,” Kosachev remarked.

The News International
Jan 21 2005

Turkey and the EU: a foot in the door?

Dr Maqsudul Hasan Nuri

The 25-member European Union’s decision this past December to start
talks with Turkey in October 2005 are a step towards Turkey gaining
full European Union membership. Accorded associate membership in
1962, its almost forty-year long wait to enter the EU club has much
to do with its history, culture, geography and economy.

Geographically, Turkey straddles the continents of Europe and Asia
with 97 percent of landmass within Asia and only three percent in
Europe. Although an extension of Asia and the Middle East, it has had
a European countenance since the Byzantine Empire.

The EU’s 35 sovereign states have a common denominator in the
Christian heritage of Roman and Greek civilisations. Turkey is “not
an inheritor of cultural contributor of ancient Greece and Rome, has
not experienced Reformation and Renaissance,” remarked Valery Giscard
d’Estaing, the former French President and President of European
Commission, expressing apprehensions that its entry may contribute to
Muslim fundamentalism in Europe. Many Europeans share these views.
Despite President Chirac’s approval, nearly 67 percent of French
oppose Turkish entry into the EU. Germany, which since World War II
has had a large Turkish population, is as sceptical.

Turkey’s human rights record may be a factor in this situation.
Amnesty International (2004) has reported its discriminatory policies
towards opposition, women, and ethnic and religious minorities, and
the treatment meted out to the Kurd minority. Atrocities perpetrated
under the Ottoman rulers are also brought up, like the Armenian
genocide of 1915-17. Turkish military role, despite its secular
traditions, also raises eyebrows.

France, Denmark and Austria thus suggest only a “privileged
partnership” status instead of full membership. But Turkey has many
assets. With a population of 78.8 million, it is the largest
contributor to NATO forces and a willing peacekeeper in many theatres
of global conflict — Herzegovina in 1995, Kosovo in 1999 and ISAF in
Afghanistan since 2001. During the four decades of Cold War, it acted
as a reliable and redoubtable shield against the Communist threat.
The Kemalist tradition has enabled it to follow a secular,
constitutional, parliamentary democracy. With proximity and cultural
interconnectedness, it has worked hard to be part of Europe – as a
member of Council of Europe since 1949, NATO since 1952 and part of
the European Custom Union since January 1996.

The Islamic government of Justice and Development Party (AKP) under
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repackaged itself as “Muslim
Democrats” a la European Christian Democrats. Raised in a poor
Istanbul neighbourhood, the charismatic firebrand Erdogan once
thundered: “The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the
minarets our bayonets, and the faithful are our warriors.” Yet in the
last two years his government has rewritten two-fifth of the
Constitution, repealed the death penalty, brought the army decisively
under political control, granted language rights to the Kurds,
promoted free speech and liberalised the economy.

Situated on the cusp of Asia and Europe, Turkey can act as a
bridgehead between Islamic and Western civilisations. With an
increased role in an expanding NATO and greater scope for economic
interaction, it will bring vitality to the EU. It is also seen as a
useful player in the global war against terrorism. (Napoleon
Bonaparte once observed that if there was a Pan-European state
Istanbul will be its capital.)

The Ottoman Empire’s record of dealing with minorities was generally
benign (it was the Christians who persecuted the Jews and hounded
them out of their homes). It is said that Turks have “tolerance in
their bones.” Present day Turkey, like Indonesia, represents moderate
Islam and bears least sympathy for al-Qaeda. The government’s agenda
is to root out corruption and Western style immorality.

Europe’s GDP is about $11 trillion like the US. Presently a “soft
power”, with induction it is getting larger. New members in 2007,
Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, have a lower capita income than
Turkey. The next candidate may well be Ukraine. Turkish entry would
mean an increase in Europe’s population, resources and military clout
that may somewhat offset US hegemony. The EU has no ambition to
either become a superpower or turn hostile towards the US, but the
latter has to understand that this “lure of membership” is a
testament to EU’s increasing magnetic pull.

Yet Turkey’s road to full membership is fraught with pitfalls and
will be long and bumpy. The “yes” for accession talks has to be
followed up by Turkey’s recognition of Greek Cyprus, as well as
speeded up economic, political, social and economic reforms within
the coming decade.

The writer is Senior Research Fellow, Islamabad Policy Research
Institute (IPRI). Email: [email protected]

DEUTSCHE BANK MAY BECOME SHAREHOLDER OF RUSSIAN VNESHTORGBANK
CONTROLLING OVER ARMSAVINGSBANK

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21. ARMINFO. The largest financial institution in
Germany, Deutsche Bank, intends to considerably expand its activity in
Russia by purchasing ten percent of the shares of the Russian
Vneshtorgbank, which has been fully state structure so far. A German
newspaper “Handelsblatt” reports referring to Head of Vneshtorgbank
Andrey Kostin. Thus, Deutsche Bank will become shareholder of
Vneshtorgbank, the owner of 70% of shares of the Armenian
Armsavingsbank.

It should be noted that Vneshtorgbank gained control over
Armsavingsbank in March, 2004. Vneshtorgbank plans $100-150 mln
financial injections. Part of these funds will be provided in terns of
a subordinated credit. Armsavingsbank’s assets make up over $82 mln at
present, with its total capital being $74 mln. The bank’s profit in
2004 totaled $1.9 mln. Chairman of the bank’s Board Alexander Vardanov
said that one of the key tasks of the banks was support to the
infrastructural programs implemented by Gazprom and RAO UES in
Armenia.

Vneshtorgbank is the largest commercial bank of Russia as to its
authorized capital, which totaled 42.1 bln RUR in the middle of
2004. According to data of Venshorgbank, own funds of the bank totaled
65.3 bln RUR and net assets – 356.4 bln RUR on October 1,
2004. Venshtorgbank is one of the largest creditors of Russian
economy.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 20 2005

Russian Foreign Minister expected

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to pay his first
official visit to Azerbaijan in mid-February as part of his tour of
the South Caucasus region.

Issues related to regional cooperation, prospects for bilateral
relations, as well as to the Upper Garabagh conflict and the Caspian
legal status will be discussed during the visit.
Besides Azerbaijan, the Russian official is also scheduled to visit
Armenia and Georgia. Several agreements on withdrawal of Russian
military bases from Georgia are to be signed during Lavrov’s visit to
this country.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Jan 14 2005

Armenia Hails Progress in Transport Cooperation with Georgia

A report issued by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, which overviews
the country’s foreign policy in 2004, reads that progress made in
transport cooperation with Georgia is a main achievement of last year
in the relations between the two countries, RIA Novosti news agency
reported.

The report underlines the special importance of the trilateral
agreement between Armenia, Georgia and Russia over launching a rail
ferry service between the Georgian port of Poti and Russian port of
Kavkaz, which is scheduled to start in January, 2005. The route will
replace the currently operating ferry service between Poti and the
Ukrainian port of Ilichevsk.

Armenia expects to benefit a lot from this direct link with Russia.
It is expected that the rail ferry service will reduce the price of
transportation of cargo from Armenia to Russia by 30%. Armenia also
used the Poti-Ilichevsk rail ferry service.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 13 2005

Military action possible if diplomacy fails – political analyst

Azerbaijan has considerably stepped up its diplomacy in 2004 in the
area of settling the Upper Garabagh conflict, Director of the Center
for Political Innovations and Technologies Mubariz Ahmadoglu told
AssA-Irada. This was manifested both in peace talks and building the
army.
`Since the Azerbaijani President pays greater attention to
strengthening the military, this process is carried out
purposefully.’
The political analyst continued that if no diplomatic success is
achieved early in 2005 and Armenia does not comply with Azerbaijan’s
demands, the latter will choose the military action alternative.
`If the peace talks assume a practical nature, this could be
considered as initial success which will allow continuing the
negotiations. Otherwise, the diplomacy will weaken, which in turn,
will lead to stepping up the military process.’
Although early last year Armenia rejected the `from a scratch’ and
`stage-
by-stage’ options of conflict resolution, as the year drew to an end
this country started to favor the latter alternative. It is not by
mere chance that late last year, an expert on the `stage-by-stage’
conflict settlement Baiburdyan, who earlier headed a department at
the Armenian Foreign Ministry, was appointed deputy foreign minister.
This shows that Armenia, under pressure from the international
community and Azerbaijan’s active diplomacy, is making changes to its
policy.*

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Relief Society of Western U.S.A. Inc.
Regional Executive
517 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91202-2812
Telephone: (818) 500-1343
Fax: (818) 242-3732
e-mail: [email protected]
Webpage:

ARS Campaigns for Tsunami Victims

In response to the devastating Tsunami in South-East Asia, the
Armenian Relief Society of Western USA (ARS-WR) calls on its
supportive communities to respond with generous hearts to a
special ARS Tsunami Fund.

“How can we as Armenians not remember the generosity of the world
community when the entire world opened their hearts and gave
tremendous support following the 1988 Spitak earthquake that took
the lives of thousands?” asked Ung. Angela Savoian, Chair, ARS-WR
Regional Executive. She added, “In turn, we must do our part in
helping the victims of this overwhelming disaster that has left
millions in parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand,
Malaysia and the Maldives in such dire straits.”

The ARS Central Executive, based in Boston, Massachusetts has
already made a contribution to the American Red Cross and
appealed to its entities in 24 countries to mobilize their
membership and communities to also provide assistance.

During the ARS-WR regional membership Christmas party on January
4, 2005, at the St. Mary Armenian Church Hall in Glendale, Ung.
Angela Savoian, Chair of the ARS-WR Regional Executive, announced
the start of the campaign for the tsunami victims to the ARS
membership for the first time. Following her announcement, the
members who gathered from chapters across the Southland from San
Diego to the San Fernando Valley, observed a moment of silence
for the 160,000 victims of the tragedy.

On January 15, 2005, the ARS-WR headquarters, at 517 W. Glenoaks,
Glendale, CA 91202-2812, will have volunteers ready to accept
monetary donations for the ARS Tsunami Fund, which are tax-
deductible. Local dignitaries and the press are invited to come
to the center at 3:00 pm. We urge donors to mail their donations,
or attend the day-long (10:00 am to 6:00 pm) fundraising campaign

ARSwestUSA.org

NKR PRESIDENT INCITES DASHNAKTSUTYUN TO OPPOSITION, STATES CENTRAL
COMMITTEE OF ARTSAKH ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN

STEPANAKERT, December 30 (Noyan Tapan). The Central Committee of
Artsakh Dashnaktsutyun is sure that the recent personnel changes
carried out by the NKR President are of political character, which is
considered as an uneasy precedent for the home political developments
in the republic, and thinks that it is necessary to make this public
and present their position. In its statement of December 29 the
Central Committee of ARF Dashnaktsutyun reminds that NKR President
Arkady Ghoukassian, speaking before the state, economic and political
active members on December 16, complained of the work of the medium
executive link, pointing at the bribe-taking cases in the state
bodies, as well as he mentioned the importance of the structural and
personnel changes. “According to at least obscure logics, Arkady
Ghoukassian recently had a meeting with Minister of Education, Culture
and Sport Armen Sargsian, a member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, and
thanked him for the effective activities. At the same time he reported
about his dismissal of the post of the Minister, suggesting to work as
the NKR President’s Adviser,” reads the document. The Central
Committee of the NKR Dashnaktsutyun turned down this proposal. The
Central Committee of Artsakh Dashnaktsutyun explains this step of the
NKR President by the parliamentary elections to be held in 2005,
“considering the presence of a member of the independent party within
the government as inexpediency.” Regardless of the fact that “the
President tries to give the impression that the dismissal of the
Minister is the consequence of his previous statement”, nevertheless
according to members of Artsakh Dashnaktsutyun, “as a matter of fact
A. Ghoukassian is given no rest by the comparative success of
Dashnaktsutyun and other democratic forces in the past local
elections.” During the recent years Dashnaktsutyn didn’t always
consent to the home policies of Arkady Ghoukassian, “but it always
extended a hand of cooperation, proceeding, first of all, from the
interests of Artsakh and its people.” The authors of the statement
express regret that “on this important stage the NKR head couldn’t
apprehend the complete sense of his mission and be on the
corresponding height”: “Hr couldn’t become a symbol of unity and
solidarity. Owing to his this step the Artsakh President, in fact,
incites the progressive political force, Dashnaktsutyun to
opposition. The home and international values of free, legal and
democratic elections aren’t also comprehended in Artaksh.” The Central
Committee of Artsakh Dashnaktsutyun states that in response to the
“NKR President’s political step against ARF Dashnaktsutyun” it decided
to recall representatives of ARF Dashnaktsutyun to the executive
power. At the same time, without considering the break of the
relations at the present moment as inexpedient, the party decided to
keep the ARF representative at the Security Council attached to the
NKR President. “In case of the unwilling development of relations in
the future, the responsibility will be on NKR President Arkady
Ghoukassian,” reads the statement.

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 31 2004

Iran and Armenia begin building gas pipeline

Russian newspaper Promishlenie Vedomosti reports that after more than
10 years negotiations and agreements Armenia and Iran have begun work
on a 141 km gas pipeline linking the two countries. The preliminary
cost of the project totals USD 210-220 million.
Starting from 2007, Armenia will receive 36 billion cubic meters of
Iranian “blue fuel” over the following 20 years, and in return for
this they will pay for it with their energy. According to experts,
the Armenian-Iranian gas deal satisfies both countries.
Armenia will have an alternative source of energy in two years and
with this will increase its energy security. Having its own fuel and
energy resources, Armenia receives the gas only from Russia, but as
analysts note, the gas pipeline through Georgia is in a very bad
technical condition and needs serious repair and modernization.
Teheran, meanwhile, hopes that the implementation of the gas project
will give it the possibility to play a stronger role in the South
Caucasus. Iran has better political and economic relations with
Armenia than with other Caucasus countries and hopes that the
pipeline will be continued to Georgia.
This would also give it the possibility of transporting gas via the
pipeline to the Black Sea and Ukraine and from there to Europe,
allowing it to become an important player in the European energy
market. Needless to say, the Russian newspaper writes, Moscow sources
say that the Russian administration is far from delighted at the
prospect of a new competitor in the European market, where it
effectively enjoys a monopoly position.
President of Armenia Robert Kocharian was referring to Russia’s
monopoly when he stated recently that the transit of Iranian gas to
Europe through Armenian is connected with “certain difficulties.” The
diameter of the Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline will be of such a size
that it will be impossible to send a huge volume of “blue fuel” from
Iran for further transportation to third countries.
The inability to export vast quantities of Iranian gas has caused
strong Moscow support for the project, with Deputy Chair of Gazprom
Alexander Riazanov saying the gas giant will help construct the
pipeline. “The technical-economic substantiation of the future gas
pipeline Iran-Armenia is already ready,” he says, and in Yerevan it
is believes that Gazprom may finance the second stage of the project.