Author: Tambiyan Samvel

EXPORT AND IMPORT OF GOODS BY MOTOR-TRANSPORT FROM ARMENIA IN DIRECTION
OF RUSSIA STOPPED

YEREVAN, JULY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Due to the closure of the Verin Lars
check-point on the border of Georgia and Russia, export and import
of goods by motor-transport from Armenia in this direction has
stopped. As RA Prime Minister declared in Batumi, the check-point
has been closed for already the third day and in all probability,
will open no sooner than in a month. Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed from RA Transport and Communication Ministry’s Press Service
that in response to the question of the Armenian side the Russian
side informed that the check-point was closed due to implementation
of reconstruction there.

Abkhaz Political Movement Opposes Railway Project

Civil Georgia, Georgia
July 8 2006

Abkhaz public-political movement Aidgilara (Unity) called on President
of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh to disavow a protocol on setting
up of the international consortium on Abkhaz railway rehabilitation,
Apsnypress news agency reported on July 7.

The protocol was signed by the Russian, Georgian, Abkhaz and Armenian
sides in Moscow this May to deal with a multi-million project to
rehabilitate the Abkhaz section of the Russian-Georgian railway.

On June 30 the Forum of Abkhaz People’s Unity, which includes three
opposition parties and nine public movements, also warned that
existing agreements on the railway project can undermine "the Abkhaz
sovereignty."

However, the Abkhaz government denounced the opposition’s allegations
as groundless and said that talks over the consortium are of
"consultative nature" and no legally binding agreements have been
signed yet.

WATER AGENCIES TAKE ACTION

Panorama.am
17:36 06/07/06

Low quality of water, degeneration of water system and losses in the
system are characteristic of Armenia and water agencies do not hide
that. The responsible parties have started to take the first steps
to tackle the problems.

Today government session approved draft law on National Program on
Water. Nature protection deputy minister Hakob Matinyan said shortly
after the session, the program envisages large scheme of building
water reservoirs. According to his estimates, 4.5-5 bln cubic meter
water will be saved if the scheme is implemented.

According to the deputy minister, all the events planned in the
program will be implemented within 30-40 years. However, he could not
say today how much money will be needed to accomplish the tasks. It
will be covered by the state budget, and international aid.

Short-term events are also planned in the draft running until the
year 2010.

PRESIDENT SIGNS LAWS ON "NATIONAL EMBLEM" AND "ON RA FLAG"

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jul 6 2006

YEREVAN, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 4, RA President
Robert Kocharian signed laws "On National Emblem," "On RA Flag,"
"On Copyright and Adjacent Rights."

As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA President’s Press Office, Robert
Kocharian also signed laws On Making Amendments and Additions to
RA Civil Code, Criminal Code, Criminal-Executive Code, Code of
Administrative Offences, law "On Administrative Division."

ONLY $3MLN NEEDED TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA: A. SADOYAN

Panorama.am
15:11 04/07/06

Only $3 mln is needed to conduct parliamentary elections in Armenia and
not $6 or $7 mln that USA is ready to provide to our country, Block
of National Democrats leader Arshak Sadoyan told a press conference
today. Sadoyan again proposed to introduce electronic control of
elections and estimation of votes. In his words, the electronic system
will cost $500-700 thousand on Armenian authorities. The party also
proposes to hold trainings for election committee members. "We propose
to open about 200 offices and train some 15,000 people with the help
of international organizations," he said.

In the words of leader of national democrats, there is no free and
objective TV channel in Armenia. "National TV channel dare to talk
freely only to the extent that it does not bring to dire consequences,"
he said.

Therefore, he proposes European democratic states to rent at least
for one hour the air of one of TV channels. In his estimates this
will cost $700-800 thousand. He also proposes to rent one of FM radio
channels.

UK REPORTER BARRED FROM RUSSIA ON SECURITY GROUNDS

Reuters, UK
July 3 2006

MOSCOW, July 3 (Reuters) – Russia has refused a visa to a British
journalist well-known for his coverage of Chechnya and the turbulent
Caucasus, citing the needs of "state security".

Thomas de Waal, who has previously worked in Moscow for the
English-language Moscow Times, the BBC and the Times, said on Monday
he had been due to attend the presentation of a Russian version of
his book on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

But the Federal Migration Service refused him a visa.

The service was not available for comment on Monday but in its letter
refusing the application, which was obtained by Reuters, it cited
a 1996 law that says a visa can be refused "in the aims of securing
state security".

De Waal said he had cooperated with Russian officials in the past
on Nagorno-Karabakh, a South Caucasus region officially part of
Azerbaijan but ruled by Armenians, and did not believe they would
bar him for his views on the conflict.

"This clearly has to be because of the other main thing that I write
about, which is Chechnya," de Waal, 39, told Reuters by telephone
from London.

Russian officials have been very sensitive about Western criticism of
the war in Chechnya, where they have struggled to crush separatism
for more than a decade, and local journalists have been prosecuted
for sympathising with the rebels.

President Vladimir Putin in 2002 said a foreign journalist critical
of Russia’s policy in the region become a Muslim and be circumcised
"in such a way that nothing grows back".

Russia barred U.S. channel ABC news from Russia after it ran an
interview with Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.

Press freedom groups say Russia tries to intimidate journalists into
only reporting the Kremlin view on Chechnya. A Russian journalist in
February was convicted of provoking racial hatred after he printed
articles by rebel leaders.

De Waal is best known in Russia for appearing as an expert witness for
the defence at the extradition trial of rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev
in London. He said this could be behind his failure to get a visa.

The British court in 2003 declined to extradite Zakayev, giving him
political asylum instead — a move that infuriated Moscow, which
calls Zakayev a terrorist.

"It is possible that the wheels turn rather slowly, or that this is
a cumulative account of things I have done over the last 10 years,"
de Waal said. He last visited Russia in January 2005.

JULY 5 ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO LEAVE FOR IRAN ON WORKING VISIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2006 13:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ July 5-6 Armenian leader Robert Kocharian will pay
a working visit to Iran, Armenian President’s Spokesperson Victor
Soghomonyan told PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, the schedule of
meetings, the final format of Kocharian’s visit and the composition
of the delegation are being specified still.

The Standard, Kenya
July 1 2006

Brothers travelled with shared passport

By PATRICK MATHANGANI and BIKETI KIKECHI

The Artur passports mystery deepened yesterday as it emerged they
used the same travel document at least once and were cleared by the
Immigration Department.

Also, when they were kicked out of Kenya, none of the names in their
air tickets corresponded with the names in the deportation order
signed by Immigration minister, Gideon Konchella.

It was further revealed that when Artur Sagarsyan was deported,
immigration officials gave him a travel certificate exclusively
reserved for Kenyans wishing to travel within East Africa.

This means Sagarsyan can still travel to Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania
until July 9, the expiry date of the certificate that should have
been valid only for the day he travelled.

The principal Immigration Officer in charge of Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport, Mr John Cheruiyot, said despite the security
issue raised by the discrepancies, the Arturs were still allowed to
travel.

JKIA is regarded as Kenya’s most secure airport, and travellers are
extensively vetted before boarding planes. Cheruiyot admitted that if
such discrepancies had been noted on a foreigner entering the
country, he or she would have been turned back. When the Armenians
finally left, no records were kept at JKIA to show they had been
deported.

"Our system does not capture deportation. Anybody going through the
system won’t know if they were deported," Cheruiyot told the
commission sitting at Kenyatta International Conference Centre.

Despite the inconsistencies in their travel tickets, Kenya Airways
allowed the foreigners to travel, following consultations with the
immigration department, he said.

Evidence adduced by businessman Raju Sangani showed the two first
came to Kenya on November 10, 2005. Sangani sent his `acquaintances’
to meet them at the airport.

However, Cheruiyot said records at the Immigration Department show
while Artur Margaryan came to Kenya on the said date, Sargasyan
arrived on December 13, 2005.

He produced the records showing the Arturs’ movement in and out of
Kenya from the first day to the date they were deported.

Instead, the records show it was a man named Arthur Gevorkyan who
accompanied Margaryan to Kenya on November 10. It emerged that this
is the passport Sargasyan had used when he first came to Kenya in the
company of Margaryan on November 10.

When he was finally deported, Margaryan used Gevorkyan’s passport,
meaning the two brothers used the same passport on different dates
and were cleared to travel.

Cheruiyot told the commission of inquiry investigating the conduct of
the Artur brothers that he was learning for the first time about how
they kept changing their identities. "After looking at these records,
I realise they played a trick," Cheruiyot told a hushed sitting.
Records further show none of the Artur’s travelled on the day they
held a press conference at JKIA’s VIP lounge, which is reserved for
senior people in the Government and dignitaries.

On that day, (March 13, 2006) records show it was the man named as
Gevorkyan who arrived from Dubai.

Cheruiyot said Kenya does not have a document to issue to deportees.
In the case of Sargasyan, officials had to improvise and gave him one
reserved for Kenyans travelling in East Africa, he said.

He explained that they forgot to cancel the segment that gave
Sargasyan the go ahead to return.

Cyprus Observer, Cyprus
June 30 2006

Enlargement fatigue but only for Turkey

30.06.2006

Showing off to their public, the French government seeks to impose
EU’s `absorption capacity’ as a new condition for further EU
enlargements.

By Umut Uras

It is a regular method for EU member state governments to blame their
own failures on the European Union (EU). Actually it has become a
regular tool for governments to use the EU as a scapegoat.
For example, a government could secretly lobby for a positive
decision in the Council of Ministers through alternative methods,
whereas it could vote against it just to satisfy public opinion. Or
similarly, when a decision is certain according to qualified majority
voting, again it can vote against it only to satisfy public opinion
and increase its reputation. France’s stance towards Turkey’s
membership is a good example.

Absorption capacity
The ‘absorption capacity’ of the EU is regularly quoted by EU leaders
these days, but only for Turkey. In the last gigantic enlargement the
public did not hear much about this additional Maastricht criterion,
because the EU was willing to absorb these countries, including
Poland with a population of 40 million and 20% unemployment. In the
conclusions of the 1993 Copenhagen Summit, it was not defined
properly, an issue the EU leaders are working on after enlarging from
12 to 25 since 1993.
However, after the 2004 Central and Eastern European enlargement the
term has become very popular. The Commission quoted the ‘absorption
capacity’ in the new enlargement strategy publicized in December
2005. And in March 2006, the European Parliament requested a clear
definition of this criterion in its report on the Commission’s
enlargement strategy.

French example of playing to public
France’s stance towards Turkey on the issue of absorption capacity is
a good example how the EU governments are using the EU as a tool to
increase political reputations. It is a known fact that in some EU
countries, most significantly France, Turkey’s membership is not
welcomed. However, it is also obvious that Turkey’s membership of the
EU is in the interest of French businesses. Before the Foreign Direct
Investment boom in Turkey that came after the EU bid finally got
serious, for a few years French firms did the highest investment in
Turkey. Today, the trade level between the two countries is more than
10 billion euros per year. Turkey is also among the target countries
for investment according to statements made by the French Foreign
Trade Minister, Christine Lagarde. France made a huge Airbus deal
with Turkey in the past and is regularly interested in military
weapons bids.
We all saw what happened with the Armenian genocide bill that
awakened a huge reaction in Turkey. The French National Assembly
postponed debate and a controversial bill sponsored by the opposition
Socialist Party until at least October after being threatened with
trade sanctions by Turkey.
At the European Council that took place on 15-16 June, the French
suggested bringing a thorough definition to the absorption capacity
of the EU. It was only fully supported by South Cyprus for obvious
reasons. Even euro-sceptic Denmark rejected bringing an extra
condition for enlargements. As a result, France’s view that the
definition of the EU’s absorption capacity should cover the
democratic, institutional, political and financial ability of the EU
to absorb new members was not shared by the rest of the EU. French
President Jacques Chirac went even further and said that the
political ability of the EU is concerned with the views of the
populations, which should "be able to say if they accept or not."
This approach provides a new criterion to be a member of the EU, as
there was no public voting for Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the
other new EU member states, as there will be for Turkey. Southeastern
Balkan states will probably also be included in the deal because of
Turkey, if and when this additional criterion is realized.

Olli Rehn’s statement
Just after the enlargement discussions during the Summit in Brussels,
Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner responsible for Enlargement, made a
call on Monday to European leaders to promote enlargement to their
public and not to make the enlargement of the EU a scapegoat for
their own policy failures like in the issues of unemployment and
globalisation. He also argued that Europeans are often "more
rational" than their governments, adding that the absorption of the
new member states has been a success story, uniting a Continent
previously divided by the Cold War.

RIA Novosti, Russia
June 30, 2006

Russia says completes 60 criminal cases on WMD technologies

MOSCOW, June 30 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s main security service has
completed about 60 cases against Russians, foreigners and firms that
were interested in technologies for the production of weapons of mass
destruction, a senior official said Friday.

"We have completed about 60 cases against 30 Russians, foreign
citizens and firms that were interested in such information or tried
to obtain access to it," said Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the
Federal Security Service’s economic security strategic department.

In particular, Bortnikov said that during a joint Russian-U.S.
security operation, operatives arrested an Iranian-born U.S. citizen
attempting to receive sensitive information about the development of
nuclear weapons.

Also, a joint effort involving security services of Russia, Georgia,
Armenia and the U.S. led to the arrest of a Russian citizen who was
trying to smuggle 160 grams of enriched uranium out of Russia, the
official said.