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| June 2 |
During the second party congress of
the People's Party of Armenia, the junior partner of the Republican
Party in the dominant parliamentary Unity Bloc, Chairman Stepan Demirchian
states that the People's Party has some serious differences with some
of the
decisions adopted by its partner Republican Party. Demirchian
specifically questions the implementation of the government's privatization
program and the veracity of the investigation into the events of the
October 1999 attack on parliament which killed
his father, Parliamentary Chairman Garen Demirchian and several other
senior government figures. Despite recent defections, the Unity
Bloc remains the largest bloc in parliament, with the People's Party
holding 19 seats and the Republican Party 25. |
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June 2 - 8
|
President Robert Kocharian embarked
Tuesday on a three-day visit to Brussels, Belgium to hold a series
of meetings with leading officials of the European Union and NATO
in an effort to link Armenia more closely to Europe. In an interview
before leaving for the Belgian capital, Kocharian noted that Armenia
is "taking practical steps to move closer to European institutions"
and that this was a "natural" process for the 10-year-old
republic. Kocharian also emphasized that Armenia's "aims and
approaches to the development and strengthening of democracy are congruent"
with those of Europe.
On Wednesday, Kocharian met with North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) Secretary General Lord George Robertson at NATO headquarters
in Brussels. Kocharian and Robertson discussed Armenia's ongoing participation
in NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) and ways in which Armenia can
increase its activity in the program. Robertson called Armenia a valuable
part of the PfP. The two also discussed issues related to regional
cooperation and security. Kocharian briefed Robertson on the recent
summit held in Yerevan of the six member states of the Collective
Security Treaty (CST). Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Defense
Minister Serge Sargsian said Armenia's relations with CST and NATO
are complementary and form the basis of Armenia's defense concept.
Also on Wednesday, Kocharian met with president of the European Commission
Romano Prodi. In addition to the conflict in Nagorno Karabagh, the
leaders discussed trade relations between the European Union (EU)
and Armenia as well as EU aid programs. The EU is Armenia's largest
trading partner, accounting for nearly 40 percent of Armenia's annual
external turnover. Kocharian expressed Armenia's readiness to further
"enlarge and deepen relations" with the EU and stressed
the importance of the partnership in terms of economic development
and reforms. A meeting of the Armenia-EU cooperation committee will
convene in Yerevan on June 15 within the framework of the Cooperation
and Partnership Agreement signed in 1996. While in Brussels, Kocharian
was also scheduled to meet with President of the European Parliament
Nicole Fontaine, EU's Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten,
Belgian Crown Prince Phillip and ministers of the Belgian government. |
| June 2 - 8 |
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit
reportedly announced this week that Turkey will not establish bilateral
relations with Armenia until Armenian forces unconditionally withdraw
from Nagorno Karabagh and a security corridor is opened between Azerbaijan
and Nakhichevan. The comments, made during a meeting with visiting
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, mark the first time that Turkey
has publicly set the creation of a security corridor as another precondition
for establishing relations with Armenia. Analysts believe it indicates
a toughening of Ankara's attitude. In his meeting with the Turkish
prime minister, Rumsfeld stressed the need for normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations as a prerequisite for achieving stability in the Caucasus
region.
In a related story, Peter Narey, a senior consultant at the World
Trade Organization (WTO), said this week that WTO rules prohibit member
states from imposing economic blockades on one another and require
them to guarantee free transit of cargoes through their territory.
This would require Turkey to lift its nearly decade-long blockade
of Armenia when the latter becomes a member of the Geneva-based organization.
Senior government officials in Armenia predict that Armenia's accession
to the global organization will take place by the end of this year.
"It would be very difficult for Turkey to maintain a prohibition
on Armenian transit," Narey stated at a seminar in Yerevan on
the implications of Armenia's acceptance into the WTO. "Turkey
is a member of the WTO and I don't see how it can justify such policy." |
| June 2 - 8 |
The Central Bank of Armenia inaugurated
a new bank card system last week. The Armenian Card company (ArCa),
a group consisting of the Central Bank and ten private banks in Armenia,
hope to issue approximately 20,000 plastic cards by the end of this
year according to Central Bank chairman Tigran Sargsian. In addition
ArCa will oversee the installation of about 200 automatic teller machines
(ATM's) in Yerevan within the next month. ArCa became a full member
of the Europay International system last December and will receive
an international certificate in September. Customers will be able
to withdraw cash in Armenia from bank accounts in 135 countries. It
will also enable ArCa member banks to issue and service Visa, MasterCard/EuroCard,
and American Express credit cards. The US Agency for International
Development is the project's primary sponsor. The first two cards
were presented to President Robert Kocharian and US Ambassador to
Armenia Michael Lemmon.
The Central Bank also issued a new 50,000 dram (approximately $91)
banknote. In celebration of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity
as Armenia's state religion, a picture of Holy Etchmiadzin graces
the front of the banknote while images of Mt. Ararat and St. Gregory
the Illuminator appear on the back. Central Bank spokesman Gevorg
Tumanian stated that demand for banknotes of higher value was increasing.
Until now, the banknote of the highest denomination in Armenia was
20,000 dram. |
| June 2 - 8 |
Minister of State Revenue Andranik
Manukian said at a press conference last Friday that his ministry
had collected 15.7 billion Armenian dram ($28.6 mln.) in taxes and
custom duties for the month of May, almost 5 billion dram more than
for the same period last year. The ministry had originally projected
a collection of 14 billion dram for the month. In the first five months
of this year, the ministry had accumulated 61.7 billion dram, 20 percent
more than during the same period last year. Manukian stated that the
ministry is on track to meet its six-month target of 78.2 billion
dram ($142 mln.). The minister said he will continue the crackdown
on the country's shadow economy. Manukian believes that if at least
half of the shadow economy is incorporated into the tax field, the
ministry should be able to collect 18 billion dram in monthly taxes
and duties. |
| June 5 - 6 |
Armenian Minister for Privatization
Davit Vartanian and a delegation of Swiss investors are forcibly prevented
from entering the Ararat cement factory compound by a group of employees
and guards. The Swiss investors are interested in purchasing
the
factory, one of fourteen large state-owned firms slated to be privatized
this year. Former Prime Minister Aram Sarkisian operates the
Ararat factory, having assumed the position from his brother, the
late Vazgen Sarkisian. The inspection is carried out
the next day with police intervention. |
| June 5 - 9 |
During an official state visit to
Belgium, President Robert Kocharian meets in Brussels with the European
Union's (EU) Commissioner for Foreign and Security Policy, Javier
Solano, to
discuss the planned expansion of EU-Armenian relations and to review
negotiations over the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. The EU is supporting
the OSCE-led mediation process and holds a key role in the planned
reconstruction and reintegration of the region once a
resolution is achieved. Kocharian also meets with European Commission
President Romano Prodi and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Secretary-General Lord George Robertson during his visit. |
| June 7 - 10 |
Russian State Duma Speaker Gennadii
Seleznev meets with President Kocharian and other senior government
officials during a visit to Yerevan. Seleznev discusses issues
related to bilateral relations and reviews what he terms the "strategic
partnership"
between the two countries, including the status of the Russian military
bases in Armenia. Armenian officials dismiss two Seleznev suggestions
during the meetings, specifically Russia's invitation to Armenia to
join the Belarus-Russian Union and that Russian be made the "second
official language". |
| June 8 |
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) official Hrand Markarian issues a statement warning that the
ARF will stand opposed to any concessions to Azerbaijan that it sees
as "a danger to national security." He suggests that
the Nagorno Karabagh government should "declare its sovereignty"
over all districts it holds outside of the Karabagh borders in order
to maximize its negotiating position and should not withdraw its troops
from those areas at this time. Markarian declares
that the ARF will refrain from any action that damages political stability,
but calls on the Kocharian government to make the details of the peace
process public. |
| June 9 - 15 |
Azerbaijani KGB Chief Namik Abbasov
said this week that Azerbaijan will begin what he termed "anti-terrorist
operations on the occupied territoriesİ once domestic and international
public opinion is ready for it." One of many recent calls for
war by top Azerbaijani officials, Abbasov's statement was made as
a Turkish military delegation was visiting Baku. Since the beginning
of this year, at least ten senior Turkish defense and security officials
have visited Azerbaijan. The head of the General Staff of the Turkish
Armed Forces Husseyin Kivrikoglu is expected to visit Baku to sign
a comprehensive bilateral military agreement in the near future. Analysts
believe Azerbaijan sees Turkish military assistance as a way to make
its war threats more credible and thus strengthen its position at
the negotiating table.
The Turkish Ambassador in Baku Kadri Evcet Tezcan confirmed last week's
reports that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has now added a new precondition
to normalizing ties with Armenia. In addition to Armenian withdrawal
from Karabagh and abandonment of the campaign for Armenian Genocide
recognition, Turkey now demands that a "security corridor"
be established on Armenian territory. Tezcan called the Meghri district
that lies on Armenia's border with Iran "an Azerbaijani land
some time ago" and said Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan should be
linked together. Azerbaijan said it was encouraged by Turkish officials,
who essentially presented a territorial claim to Armenia on Azerbaijan's
behalf.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian called Ankara's new demand
"unacceptable and absurd" and stated again that normalization
of relations between Armenia and Turkey should not be connected to
other countries. Oskanian also expressed regret that Ankara's signals
earlier this year that it would soften its policy on Armenia turned
out to be a public relations move designed to prevent more Western
countries from officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
Oskanian remained hopeful, however, that progress could still be achieved
in the Karabagh peace process and said Armenia remained committed
to agreements reached in negotiations with Azerbaijan earlier this
year. He urged mediators from France, Russia and the United States
to "eliminate newly created complications" that are hampering
the talks. Some regional analysts suggested that these complications
may be directly linked to the hard-line Turkish position. In this
case Turkey would be directly responsible for derailing a two-year
process begun by Presidents Robert Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev and
presently endorsed by the US President George W. Bush and Secretary
of State Colin Powell.
So far, Armenian leaders blamed only Azerbaijan for the impasse. The
President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic (NKR) Arkady Ghoukasian
said during a two-day working visit to Yerevan earlier this week that
Azerbaijan was at fault for reneging on agreements developed by the
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Paris and Key West, Florida.
Ghoukasian's political advisor Manvel Sargsian told an Armenian newspaper
last week that NKR's participation is essential if talks are to resume.
He said that issues connected to the withdrawal of forces and demarcation
of borders must be discussed by NKR and Azerbaijan, since they would
be the implementing parties to any agreement. But in Armenia and Karabagh
sentiment remains strong that return of territories now controlled
by NKR defense forces is unacceptable at a time when Azerbaijan and
Turkey continue to present unrealistic demands instead of moving towards
compromise.
Hrant Markarian, who is a senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF - Dashnaktsutiun), called on NKR to declare sovereignty
over territories that it now administers, but that lay outside the
former Nagorno Karabagh autonomy. Another ARF member and former military
commander Petros Meghrian urged Armenian leaders to make the return
of Shaumian district, occupied by Azerbaijan in 1992, part of any
peace deal. Markarian ruled out withdrawal from areas immediately
adjacent to Armenia and NKR for security reasons, and said his party
would join opposition to Kocharian, if his compromises go too far.
The ARF has been an ally of Kocharian since his election as President
three years ago.
Meanwhile, it is expected that President Bush and his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin will discuss the Karabagh conflict during their summit
in Ljubljana, Slovenia this weekend. French, Russian and US mediators
were also expected to meet in Moscow soon, this time with the participation
of an Iranian representative. Iran has indicated a desire to step
up its regional role and this week invited the three South Caucasus
leaders to visit Tehran this year. Iran's Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad
Farhad Koleini has reportedly been appointed his country's contact
person to the Karabagh talks. |
| June 9 - 15 |
A group of 137 Armenian Americans,
many of them descendants of Genocide survivors, this week toured central
and eastern parts of Turkey, before proceeding to Armenia. Organized
by the Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America and the Armenian-Turkish
Business Council, the group first flew to Istanbul and from there
proceeded to Kayseri to participate in a liturgy dedicated to the
1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity by Armenia. It
was in Kayseri (Kesaria) that St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder
of the Armenian Church, was reportedly baptized and then helped spread
Christianity throughout Armenia in the 4th century. Escorted by Turkish
police the group toured Kayseri, where fewer than a dozen Armenians
now live, and other Anatolian towns that, prior to the Genocide, had
large Armenian populations. They met with local government officials
and citizens, before taking charter flights from Kars to Yerevan.
The unprecedented visit by such a large group of Diaspora Armenians
was widely covered by the Turkish media. A leading Turkish journalist
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote that Turks should present a warm welcome to
Armenians. "We should not forget that Anatolia mothered the Armenian
civilization. The traces of their forefathers can still be seen there,"
he wrote. Birand said that the fact that Armenians could freely visit
and travel in Anatolia only adds to Turkey's prestige. Turkish businessmen
hoped revenues from Diaspora Armenian tourism could bolster the local
economy. Coinciding with the visit, however, were Turkish Prime Minister
Bulent Ecevit's remarks accusing the Armenian Diaspora of aggravating
regional problems. Also this week, thousands rallied in Ankara's central
square to protest international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The Turkish government recently established an Institute for Armenian
Research presumably "to answer Armenian allegations on a scientific
level," rather than through arm-twisting and blackmail tactics
practiced to date. |
| June 9 - 15 |
The United Nations (UN) this week
honored the 100th anniversary of the birth of a man who was the driving
force behind the adoption of one of the international body's main
human rights agreements fifty years ago. Raphael Lemkin (1901-1959)
coined the term genocide in the 1940s to describe mass atrocities
committed against racial, ethnic or religious groups and was the first
to use it in reference to the massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.
As a teenager during WWI, Lemkin was horrified by atrocities committed
against Armenians. As a young lawyer in his native Poland, Lemkin
received international acclaim in the 1930s for his work in codifying
crimes committed against ethnic groups, including Armenians. He fled
Poland in the face of Nazi occupation in 1939. 49 members of Lemkin's
family, including his parents, subsequently died in the Holocaust.
Following the establishment of the United Nations, Lemkin moved to
New York to advocate for an international treaty on genocide. He worked
tirelessly to seal the adoption of the UN Convention on the Prevention
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948. It came into force
in 1951. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in his address delivered
at the event honoring Lemkin, described Lemkin's mission as a "lifelong
campaign for every human being to live in dignity." |
| June 9 - 15 |
The economy of the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic (NKR) expanded by over 10 percent in the first quarter of
2001 compared to the same period last year, NKR State Department for
Statistics reported this week. Double-digit growth was registered
in manufacturing, agriculture and construction, and exports grew by
about 20 percent. Meanwhile, the NKR government is in a final round
of talks with a Lebanese company interested in leasing Karabagh's
telecommunications monopoly, Artsakhkap, in exchange for investments
to upgrade the operator's outdated equipment. Arnold Abrahamian, NKR's
Minister for Economic and Structural Reform, said that unlike Armenia,
his government has no plans to privatize its telephone network. |
| June 9 - 15 |
US Ambassador to Armenia Michael Lemmon
and Prosecutor General Aram Tamazian signed an agreement this week
providing Armenia with US $1.5 million in technical assistance for
local law-enforcement and clinics dealing with drug addiction. Tamazian
said assistance would improve Armenia's drug interdiction capabilities. |
| June 13 |
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian holds
a press conference in Yerevan to discuss the status of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) led mediation
over Nagorno Karabagh. The foreign minister reports that the
peace process "is still alive" and expresses hope that the
OSCE will "make active efforts to eliminate the newly created
complications" for the next round of talks. Oskanian confirms
that the recent talks have reached a basis for further negotiations
resting on the premise that Karabagh will not be vertically subordinate
to Azerbaijan. Oskanian is also critical of a recent statement by
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit demanding the establishment of
a land corridor connecting Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan as a new precondition
to the lifting of its blockade of Armenia and the establishment of
normal relations with Yerevan. Turkey had previously demanded
the return of all Armenian-held territory in Azerbaijan as its precondition
to relations with Armenia. |
| June 13 |
The parliament votes to reject a motion
by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) that would have raised
state pension payments by 30 percent in an attempt to meet the general
population's worsening socio-economic situation. Despite recent
positive economic growth, the overall standard of living remains low
and has been made worse by a lack of state funding for social programs
aimed at helping the most vulnerable of the population. The current
average pension payment stands at $10 per month. |
| June 14 - 15 |
A delegation of officials from the
European Union (EU) arrives in Yerevan for the second session of the
Armenian-EU partnership committee. The officials review issues
related to
bilateral cooperation and the mediation efforts to resolve the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict. Also discussed is the 1996 agreement Armenia
concluded with the EU to deactivate the Medzamor nuclear power plant
by 2004. Armenian officials contend that the Medzamor
facility can remain safely operational for at least another 5-10 ears
and should not be closed until an adequate alternative energy source
is found. The plant currently provides 40 percent of the country's
electricity. |
| June 16 - 22 |
President Robert Kocharian has reaffirmed
his government's plans to seek amendments to Armenia's Constitution.
Next week, the National Assembly will discuss the Law on Public Service,
a crucial element in a struggle against corruption in the government
bureaucracy. At present, Armenia has no established legal procedure
for appointments to government posts. The Parliament rejected an earlier
version of the bill, arguing that it gave the President too much power
over civil servants. The bill has since been amended and now has a
better chance of passing. Kocharian last week said the bill was approved
by international legal experts and criticized those who tried to obstruct
its passage. Two key presidential allies in Parliament, the Republican
Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, endorsed the bill
this week.
Among those opposing the bill is the influential head of Parliament's
legal service Vladimir Nazarian, who has called it "anti-constitutional
and anti-democratic." Nazarian is a member of the People's Party,
which is likely to lead opposition to the bill.
Nazarian is also opposed to constitutional amendments that have been
drafted by a presidential commission of legal experts and is expected
to be put to a popular referendum next spring. Nazarian, who was one
of the main authors of the 1995 Constitution, strongly objects to
dropping a constitutional clause banning dual citizenship in Armenia.
During the 1998 presidential campaign, Kocharian promised to abolish
the clause and pave the way for a law that would allow greater numbers
of Diasporan Armenians to become citizens. Kocharian has also argued
for ceding some presidential powers to parliament, but preserving
the existing "semi-presidential" form of government. Last
week he told reporters that it was too early to introduce a parliamentary
system, before key political and economic reforms have been completed.
The government has said it will continue privatizing the government-owned
utilities and industries, such as the electricity distribution grid.
Tender for the grid was foiled earlier this year, amid vocal political
opposition to the deal. Under a recently approved government schedule,
the grid is now expected to be privatized by November. Several Russian,
European and American companies have expressed interest in bidding.
Among other large enterprises that will be up for privatization shortly
are Mars Electronics Plant and Ararat Cement. Both enterprises were
established in the closing years of the Soviet Union and have modern
equipment, but produced little as their debts mounted. Deputy State
Property Minister Ashot Markosian said that "despite some snags,"
he hoped the government will be able to privatize the majority of
these assets by the end of the year. |
| June 16 - 22 |
Aleksan Harutiunian, a foreign policy
aide to Armenian President Robert Kocharian, expressed optimism this
week that a Karabagh settlement can be achieved in the near future.
Harutiunian told an Armenian newspaper that this agreement would be
based on principles developed by Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents
earlier this year and will be in line with Armenian interests. He
further denied that any territorial swap, the subject of much controversy
and speculation in Armenia and abroad, will be part of a settlement.
Harutiunian's comments came just as the negotiating process appears
to have come to a screeching halt. The three most recent rounds of
talks between Presidents Robert Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev held in
Paris and Florida and mediated jointly by France, Russia and the United
States promised an imminent breakthrough. But last month, the Azerbaijani
leader reportedly backtracked on agreements reached during the talks,
forcing a cancellation of the highly anticipated Geneva summit with
Kocharian in June.
Envoys from the three countries mediating the talks under the aegis
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
will meet on the Mediterranean island of Malta this weekend to discuss
what has been termed as 'complications' hampering further progress
in negotiations. Meanwhile, Kocharian this week again briefed leaders
of ten parties and groups represented in the country's Parliament
on the status of talks. Artur Baghdasarian, leader of the minority
Country of Law faction, told reporters following the meeting that
the next round of negotiations is likely to take place in August.
Vazgen Manukian, leader of the National Democratic Union, said that
mediators have achieved common interests in the conflict settlement
and will need to convince Azerbaijan to return to talks.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev confirmed this viewpoint.
Guliyev told a local newspaper this week that Russian and US positions
on a settlement remain "quite close." He also admitted that
the mediators support Armenia's position on a settlement. Armenian
leaders have repeatedly announced three main elements required for
any settlement: Karabagh's non-subordination to Azerbaijan, a direct
overland link between Armenia and Karabagh and security guarantees
for the Karabagh population. Guliyev also said that while Azerbaijan
is unhappy with the current direction of talks, it will not refuse
OSCE mediation.
Also this week, a group of Armenian parliamentarians was in Baku for
a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) group, a regional forum that includes both Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Head of the Armenian delegation Viktor Dallakian stressed
Armenia's desire for a peaceful resolution of the conflict that would
be acceptable to both nations. Dallakian, who is from the ruling Republican
Party and chairs the Committee on State and Legal Affairs also urged
Azerbaijan to embrace mutual confidence-building measures, such as
economic cooperation, parliamentary links and popular diplomacy. Azerbaijan
remains opposed to any economic links with Armenia. Foreign Minister
Guliyev this week stated that "regional cooperation cannot become
a way for achieving peace." Earlier this week, Azerbaijan's Health
Minister Ali Insanov also ruled out cooperation in healthcare. Armenia
has an established reputation as a country with the most advanced
medical facilities in the region and Azerbaijani patients are known
to have undergone treatment in Armenia.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Interior Minister Ramil Usubov this week became
one of only a handful of senior Azerbaijani officials to visit Armenia
since the Karabagh conflict began. Usubov participated in a meeting
of chiefs of law-enforcement agencies from the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS), a loose grouping of former Soviet republics, that discussed
transnational crime. |
| June 16 - 22 |
The ongoing trial in the case of the
assassination of eight senior Armenian officials, including Prime
Minister Vazgen Sargsian and Parliament Speaker Karen Demirchian,
has regained public attention in recent weeks, as the National Assembly
began its own investigation.
Armenia's National Assembly voted overwhelmingly last month to set
up a temporary commission to oversee the ongoing trial of a terrorist
group that perpetrated a bloody attack on the National Assembly in
October of 1999. The twelve-member commission consists of representatives
of all parliamentary factions and groups, as well as non-partisan
deputies. Vardevan Grigorian from the People's Deputy group and Gagik
Kostandian, who is not a member of any faction, head the commission.
The commission was set up to study allegations of defendants' mistreatment
during the investigation and suspicions by three parliamentary groups
that Hunanian and others were receiving what they termed "illegal
counseling" during the trial.
The commission initially urged the presiding judge to transfer Hunanian
from the National Security Ministry detention to a general prison
run by the country's Interior Ministry. As a reason for their request,
parliamentarians cited reports that Hunanian had collaborated with
agents of the KGB and its successor Ministry during the democratic
movement in the late 1980s and more recently, during his trip as a
journalist to Turkey in 1998. This week they withdrew the request,
after concluding that the Interior Ministry prison was not secure
enough to hold Hunanian.
Also this week, Party of the Republic, a newly established opposition
group, issued a statement, harshly criticizing authorities for granting
amnesty to six individuals involved in the case. The six were released
as part of a general amnesty unanimously passed by the National Assembly
two weeks ago. Three of those against whom charges were dropped were
police officials charged with negligence, and others who were accused
of supplying weapons used in the attack. They will remain as witnesses
in the case. |
| June 16 - 22 |
Veteran Armenian politician, Vazgen
Manukian, who made two unsuccessful runs for the presidency in 1996
and 1998, and earlier served as Armenia's Prime Minister (1990-91)
and Defense Minister (1992-93), will lead a parliamentary commission
that will study the government's policy in the communications sector,
and will also determine if Armenia's Greek-owned telecommunications
monopoly honored the investment commitment it assumed after the 1998
takeover of the company. |
| June 19 |
President Robert Kocharian convenes
a meeting with representatives of major political parties to brief
them on the latest developments in the stalled negotiations over the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict. The president announces that the
next round of talks with Azerbaijani President Geidar Aliyev will
be convened in August, although the OSCE-led mediation effort has
been halted by Azerbaijan. The OSCE had originally planned to
convene a summit meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations
in Geneva this
month. |
| June 19 |
The head of the State Committee for
Water Resources, Gagik Martirossian, confirms reports that a group
of international donor nations have pledged a $180 million five-year
low-interest loan package designed to finance upgrading Armenia's
water management
and irrigation systems. The loan package includes plans for
the construction of a dam on the Arax River and water main systems
for the Vayots, Tavush and Armavir districts. |
| June 20 - 21 |
After the release of six defendants
initially charged with complicity in the October 1999 attack on the
Armenian parliament, the recently formed Republic party sharply criticizes
the Kocharian government for obstructing efforts to solve this crime.
The six defendants, including three police officers on duty during
the attack who were arrested for failing to prevent the incident,
are released according to the terms of a new amnesty.
The Republic party issues a statement calling for the resignations
of the president and the government of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian
for their failure to "guarantee the country's security and future"
and for unwillingness "to expedite justice." The Republic
Party, which was formed in March, is led by former Prime Minister
Aram Sarkisian, the brother of the late premier and Defense Minister,
Vazgen Sarkisian, killed in the parliament
attack. |
| June 20 - 21 |
Delegations led by the interior ministries
from the twelve member nations of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) meet in Yerevan for the 20th session of the CIS Internal
Affairs Ministerial Council. The participants in the Yerevan
meeting include Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov. |
| June 23 - 29 |
President George W. Bush this week
nominated America's number two diplomat in Russia to be its next Ambassador
to Armenia. John Ordway, who now serves as deputy chief of mission
at the US Embassy in Moscow, will replace current Ambassador Michael
Lemmon following approval by the US Senate. Lemmon has served in Armenia
since 1998. Prior to his current appointment, Ordway served as minister-counselor
for political affairs at the Moscow embassy (1996-99) and as deputy
principal advisor at the US mission to NATO (1993-96). Ordway joined
the foreign service twenty-six years ago and throughout his career
at the State Department and National Security Council focused on Eastern
European and African affairs. Ordway is a native of California, and
graduate of Stanford University and Hastings College of Law. |
| June 23 - 29 |
Envoys from France, Russia and the
United States plan to return to the region during the second week
of July in an attempt to convince the Azerbaijani President to resume
stalled negotiations to settle the Karabagh conflict. Mediators acting
under the aegis of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) agreed on another trip during three-day consultations
on the island of Malta late last week. After their visit to Azerbaijan,
Nagorno Karabagh and Armenia last May, the mediating troika was forced
to postpone an Armenian-Azerbaijani presidential summit planned for
this month in Geneva.
Earlier this week, US officials downplayed Azerbaijan's recurrent
threats to resume its aggression against Nagorno Karabagh. Speaking
at a military ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev
and Defense Minister Safar Abiyev again boasted of Azerbaijan's ability
to gain control of Karabagh by force. US Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Ross Wilson told local journalists that he was certain that President
Aliyev would not try to resolve the dispute militarily. Similarly,
US Ambassador to Armenia Michael Lemmon doubted Azerbaijan had serious
military intentions, attributing the military rhetoric to the "emotional
and psychological climate" reigning in Baku.
Over the years, Azerbaijan has continued to hope that its importance
as a source of raw materials and its strategic location would help
draw international support for its struggle for Karabagh. Azerbaijani
officials have tried to curry favor alternatively in the West, Russia
and the Islamic world to gain a political and military edge in the
conflict. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said this
week it was "an admission of powerlessness and weakness of the
Azerbaijani army if the country relies on foreign assistance."
Azimov said Azerbaijan should not wait for outside help but rather
build up its own potential.
So far only Turkey has provided tangible military assistance to Azerbaijan.
Hundreds of Azeri officers have undergone military training in Turkey,
both as air force pilots and with the security forces fighting Kurdish
guerillas in that country's southeast. During the most recent of some
dozen visits by Turkish military and security officials to Azerbaijan
so far this year, Turkey promised the Azeris it would help set up
local tank, artillery and infantry training. During 1991-94, Azerbaijan
similarly relied on over one hundred Turkish officers who advised
it on how to fight a war. Money from oil revenues helped pay for former
Soviet army equipment and the Russia, Ukrainian and Afghan mercenaries
to fight it. |
| June 23 - 29 |
Plans for tariff hikes by Armenia's
monopoly telecommunications provider renewed worries that the company's
policies would threaten the country's information technology sector.
Armentel Chief Executive Nikos Georgioulas recently reaffirmed his
company's plans to introduce a per minute payment system for telephone
services this September. If the new policy takes effect, Armenia's
internet users would be heavily impacted. The Armenian government
is strongly opposed to the move and remains hopeful its ongoing talks
with Armentel's owners will preempt the company's plans. Greece's
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), a state-owned service
provider, purchased Armentel in 1998.
Andranik Aleksanian, chief manager of Armenia's largest internet provider
Arminco, said that the introduction of per minute charges would put
internet out of reach for most users in Armenia and force many of
the approximately two dozen Armenian internet service providers (ISP's)
into bankruptcy. Aleksanian added that the cost of external communication
is already high in Armenia, and Armentel itself would suffer financial
losses as ISP's are forced to look for alternative outlets to the
outside world.
Georgioulas said the new policy is necessary to justify OTE's investments
and improve Armentel's financial situation, which suffers from chronic
non-payments. Georgioulas added that in accordance with a 1998 agreement,
Armentel has a unilateral right to raise service fees. He also said
this clause and Armentel's monopoly status can only be changed if
the company is financially compensated.
Armenia's Transport and Communications Minister Yervand Zakharian
said late last week that the government and OTE are now working together
to review existing tariffs for fixed and mobile phones and internet
connection, but that changes will be towards a reduction and not an
increase. Two commissions set up by the government and the National
Assembly are currently investigating Armentel's compliance with the
1998 takeover agreement. Some parliament members had earlier threatened
to legally ban Armentel from raising fees and revoke its monopoly
status, which they claim is unconstitutional. |
| June 28 |
Energy Minister Garen Galustian announces
a new agreement with Russia on Armenian debt for supplies of Russian
natural gas and nuclear fuel for the Medzamor power plant. According
to the terms of the new agreement, Russia will forgive $8.3 million
of Armenian arrears, reducing the total to $88 million. Armenia repaid
$20 million of this debt last month, using proceeds from its privatization
program. |
| June 28 - 29 |
The Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental
cooperation commission convenes in Yerevan to review several bilateral
issues. Georgian officials agree to a rescheduling of the $20.5 million
Georgian debt to Armenia ($4.5 million of which is for Georgian purchases
of Armenian electricity) and conclude a new agreement setting transit
fees at $24 for each ton of oil products and $14-17 in variable rates
for each ton of other commodities for the
remainder of the year. The transit fees are still considerably
higher for Armenia than for other states, however. |
| June 29 |
The parliament adopts the government's
new three-year privatization plan for the sale of the country's remaining
large state-owned firms, including four strategic mining and metallurgical
companies and the thermal and hydro-electric power plants. The
government's plan targets some 900 large- and medium- scale firms,
but excludes several state-operated hospitals after pressure from
parliamentarians. The parliament also adopts new anti-corruption
legislation which requires the disclosure of all income by officials
of the executive and judicial branches. |
| July 13 |
In a move that Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Elie Wiesel hailed as a "miracle," a multi-disciplinary
group from Armenia, Russia, Turkey and the United States announced
this week the establishment of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Commission. The Commission, so far composed of four Armenians and
six Turks, including former foreign ministers of both Armenia and
Turkey, grew out of a series of confidential meetings at the Diplomatic
Academy of Vienna, Austria. David Phillips, an American professor
who teaches at the Academy, moderated the meetings. Phillips has a
stellar background in conflict prevention and mediation, and has organized
similar track two diplomatic initiatives between Serbs and Albanians,
and Greeks and Turks. According to the "Terms of Reference",
issued by the Commission, its main goal is "to promote mutual
understanding and good will between Turks and Armenians and encourage
improved relations between Armenia and Turkey." The Commission
will both undertake activities directly and support other initiatives
in fields as varied as "business, tourism, culture, education
and research, environment, media, confidence building and other areas."
It will also issue recommendations to concerned governments.
The United States government has repeatedly urged Turkey to normalize
relations with Armenia. (Most recently the issue was raised by US
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during his visit to Ankara.) The
US is supporting the new Armenian-Turkish initiative, and the move
has also been welcomed in Turkey and Armenia, but has caused irritation
in Azerbaijan. The only English-language Turkish daily called the
new development "an historic step for both Turks and Armenians",
while an Armenian paper said the commission may provide unprecedented
possibilities for normalization of relations between two neighbor
countries. A Turkish daily referred to the Speaker of the Azerbaijani
Parliament as saying that "the improvement of economic and cultural
ties between Turkey and Armenia is something which frustrates Baku."
The two countries have remained in a state of a virtual cold war since
the re-establishment of Armenia's independence. In spite of repeated
Armenian offers to establish normal relations without preconditions,
Turkey has refused to do so and, in siding with Azerbaijan in the
Karabagh conflict, instituted an economic blockade against Armenia
and continues to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan. Turkey
continues to condition the normalization of relations on the settlement
of the Karabagh conflict on Azeri terms and Armenia's refusal to pursue
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier this year,
however, after the European Parliament officially urged Turkey to
recognize the Genocide and normalize relations with Armenia, sources
in the Turkish government indicated readiness to open a channel for
talks with Armenia. The idea at the time was welcomed by the Armenian
government. This week, the spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry
said Armenia has always welcomed public initiatives aimed at improved
Armenian-Turkish relations. However, she reiterated that public dialogue
is still not a substitute for direct talks on the government level.
The commission includes the following members: former Ambassador to
the United Nations in Geneva Gunduz Aktan, former Foreign Minister
and chairman of the Armenian National Movement Alexander Arzoumanian,
former President of Istanbul's Bogazici University Ustun Ergunder,
retired Air Force General Sadi Erguvenc, former Ambassador to Syria
and Professor at the Yerevan State University David Hovhannissian,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America
and a New York lawyer Van Z. Krikorian, former Advisor to the President
of Russia and member of the Union of Armenians of Russia Andranik
Migranian, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and head of an
Istanbul think-tank Ozdem Sanberk, former Foreign Minister and columnist
Ilter Turkmen, and Psychology Professor at the University of Virginia
Vamik D. Volkan. |
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