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ARMENIAN FM: THERE ARE ALL THE NECESSARY DIPLOMATIC PRECONDITIONS FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. There are all the necessary diplomatic preconditions for peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in his interview to "Yerevan" TV yesterday.

He said that the two parties' positions on the settlement are, naturally, different. They have no common borders in their approaches to the settlement process, and it is natural that something may be forced on one of them. The positive factor for the Armenian party is that the peaceful trends connected with self-determination develop within our interests. For example, the independence of Western Timor, the peaceful Agreement between the Northern and Southern Sudan, the Agreement between Serbia and Montenegro. During the last several years, the Armenian party repeatedly stated about Karabakh's right of self-determination on historical facts. "We are often accused of moving the problem of self-determination to the territorial plane, which is categorically wrong," Oskanyan said.

He said that by 1996, Armenia insisted exclusively on the right of self-determination and the international community replied in the following way: you can get self-determination but as part of Azerbaijan having the highest category of autonomy. Such policy resulted in the failure of the Armenian diplomacy at the OSCE Summit in Lisbon in 1996. Today there are many peoples like Karabakh which insist on their right to self-determination. That is why the Karabakh problem should be made different of the similar conflicts and the only way to it are historical and legal proofs. It is necessary to insist that the Karabakh people demands self-determination from the country it has been part of only in the Soviet period and that Azerbaijan has no legal and historical rights to the territory of Karabakh. The Karabakh problem is the problem of self-determination of the Karabakh people and it is a territorial problem as much as Azerbaijan has no territorial claims to it, the minister said. He pointed out that this approach helped the Armenian party to come from the idea of a "common state" to Key West Agreements.

ARMENIAN FM: USA APPLIED NO DUAL STANDARDS IN ISSUE OF ARREST OF MP TATUL MANASERYAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. The USA applied no dual standards in the issue of the Armenian MP Tatul Manaseryan's arrest, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in his interview to "Yerevan" TV yesterday. It should be noted that MP Manaseryan was arrested by US law-enforcement bodies on Jan 15, 2004, and trial is in process on this fact.

Oskanyan said that the USA could not send Manaseryan back to Armenia even taking into account the fact that he is an Armenian MP. Moreover, if it was not Mnaaseryan but an MP of the French Senate, the American law-enforcers would act in the same way. Armenia cannot do anything from the political point of view, unfortunately. Moreover, even Armenian President has no immunity when he is outside Armenia. Only diplomats accredited in the given country enjoy immunity, for example the employees of the Armenian Embassy in the USA. "I have no immunity when I am on an official visit abroad as well," Oskanyan said. At the same time, he added that the Armenian Foreign Ministry actively contributes to Manaseryan and to solving the problem. His transportation from Washington to Los Angeles when the trial is in process has been accelerated as well. Manaseryan has a highly-qualified lawyer, but Armenia cannot influence the trial, the minister said.

INTERNATIONAL CONTEST FOR FOREIGN JOURNALISTS COVERING RUSSIAN SUBJECTS HELD IN RUSSIA

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. An open international contest "Gold Verb" is held for foreign journalists covering the Russian subjects on the initiative of the All Russian Mass Media NGO "Mediasoyuz."

The Russian Embassy in Armenia told ARMINFO that the contest aims stimulation of the objective presentation of the Russian reality by foreign Mass Media. The topic of the contest are publications of newspapers and magazines, radio- and TV-programs and topics. The works will be assessed in three nominations: "About Russia With Love" (the best material on Russia), "We - neighbours" (the best material on cooperation with Russia), "Great and Powerful" (the best quality of the literary text). The applications can be made from March up to May, 2004. The results of the contest will be announced in July, 2004. The first "Gold Verb" contest was successfully held in 2003.

ARMENIA'S RAILWAY NEEDS VANADZOR-FIOLETOVO RAILWAY SECTION

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. The construction of a 21km.-long railway section that would connect Vanadzor and Fioletovo will close the circuit of Armenia's railway and reduce the cost of transportation simultaneously increasing the railway's traffic capacity, Executive Director of Armenia's largest forwarding company, "Apaven", Gagik Aghajanian told ARMINFO.

According to him, the construction of the railway section will give Armenia a number of serious advantages. First, Armenia will have a closed-railway circuit. also, unlike Azerbaijan's railroad, Armenia's has only one track, and the construction of the second track is "beyond the country's power", while the construction of the Vanadzor-Fioletovo railway section will allow this country to resolve this problem. Another factor is that the Gyumri-Vanadzor-Fioletovo-Kazakh railway section will shorten the transit way from Turkey to Azerbaijan if the blockade of the Kars-Gyumri railway section is lifted.

Talking to ARMINFO, Deputy Head of the Ra Railway Department roman Stepanian reported that the construction of the Vanadzor-Fioletovo railway section is of strategic importance, because the Airum-Yerevan railway section running near the Armenian-Turkish border has no alternative. "In case of war, the Turkish side may keep rather a long section under fire and block the country's principal artery," Stepanian said. The construction will shorten thw way from Yerevan to the Georgian border by 20km. and reduce the cost of transportation. However, the tunnel in the village of Meghradzor will need reconstruction in this case.

As regards the resumption of the Kars-Gyumri railway communication, Stepanian pointed out that the Department can receive and dispatch trains. He reported that the Akhuryan station bordering on Turkey is capable of handling 6,000 tons of cargoes daily, and its potential capacity is 12,000 tons. The construction of one kilometer of railway costs 1-1.5mln. USD.

LEADERSHIP OF ARMENIA DOESN'T WANT TO MAKE ANY INSIGNIFICANT CONCESSIONS TO OPPOSITION, BECAUSE IS AFRAID OF UTTER DEFEAT

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. The authorities of the country rather soon realized the danger of the boycott of the parliamentary sittings by the opposition, which was an evidence of the consolidation of the opposition forces of Armenia round the idea of overthrowing Robert Kocharian from the post of the president. Member of the opposition bloc "Justice" Shavarsh Kocharian told the journalists today.

Concerning the cooperation of the formerly ruling party of Armenia, the Armenian National Movement with one of the members of the Justice bloc, the party Hanrapetoutiun, Shavarsh Kocharian informed that the members of the bloc ambiguously assess this cooperation. Nevertheless, he pointed out that the bloc's cooperation with the ANM is improbable, as the ANM is the "architect of the regime, which the present president uses".

The parliament member thinks that the authorities of the country realize that their days are numbered, as the parliament will discuss the bill on making amendments to the law on the referendum. To avoid this the authorities "dream to push the opposition away from the legal way of overthrowing the president, for accuse it of unconstitutional actions and punish it". The people will exert pressure on the parliament, which will adopt the amendments to the law on referendum, after which the people will express its no confidence in the acting president by the nation-wide referendum. The authorities, having the support of the parliamentary majority, nevertheless, fear to make concessions and don't intend to include the bill in the agenda of the parliament, as even this small step will entail serious defeat. "The authorities fear to test the fate, as they are not sure of the support of the parliamentary majority", Kocharian stated.

IF BAKU WANTS TO START KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IT MUST APPLY TO STEPANAKERT

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. If Baku wants to start the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement from the very beginning it must apply to Stepanakert, the spokesman of Armenia's FM Hamlet Gasparyan told ARMINFO when asked to comment on the statement of Azeri FM's Vilayat Guliev.

To remind, Guliev told Interfax earlier that today there are no mutual acceptable principles in the conflict settlement process and so Azerbaijan has the right to start the talks from the very beginning.

JUDGE OF ECONOMIC COURT OF ARMENIA CALLS ON "ARMENTEL" AND MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION TO MAKE PEACE

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13. ARMINFO. Judge of the Economic Court of Armenia Anatoly Matevosian called on the "ArmenTel" and Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia to make peace.

The judge thinks, as the "ArmenTel" has fulfilled the requirements of the Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukian - didn't begin to introduce new raised tariffs on the city and cellular telephone communication till the end of June, then the reconciliation becomes quite acceptable. The acting General Director of "ArmenTel" cjsc Georgius Vasilakis, responding to the proposal of the judge, expressed readiness to sit down at the table of negotiations with the ministers of justice and transport and communications of Armenia for signing an amend between the company and the government.

HEADLINES OF FEBRUARY 13

ARMENIAN FM: ARMENIA LEAVES AZERBAIJAN BEHIND FOR SOME 10 STEPS IN THE WAY TOWARDS ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY

ARMENIAN FM: KARABAKH IS, FACTUALLY, INTEGRAL PART OF ARMENIA, AND IT REMAINS FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE IT

ARMENIAN FM CONSIDERS UNACCEPTABLE INDIFFERENCE OF COUNTRY'S GOVERNMENT TO PARTICIPANTS OF MILITARY ACTIONS IN KARABAKH

ARMENIAN FM: CHANGE OF POWER IN GEORGIA WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN AND DEEPEN ARMENIAN-GEORGIA RELATIONS

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SIGNS DECREE ON APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF JUSTICE COUNCIL

55% OF ARMENIANS EXTREMELY POOR

"BAZE-SUMMER 2004" CONGRESS TO BE HELD IN JULY-AUGUST

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN HIGH TECHNOLOGY JV SET UP IN ARMENIA

ARMECONOMBANK PLANS 1.3BLN. AMD PROFIT IN 2004

US HAS NO INTENTIONS TO PROVIDE MILITARY AID FOR KARABAKH AND ABKHAZIAN CONFLICTS SETTLEMENT

ARMENIAN HAVE ACHIEVED ALL OF THEIR GOALS

"ALMAST" CJSC TO SUPPLY INSTRUMENTS MADE OF ARTIFICIAL DIAMOND POWDER TO BULGARIA

PEACE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT WOULD FACILITATE SOUTH CAUCASIAN COUNTRIES' INTEGRATION INTO EU: DENNIS SAMMUT

ARMENIAN OBSERVERS TO MONITOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN RUSSIA

KURD COMMUNITY OF ARMENIA CALLS ON SOCIETY OF COUNTRY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE IN RELEASE OF ABDULLA OJALAN

NO UNHEATED SCHOOL TO BE LEFT IN ARMENIA IN NEXT TWO YEARS

DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN TO VISIT ARMENIA

1.3 BLN AMD'S WORTH OF DEALS MADE AT ARMEX SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT

TO WIN BACK KARABAKH AZERBAIJAN WILL HAVE TO GAIN INFORMATION FIELD BACK FROM ARMENIA

INCREASE IN TARIFF ON MINERAL OIL TRANSPORTATION THROUGH GEORGIA'S TERRITORY WILL NOT CONCERN ARMENIAN CARGOS

USDA-MAP PILOT PROJECT PRODUCES POSITIVE RESULTS

DRAFT FEDERAL LAW ON RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT ON COMMON TECHNICAL COVER OF CIS RAILWAYS

INTERNATIONAL CONTEST FOR FOREIGN JOURNALISTS COVERING RUSSIAN SUBJECTS HELD IN RUSSIA

ARMENIA'S RAILWAY NEEDS VANADZOR-FIOLETOVO RAILWAY SECTION

LEADERSHIP OF ARMENIA DOESN'T WANT TO MAKE ANY INSIGNIFICANT CONCESSIONS TO OPPOSITION, BECAUSE IS AFRAID OF UTTER DEFEAT

ILKAHM ALIYEV's VISIT TO MOSCOW WEIGHS SCALES ON BEHALF OF AZERBAIJAN: NOVRUZ MAMEDOV

ARMENIAN DEPUTY FM MEETS WITH NATO DELEGATION

ARMENIAN DEPUTY FM MEETS WITH NATO DELEGATION

HEAD OF FOREIGN RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ALIEV ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT AGREE WITH HEIKKI TALVITJE

NA AGENDA INCLUDES 22 BILLS, 8 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

ARMECONOM INTENDS TO BECOME PIONEER IN MORTGAGE BOND ISSUE IN ARMENIA

ARMENIA FEIGNED ITS NON-ADMISSION TO NATO CONFERENCE IN BAKU

NO DOCUMENTS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT EXIST: NOVRUZ MAMEDOV

ARMECONOMBANK COVERS 57% OF MARKET OF LOCAL CARDS ARCA

TILL THE END OF 2004 ARMECONOMBANK INTENDS TO FINANCE $6 MLN UNDER EUROPEAN BANK'S PROGRAM "TRADE FACILITY"

DURING ANNUAL SITTING OF SHAREHOLDERS ARMECONOMBANK TO DISCUSS ISSUE OF PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS ON RESULTS OF 2003

NO ALTERNATIVE TO PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: NOVRUZ MAMEDOV

THERE IS A MINIMUM COMPROMISE POSSIBLE IN ISSUE OF SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

AFTER COLLAPSE OF USSR COUNTRIES OF SOUTH CAUCASUS HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN CHANGING OVER TO MARKET ECONOMY

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT, UNDP ARMENIA OFFICE SIGN DOCUMENT ON ASSISTANCE TO NATIONAL HIV/AIDS CONTROL PROGRAM