24 03 2008 -ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan has named an ambassador to neighboring

Turkmenistan appoints ambassador to Azerbaijan in apparent attempt to improve energy ties
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan has named an ambassador to neighboring
Azerbaijan seven years after recalling its envoy during a dispute over Caspian Sea hydrocarbon resources, the state newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported Friday.

Improving relations between the two energy-rich nations offers a glimmer of hope for building a gas pipeline circumventing Russia - a proposal backed by the European Union and the United States.

Turkmenistan has sought to mend ties with Azerbaijan since the death in December 2006 of Turkmenistan's eccentric former leader, Saparmurat Niyazov.

Earlier this month, the countries agreed to settle an outstanding debt for Turkmen gas. Under the deal, Azerbaijan will pay $US44.8 million (?28.5 million) for gas supplied in the early 1990s.

Turkmenistan's former consul general in Turkey, Annamammed Mamedov, has been
named ambassador to Azerbaijan, the state newspaper reported.
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Turkmenistan closed its embassy in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, in June 2001 after a disagreement over the ownership of oil fields on a border area in the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have long shorelines on opposite sides of the Caspian.

Bilateral ties have been boosted by shared interest in developing a trans-Caspian pipeline.

Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov has said his government is prepared to discuss plans for the pipeline.
Last month, Azerbaijani state-owned oil company SOCAR announced it had hired U.S. firm KBR to conduct a feasibility study for an oil and gas pipeline crossing the Caspian.

Territorial disagreements over energy resources remain, however.
In February, Cypriot-registered oil firm Buried Hill Energy began operations at a Turkmen offshore field in a border area claimed by Azerbaijan.

Berdymukhamedov is scheduled to pay an official state visit to Baku in June.
Laurent Leylekian
Fédération Euro-Arménienne
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
1000 Bruxelles

Tel/Fax: +32 (0)2 732 70 27
Tel: +32 (0)2 732 70 26
email : lleylekian@eafjd.org
web: http://www.eafjd.org

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NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO BE BUILT IN ARMENIA BY 2016

AZG Armenian Daily
20/03/2008

Energy

During a round-table discussion, dedicated to Dr. Gerd Rosenkratz's "Nuclear Energy. Facts and Fiction" book, Deputy-Minister for Power Engineering of Armenia Areg Galstian told the reporters that Russia, the USA and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) not only approve the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Armenia, but are also working out a strategy of preferential deliveries of nuclear fuel to the country, which will help develop Armenia's nuclear power engineering more actively,

According to the Deputy-Minister, the feasibility study of the new NPP in Armenia will be completed by September-October 2008. He also reminded that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is to be shut down by 2016; therefore the new one is to be ready before that. "Economic estimations show that there is no alternative to the nuclear power engineering in Armenia. Estimations on creation of alternative generation sources have been made over the past 8
years. For this purpose, well-known foreign firms were involved in the process, however, their estimations showed that the most optimal variant is developing of the nuclear power engineering", Galstian said.

At present the Metsamor NPP generates 45% of total electricity in Armenia. Armenia and Russia have already set up a joint venture for prospecting of uranium in Armenian territory. Earlier Armenia ratified an agreement on active participation in the work of the international
uranium enrichment center in Angarsk. The participation in this project will help Armenia not only to supply its NPP with fuel but also to export uranium (provided that the present prospecting expedition finds sufficient uranium resources). Armenia's total uranium resources are estimated at 60,000 tons. Experts say that the construction of a new 1,000 MW NPP will cost $1.5bln.
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Turquie/enquête: des personnalités nationalistes interpellées
21.03.08 | 09h18


Le chef d'un parti nationaliste turc, un journaliste renommé et un ancien recteur d'université ont été interpellés vendredi dans le cadre d'une enquête concernant un réseau qui avait l'intention de tuer le Prix Nobel de littérature 2006 Orhan Pamuk, rapportent les médias.

Dogu Perinçek, chef du Parti travailliste (IP, non-représenté au Parlement), Ilhan Selçuk, journaliste octogénaire connu du quotidien d'opposition Cumhuriyet, et Kemal Alemdaroglu, ex-recteur de l'Université d'Istanbul, ont été placés en garde à vue à Ankara et Istanbul, précise l'agence.

Les accusations frappant les trois hommes n'ont pas été immédiatement précisées mais l'agence Anatolie souligne qu'ils ont été appréhendés pour leur rôle présumé dans un réseau ultra-nationaliste qui avait l'intention de tuer Orhan Pamuk et des personnalités politiques kurdes.

Ils devront comparaître devant un procureur à Istanbul, selon Anatolie.

Treize autres personnes, dont général et un colonel en retraite ainsi qu'un avocat et un bandit connu dans le pays, ont été écrouées dans cette affaire.

Selon les médias turcs, les suspects voulaient assassiner M. Pamuk, le journaliste pro-islamiste Fehmi Koru et des personnalités politiques kurdes telles Leyla Zana, Osman Baydemir et Ahmet Türk.

La police enquêterait aussi sur l'implication de ces suspects dans des assassinats politiques, dont celui du journaliste arméno-turc Hrant Dink, celui du prêtre catholique italien Andrea Santoro et d'un magistrat de haut rang.

Les médias lient le réseau ultra-nationaliste à l'"Etat profond", terme qui désigne des mouvances au sein des forces de sécurité qui agiraient dans l'illégalité en pensant ainsi préserver les intérêts de l'Etat turc.

Laurent Leylekian
Fédération Euro-Arménienne
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
1000 Bruxelles

Tel/Fax: +32 (0)2 732 70 27
Tel: +32 (0)2 732 70 26
email : lleylekian@eafjd.org
web: http://www.eafjd.org

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