Azeri public has little confidence in army – paper
Zerkalo, Baku
20 Nov 04
One of the key reasons behind the lack of public confidence in the
Azerbaijani army is that although the country is going through a
period of economic development, the government cannot provide even
for the basic needs of its army and keeps the social problems of
servicemen largely unresolved, an analytical article in Zerkalo
newspaper said. The article also said violations of the law and
unjustified fatalities were aggravating the already precarious
situation in the army. At the same time, people still have vivid
memories of the army’s defeat on the battlefield in 1991-94, which
resulted in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia. The
following is an excerpt from C. Sumarinli and F. Teymurxanli report
by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 20 November headlined “Society
still mistrusts the army” and subheaded “Azerbaijan will have to
‘bend over backwards’ to establish normal relations between the army
and the public”; subheads as published:
While the army is popular with society, many prefer to dodge military
service. This phrase is known in many countries of the world. Although
today the army acts as the guarantor of society, its Constitution and
statehood, the issue of trust in the armed forced is still high on
the agenda. If our state is to return the occupied territories, it has
to cover a long road in boosting the authority of the Azerbaijani army.
The official authorities claim that public confidence in the
Azerbaijani army has risen many times over the past several years. For
instance, the army’s top brass say 90-95 per cent of conscripts aged
between 18 and 35 are serving in the army now. According to official
information, 25-30 per cent of draftees receive deferment every year.
While in 1991 a little over 13,000 people received adjournment
from military service for being full-time students, in 2001 the
figure rose to 52,000. Whereas in 1991 some 1,300-1,500 people
received adjournment for family reasons, in 2001 the figure reached
17,000. According to a Defence Ministry source, these indicators have
barely changed to date.
Statistics shows that the number of deferments is on the increase. This
and other facts show that society is treating military service quite
negatively. Several examples will be sufficient to confirm this. A
17-year-old resident of the Sabuncu district Baku , Rafiq Asadov,
sees military service as a task beyond his strength. He says that if
he can find a decent job after leaving school, he will forego military
service. He is also opposed to the fact that recruitment age limit has
been brought to 35 years. “Now thanks to this age limit I will have
to live in fear of military service for 17 years,” he says with horror.
At the same time, another interviewee, a 14-year-old resident of
Salyan, Elnur Tagiyev, has a great confidence in the army. “I want to
become a military man. For this, I am going to apply for admission to
the Camsid Naxcivanski military lyceum. I think I can find myself only
in this sphere,” he said. Tagiyev added that military service attracts
him also in material terms. “There are no jobs in the countryside. Even
a university degree doesn’t guarantee you a job.”
However, quite a few people are trying to leave the armed forces
as soon as possible. For instance, not very long ago the officer of
a Mingacevir military unit, Maj Telman Abilov, was discharged from
the armed forced only after going on a hunger-strike. Lt-Col Uzeyir
Cafarov, who is better known as a military expert now, had to go to
court to be discharged from the army. Another employee of the Defence
Ministry’s educational and training centre, Col Elnur Mammadov, has
also taken the ministry administration to court in an effort to leave
the armed forces.
So what is going on? Why are servicemen eager to be discharged from
the armed forces? Everyone is saying one and the same thing: they want
to wage an irreconcilable struggle against negative phenomena. Some
believe that their military careers are over, others think civilian
life is easier and more profitable. If we take public sentiments
into account, it can be inferred that society is split into two camps:
representatives of one camp think military service is detrimental to
their careers, those of the other take pride in it.
Is the army to blame for our losses?
A major role in the widespread negative attitude towards the army
was played by the military defeat which is still vivid in people’s
memories. However, a representative of the military and scientific
centre under the Defence Ministry, Maj-Gen Tacaddin Mehdiyev, denies
that the army played a crucial role in the defeat. He believes that
major obstacles were put up in the way of army building in 1991.
“There was an order of the first Azerbaijani defence minister, Valeh
Barsadli, to establish self-defence battalions. According to the plan,
the battalions were to defend the positions held, while the process
of army formation was to run in parallel. But that required five to
six months,” he said.
Passage omitted: minor details
Mehdiyev said in the first stages of army building the bodies of
all soldiers killed in action were defiantly carried in front of
the presidential administration building and it was demanded that the
minister join the funeral procession. “Such actions served as the Sword
of Damocles hanging over the heads of officers and commanders. Military
commanders were afraid of launching offensive operations as they knew
that the death of just one soldier could trigger protest demonstrations
in Baku. For this and a number of other reasons it can be said with
a high degree of confidence that it wasn’t the army but the country’s
political administration and the opposition which preconditioned the
defeat in the Armenian-Azerbaijani war. This holds true for the period
between 1991 and 1994,” Mehdiyev said.
He also pointed to the contribution of the mass media to the country’s
defeat. To substantiate his remarks, he said: “Any redeployment
of troops on the front line was immediately reflected in the
press. Consequently, the Armenians, capitalizing on this information,
subjected the necessary directions to attacks.”
Society intends to condemn
The state military policy is based on the public opinion which
regulates whether this policy is enjoying popular support.
Passage omitted: examples from history
In the issues of security and army building, coordination between
the authorities and public opinion is an important strategic
factor. Experts believe that the process of army formation and
modernization must be open to specialists, as well as society in
general, because this is not only the prerogative of the state but also
that of society. Several experts believe that otherwise a gaping abyss
may appear between the authorities and the people. Namely, despite
what the official authorities are saying about military reforms and
improved conditions in the army, the public mostly thinks there are
no reforms as such, that only attempts are being made to imitate them
and that the army decay is continuing. Public opinion contradicts
statements about military reforms and in some cases translates into
overt condemnation. Some even believe that there is no confidence in
society that the state can repel possible military intervention. We,
in our turn, would like to say that society can be mistaken, but we
should not forget the centuries-long military experience of our people.
Defectors are still not condemned by society
The defeat of the Azerbaijani army in the military operations of
1991-94 and the ensuing occupation of our districts preconditioned
the loss of public confidence in the army, which, in turn, weakened
the Azerbaijani public’s enthusiasm.
Those advocating pacifist ideas think “it is better to be alive than
dead”, and proceeding from this principle refuse to take up arms to
defend their motherland in the event of clear intervention. One of
the horrors of the years of war is that those who defect from the
armed forces do not come under public condemnation. They are looked
upon almost as heroes “exemplifying courage”.
As an example, we can cite a recent incident: a street patrol detained
a soldier in the vicinity of the 20 Yanvar underground station (it
later transpired that the soldier had defected from the armed forces
– author). The surrounding people violently sprang at the patrol
officers as if they were defending someone absolutely innocent. The
dumbfounded street patrol had to let the soldier go under pressure
of the “patriotic” mob. And this is not just an isolated incident.
Passage omitted: statistical data of popular support for the army in
other countries
International military experts believe that the prestige of the
military profession has hit its all-time low. Experts maintain that
there are certain criteria for securing a victory. The success of a
military operation has a direct connection with the support for it
by at least 70 per cent of the population (40-60 per cent in the
worst case scenario). If the support level is below 40 per cent,
the military defeat is inevitable.
Azerbaijani society regards violations of the law in the army,
the unjustified deaths of servicemen and other negative facts as
indicators of the ongoing degradation of the armed forces. Ordinary
citizens cannot understand why the state cannot provide for the basic
needs of its army against the backdrop of the country’s large-scale
economic development. One of the reasons behind the loss of public
trust in the army is the fact that the salaries of servicemen in
Azerbaijan, a country rich in oil, is far from world standards,
while their social problems have yet to be resolved.
Passage to end omitted: repetition

NBC4.TV, CA
Nov 25 2004
Southland Groups Spread Holiday Cheer
Chicken Chucking And Turkey Dinners Benefit The Less Fortunate
LOS ANGELES — It’s Thanksgiving, and groups around the Southland are
making sure that the less fortunate have some holiday cheer.
In Long Beach, the “Long Beach 5K/10K Turkey Trot & Chicken Chucking
Championship” is holding a walk to benefit the nonprofit Community
Action Team, followed by participants hurling rubber chickens to
raise money for local food bank charities.
Pasadena’s Union Station Foundation is holding its annual
Thanksgiving Dinner-in-the-Park, billed as the “biggest potluck in
the nation.” Volunteers are expected to serve more than 5,000 meals
to the poor, homeless and elderly.
The Los Angeles Police Department, West Valley Pals and Woodland
Hills Optimist Club are hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner at the
Guadalupe Community Center.
In Valley Village, more than 500 men, women and children will enjoy a
traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Needy residents of
the East Valley will receive vouchers provided by Temple Beth Hillel
and distributed by numerous outreach organizations, including Jewish
War Veterans, the East Valley Multi-Purpose Center, Loaves and Fishes
and The Salvation Army, among others.
In Hollywood, Food on Foot will feed and distribute backpacks to the
homeless and poor. For every two 64-pound bags of trash collected
from the streets of Hollywood, Food on Foot will reward individuals
with a $5 food gift certificate from a fast-food restaurant or
grocery store.
In Orange County, the 27th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot will feature
5K, 10K and children’s races; the Orange County Rescue Mission will
serve Thanksgiving dinner in Santa Ana; and Rep. Loretta Sanchez,
D-Garden Grove, Hon. Bishop Jaime Soto and others will join in
serving Thanksgiving dinner to the needy during the 19th annual Casa
Garcia Thanksgiving dinner that owner Frank Garcia serves in the
parking lot of his eatery in Anaheim.
And in Glendale, Armenia Fund Inc. is holding its annual Thanksgiving
telethon, “Make It Happen,” to raise funds to complete the remaining
56 miles of the North-South “Backbone” Highway in Karabakh, Armenia.
Proceeds will also benefit continued assistance in the areas of
health care, education and infrastructure development in the Republic
of Armenia. The 12-hour event will be televised live from Glendale
throughout the United States, South America, the Middle East, Canada
and Armenia.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 25 2004
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES MINISTER OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS OF THE ISLAMIC
REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN
[November 25, 2004, 22:16:18]
President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev has received in the
Presidential Palace the minister of information technologies and
telecommunications of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Awais Ahmad
Khan Legari, on 25 November.
Warmly welcoming the visitor, President Ilham Aliyev has expressed
satisfaction in connection with his participation in the Conference
taking place in Baku, “Global Information-Communication
Technologies-2004”.
Having emphasized quick development of relations between two
countries in all areas, President Ilham Aliyev has noted that
official visit of the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf to
Azerbaijan represents great value from the point of view of the
further strengthening and development of cooperation of two
countries. The Head of State has emphasized that personal friendly
relations with the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf serve the
cause of the further development of links between two countries,
having noted thus great value of expansion of cooperation between
systems of communications of Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
President Ilham Aliyev stated full conformity of positions between
Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the field of the international questions,
highly having estimated in this connection the constant and complete
support by two countries each other in the questions connected to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict and Kashmir problem.
Having expressed gratitude for warm reception and kind words, the
Pakistani minister has noted that meeting with President Ilham Aliyev
is great honor for him, has conveyed to the Azerbaijan President
sincere greetings and deep respect of President Pervez Musharraf.
Once again having passed to the Head of Azerbaijan State the
invitation of President Pervez Musharraf connected to official visit
of President Ilham Aliyev to Pakistan, Mr. Awais Ahmad Khan Legari
has told that Pakistan with great impatience waits for visit of the
President of Azerbaijan.
He has noted that relations of our countries in political, economic
and other spheres successfully develop, that the great value in this
connection represents also cooperation in the field of communications
and information technologies.
Having noted that Azerbaijan and Pakistan are the friendly and
brotherly countries, the Minister has emphasized that the two states
completely support position of each other in Nagorny Karabakh and
Kashmir questions.
The visitor informed that on November 24, at session of the UN
General Assembly, Pakistan has made special statement in support of
the full right of Azerbaijan on Nagorny Karabakh.
The Pakistani minister has expressed confidence that relations of two
countries in all areas, including in sphere of information
technologies, and henceforth would develop successfully.
Having expressed deep gratitude for sincere greetings of President
Pervez Musharraf and the invitation to pay official visit to
Pakistan, President Ilham Aliyev asked the Minister to convey his
greetings to the Head of Pakistan State. President of Azerbaijan has
expressed confidence that his visit to Pakistan would serve the cause
of further expansion of relations between two countries.
At the meeting, also present were Minister of Communications and
Information Technologies of Azerbaijan Ali Abbasov and the ambassador
of Pakistan in Azerbaijan Mohammed Hafiz.
–Boundary_(ID_ELZfdVpbikoYk4YYYdGSKA)–

The Economist, UK
Nov 25 2004
A court freeze on a contested election
>>From The Economist Global Agenda
As huge protests continue in Ukraine, the country’s supreme court has
suspended the publication of official results from Sunday’s
presidential vote while it judges claims by the opposition candidate,
Viktor Yushchenko, that widespread ballot fraud has robbed him of
victory
ON THURSDAY November 25th, the fourth day of massive protests
following Ukraine’s deeply flawed presidential election, the
opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, again addressed at least
100,000 supporters in the main square of the capital, Kiev. He
pledged to fight on until he has overturned the official results of
Sunday’s run-off vote, which awarded the presidency to Viktor
Yanukovich (currently the country’s prime minister) whereas exit
polls had shown Mr Yushchenko heading for a clear victory. Within
hours, the vast crowds of demonstrators braving Ukraine’s bitter
winter had something to warm their hearts: the country’s supreme
court announced that it would hear Mr Yushchenko’s complaints of
ballot-rigging; and it banned the electoral commission from
officially publishing the results in the meantime. This prevents Mr
Yanukovich from being inaugurated.
In an inconclusive emergency session of the parliament on Tuesday, Mr
Yushchenko had declared himself the rightful winner and had even
sworn the presidential oath. Accusing Mr Yanukovich and the outgoing
president, Leonid Kuchma, of engineering an electoral fraud, Mr
Yushchenko said that, as a result, the country was now “on the brink
of civil conflict”. As the crowds of protesters swelled, there were
rumours—officially denied—that the Ukrainian army was sending tanks
to Kiev; and others—denied by Moscow—that Russia had sent its special
forces across the border.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe reports from
its independent electoral observation mission in Ukraine. The Kremlin
publishes press releases from President Putin.The EU issues
statements on the elections and gives information on foreign
relations. See also the US State Department. “Governments on the WWW”
provides a comprehensive resource on the government and politics of
Ukraine, including previous election results.
While pursuing his case in the supreme court, Mr Yushchenko is
keeping up the pressure on the streets. His supporters have begun
blocking roads and have called a national strike—though coal miners
in the Russian-speaking east of Ukraine, which is Mr Yanukovich’s
power base, said they would not stop work.
How Ukraine’s conflict turns out may have far-reaching effects on the
future of eastern Europe. Russia has already seen several of its
former satellites break away and join both the European Union and the
American-led defence alliance, NATO. Mr Yushchenko proposes that
Ukraine do the same, whereas Mr Yanukovich argues that maintaining
the country’s traditional ties to Moscow should take priority. If the
second-largest economy in the former Soviet Union goes West, so to
speak, Russia’s dreams of reasserting its grip on the remaining bits
of its former empire may be frustrated. And if Ukraine starts to
enjoy western-style human rights and prosperity, voters in Russia
might begin to wonder why they cannot have the same.
During the election campaign, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin,
twice visited Ukraine to lend support to Mr Yanukovich. Even before
the Ukrainian election commission announced the official result on
Wednesday, Mr Putin jumped the gun and congratulated his candidate on
his “victory”. But with the EU, America and Canada (which has 1m
residents of Ukrainian descent) all strongly condemning the elections
as fraudulent, Mr Putin has since wavered: calling on both sides to
act within the law; then congratulating Mr Yanukovich a second time;
and then, after meeting EU leaders on Thursday (see article), calling
for the matter to be settled in court.
Mr Kuchma, meanwhile, stayed silent until Tuesday night, when he
issued a statement calling for talks between the two sides.
Aleksander Kwasniewski, the president of Poland (which has already
made the jump from east to west and is now encouraging Ukraine to
follow), said on Thursday he intended to visit Ukraine shortly to try
to broker such talks.
The conflict’s eventual outcome remains uncertain. Mr Yushchenko’s
supporters are hoping for something like the non-violent “rose
revolution” a year ago in Georgia, another former Soviet state, in
which huge popular demonstrations forced the country’s then
president, Edward Shevardnadze, to resign following dubious
parliamentary elections. Mr Yanukovich and his supporters, in turn,
so far show no sign of backing down. On Wednesday, Mr Yushchenko
hinted at a possible compromise, saying that he would be prepared to
stand again in a re-run of the second round of voting.
What happens now depends on several factors. First, the strength of
ordinary Ukrainians’ feelings about the outcome—how sick they are of
the current regime and the business oligarchs who prop it up, and how
far they are prepared to go to defend Mr Yushchenko’s claims of
victory. Strikes, blockades and protests could soon bring much of the
country to a halt. However, staying on the streets through the
freezing winter would demand great fortitude.
The loyalty or otherwise of the state bureaucracy to Mr Yanukovich,
who recently gave them a big pay rise, could be a determining factor.
On Thursday, the deputy economy minister, Oleh Haiduk, resigned in
protest at the official election results. A number of Ukrainian
diplomats around the world have signed a document denouncing them;
and local authorities in Kiev and several other big cities have
refused to recognise them.
In particular, it is not yet clear how the security forces will react
to any escalation in the protests. On Monday, they issued a statement
promising that any lawlessness would be put down “quickly and
firmly”. But Mr Yushchenko has urged the Ukrainian forces to come
over to his side. It was reported that a mid-ranking officer in an
elite riot-police unit had been sacked after denouncing his superiors
for issuing “illegal” orders to use force against protesters.
Meanwhile, the defence minister has insisted that the army has not
been mobilised and has asked it to stay calm.
International pressure may also have a significant effect on the
outcome. As well as the pressure from America and the EU, a key
determining factor will be the attitude of Mr Putin. He would risk
serious difficulties in his relations with both Europe and America if
he were to back Mr Yanukovich in repressing the protests. Towards the
climax of the Georgian revolution last year, Mr Putin seemed to lose
patience with Mr Shevardnadze, perhaps contributing to his downfall.
Does his wavering response to the Ukrainian conflict mean he is
already hedging his bets?
Though Mr Yushchenko is now hoping for a Georgian-style bloodless
revolution to deliver him the presidency, there are also some less
promising precedents among the former Soviet states: only two months
ago, Belarus’s president, Alexander Lukashenka, “won” a rigged
referendum to allow him to run for re-election. The EU decided this
week to tighten its sanctions against those in his government it
blames for the fraudulent ballot. Azerbaijan and Armenia also held
flawed elections last year: in Azerbaijan, there were riots after the
son of the incumbent president won amid widespread intimidation and
bribery, but these were violently put down; and in Armenia, voters
reacted with quiet despair at the re-election of their president amid
reports of ballot-stuffing. If Ukraine follows these precedents,
hopes for change there, and in other parts of the former Soviet
Union, may be dashed.
–Boundary_(ID_Da8uNxdYnbt6gFhXyNXkzA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 25 2004
BAKU CONFERENCE ON “GLOBAL INFORMATION-COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES-2004”
[November 25, 2004, 19:22:33]
Dear participants of Conference!
I am glad to welcome you in capital of Azerbaijan, in the city of
Baku, and I wish work of the Conference success, and each of you –
health and happiness.
Statement of principles and the Plan of the activity, adopted at the
December 2003 World Summit in Geneva, being extremely a successful
step on the way of creation of information society, have put in pawn
a strong basis for solution of global problems of mankind.
Azerbaijan, known in the world as the oil country, confidently coming
nearer to the information society, has stated at the Summit that is
ready to transform the oil resources into real potential of each
citizen of our country, and began to carry out concrete measures in
this direction.
The Ministry of Communications of Information Technologies created
after the Summit, playing a leading role in this area, within the
framework of the special state program realizes various projects
connected to economy, basing on knowledge. It is confident that
results of the work, which have been successfully implemented by
Azerbaijan together with a number of the international structures,
including the UN Development Program (UNDP), in many spheres on
application of information-communication technologies, will evoke
interest of participants of the Conference.
Azerbaijan as the most dynamically developed country of region
possesses today good opportunities for expansion of sphere of
information technologies. However, the occupation continuing for
already over ten years of the Azerbaijan lands by Armenia and stay
over one million people in position of refugees complicate
realization of large-scale programs. In this sense, the problem of
“Information divide” which will be discussed at the Conference
represents for us extremely great value.
I hope, that your conference will make worthy contribution to the
cause of establishment of information society.
Ilham Aliyev,
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Baku, November 24, 2004

AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 25 2004
PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN DELEGATION
[November 25, 2004, 17:31:49]
On 25 November, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade received
the Italian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita
Boniver.
During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the prospects of
the Azerbaijani-Italian economic cooperation and touched upon the
problem of peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan noted that Italy is a leader in
Azerbaijan’s foreign trade turnover, but expressed regret about law
level of Italian investments in the economy of Azerbaijan. Our
country is very interested in attraction of Italian investors and
their active involvement in global transport projects.
Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita Boniver for her part
pointed out that the agreements on establishment of the
Italy-Azerbaijan Economic council and joint Chamber of Commerce and
Industry signed during this would strengthen economic cooperation
between the two countries.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Prime
Minister Artur Rasizade recalled that during her visit to Yerevan,
the Italian diplomat stated on Italy’s abstention while voting at the
UN General Assembly on the situation in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. He stressed in this connection, that it is Azerbaijan not
Armenia that was subjected to the aggression, expatriation of
peaceful population and occupation of its lands.
It is these factors that should be kept in mind in the first place
while discussing the issue, he said.
The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Italy to Azerbaijan Mrs.
Margherita Costa.

PRESIDENTS OF KAZAKHSTAN, ARMENIA AND UZBEKISTAN CONGRATULATE VIKTOR YANUKOVICH
RIA Novosti, Russia
Nov 25 2004
KIEV, November 25 (RIA Novosti) – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan
Nazarbayev has congratulated Viktor Yanukovich with his victory in
the Ukrainian presidential election, the Ukrainian government’s press
service informed the Novosti-Ukraina agency.
“I congratulate you with all my heart on your election to the highest
post in Ukraine. Your victory stands for the nation’s choice of unity,
democracy and economic progress,” the statement says.
The Kazakh head of state was echoed by his Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharyan, the press service reported.
“I would like to congratulate you on this occasion. I hope Armenia
and Ukraine will continue developing and enhancing the relations of
friendship and mutual understanding for the good of our states and
nations,” the greeting says.
Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov followed suit.
“It is my strong conviction that your occupying the highest post will
secure Ukraine’s independence, enhance the country’s prestige on the
world arena and provide for the welfare and prosperity of the people
of Ukraine,” Karimov stated.

Pressure group starts protest actions
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004
Over 50 members of the Garabagh Liberation Organization (GLO) held
an action at the Samad Vurgun garden in Baku at noon on Wednesday in
protest against the Armenian parliament members’ intended participation
in the NATO Rose Roth seminar due in Azerbaijan late in November.
The protesters held posters saying “Shame on those allowing Armenians
in Baku”, “Keep away Armenian invaders” and “NATO, stop supporting
Armenia!” and released some 100 black balloons in the air, the GLO
chairman Akif Naghi said.
After interference by the police, four protesters were taken to the
Sabayel police precinct, and released two hours later.
About 30 GLO members held another action in front of the Baku Airport
Terminal exit door at 3 p.m. on the same day and read out an appeal
to the airport workers.
“You also represent the Azerbaijani people and should prevent the
entry of aggressor Armenians to Baku”, the document said. GLO will
continue protest actions on Thursday.*

OSCE report on Garabagh conflict to be discussed in Baku
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly special envoy on the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict Goran Lennmarker is scheduled to visit Baku on Friday. The
goal of the visit is to discuss with Azerbaijani officials his report
on the Upper Garabagh conflict.
The OSCE envoy is expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev,
Speaker of the Milli Majlis (parliament) Murtuz Alasgarov and Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
Baku has expressed discontent with some provisions of the report,
head of the Azerbaijani delegation at OSCE PA Sattar Safarov has
said. During Lennmarker’s visit, these disputed provisions will be
clarified and a final version of the report agreed upon, Safarov
added.*

Business wire (press release)
Nov 25 2004
Announcement by the Government of Armenia, OTE and Armentel
ATHENS, Greece–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 25, 2004–The Board of
Directors of Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (ASE: HTO,
NYSE: OTE), the Greek full-service telecommunications provider,
issued the following announcement:
On November 25 2004, after a period of intensive negotiations, the
Government of Armenia, OTE and Armentel settled all outstanding
disputes between them.
The settlement package includes the mutual dismissal of an
arbitration proceeding between the Government and OTE in London, the
issuance of a second GSM license as well as an amended license to
Armentel with rationalized build-out obligations.
The Government, OTE and Armentel agreed to a compromise from their
respective positions, in order to replace a costly and
confrontational relationship, with one which is founded on
cooperation and the efficiency of the regulatory and business
environment, which will lead to the offering of consumer-oriented
services.
As a result, the Armenian consumer will benefit from an enhanced
competitive offering of telecommunication services rendered.
On the other hand, Armentel will function under an equitable
regulatory framework, which will enable the implementation of
high-quality services based on rapidly evolving technologies.
With the support of the Armentel customers and the stabilization of
the regulatory and business environment for the investor, this new
chapter in the field of telecommunications will significantly
contribute to the growth of the economy of the Republic of Armenia,
and the prosperity of the population.
The Government of Armenia OTE Armentel JV,
JSC
About OTE
OTE is a provider of public, fixed switch domestic and international
telephony services in Greece. With local, long distance and
international communications services in addition to mobile
telephony, internet services, and high-speed data communications, OTE
provides consumers and businesses the ability to communicate globally
through its extensive network infrastructure. In addition, OTE has a
number of International investments in the South East European region
and addresses a potential customer base of 60 million people.
Listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, the company trades under the
ticker HTO as well as on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker
OTE. In the U.S., OTE’s American Depository Receipts (ADR’s)
represents 1/2 ordinary share.
Additional Information is also available on
Contacts:
OTE: Dimitris Tzelepis- Head of Investor Relations,
Tel: +30 210 611 1574 / 1429
email: [email protected]
Nikos Kallianis – Senior Financial Analyst,
Investor Relations Tel: +30 210 611 5070;
email: [email protected]
Daria Kozanoglou – Communications Officer,
Investor Relations Tel: +30 210 611 1121;
email: [email protected]
Taylor Rafferty: London: +44 20 7936 0400, New York: +1
212-889-4350;
email: [email protected]