Azeri MPs happy about cancellation of NATO war games
Turan news agency
14 Sep 04
Baku, 14 September: The cancellation of NATO’s Cooperative Best
Effort 2004 exercises in Azerbaijan was discussed at the Milli Maclis
[parliament] session today.
MP Ibrahim Isayev was the first to speak on the issue. He expressed
his regret at the fact that NATO was led by the nose by the Armenians
and had cancelled the exercises in Baku.
“At the same time, we have succeeded in barring Armenians from Baku,
so let me congratulate you on that,” the MP said.
Qudrat Hasanquliyev, chairman of the United People’s Front of
Azerbaijan Party, described what happened as a “major achievement”.
“Our people have shown their unity,” he said with satisfaction.
Hasanquliyev called on everyone to be “on alert” to the people and
companies maintaining “contacts” with Armenia, saying that such
cooperation was unacceptable.
At the same time, MP Musa Musayev expressed his doubt that the
disruption of the NATO exercises was a positive achievement. He
recalled that a great deal of effort was taken by Azerbaijan to become
an associated member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. If Azerbaijan
is aspiring to a negotiated solution to the Karabakh problem, it has
to cooperate with NATO, Musayev said.
Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov said summing up the debate that
in some sense the NATO decision was an answer to the Azerbaijani
parliament’s address.
“We protested at the visit of those who have occupied our lands and
shed the blood of our people, and we have achieved our goal,” he said.
[Passage to end omitted: parliament session’s agenda]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAN’S PRESIDENT KHATAMI RETURNS HOME FROM TAJIKISTAN
Tehran, 14 September: President Mohammad Khatami arrived in Tehran
later in the day ending his three-nation tour which took him from
Yerevan to Dushanbe after Minsk.
Upon his arrival at Mehrabad International Airport, Khatami talked
to reporters on his seven-day visits to the Republics of Armenia,
Belarus and Tajikistan.
On the last leg of his tour, Khatami took part in the summit of
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) heads of state held in
Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Source: IRNA web site, Tehran, in English 1525 gmt 14 Sep 04
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
AGBU UN WORKSHOP TARGETS AN ISSUE CRUCIAL TO ARMENIA AND OTHER NATIONS
New York – On Wednesday, September 8, 2004, AGBU brought together
some of the leading voices in landmine eradication and environmental
issues at the largest gathering of non-governmental organizations
in the world – the United Nation’s 57th Annual DPI/NGO Conference
in Manhattan entitled “Millennium Development Goals: Civil Society
Takes Action.” Entitled, “Overcoming Obstacles to Economic Growth &
Community Development: The Role of Civil Society,” the AGBU workshop,
attended by Peggy Kerry – sister of Presidential candidate John
Kerry and NGO liaison to the US Mission of the United Nations – and
an audience of international NGO representatives, invited speakers
to discuss their grassroots projects in Afghanistan, Armenia and
Cambodia that help rehabilitate post-war societies through demining,
tree planting and other infrastructure-based initiatives.
AGBU United Nations Representative, Adrienne Alexanian initiated
and organized the workshop, a nine-month process involving weekly
meetings, extensive planning and networking with various individuals
and groups. Alexanian was also AGBU’s representative on the DPI/NGO
planning committee and the conference reception committee.
“It is important that Armenian organizations get involved with
international institutions like the United Nations, and promote ideas
and issues important to our community,” Alexanian said. “With my
continuing involvement with the United Nations, I am proud that we can
put together professional workshops that engage the world. I was also
very happy that as a member of the reception committee I was able to
promote HaiArt, an Armenian ensemble that played music by the Armenian
composer Gomidas during the opening reception in the Delegates’
Dining Room. The reaction to the music was tremendous and everyone
became aware that the well of Armenian music was so rich and moving.”
The workshop drew a standing room crowd of educated activists and
concerned NGO representatives. The speakers were Jeff Masarjian,
Executive Director of the Armenia Tree Project (ATP), Sally Mackle
of Rotary International, and Heidi Kuhn, President and Founder of
Roots of Peace, an organization founded to continue Princess Diana’s
legacy of landmine eradication. Adrienne Alexanian and her alternate,
Hrag Vartanian, moderated the event.
Masarjian’s presentation included a discussion of the realities that
confronted a post-war Armenia, including landmines and the blockade,
and their impact on the environment. He went on to elaborate about
ATP’s work at developing a sustainable countryside that is helped by
an ambitious program of tree planting and fruit drying projects that
employ countless numbers of Armenian war refugees from Azerbaijan. Now
in its tenth year, ATP has planted hundreds of thousands of trees
and continues to expand its programming.
Rotary International’s project in Cambodia works with local village
residents to demine their fields, purify their water, and provide
them with livestock for farming in the heavily-mined regions of
Cambodia. The country is home to some of the largest numbers of
landmine victims and they continue to struggle with the problem.
The final presentation by Roots of Peace founder and president, Heidi
Kuhn, outlined her work that builds on the former Princess of Wales’
vision of a mine-free world. As a result of a partnership with various
Californian wineries, Roots of Peace works in post-war countries,
like Afghanistan, to clear agricultural land of landmines and replant
vineyards that will rejuvenate the local economy. Featured on CNN, NBC
and ABC, Roots of Peace has garnered praised from UN Secretary General,
Kofi Annan, the US State Department and other prominent voices.
The presentations were followed by questions and interactive
discussions from an engaged audience that was well versed on landmine
and environmental issues.
Feedback from members of the NGO community pointed out the timely
nature of the topic and applauded the dissemination of information from
experts on these crucial initiatives to the international community.
A member of the UN NGO community since 1993, AGBU is the largest
Armenian non-profit organization in the world. The organization’s
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs reach over 400,000
Armenians annually. For more information, visit AGBU online at

MGM sale conjures old ghosts, history repeats
By Bob Tourtellotte
LOS ANGELES, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Even in fast-paced Hollywood,
the more things change, the more they stay the same. Case in point:
80 year-old Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. <_MGM.N_ (aol://4785:MGM/) >.
The venerable film studio controlled by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian
on Monday agreed in principle to be acquired by investors led by Sony
Corp., according to sources close to the deal.
The nearly $5 billion deal recalls MGM’s origins in 1924, another
time when deep pockets were needed to compete against larger rivals.
The birthplace of musicals like “The Wizard of Oz,” epic “Gone with
the Wind” and home to the James Bond spy flicks, MGM has remained
a fixture in Hollywood through years of shifting owners, changed
locations and threatened bankruptcy.
In fact, the acquisition by Sony returns MGM to its old filmmaking
lot that was spun off in 1986 at a time when the studio was controlled
by Ted Turner. Since then, MGM has been a studio without a lot. Now,
like E.T., it has gone home.
MGM was formed in 1924 when financially struggling Metro Pictures
and owner Marcus Loew, who ran the New York-based Loews theaters,
approached Goldwyn Pictures about a merger.
Neither company was performing well at box offices, so they brought in
Louis B. Mayer, who along with his production chief, Irving Thalberg,
took charge of a merged Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Legendary producer Samuel Goldwyn had been ousted from Goldwyn Pictures
two years earlier, and never worked at the company.
In the 1930s and 1940s, MGM became famous for producing spectacle
films and musicals like “Wizard of Oz” in 1939. That same year,
MGM and producer David O. Selznick released multiple-Oscar winner
“Gone With the Wind.”
MGM earned other best picture Oscars for 1951 musical “An American in
Paris,” starring Gene Kelly, and 1959 epic “Ben Hur,” with Charlton
Heston. In 1962, sister United Artists released the first of 20 James
Bond movies, “Dr. No.”
DEALS AND NEAR DISASTER
Kerkorian acquired 37 percent of MGM in 1969, then won control from
rival investor Edgar Bronfman Sr. He would own the studio three times
before this latest sale.
The 86-year-old billionaire is the son of Armenian immigrants and
made his early fortune in the airline industry. He also controls MGM
Mirage <_MGG.N_ (aol://4785:MGG/) >, operator of the Bellagio and
MGM Grand casino hotels, among others.
On Wall Street, Kerkorian is considered a wily dealmaker. In
complicated maneuvering in 1986, he sold MGM to Ted Turner’s Turner
Broadcasting System for $1.45 billion, then reacquired it from
Turner. But by then, Turner had stripped MGM of its pre-1948 film
library and sold MGM’s studio lot.
The deal formed the basis of modern MGM, which makes low-risk,
low-cost movies and cable and syndicated TV shows. It generates much
of its revenue from selling DVDs in its 4,100 title film catalog that
excludes classics like “Wizard of Oz.”
In 1990, Kerkorian sold MGM for $1.3 billion to Pathe Communications
and financier Giancarlo Paretti, but after losing money, French bank
Credit Lyonnais seized control then sold MGM back to Kerkorian in
1996 for the same $1.3 billion.
In 1999, the billionaire installed top lieutenant Alex Yemenidjian as
chief executive and Hollywood veteran Chris McGurk as chief operating
officer.
Helped by booming DVD sales, the pair have turned MGM into a steady
cash producer. Even so, in modern times MGM has been what old Metro
Pictures was, a small company looking for a big partner. On Monday,
it appeared to find one, again.
09/13/04 18:54 ET

BAKU WILL NOT ADMIT ARMENIA’S REPRESENTATIVES FOR PARTICIPATION IN NATO-LED EXERCISE
RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 13 2004
BAKU, September 13 (RIA Novosti) – The Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia
will not issue entrance visas to Armenia’s military for participation
in the NATO-led Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercise in Baku, said
Metin Mirza, head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press service.
“The Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia has not and will not issue
entrance visas to Armenia’s military for participation in the NATO-led
Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercise”, he said.
In response to the question on the reasons of the refusal, Mr. Mirza
said that “these reasons are well-known and there is no need in
voicing them again”.
The NATO exercise to be attended by representatives of the alliance’s
20 countries and partners within the framework of the NATO program
Partnership for Peace will be held in Baku from September 14 through
26.
Political organizations and public of Azerbaijan as well as the
country’s mass media speak out against participation of the Armenian
representatives in the exercise. In particular, the Azerbaijani
parliament’s address to the NATO Secretary General reads that the NATO
leadership’s decision on invitation of “officers of the occupational
Armenian army” to the military exercise was taken extremely negative
in the republic.
“It is absolutely obvious that this decision, whose consequences has
not been thoroughly considered, may ultimately aggravate the tense
situation in the region”, states the address.
It also points out that the Azerbaijani people voice strong protest
against this decision of the NATO leadership and see it as “a step,
to chose the words carefully, absolutely inconsistent with interest
of our state and hurting feelings of Azerbaijani citizens”.
Addressing the fact that over 20 thousand Armenians currently live
in Baku, the Azerbaijani MPs point out that “the protests against
arrival of Armenia’s officers in Baku are not only ethnically based.
The protests are against arrival in the capital of occupied Azerbaijan
of officers of the aggressive Armenian army, which seized the
Azerbaijani lands and sentenced its residents to incredible sorrows”.
The address of the parliament’s members to the NATO Secretary General
expressed hope that “this ill-considered decision, which may impair the
NATO-Azerbaijani cooperation and threaten the talks towards peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, will be cancelled”.
All capitals of the Southern Caucasus and other countries pinned
their hopes on election of Ilkham Aliev the Azerbaijani president in
terms of intensifying the process of the peaceful settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over belonging of Nagorny Karabakh,
Armenian enclave on the Azerbaijani territory. However, no visible
changes to the better have been seen, despite all endeavours of
intermediaries represented by the OSCE Minsk Group. The reason for
this lies in the irreconcilable position of the sides: Baku has no
intentions to put up with the loss of its territory (alongside with
the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorny Karabakh, a substantial
portion of the Azerbaijani original territories are still under
control of the Armenian troops) and appeals to the international
law, declaring primacy of territorial integrity to nation’s right to
self-determination. Stepanakert’s authorities intend to retain the
current status of an ‘independent’ state and feel Erevan’s support
in this.

WILL ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS GO TO IRAQ?
RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 14 2004
YEREVAN, September 14 (RIA Novosti’s Gamlet Matevosyan) – Armenian
parliament will soon discuss sending Armenian peacekeepers to Iraq,
chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Artur Bagdasaryan told
journalists.
According to him, the point at issue is a limited contingent of
servicemen rather than a big military formation.
On September 6 president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and president
of Poland Alexander Kwasniewski signed an agreement on cooperation in
the sphere of security between the two countries, within the framework
of which 50 Armenian servicemen will be sent to Iraq where they will
join the coalition forces under the Polish command.
Armenian defense minister lieutenant-general Yuri Khachaturov
ambiguously assessed the decision of the country’s leadership to
send Armenian peacekeepers to Iraq. According to him, the Armenian
community and Armenians as a whole can face problems connected with
ensuring security of Armenian officers.
At the same time Khachaturov pointed out that the final decision will
be made by parliament. “”Possibly, the parliament will not confirm
the decision, but we will fulfil any order given to us,” he said.
The Democratic Party of Armenia represented in Parliament by
one deputy, circulated a statement on September 14 in which it
characterized this step of the authorities as ill-advised and
dangerous.
The party members are of the opinion that such a decision contradicts
the national interests of Armenia, the interests of state security,
and creates threat, above all, to the peaceful existence of the
25,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq and also those Armenians
who live in Moslem countries.
The democrats condemn the Armenian authorities’ intention to send a
military contingent to Iraq and call on MPs to come out against the
ratification of this agreement, says the statement of the Democratic
Party of Armenia.

DEPUTY FM MEETS NATO DELEGATION
ArmenPress
Sept 14 2004
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian deputy foreign affairs
minister Tatul Margarian echoed today foreign minister Vartan Oskanian,
saying the NATO’s Supreme Command decision to cancel Best Cooperative
Effort maneuvers in Azerbaijan was “the loss of an opportunity for
regional cooperation.” He was meeting with a delegation of NATO
Parliamentary Assembly that brought to Armenia parliament members of
12 NATO and OSCE member countries.
Praising NATO for its efforts to help establish stability in the
region, Tatul Margarian, expressed hope that in the long-term
perspective NATO’s principled position will promote formation of
regional cooperation.
Margarian also spoke in detail about Armenia’s relations with its
neighbors, Karabagh conflict regulation process and Armenia’s drive
towards closer integration with Europe.
NATO’s decision was hailed also today by Armenian prime minister
Andranik Margarian, who said that the international community has now
realized the gap between what Azerbaijan’s leadership says and does.
“Azerbaijan has shown its true face,” he added.
The prime minister also referred to Azeri president Aliyev’s words
that his September 16 meeting with Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharian would have a crucial significance in the Karabagh conflict
regulation. “There have been no crucial actions recently and neither
crucial positions have been voiced so as to have a sweeping effect
on the expected talks between the two presidents,” he said, adding
that the latest events show that even if crucial developments occur
they will not be in favor of Azerbaijan.

AZERI POLITICAL ANALYSTS REACT TO NATO DECISION TO CANCEL PfP EXERCISES
ArmenPress
Sept 14 2004
BAKU, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijani political experts reacted
swiftly to the decision of NATO’s Supreme Command to cancel the
exercises, dubbed Cooperative Best Effort 2004 that were scheduled
to start today in Azerbaijan as part of Partnership for Peace program
(PfP) after the official Baku refused entry visas to Armenian officers
to travel to Azerbaijan’s capital.
Last Friday, the Azeri parliament sent a message to NATO Secretary
General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer protesting the inclusion of Armenian
soldiers and warning it could inflame tensions in the region and harm
relations between Azerbaijan and the Atlantic alliance. President
Ilham Aliyev also reportedly opposed the inclusion of the soldiers.
An ex-foreign minister Tofik Zulfugarov argued that NATO’s decision
was “biased” and was taken without taking into account the existing
realities of the region. “Though the decision is an unpleasant event
for Azerbaijan it has prompted decision-makers to once again think
about specific conditions of the region … Azerbaijan is the victim
of Armenia’s aggression and this fact should not be ignored by those
organizations, which are trying to create an illusion that there is
no occupation and no refugees” he was quoted by Turan news agency
as saying.
According to another political analyst, Zardusht Alizade, all the
clamor around the exercises has in fact no relation to patriotism and
struggle for liberation of Karabagh and furthermore, it will sustain
huge damages to Azerbaijan. He said that the arrival of Armenian
officers would have no impact on the Karabagh problem. “Azeris should
not have raised all this noise, it was a stupid and absolutely
non-constructive position.” He said that Azerbaijan has lost all
opportunities to express its positions internationally, implicating
also that the country’s leadership is trying to please Russia to
prove its ability to keep the conflict frozen.
Eldar Namazov, another political analysts, said the refusal of
Azerbaijan to accept Armenian officers was regretful, adding that
its aftereffects will eventually affect Azerbaijan’s image.
According to an independent military observer, Uzeir Jafarov, the
first such incident in the history of PfP exercises is evidence that
NATO will revise Azerbaijan’s participation in its programs.
But according to political analyst Vafa Quluzada, the cancellation
of the exercises will not affect Azerbaijani-NATO relations.
“Azerbaijan and Armenia are at war and this is obvious to NATO that
failed to realize that the Azerbaijani people would not be indifferent
to this,” he said, adding that NATO will respect Azerbaijan even more
and understand that the two countries should not be kept in a state of
war. “NATO enjoys big powers and can play an important role in putting
an end to this aggression against Azerbaijan immediately,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AND CHINESE COOPERATION YIELDS TANGIBLE RESULTS
ArmenPress
Sept 13 2004
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: “Economic cooperation between
Armenia and China is set to go on developing,” Chinese ambassador Zho
Xiulian told reporters on the sidelines of the Chinese Business Day
within Armenia Expo-2 2004. “Economic cooperation between our countries
yield tangible results, especially in the fields of agriculture and
energy,” he said.
Responding to the question of Armenpress on the current pace of
Armenian-Chinese economic relations, the ambassador said that a mixed
commission is working to steer economic cooperation but there are no
visible outcomes yet. According to the ambassador, distance between
the countries and transport difficulties hinder the enlargement of
economic cooperation between the two. He also said that Armenian and
Chinese businessmen know little about each other. However, he said
certain steps are taken in that direction. Chinese business partners
have submitted written information about their companies to Armenian
counterparts. Armenian companies filled out questionnaires and send
them to Chinese side offering cooperation proposals.
According to International Integration Cooperation Center expert
Helena Nazinian, Armenian and Chinese businessmen are attentively
following cooperation opportunities in almost all fields of economy.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STARTS DEBATES ON BANK DEPOSITS COMPENSATION BILL
ArmenPress
Sept 13 2004
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: Central Bank governor
Tigran Sarkisian presented today to parliament’s consideration a
government-designed bill on compensating banking deposits of physical
persons, saying the bill calls for creation of the Bank Deposits
Compensating Fund to protect all citizens’ deposits if the bank is
declared bankrupt or insolvent.
The Fund is to collect financial means which will be used for returning
the deposits. Sarkisian said Armenian commercial banks have been
making obligatory payments to the Fund for 12 months already in the
amount of 0.5 percent of their assets’ value, but added that after
the passage of the law, the payment amount will reduce to 0.2 percent.
He said some 480 million drams have been already accumulated on it. The
fund has also received 3.5 million euros from a German KfW bank for the
same purpose. Sarkisian said under the bill the amount of compensation
is 2 million for deposits in Armenian Drams, while deposits in foreign
currency will be compensated in the amounted of 1 million drams. He
explained the difference by the stable growth of drams’ value against
the US Dollar and the volume of the GDP, adding also the amount of
compensations may grow together with the growth of the GDP.