$7M TO BE ALLOCATED FROM WB CREDIT PROGRAM FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF
INSTITUTE OF FAMILY DOCTOR IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, August 24 (Noyan Tapan). $7m out of $19.5m that will be given
by the World Bank for implementation of the credit program of
modernization of health system of Armenia will be directed to
establishment of the institute of a family doctor in Armenia. Ruslana
Gevorgian, the Adviser of RA Minister of Health, informed Noyan Tapan
that within the framework of the program about 950 qualified family
doctors will be trained till 2008, as well as 20 dispensaries will be
repaired and re-equipped. According to R.Gevorgian, the process of
establishment of the institute of a family doctor in Armenia has begun
since 1996. In the previous years 81 dispensaries were repaired and
re-equipped in almost all village communities of the republic with the
credits given by the World Bank. And 2 chairs operate in the Medical
University after M.Heratsi and in the National Institute of Health for
the purpose of training family doctors. The Minister’s adviser
mentioned that at present there are about 300 family doctors in
Armenia. But, according to R.Gevorgian, their number should reach
1700. It was also mentioned that at present there are only 2
dispensaries of family doctors in Yerevan, in polyclinic N 17 and
Erebuni Medical Center.

11 SCHOOLS INCLUDING ARMENIAN TO BE REPAIRED BY DECISION OF TSALKA
REGIONAL SACREBULO
AKHALKALAKI, August 24 (Noyan Tapan). The regional budget of Tsalka
enriched itself with 100,000 lari in connection with granting some
constructions on lease to employees of the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan oil
pipeline construction. This sum will be used for the repairs of the
most accident-prone schools of the regions. According to Razmik
Hanesian, Chairman of the regional sacrebulo, the sacrebulo decided to
repair 11 schools, including schools of the Armenian villages of
Ayama, Odzni, Dashbash, Nardevan. According to the “A-Info” Agency,
the construction work started on August 23, and everything will
complete till the beginning of the new academic year, September 20.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BENEVOLENT HEALTHCARE ACTION TO BE CARRIED OUT IN SEPTEMBER IN TAVUSH
IJEVAN, August 24 (Noyan Tapan). On September 6-28, the “Armenian
Ocular Project” benevolent fund will organize medical examination of
population in Tavush. Karine Dovlatbekian, the Head of the Health
Department of the Tavush regional administration, informed Noyan Tapan
that groups of oculists will carry out free of charge examination of
eyesight of all patients. Patients from vulnerable families will be
free of charge operated on in a movable clinic. Those having diabetes
will be also examined and will get the corresponding treatment within
the framework of the arrangement.

Armenian paper questions Russia’s claim to act as Karabakh settlement
mediator
Golos Armenii, Yerevan
24 Aug 04

Text of Aris Kazinyan’s article “Vladimir Putin’s statement: there are
more questions than answers” published by Armenian newspaper Golos
Armenii on 24 August
“Russia can be a guarantor and mediator in settling the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 20 August
during his Sochi meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
Putting it mildly, the Russian leader’s statement is not very clear:
how is Moscow going to become a mediator, if it became one long ago?
Does Vladimir Putin’s statement mean that official Moscow is
displeased with the trilateral institute of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen? Does it mean that in future Russia sees itself if not the
only then at least the main mediator in the negotiating process on
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict? Or should the Russian
president’s words be taken as a claim to Russia’s exclusive authority
in settling conflicts in the South Caucasus? If so, who this claim is
addressed to? Is it addressed to Washington, Paris or maybe to Tbilisi
in connection with the Georgian-Ossetian conflict? The way he was
speaking about “South Ossetian autonomy abolished by the Georgian
authorities” one would think that the sovereignty of the Russian
Federation was at stake.
Finally, there is the time bomb of Javakh [Georgia’s Armenian-populated
Samtskhe-Javakheti Region], which may be put in operation if needed.
“We inherited many conflict situations. In some places these conflicts
are in a dampened state, while in others they have flared up with a
new force,” the Russian president said at a joint news conference
[with Kocharyan].
The Russian president’s statement about the possibility of Russia
becoming a “guarantor” in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
conflict is even less clear. What does it mean to be a guarantor in
this political conflict? By the way, once Moscow had almost the same
powers: in January 1989 a new form of government was introduced in the
Nagornyy Karabakh Autonomous Region [NKAO] and in effect the region
was taken out of direct subordination to Azerbaijan. Under a
resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers, all organizations and
enterprises of NKAO were re-subordinated to the relevant Soviet
departments. This legal status was the last for NKAO during the Soviet
period.
Can Moscow, which does not want to recall this aspect of the Karabakh
settlement, become a guarantor of a fair settlement of the conflict?
Talking about today’s stage, why does not Moscow remember that earlier
Armenians in Karabakh were fighting against [Chechen rebel warlord]
Shamil Basayev? Of course it is up to the Kremlin to ignore absolutely
obvious realities, but after all this it hardly has the right to claim
the role of so-called “guarantor”.
Still, what does it mean to be a “guarantor” in the Karabakh
settlement? Can this statement be interpreted as an intention to bring
in Russian peacekeeping force to the conflict zone or to deploy it at
the security line? In all probability, the Russian leader meant this
too, but again with Georgia in mind. Russian peacekeepers are
“guarantors of the peaceful settlement” of the Geo rgian-Ossetian
conflict, are they not?
Given the above, President Robert Kocharyan’s words said at the same
news conference, acquire quite a peculiar sense: “There is a great
difference between the Georgian-Ossetian and the Karabakh
conflicts. There is security line in the Karabakh conflict
zone. Everything is under control there.” Unlike in the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict.
The Sochi meeting of the Russian and Armenian leaders did not look
like a meeting of strategic allies. It was more like a talk of the two
countries’ prime ministers outlining common economic interests in the
region. The Russian president made it clear once again that Moscow
wants to make friends with Yerevan and Baku equally. As for our
problems with transport communications conditioned by the “known
geopolitical situation of Armenia”, alas, they are difficult to
overcome. Vladimir Putin mentioned the prospective “North-South”
railway corridor. A decision on its construction was adopted in May in
Moscow at a meeting of the railway ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan and
Iran. This railway link via Derbent, Baku, Astara, Rasht and Qazvin
should provide Russia with direct access to the Indian Ocean. And this
is not “an hour-long flight to Sochi,” this is strategy!

Armenian parliamentary candidate complains about “gross breaches” of law
Arminfo, Yerevan
19 Aug 04
YEREVAN
The parliamentary by-election campaign in Armenia’s 44th constituency
is going on with gross breaches of the country’s electoral laws.
Candidate Babken Markaryan told today’s news conference at the
Pakagits Club that supporters of some candidates were collecting
voters’ passports, bribing them so that they cast their votes for this
or that candidate. “A vote in the 44th constituency costs from 10,000
to 20,000 drams [18-36 dollars],” Markaryan said. He also said that
supporters of some candidates were putting pressure on his
followers. Markaryan claims that unidentified men have lately attacked
his supporters and beaten them.
Markaryan also said that other candidates’ supporters always tear his
election posters down from walls. “This stopped only after I called
Aram Sarkisyan, parliamentary candidate Artak Sarkisyan’s brother, and
asked him to calm down his supporters,” he said. Markaryan said that
he had decided to stand in the election only at the request of voters
from the 44th constituency, who urged him not to surrender and to
struggle to the very end. The candidate expressed his confidence in
his victory if the election is free and fair.
The by-election in the 44th constituency is being held because deputy
from the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed Country] Party, Aram Arutyunyan,
has been appointed to the post of the town planning minister. Five
candidates are standing in the election, with Araik Ayrapetyan, owner
of a chain of pharmacies and the Lavanda dry-cleaner, and Artak
Sarkisyan, co-chairman of the SAS Group of companies, being the main
contenders.
Araik Ayrapetyan is a member of the Nig-Aparan union [of countrymen]
and enjoys the support of the union’s honorary chairman, Armenian
Prosecutor-General Agvan Ovsepyan. His candidacy is also supported by
the People’s Deputy group, which consists of businessmen and which
Ayrapetyan is planning to join if elected to the National
Assembly. Artak Sarkisyan’s candidacy is supported by the Orinats
Yerkir Party, of which he is a member.
The by-election in the 44th constituency will be held on 29 August.

Azerbaijan may put Karabakh separatists on Interpol wanted list
Ekho, Baku
17 Aug 04

The National Central Bureau of Interpol (NCBI) in Azerbaijan is ready
to announce an international search for the president of the
self-styled Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (“NKR” – placed in inverted
commas hereafter), Arkadiy Gukasyan. An informed source at the
law-enforcement bodies told Ekho that the Azerbaijani Prosecutor
General’s Office should initiate criminal proceedings [against him]
for this purpose.
In the meantime, it is difficult to find a better time than it is now
if the National Central Bureau of Azerbaijan announces an
international manhunt for the leader of the Karabakh
separatists. Gukasyan has announced that he is going on holiday. And
“the president” will relax outside Karabakh. “The main information
department” under “the president” of the “NKR” does not report which
country Gukasyan headed for.
Gukasyan remains faithful to his tradition of going on holidays in
August or September. In the past, the leader of the Karabakh
separatists also spent his holidays outside Karabakh, but in Xankandi
they have always avoided reporting where he is going, probably, so
that nobody can spoil his holiday.
Gukasyan is known to travel abroad quite often. He more often visits
France and the USA where he takes part in a variety of telethons
organized by the All-Armenian Foundation Hayastan. The separatist
leader has repeatedly travelled to Moscow. Armenia’s opposition press
reports that Gukasyan is suffering from a certain serious disease
which requires treatment.
[Passage omitted]
It is interesting that representatives of the “NKR” and Yerevan are
hiding Gukasyan’s holiday destination. Thus, “the representation” of
“the NKR” in Moscow refused to tell Ekho anything concerning the
holiday of their “boss”. The same position was shown by the “NKR
representation” in France: “We do not know where our president is
relaxing.”
The separatists found it difficult to answer Ekho’s question about how
often Gukasyan relaxes in France, advising to address this question
to… [ellipsis as given] the Armenian authorities. Armenia’s
diplomatic representation in Moscow said they had no information as to
where the leader of the Karabakh separatists could be relaxing.
Even if the leader of the Karabakh separatists manages to relax
without problems this year, Azerbaijani parliamentarians intend to get
Gukasyan not to leave Karabakh or Armenia in the future. A member of
the parliamentary commission on national security and defence,
Alimammad Nuriyev, told Ekho that he was planning to raise the issue
of restricting the movement of the Karabakh separatists, including
Gukasyan, during the parliament’s autumn session.
Under the MP’s proposal, it is necessary to compile a list of
separatist leaders, which will be later sent to CIS countries and
other friendly nations. Official Baku will have to request that the
governments of these countries impose sanctions on the entry of the
people mentioned on the list. Nuriyev is confident that Baku’s
initiative will be supported, since some CIS countries have problems
with separatism.
The parliamentarian also intends to raise the issue of a similar
address to the European Union. “There is a precedent. The European
Union has banned [unrecognized] Dniester leaders [in Moldova] from
entering EU countries. We have to make use of it.”
In turn, another MP Zahid Oruc suggests introducing tougher sanctions
against the Karabakh separatists. The deputy is in favour of declaring
Gukasyan a war criminal and putting him on the international wanted
list. “I intend to raise this issue at the autumn session of the Milli
Maclis [Azerbaijani parliament]. We have to act on the example of
Russia which has announced Chechen militants war criminals and
demanded their extradition from neighbouring countries. We can in no
way allow Gukasyan to smoothly tour the world.”
Oruc acknowledged that Baku has to compile a list of the Karabakh
separatists headed by Gukasyan and request that CIS countries impose
sanctions against these people. “Time is ripe for moving from official
statements to fruitful actions.” The deputy is sure that constructive
cooperation between the [Azerbaijani] Foreign Ministry and the Milli
Maclis on this issue will yield positive results soon.

PRESS RELEASE
August 24, 2004
American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576
Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]
TURPANJIAN FAMILY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIP AND BIG BROTHER/SISTER
PROGRAM AT AUA
Oakland, CA -The Turpanjian Family Foundation generously pledged $1,000,000
over 10 years to the American University of Armenia (AUA) in April 2004 to
implement an innovative Big Brother-Big Sister orphan mentorship program,
and to provide educational scholarships to support qualified undergraduate
and graduate Armenian students who are at an economic and social
disadvantage. On August 13, 2004, the American University of Armenia
received its first installment of $100,000 from the Turpanjian Family
Foundation and AUA has begun program implementation.
One of the key components of the Turpanjian Family Foundation Scholarship
Program is to empower its graduates to make long-term contributions to
Armenia’s political, social and economic development. To this end,
scholarships will be awarded to eligible undergraduate and graduate students
in Armenia’s universities, including the AUA, whose major areas of study are
determined to be of critical need and strategic importance for the
development of Armenia. AUA has already sent out public announcements in
Armenia’s media to recruit eligible students.
Additionally, for the first time in Armenia, AUA will introduce a `Big
Brother-Big Sister’ mentorship program for orphans. AUA alumni and
students will be matched with orphans, as `big brothers’ or `big sisters’,
to establish one-on-one lifelong friendships and mentoring relationships and
to help with their social and intellectual development. This mutually
beneficial connection will not only assist the orphan with lifelong guidance
and counseling, but also instill within AUA alumni and students the values
of helping others less fortunate and the benefits of participating in
community service.
`Supporting a scholarship program in Armenia is a wonderful way to support
the local state institutions of higher education and individual students who
have the potential to attend AUA and make valuable contributions to Armenian
society,’ stated AUA President Haroutune Armenian. `The Big Brother/Big
Sister component of this program will also help those who are at a
socio-economic disadvantage to overcome their circumstances and believe in
their potential leadership and entrepreneurial roles in Armenia’s economy.’
—————————————-
The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit educational
organization in both Armenia and the United States and is affiliated with
the Regents of the University of California. Receiving major support from
the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight
graduate programs. For more information about AUA, visit

Indian Express, India
Aug 24 2004
Harikrishna is joint second

Press Trust of India

New Delhi, August 23: Grandmaster P Harikrishna defeated
International Master Imad Hakki of Syria in the eighth and
penultimate round and moved to joint second spot in the Master’s
section of the 14th edition of Abu Dhabi chess festival here.
Former Asian junior girls’ champion Tania Sachdev moved within
striking distance of her second Women Grandmaster norm after a draw
with WGM Julia Mashinskaya of Russia. Tania took her tally to four
points out of a possible eight and now needs just a draw in the last
round game against IM Alexander Raetsky of Russia to ensure the norm.

Meanwhile, GM Dmitry Bocharov of Russia joined GMs Ghaem Maghami
Ehsan of Iran and Pavel Kotsur of Kazakhstan in lead after a crushing
victory over compatriot GM Evgeny Gleizerov. All the three leaders
have six points each and are followed by top seed Evgeny Vladimirov
of Kazakhstan, Russians Gleizerov and Mikhail Kobalia, Artashes
Minasian of Armenia and Harikrishna on 5.5 points.
With just one round to go in this $16000 prize money tournament as
many as six players including GM Tejas Bakre are in contention for
the spot. Tejas Bakre defeated Zeinab Mamediarova of Azerbaijan in a
fine positional game from the White side of a Cole system. The game
lasted 58 moves. GM R B Ramesh went down to Minasian after a tough
fight from an irregular opening. The Armenian wrapped the issue in 38
moves.
Nisha Mohota was impressive in her victory over local hope Mohamed
Hossein while Eesha Karvade held compatriot IM S Kidambi. Neelotpal
Das lost to Kivanc Haznedaroglu of Turkey and Aarthie Ramaswamy drew
with Tayeb Suhail of UAE.

The South African Star , South Africa
Aug 24 2004
Hung out to die?
August 24, 2004
By Beauregard Tromp and Sapa-AFP
Nick du Toit has admitted that he recruited personnel and took charge
of logistics for an attempted coup bid in Equatorial Guinea.
The South African’s admission came on the first day of his trial in
Malabo, the capital of the small central African state, along with 17
other alleged putschists who have been charged with plotting to oust
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
“I wasn’t part of the operational group because my task was
logistics; that’s to say, getting vehicles (to the airport),” Du Toit
said yesterday when he was returned to the courtroom on his own after
an adjournment.
Du Toit – on trial with seven other South Africans, six Armenians and
four Equatorial Guinean defendants – said he agreed to take part in
the scheme because he was promised “a large amount of money”.
Questioned by Attorney-General José Olo Obono, the South African said
he had accepted the job at the request of Simon Mann, the alleged
leader of 70 other suspected mercenaries arrested in Zimbabwe. This
group was allegedly due to join those in Equatorial Guinea to carry
out the coup.
In a shock announcement yesterday, the state prosecutor sought the
death penalty for Du Toit and prison terms ranging from 26 to 86
years for the other defendants.
The head of the official South African observer mission to the trial,
Moketedi Mpshe, said he was shocked at the call for the death
penalty, which seemed to contradict assurances given by Obiang to
President Thabo Mbeki that none of the accused would be executed.
Obiang had also told the French magazine Jeune Afrique Intelligent:
“The death penalty can be applied here only if a crime has been
carried out, not if the accused was stopped when he was only in the
planning stage.”
Mbeki’s spokesperson, Bheki Khumalo, said last night: “Let us allow
the due process of the law to take its course, reach its logical
conclusion and take it from there.”
Legal watchdogs have, however, expressed fears that if the government
decides to intervene only after the death penalty has been passed, it
might be too late to prevent its being carried out.
South African officials have been told that the trial would be
completed and sentence passed this week, leaving little time for
reaction.
Handcuffed and in leg-irons, the accused were brought by military
vehicles to a conference hall in Banapa, a suburb of Malabo, which
has been turned into a makeshift courtroom for the trial.
About 100 people, including two of the suspected South African
mercenaries’ wives, human rights activists and foreign diplomats,
were in the public gallery for the trial.
Although Du Toit’s wife, Belinda, had complained before that the
mercenaries were in bad shape, an American diplomat present, Dan
Vernon, told Voice of America that the accused “appear to be
healthy”.
“All 14 of the expatriates have beards at this point, but they appear
to be in good health,” Vernon said.
“I noticed that Nick du Toit, the alleged leader of the group,
appeared extremely composed and chatted with the accused sitting on
either side of himself on occasion.”
The South African government’s observer mission, which was originally
to be eight-strong but dwindled to four, missed the opening of the
trial and spent yesterday in Libreville, Gabon, because of delays in
flights from Johannesburg.
“We will only be able to get a flight to Malabo at 7am tomorrow
morning,” Mpshe said yesterday.
But Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said
another team of officials, led by South Africa’s ambas- sador to
Gabon, Samuel Monaisi, was monitoring the trial to ensure it was
“transparent, fair and just”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is on record as
saying she would intervene diplomatically if a death sentence is
announced.
Meanwhile the Equatorial Guinean government seems to have reneged on
a promise to the South African government to allow South African
journalists and international lawyers to attend the trial.
The International Bar Association, based in London, said last night
that one of its observers had been allowed to travel to Malabo but
another had been refused entry.
Equatorial Guinea’s attorney-general outlined the role of each of the
accused in the coup plot, also citing the names of exiled opposition
leader Severo Moto, accused of masterminding the coup, and British
businessmen Elie Khalil, Greg Wales and David Hurt, accused of
funding it, but he did not say what sentences they faced.
Spain has refused to extradite Moto, leading Malabo to recall its
ambassador to Madrid and threaten to break off diplomatic relations.
Du Toit’s lawyer, Fernando Mico, called for seven years’ prison for
his client, saying: “There was no conspiracy, given that no weapons
were found in their possession.”
Lawyer Polciano Mbomio, pleading on behalf of six Armenian
defendants, asked for charges against them to be dropped, and called
Obono’s summary “narrative fiction”.
The four Equatorial Guineans were not implicated in the alleged coup
plot until the court case got under way yesterday.
The South African and Armenian suspects have been held at Malabo’s
notorious Black Beach prison since March.
Why observers are worried
The trial judges report to President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
The government appointed legal representation for the accused at the
last minute, and did not allow them to have their own lawyers.
The prosecution is allowed to use confessions extracted by torture.
Court proceedings are held in Spanish, charges are put in Spanish and
there is no translation.
The trial started even though a South African government delegation
sent to make sure that it was free and fair had not arrived.
The South African government says it will allow the case to reach its
conclusion before it will act. However, its policy to intervene only
after the imposition of the death penalty proved to be ill-timed in
the case of Mariette Bosch, who was executed in secret by Botswana in
1999.
The Equatorial Guinean attorney-general called for the death penalty
despite earlier assurances by Nguema that the men would not be
executed.
SA’s Constitutional Court regards the right to life, as contained in
the constitution, as so important that it has ruled that even a
non-South African may not be extradited to another country to face
capital charges, unless an undertaking is given by that country that
the death sentence will not be imposed.
What Amnesty says of the country
German Eugen Nershz, one of the 15 foreigners arrested in connection
with the coup attempt, died on March 17, supposedly of cerebral
malaria. But Amnesty International has said he died “apparently as a
result of torture”.
The trial of 67 men sentenced to long jail terms after being
convicted of involvement in a previous alleged coup was unfair and
their convictions were based on statements made under torture.
They are being held in harsh conditions at the Black Beach prison,
crammed together in small, dangerously overcrowded cells. In March,
two prisoners were transferred to hospital. One had a broken rib as a
result of being beaten.
Amnesty International further noted that it had happened before that
the Equatorial Guinean government had “invented” plots to clamp down
on the opposition. In 2002, several members of political parties were
held for exercising their right to freedom of expression or for
membership of opposition groups.
Despite a partial amnesty in August 2002, more than 30 prisoners are
being held in conditions tantamount to torture after being convicted
on the basis of confessions extracted under torture.

SABC News, South Africa
Aug 24 2004
Ambassador says ‘mercenaries’ won’t get death penalty
Samuel Monaisa, the South African ambassador to Gabon, says he is
confident that the 14 suspected mercenaries held in Equatorial Guinea
will not be sentenced to death. Eight South Africans and six
Armenians were arrested in March and accused of plotting to topple
the oil-rich nation’s president with the help of 70 men detained in
Zimbabwe.
The prosecutor called for a maximum sentence on Nick du Toit, the
alleged mercenary leader yesterday, despite an assurance by the
government of Equatorial Guinea that the men would not be sentenced
to death. Monaise says it is common in any such case that the
prosecutor would be driving for a certain sentence but that does not
necessarily mean that is how the final judgment will pan out. He says
furthermore, the fact that what the men had planned was not carried
out and that the government has already ruled out the death sentence
makes him confident. In the Equatorial justice system, trial judges
report directly to the president.
Monaise says he does not have the jurisdiction to approach the court
and request that the government assurance be taken into account. “I
can’t do that that would be interfering in the judicial system of
another country… what we are just trying to do is to ensure that the
trial is transparent, fair and just.”
The South African government has sent four senior officials to attend
the trial. Among them are officials from the department of foreign
affairs, the department of justice and the National Prosecuting
Authority.