Month: June 2005

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 11 2005
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN AND CROATIA
[June 10, 2005, 21:05:40]
On the same day, a joint press conference of the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of Croatia Stipe Mesic.
The heads of the states made statements. Highly having estimated
official visit of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to
Croatia, Mr. Stipe Mesic has noted that this visit would play
important role in development of relations between two countries. In
detail informing journalists about the meetings which have been
carried out with the President of Azerbaijan, he, in particular,
told: `We have carried out wide discussions on safety issues,
regional and bilateral cooperation, and also about the processes
proceeding in the world. Croatia supports establishment of peace and
safety in Azerbaijan and on all Southern Caucasus and is ready to
cooperate widely with Azerbaijan in the said area.
Having thanked Mr. Stipe Mesic for the invitation to make official
visit to Croatia, President Ilham Aliyev has emphasized that this
visit would have great value from the point of view of development of
mutual relations. Having noted, that during negotiations with the
President of Croatia, discussions on bilateral links, regional
cooperation and international problems have been carried out, the
head of Azerbaijan state has told: `There are many common between our
countries. So, both states have undergone aggressions on the part of
other countries and have suffered from it. Having reminded about
establishment of stability on Balkan Peninsula, President Ilham
Aliyev has regretfully noted that conflicts on Southern Caucasus
still proceed. In detail having informed about the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the head o Azerbaijan
state has expressed gratitude to the President of Croatia for the
position in the mentioned problem and attention to its settlement.
Having noted, that there are big potential opportunities for
cooperation in economic sphere, including in the field of expansion
of relations between businessmen, nergy, tourism, agriculture and
other spheres, President Ilham Aliyev has expressed confidence of
development of this cooperation in the name of well being of peoples
of both countries. The President of Azerbaijan informed also that has
invited Mr. Stipe Mesic to make official visit to Azerbaijan.
Then, the heads of the states have answered questions of journalists.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep
June 11 2005
Armenian Says U.S. Should Help Resolve Dispute With Turkey

Washington, 11 June 2005 (RFE/RL) — Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian is urging the United States to get more involved in helping
Armenia and Turkey reach a settlement of their dispute.
Oskanian made the call after meeting Friday in Washington with U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Oskanian in particular urged the
United States to help persuade Turkey to reopen the border with
Armenia and resume normal trade ties.
Armenia has also recently urged the European Union to pressure Turkey
to reopen the border, which the Turks closed in 1993 during the
conflict between Armenian-backed forces and Azerbaijan over the
mainly ethnic Armenian populated Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in
Azerbaijan.
In addition to the Turkish trade embargo, Armenian-Turkish ties are
strained by Turkey’s rejection of Armenia’s contention that Ottoman
Turks committed genocide against Armenians from 1915-1923.

The Mountain Press, TN
June 11 2005
Absence of policies makes it hard to speak about Iraq

The most frequent and difficult question asked of me since returning
from Iraq has been: “What positive or helpful news can you tell us
about the mess in Iraq?”
The answer that the 2/278th, the “Tennessee Peacemakers,” is doing a
marvelous job preparing their area for transfer to Iraqis’
responsibility for security does not seem to satisfy the questioners.
One reason that makes it hard to speak positively about progress in
Iraq is the absence of stated long-term American policies for the
Middle East and western Asia.
The Kurds may offer a partial answer of hope. United for the first
time, the Kurds have enjoyed nearly 15 years of semi-autonomy. They
owe that respite from oppression to the U.S. and acknowledge it
gratefully. Most Kurds would like a long-term partnership with the
U.S.
One possible positive outcome of America’s invasion and occupation of
Iraq could be a secure, long-term air base in Kurdistan. Turkey could
terminate our high-rent bases at any time, especially if fanatic
religious parties gain the few more votes they need to control the
Turkish parliament. In any case, U.S. airbases in Turkey are
positioned against Russia, not for controlling the petroleum Middle
East or Western Asia.
If you listen carefully to U.S. government claims about the
importance of Iraq, you hear “central” emphasized. Iraq is not
central to the Arab world. Iraq is the Arabs’ border with Farsi
(Indo-European) speaking Iran and Turkish (Turko-Ugaritic) speaking
Asia Minor (Turkey). Egypt’s population is four times Iraq’s.
For the past seven centuries, Egypt and Syria have been culturally
and politically more central to the Arabs than Iraq. Economically,
Arabia and the Gulf eclipse the rest of the Arab world. The only way
Iraq could be considered central would be strategically if the U.S.
plans to be a new imperialist power in western Asia and the Middle
East.
An air base in Kurdistan (northern Iraq today) could dominate as far
east as Pakistan and Afghanistan and as far north as Uzbekistan where
the U.S. has a temporary base. It would put Turkmenistan well within
range. It was Turkmenistan’s natural gas and oil that took the USSR
into Afghanistan and the U.S. and our mercenary Muslims – the
Mujahidiin – there to get the Communists out. Turkmenistan may be a
more pressing reason for the U.S. return to Afghanistan than Osama
bin Laden.
While the west dickers with Iraq, China may pre-empt access to
Turkmenistan’s gas and oil, a key to 21st century power.
An air base in Kurdistan could dominate Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia
and our present Turkish allies as well as everywhere in the Arab
world from the Nile eastward. It would be especially protective for
America’s clients: Israel and the Sauds. If the United States aspires
to be a new imperialist power, then northern Iraq, Kurdistan, is
central.
– Graham Leonard, of Johnson City, went to Iraq as an embedded
journalist with the 2/278th.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 11 2005
ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONCERNED OVER KARS-TBILBISI-BAKU RAILROAD
CONSTRUCTION
[June 11, 2005, 22:53:04]
AzerTAj’s Washington-based correspondent reports that visiting US
capital Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has expressed
concern over the construction of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad
(Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan), at the briefing on June 10. He described
as unreasonable a spending millions of dollars on the new project
whereas existing railroad Kars-Gumri (Turkey-Armenia) is `rusting’.
In the States, the Armenian Minister met with State Secretary
Condoleeza Rice, US President’s National Security Advisor Stephen
Hadley and co chairs of the US Congress’ working group for Armenian
issues.
According to Mr. Oskanyan, ongoing political and economic reforms in
Armenia, ways to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey-Armenia
relations and current situation in the South Caucasus are what the
meeting were focus on. He claimed Armenia would not become one more
place of `revolution’.
Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian Foreign
Minister said the meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart expected
on June 17 in Paris would be built on the progress reached by the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Warsaw. He claimed the future
of the peace talks would depend on the forthcoming parliamentary
elections in Azerbaijan.
As for the moving the Russian military installations from Georgia to
Armenia, Vardan Oskanyan said, it met the interests of both sides
increasing Armenia’s security in the current situation.

Zaman Online, Turkey
June 11 2005
Armenians Also Complain about Diaspora
By Fatih Ugur
Published: Saturday 11, 2005
zaman.com
Justice and Development Party Deputy Turhan Comez, who realized the
first unofficial parliamentary visit from Turkey to Armenia gave a
conference at “Yerevan State University” titled “Turk-Armenian
Relations”
Professors, students and journalists attending the conference
followed it with a question about the cancelled conference at
Bogazici University adderessed to Comez. Comez reminded that Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul criticized the reactions towards the conference
and added: “I spoke to the professors at the University. The
conference will be held again. I will also tell you about my
impressions here.” Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Arthur Bagdasharyan
said that they also have problems with the Diaspora and there is no
issue in the Armenian constitution demanding land from Turkey.
Some students and professors reacted against some questions from
students like: “Will you visit the Genocide monument? Do the parties
in the Turkish Parliament meet on a common point for Turk-Armenian
relations? And, what do you think about 1915 events? Turhan Comez
said: “All of the 550 deputies in our Parliament want to develop good
relations with Armenia. People should get to know each other very
well. When I report the warm atmosphere here many things will change
in Turkey.” Dr. Comez said while talking about the events in the
past: “People lived through mournful months and events in 1915. But
historians should evaluate this era. I can say as the son of a doctor
and an emigrant family that it is impossible for us not to be sad
about our citizens who lost their lives after the emigration decision
taken by the government. But it should not be forgotten that if we
want to run we have to look to the future not to the past.” Rector of
the Yerevan State University Ara Avedisyan welcomed Comez. Comez
opened the conference saying “I am here because we need to take steps
in order to develop relations between the two countries” and
emphasized that Turks and Armenians cooperated many times throughout
history from the Malazgirt War to the Canakkale battle. Dr. Comez
said: “As the dialogue channels were closed till now true
communication did not take place between the two countries. The more
we visit each other the more we will get to know each other” and
showed the Turkish mountaineers team in the conference hall as
examples of positive dialogue. Comez said that Turkish mountaineers
and Armenian mountaineers planted the flags of the two countries on
the summit of the Arogats mountain the other day and added that
politicians should also act positively and rationally in order to
establish positive dialogue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman, Turkey
June 11 2005
Baghdassarian: We also Have Problems with Diaspora
By Tuncay Kayaoglu, Cihan News Agency
Published: Saturday 11, 2005
zaman.com
Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Turhan Comez, who made a
3 day unofficial visit to Armenia, met with Armenian Parliamentary
Speaker Arthur Baghdassarian.
Baghdassarian said during the 45 minutes meeting that he is one of
the politicians that would like the relations of the two countries to
be developed. Baghdassarian said that even they have problems with
the Armenian Diaspora and added that there is no demand for land from
Turkey in the Armenian constitution. Comez emphasized the importance
of the fact that there is no demand for land from Turkey and added
that the events in 1915 is in the historians’ arena, therefore, only
they should investigate it. Comez sent the good wishes of Turkish
Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc to Baghdassarian and presented him
a book about the Silk Road and some Turkish ceramic dishes. Comez
also met with Armenian Deputies for dinner yesterday (June, 10).

Gulf Times, Qatar
June 11 2005
Azerbaijan set for a second oil boom
Published: Saturday, 11 June, 2005, 11:53 AM Doha Time

By Paul Brown
THERE are 800 manmade lakes on the edge of the Caspian Sea in an area
that is known simply as Twenty. The lakes contain oil, tar and raw
sewage as well as water – a mixture that in the summer months
provides potent fumes and a breeding ground for malarial mosquitoes.
On parts of the site – which, established in 1847, is the oldest oil
field in the world – a few remaining productive wells still work,
with `nodding donkeys’ pumping up the last of the oil.
A few miles from this suburb of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, in the
country’s section of the Caspian Sea, a newer story is unfolding.
British Petroleum (BP) is developing what it says is a
state-of-the-art, nearly pollution-free oilfield that will connect to
the controversial but almost complete 1,762km Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
(BTC) pipeline, which stretches from Azerbaijan to Turkey.
Last month the oil finally started to flow through the pipe towards
the Mediterranean where it will then travel by tanker to the UK to be
refined and keep Britain’s cars and aeroplanes running.
Before arriving at the new sea terminal, the pipeline runs through
environmentally sensitive areas in Georgia and has raised concerns
about the human rights of local villagers in Turkey. But BP believes
that all these problems have been settled and says the pipeline’s
advantage is that it avoids taking more oil tankers from the Black
Sea through the Bosporus strait. It describes BTC as the largest
energy project in the world.
Indeed, the pipeline will transport a million barrels of oil a day,
enough to turn impoverished Azerbaijan into a wealthy country almost
overnight. By 2007 it will have an income of $7bn a year, even if oil
falls back from its current price of almost $50 a barrel to a modest
$25 a barrel. But despite predictions of untold wealth, there are
concerns over whether the oil that will keep the UK running will be a
blessing or a curse for its country of origin.
Inayat Mehtiyeva, whose shop is a few metres from the nearest oil
lake that is fed by raw sewage from houses further up the hill,
explains that, so far, no benefits can be seen. She says people
rarely pay for the bread from her shop. `There is not much money, we
operate a barter system. We swap things. Some people take bread and
say they will pay later but they never come back. We really depend on
God here.’
Along with 80% of the other residents of Twenty, Mehtiyeva is a
refugee. She has lived there for 12 years after fleeing from her home
in Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave of Azerbaijan on the border with
neighbouring Armenia, during the war between the two countries. UN
agencies say Armenia still occupies 14% of Azerbaijan, although the
Azeri government claims it is 20%.
Mehtiyeva, whose first name means faith, hopes that one day, with her
two sons, she can return home where life was simple but good.
`Perhaps the oil money will help, but I do not know how. I know I
cannot stay here. At the first opportunity, I will flee.’
Hasay Hasanov, a shipyard worker who works next to area Twenty, says
his $100 a month pay is not enough. He is worried that his two
children might catch malaria and wants the old oilfield cleaned up,
but he does not think he will see any benefit from the new oil money.
`What we want is a decent wage – $300 a month – so we can afford more
than just paying the rent and buying food.’
The World Bank’s country manager for Azerbaijan, Ahmed Jehani, is
unsure whether the oil will be `a benefit or a curse’. He is afraid
that other industries will wither away if the country relies on oil
revenue alone. Politicians might become less responsive to the needs
of the people, he says, because they would no longer rely on them for
taxes. Rich resources could also lead to ethnic and other tensions,
especially if the benefits are not shared.
Added to this are doubts about whether democracy in Azerbaijan is
robust following the country’s election in October 2003. President
Ilham Aliyev was voted in after the death of his father Heydar, whose
giant presidential portraits still appear in their thousands all
across the capital.
Furthermore, according to Transparency International’s 2004 index,
Azerbaijan is one of the world’s most corrupt countries. `This is a
major concern of the World Bank,’ says Jehani. `We need to get
accountability in elections, in the assets. There is a deficiency of
justice, access to courts, and lack of general transparency.’
Jehani is hopeful, however. The government has set up an oil fund
which will publish all the details of money coming in and where it is
invested. `This is a shining example of what can be done. Let us hope
that temptations to divert money away from long-term investment do
not prove too strong,’ he says.
Today’s oil boom in Baku is not the first. At the end of the 19th
century, Azerbaijan provided more than half the world’s oil, and 60%
of Britain’s oil. It supplied the cash for some of the most sumptuous
Victorian stately homes in Britain, but left Baku with a legacy of
oil pollution that the Soviet empire added to and left behind.
As Azerbaijan returns to an oil boom, it will again bolster profits
far away, notably those of BP. But the oil from the new fields is
expected to last only until 2020, after which time the country will
produce just enough for the needs of its 8mn people.
Jehani sums up: `It is a question of whether the money generated from
these 15 years of the second oil boom will be invested to turn
Azerbaijan into a modern and wealthy state, or whether it will be an
opportunity wasted.’ – Guardian Newspapers Limited
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pasadena Star-News, CA
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA
Whittier Daily News, CA
June 11 2005
Renewing bonds to Armenia
Church leader consecrates items for church during visit
By Marshall Allen , Staff Writer
PASADENA — When His Holiness Karekin II, pontiff of all Armenians,
entered the church hall Friday night, he was crowded by parishioners.
Karekin II held a scepter in his left hand and a gold cross in his
right. The cross he extended to members of the crowd, touching it
lightly on their heads or shoulders, blessing them.
The processional into St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church was
led by a cross bearer, holding the Christian symbol high. The
sweetness of incense symbolizing prayers rising to heaven wafted
through the room.
One of the deacons, wearing a robe of maroon velvet and gold satin,
carried the “Khachkar,’ an ornate cross carved into a white stone
tablet. Later in the ceremony, the stone cross was washed in water
and wine and consecrated with holy oil by Karekin II.
About 500 people, most of them church members or their guests,
crowded the banquet room. It was the pontiff’s final event of his
10-day visit to Los Angeles, a momentous honor for the 153,000
Armenians who live in Los Angeles County. There are about 775,000
members of the Armenian Church in the United States.
“We’re a handful of people the Armenians worldwide we’re scattered
like leaves to the wind,’ said Nicholas Lambajian, 36, of Pasadena.
“Every time he visits our bonds to our church are renewed; our bonds
to our homeland are renewed. It makes us feel just a little bit more
Armenian, even though we’re proud to be Americans.’
Lambajian is chairman of the church’s building committee, a $2.3
million project scheduled to be completed Nov. 29. Friday’s
processional began a service where Karekin II consecrated five items
for the new church. They included the stone cross and four paintings.
The ceremony also included the delivery of an encyclical to church
member Richard Mushegain, a leader in the local Armenian community.
Mushegain said that Karekin II’s visit is a way to establish ties
between Armenia and the United States.
The pontifical visit was also an opportunity to reach out to other
groups, he said. Karekin II visited Childrens Hospital of Los
Angeles, where he thanked officials for establishing a relationship
with two pediatric hospitals in Armenia, Mushegain said.
The visit by Karekin II was his second to St. Gregory since he was
elected Supreme Patriarch in 1999.

ARMENIAN-LITHUANIAN ECONOMIC RELATIONS MUST BE MORE ACTIVE: ARTURAS
PAULAUSKAS
YEREVAN, June 11. /ARKA/. Armenian-Lithuanian economic relations must
be intensified, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seym Arturas Paulauskas told
a news conference. He specified that the bilateral trade turnover is
“very small”. “Our potential is much greater,” Paulauskas said. He
pointed out that Lithuania has access to EU market, which can be of
interest to Armenia’s businessmen. He speaker of the Lithuanian
Parliament also pointed out that the two countries businessmen do not
hold frequent meetings and have no sufficient information on the
investment climate.
“We must fill this gap by intensifying economic relations,” Paulauskas
said. Responding to ARKA’s question concerning specific programs of
intensifying economic cooperation, Paulauskas reported that RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan isl shortly to pay a visit to Lithuania.
“We have asked for the delegation to include businessmen, as the visit
agenda envisages an Armenian-Lithuanian business forum,” he said.
According to him, the forum will gather the two countries’ businessmen
at one table and allow them to elaborate a number of specific business
projects. “Business is private both in Lithuania and in Armenia, and
the Government can only contribute to a more favourable climate,” he
said. P.T. -0–

NO SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR ARMENIAN “MARS” PLANT AVAILABLE
YEREVAN, June 11. /ARKA/. No specific development programs for the
“Mars” plant are available now, Chairman of the opposition People’s
Party of Armenia (PPA) Stepan Demirchyan told reporters. According to
him, no prospects can bee seen, and the plant itself is in a poor
state. Demirchyan said that the ensuring of stable orders must be a
priority in developing the “Mars” plant. He pointed out that the
plant’s re-equipment must be an uninterrupted process.
Demirchyan added that the equipment installed at the plant can
manufacture competitive products. According to him, the operation of
the plant at its full capacity is a most complicated task. Demirchyan
stated that the PPA is against the transfer of Armenia’s enterprises
to pay off the country’s national debt to other countries, which was
the case of the “Mars” plant. P.T. -0–