Month: June 2005

Helsinki Federation slams dozens of OSCE countries for violating human rights
By DANICA KIRKA
AP Worldstream; Jun 27, 2005
An international human rights organization slammed many former Soviet
republics and some of the world’s leading democracies on Monday for
torture, unlawful detention and restricting press freedoms _ often
in the name of fighting terrorism.
The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights’ surveyed
38 countries that belong to the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, sharply attacking practices that led to a
lack of independence in the judiciary, police brutality and torture.
Though the United States and other established democracies came under
fire, the report was particularly critical of countries in Central
Asia, such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
“These countries have been independent now for 14 years,” said Aaron
Rhodes, the executive director of the Vienna-based federation,
“The excuse that they are still grappling with the transition to
democracy is increasingly weak.”
The federation ,which surveys OSCE nations annually, criticized the
United States, Britain and Russia for having serious human rights
violations stemming from anti-terrorism measures, with anti-Semitism,
Islamaphobia and other forms of intolerance on the rise. The group
charged that in the course of trying to improve security, the OSCE
members weakened human rights _ and set a poor example for countries
struggling with a shift toward democracy.
“This is something that threatens the human rights of everyone and
doesn’t improve security,” Rhodes said. “It alienates populations
from Western democracies and undermines their faith in the ideals
represented by these countries.”
Activists heaped pressure on Central Asian nations such as Uzbekistan,
where government troops opened fire on unarmed protesters in the
eastern city of Andijan last month after militants seized a local
prison and government headquarters.
Human rights activists say 750 people died, while Uzbek authorities say
173 people were killed. The ex-Soviet republic’s autocratic government
rejected calls for an independent international investigation into
the violence and President Islam Karimov has blamed the unrest on
Islamic extremists, accusing them of using civilians as human shields.
“They’re justifying massacres of civilians in the name of fighting
terrorism,” Rhodes said. “It’s outrageous.”
The organization noted the abuse of prisoners at the detention center
in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but revealed no new
details.
It said torture remained a serious concern in Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan,
Moldova, Ukraine Uzbekistan and Chechnya, where it said gross human
rights violations _ such as “disappearances” and extra-judicial
killings _ continued with virtual impunity.
The group also painted a bleak picture of media freedoms in the former
Soviet bloc, reporting that the government in Turkmenistan practiced
direct censorship and imposed total media control. In Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, the expression of
political opposition resulted in prosecution.
Even in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, led by pro-Western
President Mikhail Saakashvili, diversity in the media has narrowed
significantly since he took office, the federation said.
In Turkey, nearly 700 people have been sentenced to prison terms or
fines for expressing their views, the group said.

KOCHARYAN RECEIVED NEWLY APPOINTED KOREAN AMBASSADOR
A1plus
| 14:49:19 | 28-06-2005 | Official |
Today newly appointed Korean Ambassador to Armenia Mr. Kim Jae-Sup
(residence in Moscow) handed his credentials to Robert Kocharyan.
Robert Kocharyan congratulated the Ambassador and expressed hope that
within the tenure of the office the Armenian-Korean will enter a new
phase. The President noted that though during the recent two years
the commodity turnover between the two states has increased twice,
steps for full cooperation should be undertaken.
The Ambassador noted the importance of the economic cooperation and
said he will exert every effort to consolidate the Armenian-Korean
ties.
Mr. Kim Jae-Sup also met with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan.

NATO SEC. GEN.: ALLIANCE SHOULD NOT PLAY DIRECT ROLE IN SOLUTION OF KARABAKH ISSUE
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 04:16
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I suppose the NATO should not work for playing
a direct role in the settlement of conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh and
Transdniestria. We should not substitute for the OSCE or the Council of
Europe,” said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. “Besides,
the Minsk Group of mediators (US, Russia and France) is engaged in
the Nagorno Karabakh problem,” he noted. In his words, here the NATO
has to make as much effort as possible to strengthen the atmosphere
of confidence based on the respect of the territorial integrity of
states. “This also refers to regions as Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The
settlement of the issue of the status of Russian military bases
in Georgia was a positive more lately. We are not going to assume
the role of a gendarme of the world,” Jaap de Hoop Scheffer added,
reported the Novye Izvestia.

OSCE PA SUMMER SESSION TO DISCUSS REPORT ON KARABAKH
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 03:36
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
will be held in Washington for the first time. The participants of the
event will discuss the report on Nagorno Karabakh drawn up by Goran
Lenmarker. Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Vahan
Hovhannisyan will leave for Washington to take part in the session. In
the Vice-Speaker’s opinion, the Lenmarker report is balanced, reported
the Yerkir newspaper.

Azeri ministry finds 30 new mineral deposits
MPA news agency
27 Jun 05
Baku, 27 June: Thirty new precious metal and mineral deposits have
been discovered in Azerbaijan over the last three years, Azerbaijani
Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Huseyn Bagirov has told
journalists. Four of them are gold-bearing mines, he said.
Talks are under way with foreign companies on the exploitation of the
Covdar gold-bearing field. According to the outcome of an assessment,
the reserves of the deposit equal those of all the other gold-bearing
fields in Azerbaijan. Foreign companies are also showing interest in
Naxcivan’s Baskand gold-bearing mine, with the estimated reserves of
300-350 t.
Azerbaijan has a contract for the development of gold-bearing mines.
Under the contract signed on 21 August 1997 between the state concern
Azariqizil (dissolved, its functions have been handed over to the
Economic Development Ministry) and the R.V. Investment Group Services
LLS (Azerbaijan owns 51 per cent of shares and the US company 49 per
cent), nine gold-bearing fields with the estimated reserves of 400
t of gold, 2,500 t of silver and 1.5m t of copper are to be mined.
Three deposits (Qizilbulaq, Soyudlu and Vecnali) in Zangilan and
Kalbcar Districts are under the Armenian occupation.

IRAN’S POWERPLANT CAPACITY TO REACH 39,700 MW BY SEPT: OFFICIAL
Asia Pulse; Jun 28, 2005
BIRJAND, Khorassan prov, June 28 Asia Pulse – Iran’s Deputy Energy
Minister said here Monday that the nominal capacity of nations’
powerplants will reach 39,700 megawatts by the end of the Iranian
month of Shahrivar (September 22).
Mohammad Ahmadian said that since the Islamic Revolution in 1979
about 32,500 megawatts of powerplant capacity has been built. “Of
the sum 17,500 megawatts have come on stream in the past eight years.”
Because of growing electricity demand it is estimated that the
consumption will double in the next decade and therefore “we are
obliged to expedite our plans to raise the capacity of electricity
production, laying of transfer lines, and distribution network.”
Ahmadian also Managing Director of Power Production, Transmission
and Distribution Company (TAVANIR) said here in June that Iran’s
electricity import from neighboring countries is 500,000 kw/h more
than its exports.
Ahmadian said that Iran imports 1.2 million kw/h of electricity per
year but exports 700,000 kw/h.
“Iran sells electricity to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan”, he said,
adding that the country is also engaged in seasonal power swamps with
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The official said that more than 300 megawatts of electricity is
traded between Iran and Turkmenistan.
“Half of the cost of imported electricity is covered by export of
electrical equipment and related engineering and technical services
to that country.” Ahmadian added that Iran’s electricity production
is expected to increase by 3,000 megawatts in the current Iranian year
(started March 21, 2005).
“Once new projects become operational, the capacity to produce
electricity will rise significantly.” He said electricity consumption
reached a peak of 29,000 megawatts last summer (June 21-September 22).
Iran exports 950 million kw/h of electricity to Armenia and Azerbaijan
annually, he said, adding that the country imports 1.5 million kw/h
of electricity annually from other sources.

A feast of chamber music and free meals for the midges of Mull and Iona
By ROGER COX
The Scotsman – United Kingdom; Jun 27, 2005
LEVON Chilingirian – OBE for services to music, leader of the
celebrated Chilingirian Quartet and artistic director of the annual
Mendelssohn on Mull Festival – is preparing to do battle with
the midges. “Some very close friends who are Scots have just sent
me something today called Avon Skin So Soft,” he says. “It looks
like a ladies’ body lotion, but, apparently, it works absolutely
brilliantly. I’m going to test it out, and I’ll be equipping all the
players at the festival with the same stuff”.
By today, Chilingirian will have a good idea of whether this latest
midgie-buster is up to the job. Since Saturday, he and 19 other
musicians from as far afield as South Africa, Sweden and Armenia have
been on Mull preparing for a week-long programme of chamber music.
This evening they will divide into three groups – each one a mixture
of seasoned professionals and younger, less experienced players –
and sally forth to perform at various venues across the island.
Now in its 18th year, Mendelssohn on Mull was founded by the late
violinist, Leonard Friedman, with the aim of helping promising
young players to develop their skills by performing alongside older,
wiser heads. Chilingirian took over as artistic director two years
ago, and since then he has worked hard to remain true to Friedman’s
original idea. “It would be very easy just to invite ‘safe’ people,”
he says, “slightly older young professionals who are very good and
very experienced, and all just get together and produce proficient,
high class concerts. We’ve got plenty of youngsters who are more than
safe – they’re exceptional players – but I’m always wanting some at
the bottom end to come in who are not as experienced.
“It’s a big risk, but that’s exactly what Mendelssohn on Mull is about,
to get these people in, to wean them.”
Among the younger players this year are Hannah Craib, Heather Kennedy
and Christoff Fourie – all students at the Royal Scottish Academy of
Music and Drama in Glasgow. Chilingirian recruits players from all
over the globe, but he maintains that getting Scottish students to
take part in the festival is his priority.
The festival may be called Mendelssohn on Mull – a nod to the
composer’s 1829 visit to the island that inspired his great Hebridean
Overture – but this year’s programme only contains one performance
of his music. Chilingirian prefers to see the German composer as the
festival’s patron saint, rather than its raison d’etre.
“When I did my first festival two years ago,” he says, “there was a
blitz on Mendelssohn – there was Mendelssohn everywhere. Last year
the festival was a Mendelssohn-free zone. This year we’re back to
doing one of the quintets, and I’m sure other pieces will appear at
the classical ceilidh.”
The piece in question, Mendelssohn’s String Quintet No. 2 in B
flat major, will be performed at Salen Church today and at Creich
Church on Thursday. Also on the menu are three Haydn quartets (Op. 64
No. 2, Op. 64 No. 3 and Op. 64 No. 4) written in the autumn of 1790,
described by Chilingirian as “fabulous, fabulous pieces – really
original and wacky”, and various quartets, quintets and sextets by
Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner, Arensky and Brahms.
Venues include Glengorm, Duart and Torosay Castles, Aros Hall in
Tobermory and St John’s Cathedral in Oban. On Thursday morning all
the players will come together at Iona Abbey to perform a programme
that includes Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross.
“I don’t have a favourite venue,” says Chilingirian, “but Iona is
unique. The fact that we make a pilgrimage there every year, that we
all go there by boat – there’s a wonderful atmosphere.”
* Mendelssohn on Mull 2005 runs from today until 2 July. Visit
for more information.

TURKEY CONTINUES ANTI-ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA DESPITE ARMENIA’S EFFORTS
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 05:24
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s stand over normalization of relations with
Turkey was and is unchangeable: official Yerevan is ready to establish
diplomatic relations without preconditions, stated Deputy Foreign
Minister of Armenia Gegham Gharibjanyan when addressing Turkey in New
Geopolitical Situation: Armenia’s Expectations seminar today. In his
words, despite Armenia’s efforts to establish relations with Turkey,
Ankara keeps pursuing the policy of ousting Armenia from regional
program, as well as does not give up anti-Armenian propaganda. He
also noted «we are «for» Turkey’s accession to the EU, however this
refers to a Turkey, which will accept and observe all common European
and democratic values without bias,» reported Mediamax.
–Boundary_(ID_ia1wr9ghdLbxUcGBXZHJWw)–

ILO NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT POSITION TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 05:02
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian met with
International Labor Organization (ILO) Regional Director of Field
Programs in Europe and Central Asia Friedrich Buttler, reported the
Press Service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry. In the course of the
meeting F. Buttler acquainted the Armenian FM with ILO activities in
Armenia that include several directions: promotion of the poverty
reduction program and creation of new employment opportunities,
enhancement of the legislative framework in that field, as well as
Armenia’s integration in global processes. V. Oskanian welcomed the
organization decision to establish the position of the ILO National
Correspondent in Armenia, via which the regulation of the relations
between the Organization and the Armenian Government is expected to
be more efficient. V. Oskanian remarked the importance of Armenia’s
accession to the ILO. He emphasized that the ILO standards will serve
to solve individual social problems in Armenia and they will also have
a considerable impact on the economic development and enhancement of
the international rating of the country.
From: Baghdasarian

AGO GROUP VISIT TO ARMENIA STIMULUS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 04:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Representatives of the AGO Monitoring Group of the
Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, headed by German permanent
representative to the CE Roland Wegener, today met with PACE Armenian
delegation members, reported the Press Service of the National Assembly
of Armenia. CE Armenia’s representative Christian Ter-Stepanyan
participated in the meeting. Armenian delegation head, Vice-Speaker
of the Parliament Tigran Torosyan remarked the visit will stimulate
successful completion of constitutional reforms by Armenia. In
his words, the work carried out in Strasbourg lately had positive
results. He underscored the PACE resolution will be pivotal for further
processes of development of the constitutional reforms. Torosyan said
he hoped for the political forces of Armenia to meet people’s hopes,
as well as the overcoming of internal tension between the opposition
and authorities will form the basis for their further cooperation. In
his turn Roland Wegener appreciated Armenia’s efforts to form a
full package of constitutional amendments, noting the importance of
cooperation between the coalition and the opposition. In the course
of the meeting the parties also discussed the draft Electoral Code,
as well as the Law on holding rallies, processions and meetings.