ASBAREZ Online [07-18-2005]

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07/18/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Putin, Erdogan Discuss Regional Stability from Caucasus to Cyprus 2) Cypriots Warn against Rapprochement between Unrecognized Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan 3) Yerkir Media Recognized for Political Analysis, Freedom of Speech Efforts 4)Armenia's Main Cellphone Network Paralyzed 5) Armenian Soccer Team in European Championships 1) Putin, Erdogan Discuss Regional Stability from Caucasus to Cyprus SOCHI (RIA Novosti)--Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed stability in the Caucasus, the situation in Iraq and Iran, and the Cyprus problem. "We focused on the issue of strengthening stability in the Caucasus and the Black Sea basin," Putin said, at a press conference in Sochi after talks with the Turkish Prime Minister. Putin gave assurances that Russia would continue to help resolve the Cyprus problem. "We are absolutely convinced that the UN Secretary General is moving in the right direction," he said. Putin also said everyone knows how the situation is developing on Cyprus. "First, we must resolve the problem of the economic isolation of a part of the island, create conditions for normal relations between the two parts, and on this basis fully normalize the situation in the interests of all people living there," he said. "We will think about what can be done by Russia and the island's two parts to resolve these issues," the Russian president said. Putin and Erdogan said it was necessary to address the conflict over Mountainous Karabagh. "I was satisfied to hear the Russian position that it was time to start settling the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict," Erdogan said. He added that he and Putin also discussed the situation in Iraq, Iran, and anti-terrorism efforts. "We expressed once again our resolve to fight international terrorists, who are carrying out attacks against innocent people, defenseless women, and children," Erdogan said. 2) Cypriots Warn against Rapprochement between Unrecognized Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)The government of Cyprus said that direct flight between Nicosia and the capital of Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) would be established if Azerbaijan does not abandon plans to forge tight relations with Turkish Republic of Northern Republic (TRNC). Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan said last month that Turkey was ready to do everything possible "to help it [Northern Cyprus] surmount its international isolation," saying a direct flight between Baku and the unrecognized republic could be the first move. A prive Azeri airline Imair announced last week it would begin regular flights to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, becoming the first non-Turkish carrier to fly direct to the internationally isolated enclave. Last month Azerbaijan became the second state, after Turkey, to recognize Turkish Cypriot passport. Most of Azerbaijan's eight million population are of Turkic origin, and the country has very close cultural and political ties with Ankara. Azeri Delegation in Turkish Cyprus The first official delegation from Azerbaijan to visit the Turkish Northern Cyprus arrived in Lefkosa over the weekend to take part in ceremonies marking Peace and Freedom Day on July 20. Erdogan said that the visit signifies de facto recognition of the Turkish Cypriot state. The eight-person delegation, six of whom are deputies of the Azeri parliament, were met by Turkish Cypriot officials at Ercan Airport. The delegation will be holding discussions with TRNC officials, with a second delegation scheduled to arrive soon that will be holding talks with Turkish Cypriot businessmen. Trade issues are also listed to be discussed during a visit by a third Azeri delegation between July 28 and 31. 3) Yerkir Media Recognized for Political Analysis, Freedom of Speech Efforts Yerkir Media TV Company clenched two prizes on Monday, at an annual awards ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Yerevan Press Club. Yerkir Media was recognized for providing outstanding political analysis as well as its efforts to promote freedom of speech. The Yerevan Press Club is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, that aims to create conditions to promote the development of free and responsible media in Armenia. Its Chairman Boris Navasardian stressed during the awards that though Armenia's mass media has made significant progress in the last decade, self-censorship still remains a problem. Navasardian went on to praise journalists for "their readiness to rally in support of specific issues and fight for their rights." He said there still remains a great deal to accomplish in order to help universities prepare journalists who meet western-style reporting and writing standards. 4)Armenia's Main Cellphone Network Paralyzed YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Armenia's Greek-owned telecommunications monopoly claimed on Monday to have so far failed to fully determine the cause of an almost three-week mysterious paralysis of its wireless network which has left hundreds of thousands of mobile phone users fuming. The Armenian government, meanwhile, appeared to be losing patience with ArmenTel's inability to remedy the situation quickly, with officials speaking of "sanctions" that could be imposed on the deeply unpopular operator. The network's sudden collapse began on July 1, coinciding with the long-awaited launch of Armenia's second wireless system, VivaCell. ArmenTel promptly flew in telecom engineers from Greece and Germany to inspect its facilities but has still not provided a full and clear explanation for the breakdown. ArmenTel's Thursday statement cited a "flurry of phone calls" which it said followed a steep reduction of phone tariffs effective from July 1 and put the network under greater strain. The statement urged the increasingly furious subscribers to use their handsets more sparingly. Critics say ArmenTel, which is owned by Greece's OTE telecom giant, is paying the price of its gross underinvestment in mobile telephony that has left Armenia lagging behind neighboring Azerbaijan and Georgia where the service has been more affordable and of higher quality. The Armenian government demanded official explanations from ArmenTel earlier this month and assured the public that everything is done to get the cellphone back into shape. Transport and Communications Minister Andranik Manukian announced on Thursday that the problem will be solved within days. "It's hard for me to speak about this," Manukian said on Monday with a sigh. "I am now in an awkward situation. I [wrongly] stated that the situation improved and the crisis is coming to an end." The quality of mobile phone service provided by ArmenTel left much to be desired even before the unprecedented network failure. It was the main reason why the government decided to partly open the sector to competition last year. Exclusive rights to all forms of telecommunication were a key term of ArmenTel's 1998 sale to OTE, one of Europe's largest telecom firms. Some former government officials who helped to negotiate the $200 million deal later admitted that granting the Greeks the monopoly was a serious mistake. 5) Armenian Soccer Team in European Championships IRELAND--Armenia lost 2-0 to Norway on Monday at the UEFA Under-19 European Championships underway in Northern Ireland. It is the first time Armenia is participating in the Semi-Finals of these championships, and will play England on Wednesday. Team coach Samvel Petrosian said that his team participation in the final of the European Football Championship is a great honor and a new experience. "It is a great football challenge for the small nation we are," he said. Group A matches resulted in a 4-2 win for Serbia & Montenegro over Germany, while Northern Ireland lost 0-1 to Greece. In Group B, France and England drew 1-1. Armenia is playing in Group B. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. 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