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PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected], [email protected]
Website;

Bishop Bagrat Galstanian Comments on Same Sex Marriage Legislation in Canada

The proposed Same Sex Marriage legislation tabled by the Minister of
Justice on February 1, 2005 in the House of Commons is a controversial
issue. If passed, it would make Same Sex Marriage legal across Canada.

Religious groups, including the Catholic, Christian Orthodox, Sikh,
Hindu and Orthodox Jewish denominations, are opposed to this
legislation, as are the Conservative Party led by the Hon. Stephen
Harper and some members within the governing Liberal Party.

On February 2, 2005, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of
the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Diocese of Canada, sent a letter to
the Prime Minister of Canada the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin expressing his
deep concern. Inhis letter, the Primate affirms that “marriage is and
should remain the union of one man and one woman, and the traditional
meaning of marriage should not be altered or modified”, and “we will
see more serious and difficult problems, because the basic moral
principles of the perception of family unity are being touched and
shaken”.

*************************************

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER PAUL MARTIN from
BISHOP BAGRAT GALSTANIAN, PRIMATE OF THE
ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC ORTHODOX CHURCH DIOCESE OF CANADA

No 2005.039
February 2, 2005

The Right Honorable Mr. Paul Martin, P.C., M. P.,
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons, Parliament Buildings,
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister,

I acknowledge the weight of difficulty and challenge that the
Government of Canada is facing regarding the most recent developments
on the definition of marriage.

I am writing this letter as the spiritual leader of a nation within
Canada whose spiritual, moral and national values have traveled 6000
years and have been refined since the official adoption of
Christianity as a religion of the state and nation over 1700 years
ago.

As a nation we have found a safe haven in Canada where we have been
able to establish our homes and families all the while becoming an
integral part of Canadian society as proud and loyal Canadian
citizens.

However, a moral problem is becoming more and more prevalent in our
society, in a more and more open manner, which is that of
homosexuality and its resulting redefinition of marriage. Obviously,
we are dealing with a problem that has always existed but is becoming
more eminent today. Therefore, although this phenomenon has always
existed, it is the socialization of the phenomenon that is in
question.

While taking into account each particular case and having a pastoral
concern for the people involved we are convinced that no good for
society will result from it. On the contrary, we will see more serious
and difficult problems arise, because the basic moral principles of
the perception of family unityare being touched and shaken.

We certainly share the concerns of our spiritual brother His Eminence
Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic and repeat his questions.

“Does Canadian society as a whole, and do parents in particular,
understand what the law will be teaching in this instance? Is it fair
to put children in the position of having to reconcile the values and
beliefs of their parents with a novel state-sponsored understanding of
marriage that may not be truly supported by the majority of Canadians?
Have you received assurances from provincial premiers that they are
providing legislative protection for the right of religious officials
and organizations to decline to celebrate same-sex marriages that are
contrary to their faith? Are you prepared to pass legislation in the
absence of such assurances?”

Also, we are supporting the statement made by the Orthodox Bishops in
Canada on August 1st, 2003, which states that Marriage is and should
remain the union of one man and one woman and the traditional meaning
of marriage should not be altered or modified. This statement,
however, does not contradict the one that has been explicitly defined
in the amendment ‘Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act’, Bill
-23 passed by Parliament June 2000.

A clear cut line must be drawn between being a politician and a
statesman for politicians are concerned about the next election
whereas statesmen are concerned about the next generation. Therefore,
we urge the Government of Canada to leave the fate of this growing
phenomenon up to public opinion by way ofa vote for whatever the
outcome might be it should ultimately be decided by the public whose
lives are impacted most by this issue.

Yours Prayerfully,

Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church of Canada

Cc:
The Honorable Stephen Harper, Leader of the Official Opposition (Conservative
Party)
The Honorable Gilles Duceppe, Le chef du Bloc Québécois
The Honorable Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Journal of Turkish Weekly
2005-02-01 21:03:28

Azerbaijan Celebrates Diplomatic Victory, But What Next For Karabakh?

Fariz Ismailzade

For the last several days, Azerbaijani politicians and the general public
have been celebrating a diplomatic victory. After several hours of intense
and heated debate on January 25, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe adopted a resolution on the Karabakh conflict. The resolution,
initially prepared by the British parliamentarian Terry David and later
concluded by his colleague David Atkinson, was approved by a vote of 123 in
favor and seven against (Turan News Agency, January 26).

The resolution contains a description of the Karabakh conflict as well as
recommendations for the warring sides. While the authors of the document
urge Azerbaijani authorities to enter a dialogue with the Armenian community
of Karabakh, something that Yerevan has desired for a long time, two
specific phrases have generated severe criticism from the Armenian side. The
document states, “Considerable parts of Azerbaijan’s territory are still
occupied by the Armenian forces and separatist forces are still in control
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.” It also pointed out that the military
activities between 1988 and 1994 led to large-scale ethnic expulsions and
the creation of mono-ethnic areas that “resemble the terrible concept of
ethnic cleansing.” The Armenian delegation immediately objected to the words
“occupied” and “separatist forces” and proposed an amendment urging the
European lawmakers to substitute the words “separatist forces” with
“supporters of democracy.” The motion failed.

Both Azerbaijani and Armenian politicians rushed to label the adoption of
the resolution as a diplomatic victory for Azerbaijan. Vahan Hovannisian,
deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament and a leading member of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun, described the resolution
as the direct consequence of the failure of the Armenian side to prevent
Azerbaijan’s efforts to induce international organizations to exert pressure
on Armenia over the Karabakh conflict (RFE/RL Newsline, January 31). Regnum
Agency quoted another Armenian politician, Aram Sarkisian, head of the
Democratic Party of Armenia and member of the parliamentary “Justice”
faction, as saying, “It will be difficult to move away from this terminology
[‘separatist forces’]” (Regnum, January 29). Sarkisian added, “Major players
— the U.S., Europe, and Russia, recognize Nagorno-Karabakh only as part of
Azerbaijan.”

Gultakin Hajiyeva, a member of the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to
the Council of Europe, told an interviewer, “Both sides have seriously
prepared for the debates in advance” (Space TV, January 31). Hajiyeva also
stressed that major Armenian Diaspora organizations in Europe have lobbied
hard to persuade European lawmakers to veto the bill. Indeed, on December
23, 2004, the Brussels-based European Armenian Federation issued a press
release ringing the alarm bells over the draft resolution. The release
declared, “The Atkinson report is the report for Azerbaijan” and “called
upon the European citizens and organizations to intervene with their
representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.”

Atkinson himself refuted all accusation that the report is biased,
reportedly telling the BBC’s Russian service, “The Council of Europe, just
like other international organizations cannot admit the independence of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Therefore, the principle of the “rights of nations for
self-determination” cannot be applied in the case of Karabakh” (Turan,
January 27).

Speaking at the PACE session, Atkinson also drew attention to the plight of
internally displaced persons, who are still denied the right to return to
their homes. “I was the [PACE] assembly’s first rapporteur on the refugee
situation, when my report described the temporary shelters in both Armenia
and Azerbaijan, [including] dilapidated railway cars outside [the Armenian
capital of] Yerevan, and appalling tent cities outside [the Azerbaijani
capital of] Baku, housing hundreds of thousands of displaced families,”
Atkinson said. “Since then, a time-bomb generation of young refugees has
grown up, as in Palestine, with nothing much to lose” (RFE/RL, January 25).

The PACE resolution comes as part of a series of diplomatic offensives that
the Azerbaijani side has launched lately. Prior to this decision, the UN
Security Council agreed to start discussion of an Azerbaijan-sponsored bill
on the illegal settlement of the occupied territories by Armenian families.
The Security Council decided to postpone its debate after the OSCE agreed to
send a fact-finding mission to the conflict zone. Furthermore, local media
have reported Iranian President Mohammad Khatami re-affirming his country’s
commitment to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, while U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones told the Moscow Times, “It is in Russia’s
interest for these areas — whether it is Transnistria, Abkhazia, South
Ossetia, or Nagorno-Karabakh — to be stable, for corruption to end there,
for criminal secessionists who rule there to be removed” (January 14).

While the Azerbaijani side celebrates its victory and the Armenian side
continues to oppose the document, some independent analysts are wondering
what would be the consequences of the PACE resolution. While noting its
importance for the negotiating stance of Azerbaijan, the analysts come to
the conclusion that the resolution will face the same fate as that of past
UN General Assembly resolutions on the conflict, namely existing on paper
only. Elkhan Mehtiyev, director of the Baku-based Center for Conflict
Resolution, summed it up neatly: “No resolution returns lands,” meaning that
adopting a resolution would not automatically return the occupied
territories to Baku (Yeni Musavat, January 31).

Source: EURASIA DAILY MONITOR, Volume 2 Issue 22 (February 01, 2005).

2005-02-01 21:03:28

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian ruling coalition urges opposition to cooperate on constitutional
reform

Arminfo
3 Feb 05

YEREVAN

Armenia’s ruling political coalition has called on the opposition to
work together in reforming the country’s constitution, says a
statement by the Armenian ruling political coalition which includes
three parties: the Republican Party of Armenia, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun and the Orinats Yerkir
[Law-Governed Country] Party.

“Remaining faithful to the spirit of parliamentary cooperation, we
regret that the coalition’s call for joint work on the constitutional
reform did not receive a positive response from the opposition. We
believe that it is necessary to ensure broader cooperation in the
development and adoption of constitutional reforms, and confirm the
coalition’s readiness for this cooperation.

“We welcome the intention of the Justice and National Unity factions
to join the work on constitutional changes and highlight the
importance of cooperation in putting forward suggestions to that
end. We believe that the suggestions made by the two factions deserve
being discussed and think that in order to clarify positions on the
suggestions put forward by Justice, National Unity and others, it is
important to conduct public and political discussions and carry out
work in relevant standing commissions of the National Assembly
[parliament] and at the plenary session.

“We call on the authors of the suggestions to contribute to this
process, during which final positions will be developed both regarding
the proposed reform of state administration, the judiciary and local
governments and other parts of the constitution,” the coalition says
in the statement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri diplomats urge British Foreign Office to explain travel warning

ANS TV, Baku
2 Feb 05

[Presenter] The British ambassador has been summoned to the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to discuss the description of Nagornyy
Karabakh and the occupied territories as a disputed area between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and also reports characterizing Azerbaijan as a
dangerous country posted on the web site of the British Foreign
Office. Baku hopes that the British Foreign Office will correct its
mistake soon.

[Correspondent over video of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry] British
ambassador to Azerbaijan Lawrence Bristow was summoned to the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The ambassador was asked to give an
explanation of the British Foreign Office’s appeal posted on its web
site to British citizens over a potential threat of terror in
Azerbaijan.

The head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press service, Matin
Mirza, said that the ambassador assured Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign
Minister Vaqif Sadixov that the issue will be clarified. Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov and British ambassador Bristow also
discussed the issue. Azimov said that the ambassador himself was
surprised at the warning.

[Azimov, speaking to journalists] He told me that it is
unfounded. Perhaps the issue will be looked into. This simply happened
as a result of someone’s inaccuracy or provocation.

[Correspondent] The deputy foreign minister said that Britain and
Azerbaijan have no problems and he is convinced that British citizens
living in Azerbaijan will reject the warning on the web site of the
British Foreign Office. Azimov is sure that the British Foreign
Office will correct its mistake soon.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

Baxtiyar Salimov, Ramin Yaqubov, ANS.

Peterborough Evening Telegraph, UK
Jan 3 2005

COURT: Second man is charged in Upton murder case

A SECOND suspect has been charged with the murder of a man who was
shot, stabbed and set on fire.

Misha Chatsjatrjan (43) was extradited from Holland to be quizzed by
Peterborough detectives.

He was due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Nishan Bakunts (27), from Great Yarmouth, has already been charged
with murder, while 23-year-old Arpine Karapetian, also from the
Norfolk town, is accused of attempting to pervert the course of
justice.

The body of Armenian Hovhannes Amirian (43) was found in a field
between Upton and Wansford, near Peterborough, by a passing cyclist,
in the early hours of December 21, 2002.

Police carried out an exhaustive investigation following the
discovery of the body, including appearing on Crimewatch UK, and the
German equivalent, Aktenzeichen XY.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
Jan 31 2005

2366 emergency cases registered in Armenia in 2004

US Ambassador to Armenia to make a report `Armenia in 2005′ in
California University

Arman Melikyan: NKR authorities are ready to cooperate with the
mission of OSCE

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2366 EMERGENCY CASES REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN 2004

YEREVAN, January 31. /ARKA/. 2366 emergency cases registered in
Armenia in 2004, 749 people suffered in result of them, RA National
Statistics told ARKA. Of them 179 had died, 530 wounded and 40
evacuated.. 25.9% of the cases are disasters, in result of which 43
people had suffered, three people died, 32 – wounded and 8 –
temporarily evacuated. Namely in report period Armenia registered 13
disaster cases related to strong winds, 2 lightning strikes, 42 cases
of hail, 24 cases of showers, 9 snowfalls, 16 forest fires, 17
floods. Besides Emergency Department of Armenia registered 7
earthquakes. Damage from disasters in the republic made 271603
thousand AMD ($1 – 478.48 AMD). L.D. -0 –

*********************************************************************

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA TO MAKE A REPORT `ARMENIA IN 2005′ IN
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY

YEREVAN, January 31. /ARKA/. US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans will
make a report `Armenia in 2005′ in California University. UCLA told
ARKA that the visit is organized by UCLA Professor Richard
Hovannisian together with Association of Armenian Students. Evans
will be accompanied by the Head of USAID representation to Armenia
Robin Phillips. L.D. -0 –

*********************************************************************

ARMAN MELIKYAN: NKR AUTHORITIES ARE READY TO COOPERATE WITH THE
MISSION OF OSCE

STEPANAKERT, January 31. /ARKA/. NKR Minister of Foreign Affairs
Arman Melikyan received the delegation of OSCE. According to NKR
MFA’s Press Service Department, the delegation consists of the
co-Chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Yuri
Merzlyakov (Russia), Steven Mann (the USA) and Bernar Facie (France),
as well as the members of the mission for ascertainment of the facts
headed by Emily Haber (Germany). Greeting the members of the
delegation Arman Melikyan noted the interest of the NKR authorities
in the visit of the mission. Introducing the position of the
authorities of the republic regarding the territories under control
of NKR, the Minister emphasized that studying the real situation in
the security zone of NKR will enable the international community to
have an objective idea about the state of the refugees and
individuals moved out by force.
Melikyan noted that the authorities of NKR are ready to cooperate
with the mission of OSCE and create the necessary facilities for its
work and make it possible for the monitoring group to visit any
region it wishes.
The members of the mission for ascertainment of the facts touched
upon a wide range of issues connected with the official policy of the
authorities of NKR in respect of the territories under control of
NKR. Issues connected with the activity program of the monitoring
group during its stay in NKR were made agree.
The members of the delegation expressed their gratitude to the
Minister for a detailed conversation and readiness to support the
work of the mission. A.H. -0–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri paper questions OSCE fact-finding mission itinerary change

Ekspress, Baku
2 Feb 05

An Azerbaijani newspaper has quoted Armenian sources as saying that
the US and French co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group would leave an
international mission investigating Azerbaijani allegations of illegal
Armenian settlement in occupied areas of Azerbaijan before its task
was complete. Ekspress daily also said the itinerary of the OSCE
mission had been changed and speculated that either the Armenians had
refused to allow it into the occupied district of Lacin or the mission
experts were not taking their responsibilities seriously . The
following is the text of Alakbar Raufoglu report by Azerbaijani
newspaper Ekspress on 2 February headlined “‘A stroll’ in the occupied
area” and subheaded “Why didn’t ‘the fact-finders’ visit Lacin?” and
“The US and French co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group are leaving the
investigating mission”; subheadings are as published.

The US and French co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann and
Bernard Fassier, will not remain to the end with an international
mission investigating illegal settlements in Azerbaijan’s occupied
territories, Armenian sources quoted an expert of the fact-finding
mission as telling a meeting of Armenians in Kalbacar [District].

Mann’s early withdrawal from the mission is explained by the fact that
he has been invited to an international event in Georgia. The
co-chairman will be in Tbilisi on 3-6 February and will travel to
Yerevan and then to Baku to join the mission. French diplomat Fassier,
for his part, prefers watching the fact-finding mission “more from the
side”. The co-chairman attributes his position to the fact that he is
just “starting to know the region”. Thus, unlike other mediators
Fassier is not fully familiar with “the conflict and the peculiarities
of the region where it has occurred”. That is why he wants to hold
“familiarization meetings” outside the fact-finding mission and
independent investigation.

Baku does not have any information about the plans of the
co-chairman. “We have not been informed that any of the members of the
OSCE Minsk Group will withdraw from the investigation in the occupied
territories ahead of time. None of the co-chairmen said in Baku that
they would leave the fact-finding mission at a particular stage,” the
head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Matin
Mirza, told Ekspress yesterday evening [1 February]. The reports that
the US and French co-chairmen will not complete their work in the
occupied districts “are contradictory” and should be investigated, he
said.

At the same time, Baku does not believe that it is a “big deal” if the
mediators leave the fact-finding mission at any stage, because “the
report to be prepared is important to us”.

Some sources say that Mann knew that he would take part in the
international event in Tbilisi, but it was scheduled for 4 February,
the day when the mission was to investigate in Fuzuli [District]. This
district is the last on the list of cases of illegal settlements
compiled by the Azerbaijani side according to the “scoping document”.

Why was the itinerary changed?

Contrary to expectations, the mission continued its investigations
yesterday not in Lacin [District], but in Fuzuli and Cabrayil. Under
the itinerary agreed during the mission’s briefing discussions in
Baku, Lacin was to be visited before those two districts. Moreover,
the documents presented to the co-chairmen indicate cases of
settlement in places between Kalbacar and Lacin.

It is very interesting to see that the mission covered a long distance
(roughly the Lacin-Qubadli-Zangilan-Cabrayil-Fuzuli route) to appear
in Fuzuli and Cabrayil after Kalbacar.

Armenian sources provide no information about the reasons for this
“tactical” change in the itinerary of the experts. It is just reported
that the mission investigated only the parts of both districts (Fuzuli
and Cabrayil) bordering Iran yesterday. There is no information about
the results so far.

Some reports say that the Armenians have been predominantly settled in
Lacin. It seems that either the Armenians did not want to let the
mission into that district because they did not manage to cover the
traces or, to put it mildly, the “fact-finders” are taking a stroll in
the region.

“Our investigations are being accompanied by interesting
events. Although the mission could not fully clarify the information
it has, we have plenty of facts here,” the head of the “fact-finders”,
German expert Emily Margarethe Haber, told journalists yesterday
morning before leaving Kalbacar. She said that the mission met many
Armenians settled in that district during the investigation. The
Armenian community said that they used to live in various Azerbaijani
cities and districts.

“We asked them how they got there, if they live in the region
permanently, what they do and what their citizenship is,” Ms Haber
said. But she did not comment on the observations of the mission. “We
are compiling what we see, comparing and sharing.”

At the same time, the OSCE expert said that it was “striking” that “so
many” Armenians were able to live in the occupied districts, as living
conditions in that region are inadequate.

Settlement initiators

“It is normal that Armenian citizens live temporarily or permanently
in the occupied territories. But I did not see any conditions or
grounds for permanent settlement,” the Russian co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov, said in Kalbacar.

The main issue for the mission is the initiators of settlement, he
said. “It should simply be understood if people come here of their own
accord and live in these conditions.”

“We will visit Fuzuli and other districts, too. The situation may be
different there. These peculiarities are in the information provided
to us. I think settlement is a broad issue and can be approached from
the viewpoint of the specific conditions of the occupied districts,” a
Swedish expert said.

The mission needs “enough” time to fully investigate the information
it has in Baku, the expert said.

Azerbaijan has provided the international experts with video and audio
materials as well as maps confirming illegal settlements in the
occupied districts. Baku has reported the settlement of 23,000
people.

Armenians do not leave “fact-finders” alone

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani side is investigating whether the
fact-finding mission is visiting the occupied districts with a
representative of the Karabakh separatists.

“This is not accurate information yet and we are trying to clarify
it,” Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told journalists yesterday.

Armenian sources reported that the “so-called deputy foreign minister”
of the separatists, Masis Mailyan, is accompanying the visit of the
OSCE experts. Under the official mandate of the mission, the personal
envoy of the OSCE chairman, Andrzej Kaspizyk, and his assistants
should have guided the mission.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said that if the OSCE experts are
found to have violated the terms, they will be required to provide an
official explanation.

“These reports could also be disruptive,” Matin Mirza told
Ekspress. The list of those who accompany the mission was broadly
discussed in Baku last week and the final mandate was achieved “with
the consent and assurance of the co-chairmen as well”, he noted.

The mission’s investigation is expected to end late this week. A
factual report will be prepared at the end of the visit and forwarded
to Vienna.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
Feb 1 2005

COMMITTEE ON MEETING PROVISIONS OF PACE REPORT ON NK TO BE FORMED

01.02.2005 18:38

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Bureau has passed a decision to form a special committee to realize
the provisions of the PACE report on Nagorno Karabakh. The committee
will be formed this March. It will be composed of heads of the
delegations of the three OSCE member countries, which are also part
of the OSCE Minsk Group. In January 2006 the PACE is going to address
the Karabakh settlement issue again.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Carnegie Corporation President To Visit To Honor County Schools

TheChattanoogan.com (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
February 2, 2005

The president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York will visit
Chattanooga Thursday to take part in “a celebration of the progress
and results in Hamilton County’s high school reform effort.”

Dr. Vartan Gregorian will also speak to the Rotary Club during his
visit.

The school celebration will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Red Bank
High School, 640 Morrison Springs Road.

The effort, `Schools for a New Society,” is funded with an $8 million
grant from the Carnegie Corporation with $6 million in local matching
funds provided by the Public Education Foundation.

Also speaking at the celebration will be County Mayor Claude Ramsey,
Dr. Jesse Register, Hamilton County schools superintendent; and Dan
Challener, president of the Public Education Foundation.

A `Gallery of Progress” will feature highlights of academy programs
at Hamilton County high schools.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF CARRIAGES STILL ON GEORGIAN-AZERBAIJANI BOUNDARY

TBILISI, FEBRUARY 2. ARMINFO-BLACK SEA PRESS. Despite the statements
of a number of Georgian state structures that the problem with
blockade of carriages in the Georgian-Azerbaijani was solved long ago,
Head of the Union of Producers, Importers and Consumers of Oil
Products of Georgia Vano Mtvralashvili says that hundreds of carriages
are still on the boundary. In particular, on Jan 30 some 500 carriages
with wheat, liquefied gas and diesel were blocked on the boundary.

He says that the carriages were to be sent back to the point of
dispatch, but later another decision was made to leave them on the
boundary until the investigation carried out by the Azerbaijani party
is over. As a result, importers suffer serious financial losses, as
they pay for lease of carriages daily. After all, the cargoes of
several of them are blocked on the boundary for already two
months. Mtvralashvili says that the problem can be finally solved
through negotiations at a high political level with participation of
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Since the beginning of November 2004, the Azerbaijani party started
detaining the trains from Azerbaijan to Georgia on the station
Beyuk-Kyasik being concerned for the fact that a number of cargoes
could occur in Armenia. It would contradict to the international
agreement between Azerbaijan and Georgia in the summer of 2004 banning
transit of cargoes of a third country to the prejudice of Azerbaijan
and Georgia. In November only the cargoes of Azerbaijani production,
including crude oil, petrol and diesel arrived in Georgia without
limitations. The officers of the Azerbaijani Customs Committee began
examining the documents related to the destination of each
carriage. In case of any doubts related to the destination, the
Azerbaijani party carried out investigation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress