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AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Dec 15 2004

FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN MEETS MINISTER OF DEFENSE OF BELARUS
[December 15, 2004, 23:16:36]

On December 15, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan
Republic Elmar Mammadyarov has met Minister of Defense of Belarus
Leonid Maltsev.

Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov, having noted successful development of
relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus, has emphasized that the two
countries are connected with common history since the soviet times
and that between the sides there are successful cooperation. Having
expressed confidence that after opening embassy of Azerbaijan in
Belarus, cooperation between the two countries will become even
wider, Minister of Foreign Affairs has noted, that hopes also for
opening of embassy of Belarus in Azerbaijan.

Informing the visitor about political, economic and social situation
in the country, the Minister has in detail dwelt on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Having emphasized that
the conflict impedes development of Armenia, than Azerbaijan more,
the Minister has expressed hope for settlement of the given problem
within the framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan according
to norms of international law.

Having expressed satisfaction with development of cooperation between
Belarus and Azerbaijan, Minister of Defense Leonid Maltsev has
especially emphasized importance of use by the sides of all
opportunities for the further expansion of relations between two
countries. Minister of Defense of Belarus has noted that successful
cooperation of the countries in military sphere is evidence to
development of links between the sides also in the field of politics
and economy. The visitor, informing Minister of Foreign Affairs on
reforms conducted in his country in military sphere, has expressed
confidence of the further continuation of relations between Belarus
and Azerbaijan.

The sides have carried out exchange of opinions on the events
occurring in region and all over the world, have discussed the
questions representing mutual interest.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia: List of Legal and Business Consulting Companies

BISNIS Consulting and Services Update
14 December 2004

Now available on the BISNIS website:

Armenia: List of Legal and Business Consulting Companies

Note: These opportunities are provided solely as an informational
service and do not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
Verification of these leads is the responsibility of the reader.

********** Forwarded by: *********************
Ellen S. House, BISNIS Trade Specialist for Consulting
U.S. Department of Commerce
Tel: 202/482-4655, Fax: 202/482-2293

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPERIMENTS ON DIABETICS CARRY ON

Endocrinologists are Unaware of New Medicines

Azg/arm
16 Dec 04

There are around 20-25 thousand diabetics in Armenia according to
different figures. After Armenia gained independence in 1991, the
state was providing exclusively animal insulin which is cheaper
compared to the human insulin. This year the state imported only human
insulin. Some of the specialists confessed that diverse complications
during the treatment where the result of the animal insulin. Others
became alarmed that the change from one type of insulin to the other
will have negative impact on the insulin-dependants. But the new
insulin went into hospitals without passing additional tests and put
the patients in the situation of a laboratory animal.

Today both the endocrinologists and insulin-dependants are facing a
new experiment. MP Napoleon Azizian declared at the parliament that a
suspicious insulin of Egyptian origin, which is registered only in
Palestine and Nigeria, has entered Armenia.

But the healthcare minister, Norair Davidian, said that the Egyptian
insulin has an international certificate and meets all the
characteristics of human insulin. According to Davidian, 60 percent of
the insulin is consumed in Egypt and around 250 million people in the
world use it.

Later on Napoleon Azizian informed Azg Daily that he failed to find
facts proving the healthcare minister and could not find nay
information that thedrug is registered. Azizian assures that he has
talked with a dozen of endocrinologists and “none of them has
information on the medicine”.

To all appearances, it is uncertain as to what effect will the new
insulin, which has never been used in Armenia before, have on the
diabetics.

We tried to find out how aware the Armenian endocrinologists are. We
will withhold their names as they requested. Here is what a renowned
specialist says: “I have never read about the Egyptian insulin
anywhere. Armenian insulin-dependants today use not only the insulin
registered in the republic but also drugs sent from abroad by their
relatives, but I have never come across that kind of insulin. No
medical directory mentions of such a drug. I participated in many
international congresses and conferences where the insulin providers
all over the world were exhibited, but never noticed anything with
that name”.

Another specialist thinks: “The fact that the drag was never
introduced speaks well for its quality. There is no indication to this
insulin even inthe Internet”.

Chief endocrinologist of Armenia, Ashot Mamikonian, tried to evade a
direct answer and said that the issue is within pharmacists’
jurisdiction.

We found out that our specialists had expressed their worries over
importing the unknown insulin but no one listened to them.

The new medicine is being put in use, as in the case of the human
insulin.

A tender is going to define the organization that will import the new
drug to Armenia.

Egyptian Vaksera Company is the supplier of the insulin. It is only
bottling the Polish insulin. By the way, Poland is not a recognized
insulin supplier too.

Perhaps the fact that Vaksera Company offers a double low price for
the insulin is the reason why the Armenian authorities went on risking
peoples’ health.

By Karine Danielian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA ACTIVELY WORKING OVER ARMENIA’S INCLUSION IN TRANSPORT CORRIDOR
NORTH-SOUTH

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15. ARMINFO. Russia is actively working over
Armenia’s inclusion in the international transport corridor
North-South. Speaker of State Duma of Russia Boris Gryzlov informed
during the meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian.

ARMINFO was informed in the press office of the government, stressing
the importance of improvement of the transport communication between
the two states, Boris Gryzlov has also informed about the intensive
activities on launching the ferry train communication Caucasus – Poti,
as well as on restoration of the movement through the Abkhazian
section of the railway. In his opinion, it will be effective from the
point of view of the economy both for Armenia and Russia. Speaking of
Armenia’s involvement in regional and transport programs, Margarian
mentioned that Armenia expects assistance from Russian parliament
members in the issue of lifting the blockade, opening of
Armenian-Turkish border, as well as in the issue of resumption of the
railway communication Tbilisi-Gyumri-Kars.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH OPPOSITION LEADER ACCUSES GOVERNMENT OF UNDERMINING NATIONAL UNITY

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
12 Dec 04

ISTANBUL

(Opposition) MHP (Nationalist Action Party) Chairman Devlet Bahceli
has said that Turkey reached a critical juncture ahead of the EU’s
summit meeting on 17 December. He said: “The prime minister should
tour the country and lend an ear to the people rather than touring
Europe and making concessions.”

In a speech he delivered during a rally entitled “My Turkey’s unity
and my nation’s well-being”, which was organized by MHP’s Istanbul
branch at Caglayan Square, Bahceli noted that Turkey had been besieged
and drifted towards a crossroads.

Criticizing the government officials for touring the European
countries and making concessions one after another before 17 December
in a bid to convince the EU to fix a date for starting accession
talks, Bahceli went on to say: “Those who say that they are pursuing a
win-win policy are actually acting like inexperienced and impetuous
merchants and have rather taken a submissive stand based on giving up
what we have. We urge them to stop making concessions. The prime
minister should tour the country and lend an ear to the people rather
than touring Europe and making concessions.”

Arguing that the nation was insidiously besieged by using some
criteria, which, he said, had been put before the people as the
Copenhagen criteria, Bahceli noted: “Demands voiced by those who want
to divide and dismember the country fully coincide with the terms that
the EU is trying to dictate.

Accusing the EU of finding new excuses every other day in order to
avoid setting a date for beginning accession talks with Turkey,
Bahceli remarked: “The prime minister has said ‘We would push ahead by
renaming the Copenhagen criteria as the Ankara criteria if they
decline to set a date.’ What are your Ankara criteria Mr Erdogan? Why
do not you make them public? In our view, the principles set forth in
the preamble of the constitution are our red lines and represent our
Ankara criteria.” (passage omitted on history of Armenian museum)

Reminding that there were some attempts aimed at ensuring recognition
of the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch as the ecumenical patriarch,
Bahceli said: “This nation will never grant you ecumenical status. If
you have such a goal, you should rather go to Athens where they would
confer on you the highest title.”

Noting that the EU countries had been putting pressure on Turkey in
order to convince it to reopen the Greek Orthodox seminary and to
recognize Bartholomeos as ecumenical patriarch in addition to their
demands concerning ethnic minorities, Bahceli stated: “Nobody should
attempt to plant weeds in this country’s flower garden, asserting that
it is necessary under the Copenhagen criteria. We would never allow
this flower garden to be overgrown with weeds.”

Bahceli concluded his speech by saying: “I advise the leaders against
trying to darken Turkey’s future. If you want to admit Turkey, then go
ahead. Otherwise, just say that you will not. One day, this nation
will make its presence felt in Europe.”

Pro-MHP demonstrators attending the rally at Caglayan square shouted
slogans, including “Neither the United States, nor the EU: Patriotic
Turkey” and “We Love Turkey, not Brussels” during Bahceli’s address.

The demonstrators carried Turkish flags as well as the flags of the
Turkic republics and the (self-declared) Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERIS TO DRAW NEW MAP TO RESTORE ORIGINAL PLACENAMES IN KARABAKH

Trend news agency
15 Dec 04

BAKU

A total of 2.2bn manats (about 448,000 dollars) have been allocated
from the Azerbaijani state budget for the development of a new
topographic map of Nagornyy Karabakh, Trend has quoted the head of the
executive authorities of the town of Xocali, MP Elman Mammadov, as
saying.

He said the placenames given by the Armenians in the Soviet period not
only on the territory of Karabakh itself, but also in the adjacent
Goranboy District will now correspondent to their historical
equivalents. Mammadov said more than 20 residential settlements had
been Armenianized in Xocali alone, but in the years of independence
the places received their original names.

(Passage omitted: examples of places that were renamed in the years of
independence)

The new map of Nagornyy Karabakh is being prepared jointly by
specialists from the Institute of Cartography under the National
Academy of Sciences and the State Committee on land and cartography.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CLASSICAL MUSIC A PECULIAR CONSTITUTION OF THE NATION

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 Dec 04

On December 10 the first full-program concert of the new chamber
orchestra of Artsakh took place in Stepanakert, which was dedicated to
the 13th anniversary of the Referendum on Independence. The art
director and conductor of the orchestra Gevork Muradian says, for the
musicians and for himself it is very important to dedicate their first
concert to this event. Maestro shared his feelings with the audience
with a child-like straightforwardness: he is happy to be the founder
of the chamber orchestra of Artsakh. At the concert of the orchestra
were present the minister of foreign affairs Ashot Ghulian, minister
of education, culture and sport Armen Sarghissian and other officials.
Congratulating the musicians on their first performance Armen
Sarghissian stressed the importance of the orchestra for the culture
of the country. `On December 10 the whole nation decided their fate
and it is symbolic that the first performance of the first orchestra
of Artsakh coincides with that day,’ said the minister. ` They say,’
he added, `classical music is a peculiar constitution of a nation.

Today we may say that we have such a constitution, and it is brought
into being by the musicians of Armenia and Artsakh. Unification
proclaimed by the Karabakh movement is embodied in definite actions.’
The orchestra presented a two-hour program consisting of the works of
European and Armenian composers. There were also interesting solo
performances. Simon Sarghissian (electric piano) and Ashot Jenterejian
(first violin) played `Adagio’ by Albino. Christine Chitchian (violin)
and Ashot Jenterejian played the duet from Sarasate’s `Navarra
‘. Alexander Gharakhanian played Heidn’s cello concerto. Mary
Karapetian sang `Lullaby’ by Barsegh Kanachian. In brief, the concert
was full of surprises. According to Gevork Muradian, there will be
more surprises at the concert which will take place on Christmas.

SUSANNA BALAYAN.
15-12-2004

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

European Parliament calls for start of full entry talks with Turkey

NTV television, Istanbul
15 Dec 04

[Presenter] The European Parliament sent a strong message to the EU
leaders ahead of tomorrow’s [16 December] historic summit, calling for
the commencement of the full membership negotiations with Turkey
without delay. Kayhan Karaca followed the voting in Strasbourg. Kayhan
we are listening to you.

[Correspondent] Just a few seconds ago, the European Parliament took a
historic decision and, for the first time, it cleared the way for the
membership talks with Turkey and Turkey’s membership prospect. As we
all watched together, the Christian Democrats tried until the very end
to block Turkey’s path and give Turkey a special status in place of
membership. They even wanted and secured secret voting on it. But all
that effort was rejected at the general assembly of the parliament.

The parliament took a decision and called on the EU leaders to
commence the membership talks with Turkey in 2005 without delay. This
is a very important decision, and it would definitely impact the
meeting of the European leaders who are to gather tomorrow evening to
discuss Turkey. Joseph Borrell, head of the European Parliament, will
personally explain the European Parliament’s decision just adopted in
Strasbourg to the EU leaders in Brussels tomorrow at the start of the
summit.

In the voting held a while ago, the Christian Democrats put two
amendments to the secret voting. In one, they wanted giving a special
status to Turkey. This motion was rejected by a vote of 415 to
259. Another amendment, and a tougher one, called for the rejection of
the Turkish membership. It too was rejected by a majority of votes.

On the other hand, the European Parliament adopted a motion submitted
by the Communist Group on the Armenian genocide. Accordingly, an
article was added to the report at the last moment calling on the
Armenian and Turkish peoples to [examine] the issue of genocide. All
the amendment motions submitted by the Greek parliamentarians on the
Cyprus and Aegean issues were rejected. But, a motion proposed by
[name indistinct], a member of the NDP [New Democracy] and Christian
Democratic Group, on the ecumenical status of the Greek Patriarchate
was endorsed. But all these are secondary issues now. Presently, the
parliament has really put its imprint on the 16-17 [December]
summit. This was expected, but we went through a tense period due to
the Christian Democrats’ amendment motions. The European Parliament
adopted a historic decision, and most probably the EU leaders will
adopt a similar decision on Turkey tomorrow evening or on Friday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SYNAPSE EXPLORES NEW MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS VIA CAMERA CELL PHONES
Asia Pulse
Dec 15, 2004

TOKYO, Dec 15 Asia Pulse – Artificial intelligence developer Synapse
Communications Inc. plans to launch at the end of next year a service
that checks for diseases by looking at images of irises captured with
camera cellular phones.

The iris is the thin circular membrane between the cornea and lens of
the eye.

The firm plans to tap the findings of Armenia’s artificial
intelligence development center. The former Soviet Union republic’s
national research institution discovered that patients with different
diseases have different iris conditions, and it has created a database
on this correlation.

Those subscribing to the new service will connect to the designated
Web page through their cell phones and use their camera-equipped
handsets to shoot and send images of irises. Synapse will analyze the
information by looking for spots and deformations, for example, and
check the results against the database to alert users to possible
illnesses such as internal diseases.

The company does not intend to venture into medical practice, only to
provide information and recommend measures to stay healthy, such as
diet and exercise. The price of the service is yet to be decided.

The Armenian-Japanese Scientific, Educational and Cultural Ties
Association, a group that promotes exchanges between the two
countries, played matchmaker for Synapse and the Armenian research
center.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian speaker, visiting Russian counterpart discuss joint programmes

Arminfo
15 Dec 04

YEREVAN

Speaker of the Russian State Duma Boris Gryzlov, who is paying an
official visit Armenia, met Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly
Artur Bagdasaryan today.

During the meeting, which was also attended by the chairmen of the
Armenian parliament’s standing commissions, heads of parliamentary
factions and groups, Artur Bagdasaryan and Boris Gryzlov touched on
prospects for the development of interstate relations, the press
service of the Armenian National Assembly has told Arminfo.

Special emphasis was placed on ways of boosting the effectiveness of
the CIS Parliamentary Assembly (PA), cooperation in preparing model
laws for the Commonwealth’s PA, namely in developing a legal framework
to combat terrorism, implement joint programmes in the areas of
science, education and culture, expand regional relations, cooperate
within the framework of international organizations, etc.

The Armenian parliament speaker said Armenia was attaching special
importance to the role of the Russian Federation in settling the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group. Bagdasaryan pointed to the importance of launching the five
Armenian enterprises handed over to Russia as part of the Property for
Debt agreement, adding that people were waiting for the creation of
jobs and investment opportunities, which is stipulated by the
agreement. The sides also pointed to the importance of resuming the
railway and ferryboat link between the two countries.

In reply, Boris Gryzlov said everything would be done to implement the
Property for Debt agreement, noting that the allocation of financial
resources to that end was envisaged in next year’s Russian state
budget. The State Duma speaker promised that the issue of restoring
the railway and ferryboat link would be tabled as soon as he returned
to Moscow. Gryzlov also shared with his Armenian counterparts the
results of the State Duma’s work this year. He said relations between
Armenia and the Russian Federation were friendly and described Armenia
as Russia’s outpost in the South Caucasus.

It was also said that the next meeting of the Russian-Armenian
intergovernmental commission due in Moscow in late December would
discuss issues raised today.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress