Author: admin

Paper reports details of Azeri, Armenian foreign ministers’ Berlin talks

Source: Ekspress, Baku
20 Nov 04

The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers held a meeting in Berlin
yesterday [19 November]. The sides discussed options for the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict and the break in the peace process [after
the Astana meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
in September 2004].

The talks were held with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen in
attendance. It was [Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar] Mammadyarov’s
fifth meeting with his Armenian counterpart. Their last meeting took
place in Prague on 30 August [2004].

A 15-minute meeting

The Berlin meeting lasted for just 15 minutes. The one-to-one talks
started at 1130 Baku time [0730 gmt] and continued at 1140 [0740 gmt]
with the co-chairmen in attendance. Following that, the sides ended
the meeting with no public statements.

A press release by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press centre
simply says that “the sides exchanged views on the issues that topped
the agenda of the Prague talks”.

Following the talks, Minister Mammadyarov left Berlin for New York
to attend the 23 November discussions of point No 163 on the agenda
of the UN General Assembly session entitled “On the situation on
Azerbaijan’s occupied territories”.

[Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan] Oskanyan is accompanying
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan who is on a working visit to
Germany. Briefing the Berlin media, Oskanyan said that during the
meeting with Mammadyarov, the sides made “a number of successful
and objective decisions” to continue the dialogue “based on existing
realities”.

“Specific issues were spoken about and discussed during the talks,”
Oskanyan told the journalists in Berlin commenting on his talks with
Mammadyarov (ArcNews). “We decided that we can continue the Prague
process again,” he added.

The meeting touched upon the upcoming discussion of the Karabakh
issue at the UN General Assembly as well. Oskanyan said that the
“possible impact” of this issue on the peace talks “should be taken
into account” and made a number of proposals, Ekspress newspaper
learnt from diplomatic sources. These proposals included “initiatives”
like setting the date for the next meeting of the heads of state and
rejection of the UN discussions.

In addition, in Berlin Oskanyan admitted for the first time that
during their meeting in Prague, the ministers discussed the return
of a number of Azerbaijan’s [occupied] districts: “It was simply
impossible to arrive at a common conclusion because of the variety
of scenarios. In addition, our talks have not fully ended yet and
discussions in this direction may continue”.

The meeting also discussed the recent tension on the front line
and the so-called youth forum held by separatists in Karabakh. The
Azerbaijani side expressed its protest to Yerevan on both issues.

“It was decided to take these issues seriously and to take into account
their impact on the talks. I hope that cases of this kind will stop,”
the French co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Henry Jacolin, said
after the meeting.

The dialogue is resuming

In his interview with A-Info news agency before the meeting with
Mammadyarov, Oskanyan said that the conflicting sides were “close”
to settling the problem several times, but there were disagreements
on the status of Nagornyy Karabakh.

[Passage omitted: details of Oskanyan’s interview with A-Info]

Henry Jacolin’s office reported that during the Berlin meeting, “the
co-chairmen received a signal on the continuation of the dialogue”
between Mammadyarov and Oskanyan. Presumably, the ministers’ next
meeting may be held within the framework of the OSCE foreign ministers’
meeting in Sofia on 7 December.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Iran: Bomber of Revolution Court building appeals against death sentence

Baztab web site
0 Nov 04

Tehran, 20 November: After investigations into the dossiers of two
people responsible for bombing the building the Islamic Revolution
Court in Tehran, the Branch Six of the court has condemned one of
them to death.

Iran daily reported that Hojjat Z., a member of the Monafeqin [i.e.
Mojahedin-e Khalq] Organization, is accused of bombing the building of
the Revolution Court on 12 khordad 1377 [2 June 1999] and martyring
three people – Haj Hasan Salehi, Mozafar Nikzad and Wilhelm Aton
(an Armenian compatriot) – and injuring 22.

At the end of the trial the court found the two guilty. As the main
element responsible for the bombing Hojjat Z. was condemned to death
and his culprit condemned to imprisonment.

The dossier has been sent to the Supreme Court with the appeal of
the accused.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WORLD BANK ALLOCATES FIRST THEME OF POVERTY REDUCTION SUPPORT CREDIT TO ARMENIA

YEREVAN, November 19 (Noyan Tapan). The World Bank will allocate the
first theme of a Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) for Armenia
worth $20 mln. Roger Robinson, the Director of the WB Yerevan Office,
and RA Minister of Finances and Economy Vardan Khachatrian signed
the credit agreement on it in Yerevan on November 19. Roger Robinson
said during the November 18 press conference which followed the
signing that the Board of Directors of the World Bank completely
approved this new credit program consisting of four themes. It
is directed at the implementation of the RA government’s Poverty
Reduction Strategy program. A total of 75 mln dollars (the whole
sum of PRSC) will be allocated to Armenia during four years. The
credit will be made to Armenia on standard IDA terms, including 40
years maturity and a 10-year grace period. It will be given at 0.75%
annual interest rate. According to R. Robinson, the credit will be
transfered to the state budget and will contribute to the government
in poverty reduction. The first theme recognizes that a continuation
of Armenia’s exemplary macroeconomic performance over the past five
years is necessary to underpin high rates of growth. Moreover it
is supposed that the governance reforms will improve the climate of
public sector investment. The second theme of sharpening competition
and entrenching property rights – sutting across trade, utilities
regulation, property and contract law, banking and capital markets
and rural sectors – adrresses the key weaknesses in the competition
environment. According to V. Khachatrian, it became possible to
approve the program owing to a number of complex arrangements carried
out by the RA government. In particular, business atmosphere improved,
and it is expected that the work directed at the regulation of the
finacial market and the development of rural infrastructures will
be carried out next year. The Minister expressed hope that the first
part of the credit will be given to Armenia this December. A grant of
4.3 mln euros allocated by the Netherlands government will be also
directed at the implementation of the program. Vardan Khachatrian
also mentioned that Armenia’s work with international organizations
was very effective this year. He assured that the RA government is a
hopeful partner for international organizations and donor countries:
they work with Armenia in quite an active way and without doubts. Since
joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments to
Armenia make total approximately US $841 million for 37 operations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PILOTS LIKELY TO FACE A 26-YEAR IMPRISONMENT

A1 Plus | 23:10:52 | 19-11-2004 | Social |

In Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea, a lawsuit against those
accused of a coup attempt is still going on. Six Armenian pilots who
took flights to this country according to an agreement with a German
company are among those charged.

At the hearing on Nov 18 a verdict, according to which if convicted,
the pilots would face up to 26 years in jail, was read.

For the rest of the defendants the sentence is ranging from 42 to
102 years. The South African leader of the coup and his loyalists
will face death penalty.

The attorney of Armenian pilots Mbombo Nvo has denied all the
allegations considering them groundless and absurd and has declared
that in the case of an unjust decision he would fight till the very
end even appeal to international judicial institutions.

The final verdict will be delivered on Nov 26. The report from Armenian
foreign ministry says that Armenian pilots are in no way involved in
the activities against the authorities and have absolutely nothing
to do with Equatorial Guinea.

The trial was resumed at a short session on Nov 16. The key suspect
completely denied his previous testimonies saying they had been
extracted under threat of torture and death. He also denies his
complicity in the coup plot and said he hadn’t been involved in
any deals.

–Boundary_(ID_gmDl6SCAhcytw8gWh2iiMg)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SADOYAN URGES TO START LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST ARMENTEL

A1 Plus | 19:21:15 | 19-11-2004 | Social |

MP from the opposition Arhsak Sadoyan intends to send GRECO
international organization engaged in anticorruption activity a
30-point motion containing evidence of a shady deal between Armenian
government and ArmenTel company and bribery.

A group is already created for that.

The MP calls on the heads of almost 250 enterprises providing IP
telephony to file a suit against the government.

Sadoyan is convinced that as a result of the agreement reached
that dark way ArmenTel and the government will find themselves in
disadvantageous situation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT KOCHARYAN, TIGRAN KARAPETYAN NAMED AS MOST PROMINENT PERSONS OF
YEAR IN ARMENIA

A1 Plus | 15:39:30 | 19-11-2004 | Social |

Vox Populi center conducted recently a telephone survey in Yerevan to
know the most important person and the most remarkable event in Armenia
and entire world of this year. As many as 964 Yerevan residents were
questioned about that.

64,8% of respondents found it difficult to answer the question about
the most remarkable event in Armenia, though following events were
mentioned:

Opposition-staged rallies – 7,7%

Peace maintenance – 6,7%

Jehovah Witnesses sect registration – 5,3%

Ongoing emigration – 4,6%

Samvel Babayan release from jail – 1,2%

Other answers – 9,6%

35% of respondents said the most important event in the world is
American presidential elections. The others mentioned war in Iraq,
terrorist act in Beslan and Yasser Arafat’s death.

24% said they saw not a single “person of the year” in Armenia while
12,9% named Tigran Karapetyan, 11,4% – said it was Armenian president
Robert Kocharyan.

PM Andranik Margaryan was mentioned by 10,9%, National Assembly
speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan by 9,4% and defense minister Serge
Sargssyan by 6,8%.

What about “the world person of the year”, 33% said it was the U.S.
president Bush, after him Vladimir Putin and then Yasser Arafat,
Mikhail Saakashvili and even Bin Laden.

–Boundary_(ID_KP9mwB8D2hi5hFstyZYf9Q)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EACH SECOND GENERATION DIASPORA ARMENIAN CONCERNED ABOUT ARTSAKH

Azg/arm
20 Nov 04

In 1999, on instruction of late Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian,
Sevak Artsruni undertook drawing of a plan of re-inhabiting Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh.

The plan today is being implemented in Karabakh.

In November of 2002 Yerkir organization of repatriation and settlement
was created uniting 5 NGOs from Armenia, Karabakh and Diaspora.

“Many Diaspora Armenians keep in their hearts this small piece of
their lost fatherland, and those ideas form their identity. Each
second generation Armenian feels pain for its fatherland. In order to
enable them to put their strivings in practice we need to form a solid
field for cooperation that will pursue no political or economic aims”,
Artsruni says.

Yerkir Union has implemented 10 programs with overall cost of $700
thousand during last two years. Artsruni points out to the foundation
of the village of Knaravan in the region of Nor Shahumian and calls
it a unique example of Diaspora-Armenia cooperation.

Artsruni thinks that re-inhabiting is a social science and puts:
“If it is carried out by non-professionals it may even harm the
state”. More than half of Armeniaâ~@~Ys and Karabakhâ~@~Ys population
is concentrated in Yerevan and in the regions of Ararat Valley which
cannot be justified militarily and from the aspect of stateâ~@~Ys
security. In fact, Armenia today has practically no back areas,
there are no inner territories.

In accordance with the program of inhabiting Armenia and Artsakh,
population of Artsakh should reach 300 thousand by 2012. But
the pace of the program shows that it is losing its meaning and
falling apart. Artsruni thinks that politics must be kept out of
the process. “Re-inhabiting is a service to the fatherland, and not
a chance to get political dividends. But we take this rivalry very
easy because we understand the Diaspora stands aloof from intrigues
and truly cares for Armenia”, he says.

“Yerkir is not simply rising money but trying to turn interested
organizations into partners”, he says and adds that implementation
of every program is posted on the web page enabling a donor to watch
how his money is distributed.

Yerkir Union implemented re-inhabitation of Norashen village in
the region of Hadrut with the support of French offshoot of the
AGBU. Recently a delegation headed by initiators and supporters
of the program Levon Kebabjian and Ara Aharonian visited Norashen
to see what is done there. Success of the program encouraged them,
and they decided to support in inhabiting processes.

“I am very glad for AGBUâ~@~Ys decision. First programs of the AGBU
implemented in Soviet Armenia including drying of swamps, building
settlements and bridges. AGBU may put into action the plans of Poghos
Nubar”, Artsruni says.

President of Yerkir Union thinks that the Diaspora should be directly
involved in Armenia and Karabakh and implement its goals through
NGOs. That would be a good way of keeping any project concerning
re-settlement far from political speculations. “We want AGBU to keep
to our strategic policy of 2000”.

Besides inhabiting Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Yerkir Union watches
over the economic state of the population. For that purpose we have
launched a new program of Yerkir Fund which is looking for donors in
Diaspora and the donor provides the family with credit for purchasing
livestock, provides with fruit-trees and seed. The debtor returns the
credit not to the creditor but to Yerkir thus filling up the gaps. “We
will also use this money for inhabiting purposes. For instance, there
are families in Qashatakh who are unable to stay there any longer and
we use the money to support them instead of bringing new families”
Artsruni says.

By Tatoul Hakobian

–Boundary_(ID_7nUbS3zT6Ht+DqfXJpGyvA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Glasgow Evening Times, UK
Nov 19 2004

Armenia seeks help of Scots

SCOTLAND’S prized reputation for financial prudence is helping the
former Soviet state of Armenia to rebuild its economy.
The Caucasus republic expects to have its accountancy profession
rubber-stamped by international governing bodies in the next two
years, after seeking the help of the world’s oldest accountancy body.

The 150-year-old Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland is
helping hundreds of young Armenian students through professional
exams.

It is part of an international effort to encourage investment in the
country and secure its membership of the respected International
Federation of Accountants.

Armenia’s best known exports are its cognac, a favourite tipple of
Stalin and Sir Winston Churchill, and cut diamonds.

But the economy has depended heavily on foreign aid since
independence from Russia in 1991 forced it to rebuild its formerly
Soviet-funded power industry.

Neil Wallace, head of international services for ICAS, has been
leading the project from Armenian capital Yerevan and is now seeing
Japanese, Korean, German and French investors looking for business.
He said: “It sounds a bit pie-in-the-sky to say you can help people
become rich, but it does happen.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reporter, Greece
Nov 19 2004

Greece: OTE Secures settlement agreement regarding Armentel

19 November 2004 – The major shareholders of Armentel, OTE and the
Armenian state, have reached a settlement agreement following a year
of litigation, which is expected to be sealed by next week.

Armentel will retain exclusive rights for the provision of basic
telecommunication services and international data exchange channels
by 2009, but will not be a monopolist on GSM market. In addition,
parties have agreed on the gradual adjustment of tariffs. OTE has
disclosed no official announcement on the issue yet.
Note that call tariffs, the monopoly status and competition from IP
telecom providers were the main disputing issues between the
government and Armentel with both parties filing claims during the
previous year. Meanwhile, Armenia has also reportedly granted a 2nd
GSM license to Karabakh Telecom.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Nov 19 2004

Library receives immense collection

Defunct college donates 12,500 Armenian-language books to the
Glendale Public Library, valued at about $500,000, quadrupling the
library’s collection.

By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader

GLENDALE – Whenever the Glendale Public Library tried to add
Armenian-language books to its collection, the library always had to
pay a premium. The books are hard to find, and because they are hard
to find, they are expensive.

This week, the library hit pay dirt.

The American Armenian International College, a school affiliated with
the University of La Verne that has been closed for more than a
decade, is donating its entire Armenian-language collection to
Glendale.

The donation of 12,500 books, which Glendale officials value at about
$500,000, will quadruple the library’s collection of 4,000
Armenian-language materials. Because of the size of the donation,
Glendale is expected to share the books with neighboring libraries.

“Forty percent of the population of Glendale is Armenian,” said Cindy
Cleary, assistant director of libraries. “We have 660,000 books in
our collection and only 4,000 are Armenian language. It’s an
incredible resource, not only to Glendale but to the surrounding
neighborhoods.”

For some of the city’s large Armenian American population, especially
the elderly who did not grow up in the United States, having more
Armenian-language books will be welcomed.

“Much of the elderly, they may know how to speak English and read a
few things, but their native tongue is Armenian,” said Armen
Carapetian, government relations director of the Armenian National
Committee’s western region. “The books will come in particular use by
that segment of the community. It’s a tremendous gift.”

The library expects to receive the books next week, but Cleary said
it will be six months before any of them are incorporated into the
library’s collection. The city is expected to give some of the books
to other area libraries, including public libraries in Pasadena and
Burbank and Cal State Northridge’s library.

“From the beginning, it was clear that no one institution could take
the entire collection, just because of the size of the collection,”
said Beth Walker, principal librarian for the Pasadena Public
Library. “We don’t know if it’s the largest, but certainly a
significant one outside of Armenia.”

The collection of books is primarily eastern Armenian, and includes
history and literature from 1980 to 1992, including translations of
classics and books on the Armenian Genocide.

“There’s a lot of Armenian literature that is in demand and is not
available in the bookstores or other libraries around,” Councilman
Rafi Manoukian said. “A collection of that magnitude certainly will
go a long way in meeting that need.”

For the past 12 years, since the college closed its doors to students
in 1992, the collection has remained in La Verne but viewed by
appointment only. Last year, the college’s board members approached
the Pasadena Public Library about a donation. They also had
discussions with the University of Michigan library, which has an
Armenian Research Center at its Dearborn campus.

“The reason we picked Glendale, the whole board agreed to it, it’s a
real hub of a lot of Armenians,” said Jack Jandegian, a member of the
college’s board of directors. “With the supplement of all these books
with what you’ve already got there, it’s going to be a real big asset
for the city of Glendale.”

The college is also donating $25,000 for moving and processing the
collection. The City Council unanimously approved the donation on
Tuesday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress