Author: Antonian Lara

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Jan 25 2005
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV MEETS WITH CHAIRMAN OF IRANIAN
STATE EXPEDIENCY COUNCIL ALI AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI
[January 25, 2005, 15:17:17]
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev staying on an
official visit in Tehran has met here today with Chairman of the
State Expediency Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani, AzerTAj correspondent report.
During the meeting, which was held in the atmosphere of sincerity,
Mr. Rafsanjani first expressed his pleasure to see President Ilham
Aliyev in Tehran. He also recalled his friendly relations with
national leader of Azerbaijan, renowned political figure, late
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev saying `what he did for his
country and the whole region was of historical significance’.
Chairman of the Iranian State Expediency Council also expressed
satisfaction that President Ilham Aliyev is successfully following
his path.
Having thanked Mr. Rafsanjani for the kind words, President Ilham
Aliyev introduced members of the Azerbaijani delegation to him. He
described his visit to Iran as very successful, and noted that after
the visit by President Mohammad Khatami to Azerbaijan, relations
between the two countries had been strengthened. `I’ve brought a
large delegation with me, and a number of documents are planned to be
signed during this visit,’ he said.
Speaking of the processes taken place in Azerbaijan over the past
year, President Ilham Aliyev dwelt on economic growth in the country,
healthy economic environment created here and its promising future.
`Azerbaijan will be developed even more in the next five years,’ he
said.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
President Ilham Aliyev especially emphasized that `our greatest
problem is occupation of Azerbaijani land by Armenia and, as a
result, over million of refugees and internally displaced persons in
the country.’ Having described this conflict as a source of a great
danger to the region, he said: `Iran has always taken a fair stance
with this respect, we have always felt its support and are grateful
for that.’
President Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the State Expediency Council
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani also exchanged views on a number of
other issues of mutual interest.

ArmenPress
Jan 24 2005
17 EMERGENCIES REPORTED IN THREE DAYS
YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian authorities reported 17
emergencies between January 21 and 23-two bodies were discovered and
15 fires put off.
On January 23 an 80-year resident of Yerevan was discovered dead
in her apartment with various degree burns on her body, but firemen
arriving at the sport found no signs of fire in the apartment. A
criminal investigation was launched into this case.
On January 21 residents of a block of apartments in Davidashen
borough called the police to say that people living in one of the
apartments did not open the door for long time. After police opened
the door they found the body of a 51-year-old woman. Police launched
investigation to clear the circumstances.
None of the 15 registered fires has caused any substantial damage,
the emergency department said.

Armenian MP denies being charged with theft in Dubai
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
21 Jan 05
[Presenter in studio] While the members of the National Assembly were
discussing events and changes expected in political life, the member
of the People’s Deputy bloc, Akop Akopyan, called the editorial office
of Aykakan Zhamanak newspaper from a remand centre in Dubai and denied
the report about the charges against him.
[Passage omitted: Akopyan was reported to have been charged with theft
in Dubai]

United Press International/Washington Times, DC
Jan 22 2005
UPI Watch
Armenia’s first ever wind power plant
The Armenian government will soon inaugurate Armenia’s first-ever
wind power plant. The wind farm is being built in the northern Lori
district with equipment donated by Iran; the plant’s four wind
turbines will have a combined capacity of slightly over 10 megawatts,
enough to meet most of the electricity needs of the regional capital
Vanadzor and its surrounding villages. Aleksandr Kocharian, who heads
a department on renewable power at the Armenian Energy Ministry, said
that the $3 million project will be completed “in a few months.”
Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power station currently provides nearly 40
percent of Armenia’s electricity output. Metsamor’s future is
uncertain is due to safety U.S. and EU concerns. Yerevan has been
under intense Western pressure to shut down the Soviet-era Metsamor
plant as early as possible and is seaching for alternatives.. One of
several options being considered is increased use of Armenia’s
fast-flowing mountain rivers that already account for 20 percent of
power generation through hydroelectric power. Kocharian believes that
Armenia has the potential to meet as much as 70 percent of its energy
needs with renewable sources by 2020, adding that 16 small
hydroelectric plants have recently been built. Kocharian added that
the Armenian and Iranian governments to jointly build a large
hydroelectric facility on the Arax river on the countries’ borders.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Jan 19 2004
Russia cautiously optimistic about Karabakh settlement – FM
19.01.2005, 14.16

MOSCOW, January 19 (Itar-Tass) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia was cautiously optimistic about
the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement.
Speaking at a press conference, the foreign minister said `a most
wide range of issues will be discussed’ during his visit to
Azerbaijan, scheduled for February 2. Focusing on the agenda, Lavrov
emphasized that the sides will discuss `bilateral Russian-Azerbaijani
cooperation, embracing all sides of the life of our countries’.
He also said they would pave the way for a visit to Russia by
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev, scheduled for the second half of
December. The future talks will also focus on `CIS issues and the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’.
The Russian foreign minister said that positive trends towards the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict took shape after a meeting of
Ilkham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in Astana,
where they also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said Armenian and Azerbaijani officials maintain contacts as
concerns the settlement in the mostly Armenian populated Azerbaijani
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian president amends law on parties
Arminfo
17 Jan 05
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan signed a decree on 15 January on
making changes to the law on political parties, the Armenian
president’s press service has told Arminfo.
The decree is aimed at stimulating the process of enlarging
parties. In particular, it says that a party should have no less than
2,000 members, including no less than 100 members in every district.
Under the law, the currently functioning parties should meet the
requirements outlined in the amendments to the law within a year after
they take effect.
Sixty-five parties have been registered with Armenia’s Ministry of
Justice so far.

GEGHAM GHARIBJANIAN APPOINTED RA DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
ATTENTION, CORRECTED NEWS YEREVAN, January 14 (Noyan Tapan).
According to the RA President Press Office, Gegham Gharibjanian was
appointed the RA Deputy Foreign Minister by the January 13 decree of
the RA President Robert Kocharian. The RA Foreign Ministry’s Press
and Information Department provided the following biographical data on
Gegham Gharibjanian: G. Gharibjanian was born in 1951 in Yerevan. In
1971 he graduated from the Department of Oriental Sciences of Yerevan
State University. In 1994 he attended the higher courses of public
administration at the University of California. During the period of
1973-1991, he worked in the Committee on Cultural Links with Diaspora,
during 1978-1981 was dispatched to Iran as a translator. In 1991-1995
he held the position of the RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social
Security. In 1995 G. Gharibjanian was elected deputy of the RA
National Assembly. In 1995-1997 he was Deputy Chairman of the Standing
Committee on Social, Health and Environmental Issues of the RA
National Assembly, in 1997-1999 – Chairman of the same committee,
Chairman of the Armenia-Iran deputy group of the RA NA, Deputy
Chairman of the RF Federal Assembly and the RA National Assembly
Interparliamentary Group, member of the RA NA delegation in the
Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS countries, Chairman-Founder of
the “Social State” deputy group. In 1998 G.Gharibjanian was elected
full member of the International Academy of Sciences on Nature and
Society. In January, 1999 he was appointed as Armenia’s Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iran and pluralistically as
Ambassador to Quatar. He has a diplomatic rank of plenipotentiary
ambassador. He is fluent in Persian, English, Russian and
Turkish. G. Gharibjanian is married and has three children.

NewsCentralAsia, Asia
Jan 14 2005
Sultan Sanjar and Samanid Legacy
Dr. M. Salim
Seljuks were Turks and their ancestry can be traced back to Oghuz
tribe of 10th century A.D. They were nomadic people populating north
of Aral Sea and to the east of Caspian Sea. Seljuk chief with his
followers in the middle of 10th century moved to the Syr Darya and
were knocking the doors of Islamic state of Samanids. Hence they
embraced Islam and cross cultural currents began to diffuse from west
to east in to Central Asia. Seljuks were the prime source of manpower
to defend Samanid Amirs. Later Samanid legacy ended giving rise to
three Turkic Muslim states, the Ghaznavids south of Amu Darya, the
Seljuks in southern Turkmenistan and Kara-khanids north of Amu Darya.
They were Turkic minorities ruling over majority of Iranian speaking
subjects.
One of the great Turk leader conqueror and patron of arts ruled
Khurasan, Turkmenistan and north Afghanistan. He was a Seljuk Turk
having control over north Persia and glorified their rule in this
part of Central Asia for over six decades. As one of the powerful
leader Sanjar in Turkish means `one who pierces’ a legacy, later
adopted by many Mughal princes in the Pak subcontinent. He was Sutan
B. Malik Shah born in 1086AD and died in 1157. He was appointed in
1097 as governor of Khurasan by his half brother Berk-Yaruk. Later
after death of Malik Shah, He was recognized as Al-Sultan Al-Muazzam.
His political career passed through ruling Karakhanids and appointed
various Karakhanid nominees around Samarkand. Than in 1117 defeated
Arslan Shah and placed his other Bahram Shah at Ghazna throne and
their alliance which lasted for thirty years.
Sanjar’s rule apart from neighbouring Persia and east, he conducted
his state affairs at Merv with his viziers with Diwani ala
overlooking administration affairs of the state. These were done by
the help of vizier such as Nizam-al-Mulk Hasan (1152) and Toghan Beg
(1124). These including Arab, Persian and Turkish viziers. Under
Sanjar, Nizam-Ul-Mulk was a grand vizier and a good administrater to
control Iranian speaking farmers and citizens.
While Sanjar was in power in Khurasan he was concerned with the
Ghaznavid rule in the east with whom peace was made resulting in the
cultural contacts such as in coinage and literature. Merv was the hub
of Seljuk empire in arts, crafts, culture and literature, poets Omar
Khayyam, Jurjani and the Nizami are a few to mention.
The Ghaznavid supremacy was broken by the Seljuks in 1040 at
Dandanaqan Merv Oasis resulting in the more territories . Armenia and
Iraq became the part of Seljuk empire and Merv became their capital.
The arts, culture, literature and architectural remains after
Samanids in the 10th century to the Mongol invasion in 1220 indicate
multicultural approach and variable tendencies of fusion from east to
west and south to north. Much more could have survived, but the
devastation caused by Mongol invasion left little remains. At Merv
there were twelve libraries and many cities were left in ruins.
Sanjar’s legacy left architecture with bricks and wood and bricks in
a monochrome design, stucco decoration with figures and wall
paintings have survived.
One of the main architectural decoration till today are the wooden
columns with very fine intricate designs of floral and geometric
nature such as at Khiva Friday mosque. These designs were based as
traditional motifs carved on wood façade of important buildings with
semicolumns of bricks in Turkmenistan and in the east mountains. The
mosque at Mashad-I-Misrian had a terracotta decoration. Other
important features were the caravanserais along the main and silk
routes.
The most important and dominating tomb is of Sultan Sanjar with a
square plan and side being 27m. It is 38m high. The elevated tomb is
a characteristic of Sanjar’s time and this style is evident in Lal
Mahra Sharif tombs in Pakistan. The square base of the tombs is
supported by secondary storey with a series of niches and a dome on
the top.
Other monuments of Sanjar’s time is the fort known as Sultan Qala
being the centre of Suljuk supremacy and charm of the Seljuk Capital.
This Qala covered about 4 square kms with a 15m high wall for
protection with a ditch. There was a palace area, a library and
barracks. In the Shahristan was a Friday mosque and Sanjar’s tomb. To
the west of this Qala were Mazar Mohammad b. Said and Mazar Yusif
Hamdani.
Sanjars legacy is reflected in Pakistan. These are Interesting tombs
in the Gomal valley of NWFP at Lal Mahra Sharif. This tradition
portrays Central Asia architecture with affilities to Sanjar’s
architectural style. These mark the beginning of tomb architecture in
Pakistan. The style evolved may be after struggle between Ghaznavids
or Hindu Shahis. Chira tomb No. 1 is rectangular in plan with 7.40 x
6.20m and with a present height of 5.70m with tapering walls. The
dome has completely collapsed. There are few pointed arched
entrances. There was a zone of transition from square chamber to the
base of drum with possible squinches.
The Plain brick style architecture reminds us the characteristics of
Sanjar tomb that must have influenced this style. As the soldiers,
traders and rulers exerted their influence in NWFP.
Multan is another important city with sufi tombs inheriting Central
Asian influence. The example can be given of tomb of Baha al-Din
Zakariya (1171-1262). The tomb has been constructed in three stages
with a total height of 77 feet. The lower storey has rectangular plan
with entrance of pointed arches. The second storey is octagonal built
on a zone of transition with squinches. The dome on top is
hemispherical. This tomb reflects a tradition of Sanjars’ time, as
the sufi traveled from Central Asian to Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.
Samanid Legacy in Pakistan.
1. End of the (Hindu) Turkshahi rule in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
2. Reunification of Pakistan under the Ghaznavids with the foundation
of Lahore as the Muslim capital.
3. Introduction of Persian as the language of the court and of the
elite. Rise of Lahori Persian poets.
4. Introduction of Islam by Sufi Saints foam Central Asia. Sufistic
Islam gains momentum.
5. Samanid architecture in Pakistan.
6. Samanid decoration of Glazed tiles. New schools of glazed tiles
started in Multan and Sindh.
7. Samanid Bukhara and Lahore as twin cities.
8. Scientist like Alberuni came to Pakistan, his stay in Nandana and
his experiment in measuring longitudes of the earth.
9. New ethnic movement of Turks, their settlement in Peshawar,
Taxila, Lahore, Multan and Sindh.
10. Introduction of new arts and crafts paper manufacture and Arabic
writing, new kind of China ware imported from Bokhara. Turks replace
Huns and introduce their own system, food, dress, and headgear.
Turkification of Pakistan.
End notes:
Sevim, A. & Bosworth, C.E.1998 The Seljuqs and the Khwarazm Shahs.
History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Vol.IV. pp. 145-175.
Unesco. Paris.
Dani, A.H.1993 New light on Central Asia. Sang-e-Meel Publications,
Lahore.
Brentjes, B. 1993 Islamic Art and Architecture in Central Asia.
Journal of Central Asia. 16(1+2): 19-25. Islamabad.
Ali, Taj. 1988. Anonymous tombs in the Gomal Valley, and the
beginning of tomb architecture in Pakistan. Memoirs No.4. Department
of Archeology, University of Peshawar.
Khan, A.N. 1983. Multan History and Architecture. Islamic University,
Islamabad. P.193.
About the author: Dr. M. Salim is an Associate Professor at the
Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University,
Islamabad, Pakistan. He read this paper at a seminar held in Ashgabat
a couple of months ago.

European bank invests in Armenian private construction company
Arminfo
12 Jan 05
YEREVAN
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has
allocated 850,000 euros to buy 28 per cent of shares of the Armenian
closed joint-stock construction concern Shen Concern, the deputy
director of the concern, Ara Asratyan, told our correspondent today.
He said that it was the first time the EBRD invested in a private
production enterprise in Armenia. He pointed out that the bank’s
investment had been channelled into the production of concrete
products and other construction materials, which are chiefly sold in
the republic. Asratyan added that the European bank had been
monitoring the operations of the company for the last two years and
made a decision to establish long-term cooperation with the
enterprise.
The contract has been concluded with the EBRD for five years and
envisages more investment in the production of construction materials
in Armenia. It is expected that after making fresh investment in April
2005, the European bank will own over 36 per cent of Shen Concern
shares. The deputy director pointed out that Shen Concern’s revenue
amounted to 1.5bn drams (3m dollars) in 2004.
The current investment portfolio of the European bank in Armenia
totals 60m euros. Armenia became a member of the EBRD in 1992.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE REFUTES INFORMATION OF AZERBAIJANI
MASS MEDIA SAYING THAT ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT HAS APPEALED TO CE
LEADERSHIP TO MAKE CORRECTIONS IN REPORT REGARDING NAGORNY KARABAKH
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12. ARMINFO. Tigran Torosian, Head of Armenian
delegation to PACE, Vice Speaker of National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia, refuted the information of Azerbaijani mass media saying
that the parliament of Armenia has sent a letter to CE Secretary
General and PACE Chairman, requiring to make corrections in the report
of David Atkinson concerning Nagorny Karabakh.
As Tigran Torosian told ARMINFO, such an information is not only
false, but it is also an absurd. Head of the parliamentary commission
for foreign affairs Armen Rustamian had declared that the Armenian
delegation is elaborating a strategy and proposals for making
amendments to the report of David Atkinson on Nagorny Karabakh.