Author: Chalian Meline

SCHOOL IN NEW FOUNDED VILLAGE

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
8 Sept 04

As in all the other regions, in Nor Shahoumian also the program of
resettlement is implemented. Here, near historical Handaberd a new
village was founded a year and a half ago and was named Knaravan after
the deceased mother of the family Harutyunian who fund the construction
of the village. Building works in the village are supervised by
the union of public organizations “Yerkir”. Narek Harutyunian told
that two years ago he had met in Karabakh with the chairman of the
union “Yerkir” Sevak Artsrouni and decided to choose an area for
the village. They approved of the area for several reasons. First,
its strategic importance. Besides the scenery is very beautiful and
surrounded with historical monuments. He says they could build a
village anywhere, and also in the Republic of Armenia, which would
be much easier, but choosing the liberated areas, building a village,
sowing seeds there is already a brave step. The implementation of the
program started in May 2003. By now the construction of 11 houses has
already been completed, and the building of four houses still goes on.
Presently the village is inhabited by 4 families, and this year it is
planned to settle all the other houses as well. A school has been built
in the village as well, which was opened on September 3 this year. At
the ceremony of opening were present the husband of Knar Harutyunian
and their two sons Narek and Komitas who had arrived from America. The
joint Armenia-Lebanon chamber choir “Komitas” was invited as well. It
should be mentioned that not a single member of the government was
present at this memorable event. After the opening the participants
of the ceremony visited the church (its name is not known) located
on the adjacent hill to see the historical monument. By the way, the
chairman of the organization “Avetyats Yerkir” Vahram Gevorgian said
that the Institute of Archaeology of Armenia has recently explored the
ruined church. They found a khachkar with an inscription dating to the
13th century but the building inscription of the church has not been
discovered yet. According to Vahram Gevorgian, after the exploration
the church will be restored (again on the funding of the family). The
program implemented on the funds of the family Harutyunian is not
limited to 15 houses and the school building. This year in Knaravan the
building of the municipality, the surgery and a cattle-shed for each
family will be built. By the way, the sponsors also aim at implementing
a program of developing cattle-breeding and providing the inhabitants
with livestock. This is the first stage of the program. In the second
stage it is planned to continue the construction of houses along the
other side of the river, which will extend up to the village Chapni,
and the two villages will join under the name Knaravan.

ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
08-09-2004

Foreign investment in Armenian economy is up

Noyan Tapan news agency
6 Sep 04

Yerevan, 6 September: In January-June 2004, the amount of foreign
investment (without credits obtained via state departments and banking
systems) totalled 106.3m dollars, of which 64.7m was direct investment.

According to the Armenian National Statistics Service, against the
same period of 2003, the overall amount of foreign investment grew
by 41.2 per cent, and direct investment by 79.1 per cent. Overall
foreign investment in the real sector without the privatization fund
increased by 43.7 per cent, and direct investment by 85.6 per cent,
as compared with 2003.

Over this period, 39.1 per cent of overall foreign investment and 32.7
per cent of direct investment were channelled into the communications
sector. Of these, 26.9 per cent of direct investment went into the food
and beverages production sector, and 15.6 per cent – to air transport.

In the first six months of 2004, the largest amount of direct
investment in Armenia came from Greece (21.1m dollars), France (13.6m
dollars), Argentina (10.7m dollars). The USA also accounts for a big
share of investment in Armenia – up to 15.1m dollars. Russia, as the
owner or co-owner of Armenian enterprises, invested in Armenia 5.7m
dollars as compared with 19.8m dollars in 2003.

Azeri ministry in talks with NATO over Armenians’ participation in Baku exercise

ANS TV, Baku
6 Sep 04

Representatives of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry are in
negotiations with NATO officials in Brussels on the participation of
Armenian servicemen in the NATO exercises in Baku. Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov has told the Interfax-Azerbaijan news agency that
Azerbaijan’s stance will be brought to the attention of NATO officials
during the Brussels consultations. The minister noted that during
the negotiations the parties were mainly calculating the number of
servicemen Armenia will send to the exercises. Stressing that Baku
has taken many obligations to NATO, the minister said that refusing
these could be a blow to the individual cooperation plan between
Azerbaijan and NATO.

Polish minister says Iraq wants Polish force to stay

Trybuna, Warsaw
3 Sep 04

Excerpt from an interview with Polish Defence Minister Jerzy
Szmajdzinski by Andrzej Rudnicki, entitled “Fitful sleep” published
by Polish newspaper Trybuna on 3 September

Rudnicki Do thoughts of Iraq cause you to lose sleep?

Szmajdzinski Yes, all too often. I do not think that is a good sign.

Rudnicki One year has passed since the multinational division under
the Polish command took over the south-central sector of Iraq. Was
it worth going in there?

Szmajdzinski If we look at it in the broader perspective, I think
it was. The very difficult and risky decisions we made, counter to
what the general public said, only go to show that Poland sees its
security to be indivisible. Our involvement in missions of this sort
stems from the need to ensure international security. This stood true
50 years ago, and it stood true one year ago. Iraq is a safer place
without Saddam, but that does not mean the process that is currently
under way in that country is secure.

Rudnicki Still, the reasons for attacking Iraq have proved to be
very dubious.

Szmajdzinski The US and UK intelligence services made their
miscalculations. Saddam refused to implement more than a dozen UN
Security Council resolutions. Iraq refused to observe the principles
that we had all embraced within the UN charter. The Saddam regime
threatened the Iraqi people and the entire population of the Middle
East. On the whole, our arguments seem to stand strong.

Passage omitted .

Rudnicki You had no doubt that Polish troops were sacrificing their
lives for a just cause?

Szmajdzinski Our activity in Iraq was received with support and
gratitude. Throughout one year we implemented projects developing
the Iraqi infrastructure, health care system, and education worth a
total of 50m zlotys approx. 13.6m dollars . The international community
was split when the operation began. Today, however, it has no doubt
that the situation in Iraq must be stabilized. The process is under
way: there is a provisional Iraqi government in place and Iraq has
a president.

Prime Minister Marek Belka received a letter from his Iraqi counterpart
Iyad Allawi on Thursday 2 September . He has heard that we are
planning to reduce the number of our troops in his country. He is
asking us not to do it and prevent destabilization. President Ghazi
Mish’al Ajil al-Yawar is to visit Poland in the next few days. A
delegation of the Iraqi Defence Ministry has visited us recently,
declaring that the Iraqi authorities expect us to keep our troops
in their country and help them develop and equip their army. Despite
the risks we have taken and the lives we have lost, we are carrying
out our mission of returning Iraq back to the Iraqi people.

Rudnicki What has Poland gained after one year of involvement in
the operation?

Szmajdzinski I find it difficult to talk about this. The Polish
government did not set any conditions when it made its decision. We
are carrying out this mission to ensure security in that part of the
world in the belief that it contributes to Polish and international
security. People abroad are speaking about Poland more kindly and
warmly today, they speak of our involvement and credibility. At
least this is what I see in my international contacts. In my view,
this translates into a warmer climate surrounding Poland as a serious
participant in these events.

Rudnicki Talks on the fourth shift of the Polish contingent in Iraq
have begun at the Warsaw Citadel. Will our troops be reduced in line
with earlier announcements, or will the Polish authorities heed the
Iraqi pleas and change their stance?

Szmajdzinski Taking part in the conference are representatives of
states involved in our division and Armenia, a new partner that is to
send 50 servicemen to Iraq. No one, Poland included, will reduce their
contingents before the Iraqi elections scheduled for January. We have
also decided to hand over Babylon back to the Iraqis. The command of
the division will probably relocate to Al-Kadisiyah Province. We will
pull out of Karbala. The division will be relocated to the Babil,
Wasit and Al-Kadisiyah provinces.

Rudnicki Will there be fewer troops?

Szmajdzinski Maybe. We are not discussing the size of the new
contingent at this point. This depends on how the situation in Iraq
develops, how the political process proceeds, and how soon an Iraqi
army that can replace us is formed. I am a moderate optimist as far as
the next few months are concerned. Our UN mandate expires at the turn
of 2005 and 2006. This means our military mission will come to an end
then. Unless the Iraqi government wants us to leave earlier, that is.

Rudnicki Thank you for the interview.

The Globe and Mail
Entertainment
Saturday, September 4, 2004 – Page R8

Armenian Lullabies

Hasmik Harutyunyan

with the Shoghaken Ensemble

Forget the don’t-you-cry stuff. This may one of the very few albums to
contain a lullaby based on an incident of genocide, and it’s a surpassingly
beautiful tune, with a serenity that stems as much from heart-sore
resignation as from a desire to get that wee one to sleep. Armenian women in
the villages where most of these tunes were gathered had hard lives and
little freedom, a condition that makes many of these folk lullabies sound
like the night’s bitter farewell to the privations of the day. Harutyunyan’s
voice has an earthy purity that’s just right for this music, which often
unfolds against little more than a wheezing flute introduction and a hushed
drone. — R. E.-G.

GIBRAHAYER
e-newsletter
[email protected]
http: //gibrahayer.cyprusnewsletter.com

BOMBS AND PRAYERS IN OCCUPIED ST. MAMMAS CHURCH

Friday September 3, 2004, Gibrahayer – The Holy Church of Ayios Mammas
became the center of religion and politics during the course of last
week, as one week after it was bombed and burned by “Grey Wolves”
extremists in the Turkish occupied north, it welcomed thousands
of Greek Cypriot pilgrims who crossed to the north for the first
religious ceremony in thirty years.

During the celebrations, Turkish and Greek Cypriots gathered not far
from the Church to voice their desire for peace and reunification
in a peace rally. Earlier in the week, Turkish extremists had held
demonstrations against the opening of the Church saying that “they
did not want to hear the bells of the Church ever again”.

Greek Cypriots are still in search for a unified political line in
post-referendum and post-EU Cyprus where regional real politic and
European democratic norms clash against the reality of 40,000 Turkish
troops, a Turkish pseudo-state seeking recognition, 200,000 refugees
and more than 1,000 people missing in action since the Turkish invasion
of 1974.

MELKONIAN ALUMNI HIRE CALIFORNIA LAWYERS TO FIGHT SCHOOL’S CLOSURE

Wednesday September 1: Cyprus Mail- THE worldwide alumni of the
Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI) have hired a group of California
lawyers to challenge the closure of the Nicosia-based secondary school,
they said yesterday.

Under their recently established umbrella body, the Melkonian Alumni
and Friends, a non-profit US foundation, the alumni have hired legal
counsel MacCarley & Rosen of Los Angeles to oppose the planned closure
of the 78-year old Armenian school in June 2005.

This alumni is working in parallel with the local Melkonian Alumni
Associations in Cyprus, Greece, the UK, Canada, the US, Armenia,
Lebanon, Australia and elsewhere.

Similar legal actions are also expected to be filed in Cyprus, as
well as other jurisdictions, a statement issued yesterday said.

The loss making MEI, which is sitting on 40 acres of prime real
estate worth around £40 million in the capital’s commercial district,
has been slated to close next year by the New York based Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU), which administers 22 Armenian
schools worldwide.

The AGBU said last November that the school was not for sale but then
changed tack and announced the closure three months later.

Teachers at the Melkonian have said that last year the school’s
population was reduced from 260 to 210 after the AGBU unilaterally
decided to reduce scholarships to underprivileged children from the
Armenian Diaspora.

By claiming that standards are not up so scratch, staff say the AGBU
is trying to use the them as a scapegoat for their decision to close
the school in order to sell the land and that they are using devious
methods to reduce the student population of the school in order to
turn it into a non-viable school and ultimately to close it.

“The MEI has educated and nurtured more than three generations
of Armenian professionals and leaders and is a unique educational
institution in the Armenian Diaspora,” the alumni statement said
yesterday.

“It provides superior academic training with Western standards to
a diverse group of Armenian boys and girls from different countries
and social backgrounds.”

NO MEDALS FOR ARMENIAN OLYMPIC TEAM

Armenia This Week [email protected] – Armenia’s 18-person team won
no medals, as the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece concluded over the
weekend. Diaspora Armenians fared better winning at least one gold,
one silver and several bronze medals.

Armen Ghazaryan placed fourth in weightlifting, shy of a medal by only
about a pound of his own weight, and Norair Bakhtamyan also placed
fourth in shooting. Four wrestlers, two weightlifters and one boxer
from the Armenia team finished in the top ten of their respective
competitions. Armenia won one gold and one silver medal in 1996 and
one bronze in the 2000 Olympics. 

Baku-born Karina Aznavourian won a team fencing gold for Russia,
her second in as many Olympics. Three Gyumri natives, Ara Abrahamian,
Artiom Kiureghian and Mkhitar Manukian, won silver and bronze medals
in wrestling for Sweden, Greece and Kazakhstan, respectively. Another
wrestler, Masis-born Armen Nazarian secured a bronze medal for
Bulgaria.

ARMENIAN AND CYPRIOT PLAYERS HAVING AN IMPRESSIVE RUN AT THE U.S. OPEN TENNIS
CHAMPIONSHIPS

LATEST RESULTS FROM THE US OPEN

Sargis Sargsian beat Alex Corretja 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1
David Nalbandian Dennis Ven Scheppingen 6-4, 7-6, 6-3
Andre Agassi beat Robby Ginepri 7-6, 6-4, 6-2

Ex-world number 1 Junior Champion Marcos Baghdatis fought bravely in
the second round against world number 1 Roger Federer but lost 6-2,
6-7, 6-3, 6-1, after defeating in round one the 2004 French Open
quarter finalist Olivier Mutis 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 7-5.

POKHAN KHMPAKRAGANI
Dear friends,

I enclose herewith my latest copyrighted article entitled Dreaming
West & Moving East? that focuses on the European Union & Turkey as it
tackles the problems of accession. This three-page article has been
submitted to the Spectator magazine in London, and will also be posted
on the customary hyperlinks. Fyi, and as from mid-September 2004,
I shall have my own website too. dr harry bv hagopian, LL.D, KOG-KSL
In calm water, every ship has a good captain!  (Swedish proverb)

Gibrahayer is posting Dr.Harry Hagopian’s conclusions, pokhan
khmpakragani ! You can read the complete article by clicking here

  There are those who profess that Turkey’s membership to the EU would
put a stop to its rampant nationalism and curb the stranglehold of
the military establishment on democracy, human rights and fundamental
freedoms. Others also use the ‘religious card’ as an argument in
favour of accession. Turkey must be admitted to the EU, they say, to
prove that Europe is not a Christian club. From a more subjective
perspective, some Armenians also add that such a step would force
Turkey to remove its blockade of Armenia and that EU citizenship
would provide Armenian Turks with freedom of movement.

Notwithstanding those arguments, which could ostensibly be either right
or wrong, the trenchant fact remains that Turkey has not fulfilled
the criteria that would allow its admission into the EU club. I am
not yet convinced that a credible argument could be made today for
Turkey’s EU accession. Moreover, I reject the expedient religious
card since it is tantamount to stating that Israel must be admitted
into the Arab League to prove that it is not a Muslim club.

Four months shy of the cut-off date of December 2004, I recognise that
the political and socio-economic stakes are high, and therefore the
bars must correspondingly be high too. However, I do not live in a
political dreamland either, and I realise that the ultimate decision
for or against accession will be made in the uncompromisingly
introverted political corridors of power – not at the European
Parliament or in the intellectual corridors of a think tank.

Might I therefore suggest two litmus tests? The burden of proof
should rest on Turkey to prove unequivocally that it meets all
the Copenhagen criteria in order to ensure that its accession would
enhance rather than impede the EU. Turkey should also lift the fog of
untruth that surrounds its denial to the Armenian Genocide by assuming
responsibility for the aggregate crimes perpetrated against Armenian
Turks by its predecessor regime.

If this were to happen in a transparent and verifiable way, and
reciprocity establishes its relevance in Armenian-Turkish relations,
I re-iterate a promise I made to a Turkish journalist friend last
week that I would personally welcome Turkey into the EU. But Merhaba
is a sign of welcome that comes with trust and definition. It is not
a giveaway greeting ..! © hbv-H @ 28 August 2004

JUNIOR EUROVISION 2004
Cyprus is choosing its Junior team to represent us in Junior Eurovision 2004.
The contest which will decide our young music ambassadors, will take place on
Tuesday September 7, 2004 from CyBC.
Anna Loizou from Pyla and Rafael Georgiou (Somakian) will be singing “Dosde
ta kheria”.
The winners will be decided by an island-wide televote.
You can vote for Anna and Rafael by participating in the televote and calling
for number 7.
Hachoghoutiun !

NEWS IN BRIEF
– The Azerbaijani Football Federation has sent letters to the UEFA and FIFA,
protesting against holding a football championship in Nagorno Karabakh.

– A court in Azerbaijan sentenced six protesters – who had stormed a
conference of NATO officials in Baku – to terms ranging from three to five
years. They
were demonstrating against the presence of two Armenian officers in the
conference.

– The AGBU, responding to the request of the Karabakh government, has agreed
to sponsor a Chamber Orchestra in Karabakh.

– Hungarian defense ministry deputy state secretary Vanperne Balok Agnesh,
participated in the ceremonial opening of a monument honoring Hungarian war
prisoners who died in Armenia and Armenian soldiers killed in Hungary during
World
War II.

– AGBU leaders, members and friends worldwide will come together this October
in their ancestral homeland on the occasion of AGBU’s 83rd Biennial General
Assembly to review current programs, exchange ideas and discuss new
initiatives.

g i b r a h a y    c a l e n d a r

* The Annual General Meeting of The Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational
Association “Oshakan” Cyprus Chapter will take place on Tuesday September 14,
2004
at 8:00 p.m. at A.Y.M.A.

* BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY AT AYMA – Saturday September 11, 2004 at 9:00 p.m.
Entrance 5:00 including two drinks. Music dancing and a lot of fun, just in
time
before the schools begin!
* Armenian Radio Hour on The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation can be heard via
real audio on . Broadcast times 17:00-18:00 local Cyprus time
(14:00-15:00 GMT) News bulletins at 17:15 local time on Sundays, Tuesdays,
Fridays. Armenian Cypriots can also tune in on the following radio frequencies
91.1 FM (Mount Olympus – for Nicosia listeners) 94.2 FM
(Paralimni/Protaras/Agia Napa) 92.4 FM (Larnaca) 96.5 FM (Paphos).

* Every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. (Cyprus time +2 GMT) on CyBC’s Trito, Puzant
Nadjarian presents the “History of the Blues” together with Robert Camassa.
The programme which is now in its second year can also be heard on Real Audio
from the Internet edition of CyBC on . A repeat programme can
also be heard seven hours later at 2:00 a.m. local time.

* AYMA announces that the weekly practices of the football team begin in the
second week of September. Contact the AYMA Sports Committee for more details.

* The Armenian Prelature announces that the next permit for the Armenian
Cemetery visitation at Ayios Dhometios on the Green line, is scheduled for
Sunday
5 September, 2004.

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RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 30 2004

CIS AIR DEFENSE COMMITTEE TO MEET

MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) – The CIS Air Defense Coordinating
Committee will meet in Rostov-on- Don and Yeisk, a city in the
Krasnodar territory, from September 1 to 4, Colonel Alexander
Drobyshevsky, head of the Air Force press service, said Monday.

“A training and methodological session with members of the Air Force
coordination committee will be held concurrently.”

He also noted that issues related to the strengthening the CIS
states’ air boarders would be discussed at the meeting.

Air defense commanders from Armenia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia will attend the
meeting, the press service reported.

The committee was created on February 10, 1995 following a decision
of the CIS Economic Council.

Mail & Guardian Online , South Africa
Aug 26 2004

Armenians ‘had nothing to do’ with coup plot

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Six Armenian air crew members accused of helping to plot to oust
Equatorial Guinea’s long-time leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema told a
court in Malabo on Thursday that they had nothing to do with the
alleged plot.

Samuel Darbinyan (41), a co-pilot of the aircraft leased by a company
belonging to Gerhard Eugen Merz of Germany — one of 15 alleged
mercenaries arrested in March and accused of fomenting a putsch in
the tiny, oil-rich country — said he does not know why he has been
held in prison since March along with five other Armenian crew
members and eight South Africans.

Merz, who was arrested along with the others, died in detention,
officially of cerebral malaria, but with rights groups saying he was
tortured to death.

All the Armenian crew members, including captain Ashot Kerapetyan,
told the court that they were unaware on what charges they were being
held until a few days before hearings began on Monday.

The Armenians arrived in Equatorial Guinea in January this year.

Their Antonov-12 aircraft was hired the following month by Nick du
Toit, the South African soldier-turned-businessman who risks the
death penalty for allegedly leading the coup plot.

>From the time they arrived in the tiny Central African country, the
Armenians flew out of Equatorial Guinea once on board the Antonov,
bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where they were to
deliver cargo picked up at N’Dola in Zambia, they told the court.

Merz had given them the instructions for that trip, they said in
separate testimonies.

The flight crew said the shipment was never delivered to the DRC
because the airport they were bound for there was closed. They said
they returned to Malabo with nothing in the hold.

Du Toit told the court on Monday that the Antonov was to have picked
up ammunition for security agents at mines in the DRC. The crew
members said they were unaware of what their payload was to have
been.

The Armenians are on trial alongside eight South Africans and four
Equato-Guineans, all accused of complicity in a plot to topple
Obiang, who has been in power since 1979.

Obiang announced their arrests on March 9, saying: “A group of
mercenaries entered the country and was studying plans to carry out a
coup d’état.”

Without going into details, Obiang said interrogation of the suspects
revealed they were financed by multinational companies and “countries
that do not like us”.

The arrests came days before 70 men were detained when their plane
stopped off in Zimbabwe, allegedly en route to Equatorial Guinea for
the coup.

The group arrested in Zimbabwe has consistently said it was on its
way to the DRC to protect diamond mines.

Du Toit is so far the only one of the 18 defendants on trial in
Equatorial Guinea to admit any involvement in a coup plot.

Verdict expected in Zimbabwe
Meanwhile, a Zimbabwe magistrate is expected to hand down verdicts on
Friday when the trial resumes of the 70 suspected mercenaries held on
charges of plotting the coup in Equatorial Guinea.

The men, who include Briton Simon Mann, are accused of being at the
heart of a conspiracy that allegedly also includes Mark Thatcher, son
of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Thatcher, a friend and neighbour of Mann’s, was arrested at his Cape
Town home on Wednesday and charged under South Africa’s Foreign
Military Assistance Act, which bars mercenary activity, for allegedly
bankrolling the coup plot.

He denied the charges and was released on bail.

On Thursday, the elite Scorpions unit said it arrested Thatcher
because he was planning to move to the United States next week.

“I can confirm he was planning to leave the country,” said
spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi.

“He claims he was planning to relocate his family. He was supposed to
leave for the US next week,” Nkosi added. — Sapa-AFP, Sapa

IN ARMENIA EDUCATION IS AHEAD OF ECONOMY BY DEVELOPMENT RATES

YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). In Armenia education by its
development rates is ahead of economy, and for this reason
unemployment in the country makes 9%. Hranush Hakobian, Chairwoman of
the RA NA Standing Commission on Education, Science, Culture and Youth
Issues, told about it at the August 20 meeting with 51 Diasporan
teachers participating in the training courses in Yerevan.

According to her, this situation can only be regulated if the
development of the economy reaches a level at which it is possible to
provide all the higher schools graduates with jobs. At the same time,
H. Hakobian noted that there is a problem of supply and demand in
Armenia’s labor market.

However, according to her, higher schools have not been restructured
so that they train specialists needed for the labor market. H. Hakobian
reported that today 1,482 comprehensive schools function in the
republic, and about 80,000 students study at 6 state-owned and 81
private higher schools.

Messenger.com.ge, Georgia
Aug 20 2004

Postcards from the boardwalk
Kobuleti attracts more and more tourists, but not everybody is happy

By Anna Arzanova

KOBULETI – The number of holiday-makers from across Georgia, as well
as other countries such as Azerbaijan and Armenia, flooding to the
Black Sea resort of Kobuleti is on the increase.

Immediately after Aslan Abashidze fled the region, the new government
promoted the region has the new economic wellspring, encouraging
investment, government reform and most of all tourism.

Three months after Abashidze’s ousting, residents see improvements
like new roads and new busses, but also complain of increased crime
and favoritism by the new ruling party. The Messenger joined this
summer’s holiday-makers in Kobuleti to find out more.

Kobuleti resident Gela Verulidze has mixed opinions about the changes
that have taken place since Abashidze’s departure. Every year the
number of tourists is increasing, he says, and this year there were
record numbers.

But he regrets “there are no foreigners,” and suggests this could be
because the sea-side is very dirty and there is a lack of facilities.
“It certainly needs a make-over,” he says.

Although he sees some improvements, he says that today there is more
garbage, and more crime. “There was more cleanliness and less crime
during Abashidze’s period. But now there are more robberies in
Adjara. For example, three cars were stolen recently in Kobuleti.
Such thefts never took place in Kobuleti before.”

Verulidze also complains that the change of government had not
generated jobs. “After Saakashvili came to power many people remained
unemployed. You need to be a member of the National Movement in order
to find work. Otherwise you will have no way out,” Verulidze says.

Restaurants are doing very well this season and have a very large
turnover. “They are earning so much money that the owners can get by
during the whole year until another season comes,” Verulidze says.

Other positive changes include the fact that after Saakashvili became
president, such problems as the lack of electricity and lack of water
were solved. Verulidze also noted that after the Rose Revolution the
new government paved the roads in Kobuleti with asphalt and
rehabilitated the park very well. “There is no problem with
transportation in the region, and the buses are reliable and very
cheap,” he says.

However, Verulidze believes that since the May revolution many people
have been wrongfully arrested. “There are very serious repressions
taking place in Kobuleti,” he claims. “Many people have been detained
here, especially members of the Revival Party.”

Nevertheless, Verulidze expresses his hope for the future, which he
says is shared by all Kobuleti residents. “Everybody here really has
hope of Mikheil Saakashvili and we think that he will look after us
as well as the region. We want the old buildings to be repaired and
Kobuleti to become more clean and tidy and to be put in order,”
stated Verulidze.

Hamaiak Aguzumtsian came to Kobuleti from Armenia where he is USAID’s
advisor in social issues. Asked how why he chose to come to Kobuleti
rather than a resort in Turkey, Greece or elsewhere, he says that one
of the reasons is the ease with which his family can travel to
Kobuleti.

“We cross the Georgian-Armenian border without any problem. We pay
nothing there. The authorities have never sought to take money from
us at the border, either before or after the change of government.
Anyway, we travel very well,” Aguzumtsian says.

Aguzumtsian believes that the situation in Adjara has improved. He
remembered that when they were in Kobuleti the last time, they were
traveling by car, and when the policemen saw the car with Armenian
numbers, they stopped them every 5 minutes and demanded bribes.

Aguzumtsian sees changes for the better in Kobuleti. He also noted
the fact that the flow of the tourists from Armenia has increased
this year. “Many people from Yerevan go to Batumi and Kobuleti. Here
is one plus why the people want to arrive here. A round-trip ticket
cost about USD 50-60 and this of course stimulates people to come
here, instead of other places such as Russia and foreign countries.
It is more expensive for us to go to another country for our
holiday,” Aguzumtsian stated.

Aguzumtsian and his family are in Kobuleti for the second time and
they like the people there. “The people are very friendly in Kobuleti
and the attitude toward Armenian people here is also very good. The
prices here are reasonable as well,” explained Aguzumtsian.

He said that it is more expensive to stay in Yerevan cost then to
have a holiday in Kobuleti. “In Kobuleti we eat in cafes or in
restaurants and we spend USD 600-700 on average during ten days,
including our travel at both ends.”

Aguzumtsian said that they can have a cheap holiday in Yerevan as
well, but there is no sea. There is only lake Sevan, which is too
cold. “We also like very much the park here. It is free of charge,
and is very beautiful. There is good entertainment and it is very
clean and bright. We did not notice such things earlier.”

“But what we do not like is that the beach and sea-side are dirty and
at night it is very dark and there are few facilities. Also, you have
to pay to enter changing-rooms and shower rooms,” he complained.

Aguzumtsian expressed his hope that the current government will solve
this problem in the future. He said that they have a better holiday
in Kobuleti for the money than they would in Yerevan, and what’s
more, but they prefer the sea. “We can say that the situation in
Kobuleti has improved,” he concluded.

In contrast, a tourist from Tbilisi Nana Butikashvili expressed her
dissatisfaction with the situation in Kobuleti. She has been
vacationing in Kobuleti for more than 5 years now and said that,
apart from the fact there are many more tourists this year, she sees
no serious changes in Kobuleti. She only goes, she says, because she
wants to go to the sea, and there is no other choice.

Policemen continue to stop cars with non-Adjaran number plates,
Butikashvili complains. And as for the environmental situation in the
region, she thinks that nothing has improved. “Instead of buying
parks and territories in Kobuleti, it would be better if
Patarkatsishvili set dustbins in Kobuleti. They must put in order the
sea-side and beach and create the best possible conditions for the
people,” Butikashvili says.

She is hopeful, though, that the situation may improve. “We have the
hope that everything will be done in Georgia for the people’s
welfare. Those who want to do something for Kobuleti as well as for
Georgia should not do it for their business but with the aim of
charity. In this case everything will be good here,” she says.