Author: Chalian Meline

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON SELF DERMINATION
By Mohsin Zaheer
The Pakistani Newspaper
November 24, 2004
United Nations New York, November 24: The United Nations General
Assembly’s Third Committee, dealing with social and humanitarian
issues, today adopted by consensus a draft resolution on the “Universal
Realization of the Right of peoples to Self-determination.” Pakistan
was the lead sponsor of this resolution.
The resolution reaffirms the universal right of peoples to
self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter and international
covenants on human rights. It welcomes the progressive exercise of
this right by peoples under colonial, foreign or alien occupation and
their emergence into sovereign statehood and independence. In its
operative part, the resolution calls upon those States responsible
to cease immediately their military intervention in and occupation
of foreign countries and territories and all acts of repression,
discrimination, exploitation and maltreatment, in particular the
brutal and inhuman methods reportedly employed for the execution
of those acts against the peoples concerned. The resolution has
consistently been adopted by the General Assembly since 1981. Pakistan
has always been the lead sponsor of the resolution. Pakistan also
makes a statement in the Third Committee’s General Debate on this
item.The resolution was co-sponsored by a large number of countries
from Asia and Africa. Besides Pakistan, the co-sponsors included:
Algeria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina
Faso, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Jordan,
Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Niger, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
Somalia, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.
The resolution requests the Commission on Human Rights to continue to
give special attention to the violation of human rights, especially
the right to self-determination, resulting from foreign military
intervention, aggression or occupation. It also requests the Secretary
General to report to the 60th Session of the General Assembly on this
question. The resolution will now go to the Plenary of the General
Assembly for adoption before end of the current session.

COMMISSION WILL PROLONG THE ACTIVITY
A1+
22-11-2004
The report of Vahan Hovanisyan, Chairman of Temporary Commission on
“Studying Efficiency of Usage of Credits, Relief and Transferring
Received from Foreign States and Organizations”, was read up
in Parliament. MPs assessed it positively. Let’s remind that the
Commission had referred to the fact of receiving the grants and misuse
of them in the water sphere.
Commending Commission activity, MP Manuk Gasparyan at the same
time stated that the work won’t be productive. He bases it with the
example of Temporary Commission on Energy Issues 4 years ago. It spread
activity for 8 months, disclosed flagrant breaches, introduced them to
Office of Prosecutor but the process was frozen some time later. Only
after reveals made by Commission on Credit Usage Gagik Martirosyan,
Chairman of State Committee on Water Economy was dismissed.
Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan as well appraised that a part
of credits had been misappropriated.
Parliament intends elongating Commission activity for 1 year. Arthur
Baghdasaryan stated that the issue on extending the activity up to
June, 2005, would be discussed the following day.
According to Vahan Hovanisyan, in the future Commission will refer
to application of the means allotted by “Lincy” Fund.

GAGIK TSARUKYAN IS THE CHAIR OF OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF ARMENIA
A1 Plus | 18:35:13 | 22-11-2004 | Sports |
The elections for the Chairman of Olympic Committee of Armenia took
place. Gagik Tsarukyan was elected for that post. He was the only
candidate in the elections. Ishkhan Zaqaryan, ex Chair of OCA put
forward the candidacy of Tsarukyan.

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
Novembre 21, 2004
CAUCASO: MISSIONE ITALIANA NELLA NUOVA FRONTIERA UE /ANSA ;
ON. BONIVER IN ARMENIA, GEORGIA, AZERBAIGIAN
(di Elisa Pinna)
(ANSA)- ROMA, 21 NOV – Una missione nella nuova frontiera
dell’Europa allargata, per consolidare i rapporti sempre piu
importanti e strategici tra l’Italia e i paesi del Caucaso
Meridionale. E’ questo lo scopo del viaggio che, da domani a
giovedi’ prossimo, il sottosegretario agli Esteri Margherita
Boniver intraprendera’ in Armenia, Georgia e Azeirbagian, le tre
repubbliche dell’ex Unione Sovietica che occupano la fascia
montagnosa estesa dal mar Nero ai giacimenti petroliferi del Mar
Caspio.
“L’obiettivo principale della visita – ha spiegato l’on.
Boniver all’Ansa – e’ quello di coltivare ulteriormente le gia
eccellenti relazioni politiche, economiche, culturali tra
l’Italia e le tre Nazioni”. E’ la terza missione che, nel giro
di pochi anni, il sottosegretario agli Esteri effettua in
quell’area del mondo dove l’era stalinista ha lasciato una
pesante eredita’ di conflitti territoriali, irrisolti
irredentismi etnici, milioni di profughi; una regione pero
caratterizzata allo stesso tempo da una voglia profonda di
democrazia e sviluppo economico.
Nelle tre capitali caucasiche – prima tappa Ierevan in
Armenia, seconda tappa Tbilisi in Georgia e terza Baku in
Azeirbagian- Margherita Boniver avra’ colloqui ai massimi
livelli e incontrera’ i tre capi di Stato, anche allo scopo di
preparare le loro visite in Italia previste per il 2005.
Strette tra vicini ingombranti, la Russia, l’Iran e la Turchia,
nessuna delle repubbliche caucasiche ha fatto domanda di entrare
nell’Unione Europea, ma tutte e tre sono state invitate
ufficialmente dalla Commissione di Bruxelles, nel giugno 2004, a
far parte ” della politica europea di buon vicinato”. “Sono
la nuova frontiera dell’Europa a venticinque”, ha sottolineato
Margherita Boniver. Sono tre nazioni molto diverse tra loro,
come tradizione religiosa, sviluppo e risorse economiche,
strategie e alleanze politiche; eppure le tre capitali
caucasiche guardano tutte con speranza all’Europa allargata e
considerano l’Italia un interlocutore privilegiato.
ARMENIA – La prima tappa del viaggio del sottosegretario agli
Esteri sara’ in Armenia, l’unica nazione del Caucaso meridionale
a non avere sbocchi sul mare. Il popolo armeno fu il primo a
convertirsi collettivamente al cristianesimo, nel 301 d.C., e a
quella religione e’ rimasto sempre legato per difendere la
propria identita’ etnica, in una storia di invasioni,
occupazioni, diaspore che ebbe il suo tragico apice nel
genocidio compiuto nell’impero ottomano durante la prima guerra
mondiale. L’Armenia del presente ha ritrovato la sua
indipendenza dall’ex Urss nel 1991, ma non la sua pace.
Terremoti, la guerra congelata ma non risolta del Nagorno
Karabakh (un’enclave dove una minoranza di armeni ha proclamato
la propria indipendenza dall’Azerbaigian musulmano), i rigidi
inverni e la disoccupazione hanno costretto un quarto della
popolazione (circa un milione di persone) ad emigrare in tempi
recenti. A partire dal nuovo millennio la situazione e’ pero
migliorata; la crescita economica nel 2003 e’ stata tra le piu
alte d’Europa ed ha favorito l’apertura di nuove industrie e
attivita’ commerciali. Anche se non si puo’ ancora parlare di
democrazia perfetta, il presidente della Repubblica Robert
Khorian riscuote grandi consensi per gli evidenti progressi
compiuti dal suo paese.
GEORGIA – Anche la Georgia, nazione cristiana che si affaccia
sul Mar Nero, nonostante gli indubbi passi avanti, e’ ancora
alla ricerca di una solida stabilita’, dopo oltre un decennio di
drammatici avvenimenti. Subito dopo la proclamazione
dell’indipendenza, nel 1991, scoppio’ infatti la guerra civile
interna, seguita dalla secessione dell’Abkhazia, regione
strategica per il passaggio dei gasdotti e oleodotti dal Mar
Caspio al Mar Nero, ed ancora dai conflitti nell’Ossezia
meridionale (territorio autonomo interno sotto controllo
georgiano che vuole riunificarsi all’Ossezia del Nord) e
nell’Adhzara, altra regione sul Mar Nero a maggioranza
musulmana, fino all’occupazione da parte dei ribelli ceceni
della Gola di Pankisi. Con la cosiddetta “rivoluzione delle
rose” del novembre 2003 contro il regime corrotto di Eduard
Shevrdnadze, e l’elezione plebiscitaria, nel gennaio 2004, del
nuovo presidente, Mikhail Saakashvili, avvocato di 37 anni
formatosi negli Stati Uniti, la Georgia sembra aver dimostrato
come l’avvento della democrazia nella regione possa trasformarsi
da lontana speranza in concreta realta’.
AZERBAIGIAN – L’Azerbaigian, paese a maggioranza musulmana
sciita ma, a differenza del vicino Iran, assolutamente laico, e
il piu’ ricco degli Stati della Regione. Posa letteralmente su
un mare di petrolio, e i suoi giacimenti sul Mar Caspio ne fanno
una delle aree strategiche piu’ importanti del momento. La
costruzione dell’oleodotto Baku-Ceyhan, una commessa da tre
miliardi di dollari, che portera’ a partire dal 2005 il petrolio
azero al porto di Ceyhan sul Mediterraneo in Turchia (attraverso
la Georgia), e’ vista da molti come un’alternativa interessante
alle importazioni dal Golfo e dalla Russia. Anche l’Italia, che
compra una buona parte del suo petrolio dall’Azerbaigian, e
presente nel consorzio del nuovo oleodotto. Dal punto di vista
politico, l’Azerbaigian si trova ad affrontare il problema delle
centinaia di migliaia di profughi provenienti dal Nagorno
Karabakh e un processo democratico che ancora non puo’ dirsi
compiuto. Al vecchio presidente Heydar Aliyev, e’ subentrato,
alla fine del 2003, il figlio Ilham, in elezioni contestate
dall’opposizione e dagli osservatori internazionali. Ora tocca
al giovane capo dello Stato dimostrare la sua capacita’ di
affrancarsi dall’ombra del padre, morto lo scorso anno.(ANSA).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPANSION OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE IN ARMENIA NOT PLANNED IN NEAR FUTURE
YEREVAN, November 20 (Noyan Tapan). The expansion of Russian
military base No 102 stationed in Armenia is not planned in the near
future. Colonel Mikhail Baranov, the RF Defence Ministry Press Center
Head, informed reporters about this on November 19 in Yerevan. He
underlined that such an expansion may take place only as a result
of a respective decision between Russia and Armenia. According to
Colonel Baranov, financing military base No102 is completely done
by the RF Ministry of Defence, as well as its provision. However,
while responding to NT correspondent’s question, the representative
of the Russian Defence Ministry stated that the closure of the
check point Verin Lars at the Russian-Georgian border did not affect
the vital activities of the base in any way. According to Baranov,
this route accounts for only 20% of total goods transportation to
Armenia. Colonel Baranov stated that the total personnel of military
base No102 makes about 4,000 people and is composed of servicemen on
a contractual basis, officers and non-commissioned officers. Persons –
Armenians by nationality who serve in the base are Russian citizens.

Armenian defence minister vows to increase military budget in 2005
Arminfo
18 Nov 04
YEREVAN
It is necessary to increase budget allocations for the defence sphere
in Armenia’s draft budget for 2005 because the military budgets of
Georgia and Azerbaijan are incomparably bigger, Mger Shakhgeldyan,
chairman of the standing parliamentary commission on defence, national
security and internal affairs, has told an Arminfo correspondent.
In turn, Finance and Economy Minister Vardan Khachatryan promised to
reconsider and increase the budget allocations for the defence sphere
in the draft budget. Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan also pointed to
the need to reconsider and increase the defence budget taking into
account the growing world market prices and the need to increase
servicemen’s wages.
The draft budget for 2005 envisages the allocation of 53.7bn drams
[106.9m dollars] for the defence sphere.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
Nov 18 2004
Iran: Country Faces New UN General Assembly Censure On Human Rights
By Robert McMahon

A UN General Assembly committee has voted to condemn human rights
abuses in Iran, citing a crackdown on media, use of torture, and
discrimination against women. The assembly’s human rights committee
approved a resolution calling on Iran to take steps such as judicial
and penitentiary reforms and eliminating all forms of discrimination
based on religious grounds. Iran called the charges baseless and
gained the support of many developing states. But the measure is
expected to be approved by the full General Assembly in December.
United Nations, 18 November 2004 (RFE/RL) — For the second straight
year, the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee has passed a
resolution raising concern over rights abuses committed by Iran.
The assembly’s human rights committee approved a resolution calling
on Iran to carry out reforms to curb abuses ranging from suppression
of media to torture and discrimination against women and minorities.
The measure was approved yesterday by a vote of 69 to 55, with 51
abstentions. It is expected to be approved by the assembly next
month.”For those many who are denied the right to speak out, for
those minorities who suffer persecution in silence, for women who
face discrimination, hardships and sometimes physical harm, it is our
desire to improve their lives that motivates this resolution.” —
Canadian Ambassador to the UN Allan Rock
Canada sponsored the resolution for the second year in a row. Its UN
ambassador, Allan Rock, told the committee he hopes the measure will
promote change in Iran.
“For those many who are denied the right to speak out, for those
minorities who suffer persecution in silence, for women who face
discrimination, hardships and sometimes physical harm, it is our
desire to improve their lives that motivates this resolution,” Rock
said.
The resolution noted some positive developments, such as the visits
to Iran of UN rapporteurs and human rights dialogues between Iran and
a number of states. But Rock said the overall situation has
deteriorated since last year and that it is important to bring the
weight of international opinion to bear on Iran.
The resolution is not binding but carries symbolic importance.
Iranian envoy Paimaneh Hasteh called the resolution’s charges
baseless. She accused Canada of introducing the measure in response
to a domestic outcry over the death in 2003 of Canadian
photojournalist Zahra Kazemi while in custody in Iran.
An Iranian court this summer moved to end the trial of the key
suspect in her death. That prompted an outcry from Canada and
Kazemi’s legal team, led by Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi.
Hasteh told the committee that Iran’s judiciary continues to
investigate the death. She cautioned that resolutions singling out
Iran for reproach are doomed to fail.
“We even warn that this approach, if it continues to prevail, will
jeopardize the entire processes of ongoing cooperation and dialogue
initiated by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the
bilateral and multilateral levels,” Hasteh said.
The vote followed a pattern familiar at UN human rights panels when
single-country resolutions are proposed. European states, the United
States, and Latin American nations supported the measure, while
Islamic and developing states opposed it.
Opposing states said such “naming and shaming” resolutions are
counterproductive and divisive for the committee.
Pakistani representative Billal Hayee, speaking on behalf of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the resolution will not
serve to promote human rights.
“It increases the risk of generating confrontation and politicization
at the international level on human rights issues by creating a gulf
between the developed and the developing countries quite opposite to
the very agenda of the United Nations,” Hayee said.
Other states objecting to the practice included Turkmenistan and
Belarus, which themselves face critical resolutions in the committee,
and Sudan, subject to a UN investigation into whether genocide is
being committed in the Darfur region.
But the Czech Republic’s representative, Ivana Grollova, sought to
stress the importance of such resolutions. She noted that 17 November
was the 15th anniversary of events triggering the fall of communism
in Czechoslovakia and the improvement of human rights.
“Please allow me today to express my honor that on behalf of my
government I could today join those who care about the protection of
the fundamental freedoms and human rights of everybody,” Grollova
said.
Forty countries co-sponsored the resolution, including the United
States and 25 countries of the European Union. Countries voting
against the measure included Russia, the five Central Asian states,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

RIA Novosti, Russia
November 18, 2004
OVER 500 KG OF DRUGS WITHDRAWN IN CSTO COUNTRIES
MOSCOW, November 18 (RIA Novosti) – Over 550 kg of drugs have been
seized over the two days of the Channel-2004 anti-drug operation, the
PR center of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service said to RIA
Novosti on Thursday.
“The second stage of the Channel-2004 operative-preventive operation
is underway in order to cut channels for trafficking of drugs,
psychotropic substances and their precursors on the territory of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization member-states, RIA Novosti’s
interlocutor said.
According to him, on November 16-17 over 550 kg of drugs were
withdrawn from illegal trafficking, 859 criminal proceedings were
launched and over 2,000 crimes solved.
“For instance, law enforcers searched a car and discovered 183 kg of
drugs in the Karaganda region, Kazakhstan. Anti-drug policemen seized
over 8.5 kg of heroin in the Samara region, Russia. In Tajikistan
policemen detained two people and withdrew 10.5 kg of heroin from
them,” RIA Novosti’s interlocutor noted.
“Representatives of Azerbaijan, Iran and Uzbekistan’s law enforcement
bodies participated in the operation as observers for the first
time,” he stressed.
The Collective Security Treaty was signed on May 15, 1992 in Tashkent
and came into force on April 20, 1994 for five years till April 1999.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization was set up on May 14,
2002. It comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan.

RosBusinessConsulting Database
November 18, 2004 Thursday 10:24 am, EST
Energy Minister comments on energy reforms
The issue of handing control over assets of RAO UES to the Federal
Network Company will be solved after the plan for liberalizing the
market for electrical energy is clear, Russian Energy Minister Viktor
Khristenko told journalists. According to him, the future of foreign
assets of RAO UES is not clear as yet. Currently RAO UES subsidiary
Inter RAO UES controls operations of the holding related to imports
or exports. The company may be restructured into a subsidiary of the
Federal Network Company.
RAO UES owns Armenian and Georgian assets and plans to acquire energy
companies in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Eurasianet.org
TURKEY CAUTIOUS ON POSSIBLE RAPPROCHEMENT OPENING TO ARMENIA
Mevlut Katik 11/17/04
An omission from Armenia’s draft 2005 budget has touched off speculation
that a rapprochement with Turkey may be in the offing. The missing line item
concerns Yerevan’s long-standing effort to win international recognition for
what Armenian officials portray as the genocide of 1915-16. Some observers
interpret the dropped genocide reference as an effort to extend an olive
branch to Turkey.
Even if the interpretation accurately reflects Yerevan’s intention, both
Armenian and Turkish officials indicate that they will proceed with extreme
caution in trying to end decades of mutual hostility. At the same time,
regional analysts say both states have powerful economic and political
incentives to explore ways to normalize bilateral relations. The
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations has the potential to create a
new geopolitical order in the Caucasus.
After details of the Armenian draft budget became public, Turkish and
Azerbaijani media outlets in early November went into a frenzy of conjecture
on the implications of the genocide-recognition omission. Armenian officials
moved quickly to squash speculation that Yerevan was substantially changing
its position.
Yerevan contends that Ottoman Turkish forces systematically killed ethnic
Armenians in 1915-16. According to some Armenian estimates up to 1.5 million
of the 2.5 million Armenians then living in the Ottoman Empire died during
this timeframe. Ankara has recognized that Armenians died en masse, but says
Yerevan overstates the number of victims. In addition, Turkish officials
steadfastly deny that the deaths were the result of a coordinated government
policy, and, thus, the tragedy cannot be considered as a case of genocide as
defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention. Contemporary Turkish officials note
that the deaths occurred during World War I, adding that Armenians were
caught in the middle of the bitter fight going on at that time in the
Caucasus between Ottoman Turkish forces and Russian troops.
On November 9, the Arminfo news agency quoted Armenian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Gamlet Gasparian as insisting Yerevan’s stance on the genocide
issue had not changed. “The issue of international recognition of the
Armenian genocide does not concern only Armenia and the Armenians; this is a
universal issue and cannot be lessened to the limits of any budget or
similar financial documents,” Gasparian said.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded the next day, adopting a wait-and-see
stance. “”Except for the news reports, we have not received any official
information about such a change in Armenia’s [genocide-recognition] stance,”
the Anatolia news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan as
saying.
Turkish officials say the genocide issue is just one of several obstacles
blocking the normalization of bilateral relations. Other issues, including
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, also must be addressed before Ankara can
fully repair its relationship with Yerevan, they add. Turkey has staunchly
backed Azerbaijan during the stalemated search for a Karabakh peace
settlement. Ankara, for example, is maintaining a trade embargo on Armenia
until Armenian forces withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territory situated
outside Karabakh proper. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight
archive].
Another factor influencing the normalization question is Turkey’s bid the
join the European Union. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Representatives of the Armenian Diaspora in France are reportedly putting
pressure on the French government to withhold its approval for Turkish
membership in the EU until Ankara addresses Yerevan’s genocide claim.
While the obstacles to normalization appear formidable, regional economic
circumstances are exerting strong pressure on all parties involved to
compromise. For Turkey and Azerbaijan, a Karabakh peace settlement would
boost the profit potential of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which is
scheduled to start conveying natural resources from the Caspian Basin to
Western markets in 2005. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. The normalization of ties between Turkey and Armenia also would
reassure EU member states as they contemplate Ankara’s entry into the
organization.
The pressure on Armenia to alter the status quo may even be stronger. Some
analysts believe it is in Armenia’s vital economic interest to secure the
lifting of Turkey’s embargo, thus opening up avenues for trade needed to
fuel continued Armenian development. Other observers point out that
normalization of ties with Turkey would aid Armenia’s effort to improve
relations with NATO and, in a broader sense, the West. [For additional
information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Armenia’s draft 2005 budget contained language urging the government to take
action to improve ties with Georgia, Iran and Turkey, Arminfo reported.
Thus, the omission of the genocide reference in the same document may well
represent the start of a process by Armenia to search for common ground with
Turkey.
Many policy-makers and opinion-makers in Turkey remain skeptical over
whether the genocide-recognition omission in the Armenian budget represents
an initiative to engage Turkey on the issue. The general consensus appears
to be that Turkish leaders should wait and see if Yerevan takes any
follow-up action before buying into the notion that Armenia is truly open to
altering its stance on the genocide issue.
If a rapprochement eventually comes about, the geopolitical landscape in the
Caucasus could be significantly altered. Armenia has traditionally been
Russia’s strongest ally in the Caucasus. [For additional information see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. The normalization of Turkish-Armenian ties, which
would presumably accompany a Karabakh peace settlement, could prompt Armenia
to reorient Armenian political and economic policies towards the West, or,
at the very least, weaken the special relationship now binding Yerevan to
Moscow.
The potential ramifications of the genocide-recognition omission do not seem
to have been lost on Russia, which, in recent months, has expressed
displeasure in various ways over Armenian diplomatic efforts to balance
Yerevan’s relations with Moscow with improved ties with the West. [For
additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
During a public appearance November 10, the Russian ambassador to Armenia,
Anatoly Dryukov, appeared to discourage Armenia from getting too close to
the West.
Referring to the recent efforts to by Armenian leaders to cultivate better
ties to the West, Dryukov said: “If Armenia prioritizes its national
interests, then the vector of relations [i.e. Armenia’s special relationship
with Russia] will remain correct,” the Mediamax news agency reported.
Editor’s Note: Mevlut Katik is a London-based journalist and analyst. He is
a former BBC correspondent and also worked for The Economist group