Author: Emil Karabekian

Business Wire (press release), CA
Nov 8 2004
Xybernaut Selected By Vneshtorgbank — Russia’s ‘Bank for Foreign
Trade’ — for Information Technology Solutions and Systems to Enhance
Efficiency and Productivity
FAIRFAX, Va. & MOSCOW–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 8, 2004–
Vneshtorgbank Engages Xybernaut for Hardware, Software and Solution
Services to Streamline Business Operations and Customer Services
Xybernaut(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:XYBR), today announced that the
Vneshtorgbank (VTB), Russia’s second largest bank and officially
designated “Bank for Foreign Trade,” has selected Xybernaut as an
information technology (IT) provider for a variety of improvements
to business operations, customer services and bank efficiency.
The agreement, which outlines interest in Xybernaut expertise and
know-how calls assigns Xybernaut as a technical services provider and
contractor-integrator for hardware, software and solutions services.
The agreement outlines a series of phases of IT enhancements for the
bank’s computing architecture throughout 2005 and beyond.
In related news, VTB has already completed similar agreements with
IBM, HP, Cisco and Microsoft — American companies that will also be
part of the IT team for this initiative. VTB has also chosen Russian
IT companies who will lead the various integration efforts through
2006. These companies include: “Compulink”, a partner of Avaya and IBM,
“i-Teco”, a partner of HP and Microsoft, “Jet Infosystems”, a partner
of Sun Microsystems, and “Microtest”, a partner of Cisco Systems.
VTB estimates that the bank currently spends $30-40 million on
Information and Telecommunications Infrastructure (ITT) development
every year. According to VTB’s management, intends to become the
most technological bank in Russia in three years. In fact, the VTB
formally documented IT strategy indicates that the banks’ management
plans to spend more than $100 million on ITT enhancements to achieve
these objectives.
“This ITT enhancement initiative is a critical step for VTB and we
anticipate measurable benefits to our operational efficiency and
quality of customer service,” stated Andrey Korotkov, senior vice
president for VTB. “Xybernaut was chosen as a member of this technology
team because of their proven success in mobile/wearable computing with
large government customers and Fortune 500 enterprises. We are not
only interested in Xybernaut hardware and systems but in its know-how,
intellectual property and solutions services. This mix of capabilities
was an important differentiator in our selection process. We have
already identified several IT objective that Xybernaut has been
selected to accomplish.”
Xybernaut and VTB’s other ITT development partners, plan to employ
a staged approach to bank-wide implementation using pilot-programs,
testing/evaluations, reports and refinements related to areas such as
integration with existing VTB information technologies, performance
measurements, training factors and return on investment (ROI) studies.
“VTB is putting together a stellar team of IT providers and we look
forward to contributing with expertise, experience and technologies
that will truly make a difference for VTB,” stated Steven A. Newman,
president and COO of Xybernaut. “Successes in the banking and finance
sector, such as our Atigo deployments for NYMEX member-company MBF
Clearing Corp., are providing valuable perspective and metrics that
can be used for strategic planning and evaluation of efforts for VTB.”
VTB currently has 48 regional representative offices in 11 time zones
and over 1000 branches throughout Russia. Recently, VTB has acquired
several banks in the Top 30 rating among Russian banks. Integration
of these and additional merged banks is one area in which the enhanced
ITT strategy is expected to deliver considerable benefit.
Among Russian banks VTB has the broadest network of correspondents.
The international network of the Bank is represented by five
subsidiaries in Zurich (Switzerland), in Limassol (Cyprus), in Vienna
(Austria), in Luxembourg and in Erevan (Armenia), associated bank in
Frankfurt-on-Main (Germany), representative offices in Milan (Italy),
Beijing (China), Kiev (Ukraine) and Minsk (Belarus).
In addition to traditional banking services, VTB also actively develops
retail markets, small business crediting, commercial and residential
mortgages, while managing a full service insurance company and a
variety of leasing companies. Additional VTB information can be found
at
About Xybernaut:
Xybernaut Corporation is the leading provider of wearable/mobile
computing hardware, software and services, bringing communications and
full-function computing power in a hands-free design to people when
and where they need it. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, Xybernaut
has offices and subsidiaries in Europe (Germany) and Asia (Japan and
China). Visit Xybernaut on the Internet at
Xybernaut, the Xybernaut logo and Mobile Assistant(R) V (MA(R) V)
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Xybernaut Corporation in
the USA and other countries. All other brand and product names are or
may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services
of, their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the
“Act”). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the
words “plan,” “confident that,” “believe,” “scheduled,” “expect,”
or “intend to,” and similar conditional expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and
are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Such statements are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could
differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward-looking
statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited
to, market conditions, the availability of components and successful
production of the Company’s products, general acceptance of the
Company’s products and technologies, competitive factors, timing,
and other risks described in the Company’s SEC reports and filings.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RELATIONS FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN COMPANIES OF IT SPHERE AND OTHER
SPHERES OF ECONOMY POORLY DEVELOPED
YEREVAN, November 5 (Noyan Tapan). The purpose of the fourth
specialized exhibition “Infotech” and the “Information Technologies
for Organization of Industrial and Financial-Economic Activities”
business-forum held within its framework on November 5 is to encourage
the further development of cooperation between the enterprises of the
sphere of information technologies (IT) and the companies of other
spheres using their services. Anna Hakobian, the Director of the “Expo
Media” Center of Exhibition Planning, said about it during the
November 5 press conference. Bagrat Yengibarian, Director of the
“Incubator Enterprises” Fund, mentioned that the sphere of information
technologies is quite developed in Armenia. He gave assurance that
close cooperation with enterprises of other spheres will contribute to
the development of the country’s economy. It was also mentioned that
this forum is the first step in the process of the integration of the
companies in different spheres. The IT sphere today provides 2% of GDP
in Armenia, and the exports of about 100 companies of the sphere
annually make 50 mln dollars. According to Bagrat Yengibarian, it is
possible to make this index 500 mln dollars during the upcoming ten
years. Reports entitled “Automation of Management of Bases and
Industrial Process”, “E-Dram System and other Instruments of
Organization of Financial-Technical Activities”, “Consultation and
Estimation of Enterprises of IT Sphere” were made at the forum.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THERE IS NO STATE STRUCTURE CONTROLLING ACTIVITIES OF RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, October 22 (Noyan Tapan). “The registration neither made the
activities of the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” sectarian organization active
nor passive. They always worked in an active way, and the more the
number of the adherents of the sect was, the more their state
increased and the more the number of doors they knocked at grew,” said
ethnographer Hranush Kharatian, Chief of the Department on Issues of
Religions and National Minorities attached to the RA government,
during a meeting held at the “Pakagits” (“Brackets”) club on October
21. According to her, the Department studied the statutes of the
“Jehovah’s Witnesses” sect before the registration and indicated many
theses contradicting to the current legislation. But the RA Ministry
of Justice registered the sect, it thinks that the statutes is
amended, and there are no grounds to refuse registration to
them. Hranush Kharatian mentioned that there is the necessity to
introduce amendments into the law “On Freedom of Conscience” approved
in 1991. According to her, there is no state structure controlling
the activities of the religious organizations in Armenia today, and
naturally they will operate without any control. At the same time, it
was mentioned that the amendments into the current law will not be
directed at the restriction of the activities of the operating
religious organizations. The fact how tolerant are these or those
registered religious organizations to the state religion of Armenia is
an important circumstance. Hranush Kharatian also mentioned that
Armenia has many religious organizations having state registration
today, whose activities aren’t almost felt.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TELEGRAM & GAZETTE (Massachusetts)
October 19, 2004 Tuesday, FINAL EDITION
Schaeffer-Duffy plans trip for firsthand look at Sudan
by Kathleen A. Shaw; TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER
Scott Schaeffer-Duffy of the Sts. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker
House will join three other peace activists in late November and
early December for a fact-finding and aid trip to Darfur, Sudan.
Money for the trip, and to buy supplies for the people in the region,
has been donated by actor Martin Sheen, who plays President Bartlett
on the television program “The West Wing.”
Mr. Sheen, a Catholic and longtime peace and social justice activist,
has had a long association with the local Catholic Worker House, now
located at 52 Mason St., and has given donations in the past.
Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy said Mr. Sheen helped the group financially when
its first house burned down about 18 years ago, and that he has
provided funds for some other peace trips.
The peace activists plan a peace Mass on Nov. 29, the evening before
their departure, at St. Paul’s Cathedral. They will leave Nov. 30
from Boston and expect to be in Sudan at least until Dec. 9.
The other members of the group are Brenda Cussen of South Bend, Ind.,
who, like Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy, is a graduate of the College of the
Holy Cross, and who is associated with the St. Peter Claver Catholic
Worker in South Bend; Christopher Doucot of the St. Martin de Porres
Catholic Worker in Hartford, also a graduate of Holy Cross; and Grace
Ritter of Ithaca, N.Y., a member of the Ithaca Catholic Worker.
Mr. Sheen’s secretary called first to see how much money was needed
to get the group to Sudan, Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy said. He said air fare
and immunizations would be about $6,000. Mr. Sheen then called back
personally and said he thought he should send $10,000, Mr.
Schaeffer-Duffy said. The extra money will allow the group to buy
some supplies to bring to people. It has not been decided whether
they need food, medicine or both, he said.
According to a BBC report, 50,000 people have died and 1.4 million
have been made homeless by fighting in that region during the past 18
months, Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy said. The Sudan government has said about
7,000 have died.
“We want to do some fact-finding to find out exactly what has
happened,” Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy said. He said some of the recent
reports coming out of Sudan indicate that women who leave their
village to collect firewood “are routinely raped.”
Pro-government Arab militias have been attacked by African rebels in
Darfur, which is in Western Sudan. U.S. Secretary of State Colin L.
Powell has referred to these attacks as genocide.
Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy said the United States has a long history of
avoiding acting on genocide, going back to the Armenian Genocide in
the early 1900s. “The government does nothing until it is over and
then does something. But by then the people are dead,” he said.
The peace activists have also been told that the rebel militias in
Sudan are not attacking villages where there are “internationals,” he
said. They hope that by going into these villages they can help
stabilize the situation so people will move back and try to get their
lives going more normally.
The people going on this trip are veteran peace activists who have
gone on similar trips to other parts of the world. Mr.
Schaeffer-Duffy has taken part in or led peace campaigns in
Nicaragua, Bosnia, India and Iraq. Mr. Doucot has been involved in
more than 10 peace missions, including trips to Bosnia and Iraq. Ms.
Ritter has been active in the campaign to close the United States
Army School of the Americas, and recently spent a month volunteering
in a refugee camp in Bethlehem.
None of the activists has been to Africa and are “cramming” to learn
the history and geography of the area, Mr. Schaeffer-Duffy said.
The Catholic Workers, a movement started in the 1930s by the late
Dorothy Day and Pierre Maurin, live among poor people and work on
peace and justice issues in this country and around the world.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. ambassador: Russia need not fear NATO in Caucasus
Messenger.com.ge, Georgia
Oct 15 2004
News in brief
The U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicolas Barns told a reporter from Mediamax
that activity of NATO in the Caucasus should not disturb Moscow.
“Thanks to the Council NATO-Russia, the members of the Alliance and
Russia protect the common interests and resist to the common threats,”
he said as quoted by Prime News.
“Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 stimulated closer cooperation
between NATO and all members of the program ‘Partnership for Peace’
as we collide with new common threats. Participation in this program
also can help to remove tension in this region. It is natural that
Armenia wants to become the active part of ‘Partnership for Peace,'”
Ambassador Barns was quoted as saying.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian agency chides Azeri leader for going back on promises
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
20 Sep 04
The most important event of the last week was undoubtedly NATO’s
decision to cancel the Cooperative Best Effort 2004 exercises
scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan on 14-26 September.
[Passage omitted: agency predicted this course of events]
If we trace Baku’s steps taken in January and September, it becomes
obvious that the Azerbaijani leadership acted in accord with the same
tactics – to make as much contradictory statements as possible, to
drag out time, to make promises to NATO and not to keep them. And this
testifies to an obvious lack of political will with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev who twice in the course of the year let
marginal and extremist forces to push himself around. If in this way
the Azerbaijani leader was trying to show his “closeness with the
people” he achieved the contrary effect – from now on both inside the
country and outside it he will be perceived as a leader who can be
influenced and manipulated to achieve the necessary result. Thus,
holding quite a doubtful victory in a short-term perspective, Ilham
Aliyev has lost in a long-term perspective.
[Passage omitted: chronology of events]
The inability to keep promises played a mean trick with Ilham
Aliyev. He hoped till last that NATO would resign itself to the fact
that Azerbaijan would not let the Armenian military to take part in
the exercises. Either because of the absence of political experience
or because of some other reasons, the Azerbaijani president did not
understand that one could not openly lie to NATO and US generals. The
cancellation of the exercises at the very last moment when 200
military had already arrived in Baku became a real disgrace for
Azerbaijan. And the point is not in Azerbaijan’s “defeat” or Armenia’s
“victory” – NATO took a decisive step to defend its reputation and
credibility in the first place. The Alliance could not reconcile
itself to the fact that for the first time in the 10 years’ history of
the PfP’s [Partnership for Peace] existence one of the partner-states
had twice violated the rules of the game.
[Passage omitted: background information]
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s statement in relation to the
cancellation of the exercises once more demonstrated the weakness of
Baku’s arguments: “While 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territories are
still under Armenian occupation and there are over 1m refugees and
displaced persons, the Armenian leadership pursues harsher and more
unconstructive policy. Given these conditions, the participation of
Armenian servicemen in the military exercises on the territory of the
country would be impossible for Azerbaijan,” the statement read.
First, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was pleased with the
dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, which
has been going on for several months already and on the basis of which
he held talks with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan in Astana
on 15 September. So, what “harsh and unconstructive position” is the
talk about?
Second, the Azerbaijani leadership knew perfectly well that the
Armenian side was going to send its military to take part in the
Cooperative Best Effort 2004 exercises, and Azerbaijan should have
refused to host the war games if it considered as unacceptable their
presence on its territory. Third, what can be said about the visit to
Baku in 2001 by Armenian officers who took part in the planning
conference of computer training under the PfP?
Everything is quite clear – in 2001 Azerbaijan was headed not by Ilham
Aliyev but by [Ilham’s father and the late President] Heydar Aliyev
who could perfectly well define political priorities. The sooner his
son learns this, the better it will be both for Azerbaijan and the
region as a whole. But if Ilham Aliyev and his entourage are going to
continue the policy of not keeping their promises and rejecting
international commitments, this will not bode well.

Iran’s president underlines trade as a way of communication
IRNA web site, Tehran
10 Sep 04
Minsk, 10 September: Visiting Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
said on Thursday 9 September that trade exchange is considered as an
important means to communicate and transfer culture among countries.
Speaking in a gathering of Iranians residing in Belarus, Khatami
stressed that today, trade may not play the role of transferring
the culture and promoting cultural meanings, given the resistance of
mass media, but the third world has been one-sided receiver due to
inefficiency of science and technology.
All countries are required to have trade, cultural, political and
economic relations, he added.
Pointing to the achievements of Iran in its exhibition held in Belarus,
Khatami said that holding trade exhibitions is meant as a move to
strengthen bilateral relations between Iran and Belarus.
He also attached importance to the presence of Iranian students in
Belarus and expressed hope that the two countries could move side by
side towards progress.
Heading a high-ranking delegation, President Mohammad Khatami arrived
in Minsk on Thursday evening from Armenia on the second leg of his
regional tour which will also take him to Tajikistan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia drafts 209 proposals for US-sponsored Millennium Challenge project
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
6 Sep 04
[Presenter] Armenia has prepared 209 proposals which will be submitted
for financing under the Millennium Challenge Account. A session
of the local council of the Millennium Challenge will be held in
Yerevan this week which together with the government and political
organizations will discuss and choose the programmes to be send to
Washington. Most of them fall under social welfare and will be aimed
at reducing poverty in the country.
[Correspondent Hermine Bagdasaryan] The Armenian Finance Ministry has
already got 209 proposals for the reduction of poverty in Armenia
with assistance from Washington. Just 158 out of the 209 proposals
have been estimated at 2bn dollars. The Armenian government will not
submit this figure to the Washington office. It will be discussed in
Yerevan this week at the session of the Millennium Challenge.
[Vardan Khachatryan, Armenian Finance and Economy Minister, speaking
in his office] Various proposals have been made: 50 m dollars for
education, 86 m dollars for health care, 46 m dollars for social
security, 372m dollars for road construction and repair, 87m dollars
for drinking water. We do not know for sure whether our proposals
will be approved or not. If they are to be approved, we shall choose
the most important ones.
[Correspondent] The work which will be carried out in this direction
and expenditure will be controlled from Washington. If everything is
implemented successfully and Armenia is among the ranks of countries
enjoying American assistance, then it will get 760 m dollars in the
next three years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Polish president meets visiting Armenian leader, four documents signed
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
6 Sep 04
[Presenter] Polish and Armenian Presidents Aleksander Kwasniewski
and Robert Kocharyan today advised businessmen to expand economic
and trade relations. In our efforts to integrate into Europe, the
Armenian-Polish relations are best manifestation of this. Lilit
Sedrakyan has details from Warsaw over the telephone.
[Correspondent] The meeting between Kocharyan and Kwasniewski,
including other officials, has just ended at the Polish presidential
palace. After the talks, the two presidents signed four documents,
including one on defence, on crime, on economic cooperation and others.
These documents lay legal foundations for the Armenian-Polish bilateral
relations. Armenian and Polish officials say that economic and trade
relations are promising, and Armenian and Polish businessmen need to
cooperate closely to expand mutually-beneficial business relations.
The issue of integration into Europe is on the agenda of the
Armenian-Polish negotiations. The road to the European structures
covered by Poland could be beneficial for Armenia, which is on its
way towards Europe, too. We can thoroughly benefit from Poland –
a full-fledged member of the European Union.
At this moment, the presidents of the two countries are giving a news
conference to inform reporters of Armenian-Polish cooperation.
The defence issue is also on the agenda of the Armenian-Polish talks.
Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan today was at the Polish
Defence Ministry. At a meeting with reporters, the Armenian and
Polish defence ministers said that defence cooperation between the
two countries was quite wide, covering both officer training and
technical cooperation. Sarkisyan noted the importance of learning
from positive experience of the Polish armed forces.
In a short while, the Armenian president will lay a wreath at the
war memorial in Warsaw and then will visit the Polish parliament.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interfax
Aug 16 2004
Azerbaijan doesn’t need to join military blocs – ambassador
Moscow. (Interfax) – Azerbaijan sees no need to join military blocs
such as NATO, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, Ramiz Rizayev, told
Interfax on Friday.
“We do not see any need to participate in any military blocs or
organizations,” Rizayev said.
“As for cooperation that meets the interests of the parties, this is
a routine feature of modern times,” he said.
“I can assume that if we did not have the [Nagorno] Karabakh
conflict, Azerbaijan would possibly declare its military neutrality,”
the ambassador said.
Baku is still concerned over military contacts between Moscow and
Yerevan, Rizayev said. “I will not say that there is no concern. This
issue is particularly worrisome as the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
has not been settled yet,” he said.
Azerbaijan hopes that “the wisdom of the Russian authorities will
eventually prevail” in this issue “and these problems that we have
inherited from old times will be resolved as well,” he said.
“As for Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation in the military sphere, I can
remind you about one quite significant fact. We succeeded in settling
all issues related to the functioning of the Russia’s Gabala radar
station in Azerbaijan. This is a very important step on our part
toward Russia,” the ambassador said.
For details, see today’s Interfax-Diplomatic Panorama. The full
version of Rizayev’s interview is available on the
website.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress