Author: Emil Lazarian

ArmenPress
July 6 2004
KOCHARIAN VISITS MOSCOW JULY 2-4
YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
was in the Russian capital of Moscow from July 2 to July 4 for an
unofficial meeting of the CIS presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Belarus and
Kazakhstan at the invitation of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The presidents discussed integration processes among CIS members,
preparations for a CIS summit in Astana in September, issues of
mutual interest and joint celebrations of the 60th anniversary of
victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45. On the sidelines of
the meeting Robert Kocharian had a meeting with Georgian president
Mikhail Saakashvili to discuss further development of bilateral
relations, particularly, a range of issues pertaining to stepping up
economic ties and regional problems.
On July 4 Kocharian met with the secretary of the Russian security
council Igor Ivanov to discuss Russian-Armenian ties, regional
problems and the Karabagh conflict. Kocharian was present at horse
races together with other CIS leaders at a Moscow race track.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 6, 2004 Tuesday 3:38 PM Eastern Time
Interaction with Armenia among Russia foreign policy priorities
By Svetlana Alexandrova, Alexandra Urusova
MOSCOW
The latest meeting of the Minsk group of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict showed that the sides are ready to look for
the solution to this long-standing problem, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday following the talks with his Armenian
counterpart Vardan Oskanyan.
The Russian minister pointed to the “coincidence of the positions of
the two countries virtually on all the questions of the bilateral and
international agenda”.
He stressed that interaction with Armenia “is a priority trend in
Russian foreign policy”. “This is fully manifested in such areas as
cooperation in investment, trade and economic partnership and the
political dialogue”.
He said the recently formed Russo-Armenian business council
contributed much to the development of relations. Lavrov said
cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the
CIS, United Nations and the Council of Europe was discussed at the
meeting.
In his turn, Vardan Oskanyan expressed satisfaction with the results
of the talks with Sergei Lavrov. “I am sure that our political
dialogue will be continued, especially now that many interesting
events take place in our region”, he said.

Le Figaro, France
02 juillet 2004
Turquie : il n’y a rien d’irréversible;
EUROPE Au moment où les Pays-Bas prennent la présidence de l’Union
pour six mois
par Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN
En déclarant à Ankara lors du sommet de l’Otan que « le mouvement
conduisant à l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union européenne est
irréversible et au total souhaitable », Jacques Chirac met le peuple
français devant un fait accompli inacceptable et dangereux.
En engageant la France, sans même envisager de consulter les
Français, le président de la République tourne le dos aux principes
fondateurs de la Ve République qui voulaient que les choix décisifs
pour l’avenir du pays soient ratifiés par référendum. De surcroît,
l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE n’a jamais fait l’objet d’un débat
au Parlement, ni figuré dans un programme présidentiel. Prendre
prétexte de la continuité de la politique française depuis le
rapprochement initié par le général de Gaulle avec la Turquie pour
favoriser son adhésion est un contresens car, à cette époque, l’Union
européenne n’avait rien à voir avec l’ensemble intégré qu’elle est
devenue aujourd’hui.
On peut d’ailleurs refuser l’entrée de la Turquie en Europe sans pour
autant nier l’importance de ce pays dans l’équilibre géopolitique du
continent européen, ni btir avec lui un partenariat solide, comme on
le fait par exemple avec le Maghreb.
Reconnaître comme irréversible l’entrée de la Turquie revient, moins
d’un mois après l’élection du Parlement européen, à balayer d’un
revers de la main la position de tous les partis politiques de la
majorité et plus largement d’une grande majorité de Français. Au
moment où les Français sont de plus en plus las de cette Europe qui
se construit sans eux, voire contre eux, il est dangereux pour la
santé démocratique de la France de vouloir une fois de plus passer en
force. L’histoire a amplement démontré qu’il est vain de vouloir
gouverner contre le peuple.
Si vraiment les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement sont si sûrs de
l’utilité de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE, pourquoi ne font-ils
pas alors valoir leurs arguments devant les peuples souverains ?
C’est tout le sens de la pétition nationale « Un million de
signatures pour un double référendum » que vient de lancer Debout la
République. La perspective de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union
s’inscrit en effet dans le cadre de la future Constitution qui
asseoit la représentation des Etats au prorata de la population. Dans
vingt ans la Turquie aura près de 100 millions d’habitants et
détiendra ainsi près de 20 % des droits de vote du Conseil européen
loin devant la France.
Comment considérer comme « européen » l’ancien empire ottoman, situé
pour l’essentiel hors de notre continent ? A l’évidence, intégrer la
Turquie à l’Europe serait aussi pertinent que d’encourager l’Espagne
à adhérer à l’Organisation des Etats Africains ! Nier à ce point la
géographie, c’est prendre le risque d’une grave déstabilisation de
l’Union. La dynamique nationale turque est d’ailleurs au moins autant
tournée vers l’Asie centrale turcophone (au point qu’Ankara accorde
sur simple demande aux ressortissants de ces anciennes républiques
soviétiques la nationalité turque) que vers la Méditerranée.
Souvenons-nous aussi que l’histoire commune turco-européenne, si
souvent invoquée par les partisans de l’adhésion, a essentiellement
été placée sous le signe d’une expansion militaire et religieuse que
les Européens n’ont définitivement refoulée qu’à l’extrême fin du
XIXe siècle !
La démographie turque ne rapproche pas davantage ce pays des nations
d’Europe : outre qu’elle compte de nombreuses communautés émigrées
dans l’Union (qui fausseraient la donne électorale dans les pays
d’accueil en cas d’adhésion), la Turquie n’a toujours pas délimité
ses frontières et refuse de reconnaître le génocide arménien.
Quant à la question essentielle de la laïcité turque, elle est
beaucoup plus ambiguë qu’elle n’y paraît : d’un côté, celle-ci est
imparfaite et précaire (elle constitue une sorte de concordat, par
nature révocable), de l’autre, seules des élites extrêmement
minoritaires s’en revendiquent. En fait, cette quasi-vitrine laïque
ne tient que par la volonté de l’armée, au détriment de la bonne
santé démocratique du pays. La victoire électorale récente des
islamistes, qui sont loin de chérir la modernité occidentale malgré
leurs dénégations, est emblématique de ce dilemme…
Pourquoi alors l’entêtement de certains dirigeants européens ?
Hétéroclites comme toutes les justifications qui étayent les
mauvaises causes, les raisons ne manquent pas : routine d’une
construction européenne « au petit bonheur la chance » fondée sur
l’inconséquence de la fuite en avant, opportunisme électoral
(Schröder), acharnement à diluer l’UE dans l’Otan (Angleterre et
Etats-Unis), posture bien-pensante qui consiste à brandir un
universalisme détourné pour cacher une incapacité morale à assumer
les différences… Mais, dans ces conditions, pourquoi ne pas
proposer conjointement des négociations d’adhésion à l’Ukraine, à la
Biélorussie, à la Moldavie, à Israël et aux pays arabes du pourtour
de la Méditerranée ? Le temps n’est-il donc pas venu, au contraire,
de reconnaître l’erreur du sommet d’Helsinki, qui a
malencontreusement ouvert la voie de l’adhésion turque ?
Etre l’ami de la Turquie (ce qui est le cas de la France) consiste à
lui dire la vérité et à lui proposer une solution alternative : celle
d’un partenariat nouveau permettant à ce grand pays de jouer
pleinement son rôle à la charnière de l’Europe, de l’Asie et du
Proche-Orient.
Les peuples de l’Union, qui prennent aujourd’hui toute la mesure de
l’enjeu européen, veulent désormais avancer les yeux ouverts et les
pieds sur terre. Aussi, si le débat turc leur était confisqué,
gageons qu’ils se le réapproprieraient lors des référendums sur la
ratification du futur traité sur les institutions de l’Union.
Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN, Député UMP de l’Essonne ; président de Debout
la République.

Phayul, Tibet
July 6 2004
Dalai Lama’s Birthday in New York
Office of Tibet, New York[Tuesday, July 06, 2004 07:17]
NEW YORK, July 5 – They were on subway trains from Queens and
Brooklyn. They were on cars and trains from Connecticut and other
parts of upstate New York. Some of them had journeyed the day before
on the cheap China Town buses from Boston and Washington, D.C. Others
had journeyed from Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
As they headed toward Manhattan’s Armenian Church, their colorful
chubas and traditional hats attracted curious looks from fellow
travelers and holiday-makers, who tried to guess their nationality
and but did not venture a question.
Even the lone Tibetan layman from Florida was on the New York subway
train that morning, having come all the way to take part in the
famous New York celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s
birthday.
Armenian Church, the favorite venue of Tibetan events in New York, is
just 15 minutes of brisk walk from the United Nations headquarters,
where three Tibetans had nearly starved themselves to death two
months ago to demand justice for their countrymen in Tibet.
Last Saturday, 1,500 Tibetans gathered there for the first day of a
two-day celebration to mark His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday,
which actually falls three days later, on 6 July, when very few
Tibetans can get leave from their jobs in this energetic and
relentlessly toiling city.
The celebration was organized by the Tibetan Association of New York
and New Jersey.
Mr. Karma Khedup, president of the association, started the morning
ceremony by offering a white greeting scarf at the portrait of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Dr. Nawang Rabgyal, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to
North America, addressed the gathering and said the birthday should
not become an occasion for mere festivities and that it should
instead be made more meaningful to the self and others.
He called on Tibetans to use this occasion to “rededicate our mind,
speech and body to the advice and vision of His Holiness”.
Dr. Rabgyal emphasized the need for introspection at a time like this
in order that “we may feel inspired to commit ourselves afresh to the
efforts of internalizing basic human values”, and to studying our
culture and language, as well as to bringing the light of freedom in
our homeland.
Cultural performances and talents shows, followed by
all-can-participate gorshey, a circuitous folk dance from western
Tibet, took the best part of the first day.
On Sunday, Tibetans and other Buddhists from the Himalayan regions of
India and Nepal gathered in Central Park for a day-long picnic.
Stand-up comedies and songs from Tibet, Nepal and India regaled the
crowd till five in the evening.
It was a measure of the singers’ talent that a family of Indian
tourists from Mumbhai was lured to the site to witness what they
thought was the local Indian community’s live concert with artistes
from Bollywood. Their eyes nearly popped out when they saw a tiny
white awning under which a “Japanese” face was mouthing Bollywood
strains into the mike in front of hundreds of other admiring
“Japanese” faces.
Ironically, the Indian family had to come all the way to New York to
learn that over 100,000 Tibetans were living as refugees in India and
the seasonal sweater sellers on the “footpath” of Mumbhai were
Tibetans and not Nepalese. They promised to say “Tashi Delek” to the
sweater sellers back home and also to visit Mundgod, the nearest
Tibetan settlement from Mumbhai.
The day stealer, however, was a stand-up comedian’s mimicry of a new
Tibetan dialect that has evolved among the Tibetan emigre community
in Darjeeling. Known as the Darjeeling Tibetan, it sounds like a
hybrid language, has heavy Nepalese intonation and is laced liberally
with Nepalese words.
The Tibetan Association of New York and New Jersey took the advantage
of this large large gathering to conduct an election for its new
office bearers. The biggest winner was Sonam Wangdu, one of the three
hunger strikers, who is presently in California playing soccer for
the New York Tibetan team.
On 8 July the Office of Tibet in New York will host a special
reception at Tibet House. Dr. Nawang Rabgyal said invitations had
been sent to 400 people, including diplomatic missions, US Government
officials, local Tibet Support Group members and leaders of the
Tibetan community.
“This year we are expecting attendance from many important
dignitaries, including members of the UN missions,” Dr. Rabgyal said.
The increase in attendance, Dr. Rabgyal, said reflects growing
awareness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s contibution to the
promotion of peace, non-violence and human brotherhood.

EU Commissioner Tours South Caucasus To Explain ‘New Neighborhood’ Offer
RFE/RL Caucasus
Monday, 05 July 2004
By Ahto Lobjakas
Janez Potocnik, a junior EU commissioner working with enlargement
commissioner Guenter Verheugen, today begins a four-day tour of the
South Caucasus. He will meet the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Georgia to talk about the EU’s recent decision to include the three
countries in its “new neighborhood” policy.
Brussels, 5 July 2004 (RFE/RL) — Janez Potocnik is a junior
commissioner. But he is by far the highest-ranking EU official to tour
the South Caucasus region in recent years.
As a commissioner for a new EU member state, Slovenia, Potocnik works
with the enlargement commissioner, Guenter Verheugen. Verheugen is in
charge of the EU’s “new neighborhood” program, which offers closer ties
to some EU neighbors.
Although not directly responsible for the new neighborhood program,
Potocnik fully represents the views of the European Commission.
He will spend this week traveling to Georgia (5-6 July), Azerbaijan (6-7
July), and Armenia (7-8 July). Potocnik’s visit will emphasize the EU’s
renewed interest in those three countries. Following Georgia’s “Rose
Revolution” last year, the EU was quick to bring them into the new
neighborhood policy. The formal offer was finalized on 14 June.
Jean-Christophe Filori is a European Commission spokesman. He explained
to RFE/RL today what the offer will mean for the three countries: “The
next steps are to consider the possibility of setting up a so-called
action plan with those three countries — setting the [reform]
priorities they should address. And, on our side, offering an
approximation with the European Union. That, as you know, could
eventually — but in the longer term — lead very far toward a share in
the internal market, for instance, or [alignment] with several EU
policies, like environment or [energy and transport] networks.”
Filori said Potocnik will tell the three South Caucasus governments that
they could eventually have a voice in Europe.
Potocnik will not offer precise details of the financial aid likely to
accompany new neighborhood membership. EU member states are still
debating the contents of the bloc’s next budget for the years 2007-2013.
But EU officials say Potocnik will reiterate the bloc’s willingness to
take a more active approach to the region’s many conflicts. The bloc
will not act as a mediator. But it will use incentives inherent in
closer ties to foster compromise.
Filori says this strategy has proved successful elsewhere: “Take, for
instance, the example of Romania and Hungary, the issue of the Hungarian
minority. Through a very early and intense political dialogue, we
[found] a solution. And we really hope that with this prospect of
getting closer to the European Union we will also have the possibility
of a much better political dialogue with [the South Caucasus] countries.”
The EU promotes its new neighborhood policy as distinct from bloc
membership but offering many of the same benefits.
Filori said the EU is not likely to discuss anytime soon a further EU
expansion that would bring countries like Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan into the bloc: “We can never say never, of course — we will
have to see. What we’re trying to do now is to set the prospect for the
foreseeable future. And in the foreseeable future, we have an approach
allowing for much closer involvement of those countries in Europe, and a
much closer involvement of the EU in those countries — much closer
relations. It would be a first step. Let’s seize this offer first.”
The EU has made it clear that it will consider developing relations with
the three countries on the basis of individual merit. So far, Georgia
has emerged as a clear leader.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian pro-government MP urges opposition to return to parliament
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
3 Jul 04

Text of Naira Zograbyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 3 July headlined “The opposition is outlawed”
An interview with the leader of the National Assembly faction of the
Republican Party of Armenia, Galust Saakyan.
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Saakyan, there are rumours that
the high echelons of the authorities have already adopted a decision
to regard the absence of the deputies of the Justice and National
Unity blocs as inappropriate and deprive them of deputy mandates.
[Galust Saakyan] No such decision has been adopted. Simply there is a
situation where the opposition has found itself outlawed, and there
are no legal grounds to consider their absence from the National
Assembly to be appropriate. Their return to the parliament will be
difficult, as a legal solution to the problem demands that they be
deprived of their deputy mandates. The opposition can return to the
parliament only as a result of a political agreement. I think it would
be right for the opposition not to miss the chance to return to the
parliament by means of a political agreement.
[Correspondent] Why is the coalition interested in returning the
opposition to the National Assembly?
[Saakyan] The opposition is obliged to return to the parliament, as
there are quite serious problems in the world, as well as within the
country, which are above party and personal interests. First of all,
it is the Karabakh issue, as it is no secret that certain problems
connected with the Karabakh issue may arise in foreign relations. This
is an issue that demands the unification of the opposition and
pro-government forces. But if the opposition sticks to its tough
position and does not return to the parliament, this opposition will
be finally regarded as incomplete and will be seen as a power-hungry
opposition force.
[Correspondent] But the leaders of the opposition say that their
position on the matter of returning to the parliament has not changed.
[Saakyan] In the future, we shall end up facing much more serious
challenges whose culmination is the Karabakh issue. For this reason,
it is necessary for political forces to unite their position on this
matter as was the case in 2001 when all the political forces signed
the known document on the Karabakh issue. And today when processes
around the Karabakh issue are intensifying, the fact that the
opposition is not returning to the parliament will be negatively
accepted by the world community as well. The opposition’s rating has
fallen and will come to nought if they dissociate themselves from the
Karabakh issue. For four months now, the opposition has been staging
rallies and no analytical material concerning the Karabakh issue has
been submitted to society. So, we cannot but think that the actions of
the opposition are directed by different external forces. For this
reason, I think the expected developments around the Karabakh issue
may prompt the opposition to return to the parliament and start its
natural work there.
[Correspondent] Mr Saakyan, if there are problems whose settlement
requires the unification of the whole political field, why do you not
regard their political boycott as appropriate?
[Saakyan] Political boycott is not regulated by the law. In the legal
field, they have no choice but to return to the parliament. In summer,
representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia will try to explain
to them the need to return to the parliament. If we agree, it will be
only a political agreement. There is no other option. But if the
opposition rejects a political agreement, then I shall be the first to
deprive them of their deputy mandates.
[Correspondent] If you do not reach agreement and the opposition does
not come to the parliament in September, is there any way that this
will create a political situation that can be settled only by means of
extraordinary parliamentary elections?
[Saakyan] If the opposition boycotts the autumn session as well and if
there is a new political situation whose final settlement are
extraordinary parliamentary elections, then for me, as a member of the
Republican Party, it may be a very appropriate moment. I am sure that
in the elections, the Republican Party will gain more votes than it
has today. But we should not think only about our own narrow party
interests. The Republican Party will try to persuade the opposition to
return to the parliament, at least we have put forward our
suggestion. The opposition should reply to this. If there is no
political agreement, then the law will step in.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian fugitives to move to third country by late July – Azeri minister
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
2 Jul 04

[Presenter] The case of a group of 200 Wahhabis, which has been
drawing up plans against the state, will be submitted to court in the
near future, Azerbaijani National Security Minister Namiq Abbasov has
told ATV. The minister went on to say that prosecutors are trying to
establish the Wahhabis’ main purpose although the fact that they have
been drawing up plans against statehood has been confirmed.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
[Correspondent over video of Namiq Abbasov] According to the minister,
the case will be submitted to court as soon as it is completed. Judges
will have a final say.
As for soldier Aydin Huseynov who has been taken prisoner in the south
of Agdam District, the minister said that the state commission of the
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for POWs, hostages and missing
persons is not dealing with the issue yet. According to the minister,
the Armenian side has not registered our soldier as a prisoner of war
yet. Mr Abbasov said that the state committee will be come to grips
with the issue as soon as the soldier is granted prisoner of war
status.
As for the plight of Artur Apresyan and Roman Teryan who fled Armenia
to Azerbaijan on 8 April, the minister said that work is under way to
move them to a third country and a final decision on the issue will be
made by late July.
Vusala Karimova and Bahruz Aliyev for “Son Xabar”.

RIA Novosti
2004-07-02 19:27 * RUSSIA * CIS * MEETING *
NO BILATERAL TALKS AT CIS SUMMIT
MOSCOW, July 2 (RIA Novosti) – There will be no bilateral talks in the
framework of an informal Moscow summit of CIS leaders, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said Friday.
On Vladimir Putin’s invitation, the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia
and Belarus will be in Moscow on July 2-3.
“Moscow will host an informal meeting of the CIS states’ leaders, at which
all the participants will be able in an informal atmosphere to talk about
topics that interest them,” Russian first deputy Foreign Minister Valery
Loshchinin told RIA Novosti.
In his words, at the meeting, the heads of state will discuss the issues of
“building the Commonwealth, realizing these or those CIS decisions.”
The Russian president’s press service told RIA Novosti that the CIS heads of
state will in an informal atmosphere discuss the issues of preparation for
the September summit in Astana, as well as the celebration of the 60th
anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
The deputy minister did not rule out that the meeting might touch upon the
settlement of the Georgo-Ossetian conflict. “This topic may be touched upon
for the peacemaking negotiation process to be continued,” said the Russian
diplomat.
“We proceed from the fact that sudden attacks that are heard from Tbilisi in
regard to the activity of the Mixed Control Commission on settlement of the
Georgo-Ossetian conflict [Russia, Georgia, North and South Ossetias] will
move to the background,” he said.
“The commission is the only negotiation mechanism where we should discuss
the existing problems,” Loshchinin stressed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CENN – June 30, 2004 Daily Digest
Table of Contents:
1. $2bn already invested in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
2. Will Caspian Sea become another Aral?
3. Contest for Journalists – “Environment and Health”
4. Invitation to comment on the Municipal and environmental
infrastructure policy
5. Armenia Tree Project Celebrating 10th Anniversary
6. Commission selects Two bids for Privatization of Zangezour Smelter
7. Armrosgazprom to Bid for Laying Iran-Armenia Gas Pipeline
8. Development Approaches: Convergence of Different Paths
1. $2bn already invested in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
Source: RBC, June 28, 2004
Some $2bn have been spent on the project of constructing the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Trend news agency reported citing
Nagit Aliyev, the President of the Azerbaijani State Oil Company (GNKAR). On
the whole, according to him, shareholders in the project will invest about
$3bn.
The current pace of construction is about 1 kilometer of a pipeline a day.
Aliyev noted that the oil pipeline would be ready for operation by the time
oil production started in the central part of the Azeri field.
The GNKAR head also declared that many European companies were interested in
the project of laying the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline. Moreover, he
mentioned that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had
decided to allocate a $170m credit to GNKAR to finance its share in Phase-1
of the Shakh-Deniz project and $1m on reorganizing the state company.
The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is planned to be
finished by the end of 2004. The capacity of the 1,760-kilometer pipelineÕ
is 50m tons of oil per year. The cost of the construction is estimated at
$2.95bn. Among shareholders in the project are BP (30.1 percent), GNKAR (25
percent), Unocal (8.9 percent), Statoil (8.71 percent), TPAO (6.53 percent),
Eni (5 percent), Total (5 percent), Itochu (3.4 percent), In³ex (2.5
percent), ConocoPhilli³s (2.5 percent) and Amerada
2. Will Caspian Sea become another Aral?
Source: United Press International, June 28, 2004
The Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water on Earth, is in danger of
turning into an environmental dead zone, a development whose impacts would
be felt throughout Central Asia and Eastern Europe, scientists told United
Press International.
Five countries — Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan —
surround the Caspian but wastes from Russia’s industrial facilities carried
down the Volga River provide the sea with the most pollution.
The region’s oil reserves are estimated at more than 200 billion barrels,
which puts it in second place after the Middle East. Exploration and
exploitation of oil fields account for another major component of the
pollution.
In terms of oil, and from an environmental standpoint, Azerbaijan’s oil
facilities are among the worst in the world, Bahman Aghai Diba, a consultant
on international law for the World Resources Company in McLean, Va., told
UPI. Azerbaijan has been using oil resources both within and close to the
Caspian for about 80 years.
A rise in the sea’s level also has been causing problems. For example,
between 1978 and 1995, between 700 and 1,200 oil wells have been flooded in
Kazakhstan, said Alexander Bolshov, a consultant for the Atyrau branch
office of the Kazakh agency for applied ecology.
“Nobody knows an exact number of flooded oil wells,” Bolshov told UPI. Oil
is leaking out of some wells, he added.
Oil pollution levels in different parts of the Caspian are between 1.5 times
and 11.8 times the maximum permissible concentration, Bolshov said.
Copper in the northern Caspian exceeds the maximum permissible level by 3.9
times. The zinc concentration, at a short distance away from the Cheleken
Peninsula in Turkmenistan, exceeds the MPC by 7.2 times, he said.
Although copper and zinc are used as nutritional supplements, they are heavy
metals that can damage living creatures at certain concentrations and tend
to accumulate in the food chain.
Along with seals, sturgeons — fish used for food and the eggs necessary for
the caviar industry — are dying in the Caspian in large quantities. The
reason, Bolshov said, is migration of toxic substances up the food chain —
a process that tends to concentrate those substances in creatures at the
top.
“Irreversible processes will start if water pollution reaches a critical
level,” he said.
The more money that has been invested in the oil industry in Kazakhstan’s
western Atyrau province — on the northern shore of the Caspian — the
higher sickness rates have become, said Muftach Diarov, director of the
Scientific Center for Regional Ecological Problems of the Atyrau Institute
of Oil And Gas.
“The main issue is the enforcement of the existing laws,” Aghai Diba said.
“The lack of agreement on the legal regime of the Caspian Sea is hampering
the legal and enforcement efforts.”
Illegal and unregulated fishing has reduced the sturgeon stocks by more than
80 percent in the Caspian, according to Aghai Diba. The U.S. government is
considering declaring some types of the caviar producing fish as endangered
species, he added.
“Convention for the Protection of the Caspian Sea was adopted recently by
all Caspian countries but adoption itself is far from implementation,”
Ljubomir Jeftic, an environmental management expert from Croatia, told UPI.
Jeftic has evaluated two projects of the Global Environment Facility on the
Caspian for the United Nations Environment Program and for the World Bank.
Jeftic cited a lack of planned coastal development and the ability of
governments surrounding the Caspian as contributing the most damage to the
ecosystem.
“Money is a big problem,” he added.
People will finally kill the Caspian if the present pollution trend
continues, said Hamid Amirebrahimi, director of the South Caspian
Institution for Environmental Services in Tonekabon, Iran, and public
participation adviser for the Caspian Environment Program, which is governed
by a committee of representatives from the five coastal Caspian states.
“In a polluted environment, human life is also under threat,” Amirebrahimi
told UPI.
“The pollution will affect the whole area,” Aghai Diba said. “The littoral
(coastal) states must be responsible for the extent of pollution that they
cause. The Caspian Sea must get out of the status of a free garbage dump.”
Amirebrahimi considers the activity of the Caspian Environment Program and
The Framework Convention on Environment of the Caspian Sea, signed by all
Caspian littoral states in November 2003, the only hope.
“Nothing should be done, but stop the Caspian pollution,” said Ramiz
Mamedov, head of the Center for the Problems of the Caspian Sea and deputy
head of the Institute of Geography in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The waters of the Caspian would not be able to self-purify for 40 years, he
told UPI.
3. Contest for Journalists – “Environment and Health”
Source: , June 28, 2004
On Sunday, June 27 the Award Ceremony of the first contest among
journalistic works dedicated to environmental problems was held in “Mini
Golf Club”.
The competition was held under Caucasian Environmental Regional Center’s
(GRC Caucasus) project – “Media and Public Participation”. Georgian national
team of environmental journalists selected the topic of the competition –
“Environment and Health”. The jury viewed the publications published from
May 8 till June 15, 2004 and evaluated them according to three criteria.
According to competition’s conditions, three journalistic works were
presented to GRC Caucasus:
– “Garbage – Real Danger”- Otar Kiria; Newspaper “24 Hours”, 14.06.2004;
– “Georgia Faces Bioterorism” – Keti Janelidze; Magazine “Akhali Zhurnali”
(New Magazine), 12-18.06.2004
– “Malaria and Dead Forest” – Keti Bezhiashvili; TV Project “Crossroads –
Map”, 12.05.2004;
After the jury’s marks were summed up it became evident that out of maximum
30 points the three works got 25,2 points each. That’s why the authors got
equal prize money, each of them got $100. Besides, Head of Information and
Public Participation of GRC Caucasus, Eka Zghuladze gave some presents to
the contestants, including t-shirts and different paraphernalia associated
with the project.
“At the June 27 meeting Georgian Journalists’ team selected the second
competition’s topic – “Environment and Safety” under this regional project,
which is taking place in the three countries of South Caucasus” – Giorgi
Gakheladze, Project Consultant in Georgia, said.
4. Invitation to comment on the Municipal and environmental
infrastructure policy
The EBRD has started work on the revision of its Municipal and environmental
infrastructure policy. In compliance with the Bank’s Public Information
Policy comments are invited to help the Bank in revising its policy.
The document sets out the general specific and operational role of the Bank
in this sector and establishes the overall framework for the Bank’s
activities over the strategy period from 2004 – 2008. It succeeds the
Operations Policy approved by the Board on 16/17 June 1998.
Comments should refer to the current draft policy available at:
Please send your comments to the Bank at [email protected] no
later than 12 August 2004 so that they can be taken into account.
Outreach and NGO Relations Team. European Bank of Reconstruction and
Development
5. Armenia Tree Project Celebrating 10th Anniversary
Armenia Tree Project office, Yerevan
Tel: 553069 or 569910
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Armenia Tree Project Celebrates its 10th Anniversary with an Open Air Gala
Concert at Garni Temple
The Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia
(NCOA) under the direction of Aram Gharabekian are pleased to announce an
Open Air Evening Gala Concert at the historic site of Garni Temple, one of
the oldest historical landmarks in Armenia, built in the 1st Century BC. The
upcoming concert is in celebration of ATP’s 10th Anniversary of regreening
Armenia. President Robert Kocharian, U.S. Ambassador John Ordway and other
high-ranking government officials, ambassadors and foreign officials have
been invited to the event. Representatives from dozens of local and
international organizations who partner with ATP will be present at the
concert.
The Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 during Armenia’s darkest and
coldest years with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by protecting
Armenia’s environment. Funded by contributions from Diasporan Armenians, ATP
has planted and rejuvenated 530,000 trees at approximately 500 sites ranging
from Gumri to Goris. Two state-of-the-art nurseries, founded in the refugee
villages of Karin (Ashtarak area) and Khachpar (Masis Area) not only provide
40,000 – 50,000 trees annually for community tree planting all over Armenia,
but are also a major source of eployment for these refugee villages. Another
vast nursery has been established this year for providing over one million
trees annually for reforestation of the devastated landscape in Vanadzor.
Although we have accomplished much since 1994, our work in protecting and
restoring Armenia’s forests has just begun.
In 2003 ATP launched a Sustainable Mountain Development Project in the
refugee village of Aygut in the Getik River Valley in Gegharkounik Marz.. In
this program of mountainous reforestation, ATP is creating a model of
partnering with the villagers and with other international and local
organizations to combat the linked problems of poverty and natural resource
degradation. Among the contributors to date are USDA/MAP, World Food
Program, Heifer International, Project Harmony, ORRAN, Boghosian Education
Center, the Peace Corps and Satsil. ATP is expanding to all 13 villages in
the Getik River Valley, this year including the second village in the
Valley, Dzoravanq. The sub-projects being implemented include the Backyard
Nursery Project, through which villagers generate income by growing
seedlings in their backyards for reforestation, the Milk Collector Project,
Backyard Orchard Rejuvenation and Ecological Education Programs in the
schools.
Never before in history have Armenia’s forests been so close to extinction.
With only 8 % of forest cover left, down from 12% in 1990 and 25% at the
beginning of the 20th century, the World Bank estimates that the last of our
trees will be gone in only 20 years at the current rate of cutting. 81.9% of
Armenia’s land faces the danger of desertification (National Report on the
State of the Environment 2002). The future of Armenia’s forests, climate and
biodiversity rest in our hands. The actions we take now for combating
deforestation will save Armenia from the path it is on toward
desertification. The Armenia Tree Project is energizing the nation’s youth,
educating the Armenian public and the Diaspora about the nature of the
problem and possible solutions and joining forces with like minded
organizations and individuals to meet the common goal of greening Armenia
and reversing the dangerous and destabilizing trend of environmental
degradation.
6. Commission selects two bids for privatization of Zangezour
smelter
Source: ArmenPress, June 29, 2004
An inter-agency commission, set up to handle the privatization of Zangezour
smelter, has examined today privatization bids, received from potential
buyers, Armenian trade and economic development ministry said, adding that
two of proposed bids met all requirements set by the government. The
ministry said it will consider both and has demanded additional information
from both companies to submitted within ten days. Both selected companies
say they are ready to pay $25 million in advance before starting takeover
talks.
Plans for privatization of the plant were announced by the government last
March and were officially presented to over 40 potential buyers at a special
conference held in London late March.
The government expects to net at least $450 million in cash and investment
commitments from the sale of Armenia’s largest copper and molybdenum mines.
A prospective buyer will be expected to pay $100 million for the Kajaran
plant’s shares and pledge to invest more than $350 million in modernizing
its obsolete technological lines.
7. Armrosgazprom to bid for laying Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
Source: RosBusinessConsulting, June 29, 2004
The company Armrosgazprom is planning to take part in a tender on
constructing and maintaining an Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, the press service
of the company reported. The customer of the gas pipeline is the Armenian
government. A basic agreement on laying the pipeline was signed in Yerevan
(Armenia) on May 13, 2004. According to the document, the gas pipeline will
be put into operation by January 1, 2007. Armenia will get some 1.1bn cubic
meters of gas annually through this pipeline. Each country is to finance the
laying of a pipeline on its territory. Armenia is expected to spend about
$90m to $100m and Iran some $120m on constructing the pipeline.
Armrosgazprom was created in 1997 in compliance with a Russian-Armenian
government agreement and it is the exclusive wholesale buyer and supplier of
gas in Armenia. The Armenian government and Gazprom have a 45-percent stake
each in the company; Itera has a 10-percent block of shares. Armrosgazprom
owns the whole gas distributing network in the republic.
8. Development Approaches: Convergence of Different Paths
Source: IUCN, June 29, 2004
The 4th Regional Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum in Asia was held
in Manila, Philippines 21-23 June, 2004. The key findings of the forum were
that development planning and sustainable development strategies do not have
much meaning for local communities. Communities strive for the betterment of
livelihoods irrespective of whether Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
(PRSPs) will help achieve their aims or whether Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) serve as frameworks. Only global organizations and national
governments use these approaches combined with national plans for
conservation. Since communities do not understand these terms and processes,
ownership of the communities in achieving these goals are often lacking.
With more than 60 people from 11 countries participating, the delegates
deliberated on the need to make conservation and development work together
for local people rather than to fulfill global obligations.
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
July 1 2004
Gul: Dialogue, Cooperation And Respect For Others’ Values Are Our
Basic Principles
ISTANBUL – Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that dialogue, cooperation and respect
for others’ values were their basic principles.
Gul added that the idea of clash of civilizations was not valid for
Turkey and Turkey’s foreign policy.
Gul delivered a speech at the closure session of ”Istanbul
Pan-Atlantic Student Summit” at Koc University in Istanbul.
Stating that half of Turkey’s population consisted of youths under
the age of 25, Gul underlined the importance of NATO Youth Summit’s
convening in Turkey.
Stressing that Turkey was determined to educate youths in political,
economic and other fields, Gul noted that the government had a
reformist structure. He added that they attached great importance to
values of youths.
Gul noted that Turkey expected to start membership negotiations with
the European Union (EU) at the end of 2004, stating that they knew
contribution that Turkey would make to EU, hoping that EU would also
comprehend it.
Stating that NATO alliance was based on democratic ideals, he said
that NATO had responsibility to protect and defend common values.
Gul said that the alliance had fulfilled this task from the very
beginning, stressing that it would also continue to take steps on
protection of freedoms and fight against terrorism.
Foreign Minister Gul said that the alliance adopted exchanging
mutually views on every issue as a principle, stating that NATO was
going through an adaptation process continuously.
Stating that NATO also undertook significant tasks to improve
stability in the world, Gul underlined that Turkey attached great
importance to further improvement of its relations with NATO, EU and
also regional countries.
Gul asked students attending NATO Youth Summit to take Turkey’s
messages of peace and tolerance to their countries.
Replying to a question on their expectations after referenda held in
Cyprus on April 24, Gul said that Turkey and the United Nations
extended great efforts for solution of Cyprus issue.
Noting that Cyprus plan prepared by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
envisaged a two-sided but united Cyprus, Gul said that the Turkish
Cypriot side accepted the plan in the referendum, but a historic
opportunity was missed as the Greek Cypriot side rejected it.
”What Turkish Cypriots expect from now on is the lifting of economic
embargo and travel embargo,” he said.
Stating that Turkey preserved its perspective of a lasting
resolution, Gul called on western countries to keep their promises to
lift embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot side.
Asked what kind of things could be done to change relationship
between the Islam culture and western culture for the better, Gul
said the Republic of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire which had a 600
years of history attributed importance to tolerance and mutual
respect.
Stressing that nobody was messing in religion and language of others
and nobody was assimilated in Turkey, Gul said that it was proven
with existence of worship places of three religions in Ortakoy
district of Istanbul.
Gul said that Turkey would continue contributing to peace in the
world and stability in the region.
Asked what kind of steps that the NATO envisaged to take for
resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at Istanbul Summit,
Gul said that Palestinian-Israeli problem concerned not only those
two regions, but also whole region and the world.
Stressing that steps for resolution of this chronic problem would
relieve firstly the region and later the world, Gul said that a road
map was prepared and a broader platform beyond the NATO discussed the
issue.
Gul said Turkey supported such initiatives and would exert every
effort.
Asked about matters that had been discussed during his meeting with
the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, Gul said it was a
very beneficial meeting and both sides were satisfied with the
meeting.
Noting that problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia could not remain
stagnant while partial progress was recorded in other problems in the
region, Gul said it was a great achievement as the sides were
satisfied with the meeting in Istanbul.
Stating that they would hold another meeting in New York in
September, Gul added that he believed they would record progress in
resolution of problems through dialogue.