Author: Frangulian Shushan

IRNA, Iran
January 24, 2005 Monday
Iranian, Azeri presidents talk to reporters
Tehran, January 24
Immediately after the formal ceremony to welcome Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev, Iranian and Azeri presidents talked to reporters
calling for expanding Tehran-Baku relations.
President Mohammad Khatami accompanying President Ilham Aliyev told
reporters at Saadabad that Iran is keen on further development of
relations with Azerbaijan Republic.
Responding to an Azeri reporter about what Iran will do to help
resolve Karabakh crisis, President Khatami said that Iran is among
the few countries which supports Azerbaijani national sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
“Iran believes that Karabakh crisis would be resolved through logic
and understanding between the two parties without resorting to
force.”
“I believe that Karabakh conflict will be resolved if the two sides
seriously decided to do so,” President Khatami said.
He said that Iran has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan and
Armenia and is ready to mediate between them to help resolve the
crisis and hoped for immediate settlement of Karabakh conflict.
Another Azeri reporter asked Khatami whether there is similarity
between occupation of the Arab lands by the Zionist regime and
occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the Iranian president said that
Iran condemns occupation and use of force being exercised by any
country.
“Of course, there is a difference.
I believe Israel has occupied the entire Palestine and has
established illegitimate existence, but, Armenia is a country itself
and at the same time occupation and seizure of an inch of the other`s
territory is condemned and the international community should help
end the occupation,” President Khatami said.
President Aliyev told reporters that his visit to Iran is aimed at
developing relations in all fields including the economy.
He pointed to the accords President Khatami has signed during his
visit to Baku and said Azerbaijan Republic calls for implementation
of these accords.
The Azeri president said that Tehran-Baku relations are developing
rapidly and political and economic cooperation is excellent.
“The exchange of visits by presidents of the two countries indicated
the extent of relations both countries enjoy,” President Aliyev said.

US ASSISTANT STATE SECRETARY REGRETS FOR HER STATEMENT ON KARABAKH:
ARMENIA’S FM
YEREVAN, JANUARY 22. ARMINFO. In a phone talk with Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth
Jones expressed regret that her statement received such a response in
Armenia. She said that she was not thinking and could not think of
Karabakh when mentioning criminal, separatist regimes in the territory
of the former Soviet republics.
In an interview to OTA Oskanyan says that this phone call can put an
end to the problem for despite the ambiguity of the statement there
could be not other outcome. The US’ involvement in the Karabakh peace
process, their previous statements, their consistency and awareness,
their annual target aid to Karabakh – all this implied that there was
some mistake. “I am glad and appreciate Ms Jones’ today’s call,” says
Oskanyan.
Oskanyan says that he was amazed by the reaction of the Armenian
public as “such deep charges must not be neglected.” The reaction was
to what was presented by the press. One could not draw other
conclusions from what was written as the statement was equivocal. The
equivocality of the statement and the fact that Karabakh was also
mentioned in such serious charges were enough for such public
response, says Oskanyan.-0

The New York Post
January 16, 2005 Sunday
HERE COMES THE NEW PETROSIAN
by Andy Soltis Chess Grandmaster
DO you believe in reincarnation? Play over this week’s game before
answering.
Yes, Black’s name is really Tigran Petrosian, the same as the ninth
world champion, and yes he is an Armenian grandmaster.
But this Petrosian was born just one month after his great
predecessor died of cancer in August 1984.
Both Tigrans showed remarkable talent before they were 16 – although
there’s a noticeable difference in their playing styles, as this
week’s game shows.
The “Iron Tigran” who became the world’s most cautious elite player
in the 1950s and ’60s would never have sacrificed a piece on the
fourth move, as Black did here. Nor would he have disdained a draw by
repetition at move 12 and chosen to launch a speculative attack with
his king sitting precariously at f6.
Tigran I might have grabbed material as Tigran II did, missing the
superior 20 . . . Ke7!. But he might have improved on the second
Tigran by finding the spectacular mate six moves later – 20 . . .
Bxg3+ 21 Kxg3 Qd3+ 22 Kh4 Qd8+! etc.
We’ll be sure to hear more about Tigran II, who eventually tied for
second in the World Junior, at the same age that Tigran I was making
his debut in the world’s strongest event, the Soviet Championship.
Now do you believe in reincarnation?

Armenian paper says US official’s remarks on Karabakh “ignorant and
offending”
Hayots Ashkarh, Yerevan
19 Jan 05

Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Hayots Ashkarh on 19
January headlined “What has America gained and what has it lost?”
US Assistant State Secretary Elizabeth Jones’ latest statement
followed by groundless accusations against Nagornyy Karabakh and its
authorities cannot but cause bewilderment and even angry in our
society.
What is taking place? The United States, which proclaims itself to be
the fighter for freedom, democracy, human rights and other human
values, deeply insults the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] describing
its authorities as unstable, corrupt and criminal separatists.
Undoubtedly, the USA and Russia, which are the ones responsible for
ensuring security in the world and in our region, can and are obliged
to discuss settlement of post-Soviet conflicts. But when a senior
official of the number one superpower of the world, being absolutely
misinformed, is playing with the most sacred purposes of the whole
people, it does not matter who speaks and why.
The allegations levelled against the NKR authorities are a hard blow
to Armenian-American relations for several reasons.
1. Who told Mrs Jones that Nagornyy Karabakh is an unstable country?
Can she point at any foreigner who has recently visited Karabakh and
gained such an impression in Karabakh? The answer is obvious: only
Azerbaijan’s official propaganda has been spreading this slander about
Nagornyy Karabakh. So, is this “the level of information awareness” of
the number one superpower? Or does it simply not care about any
information.
2. Who told the American lady that Karabakh is a corrupt country?
Maybe, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. [Passage omitted] What kind
of corruption is Karabakh accused of if its only large property is its
people’s and authorities’ pride in their liberty gained with blood and
democracy. Moreover, all influential world bodies regard Azerbaijan as
one of the most corrupt states.
3. And finally, according to what international norms the NKR
authorities are regarded as separatists and criminal, when everybody,
including the US authorities, knows that Nagornyy Karabakh has never
been within independent Azerbaijan.
And when has the USA become an advocate of one of dictator Stalin’s
crimes? It is known that unlike the Dniester, Abkhaz and South
Ossetian conflicts, the USA is a key member of the OSCE Minsk Group
set up to settle the Karabakh issue. Its top officials visited the NKR
many times, negotiated with the Karabakh authorities, described as
“criminal separatists” by Elizabeth Jones. Who does the US assistant
state secretary offend but top officials of her own country?
Nevertheless, let us try to understand what America has gained and
what it has lost because of such an ignorant and offending statement
of Elizabeth Jones? The USA has gained the great sympathy of the
dictator of unstable, very corrupt and extremely criminal Azerbaijan
and lost the sympathy of the stable, free and democratic Karabakh
people who love freedom.

The Toronto Star –
Jan. 17, 2005. 06:41 AM
A man of letters – and passion
Edited Armenian paper before moving to Canada
Architect also wrote book about William Saroyan
CATHERINE DUNPHY
OBITUARY WRITER
Two careers, two countries, one passion.
Call it pride, if you will, of place or of history but certainly of a
people. Bedros Zobyan was an architect and crusading newspaper editor
born and raised in the Turkish city of Istanbul who used both of his
careers to nurture and nudge his fellow Armenians closer to their
heritage and culture.
Five years ago, long after he and his wife and daughter had immigrated
in 1967 to live quietly in Don Mills, as well as after retiring from
the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce where he designed everything
from buildings to bank machines, Zobyan once again took up his pen.
He wrote a book about the three-week trip he took in May 1964 with
William Saroyan to find the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and
playwright’s Armenian ancestral home.
Towards Bitlis with William Saroyan was published by an Armenian
publisher in 2003. The cover features a photo of Saroyan sitting on a
rock in the rugged Anatolian countryside alongside a signpost stating:
Bitlis 10.
The pair went from Istanbul via Ankara to Samsun on the Black
Sea. They stopped at Lake of Van (considered to be as sacred a place
as Ararat to Armenians). Venturing into remote villages where
Armenians had lived before the genocide of 1915, they found Armenian
children being raised in primitive conditions by Turkish and Kurdish
families.
In Bitlis, Saroyan located the foundations of his family’s home, with
some help from villagers hoping this rich American was going to lead
them all straight to a hidden cache of gold. (He didn’t.)
Although Zobyan told his family that Saroyan took notes during their
trip, the author never directly wrote about it, although he did write
a play called The Istanbul Trilogy. Zobyan, however, wrote up a series
about the trip for his newspaper called: “60,000 Kilometres in 16 Days
with William Saroyan.”
For years people told him he should write a book based on those
articles. And when he finally did start writing, he became immersed in
the work.
“While he was working on the book, nothing else existed,” said his
wife, Seta.
It took three years. A perfectionist, he typed, copy-edited and
typeset the book, along with choosing and laying out the photos, then
sent it to the publisher in Istanbul. When the publisher sent back the
galleys, Zobyan proofed every comma.
“Every day I came home from school and my grandfather would be
typing. Every day,” said Amara Possian, 15. “My grandma too, both of
them always had red pens.”
American Armenians had arranged a special book launch for October 2003
in California, but Zobyan was too ill to attend. When he died at 82 of
pancreatic cancer this past December, he had received dozens of
letters from Armenians around the world thanking him for writing the
book.
It is considered much more than a travel book.
“It’s part of our history,” says his friend, Arta Yuzbasian, an
Armenian artist living in Toronto. “It was very well received within
the Armenian diaspora, especially in the U.S.”
A dignified and diffident man, Zobyan was well respected within the
Armenian community in Toronto.
“People looked up to him,” said Berc Luleciyan. a deacon at the Holy
Trinity Armenian Church, who attended high school with Zobyan in
Istanbul.
In 1958, Zobyan was commissioned by the patriarch of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church to build a new church in the old authentic Armenian
style on the site in Istanbul of the old church that had been
expropriated to make way for a highway. He rescued and reincorporated
the ceramic tiles from the original chapel, marble stones, and reused
the carved stone cross belonging to the 500-year-old church.
It was – and continues to be – the only one of Istanbul’s 28 Armenian
churches that displays the austere, powerful lines and massive
stonework that marks Armenian church architecture. The church’s
Catholics wrote him commending his work.
“My father built the most important church in Istanbul,” said his
daughter, Hasmig Possian, 53.
But he was having more fun as a journalist working at the Marmara, a
daily started in 1940 by Seta Zobyan’s father, a well-known foreign
correspondent. The young couple took over the paper in 1950. One of
two Armenian dailies in Istanbul, it had a circulation of 5,000 but a
considerably larger reach in terms of influence.
Zobyan lobbied in its pages to save the church he would go on to
rebuild; his scoop on the guilty verdict of the court martial trials
of the Democratic Party president and its prime minister landed him in
prison for two days. Seta Zobyan pulled every string she had to get
her husband released.
“Without bribery he would have been in jail months and months,” she
said.
They lived a good life for a time, attending balls, receptions for
visiting royalty, the ballet and concerts. “I translated for Petula
Clark when she was getting a leather coat made,” his daughter
recalled. She also danced with Eric Burdon, lead singer of the
Animals, when she was 14 and her father took her on his press pass to
a club.
But after the military coup of 1960, many Armenians left Turkey,
including many of their families. In 1965 they sent their daughter to
Toronto, to St. Clements School, where they believed she would be safe
and get a better education.
Two years later, they immigrated, but it wasn’t until 1970 that they
sold the paper.
“That still hurts,” said Seta Zobyan.
Neither practised journalism in Canada: Bedros Zobyan went to work for
the large architectural firm of Page and Steele building the Commerce
Court towers, and Seta Zobyan found a job in market research. She now
works part-time as a court translator and interpreter.
In the 1970s they visited Saroyan at his home in Fresno, Calif. He had
two houses, one in which he lived and one in which he wrote. After
Saroyan died of cancer in 1981, his homes became the site of a museum
dedicated to his works and his Armenian heritage.
Zobyan made sure the museum received copies of his book; he’d hoped to
translate it into English for Armenians living in California and
Europe.
“I will translate it,” Seta Zobyan said. “That was his wish and I will
try and make it come true.”
[email protected]

MGM Mirage to Get U.S. Clearance to Acquire Mandalay (Update1)
Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) — MGM Mirage, the casino operator controlled by
billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, will win U.S. Federal Trade Commission
approval for a $4.8 billion takeover of Mandalay Resort Group without
having to sell any Las Vegas casinos, people familiar with the matter
said.
The combination of MGM Mirage, the world’s third-largest casino
operator, and Mandalay would create the world’s largest
gambling-resort company. The proposed combination of No. 2 Harrah’s
Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc., the industry
leader, would supplant MGM Mirage and Mandalay as the world’s biggest
if the FTC approves that takeover. Harrah’s offered to buy Caesars for
$5.18 billion in July.
FTC lawyers have concluded they lack evidence that the MGM
Mirage-Mandalay combination would lead to higher room rates or fewer
promotional discounts aimed at luring customers to the gaming tables,
the people said. Together, the two companies would own almost half the
hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip, a four- mile stretch of Las Vegas
Boulevard between downtown and the airport.
The five-member Federal Trade Commission seldom overrules its staff.
MGM Mirage agreed to pay $71 for each Mandalay share. Mandalay shares
rose 10 cents to $70.61 as of 1:20 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange
composite trading. MGM Mirage shares rose 66 cents to $75.11.
“We are confident we will be able to close the transaction by the end
of the first quarter,” MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said. An FTC
spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.
Much Competition
The FTC staff can’t refute the companies’ argument that casino hotels
on the Strip, where MGM Mirage and Mandalay together operate 10
casino-hotels, isn’t a distinct market, people familiar with the case
said. That’s because casinos on the Strip face competition from those
in downtown Las Vegas, the Bahamas, and some operated by American
Indian tribes in California and Connecticut, they said.
Las Vegas also faces competition from luxury casinos in Australia and
Macao.
To block a proposed merger, the government must prove that companies
seeking to combine would gain power to raise prices in a distinct
market.
MGM Mirage operates the Bellagio, the Mirage, MGM Grand, the Boardwalk
and the Treasure Island casino resorts on the Strip. Mandalay Resort
Group owns Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo and Circus
Circus. Mandalay, based in Las Vegas, also operates casinos in four
other Nevada cities, including Reno, as well as in Tunica,
Mississippi, and Elgin, Illinois.
State Approvals
The companies must also get approval from gambling regulators in
Nevada and Illinois. MGM Mirage’s Feldman said the company hopes to
get a February hearing before the Nevada Gaming Commission on its
application. Mandalay operates the Grand Victoria riverboat casino in
Elgin, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago.
MGM Mirage said last month it is considering selling one of two
Michigan casinos to comply with the state’s antitrust law. The
company, which originally said it would sell Mandalay’s 53.5 percent
stake in the MotorCity casino in Detroit, said it was weighing offers
for its Michigan property.
MGM Mirage, based in Las Vegas, also operates casino resorts in the
Primm Valley area 25 miles south of Las Vegas near the California
border and another in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Harrah’s and Caesars will sell four casinos for $1.24 billion in cash
to Colony Capital LLC as part of their attempt to win regulatory
approval for their combination. The companies said they would sell two
casinos in Tunica, Mississippi, one in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and
another in East Chicago, Indiana.
Last June, the FTC cleared Harrah’s $916 million purchase of Horseshoe
Gaming Holding Co. eight months after the deal was announced. The
agency required no divestitures. The takeover gave Harrah’s ownership
of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, along with
casinos in Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana.
To contact the reporter on this story:
James Rowley at [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Glenn Hall at [email protected]
Last Updated: January 13, 2005 13:26 EST
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Anadolu Agency
Jan 13 2005
Premier Erdogan Arrives In Turkey
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to
Turkey from Russia on Wednesday.
Erdogan spoke to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport.
When asked, ”Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas reacted against the supportive statements of
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey about Cyprus issue. What
will be the next steps of Turkey and are there any differences in
approaches of Turkey and Denktas?” Erdogan said, ”After December
17th process, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan congratulated us and
then we phoned him and said we could talk about Cyprus process. While
we were planning to hold this talk, Asian disaster happened. He is
now in the region. We want to talk with him as soon as possible.
There will not be an Annan Plan to be presented. Also, the name of
the plan is not important. The important thing is its content and
this content should include a solution. I do not believe that anybody
will oppose a plan that will include a solution. If the plan protects
interest of Turkish Cypriots and brings a just and permanent solution
to TRNC, I am sure that everybody will exert efforts for such a
plan.”
Erdogan said, ”we are talking about a just plan which will
bring permanent peace and by which both sides will win. We always say
that we support such a plan and we will continue to support. We do
not have any uneasiness about this issue.”
Upon a question about relations with Armenia, Erdogan said, ”we
have taken our positive steps towards Armenia. The most important of
these steps is Turkey’s opening its door in airways. At the moment
Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport is open to Armenian Airways. They have 4
flights a week to Istanbul.”
”However, we have of course some demands. It is 1923 Kars
Agreement. If they say they do not recognize it, we also do not
recognize (them). In spite of this, we say we do not want disgruntled
neighbor. We want to overcome these issues. There are places in
Karabakh which Armenia occupied. We believe that solving these issues
in a friendly way will be beneficial. We want to be hopeful about
this issue. We have always said we are ready to do what is
necessary,” he said.
When asked his evaluations about sincere statements of Putin,
Erdogan said, ”we had a very friendly, positive and sincere meeting.
The figures between Turkey and Russia are probably the results of
that sincere meeting.”
When asked how Putin assessed the process about Turkey’s EU
membership, Erdogan said, ”he is also positive about this issue and
he congratulated us. He said Turkey has passed through that process
successfully.”
While informing about his meetings in Russia, Erdogan said he
met Putin and discussed political developments in the region and took
up energy issues. ”It was a very beneficial meeting. We mainly
discussed Iraq, Middle East, Cyprus and Armenia issues and we took up
what can be done jointly in the Middle East and the region,” he
said.
”We have taken up our bilateral relations in regional and
international aspects and we had some demands in the aspect of the UN
Security Council. He said isolations (on TRNC) are not just and they
will support Annan Plan which will be prepared about the issue. He
clearly said they are ready to exert every type of effort on this
issue,” noted Erdogan.
Erdogan said, ”we aim to increase trade volume between two
countries which is now 11 billion U.S. dollars to 15 billion U.S.
dollars in 2005 and 25 billion U.S. dollars in 2007. Political will
exists in both countries about this issue.”
”Russian officials want to make joint investments. It is in
question to make some investments in third countries and especially
in Iraq. Also Turkish contractors may undertake new and important
roles in public projects in Russia,” he added.
”Russian officials have very positive attitude towards Turkish
entrepreneurs. This will show what kind of developments will occur in
this issue,” he said.

QARVATCHAR INHABITANTS: THEY LEFT HOMES AT THE OTHER SIDE OF MRAV MOUNTAIN
Azg/arm
13 Jan 05
Ashghen Safarian, 82, has left 7 decades of her life together with a
newly built house and an orchard at Getashen. If it were possible she
would go toher house this summer, she misses it very much.
“The Turks (Azeris) entered the village on May 6 of 1991 and forced
all of us out. Turks now live in my two-storied house. I left
everything and fled with a bag. I want to go to my home this
summer. What can a Turk do to me”, Mrs. Ashghen says.
The Soviet army and the Azeri militia scattered the population of the
Armenian village in few days. Yeghish Markosian, 67, led his fellow
villagers out through woods and hills at the risk of being killed. He
was wounded twice.
“People of Getashen scattered as the sheep scatter when a wolf appears
amid them. There is no other village like ours in Karabakh. I cannot
forget it a second”, uncle Yeghish says.
Now this man of hoarse voice is planting trees in Qarvatchar with his
sons and 40 other families from Getashen. He says that he came here to
guard the border.
“I came out Getashen with my three sons and settled in Karmir. But we
couldn’ t make living there. Samvel Babayan (former defense minister
of Karabakh) heard that 40 families from Getashen want to come to
Karabakh and sent a man to call us. We came and liked it here. I
brought 10 other families with me, they settled in one of the
neighboring villages of Qarvatchar and renamed it into Nor (new)
Getashen”, Yeghish says.
Inhabitants of Qarvatchar
Vasili Nalbandian is the head of Shahumian region administration in
Karabakh. He says that his ancestors and his home were from the other
side of Omar and Mrav mountains. There are more than hundred families
who left their homes in Azerbaijan or in the north of Karabakh.
“Former residents of Shahumian, Getashen, Gardman (Northern Artsakh),
Baku and Sumgait are those who live today in Shahumian region. The
region of Qarvatchar was renamed into Shahumian because its first
residents were those from Shahumian”, Nalbandian says.
Tigran Gevorgian lost his home in Buzlugh and now lives in Nor Brajur
village of Shahumian region with his family. “I left my native Buzlugh
at the age of 8. I don’t remember much of our village”, Tigran says.
Brajur was one of tens of Armenian villages Ghanlar region. Armenians
of the village were also forced out from their homes. Having settled
in Qarvatchar, they founded the village of Nor Brajur. “We were 5 in
our family on coming here. Now there are two more members; my brother
got married and his child was born here”, Tigran says.
Almost all villages of Qarvatchar bear the names of Armenian villages
of Shahumian, Ghanlar and Getashen regions that were cleared off
Armenian population. Despite all difficulties, people are slowly
getting used to the conditions. What unites 82-year-old Mrs. Ashghen,
uncle Yeghish and Tigran is the fact that they all left homes and
orchards on the other side of Mrav and Omar mountains.
Heydar Aliyev inhabited Azeris at the houses taken from the Armenians
The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) expressed concern over the
fact that “the Azeri refugees and inner resellers take over
possessions belonging to Armenians and other ethnic minorities”.
“The Council advises Azerbaijan to take appropriate measures and to
compensate or to provide the Armenians and other minorities, whose
possessions were illegally taken over, with alternative lodging”, the
November 26 UN ECOSOC report reads.
Azerbaijan implements state policy of inhabiting the occupied Armenian
villages. In September of 2002 the late Azeri president, Heydar
Aliyev, took part in a ceremony of inhabiting 1000 Azeri families in
Shahumian and Upper Shen Armenian villages. The villages were renamed
after the ceremony. Bakuâ=80=99s Ekho newspaper wrote about this event
on September 10 and 14 of 2002.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund allocated $18 million for the inhabitation
expenses in 2001.
Nagorno Karabakh authorities control Qarvatchar
Qarvatchar is being populated spontaneously. The claims of official
Yerevan and Stepanakert that there is no state policy of inhabiting
the liberated territories unfortunately correspond to the reality. If
Azerbaijan has already inhabited 80 thousand houses with its citizens
then Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh do not hasten to inhabit Qarvatchar
and other regions.
If there were only few hundreds of families inhabited in Qarvatchar
during last 5 years, then Heydar Aliyev inhabited 1000 families in a
day.
To say that the authorities have formed a new region Shahumian by name
will mean to praise them. Karabakh authorities have only maintained
post factum supervision over Qarvatchar to avoid possible undesirable
situation.
to be continued
By Tatoul Hakobian

ArmenPress
Jan 11 2005
ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGIONS OF GEORGIA HAVE SCANTY BUDGETS
AKHALKALAKI, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS: The local budgets of two
Armenian populated regions in southern Georgia-Akhalkalaki and
Ninotsminda- make 3.6 million and 2.6 million laris respectively (one
Georgian lari is equal to $0.57). According to a local A-Info news
agency, the peculiarity of local budgets is that they are formed by
state subsidies and the legislation prohibits increasing their
revenues through other sources.
The state subsidies are enough only to pay pensions and public
sector wages and no money is left for school or roads repair. Thus,
only 100,000 laris are earmarked for health issues in Akhalkalaki,
while the money stipulated for road building is enough to cover with
asphalt a 100-meter long section.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 11 2005
RA President congratulates Viktor Yushenko with election on the
position of the President of Ukraine
Catholicos of All Armenian receives Bulgarian Minister of Science and
Education
Plane of Armavia Airlines performing the flight from Yerevan in
Rostov on don was forced to return in Yerevan
Fifth round of negotiations between Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers on Karabakh settlement held in Prague
Monitoring of NKR and Azerbaijani Armed Forces contact zone reveals
no violations of the ceasefire regime
Robert Kocharian: `We cannot encourage creation of privileged
conditions for anyone’
Russia will be a mediator in settlement of Karabakh conflict and
relations between Turkey and Armenia – V. Putin
RA Ministry of Science and Education receives the Minister of Culture
and Science of Bulgaria
Armenia to send humanitarian aid to Sri-Lanka population affected by
tsunami disaster
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES VIKTOR YUSHENKO WITH ELECTION ON THE
POSITION OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian
congratulated Viktor Yushenko with election on the position of the
President of Ukraine, President’s press office told ARKA. Kocharian
expressed confidence that historic relations between Armenian and
Ukrainian people will continue successful development and deepening
for the welfare of the two countries. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIAN RECEIVES BULGARIAN MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND
EDUCATION
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Catholicos of All Armenian Garegin II
received Bulgarian Minister of Science and Education Igor Damianov,
St.Echmiadzin press office told ARKA. Garegin II noted expanding
relations between the countries, which are the `reflections of
century-long friendship of two Christian people’. He expressed
gratitude to Bulgarian authorities for tender attitude to Armenian
population of the republic.
RA Minister of Science and Education Sergo Yeritsian and Bulgarian
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Stephan
Dimitrov also took part in the meeting. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
PLANE OF ARMAVIA AIRLINES PERFORMING THE FLIGHT FROM YEREVAN IN
ROSTOV ON DON WAS FORCED TO RETURN IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Plane of Armavia Airlines performing the
flight from Yerevan in Rostov on don was forced to return in Yerevan,
Armavia press service told ARKA. The decision was made after airport
of Rostov refused to accept the plant due to damage on landing strip.
L.D. –0–
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FIFTH ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN
MINISTERS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT HELD IN PRAGUE
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. The fifth round of negotiations between
Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Vardan Oskanian and Elmar
Mamedyarov on Karabakh settlement was held in Prague with
participation of Co-Chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group (MG). As Armenian
Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department told ARKA, earlier
both Ministers arrived in Prague by invitation of OSCE MG. As it is
stated in the press release, this is the first meeting of a similar
kind after some time break in the Prague negotiations. During the
meeting the Ministers discussed the issues related to possibilities
of settlement of the Karabakh conflict on the bases of common
approaches achieved during the previous stage of the negotiations.
Also, the Ministers had separate meetings with the Co-Chairmen of the
OSCE MG. Today in the late evening Oskanian returned to Yerevan.
To mention, the Foreign Ministers held four meetings around the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. On the last meeting of
the Ministers on Aug 30, the sides achieved agreement around future
meeting with the Co-Chairmen on Oct 25, 2004, however later the
meeting was postponed. As Oskanian stated earlier, all negotiations
concerning the process were suspended as the sides were expecting new
instructions from the Heads of two States around continuation of the
negotiating process. T.M. -0–
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MONITORING OF NKR AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES CONTACT ZONE REVEALS
NO VIOLATIONS OF THE CEASEFIRE REGIME
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. The regular monitoring of the Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijani Armed Forces contact zone near the
settlement of Marzili revealed no cases of violation of the ceasefire
regime. As NKR Foreign Ministry Press Service told ARKA, the
monitoring from the NKR territory was implemented by Coordinator of
the OSCE Tbilisi Office Lieutenant Colonel Imre Palatinusz (Hungary).
The Monitoring Group included Field Assistant of Personal
Representative of the OSCE Acting Chairman Alexander Samarsky
(Ukraine).
The monitoring was held as per the established schedule and no cases
of violation of the ceasefire regime were recorded.
The monitoring mission from the NKR side was accompanied by
representatives of the NKR Defense and Foreign Ministry. T.M. -0–
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ROBERT KOCHARIAN: `WE CANNOT ENCOURAGE CREATION OF PRIVILEGED
CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE’
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. `It is necessary to conduct equal and
fair approach to economic subjects in realization of tax
administration’, RA President Robert Kocharian stated during the
meeting with the administration of RA State Tax Service. According to
the President, any exception will damage the whole process. `If you
start gathering taxes form yourself, your friends and relatives, I’m
sure you will not allow others stay away of tax field. Our attention
will be concentrated on this’, Kocharian said.
He stressed the necessity of easing the methodology of conduction of
tax inspections and paid attention of principle of conduction of
inspections on the base of results of researches. `Organization of
inspections should be realized on the base of data analysis, which
will increase their productivity. Researches of control service at RA
President’s show that there are companies where the inspections have
not been conducted for years and there are structures where the
inspections are made several times a year’, Kocharian said.
The President also paid attention to use of additional methods during
checking the reliability of reports of businessmen paying simplified
tax and fixed payments and improvement of mechanisms of control over
activity of tax inspectors and increase of demands to quality of
their work.
Kocharian stressed the necessity of increase the level of
transparency and publicity of process of settlement of all mentioned
problems. L.D. –0–
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RUSSIA WILL BE A MEDIATOR IN SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT AND
RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA – V. PUTIN
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Russia will be a mediator in settlement
of Karabakh conflict and relations between Turkey and Armenia, RF
President Vladimir Putin stated during the meeting with
representatives of Turkish business circles in Moscow.
Answering the question of Turkish mass media, Putin said that during
the meeting the parties did not discuss Karabakh conflict.
Both parties expressed desire to establish friendly relations between
neighbors.
`Russia in its turn will make everything to settle conflicts in post
Soviet area, including Karabakh conflict’, Putin said and added, `But
we will do it as a mediator and guarantor of agreements that will be
achieved between the parties of the conflict’.
Turkish PM in his turn spoke for future establishment of relations
with Armenia.
He reminded that Turkey already opened Istanbul airport for flights
from Armenia. Land border is not opened yet, but its opening will
depend on process of negotiations, he added.
Prime Minister stressed that Turkey is interested in development of
relations with Armenia. L.D. –0–
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RA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION RECEIVES THE MINISTER OF CULTURE
AND SCIENCE OF BULGARIA
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. RA Ministry of Science and Education
Sergo Yeritsyan received a delegation headed by Igor Demyanov, the
Minister of Culture and Science of Bulgaria. The delegation has been
to Armenia with an official visit since January 9-12. According to RA
Ministry of Science and Education Press Service Department, this is
the first official visit on the part of the Ministers of Bulgaria to
Armenia.
During the meeting Yeritsyan introduced reforms in the sphere of
education introduced in Armenia to guests. The Ministers of the two
countries discussed the program on cooperation in the sphere of
science and culture signed by the two countries in 2003, as well as
aspects of cooperation that can be implemented in the nearest future.
According to the parties, the cooperation may have an impact on both
the sphere of education and science. It’s supposed that a
corresponding protocol will be signed issuing from the results of the
visit.
In the course of the visit, the delegation will meet professors and
teachers as well as students of some Universities and will be
introduced cultural and historical values of Armenia.
RA and Bulgarian Governments began cooperation in 1994. A program on
cooperation between the two countries for 2003-2006 in the field of
science and culture was signed in the framework of the above
mentioned agreement during the official visit of RA President
Kocharyan to Bulgaria on September 8 2003. A.H.-0–
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ARMENIA TO SEND HUMANITARIAN AID TO SRI-LANKA POPULATION AFFECTED BY
TSUNAMI DISASTER
YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Armenia will send humanitarian aid to
the population of Sri-Lanka affected by tsunami disaster, as stated
Armen Bayburtyan, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia. According
to him, it is planned to send tents and mobile energy generators to
the total sum of AMD 15 mln (about $30 thou), as well as antibiotics
and pain-relieving medicine of AMD 10 mln (about $20 thou). He also
said that it is also planned to send aid to Indonesia as well. In
addition, according to Bayburtyan, Armenian Church of Calcutta
pledged $210 thou to the Indian Government. Also, 10 citizens of
India can pass a treatment course by request in the Rehabilitation
Centre of the Armenian Red Cross. L.V. – 0–