Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Mediamax news agency, Armenia
Sept 30 2005
Armenian president, Georgian premier discuss projects in ethnic
Armenian region
Yerevan, 30 September: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli today discussed in Yerevan
the social and economic situation in [Georgia’s] Samtskhe-Javakheti,
populated mainly by Armenians.
Zurab Noghaideli told the Armenian president that the Georgian
government was planning to implement in Samtskhe-Javakheti a
five-year programme for the maintenance of roads, the [Armenian]
presidential press service told Mediamax news agency. These funds
will be allocated by the American Fund Millennium Challenge and
partially from the Georgian budget.
Zurab Noghaideli also said that the Georgian government intended to
implement educational programmes for the Armenian-speaking population
and take an active part in the construction of school in
Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Speaking about an outcome of the meeting of the Armenian-Georgian
intergovernment commission, Zurab Noghaideli said that the sides had
managed to find mutually acceptable solutions almost on all issues.
The Armenian president and the Georgian prime minister discussed new
opportunities for exporting Armenian electricity to Georgia. Robert
Kocharyan spoke of the importance of cooperation in the energy sphere
which, he said, could become a real programme for regional
cooperation.
Given an increase of mutual trips of Armenian and Georgian citizens
and tendencies of developing tourism, Robert Kocharyan and Zurab
Noghaideli noted the importance of creating new transport
possibilities. In particular, they spoke about the opening of
Yerevan-Tbilisi and Yerevan-Batumi direct flights and establishing
railway communications from Yerevan to Batumi.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GYUMRI TO BE CLEANED OF RUBBISH
A1+
| 13:35:45 | 29-09-2005 | Regions |
Japan, the Armenian government and the Gyumri city administration
joined efforts to eliminate household rubbish by means of processing. A
Japanese delegation arrived in Gyumri for the purpose.
Armenia joint the Kyoto Protocol in 2004 and the first programs were
implemented in Nubarasgen community of Yerevan.
Similar program has been already launched in Gyumri. “Within the
protocol framework measures targeted at reduction of toxic agents in
the atmosphere will be undertaken”, member of the Japanese delegation
said.
In the opinion of specialists, the rubbish processing will give a
positive ecological result and can be also used as an energy source.
The implementation of the Gyumri program in will be initially financed
by Japan, then by the local self-government. The works will be carried
out jointly by the Armenian and Japanese specialists.
The initial stage of the program, which implies the investigation
of the area, has already started, Tsayg TV company reported. Later
assembly and construction works will be launched.

NATO PA COMMITTEE APPROVES REPORT ON GARABAGH CONFLICT
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 29 2005
NATO Parliamentary Assembly committee on the civil dimension of
security has approved a report on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
Garabagh conflict.
All the recommendations made by Azerbaijan were included in the first
draft of the document, prepared by German parliamentarian Von Heden.
The report also indicates that Azerbaijan’s territories have been
occupied by Armenia, parliament vice-speaker and head of the Azeri
delegation at NATO PA Ziyafat Asgarov said.
Asgarov told journalists that the Azerbaijani party was earlier
discontent with the first draft, which erroneously said that not 20%,
but 16% of Azeri land is under occupation and that more Armenians
than Azerbaijanis used to live in the conflict zone. “The Azerbaijani
delegation aims to achieve approval of the report by NATO PA as well.
I have discussed this with the Assembly leadership. We stressed that
NATO PA should act the same way the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) did,” the vice-speaker said. PACE passed
a resolution late in January confirming that Armenia occupies Azeri
territories.

NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET TO PROMISE HIGHER SALARIES
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily #174
29/09/2005
Economy
Pavel Safarian, deputy economy and finances minister, presented
yesterday the draft RA budget of 2006 that the Armenian government
passed on September 28. The GDP is expected to grow by 7.5 per cent
next year raising the GDP to 2.4 trillion dram. Inflation is expected
not to exceed 3 per cent.
The planned revenue for 2006 will amount to 380 billion dram against
last year’s 347 billion. The government will spend 450 billion
next year.
Budgeted deficit will be 69.9 billion part of which is supposed to
be filled by inner sources.
The relation of GDP-taxes will hopefully be reduced to 15.1 per
cent. Asked what is the GDP-tax correlation and is there a difference
compared to previous years, Pavel Safarian said that this index does
not differ much from the revenue index.
Deputy minister informed that the budget of 2006 will increase the
salaries of teachers and workers of the educational sphere by 10.000
dram. The money for education will surpass last year’s budget by 8
billion and by 6.7 billion for healthcare. The employees of hospitals
and outpatients will also receive higher salaries. As for the workers
of the cultural sphere they will mark 19 per cent increase in their
monthly earnings.
The average family relief payments will boost from 12.000 to
15.000. The average pension will grow by 1.500 drams. The minimal
salary in the republic will rise from 13.000 to 15.000.
Armenia’s military expenditure for the next year will rise by 13
billion.
The deputy minister considered it natural that the government assigns
more money for the military sphere. Asked what is the overall allotment
to the military sector and whether it is not worrying that Azerbaijan
increases its military expenditure year by year, Safarian said that
the army will get $150 million. In regard to neighboring country’s
intensions, deputy minister gave a rather neutral answer saying that
every state strives to increase allotments for its security.

EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS ACCUSE RIGHT-WING OPPONENTS OF NOT WANTING MUSLIM TURKEY IN EU
IRNA< Iran Sept 28 2005 Brussels, IRNA The Socialist Group (PES) in the European Parliament accused Wednesday the right-wing European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED) of being against Turkey's EU membership because it was a Muslim country. "You don't want to have Turkey because it is Islamic and far away. Croatia is closer and is Catholic. That is the truth of your message. Let us not beat about the bush. We must apply the same standards to all countries," PES leader Martin Schulz told EPP leader Hans-Gert Poettering during a heated debate on Turkey's EU membership in the EP in Strasbourg. The leader of the 219-strong Socialist Group, the second-largest in the EP, said "the EPP does not want Turkey. We want to give Turkey a chance." On his part, the leader of EPP - which with 267 MEPs in the 732-member EP is the largest group - said if EU membership was not achieved at the end of the process, then the alternative result must be a privileged partnership for Turkey. He said Christians' "legitimate rights" in Turkey had to be recognised and implemented in the same way that "Moslem citizens' rights were recognised in European Union countries." Poettering urgently called on the British Presidency of the EU to apply the same criteria to Croatia as that of Turkey. "Everyone has shut their eyes on the human rights issue in Turkey while Croatia was to be refused the start of negotiations because a single general - one who was plainly not even in Croatia - had not yet been delivered up to the Hague Tribunal," he said. The EU has postponed talks on Croatia's membership because of Zagreb's failure to arrest a war crimes suspect Gen Ante Gotovina. But EU states like Austria and Hungary want Croatia to start talks at the same time as Turkey on October 3. The co-president of the Green/EFA (European Free Alliance), Daniel Cohn-Bendit, also criticized the EPP saying "some of the opponents of Turkey's accession are surfing on a wave of cultural and racist prejudices." "This is a dangerous game," he said adding that "the question of European Islam exists with or without Turkey. There are already more Muslims in the EU than there are Belgians." The EP Wednesday voted in favour of starting talks on Turkish accession on October 3, but insisted on a number of conditions before it is allowed entry. MEPs insisted that Turkey recognise the killings of thousands of Armenians in 1915 as genocide. The EP also postponed a vote on ratifying Turkey's customs arrangements with the EU because of its refusal to recognise the Greek Cypriot government. At the request of the EPP-ED group, EP voted 311 votes in favour, 285 against and 63 abstentions to postpone the vote

Office of The President of Finland
27.9.2005
Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at Yerevan
State University on 27 September 2005
It is a great honour and pleasure for me to speak to all of you today after
having received an honorary doctorate from Yerevan State University.
I am especially glad to be here for several reasons. Firstly, this is my
second visit to Armenia. The first was in 1996, when I was Minister for
Foreign Affairs. That visit was linked to negotiations conducted by the
co-chairs of the Minsk Group seeking a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict – Finland and Russia – with leaders in the region. On that occasion
I had the opportunity to visit Yerevan and Baku and to meet Southern
Caucasian political leadership.
Unfortunately the Minsk Group still faces a tough job to settle the
conflict, under the leadership of France, Russia and the United States. I
talked about this today with President Kocharian and hoped that the parties
would continue bilateral contacts and talks within the framework of the
Minsk Group in order to make swift progress. This is important for the
region’s residents and refugees, who have not been able to return to their
homes. Resolving this problem is also important for the stability of the
entire region, to attract new investments to the region and help building
new prosperity for it.
The second reason I am glad is that I am happy to be here as a President.
This is the very first official visit by the President of the Republic of
Finland to the three independent republics in the southern Caucasus. This is
part of the stepped-up exchange of visits in recent years, I noted this
already when Foreign Minister Oskanyan came to Finland last May. Cooperation
between Armenian and Finnish churches and in the cultural field has also
intensified in recent years. It is in Finland’s interests to nurture and
develop commercial, scientific and cultural cooperation between our nations.
I hope also that my visit will encourage you to continue your efforts to
promote democracy and human rights. The equality between men and women is
typical for Nordic countries. It has been fair for citizens and strengthened
us in the competition of the globalized world.
The autonomous status of the Swedish speaking Åland Islands as part of
Finland has often attracted foreign observers’ interest as an example of the
successful resolution of a dispute between two neighbouring countries. Only
a couple of weeks ago I sent greetings to a project arranged at the Åland
Islands Peace Institute that included non-governmental organizations,
journalists and researchers from the countries in the southern Caucasus. I
hope that their experiences can influence the settling of the Abkhazia,
South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts. Finland does not want to force
any model on anyone but hopes that regional leaders will accept new ideas
with an open mind and apply them creatively and constructively within the
framework of local conditions.
Speaking at this university recalls the significance of scientific research
as part of a national success strategy. In today’s world the success of a
nation depends on different types of resources – economic, environmental,
human and social – and the connection between them. Increasing resources in
all these areas creates the preconditions for prosperity.
In developed societies raw materials are no longer the only important factor
in economic growth, but the essential thing is what is built on top of them.
Finland’s development from a supplier of pulp and other basic forest
products, to become a leading producer of mobile phones and other products
of modern hich tech as well took place as a result of decades of investment
in science and research. Finland’s experience can also have significance for
a country like Armenia, where higher education has long traditions and the
population is well educated.
The Lisbon Strategy which aims at making the European Union the most
competitive area in the world, strongly recognizes education as a promoter
of economic and social development. The EU has adopted a detailed work
programme known as “Education and Training 2010”, which is aimed at making
Europe a world leader in terms of the quality of its education and training
by 2010.
Finns are used to the idea that our country can only succeed in the world
through its expertise. I am happy to say that the Finnish education system
has also ranked high in many respects in international surveys.
As a member of the EU, Finland has been involved in actively developing the
Union’s contacts with the republics of the southern Caucasus in recent
years. This is especially topical and important because Finland will hold
the presidency of the EU during the second half of next year.
In the past two years the EU’s Special Representative, Ambassador Heikki
Talvitie, has also become a well-known name in Yerevan. I am glad that the
expertise and experience of a retired Finnish diplomat has been put to use
in developing a dialogue between the Union and the southern Caucasus.
Resolving regional conflicts is vitally important for the EU. This work is
promoted by the Special Representative’s activities and the Union’s broad
aid and technical cooperation.
Another key objective in the EU’s southern Caucasus policy is to promote
regional cooperation. When I was Minister for Foreign Affairs I also chaired
the first meeting of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council in 1999. At that
time we made promoting regional cooperation in the southern Caucasus a key
theme. I am glad that the practice of holding cooperation meetings among the
three countries in the region has become an annual tradition. I hope that
these will not remain routine meetings but will lead to practical
cooperation.
As a result of enlargement the European Union has had to consider ways to
prevent the formation of new dividing lines in Europe. For this purpose the
EU last year began implementing the European Neighbourhood Policy. The goal
of this policy is to promote stability, security and well-being in
neighbouring countries. In the future these countries will have an
opportunity to participate as privileged partners in Union programmes
through political, security, economic and cultural cooperation.
I hope that negotiations between the EU and Armenia for an action plan under
the European Neighbourhood Policy can start as soon as possible. The EU has
prepared its own proposal and Armenia has published its priorities. These
documents form a good basis on which to proceed.
I hope that through my visit bilateral relations between Finland and Armenia
will receive a new boost, since the possibilities for cooperation are
extensive. We must work together to turn new ideas into feasible projects.

ANOTHER HEARING ON AZERI OFFICER’S CASE
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2005
Another hearing on the case of Azerbaijani officer charged with
murdering an Armenian serviceman was held in Budapest on Tuesday.
Employees of the Azeri embassy and prosecutor’s office came to court,
along with witnesses who testified at the hearing.
Ramil Safarov is charged with killing Armenian officer Gurgen Markarian
after the latter insulted his dignity and Azerbaijan’s national flag.
The court considered coming to a compromise over the results of
the forensic expertise, which was conducted twice. According to the
second expertise, the Azerbaijani officer committed the crime in a
state of affect.
The trial will continue on December 15 due to the differences in the
testimonies of witnesses.
Hungarian lawyers earlier termed the expertise held to determine
Safarov’s psychological condition as unacceptable and demanded
to conduct another one. The second expertise was held with the
permission of the Hungarian Supreme Court and involved representatives
of Azerbaijan.
According to a reliable source, the first expertise determined that
the Azeri officer was in psychologically healthy condition. The
second one, however, indicated that he was relatively unstable, i.e.
under serious stress, when he committed the murder.

IRAQI MILITANTS DEMAND $1M FOR ARMENIAN CAPTIVE
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2005
Baku, September 26, AssA-Irada
Iraqi militants demand $1 million for the ethnically-Armenian
businessman they recently captured, Russian ITAR-TASS news agency
reported.
The deadline on the ransom for the release of Karapet Zhan
Jeckerdzhian, a 40-year old citizen of Cyprus and Lebanon engaged in
selling drinks and food in Iraq to order of Jetco company, expires
Monday.
The company suspended its activity in Iraq a week ago on a demand of
the kidnappers.
Reports released last week suggested that the militants demanded $2
million for Jeckerdzhian’s release but lowered the figure to $500,000
later. According to latest reports, the kidnappers are demanding a
$1 million ransom,. *

TRT 2 television, Ankara, in Turkish
24 Sep 05
TURKEY: PROTESTERS AGAINST ARMENIAN CONFERENCE THROW TOMATOES
The controversial conference has started. The venue of the conference
on Armenians, which was going to be Bogazici University, has now
changed to Bilgi University, after the Istanbul Administrative Court
decided yesterday to suspend it. However, the debates are still going
on.
Tight security measures have been taken since early morning at the
Istanbul Bilgi University’s Dolapdere campus because of the
conference on “Ottoman Armenians during the demise of the Empire:
Issues of democracy and scientific responsibility”.
Nobody was allowed to enter the area except participants in the
conference and members of the press. Only members of the press with
special permits could take photographs during the conference.
Protest demonstrations were staged outside the campus as soon as the
conference started. In addition, arguments between speakers and
participants occurred during the conference.
Lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, member of the Executive Board of the Lawyers’
Association, said that it was unlawful to continue the conference at
a different venue in spite of a court order. Kerincsiz said that
demonstrations protesting against the violation of the court order
were being staged because they did not find anybody to address
themselves to at the Istanbul Governor’s Office or the Istanbul
Security Directorate.
During a briefing for members of the press, eggs and tomatoes were
thrown at journalist Cengiz Candar, one of the participants in the
conference, as a sign of protest.

Azad-Hye, United Arab Emirates
Sept 24 2005
Armenia – UAE relations a raw model for international cooperation
AZAD-HYE (Dubai, 24 September 2005): The Armenian – UAE relations
witnessed a great stride forward owing to the successful 3 days
official visit of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al
Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of the Emirates
of Sharjah to Armenia, during which he inaugurated the Sharjah
Cultural Week (Yerevan, 19-22 September 2005) in the National Art
Gallery of Armenia.
Activities of the cultural week included an exhibition of modern arts
(paintings of 22 UAE artists courtesy of the Sharjah Museum of Arab
Modern Art); exhibition of antiquities excavated in the area
surrounding Sharjah; exhibition of heritage items displaying way of
life in the desert environment (handcraft items, costumes,
traditional medicine), exhibition of award winning samples of Arab
calligraphy. During the opening ceremony a Sharjah folkloric group of
10 performers greeted the guests and the public. The second day of
the exhibition included theatrical performance by the group of
Sharjah National Theatre.
The program of the UAE cultural and official delegations was very
extensive. Besides the official meetings with the head of the State,
the Prime Minister and several Ministers, the delegates visited many
remarkable places, including the Armenian Natural History Museum, the
National Museum, University of Yerevan, National Academy of Sciences,
Saryan Museum, Yerevan Museum, Children’s Art Museum. Members of the
cultural delegation were invited to a morning program on the Armenian
public TV. It is worth mentioning that the Cultural Week is part of a
bilateral protocol that has been signed during the visit of Armenia’s
Minister of Culture and Youth to Sharjah last December.
Before the arrival of Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, the Armenian
Minister of Culture Hovik Hoveyan had the chance to meet with the
General Director of the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information
Abdullah Mohammed Al Oueis, who had arrived Yerevan few days earlier,
in order to arrange for the opening ceremony.
Heading the UAE cultural delegation Al Oueis visited the Marz
(Province) of Armavir, some 50 kilometers away from the capital
Yerevan, where the Mayor welcomed the delegation and expressed
gratitude to the Arab people who supported the Armenians during the
difficult period of 1915-1923 (Armenian Genocide) and he said: “The
Armenian – Arab relations have a history going back thousands of
years. There are many common elements in our cultures, in music,
arts, traditions etc. We have achieved in Armavir splendid relations
with the Arab World and we intend to build on our friendship and to
further develop these ties”. Mr. Al Oueis was given a painting
representing Mount Ararat, the symbolic mount of the Armenians.
In the evening of the same day Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi inaugurated the
Sharjah Cultural Week in Armenia. The program is part of Sharjah’s
plan to establish cultural interaction with peoples of the World,
especially with countries that have long lasting relationship with
the Arab World. The aim of these activities is to reflect the image
of Sharjah as a cultural hub and a capital of the Arab culture.
During the opening ceremony of the Sharjah Cultural Week, Sheikh Dr.
Sultan Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah congratulated the Armenian people
for the Independence Day. He pronounced that it is highly symbolic
that the conduction of the UAE cultural days coincides with this dear
occasion. He expressed the wish that Armenia overcomes the existing
difficulties and takes the path towards full economic development. He
highly appreciated the initiative of the Armenian Government to
organize the Armenian Cultural Days in Sharjah (December 2004), which
resulted in achieving even closer relations between the two sides and
introduced Armenia to the general public in his country. He stressed
that the Sharjah authorities did not want to miss the opportunity of
arranging these cultural days in Yerevan, although parallel
exhibitions are taking place in Germany and Spain, which needed also
some attention. He promised to organize a larger exhibition in the
future and said that the coming months will witness more extensive
cooperation in cultural and other fields between Sharjah and Armenia.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Armenian Deputy Prime
Minister Hovik Abrahamian, Deputy Foreign Minister Kegam Gharibjanian
(former Ambassador of Armenia to Iran and Qatar), Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs Hovik Hoveyan (who has attended the Armenian
Cultural Week in December 2004 in Sharjah) and a number of UAE
officials and press representatives.
The highlight of the day was the meeting of Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al
Qasimi with President Robert Kocharian. The President decorated the
precious guest with the “Saint Mesrob Mashtots” Order, one of the
highest orders in Armenia, in recognition of his contribution to the
UAE-Armenian relations, in addition to his role in the fields of
education and culture. They discussed ways of promoting bilateral
relations between the two countries.
During the second day of his visit to Armenia, on 20th September
2005, Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi met with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian, who stressed that Sheikh Sultan’s visit to Armenia is a
significant move towards strengthening the bilateral ties. The
meeting was attended by the Chief of the Sheikh’s Office (Isam bin
Saqr Al Qasimi), the Director of the Emiri Court (Rashid Ahmed Al
Sheikh), Director of Sharjah Islamic Endowment Authority / Awqaf
(Jamal Salim Al Taraifi) and UAE non-resident Ambassador to Armenia
(Khalifa Shaheen Al Merri).
In a separate meeting in the Armenian Academy of Sciences, the
President of the Academy Fadey Sarkissian praised Sheikh Dr. Al
Qasimi for his contribution to the development of science and culture
in the UAE and in the Arab World in general. It should be mentioned
that UNSESCO had chosen Sharjah as the Arab Cultural Capital for the
year 1998. Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi was awarded honorary doctorate from
the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia in recognition of his
contributions to the cultural and intellectual activities across the
world. This honorary title has been conferred so far to a limited
number of 60 personalities worldwide. Ambassador of Armenia in the
UAE Dr. Arshak Poladian praised the Sheikh for his efforts to turn
Sharjah into a center of cultural and scientific advancement in the
Arab World. Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi, who is also the Chancellor of the
American University of Sharjah and the Sharjah University, thanked
the Academy and stressed that Sharjah will continue to attract
institutions of higher education and Universities of worldwide fame.
On the same day Yerevan State University awarded its Golden Medal to
Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi. Speaking at the awarding ceremony University’s
Rector Radik Martirosyan said that Sheikh Al Qasimi is a great friend
of the University. Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi granted a seat for Arab
studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies. He expressed his
happiness that the Department of the Arab Studies within this Faculty
has more than 300 students. (Click Read More)
On the same day he visited the Genocide Monument and planted a tree
of UAE-Arab friendship. He visited the Museum and witnessed the
sorrow and grief that war has cause to the Armenians. He placed
flowers on the monument of the victims and ended his visit to the
museum wishing that love and peace would prevail in the world.
Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi found time to visit also lake Sevan, one
of the highest lakes in the world, from where Hrazdan river is
originated, a main source of irrigation in Armenia. The Mayor of
Tavoush Marz (Province) welcomed the guest and soon after the
official lunch they headed to Dilijan, one of the finest resorts in
Armenia, where some of the houses date to centuries back. He also
visited the Municipality of Dilijan.
Back in Yerevan His Highness attended in the equestrian club of Hovig
Hairapetian a live show of the four horses that he presented as a
gift to the Government of Armenia. He expressed satisfaction that the
horses are in safe hands and under the care of people who adore
horses.
The third day was full of local cultural activities. Sheikh Al Qasimi
did not miss the chance to visit the famous Matenadaran (the
depository of ancient Armenian manuscript). He was impressed by the
huge number of manuscripts in the Matenadaran (total number 17.000
manuscripts, 700 of them in Arabic). The Director of Matenadaran Sen
Arevshatian presented him a book on horse breeding.
During his visit to Matendaran Dr. Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi declared
that a UAE delegation will visit Armenia next week. He stressed that,
issues of deepening bilateral cooperation in economy, science and
culture will be discussed during this upcoming visit of the
delegation.
On Tuesday evening 21st September 2005 Sheikh Al Qasimi returned home
at the end of his official visit to Armenia