Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Armenian court gives Azeri spy 12 years in jail
Itar-Tass, Russia
June 29 2005
YEREVAN, June 29 (Itar-Tass) – A local court in the Armenian capital
on Tuesday sentenced Andrei Maziyev, an Armenian citizen of Russian
origin, to 12 years in prison for treason through espionage in favor
of Azerbaijan.
Before his arrest Maziyev worked as an engineer at Yerevan’s Zvartnots
airport. The court agreed with prosecutors’ conclusion that Maziyev for
five years cooperated with security agencies of Azerbaijan, passing
them sensitive information about the political situation in Armenia,
its political parties and shadow business.
He made photographs and collected information about the presidential
take-offs and landings plane as well as on the route of the president’s
motorcade through the airport.

Yes’s sing-songy dialogue wears thin early, distracts from action: review
June 24, 2005
(AP) – Despite its affirmative title, Sally Potter’s Yes is a maybe at
best.
The romantic drama starring Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian and Sam Neill
is meticulously constructed and gorgeously shot, just what you would
expect from the director of the delicate, sumptuous Virginia Woolf
adaptation Orlando.
Yet the movie’s quirks and conceits – mainly, the fact that dialogue
is delivered in sometimes subtle, sometimes sing-songy verse – quickly
wear thin and distract from what little action the movie
presents. What’s left beneath writer-director Potter’s parlour tricks
is a story fervently performed yet dramatically drab.
Though Potter has a painter’s eye for framing and composing her shots,
the characters feel distant, and their little tales of infidelity are
uninvolving.
Potter tries to use her main story, about an affair between an
Irish-American woman and a Middle Eastern man, as a parallel for Arab
relations with the Western world. Perhaps because of that, the lovers’
relationship often is forced and artificial, as though they’re
political puppets first, people second.
Or perhaps Potter simply was so caught up in her own poetry, both in
word and picture, that she failed to present her characters as living,
loving humans.
Many details of their lives are deliberately left vague, right down to
the main players’ names. Allen is simply known as “She,” a
Belfast-born, U.S.-raised scientist living a sham of a marriage in
London with her philandering husband (Neill), a politician.
At a banquet, “She” meets “He” (Abkarian), a Lebanese doctor who fled
Beirut and now works as a chef. Sparks fly, not so much on screen but
in theory; though Potter’s script demands that these two begin an
affair, the relationship unfolds with deep intimacy but little
passion.
Yes meanders about with great precision and not much point. She and He
sleep together, cuddling and cooing. She and her husband quarrel
bitterly. She has fitful encounters with family friends. He has a
dangerous encounter with his kitchen help. She and He lapse into
recrimination and separate, geography becoming the metaphor through
which the future of their relationship will be determined.
Dialogue is arranged largely in iambic pentameter, 10 syllables a
line.
Potter wisely told her actors not to flaunt it, focusing on the
meaning rather than the rhythm. That generally retains the naturalness
of their speech, though the rhymes at times are florid and awkward,
distracting from what the characters mean to say.
Delivered in such verse, Allen and Abkarian’s early pillow talk brings
real freshness to the hyperbole of romance, like lovers in a musical
unable to contain themselves and bursting into song.
Eventually, it just seems like a tired gimmick, while the sheer
density of the language often undermines the exchanges.
Likewise, Potter’s fixation on housekeepers and cleaners as witnesses
to the main players’ crises becomes a heavy-handed pretension. As She
and her husband’s housekeeper, Shirley Henderson serves as a windy
chorus speakingdirectly into the camera about what she sees, while
other mute cleaners hover elsewhere, putting a period on scenes with
cryptic glances straight into the lens.
It all feels empty, and in the end, Yes comes off like an elaborate
shell game. You’ve dutifully kept your eyes on the shell concealing
the ball, only to find magician Potter has palmed it.
Two stars out of four.
© The Canadian Press 2005

RIA Novosti, Russia
June 24 2005
THE CIS AND BALTIC PRESS ON RUSSIA
ARMENIA
Statements on the need to develop the Euroatlantic vector of
integration are complemented with the idea of maintaining the
pro-Russian vector in Armenia’s policy. “We have wonderful relations
with Russia and good relations with individual NATO states, and these
relations are not confronted to each other. On the country, this
helps create security guarantees” for Armenia. (Hayastani
Hanrapetutyun, June 16.)
But Western experts point out that Armenia can become independent
only by curtailing Russian presence in its policy and economy.
“Armenia has accepted the pro-Russian model of political
development… Russia is strengthening its presence in Armenia, in
particular in the energy sphere… This is extremely dangerous for
Armenia… We should find a balance where Armenia would not be
pro-Russian or pro-American but would have its own view of the
situation… The programs of the European Union might help find such
a balance between Russia and the U.S.” (Aikakan Zhamanak, June 18.)
The withdrawal of part of property of the Russian military bases from
Georgia to Armenia is a lively discussed issue. “The Armenian
authorities are making another unwise and dangerous step. They are
trying to counteract the disruption of the political and economic
balance by creating a military imbalance in the South Caucasus by
moving Russian military hardware from Georgia to Armenia.” (Novoye
Vremya, June 16.)

AZG Armenian Daily #116, 24/06/2005
Armenian Genocide
NEW JERSEY RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Armenian Congress of Armenia informed that the General Assembly of US state
of New Jersey adopted a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide of
1915. At the same time, the Education Department of the state approved the
program on studying the Armenian Genocide.
“This resolution acknowledges the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
and considers the criminal behavior of the Ottoman Empire towards the
Armenian people an issue of international and historical importance,” the
document says.
“The Crimes against Humanity and Civilization. The Armenian Genocide” book
will be delivered in the compulsory schools and collages of New Jersey.
By Ruzan Poghosian

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
June 22 2005
GEORGIANS FIGHT POWER REFORM
Electricity price rises and power cuts are causing tension in
Samtskhe-Javakheti.
By Ketevan Mishvelidze and Tsaulina Malazonia in Akhaltsikhe
The humming of power generators fills the streets of Akhaltsikhe
where in order to catch up on housework women have taken to bringing
irons to work as offices are the only buildings in the city where
electricity is regularly available.
They can’t smooth out their wrinkles at home as much of the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region has been blacked out since last month when
the government introduced a new way of paying for electricity,
described by some as draconian but by the government as essential if
the system is to function.
The state-run United Distribution Company, temporarily managed by the
US firm PA Consulting, has installed shared electricity meters at
homes around the region with each serving two or three blocks of
flats or several private residences.
The readings are then divided equally between all users and one bill
issued every month for all homes. Families get 15 days to pay their
share in full or power is cut off to all homes sharing the meter.
The new system has caused turmoil among families used to paying no
more than 30 lari (16 US dollars) for electricity who are now
receiving bills for up to 100 lari (55 dollars), no matter how many
people live in the property.
A solitary pensioner like Eter Saanishvili now has to pay as much a
wealthy neighbour who uses electricity to heat his house.
Saanishvili has been living in a street that has been without power
for the past month. She is being asked to pay for large amounts of
electricity used during a time when she wasn’t even living at home
but staying with relatives. `How could I have consumed so much
electricity not being at home?’ she said. `No one cares about us, its
no one’s headache that people like me are left in the dark.’
Another distressed resident who asked not to be named insists the new
bills are completely unaffordable, `No one asks me what my salary is
or whether I have any income. They just demand categorically that I
should pay. I won’t pay, just as I won’t resign myself to the
blackouts. My salary is only 57 laris. If I pay 50 laris for
electricity, how can I feed my child on the remaining seven lari?’
The electricity price rises and subsequent power cuts have led to a
rise in political tensions in the region.
On June 6, an angry crowd of around 250 people broke into the
provincial government building, demanding a meeting with the governor
to protest against the new system. A meeting was granted the next
day, but the governor, Giorgy Khachidze, was unsympathetic.
`I will not tolerate disorder even if the whole district comes to my
door, men, women and children. If the police and I cannot restore
order, we will call in the military,’ he said.
The head of the local office of United Distribution Company defended
the reforms, which he said were an attempt to correct the wide
disparity between power consumption and payments received.
`People have taken electricity for granted far too long, spending as
much as they wanted, and not paying. This caused losses to the state
and people did not get power anyway. Now we are going to find out
exactly how much power every neighbourhood consumes,’ said Giorgy
Beradze.
He explained that the `communal’ electricity billing system is just
the first phase of the reform process. Phase two will involve setting
up individual household meters in 16 Georgian cities including
Akhaltsikhe.
`Another 20 million lari (11 million dollars) has been earmarked for
this in this year’s government budget,’ Beradze said.
Nikoloz Valiashvili, advisor to the UDC’s general director, said such
reforms are essential, because abuse of the system has become
chronic.
`We investigated the region and discovered up to 32 ways to steal
electricity, practiced by the locals,’ he said. `For example people
have been tying a fishing hook to a really long rod and hitching it
onto a high-voltage power line.’
Former Georgian parliament deputy Gochi Natenadze is cynical, saying
the regions have been targeted as the government is too afraid to
implement the new system in the capital. `Whoever came up with this
reform thought they could do what they want in `backward’ regions,’
he said.
Samtskhe-Javakheti is a desperately poor region with no natural gas
and where water is supplied once every few days for a couple of
hours. Despite some windfalls from the new Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline, unemployment is still more than 80 per cent.
If the situation does not improve before winter arrives – and
winters can be very cold and snowy here – more trouble is expected,
particularly in neighbouring Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda which are
next in line for reform. These regions are home to some 90,000
Armenians, who are already suspicious of the Georgian government.
Tensions are also running high here as the local Russian military
base, a major employer, prepares to shut down.
Giorgy Beradze insists the reforms will continue. `Let them live in
darkness until they start paying for the electricity they use,’ he
said.
Ketevan Mishvelidze and Tsaulina Malazonia are reporters for Southern
Gates, a newspaper supported by IWPR in Samtskhe-Javakheti.

Pan Armenian News
RUSSIAN TRANSPORT MINISTRY TO ATTEND TO POSSIBILITY OF FERRY CROSSING FOR
SUPPLYING ARMENIA WITH OIL
22.06.2005 03:21
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ministries of Transport of Russia and Armenia will
attend the issue of using the ferry crossing for supplying Armenia with
Russian oil as well as consider the prospects for attracting extra volume of
goods including export, import and transit transportation via Caucasus-Poti
railway ferry crossing, the protocol signed by RF Minister of Transport,
Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Committee on Economic
Cooperation Igor Levitin and Secretary of the Security Council under the RA
President, Defense Minister and Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian
Intergovernmental Committee Serge Sargsian, says. The discussion of the
project is to be completed within a month. The issues referring to
collection of indirect taxes in mutual trade as well as collection of
surplus value tax while exporting natural gas and oil from Russia will be
also considered.

Opposition party in Nagornyy Karabakh Republic refusing deputy mandates
Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
21 Jun 05
STEPANAKERT
The election bloc of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] and Movement-88 is refusing the mandates it
received during the parliamentary elections in the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic, Gegam Bagdasaryan, deputy chairman of Movement-88 and
editor-in-chief of Demo newspaper, has told our Noyan Tapan
correspondent.
Three seats under the proportional system were won by the ARFD
representative and former minister, Armen Sarkisyan, the member of
Movement-88 and mayor of Stepanakert, Eduard Agadzhanyan, and
independent Vitaliy Balasanyan.
Disagreeing with the opinion of international observers about free,
fair and transparent elections, Gegam Bagdasaryan stated that “there
were free and transparent injustices”.
Promising that the parties of the bloc will continue to defend their
rights, Bagdasaryan pointed out that the steps of the further
political struggle are being discussed.

Tajik president to visit Moscow to attend Eurasian body summit
Avesta website, Dushanbe
21 Jun 05
Dushanbe, 21 June: A Tajik delegation headed by President Emomali
Rahmonov will visit Moscow to attend a session of the Interstate
Council of the Eurasian Economic Community [EAEC, to be held on 22
June], Avesta has learnt at the presidential administration. The EAEC
also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Armenia,
Moldova and Ukraine have the observer status.
Rahmonov is expected to hold a number of bilateral talks with his
counterparts as part of the session.
The session will discuss the formation of the EAEC’s single customs
tariff. Moreover, a number of projects, including a blueprint of
cooperation between the community’s member states in the monetary
sphere; a cooperation agreement in the field of organizing an
integrated currency market; agreements on interaction between border
departments in crisis situations on external borders, and other issues
are to be considered.
Furthermore, on 23 June a session of the Collective Security Council
(CSC) of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] member
states – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan – will be held in Moscow. Sessions of the Council of
Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defence Ministers and the Committee
of Secretaries of the Security Councils of the CSTO member states will
be held a day earlier, that is on 22 June.

Agency WPS
The Russian Oil and Gas Report (Russia)
June 20, 2005, Monday
THE STATE TO RECEIVE CONTROLLING INTEREST IN GAZPROM FOR $7.155
BILLION
The state will receive controlling interest in Gazprom already next
week. For 10.74% of its shares the gas monopoly will receive 203.5
billion roubles ($7.155 billion). The Board of Directors of Gazprom
made the relevant decision on June 16. In any case, Gazprom will see
this sum much later than its subsidiaries sell the shares.
In 2004, Gazprom produced 545 billion cubic meters of gas. In 2004,
revenue of Gazprom according to Russian standards amounted to 887
billion roubles and profit amounted to 161 billion roubles. The state
owns 38.37% of Gazprom shares, Rosgazifikatsiya has 0.9% and
subsidiaries of Gazprom (as of May 17) have 18.26%. The government
will buy out 10.74% of Gazprom shares from its subsidiaries to
increase the state-owned stake to controlling interest and to
liberalize the market of Gazprom shares. State-run company
Rosneftegaz will be the buyer.
On June 16, the Board of Directors of Gazprom finally decided how
much the company would receive from the state for 10.74% of its
shares. The stake was estimated at 203.5 billion roubles ($7.155
billion). Gazprom reports that four subsidiaries of the gas monopoly
will participate in the deal. These are Gazprombank,
Gazprominvestholding, Gazfond and Gazprom Finance BV. They will sell
10.74% of Gazprom shares to the state-run company Rosneftegaz.
Two government officials say that the state will receive the shares
in a few days but the new owner will pay for them by the end of the
year. One of the officials adds, “Rosneftegaz and Gazprom will
negotiate directly about the deadline for payment for the shares.”
The reason is that Rosneftegaz does not have money now and needs to
reach an agreement with a consortium of banks on a credit for buyout
of the shares.
The other official does not rule out that Gazprom will receive money
by autumn and Rosneftegaz will announce creation of a banking
syndicate by the shareholders’ meeting of Gazprom to be held on June
24. According to a preliminary scheme, Rosneftegaz will offer a block
of Rosneft shares as collateral to the creditors. Auditors from
2K-Audit estimated Rosneft at $26 billion. The official says that the
parties will determine the size of the stake in negotiations.
Independent member of the Board of Directors of Gazprom, Boris
Fedorov, promised to investors that Gazprom would receive money for
its shares in 2005. A source in Gazprom explains, “We are obliged to
close the deal by the end of the year, otherwise there is a risk that
it will be considered false.”
An official who participated in the meeting of the Board of Directors
of Gazprom reported that it did not take the directors much time to
approve the deal. He said, “We voted in accordance with the
governmental directive. There was no discussion.”
Proposal of the state was supported by the management of Gazprom and
independent members of the Executive Board, Boris Fedorov and CEO of
E. On Ruhrgas Burkhard Bergmann. CEO of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, who
negotiated with President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan on June 16,
voted in a written form beforehand.
The authorities and Gazprom did not agree on the price at once. The
Board of Directors of the gas monopoly were going to approve the deal
back on June 15, but could not do this because it had no governmental
directive. The Economic Development and Trade Ministry sent a draft
directive to the government on June 14, but Prime Minister Mikhail
Fradkov did not dare sign the document. The price of 203.5 billion
roubles indicated in the directive was not suitable for Gazprom,
which counted on at least at $8-8.5 billion.
According to Fedorov, due to the indecisiveness of the Prime Minister
directors stayed in Gazprom for seven hours on June 15, and left the
office at midnight. The Prime Minister signed the directive in the
daytime on June 16.
Now Gazprom is most of all concerned about the taxes that it will
have to pay from sale of the shares. According to Fedorov, Gazprom
will have to pay $1 billion of the $7.15 billion to the state.
Managing partner of Timothy’s, Yevgeny Timofeev comments, “Any
conversation about tax allowances is political. It is legally
impossible to minimize tax payments in such a deal.”
Fedorov states that Gazprom and the government are seriously inclined
to fully liberalize the market of Gazprom shares by the end of 2005.
Fedorov concludes, “There are no reasons to stop this process. If the
government submits amendments to the law on gas supplies to the
parliament in September, they will be passed quickly and the
presidential decree limiting turnover of the company’s shares may be
abolished earlier.”
Source: Vedomosti, June 17, 2005
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
KIRO MANOYAN: TURKEY UNLIKELY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TILL 2015
18.06.2005 06:32
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Taking into account the current developments in Turkey I
do not think it will recognize the Armenian Genocide till 2015′, Kiro
Manoyan, Director of Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau’s Hay
Dat and Political Affairs Office stated during online interview initiated by
OpenArmenia.com and PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, national mentality
revolution is essential for Turkey to acknowledge the Genocide. However the
authorities suppress any attempt of the kind at present. `I do not know
whether Armenia has worked out a package of demands, however it possesses
the juridical ground for announcing of the rights based upon international
agreements and jus gentum’, he said.