Author: Jalatian Sonya

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
19-08-2005
Minister Oskanian meets Armenian Teachers of Diaspora
On August 19, Minister Oskanian met with Armenian teachers of Diaspora,
participating in a one-month training program.
Welcoming more than sixty teachers from 10 countries, Minister emphasized
the vital role of this training program in strengthening the
Armenia-Diaspora ties and in solving pan-Armenian problems especially in
preserving the Armenian identity.
The teachers expressed their gratitude for the high level of the training
program and noted that knowledge obtained from the meetings with professors
and scholars will give new impetus for their further works.
At the end of the meeting, Minister Oskanian presented Armenia’s foreign
policy priorities.

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Aug 20 2005
Reno Harnish: “The USA supports realization of the political
processes in Azerbaijan only by means of evolution”
20 August 2005 [09:41] – Today.Az
The USA ambassador Reno Harnish held a press-conference today in
connection with his visit to the Guba-Khachmaz region.
According to the information of the north bureau of APA, the ambassador
said that the goal of his visit was to be acquainted with the regions:
“We often visit the regions in order to be acquainted with facts in
the regions. At first, we pay attention to that how USA economic aids
are utilized”.
He informed that a milk production enterprise in Khachmaz, bee-keeping
farm, carpet-making enterprise in Guba started activity thanks to the
grants of USA. The ambassador saying that they will also meet with
the structures representing ethnical minorities noted that he already
met with the representatives of the Lezghin and Jewish communities
and one specialist on the Islam religion.
The ambassador also noted that his visit has special significance
on the eve of the parliamentary elections to be held in November and
said that he met with the executive heads and members of the parties.
As to the opinion of the ambassador noting existence of the forces
interested in straining the pre-election situation, some people want
to conduct elections in an old form: “The president informed that
he supports conduction of normal elections. But some persons try
to prevent the right of gathering in the regions. Resources of the
government are used for some candidates in signature gathering. This
is an old tradition. When saying it, I intend some forces in the
authority. They are against of giving the right of gathering to the
people in the decree issued by the president in May. I consider that
this also troubles the supporters of conduction of normal election
elections in Azerbaijan”.
The ambassador calling these parliamentary elections to be the “most
interesting elections” said that the USA supports realization of the
political processes in Azerbaijan only by means of evolution: “We
support realization of the political changes by means of elections.
Some respectable persons representing USA visited Azerbaijan.
M.Albright, deputy of the state secretary and me informed that we
support only conduction of the democratic elections in Azerbaijan.
While I am the ambassador in Azerbaijan, I will continue by visits.
It is impossible to get all information only sitting in Baku. We must
establish connection with all layers of the population. That is, I
am not the supporter of any political force’s seizing the power. The
USA elects neither political parties, nor candidates”.
The ambassador calling the USA to be the friend of Azerbaijan
stressed that they share their opinions with the authority and carry
out trainings for the political parties for normal conduction of the
elections. R.Harnish welcoming the decrees on abolishing imprisonment
on the persons arrested during the events happened on October 16
valued this as a positive step of the government.
The diplomat touching the solution of the Garabagh conflict stressed
once again that he supports peaceful solution of the problem. The
ambassador called the Moscow meeting of the MFA heads and Kazan
meeting of the presidents to be important events.
URL:

Head of PACE to arrive in Armenia
Caucaz.com, Georgia
Aug 18 2005
Yerevan, August 19 – Head of the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE) Rene van der Linden will arrive in Armenia August
18-20 at the invitation of the Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Arthur Baghdasarian.
The NA press service said on August 18 meetings of the ambassadors from
the Council of Europe member countries and representatives of NGOs will
take place. Rene van der Linden will also visit Tsitsernakaberd and
put wreath on the memorial of the victims of the Armenian genocide. On
the same day he will visit Etchmiadzin and meet with His Holiness
Catholicos Karekin II.
On August 19 he will meet with the NA delegation to PACE and with
representatives of other political forces. During the visit the head of
the PACE will meet with the Armenian NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian,
Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian, Justice Minister David
Harutyunian and Armenian President Robert Kocharian.

Research and Markets: With a subscriber growth of over 50%, the chart Africa, Middle East & Russian Wireless Landscape represents the fastest growing wireless regions in the world
Business Wire; Aug 18, 2005
Research and Markets ()
has announced the addition of Africa, Middle East & Russian Wireless
Landscape Wallchart to their offering.
With a subscriber growth of over 50%, this chart represents the fastest
growing wireless regions in the world. Africa, with the world’s lowest
penetration, holds huge opportunity for expansion, and has given birth
to a number of Africa focused service providers. On the other side
of the Red Sea, from Russia to Armenia and Turkey to Saudi Arabia,
strong infrastructure investment is underway by a mix of local and
international carriers.
Researched and designed in association with EMC, an Informa company
specialising in the gathering of wireless market intelligence, the
Africa, Middle East & Russian Wireless Landscape wallchart presents
a wealth of company specific and industry information, including:
Operator specific data:
— 2G, 2.5G and 3G subscribers
— Annual subscriber growth
— Operator ownership
— Vendor contracts awarded (2.5, 2.75G & 3G)
— MMS status
— Projected 3G launch date
— 3G license status
Market data:
— Subscribers per country
— Subscriber penetration per country
— Equipment vendor market share (2.5G, 2.75G and 3G)
Coverage: 212 operators from Africa, Middle East, Moldova, Belarus,
Russia and the Ukraine.
Size: A1 (841mm x 594mm)
For more information visit
and Markets
Laura Wood Senior Manager [email protected] Fax: +353 1
4100 980

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: “UN PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED IN ARMENIA STRIKING WITH
THIER EFFICIENCY”
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. UN programs implemented in Armenia
are striking both with their volume and efficiency. RA President Robert
Kocharian stated this receiving Consuelo Vidal, the newly appointed UN
Coordinator, the Permanent Representative of the UN Development Program
in Armenia, on August 17. The President expressed a hope that the
bilateral cooperation will go on with the same efficiency. According
to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s
Press Office, the newly appointed UN Coordinator in Armenia also
appriciated the productivity of implemented programs and active
assistance of the authorities of Armenia in that direction.

SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT MEETS WITH OUTGOING INDIAN AMBASSADOR
ARKA News Agency
Aug 16 2005
YEREVAN, August 16. /ARKA/. Speaker of the RA Parliament Artur
Baghdasaryan and Indian Ambassador to Armenia Dipak Vokhra discussed
the development of Armenian-Indian parliamentary relations. The sides
pointed out the importance of interparliamentary cooperation. The sides
also active development of bilateral trade and economic relations:
three large Indian companies are implementing large-scale investment
projects in Armenia’s jewelry, diamond-cutting and, in the near future,
tourist spheres. Speaker Baghdasaryan and Ambassador Vokhra discussed
issues of the Indian Vice-President’s forthcoming visit to Armenia. The
Indian Ambassador reported that the Indian delegation will include
businessmen engaged in information technologies, agriculture, food
processing, car sale. The sides also pointed out the importance
of cooperation in high technologies and the telecommunication
sphere. P.T. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Former Azerbaijan president, candidate for parliament, calls for sweeping reforms
By AIDA SULTANOVA
The Associated Press
08/16/05 14:51 EDT
MOSCOW (AP) – Azerbaijan’s former president, who is running in this
fall’s crucial parliamentary elections on Tuesday, called for sweeping
reforms in the oil-rich Caspian Sea nation.
Ayaz Mutalibov, who was the country’s first post-Soviet president,
also told The Associated Press in an interview that criminal charges
accusing him of negligence and of plotting to overthrow the government
were groundless.
“I am clean and honorable before my people. The sole reason why this
is being done is to delay me further and so that there is no political
competition,” he told AP.
Mutalibov was deposed in 1992 amid economic turmoil and losses in a
war with neighboring Armenia. Authorities have accused of orchestrating
coup attempts in 1995 and 1997 in the oil-rich nation.
On Monday, Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov again warned that Mutalibov
would be arrested if he returned to Azerbaijan.
This spring, Mutalibov announced he was joining an opposition alliance
seeking to gain a majority in Azerbaijan’s parliament, which currently
is dominated by President Ilham Aliev’s governing party.
Mutalibov, who has lived in Russia since his ouster, said Azerbaijan
needed sweeping reforms, including changes to the political system
and an overhaul of its economy. He said the country should move to
a parliamentary form of governance, with political parties taking
greater authority.
“(Aliev) has a beautiful chance to portray himself as a reformer.
This step could bring him not insignificant political dividends,”
he said.
Tensions between the government and opposition have risen sharply
in recent months with opposition groups accusing the government of
planning to rig the November election. Authorities say the opposition
is planning to foment unrest in a bid to seize power.
Azeribaijani opposition parties have been emboldened by the rise
to power of opposition groups in other former Soviet republics of
Ukraine and Georgia.
Azerbaijan’s October 2003 presidential election, in which Aliev
succeeded his late father, was widely viewed as marred by fraud.
In Baku, meanwhile, the ruling party announced Tuesday that Aliev’s
wife, Mehriban, would be a candidate in the November vote.

3 OF 10 GRAVES DESECRATED IN SOCHI TURN OUT TO BE ARMENIAN ONES
SOCHI, AUGUST 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On August 13,
some unknown persons destroyed 10 tombstones and monuments in the
cemetery of the village Razdolnoye (Sochi, Khosta region). According
to the newspaper “Erkramas” published by Russian Armenians, the word
“schizophrenia” was written on each of the destroyed graves, on several
of the tombstones – in chalk. It was found out that three Armenian
graves and seven Russian ones were destroyed. Police said that this
crime resembles the one committed in the cemetery of Verkhni Yuyt
village on July 29 when 29 tombstones (28 Armenian and a Russian)
were broken.

Opposition politician predicts impending change of power in Armenia
Arminfo
13 Aug 05
Yerevan, 13 August: “A change of power in Armenia is approaching and
it will be unexpected for many, but not for our party,” the deputy
chairman of the opposition National Unity Party [NUP], Aleksan
Karapetyan, said at a press conference today.
He promised the participants in the meeting that the budget will
quickly grow after his party comes to power, pointing to Georgia’s
example. Asked by our Arminfo correspondent whether his party expects
considerable support from Western organizations, which the Georgian
opposition received, Karapetyan stressed that party chairman Artashes
Gegamyan’s sharp criticism of “foreign moral teachers” concerned
exclusively the head of the OSCE mission in Armenia, Vladimir
Pryakhin. The NUP is in favour of relations with international
organizations.
Moreover, he expressed his confidence that it is impossible
to change the political environment in Armenia without Western
support. Karapetyan said that the West’s “soft” criticism of the
2003 presidential election in Armenia is a result of the Armenian
authorities’ pledge to make considerable concessions on the Karabakh
issue. Nevertheless, Karapetyan is sure that the current authorities
will not make any serious concessions and the West, in turn, will
bring the Armenian opposition to power.
[Passage omitted: minor details]

No evidence against Annan on Iraq food contract
Irish Times; Aug 11, 2005
Evelyn Leopold at the United Nations

THE UN: A key investigator of the UN oil- for-food programme in Iraq
has said there was “absolutely” no evidence UN secretary general Kofi
Annan had interfered in the awarding of a contract to a firm that
employed his son.
However, South African judge Richard Goldstone, said on Tuesday the
inquiry was still investigating “vigorously” whether Mr Annan had
advance knowledge of the bid by Swiss firm Cotecna Inspection SA,
which was awarded a lucrative contract in the humanitarian programme
for Iraq.
“We found absolutely no evidence implicating the secretary general, Mr
Annan, in the award of the Cotecna contract,” Mr Goldstone told the
BBC.
“That was handled by the appropriate organs within the United Nations
and there is absolutely not a tittle of evidence suggesting he tried
to influence that decision.”
Mr Goldstone is one of three commissioners leading the UN- established
independent inquiry committee, along with Paul Volcker, former head of
the US Federal Reserve, and Mark Pieth, a Swiss money-laundering
expert.
Mr Annan’s role will be analysed further in a report due in September,
shortly before he hosts a summit on UN reforms with more than 170
world leaders.
Meanwhile, a senior Cypriot government official has said that it is
unlikely to extradite the former head of the UN oil-for-food programme
to face allegations of receiving bribes.
Benon Sevan, a Cypriot of Armenian descent, was accused by UN
investigators of receiving almost $150,000 in kickbacks for oil
allocations under the programme he headed from 1997 to 2003.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
Asked how authorities would respond to any extradition request, an
official said: “There is a constitutional prohibition on extraditing
one of our nationals to another jurisdiction.” If a formal extradition
request was filed, a court could cite the constitution to block it.