Author: Jhanna Virabian

Chechnya to open embassy in Azerbaijan – rights activist
Ekho, Baku
13 Jul 04
The Azerbaijani authorities intend to help Chechen refugees and do not
object to the opening of a Chechen representative office in Baku,
Chechenpress news agency, which is close to [rebel President] Aslan
Maskhadov, has said. Musavat Party chairman Isa Qambar has already
commented on this news in an interview with Chechenpress news agency.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
In an interview with Ekho newspaper, Chechen human rights activist
Mayrbek Taramov said that the former head of the Chechen
representative office in Azerbaijan, Ali Asayev, spread this news at a
meeting with the Chechen diaspora in Azerbaijan. The Chechen human
rights activist said that official Baku could have given the “green
light” to the opening of a Chechen representative office to spite
Moscow – after Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s strongly-worded
speech at the Council of Europe. Taramov said that the Azerbaijani
authorities are aware of Russia’s active support for Kocharyan in the
Karabakh issue.
Taramov also said that Moscow is unable to exert pressure on Baku
today.
“Azerbaijan is no longer a state that can be spoken to in the language
of force. The situation in the Caucasus leaves much to be desired for
Russia.”
Moreover, “why should the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria not have its
representative office in Baku if a representative office of the
‘Nagornyy Karabakh Republic’ is operating in Moscow,” the Chechen
human rights activist said.
The Russian embassy told Ekho yesterday that Azerbaijan has been
properly cooperating with the Russian Federation in the fight against
international terrorism. The embassy also noted that official Baku had
already expressed its position on the issue during the terrorist act
in Nord-Ost [theatre siege in Moscow in October 2002].
In turn, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press service said that
Azerbaijan regards all the republics of the Russian Federation as
parts of that state. Therefore, the Foreign Ministry does not have
direct contacts with any representative offices, the press service
said.
The Foreign Ministry said that it was cooperating directly with the
Russian embassy in Baku.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Mothers of detained Azeri anti-Armenian protesters ask presidential pardon
MPA news agency
8 Jul 04
BAKU
The mothers of the KLO [Karabakh Liberation Organization] members,
Mursal Hasanov, Manaf Karimov, Rovsan Fatiyev and Ilkin Qurbanov, who
were detained for protesting against the involvement of Armenian
officers in NATO’s conference on 23 June have appealed to President
Ilham Aliyev.
They said in their letter that the presence of the occupying army’s
officers in the republic could not but stir up emotions. The women
said that one could understand the detainees but could not understand
police officers who used force against the protesters. They asked the
president to show humanity and release their sons, saying they are
ready to bear responsibility for their sons’ guilt.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Greens Union of Armenia
Contact: Dr. Hakob Sanasarian,
President of The Greens Union
Address: Mamikoniants St. 47-13, Yerevan, Armenia.
Telephone: (374-2) 257 -634.
US Contact: Dr. Anne Shirinian, phone/fax (732) 462-9089
E-mail: [email protected]
PRESERVE THE ORCHARDS OF DALMA
Environmentalists from Armenia are asking from Armenian-American
organizations to appeal to the government of Armenia (through letters,
phone calls, etc.) for the preservation of the “Orchards of Dalma”,
situated in Yerevan.
In recent years, Yerevan’s Mayor’s Office has shown a consistent and a
clear posture in favor of building and developing the area occupied by
“The Orchards of Dalma” (The Orchards). This area, covering about 533
hectares, possesses undeniably great historic, cultural values and rare
natural resources (3000-year old water canals and underground tunnels,
rare plant species, such as rare species of grapevines, etc.). About 60
hectares out of 533 hectares have already been developed during the
Soviet period. A few years ago, The Greens had exposed former mayor
Bazeyan’s letter (01/18-2702N, 07.08.2000), addressed to the government,
offering “a scheme of functional zoning” of The Orchards. In this
letter-document, the Mayor was proposing to build a high-speed road
through The Orchards, also public areas occupying 25 hectares, two
housing complexes covering 70 hectares, a golf course – diplomatic club
occupying 50-60 hectares, etc. At the same time, with another
letter-document (02/18-110, 14.02.2003), the Mayor’s office has applied
to the Ministry of Nature Protection for permission to set aside 10
hectares of The Orchards. According to the letter, out of 10 hectares, 5
hectares will be used for the construction of a plant, which will be
manufacturing watch parts for a privately held Swiss company called
“Frank Muller Armenia”. Note that this plant will be producing toxic
waste-stream, for which there is no treatment plan reported or revealed
to the public. The architect’s letter claims that it is the wish of the
Swiss company to build its plant in The Orchards. ( According to our
sources, the major shareholder of this company is a Swiss citizen Vartan
Sermakesh. We would like to know if, indeed, Mr. Sermakesh has asked
for a building site in The Orchards, whether he has been informed of the
historic significance and of the natural values of The Orchards, and
whether he has been made aware of the availability of many other
industrial sites in other cities.)
Unfortunately, on March 27th, 2004, the prime minister signed Resolution
No. 1941-A, titled “About Changing Land Use and Borders of Lands In the
Preserve of Yerevan’s Orchards of Dalma”, thus opening this green and
unique area for development without any public discussions and without
putting this issue to a vote.
In addition, again, with no public discussion, and, in violation of
Armenian laws, the government has allocated (with unknown terms) a
portion of The Orchards to the territory of the US Embassy, which has
already begun construction on this site containing ancient archaeological
diggings.
Also, for many decades, 1,800 growers have been leasing a portion of The
Orchards and producing native crops, fruits and vegetables, at the same
time keeping it green and productive, while feeding their families.
With the present scheme of “zoning” and “development”, there will be no
land left to be leased to the growers, meaning that these growers will
suffer significant financial losses.
We would like to preserve the natural treasures of The Orchards of Dalma
for the future generations. We would like to preserve its
archaeological, historical and cultural values.
(end)
–Boundary_(ID_/X6/ZIvXZldiFeoKr5XZ9A)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish, French presidents discuss EU, Cyprus, “so-called” Armenian genocide
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
28 Jun 04

Istanbul, 28 June: Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met on Monday
[28 June] with French President Jacques Chirac, who is currently in
Istanbul for the NATO summit.
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier also attended the
meeting. Following the meeting, President Sezer’s Foreign Policy Chief
Adviser Sermet Atacanli told reporters that Sezer focused on Turkey’s
European Union (EU) membership in his meeting with Chirac.
Atacanli said that Sezer explained once again that Turkey expected
France, which was one of leading countries in the EU, to support
Turkey’s EU membership. Atacanli quoted Sezer as saying that Turkey
fulfilled all political criteria of EU, noting that Turkey expected to
be treated as other countries which fulfilled those criteria. Stating
that Sezer said in the meeting that he expected the report on Turkey
that would be announced by EU Commission in October to be positive,
Atacanli quoted President Sezer as saying that EU should set a date
for Turkey in December to start its membership negotiations with the
union.
Noting that Sezer also focused on Cyprus issue in his meeting with
Chirac, Atacanli quoted Sezer as saying that new developments took
place after referenda held in Cyprus on 24 April and Turkish Cypriot
side showed its determination for solution in referendum. Atacanli
said that Sezer noted in the meeting that Greek Cypriot side did not
put forth good will on that issue.
Atacanli stated that Sezer stressed that embargoes imposed on the
[self-declared] Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be
lifted immediately.
When asked what were the views of Chirac about Cyprus issue, Atacanli
said: “Both Chirac and French Foreign Minister, who also attended the
meeting, said that they are aware of developments in Cyprus and
welcomed the attitude of Turkish side and they noted this. Mr Chirac
said regarding the EU issue, ‘you know my stance about EU issue. And
you also know that my stance is positive.’ Mr Chirac said that Turkey
has started its EU trip 40 years ago and the EU has a 40 year of
commitment and this commitment concerns a vision related with the
future of Europe.” Atacanli said that Chirac also noted that the
commission report which would be presented in October was important.
When asked whether Armenian problem was brought onto agenda during the
meeting, Atacanli said that President Sezer stressed Turkey’s
sensitivity over the so-called Armenian genocide which is occasionally
brought onto agenda of the French Parliament.
Atacanli said that Sezer earlier invited Chirac to Turkey and he
repeated this invitation during the meeting. Atacanli added that this
invitation was accepted and the date would be cleared later.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress