Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Los Angeles Times
MAy 1 2004
Russians Again Foreigners in Latvia

As the Baltic state begins its integration with the West, resentment
of the past empire surfaces to close many doors to longtime residents.
By Kim Murphy, Times Staff Writer
RIGA, Latvia – Viktor Dergunov has lived in this graceful old city of
church spires and cobblestone streets since 1961, when the Soviet army
dispatched his father to this tiny Baltic republic that once formed
the forbidding edge of the Iron Curtain.
Over the decades, the Russian family came to see Latvia as their
home. Dergunov met and married Yelena, who was born in Riga. So were
their children and, last year, a granddaughter. But when Latvia
entered the European Union today along with nine other nations,
Dergunov and his family did not join other Latvians as new EU
citizens.

Their Latvian passports are marked “alien.” They will not be able to
travel through the rest of Europe, at least for the next few years,
without obtaining a visa. There are limits on the jobs they can hold
and the property they can own. They cannot vote, although a Spaniard
who establishes residence here is now eligible, as an EU citizen, to
vote in municipal elections.
When Dergunov, a 53-year-old anesthesiologist, was asked about
Latvia’s decision to join the European Union, he was blunt. “I can say
one thing: They didn’t ask us. We didn’t take part.”
The hundreds of thousands of Russians still living in Latvia, Estonia
and Lithuania 13 years after independence are among the most visible
reminders of the stunning transformation of the post-Cold War
landscape. In recently joining NATO as well as the EU, republics that
once were part of the Soviet Union are for the first time becoming
members of an alliance that for years was Russia’s sworn enemy.
In the Baltics, the Iron Curtain’s fault line still looms large. The
region carries the footprints of Hitler and Stalin’s armies, of five
decades of Soviet rule, of a grass-roots independence movement that
helped close the book on Russian dreams of enduring empire. In Latvia,
with half as many Russians as ethnic Latvians, there is little chance
of agreement on which is the greater cause for regret.
“To the majority of the Russian people, Latvia is something that was
ours and got away,” said Karlis Kaukshts, vice rector of the Baltic
Russian Institute. “It’s like an unfaithful husband.”
For Latvians, NATO membership represents security for a nation that
was subjected to Nazi and Soviet occupation. The tiny nation lost more
than half a million people to death, deportation and flight during
World War II, including more than 90,000 Latvians, Jews and Gypsies
who were killed in Nazi concentration camps.
Thousands more were deported to Siberian gulag camps after the war.
“It seemed peculiarly appropriate after the removal of the Iron
Curtain, and the whole of Eastern Europe finally being free of this
tyranny, to join a community of nations that had been totally
expanding, and at every wave of expansion had gained in strength,
gained in effectiveness and had shown visible benefits to every
country that had joined,” President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said in an
interview.
Moscow has watched the Baltics defecting to the West with
ill-concealed anxiety. When NATO F-16s began patrolling Baltic
airspace last month, a Russian jet illegally probed the edges of
Estonian airspace. Six Russian diplomats have been expelled from the
Baltics for alleged espionage since February, and Moscow has
reciprocated.
The greatest uproar occurred in March, when Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky,
the flamboyant Russian nationalist politician, predicted that NATO and
Russia would come to apocalyptic blows in the Baltics.
“Hatred of the Russians is pushing the Baltics into the paws of NATO,
and this puts them on the brink of death,” Zhirinovsky said. “The
conflict between NATO and Russia will be in the territory of the
Baltics. We will not be bombing Brussels. We will bomb Vilnius, Riga
and Tallinn.”
Leaders in those Baltic capitals issued furious protests.
“This is the head of a party who represents, what, 15% of Russian
voters? This is the vice speaker of their Duma. Make your own
conclusions,” Vike-Freiberga said. “What do you call it if someone
says they’re going to wipe you off the face of the Earth?”
The U.S. ambassador to Latvia, Brian E. Carlson, said there is no talk
of NATO bases in the Baltics. Yet he declined to downplay the fears
that drove Latvia into NATO’s embrace.
“The face of Russia seen up close is maybe not as benign as it looks
from a distance away,” he said. “People who are living here have
memories. Russia has marched into these countries before, and the idea
that people like Zhirinovsky are looking for an invitation to reoccupy
these countries to them is not that farfetched.”
Russia’s ambassador to Latvia, Igor Studennikov, said Russia “presents
no threat” to the Baltics. “We are proceeding from the assumption that
every country is entitled to join the alliances it wants,” he said.
“But we doubt it will enhance security in the region…. Humankind is
now faced with new kinds of threats – terrorism, illegal transborder
migration, drug trafficking – and these alliances do not protect
anyone from these threats.”
Many Russians in Latvia, like ethnic Latvians, opposed the Soviet
state and demonstrated for independence beside them in the streets of
Riga. They felt cheated after Latvia granted automatic citizenship
only to those who were citizens before Soviet occupation in 1940 and
to their descendants. For naturalization, residents must pass a test
on Latvia’s history and language, which many Russians see as an
insult.
“We grew up here. Our children grew up here. We buried our relatives
here. I’ve paid taxes. Do I really need to pass a test for that?”
Dergunov said. “Does the state really need this moment of palpable
humiliation to forgive me my origin?”
Conservative politicians have argued that Russians who do not wish to
learn Latvia’s language and history don’t belong.
“Most of the Russian people in Latvia are children or grandchildren of
the occupiers and colonizers of our homeland who invaded our country
in 1940…. After the war was over, their army was supposed to go
away, but they stayed,” said legislator Peter Tabunas, a member of the
nationalist Fatherland and Freedom faction.
“We made a very big mistake by going the long way of compromises with
them,” he added. “If they were really discriminated against, if they
really thought their life was so bad here, they’d be going back to
Russia. But they’re not.”
With EU membership likely to bring an influx of entrepreneurs lured by
Latvia’s low wages and prices, many Latvians see the preservation of
their language as a matter of national survival. The population is
dwindling at the rate of 1,000 a month – Latvia has the lowest
birthrate in Europe – and for many it is worrying that Russian is the
mother tongue of nearly 40% of the people.
Vike-Freiberga, who spent many years working as a psychologist in
Canada before returning to Latvia in 1998, began to understand the
problem when she went to a clinic for a vaccination.
“You arrive at the clinic speaking Latvian, in a country where Latvian
is the official language, and you find that nobody can answer you,”
she recalled. “It can be very distressing. And I think it could be
even more distressing for a Latvian to call up the fire station to say
there’s a fire, and be told, ‘Chto?’ ” – Russian for “What?”
Lawmakers ignited a firestorm in 1998 when they called for public
schools to teach only in Latvian. About 80,000 Russian-speaking
children attend school in Latvia, many at state-funded
Russian-language schools. Public universities already conduct all
instruction in Latvian.
Furious Russian teachers and parents appealed to the EU, arguing that
the move was an affront to European human rights standards. Latvian
officials compromised, backing regulations that will require secondary
schools to conduct at least 60% of their instruction in Latvian
beginning in September.
Karina Rodionova, a native of Armenia who met her Latvian husband
while attending college in Riga, sent her 14-year-old daughter,
Ruzanna, to a Latvian school for the first time last September. But
Ruzanna began failing all her classes and said the teachers refused to
help.
“Geography was a total humiliation,” the girl said. “The teacher
turned to me, looked me in the eye, and she said … ‘If Russians want
their education in Russian, why don’t they go the hell back to
Russia?’ All the children turned their heads. They were not laughing,
but they were looking at me. I rushed to the bathroom and cried.”
Rodionova scheduled a meeting with her daughter’s Latvian literature
teacher, who Rodionova said had repeatedly castigated the girl in
front of the class for being “stupid.”
The teacher spoke in Latvian. Rodionova speaks Russian, Armenian and
Georgian fluently but has never learned Latvian. ” ‘What’s the matter,
don’t you speak Latvian?’ ” Rodionova recalled the teacher asking. “I
said no. And she continued speaking in Latvian, even though she is
completely able to speak Russian. That’s the moment I began to
understand everything.”
Such stories are relatively rare in a country that has been
multiethnic through much of its history. The school debate has been
more political than personal, and in cities such as Riga, residents
seem to slide between the languages with little thought.
“I think it’s abnormal if a person is living here for 13 years and
can’t learn one language on an elementary level,” said Janis Olups, a
26-year-old waiter.
“But I think we young people, to continue to live a normal life, we
have to forget about the past. We should live in one nation. Because
we cannot resolve problems that were created by Stalin and Hitler.”
Times staff writer Sergei L. Loiko contributed to this report.

Albany Times Union, NY
May 3 2004
TV talker says pot is healing

After he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, TV talk show
host Montel Williams tried a battery of prescription drugs to combat
the extreme pain in his legs and feet.
OxyContin. Vicodin. A morphine drip that left him “in the corner,
drooling.” Nothing worked.

Then he tried pot.
“I tell you that the only thing that seems to work for me and make me a
contributing member of society is marijuana,” Williams said from London
during a recent telephone interview.
Williams said he prefers eating marijuana, but in a pinch, a few tokes
can bring his pain from a “level five down to a three.”
Williams has even started a company to package and market pot in
countries where it’s legal for sick people to use.
And, he’ll be in Albany Tuesday to lobby for legalization of medical
marijuana. He said he is scheduled to meet with Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno,
R-Brunswick.
The Democrat-led Assembly Health Committee has twice passed a bill to
allow marijuana prescriptions primarily for terminally ill patients. It
is widely endorsed by the medical community.
Nine states have passed such laws, but Bruno and Republican Gov. George
Pataki are opposed.
Williams, an ex-Marine and U.S. Naval Academy grad who says he voted
Republican or independent all his life, isn’t for legalizing marijuana
— or any other drug — for general use. But for those who are ill, his
opinion is clear.
“A doctor told me I could take up to 30 pills of OxyContin a day, yet
you’re going to tell me it’s not OK for me to take the equivalent of
one gram of pot and eat it in a cookie in the comfort of my own home?”
said Williams, 47. “Do you want a junkie or someone who’s paying their
taxes? I’ve been paying them real well for the past four years.” As of
Friday, the Powers Crane & Co. lobbying firm was no more.
After months of acrimony, founder Constance Crane and her partner since
2001, former state GOP Chairman Bill Powers, chose to go their separate
ways.
On May 1, Crane officially opened Crane & Vacco, with former state
Attorney General Dennis Vacco, who joined Powers Crane last fall, and
her husband, Jim Crane, a partner in the law firm Crane, Greene &
Parente.
Powers’s son, Matthew, will stick with dad. The firm’s clients will be
divvied up, and both firms will remain at 90 State St. It’s no secret
Republican President Bush is way behind in New York. But is he losing
some of his loyal base?
At the state Capitol last Monday to mark the Armenian Genocide Day of
Remembrance, Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, said he hopes a
resolution he’s introduced will pass so future anniversaries will be
honored by Congress and the president, “whoever that is.”
Could Sweeney, a key Bush operative during the 2000 Florida recount,
doubt Bush will be around much longer?
“Not at all,”said Sweeney’s press secretary Demetrios Karoutsos. “Our
support for the President hasn’t changed a bit.”
The remark, Karoutsos said, likely referred to all future presidents —
whoever they are. Contributors: Capitol bureau reporters Elizabeth
Benjamin and Erin Duggan. Got a tip? Call 454-5424 or e-mail
[email protected].

Sports Illustrated
Blake upset in first round of Munich Open
Posted: Monday April 26, 2004 3:05PM; Updated: Monday April 26, 2004 3:05PM
BERLIN (Reuters) – Armenia’s Sargis Sargsian upset American eighth-seed
James Blake 6-4, 7-6 in the first round of the Munich Open on Monday.
Blake’s compatriot Taylor Dent, seeded seventh, advanced by beating France’s
Antony Dupuis 7-6, 7-6.
Other first round winners included 2003 French Open runner-up Martin Verkerk
of the Netherlands. The fourth seed beat Sweden’s Joachim Johansson 6-4,
6-2.
Unseeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko knocked out Romanian sixth-seed Andrei
Pavel 7-6, 6-4. On Tuesday German top-seed Rainer Schuettler will face
Sweden’s Robin Soderling, who beat him in the first round of the Australian
Open in January.
Schuettler reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday but was
thrashed by Argentina’s Guillermo Coria.
Germany’s Tommy Haas, back after a 15-month break due to injury and fresh
from winning in Houston eight days ago, faces Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech
Republic on Tuesday.

The Halifax Herald, Nova Scotia, Canada
April 22 2004
Forever in her debt
Armenians remember N.S. nurse who saved thousands of orphans
By STEPHEN MAHER / Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA – A Nova Scotia woman was honoured Wednesday on Parliament
Hill for saving the lives of thousands of orphans in 1922.
Eighty-two years ago, Greece lost the city of Smyrna (now Izmir) to
Turkey. After the city fell, Turkish soldiers massacred thousands of
Greek and Armenian civilians and then set the city ablaze.
Sara Corning, a Red Cross nurse from the Chegoggin area of Yarmouth
County, helped to rescue 5,000 children, escorting them through chaos
to the harbour, where they were rowed in small boats to safety aboard
an American destroyer.
A year later, Ms. Corning was decorated for her bravery by King
George II of Greece, receiving the Silver Cross of the Knights of the
Order of the Saviour, which is similar to the Order of Canada. She
died in 1969 at the age of 97.
On Wednesday, Bagrat Galstanian, the bishop of the Canadian diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, presented relatives of Ms. Corning
with an encyclical – a papal letter – from Karikan II, the
Catholocos, or pope, of the church.
As Armenian-Canadians, dignitaries and relatives of Ms. Corning
struggled to hold back their tears, the encyclical was read:
“The name of the late philanthropist Sara Corning is very cordial and
precious to Armenians living around the world. Despite grave dangers
and difficulties in the Ottoman Empire, brought up by unprecedented
massacres, as a nurse she brought care and help to the persecuted
Armenians and those who survived unbearable tortures,” the letter
said.
“More specifically, we acknowledge with deep gratitude her efforts to
salvage several thousands of Armenian orphans from burning cities and
rural villages. With her life and her accomplishments, Sara Corning
confirmed to the world and condemned the great holocaust of the
Armenians.”
Ms. Corning’s grandniece, Margaret Pedersen, who lives in Toronto,
thanked the bishop for the letter.
“It is a great honour to have this,” she said. “And a full circle has
been completed. And I think we should all rejoice.”
Ms. Corning, who trained as a nurse in New Hampshire, joined the
American Red Cross during the First World War. She served in Turkey
during the war and afterward ran an orphanage for Amenians at the
foot of Mount Ararat.
She described her experience in Smyrna in a letter to an alumni
magazine.
“The Turkish army was just taking the city as we arrived, but we went
ashore and as the place was crowded with many sick refugees, we
opened a clinic to care for as many of them as we could, but it was
soon closed by the soldiers.
“We then went to another place and opened up, but before we could do
more than one or two dressings, they closed that also. After the city
was looted, then they began to burn it down, then the refugees had to
get to the shore, but many were drowned rather than be burned.
“Then we had to evacuate Miss Morley’s orphanage. They were counted
carefully as they came out and I was sent with the first ones to the
quay. From there they were taken by the sailors in small boats out to
the destroyer.”
Canada became one of few countries to formally recognize the genocide
of Armenian Turks during the First World War in a strongly worded
motion adopted 153-68 in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Government members were discouraged from voting for the motion, which
is sure to anger a Turkish government that has never recognized the
massacre of 1.5 million Armenians starting in 1915.
Nova Scotia MPs Alexa McDonough and Robert Thibault were present at
the reception Wednesday. There was a display of photographs from the
Yarmouth County Museum of Ms. Corning at work with orphans in Turkey.
Mary Anne Saunders, Ms. Corning’s first cousin twice removed and a
volunteer at the museum, was one of the relatives present for the
reception.
Sarkis Assadourian, the Armenian-Canadian Liberal MP for Brampton
Centre, organized the reception. In the House of Commons late
Wednesday, MPs voted 153-70 in favour of a private member’s bill
recognizing the massacre.
Ms. Corning’s relatives described her as a quietly determined woman
who was motivated by her strong Baptist faith. She retired to the
Chegoggin area in the late 1930s or early 1940s.
Ms. Corning rarely talked to her relatives about her experiences in
Turkey and Armenia, and her surviving relatives say they were in awe
of her as children.
“I think the people in my hometown were in awe of her because she had
travelled so and she had done something wonderful,” Ms. Saunders
said.
“And that didn’t come to many of her family. They were farmers who
stayed in the area, so she was really looked up to.”
Ms. Corning’s headstone bears the epitaph: “She lived to serve
others.”
Bishop Galstanian said that there is a lesson for everyone in the way
Ms. Corning lived.
“Looking at her story, we understand that justice shall prevail in
this world,” he said Wednesday.
“For us, her memory is very, very dear. Unfortunately, we couldn’t
recognize her in her lifetime properly. But now we’re happy that we
have this opportunity to recognize her memory and pray to the
Almighty for everlasting life for her.”
The bishop said we should remember the message on her headstone.
“The memory of Sara Corning tells us to be dedicated and selfless
people. This is a good model for us, for us to live and create and
pray in this way.”

Canadian Parliament recognizes Armenian genocide
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA, April 21 (Reuters) – The Canadian Parliament on Wednesday
ignored long-standing government policy and angered Turkey by formally
declaring that Ottoman Turks committed genocide against Armenians in
1915.
The House of Commons voted 153-68 to support a motion declaring the
events of 90 years ago as genocide, despite a plea from Foreign
Minister Bill Graham not to aggravate NATO ally Turkey.
Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were deliberately
slaughtered by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923. Turkey denies the
charges of genocide, saying the Armenians were among the many victims
of a partisan war raging during World War One as the Ottoman Empire
collapsed.
Graham quickly issued a statement after the vote stressing the motion
would not alter Ottawa’s official policy, which is that while the
events of 1915 were a tragedy, they did not constitute genocide.
Our “position on this issue … has not changed. Canada has had
friendly and cooperative relations with Turkey and Armenia for many
years. The Canadian government is committed to make these
relationships even stronger in the future,” he said.
But the result looked certain to harm ties with Turkey and represented
a sound defeat for the government, which had instructed Cabinet
members to vote “no.”
Before the vote, Graham sent a letter to Liberal lawmakers saying he
was “deeply concerned that it (the motion) could have far-reaching
negative consequences” for Turkey and the region.
“We must recognize we must have good relations with our NATO colleague
in Turkey … (which) is a very important NATO ally that we work with
closely in many areas, including Afghanistan,” he told reporters.
Despite his efforts, no less than 75 Liberal legislators voted for the
resolution. In recent years, parliaments in more than a dozen
countries — including France, Russia and Switzerland — have adopted
similar motions.
Ankara has fought hard to block attempts to press for international
recognition of the events as a genocide.
“Certainly, relations with Canada will suffer as the result of
adopting such a motion,” Turkish Embassy counselor Fazli Corman told
Reuters, citing the example of Canadian companies seeking to sign
contracts in Turkey.
France’s parliament backed the Armenian case in 2001, prompting Turkey
to freeze official visits to France and temporarily block French
companies from entering lucrative defense contracts.
The U.S. Congress dropped a similar resolution in 2000 after the White
House warned it would harm U.S. security interests in the Middle East.
(Additional reporting by Randall Palmer in Ottawa)
04/21/04 20:54 ET

PRESS OFFICE
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;
His Eminence Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan visits
Armenian Church Canadian Diocese
Upon the invitation of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate
of the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese the Primate of the Diocese of
Artsakh His Eminence Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan will be visiting
Canada from the 22nd to 29th April 2004.
-On Friday night, 23rd April 2004 Abp. Martirosyan will participate in
the Martyrs Prayer and Ecumenical service to be held at St Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Cathedral commemorating the 89th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide. Present will be Montreal Church leaders and
eminent politicians.
-On April 24, Abp Martirosyan will be celebrating the Holy Divine
Liturgy at Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Toronto, where regional
Church Leaders and ecumenical representatives will be attending the
special requiem service dedicated to the victims of the Armenian
Genocide.
-On 25th and 26th April, Abp. Martirosyan will visit the Armenian day
school of Toronto and will meet with the representatives of the
Armenian Community of Toronto.
-Upon the instruction of His Eminence Bishop Galstanian, Primate of
the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese, a meeting will be held on the
27th April, 2004 with the Youth of Greater Montreal Area.
On 28th of April, a special reception will be held in honor of His
Eminence Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan, giving an opportunity to
Armenian Community members to meet with His Eminence Archbishop
Martirosyan.
His Eminence Abp. Martirosyan has been the spiritual leader of and an
active participant in the war of liberation of Mountainous Karabakh
(Artsakh province of Historic Armenia). His Eminence was one of the
first Armenians to enter Shoushi, the strategic stronghold that was
held by the Azerbaijani forces. Shoushi’s conquest became the turning
point of liberation of Artsakh. Abp. Martirosyan immediately cleaned
up the All Saints (Amenapergitch) Armenian Church of the city and
celebrated the Divine Liturgy, giving thanks to the Lord for the
liberation of the once vibrant Armenian city of Shoushi. The Primate,
Diocesan clergy, Diocesan Council members and faithful are delighted
and honored to welcome His Eminence Abp Bargev Martirosyan, Primate of
the Diocese of Artsakh.
DIVAN OF THE DIOCESE

Azeri, Turkish presidents urge “stage-by-stage” Karabakh solution – TV
ANS TV, Baku
13 Apr 04

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has called for a stage-by-stage
resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. Speaking after his
meetings in Ankara on 13 April broadcast by ANS, Aliyev said that he
shared the view of his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Sezer that the
conflict should be resolved “on the basis of international norms and
within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity…and in a
stage-by-stage manner”. The following is the text of the report by
Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 13 April; subheadings have been inserted
editorially:
[Presenter over video of the meetings] Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev is today paying his first official visit to Turkey.
He met Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul at the airport. Right
from there Aliyev went to Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Ataturk who was
the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Following his meetings with
Turkish officials, Aliyev held talks with Gul in the premises prepared
for him.
Next, Aliyev met in Ankara’s Cankaya district Turkish President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer, who thanked him for visiting Ankara at Sezer’s
invitation. Sezer said that Aliyev’s first official visit to Turkey
will bring the two countries even closer together and said that
Azerbaijan and Turkey will forever have friendly and brotherly
relations. He said Turkey closely monitors developments in the
Caucasus and attaches great importance to peace in the region.
Speaking about the Nagornyy Karabakh negotiations, Aliyev talked about
the importance of international justice. He said that Azerbaijan felt
Turkish support at the most difficult stages of its history and he
hoped for Turkish support in settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
as well.
In his speech, Aliyev recalled Heydar Aliyev’s recommendations and
foreign policy. Our strength is in our unity, such was the essence of
Heydar Aliyev’s policy, end of quote.
We will now have a link with Turkey. ANS TV’s special correspondent
Qanira Pasayeva is on the air. Which topics were discussed during the
meetings, Qanira?
Stage-by-stage Karabakh solution
[Correspondent Qanira Pasayeva] The meeting between Aliyev and Sezer
took longer than expected, longer than the 35 minutes envisaged by
protocol. An expanded meeting with the involvement of Azerbaijani and
Turkish officials was held later.
In general, the meeting outlined prospects and directions for future
cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict, ways of settling it, and the situation in the South Caucasus
featured prominently at the talks between the two presidents and in a
joint declaration which they signed. In their briefings, the
presidents attached special importance to the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem.
The declaration signed by the presidents also put special emphasis on
the Nagornyy Karabakh issue. Sezer said that the presence of
unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus, including the one in
Nagornyy Karabakh, is one of the factors which undermine stability in
the region. He openly said that Turkey has always been in favour of
settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict in line with international
law, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Sezer said
Turkey will never budge from this position.
[Sezer] Once again we would like to tell our Azerbaijani brothers that
we will do our best to resolve the conflict in accordance with
international law, in a stage-by-stage and peaceful manner. I am happy
to see that Aliyev shares my views on establishing peace, stability,
and cooperation in the South Caucasus.
[Correspondent] Aliyev’s remarks also showed that the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict was the main topic at the talks. Aliyev said that
Azerbaijan tries to resolve the conflict in accordance with the norms
of international law and will never abandon these principles. He said
that the stage-by-stage approach to resolving the conflict should be
the main one at the talks.
[Aliyev] Turkey has always been together with Azerbaijan on ways of
resolving the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh,
and today’s talks show this once again. This conflict must be resolved
on the basis of international norms and within the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. It can be resolved, as Sezer said,
in a stage-by-stage manner.
Pipelines to be built on time
[Correspondent] Economic ties was the second topic to be
discussed. Documents were signed on this. It was especially noted that
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and the Baku-Erzurum gas pipelines will be
build on time. The declaration also stipulates that the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline must start to function by May 2005, and
the Baku-Erzurum gas pipeline will start to operate in 2006. The
declaration also expressed the hope that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
would reach an agreement and Astana would join the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
project.
Economic cooperation
[Presenter] What other meetings were held and which documents were
signed?
[Correspondent] Various documents were signed. I already talked about
the declaration. In addition, a document on long-term economic
cooperation was signed. It says, for instance, that the trade turnover
between Azerbaijan and Turkey reached 400m dollars between
2000-04. Describing this as a positive development it also hoped that
the turnover will go up to 1bn dollars in coming years. The document
is to give a fresh impetus to that.
An agreement was signed with the Azerbaijani Airlines. According to
information which we have just received, the company wants to fly from
Naxcivan [Azerbaijan’s exclave] to some Turkish cities. This has to do
with Naxcivan’s development. The two countries also signed accords on
cooperation in industry, property rights, culture and customs.

PRESS RELEASE
City of Glendale, CA
613 E. Broadway, Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91206
Contact: Ritch Wells
Tel: 818-548-4844
Fax: 818-547-6740
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
WEEK OF REMEMBRANCE 2004
Media Contact: Zizette Ayad, Sr. Administrative Analyst
(818) 548-4844
A panel discussion focusing on “Man’s Inhumanity to Man,” a Commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide and a book drive will highlight the City of Glendale’s
“Week of Remembrance 2004” during the month of April. The events are free
and the public is encouraged to attend.
The Genocide Collection Book Drive will run during the month of April.
Donated items may include books and audio materials which will be evaluated
for inclusion in the Glendale Central Library’s “Genocide Collection.” All
donations can be dropped off throughout the month at any Glendale Public
Library Branch or at the Glendale Civic Auditorium on Saturday, April 24.
The panel discussion on “Man’s Inhumanity to Man” will be aired the week of
April 19 on the City’s Government Access Channel, GTV6, on Charter Cable.
The educational student discussion will be moderated by Sonali Kohatkar of
KPFK Radio. Panelists will include Dan Alba, Program Director of the Los
Angeles office of “Facing History and Ourselves” and Professor John Roth
from Claremont McKenna College.
The Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide will be held on Saturday, April
24, between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 N.
Verdugo Road. Attendees are encouraged to view an art exhibit and donate
blood to the American Red Cross. A formal program will commence at 7 p.m.
including musical presentations and performances. At 8 p.m., there will be
a candlelight vigil outside of the Civic Auditorium at the future site of a
monument commemorating the genocide.
For additional information, please contact Zizette Ayad (818) 548-4844.

CENN – APRIL 6, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. NGO Targets Pipeline Disclosure
2. BTC Sangachal Terminal Construction Works Fits The Schedule
3. Rigid Tariff Policy of Russia
4. Caspian Sea States to Discuss the Sea’s Status
5. Creation of Alternative Energy Sources is Dictate of Time
6. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
7. Transport corridor North-South actively operating, developing
8. Switzerland provides Armenia with 6.5m Swiss aid
9. KFW Bank to give 4.7m euros to reconstruct of Alaverdi substation
10. Germany to loan Armenia 4.7 mln euros for power station
11. International Press Release by: Bankwatch (Czech Republic), Campagna
Per La Riforma Della Banca Mondiale (Italy), Amis De LA Terre (France),
Both Ends (Netherlands)
1. NGO TARGETS PIPELINE DISCLOSURE
Source: Georgia’s English Language Daily, `The Messenger’, April 6, 2004
The Krtsanisi-Mtasminda District Court satisfied the appeal of the
Georgian NGO Green Alternative (GA) on April 2, 2004 and called for
parliament to guarantee the official publication of the
intergovernmental agreement on the BTC construction.
The agreement signed between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey and its
appendixes were ratified by the Parliament on Amy 31, 2000, but the
Georgian government has not officially publicized these documents.
According to GA, `the public should be aware and interested of what is
written in these documents,’ because this agreement describes the legal
aspects behind the BTC project. As the representative from the NGO
stated: `maybe the document was not publicized because the government
should pay money for printing it and it is large.’
Meanwhile, BP claims it `did everything’ to make the public aware of the
text of the agreement and points to its online document collection. As
Rusudan Medmariashvili from BP explains, the company has a text of the
agreement on its website `presented in two languages’, Georgian and
English. She adds it is impossible to publicize the complete text of
agreement itself `is a large volume’.
Mrs. Medmariashvili says the agreement between governments is available
in the collection of the government to make such documents public’. The
text of the agreement as well as other documents on the BTC pipeline can
be found on: in Turkish, Azeri,
Georgian and English.
The environmental NGO actively working on monitoring the BTC pipeline,
GA has frequently appeared in court to challenge the pipeline project.
In late March the group appeared in the court on another case regarding
the BTC that it finally lost. GA brought a case against the Ministry of
Environment of Georgia and the BTC Co., in Tbilisi Regional Court. The
NGO asked the court to annul the document issued by the Ministry on
November 30, 202 that permitted the construction of the BTC pipeline on
Georgian territory.
GA claimed the permission was issued in violation of Georgian
legislation and citizens’ constitutional rights. It also claimed that
the process lacked transparency and that the public should have been
informed about the government’s decision.
As a result, the NGO claims the Aarhus Convention was violated a UN
sanctioned document that provides for proper access to information in
decision-making processes regarding environmental issues.
Defendants at the BTC Co. said it took all necessary measures to ensure
the proper access to information and public participation and therefore
met all obligations of the Georgian government.
In response to the court verdict, the environmental group argues `the
judges were biased’ and that is why they gave wrong interpretation to
the articles of the Georgian Constitution and the Aarhus Convention.
According to GA it plans to apply to the Supreme Court as well as to the
Aarhus Convention committee in Denmark to appeal the Tbilisi Regional
Court decision on that case.
2. BTC SANGACHAL TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION WORKS FITS THE SCHEDULE
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
April 5, 2004
The construction works, carried out on Sangachal terminal, within the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project, fits the schedule.
How report experts, 60% of works on BTC head pumping station PS-A1
construction works have been completed by the present time. The station
will consist of four main and one additional pump. The pumps have been
delivered to the terminal and installed, currently; they are being
connected to the pumping station.
An alliance Spie Capag/Petrofag is the contractor on the BTC pumping
stations construction on the territory of Azerbaijan and Georgia, which
at the same time carried out construction of the Georgian pipeline
section.
The length of BTC pipeline is 1,762 km, diameter is 42 inches, has eight
pumping stations (4 on the territory of Turkey, 2 on the territories of
each Azerbaijan and Georgia) and 98 stations with stopcocks.
Sangachal terminal extension works have been completed by 90% within the
project of full-scale ACG (Azeri-Chyrag-Guneshli) field’s development.
According to experts, the frameworks of the first and second oil storage
reservoirs each with an 800 thousand barrel (110 thousand tons) capacity
have been already assembled. Currently the reservoirs are painted. Apart
from that the construction of associated water storage reservoir with a
50 thousand barrel capacity has started. In particular, the reservoir
foundation is being prepared.
A French company CMP Enterpose realizes the construction of storage
reservoirs on Sangachal terminal. The contract includes the construction
of two oil storage reservoirs each with a 110 thousand ton (800 thousand
barrels) capacity and the smaller associated water storage reservoir
with a 50 thousand barrel capacity. The oil storage reservoirs must be
ready by June 2004. As per the estimation, the cost of works will make
$16 million.
In the future the construction of another 800 thousand barrel capacity
reservoir is planned, which will allow bringing the oil storage
capacities to 2.5 million barrels.
The Sangachal terminal extension is run by Azfen/Tekfen. Its total cost
will equal approximately $345 million. The new terminal total area will
make 540 hectares.
On the peak of ACG oil extraction in 2008 the terminal capacity will
reach 1 million barrels of oil and 700 million cubic feet of natural gas
per day.
3. RIGID TARIFF POLICY OF RUSSIA
Source: Russian Information Agency, NOVOSTI, April 5, 2004
Russian deputy foreign minister Viktor Kalyuzhny believes that the
reason for the connection of Kazakhstan to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline is
the rigid tariff policy of Russia, he said at a press conference in RIA
Novosti on April 5, 2004.
“We should be more flexible in the issues of the tariff policy. This
will make Russia attractive for the transit of energy products through
its territory,” Kalyuzhny pointed out.
According to him, the Russian northern route Baku-Novorossiisk can
ensure the transportation of all the oil produced in the Caspian region.
In particular, Kalyuzhny is of the opinion that the Russian Transneft
Company may be in charge of transporting the energy products.
“It has a great backlash of possibilities for this,” he said
4. CASPIAN SEA STATES TO DISCUSS THE SEA’S STATUS
Source: Iran Press Service, April 5, 2004
Kamal Kharrazi, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Iran called Monday for a
“friendly and just” solution to the crippling problem of dividing the
Caspian Sea waters.
Arriving to the Russian Capital for taking part at a meeting of foreign
affairs ministers of the world’s biggest land-locked lake littoral
states to discuss the Sea’s legal status as from Tuesday, he said Iran
was working hard to find a “just solution acceptable to all neighboring
states”, but did not spelled out details of the solution Iran is
seeking.
Sources close to the meeting told Iran Press Service that the ministers
are expected to discuss ways of removing obstacles to the sharing of the
waters and its huge energy resources, including finding a “viable”
convention on legal regime” of the Caspian Sea.
While Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have already defined their deep
water borders and exploits its natural resources, including oil and
natural gas, Iran calls for a condominium, or common sovereignty, over
the Sea and has made it known that it will reject any unilateral action
for energy exploration before the issue of the legal regime is settled.
Iran insists that the waters must be divided on equal shares of twenty
per cent for each coastal nation while it would not get more than 13 if
the waters are allocated according to each country’s coast that give
Kazakhstan 33 per cent, Russia 19, Azerbaijan 18 and Turkmenistan 17 per
cent.
Two years ago, Iran threatened Azerbaijan with military action with
sending gunboats and warplanes after oil exploring ships working for
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company started working in waters that Iran
claims sovereignty.
For its part, Turkmenistan, due to disputes with Azerbaijan, has also
refused to define its water borders with other neighbors.
“This meeting is considered as a good opportunity for exchanging views
on issues of the Caspian Sea at the foreign ministerial level”, he told
journalists on his arrival, adding one has to held each other in trying
to find a solution that would satisfy all parties”.
The Caspian Sea is believed to hold the world’s third-largest oil and
natural gas reserves and a general consensus of territorial issue is
seen as vital for the development and export of the region’s natural
resources.
But observers noted that for the first time, Tehran was not trumpeting
on its known position of sharing the waters, softening its attitude that
has kept many international oil companies from entering the lucrative
market.
“The Islamic Republic always supports the resolution of issues relating
to the Caspian Sea and in Moscow too would outline its stances and call
for the exploitation of Caspian resources by all its littoral states and
cooperation among them in various fields”, the official news agency IRNA
quoted Mr. Hamid Reza Asefi, the senior spokesman for the Iranian
Foreign Affairs Ministry as having said.
The meeting would also examine the possibility of holding the next heads
of state meeting of the Caspian littoral countries in Tehran, he added.
“The five states have tried to keep a lid on their differences since the
legal regime of the land-locked waters was catapulted to the core of the
dispute following the collapse of the Soviet Union”, IRNA noted in a
dispatch from Tehran.
Kharrazi also voiced Tehran opposition to the presence of foreigners in
the region, a reference to the presence of American forces in
neighbouring Azerbaijan.
Russia that is also against the presence of foreigner in the region has
warned the United States to `not interfere in talks on delineating the
oil-rich Caspian Sea.
“The countries of the Caspian region should settle the problems by
themselves, in a family way, so to speak, without attracting mediators,”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Kalyuzhny, a presidential envoy
on the Caspian basin, said in an interview published in Nezavisimaya
Gazeta, adding that “the external factor will only cause problems”.
5. CREATION OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES IS DICTATE OF TIME
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
April 5, 2004
Natural climatic conditions in Azerbaijan open wide possibilities for
use solar and wind energy as alternative sources. According to Chair of
the Milli Majlis Standing Commission on Natural Resources, Energy and
Ecology Asya Manafova, the `State Program of Social and Economic
Development of Regions of the Azerbaijan Republic’ underlines the
necessity of use of the alternative energy sources to supply to the
country’s population with electric power in full measure in 2004-2008.
`No state duty will be collected for import of necessary technical
equipment for creation of alternative energy sources,’ she said.
6. STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
(POPs) to enter into force on 17 May 2004
PRESS RELEASE
Geneva/Nairobi, 18 February 2004 – The 2001 Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) will become legally binding on 17
May 2004, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced today.
The 90-day countdown to the treaty’s entry into force was triggered on
17 February 2004 when France became the 50th state to ratify the
agreement. `Of all the pollutants released into the environment every
year by human activity, POPs are the most dangerous. For decades these
highly toxic chemicals have killed and injured people and wildlife by
inducing cancer and damaging the nervous, reproductive and immune
systems. They have also caused uncounted birth defects,’ said UNEP
Executive Klaus Toepfer.
`By committing governments to eliminating production and environmental
releases of these chemicals, the Stockholm Convention will greatly
benefit human health and the environment. It will also strengthen the
overall scope and effectiveness of international environmental law,’ he
said. Governments will pursue a rapid start to action under the treaty
when they meet for the first session of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention (COP 1) in Punta del Este, Uruguay in early 2005. One of
this meeting’s priorities will be to assist countries to combat malaria
by replacing DDT with the increasingly safe and effective alternatives.
The COP will also establish a Committee for evaluating other chemicals
and pesticides that could be added to the initial target list of 12 POPs
(these are aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex,
toxaphene, polychlorinated biphenols or PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, dioxins
and furans).
Still another key goal for the COP will be to finalize guidelines for
promoting `best environmental practices’ and `best available techniques’
that can reduce or eliminate releases of dioxins and furans (perhaps the
most toxic of all the POPs) from a wide range of industrial and other
sources.
Every human in the world carries traces of these chemicals in their
bodies. POPs are highly stable compounds that can last for years or
decades before breaking down. They circulate globally through a process
known as the “grasshopper effect”. POPs released in one part of the
world can, through a repeated process of evaporation and deposit, be
transported through the atmosphere to regions far away from the original
source. In addition, POPs concentrate in living organisms through
another process called bioaccumulation. Though not soluble in water,
POPs are readily absorbed in fatty tissue, where concentrations can
become magnified by up to 70,000 times the background levels. Fish,
predatory birds, mammals, and humans are high up the food chain and so
absorb the greatest concentrations. And when they travel, the POPs
travel with them. As a result of these two processes, the Inuit and the
animals they consume in the Arctic — thousands of kilometers from any
major POPs source – suffer particularly high levels of POPs in their
bodies. But POPs are equally dangerous to people working with pesticides
or living near POPs sources, particularly in developing countries, where
a lack of equipment and expertise leads to accidental exposures.
Most of the 12 chemicals will be banned immediately. However, the use of
DDT for disease vector control under World Health Organization
guidelines is considered an acceptable purpose because it is still
essential in many countries to control malaria transmission by
mosquitoes. This will permit governments to protect their citizens from
malaria – a major killer in many tropical regions – until they are able
to replace DDT with chemical and non-chemical alternatives that are
cost-effective and environmentally friendly. So, contrary to some
claims, no one will die of malaria because of the Stockholm Convention.
In fact, the Convention should help direct research and development
towards more effective means of malaria control.
In addition to banning uses, the treaty focuses on cleaning up the
growing accumulation of unwanted and obsolete stockpiles of pesticides
and toxic chemicals. Dump sites and toxic drums from the 1950s, `60s,
and `70s are now decaying and leaching chemicals into the soil and
poisoning water resources, wildlife, and people. In the case of PCBs,
although they are no longer produced, hundreds of thousands of tons are
still in use in electrical transformers and other equipment. Governments
have until 2025 to phase out these uses, which gives them time to
arrange for PCB-free replacements. Not later than 2028, governments must
dispose of these PCBs in an environmentally sound manner.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to POPs. The problem is often that
high costs, a lack of public awareness, and the absence of appropriate
infrastructure and technology have often prevented their adoption.
Solutions must be tailored to the specific properties and uses of each
chemical, as well as to each country’s climatic and socio-economic
conditions.
To ensure that such solutions are exploited, donors have pledged to
contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding over the next
several years. The Global Environment Facility is the principal entity
of the interim financial mechanism of the treaty. It has already
mobilized resources to support POPs projects in more than 100 countries.
Backed by an alliance of developed and developing countries – and with
both industry and environmental groups on board – the Stockholm
Convention holds the promise of a POPsfree world for future generations.
For additional information, please contact:
Eric Falt, Spokesperson/Director of UNEP’s Division of Communications
and Public Information, on
Tel: +254 20 623292,
Mobile: +254 (0) 733 682656,
E-mail: [email protected];
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Head of Media, on
Tel: +254 20 623084,
Mobile: +254 733 632755,
E-mail: [email protected]; or
Michael Williams in Geneva at
Tel: +41-22-917 8242, +41-79-409
Mobile: 1528 (cell) or [email protected].
See also
7. TRANSPORT CORRIDOR NORTH-SOUTH ACTIVELY OPERATING, DEVELOPING
Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency, April 5, 2004
The transport corridor North-South “is actively developing and already
the operational project,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor
Kolyuzhny said on Monday. Russia and Iran initiated the creation of the
corridor.
“The project is operational, evokes great interest, but additional
efforts to create the fleet of ferry boats and unify the tariff policy
of states concerned will be needed,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile the deputy minister noted that many countries wish to join the
project. “Russia has already considered and put forth a proposal to
include Azerbaijan and Armenia in the project,” the diplomat pointed
out.
8. SWITZERLAND PROVIDES ARMENIA WITH 6.5M SWISS AID
Source: ArmenPress, April 5, 2004
The governments of Armenia and the Swiss Confederation signed on April
3, 2004 an agreement on technical, financial and humanitarian
cooperation as part of the regional cooperation in the framework of
which Armenia will receive 3.5 million Swiss Frank as a technical aid
and 3 million Franks as a humanitarian assistance. Armenian Finance and
Economy minister Vartan Khachatrian and Head of Policy Department at the
Swiss Foreign Ministry Blez Goden signed the agreement.
The focus of the cooperation program, which will be implemented in
Georgia and Azerbaijan as well, will be on promoting quality of
governance, effective exploitation of natural resources and the disaster
consequences. The program also aims at promoting the economy and
integrating Armenia into the world economy.
Switzerland has assisted Armenia since 1988 earthquake, mainly in the
form of humanitarian assistance. Starting 1991, major focus was on
long-term development programs. During 1993-2001, the government of
Switzerland provided Armenia with 23-25 million dollars of humanitarian
assistance within the framework of regional programs.
9. KFW BANK TO GIVE 4.7M EUROS TO RECONSTRUCT OF ALAVERDI SUBSTATION
Source: ArmenPress, April 5, 2004
Armenian finance and economy minister Vartan Khachatrian and Germany’s
ambassador Hans Wulf-Bartels signed an agreement by which the German KFW
bank will allocate a 4.7 million euro credit for reconstruction of a
major power sub-station in the northern Armenian town of Alaverdi to
ensurea better transmission of Armenia-generated electricity to
neighboring Georgia.
A KFW representative in Armenia, Karapet Gevorkian, recalled that KFW
had already released loans for major reconstruction of two other major
sub-stations in Vanadzor and Kamo. The reconstruction of Alaverdi
sub-station will increase its reliability and capacities to allow an
uninterrupted transmission of electricity to Georgia and through it to
also other countries.
The project is part of a major program aimed to reform the power grid.
Unlike other previous two loans this one is given not to the government,
but to High Voltage Electricity Lines Company with the government
assuming to guarantee its return. The loan is given with two-year grace
period, for five years at 2 percent of annual interest rate.
The amount of German loans to Armenia since 1995 has amounted to 110
million euros.
10. GERMANY TO LOAN ARMENIA 4.7 MLN EUROS FOR POWER STATION
Source: Information Agency, Interfax, April 5, 2004
The German government is to allocate a 4.7 million euro loan to Armenia
for an upgrade of the Alaverdi-2 power station, from which electricity
is delivered to Georgia.
German Ambassador to Armenia Hans Wulf Bartels and Armenian Finance
Minister Vardan Khachatrian signed the loan agreement on April 5, 2004.
The loan will be disbursed through KfW of Germany for 12 years at 5%
annually with a two-year grace period, Khachatrian said at a briefing.
The upgrade will increase the reliability of the power station and equip
it with modern European equipment as well as increasing its capacity, he
said.
11. INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE BY: BANKWATCH (CZECH REPUBLIC), CAMPAGNA
PER LA RIFORMA DELLA BANCA MONDIALE (ITALY) , AMIS DE LA TERRE (FRANCE),
BOTH ENDS (NETHERLANDS)
A EUROPEAN APPEAL TO THE WORLD BANK:
Make poverty alleviation a priority! Support renewable energies and
phase out oil projects!
Yesterday the European Parliament approved a resolution in support for
the adoption and implementation of the two-year-long highly professional
multi-stakeholder analyses by the Extractive Industries Review of the
Bank’s involvement in financing extractive industries report
recommendations. The day before the European Commission, called by the
Green Group to answer before the European Parliament, expressed its
strong support for the full implementation of EIR recommendations.
The independent study was commissioned by WB President Wolfensohn in
2000 to examine the World Bank Group’s (WBG) support for oil, mining,
and gas projects within the context of the World Bank’s affirmed mission
of poverty reduction and promotion of sustainable development. The
recommendations of the review team, led by Emil Salim, former
Environment Minister of Indonesia, are up for decision after the Spring
Meetings of the Bretton Woods Institutions in May.
An overwhelming majority of Euro Parliamentarians from all political
groups demanded yesterday in the resolution, that the World Bank Group
has to change his energy lending priorities and reform its social and
environmental standards, along the report recommendations, in order to
make financial support for oil gas and mining conditional on ‘good
governance’, respect for human rights by companies and governments,
pro-poor achievements and sustainable development.
`The European Parliament resolution calls on the Irish Presidency to
consult with relevant ministers of Member States on the Extractive
Industries Review in order to reach a common position in support of the
report’ says Jaroslava Colajacomo of the Italian based NGO Campagna per
la riforma della Banca Mondiale `this is an important message from the
Parliament to the EU Councill. We hope that this time European
countries, which hold almost 30% of the vote on the Boards of the World
Bank and the IMF, would use their leaverage in the World Bank
decision-making process if a concerted EU approach were achieved.
Moreover we strongly hope for a transparent and participatory
consultation process to be set up by the Bank for the full
implementation of the EIR recomendations’.
` We welcome the fact that the resolution calls on the Member States to
raise the findings of the report in other national or international
financial forums, such as the EIB, EBRD, national credit agencies’ says
Sebastien Godinot of FOE France ` and we hope that the official position
expressed by the Commission will be reflected in the future
implementation of EU environmental and social guidelines for economic
and development cooperation and notably in its cooperation with the
European and international financial institutions’.
`The Irish Presidency recalled the Member States’ obligations in the
framework of the Kyoto Protocol and of the Johannesburg Summit
Commitments and that the EIR findings are consistent with those
recognized needs,” says Petr Hlobil of Bankwatch, `We therefore appeal
to the Council and the member states to follow up on their commitments
when acting in the World Bank Board of Directors to phase out World Bank
financing for oil projects until 2008 and to increase financing for
renewable by 20 percent year on year.’
`The support from the European Union for the EIR will be good news for
civil society all over the world, especially in the south, where
millions of affected people are strongly opposing the devastating
effects of extractive industries’ says Pieter Jansen of Both ENDS,
Netherlands.
Today more then 100 Members of Parliament worldwide from left to right,
sent a petition to Mr. Wolfensohn asking him to adopt all the EIR
recommendations. The petition was initiated in February by Members of
the European Parliament on the occasion of the visit of Mr. Emil Salim
EIR Eminent Person to Europe.
The Commission in all international fora will defend European MP, Ms.
Monica Frassoni President of the Green/EFA Group, committed to call on
Mr. Prodi to make sure that this line.
For more information:
Jaroslava Colajacomo – Campagna per la riforma della banca Mondiale
Italy –
+39 (0)6 7826855 / (mobile) +39 338 3279035
Sebastien Godinot – Friends of the Earth France – + 33 6 68 98 83 41
(Mobile) / + 33 1 48 51 18 92
Pieter Jansen – Both ENDS Netherlands – (mobile) + 31 6 20712191
Petr Hlobil – CEE Bankwatch Network Czech Rep. – (mobile) + 420 603
154349
Manana Kochladze
Regional Coordinator for Caucasus
CEE Bankwatch Network
Visiting address: Rustaveli avenue. 1. Entrance I. Floor 4
Mailing address: Chavchavadze 62, Tbilisi, Georgia, 380062
Tel: 99532 93 24 03; 99 04 72
Fax: 99532 22 38 74
E-mail: [email protected]
—
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 3, 2004 Saturday
Karabakh problem should be solved by peaceful means – DM
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan said it is necessary to
solve the Karabakh problem by peaceful and political means.
Sarkisyan told Russian journalists on Saturday, “I believe that the
main thing is to prevent the resumption of armed actions” in the area
of the Karabakh conflict.
“There were no winners,” the minister stressed.
“We believe that the Karabakh problem should be solved by peaceful,
political means and it is necessary to hold talks and reach a
compromise,” Sarkisyan pointed out.
The defence minister said Armenia considers military cooperation with
Russia “part of the country’s national security and believes that the
presence of the Russian military base in the Armenian territory is
right and essential for Armenia.”
He explained that Russia’s military presence promoted stability in
the region.
Armenia is interested in military cooperation with Russia because its
armed forces are equipped with the Soviet or Russian weapons,
Sarkisyan said.
The minister noted that Armenia purchased spare parts for military
hardware in Russia and added that many problems in this area had been
solved as a result of favourable conditions created for Armenia
within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.
Sarkisyan said 700 Armenian citizens studied in Russian military
schools and academies.
On Armenia’s air defence, Sarkisyan said the CIS Joint Air Defence
System is capable of fulfilling any task. The minister said he would
like that system to be armed with state-of-the-art combat means.
He stressed, “Armenian air defence troops are mission capable and
they have proved it in the course of joint exercises at the Russian
air defence test range Ashuluk.”
“The armed forces are the main guarantor of the country’s security.
They have all the necessary means to protect the borders of their
homeland,” the minister said. Mechanised units led by career officers
with vast combat experience form the bulk of the Armenian armed
forces, the minister said.
“The important component of Armenia’s national security is the
Russian military base,” Sarkisyan pointed out.