Author: Kalashian Nyrie

SwissInfo, Suisse
29 Mars 2005
Suisse-Turquie: mission délicate

La question de l’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union européenne est au
programme des discussions. (Keystone)
Une année et demi après avoir été «désinvitée» par Ankara,
Micheline Calmy-Rey reprend mardi le chemin de la Turquie.

A l’époque, un vote du parlement du canton de Vaud reconnaissant le
génocide arménien avait fché les autorités turques au point
d’annuler la visite de la cheffe de la diplomatie suisse.

Le voyage de Micheline Calmy-Rey en Turquie, du 29 au 31 mars, doit
consacrer le retour à des relations plus sereines entre Berne et
Ankara, après les tensions de l’automne 2003.
La cheffe du Département fédéral (ministère) des affaires étrangères
(DFAE) rencontrera mardi son homologue turc Abdullah Gül. Les deux
ministres feront «un large tour d’horizon» des sujets qui touchent
les deux pays comme «les droits de l’homme, les minorités ou les
relations économiques», précise Roberto Balzaretti, conseiller
diplomatique de Micheline Calmy-Rey.
Interrogé sur la possibilité que la ministre aborde la question du
génocide arménien, il répond qu’il sera difficile d’«éviter de
toucher aux questions qui ont fché par le passé».
Un précédent voyage de Micheline Calmy-Rey en Turquie avait été
annulé en septembre 2003, suite à la reconnaissance par le parlement
du canton de Vaud des événements de 1915.
En décembre 2003, la Chambre basse du parlement fédéral avait elle
aussi adopté un postulat reconnaissant le massacre des Arméniens par
l’Empire Ottoman, suscitant à nouveau l’ire d’Ankara.

«Un problème latent»

La députée radicale (droite) Françoise Saudan, membre de la
Commission des affaires extérieures qui s’est rendue en Turquie en
août, met en garde: «il faut être extrêmement prudent, le génocide
reste un problème latent pour la Turquie tant qu’elle n’aura pas fait
ce que nous avons fait pour les fonds en déshérence».
François Saudan se dit néanmoins «toujours mal à l’aise quand la
Suisse veut donner des leçons à l’étranger».
«Madame Calmy-Rey ne va pas à Ankara pour ajouter aux tensions, mais
pour approfondir les relations entre la Suisse et la Turquie», note
pour sa part Jean-Jacques de Dardel, chef de la Division politique I
du DFAE, qui sera du voyage. «Les autorités turques sont devenues
beaucoup plus ouvertes face aux problèmes de leur société, le
dialogue est désormais possible», souligne-t-il.
Micheline Calmy-Rey et son homologue turc doivent également aborder
la question de l’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union européenne (UE). Si
Ankara rejoint l’UE, l’économie helvétique profitera d’un marché
élargi, avait estimé la cheffe du DFAE en décembre.
Les crises en Irak, pays voisin de la Turquie, et au Moyen-Orient
devraient aussi figurer au menu des discussions. Micheline Calmy-Rey
sera en outre reçue par le président turc Ahmet Necdet Sezer pour une
visite de courtoisie.

Escale au Kurdistan

Au deuxième jour de son voyage, elle se rendra à Diyarbakir, la
grande ville kurde du sud-est, pour avoir, selon Roberto Balzaretti,
«une vue différenciée du pays». Elle s’y entretiendra avec des
représentants locaux et des ONG.
Ce volet de la visite avait été mal perçu par Ankara en 2003. Peu
après l’annulation du déplacement, les autorités turques avaient
accusé Micheline Calmy-Rey de partialité envers la cause kurde pour
s’être entretenue avec un représentant de cette communauté à
Lausanne.

Partenaire économique

Enfin au dernier jour de sa visite, la ministre prononcera un
discours devant la Communauté Commerciale Suisse-Turquie à Istanbul.
«La Turquie est le partenaire économique le plus important de la
Suisse au Moyen-Orient. Chaque année une quarantaine de firmes
helvétiques s’y installent», relève Roberto Balzaretti.
«Les investissements suisses sont bien présents en Turquie, notamment
dans l’industrie pharmaceutique et dans le textile», renchérit Marcel
Cavaliero, président de la chambre de commerce Suisse-Turquie. Il
pense toutefois qu’il faudra attendre la visite du ministre de
l’économie Joseph Deiss en septembre pour assister à un «nouvel essor
des relations économiques» entre les deux pays.

AMIC’s Newsletter, Montreal, Canada
AMIC’s Info-Flash
2340 Chemin Lucerne # 30
Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec
Tel : (514) 739 8950
Fax : (514) 738 2622
Web :
Email: [email protected]
March, 2005
1. Article 2: “Training programs in Infectious Diseases for
health care professionals of Armenia in
Argentina”
2. Article 3: “Birthright Armenia”
3. Article 4: “The Mental Healthcare in Armenia”
4. Article 5: ” Dr. Carolann and George Najarian’s judiciary
problem in Armenia
5. Article 6: “Armenian and Russian versions of the Dash
outcome measure
6. Article 7: “Armenian health-care professionals listed on the
New York Life Insurance list.
7. Article 8: ” What is AMIC?”
8. Article 1: “The 9th AMIC World Medical Congress in San
Francisco. Fairmont Hotel, June 29 to July 3,
2005
****************************************************************
2- Training programs in Infectious Diseases for health care professionals of
Armenia in Argentina.
Under the scientific and general supervision of FIDEC (Fighting Infectious
Diseases in Emerging Countries), with the financial support of the Armenian
community in the diaspora, the construction of an Infectious Disease unit at
Yerevan Pediatric Hospital was completed and opened on September 17, 2003.
This unit includes an equipped Microbiology Laboratory, areas to be used as
an Immunization Center, and offices for physicians who assist ambulatory
patients with infectious diseases.
Professional exchange visits have been ongoing since the project started.
Dr. Monica Graziutti and Dr. Gabriela Mikaelian, FIDEC’s collaborators in
Argentina visited in turn Yerevan for scientific follow-up in October, 2002
and July, 2003. Dr. Ara Azoyan, Director of the Infectious Diseases Hospital
of Yerevan and Dr. Avet Arslanian (Pediatric Surgery Hospital of Yerevan)
visited Argentina in March, 2004.
In May 2004 a cooperation agreement was signed in Buenos Aires between FIDEC
(Dr. Daniel Stamboulian) and the Rector of the Yerevan State University Dr.
V. P. Hakobyan, who visited Argentina for that purpose: the agreement
establishes continuing medical education and fellowship programs in
Argentina, for health care professionals from Yerevan State University, and
the Yerevan Pediatric Hospital.
Dr. Vigen Azoyan, the Chief of the Laboratory at No 1 Yerevan Pediatric
Hospital came to Argentina in August, 2004 for a two months period, for a
training in General Laboratory, including Bacteriology and Serology lab. He
learned different techniques, like ELISA and Inmunofluorescence.
“I came to Argentina with the purpose of learning how to use different new
laboratory techniques that are very necessary in Armenia. At this moment, in
the new Laboratory of Yerevan, we have automatized machines,
inmunofluorescence microscope and other new equipment”, confided Dr. Vigen
Azoyan.
The program also includes initiation to General immunization and Travel
Medicine because FIDEC is going to open an Immunization Center at Yerevan
Pediatric Hospital in order to provide routine and special vaccines that
will be administered by personnel trained by FIDEC according to
international immunization standards.
****************************************************************
3- Birthright Armenia
Birthright Armenia, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, was created to
increase the number of young diasporans experiencing Armenia via volunteer
work, offering opportunities to study abroad and helping strengthen the
bridge between diasporan and homeland youth. To implement this ambitious
program, the organization provides roundtrip travel fellowships, with home
stay living, jobsite placement, free weekly educational excursions, help for
those who do not have basic proficiency in Armenian with language
instruction, and designs weekly seminars from which all volunteers can pick
and choose among topics like “better understanding the current political
cultural and socio-economic issues in Armenia today”.
This past summer, during its pilot year in operation, Birthright Armenia
successfully sponsored forty young volunteers between the ages of 18 and 32,
who represented seven different organizations and three countries. These
individuals traveled to their historic homeland, worked in a service
capacity, and studied the Armenian language to better understand Armenia,
contribute to the on-going development of the nation and to create
ever-lasting ties to the people and organizations they encountered.
In its first year of inception, the organization sponsored the Armenian
Assembly of America, the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America, the
Armenian Student Association of New York, the Armenian Volunteer Corp, the
Armenian Youth Federation and Land and Culture Organization, so their
volunteers could have the added benefit of all the incentives listed above,
ensuring their experiences were of the best quality. Also, Birthright
Armenia worked with one local NGO, the Armenian Medical Association, and
supported its newly created internship programs being implemented by local
NGOs in Armenia in a wide array of sectors including arts, education,
environment, human rights, social services and youth affairs.
For 2005, Birthright anticipates a total of 125 volunteers and with the
addition of several new local and diasporan NGOs, will be able to provide a
more diverse range of volunteer experiences. Alongside Armenians from
Britain, the USA and Canada, Birthright will be recruiting from France and
Switzerland, as well as sponsoring at least two dozen Iraqi-Armenian youth
for community service and study abroad programs. For more information on
Birthright Armenia, please visit heir Website at
or email [email protected]
****************************************************************
4- The Mental Healthcare in Armenia
Armenia is a country with an approximate area of 29743 sq.km. Its resident
population is approximately of 3.200 000. The country is in the low-income
group country (based on World Bank 2003 year criteria). During recent years,
the average length of life declined: the life expectancy at birth is 69.9
years for the male population (comparing with data of 2002, when it was
72.3) and 75.8 for the female population (comparing with data of 2002, when
it was 77.1)
There is a mental health policy, which was initially formulated in 1994. The
components of the policy are mental health advocacy promotion and
prevention. A national mental health program is not developed yet.
There is legislation on compulsory treatment. It was recently adopted and in
September, 2004, the specific law on psychiatric care was enacted. There are
budget allocations for mental health. In 2003, 1.560 000 Euros were provided
for mental service, which matches to 5.8% of the whole health budget and in
2004 the sum increased to 1.740 000 Euros, which corresponded to 4.5% of the
whole budget. The primary source of mental health is tax based.
Patients with disablement and chronically mentally ill patients receive
monthly payments for disability pension from the government. The treatment
of psychiatric patients at specialized institutions (in-patient and out
patient) is financed by the state. Regular training and retraining for
hospital nurses is not carried out in the field of mental health. There are
community care facilities for patients with mental disorders. Each community
and locality has its mental health providers.
Some statistics of the mental health care structures in Armenia:
Total psychiatric beds for a population of 10 000, 4.03
Psychiatric beds in mental hospitals (pop. 10 000), 3.8
Total number: 1220
Psychiatric beds in general hospitals (pop 10 000)
0.23. Total number: 75
Psychiatric beds in other settings (pop 10 000) 0
Number of psychiatrists (pop 10 000) 3.52
Total number: 113
Number of neurosurgeons (pop 10 000) 1.03
Total number: 33
Number of psychiatric nurses (pop 10 000) 0
Number of neurologists (pop 10 000) 7. Total number: 225
Number of psychologists (pop 10 000) 0.4
Number of social workers (pop 10 000) 0.08
Psychiatric services provision in Armenia is carried out by 2 kinds of
medical service: outpatient and in-patient. Five medical institutions are
providing mental healthcare. The treatment of patients is mainly organized
near their home, in close cooperation with the local primary care service.
NGOs are involved with mental health in the country. They are mainly
involved in advocacy and promotion. From 1999 and on, with the assistance of
the international organization “Médecins Sans Frontières”, it became
possible to organize seminars, workshops, social advertising, exhibitions
and even open a mental health center at the biggest psychiatric hospital of
Armenia. There are mental health reporting and data collection systems.
The country has specific programs for mental health for refugees, disaster
affected population and children that are financed by the state.
The drugs used for the treatment of mentally ill patients are outdated, very
few of them are new (such as Olanzin, Resperdal, and others), because of
their high prices. To the patients receiving ambulatory treatment, the drugs
are given free of charge.
As a result of a disastrous earthquake, military conflicts and other
disasters, there have been an increased number of persons in Armenia who
need medical and psychiatric care. International agencies and developed
countries as well, have helped the country in the process of restructuring.
For the improvement of mental services, the following is to be implemented:
-To elaborate the law on mental health
-To organize the training and retraining of hospital nurses in the field of
mental health.
-To create and open special community houses (centers) for the
post-rehabilitative therapy of mental health patients, where psychologists,
sociologists and nurses should be working.
-For the patients receiving protracted psychiatric treatment in mental
houses, work therapy should be organized.
****************************************************************
5- Dr. Carolann and George Najarian’s judiciary problem in Armenia.
In the Armenian Medical World, Dr. Carolann Najarian is well known. After
the earthquake of December 1988, she was among the first if not the first,
to run to Armenia; for nearly 16 years, she has been delivering medical
supplies, equipments, undertaking hospital and school renovations, assisting
villagers, invalids, veterans, orphans. She established medical centers,
like the Primary Care Center in Gyumri in 1994 and the Arpen Center for
Expectant Mothers in Artsakh (1995).
Above all, her action became the model, the reference to follow, as many
physicians told us; her book (A Call from Home, 1999), relates her emotional
and personnel journey to her “ancestral home”.
Knowing all this, one would think that “Carolann” should really feel and be
“at home” in Armenia; and yet since 2003, Carolann and her husband George
have been living a nightmare. Why? One would ask.
Responding to the Armenian government’s pleas to invest in Armenia, Mr.
George Najarian undertook projects and investments, trusting a person in
particular that he knew since 1988, as his representative in Armenia, only
to find out later, that he had been fraudulently deprived of his properties.
Since then, they have resorted to the judiciary system to ensure their
rights.
The only wish one would make is that the properties in question will be
promptly given back to their legitimate owners, and that Dr. Carolann
Najarian will have enough resources left in her to continue her wonderful
humanitarian work.
****************************************************************
6- Armenian and Russian versions of the Dash outcome measure. (This message
was sent to Info-Flash by Drs. Gevorg Yaghjyan, Davit Abrahamyan and Arthur
Gevorgyan).
The self-administered English questionnaire “Disabilities of the Arm,
Shoulder and Hand” (DASH) is a widely accepted tool for measurement of
upper-limb disability/symptoms. The purpose of our study was to translate
the DASH into Eastern Armenian and Russian, and evaluate their validity for
the patients living in Armenia. The whole process of cross-cultural
adaptation was performed according to the published guidelines of Guillemin.
This process lasted almost 1.5 year: from September 2003 when Plastic
Reconstructive Surgery and Microsurgery Center of University Hospital No1,
Yerevan, Armenia received official permission for this, up to January 2005.
As a result the final DASH-Armenian and DASH-Russian versions were devised
with excellent internal consistency and good construct validity assessed
using Spearmen correlations between DASH and SF-36 scores. These findings
suggest that the Armenian and Russian versions of the DASH outcome measure
retains the characteristics of the American original and may be a reliable
and valid instrument to measure disabilities/symptoms in Eastern Armenian
and Russian speaking patients with different disorders of the upper limbs.
It can also be used in patients, recently emigrated from Armenia or other
ex-soviet country who speak Eastern-Armenian or Russian and still are not
“culturally adapted” for the life in a new country. We encourage the use of
the DASH-Armenian and the DASH-Russian, which will facilitate international
multi-center studies and clinical trials by establishing standard measures
and obtaining comparable data. Both Armenian and Russian versions of
DASH-questionnaire are proposed to American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
(USA) to be recommended as formal translated versions and they are available
on the website of Institute for Work and health (Canada) at
****************************************************************
7- Armenian health-care professionals listed on the New York Life Insurance
list.
Info-Flash received the list that was in circulation a few months ago among
Armenians, from New York Life Insurance Company in which 2300 names of
insured Armenians killed during the genocide (without leaving heirs) were
mentioned. On the list, one could read the names and surnames, the
professions and the geographical locations of the insured.
Out of curiosity, I tried to see how many health-care professionals had
contracted insurance policies in those days. Five categories were recorded:
Chemists/Druggists (probably the British terminology to indicate
pharmacists), Nurse (only one located in Kinzurk), Doctors, Dentists and an
Optician, (in Constantinople). Contrary to what one would think, the
Chemists are in larger number than the physicians (30 against 22). Also,
contrary to what one would think, there are no geographical clusters: 5
chemists residing in Constantinople form the only noticeable group. Among
the chemists/druggists we can read the name of one “Master of Pharmacy” in
Palou, and one “drug clerk” in Adana; and among the doctors, there are 2
“medical practitioners” in Sivas and M. el Aziz. The only other detail to
retain is that among the 10 dentists listed, there is one who had given the
city of New York as his place of residency.
Only 2.8% if the insured are health care professionals!
****************************************************************
8- What is AMIC?
The Armenian Medical International Committee was created fifteen years ago.
It is an umbrella organization that unites Armenian medical associations
throughout the Diaspora, creating thus a large network through which
information and data are exchanged.
AMIC organizes Armenian Medical World Congresses. So far eight have been
held in different cities of the Diaspora. In 2003, “The First International
Medical Congress of Armenia”, organized by Armenia, was held in Yerevan from
July 1 to July 3.
The 9th AMIC Congress will be held in 2005 (from June 29 to July 3), in San
Francisco (USA). You can have the latest news by visiting the website
and reading carefully the first paragraph of this issue.
AMIC publishes since 1988 an online newsletter and sends it freely to all
Armenian Health Care professionals. If you are a health care professional
and are interested in receiving Info-Flash, please send us your e-mail
address ([email protected]). To all those who already receive the Info, please
send it to colleagues, or give us their e-mail address, and do not forget to
send us your new e-mail address when you change it.
For further information visit our website:
A useful information to remember: you can send freely from wherever you are
located, medical equipment/medicine through the services of the United
Armenian Fund; President Mr. Harout Sassounian ([email protected])
********************************************************************
8- The 9th AMIC WORLD MEDICAL CONGRESS IN SAN FRANCISCO FAIRMONT HOTEL,
JUNE 29 TO JULY 3, 2005
EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE- APRIL 1,
2005
URGENT! URGENT! URGENT!
The deadline for early registration is fast approaching. You must register
and pay by APRIL 1 2005 in order to take advantage of reduced registration
fees. Until APRIL 1, 2005 fees are as follows:
Regular US $475
Nurses & Allied Health US $375
Residents & Students US $275
After APRIL 1, 2005 fees will be as follows:
Regular US $525
Nurses & Allied Health US $425
Residents & Students US $325
The registration fee includes light breakfast (Thursday, Friday, Saturday),
lunch (Thursday, Friday) and coffee breaks!
Visit the website at and print out the registration form and
fax or mail it. On the site you’ll notice the first class program of
speakers on topics of vital concern to Armenians worldwide scheduled for the
entire Congress; a unique opportunity to meet and discuss with
world-renowned specialists on Hypertension, Depression, Alzheimer,
Diabetes.. etc.., as well as to discuss projects and health issues in
Armenia and Karabagh.
Of course this is also a chance to visit fabulous San Francisco and an
interesting social program has been scheduled for all!
AMIC’s General Assembly will be held on Saturday July 2, from noon to 16
pm.
Don’t miss the 9th Medical World Congress and please ensure that your
friends and colleagues are made aware as well.

Big News Network.com, Australia
March 28 2005
Revolution impossible in Armenia: PM
Big News Network.com Monday 28th March, 2005 (UPI)
A democratic revolution like that in Kyrgyzstan is impossible in
Armenia, its prime minister said Monday.
Interfax news agency quoted Premier Andranik Margarian as telling
reporters the kind of popular protest movement that toppled
authoritarian governments in the former Soviet republics of Georgia,
Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan in the past 18 months is impossible in Armenia
because the underlying problems that triggered the unrest don’t exist
in Armenia.
Undoubtedly, there are social and economic problems in Armenia, but
they are not the sort of problems that can be used to make a
revolution, he said.
Margarian said his government was constantly undertaking democratic
and economic reforms. Also, he said the Armenian opposition would not
do anything that could lead to serious destabilization, Interfax
said.

The shadow of Darfur
by: Yosef Goell
The Jerusalem Post
March 21, 2005, Monday
It would be hard to overstate the diplomatic coup entailed in
assembling so many of the world’s leaders as Israel did last week for
the inauguration of Yad Vashem’s new Holocaust museum in Jerusalem.
It would be premature however to parlay those first impressions into
predictions about their effect on the rising tide of anti-Semitism –
most of it of Muslim origin – in their respective countries.
But as I listened to the cascade of speeches some of them truly moving
and impressive I found myself getting madder and madder. For there
among those speakers and in the front seats of the world’s movers and
shakers sat the very men who could if they wanted to put an end not
to a 65 genocide against the Jewish people but to an ongoing genocide
in not-too-far off Darfur in Sudan.
On March 9 top UN relief official Jan Egeland sounded the alarm in a
call for more troops from the African Union. There is no other place
in the world where so many lives are at stake, Egeland said. “If
it goes well we could have a historic turn for the better for six
million internally displaced – which is five times more than were
displaced by the Indian Ocean tsunami. If it goes badly it could be
a situation of mass death mass suffering for millions of people.”
The US Congress and government have in July and September 2004
respectively defined the continuing horrors in Darfur as “genocide.”
Yet the United Nations has not; and this week the UN Security Council
remained deadlocked over a resolution that would step up monitoring
and threaten sanctions against the Sudanese government.
The hesitation of the UN is incredible given that this week Egeland
himself more than doubled his estimate of the number killed over the
past 19 months to 180 0
IN THE shadow of Darfur the tone at the Yad Vashem ceremony could
only be described as smug – since the world leaders were there to
claim that the lesson of the Holocaust had been learned. The sorry
fact is that the gentlemen shivering in their heavy coats in the
Jerusalem winter had apparently learned… nothing.
It is doubtful that their leadership predecessors in the 1930s and
40s wanted to conspire with Hitler in annihilating the Jews; what
caused the number of butchered Jews to pile up to six million was
those leaders’ inaction.
Darfur is merely the latest example of the failure of the international
community to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to the barbarity of
Bosnia and Kosovo in Europe of Rwanda in Africa and much earlier of
the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
On Saturday the Los Angeles Times reported that UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan was due to table sweeping proposals for revamping the
60-year-old world organization which has lately come in for scathing
criticism. I wouldn’t hold my breath however in expecting these
reforms to turn the UN into an effective genocide-fighting body.
One of the silver linings to the black cloud of a feckless
international community has been the performance of some of the world’s
top journalists. Whatever I know about Darfur has come nearly entirely
from my hero New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff who has done
a masterful job of reporting from Darfur forcing the international
community to sit up and take notice.
I mention Kristoff as a comparison to the Times’s own abysmal failure
two decades earlier as the Rwanda holocaust took place. I used to
follow infrequent one-inch reports in the Times on cases of ethnic
slaughter (the term ethnic cleansing had not yet emerged) in that
unheard of country somewhere in the middle of the Black Continent.
Apparently no Times editor believed those horrendous reports justified
full follow-ups. Which is why Kristoff and his editors deserve kudos
on their coverage of Darfur today.
SOME OF the Israeli media accompanied the Yad Vashem inauguration with
reports of an ideological debate between Yad Vashem and the Foreign
Ministry over how to balance the universal and particularist aspects
of the Holocaust. It was also reported that the new Yad Vashem was
seen as an answer to the architecturally more sophisticated Holocaust
Museum in Washington DC.
When my wife and I visited the Washington museum in the early 1990s we
were impressed with a plaque on the wall bearing a quote from Hitler
to his Wermacht generals to the effect that the same world that had
chosen to overlook the Turkish genocide against the Armenians during
World War I would let the Germans do what they wanted with the Jewish
populations slated for annihilation.
This is exactly what occurred. And what happened to us 60 years ago
was so horrendous that we have the right to demand of the world that
no further genocides against the Jews be permitted. But the fuller
lesson of the Holocaust is that no genocide should be permitted
against anyone anywhere.
Toleration of genocide anywhere coupled with the persistence of even
low-level anti-Semitism will mean that Darfurs Rwandas and Bosnias
will soon evolve into new genocides against the Jews.

IRNA, Iran
March 27, 2005 Sunday
Matsuura: Concerns over Jahan-Nama Tower project not a political
issue
Isfahan, March 27, IRNA Iran-UNESCO-Naqsh-e Jahan Director General of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) Kushiro Matsuura here Sunday said that the concerns over
Jahan-Nama Tower project currently under construction adjacent to
Isfahan’s Imam Khomeini (Naqsh-e Jahan) Square is not a political
issue.
Speaking at the banquet in Isfahan’s Abbasi Hotel hosted by the
provincial Governor General Mahmoud Hosseini, Matsuura added that no
historical monument has ever been omitted from the world heritage
list.
“However, in case this takes place in any country, the relevant
political consequences will be quite detrimental.
>>From UNESCO’s point of view there is no political motivation behind
the move and the world heritage is the main concern in this case.
Concerning the likelihood of such an event, he noted, “Given that
President Mohammad Khatami and the provincial governor general are
determined to convince the municipality and city council of the
provincial capital of Isfahan to make the necessary adjustments in
the tower, I do not even wish to consider such a possibility.”
For his part, Hosseini said that Isfahan Municipality and City
Council are doing their best to safeguard the provincial historical
monuments.
“Similar to the decision taken on the urban metro project to change
its initially planned route to prevent its crossing through
Chahar-Bagh, we are determined to make the necessary changes in
Jahan-Nama Tower to safeguard its international status,” added
Hosseini.
The official referred to Zayandeh Roud area as a significant
historical site in the province and of great value in view of the
world heritage.
During his two- -day visit to Isfahan, Matsuura toured some of the
city’s archaic relics including the historical bridges, Imam Khomeini
Square Complex, Chehel-Sotoun Palace, Qeisarieh Bazaar, Vang Church
and the Armenians neighborhood.
Iran’s Human Rights Defenders Association has already filed a
complaint against Jahan-Nama contractors with Isfahan Justice
Department and a verdict calling for a halt to the project has been
issued.
Despite the verdict, it has not yet been enforced.
The construction of Jahan-Nama Tower project, as a cultural and
commercial complex, was launched in 1996. It is being constructed in
an area measuring 90,000 square meters and is situated adjacent to
the historical Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Chahar- -Bagh and other ancient
monuments.

Armenian leader says new ferry link to tackle “serious transport problems”
Mediamax news agency
25 Mar 05
Yerevan, 25 March: The Russian and Armenian presidents, Vladimir
Putin and Robert Kocharyan, stressed the importance of the Port Kavkaz
(Russia) – Poti (Georgia) railway ferry in Yerevan today.
Speaking at a news conference on the outcome of talks with President
Kocharyan, Putin said that the railway ferry Port Kavkaz – Poti
would open new “broad opportunities” for business circles in Russia
and Armenia. He also said that it is desirable to attract private
investment in this project.
Armenian President Kocharyan, in his turn, said that the launch of
the railway ferry is the beginning of a solution to “very serious
transport problems” and will help change the situation “radically”.
Kocharyan said that the two also discussed “serious energy projects
which could have fundamental consequences”. The leaders of the two
countries noted major potential for the development of bilateral
economic relations, especially in the area of investment, banking
and construction.
Putin stressed that a rise in Russian investments in Armenia has been
recorded recently. Armenia could also invest in Russia, he noted.
[Armenian Arminfo news agency reported at 1207 gmt 25 Mar 05 that
the Russian president said that the first ferry loaded with grain and
bound for Georgia had left Port Kavkaz for Poti two days ago. “We are
planning to use this ferry in the future for shipments to Armenia as
well,” Putin said.]

Russian, Armenian leaders discuss Karabakh, antiterror fight
Interfax news agency, Moscow
25 Mar 05
Yerevan, 25 March: The Armenian and Russian leaders have agreed
to encourage entrepreneurs of the two countries to participate in
investment and privatization projects, Russian President Vladimir
Putin told journalists in Yerevan on Friday [25 March] after holding
talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
He also said that the development of transport infrastructure had
been discussed in detail during the talks.
[Passage omitted: repetition]
Much attention was paid to regional problems during the talks,
Putin said.
“Our countries are interested in stabilizing the situation in the
Caucasus, that is, in the creation of an atmosphere of confidence,”
Putin said.
The two discussed prospects for the settlement of Nagornyy Karabakh.
In this regard, Putin said that “everybody is looking forward to the
continuation of direct contacts between the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan”.
Cementing partnership relations, particularly in fighting common
threats such as terrorism, transnational crime and illegal arms and
drug trafficking, was also discussed, the president said.

SERGE SARGSIAN AND JOHN EVANS DISCUSS DETAILS OF VISIT TO YEREVAN TO
BE PAID BY DEPUTY COMMANDER OF US’ EUROPEAN COMMAND
YEREVAN, MARCH 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia’s cooperation with the NATO and
the European command of the US is making steady progress. Secretary of
the President-affiliated National Security Council, the RA Defence
Minister Serge Sargsian and the American Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Evans stated this at the March
21 meeting, during which the present state of the Armenian-American
military cooperation was discussed. According to the RA Defence
Ministry’s spokesman Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, the sides also
spoke about the details of a visit to Yerevan to be paid by Deputy
Commander of the US’ European Command Gen. Charles Walds in late March.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 18 2005
CZECHIA SHOWS INTEREST IN DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN
[March 18, 2005, 12:12:15]
Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Murtuz Alasgarov has met
with visiting Azerbaijan Chairman of the Czech Parliament’s Committee
on Defense and Security Ian Vidim.
Noting that Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to development
of relations with European countries including Czechia, he said the
two countries’ parliamentarians fruitfully cooperate within
international organizations. Mr. Alasgarov provided the guest with
detailed information on legal, democratic reforms being implemented
in Azerbaijan, the role of the country in the South Caucasus as well
as the problems it faces. Dwelling on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh, he showed on the map the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan noting that these territories are used by the occupants
for drug cultivation, and terrorist groups training. All these facts
have been reflected in the documents of the US Department of State,
he said. The Speaker reminded as well that the UN Security Council,
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and other
international organizations had adopted a number of resolutions,
which Armenia continues to ignore pursuing its aggressive policy
against Azerbaijan. Our country stands for peaceful resolution of the
conflict on the base of the norms and principle of the international
law.
Having thanked the Speaker of the Milli Majlis for the warm meeting
and detailed information Chairman of the Committee on Defense and
Security at the Czech Parliament Jan Vidim said his country was very
interested in development of links with Azerbaijan. He noted that
although 20% of Azerbaijan’s territories were occupied and over
million people became refugees and internally displaced, the progress
gained in the country was very attractive for all. According to him,
Czechia stands for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict on the base of territorial integrity of states. We welcome
the PACE January resolution hope the next meeting of the Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia will be a turning point in the peace
process, Mr. Vidim said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRNA, Iran
March 17 2005
Iran slips back in Corruption Perception Index
London, March 16, IRNA-Perceptions of the degree of corruption in
Iran as seen by business people, academics and risk analysts
marginally grew last year, according to the latest report by
Transparency International on Wednesday.
In its new index, Iran slipped down to 87th with a Corruption
Perception score of 2.9 in its league of 146 countries compared with
78th with a score 3.0 in its league of 133 countries in 2003. Most of
the fall was due to countries previously not included.
Amongst other Persian Gulf countries, Oman also dropped back from
26th to 29th, Bahrain from 27th to 34th, Qatar from 32nd to 38th,
Kuwait from 35th to 44th and Saudi Arabia from 46th to 71st, while
the UAE moved up from 37th to 29th.
Falls by other neighboring countries included Armenia from joint 78th
with Iran to 82nd, Russia from 86th to 90th, Pakistan from 92nd to
129th, Turkmenistan from 124th to 133rd and Azerbaijan also from
joint 124th to 140th.
Iraq, whose post-war reconstruction was highlighted as being in
danger of becoming ‘the biggest corruption scandal in history’, also
dropped from 113th to 129th.
At the top of the index, Finland retained its first-place ranking
with the cleanest Corruption Perception score of 9.7, followed by New
Zealand, Denmark, Iceland and Singapore.
The UK also held onto its 11th place ranking, although its score fell
back from 8.7 to 8.6, behind Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Austria,
and the Netherlands. The US was placed 17th, with the same ranking
and score as in 2003.
Transparency International, based in Berlin and London, is a non-
governmental organization with more than 85 independent national
chapters around the world devoted to combating corruption. The index
is the third it has produced since 2002.
Launching the latest report, its chairman Peter Egan said that
corruption in large-scale public projects was a ‘daunting obstacle’
to sustainable development.
“Corruption wastes money, bankrupts countries and costs lives,” he
warned.