Author: Kalashian Nyrie

ANALYSIS-U.S.-Russian rivalry on hold over Kyrgyzstan
By Christian Lowe
BISHKEK, March 29 (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan’s change of power broke the
mould of recent revolutions in former Soviet republics because the
United States and Russia did not back opposing sides and neither
seemed greatly troubled by the outcome.
While revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine were seen as proxy tussles
between Moscow and Washington, in Kyrgyzstan — which has both
U.S. and Russian military bases on its territory — the two were happy
to stand back.
The opposition leaders who took power last week after stick-wielding
supporters forced veteran President Askar Akayev to flee the Central
Asian country said both the United States and Russia could keep their
bases.
“With our revolution the U.S. and Russian attitude to our events has
been very neutral and neither had any envy or suspicions regarding
(the other’s) intentions in Kyrgyzstan,” said interim Foreign Minister
Roza Otunbayeva.
“These two bases are crucial for us,” Otunbayeva told reporters on
Monday. “Russia is our close ally (and) … we want to develop our
relations with the West and first of all with the United States.”
STRATEGIC PRIZE
For Moscow and Washington the presence of the two air bases near the
capital Bishkek did not make Kyrgyzstan a strategic prize worth
fighting over like Ukraine and Georgia, many observers said.
Kyrgyzstan is small, poor and mountainous and, though it has a
Canadian-run gold mining concession, the country has none of the huge
oil and gas reserves of some Central Asian neighbours.
“It is not a geo-politically strategic country,” said a Western
observer, declining to be identified. “It lacks currently the kind of
strategic resources that Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan enjoy.”
A row of U.S. air force cargo planes glisten in the spring sunshine at
Kyrgyzstan’s main civilian airport Manas about 30 km east of the
capital, while the snow-covered Tien Shan mountains loom in the
distance.
Since early 2002, the United States has turned part of the airport,
whose runway was built to handle Soviet bombers, into a base for
operations in nearby Afghanistan.
“It’s actually the best of some bad options for getting supplies and
special gear into Afghanistan,” said defence analyst Daniel Goure of
the Lexington Institute think-tank in the United States.
For Kyrgyzstan, where most people have to live on one dollar a day,
the base means an annual income of millions of dollars.
“NO U.S. FOOTHOLD”
But for Washington it is a convenient location for its supply planes.
“This was not set up as a U.S. foothold in Central Asia,” said another
Western diplomat. “It would be wrong to say the U.S. getting the air
base here is part of a geo-political goal.”
To the northwest of Bishkek lies Russia’s Kant air base, opened in
October 2003 by President Vladimir Putin.
Moscow says the base is part of its contribution to the U.S-led war on
terrorism.
But one Western diplomat said its main function for Russia was to save
face after the United States opened a base in what had been seen as
Moscow’s backyard.
“It is not really operational in an effective way,” the diplomat said.
Kyrgyzstan, which shares a border with China, is a nominally Muslim
but overwhelmingly secular country of five million people.
Moscow and Washington say they are not alarmed by the revolution,
sparked by two rounds of parliamentary elections in February and March
the opposition accuses Akayev of rigging.
If Kyrgyzstan is not caught up in the rivalry between Moscow and
Washington, there is a third and increasingly important player
emerging in the region: China.
Western diplomats in Bishkek said the proximity of China had nothing
to do with the decision to open the U.S. base.
But one analyst disagreed. “(It) provides something for the Chinese to
think about,” said Christopher Langton of the International Institute
for Strategic Studies in London.
(Additional reporting by Michael Steen in Bishkek, Oleg Shchedrov in
Moscow, Madeline Chambers in London and Reuters Washington bureau.)
03/29/05 14:09 ET

Azeri official doubts Armenian report on OSCE chief’s Karabakh remarks
ANS TV, Baku
31 Mar 05
[Presenter] OSCE Chairman-in-Office [and Slovene Foreign Minister]
Dimitrij Rupel’s meetings in Yerevan have focused on the situation on
the [Armenian-Azerbaijani] front line.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
[Correspondent, over video of Rupel and Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan] The Azerbaijani president’s special envoy on the
Karabakh problem, Araz Azimov, has commented on Rupel’s statement that
Nagornyy Karabakh will be involved in [peace] talks as well.
I doubt that Mr Rupel could have made a statement of this kind. It is
not ruled out that the Armenian media might distort his statement. Mr
Rupel is coming to Azerbaijan tomorrow [1 April]. We will learn
whether he said this or not at private talks with him tomorrow, end of
quote.
As for the statement by [president of the self-proclaimed Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic] Arkadiy Gukasyan [that Azerbaijan has been
destabilizing the situation], Azimov described it as another
provocation.
Ceyhun Asgarov for ANS.

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network
(CENN)
78 Electronic Bulletin:
Caucasus Environmental News
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Announcements
1.1. Competition Announcement
1.2. Small grants available from the Global Transparency Initiative
1.3. EIA Reports
1.4. EIA Reports
1.5. EIA Reports
2. News from Georgia
2.1 US unhappy at prospect of Gazprom buying pipeline
2.2 Energy ministry offers TELASI to purchase the whole
output of 9TH power block
2.3 Kulevi oil terminal to be put into operation by fall
2006
2.4 Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan oil pipeline will ease traffic
in Turkish straits
2.5 Chief of Forestry Department flees Georgia, citing
intimidation
2.6 US pushes for Kazakh Exports via BTC
2.7 Oil and gas projects prospects being considered in
Tbilisi
2.8 Mines found near Georgia pipeline
2.9 GIOGIE looks at pipelines future, past and present
2.10 Forestry Department head flees country, leaves trail of
tapes
2.11 Prospects of Georgian oil
2.12 BTC construction halted by protest
3. News from Azerbaijan
3.1. Azerbaijan: oil workers allege foreign discrimination
3.2. Azerbaijani Deputy Premier warns of ecological
dangers…
3.3. Sangachal terminal employs 3500 people
3.4. NGO’s database is created
3.5. Seminar on “Environment management for sustainable human
development” held
3.6. WB mission on poverty reduction to visit Baku
3.7. Shah-Deniz to become one of the 10 world’s largest
oil&gas projects
3.8. SCP construction to be over by third quarter of 2006
3.9. Because of BTC, Russia’s pipeline to become “dead asset”
3.10. Azerbaijan takes part at Moscow international travel and
tourism exhibition
3.11. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to be filled with oil
4. News from Armenia
4.1. Animals renamed to remove Kurd and Armenian references
4.2. RAO UES of Russia takes control of South Caucasian
energy system
4.3. Winter water world: Jermuk hopes to revive year-round
tourism reputation
4.4. Armenian President discusses Iran-Armenian gas pipeline
5. NGO News
5.1. Presentation of the environmental assessment program
6. International News
6.1. Increasing aid effectiveness to achieve the MDGs – with
or without the environment?
6.2. BTC construction works in Turkey completed by 93%
6.3. Youth to the front – two new WCPA scholarships for young
professionals in protected area management
6.4. NGO strategy meeting on the EU Environment and Health
Action Plan: final report
6.5. BTC a victory for Turkey
7. Calendar (International)
7.1. III International Conference Biodiversity and Role of
Zoocenosis in Natural and Anthropogenic Ecosystems Dnipropetrovsk 2005
7.2. Conference related to Public Health
7.3. Tenth International Journalism Summer School on “Working
of Journalists in the situation of crisis”
SUBSCRIBING INFORMATION
1. ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.1. Competition Announcement
The Royal Netherlands Embassy in Georgia is launching a competition for
small projects, contributing to the reshaping of Georgian society at a
local level. The competition is aimed at projects that:
· Combat poverty through development of sustainable activities
such as job and income creation, which will benefit target groups from
the local population as well as their environment, with emphasis on
equal gender participation.
Sustainability (i.e. the prolongation of the activities or their effect
after implementation) will be an important selection criterion.
The competition is open to local, duly registered, non-governmental,
non-profit making organizations or institutions, with relevant
experience and facilities. The Netherlands Embassy does not award grants
to individuals, to profit making or state run organizations and
institutions or to political parties.
The project proposals, in English, must be submitted before the 29th of
April 2005. The results will be made public by mind June. The maximum
contribution per project comes to GEL 18.000 for maximum project
duration of 12 months. Financial support will be provided for specific
program activities only.
Organizations willing to participate should demand the application form
by email, by regular mail, or withdraw one at the embassy:
The Royal Netherlands Embassy in Georgia
Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel
20, Telavi street, 0103, Tbilisi
Tel: 995 32 77 45 04
Fax: 995 32 77 45 24
E-mail: [email protected]
1.2. Small grants available from the Global Transparency Initiative
Dear friends,
The Global Transparency Initiative (GTI), a network of civil society
organizations promoting transparency at the international financial
institutions (IFIs), announces a Request for Proposals for small grants
in the following categories:
a.. Case studies/Audits regarding access to information and the IFIs:
Small grants of US$500 to US$3,000 will be made to research and write
case studies about the negative consequences of a lack of transparency
by IFIs or the positive effects of transparency by such institutions, in
specific instances.
b.. Advocacy: up to US$5,000, will be available for key advocacy
activities which promote broader issues of disclosure by the IFIs or are
linked to other activities of the GTI. The GTI seeks to improve the
transparency of IFI’s by influencing the disclosure policies and
standards of these institutions. This grant is available to individuals
and civil society organizations involved in precedent setting
transparency issues within the context of specific campaigns.
c.. Translations: up to US$1,000, will be made to translate case
studies, transparency audits and other relevant documents produced by
civil society that discuss issues dealing with transparency within a
country context or within the operations of the International Financial
Institutions (IFIs).
Organizations and individuals are eligible to apply. Only complete
proposals will be considered. Proposals for case studies/audits and
advocacy will be reviewed on a quarterly basis, while proposals for
translations will be reviewed on a more expedited basis, wherever
possible within two weeks after they have been received.
Please find more information at:
1.3. EIA ReportS
Source: “Sakartvelos Respublica” (“Republic of Georgia”), March 1, 2005
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, “Georgian Railway” Ltd.
submitted EIA report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain
an environmental permit for the activity of first category –
Reconstruction Works of the Railway Bridge on the River Mtkvari on the
Ksani-Dzegvi 2472-km.
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, “Koromi” Ltd. submitted EIA
report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain an
environmental permit for the activity of second category – Development
of the Mineral Materials Deposit in Aspindza Region.
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, “Mshenebeli II” Ltd.
submitted EIA report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain
an environmental permit for the activity of second category –
Development of the Mineral Materials Deposit in Aspindza Region, Rustavi
Village.
EIA reports are available at the Department of Environmental Permits and
State Ecological Expertise (87, Paliashvili Str., Tel: 25 02 19).
Interested stakeholders can analyze the document and present their
comments and considerations until April 14, 2005.
Public hearing will be held on April 14, 2005 at 12:00, at the
conference hall of the Ministry of Environment (68 A, Kostava Str.,
Tbilisi, VI Floor).
1.4. EIA Reports
Source: “Sakartvelos Respublica” (“Republic of Georgia”), March 1, 2005
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, “Nergebi” Ltd. submitted
EIA report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain an
environmental permit for the activity of second category – Development
of the Sand Gravel Deposit in Zemo Avchala.
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, entrepreneur Solomon
Kvezereli submitted EIA report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia
to obtain an environmental permit for the activity of first category –
Liquid Gas Service Station in Tbilisi (Gldani I m/r).
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, “Sigma” Ltd. submitted EIA
report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain an
environmental permit for the activity of first category – Base and Black
Metals Processing Enterprise in Gardabani Region, Village Saakadze.
EIA reports are available at the Department of Environmental Permits and
State Ecological Expertise (87, Paliashvili Str., Tel: 25 02 19).
Interested stakeholders can analyze the document and present their
comments and considerations until April 14, 2005.
Public hearing will be held on April 14, 2005 at 12:00, at the
conference hall of the Ministry of Environment (68 A, Kostava Str.,
Tbilisi, VI Floor).
1.5. EIA Reports
Source: “Sakartvelos Respublica” (“Republic of Georgia”), March 11, 2005
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, “Georgian Railway” Ltd.
submitted EIA report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain
an environmental permit for the activity of first category –
Construction of the Railway Bridge on Senaki-Samtredia Second Rail the
2235km.
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, entrepreneur Shalva Khubua
submitted EIA report to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain
an environmental permit for the activity of second category – Wood
Processing Plant in Tbilisi, 14, Feikrebi str.
EIA reports are available at the Department of Environmental Permits and
State Ecological Expertise (15 A Tamarashvili Str., Tel: 39 91 81).
Interested stakeholders can analyze the document and present their
comments and considerations until April 26, 2005.
Public hearing will be held on April 26, 2005 at 12:00, at the
conference hall of the Ministry of Environment (68 A, Kostava Str.,
Tbilisi, VI Floor).
2. NEWS FROM GEORGIA
2.1. US Unhappy at Prospect of Gazprom buying Pipeline
Source: The Messenger, February 28, 2005
In comments printed yesterday, February 24, 2005 in Georgian newspaper
“24 Saati” (24 Hours), the US Stated Department’s Caspian Basin energy
adviser, Steven Mann, warned Tbilisi to consider the pros and cons
before deciding on privatizing its gas pipeline. “The US categorically
opposes any step that could ruin its years-long efforts to secure
Georgia’s energy independence,” state Mr. Mann.
Spelling it out, the top US official added that the sale of the North
South pipeline to Gazprom would be perceived in Washington as “hindering
the realization of the Shah-Deniz project.”
As if he had anticipated the negative US reaction, Mr. Bendukidze
suggested on February 22, 2005 that the international consortium that
operates Shah-Deniz compete with Gazprom to acquire the North-South
pipeline. But the consortium leader, BP, has rejected the officer
outright.
2.2. ENERGY MINISTRY OFFERS TELASI TO PURCHASE THE WHOLE OUTPUT OF
9TH POWER BLOCK
Source: Sarke, March 4, 2005
Andrei Rappoport, the deputy chairman of the RAO EES management board,
will consider among other questions a new scheme of relations between
TELASI, Tbilisi energy distributor, and LLC Mtkvari Energetika during
his visit to Georgia scheduled for March 5. Mtkvari Energetika (9th and
10th power blocks of the thermal power station), as well as TELASI, has
been owned by RAO EES.
2.3. KULEVI OIL TERMINAL TO BE PUT INTO OPERATION BY FALL 2006
Source: Sarke, March 4, 2005
The construction of the oil terminal in Kulevi (the Black Sea coast of
Georgia, North Poti) which is to be put into operation by fall 2006 will
cost $150 million. The capacity of the terminal will make up 33 million
t of oil and oil products a year
2.4. Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Will Ease Traffic In
Turkish Straits
Source: TurkishPress, March 16, 2005
Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline will lower the traffic in Turkish straits,
said a Turkish source.
”Aside from its economic benefits to Turkey, the oil pipeline will help
ease traffic in the Turkish straits of Bosphorus and Canakkale. We
estimate that at least 333 giant tankers will be eliminated per year
thanks to the (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) pipeline.”
According to information obtained by the A.A, the number of oil tankers
passing through the Turkish straits has dramatically increased in the
past decade. ”While the amount of oil carried by ships was
approximately 60 million tons in 1996, this amount jumped to 143,5
million tons in 2004.”
Turkish energy officials expect a rapid increase in the amount of oil
carried from Russia through the straits. ”When oil is transferred from
the Caspian region to Russia and then to Turkey, the tanker traffic will
likely show an increase. Each day at least 15 large oil tanker pass
through the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul.”
The Turkish straits have become an economic haven for thousands of ships
from Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.
One Turkish official told the A.A that on the average one ship carrying
a foreign flag passes through the Turkish straits every 7 minutes.
”Every 50 minutes, a large oil carrier passes through the Turkish
straits.”
Asked about the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, a
Turkish Ministry of Energy official indicated that there are some
economic benefits for the people of the region. ”However, the BTC oil
pipeline will help bring the risk of accidents in Turkish straits to a
minimum level possible. We are more interested in the safety of Turkish
cities than the economic benefits the BTC may bring to us.”
The BTC oil pipeline is approximately 1774 kilometers long. The portion
of the oil pipeline in Turkey is about 1074 kilometers.
2.5. Chief of Forestry Department Flees Georgia, Citing
Intimidation
Source: Civil Georgia, March 17, 2005
Chairman of the Forestry Department of Georgia Bidzina Giorgobiani fled
Georgia citing pressure from the authorities, particularly from the
officials of the Security Service, which is currently under the
subordination of the Interior Ministry.
Before his departure Giorgobiani recorded a short video tape and
distributed it to the Georgian television stations. In the tape, which
was broadcasted by the leading Georgian televisions on March 16,
Giorgobiani claims that officials from the Security Service fabricated a
criminal case against him after he unveiled a scheme of appropriation of
funds by the Security Service officials from the illegal trade of logs.
“Controversy [with the Security Service] started after I have cut all
the channels of illegal distribution of shares [from trade of logs],”
Giorgobiani said.
Reports say that Giorgobiani was convened in the General Prosecutor’s
Office a month ago for interrogation. The law enforcers suspected him
for alleged “negligence” while selling logs. He was released after
handing over to the General Prosecutor’s Office a written pledge not to
leave the city.
Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili declined to comment on this case and
only said that the General Prosecutor’s Office is in charge of
investigation.
In a video tape Giorgobiani said that he is going to Germany, “where I
lived for 9 years.”
Giorgobiani fled Georgia first time in early 90s after ouster of late
Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia in 1992. Georgian daily Rezonansi
reported on March 17, that Giorgobiani returned to Georgia after the
request of late Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania who offered him a
position of Chief of Forestry Department last year
2.6. US Pushes for Kazakh Exports Via BTC
Source: The Messenger, March 17, 2005
The United States would support a Chinese plan to build a major new
pipeline to export natural gas from Kazakhstan, said the State
Department’s point man on Caspian energy issues.
But Ambassador Steven Mann told a forum of regional business
representatives last week that the United States has deep reservations
about the sale of neighboring Georgia’s main gas pipelines to Russia’s
state-controlled monopoly Gazprom, saying the deal could jeopardize
Georgia’s energy independence.
US officials have been pushing for Kazakhstan to ship more of its energy
reserves through the highly touted new pipeline that bypasses Russia by
going through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline is expected to begin operations on May 25.
2.7. OIL AND GAS PROJECTS PROSPECTS BEING CONSIDERED IN TBILISI
Source: Sarke, March 17, 2005
Around 150 delegates are taking part in a 2-day Georgian International
Oil, Gas, Energy and Infrastructure Conference – GIOCIE 2005, run by
British ITE Group, exhibition company, and its exclusive partner in the
Caucasus Iteca Caspian Ltd.
In his opening speech, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said how important
the conference was for Georgia to be crossed by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and the South Caucasian gas pipeline.
2.8. MINES FOUND NEAR GEORGIA PIPELINE
Source: EINNews, March 18, 2005
According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, sappers have
defused 10 anti-tank mines found close to a building site for a
strategic oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan currently under construction
in this country.
The devices were armed and ready for use when they were found around 100
meters from the site in the village of Kide in southern Georgia where a
part of the BTC pipeline was under construction, the ministry said in a
statement.
There was started an investigation, said Georgian mass media.
2.9. GIOGIE Looks at Pipelines Future, Past and Present
Source: The Messenger, March 18, 2005
Participants at energy conference address needs for future gas pipeline,
importance of btc project and risks of privatization central gas
pipeline
Specialists in the oil and gas industry gathered in Tbilisi on Thursday,
March 17, 2005 to discuss recent energy issues in the Caucasus, mindful
of the fact that the much anticipated BTC pipeline will soon begin
operation and another pipeline will begin construction.
Also on officials’ minds was the possibility of privatizing Georgia’s
central gas pipeline, a move strongly unadvised according to the US
Ambassador to Georgia.
Industry and government officials had gathered at the Sheraton Metechi
Palace for the first day of the 4th Georgian International Oil, Gas,
Energy and Infrastructure Conference – GIOGIE 2005.
A main consensus was that the next two years are significant for
Georgia’s energy sustainability as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil
pipeline construction is to begin functioning by summer 2005 and the
Shah-Deniz South Caucasian Gas Pipeline (SCP) is now under construction.
Opening the conference, Georgia’s Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli
highlighted the reforms going on in Georgia. He named strong micro
financial performance as one of the positive results of the government’s
policy.
“We have been able to address social problems,” the prime minister said.
Economic and business reforms, Mr. Nogaideli thinks, will “open doors
for investments in Georgia.”
The prime minister added that one positive reform already undertaken by
the government is the tax reform that Mr. Nogaideli said is
characterized by “radical changes.”
Referring to the government’s current priorities, he named the energy
sector as a leading item. the construction of roads and other
infrastructure is the second priority according to Mr. Nogaideli.
Speaking at the morning panel discussion, the US Ambassador in Georgia
HE Richard Miles praised the upcoming completion of BTC construction as
“a major milestone for the region and for each individual.”
The BTC pipeline will be able to transport up to one million barrels of
crude oil per day and Ambassador Miles said the investments in the
energy sector are a key to success in the region.
HE Miles also addressed the possible privatization of the strategic
energy infrastructure such as the central gas pipeline coming from
Russia. “I should reiterate (US Senior Advisor on Caspian Basin Energy
Diplomacy) Steven Mann,” he said warning that the privatization of such
infrastructure will create a monopoly and therefore, “it is not in
Georgia’s interests.” However, HE Miles added, “it’s Georgia’s decision
to make.”
Conference speakers noted the significance of East-West energy projects
like BTC and SCP pipelines for the development of the region. “We must
be able to convince international investors that Georgia is able to
protect investors,” said Nikoloz Vashadze, the President of the Georgian
International Oil Corporation (GIOC). He added that the SCP gas pipeline
when constructed would become Georgia’s alternative source of gas.
The South Caucasus Gas Pipeline (SCP) will carry gas from the Shah-Deniz
filed to customers in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and other countries.
Spanning 690 km, it will be capable of carrying up to seven million
cubic meters of gas each year by 2006, with the possibility of doubling,
this capacity in the future.
The final pipe joint for the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) was unloaded
at Poti port in Georgia en route for Azerbaijan back in February.
Mr. Vashakidze noted on Thursday that Kazakhstan might participate in
the BTC pipeline operation since Kazakh oil can be carried through the
pipeline. He also says Turkey may construct an additional pipeline with
Greece to carry Shah-Deniz oil to Europe.
Nikoloz Natbiladze from the Economy Security Department of the Georgian
National Security Council outlined issues the government plans to
address in the near future in the energy sector. He said energy
facilities must be modernized and the energy reserve capacity must be
created in Georgia. “We must have such an energy sector that would not
be dependent on state subsides or donation from financial institutions,”
he said.
Nikoloz Natbiladze also added that there should be diversification of
energy sources so that the sector is not dependent on just one monopoly
and has a minimum of at least one alternative source of energy.
Georgian Deputy Minister of Energy and Fuel Alexander Khetaguri praised
the GIOGIE conference saying, “a previous conferences highly contributed
to the development of Georgia’s energy sector.”
He agreed with Mr. Nogaideli that the energy sector is a priority.
Alexander Khetaguri said currently his ministry plans to address two
issues in the sector to ensure self-sustainability of energy sources and
security of energy infrastructure. “The sector needs substantial
financial injections,” the deputy minister added.
The GIOGIE conference is one in a serious of energy exhibitions in
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia and the former Soviet Asian countries. The
conference is organized by ITE Group Plc and its partner in Georgia
ITECA Kavkasia. President Mikheil Saakashvili sponsored the event.
The final day of GIOGIE 2005 is Friday and will include panel
discussions of electricity officials.
2.10. Forestry Department head flees country, leaves trail of tapes
Source: The Messenger, March 18, 2005
International affairs alleges he was involved in illegal logging, but
Mr. Giorgobiani counters that ministry employees were ones involved, and
that is why he faced intimidation
Following accusations that he was involved in Georgia’s illegal logging
industry, the head of the Forestry Department Bidzina Giorgobiani fled
Georgia sometime in the past week.
“It was impossible for me to stay in the country as the ministry of
security was intensively pursuing me. They achieved what they want — to
force me to leave the country. But I will not leave everything this way
and I will make them pay,” an angry Mr. Giorgobiani told Rustavi-2 by
telephone from Germany.
Before leaving the country Mr. Giorgobiani made a video recording
addressed to President Mikheil Saakashvili in which he explained how
employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs took timber to South
Ossetia and then sent it to different countries.
“Mr. President I want to ask you to end this unfair game and this
business,” Mr. Giorgobiani said in the tape, copies of which were copied
to the local television stations. “My relations with the Ministry of
Internal Affairs has become so strained after I stopped this dirty way
of making money in July August 2004 (while head of the forester
department),” reported Mr. Giorgobiani. He added that ministry employees
responded by falsifying documents to make it seem that he was involved
in this “dirty business.”
In the video recording that was first shown by Imedi TV late on March
16, 2005 Mr. Giorgobiani states that the ministry of internal affairs
was putting pressure on him because of the involvement of its employees
in illegal logging and money laundering.
In particular, Mr. Giorgobiani named head of the ministry’s
constitutional department David Akhalaia as being involved in shady
timber selling enterprises which in turn laundered money.
However, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Bidzina Bregadze said that
by leaving the country Mr. Giorgobiani had committed an illegal act, “as
he would have been imprisoned had he stayed at home.”
Mr. Giorgobiani implicated Minister of Internal Affairs Vano
Merabishvili in his accusations, saying that he had spoken with him by
telephone and that the minister had stated he was unaware of the
pressure being put on him. “But Vano Merabishvili knew everything – how
over the years money was made through machinations in the Forestry
Department,” said Mr. Giorgobiani.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday, on March 17, 2005 Vano
Merabishvili refuted the accusation and stated that Mr. Giorgobiani had
not cooperated with the prosecutor’s office, “By running away to another
country, Mr. Giorgobiani avoided cooperation with the law enforcement
officers. Now the case is in the prosecutor’s hands, and I can say
nothing, he said.
Mr. Giorgobiani also leveled other accusations against the ministry of
internal affairs, saying that one of its employees, Gogita Papashvili,
was specially sent to the Ministry of Environment to lobby several firms
that had paid “fees” to the South Ossetian budget when they were suppose
to pay to the Georgian budget.
“I opposed their action, but as it became clear later, Akhalaia and
other officials who control this department were also involved in money
laundering,” said Mr. Giorgobiani.
Following Mr. Giorgobiani’s departure for Germany, the ministry of
internal affairs questioned Deputy Head of the Forestry Department
Mzevinar Ansiani, who told Mze that the ministry was interested in why
Mr. Giorgobiani had decided to leave Georgia.
“I did not have any information about it until Mr. Giorgobiani himself
contacted me from Berlin. Before leaving, Mr. Giorgobiani told me to
held hold a press conference and I do not understand why he made such an
unexpected decision,” said Mzevinar Ansiani.
According to Mzevinar Ansiani the ministry of internal affairs was also
interested whether he had any information or video recording that Mr.
Giorgobiani has not shown yet. Mzevinar Ansiani answered that Mr.
Giorgobiani had not given him anything.
“Giorgobiani had already been questioned a month ago regarding the
possible illegal sale of timber in Samtskhe-Javakheti,” Deputy
Prosecutor General Kakha Koberidze told Rustavi-2.
Mr. Giorgobiani originally emigrated to Germany thirteen years ago.
According to Mr. Giorgobiani the main reason for leaving the country at
the time was because of pressure from the Shevardnadze’s government.
After the Rose Revaluation, however he returned to Georgia and according
to press reports, was appointed to the post of forestry department head
by late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania.
2.11. Prospects of Georgian Oil
Source: The Messenger, March 21, 2005
The oil exploration company CanArgo has emphasized that it is using some
of the most modern equipment to drill for oil in Georgia, and according
to the company’s GEO Dr. David Robinson, they plan to drill a further
fifteen wells at cost of USD 40-50 million.
The first well using a horizontal bore drill has already been drilled
and drilling the next one will begin at the end of March. The horizontal
bore technique is designed to cut diagonally across an oil deposit
instead of straight down in order to access a larger section of deposit.
The CanArgo president believes the new oil fields in Georgia have huge
potential, although the oil is very deep. He also enthused that Georgian
oil is the best in the world – both light and pure as reported by
newspaper Khvalindeli Dge.
Georgia has an eighty year history oil exploration. During the soviet
era Georgia was producing 3,3 million tones per year, but after the
collapse of the Soviet Union financing of this sphere stopped. Currently
Georgia produces annually 82,000 tones, according to newspaper
Sakartvelis Respublika.
Mr. Robinson notes that the company is also working in Kazakhstan, but
that its biggest investments are in Georgia as the oil fields here have
excellent prospects. CanArgo will continue drilling horizontally to
increase the volume of exploration.
Horizontal drilling is the best way to exploit old wells, and Mr.
Robinson reports that this technique has already led to increased oil
production, with out put at the Manavi well in Kakheti now equaling
2,000 barrels a day.
The CanArgo president thinks that pretty soon Georgia will be producing
enough oil and natural gas to satisfy its needs and will be able to
export as well. in his opinion, Georgia will need to produce 40,000
barrels a day to become an exporter.
The company estimates that there are 190 million barrels of oil reserves
in Georgia – with reserves in Ninotsminda, Samgori, Kumisi, Teleti,
Varketili, Norio and in the southern part of the country. Mr. hopes to
construct an oil refinery as well, and also says that natural gas
production could activated in the country.
The company is not the only oil explorer in Georgia. Frontera and
Anadarko are both conducting exploration activities, with Anadarko
exploring off shore reserves in the Black Sea.
2.12. BTC Construction Halted by Protest
Source: The Messenger, March 25, 2005
Building of the BTC oil pipeline was suspended for five hours on
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 because of a village demonstration in
Akhaltsikhe region. According to Black Sea Press, villagers’ blame
consortium leader BP of damage to a 10-km irrigation channel and damage
compensation.
3. NEWS FROM AZERBAIJAN
3.1. Azerbaijan: Oil Workers Allege Foreign Discrimination
Source: Institute for war and peace reporting, February, 2005
A growing litany of complaints from Azerbaijanis employed by
international companies in Baku
The new Azerbaijani oil boom has brought a flood of foreign investment
to Baku, but many local Azerbaijani employees are complaining they are
working hard in poor conditions and reaping none of the rewards.
Twenty-four international companies are now exploiting the huge wealth
of the oil and gas fields of the Caspian Sea and forging ahead with the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, currently the largest
construction project in the world, due for completion later this year.
Most of the workforce in these companies consists of local Azerbaijanis.
80% of the 15,000 people employed by the Azerbaijan International
Operating Company’s so-called “Early Oil” project, which sends oil to
the Georgian Black Sea coast, for example are locals.
However, many of the employees say they are being exploited as cheap
labour and denied elementary rights. “Forty-five people use one toilet
and one bathroom. They make us work like horses and pay us 100 times
less than the foreigners,” said a 43-year-old employee of the
Consolidated Contractors International Corporation, CCIC, the main
contractor in the construction of BTC, who preferred not to be named.
Mirvari Gahramanly, chairman of the Committee of Oil Industry Workers’
Rights Protection, told IWPR that contracts signed by CCIC were not in
keeping with Azerbaijani employment practices.
Under the contracts, said Mirvari Gahramanly, workers could be required
to do any work asked of them – although the working week is formally
fixed at 40 hours, the company has the right to ask workers to complete
their work in non-working time.
Sahib Suleimanov, CICC public affairs officer, refused to comment on
these allegations, referring IWPR to British Petroleum, BP, the company
that contracted out the work to CCIC.
Tamam Bayatly, head of BP’s press service in Baku, did not deny the
points Gahramanly raised, but said the contracts had been drawn up in
consultation with lawyers from the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR.
She countered, “In the first place, if they did not like these
conditions, they should not have signed the contract. Secondly, overtime
is well paid. If our employees work 10 hours a day they receive twice as
much as usual.”
Another complaint of Azerbaijani employees is that they are made to work
on public and religious holidays and days of mourning. But Bayatly
rejected these claims, “In BP and its contractors, our employees can
decide for themselves whether to work on holidays or days of mourning.
If someone wants to earn more money they come to work. If they don’t,
they don’t.”
Akif Alizade, an independent lawyer, said that BP was technically in the
right. “The employees signed these contracts voluntarily and they are
obliged to honor the terms.”
“Maybe many of them did not even read what they signed,” said economist
Gubad Ibagogly. “And that’s not surprising in a country where there is
massive unemployment and minuscule salaries. Who will think twice, when
they are being offered [several hundred] dollars a month?”
Local CCIC workers receive salaries of between 200 and 1500 dollars a
month, which are higher than the local average. However, there is a big
discrepancy between what locals are paid and what foreigners receive for
the same work.
According to Gahramanly, BOS Shelf – another contractor working for BP
on offshore construction projects – has a four-tier pay scale with
locals placed at the bottom, irrespective of their skill-levels.
Aliniyaz Mamiev, who formerly worked as a mechanic for BOS Shelf, told
IWPR he was a victim of pay discrimination. He said he had been paid 328
dollars a month for his labour, while his colleague from the Philippines
had received between 2500 and 3000 dollars for doing the same job.
3.2. AZERBAIJANI DEPUTY PREMIER WARNS OF ECOLOGICAL DANGERS…
Source: RFE/ RL Newletter, March 8, 2005
Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov, who is also chairman of
the State Committee for Emergency Situations, stated at the seminar
organized by the French Embassy in Baku on March 7, 2005 that Azerbaijan
is vulnerable to earthquakes, landslides, and flooding. He explained
that the entire country is part of a seismically active zone, while 50%
of its territory is threatened by floods. Mr. Sharifov later told
journalists that Azerbaijan cannot at present afford to create a
separate ministry to deal with emergency situations.
3.3. SANGHACHAL TERMINAL EMPLOYS 3500 PEOPLE
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 17, 2005
According to Mr. Rob Kelly, President of Azerbaijan Int’l Operating
Company’s (AIOC) ‘Shahdeniz’ project, construction works on ‘Sanghachal’
terminal, which is the part of the project, outstripped the schedule by
6 %.
There were put in order Rolls-Royce generator and air compressors,
condensate measuring set, stabilizing panel, was completed construction
of reservoir bases as well as the exchange and heating systems. Body of
the oil heater at the height of 25-floor building, convection oven,
inside pipes and preventor block have already been built. Construction
of tank and commutation hall is in progress.
The terminal currently employs 3500 people.
3.4. NGO’S DATABASE IS CREATED
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 17, 2005
The National Non-governmental organization’s Forum is carried out a
project on building a electronic database and recreation of directory
for NGO.
Within the projects framework, which is carried out with a financial
support of the Eurasian Fund of the United States Agency for
International Development, in the database will collecting over 1000
NGO’s informations and directory to be placed in web-site in Azerbaijani
and English.
3.5. SEMINAR ON “ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT” HELD
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 17, 2005
A seminar dealing with a new curriculum entitled “Environment Management
for Sustainable Human Development” has been held by the Western
University and Mississippi Valley State University.
The seminar attended by famous scholars and specialists and
representatives of the Ministries of Education and Ecology and Natural
Resources as well as the Mississippi Valley State University focused on
the necessity to train new skilled specialists specializing in
environmental issues in order to implement economic, social programs and
projects, which meet the requirements of the sustainable human
development conception.
The seminar participants heard the reports on “Human Development
Conception and Sustainable Natural and Social Environment Management”.
3.6. WB mission on poverty reduction to visit Baku
Source: AssA-Irada, March 19, 2005
A mission led by the World Bank (WB) senior economist on the South
Caucasus region Christian Peterson will visit Baku on March 21.
The goal of the visit is to hold talks over a credit agreement within
the State Program on Poverty Reduction and Economic Development, the WB
Baku office told AssA-Irada.
During the visit to last till April 2 Peterson will hold meetings at
several government bodies. The Draft credit agreement will be submitted
to the WB Board of Directors for approval after the talks.
The first portion of a loan amounting to $20 million may be allocated
early in April if all activities are carried out on schedule.
Issues relating to the budget of the Caspian Shipping Company and
approval of rules for registration of legal entities with the Ministry
of Justice were discussed and agreed upon during the last visit by
Peterson to Baku in January.
The Bank is expected to allot a total of $60 million for the State
Program in three equal portions. The WB loans are allocated for 35
years, with a 10-year grace period and 0.75% annual interest rate.
The program, which started in 2003 to complete in 2005, requires a total
of $3 billion, of which $1.7 billion is to be provided from foreign
sources and the rest from local sources.
3.7. SHAH-DENIZ TO BECOME ONE OF THE 10 WORLD’S LARGEST OIL&GAS
PROJECTS
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 20, 2005
According to the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, drilling of
3 exploration wells at Shahdeniz field located 40 km offshore in the
Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian has allowed to estimate gas and
condensate reserves at 38 trillion cubic feet and 2,1 million tons
respectively.
First gas from the field is planned to be pumped by the South Caucasus
Pipeline through Georgia to Turkey and further to Europe by the end of
2006. The total cost of the project is US $4,1 billion. Started in
November 2003, it is so far more than 51 percent completed.
3.8. SCP CONSTRUCTION TO BE OVER BY THIRD QUARTER OF 2006
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 20, 2005
Constriction of the 690 km long South Caucasus (SCP) gas pipeline to
pump the “blue fuel” from Shahdeniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of
the Caspian Sea to Turkey and further to Europe is reported to finished
in the 3rd quarter of 2006. To date, 220 km long canal has been dug in
the 443 kilometers long Azerbaijan section of the pipeline, 188 km of
pipes have been welded together, and auxiliary objects have constructed,
with 5 million man-hours worked without a lost-time accident. The
construction involves 2 thousand employees, 1500 of which are locals.
3.9. Because of BTC, Russia’s pipeline to become “dead asset”
Source: UPI Energy Watch, March 22, 2005
The State Oil Company of Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Azeri
International Operating Company (AMOK), operator to the
Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline, intent to cease exporting oil through
the pipeline by mid April. The BTC pipeline meanwhile will begin
exporting oil this autum andf is expected to pump more than 50 million
tones of oil annually. Azerbaijan intends to reroute oil from the
Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline to the BTC as the country looks to find
technical oil with which to fill the BTC. For every ton of oil Baku
pumps to Novorossiysk and it pays $15.67. Azeri First vice Premier Abbas
Abbassov announced that because Baku high quality oil is getting mixed
with Russian low quality oil, the price of the oil has fallen at the
Russian port by $4-5. Abbas Abbassov said that SOCAR’s annual losses
could amount to $50-100 million.
Troika Dialog investment company expert Valeriy Nestorov said: “What we
are saying is that in the future oil will not be going into the
Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline thus this pipeline will become a dead
asset. This is bad for Russia, of course, since Rosneft will lose very
important income from the transportation of Azerbaijan oil.” Russian
Federation Ministry of Industry and Energy officials stated: “So far no
official documents have been received from the Azerbaijani side
regarding this matter. The pipe is not going to stay dry.”
3.10. AZERBAIJAN TAKES PART AT MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND
TOURISM EXHIBITION
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 26, 2005
The 12th Moscow International Exhibition “Travel and Tourism / MITT
2005” opened in the ‘Expocenter’ at Krasnaya Presnya on March 23.
There were tourist’s companies from 150 countries those had been
represented their services. It is fourth time that the Ministry of
Youth, Sports and Tourism of the Azerbaijan Republic taking part at this
prestigious event.
Tourist opportunities of the Azerbaijan Republic were presented at 3th
pavilion. According to Mr. Zakir Aliyev, Head of the Department of the
Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Tourism, Azerbaijani exposition drew an
attention of many foreign tourist companies and visitors. ‘We have hold
business talks with an official representatives of more than 100 tourist
companies of Russia and other countries’, he stressed.
Among the Azerbaijan exhibitors has been a well-known tourist companies
as Improtex Travel, Sevgun Travel, AIT Agency, Azari, STI, Christens
Beach, Grand Hotel Europe. Along with exhibiting companies, exhibition
hosts about 10 visiting tourist companies.
Azerbaijani exposition also features promotional materials, brochures
with full information of Azerbaijani recreation areas and resorts, as
well as ‘Panorama of Azerbaijan’ magazine, ‘Welcome to Azerbaijan’
Guidebook and other materials.
The exhibition will complete its work on March 26.
3.11. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to be filled with oil
Source: RBC, March 25, 2005
The process of filling the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline with oil
will begin in May 2005, Natik Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan’s National
Oil Company, has told reporters. He noted that the process of filling
Azerbaijan’s section of the pipeline with oil would start in May, and
the corresponding process for Georgia’s section of the pipeline would
begin in July. The pipeline construction work in Turkey is to be
finished by June 30 of this year, Aliyev remarked. “All our indicators
and estimates are showing that we will fulfill the existing schedule,
which envisages that the first tanker with Azerbaijani oil will be
loaded in Ceyhan in September 2005,” he added.
As reported earlier, the length of this pipeline is 1,767 km, including
443 km in Azerbaijan, 248 km in Georgia and 1,076 km in Turkey. The
pipeline’s capacity is 50m tons of oil a year. The pipeline construction
started in April 2003. Shares in the project are distributed between: BP
(30.1 percent of shares), Azerbaijan’s National Oil Company (25
percent), Unocal (8.9 percent), Statoil (8.71 percent), TPAO (6.53
percent), ENI (5 percent), Itochu (3.4 percent), ConocoPhillips (2.5
percent), Inpex (2.5 percent), TotalFinaElf (5 percent) and Amerada Hess
(2.36 percent).
4. NEWS FROM ARMENIA
4.1. Animals renamed to remove Kurd and Armenian references
Source: UAE, March 6, 2005
Turkey is renaming three indigenous animals to eliminate references to
Kurdistan and Armenia, the Environment and Forestry Ministry announced.
The old names were given by foreigners with designs on the country’s
unity, it said.
A species of red fox known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica will now be
known as just Vulpes Vulpes, a species of wild sheep called Ovis
Armeniana was changed to Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus, and a type of deer
known as Capreolus Capreolus Armenus was renamed Capreolus Cuprelus
Capreolus, a ministry statement said.
“Foreign scientists, who for years researched Turkey’s flora and fauna,
named species they had never come across with a prejudiced mind,” it
said.
4.2. RAO UES of Russia takes control of South Caucasian Energy
System
Source: PanARMENIAN.Net, March 7, 2005
During the recent two months it became quite obvious that the RAO UES of
Russia is going to take the energy system of Armenia under control, IA
Regnum reports. According to President Anatoly Chubays, the energy
holding “is thinking of the expansion of the export of the Armenian
processing capacities and of more complicated export constructions such
as export of the Armenian electrical power to Georgia and Iran.” In
future the RAO UES is going to take the control of the whole energy
system of the South Caucasus. To note the company already owns a part of
Georgian and Azeri power grids. As for Armenia, the Russian giant has
purchased the complex of the Sevan-Hrazdan cascade of hydroelectric
power stations, the Hrazdan HPP and presently manages the financial
flows of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. In May 2003 the RAO UES of
Russia founded the International Energy Corporation CJSC for
administering the Sevan-Hrazdan cascade of hydroelectric power stations
conveyed to Russia to pay off the debt for the nuclear fuel delivered
for the Armenian NPP.
4.3. Winter Water World: Jermuk hopes to revive year-round tourism
reputation
Source: ArmeniaNow Reporter, March 10, 2005
While mild weather has been welcomed in the capital, about 170
kilometers south-east of Yerevan, the forested resort town of Jermuk is
still deep in winter. Here on the plateau, 2070 meters high above sea
level, the thick snow layer of Jermuk glows under sun rays as if
shedding light of diamond grit. The only noise-maker of the local
nature, still enjoying winter sleep, is the waterfall, which from 60
meters height flow into Arpa River running through the town.
Once famous for its curing complex and water treatment, today Jermuk is
trying to again attract winter guests by restoring heating systems in
health resorts.
In comparison with Tsaghkadzor known for providing active winter rest in
Armenia, the main advantage of Jermuk with its typical mountainous
climate is the curable mineral water.
The curing complex of seven resorts of the town includes inner and outer
usage of thermal waters, diet therapy, gymnastics, walk therapy in the
open air, climatic and physiotherapeutic procedures.
“In the past our curing complex was dealing with visitors arriving from
all the former Soviet republics the whole year round,” says Stepan
Avagyan, the head of Jermuk Business and Tourism Association “Fifteen
years have passed, and today our main goal is to return that very
contingent to Jermuk.”
In the city, founded in 1935 on the basis of mineral waters, today the
visiting card is still the mineral water gallery, where one can enjoy
several natural springs free of charge. The lowest temperature of the
waters is 30C, with 65C the highest.
In 1951 the first factory of mineral waters was established in the town.
During Soviet times its production, that is mineral water Jermuk, was
exported into 50 countries. Today the leading companies here, producing
mineral waters, are “Jermuk Group” and Jermuk Parent Enterprise.
Here patients with diagnosis of the alimentary canal, liver,
gall-bladder diseases, diabetes and gynecological illnesses pass courses
of water treatment.
The flow of visitors to Jermuk, mainly from the regions of Armenia,
begins in May and last till September. During Soviet times, however, all
the year round the town with 2,000 resort beds received 20,000 visitors
annually from Russia only.
The first step of fame rehabilitation of Jermuk among CIS countries took
place last week, when local businessmen invited ambassadors of Russia,
the Ukraine and Belarus in Armenia to acquaint themselves with the
opportunities of the resort winter rest in Jermuk.
The weekend getaway was supported by Urban Institute financed by USAID.
Last year the Urban Institute helped finance and organize Jermuk’s new
tourism association, as part of similar involvement in 12 towns
throughout Armenia.
According to the specialists Jermuk business and tourism center is among
the most successful ones, where the powers and businessmen are already
united.
“It is so pleasant that all the businessmen involved in Jermuk tourism
business take part in the development of the economic association. That
means that in all the projects related to Jermuk they will be present
with an associated team,” says Ara Petrosyan, the Deputy Minister of the
Trade and Economy Development of Armenia.
Two years ago the previous state health-resort complex in Jermuk was
actively privatized by businessmen.
“Today problems put in front of us are changed. The private owners
understand that they should repair the resorts to return their visitors.
Today the customer pays and demands up-to-date service: he is not
satisfied with the former conditions,” says Stepan Avagyan.
In Jermuk’s health-resorts depending on quality of service, one-day rest
ranges from $18-80. Businessmen assure that during the first five years
all the city’s medical and rest buildings will meet contemporary
requirements.
“Today increase of ‘nostalgic’ tourism is registered in CIS countries:
that is the tourists visit the places they have been during Soviet
times. It is conditioned on the likeness of the mentality and customs,
as well as on the absence of language obstacles,” says Deputy Minister
Petrosyan.
According to him Armenia has a great potential of tourism development,
the proof of this is the statistics in the mid of 80s, when the number
of visitors into Armenia surpassed 600,000.
4.4. Armenian President Discusses Iran-Armenian Gas Pipeline
Source: The Messenger, March 18, 2005
The president of Armenia Robert Kocharian discussed issues relating to
the construction of a gas pipeline linking Armenia with Iran with the
directors of the Russian companies Gazprom and RAO UES Alexander
Ryazanov and Andrei Rapport in Yerevan on Wednesday, March 16, 2005.
According to Prime News, the prospects of cooperation in the energy
systems of the region were also discussed at the meeting.
5. NGO NEWS
5.1. presentation of the Environmental Assessment Program
On March 17, 2005 Caucasus Environmental NGOs Network (CENN) organized
presentation of its Environmental Assessment Program. Presentation was
conducted in the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural
Resources of Georgia.
The main objectives of the seminar were:
· Presentation of recommendations resulted from the study
,,Assessment of effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
system in Georgia”- conducted by CENN in 2003-2004 years;
· Sharing international experience on Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) system;
· Introduction of two projects of the Environmental Assessment
Program. (,,Strengthening of Environmental Assessment (EIA/SEA) System
in the South Caucasus Countries” supported by the Bank Netherlands
Partnership Program (BNPP) and the World Bank, and “Improvement of
Environmental Assessment (EA) Practice in Georgia through Development of
EA Implementation Tools” supported by the Government of the
Netherlands);
· Identification of priority sectors for preparation of EIA
instructions.
Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia
Giorgi Papuashvili, Representative of Netherlands Commission for
Environmental Impact Assessment A.Kolhoff, employees of various
departments of the Ministry and representatives of Caucasus
Environmental NGOs Network (CENN) attended the presentation.
The presentation invoked a great interest among the participants. As a
result of the seminar MoE staff members received information about CENN
Environmental Assessment Program. Participants expressed their readiness
in active cooperation with CENN and willingness to support organization
in project realization.
During the last part of the presentation participants identified
priority sectors for preparation of EIA instructions.
Prepared by CENN
6. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
6.1. INCREASING AID EFFECTIVENESS TO ACHIEVE THE MDGs – WITH OR
WITHOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?
Source: IUCN March 3, 2005
It is clear that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
requires the doubling of aid from the international community and
substantial improvements in the way that aid is used – but the role of
conservation and the environment seems to be less clear. “There is truly
little recognition outside of the environment community that
biodiversity loss affects the very basis on which poverty eradication
and development more broadly depends. To put it in other terms, MDG 7 on
environmental sustainability underpins the achievement of all the other
MDGs”, said Sebastian Winkler, Senior Policy Officer of The World
Conservation Union.
6.2. BTC CONSTRUCTION WORKS IN TURKEY COMPLETED BY 93%
Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertag,
March 6, 2005
Construction-assembly works in the Turkish part of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan MEP have been completed by 93 percent, the BOTAS
Company that engaged in construction of the pipeline said. In 1074 km of
the 1076 km pipeline the pipes have been welded, while 1037 km of pipes
were covered.
The Turkish part of the pipe will be pumped in early June.
6.3. YOUTH TO THE FRONT – TWO NEW WCPA SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS IN PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT
Source: IUCN March 15, 2005
Junior Ranger Tshegofatso Monama challenged 3,000 participants at the V
IUCN World Parks Congress when he said: “The problem I have about parks
is that they do not offer opportunities. They should offer opportunities
to the young because as I look out here I see only old people who are
going to die!” Responding to the need to involve more young people in
protected area management and conservation, IUCN’s Programme on
Protected Areas and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
launched a youth training scholarship programme at the 3rd IUCN World
Conservation Congress (WCC, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2004). The
programme, developed and implemented in partnership with the Consortium
for International Protected Area Management (CIPAM), will offer two
scholarships for talented young professionals to attend a protected area
management seminar and to develop an action plan implementing the new
seminar skills and results. Graduates of the seminars will be offered
professional mentoring subsequent to the course. The initiative is the
first undertaking of a partnership focused on increasing protected area
professional capacity amongst young protected area practitioners.
6.4. NGO strategy meeting on the EU Environment and Health Action
Plan: final report
Dear Readers,
We would like to draw your attention to the final report of the NGO
strategy meeting on the EU Environment and Health Action Plan which took
place in Egmond aan Zee (The Netherlands) on 1 December 2004 and was
co-organized by the European Public Health Alliance Environment Network
(EEN) and the Dutch Platform for Environment and Health. The report is
now available both in English and in Russian, please find both versions
enclosed.
The meeting aimed to identify key actions proposed by WHO’s Children’s
Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) and to recommend
that they be taken forward within the EU Action Plan framework. It also
looked at how the EU’s Action Plan can be implemented by examining areas
such as bio-monitoring, indicators, risk communication and indoor air
quality. The results were presented to the EU member states and
institutions at the Dutch Presidency conference on December 2-3.
For further information please see our website at:
EPHA Environment Network
39-41 rue d’Arlon
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 233 3875
Fax: +32 2 233 3880
E-mail: [email protected]
Please visit our new website:
6.5. BTC a Victory for Turkey
Source: Washington Times, March 22, 2005
The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May has Turkish
officials proclaiming victory in Ankara’s 14 year long war with Russia
over increased tanker traffic through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. A
Turkish Ministry of Energy spokesman said: “Aside from its economic
benefits to Turkey, the oil pipeline will help ease traffic in the
Turkish straits of Bosphorus and Canakkale. We estimate that at least
333 giant tankers will be eliminated per year thanks to the pipeline”.
Oil transit in 1996 was approximately 60 million tones; in 2004 it had
leaped to 143.5 million tons.
7 CALENDAR (INTERNATIONAL)
7.1. III International Conference Biodiversity and Role of
Zoocenosis in Natural and Anthropogenic Ecosystems Dnipropetrovsk 2005
ZOOCENOSIS-2005
4-6 October, 2005
III International Conference Biodiversity and Role of Zoocenosis in
Natural and Anthropogenic Ecosystems Dnipropetrovsk 2005
Dnipropetrovsk 2005
Conference Sections
a.. Biodiversity and functional role of invertebrates in aquatic
ecosystems.
b.. Biodiversity and functional role of vertebrates in aquatic
ecosystems.
c.. Biodiversity and functional role of invertebrates in terrestrial
ecosystems.. Biodiversity and functional role of vertebrates in
terrestrial ecosystems.
Conference Themes
1.. Biodiversity (zoodiversity) as a functional basis of ecosystem
organization.
2.. Functional structure of zoocenosis in various ecosystems and its
change under conditions of transformation.
3.. Population structure of zoocenosis in natural and transformed
ecosystems.
4.. Morphological and physiological adaptations of animals in
transformed ecosystems.
5.. Basic directions of animals’ adaptive process to ecosystems
transformation at different levels of organization (genetic,
physiological, biochemical, organism, population, ecosystem).
6.. Animals in conservation and formation of primary and secondary
biological production.
7.. Animals in geological and biological circulation of substances and
in energy transformation.
8.. Zoocenosis role in soil formation.
9.. Animals in self-purification of aquatic and terrestrial systems
under technogenic influence.
10.. Animal populations in homeostasis of ecosystems sustainability
under conditions of technogenesis.
11.. Zoocenosis in conservation and rehabilitation of general
biodiversity.
12.. Zoocenosis in formation of biotic communications (consortium,
biocenosis, ecosystem, biosphere).
13.. Applied problems of studying zoocenosis as a functional component
of ecosystems and biosphere.
14.. Reserved and protected territories in conservation of a genofund
of important functional elements of zoocenosis.
15.. Mathematical modeling of a biodiversity, structure and functions
of zoocenosis.
Call for Abstracts:
The Organization Committee invites you to submit an abstract. Official
languages of the Conference: English, Russian, Ukrainian. Abstract
format: up to 3 pages in MS Word (any version), Times New Roman, 14 pt.
Line spacing and margins are undefined. After the first mention of
scientific (Latin) name of a species it is necessary to specify a full
surname of the description author and year. The quantity of
abbreviations in the text should be minimal. Figures (diagrams) are not
allowed. Please reduce number of references to a minimum since papers
should be written without the list of literature.
Abstract submission: please send your abstract by E-mail:
[email protected]. Do not send printed abstracts. Deadline for abstract
submission: 10 JULY 2005.
Text should be carefully verified. Authors are responsible for quality
of published materials.
The organizing committee reserves the right to reject the materials
which are not adequate to the program and conditions of the Conference
on subjects, stylistics and the contents.
The organizing committee plans to decrease registration fee as much as
possible. So, information on the registration fee, meals, travel and
accommodation will be noticed in the second circular. It will be placed
on a site of conference in the beginning of September, 2005 or
dispatched personally to contributors, who submit abstract and
application form. Excursions to Prysamarsky International Biospheric
stationl, Dniprovsko-Orelsky Nature Reserve, mining grounds of wood
rehabilitation in Western Donbass are planned.
Accepted abstracts will be also arranged on the Internet site of
Department of Zoology and Ecology of Dnipropetrovsk National University
(). Abstracts of I and
II International Conferences (in 2001 and 2003) are placed at the same
site.
Conference secretary
Dr. Viktor V. Brigadirenko
Phone: +38 0562 469282,
E-mail: [email protected]
7.2. conference related to Public Health
Dear colleagues,
I am sharing with you this information about the conference related to
Public Health that will be organized in Armenia on September 17-20,
2005.
This is the Regional Public Health Conference and we expect to have lots
of local and international public health specialists as participants.
Your participation as well as sharing with this info with your
colleagues and friends would be appreciated. For more info you are
welcome to contact me.
Please visit the website, where you can find all info about the
conference.
Best Regards,
Naira Gharakhanyan, MD, MPH
Health Program Coordinator
COAF Armenia
13 Yervand Kochar, Yerevan
Tel: (+374 1) 57 52 54
Tel/fax: (+3741) 57 53 55
Website:
7.3. TENTH INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM SUMMER SCHOOL ON “WORKING OF
JOURNALISTS IN THE SITUATIONS OF CRISIS”
Mass Media Center School of Journalism, St.Petersburg State University
St.Petersburg, Russia
28 June – 6 July 2005
St.Petersburg, Russia
The Mass Media Center of the School (Faculty) of Journalism at St.
Petersburg State University (SPbGU) is inviting journalists, scholars,
educators, students, and communication specialists from around the world
to take part in the Tenth Annual International Journalism Summer School,
beginning June 28, 2005. This is the excellent opportunity to widen the
view on media studies studying Russian media and journalism in the
political, social, economic, legal, ethnic, environmental and cultural
perspective.
Leading university professors and professional journalists will lead
this course, which will include lectures and practical workshops devoted
to several issues, questions and problems related to the development of
the Mass Media. The main subject of the Tenth Summer course will be
“Working of Journalists in the Situations of Crisises”. Participants
will have the opportunity to discuss this topic with professional
journalists during the site visits to media outlets as well as during a
roundtable scheduled for July 6. Courses are given by the best faculty
and staff of the School of Journalism at St.Petersburg State University
and experienced professionals from a wide variety of St.Petersburg
Media.
The course also includes a cultural program, with sightseeing city bus
tour, excursion to the State Hermitage Museum, and performance at the
famous Marinsky (Kirov’s) Theater.
Working languages:
English and Russian
The programme will be conducted in Russian, with English interpretation.
Registration until: June 1, 2005.
Participants are responsible for the trip to St.Petersburg and for
getting of the Russian visas. Visa support is not included to the
tuition fee.
For more information, including application materials, contact the Mass
Media Center of the School of Journalism at
St.Petersburg State University: 1-aya Liniya V.O. Building 26, Office
602. 199004. St. Petersburg, Russia.
Telephone / Fax: (7-812) 323-00-67, 321-01-72.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web sites: and
Contact person: Dmitry A. Ruschin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Director
of the International Journalism Summer School and Winter School on
Public Relations at St.Petersburg State University. E-Mail:
[email protected] (main address) and [email protected] (additional
address).
MASS MEDIA CENTER
School of Journalism, St.Petersburg State University
1-aya Liniya V.O., # 26, office 606. St.Petersburg, 199004, Russia
Tel/Fax: (7-812) 323-00-67, 321-01-72.
E-mail: [email protected]
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of the message body. The message subject is irrelevant and can be left
blank. For more information, please visit CENN web page at:
CENN, on behalf of the Caucasus Environmental NGOs, would like to
express gratitude to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
(SDC) for provision of financial support for regional environmental
networking program.
For more information about the program, please visit CENN web-page:
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Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
************************************************** *************************
Editorial policy: CENN both solicits and accepts submissions for
environmental information to the Caucasus Environmental News Bulletin.
Although, CENN retains the right to edit all materials both for content
and length. The information provided for the Bulletin does not
necessarily represent the opinion of CENN and SDC.
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CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax: ++995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

REFORMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
30 March 05
In NKR the law on higher and post-graduate education is to be adopted
soon. The bill has already been approved by the Ministry of
Education, Culture and Sport. The bill will also be discussed by the
government and then proposed to the National Assembly. To find out
what changes and innovations are expected in the system of higher
education we had a talk with the head of the department for higher and
secondary education of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport
Sos ARZUMANIAN. Sos Arzumanian: `Perhaps many people already know that
the law was adopted in the Republic of Armenia too. Having a common
system of education, the NKR bill on higher and post-graduate
education is identical to the RA law. According to the bill, the
system of education should provide necessary liberties important for
the improvement of the quality of education. At the same time it is
attempted to clarify the functions of the government in this
sphere. The bill maintains the major directions and the system of
higher educational institutions fulfills those functions. The next
innovation brought about by the bill is the introduction of the two
degree education: the undergraduate course for obtaining bachelor’s
degree and the graduate course for obtaining master’s degree. The bill
introduces several new notions as well, such as the credit system
which means following the principles of human liberties in
education. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System will
be introduced in Artsakh giving students access to the European higher
education area. That is to say, having collected the necessary amount
of credits students from Artsakh can continue their studies at other
universities both in the same country and in other countries. In other
words, the credit system means access to the European
universities. The bill also involves the system of student grants.
Students will be given a chance for free education depending on how
well they study, taking into consideration the social factor as
well. Importance is attached to the educational standards and
curriculums which will be worked out in accordance with modern
standards. The bill has a new approach to the state policy for higher
and post-graduate education. The bill maintains equal rights for all
the accredited higher educational institutions independent of the form
of organization thus solving the problem of difference between state
and non-state university diplomas. After the adoption of the law each
university will grant its diploma bearing the number of the
accreditation licence. The new bill eliminates the state diploma. The
introduction of the new order of giving diplomas will act as a
stimulus for the educational institutions, includingthe state ones, to
become accredited as soon as possible. It should be noted that the
process of accreditation will not be easy, and it will take the given
institution much effort to meet the requirements for accreditation. A
university will be accredited if the qualification of 60 per cent of
the students and graduates of two years is evaluated as positive. At
least 75 per cent of the specialties must be accredited. Certainly the
committee for licensing and accreditation should be much more
demanding in reference to accreditation than licensing in order to
favour the improvement of the quality of higher education. After the
application of the law admittance will be held in accordance with the
curriculums for the bachelor’s course. In art colleges the former
curriculums will not be replaced in certain specialties. Until the
academic year of 2009 – 2010 the former system of five year
education will exist along with the two degree system. The
introduction of the credit system is planned in the academic year of
2006 – 2007.’
SVETLANA KHACHATRIAN.
30-03-2005

OSCE chief arrives in Armenia
Arminfo
30 Mar 05
YEREVAN
The regional visit of Slovenian Foreign Minister and OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel to Armenia started today.
Arminfo has learnt from the OSCE that the programme of the visit of
the OSCE official includes meetings with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan, Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan, Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Artur Bagdasaryan, and the
president of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Arkadiy Gukasyan.
The source said that the diplomat will have the opportunity to hold
discussions on special topics with leaders of the OSCE member
countries in the South Caucasus, including on the Nagornyy Karabakh,
Abkhaz and South Ossetia conflicts. In each country, the chairman’s
talks will cover a range of issues on the current political agenda of
the OSCE, including a strategy for promoting democratic processes in
the region.
[Passage omitted: Rupel to leave for Kyrgyzstan today; reference to
his interview with the agency]

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 30 2005
`I Know What You did in 1915′
View: Jan SOYKOK (JTW)- Armenians accused the Turks of killing the
Armenians in the past. Strangely they are not sure about how many
Armenians killed by the Turks. Some Armenian `researchers’ say 1
million, another says 2 million. Even Armenians in Wales claimed the
total number is more than 2,5 million, while more fair Armenians
`accept’ 800,000. For an ordinary Armenian Turks committed a genocide
in 1915 against the Armenians, and this has to be accepted by the
Turks. However the Turks think different:
First of all they have strongly rejected `genocide allegations’. They
argue that the total population of all Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire was about 1 million and 90 percent of them immigrated to other
countries or to other Ottoman cities, including Istanbul.
Nilgun Gulcan for instance is one of the `deniers’:
`1915 events cannot be labeled as a genocide or state-organized
massacre. First, only 10,000 Armenians were killed in the ethnic
conflicts between Kurdish and Armenian groups and none of the attacks
was organized by the state or state officers. More than 100,000
Armenians died in this period as a result of famine and epidemic
diseases. In 1915 the Ottoman Empire was at heart of a war. The state
was under attacks from Russia, Britain, France and their allies. The
Armenian armed groups rioted. The Istanbul Government could not
suppressed the riots and more than 500,000 Muslim Ottoman citizens
were massacred by the Armenians. All these events can be named as a
genocide committed against Muslims by the Armenian racists. The
extreme Armenians wanted to establish a separate state and they
relied on the foreign countries. However France, Russians and British
forces did not keep their promises in helping the Armenians. They
failed. They tried to take revenge from the Turks instead of
establishing a safe home in Caucasus. The 1917 Revolution granted the
Armenians an independent state. Yet they preferred revenge and
established a terror organization NEMESIS. NEMESIS organized
terrorists attacks and assassination against Turkish statesmen,
diplomats and officials. As a result they killed innocent statesmen
and diplomats but at the same time they lost their independency.’
Similarly Davut Sahiner says `Armenians focus on revenge and blood
instead of co-operation and dialogue: Sahiner adds:
`Armenia is a small country and the number of Armenians in the region
is so small. Under these circumstances they need good relations with
the neighbors and the last thing they need is conflict and tension.
Moreover if they open the history, they will lose more. What they did
in 1915 is a clear genocide against the Turks and Kurds. However they
accuse the victims. The diaspora manipulates the Western public
opinion. But this cannot last forever. There was an armed riot and
armed attacks against the Government and the Muslim civilians. The
Armenian propagandists abuse the past, abuse their history.’
We now know what the Armenians did in 1915. They just accuse the
others, but do not question their past.
JTW, 30 March 2005

Today.Az » Politics »
Vardan Oskanyan: “In present situation interference of Russia to regulation
process of the conflict is undesirable”
30 March 2005 [15:02] – Today.Az
“Nagorno Karabakh is not able to solve the problem in military way. War
happened once and Armenia won, but the matter has not been solved yet.
It is also impossible to solve this problem by preparing international
documents, because it is impossible to make Nagorno Karabakh nation to
return back to the content of Azerbaijan and convince them for its
autonomy”. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
Vardan Oskanyan.
According to him, Armenia considers three principles to be important in the
talks with Azerbaijan:
1. Nagorno Karabakh can not be in the content of Azerbaijan;
2. Direct land connection must be present between Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh ;
3. Nagorno Karabakh nation must be given real security supply.
Besides it, Armenian minister stressed that, recognizing the right of
Nagorno Karabakh nation to solve its own fortune is one of the main demands
of official Yerevan: “In Ki Uest talks, the independence of Nagorno Karabakh
took place, but it was not agreed”.
V.Oskanyan also stated that, most international organizations want the
conflict to be solved in the frames of territorial integrity, but
approaching to Nagorno Karabakh problem from that context is not right: “As
much as de-fact independence of Nagorno Karabakh prolonged, chance of the
union to achieve independence in juridical form increases. That’s why the
intentions of Azerbaijan side for solving the conflict for its benefit by
prolonging time and oil resources are not perspective”.
V.Oskanyan stated that, intensive ceasefire violations in borders affect the
talk processes negatively and suggested this matter to be driven to the
agenda of the discussions of Azerbaijan and Armenia presidents.
He stated that, Armenia is not afraid of restoring military operations.
V.Oskanyan touching the official declaration of Moscow about the Russia’s
being ready for help in the regulation of the conflict, noted that, they
appreciate this declaration and stressed it to be undesirable in present
situation. /APA/
URL:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Service de base français
29 mars 2005
Développement Voyage de Micheline Calmy-Rey en Turquie Entretien
présidentiel et gerbe de fleurs pour Atatürk
Ankara (ats) La conseillère fédérale Micheline Calmy-Rey est arrivée
mardi en Turquie pour une visite de trois jours. Elle a été reçue à
Ankara par le président turc Ahmet Necdet Sezer et a déposé une gerbe
de fleurs au mausolée d’Atatürk.
Accueillie à sa descente d’avion par le directeur des affaires
européennes du ministère turc des affaires étrangères Naci Akinci,
elle s’est rendue au palais présidentielle pour une visite de
courtoisie. L’entretien avec M. Sezer a duré environ quinze minutes.
La cheffe du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE) s’est
ensuite rendue au mausolée d’Atatürk, fondateur de l’Etat turc et du
concept de “turcité”. Arrivée par une allée bordée de lions en
pierre, Mme Calmy-Rey a déposé une gerbe aux couleurs blanches et
rouges des drapeaux suisse et turc sur la tombe de Mustafa Kemal.
Tout de noir vêtue, elle a respecté une minute de silence, avant de
signer le livre d’or. Elle y a “salué la dépouille de ce grand homme
qu’a été Atatürk”. “Il a fondé la Turquie moderne”, y a-t-elle encore
inscrit, souhaitant “à ce pays paix et prospérité”.
Droits de l’Homme et minorités
En fin d’après-midi, la conseillère fédérale a été reçue par le
ministre turc des affaires étrangères Abdullah Gül. Les ministres
devaient faire “un large tour d’horizon” des sujets touchant les deux
pays, comme “les droits de l’Homme, la question des minorités ou les
relations économiques” qui lient les deux Etats, selon le conseiller
diplomatique de Mme Calmy-Rey, Roberto Balzaretti.
La dernière rencontre entre les chefs de la diplomatie suisse et turc
remonte à 2001. Des questions “régionales et globales” figurent aussi
au menu des entretiens, selon un communiqué du Département fédéral
des affaires étrangères (DFAE). Mme Calmy-Rey et M. Gül devraient
notamment évoquer la crise en Irak, pays voisin de la Turquie, et la
situation au Proche-Orient.
Modèle pour la Suisse
Les deux ministres des affaires étrangères doivent en outre aborder
l’avenir européen de la Turquie. Si Ankara rejoint l’Union européenne
(UE), l’économie helvétique bénéficiera d’un marché élargi, avait
indiqué en décembre dernier la conseillère fédérale.
En cas d’adhésion, la Turquie pourrait être soumise à des dérogations
ou à des réglements d’exception permanents, a relevé Mme Calmy-Rey
dans une interview parue mardi dans le journal turc “Türkiye”. Un
modèle de participation “partiel ou restreint” à l’UE qui pourrait
intéresser la Suisse, a-t-elle ajouté.
Enfin, la cheffe du DFAE pourrait soulever avec son homologue turc la
question du génocide arménien, sujet de discorde entre les deux pays
qui avait causé l’annulation d’un précédent voyage de Mme Calmy-Rey
en Turquie, prévu en septembre 2003.
La conseillère fédérale se rendra mercredi dans le sud-est kurde du
pays, à Diyarbakir, avant de rejoindre la capitale économique,
Istanbul, jeudi.

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.
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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]
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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.
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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.
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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
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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!
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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])
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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.