Author: Kalashian Nyrie

Azeri pundits assess Iranian leader’s visit differently
Ekspress, Baku
5 Aug 04
Text of Xazar Altay report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 5
August headlined “What does Khatami’s visit promise?”, subheaded
“Politicians think differently”
“One cannot expect any sensational development or turn in
Iranian-Azerbaijani relations in the near future,” ex-presidential
aide and political analyst Vafa Quluzada told Ekspress yesterday 4
August , commenting on Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s visit to
our country today.
He said that Tehran had always established cooperation with Azerbaijan
on the basis of “mutual principles defined by Tehran” which are
unacceptable to Baku.
“We can never be the country which Iran wishes us to be. Under such
circumstances, Tehran has never accepted us, is not accepting us and
will not do so in the future either,” Quluzada said.
The political analyst, who touched upon the current
Iranian-Azerbaijani ties, said that cooperation in the economic, trade
and transport spheres are good.
“However, the political and military and technical ties have no
prospects. Iran is playing double games with us. We should either
stand this or protect ourselves,” Quluzada said.
He described Khatami’s visit to our country this time as a “tactical
and farsighted move”.
“The Iranian leadership wants to get Azerbaijan’s consent so that
official Baku establishes its relations with the West in line with
Tehran’s interests. In exchange, the mullahs will review their
cooperation with the Armenians,” political analyst Rasim Musabayov
told Ekspress.
He thinks that Khatami agreed to visit Azerbaijan after a long pause
because of “the new realities in the region”.
“Tehran simply wants to restore its presence in the region and counter
the anti-Iranian threats,” he said. Musabayov spoke about “the
existence of multilateral cooperation ties” between Baku and Tehran,
but added that Iran is not capable of compromising on the Caspian
status and cooperation with Armenia. As for the opening of the
Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz, Musabayov regarded as impossible a
practical solution to the problem in the near future.
AMIP Azarbaycan Milli Istiqlal Party Chairman Etibar Mammadov thinks
that the Iranian president’s visit to our country will play an
important role from the viewpoint of mending bilateral ties. He thinks
that the progress in the resolution of contentious issues between the
two countries will depend on the results of the negotiations. “Iran is
a neighbouring country and it should have normal relations with its
neighbours,” Mammadov said.
Mubariz Qurbanli, an MP from the NAP ruling New Azerbaijan Party ,
described Khatami’s visit as a new stage in bilateral relations. He
added that the documents which are to be signed will strengthen the
political, economic and trade relations with Iran. He expressed the
hope that differences of opinions about some issues will be resolved
as well.
The DPA Democratic Party of Azerbaijan secretary-general, Akif
Sahbazov, said that Azerbaijan and Iran should have normal relations
since they are neighbours.
“I assume that the documents to be signed will have a positive impact
on the development of bilateral ties,” he said.
“President Khatami’s visit to Baku promises no good and this is
because the Iranian leadership is insincere in its relations with the
Republic of Azerbaijan,” according to the statement by the defence
committee of the National Revival Movement of South Azerbaijan NRMSA .
The statement says that the Iranian leadership has been preventing
Azerbaijan from opening its consulate in Tabriz. Turks of South
Azerbaijan northern Iran who are struggling for respect for their
national rights are being arrested, subjected to assimilation and are
not allowed to have schools in their mother tongue.
“This shows that Tehran applies double standards in its relations with
Baku.”
The authors of the statement, who demand an explanation from the
Iranian president over the arrest of the national movement’s activists
and the prominent Azerbaijani figures during their march to Fort Bazz
last month July , also think that Khatami’s intention to visit Azeri
poet Nizami’s grave in Ganca is not desired.
“As his predecessor Rafsanjani, Khatami also wants to gain ground by
saying that he visited ”the grave of the great Persian poet in
Azerbaijan”, the statement by the NRMSA defence committee said.

First-ever Nagornyy Karabakh football league set to kick off 1 August
Arminfo
31 Jul 04
STEPANAKERT
The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic will start to have its own open
football league on 1 August.
Ayk Dzhavadyan, vice-president of the Artsakh Armenian name for
Karabakh Football Federation, which was registered recently, announced
this at a press conference in Stepanakert capital of Nagornyy Karabakh
today. He said that in Soviet times Nagornyy Karabakh football had
been represented by the “Karabakh” team which had been successful
enough to get into the USSR’s 2nd league division. Football was a
popular and well-liked game in Karabakh but football life in the
republic had died because of the armed conflict with Azerbaijan up
until 1994. From 1994-95 several Karabakh teams had had to join the
Armenian leagues. And so from 1 August Karabakh will have its own
league, Ayk Dzhavadyan said.
He announced that having the league was possible thanks to the active
cooperation of Arkadiy Gukasyan, president of the republic, and the
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, as well as from the US
entrepreneur and philanthropist Grach Kaprielian, who is also the
president of the Artsakhk Football Federation.
Ayk Dzhavadyan also said that in the last 2-3 years 500,000 US dollars
had been invested in developing football in Karabakh. “The Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic’s football league is aimed not only at reviving the
best traditions of Karabakh football, improving the physical health of
the population and providing means for practising this sport, which is
popular throughout the world, but also at contributing towards the
coming into being and strengthening of our state and helping the
international recognition of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic. We also
hope to set up close ties and cooperation with teams from other
countries,” Ayk Dzhavadyan noted.
Nine teams will take part in the league which will be run along
European lines. The teams are from Stepanakert and all regions of
Nagornyy Karabakh, as well as one team from the town of Goris in the
Republic of Armenia. The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic’s championship
league will end in the middle of November. The winners will receive
medals, certificates and prizes.

Tehran Times, Iran
Aug 1 2004
Iran Exchanges 922KW Of Energy With 2 Central Asian States
ARDABIL (IRNA) – Azarbaijan Regional Electrical Company (AREC)
Managing Director Fattah Qarabagh announced that Iran has exchanged
922 kilowatts of electricity with Azerbaijan and Armenia since
January 2004.
On the sidelines of an induction ceremony for the new managing
director of the Ardabil Power Distribution Company, he told IRNA that
of the above-stated amount of energy that was exchanged, 280 million
KWh were transferred to Azerbaijan and Armenia while the remainder
was delivered to Iran by the two Central Asian states.
“Electricity exchanges take place due to the increased rate of energy
consumption in Iran during summer and the high demand for it in
Azerbaijan and Armenia during winter.
“Energy is currently transferred from the following four points in
northwestern Iran to the specified destinations: from Parsabad to
Imsheli in the Azerbaijan Republic, from Ahar to Agarak in Armenia,
from Julfa to Ordubad in the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan and
from Aras dam to Nakhichevan,” he added.
He noted that a 154-kilovolt power transmission line had become
operational between the Iranian-Turkish border and Dogubayazit in
Turkey but that for the time being it is closed.
“Construction work on a 400-kilovolt transmission line connecting a
power station in the city of Khoy, in West Azarbaijan Province, to
Bashkaleh in Turkey is almost finished and is expected to be fully
operational in the near future.
“Besides, the Iranian Power Development Organization and AREC are
jointly constructing a 330-kilovolt transmission line between
Parsabad (Iran) and Imsheli (Turkey),” he informed.
Qarabagh pointed out that Ardabil Province is suitably located for
the transit of power to Central Asian republics and Russia.
At the close of the ceremony, Qarabagh expressed his appreciation for
the sincere efforts of the outgoing managing director of the Ardabil
Power Distribution Company and his substitute Rashid Shomali, who
were both presented to the participants.

Armenian court sentences Azeri spy ring – web site
Iravunk web site, Yerevan
30 Jul 04
Text of A. Minasyan report by Armenian newspaper Iravunk web site on
30 July headlined “What ‘Argo’, ‘Lilo’, ‘Tokio’ and ‘Dzhoni’ were
doing in Armenia”
On Monday, 19 July, the court of appeal of the Republic of Armenia
imposed a sentence on a group of individuals who were accused of
spying, leaving unchanged the decision of the first-instance courts of
the communities of Tsentr and Nor-Marash of the city of Yerevan. The
court hearings have been held at these courts since 2003. The
first-instance court, headed by chairwoman Gayane Karakhanyan, imposed
a sentence on the group of individuals who were involved in spying
against Armenia, according to which the head of the group, Nina
Shilina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, member of the group
Edgar Filkov – to 13 years in prison, Ivetta Filkova and Aleksandr
Gasparyan – to 10 years, and Artur Oganesov – to one year and a half.
According to the bill of indictment, Nina Shilina, born in 1949 in the
village of Ola in Magadan Region of the Russian Federation, moved to
the town of Dzhermuk in the Republic of Armenia for permanent
residence on 12 May 1988. In February 1993, she was recruited by the
staffers of the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry department for the fight
against Armenian terrorism. After agreeing to cooperate with them, she
was instructed to carry out sabotage and intelligence activities in
Armenia.
In 1993, she was instructed by Alakbar Ismailov to carry out an act of
sabotage together with a person named Rafik, who spoke fluent
Armenian, in the Erebuni hotel in Yerevan. In May, she travelled from
Baku to Tbilisi and thence to Yerevan, carrying two factory-sealed
cans of the Turkish-made margarine Can. Each of the cans contained
the explosive substance TNT, 15 kg in total, 200- and 400-gram
explosive devices and other factory-made mechanisms which were
attached with wires to a vacuum cleaner that she also brought with
her. Explosive devices were also installed in two Slava
wrist-watches. On the same day, they arrived in the Erebuni hotel by a
Moskvich taxi, introduced themselves as an Armenian couple who had
come from the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, and asked
for a room. They were given room 313 on the third floor.
Two days later, after Rafik, with Nina’s help, planted explosive
devices in a sofa and wound the watch, they secretly disappeared from
the hotel and went back to Baku. The explosion did not take place for
reasons beyond their control. After that, Nina was instructed to
gather information about the social, economic and political situation
in Armenia, for which reason she visited Armenia a few times before
Spring 1994, gathered the requested information and reported it to
Alakbar Ismailov.
In 1995, Ismailov recommended that Shilina should be recruited by the
staffers of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry Intelligence
Department. She chose the nickname “Argo” and was instructed to gather
military and other information, including on the number of troops in
the army units stationed in the Republic of Armenia and Republic of
Nagornyy Karabakh, the number of officers in them and their technical
equipment. From 1995 to 1997, she would regularly visit Armenia,
gather military and other information and go back to Baku. Since 1997
she had been living in the town of Yekhegnadzor in the Republic of
Armenia, and reported different kinds of information till the day of
her arrest on 6 August 2002.
Incidentally, she also collected military information from Artur
Oganesov, who was also sentenced to imprisonment. He worked at the
operations department of the Staff of the Armenian Defence Ministry
with the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 2000-2001. Oganesov kept
records which included data on the organizational structure of the
army units stationed in the Republics of Armenia and Republic of
Nagornyy Karabakh, about codenames and actual names of the military
units, phone numbers. Shilina became close to Oganesov’s wife, managed
to gain for herself free access to their apartment, and reported
classified records to the Azeris. She was paid 150-300 US dollars for
each piece of information by the secret services.
The others sentenced – Ivetta Filkova, alias “Lilo”, Edgar Filkov,
alias “Dzhoni” and Aleksandr Gasparyan, alias “Tokio” – received
instructions from the Azerbaijani special services via Shilina.
[signed] A. Minasyan

SHARE OF FOREIGN CAPITAL IN AUTHORIZED FUND OF BANKING SYSTEM OF
ARMENIA REACHES 19.7 BLN DRAMS IN SECOND QUARTER OF 2004
YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMINFO. Share of foreign capital in the authorized
fund of the banking system of Armenia increased by 1.7 per cent in the
second quarter of 2004, totaling 19.7 bln drams or 52% on July 1. The
authorized capital of the banking system increased by 2.4% in the
second quarter, as 3 commercial banks had replenished their authorized
funds by a total of 875 mln drams. As a result, the given indicator
made up 37.9 bln drams on July 1, 2004.
The press-service of the Armenian Central Bank told ARMINFO that the
summary capital for the second quarter increased by 5.7%, reaching
55.7 bln drams by July 1, 2004. Undistributed profits for the first
half totaled 4.3 bln drams on this date (the bank operating in the
special administrative regime exclusive), the major reserves totaled
5.1 bln drams. The profits-authorized capital ratio totaled 11.3%.
According to data of the Armenian CB, by July 1. 2004, 20 banks and
221 branches operated in the territory of Armenia, with one operating
in the special administrative regime of the Armenian CB. The results
of the activity of the country’s banking system were summed up on July
1, 2004 on the basis of data of 19 normally operating commercial
banks.

ArmenPress
July 27 2004
ARMENIAN FM DENIES RUMORS ABOUT HANDING THREE REGIONS TO AZERBAIJAN

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Oskanian
denied Monday rumors that Armenia was going to hand three of several
Azeri regions, now under the control of Armenian troops, back to
Azerbaijan, describing them as “groundless.” “It is excluded because
the main focus in Nagorno Karabagh talks today is on its political
status and unless it is specified the return of these regions is out
of the question,” Oskanian told a second Pan-Armenian Youth
Conference in a resort town of Tsaghkadzor.
The minister said such rumors should not be trusted because they
may be resulting from political speculations. He, however, did not
deny the circulating allegations within the Council of Europe, spread
by Azerbaijan that these lands are being used as a nuclear waste
dump, for trafficking and terrorism, but said that the ministry has
detailed and grounded answers to such allegations and that it will
use the first opportunity to present them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WB TO ALLOCATE CREDIT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL PROGRAM
YEREVAN, JULY 26. ARMINFO. Today Minister for Trade and Social Affairs
of Armenia Aghvan Vardanyan and Head of program of social reforms in
Armenia financed by the WB, A. Posaraki, discussed an investment
agreement “Managerial program in the sphere of social welfare” to be
signed on July 30.
The press-service of the ministry told ARMINFO that the agreement will
be signed between the Armenian Government and the World Bank. The
sides discussed nuances connected with distribution of financial
allowances to unsecured families in 2004-2005. Vardanyan proposed
Posaraki to find a way to solve the problem with distribution of
poverty allowances to lonely pensioners. The sides also discussed
issues related to establishment of communities centers for care for
children from socially unsecured families in the Achapnyak community
of Yerevan and in the town of Gyumri.

Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Contact: Ardashes Kassakhian
818.500.1918
LOCAL ANC CHAPTERS PRAISE CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF FOR GENOCIDE AMENDMENT
Armenian-Americans Activists Criticize Congressional Leaders for
Capitulating to a Foreign Government
Los Angeles, CA – A powerful coalition of Armenian Americans expressed
their strong support over the weekend for Congressman Adam Schiff who
authored an Armenian Genocide Amendment that was passed by the
U.S. House of Representatives last week, announced the Armenian
National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR). The Amendment
prevents Turkey from spending U.S. foreign aid dollars against
legislation pending in Congress that recognizes the Armenian Genocide.
`Our ANC chapters stand united with Congressman Schiff in his effort
to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used by Turkey to deny
the Armenian Genocide,’ commented ANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes
Kassakhian. `Our local ANC chapters stand ready to fight the stated
intention of the Republican Leadership in Congress and the White House
to strike the Schiff Amendment language when the foreign aid bill goes
to conference,’ he added.
Kassakhian referred to the joint statement by House Speaker Dennis
Hastert (R-IL), House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and House
Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO). The Republican Leadership released a
statement that read:`We are strongly opposed to the Schiff
Amendmentâ=80¦ we will insist that conferees drop that provision in
conference. We have contacted the Bush Administration, and they have
indicated their strong oppositionâ=80¦ Turkey has been a reliable ally
of the United States for decadesâ=80¦ our mutual economic and security
relationship rests should not be disrupted by this amendment. Our
relationship with Turkey is too important to us to allow it to be in
any way damaged by a poorly crafted and ultimately meaningless
amendment. Furthermore, we have no intention of scheduling
H. Res. 193… during the remainder of this Congress.’
`Ronald Reagan was the last President to properly commemorate the
Armenian Genocide,’ explained Burbank ANC Chair Peter Musurlian. `The
late President- a hero to many Armenian American Republicans-would be
ashamed at what is taking place on Capitol Hill, with the House
leadership’s refusal to allow a vote on moral clarity.’
Glendale ANC Chair Pierre Charaghchian added, `The opposition to the
Schiff Amendment by Republican leaders in Congress is sad. Sad
because it shows how much influence the Republic of Turkey, a foreign
government, has over some Members of Congress.’
The leaders of the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and La Crescenta
Armenian National Committee chapters praised Schiff for successfully
securing passage of his amendment. The Schiff Amendment was adopted
by voice vote during consideration of the House Foreign Operations
Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2005 on Thursday, July 15, 2004.
The foreign aid bill was later passed bya vote of 365 to 41.
`Armenian Americans in Pasadena are proud to have Congressman Schiff
spearhead the effort to properly recognize the first Genocide of the
20th Century,’ stressed Pasadena ANC Chair Shahan Stepanian. `We are
ready to mobilize the community and ensure that the Amendment passes
through the joint House-Senate Conference Committee.’
`It is unfortunate that our Congressional leaders fail to demonstrate
moral clarity on the issue of genocide recognition and prevention.
Eventually, public policy will catch up to the truth and we will not
let a few select politicians change America’s proud response to the
Armenian Genocide,’ stated La Crescenta ANC Chair Sarkis Tchakian.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and
supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns and
interests of the Armenian American community.
For the latest news and action alerts log onto _www.anca.org_
() .

PRESS RELEASE
July 22, 2004
American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576
Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]
Water Safety in Armenia
Yerevan – The Environmental Conservation and Research Center of the American
University of Armenia and the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network, Yerevan
Office hosted a free Environmental Panel Discussion on July 14, 2004,
focusing on Water Safety and Water Supply in Armenia.
Based upon the Yerevan Water Company’s findings, there were only about 30
violations for bacterial contamination among the more than 10,000 samples
taken last year. Panelists included Dr. Vladimir Davidyants, Chief Sanitary
Doctor of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Health, Mr. Richard Walkling,
Chief Executive Officer, Yervodokanal (Yerevan Canal Company), Mr. Eduard
Mesropyan, Director, JINJ Environmental Consulting, and Dr. Charles Dunlap,
Director, Environmental Conservation and Research Center, American
University of Armenia. They raised some concern that these samples may not
fully represent the quality of water that many people are drinking because
the samples were not taken in the upper floors of buildings. However, it
was noted that if the low levels of bacterial contamination in Yerevan are
correct, this represents a dramatic improvement in the 15% contamination
rate measured by AUA in 1995.
`Although Yerevan appears to have safer water than it did seven years ago,
Ministry of Health data continue to show a 20-30% rate of bacterial
contamination in Armenia’s rural water supplies,’ stated Dr. Charles Dunlap,
Director of AUA’s Environmental Conservation and Research Center. The
panel discussion led to a commitment on improving public information on
water testing carried out by the Ministry of Health and the Yerevan Water
Company. The Ministry of Health committed to establishing a web site where
findings could be publicly available, and the Yerevan Water Company also
agreed to disseminate its data upon request.
AUA’s Environmental Research and Conservation Center has an ongoing interest
in the conservation of Armenia’s surface water quality and research into
health threats from drinking water contamination. In 2002, the Center
designed and specified the equipment and procedures for a $500,000 water
quality laboratory being built by USAID in the Ministry of Nature
Protection. In 2003, the Center constructed a scientific research laboratory
at AUA dedicated to water quality analysis. The lab is currently supporting
a project to independently assess the safety of Yerevan drinking water
samples collected from homes throughout Yerevan.
The Environmental Conservation and Research Center conducts research into
conservation, ecology, environmental contamination, and sustainable
development in the Republic of Armenia, and serves the community through
education outreach programs and collaboration with local scientists and
organizations. ECRC is funded by the generous support of Mr. Sarkis Acopian.
AUA is registered as a non-profit educational organization in both Armenia
and the United States and is affiliated with the Regents of the University
of California. Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers
instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For
more information about AUA, visit or For more
information about the AUA Environmental Conservation and Research Center
visit
Picture: At AUA, environmental experts and health officials discuss Armenia
‘s water quality and safety.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

6th-round defeats pull down Pinoy chessers
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Jul 21, 2004

FILIPINO International Masters Ronald Bancod and Jayson Gonzales bowed
to their respective foes in the sixth round yesterday of the Balaguer
International Open chess championship in Balaguer, Spain.
Bancod, seeded 36th in the nine-round Swiss system event, lost to IM
Ramon Mateo of the Dominican Republic, while 25th seed Gonzales
surrendered to third seed Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Burmakin.
The defeats dropped Bancod and Gonzales-tied for second overnight-into
a share of 22nd place with 23 others, including compatriot NM Yves
Ra¤ola, with 4 points each. Ra¤ola drew his match with Spanish master
Patxi Sesma.
Mateo, Burmakin, Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzon, Bulgarian GM Aleksander
Delchev and Armenian GM Karen Movsziszian share the lead with 5 points
apiece. Marlon Bernardino