Iran appoints new ambassador to Armenia
IRNA web site, Tehran
7 Jul 04
TEHRAN
President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami appointed Ali Reza Haqiqian as the
new Iranian ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, the Information and
Press Department of the Foreign Ministry announced here on Tuesday 6
July .
The appointment was made upon a proposal by Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi. Haqiqian had previously served as a Foreign Ministry
director-general as well as Iranian charge d’affaires to Baghdad.
Armenia, Russia to confront Karabakh conflict in Moscow talks – spokesman
ITAR-TASS news agency
3 Jul 04
MOSCOW
The Nagorgyy Karabakh problem will be one of the main subjects of the
talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, Aleksandr Yakovenko, official
spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said today in connection
with Oskanyan’s visit to Moscow on 5-7 July.
Yakovenko said that “Russia is ready to further the process of
settlement of the conflict and to guarantee an agreement acceptable to
both sides [Armenia and Azerbaijan]”. “The sides involved in the
conflict must find a compromise to resolve the problem themselves,” he
said.
During the talks the sides will focus “on issues of cooperation
between the countries within the framework of the CIS [Commonwealth of
Independent States], including the sphere of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community, and
coordination of efforts by the two countries’ foreign ministries to
improve the situation in the Caucasus”. The issues of trade, economic,
cultural and humanitarian cooperation will be given priority.
“Moscow and Yerevan are resolute to take deliberate and necessary
steps to fight terrorism in all its manifestations on the bilateral
and multilateral basis,” Yakovenko said. “Effective practical
cooperation of law-enforcement agencies and security forces is making
political collaboration in the antiterrorism area stronger”.
Oskanyan’s visit “will give a fresh impetus to the Russian-Armenian
relationship, which has a firm legal basis,” Yakovenko said.
The programme for Oskanyan’s visit includes a meeting with Andrey
Kokoshin , chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Commonwealth of
Independent States and Relations with Compatriots.
Azeris ask Red Cross to help release captured soldier
ANS TV, Baku
2 Jul 04
The state commission of the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for
POWs, hostages and missing persons has officially appealed to the Baku
office of the International Committee of the Red Cross to help release
Aydin Salman oglu Huseynov, a soldier of the national army, who was
captured by Armenians in Agdam District of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
front line on 30 June. The commission also asked the Red Cross to
register him as a prisoner of war.
Negotiations are under way with the Armenian side to get Huseynov
released.
To recap, Aydin Huseynov, 19, was serving in military unit No 161 in
the village of Erki of Agcabadi District.
Russia, Armenia join forces to catch money forgers
Centre TV, Moscow
2 Jul 04
[Presenter] The Russian and Armenian police have conducted a major
joint operation. Over two years the police tracked an international
gang of money forgers. As a result, 22 members of the well-organized
criminal organization have been arrested.
The underground printing press was found in an ordinary Moscow Region
flat. The forgeries were made by citizens of Russia and Armenia. They
had a well-organized network of middlemen through which the false
R1,000 and R500 notes were distributed across Russia.
In total, the initial investigation has recorded 192 instances of
forged money being sold in 48 Russian regions.
[C/r 1216-1253; video shows sheets of forged R500 notes, computer
equipment, banknotes being printed off.]
Armen Press
July 2, 2004
RAPID POVERTY MONITORING METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED BY UNDP ARMENIA
PRESENTED TO PARTNERS AND THE PUBLIC
YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS: On July 1 in the UN House, the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) convened a discussion on the
National Human Development Survey (NHDS) and the Poverty Monitoring
Methodology (RPMM) used during the NHDS. Government officials, donors
and civil society experts focused on survey indicators, regional human
poverty indices and the National Social Monitoring System.
The NHDS was conducted in spring 2003 within the framework of a
joint UNDP and Government of Armenia project on the “Creation of a
Social Monitoring and Analysis System.” The survey covered 6,000
households in 170 rural and 41 urban communities, representatively
selected from all eleven regions of the country, including Yerevan. For
the first time, the survey was based on a Rapid Poverty Monitoring
Methodology developed by UNDP. The information collected during the
survey was disaggregated by region and population group and
incorporated into databases used to track human development, human
poverty and progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The
main findings of the NHDS are summarized in the fifth issue of Armenia
Social Trends, a bi-annual bilingual informational-analytical bulletin.
The results of the National Human Development Survey indicate that
human poverty is more widespread in rural areas, where people have
limited access to education, particularly pre-school and professional
education. People living in rural areas are also negatively affected by
reduced access to healthcare, particularly primary care, and to modern
information technologies.
According to Ms. Grande: “UNDP is confident that a better
understanding of human poverty in the regions will help the Government
and civil society to sharpen the country’s pro-poor policies, ensuring
that they are aimed at reaching the eight Millennium Development Goals
and supporting the Poverty Reduction Strategy.”
In the framework of the “Creation of a Social Monitoring and
Analysis System” project, a special training program in the Economics
Department of Yerevan State University on the theoretical and practical
aspects of databases was organized for the regional M&A units
established by the Government. In addition, seminars and workshops on
methodological and computerized analysis of data have been organized
for the 18 non-governmental organizations participating in the survey.
Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
July 1 2004
PACE SECRETARY GENERAL MEETS HEADS OF STANDING COMMISSIONS OF MILLI
MAJLIS
[July 01, 2004, 11:21:38]
Secretary General of PACE Mr. Bruno Haller met the heads of standing
commissions of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan Parliament) of Azerbaijan
Republic.
Opening the meeting, vice-speaker of Milli Majlis, head of the
standing commission on defense and security issues Ziyafet Askerov
noted that Azerbaijan is keen in integration to the European family,
European values, deepening of cooperation with the Council of Europe.
Our country, therefore, constantly fulfills the taken obligations,
Mr. Askerov emphasized.
He also noted the unsuccessful efforts of the OSCE MG, the major
mediator in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny
Karabakh conflict, the crucial problem for our people, on application
of double standards related to the sides-in-conflict, indifference of
the world community to the fact of ignorance by Armenia four UN SC
Resolutions, principles of international law, stressing that this
arouses concern in the Azerbaijan community. He noted that Azerbaijan
adheres peaceful settlement of the conflict. And it is high time to
make decisive steps. If the peaceful negotiations will not have any
success, Azerbaijan will try to release its occupied lands by any
means.
Speaking of the issues of cooperation, Mr. Bruno Haller noted:
`Structure of our parliaments are alike. And this opens opportunities
for further development of links. Cooperation of Azerbaijan
Parliament and PACE fives reason for satisfaction and we aspire to
development of the regional parliamentary ties. Parliamentary
dialogue plays a key role in inter-state relations’.
Mr. Bruno Haller stated that due to the election of Terry Davis as
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in the region for
preparation of report on Nagorny Karabakh conflict is expected to
come a new reporter. He expressed confidence that this would be a
objective report reflecting the truth.
Also were attending the meeting the heads of the standing commissions
of Milli Majlis Asya Manafova, Eldar Ibrahimov, Sirus Tebrizli,
Shahlar Askerov. It was suggested to invite specialists of relevant
standing commissions to PACE, visit to the region of representatives
of PACE commission to exchange experience.
Azer News, Azerbaijan
July 1 2004
Azeri, Armenian FMs may next meet in Prague
The next meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers is
expected to be held late in August or early in September.
Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, told
Regnum information agency that the meeting may take place in Prague.
Merzlyakov said that although the third meeting of the two foreign
ministers was constructive, no progress is in store at the current
stage of talks.
He noted that work on the agenda of the forthcoming gathering was
underway but declined to say if any concrete proposals would be
discussed during the meeting.
Azeri leader fails USA at NATO summit – daily
Yeni Musavat, Baku
30 Jun 04
Azerbaijan will continue its political integration into the
Euro-Atlantic bodies, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the
NATO summit in Istanbul yesterday, Turan news agency has reported.
He said that Baku intends to continue its cooperation with NATO’s
peacekeeping missions in all the hot spots of the world. Azerbaijan
itself has suffered a lot from terrorism – over 2,000 people have been
killed in 32 terrorist attacks – and is ready to support other
countries’ fight against global terrorism, Aliyev said.
[Passage omitted: Aliyev’s remarks on Armenia]
This speech by Ilham Aliyev can be considered yet another
disappointment for the USA. As we have repeatedly written, American
strategists expected that Aliyev would make an unambiguous statement
on NATO membership at the summit. True to form, however, Aliyev tried
to get away with some general and indefinite remarks.
Business Wire (press release), CA
June 28 2004
Hellenic Telecomms UK Regulatory Announcement: Statement Re Joint
Press Announcement by the Government of the Republic of Armenia,
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization and Armenia Telephone
Company – ARMENTEL
ATHENS, Greece–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Government of the Republic of Armenia, Hellenic
Telecommunications
Organization SA (NYSE:OTE) (ASE:HTO) and Armenia Telephone Company
(ARMENTEL), jointly announce the commencement of negotiations with a
view to settling all outstanding disputes between the parties. The
Government of the Republic of Armenia has made a decision to suspend
the amendment of License No. 60 issued to Armentel, until 21
September
2004 to facilitate the conduct of the negotiations.
About OTE
OTE is a provider of public, fixed switch domestic and international
telephony services in Greece. With local, long distance and
international communications services in addition to mobile
telephony,
Internet services, and high-speed data communications, OTE provides
consumers and businesses the ability to communicate globally through
its extensive network infrastructure. In addition, OTE has a number
of
International investments in the South East European region and
addresses a potential customer base of 60 million people.
Listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, the company trades under the
ticker HTO as well as on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker
OTE. In the U.S., OTE’s American Depository Receipts (ADR’s)
represents 1/2 ordinary share.
Additional Information is also available on
Anadolu Agency
June 27 2004
Azerbaijani President Says His Country Won’t Give Up Its Territories
Just For Compromise
ISTANBUL – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday that
his country would not give up its territories just for a compromise
on Upper Karabakh, which was under Armenian occupation.
Aliyev delivered a speech at a panel discussion held as a part of the
conference ”NATO At a New Crossroads” jointly organized by Turkish
Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and U.S. think-tank
organization German Marshall Fund.
His country would never accept Armenia’s theses that Upper Karabakh
should be independent or be under its control, Aliyev said.
Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan would neither give up its
territories under Armenian occupation nor make any concessions of its
territorial integrity.
The matter should be discussed at the NATO summit to help other
countries understand the issue better, Aliyev said.
Aliyev added that Azerbaijan would be one of the first countries
extending support to international community’s policy towards Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in case there was a change in that
policy.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev came to Istanbul earlier on Saturday.
(BRC) 27.06.2004