Author: Madatian Greg

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 14 2004

Swedish cosmetics for Georgian skin

12,000 cosmetic consultants at work in Georgia and Armenia
By Christina Tashkevich

“My age is how I look,” said Oriflame’s Marketing Manager in
Russia/CIS, Anastasia Kondrashova on Thursday, describing what
success for a woman means to her.

Though not every Georgian woman may agree with the motto, fortunately
for Kondrashova and the Swedish-based cosmetic company she
represents, thousands of women in Georgia believe looking good in
make-up is important.

Oriflame’s Georgia Marketing Manager Irina Kiasashvili explains that
products sell in all of Georgia’s regions, “particularly in towns
like Batumi and Kutaisi.” Still Tbilisi accounts for the largest
number of sales for the company that relies on independent sales
consultants, similar to those of Mary Kay in the United States.

In Georgia and Armenia, the company has over 12,000 consultants and
45 staff workers. Oriflame Georgia officially opened its Tbilisi
service center in November 2000.

Oriflame Cosmetics was established in 1967 in Sweden by two brothers
Jonas and Robert af Jochnick. Today Oriflame is present in 55
countries and is one of the market leaders in 30 countries. A sales
force of more than 1.5 million independent consultants sell the
companies products.

On Thursday, Oriflame held a press conference to promote its newest
face cream and talk about its success in Georgia. The company
declined to release sales figures for Georgia but noted that the
numbers have increased compared to 2003. According to the Oriflame
Regional Sales Manager, Levan Bokuchava, the reasons for the
company’s success worldwide is a growing market and their “high
quality products at competitive prices.”

Company sales in CIS countries and Baltics in the third quarter of
2004 equaled Euro 64.7million.

According to Kiasashvili, any interested person can become a sales
consultant and the company provides them with training so that they
can not only sell cosmetics, but also “offer a customer an advice.”

The Times, London
Dec 15 2004

Turkey will not apologise for Armenian genocide
By Anthony Browne, Brussels Correspondent

TURKEY has reacted angrily to a demand by France that it accept
responsibility for a `genocide’ against Armenians nearly 80 years
ago, which is thought to have influenced the Nazi Holocaust.
Michel Barnier, the French Foreign Minister insisted that Turkey must
officially recognise the 1915 genocide before it joins the European
Union.

Historians believe that Turkish authorities orchestrated the killing
of 1.5 million Armenian Christians, who were indigenous inhabitants
of Turkey, in a brutal attempt to make an ethnically pure nation.
However, the Turkish Government has always said that only a small
number were killed in spontaneous acts of violence.

M Barnier said: `In the course of the accession negotiations, France
will ask for a recognition of the tragedy at the outset of the 20th
century. When the time comes, Turkey should face up to the
requirement of remembrance. The European project itself is founded on
reconciliation.’

He said that recognition should not be a precondition for membership
talks with Turkey, a step to be decided by EU leaders on Thursday.
However, he insisted that Turkey recognise the genocide during the
membership talks, which are expected to last ten years: `We have ten
years to ask it. the Turks have ten years to think about their
response.’

He later referred to it as a genocide, the first time the French
Government has used that word, having previously preferred tragedy.
Many parliaments in Europe have called on Turkey to recognise the
slaughter, which is marked by monuments in many European cities.

However, a Turkish government spokesman said: `There was no such
genocide, so there is no question of recognising a genocide that did
not happen.’

One Turkish official said: `They are just trying to make us angry. It
is their last chance to cause trouble against us.’

OSCE OFFICE IN YEREVAN PAYS PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO DEVELOPMENTS IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14. ARMINFO. In 2004 the Office paid particular
attention to developments in the country and maintained a constant
dialogue with the authorities and civil society throughout the year,
says the “Overview of the Office activities in 2004” distributed by
OSCE Office in YErevan, Tuesday.

The documents says that the Office’s activities in this dimension
focused on reforming the Electoral Code, assisting the improvement of
the existing voters’ registers and advocating for creation of a
centralized Voters’ Register, as well as providing support to the
Standing Committees of the National Assembly. Special attention was
attached to the advocating for legislation to promote freedom of
assembly and respect for freedom of assembly in practice. Following
the cases of administrative detention of participants of the election
related public gathering, the Office continued to lobby for the
development of a legal act governing the implementation of the right
to freedom of assembly. In May of this year a Law on Conducting Public
Gatherings, Demonstrations and Marches was passed by the National
Assembly, prior to which the OSCE/ODIHR provided expertise. However,
the law as passed does not meet all international standards on this
issue and thus the Office has been lobbying for a number of provisions
to be amended in order to improve the legislation. In addition, the
Office has on a number of occasions called upon Armenian authorities
to respect the right to assembly by allowing individuals to publicly
gather.

With regard to individuals detained with relation to public
gatherings, the Office made a number of interventions to the Armenian
authorities this year requesting that such individuals be released, in
the case of administrative detentions, or that fair trials be
conducted for those that had criminal charges applied. The Office
hopes that there will be an improvement in the situation allowing
individuals to publicly gather and expressed their opinions without
any undue restrictions placed before them.

PanArmenian News
Dec 11 2004

6-TH CONGRESS OF UNION OF YERKRAPAH VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS HELD IN
YEREVAN

11.12.2004 15:24

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Settlement of the Karabakh issue should be dealt
with by diplomats, however, if necessity to protect Artsakh with arms
appears again, Yerkrapah will do it without hesitating a minute,”
Yerkrapah Union of Volunteer Soldiers Chairman lieutenant general
Manvel Grigorian stated at the Union 6-th congress in Yerevan today.
Armenian Prime Minister, member of the Yerkrapah board Andranik
Margarian, Republic opposition party leader A. Z. Sargsian (brother
of Armenian Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian – the first Chairman of
Yerkrapah, killed in 1999), chairmen of parliamentary factions,
senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. “Members of Yerkrapah, who represent
various political forces will never resort to a split of the
organization,” A. Margarian stated. In an interview with journalists
he also stated that Nagorno Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan
and no proposal, which does not secure the population of Armenia and
NK will be accepted either by Yerkrapah or other forces. It should be
reminded that Yerkrapah (“country guard”) Union of Volunteer Soldiers
was formed ten years ago and played a considerable role in the
domestic affairs in Armenia. It unites representatives of various
political forces, representing both the authorities and the
opposition. According to one of the versions, the idea of naming the
union this way belongs to Armenian first President L. Ter-Petrosian.

PRESIDENT’S MEETING WITH BUSINESSMEN

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
11 Dec 04

On December 8 NKR president Arkady Ghukassian met with American
businessmen Jim Norris and Nick Haming . During the meeting the guests
presented the aim of their visit to Nagorni Karabakh. They want to get
acquainted with the state of the NKR economy, study the conditions and
prospects for development of business to carry out different economic
programs here. They made observations in this reference and mentioned
that there are favourable conditions in Nagorni Karabakh for
entrepreneurship. In his turn Arkady Ghukassian emphasized that the
favourable legislative environment in NKR is the main reason for the
growing interest of foreign companies and businessmen towards Nagorni
Karabakh. Speaking about the prospective industrial and agricultural
sectors of the country’s economy such as energy, metallurgy,
production of agricultural products, the president said that hopefully
the visit of the American businessmen will give a start to cooperation
in the branches of economy which have an important role for NKR. At
the same time the president of NKR assured that the NKR authorities
will assist to their activity in Nagorni Karabakh if they wish to set
up business in Karabakh.

AA.
11-12-2004

PanArmenian News
Dec 10 2004

FIRST PUBLIC CONFERENCE OF SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETIA TO BE HELD IN
AKHALKALAK DECEMBER 11

10.12.2004 17:03

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first public conference of Samtskhe-Javaketia
arranged by the Council of Public Organizations of the region will be
held in Akhalkalak on December 11. According to A-info news agency,
the conference is not to become the only one – similar forums
dedicated to cultural and language issues as well as to the problems
of the local self-government will be regularly held henceforth. The
present conference will be held under the slogan of “Integration but
not merging”. The initiators have chosen the motto to say that public
organizations of Samtskhe-Javakhetia are against the policy of
merging pursued by the Georgian leadership.

AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO SEE ARMENIA DEFEATED WHEREVER POSSIBLE

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9. ARMINFO. Azerbaijan wants to see Armenia defeated
wherever possible, Armenia’s Defence Minister Serzh Sargsyan says in
an interview to Golos Armenii.

Asked why Azerbaijan is so uncompromising and objectig to Armenia’s
involvement in NATO programs Sargsyan says this is not so
evident. Azerbaijan begins to openly act only when Armenia refrains
from cooperating with NATO or the US or when they change their
attitudes to Armenia. There are many reasons for that: first of all
Azerbaijan has lost its war against Armenia and naturally is trying to
do something to rehabilitate itself in the eyes of its people. That’s
why it makes a serious problem of even an ordinary visit by an
Armenian journalist to Baku.

Asked if Azerbaijan’s threats to resolve the Karabakh problem by force
are serious Sargsyan says that the Armenian army is ready to defend
the independence and the borders of its country. “One can understand
Azerbaijan – what else can it do to calm down its people.” The war
resumption is possible but not in the near future, says Sargsyan.

“MOST PART OF DESABLED PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS IS UNSOLVED IN ARMENIA,” EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF “UNISON” PUBLIC ORGANIZATION THINKS

YEREVAN, December 6 (Noyan Tapan). The forum on the problems of
disabled people entitled “All Armenians Can” was held at the American
University of Armenia on December 3-5. It was held upon the initiative
of the Armenian Office of the ACCELS organization. According to
Director of Organization’s Armenian Office Elizabeth Vinship, the
purpose of the forum is to increase the awareness of the society
of the disabled people’s problems and to contribute to the change
of the attitude towards them. Armen Alaverdian, the Executive
Director of the “Unison” public organization on support to the
people having particular needs, said that at present, in contrast to
the Soviet years, the problems of the disabled people are at least
discussed. Part of them, is resolved, for example, grounds with incline
are constructed in the streets. But, according to A. Alaverdian,
most part of the problems remains unsettled, the conditions, under
which the disabled people could become full members of the society,
haven’t been established. A. Alaverdian, for example, noticed that
none of cultural entities in the republic has conveniences foreseen
for the disabled people, regardless of the act that the organization
has repeatedly applied for this issue to the corresponding bodies.

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
Dec 3 2004

Turkey `right to reject recognition’
By Simon Bahceli

Politicians in the north believe it would hinder chances for a
solution

TURKISH Cypriot political leaders have expressed concern over the
mounting pressure on Turkey to recognise the Republic of Cyprus
before negotiations leading to EU accession can begin.

While it now seems unlikely the recognition issue will be used as a
reason not to give Turkey a date for the start of accession at the EU
summit on December 17, it appears equally likely that talks will not
be allowed to begin in earnest until Turkey recognises Cyprus.
Observers believe accession negotiations will begin either mid-2005
or at the beginning of 2006.

`Foreign minister’ Serdar Denktash strongly rejected the idea that
Turkey would recognise the Cyprus Republic before a solution had been
found to the island’s division saying, `The Cyprus Republic is under
occupation by the Greek Cypriots, so there is no way Turkey will
recognise it before a solution to the problem has been found’.

These sentiments were echoed by leader Mehmet Ali Talat who said,
`Not a single Turkish Cypriot is in the Cyprus government, not a
single Turkish Cypriot is in the civil service, so how can Turkey
recognise such a state as the only and legitimate one on Cyprus?’

He added that forcing Turkey to recognise the Republic before a
solution to the island’s problem had been found would be `illogical
and counterproductive’.

Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) leader Mustafa Akinci said too
that he believed immediate recognition could have a negative impact
on efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem.

`I don’t believe Turkey will recognise the Cyprus Republic before
December 17. If the Cyprus problem is not solved during the period
following that date, Turkey will end up being forced to recognise a
Greek Cypriot-dominated Cyprus Republic’.

The result of such a development would be deeply detrimental to the
Turkish Cypriot community, he said, and proposed urgent but `limited
discussions’ between the two communities aimed at securing changes in
the Annan plan that would make it palatable to the Greek Cypriots.

`This should be done without harming the Turkish Cypriot `yes’ vote,’
Akinci said, adding that the worse case scenario would be one where
the issue of what to do about the Turkish Cypriot community was `put
in the deep freeze’ pending the outcome of negotiations between
Turkey and the EU.

Communal Liberation Party (TKP) leader Huseyin Angolemli said he
advocated going a step further.

`We should declare ourselves the Turkish Cypriot state,’ he said,
referring to the set-up Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly backed in the
referendum on the Annan plan earlier this year. He believes such an
approach would not only save the Turkish Cypriot community from
eventual absorption, as a minority, into a Greek Cypriot Republic,
but would also ease Turkey’s entry to the EU.

United Cyprus Party (BKP) leader Izzet Izcan said he believed there
were other ways around the problem and pointed to Turkey’s relations
with Armenia as a possible way forward. Turkey recognises Armenia,
but refuses to establish diplomatic relations with the country. In a
similar way, Turkey could recognise Armenia as a state while not
recognising it politically.

According to sources, the possibilities of using such an approach are
being studied by the Turkish government.

National Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervish Eroglu, taking a
traditionally hardline approach, believes Turkish recognition of the
Cyprus Republic would by definition result in the nullification of
the `TRNC’ and called on Turkish Cypriots to do all they could to
prevent Turkey from taking steps to recognise Cyprus.

`We have to take a stance against recognition. There is nothing else
that can be done,’ he said. He admitted, however, that the final
decision rested not with the Turkish Cypriots but with Turkey.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2004

PARLIAMENTARIANS OF AZERBAIJAN PLEDGE TO EXPAND WITH THEIR ITALIAN
COLLEAGUE
[December 02, 2004, 20:37:47]

On 2 December, Vice Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan
Republic (Azerbaijan Parliament) Arif Rahimzade met the ambassador of
Italy to the country Ms. Margarita Costa. Discussed was the question
of development of the Italian-Azerbaijani cooperation. As the Vise
speaker underlined, there has been established the Italy-Azerbaijan
friendship group to expand inter-parliamentarian ties.

In the course of meeting, Mr. Rahimzade dwelling on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict, also assessed the
activity of Inter-Parliamentary Union in this field, and made
critical remarks that the mentioned organization should rightly and
openly demonstrate its position related to regional conflicts.

The sides had comprehensive exchange of views on activity of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union. Italy is keen in development of relations
with Azerbaijan, Ms. Margarita Costa said. She reminded recent
meeting of the foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Republic to Italy
stressing mutually beneficial cooperation between two countries. The
diplomat said the expected visit of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev
to Italy would open a new page in bilateral relations.