Author: Talalian Arpi

SIBERIAN VIOLINIST MIKHAIL SIMONYAN PLAYS WITH PIANIST JULIA ZILBERQUIT AT LONDON DEBUT AT WIGMORE HALL

AZG Armenian Daily
08/10/2008

Culture

"breadth, lyricism and fleet technique"

– The New York Times

"the poise, perfection, and inner-burning fire of a master like
David Oistrakh"

– The Miami Herald

Violinist Mikhail Simonyan, hailed as having "a flawless, liquid
line and ravishing tone," by The Washington Post, will present his
London debut at Wigmore Hall with pianist Julia Zilberquit on Tuesday,
14 October, 2008 at 7:30 pm (36 Wigmore Street).

The concert program includes Bach’s Violin Sonatas Nos. 3 and
4 and Prokofiev’s Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2. In January 2009,
Mr. Simonyan’s much-anticipated debut CD – a recording of both
Prokofiev Sonatas with pianist Alexei Podkorytov – will be released
by Delos (DE 3385). The album was recorded with Grammy Award-winning
producer Adam Abeshouse. Review copies are now available.

At just 22 years of age, Mikhail Simonyan is already recognized as
one of the most celebrated talents of his generation. Performing
and recording both Prokofiev Violin Sonatas is an undertaking near
and dear to his heart. He worked intensely on this repertoire with
his mentor, violinist Victor Danchenko, a student of the great David
Oistrakh for whom both sonatas were written.

Of this process, Mr. Simonyan remarks, "Mr. Danchenko was in the
Soviet Union during the war, so he passed along the ideas. He told me
a lot about living in the Soviet Union during the war years, and that
helped me to understand all the details of the music, to understand
how sad this music is. Emotionally, it’s the hardest pieces for me
to play on stage, because as soon as I play the first note, my mind
immediately goes there…"

Mr. Simonyan, who hails from Novosibirsk (the same city that Vadim
Repin and Maxim Vengerov call home), began to study the violin at
the age of five. As part of the first generation of artists to forge
careers in an era with substantially decreased government support,
he has blazed a trail for young musicians in Russia. In 1999, at 13,
Mr. Simonyan made his acclaimed New York debut at Lincoln Center with
the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra (ARYO) and his debut in
St. Petersburg, Russia at the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre in ARYO’s joint
concert with the Mariinsky Youth Orchestra, performing the Szymanowski
Violin Concerto No. 1 (which he had just learned for the occasion).

In addition to Mr. Simonyan’s upcoming Wigmore Hall debut, current
and upcoming concert season highlights include a debut at the
Berlin Philharmonie; his debut at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago,
Chile, performing the Bruch Violin Concerto; a recital during the
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Musikfestival in Germany as part of the "Junge
Elite" concert series.

ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT: BY STARTING WAR AGAINST SOUTH OSSETIA MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI COMMITTED STRATEGIC SUICIDE

ArmInfo
2008-10-03 17:17:00

ArmInfo. By starting war against South Ossetia Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili committed strategic suicide, says political expert
Richard Kirakossyan.

His actions have resulted in the strengthening of Russia’s role in
the region and Turkey’s Caucasian Platform initiative.

The Aug events have drastically changed the situation in the region.

Caucasian Platform implies that Turkey has revised its foreign
political priorities and is seeking to overcome its dependence on the
transit of energy resuorces via Georgia by diversifying electricity
supply routes.

Besides, Turkey no longer wants to depend on the United States and
is defending exclusively its own interests rather than Turkish-US or
Turkish-EU interests as it did before.

"ARMENIAN ORIGIN OF HAMSHENS SEEMS MORE PROBABLE TO ME"

"Noravank" Foundation
02 October 2008

In July of the current year, within the framework of "Hamshen week"
in Yerevan took place the concert of "Vova" concert group. The group
has been set up with the effort of a number of Hamshens. Since 1996
they have been gathering Hamshen national songs and tunes, which in
most of the cases have no names. As one of the group leaders Hikmek
Akchicheq mentions, they are very much worried that in the quickly
changing world a serious danger can be exposed both to the Hamshen
dialect and the songs in this dialect, and they have an objective to
gather, arrange and hand on the generations to come Hamshen unique
tunes and songs.

If we take into consideration Turkey’s scrupulous approach to ethnic
problems, than the visit of this company to Armenia may be considered
quite a brave step. In Yerevan after the concert and conference devoted
to Hamshen Armenians we conversed with Hikmet Akchicheq about some
problems concerning to Hamshen Armenians inhabited in Turkey. I’ll
mention that music is Hikmet’s hobby: he comes from Hopa, however,
he lives and works in Istanbul. Besides, Hikmet is the member of
socialistic party "Freedom and Solidarity," he is also engaged in
politics. His cagy and diplomatic replies in the interview may be
reasoned by the above mentioned circu mstances.

R.M.

Question: It is known that there are different standpoint on the
origin of Hamshen Armenians: many people think that Hamshens have
Armenian origin, and the others ascribe to them Turkish origin. I’d
like to know your opinion on the matter.

Reply: I’m not a historian and I learn about historical facts from
different sources. However, should one ratiocinate, than Armenian
origin of Hamshens seems more creditable to me. It goes without
saying that following my political convictions I’m not proud of my
national belonging and I’m not ashamed of it. There is no difference
for me what is my origin – Armenian, Turkish or Arabic. I’ll also
mention that that there are young Hamshens, in particular, carriers
of socialistic ideas, who don’t conceal their Armenian origin, and
among them there are even some who are pleased with it. There are
young Hamshens with opposition views who consider their Armenian
origin to be the manifestation of their opposition origin.

However, I don’t think so and I don’t consider that my being Hamshen
must make me oppositionist.

Question: Does it mean that there are people among the Hamshen youth
that openly confess of their being Hamshen?

Reply: I rather want to say that the ones who find out their Armenian
origin are not warred as they don’t look at the world from the
standpoint of national belonging. Besides, there are people who
consider the Armenian origin of Hamshens to be true.

Question: As a specialist of Turkish philology I know that in
Turkey it has always been carried out persecution policy to national
minorities and concealment of ethnic belonging may be connected with
this circumstance.

Reply: Just like in many states in Turkey as well there is not a
policy encouraging research conducting in connection with ethnic
belonging of people, developing any activity on this ground.

Question: Do you speak among yourselves in your families about your
Armenian origin?

Reply: Yes we do, as Hamshens and Lazes in Hopa and Georgians in
Borchka live together, people and nations have common memories and
stereotypes connected with one another and the past. For example,
for the Hamshens of these districts it is very common the expression
"stubborn Armenian." I remember that in my childhood when we were
quarreling or fighting with our neighborhood children they were calling
us "Armenians" and running away. Perhaps, they heard the conversations
about Hamshens’ Armenian origin from their parents. As Armenians were
perceived under the category of rival nations, the Hamshen-child taking
offence of the word "Armenian," ran away with tears in his eyes and
asked his parents if he was really Armenian. Later on, I suppose when
I was a student (in the beginning of 1980s), I had quite a lot of =0
Ainformation about the probability of our Armenian origin so I asked
my uncle about it. He answered, "My son, they say that our ancestors
had been apostate Armenians."

Question: I’ve earlier heard from the very Hamshens that religion
doesn’t have such influence on you, that’s to say, you don’t follow
all the principles of Islam. As an example it is mentioned using of
alcoholic drinks, seldom attendance of mosques etc. They say that it is
possibly connected with leftist ideas adhered by most of the Hamshens.

Reply: No, it has nothing connected with leftist ides. I supposed in
spite of the fact that Hamshens are not very much educated, they have
taken the way of reasonable Islam, and most of them don’t have fanatic
inclination to religion. For example, Hamshens may drink by day and
pray in the evening or vica versa. In the period of Ramadan they fast,
go to pray, however, two days later they may eat and have a good drink.

Question: How do you appreciate the condition of the "Hamshen"
language, or more exactly the Hamshen dialect of the Armenian language?

Reply: The Hamshen language is at the edge of extermination, and it
is more connected with globalization, growth in the number of urban
population than with Turkey’s policy. The usage of the language becomes
more and rarer especially among the city inhabitants. The young women
first of all teach t heir children Turkish and not the Hamshen language
for their children not to undergo any language discrimination and
not to have any problems. For example, at present I live in Istambul,
my wife is not Hamshen, and it is hardly possible for the two of my
daughters to learn the Hamshen language.

In reality it is very difficult, and besides, there is not the natural
surrounding making people learn this language, and this and not the
other things is the real danger. That’s to say such preconditions
play more important role in the matter of loosing the language than
state policy.

Besides, such a state policy is not new, it was also carried out in
the Ottoman epoch. I want to say, I ascribe such a policy not only
to Turkey: It is adherent to all the nation states.

Question: From different sources it is known that, for example, the
apostate Armenians of Turkey and their generations have preserved the
tradition of inter-community marriages. Is this tradition preserved
among Hamshens or is it also lost?

Reply: Let’s say so: It is hardly possible for a Hamshen inhabited in
Hopa to marry a non-Hamshen. There, Hamshens mainly marry Hamshens,
Lazes marry Lazzes, Georgians – with Georgians. However, as it
has already been told, city inhabitants and the ones living in big
settlements in other surroundings don’t always follow this tradition.

Question: Have there been preserved Christian customs and=2
0ceremonials among the Hamshens in Turkey?

Reply: To tell the truth I can’t say which of the traditions or
holidays has Christian grounding, but I’ll say that we, the Hamshens
of Hopa, have been brought up on the basis of Islamic culture and we
follow it.

However, there is such a peculiarity: the Hamshens of Hopa have
preserved the language but they don’t hold to traditions, which is
very strange.

But in comparison with them in Rez and in the district of Chamlhenshin
(where the language is not preserved – P.M.) are particularly very
common nation games, a number of traditions, for example, Vardavar
and others.

Question: Much interest has been shown in both Hamshens and other
Islamized citizens of Turkey – Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians recently,
and besides some political speculations have begun. What do you think
of it?

Reply: It goes without saying that revelation of various historic
events and human tragedies is very interesting and exerts certain
influence on people.

For example, in Anatolia one can find hundreds and thousands of stories
which are alike the book by Fethiye Cetin. And it is necessary to make
a ground for us to be able to speak about it. I think that an important
step towards it is Turkey’s democratization. However, it is also true
that in any other country such historians and their revelations worry
the carriers of narrow national ideas. I think 0Athat such subjects
are to be far from political speculation; they can not do anybody good.

Question: If we take cultural, language and other commonalities between
Armenians and Hamshens as a starting point how you think the future
relations between the Armenians in Armenia and Hamshens should be?

Reply: We live in the same geographical zone. I can’t treat you like
strangers such as Englishmen and Germans. Our feelings and standpoints
are quite common. More than the relations between Armenians and
Hamshens I want a dialogue and multilateral good neighborly relations
to be established between Armenia and Turkey.

The interview was conducted by Ruben Melkonyan

PUTIN THE SPIN ON HISTORY
Dariya Orlova

Kyiv Post
Oct 1, 2008
Ukraine

Nation

Russian history now glosses over persecution and hails Soviet-era
triumphs

While most consider Josef Stalin as one of the most prolific mass
murderers in all of history, Russian schoolchildren may be taught
that he was "an efficient manager

The foreign ministries of Russia and Ukraine are not the only soldiers
in the ongoing war of words over the countries’ shared Soviet history.

The battle over the past is also being waged in the classrooms of
both countries. The stakes are high, as the victor may be able to
win over the hearts and minds of future generations.

The Stalin-ordered Great Famine of 1932-1933, which claimed millions
of lives, is a stark example of the conflicting historical views.

A current Russian version: "It should be stressed that there was no
organized famine in the U.S.S.R.’s countryside. It was not instigated
by authorities against one or another people or social group."

A current Ukrainian view of the same event: "The Holodomor of 1932-33
was for Ukrainians what the Holocaust was for Jews and the slaughter
of 1915 for Armenians."

The statement exposes the increasingly widening gap between the two
nations’ understanding of history.

Since 2003, Ukraine has sought international recognition of
the Holodomor (death by hunger) as an act of genocide against
Ukrainians since 2003. President Victor Yushchenko has pursued the
goal vigorously, drawing the ire of Stalin’s apologists at home and
in Russia.

The Russian version of the same tragedy is not an obsolete bit of
Communist propaganda. It is what Russian education officials are
recommending for their country’s school curriculum. It comes from
the Russian Ministry of Education and Science’s "Concept paper on
Russian history from 1900-1945."

Ukraine blames the Communist regime and Stalin specifically for
the famine of 1932-33, while Russia seems to justify – or at least
minimize – Stalin’s policies. According to the proposed Russian
teacher’s manual, starvation was caused by poor weather conditions
and problems with collectivization.

The Russian manual now under consideration also explains away the
Great Terror and mass repressions of the 1930s.

This is the Russian description of Stalin, one of the great mass
murderers in world history: "It is important to show that Stalin acted
as a very efficient manager in a specific historical situation, as
a protector of the system, as an unwavering backer of the country’s
transformation into an industrial society managed from a single
center, as a leader of a country which faced the threat of imminent
large-scale war."

The rationalization of mass repressions in Russia’s school curriculum
was presented to teachers just before the beginning of the current
school year, sparking debate in Russia.

Last year’s textbook "History of Russia, 1945-2007" evoked criticism
for its extremely loyalist coverage of the Soviet period and
characteristic of Stalin as an "efficient manager." Yet the textbook
was published and distributed in schools.

The shift in official interpretation of history is related to Russian
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s view of the Soviet past. In 2005,
Putin famously called the Soviet empire’s disintegration the "greatest
geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century.

Putin held several major meetings with the country’s teachers where
he emphasized the need to produce decent history textbooks – or those
that teach history in the cheerleading manner that the former KGB
agent evidently prefers.

"We need to remove all the layered husk and foam. Textbooks must
include historical facts, they must nurture pride in the country and
its history among young people," Putin said back in 2003.

With its resurgent oil wealth, cost appears to be no objection to
nurturing pride in Russia – which means overlooking some of its
darkest chapters.

"As to some problematic pages in our history – yes, we’ve had them. But
what state hasn’t? And we’ve had fewer of such pages than some other
[states]," Putin told teachers last year. "All sorts of things happen
in the history of every state. And we cannot allow ourselves to be
saddled with guilt."

Given the Kremlin’s attention to historical issues, the contents of
textbooks have turned into a political matter in Russia, observers
noted.

"In the 1990s, there was a relative diversity in the interpretations
of Russian history in the textbooks while the mainstream ‘history
of state and statehood’ was quite critical in its estimation of the
Soviet period," said Georgiy Kasianov, a Ukrainian historian. "In
the 2000s, we see a tendency to glorify empire and its greatness and,
thus, the apologetic estimation of the Soviet period, justifying the
extremes of Stalinism by a renewed version of raison d’etat."

Another Ukrainian historian, Stanislav Kulchytsky, said that Russian
history textbooks provide a "light" version of Soviet history.

"Yes, they speak about repressions, but they try somehow to explain
them…All in all, there is kind of a mixture of everything that is
in line with the modern state-building process in Russia. They use the
Red Army, the White Guard, and the Tsarist Army [to glorify Russia],"
Kulchytsky said.

It remains to be seen if reinterpreted history wins over Russians
minds. If the television project "Name of Russia" — Russia’s
equivalent of the BBC’s 100 Greatest Britons – is any indication,
Stalin’s apologists are making progress: the dictator was ranked
second behind 13th century Russian leader Aleksandr Nevsky.

Meanwhile, the situation with teaching history in Ukraine leaves a
lot to be desired.

On the one hand, top Ukrainian officials are pursuing an approach
similar to Putin’s in establishing a "correct" version of history. On
the other hand, the poor quality of Ukrainian textbooks is to blame.

Kasianov said the major problem with Ukraine’s textbooks is
institutional.

"The system for evaluating textbooks in Ukraine is non-transparent,
muddled by conflicts of interest and ineffective. The main problem is
that the primary consumers – parents, teachers and students – have no
influence on quality and are forced to use what the state imposes upon
them. It’s not an issue of influencing the contents of textbooks. It’s
a question of the right to choose among several textbooks on a given
subject that are different in terms of quality," Kasianov said.

"In contrast to Russia, these issues are actively discussed by
professional historians and the public in Ukraine, but so far with
little results."

Officials have become more involved in humanitarian disciplines,
Kasianov said, citing Yushchenko’s campaign to have Holodomor
recognized as genocide against the Ukrainian people. The president’s
administration has also signalled to the Institute of National Memory
that it should prepare a "correct" textbook on Ukraine’s history.

"But the permanent political mess is drawing Ukrainian officials’
attention away from more active interference," Kasianov said.

RUSSIAN THINK TANK CHIEF WEIGHS COMPETITION AND TURMOIL
By Alexei Chesnokov

Oil and Gas Industry Latest News
October 1, 2008
Russia

The Fund for National Energy Security (FNES) was created by Konstantin
Simonov two years ago. Its creation logically followed the work
of the Center for Political Conjuncture of Russia (CPCR), of which
Mr. Simonov is also the president.

The Fund for National Energy Security (FNES) was created by Konstantin
Simonov two years ago. Its creation logically followed the work of the
Center for Political Conjuncture of Russia (CPCR), of which Mr. Simonov
is also the president. The CPCR has conducted research in political
risk for many years, and this theme was further developed in the
FNES. The Fund also studies the mutual influence of energy on politics
and politics on energy in Russia, as well as in the world. The access
of foreigners to upstream, conflicts between suppliers and buyers,
export routes, problems resulting from political influence (and it
is present practically everywhere). This is to subject to analysis
and research by experts and specialists of the Fund. The FNES is a
non-governmental organization, which is funded by the sales of its
own various reports and research.

Some reviewers call the FNES the mouthpiece of the Kremlin, based
on the fact that many high officials in governmental structures
came from that organization. However, Mr. Simonov assures that his
research is absolutely impartial and says the government appointments
of FNES personnel are simply a testament to the high professionalism
of the FNES specialists. "In any case," says Konstantin Vasilievich,
"these rumors don’t bring me any dividends."

General Director of the Fund for National Energy Security Konstantin
Simonov, who holds a PhD in political science, answers the questions
of Oil&Gas Eurasia:

OGE: What do you think of the current strategy of Russia’s Oil&
Gas industry?

K. Simonov: The existing strategy forecasts through the year 2020
and is declarative and unrealistic. It fails to acknowledge the
forecast of demand for hydrocarbons, property, implementation of new
technologies, and training of new specialists for the industry. Also,
the involvement of foreign companies is undetermined, and geopolitical
questions are not addressed. My colleagues and I are trying to create
a club of experts, with whom we can discuss the country’s energy
strategy through the year 2030. We would like the new Minister of
Energy to listen to the specialists’ opinions. In order not to plan
for planning’s sake and to implement the country’s Energy Strategy,
the process must be discussed by a wide range of specialists; it must
pass through expert evaluation.

OGE: In your opinion, does the crisis in the Caucasus have a hidden
oil and gas motive?

K. Simonov: The United States is playing an active game in the Georgia
region. Why is Vice President Cheney visiting Georgia and Azerbaijan,
describing Russia as an unreliable transit country and supplier of
hydrocarbons? The United States does not care about Europe’s energy
security. I think America is concerned about where oil is going to
go from Central Asia, and in the future, from Iran. Today Iran has
the largest proven gas reserves after Russia. The United States is
interested in Iran and created political conflict zones around the
country. It is an important goal for the United States to prohibit
Iran from supplying hydrocarbons to China. The U.S. provoked the
Georgian conflict by promising Saakashvili support. They use Georgia
as a puppet, and are now looking for an excuse to deploy troops to
the north of Iran–in Georgia and Azerbaijan. The political tension
around Iran is not subsiding. After Cheney’s visit, I absolutely
don’t dismiss the possibility that Azerbaijan will attack Karabakh
within six months. There is also a possibility of military action by
the U.S. against Iran.

OGE: What can you say about Russia’s cooperation with the Central
Asian republics in the oil and gas sphere?

K. Simonov: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan are our neighbors,
but not partners in the full sense of this word. Russia has not yet
done enough for them to become such. There are many projects and
conversations, but in practice little is being done. For instance,
the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and the Burgas-Aleksandroupolis
pipeline projects are not developing fast enough.

Kazakhstan recently agreed to increase their gas supply to China
by 30%. However, Turkmenistan’s reserves are not yet confirmed by
international audit and so it is possible that agreements with Russia
and China will not be honored, because there will not be enough gas
for everyone.

OGE: What is the fate of major foreign investors in the oil and gas
industry in Russia? How are the PSA projects (production sharing
agreement) developing?

K. Simonov: Today, countries that possess large hydrocarbon reserves
are tightening regulations concerning foreign companies. This
process is happening in Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia,
the African countries, and Norway and the phenomenon causes a
backlash. Refining and retail companies are trying to prohibit
oil producing countries from entering their markets. New laws are
being adopted in the United States and Germany, the rules of access
to downstream are tightening. The EC practically excludes Russian
companies from this sector of economy. The countries that recover
natural resources understand what riches they posses and do not want
to share. And the countries that have a sales market, in turn, do not
let oil producers near it. By the way, there is data that the Russian
investment in European downstream is 7-8 times less than the European
investment in the Russian upstream. On the whole, foreigners do not
feel so bad in the Russian oil and gas industry, especially if you
compare it with Venezuela. For example, Shell remained a minority
shareholder in Sakhalin-2 project. Now this company’s participation
in the new projects on the Yamal peninsula together with Gazprom is
being discussed.

The German firm BASF is taking part in the Southern Russian field
development, which is, by the way, one of the last fields with
uncomplicated conditions of Senoman gas production. ENI participates
in the joint project with Gazpromneft. Total and StatoilGidro became
Gazprom’s partners in the Shtokman field project. An example of
a mutually profitable deal is the deal with the German firm BASF,
which offered Gazprom a share in the German gas company in exchange
for access to the Southern Russian field.

Really, the biggest problem for foreigners in Russia is not even the
law or political will, but the moment when they begin working with
our companies and see what kind of ineffective system of decision
making prevails among company officials. The problem of quality
state-corporate management is not solved here yet.

OGE: How can you comment on the rivalry between the two major state
companies Gazprom and Rosneft?

K. Simonov: Many experts often use the phrase "The Kremlin decided,"
but we have been trying to explain for a long time that it is
incorrect. There is no Kremlin. The concept of Kremlin can be
approached from many sides. There is Putin, there is Sechin,
there is Medvedev, and there are concrete people and concrete
interests. Gazprom–Miller’s interests and those of Medvedev’s, and
Rosneft’s interests and Sechin’s interests differ for understandable
reasons.

For example, let’s take the Shelf–recently adopted amendments to
the Subsoil Law and the Law on Continental Shelf stipulate that only
the companies with no less than 51 percent of state-owned shares and
which have a minimum of five years’ experience of shelf development
may participate in the exploration of the Shelf. We have just two
such companies–Gazprom and Rosneft. So we need to somehow divide the
Shelf. These are state companies, but Gazprom has 49 percent private
shareholders, and Rosneft sold 14 percent of shares to private
investors. Therefore the relations [between Gazprom and Rosneft]
are not just those of conflict, but of open conflict. To give you
an example, Daltransgaz vividly illustrated this when Rosneft sued
Gazprom in court. Or, for instance, FAS has recently been actively
attacking Gazprom, seeking to divest it of its monopoly in the market.

OGE: To what extent does this confrontation damage the state’s
interests?

K. Simonov: In my opinion, it certainly causes damage, because creates
uncertainty among investors. While the argument is going on regarding
sections of the Shelf, nobody is going to invest in its exploration
projects. Overall, we don’t give enough attention to the problem of
subsoil ownership. One of the main reasons for insufficient investment
in the development of fields with complicated recovery conditions is
the companies’ uncertainty about the long-term status of their work at
these subsoil plots. That is why the heads of oil companies are not
being entirely honest when they say that they are being smothered by
taxes. Taxes are not the main reason for insufficient investment. A
series of measures have recently been taken to decrease taxes, and
next year we will see how much more investments into the industry
have increased.

OGE: Some Western politicians are appealing to Europe to abandon buying
energy carriers in Russia, to find other suppliers. How real is this?

K. Simonov: According to many European companies’ estimates, Europe
will need additional 140 billion cubic meters of gas by the year
2015. Who can provide such an amount? Norway is capable of supplying
30 billion cubic meters at maximum, after that its recovery will
begin to decrease. North Africa will give a maximum of 50 billion
cubic meters. Where will the remaining 60 billion cubic meters come
from? From the liquefied gas market? There is not so much of it there,
and the demand is very high; a new, extremely powerful consumer is
entering the market–China. Therefore there is no real alternative
to Russia. The politicians who talk about this in earnest may be
called the "Brussels dreamers". This also concerns the plans to
switch to alternative fuel. In 2005 EC adopted the plan to increase
the use of alternative types of energy to 5 percent. The plan was
not realized. Instead, another plan was adopted, to increase the
share of alternative energy to 20 percent by the year 2020. Now,
let’s wait for the year 2020.

OGE: In your opinion, which is more correct: to invest large amounts
into exploration of East Siberia and the Shelf of the northern seas
or to direct these means into increasing the recovery efficiency of
already existing wells, which may also produce a huge effect?

K. Simonov: True, we have huge losses. We have low recovery efficiency,
and burning of associated petroleum gases, and even loss of electricity
from the power grid. We are falling way behind in energy supply,
the world has moved well ahead. Of course, we must deal with all of
this. But Russia must also develop the Shelf, and be present at the
liquefied gas market. These two directions do not contradict each
other and must develop simultaneously. But the saddest thing is
that we are discussing right now what needs to be developed. Where
do we invest? In East Siberian exploration and the Shelf, or to
increase recovery efficiency and the use of associated petroleum
gases? In reality nothing is being done concerning either one of
these issues. The Shelf exploration is progressing very slowly with
huge difficulties, for example, at the Shtokman project. Meanwhile,
we have seen no improvements recently in recovery efficiency or in
the use of associated petroleum gases. Something needs to be done.

ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF PREFECT ELECTIONS IN KENTRON COMMUNITY, CURRENT PREFECT RECEIVES MAXIMUM VOTES

Noyan Tapan

Se p 29, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the preliminary
results of the September 28 elections of head of Yerevan’s Kentron
community, current prefect, RPA member Gagik Beglarian has received
maximum votes. 22 369 voters have voted for him. The other candidate
for prefect’s post, ANM Board Chairman, former prefect Ararat Zurabian
has received 8 085 votes.

As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Silva Markosian, the
chairwoman of district electoral commission N 10, 31 691 out of 89 612
voters of the community took part in the voting. 1117 ballot-papers
were invalidated. The number of inaccuracies is 315.

As of 11:00, September 29, district electoral commission N 10 had
received 12 application-complaints on recounting voting results
at 12 out of 54 polling stations. The deadline for submitting
application-complaints was 14:00.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA TO BAN TRANSFER SYSTEMS DISCIMINATING AGAINST COUNTRY’S BANKING SYSTEM

ARKA
Sep 29, 2008

YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) will
ban the money transfer systems that discriminate against Armenia’s
banking system, said CBA Deputy Chairman Vache Gabrielyan, commenting
on the ban imposed upon the Western Union system.

"All the systems that give priority to certain Armenian banks,
depending on their geographical situation, should change their policy,"
he was quoted saying.

Gabrielyan approved of the Money Gram system, saying it had never
discriminated against any local bank. This is the reason why the
system successfully cooperates with Armenian and Karabakhi banks and
their branches.

CBA has prohibited Armenia’s banks to collaborate with Western Union,
as the latter refused to make money transfers to Karabakh in order
to be allowed to do business in Azerbaijan.

Alongside with SWIFT, 16 other systems do business in Armenia. They
are as follows: Money Gram, Anelik, Unistream, Bistraya Pochta (Swift
Mail), Interexpress, Contact, Lider, Migom, as well as Privat Money,
Transfer, STB Express, Faster, Blizko, Zhivie Dengi (Lively Money)
and others.

A number of non-banking organizations offer money transfer services
in Armenia. Among them are HayPost (Armenian Post), TelCel, Depi Tun,
Elver, Parvana Money Payment and Acocunt System, Tandem Payments,
Mega Pantera and o thers.

VIVACELL-MTS SERVES 1.66MLN SUBSCRIBERS

ARKA
Sep 26, 2008

YEREVAN, September 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s leading mobile operator
VivaCell-MTS had 1.66mln subscribers as of September 1, 2008 – 6.5%
increase compared to August.

The company served 1.56mln subscribers as of end-July against 1.20mln
in the corresponding period last year.

The Russian leading mobile operator MTS (Mobile TeleSystems) had
around 87.26mln subscribers as of end-August.

VivaCell-MTS (K-Telecom CJSC) provides a wide range of Voice and
Data services. Since its launch on 1st July 2005, in a short period
of time VivaCell – MTS has managed to build a nationwide network and
a considerable customer base. VivaCell – MTS drives the development
and offering of innovative mobile communications products, services
and features in the Armenian mobile communications market.

MTS is the largest mobile phone operator in the CIS. Together with its
subsidiaries, the company services over 91 million subscribers.

SLAMMING SHUT THE DOOR TO EUROPE
Paola Totaro

The Canberra Times
20/09/2008 12:00:01 AM
Australia

IT HAS been dubbed the doorway to Europe, a dusty raft of ancient
cliffs and prickly pear floating in the vast cobalt expanse that is
the southern Mediterranean.

For centuries, seamen have plied the waters between the Middle East,
Africa and Europe, using the islet of Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost
territory, as a port and safe haven against raging winter seas.

Featureless, barren, and as hot as the deserts of its nearest
neighbours Libya and Tunisia, Lampedusa’s inhospitable landscape is
tempered by turquoise waters of unrivalled beauty. In summer, when
sea breezes cool the ferocious north African sun, the island becomes
a magnet for intrepid Italian holidaymakers and its minuscule rocky
coves and sandy inlets disappear beneath a forest of beach umbrellas.

But as the benign seas attract a riot of dinghies and yachts,
a grotesque scene plays itself out day after relentless day as the
Italian coastguards pluck boatloads of terrified and exhausted African
refugees from surrounding waters and ferry them to safety. When
conditions are calm, sightings and call-outs can come several times
a day.

And yet the coastguard launches returning to port laden with their
stricken human cargo elicit barely a nod of acknowledgment from the
islanders or their summer visitors.

During the week that the Herald spent on call with the Italian
coastguards and the wharfside team from Doctors Without Borders (MSF),
1470 men, women and children landed on Lampedusa. Nearly 20,000 have
landed just this year, while an estimated 600 perished en route. We
saw pregnant women, tiny babies; a 16-year-old girl arrived alone
with her seven-month-old baby. The majority managed to walk or limp
down the gangplanks but others had to be carried off on stretchers or
supported by medical teams. One pregnant woman suffered a hemorrhage
at sea. Only the tiniest of children, generally the most resilient,
managed a smile of relief.

The sight is one of abject misery and yet for many, arrival in Italy,
the doorway to Europe, still represents hope, a step away from the
hopelessness of poverty in Africa to an imagined milk and honey of
Western Europe.

The crisis of the poor brought another unexpected visitor to
Lampedusa that week: Howard Buffett, son of Warren Buffet, the world’s
richest man. The eldest of three children of the legendary investor,
businessman and billionaire philanthropist, Howard Buffett is a veteran
of scores of refugee camps throughout the world thanks to his work
with the UN. He had come to witness – and to photograph first-hand –
the African arrivals.

During a chat with the Herald he too was visibly touched by their
plight: "Everywhere you go when you talk about immigration people
see it as their own problem … you ask the Italians and it’s their
problem, you ask the Russians, the Armenians, the Romanians and
they say it’s their problem, ask in Asia, they it’s theirs. Everyone
talks about it like it is their own, this is a global problem and it
is serious.

"There are 200 million people the world over who live outside their
home country."

For the coastguards, medical volunteers and humanitarian organisations,
Lampedusa is the front line of Italy’s – and Europe’s – burgeoning
refugee crisis. Shaped by proud traditions of compassion and aid,
they are now preparing to work within a new legal framework and
culture. In two weeks, the EU – led by France – will enact a package
of tough new laws and powers for the police and military that will
also lengthen the maximum terms of detention for illegal immigrants.

In Italy, the centre-right government of Silvio Berlusconi and the
anti-immigration Northern League have already launched an anti-crime
crackdown, upping the number of deportations and fuelling xenophobia
and fear of crime.

Despite this, maritime arrivals have continued to rise steadily over
last year.

Those working at the coalface argue that much of the boat traffic
stems from Libya. Muammar Gaddafi, they say, has not been forced
to act on an agreement, signed with Italy, to deploy joint maritime
patrols aimed at halting the exodus of refugees aided by the criminal
syndicates who work Libya’s coast.

For many arrivals, say MSF, the reality of the future is tough. A
recent MSF report into conditions as seasonal workers on farms
and orchards in southern Italy reveals further horror: "They are
exploited, offered little or no medical help and most are too
terrified to understand that under Italian law they are entitled
to medical assistance even if they are clandestini. Agriculture is
hugely important to Italy’s economy … that is the hypocrisy of
the situation."

MATTHEW BRYZA: THE US IS PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT NOW THAN EVER BEFORE

Azeri Press Agency
18 Sep 2008 19:36
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva – APA. American co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group
Matthew Bryza held a press conference on the outcomes of his visit
to Baku. APA reports that the co-chair said Azerbaijan and the Unites
States continued active cooperation.

"The main aspect of this cooperation is the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict," he said.

Matthew Bryza said the Unites States supported Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity.

"We intend to help the conflicting parties to reach an agreement. This
agreement should be based on the countries’ territorial integrity,
later we should use other practice of the international law. We should
find a way satisfying both sides, then a deal should be signed as in
business. Our leadership is paying more attention to the settlement
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict now than ever before," he said.

Matthew Bryza said he planned to meet with other co-chair Bernard
Fassier in Baku and hoped to continue cooperation with Russian co-chair
Yuri Merzlyakov.

The co-chair also took a stance on the Caucasus Cooperation and
Stability Pact initiated by Turkey.

"Any step serving to establish peace in the region is
praiseworthy. Turkey is the ally of both the United States and
Azerbaijan. It is good if this country wants to contribute to the
establishment of peace. Some countries of the region ask why the US and
European Union do not participate in this platform, why only Turkey
and Russia are represented in the new format. And Georgia says that
it is not ready to participate in this project together with Russia,
which violated the country’s territorial integrity. Turkey is not
the co-chair of OSCE Minsk group, but this country knows more about
Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said.

Matthew Bryza appreciated the steps taken to normalize the relations
between Turkey and Armenia.

"Both countries have made steps important from political aspect. This
is a new direction, there is a need for new directions after the
happenings in Georgia," he said.

Taking a stance on the meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents
American co-chair said the heads of states determine when they
should meet.

"We, diplomats only give recommendations," he said.

Speaking about the attitude of GUAM countries towards the happenings
in Georgia, Matthew Bryza said the organization openly supported
official Tbilisi.

"For example, Viktor Yushchenko openly expressed this
support. Sometimes this support was silent, but too important,"
he said.

Matthew Bryza said the policy of the United States on the region
would not change.

"We will be more active in the region," he said.