Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 11 2005
STEVEN MANN: “REPORT OF THE FACT-FINDING MISSION AIMS AT PROMOTION OF NEGOTIATION PROCESS”
[March 11, 2005, 15:13:06]
Steven Mann, the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group recommends to
read the Report of the fact-finding mission on results of visit to
the occupied areas of Azerbaijan after it is disclosed: “The people
should understand that the Report of the fact-finding mission aims
at promotion of the negotiation process. This is desired by both the
Minsk Group co-chairs and the United States Government.”
Mr. Steven Mann did not make any comments on the Report to be
disclosed next Friday in Vienna at the OSCE Permanent Council’s
meeting in Vienna, saying he did not want to make any conclusion until
that time. But he added: “I am convinced that the document has been
prepared in detail and professionally. Specialists under the guide
of Emil Haber have done their work at high level”.
On March 10, the ambassador taking part at the discussions on
“Caspian gas and energy safety of Europe” expressed satisfaction with
the course of talks concerning the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Mr.
Steven Mann, who is also the Department of State special advisor on
Caspian energy diplomacy says the Karabakh problems takes much of
his tame. “The good news is that I am always busy. And that means
the talks between sides continue”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

More ceasefire violations
Baku Today
AssA-Irada 10/03/2005 12:08
Armenian military units fired at Gapanly village of Terter District
with submachine guns and machine guns from 24:00 to 00:30 on Wednesday,
ANS TV has reported. Casualties are reported on the Armenian side.
At the same time, Armenia fired at Orta Gishlag and Garadaghly villages
of the Aghdam District. The Ministry of Defense has confirmed the
reports.
According to the Ministry, Armenian military units fired at the
positions of the Azerbaijani troops located 2,5 km southeast of
Tapgaragoyunlu village in Goranboy District from 20:10 till 20:45 on
Tuesday. On the same day, the positions of the Azerbaijani military
troops located close to Shykhlar village of Aghdam District were also
subjected to firing. No casualties are reported.
The Ministry of Defense did not confirm TV reports saying that
Azerbaijani soldier Mammad Mammadov received a head injury after
Armenians breached ceasefire in Terter District at about 13:00 on
Wednesday.
Armenian military units fired from their positions in the occupied
Seysulan village of Terter District at the positions of the Azerbaijani
military troops located in Gapanly village of the same district with
submachine guns and machine guns from 20:30 to 23:00 on Monday.
Several soldiers are reported wounded on the Azerbaijani side, while
several others wounded and killed on the Armenian side, according to
the Ministry.

AZERBAIJAN EXPECTS ARMENIA TO COMMIT TERRORIST ACTS AT
BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN PIPELINE
09.03.2005 03:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Baku-Novorossiysk
and Baku-Supsa pipelines are â~@~under the threat of terrorist acts
possible to be committed by Armenians and the Azerbaijani government
should undertake measures to prevent themâ~@~], Azeri Vice Premier,
chairman of the state commission for emergency situations Abid
Shafarov stated during a seminar on controlling emergency situations
in civic defense organized by the French Embassy in Baku, IA Regnum
reports. According to Sharifov, it is difficult to imagine what
kind of complications the government will face in case it does not
possess sufficient material and technical basis and human resources
for liquidation of the consequences.
–Boundary_(ID_OwtiMuvXxVhqoOoziVILpg)–

European Commission rep explains path to action plan
By Anna Arzanova
The Messenger, Georgia
March 7 2005
The European Commission is recommending a “significant strengthening”
of relations with Georgia through the development of an Action Plan
under the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).
Head of the Delegation of the European Commission, Ambassador Torben
Holtze, told a press conference on March 4 that this recommendation
is based on the commission’s Country Report published on March 2.
“This process has been under preparation for already several years,
but has become active only since last year,” he stated. In June
2004, Georgia as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan, were included
in the European Neighborhood Policy as a result of a request and
recommendation made by the European Commission.
Last Wednesday the Commission released a 32-page report on Georgia,
which gives a broad summary of the political, social and economic
situation in Georgia and the state of its bilateral relations with
the European Union.
According to HE Holtze, the ENP has much deeper targets than the
existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to offer the prospect
of a progressively closer relationship with the European Union,
involving a significant level of economic integration and a deepening
of political cooperation.
The EU requested special reports for each country, which would
reflect the existing situation in the countries aspiring to European
integration.
“This work is now finalized and the reports are also made not only for
the Caucasus region but for those countries which are included in the
ENP,” Holtze said. The reports were presented by the Commissioner
for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, Benita
Ferrero-Waldner last week.
In her press release, Ferrero-Waldner, commented: “The European
Neighborhood Policy gives us an opportunity to take relations with
Georgia up a gear. I very much hope that the Council will give the go
ahead to negotiate an Action Plan, so that we can work out a joint
agenda for action in the coming years. Progress in our relationship
will reflect the efforts and successes of the country itself”.
According to Ambassador Holtze, the country report concludes that
there should be progress in the development of political institutions
based on the values of democracy, the rule of law, human rights,
regional stability and cooperation in justice and internal affairs.
He added that economic and social reforms will create new
opportunities for development and modernization of Georgia, for
further liberalization of trade and for gradual participation in the
EU’s Internal Market.
Holtze described the reports as a big step forward and “the next step
will be that the report regarding the current situation in Georgia
should be approved by the Council of Ministers of the European Union,”
which will be convene on March 22.
“It is now for the Council of Ministers to decide the next steps
and it is expected this council will like this report and then the
recommendation will be given to the European Union to work out the
action plan,” Holtze said.
Action plans will be tailored for each country depending on the needs
of the country and the EU’s opinion on the country. “For Georgia,
we continue to focus on strengthening respect of rule of law, reform
of judiciary, law enforcement agencies, penitentiary, and enhanced
human rights protection,” HE Holtze stated.
Holtze also thinks that the key objectives for an Action Plan should
include strengthening of democratic structures and pluralism through
reform of Parliament, strengthening independence of media, reform of
local self government, and electoral reform.
HE Holtze also explained that it would be several months before the
EU and Georgia would have a fully prepared action plan: “We expect
that the action plan will be ready by the end of the year or in the
beginning of the next year.”
“One more aspect is improvements in the business climate as well as
public sector modernization, reform of tax and customs administrations
and legislation and strengthening the fight against corruption and
fraud,” he added.
Asked what should be more of a priority for the Georgian government –
economic development or rule of law and strengthening of the democratic
institutes – Holtze stated that one cannot exist without the other.
“It is very important that the economy develop in the country but of
course, the supremacy of law is also very important because otherwise,
it is unimaginable to attract investors to the country,” he said.

La Croix , France
5 mars 2005
CRITIQUE TV; TELE-RADIO; Pg. 20
Trois regards neufs pour les émissions religieuses. Non spécialistes
de l’information religieuse, Catherine Matausch, Hervé Claude et
Agnès Vahramian apportent aux magazines qu’ils animent pour “Le Jour
du Seigneur”, sur France 2, la force de leur questionnement
personnel.
par BOUVET Bruno
De quoi parle Agnès Vahramian, chef du service étranger de France 2,
lorsqu’elle évoque une expérience professionnelle qui la “ressource
personnellement”? Cette journaliste chevronnée, dont la vision du
monde est “marquée par les conflits de la planète”, fait part de son
plaisir nouveau d’animer “Tout à la foi”, magazine de “catéchisme
moderne” du “Jour du Seigneur” (1). À quoi fait référence Catherine
Matausch au moment où elle confie sa joie de “réentendre les
religions” et sa “surprise” de constater à quel point “elles sont
tolérantes”? La présentatrice des éditions du week-end sur France 3
dresse le bilan d’une année à la tête de “Agapè” (2), le magazine
oecuménique qu’elle anime alternativement avec Hervé Claude, depuis
qu’elle a remplacé la regrettée Martine Chardon. Son confrère, qui se
définit comme agnostique, n’est pas moins enthousiaste de “trouver à
la télévision un espace pour le débat d’idées”, lui qui a longtemps
décliné la litanie de l’actualité pour les journaux de France 2.
Non spécialistes de l’information religieuse, ces trois
professionnels ont affirmé leurs compétences dans d’autres secteurs.
Leur point commun? Un goût manifeste pour la confrontation des
opinions et des convictions et un intérêt aigu pour les grands sujets
touchant à la condition humaine et à l’éthique, rejoignant souvent un
vif questionnement personnel. Se déclarant tout à la fois “agnostique
mystique” et reconnaissant “être en quête”, Catherine Matausch
incarne le besoin moderne de recherche spirituelle, dont les
territoires s’étendent au-delà des frontières des Églises.
Bonne intuition de l’équipe du “Jour du Seigneur” qui a sollicité
cette “solitaire”, cultivant le paradoxe de trouver son bonheur
professionnel dans le contact avec les autres. “Cette expérience
nouvelle de tolérance me rend plus vivante! s’exclame-t-elle, sans
calcul. Tous les points de vue peuvent se confronter sans tomber dans
l’affrontement. À titre personnel, cela me fait un bien fou
d’entendre des gens qui avancent, au rythme de leurs convictions. Mon
moteur, c’est le doute et ce n’est pas toujours confortable…”
L’animation d’un débat dominical sur “la mort, le handicap ou les
relations hommes femmes” lui correspondait parfaitement mais elle
n’aurait jamais osé le demander… Par peur du dénigrement? “Pas du
tout, répond-elle. Je n’ai entendu aucun commentaire de protestation
ou de surprise chez mes copains journalistes. “Agapè” bénéficie d’une
excellente image dans le milieu parce qu’une émission de ce type est
plutôt rare…”
Agnès Vahramian compte bien sur la qualité de “Tout à la foi” pour
faire taire les (quelques) sceptiques et les railleurs qui se sont
étonnés de son choix. Elle-même n’avait pas songé à une telle
aventure quand le P. Benoît Vandeputte, dominicain et concepteur du
magazine, l’a invitée à déjeuner. “Comme nous sommes amis depuis
l’époque où nous fréquentions l’école de journalisme de Strasbourg,
il voulait un conseil pour choisir le présentateur de l’émission.
L’idée me semblait bonne de revisiter les piliers de la foi et de
montrer leur présence dans la culture contemporaine. La laïcité et
les religions ne sont pas deux univers cloisonnés: ils
s’interpénètrent.” À la fin du repas, Benoît Vandeputte est convaincu
que la jeune femme (proche de la sensibilité des chrétiens d’Orient
en raison de ses origines arméniennes) saura mettre sa réflexion
personnelle au service de l’émission. “Dans cet espace de liberté, où
j’ai dix minutes pour interviewer Yves Coppens ou Serge Moati, je
prolonge le questionnement entrepris dans mon métier de reporter.
Tout en respectant les convictions de chacun, j’ai demandé au
scientifique si l’on pouvait croire en Dieu, dans la mesure où
l’homme descendait du singe. Et au cinéaste, j’ai demandé si l’on
pouvait se référer à Jésus sans se référer à l’Église…”
BRUNO BOUVET
(1) Diffusion du prochain numéro le 13 mars à 10 h 30.
(2) Ce dimanche 6 mars à 10 h 30, le thème est “Homme, femmes, le
grand malaise?”

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 04, 2005
AFGHAN TRANSIT TO SPEED UP GEORGIA’S ACCESSION TO NATO
TBILISI, February 4 (RIA Novosti) – Georgia believes that the
agreement on granting NATO a corridor for the transit of military
cargoes and personnel to Afghanistan via Georgia has brought the
republic closer to NATO membership.
“Everyone knows that Georgia wants to join NATO, and I think this
agreement is a major step towards this goal.
It will help Georgia to speed up its Euro-Atlantic integration,” said
Nikolai Rurua, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on
defense and security.
Military expert Koba Liklikadze claims that NATO will soon sign
similar agreements with Azerbaijan and possibly with Armenia and
Central Asian states,
“NATO has signed such agreement with Tajikistan; so, Georgia was not
the first here,” Mr. Liklikadze said.
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili, who signed the
agreement with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in
Brussels on March 2, refused to make far-reaching forecasts. “Our
relations with NATO is not a one-way road,” she told the Georgian
television company Imedi after signing the agreement in Brussels. “We
are ready to contribute to cooperation with the bloc when NATO needs
us.”
According to the Defense Ministry of Georgia, the infrastructure of
the main air force base in Marneuli was geared to NATO standards and
is ready to accept bloc’s forces involved in the Afghan operation.
The Turkish government spent $85 million on the technical
modernization of Marneuli airfield.
The base has modern military hardware that ensures the fulfillment of
combat tasks by any type of aircraft in night- and daytime
conditions. The infrastructure of the modernized airfield includes a
3km strip with modern lighting equipment (its assembly cost $2.4
million), a modern command station, a warning system, an airfield
security system, and other equipment.

WOLFGANG BOSBACH: TURKEY CANNOT CONTUNUE TO DENY ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
YEREVAN, MARCH 3. ARMINFO. Turkey cannot continue to deny the fact of
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey at the beginning of the 20th
century, Leader of the faction of Christian-Democratic and
Christian-Socialist unions of Germany’s Parliament Wolfgang Bosbach
stated at an action organized in Cologne by the Union of Turkish
Democrats on the topic of “How Will be Conducted Negotiations With
Turkey?”
According to the Turkish “Hurriyet” newspaper, the statement of the
German opposition leader caused discontent of Juneyd Zapsui, the
foreign affairs adviser of Turkish Prime-Minister. He said that Turkey
is ready to discuss these issues with Armenian representatives but not
Armenian Diaspora. The adviser also noted that there are other
problems to discuss and tried to divert the participants’ attention
from the theme of Genocide. In response of this statement Bosbach
perpexedly noted, “What issues Turkey may have concerning Armenia
besides the Genocide issue”.
He stressed that if Ankara wants to be a member of the European family
it must change its position in the Genocide issue. Zapsui stopped the
discussions and stated that if their ancestors were actually
barbarians there would be no Christian left in Eastern Europe.

Anglican Journal, Canada
March 2005
Rabbi mends fences
ENI
Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi has paid an unprecedented official
visit to the headquarters of the Armenian Patriarch in Jerusalem in
what is seen as a drive by Israeli officials to improve
Jewish-Christian relations in the Holy Land.
Rabbi Yona Metzger, one of two chief rabbis, made the visit as
part of a series of meetings with Christian leaders to mend relations
after a Jewish seminary student attacked an Armenian archbishop last
year. It was the first time an Israeli chief rabbi had visited the
Armenian patriarchate.
A Jewish seminary student last year pushed and spat on an
Armenian archbishop as he led a religious procession to the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, a site in Jerusalem commemorating Jesus’
crucifixion and burial.
The student, who later apologized to the cleric, said he
attacked the archbishop because he was offended by his holding of a
crucifix, which for some Jews has come to symbolize centuries of
Christian persecution.
The incident raised an outcry in Israel and officials and
religious leaders warned of the need to instil greater tolerance
among the country’s youth.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 1 2005
INT’L CONFERENCE ON “MILITARY CRIMES, GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY” HELD IN FRANCE
[March 01, 2005, 18:36:16]
In March 2004, on the initiative of the Interpol – the international
police organization, which includes 181 country of the world, in the
French city of Lyons, has been carried out the first international
conference on “Military crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity”.
In the Working Group created in connection with solution of the problem
discussed at the Conference, has been also elected the first deputy
military prosecutor of Azerbaijan, colonel of justice Ilham Mammadov.
At the next session of the Working Group which has been carried out
in Lyons on February 21-23 current year, Azerbaijan was represented
by Ilham Mammadov, the senior inspector of the Central Bureau of
Interpol in Azerbaijan Fuad Akhundov and the first secretary of the
Embassy of Azerbaijan in France Masim Mammadov.
Representatives of Azerbaijan informed in detail on the crimes of
the Armenian occupants, on genocide committed against Azerbaijanis,
spoke of the policy of ethnic cleanse pursued by the Armenians,
the inhuman treatment to the POWs and presented concrete facts.
Special disk reflecting forcible expel of over 200 thousand of
Azerbaijanis from their homelands in Armenia, occupation of over 20
percent of the Country’s territories, atrocities of the Armenians in
Khojali and other areas of Azerbaijan, the resolutions on settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and other materials prepared by the
military prosecutor was presented to the leadership of Interpol and
members of Working Group.
The Working Group decided to conduct the second International
Conference in June current year in Lyons.

The Messenger
Tuesday, March 1, 2005, #038 (0812)
Outages highlight weak infrastructure
Both water and electricity systems go offline in domino effect
By Keti Sikharulidze
More water woes: low water levels and a
diminished generating capacity in
Georgia’s hydroelectric systems, like the
Zhinvali reservoir pictured on Sunday
(above) have made the country even more
reliant on the Kavkasioni line
Severe weather damaged the country’s sole high voltage electricity line from
Russia Monday morning, leaving the capital Tbilisi temporarily without power and
knocking its water system offline for most of the day.
The loss of power, and subsequently water, came only days after the president
held an emergency government session addressing problems in the energy sector.
To make matters worse on Monday, the 370 kilovolt Kavkasioni high voltage
transmission line, Georgia’s only electrical connection to Russia, was taken off
line three separate times on Monday because of the weather and high winds.
The accidents first occurred at around 10:50 am., immediately causing blackouts
throughout the country including Tbilisi. According to the state power system
the deficit of the energy during the accident was nearly 600 megawatts.
According to Black Sea Press, the Kavkasioni line was repaired in forty minutes
and the import of 50 megawatts was restored at first. According to electricity
officials, 160-megawatts was imported from Armenia as well, which was
distributed among vital objects.
Speaking with Rusatvi-2, Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri stated on Monday that
the accident was caused by bad weather along the Kavkasioni high transmission
line and added that the system would be fully restored by the evening.
“The situation will be better after we finish repairs on the 9th power unit [in
Gardabani] and tonight we are going to test it. It will be ready for functioning
by tomorrow afternoon. Until then we will have to fully load the Kavkasioni
line,” said Gilauri.
Water service in the capital stopped shortly after the first outage as the
city’s water service, Tbiltsqalkanali, lost its pumping capacity. Lela Chanidze,
assistance to the director of the water service, confirmed to The Messenger on
Monday, that the lack of the water resulted from the breakdown of the
Kavkazioni. “By the evening the entire city will receive water supplies,” she
added; for most of Tbilisi, water had returned by 8:00 p.m.
On Monday, Gilauri also highlighted his ministry’s new two-year program and
stated that the accident that happened on Kavkasioni was the best example of the
priorities of the two-year program, which includes constructing a separate high
voltage line.
“Our energy system has always depended on this one Kavkasioni line, which could
be knocked out by bad weather or by sabotage. Such accidents badly affect the
entire energy system of Georgia,” said Gilauri.
Already this year, there have been at least two cases of sabotage on the line
when unknown people shot out the insulators used to hold the line to towers in
the Kodori Gorge.
According to the ministry’s plan, Georgia should first build its generating
capacity to meet the country’s needs and then use imports only as backup should
be necessary only for reservation. The two-year plan includes the construction
of new power plants and the refurbishment of turbines.
“If we fulfill the plan as it was presented, I can assure you that such deficits
of electricity will not be repeated any more,” said Gilauri.
Gilauri also said the ministry would print booklets detailing information on
electricity limits during repairs to the Enguri Hydroelectric Station that are
to begin on April 1.
“The schedule for electricity will be different in each region of Georgia and
this information will be sent to all residents of Georgia,” he said.