Author: Toneyan Mark

Interfax
July 9 2004
IAEA invites Armenia to build new nuclear plant
Yerevan. (Interfax) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
has developed two plans for advancing Armenia’s energy sector through
2020, one of which includes building a new nuclear power station,
chief of the Armenian nuclear oversight authorities Ashot Martirosian
told Interfax.
He said Armenia hopes to build either a new nuclear plant or develop
other generating capacities.
He said the IAEA believes a nuclear station would be preferable from
the environmental point of view because thermal stations, which are
considered the main alternative to a nuclear facility, would increase
carbon dioxide emissions.
Martirosian said that since 1994 the IAEA has been helping Armenia
improve safety at its nuclear plant.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
July 7 2004
Oskanian Discusses Karabakh On Russia Visit
By Aza Babayan in Moscow 07/07/2004 11:01
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and economic issues figured prominently
during Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian talks with senior Russian
officials in Moscow on Tuesday.
Oskanian met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and
high-level lawmakers on a rare visit to the Russian capital which
some observers in Yerevan link to the renewed international efforts
to find a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute.
`We discussed the Karabakh problem and can talk about some positive
movements there,’ Lavrov told a joint news conference with his
Armenian counterpart. He cited the recent series of meetings between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers as well as the `more
active’ work of the Russian, French and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE’s
Minsk Group.
Both Lavrov and Oskanian would not go into details of their
discussions on Karabakh. The latter said only that he is `very
satisfied’ with the results of the talks. `This shows that the agenda
of our dialogue is quite extensive and deep,’ he said.
A separate statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry said Oskanian
briefed Lavrov on his trilateral meeting in Istanbul last week with
the Azerbaijani and Turkish foreign ministers. Turkey is seen as
trying to overcome Azerbaijani opposition to the reopening of its
border with Armenia with efforts to facilitate a Karabakh settlement.
The statement said Russian-Armenian commercial ties was another major
topic of the Moscow talks, with both sides agreeing on the need for
`restoring transport communication’ between the two allied states.
`The Russian side promised to keep the issue at the center of its
attention,’ it said, underscoring Armenia’s long-running efforts to
restore rail communication with Russia via Georgia’s breakaway
republic of Abkhazia.
Oskanian was also cited as calling for a `prompt revival’ of the five
state-run Armenian enterprises that were handed over to Russia last
year as part of a swap agreement to settle Yerevan’s $100 million
debt to Moscow. Critics have questioned the Russians’ ability to
breathe a new life into those enterprises, claiming that the deal has
only deepened Armenia’s economic dependence on its former Soviet
master.
Unlike President Robert Kocharian who seems to take every opportunity
to confer with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Oskanian has not
been a frequent guest in Moscow since being appointed foreign
minister in 1998. Tuesday’s meetings marked his first official visit
to the country.
They also led to a surprise revelation that Lavrov, who was the
Kremlin’s longtime representative to the United Nations before
becoming foreign minister recently, has ethnic Armenian roots. `I
have Armenian blood,’ he told journalists. `My father is an Armenian
from Tbilisi.’

State commission says Azeri POW in Karabakh OK
ANS TV, Baku
6 Jul 04

Representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross [ICRC] in
Xankandi [Stepanakert] have again met Aydin Huseynov, a soldier of the
Azerbaijani army, who was taken prisoner. To recap, this is the second
meeting of the ICRC representatives with the Azeri POW.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
We have received this report from the ICRC. The state commission of
the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for POWs, hostages and
missing persons confirmed the report. They said that the situation of
the Azerbaijani soldier in Armenian captivity is OK. The commission’s
talks with Yerevan [on securing Huseynov’s release] are still
fruitless.
[Passage omitted: reported details]

Russian, Armenian police prevent smuggling of prostitutes to Middle East
RIA news agency, Moscow
2 Jul 04
YEREVAN
The Russian Interior Ministry and the Armenian police have carried out
a joint operation to smash a criminal gang which recruited young girls
in Armenia and smuggled them via Moscow to the UAE for prostitution.
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev announced this to
journalists on Friday [2 July] after a meeting of the joint board of
the two ministries in the Armenian capital.
Nurgaliyev said the joint operation was carried out on 24 June
2004. “Our Armenian colleagues arrived in Moscow very quickly and we
carried out this operation very quickly,” Nurgaliyev said.
The Russian interior minister said the criminals brought the girls to
Moscow, provided them with documentation, after which they were sent
to the UAE for the purposes of prostitution.
“We freed six girls who were about to be sent abroad,” Nurgaliyev
said. He said this was a lucrative business. Members of the gang
received 2,000 dollars apiece for each girl.
“Altogether we have prevented about 100 girls being smuggled abroad,”
the minister said.
He also said two arrests had been made. The names of the arrested
persons have not been released. One of the detainees was responsible
for smuggling the girls through Moscow’s Domodedovo airport to foreign
destinations. The other hired the girls and found temporary
accommodation for them in flats.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
June 29, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]
ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR ACTION TO STOP GENOCIDE IN SUDAN
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian Assembly this week joined a nation-wide
petition signing campaign calling on Secretary of State Colin Powell to act
now to end genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
In an action-alert e-mailed to thousands of Armenians around the United
States, the Assembly said:
“Just as with the Armenian Genocide, ten years ago, the international
community stood by as the Rwandan Genocide claimed 800,000 lives. Today, as
world leaders remember that human catastrophe with empty expressions of
‘Never Again,’ the people of Sudan face a similar fate. Add your name to
the petition calling on Colin Powell to immediately recognize the genocide
occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan and move aggressively to bring it to
an end –an action that could save more than 1,000,000 lives.”
Persistent eye-witness reports indicate that in Darfur, the Sudanese
government is destroying African Muslim communities who have challenged the
authoritarian rule of the government. Government forces and Arab militias
known as the Janjaweed have burned and pillaged thousands of villages,
poisoned water systems, and subjected the population to large-scale rape and
other atrocities.
In the e-mails, the Assembly said with 30,000 people already killed, Darfur
now faces the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Even if relief arrives
now, 350,000 people may still die. If relief does not arrive, the toll will
surely be many times higher.
“At present, Secretary of State Colin Powell is deciding whether the U.S.
should officially recognize the atrocities in Sudan as constituting
genocide. The 1948 Genocide Convention requires the 130 countries that are
parties to it, including the U.S., to prevent and punish these crimes
against humanity.

“Please help us generate 10,000 signatures before the end of this month to
send a strong message about the urgent action needed to save lives in
Darfur,” the Assembly appeal for action said.
To join the thousands who have already voiced their concern over events in
Darfur, visit the following Web site for details and action:
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-062

A1 Plus | 17:16:15 | 28-06-2004 | Politics |
TIGRAN TOROSSYAN QUOTING YERZI YASKERNIA
Armenian National Assembly Vice-Speaker Tigran Torossyan, speaking at a news
conference on Monday, said quoting the head of PACE Monitoring Group Yerzi
Yaskernia as saying at the recent PACE session that Armenian Constitutional
Court had a decision, according to which there was no need in revising the
election results announced by Election Commission.
In his words, Yaskernia said the Constitutional Court had proposed to
conduct confidence referendum. Yaskernia put special emphasis on proposed,
Torossyan said.

MUSIC: AZNAVOUR TELLS HIS STORY IN MILAN
ANSA English Media Service
June 22, 2004
MILAN
(ANSA) – MILAN, June 22 – Popular French singer Charles Aznavour said
that he was not an Armenian from France but simply a Frenchman of
Armenian origin when talking about himself in Milan’s Teatro Dal Verme
at the opening of the fifth La Milanesiana cultural event on Monday.
“I’m not an Armenian from France, I’m simply a Frenchman of Armenian
origin and I care more about humanitarian affairs than politics,” said
Aznavour who is son of an Armenian family which fled before the Turkish
genocide against the Armenians at the beginning of 20th century.
Aznavour entered the stage with the humbleness of a lively and somewhat
shy 80-year-old. The singer was dressed in ivory colour and matching
shoes, he looked almost disoriented when the public welcomed him with
a standing ovation.
The audience that came to see Aznavour were elegant women and men of
a certain age, many with pastel-coloured jackets, white hair and a
few young people, actress Ottavia Piccolo and the member of Italian
Parliament, Giancarlo Pagliarini.
Presented by former editor of main Italian daily Corriere della Sera,
Ferruccio De Bortoli, Aznavour did not make introductions and began
reading some excerpts from his autobiography which will go on sale
from Wednesday.
Aznavour chose lively stories to tell the Milanese public and said
nothing specific on that travel from the inferno where the paradise
called emigration begins, as he wrote in his autobiography.
He preferred to recall the amusing meeting with Edith Piaf, the singer
who discovered him and of whom he remembered her lioness character
and outbursts and the tender nickname she invented for him, “little
stupid genius”.
Aznavour read in French, but slowly, while the original words from
the text in French and the Italian translation were shown on a screen
behind him.
The rest of the evening was dedicated to history and music. Former
Italian Ambassdor to Moscow and political commentator for Corriere
della Sera, Sergio Romano, made special observation on eastern
Europe and the conditions in Armenia, reminding of the Turkish laws
from 1915 for deportation of Armenians and the confiscation of the
their goods. The Armenians were massacred on their way to exile,
with 800,000 killed but there were surely more victims, Romano said.
The music was with Claude Debussy’s melancholic notes, with Michele
Campanella on the piano who chose pieces from Reverie to Estampes
especially because of the tone of Aznavour’s voice and because they
represent the quintessence of French music, Campanella said.
“When people ask me whether I feel more Armenian or more French,
there is only one possible answer – a hundred percent French and a
hundred percent Armenian,” Aznavour wrote in his autobiography.
The French singer is Armenia’s ambassador at large since 1994.
“Armenia is a dream from which my family comes,” Aznavour told the
audience while the screen behind him showed images of Charles as a
child and of when he was awarded Commander of the Legion of Honour
by French President Jacques Chirac.
“I never forgot my roots but I hid them when Armenia was a socialist
state,” Aznavour said.
Today he is aware of the problems still to face but he does not intend
to go into politics.
“I’m an ambassador of a country, I know that there are still
difficulties but politics is not my job, it is not my language,”
Aznavour said. (ANSA)

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
June 22, 2004, Tuesday
English Tripoli double
By Malcolm Pein
MICHAEL Adams and Nigel Short completed routine victories in the
first round of the Fide Knockout Championships at Tripoli. England’s
finest both won 2-0, but the real work is to come. Few seeds were
eliminated as the field was reduced from 128 to 64, and the losers
returned home with $6,000, less Fide’s 20 per cent cut.
In round two, Short faces a tough match against Poland’s leading
grandmaster, Michal Krasenkow, ranked 97. Adams will face either
Karen Asrian of Armenia or Evgeny Agrest of Sweden, whose tie went to
a playoff.
The Cornishman is now the second seed in the absence of Alexander
Morozevich. Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria is the highest rated player.
He arrived late for the game after some travel problems but was
allowed to play later.
Twenty one of the 60 matches have gone to a playoff and none of the
favourites has yet been eliminated. The pairings were organised so
that the number one seed faced number 128, two against number 127 and
so on.
The stronger player has won nearly all the time, but Hicham Hamdouchi
of Morocco defeated former Russian champion Alexander Motylev and
Ghaem Maghami of Iran despatched the Armenian Rafael Vaganian 2-0.
Aleksandar Wojtkiewicz put out Kiril Georgiev. Thirteen-year-old
Magnus Carlsen drew twice with former world junior champion Levon
Aronian of Armenia.
SHORT’S Yemeni opponent put up spirited resistance but the knight
sacrifice was never going to work.
N Short – H Kadhi
Fide WCh KO Tripoli (1.2)
French McCutcheon
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 Bb4 5 e5 h6 6 Bd2 Bxc3 7 bxc3 Ne4 8
Qg4 g6 9 Bd3 Nxd2 10 Kxd2 c5 11 h4 Bd7 12 Rb1 Bc6 13 h5 g5 14 f4 Nd7
15 Nf3 cxd4 16 cxd4 gxf4 17 Qxf4 Qe7 18 Ke2 0-0-0 19 Qh4 Qf8 20 g4
Rg8 21 g5 hxg5 22 Nxg5 Nxe5 23 dxe5 Qg7 24 Rhg1 Qxe5+ 25 Kd2 d4 26
Rbe1 Qa5+ 27 Ke2 Rd5 28 Nxf7 Re8 29 h6 e5 30 Rg4 Rd7 31 Ng5 e4 32
Nxe4 Bb5 33 Kf1 Bxd3+ 34 cxd3 Kb8 35 Kg1 Rh7 36 Rf1 Reh8 37 Qg3+ 1-0
Kadhi e p p 7 o c p p p p p p n g p p p p o ‘ p * p p p b p f b p p p
p p p p * d
Short
Final position after 37.Qg3+

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-1) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Meets with Powell, Rice in Washington
Foreign Minister Oskanian is on a two-day working visit to the United
States.
On Monday, June 14, he held two separate meetings with Secretary of
State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice. At
each meeting, the Minister discussed key matters of bilateral interest,
such as expanded trade and deeper economic cooperation, including the
Millennium Challenge Account. They also explored developments in the
Nagorno Karabakh negotiation process, regional matters, including
regional security issues, Armenia’s relations with Turkey, and the
upcoming NATO Summit.
The Minister also met with Mira Rickardel, Assistant to the Secretary
of Defense for Europe and Eurasia, and Assistant Secretary of State
Elizabeth Jones. With each, Minister Oskanian discussed regional
stability and cooperation, as well as the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process and prospects for a resolution.
During his first day, the Minister delivered a talk at the Center
for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The audience, a
mix of representatives of official Washington, as well as think
tanks, research centers, press and academia, heard the Minister
assess Armenia’s foreign policy challenges, its security agenda,
the importance of maintaining regional stability and security, and
the significnce of democratic processes and sustained economic growth
to each of these concerns.
On Tuesday, the Minister will meet with members of the US Senate
and Congress, as well as representatives of the media, as well
as Armenian-American organizations. He will leave for Yerevan on
Wednesday.

Press release: Cooperation of Birthright and the Armenian Medical Association
June 14, 2004
Armenian Medical Association
38 Tumanyan Street 38, Apt. 9,
Yerevan, Armenia
Phone: (3741) 53 48 63
Fax (3741) 53 48 79
Email: [email protected]
Web site:
The Armenian Medical Association would like to extend an invitation to any
young Diasporan Armenians interested in the field of medicine that would
like to volunteer in Armenia. The Armenian Medical Association, in
collaboration with Birthright Armenia, has begun a new program that aims to
give Diasporan Armenians between the ages of eighteen and thirty-two the
opportunity to volunteer in a medical capacity in Armenia-networking with
healthcare professionals in Armenia and forging future links between
medicine in Armenia and in Armenian communities abroad. The Armenian
Medical Association, with its extensive network of medical professionals,
will be able to find and place those interested in suitable medical
positions.
The Armenian Medical Association is a non-governmental, non-partisan
organization of medical professionals who strive to advance medicine in
Armenia. For more information on the Armenian Medical Association please
refer to our website at
The Armenian Medical Association with the cooperation of Birthright Armenia
encourages young Armenians to explore their heritage. Unlike other
opportunities, this program offers many ways to easily discover Armenia,
including fully subsidized round-trip travel costs to any individuals who
qualify with Birthright Armenia’s criteria. It is Birthright Armenia’s
mission to strengthen ties between the homeland and Diasporan youth by
affording young Armenians an opportunity to be a part of Armenia’s daily
life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through work, study and
volunteer experiences, while developing life-long personal ties and a
renewed sense of Armenian identity.
For the exact specifications for qualifying for Birthright Armenia, and for
more information on the organization, please refer to their website at