Author: Zaminian Bedik

Russia Charges 3 in Twin Plane Bombings
.c The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) – Prosecutors charged three people Friday in connection
with last month’s bombings of two Russian airliners, the Interfax news
agency reported.
The two planes blew up almost simultaneously on the night of Aug. 24,
killing 90 people.
It was the start of a series of deadly terrorist attacks blamed on
Chechen rebels that killed nearly 440 people, including the school
siege in the southern city of Beslan.
Police Capt. Mikhail Artamonov, arrested earlier this month, was
charged with negligence that led to fatalities, Interfax said, quoting
prosecutors. Artamonov is accused of releasing the two women
suspected of carrying bombs onto the planes without inspecting their
belongings.
Two patrolmen had turned the women over to him, presumably because of
their Chechen ethnicity, which often results in extra police checks.
After being let go, the women allegedly obtained tickets from a ticket
scalper at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, Prosecutor General Vladimir
Ustinov said earlier this month. The scalper then gave part of the
money he received from the women – equivalent to $34 – to an airline
employee to get them on the planes, Ustinov said.
The airline employee, Nikolai Korenkov, and the ticket scalper, Armen
Arutyunian, were arrested earlier this month. Both were charged Friday
with complicity in terrorism, Interfax said.
09/24/04 15:34 EDT

ArmenPress
Sept 24 2004
PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN TO VISIT CHINA ON STATE VISIT
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert
Kocharian will pay a state visit to China from September 26 to
September 30 at the invitation of the Chinese president Hu Xintau.
According to Kocharian’s press office, the Armenian delegation will
include territorial minister Hovik Abrahamian, agriculture minister
David Lokian, culture minister Hovik Areyan, other government
officials, businessmen, scientists and journalists.
President Kocharian will meet with president Hu Xintau, prime
minister Vin Diabao, parliament chairman U Bango. Based on the
visit’s results, both sides will sign a declaration and also
inter-govenrment agreements on economic and seismological cooperation
and a plan of cultural cooperation for 2005.
President Kocharian will also visit a range of historical sites of
Beijing. On September 29 the Armenian delegation will leave for
Shanghai, where Kocharian will meet with the city leadership and will
also visit a local town-building development exhibition and a tourism
center.

Armenian premier, European Commission chief discuss regional cooperation
Arminfo
20 Sep 04
YEREVAN
European Commission President Romano Prodi’s visit to Armenia
testifies to the increasing interest of the European Union in the
South Caucasus countries and it can give a new impetus to the further
development of relations between the EU and Armenia and the region as
a whole, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan said at a meeting
with European Commission President Romano Prodi on 18 September.
Prodi had arrived in Yerevan within the framework of a regional visit.
As the press service of the Armenian government told Arminfo news
agency, Andranik Markaryan, in particular, noted the importance of the
European Commission president’s visit to the region in the context of
including the South Caucasus countries in the initiative Expanded
Europe: New Neighbours. He said that this initiative of the EU would
create an opportunity for the regional countries to deepen and expand
relations with the EU and also to speed up the process of
democratization and social and economic reforms.
Informing the president of the European Commission of the steps
towards European integration, the Armenian prime minister spoke about
the work done and plans to boost bilateral trade and cooperation in
the spheres of science and research, and bring Armenian laws into line
with the EU legislation within the framework of the programme Expanded
Europe: New Neighbours. He said that Armenia considers the action plan
of the European Neighbourhood programme to be a definite step aimed at
implementing the Cooperation and partnership agreement. The national
action plan will be elaborated later. Andranik Markaryan noted that
Armenia was looking forward to the beginning of joint discussions and
drafting of the action plan and assured the president of the European
Commission that the Armenian authorities were ready to render
assistance in this regard.
For his part, Romano Prodi stressed that the European Commission was
ready to assist the South Caucasus countries in creating social
stability based on democratic values. He said that the European
Commission would prepare in the next months reports on the three
countries of the region to assess their progress in the sphere of
political and economic reforms and also in the peaceful settlement of
conflicts in the region.
The sides also discussed regional cooperation. The Armenian prime
minister put forward Armenia’s position, stressing the importance of
establishing good-neighbourly relations with all the neighbouring
countries. The prime minister and the president of the European
Commission discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to
Armenian-Turkish relations and a peaceful settlement to the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. At the same time, they agreed that fully-fledged
integration into European structures will be in danger if the existing
problems in the region have not been resolved.
Discussing in this context the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, the sides
noted that the South Caucasus could ensure economic prosperity and
further progress only if peace and comprehensive regional cooperation
were established. Romano Prodi stressed that the European Commission
did not intend to play the role of a mediator in the settlement but it
would make serious efforts to settle the problem.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Sept 21 2004
Americana at Brand vote tough to analyze
Yousefian says Armenian Americans favored controversial Town Center
project, but others are disputing that claim.
By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press
GLENDALE CITY HALL – A week after Glendale’s voters narrowly approved
the Americana at Brand, a controversial shopping mall proposal for
downtown Glendale, supporters and critics are still crunching numbers
to figure out what it all means.
Some are looking especially close at the city’s Armenian-American
population, which could play a decisive role in City Council
elections next April.
Mayor Bob Yousefian, who is up for reelection in April, said about
60% of Glendale’s Armenian Americans supported the Americana on Sept.
14, even though neighborhoods with large Armenian-American
populations largely voted against three measures to approve the
project’s zoning.
Others are not so sure.
“There’s no way of knowing that,” said Ardashes Kassakhian, a
political activist in Glendale’s Armenian-American community. “You
can guesstimate it, but there are no exit votes to verify that.”
Yousefian said he got his numbers from telephone surveys of absentee
voters conducted by the campaign supporting the project. But
developer Rick Caruso, who financed the campaign supporting the
Americana, said he has not seen a breakdown that included how the
Armenian community voted.
“That doesn’t mean it’s wrong, I just haven’t seen it,” Caruso said.
Both campaigns focused heavily on Glendale’s Armenian-American
community. Caruso hired two prominent local political consultants,
Eric Hacopian and Adrin Nazarian, to focus on that segment of the
electorate.
General Growth Properties, which owns the Glendale Galleria and
financed the campaign against the Americana, advertised heavily on
Armenian-language television shows. For months, Vrej Agajanian, host
of ABC TV Live, rallied against the project on the air, although he
insists that he received no money from General Growth.
Both campaigns said they are still analyzing the numbers from the
election. The only statistics available to the public are the voter
breakdown by precinct, which suggest that the Armenian-American
community voted against the project by a slight margin. In
neighborhoods with heavy Armenian-American populations, the majority
of voters consistently voted against the project.
Yousefian attributes that to high Latino and Filipino turnout. He
said voters of those ethnic backgrounds tended to oppose the project.
Harvey Englander, a political strategist hired by General Growth to
run the campaign against the Americana, dismissed that notion, saying
the numbers should be taken at face value.
“It is very clear that those areas of Glendale with larger packets of
Armenians voted in opposition to the Caruso Town Center project,”
Englander said. “If Mr. Yousefian is basing his future political
hopes on the support of the Armenian community, he’s going to find
himself on the short end of the stick.”

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Sept 21 2004
POLITICAL STABILITY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS DISCUSSED
[September 21, 2004, 16:55:23]
Chairman of the Milli Majlis /Parliament/ standing commission on
International and Interparliamentary Relations, Head of the
Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov met with
special rapporteur of the British Government for the South Caucasus
Brian Fall to discuss the ways of settlement of conflicts in the
region.
Mr. Seyidov updated the guest on the close cooperation of Azerbaijan
with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He also
noted that Azerbaijan is developing its relations with Great Britain
and other western states on the base of a mutual respect of national
interests.
Touching Council of Europe’s position with respect to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Commission
Chairman said although the recent report by Terry Davis does not
completely satisfy the Azerbaijani side, it an all may be considered
as positive.
It was noted during the conversation that new rapporteur on the
conflict David Atkinson represents Great Britain. In this connection,
Mr. Seyidov expressed hope for further activities of the new
rapporteur.
Sir. Brian Fall noted, for his part, that Azerbaijan was a rapidly
developing country and its capital Baku had been converted to the
regional center in the Southern Caucasus. With regard to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, he noted he stood for its resolution through
negotiations.
Mr. Seyidov and Sir. Fall also exchanged views on a number of other
issues of mutual interest.

PanArmenian News
Sept 20 2004
INTRODUCTION OF PUNISHMENT FOR GENOCIDE INTO TURKISH CRIMINAL CODE
MAY BECOME HEADACHE FOR COUNTRY
20.09.2004 18:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Deputy of the Great National Assembly of Turkey
(GNAT) representing Ankara Ersyonmez Yarabayn has expressed concern
over the bill of reform of the Criminal Code, approved by the GNAT
Supreme Council, including a point, providing punishment for
committing genocide. According to Hurriyet Turkish newspaper, having
criticized the provision on genocide, the Deputy stated that “the
amendment” may become a headache for Turkey, as Ankara has not
recognized the Armenian Genocide. Minister of Justice of Turkey Jemil
Cicek tried to calm him down, noting that the changes being
introduced will not have a retroactive effect. It should be noted
that the new article for genocide, which is introduced for the first
time in Turkey’s history, provides for the extreme penalty – life
imprisonment. It should be added that the reform of the Criminal Code
is a prerequisite for the beginning of talks on Ankara accession to
the EU.

National Geographic
Sept 20 2004
Noah’s Ark Quest Dead in Water — Was It a Stunt?
Stefan Lovgren
for National Geographic News
In April businessman and Christian activist Daniel McGivern announced
with great fanfare a planned summer expedition to Mount Ararat in
Turkey. The project, he said, would prove that the fabled Noah’s ark
was buried there.
Explorers have long searched for the ark on the Turkish mountain. At
a news conference in Washington, D.C., McGivern presented satellite
images, which he claimed show a human-made object – Noah’s ark – nestled
in the ice and snow some 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) up the mountain.
“We are not excavating it,” McGivern told the audience. “We’re going
to photograph it and, God willing, you’re all going to see it.” If
successful, he said, the discovery would be “the greatest event since
the resurrection of Christ.”
Noah’s Ark Quest Dead in Water — Was It a Stunt?
Stefan Lovgren
for National Geographic News
September 20, 2004
In April businessman and Christian activist Daniel McGivern announced
with great fanfare a planned summer expedition to Mount Ararat in
Turkey. The project, he said, would prove that the fabled Noah’s ark
was buried there.
Explorers have long searched for the ark on the Turkish mountain. At
a news conference in Washington, D.C., McGivern presented satellite
images, which he claimed show a human-made object – Noah’s ark – nestled
in the ice and snow some 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) up the mountain.
“We are not excavating it,” McGivern told the audience. “We’re going
to photograph it and, God willing, you’re all going to see it.” If
successful, he said, the discovery would be “the greatest event since
the resurrection of Christ.”

Operations, Professionalism Wow Civilian Leaders
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
Defenselink.mil
Sept 16 2004
SOUTH CHINA SEA, Sept. 16, 2004 — The crew of USS John C. Stennis
treated civilian leaders from throughout the United States today to a
demonstration of what Rear Adm. Pat Walsh, commander of Carrier Group
7, called “raw power” able to project U.S. military force anywhere
in the world at a moment’s notice.
Dee Ruckman, a partner with Gardere Wynne Sewell in Dallas, left, and
Kim Labonte, co-owner and business manager for Labonte Motorsports,
prepare for an “e-ticket” ride to USS John C. Stennis aboard a C-2
Greyhound aircraft. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Moreen Ishikawa, USAF (Click
photo for screen-resolution image); high- resolution image available.
The civilian leaders — a “who’s who” of business owners, chief
executive officers, educators, local politicians and civic leaders —
visited the carrier Stennis, deployed about 200 miles off the coast
of Singapore, during a weeklong trip throughout the Pacific to observe
U.S. military operations firsthand.
The visit is part of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, a
program created in 1948 to introduce civilian “movers and shakers” with
little or no military exposure to the workings of the armed forces.
Today’s visit began with an hour-long flight from Paya Labar Air
Base, Singapore, to the carrier aboard C-2 Greyhound carrier onboard
delivery aircraft. Most exciting for most of the visitors was the
arrested landing, in which arresting wires brought the aircraft to
a screeching halt within less than the length of a football field
after reaching the flight deck.
Capt. Dave Buss, commanding officer of the Stennis, described the
landing, as well as the catapult off the carrier at the end of the
visit, as “the best e- ticket ride this side of Disney World.”
“I loved it!” exclaimed Bob Heidrick, vice chairman of the Spencer
Stuart executive recruiting firm in Chicago. “It’s the best airline
I’ve ever flown!” quipped Andy Camacho, chairman and CEO of Camacho
Inc. in Los Angeles.
Aboard the carrier, the group members toured the combat direction
center, where Cmdr. John “J.R.” Jones explained the carrier’s
self-defense capabilities.
They visited the carrier air traffic-control center, which controls
and manages the vessel’s air plan and manages its refueling tankers.
They climbed to the primary flight control area, where Cmdr. Dave
Swathwood, “air boss,” and his crew were directing launch-and-recovery
operations.
But a highlight was walking out on the flight deck, watching the
Nimitz-class carrier’s F-14 Tomcat, S-3 Viking and F-18E Super
Hornet aircraft catapult off the deck at about 150 miles per hour,
and arrested landings for other aircraft returning to the carrier.
Adam Aron, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, said he was amazed by the
capabilities the carrier provides. “It’s so incredible that we’re 6,000
to 7,000 miles off the Pacific coast of the United States, and here’s
a full- fledged airfield operating in the South China Sea,” he said.
Other group members said they were particularly impressed by the
teamwork required to provide that capability. “I’m just speechless.
It’s amazing to see the talent out there,” said Chris Lien, president
of Birdsall Sand and Gravel, Inc., in Rapid City, S.D. “There’s a
choreography going on, and everybody works in such harmony together.”
“It’s just amazing — a choreographed ballet,” agreed Angela Williams,
CEO of Communication Consulting and Coaching based in Mount Pleasant,
S.C. “What I can’t get over is the coordination and expertise required
not only to catapult, but also to land.”
But amidst all the wowing over the high-tech aircraft and their
maneuvers, Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian American
Political Action Committee in Missoula, Mont., joined other members
of the group in saying he was most struck by the professionalism of
the servicemembers behind the high- powered operations.
“The technical capabilities are awesome,” he said. “But as impressive
as that all is, what really stands out to me are the men and women
who make it work.”
Buss told the civilian group that’s exactly the message he hoped they
would take away from their visit and share with their communities when
they return home. “We can buy equipment and technology and do flight
operations, but the most important thing here — and the reason I’ve
stayed in the Navy for so long — is the dedication of the phenomenal
men and women who make all this happen,” he said.
More than half his crew joined the Navy after the United States was
attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. “They wanted to contribute,”
Buss said. “They wanted to do something selfless, and I can’t think
of anything more selfless than what they’re doing out here.”
Irma Flores, chief financial officer for Hospital Klean of Texas,
Inc., said the visit gave her a deeper appreciation of the U.S.
military and the sacrifices servicemembers make every day. “These
people give up their lives and their families to protect the way of
life that so many of us take for granted,” she said. “It’s heartwarming
to see and makes me appreciate them so much more.”

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Sept 16 2004
PRESTIGE OF AZERBAIJAN ENHANCED IN COE
[September 16, 2004, 18:30:23]
During its regular session on September 15, the PACE Monitoring
Committee discussed among others the issue pertaining the honoring
by Azerbaijan and Armenia their obligation and commitment to COE.
Member of the Milli Majlis permanent Commission to the PACE, Bakhtiyar
Aliyev briefed AzerTAj reporter on the meeting as follows:
Co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan Andreas Gross and Andrea Herkel noted in
the report that a great job has been done and important changes have
taken place in Azerbaijan lately. Informing the Committee members
on their meetings with President Ilham Aliyev, the co-rapporteurs
stressed the Head of State had started large-scale reforms whose
positive results are displayed in all spheres. The purposeful activity
of the Azerbaijan President has been reflected as a very positive
fact both in the report and the draft resolution.
Besides, they positively valued the solving the so-called “problem
of political prisoners” noting in particular that a lot of prisoners
whose names were included in the list once submitted to the Council
of Europe, had been released by the recent Presidential Decree.
Head of the Azerbaijani delegation Samad Seyidov and deputy Asim
Mollazadeh advanced amendments to the draft resolution, which were
accepted by the co-rapporteurs and the Committee members.
As a member of the Committee I made things clear about some ideas of
alleged use of refugees’ hard situation for political purposes letting
them know about the President’s care of over one million refugees –
the work being done to improve their living conditions
As a member of the Commission for Pardoning Affairs under the
President I informed of the pardoning the members of the special
police detachment arrested for coup attempt.
The Commission members also touched upon the corruption issue. I
advised in this connection that Azerbaijan had ratified two COE
Conventions; on the base of the Presidential Decree a special
commission on fighting corruption has been founded, and the
corresponding law passed by the country’s parliament.
The problem of Nagorno-Karabakh was reflected in the report on honoring
by Armenia the commitment and obligations to COE. The co-rapporteurs
stated that they completely support the idea of unconditional and
immediate liberation of 7 Azerbaijan’s regions from the Armenian
occupation.
During the debates over the draft resolution, the Azerbaijani deputies
made a strong protest against mentioning of Nagorno-Karabakh in the
report as a “republic”. The protest has been accepted and the world
“republic” replaced with “region”. Our deputies managed to introduce
a number of other amendments as well.
Overall, the PACE Monitoring Committee has demonstrated the stance,
which meets the interests of Azerbaijan, and this fact may be
considered as gradual enhancement of the country’s image in the
Council of Europe, and success of the Azerbaijani diplomacy.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/15/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia Meet to Discuss Karabagh 2) New US Ambassador Speaks to Press on Variety of Issues 3) ARS Sponsors HIV/AIDS Education Seminar at UN Conference 4) Turkey Rejects Adultery Ban after EU, Women Protest 5) Georgia Seeks EU Assistance in Conflict Settlement 6) Glendale Voters Approve Americana at Brand Project 7) Strong Ties Bind Russia, Armenia at Karabagh Talks 1) Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia Meet to Discuss Karabagh ASTANA (Combined Sources)--During a tripartite meeting on Wednesday, held on the sidelines of the CIS heads of state summit in Astana, Russia's President Vladimir Putin met with his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, stressing the necessity for continued dialogue on Mountainous Karabagh. "Whatever you may agree on today, leaders' personal meetings always come as a stride forward," he pointed out. Highlighting President Robert Kocharian's and Ilham Aliyev's determination for resolution, Putin said reassuringly, "I know this conference will not be fruitless, and will promote conflict settlement." Itar-Tass news agency quoted a source in the Kremlin as saying that it was Moscow's initiative to organize the meeting and that both presidents responded positively to the proposal. "In Moscow's view, the three-way format has justified itself," the source said, adding that Moscow has always believed that the Armenian and Azeri sides should themselves seek for a solution, while Moscow is ready to help them achieve a mutually acceptable peace formula. No further details are yet available from the Wednesday meeting, also attended by the three co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group tasked with finding a resolution to the Karabagh conflict. 2) New US Ambassador Speaks to Press on Variety of Issues YEREVAN (Interfax/RFE-RL)--John Evans, the new US ambassador to Armenia, said stability and security, economic growth, and development of democratic institutions are the main focus of US activity in South Caucasus, and Armenia has attained certain success in these areas. Evans told a press conference in the Armenian capital on Wednesday, that certain stability and security concerns exist because the Mountainous Karabagh conflict remains unresolved. Evans stressed the conflicting parties must formulate a final solution--along with the mediating efforts of the US, Russia, and France as the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group. He said the focus of US attention is to work on opening the Armenian-Turkish border, so as to benefit both Yerevan and Ankara. The envoy also reaffirmed US approval of the last-minute cancellation of NATO-led military exercises which were scheduled to begin in Azerbaijan on Monday. The NATO leadership pointed to Baku's refusal to Armenia's participation in the maneuvers. "We do believe that the NATO authorities made the right decision to cancel this exercise," Evans said. But he was quick to indicate that the move should not be seen as a diplomatic victory for Armenia, saying that it hurt both parties to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. He commended plans for Armenia to join the US "coalition of the willing" in Iraq with a small unit of non-combat troops. "We salute Armenia for its announced intention to send a transportation unit along with de-miners and some medical personnel to Iraq." The planned deployment, which requires parliament approval, is stirring up debate in Armenia. Evans said Washington welcomes a public debate on the issue in Armenia. Evans, who arrived in Armenia a month ago, is a 56-year-old career diplomat. He previously headed the Office of Russian Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US State Department. 3) ARS Sponsors HIV/AIDS Education Seminar at UN Conference ARS representatives take front row at September 9 session on Strategies to Overcome MDG Obstacles NEW YORK (ARS)--More than 27 members of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) from throughout the United States, Canada, and Lebanon, participated in the 57th Annual United Nations DPI/NGO (Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organizations) Conference held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, September 8 -10. The three-day conference, Millenium Development Goals: Civil Society Takes Action, attracted more than 2,700 representatives from 90 countries to discuss issues relating to millennium development goals. Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the conference in the General Assembly Hall. In addition to five plenary panels and 30 mid-day NGO Interactive Workshops, the Conference featured speakers including Executive Coordinator of UN Millennium Development Goals Campaign Eveline Herfkins, Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals, and Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the UN Development Program (UNDP), among others. At the Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 member states adopted a Declaration that synthesized the priorities of the international agenda and reflected those commitments painstakingly negotiated during the previous decade of world conferences. The Millennium Declaration, and the eight goals it identified, have become a road map for tackling poverty, instability, HIV/AIDS, gender inequality, and violence in virtually all parts of the world. The ARS, Inc., along with two other NGOs--Committee on Child's Rights and the NGO Committee on HIV/AIDS, sponsored the workshop--"Interactive Workshop on HIV/AIDS Education, Prevention and Care; an Emphasis on Engaging Boys and Men as Full Partners of Women and Children." More than 160 participants discussed HIV/AIDS education models and means to address obstacles such as denial, stigmatization, and the undue burden women and children face in most societies. Carol Bova, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, spoke of the AIDS crisis in Armenia and her work educating the population about the disease. ARS, Inc. sponsors and assists Dr. Bova in her endeavors. For more information, visit <; 4) Turkey Rejects Adultery Ban after EU, Women Protest ANKARA (AP)--Turkey's government backed off its plan to outlaw adultery after criticism within the European Union (EU) and a march on parliament Tuesday by hundreds of outraged Turkish women. Government leaders had proposed an adultery ban as part of a major overhaul of the mostly Muslim country's 78-year-old penal code, which comes as the 25 EU states prepare to decide whether to begin talks on Turkey's appeal for membership. Turkey's leader has argued an adultery law would protect the family and women who have been wronged. But women's groups counter that such a law would be used against women--who they say could be imprisoned and lose custody of their children. They say the measure would encourage "honor killings." 5) Georgia Seeks EU Assistance in Conflict Settlement BRUSSELS (Itar-Tass/Civil Georgia)--Georgia has appealed to the European Union to help resolve conflicts in its defiant provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgian state minister for conflict settlement Georgy Khaindrava, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday. Khaindrava is part of a delegation, led by Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili, attending a session of the EU-Georgian Cooperation Council in Brussels. According to Khaindrava, the current session of the Council has concentrated on conflicts with the self-proclaimed entities on Georgian territory. At a meeting with the Head of European Union Foreign Affairs Javier Solana, the Georgian delegation brought up the issue of the "internationalization" of these conflicts. "The meeting was very encouraging because it noted our point of view on how the conflicts could be solved," the minister said. "The presence of European observers and a wide presence of the European community on the whole would be of help," the minister added. He added that the problems of Abkhazia and South Ossetia should be solved within the existing frameworks of the OSCE; however, he believes its role should be more active. "They must not remain outside observers, but should directly influence the situation," the Georgian state minister said. Meanwhile, South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said in a live interview to the Moscow-based radio station Echo Moskvy on September 15 that the will of the people living in South Ossetia should become a decisive factor in the discussion of a future political status of the republic, emphasizing that "reintegration into Georgia is out of question." According to him, "mechanisms of security and guarantees of implementing future agreements should be primarily discussed in order to resolve the issue of a future status of the republic." "We are ready to use any methods of the negotiating process to stabilize the situation in the region," the South Ossetian leader added. Kokoity also noted that he considers Georgia "a brotherly people and South Ossetia is ready to have good neighborly relations with it." Kokoity said that South Ossetia should join Russia's North Ossetia. "It is high time to stop dividing Ossetia into North and South. There is one big, unified Ossetia and Alexander Dzasokhov [the President of Russia's North Ossetian Republic] should be elected as President of Ossetia. I do not aspire for leadership. Simply, I want to live in the united Ossetia," he said. The South Ossetian de facto President has applied several times to merge South Ossetia into the Russian Federation. Russia's Supreme Court ruled that such a merger is illegal without Georgia's consent. 6) Glendale Voters Approve Americana at Brand Project GLENDALE--Glendale voters on Tuesday approved three measures associated with developer Rick Curuso's proposed Americana at Brand project. The three measures, A, B, and C, were approved during a special election held on Tuesday, November 14. The $264 million project would be bounded by Colorado Street, Brand Boulevard, Central Avenue, and the Glendale Galleria. "The people have spoken, " says Glendale Mayor Bob Yousefian. "However, there are still a number of lawsuits associated with the project that must be resolved before the project can move forward." Lawsuits challenging the project's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and related issues will be heard in January of 2005. The election was in response to three referendum petitions that were filed this past summer challenging three ordinances. The ordinances would adopt the Glendale Town Center Specific Plan; rezone property associated with the specific plan; and approve a Development Agreement between the City and Caruso Affiliated Holdings. Over 29,500 residents cast ballots Tuesday. 51.8% (15,304 votes) were in favor of Measure A; 51.3% (15,140 votes) voted for Measure B; and Measure C passed with 50.9% (15,016 votes). 7) Strong Ties Bind Russia, Armenia at Karabagh Talks   Azerbaijan appears to view Russia, the region's heavyweight, as an influential counterweight to the OSCE, whose peacekeeping efforts in the Mountainous Karabagh conflict have been the subject of much criticism in Baku. By Sergei Blagov for EurasiaNet As Armenia and Azerbaijan began Wednesday's presidential summit on Mountainous Karabagh, Russia has emphasized its own ties with Yerevan, prompting Baku to question the Kremlin's role as an objective mediator for the conflict. Chances for a genuine breakthrough during the September 15 talks at the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) conference in Astana, Kazakhstan are doubtful, but both Azerbaijan and Armenia are already touting their respective inclinations for peace. On September 2, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev told reporters in the province of Nakhichevan, near the Armenian border, that "[t]he fact that I have not yet abandoned negotiations on Mountainous Karabagh means that I believe in their productivity," Interfax reported. In turn, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian announced at an August 30 meeting in Prague with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov that the two sides had made progress in laying "the foundation" for the September talks, according to Interfax. But that foundation is one that Baku believes should include Russia. In August, Azerbaijan called on the Kremlin to step up its own contributions to a Karabagh peace deal. Russia, long the region's heavyweight, appears to be seen by Baku as a potentially influential counterweight to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), whose own peacemaking efforts via the tripartite Minsk Group have been the subject of much criticism from Azeri parliamentarians and government officials. Russia as mediator and guarantor? When Moscow's response to Baku's demand came, however, it took place at a meeting with Armenia's President Robert Kocharian--the sixth such in the past year. At an August 20 summit in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that "Russia is ready to play a role of mediator and guarantor" in the Karabagh conflict, but noted that "[t]here have been no breakthrough decisions." A show of Russian support could stand Armenia in good stead at the CIS talks. Speculation has recently mounted that Kocharian is prepared to return the seven Azeri territories it occupies in exchange for a peace deal on Armenian-controlled Karabagh. According to one recent opinion poll, that would place Kocharian at variance with nearly half of Armenia's population--a delicate situation for a leader who withstood weeks of opposition protests earlier this spring. In a June 25 poll by the Armenian Center for National and International Studies, 45.5 per cent of Armenians stated that they believe that territories seized during the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan should remain under Armenian control. Russia ready to use its influence Meanwhile, Moscow appears ready to assist. Russia's longtime influence in the Caucasus is already under political pressure from the US in Georgia and Azerbaijan and also under increasing economic pressure in both Georgia and Armenia from outside energy players like Iran. Even while expressing no official concern at reported US plans to establish a base in Azerbaijan, Moscow has been busy reinforcing its traditionally strong ties with Armenia. Recent military exercises between the two longtime allies appear to have sparked the sharpest concern in Baku. At a training base not far from Yerevan on August 24-28, 1,900 Armenian and Russian troops fought back an imaginary invasion and assault on Russia's 102nd military base at Gyumri. Despite assurances from Armenia's army that the maneuvers are not directed against a third country, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has taken a different view. Voicing concern that Russia had held war games with "an aggressor state," Defense Ministry spokesman Ramiz Melikov has stated that the operations contradicted Russia's role as a mediator in the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. In November 2003, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov described Armenia as Russia's "only ally in the South." The Russian military presence in Armenia has deep roots. A 1995 treaty gives Russia's military base a 25-year-long presence in Armenia, while a 1997 friendship treaty provides for mutual assistance in the event of a military threat to either country. Currently, there are 2,500 Russian military personnel stationed in the country. Recent military materiel shipped to Armenia includes MiG-29 jetfighters and S300 PMU1 air defense batteries, an advanced version of the SA-10C Grumble air defense missile. Russia's Federal Border Guard Service is also deployed to guard Armenia's borders with Turkey and Iran. Economic ties fuel Azeri fears Economic ties could also fuel Azeri fears of favoritism toward its longtime rival. Armenia is heavily dependent on Russia for its natural gas and nuclear fuel supplies. In 2002, Russia wrote off 100 million US dollars of Armenia's external debt in return for control of five state-run Armenian enterprises, including the Razdan thermal power plant. Russia's state-run Unified Energy Systems power monopoly also controls Armenia's Metsamor nuclear power station and hydropower plants under a similar debt repayment arrangement--a deal that has placed 90 percent of Armenia's energy system in Russian hands. At the same time, however, divergent interests have begun to emerge, most notably with Armenia's aspiration to limit its dependence on Russian energy supplies by building a $120 million, 141-kilometer gas pipeline from Iran to Europe. Iran reportedly has agreed to supply 36 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Armenia from 2007-2027, a plan that could undercut Russian energy companies' own position in the Caucasus. The plan has yet to be finalized. Such a situation would appear likely to push Russia to forge even closer links with Armenia to protect its own energy interests. If so, the bid to promote Moscow as an objective mediator could be fraught with additional difficulties. In the meantime, the Kremlin is playing its own cards carefully. Azeri Foreign Minister Mammedyarov had little to show after an August 19 trip to Moscow to discuss Mountainous-Karabagh other than an official statement that the Kremlin recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Kocharian was treated to similarly circumspect language at his Sochi summit with Putin. Wedged between foes Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Russian leader said, is in "a very difficult geopolitical situation". Sergei Blagov is a Moscow-based specialist in CIS political affairs. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.