Category: News

4,107 ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN NATURALIZED IN ARMENIA IN 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24. ARMINFO. 4,107 Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan
have got Armenian citizenship in 2004, says the head of the migration
and refugees department of Armenia Gagik Yeganyan.
This is half of the previous year’s index – 8,287.
1,577 of the naturalized refugees live in Yerevan, 739 in Ararat,
473 Kotayk, 312 Syunik, 303 Gegarkunik, 160 Armavir, 160 Lori, 135
Vayots Dzor, 108 Tavoush, 101 Aragatsotn, 39 Shirak.
68,766 refugees have refused to accept Armenian citizenship since 1999.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: ARMENIA IS RUSSIA’S PARTNER BOTH ON INTERNATIONAL ARENA AND IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23. ARMINFO. Armenia is Russia’s partner both on
the international arena and in the South Caucasus. President of Russia
Vladimir Putin stated during the press conference.
As regards other spheres of relations, for example, the economic
relations, Vladimir Putin said they are developing well. “In this
aspect Armenia has taken not bad steps towards, and Russia – towards
Armenia, I mean the settlement of all our difficulties and converting
them to relevant investments. We would like the governments of
both countries acted more intensively and reached great successes”,
Vladimir Putin said.

Foreign citizens not granted refugee status in Armenia in 2004
Arminfo,
24 Dec 04
Yerevan, 24 December: Refugee status was not given to foreign citizens
in Armenia in 2004, the head of the Migration and Refugees Department
under the Armenian government, Gagik Yeganyan, told journalists today
while summarizing this year’s work and projects for 2005.
He said that in 2004, 193 foreign citizens, including 162 Iraqi
citizens of Armenian origin and 31 citizens of other states applied
to the Migration and Refugees Department for asylum. None of the
applicants was given refugee status. Eighty-five Iraqi citizens
received temporary asylum, but applications from other citizens are
being considered. Overall, in 2003-2004, 225 Iraqi citizens applied
to the Migration and Refugees Department for refugee status in Armenia.

Ways for National Unity Explored
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2004
The Movement for Azerbaijan organized a national forum, “National
unity and civil solidarity”, under the “There is no Azerbaijan without
Karabakh” motto at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Movement executive committee Sabir Azeri said that his
entity, along with the “Amal” Movement of Intellectuals, “Aghridagh”
Charity Society and the Confederation of Caucasus Non-governmental
Organizations, adopted an appeal on November 30 calling the authorities
and opposition for national unity.
The document was signed by over 200 NGOs, while the opposition
Azerbaijan Democratic and the Great Structure Parties voiced their
position on the appeal, he said. Azeri said that the forum was
attended by representatives of Musavat, Popular Front, Ahrar and
National Independence Parties. Azeri expressed his disappointment
with the fact that neither the authorities, including the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party, nor any other opposition parties have expressed
their position on the appeal.
The participants stressed the need to establish a civil society to
achieve national unity. They also proposed to set up a commission to
develop a strategic plan for national unity and a public ‘national
trust government’ comprising elders, representatives of political
parties and public organizations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LAKE SEVAN LEVEL 41 CM UP IN 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24. ARMINFO. The level of Lake Sevan has risen
by 41 cm to 1.897 meters in 2004. 1 cm rise implies 12.5 mln c m of
water,0 says Environment Protection Minister Vardan Ayvazyan.
He says that in the last three years Sevan’s level has risen by 1.35
meters. 149.835 mln c m have been released from the lake this year
against with 243.19 mln c m poured into it from the Arpa-Sevan canal.
This year ecological inspectors have seized 8,000 illegally fished
sigs against 100,000 ones in 2002. Fishing on the lake has been banned
since Nov 25 to allow fish to reproduce itself.

Agence France Presse
24 décembre 2004 vendredi 7:49 AM GMT
Turquie/UE: Boutih (PS) distingue “les questions légitimes” et “la tactique”
PARIS 24 déc 2004
Malek Boutih, membre de la direction du Parti socialiste, a fait la
distinction vendredi entre “les questions légitimes” et “la tactique”
sur la question de l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union européenne.
“Il y a des raisons légitimes qui peuvent porter un vrai débat”, a
déclaré Malek Boutih sur iTélé, mais il y a aussi “des raisons
tactiques”.
Parmi les premières, il a cité le problème des “droits de l’Homme,
des minorités, de la reconnaissance de Chypre, de la tragédie
arménienne”, “on a le droit de prendre du temps sur ces questions
là”, a-t-il reconnu.
Pour les secondes, il a reproché à “certains d’instrumentaliser la
question de la Turquie pour faire un peu peur sur l’Europe”, citant
“des gens comme M.de Villiers (Philippe de Villiers, président du
Mouvement pour la France, ndlr), pour qui l’Europe, c’est pas assez
bon pour nous, mais c’est trop bon pour les Turcs”. “On se demande
pour qui l’Europe est faite”, a-t-il ajouté.
“Je prends le pari que les Turcs relèveront tous les défis et qu’ils
auront une chance de rentrer dans l’Union européenne”, a-t-il dit,
“mais ça, on jugera dans l’avenir”.
–Boundary_(ID_xEdaD3RZBPk5l1NlTYXBOw)–

40 APPLICANTS CHOSEN FOR WORKING IN QATAR
ArmenPress
Dec 24 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS: The government-affiliated department
for refugees and migrants has shortlisted 23 hospital nurses and 27
programmers from a pool of hundreds of applicants who are likely to
travel to Qatar to get there high-paid jobs for at least one year.
The head of the department, Gagik Yeganian, told a news conference
today the final decision will be made by a Qatar official who is
going to visit Yerevan soon to conduct interviews with each of the
applicants.
The Qatar side will pay their travel expenses along with providing them
with housing. The recruiting was made in accordance with a bilateral
agreement. The applicants must be fluent in English and have at least
a three-year experience.

CENN – DECEMBER 23, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Monsanto introduces triple trait tech
2. Harvest of Hope?
3. Yerevan Airport Operator Expands Into Agribusiness
4. Eduardo Ernekian Invests in Armenia’s Agricultural Sphere
5. Regional Civil Society Meetings towards the 6th Global Civil Society
Forum (19-20 February 2005, Nairobi, Kenya)
1. MONSANTO INTRODUCES TRIPLE TRAIT TECH
Source: CropBiotech Update, December 22, 2004 (Via Agnet)
Monsanto Company will make available the first triple trait offering,
YieldGard Plus with Roundup Ready Corn 2 technology, for 2005 season
planting in the United States. The new product will offer corn growers
in-seed protection against harmful corn insects and the flexibility of
herbicide tolerance in one seed.
The latest technology provides corn growers both above and below the
ground protection against Western and Northern corn rootworm larvae and
the European corn borer, and weed control. Monsanto adds that corn
growers have benefited from the flexibility and convenience of Roundup
Ready and YieldGard and will now get more profits from its latest
product.
More on this new technology from
2. HARVEST OF HOPE?
Agriculture is a colossal environmental problem; genetic science could
be part of the solution
MENDEL IN THE KITCHEN
A Scientist’s View of Genetically Modified Foods
By Nina Fedoroff and Nancy Marie Brown
Joseph Henry Press, 370 pp., $24.95
Reviewed by Richard Manning
A young postdoctoral student in a molecular biology lab once told me the
problem with her line of work is that she can’t explain to her mother
what she does. This is more than a personal problem. If the rest of us
benighted laypeople could get some sort of idea of what is being done in
those labs, we would better understand the depth of the world’s
environmental problems and the character of life itself. Indeed, those
scientists who tinker with DNA have drifted into isolation from the rest
of us, simply because they see something we cannot.
One of the things we need to see is that the controversy about
genetically engineered foods is misguided. The problem is not
genetically engineered crops; it is crops. The world is in terrible
trouble because of the fundamental design of agriculture. Genetic
science is finally developing some tools that may at least help with a
redesign that is sustainable.
Still, when the world in general thinks about gene science, it thinks
about genetic engineering. I wish we could get beyond this, and we will,
but not because of any sudden outbreak of rationality. We will get
beyond it because gene science has moved on to something far bigger and
more profound than genetic engineering.
For the Full Text Please See:
3. YEREVAN AIRPORT OPERATOR EXPANDS INTO AGRIBUSINESS
Source: RFE/RL Armenia Report, December 21, 2004
The ethnic Armenian owner of an Argentine company that runs Armenia’s
main international airport unveiled on Tuesday, December 20, 2004 plans
to invest millions of dollars in the country’s agribusiness sector as he
set up a joint venture with a local firm.
Senior executives from Tierras de Armenia, a Yerevan-based company
belonging to billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian, and Max Group said they are
joining forces to develop 6,000 hectares of arid land in the southern
Armavir region into fruit orchards. They pledged to invest up to $25
million in the venture in the next few years.
`In the next five or six years we will also set up a fairly big fruit
processing plant in the area,’ said Mher Bagratian, a major Max Group
shareholder.
`We believe that this is going to be a long-term business project that
could assist in the country’s further development,’ said Marcelo Vende,
the chief executive of Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport who represents
Eurnekian.
Max Group’s activities are quite diverse, ranging from fuel imports to
agribusiness. One of its two other owners is Harutiun Pambukian, a
wealthy parliamentarian close to President Robert Kocharian.
Senior government officials present at the signing of the deal welcomed
Eurnekian’s decision to expand his business presence in Armenia into
agriculture. `Agriculture is gradually becoming a profitable area for
doing business,’ Agriculture Minister David Lokian told RFE/RL.
Eurnekian is primarily known as the main owner of a consortium operating
33 airports across Argentina and elsewhere in South America. He also
owns 200,000 hectares of land and food processing factories in northern
Argentina.
Eurnekian’s Corporacion America runs Zvartnots in accordance with a
30-year management contract that it signed with the Armenian government
three years ago. The company launched last June the construction of a
new terminal that is supposed to bring the airport into conformity with
international standards. It estimated the total cost of the project at
more than $40 million.
4. EDUARDO ERNEKIAN INVESTS IN ARMENIA’S AGRICULTURAL SPHERE
Source: Noyan Tapan, December 21, 2004
On December 21, 2004 at Zvartnots Airport Director of the Tiera de
Armeni company Anna-Christina Shirinian and shareholder of Max Group
Khachik Manukian signed an agreement on joint activities. According to
the agreement, at least 1,600-1,700 hectares of apricot orchards,
200-300 hectares of peach and plum orchards and 500 hectares of
grapevines are to be planted in the area of 6 thousand hectares (3
thousand ha was sold to Tiera de Armeni) located near the settlement of
Baghramian (Armavir marz) and belonging to Max Group. According to
Khachik Manukian, it is envisaged to start the construction of a fruit
processing plant with a processing capacity of 40 thousand tons of fruit
per year at the end of 2005. The harvest is expected in 5 years;
meanwhile 20-25 million dollars will be invested. Eduardo Ernekian owns
Tiera de Armeni, which was recently registered in Armenia. The American
International Airports Company also belonging to the multimillionaire
from Argentina implements the management of Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport.
Max Group, one of Armenia’s big multiprofile companies, has 15 thousand
200 hectares of land in the country’s various marzes. Its shareholders
are Khachik Manukian, Harutyun Pambukian (both deputies of the NA) and
Mher Bagratian. Kh. Manukian also stated the two sides will make equal
in amount investments, the Argentinian side will implement the
management of the business and the Armenian side will carry out the
agricultural work. The Airport lawyer Armen Ter-Tachatian announced that
profit made by Tiera de Armeni would not have a commercial significance,
it will go to a special fund established by Ernekian and used to develop
the agriculture.
5. REGIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY MEETINGS TOWARDS THE 6TH GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY
FORUM (19-20 FEBRUARY 2005, NAIROBI, KENYA)
In November -December 2004, each regional office of UNEP hosted a civil
society meeting (six in total) in preparation of the 6th Global Civil
Society Forum (GCSF). Gathering around 40 civil society representatives,
each forum had a special focus on international environment governance
(IEG), the UNEP work programme 2006-07 and UNEP capacity building
cooperation with civil society. On December 3, 2004, two civil society
organizations from each region gathered in Nairobi to elaborate a global
civil society statement based on the regional outcomes.
I also attended civil society meeting in Geneva and actively
participated in adoption of regional statement. I had informed
attendants about activities in the sphere of information dissemination,
activities of working groups on GMO, European Plan on Environment and
Health and Ecostrategy.
First of all I had driven attention of attendance to water, sanitation
and human settlement issues and I am happy to say that everybody
supported to include this important (mainly for the South Caucasus
region) issue into the statement which describes the importance of UNEP
participation in realization of EU Water Initiative(See page 5 of the
attached statement of UNEP ROE)
On February 19-20, 2004 more than 100 civil society representatives from
all over the world are expected to attend the 6th GCSF. The event,
organized back to back with the GC-23/GMEF, February 21-25, 2005 is the
main venue for civil society to participate in UNEP decision-making
process.
The regional and the global statements will be distributed to
governments in in view of the twenty-third session of UNEP Governing
Council/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC-23/GMEF) and are also
available online().
By decision of UNEP ROE I will be among those who will present mentioned
statement to the 6th Global Civil Society Forum (February 2005, Nairobi,
Kenya).
Best regards
Rafig Verdiyev, ECORES, UNEP NC, Azerbaijan
—
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
–Boundary_(ID_zU35AE+eXLBpmNLjge+f/g)–

Turkey has a long way to go
Mideast Mirror
December 23, 2004
Despite agreement on a date to begin accession talks, Turkey faces a
hard road on the way to full EU membership, says Saba’ Bahbiri
in al-Watan
Turkey has finally succeeded in persuading the European Union to give
it the chance to begin accession talks, writes Saudi commentator
Saba’ Bahbiri in the Saudi daily al-Watan.
CONSIDERABLE CONCESSIONS: But the Turks realize that they still have
a long way to go before they are accepted as full EU members; even
more optimistic Europeans say that it might take Turkey 15 years to
fulfill conditions for membership.
This is in spite of the considerable concessions Ankara has already
made, such as the major changes it introduced to its laws and the
many rights it gave to its (mainly Kurdish) minorities that it used
to see as detrimental to its national security.
After a successful visit to Paris last summer (during which he signed
a deal to purchase 36 Airbus planes), Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan managed to reduce French opposition to Turkish
membership. Erdogan also promised France that his country will
consider buying French technology for nuclear power stations. Erdogan
thus won over one of the most vehement opponents of Turkish EU
membership.
Austria is another European country bitterly opposed to Turkish
accession. The Austrians cannot forget the fact that it was they who
defeated the Ottoman army at the gates of Vienna more than 300 years
ago and thus saved the entire European continent from being overrun.
Although there is some support for Turkish EU membership among
mainstream Austrian politicians, the opposition maintains that the
Turks have never demonstrated their affinity to Europe and that even
Turks born in Austria have stubbornly clung to their Muslim identity
and never made the effort to integrate into Austrian society. Worse,
they insist, the Turks have exploited Europe’s tolerance and freedom
in order to spread Islam in the continent.
Opponents of Turkish membership in Austria and other European
countries have been urging their parliamentary representatives to
raise the issues of human rights in Turkey (especially concerning
Ankara’s treatment of its Kurdish and Armenian minorities) and the
possibility that Turkey would become a source of illegal migration
from Asia and the Middle East to the EU-which might even include
Muslim terrorists.
Germany, which enjoys historical ties with Turkey (the two nations
were allies in two world wars, which they lost), and which plays host
to a large Turkish community, while supporting Ankara’s bid to join
the EU (hoping that that would strengthen its hand against other
countries such as France) still cannot hide its apprehension.
With its 70 million inhabitants, Turkey would immediately become the
largest EU country, with voting rights to match. The number of
European Muslims would multiply overnight, which will have profound
effects on educational and social policies throughout the EU. Italy
and Spain in particular are worried that Europe’s Christian identity
might be diluted if Ankara was admitted to the EU.
In exchange, the Turks have been trying to entice the Europeans with
the potential material benefits they might gain if they accept Ankara
as a full EU member. Europe would also be able to benefit from
Turkey’s excellent ties with the Muslim world. With its proximity to
central Asia, Turkey can act as a conduit for European exports to the
burgeoning markets of the region. Thanks to its ample natural
resources and skilled labor force, Turkey is an ideal destination for
investors keen to establish bases from which to compete with cheap
Asian manufacturers.
The Turks have been trying to reassure Europe of their seriousness in
becoming true Europeans. They have radically altered their judicial
code, bringing it more into line with European laws (in spite of the
potential negative fallout this might have on the political parties
which instigated such changes), and greatly restricted the role
traditionally played by the Turkish military in political affairs.
The media has been given more freedoms, and the Turkish government
succeeded in gaining control of the country’s large budget deficit
and in keeping inflation below ten percent.
But all this has had little effect in reassuring ordinary Europeans
whose point of view was recently expressed by Austrian minister Franz
Fischler: ‘Turkey is oriental in culture and Asiatic in location. Its
entry into Europe might well detriment the direction of European
strategy.’ The fact that part of Turkey lies in Europe is neither
here nor there.
In an opinion poll recently conducted by Time/CNN, 56 percent of
French people expressed opposition to Turkish entry while in Holland
the figure was 41 percent, in Germany 46 percent and in Britain 52
percent. A Dutch MP spoke for the opposition camp when he said: ‘It
cannot happen. Turkey is a Muslim country that has no place in
Europe. I would prefer countries like Canada and Australia joining,
but not Turkey.’
Among the more vehement opponents of Turkish EU membership is Italian
writer Orianna Fallaci. In a recent book The Power of Reason, Fallaci
calls for restricting and reducing the Muslim presence in Europe.
‘Europe,’ she writes, ‘is no longer Europe, but Eurabia.’ The
intricate social fabric of the old continent has been altered such
that Europe has become a Muslim colony.
Such opinions have been steadily gaining ground in Italy, which has
borne the brunt of illegal Muslim migration mainly from North Africa
and Albania.
Responding to such extreme positions, Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul says: ‘We are only talking about starting talks. These
talks will take a long time, perhaps years. We are realists and
accept that fact.’ Determination and reassurance in equal measure.
Turkey has been trying to gain entry into Europe for more than forty
years, and has been rebuffed several times. The latest breakthrough
does not mean that Turkish membership of the EU is guaranteed by any
means. Turkey still has a long and uncertain road to travel.
–Boundary_(ID_tIQEzhuN1s7LKYorB2w89Q)–

Iranian, Azerbaijani defense ministers survey
IRNA, Iran
December 22, 2004 Wednesday 8:47 PM EST
Tehran, December 22 — Defense ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan
met and conferred here on Wednesday evening about regional armies`
cooperation to boost joint security in Caucasus region.
Islamic Republic of Iran`s Defense Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani
referred to the two nations` shared historical, religious and cultural
backgrounds during the meeting, considering them the “huge capital
that can serve to boost bilateral ties.”
He referred to the deep bilateral understanding and mutual trust,
as well as comprehensive defense and security consultations, as main
prerequisites for establishment of a comprehensive bilateral defense
cooperation.
Shamkhani added, “Joint efforts aimed at boosting regional peace
and stability is the main axis for Iran-Azerbaijan comprehensive
cooperation.”
The Iranian defense minister said, “Presently terrorism, narcotic
drugs and arms smuggling, organized crime, and vast presence of foreign
forces are biggest threats against regional security and such threats
cannot be eliminated, except through effective regional cooperation
and constant consultative interactions.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, stressing that the Islamic Republic of
Iran considers the Caspian Sea the “sea of peace and friendship”,
Shamkhani added, “This region`s security is in need of collective
cooperation and mutual trust.”
Elaborating on Iran`s stand about Karabakh conflict, Rear Admiral
Shamkhani said, “Iran favors peaceful resolution of the Karabakh
conflict and is ready to continue its mediation efforts in that
regard.”
He referred to President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami`s state visit of
Azerbaijan and President Elham Aliev`s upcoming state visit to Tehran
as beset signs of both countries` officials` strong determination to
take advantage of all opportunities at service of boosting ties.”
The Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiev, too, appreciated his country`s
ever-improving ties and cooperation with Iran and considered the
Iranian defense minister`s visit of Baku “a very effective move in
further strengthening bilateral ties.”
He emphasized, “Late Azeri President Geidar Aliev`s 2002 state visit of
Iran opened a new chapter in Tehran-Baku relations, agreeing with his
Iranian counterpart on the point that shared historical and cultural
backgrounds of the two nations serve as an excellent foundation for
boosting comprehensive ties.”
Abiev added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran was among the first
countries in the world to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan
Republic and the Azeri nation will never forget that.”
The Azerbaijan Republic is situated in eastern Transcaucasia, on the
western coast of the Caspian Sea.
To the South it borders Iran, to the West Armenia, to the North-West
Georgia, and to the North the Republic of Dagestan, in Russia.
The Nakhichevan autonomous Republic is a part of Azerbaijan, although
it is separated form the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory.
Azerbaijan also includes the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast,
which is largely populated by the Armenians, but does not legally
constitute a part of Armenia.