Category: News

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 22, 2004, Wednesday
KARABAKH SLIP
SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, December 20, 2004, p. 12
by Vladimir Kazimirov
Between 1992 and 1996, Ambassador Vladimir Nikolayevich Kazimirov was
the head of the Russian intermediary mission, presidential envoy to
Karabakh, and Russian chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group.
All expectations notwithstanding, 2004 failed to become a
breakthrough year in the Karabakh conflict settlement. Contours of
the peace process remain indistinct. Moreover, there is nothing
anymore to which to ascribe the failure of slack negotiations,
neither elections in Azerbaijan and Armenia, nor the complexity of
domestic political situations in these countries.
There were 9 Armenian-Azerbaijani meetings this year, 3 between the
presidents and 6 between foreign ministers. Baku, Yerevan, and
Stepanakert claim to view settlement as the ultimate priority, but
these are only words. In fact, interims between the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict are filled with a Cold War attitude,
information warfare, and frequently disinformation. Azerbaijan and
Armenia’s stands remain mutually exclusive, the situation is worse
than it was even under Heidar Aliyev. Heidar Aliyev only demanded
liberation of the territories beyond Karabakh, which the Armenians
occupied during the war. His son, Ilham Aliyev, calls Karabakh itself
an occupied territory. Propaganda breeds tension in the Azerbaijani
and Armenian society. Anything goes, even calls for another war.
Instead of preparing their respective societies for mutual
concessions, ruling elites cultivate intolerance towards compromises
as such. All of that leaves the impression that Baku and Yerevan
merely feign negotiations.
To a certain extent, Baku diplomacy succeeded in the last several
months to switch attention from the matter of Karabakh’s status to
the problem of occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Satisfied with the
status quo dating back to the end of the war of 1992-1994, Yerevan
missed the fact that after a decade of peaceful occupation of
Azerbaijan, the territories beyond Karabakh look like an anomaly,
particularly to whoever does not know its history. Another anomaly,
absence of the status of Karabakh, is not that irritating anymore. In
short, Azerbaijan managed to have the UN General Assembly discuss the
situation in the occupied lands. It even succeeded in prodding the
Parliamentary Assembly into action. They will listen to a report on
Karabakh in January 2005.
Official Baku constantly refers to four resolutions of the UN
Security Council passed in 1993. The documents demand an immediate
cease-fire and withdrawal of the Armenians from the occupied
territories. It is not without risk, however, because the
international community remembers how Azerbaijan was the first to
kill fulfillment of resolutions of the UN Security Council.
Azerbaijan then was bent on settling the conflict by sheer strength
of arms. Ducking all and any peace initiatives, Baku ignored
resolutions of the UN Security Council for over a year. The truce is
not a result of these resolutions; it is a consequence of
Azerbaijan’s military failures.
These days, Yerevan is making use of Azerbaijan’s past neglect of UN
resolutions and refuses to withdraw, demanding a comprehensive
solution to the problem of Karabakh. The Armenians also use the fact
that the demand of unconditional withdrawal disappeared from the last
two UN resolutions (resolutions 874 and 884 – and Baku has only
itself to blame). This too has been a subject of numerous
Armenian-Azerbaijani consultations and talks.
There are different opinions on Azerbaijan’s latest tactical moves.
Aliyev hails them as masterful, the Armenians argue among themselves,
and official Yerevan threatens that should the UN General Assembly
pass a pro-Baku resolution, it will terminate all bilateral contacts,
and begins insisting on Stepanakert’s return to negotiations as a
third party. In the meantime, the words of both sides certainly
differ from deeds. Baku no longer insists on adoption of the UN
resolution as soon as possible. Yerevan already agreed to meetings of
two ministers in Sofia and Brussels.
Sure, diplomatic activeness is better than saber-rattling, but the
activities in question should be used for the purpose of searching
for compromises and not the purpose of aggravating confrontation.
Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group find it counterproductive. Instead
of making progress, it complicated the situation and makes transition
to efficient negotiations all the more difficult. It is the height of
naivete to believe that Baku and Yerevan will honor recommendations
from the UN General Assembly or Parliamentary Assembly when they
disregard demands from the UN Security Council.
Does it help to involve in the Karabakh affair the structures that do
not know the first thing about the problem? It is common knowledge
that every involved party will use any deviation from the previous
approach to promote its own interests. Deployment of new structures
merely indicates who finds political-propagandistic exercises more
important than conflict management. Take the draft report of the
Parliamentary Assembly, for example. It is clearly biased and full of
factual errors. The cease-fire in Karabakh accomplished with Russia’s
help is mentioned as an accomplishment of the OSCE.
There is no saying even now if 2005 is going to bring peace in
Karabakh any closer. It is only clear that this is a sheer
impossibility without abandonment of mutual sincerity, and a mutual
search for compromises. It will not hurt for international
intermediaries to become more active, instead of restricting their
activities to arrangement of meetings between presidents and
ministers. After all, a new meeting on the level of presidents or
ministers cannot be regarded as a smashing success.
The Karabakh slips we are witnessing leave the impression that
intermediaries should demand from both parties that they honor
decisions of the Budapest OSCE summit and resume negotiations in all
earnest.

World Armenian Congress leader issues New Year address
ITAR-TASS News Agency
December 22, 2004 Wednesday 5:07 AM Eastern Time
MOSCOW, December 22 — Ara Abramyan, President of the World Armenian
Congress, has congratulated members of the Armenian Diaspora on the
New Year and Christmas.
In 2005 “we shall observe a grim anniversary – 90 years since the
beginning of all-out physical extermination of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey, which claimed the lives of 1.5 million men, women and
children. The memory of the guiltless people, who died that time,
urges all Armenians throughout the world to pool efforts even more
closely in the interests of resolving the problems, which are of vital
importance for our nation: to make Turkey admit that it has committed
an especially grave crime, and to protect the interests and security
of Armenia, our historic motherland,” says the congratulatory address
issued by him.
“Spiurk (the Armenian term for “Diaspora”) is an inseparable part of
the Armenian nation. No matter where Armenians live, their thoughts
and aspirations are always with their historic motherland. Armenians
are deeply grateful to the countries, which gave shelter to them and
became their new homeland,” the document said.
“They do their best for promoting the prosperity of those countries
and continue to be their law-abiding citizens. At the same time, they
are culturally and spiritually bound with Armenia, which they regard
as a guarantor of the liquidation of consequences of the genocide,
of a just political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and
of the preservation of the national identity of Armenians, of their
language, culture and traditions,” the document continued.
“Diversity along with the unity of thoughts and aspiration – this is
our motto. We regard it as a guarantee of our future accomplishments,”
Ara Abramyan stressed in conclusion.

NETHERLANDS DEMANDS RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ArmenPress
Dec 22 2004
THE HAGUE, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: The Federation of the Armenian
Organizations in the Netherlands said in a press release, forwarded to
Armenpress that it was satisfied with the Dutch Parliament unanimous
adoption of a motion concerning the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
Armenian community of The Netherlands has been insisting that the Dutch
Parliament and the government recognize f the Armenian Genocide of
1915 for many years. Especially last year, in the run-up to and during
the Dutch presidency of EU, the 24 April Committee of the Armenian
Federation has persistently campaigned to bring the Armenian question
under the attention of the Members of Parliament and the Dutch public.
debate nearly all fractions asked the government about the absence
of the Armenian Genocide issue in the Presidency conclusions. This in
spite of commitment by among others France and the European Parliament
and also by Dutch Foreign Minister Bot himself, who ensured the
Dutch Parliament that the Armenian question has always been brought
up at the meetings with the Turkish colleagues. The majority of the
Parliament Members had asked to pay attention to this point.
In the motion adopted by the Parliament the government is asked “to
bring up the recognition of the Armenian Genocide continuously and
expressly in the dialogue with Turkey”.
This motion has been introduced by the Chairman of Christian Union
fraction Mr. Rouvoet and supported by all other political parties in
the Parliament.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Dec 22 2004
NEW PLAYERS ENTER KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS
Will the involvement of the United Nations and the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe help or hinder the cause of peace
in Nagorny Karabakh?
By Thomas de Waal in London
A number of initiatives on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict are either
adding life to a moribund peace process, or bringing in outside
agencies with no expertise on the issue and making resolution more
difficult – depending on whom you talk to.
In the last six months, the main mediators have become more active
again. The diplomats of the three countries, which are the co-chairs of
the “Minsk Group” of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (France, Russia and the United States), have revived regular
meetings with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers. A series
of meetings that began in Prague were not formal negotiations as such
but the Minsk Group mediators hope they will lead to more serious
talks next year.
At the same time, other international players have entered the field.
Last month, Azerbaijan managed to raise the issue of Karabakh at the
United Nations General Assembly for the first time in many years.
Next month, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg will debate a draft resolution on the conflict. Earlier
this year, the Pentagon even took a brief interest in Karabakh.
All this is perhaps not surprising, given that ten years after a
ceasefire was signed between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, no
final peace deal has been struck. In Azerbaijan, which continues to
bear greater pain of the non-resolution of the conflict in terms of
land occupied and people displaced, the sense of urgency is greater.
But the two parties offer very different views about what the
involvement of other international organisations means.
Speaking at the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London
on December 13, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev said that Baku was
trying to ensure that the world did not forget about the Karabakh
conflict.
“International organisations – and not only the one which directly
deals with this issue, the Minsk Group – such as the European Union,
the Council of Europe and the United Nations, can and should play a
more active role,” the president said.
Aliev said that he was committed to a peaceful resolution of the
dispute but issued what sounded like a veiled threat, saying,
“We are committed to the peace process but our patience has limits.”
The new rush of activity has a lot to do with the appointment in
Azerbaijan of a much more dynamic foreign minister, Elmar Mamedyarov,
in April of this year. A fluent English-speaker like his Armenian
counterpart Vartan Oskanian, Mamedyarov has shown much more initiative
than his predecessors.
Speaking to IWPR by telephone from Baku, Mamedyarov said that he had
written letters to the UN, the Council of Europe and to EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana amongst others.
“Azerbaijan has made it clear numerous times that we are committed
to a peace process run by the Minsk Group and by the co-chairs,”
the minister said. “But in the last negotiations we have been stuck
in an exchange of views within the Minsk Group.”
“We want to keep this conflict within the eyes of the international
community.”
Central to Azerbaijani strategy has been an attempt to get a new
UN resolution on Karabakh, picking up on four resolutions that were
passed when the conflict was active in 1993-94. The resolutions all
call for Armenian forces to leave Azerbaijani territory – although
they also contain calls on both sides to cease fire, which were not
heeded at the time.
The Armenians have called the resort to the UN a “mistake”. Armenian
foreign minister Oskanian told IWPR in written answers to questions
that “Azerbaijan cannot try to negotiate on the one hand, and
then on the other hand, try to isolate this or that aspect of the
entire package of issues and push them individually in this or that
international forum”.
While saying he did not wish to exclude any serious interest in the
dispute, Oskanian sounded a warning note, saying, “We think we need
to stay within the tried forums, where information and experience has
accumulated, and focus on the real issue instead of trying to divert
attention to side issues.”
The UN debate was postponed indefinitely on November 23 after an
intervention by US ambassador Susan Moore on behalf of the three
OSCE co-chairs.
In a November 22 interview with Radio Liberty, the US co-chairman
Steve Mann did not explicitly criticise the UN initiative but implied
he doubted it would help the peace process. “The important thing… is
that this depends in the first instance on the parties to the conflict
themselves. There must be political will in Armenia and Azerbaijan
to settle this,” he said.
One spin-off from the UN initiative, however, is likely to be
a fact-finding mission under the aegis of the OSCE to the seven
“occupied territories” of Azerbaijan that are fully or partially under
Armenian control and are located outside the disputed territory of
Nagorny Karabakh.
The Azerbaijanis say they want to have reports that Armenian settlers
are being settled in these territories checked. Oskanian said that he
had no problem with this, saying, “We welcome this OSCE Minsk Group
fact-finding mission and will facilitate their work.”
Armenians have also reacted sharply to a draft resolution due to be
put before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe at
the end of next month.
The resolution was drafted by its original rapporteur British member
of parliament Terry Davis and finished by his colleague David Atkinson
after Davis became secretary general of the parliamentary assembly
in August. To the anger of the Armenians, the document currently
views the dispute as it is seen in Baku – as an inter-state conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan – rather than the way Yerevan regards
it: as a fight for self-determination by the Armenians of Karabakh.
The resolution states, for example, that “separatist forces are still
in control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region” and warns the Armenians that
“the occupation of foreign territory by a member state constitutes
a grave violation of that state’s obligations as a member of the
Council of Europe”.
In an interview in London last week, Atkinson told IWPR that he saw
the PACE initiative as “introducing a parliamentary dimension” into
the peace process, “on the grounds that if you involve the elected
representatives of the parties concerned, practical politicians
elected on the basis that we represent our constituencies, they can
come forward and help in a process that has eluded resolution”.
Atkinson said the PACE initiative had not been coordinated with
the Minsk Group, but that he did not want to undermine the OSCE
negotiations. He added, however, that “I’m hoping that all sides meet
and see a way forward where the Minsk process has failed”.
Atkinson, who took over as rapporteur in September, said he had
made only one substantial change to the draft resolution, by adding
Article 9 which “calls on the government of Azerbaijan to establish
contacts with the political representatives of both communities from
the Nagorno-Karabakh region regarding the future status of the region”.
Hitherto, the government in Baku has consistently refused to hold
talks with the Karabakh Armenians and only negotiates directly with
the government in Yerevan.
The rapporteur himself remains a lifetime vice-president of the
organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide, headed by British peer
Baroness Cox, which has a long record of support for the Karabakh
Armenians. He himself visited Karabakh on the Armenian side in 1992.
He said the Azerbaijanis knew about this and had not objected.
The draft resolution was strongly criticised in a letter to Atkinson
by Vladimir Kazimirov, the veteran Russian mediator who negotiated
the 1994 ceasefire. It was dated December 3 and published by the
Russian Regnum news agency on December 17.
Kazimirov said the draft gave a very selective history of the conflict
and said it was clearly biased in favour of Azerbaijan and therefore
harmful to the prospects of peaceful resolution.
“The Hippocratic oath, ‘do no harm’ to the negotiation process, is
absolutely appropriate here, as each side will for sure use any bias
in its own interests,” Kazimirov wrote.
An upsurge of international interest shows that the unsolved Karabakh
conflict is at least not forgotten. The very polarised attitudes to
the new initiatives suggest that progress in actually achieving a
resolution remains as far off as ever.
Thomas de Waal is IWPR’s Caucasus Editor.

Prague process secures Karabakh’s international recognition – Armenian minister
Mediamax news agency
22 Dec 04
Yerevan, 22 December: “The Prague process” on the Karabakh settlement
“provides great opportunities to establish Nagornyy Karabakh’s right
to self-determination and secure the international recognition of
this status,” Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in
Yerevan today.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Oskanyan said the principles
which Armenia insists on in the settlement process have not
changed. Specifically, Oskanyan said the mediators have not come up
with new proposals since the “Paris principles” and the Key West talks
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents [Robert Kocharyan
and Heydar Aliyev] in 2001.
At the same time, Oskanyan said that the Armenian side is not
keeping to the Key West principles in order not to halt the whole
peace process.
“The principles have remained the same, but have undergone certain
modifications which allow Azerbaijan to stay in the talks,” he said.
Oskanyan said that the main reason for Nagornyy Karabakh’s failure
to participate in the talks is Azerbaijan’s categorical rejection of
this. The foreign minister said that Armenia has decided to conduct
the talks without Nagornyy Karabakh so that the peace process does
not stop.
“It does not matter which of the Armenian sides participates in the
talks. The direction in which the talks are being conducted is much
more important,” Oskanyan said. However, he added that Nagornyy
Karabakh’s direct participation in the negotiations will become
inevitable at a certain point.

Armenia is more independent than its neighbours – foreign minister
Mediamax news agency
22 Dec 04
Yerevan, 22 December: “Armenia is the most independent country in
the South Caucasus region,” Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
said in Yerevan today.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Oskanyan said Armenia is pursuing
a more independent policy than its regional neighbours.
As for the Russian State Duma speaker’s recent statement that “Armenia
is Russia’s outpost in the South Caucasus”, Oskanyan said that Gryzlov
“meant good relations between the two countries”.

Armenian minister hopes European countries to recognize genocide in 2005
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
22 Dec 04
[Presenter] The Armenian foreign minister believes that the fundamental
decision adopted by the Council of Europe will pave the way for the
recognition of the Armenian genocide by the parliaments of the EU
member states. Vardan Oskanyan said he is confident that 2005 will
see progress in the recognition of the Armenian genocide by some
countries and in the demands that Turkey lift its blockade of Armenia.
[Oskanyan] The Council of Europe’s decision is in our hands now. The
decision seriously demands that Turkey recognize the Armenian genocide
and open its borders with Armenia. I think these two demands will
be high on the agenda when Turkey starts its EU membership talks
on 3 October. I am sure of this, because these conditions have been
determined beforehand. This serious decision by the Council of Europe
has already yielded its first results. The Netherlands recognized
the Armenian genocide after long negotiations yesterday.
The EU members are also members of the Council of Europe. And the
Council of Europe has recognized the Armenian genocide on behalf of
all its members and has urged Turkey to do so. And this, I think,
will pave the way for the parliaments of those countries to speed
up the recognition of the Armenian genocide. We achieved the first
positive result yesterday.

CENN – DECEMBER 22, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Evaluation of CENN Activities During the Period of 2004-2005
2. CENN Launches Environmental Trainings/Workshops
3. BTC: No Need for Additional Financing
4. Contract on Transfer of Vanadzor Chemical Plant to Slovakian Company
SLZ TOL be Concluded on January 10, 2005
5. State Budget of Armenia for 2005 Envisages Over 1 mln Drams for
Solution Housing Problems in Lori Region: Armenian President
6. 10% GDP Growth Registered in Armenia in Jan-Nov, 2004
1. EVALUATION OF CENN ACTIVITIES DURING THE PERIOD OF 2004-2005
CENN – Caucasus Environmental NGO Network is conducting evaluation of
its activities for the period of 2004-2005 and would like to ask you to
participate in the study by answering this checklist as accurately as
possible. The information will help us assess the CENN activities and
improve our work in the future. We ask you to answer the checklist and
return it via e-mail till December 27, 2004.
Thank you for your cooperation!
The English and Russian versions of the checklists are available on the
following address:
2. CENN LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENTAL TRAININGS/WORKSHOPS
within the framework of the project “Raising level of public
environmental awareness and information in the transboundary region of
the South Caucasus Countries” implemented by five partner organizations
CENN launched first cycle of environmental trainings / workshops within
the framework of the ENVSEC Initiative project “Raising level of public
environmental awareness and information in the transboundary region of
the South Caucasus Countries” implemented by GTZ (GTZ Food Regional
Cooperation and Security (FRCS) project) and supported by the ENVSEC
Initiative (OSCE, UNEP, UNDP).
The trainings / workshops are focused to provide the participants with
the information on:
ž Natural resource and their use;
ž Sustainable development;
ž Environmental problems- result of non-sustainable use of natural
resources;
ž Environmental security as the cross-cutting aspect of human and
national security;
ž ENVSEC Initiative;
ž “Cause-Problem-Solution” of the local environmental problems;
ž Elaboration of environmental action plans for solution of the
environmental problems.
The project includes two cycles of trainings / workshops and
implementation of environmental actions / campaigns to take place in
transboundary districts of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. After the
workshops in a later stage, the local community associations will
establish Public Environmental Information Points / Centers. The Public
Environmental Information Points / Centers will work in close
cooperation on solution of local and regional environmental problems and
implementation of the Aarhus Convention on the local and regional levels
together with other organizations in the neighboring districts (e.g.
CENN Public Environmental Information Centers in Bolnisi, Kazakh and
Akhtala supported by the Eurasia Foundation).
For further information on the project, please contact: GTZ FRCS office:
[email protected]
For information on the environmental trainings and workshops, please
contact the CENN office: [email protected]
3. BTC: NO NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FINANCING
Source: The Messenger, December 22, 2004
British Petroleum and its partners in the Baku- Tbilisi- Ceyhan (BTC)
pipeline project will not ask international financial institutions for
an extra loan to cover the 10% increase of the project cost, BP
Azerbaijan President David Woodward said at a press conference in Baku
on Tuesday, December 21, 2004. The shareholders borrowed USD 2.6 billion
from foreign credits this February. Mr. Woodward said they borrowed more
than needed, so an extra loan was unnecessary. He said the stakeholders
would bear any extra expenses.
Projects like BTC always imply a 10-15% change from the initial estimate
and the increase of the Baku- Tbilisi- Ceyhan pipeline project cost does
not go beyond that, Mr. Woodward said.
He said over 90% of work had been done in the Azerbaijani sector of the
pipeline, over 85% in the Georgian section of the pipeline and 85% in
the Turkish sector.
4. CONTRACT ON TRANSFER OF VANADZOR CHEMICAL PLANT TO SLOVAKIAN COMPANY
SLZ TOL BE CONCLUDED ON JANUARY 10, 2005
Source: Arminfo, December 20, 2004
A contract on transfer of Vanadzor chemical plant to Slovakian company
SLZ will be concluded on January 10, 2005. Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan made this statement at a press conference after his visit to
Lori region on December 18, 2004.
He says that next year it will become clear whether it is possible to
exploit the plant with profits on the investments the Slovakian party
intends to attract. The transfer of the plant does not mean that its
work will be guaranteed as it is connected with a possibility of
receiving profits the following year, the president says. He emphasized
that the owner of Vanadzor chemical complex has invested funds in the
plant, but failed to put it into exploitation. “One should not make rash
steps in the big business, everything must be well-calculated here,” the
president says.
It should be noted that SLZ intends to reactivate the plant on February
15, 2005 and to restore the production of carbide, corundum and acetate
ribbon. For this purpose, the company intends to invest $880 mln for
purchase of raw materials and $600,000 for current expenses. The owner
of 100% of the plant’s shares is the OJSC “Zakneftegazstroy Prometey,”
which belongs to the Russian businessman, Armenian by origin, Senik
Gevorgyan. Vanadzor chemical complex consisting of the chemical plant,
the chemical fibre plant and Vanadzor thermal power plant was privatized
in the May of 1999 for $1.5 mln. It has been idling since then. The
owner has already invested some $20 mln in the enterprise.
5. STATE BUDGET OF ARMENIA FOR 2005 ENVISAGES OVER 1 MLN DRAMS FOR
SOLUTION HOUSING PROBLEMS IN LORI REGION: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT
Source: Arminfo, December 20, 2004
The state budget of Armenia for 2005 envisages over 1-mln drams for
solution to housing problems of rural residents of Lori region for the
first time. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan made this statement at a
press conference in the town of Vanadzor.
In his words, next year large-scale construction is planned in the rural
areas. Active construction in regional centers will start with various
facilities to be erected in the town of Spitak. Construction of dwelling
houses in Spitak will be continued as well. A special stress will be put
on the certificates due to which the above 1-bln drams will be
distributed. The logic is as follows: a flat in Gyumri costs some 3 mln
drams, while construction of the given flat requires 10 mln drams – due
to distribution of the certificates, the problem of the families which
have not received flats will be solved. The methodology of the given
action already exists. In Armenia it was introduced by Urban Institute
and USAID, the president says.
He notes that the roads Stepanavan-Tashir, Stepanavan-Odzun-Alaverdi,
Armavir-Gyumri (along the boundary), Gyumri-Amasia and Aparan-Artik will
be constructed within three years in the regions of Shirak and Lori.
Next year, funds will be allocated for reconstruction of the roads of
regional importance. By increasing the financing year by year, we shall
achieve a progress in the sphere, Robert Kocharyan says.
The president says that due to reforms in the taxation sphere, more
predictable conditions in the sphere of entrepreneurship have been
created. A great attention is paid to improvement of the living
conditions of the region’s population. As regards gas supply to the
country, on the whole, and in the region, in particular, the president
notes that the gas users in the country number more than 80,000 and
8-10,000 in Lori region. The same indicators are observed in Shirak
region. As regards water supply to the region, project works are in
process and 24-hour water supply will become real both in Vanadzor and
Gyumri within the coming 2-3 years. In Vanadzor 3 of 5 operating ATXs
are digital, the remaining two are being digitized. Considerable changes
are expected in the sphere of telecommunications, with the existing
inconveniences felt earlier because of the monopoly of ArmenTel company
were connected not only with its monopoly but also with poor management
and irresponsible attitude to its obligations. However, as compared to
many CIS member-countries, Armenia is among leaders, as to introduction
of digital tele-phone network, which can be called an achievement, the
president notes.
Besides, Robert Kocharyan informs that the budget for 2005 envisages
rather big sum (some 1 mln drams) to upgrade the level of social
well-fare of refugees as this issue is one of the priorities of the
program of refugees. The budget plans a rise in the wages of teachers,
militaries and medical personnel. Another 1 bln drams will be allocated
for construction work in the communities, including 800 mln to Lori
region as majority of the villages in that region have remained
unnoticed by the government. A community center will be built in
Stepanavan, and construction of a new municipality building and regional
center in Gyumri will start in 2006.
The results of 2004 will be summed up by the Statistical Service after
January 20, 2005. However, one can state that the government has
fulfilled its commitments for 2004, the president says in conclusion.
6. 10% GDP GROWTH REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JAN-NOV, 2004
Source: Arminfo, December 20, 2004
The highest GDP growth in Armenia was registered in Jan-Nov, 2004 –
10.0%. ARMINFO was informed in the press service of the National
Statistical Service of Armenia, according to preliminary data, in
November as against October the economic drop made up 22.2%. By the end
of November 2004 the GDP totaled 1,672.1 bln drams or ($3,109.5). The
GDP index-deflator grew by 6.0%. In January – November the AMD/USD
exchange rate was 537.74 drams against one U.S. dollar.
In January – November of the current year the volume of industrial
produce totaled 473.9-bln drams or $881.4 mln (or 27.2% out of GDP –
ARMINFO), increasing by 1.6% as against the same period of last year, in
Nov as against Oct it increased by 1.1%. Electricity generation in
January – November increased by 8.6%, and in Nov as against Oct it
increased by 16.5%, totaling 5,341.5-mln kW/h.
In January – November of the current year the Gross agriculture produce
increased by 14.3% as against the same period of 2003, totaling 412.5
bln drams or $767.1 mln and in Nov as against Oct it decreased by 41.5%.
Volume of construction increased by 9.1% in Nov as against Oct, and in
Jan-Nov it increased by 16.2%, reaching 229.3-bln drams or $426.5 mln.
Retail trade turnover totaled 699.9 bln drams by the end of Nov,
increasing by 9.2% in Jan-Nov as against the same period of last year,
and in Nov as against Oct it increased by 2.5%.
By the end of Nov, 2004 foreign trade turnover totaled $1.9 bln (1,001.6
bln drams), increasing by 4.5% as against the same period of 2003, and
in Nov as against Oct it decreased by 6.3%. In its structure the exports
increased by 3.2% in Jan-Nov as against the same period of 2003, and in
Nov as against Oct it increased by 14% totalling $645.9 mln. The imports
totaled $1,219.3 mln, increasing by 5.3% during the first eleven months
of the current year, and in Nov as against Oct it increased by 16.2%.
Negative trade balance was $573.4 mln by the end of Nov.
—
*******************************************
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_i4zaofQp3DKnB8UPskpZHA)–

Azeri court sentences would-be Karabakh guerrillas to various prison terms
ANS TV, Baku
22 Dec 04
[Presenter] The trial of 21 people accused of establishing an illegal
armed group [to fight in Karabakh] ended today. The judge read out
the verdict.
[Correspondent, over video of trial] At the Grave Crimes Court
today judge Azar Orucov announced the sentence for those accused of
establishing the illegal armed group, possessing the large number
of arms and ammunition and smuggling. Thus, the leader of the group,
Rovsan Badalov, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, other members of
the group, Musviq Qurbanov and Xizir Marqusvili to nine years. Mammad
Mammadov and Adalat Agayev received eight years in prison. Seven
defendants received six years in prison, one defendant five years,
two defendants four years and two more defendants three years.
Four defendants were given suspended sentences. Etibar Zeynalov and
Firuz Rasulov were given a two-year suspended sentence and were set
free in the courtroom. Rovsan Pasayev and Telman Orucov were given
a six-year suspended sentence and were set free as well.
Rasad Isgandarov, Ramil Yaqubov, ANS.

Armenian paper accuses Azeri leader of provocative comments on ties with Russia
Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan
22 Dec 04
Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar on
22 December headlined “Aliyev’s provocation”
We would not have paid attention to the statement made by the chairman
of the Russian State Duma, Boris Gryzlov, in Yerevan that Armenia is
Russia’s outpost in the South Caucasus, if it were not for [Azerbaijani
President] Ilham Aliyev’s comments.
Aliyev’s attempt to describe Boris Gryzlov’s idea as something that
allegedly casts a doubt on Armenia’s independence was a well-thought
out and careful provocation addressed to the world community, as well
as to relevant “listeners” of the “Armenian audience”.
Addressing the world community, Ilham Aliyev first aimed to attract
Western countries’ attention to the word “outpost”. As is known, in
the recent period, the main trend in processes in CIS countries has
been a certain limitation of Russia’s influence on the post-Soviet
area. So within the framework of this process of forming a negative
attitude towards Armenia, it was advantageous to Aliyev to change
intentionally the meaning of the word “outpost” used by Gryzlov,
describing it as something that questions Armenia’s independence.
But the point is that the word “outpost” means that a certain state
in any specific region is a reliable point of support for this or
that superpower. For instance, for tens of years Israel has been
considered to be the USA’s outpost in the Middle East, but this does
not at all mean that Arab countries are dealing with a state that
has lost its independence.
Incidentally, the West did not bother to reply to Aliyev’s
comments, while some forces in Armenia are speculating on them with
pleasure. They even tried to assess this fact as a slap in the face
of independent Armenia from the Azerbaijani president and as an
obvious disgrace.
Incidentally, how will they respond if these forces and functionaries,
which have obvious pro-Western orientation, come to power tomorrow and
if any American official says for instance that “Armenia is the USA’s
outpost in the South Caucasus” or “Armenia is an outpost of the West”.
Certainly, it was absolutely expectable that a member of the Armenian
Pan-National Movement, David Shakhnazaryan, commented on this, saying
that not Armenia, but its current authorities are Russia’s outpost
in the South Caucasus. But how should we understand the statements
of some top officials that “the Republic of Armenia is a sovereign
state and cannot be an outpost of any country”? And they make such
statements at the moment when, for instance, the leadership of Georgia
is trying to prove by all means that Georgia is an outpost of the
West in the South Caucasus. Can we conclude that Georgia is trying
to give up its sovereignty? Or is it really advantageous to Georgia
to have such status?
Incidentally, for many years Armenia has been an outpost of the West in
the whole of Asia. Maybe time has come for us to think that remaining
Russia’s outpost in parallel with the improvement of Russia-West
relations, we shall be able to restore our traditional status of the
West’s outpost as well and strengthen our own positions.
These responses to Ilham Aliyev’s simple provocation testify that due
to our politicians’ different orientation they do not understand or
do not want to accept the simple fact that in the modern world, being
an outpost of any superpower that has strong nuclear potential is not
only a serious security guarantee, but also an obvious advantage in
comparison with neighbours.