Category: News

KARABAKH NOT TO TAKE PART IN MILITARY DRILLS OF UNRECOGNIZED REPUBLICS –
MINISTER
Mediamax news agency
2 Nov 04
YEREVAN
The foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR), Ashot
Gulyan, has denied that the NKR defence army’s subunits will take part
in the “command and staff exercises of unrecognized republics”.
“The NKR defence army does not have a task more important than the
protection of the security of the republic’s borders and people,
especially outside Nagornyy Karabakh,” Ashot Gulyan stressed.

`NAIRIT’ EMPLOYEES PROTESTING
A1+
02-11-2004
‘Nairit’ hasn’t run for 6 months. Factory was stopped in June for
re-equipment and re-functioning a few days later but it
didn’t. Theemployees of the factory anxious for the fate of it have
today held a protest action and demanded for their salaries of 2
recent months and the debt frozen.
‘Trade and Economic Development Minister Karen Chshmarityan announced
from Parliament rostrum that Kirov debt had been settled but we don’t
have money for bread. We haven’t been paid to the old debt. Moreover,
the new leadership doesn ‘t pay salary of 2 recent months’, factory
employee Alexan Margaryan said at the conversation with us.
He informed that the employees are resolute. `90% of the staff sitsat
home. We neither work, nor get money. Court refused to accept our
application reasoning the administration has settled the
issue. Salaries are frozen. Government doesn’t hear our voices. But we
will insist on our demand’,they say.
Mr. Margaryan is also anxious for the fate of the factory. He says
because of the debt of a few million drams electricity supply for the
factory had been ceased the day before since 11:00 AM whereas to
provide safety of chloroprene it is necessary to keep it cold for 24
hours.
‘1 million drams are spent daily to keep chlorine. The whole raw
materials may spoil because of cutting electricity supply once, not
even mentioning the ecological danger’, Margaryan says.
Fortunately, last midnight electricity supply was restored but for a
week only until the matter is somehow regulated.
Tomorrow `Nairit’ staff will march to Government building and then to
Presidential Residence demanding to solve `Nairit’ problems.

FOLLOWING EASTERN TIMOR EXAMPLE
A1+
02-11-2004
‘Referendums are preferred versions among those for conflict
settlements’, NKR FM Ashot Ghulyan has announced this in Stepanakert.
According to Ghulyan, he has concluded this after following the
settlement mechanisms for Eastern Timor, Eritrea and Kosovo conflicts.
Mr. Ghulyan has today summed up his visit to USA this October. He has
partaken in a conference in Michigan City, during which regional
issues were discussed. By the impression of Ghulyan, USA audience is
much informed about the Karabakhi conflict.

Assa Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov. 2, 2004
UN discussions on conflict not to promote settlement – Russian Foreign
Ministry

The initiative to consider the Upper Garabagh conflict at the United
Nations General Assembly session will not have a positive influence on
peace talks, Russian Foreign Ministry information and press department
officials said.
The statement comes after the proposal to include a provision on the
`Situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ into the meeting
agenda.
`Russia abstained from voting, along with the other OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs. We believe that consideration of the issue at the UN General
Assembly session, along with the OSCE, is not likely to favorably
affect the negotiations process’, the same source said and added that
the results of the vote indicate that most of international community
adhere to the same position.*

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Nov. 2, 2004
RUSSIAN-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS EXAMPLE FOR OTHER COUNTRIES
[November 02, 2004, 18:57:40]
As the member of Committee on security of the State Duma of the Russian
Federation Gennady Gudkov informed in his exclusive interview to
correspondent of AzerTAj, for today, Russia and Azerbaijan have
developed enough warm and good relations. As he said, this positive
example of interstate cooperation, especially in maintenance of the
common safety, highly is estimated both by authority, and the Russian
people. `To this example should follow and other countries’, G. Gudkov
has told.
Gennady Gudkov has especially noted progress in the Russian-Azerbaijan
relations in the field of combat against terrorism. ` We count
absolutely right the position held by Azerbaijan in this question, and
we hope for further understanding of our problems and cooperation in
this area’.
Concerning the situation on the Russian-Azerbaijan border, the Member
of Parliament has stated that all these problems have temporary
character, in due time they will be settled and stabilized.
The Russian Member of Parliament also has expressed his views
concerning settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh
conflict and the role of Russia in this process. In particular, he has
stated that Russia recognizes territorial integrity of all states which
were part of Soviet Union, and is interested in the prompt settlement
of the conflict by peace way.
`It is complicated question in the Trans-Caucasia, and Russia would
like to resolve it, we with deep regret note that such conflict takes
place. Russia, as one of co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of OSCE, makes
all efforts to find compromise in solution of this conflict. As soon as
between the sides the conciliatory suggestions will be found, the
conflict will be settled, it will sharply strengthen safety of all
region and it will enable Russia to carry out more active joint
military policy, military-technical cooperation and to strengthen
political stability of region’, he underlined.
`Certainly, we are for the quick resolution of territorial problems,
for recognition of firmness of borders. Russia has many times stated
that is ready to become the guarantor of invariance of borders. We very
much want that there were conciliatory suggestions that Azerbaijan and
Armenia have found mutual understanding, and Russia is ready to act as
the guarantor. I think, then nobody will have desire to try to change
something in the status-quo, Mr. Gudkov added.

Assa Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov. 2, 2004
Azerbaijan reluctant to establish military co-op with Greece?

Azerbaijan has not expressed yet its attitude towards the Greek Defense
Ministry’s proposal on military cooperation, Greek Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Mercurios Karafotias told journalists in reply to a question
when Azerbaijan and Greece may sign a document on military cooperation.
The ambassador said that Greece sent a draft agreement on military
collaboration to Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry in 1997 and 2000.
However, the Azerbaijani side has not responded to the proposal yet,
Karafotias said.
Georgia and Armenia have been cooperating with Greece in the military
field for many years.*

Assa Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov. 2, 2004
Base Metals, Garabagh Telecom major investors in Upper Garabagh

Base Metals and Garabagh Telecom companies are major investors in the
self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh Republic, the Armenian press reported
last week.
According to the report, Base Metals with 700 employees has been
developing copper and gold deposits in the region for many years. The
company, which exported the first consignment of copper and gold to
European markets in October, has invested $7 million in Upper Garabagh
over a year and a half and plans to invest a total of $20 million in
the region.
Base Metals has raised the salaries of its workers to $210-220.
According to the company director Artur Mkrtumian, the processed bars
of copper and gold are produced in Armenia and then exported to Europe.
Copper and gold deposits in Upper Garabagh are expected to be developed
within 20 years, he said.
Another major investor Garabagh Telecom has been providing
telecommunications, cellular and Internet services in the region since
February 2002. The company has invested $15 million and succeeded in
establishing a mobile communications system that currently covers 75%
of the Upper Garabagh territory.*

ArmenPress
Nov. 2, 2004
RUSSIAN MINSK GROUP COCHAIRMAN AGAINST PUTTING KARABAGH ISSUE ON UN
ASSEMBLY SESSION AGENDA
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS: The Russian cochairman of the OSCE
Minsk, Yury Merzlyakov, said the UN General Committee’s decision to
include an item on the situation in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan on the UN General Assembly’s agenda could have negative
consequences, such as harming efforts to bring about a just and lasting
settlement.
Interviewed by Azerbaijan’s ATV television Merzlyakov said the UN
General Assembly’s session is not the proper forum to discuss the
matter.
Merzlyakov recalled the France’s representative speech, who spoke on
behalf of the Co-Chairmanship of the Minsk Group, which also includes
the Russian Federation and the United States, who spoke against the
decision.
“Today when we are all waiting for the sides to resume talks there
was no necessity to raise the issue,” he said, reiterating that placing
the issue on UN agenda would bring about more harms than help to make
progress.

ArmenPress
Nov. 2, 2004
ARMENIAN PUBLISHERS SHOWCASED THEIR BOOKS AT ISTANBUL FAIR
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS: For the first time Armenian
publishers showcased some 300 titles of their books at an international
book fair in the Turkish Istanbul from October 23 to October 30. Vahagn
Khachatrian, the chairman of the Armenian Publishers’ Association, told
Armenpress that some fifty Armenian publishers took their books,
ranging from Turkish-Armenian and vice versa conversation booklets,
dictionaries, works of Armenian classical and modern writers and also
textbooks and illustrated albums to Istanbul.
“We decided against taking historical novels to Turkey because of
our concerns that they may be perceived wrongly and cause problems,
taking instead only fiction, culture and art books,” he said, adding
also that their other concern was about whether Armenian publishers had
to participate in the book fair at all.
“But I have to admit that the Turkish society is taking great
interest in books and literature in general and our participation did
not go unnoticed by the Turkish readers and members of the local
Armenian community. Our participation was covered, apart from local
Armenian papers, also by influential Turkish newspapers Hurriyet and
others,” he said.
Khachatrian said the Turkish side promised to provide next year
Armenian publishers with 50 square meters of space instead of 12 meters
this year, free of charge. Turks also invited Armenian painters to
exhibit their works at the next fair at 100 square meters of space to
be given also free, not counting pledges to cover the traveling and
other expenses of the head of Armenian painters’ delegation.
Khachatrian drew parallels between book fairs in Istanbul, Berlin,
Frankfurt and the fair held in Yerevan saying publishers in these
countries enjoy the support and assistance of the govenrment, which is
not the case with Armenia.
He also said Armenian books may sell well only in Moscow, where
three is a strong Armenian community. “Out of 70,000 strong Armenian
community of Turkey few people can read in Armenian,” he said.
Armenian publishers were invited to participate in the fair by the
Association of Turkish Publishers and the fair’s management. Also local
community and Armenian-language newspapers assisted the delegation.

NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL
50 Khanjian Str., Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Tel: (3741) 551582, 571798
Fax: (3741) 574639
E-mail: [email protected]
NEW COMMUNITY CENTER IN GYUMRI
On November 2nd new Community Center is opened in Gyumri. The Norwegian
Refugee Council has financed the complete renovation of the 3-building
community center complex. Mission Armenia and Douleurs Sans Frontieres will
be providing social services to the local populations that include refugees,
earthquake victims, and local residents. These services will include
different facilities for youth and elderly persons, such as soup kitchen,
health post4, hairdressing room, bath and laundry, library, conference room,
counseling and advisory services, and trauma healing. The Center will also
have a Kindergarten for around 20 children.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian
organization that has worked actively for more than 50 years to create a
safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs), regardless of their race, religion, nationality or political
convictions. We work for the rights of refugees and IDPs, assisting with
food, shelter and education – and offering counseling on repatriation.
In Armenia, NRC has invested more that 10 million USD in refugee-targeted
projects since 1995. These include primarily housing construction, but also
school construction and rehabilitation, construction of drinking and
irrigation water pipelines, as well as human rights education and an IDP
mapping survey. So far, NRC has provided new homes for over 600 refugee
families in Armenia.
Mission Armenia was registered in 1993, though its founding members started
their activities since 1988 assisting those suffered from the earthquake and
the refugees.
The mission of the organization is to work for the interests of the elderly,
refugee and other vulnerable groups of population promoting their active,
healthy and dignified life and increasing the quality of their life
continuously advancing its model of community-based assistance.
Currently about 6,500 single older persons and 10,000 refugees residing at
250 temporary shelter benefit from Mission Armenia community-based
socio-healthcare and community development programs.
Douleurs Sans Frontiers (DSF, Pain Without Borders) is the only NGO
dedicated specifically to pain relief. Since 1995, Douleurs Sans Frontiers
has advanced the mission of helping those in pain. Based in Europe, DSF is a
non-governmental organization that has brought educational and clinical pain
treatment programs to developing countries. Since November 2001 DSF is
providing a medico-psychological assistance for mothers and children mostly
in Gyumri and partially in Yerevan. The priority is given to increasing the
competence and educational level and strengthening the capacities of
Armenian professionals.
For further information, please contact:
Norwegian Refugee Council
50 Khanjian Str., Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Tel: (3741) 551582, 571798
Fax: (3741) 574639
E-mail: [email protected]
Mission Armenia
42, Garegin Nzhdeh Str., Yerevan 375026, Armenia
Tel: (3741) 444792, 444793, 444761, 444732
Fax: (3741) 444792
URL: <; E-mail: [email protected]
Douleurs Sans Frontiers
26 Parpetsi Str., Apt. 13, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel: (3741) 535410, 533749
Fax: (3741) 535383
E-mail: [email protected]