Category: News

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 27 2004
BAKU CIRCULATES LIES AND EMPTY TALKS
Despite the useless efforts Baku does not give up the attempts at
discrediting the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh in front of the
international community, trying to accuse the latter of international
terrorism and illegal trade in narcotics. Recently “525-aya Gazata” of
Baku, making a reference to the Azerbaijani Ministry of National
Security, published information about the arrest of the Irani citizen
Khudam Penah (born in 1969), as well as four other offenders who tried
to smuggle drugs into Azerbaijan at the Irani border of Azerbaijan,
near Fizouli on March 27. The newspaper states that during the
interrogation it was confirmed that the drugs confiscated from the
group were produced in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. Probably, it would be strange if the Azerbaijani Ministry
of National Security did not connect the fact of arrest of the drug
dealers (if it happened, in fact) with Nagorni Karabakh because in
this country they even tried to find “Armenian traces” in the
explosion of the World Trade Center in New York. This is a habit which
Baku cannot and does not want to give up. Of course, it is their
problem that they look ridiculous by circulating one more lie but in
this case Azerbaijan did not take into consideration the authority of
its southern neighbour Iran, actually accusing it of inability to
control their borders. By the way, the embassy of Iran in Baku has not
confirmed this information yet. As to the evidence confirmed during
the interrogation, it is clear to anyone in what way the anti-Karabakh
evidence was extorted from the accused. This country has been accused
by the European organizations of using torture and violence against
the prisoners and even participants of protest meetings. However, the
Ministry of National Security of this republic, for concealing such a
“hearty talk” has chosen a corresponding expression “filtering”. The
participants of the “talk” with this agency, which acts as coordinator
of the anti-Armenian and anti-Karabakh campaign, after going through
the mentioned “procedure” start uttering trite expressions of the
powerful propagandist machine of Azerbaijan. Recently the same
ministry has undertaken a rather disgraceful experiment, using
Armenian refugees from Baku A. Apressian and R. Terian (who
mysteriously appeared in their native city from Yerevan) for the same
intention. Undergoing “filtering” in the same ministry where they had
appeared, according to the information of the Ministry of National
Security Council, by their will, during the press conference under the
roof of the same ministry started to utter absolute absurdities about
production of narcotics in Nagorni Karabakh (where they had never been
to), hundreds of Azerbaijani hostages and POW’s in Armenia and Nagorni
Karabakh, as well as training of terrorists of the imprisoned
Azerbaijani children in Armenia to be used against Azerbaijan, etc. I
wonder whom the authors of these absurd tales meant if the
international organizations, in particular the Red Cross, the
International Working Group on Hostages and POW’s, as well as the
Azerbaijani representative of the group and representatives of public
organizations of Azerbaijan confirmed that there were no POW’s in
Armenia and Azerbaijan. By the way, it is not difficult to guess that
this raving about drugs and prisoners is the consequence of failure of
the Azerbaijani foreign policy, more exactly one of its priorities,
the discrediting of NKR. It is known that during international
conferences, official and non-official meetings the representatives of
Azerbaijan have a number of times stated about production of narcotics
in Nagorni Karabakh. The same Ilham Aliev the head of the Azerbaijani
delegation in the PACE and vice president of Azerbaijan then during
the meeting of that authoritative organization accused Karabakh of
growth of narcotics and demanded application of sanctions against
Nagorni Karabakh. We should confess that in the sphere of mythology
Azerbaijan has achieved considerable success and confused
corresponding organizations. Not very long ago through various lies
and falsification official Baku tried to introduce false data about
production and circulation of narcotics in Nagorni Karabakh and
adjacent territories in the annual report of the USA State Department
on strategic control of world circulation of drugs. The comic side of
the situation is that Azerbaijan which supplies Washington with false
information, has no access to these territories for ten years already,
therefore it has no information on these areas. Everything is like in
Dostoevsky’s works; crime begets another crime, in the case of
Azerbaijan falsification begets other falsification, which, however,
in this case is equal to committing an offence. Realizing the
absurdity of their statements, hoping to create illusion of truth,
Azerbaijan circulates new slander; the Russian satellites have
allegedly detected plants containing narcotics and the routes of
circulation of drugsâ=80¦ Is it possible to fool the authoritative
international organizations for such a long time? And this in the case
when the Karabakh party has done so much consistent work to dispel the
accusations of Azerbaijan and achieve taking out the negative
formulations in the reports of the USA State Department, at the same
time appealing to the international organizations to form an
independent monitoring group and send to NKR to study the
situation. It is enough to recall that in 2001 the NKR president
addressed the OSCE chairman-in-office, as well as the co-chairmen of
the Minsk Group with the same suggestion, the speaker of the NKR
National Assembly addressed the chairman of the PACE, the minister of
foreign affairs made corresponding announcements. If follow the
dynamics of the evaluations to Karabakh in the reports of the USA
State Department, it is easily seen that accusations were substituted
by careful remarks that the information on using the territory of
Nagorni Karabakh for production and circulation of narcotics are
presented by the government of Azerbaijan. In further reports it is
mentioned that the United States does not possess the independent
confirmation of those statements. Thus, for the first time since 1996
there were no accusations in Karabakh’s address in the report of
2003. Moreover, the UN Department on Drugs and Crime confirmed they
did not posses evidence on the use of the NK territory for transit of
narcotic drugs. In addition to this, for a number of times now the
report of the State Department states that one of the main transit
routes of drugs passes via the territory of Azerbaijan. Let us agree
that Azerbaijan has enough reasons for losing hope, which causes
another wave of misinformation and slander. In other words, appearing
in a comic situation, the Azerbaijani authorities still point the
arrow at Nagorni Karabakh accusing of production and trade of
narcotics. Apparently doubting the announcements of Azerbaijan the USA
State Department and UN corresponding organizations have dealt a
serious blow to the authority of Baku. Hence the barefaced lies,
slander and hysteria, nervous efforts of saving “their
image”. “Nagorni Karabakh was pleased with the latest report of the
State Department of the United States and we hope the foreign
political agency of the USA, as well as the international
organizations will refuse to use unverified data in their reports,”
said the NKR vice minister of foreign affairs Masis Mayilian. “Let us
hope that in answer to the numerous appeals of Nagorni Karabakh the
interested organizations will form a group of independent experts to
monitor the situation directly and reveal objective facts. We are
convinced that the findings of the survey will allow putting an end to
the manipulations of the topic and will prevent Azerbaijan’s attempts
at providing misinformation to the international community.” By the
way, setting forth unacceptable conditions in recent years official
Baku counteracted to the attempts of sending the international mission
to Nagorni Karabakh, which allowed Baku to confuse the international
community freely. We want to believe that the international commission
will finally manage to cut the long thread of falsification and false
accusations.
LEONID MARTIROSSIAN.

The Times (London)
April 27, 2004, Tuesday
Flag waving
Iraq’s Governing Council has just created employment for thousands of
tailors and seamstresses. The Iraqi flag, which for 40 years
fluttered across courts, barracks and stadiums, has been changed. The
three stars, adopted by the Baathists as symbols of their ideology,
have given way to a pale blue crescent, intended to symbolise peace,
surmounting two lines of blue, the Tigris and the Euphrates, with a
strip of yellow sand. At least this new flag, unlike our own, will
not be inadvertently flown upside down.
Flags are today the most potent symbols of nationhood. When a border,
system or constitution changes, so does the flag. Apartheid and
communism have been consigned to the dustbin of history and so has
the hammer and sickle, as well as the old South African symbols of
Dutch and British settlement. The Rising Sun shed its rays after
Hiroshima and the swastika mercifully was obliterated. The Arab world
has had its share of changes: in the heady 1960s, when short-lived
unions inspired nationalist fervour, stars were sewn on or ripped off
at a dizzying rate.
The United States slowly added stars to the 13 bars as states joined
the union.
Indeed, the most persuasive argument against statehood for Puerto
Rico is the havoc an extra star would play with the constellation.
The European Union, thankfully, has stuck at 12, even though it is
soon to be 25.
Flags were originally markers, “colours” to rally troops lost in the
confusion of the battlefield. They then were used to designate the
lands and cities over which the king’s writ held sway. For centuries
they were iconic symbols, emblematic of patron saints, mercantile
interests or national history. England chose St George – a saint
rescued from right-wing extremism by football, his banner now greased
on a thousand supporters’ faces. Some countries made confusingly
similar choices: in strong sunlight the Italian flag could be
mistaken for the Irish, the Dutch for the flag of Luxembourg. Newer
countries wanted clearer symbols: the Lebanese chose a cedar tree,
the Cypriots a map (which ought, perhaps, to be divided now), the
Saudis a Koranic credo.
Colours matter too. Blue is the universal favourite. Communists had a
passion for red, Muslims prefer any combination of the sacred colours
red, green, black and white, and the old maxim that blue and green
should never be seen largely holds true. Politics is never far away.
The Greeks were furious at Macedonia’s claim to the many-pointed
star. The best retort was that of Gromyko to the Turks’ objection
that Soviet Armenia’s flag pictured Mount Ararat, in Turkey: “Your
flag has a crescent. Do you claim the moon?” Let us hope that no one
else now lays claim to the Euphrates.

Bahrain Tribune
April 27, 2004 Tuesday
Five new envoys present credentials
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, yesterday received credentials from
five ambassador-designates. The ambassadors are Abdulrazaq Taher of
Ghana, Daiya Aldeen Saeed of Djibouti, Rito Rekola of Finland, Dr
Arshak Poladyah of Armenia and Janos Jeerees of Hungary.

Los Angeles Times
April 27, 2004 Tuesday
Home Edition
POP MUSIC REVIEW;
System of a Down turns it up at benefit
by Lina Lecaro, Special to The Times
The refusal of the American government to officially recognize the
Armenian genocide of 1915 continues to be a source of outrage among
Armenian Americans, the largest concentration of whom live in Los
Angeles. It’s something manic metal band System of a Down, whose
members are all of Armenian descent, has been addressing for years,
and on Saturday at the Greek Theatre, on the 89th anniversary of the
beginning of the controversial episode, the band took its fight a
step further with “Souls 2004,” a benefit concert to raise awareness
and money for the issue.
“You’re here for the music,” remarked poet Saul Williams, whose
passionate orations preceded System of a Down’s pulverizing
performance. “But there’s a message too.”
A news clip related to the genocide, projected on giant monitors
before the quartet took the stage, started System’s set off on a
somber note. But it also allowed their music to steadily surge,
beginning with a pitch-perfect rendition of its hypnotic hit
“Aerials” and building with other songs from its breakthrough release
“Toxicity” and the more recent “Steal This Album.” Singer Serj
Tankian’s rapid-fire rants, while impressive, would have been grating
without the balance of his other more soothing vocal guise, an
operatic croon that swelled with emotional reflection.
Guitarist Daron Malakian’s intricate instrumental work truly danced
with and enhanced Tankian’s singing.
System’s quirky mash of chaotic riffs and majestic, Middle
Eastern-flavored melodies manages to be boisterous and beauteous,
frantic yet languid and lush. It’s a signature style that’s even more
powerful live, and it’s one that should give the band a forum to
express its views, political or otherwise, for a long time.

The Charlotte Observer
April 27, 2004, Tuesday
Turkey hosts layers of history _ and Chevy Chase commercials
By John Bordsen
What’s it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a
vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who
lives in a spot you may want to visit.
Robert Stewart, 39, works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at
Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. He describes himself as an “Army brat”
born in Baltimore; Stewart has been in Turkey for two years.
Q. What do you see when you look out your window?
A. Where I work, there are palm trees going out to a miniature golf
course and swimming pool. If I turn right I can see the Taurus
Mountains across the flight line.
Incirlik is outside of Adana, not far from that little dogleg of
Turkey that turns south toward Syria. It’s a kind of a delta area,
very flat and with lots of farming. Then all of a sudden mountains
rise up that ring the area. If you drive about 45 minutes south, you
get to the Mediterranean Sea.
Q. That’s quite an historic area, isn’t it?
A. Not far from here is a little outdoor museum where they found a
Hittite summer palace, with tablets that had cuneiform writing. There
were some statues, too. The Armenians were once in this area _ it was
called Lesser Armenia _ and there are castles all over from that time
and when the area was controlled by the Byzantine Empire.
A city close to here was a Roman town, then a Byzantine and then an
Armenian town. There are temples and archways that are Roman; up on a
hill is an Armenian fortress. History is physically kind of mixed
together here.
Adana has a famous bridge built by Romans that’s still in use. It’s
just a little two-lane cobblestone bridge crossing the Seyhan River.
Q. Do you get many tourists or archaeologists?
A. I don’t see any. I’ve gone out to some of these sites, and it’s
only locals, who come running out to me with handfuls of copper
coins. It’s probably not legal for them to sell them or for me to buy
them, but I did get a silver coin. It looks like it was manufactured
recently. There’s probably a good business in making and selling
fakes.
Q. Is the local population all Turk, now?
A. It’s predominantly Turkish. We’re in south central Turkey, but
everyone considers anything east of Ankara, the capital, to be
“east.” The population speaks Turkish, and some have Arabic or
Kurdish as a second language.
Q. What’s to do there in your spare time?
A. You can go exploring. You can go up in the Taurus Mountains. There
are summer pasturages called yaylas where farmers take goats and
sheep. It’s a little cooler and drier in the mountains, so on
weekends people go there to escape the lowland heat.
Q. What’s the weather like now?
A. Chilly and rainy. We had a bit of snow recently; it didn’t stick
but was strange to see. During the day now, it can get to 55 or 70,
be sunny or rainy. In summer, temperatures can get to 120, with 90
percent humidity _ or worse.
Q. What’s the best thing to see around there?
A. Cappadocia, which is a couple of hours north of here. It’s a very
dry, desert area. Over the centuries, people have dug into limestone
cliffs and built houses and apartments in them _ there’s actually an
entire underground city. And every time some invader passed through,
the population went to live underground for a bit. It’s pretty
famous.
Antakya _ ancient Antioch _ has St. Peter’s Grotto, one of the oldest
churches in Christianity, it is said. It was discovered by crusaders.
There’s also a great museum with many mosaics.
Q. It’s said that Turkey is a very secular Muslim society. Is that
true?
A. My friends are Turkish through and through, but they drink beer
that’s brewed in Turkey, and a drink called raku, which is like
pernod or ouzo. You mix it with water and it turns white.
Turks are proud and respectful of Islam, but some _ especially in the
cities _ see no harm in bending the rules a bit. They can’t eat
“pig,” but “pork” is OK. Some of the best pork ribs I’ve enjoyed were
barbecued in Istanbul.
Q. What’s the food like?
A. Very Mediterranean. Like Greek food. They’d argue over who
invented which dish, and I wouldn’t want to be there when it happens.
Lamb kabobs and meat with yogurt over it. There’s fish in the coastal
cities. That kind of thing.
Q. How’s the local radio?
A. Turkish pop stars do Turkish songs. You go to a party and realize
everybody knows these songs. When one’s on the radio or a musician
starts playing it, the entire room will start singing along. Must be
old classic made new.
Q. And local TV?
A. There are little night-time soap operas, and American shows with
subtitles. A lot of variety shows with Turkish singers and musicians,
and news shows kind of like “60 Minutes.” Very modern.
I was watching Turkish TV the other day with some folks in Izmir and
we saw this commercial with Chevy Chase! He comes home to this
all-American family, enters the kitchen, and _ in English, with
Turkish subtitles _ asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”
“I’m making biber,” his wife says. That’s a Turkish dish with green
peppers, and Chevy looks confused.
Cut to the family at the table and she comes in with this dish and
with Cola Turka _ Turkey’s answer to Coke _ and the family starts
singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in English.
My friends asked, “Do Americans really sing at the table like this?”
Well, the joke is, after a swig of Cola Turka this family starts
singing a Turkish folk song. And at the end, when Grandma and Grandpa
drive away, the wife throws water after them _ an old Turkish custom.
And when Chevy turns to face the camera, he’s sporting a Turkish
moustache and speaking in a Turkish accent. We thought it was great.

ARMENIA AND INDIA TO COOPERATE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
26 Apr 04
(Presenter) Only three countries in the world Ireland, Israel and
India have chosen the development path in the information technology
sphere. In 12 years India increased export volume to 13bn dollars in
this field. Armenia has also chosen high technology as the main
development path in the economy and India’s experience in this field
is valuable for our country. A cooperation agreement in this field was
reached during the Armenian president’s state visit to India. The
Indian deputy minister of information technology is in Armenia today
(26 April).
(Correspondent) India’s export volume in the information technology
sphere constituted 20m dollars in 1995, this indicator reached 13bn
dollars in 2003. According to the Indian specialists’ assessments
four years later, the export volume in the sphere of information
technology will constitute 60bn dollars annually. Indian Deputy
Minister of Information Technologies Lakshminarayanan announced that
this is based on business and government cooperation.
(Indian Deputy Minister of Information Technology Lakshminarayanan,
captioned, in Indian with Armenian voice over) The government is
preparing the programmes, creating favourable conditions for
developing information technologies.
(Correspondent) Armenia’s export volume in the field of information
technologies constitutes 50m dollars annually.
(Director of Armenian Fund “Information technology” Garegin
Chugaszyan, captioned) We had a tradition of some generations, which
India had not. And India’s scientific potential in this field has been
created later than in Armenia. These differences must also be taken
into consideration when we are comparing Armenia with India.
(Correspondent) Apart from this we have much to learn from India,
especially in the systematizing field. India is ready to render
assistance to Armenia in this field. An agreement on cooperation in
this field has been signed a year ago, during the Armenian president’s
visit to India on the bases of which are being made the first steps.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION HALTS “PRETENCE” DIALOGUE WITH AUTHORITIES
Mediamax news agency
27 Apr 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian opposition decided to halt its participation in political
consultations with the ruling coalition, which took place at the
initiative of the speaker of the Armenian National Assembly in
parliament yesterday and today, member of the Justice opposition
block’s faction Viktor Dallakyan told journalists today.
A Mediamax parliamentary correspondent reported that Dallakyan pointed
out that the meetings between opposition and coalition
representatives, which took place in the Armenian parliament on 26-27
April, cannot qualify as “dialogue” between the authorities and the
opposition. According to Viktor Dallakyan, “these were political
consultations the holding of which is envisaged by the Armenian
National Assembly’s regulations”.
Viktor Dallakyan said that the opposition decided to halt its
participation in the consultations after the coalition
representatives, having a majority in the parliament refused to
discuss two out of 10 items presented by the opposition. In
particular, the deputy said, the coalition refused to consider the
issue of providing the Armenian citizens with the right to free
transportation and decided not to delay the voting for the bill “On
the procedure of staging meetings, rallies, marches and
demonstrations” in the third final reading scheduled for tomorrow.
Viktor Dallakyan said that today the authorities have again blocked
the highways connecting Yerevan with regions of the republic in order
to hamper the opposition adherents’ participation in the rally, which
will take place on Freedom Square, in the centre of the Armenian
capital, at 1600 today. “The authorities want to create the pretence
of a dialogue with the opposition but they continue to pursue a terror
policy in relation to their own people,” Viktor Dallakyan said. He
added that the opposition will not resume its participation in the
political consultations till the ruling coalition and the authorities
ensure the observance of rights and freedom of the Armenian citizens.

PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER FEARS FOR ARMENIA’S FUTURE
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
24 Apr 04
Text of Naira Zograbyan report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak
on 24 April headlined “The National Assembly chairman is concerned
again”
The assessments given yesterday at a news conference by the National
Assembly chairman, Artur Bagdasaryan, are diametrically opposed to
other top officials’ assessments of the country. While the president
thinks that the country’s further development is in no danger and
continues to construct the country, and the opposition, which has no
other toy, is conducting rallies, yesterday the National Assembly
chairman presented to journalists a scenario in which Armenia’s future
is threatened if the domestic political conflict continues developing
according to this logic and the parties refuse to negotiate.
“Mutual avoidance of negotiations will lead to unpleasant events,
which we have already had. If events continue to develop as at
present, we shall lag behind democratic values, as the authorities,
which are based on keeping law and order, are starting to apply
force. So, the right of force goes ahead and policy falls back.
“The situation in foreign policy also causes concern: Armenia’s
international authority is being damaged, which is a blow to the
country, and the further worsening of events will prompt developments
which will go beyond the framework of democracy and will cause harsh
international assessments. If events develop in this way, Armenia’s
membership of the Council of Europe may be discussed at any time. This
means the country will be isolated internationally and under a
political and economic blockade. And all of us can see this
happening.” This is what the National Assembly chairman predicted for
Armenia.
So what is to be done? According to Artur Bagdasaryan, although it is
very difficult to find a way out of the prevailing situation,
nevertheless dialogue is again the main solution. So, before the next
resolute rally of the opposition on 27 April, the National Assembly
chairman invites the political forces to negotiations at 1800 (1300
gmt) on 26 April on the situation in the country. By the way, Artur
Bagdasaryan again reconfirmed what he had said during his previous
news conference that the arrests on political grounds and the
“pogroms” of the opposition parties’ offices alienate Armenia from
democratic values.
He was the only top official of Armenia to condemn yesterday the
violence against Ashot Manucharyan (a member of the political council
of the Armenian Socialist Forces and ex-interior minister, who was
beaten up in the street on 22 April). Touching on the attack on the
demonstrators on 13 April, Artur Bagdasaryan again recalled the
structure that is responsible for guarding the National Assembly
building (i.e. the police and not Bagdasaryan himself). He also
advised journalists to think why it is advantageous for some people to
point the finger at the National Assembly. And though on 27 April, on
the day of the opposition’s rally, he again will not be responsible
for the security of the National Assembly building, yesterday he
informed journalists that from 1800 on 27 April the National Assembly
door will be sealed on his orders.

AZERI, POLISH LEADERS DISCUSS EXPANDING RELATIONS
ANS TV, Baku
27 Apr 04
(Presenter) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is visiting Poland. The
president met Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski today. Now over
to Warsaw. ANS TV’s special correspondent Qanira Pasayeva is on the
line. Qanira, good evening, what did the president discuss at his
meeting?
(Correspondent) Good evening, Aytan. It was stated after the meeting,
this meeting was tete-a-tete, that it had discussed bilateral
relations and processes in the region and in the world at large. No
complete statement was made. However, among the issues discussed
between Poland and Azerbaijan, the development of political and
economic relations between the two countries was the main subject of
discussion. An Azerbaijani embassy is expected to start operating in
Poland in the near future. Apart from that, Poland is very interested
in the Odessa-Brody oil (pipeline) project and in the activities of
the GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova)
organization.
Another subject that was presumably discussed was the subject of Iraq,
because Azerbaijan’s military forces in Iraq are operating on
Polish-controlled territory, i.e. under the Polish military
command. Apart from that, Aleksander Kwasniewski pointed out that
Azerbaijan’s participation in the European economic summit and in
other events of the sort could help boost Azerbaijan’s relations with
Europe.
The main meetings are expected to take place tomorrow. First of all,
President Ilham Aliyev will participate in the European economic
summit tomorrow. I want to point out that in connection with the
European economic summit, serious security measures have been taken in
Warsaw. I can even say that it is under total control because
thousands of anti-globalists have already arrived in Poland. President
Ilham Aliyev will be the main reporter on the implementation of major
projects tomorrow. President Ilham Aliyev will speak about projects of
importance to Europe – oil, gas and energy projects. He will also
touch on the Baku-Ceyhan and Baku-Erzurum (pipeline projects), because
there is an issue of transporting gas to the European market and
Europe is very interested in expanding alternative sources of energy.
Ilham Aliyev is also expected to touch on the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem, i.e. the unresolved status of the conflict and Armenia’s
aggressive policy remain a great source of danger, i.e. the main
source of danger that might disrupt stability in the region where such
projects are being implemented.
After that, there will be a tete-a-tete meeting with (Armenian
President) Robert Kocharyan which will last for two hours. After the
tete-a-tete meeting, there will be a luncheon on the Caucasus with
Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev in attendance. I should also note
that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen will also arrive in Warsaw
tonight. After the meeting between Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev,
Ilham Aliyev will have a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen. It is very interesting that no meeting was planned
between Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev several days ago. The idea
of this meeting came up after the visit to the region by the new US
co-chairman, Steven Mann, and after the Prague summit of the
(Azerbaijani and Armenian) foreign ministers. That’s why it is very
interesting.
After that, President Ilham Aliyev will have a tete-a-tete meeting
with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. The main subject of
discussions will be the events taking place in the region and energy
projects, i.e. the oil and gas projects implemented in the region. And
this will mark the end of President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Poland.
(Presenter) Thank you, Qanira. This was ANS TV’s special correspondent
Qanira Pasayeva reporting from the Polish capital of Warsaw.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER’S AIDE DEPORTED TO USA
A1+ web site
27 Apr 04
27 April: An aide to Armenian People’s Party leader Stepan Demirchyan,
Artur Vardanyan, who is a US citizen, was deported from Armenia last
night.
Let us recall that he was arrested on Friday evening (23 April) and
was accused under Articles 300 and 329 of the Armenian Criminal Code
(calls for the change of the authorities and crossing the border
illegally).