Category: News

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
April 26, 2004
Commemoration of April 24 in Armenia
On the morning of Saturday, April 24, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, diocesan primates, high ranking
clergymen, and members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin visited the
“Tsitsernakaberd” Memorial to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, to pay tribute
to the memory of the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century. His
Holiness offered a solemn Requiem Service in memory of the 1.5 million
Armenian martyrs who perished in Turkey and the deserts of Syria in the
final days of the Ottoman Empire.
In attendance for the commemoration were President of the Republic of
Armenia Robert Kocharian, President of the National Assembly Artur
Baghdasarian, Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian, President of the
Constitutional Court Gagik Harutiunian, high ranking government officials,
ambassadors and representatives of foreign states, and guests from Armenia
and abroad.
* * *
The same day a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother Cathedral
of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness Karekin II presided during the service
commemorating the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which was
celebrated by Very Rev. Fr. Arshak Khachatrian, Chancellor of the Mother
See.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Pontifical procession gathered around
the Armenian Genocide Monument located north of the Cathedral on the grounds
of the Mother See, as His Holiness presided during a Repose of Souls
service.
High ranking clergymen, Apostolic Nuncio for the Roman Catholic Church Abp.
Claudio Gugerotti, and hundreds of faithful were present.
##
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin
4100 N. Newman Road
Racine, WI 53406
April 26, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact: A. Zohrab Khaligian
[email protected]
WISCONSIN ARMENIANS COMMEMORATE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
MADISON, WI–For the fourth year in a row, Wisconsin Armenian Americans
gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison to commemorate the
Armenian Genocide. Over 70 people–including 13 State Representatives and
Senators–attended the reception and program held on Tuesday, April 20 in
the GAR Hearing Room. The event was co-hosted by the Armenian National
Committee (ANC) of Wisconsin, State Representatives Mark Honadel, Bonnie
Ladwig, and Jeff Stone, and State Senators Jeff Plale, Mary Lazich, and
Cathy Stepp.
The purpose of the program was to thank the Wisconsin State Assembly and
State Senate for adopting Armenian Genocide resolutions, which designate
April 24 of each year as “Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 to 1923,” and to continue to educate and promote awareness
of Armenia and Armenian issues, particularly the Armenian Genocide. The
featured speakers included Robert O. Krikorian, Ph.D., Representative Jeff
Stone, and Senator Mary Lazich. The program also included the reading of
commemorative statements from US Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl.
Zohrab Khaligian, representing the ANC of Wisconsin, presented the welcoming
message. Khaligian thanked everyone for attending the program and voiced
his disbelief that almost 90 years had passed since the Ottoman Turkish
government attempted to eliminate an entire nation, that their crime has
gone largely unrecognized and totally unpunished, and today the crime of
genocide continues as rumors abound about atrocities in Sudan.
Khaligian thanked the State Assembly and Senate for not ignoring the past
and setting the record straight by adopting Genocide resolutions which
reaffirm the Armenian Genocide as a fact of history. Khaligian also thanked
Wisconsin’s US Representatives Tammy Baldwin, Mark Green, Jerry Kleczka,
Paul Ryan, and F. James Sensenbrenner for co-sponsoring the Genocide
Convention Resolution–H.Res.193–which is currently waiting to be brought
to the House floor for a vote. Khaligian singled out Representative
Sensenbrenner for his leadership on the House Judiciary Committee, ensuring
that this legislation was adopted at the committee level following intense
pressure to eliminate the mention of the Armenian Genocide by pro-Turkish
lobbyist Bob Livingston and the Turkish Ambassador to the United States
Faruk Logoglu.
US Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl were also thanked for cosponsoring
the Senate version of the Genocide Convention Resolution (S.Res164).
Khaligian introduced Katie Crawley from Senator Feingold’s Middleton office
and Darci Louma from Senator Kohl’s Madison office, and then read each of
the Senator’s commemorative statements. (Full text of statements below).
Guest speaker Robert O. Krikorian, Ph.D. was then introduced. Dr. Krikorian
is a historian with the Office of the Historian at the US Department of
State, a Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International
Affairs at George Washington University and a fellow at the university’s
Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. It was announced
that prior to the program, Dr. Krikorian was the featured speaker at a
series of lectures organized by the ANC of Wisconsin. The series included a
talk on Saturday, April 17th with the Racine Chapter of the Armenian Youth
Federation on Dr. Krikorian’s experiences in Armenia and Artsakh from
1988-1991. A lecture titled “Education and Responsibility” on Sunday, April
18th at St. Hagop Armenian Church in Racine and an academic lecture entitled
“In the Shadow of War: The Ottoman Empire and the Destruction of the
Armenians” on Monday, April 19th, which was presented twice, once at the
University of Wisconsin-Parkside Library, and once at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union. The Friends of the UW-Parkside Library,
and the UW-Madison Armenian Student Association and History Department
hosted the latter two lectures, respectively.
Dr. Krikorian explained that the Ottoman Empire’s massacre and deportation
of the Armenian people during World War I should be understood in the
context not only of the war itself, but in the decline of the empire.
Beginning in the latter part of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire
suffered a series of military and political reverses, culminating in its
total defeat in 1918. The significant losses of territory in the Balkans,
North Africa, and Western Armenia preceding the Genocide created the
preconditions for carrying out this final solution to the Armenian Question.
The final two speakers were Representative Jeff Stone and Senator Mary
Lazich. A co-host since the first commemorative program, Representative
Stone commended the Armenian American community of Wisconsin for remembering
their history in an effort to prevent history from repeating itself.
Senator Lazich, speaking for the first time since becoming a co-host in
2002, read excerpts from an article written by Dr. Richard Hovannissian to
highlight the enormity of the Armenian Genocide.
Prior to closing the program, Zohrab Khaligian thanked Representative Bonnie
Ladwig for her support and guidance in making the State Capitol program a
success. Representative Ladwig will be retiring from the Assembly in the
Fall due to health reasons and will be sorely missed by the
Armenian-American community in Racine.
In closing, Khaligian explained that the objective for obtaining recognition
of the Armenian Genocide can no longer be to obtain justice for the Armenian
people. As the crime of genocide has continued to the present day, the
Armenian people and their supporters must strive to obtain recognition and
justice for the Armenian Genocide in order to prevent future genocides from
ever occurring again. Khaligian wondered aloud that if the crime of
genocide is allowed to continue, who will be left alive?
The Armenian National Committee is the largest Armenian American grassroots
political organization in Wisconsin and nationwide. The ANC actively
advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian American
community.
####
—————————-
Statement by Senator Herb Kohl
—————————-
Dear Friends
Please allow me to extend my best wishes and greetings to all of you who
have gathered today to commemorate the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. I regret my schedule prevents me from attending, and I hope this
event raises awareness and pays tribute to the victims of this seminal
moment.
I also hope this event provides everyone in attendance with an opportunity
to reflect on the tragic events of 89 years ago, and steels our resolve to
prevent it from ever happening again. We have an obligation to future
generations to share our lessons and experiences so that atrocities are
never repeated. Commemorations like this lay the important foundation of
that critical task, while also offering a fitting forum to pay our respects
to the victims of the tragedy.
Thank you for your efforts to promote peace, tolerance and a memorial of the
past. Best wishes.
Sincerely
Herb Kohl [signed]
US Senator
——————————-
Statement by Senator Russ Feingold
——————————-
Statemen t of US Senator Russ Feingold
Commemorating the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
April 20, 2004
“I am sorry that I am unable to attend this important commemoration. Thank
you to the Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin for organizing this
event. Today, we remember the Armenian men, women and children who lost
their lives during the Armenian genocide. 89 years ago between 1915 and
1923, the Ottoman empire undertook a policy to isolate, exile and eliminate
the Armenian population. One and a half million Armenians were
systematically murdered in this campaign. Hundreds of thousands more were
forced to flee their homes.
The Armenian genocide must not be denied or forgotten. We have an
obligation to remember and remind others of the horror that occurred. As
seen by the killings in Bosnia, Kosovo and Rwanda over the past decade,
targeting people for their ethnicity is still a frequent occurrence. Its
repetition demands that we speak out and inform others in order to prevent
future atrocities.
Today, I join you in solemnly remembering the victims of the Armenian
genocide, and in honoring their memory by reaffirming our resolve to prevent
genocide from occurring again.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage
Monday, April 19, 2004
AGBU PRESIDENT BERGE SETRAKIAN’S REMARKS AT THE 2004 ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
AGBU, along with the Eastern and Western Dioceses of the Armenian
Church, joined the Armenian Assembly of America in the organization of
the National Conference and Banquet, which was held in Washington
D.C. from April 18-20, 2004.
AGBU President Berge Setrakian addressed the convention during the
Gala event and below is the full text of his speech.
* * *
It is a sincere and rewarding pleasure to be here this evening with a
most outstanding and dedicated audience. The Armenian Assembly has put
much effort into arranging this important and worthwhile event. It is
an event that allows dedicated Armenians such as yourselves to become
advocates for the issues of importance to all Armenians. As President
of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, I am particularly proud that
our organization is a cooperating partner in the conference, along
with both the Eastern and Western branches of the Armenian Church of
America. Armenian organizations worldwide must establish vital
relationships with one another, and this conference serves as a great
example of how we can work together closely to create a momentum of
improvement in our community. In fact, at the AGBU worldwide
convention in New York two years ago, I called on our own membership
to begin a strategic process of working hand in hand to facilitate
cooperation-not competition-among A! rmenian organizations. This
spirit of cooperation must be encouraged and expanded, as it has the
potential to be one of our greatest sources of strength.
In the complex and changing world we live in today, it is even more
imperative for us to unite and strengthen our voices as we express our
concerns within the American political arena. Widespread understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues among our fellow Americans is an
important goal for each and every one of us. We must do all we can to
tell people about such issues and the need for their support from the
American government. The way we do that best is by remaining united
and remaining active, as we have been over the course of this
conference.
I would like to take this opportunity to share another major goal of
the AGBU at this moment, a goal with which I hope you can agree. More
and more at our organization, we are renewing our commitment to
serving the community by coming up with new ways to address its
needs. There is so much need in our community that we must constantly
reevaluate how to put our resources to their best and most effective
use. As we push to preserve our Armenian identity through cultural,
educational, and humanitarian efforts, we come to the conclusion that,
so to speak, doing ‘business as usual’ will no longer work. We face
new challenges, new conditions, and new parameters. We exist in a
world that is constantly changing, and we must adapt accordingly to
ensure our strength and survival indefinitely. To every challenge we
face in every program we run, we must design new responses that can
more effectively achieve our mission of serving the Armenian
people. This requires from us a certain vigila! nce-a promise that we
will create new programs and institutions to fulfill our urgent needs,
and dedicate our existing resources to that fulfillment.
Our need to evolve as a community and as individual organizations is
part of our responsibility to the Armenian youth, the new generation
who may not be as tightly linked to the traditional forms of identity
and heritage. Today, we serve a generation of young Armenian-Americans
who are more, if not fully integrated in American society. These are
young people who, even more than those of us who arrived as
immigrants, have an allegiance and loyalty to their native United
States. If a dedication to the Armenian homeland of their ancestors is
to exist, it will exist alongside an equal dedication to their
American homeland. Being Armenian-Americans does not mean that they
are 50% Armenian and 50% American. No-it means that they are 100%
Americans, who feel a strong and full commitment to their Armenian
identity. Therefore, as we work together in the future, we must take
into account that the next generation feels and lives its Armenian
identity in ways that are different from those! of our older
community. Our programs must understand this and take it as a premise
of how they operate and what they hope to achieve. We must commit
ourselves to building programs that make not only great Armenians, but
great Americans.
I believe that this conference has been an activity of that
nature-here, we have come together as full and active Americans
dedicated to the causes of Armenian concern. We have honored the goal
of unity, of service, and of being good American citizens and loyal
Armenians.
In closing, let me again express my gratitude and that of the AGBU to
the participants and supporters of this landmark event. We are proud
and grateful to have been part of this Conference in Washington and
look forward to moving together into a bright and prosperous future.

Democracy – beyond the market
Throughout the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Richard Swift finds a
new breed of activists are struggling for sustainable democracy.
Eleanora Manandyan – social justice worker
Eleanora explains how her agency for helping poor youth in Armenia got its
name quite simply. ‘We face a severe psychological problem here in Armenia.
Everyone will tell you they have no hope, no belief in the future. “New
Armenia” gives the idea of hope.’
The agency does casework with young people but its ambitions go well beyond
that of a Westernstyle social agency, fundamentally challenging the corrupt
political oligarchy that runs her country.
As a former student activist herself, Eleanora is enthusiastic about
building a network of pupil councils throughout Armenian high schools to
empower youth. She talks despairingly of the aid money that disappears into
a black hole. ‘Money for schools is stolen. Electricity privatization money
disappears. Enough money is given to fund 20 HIV education centres, [but
only] 2 get funded. And if anyone gets close to this problem they disappear.
‘ She quotes a police inspector who told her in confidence: ‘It is possible
to solve all Armenia’s problems in 24 hours – put all these oligarchs in
prison and put their money back into the state budget.’
Eleanora doesn’t let her frustration overwhelm her. ‘We must create new
hope. Our only hope is to work with children.’
—

Life After Communism: The Facts
In the ‘transition’ from communism, the suffering of the people of Eastern
Europe and the former Soviet Union has been great, while the hoped-for
freedom from exploitation and autocracy remains elusive.
The NI maps some of the costs of market-driven shock therapy.
Post-communist meltdown in Russia
– Throughout the entire Yeltsin transition period, flight of capital away
from Russia totalled between $1 and $2 billion US every month.1
– Each year from 1989 to 2001 there was a fall of approximately 8% in Russia
‘s productive assets.1
– Although Russia is largely an urban society, 3 out of every 4 people grow
some of their own food in order to be able to survive.2
– Male life expectancy went from 64.2 years in 1989 to 59.8 in 1999. The
drop in female life expectancy was less severe from 74.5 to 72.8 years.3
Transition costs – shock therapy
– The increase from 1990 to 1999 in the percentage of people living on less
than $1 a day was greater in the former communist countries (3.7%) than
anywhere else in the world.4
– The number of people living in ‘poverty’ in the former Soviet Republics
rose from 14 million in 1989 to 147 million even prior to the crash of the
rouble in 1998.2
Economic success
Poland was the only ‘transition’ country moving from a command to a market
economy to have a greater Gross Domestic Product in 1999 than it did in
1989.1 GDP growth between 1990 and 2001 was negative or close to negative in
every country of in the region with Russia (-3.7), Georgia (-5.6), Ukraine
(-7.9), Moldova (-8.4) and Tajikistan (-8.5) faring the worst.4
Equality
Slovakia tops the Gini index as the most equal country in the world. Russia
and Armenia are amongst the most unequal.4
Privatization
Between 1993 and 1995, 20,000 out of 27,000 Russian state enterprises were
privatized. The Government sold them for about 10% per cent of their true
value.1
The state rolls back in
Despite its transition to a market economy the bureaucracy in Russia has
grown dramatically. The Soviet bureaucracy under Brezhnev (Soviet
centralism) made up about 12 million people. It ballooned to 18 million
under Gorbachev (restructure). Under Yeltsin (transition) the number of
state functionaries in Russia alone exceeded that for the whole Soviet Union
in Gorbachev’s time.1
Soviet resurrections
Of the 20 current presidents of Eastern European nations (excluding the
former Yugoslavia) and countries which used to be part of the Soviet Union
11 are former party insiders (called nomenklatura).
The Ego of them all
Turkmenistan ‘President for Life’ Saparmurat Niyazov has erected a golden
statue of himself that rotates 24 hours a day so that it always faces the
sun and has renamed the months and days of the week to honour himself, his
mother and his favourite national heroes.
All monetary values are expressed in US dollars.
1 Boris Kagarlitsky, Russia Under Yeltsin and Putin, Pluto, London 2002.
2 Stephen Cohen, Failed Crusade, Norton, New York, 2001.
3 Martin McCauley, Bandits, Gangsters and the Mafia, Longman, London, 2001.
4 2003 World Development Indicators, World Bank, Washington.
5 World Guide, 2003/2004, Montevideo 2003.
—

New Internationalist
April 2004
Armenian Lives
A photo essay on poverty and transition by Onnik Krikorian
Throughout the former Soviet Union, the transition to a market economy has
incurred a heavy price. In Armenia, according to official statistics, 50 per
cent of the people live below the national poverty line and 23.7 per cent of
the population lives on less than $1 a day. The National Statistics Service
reports that 70 per cent of Armenians live on a staple diet of macaroni,
bread and potatoes. Armenia has the most unequal distribution of wealth in
all of the former Soviet Union. The new World Bank-initiated Poverty
Reduction Strategy (2003) has identified endemic corruption and a shadow
economy that accounts for up to 60 per cent of all business dealings in the
Republic.
Pic 1: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) identifies urban
poverty as a growing concern in Armenia. In Yerevan, this family lives in a
dilapidated hostel. One week after this photograph was taken, the child
sitting on her mother’s lap died.
Pic 2: Armenian refugees from the conflict with Azerbaijan lead a precarious
existence. According to the Armenian Government, there are 245,106 refugees
registered in the Republic and over 70,000 who have been displaced from the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Pic 3: A man living in dilapidated housing in the Armenian capital, Yerevan,
removes copper wire from old appliances to sell. He will earn 300 dram
(about 50 cents) for every kilo of copper he retrieves.
Pic 4: A pensioner catches fish in a lake near the southern town of Sisian.
With pensions standing at approximately 5,000 dram a month (less than $10),
he will sell the fish for around 20 cents each to businesses that will then
sell them for considerably more in Yerevan.
Pic 5: After having their three children taken and placed in a children’s
home, this couple work sweeping the streets for 15,000 dram a month
(approximately $30) in order to provide for a family home they and their
children can return to.
Pic 6: Life for some, however, is not bad. Corruption, as elsewhere in the
former Soviet Union, is endemic in Armenia and especially in the police
force. Although salaries for police officers stand at around $20 a month,
bribes from passing motorists are commonplace and are passed up in a chain
that leads straight to the top.
Pic 7: Twelve years after Armenia declared independence from the former
Soviet Union, internal social tensions escalated during the presidential
elections held in 2003 as a result of poor living standards. The Council of
Europe considered that the elections fell far short of international
standards. More than 40,000 Armenians took to the streets in support of the
main opposition candidate to protest the announcement of a second term for
the incumbent, Robert Kocharian.
—

Pravda.RU:World
Armenia and USA sign military agreement
18:30 2004-04-26
Armenia and the USA have signed a military agreement on rendering mutual
services, Mikhail Arutyunyan, the Head of the Command Staff and the Senior
Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia said at today’s briefing. There has been
created a legal basis, which will allow both countries to render logistic
support to each other during joint actions and military exercises on the
terms of mutual compensation, he noted. “The rights and duties stipulated in
the agreement are mutual and will allow military forces of the two states to
establish allied relations during joint actions and exercises,” Arutyunyan
mentioned.
In his turn, U.S. General Charles Wald, the Deputy Commander of U.S. Forces
in Europe, declared that this agreement was important for military forces of
the USA as Armenia and that cooperation between the two states was
developing in a stable way.
© RBC

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 26 2004
Decision to send Armenian army transport company to Iraq

YEREVAN, April 26 (Itar-Tass) – The Military Command of Armenia has
decided to send an army transport company to Iraq, where it is to
take part in the country’s rehabilitation, Chief of the General Staff
of the Armenian Armed Forces and First Deputy Defence Minister
Colonel-General Mikhail Aratyunyan stated here on Monday.
`This decision is yet to be considered by the Armenian parliament and
endorsed by the president,’ the general noted. Ready to be sent to
Iraq is a company of sappers and three army physicians, he added.
`We cannot overlook the fact that there is an Armenian community in
Iraq, we must think of our future and must contribute to the
restoration of Iraq,’ the Chief of Staff believes.
In conformity with the Armenian-American agreement on reciprocal
purchases and deliveries, which was concluded on Monday, the
Americans will provide the Armenian army trucks in Iraq with fuel on
account of mutual settlements, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Forces in
Europe Charles Word has explained in Yerevan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 26 2004
Armenia, US armed forces sign agreement on purchases and supplies

YEREVAN, April 26 (Itar-Tass) – Armenia’s Armed Forces and the U.S.
European Command signed an agreement on purchases and supplies on
Monday.
First Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Mikhail Arutyunyan,
chief of Armenia’s General Staff, said on Monday the agreement will
make it possible to provide logistical support to each other during
different exercises with the following compensation on a mutual
basis.
All obligations `are of mutual nature and allow the armies of the two
countries to establish ally relationship,’ the Armenian general said.
General Charles F. Wald, deputy commander of the U.S. European
Command, said the agreement is very important both for the U.S. and
Armenia. The agreement envisions fuelling up of American military
planes at Armenia’s airfields. Armenian aircraft will be fuelled up
at U.S. military bases in Europe.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
April 26 2004
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES UK SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE ON SOUTH CAUCASUS BRIAN FALL
[April 26, 2004, 21:39:44]
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev received at
the Presidential Palace Mr. Brian Fall, the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland special representative on the South
Caucasus, April 26.
President Ilham Aliyev highly appreciated Mr. Brian Fall’s activity
and noted that his visit to the region would contribute to expanding
cooperation between the two countries. Speaking of rapidly developing
political and economic relations between Azerbaijan and the United
Kingdom, the Head of State mentioned active involvement of British
companies and investors in the large-scale energy projects being
implemented in Azerbaijan. In this connection, he expressed special
satisfaction with activities of British Petroleum in realization of
oil and gas projects of not only regional but also global
significance.
Touching upon regional problems, President Ilham Aliyev pointed to
unsolved Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resulted in
occupation of 20% of Azerbaijan’s territories and existence of over
one million refugees, and expressed hope for international
organizations to intensify their efforts for its urgent solution. He
also stressed the necessity of the UK representative’s active
contribution in peace process.
Mr. Brian Fall especially emphasized that British companies invest in
not only oil and gas sector but are also actively involved in
development of other spheres of Azerbaijan’s economy. He noted as
well that during this second visit to Azerbaijan he had become a
witness of great progress and positive changes occurred in the
country.
The guest siad that Azerbaijan, which had created favorable
conditions for not only British but also a number of respectable
investors from other countries, has bright and prosperous future.
Expressing concern over the long-lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the UK special representative on the South
Caucasus Mr. Brian Fall described the refugees and IDPs as those
suffered most from the conflict, and highly appreciated President
Ilham Aliyev’s efforts for both its peaceful settlement and
improvement of the people’s living conditions.
A comprehensive exchange of views on a number of other issues of
mutual interest was also held during the meeting.
Mr. Brian Fall expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the
sincere conversation.
Present at the meeting were Chief of the Presidential
Administration’s International Relations Department Mr. Novruz
Mammadov and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Azerbaijan Mr.
Laurie Bristow.