Category: News

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 26, 2004 Monday
Great Russian culture treasured by Armenians
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan addressed a message of greetings
to participants in the Russian Culture Days in Armenia, that begin on
Tuesday. The president believes, “This is a remarkable event in
Armenia’s cultural life”.
“Great Russian culture is treasured by every Armenian”, the president
notes. He remarked that works of Armenian writers, poets, composers
and artists are well known and appreciated in Russia.
“Armenian-Russian cultural ties have the history dating back many
centuries and, I am sure, have good prospects”, the Armenian
president noted.
“Friendship and spiritual closeness of our peoples have been
accumulated by many generations “, the message says. “The deepening
and development of cooperation based on this legacy, the treasuring
of traditions is the boon we must preserve for the succeeding
generations, Kocharyan pointed out.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Belfast News Letter (Northern Ireland)
April 26, 2004, Monday
LIFESTYLE: ARE WE READY FOR THE TRUTH
THE prospect of a truth commission to explore what really happened
during the Troubles has once again been raised after the Cory
reports. On the eve of Freedom Day in South Africa, ROSS SMITH asks
whether a process that helped heal that troubled country’s wounds can
have the same success here.
WITH the publication of the Cory reports, the question of whether to
set up a truth commission for Northern Ireland has once again been
raised.
Policing Board chairman Des Rea has said it should be the way forward
for dealing with the huge number of cases in which families of
victims still want to learn the full facts of what happened.
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has only just finished its hearings, four
public inquiries are to begin as a result of Judge Cory’s
recommendations, while a number of cases dating back to the Troubles
are being looked into by the Police Ombudsman.
As more and more people seek answers, it is believed by many that an
over-arching process to look into the whole violent history would be
the best way to deal with the past.
University of Ulster sociology professor Bill Rolston says weaknesses
in the criminal justice system create a need for a commission.
He believes the system does not have the resources to cope with the
backlog of unsolved cases people wish to see investigated, and that
it has in the past been “skewed” in terms of how it has dealt with
republicans, loyalists and state forces.
“I’m not into necessarily making Hugh Orde’s job easier,” he says.
“If getting the truth means making his job harder then so be it. But
it seems to me the criminal justice system as we know it here cannot
handle the past and cannot handle impunity.”
However, Brandon Hamber, a South Africanborn researcher now working
in Belfast, warns against launching a commission for “pragmatic”
reasons.
There has to be a desire to deal with the past and then a belief that
a truth commission will be beneficial – not simply a wish to save
spending further millions on the back of the Saville Inquiry, or to
make life easier for the PSNI. Experts argue there is no chance of a
truth commission working without broad agreement about its form.
Mr Hamber stresses: “What’s needed is a really large scale debate
about this, so you get to that consensus driven approach.
“It couldn’t be something which is just invented by a few academics
and foisted upon society. It will not work if that’s the case.
“The starting point is not for some model to be cooked up behind
closed doors.”
What has not happened in Northern Ireland is the clear discrediting
of a government or system of government that has occurred in just
about every other society prior to a truth commission being set up.
Bill Rolston points out: “The truth commission in South Africa was
uder the auspices of a new majority government with a charismatic
chairperson. The truth commissions in China and Argentina were set up
by civilian geovernments after a military overthrow. The Rwandan
truth commission was handled by international NGOs. El Salvador was
the UN.
“In all sorts of ways you can say it’s clear they had broken with the
past and the previous governments were discredited.
“Have we a reguime change here? Are we in a transition to reguime
change, or will there never be one? At the very least it’s
premature.”
The notion of amnesty for terrorists is a massive stumbling block for
many victims. In South Africa this was offered on the basis that
perpetrators told the whole truth. A separate committee was set up to
decide on amnesty applications before witnesses gave evidence to the
truth commission.
But the South Africa model need not – and could not – be replicated
in a different context in Northern Ireland, says Bill Rolston.
He suggests the principle focus here ought to be investigation rather
than reconciliation.
That was a view taken by the Eolas project, a consultation on truth
and justice which Prof Rolston worked on. Its idea was for a
committee to gather complaints and questions put by people who
believe they have been wronged by bodies including paramilitary
groups, the RUC and the army. Separate investigators would be tasked
to put these matters to each group.
The committee would then publish a report in which it would evaluate
the quality of the answers given.
Prof Rolston says: “It seems to me something like that could actually
work. This does not require people to stand up in public and deny
what they did. Nobody loses face. Nobody has to back down in public.
“If the committee has a crosscommunity legitimacy, it could work. It
seems to me an imaginative way to try to deal with the issues, given
the problems of trying to have a reconciliation model.”
But Hanif Valley, the national legal officer of South Africa’s Truth
and Reconciliation Commission, explains the value of a system in
which people are prepared to publicly admit what they have done.
“People can’t deny something happened when the person who did it came
to apply for amnesty for what he did,” he explains.
The reality of what a truth commission could do is probably a long
way from many people’s expectations. While the South African
commission dealt with a host of individual cases, Brandon Hamber
cautions that no one should expect that every detail of what happened
in their own particular situation will be brought to light.
“You might not get the exact specifics about who did what to whom,”
he says. “It’s very different to an individualised judicial process.
“You could go for individual cases through the courts, but how much
broad structural truth are you going to get, and how many people will
actually go through that process? If you go for a commission, you
sacrifice that level of specifics.”
Nor should anyone expect that Northern Ireland’s communities will
instantly be reconciled after a commission.
“There’s a perception that victims meet perpetrators, everybody says
sorry, has a big hug and cry and the world’s better for it,” says
Bill Rolston.
“I think reconciliation is the end of a process but we cannot
engineer it. We cannot orchestrate it.”
When it comes to the experience in South Africa, Hanif Valley adds:
“We have always maintained that reconciliation is a process. It’s not
ended yet and it’s not something that is going to happen overnight.”
And what people certainly cannot expect is that they will be able to
sit back and watch others being embarrassed by their past actions.
Brandon Hamber explains that society as a whole was put under the
microscope in South Africa, not merely the individuals who were
directly responsible for human rights abuses.
“Anyone who thinks this is an easy option is very mistaken,” he says.
“If you read through the role of the South African commission, for
example, it looks at the way you couldn’t understand human rights
violations without looking at the role of business in cosying up with
the state, or look at churches, or look at the media.
“In the last decade, truth commissions have been much more about
looking at society and try to understand the causes in a much wider
forum than a court would.”
But as the debate continues, Bill Rolston is sure that sooner or
later, some form of commission has to be set up – otherwise the past
will always linger.
He concludes: “Whether it’s Hugh Orde’s professional problems or
Geraldine Finucane’s need for closure or whatever, or whether it’s
victims’ need for acknowledgement, it will not go away.
“That’s the evidence of every single other past conflict.
“In Spain, the grandchildren of people who were disappeared by Franco
are now demanding to know the truth.
“Armenians still want the truth told about how they were slaughtered
by the Turks.
“There is an organisation in Russia trying to get at the truth of
what Stalin did.
“I just think at a social level, never mind an individual level, you
can’t draw a line under the past or think about doing so. It’s
something that has to be confronted, if it’s now or later.”

Agence France Presse
April 26, 2004 Monday
Iran works on gas sales to neighbours pending exports further afield
by SIAVOSH GHAZI
TEHRAN, April 26
Iran, which holds some 15 percent of the world’s natural gas
reserves, is boosting exports of gas to its neighbours in the hope of
picking up sales to Asia and Europe in the future.
“In the short term, we are looking to export our gas to neighbouring
countries, but we are also working on exports of liquefied natural
gas (LNG) to Asia and Europe,” said Rokneddin Javadi, director of
Iran’s National Gas Export Company.
“The issue is that the projects to export to neighbours, such as
those across the Persian Gulf, can be completed in two years. But an
LNG export project needs five years,” he told AFP on the sidelines of
a gas export conference here in Tehran.
He said Iran expects to sign within the next two weeks a contract to
supply 15 million cubic metres (500 million cubic feet) a day by
pipeline to the United Arab Emirates.
And he said the Islamic republic was also in talks with Kuwait and
the UAE for two other similar contracts, hoping to export 1.5 billion
cubic metres to the two countries each year.
Also expected later this year are contracts with Armenia and the
Russian Caucasus republic of Nakhchavan, covering the sale of three
billion cubic metres annually.
And a 25-year contract with Turkey allowed Iran to sell 3.5 billion
cubic metres there in 2003. That figure is expected to rise to five
billion cubic metres in 2004, if a contractual dispute can be worked
out.
Turkey, complaining the gas is of poor quality, has demanded a price
cut and has threatened to turn to Russia instead.
“You have to ask the Turks what is going on. If they abandon the
contract, they will have to pay a heavy fine,” an Iranian industry
official said.
Mehmet Bigic, head of Turkey’s Botas company, hinted that the deal
was still valid: “It is not possible to quit a 25-year contract. But
you can renegotiate.”
Despite the ongoing difficulties with Turkey, Javadi nevertheless
said he hoped Iranian gas sales would total two billion dollars
annually in 2010.
But Iran is also counting on this figure jumping dramatically if it
can get LNG exports by tanker moving further afield, notably to the
potentially huge markets of the Indian subcontinent, China — with
whom a memorandum on future sales has already been inked — and
Europe.
The country currently has three LNG production projects underway,
NIOC-LNG of the National Iranian Oil Company, the Pars-LNG consortium
of NIOC, Total and Petronas, and Persian-LNG of NIOC, Shell and
Repsol.
But such sales are pending the completion of LNG production
facilities, as well as the costly laying of pipelines that need to
cross sensitive areas such as the Pakistani-Indian border.
Furthermore, there is tough competition from Russia, holder of the
world’s largest reserves and geographically better placed to tap the
European and Chinese markets. Competition from Algeria and Qatar is
also tough, and Iran has found itself lagging due to the late
development of its gas sector.
In the case of Qatar, the world’s number-three for gas reserves has
been quicker than Iran to tap its off-shore resources and is now
pushing to become the world’s top exporter.
In March, Qatar signed a six billion dollar protocal accord with the
South African-US Sasol-Chevron consortium for three LNG production
projects. It has also already got a foot in the Indian market.
Political pressure on Iran, including United States sanctions that
target foreign companies investing here, are also a major hurdle.
“These kind of investments represent billions of dollars, and it is
not certain that international companies will accept to finance
them,” one Western industry expert here said.

Agence France Presse
April 26, 2004 Monday
Armenia to contribute to reconstruction in Iraq
YEREVAN
Armenia, which has up to 40,000 ethnic Armenians living in Iraq, said
Monday that it would dispatch a small military team to participate in
the reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Armenia will send 30 trucks, 11 sappers and three military doctors to
the country, its chief of staff, General Mikael Arutyunyan, said
following talks with Charles Wald, deputy commander of US forces in
Europe.
“Let us not forget that we have an Armenian diaspora” in Iraq,
Artyunyan said.
Tens of thousands of people fled Armenia, which lies some 600
kilometres (375 miles) north of Iraq, in the bloody unrest that
surrounded the final years of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and later
during the war with Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

Jailed Armenian opposition official goes on hunger strike
Noyan Tapan news agency
26 Apr 04

YEREVAN
Aramazd Zakaryan, member of the political board of the Anrapetutyun
[Republic] Party, who is being held in Nubarashen prison, went on an
open-ended hunger strike on 24 April.
Zakaryan believes that his arrest and accusations levelled at him are
political persecution, the party’s press service told Noyan Tapan news
agency.

ARKA News Agency
April 26 2004
RA President takes part in charity concert of famous singer Charles
Aznavur in Paris
150 culture figures of russia will take part in Russian Culture Days
in Armenia
Monument-Khachkar Memorial to 1915 Armenian Genocide victims placed
in Akhaltskha City (Georgia)
President Bush fails to honor pledge to recognize Armenian Genocide
for the fourth time
Armenian-Russian culture links have great perspectives – Robert
Kocharian
The Caucasus Media Institute organizes three-day practice courses
online journalism
The RA President Robert Kocharian goes to Paris with an official
visit
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT TAKES PART IN CHARITY CONCERT OF FAMOUS SINGER CHARLES
AZNAVUR IN PARIS
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and first
lade Bella Kocharian took part in charity concert of famous singer
Charles Aznavur in Paris. All assets from the concert will be
transferred to the fund Aznavur to Armenia. Kocharian also met with
UNESCO Secretary General Kuetiro Matsuro.
On April 25, the President Kocharian left for working visit in Paris.
Kocharian will meet with the President of France Jack Shirak.
On April 27 delegation headed with Kocharian will leave for Warsaw
for participation in the work of European economic forum.
The President of Armenia will also take part in working sitting
Caucasus and will participate in opening of plenary sitting. L.D.
–0–
*********************************************************************
150 CULTURE FIGURES OF RUSSIA WILL TAKE PART IN RUSSIAN CULTURE DAYS
IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. 150 culture figures of Russia will take
part in Russian Culture Days in Armenia, RA Minister of Culture and
Youth Affairs Tamara Poghosian stated at the press conference in
Yerevan. According to her, Russian Culture Days are the event in
cultural life of Armenia and the level of Armenian-Russian culture
cooperation obliges to conduct the program of activities at the
highest level. She said that activities on this program will take
place not only in Yerevan, but in Vanadzor, Gyumri and Spitak.
The Head of Russian Delegation Vladimir Kozlov in his turn said that
present program envisages not less than 15 large activities,
including Russian Movie Day, concerts of Vivaldi orchestra, Russian
song, Semen Altov, Alexander Buinov and others. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
MONUMENT-KHACHKAR MEMORIAL TO 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS PLACED
IN AKHALTSKHA CITY (GEORGIA)
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. Monument-Khachkar Memorial to 1915
Armenian Genocide victims was placed in Akhaltskha City (Georgia).
Khachkar was placed at the highest hill of the city, by Surb Nshan
Church.
The same day, on April 24, Tbilisian Church Surb Echmiadzin finished
a liturgy, which was followed with procession to Pantheon of famous
figures of Tbilisi.
>From the beginning of the 19th century till 1920, the Ottoman Empire,
legal successor of which is today’s turkey, regularly tormented and
persecuted Armenians. The top of barbarity was in 1915 when over a
million of Armenians was massacred in different regions of West
Armenia, part of the Empire.
The fact of the Armenian Genocide has been recognised by many
countries, including Uruguay (the first state that recognised the
genocide in 1965), Russia, France, Argentina, Greece, Lower Chamber
of Italy, 31 states of the U.S. L.D. -0–
*********************************************************************
PRESIDENT BUSH FAILS TO HONOR PLEDGE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
FOR THE FOURTH TIME
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. President Bush, ignoring calls from over
190 U.S. legislators, failed, once again, to honor his campaign
pledge to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as “genocide,”
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). In a
statement issued today, on April 24th, the annual day of remembrance
for the Armenian Genocide, the President again resorted to the use of
evasive and euphemistic terminology to obscure the reality of
Turkey’s Genocide against the Armenian people between 1915-1923. This
year’s statement praised the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation
Commission (TARC,) the failed State Department funded initiative
devised to derail progress toward international recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. The effort was universally rejected by Armenians
in the U.S., Armenia and around the world. “We do appreciate that
President Bush has, once again, taken the time to mark April 24th as
a day of remembrance. Armenian Americans, however, remain deeply
troubled that for the fourth year in a row, despite his repeated
calls for ‘moral clarity’ in the conduct of our international
affairs, he has allowed pressure by a foreign government to reduce
the President of the United States to using evasive and euphemistic
terminology to avoid properly identifying the Armenian Genocide – an
important chapter in America’s emergence as an international
humanitarian power – as what is was: a genocide,” said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. “The President’s failure to honor his
campaign promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide is compounded by
the fact that, in this statement, he commends the thoroughly
discredited Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, a transparent
partnership between the U.S. State Department and the Turkish
government to block the growing international recognition of and
justice for Turkey’s crime against the Armenian nation.” “It is also
plainly disingenuous for the President to ‘call on both Armenia and
Turkey to restore their economic, political, and cultural ties,’ when
it is the Turkish government that has illegally imposed a decade-long
blockade of Armenia, and it has been Armenia that has called for the
normalization of bilateral relations without preconditions. This
formulation suggests either a lack of understanding of the region or
a deliberate effort to artificially play down Turkey’s belligerent
posture while simultaneously devaluing Armenia’s very meaningful
contributions to regional stability.” The Bush Administration is
formally on record in opposition to Congressional legislation
recognizing the Armenian Genocide. For the position of the Democratic
Presidential hopeful John Kerry regarding Armenian Genocide
ecognition, please visit. L.D. -0 –
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN CULTURE LINKS HAVE GREAT PERSPECTIVES – ROBERT
KOCHARIAN
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. Armenian-Russian culture links have great
perspectives, RA President Robert Kocharian’s statement considering
Russian Culture Day in Armenia says. `Armenian-Russian culture links
have many-years’ history and cooperation development based on this
heritage is the wealth that we must keep for future generations’, the
statement said.
On April 26-30 Russian Culture Days will be held in Yerevan, during
which the multifaceted Russian art will be presented to the Armenian
public. These days will be in the frames of culture cooperation
between RA and RF Culture Ministries in 2003-2005.
A big gala concert will open the Russian days in Demirchyan Sport and
Concert Hall. Russian Song ensemble with Nadezhda Babkina, musical
bands Vivaldi Orchestra and Phonographjaz-Band’, satirists Semen
Altov and Efim Shifrin will perform on the concert. A Russian play
will be presented in Stanislavky Russian Dramatic Theater.
The Russian Cinema Week will be presented by such films as Slav
Woman’s Marsh, Sunstroke, Break Point, Carmen, Ark. The Union of
Painters of Armenia hall will host the exhibition presenting the
works by Chairman of Union of Painters of Russia Valentin Sidorov. As
planned the Russian art will also be presented in Spitak, Gyumri and
Vanadzor. L.D. -0 –
*********************************************************************
THE CAUCASUS MEDIA INSTITUTE ORGANIZES THREE-DAY PRACTICE COURSES
ONLINE JOURNALISM
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA. The Caucasus Media Institute organizes
online journalism three-day vocational training courses to be held
from 1 June to June 3. As the CMI told ARKA, the courses will have
the following thematic: principles of the published information, how
to write information: issues of structure and ethics, how to make the
information more readable and interesting, efficient use of the text
in print, images and animation. Best sample technique will allow
demonstrating how to make the material, more readable and
interesting. The issue of selection of the materials for Internet
publication, productive use of images will be touched upon.
The participants will be involved in-group workshops. The courses
will be lead by representative of Dublin University,
journalist-adviser Harry Quinn. The potential participants should
submit applications.
CMI was organized in April 2002 with the purpose of development of
the mass media on the Southern Caucasus, rising of the journalists’
vocational level: introduction of the journalism international
standards in the South Caucasus, enhancing of the journalists vision,
as well as teaching them the current events analyses methods. T.M.
-0–
*********************************************************************
THE RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN GOES TO PARIS WITH AN OFFICIAL
VISIT
YEREVAN, April 26. /ARKA/. The RA President Robert Kocharian went to
Paris with an official visit. According to the RA President’s Press
Service Department, Kocharian to meet the president of France Jacques
Chirac. Besides, President Kocharian and his wife will Mrs. Bella
Kocharian will be present on the concert of a world famous singer
Charles Aznavour at the Palais des Congres in Paris. President
Kocharian will also meet with the Director of the Bouigue company,
Olivier Bouigue.
According to the press release, On April 27, President Robert
Kocharian, accompanied by the Armenian Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
and Trade and Economic Development will leave for Warsaw to
participate in the European economic forum.
The President will participate in the Caucasus working session and
attend the opening plenary session. Robert Kocharian is also expected
to meet with the Executive President of the World Economic Forum
Claus Schwab. While in Warsaw, President Kocharian will have
bilateral meetings with President Alexander Kwasniewski of Poland and
Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia.A.H. –0–

ARKA News Agency – Interview
April 26 2004
RUSSIA AS ARMENIA’S NUMBER ONE STRATEGIC PARTNER ABLE TO SECURE
DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN ECONOMY
Exclusive interview of the Chairman of Union of Manufacturers &
Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan to ARKA News
Agency.
ARKA – Mr. Ghazaryan, what is the current state of the Armenian-
Russian economic relations?
A. Ghazaryan – I should say that after the collapse of the Soviet
Union Russia remained a key partner to Armenia. We import raw
materials and energetic carriers from Russia.. On the other hand, the
Russian market is the largest and the most available for the Armenian
goods. During the recent 3-4 years the volume of bilateral
trade-economic relations has considerably grown as compared with the
previous period. This was achieved due to the fact that the Armenian
companies adjust the quality of their products to the international
standards, which Russia, naturally, adheres. Besides, our companies
gain experience of being involved in the Russian market. In case of
existing of normal transport communication between our countries, the
bilateral turnover of goods would have surpassed today’s indicator
three-, four-fold as a minimum. For instance, at present, there are
many imported construction materials from Ukraine in Armenia, if the
railway would have functioned normally, such goods could have been
purchased from Russia as well. Bilateral economic co-operation
received new dynamics after the mutual visits of the President of RF
and RA Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharian in 2001. So called ethnic
capital was moved to the first view; Russian businessmen with
Armenian background became more active. Today they make rather
considerable investments in their motherland, particularly, in
construction sector, banking system and other spheres. As one of the
best examples of the kind I can name the International Business
Centre, which, in fact, rescued one of our leading banks,
particularly Ardshinbank, as well as several industrial plants such
as Syrius, Arax, Basalt, Almast. As far as I know, IBC, headed by
Karen Safaryan, a famous Moscow businessman, is going to make new
investments in Armenia, which I can only welcome. The activities of
Ara Abrahamyan, Chairman of Union the Armenians of Russia, must be
highly appreciated, who except social initiatives, unfolds
considerable business activities. We count on the fact that our
compatriots having effective business in Russia, will join the
Property for Debts joint program and will attract new Armenian
businessmen in the program. Recently the Russian side displays
interests in the Armenian plants, which were a part of a single
powerful military-industrial complex. We are preparing a detailed
database on these companies and are going to present it to our
Russian partners by the late February. It is of utmost importance to
receive new offers for them, especially if they have preserved their
productive and sci- tech potential, professional specialists that can
and wish to work. I should especially mention the steps taken by RAO
UES. A number of leading energetic objects of Armenia were
transferred under the management or became the property of this
powerful company. New and very good possibilities for exporting
energy to the third countries are opening for the Russian power
engineers. At the same time, the issue of import of the fuel for the
Armenian NPP, which guarantees its normal functioning, was solved.
The Russian capital enlivens ALSO the Armenian construction sector.
For instance, due to it was possible to begin the construction of
Northern Avenue in Yerevan, construction of which was planned already
in 1930 by the great Armenian architect Alexander Tamanyan. The
Russian investors, being confident in perspectives of Armenia’s
economic development, decided to make investments in the real estate
sector as well. By the way, it isn’t accidental that the prices of
apartments on the Northern Avenue increased very quickly reaching
almost the prices of Moscow (today 1 sq. meter of the elite
apartments under construction cost $1000, while the ready ones cost
$1600 and more. Lately, promising results were recorded in the
engineering tools and mechanical engineering sectors. I would like to
mention Mshak CJSC, headed by Levon Poghosyan, who recently became
Deputy Director of Stankoimport Russian company on scientific issues.
At present joint projects on Armenian companies participation in
technical renovation of Russian Tool engineering and machinery
engineering industry are being developed. ABM Soft company attracted
Russian capital for purchasing the control packet of shares of
Yerevan’s Armstanok plant and it is going to implement Digital
Program Installments projects, which are expected to be exported to
Russia. We can bring many such examples. It’s worth mentioning that
they witness an important constructive step forward. Russia doesn’t
treat Armenia as a `junior brother’, who needs assistance
permanently. Armenia is the equal partner for Russia. Armenian market
becomes more attractive for the Russian investors, as a convenient
transit point and a gateway to Iran, countries of the Middle East and
the Persian Gulf too. All these activities contribute to the
formation of joint economic space. That’s why it’s a good example for
the other CIS member countries, as the level of the economic
integration within the framework of CIS, notwithstanding numerous
declarations on that occasion, is still is not satisfactory.
ARKA – Thus, considerable growth of the Russian investments in
Armenia is evident now. But is there any opposite process?
A. Ghazaryan – Yes, there is. Today the volume of the investments
made by the Armenians in Russia is increasing as well. This is
connected with the traditional labour migration. The matter is, that
if we objectively evaluate the given phenomenon, it should be
considered as the least evil, as, in fact, it is an investment too, a
technical, financial, intellectual , etc. On the other hand, our
compatriots leaving for Russia to work, aren’t separated from their
families and don’t lose the sense of obligations to their country.
The new migration regime, regulating the communication between our
countries, helps to be confident about receiving Russian citizenship
or the permanent residence right. They can peacefully work. That is
why it is very important that the Armenian businessmen began
establishing joint companies in Russia. Kasnodar and Stavropol,
Rostov and other regions of the Southern Russia can be examples. The
number of our compatriots living compactly here is traditionally
enormous. The businessmen living here are our `agents’ in Russain
market in the best meaning of the word. I wouldn’t like to be
trivial, but the successful advancement of the Armenian brandy can be
explained not only by the investments and professionalism, but also
by the skilful management of French company `Piernod Ricard’, which
is today’s Yerevan Brandy Company, but also by Russian market. At
present, both YBC and Great Valley, Yerevan Wine-Vodka Factory Ararat
and many other companies are effectively working there. The problem
is not the realisation but the production in the necessary volume:
more and more offers are being received. The same thing concerns the
production of Armenian canned fruits and concentrates, over 50 % of
which is exported to RF.
Thus, Russia is our strategic partner # 1, which can secure logical
continuation and dynamic development for the Armenian economy.
Armenian businessmen working there never face communicative and
psychological problems there.
ARKA – Then what’s the matter?
A. Ghazaryan – The matter is, that we have to define the spheres in
which the realisation of the joint projects is the most optimal and
prospective, where Armenia is a very convenient transi corridor and a
market for Russia. The researches should be madin this very
direction. The UIEA, as NGO, in which many leading Armenian
businessmen are included, also the entrepreneurs working with the
Russian partners, try to do their best to strenghten these relations.
Naturally, we will continue the cooperation with our Russian
partners. First of all with the Russian Union of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs, led by A. I. Wolsky. We regularly hold joint forums,
`round tables’, conferences. We are meeting each year. Th e regular
dialogue took place in end February in Moscow, within the framework
of the meeting of Yuri Lugzkov and Yervand Zakharyan, Mayors of
Moscow and Yerevan. Anopther our big partner is the International
Congress of the Industriallsits’ and Entrepeniours’ Unions, led by W.
K. Glukhikh. This congress unites the businesmen from the 22
countries of the former Soviet Union and Western Europe. The
cooperation with such authority organizations help operatively
exchange valuable information and find partners for our businessmen.
ARKA – But the transportation problems still make the work more
difficult, don’t they?
A. Ghazaryan – Unfortunately, they really do. The lack of land
borders with Russia makes the matter more difficult. But, it doesn’t
hinder to organize exporting goods and row materials. Armenia isn’t
in transport blockade, as it was in the early 1990-es. But today the
expenditures for the transportations are extremely high, which
increases the first cost of the goods. It is a paradoxes, but today
to sent a container to Moscow will be more expensive that to send it
to Rotterdam or Marseille. As it is cheaper to send it by the sea
directly, than to do it by the railroad or by tracking.
ARKA – What can you say about the legal field?
A. Ghazaryan – There are no problems here. The agreement- legal base,
regulating the bilateral economic relations, has been elaborated,
discussed and signed long ago.
We merely shouldn’t forget that in CIS Armenia and Russia are
different countries. And today, our managing objects increase the
advalorem tax not here but, when exporting them to Russia, in Russia.
The import is built according to the same principle. At the same
time, Armenia can have preferences when importing some row materials,
based on the deals signed within the framework of CIS. I think, if
Armenia joins the Custom’s Union, it will make export to Russia
easier. Many things will be specified also after the RF’s statement
in the World Trade Organization. Armenia joined the WTO in the
September of 2003, and in this respect, the normative base was rather
improved. Wee have become quite experienced here.
ARKA – Does it seem that this experience could be useful for Russia?
A. Ghazaryan – In current job Russia, of course, follows the
experience of the governments wich are friendly to it, also including
Armenia. Really, we have something to tell and explain.
ARKA – What do the Russian-Armenian economic links think about
three-sided co-operation between Armenia, Russia and Iran?
A. Ghazaryan – Great importance is given to this co-operation like
before. Iranian businessmen are very interested in establishing
contacts with Russian colleagues, and here they don’t frequently see
any trusty `lighthouses’ among the Armenian entrepreneurs for gaining
that aim. The Russians are also interested in Iranian market. From
our side we assure the business circle of Russia and Iran that
Armenia is able to serve as a real transit corridor. For example, for
solving lots of problems it is convenient the rout of
Meghri-Yerevan-Poti-Novorosisk, because such kind of cargo
transportation for West Russian is not usually cheaper than ferry
announcements on Caspian Sea between Iranian port Enzeli and Russian
Astrakhan. –0–

Azeri defence minister, British diplomat discuss ties, Karabakh
Turan news agency
26 Apr 04
BAKU
Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev and Sir Brian Fall,
Britain’s special representative in the South Caucasus, today
discussed the military and political situation in the South Caucasus,
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Azerbaijani-NATO relations, as well
as military reforms.
The visitor said that the United Kingdom favoured the development of
military cooperation with Azerbaijan. Speaking about the Karabakh
conflict, Fall expressed the hope that the OSCE and other
international organizations would step up their efforts to settle the
conflict. At the same time, he pointed out the need to maintain the
cease-fire in the conflict zone.

US general vows to secure Armenia’s participation in NATO exercises in Baku
Mediamax news agency
26 Apr 04
YEREVAN
“Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has assured me that Armenian
servicemen can take part in the Cooperative Best Effort-2004
exercises,” the deputy commander of the US European Command, Gen
Charles Wald, said in Yerevan today.
Gen Wald said that he had personally discussed this problem with the
Azerbaijani president. “Ilham Aliyev has personally assured me that
Armenian servicemen will have no problems participating in the
Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises,” the US general said.
In addition, Charles Wald said that “US ambassador to NATO Nicholas
Burns is dealing with issues concerning Armenia’s participation in the
exercises on the territory of Azerbaijan”.
The head of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Gen-Col
Mikael Arutyunyan, today confirmed Armenia’s readiness to take part in
the Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises on the territory of
Azerbaijan.
Last January, the Azerbaijani authorities did not allow Armenian
officers to arrive in Baku to take part in the planning conference of
the Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises due to be held in the
autumn of 2004 on the territory of Azerbaijan within the framework of
NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme.

Armenian army chief, US general sign rear support accord
Mediamax news agency
26 Apr 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian Armed Forces and the US European Command have signed the
Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) envisaging
cooperation in the sphere of rear provision.
The head of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Gen-Col
Mikael Arutyunyan, and the deputy commander of the US European
Command, Gen Charles Wald, said this at a briefing in Yerevan today.
According to Mikael Arutyunyan, under the agreement, the sides are to
render rear support to each other while carrying out different actions
and exercises with the further compensation on mutual basis.
According to Charles Wald, the signing of this agreement will help
“cement our military cooperation with Armenia”.
[Passage omitted: details of ACSA programme]