Category: News

AZERI DAILY URGES CLOSER TIES WITH ISRAEL
Zerkalo, Baku
17 Apr 04
Azerbaijani daily Zerkalo has praised several deputies for their calls
for closer cooperation with Israel at a recent parliament
session. Zerkalo said the government should not be afraid of
establishing closer ties with Israel for fear of Iran’s “wrath”
because the benefits would be much higher. The following is an excerpt
from Emin Mahmudov report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 17 April
headlined “I love you, even if you do not love me”; subheadings have
been inserted editorially:
It is good when our MPs remember political issues of state importance
not only when the presidential administration or the ruling party
gives a hint or “concessions” have to be made for the Council of
Europe or the shapeless mass, usually described as the Azerbaijani
opposition, has to be “lynched”. It appears that people in our
parliament can sometimes “raise their nose” above the papers which
come “from above” and which have to be endorsed even without
deliberation.
Several quite balanced statements were made in parliament yesterday
(16 April). The Milli Maclis (parliament) decided to open Azerbaijani
embassies in Canada, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, India, Belarus, Bulgaria
and Indonesia and a permanent representative office at the UNESCO in
Paris.
During the debates, MPs from the People’s Front Party Asim Mollazada
and Alimammad Nuriyev, the head of the Compatriot Party, Mais Safarli,
and the head of the United People’s Front Party, Qudrat Hasanquliyev,
said that it was necessary to open an Azerbaijani embassy in
Israel. They explained their proposal by the fact that Azerbaijan is
in the “same coalition” as this country in the antiterrorist fight. In
addition, Israel supports Azerbaijan’s positions on the international
arena. It was also noted that Israel was one of the first countries to
recognize Azerbaijan’s independence.
The opinion that the opening of the embassy could cause Iran’s
negative reaction was dismissed as “groundless”. The MPs recalled that
Iran was strengthening diplomatic relations with Armenia by the day.
(Passage omitted: former President Heydar Aliyev never paid visit to
Israel)
Islamic factor
But it is clear that the authorities, to put it mildly, are afraid of
the “Islamic wrath”. To put it even simpler, of the Iranian
government. Tehran has always been sensitive on the issue of
Azerbaijani-Israeli relations. It is no secret that Tehran does not
like the people of lands of promise. Anti-Semitism is the cornerstone
of the Iranian policy. What does Azerbaijan have to do with this?
While speaking loud about eternal friendship between the peoples of
Iran and Azerbaijan, the mullahs are still pursuing an openly
anti-Azerbaijan policy. The country, where 60 per cent of the
population are ethnic Azerbaijanis, has always been putting a spoke in
its northern neighbour’s wheel. It is no secret that Armenia would
have long “kicked the bucket” if not for Iran’s considerable
assistance and support. The Tehran government’s attitude to its own
citizens, ethnic Azerbaijanis, is also well-known. Reports are coming
in almost every day about Azerbaijanis in Iran being subjected to
total pressure. Moreover, everyone might still remember that Tehran
twice “attempted to facilitate the settlement” of the Karabakh
conflict as a mediator. During the first attempt the Xocali massacre
was committed, during the second we lost Susa.
Iran’s pressure
We are well aware of the kind of pressure Tehran puts on Azerbaijan
during the signing of oil contracts. There was a wide “range” of them
– from not recognizing contracts to not recognizing Azerbaijan’s right
to the fields and to the sector of Caspian which Tehran had made no
attempts to claim in Soviet times. This almost grew into an armed
conflict, when an Iranian boat almost grappled with an Azerbaijani
research vessel. Not to mention Iranian Air Force planes boldly flying
over Azerbaijani territory after that.
Things got more complicated as it went on. The construction of a major
gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia, the allocation of significant
Iranian grants for Yerevan and so on are on the agenda. The list is
infinite.
We wonder how sincere Islamists are when they speak about Muslim
solidarity and friendship against the background of supporting the
occupying regime of a country which invaded the territory of their
alleged ally.
Naturally, Azerbaijan does not have friendship with someone for
“nothing”. Iran is our access to Naxcivan and a route for exporting
and importing of some goods today. We also receive humanitarian aid on
a regular basis. That is it. Of course taking into account the fact
that Naxcivan is under blockade, this is quite a lot. But Baku has
always offered its “thanks”. Not verbal, but concrete “financial
thanks”.
What is Israel for Azerbaijan?
Naturally, as a small country Azerbaijan has to take into account
Iran’s opinion, as well as the opinion of Russia, the USA, Britain and
so on. A paradoxical situation arises. For some reason, the
Azerbaijani government can afford to ignore the opinion of its western
“beacons”, not to mention Russia. But the authorities “surrender” to
Iran whenever it comes to deepening cooperation with Israel. We can
add here that no-one blames Tehran (at least at the government level)
for rendering its comprehensive support of Yerevan. An independent
country has the right to determine its policies independently, but
Azerbaijan is not independent enough to boost ties with Tel Aviv (or
if you wish, Jerusalem which Israel believes is its capital).
If we compare the benefit that Azerbaijan gets from “surrendering” to
Iran with the benefit it gets from cooperating with Israel, we will be
“overwhelmed” by the difference. The author says the basis for that
was not what he heard, but what he saw in Israel.
What is Israel for Azerbaijan? First, it is the “headquarters” of the
most powerful lobby in the USA, which, incidentally, has always
supported Azerbaijan and promoted the abolishment of Section 907 (of
the Freedom Support Act banning direct US assistance to the Baku
government) by the Congress.
In addition, Israel is a country of high technologies, developed
medicine, electronics, advanced agriculture technologies, defence, so
on and so forth. This country is genuinely strives for friendship and
cooperation and is ready for that, which has more than once been
declared by its envoys in Baku. We think we should pay attention to
these benefits.

GERMAN ENVOY URGES COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN
Noyan Tapan news agency
15 Apr 04
YEREVAN
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is to visit Armenia on 22
April within the framework of his regional visit.
In the run-up to the visit, the German ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary to Armenia, Hans-Wolf Bartels, has agreed to give an
interview to Noyan Tapan news agency correspondent Susanna Petrosyan.
(Passage omitted: European officials visited Armenia recently)
(Correspondent) How do you assess the domestic political situation and
the human rights situation in Armenia?
(Bartels) As for the current developments, I hope that the opposition
and government will be able to return to a peaceful dialogue, for
state and political issues should be debated peacefully. Important
issues such as freedom of speech and movement can be included into the
agenda.
(Passage omitted: Armenian parliament adopted laws in this regard)
(Correspondent) Germany comes second after the USA in terms of
investment in Armenia. What can you say about the current level of
Armenian-German economic relations and what prospects can you see in
the development of bilateral economic relations?
(Bartels) Yes, German is the second biggest investor in Armenia after
the USA. It must also be noted that the overall assistance provided by
EU member countries makes over half of the funds received by
Armenia. Germany is carrying out effective projects here such as the
Armenian-German Fund which issues loans to small and medium-sized
businesses through local banks. A total of 16m euros have been
allocated within the framework of the project, and this figure is
increasing.
Unfortunately, German investment is not so big. A representative
office of the German Lycos information technologies company has been
operating in Armenia for one year already. The office employs 60-70
people and is planning to expand. I think it will be a good example
for other German investors.
(Correspondent) What hinders the inflow of German investment into
Armenia – laws or small market?
(Bartels) Both. Apart from this, it is difficult to export goods from
Armenia since transport costs through Georgia are high, and the route
through Iran is long. There are always problems with customs and
taxes, these are practical problems, and therefore, conditions for
investment are not quite favourable. Interestingly, the Armenian
diaspora is not investing much in Armenia either. Reasons are the
same, I understand.
(Correspondent) How important is the South Caucasus region from the
point of view of European security? The countries of the region are
members of the Council of Europe and it cannot be ruled out that the
three countries will be included into the Wider Europe – New
Neighbourhood initiative.
(Bartels) I think the region is of great importance to European
security. If something dangerous happens here, this will have a direct
impact on European security, and therefore much attention is being
paid to the South Caucasus. The appointment of a special
representative of the EU corroborates this policy. I do not doubt that
the region will be included into the Wider Europe – New Neighbourhood
initiative.
The settlement of the Karabakh conflict is of great importance to
Armenia, and not only from the point of view of regional
security. Closed borders and the frozen, but still existing, conflict
hinders the country’s development. We hope very much that this problem
will be resolved in the near future.
I do not see good prospects for the region without regional
cooperation, which Armenia and Azerbaijan do not have. The Karabakh
conflict is not the only one here, there are very complicated
conflicts in Georgia.
It must be noted that we also had bitter conflicts back in Europe and
believed that the French and the German were permanent enemies. But
thank God, we managed to settle these conflicts and establish good
neighbourly relations. In the future, I hope, this will be possible
for Armenia and Azerbaijan as well.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
=================================================
Monday 19 April 2004
ARMENIA: COUNCIL OF EUROPE FAILS TO PUNISH COMMITMENT VIOLATIONS OVER
IMPRISONED CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
With 24 Jehovah’s Witnesses in prison for refusing military service on
grounds of conscience, another fined and a further three awaiting trial,
Council of Europe officials have been unable to explain to Forum 18 News
Service what punishment Armenia faces – if any – for violating its
commitments to the organisation. The commitments required Armenia to have
freed all imprisoned conscientious objectors and introduced alternative
service by January 2004, but it failed on both counts. One outsider
involved in the issue at the Council of Europe, who preferred not to be
identified, told Forum 18 that the Armenian government had deployed
“an especially successful lobbying campaign” to have the issue
buried. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, one of Armenia’s largest religious
minorities, appear no nearer to receiving state registration.
ARMENIA: COUNCIL OF EUROPE FAILS TO PUNISH COMMITMENT VIOLATIONS OVER
IMPRISONED CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service
Despite open defiance of its Council of Europe commitments by continuing to
arrest and imprison conscientious objectors to military service, Armenia
seems set to escape punishment from the international organisation. No
Council of Europe official reached by Forum 18 News Service was prepared or
able to say what punishment – if any – the country would face
for violating its pledge to the Council of Europe to free all imprisoned
conscientious objectors and have an alternative service system functioning
by January 2004, three years after it joined the organisation (see F18News
4 February 2004 ).
Armenia failed on both counts. March saw four Jehovah’s Witnesses sentenced
to prison terms of between one and two years for refusing military service,
bringing to 24 the number of imprisoned Jehovah’s Witnesses, the highest
number of imprisoned conscientious objectors of all the former Soviet
republics. Another was given a large fine.
Jerzy Jaskiernia, a Polish parliamentarian and one of the two Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly rapporteurs for Armenia, told Forum 18 on 15
April that the Council of Europe is “pursuing the issue and asking the
government to change the law”. But he declined to specify any
penalties the Armenian government might face over its violation of its
commitments and referred all further enquiries to Council of Europe
officials in Strasbourg. Forum 18’s enquiry to David Cupina of the
organisation’s Monitoring Committee went unanswered as of 18 April.
Another Council of Europe official who has been involved in tackling
Armenia’s violations of its commitments told Forum 18 on condition of
anonymity that its continuing imprisonment of conscientious objectors
“clearly violates” its commitments and rejected outright Armenian
government assertions that the failure to meet the deadline to free all
imprisoned conscientious objectors and introduce the alternative service
system had been agreed with the Council of Europe. But asked what
punishment Armenia would receive, the official laughed and declined to
comment.
But the official vehemently denied suggestions that the people of Europe
would lose confidence in the organisation that is supposed to promote human
rights when specific commitments individual countries undertake are flouted
with impunity. The official pointed out that Armenia abolished the death
penalty – another commitment it undertook on joining the organisation
– only after repeated pressure from the Council of Europe.
Others are more cynical. One outsider involved in the conscientious
objection issue with the Council of Europe, who preferred not to be
identified, told Forum 18 that the Armenian government had deployed
“an especially successful lobbying campaign” to have the issue
buried. But the Council of Europe official dismissed this as an explanation
for how the country had escaped censure. “That’s absolutely not true.
All ten member states under monitoring of their commitments lobby.”
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agrees with
the Council of Europe that the practice of imprisoning conscientious
objectors should have ended long ago. “The practice of sentencing
conscientious objectors is contrary to the letter of the OSCE commitments
as well as commitments undertaken by Armenia to the Council of
Europe,” Maria Silvanyan, senior human rights legal assistant at the
OSCE Office in Yerevan, told Forum 18 on 15 April.
Silvanyan said the OSCE office “fully shares” the view expressed
in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly back in January that all
imprisoned conscientious objectors should be freed immediately by
presidential pardon pending the entry into force of the law on alternative
military service on 1 July “once necessary legal acts regulating
alternative civilian service are adopted”. Silvanyan added that OSCE
officials held several meetings last year with representatives of the
prosecutor’s office to urge it to end the practice of sentencing Jehovah’s
Witnesses for conscientious objection to military service.
All 24 imprisoned Jehovah’s Witnesses are serving sentences of between one
and two years’ imprisonment under Article 327 part 1 of the criminal code.
Ten of them have been sentenced since Armenia’s deadline for ending the
practice expired. A further Jehovah’s Witness, Stepan Yepremyan, was
sentenced on 29 March to a fine of 300,000 drams (3,598 Norwegian kroner,
435 Euros or 522 US dollars) under the same criminal code article.
“This is the first trial that has ended without a prison
sentence,” Hratch Keshishian, the leader of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in
Armenia, told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 8 April. Three other Jehovah’s
Witnesses are awaiting trial, two of them in pre-trial detention and one at
home, although he has had to sign a pledge to say he will not leave his
home.
Despite Armenia’s clear violation of its commitments, Aram Argaryan, head
of the Council of Europe division of the Armenian Foreign Ministry,
categorically denied that his government had failed to meet its
obligations. “We undertook these obligations,” he told Forum 18
on 7 April. “We have not failed to meet them.” Asked why, if
Armenia had met its commitments, 24 Jehovah’s Witnesses remained in prison,
with three more awaiting trial, he responded: “I can’t confirm that. I
don’t have that information.”
Maintaining that legal reform was a “long process”, Argaryan
claimed that the Armenian government had confirmed its timetable of
introducing alternative service with the Council of Europe, an assertion
specifically denied to Forum 18 by Council of Europe officials. He
maintained that Armenia had until the end of 2004 to introduce alternative
service, another claim specifically rejected by Council of Europe
officials. “We take our commitments seriously,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, one of Armenia’s largest religious
minorities, have still not achieved state registration after a decade of
trying. Keshishian told Forum 18 that they had most recently handed in a
registration application to the government on 16 March. On 30 March the
government handed back an “expert opinion” about whether the
group should be registered, which the Jehovah’s Witnesses are still
studying. “The expert opinion gave the government no recommendation as
to whether to register us or not,” Keshishian explained. “It said
we could apply to be entered in the register, but that what we preach is
against the law and that therefore we don’t meet the provisions of the
law.”
Keshishian complained of what he claimed were “active measures”
against the Jehovah’s Witnesses, including hostile media coverage and
leaflets, and an anti-Jehovah’s Witness demonstration in Yerevan on 18
April. “We are not optimistic about getting registration – the
mood doesn’t look promising.”
A printer-friendly map of Armenia is available at
;Rootmap=armeni
(END)
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved.
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News
Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian opposition keeps pressing for president’s resignation
17.04.2004, 03.40
YEREVAN, April 17 (Itar-Tass) – The Armenian opposition keeps pressing
for the resignation of President Robert Kocharian.
`The public’s demand may well be implemented by peaceful, political
means,’ the opposition bloc Justice and the National Unity party said
in a joint statement late Friday evening.
The opposition argues that the current authorities are the main
obstacle to democratization in the country.
`The solution of problems facing Armenia and its people has no
alternative and it can be achieved through the restoration of
constitutional order and formation of a legitimate government,’ the
statement runs.
The opposition is certain that `provocation and violence will fail to
stop the tide of the public movement for democracy.’ It hails
assistancefrom the international public and international
organizations to Armenia in complying with its commitments.
The opposition does not rule out `the possibility of an open, public
dialogue without reservations as a means to defuse tensions.
On the list of conditions for the beginning of a dialogue it mentions
an end to political persecution and violence, court action against
those responsible for election rigging and framed-up court sentences
and the release of all those arrested for political reasons.
`A referendum on confidence in the authorities may become a belatedbut
effective means to achieve civil accord,’ the Opposition said in the
statement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ISSUES OF COOPERATION DISCUSSED BETWEEN DEFENSE MINISTRIES OF
AZERBAIJAN AND ROMANIA
Azer Tag
April 17, 2004, 13:07:57
On April 16, Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, colonel-general Safar
Abiyev has met the ambassador of Romania in Azerbaijan Nikolay Ureke.
As was informed to AzerTAj from the press-service of the Ministry of
Defense, the Minister has congratulated N. Ureke on new appointment
and has wished, that the Azerbaijani-Romanian relations during his
activity as the ambassador had risen on a new level.
Colonel-general S. Abiyev has noted, that the national leader of
Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev and the President of Romania Ion
Iliescu has laid the foundation of the Azerbaijani-Romanian relations,
and now these relations are at a desirable level. Also at a good level
is the Azerbaijani Romanian military cooperation. After visits of the
Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan to Romania and Minister of Defense
of Romania to Azerbaijan this cooperation has even more become
stronger.
Having thanked colonel-general S. Abiyev for warm reception and
congratulations, ambassador N. Ureke has agreed with the idea that
political relations of two states are at a good level. However, the
Ambassador has noted, that our economic links do not correspond the
level of political relations. He told:`The Romanian state already is a
member of the NATO. This membership means the new status for the
Romanian society. Henceforth, Romania more will provide confidently
the national safety. The next desire of people of Romania is
membership of the country in the European Union’.
Having informed then about the stages gone by Romania up to admission
to the NATO, he has told, that to one of primary factors of it was
radical reformsin the Army of Romania.
Ambassador N. Ureke informed Minister of Defense on participation of
divisions of the Armed Forces of Romania in combat against the
international terrorism.
Colonel-general S. Abiyev has congratulated Romanian people and the
state on the occasion of admission of Romania to NATO. He had
comprehensive exchangeof opinions on the existing military-political
situation in region of the Southern Caucasus, the reasons and
sequences of the Armenian -Azerbaijani conflict. The Minister has
noted that having placed on occupied territories of Azerbaijan a
significant amount of military techniques {technical equipment},
weapon and ammunition, Armenia thus breaks the contract `On
conventional armed forces in Europe’. It is serious threat of national
security of Azerbaijanthat creates great danger to realization of
large economic projects. He told:`Azerbaijan opposes terror and
separatism. Azerbaijan participates in antiterrorist
operations. Divisions of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan adequately
carry out and will carry out henceforth the peace-making mission to
Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq ‘.
Then, the parties have discussed questions of cooperation between the
Ministries of Defense of Azerbaijan and Romania.

US CO-CHAIRMAN WILL KEEP POWERS OF ADVISER ON CASPIAN DIPLOMACY
Azer Tag
April 17, 2004, 15:16:31
As correspondent of AzerTAj informs, on April 16, the US State
Department has disseminated a communiqué on the appointment of
ambassador Steven Mann tothe post of special envoy on Nagorny Karabakh
and to the Eurasian conflicts. Stephen Mann will replace on this post
the co-chairman of the Minsk Group from U.S. Rudolph Perina.
It should be reminded that ambassador Mann since May 2001 is the
adviser of the US President on Caspian diplomacy. As informed the
State Department, Steven Mann will keep this post.
Steven Mann, the native of state Pennsylvania, since 1976 works in the
field of foreign policy. Mann, serving in the US diplomatic
representatives in Moscow, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and other places, in
1992 was one of the first diplomats who have opened the American
embassy in Yerevan. And in 1998-2001s worked as the US ambassador in
Turkmenistan. Ambassador Mann knows Russian and German languages.
Under the message received by correspondent of AzerTAj, after
representation in Prague to other co-chairmen of the Minsk Group,
Steven Mann in the beginning of the next week will make visits to
Armenia and Azerbaijan. During these visits of familiarizing
character, he will visit on April 20, Yerevan, and on 21 –
Baku. Predictably, the new co-chairman will meet presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

Iran Negotiating Contracts to Construct Gas Pipelines to Azerbaijan, Armenia,
and Kuwait
17 April 04
TEHRAN (MNA) — Iran is prepared to supply natural gas to the
Azerbaijan Republic through a gas pipeline if the two countries agree
to a contract guaranteeing the purchases, a senior Oil Ministry
official said here Friday.
The managing director of the state-owned National Iran Gas Export Co.
(NIGEC), Roknoaddin Javadi, said that there is no formidable obstacle
in the way of the plan and Iran is only waiting for the Azeri side to
agree to the guarantees.
However, the guarantees must be acceptable for Iran, he stressed.
Iran has also reached preliminary agreements with Armenia and Kuwait
on the construction of gas pipelines to those countries.
It is expected that the deal with Armenia will be finalized soon, the
official added.
On Monday, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh announced that a
draft contract for gas exports to Armenia has been prepared, adding
that Iran’s exports to Armenia will start at 500 million cu. m. per
year and could be increased to 1.5 billion cu. m. per year.
The minister said that Armenian officials would be signing the
contract in the near future, according to PIN.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

News in brief Compiled and written by Zulfugar Agayev
ANS
Billions to flow into Azeri budget from oil revenues
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund has prognosticated the amount of money the
country may make from oil revenues in the next 20 years.
According to the calculations of the oil fund, Azerbaijan will earn $15.2
billion by 2024 if the price for one barrel of oil equals $16. That figure
could rise up to $33 billion if the oil price is $20.
In the case of one barrel of oil costing $24, the oil fund said Azerbaijan
would make $48.5 billion in the 20 years to come. The money allocated from
the Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) to the state budget is not included
in the prognostications.
At present, the world market prices for Azerbaijan’s oil ranges between $33
and $34 per barrel.
Azerbaijan may recognize Turkish Cyprus
President Ilham Aliyev, who is on an official visit to Turkey, said on
Thursday that Azerbaijan would recognize the North Cyprus Turkish Republic
if the Turkish Cypriots say yes and the Greeks say no to the Kofi Annan plan
in the upcoming referendum, which is set for 24 April.”We will support the
position of Turkey whatever it will be. The citizens of North Cyprus are our
brothers,” President Aliyev said, adding, “We don’t want tragic events to be
repeated again.”
“We will evaluate the results of the referendum from an international
perspective. Azerbaijan will be among the first to recognize the
independence of the North Cyprus Turkish Republic,” Aliyev said.
The President said it was up to the Turkish Cypriots to determine their own
destiny, adding that he would respect their decision.
525 NEWSPAPER
U.S. insists on lifting embargo
The U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan, Reno Harnish, said that his country would
insist on Turkey ending its blockade of Armenia. In his meeting with a group
of local reporters on Wednesday, Harnish said that lifting of the blockade
would be beneficial both for Turkey as well as for the region as a whole.
However, the ambassador said his country’s position on the Nagorno
(Daghig)-Karabakh problem should also be taken into account on thus issue.
Harnish said that the U.S. government would not be supportive of Azerbaijan
if the latter were to resort to military means to liberate its territories.
“Azerbaijan is on the way to prosperity,” he said, explaining that the
resumption of warfare would be a stumbling block on the way to prosperity
and it also would lead to a tense situation in the region.
Harnish pointed out that the U.S. is interested in finding a fair solution
to the Karabakh problem and that peace negotiations are the best way to
reach a solution.
Burchard to leave
Peter Burchard, head of the OSCE’s Baku office, is due to finish his
diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan in mid-May. The OSCE’s Baku office told
Turan that the mandates of the body’s representative are prolonged every six
months. Since Burchard is going to head one of Sweden’s diplomatic missions,
he has asked not to protract his term at the Baku office.
Burchard has been heading the Baku office since December 2001.
ECHO
New stadium in Khankendi
The Mayor’s office of Marcel, France, along with the ministry of education,
culture and sports of the so-called republic of Nagorno (Daghig)-Karabakh is
planning to build a stadium in Khankendi, the center of the breakaway former
autonomous region within Azerbaijan.
Also the money that will be made from 4 September friendly football match
between Marcel’s Olympic club and the Armenian national team is going to be
allotted to the construction of the stadium, according to Azad Artsakh
newspaper of the Karabakh separatists.
The stadium will cost about $350 million.
YENI MUSAVAT
Opposition party sues Mayor’s office
The opposition Azerbaijan National Independence Party (AMIP) has sued the
Baku Mayor’s office, Turan reported. AMIP accuses the Mayor’s office for its
reluctance to meet the party’s repeated requests for permission to hold
protest actions. The plaintiff believes that the city authorities’ failure
to let them hold protest actions goes against the law on political parties
and also against the Constitution.
A statement by AMIP says that the planned actions were to protest against
the Economic Development Ministry’s refusal to provide the party with an
office.
Programming by Ayten Alizadeh. Copyight by IntraNS.

No reason to close Armenian nuclear plant – director
Azg, Yerevan
17 Apr 04
By Tatul Akopyan
The chief director of the Armenian Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP),
Gagik Markosyan, said yesterday that he sees no reason for shutting
down the plant in the near future. Saying that even the most modern
nuclear plants will be shut down one day, he added that as long as the
Metsamor plant is functioning, Armenia should derive the most possible
economic benefit from it.
Talking about alternative sources of energy in Armenia, Markosyan said
that it is desirable to develop them, but no country can “live” only
on alternative sources of energy. The director of the Metsamor NPP
said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assessed the
current technical condition of the plant as positive.
Markosyan could not say for sure to what extent the safety of the
Metsamor plant corresponds to that of European nuclear power plants,
for safety mostly depends on the age of the plant. The Armenian
government, with the assistance of the United States and the European
Union, is taking measures to increase the safety of the Metsamor NPP
every year. Despite the increasing security measures, both the USA and
the EU continue to demand the closure of the NPP, failing to indicate
an alternative source of energy for Armenia.
The Atomic Energy Safety Council (AESC) under the Armenian president
yesterday held its 7th regular session which was attended by [Armenian
President] Robert Kocharyan, the chairman of the council, Adolf
Birkhofer, and members of the council from Russia, Germany, France,
Britain, Slovakia and Armenia.
Addressing the session of the AESC, an independent consultancy agency
set up in 1996 to deal exclusively with the affairs of the Metsamor
plant, President Kocharyan said that a lot of work had been done to
boost the safety of the nuclear power plant, and assured them that the
Armenian government is guided by the principle of the consistent
strengthening of the nuclear plant’s safety.

Spring call-up begins in Armenia
Arminfo, Yerevan
16 Apr 04

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has signed a regular decree
calling up citizens who have turned 18 for active military service,
Arminfo news agency reported on 16 April.
Under the decree, servicemen who have completed their active service
will be discharged.