Category: News

EBRD INSISTS ON CLOSURE OF ARMENIA’S NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 19 2004
YEREVAN, May 19 (RIA Novosti) – The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development is going to set up a fund for financing the development
of alternative sources of electricity, EBRD president Jean Lemier
has said on Wednesday.
He has discussed the idea with officials in Armenia and they liked it,
he said.
The fund will finance small programmes costing from 0.5 to 1.5 million
euros in regions of Armenia. They will be, for instance, wind-powered
and small hydraulic stations, Lemier said.
The European Union demands mothballing of the Armenian nuclear power
station and is ready to allocate 100 million euros towards this end,
as well as creation of alternative sources of electricity.
The leadership of Armenia believes that the Armenian nuclear facility
should operate until the republic has enough supply of energy.
According to Vardan Khachatrian, Armenian Finance and Economic
Minister, the republic is working to create alternative sources
of energy for the event of the closure of the nuclear facility but
completion of such work will require about a billion euros.
The Armenian nuclear power station was initially halted in March
1989, less than a year after the devastating earthquake in Spitak,
Leninakan and other Armenian cities. The acute energy crisis in
Armenia restarted it in November 1995 when, after the truce concluded
with Azerbaijan on Nagorny Karabakh, Armenia actually found itself
in an economic blockade. The nuclear power facility’s second block,
having the Russian VVER-440 reactor of the first generation, produces
on an average from 30 to 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity. In the
estimate of experts, it can continue until 2016.
In September 2003 the government of Armenia passed the Armenian
nuclear power station in five-year trust management by Russia’s United
Energy Systems.

Russia DM to attend CIS ministerial meeting in Yerevan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 18, 2004 Tuesday
MOSCOW, May 18 — Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov will make
a working visit to Yerevan from May 20-21, Tass learned at the press
service of the Defence Ministry on Tuesday.
He will take part in the meeting of the Council of defence ministers
of member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Ivanov and his Armenian counterpart Serge Sarkisyan will discuss
prospects for the development of relations in the military
and military-technical areas and a number of topical problems of
military-political nature, also those connected with ensuring regional
security, the press service stressed.

Russia, Georgia think advisable for four parliament heads to meet
By Andrei Golubov and Dina Pyanykh
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 18, 2004 Tuesday
STRASBOURG, France, May 18 — Russia and Georgia think it advisable
to hold a meeting of the heads of parliament of Russia, Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Tbilisi at the end of May to discuss the
situation in the Caucasus.
This proposal was discussed at a meeting between Chairman of the
Russian Federation Council Sergey Mironov, who arrived for an official
visit to Strasbourg on Monday and Georgian parliament speaker Nino
Burdzhanadze.
Itar-Tass has learned from Russian delegation member that it was
proposed holding a meeting of the group of four in Tbilisi on May 30,
“if the proposed date and the agenda of the meeting suit Armenia
and Azerbaijan.”
“We are in favor of Georgia’s integrity and of the democratic
development of the situation in Georgia, we respect Georgia’s
sovereignty,” said Mironov.
He is schedule to address the parliamentary assembly of the Council
of Europe at the conference of the heads of European parliaments
and parliamentary assembly. The subject of his speech is “Electronic
democracy and democratic procedures in parliament”.

EBRD president arrives in Armenia
RosBusinessConsulting Database
May 18, 2004 Tuesday
Jean Lemierre, the President of the EBRD, arrived in Armenia today
in the course of his Caucasus tour, Yerevany-based EBRD affiliate
reported. Lemierre is to meet Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
Prime Minister Andranik Mrakarian, Armenian bankers and entrepreneurs.
The visit follows a new EBRD initiative to support some of its poorest
countries it operates in – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – where more than 50 percent of
the population live in poverty.
Lemierre will highlight the goals of this early transition country
(ETC) initiative in the context of the three countries with the
objective of stimulating market activity by financing more and smaller
projects, mobilizing more investment, and encouraging ongoing economic
reforms. He is supposed to express the Bank’s readiness to take more
risk. The EBRD will aim to support more private-sector development,
particularly focused on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The EBRD has invested about EUR700m across Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan, in projects ranging from banking to infrastructure and
energy to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

Putin Supports Embattled Armenian President
BY Clarence Hall The Moscow News
Moscow News (Russia)
May 19, 2004
On Saturday, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan wrapped up his
three-day official visit that gave the beleaguered Caucasus president
the first good news he had had in months
The meeting began as all such meetings do, with the two presidents
praising cooperation between the two countries. Robert Kocharyan
was especially pleased with last year’s 34% of trade growth seen
between Armenia and Russia, as well as Russian businessmen’s continued
investment in his country.
According to experts in Russian-Armenian affairs, the pleasantries
ceased as soon as the presidents moved behind closed doors, where
the real discussion, the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, began.
On May 13 the final signatures were placed by Iran and Armenia on a
project to build an oil pipeline from Iran to Armenia with possible
plans to extend the shipping network to Georgia, Ukraine, and even
Europe. The United States was the first country to criticize the plan
and went as far as to threaten economic sanctions against Armenia
should it finalize the deal with the Islamic republic.
Russia, too, disapproved of the plan, but for different reasons:
If a second gas supplier appeared from the East, Russia would lose
its gas-supply monopoly to Europe. In early March such fears seemed
to be validated, as Armenia’s Energy Minister, Armen Movsisyan, said,
“After the ‘Blue Stream’ project is realized, building long-distance
sea gas pipelines will no longer be a fantasy.”
Experts say that the Armenian administration was able to convince
President Putin before the trip. “The negotiations for building the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline took place over 12 years, and that the treaty
was even signed is a huge accomplishment – not just economically,
but politically as well,” says Alexander Iskandaryan, provost at the
CIS Caucasus Institute. He says that the very fact that the treaty was
signed between Armenia and Iran shows that Moscow had given consent
to the deal.
Putin’s support for the pipeline can also be viewed as political
support for Kocharyan. The Armenian opposition has for the past few
months been pressing for significant political changes in the country,
including the resignation of the current government. PACE and OSCE
have both criticized Kocharyan’s heavy-handed approach, while Russia
has remained altogether silent on the issue.
“We have many opportunities to work together better, more effectively,”
President Putin said about Russian-Armenian relations. It is clear
what Russia has done for Armenia – but as for now only the Russian
government knows what Armenia will do for it. Sell it more Armenian
cognac perhaps? MN
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU offers help to seek solution to Nagorno-Karabakh problem
Associated Press Worldstream
May 18, 2004 Tuesday
BRUSSELS, Belgium — European Commission President Romano Prodi on
Tuesday offered to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a
solution to the decade-long feud over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
After meeting with Prodi, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev said he
welcomed EU involvement to boost the efforts of the “Minsk Group”
of negotiators from the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe.
“The European Union must take a more active stance,” said Aliev.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan and
has been under control of an internationally unrecognized ethnic
Armenian government backed by forces who also occupy parts of
Azerbaijan adjoining the enclave.
Because of the dispute over the enclave’s final status, the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border is closed. Failure to resolve the issue is
seen as having discouraged investment in both countries because of
concern that another war over the enclave could erupt.
Prodi said a breakthrough is needed as quickly as possible.
“I expressed my will to be at the disposal of the two nations,” said
Prodi, insisting his offer was not targeted against the Minsk Group.
“We don’t want to disturb their work, but simply push them because it
has been so many years that there are no results,” he told reporters.
rac-pa< From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. citizen killed in Armenian capital
Associated Press Worldstream
May 18, 2004 Tuesday
YEREVAN, Armenia — A U.S. citizen was stabbed to death in the Armenian
capital, officials said Tuesday.
Armenian police said the victim’s body was found in downtown Yerevan
on Monday night with signs of beating and three stab wounds.
The U.S. Embassy identified the victim as Joshua Haglund. An Embassy
spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the victim
had taught at Yerevan’s Linguistics University, under the aegis of
the U.S. Department of State’s English Language Fellow program.
“We are shocked and saddened by his death,” she said.
She said she had no information on Haglund’s age or hometown.
An official with the Armenian Prosecutor General’s office, who asked
not be named, said that the killing had “personal motives” and voiced
hope that perpetrators could be quickly found.

Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
May 18, 2004
Environmental Security Initiative Launched in Southern Caucasus;
Workshops held May 10-18 in Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan
Eliminating environmental problems helps to ease political tensions:
that is the basic idea behind a new initiative launched in the
Southern Caucasus region by the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Environmental
Program (UNEP) and the UN Development Program (UNDP).
Following is an OSCE press release on the initiative and the events
marking its launch May 10-18 in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan:
(begin text)
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Secretariat
18 May 2004
Press Release
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LAUNCH INITIATIVE IN SOUTHERN CAUCASUS ON
LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY
BAKU, 18 May 2004 — An initiative focusing on the links between
environmental problems and security was launched this week with
national events in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Through the Environmental Security Initiative, the OSCE, the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the UN Development
Programme (UNDP) aim to identify cases in which environmental
degradation may pose threats to human security and contribute to
instability, and suggest action to deal with them.
The initiative began on 10 May in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, with
two days of consultations among government officials,
non-governmental organizations and local and international experts.
They discussed key environmental risk factors that have the potential
to hamper security in Armenia.
The workshops continued on 14 and 15 May in Tbilisi, Georgia. They
focused on the role of environmental security in economic growth and
poverty reduction in Georgia, both greatly dependent on the quality
and quantity of existing natural resources in the country.
Concluding the series, a workshop in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 17 and 18
May focused on principal environmental concerns with security
implications in the country, including trans-boundary water pollution
and freshwater quality as well as contamination of the Caspian Sea
and deforestation.
The main idea behind the Environment and Security Initiative,
launched in 2002, is that eliminating environmental problems helps to
ease political tensions. In order to achieve this, the Initiative
seeks to:
Raise awareness of environmental risks and their impact on security;
Engage with government and non-government groups to identify both
risks posed by environmental change and opportunities for
trans-boundary co-operation to promote sustainable development, peace
and stability;
Map risks, as well as needs and opportunities, for environmental
co-operation to improve sustainable resource management, crisis
prevention and peace promotion;
Develop and implement projects to reduce risks identified.
National consultations are considered to be a key element of the
Initiative as they generate information on specific problems that can
then be addressed through individual projects.
For further information, please contact:
Gohar Avagyan, Senior Press and Public Information Assistant, Office
in Yerevan, 60 Zarobyan (former Plekhanov) Str., 375009, Yerevan,
Armenia. Tel.: 1 54 10 62, 1 54 58 45. Fax: 1 56 11 38. E-mail:
[email protected]
Press and Public Information Office, Mission to Georgia, Krtsanisi
Governmental Residence No. 5, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel.: 32 24 42 01.
Fax: 32 24 42 03. E-mail: [email protected]
Ulvi Akhundlu, Media and Political Assistant, Office in Baku, 4
Magomayev Lane 2nd floor Icheri Sheher 37004, Baku, Azerbaijan. Tel.:
12 97 23 73. Fax: 12 97 23 77. E-mail: [email protected]
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State.)

ARKA News Agency
May 18, 2004
The U.S. will follow development of political situation in Armenia
The USA State Department report: RA Government policy pursued in the
area of human right in Armenia is still not satisfactory
“Golden Apricot” International Cinema Festival to be held in Yerevan
on 30 June – 4 July 2004
********************************************************************
THE U.S. WILL FOLLOW DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL SITUATION IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, May, 18. /ARKA/. The U.S. will follow development of
political situation in Armenia, the U.S. Department of State
Coordinator on Assistance to European and Eurasian Countries,
Co-Chairman of Armenian-American Working Group on Economic
Cooperation Carlos Pasqual stated today. According to him, it is
determined with the process of realization of program “Millennium
Challenges” that is based on 6 basic indicators – continuation of
fight against corruption, provision of political freedoms, protection
of civil freedoms, productive administration, establishment of law
priority, freedom of speech. He said that existing political
situation already affected the process of inclusion of Armenia in the
program. L.D. –0–
********************************************************************
THE USA STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT: RA GOVERNMENT POLICY PURSUED IN THE
AREA OF HUMAN RIGHT IN ARMENIA IS STILL NOT SATISFACTORY
YEREVAN, May, 18. /ARKA/. The RA Government policy pursued in the
area of human right in Armenia is still not satisfactory, according
to the report on Encouragement of Human Rights and Democracy: the
Activities of the USA, published on May 17 by the US State
Department. According to the report, notwithstanding some
improvements in some areas, serious problems still exist. According
to the report, the RA President Kocharian, was reelected through
legally disputable elections in 2003 and the elections were violated
by many serious blunders, as a consequence of which the elections
were not in line with international standards. Some workers of
law-enforcement structures infringed human rights. Information about
unjustified arrests was received. And one of the main problems is
their detention for a long time before court hearings. According to
the report, reforms of penitentiary system were conducted in Armenia,
but the conditions of detention of the arrested were not
satisfactory. The Executive power exerted pressure on judges, and
some of them were corrupted. Mass Media was also under pressure, and
limitations were put on the right to assemblies, associations and
preaching. There was a problem of social violence against women.
There was a problem of trafficking in human, for the settlement of
which the Government took some measures.
According to the report, the US Strategy on human rights and
democracy issues is still focused on fundamental issues, including
the necessity in elections in line with international standards,
development of civic society, observance of the human rights and law,
judiciary reforms, observance of right to freedom to be exercised by
mass media, as well as observance of the right to free assemblies,
preaching, increasing the transparency of the Government and struggle
against trafficking in human. The aid of the USA for the
implementation of this strategy made $ 22,4 mln in 2003, about $12,2
mln. of which were assigned for financing programs on education and
exchange on the US territory.
The report on Encouragement of Human Rights and Democracy: the
Activities of the USA and required by the Congress, states of the
efforts of the USA to encourage human rights and democracy processes
in 92 countries. It supplements the annual reports on human rights of
the US State Department in separate countries.
“We make long -term and important investments in democracy, -as
written by Colin Powell, the US State Secretary, in the preface of
the report – we work with NGOs, religious groups, opposition parties,
minorities, and trade unions movements for the development of dynamic
civic societies”. A.H. -0–
********************************************************************
“GOLDEN APRICOT” INTERNATIONAL CINEMA FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ON 30 JUNE – 4 JULY 2004
YEREVAN, May 18. /ARKA/. From 30 June thru 4 July 2004 “Golden
Apricot” International Cinema Festival will be held in Yerevan. The
purpose of the Festival is stimulating Armenian producers to reveal
new creative forces in the cinema and video art, to demonstrate
Armenian films in the frames of joint programs on the Festival. As
told by Harutyun Khachatryan, Film Director, representatives of 16
countries to take part in the Festival. Among the invited will be
Atom Egoyan (Canada), Robert Gedikian and Serge Avedikian (France),
Arthur Aristakesyan and Alexei Muratov (Russia), Yervand Janikian
(Italy). 55 films of 5 categories – full fiction, short fiction,
documentary, animation and debut will participate in the competition.
During 5 days 80 films, including beyond the competition, will be
shown. In the frames of ou-of-competition program the spectators also
will be able to watch retrospective films devoted to Charles
Aznavour’s 80th anniversary and Sergei Parajanov, as well as there
will be demonstration of new Russian, Swedish, German, Bulgarian and
Italian films under slogan “Yerevan Premiers”. The Armenian cinema
should be taken beyond Armenia as this is the art that can easily
present the country.
The festival is sponsored by Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs
of Armenia that involved in seeking sponsors among businessmen. T.M.
-0–
********************************************************************

Armenian leader urges European bank to expand cooperation
Mediamax news agency
19 May 04
Yerevan, 19 May: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received President
of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development [EBRD] Jean
Lemierre in Yerevan today.
Kocharyan noted that cooperation between Armenia and the EBRD was not
very expanded and spoke in favour of greater involvement on the part
of the EBRD in the economic development in Armenia.
Jean Lemierre said in turn that drawing up further assistance
programmes in Armenia, the EBRD would focus mainly on programmes of
assistance to small and medium-sized businesses.
They also discussed issues relating to the activities of Armenia’s
banking system and stressed the importance of forming an initial
mortgage market.