Category: News

Azerbaijan’s maneuver in the Caspian Sea: Who is the hypothetical enemy?
By Bahman Aghai Diba, PhD. Int. Law of the Sea
Payvand, Iran
May 12 2004
The Republic of Azerbaijan will be conducting naval maneuvers in the
Caspian Sea. The aim of the maneuver is declared as upgrading the
ability of the Azeris Coast Guards for protection of boundaries in
the Caspian Sea. But the question is: What boundaries?
There are no borders in the Caspian Sea yet. Even the Russian tailored
and imposed formula of Modified Median Line (MML) is only supposed to
divide the seabed in the case of the countries that have accepted it
(including Azerbaijan) and it has nothing to do with the maritime
territories, over-flight, navigation of the commercial and military
units of the coastal and non-coastal states and so on.
The Caspian Sea littoral states have not yet succeeded to define
commonly accepted formula for the legal regime of the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijan has no arrangements with Iran and Turkmenistan in
the Caspian Sea. The existing agreements of Azerbaijan with
the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan are only about the Seabed.
Iran believes that MML is not able to create an equitable situation
in the division of the Caspian, and Turkmenistan believes several
oil fields that Azerbaijan controls them according to the MML must
be the Turkmenistan’s share.
The failure in the agreement has led to several instances of
conflict like 2001 incident of Iran-Azerbaijan dispute and the
Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan dispute. The latter led to the closure of
the respective embassies in their capitals for some time.
Another phenomenon of the failure was the militarization and
naval maneuvers. This was first started by the Russian Federation.
The biggest maneuver since the collapse of the USSR was conducted
immediately after the Asghabat Summit Conference failed even to produce
a final document. Now it’s the turn for Azeris. As always, every
military maneuver has a hypothetical enemy. Who is the enemy for
the Azerbaijan Republic? It is not definitely the Russian Federation
because the Russian Federation is a great nuclear power with the
ability to kill all population of the earth 10 times, and its naval
fleet in the Caspian Sea is a powerful force. Kazakhstan has no
special problems with the Azeris, but in the south Caspian there are
several disputes:
Azerbaijan believes that the seabed must be divided according to
the MML. This gives Azerbaijan 21% of the Caspian Sea and control
over all 15 major oil fields that it is claming now, including the
Alborz Field claimed by Iran. This area is not the biggest share
of the seabed for a single country in the Caspian (the biggest share
goes to Kazakhstan with almost 29% of the Caspian seabed), but it is
the home to the vast resources of the Caspian oil (compared to the
Iranian hypothetical share of the seabed, using the MML, which is
almost 13 percent and free from any major known resources. The deep
Sea in the Iranian part makes the exploration and exploitation even
more difficult). Azerbaijan’s position in this field is supported by
the Russian Federation, the founder of the MML in the Caspian Sea,
and it is also supported by US. US has clearly rejected Iranian
positions for the division of the Caspian Sea and almost all other
matters (routes of the oil and gas pipelines, navigation of the
non-littoral states, military presence and so on).
So far, a clear case of confrontation has happened in July 2001 between
Iran and Azerbaijan. The incident, which has been played down by both
sides, had many elements of a dangerous hostility. Iranian gunboats
asked the British research vessel that worked for Azeris to leave the
disputed area. The Iranian aircraft flew over the area constantly.
The Azeris claimed that the Iranian aircraft had violated the airspace
of Azerbaijan and threatened the country. A short while later, several
Turkish Air Force jets flew to Baku, apparently to take part in an
air show, but everybody in the involved countries knew that it was a
demonstration of support for Azerbaijan by the big Turkish brother.
The Azeris extensively welcomed the Turkish show of support and
arranged street demonstrations, shouting slogans against the Islamic
Republic of Iran and they condemned the violation of their “rights.”
The British Petroleum, which operated the research ship, declared
that it would not return to the concerned area until the two sides
have made some kind of agreement. A cursory look reveals that the
characteristics of this incident look exactly like the stated aim of
the maneuvers of the Azerbaijan forces in the Caspian Sea.
At the same time, the problems of the two states are not limited to
the Caspian per se. The special interest of Azerbaijan to affect the
Azeri section of Iran is an important problem for both sides. The
Azeris on both sides of the border have common culture and language.
In fact a large part of the present Azerbaijan Republic consists
of the territories separated from Iran, after 20 years of unequal
wars between the Iran and Tsarist Russia, and two imposed treaties.
Therefore, there are important unifying feelings on both sides.
Although at the moment Azerbaijan Republic only tacitly confirms the
inclination to attract the Iranian Azeris, and the government of Iran
(and sometimes people of Iran) deny that there are such important
social forces in the region, the issue is as alive as it can be.
The Iranian Azeris, who have been deprived of their fundamental
rights and freedoms, are also humiliated, despite being an important
part of the Iranian population, and they are stopped from using the
local language. They have been subject to mockery as idiots (usually
resembled to donkey as a symbol of idiocy). Now, the political
movements of the Iranian Azeris, like the Chehreghani group, are
benefiting from the discriminatory and humiliating behaviors to follow
their political goals. The problem of Iranian Azeris may turn into
an international crisis in a short time unless the Iranian government
takes serious steps to defuse the situation.
Another point of contention is the foreign policy of the two
countries. Azerbaijan considers itself a European country and wants
to become a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO as soon as
possible. Therefore, it has been inclined to invite the Western forces
to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has taken part in any NATO program that
it could, and it has invited US and NATO to establish a military base
in Absheroon Peninsula in the Caspian Sea. Also due to the military
stand off with Armenia over Nagorno Karabagh, it has entered into an
Axis of Azerbaijan-Turkey-Israel. Iran on the other hand is afraid
of the Western presence and considers this as a part of preparations
for possible military intervention in all or parts of Iran by US
(after getting the tacit agreement of the Russians who have always
wished to see the disintegration of Iran). Iran is worried about the
standardization of the Azeris army with NATO rules and the existing
reports about contacts with Israel, which has constantly threatened
to attack the nuclear facilities of Iran.
Let us add to this picture the prospects of starting to use the
Baku-Jeyhan pipeline. The famous pipeline, which has been called
by some experts as the most important development in the Caspian
region since the collapse of the USSR, will be operational in 2005.
The pipeline, which will be the major outlet of the Caspian oil for
the foreseeable future, is the symbols of several points:
Defeat of Iran in the pipeline diplomacy (It will probably mean the
death of Iranian swap plans and discarding the pipelines that Iran
is building unilaterally)
Defeat of Russians in the implementation of their policies in the
reign.
Victory of US-Azerbaijan-Turkey axis in implementation of a project
based on political considerations (support of the US allies, depriving
the US opponents from the transportation of oil from the landlocked
states of the Caspian Sea region).
Undoubtedly, the NATO and Azerbaijan will be in charge of providing
security for the expensive pipeline, and the Azeris maneuvers are
somehow based on the same notion up to a limit.
There are two more points that should be added: The war against
terrorism and the combat against the trafficking of the narcotic drugs.
Terrorism hotbeds are very close to the Caspian Sea area and all
countries around the Caspian Sea have to make themselves ready to
confront the effects of the international terrorism activities.
Also, since the independence of the new republics in the south of
the former USSR, the traffickers of the narcotic drugs are showing
new interests to use the Caspian route rather the traditional the
Golden Triangle Afghanistan-Iran-Turkey route.
Conclusion
The end result is that the main hypothetical enemy in the Azerbaijan’s
military maneuvers in the Caspian Sea is the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Although, there are several other issues of concern for the Azeris,
what is stated as the official reason of the maneuvers is compatible
with a possible situation that Iran may cause. At the same time,
the different policies of the two countries are going to constitute a
great source of threat between the only two Shiite states of the world.
About the author:
Bahman Aghai Diba, PhD Int. Law, is a consultant in international
law to the World Resources Company in the Washington DC area.

5 ARMENIAN NGO TO RECEIVE $40,000 IN GRANTS FROM WORLD BANK AND SOROS FOUNDATION
ArmenPress
May 12 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: Five Armenian non-governmental
organizations will receive a total of $40,000 in grants from the World
Bank and the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation) in 2004 as
part of World Bank’s Small Grants Program. The relevant agreements
were signed today. The program was started six years ago and two
years ago the Soros Foundation joined it.
Naira Melkumian, a senior official of the World Bank Yerevan office,
said the main goal of the program is to help resolve the most pressing
problems of the vulnerable segment of the population “or at least to
outline ways for their resolution.”
Larisa Alaverdian from the Armenian branch of the Soros Foundation,
said the five organizations were selected from a pool of 115
applicants. She said the Bank and the Foundation will continue to
support the implementation of the program.
One of the organizations, Atur, of Assyrians, living in Armenia,
will use the grant for publication of 2,000 copies of a book in
their mother tongue. The other organization, called Millennium, will
publish a book of seven successful stories of Armenian refugees from
Azerbaijan who settled in Armenia’s rural regions. The stories then
will be used for shooting a documentary.

UKRAINE, ARMENIA FIRM TO FURTHER DEVELOP TIES
ArmenPress
May 12 2004
KIEV, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: Ukrainian prime minister Viktor Yanukovich
told the visiting Armenian counterpart, Andranik Margarian on
Tuesday that Kiev was satisfied with the level of cooperation with
Armenia. Speaking to a joint news conference after the session of a
joint Ukrainian-Armenian inter-governmental commission on economic
cooperation, the Ukraine’s prime minister said a significant progress
has been achieved since the two governments decided to boost their
trade, economic and other ties. He said the trade turnover between
the two countries grew by 1.4 times last year and this figure is
expected to double this year.
Yanukovich said the main focus in his talks with Margarian was that
sweeping measures should be applied to eliminate all obstacles to
developing partnership relations, the major one of which is transport
communication.
Yanukovich said Ukraine is planning to take part in the construction
of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. “We have sufficient resources and
technical means for that,” he said.
Andranik Margarian said that the construction of the pipeline
would become a very promising pattern of bilateral cooperation with
Ukraine. He said “technical consultations are being conducted with
the Iranian side now” after which decisions will be made on funding
and selection of contractors through tenders. “Ukraine will have a
chance to participate in them,” Andranik Margarian said.
Prime minister Margarian also both governments will continue to
elaborate around 60 bilateral documents to facilitate relations between
the two nations. Margarian also invited his Ukrainian counterpart to
visit Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAGH MUST BE INVOLVED IN TALKS, FORMER TOP OFFICIAL SAYS
ArmenPress
May 12 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: A former top official in the
administration of ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian backed up today
the idea that Nagorno Karabagh authorities must be involved in talks
over its future. Babken Ararktsian, a former parliament chairman,
told a news conference, which he called on the occasion of the 10-th
anniversary of the establishment of ceasefire on the line of contact
between Armenian troops of Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan forces that
Karabagh had been involved in all talks with various international
peace-brokers, held prior to the ceasefire.
Reverting to the details of the ceasefire agreement, Ararktsian
said it was a key decision by all the sides to the conflict, who
realized that continuation of the war would bring only new losses.
Ararktsian recalled today that one of the provisions of the agreement
was that Nagorno Karabagh should continue participating in all talks
and that the overland connection between Armenia and Karabagh through
the Lachin corridor should operate.
The first international mediation effort to resolve the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict was attempted by the presidents of the not yet
independent Russia and Kazakhstan, Boris Yeltsin and Nursultan
Nazarbayev, respectively, in September 1991. Their visits to Baku,
Stepanakert, and Yerevan, and subsequent talks between the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Zheleznovodsk, Russia produced an agreement
to negotiate the conflict; this was negated by the government of
Azerbaijan almost immediately.
The international involvement in the resolution of this conflict began
in earnest in 1992, after successor states to the Soviet Union had
been admitted to the Conference (later Organization) for Security and
Cooperation in Europe. The CSCE (OSCE) thus became the primary venue
for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict, and remains so
to this day.
On March 24, 1992, a CSCE Council meeting in Helsinki decided to
authorize the CSCE Chairman-in-Office (i.e., the presiding officer
of the CSCE who is usually the foreign minister of the country
presiding in the organization, based on rotation principle) to
convene a conference on Nagorno Karabagh under the auspices of the
CSCE. The purpose of the conference was “to provide an ongoing forum
for negotiations towards a peaceful settlement of the crisis on the
basis of the principles, commitments and provisions of the CSCE.” This
decision launched the so-called Minsk Process, which spearheads the
international effort to find a political settlement of the conflict.
(The process is so named because the city of Minsk, Belarus had
been originally selected as the site of the future conference on
this problem.)
The objectives of the Minsk Process are to provide an appropriate
framework for conflict resolution to support the negotiation process
supported by the Minsk Group; to obtain conclusion by the Parties
of an agreement on the cessation of the armed conflict in order to
permit the convening of the Minsk Conference; and to promote the
peace process by deploying OSCE multinational peacekeeping forces.
Ararktsian argued today that after the Karabagh conflict transformed
into “a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan
has snatched off the ceasefire becoming its master to ground that it
can revoke the ceasefire agreement any time in order to restore its
territorial integrity.” In concluding Ararktsian aid the resolution
of the conflict must be based on the principle of self-determination
of Karabagh Armenians and mutual compromises.

IN TERMS OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ARMENIA IS ON PAR WITH SOME EU
MEMBERS, OFFICIAL SAYS
ArmenPress
May 12 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: Deputy parliament chairman Tigran Torosian
reiterated today that there is no alternative to Armenia’s integration
with Europe. In a keynote speech at the presentation of “Wider Europe-
New Neighborhood Policy” initiative, organized by the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC) and moderated by Per Gahrton,
member of the European Parliament and a special rapporteur on the South
Caucasus, Torosian admitted that Armenia has still a lot to do and to
carry out a range of reforms to make its judiciary, local management
bodies and constitution comply with accepted European standards, but
argued that in terms of the current level of democracy and observance
of human rights Armenia is on par with some EU member countries. He
said Armenia’s membership in the EU will give it many privileges.
Per Gahrton said Armenia lacks geographic and economic commonalities
with the EU and added that in order to comply with EU membership
requirements Armenia must improve the level of democracy, human rights,
promote resolution of ecological problems, close its nuclear power
plant and get involved in all regional projects. Another condition,
according to him, is that Armenia must pull out its troops from some
Azeri regions, now under Armenian control and continue talks with
Azerbaijani president to end the confrontation. Garhton said the EU
would provide financial support to the sides to achieve these goals
and would exert also pressure on Russia and Turkey to facilitate
the process.
The aim of the presentation was to describe the EU’s notion and
spirit of the “Wider Europe – New Neighborhood Policy” initiative,
elaborate on the European Parliament Recommendation to the Council
on EU policy towards South Caucasus and what Armenia can expect from
the EU’s “Wider Europe – New Neighborhood Policy” initiative.
The event hosted members of the government, the National Assembly,
governors, heads and representatives of diplomatic representations
in Armenia, as well as international organizations located here.

Turkey Wants Good Relations With Armenia
Anadolu Agency
May 12 2004
ANKARA – Turkey wanted good relations with Armenia, Turkish Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan said on Wednesday.
Tan told a weekly press briefing that the Caucasus and Armenia were
important regions for Turkey.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tan stated that there were chronic
problems in the region.
Everybody should fulfil his responsibilities, Tan noted.
Tan added that only Turkey`s efforts would not be sufficient to
overcome those chronic problems.

Legacy of Trauma in Karabakh
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
may 12 2004
Armenian veterans continue to feel the shock of the conflict as if it
ended yesterday.
By Ashot Beglarian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 233, 12-May-04)
“This is how we live,” said Gennady, a weathered former soldier, as he
ushered us into a modest home furnished with only the bare essentials –
a table and a couple of chairs in the middle, and beds by the walls.
“I’ve never craved fame or wealth, and I never treasured life that
much, never feared death,” he told IWPR. “I just want my children to
live. And I pray to God that their lives will be different from ours.
We saw too much blood.”
Gennady is intense and gesticulates a lot when he speaks, but he
appears preoccupied rather than intimidating. “Sometimes dad’s mind
wanders off,” said his son, and Gennady himself did not disagree.
Ten years after a ceasefire was called, the Armenians of Nagorny
Karabakh still live in daily recollection of the war fought over their
territory. The memories are especially fresh among men – every male
between the ages of 18 and 45 was called up to fight.
Even though they ended up on the winning side, they have bad memories
of the war.
Zoya Mailian, a psychologist who often sees patients haunted by the
horrors of the war, said ex-combatants most commonly suffer from
chronic post-traumatic stress, which creates a range of psychiatric
disorders.
“The stress factor can hit you a few days, months or even years later,”
she explained. “In most cases, it makes itself felt through haunting
memories and recurring nightmares. Not infrequently, people suffering
from this kind of trauma lose interest in activities that made sense to
them before. Others may become wary to the point of paranoia, or very
tense and irritable. This condition can be treated by psychotherapy,
but it’s important to see a doctor at an early stage.”
War veteran Mikhail Sarkisian still hears the noises of war. “I was an
artillery gunner, and all that horrendous noise had a terrible effect
on me. Now I can’t stand the slightest sound. I’m very irritable.”
Sarkisian admitted that, “At times I have an inexplicable yearning
for the sound of an artillery barrage.”
Another veteran said, “Whenever I hear a noise, my arm seems to hear
it first – any sudden loud noise echoes with pain in my old bullet
wounds. It’s as if you expect a punch out of nowhere all the time. It
must be a subliminal memory of the Azerbaijani gunfire and bombardment,
which used to start out of the blue.”
Life in peacetime has hit many veterans hard as they have tried to
adjust to new conditions and find employment. Shortly before Karabakh
celebrated May 9, the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi
Germany, the local parliament passed a law granting a 20 per cent
pension raise worth between 700 and 2,000 dram (1.2-3.5 US dollars)
for former soldiers maimed on active service, as well as the families
of those killed. Invalids and families are expected to receive extra
help next year.
But this hasn’t cured the sense of alienation experienced by many
veterans.
“I’m so ashamed to be staying at home, looking after the kids while
my wife is at work. I don’t have a job,” said Gennady resignedly,
stroking his two sons’ hair.
As the years have gone by, veterans have had to cope with growing
indifference from the society around them.
In 2000, Nagorny Karabakh’s government launched a memorial campaign
entitled “No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten”, designed to
extend social benefits to all registered war veterans, including
those who fought as guerrillas before a regular army was formed in
1992. However, very few have benefited so far.
Sergei Khachikian, who received several combat awards, is unable to
find a steady job, and lives in poverty.
“I’ve been trying forever to renovate my place, which is pretty small
as you can see,” he complained. “It looks terrible, like a war ruin.
The government pledged some help, but nothing’s happened yet.”
Retired general Zhora Gasparian is adamant that veterans shouldn’t
wait for the government to help them, but should look after themselves.
“Laziness and reluctance to work causes a lot of problems,” he said.
“We have really good, fertile soil, but it needs care. I have retained
my love for farm work since my schooldays…and I still work hard,”
he said, displaying his hardened, blistered hands.
A career officer with 40 years of service behind him, Gasparian
receives a pension of 120 dollars from the government, which is
hardly enough to live on – certainly not if you want to live like
a general. But he manages, and also helps out several war-widowed
families. “We’ve got to help them in every way,” he said.
Major-General Vitaly Balasanian, who chairs the Union of Karabakh War
Veterans, believes the veterans do need help and recognition. “The
armed forces and the soldiers of yesterday – the army’s chief reserves
– must always be at the centre of the government’s attention. It is
important that our veterans are valued and esteemed by everyone,”
he said.
Karabakh remains unrecognised as a state, and the tense atmosphere of
“neither war nor peace” which has characterised the truce since 1994
has created a sense of continuing unease and sensitivity to any change
in the status quo.
Despite the reconstruction work, economic growth and improved living
standards seen over the last 10 years, the legacy of war continues
to make itself felt as people suffer from deprivation, the threat of
sniping along the ceasefire line, and unexploded mines.
Many people in Karabakh believe these problems – including the tough
situation facing veterans – can only be resolved properly once there
is a lasting peace deal in place – whenever that might happen.
Ashot Beglarian is a freelance journalist and regular IWPR contributor
in Stepanakert
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Institute for War and Peace Reporting
May 12 2004
Azerbaijan: No Glory for Veterans
Former combatants struggle to survive, and veteran status offers
little solace or practical help.
By Mamed Suleimanov in Zakatala and Baku (CRS No. 233, 12-May-04)
Rahim volunteered to go to the front in the war against the Armenians
in 1992, when he was 23. In January 1993, he was wounded and taken
prisoner near the town of Fizuli.
Eleven years on, Rahim is reluctant to talk about his time as a
prisoner-of-war. “I’ve told this story so many times to the state
commission on prisoners, so go and talk to them,” he told IWPR.
But over a cup of tea, he relented and agreed to tell his story.
“I spent more than a year in captivity. For about a month they kept me
behind bars next to another Azeri man called Oktay. Then I ended up in
the family of an Armenian man whose son had also been taken prisoner. I
spent many long months in the countryside around Hadrut, in this
man’s house. His name was Kamo. They treated me much better there.”
After more than a year in captivity, Rahim’s family managed to win
his freedom after paying a ransom. He was exchanged for a body of an
Armenian plus some money. He declined to say how much money changed
hands, but said that it was the intermediary who kept it anyway –
a field commander nicknamed Fantomas, a former tractor driver who
spent the war involved more in the “business” of trading prisoners
than in the actual fighting.
Rahim returned an invalid to the small town of Zakatala in
north-western Azerbaijan where he lives. Even though he cannot move
the fingers on his left hand because of war wounds, he managed to
become a professional hairdresser.
The local authorities gave him a small room in a local hotel, which
he turned into a hairdressing salon. Then his luck turned sour again.
Survivors of a fire in an apartment block were re-housed in the hotel,
so Rahim lost his means of making a livelihood.
Now Rahim is unemployed. He has a family and three children, but
no house and nowhere to turn to for help. The town authorities have
long forgotten about him, and now he is saving up to move to Russia,
where he hopes he can find a job as a market trader.
Another veteran, 38-year-old Azer, had more luck. He too volunteered
for the war, serving as a driver ferrying ammunition to the front. He
was badly wounded by a landmine in Aghdam, and spent over a month in
intensive care. Twelve years later, he still gets bad headaches from
the skull injury he suffered.
After he left hospital, Azer managed to get a fairly lucrative job by
local standards, working at a customs checkpoint on the border with
Georgia. He says that to avoid standing out from his colleagues, he
took bribes and shared them with his superiors, just like the other
customs officers.
After ten years on the job, he managed to save up a decent sum, got
married, bought a house in Baku and started his own business. But a
year ago he was sacked from customs because, he says, “they sold my
workplace to someone else”.
The stories of both Rahim and Azer illustrate how Azerbaijan’s veterans
of the Nagorny Karabakh war have had to fend for themselves in the 10
years since the ceasefire agreement of 1994. Most say they are ignored
by the state they fought for, and that they survive only on their wits.
Recently a local television channel reported that a war invalid from
the town of Imishli has been living with his wife and children in an
old bus for three years, because he lost hope that he would ever be
able to get a proper home.
The primary concern for most veterans is feeding their families. The
pension for invalids from the war is about 27 dollars a month, well
below the bread line.
Veterans used to enjoy some benefits, travelling free on public
transport and receiving gas and electricity supplies for nothing.
However, former Azerbaijani president Heidar Aliev cut those benefits
from the beginning of 2002.
Rei Kerimoglu, a spokesman for the Karabakh Gazileri (Karabakh
Warriors) organisation, one of several veterans’ groups, told IWPR that
benefits for invalids are sometimes misappropriated. For instance,
specially-adapted vehicles should be provided to invalids free of
charge, but officials demand a bribe of 300 to 400 dollars to hand
them over.
Kerimoglu said that in recent years, abject poverty has driven 36
war invalids to kill themselves, and 75 more have been treated by
doctors after attempting suicide.
Mekhti Mekhtiev, chairman of the Public Union of Karabakh War
Invalids, Veterans and Families of Martyrs’ Families, told IWPR, “We
have been facing a difficult situation since our benefits were cut.
When Baku mayor Hajibala Abutalibov had illegally-built structures
demolished, some trading booths belonging to Karabakh veterans also
got destroyed. These people are unable to work due to their health,
and trading is their only source of income. Now many veterans are
simply starving.”
Labour and welfare minister Nagiev denies that veterans are being
neglected. He said the 8,000 Karabakh war invalids on his ministry’s
books get priority treatment from the state. “Compared with others,
they have much higher pensions, they receive free medical treatment
at home, and those who need to have treatment abroad are given a
certain amount of money every year,” he said. The minister said the
state has handed out nearly 800 cars and 350 apartments to veterans
free of charge since 1997.
Altay Mamedov, who heads the Azerbaijani Association for Veterans of
the Great Patriotic War, an organisation originally set up to help
Second World War participants, said part of the problem is that there
are so many different veterans’ groups.
“In other countries there is one centralised body that deals with all
the problems facing veterans. But we have nine state organisations
doing it, and as a result there are differing interpretations of the
criteria for granting veteran status, and varying numbers of veterans
are cited,” said Mamedov. “The state claims there are 74,000 veterans
of the Karabakh war in the country. But our data indicates that the
number of war veterans is exaggerated. Our association is proposing to
unite all organisations that [have the power to] grant veteran status.”
Neither Rahim nor Azer is a member of any of the veterans’
organisations.
“It’s all politics, and the heads of all those organisations just
want to grab a piece of the pie,” said Rahim. Azer agreed, saying,
“If you hang around waiting for help from the state, you could easily
starve to death.”
Neither man likes reminiscing about the war, and they do not take
part in army reunions. The memories of what they did then are a burden
they carry alone.
Mamed Suleimanov is a reporter for the Baku newspaper Novoe Vremya.

Armenia to sign gas agreement with Iran
RosBusiness Consulting
May 12 2004
RBC, 12.05.2004, Yerevan 16:10:45.Iranian Petroleum Minister
Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh will arrive in Armenia on a one-day visit.
According to the press service of the Armenian Energy Ministry, the
main aim of the visit is to sign an agreement on constructing the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. Namdar-Zanganeh will meet with Armenian
President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Andranik Markarian.
The length of the pipeline will amount to 141km. It is planned
to start the construction this year and to finish it in 2006. The
cost of the project has been estimated as $120m. At the first stage,
it is planned to receive some 700m cubic meters of gas from Iran with
later up to 1.5bn cubic meters.
Armenian authorities deny the possibility of transit of Iranian
gas to Europe through Armenia since this project implies “certain
difficulties”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
May 12, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition
‘Special’ Liberal foreign policy advisers ridiculed: Two MPs who quit
to make way for Martin candidates get post-election advisory jobs
by Peter O’Neil
OTTAWA
OTTAWA — Two Liberal MPs who quit politics to make way for Prime
Minister Paul Martin’s favoured candidates were ridiculed Tuesday for
accepting posts as “special” foreign policy advisers to the prime
minister.
B.C. Liberal MP Sophia Leung and Ontario Liberal Sarkis Assadourian
gave up their $140,000-a-year jobs in Parliament to provide
post-election advice to Martin, who is known for his expertise in
world affairs and has access to countless policy and trade experts in
the federal bureaucracy.
Neither of the MPs, nor Martin’s office, would say whether the MPs
would draw salaries and have office and travel budgets in the event
Martin is prime minister after the next election.
“It’s just a pork-barreling way of filling their pockets with money,
and making them feel important, because they’re giving up their jobs
as MPs,” said Conservative House leader John Reynolds. “It’s not
doing one iota of good for Canadians.”
Reynolds (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast) said Martin is insulting the
many policy and trade experts in Canada and abroad who work at the
departments of foreign affairs and international trade, which
together have budgets totalling $1.8 billion.
The government would provide no information on remuneration for the
new positions.
“For the time being, they remain MPs and are therefore unpaid in
their advisory roles,” said Melanie Gruer, a Martin aide.
“What happens after a possible election will be decided at that
time.”
The MPs bluntly rejected the pork-barreling claim.
“No, it’s not patronage,” said Leung, who will sacrifice her
Vancouver-Kingsway seat for Martin’s friend, B.C. businessman David
Emerson, to be Martin’s special adviser on international trade and
emerging markets.
“I have the background. I’ve been on the finance committee. And I’m
very interested, and I know so many people, in the business sector,
especially Asia-Pacific,” said Leung, 69, who was born in China.
“The prime minister feels I can really make a contribution.”
Assadourian, 56, the only MP of Armenian descent, will be special
adviser on near eastern and south Caucasus affairs. That covers the
countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
The MP gave up his Brampton-Springdale seat to Ruby Dhalla, a Toronto
chiropractor who worked on Martin’s leadership campaign.
Assadourian refused numerous opportunities to speak to The Vancouver
Sun Monday and Tuesday about his new job, but an aide said the MP is
qualified.
“In terms of of why he has the position? Of course it is because of
his background and knowledge [and his] language capabilities,” said
Daniel Kennedy, an aide to Assadourian, pointing out that the MP
speaks Armenian, Arabic, and Turkish.
[email protected]
GRAPHIC: Color Photo: CanWest News Services; …Ontario MP Sarkis
Assadourian quit their $140,000-a-year jobs to make way for Prime
Minister Paul Martin’s favoured candidates and provide post-election
advice for the prime minister.; Color Photo: CanWest News Services;
B.C. MP Sophia Leung and …
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress