LINES DRAWN IN THE SAND IN FORMER SOVIET REGIONS
By C.J. Chivers The New York Times News
New York Times
Aug. 20, 2006
Every summer the Russian tourists arrive by the thousands at a Black
Sea resort area they regard as their own. They come with urges shared
by tourists the world over, for sun and drink and days lounging on
the shore. Their destination is officially Georgia. But in their
minds it is not Georgia at all.
It is Abkhazia, one of the thorniest issues dividing Russia and
Western-supported Georgia in the volatile Caucasus. And it is one of
four small regions in the southwestern reaches of the former Soviet
Union whose status remains unresolved 15 years after the Soviet
disintegration. The others – South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh and
Transnistria – are in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova, respectively.
These four are the breakaways, regions that do not recognize the
governments of the nations they find themselves in. All have declared
independence. These frozen conflicts, as the disputes are called,
have undermined the stability and development of a large swath of
former Soviet territory.
All were the scenes of short, vicious wars that ended in the 1990s in
cease-fires that so far have mostly held. The status quo in all four
has assumed an enduring form: centralized local rule with intensive
foreign support (from Russia, in all but Nagorno-Karabakh, where
Armenia is the principal patron), indigenous security forces and
carefully cultivated identities.
Each has had multiple forms of conflict: Not just wars fought for
territory and ethnic solidarity, but trade wars and wars of perception
and for outside support. What exactly are these places?
The answers, always passionate, depend on who is asked. Nations?
States? Ethnic statelets? Offshore investment regions, away from the
eyes and reach of regulators? Lawless zones for black marketeers,
fugitives and terrorists?
In the case of Abkhazia, where tourists blithely treat the beaches
of another nation as if they were their own, the answers show how
peculiar these enclaves are, and how elusive solutions will be.
For a Russian tourist, Abkhazia is a semi-tropical paradise, a lush
territory where the sky-high Caucasus ridge falls swiftly to the sea.
Many Russians regard Moscow’s interests in the region as irrefutable.
The Abkhaz shore, after all, was developed by czars and later by
Lenin himself. Stalin and Laverentiy Beria, his sinister chief of
the secret police, spent their holidays at state dachas in Abkhazia,
lending the Abkhaz coast its distinction as the Soviet Union’s most
desired retreat.
The local crops, which include tangerines and tea, draw an implicit
contrast with other Soviet climes. Think of a semi-developed Soviet
Florida, the Red Riviera, albeit now with bombed-out hulks.
To the Abkhaz, who welcome Russian tourists and their cash, their
land is more than a playground. Abkhazia regards itself as a nation.
It issues visas, has an elected president, operates ministries and
fields a military it claims can be augmented with a reserve force
modeled after the Swiss, with thousands of armed and trained citizens
ready to muster at tactically important locations on short notice.
But a nation it is not. It is an ethnic enclave, held by those who
occupied the ground when the cease-fire was reached in 1993. No
other country recognizes it. The cease-fire remains monitored by
U.N. observers.
To the Kremlin, Abkhazia is a protectorate. In recent years, as
Georgia has drifted Westward and its military abilities have improved,
in part with Pentagon aid, Russia has granted citizenship to most of
Abkhazia’s inhabitants. It is a policy akin to annexation.
The Abkhaz have become, at least in terms of the documents they carry,
“Russians” living abroad.
This support leaves the Kremlin open to charges of hypocrisy, given
that Russia regards its own territorial integrity as inviolable and
not open to discussion, even with a people, the Chechens, who wanted
to secede.
Russia has leveled much of Chechnya and killed at least tens of
thousands of people to make this point at home. The Kremlin has also
stood firm on other territorial disputes. Just last week in the Kuril
islands, off Russia’s eastern coast, its border guard fired on a
Japanese fishing vessel harvesting crabs in a contested border area.
A Japanese fisherman was killed. Russia blamed Japan.
With Russia becoming more emboldened on the world stage, the summer
frolicking on the Abkhaz shore belies the tension that surrounds
the place.
Mikheil Saakashvili, the Columbia-educated president of Georgia who
came to power in 2004, has made national reunification a central aim.
He is armed with the world’s map, which shows Abkhazia as Georgian
land. Abkhaz leaders, feeling secure under the protection of Moscow,
treat talk of restoring Georgian authority as a call to war. And not
just Abkhazia simmers. This year has brought fresh troubles in all
four enclaves.
Ukraine and its West-leaning president have supported Moldova and
cracked down on illegal exports from Transnistria, a manufacturing
zone controlled in part by shadowy Russian interests. Russia, angry
at Georgia and Moldova, has banned imports of both countries’ wines
and spirits.
The Azeri and Armenian leaders, even after years of prodding from
France, Russia and the United States, failed to find a settlement for
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian-controlled enclave within Azerbaijan
where a long and mountainous frontline bristles with Armenian and
Azeri troops. Their occasional shelling and sniping at each other
has claimed lives on both sides. Azerbaijan plans to modernize its
military, using surging oil revenues.
South Ossetia, a land-locked region in Georgia on the Russian border
that Georgia regards as a smugglers’ haven, has had mysterious
explosions. And Abkhazia has said that a recent Georgian special
operation to clear a defiant paramilitary group from a gorge near
its demarcation line signals preparation for war.
Georgia denies that, but last week Saakashvili ordered a doubling
of Georgia’s military reserves, to 100,000 soldiers, a move Abkhazia
characterized as militarization. And on and on.
But now is summer, still. The tourists come to the beaches. While
fewer than last year, they suggest how firmly the enclaves remain in
the grips of those who control them. Each arriving train also reflects
how the enclaves’ complicated histories and entrenched interests make
solutions unlikely any time soon.

U.S. NOT TAKE NOTICE OF ARMENIAN LOBBY’S LETTER ON LEBANON
ArmRadio.am
19.08.2006 14:46
U.S. Department of State has not taken notice of the letter of Armenian
lobby –addressed to U.S. President George W. Bush– requesting that
Turkey should not participate in UN Peace Force in Lebanon.
Replying to a question on the letter sent by Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian to U.S. President
Bush, State Department’s Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said he did not
read the letter, Turkish media reported.
Stating that talks regarding peace force in Lebanon are under way at
the UN in New York, Casey noted that the U.S. administration wished
that countries which are eager to contribute to this force would be
included in negotiations, as well as Turkey.
ANCA’s letter claimed that Ottoman Empire ruled the Middle East
violently for centuries, asserting that Turkey’s participation in
peace force in Lebanon did not comply with national interests of the
United States.

US-AZERI RELATIONS DISCUSSED IN WASHINGTON
ArmRadio.am
19.08.2006 15:00
UN ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse has highlighted the main aspects
of bilateral economic relations during a meeting at the US-Azerbaijani
Chamber of Commerce in Washington, Baku based ANS TV reported.
Derse recalled that during his visit to Washington Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev had said that Azerbaijan was developing as a
modern and democratic country with a market economy. She added that
both president and his team had said during this visit that Azerbaijan
aimed to use oil revenues as a major source to develop the non-oil
sector and expand trade relations with the USA.
ANS’s special correspondent Ali Ahmadov has the details.
[Ali Ahmadov, ANS’s special correspondent, captioned, speaking over
phone over his still picture and video of meeting] The key speaker
at the presentation ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Business Centre
in Washington was US ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse. She gave
an update on US-Azerbaijani economic relations. She said that the
two countries cooperate in different areas such as energy security,
the fight against terrorism and democracy. Generally, the USA views
Azerbaijan as its major partner in the economic area, as well as in
other areas. The main challenge is to further develop economic ties
and provide mutual assistance. Naturally, one of the main issues was
to increase the volume of US investments in Azerbaijan.
Derse said that the Azerbaijani government intended to develop the
non-oil sector. Being situated at the crossing of Asia and Europe,
Azerbaijan is a vital transport corridor. Derse mentioned the newly
commissioned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline [designed to carry
Caspian oil to world markets] and the [Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum] gas
pipeline which is under construction. She said that these pipelines
would increase Azerbaijan’s role in the region. Touching on the
economic situation in Azerbaijan and US investment in the country,
Derse mentioned the non-oil sector. She said that the Azerbaijani
government wanted to develop the non-oil sector, including
telecommunications, agriculture and energy.
The business environment in Azerbaijan was immediately mentioned. It
was noted that there were certain problems in Azerbaijan such as
corruption and problems related to transparency. But the government
is already stepping up the fight against corruption and plans to
improve the situation in this area in accordance with international
standards. Corruption must also be tackled so that it does not prevent
Azerbaijan from spending its huge oil revenues in a very efficient way.
Investors who attended the meeting were interested in the situation
in Azerbaijan. They asked about how the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
affected the investment climate in Azerbaijan. The ambassador said that
the conflict did not create problems for the investment climate in
Azerbaijan on the whole. There were other questions, too. It emerged
at the end of the meeting that a group of US businessmen and experts
from the US administration were expected to visit Azerbaijan soon to
hold talks with the government to resolve the problems of US companies
in Azerbaijan.

CONCEPT OF SCIENTIFIC REFORMS TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE END OF 2006
ArmRadio.am
19.08.2006 15:14
A concept of reforming Armenia’s scientific sector is to be submitted
for a public discussion in November-December 2006, RA Minister of
Education and Science Levon Mkrtichyan told reporters.
According to him, the Armenian Government has approved a list and
schedule of necessary measures. An interagency task group has been
formed as well.
“During one month the group is to elaborate a comprehensive program of
scientific reforms. The program is supposed to settle all disputable
issues by March-April 2007,” he said. The formation of a single system
of managing Armenia’s scientific sector is to get under way in the
second ten-day part of December 2007, ARKA News Agency reported.
The Minister pointed out that in 2007-2008 funding of the program
will be received, particularly under the EU-implemented program.
Mkrtichyan said that the implementation of the program will resolve
the problem of forming a special scientific fund in Armenia.
“It should be noted the schedule of implementation is rather strict,
and the interagency group will supervise its fulfillment.”

POPE APPEALS FOR THE RELEASE OF PRIEST KIDNAPPED IN BAGHDAD
AP Worldstream
Aug 19, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI has appealed for the release of a priest kidnapped
at gunpoint in Baghdad, in a telegram sent to the Chaldean Patriarch
of the Iraqi capital, the Vatican said Saturday.
In the telegram, sent by the Vatican’s Secretary of State Angelo
Sodano, the pontiff said he was “deeply saddened” by the abduction
of the Rev. Hanna Saad Sirop and made a “heartfelt appeal to the
abductors to release the young priest at once, so that he can return
to the service of God, the Christian community and his countrymen.”
The telegram was sent to Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel Delly. It gave
the name of the priest as Saad Syrop Hanna, differing slightly from
the name first published Friday by the Vatican-affiliated Asia News
agency.
Bishops from all of Baghdad’s Christian churches have sent a letter
to the Iraqi government asking them to help secure the release of
the 34-year-old priest.
The priest, who is director of the Theology Department at Babel
College, was abducted Tuesday as he left Mass celebrating the
Assumption holiday.
The Italian missionary news agency MISNA reported that a large ransom
was asked for the release of the priest, but did not say how much.
In his message, Benedict said he would pray for an end to “this
dreadful scourge” of kidnappings in Iraq and urged Catholics there
“to work together with all religious believers and people of good
will toward a future of harmonious and respectful coexistence for
the beloved nation of Iraq.”
Christians make up just 3 percent of Iraq’s 26 million people. The
major Christian groups include Chaldean-Assyrians and Armenians,
with small numbers of Roman Catholics.

THE SUNDAY CHESS COLUMN
By Malcolm Pein
Sunday Telegraph/UK
Filed: 20/08/2006
Eyebrows were raised when Carsten Hensel the agent for the Classical
Chess World Champion Vladimir Kramnik claimed his charge would be happy
with a 50 per cent score at the Dortmund Sparkasse tournament. Hensel
claimed that since his man was due to play Veselin Topalov in September
in the world title unification match he would be keeping secret his
new ideas for the opening. In addition the burden of four games out
of seven with black was lowering Kramnik’s expectations he claimed.
Naturally after such a dire pronouncement Kramnik duly won the
tournament on a tie-break, despatching the Georgian GM Jobava Baadur
in just 15 moves, and winning the key battle against Peter Leko with
white in the last round. Leko had been winning the event to that point.
England’s Michael Adams was very solid. He defeated Boris Gelfand
and drew the rest. While Baadur was a newcomer to the tournament who
qualified by virtue of his victory at the 2005 Aeroflot Open, Levon
Aronian’s failure was a surprise. The Armenian, ranked world number
three, had swept all before him of late but here scored just 2/7.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 Kramnik 2743 d * d 1 d d d 1 4.5 2 Svidler 2742 d *
d d d d 1 1 4.5 3 Adams 2732 d d * d 1 d d d 4 4 Leko 2738 0 d d * d 1
1 d 4 5 Gelfand 2729 d d 0 d * d 1 1 4 6 Naiditsch 2664 d d d 0 d * d 1
3.5 7 Aronian 2761 d 0 d 0 0 d * d 2 8 Jobava 2651 0 0 d d 0 0 d * 1.5
V Kramnik- P Leko Sparkassen Dortmund (7) Nimzo-Indian
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7
Many GMs play this with both colours, it has become a very popular line
8. f3 h6 9.Bh4 d5 10. e3 Nbd7 11. cxd5 Nxd5 The theory of this line
goes very deep. As in many lines of the Nimzo-Indian Black’s extra
development is a counterweight to White’s bishop pair 12.Bxd8 Nxc3
13.Bh4 Keeping the bishops 13. …Nd5 14.Bf2 c5 15. e4 Ne7 16.Ne2 Rac8
17.Nc3 cxd4 18.Bxd4 Nc5 19.Rd1 Rfd8 20.Be3 White has also played Bb5,
Be2 and Bxc5 20. …Rxd1+ 21.Kxd1 e5 22. b4 The first new move, 24.Kc2
Na4 25.Bd2 f5 was Bareev-Almasi 2003 22. …Ne6 23.Kc2 Nc6 24.Kb2 Kf8
25.Bc4 Ncd4 26.Bxe6! Very surprising but Kramnik’s remaining pieces
become active. Note that his king is good 26. …Nxe6 27.Nb5 Ra8 28. a4
Ba6 29.Na3! Rc8 30. b5 Bb7 31.Rc1! Rxc1 32.Kxc1 Very deep home analysis
I suspect, the plan of a4-a5 looks hard to meet 32. …Ke7 33. a5 bxa5
34.Bxa7 The white king is going to take the Black a pawn 34. …f5
34. …f6 35.Nc4 a4 36.Kb2 Nf4 37.Na5 Bc8 38. g3 Nd3+ 39.Ka3 35.
exf5 Nf4 36. g3 Nh3 37.Nc4 Ng5 38.Nxa5 Bd5 39. b6 Nxf3 40. h3 Ng5
41. b7 Bxb7 42.Nxb7 Nxh3 43.Bb6 Kd7 44.Be3 Ke7 45.Nc5 g6 46. fxg6
Kf6 47.Bxh6 Kxg6 48.Be3 and Black resigned.

Kucharian visits wind power plants built by Iran in Armenia
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Aug. 18, 2006
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) – Robert Kocharian President of the Republic
of Armenia visited the wind power plants built by Iran in Armenia,
the Persian service of Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported
here on Friday.
The four power plants built by Iran have generated over 500,000
kilowatt/hours of electricity during the first half of the current
year, noted the Armenian president during his visit to the power
stations located in the Pushkin region of the Transcaucasian republic.
He pointed to another power plant also under construction by Iran in
Kurtan – one of the 107 villages of the Lori region in the northern
part of Armenia – and explained that the facility consisted of five
wind turbines with an annual capacity of 19.5 million kilowatts
of electricity.
There are 40 power plants currently operational in the republic,
he also commented adding that 30 more are expected to be added to
the figure.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. Not Take Notice Of Armenian Lobby’s Letter On Lebanon
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Aug. 18, 2006
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Department of State has not taken notice of
the letter of Armenian lobby –addressed to U.S. President George W.
Bush– requesting that Turkey should not participate in UN Peace
Force in Lebanon.
Replying to a question on the letter sent by Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian to U.S. President
Bush, State Department’s Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said he did not
read the letter.
Stating that talks regarding peace force in Lebanon are under way at
the UN in New York, Casey noted that the U.S. administration wished
that countries which are eager to contribute to this force would be
included in negotiations, as well as Turkey.
ANCA’s letter claimed that Ottoman Empire ruled the Middle East
violently for centuries, asserting that Turkey’s participation in
peace force in Lebanon did not comply with national interests of the
United States.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia posts Q2 foreign reserves
RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Aug. 18, 2006
RBC, 18.08.2006, Yerevan 18:34:58.Armenia’s gross foreign assets
rose by 5.7 percent ($43.4m) in Q2 2006 to $803.726m, the press
office of the Armenian Central Bank reports. International reserves
(foreign currency reserves) grew from $760.288m to $803.726m. The
country’s SDR in the IMF decreased by $6.1m (4.4m SDR) to $12.4m
(8.4m SDR). Its net foreign assets rose by 18.9 percent ($90.2m)
to $568.1m in the reporting period.
Armenian gross foreign assets amounted to $755.160m as of January 1,
2006, including $755.037 of international reserves.
Armenia’s SDR in the IMF was $10.177m (7.121m SDR). Its net foreign
assets amounted to $472.424m, including $472.339m of currency reserves.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Arif Aliyev: Armenia and Georgia do not want to join international
conventions to clean the Kyur River
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
[ 18 Aug. 2006 19:59 ]
“70 percent of Azerbaijan’s water balance is formed outside the
republic. We are obliged to use Kyur’s water, because, it is the
biggest water source in the country.
Despite Azerbaijan’s efforts, neither Armenia, nor Georgia wants
to join international conventions to clean the Kyur,” Arif Aliyev,
“Azersu” OJSC chairman told journalists, APA reports.
He said Baku is supplied with drinking water that meets all standards.
“99 percent of harmful substances are cleaned. Then the water is
disinfected with chlorine,” Aliyev said. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress