DPM TO ACQUIRE 80% INTEREST IN DENO GOLD ARMENIAN PROJECT ADDS 300,000 TONNES TO ANNUAL PRODUCTION
Market Wire Incorporated
Aug 10, 2006
Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM) (“Dundee Precious”, “DPM” or
“the Company”) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Share
Purchase Agreement to acquire 80% of Vatrin Investment Limited
(“Vatrin”), a private entity.
Vatrin holds 100% of Deno Gold Mining Company (“Deno Gold”), with
its principal asset, the Kapan Mining Project, located in Southern
Armenia. The transaction, amounting to US$22 million (representing
US$14 million for Vatrin shares and approximately US$8 million of
debt), plus an additional US$10 million investment commitment for
mine expansion, is expected to close by the end of this month.
The Kapan Mine has annual production of 300,000 tonnes of ore from
its current underground operations, where precious metals contribute
to approximately 50% of its revenues, based on long term prices. DPM
intends to expand the underground operations and introduce open pit
mining to maximize the present mine milling capacity of over 1 million
tonnes/year. The concentrate produced at Kapan is readily saleable
due to the lack of impurities or deleterious elements.
“We are excited to add this Project to our production pipeline,”
said Jonathan Goodman, President and CEO of Dundee Precious. “It
is our intention to invest the necessary resources and engage our
operations and exploration teams to apply their expertise and bring
this Project to its full production potential,” he added.
As part of Deno Gold’s plan for the development of the Kapan Mining
Project, a loan was sought and approved by the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development for US$4.5 million after undertaking
standard due diligence. The proceeds have been used for capital
equipment and environmental improvements.
The mining operation is based on two deposits, a copper, minor
gold-silver underground mine, known as Central, and a polymetallic
deposit of copper, gold, silver, zinc and minor lead, known as
Shahumyan, which remains open at depth, to the North and possibly to
the South. It is located approximately 1.5km from the town of Kapan
and some 320km south of the Armenian capital of Yerevan. Concentrates
from the project are transported by road to the town of Ararat (60km
south of Yerevan) where they are offloaded onto the rail system for
transport to the Black Sea via Georgia.
Resources
As part of standard Soviet era practice, extensive diamond drilling
and underground development was undertaken at both the Shahumyan
and Central deposits. For example, databases compiled by Deno Gold
based on Soviet era records, indicate that over 290,000m of surface
and underground diamond drilling and 32,000m of underground channel
sampling was completed to assess the Shahumyan deposit. No drill core
remains from the Soviet era exploration programs. Based on information
compiled by Deno Gold, Soviet era reports prepared for, and reportedly
approved by, the Armenian government listed the following combined
C1 and C2 resources for the Shahumyan and Central deposits.
It is understood that the resources were compiled using a sectional,
polygonal estimation method, however, the exact estimation parameters
are not known.
As part of its due diligence process, DPM staff independently collected
over 700kg of samples throughout the accessible sections of the
Shahumyan deposit for assay, mineralogical studies and metallurgical
testwork. Assaying of the DPM samples confirmed the overall tenor of
the mineralization. In addition, mining and processing of the deposit
since Deno Gold’s acquisition of the project in 2003 has confirmed
the tenor of the deposit. DPM has also independently sampled the mill
feed and tails from the processing plant, including reference samples
from previous years of production.
DPM plans to undertake an extensive drilling programme as part of
its proposed activities in order to confirm the scale of the deposit
and to enable a NI 43-101 compliant resource to be estimated and to
be used as the source for mine scheduling as part of a definitive
feasibility study.
All resource estimates quoted herein are based on prior data and
reports obtained and prepared by previous operators and information
provided by the State. The Company has not completed the work necessary
to verify the classification of the mineral resource estimates. The
Company is not treating the mineral resource estimates as NI 43-101
defined resources verified by a qualified person. The historical
estimates should not be relied upon. These properties will require
considerable further evaluation which DPM’s management and consultants
intend to carry out in due course.
Geology and Mineralization
The prolific Tethyan Mineralized Belt passes through Southern
Armenia. The belt is host to world class porphyry copper-gold,
polymetallic vein array and epithermal gold-silver deposits. The same
belt is the host to DPM’s Chelopech deposit and the deposits of the
Bor area in Serbia.
At Shahumyan, mineralization is hosted in strongly altered dacite,
andesite and basaltic host rocks. The vein arrays at Shahumyan
cover an area of over 2.5km by 1.5km and are known to extend for at
least 400m vertical depth. The main ore minerals are chalcopyrite,
sphalerite, pyrite and minor galena. The Central deposit is a
quartz-carbonate-sulphide (chalcopyrite and pyrite) vein array with
strong similarity to porphyry related mineralization.
None of the deposits contain material quantities of deleterious
elements which would act as penalties in a concentrate.
Processing
A crushing and flotation plant has been developed at Shahumyan
using typical Soviet era construction and layouts. After primary
and secondary crushing, material is transported to a storage area by
conveyor to supply the concentrator. The current Shahumyan and Central
ore (crusher product size of 30-50mm) passes through a rod-mill,
followed by a ball mill and a small re-grind mill.
The primary cyclone overflow feeds the flotation circuit comprising
conventional Russian Denver style flotation cells to differentially
float a gold rich copper concentrate and a zinc concentrate. There
are three main thickeners, each 24m diameter, one for each type of
concentrate produced (Central mine copper, Shahumyan copper-gold
and Shahumyan zinc) and one small 8m diameter thickener serving the
un-commissioned lead concentrate circuit. Thickened concentrates are
then dried using vacuum filters producing a copper (high gold and
high silver) concentrate and a separate high zinc (gold – silver)
concentrate.
DPM’s assessment of the plant suggests that it is capable of 1 million
to 1.25 million tonnes per year throughput, and capital has been
budgeted to improve current metal recoveries.
Dundee Precious Metals Inc. is a Canadian based, international mining
company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and
mining of precious metals. It currently owns the Chelopech Mine,
a producing gold/copper mine, and the Krumovgrad Gold Project,
a mining development project, both located in Bulgaria, and is
engaged in mineral exploration activities in Serbia. In addition,
Dundee owns a 100% interest in the Back River gold exploration project
in Nunavut, Canada and has agreed to acquire an 80% interest in the
Kapan Mining Project in Armenia. The Company also holds a significant
and strategic portfolio of investments in the precious metals and
mineral related sector.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release may contain certain information that constitutes
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently
characterized by words such as “plan,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,”
“believe,” “anticipate” and other similar words, or statements that
certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. Forward-looking
statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at
the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of
risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual
events or results to differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements. These factors include the inherent risks
involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties,
the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other
geological data, fluctuating metal prices and other factors described
above and in the Company’s most recent annual information form under
the heading “Risk Factors” which has been filed electronically by
means of the Canadian Securities Administrators’ website located
at The Company disclaims any obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s
estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Contacts: Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Jonathan Goodman
President & Chief Executive Officer (416) 365-2408
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Gabriela M. Sanchez Vice President
Investor Relations (416) 365-2549 [email protected]
(mailto:gsanchez@dunde eprecious.com).

ONE MORE MURDER IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
10.08.2006 14:44
One more scandal murder occurred in Yerevan, capital of the Republic
of Armenia, Arminfo reported.
The General Prosecutor’s Office reports that today the corpse of
businessman Armen Grigorian was found in his own apartment. The hands
and legs were bound. The skull was fractured in certain places. A
criminal case is roused.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA: MULTI-ETHNIC MATCHES SPURNED
ArmRadio.am
10.08.2006 15:15
Armenia is a practically mono-ethnic state, with very few instances
of mixed marriages, which makes those who do make inter-racial matches
stand out all the more.
“I bring up my children in the spirit of Christianity and I tell them
that all people are equal, regardless of the colour of their skin
and their faith,” said Anna, who lives in Yerevan with her Nigerian
husband Michael and their two small sons Joseph and James.
The two dark-skinned boys do suffer racial abuse in their kindergarten
or on public transport. “I just get furious when they call my children
‘negroes’,” she said.
“I don’t feel comfortable in Yerevan,” added Michael, who despite
owning his own business, an Internet café, wants to take his family
away from Armenia to a more multi-racial society.
Despite living in Armenia for nine years, Michael has not integrated
well and speaks only a few phrases of Armenian.
Michael and Anna’s was the first marriage officially registered
between an African and an Armenian, more than ten years ago and it
is still a very rare case in Armenia.
Ethnographer Hranush Kharatian, who heads the Armenian government’s
department on national minorities and religious issues, notes that
Armenians comprise 97.8 per cent of the population and that they have
little experience of interacting with other nationalities.
She also said that an ancient tradition of self-preservation and
of fostering national identity in the face of adversity had served
Armenia well but carried with it suspicion towards foreigners who
wanted to marry ethnic Armenians, both in Armenia itself and in the
worldwide diaspora.
Yet this attitude, she said, is prevalent in a society, which suffers
from huge migration problems.
“I think foreigners in Armenia will definitely encounter problems,”
Kharatian went on. “Our state does not have an active immigration
policy, there is no discussion of attracting new workers or stimulating
population growth. We don’t have gaps in our workforce, on the contrary
we don’t have enough jobs.
“A person who has an unusual appearance or whose skin is a different
colour tries to lead the life of an ordinary citizen, but the extra
attention he gets from society makes his life public property.”
According to official statistics, in the 18 months between January
2005 and the end of June 2006, there were 864 marriages between
Armenians and foreigners out of a total of 20,000 unions overall.
“I think any of our women who marry blacks are our enemies,” said
a middle-aged man with higher education questioned by IWPR on the
street in Yerevan. ” Armenian blood should not be mix with the blood
of blacks. If you marry a foreigner then he should at least be white.”
His view was typical of many ordinary Armenians asked to comment on
the issue.
Murtada came to Armenia from Sudan nine years ago as a tourist and
married an Armenian named Naira. They live in Yerevan and Murtada,
who trained as an economist, works as a driver.
“I’m not concerned by the extra attention that gets paid to us, but
I worry about Murtada,” his wife told IWPR. “He is a very sensitive
person and he can be insulted by a sideways glance.”
“I can’t hide the colour of my husband’s skin,” she went on, expressing
hope that their son Bashir, who speaks Armenian like a native will
not suffer from the same problems as his father.
Mira, who is Korean, moved from Moscow to Armenia with her Armenian
husband Ashot. She said that the two of them, both artists, had
encountered few problems and had had more trouble in Georgia, where
they also lived for several years.
Ashot acknowledged that it was easier for his wife, an Asian, to fit
into Armenia than for an African to do so. But he said he was worried
by the country’ s intolerance towards foreigners. “The more developed
a country is the better it treats its foreigners. Poorly developed
countries put obstacles in the way of foreigners,” he said.
“We need time to live together so that Armenians get used to the idea
that black-skinned people can adapt to our way of life, speak Armenian
and live like Armenians,” said Vladimir Mikaelian, a psychologist.
He argued that Armenian ignorance about foreigners stemmed from lack
of historical experience rather than sheer prejudice. “We know the
customs of Arabs, Turks and Persians,” he said. “And we get our ideas
about black people from the media and ascribe to them traits which
we learn about second-hand.”
Mikaelian also mentioned a good example of racial prejudice being
overcome: the popular television performer Hrant Hovsepian, known as
Blond, who has an Armenia mother and African father.
“If Armenia wants to develop then it ought to understand that, one way
or another, foreigners will keep on coming here,” said Elza Guchinova,
who is herself an ethnic Kalmyk and is doing comparative research
on the mono-ethnic societies of Armenia and Japan. “[Urban centres]
all over the world are ethnically diverse and it’s impossible to stop
this process.”
–Boundary_(ID_xHPHKRO80STnmENG8Jb C2w)–

OLIGARCHS PAY TAXES AT THE EXPENSE OF TAXPAYERS RATHER
Aram Zakaryan
Lragir.am
10 Aug 06
We have already reported relying on the official statistics of 1000 big
taxpayers that the native oligarchs, operating in the black economy,
have started paying less taxes to the government, which means only
one thing – the guys are preparing for the election, the slush funds
are collected. And even a superficial study of the pattern of taxes
paid by the same oligarchs reveals that the oligarchs, who generally
pay very little taxes, a greater part of what they pay is from the
purse of the other taxpayers, i.e. common people, and only a small
part is from their own pockets.
The share of indirect taxes, namely the VAT and the excise tax,
included in the price of goods and services, prevails in the pattern
of taxes paid by all the oligarchs of Armenia. In other words, all
of us pay these taxes, which are included in the price of a product
or a service. In the meantime, direct taxes, such as income tax,
profit tax, are paid by the seller of the product or service.
First, there are companies which did not pay the VAT or the excise tax,
namely City Petrol importing gas to Armenia, and Pares Armenia.
At one time, Natali Pharm owned by Samvel Alexanyan, importing
medicine, did not pay the excise tax, whereas in the first half of
2006 this company paid 326.698 million drams of VAT and excise tax,
and then 4.5 times less income tax and profit tax, totaling 68.157
million. The sugar importing Fleetfood owned by Samvel Alexanyan
also paid part of its taxes at the expense of its customers. It
paid 261.608 million drams of VAT and excise tax and 7.8 times less,
37 million drams of income tax and profit tax.
The same situation is with the businesses run by Mikhail Baghdasarov,
referred to as a close oligarch of Serge Sargsyan. Mika Cement paid
244.827 drams of indirect taxes, and 0 drams from its own purse.
Armavia paid VAT and excise tax of 76.9 million drams and over three
times less direct taxes, 22.935 million drams.
The amount of VAT and excise tax paid by Gagik Tsarukyan’s Multi
Leon totaled 67.247 million drams, and the income tax and profit tax
was 2.585 million drams. Ararat Wine, Vodka and Brandy also paid 2.5
less direct taxes than indirect taxes. There is reliable information
that Jermuk Group owned by Republican Ashot Arsenyan, the sponsor of
unofficial leisure of Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan during his
foreign visits does favor and charity to the prime minister at the
expense of Jermuk drinkers. This company paid 189.504 million drams
of VAT and excise tax and 9 times less, 19.6 million drams of income
tax and profit tax. Another oligarch, new Republican Levon Sargsyan,
is also a miser when his own purse is concerned. His Yerevan Mill
paid 110.754 million drams of indirect taxes and only 5.8 million
drams or 20 times less from its own income and profit. His Vedi Alco
paid 216.186 million drams of indirect taxes and 21 times less, 9.690
million drams from its own income and profit. Getap Winery owned by
Levon Sargsyan paid 52.8 million drams of indirect taxes and 16-17
times less, 3.450 million drams from its own income and profit.
Artashes Tumanyan’s Mets Aniv, Mher Sedrakyan’s Erebuni Alco, Areg
Ghukasyan’s Salt Factory of Avan, Attorney General’s friend Lyova
Sargsyan’s Concern Energy, Shant + owned by another friend of Attorney
General’s, Lusakert Poultry Farm owned by Harutiun Pambukyan who became
Republican for the sake of Serge Sargsyan and other pro-governmental
oligarchs organize their companies and taxes similarly.

“EU WILL SOON WANT TO JOIN ARMENIA”: BUSINESS IS TRYING TO FIND POSITIVE THINGS IN DOLLAR EXCHANGE FALL
Regnum, Russia
Aug. 9, 2006
The process of impetuous US dollar devaluation in Armenia has
negatively affected business of local manufacturers. For the last
ten days, US dollar lost about 20 points in Armenia and by August
9 it can be sold for 390 dram and bought for 400 dram at Yerevan
currency exchanges.
Talking to a REGNUM correspondent, MP, head of MAP Company (agriculture
produce processing) Alik Petrosyan noted that dollar devaluation,
first of all, affects negatively cost of the goods. “We buy grapes
at the national currency and export our brandy for dollars, so we
have been suffering significant losses,” the businessman says noting
he sees no way out of the situation. “We cannot stop production and
continue buying raw stuff. In case, dollar exchange rate reaches
the supposed 350 dram, the company will have to raise the price,
but our produce will become noncompetitive. We are facing a dilemma:
either we continue production or stop functioning.
I even do not know what to do,” he notes.
According to an expert who preferred to stay anonymous, Armenia’s
Central Bank is unable of influencing the situation, as it has no
tools for it. “Armenia’s Central Bank has been pursuing a wrong policy
in many cases, but it would be incorrect to put the full blame on
it in this situation. The Central Bank should pursue a policy of
targeting inflation, but not imitating it,” he said. It is worth
mentioning, the Armenian Central Bank pursues a policy of floating
dollar exchange rate. According to many experts, strengthening of
Armenian dram is caused by huge dollar flows into Armenia, which is
particularly connected with large amounts of construction as well as
with the tourist season.
According to economist Eduard Agadzhanov, for the first half of
2006 US dollar has devaluated almost by 10%, and for the last three
years by 40%. “Strengthening of the national currency has resulted
in forcing out domestic manufacturers from the domestic market,”
the economist notes adding that each year the foreign trade deficit
has been increasing. In the first quarter 2006 only the showing was
over $0.5 billion.
Talking to the REGNUM correspondent, one of Armenia’s prominent
businessmen, who preferred to keep incognito, probably, because of
the original nature of his comment, said that the “dollar-dram story”
will end in “leveling of the national currency exchange rate to the
US dollar, one to one.” “In this case, it will turn out that salary
of 150,000 dram ($350-400) will automatically grow to $150,000, and
Armenia will become the best country in the world. If it happens,
we shall meet the most important standards for entering the European
Union. Or, to be more precise, the EU will want to join us,” the
businessman notes.

PROBLEM OF ARMENIAN REFUGEES REVEALED ASYMMETRY IN TALKS
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.08.2006 17:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The speeding up of the settlement process
revealed the weak points of the negotiation process, NKR President’s
Aide for Foreign Policy Arman Melikian said in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net.
“The format of the talks doesn’t correspond to the configuration of the
conflict. The problem of the Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan is one
of the factors. This problem was raised by the refugees themselves,
who unified to protect their rights and appealed to the Armenian and
Azerbaijani President as well as to the co-chair states,” he remarked.
“According to the plan proposed by the mediators, Azerbaijan
receives some territories while the Azeri refugees return to their
homes. However one should not forget that unlike the Armenian
population of Baku, Kirovabad and Sumgait these people were not
subjected to violence and ethnic cleansings. Moreover many of them
joined the Azeri troops and then retreated with the Azeri army. As
you know at that time the military units in Azerbaijan were formed
according to a territorial principle. Now the Co-chairs bypass the
problem of the Armenian refugees. I would like to remind that the
survey showed that Armenian refugees will not return to their former
residence under the jurisdiction of the Azerbaijani Republic. “Refugees
and International Law” civic society network proposes to include the
issue of 500 thousand Armenian refugees in the agenda of the talks. As
far as I know the members of the organization met with representatives
of the Embassy of one of the co-chair states,” Arman Melikian said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AIMS OF OSCE MG AND CONFLICTING SIDES DIFFER IN UNDERSTANDING CORE OF CONFLICT
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.08.2006 17:16 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today’s settlement plan and the format of the
talks is not targeted at long-term settlement of the conflict, NKR
President’s Aide for Foreign Policy Arman Melikian said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net. “The aims of the mediators and sides involved in
the conflict differ in understanding the core of the conflict. As for
the proposals already rejected by the parties, it’s not worth talking
of them and judging which one was better. Restoration of communications
and opening of borders cannot resolve the conflict; moreover this will
not guarantee considerable economic progress. They say if the proposal
is accepted Armenia will prosper and investments will flow. Nothing of
the kind. The country should develop itself. People in the West can
count money and they will give as much as it’s essential to secure
their interests,” he said.

TODAY IS THE HOTTEST DAY IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
10.08.2006 14:47
Today is the hottest day of the year in Armenia. Armenian
hydro-meteorological center informed ArmInfo the temperature on August
10 will reach 42 degrees centigrade.
The hot and sunny weather will continue till August 14. Taking
into the account the season of summer holidays and leaves, weather
chart-makers recommend the residents of Ararat valley, where the
weather is the hottest, to visit the areas near the town of Aparan and
Lake Sevan. The temperature in the area of Lake Sevan in the daytime
will be about 31 degrees and 32-33 degrees centigrade in Aparan.
Medics recommend the population to avoid direct sun rays and drink
much, in particular, the Armenian national drink “tan.”

AZERBAIJANIS SEEK FOREIGN PARTNERS
ArmRadio.am
10.08.2006 15:23
Kenul Hasanova has met the man she intends to marry only three times,
but that does not concern her. Kenul got to know Muhammed through an
Internet chat-room. He is an Iranian Azerbaijani fifteen years older
than her, living in Switzerland.
Part of an increasing trend of Azerbaijani women seeking foreign
partners, Kenul defends her choice of husband-to-be.
“I don’t regard Muhammed as a foreigner,” she said. “After all we share
the same faith and nationality and he observes all our customs. In
the last two years, he’s visited Baku three times with his parents.
“The first time they met my family, the second time he proposed,
on his third visit we were engaged. And now the wedding is very
close. Soon we will marry and go and live in Switzerland.”
Experts note that the main reasons for such unions is a big gender
imbalance in the country; an ambition to live in a more developed
country; and greater tolerance within Azerbaijani society.
“The number of women in Azerbaijan has exceeded the number of men
for many years,” said Aihan Mehtiev, director of the Centre for
Sociological Research in Baku. “The data from the State Statistics
Committee for 2005 shows that the correlation is 56 to 44 per
cent. Moreover, according to a survey we conducted, 70 per cent of
those who have left to work abroad are men.
“Among them are many unmarried men who later marry foreigners. And
there are many who have abandoned their family in Azerbaijan and got
married again. ” For these reasons many of our girls simply have no
one to start a family with.”
Azerbaijani men have traditionally chosen wives of other nationalities,
typically Russians, Georgians and Armenians. But there have been
greater social restrictions on women marrying foreigners.
Mehpara Yagubova recounts the troubles she had when she told her
family she was intending to marry a non-Azerbaijani she met at Moscow
University.
“Eighteen years ago when I came home for the holidays and said that
I was planning to marry my classmate and that he was an Afghan, my
parents were in shock,” she said. “My father said that he would not
allow it. I obeyed, but I said that in that case they should forget
about me getting married at all.”
In the end, Mehpara married her boyfriend, but none of her family
came to the wedding. They now live in Moscow.
The current generation of Azerbaijani young women say they experience
less prejudice than their predecessors. And they have the advantage of
being able to use the Internet or marriage agencies to find distant
partners.
Tamila Putnikova, who runs the Nigakh marriage agency in Baku, said
that the majority of her clients are looking for well-off Muslim
husbands living in Europe or America.
For example, Gulya Talybova-Badrani married Farruh, an Arab, whom she
met in London. “Farruh attracted me by his piety,” she said. “With his
help I saw Islam anew and began to practice all its precepts. We’ve
been together for eight years and we are bringing up two children. I
am very happy with him.”
The number of Azerbaijani women marrying foreigners in Baku’s Palace of
Happiness – the only location where a foreigner is allowed to have a
wedding in Azerbaijan – is still relatively low. There were 27 such
ceremonies in the palace in 2005, in 24 of which the Azerbaijani
partner was female.
Most of the Azerbaijani wives are heading straight abroad. Metin Mirza,
a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry, said that the ministry
gets many applications from Azerbaijanis wanting to leave the country
to marry and that most of the weddings happen in the husband’s country
of origin.
Lamia Bagirova married her husband Osman Kadyr, a Turkish citizen,
three years ago. They also met via the Internet. Now she regrets her
decision and said she faces an agonising problem over divorcing him.
“We corresponded online for more than a year and Osman told me to
come to Igdir where he lives and get married there,” she said. “My
parents were against the idea but I took the risk. We got married and
soon a son was born. But I quickly realised I had made a big mistake.”
Lamia has now returned home but has not received a divorce. She
says she is being told that if she gives up her child, she will get
a divorce.
Shafag Abdulova is still looking for her elusive foreign suitor. “I
chat online with several foreigners,” she said. “But I have not
accepted any offers yet. I wouldn’t think long over marriage with a
foreigner. Even if I don’t like him you can always get divorced. The
main thing is to leave here.”
Samira Ahmedbeili is a freelance journalist in Baku.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN AZERIS THREATEN TO BLOCK TBILISI-YEREVAN HIGHWAY
ArmRadio.am
10.08.2006 15:51
The Interim High Committee of the National Assembly of Azeris of
Georgia held an enlarged session in the Turkish town of Posof near the
Georgian border on August 9. Director of the NAAG information center
Abbas Muradkhanly has told REGNUM that the NAAG met to discuss the
recent murders, beatings and arrests of Azeris in Georgia.
Muradkhanly says that they have discussed “the political situation in
Georgia, the growing wave of national discrimination in the country,
the unconcealed oppression of Azeris by the Georgian police and
special services” and, more specifically, the events of the last 15
days: the murder of two Azeris, the beating and illegal detention of
three NAAG members, the official ban on the Azerbaijan-based “Hummet”
newspaper in Georgia.
In his selective telephone address, NAAG President Dashgyn
Gulmamedov said: ” Unless they set free the arrested members of
our organization and give back the seized copies of ‘Hummet’ within
the next 20 hours, we will be forced to resort to radical actions,
particularly, mass protests. Our people will block the Tbilisi-Yerevan
and Tbilisi-Marneuli-Yerevan roads and will rally in Gardabani and
Marneuli (Georgian towns with mostly Azeri population — REGNUM).
The Georgian authorities have refused to give us permission to hold
mass actions for already three months, but this time we will not ask
them for permission. I should warn that full responsibility for what
may happen if our fair demands are rejected will be put on Georgian
Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili and Head of the Intelligence
Department of the Interior Ministry Shalva Zhgenti.”