Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 18, 2006 Friday
BAKU IS NOT STINGY WHERE THE ARMY IS CONCERNED;
The Azerbaijani military in the focus of Ilham Aliyev’s attention
by Sohbet Mamedov
PRIOR TO SENDING ITS ARMY TO SOLVE THE KARABAKH PROBLEM, AZERBAIJAN
MAY BOOST ITS NUMERICAL STRENGTH TO 180,000 MEN; Azerbaijan is building
up its military potential.
“Armenia is given a chance to withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani
territories of its own volition and have the problem solved without a
bloodshed and war,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev recently said.
So sharply-worded a statement from the leader of Azerbaijan started
observers wondering if Azerbaijan could launch a military operation in
Karabakh. Military expert Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Uzeir Jafarov
believes that numerical strength of the Azerbaijani military (the
regular army and reservists) prior to a campaign in Karabakh may be
boosted by general mobilization to 180,000 men.
“The hostilities may be declared in advance or they may be sudden.
Once the hostilities are under way, our country may inform the UN
and its neighbors of the objectives of the operation. The decision
on the use of the national army in combat will be made on the basis
of acting domestic legislation. The matter is regulated by the law
on military duty and on state of emergency,” Jafarov said.
The expert is convinced that if the army is found adequate and up to
the task, additional mobilization is not going to be needed.
First-echelon units of the regular army and their auxiliaries are
capable of at least liberating the occupied territories at this
point. Only unexpected developments will necessitate deployment of
additional forces, the expert said.
Analyzing official Baku’s latest steps, specialists agree that
development of the national army is truly a priority in the focus
of attention of the political leadership. The 2006 military budget
amounted to $700 million. Aliyev is determined to match the Armenian
military budget in a year or two. The state treasury in the meantime
is not the only source of finances poured into development of the
national army. Azerbaijani Armed Forces Assistance Foundation was
established on August 17, 2002. There is more than $3 million in
its bank accounts nowadays. The money may be used for development of
the army, design, production, maintenance, and upgrade of military
hardware, military research, weapons procurement, and so on.
The process of adaptation of the regular army to NATO standards is
gaining momentum in the meantime. Colonel Ramiz Meliko, Chief of the
Defense Ministry PR Department, claims that the process will be over
by 2008.
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 15, 2006, p. 6
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
August 18, 2006 Friday
SAAKASHVILI WILL BE AN UNCONDITIONAL FRIEND
by Yuri Simonjan
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is invited to visit Tbilisi; Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili, known as a loyal satellite of the
United States and a supporter of everything American, has stunned the
international community by inviting Iranian President Ahmadinejad,
Washington’s number one opponent and ideological adversary, to visit
Tbilisi.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, known as a loyal satellite of
the United States and a supporter of everything American, has stunned
the international community by inviting Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, Washington’s number one opponent and ideological
adversary, to visit Tbilisi.
Saakashvili delivered his invitation to Ahmadinejad via Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari who was on a visit to the
Georgian capital on August 14-15. The visit was shrouded in a veil of
secrecy. Only some details of Safari’s meetings with Saakashvili,
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, and Foreign Minister Gela
Bezhuashvili were revealed in a brief statement for the media. The
official authorities flatly refused to elaborate.
It is only known that Saakashvili thanked the Iranian diplomat for
help from Tehran that enabled Georgia to overcome the February fuel
crisis. In fact, the Iranian assistance was moral rather than
practical but Saakashvili certainly made a fuss of it. He even went
so far as to ask Safari to pass an invitation to Ahmadinejad to pay
an official visit to Georgia. This piece of news stirred the
political establishment because the Iranian president is on the black
list of Tbilisi’s principal benefactor US President George W. Bush.
(Ahmadinejad called for expulsion of the United States and Britain
from the UN Security Council and for bringing Bush and Tony Blair to
trial, the other day.)
Irakly Menagarishvili, Director of the Center of Strategic Studies
and ex-Foreign Minister of Georgia, admits that the invitation to
Ahmadinejad to visit Georgia may have a negative effect on Tbilisi’s
relations with the US Administration but says that there is no need
to be overly dramatic about it. “There is more to relations between
Georgia and Iran than contacts with the Iranian regime that has
challenged the West,” Menagarishvili mused. “Georgia and Iran are
neighbors, with relations going back centuries. Saakashvili’s desire
to have stable economic relations with a neighbor is but rational and
logical.”
Sources in Tbilisi point out that Ahmadinejad already paid a visit to
Baku and this never affected Azeri-American relations. The same
applies to Armenia and some Central Asian countries of the CIS that
have been advancing relations with Iran.
A source in Iranian diplomatic circles says that Ahmadinejad’s visit
to Tbilisi “is indeed a possibility.” According to the diplomat, both
countries are interested in promoting economic contacts – Georgia
even more so because of its difficult relations with Russia that
cause it problems and leave it in need of alternative sources of
energy.
Politicians and observers in Tbilisi itself do not rule out the
possibility that Safari came to Tbilisi for guarantees that Georgian
airfields will not be used in an anti-Iranian military campaign, if
it ever came to that. Israeli media outlets reported with references
to official sources in Georgia earlier this year that air strikes at
Iran might be staged from Georgian airfields. Tbilisi categorically
denied this suggestion then.
Military expert Koba Liklikadze told us that even if an anti-Iranian
military coalition is formed, Georgia will not play any active or
significant role in it. “Our participation in this hypothetical
anti-Iranian alliance is not going to amount to anything more than
involvement in the anti-Iraqi alliance does,” Liklikadze said.
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 18, 2006, p. 6
Translated by A. Ignatkin

THREE ARMENIANS HANDED OVER WITH ICRC MEDIATION
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
August 17, 2006 Thursday
Three Armenian civilians were handed over to the Armenian authorities
under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) on Thursday. The operation took place on the road between
the Balajafarli village of Azerbaijans northwestern Gazakh District
and the Armenian town of Ijevan, ICRC said. Martun Galumian, Horen
Karapetian and Roman Aleksanian were detained in the Azerbaijani
territory in July.

PRESIDENT VOWS TO PROVIDE ALL AZERI REFUGEES WITH HOUSING
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
August 17, 2006 Thursday
President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Ant?nio Guterres on Thursday. Aliyev
said the fact that a million people became refugees and internally
displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijani
territories by Armenia is the main problem faced by his country. The
head of state noted that the Azerbaijani government is taking the
needed steps to improve the living conditions of refugees, pledging
that all settlers from make-shift tent camps would be relocated soon.
The president expressed hope that the Commissioners visit would
contribute to the expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and
UNHCR. Guterres said the organization passed a decision last year to
heed attention to the problems of Azeri refugees and IDPs. He praised
the governments efforts to improve the living standards of refugees.
Guterres expressed confidence that cooperation between Azerbaijan
and UNHCR would continue to develop.

ZTE to Build CDMA Communications Network for Armenia
SinoCast
August 18, 2006 Friday 10:47 AM Eastern Time
China’s telecom equipment maker ZTE Corporation said it has inked
an agreement with ArmenTel to build the first CDMA communications
network for Armenia.
On the strength of its strong technology power and extensive
applications in CDMA field, ZTE solely won a bid by making use of
end-to-end CDMA450 WLL (Wireless Local Loop) network solution.
Targeting at improving ArmenTel’s original fixed-line communications
network to be a digital one and expanding its coverage, ZTE brought
forward a comprehensive solution combining CDMA450 wireless access
and microwave relay transmission technologies.
In 1998, Greece’s OTE, Europe’s top telecom carrier, acquired a 90
percent stake in ArmenTel and gain a 15-year operation right.
ArmenTel is the largest telecom operator in Armenia, which owns the
overall fixed-line phone users and over 60 percent mobile phone users
in the country.
By June of this year, ZTE had rolled out CDMA450 products in more
than 20 countries and territories worldwide such as Russia, Norway,
Argentina, Czech Republic and Pakistan.
>>From

Le Figaro, France
18 août 2006
Aznavour : la biographie de reference
par Bertrand Dicale
LONGTEMPS, Charles Aznavour disait n’avoir guère envie d’etre
biographie, a moins que ce ne soit par lui-meme. Il a donc publie en
2004 Le Temps des avants (Flammarion, 353 p., 20 EUR), livre de
souvenirs traversant une vie et une carrière exceptionnelles, mais
qui ne contentait peut-etre pas les fans desireux d’un livre de
reference. Le voici maintenant, Charles Aznavour ou le destin
apprivoise, biographie detaillee et precise, nourrie par une belle
enquete dans les archives et un grand nombre d’entretiens avec
temoins et proches du chanteur. Alors qu’un Musee Aznavour doit
bientôt ouvrir en Armenie, le chanteur voit sa vie, sa carrière et
son oeuvre decortiquees en plus de 600 pages menees avec souffle et
generosite. Le chantier a ete commence par Marc Robine, helas
brutalement disparu en août 2003, et repris par Daniel Pantchenko,
egalement journaliste du trimestriel Chorus-Les Cahiers de la
chanson, appartenance qui a mis en confiance le chanteur – “Avec eux,
je n’avais aucune raison de me mefier !
“. Tout est la, en effet, a commencer par une plongee dans les
racines familiales de Charles, Varinag Aznavourian, ne le 22 mai 1924
a Paris VI e : le peuple armenien eparpille sur les routes du monde
après des dizaines d’annees de persecutions et le genocide declenche
par les autorites turques en avril 1915, la France hospitalière, la
vie de debrouille, d’ambition et de ferveur des exiles qui veulent se
faire une vie nouvelle. L’enquete historique est etonnante, notamment
lorsque la destinee des Aznavourian croise Manoukian – oui, le
Manoukian de l'”Affiche rouge”, qui apprendra le jeu d’echecs a
Charles. Recit des annees dures “On me dit qu’il y a dans son livre
ce qu’il n’y a pas dans le mien. Moi, j’etais beaucoup plus pudique”,
nous a dit Charles Aznavour a propos de cette biographie. En effet,
le recit de Pantchenko detaille les interminables debuts d’un
chanteur entre dès l’enfance dans le monde du spectacle, mais qui
mettra des annees a conquerir sa place, renommee et bonne fortune.
Recit des annees dures, des rebuffades d’Edith Piaf aux jugements
abrupts de la critique, des doutes de professionnels aux decrets
arbitraires du public. Aujourd’hui, Aznavour relativise la durete de
ce temps-la : “Cela fait soixante-treize ans que je fais ce metier.
Meme si j’avais passe la moitie a galerer, ce n’est pas la mer a
boire. Si j’ai une ecriture profonde, grave, fouillee, cela vient de
la. Rien n’a ete futile dans ma carrière.” Car Aznavour n’est pas un
chanteur leger. Certes, il fait lui-meme la distinction entre ses
“deux metiers : la chansonnette, comme avec Au creux de mon epaule et
des chansons plus fortes comme Tu t’laisses aller ou la decision, le
premier dans la chanson francaise, d’aborder l’homosexualite dans
Comme ils disent. ” Il revendique la distinction, non d’ “auteur de
chansons” mais d’ “ecrivain de chansons”. Enorme pourvoyeur du
patrimoine en grandes chansons classiques portees par lui-meme ( La
Bohème, Mes emmerdes, Non je n’ai rien oublie, Emmenez-moi, Les
Plaisirs demodes, For Me formidable, Mourir d’aimer… ) ou donnees a
d’autres interprètes ( Retiens la nuit pour Johnny Hallyday, La Plus
Belle pour aller danser pour Sylvie Vartan…), il va enregistrer une
oeuvre colossale en francais et dans une demi-douzaine de langues.
Modestie jamais, humilite toujours Travailleur opiniâtre, il mène
plusieurs carrières de front, dans la chanson et dans le cinema, en
France et a l’etranger, comme interprète et comme auteur-compositeur
pour d’autres… Comme le dit Patachou a Daniel Pantchenko :
“Modestie jamais, humilite toujours.” Et, si brillante que soit son
oeuvre, Aznavour professe toujours la discipline du travail et du
doute : “Avoir des facilites est le plus dangereux dans ce metier. Il
faut toujours revenir, revenir, revenir sur ses chansons jusqu’a
l’enregistrement.” Et ensuite ? La vie ne s’arrete pas a la fin de sa
biographie. À la rentree, outre un nouveau voyage dans sa chère
Armenie dont il est devenu de fait l’ambassadeur universel, il part a
Cuba enregistrer un nouvel album avec Chucho Valdes, orientation
latine qui l’a conduit a reecrire les musiques de plusieurs chansons
en chantier. “J’ai dû faire le double de travail.” Et il aimerait
bien qu’un autre auteur vienne a son tour fouiller non sa vie mais
ses chansons, pour une etude critique. Quant a lui, il pense a faire
partager son experience unique de la scène, du studio et de la
creation : “J’ai commence a prendre des notes pour ecrire un livre
sur la facon de faire ce metier, mais sans donner de conseils.” Des
conseils ? Sa reussite prouve qu’il ne les a pas tous ecoutes… n
Charles Aznavour ou le destin apprivoise, par Daniel Pantchenko avec
Marc Robine, Fayard-Chorus, 616 p., 22 EUR .
–Boundary_(ID_4O16fuvaO4iUCP1Anhactw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARONIAN BEATS SWIDLER AT CHESS 960 CHAMPIONSHIP
Armenpress
YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS: Armenian grand master Levon Aronian
beat his Russian rival Pyoter Swidler in two rounds of the “Chess 960”
World Championship conducted in German town of Mainz.
Chess 960 (originally called Fischer Random Chess) is a chess variant
created by grandmaster Bobby Fischer (who was world chess champion
from 1972 until 1975). It was originally announced on June 19, 1996,
in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fischer’s goal was to create a chess
variant in which chess creativity and talent would be more important
than memorization and analysis of opening moves.
His approach was to create a randomized initial chess position,
which would thus make memorizing chess opening move sequences far
less helpful. The championship consists of 8 rounds, the next two
ones will be conducted today.

“NATION AND HERITAGE” PAN-ARMENIAN YOUTH CONFERENCE TO
BE HELD IN STEPANAKERT
Armenpress
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS: On the initiative of the Karabakh
Education, Culture and Sport Ministry’s youth affairs department
“Nation and Heritage” pan-Armenian youth conference dedicated to the
15th anniversary of declaration of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
will be held from September 25 to 30 in Stepanakert.
The goal of the initiative is to increase the social-civil activity of
the young people, ensure the awareness of the participants about the
Karabakh conflict, and introduce Artsakh’s culture to the young people.
The Karabakh Education, Culture and Sport Ministry official told
Armenpress that young people from 18-35 years old will participate
in the conference.

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES GRANT TO ARMENIAN NGO FOR
IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-LANDSLIDE PROGRAMS
Armenpress
YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS: The Japanese government is going to
provide 80,254 USD grant to the Armenian “Mkhitar Gosh” NGO for the
implementation of anti-landslide programs in the Armenian provinces
of Tavush and Gegharkunik.
The document of providing the grant was signed today at the Foreign
Ministry by the second secretary of the Japanese embassy in Armenia
Yukiko Mizuno and head of the “Mkhitar Gosh” NGO Lena Arzumanian.
Mizuno said that the Japanese government highlights the implementation
of anti-landslide programs. Before providing the grant, preliminary
studies and experimental programs were carried out in Gosh and Martuni
communities which showed that there exists a necessity of fighting
against landslides.
The second secretary said that overall the Japanese government has
provided 1.6 million USD within the framework of which 18 programs
have been carried out in Armenia.
The head of the NGO said that the funds provided by the grant will
be directed towards the implementation of tree-planting and drainage
works.

UNHCR HIGH COMMISSIONER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
Armenpress
YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS: UNHCR High Commissioner Antonio
Guterres will pay a working visit to Armenia on August 20.
Armenian Foreign Ministry press service said that during his two-day
visit the high commissioner will meet with the President of Armenia
Robert Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, His Holiness
Catholicos Karekin II.
He is also expected to visit Armenian province of Lori and UN Armenian
Office.