The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 23 2005
Russian base withdrawal concerns Georgia’s neighbors
Along with the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia come
radical changes in the geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus.
This is why Georgia’s Caucasian neighbors, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
are keeping a close eye on the potential consequences of the pullout.
Armenians are worried that the withdrawal of the base from
Akhalkalaki (in a primarily ethnic Armenian area) will further
impoverish the ethnic Armenians living there, while Azerbaijan is
frightened by the prospect of Russians shoring up their forces at
their base in Armenia. The Georgian government must pay heed to the
concerns of both its neighbors and attempt to ease their fears.
The transfer of part of the military equipment housed at the bases in
Georgia to Armenia forced Azerbaijani authorities to radically
increase defense spending. The Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta cites
official statistics that the country’s military expenditures have
increased recently by USD 50 million and reached a total of USD 300
million.
According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, at present, the
Russian military base in Gyumri, Armenia, cannot receive all the
military equipment set to be withdrawn from Georgia. Therefore,
additional plots of land have been allocated for storage in the
districts of Tavush, Berd and Ijevan, which are located on the
Azerbaijani border. 24-Saati reports that all of this forces Baku to
not only increase its defense spending, but also strengthen military
cooperation with other countries, in particular the United States and
Turkey.
America, meanwhile, is paying close attention to Azerbaijan. Michael
Baranick, a senior fellow at the National Center for Security
Technologies and Policy at the United States National Defense
University has been reported by Azeri papers has saying, “Azerbaijan
is becoming a very important country for the United States.” In his
opinion, if the U.S. must leave Uzbekistan, it could move its bases
to Azerbaijan. Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to visit
Baku later this month, and analysts speculate that Baku may agree to
host American troops during this visit.
The newspaper Rezonansi points out that such a decision would be
beneficial for Azerbaijan because it would kill two birds with one
stone – it would provide a counterweight to Russian forces in Armenia
and would achieve the loyal disposition of the United States prior to
the parliamentary elections scheduled for this November. If an
American base is located on Azerbaijani territory, it will help the
ruling party of President Ilham Aliev score a victory and avoid
opposition threats of a velvet revolution.
Armenian concerns, meanwhile, are the precise opposite of those of
Azerbaijan. Yerevan considers the withdrawal of the Akhalkalaki base
to be a great loss for the largely Armenian population of the
surrounding Javakheti region. The Georgian government has responded
to worries that the pullout of the base would plunge the region into
economic crisis by initiating a program to buy foodstuffs for the
Georgian army from local farmers. In theory, this should be
beneficial for both the local population and the defense ministry.
The structure also promises to employ all Georgian citizens currently
working at the Russian Akhalkalaki base.
As for Georgia’s role in this, Tbilisi cannot tell Moscow where to
take its military equipment. So if part of the arms and vehicles
currently housed at the Akhalkalaki base make their way to Armenia,
Azerbaijan will have to take this issue up directly with Russia.
Georgian authorities are sympathetic to Azerbaijan’s concerns. For
example, if the railway running through Abkhazia is reopened, many
Georgian experts state that Tbilisi must put forward a proposal for
strict control on the transit of arms to Armenia via this railway.
This is just one of many issues Georgia must deal with during the
withdrawal and it is hoped that the government can mount a
professional and diplomatic response.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 23 2005
Azerbaijan, Armenia to discuss Nagorny Karabakh conflict
17:41 | 23/ 08/ 2005

MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) – The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan
and Armenia are set to discuss the resolution of the Nagorny Karabakh
conflict Wednesday in Moscow, the Azerbaijani foreign minister said
Tuesday.
Elmar Mamedyarov said he would have an informal meeting with Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan on Tuesday after the CIS Council of
Foreign Ministers session and an official meeting on Wednesday, where
the two ministers will discuss the resolution one of the bitterest
ethnic and territorial conflicts to affect the former Soviet Union.
Mamedyarov added that talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan had gained
momentum in the last couple of years. “I believe we should maintain
the dialogue and continue working on the issue,” he said. “There is
the possibility of a breakthrough in the negotiation process on
Nagorny Karabakh, and we must reach some sort of an agreement.”

Press Trust of India, India
Outlook, India
Aug 23 2005
Ganguly back in rhythm at Abu Dhabi chess festival
Aug 23, 2005 06:58:00 PM
>From Our Chess Correspondent
Abu Dhabi (UAE), Aug 23 (PTI) Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly came
back into reckoning for a place amongst prize winners after a hard
fought victory over Russian International Master Alexander Raetsky in
the eighth round of the Master’s section of 15th Abu Dhabi
International Chess festival here.
IM-in-waiting Abhijeet Gupta’s prospects of his maiden GM norm
suffered a decisive setback as the 15-year-old went down fighting
against GM Dmitry Bocharov of Russia.
With just one round remaining in the USD 16400 prize money
tournament, GM Ashot Ananstesian of Armenia took another step forward
for the coveted winner’s trophy by defeating GM Alesej Aleksandrov of
Belarus.
The Armenian took his tally to 6.5 points after the victory and
emerged as the sole leader. Ukrainian GM Alexander Goloshchapov (6
points) was pushed to the sole second spot after he drew with top
seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan.
As many as six players occupy the fifth spot on 5.5 points while
Ganguly and IM D V Prasad are next in line along with others on 5
points apiece.
For Ganguly, it turned out to be second victory on the trot after he
had lost two games in succession in round 5 and 6. The National
Champion was at his technical best in the endgame.
The opening was a Grunfeld Indian, in which Raetsky played white and
achieved nothing when Ganguly outsmarted him. With a routine pawn
sacrifice in the middle game Ganguly ensured himself play all over
the board and in trying to equalise, Raetsky erred again to find
himself in a slightly inferior endgame. PTI

Australian expects early spurt from Colombian challenger

AP Worldstream; Aug 23, 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan of
Australia expects an early assault from Colombian challenger Jair
Jiminez in their 12-round fight Wednesday.
The Armenian-born Darchinyan, 29, is making the second defense of the
world title he won from another Colombian, Irene Pacheco, in Florida
in December. The fight is at the Sydney Entertainment Center, where
his trainer Jeff Fenech won two of his world titles and compiled a 6-0
record, including victories over Victor Callejas, Carlos Zarate and
Steve McCrory.
“It’s a great venue,” said Fenech, who last fought there 16 years ago
against Callejas, when he won his third world title.
Darchinyan will be trying to restore some pride to Australian
boxing. Since Darchinyan’s first successful title defense against
South African Mzukisi Sikali in March, Anthony Mundine, Paul Briggs,
Kostya Tszyu and Tommy Browne have all lost, leaving Australians with
2-6 record in world title fights this year.
The other success was Robbie Peden’s February victory over Nate
Campbell for the IBF super-featherweight title.
Jiminez is being ranked an outsider, but Fenech is cautious.
“I expect him to try and blast Vic out in the first few rounds, he’s a
very skillful kid, he’s got a very precise punch,” Fenech said.
“This kid is a little pocket dynamo. I’ve watched him win some fights
and he’s pretty talented. To be honest, we’ve got reason to be very
cautious and we’ve got to be ready for a hard fight.”
Darchinyan has 18 knockouts in his 23-0 record, while Jiminez has 16
in his record of 22-4-1.
Jiminez lost his last two fights, both to Gerson Guerrero, but each
was at the heavier super flyweight.
Jiminez’s trainer, Roberto Quesada, has trained nine world champions.
“When Jiminez wins on Wednesday, it’s no surprise (to me), it’s
possible Australian people will be surprised,” said Quesada. “Jiminez
has come to Australia in good condition. He has been training three
months and has done 120 rounds of sparring.”

Six criminal cases on corruption charges launched in Armenia in eight
months
Mediamax news agency
23 Aug 05
Yerevan, 23 August: In eight months of its work, the anti-corruption
department of the Armenian Prosecutor-General’s Office has instituted
six criminal cases on corruption charges.
The cases were instituted following complaints lodged by people in
writing, the head of the department, Migran Minasyan, said.
Department employees established that there had been cases of major
bribe-taking by public servants, social workers, employees of the
Armenian land survey committee and others. Minasyan said that no
cases of corruption had been registered at the Prosecutor-General’s
Office.
He also stressed the importance of the department’s existence and
called on the public to complain to relevant agencies in order to
remove corrupt officers from public services.

AZG Armenian Daily #148, 23/08/2005
Ecology
‘OUR ECOLOGICAL RIGHTS ARE EQUAL TO COMMON VALUES’
Seminar of Youth Club’s Federation Launches
The Federation of Youth’s Clubs organizes “Ecological Rights Are Equal to
Common Rights” youth’s seminar with the assistance of “Youth. Environment.
Europe” international organization and “Alert” foundation from Netherlands,
on the shore of the lake Sevan, on August 19-24. The seminar is dedicated to
preservation of environment, negative impact of people on nature, stability
of atmosphere, harmony between the human beings and nature and a number of
other important issues.
The representatives of about 25 various organizations from Armenia discussed
ecological issues, issues concerning cooperation and ecological rights. The
peculiarity of the program is that the initiators envisaged holding the
arrangements on the shore of the lake, communicating with the campers on the
shore. The Youth’s Clubs’ Foundation published leaflets for the special
seminars that contain information on the national park of Sevan, some piece
of advice. The booklets will be delivered among the campers. In other words,
such arrangements teach the citizens how to rest in the nature without
making harm to it.
By Gohar Gevorgian

Armenian-Georgian talks are not anti-Russian – president
Arminfo
22 Aug 05
Yerevan, 22 August: Friendly relations between the Armenian and
Georgian presidents will definitely tell on mutual relations between
ordinary residents of both countries. This is how Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan commented for journalists on the results of his
unofficial meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili at his
summer residence on Lake Sevan today.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
Commenting on a recent article carried by the Russian newspaper
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, which said that the current Armenian-Russian
[presumably Armenian-Georgian] unofficial talks allegedly have an
anti-Russian undertone, Robert Kocharyan described it as “a fruit of a
morbid and limited imagination of the author of that article”.
Everything possible should be done for the interests of the two
countries not to collide in the South Caucasus, in Armenia and
Georgia. On the contrary, if there are some points for collision, they
should be softened, and the current relations may be very useful in
these terms.
Only people with a morbid imagination can look for an undertone here,
like the said article did it, the Armenian president believes.

AZG Armenian Daily #148, 23/08/2005
Visit
THIS TIME ON THE SHORE OF SEVAN
President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia paid an unofficial visit to Armenia
August 21-22. At the summer residence of Armenian President on the shore of
the Lake Sevan, Mikheil Saakashvili and Robert Kocharian discussed issues
concerning Armenian-Georgian relations and present socio-economic situation
in Javakhk.
This was the second visit of the Georgian President since elected president.
The previous visit, the official one, took place in 2004. Fortunately, no
one attempted President Saakashvili’s life in Armenia neither this time nor
previous (the reason might well be the fact that Vladimir Arutyunov is
jailed).
From: Baghdasarian

AZG Armenian Daily #148, 23/08/2005
Literature
SAROYAN PRIZE FINDS WINNERS
Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman, authors of “The King of California”, and George
Hagen, author of “The Laments”, won the biennial William Saroyan
International Prize for Writing on July 19, Armenian Mirror Spectator
informs. The first book received the Prize in non-fiction category and the
second one in fiction category. The Stanford University Libraries and the
William Saroyan Foundation presented the prizes, $12.500 each. The Saroyan
Foundation was created in 1966 to encourage beginner writers. In 1990, the
trustees handed Saroyan’s literary legacy to the Stanford University. This
year’s contest gathered 125 participants in each category. Prizewinner Mark
Arax is a famous journalist from the Los Angeles Times living in Fresno, CA.
Wartzman lives in Los Angeles and is the editor of business-economic section
of the paper. Arax and Wartzman document the creation of a cotton kingdom in
the San Joaquin Valley in “The King of California”. Hagen lives in Brooklyn,
and “The Laments”, being his first novel, follows a family who travels from
Africa to England to New Jersey.
By Hakob Tsulikian

AZG Armenian Daily #148, 23/08/2005
Adventure
‘CILICIA’ REACHES FINAL DESTINATION IN LONDON
Second Stage of Navigation Completes
“Cilicia” completed the second stage of its “Navigation in 7 Seas,” reaching
Portsmouth. The trip lasted about a year.
RA President Robert Kocharian send a congratulation massage to Karen
Balayan, the captain of the ship, and the crew. The message says the
following: “Overcoming long distances and hazards, you proudly sailed under
the flag of our motherland, displaying strong will and firmness.” Arkady
Ghukasian, president of NKR, said that it is symbolic that the first stage
of the navigation ended on the eve of the 14th anniversary of Nagorno
Karabakh’s independence. “I am greatly proud of you, as well as all the
Artsakhi people are. I am sure that your deed will be an invaluable
phenomenon for the further generations and they will follow your example.”
Sos Sargsian’s letter is also very exciting. “I was with you in my mind
during your navigation. I always talked to Zory Balayan and the rest of you
on the phone, and only after that my soul rested in serenity. I am with you
at the very moment when “Cilicia” has reached its final harbor. I am
grateful to you that today we have “Cilicia” and I hope it will return to
its native Sevan.”
Serge Sargsian, RA defense minister, remembers the day when he first sailed
“Cilicia” in 2003. “Few people believed that this really daring navigation
would be a success. But one only needed to get acquainted with the crew that
built the ship, to see its middle age construction, to realize how
responsible and devoted these brave people are.” Mr. Sargsian who
accompanied “Cilicia” in the Strait of Gibraltar experienced unforgettable
moments. Yervand Zakaryan, Yerevan mayor, also congratulated the crew of the
ship. “This historical event let the flag of the independent Armenia wave in
the Atlantic Ocean after 800 years,” he said.
By Ruzan Poghosian