BAKU: Statement Of The Center Of Public Relations Of The Ministry Of

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
March 26, 2005

STATEMENT OF THE CENTER OF PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL
SECURITY
[March 25, 2005, 20:50:37]

On March 28, employees of the Ministry of National Security will
mark their professional holiday, 86th anniversary of establishment
of security bodies. Before this date, with a view of increase of
the efficiency of public relations and more full informing of the
society on bodies of national security, there has been created official
website of the Ministry of National Security – .

The Internet-site of the Ministry is provided with catalogues
on the corresponding areas, useful information resources and
links. On the site with use of arguments is widely covered the
history of establishment of the security bodies of Azerbaijan and the
autobiographical data concerning various directions of their activity,
and also the persons supervised the security bodies, the legislative
base making ground for activity of bodies of special service, the steps
undertaken in the field of combat against international terrorism and
various displays of the organized crime, the international cooperation
in this sphere, the selflessness shown by employees of the Ministry
of National Security in fights for independence and territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan, its history, legal aspects, consequences of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the political
line pursued at the present stage on the way of settlement of the
conflict, essence of the policy carried out by Armenia against our
country and the Armenian state terrorism. Users can familiarize with
the information interesting them in the following sections: public
relations, library, Academy of MNS, a museum, a picture album. Besides,
for maintenance of efficiency of public relations on official site
of MNS, are stipulated special addresses of contacts.

Since March 28, of this year users of the official website of the
Ministry of National Security can receive the objective and unbiased
information on activity of the Ministry from the primary source.

www.mns.gov.az

Russia Is Still One Of Main Trade-Economic Partners Of Armenia

AZG Armenian Daily #053, 26/03/2005

Armenia-Russia

RUSSIA IS STILL ONE OF MAIN TRADE-ECONOMIC PARTNERS OF ARMENIA

Vladimir Putin’s Forth Visit to Armenia

Vladimir Putin, RF President, arrived in Yerevan on March 24. Mr. Putin
will officially open the arrangements of “The Year of Russia in
Armenia.” This is Putin’s fourth visit to Armenia. He visited
Armenia for the first time in 1999, then in 2001 and in the spring
of 2002. Putin participated in the congress of CSTO in Yerevan.

Robert Kocharian and other high-ranking officials met Mr. and
Mrs. Putins at Zvartnots airport.

Russia is still the key political, economic and strategic partner
of Armenia. Yerevan and Moscow closely cooperate both bilaterally
and within the framework of CSTO (Armenia, Russia, Byelorussia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). The Russian military station
N102 is located in Gyumri and the Armenian and Russian frontier guards
together watch the Armenian-Turkish and the Armenian- Iranian border.

The Armenian-Russian trade-economic relations are still strong thought
there are no common borders between the two countries and they are
connected through Georgia. The latter has serious contradictions with
Moscow that directly influence the Armenian-Russian relations. It’s
worth reminding the Upper Lars events when the blocking of the
Russian-Georgian border directly hindered the Armenian goods and
passengers to get to their destinations.

The Armenian-Russian goods turnover amounted to $208 million in
2004. Russia became the main trade-economic partner of Armenia after
the collapse of the Soviet Union. On the other hand, Russia’ s role in
the foreign goods turnover of Armenia decreases year by year. Thus,
it amounted to 19,2% in 2001, then to 17,4% in 2002, 15,2% in 2003
and 12,9% in 2004.

At present, there are 589 Russian companies registered in
Armenia. About 300 of them effectively function. Igor Levitin, co-chair
of the Armenian-Russian Cooperation Intergovernmental Committee,
told Novosti agency that Armenal, Sibir air-company are among the
most effectively working Russian companies in Armenia.

The Armenian-Russian goods turnover and the Russian investments in
Armenia could be larger, if Moscow launched the Armenian companied
purchased within the framework of asset-for-debt 2002 program. Russia
purchased Mathematical Machines Scientific-Research Institute ($2,75
million), Management Automatic Systems SRI ($3,37 million), Mars plant
($56,29 million), and Hrazdan Hydro ($31 million) in 2002.

After getting the Armenia companies, Russia almost hasn’t made any
investments and this caused the dissatisfaction of the Armenian
side. The political experts who know Russia well say that in Russia
such companies are collapsing and one shouldn’t expect that Moscow
will restore them and make serious investments in the Armenian
companies. Recently, Victor Khristenko, RF energy minister, stated
that $21 million will be needed for restoring “Mars” plant.

Last year in Sochi the Russian President publicly expressed
dissatisfaction with the Armenian-Russian economic cooperation and the
goods turnover volumes. Armenia is not content, either. Particularly,
in Moscow, in summer, Vartan Oskanian expressed concern about the
current situation in the companies purchased within the framework
of asset-for-debt program. Andranik Margarian, RA prime minister,
expressed concern in February when Sergey Lavrov was in Yerevan. But
the reason was quite a different one. Mr. Margarian stated that
Russia is going to get connected with Iran through the territory of
Azerbaijan, while a railway system is functioning in the territory
of Armenia and it can connect all the countries of the region.

Indeed, Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi, Yerevan-Nakhijevan-Julfa railways
stretch in the territory of Armenia but, for known reasons, they
haven’t functioned for years. Even if we want it very much, the road
connecting Russia with the Persian Gulf can’t pass through Armenia. One
should take into account the fact that the unsettled Russian-Georgian
relations hinder the implementation of this project.

By Tatoul Hakobian

Raging Bull is ready

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

Raging Bull is ready

March 26, 2005

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Bring it on: Vic Darchinyan in training at Jeff Fenech’s Marrickville gym
ahead of his bout against Mzukisi Sikali on Sunday night.
Photo: Craig Golding
Vic Darchinyan, regarded as the hardest puncher around, wants to add the IBO
to his IBF title, but that’s just the start of his ambitions, writes Brad
Walter.

Vic Darchinyan doesn’t like to make predictions about how long his
fights will last. “It is not good to say I am going to knock someone
out,” the IBF world flyweight champion said ahead of Sunday night’s
title unification bout against South Africa’s Mzukisi Sikali at the
State Sports Centre. “I look to finish as soon as possible. If I can
finish in 10 seconds, I will. My fitness is very good, but I don’t
look to be punching long distance. I go to kill.”

Having won 22 fights – 17 by KO – since moving to Sydney from Armenia
after the 2000 Olympics to train under Jeff Fenech, the record of
the undefeated Darchinyan speaks for itself.

“He’s so cocky that sometimes it’s scary,” Fenech says. “He comes
back after a round and says, ‘You want me to knock him [out] now? This
round, I finish?’.” Fenech says the 29-year-old Darchinyan is, pound
for pound, the hardest puncher in Australian boxing.

Having shed 8.5 kilograms in the past five weeks to get down to 50.8kg
for the fight, he can bench-press more than twice his own weight.

“He’s just so strong,” Fenech said. “If he hits anybody, they’re gone.
That’s it, fight over. He can knock anybody out.”

Darchinyan’s greatest victory to date was an 11th-round KO in December
of the previously unbeaten Irene Pacheco, who was making his seventh
defence of the IBF title, but the win was the culmination of 21 years’
preparation and more than 300 fights.

Considered a national hero in his native Armenia, Darchinyan took up
boxing at the age of eight and quickly discovered he was good at it.

“I loved it,” Darchinyan recalled. “I beat everyone in my city [of
Vanadzor] after a couple of months by knockouts, and I remember the
first time I fought as a 15-year-old all the kids wanted to fight
like me.”

Joining the international amateur circuit at the same age, he achieved
a record of 152 wins from 170 fights throughout Europe and the US but,
in the hope of attaining Olympic gold, resisted approaches to turn pro.

Although Darchinyan did not win a medal at Sydney 2000, Fenech said
the Armenian was a stand-out fighter at the Games and he invited him
to join his stable, which includes Nedal ‘Skinny’ Hussein and Lovemore
Ndou, who are on the undercard of Sunday night’s fight.

“I wanted to become an amateur champion and then a professional
champion, but it was not to be,” said Darchinyan, whose has the
nickname of Raging Bull.

“Now it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I am world champion in the IBF
and now I want to collect belts.”

Darchinyan said that when he has all the belts, he will “look to go
to bantamweight, which is two divisions up”.

First, however, Darchinyan has to overcome Sikali, the IBO flyweight
champion who is unbeaten since 1999. Trained by Harold Volbrecht,
who plotted Phillip Holiday’s career-ending defeat of Fenech in 1996,
Sikali boasts a record of 29 wins.

These include 17 victories by knockout, two draws and five losses
during a 36-fight career, and the South African has successfully
defended his title on three occasions.

Fenech said Sunday’s keenly awaited bout would undoubtedly be the
biggest test so far for Darchinyan.

But the southpaw, whose father, Rubik, will carry the IBF belt into
the ring, is extremely confident.

“He is a smart boxer,” Darchinyan said of his South African
opponent. “I have watched the videos and I can see that he is a
good mover.

“But I know in my head that I am much stronger than him and that I
am much smarter.

“I don’t think it will go the distance, but I don’t want to say I
will beat him easily.”

ANKARA: Ottoman Archives To Be Promoted

Ottoman Archives To Be Promoted

Turkish Press

Published: 3/25/2005

ANKARA – Prime Ministry State Archives Director General Yusuf Sarinay
said on Friday that allegations of so-called Armenian genocide were
based on subjective works and evaluations like memories instead
of scientific documents, adding, “there are tens of thousands of
documents in our archives refuting these allegations.”

Stressing that Turkey had one of the most important archives in the
world with the Ottoman heritage of 700-year rich historical archives,
Sarinay said that the Ottoman Archives would be promoted at a meeting
on March 28th.

“These archives have an authentic value about history of not only
Turks, but also Middle and Near East, Balkans, Mediterranean, Northern
Africa and Arab countries,” he said.

Noting that there were more than 100 million documents about the
Ottoman era in the archives, Sarinay said, “we are aware of that any
regional or world history written without examining those documents
would be deficient. We have opened the classified documents to use of
both Turkish and foreign researches. Our efforts have been continuing
to classify the remaining documents.”

“Also, we have started publishing catalogues of documents in
our web-page in order to provide scientific circles with some
facilities and to remove obstacles in front of information. Those
who are interested in these documents can visit our web-page:
Number of foreign scientists applying
to use the Ottoman Archives have increased in recent years. More
than 3,500 researches from 80 different countries benefited from the
archives so far,” he said.

-ALLEGATIONS OF SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-

Noting that allegations of so-called Armenian genocide were based on
subjective works and evaluations like memories instead of scientific
documents, Sarinay said, “there are tens of thousands of documents
in our archives refuting these allegations. Some Armenian circles
have been defaming Turkish nation by bringing such allegations from
scientific grounds to political grounds in order to maintain their
baseless allegations.”

“Scientific research of our archives will put an end to such baseless
political prejudices. Otherwise, subjective approaches which are not
based on archives, the objective sources of the history, will serve
nothing, but reviving the buried enmities and hatred among nations,”
Sarinay added.

www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr.

No Armenian Arms Sold Illegally to U.S.: Defense Minister

No Armenian Arms Sold Illegally to U.S.: Defense Minister
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, YEREVAN

DefenseNews.com
Posted 03/25/05 15:04

None of Armenia’s weapons or ammunition have been illegally exported
abroad, the country’s defense minister said during investigation of
a criminal ring trafficking assault weapons to the United States.

“Joint Armenian-U.S. investigation showed that not one item of
Armenia’s weapons or ammunition was taken out to the United States
or any other country,” Serge Sargsyan said late March 24, adding that
security was stepped up at all arms depots in Armenia.

On March 15, the United States announced it was prosecuting 18 people
suspected of attempting to bring illegal assault weapons from eastern
Europe across U.S. borders. Armenia arrested three more suspected
accomplices earlier this week.

Among them is 26-year-old Armenian Artur Solomonian, who has been
sought by Armenian police for desertion since 2002.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Yerevan 2020

Armenian Daily #053, 26/03/2005

Home

YEREVAN 2020

Yerevan’s main plan should be ready by January 1, 2006. That will
become the main urban construction document. Sirekan Ohanian, head
of the Urban Construction Department at RA government, informed
about RA government’s decision. While Gurgen Mousheghian, head of
Yerevannakhagits Institute, represented the main plan of the capital.

Stating that the plan will define the main trends and prospects for
the capital’s development, Gurgen Mousheghian said that the necessity
to adopt that is conditioned by two basic factors. Firstly, Yerevan is
no more a capital of a Soviet republic but a capital of an independent
state. Secondly, our state has passed from planned to market economy.

The main plan envisages that Yerevan should have 1,2 million
of population by 2020, while its area and communities will
remain unchanged, as that was defined in 1996 in the law “On
Administrative-Territorial Division.” No additional territories will
be allocated for Yerevan’s further development. The city will develop
the unutilized areas and ruin the damaged buildings. It is envisaged to
build sports complexes in the suburbs. When building dwelling areas,
it is set up to allocate 20 square meters of area per capita. It is
decided that 180 people should live on 1 hectares.

According to the new plan, no new areas will be allocated for plants
and factories. Gurgen Mousheghian explained this by the fact that
there are large industrial areas in the city and they can open new
plants there.

A new highway network will be built in the capital. The subway will
also function properly.

The mines in the territory of Yerevan will become green parks after
being fully utilized. While the rural lands rich in heavy metals will
be used for construction. Mr. Mousheghian informed that the green
zones will be divided into three parts. The first one will be for
general use; the utilization of the second one will be limited. The
third part will be the special territories, i.e. the forests. He
said that by 2020 the green area per capita will amount to 49 square
meters. The water supply system will be renovated too.

By Ara Martirosian

A Separate Law On Armenian Church In Constitution?

AZG Armenian Daily #053, 26/03/2005

Armenian Church

A SEPARATE LAW ON ARMENIAN CHURCH IN CONSTITUTION?

Parliamentary discussions over reforms of the Armenian Constitution
may result in placing the Armenian Apostolic Church in a privileged
position over all other confessions within the country. The Armenian
clergy itself put forward suggestions to emphasize the role of the
Armenian Church.

They particularly suggest to use wording “Armenian Apostolic Christian
Church with the Center of Etchmiadzin” thus setting it apart from
other denominations.

“This suggestion pursues a political aim too, as the Armenian Church is
actually divided in two and such a stress will set apart the Armenian
Apostolic Church which is ruled by the Catholicos”, Rafik Petrosian,
head of the State and Legal Commission of the National Assembly, said.

The clergy also points out that the relations between the Church
and the state has to be regulated by a law. That means that ground is
prepared to pass a separate law on the Church in the Constitution. This
is important so far as there are lot of uncertain issues concerning
Church’s and state’s property.

It’s very actual for us to upgrade Armenian Church’s position today
in view of numerous religious sects. By the way, there is no official
definition as to what denomination should be considered a sect and
what should not. The new law will spread light on many vague issues.

By Karine Danielian

Protesters control Kyrgyzstan

Protesters control Kyrgyzstan
By MARK McDONALD

SunHerald.com, MS
Posted on Fri, Mar. 25, 2005

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

MOSCOW – Protesters in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan took control
of the capital Thursday as they fought with pro-government partisans,
stormed government buildings, took control of the national TV network and
apparently chased the president from the country.

It was the third time in two years that opposition forces had overturned an
authoritarian government in Russia’s back yard in the wake of allegations
that elections were fraudulent. Unlike the Rose Revolution in Georgia in
2003 and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine last year, the Kyrgyz revolt was
marred by violence.

Opposition leaders quickly tried to re-establish order Thursday evening as
the defense and interior ministers ordered their troops to stand down.

The Supreme Court met in emergency session and annulled the results of a
recent parliamentary election that anti-government politicians said was
tainted by fraud. Parliament also convened Thursday night and named Ishenbai
Kadyrbekov, a former member of Parliament, as acting president.

Reports that President Askar Akayev had fled the country – to Kazakhstan or
Russia – were still unconfirmed late Thursday.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the United States
was working with the United Nations, European monitors and “our Russian
friends” to keep track of the rapidly unfolding events.

“The future of Kyrgyzstan should be decided by the people of Kyrgyzstan,
consistent with the principles of peaceful change, of dialogue and respect
for the rule of law,” he said.

The United States maintains an air base at the Manas airport outside
Bishkek, the capital. The base, with an estimated 1,000 troops, is used
principally for flights in support of American forces in Afghanistan.

A Russian military base, known as Kant, sits only a dozen miles away.

Thursday’s events in Bishkek began when protesters were charged by
stick-wielding Akayev supporters wearing blue armbands.

Fights broke out in the main square and along the principal downtown
boulevard. Several dozen injuries were reported. There were no immediate
reports of any deaths, and police and security forces didn’t fire on the
protesters.

Anti-government groups eventually took control of the presidential compound
in the city center. They seized the minister of defense – releasing him
later – and smashed windows and furniture in the White House.

They also freed opposition leader Felix Kulov, a former vice president and
former head of the secret police who was imprisoned five years ago on
embezzlement charges.

Kulov said it wasn’t clear whether Akayev had resigned from the presidency
before fleeing his Bishkek residence.

SOVIET REPUBLICS

The Soviet Union broke up in 1991, creating 14 separate republics, many of
them governed by people tied to the defunct Soviet system. Here’s a status
report on those countries:

ARMENIA: President Robert Kocharian, a former Communist Party member, became
president in 1997. He was re-elected in 2003 in a contentious election.

AZERBAIJAN: Political instability postponed elections until 1992. More
instability led to the election of Heydar Aliyev, a former KGB agent, as
president in 1993. His son, Ilham Aliyev, won the presidency in a disputed
election in 2003.

BELARUS: President Alexander Lukashenko was elected in 1994 and re-elected
in 1999. A referendum in 2004 did away with limitations on presidential
terms. He’s expected to run again in 2006.

ESTONIA: Declared independence in 1991 after the “Singing Revolution,” in
which thousands of Estonians sang in mass demonstrations.

GEORGIA: The “Rose Revolution” of 2003 forced former Soviet Foreign Minister
Eduard Shevardnadze from the presidency amid allegations of widespread voter
fraud.

KAZAKHSTAN: Former Communist Party member Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected
the country’s first president in 1991 and re-elected in 1997.

KYRGYZSTAN: President Askar Akayev apparently resigned and fled the country
Thursday after allegations of voter fraud in parliamentary elections sparked
opposition protests.

LATVIA: Several governments have formed, dissolved and re-formed since
independence in 1991. President Vaira Vike-Freiberga was elected in 1999 and
re-elected in 2003.

LITHUANIA: The government has swung from one political party to the other.
In January 2004, the president was impeached. A newly elected government
took office last December.

MOLDOVA: An election in 2001 led to the Communist Party being in control.

TAJIKISTAN: Instability led to a 1997 peace accord, implemented in 2000. The
1999 and 2000 elections were considered flawed but legitimate. Tajikistan is
the only Central Asian country with an Islamic party represented in
Parliament.

TURKMENISTAN: President Saparmurat Niyazov was elected in 1991. In 1999, he
was named president for life by a Parliament composed of members he’d
handpicked.

UKRAINE: Widespread allegations of voter fraud and intimidation in the 2004
presidential campaign led to the “Orange Revolution” protests, which
produced a runoff election won by opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko.

UZBEKISTAN: President Islam Karimov was elected in 1991; his term has been
extended until 2007.

Sources: State Department, Wikipedia, CIA Factbook

-Compiled by researcher Tish Wells

Putin signs decree on Year of Russia in Armenia

Putin signs decree on Year of Russia in Armenia

Interfax

Mar 25 2005 12:39PM

MOSCOW/YEREVAN. March 25 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin
has signed a decree on observing the Year of the Russian Federation
in Armenia and the Year of Armenia in the Russian Federation “for
the purposes of further developing Russian-Armenian relations and
expanding bilateral ties,” the presidential press service told Interfax
on Friday.

Putin said he hopes the opening of the Year of Russian culture
in Armenia will provide a very good basis for the development of
relations not only in humanitarian affairs but also in economic and
political matters.

New Meeting Of Russian And Armenian Presidents

NEW MEETING OF RUSSIAN AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS

RIA Novosti

2005-03-25 12:44

YEREVAN, March 25 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin
and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan will discuss in Yerevan the
perspectives for trade development, issues concerning the reformation
of the CIS as well as participation in Eurasec and the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

“The key issue of the talks is the current state and perspectives for
the development of trade and economic cooperation – projects in the
spheres of energy, non-ferrous metallurgy, banking, construction,
transportation as well as the implementation of the agreement
“property as repayment of debt and expansion of the military-technical
cooperation,” a source in the Russian President’s administration said.

According to him, the presidents pay special attention to the
issues concerning the reformation of the CIS as well as the mutually
beneficial participation of Russia and Armenia in Eurasec and the CSTO.

Moreover, “Putin and Kocharyan will discuss issues concerning the
coordination of efforts on such important directions as the elimination
of international terrorism and extremism threats, provision of security
and stability in the Caucasus and solution of regional problems,”
the source added.

“The agenda of the meeting also includes issues concerning the
humanitarian cooperation, deepening of contacts between people of the
two states, interaction of public organizations, as well as promotion
of the Russian language in Armenia and of Armenian in Russia,” the
source noted.

The schedule of the visit also envisages the meeting of Vladimir Putin
with His Holiness Garegin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians.