YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 3, 2005

HIGHLIGHTS:

FOURTEENTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW

DRAFT LAW “ON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM” RESTRICTS THE RIGHTS OF MEDIA
REPRESENTATIVES

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN ARMENIA IN 2004

PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE RA PRESIDENT APPOINTED

THE THIRD DIRECTOR HEADS “KENTRON” TV COMPANY

ACCOUNTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BROADCAST REGULATORY BODIES PUBLISHED

EXHIBITION OF WORLD PRESS PHOTO-2004 WINNERS

FOURTEENTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW

On February 28 on the evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel the
fourteenth “Press Club” show was issued. The cycle is organized by Yerevan
Press Club under a homonymous project, supported by the OSI Network Media
Program.

The heads of the leading media and journalistic associations of the country
spoke about public policy and whether it exists in Armenia. As the program
participants projected, the central issue of the current week will be the
ordinary four-day session of the National Assembly. As the “Press Club”
participants expect, the media will also pay attention to the worsening of
relations between the leaders of the parties, making up the ruling
coalition – the Prime Minister Andranik Margarian (Republican party of
Armenia) and the RA National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian (“Orinats
Yerkir” party).

DRAFT LAW “ON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM” RESTRICTS THE RIGHTS OF MEDIA
REPRESENTATIVES

On March 1 the National Assembly of Armenia passed in the second hearing the
draft law “On Fight against Terrorism”. A certain concern of the
journalistic community was caused by the provisions of the draft,
restricting the rights of the media representatives to access and
dissemination of information, related to terrorism.

In particular, according to the draft law, in the area of antiterrorist
operations the activities of media representatives is regulated by the head
of the Republican Antiterrorism Headquarters (a new body to be formed in
accordance with the draft law). Besides, it is prohibited to disseminate
information that reveal the methods and devices of antiterrorist activities,
can impede the antiterrorist activities and constitute danger for the life
and health of citizens, and are directed to the promotion or justification
of terrorism.

Thus, terrorism can turn out to be a complete taboo for the media. The most
interesting fact here is that after the adoption of the law the journalists
will not have a right to disseminate information on the members of the
Headquarters above, on the bodies, involved in the antiterrorist activities,
the staff of the special services and their antiterrorist subdivisions, as
well as, remarkably, about people who provided assistance in the
antiterrorist activities.

In other words, understand this as you wish! And the danger is more than
great to have these provisions given quite broad interpretations in a
country, where the freedom of expression is not very well off as it is.
Having such a law, the authorities can simply prohibit the journalists from
covering the activities of the power bodies, the tax and customs agencies…
What is then to be done about another loudly proclaimed campaign, the
anticorruption one, if the structures that are commonly viewed to be the
major corruption sources, become closed for the press?

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN ARMENIA IN 2004

On February 28 the US Department of State released its annual report on
human rights practices in 2004 in different countries of the world, prepared
by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Referring to the situation on freedom of speech and press in Armenia, the US
Department of State noted that while the Constitution provides for freedom
of speech and of the press, “the Government partially limited freedom of
speech, and there were several incidents of violence, intimidation and
self-censorship”.

The report notes that the majority of the newspapers of the country, with
the exception of “Hayastani Hanrapetutiun” and “Respublika Armenia”, are
privately owned, and the state printing house and the distribution agency
functioned as commercial enterprises – “with no apparent government
intervention”. “No newspaper was completely independent of patronage from
economic or political interest groups or individuals”, the report noted.

Because of low newspaper circulation, most persons in the country rely on
broadcast media for information, which are mostly privately owned. The news
coverage of the private TV companies in the capital and other cities of the
country, is generally independent and of good technical quality. However, in
the opinion of the report authors, the substantive quality of news reporting
varied due to self-censorship by journalists and the stations’ dependence on
patronage. As to the Public Television of Armenia, by the assessment of the
US Department of State, its news coverage continued to be significantly
influenced by senior officials within the office of the President of the
country; while its news reporting was mostly factual, it avoided editorial
commentary or criticism of the Government: “For example, it provided little
coverage of the April 12 and 13 political demonstrations in the capital.”
The report also noted that “A1+”, “one of the countries last independent
television stations”, did not get a broadcast license in 2002 “because of
sharp critical coverage of the President Kocharian’s administration”. The
report also mentioned the refusal of “Kentron” TV company in October 2004 to
continue broadcasting the program of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The statement that “major media outlets in the country were generally
pro-government” was illustrated by the report authors with the 2003
presidential election campaign, when “the majority of the media, including
Public TV of Armenia, most private television stations, and the major
state-funded newspaper, all provided heavily biased news coverage that
favored incumbent President Kocharian”.

The situation of freedom of speech and press in 2004 is also defined in the
report in the context with the cases of “harassment of journalists”. Among
the specific examples the incidents at the opposition rallies of April 5 and
on April 12-13. It was noted in particular that during the rally of April 5
men in civilian clothing caused material and physical damage to journalists,
and by eyewitness accounts the police stood up and did not intervene to stop
the attacks. On April 13 the police themselves exerted violence against
journalists, although, as the latter maintained, they had identified
themselves to the police as reporters covering the rally. The report also
mentions the violence against the photojournalist in Tsaghkadzor on August
24. “There also were unconfirmed reports of incidents of harassment and
intimidation of journalists outside the capital”, the report of the
Department of State mentions.

Despite the absence of official censorship, in the opinion of the US
Department of State, some print journalists “continue to practice
self-censorship to avoid problems with the Government and because of
pressure from official sources”.

The report also noted the adoption of amendments to the RA Criminal Code, in
particular, the certain mildening of the punishment stipulated for the libel
and insult of an official. However, it is stressed that the libel and insult
remain criminal offences.

When evaluating the freedom of speech situation, the report authors also
used the information of Yerevan Press Club.

In the section of the US Department of State’s report on the freedom of
religion in Armenia it was noted also that the head of “ALM” TV company
“frequently made anti-Semitic remarks on the air”.

PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE RA PRESIDENT APPOINTED

On February 26 the RA President Robert Kocharian appointed his new
press-secretary to be Victor Soghomonian. Victor Soghomonian was born in
1979. Having graduated from the Department of Russian Language and
Literature of the Yerevan State University in 2001, he continued studying at
the graduate school of the Abeghian Literature Institute of the RA National
Science Academy, has a PhD in philology. In 2000-2002 Victor Soghomonian
taught at the Armenian-Russian (Slavic) University. He started to practice
TV journalism since 1997. In 2000-2003 he was the political observer of the
“Lraber” newscast of “Prometheus” TV company. Since June 2003 till January
2004 he headed the administration of the Chairman of the RA National
Assembly.

The previous press-secretary of the RA President Ashot Kocharian was
appointed the RA Ambassador in India (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, February
18-24, 2005).

THE THIRD DIRECTOR HEADS “KENTRON” TV COMPANY

On February 28 the head of “Kentron” TV channel changed again: Petros
Ghazarian was replaced on the position of the director by Meruzhan Sargsian.
The latter, before the new position, was the director of “Lraber” newscast
of the Second Armenian TV Channel.

It should be noted that after “Kentron” changed its owner in April 2004
Meruzhan Sargsian is the third head of the company. Petros Ghazarian held
this position for about seven months, and his predecessor Aram Abrahamian –
less than three months. Aram Abrahamian explained his resignation by the
controversies he had with the TV company owners over the financial
management of the channel (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, August 26 –
September 2, 2004). As Petros Ghazarian told YPC, he resigned the position
of the director of his own accord, since he prefers to engage in creative
rather than administrative work. Petros Ghazarian will continue to host
“Urvagits” program on “Kentron” TV channel and is going to implement a new
project, “Compromise” Sunday analytical program.

ACCOUNTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BROADCAST REGULATORY BODIES PUBLISHED

“TV Alik” weekly (TV and radio program review) of February 28 – March 6,
2005 published the accounts of the Council of the Public TV and Radio
Company and the National Commission on Television and Radio on the
activities of these broadcast regulatory bodies in 2004. The accounts were
publicized in accordance with the RA Law “On Television and Radio”.

EXHIBITION OF WORLD PRESS PHOTO-2004 WINNERS

On March 3 at “Moskva” Cinema the reception on the opening of World Press
Photo 2004 Exhibition in Yerevan will be held. In this annual international
competition 4,176 photojournalists of 124 countries of the world took part,
presenting their works for 2003. The results of the competition were
finalized in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on February 1-12, 2004. The winners of
the competition were 62 journalists of 23 countries. The Grand Prix was
awarded to the photograph by a French photo journalist Jean-Marc Bouju
(“Associated Press” news agency), made at one of the prisoner camps in Iraq.

The exhibition has already been held in over 80 cities of the world. The
Yerevan exposition of the winning photographs of the World Press Photo is
organized by the Caucasian Media Institute and will be open from March 4 to
27.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

Los Angeles Times
March 3, 2005

HIGH SCHOOLS

Neither Would Mind Being Called ‘Winner’

Kucukkoseoglu brothers could give wrestlers — and those trying to pronounce
name — fits at state championships.

By Peter Yoon, Times Staff Writer

The state wrestling championships are fast approaching and the burning
question on the minds of fans is, how the heck do you pronounce
Kucukkoseoglu?

Poway is loaded and almost a shoo-in for the team title; Brian Moreno of
Santa Ana Foothill is chasing a third consecutive state title and
Bakersfield’s Jake Varner has pinned just about every opponent he has faced
this season, yet their opponents have nothing to fear compared with public
address announcers Sandy Stevens and Ramon Hendricks.

That’s because the way brothers Arman and Herman Kucukkoseoglu of Chino
Hills Ayala have been wrestling lately, their names are going to be
mentioned often Friday and Saturday in Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

For the record, the proper pronunciation is koos-UK-uh-SO-loo.

“I get asked about it just about every time someone sees it,” Arman said.
“Not too many people even try to guess how to say it.”

Said Herman: “It’s 13 letters and you can’t make any kind of English word
out of them. People just call me Herman K.”

The name is Turkish Armenian; the wrestlers are full-blooded outstanding.

Arman, a senior, is ranked No. 2 in the state at 189 pounds. He won the
Southern Section Masters title Saturday and was fourth in the state finals
at the same weight last season.

Herman, a junior, finished second in the Masters and enters the state
tournament unranked in the top eight in the 171-pound class. His only loss
at the Masters was to Jimmy Stormo of San Jacinto, ranked No. 2 in the
state.

Their success in wrestling is surprising, considering neither gave the sport
a second thought until they entered high school. Their father, Ara, played
soccer at the national level for Turkey and then professionally in Germany.

Arman went out for football as a freshman and was hesitant when wrestling
Coach Terry Martin suggested he give wrestling a try, but it took only a few
days to persuade him.

He gave up football and now wrestles exclusively. When he won at Masters
this year, he became the first wrestler from Ayala to win consecutive
titles.

“I really liked the one-on-one competition,” he said. “It’s just you out
there. You don’t have to rely on your teammates.”

Even as his brother started wrestling, Herman had no interest. He wanted to
follow in his father’s footsteps and play soccer, which is in the same
season as wrestling. Martin persuaded him to come out a few times, and
Herman found he liked it.

“I never thought too much of wrestling,” he said. “I was a soccer player all
my life, but I went to give it a try and I was pretty good at it.”

Herman still plays football. He started last season as a defensive lineman
and also played fullback and punted. He still likes to dabble in soccer too
but says he has become addicted to the demands of wrestling.

“Right now, it’s my No. 1 committed sport,” he said. “It’s all about
character and heart, which are my strengths. I’m going to the state meet
because of all the work I’ve put into the sport this season.”

Herman, as a junior and an unranked wrestler, has less to lose. Arman says
he is feeling some pressure this year because it’s probably his last in the
sport.

As a sophomore, he broke a vertebra in his lower back and the injury went
undiagnosed for several weeks. He has wrestled through pain the last two
seasons, suffering occasional numbness in his legs, cramping and an
uncomfortable tingling in his back.

Doctors have advised him to stop wrestling after high school.

“That was really hard to hear,” Arman said. “But I have to do what’s best
for my future. When I’m on the mat, I don’t really think about it too much.
Sometimes, I have to change my style a little, but that’s OK.”

Arman’s biggest challenge is Varner. Bakersfield’s 189-pounder is ranked No.
1 in the state and is generally considered the top wrestler. He has pinned
Arman in their two previous meetings this season. The two would meet in the
final of the bracketed tournament if both made it that far.

“I can’t really think about it,” Arman said. “If we both get that far, then
I’ll think about it and I’ll approach it like every other match. Anything
can happen at state.”

A Kucukkoseoglu victory over undefeated Varner would be a major upset, and
fans love to see upsets. The always-vocal crowd at the state championships
most certainly would cheer wildly.

Just don’t expect anyone to chant his name.

Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR visit Armenia to
discuss progress of electoral legislation reform

Strasbourg, 03.03.2005 – Representatives of the Council of Europe’s
Venice Commission and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(OSCE/ODIHR) will pay a joint visit to Yerevan on 3-4 March 2005, in
order to discuss progress in the revision of Armenia’s electoral
legislation, based on the Joint Recommendations issued by the two
organisations in relation to the ongoing electoral reform in Armenia.

The visit is part of the co-operation programme between the Council of
Europe and the Armenian authorities, in the framework of Armenia’s
monitoring procedure by the Committee of Ministers established after its
accession to the Council of Europe, and the follow-up of the OSCE-ODIHR
recommendations following the 2003 elections in Armenia.

The aim of the visit is to raise with the Armenian authorities and
experts on electoral matters the main points on which Armenia’s
electoral legislation and practice have yet to meet Council of Europe
standards and OSCE Commitments on democratic elections.

For more information, see

La Commission de Venise du Conseil de l’Europe et le OSCE/BIDDH visitent
l’Arménie pour discuter de l’évolution de la réforme électorale

Strasbourg, 03.03.2005 – Des représentants de la Commission de Venise
du Conseil de l’Europe et du Bureau des institutions démocratiques et
des droits de l’homme de l’Organisation pour la sécurité et la
coopération en Europe (OSCE/BIDDH) se rendent à Erevan les 3 et 4
mars 2005 afin de discuter de l’évolution de la révision du Code
électoral d’Arménie, fondée sur les recommandations conjointes
établies par les deux organisations eu égard à la réforme
électorale en cours en Arménie.

La visite fait partie du programme de coopération entre le Conseil de
l’Europe et les autorités arméniennes et s’inscrit d’une part dans
le cadre de la procédure de suivi établie par le Comité des
Ministres lors de l’adhésion de l’Arménie au Conseil de l’Europe,
d’autre part dans le cadre du suivi des recommandations de l’OSCE/BIDDH
qui suivirent les élections de 2003 en Arménie.

Le but de cette visite est de mettre l’accent avec les autorités
arméniennes et les experts électoraux sur les principaux
éléments de la législation et de la pratique électorales en
Arménie qui doivent coïncider avec les normes du Conseil de l’Europe
et les engagements de l’Arménie auprès de l’OSCE en matière
d’élections démocratiques.

Pour plus d’information, voir

Ref. 104b05
1

1

Venice Commission /
Commission de Venise

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Bangor Daily News, ME
March 3 2005

Andrea Martin
Thursday, March 03, 2005 – Bangor Daily News

You’ve probably seen Andrea Martin play Edith Prickley in the 1970s
TV comedy show “Second City TV.” Maybe you’ve seen her portray Aunt
Voula in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” And you may have heard her as
the voice of Miss Winifred Fowl in the animated film “Jimmy Neutron:
Boy Genius.”

But let’s be very clear about where you will not see Martin. She will
not star in the touring production of “Fiddler on the Roof” being
performed at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Maine Center for
the Arts in Orono.

If you do want to see Martin, a Maine native, in the hit musical
about Jewish life in a small village in Czarist Russia, you can go to
the Minskoff Theatre on West 45th Street near Times Square in
Manhattan.

In other words, Broadway.

Martin, who grew up in Portland, joined the New York cast in January
to play Golde, the lead female role opposite Harvey Fierstein as the
milkman and narrator Tevye. Think “If I Were a Rich Man” and
“Tradition” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” Then think: the Mama, the Mama!
And you’ll have Martin.

At the announcement last November that Martin and Fierstein, both
Tony Award winners, were taking over the roles, daily ticket sales
went up nearly 40 percent, according to a recent report in the New
York Post. At a performance last week, the theater was packed, and
the audience showed special affection for Martin, who won long, loud
applause for her portrayal of the witty, worried matriarch.

Ninety minutes before the show, Martin arrived at the theater bundled
up against the raw chill of the city in winter. In front of the door
to her private dressing room, she had draped a long orange scarf in
homage to the outdoor sculpture “The Gates” in Central Park. She has
a star dressing room, which is ample, awash in ambient light and
quiet despite the traffic beyond the window. On a small coffee table
are magazines, inspirational books, a tin of chocolates. On the wall
next to her mirror hangs the headscarf she wears as Golde.

“Everything I did in Maine prepared me for what I am doing now,” said
Martin, who kicked off her boots and folded her legs beneath her on
the couch before pulling a pillow close to her chest. At 58, she is
limber, fit, glowing.

Many of her fellow actors and fans popularly believe Martin is
Canadian because of her association with “SCTV,” but she’s Maine born
and bred, with a strong work ethic and an unjaded sense of the world.
She was even wearing a thermal shirt from L.L. Bean.

In Portland, Martin’s family ran grocery stores – her brother still
runs a restaurant in Waterville – and even though she was expected to
work at a young age, her parents supported her interest in theater.
She started acting on Maine stages at 9, eventually attended Emerson
College in Boston and then made her way to Toronto to work on the
Canadian show “SCTV” in the 1970s. It was also broadcast in the
United States, and was a hit in both places, launching the careers of
John Candy, Rick Moranis and Martin Short, Martin’s brother-in-law.

“Because I grew up in an Armenian community in Portland, I wasn’t so
aware of being isolated or remote,” said Martin, who recently sold
her home in Los Angeles and moved to New York City. “When you have
nothing to compare it to, the world around you is everything. But I
think acting was in my blood. It was like breathing for me. There was
no time when I was thinking: I want to be an actress. It was more: I
am an actress.”

In addition to her acting, however, Martin has received praise for
her writing, including two Emmy Awards for “SCTV.” (She has another
Emmy for her work on “Sesame Street.”) She also wrote her own
one-woman show “Nude Nude Totally Nude,” which played in New York
City and Los Angeles in 1996 – propelled by the Tony she won in 1992
for her performance in the short-lived musical “My Favorite Year.”
The work in live theater, she said, marked a turning point for her.
She began to think of herself more as a dramatic actor than as only a
comedian.

To make that transition, she hired L.A. acting coach Larry Moss, who
led Hilary Swank and Leonardo DiCaprio to roles in award-winning
films. He told her: turn down work, face rejection, work hard.
Against the advice of her agent, she returned to general casting
calls. She had to, she said.

“I’ve never thought of myself as a star, but I think it’s important
to think of yourself as a star, believe in yourself, own the talent
you have and have humility about it,” said Martin. “I knew no one was
going to believe in me until I believed in myself. I did my one-woman
show to be myself onstage instead of someone else. But then I
couldn’t get any dramatic roles. I could get broad comedy, sketch
comedy or sitcoms.”

But an important role did come along: Aunt Eller in the 2002 Broadway
revival of “Oklahoma!”

“It wasn’t glamorous or show stopping, but I knew I had to do it,”
said Martin, who won rave reviews in the part.

It also led to an offer to play the Cat in the Hat in the Broadway
musical “Seussical,” which Martin eventually turned down to stay at
home with her youngest son during his last year of high school. (She
was a single parent to her two sons, now in their early 20s.)

When the call came to play Golde in “Fiddler,” the role wasn’t any
more glamorous than Aunt Eller, but Martin jumped at the chance to
return to Broadway.

“I know I can do the other type of performing – the comedy,” she
said. “That’s in my bones. But you can only be a great actress if you
have great parts. It was important to me to be great at a great part.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a career of great roles. Plenty of
actors make great careers without any great roles. But this is what I
needed. I’m grateful. I’m energized. I’m curious every day about how
I can make it more alive. I’m enormously appreciative and have great
respect for the role.”

And it shows onstage, where her humor and her depth work together to
create a character who keeps her husband and five daughters, as well
as their village friends, within her maternal reach. Coincidentally,
one of her stage daughters marries the character Motel, played by the
Tony-nominated John Cariani, a native of Presque Isle.

Martin is scheduled to be in the Broadway “Fiddler” through the
beginning of August. In the meantime, she’s considering buying a
house in Maine.

“You can’t take Maine out of the person. You just can’t do that,” she
said.

Outside of Martin’s dressing room, Harvey Fierstein was arriving for
the night’s performance. He hugged a couple of backstage crew members
before retreating to his own dressing room to get into costume. What
did he have to say about his cast mate Martin: “She’s from Canada,
you know.”

For ticket information for “Fiddler on the Roof,” starring Andrea
Martin through August, at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City, call
(212) 307-4100 or visit

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EurActive.com
Published: Thursday 3 March 2005 – 08:50

Ferrero-Waldner: 2005 will be “year of delivery” for Neighbourhood Policy

In Short:

Under the European Neighbourhood Policy process, the Commission has
recommended an intensification of relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt,
Georgia and Lebanon.

RELATED

The EU’s new neighbours
Background:

The EU has already negotiated action plans with Israel, Jordan, Moldova,
Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Ukraine. On 2 March, the
Commission adopted country reports on five more countries: Egypt, Lebanon
and the Southern Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Based on these reports, the Commission has recommended an intensification of
relations.

The new country reports analyse and evaluate the political, economic and
institutional reforms in the five countries, opening up the prospect of
concluding action plans with them. The prospective three-year action plans
will detail specific measures and obligations on both sides for increased
co-operation. The five states are expected to have their action plans in
place by the end of 2005.

The EU’s Neighbourhood Policy is directed at a ring of countries. To date,
Israel, Jordan and Ukraine have signed their respective action plans, with
Morocco, Moldova, the Palestinian Authority and Tunisia set to follow suit.

Issues:

Azerbaijan:

The Commission is recommending a “significant intensification of relations”
with Azerbaijan. The country was included in the ENP process in June 2004,
based on an existing Partnership and Co-operation Agreement. The key
objectives for an action plan include:

strengthening the rule of law, democratic structures and pluralism
effective reforms of the judiciary and the law enforcement agencies
enhanced protection of human rights and press freedom
balanced economic development

Armenia:

Armenia, along with the two other Caucasus states, was taken on board in
June 2004 largely as a result of the “Rose Revolution” that took place in
Georgia in November 2003. The key objectives for an action plan include:

strengthening the rule of law, democratic structures and pluralism
strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
enhanced economic development
effective reform of the systems of taxation and customs
increased fight against corruption and fraud
effective reduction of poverty
Georgia:

Georgia is seen by the EU as the most advanced nation in the region. It
hosts the only full Commission mission. A member of the ENP process since
June 2004, Georgia’s prospective action plan should aim to:

strengthen respect for the rule of law
enhance protection of human rights
strengthen democratic structures and pluralism
improve the business climate
reform the systems of taxation and customs
improve the transparency of the privatisation process
Egypt:

The EU already has an Association Agreement with Egypt. The ENP goes beyond
that agreement by offering the prospect of an “increasingly close
relationship” with the EU, “involving a significant degree of economic
integration and a deepening of political co-operation”. The key objectives
for an action plan include joint commitments:

for strengthening democracy and the rule of law
in the areas of foreign and security policy
closer economic co-operation
enhanced co-ordination in trade and internal market
Lebanon:

The entry into force of Lebanon’s Association Agreement with the EU is
imminent. The prospective action plan will set out priorities in two broad
areas:

strengthening democracy and the rule of law and enhancing foreign and
security policy co-operation
enhancing co-operation in economic and social development as well as trade
and internal market issues

Positions:

External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that 2005 will
be “the year of delivery” for the European Neighbourhood Policy. “The
challenge for the EU and for our partners will be to turn the commitments
and aspirations […] into reality, through measurable reforms bringing
concrete benefits for our neighbouring countries and their citizens”.

Commission spokeswoman Françoise Le Bail said that the EU has “already
adopted a certain number of ‘country reports’ and ‘action plans’ for some
countries, we’re therefore now completing this action with the ‘country
reports’ on five countries. And it is on the these ‘country reports’ that
the ‘action plans – containing concrete measures for cooperation between
these countries and the EU – will be based.”

Latest & next steps:

The Neighbourhood Policy does not include a commitment by the EU to take any
of the beneficiary states on board. However, the ENP process could lead to a
near-complete integration in the EU’s single market
The Commission’s recommendations require the Council’s seal of approval
The prospective three-year action plans are expected to be concluded by the
end of 2005

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 3 2005

Paris meeting of Azeri, Armenian FMs adjourned

Baku, March 2, AssA-Irada
The Paris meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers Elmar
Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian, scheduled for Thursday, has been
postponed. This is due to the fact that Oskanian has caught pneumonia
and was recommended by doctors not to go to France, says Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
The Azerbaijani Minister has met with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
in Prague to discuss ways of settling the Upper Garabagh conflict.
The meeting was initially to be attended by Oskanian, but this did
not happen due to his poor health condition.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 3 2005

OSCE fact-finding mission’s report to be released mid-March

Baku, March 2, AssA-Irada

The OSCE fact-finding mission has submitted its final report on the
one-week monitoring it conducted in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan
to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
Mammadyarov said that he has fully studied the report, which will be
made public by March 16.
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has told Radio Liberty that the
report confirms the facts relating to the illegal settlement of
Armenians in Upper Garabagh and other occupied Azerbaijani
territories. The document is due to be submitted to the OSCE
Permanent Council in Vienna on March 17.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 3 2005

Ceasefire violations could be purposeful, says OSCE chairman’s envoy

Baku, March 2, AssA-Irada

Ceasefire violations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline are
unacceptable and cause tensions in the region. Such instances
negatively affect peace talks and could be purposeful, the OSCE
chairman’s special envoy Anjey Kaspshik said, commenting on the
frequent ceasefire violations on the contact line of the Azeri and
Armenian troops.
Kaspshik said it was difficult to find out which side is responsible
for the ceasefire violations, as the sides blame each other for such
incidents. He added that he would prepare a report on the frontline
situation soon.*

Today, Azerbaijan
March 3 2005

Break in stability in frontline might be goal-directed – OSCE special
envoy

03 March 2005 [09:09] – Today.Az

Andjey Caspzyk, a personal envoy of the OSCE chairman-in-office is
concerned on frequent violations of cease-fire regime in the
Azerbaijani- Armenian frontline. “it is unaffordable and at any case
is directed at raising tension in the region,” Caspzyk told Trend.

According to Caspzyk, the violation of the stability in the
frontline makes a negative impact on the peace process and might be
goal-directed. The same time the OSCE representative does not posses
information on the side opening fire. “It is too difficult to define
who open fire. Both sides blame each other in it and such a scene
distracts the opinion from the real panorama,” Caspzyk regretted. At
present the OSCE special envoy is involved in developing a report on
the state in the front.

A while ago the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs appealed to the OSCE
chairman with request to prepare a report pf the special mission on
Nagorno-Karabakh. “My conclusion is ready. I hope the report to
yield effective ends,” Caspzyk noted. Touching upon the meetings of
the OSCE investigation group with the OSCE co-chairs, held in Czech
Republic on 28 February, he regarded it as rich. “The fact-finding
mission presented its report and the co-chairs stated their opinion
on the document,” he underscored.

URL:

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Forests NGO
38 Moscovian St., Apt. 10
Yerevan 375002, Armenia
Contact: Mher Sharoyan, Media Coordinator
Tel: (3741) 54-15-29
Fax: (3741) 58-20-39
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

1 March, 2005

NEWS RELEASE

Road to Desert continues…

Exhibition of photos “Road to Desert” opened at 2 PM on March 1, 2005 at
Yerevan-based Armenian Agriculture Academy’s Agronomy department. The
exhibition dedicated to the forests of Armenia was organized by joint
efforts of the “Armenian Forests” NGO and the mentioned department’s
Forestry chair.

The goal of the exhibition is to draw the attention of students and
particularly the future forestry experts to the situation in Armenian
forests, their protection and restoration, as well as stress the necessity
of stopping the illegal cutting of woods in Armenia. This display of photos
is the third in the series of exhibiting the “Road to Desert” throughout
Armenia since its launch in February 12, 2004.

The expo photos display both beautiful and green corners of Armenia, and the
destruction of forests and scenes of tree felling by the side of humans. The
photos were taken in the forests of Lori, Tavush and Syunik marzes.

The exhibition will be on till March 4, from 10 AM to 5 PM.