Azeri POWs feeling well – separatist official

ANS Radio, Baku
19 Feb 05

The first news of the missing Azerbaijani soldiers has come from the
separatist Karabakh regime. The head of the regime’s executive staff,
Armen Zaryan, said that relevant work is being carried out with the
POWs, their health is normal and they are not being subjected to
physical pressure.

[Passage omitted: names of the soldiers]

Human Rights Watch urges European bank to change strategy on Azerbaijan

Turan news agency, Baku
18 Feb 05

London, 18 February: The human rights situation in Azerbaijan
has deteriorated since the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development [EBRD] approved its strategy on Azerbaijan in 2002,
the well-known human rights organization Human Rights Watch [HRW]
has said in a press release.

The 2003 presidential elections plunged Azerbaijan into an acute
crisis, of which it has not been able to break out yet. Starting
from that juncture, the authorities stepped up pressure on the civil
society, restricted criticism and political activities.

The 2002 EBRD strategy on Azerbaijan maintains that there are many
opposition parties and NGOs in Azerbaijan. However, the atmosphere in
the country has “drastically changed” since then. The authorities have
severely restricted freedom of assembly and public protests, carried
out mass sackings of opposition members and persecuted everyone who
sympathized with the opposition.

The 2003 presidential elections were also marred by such serious
irregularities as disproportionate use of force against protesters,
use of torture against detainees, unfair trials which resulted in an
increase in the number of political prisoners and so on.

What’s more, the authorities stepped up pressure on the civil
society. The case of the Cuma mosque imam, Ilqar Ibrahimoglu, is a
glaring example of this. The authorities also refuse to register NGOs
they do not like such as the fund to develop democracy and protect
human rights.

The authorities vigorously restrict the activities of the mass media,
especially electronic ones, using all means to contain criticism
against the government and initiating physical violence against
opposition journalists.

The 2004 municipal elections confirmed once again that the authorities
do not intend to give up election rigging.

“All this calls into question the Azerbaijani government’s commitment
to the principles of democracy and pluralism mentioned in Article 1
of the agreement on setting up the bank,” the HRW statement said.

The organization recommends that the EBRD make changes to its
strategy on Azerbaijan in the light of the aforesaid evidence and
secure changes in a number of issues.

In particular, HRW reckons that it is necessary:

– to implement the recommendations listed in the report of the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights after the 2003
elections;

– to cancel verdicts against the October prisoners [those arrested
over the 2003 post-election riots], which did not meet international
standards, and to release political prisoners;

– to carry out an independent investigation into reports of torture
and maltreatment in the post-election period and to bring the
culprits to book;

– to reinstate those who were fired for supporting the opposition in
their previous jobs;

– to investigate and punish the culprits of attacks on journalists;

– to decriminalize libel;

– to ensure freedom of assembly, including the right to stage
opposition rallies and so on.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Karabakh officially announce capture of three Azeri soldiers

Mediamax news agency
18 Feb 05

Yerevan, 18 February: The state commission of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic (NKR) for prisoners of war and missing persons today
officially announced the capture of three Azerbaijani soldiers.

The commission says in its statement that the three soldiers of
the Azerbaijan army were detained on 15 February while crossing the
demarcation line in the northwestern sector of the contact line of
the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces.

[Passage omitted: names of the Azerbaijani POWs]

The NKR state commission for prisoners of war and missing persons has
notified the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) and the OSCE accredited in Stepanakert about the incident.

The appropriate bodies of the NKR are carrying out investigative
measures to find out how and why the Azerbaijani soldiers crossed
the positions of the NKR defence army.

The republic’s authorities have granted ICRC representatives the
right of free access to the Azerbaijani prisoners of war.

EXCESSIVE SUPPLY OF GRADUATES CONTRIBUTES TO UNEMPLOYMENT

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18. ARMINFO. – Today, the Ministry of Education
and Science of Armenia and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) launched the Strengthening Policy Development Capacities of the
Ministry of Education and Science project. Minister Mr. Sergo Yeritsyan
and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Lise
Grande signed a Memorandum marking the official start of the project.

The Armenian Government actively cooperates with international
organization to optimize the systems of education in the country, which
will allow softening the negative consequences of the transitional
period no the system of education, Minister Sego Yersitsyan says in
the course of the ceremony.

Yeritsyan says that to implement the programme designed for 6 months,
the UN will provide Armenia 50,000 USD. The first component of the
project will include a survey and analysis of the country’s labour
market and forecasts of labour requirements through 2015. Under
the second component, a Concept Paper will be developed and policy
recommendations made on reforming state management of science. The
recommendations will aim at making the sector sustainable and efficient
and responsive to the Armenian economy. The recommendations will also
aim at ensuring that Armenian science remains highly competitive in
the world and at the cutting edge of new technologies, he says.

This innovative project supports other reforms in the education
sector aimed at addressing the impact of the transition and ensuring
links between employers and the country’s education and training
system. Recognising that standards have declined and that the
excessive supply of graduates has contributed to unemployment,
acted as a break on wage rates and led to continuing brain drain,
the Government and international organisations are working together
to reform the sector. Through UNDP’s project, efforts will be made
to ensure that instruction is targeted at the labour market and that
vacancies are filled by candidates with practical knowledge and skills.

Ms. Grande noted in her speech: “This project is a concrete indication
of UNDP’s commitment toward helping Armenia to build an open, modern
and knowledge-based economy that is able to compete globally and
attract investments. Education and science are critical sectors not
only for the economy, but also for the social and cultural development
of any country. And for a country like Armenia, with highly valuable
human capital, sustaining positive traditions is the key to real
success.”

The half-year project is co-financed by the Government of Armenia
and UNDP.

PRESENTATION OF OSCE PROGRAM “SETTLEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS” IN THE GEORGIAN REGION OF SMATSKHE-JAVAKHETIA

AKHALKALAKI. FEBRUARY 18. ARMINFO. A Presentation of an OSCE-elaborated
program “Settlement of International Relations” took place in the
Georgian region of Smatskhe-Javakhetia settled mainly with Armenians.

A-INFO reports that the program was presented on the initiative of OSCE
Office for National Minorities in Tbilisi. The major direction of the
project is organization of seminars with participation of local and
central administration representatives, NGOs. Issues of integration of
national minorities, awareness of national minorities of the issues of
international relations will be discussed during the seminars. The
program is designed for 2 years. The first seminar has already
started on 15 February and will be completed on 19 February. The
second stage of the program provides for education of teachers of new
methods of teaching of the Georgian Language to non-Georgian schools
in the region. This stage will be implemented in cooperation with the
Georgian Education Ministry. On the whole, the program, provides for
teaching Georgian to civil servants and students, translating TV news
into Armenian, rendering juridical assistance to the population in
the towns of Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda and Akhaltsikhe, A-INFO reports.

ARMENIAN FM ARRIVING IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA THIS NIGHT

PanArmenian News
Feb 19 2005

19.02.2005 13:22

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian will leave
for Equatorial Guinea this night, Arminfo agency reported. The fate of
the Armenian pilots, who were arrested on indictment of participation
in an attempt of a coup d’etat March 8 last year, is expected to be
the main topic of talks with the country leaders. The Equatorial
Guinea court has sentenced the Armenian pilots to imprisonment of
14-24 years. February 22 V. Oskanian will return to Yerevan.

PRICES FOR BREAD SLIDED

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
19 Feb 05

The NKR National Statistics Service reported a slide of prices
for bread on the consumer market. According to the results of the
monitoring conducted on February 1 â~@~S 10, 2005 the price for 1
kg of all kinds of white bread was 217 drams against 281 drams in
September 2004. A kg of big matnakash bread cost 196 drams against
289 drams in September and the price for a kg of small matnakash
bread was 224 drams against 283. The average price for one kg of
flour of superior quality and first class totaled 195 and 170 drams
respectively and had not changed since the last monitoring, whereas
the price for a kg of bread decreased by 22.8 per cent. During the last
ten days the average price for a kg of loafs of bread of second class
was 201 drams against 253, a kg of round bread cost 263 drams against
294 and lavash cost 539 drams against 567. The average price for one
kg of bread was reduced at the expense of profits of bread producers.

AA. 19-02-2005

–Boundary_(ID_lks4V7bY6nD/1y86WqoK6A)–

L’Equipe, France
19 février 2005

” C’était New York ou rien “;
YOURI DJORKAEFF a signé avec les MetroStars et part jouer aux
Etats-Unis.

Comme nous l’annoncions dès hier, Youri Djorkaeff part jouer aux USA.
Il a signé avec les New York MetroStars. Hier après-midi, dans les
salons du Hilton Arc de Triomphe, en compagnie de son nouveau
président Nick Sakiewicz, fou de joie, il a raconté avec délectation,
l’histoire de son dernier transfert. Puis, dans l’intimité du bar, il
a fait partager son bonheur de vivre une dernière et merveilleuse
aventure.

” COMMENT VIVEZ-VOUS ce transfert à New York ?

– Maintenant, il va falloir traverser l’Atlantique pour venir me
voir. Vous n’avez pas fini de me supporter, d’écrire pour vous
demander si je suis un neuf, un dix ou un neuf et demi. Partir là-bas
me tenait tellement à coeur. Et pas seulement pour le foot. Je suis
au début de ma carrière ! Je me remets d’ailleurs à la disposition du
sélectionneur (Il rit.).

C’est l’aboutissement d’une collaboration qui dure depuis trois ans.
C’est une destination qui me va bien, un choix de vie, une drôle
d’aventure. Et je suis assez jeune, je dis ça entre guillemets, pour
pouvoir le faire.

– Quand partez-vous ?

– Je pars dimanche rejoindre l’équipe en stage en Équateur et le 2
avril, je débuterai le Championnat au Giant Stadium (contre les Rio
Salt Lake). C’est un stade mythique de 82 000 places. Celui des
Yankees. Le club n’a jamais remporté le Championnat (la Major League
Soccer). Ça serait bien de le gagner pour une première année.

– On avait entendu parler de Saint-Gratien, du Qatar. Qu’en était-il
?

– Pour moi, c’était New York ou rien d’autre. C’est un choix sportif
mais c’est surtout un choix de vie. J’étais prêt à arrêter du jour au
lendemain parce que j’avais fait le tour.

– Comment votre famille a-t-elle réagi ?

– C’est la première fois en vingt ans de carrière que je leur
demandais leur avis. Ils sont tous partants. Pourtant, ce n’est pas
évident pour mes enfants. Ils sont bien à Monaco.

– Que savez-vous de la MLS ?

– Bob Bradley, l’entraîneur est venu passer trois-quatre jours avec
moi à Manchester en décembre. Sur ce qu’il m’a dit, c’est très,
disons, enthousiaste. Ça court de partout. La mentalité est très
américaine. Parfois le jeu va trop vite. Ils ont besoin d’un joueur
d’expérience, qui sente le jeu. Et puis, l’esprit est neuf là-bas, il
n’y a pas d’affaires. Aujourd’hui, nous sommes dans un système où
tout est beau quand ça va bien. Mais il n’y a plus de respect dans la
profession.

” Je termine avec le 10, la boucle est bouclée ”

– Vous êtes-vous déjà rendu sur place ?

– Je suis allé voir par moi-même en décembre. Ils m’ont tout montré.
Le stade, les bureaux. J’ai rencontré tout le monde, de l’entraîneur
à la secrétaire. Le tour du propriétaire, quoi. J’ai été reçu par la
Ligue. C’est un Championnat qui n’a que dix ans d’existence et qui
est encore dans les starting-blocks. Il y avait dix équipes l’année
dernière, douze cette saison, quatorze la prochaine. On peut compter
sur vingt millions de pratiquants dans le pays ce qui constitue un
potentiel énorme. Après la Coupe du monde 1994 (aux États-Unis), tout
le monde pensait que ça allait démarrer mais ça s’est mal passé et il
y a eu quelques expériences malheureuses comme avec Matthäus. Mais
j’ai pu discuter avec un gars comme Klinsmann qui a joué au Los
Angeles Galaxy et qui a eu un discours très positif.

– Ça ne va pas vous faire drôle de jouer dans un stade clairsemé ?

– Le club est en train de construire son propre stade. Il sera prêt
dans deux ans. C’est à la Ligue d’aller vers les gens pour leur
donner envie d’aller au stade. Et puis, il y a une grosse communauté
française et une grosse communauté arménienne.

– Est-ce à cause de ce contact avec New York que vous n’avez signé
que trois mois avec Blackburn ?

– Il fallait que je reste en forme.

– La Major League Soccer a-t-elle prévue de communiquer sur votre
image ?

– Avant de parler d’image, j’essaie déjà, pour l’instant, d’avoir mes
papiers d’immigration.

– Vous imaginiez terminer ainsi ?

– Pour ceux qui ont l’habitude de me côtoyer, ça ne doit pas être si
surprenant.

– Vous allez habiter en centre-ville, comme d’habitude ?

– J’ai trouvé de beaux endroits à Manchester, à Kaiserslautern.
Alors, à New York, je ne me fais pas trop de souci. On va s’installer
près de Central Park. Pour quelqu’un qui aime la ville, ça fait
“kiffer”.

– Vous allez jouer avec le numéro 10 alors que vous portiez depuis de
longues années le 6. Y a-t-il une raison ?

– C’est symbolique. J’ai commencé avec le 10. Je termine avec le 10.
La boucle sera bouclée. ”

–Boundary_(ID_pRYmv4mcds+Vr6Gy1bnETw)–

PARLIAMENTARY FACTIONS OF UNITED LABOR PARTY AND ARFD AS WELL AS
REPRESENTATIVES OF UNION OF COMMUNITIES OF ARMENIA DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL
REFORMS

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18. ARMINFO. The members of the parliamentary
factions of the United Labor Party and ARFD as well as representatives
of the Union of Communities of Armenia discussed reforms of the
Armenian Constitution.

The press service of the Union of Communities of Armenia informs
ARMINFO that in the course of the meeting, the UCA representatives
asked the MPs to pay a special attention to the work on the package of
reforms related the status of Yerevan, strengthening of independence
of the communities and other issues. Besides, the bill on local self-
government of Armenia was discussed. They reached an agreement to make
such meetings regular. UCA representatives will meet the members of
other parliamentary groups ands faction within the nearest future.

NKR PARLIAMENT ADOPTS LAW ON OMBUDSMAN

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 18. ARMINFO. Parliament of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic adopted in the second and final reading the law “on
ombudsman”. In accordance with the requirements of the law, the
ombudsman will be appointed 2 months after the document’s coming
into force.

ARMINFO’s own correspondent in Stepanakert informs, the ombudsman
will be independent from all the branches of power. Chairman of
permanent commission of NKR National Assembly for foreign relations
Vahram Atanesian is the author of this legislative initiative. He
considers the adoption of the law on ombudsman a very important step.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress