PRESS RELEASE

Haigazian University
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon

Haigazian University 50th Anniversary Celebrations Continue …

Student Art Exhibition

In line with the Haigazian University 50th anniversary celebrations,
and under the auspices of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Sebouh
Hovnanian, the Student Art Exhibition opened on February the 8th at
5:00 pm in the Arthur Matossian gallery of the Mugar Building.

The opening of the exhibition attracted a good number of officials
and ordinary people intrigued to peep into the world of the youth.

In attendance were several Armenian deputies, former Lebanese deputies,
other governmental and diplomatic officials, along with many faculty,
staff and students.

The President Haidostian delivered a short speech, in which he
heartfully greeted the audience and stressed “the role the students
themselves play in the life of Haigazian”.

The exhibition featured a great diversity of works, 40 paintings and
drawings prepared by 15 students, and numerous sculptures, potteries,
ceramics and textile accomplished by the Arts and Crafts club.

As the President pointed out in his word, the students involved are
not majoring in arts, but instead in Business, Biology, Education,
Psychology, Economics and Mathematics. This made their work more
appreciable as it was commented in the news of a local television
station, Future TV, which was covering the whole event.

In a short interview with the reporter of the TV station, students
explained the theme of their paintings, in addition to their feelings,
states of mind and inspiration that has driven them in accomplishing
a particular painting, from conception of the idea till the final
realization of the work.

All participants are thankful for their efforts and contribution, Arin
Ayanian, Araz Keuroghlian, Maria Tenbelian, Liza Atmajian, Antranig
Keurkunian, Seta Doudaklian, Lily Melki, Arin Tchekidjian, Mher
Kalenderian, Anahid Babayan, Noushig Shanlian, Thia Sagherian, Rana
Merhi, Nora Mardirossian, and Satenik Aghassian who was awarded top
and first prize for the Inter University Student Drawing Competition
organized by the Russian Cultural Center in Beirut in late May 2003.

Last but not least, special thanks and a word of appreciation go
to the Arts and Crafts Club and their advisor Ms. Roula Halabi who
played a major role in turning this event to a real success. Be posted,
further successes are on the way…

Mira Yardemian

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Café Babel, France
Feb 18 2005

Azerbaijan: Europe’s only hereditary democracy

Despite the country’s admission to the Council of Europe, the human
rights situation in Azerbaijan remains a cause for concern. The West
must take a stance on this region, which is getting ever closer to
Europe

With the opening of the former Eastern bloc and the enlargement of
the European Union, a region that has previously received little
attention draws closer to Europe: the Caucasus. Ever since the
democratic opposition in Georgia was able to force Schevardnadze’s
resignation through the Rose Revolution, expectations have grown of a
democratic domino effect in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Yet democratic
developments, or the lack thereof, in Azerbaijan have attracted
little interest in Europe, even though it has been a member of the
Council of Europe since January 2001. Despite irregularities in the
parliamentary election of 2000, Azerbaijan was still admitted to the
Council because of its previous endeavours and based on the condition
that it released political prisoners and respected freedom of speech
and freedom of the press. Its development along these lines is
subject to long-term monitoring by the Council of Europe. In April
2002 Azerbaijan ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and
many hoped that this development, along with the support from Europe,
would lead to, among other things, free elections.

A ‘democratic’ dynasty

Yet not only did the parliamentary elections of 2000 exhibit such
strong irregularities that they had to be repeated in January 2001,
but the presidential elections in October 2003 were also marked by
wide-spread manipulation. The obstacle posed by the opposition
political party had already begun to emerge during the election
campaign, resulting in the opposition’s demonstrations on 15th and
16th October, held at the time of the election, being brutally
suppressed, the election manipulated and hundreds of the opposition
arrested.

Thus, the beginning of President Ilham Alijew’s term in office was
hardly in line with democratic standards. In October 2003 he took
over from his father, Hejdar Alijew, as head of state, thereby
becoming the first example within former Soviet territory of a
successful hereditary succession within the highest office of a
presidential republic. Plus, in the following weeks, the unrest
surrounding the elections was used by the Azerbaijani government as
an excuse to suppress the opposition and human right activists, as
well as the free press. The opposition, their supporters, and a large
part of society were intimidated by the brutality of the police and
the arbitrary arrests. International observers confirmed reports of
those in opposition being forced to leave their party, of more than a
hundred politically-motivated redundancies, of the persecution of
members of the opposition’s families and the wide-spread use of
torture.

Resignation instead of Revolt

Since Ilham Alijew’s arrival in government, an increasing stagnation
of both the state and society’s democratisation can be detected. So
far his actions have been based on measures to safe-guard his power
and the continued construction of a soviet-style police regime that
he inherited from his father. As a result, while the wages of the
excessive police force and security apparatus have been raised, the
majority of Azerbaijanis still struggle daily to provide for their
family. The consequences of poverty are emigration and labour
migration – a last alternative for many men capable of work.
According to estimates, out of a population of 8.2 million, up to 2
million Azerbaijanis are currently working in Russia. In the last few
years political opponents have been leaving the country alongside the
financially-motivated labour migrants. In practice, legal and
economic reforms are hardly implemented and the progress expected by
Europe fails to materialise. Hopes for democracy, which were
nourished by Azerbaijan’s accession to the Council of Europe and the
European presence at the elections, have subsided into general
resignation.

As the EU’s new neighbour, the Caucasus should be accorded more
attention. Substantial public interest from the West could exert a
considerable influence on the internal events of authoritarian states
interested in, or dependent upon, interaction with the West. A clear
and decisive European policy with regard to human rights abuse and
the increasing corruption is necessary, as well as help with strict
conditions attached to promote civil society, in order to bring about
developments towards the rule of law in Azerbaijan.

Zaur Gasimov is an Azerbaijani citizen who went to university in its
capital city, Baku. He is currently doing a Masters in International
Relations at the University of Eichstätt in Germany, where the
historian Wiebke Bachmann is doing a doctorate.

;Id=3214

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PRESENTATION DEVOTED TO AZERBAIJAN HELD IN USA NATIONAL FUND OF DEMOCRACY
[February 18, 2005, 19:41:09]

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

As stated by correspondent of AzerTAj, in the US National Fund of
Democracy was held a presentation on the topic “Real opportunities of
democracy in Azerbaijan”. Participants of the action have estimated
statement of researcher of the Brooking Institute Fiona Hill and
report by Chingiz Mammadov conducting researches in the National Fund
of Democracy on Azerbaijan, as “the most correct and exact report”
on democratic development in Azerbaijan. The authors of the report
have considered situation of Azerbaijan not in frameworks of “velvet
revolutions”, occurred in the Eurasian region.

Chingiz Mammadov has emphasized that the revolution accomplished
nowadays in Georgia and Ukraine, happened in Azerbaijan twelve years
ago. In comparison with Georgia, the population in Azerbaijan from the
political point of view is more cautious, and it has more tendencies
to democratic transformations. We are ready to democracy, and past
presidential elections once again have reaffirmed it.

Researchers, complaining that the USA does not give sufficient
attention to Azerbaijan, have noted, that they consider Azerbaijan as
a state of Near-Eastern type. This is erroneous opinion, Azerbaijan
was the first in the Muslim East, established in 1918 a democratic
state. The international public should understand, what important
role is played by Azerbaijan in region and the Muslim world, should
increase to it attention. In particular, it should show fair attitude
to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

Authors of the report have noted, that the prejudiced approach during
already long time to the question of Nagorno-Karabakh, has negatively
affected the opinion on the international public in Azerbaijan,
on its authority. People feel that at the democratic statements
addressed to Azerbaijan, too, there are double standards.

RUSSIAN MEDIA ANALYZES PROSPECTS OF RUSSIAN-AZERBAIJAN COOPERATION
[February 18, 2005, 18:38:59]

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

Opening of the Year of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation, the
meeting of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President
of Russia Vladimir Putin has received a wide resonance in the Russian
mass media.

So, in the newspaper “Moscow Komsomolets”, the author Alexander
Budberg writes, that if several years ago Azerbaijan was considered
almost as the main opponent of Moscow in Trans-Caucasus, today is its
main economic partner in region, “the strategic partner”. In opinion
of the author, contacts of Moscow and Baku carry, obviously,
geo-politic character. Behind the “Year of Culture” always, first of
all, stands desire to strengthen political and economic relations.
Many Russian corporations want to enter the neighboring country, and
the Russian leadership would wish, that such opportunity is given to
them”, writes A. Budberg. The author approves that Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan are two key countries in the CIS; “loss” of them would
mean loss of the CIS. Further, the author marks: “With Azerbaijan we
historically had uneasy relations. In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Russia unequivocally supported Armenia. Now, Moscow tries to adhere
to strictly neutral policy, but old faults simply so do not let off.
Yet Yerevan is not ready to compromises around Karabakh. At the same
time, the economic situation of the country worsens, that forces
Armenia all to be united more closely with Russia and Iran. Not
casually the Americans have made some outflow that ostensibly the
Kremlin tries to organize the Moscow-Yerevan-Tehran axis. And though,
in fact, the Kremlin is not interested at all in such politics
tricks, the heavy economic condition of Armenia and desire as can be
salted more rigidly to Washington can to move us to this side.
Naturally, any such movement cannot cause sympathy in Baku where
count itself a victim of aggression. All this complicates relations
between Russia and Azerbaijan. But, on the other hand, strong and
political and economic interests of two countries are obvious, that
hardly existing difficulties can slow down process of rapprochement”.

In the newspapers “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”, “Kommersant”, “Gazeta”,
“Krasnaya Zvezda” and others also have in detail told about visit of
the Azerbaijan President to the Russian capital, which has taken
place on February 15-16.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

India asks time to investigate gold development reports

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

Baku, February 17, AssA-Irada — On Thursday, the Indian government
started investigating whether or not any Indian company is involved
in developing gold deposits in the Azerbaijani regions occupied
by Armenia.

The Indian ambassador in Baku acknowledged earlier that Indian
companies are operating in Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan, which is
under Armenia’s occupation.

The Azerbaijani ambassador to India Tamerlan Garayev told the
Azerbaijani TV channels that the Indian foreign minister has requested
official Baku some time to clarify the issue. “If any Indian company
is working in the occupied lands, serious measures will be taken
against it,” Ambassador Garayev said.*

Russia believes in benefit of Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

Baku, February 17, AssA-Irada — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov says that the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks will be beneficial.

“Russia is ready to support a mutually-beneficial agreement to be
reached by the parties to the Upper Garabagh conflict.”

The meetings held by the two countries’ foreign ministers in Prague
will definitely yield results, he said. Lavrov added that “Russia
does not want the fate of South Caucasus states to depend on Moscow
and Washington”.*

DISCRIMINATIONS BY THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

PanArmenian News Analysis
Feb 18 2005

Sergey Lavrov refused to honor the memory of soldiers who protected
the integrity of Georgia, but honored those who killed Baku Armenians
and Russian soldiers.

The official visit of Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to
Armenia finished. As a foreign minister, this was his first visit to
his mother’s homeland. Lavrov never concealed his Armenian origin.
This is why certain points of his south-Caucasian tour look
particularly strange.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ From Yerevan the Russian minister left for Tbilisi,
but not on an official visit as planned, but just on a working one.
It should be reminded that Georgian authorities reviewed the status
of the visit in reply to Sergey Lavrov’s refusal to lay a wreath
on the memorial to soldiers fallen in battle for the territorial
integrity of Georgia. According to political analysts that diplomatic
demarche will not strengthen the atmosphere of trust between Moscow
and Tbilisi. By the way Russian officials never avoided laying a
wreath on the memorial since it is required by unwritten norms of the
protocol. It should be noted that virtually all foreign guests of high
rank visiting to Yerevan laid wreaths to the monument of the victims
of Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey. This was done even by the
representatives of countries not accepting that the events taken place
in 1915 were genocide. Particularly the president of Kyrgyzstan Askar
Akayev did not doubt the necessity to visit Tsitsernakaberd although
he realized that he would have certain troubles with Azerbaijan and
Turkey – partner countries from “Islamic conference”. The president
was not mistaken. Ankara and Baku sent notes of protest to Bishkek,
but protocol is a protocol…

No one doubts that the actions of Sergey Lavrov were a demarche.
Noteworthy for us is the argumentation brought by the Russian
minister. Explaining the inadmissibility of his presence at the
memorial in Georgia, he said that it would be incorrect to lay a
wreath on the memorial of those who fought against Abkhazia and Osetia
since Russia is a mediator in the settlement of Abkhazian – Osetian
conflict. “As a country that supports the settlement of the conflict,
Russia has to take into account its status. An action like that can
hardly be conductive to creating a proper atmosphere for productive
negotiations between conflict parties”, Sergey Lavrov stated.

This argumentation looks very strange since only two weeks ago, on
February 2, Sergey Lavrov laid a wreath on the “alley of shehids”
in Baku. Here are the graves of those who died in the war forced on
Karabakh by Azerbaijan. If the memorial in Tbilisi is built in memory
of the victims of military actions then in the “alley of shehids”
besides soldiers lie those who slaughtered peaceful Armenians in
Baku yet long before the war. Moreover in the “alley of shehids”
there are also bandits who killed Russian soldiers who came to Baku
in 1990 for protecting Armenians and establishing order. Thus, laying
a wreath in the “alley of shehids”, Lavrov not only desecrated the
memory of hundreds of slaughtered Armenians, but also the memory of
Russian soldiers who fell doing their duty.

For some reason the minister forgets that Russia is a mediator in the
settlement of Karabakh conflict. The Russian diplomat with Armenian
roots did not think that “an action like that will not contribute
to creating a proper atmosphere for productive negotiations between
conflict parties”. Most unpleasant is that such a step is made by a
representative of the country that is considered to be the strategic
partner of Armenia.

Artyom Yerkanyan

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Handbooks available for Caucasus journalists, NGOs

International Journalist’s Network
Feb 18 2005

The Media Diversity Institute plans to release several training manuals
for journalists and NGOs in the South Caucasus at a February 22 launch
in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The new releases include a South Caucasus regional edition of the MDI
Reporting Diversity Manual. This collection of tip-sheets, articles and
critical analysis of diversity coverage will be available in Armenian,
Azeri, English, Georgian and Russian. The manual includes sections on
ethnicity, religion, gender, people with disabilities, the elderly,
refugees and sexual minorities.

MDI is also launching three handbooks for journalists and editors
in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, respectively. The handbooks
identify sections of each country’s national laws that could impact
news coverage of diversity. The books will be available in Armenian,
Azeri, English and Georgian.

A Media Relations Handbook for Non-Governmental Organizations is
also set for release on February 22. The guide, published by MDI
and the Independent Journalism Foundation, is intended to help NGOs
communicate with the media. It will also be available in Armenian,
Azeri, English, Georgian and Russian.

The publications are part of MDI’s ongoing project to train the media
and empower minorities in the South Caucasus. The three-year program
involves training journalists, editors, journalism professors and
NGO representatives in diversity reporting and theory.

The books will be made available in both hard copy and on the MDI
Web site at

For more information, contact Lydia El-Khouri at
[email protected] or Elena Aladashvili at
[email protected].

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

3 Azeri soldiers accidentally pass to Armenian side of frontline

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

Baku, February 17, AssA-Irada — Soldiers in the Azerbaijan Army –
Hikmat Taghiyev, Khayal Abdullayev and Ruslan Bashirov – passed to
the Armenian side of the frontline on February 15, as they lost their
way close to Terter District. The Ministry of Defence is currently
in talks with the Armenian side on the return of the lost soldiers.*

OSCE concerned over frequent ceasefire breaches

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

BAKU, February 17, AssA-Irada — Co-chairs of the Minsk Group (MG) have
requested the OSCE chairman-in-office that the special OSCE mission
prepare a report on the situation on the frontline, a source from
the Tbilisi-based office of the OSCE chairman’s special envoy Anjey
Kaspshik has said. The MG co-chairs have expressed their concerns over
the frequent ceasefire breaches on frontline over the last few days.

“The situation is clear. The ceasefire has been violated and this
should stop soon. The countries co-chairing the MG are concerned over
the ceasefire breaches, which question the OSCE mediation mission,”
the same source said.

Armenian military units have breached ceasefire several times over
the last few days, killing and wounding Azerbaijani soldiers and
civilians.*