EVENT MARKING 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF FRANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN MARSEILLES

PanArmenian News
Feb 17 2005

17.02.2005 16:43

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Marseilles-based structure of the Coordination
Council has organized an event in the city Culture Center, devoted to
the 4-th anniversary of France acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
Addressing the measure Council Chairman Jacques Tonapetian noted:
“Today when the entire world gathers in Osventsim to say a resolute
“Never again!”, the law passed by France is the only thing we can
devote to the memory of our innocent victims.” The event participants
noted that “Turkey’s possible accession to the EU will become a
political decease for Europe” and that “Turkey should stop denying
the tragedy.”

KASPRZYK TO DRAW REPORT ON SITUATION AT KARABAKH AND AZERI ARMED FORCES CONTACT LINE

PanArmenian News
Feb 17 2005

17.02.2005 13:55

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have addressed the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office a request for the structure special mission
to draw a report on the situation at the contact line between the
armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. It was reported by
the Office of Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzyk in Tbilisi. As reported by the source, the Co-Chairs
are seriously concerned over the periodical breaks of the cease-fire
regime at the front line lately. “The situation is clear and simple:
the cease-fire agreement is being broken and this should be cut
short. The tension at the front causes the concern of the countries
co-chairing the Minsk Group. This also prejudices the OSCE mediation
activities,” A. Kasprzyk office reported.

Russia and Armenia discuss cooperation

RosBusinessConsulting Database
February 17, 2005 Thursday 11:24 am, EST

Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with Russian foreign minister
Sergey Lavrov, who is on a two-day official visit to Armenia.
Kocharian said he was satisfied with the level of Russian-Armenian
relations, the ARKA news agency has reported with reference to the
president’s press service. The sides also discussed issues concerning
the activities of the Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia, Armenia FMs satisfied with intensive political dialogue
By Ksenia Kaminskaya, Tengiz Pachkoria

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

TBILISI, February 17 — The Russian and Armenian foreign ministers,
Sergei Lavrov and Vartan Oskanyan, “are satisfied with the intensive
political dialogue and the positive dynamics of the economic ties and
interdepartmental cooperation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Alexander Yakovenko said on Thursday, summing up the results of
Russo-Armenian conversations in Yerevan.

“The sides exchanged opinions on the main directions and prospects
for the development of bilateral cooperation, also in the energy and
transport areas”, the spokesman said. “Close attention was given
to the analysis of the implementation of the arrangements at the
summit level reached when Armenian President Robert Kocharyan was on
a working visit to Russia in May 2004”.

Yakovenko said, “Special attention at the talks was given to the
discussion of international problems”. The sides “confirmed their
adherence to the stepping up of coordinated efforts in the bilateral
and multilateral formats to fight terrorism and oppose other threats
and challenges”. Besides, he said, questions of the reform of the
United Nations and of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe were raised at the talks.

Discussing the ways of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the
ministers “expressed support for the Prague process of consultations
between the ministers with the participation of the Minsk group of
the OSCE”, Yakovenko said.

Date for Putin’s visit to Yerevan to be set soon
By Kseniya Kaminskaya, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

YEREVAN, February 17 — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
in Yerevan late on Thursday that Russia would be ready to set a
specific date for President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Yerevan in
the near future. The minister explained that the time of the trip
“depended on the president’s schedule in the foreseeable weeks.”

Putin’s visit to Armenia was one of the topics of Lavrov’s talks with
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.

The presidential press service reports that the Russian Foreign
Minister conveyed Putin’s message to Robert Kocharyan and told him
that the Russian president was looking forward to his trip to Yerevan
that will open the Year of Russian Culture in Armenia.

Rus, US presidents to discuss whole gamut of Russo-American relat
By Ksenia Kaminskaya, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

YEREVAN, February 17 — “The whole gamut of Russo-American relations”
will be on the agenda of the meeting of the presidents of Russia
and the United States in Bratislava, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov, who wound up his visit to Armenia, said here on Thursday.

“The agenda will encompass the security area, the fight against
terrorism and illegal arms-and-drugs trafficking, and the prevention
of terrorists getting hold of arms”, the minister said. “There will
be on the agenda also the energy dialogue, matters of commercial,
economic, investment interaction between Russia and the United States,
and all the regional conflicts, particularly those that are connected
one way or another with the need to strengthen the non-proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction”, Lavrov said.

“We expect the summit in Bratislava to sum up the results of the
present stage of the work being done on the instruction of the two
presidents in virtually every direction of bilateral relations, on
many regional and international questions”, the foreign minister said.

“We also expect the presidents, summing up the results of the work
done, to decide on the new agenda and set additional tasks to speed
up the work in the areas, in which they will find it not prompt and
efficient enough, and also to spread the dialogue to new areas”, Lavrov
said. He expects “specific arrangements of the two presidents”. “They
got used to working in such a spirit, and it is in this spirit that
they conduct their summits”, Lavrov said.

Armenian foreign minister describes talks with Lavrov as fruitful
By Kseniya Kaminskaya, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

YEREVAN, February 17 — Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan
has described his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
as fruitful.

Oskanyan told reporters that an entire range of issues concerning
Russian-Armenian relations had been discussed with the Armenian
president, prime minister and at the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

Firstly, “they concern bilateral relations, which are rather deep
and substantive. They cover political and economic spheres, military
cooperation, culture and education,” Oskanyan stressed.

Secondly, they include regional problems that are particularly
important in view of the events unfolding in the region, in the
direct vicinity from Armenia and Russia. “All this provides for more
intensive Armenian-Russian relations and private consultations,”
Oskanyan went on to say.

Thirdly, there are global problems and cooperation in international
organizations. “The United Nations and the OSCE are undergoing serious
structural reforms, we have common interests and tasks whose solution
calls for cooperation and clarification of positions,” he stressed.

Finally, it is the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. Oskanyan said that
he had informed Sergei Lavrov about the Armenian side’s approach
“directed at achieving shifts in the settlement process.”

Lavrov to come up with new offers on bases in Georgia
By Kseniya Kaminskaya, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

YEREVAN, February 17 — During his visit to Georgia on Friday,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to “come up with
additional proposals on the settlement of issues concerning the term of
stay of the Russian bases and on the setting up of an anti-terrorist
centre on their basis,” a source from the Russian delegation which
is accompanying the foreign minister in his trip to Armenia told
Itar-Tass on Thursday.

Beslan children to receive development toys
By Nikolai Tertychny

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

MOSCOW, February 17 — Electronic development toys, which are not yet
on sale in Russia, were handed over Thursday for distribution among
the children hurt in the terrorist attack on the North Ossetian town
of Beslan.

Several hundred sets of toys were presented by the Japanese company
Space Toon together with the Soglasiye /Accord/ joint stock company
from Russia.

Soglasiye president Ara Abramyan said such development toys are in
tremendous demand the world over.

The givers made sure that each child receives a toy which corresponds
to his or her age.

For example, the children aged between five and ten will receive toys
which help learn the English language.

According to a representative of the Japanese company which
manufactures a wide array of products for children – from videos and
books to toys and souvenirs, boys and girls up to 15 years of age
will receive different variants of games.

The gifts were handed over to deputy representative of North Ossetia
in Moscow Stanislav Bedikhov.

Ara Abramyan who heads the Union of Armenians of Russia emphasized
that “it is important we do not forget the Beslan tragedy over time,
and support the children who lived though this horrible grief.” He
urged all business people in Russia and abroad to take part in
similar actions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia to heed Armenia interests in transport projects
By Ksenia Kaminskaya, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

YEREVAN, February 17 — Russia would maximally take into account the
interests of Armenia in transport projects, the Armenian government’s
press service said.

It said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan discussed this topic at their meeting in
Yeravan on Thursday.

Armenia expressed concern over an international project of the
transport corridor North South, part of which is a plan of constructing
a railroad from Iran to Azerbaijan (Kazwin-Resht-Astara) bypassing
Armenia.

Lavrov said he would inform the chief of Russian Railways company,
Gennady Fadeyev, about this, the press service said.

It said a memorandum on setting up a Russian-Azerbaijani-Iranian
enterprise for building the Kazwin-Resht-Astara railroad had been
signed after the recent meeting of a commission for organisation of
the transport corridor.

It is expected that a 300-kilometre stretch of the railroad will be
built within two year with assistance from Russia and Azerbaijan.

The cost of the project will be more than 600 million roubles.

Lavrov and the Armenian prime minister also discussed the time of
launching the railway-ferry crossing Caucasus-Poti.

Margaryan said Armenia attached great important to this link, as
“it will allow substantially increasing trade with Russia.”

He and Lavrov discussed prospects for resumption of a link at
Abkhazia’s segment of the Georgian railway.

The press service cited Margarayn as saying at the meeting with Lavrov
that there was the need “for rehabilitating as soon as possible and
increasing the production capacity of enterprises that had been turned
over to Russia’s property in repayment of the state debt to Russia”.

Lavrov assured that Russia was doing “everything possible for making
necessary investment in the enterprises turned over to it and ensuring
their full capacity activity”.