Azeri Foreign Ministry pleased with results of 2004

Turan news agency
30 Dec 04

Baku, 30 December: Meetings between the heads of states and foreign
ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia intensified in 2004. They laid the
foundations of continuing the negotiations and of possible progress in
the Karabakh settlement in 2005, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has said in a press release.

Yet the document noted that the talks were exacerbated by the “very
serious” problem of Armenians settling in the occupied territories in
defiance of international legal norms. In this connection and at
Azerbaijan’s initiative, the agenda of the 59th session of the UN
General Assembly included Point 163 on the “Situation in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan”.

As a result of this and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s meetings
with his Armenian counterpart and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen in
Berlin, Sofia and Brussels, an agreement was reached to continue the
talks in 2005. Moreover, a decision was made to dispatch a factfinding
OSCE mission to the occupied territories in January-February to verify
evidence on illegal settlement.

The press release described as noteworthy the discussion by the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] of a report on
the Karabakh settlement prepared by Terry Davis and David Atkinson.

In 2004, Azerbaijan took more steps towards integration into the
European and Euro-Atlantic bodies. President Ilham Aliyev presented an
individual plan of cooperation with NATO in Brussels in May 2004. In
addition, Azerbaijan was included in the European Union’s European
Neighbourhood Policy in 2004.

Azerbaijan continued active cooperation with the Organization of the
Islamic Conference, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
and GUUAM [Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova] in
2004.

In 2004, Azerbaijan opened embassies in Hungary, Greece, India,
Canada, Kuwait, Poland and Switzerland and general consulates in Iran
(Tabriz), Russia (St Petersburg) and Turkey (Kars).

Azeri officials dismiss separatist leader’s remarks on 2004 results

Ekho, Baku
30 Dec 04

Azerbaijani officials have dismissed the remarks of the Karabakh
separatist leader about the region’s economic progress and military
might in 2004. During his television appearance, the separatist leader
of Nagornyy Karabakh, Arkadiy Gukasyan, praised the region’s economic
performance and military might, promising to increase social spending
in 2005. A spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that
2004 did not bring anything good to Nagornyy Karabakh, while a member
of parliament pointed out that most of Karabakh’s budget depends on
foreign money. In turn, a spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defence
Ministry described Gukasyan’s remarks about the Karabakh army as
“self-delusion”. The following is the text of R. Tofiqoglu’s report by
Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 30 December headlined “Arkadiy Gukasyan
is threatening Azerbaijan with a war” and subheaded “He made this
statement during his New Year congratulations to the residents of the
‘NKR’. In Azerbaijan, his remarks are being described as
absurd”. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:

Separatist leader praises results of 2004

Speaking on TV in connection with the end of 2004 on 29 December, “the
president of Nagornyy Karabakh”, Arkadiy Gukasyan, wished “the people
of Artsakh [Nagornyy Karabakh], first of all, peace” in 2005.

“This year was successful for the country in all respects. We were not
affected by political or social turmoil. Thanks to the reforms
conducted, we can see a steady tendency of growth and an increase in
the volume of production. Economic growth has started to fulfil its
main task: ensuring a gradual improvement in the welfare of people and
rectifying their social situation. The government managed this year to
increase the public sector wages and raise assistance to the most
needy part of the population – first of all, to the families of
liberator warriors who died or went missing, to the disabled, to the
war veterans and to the families that have many children. Beginning
from 2005, the state will provide housing for needy families. The
amount of pensions and other social payments will steadily go up. The
wages of those employed in health, education, culture and sports will
also be increased.”

“It is clear that Gukasyan is trying to hide the true state of affairs
with these words,” the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s
press centre, Matin Mirza, has told Ekho newspaper. “In fact, 2004 did
not bring anything good to the separatist regime or to the scarce
population of the occupied territories. They see that strength and
justice are on Azerbaijan’s side and with every month that passes,
this becomes clearer for the international community as well. This is
a confirmation of the success of Azerbaijani diplomacy. We see that
Yerevan’s efforts to lure new settlers into the occupied territories
by offering some discounts have failed. All these words are just a
‘show’ and an attempt to play a trick on the uninformed population of
the occupied territories.”

In his statement, Gukasyan went on to say the following: “I especially
want to note that the 2005 state budget envisages a 30-per-cent
increase in social spending. The foundations were laid in 2004 for the
speedy construction of the North-South highway which is of strategic
significance to Armenia in terms of reinforcing its military, economic
and social security.”

In response to this, Sattar Safarov, head of the economic committee of
the Milli Maclis [Azerbaijan’s parliament], said that even if the
revenues are rising in the “NKR”, it happens not because of local
production, but because of Gukasyan’s yearly visits to
Armenian-populated areas in the USA. He regularly cries there,
complains about Azerbaijan’s persecution and gathers millions of
dollars.”

An army funded by diaspora and Washington

Incidentally, America is also to blame for this, Safarov said. “I
personally told officials in the State Department that they are
conducting a two-faced policy. The entire revenue part of the ‘NKR’
budget is 12m dollars (thanks to the contributions of the diaspora),
whereas the army that defends them requires 24-25m dollars every year
for maintenance. Still, the USA presents in various ways some 12m
dollars to the ‘NKR’ every year. Thus, half of the money for the army
is given by overseas Armenians and the other half comes from
Washington.”

“Over the past year, our army has become even stronger and more
prepared for military operations. The problems of the NKR’s defence
army, including the social ones, have been and will be in the focus of
the state. The might of our army allows us to conduct a successful
foreign policy to defend the interests of Artsakh and its people in
the international arena. I assure you that any efforts by Azerbaijan
to upset the peaceful rhythm of our people will be duly repelled by
the NKR’s defence army,” the “president of the NKR” concluded.

The head of the [Azerbaijani] Defence Ministry’s press service, Ramiz
Malikov, described this part of Gukasyan’s statement as “an attempt to
pull the wool over people’s eyes”. “This is self-delusion, the NKR
does not have any foreign policy and they do not even have an
army. Even Armenia itself still does not dare to recognize the
‘NKR’. All this only pursues the objective of deceiving the people.”

In turn, Elxan Mammadov, an expert in conflict studies, said that
Gukasyan does have some grounds for such absurd remarks. “He is
actually in control of the situation in the territory. He receives
sums that are huge for Karabakh from Yerevan and from abroad. The
diaspora gathers some 10m dollars every year for Gukasyan to maintain
the army and buy weapons. Gukasyan simply feels no threat from
Azerbaijan and Baku is not doing anything to make him feel threatened
or at least uncomfortable. Hence, he keeps making such ‘good’
statements.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgian president reviews “most successful” year

Mze TV, Tbilisi
29 Dec 04

President Mikheil Saakashvili has said that 2004 has been the most
successful year for Georgia since it regained independence. Speaking
at a news briefing on 29 December, broadcast live by Mze TV and other
Georgian networks, he said that he was not aware of any other country
that has changed as much in a year as Georgia had. Among his
government’s main achievements he listed its success in putting an end
to “separatism” in Ajaria, raising the pay of public sector workers
and reducing corruption. He also said that people who had been
predicting that his alliance with Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and
parliament speaker Nino Burjanadze would be short-lived had been
proved wrong. He announced that 2005 would be a year of major
infrastructure projects, including the construction of roads and the
opening of a new airport in Tbilisi on 23 November, the second
anniversary of the “rose” revolution. He hailed the apparent victory
of Viktor Yushchenko in the Ukrainian presidential election as part of
a new “wave of liberation” for post Soviet republics which began in
Georgia. Touching briefly on the separatist conflicts in Georgia, he
said that the South Ossetian “leadership has changed a lot recently”
and expressed the hope that this “trend” would continue. The following
is an excerpt from the briefing broadcast by Mze TV; subheadings have
been inserted editorially:

[Saakashvili] I would like to sum up in a few words what I believe are
this year’s highlights. I think that, for the first time since
independence, this year Georgia has started to develop like a
state. There are certain attributes any state must have. For the first
time this year Georgia has developed a state apparatus that serves not
someone’s private interests but the people and society. This can be
measured very simply. Never before had the state paid its employees
enough money for them not think about lining their pockets.

Salary increases, new state symbols

Army officers were paid 50 lari [a month] while policemen were paid 60
lari. You cannot expect a soldier or officer on 50 lari to make a
sacrifice for the motherland. You cannot expect a policeman on 50
lari, especially one who is not paid on time, to reject bribes. You
cannot expect customs officers on 100 lari – in reality their pay was
much lower – to report to work every day and not to steal money. For
the first time this year we have paid these officials salaries that
are higher than what they used to earn by taking bribes and have
forced them to work for the benefit of the people and society.

We have learnt to respect our state symbols. Not only do we have a new
flag and a new anthem but all schoolchildren without exception have
learnt this anthem. People have taken to this anthem. I visited
Akhalkalaki [town in southern Georgian with a large ethnic Armenian
population] yesterday and witnessed a very moving scene when Armenian
children, our citizens, were trying to sing the Georgian anthem. I saw
their happy faces when they listened to our national anthem. This
would have been unimaginable before. It means that a new state
mentality is being formed in Georgia.

Ajaria, foreign policy

We have achieved a lot at home. Ajaria was the main event this year. I
have heard people ask what has changed in Ajaria. I can say that, as
far as Ajaria is concerned, everything has changed in Georgia this
year. Ajaria never accepted the jurisdiction of the central Georgian
authorities after [Georgian] independence. It had its own armed
forces, which were ready to go to war with Georgia. We have resolved
this problem without bloodshed. This was a historic event for Georgia,
which will be remembered for centuries.

We have achieved a lot internationally. Debate will continue for many
years about what the events in Ukraine meant for Georgia. We found
ourselves in a special position after our revolution last
year. However, it would have remained an isolated event and would not
have allowed us to make quick progress had it not been for the events
that have taken place in Ukraine. The Georgian factor has been a very
important one in the Ukrainian revolution. The leaders of the
Ukrainian revolution have themselves acknowledged this. On the other
hand, Ukraine has given us a geopolitical revolution. In practice,
Georgia is no longer in isolation. A strong allied state has emerged
which has clearly embarked on the path of European integration and
which is a very important supporter for us as far as our economic and
political progress is concerned.

Also, Turkey has started talks on EU membership, which means that the
borders of this European organization are moving very close to
Georgia. It opens up completely new prospects for us internationally.

Furthermore, Georgia’s reputation has increased immeasurably. You know
that a few days ago our embassy in Brussels received a prize for the
Georgian president. This prize is for someone outside the EU who has
had the biggest influence on EU policy. I am not boasting because I
certainly do not regard it as a personal prize. It is about Georgia
and what happened in Georgia. However, considering how small our
country is and how unimportant it was in international politics until
now – we used to be told that we were the centre of the world but it
certainly was not true – the fact that everyone is talking about
Georgia today is really unprecedented. They have been talking about
Georgia because of what happened here and what happened in
Ukraine. Georgia now always features on the world political
map. Without exaggeration, this never happened before in the many
centuries of our history. That is our main achievement this year.

Infrastructure projects

What will be the most important things for us next year? Next year we
have to make a lot of progress on major construction projects. We are
starting major development of infrastructure. When we talk about the
economy, we must remember that the economy does not exist without an
infrastructure. Above all, it is road construction. There has been
almost no road construction in Georgia since independence. We will
repair all the main roads in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi and other towns
next year. Next year we will build a major road linking Zugdidi,
Chkhorotsqu, Tsalenjikha and Senaki. This road, which will be 91-km
long, will open on 23 November [the second anniversary of President
Eduard Shevardnadze’s resignation].

Next year we hope to start another big project – a road between
Tbilisi, Akhalkalaki and Kartsakhi. This is a most important project
both economically and politically because it will help to integrate
Javakheti into Georgia’s economic space, which is very important for
Georgia’s future.

We will also carry out preparatory work for a major motorway that will
eventually be built between Tbilisi and the [Turkish] border near
Batumi. The first section will be built between Tbilisi and
Khashuri. Preparations will start next year for the subsequent start
of the construction of this road.

Tbilisi will have a new international airport. It will also open on 23
November. Next year all of the world’s major airlines will have almost
daily services to Tbilisi. When I came to power, almost none of them
flew to Tbilisi. Next year there will not be a single major airline
that does not serve Tbilisi. This means tourism, this means trade and
this means creating major incentives for the Georgian economy.

Next year we will have a budget three-and-a-half times greater than
last year.

Very important police and education reforms have begun this year. They
will develop on a very large scale next year. Very important military
reforms are under way. In a word, Georgia is rapidly changing.

Naturally, expectations are always higher than the actual changes
taking place. However, I know of no other country in the world which
has undergone changes as rapid and irreversible as the ones that took
place in Georgia last year, or, rather, this year.

Reforms and privatization to continue

Naturally, there is a lot of work to do. For example, when we talk
about police, customs or Chancellery officials getting higher
salaries, it does not mean that the lives of pensioners have also
improved. Even the fact that pensions are increasing two-fold does not
mean, of course, that these problems have been resolved. We will only
say that we have been successful when pensions are not below the
subsistence level, when teachers get as much as police and members of
other such services. However, this will require time. Of course, it
will not happen within a year or even two years. It requires much more
work.

Next year we are planning large-scale privatization. The privatization
proceeds will be invested mainly in the development of infrastructure,
defence structures and social projects that are very important for our
country.

We have adopted a very important tax code. It sets the lowest rates of
tax in the whole of the former Soviet Union and in the whole of the
Black Sea region. It is time now for our business to learn how to use
it. They must show some initiative because no-one will spoon-feed
them.

[Passage omitted]

South Ossetian leadership “changed a lot”

For the first time ever, [ethnic] Armenian and Azerbaijani reservists
have appeared in our reservist camps, which are a unique
phenomenon. Local officers who were made redundant after the closure
of the old Soviet bases have all been offered jobs in the Georgian
armed forces. That is why the idea that we are again a single state is
very important.

We are planning to present a proposal to the Ossetians. By the way,
their leadership has changed a lot recently. I very much hope that
this will become a trend. Also, [the Georgian government will present
proposals] to the Abkhaz. Interesting processes are taking place
there. In a word, the process of Georgia’s consolidation is
inevitable. This will require time and a great deal of unity on our
part, but we will do it. [Passage omitted]

Georgia’s reputation abroad

[Question] Mr President, I have a question relating to international
support. This year Georgia has had no lack of support from Western
countries, including the USA. I remember that in Washington they have
praised all our government’s decisions. However, more recently several
American publications – you probably remember an article in the Los
Angeles Times – have begun to discuss the need to protect democracy in
Georgia. How correct were the government’s actions in 2004 in this
regard and what will 2005 be like?

[Saakashvili] I think that Georgia has had a fantastic press. There
have never been as many good articles about Georgia as there are
now. By the way, more is being written now than in the first few
months [of this government]. In the initial months there was
scepticism. I remember articles written in January and February saying
that these people are not what they appear. I remember articles
commissioned by [deposed Ajarian leader] Aslan Abashidze that appeared
last year after the revolution, saying that I was a dictator even
before I was elected president. Of course, there are still some
critical articles, but in general it has been very positive.

It is especially positive because events in Ukraine have legitimized
and vindicated our revolution. We are now talking about a third wave
of liberation in Europe, which Georgia began.

The first wave was during World War II, the liberation of Europe from
the Nazis, mostly in Western Europe, and they created the European
Union. The next stage was in eastern Europe, the fall of the Berlin
wall. Eastern Europe has now already joined the European Union. Now
only the former Soviet republics remain, the majority of which are
also European countries, among them Georgia, which appeared to have
been forgotten and everyone had abandoned the hope of anything
happening here.

Georgia has shown that not only is revolution possible but that
revolution can bring about positive changes. Now it has happened in
Ukraine. It is already a trend. Georgia on its own was in part an
anomaly, but with what has happened in Ukraine it is part of a
trend. It is a trend which began in Georgia – the final liberation of
Europe and its final unification. I am certain of this, as are my
friends.

In the last few weeks the US Senate has adopted many positive
resolutions, among them one relating to the anniversary of our
revolution. I was even slightly embarrassed. If these resolutions had
been adopted here, people would have thought that a personality cult
was being created or dismissed it as tasteless propaganda. However,
their view is different. It is possible that the shortcomings which
are very visible here are not apparent over there, but it is a fact
that much has improved.

We should not just hope for foreign assistance, and it should not be
an aim itself, nor should membership of any organization. We should
build our lives ourselves. We should not just say that by 2006 our
army should be good enough, under [Defence Minister Irakli]
Okruashvili, to satisfy the criteria to become a candidate for NATO
membership. We will of course do that, but it should not be an end in
itself. The most important thing is that we should have a good army,
not just to meet the criteria of some organization.

The most important thing is not that we meet some formal criteria of
the World Bank or IMF, although for the first time in many years they
are very pleased. The most important thing is that the situation
improves for our own people. That is the aim of our government. Our
aim is not to win applause from a foreign audience. They will applaud
when our people are moving forward. That is our government’s main
aim. We will not achieve foreign success without internal success. Our
foreign success is founded on the progress we make within Georgia.

As for democracy, you know that the most recent report from Freedom
House, the most authoritative international democracy NGO, said that
the one former Soviet republic where there is serious progress towards
democracy is Georgia. That was their conclusion, the rest is just
people gossiping. And I think they have the right to do that. I think
that they have that right because we are a democracy and they can
complain and criticize. I am used to this. I have been a politician
for a long time and I am used to insults. In general these insults
come from within the country and internationally we do not have a
problem.

Public broadcasting in minority languages

[Question] Mr President, the creation of a successful state depends on
your team, particularly in the regions. How do you rate the work of
governors this year, particularly in Zugdidi, where just recently
criticism has been made of Gigi Ugulava?

I also have a second question, if you allow it. When will you sign the
law on broadcasting, which includes provisions for public
broadcasting? What role do you think public broadcasting should have
in Georgian television?

[Saakashvili] The second question is easier and I will answer it
quickly – I will sign the law as soon as it is brought to me. Public
broadcasting is very important. For example, we have now begun
broadcasting in Abkhaz, Ossetian, Azeri and Armenian. Until now these
people did not feel that the state existed for them. On the one hand
ethnic Azeris and Armenians – although not so much Ossetians as they
already know it – are busy learning Georgian. On the other hand, these
broadcasts are a demonstration of our respect for them. We have a
Georgian language programme, we will bring hundreds of ethnic Azeris
and Armenians to summer schools in Tbilisi with goods stipends. These
people should form a political elite. They, together with Georgians,
will create government bodies. That is what makes a state, that is
[medieval Georgian king] Davit Aghmashenebeli’s model for a strong
Georgia. Davit Aghmashenebeli’s main achievement was to unite
Georgians and non-Georgians under the idea of a Georgian state. That
is our main recipe for success.

Therefore, public broadcasting has this function. I have just recorded
a New Year address in Ossetian, Abkhaz and Azeri. I spoke to Armenians
when I visited Akhalkalaki [town in southern Georgia]. It also has
many other functions, such as the promotion of Georgian folklore,
which commercial television may not do because it may not be
profitable. But the state should finance this. We have a unique
musical culture, which we should treasure and always preserve as part
of our mentality. The functions of public broadcasting are various and
we should support it.

New regional governors performing well

What about the governors? Yesterday I heard the pathetic statement
made by a few people [reference to three MPs criticizing Samegrelo
governor Gigi Ugulava]. I don’t want to be rude, but I hope that it
was a slip of the tongue, because any sane person would not say those
sorts of things. I hope that they don’t even think that.

Gigi Ugulava is a very good governor. We have a new generation of
governors. We were talking earlier about the revolution in Tbilisi,
but it is no good if the only police patrol force is in Tbilisi, if
only the roads in Tbilisi are repaired, if corruption is only fought
in Tbilisi. For the past two years there has only been power in
Tbilisi, not in the regions. We have appointed new governors with whom
people should communicate, so that things also change for people in
Guria, Samegrelo, Kakheti and Samtskhe-Javakheti.

What was it like before? In the era of [former presidents] Zviad
[Gamsakhurdia] and [Eduard] Shevardnadze it was always the same people
in charge in the regions. It is was the same people devouring the
government’s resources. Now new governors have appeared. When a new
governor appears who refuses to appoint someone’s cousin or sacks
someone’s brother or whatever, these people start complaining.

No-one can say that Ugulava takes bribes, because no-one would believe
them, so these people decided to criticize him by saying that he does
not speak Megrelian. First of all, that is a lie, because I told him
to learn Megrelian, or, rather, to brush it up – he comes from there –
which is what he has been doing. I can only welcome that.

However, if we translate what they were saying yesterday into legal
terms, it would mean the following: in Georgia it would be possible
for someone not to be appointed to a post because they did not know
any language other than Georgian, the state language. That will never
happen while I am president. In Georgia there is one state language
and that language is Georgian. There are many languages in Georgia and
we respect all of them. In the case of Samegrelo this will never
happen because no right-thinking person has ever said that is should
happen and never will.

I am myself Megrelian on my mother’s side, but at the same time I am
100-per-cent Georgian. Most of the patriotic fervour of Georgia is in
Samegrelo. My temperament, personality, emotions, come from my
mother’s side, I believe. I do not want to offend anyone, but I think
I get a lot of my energy from my Megrelian roots. [Passage omitted]

Next year there will be major energy and road-building projects, both
in Samegrelo and many other areas of Georgia. There will be no more
roads left in a state of disrepair. Every road will be repaired to the
highest standards. The decay of the past years will be stopped.

We must quickly improve the energy situation and we will use most of
the revenue from privatization for that. The rest will come from us
all working together. I repeat that I am satisfied with our new
governors, Zhani Kalandadze, and all the others, I do not want to
single anyone out, Goga Khachidze, and many others.

Ministers should travel around the country

I am also generally satisfied with the work of the government,
although I wish that ministers would travel more to the regions to
meet people and go from village to village.

It is one thing for the energy minister to tell us from Tbilisi about
power rationing in a particular region, but when I go there I check
this by stopping the car, going to someone’s flat and asking how many
hours of electricity they have every day. Very often it is not the
same as the figure they give me at the Energy Ministry. If they
travelled themselves – they don’t need 100 people to protect them like
I do – they would have much more objective information.

We have a lot more to do in this area, but we have interesting
ministers, such as young [Agriculture Minister Mikheil]
Svimonishvili. In general everyone has a chance and Svimonishvili is
one example. He is not a member of the National Movement, nor has he
ever worked in government. He came from business and was a member of
some party or other, but that is not important. The important thing is
that he has a fresh mind and he is full of ideas. We need lots of
people like him in local government and everywhere. Everyone who is
honest, competent and loves Georgia has a chance. We have provided
this opportunity.

When people accuse someone of not having a local mentality, like
yesterday when they criticized Ugulava, what they really mean by local
mentality is that they should give jobs to cousins, a cut of the pie
when building roads, jobs as tax inspectors and so on. Well, no
longer. Our society us law-abiding and decent.

Government here to stay and will finish reforms

The same groups of people have been bleeding the regions dry for a
long time. Now that the budget has grown, there is more for them to
steal and they want it. Of course, they cannot do it now and of course
they are angry about this. That is why they are saying that our
government will soon go and that in a few months their time will come
again.

They say this everywhere. Old police officers tell new ones: you don’t
know how good it was in the old days – we used to stop trucks and we
could get 1,500 dollars from each, the 250 dollars you get now is
nothing, but don’t worry, soon they will be gone and we can go back to
the old days.

Thieves sitting in prison are also saying that we will be gone in a
few months. It’s good that they have been saying this since
January. Corrupt officials were also hoping that we would not be
around after three months.

I’m afraid I have bad news for them – we are going to be around for a
very long time and will finally unite Georgia and finish strengthening
it. There is no alternative. Georgia now has not had a chance to
develop like this for many centuries and we will not be stupid enough
to let it pass. We will do everything possible to finish it.

I know how many years I need to repair roads throughout Georgia, how
many years to build the army, how many months to complete police
reforms, how many years to create a truly modern system of European
education, how many years to make sure that pensioners no longer go
hungry in Georgia. All this is achievable but we need to work around
the clock for this.

For example, just after Okruashvili became defence minister several
servicemen deserted, and people were saying what a terrible thing it
was that 40 people deserted. They [the servicemen] said that although
their barracks were renovated to European standards, the hot water
pipe had broken. They are soldiers, servicemen. They should repair the
breakage. It froze and broke, of course, but they should repair it. If
you want a state you should have a state mentality. They are better
dressed and fed than ever, but can’t be bothered to mend a pipe? Where
is their state mentality?

Little by little it is growing. The duty of soldiers is to defend the
motherland, the duty of police is to maintain public order. People
should not think that their taxes will be frittered away. [Passage
omitted]

[Question] Where and how are you going to see in the New Year? There
are reports that you may be planning to go to Ukraine.

[Saakashvili] No, we have not decided anything yet. This will be
decided at a family meeting tomorrow.

Reaffirms unity with Zhvania and Burjanadze

[Question] Radio Fortuna, Natia [name indistinct]. We would like to
wish you a happy New Year and good fortune with all your plans. What
do you think was the best decision of the first year of your
presidency? Is there a decision you are still unhappy about? Also, are
there any individuals you would like to single out? You are being
named this year’s top political figure but who would be your own
choice?

[Saakashvili] I really did not know I was a figure? However, speaking
figuratively [as heard], my main partners this year have been
[parliament speaker] Nino Burjanadze and [Prime Minister] Zurab
Zhvania. You will remember that at the beginning of the year people
were saying that we would soon start fighting each other and would cut
each other’s throats. Where are these people now? How many times are
they allowed to get their apocalyptic predictions wrong?

We have preserved and strengthened our unity. We have formed a united
party. Parliament is working very effectively. That is what we were
talking about. This is not the time to fight each other. We have big
tasks ahead of us. It is not my task to dig in on the 11th floor
[reference to the location of the president’s office in the State
Chancellery building], so that I cannot be dislodged from there even
with a crane. It is not our task for Zhvania to dig in in the prime
minister’s office and for Burjanadze in parliament. This means
nothing. Our task is to create a great Georgia.

Many idealists have arrived in the civil service. There are many
enthusiastic people of all ages. It is the task of all these people to
join efforts to create a new level of unity in our country. We will
certainly succeed in this. That is what I wanted to say about
personalities.

As regards events, I think that the main event and the main decision
was not to give in to Aslan Abashidze, complete the restoration of
control over Ajaria and adopt a constitutional model that fully
reflects the interests of the people of Ajaria and the national
interests of Georgia. I did not hesitate for a second in pursuing this
to the end. We were ready to take very strong steps. If we had not
restored control over Ajaria, Georgia would have faced serious
internal discord today.

By the way, it is very interesting that Aslan Abashidze used to say
terrible things about Davit Aghmashenebeli. I have not heard it myself
but I have been told by many people that at various meetings and
parties he often said some nasty things about Davit Aghmashenebeli. I
kept wondering why. The answer is that he identified himself with
Liparit Baghvashi, a rebellious feudal lord [who conspired with
foreign powers to dethrone Davit]. In the end, Abashidze shared the
fate of Liparit Baghvashi as they were both expelled by the Georgian
people.

I am not saying this because there may be another Davit Aghmashenebeli
in Georgia today. That is impossible in a democracy. It was a
completely different time, there were no television stations and the
methods of government were different. Today, the collective unifier of
Georgia is its population, our people. Everyone will be judged by our
people. That is the main thing.

Expectations may have been too high

Now, what were the mistakes? I think that the main mistake everyone
made was to have too high expectations. People say that there has been
a lot of progress but we expected much more. If someone expected
Georgia to become another Monte Carlo within a year, that’s
impossible.

We have achieved annual economic growth of more than 10 per cent,
which is a very good result. The budget has increased at least
three-fold. We have managed to reduce corruption by the same factor as
the budget has grown. That is the yardstick we use. What does a
three-fold increase in the budget mean? It means that the government
is stealing a third of what it used to and that is why the budget is
three times as big. [Passage omitted]

Such a three-fold increase cannot happen every year because
investments are needed for that. Investments require
infrastructure. Next year we will make major investments in the
development of Borjomi resort. Major reconstruction work has begun in
Ajaria – in Batumi and Kobuleti. We should build a road from Zugdidi
to Anaklia [on the Black Sea coast] and develop this tourist area,
which has a lot of potential. That is what the state can do. The rest
depends on how active and inventive the public is. There are low
taxes. The state is investing in infrastructure. We have put an end to
smuggling.

Now, it is up to an efficient private sector, not the state, to create
jobs. The state can only create jobs by deceiving people, by giving
them low salaries and allowing them to steal. That is not what will
make Georgia a strong country. We need fewer officials. We have
already made cuts this year and I do not expect major cuts in the
future.

What we need is many jobs in the private sector. That is what low
taxes, good infrastructure and Georgia’s good reputation abroad will
help create. We have done all we could for that. Now, it is time for
all of us to act together.

[Passage omitted]

President’s advice to the opposition

[Question] What is your opinion of the Georgian opposition? Is there a
conspicuous figure in the Georgian opposition?

[Saakashvili] There are quite a few figures and, if you can imagine,
perhaps even more conspicuous than myself. That is simple. Georgia has
a democratic system. The opposition is there to criticize the
authorities. Unfortunately, as far as I know, our opposition is not
yet popular. My advice to them would be, or, rather, the reason for
that is that the opposition says that they do not like anything and
that everything is black, so it is very hard to see any colours. If
everything is black, there is no point living and there is no
truth. If they said that certain things are being done but there is
much more do and that they would do it if they came to power, I am
sure that they would have much more support. I do not want them to see
this as my recipe to help them become popular. It is certainly not my
task to make them popular. However, that is how I would have done it,
that is how I would have tried to win public support.

Praise for the diversity of the Georgian media

On the other hand, the main check the authorities have to deal with is
not a political opposition that constantly complains about things in
parliament. It is, above all, the media – the printed media and
television. I am proud of the fact that during the coverage of the
Ukrainian elections, when revolution leaders, including Yushchenko,
spoke, five of the microphones in front of them were those of Georgian
television stations. The whole world was interested in these events
but there would be five Georgian microphones and only five from the
rest of the world. We currently have a population of between
four-and-a-half and five million in Georgia. We have broken all the
records as regards the number of television stations, newspapers and
journalists per capita.

I beg your pardon? [journalist’s remark indistinct] God forbid, I
would not judge the quality of journalism. If I told you what I really
think, I would have to run away quickly before you got
me. Nevertheless, this is unique. Nowhere in eastern Europe are there
news programmes every hour. Here, even if nothing is happening, there
is still a news bulletin. Often nothing is happening at all, but there
is still news. That is why if, on a quiet day, someone goes to the
balcony of their flat and shouts something, it will certainly make the
news on some television channel. If someone says something to someone
else in a dark room, this will also be discussed on television. That
is because we are a small country and things that would make news in
the press and on television abroad do not happen here every day.

But, on the other hand, we are lucky to have it. It is good that we
all know everything. Is it not better to say all this on television
than to spread rumours? It is best to report everything. That is why
there is no cause for alarm. I think that this is part of the
Georgian national character. We like publishing many newspapers. By
the way, when I was a young child, I published a family newspaper. It
had a circulation of one and I was its only reader. By the way, I
published not one but four different titles and read all of them.
Naturally, these newspapers are now heavily censored in order to make
sure that no-one gets hold of them.

This seems to be part of our nature. Regardless of how small the
circulation, we want to publish and we want to publish many titles. We
want to cover things that do not get coverage anywhere else because
there is demand for that. Since such demand does exist, it cannot be
wrong.

When some people run out of ideas and start complaining about the
quality of our democracy, I think they should be embarrassed given all
I have just said. We have really made a lot of progress in this
respect. I certainly think that the authorities cannot claim credit
for that. It is what society demands.

I think it would be appropriate to finish on this happy note and let
people focus on more pleasant things. We will meet each other next
year, once you have got over the New Year celebrations. I think that
this has been a very successful year, the most successful year since
independence. With God’s help, I hope that next year will be even more
successful. I am an eternal optimist. So far, all my wishes, almost
all my resolutions for this year have come true. Since it has worked,
I will have many more resolutions for next year. I suggest that you
join me in making these resolutions and let us ensure that they all
come true. Again, I wish you a happy New Year.

Ukrainian opposition figure calls for reconciliation between rival supporters

Ukrayina TV, Donetsk
29 Dec 04

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko’s key ally Yuliya
Tymoshenko has made an unprecedented appearance in a live Q&A session
on Ukrayina TV, a regional channel based in Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovych’s home town of Donetsk and owned by his allies. The channel
has been campaigning hard for Yanukovych and is bitterly critical of
Yushchenko. Tymoshenko, wearing an orange T-shirt of the local
football club Shakhtar Donetsk, reiterated throughout the programme
calls for reconciliation between supporters of rival presidential
candidates, and sought to refute the anti-Donetsk statements
attributed to her by her opponents. She defended her own and
Yushchenko’s record in government and opposition and pledged that the
Yushchenko administration would never discriminate against Donetsk or
the Russian-speaking regions. Tymoshenko attacked the administration
of President Leonid Kuchma and voiced her strong opposition to the
idea of federalizing Ukraine. She said the opposition should be given
wide powers in order to keep the government in check, and spoke about
the importance of freedom of speech. The following is an excerpt from
Tymoshenko’s Q&A on 29 December; subheadings inserted editorially:

[Presenter] Good evening, this is Ukrayina TV live. In the next hour
and a half, we’ll speak with one of the leaders of the orange
revolution, Yuliya Tymoshenko.

[Tymoshenko] Good evening.

[Presenter] We also welcome to our programme Ukrayina TV journalist
Iryna Markevych.

[Markevych] Good evening.

[Presenter] And of course, the main participants in our programme –
the TV viewers. Thanks to you, this meeting with Yuliya Tymoshenko was
made possible. We received a huge number of calls and there is much
interest in this programme, in the meeting with you. We received
several thousand calls over these two days, not only from Donetsk and
Luhansk but also from Mykolayiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Crimea and many
other cities. Esteemed viewers, you can also call our studio during
the programme and ask your questions. The number is 312-55-35. Now I
hand over to Iryna Markevych.

Denies anti-Donetsk statements

[Markevych] We do have many letters, but first of all we would like to
read this letter signed by a whole neighbourhood. [Reads] Yuliya
Volodymyrivna, before beginning our dialogue, we propose that you
apologize to the people of Donbass for insults you made at the rally
in Kiev and during the orange putsch. It is true, there were many
inappropriate statements at various rallies and in parliament. As a
proof, here is a video clip.

[Passage omitted: Video clip of Tymoshenko saying in parliament that
progovernment MPs can hang themselves on their blue-and-white
scarves.]

[Markevych] Mrs Tymoshenko, what can you say to this after the second
round, are you ready to apologize?

[Tymoshenko, in Ukrainian] I would like to begin not with this clip
but with saying that the emotions always run high during the election
campaign. [Switches into Russian] I think there was much aggression
on both sides, many things that maybe should not be said by
politicians even during the election campaign. I would like to begin
with something different. I will comment on this clip later, no doubt
about it. But you know, when I was coming here, understanding that in
general Donetsk is a wonderful city with wonderful people, but because
of these political tricks it happened so that we are on different
sides of the barricades. When I was coming here, I was thinking about
what can unite us in the first moments after this election turmoil. I
thought you have your favourite football club Shakhtar in Donetsk, and
I am in Donetsk right now. I don’t know any people in Donetsk who are
not fans of Shakhtar. I remember very well when Shakhtar beat
Barcelona and people in Kiev’s Independence Square were just as happy
as when parliament made some political decisions. I thought that this
colour [orange, the colour of Shakhtar shirt and Yushchenko campaign]
unites us despite everything. Right now I am wearing this Shakhtar
shirt that I got as a present from a member of your club. It is your
colour and it is our colour and I want it to stop being the colour of
confrontation. I want peace. As for those statements, this was
probably the only harsh statement during the campaign, but you must
understand that it was addressed to MPs who shouted something
aggressive at me from their seats. You know, parliament is a big
family. We, the MPs, are different, but you know sometimes a mother
can shout at her child and say she would kill him if he does not get
school on time or kill him if he does not eat breakfast. This does not
mean the mother is going to kill her child. It is the same with those
emotions in parliament with orange or blue scarves. It was not
directed at people in any regions of Ukraine. Sometimes in parliament
emotions are running high. But they too subside as parliament’s
sessions end.

[Presenter tries to interrupt]

[Tymoshenko] Concerning this letter, there are other statements which
were disseminated before the third round. These statements did not
belong to me. I want the people who hear me to know that one of the
worst PR tricks before the third tour was when quotes were put
together.

[Presenter, interrupting] I am sorry, we have a caller who wants to
say something on this topic.

[Tymoshenko] Please, let me finish. Irochka, you asked a question from
the people who wrote the letter, and I want to say that these dirty
quotes were written by certain campaign HQs and they pretended that
some politicians said it. I want to tell you that there were many
such quotes. First, that Donetsk and Luhansk should be cordoned off
with barbed wire. Second, to bring Sevastopol to its knees, drown
Odessa in the Black Sea and dismantle the “7th kilometre” marketplace
in Odessa, I can continue with these quotes, but I tell you that I did
not say any of it. I have a different character, a different attitude
to people, I could never say this. For those people who wanted me to
apologize, I want to apologize for everything that I may have said
that may have offended you. But I never said those phrases.

[Presenter] Thank you, your apologies are accepted.

[Passage omitted: Caller says Tymoshenko is not welcome in Donetsk,
people outside the studio shout, a woman asks Tymoshenko why she is
afraid of federalism.]

Against federalism

[Tymoshenko] Now about federalism. You know, we can talk a lot about
some historic details. For example, federalism has never developed in
unitary countries. What is a unitary country? It is a single, united
country without autonomies. Historically, all the federal states
evolved from unions of different lands and territories. But Ukraine as
a unitary state by constitution, a single country, cannot turn the
process backwards, it would be a new historic practice. Besides, if
there are some movements to change border and split the country, it
can be made only though a nationwide referendum. If the people agree,
then we can split. But it cannot be done through declarations by
individual political leaders. One more thing, I was born in
Dnipropetrovsk, I cannot relate to western Ukraine, Lviv and
Ivano-Frankivsk, the same way as to Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk is
my native land. But I do not know a single person who can imagine
Ukraine without Lviv Region, for example or without Donetsk or Kharkiv
or Luhansk. We would all become deficient if we break up our
country. Do we really want part of our nation to suffer the way
[Moldova’s breakaway region] Dniester suffers right now.

[Presenter, interrupting] Mrs Tymoshenko, but Germany has a federal
structure and it is a democratic country.

[Tymoshenko] But Germany began as a union of completely different
territories, and their process was going in the other direction, not
splitting a single country but uniting. I think it will become even
more solid. And here, where we have a great single country, what do we
have to divide? We have nothing to divide. If someone can tell me what
we have to divide, maybe we can discuss it. A split of the country
would not benefit anyone. But if a referendum says so, if someone
holds a referendum on this, if someone living in Ukraine wants to have
a limited territory of our common home, then of course the
constitution must be changed.

[Passage omitted: Tymoshenko argues that pensions and benefits were
not cut by Yushchenko’s government, says people have the right to
protest.]

Powers to opposition

[Markevych] Mrs Tymoshenko, it is apparent that blockades of
parliament, the presidential administration and the Cabinet of
Ministers are very effective tactics. Ukraine now needs a law on the
opposition, it is obvious that there will be tough opposition to your
authorities. You as a political force, as the leader of your bloc, are
you ready to support a law that would give opposition the legal right
to use your radical methods, such as blocking roads and government
buildings and so on.

[Presenter] Very effective methods.

[Tymoshenko] First of all, if people demand something, it must be
done. We all remember when thousands of coal miners came to Kiev and
blocked the administration and the cabinet and demanded what was
rightly theirs. This was a peaceful strike, but strikes happen all
over the world. I think we need not only a law, but we can do one more
thing. Taking in account that I have been in opposition for nine
years, [smiling] I am ready to open a school for young opposition
activists and lecture there at least twice a week on my experiences of
being in opposition. It will be peaceful, I don’t want opposition in
Ukraine to be persecuted the way myself and my family and my whole
team were thrown in jail. When my child was dragged around
prosecutors’ offices.

[Presenter] This will be another topic for us.

[Tymoshenko] I not only support the law, I would even support making a
special amendment to the constitution on opposition in parliament and
to give opposition the rights that it does not have today – the right
to keep the authorities in check. Because no-one can keep the
authorities in check better than the opposition.

[Presenter] If you come to power, will you let your opposition block
the Cabinet of Ministers, parliament and your administration?

[Tymoshenko] I can say that no-one can ban that. I can say firmly that
if the new authorities work that badly, the people should do what they
see right, but peacefully – strikes, blockades and rallies are methods
of open democracy and I will always support them.

[Passage omitted: Tymoshenko says the tent city in Kiev was organized
mostly by the people themselves, not by Yushchenko’s HQ, denies claims
that the tent city cost 30m dollars.]

[Tymoshenko] Prior to making these harsh statements and accusing me,
you should watch what these authorities will be doing for at least six
months, who are these people who came to power. No-one knows us,
no-one knows what we offer.

Defends own record

[Presenter, interrupting] Why, people know you very well. You’ve been
in power before, you governed the country, they know you well.

[Tymoshenko] Right, when I governed the country. I want the people to
hear me, please, don’t interrupt me. When I was deputy prime minister
for only eight months, over these eight months I managed to bring over
10bn hryvnyas [1.88bn dollars] from the shadow sector of the energy
complex in Kuchma’s entourage into the state budget. The entire fuel
and energy complex was reconstructed.

[Markevych, interrupting] At the same time, people had no heating in
their homes, right at that time.

[Tymoshenko] Excuse me, before I took office, the people had neither
heating nor electricity. When I left office, every light bulb was
working in the country and every radiator was warm, and there were no
blackouts when I left the government. I left the government not
because I did something bad but because Kuchma’s entourage lost tens
of billions of hryvnyas. And Kuchma, instead of saying at least one
word of thanks for this work, he caved in to his entourage and threw
me straight from the deputy prime minister’s chair to jail, because I
did what the people expected. These persecution that I have been
experiencing for eight years only because I do not want this country
to look the way it does today, believe me, I am not fighting so that
you can say a kind word to me, but because I know what is happening in
politics. I know that today the authorities and business joined in one
ugly conglomerate, and they must be separated. Most of the TV channels
today – Inter, ICTV and One Plus One, who did not speak the truth
before the revolution, the channels belonging to clans in Kuchma’s
entourage, they created this image of criminals and bandits from the
people who can help you. I wanted business, if I wanted to preserve
something I had before 1996, believe me, it is very easy to cut a deal
with Kuchma. But I did not do it because…

[Markevych, interrupting] Mrs Tymoshenko, our programme is supposed to
be dialogue, you are avoiding an answer.

[Tymoshenko] May I finish?

[Markevych] May I ask a question?

[Tymoshenko] In 30 seconds I will finish with this topic. I want to
say that I didn’t want to cut any deals because I see a way to make
change Ukraine, to change your life, and I want you to see it. Do not
jump to conclusions and do not rush with confrontations and insults.

Media freedom important

[Presenter] Thank you for your answer, we now have the K-61 [regional]
studio on the line. Please, K-61, you’re live.

[Studio presenter] We are on air and we continue asking questions,
please.

[Journalist] Good evening, Mrs Tymoshenko, my name is Andriy
Tyutyunnikov, I am a journalist at the Donetskiye Novosti newspaper. I
have the following question. You have talked about politics on
national channels and information wars and made-up quotes. Mr Tomenko
[opposition MP and head of parliamentary committee for freedom of
speech] said he would take to courts those media who provided what he
said was incorrect information. Does it mean introduction of
censorship? Thank you.

[Tymoshenko] Censorship is out of the question. Regardless of who the
owner is, TV stations must simply tell the truth. This will be one of
the first reforms that we want to implement. I am thankful to the
Ukrayina TV for this opportunity. I know this is a hard programme for
everyone, but thank you for doing this and thanks to the owners of
your channel who also provided this opportunity. No matter how hard
this programme is, I think this will be the first step in eliminating
this massive confrontation which had been created artificially.

[Passage omitted: Tymoshenko presents a heart-shaped toy to presenters
as a sign of good will.]

Attacks Kuchma administration

[Caller] Good evening, this is Mariupol, my name is Lidiya. Mrs
Tymoshenko, I want to ask you personally three question.

[Markevych] Let’s pick only one of those, the most important one,
please.

[Caller] If I could, two questions please. Your actions run counter to
basic civil norms. Mrs Tymoshenko, your team of bandits headed by
impostor Yushchenko has shamelessly stolen the legitimacy of our
President Viktor Yanukovych. You counted on his decency, you are
getting away with it. All the secrets come out eventually.

[Markevych] Thank you, we understand your question.

[Caller] The second question, I want to ask about Lazarenko [fugitive
former prime minister accused of money laundering]. You, Yushchenko
and Lazarenko siphoned our hard-earned money to Cyprus. Your photos
appeared in newspapers on Cyprus with Armenian mafia. Explain please,
what were the circumstances while you present it so cleverly.

[Markevych] Thank you. Very emotional statement.

[Tymoshenko] First of all, everything concerning Interpol. Every
person who has access to the internet go to the Interpol web site and
see that I have never been on any wanted lists. This information is
absolutely false. If I were on a wanted list, we would have to hold
this meeting at some secret hideout and I would wear a long trench
coat, dark glasses and a moustache to make sure no-one recognizes
me. I am not hiding, I am in the streets and on TV. I can say I have
never hidden from anyone and never put my head down. As for Lazarenko,
he was appointed by Kuchma, by the way. In 1997, when I was the first
of all MPs to raise the question in parliament of Kuchma’s
impeachment, after this all my troubles began. Kuchma’s entire team
was trying to erase me from the face of the Earth. You listen to this
information, a political does not need to be killed by a bullet or by
poison, he can be killed by dirty information. A politician who can
help you disappears from your life. As for Lazarenko, not one but tens
of Ukrainian courts closed all the cases against me, my family and my
team. The courts ruled that I never committed any crimes. The same
thing happened in the USA. About 99 per cent of charges against
Lazarenko have been dropped. I am not a judge, I cannot say whether he
did good or bad but I know that all the courts said I had nothing in
common with this man and that I never committed any crimes. What you
heard about me was a campaign against a politician who prevented
Kuchma from fully opening his wings over the territory of Ukraine and
did not let him feel like he owns this Ukraine Ltd. I think time will
prove me right.

[Passage omitted: Tymoshenko takes a question, reiterates that people
can protest peacefully, block presidential administration, reiterates
that media distorted her and Yushchenko’s image.]

No discrimination against Russian-speakers

I was born in Dnipropetrovsk. So speaking of barricades, I am on the
eastern side. I have lived there all my adult life. I learned to speak
Ukrainian only when I came to the government in 1999. My mother and my
whole family live in Dnipropetrovsk. Believe me, we continue speaking
Russian in our family. I will never take any steps to degrade even
slightly the language that my family uses. The same applies to the
families who speak Ukrainian. One more thing. If you remember, Kuchma
ran in two elections with the motto of making Russian an official
language. And he never did. For two years Viktor Yanukovych was prime
minister but he did not raise this question and did not pass this law
with Kuchma. They did not need it, they were not in the opposition,
they didn’t need to promise, they should have acted. I would like the
people to have open eyes on both sides, be more objective. I know for
sure that if we raise this curtain of propaganda, we shall see many
things as they really are. No matter how hard out relations develop, I
know that the government in which I may work will do even impossible
things for Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk and every region in our
country. Everyone will feel it.

[Presenter] Thank you very much.

[Passage omitted: Tymoshenko reiterates her points on united nation,
media freedom]

[Presenter] Mrs Tymoshenko, there has been a lot of interest in the
foreign media in the election in Ukraine, the three rounds of
elections. About 2,000 foreign correspondents worked in Ukraine, and
many of them worked in Donetsk. They came to our office, asked
questions, talked to us. And a BBC correspondent, Jonathan Charles,
came to our office and shared his impressions and opinions about the
events in Ukraine. Let us listen to what he said.

[Jonathan Charles, in English, overlaid with Russian translation,
translated from Russian] In my view, the situation now is this:
Ukraine has to some extent found itself between a rock and a hard
place, from the point of view of relations between Russia and Western
Europe, which are rather complicated at the moment. And Ukraine is now
like a football. Through Ukraine, the West is trying to tell Russia,
you shouldn’t really think that you will always have your way, there
are some limits, and we will keep you within those limits. So Ukraine
is a ball in this game. I have had time to formulate my point of view,
because I have spent long enough in Ukraine. We have travelled a lot,
and visited different places. The understanding there was from the
very beginning in the West, that there was a revolution in Ukraine,
now I think it was mistaken. The thing is, a revolution is when the
entire people rise up against the government. This is not the
situation in Ukraine. Ukraine as a country is clearly divided. There
are people who support Yanukovych, and there are people who support
Yushchenko. For a country this is not very good, of course. It is a
difficult time for Ukraine, but my personal impression is that most of
the ordinary people we talked to do actually want Ukraine to remain
united.

[Presenter] Jonathan has confirmed some of the points we have
discussed with you. What is your comment on the interview?

[Tymoshenko] First, I am one of those Ukrainians who want Ukraine to
stay united, whatever the circumstances. And Jonathan said the same,
by the way. He said most people want it. Second, I do not want Ukraine
to become an object of kicking on the geopolitical arena. Neither
America, nor Europe or Russia should pursue their own interests on our
territory through some special political projects. I want Ukraine to
become a fully-fledged player on the international arena. I want
Ukraine to turn into a player, a country that has an influence and
which stands up for its interests.

[Passage omitted: Tymoshenko says her faction and most of the
Yushchenko faction voted against troop deployment to Iraq, whereas the
pro-Kuchma and pro-Yanukovych factions backed the move; reiterates her
points against censorship, accepts flowers from the station’s
director.]

`RECOGNITION OF NKR WILL BE CORNERSTONE OF OUR WORK’

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
30 Dec 04

On December 27 the newly appointed minister of foreign affairs of NKR
met with journalists. During the meeting he touched upon the plans of
the foreign ministry for the next year and focused on its three main
directions. `COur plans are mainly determined by the principles of the
recent speech of NKR president Arkady Ghukassian. But I would like to
highlight several important points. First of all, our main direction
in international policies will be the international recognition of the
Republic of Nagorni Karabakh. This will bethe cornerstone of our work
in the political sphere. At the same time all our relationships within
the country and with the international organizations will be
determined by it. The second direction to which I pay personal
attention, is protection of the rights of the citizens of NKR. From my
three years of work experience as the permanent representative of NKR
in Armenia I know there are many painful phenomena. Our citizens are,
in fact, devoid of state support abroad. The problem is not only the
scarce possibilities of our network of representations abroad. The
problem is internal self-organization, cooperation between different
agencies and ministries within the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh. This
comes to say that we must provide an adequate level of such kind of
cooperation. I can give several examples connected with our citizens
abroad. The main problem is renewal and change of
passports. Unfortunately, this year the passport and visa granting
body was not able to attend to the needs of our citizens quickly
enough. To be more clear, as a result our citizens in Russia may
become illegal. I will keep this direction in the center of my
attention and will personally follow the work done in this sphere. And
the third, the most important problem is the coordination of work of
the ministry and different departments of the ministry, cooperation
between them, setting aims and choosing the right ways of achieving
them. In brief, it is the problem of setting up a system of management
within the ministry corresponding to the international standards. I
think, through taking corresponding measures in all these three
directions we will manage to increase the general effectiveness of the
work of the departments of the ministry.’

AA.
30-12-2004

BUDGET OF DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
30 Dec 04

Taking into account the fact during the discussion of the package of
the adherent documents of the state budget 2005 that there was
disagreement only in reference to one of the points of the bill `On
Amendments to the NKR Law on Income Tax’, we may state that on the
whole the government and the National Assembly achieved mutual
understanding. How would you explain this?` First of all, the
government had a serious and responsible approach towards the budget
for the next year assuring its realistic nature. Discussions at the
bodies of the executive, as well as the committees and factions of the
National Assembly in their turn favoured the accomplishment and
clarification of the document. As a result we worked out a document
which will not be an exaggeration to call a program for future
development. Naturally, this served as a basis for full mutual
understanding. – Although the economic year has not closed, it is not
difficult for the minister of finance and economy to present the
anticipated social-economic indices through the analysis of the
results. – First of all, I want to emphasize that the macroeconomic
rates describing the social and economic situation of the passing year
are promising and will serve as good basis for more serious programs
in the coming year. Observations show that the GDP of2004 will total
41.4 billion drams. In order to highlight the significance of this
number I will add that against the previous year it will grow by 15.3
per cent. We anticipate that budget revenues will total 4550.0 million
drams, that is to say, the growth against the previous year will total
43.5 per cent (3170.1 million drams in 2003). The volume of industrial
production will total 18 billion drams (11.1 billion in 2003), and
gross agricultural output will total about 22.3 billion drams,
exceeding the rates of the previous year by 62.2 and 6.1 per cent
respectively. In the republic about 137.0 million kWh of electricity
will be produced (in 2003 130.6 kWh) growing by 5 per cent. Thevolume
of capital building will total 9.2 billion drams (in 2003 8.7 billion
drams) increasing by 5.7 per cent against the previous year. In 2004
the number ofworkers in the republic will total about 34.7 thousand
people growing by 6.2 per cent (more than 2000 jobs). In 2004 the
average nominal salary will total 40 thousand drams (growing by 18.8
per cent), the income of the population will total 42.0 billion drams
(growing by 22.1 per cent). The volume of foreign trade of NKR in 2004
will total 60.2 billion drams growing by 23.6 per cent, export will
increase by 22.7 per cent (totaling 20.9 billion drams) and import by
24.1 per cent (totaling 39.3 billion drams). The total sum on credit
accounts ofthe population by December 1, 2004 was 9.5 billion drams
growing 2.2 times or by 5.2 billion drams since the beginning of the
year. The dynamics of growth of these indices testifies that
significant progress was achieved in the republic and a stable
economic sector was developed which supposes foreseeable
development. Now about macroeconomic forecasts for 2005. In 2005
social andeconomic policy of the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh will be
directed at the maintenance of the achieved high economic rates and
macroeconomic stability, improvement of the investment environment and
quality of life, continuous reduction of unemployment and solution of
social and economic problems. The average rateof the GDP for the years
2005-2007 is estimated about 11.3 per cent. In 2005 the estimated
actual growth of the GDP will total 11.5 per cent (48.0 billion
drams). The average index of the exchange rate of the Armenian dram
will be maintained in the correlation $1 for 500 AMD. In 2005 in the
republic capital building carried out on all the financial sources
will significantly exceed the level of the previous year. The
government will pay special attention to the development of small and
medium-size business which will become a significant factor in
creating jobs. Therefore in 2005 800.0 million drams will be directed
at development of small and medium-size business (against 200.0
million in 2004) of which 75 per cent will be spent on the development
of the agricultural sector (viticulture, cattle breeding, leasing of
agricultural machines, providing 200 million drams for each
branch). Here I should mention that about 30 per cent of the GDP of
the republic is provided by small and medium-size business owners. –
You mentioned that the growth of the gross agricultural output will
total 6.1 per cent. Compared to the growth of the GDP it falls back
ten times whereas there is more potential for development of
agriculture. – At the beginning of 2005 long-term programs for
development of the irrigation system will be launched (costing 500.0
million drams), as well as means will be provided for preservation of
forests (about 83.8 million drams). 50.0 million drams willbe provided
for restoration of forests. In 2005 tax policy will correspond to the
approaches adopted by the government in the recent years assuring the
development of the positive tendencies in the sphere, which will
favour thedevelopment of an active economic environment against the
general background of the economy and will result in economic
growth. – I think it will not be an exaggeration to say once again
that the budget of 2005 will traditionally have a social
character. How will this be expressed? – No doubt, the budget policy
of 2005 will focus on the solution of social problems, improvement of
quality of life on budget means. From January 1, 2005 the average
salary of teachers will grow up to 50500 drams (presently it is
30585), by 65.3 per cent. In 2005 the salaries of medical workers will
grow by almost 26 per cent totaling 36800 drams. The salaries of
workers of libraries, museums, cultural institutions and ensembles
will grow by 22.4 per cent (24 thousand drams). Pensions also will
increase since January 1, 2005. The basic pension will increase from
3000 in 2004 to 4000 in 2005 and the value of one year of service will
increase from 140 to160 drams. From January 1 the benefits of certain
groups of children will increase by 50 per cent. During the year
financial aid will be provided to 7 insecure groups. The veterans of
the Great Patriotic War, disabled, widows of the killed soldiers will
receive aid on the occasion of the 60th anniversary ofthe victory in
the Great Patriotic War on May 9 which will be doubled against 2004.
The state budget of 2005 having a social direction as the expenses on
the social sector total 58 per cent, as distinct from previous years,
significant means will be directed at the development of the sphere of
material production which will, in its turn favour economic
development. Thus, the brief picture of the 2005 NKR consolidated
budget is the following: income totals 9238.1 million drams, expenses
24178.1 million drams, deficit 14940.0 million drams. The budget
deficit will be made up on the means of the interstate loan providedby
the Republic of Armenia totaling 13636.6 million drams of which about
5.5 billion drams is accrued from duty payments at the customs border
of the Republic of Armenia for the consumers goods imported to NKR,
and 1303.4 million drams from other inner and outer sources. The
budget income in 2005 is estimated 6460 million drams against 4550.0
million drams in 2004, and the growth will total 42 per cent. I want
to draw your attention to the fact that only two years ago the actual
income of the state budget totaled 2235.0 million drams whereas the
index for the upcoming year already exceeds the level of 2002 three
times. As to the state budget expenses, since 2002 it has almost
doubled. The expected incomes of the community budget provide only 6.4
per cent of the consolidated budget revenues (tax on law, property,
local duties, and other types of income). The incomes of the NKR State
Fund of Social Insurance in 2005 willtotal 2732.1 million drams. In
2005 the state budget will provide 180.0 million drams for the
creation of the NKR real estate cadaster. – What is the picture of
budget expenses on separate spheres like? – 2005 NKR state budget of
expenses was worked out on the basis of macroeconomic forecasts and
budget rates for separate kinds of expenses. The measures for
improvement of the structure of the budget-finances institutions and
solution of social problems were also taken into account. At the same
time, the demand of maintaining the continuity ofthe measures provided
for by the 2004 budget was met. By the budget bill state budget
expenses were estimated 21400.0 million drams. Expenses on
educationand science total 16.3 per cent (3497.1 million drams) of the
total expenses. It is planned to open boarding schools from September
1, 2005 in Shoushi and Stepanakert to provide elementary and secondary
education to the children of socially insecure families. The estimated
expenses in the sphere of culture, youth and sport will total 748.4
million drams, which is 3.7 per cent of the budget expenses. These
include budget-financed institutions, competitions, services,
subsidizing of theatrical and concert institutions and editorial
houses. The 2005 state budget will provide 100.0 million drams for
restoration and repair of monuments. Taking into account the necessity
of development of sport in the republic, 98.9 million drams will be
provided for this purpose. The provided means will enable the
participation of our sportsmen in international competitions in
different sports and games. Of the sums provided for the development
of sport financial aid of 9.3 million drams will be provided to 15
sports federations and the NKR voluntary sports society. The expenses
in the sphere of health were planned 1210.0 million drams, which has
increased by 340 million since last year. The expenses in the sphere
of social security and social insurance will total 4490.0 million
drams which is 21.0 per cent of the budget expenses and has increased
by 317.7 million drams since last year. 576.6 million drams will be
provided for the benefits paid to separate groups of children. 190.0
million drams will be provided for the needs of the disabled of the
NKR defence and the families of the killed servicemen of which 150.0
million will be spent for providing families of killed soldiers with
apartments. Expenses in the sphere of agriculture will total 789.9
million drams of which 500.0 millionwill be spent on the programs of
irrigation. The financing of important activityin the sphere of
agriculture will continue (protection of plants, test for quality and
sorts of the seeds of crops, veterinary, sanitary service, etc.). –
What about expenses which are not in the main groups? – Transfers will
be made to the budgets of the municipalities totaling 592.6 million
drams. 3900.0 million drams have been planned for capital
investments. – Your opinion on the state budget not as a minister but
as a citizen of NKR. – Drawing your attention to the advantages of the
state budget 2005 I think the government is far from thinking that the
chief financial document of the coming year contains final settlements
of the problems in the spheres of life of the country as there remain
numerous unsettled problems. At the same time, working out the main
directions of social and economic development of the country in 2005,
we may state that the government showed a realistic approach in its
estimates, therefore the government is confident and determined that
it will bring into being its forecasts for 2005. The unprecedented
high social and economic rates of theclosing year underlie this
confidence. On the way of economic accomplishment NKR has achieved
significant progress. Using the occasion I wish our nation a HappyNew
Year and Merry Christmas.

M. PETROSSIAN.
30-12-2004

THE BEST PRESENT FOR CHRISTMAS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
30 Dec 04

`This is the best New Year gift,’ exclaimed one of the spectators
during the concert of the Artsakh Chamber Orchestra on December 25
devoted to Christmas. As the conductor Gevorg Muradian had promised
during the previous concert, the Christmas concert was full of
surprises. Besides the already traditional repertoire the orchestra
performed works corresponding to the festive mood of the day: `Minuet’
and `Joke’ by Bach, waltzes by Strauss, Huno, Hungarian dance by
Brahms, `La Campanella’ by Paganini. Mary Karapetian andthe State
Choir of Artsakh performed `Lullaby’ by Kanachian, `News Went’ by
Satian and `Ave Maria’ by Schubert. `Silent Night’ by Bruber performed
by the orchestra and the choir imparted the concert with special
charm. The concert was closed with ` Jingle Bells’ by James Pierpoint
and `Radetski March’ by Strauss.

SUSANNA BALAYAN.
30-12-2004

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
The Armenian Prelacy
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 689-7810
Fax: (212) 689-7168
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Contact: Iris Papazian

CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – December 30, 2004

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN ISSUES APPEAL
FOR VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate, today issued an appeal to the
Faithful of the Eastern Prelacy for immediate aid for the victims of
the violent earthquake and tidal waves. Calling it a natural disaster
of great magnitude, His Eminence issued the following statement:

We are witnessing what is being described as one of the worst natural
disasters in recent history. As we write this message, the official
death toll has already passed 100,000, and is expected to go even
higher.
The survivors of the massive underwater earthquake that brought on the
violent Tsunamis (tidal waves) need the help of every country and every
person. The areas affected include Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,
India, the Maldives and as far away as Somalia in Africa. It is
critical that help reach these areas as soon as possible, otherwise the
death toll through disease and malnutrition can easily double.
What is needed most urgently is money so that relief agencies can
purchase the necessary staples in areas closer to the disaster areas
and make it available quickly to the suffering population.
We are asking all of our parishes to offer prayers for the dead and
the survivors on Sunday, January 2, asking the Faithful to make special
donations for relief aid to the affected areas. We suggest that the
sermon of the day include a message about the disaster. Whatever money
is collected should be immediately sent to the Prelacy office. We, in
turn, will transfer the total amount to AmeriCares. We have chosen
AmeriCares because this organization quickly came to the aid of the
victims of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia and to this day AmeriCares is
very instrumental in securing medical supplies, medicines, as well as
other items, which we send to Armenia on a regular basis.
Armenians, unfortunately, are all too familiar with great tragedies.
We have been the benefactors of the altruism of others. Let us open our
hearts and our pockets to help humanitarian assistance reach those
caught up in this tragic scenario. We ask you to make every effort to
generously participate in this endeavor so that we can make a
respectful and substantial donation on behalf of the Armenian Church.
As we prepare to celebrate the New Year and the birth of our Lord and
Savior let us bring to life His teachings by helping our fellow human
beings.

Donations can be made through your local parishes or by sending your
check directly to the Prelacy. Checks should be payable to the Armenian
Apostolic Church of America and mailed to 138 E. 39th Street, New York,
NY 10016.

GOOD WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR
Historically, the New Year (Amanor or Gaghand in Armenian), has been a
time of happiness and celebration. In fact, for Armenians it is at the
New Year that gifts are exchanged, and children anticipate the arrival
of Gaghand Baba.
All of us here at Crossroads wish all of you, our valued readers, a
happy and healthy New Year.

CHRISTMAS EDITION OF CROSSROADS NEXT WEEK
Next week we will have a special Christmas edition of Crossroads,
which you will receive on Wednesday instead of Thursday.

RING OUT, WILD BELLS
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Happy New Year!

Visit our website at

Armenian Assembly of America
50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 202
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Phone: 310-360-0091
Fax: 310-360-0094
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
December 30, 2004
CONTACT: Lena Kaimian
Email: [email protected]

ARMENIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY HOSTS “INTERNATIONAL RELIEF, REFUGE, AND
RECOGNITION” TRIBUTE

Los Angeles, CA – The Armenian Assembly, the Armenian General
Benevolent Union and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church are
pleased to announce an event to honor and pay tribute to the numerous
nations that were instrumental in offering their support to the
Armenian people.

The program, entitled “International Relief, Refuge, and Recognition”,
will recognize those nations that have officially acknowledged the
Armenian Genocide, given refuge, and or provided relief to its
survivors. The luncheon will be held on Thursday, February 24th in Los
Angeles and will feature members of the diplomatic corps in
California, relief organizations, scholars, and the media.

This event will also serve as a prelude to a series of local,
national, and international events that will commemorate and raise
awareness of the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

This will expand upon the continued partnership between the three
organizations that began at the Assembly’s 2004 National Conference in
Washington. “This event is significant for our community in order to
recognize those nations that extended their hand to our people and
assisted with the survival of the Armenian nation,” said Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese. The luncheon
welcomes the Armenian-American community and the community at-large.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

NR#2004-111

Iran wants Azeri mediation in talks with Washington – paper

Zerkalo, Baku
29 Dec 04

Iran has proposed that Baku act as a mediator to help resolve Tehran’s
problems with the USA, the Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo said. The
newspaper reported that Tehran is ready to resolve all disputed issues
with Azerbaijan, including the status of the Caspian, which has been a
bone of contention between the two countries for a long time, and not
to use force against Azerbaijan in return for a guarantee that
Azerbaijan will not allow the USA to invade or strike Iran from its
territory. The following is an excerpt from R. Mirqadirov report by
Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 29 December headlined “Tehran needs
Baku’s support” and subheaded “Although it blackmails us by missile
strikes”. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:

The last month before the New Year can be regarded as an “Iranian”
month in Baku. In this short period of time, four high-ranking
officials of the Tehran regime visited the Azerbaijani capital. The
Iranian president’s special envoy on Caspian issues, Mehdi Safari,
Health Minister Mas’ud Pezeshkian, Information Minister Ali Yunesi and
finally Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani visited the capital. Almost
immediately after the New Year celebrations in early January, Baku
expects Iranian Vice-President Huseyn Marishan [untraced]. But let us
go back to the already paid visits, during which a number of
sensational statements were made.

Rapprochement on Caspian

Immediately after Mehdi Safari’s visit, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign
Minister Xalaf Xalafov said he does not rule out that an agreement may
be signed with Iran on the division of the Caspian during President
Ilham Aliyev’s official visit to Tehran in January 2005. “A certain
rapprochement” is being felt in the negotiating process between
Azerbaijan and Iran on the division of the Caspian and “there is
mutual understanding in the parties’ approaches”, Xalafov said.

Incidentally, the opposition and the independent press described
Safari’s visit as “a secret one” because of the lack of any
information on the negotiations although the Iranian president’s
special envoy met President Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizada and
finally Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

After Safari, Iranian Information Minister Ali Yunesi visited Baku and
held negotiations with Azerbaijan’s ruling elite, including the
president.

Yunesi stressed at his meeting with the president that they “are
looking forward” to the Azerbaijani president’s visit to Iran. This
visit will contribute to “peace and stability in the region”, the
guest said. Yunesi noted the high level of cooperation between the two
countries’ special services.

[Passage omitted: protocols on cooperation and memorandum were signed]

Diadem of Iranian visits

However, the diadem of the “Iranian month” in Baku was the visit by
Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani. It is worth noting that it was
Shamkhani’s first visit to Azerbaijan. The press service of the
Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said before the visit that no documents
were planned to be signed on the outcome of the meeting. And that was
the case. But the statement issued by Shamkhani was more than
eloquent. “Azerbaijan’s security is our security. Our defence
capability is your defence capability. We are ready to establish any
relations with Azerbaijan and there is no force to prevent this,”
Shamkhani said.

Nearly the same scenario was observed during Shamkhani’s meetings with
the Azerbaijani president and the foreign minister.

Thus, visits to Azerbaijan by Iran’s high-ranking dignitaries have
become frequent in recent months. The Azerbaijani president delicately
hinted at this fact at his meeting with Shamkhani.

He said that the recent frequent visits to Azerbaijan by various
official delegations from Iran clearly testify to the expansion of
bilateral relations. In his view, the successful development of
Azerbaijani-Iranian relations serves the cause of strengthening peace
and security in the region.

Azerbaijan could mediate between Iran and USA

One gets the impression that Iran wants to resolve all disputed
problems with Azerbaijan in an accelerated way. Most political
analysts in Baku believe that Iran is at least trying to minimize the
US presence in the region with Russia’s support. The primary objective
here is not to let Azerbaijan become a bridgehead for US troops and
members of the antiterrorist coalition in the fight against Iran.

Informed experts believe that the issue of a US military presence in
Azerbaijan in this or other form will be finally resolved in 2005. All
this may happen under the pretext of protecting the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline and offshore fields.

An informed military source told Zerkalo that the purpose of
Shamkhani’s visit to Baku is “to eliminate the clandestine military
confrontation between the two countries” and find out the future of
Azerbaijan’s policy towards Iran. Because many in Baku still remember
the violations of our maritime and air borders by Iranian planes and
vessels.

Zerkalo has found out from informed diplomatic sources that the Tehran
regime suggests that Baku act as a mediator in negotiations with
Washington, since it is not quite sure about the “endurance” of its
only ally in the region, Russia, following the developments in
Ukraine. In return, Iran is ready to settle all disputed issues with
Azerbaijan, as mentioned above, first of all, to provide security
guarantees, or in other words, to promise by means of an agreement
that Iran will never use force to resolve disputed issues between the
two countries. This is how Shamkhani’s statement that “Azerbaijan’s
security is our security” should be interpreted.

“Blackmail”

Besides, the same informed sources also said that Tehran is ready to
sign a bilateral agreement on the status of the Caspian under
conditions offered by [the late Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev
during his official visit to Tehran. In other words, Tehran is ready
to agree to the division of the Caspian into national sectors by a
median line. This being the case, the disputed oil fields will be
exploited jointly.

In return, Tehran wants to get a guarantee that Azerbaijan’s territory
will not be used by the USA to invade or strike Iran. Besides, Tehran
suggests that Baku act as a mediator to resolve the existing problems
with the USA, since it meets Azerbaijan’s interests, too.

Nevertheless, the source said, there is an element of blackmail in
this “bargaining”. The matter is that the representatives of Tehran
made a clear hint during the negotiations that if the USA uses
Azerbaijani territory to invade or carry out missile strikes on Iran,
a retaliatory missile strike on Azerbaijan will be unavoidable.