Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
December 1, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2005 SUMMER INTERNSHIP
PROGRAMS IN WASHINGTON, YEREVAN

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America announced this week
that it is accepting applications for the 2005 Terjenian-Thomas
Assembly Internship Program in Washington, DC and the Summer
Internship Program in Yerevan. Both internship programs provide
college students of Armenian descent an opportunity to work in those
cities while taking part in a full schedule of educational, cultural
and social activities.

Students who are accepted into the Washington program will be placed
as interns in various offices including congressional, think tank,
media and governmental agencies. Interns also have the opportunity to
meet with U.S Representatives, Senators, other government officials
and noted academians through the Capitol Ideas and Lecture Series
programs. Students will also be exposed to the wide variety of social
activities and networking opportunities that are planned throughout
their eight week stay.

Similarly, students enrolled in the Yerevan program are placed in
Armenian governmental offices and inter-governmental agencies. If
accepted, they will have the opportunity to experience life in their
ancestral homeland while gaining valuable work experience.

At the end of their eight-week stint in our nation’s capital, some
students, like 2002 intern alum and George Washington University
graduate Leslie Azarian of Old Tappan, New Jersey, leave with the
confidence of having gained valuable work experience and life-long
friendships.

“The internship program in DC surpassed all of my expectations,”
Azarian said. “I was offered a full-time job during my senior year of
college and still keep in close contact with members of my internship
class. Without this summer experience, none of this would be
possible.”

Like Azarian, 2004 intern alum Christine Heath of Bloomfield Hills,
MI, currently a junior at the University of Michigan, said, “The
Armenian Assembly has given me a gift that I will carry throughout my
life. I will always cherish the excitement and stimulation of living
and working in our nation’s capital.”

And like her Washington counterparts, 2004 Armenia intern alum Eliz
Agopian’s experience was also inspiring. “Prior to coming to Armenia,
I felt removed from Armenia and my cultural heritage. I had heard
many stories that made me fearful that I might be disappointed from my
visit. Instead, Armenians amazed me with their hospitality,
cheerfulness and intelligence. I realized that Armenia faces some
substantial challenges, but also shows incredible potential.”

Since its founding in 1977, the internship program has welcomed more
than 800 talented college-aged Armenian-Americans to Washington, DC.
Following the success of the Washington program, the Assembly launched
a similar program in Armenia in 1999 to give students an opportunity
to work in Armenian government agencies, meet with Armenian and
Nagorno Karabakh officials and tour historical sites throughout the
region.

To learn more about the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program,
download application forms or apply online, go to the Assembly Web
site at Partial and
full housing scholarships are available to qualified applicants on a
competitive basis. The deadline for completed Washington, DC program
applications is January 15, 2005 and February 15, 2005 for Armenia.
For additional information or assistance with the application process,
please contact Alex Karapetian, Intern Program Manager, at
202-393-3434 ext. 245 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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#2004-103

Photographs available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following
links:

CAPTION: Left to Right: Assembly Intern Program Manager Alex
Karapetian with 2004 summer interns Talar Beylerian, Joe Piatt and
Taniel Koushakijian on Capitol Hill.

CAPTION: Armenia Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian flanked by 2004
Yerevan program participants Alexandra Kazarian, left, and Marina
Nazarbekian.

Associated Press Worldstream
December 1, 2004 Wednesday 11:18 AM Eastern Time

Trade, tanker-jams, Chechnya on agenda in Putin’s Turkey visit

ALEX NICHOLSON; Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW

Trade, tanker-jams in the Bosporus Strait and the thorny subject of
conflict in Chechnya are expected to dominate talks when Russian
President Vladimir Putin makes a state visit to Turkey on Sunday –
the first by a Russian leader since the Soviet collapse.

The two-day visit had been slated for September, but was postponed
when Chechen and other rebels seized a school in southern Russia in
an attack that ended with more than 330 people dead, mostly children.

Putin is to meet with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey and Russia have been rivals for centuries, competing for
influence in Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkans. That
competition increased after the fall of the Soviet Union and the
independence of Turkic states in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

But recently, rivalries have subsided and the two countries have been
concentrating on trade.

Bilateral trade is expected to exceed US$10 billion ([euro]7.5
billion) this year, Russia’s Industry and Energy Minister Viktor
Khristenko said recently. He said that tourism, construction and
commerce by small-time “shuttle traders” who buy Turkish goods for
sale in Russia boosts trade volume to more than US$15 billion
([euro]11 billion).

Turkish companies are active in Russia in retail, construction and
brewing, and investment to date totals US$2 billion ([euro]1.5
billion), Khristenko said.

Energy issues are likely to play a major role in the talks. In an
interview with CNN-Turk television in September, Putin said that his
country, which already provides some 60 percent of Turkey’s natural
gas imports, was considering selling oil to Turkey and exporting fuel
to other countries via Turkey.

Turkey is expected to push Russia to commit to a costly
Turkish-proposed Trans-Thracian pipeline that would run from the
Black Sea to the Aegean. Turkish officials warn that traffic in the
narrow, 21-mile Bosporus has soared by some 30 percent in the past
two years — and that it can’t handle more Russian oil tankers.

Much of the increased traffic is from Russia’s Black Sea port of
Novorossiisk, and exports to the Black Sea via the Caspian pipeline
from Kazakhstan are only set to grow.

Putin and Erdogan are also expected to discuss contentious issues
such as the Caucasus, where Turkey is allied with Azerbaijan and
Russia is friendly with its rival, Armenia.

There could also be tension over Chechnya. Turks sympathize with
their fellow Muslims in the war-ravaged Russian region, and many
Turks trace their ancestry to the Caucasus. Russia has called on
Turkey to crack down on Turkish charities that it claims are doing
too little to stop funds, weapons and new cadres from reaching terrorists.

ArmenPress
Dec 1 2004

TWO ARMENIAN MPs MEET WITH TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Two members of the Armenian
parliament met with the chairman of the Turkish parliament when they
were attending a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
in Turkish Antalya on November 23-25.
Vladimir Badalian and Mekhak Mkhitarian, the two Armenian
lawmakers, said today in Yerevan the 30-minute meeting had been
initiated by Bullent Arinc, the chairman of Turkish parliament, who
spoke about the obstacles preventing the opening of the border with
Armenia and lifting its decade-long blockade.
The Armenians quoted Arinc as saying that he regretted the tragic
events that had occurred at the beginning of the 20-th century but
disagreed with Armenians’ classification that it was a genocide. He
said Armenians use the term excessively to portray it in a manner
that suits their interests, which cannot be accepted by Turkey.
Another obstacle preventing normalization of ties with Armenia,
according to Bullent Arinc is Armenia’s unwillingness to pull out its
troops from the occupied Azeri regions. Incidentally, he accused the
OSCE Minsk group chairmen of inactivity, adding also that Turkey
stands ready to get involved in the Karabagh conflict regulation
process.
Arinc said Turkey wants friendly and warm relations with all its
neighbors, including also Armenia, which was hailed by Armenian
lawmakers, who said Armenia too is interested in such relations.
Vladimir Badalian said they argued that prior to normalization of
relations both countries should establish diplomatic relations. They
also disagreed with Arinc’s arguments that the OSCE Minsk group has
failed to carry out its mission, saying they could not see any other
international peace brokers that could work more effectively.
Armenians also argued that the return of Azerbaijani territories
could not be put forth as a precondition for normalization of ties,
emphasizing the importance of all-level contacts between
representatives of the two nations. They also said that though the
international recognition of the genocide is on the agenda of
Armenia’s foreign policy Yerevan does not make its recognition by
Turkey as a condition for normal ties, adding also that in general
Armenia is not against Turkey’s EU membership.

ArmenPress
Dec 1 2004

ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS WORK TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF SIX PILOTS FROM
EQUATORIAL GUINEA’S PRISON

MALABO, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign ministry said two
government officials who flew to Malabo, the capital of Equatorial
Guinea, to monitor the trial of a group of alleged mercenaries,
including six Armenian pilots, accused of being involved in a plot to
overthrow that country’s president are still in that West-African
state discussing with its authorities the possible ways to secure the
release of their country fellows, sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
In a statement after the verdict was announced the Armenian
ministry had said it will continue to make “every effort” to secure
the release of its citizens. The Guinean defense lawyer of the pilots
also said he would lodge an appeal against “the unfair verdict” with
the Supreme Court.
Captain Ashot Karapetian and five members of his aircrew were
sentenced to 24 and 14 years respectively. All of them pleaded not
guilty to the accusations.
“We are absolutely convinced that the Armenian pilots had nothing
to do with any action directed against Equatorial Guinea and its
government, and the court has not brought any compelling evidence
against them,” the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the two Armenian diplomats, a former Armenian
ambassador to Egypt Sergey Manaserian and head of a government
division Gevork Petrosian were allowed to visit the jailed pilots.
The diplomats had already a meeting with Filiberto Entutumo, the
leader of the ruling party and will meet also with top officials of
that country’s foreign ministry to present the Armenian government’s
request to review the case of the pilots.
The diplomats are also maintaining everyday contacts with the
pilots’ lawyer, who has not yet been given the written decision of
the court in order to take the case to the Supreme Court.
Lawyers for South-African nationals as well as representatives of
the Amnesty International have not been either given the written
verdict.

ArmenPress
Dec 1 2004

FRENCH AUTHORITIES OPEN CRIMINAL CASE INTO A CLASH BETWEEN ARMENIANS
AND TURKS

PARIS, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: French authorities have opened a
criminal case into a recent clash between Armenian and Turkish young
men in the town of Valence. Four Armenians are still in hospital and
two Turks are in custody.
Five young Armenians were injured in Valance, France by a group of
Turks on Monday. In an effort to protest Turkey’s possible entry to
the EU, French Armenians placed a display about the genocide in the
Valance municipality square, and were collecting signatures
supporting the pre-condition of genocide to Turkey’s EU bid. A group
of Turks reportedly made offensive remarks toward the Armenians,
threw bottles at them, and eventually resorted to violence. Four of
the five Armenians were taken to hospital with injuries.
Armenian ambassador in France Edward Nalbandian said not only the
material but also the moral damages sustained by Armenians should be
restored. “French citizens of Turkish origin have violated a French
law that recognizes the right of its citizens to free expression of
their opinions,” he said.
The attack on Armenians was condemned by many members of the
French parliament. Armenian organizations in France published a
message condemning this activity. In a letter addressed to the
minister of internal affairs, they demanded that the criminals face
justice.

ArmenPress
Dec 1 2004

GEORGIA’S FIRST LADY ARRIVES IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Georgia’s First Lady, Sandra
Roulofs, is arriving today evening in Yerevan at the invitation of
Armenian First Lady, Bella Kocharian. She will spend here four days.
In Yerevan Sandra Roelofs will visit the national cancer care
center, the Red Cross Rehabilitation Center. She will also talk to
the faculty and students of Yerevan State University. Her itinerary
includes also a visit to Genocide Memorial, where she will lay a
wreath to the monument of the 1915 genocide victims.
She will meet also Catholicos Karekin II and visit historical and
cultural sites in Armenia.

Baltic News Service
December 1, 2004

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY EXPERTS GOING TO AZERBAIJAN

VILNIUS

A delegation of the Lithuanian Defense Ministry’s experts is going to
Azerbaijan next week to meet with officials of the Defense Ministry
and General Staff.

According to the press release, the Dec. 3-6 visit is scheduled to
address issues of bilateral cooperation, regional security in South
Caucasus, studies of Azerbaijani officers at the Lithuanian War
Academy and the Baltic Defense College in the Estonian city Tartu,
participation in international operations and the course of defense
reforms.

The visit is held as an additional measure in the framework of a
program to ensure support and security in countries of the South
Caucasus. According to the press release, the visit is expected to
assess Azerbaijan’s needs in the light of NATO integration and other
fields.

A bilateral cooperation plan for 2005 should also be signed during
the visit.

Earlier this fall, Defense Ministry experts attended
political-military consultations with Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine. A
decision was made to proceed with cooperation in the field of
military education, offer advice in NATO integration, invite them to
international war games Amber Hope 2005 and exchange visits of
experts.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry decided to continue financing studies
of these countries’ officers at the War Academy in 2005, as well as
pay for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian students at the Baltic
Defense College in Tartu. Lithuanian army experts agreed to hold
practical consultations at the Armenian peacekeeping battalion.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 1, 2004, Wednesday

THE FATE OF THE LAST RUSSIAN BASE IN AZERBAIJAN UNDECIDED

SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 29, 2004, p. 11

by Rauf Mirkadyrov

RUMORS ON THE UPCOMING APPEARANCE OF AMERICAN MILITARY BASES IN
AZERBAIJAN PUT WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN MILITARY OBJECTS FROM THE
COUNTRY INTO THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION

The Gabala radar installation, the only Russian military object left
on the territory of Azerbaijan, is in jeopardy. National parliament
demanded a revision of the terms of lease more than once already. Not
long ago, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Ecology announced that it would
monitor the effect of electromagnetic emanation from the installation
on environment and the population. PR Department of the Russian Space
Force immediately released a statement to the effect that the
emanation was well within the established norms. Unfortunately, local
environmentalists claim quite the opposite. It should be noted here
that all these organizations exist on grants from Western, mostly
American, trusts. Citing their findings, environmentalists claim that
the Gabala radar has a negative effect on nature and health of the
population.

Even parliamentarians joined the campaign – mostly deputies of the
ruling party and that is not something that could happen without an
encouraging nod from the very top. Deputy Dzhangir Guseinov demanded
an answer from defense minister to the question concerning the rumors
that officers of Armenian origin were assigned to the Gabala
installation. The lawmaker called it unacceptable even if the
officers in question were in fact citizens of Russia. Other
parliamentarians and a substantial part of society backed Guseinov.

Well-informed sources claim that a new campaign for the closure of
Gabala was initiated by upper echelons of the Defense Ministry of
Azerbaijan. Allegedly, the matter of leasing the installation to
Russia was settled without the opinion of the Defense Ministry taken
into account, and an insiders claim that the Defense Ministry always
objected to the idea. The fact that the campaign was inspired by the
Defense Ministry is quite indicative. Defense Minister Safar Abiyev
is known as the man who would not do anything without looking over
his shoulder at the United States first.

Sure, official Baku may allegedly find itself under the pressure of
some domestic and, more importantly, external factors sufficiently
serious to initiate negotiations with Russia over liquidation of the
military object. “Electronic equipment may be dismantled and
withdrawn. But it is not the electronics that is valuable in this
particularly case (the electronics in question is fairly outdated
now), it is the building itself as a construction. It cannot be
dismantled. It can only be blown up, destroyed in the manner an
analogous object was destroyed in Latvia,” independent military
expert Dzhasur Mamedov said.

It does not even matter that Russia did not pay all its debts for the
use of the Gabala station before the signing of the lease accord for
a decade (it came into effect in 2002). Russia is paying only $7
million a year for the installation. Meanwhile, Moscow pledged to pay
$30 million worth of electricity bills for between 1992 and 2002. It
has not got down to it yet.

Azerbaijan has all legal grounds to initiate negotiations over
liquidation of the Gabala installation. About a year ago, its
parliament passed a law on national security expressly forbidding
foreign military bases on the territory of the country.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedov told this correspondent
that the Gabala station operates under the lease accord between the
two states and viewing it as a military base is a mistake. As far as
Russia and Azerbaijan are concerned, he said, Gabala is a center of
information and analysis leased by Russia on the basis of an
agreement between our governments.

All the same, Azerbaijan may call Gabala a foreign military base and
initiate liquidation talks at literally any moment.

In the last 30 years or so first the USSR and the US and then Russia
and America signed a series of strategic arms limitation (SALT-I and
II), strategic offensive arms restriction (START-I and II), and
ballistic missile defense systems restriction (Ballistic Missile
Defense Treaty) accords. Said Mamedov, “These accords stipulated a
restriction of missiles with nuclear warheads and abolition of some
early warning radar stations including the Gabala and Latvian ones.
The station in Latvia was blown up, and the sides “forgot” about
Gabala – they probably agreed to. In any case, the provision
concerning elimination of the Gabala installation was never fulfilled
even though the sides never annulled it. Formally, the United States
will be quite within its rights demanding fulfillment of the clause
from Russia.”

So, Azerbaijan has enough formal excuses for initiation of the
liquidation talks. But why bring up the matter at this point
precisely?

Political scientist Metin Yasharoglu does not think that the American
military will want to be neighbors of the Russians no matter on what
pretext they are deployed in Azerbaijan. Reports appeared in the
Western media not long ago that Washington began consultations with
official Baku over the use of the territory of Azerbaijan for strikes
against Iran. Bearing in mind that Moscow is highly unlikely to
support Washington’s idea, the future of the Gabala station becomes
clear: The United States will never permit”enemy” radar behind its
lines.

Yasharoglu says that this turn of events is quite plausible. “Iranian
Foreign Minister Harrazi announced that Tehran accepted all IAEA
demands and abandonment of the uranium-enrichment program as soon as
the reports on strikes at Iran from the territory of Azerbaijan
appeared. President of Iran Hatami called Ilham Aliyev on the phone
on two occasions in the last month,” the expert said. “Shortly before
that, Tehran has finally settled the matter of opening the consulate
of Azerbaijan in Tebriz, the matter that defied a solution for a
decade. So, Iran is making advances to official Baku on the one hand,
and trying to gauge the mood in the upper echelons of Azerbaijan on
the other.”

Moreover, the Gabala radar is not going to be dismantled in the near
future because Aliyev looks up at Russia. Experts say that Vladimir
Putin has some leverage against Azerbaijani leaders.

Sunday Times, Australia
Advertiser, Australia
Mercury, Australia
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
Dec 2 2004

On this day

02dec04

1920 – Armenia cedes territory to Turkey by Treaty of Alexandropol
while Communists seize power in Armenian capital Yerevan and proclaim
a Soviet republic.

1697 – The chancel in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, virtually
destroyed after the Civil War and repaired and redesigned by Sir
Christopher Wren, is formally opened for worship.
1790 – Austrian troops re-enter Brussels and suppress the revolution.

1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself emperor of France in Paris,
taking the crown from attending Pope Pius VII.
1805 – Napoleon wins a brilliant victory at the battle of Austerlitz
against Russia and Austria.
1814 – The Comte de Sade, known as the Marquis de Sade, dies; his
unnatural sexual practices and writings about them led to the term
sadism.
1815 – Britain and Rajah of Nepal sign a peace treaty.
1823 – Gold is discovered in the Fish River near Bathurst, NSW; US
President James Monroe declares the Monroe Doctrine, which opposes
European expansion.
1848 – Austria’s Emperor Ferdinand I abdicates in favour of Franz
Joseph I.
1851 – Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, president of France, suspends the
constitution during a coup. Street fighting breaks out in Paris.
1852 – Second French Empire is proclaimed with Louis-Napoleon
Bonaparte as Emperor Napoleon III.
1854 – Austria concludes alliance with Britain and France.
1856 – France and Spain reach agreement on their frontiers.
1859 – John Brown, American anti-slavery campaigner, is hanged after
an abortive raid on the federal arsenal in Virginia.
1901 – King Camp Gillette patents the first safety razor, which has a
double-edged disposable blade.
1920 – Armenia cedes territory to Turkey by Treaty of Alexandropol
while Communists seize power in Armenian capital Yerevan and proclaim
a Soviet republic.
1932 – Controversial “bodyline” cricket series begins in Sydney
between Australia and England.
1942 – Nuclear chain reaction is demonstrated for the first time by
scientists working on the Manhattan Project underneath the University
of Chicago’s football stadium.
1950 – United Nations agrees to hand over Eritrea to Ethiopia.
1954 – US Senator Joseph McCarthy is censured by the Senate for
browbeating Army personnel with his Communist witch-hunts.
1960 – Australian Government lifts embargo on export of iron ore to
Japan, leading to large expansion of the industry in Western
Australia; The Archbishop of Canterbury visits Pope John XXIII in the
first meeting of the heads of the two major religions.
1961 – Britain refuses Uganda’s request for independence; Cuban
leader Fidel Castro declares himself a Marxist-Leninist who will lead
Cuba to Communism.
1969 – The Boeing 747 jumbo jet makes its debut as 191 people, most
of them reporters and photographers, fly from Seattle to New York
City.
1971 – Britain terminates all treaties with crucial states in Gulf,
leading to formation of United Arab Emirates.
1972 – Gough Whitlam elected Prime Minister of Australia in first ALP
victory in 23 years.
1975 – Israeli jets carry out heavy raids against Palestinian targets
in southern and northern Lebanon, killing 91 people and wounding 150.
Residents of adjacent Lebanese villages in the south are among the
dead and injured.
1982 – In the first operation of its kind, doctors at the University
of Utah Medical Centre implant a permanent artificial heart. Barney
Clark, a retired dentist, lives 112 days with the device.
1986 – More than 16,000 Hindus go on a rampage in New Delhi to
protest at Sikh terrorist killings in Punjab state.
1988 – Arab diplomats introduce resolution in United Nations to move
General Assembly to Geneva so PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat can address
the world body.
1989 – Australian Labor Party under Wayne Goss gains power in
Queensland election after 32 years in opposition.
1990 – Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s center-right coalition easily wins
re-election in first all-German elections since 1932.
1991 – Kidnappers release American Joseph Cicippio, held hostage in
Beirut for more than five years.
1992 – The FMLN guerrillas in El Salvador begin destroying the
weapons they used in a 12-year civil war.
1993 – Drug lord Pablo Escobar, one of the world’s most wanted men,
is killed in a gunfight with security forces in Colombia, 16 months
after he escaped from prison.
1994 – Ferry carrying more than 600 people collides with a freighter
and sinks in Manila Bay, Philippines. Sixty bodies are recovered, 85
people are missing.
1995 – A Singapore court sentences former trader Nick Leeson to 6 1/2
years in prison in the crash of Britain’s oldest merchant bank.
1996 – A bomb explodes on a train bound for the troubled northern
Indian state of Jammu-Kashmir, killing at least 12 people and
injuring 39.
1997 – A Turkish court sentences 33 to death for a mob attack that
killed 37 intellectuals who had gathered in a hotel to discuss
promoting secularism.
1998 – NATO forces arrest General Radislav Krstic, the most senior
Bosnian Serb military figure yet to be seized for UN trial on
genocide and war crimes charges.
1999 – Investigators confirm that a young man who died during a gene
therapy experiment in September was killed by the treatment. Jesse
Gelsinger, 18, was believed to be the first person to die as a direct
result of gene therapy.
2000 – A German court rules that prostitution cannot be considered
illegal if it is done willingly without criminal ties; a Berlin
district had charged a cafe owner with fostering immorality by
renting seven rooms near her cafe to prostitutes who contacted
clients in the bar.
2001 – Enron Corp., the largest United States energy-trading company,
files for bankruptcy protection, dealing a blow to financial markets
worldwide. It is the largest bankruptcy in US history.
2002 – Rowan Williams, known for promoting women bishops and
defending gays, officially becomes Archbishop of Canterbury,
spiritual leader of the world’s 70 million Anglicans.
2003 – Top Israeli officials reject the “Geneva accord”, designed by
former Israeli and Palestinian leaders, saying it fails to advance
the overall peace process.

PanArmenian News
Dec 1 2004

IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE WILL BECOME A REALITY SOON

However, the pipeline will not have a transit function yet.

The construction works of the Armenian segment of Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline started on November 30. It should be reminded that the start
construction works has been postponed several times. If the
construction works comply with the planned schedule, Iranian gas will
be supplied to Armenia already in 2007. The investments are expected
to be recompensed in nine years.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «Sanir» Iranian company will carry out construction
of the first 42km long Meghri-Qajaran segment. According to the
agreement reached during the visit of the president of Iran Mohhamad
Khatami, the Iranian party will fund $30 million. The issue of
contract of the second phase of the pipeline is still not settled.
The second phase is estimated $90 million. As for the construction of
the Iranian part of the pipeline, the construction works are carried
out as scheduled. The cost of the Iranian segment is $110 million.

Construction works are already under way, but the Russian `Gasprom’
still hasn’t given any answer about its participation in the project.
`Gasprom’ doesn’t say `no’. The interest of the Russian company in
the Iran-Armenia pipeline is obvious. But things have gone no further
than elaboration of technical-economic justification of possible
investments. It should be reminded that during his visit in Yerevan,
the vice- president of `Gasprom’ Alexander Ryazanov stated that the
payback dates are a bit above the norms accepted by `Gasprom’.
`Gasprom’ prefers short-term investments. In other cases, political
decisions are usually made. Conflicts between commercial and
political interests are always solved in favor of political
interests. It is worth mentioning that conflicts of that sort are
quite common. Things were like that in spring when `Gasprom’
vice-president opposed to the Prime Minister Michael Fradkov, who
claimed that Moscow intended to supply Russian gas to the third world
markets through Armenia.

It is quite obvious that Moscow delays its answer due to political
considerations, although Russians do not have any grounds for anxiety
concerning the perspectives of Iran Armenian gas pipeline. The
Russian gas will not be forced out from Armenian market by the
Iranian gas, as the latter is nearly twice as more expensive. The
Iranian gas will just ensure Armenia’s energetic safety. It is known
that the Iranian gas will be processed into electricity, which will
be supplied back in its full capacity. The local consumer will
receive gas from Iran only in case of interruptions in the Russian
gas supply. As for the concerns about the plans of Iran to enter the
western market, it is already evident that the Armenian pipeline will
not have transit functions. This became clear when it turned out that
the diameter of the pipe would not exceed 700mm. A pipe with such a
diameter will not allow pumping enough gas needed for transit.

Nevertheless, the gas pipe brought to the Armenian border is 1.5m in
diameter. It means that Teheran does not exclude the possibility of
widening the diameter of the Armenian pipeline in future. However
this information should not alarm Russians. It should rather
encourage them because Moscow has too little resources to prevent the
plans of Iran concerning the outlet to European markets. If Iranian
gas is meant to enter Europe in one way or another, it would be much
better for Russia if it passed through Armenia. In Moscow they
realize it and perhaps this is why they don’t refuse to participate
in the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction project.

There are many alternatives to the Armenian route. At the end of
summer, during negotiations held between the first vice-president of
Iran Mohhamadreza Aref and the prime minister of Turkey Redjeb
Erdoghan a preliminary agreement was reached concerning Iranian gas
transit through Turkey. Besides, the gas pipeline passing through
Azerbaijan is currently being restored. After restoration, the
Iranian gas will get to Georgia already in spring. After this, the
project of laying a gas pipeline along the bottom of Black Sea to
Ukraine will again become relevant. It is estimated that the transit
pipeline Iran-Europe will cost $5 milliards.

Money is not going to be a problem, because the demand for Iranian
gas in Europe increases year by year, which is also promoted by the
recent political processes in Ukraine. Western power engineering
specialists accept that people living in Eastern Europe will have to
celebrate Christmas without light and heat, since the conflict
between Moscow and Kiev may bring to the closure of the pipeline. As
is well known, one third of gas going to Europe passes through the
territory of Ukraine. Creation of alternatives to this source of
energy supply is one of the most topical problems for Europe. Many
members of Russian government realize that sooner or later the
alternative will be created and the Iranian gas will go to northwest,
but the thing is in which way will it go to northwest. In current
conditions the Armenian route is the most acceptable for Moscow.
Russia’s presence in Armenia will enable to control the situation to
some extent. Thus it would be quite logical if the Russian government
ordered `Gasprom’ to participate in the construction of Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline.