Tajik secretary to attend CIS security chiefs’ session in Armenia

Asia-Plus news agency
29 Nov 04

DUSHANBE

Secretary of the Tajik Security Council Amirqul Azimov will attend a
session of the Security Council committee of secretaries of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO] on 30 November. The
Security Council secretaries of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan will meet in Yerevan.

The secretaries are to consider the role and place of the CSTO in
counteracting international terrorism and coordinate a series of
documents aimed at increasing the CSTO’s efficiency in this sphere,
the Tajik Security Council Secretariat told Asia-Plus.

The session is expected to discuss the setting-up of a coordinating
structure of the CSTO member states on counteracting drug
trafficking. It is also to consider the preparation of a list of
terrorist organizations and the training of military cadres.

Over 140kg of drugs seized in Belarus during special operation in CIS

Belapan news agency, Minsk
29 Nov 04

Over 140 kg of drugs have been confiscated by law-enforcement bodies
in Belarus during the Kanal-2004 [Channel-2004] operation that was
held on the territory of the member states of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan), the Belarusian news agency Belapan reported on 29
November. A total of 339 crimes were registered and 334 criminal cases
were instituted in Belarus during the Kanal-2004 operation, the news
agency added. The drugs, property, funds and material values that were
confiscated in Belarus during the operation are worth about 630,000
dollars, Belapan said.

Georgia plays down stoppage of transit cargo in Azerbaijan

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
29 Nov 04

[Presenter] Let’s turn to the events in Georgia. Azerbaijan’s
representatives in Georgia have made their first comments about the
stoppage of Georgia-bound cargo.

Tomorrow employees of the two countries’ customs departments will
start inspecting railway wagons heading for Georgia. The Georgians
will have to prove that the neighbouring state’s produce is not being
forwarded to Armenia. A total of 712 Georgia-bound wagons are sitting
idle at the stations in Azerbaijan. [Passage omitted]

[Correspondent] Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Georgia, who had a meeting
at the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning, has said
that the agreements should not be violated. He was referring to the
agreement prohibiting the forwarding of transit cargo to third
countries if this harms national interests of either country.

[Ramiz Hasanov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Georgia, interviewed] Every
country has its own interests. Would we be infringing Georgia’s
national interests if we were supplying diesel or other produce to
Abkhazia or [South] Ossetia? I think that we would.

[Mikheil Ukleba, deputy foreign minister] Not all cargo is being
blocked. Two hundred and seventy four tank wagons, as well as
grain-loaded trains, have left for Georgia. He [presumably Hasanov]
has stressed that not a single Georgia-bound shipment will be
stopped. [Passage omitted]

[Correspondent] The Georgian Customs Department has said that Georgia,
not Armenia, is the consumer of the products made in Azerbaijan.

[Levan Jgharkava, captioned as head of directorate of the customs
control] Goods made in Azerbaijan have not been going to Azerbaijan
[should be Armenia] via Georgia because there is a separate agreement
on this. While this agreement speaks about the produce of other
countries, i.e. Turkmenistan, passing through Azerbaijan and
Georgia. [sentence as heard]

A delegation of Azerbaijan’s customs department will arrive in Georgia
tomorrow. Together with the Georgians, they will study the information
about the shipments suspended in Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan, Georgia in talks over blocking of railway traffic

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
29 Nov 04

[Presenter] The Azerbaijani ambassador to Georgia, Ramiz Hasanov, has
been invited to the Georgian Foreign Ministry over the detention of
over 900 railway wagons at the Boyuk Kasik station on the
Azerbaijani-Georgian border. While Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Zhvania has said that the situation will not affect bilateral
relations, the Georgian Foreign Ministry has expressed its concern. In
the meantime, the release of the wagons is still in question.

[Correspondent over video of freight trains] The number of wagons
being kept on the Azerbaijani-Georgian border has already reached 975,
the deputy head of the freight processing department under the
Azerbaijani State Railway Department, Teymur Mammadov, has told
ATV. Of these, 450 wagons are loaded with diesel fuel, 396 with grain,
69 with flour, 50 with fuel oil and 12 with LPG [liquefied petroleum
gas].

The issue was discussed during meetings of the visiting representative
from the Georgian Railways Department, (?Ramaz Giorgadze), at the
State Customs Committee. Tomorrow, Azerbaijani customs officials will
leave for Georgia for negotiations, the Azerbaijani ambassador to
Georgia, Ramiz Hasanov, said.

The Azerbaijani diplomat was invited to the Georgian Foreign Ministry
today to discuss the current crisis. Answering journalists’ questions
after the meeting, the ambassador said that Baku insists on the
implementation of the agreement signed during Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Tbilisi. The agreement stipulates that it is
unacceptable to transport by railway cargo that does not meet
Azerbaijan’s and Georgia’s interests.

[Hasanov, over phone] Under that agreement, we have the right to stop
such cargo on suspicion. And this cargo has caused
suspicion. Therefore, we have detained it to conduct an inquiry. Of
course, cargo cannot go through our territory and through the
territory of Georgia to Armenia. We suspect that this cargo might be
bound for Armenia, so we have stopped it.

[Passage omitted: Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania says the
problem should not be blown out of proportion and that some of the
cargo has already crossed the border]

UN expects Azeri government to be more involved in helping refugees

ANS TV, Baku
26 Nov 04

Presenter Natavan Babayeva Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev today
received a delegation led by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud
Lubbers.

At a press conference, Lubbers said that UN resolutions are
meaningless if they are not observed.

Correspondent over video of the press conference I highly value the
programmes implemented by the Azerbaijani government to improve the
living conditions of refugees, and this is the cause for the recent
decrease in aid, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers said
at the press conference on the results of his visit to the region.

Lubbers with Azeri voice-over It is good that despite facing economic
difficulties Azerbaijan spends its profits from oil on refugees. The
international community is somewhat tired. There are two reasons for
that. First, the international community sees that Azerbaijan has
restored its economic and financial strength. We expect the government
to get more involved in this. In spite of that, we will stay in
Azerbaijan and continue our operations as a UN body and with a limited
budget.

Around 70 humanitarian organizations operate in Azerbaijan but among
them the UN office in Azerbaijan has a special role, the head of the
State Commission for Refugees and Involuntary Migrants, Ali Hasanov,
said. It is with the assistance of this body that programmes worth 66m
dollars are being implemented, he said. There is a need to continue
this cooperation, Hasanov said, because correspondent stops in
mid-sentence :

Hasanov Those territories will sooner or later be freed from
occupation. Those people will start returning. In that case we will
have to ask for and benefit from the international experience of the
UN office.

Correspondent In turn, Lubbers said that the main issue now is
achieving the political settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
and returning refugees to their land. But no matter how important
political debates are, they do not help to resolve the conflict, end
of quote. Lubbers also expressed his concern that UN resolutions are
not being implemented.

My task is to help the people who have been subjected to violence,
Lubbers said. He did not forget the 30,000 Armenians living in
Azerbaijan. The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict has worsened their
situation as well and as a humanitarian organization we would like to
help them, he said. Seeing that the idea elicited dissatisfaction from
Azerbaijani journalists, Lubbers said that he was surprised that so
many Armenians live in Azerbaijan. He also added that one may be proud
of Azerbaijan because of the 30,000 Armenians.

SECOND HIGH VOLTAGE POWER TRANSMISSION LINE LAID BETWEEN ARMENIA AND IRAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29. ARMINFO. The second high voltage (220 KV) power
transmission line between Armenia and Iran is to be launched Nov 30
2004, says the director general of the High Voltage Power Transmission
Lines (HVPTL) company Sahak Abrahamyan.

The 82 km line was laid on Iran’s $8.4 mln credit. Its capacity is 200
MW. The line connects Shinuar and Agarak towns in Sunik and is
expected to redouble electricity flows between Iran and Armenia.

The general contractor is Sanir (Iran), the client HVPTL. The project
is based on the energy cooperation memorandum signed by Armenia and
Iran in July 2002. The Iranian credit is to be repaid in electricity
supplies. Dec 1 the sides are to sign a memorandum to lay the third
high voltage line.

Sanir is also the general contractor of the project to lay the
Armenian section of the Megri-Kajaran 42 km gas pipeline. The work is
to be started Nov 30 2004.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgia: Abkhaz war veteran group warns winner of disputed presidential poll

Apsnypress news agency, Sukhumi
29 Nov 04

Excerpt from a statement adopted at a meeting of Abkhaz war veterans
in Sukhumi on 29 November, carried by the Apsnypress news agency

Since the October 2004 presidential election an extremely complex
political situation has developed in Abkhazia. [Passage omitted: the
election was marred by irregularities]

It must be noted that not a single ethnic group voted overwhelmingly
for any of the candidates, except for the Megrelians [Georgians from
the western region of Samegrelo] and Georgians, about 85 per cent of
whom voted for one candidate [Sergey Bagapsh]. Such unanimity can only
be explained by the use of certain election and, more generally,
geopolitical methods [as received]. The identity of the authors of
these methods is apparent from what happened in the not too distant
past in Serbia, Armenia and Georgia. These Western, or, to be more
precise, American methods are aimed at undermining the influence of
Russia, America’s main rival in this part of the world.

Given the fact that the Russian Federation has been our military and
political ally in recent years, what is at stake here is not only the
presidency but the country’s future strategic course. We must be very
thorough in dealing with this issue. This course can only be changed
by citizens of Abkhazia, people who have Abkhaz passports and have
renounced the citizenship of the enemy state [Georgia] and are ready
to serve in the Abkhaz army.

In the present situation, we deem it essential that:

(a) under no circumstances should force be used and any step taken by
either side should be within a legal framework;

(b) the results of the presidential election held in the republic of
Abkhazia should be declared null and void;

(c) within 24 hours, the blockade of all state-owned installations,
including government buildings, the Abkhaz state television and radio
committee as well as all television masts, should be lifted and the
appropriate state agencies should take over the guarding of these
installations;

(d) the formation of a new central electoral commission should begin,
with due account being taken of the interests of public and political
forces;

(e) the process of issuing passports of the republic of Abkhazia
should begin;

(f) a new presidential election should be called in the republic of
Abkhazia.

We appeal to S.V. Bagapsh not to hold an illegal inauguration on 6
December. If he does not take our views into account and proceeds
with his inauguration, we, reservists and special detachment
commanders, will only obey the first president of Abkhazia,
V. Ardzinba.

[dated] 29 November 2004, Sukhumi

DIFFERENT ARMENIAN COMMUNIST PARTIES CELEBRATE SOVIETIZATION OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29. ARMINFO.”Every Armenian family has been
celebrating November 29 for 70 years now as one of its favorite
holidays – the day of sovietization of Armenia. Only those nations
take lessons from their history which respect it,” the leader of
United Communist party Yuri Manukian told a press-conference today.

In his words, Armenia will inevitable return to socialist way of
development. “The communist ideology will by no means be defeated. We
are witnessing only temporary retreat from socialism. Armenian nation
can not live for a long time under such an extreme division of society
into poor and rich,” he said. Manukian expressed concern over the
splitting of communist movement in the country. “We put flowers in
front of the monument to Stepan Shaumian and Alexander Miasnikian
today and there were two other bunches already. However, this did not
make me happy because the supporters of high ideals have not become
stronger with that,” Yuri Manukian said.

Yesterday, the activists of Yerevan city committee of Communist party
of Armenia celebrated 84th anniversary of sovietization in the
republic already yesterday from the ranks of which Yuri Manukian was
expelled in 2001. -A-

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN SEEKS FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH RESOLUTION WITHIN MG AND WITH THE
PARTICIPATE OF KARABAKH: ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29. ARMINFO. Today the chairman of National Assembly
of Armenia Arthur Baghdassarian met with the advisor on international
issues at the Italian ministry of defense, ambassador Pietro Erkolle
Ago.

According to NA press services, the interlocutors discussed the pace
of fulfilment of Armenia’s commitments in front of CE. NA chairman
briefed on the current and future work. He mentioned that PACE has
twice adopted a resolution on Armenian parliament’s performance in
terms of CE commitments. The two also conferred on regional
conflicts. P. Ago informed that a special discussion will be held in
Rome in Jan on resolution of frozen conflicts, including Nagorno
Karabakh. NA chairman mentioned that Armenia seeks a solution to
Nagorno Karabakh conflict within OSCE Minsk Group and with the
participation of Karabakh. At the same time Armenia is against changes
in the conflict resolution formats. A. Baghdasarian said that Azeri
initiative to raise the question of Nagorno Karabakh in UN is not
constructive. In terms of conflict regulation, the sides underscored
deepening of democratic processes and integration into European
structures which will reform the societies in legal and institutional
terms. The sides agreed that Turkey’s more neutral disposition will
largely contribute to conflict regulation. The sides underscored
mutual contacts and discussions of issues with the participation of
different layers of society. The two also discussed other issues. -A-

SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF CALIFORNIAN UNIVERSITY OF LOS ANGELES DEVOTED
TO JERUSALEM OF GREAT SUCCESS LOS ANGELES, November 29 (Noyan
Tapan). Ph. D. Richard Hovhannisian, the Head of the Department of
Contemporary Armenian History of the Californian University of Los
Angeles (UCLA), devoted the 15th scientific conference of the
“Provinces and Towns of Historical Armenia” series organized by him to
Jerusalem. As is well known, the previous scientific conferences of
this series concerned Western Armenia and other areas of today’s
Turkey populated by the great number of the Armenians: from
Van-Vaspurakan till Constantinople and from Izmir till the Black Sea,
as well as Nor Jugha.

The scientific conference, which was presided over by Archbishop
Torgom Manukian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, was also held
under the patronage of other departments of the Californian
University: the Center of Middle East Researches, the Center of
European and Eurasian Researches and the International Institution, as
well as under the patronage of the “Srbots Targmanchats Sanuts” Union
of Jerusalem on November 6-7.

On November 6 morning, when Ph. D. Hovhannisian was opening the
seminar with an opening address, the hall with capacity of 450 places,
was crowded.

John Garsuel (Malaga, Spain) made a report about the Armenian mosaics
of Jerusalem. After 13-year laborious work he described 2,000 samples
of them, publishing the two-volume edition devoted to them (1972).

Former dweller of Jerusalem Abraham Terian (New York) touched upon the
collection of the manuscripts of the St. Hakobiants cloister, their
number made 3.9 thousand. He said that the first written document
concerning the presence of the Armenians in Jerusalem dates to the 6th
century.

Klod Mutafian’s report (Paris-Nord University, Paris) entitled
“Armenian Princes and Jerusalem Kings of the10th-12th Centuries”, as a
matter of fact, was devoted to the Armenian princesses of Cilicia:
Arta, Morpia, Melisant, who became Jerusalem queens after their
marriage. According to Mutafian, Melisant’s possible meeting with
Catholicos Grigor III Pahlavuni (1141) might be a reason for the
reconstruction of the St. Hakobiants cloister.

Sergio Laporta (Jerusalem) spoke about the relations between Mets Haik
and the Jerusalem Patriarchate (the 14th century). The attempts of the
Catholicosate of All Armenians of Cilicia for joining the Romanian
Church were the reason of the opposition of the conservative clergymen
of Eastern Armenia. Jerusalem was part of this opposition. In 1311,
its head Bishop Sargis rose against the decisions of the 1307 Adana
Synod, separated from the Cilician Kingdom and the Catholicosate,
started cooperating with the Mamelukes and founded the
Patriarchate. So, according to the speaker, Jerusalem preserved the
Orthodox nature of the Armenian Church.

Roberta Ervain ( New York) made a report on Patriarch Grigor Paronter,
one of the most interesting persons of Jerusalem (1613-1645). He
enlarged Armenia’s presence in Jerusalem through the purchase of new
territories, fundraising, organization of pilgrimages. By his own
example he restored the spiritual atmosphere at the cloister by
approving a 8-hour prayer. Grigor Paronter also established the
community of celibate women and men.

Emma Kostandian (the National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan) told about
the relations between Khrimian Hayrik and Jerusalem. In particular, in
1852, Khrimian Hayrik visited Jerusalem and wrote the “Invitation to
the Promised Land” poetical work. Being the Patriarch of
Constantinople, Khrimian Hayrik was in correspondence with the
Patriarch of Jerusalem. Khrimian Hayrik was expelled by the Turkish
authorities to Jerusalem in 1890. He left Jerusalem in 1892, when was
elected Catholicos of All Armenians.

Vahram Shemmasian (the Californian State University, Northridge) made
a report, which was full of figures and facts concerning the fate of
4,000 Armenians from the string of death of the Genocide who survived
in Palestine. They were moved to the migration area of the Said harbor
on the eve of the English capture and lived there till 1919 autumn,
when they received an opportunity to come back to their birthplaces.

On November 7, the scientific conference re-opened with the report of
Vardan Matevosian (Der Salvador University, Buenos Aires, and the
Hovhanian Gymnasia, New Jersey) that was devoted to Patriarches
Eghishe Durian and Torgom Gushakian, two progressive figures of
Jerusalem of the 11th century.

Armenian of Jerusalem Petros Ter-Matosian (a person working for
doctor’s degree of the Columbia University, New York) presented the
history of the Armenians of Palestine of 1917-1948, when their number
reached from 3,000 to 15,000 on the eve of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

Another Armenian of Jerusalem Oshin Keshishian, editor of the
“Armenian Observer” English-language weekly newspaper (Glendale
College, Los Angeles), in his speech spoke about the literary work of
Jerusalem, presenting the creative activities of Duryan, Oshakan,
Berberian, Yeghivard, Shen Mahi, Aneli, Vahram Mavian and others.

Participants of the sitting were informed about the current situation
of the Armenian Community of Jerusalem. Silva-Natali Manukian (the
California University, Los Angeles) presented the project of the
restoration of the “Gyulbenkian” Matenadaran of the Patriarchate,
which started in 1995.

Last rappaurteur Sosi Andezian (the National Center of Scientific
Studies, Paris, and the French Studies Center, Jerusalem) made a
report entitled “The Central Role of Jerusalem for the Armenians of
the World”.

After the report Hindlian several times stressed his viewpoint that it
is high time for the Patriarch, who mentioned that the forces of the
unity are insufficient for the resolution of problems, to turn to the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and other Armenian instances for the
achievement of joint aid.

In his concluding speech Ph. D. Richard Hovhannisian said that this
series will be interrupted next April, because an international
symposium will be organized on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide at the California University of Los Angeles on
April 2-3.

Participants of the symposium were received by the Srbots Targmanchats
Sanuts Union on November 5 evening, and by members of the Armenian
educational establishment at Alek Baghdasarian’s apartment on November
6 evening.

After the symposium participants with other invitees were present at
the reception dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Society for
Armenian Studies held at the “Charles Young” hall of the
University. The reception was organized in honor of founders of the
Society Tigran Gulumjian, Richard Hovhannisian (the only present),
Nina Garsoyan, Robert Thomson and late Avetis Sanjian.