Reports of anti-Semitism in Armenia seek to save Israel’s reputation – paper

Azg, Yerevan
19 Nov 04

Text of Ara Martirosyan’s report in Armenian newspaper Azg on 19
November headlined “Armenians are expressing anti-Semitism?”

Recently the Jewish community of Armenia has talked about signs of
anti-Semitism in the country. Such statements are weird, to say the
least, as there is no Jewish community as such in Armenia, but there
are Armenian-Jewish families and children from these mixed
marriages. They can be considered both Jews and Armenians. Secondly,
the authors of the statement should have known that not only
anti-Semitism but also any kind of xenophobia is strange for
Armenians. So what is the reason for this statement made on behalf of
the Jewish community in Armenia, most of whom must be unaware of it?

The expression of Jewish chauvinism and disgraceful actions taken
against a servant of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem are still fresh
in our memory. Not long after the incident with the Armenian priest, a
servant of the Greek Orthodox Church was attacked. It is already a
fact that the Israelis do not, to put it mildly, have a friendly
disposition towards the country’s national and religious minorities
and that Armenians see the result of this anti-Armenian mood every
day.

It is interesting why the so-called Jewish community of Armenia did
not condemn the anti-Armenian acts, instead of declaring that they are
being persecuted.

It is clear as day that they are trying to save Jerusalem’s
reputation. As there is no serious ground for accusing Armenians of
anti-Semitism, we may assume that they want to justify the
anti-Armenian mood. This step puts them on a level with their wretched
compatriots.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish minister says private airline allowed to fly to Armenia

Anatolia news agency
18 Nov 04

Ankara, 18 November: Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said on
Thursday [18 November] that the Armenian Airlines had not made any
request about flights to Istanbul so far.

Replying to questions of journalists, Yildirim said, ”if the Turkish
Airlines (THY) decide to start flights to Armenia, the Armenian
Airlines can start flights to Istanbul. Any land and air border
between Turkey and Armenia are not open. However, a private airlines
company has been allowed to fly to Armenia. In the course of time,
Armenia will see that reaching the world is possible only via
Turkey. Then problems will be resolved.”

[Passage omitted]

No bomb found after warning at school near US embassy in Armenia

Armenian Radio First Programme, Yerevan
19 Nov 04

[Presenter] The propaganda of terror is again being spread in
Yerevan. Last time unknown people spread information that an
earthquake was expected, even giving the exact time, whereas this time
they have reported that a bomb has been placed in one of Yerevan’s
schools.

This causes anxiety and unrest among the people. What is the purpose
of the terror propaganda is not yet known. We asked the head of the
public information department of the Armenian Directorate for
Emergency Situations, Nikolay Grigoryan, to answer our question.

[Nikolay Grigoryan] The Yerevan Police Department received a call at
1040 [0640 gmt] that an explosive device had been placed at Yerevan’s
Chekhov School. The director of the Chekhov School, Gayane
Sarukhanyan, reported that at 1043 [0643 gmt] an unknown man called
and said that a terrorist act was expected at Chekhov School at 1200
sharp [0800 gmt]. The man who called the school asked the school
headmistress to take the news seriously. After the call, a joint plan
and emergency measures of the Directorate for Emergency Situations,
the police and health organizations were put into operation.

Teachers and pupils were fully evacuated at 1125 [0725 gmt]. The
law-enforcement agencies and dog-handlers are working at the scene and
have not found any explosive device. Apart from this, all the rescue
team, ambulances and operational employees are at the scene and they
are carrying on their work.

This is not the first and won’t be the last terror call. Generally
such calls have very severe and grave consequences.

I would like to give a warning that similar calls and warnings can be
verified only by the official information of the government
authorities. All this is rumours and gossip aimed at spreading fear
and anxiety among people.

Parliamentary speaker welcomes youth visit to Karabakh

Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
18 Nov 04

Stepanakert , 18 November: The chairman of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic [NKR] parliament, Oleg Yesayan, received a group of youth
organizations from various countries, who are visiting Artsakh
[Karabakh], and also members of NKR youth organizations on 16
November.

The head of the public relations department at the International
All-Armenian Youth Centre (Yerevan), which is the initiator of the
young activists’ visit to the NKR, group leader Ruben Markosyan noted
that the purpose of the visit is to familiarize the guests with the
formation of youth activity in Nagornyy Karabakh, with achievements
and problems in the public, political, legislative, social-economic
and educational-cultural spheres.

It was noted that young people from Sweden, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia
and Montenegro, Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Latvia and also
various international youth organizations have arrived in Artsakh.

For his part, Oleg Yesayan said that the NKR authorities are
interested in such visits, as they provide an opportunity to show the
world how, under a political, communications and also information
blockade and without international aid, the people of Artsakh and
their leadership are building an independent and sovereign state.

“We think”, he said, “that we are far from our final goal, but we have
definitely come a long way.” It was noted that the NKR authorities,
including the National Assembly, spoke highly of the Artsakh youth
organizations’ work.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan values Turkey’s support in Karabakh conflict – president

ANS TV, Baku
19 Nov 04

[Presenter] The newly-appointed Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Turan Morali, submitted his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev
today. Aliyev congratulated Morali on his appointment. He said that
Turkey was the first country to recognize Azerbaijan’s
independence. Speaking about the history of Azerbaijani-Turkish
relations, Aliyev said that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [oil pipeline] and
the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum [gas pipeline] projects developed these
relations even more.

[Aliyev speaking at ceremony of submitting credentials] Turkey always
sides with our country in the settlement of Azerbaijan’s most painful
problem, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. We have
been constantly feeling this support and feel the same
today. Azerbaijan has been trying to settle this conflict only within
the framework of international legal norms, and we are confident that
we will achieve our goal and the international legal norms will be
applied.

Greek shares close lower, OTE outperforms

AFX Europe (Focus);
Nov 19, 2004

ATHENS (AFX) – Shares closed lower on blue-chip profit-taking late in
the session, brokers said.

The Athens bourse benchmark general index shed 0.34 pct at 2,623.13
points.

Index heavyweight OTE Telecom bucked the trend, gaining 1.11 pct to
12.76 eur after UBS upped its price target on the share.

UBS increased its price target on OTE to 12.5 eur from 10.5 eur,
reflecting a more aggressive cost-cutting process, slightly less top
line pressure and a lower corporate tax rate.

Brokers said positive news regarding OTE’s foreign investments also
helped lift sentiment in the stock.

Local press reports said that OTE’s talks with Armenia on the market
conditions under which telecom operator Armentel operates are going
well, paving the way for the Greek company’s divestment from
Armenia. OTE owns 90 pct of Armentel and has said that it intends to
pull out of the Armenian market.

Subsidiary cellular operator Cosmote dropped 1.56 pct to 13.88
eur. Earlier, Dresdner increased its price target on cellular operator
Cosmote to 17 eur from 15.50 eur and maintained its buy rating on the
share.

Blue chips dipped 0.42 pct and banks fell 0.83 pct.

Investors chipped away at recent gains in Emporiki Bank, Greece’s
fourth largest bank based on assets. Emporiki gave up 2.29 pct at
23.92 eur.

Alpha Bank dropped 1.23 pct to 24.10 eur and National Bank eased 0.09
pct to 23 eur.

Mid caps slipped 0.69 pct and small caps eased 0.28 pct.

Losers beat winners 188 to 102 with 65 unchanged on volume of 150 mln
eur.

Hungarian court to ignore signatures gathered by pressure group – Azeri
expert

Ekho, Baku
19 Nov 04

Text of R. Tofiqoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 19
November headlined “100,000 signatures in support of Ramil Safarov”
and subheaded “In the view of lawyers, the action of the Karabakh
Liberation Organization was meaningless”

The Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO] has said that it sent an
appeal with 100,000 signatures to the Budapest city court on 16
November to support a defendant, Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov.

The trial is to take place on 23 November. It is said that the appeal
was signed by people living in Baku, Ganca, Sumqayit, Sabirabad,
Lankaran, Barda, Saki, Saatli, Imisli and other towns of
Azerbaijan. The document expresses the hope that the investigation
carried out by the Hungarian law-enforcement bodies and the trial
itself will both be fair. It also urges that any pressure from the
Armenian lobby be ignored.

The KLO also hopes that the appeal signed by 100,000 people will catch
the attention of the Hungarian judiciary. “Moreover, we believe that
your ruling will help to strengthen friendship, cooperation and mutual
trust between Azerbaijan and Hungary,” the appeal said.

However, lawyers are sure that the step taken by the KLO will have no
significant impact on the ruling of the Budapest court. I did not
advise the KLO members to send such an appeal, lawyer Adil Ismayilov,
who represents the interests of the Safarov family, has told Ekho in a
telephone conversation from Budapest. “But they did what they did and
there is nothing I can say about that,” he said.

Meanwhile, well-known lawyer Erkin Gadirov shares the view of his
colleague. “I can only confirm that the opinion of Ismayilov is
correct. He is absolutely right: the appeal can have no positive
influence on the court’s ruling. I hope that it will not have a
negative impact.” In principle, such actions carry no judicial
significance, Gadirov said.

“The signatures can have no procedural significance for the judges. At
any rate, even if a Hungarian judge somehow receives the document, as
a judge he has to ignore it. Judges take decisions on the basis of
their country’s laws, whereas the signatories are unable to act as
proof of something,” the expert said.

Thames River – Results of EGM

Regulatory News Service
Nov 19, 2004

RNS Number:4554F Thames River Traditional Funds 19 November 2004 STOCK
EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT For Immediate Release 19 November 2004 Thames
River Traditional Funds plc Re: Results of Extraordinary General
Meetings The Directors of Thames River Traditional Funds plc (the
“Company”) wish to announce that, the resolutions regarding amendments
to the Investment Objective and Policy of the Eastern European Fund
and the Global Emerging Markets Fund, sub-funds of the Company, as
detailed in a Circular sent to shareholders on 22 October, 2004, were
passed at an extraordinary general meeting held on 12 November,
2004. The amendments to the Investment Objective and Policy of the
Eastern European Fund and the Global Emerging Markets Fund are set out
below: Eastern European Fund The definition of “Eastern Europe” in
Supplement 3 of the Prospectus has been amended to include the
following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Following this change, the third and
fourth paragraphs of the investment objective and policy section of
Supplement 3 of the Prospectus in respect of the Eastern European Fund
will read as follows: “Investment will be made primarily in the
securities of companies listed or traded on markets or exchanges in
Eastern Europe although the Fund reserves the right to invest in
companies whose securities are traded on other Recognised Exchanges in
which the Company may invest where these derive a substantial
proportion of revenue or profits from investments or business
conducted in or from Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe will for this
purpose include but shall not be limited to any or all of the
following countries or their successor states: Bulgaria, Croatia, the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey and
Ukraine. Investment in securities of companies located in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will be undertaken
through depository receipts or other transferable securities such as
bonds issued by corporate and governmental issuers traded on
Recognised Exchanges.” Global Emerging Markets Fund “Russia and the
states of the Russian Federation” has been replaced with “Russia and
the countries of the Former Soviet Union” in the list of countries
included in which the Global Emerging Markets Fund will primarily
invest. “Bulgaria” has also been added to this list. Following this
change the first paragraph of the investment objective and policy
section of Supplement 5 of the Prospectus in respect of the Global
Emerging Markets Fund will read as follows: “The investment objective
of the Global Emerging Markets Fund is to achieve capital appreciation
through investment primarily in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile,
Venezuela, Peru, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Bulgaria, Croatia, the Baltic Republics, Ukraine, Turkey, Egypt,
Israel, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, South Africa, Sri Lanka,
Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, Russia and the
countries of the Former Soviet Union and, in addition, such countries
as may, at the time of investment, be in the Morgan Stanley Capital
International Emerging Markets Free Index (known as “MSCI EMF”),
collectively “Global Emerging Market Countries” or “Global Emerging
Markets”. Enquiries: Ashling Walsh Dillon Eustace +353 1 667 0022 J&E
Davy Elaine Drennan +353 1 614 8933 This announcement has been issued
through the Companies Announcement Service of the Irish Stock
Exchange. This information is provided by RNS The company news service
from the London Stock Exchange

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Separatist Karabakh premier regrets Azeri absence from youth forum

Arminfo, Yerevan
19 Nov 04

STEPANAKERT

The fact that the republic has not been recognized makes it impossible
to cooperate with international financial organizations, foreign banks
and developed countries, the prime minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic, Anushavan Daniyelyan, told a visiting delegation of
representatives of youth organizations from Sweden, Italy, Bulgaria,
Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Georgia and
Armenia yesterday.

He said that half of Nagornyy Karabakh was destroyed as a result of
hostilities. The process of restoring and reforming the destroyed
Nagornyy Karabakh economy is progressing in very difficult
conditions. However, it has been possible to create a liberal economy
in Nagornyy Karabakh, the process of reforms has covered all spheres
and many of them are experiencing a quantitative and qualitative
change for the better, Daniyelyan said.

He expressed his regret over the absence of Azerbaijani youth from
Stepanakert.

“We need to solve our problems with Azerbaijan at all levels,
including the assistance of people’s diplomacy, and the attraction of
youth is necessary,” he said.

Speaking about the socioeconomic situation in Nagornyy Karabakh, the
prime minister said a programme of economic reforms aimed at free
market relations and based on the equality of all ownership types and
economic liberalization priorities had been under way since 2000,
which has helped boost the economy and ensure a significant growth in
the population’s income. Macroeconomic indices suggest that the
economic reforms of the last few years have been effective and have
produced the anticipated results. In 1999, the government introduced a
new tax policy. The income tax stake was lowered from 25 to 15 per
cent, to 10 per cent in 2000, and to 5 per cent in 2001, which is
still in effect. In 2003, industrial growth in the republic exceeded
40 per cent. Foreign investment commands almost two thirds of the
industrial growth. The amount of foreign investment over the last few
years is approaching 50m dollars. Among major investors are the USA,
Russia, Lebanon, Belgium, Switzerland, Iran, France, Australia,
etc. Not a single foreign enterprise has suffered a failure in
Nagornyy Karabakh so far, Anushavan Daniyelyan said.

[Passage omitted: other industrial and agricultural statistics]

Anushavan Daniyelyan added that the USA is the only country providing
assistance to Nagornyy Karabakh at the state level. Most of US
humanitarian assistance is spent on restoring the residential
settlements and other important sites of the republic destroyed during
the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Terror warning closes school near US embassy in Armenia

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
19 Nov 04

YEREVAN

Yerevan’s Chekhov School received an anonymous phone call at around
1030 [0630 gmt] this morning that an act of terrorism was being
prepared. The school is in the city centre next to the US embassy.

Teachers and pupils were evacuated as a matter of urgency. At present
the school is surrounded by employees of the law-enforcement agencies
who are investigating the warning.

The law-enforcement agencies are at present refraining from official
comment.