Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan, in Armenian
17 Nov 04

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT LEAVES FOR GERMANY

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan left for Germany on a three-day
working visit today.

During the visit Robert Kocharyan will meet German President Horst
Koehler, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and representatives of the
German business community.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 17, 2004, Wednesday

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER: ARMENIA SETTLES OCCUPIED AREAS IN
AZERBAIJAN

Official Baku has evidence that Armenia has been settling the
occupied areas of Azerbaijan outside Nagorny Karabakh, Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov told Interfax.

In his words, the fact of illegal settlement in these areas is even
noted in a human rights report by the U.S. Department of State.
Mamedyarov named Kelbadzhar, Zangelan and Dzhabrail as the districts
where Armenians are getting settled. In his words, Armenia is
attracting settlers by extending them loans, credits and other
financial aid.

Therefore, Azerbaijan has submitted the issue on the situation on the
occupied areas of Azerbaijan for discussion of the UN General
Assembly. The Geneva Convention bans colonization of the occupied
areas. Baku expects Armenia to realize that the settlement
contradicts the international laws and start resettling those who
have settled there.

At the same time, Mamedyarov said that Baku doesn’t link debating in
the UN to the talks on adjustment of the conflict in the framework of
the Minsk Group and is ready to resume the talks any moment and at
any place. He reminded that the talks were suspended by request of
Armenia, which needed to “comprehend” the situation.

Mamedyarov didn’t rule out that Azerbaijan might appeal to the Hague
court in case the lawyers find this necessary.

Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin

A-Info news agency, Akhalkalaki, in Armenian
15 Nov 04

Envoy vows to implement “serious” projects in Georgia’s
Armenian-populated area

Akhalkalaki, 5 November: The Georgian president’s representative in
Samtskhe-Javakhetia [Georgia’s Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti
Region], Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, has said that from now on he will
meet journalists every weekend and brief them on weekly events in the
region.

A number of important events will be organized in the region, he
said.

The presidential representative pledged to brief the media and the
local community on a regular basis on relations between the company
BP and local residents. He also promised to focus on the developments
in the customs and transport spheres.

Nikolozishvili intends to implement serious projects and relies on
the media for the coverage of his activities.

A-Info news agency, Akhalkalaki, in Armenian 1210 gmt 15 Nov 04

European Report
November 17, 2004

EU BILATERAL AVIATION AGREEMENTS WITH AZERBAIJAN TO BE REVISED
SHORTLY

Bilateral air services agreements between Azerbaijan and the EU
Member States will be adapted shortly to permit all European airlines
to offer flights to Azerbaijan from any Member State with a bilateral
pact with the country. Airlines have thus far only be able to fly to
Azerbaijan from their country of origin, a fact in contradiction with
Community law since the Court of Justice’s now notorious ruling of
November 2002 on bilateral aviation agreements with the United States
(open sky agreements). The agreement with Azerbaijan was signed on
November 14 during a visit to the region by Francois Lamoureux,
Director-General of the European Commission’s DG Transport.

In September, Chile was the first country to agree to the inclusion
of so-called “Community carrier” clauses in bilateral agreements with
the Member States, permitting airlines to offer flights from other
Member States. It has since been followed by Lebanon and Georgia.
Azerbaijan is therefore fourth on the list of States proposing to
review their bilateral pacts (any revision would take effect
following the official signing of the amended agreement) to fall in
line with European law. Negotiations are due to begin shortly with
Armenia and the countries of Central Asia.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of the Independent Councillor, City of Ryde
Email: [email protected], or Alt. Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9879 4159 , Mobile: 0412 048 330
PO Box 631, Galesville, NSW 2111, Australia

Science prize goes to UNSW again
16 November 2004

The Australasian Science prize has been awarded to an academic from
UNSW, for the second year in a row.

The 2004 prize has been awarded to Professor Levon Khachigian, an
NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow in the Centre for Vascular
Research (CVR) in the Faculty of Medicine.

Professor Khachigian and his 15-strong team in the Transcription and
Gene Targeting Laboratory are hoping to develop novel treatments for
arterial diseases, including several aggressive cancers, based on
innovative ways for identifying genes that damage blood vessels.

“I think that one of our strengths is our ability to translate
fundamental observations into potential therapeutic strategies,” said
Professor Khachigian. “We like to think of inventive ways to interfere
with key molecules and the cellular events that would otherwise lead
to the manifestation of disease.”

Their most recent discovery is of molecular tools that block the
growth of aggressive melanoma in mice.

In accepting the prize, Professor Khachigian called for increased
funding for health and medical research by Government in its new term
– an area, which he claims, received scant attention in the recent
federal election campaign. “Otherwise we risk losing the opportunity
of capturing and building upon the people, project and infrastructure
investments already made,” he said. “Our competitive position as an
international player in research is squarely dependent on adequate
government funding.”

“Fundamental understanding is critical to any area of research, which
is why we need to support curiosity-driven research,” said Professor
Khachigian.

UNSW Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Wainwright, and Professor Michelle
Haber, Director of the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia applauded
Professor Khachigian’s impressive body of research. He was presented
the Award by the editor of Australasian Science Guy Nolch.

Last year, another UNSW academic, Emeritus Scientia Professor Mark
Rowe, was presented with the prize for his work as a sensory
neuroscientist.

Next month Professor Khachigian will be awarded his Doctor of Science
(Research), his third degree over 23 years from UNSW.

Our Congratulation to Professor Levon Khachigian and his family,
Prof. Khachigian is born in Lebanon of Armenian Parents he resides in
Ryde, he is married and has two children.

Sarkis Yedelian, Councillor, City of Ryde.

For further information about Australasian Science go to the website.

Racing Post
November 17, 2004, Wednesday

FOOTBALL: 10-1 ARMENIA’S TASK MADE EASIER

by IAN COYNE

HILLS yesterday slashed Armenia to 9-2 from 7-1 to win their World
Cup qualifier against Romania today after Steaua Bucharest’s
Florentin Dumitru became the 13th player to withdraw from the
visitors’ squad.

Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu is expected to field an experimental
line-up including uncapped defenders Mihai Pascovici of Farul
Constanta and Lucian Goian of FCM Bacau, and midfielders Tiberiu
Balan of Sportul Studentesc and Ciprian Danciu of Otelul Galati.

Ladbrokes should see plenty of business for the home side in their
shops, as they are 10-1 Armenia on their coupons but only 7-1 for
internet and telephone clients.

Punters who backed Wrexham at 3-1 with Skybet to be relegated from
League One at the start of the season will be far happier than the
beleaguered north Wales outfit’s fans after the club applied to go
into administration in order to avoid a winding-up order from the
High Court.

Clubs in administration receive an automatic ten-point penalty from
the Football League, which would leave the Dragons second-bottom in
the standings. The club owe pounds 800,000 in unpaid taxes.

Steven Gerrard is expected to return to Liverpool’s midfield against
Middlesbrough on Saturday after playing the second half of a Reds
reserves game on Monday.

Gerrard, who broke a bone in his foot in the Merseysiders’ 2-1 defeat
against Manchester United on September 20, admitted he hopes to stay
injury-free for the remainder of the campaign.

Anyone who fancies backing Mexico at 1-100 to beat St Kitts and Nevis
can do so with Blue Square, who are betting on tonight’s Concacaf
World Cup qualifiers.

Blue Square – Concacaf World Cup qualifiers (kick -off time): 5-4
Honduras v 17-10 Costa Rica, 11-5 draw (11pm); 1-8 Trinidad & Tobago
v 11 St Vincent, 11-2 draw (11pm); 6-5 Panama v 7-4 El Salvador, 11-5
draw (12.30am); 2-7 USA v 7 Jamaica, 7-2 draw (1.15am); 1-100 Mexico
v 33 St Kitts & Nevis, 9 draw (2am).

RosBusinessConsulting Database
November 17, 2004 Wednesday 8:24 am, EST

Russian energy exports to Georgia to restart today

RAO UES will resume electrical energy supplies to Georgia’s capital
Tbilisi at 6 p.m. Moscow time today, Dangiras Mikolayunis, the
General Director of the Tbilisi electrical energy distributing
company TELASI, told journalists. According to him, 100 megawatts of
electrical energy will be imported daily and this will solve the
problem of the energy crisis in Tbilisi and partially in other
regions.

The resumption of imports became possible after the Kartli-2 power
line, which had been damaged in an act of sabotage, was restored.

TELASI has also resumed electrical energy imports from Armenia to
Tbilisi today totaling 100 megawatts per day.

Athens News Agency
November 16, 2004

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE EXAMINES ISSUE OF
TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION

STRASBOURG (ANA/O. Tsipira) – The European Parliament’s Foreign
Affairs Committee examined the issue of Turkey’s accession to the
European Union in the framework of a discussion which took place on
Tuesday night on the report by Dutch Eurodeputy Kamiel Erlings which
will be put to the vote at the European Parliament in December

Other issues discussed were the issue of Cyprus, the genocide of the
Armenians, the Kurdish question and the situation concerning human
rights in Turkey

Ruling New Democracy party Eurodeputy Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos said
“it is unacceptable that forces of Turkey, a candidate country,
should occupy part of the territory of a member-state, while it is
also unacceptable that its military establishment should give
instructions to its forces for provocative acts against another
member-state.” Dimitrakopoulos further said that on December 17 the
European Council must decide positively on a date for the beginning
of accession negotiations

Main opposition PASOK party Eurodeputy Panos Beglitis, referring to
Turkey, said “this country has carried out an institutional
revolution. It has a European prospect. In other words, we say ‘yes’
to the beginning of negotiations, but without this being considered a
‘blank cheque’. We demand, therefore, respect for the political and
economic criteria of Copenhagen and respect for the acquis
communautaire.” Cypriot Democratic Rally Eurodeputy Ioannis
Kasoulides said on his part amendments which create the impression
that Turkey no longer has any obligations concerning a solution to
the issue of Cyprus because the majority of Greek Cypriots said ‘no’
in the referendum on the Annan plan are very negative.
From: Baghdasarian

Baltic News Service
November 16, 2004

ESTONIAN TARTU’S FORMER TWIN CITY IN ARMENIA WANTS TO REKNIT TIES

TALLINN, Nov 16

Estonia’s second-largest city Tartu’s former twin city in Armenia,
Gumri (earlier Leninakan), is keen to restore the broken ties.

The Armenian city is very interested in picking up the threads of the
good relationship with Tartu, Mayor of Tartu Laine Janes said after
meeting with the mayor of Gumri, Vardan Ghukasyan.

“We can offer them support and consultations in the framework of the
soon-to-be-launched European Union neighbor integration program,”
Janes told BNS through a spokesperson for the city government.

Both mayors found the two cities’ cooperation in the fields of
culture and education needs to be strengthened.

The mayor of Gumri will probably visit Tartu next May in the
framework of the Armenian regional affairs minister’s visit to this
Baltic state.

Gumri is the second-largest city in Armenia after the capital Yerevan
with a population of about 150,000.

The city was in 1989 hit by a strong earthquake that destroyed
practically all of it, claiming around 25,000 lives.

Baltic News Service
November 16, 2004

ESTONIAN PRESIDENT GIVES OVERVIEW OF EU NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY TO
ARMENIAN LEADERS

TALLINN

Estonian President Arnold Ruutel on Monday met in the course of an
official visit to Armenia with the prime minister of the country,
Andranik Margaryan.

The Estonian head of state gave in the meeting an overview of the
principles of the European Union’s neighbourhood policy which would
be applied also in relations with South Caucasian countries, the
president’s office reports.

The prime minister gave recognition to the regional cooperation of
the Baltic states and spoke about the specifics of Armenia’s
relations with its neighbors.

Ruutel stressed the importance of mutual understanding in this
context and pointed out the possibilities arising from the Minsk
Process for Southern Caucasus countries.

Talking about participation in international Partnership for Peace
programs, Margaryan said Armenia is ready for cooperation with all
NATO member countries.

The president gave an interview to Armenian television speaking about
the possibilities to promote bilateral relations in various areas.

The Armenian head of state, Robert Kocharyan and his wife, Bella,
hosted a dinner in honour of the Estonian presidential couple. In his
speech at dinner, Ruutel said the Estonian society has by now reached
a level that makes it possible to share with others general
conclusions drawn from the reform process. “We also know that Armenia
is a country where the opinion of Estonia is trusted and expected,”
he added.

Kocharyan said it is important for Armenia to establish
goodneighborly relations with all its neighbors. The conflicts taking
place in Southern Caucasus hinder the natural development of the
region, he observed. “Mutually beneficial regional cooperation
facilitates the resolving of conflicts and stable development of the
region, and creates significant potential for further progress. The
best example of this is the cooperation between the countries of the
Baltic region,” he said.

The Estonian president will continue his visit on Tuesday, delivering
a lecture at the University of Yerevan and meeting with the Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karegin II. Ruutel will
arrive back in Estonia on Tuesday evening.