ARMENIA COLLECT MORE TAXES THAN PROJECTED

ArmenPress
29 Oct. 2004

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian tax authorities collected
176.3 billion drams in the first nine months of the year, 1 percent
more than projected. Tax revenues have increased almost 20 percent
against the same time span of last year.

The finance and economy ministry said in a press release that one of
the reasons behind higher rate of tax collection was the weaker US
dollar against the national currency Dram. It said the US Dollar’s
has a significant impact on the budget, connected with a big ratio of
incomes received from the sale of imported goods. The ministry said
some progress was observed in collection of direct taxes. It said
some 40.7 percent of tax revenues, 82.8 billion drams, came from VAT,
of which nearly 57 billion drams were levied on the border and the
rest from the domestic turnover of goods and services.

The volume of collected VAT over the same time of last year grew
by 6.5 billion drams or 8.5 percent. Revenues from excise taxes
constituted 29.8 billion drams, accounting for 16.9 percent of all
tax revenues. Some 19.7 billion drams came from goods subject to
excise taxes, of which 11 billion from petrol imports and almost 7.3
billion from import of cigarettes. Excise taxes from domestically
manufactured goods made 10.1 billion drams, of which 5. billion were
from cigarette sale. The growth in excise taxes collection against
the same time of last year stood at 6.8 percent or 1.9 billion drams.

Revenues from income taxes made 14.6 billion drams, a 26.3 percent
growth against last year’s nine months, coming mostly from higher
payroll taxes. Profit taxes made 21.8 billion drams, an 88.6 percent
or 10.2 billion growth against last year.

Also 8.5 billion drams came as customs duties, 18 percent more than
in last year’s nine months. Other revenues came from simplified taxes
and other areas of entrepreneurship.

JIVAN GASPARIAN WANTS TO FOUND SCHOOL TO TEACH DUDUK

ArmenPress
29 Oct. 2004

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS: A Russian-Armenian Unibank made
today a generous donation to support world famous duduk player
Jivan Gasparian’s idea to build a school where he will teach this
old Armenian wind instruments to young boys. Gasparian said also
$12,000 were donated by a London-based businessman of Armenian origin,
Vatche Manukian.

“I am not thinking about going from door to door to ask for money
for the school, instead I will advertise the school in a hope of new
donations,” Jivan Gasparian said, adding that according to preliminary
estimations he will need some $200,000 to realize his dream.

The two-storey building will have a concert school on the ground
floor and classes in the first one.

Gasparian said he will fly soon to the USA to record his music for
another film. His music was recorded for around two dozen American
and European films.

Armenia’s speaker defends party colleagues, stresses fight against corruption

Golos Armenii, Yerevan
28 Oct 04

Armenian National Assembly Chairman Artur Bagdasaryan has said
that parliament is leading the fight against corruption in
the executive authorities. Answering questions from readers of
Armenian newspaper Golos Armenii, Bagdasaryan defended his party’s
personnel policy, backing the science and culture ministers who are
members of the coalition government from his Law-Governed Country
Party. Bagdasaryan said that he had no plans at present to stand in
the next presidential elections. He also said that parliament would
have a thorough discussion on sending troops to Iraq. The following
is an excerpt from Lana Mshetsyan and Tigran Mirzoyan’s “hot line”
interview in Golos Armenii on 28 October headlined “An Armenian studies
magazine will be published,’ Armenian National Assembly Chairman Artur
Bagdasaryan said, answering questions from the Golos Armenii hot line”;
subheadings inserted editorially:

Areg Pogosyan, engineer Predictions have appeared recently in the
media that name you alongside the justice minister David Arutyunyan ,
prosecutor-general Aram Tamazyan and defence minister Serzh Sarkisyan
as the most likely contenders in the next presidential elections. What
do you think of these predictions?

No plans to run for president

Artur Bagdasaryan At present I do not have such plans. I am
philosophical about these predictions.

Passage omitted: cooperation needed in parliament to legislate on
compensation for lost investments in the USSR-era Savings Bank;
Bagdasaryan keen to see more young people in politics

Armenian parties lack sufficient professionals

Bagrat Israelyan, teacher Do you think that the personnel policy based
on the coalition principle has justified itself, or should preference
in appointments be given after all to professional qualities?

Bagdasaryan I don’t think it’s correct to oppose the political and
professional principles in the appointment of personnel when it
is a question of political posts, while other structures of power
are apolitical according to the law on state service. Throughout
the civilized world personnel policy is conducted on the coalition
principle. Not local big shots but professional politicians should be
engaged in politics. Unfortunately, not all parties in Armenia have
sufficient personnel potential. This also concerns the Law-Governed
Country Party Orinats Yerkir . Our party is young and, I think,
in time we will have sufficient professional personnel.

Parliament is fighting corruption

Liana Manukyan, musician Why is parliament passive in the fight
against corruption? If you do not agree with this viewpoint, give
specific examples as the basis for your position.

Artur Bagdasaryan I think that it is precisely parliament that is
fighting corruption, because it is no secret that corruption lies
within the executive authorities. Our Audit Chamber is our main
instrument. For instance, last year for the first time in 15 years
parliament did not approve the government’s privatization programme,
because it is not clear to us how a territory of 4,000 sq.m. in the
city centre can be sold for 21,000 US dollars.

Parliament to have thorough discussion on sending troops to Iraq

Karlen Gabriyelyan, construction engineer What do you think of the
prospect of our military being sent to Iraq? Are you not afraid that
this may turn into a threat to the security of our country?

Bagdasaryan The Armenian parliament should thoroughly discuss this
issue when the National Assembly gets the official document. In giving
legal and political assessments we should strictly base ourselves on
this document.

Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan prefers political and psychological
literature

New rules to punish MPs for failing to attend parliament sittings

Mikhail Avetisov, pensioner Parliament sittings take place in an
almost empty hall. Why do the deputies not attend? And what are you
going to do to bring the opposition back to parliament? Why, when they
are not working in parliament and not fulfilling their obligations,
do the opposition (and not only opposition) deputies get their salary
from the taxpayers’ pocket?

Bagdasaryan The question is correct. There are a certain number of
deputies who do not want to take part in the work of parliament at
all. This is very bad. But these deputies were elected and we cannot do
anything about it. As for deputies who are absent without good reason,
we have already discussed this. Soon corrections will be made to the
sitting regulations, according to which a deputy who does not attend
sittings without good reason will be punished financially.

Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan advises refugees to approach his adviser
to solve their problems; Yerevan residents complain about illegal
construction of Thailand’s consulate; Bagdasaryan says he often
meets veterans

Justice minister cannot personally resolve all problems in legal system

Grigoriy Kazaryan, pensioner The judicial system of Armenia is one
the most corrupt in the republic. The latest famous statements of
the Prosecutor-General’s Office are evidence of this. This is one of
the reasons for the population’s emigration. Do you not think that
Justice Minister David Arutyunyan cannot (or may be does not want) to
correct the situation and should retire? Why is your party called the
Law-Governed Country Party when none of its members fights for justice?

Bagdasaryan We are fighting for justice and many examples are evidence
of this. As for the judicial system, I agree that corruption in this
sphere is very high. There is corruption in the law-enforcement
agencies as well. It is necessary to fight this very negative
phenomenon. As for Justice Minister David Arutyunyan, I do not
think that he personally should settle all the problems connected
with the judicial system, that is, to be responsible for all the
judicial sins. Judicial and legal reform has been conducted in our
country, certain specific reforms will be conducted in 2005. I hope
the situation will gradually change for the better, but for this
social legislation should be improved and the living standards of
population should be raised.

Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan stresses his support for science, will
support publication of an Armenian studies journal; says health
council is working within the law

Defends education and culture ministers

Yervand Manasaryan, professor The ministers who are Law-Governed
Country Party appointees figure constantly in scandals: the science
minister Sergo Yeritsyan does not deal with science, the culture
minister Ovik Oveyan moved from a stupid personnel policy in the circus
to a stupid personnel policy in the choreography school, then in the
Chamber Theatre… ellipses as published What’s next? Surely society
shouldn’t have only to suffer from your personnel idiosyncrasies? Do
you at least know how many people are suffering from the actions of
Law-Governed Country Party appointees in more humble posts?

Bagdasaryan We’ll begin by saying that first of all the Armenian
Academy of Sciences should deal with issues of science. I support this
approach. The ministry is called the Ministry of Education and Science,
but does not in reality have the authority to deal with issues related
to science and we should expand the functions of the Armenian Academy
of Sciences.

As for the minister of culture, he is a very famous cultural figure,
the author of many books and screenplays, a dramatist. All his family
are closely linked with the world of the arts, of creativity. As for
the examples listed, these are in many instances artificial scandals,
which play into someone’s hands… ellipses as published

I cannot agree with the questioner. In many other ministries the
situation is much more complex than in those mentioned. I acknowledge
that there are problems, but no more than in other ministries.

It should not be forgotten that science and culture are the spheres
of individuals, bright, outstanding individuals. So it is not at all
simple to get to grips with things here and one should not rush to
draw conclusions and make accusations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian and Karabakh leadership hold meeting on boosting cooperation

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
29 Oct 04

President Robert Kocharyan held a working meeting today. The members
of the Armenian and Nagornyy Karabakh governments took part in the
session. The president noted that during various meetings with the
president of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic NKR, Arkadiy Gukasyan ,
he came to the conclusion that there is a need to improve cooperation
between the executive authorities of Armenia and the NKR.

Robert Kocharyan said that definite solutions are needed which will
allow contacts not only at the level of presidents and prime ministers
and that also the ministries and departments must work jointly.

The president also noted that Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh are in
the same economic area and the reforms carried out in this sphere
must be balanced.

The president of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Arkadiy Gukasyan,
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan and Artsakh Karabakh Prime
Minister Anushavan Daniyelyan presented their proposals.

Following the results of the session, it was decided to set up a
commission on coordination of joint work, which will make cooperation
between Armenia and the NKR more effective and expedient, and at the
same time to step up mutual visits and contacts.

Video shows the meeting

German Greens to visit Turkey on 1 November

ddp news agency
29 Oct 04

Text of report by German news agency ddp on 29 October entitled
“High-ranking Greens delegation going to Turkey”

Berlin: On Monday 1 November top representatives of the Greens
will go to Turkey for a five-day informational visit. In Ankara the
eight-member delegation will meet Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, the Greens Bundestag
Group announced in Berlin on Friday. In addition, the delegation
will talk with representatives of human rights organizations in the
Turkish capital.

In Istanbul, talks with representatives of the Armenian Patriarchate
and the Ecumenical Patriarchate are also on the agenda. Furthermore,
meetings with representatives of the German-Turkish Industrial and
Trade Chamber are planned. At the conclusion of the visit, Deputy
Bundestag Group Chairman Winfried Nachtwei and Greens leader Claudia
Roth will go to the province of Sirnak in eastern Turkey. There,
German armoured personnel carriers have reportedly been used against
Kurds. Roth announced some days ago that she intends to acquaint
herself with the situation by visiting the area personally.

In addition to Nachtwei and Roth, the talks in Turkey will also
be attended by Bundestag Group Chairwomen Krista Sager and Katrin
Goering-Eckardt, Parliamentary Manager Ekin Deligoz, European affairs
expert Rainder Steenblock, Greens Chairman Reinhard Buetikofer, and
Marieluise Beck, the Federal Government’s commissioner for integration.

OSCE rep says Azerbaijan, Armenia concerned about frequent truce violation

Ekspress, Baku,
29 Oct 04

Text of report by Alakbar Raufoglu in Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress
on 29 October headlined “Who opens fire?” and subheaded “For the time
being, Kasprzyk cannot find culprits”

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has asked the OSCE chairman-in-office
Solomon Pasi that the OSCE’s special mission express its attitude
to the situation on the front line between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian armed forces, the personal representative of the OSCE
chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, told Ekspress newspaper
yesterday. He said that the conflicting countries “are seriously
concerned” about frequent cease-fire violations over the past several
weeks.

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group are also concerned about
the tension. “The situation is clear: attempts are being made to
violate the cease-fire during the “time out” taken in the talks, but
there is a need to put an end to this. All this also casts doubt on
the OSCE’s mediation mission,” Kasprzyk said.

Kasprzyk is preparing a report on the situation on the front line. He
said that reports on the situation by the co-chairmen are mainly
based on information provided by his mission.

“However, our investigation has not yielded any specific results
on which side violates the cease-fire , and, in fact, there is no
special situation. Both sides are observing the cease-fire with great
responsibility. There have always been some cases of instability
which are not ruled out in the future either,” he added.

Kasprzyk also said that cooperation on the issue was continued with
the envoys of the co-chairing countries in Yerevan and Baku, adding
that his report would be submitted to the mediators in the near future.

“Anyway, no-one can justify attempts to disrupt stability. Tension
on the front line can have a negative impact on the efforts to come
to compromises at the peace talks,” Kasprzyk said.

Incidentally, another OSCE monitoring was held yesterday on the
contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces in
the village of Balacafarli of Qazax District northwestern Azerbaijan
. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press service reports that the
monitoring held by representatives of the OSCE and local executive
bodies passed off without incidents.

VOICE OF RUSSIA RE-ESTABLISHES ITSELF ON THE CIS AIRWAVES

ITAR-TASS news agency
29 Oct 04

Moscow, 29 October: One of the top priorities of Voice of Russia,
which has represented its country on the international airwaves for
75 years, is a direct dialogue with its listeners, a spokesman for
this state broadcaster, Armen Oganesyan, said today at the close of
the Radio Without Frontiers conference, which gathered directors and
presidents of foreign radio companies.

Voice of Russia carries 400 programmes on various aspects of life
in the country, broadcasting 115 hours a day in Russian and 31
foreign languages. It has a global audience of 109m in over 160
countries, and from its Internet site transmits live programmes in
17 languages. Experts confidently place Voice of Russia among the
top three world broadcasters, alongside the BBC and Voice of America.

In the post-Soviet zone, Voice of Russia has filled the niche left
by the departure from that zone of some Russian media outlets. Its
breakthrough into the CIS airwaves came two years ago with the creation
of its Sodruzhestvo (Commonwealth) channel, but it has only now gained
the opportunity to broadcast on FM. Voice of Russia programmes are
now available in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan, and the station began domestic broadcasting in Azerbaijan
in October this year.

“Hye” Marks: Bush or Kerry. Will elections make a difference for Armenia?
By Aris Ghazinyan and John Hughes, ArmeniaNow reporters

Armenia Now
29 Oct 2004

When Americans go to the polls on Tuesday, Armenians will be watching,
with more than passive interest.

Armenia’s regional neighborhood has been disturbed by a United
States-initiated war that shows no sign of ending. Diaspora in Iraq
has suffered, and Armenia itself is poised to enter the fight, with
50 Armenian troops scheduled for an undetermined deployment perhaps
by the end of the year.

Whether the man elected the next President of the United States is
the one who started the war (President George W. Bush), or the one
who promises to end it (Senator John Kerry) Tuesday’s outcome could,
of course, have an impact on Armenia’s future and, even, security
(especially if relations worsen between the U.S. and Iran).

At home and in Diaspora, however, the one who is seen as best for
Armenia’s future is widely considered the one who would take a strong
stand regarding her past. In truth, it is doubtful either candidate
would. Needing to keep cozy relations with the U.S. powerhouse partner
in the region, Turkey, the next Chief of State isn’t likely to push
Genocide recognition any farther than predecessors have safely left it.

Still, it appears that the Armenian-American community has pinned
its hopes on Kerry – if not for Kerry, himself, then to express the
anti-Bushism that may be the strongest plank of Kerry’s political
platform.

Before Kerry had even been officially nominated by his party, more
than 20 influential American-Armenian organizations had endorsed him.

“One should realize that for Armenians the party affiliation of a
candidate has absolutely no significance,” says Tigran Gevorgyan, a
political scientist. “For several decades, the only guideline for the
‘Armenian voters’ in the U.S. is the candidates’ position related to
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“Armenians supported Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger by the same
principle in 2003. Earlier, American Armenians have many times voted
for Republican candidates. Particularly, they have twice voted for
Ronald Reagan who, moreover, had promised the Armenians ‘independence
and riddance of the Russian oppression.’ So, the statement of the
Armenian organizations in the U.S. concerning their support of John
Kerry should be perceived in the same context.”

Support for the Massachusetts senator grew from an ill-informed
notion that Kerry would include Genocide recognition as part of his
presidential mandate. It subsequently become clear that hopes pinned
to Kerry for that reason, were misplaced. (He recently inferred that
any attention the subject might get from his administration would be
in the context of assuring continued good U.S. relations with Turkey.)

The American-Armenian community is left, then, to judge the candidates
on other potential merits. And in this line of reasoning, for many,
Bush comes up short as an Armenia-friendly president, if only for
fear of how this part of the world might turn under the influence
of a world leader whose foreign policy centers around “smoking out”
Muslim-world “evil-doers”.

Kiro Manoyan, head of Hay Dat committee of Armenian traditional party
ARF Dashnaktsutiun, holds a somewhat a different viewpoint about
reasons his world-wide political action organization is for Kerry.

“As early as July 26, the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) expressed its support of John Kerry’s candidature,” says
Manoyan. “Many people in Armenia think that our discontent with
Bush is basically conditioned by his policy regarding the Armenian
Genocide. Bush’s distorted promises are, in fact, one of the 14
points of our Statement. The rest of the issues are related to the
Armenian-American relations:

“It was during Bush’s presidency that the direct military assistance to
Azerbaijan made its way, and Article 907 of the Freedom Act was then
interpreted differently – as a charity action. The incumbent head of
the White House never invited Armenia’s president to Washington. He
is the only one of the latest U.S. presidents who never received the
delegation of the Armenian Diaspora in the U.S.

“The activities of the Bush administration regarding the Nagorno
Karabakh issue are also unsatisfying, the failure mostly because of
Heidar Aliyev but Bush continues keeping close relations with the
Aliyev clan. Bush also increased the amount of military assistance
to Turkey which he called ‘a country with a 150 year old tradition of
democracy.’ There are also many other issues connected with corporate
interests in the fuel companies within the area of the South Caucasus.”

Political scientist Ruben Margaryan also maintains that there are
non-Genocide related reasons why Bush is bad for Armenia.

“When Bush came to power, radical ways of resolving regional
controversies were abruptly activated, and the South Caucasus also
proved sensitive to that turnaround. In the course of his presidency
the aggressive statements became more frequent, which forebodes nothing
good. Peace grew more fragile and vulnerable in that period. Today
nobody is able to forecast the further course of events, should the
global and regional radicalism tend to go on for several years. Perhaps
Bush himself is not to blame – there was the tragedy of 9/11. However,
the total tension all over the world today is connected with nobody’s
name but his. In this case, it is difficult to make a clear statement
which of the factors – the negative attitude of Armenians to Bush or
Kerry’s promises to recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide in
case of winning – underlies the Armenian vote.”

Will the U.S. policy change in respect to the countries of the South
Caucasus if Kerry wins?

“John Kerry has been keeping in touch with the Armenian Diaspora for
over 20 years,” says Manoyan. “A member of the Congress and the Senate,
Kerry was handling the issues of the Genocide, the blockade of Armenia
and the U.S.-Armenian trade-economic relations. In the long run,
it should be mentioned that if Bush is reelected the possibility of
changes in Washington’s policy regarding the South Caucasus will be
lost. Whereas we can expect tighter relations between the American
Armenians and the White House if John Kerry becomes president. This
is the least that could change.”

Armenians are fond of saying that “hope is the last to die”. But while
the political scientists speculate on potential shifts of policy,
historians remind that campaign optimism has always wilted in the
reality of politics, once a U.S. president is in office.

Concerning Genocide Recognition: “At the very beginning of the
1920s, Woodrow Wilson made similar statements but in other historic
conditions. He personally signed the well-known map of ‘Independent
Armenia.’ But not a single Armenian promise has ever been kept in
the U.S.,” says historian Armen Hakobyan. “To hope that John Kerry
will be the ‘first violator’ of that tradition is not serious. And
the matter is not the candidate himself but the regional policy of
Washington where Turkey and Israel have absolutely a special place.”

Genocide recognition aside, analyst Manoyan says Kerry is Armenia’s
best choice, if only because his election would introduce a new Vice
President (John Edwards).

“It is important that the Turks at the moment haven’t settled any
relations with the circles of John Kerry, unlike (VP Dick) Cheney
who acts like a lobbyist of Turkish interests,” Manoyan says. “So,
there will surely be positive changes if John Kerry wins.”

Armenia Now
Oct 29, 2004

Through the Brushes of Futurists: Children’s paintings reveal an ideal Armenia
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow Reporter

When the think-tank Armenia 2020 released a book of “scenarios” with
political scientists, journalists, and others speculating on Armenia’s
future, its publication also included paintings, done by children who have
already seen the future, and put it on canvas.

>>From 130 paintings submitted by three different painting clubs, 24 pieces
were selected.

“Very many serious people and mighty organizations often turn to children,
expecting a fresh look, a frank or an imaginary answer the grown-ups usually
lose the ability to find,” said Artashes Ghazakhetyan, Armenia 2020 program
manager. “Besides, the creators of the paintings are themselves the carriers
of that future and it was necessary to know also their opinion and, why not,
to reckon with them, too.”

At first the children were offered several topics: “Myself in the Future”,
“My Future President”, “My Thoughts in the Future,” “My Feelings in the
Future”, “My Country in the Future” and “Armenia in 2020”. The topics were
discussed in all of the clubs but as Sona Banoyan, head of the Gobelin and
Painting Club of the National Aesthetic Center, points it out, the children
were not guided by grown-ups; they have expressed only their own thoughts
and ideas.

During a number of lessons these ideas found their expression in color and
image. Children’s boundless imagination with unique manifestations was
possible to perceive only through the prism of their interpretation.

“I thought long what I would like to see in future, and I found out that the
most indispensable thing is a tree curing of all diseases,” says 13 year old
Aramazd Khababyan.

Aramazd’s picture portrays a magnificent tree burdened with fancy fruits,
each of which, according to the painter, cures a specific disease.
“This flower with red fruits is the most important one – it cures cancer,
and these are like thermometers, so they are fight colds, high temperature.
The main sense of my idea is that the curing fruits of my tree will be
distributed absolutely for free and only to kind people,” interprets
Aramazd.

Along with the optimistic ideas of this boy’s dream tree, Anush Ayvazyan,
14, has raised another global issue that touches her greatly. By her
painting, she says she expresses her protest against human cloning.

“You shouldn’t think I watch the ‘Clone’ soap opera and have chosen this
topic under its influence. No, I’ve been concerned with this problem for a
long time and I don’t want people to be cloned in the future,” sys Anush.
Anushik has built several grounds for her painting. In the first one she has
painted a woman carrying a kid in her arms in the traditional position of
Blessed Virgin. Behind her there are numerous lilac silhouettes, and the
farthest of them are crooked and deformed.

“I portrayed the clones in lilac as it is a kind of mad color for myself.
For instance, if one happens to live in a room painted lilac, one may one
day go crazy. The same will happen to people if every day they see copied
faces that are not born in a normal, divine way but are produced as a result
of some experiments,” says Anushik.

She interprets that the last row of cloned peopled is crooked and
disfigured, which symbolizes the idea of cloning doomed to failure.
In the second ground, Anush portrays another four cloned people who, she
says, look into water and see their distorted reflection. In the final
ground of the picture the teenage girl has touched upon another important
problem by painting the ozone layer with numerous darns that hardly bear the
pressure of the earth pollution.

Nine year old Hayk Hovsepyan has found a very beautiful reply to his older
friend Anushik’s concerns and has portrayed his future Armenia outside the
planet Earth and its problems, on another planet. Hayk’s “New Planet”
pictures a beautiful city with tall buildings, blooming and blossoming
gardens and broad streets. And the planet Earth heaves on the sight.

“I imagine that in 2020 there will be so many of us we’ll grow so mighty
that we’ll create a new Armenia on another more beautiful and wealthy
planet,” the little artist explains. “See, the technology has developed so
much that the cars move without petrol and can fly in the air so that there
is no traffic jam. They fly to the planet Earth any time they like and come
back.”

Emma Ter-Avetisyan’s “President of the Future” is well appropriate for the
new Armenia created by Hayk.

“I painted documents, a computer in the head of my dream president, so that
I can show how smart he should be,” says 12-year old Emma. “I painted the
map of Armenia in one of the eyes, and the world map in the other. That is
to say, he should see Armenia as a part of the world and cooperate with all.
And, the most important, I placed not only people in his heart but also the
flora and fauna so that he takes care of nature, too.”

At age eight, Emma made up her mind to become an architect. But she says her
greater dream is that these children’s paintings become a reality, so that
the flying cars, the curing tree and many other wonderful ideas do not
simply remain on canvas.

To see all the works and read the scenarios, visit

Azerbaijan’s president about to be tested by challenges he inherited
By Andrew Jack

FT
October 30 2004

The hole from theearring that he wore in more carefree times is still
visible in his left ear, but in the past year Ilham Aliev has taken
on the more sober appearance befitting his new role as president
of Azerbaijan.

In his office a portrait of his father, the patriarch Heydar who ruled
over the country in the South Cauc-asus for a decade until his death
last year, looks out sternly, as it does in strategic points across
the capital Baku and the rest of the country.

The principal question today is how far Mr Aliev junior, a fluent
English speaker, is able to assume and modify the legacy of his
father, and how far he remains a captive to the previous powerful
establishment, which remains largely in place.

Like his counterparts in the region, he stresses the challenges he
inherited. “From the time of independence, we had one of the most
difficult situations among the states of the former Soviet Union,”
he says. “The country was completely disintegrating. There was civil
war, domestic problems, elements of chaos and crisis.”

Mr Aliev is operating today against the backdrop of an enlarging
European Union and Nato, however, and his self-professed foreign policy
priority to “integrate into European and euro-atlantic structures”.

Corruption, human rights abuses and democratic restrictions are all
attracting increased international scrutiny as a result.

“Of course there is a lot to be improved,” he says.

“Azerbaijan is a country in transition. Our objective is creating a
normal, pluralistic, democratic country. But it’s very difficult to
create civil society. We need economic growth and education. We must
not expect a miracle, but we have made a lot of positive steps.”

He brushes aside sugg-estions that the state is pressuring print media,
while saying that his min-isters and government officials are within
their rights to pursue publications for libel, in cases that have
proved a powerful blow to local journalists.

He also stresses that he has recently released a group of “so-called
political prisoners”, although last week seven other rival politicians
were convicted. Mr Aliev accuses his opponents of being involved in
violence – and of being those who imposed censorship and tension when
in power at the start of the 1990s.

“We need a normal, civilised relationship between different forces,
but we will never tolerate violence,” he says, adding that he easily
won the election despite international criticism of voting.

He has recently spent time with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin,
and the two men discussed the single most important issue confronting
Mr Aliev: the unresolved conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, the mountain-ous
western zone occupied by Armenia since a ceasefire in 1994.

“Azerbaijan will never compromise its territorial integrity,” he says.

“We are ready to talk about compromises, but outside this issue. We
will not give independence to Nagorno Karabakh or allow it to become
part of Armenia.”

At least in public, he shows little sign of fresh concessions on the
subject, demanding Armenian military withdrawal from the region and
seven surrounding districts that they have occupied, and the return
of almost 1m Azerbaijanis driven out by the conflict.

In exchange, he says he is willing to offer “security guarantees”
for the Armenians left in Nargono Karabakh and “the highest possible
autonomy”.

Despite the challenges, geography has also handed Azerbaijan
significant natural resources. With the strategic Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
set to begin piping local oil for export next summer, and gas output
soon to grow sharply, Mr Aliev faces the prospects of a substantial
boost in government revenues soon.

If he meets his pledge to use the money transparently and to help
kickstart broader economic diversification and reform, he could yet
live up to his father’s legacy. If not, he risks being overshadowed
by it.