President of Azerbaijan advocates closer ties with China

Interfax
25 Oct. 2004

Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the state of Azerbaijani-
Chinese economic relations and voiced hopes for closer cooperation.

During a meeting in Baku with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing,
“the president expressed satisfaction with the activity of Chinese
companies in Azerbaijan, especially in the fuel and energy sector,
and expressed hopes for successful cooperation in non-oil sectors as
well,” the Azerbaijani presidential press service told Interfax.

Aliyev and Li also discussed territorial problems. “Mutual support
by Baku and Beijing was noted on the Nagorno-Karabakh and Taiwan
problems,” the press service said.

Li said he hopes the planned visit by Aliyev to Beijing in 2005 will
strengthen relations.

Preparations for the visit and monitoring the enforcement of
Azerbaijani- Chinese agreements are the main goals of Li’s visit
to Baku.

Beijing supports Baku on Nagorno-Karabakh

Interfax
25 Oct. 2004

Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Beijing supports Baku’s position in
settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, said Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Speaking at a press conference following negotiations with his Chinese
counterpart Li Zhaoxing on Saturday, Mammadyarov said, “We touched
upon the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, and China yet again confirmed
its support of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.”

The two countries “have many common positions on regional and
international problems,” he said.

Li said at the same news conference that “Azerbaijan and China have
common interests in political issues, and they understand, trust,
and support each other.”

A number of Chinese companies, particularly those engaged in the
hi-tech sector, operate in Azerbaijan, and Beijing supports Azerbaijani
investments in China, he said.

“Trade turnover between the two countries stood at $230.8 million. We
believe that the potential for our trade and economic relations is
much higher and hope it will expand,” he said.
From: Baghdasarian

Chinese FM satisfied with first official visit to Azerbaijan

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
25 Oct. 2004

Baku, October 23, AssA-Irada

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who arrived in Baku for his
first official visit on Friday, met with his Azerbaijani counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov on Saturday. The two ministers held a joint news
conference following the meeting.

The status of political, economic, cultural, educational, tourism
and humanitarian relations between the two countries were discussed
during the meeting, Mammadyarov told the news conference.

Pointing out the high level bilateral relations, Mammadyarov underlined
that both countries have common position on regional issues and
within international organizations. “China supports Azerbaijan’s
right position on the Upper Garabagh conflict,” he noted.

Expressing satisfaction with his first visit to Baku, Zhaoxing called
Azerbaijan a friendly country. Recalling the deep historical roots
of the Azerbaijan-China relations, the Chinese foreign minister said:
“If earlier the Silk Way was connecting our states, today our attempts
to achieve peace and development make our countries closer.”

Assessing late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev’s visit to China
in 1994 as a successful one, Zhaoxing stressed that relations between
the two countries began to develop rapidly after the visit. “China
and Azerbaijan have common interests in political issues and we always
trust and support each other,” he underlined.

Touching upon bilateral economic relations, the Chinese diplomat said
that there exists great potential to increase goods turnover between
the two countries. He welcomed Chinese business people’s investments
in the Azerbaijani economy.

Speaking about great changes happened in China over the recent years,
Zhaoxing invited Azerbaijani journalists to his country to witness
the changes.*

The Bombay Express

Sunday, October 24, 2004

India lose to leader Ukraine

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Posted online: Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 0043 hours IST

MALLORCA, OCTOBER 22: The Indian men succumbed to their first defeat
against Ukraine going down by a minimal margin of 1.5-2.5 in a keenly
contested match of the seventh round of the Chess Olympiad here.

For India, Viswanathan Anand drew with Vassily Ivanchuk, Sasikrian
held former world champion Ruslan Ponomariov to a draw, P Harikrishna
missed his winning chances before signing peace with Pavel Eljanov
while Abhijit Kunte was humbled by Sergey Karjakin.

In the biggest sensational result of the Olympiad, ninth seed
Bulgaria defeated top seed and Russia 2.5-1.5 to change the equations
dramatically.

As things stand now at the half-way stage in the biggest chess event,
Ukraine moved to 21.5 points after their triumph over India and
also stretched its lead to 2 points. Anand had come well-armed for
this important match and for the first time Ivanchuk was in serious
troubles in this Olympiad.

Eves hold US

Indian eves held third seed United States to a creditable draw
in the seventh round of the women’s section. It turned out to be
an all-drawn encounter for the Indian girls as all three — Koneru
Humpy, S Vijayalakshmi and Dronavalli Harika settled for truce with
Zsuzsa Polgar, IM Irina Krush and WGN Anna Zatonskih without any
real troubles.

The Indian girls next in the standing list along with US, Russia,
France, Ukraine, Sweden, Bulgaria, Armenia and Kazakhstan who all
have 13.5 points.

Memorandum to the PACE Monitoring Committee on the Situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti

Akhalkalak, A-INFO, 25 October 2004.- The members of the Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly Committee on the honouring of obligations
and commitments by member states of the Council of Europe (Monitoring
Committee) is visiting Georgia on 25-26 October 2004.

During their meetings the monitoring committee members will exchange
views with the representatives of Georgian Government and Parliament,
international organizations present in Georgia, international and local
NGOs and media.

On this occasion, the Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations
of the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia, on 21 October 2004, have
sent the following memorandum to the Monitoring Committee.

M E M O R A N D U M

THE SITUATION IN THE SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI REGION IN GEORGIA
AND GEORGIA’S OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Submitted to the
Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments
by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)

Submitted by the
Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations
of the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia

21 October 2004

As you prepare to hold your next meeting in Georgia, we, the leaders
of the Armenian nongovernmental organizations of the Samtskhe-Javakheti
territory in Georgia, attaching great importance to the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of our country, wish to bring to your attention
the critical situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti, which if left unresolved,
could have dire consequences for the population of the territory and
for Georgia as a whole.

When joining the Council of Europe in 1999, the following were among
the obligations and commitments Georgia undertook:

a) to sign and ratify, within a year after its accession, the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European
Charter for Regional or Minority Languages;

b) to sign and ratify, within three years after its accession, the
European Charter of Local Self-Government, […] and in the meantime
to apply the fundamental principles of [this] instrument;

c) to enact, within two years after its accession, a legal framework
determining the status of the autonomous territories and guaranteeing
them broad autonomy, the exact terms of which are to be negotiated
with the representatives of the territories concerned;

d) to amend, within three years after its accession, the law on
autonomy and local government to enable all the heads of councils to
be elected instead of being appointed;

e) to adopt, within two years after its accession, a law on minorities
based on the principles of Assembly Recommendation 1201 (1993).

Five years after accession, Georgia has yet to take steps towards
fulfilling the above-mentioned commitments and obligations. In fact,
the process of fulfilling these commitments before the Council of
Europe has failed, and, inter alia, has made the situation in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region critical.

The 1995 Georgian constitution does not define the administrative
structure of the country and in practice the district-level
self-government does not match democratic standards. In the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region, discriminatory laws and practices have
left the Armenian population far less represented in the district
administration. There are no elective bodies on the regional level and
there is no legislative base for the institution of state commissioners
appointed by presidential decrees. The present administrative structure
and the method of governance do not take into account the specifics of
the region and do not correspond to the needs of the population. The
system has long demonstrated that it is bankrupt and unfruitful. The
Samtskhe-Javakheti region has actually been pushed out of the governing
processes of the country.

The administrative governance of the region has been frustrated. At
the local level, flagrant discrimination is practiced against the
local Armenian population; in contrast to the rest of the country,
in the Armenian populated areas of Samtskhe-Javakheti most sakrebulos
(locally elected bodies) incorporate several villages, whereas each
Georgian populated village has a separate sakrebulo, thus artificially
increasing the Georgian presence in the rayon (district) level.

These measures, policies and practices are in direct contradiction
to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which Georgia had
undertaken to sign and ratify within three years after its accession
and in the meantime to apply the fundamental principles of this
instrument.

No short- or long-term socio-economic programs to serve the interests
of the population are implemented. The poverty and desperation have
reached threatening levels. Educational and cultural conditions are
unsatisfactory.

In the last ten months, we have conveyed our concerns and
recommendations to the highest authorities in Georgia and to the
(now former) Secretary General of the Council of Europe, but to no
avail. All of them have failed to even acknowledge receipt of our
written communications.

It is crucial to have the Samtskhe-Javakheti region fully integrated in
the state, political, socioeconomic and cultural lives of the country.
But integration is not synonymous to assimilation, neither is autonomy
to secession. In a democratic society, integration can only be achieved
through participation. Policies and practices pursuing assimilation
or artificial and forceful change of demographic realities can only
result in the opposite. Integration requires that both the majority
and the minority have the desire for it and the willingness to take
mutual steps towards each other.

Under the guise of integration, the Georgian authorities have
enacted laws which are contrary to the spirit and letter of the
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
which Georgia had undertaken to sign and ratify within a year
after its accession, but has failed to do so after over five years
following its accession. Furthermore, and in direct contradiction
of the above-mentioned Framework Convention and European Charter,
the Georgian authorities have recently introduced a draft law on
education, which, if enacted, would effectively prevent Georgia’s
national minorities, including the Armenians, from education at all
levels in their relevant regional or minority languages.

There is no broad social-political consensus in the country on
political issues connected with ethnic diversity of Georgia and
its internal political and administrative systems. The reported
Armenian ancestry of politicians and public figures is often
regarded to be derogatory. Whereas the existence of a large number
of Armenian cultural and religious monuments, as well as historical
records speak of the fact that in Southern Georgia, including in
the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, the Armenians are natives, Georgian
society regards the Armenians in those regions as newcomers. There is
recorded evidence of attempts to “Georgianize” these monuments. The
Georgian authorities are sending contradictory messages on how
national minorities can protect and promote their linguistic and
cultural rights: whereas, on the one hand, the Georgian authorities
are undermining the linguistic and cultural rights of the law-abiding
national minorities, on the other hand, in order to appease those who
have declared their independence from Georgia, the same authorities
promise them to protect and promote their language and culture in
return for restoring Georgian sovereignty on those territories.

We are convinced that if Georgia completely and sincerely honours
its accession obligations and commitments, especially those mentioned
at the beginning of this Memorandum, it would greatly help alleviate
the serious situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti.

Hence we appeal to you, the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations
and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, to ensure
that Georgia honours its commitments entered into on its accession
to the Council of Europe. We are at the disposal of your Committee
for further elaboration and discussion.

Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations
of the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia
Akhalkalaki, 21 October 2004

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

AN IRANIAN DELEGATION IN ANTELIAS

ANTELIAS, LEBANON – A high ranking Iranian delegation met His Holiness Aram
I in Antelias at the Church Headquarters. A number of matters pertaining to
the Armenian Community in Iran, and the Christian Muslim dialogue occupied
an important place on the agenda. The meeting was also attended by
Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian the Primate of the Diocese of Tehran and Mr.
Kevork Vartanian, the Armenian Deputy in the parliament of Iran.

During the meeting, His Holiness Aram I emphasized the importance of
interfaith dialogue and particularly Christian-Muslim dialogue. He said: “We
are living in world where the dialogue is no more a question of choice.
Globalization, pluralistic societies and common threats and challenges of
new times call all religions, cultures and nations to engage themselves
seriously and actively in dialogue. Dialogue doesn’t mean to accept the view
of the other. It means to listen each other and respect each other the way
we are. Hence I consider the dialogue of religions and cultures of crucial
importance for the future of humanity”.

##

View printable pictures here:

***************

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Foul play suspected in jumbo death

Deccan Herald, India
25 Oct. 2004

Mysore zoo authorities smell a larger racket in the death of animals,
including seven-year-old elephant Komala, which was to be airlifted
to the Yerewan zoo in Armenia, DHNS reports from Mysore.

The authorities suspect foul play in Komala’s death as preliminary
investigations indicate that the death could have been due to
poisoning. “More precisely, the death is similar to the death of
elephants Ganesha and Roopa and a male lion-tailed macaque,” according
to zoo Director Manoj Kumar. Soon after the death of two elephants and
the macaque, the zoo management took action to prevent such tragedies.
At the same time the police began inquiry into the killings and even
interrogated several employees. Six zoo employees had been suspended.

The deaths have surfaced within one month after the serial tragedies
struck. Who are killing the animals? What is their motive? These are
the questions that are still unanswered. Komala’s death has puzzled
the zoo authorities as she was kept under tight vigil to be flown to
Armenia as a “special gift” to the president of Armenia. The elephant
was all set to fly to the Yerewan zoo to pair with her partner,
a male elephant from Moscow.

Rumour has it that rivalry among the zoo employees regarding who
should accompany Komala could be the cause of poisoning of the animal.

Meanwhile, M N Shivakumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Forests,
Ecology and Environment held an emergency meeting with Zoo Authority
of Karnataka member-Secretary Suresh and zoo Director Manoj Kumar,
following instructions from Chief Minister N Dharam Singh.

Mr Suresh told Deccan Herald that the principal secretary collected
details about Komala’s death and previous deaths. He also collected
details about the preventive measures taken by the zoo in the aftermath
of the deaths.

“We feel that Komala could have been poisoned based on the symptoms. It
will be confirmed only after investigations of the viscera and blood
samples,” he said.

Elephants a drain on state exchequer
Ravik Bhattacharya in Kolkata

The Statesman, India
25 Oct. 2004

Oct. 24. — Tamed pachyderms have become Bengal’s white elephants.
There is a sudden glut in elephants bred in captivity in West Bengal,
and the state’s cash-strapped forest department is finding it difficult
to maintain them.

There are 76 of them now in the state’s reserve forests stretching the
state’s means, but the authorities have allegedly ignored opportunities
to “gift away” some of the animals to other states and countries.

The elephants are a drain on the resources till they reach the age
of 8-10 years or six ft in height when they can be put to use, local
elephant experts said. Trained elephants are usually used to patrol
forests, carry tourists on jungle safaris and capture wild animals,
particularly untamed elephants.

Jaldapara, Buxa and Gorumara in north Bengal are home to these animals
along with their trainers.

Forest officials said these trained elephants were breeding fast and
it was becoming difficult for them to maintain them.

The forest department has identified more than a dozen elephants
from the 76 now available that could be given away to others, but
the government reportedly hasn’t moved on the suggestion.

“It requires a lot of money to maintain elephants bred in captivity.
Besides, a large number of trained manpower is needed to train these
animals,” a forest official said.

One option is to give away the animals to others needing them. And
there are quite a few takers at home and abroad.

But the state government is unmoved. It recently let slip a chance
to send one of the 76 elephants to Armenia as a gift to its President
Robert Kocharian.

There is a male elephant in Armenia’s Yerevan Zoo, but it needs a
female companion. Bengal’s forest officials had chosen Shakuntala,
a six-year-old well-mannered young elephant. However, the government
sat on the proposal and now Shakuntala has missed the flight.

Instead, Komala, a seven-and-a-half year old female elephant from
Mysore zoo has been flown to Armenia on 15 October. Other states
have also asked West Bengal for elephants, but the state government
is not acting yet.

“After a point it will be difficult to maintain any more trained
elephants. There is a glut already. We need to take steps before
these become really and truly white elephants,” an official said.

“There are various reasons behind the elephants getting costly day
by day. Firstly, the population of elephants have multiplied, but not
their utility. Previously they were used in the log and timber industry
but now machines can do the job faster,” said Mr Pradip Kumar Vyas,
director Sunderban Tiger Reserve and a wildlife expert.

“More over the elephant rides in the state is highly subsidised. You
earn less than you spend on these animals. Female elephants are used
in tourist rides because of their good temperament, yet during and
after pregnancy they are unusable for months. Last but not least,
there were many takers for elephants in the past, including the
royalty and the rich . Now they hardly have any takers,” said Mr Vyas.

Guns Found at Concert Attended by Georgian, Armenian Presidents

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
25 Oct. 2004

25/10/2004 04:50

Georgia Security Ministry officials found guns one hour prior to
the concert.

Georgian Security Ministry officials found a sniper rifle and a
Kalashnikov assault rifle late on October 23 in the concert hall in
downtown Tbilisi, one hour prior to the show, which was later attended
by the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his visiting Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharian.

Security Ministry officials say that the investigation in ongoing
and decline to comment who is the owner of the guns.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NDTV.com, India
25 Oct. 2004

Chess: India lose to Russia at Mallorca

India suffered a 1.5-2.5 defeat against top seeds and defending
champions Russia in the ninth round of the 36th Chess Olympiad here at
the Gran Casino.

Viswanathan Anand gave India an early lead but his effort went in vain.

Leading from the front, Anand crashed through the defences of
Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich.

Krishnan Sasikiran also did well on the second board in getting an easy
draw as black against Russian champion Peter Svidler.

Leading the downfall

But the remaining two boards saw the Indian downfall as Surya Shekhar
Ganguly was outdone from a complicated position by Vadim Zvjaginsev.

Harikrishna missed out on a simple winning manoeuvre against Alexey
Dreev before he was eventually tamed.

In hindsight, it could have been 3-1 in India’s favour but in the end
the six-time winners proved superior.

Top of the table

Leaders Ukraine, who settled for a 2-2 draw with fourth seeds Armenians
on the top table, maintained a 2.5 advantage over Russia (24.5).

With just five more rounds remaining, USA was the biggest gainer of the
day as they moved to sole third spot on 24 points after drubbing Spain
‘A’ 3.5-0.5.

Armenia and third seed Israel were in joint fourth spot on 23 points
while the Indians shared the sixth spot on 22.5 along with Switzerland,
Bulgaria, France, Slovenia, Azerbaijan and Cuba.

Poland and Moldova were next in line on 22 points each. More

For Ukraine, Andrei Volokitin delivered the goods against Smbat Lputian
on the third board while veteran Rafael Vaganian put it across former
World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov to level scores for Armenia.

As the other two boards were drawn, Ukraine maintained their no-loss
record and took their tally to 27 points out of a possible 36.

Victory in vain

Anand was brilliance personified as he outplayed Morozevich in an
extremely complicated game arising out of a Sicilian defence and
leading to a Hedgehog setup.

“I think I was winning after the opening itself, it looks to me like he
was two tempis (moves) down but then the nature of the position is such
that black can make some complications and Morozevich succeeded in
doing that,” said Anand about the opening after the match.

In the middle game, for quite sometime, Morozevich’s trademark
complications were quite visible as he had Anand looking out for best
manoeuvres to maintain the upper hand.

The Russian finally faltered when he fell way behind on the clock and
sacrificed an exchange, missing Anand’s bait that left him tottering on
move 37. Anand finally netted the full point in 45 moves.

Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran also came out with flying colours on
board two for India as he held Svidler to a creditable draw with black
pieces. (PTI)