MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE

19 October 2004

Official visit of Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian to Italy

Foreign Minister Oskanian arrived in Italy with official visit on 18
October. On the same day minister Oskanian had a meeting with the Foreign
Minister of Italy Franco Frattini.

The foreign ministers discussed a wide range of bilateral and international
issues, taking into consideration the prospects of development of
Armenian-Italian relations concerning various arenas.

The ministers paid special attention to the programs that are of high
priority for the economic development of Armenia and could use Italian
experience in the field of the system of small and medieval enterprises, as
well as development of tourism. For the purpose to encourage Italian
investments parties come to an agreement to improve bilateral legal
framework. Also discussed was the possibility of deepening the relations in
the field of health care, culture and education.

In a course of the political sphere parties paid an attention on the
necessity of frequent mutual visits at the high level. The prospects of
euro-integration of Armenia within the frames of New neighborhood policy of
the EU, as well as the issue of cooperation of the two states in the
international organizations have also been discussed.

The foreign ministers thoroughly discussed the urgent issues of
international policy, developments in the Southern Caucasus, the situation
around the problem of Nagorno-Karabagh and, Armenian-Turkish relations.

On the same day Minister Oskanian visited The Vatican and met the Secretary
of Relations with Foreign States of the Holy See, Giovanni Loyola.

This was the third visit of the Foreign Minister of Armenia to Italy since
the July of 1998, when documents were signed on the encouragement and mutual
protection of capital investments and on consultation between the foreign
services of the two states. The Foreign Minister Oskanian paid his second
visit in the midst of June 2002, during the course of which, an
inter-governmental treaty was signed on the incomes and the escape from
double taxation.

Deputy Foreign Ministers of Italy, Umberto Ranieri and Margherita Boniver,
paid visits to Armenia in June of 2000 and July of 2002.

Itar-Tass, Russia
Oct 19 2004

Russia, Azeri presidents to discuss Caucasus sit, Karabakh

MOSCOW, October 19 (Itar-Tass) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is
to hold a meeting here on Tuesday with his Azeri counterpart Ilkham
Aliyev, who arrived here on Monday for a working visit.

A Kremlin administration official has told Itar-Tass, “Putin and
Aliyev will exchange views on the development of the situation in the
Caucasus area”. In this context, considering the September meetings
of the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in Astana, Putin
and Aliyev will discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

“Russia welcomes a continuation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian dialogue
at various levels, primarily at top level, and is prepared to render
an active assistance to the sides involved in the conflict in the
search for a way out towards a mutually acceptable solution, both on
a bilateral basis and as a co-chairman of the OSCE (Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group (on Nagorno-Karabakh)
and act as guarantor of the prospective accord”, the Russian
presidential administration official pointed out.

Kremlin analysts expect that the two presidents will devote much
attention to a discussion of ways to invigorate the two countries’
anti-terrorist interaction, considering their common attitude towards
the need to intensify the efforts of the world community in the fight
against international terrorism.

“Figuring importantly at the upcoming talks will be matters
concerning a rise in the effectiveness of bilateral
trade-and-economic cooperation, the task of doubling trade turnover
in the coming years, interaction in the fuel-and-energy sector,
machine building, transport, the development of cooperation between
Russia’s regions and Azerbaijan,” the presidential administration
official said.

The Azerbaijani President’s working visit has been timed to coincide
with the holding of the 2nd convention of the All-Russia Azerbaijani
Congress (ARAC) in Moscow. This is the largest and most influential
all-Russia public organisation, which brings together Azerbaijanis
who reside and Russia, and which plays an important role in the
socio-economic and cultural life of Russia, and in the strengthening
of Russo-Azerbaijani versatile cooperation.

Forum organisers have announced that participants in the ARAC
convention will discuss ways to unite Azerbaijanis who live in Russia
still more closely and raise their economic and socio-political
status. Those present at the convention are also to consider problems
being encountered by Azerbaijanis in Russia.

The ARAC was established in March 2001 with the support of the
leadership of the two countries. The first session of the ARAC was
held in October of the same year. The forum has united more than 70
Azerbaijani public organisations, including regional ones instituted
in 54 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The ARAC
activities involve prominent scientists, cultural figures, members of
business circles closely connected with Russia and Azerbaijan. The
ARAC prioritises the preservation of spiritual and historical
traditions of Azeri nationals, and the ensurance of the legal
protection of compatriots from manifestations of discrimination on an
ethnic basis.

New York Times, NY
Oct 19 2004

Home of 3 Faiths, Rubbing One Another the Wrong Way
By STEVEN ERLANGER

Published: October 19, 2004

ERUSALEM, Oct. 18 – To all the depredations and brutality meted out
in the name of religion in the holy city, add a little spit.

When a young yeshiva student spat at the cross-carrying Armenian
archbishop of Jerusalem, Nourhan Manougian, the archbishop struck
back, a fistfight broke out, the police were called and a new debate
started spinning about the nature of intolerance among the faithful.

Jerusalem may have the world’s highest diversity of religious belief
per square meter but here, it seems, diversity does not produce a lot
of tolerance.

In fact, it is almost the reverse, suggests Rabbi David Rosen, based
in Jerusalem as head of inter-religious affairs for the American
Jewish Committee. “It’s the paradox of Jerusalem,” Mr. Rosen said.
The competition among true believers of all faiths creates tension,
not ecumenicism.

“Here, the vast majority of Muslims, Christians and Jews live with a
pre-modern mentality, a linear truth,” he said. “And since I possess
it, they think, why should I come together with you? Diversity is not
seen here as positive, as in the Western world, or dialogue
enriching.”

The spitting incident occurred a week ago, during a procession for
the Feast of the Holy Cross, which commemorates the return of the
true cross to Jerusalem by the Romans after they defeated the
Persians, who had apparently stolen it. In the post-spittle struggle,
the archbishop’s medallion, dating from the 17th century, was
damaged, and so, too, some worried, was Israel’s reputation for
tolerance and fair administration of the disputed capital.

Though the target was important, this was hardly an isolated
incident. Spitting on Christian clergy by ultra-Orthodox Jews, while
not an everyday occurrence, happens often enough to have become a
sensitive topic among Christians in the Old City, said Wadie
Abunassar, an Israeli Arab Roman Catholic who worked as a spokesman
here for the Latin Patriarch, a leader of the Eastern Orthodox
Church.

“Jerusalem is supposed to be a city for ecumenicism – it’s supposed
to be,” Mr. Abunassar said. “But Jerusalem is a very nervous city.
You feel the denominational and sectarian tension there, not just
between Christians and Jews, or Jews and Muslims, but among
Christians, too.

“Everybody, every sect tries to claim that we are the cleanest, the
purest, the best,” he added.

Rabbi Rosen said the matter has to be understood in an ultra-Orthodox
context. “Ultra-Orthodox Jews don’t by definition live in the modern
world,” Rabbi Rosen said. Many, to varying degrees, see Christianity
as idol worship. “For them, the cross is a symbol of idolatry and of
hatred of Judaism,” he said.

For the ultra-Orthodox, Mr. Abunassar said, “Jesus is not just a bad
Jew, but almost Satan’s messenger.

“They avoid writing his name,” he said. “Some won’t wear neckties, to
avoid making a cross around their neck, or use shoelaces. In math,
instead of the plus sign, a cross, they use an upside-down T.”

Some ultra-Orthodox also spit at women in skirts deemed too short,
and there have been cases when a driver on the Sabbath is stopped, as
if for directions, and when he or she rolls down a window, is spat
upon.

In this case, the student who spat, Natan Zvi Rosenthal, was
arrested. He told the police he had been brought up to see
Christianity as idol worship, forbidden by the Torah, and spat at the
cross as its symbol. He was ordered to stay away from the Old City
for 75 days, and may yet be indicted. On Monday, he made a formal
apology in the company of his teachers, rabbis from the Har Hamor
Yeshiva in Jerusalem. They said they tried to educate their students
to be courteous.

Archbishop Manougian accepted the apology. But he said there had been
many such incidents since Israel took control of east Jerusalem in
1967. “Sometimes they spit, sometimes they cut through the
procession,” he said. “They have thrown garbage in front of the
churches and broken the crosses on tombstones.” The police, he said,
did little or nothing.

This time the government responded. The interior minister, Avraham
Poraz, condemned spitting at clergy, which he called repulsive, and
vowed to crack down. He ordered the police to prevent further such
occurrences, presumably by putting more officers in the Christian
quarter of the Old City. Because of the intifada, many Orthodox Jews
who want to visit the Western Wall skirt the Muslim quarter and pass
through the Armenian one, leading to more confrontations.

A former chief rabbi, Israel Meir Lau, condemned the incidents as
“spitting in the face of Judaism.” They are a “desecration of the
Divine Name” and could contribute to anti-Semitism, he said, while
violating Israel’s sacred trust over the holy places. “Protection of
everything sacred to other religions is one of the justifications for
Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem,” he said.

The Jerusalem office of the Anti-Defamation League called on Israel’s
two chief rabbis to come out “quickly and firmly against this clear
violation of Jewish ethical teaching.” The office director, Laura
Kam Issacharoff, said: “It’s all about intolerance and lack of
education – or miseducation. There is no respect for another
religion; there is no education for tolerance in the yeshiva. It has
to come from the top, to pound into the heads of these kids that this
sort of behavior is offensive and un-Jewish.”

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, head of Ateret Cohanim Yeshiva in the Muslim
quarter and an ultra-Orthodox leader, said he had not known of the
controversy. But when it was described to him, he called Mr.
Rosenthal’s behavior impolite.

“You can disagree with another religion, but it’s not a reason to
spit,” he said. “I’m a spiritual enemy of Christianity, because the
hands of Christians are full of our blood, and it’s not so simple to
forget it. But it’s a spiritual fight, not a spitting fight.”

Eurasianet, NY
Oct 19 2004

RUSSIAN BLOCKADE OF SOUTH CAUCASUS LEAVES ARMENIANS FUMING
Emil Danielyan 10/18/04

Russia’s decision to close border-crossing points with Georgia and
Azerbaijan, purportedly to frustrate movements by Chechen militants,
has produced widespread discontent, even anger in Armenia – Moscow’s
long-time strategic ally in the Caucasus. Some in Yerevan suggest the
move may prompt a reassessment of Armenia’s special relationship with
Russia.

Armenia – a landlocked country already squeezed by embargos enforced
by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan – had depended heavily on a
trade route via Georgia to Russia, known as the Upper Lars Pass. The
Kremlin’s decision in September to close its border with Georgia has
added to Armenia’s isolation, severing one of its two overland export
routes to Russia. Armenian businesses dependent on trade with Russia
and other parts of the former Soviet Union are facing ruin.

Armenian leaders have pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to
reconsider the border closure. Yerevan rejected a Russian proposal to
transport goods via South Ossetia, saying the route was impractical
due to the high level of tension in the region. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin
indicated during talks with Armenian official on October 14 that the
Upper Lars Pass would remain closed for at least another month so
that Moscow can implement “anti-terrorist measures.” Levitin also
claimed that a trade route via Iran and the Caspian Sea was a cheaper
alternative for Armenia than sending goods to Russia via the Upper
Lars Pass.

The maximum Moscow could do, Levitin said, is to again reopen the
Upper Lars Pass for a few hours. This is what happened on October 10
when nearly 600 Armenian trucks, personal cars and buses stranded on
the mountain pass for a month were allowed to cross into Georgia and
proceed to Armenia.

Russian authorities ordered the closure of Georgian-Russian
checkpoint, including Upper Lars, immediately after the September 3
hostage tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. Russian officials insist that the Chechen
separatists have used Georgia and Azerbaijan as safe heavens to carry
out terrorist acts. [For additional information see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. Officials in Baku and Tbilisi strongly dispute the
Kremlin’s claim.

Armenian authorities have yet to offer an estimate of the financial
damage done to the Armenian economy. Officials have made
contradictory assessments, with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
citing “serious consequences,” while Trade Minister Karen
Chshmaritian suggested that the direct damage was not substantial.

Whatever the true extent of the disruption, many in Armenia consider
Russia’s actions as unjustified. Vahan Hovannisian, a leader of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a traditionally pro-Russian party
represented in Kocharian’s coalition cabinet, branded the border
closings as “hasty and not fully calculated.”

Opposition politicians have been even more outspoken in their
criticism of Moscow. “I am convinced that it [the border decision]
has nothing to do with terrorism,” said Vazgen Manukian, a former
prime minister. “This is simply political pressure on Georgia. That
Armenia is suffering from it doesn’t matter to Russia. It [Moscow]
will trample our national interests for the sake of its own
interests.”

Such resentment is echoed by the Armenia’s politically diverse print
media, which has been unanimous in condemning Moscow’s policy. Many
Armenian political experts are warning that the Russians’ actions
risk alienating their main regional ally, which, they some go on to
note, has strengthened its ties with the West in recent months. “The
Russian-Armenian strategic relationship is called into question,”
declared Azg, an independent daily normally supportive of Russia.

The Russian-language newspaper Golos Armenii complained that Putin’s
administration was “measuring all Caucasians with the same
yardstick.”

“There is a growing number of organizations in Armenia that are not
carriers of Armenians’ traditional pro-Russian orientation,” the
editorial continued. “And that is not only the result of the West’s
actions [to improve its relations with Armenia], but also Russian
steps leading nowhere.”

Some opinion polls appear to confirm that traditionally strong
Armenian-Russian ties are eroding. One survey last May — conducted
by the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS), an independent think-tank — found that almost two-thirds of
the 50 political and public-policy experts interviewed wanted Armenia
to join NATO within the next decade. In addition, most experts
identified Russia as the foreign power that “limits Armenia’s
independence.”

An ACNIS survey in August, however, found that opinions among the
broader Armenian population remain strongly pro-Russian. Almost 90
percent of 2,000 respondents described Russia as a friendly nation.
Only 47 percent had the same perception of the United States.

The pro-Russian sentiment is deeply rooted in the Armenians’ sense of
insecurity, generated largely by decades of hostility between Armenia
and Turkey, and fueled by the unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan
over Nagorno-Karabakh. [For additional information see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. A Karabakh settlement, though unlikely in the near
future, would presumably help ease Armenians’ siege mentality. The
pro-Western outlook of a growing number of intellectuals could also
reflect on public opinion over time.

Russian-Armenian relations have a strong socio-economic component.
Since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, hundreds of thousands of
Armenian citizens have moved to Russia in search of jobs. Their
regular cash remittances back to Armenia are a major source of income
for many families in the impoverished country.

At the same time, Russia’s share of Armenia’s external trade has
steadily declined over the past decade. Indeed, in 2004, the European
Union emerged as Armenia’s single largest trading partner. Official
figures for the first half of this year show the EU accounting for
over 40 percent of the country’s commercial exchange. Russia’s share
was less than 20 percent. A recent survey, conducted by the
independent Vox Populi polling organization, found that a majority of
Armenians would prefer to join the European Union, rather than remain
in the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States.

The closure of the Russian-Georgian border stands to accelerate the
decline in Russian-Armenian commercial ties. Some media commentaries
suggest that public attitudes in Armenia towards Russia may also
start shifting soon. As a commentator for the Azg daily stated in
early October; “If Russia really wants to stir up anti-Russian
sentiment among Armenia’s political circles and public in general, it
can continue this blockade.”

Interfax, Russia
Oct 18 2004

Georgia starts to import electricity from Armenia

Tbilisi. (Interfax) – AO United Distribution Company (UDC) of
Georgia, which is managed by the U.S. concern PA Consulting, has
started to import 60 megawatts of electricity from Georgia, Georgian
Energy Minister Nika Gilauri told Interfax.

The minister said that in the near future the Tbilisi energy
distribution company Telasi, which is managed by Unified Energy
System of Russia, also plans to start importing up to 100 megawatts
of electricity from Armenia.

“Thanks to electricity imports by the companies Telasi and UDC we
will be able to ensure the stability of the energy system and no
sabotage on power lines connecting eastern and western Georgia will
be able to create force majeur situations in the country’s energy
supplies,” Gilauri said.

He said that electricity would be supplied from Armenia through two
power lines.

UDC General Director Dean White told journalists that imports of
electricity from Armenia would be carried out throughout the
fall-winter season – until April 1, 2005.

The electricity is being supplied at $0.025 per kilowatt-hour.
According to the agreement with the Armenian side, this tariff will
not change until December 31, 2004, after which it may be reviewed.

White said that in the future UDC, like Telasi, plans to begin
imports from Russia also. However, for this it is necessary to
restore the Daryal power line connecting Georgia and Russia. UDC is
currently holding talks on this issue with the Russian side.

State-owned UDC was set up in 2002 by merging regional grid
companies. The company supplies electricity to almost 70% of the
country, in all regions except for Tbilisi, Ajaria and Kakhetia. PA
Consulting received management of UDC in May 2003 for a period of 18
months. UDC supplies electricity to about 660,000 consumers.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Oct 18 2004

U.S. Ambassadors Meet with Saakashvili

President Mikheil Saakshvili met with visitng US Ambassadors to the
South Caucasus states on October 19 and discussed the ongoing
political sitaution in the region.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans, Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Reno L. Harnish, Ambassador to Georgia Richard Miles, as well as U.S.
Department of State’s special representative for Eurasian conflicts
Steven R. Mann and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and
Eurasian Affairs Laura E. Kennedy discussed energy, conflict
resolution and border security issues.

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
SALA STAMPA DELLA SANTA SEDE – OFICINA DE PRENSA DE LA SANTA SEDE
BUREAU DE PRESSE DU SAINT- SIÈGE – PRESSEAMT DES HEILIGEN STUHLS
HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE
10.19.2004
Fourteenth Year  – N.177

COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS RELATIONS WITH JEWS MARKS 30 YEARS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 19, 2004 (VIS) – Delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of
Israel, led by Rabbi Shar Yishuv Cohen and the Holy See’s Commission for
Religious Relations with Jews, headed by Cardinal Jorge Mejia, started three
days of meetings and dialogue on October 17 in Grottaferrata, Italy.
Participants have been discussing the theme, “A Common Vision of Social
Justice and Ethical Behavior.”

The following statement to the press was issued today after the meeting:

“1. We are not enemies, but unequivocal partners in articulating the
essential moral values for the survival and welfare of human society.

“2. Jerusalem has a sacred character for all the children of Abraham. We
call on all relevant authorities to respect this character and to prevent
actions which offend the sensibilities of religious communities that reside
in Jerusalem and hold her dear.

“3. We call on religious authorities to protest publicly when actions of
disrespect towards religious persons, symbols and Holy Sites are committed,
such as the desecration of cemeteries and the recent assaults on the
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. We call on them to educate their
communities to behave with respect and dignity towards peoples and towards
their attachment to their faith.”

According to a communique published yesterday afternoon, Cardinal Walter
Kasper, president of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews and
Riccardo Segni, chief rabbi of Rome, will analyze the state of
Jewish-Catholic dialogue during the first session today at 6 p.m. of a
seminar on Catholic-Jewish dialogue that has been organized by the
Pontifical Gregorian University.

Pope Paul VI established the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews
on October 22, 1974. In commemoration of that event. Cardinal Kasper,
accompanied by Cardinal Mejia and a delegation of the commission, will
visit Rome’s synagogue on Friday October 22 during which the Jewish
community will gather for the celebration of Shabbat.
…/JEWISH CATHOLIC DIALOGUE/KASPER:MEJIAVIS 041019 (330)

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

================================================
Tuesday 19 October 2004
ARMENIA: PROMISES BROKEN BY CONTINUING JAILING OF PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE

This month (October), five Jehovah’s Witnesses have been sentenced to jail
terms for their conscientious objection, on religious grounds, to military
service. A sixth prisoner of conscience has been given a lesser sentence,
Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The number of imprisoned Jehovah’s
Witnesses has been brought to thirteen by these sentences, with a further
two awaiting trial on the same charges. The continued sentencing and
detention of religious prisoners of conscience clearly violates Armenia’s
previous promises to free its religious prisoners, and to introduce
alternative civilian service. The Armenian Foreign Ministry declined to
explain to Forum 18 how these latest sentences matched Armenia’s previous
promises, claiming that the issue is “outside the competence of the
Foreign Ministry”.

ARMENIA: PROMISES BROKEN BY CONTINUING JAILING OF PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service

Five Jehovah’s Witnesses have been sentenced so far in October to two years
of prison each, for refusing military service on grounds of conscience. A
sixth prisoner of conscience has been given a lesser sentence, Jehovah’s
Witness lawyer Rustam Khachatryan told Forum 18 News Service from the
capital Yerevan on 19 October. Called up in May, along with other Armenian
young men, all six officially lodged a request to do alternative civilian
service, but were told that such an alternative did not exist.

“Technically these sentences are correct, as all the Jehovah’s
Witnesses were called up before the new alternative service law came into
force,” Stefan Buchmayer, human rights officer at the Yerevan office
of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) told
Forum 18 on 19 October. “However, they show a certain lack of goodwill
on the part of the authorities as everyone knew that the law was coming
into force on 1 July. Besides, the right to alternative service is an
important human right – that is why our office has been following
these cases.”

On 22 June, the Armenian Parliament’s deputy speaker Tigran Torosyan, who
heads the Armenian delegation to the Council of Europe, told Jehovah’s
Witness representatives at the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly in
Strasbourg that all conscientious objector prisoners would be freed once
the new law on alternative service came into force on 1 July (see F18News 3
August 2004 ).

Natalia Voutova, the Council of Europe representative in Yerevan, told
Forum 18 on 19 October that her organisation is monitoring the latest
developments. She pointed out that in 2001 Armenia committed itself to
adopting an alternative service law and freeing all imprisoned
conscientious objectors and said that these commitments have been closely
monitored since 2001. The Armenian Foreign Ministry declined to explain how
the latest sentences met Armenia’s commitments to the Council of Europe.
Vladimir Karapetian of the ministry’s Media Relations Division claimed to
Forum 18 on 19 October that the issue is “outside the competence of
the Foreign Ministry”.

This month’s new sentences bring the number of imprisoned Jehovah’s Witness
young men to thirteen, with a further two are awaiting trial on the same
charges. The continued sentencing and detention of religious prisoners of
conscience violates Armenia’s commitments to the Council of Europe, and
comes after the justice ministry finally registered the Jehovah’s Witnesses
as a religious community, after years of official obstruction (see F18News
12 October 2004 ).

Four of the new prisoners were sentenced by a court in the town of Armavir,
50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the capital: Karen Hakopyan on 7 October,
Arsen Sarkisyan on 8 October, Mher Mirpakhatyan on 13 October, and Artur
Manukyan on 14 October. Hovhanes Bayatyan was sentenced by Yerevan’s
Erebuni-Nubarashen court on 14 October. All were given the maximum sentence
under Article 327 part I of the criminal code, which reads: “Evading a
recurring call to emergency military service, or educational or military
training, without a legal basis for being relieved of this service, shall
incur a fine in the amount of 300 to 500 minimum [monthly] wages or arrest
for up to two months or imprisonment for up to two years.” They are
now being held in Nubarashen prison.

A sixth, Asatur Badalyan, was sentenced on 1 October to one and a half
year’s imprisonment by a court in Kotaik in central Armenia, but the judge
allowed him to remain at home because it was felt as a Jehovah’s Witness
his behaviour would be good. However, there are fears he will be arrested
on 20 October, Khachatryan told Forum 18. Two other Jehovah’s Witnesses
received two year prison sentences in August.

Meanwhile, the trial of Grisha Kazaryan, arrested on 17 September and being
detained in Nubarashen, is expected at the end of October. Nshan Shagiyan,
who is from Yerevan, was required to give a written undertaken on 16
September not to leave the city. His trial is due at Yerevan’s
Malatia-Sebastia court on 26 October.

Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Khachatryan told Forum 18 that all these young men
wrote to both the recruitment office, and the general public prosecutor,
explaining that they could not do military service because of their
religious beliefs (the Jehovah’s Witnesses are pacifists), but that they
were prepared to do alternative civilian service outside the control of the
armed forces. He said the recruitment office summoned each applicant, to
establish that they had actually written the application. Recruitment
office officials then told each one verbally that alternative service did
not exist and handed their cases to the prosecutor, after which criminal
proceedings were launched.

“The alternative service law has been adopted, but there is no
mechanism for doing alternative service yet,” Khachatryan lamented.
“Besides, it’s not clear that when it does come in whether it will be
genuinely civilian or not. The law doesn’t say it will be civilian.”

Khachatryan added that the autumn call-up is now underway. Four Jehovah’s
Witness young men have written to the recruitment office so far, indicating
that they cannot serve in the military on religious grounds and applying
for alternative civilian service. “Nothing has happened to them so
far,” he noted.

A printer-friendly map of Armenia is available at
;Rootmap=armeni
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved.

You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

CENN – OCTOBER 19, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. EIA Report on the Improving of the Bakuriani Landfill, Borjomi
Regioin
2. Georgia is to Participate in World Tourism Exhibition in London in
November
3. Memorandum for Rehabilitation of Lake Gili Signed
4. Armavir Provinces to Raise $23 million from Land Sale
5. Armenia Selected One of Nine Pilot Countries for UNIDO-WTO Enhanced
Cooperation
6. Global Healing Sets its Sights on Gyumri
7. Online Course – Environmental Statistics
8. Call for Sessions: 6th Open Meeting of the HDGEC Research Community

1. EIA REPORT ON THE IMPROVING OF THE BAKURIANI LANDFILL, BORJOMI REGION

On October 19, 2004 at the conference hall of the Ministry of
Environment of Georgia was held public hearing of the EIA report on the
first category activity Improving of the Bakuriani landfill, Borjomi
Region submitted by the governance of Borjomi Region.

Representatives of NGOs, mass media attended the meeting.

The process of submitting suggestions concerning the EIA report on
Improving of the Bakuriani landfill, Borjomi Region is still on.
Interested stakeholders can analyze the document and present their
comments and considerations to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia.
The representatives of the Ministry, Department of Environmental Permits
and State Ecological Expertise encouraged audience to submit their
proposals.

EIA reports are available at the press-center of the Ministry of
Environment (68, Kostava Str., VI floor) and at the Department of
Environmental Permits and State Ecological Expertise (87, Paliashvili
Str., Tel: 25 02 19).
Prepared by CENN
Nino Tevzadze

2. GEORGIA IS TO PARTICIPATE IN WORLD TOURISM EXHIBITION IN LONDON IN
NOVEMBER

Source: Sarke, October 19, 2004

For the first time Georgia will introduce a stand at the World Tourism
Exhibition to be held in London on November 8-11, Saba Kiknadze,
chairman of the Tourism Department, has told Sarke. Five Georgian
companies will also participate in the exhibition.

3. MEMORANDUM FOR REHABILITATION OF LAKE GILI SIGNED

Source: ArmenPress, October 14, 2004

on October 15, 2004 the Minister of Nature Protection of Armenian, the
governor of Gegharkunik province and the UNDP Resident Representative in
Armenia signed a memorandum for rehabilitation of Lake Gili. The
rehabilitation project, worth $1 million, is to be implemented by UNDP
and Global Ecological Fund (GEF).

The main objective of the project is protection of rare and endemic
biodiversity already present in Lake Gili as part of the Lake Sevan
basin, and the provision of a first-best habitat for threatened wetland
biodiversity in Armenia (currently found in second-best habitats).

Nature protection minister Vartan Aivazian said some 560 hectares of
land belonging to residents of a nearby village of Norakert will be
covered by water. He said the residents would get new land plots from
state-owned reserve fund.

UDDP Resident Representative Lise Grande said the UNDO and GEF will help
the Norakert community to avoid the negative consequences of the project
by assisting it to solve its social issues and improve water supplies.

4. ARMAVIR PROVINCES TO RAISE $23 MILLION FROM LAND SALE

Source: ArmenPress, October 14, 2004

State subsidies to the province of Armavir rose from 29 million
Armenians drams in 1998 to 142 million drams in 2004, which, according
to the province’s governor, Albert Heroyan, is an apt illustration of
real economic growth. Another indication of the robust economic growth,
according to the governor, is a significant increase in teachers’ wages
that have risen to 30,000 drams (approximately $60).

Mr. Heroyan said the sale of some 14,000 hectares of formerly state
reserve lands in the province will bring some $23 million to the
provincial budget. He said more than 1,000 hectares of that land was
already auctioned and the raised proceeds, according to the law, will go
for improvement of local infrastructure facilities, health and education
sectors.

The governor also said many families that had chosen to leave the
provinces are now coming back. “We are planning to build three blocks of
apartments for them,” he said.

5. ARMENIA SELECTED ONE OF NINE PILOT COUNTRIES FOR UNIDO-WTO ENHANCED
COOPERATION

Source: ArmenPress, October 14, 2004

The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UN Development
Program (UNDP), World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Ministry of Trade
and Economic Development of Armenia held a joint seminar today to begin
implementation of the Doha Development Agenda. Seminar participants
included senior officials from the Government, donor community,
international organizations, business associations, as well as experts.

A press release from UNDP said the main aims of the Doha Development
Agenda, which was agreed in December 2001 by WTO members, are to ensure
that trade and industrial development enhance economic development and
to assist the integration of the developing countries and transition
economies into the global economy and the multilateral trading system.
In order to facilitate implementation of the Doha Agenda, UNIDO and WTO
will implement pilot activities in an initial group of nine countries,
including Armenia. The initial group also includes Bolivia, Cambodia,
Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya and Mauritania. The aim of these pilot
activities is to identify priority sectors and products with high and
strategic export potential; address trade capacity weaknesses including
supply-side constraints, lack of conformity to market requirements and
standards; and support the implementation of multilateral trade
agreements.

Mr. Alexander Avanessov, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, noted:
“The fact that Armenia has become a member of the WTO indicates the
great progress made by the country since independence. The pilot
activities that are being launched by UNIDO and WTO at this seminar, in
combination with initiatives from UNDP and other donors, will assist
countries like Armenia to integrate further into the global economy and
multilateral trading systems.”

Armenia officially became the 145th member of the WTO on February 5,
2003. The country’s main trading partners include the European Union
(EU), Russia, USA, Iran and Georgia. A recent survey within the business
community on external trade and which was presented at the seminar
indicates that certification and standardization have had a serious
impact on external trade. Local companies involved in the survey
identified a number of obstacles to trade, including: corruption in
customs and taxes; complicated and fragmented tax and customs
legislation; and lack of cooperation between the customs and tax
administration bodies. Sixty-three percent of the respondents said that
they had lost export orders due to technical barriers to trade.

6. GLOBAL HEALING SETS ITS SIGHTS ON GYUMRI

Source:

GYUMRI–Cindy Basso Eaton is a long way from the manicured lawns of her
childhood town of Stockton as she surveys the “houses” that stretch
along the streets of Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia. She
shakes her head in disbelief, shocked that nearly two decades after one
of the world’s most devastating earthquakes rocked this region to the
ground, nearly 15,000 residents still call makeshift metal “sea
container” like shelters home.

As the president of Global Healing, this scene only serves to give her
more incentive to pursue the California-based, non-profit organization’s
latest endeavor.

This year, Global Healing will embark on its 6th healthcare project
(Global Healing has four completed medical projects in Tbilisi, Georgia
and a current medical project in Roatan, Honduras). With the blessings
of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, Global Healing will construct and
oversee until self-sufficiency, Armenia’s first-ever blood banking
facility operating at international standards.

“Global Healing is a lifeline to those communities whose petitions for
help have fallen through the cracks of poverty, civil unrest or
environmental upheaval,” Basso Eaton explained. “We zero in on a need,
and supply the fix.

You won’t find us sitting in a boardroomwe have none? Our offices are
our computers, phones, cars, kitchens,” she explained.” We are a small
group of hardworking volunteers dedicated to bringing modern healthcare
to developing countries. We never say never.” The Armenia project is an
example of that attitude.

Although “blood stations” exist in Armenia, Basso Eaton explained these
centers lack national or international guidelines for operation and
safety. A large portion of the blood transfused in the regions of
Armenia is untested or not tested properly and risks contamination with
infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis. In
addition, there is no system in place for transporting blood products
throughout the region. This was a scenario Global Healing could not
ignore. “When completed, the Gyumri facility will have the technology
and functioning equipment to test all donor blood for infectious disease
as well as accurately type, process, store and cross match blood prior
to transfusion,” she explained. “We feel the people in the Shirak region
deserve no less than this,” she continued. The Gyumri blood bank will be
modeled after Global Healing’s Tbilisi, Georgia blood bank facility and
will include extensive training of Armenian staff by foreign medical and
administrative teams.

Basso Eaton’s pleas for help have been successful. “With just $7,000 in
donations we have done amazing things to realize the launch of this
important project,” she said.

In June, The United Armenian Fund in Los Angeles helped send a container
of equipment and supplies to the proposed site in Gyumri. The equipment
and supplies were donated by Baxter, Northern California. In addition,
Helmer Laboratories donated two vital temperature controlled blood bank
refrigeration units as well as a platelet incubator and agitator. Global
Healing received confirmation that Doctors Without Borders will supply
the blood bank with infectious disease kits and the Armenia Aids Program
will supply equipment for testing HIV as well as HIV test kits through
the Global Fund project. In addition, Becton Dickinson has donated over
one years worth of blood bank supplies. Major monetary donors to date
have been Alice Runge, Frank and Irene Garavano, Andy and Nora Armenian,
Stan Shore and two anonymous donors.

“Now we are looking for the angel, that special person or corporation
who can step in and give us the financial power to complete this promise
in Armenia,” Basso Eaton explained.

To fully begin and complete the blood bank, Global Healing needs to
raise $150,000. $30,000 will be used in the renovation of the existing
site. $60,000 will be used to procure the necessary equipment and
supplies not donated.

$60,000 will be used to cover the expense of sending foreign medical and
educator teams to Armenia to train locals. It will also be used to
implement a media campaign in Armenia to educate the public on the
merits of a “voluntary” blood donation system as opposed to the existing
“paid” programs. 100-percent of contributions will be used for the
Armenia Project. Global Healing is a US non-profit 501 (c) (3) and soon
to be a UK registered charity. Please send contributions to Global
Healing, PO Box 2166 Orinda, CA 94563.

Please visit the website at

7. ONLINE COURSE – ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS

Dr. Bryan Manly, author of `Statistics for Environmental Science and
Management,’ will be giving an online version of his `Environmental
Statistics’ short course Nov. 5 – Dec. 3 at statistics.com. The course
will cover standard and specialized statistical procedures, all from an
environmental perspective. Topics include regression, ANOVA, control
charts, bioequivalence, time series, risk assessment and more. There
will be four weekly sessions, focusing on (1) Sampling, (2)
Environmental Data Analysis, (3) Monitoring and Impact Assessment, and
(4) Spatial & Censored Data, and Risk Assessment.

Considerable material is covered; this course is ideal for someone who
has some background in statistics and needs more in-depth knowledge of
some of the techniques presented. Participants and the instructor
interact via a private discussion board; there are no set hours when you
must be online.

Exercises are provided. Details and registration at:

Peter Bruce
statistics.com
[email protected]

8. CALL FOR SESSIONS: 6TH OPEN MEETING OF THE HDGEC RESEARCH COMMUNITY

6th Open Meeting of the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
Research Community

Global Environmental Change, Globalization and International Security:
New Challenges for the 21st Century

University of Bonn, Germany, 9-13 October 2005

Timeline and deadlines for applications:

Session submissions: September 15th – November 15th, 2004

Paper abstract submissions: February 1st, 2005 – March 15th, 2005

Poster submissions: February 1st, 2005 – March 15th, 2005

Pre-Open Meeting capacity-building training seminars: November 15th,
2005 – February 15th, 2005

More details, including information, application forms, timelines and
deadlines, are now available at the Open Meeting website,
This site is also accessible by going
to the IHDP website at and clicking on the 2005 Open
Meeting link.

Please understand that because of the large amount of interested
participants, we are only able to process applications, including
session and paper abstract submissions, through the Open Meeting
website.

Thank you, on behalf of the International Scientific Planning Committee.

Lis Mullin
Open Meeting Coordinator

I H D P
International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change
Walter-Flex-Strasse 3
D-53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 228 739053
Fax.:+49 (0) 228 739054
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

—
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

Turkmen leader’s book of spiritual teachings to be published in Armenian

Turkmen TV first channel, Asgabat
18 Oct 04

Presenter A creative group of the Partev Armenian-Turkmen cooperation
centre in charge of the publication of Ruhnama in the Armenian
language has sent a message to Turkmen President Saparmyrat
Turkmenbasy the Great Nyyazow .

In the letter, they informed the Turkmen head of state that they were
preparing for the publication of the first volume of Ruhnama of our
esteemed leader Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great in the Armenian
language. The authors of the letter say that when thinking of starting
the publication of Ruhnama in Armenian, that they were guided by the
followings words of Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great: “Ruhnama is not
only for Turkmens! Ruhnama is also a book of other nationalities and
our brothers who live among us and share our joy and happiness and
create the Golden Age on this soil with us.”

Members of the creative group also wrote that the publication of
Ruhnama in Armenian would facilitate further understanding between the
peoples of Armenia and Turkmenistan and strengthen the cultural ties
of our countries.

“It will be a great honour for us to receive your approval for the
publication of Ruhnama in Armenian and hand you copies of the book
after its publication,” the message says.

Passage omitted: authors of the letter congratulate Turkmen president
and people on Independence Day

No video

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress