RESETTLEMENT FOR WELFARE OF KARABAKH

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
01 Oct 04

The process of resettlement in Nagorni Karabakh began after the
liberation of Shoushi. In the years 1994-2004 about 23 thousand people
settled in Artsakh, 150 settlements were restored, 120 of them having
been razed to the ground. The Agency for Migration, Refugees and
Resettlement under the NKR government, which formerly operated within
the Ministry of Social Security, started its activity since January 1
of 2003. We talked to the head of the agency Serge Amirkhanian on the
work done by the organization in the current year. ` Mr. Amirkhanian,
what work is done in the sphere of resettlement this year? ` First I
want to tell you that in the months January – August of 2004 we
admitted623 resettlers (120 families). In fact, this number surpassed
the number of resettlers in Karabakh during 12 months of the previous
year. We are guided by the program confirmed by the NKR government for
2001-2010 according to which wemust try to increase the number of
resettlers up to 68 thousand, including in all the regions of NKR, and
especially the northeast area. On the basis of the number of settlers
arrived since the first year of resettlement up today we may hope that
in the framework of the ten-year program the number of resettlers will
grow up to 68 thousand. – It is not easy to implement a program on
state means only. The program will cost 110 million dollars. Whereas,
annually 440 million drams is provided from the state budget. If rely
upon the budget only, the ten-year program will last perhaps for
110-120 years. That is to say, the strategic value of the program will
be lost. We often state that in the social-economic sphere of Karabakh
a population of 300 thousand will act asa trump card. We must get the
international community to recognize that the half million Armenian
population resettled from Azerbaijan in fact exists. It is also a fact
that the return of the refugees to Azerbaijan is absurd and
illogical. `Besides the NKR state bodies you also work with the
organizations of the Diaspora. Who are your sponsors? – In the past
two years we tried to involve in the humanitarian programs schools,
surgeries, water pipelines, electrification.In 2003 5-6 schools, 1-2
water pipelines were constructed in the framework of these
programs. This year two schools were built in Maragha and Nor
Getashen, 1 pipeline and 1 surgery in Hovtashen. We work with 7-8
organizations of the Diaspora (among them public, political
organizations, national governments, diocese), and we try to find new
sponsors. Also, on charity means provided by Karapet Harutiunian and
the foundation `Toufenkian’ the villages Knaravan and Arajamough were
restored. We have contracts for the implementation of which we need
the approval of the corresponding ministry, the regional
administrations must provide land, permit for building is needed,
seismic security must be considered. In the 13th year of building our
statehood we must do everything within the law. – Mr. Amirkhanian,
both the local and Armenian mass media write about the non-prospective
policy of resettlement implemented in Shoushi. What is your opinion? –
The April 15, 2003 decision of the government maintainedthe list of
the villages to be included in the program of resettlement. It mainly
involves the border areas, and Shoushi is not, being one of the
central towns of Artsakh. That is to say, the inhabitants of the town
do not enjoy privileges maintained for them (house, privileged loan,
etc.). Recently Shoushi has also been involved among the resettled
areas and the resettlers are granted privileges as well. Our agency
turned to the government with the suggestion of restoring and settling
the block houses of Shoushi. The problem of Shoushi remains. It is
necessary to solve unemployment, develop small and medium-size
enterprises, grant privileged loans there. In 2001 the government of
NKR adopted the ten-year development program for Shoushi and the
region of Shoushi, which includes the problems of resettlement and
employment. The foundation `Shoushi’ was established: donations are
made for the town, whereas the program has a cultural-archaeological
direction. If the foundation was called architectural-archaeological,
this would be something else, but it turns out that the foundation has
expectations on the part of the all Armenians of the world in
reference to restoration and resettlement of Shoushi. The work they do
does not correspond to their statements. I think public organizations
should also come out of the shade, maintain transparency of the work
done and to be done. Besides, the government adopted a decision
according to which any humanitarian aid should pass through the
Ministry of Finance and the aim and order of expenditure shouldbe
published. The foundation `Shoushi’ also must keep to this
principle. – One of the functions of the agency is the problem of the
refugees. What steps are undertaken to solve the problems of refugees?
– After the establishment of the agency we presented the NKR law `On
refugees’ which was passed by the NKR National Assembly. At the
upcoming meetings we will set forth the question of solving the
problem of housing of the refugees who moved from Azerbaijan in
1988-1992. We are also working on the projects of maintaining
privileges. By the way, the privileges maintained for the resettlers
must be for the refugees as well. Otherwise it will be an unfair
step: in 1988-1992 the refugees moved to Karabakh, fought and died for
its independence, whereas now they live in hired flats in hard social
conditions. In fact, since the Artsakh movement the refugees were
always the losing side, whereas we do not think about them. In the
upcoming two years we must try to solve their social and housing
problems. Presently the refugees are mostly from Armenia, the towns
Hrazdan, Yerevan, Stepanavan, Charentsavan, Abovian, Armavir, Masis
and Gegharkunik, Russia, Turkmenia and Uzbekistan. In Stepanakert we
have a department which deals with internal migration, involving
people from the capital and densely populated areas who do not have
houses and would like to settle down in villages, and start farming.
There are people, mainly specialists who went to live in villages. We
help them, provide them with houses and grant privileges to them.

NVARD OHANJANIAN.
01-10-2004

THE 10TH ARS NURSERY SCHOOL

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
01 Oct 04

The Armenian Relief Society implements humanitarian programs in
Armenia and Artsakh. In the recent years the Artsakh branch of ARS has
been founding and sponsoring nursery schools in Karabakh. ARS nursery
schools were opened in Stepanakert, as well as in different
regions. On September 29 the tenth ARSnursery school was opened in
Shoushi. At the opening ceremony the NKR vice minister of education,
culture and sport Slavik Asrian, mayor of Stepanakert Edward
Aghabekian, members of parliament, members of ARS from Armenia,
Artsakh andthe Diaspora were present. During the ceremony Armen
Topuzian was awarded with the medal `Mother’s Gratitude’ by the
committee â=80=9CMaternity’ for his contribution to the establishment
of nursery schools. In his address Slavik Asrian said,` Before the
Artsakh war there were about 200 nursery schools, however, during the
war most of these were ruined. The philanthropists of Artsakh lent a
hand just in time. Owing to the programs implemented by the Armenian
Relief Society and the Armenian Evangelist Association the number of
nursery schools in Karabakh is growing. The government also makes
steps in this direction. I hope that soon we will restore the
situation in this sphere before the war.’ The nursery school will
admit 60 parentless, disabled children, and children of poor
families. Edward and Virgine Msrlian living in San Francisco will
sponsor the nursery school, and they assured that the sponsorship will
be permanent because their children have promised to continue their
work. Soon the 11th ARS school will be opened in the village
Moshatagh, region of Kashatagh.

ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
01-10-2004

TO GET RID OF THE DEADLY LOAD

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
01 Oct 04

In May 1994 the conflict sides agreed to maintain a cease-fire in
Artsakh. However, this could not be considered the end of the war
because we again faced it in the form of deadly mines. It was
necessary to start clearing from mines huge territories which used to
be farming land, roads, forests and simply our surroundings. According
to Red Cross, in the invaded and returned areas along the border both
sides of the conflict have installed 50 thousand units of medium and
large size mines and other explosives. Still in mid-2000 the
coordinator of the Caucasian bureau of the British organization `The
HALO Trust’ Richard Boater mentioned the fact that Karabakh is not
recognized hinders acquirement of financial means for implementing
programs in Nagorni Karabakh. Nevertheless, he mentioned that if
necessary financial means are acquired, the organization is ready to
elongate the agreement with the NKR government till the complete
clearance of the territory of the republic from mines. In fact, the
humanitarian mission of this British charity is worth high
appreciation. Nevertheless, the official and non-official propaganda
machine of Azerbaijan keeps accusing it of espionage. The directors of
the Caucasian bureau and the program in Nagorni Karabakh have denied
such accusations stating that `The HALO Trust’ exclusively deals with
survey of mine fields, teaches people the difficult but necessary job
of mine clearance, therefore any accusations that the organization
cooperates with certain reconnaissance services are groundless. Anyway,
the problem of mine disposal is attracting more and more public
interest. Several years ago journalists from Russia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and Nagorni Karabakh gathered in the resort town
Tsaghkadzor in Armenia during a two-day seminar organized by the RF
committee `Doctors of the World AgainstNuclear War’ and the national
committee of Armenia of the international movement against
antipersonnel mines. The coordinator of the recently established
committee of the international movement against antipersonnel mines
doctor Ashot Adamian presented to the participants of the seminar the
general situation of mine clearance in Artsakh, showed the reels made
by Red Cross and the republic television warning the population
against the danger of mines and teaching how they may avoid
it. Besides, together with the Stepanakert office of the Red Cross
illustrated booklets and posters were printed, puppet shows were
performed,signs warning against the danger of minefields were put on
the sides of the important roads of NKR in the Armenian and Russian
languages, etc. However, in 2004 the number of casualties of mine
explosions grew steeply. In the past nine months of the current year
13 cases of explosion of mines were reported, 18 peaceful citizens
suffered, 9 died (among them 3 children). Whereas, in 2003 there were
only 7 cases of mine explosion, the number of casualties was 10, 3
people died. According to experts, the reason is that people ignore
the danger. Besides, among them there is the wrong opinion that the
greater part of the territories has been cleared of mines, which is
far from the real situation. Since 2000 `The HALO Trust’ has surveyed
about 500 minefields, 90 werecleared, as many were cleared by other
organizations. But the danger persists and people should not ignore
it. The present director of the program in NKR Edward Rowis optimistic
in reference to the continuousness and successful completion of the
program. He told this during his meeting with the president of NKR
Arkady Ghukassian who visited the head office of the organization. The
president appreciated the activity of the organization and at the same
time called them to cooperate with the local organizations more
actively in order to get rid ofthe deadly load as soon as possible.

NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.
01-10-2004

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND PARTY-LIST ELECTION SYSTEMS BLIGHTED BY BRIBERY

A1 Plus
01-10-2004

On Friday, Dashnaktsutyun party member Armen Rustamyan, speaking at a
news conference in Armenpress news agency, explained why his party
supports the idea of the idea of filling National Assembly’s all seats
only through party lists.

`All of us witnessed how those candidates running for
parliamentaryseats in individual races won the election thanks to
bribes’, he said.

Our correspondent asked him wasn’t he aware of cases of so called
auction in that system of election. Hasn’t he heard that the seat in
the list cost from 200 to 500 thousand USD? `We know all about that’,
the answer was.

Rustamyan’s fellow partisan Levon Lazarian added: `If a party tries
to come to parliament with such kind of peoples, it will have its
rating fallen by the next elections’.

Levon Lazarian is sure party-list parliamentary election system will
promote political field development. It is worth to be reminded that
Dashnaks were giving gas meters to voters in their office during
election campaign at thelast elections.

DASHNAKS MAKE THEIR ROUTINE REPORT

A1 Plus
01-10-2004

On Friday, Dashnaktsutyun party representatives Armen Rustamyan and
Levon Lazarian presented a regular report on the party activity at
Armenpress news agency office.

Rustamyan briefly spoke on the ruling coalition achievements then
turned to future plans.

Speaking on the situation in Armenia, he said unhealthy environment is
created in the republic that is derailing democratisation process.

Fundamental freedoms obtained for the period of transition led rather
to corrosive power of money than to lawfulness and justice.

Dashnak Rustamyan accused the republic former authorities of giving
start to the unpleasant and dangerous phenomena, with which they have
to deal now.

He said they will take whatever step necessary to make national line
development irreversible.

Money behind EG coup plot

News24.com
01/10/2004 21:55 – (SA)

Dakar – Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has said
that a recent foiled plot to oust him was driven by economic interest
groups, Senegalese media reported on Friday.

“Economic interest groups were behind the coup plot in March; these
days Equatorial Guinea is an important country in the oil sector,”
Obiang was quoted as saying.

Speaking to reporters in Senegal, where he was wrapping up a state
visit with his counterpart Abdoulaye Wade, Obiang declined to specify
just which groups he thought were behind the plot.

South Africans, Armenians and the son of former British prime minister
Margaret Thatcher have been accused of involvement in the plot.

Trials opened in Malabo in August for one group of alleged
coup-plotters, among them a former Equato-Guinean deputy
minister. They are expected to resume Monday.

News reports have implicated an international network of wealthy
businessmen in the alleged plot to oust Obiang, in exchange for which
they would have got a slice of Equatorial Guinea’s oil riches.

Exiled Equato-Guinean opposition leader, Severo Moto, was accused by
the authorities in Malabo of masterminding the coup bid, an accusation
he vehemently denied last month.

Obiang said on Thursday he was disposed to selling crude oil to
Senegal at a good rate and invited Senegalese businessmen to invest in
joint ventures with their Equato-Guinean counterparts.

“Some say that oil is a curse, but it is not true; what is a curse is
how Africa has been managed, since the time of slavery until now,”
said Obiang,who has been in power since 1979.

A former Spanish colony, Equatorial Guinea depended on cocoa and
coffee for the bulk of its export revenues until offshore oil began
flowing in 1996.

The oil boom has brought double-digit growth but also concerns over
transparency and complaints that the petro-dollars are not benefiting
ordinary Equato-Guineans.

Oil brings in 90% of export revenues, which go to the treasury, run by
Obiang’s brother Melchor Esono Edjo.

The president’s nephew, Baltasar Engonga Edjo, is economy minister;
his eldest son Teodoro Nguema Obiang, is infrastructure minister, and
the youngest son in the Obiang clan is secretary of state for
hydrocarbons.

Edited by Elmarie Jack

ARMENIAN NUKE PLANT RESTARTS WORK, MONDAY

2004-10-01

YEREVAN, October 1 (RIA Novosti’s Hamlet Matevosyan) – The Armenian
nuclear power plant was stopped, July last, for an overhaul and
refuelling. It will recommence work October 4, on schedule, Gaghik
Markosyan, its Director General, announced today.

The plant has scheduled repairs annually, and overhauls once every
four years, he added.

This year’s overhaul concerned turbine No. 4. There was also a
thorough check of the metal reactor casing. Industrial safety has been
increased, and the refuelling procedure has been introduced,
Mr. Markosyan said to Novosti.

The Armenian nuclear plant stopped in the small hours, July
30. Another, 12 million dollar batch of nuclear fuel was finally
delivered to the plant the week before.

Commissioned in 1980, the plant was shut down in March 1989 and
re-commissioned, November 1995, with an acute energy crisis in the
country. The INTER United Russian Power Grid paid for its fuel,
according to a contract.

Unit 2, with a first-generation VVER-440 water-cooled reactor, of
Russian manufacture, accounts for an average 30-40 per cent of
Armenia’s entire electricity. Experts think the plant can safely work
up to 2016.

Plant management was warranted for five years, September last, to the
INTER United Russian Power Grid, United Russian Power Grid-its branch,
and the Rosenergoatom Russian nuclear industrial concern.

The European Union expressly demands the plant sealed, and is willing
to grant 100 million Euro for the purpose, while Armenian experts
think it will take close on a billion Euro to build sufficient
substitute plants in the country.

RUSSIA AND ARMENIA TO FIGHT TERRORISM SIDE BY SIDE

01 Oct 04

YEREVAN, October 1 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Armenia are on the one
side in their confrontation with terrorism. This was stated on Friday
by Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council (upper house of
the Russian parliament) upon his arrival in the capital of Armenia.

He noted that during his visit a joint statement on fighting terrorism
is to be signed.

Russia had to toughen control regime at the checkpoints of the
Russian-Georgian border, Mr. Mironov said.

“After the tragic events in Beslan we had to take certain measures
being aware of the fact that it is from the territory of Georgia,
where many terrorists feel themselves free-and-easy, they penetrate
into our territory,” this is how Sergei Mironov commented upon the
closure by the Russian side of the Verkhny Lars border passage point
at the Military Georgian Highway which links North Ossetia and Georgia
via the Daryal Gorge.

He also stressed that these measures are in no way aimed to hinder
transit of cargoes from Armenia.

The speaker of the Federation Council expressed hope that in the long
run Georgia and the Georgian people will understand that “only
peaceful friendly co-existence of all states in the Caucasus makes for
the prosperity of our peoples and the common position on combating
terrorism.

At the same time advisor of the Georgian president for political
affairs Timur Alazania said in an interview with RIA Novosti, while
commenting on the recent interview with Chechen separatist leader
Aslan Maskhadov in the air of the Georgian private channel Mze, which
made so much noise, “that there are no militants on the territory of
Georgia nor there will be any.”

“There are no militants not because we want to please somebody. We are
proceeding from the strategic interests of Georgia,” Mr. Alazania
stressed.” The presence of any kinds of militants, armed people,
terrorists, nationalistically-minded people or religious extremists
would have been to the detriment of Georgia first of all.

At that Mr. Alazania said that it is true that refugees from Chechnya
reside on the territory of Georgia. “We have refugees and we admit
this openly. We are speaking about women, children and old people,”
Mr. Alazania stressed.

In his words, as of today part of the Chechen refugees have left for
Turkey, another part dispersed in the region, and still another part
returned to Russia,” Timur Alazania said.

Within the framework of his visit to Yerevan, Sergei Mironov will hold
meetings with President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia, Prime Minister
Andranilk Markaryan and chairman of the National Assembly Artur
Bagdasaryan.

The speaker of the Federation Council will visit the military base of
the 123rd motor-rifle regiment of the Armed Forces of the Russian
Federation, take part in the ceremony of placing wreathes at the
Memorial to 1915 Armenian genocide victims in Osman Turkey and will
speak before students and teachers of the Yerevan State university.

Mr. Mironov will also take part in the ceremony of opening the Center
for Assistance to Inter-regional cooperation between Armenia and the
Russian Federation.

Newark Museum Showcases Latino Films

Fri Oct 1,10:25 AM ET

By STEVE STRUNSKY, Associated Press Writer

NEWARK, N.J. – Moviegoers are most likely to associate the Newark
Museum with the annual Black Film Festival it has hosted for the past
30 years.

But this weekend the museum will acknowledge the growing influence of
Hispanic culture on New Jersey and film with its first annual Cinema
Latino festival.

The three-day festival begins at 7 p.m. Friday with a screening of
“Bought and Sold,” a feature film set in Jersey City, written and
directed by Michael Tolajian.

Saturday’s bill, beginning at 5 p.m., includes two features, “Ballad
of a Soldier,” directed by Kinan Valdez, and “Manito,” written and
directed by Eric Eason. A short film, “White Like the Moon,” written
and directed by Marina Gonzalez Palmier, also will be shown.

The festival concludes with a Sunday matinee, a 2:30 p.m. screening of
the documentary “Santo Domingo Blues: Los Tigueres de la Bachata,”
written and directed by Alex Wolfe.

“We are making efforts to reach a Latino population here in New
Jersey, but we also are interested in reaching out to people making
independent film,” said Carmen Ramos, the museum’s assistant curator
for cultural engagement, and the festival’s principal organizer. “It’s
also a reflection of trends that are happening nationwide.”

Ramos said the museum’s annual Black Film Festival is among the oldest
in the country for African-American cinema. The 30th annual festival
in June included a screening of the 2002 Spike Lee documentary, “Jim
Brown (news): All American,” with a personal appearance by Brown, the
NFL Hall of Fame running back who became an actor and activist.

“The Black Film Festival had different goals,” said Ramos. “When it
started, it was because black actors and directors and writers
couldn’t get their stuff in the theaters, with the film festival
business actually being operated as a discovery tool.”

“Now,” Ramos added, “with growth of the Latino market, especially here
in this state and in other parts of the country, I think the emphasis
is a little different.”

Ramos said the goal of the Latino festival is to engage educators,
artists, professionals and the community at large in a creative
discussion that might inspire actors, writers, directors and producers
of Latino cinema. In other words, the festival seeks to be part of the
creative process, rather than simply a distribution aid, she said.

The festival avoids defining Latino cinema, recognizing the complex
nature of Latino culture and identity, said Ramos, who was born in the
Bronx to parents originally from the Dominican Republic.

The opening feature, “Bought and Sold,” which premiered at the 2003
Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan, exemplifies the Newark festival’s
flexibility. For example, Tolajian, the film’s director, is not
Latino.

“I’m 100 percent Americanized Armenian,” said Tolajian, who lives in
Maplewood.

But the film’s young star, Rafael Sardina, is Puerto Rican, as is his
character, Ray-Ray.

“The story itself takes place in Jersey City. There’s an
African-American, an Asian, an Armenian,” said Tolajian. “He’s the
center point, of course, but it’s kind of how all these racial or
ethnic groups interplay in this coming-of-age story.”

Tolajian said he would not label “Bought and Sold” a Latino film
himself, but he doesn’t mind if others do.

“I think distributors, they need an audience to get it out there, they
need a particular audience,” he said. “If they have to target it to an
urban or Latino market, I don’t mind it.”

Russia threatens airspace closure for indebted CIS airlines

Agence France Presse
October 1, 2004 Friday

Russia has warned several airlines from the Commonwealth of
Independent States, a group of 12 ex-Soviet countries, that it would
close its airspace to them from Octber 1 if they did not pay past fees
for over-flying its terrirtory, the Transport Minstry said Friday.

Airlines from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have
accumulated 22.8 million dollars (18.4 million euros) in unpaid fees
over the past several years, the ministry said in a statement.

When contacted by telephone, the ministry was unable to say Friday
morning whether the ban on flying over Russian territory had gone into
effect.

According to Russian press, authorities are holding negotiations with
most of the companies and only those from Georgia risk having their
flights interrupted.

Sixteen Georgian airlines are liable for 3.6 million dollars in fees
for having overflown Russian territory between 1994 and 2001 but they
have all gone bankrupt since then.

Russian authorities have decided to make new Georgian airlines that
have taken up the routes of their predecessors liable for the fees,
which Tbilissi contests.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress