EU Commission chief arrives in Azerbaijan

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
16 Sep 04

September

European Commission President Romano Prodi arrived in Azerbaijan
today. He will start his official meetings tomorrow.

At meetings with Azerbaijan’s leaders, he will discuss the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem, other regional conflicts and expanding EU-Azerbaijan
relations.

BREAKAWAY KARABAKH SET TO BUILD DEMOCRACY

Mediamax news agency
16 Sep 04

Yerevan, 16 September: Since 1999, the authorities of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic (NKR) have taken consecutive steps to democratize
society and liberalize the economy.

As our special correspondent reports from Stepanakert (Xankandi),
Anushavan Daniyelyan, prime minister of the NKR, said this at the first
(autumn) session of the National Assembly on Wednesday (15 September),
commenting on a recent statement by the chief of the General Staff
of the NKR’s defence army, Maj-Gen Movses Akopyan, that the country
needed to establish a special political regime.

The head of the NKR government said that ”nobody has the right to
privatize democracy and decide whether we need to hold democratic
reforms or not”.

While 85 per cent of the republic’s GDP was produced in the public
sector in 1999, now this figure has acquired a completely opposite
meaning, Daniyelyan said.

“Measures to further liberalize the economy attest to the authorities’
plans to continue the course towards democratization,” Daniyelyan said.

NORTHERN AVENUE RESIDENTS KEEP PROTESTING

A1 Plus | 17:06:28 | 16-09-2004 | Social |

Residents of Yerevan’s Northern Avenue gathered Thursday in front
of the City Hall entrance saying they had been driven from their
apartments and demanding higher compensation for their eviction.

The people were driven from their homes because their apartments were
due to be pulled down for Northern Avenue construction.

They say the authorities don’t give passports to the children reached
16 and don’t register those young men returning home after completing
their compulsory national service duties in order to leave them
without due money.

All protesters say they were duped. They intend to keep struggling. In
their words, their last resort will be collective appeal to foreign
embassies for asylum.

UE: PRODI IN CAUCASO, PRONTI A LAVORARE CON MOSCA

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
September 16, 2004

BRUXELLES

(ANSA) – BRUXELLES, 16 SET – “I terribili avvenimenti di Beslan,
in Ossezia, mostrano chiaramente che l instabilita nutre il
terrorismo”. L’Unione europea riconosce il ruolo importante che la
Russia svolge nel Caucaso e per questo “dobbiamo e siamo pronti a
lavorare con Mosca per cercare soluzioni ai problemi della regione”. Lo
ha detto all’Ansa il presidente della Commissione europea Romano
Prodi, prima di cominciare una missione nel Caucaso del sud, che
prevede incontri con i maggiori dirigenti politici e della societa
civile e religiosa di Azerbaigian, Georgia e Armenia. (ANSA)

Daily Variety
September 16, 2004, Thursday

Yes

SCOTT FOUNDAS

A GreeneStreet Films and U.K. Film Council presentation of an
Adventure Pictures production in association with Studio Fierberg.
Produced by Christopher Sheppard, Andrew Fierberg. Executive
producers, John Penotti, Paul Trijbits, Fisher Stevens, Cedric
Jeanson.

Directed, written by Sally Potter. Camera (Eclair color, Super 16mm),
Alexei Rodionov; editor, Daniel Goddard; music, Potter; production
designer, Carlos Conti; art director, Claire Spooner; costume
designer, Jacqueline Durran; sound (Dolby Digital), Jean-Paul Mugel;
supervising sound editor, Vincent Tulli; associate producers, Lucie
Wenigerova, Diane Gelon; casting, Irene Lamb. Reviewed at Telluride
Film Festival, Sept. 5, 2004. (Also in Toronto Film Festival —
Special Presentations.) Running time: 99 MIN.

She …. Joan Allen

He …. Simon Abkarian

Anthony …. Sam Neill

Cleaner …. Shirley Henderson

Aunt …. Sheila Hancock

Kate …. Samantha Bond

Grace …. Stephanie Leonidas

Billy …. Gary Lewis

Virgil …. Wil Johnson

Whizzer …. Raymond Waring

Bursting with heavy-handed postulations about everything from global
terrorism to the ethos of dust particles, Sally Potter’s “Yes” is a
deeply idiosyncratic essay film made under the signs of Derek Jarman,
Peter Greenaway and playwright Tony Kushner, but not nearly up to the
level of those artists’ best work. Staring Joan Allen as an
Irish-American scientist who enters into an affair with a Lebanese
cook, pic ultimately has nothing of any real depth or profundity to
say, but a thousand self-consciously complex ways of saying it. Sure
to have its partisans, as it did in Telluride, pic is the type of
purely intellectual construct that, even when it works, inspires most
audiences to say “No.”

Arriving on the heels of Potter’s terminally silly Johnny Depp
starrer “The Man Who Cried” and the solipsistic “The Tango Lesson,”
“Yes” serves as further indication that Potter’s striking 1992
feature, “Orlando,” may have been a fluke.

After opening with an amusing if showy monologue delivered directly
to camera by chameleonic Scottish actress Shirley Henderson (playing
a housemaid), “Yes” switches its focus to a molecular biologist
(Allen) and her politico husband (Sam Neill), trapped in a busted-up
marriage.

At a dinner party, Allen (whose character is unnamed in the film and
referred to in press notes only as “She”) catches the eye of the cook
(Armenian thesp Simon Abkarian, fittingly known only as “He”). She
flirts with him a bit and leaves him with her phone number. After
returning from an international conference, she calls him up and an
affair begins.

By this point, it’s already obvious that “Yes” is no ordinary tale of
adultery. Not only have the characters not been assigned names, but
when they open their mouths, dialogue tends to emerge as rhyming
couplets — often quite bad ones. (Example: “Call me whore. I’ll ask
for more.”) On those occasions when the dialogue takes a momentary
respite, viewers are made privy to the characters’ innermost
thoughts, presented as rambling voiceovers in the fashion Wim Wenders
employed (to much stronger effect) in “Wings of Desire.”

Pic is built around a series of encounters between He and She,
including one particularly silly public display of sexual attraction
that feels like an outtake from Jane Campion’s “In the Cut.” However,
viewers never learn more than the most basic information about who
these people are or what drives them — a strategy that might have
worked better if the film’s theoretical ideas were themselves more
interesting.

Clearly, as in Kushner’s “Homebody/Kabul,” Potter intends her
characters to register less in a specific sense than as archetypical
sides of a timely geopolitical divide — the compassionate, yet
inevitably imperialistic Westerner trying, yet failing to understand
the psychologically and emotionally oppressed Middle Easterner. But
unlike Kushner — or, for that matter, Jean-Luc Godard, in the
recent “Our Music” — Potter never moves past the surface of that
cliche notion.

While an assortment of other narrative tangents present themselves
— She’s guilt-riddled relationship with elderly Irish aunt (Sheila
Hancock); He’s tense dealings with the other members of the kitchen
staff — “Yes” only becomes increasingly tedious as it progresses.

And though Allen and Abkarian (who made a big impression as the lead
in Michel Deville’s “Almost Peaceful” in 2002) are powerful actors,
both are finally at a loss in their efforts to make something
meaningful out of the material, or at least something closer to a
movie than a doctoral thesis.

Shot in Super 16mm by Alexei Rodionov, pic has a deliberately grainy,
slightly overexposed texture, which Potter then transfigures through
an endless succession of dissolves, video-shot inserts, slow-motion
effects and other manipulations that seem designed (as in the worst
of Greenaway) to keep auds from noticing how empty pic really is.

Soundtrack is a similarly undigested overload of recycled pieces by
Tom Waits, Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet, plus original
compositions by Potter herself.

Note: Originally ran in the September 15, 2004 Gotham edition.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

SENATE RESTORES U.S. SECURITY BALANCE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Assembly Credits Senate Majority Whip McConnell

Washington, DC – After a lengthy budget battle, the full Senate
Appropriations Committee yesterday voted to reinstate military
aid parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Fiscal Year (FY)
2005 Foreign Operations bill. The legislation, which allocates $8.75
million in military financing to both countries, not only foils the
Administration’s attempt to favor Azerbaijan but also exceeds the
House request of $5.75 million for each country.

Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who is Chairman of the
Foreign Operations Subcommittee, told the Assembly, “Support for
Armenia remains strong in the Senate and we continue to follow
developments in Nagorno Karabakh closely. I am pleased that
humanitarian and relief assistance will keep flowing to Nagorno
Karabakh.”

With this funding, both Baku and Yerevan are slated to receive
$8 million for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $750,000 for
International Military Education and Training (IMET). The training
funds allow the U.S. to work with and train the host country’s military
personnel, particularly on security related issues.

“The Assembly welcomes today’s vote and commends Senator McConnell for
maintaining balance in the region,” said Assembly Board of Directors
Chairman Anthony Barsamian. He added that the Administration’s proposed
allocation, $8 million for Azerbaijan and only $2 million for Armenia,
could have undermined the fragile cease-fire between the neighboring
countries, which is particularly worrisome given Baku’s recent threats
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

“We were concerned by the fact that such a disparity would weaken U.S.
credibility as an impartial and leading mediator in the ongoing
Nagorno Karabakh peace process,” added Board of Trustees Chairman
Hirair Hovnanian. “However, we were encouraged this summer by the
House action to restore parity and are equally pleased by the Senate’s
decision to follow suit and also increase Armenia’s economic funding.”

Under McConnell’s leadership, the Senate Appropriations Committee has
consistently allocated the highest level of assistance to Armenia.
Lawmakers yesterday approved “not less than” $75 million in economic
aid to Armenia, a nearly $15 million jump from the Administration’s
request and $10 million more than the House approved.

In April, during the Assembly’s National Conference in Washington,
McConnell told Armenian-Americans: “I’ve tried to make sure Armenia
has vital U.S. assistance from the United States. The request in the
present budget this year is $62 million and I’ll be trying to increase
that amount.”

The next step in the legislative process is a vote on the Foreign
Operations bill by the full Senate.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-083

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

AMBASSADOR EVANS CALLS FOR GREATER U.S.-ARMENIA COOPERATION

Washington, DC – U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, in an interview
published in the September edition of The Advocate, the Armenian
Assembly’s official newsletter, underlined the need for greater
cooperation and a partnership in support of Armenia’s development
and said the United States wants to see Armenia succeed and prosper
in a stable and secure environment.

Ambassador Evans, a career diplomat, presented his credentials to
President Robert Kocharian on September 4 in Yerevan.

Following is the text of the Assembly interview:

Q. Your predecessor, Ambassador John Ordway, made it a priority
to expand the Embassy’s outreach to the Armenian-American Diaspora.
Do you anticipate continuing such consultations with and presentations
to our community?

A. Yes, I do. Ideally, the Armenian-American community and the U.S.
government, particularly the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, should
be partners in a common effort to support Armenia’s development.
We all want the Republic of Armenia to succeed and to prosper in a
stable and secure environment, and we want to see the healthy growth
of democratic institutions. So a good place to start is with good
communications, and I think visits in both directions are vital.

Q. As Ambassador, what steps will you take to deepen the
U.S.-Armenia partnership in the following sectors: regional
cooperation, economic development and democracy and governance?

A. We are already doing a lot in all of these areas, and I refer your
readers to the Embassy’s website and other available documentation
in the first instance. In the long run, the very high levels of
assistance to the Republic of Armenia that have characterized the
past decade are inevitably going to decline due to the overall
decline in the FREEDOM Support Act, but we still have a robust
program of assistance. The fact that Armenia has been selected as
an eligible country for a Millennium Challenge Account grant offers
a unique opportunity that should not be missed. I should add that,
when thinking about the American contribution to Armenia, one ought
not to confine oneself to the U.S. government’s efforts. The important
private activities that are underway should also be remembered.

Q. What role can confidence-building measures play in addressing
the long-term problems of the Karabakh conflict and border closures?
What have been the impediments to date?

A. For some very good reasons, Secretary Powell has appointed a
Special Envoy, my good friend Steve Mann, to represent the United
States in the Minsk Group that is trying to bring about an eventual
settlement of the issue of Nagorno Karabakh. My role as the bilateral
U.S. Ambassador to Yerevan will be quite different from Ambassador
Mann’s and I would not like to complicate his already difficult task
by commenting on the state of the talks or on the history of the issue.

Q. Since Armenia’s independence, investment funds or bond programs
to encourage and responsibly manage Diasporan patriotic investments
have been proposed or attempted. Is there a role for the Embassy in
supporting and promoting such initiatives?

A. The U.S. has always been interested in helping Armenia develop
into a strong, market democracy and investments from outside
sources, such as the Diaspora, are often necessary to jumpstart a
transition economy. Through our assistance programs, we have supported
development of capital markets, strengthening the banking system, and
technical assistance and loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The U.S. has provided some operating funding to a private investment
fund to provide it the opportunity to raise capital. While raising
capital has proved to be more difficult for the fund than it might
have hoped, we will continue to work on improving the business climate
in Armenia so that investors will be more attracted to participating
in Armenia’s economy.

Q. What have you been doing to prepare for this assignment?

A. I have been consulting with what I call “Team Armenia,” that is,
the U.S. government’s experts in various executive branch departments,
as well as with representatives of non- governmental organizations,
including several Armenian-American ones. I also have started lessons
in the Armenian language, which I intend to continue studying in
Yerevan. Haiots lezun shat dezhvar e, baits geghetsik yev hetakrkir e.

Editor’s note:

Subsequent to his Q and A with The Advocate, Ambassador Evans gave
his first interview to the Armenian media in Yerevan Wednesday in
which he commended the Armenian government for its plans to join
America’s “coalition of the willing” in Iraq with a small unit of
non-combat troops.

He also said the United States approved the cancellation of NATO-led
military exercises in Azerbaijan.

“We salute Armenia for its announced intention to send a transportation
unit along with deminers and some medical personnel to Iraq,”
Ambassador Evans told a news conference.

The planned deployment, which requires parliamentary approval, remains
controversial in Armenia, with two top Armenian army generals publicly
indicating their opposition to the idea, arguing that Armenia’s largely
symbolic military engagement could trigger terrorist attacks against
Iraq’s ethnic Armenian community.

Evans said Washington welcomes a public debate on the deployment
issue in Armenia. He also reaffirmed U.S. approval of the last-minute
cancellation of NATO-led military exercises which were scheduled to
begin in Azerbaijan on Monday. The NATO leadership pointed to Baku’s
refusal to Armenia’s participation in the maneuvers as the cause for
the cancellation.

“We do believe that the NATO authorities made the right decision to
cancel this exercise,” Evans said. But he was quick to indicate that
the move should not be seen as a diplomatic victory for Armenia,
saying that it hurt both parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-080

Photograph available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:

Caption: U.S. Ambassador John Evans presented his credentials to
President Robert Kocharian on September 4.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/16/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) His Holiness Aram I Meets with Lebanese President
2) Aliyev, Kocharian Vow to Keep up Karabagh Talks
3) NATO Delegation Visits Genocide Memorial
4) Armenian-Americans Join San Francisco’s ‘Sudan: Day of Conscience’
5) Two New ARS Soseh Kindergartens in Artsakh

1) His Holiness Aram I Meets with Lebanese President

BAABDAAccompanied by the chairman of Central Executive Council Andre
Tabourian,
His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia met with Lebanese
President Emil Lahoud on September 15, at the presidential palace in the city
of Baabda.
His Holiness congratulated Lahoud on the recent extension of his presidential
term and added that it is his desire to see the government continue its work
for peace, regional stability, and economic development.
Catholicos Aram I moved on to state that the president must take the lead in
unifying the various ethnic and religious communities of Lebanon, and
strengthening the bond between the government and the country’s citizenry. In
response to the controversy surrounding the proportional decline of ethnic
Armenian deputies in parliament, His Holiness noted, “It is our demand to see
the injustice committed against the Armenian community reversed and
corrected.”
In addition, the Catholicos spoke about his recent trip to South Korea, where
he met with President Roh Moo Hyun.
After commending the Catholicos for his contributions not only to Lebanon,
but
also the international community in general, President Lahoud stressed that
cooperation amongst the communities of Lebanon is of the utmost importance to
his government and assured His Holiness that the Armenian community will
receive proper representation in the country’s legislature.

2) Aliyev, Kocharian Vow to Keep up Karabagh Talks

ASTANA (AFP)–The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday promised to
continue dialogue on the bitter stand-off between their countries over
Mountainous Karabagh. Presidents Robert Kocharian of Armenia and Ilham Aliyev
of Azerbaijan held more than three hours of late-night talks in the Kazakh
capital, mediated by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, but gave few clues as
to what had passed between them.
“We need time–the president of Azerbaijan knows our position more
concretely–the process is continuing constructively,” Kocharian said at a
joint news conference with Aliyev.
“Further development can resolve this question; we discussed various
questions
on the path to a resolution,” Aliyev said.
Aliyev had earlier stressed the importance of Thursday’s talks over the
Mountainous Karabagh conflict, which saw the two neighbors fight a war in the
early 1990s and remains unresolved. Aliyev has faced calls at home to take a
bolder stand on Karabagh and the thousands of Azeris who have fled the
disputed
area.
International mediators have urged face-to-face meetings between the two
sides, but with the transition of power in Azerbaijan from Aliyev’s father
Heydar to Ilham, talks have faltered.
The two leaders on Wednesday held two-way talks before joining Putin for more
discussions.
“I am happy to see that you have not lost your optimism. . . and are
continuing dialogue at the highest level,” Putin said as the talks began in
Astana, on the sidelines of a meeting of leaders of Commonwealth of
Independent
States (CIS) member countries.
“Hopes are very high, despite the complexity of the problem,” Putin said,
adding that “whatever the result, a meeting of three leaders is always a step
forwards.”
Aliyev thanked Russia for taking part in the summit talks. “Our neighbor
Russia, co-president of the Minsk Group, plays a key part in the settlement,”
he said.
The Minsk Group, comprising France, Russia, and the United States, has been
mediating between the two states for the past decade.

3) NATO Delegation Visits Genocide Memorial

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–A NATO delegation visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial on
Wednesday to pay tribute to the victims of the genocide of 1915.
Though the visit was not on their official agenda, National Assembly National
Security and Internal Affairs Committee chairman Mher Shahgeldian indicated
that the delegation members requested it. “We spoke about the 1915 Genocide
during our meetings in Yerevan, and the delegation came up with the idea to
visit the Memorial,” he said.

4) Armenian-Americans Join San Francisco’s ‘Sudan: Day of Conscience’

SAN FRANCISCO–Armenian-American community members joined other concerned
citizens at the San Francisco Civic Center to raise public awareness about
continuing massacres in Sudan. The event, “Sudan: Day of Conscience,” was
organized by the Save Darfur Coalition in tandem with several other
organizations, including the Bay Area Armenian National Committee, the
Interfaith Council, Human Rights Watch, the Jewish Community Relations, and
the
United Muslims of America. Reverend Father Avedis Torossian, pastor of St.
Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, and Reverend Father Sarkis Petoyan, pastor
of St. John Armenian Apostolic Church, were also present to express their
solidarity.
In light of the escalating violence and the looming threat of genocide in
Sudan, representatives spoke about the desperate need to unite and take action
on regional, state, nation, and global levels. Referring to the recent past,
they illustrated the deadly consequences of international indifference to
gross
human rights violations. It was only ten years ago that the genocide in Rwanda
took the lives of 800,000 victims as the world stood by idly, despite the many
warning signs of the atrocities.
In Sudan, government-backed Arab militias, the Janjaweed, have been engaging
in a campaign to displace and wipe out entire communities of African tribal
farmers. Witnesses report that entire villages have been razed, women and
girls
systematically raped and branded, men and boys murdered, and food and water
supplies specifically targeted and destroyed.
There are also accounts of government aerial bombardments of explosives,
along
with barrels of nails, car chassis, and old appliances which are hurled from
planes in order to crush people and property. Over fifty thousand have died
and
over a million have been driven from their homes. Only in the past few weeks
have humanitarian agencies had limited access to a portion of the affected
region.
Representing the ANC, Haig Baghdassarian addressed the several hundred people
gathered; he traced the bloody history of the 20th century, beginning with the
Armenian genocide and the genocides that followed as a result of international
reluctance to take action.
“When will we learn that we cannot tolerate this to happen time and time
again? Perhaps not until, we as Americans, can tell our Turkish allies, that
although we may be friends, we will not allow them to deny history and escape
with impunity for the murder of a nation–and perhaps, not until we as
Americans can come to terms with our own bloody past–and the destruction of
the indigenous peoples of America.”
“But these noble goals may take years or even decades to achieve, and we
cannot stand by and watch yet another genocide occur, whether it’s in central
Europe or in the heart of Africa, or on the very periphery of human
civilization,” said Bagdassarian.
The event demonstrated how a common, tragic event in the histories of the
Armenian, Jewish, Cambodian, and Rwandan people can unite them in trying to
prevent genocide from becoming a dark chapter in the lives and history of
another people.

5) Two New ARS Soseh Kindergartens in Artsakh

WATERTOWN–The ARS Central Executive announced the opening of two new “Soseh”
Kindergartens in the Shoushi and Moushatagh village (district of Kashatagh),
bringing the total number of the organization’s Artsakh kindergartens to 11.
With a staff of 10, the Shoushi Kindergarten will provide 50 children an
elementary education and devoted care, while the school in Kashatagh, with a
staff of six, will be attended by 25 youngsters.
The ARS founded its first kindergarten in Stepanakert, in 1997, offering the
children of Artsakh basic care and elementary education in Armenian culture.
This worthy endeavor has continued for the last 7 years, providing not only to
more than 520 Artsakh children, but also gainfully employing over 100 adults.
The “Soseh” Kindergartens of the ARS gives war widows and young mothers the
opportunity to seek employment outside the house and improve the family income
while their children are being taken care of during the day.

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From: Baghdasarian

ABOUT CORROSIVE POWER OF MONEY AND SOCIETY BLIGHTED BY CORRUPTION

A1 Plus | 15:55:46 | 16-09-2004 | Social |

Armenian Center for National and International Studies held a
discussion Thursday over the results of Corruption in Armenia survey
conducted by the Center.{BR}

37% of 1956 respondents were offered bribe at the 2003 presidential
and parliamentary elections. 32,5% of them have taken it.

The survey shows corruption in Armenia is considered as political
phenomenon. 42,8% think current authorities formed thank to bribe
and fraud has to protect those who helped them to come to power and
retain it.

19,4% find corruption the most effective way for accumulation of
wealth.

Head of Economic Researches Center Ashot Tavadyan doesn’t share
opinion that Armenian people tolerate bribery and have come to terms
with that phenomenon.

He says this idea is imposed by the authorities and added that
people become indifferent when see their complaints remain fallen
into neglect.

In Tavadyan’s opinion, broadly-worded state program against corruption
provides no clear idea about the steps to be taken.

He says there are many absurd provisions in the program such as a
statement that Customs Services not National Assembly are in charge
of legislative changes in custom area.

Tavadyan said the government program had been taken sceptically by
25,3% of respondents, 69,3% found it hard to answer the question and
only 4,9% were optimistic about the program.

“Corrupted authorities can’t struggle against themselves”, said the
majority of the survey respondents.

CENN – SEPTEMBER 16, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Call for Papers – Environment and Security
2. One Bar of Gold, One Tone of Controversy
3. Strong Lari Leads to Calls for Energy Rate Reductions
4. Community Education Campaign in Regions
5. AGBU UN Workshop Targets an Issue Crucial to Armenia and other
Nations

1. CALL FOR PAPERS – ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY

Dear colleagues!

As you probably know, CENN (Caucasus Environmental NGO Network) together
with Armenian and Azeri partners, is publishing quarterly regional
environmental magazine – “Caucasus Environment”, which has scientific,
educational, popular character.
(). The “Caucasus Environment”
is bilingual (English and Russian) publication. The aim of CENN is to
create an independent high quality publication on environmental issues –
a magazine that could educate, inspire and empower Caucasus citizens to
make a difference for the environment. The regional magazine covers not
only purely ecological matters, but also issues concerning the
environment as a whole. These include the natural environment, social
environment (the interconnection between the environment and poverty,
gender issues, demography, health, historical cultural heritage,
ethnography, archaeology, geopolitical issues, etc.), industry &
environment, agriculture, tourism, land use, cadastre and all types of
characteristics and peculiarities of the Caucasus region, defining
environment in a broad sense. The Magazine is distributed worldwide.

The coming issue of the “Caucasus Environment” Magazine is dedicated to
the ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY of the Caucasus. Caucasus – meaning not
only Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also southern regions of
Russia, Iran and Turkey. We are looking for your articles, dedicated to
the following themes:

ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY

Main Envsec problems of the Caucasus, especially problems having
transboundary character (rivers, water reservoirs, pollution etc.),
among them:

o Problems of natural environment (geodynamic processes: avalanches, mud
and land-slides, drought, seismic activity, etc.)
o Affect of global warming
o Pollution – water, air, soil, etc.
o Urban problems
o Deforestation, desertification
o Waste management
o Pipeline and other infrastructure safety
o Agriculture risk (irrigation, degradation of soil, irrational use of
water, GMO etc.)
o Refugees (environmental problems of refugees from conflict zones and
environmental refugees – due to Caspian Sea level rise etc.)
o Abandoned soviet stocks of weapon, military equipment
o Over use of ground waters and other resources
o Loss of biodiversity
o Nuclear and radiation safety
o Legislation on environment and security
o Civil society and security – advocacy, public movement etc.
o Economic aspects of environmental security
o Other issues related to environment and security

NOTE!
Due to large number of articles we receive for each issue, we have
worked out Rules of submission:

1. Preliminary letter of interest, describing theme of article and its
brief abstract should be submitted latest on 1 October 2004. Please,
submit your letters as early as possible, so that we have time to work
on the article! Articles and letters can be sent to the following
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articles can be sent in English and/or Russian language.

2. The article itself should be submitted latest on 15 October 2004. We
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3. Please note that generally we do not accept articles that were
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4. The size of article should be maximum 2 pages (4 000 symbols), each
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5. Priority is given to the articles that are prepared by regional
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States etc.). Priority is also given to the articles that contain
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6. Contact with authors: as the topics are finalized, we provide all
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Looking forward to receive your feedback!

Catherine Nakashidze

Editor-in-Chief
CAUCASUS ENVIRONMENT Magazine
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network

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Fax: +995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
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2. ONE BAR OF GOLD, ONE TONE OF CONTROVERSY

Source: The Messenger, September 16, 2004

The activities of the joint stock company Madneuli were accompanied by
loud scandals during the Shevardnadze ear and the tradition continues
today.

Last week the director of Madneuli Vasil Tsotadze presented the
president of Georgia the first bar of gold produced in Georgia from gold
containing alloys. Almost simultaneously, however, 8 of 9 members of the
Board of Directors resigned, leading the deputy head of the
parliamentary economic policy committee Vazha Kiladze to declare that
the change of the Madneuli management has not resulted in a change of
the old, corrupt system.

Madneuli was not listed in Minister of Economy Bendukidze’s recent
privatization list, but the sensationalist paper Alia reports that
Madneuli may be sold soon – to the minister of economy himself.

The paper claims that the selling price has been set at USD 12 million,
which is regarded to be a very small sum for such a company and has been
described by Bendukidze himself as “absurd”.

The minister of economy does not question, however, that it is essential
the company should be privatized, Alia reports. According to him any
state owned company is a source of corruption.

The paper also reports that Bendukidzemay have a rival in former media
magnate Erosi Kintsmarishvili, who intends to try buy Madneuli. However,
Kintsmarishvili has not confirmed the information. There have been all
sorts of rumors regarding Kintsmarishvili’s business interests, and it
is difficult to determine which are true and false.

The current manager of Madneuli Vasil Tsotadze declares that he is not
against the privatization of the company, but is trying to show that
there has been progress in the company, as evidenced by the recent
production of a bar of gold.

In contrast with these statements of the general director, MP Kiladze
believes little has changed in Madneuli since the resignation of Zurab
Lobzhanidze, who managed the company during Shevardnadze’s period.

Although the company’s profits have risen, this is due to a rise in the
price of copper on the world market by USD 1, 000 (from 1,800 to 2,800).
The price of gold has also risen, from USD 300 to USD 400 per ounce. At
the same time, reports Khvalindeli Dghe, the cost of production at
Madneuli has sharply increased, from GEL 391 per tom of copper in 2000
to GEL 755 per ton day.

Kiladze claims that corruption is still at works at Madneuli. According
to him, Lobzhanidze, who is in exile, is now taking part in the
management of the company through his work at the Swedish company
Glencore International AG, which is a contractor of the Georgian
company. Kiladze says there is other evidence of corruption and has
called for the dismissal of the current director of the company.

3. STRONG LARI LEADS TO CALLS FOR ENERGY RATE REDUCTIONS

Source: The Messenger, September 16, 2004

There is growing concern among Georgians that despite the strengthening
of the lari, there has been no reduction in tariffs for electricity and
natural gas. Asked by a New Rights Opposition MP about the possibility
of a reduction in the electricity tariff, the chairmen of the Georgian
National Energy Regulatory Commission (GNERC) confirmed that none was
envisaged.

One kilowatt of electricity currently costs 12.4 tetri. This price was
fixed by GNERC on August 15,2003, when the lari rate against the dollar
was 2.11. Now 1 dollar buys approximately GEL 1.88, and this has led to
calls for a reduction of the price of electricity so as to provide
essential relief fir socially vulnerably sectors of the population.

GNERC Chairmen Gia Tavadze could only promise that the tariff would not
increase. He said that he was not yet sure how the GEL rate would affect
the electricity supply, particularly in winter, when Telasi will need to
import additional electricity.

The leader of the Right Wing Opposition David Gamkrelidze labeled
Tavadze’s statement as “blackmail of the population,” as reported in
both Khvalindeli Dge and 24 Saati.

While the GNERC stared it had no plans to reduce the electricity tariff,
it said it does plan to reduce the natural gas tariff by around two
tetri. It is envisaged that the Russian natural gas distribution company
Itera will reduce its tariffs but negotiations continue and the final
decision is yet to be announced.

The GNERC is designed to be an organization independent of the state and
it sets the tariffs twice a year in April and October.

4. COMMUNITY EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN REGIONS

Starting from August 2004, the E-Armenia Foundation NGO initiated an
educational campaign within the framework of the E-Governance for
Territorial Administration project, implemented by UNDP, jointly with
the ROA Government. The project is aimed at increasing participation and
access to information on the regional level through creating web-based
e-governance systems hosted by regional administrations and the ROA
Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Coordination
() The goal of the E-Armenia NGO’s project is to
raise public awareness on e-Governance and, in particular, on existing
regional web resources. The campaign components include: training
courses for specialists of Internet centers within Project Harmony
Armenia’s School Connectivity Program, distribution of printed manuals
on usage of regional web sites; a series of workshops and discussions
with different sectors in communities; public awareness campaign using
local media, and distribution of printed promotional materials,
including posters and fact sheets.

Campaigns already have been conducted in three towns of Shirak region
and two towns of Kotayk region. The campaign will conclude in December
2004. All are invited to cooperate within the Community Education
Campaign.

Contact: E-Armenia Foundation
17 Charents St., 2nd floor
Tel.: (374-1) 57-02-60
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

5. AGBU UN WORKSHOP TARGETS AN ISSUE CRUCIAL TO ARMENIA AND OTHER
NATIONS

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage

PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, September 14, 2004

New York – On Wednesday, September 8, 2004, AGBU brought together some
of the leading voices in landmine eradication and environmental issues
at the largest gathering of non-governmental organizations in the world
– the United Nation’s 57th Annual DPI/NGO Conference in Manhattan
entitled “Millennium Development Goals: Civil Society Takes Action.”
Entitled, “Overcoming Obstacles to Economic Growth & Community
Development: The Role of Civil Society,” the AGBU workshop, attended by
Peggy Kerry – sister of Presidential candidate John Kerry and NGO
liaison to the US Mission of the United Nations – and an audience of
international NGO representatives, invited speakers to discuss their
grassroots projects in Afghanistan, Armenia and Cambodia that help
rehabilitate post-war societies through demining, tree planting and
other infrastructure-based initiatives.

AGBU United Nations Representative, Adrienne Alexanian initiated and
organized the workshop, a nine-month process involving weekly meetings,
extensive planning and networking with various individuals and groups.
Alexanian was also AGBU’s representative on the DPI/NGO planning
committee and the conference reception committee.

“It is important that Armenian organizations get involved with
international institutions like the United Nations, and promote ideas
and issues important to our community,” Alexanian said. “With my
continuing involvement with the United Nations, I am proud that we can
put together professional workshops that engage the world. I was also
very happy that as a member of the reception committee I was able to
promote HaiArt, an Armenian ensemble that played music by the Armenian
composer Gomidas during the opening reception in the Delegates’ Dining
Room. The reaction to the music was tremendous and everyone became aware
that the well of Armenian music was so rich and moving.”

The workshop drew a standing room crowd of educated activists and
concerned NGO representatives. The speakers were Jeff Masarjian,
Executive Director of the Armenia Tree Project (ATP), Sally Mackle of
Rotary International, and Heidi Kuhn, President and Founder of Roots of
Peace, an organization founded to continue Princess Diana’s legacy of
landmine eradication. Adrienne Alexanian and her alternate, Hrag
Vartanian, moderated the event.

Masarjian’s presentation included a discussion of the realities that
confronted a post-war Armenia, including landmines and the blockade, and
their impact on the environment. He went on to elaborate about ATP’s
work at developing a sustainable countryside that is helped by an
ambitious program of tree planting and fruit drying projects. Now in its
tenth year, ATP has planted hundreds of thousands of trees and continues
to expand its programming.

Rotary International’s project in Cambodia works with local village
residents to define their fields, purify their water, and provide them
with livestock for farming in the heavily-mined regions of Cambodia. The
country is home to some of the largest numbers of landmine victims and
they continue to struggle with the problem.

The final presentation by Roots of Peace founder and president, Heidi
Kuhn, outlined her work that builds on the former Princess of Wales’
vision of a mine-free world. As a result of a partnership with various
Californian wineries, Roots of Peace works in post-war countries, like
Afghanistan, to clear agricultural land of landmines and replant
vineyards that will rejuvenate the local economy. Featured on CNN, NBC
and ABC, Roots of Peace has garnered praised from UN Secretary General,
Kofi Annan, the US State Department and other prominent voices.

The presentations were followed by questions and interactive discussions
from an engaged audience that was well versed on landmine and
environmental issues.

Feedback from members of the NGO community pointed out the timely nature
of the topic and applauded the dissemination of information from experts
on these crucial initiatives to the international community.

A member of the UN NGO community since 1993, AGBU is the largest
Armenian non-profit organization in the world. The organization’s
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs reach over 400,000
Armenians annually. For more information, visit AGBU online at