Armenia actively settling occupied Azeri territories – minister
Trend news agency
7 Dec 04
Baku, 7 December: In an effort to invigorate the results of its
military aggression, Armenia, which has occupied the Nagornyy Karabakh
region and adjacent districts of Azerbaijan, is actively settling the
occupied territories, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
said in his remarks at the 12th meeting of the OSCE Foreign Ministers
Council in Sofia, the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
has told Trend.
The minister said this means a flagrant violation of international
humanitarian law, namely, the 1949 Geneva Convention. Mammadyarov added
that Azerbaijan adheres to a negotiated solution to the conflict on
the basis of international legal norms and principles, four UN Security
Council resolutions and OSCE documents. It was stressed that Azerbaijan
is ready to restore relations with Armenia, but before that can happen
Armenia must start acting not on the basis of the position it has
secured by means of force and the ideology of territorial claims,
but on the basis of principles of international law and democracy.
Giving a positive assessment to the Prague meetings, Mammadyarov
expressed his concern over the illegal activities carried out on the
occupied territories, which damage the peace process, and called on
the OSCE to contribute to the conflict settlement.
[Passage to end omitted: Mammadyarov had a number of other meetings
in Sofia]

Armenia to table 1915 genocide at CIS assembly
Mediamax news agency
7 Dec 04
Yerevan, 7 December: Armenian parliamentarians intend to table
the issue of recognition of the genocide of Armenians in 1915 [in
Ottoman Turkey] at the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in 2005,
the vice-speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Vaan Ovanesyan,
said in Yerevan today.
He recalled that the 90th anniversary of the genocide will be marked
next year and “these discussions are important no matter what their
result is”.
Nevertheless, Ovanesyan admitted that there are many opponents of
this initiative at the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and there is
no guarantee for a successful result for the Armenian side.

YEREVAN SUPERCOMPUTER FIFTH IN CIS TOP 50
07.12.2004 15:34
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Top 50 powerful supercomputers of the CIS are
presented in Moscow. The first in the list is SKIF K-1000, constructed
within the framework of the Union State of Russia and Belarus that
makes over 2 trillions of operations a second. The second is the
computer of the Interdepartmental Supercomputer Center of the Russian
Academy of Sciences (also ISC of RAS), which produces 1.4 trillion
operations a second. The third is the MVS-1000M (also ISC of RAS),
which is capable of making 735 billion operations a second. The Top
50 also includes supercomputers, established in Yerevan (5-th place),
Minsk (the already mentioned SKIF K-1000 and another two computers,
who were on the 6-th and 22-nd places), Kiev (13-th and 49-th places),
Lvov (39-th place) and Kazakhstan (21-st place). The rest of the
supercomputers of the CIS work in Russia.

DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-RUSSIAN MOODS IN ARMENIA NOT UNGROUNDED, V.
HOVHANNISIAN SUPPOSES
07.12.2004 17:48
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The development of anti-Russian moods in the strata
of the Armenian society has deep and superficial reasons, supposes
representative of Dashnaktsutyun Party (which is part of the ruling
coalition), Armenian Parliament Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian.
However, he did not specify which reasons he meant. He also said that
it is not clear what represents considerable danger: “either when
the power is formed under the pressure of local oligarchs and is not
accepted by the people, or when it is formed under the pressure of
foreign oligarchs and international funds” meaning the revolutionary
scenarios of Ukraine and Georgia. It is rather the case, “when you
chose the lesser of the two evils,” the Dashnaktsutyun representative
summed up. Those scenarios, in his opinion, are possible in any of the
countries of the CIS. It should be reminded that Dashnaktsutyun (the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation), which makes part of the Socialist
International, is one of the traditional Armenian parties. Its basic
principles include the national, socialist and revolutionary character.
Recently the party is considered to be traditionally pro-Russian,
however Dashnaktsutyun structures in the US and Europe operate
autonomously and are rather oriented towards the West. Historically
Dashnaktsutyun has abided by different foreign policy orientations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian MP denies report on hearings into destruction of Azeri cultural sites
Arminfo
6 Dec 04
Yerevan, 6 December: A representative of the Armenian delegation to
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE], Shavarsh
Kocharyan, has denied Azerbaijani media reports suggesting that the
issue of the “destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments” was
discussed during a joint meeting of the PACE committees on culture,
science and education in Paris on 3 December.
Shavarsh Kocharyan has told Arminfo that meetings of the subcommittee
on issues of cultural heritage, the committee on issues of science
and education, as well as hearings on the issue of “Religion, culture
and education” were held in Paris on 3 December. He said no issues
concerning Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh had been discussed
during these meetings.
Let’s recall that earlier the Baku media carried reports suggesting
that during a joint meeting of the PACE committees on culture,
science and education Azerbaijani MP Rafael Huseynov had allegedly
drawn the attention of European MPs to “the Nagornyy Karabakh problem,
the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and the ensuing destruction and
desecration of cultural monuments and graves”. Huseynov also said he
had allegedly urged “the Council of Europe to take measures against
the most brutal form of Armenian aggression – destruction of the
cultural heritage”.

Armenian retailer raises price of diesel as Azeri rail delays begin to bite
Arminfo
1 Dec 04
Yerevan, 1 December: One of the major oil traders in Armenia, the
Flash company, has increased prices for diesel at its filling stations
to 270 drams per litre [approximately 54 US cents]. The prices of
diesel at its wholesale depots have also been reviewed upwards and
set within the limits of 265-270 drams per litre, the Flash company
told Arminfo. This month the company has increased the cost of diesel
by 30-40 drams, and since the start of the year by 85 drams.
Flash’s deputy director, Musheg Elchyan, said that the latest increase
in diesel was linked to the hold-up of tanker wagons carrying fuel
on the border and also the world increase in oil prices. He said that
Flash expected to receive 3,500 tonnes of diesel from the consignment
already delayed in Azerbaijan by more than 40 days. He said that in
the next two days 1,600 t of fuel would be received by ship across the
Black Sea from Ukraine and half of this fuel was earmarked for Flash,
which was expecting another 800-900 t in the first 10 days of December.
Overall, from January this year until today inclusive, Flash has
reviewed prices several times, mainly reacting to movements in the
world oil price. Over this period the company has increased retail
prices for petrol by 20-40 drams and wholesale by 37-39 drams. This
month the cost of petrol has changed slightly but has remained at the
previous level: retail prices for Premium-95 petrol were 340 drams per
litre and for Super-98 360 drams per litre, while wholesale prices for
Regulyar-91 were 295-300 drams per litre and for Premium-95 310-315
drams per litre. As for the retail price of Regulyar-91 petrol,
the company reduced it by 10 drams from 30 November and set it at
310 drams per litre.
[One dollar is worth approximately 498 drams.]

Forensic evidence shows arson behind blaze in Armenian editor’s car
Arminfo
3 Dec 04
Yerevan, 3 December: A criminal case has been opened into the
explosion in the car of the editor of Yerevan daily Aykakan Zhamanak,
Nikol Pashinyan.
At approximately 2040 local time [1640 gmt] on 22 November, the
Niva jeep belonging to Nikol Pashinyan caught fire outside Aykakan
Zhamanak’s editorial offices. The forensic fire and technical
examination concluded that open fire caused the blaze, the Armenian
Prosecutor-General’s Office told Arminfo. The source said that this
gives a basis to open a criminal case. When the results of the forensic
examination were received, on 2 December a criminal case was opened
on the incident under points 2 and 3 of the second part of Article
185 of the Armenian Criminal Code (deliberate destruction or damage
to property by arson, causing major losses). The Yerevan police’s
investigative department is investigating the circumstances.

TWO DEFECTORS FROM ARMENIA TO AZERBAIJAN STILL KEPT IN AN ISOLATION
WARD AT MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY OF AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6. ARMINFO. Two defectors from Armenia to Azerbaijan,
Roman Teryan and Arthur Apresyan, are kept in an isolation ward at
the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan.
Referring to the press-service of the National Security Ministry,
the “Kavkazskiy uzel” reports that at present the Azerbaijani
authorities negotiate with international organizations on the subject
of provision of the defectors with residence in a third country. It
should be noted that Apresyan and Teryan arrived in Baku from Armenia
in April. They explained their act by disagreements with the state
policy of Armenia. The defectors arrived in Baku with the object of
achieving a right to entry to a European state as refugees.-

TURKISH PM ADDRESSES EUROPE ON THE EVE OF EU SUMMIT
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6. ARMINFO. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan sent an address to Europe on the eve of the Dec 17 EU summit
which is to decide when to start the talks for Turkey’s admission
into EU, reports Zaman commenting on the opening of Armenian Museum
in Istanbul.
The source says that Erdogan personally inaugurated the museum situated
in the Armenian St Savior hospital. “This museum is inside my heart,
this is a museum of humanity,” he said noting that all Turkey’s ethnic
minorities are “the country’s original elements.” “We are the sons of
this country and have lived in peace and security for centuries. We
are compatriots and should and will care for each others interests.”
The Armenian children’s chorus Lusavorich performed the national
anthem of Turkey during the opening.
To remind, the first floor of the St Savior hospital, founded 172
years ago by Sultan Mahmud II, has been turned into a museum telling
the history of the hospital and Armenians living under Ottoman Rule,
particularly portraits of Armenians holding different posts at the
time, medical instruments, antiquities.
The director of the hospital Sedrak Tokat says that the goal of
the museum is to “correctly present Armenian-Turkish relations to
the generations to come.” Tokat is concerned about “the statements
by the Armenian Diaspora in the US and Europe.” He says “Armenians
live freely in Turkey – otherwise there would be no such event.” “We
wholeheartedly wish Turkey’s membership at EU,” says Tokat.-

YEAR OF ARMENIAN CULTURE AND ART IN FRANCE
Azg/arm
7 Dec 04
The year of 2005 is declared to be a year of Armenian culture and
art in France. Armenian writers, musicians and artists all over the
world will gather in the “center of the world”.
Henrik Igitian, president of Children’s Aesthetic Center, who left
for Paris on December 1 to carry out preliminary works, said on this
occasion: “Our cruel history taught us the art of hardship. Our life
was never easy one. Even if there were no external barriers we created
our own ones. The history spread Armenians all over the world, but
I am sure that we should overcome the terms of “Armenia’s
culture” and “Diaspora’s culture”.
The State Gallery and Matenadaran, depository of ancient Armenian
manuscripts, are also invited to participate at the program. Henrik
Igitian was surprised not the see the Museum of Armenian History
and the Aesthetic Center included in the list of delegations leaving
for France.
By Sergey Galoyan