CENN – NOVEMBER 29, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. State Oil Fund to Set Aside Azm 105 bln for BTC Pipeline Construction
2. 4 Million Tones of Oil Needed TO Fill BTC Pipeline
3. Credit Agreement in Force
4. Environmental Ministers of Eastern European, Asian and Caucasian
Countries Meet in Baku
5. Bendukidze Lashes out at Forestry Department Head
6. US Company to Ship Oil from Azerbaijan Via Georgia Ports
7. Illegal Villas in Tsaghkadzor
8. Minister Sees ‘Natural’ Economic Slowdown
1. STATE OIL FUND TO SET ASIDE AZM 105 BLN FOR BTC PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION
Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004
The Azerbaijan Republic State Oil Fund is going to set aside 105 billion
manats to finance Azerbaijan’s share in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
export pipeline construction, Fund executive director Samir Sharifov
told AzeTAJ correspondent.
2. 4 MILLION TONS OF OIL NEEDED TO FILL BTC PIPELINE
Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004
According the press service of BP Azerbaijan, as soon as
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline construction ends 4 million barrels of
oil will be needed to fill the pipe out, BP said. The pipe will be
filled with 11 million tons of oil extracted from the
Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field.
3. CREDIT AGREEMENT IN FORCE
Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004
Azerbaijani side is going to start repaying its credits taken to finance
its share in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline construction as soon
as the batch of oil is dispatched from Ceyhan seaport in 2006, State Oil
Company of Azerbaijan reported. In this respect, credit agreements
remain in force.
4. ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS OF EASTERN EUROPEAN, ASIAN AND CAUCASIAN
COUNTRIES MEET IN BAKU
Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004
In the office of Regional Ecological Center (REC) of Caucasus in
Azerbaijan was held a meeting dedicated to results of the recent
conference of the ministers of environment of the countries of Eastern
Europe, Asia and Central Caucasus (EEACC) in Tbilisi.
Noting that in the period after the ministerial conference on the topic
`Environment For Europe’, passed in Kiev in May 2003, real conclusions
on improvement of the environment and regional cooperation a notable
result was not achieved in this direction, presiding at the meeting,
head of the Society `For Sustainable Development’ Fikrat Jafarov and
participants of Tbilisi conference from Azerbaijan spoke of positive
reaction of all attendees in the event of speech of the minister of
ecology and natural resources of Azerbaijan Huseyngulu Bagirov.
Discussed was also the importance of elaboration of the national plans
on eco-strategy of EEACC, focused suggestions on realization of tasks,
put forward by the ministerial forum in Kiev and Tbilisi.
It has to be noted that in the EEACC countries, there are functioning
five Regional Ecological Centers (REC) – in Hungary, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Moldova and in the Caucasus, which are to implement sustainable
partnership on realization of EEACC strategy.
5. BENDUKIDZE LASHES OUT AT FORESTRY DEPARTMENT HEAD
Source: The Messenger, November 26, 2004
Minister describes plans for rehabilitating tourist infrastructure and
removing IDPs from hotels
Minister of Economic Development Kakha Bendukidze hit out at the Head of
the Forestry Department Bidzina Giorgobiani over disagreements between
the two regarding the privatization of Georgia’s forests.
Although Mr. Giorgobiani said in an interview with the media that
government members had been able to come to an agreed view regarding
forestry reform at lat week’s government session and that there were no
longer any questions on the issue, Bendukidze told the media on Monday
November 22, 2004 that `it seems Mr. Bidzina has forgotten that he is
working at the government.’
`The government has not yet made any decision with regard to forestry
reform. When Mr. Giorgobiani talks about the `government view’, he means
the view of him and his deputy,’ the minister said.
`The forestry department is a part of government and it is the
government which is responsible for making decisions on this issue,’ the
minister added.
Mr. Bendukidze says that the position of his ministry is to be maximally
careful in creating new state owned enterprise with new functions, such
as looking after the forests.
`As a rule, state owned enterprises are badly managed and a source of
corruption. If we want to create a joint stock or limited company
someone should write a special plan concerning its functions. Creating
some kind corporation does not mean that the problem is solved,’
Bendukidze said.
Also on Monday the minister addressed the issue of the possible transfer
of Trade Union property to the state, property that includes numerous
hotels throughout the country that are currently inhabited by IDPs.
Mr. Bendukidze said, ‘There is no talk of Trade Union property being
transferred to the state. We are saying that there are very many hotels
and sanitariums in the ownership of the Trade Union, where over 11, 000
refuges are living. That is why we agreed to create a special fund that
will be called the Fund for Developing Resorts.’
According to the minister, ‘the National Fund for Developing Resorts
will be charge of management the hotels and sanatoriums, developing the
tourist infrastructure and removing the refugees from these building,’
adding that some of assets under the ownership of the Trade Union will
also be included in the fund.
`The Trade Union expressed the desire to finish rehabilitating some of
these assets and the National Fund will provide funding for the
realizations of their aims,’ he said.
He said that Tkhaltubo and Borjomi regions would be the main
beneficiaries from this process.
`Tskhaltubo as a resort town is `dead’, as over 6000 refugees are living
in the sanatoriums located there. We should do something with regard to
these people. So we are moving to a new mechanism of managing the
property and we have also offered this to the Trade Union,’ said Mr.
Bendukidze.
6. US COMPANY TO SHIP OIL FROM AZERBAIJAN VIA GEORGIAN PORTS
Source: RIA Novosti, November 29, 2004
ExxonMobil subsidiary, Exxon Azerbaijan Ltd., has made a deal with the
Azerbaijanian Azpetrol Holding on shipping part of its oil from Azeri
and Guneshli (Azerbaijan) deposits via Georgian seaports.
Novosti-Georgia reports with reference to a press release of the US
Company that according to the agreement, oil is to be shipped along the
Baku-Batumi (Georgia) railway in the amount of ten million tons during
five years.
Despite being a participant in the project to develop sea oil deposits
Azeri-Chyrag-Guneshli, ExxonMobil at a time did not find it necessary to
become a shareholder in BTC Co. that builds the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline. For this reason, ExxonMobil is considering all possible
options for exporting oil from Azerbaijan, including the northern
(Russian) route of the Baku-Novorossiisk oil pipeline.
Oil pumping through the BTC pipeline will cost $3-odd per barrel on the
average. But these tariffs will only be applicable to the companies that
participated in constructing and financing the oil pipeline as
shareholders of the BTC company. Other companies wishing to transport
their oil through BTC will have to pay more.
Azpetrol Holding shipped over 15 million metric tons of oil and oil
products via the South-Caucasus transport corridor when it began
operating (2001). In 2003 alone, this company transported 4,045,656
metric tons of oil and oil products along the Baku-Batumi route.
7. ILLEGAL VILLAS IN TSAGHKADZOR
Source: , November 24, 2004
Members of Parliament Gagik Tsarukyan and Levon Sargisyan, Head of the
State Customs Department Armen Avetisyan, and Deputy Head of the State
Police Department Armen Yeritsyan have all built houses in the
recreation areas and forest reserves of Tsaghkadzor.
How did these men build their villas? Gagik Tsarukyan, one of the
richest men in Armenia, began illegal construction work in the resort
town of Tsaghkadzor during the 2003 parliamentary elections. Both the
municipal administration and the law enforcement agencies knew about
this, but neither did anything to stop it. At the same time Tsarukyan
was unlawfully building his two houses, he was also campaigning for a
seat in Armenia ‘s legislature.
But now, said the mayor of Tsaghkadzor, Garun Mirzoyan, the buildings
“have been legalized in accordance with Armenia ‘s Law on the
Legalization of Unauthorized Constructions. Some time ago an
unauthorized building was constructed; we legalized the construction,
transferring quite a large amount of money to the state budget. The
territory amounts to 1.4 hectares. Both buildings were legalized in the
name of Gagik Tsarukyan, based on his written applications.”
I asked the mayor if there had been any discussions with community
members, any public hearings conducted prior to the legalization. “There
is no such provisions in this law. What were we supposed to discuss
after the houses had been built?” he answered. “[Tsarukyan] had built
the houses, and appealed to the State Cadastre to legalize the
construction. Naturally, since the State Cadastre didn’t have the
necessary documents it applied to the Mayor’s Office asking us to pass a
decision on legalizing the construction. Thus there was no point in
discussing the matter with the community,” Mayor Mirzoyan explained.
The mayor said Tsarukyan’s buildings had been legalized in mid-2003, at
a price of 2,000 drams per square meter of construction, plus the
cadastre value of the land. “Mr. Tsarukyan paid about 15 million drams,”
he added.
The truth is the Mayor’s Office was in a position to turn down
Tsarukyan’s request, or to oblige him to pull down one or both of the
illegal buildings. But instead, “We found it appropriate and legalized
the construction,” Mayor Mirzoyan told us. The Mayor’s Office did not
risk opposing Gagik Tsarukyan. They say there’s only one man in Armenia
who can – the president of the republic. They also say that Tsarukyan
built one of the houses for a certain senior official. Just who that
official is, time will tell.
“The forests of Tsaghkadzor are situated on steep slopes, 45 degrees
minimum, and are of great value from the perspective of preserving the
land and regulating the flow of water,” Srbuhi Harutiunyan, the chairman
of the Social Ecological Association, explained. “According to the
forest cadastre, these forests have defensive significance. Because of
the construction work in the Tsaghkadzor forests, the integrity of the
forest has been violated, the specific composition has suffered, and the
functions of the land have been impaired.”
“According to municipal zoning, two-thirds of the land in Tsaghkadzor is
for recreational use,” Mirzoyan said. In reality, half of this land is
already occupied by constructions. According to Article 22 of the Land
Code of Armenia, any activity impeding the intended use of recreation
land is forbidden. Construction work in Tsaghkadzor deprives the people
of Armenia of an unspoiled vacation area and damages the forests on the
steep slopes.
The mayor justifies what’s going on by saying that the building is only
taking place in areas that used to accommodate camps. But that’s not
true. Furthermore, talking with the people who live here, I found out
that they had not been informed about the planned changes that would
affect their lives. “In fact, the Kotayk Governor’s office and
Tsaghkadzor Mayor’s office failed to inform the public in advance, as
they are required to do by Articles 13 and 14 of the Law on Town
Planning and by the October 28, 1998 Government Decision # 660,” Srbuhi
Harutiunyan said.
If every parliament member, government member, judges and or prosecutor
decides to build a villa in the forests of Tsaghkadzor, who will stop
them? Unfortunately, no one. The construction work keeps going on.
8. MINISTER SEES ‘NATURAL’ ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN
Source: Radio Free Europe, Czech republic, November 25, 2004
Economic growth in Armenia, which hit a double-digit rate last year,
will slow down in the coming years but will remain strong in relative
terms, Finance and Economy Minister Vartan Khachatrian predicted on
Wednesday.
Khachatrian said the country’s Gross Domestic Product is on course to
expand by up to 11 percent this year and 8 percent in 2005, down from 13
percent reported by the government in 2003. Official figures put GDP
growth in the first nine months of 2004 at 10.3 percent.
“There is a tendency of [growth rate] decrease and that is natural. The
greater the economic base, the slower its further growth,” Khachatrian
told RFE/RL.
“Many countries and organizations hold up Armenia as an example,” he
added. That is especially true for the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund that have praised the country’s macroeconomic performance,
rewarding its government with more multimillion-dollar loans. The World
Bank described that performance as “exemplary” in a statement last week.
The key question arising from the rosy macroeconomic data is their
impact on still low living standards. Many local and foreign economists
believe that the growth has mostly benefited a small number of wealthy
Armenians that continue to routinely evade taxes.
But Khachatrian repeated the government view that the benefits are
beginning to trickle down. “The poorest section of the population may
still not be happy but it does feel change,” he claimed.
According to official statistics made available to RFE/RL in September,
the proportion of Armenians living below the official poverty line fell
from 49.7 percent to 42.9 percent in the course of last year. They also
showed the rate of “extreme poverty” tumbling from 13 percent to 7
percent during the same period.
The credibility of the latter figure, based on household income surveys
by the National Statistical Service, was seriously questioned on
Wednesday by Hranush Kharatian, a prominent sociologists and the head of
a government department on minority affairs. “I think most experts find
this figure extremely suspicious,” she said. “If I’m not mistaken, even
the Finance Ministry has asked for a repeat of that survey.”
Other experts say that the official poverty line is set too low.
—
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CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

PRESS RELEASE
UN Department of Public Information, Yerevan Office
14 K.Liebknekht, Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Contact: Armine Halajyan, UN DPI Information Assistant
Tel.: (374 1) 560 212
Fax/Tel.: (374 1) 561 406
WORLD AIDS DAY IN ARMENIA
Although the name of Armenia has not been mentioned in the recently launched
AIDS Epidemic Update, 2004 but Armenia falls in the geographical region
where rapid growth of the epidemic has been registered. According to this
Report, 2004 – the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia has risen dramatically in just a few years-reaching an
estimated 1.4 million [920 000-2.1 million] at the end of 2004. This is an
increase of more than nine-fold in less than ten years. And most of the
epidemics in this region are still in their early stages-which means that
timely, effective interventions can halt and reverse them.
According to the UNDP report Reversing the Epidemic, Facts and Policy
Options, 2004, only a few years ago it was hoped that Central and Eastern
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) would avoid the
devastation of AIDS. For at least some countries in this region, these hopes
are set to fail.
HIV has a young face in Armenia. Almost 80 percent of people living with HIV
are from 20-39 years old. In 2001 the first cases of HIV/AIDS among children
were registered.
As of October 2004 296 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported out of which 217
people (77.5%) are male, 63 women (22.5%) and 4 children. However, according
to the National HIV/AIDS Center despite these official figures, other
HIV/AIDS assessments indicate that the real number of people living with
HIV/AIDS in Armenia is closer to 2,800 – 3,000.
Speaking about the mode of transmission – injecting drug use is on the rise
in this part of the world, Armenia included. Before 1999, transmission in
Armenia via sexual contacts exceeded transmission through injecting drug
usage with a ratio of 41:22. However, from 1999 to mid 2004, the ratio
became 58:113. Almost half of the cases of the reported infections now are
of this mode and among young people (52.5%), all of whom are men, the
majority of whom have probably been infected with HIV while temporarily
living in the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. In addition, the majority
of all the male HIV carriers (66.5%) are individuals who practice injecting
drug usage, whereas the main transmission mode for women is heterosexual
contacts (94.4%). And the overall registered cases transmitted by
heterosexual transmission makes 38.9%.
>From the beginning of the epidemic 42 cases of death from HIV/AIDS have been
registered in Armenia, 6 of them in 2003 and 8 in 2004.
The maximum number of HIV carriers was reported in Yerevan(the capital): 137
cases, constitute almost half of all registered cases. Lori Marz (in the
north of the country) is placed second, where the HIV prevalence rate is 8%.
As a response to the situation in the country a Sentinel Epidemiological
Surveillance and Rapid Assessment was conducted in 2000, HIV/AIDS
Situational Analysis and Response Analysis were prepared, on the bases of
which a National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention was approved by the
Government in 2002.
Besides, the Theme Group in Armenia comprising of the Heads of UN Agencies
and a Government Representative supports the National Programme carrying out
a variety of activities to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among vulnerable
groups and the general population such as advocate and support one
coordination mechanism in the country, increase monitoring and evaluation
capacities and strengthen the potential of the Government, Parliament and
civil society to respond to the challenge of HIV/AIDS.
The press conference devoted to the World AIDS Day was held on 1 December
2004 in UN Conference Hall. World Health Organization has initiated to
organize the World AIDS Day on 1 December 1988. On this day leaders of many
countries all over the world delivered their speeches containing the special
slogans on the radio and TV.
Starting from that day, every year the whole world commemorates 1 December
as a World AIDS Day to draw attention of the wide sectors of population to
the problem of HIV/AIDS, to involve new organizations, groups and
individuals in the implementation of preventive activities. This day is
commemorated by different slogans every year marking crucial issues. The
World AIDS Campaign slogan of this year is “Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS”.
The press conference was opened by Mr. V.Tkatchuk, UN DPI Representative. It
was attended by Mr. Lars Olof Kallings, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary
General on HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Mr. N.Davidyan,
Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. L.Grande, UN Resident
Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. R.Ehmer, UNAIDS InterCountry
coordinator for Southern Caucasus, Dr. S.Grigoryan, Director of the National
Centre for AIDS Prevention.
Mr. Lars Olof Kallings, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on
HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and the Central Asia has met with government
officials and people living with HIV during his visit. Dr. S.Grigoryan,
Director of the National Centre for AIDS Prevention presented
epidemiological situation on HIV/AIDS in the world, region and Armenia.
The National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention was approved by the Decision N
316 of 1 April 2002 of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. Starting
from the year of 2003 the National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention has been
implemented with the support of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria. Ms. R.Ehmer, UNAIDS InterCountry coordinator for Southern
Caucasus mentioned that the Government had taken several measures to prevent
the further spread of the epidemic which are supported also by UN Agencies
and other international organizations.

UGAB (France)
AGBU (New York)
11, square Alboni
Aline Ekmekji
75016 Paris
Tel. : ++ 12 12 319 6383
Tel. : ++ 33 1 45 20 03 18
extension 132 ou par email
Fax : ++ 33 1 40 50 88 09
[email protected]
Email : [email protected]
BULLETIN DE LIAISON DE L’UGAB-FRANCE / Décembre 2004

Stages d’été de New York : les candidatures sont ouvertes
L ‘UGAB annonce que les candidatures à ses stages d’été
de New York (New York Summer Internship Programme, ou NYSIP) sont
maintenant ouvertes. Les dossiers de candidatures sont disponibles en
ligne ou sur demande. Les stages d’été de New York ont
été conçus pour fournir une opportunité aux
étudiants des collèges et universités, d’où qu’ils
viennent, d’acquérir une expérience professionnelle dans les
meilleures conditions.
Depuis sa création en 1987, le programme a constitué un point
de départ de carrière solide et enrichissant, dans des
entreprises d’excellente réputation.
L’édition 2004 des stages d’été a rassemblé 34
étudiants de 7 pays (d’Europe, d’Amérique du Sud et des USA)
aux profils divers. Le programme éducatif et culturel qui
accompagnait les stages a couvert des sujets divers, allant de
séminaires de formation à la rédaction de CV, à la
préparation à l’entretien d’embauche ou au développement
des capacités de direction d’une équipe, en passant par des
conférences sur les effets psychologiques du génocide, avec
Anie Kaladjian, ou une introduction à la littérature
arménienne, avec Arthur Nersesian et Nancy Kricorian, et des
occasions de participer à la vie de la cité par des actions
bénévoles.
600 stagiaires ont déjà bénéficié du programme
depuis sa création. Le processus de sélection est assez
exigeant, mais permet à ceux qui ont été
sélectionnés de travailler au sein d’entreprises et
d’institutions de premier plan comme les Nations unies, Merril Lynch,
NY1 News, l’Hôpital de l’Université de Columbia, New Line
Cinema, et bien d’autres.
Les Stages d’été de Paris
En parallèle aux stages de New York, l’UGAB France organise des
stages d’été à Paris. Les candidatures pour ces stages
sont ouvertes depuis le 1 octobre 2004.
Organisé dans un esprit analogue à celui des stages de New
York, le programme donne aux étudiants (deux années
réussies à l’Université au moins) une occasion unique
d’accéder à des stages de qualité, de vivre une
expérience inoubliable dans la Ville Lumière en compagnie
d’autres jeunes arméniens d’Europe et d’ailleurs, et enfin
d’apprendre et de se divertir grâce à un programme social
fourni.

Les Stages de New York et de Paris : Infos pratiques
Stage de Paris*
Stage de New York**
27 juin – 13 août (7 semaines)

Juin – août (8 semaines)
Date limite de soumission des candidatures
31 janvier 2005

14 janvier 2005
Précisions sur les programmes proposés

Choisir downloadable forms
Contacts
UGAB (France)
AGBU (New York)
11, square Alboni
Aline Ekmekji
75016 Paris
Tél. : ++ 12 12 319 6383
Tél. : ++ 33 1 45 20 03 18
extension 132 ou par email
Fax : ++ 33 1 40 50 88 09
[email protected]
Email : [email protected]
*A partir de la deuxième année d’étude
réussie
** Etre inscrit à l’université
De nouvelles orientations pour l’UGAB
Papiers d’Arménie, Le Dauphiné Libéré, du dimanche
31 octobre 2004
Par Iskouhi Abattu. Article reproduit avec la permission du journal
A l’aube de son centième anniversaire, l’organisation
philanthropique entend relever les défis du XXIe siècle, tout
en conservant ses valeurs fondatrices.
L’Union générale arménienne de bienfaisance (Ugab) vient
d’officialiser la passation de pouvoirs entre les présidents de
Valence. L’événement a eu lieu au cours d’un dîner auquel
assistaient plus de 100 personnes et en présence du président
national Denis Ketchedjian. De retour d’Arménie où il
assistait à l’assemblée générale de l’association,
celui-ci s’est exprimé longuement sur la mission et les objectifs
de l’UGAB et ses nouvelles orientations.
Représentant les autorités civiles, religieuses ou
associatives, de nombreuses personnalités avaient répondu
à l’invitation : l’église apostolique était
représentée par le révérend père Antranik
Maldjian. Marlène Mourier députée suppléante,
représentait Patrick Labaune, député de la Drôme.
Noubar Kéchichian, adjoint au développement
socio-éducatif, Annie-Romy Koulaksézian,
déléguée au projet du centre du patrimoine, et Paul
Bagdassarian représentaient Lena Balsan, maire de Valence. Parmi
les associations étaient notamment représentées l’amicale
de Malatia, le Fonds arménien de France, Idjeval [association
chargée de promouvoir les relations entre Valence et la ville
d’Idjevan, avec laquelle elle est jumelée, NLDR], Arménia, La
Maison de la culture arménienne, la Croix Bleue, l’Ucfaf, etc.
Accueillis par le nouveau président Philippe Panossian- qui
succède à Varoujean Varvarian- les convives ont partagé
un dîner émaillé de prestations musicales et de
discussions. Ainsi, Ã en croire l’intervention de Nicolas Tavitian
sur les projets européens, et de Denis Ketchedjian, président
national, de grandes choses devraient se réaliser bientôt.
Afin de relever ces nouveaux défis et satisfaire aux besoins du
XXIe siècle des jeunes gens multi-culturels sont encouragés
à s’engager sur les grandes voies européennes. C’est le cas de
Nicolas Tavitian, originaire de Bruxelles, qui a parlé des nouveaux
projets et des objectifs de développement envisageables au niveau
européen. De nombreuses conférences sont d’ailleurs inscrites
au programme des prochaines semaines.
Respect pour l’héritage
Denis Ketchedjian a retracé les principales missions accomplies par
l’UGAB, qui poursuit ainsi l’Å`uvre colossale entreprise depuis sa
création en 1906. L’organisation construit dispensaires et
orphelinats, elle continue de gérer des externats où sont
inscrits près de 8000 élèves, des écoles du samedi
en Amérique, en Europe, au Moyen-Orient et en Australie. Grâce
à l’association, plus de 6500 élèves ont une meilleure
approche de leur identité. Outre ses propres écoles, des
dizaines d’autres ont été aidées sur le plan financier.
Depuis l’indépendance [de l’Arménie] en 1991, elle a joué
un rôle de plus en plus important entre la Diaspora et le pays.
Elle s’est employée à moderniser ses programmes afin de
répondre aux besoins en évolution permanente. Des écoles,
des centres, des bourses en passant par les stages d’entreprise Ã
New York, des soupes populaires aux activités culturelles ou
sportives, elle rassemble, motive et réunit chacun sous la
même identité. A l’aube de son centième anniversaire elle
se fixe de nouveaux objectifs, encore plus ambitieux.
Le nouveau Comité de l’UGAB-Valence est présidé par Me
Philippe Panossian.
L’UGAB Ã Valence : 6, rue Faventines.
Tél. : 04 75 43 50 48
Ecole de Vienne : Reprise des cours
Les élèves de l’Ecole de l’UGAB à Vienne ont repris les
cours à la mi-octobre cette année.
Une vingtaine d’enfants de 8 à 13 ans se sont retrouvés ainsi
dans un climat de réel enchantement. Les cours de langue et de
chant arméniens y sont dispensés les mercredis de 14h00
jusqu’Ã I7h00.
Pour tous renseignements, contacter Monsieur Charles Paltobedrossian.
Tél. : 04 74 85 20 48. Email : [email protected].
Dates à retenir :
2004
– =8F 3 Décembre, à Bruxelles : `
L’Arménie et l’Europe au XXIe siècle. ‘
Conférence sur les perspectives et le potentiel économique de
l’Arménie organisée en partenariat entre
l’UGAB et le Think-Tank Armenia 2020.
2005
Paris
Р=8F 31 Janvier : Cl̫ture des candidatures aux stages
d’été de l’UGAB à Paris.
– =8F Lundi 7 Février à 20h (salle Cortot) : Premier
concert ` Jeune Talent d’Arménie ‘, avec Suzi
Yeritisan au violon, accompagnée de sa pianiste.
Р=8F 14 Avril, Paris : Conf̩rence au M̩morial de la Shoah
à l’occasion du 90e anniversaire du génocide
arménien.
– =8F Mercredi 20 Avril à 20h (Salle Cortot) : Concert de
commémoration à l’occasion du 90e anniversaire du
génocide arménien, avec Gérard Gasparian au piano.
– =8F Vendredi 15 Mai à 20h (salle Cortot) : Deuxième
concert ` Jeune Talent d’Arménie ‘, avec
Saténik Khourdoyan au violon et Vartouhi Yeritzian au piano.
– =8F 20 Juin au 13 Août : stages d’été
à Paris.
MARSEILLE
– =8F 2 Juillet, à Marseille : Célébration du 95e
anniversaire de l’UGAB à Marseille en présence des
présidents de l’UGAB France et de l’UGAB
Internationale.
– =8F Les Colonies de l’UGAB
-ª 20 au 27 Février, à Ancelle : Séjour de ski
pour les jeunes.
-ª 4 au 25 Juillet, Ã Ancelle : Colonie de vacances de
l’UGAB pour les jeunes de 7 Ã 14 ans.
Contact : [email protected]
ou tél. 06 76 48 58 73
A l’étranger
– =8F 27-29 Janvier, à Barcelone : Conférence `Les
Diasporas d’Europe et la Citoyenneté Européenne
‘.
Une conférence sur l’avenir des diasporas d’Europe
dans le contexte de l’intégration européenne.
Р=8F 14 Janvier : Cl̫ture du d̩p̫t des candidatures
aux Stages d’Eté de New York.

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 1 2004
Russia blockade squeezes Abkhaz separatists
By M. Alkhazashvili
Russian officials have threatened to close the Russian-Abkhaz border
and to establish an economic blockade. On November 23 the governor of
Krasnodar Alexander Tkachov advised the Russian to close the Abkhaz
border until the situation is improved there. He also suggested that
the authorities stop paying pensions to Abkhaz who were granted
Russian citizenship some times ago.
In effect, however, such threats have already become a reality since
the Sokhumi-Sochi train-line has been closed for two weeks now and
the border is only open for one hour a day. This has had a
detrimental effect on Abkhazia’s economy, Georgian media reports, as
now is the season for picking tangerines and it is difficult to
transport the fruit into Russia. Akhali Taoba reports that if this
continues, Abkhaz citizens will loss a main source of income.
Furthermore, Rezonansi reports that those Abkhaz refuges living in
Krasnodar – there are reportedly about 5,000 Abkhaz and 10-12,000
Armenian refuges in the region – have been ordered to leave the
territory. The newspaper reports that the refugees have problems not
only with Russians, but also with local citizens.
Rezonansi goes on to report that Russia is threatening to stem the
number of Russian tourists traveling to the unrecognized republic
during the summer tourist season, which is another major source of
Abkhaz income.
The supporters of presidential candidate Sergei Baghapsh see these
steps made by Russia as “pressure” intended to remind Abkhaz of the
importance of ties with Russia. They state further that the economic
blockade is due to the fact that the governor of Krasnodar is not
fully informed with regard to Baghapsh and his supporters, and that
if he fully understood their position the blockade would be lifted.

Middle East Online
Dec 1 2004
What’s so special about Mediterranean food?

Paradox of how Mediterranean became source of chef’s inspiration,
temple for gastronomy.

By Dominique Ageorges- PARIS
The Mediterranean region has grown into one of the main inspirations
for cook books over the years, claiming a prominent place on
restaurant menus, but the phenomenon is somewhat of a paradox.
The region around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, poor
agriculturally, has succeeded over the centuries in turning itself
into a temple for gastronomy.
Italian food is most often conjured up as the Mediterranean diet but
the region stretches from southern Spain to Lebanon.
With its islands and rivers, the Mediterranean region is the cradle
of three religions — Christianity, Judaism and Islam — and “was a
basin where basically only vines and olive trees grew”, said Paul
Balta, author of “Boire et Manger en Mediterranee” (Drink and Eat in
the Mediterranean).
But he said several plants originating from China acclimatised in a
number of central Asian countries, such as almond trees in
Afghanistan and apricot trees in Armenia, before spreading to the
Mediterranean basin.
“What is quite extraordinary is that little by little this
Mediterranean formed itself into a way of life, a gastronomy, by
adopting products from China for example, and adapting them and
exporting them itself,” Balta added.
In the seventh century for example, invaders from Arab countries took
oranges and watermelons to Spain. Later, red beans and potatoes came
from the American continent.
Over about 10,000 years, the region of the Mediterranean Sea has
never stopped being a “crossroads for exchanges” in trade and
culture, he said.
Renowned French chef Alain Ducasse has since 1987 celebrated
Mediterranean cooking in his Three Star Michelin restaurant in Monaco
and counts among his books “Le Grand Livre de Cuisine de la
Mediterranee”, a reference for this style of cooking.
“Nowhere else have as many civilisations and therefore cuisines
succeeded, clashed together and accumulated,” he said.
“Everywhere there remain the traces of explorers, invaders, warriors,
religious figures, travellers who have enriched, changed, transformed
the original dishes of each,” he said.
Couscous or tapas are examples of where dishes from different
cultures have crossbred. “Jewish people added meatballs to couscous,
a formula then adopted by the Arabs,” Balta said, who was born in
Egypt and specialises in the Arab world.
Lebanese mezze, Spanish tapas and French appetizers “reflect a love
of conversation, a conviviality that is typically Mediterranean”, he
added.
Guy Martin, chef of the Grand Vefour restaurant in Paris, hails from
Savoie in southeast France, a region that was once Italian.
He said he grew up eating lots of nuts and olive oil but that the
Mediterranean for him also conjured up the idea of a wide variety of
brightly coloured vegetables.
Oscar Caballero, an Argentine journalist who has just published a
book on the restaurant of Spanish chef Ferran Adria, El Bulli, said
the taste for the Mediterranean was recent.
“Twenty years ago in Catalonia you would never have seen a bottle of
olive oil on the table of a restaurant,” he said, adding it was
thanks to chefs like Ducasse who “showed the way”.

Turan News, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004
UN POSTPONED VOTING ON OCCUPIED AZERI TERRITORIES WITH BAKU`S CONSENT
– OFFICIAL
BAKU, 29.11.04. The decision to postpone the voting on the draft
resolution on the situation in Azerbaijan`s occupied territories has
been adopted with Azerbaijan`s consent, Azerbaijan`s Deputy Foreign
Minister Araz Azimov told reporters today, commenting on the results
of the discussions at the UN.
Azerbaijan had not set itself a task to have the draft resolution
adopted on the same day [24 November]. Our main goal was to draw the
attention of the international community to the `artificial`
settlement of Armenians in Azerbaijan`s occupied territories, Azimov
said.
As for the voting at the UN, Azerbaijan can return to this issue at
any moment during the 59th session [of the UN General Assembly] which
will last until September 2005.
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have supported Azerbaijan`s proposal
to send a mission to the occupied territories to check the facts of
settlement. Meanwhile, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said
at a meeting in Berlin that Yerevan understands Azerbaijan`s concern
and will take measures. The Armenian side also said it is ready to
resume the talks at the ministerial level.
Azimov said that Armenia`s pull-out from the occupied territories,
the return of the internally displaced people to their homes, the
resumption of communications, as well as Nagornyy Karabakh`s
political status were discussed during the talks in Prague.
Asked which of the occupied districts will be liberated first, Azimov
said that Azerbaijan wants the seven districts surrounding Nagornyy
Karabakh to be liberated. However, it is impossible to do this in one
day, and the issue can be resolved stage by stage, he said.
As for the return of the Azerbaijani population to Nagornyy Karabakh,
Baku insists that Azerbaijanis must be returned to Susa District and
other settlements where they used to live. Baku believes that the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities [of Nagornyy Karabakh] can live
together under international monitors until Karabakh`s status is
resolved fully, Azimov said.
The Armenians of Nagornyy Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan and
Baku is ready to grant them autonomy. Baku is ready to negotiate with
the Armenian population of Nagornyy Karabakh, but to this end `the
foreign occupying army must pull out and the Armenians of Nagornyy
Karabakh must recognize that they are part of Azerbaijan`, he said.
The Armenian community may join the peace talks within the OSCE Minsk
Group, but they may do so in parity with the Azerbaijani community of
Nagornyy Karabakh, Azimov said.

Arab News
Dec 1 2004
Editorial: Democracy Games

The political drama in Ukraine is being replicated across the Black
Sea in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia. There too, Moscow has
been deeply involved. There too, its candidate faces defeat but is
busy pulling as many strings as possible in order to turn the
democratically expressed will of the people on its head – with
Moscow’s full support.
In last month’s presidential elections, opposition candidate Sergey
Bagapsh was widely thought to have defeated the Kremlin-backed
candidate, Raul Khadzhimba. That was recognized by the region’s
Supreme Court but it then reversed its decision because of pressure
from the outgoing government. The government has demanded a repeat
election and the outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba now refuses to
step down until one has taken place. Bagapsh, however, intends to
have himself inaugurated this Saturday and he has a massive army of
supporters to back him.
Last Friday they stormed government buildings in the capital,
Sukhumi. The next day, perhaps sensing the direction things were
moving, Parliament recognized him as the new president. But matters
are getting messy: Moscow has threatened to intervene in Abkhazia
despite the fact that the province is part of an independent country.
Were that to happen, it would trigger a major international row.
Moscow of course cares not at all. It has done it before. It backed
the occupation of the disputed Armenian-majority region of Nagorno
Karabakh to weaken Azerbaijan; it supports the Russian-dominated
breakaway region of Transdniester to undermine Moldova; it supported
the Abkhaz breakaway from the very start to punish Georgia for
leaning toward NATO and the West. Now it is busy stirring up threats
of secession in Ukraine if the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko becomes
president.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian representative to the EU said that Ukraine
was an old nation but a very young democracy. He could just as easily
have been talking about Abkhazia or Azerbaijan or any of the other
former Soviet states that are experiencing so many difficulties with
democracy. Not that being `a young democracy’ is any guarantee of
things working well, as the row over who won the US election four
years ago proves.
There are lessons to be learned about democracy in places where it
does not have roots. Before condemning Russia for its own retreat
from democracy or its unashamed meddling in its former empire,
however, we should not ignore the evident hypocrisy of the rest of
us. In 1996, when Boris Yeltsin defeated the renascent communists in
the Russian elections, most of us breathed a heavy sigh of relief
– because we did not want the communists to win. But the election was
fixed. Likewise, the world said nothing in 1991 when the Algerian
elections were quashed after the Islamists had won.
Definitions of democracy, it seems, are not unlike definitions of
terrorism. They can too easily depend on where we stand and who else
is involved.

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
30 December 2004
Minister Oskanian receives Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for
HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe
On November 30th, Minister Oskanian received Mr. Lars O. Kallings, the
Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe,
who is in Armenia for a regional visit.
At the meeting both parties stressed the importance of coordinating efforts
in a fight against the disease, both on international and national levels,
and through engaging governmental structures, health and public
institutions. In this respect Minister Oskanian stressed that social
awareness should be increased as necessary.
Minister Oskanian used statistics from 1988-2004 to illustrate the situation
of AIDS in Armenia. Although the number of infected persons in Armenia is
comparatively small, both sides emphasized that the government must maintain
its focus on this issue.
According to the minister, Armenia has already gained experience in its
struggle against AIDS, and in the frame of combating the “20th century
disease” is ready to cooperate with various organizations, especially with
the UN.
Mr. Kallings has stressed the important work of the Commission, established
with mutual efforts of Armenian governmental structures, public
institutions, and international organizations. The Commission is closely
cooperating with Global Fund Organization, exchanging data and experience
with the similar commissions in other countries. The Fund supplies AIDS
medicine to infected persons for free. It has provided similar assistance to
Armenia, amounting to a sum of 7.5 million USD.

Ad-Diyar, Lebanese Daily in Arabic
Nov. 28 2004
Ramgavar-Reform celebrates Lebanese Independence Day
Beirut – The Reform Movement of the Ramgavar Armenian Party organized
a reception at Hotel Promenade (Zalqa) to celebrate the 61st
anniversary of Lebanon’s independence and the 83rd anniversary of the
Ramgavar Party. The reception was attended by Bishop Kegham
Khatcherian, representing Catholicos of the See of Cilicia Aram 1,
ex-Prime Minister Rasheed el-Solh, Consul of Armenia in Lebanon
Moorad Parseghian, MPs and other government officials,
representatives of Lebanese political parties, etc.
Attorney Sevag Panossian gave a speech in Arabic about the Reform
Party and its activities, while Dr. Sahag Tashjian gave a speech in
Armenian.

Interfax
Dec 1 2004
Construction begins on Iran-Armenia gas pipe
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Construction of the 40-km Armenian section of
the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline from the Armenian border city of Agarak
to Kajaran – 320 km southeast of Yerevan, began on Tuesday.
A source in the Armenian Energy Ministry told Interfax that a
ceremony to mark the start of work was held close to Agarak, and was
attended by Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and
Iranian Energy Minister Habibullah Bitaraf. The first few meters of
pipeline have already been laid.
According to the Energy Ministry, the gas pipeline will have a
diameter of 700 mm and the 140-km pipeline should be completed in
2006.
The gas transported through the pipeline will be used to produce
electricity at Yerevan Thermal Power Plant, for subsequent supply to
Iran at the rate of 3 kWh per cubic meter of gas. The gas will also
be used to meet domestic demand in Armenia.
The total cost of the Iran-Armenia pipeline and the construction of
the existing pipeline from Kajaran to Yerevan is estimated at $210
million – $220 million. Iranian gas will start to arrive in Armenia
no later than January 2007.