United Press International
Aug 25 2004

Analysis: Nuclear power gaining popularity

Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 8:41:22 AM EST By ANDREA R.
MIHAILESCU, UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) — Nuclear power has become increasingly
popular worldwide, particularly in the developing world, as a source
of energy consumption, yet accidents involving radiation leaks
continue in some of the world’s safest nuclear plants. Amid rising
oil prices, developing countries have little alternative but to
depend on nuclear power.

Developing countries are increasing their nuclear power usage.
Armenia has one working reactor; Bulgaria has two; Ukraine three, and
Romania one. One nuclear power plant is under construction in Iran
and three more are planned. A total of 27 nuclear power plants are
under construction in developing countries.

Within the next several decades, energy consumption will at least
double or triple in developing countries with growing populations and
economies, according to Turkey’s Hurriyet.

Building nuclear power plants is expensive, but their operational
costs are relatively low. It is not difficult to obtain nuclear fuels
such as uranium or thorium. Nuclear power plants also produce
virtually no carbon emissions.

These power plants currently generate 16 percent of the electricity
the world consumes, and currently account for 78 percent of
electricity generation in France, about half of Belgium and Sweden’s
electricity, 28 percent of Germany’s electricity, 20 percent in the
United States, and 17 percent in Russia.

But even as nuclear power becomes increasingly popular worldwide,
some developed countries are considering shutting down their plants
amid plant malfunctions. Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and
Sweden have decided to gradually phase out their nuclear power
plants.

The oldest operating powerplant in Spain, the Jose Cabrera power
station in Almonacid de Zorita, will be shut down on April 30, 2006.
In 1994, more than 170 cracks were detected in the cover of the
reactor vessel; the cracks were only repaired in 1997. Dismantling
the station is expected to start in 2008 and completed in 2014 at a
projected cost of $165 million, according to Spain’s National
Radioactive Waste Company.

Sweden’s Nuclear Power Inspectorate intends to impose stricter safety
measures on the country’s nuclear power plants, which generate about
half of the country’s electricity, to bring the country into line
with IAEA and UN standards, according to the Svenska Dagbladet.
Renovation work will total $809 million. Citizens voted in 1980 to
phase out nuclear power by 2010, but the deadline was scrapped in
1997 because the country had not worked out how to replace lost
generating capacity.

Nuclear power plants have seen massive leaks throughout the decades
in some of the world’s safest plants as well as the world’s worst,
and increased safety measures by the IAEA and the UN nuclear watch
dog have not helped prevent such leaks. The third-safest power plant
in Russia, the Volgodonsk facility in the Rostov region, had to be
stopped twice within the past nine months due to emergencies in
November 2003 and January 2004.

Even Japan’s Mihama plutonium-thermal plant, considered the world’s
safest power plant, saw four workers killed when steam leaked from a
turbine reactor on August 9.

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported the accident as the worst ever in
Japan’s nuclear powerplants: “Trust was lost and the accident will
have a great impact on future nuclear power development.” And as
nuclear powerplants get older and older, problems like pipe corrosion
and equipment malfunction may increase.

Following the Mihama accident, Greenpeace Russia has expressed
concerns over conditions at Russian nuclear plants. “Japan’s nuclear
power plants are among the best in the world,” Greenpeace said in a
press release on Aug. 10. But in 2003, Japan failed to disclose the
critical state of several of its reactors, which led to an immediate
halt in operations at several nuclear plants.

Greenpeace reported that major disasters in Russia’s nuclear plants
were similar to the accident in Japan. “There will be accidents as
long as the nuclear power industry exists, and there could be a new
Chernobyl at any moment,” Russian Greenpeace head Ivan Blokov told
Interfax on Aug. 8.

Russia has a history of accidents. Three people were killed in an
accident at the Leningrad nuclear powerplant on February 6, 1974. The
facility was the venue for another disaster in autumn 1975, which
involved a radiation leak that continued for more than a month.
Fourteen people were killed in an accident at the Balakovo nuclear
plant on June 27, 1985.

A radiation leak also happened on U.S. soil when the 1979 Three Mile
Island reactor leaked radioactive material.

Despite such malfunctions, developing countries continue to construct
nuclear plants. A newly-built reactor in Ukraine, launched at the
Khmelnytskyy nuclear power plant, went offline due to massive
overheating on August 13. Ukraine has had several radiation leaks
throughout the decade, according to Washington-based Nuclear Threat
Initiative reports.

Equipment problems have also developed in two China-based power
plants which Russia helped China build. Russian Federal Atomic Energy
Agency Head Alexander Rumyantsev said that glitches arose in one
reactor’s equipment but hopes to eliminate those glitches within the
next two months. Regarding another reactor close to Beijing,
Rumyantsev told Interfax on Aug. 12, “Some parts of the equipment,
however, have started to malfunction, but we know how to fix them.”

Slovenia’s only nuclear power plant shut down automatically on August
10 as a safety precaution after a mistake occurred in the system that
regulates the amount of nuclear reaction taking place in the reactor.
According to a statement from the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko, the
control rods that regulate the amount of fission lost power after
their power source broke down on the evening of Aug. 9.

Another issue to consider is that nuclear technology can be used to
make weapons as well as electricity. China and Pakistan signed a
contract to supply a reactor pressure vessel for the second phase of
the Chashma Nuclear Power Station in Pakistan. China Nuclear Energy
Industry Corporation Deputy General Manager Huang Guojun said
Pakistan had pledged that technology would be used solely for
peaceful purposes with no transferal to a third parties. It is
difficult to ignore the fact that nuclear technology has benefits in
addition to its primary function of electricity generation.

With no oil or gas of its own, Turkey has been debating the issue of
construction of nuclear power plants in the country. But even if
Turkey decides not to construct nuclear plants of its own, the
country will be affected by any accidents that may occur in nearby
countries — just as in the case of the 1986 Chernobyl accident.

Earthquake-prone countries such as Armenia may see disastrous
radiation leaks to one of its units if an earthquake occurs. One of
Armenia’s power plant units has been shut down for repairs and
nuclear fuel loading in late July, according to plant General
Director Garik Markosian.

Proper disposal of nuclear waste, meanwhile, is a growing problem in
developing and developed countries. In short, nuclear power plants
may be environmentally friendly and cheaper to operate generating a
cheaper source of energy consumption — but with the risks the plants
pose, no one wants to live near one.

“Until about 2 billion years ago, it was impossible to have any life
on Earth. That is, there was so much radiation on Earth you couldn’t
have any life — fish or anything. Gradually, about 2 billion years
ago, the amount of radiation on this planet reduced and made it
possible for some form of life to begin. It started in the seas, I
understand from what I’ve read. And that amount of radiation has been
gradually decreasing because all radiation has a half-life, which
means ultimately there will be no radiation. Now, when we go back to
using nuclear power, we are creating something that nature tried to
destroy to make life possible,” said Admiral Hyman Rickover, known as
the father of the U.S. nuclear navy.

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Aug 25 2004

Iran provides $30m credit to Armenia

RBC, 25.08.2004, Yerevan 17:35:43.Iran will allocate a $30m
credit to Armenia to construct Armenia’s part of an Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline, Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian told journalists.

The credit will have a 5-percent interest rate and 7.5 year
maturity. The resources will be invested in laying the pipeline from
Agarak to Kadzharan in Armenia.

Movsisian added that the construction of the gas pipeline in
Armenia would start by the end of 2004. The laying of the pipeline
from Kadzharan to Yerevan will be financed by Armenia. The republic
will repay the credit in electrical energy supplies, the ARMINFO news
agency reported. Iran has already started laying the pipeline in its
territory, the minister added.

According to an agreement signed on May 13 in Yerevan
(Armenia), the gas pipeline is to be put into operation by January 1,
2007.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Aug 25 2004

PRIVATE MEETING OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV WITH PRESIDENT
OF GERMANY HORST KOEHLER
[August 25, 2004, 18:30:55]

Following the official welcoming ceremony, a private meeting between
President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev and President of the
Federative Republic of Germany Horst Koehler was held at the latter’s
residence on 25 August, AzerTAj personal correspondent reports.

During the conversation, President Horst Koehler highly valued the
Azerbaijani leader’s first official visit to Germany stressing it
would have a positive impact on the development of bilateral
relations, in particular, promote intensification of the economic
cooperation between the two countries.

Expressing deep satisfaction with the hospitality shown to him during
this visit, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out the importance of
intensifying the efforts to more expand the cooperation between
Azerbaijan and Germany.

During the meeting held in sincere and warm atmosphere, the parties
also exchange views on the Azerbaijan- Germany cooperation in the
framework of international organizations, integration of Azerbaijan
into the European structures, German investors in Azerbaijan economy
and other issues.

The two Presidents especially touched on the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr. Horst Koehler stated in this
connection that Germany completely supports territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan and will adhere to this position in the future. Germany as
the OSCE member will intensify its efforts concerning the problem, he
said.

President Ilham Aliyev highly valued Germany’s stance on the issue,
and expressed his deep gratitude to Mr. Koehler. The Head of the
Azerbaijan State invited the German President to pay an official
visit to Azerbaijan. The invitation was accepted with pleasure.

Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
The Mercury, Australia
Sunday Times, Australia
Advertiser, Australia
Aug 26 2004

On this day

26aug04

1896 – Armenian revolutionaries attack the Ottoman Bank in
Constantinople, provoking a three-day battle in which at least 6,000
Armenians die.

55BC – Roman forces under Julius Caesar invade Britain.
580 – It is thought that toilet paper is invented by the Chinese.
1346 – A cannon is used for the first time in a European battle as
Edward III of England defeats Philip VI of France.
1541 – Suleiman I, Sultan of Turkey, takes Buda and annexes Hungary.
1847 – Liberia is proclaimed an independent republic.
1859 – Britain and Japan sign a commercial treaty.
1883 – A huge eruption of a volcano on Krakatoa island in the Sundra
Strait between Java and Sumatra continues. The two-day eruption and
associated tidal waves kill about 36,000 people and destroy
two-thirds of the island.
1883 – Cricket’s Ashes trophy is created when a defeated English
captain is presented with an urn containing ashes of the 1882-3
stumps following Australia’s victory.
1884 – A patent is granted to German immigrant Ottmar Mergenthaler
for the Linotype machine, which allowed mass production of
newspapers.
1896 – Insurrection begins in the Philippines against the Spanish;
Armenian revolutionaries attack the Ottoman Bank in Constantinople,
provoking a three-day battle in which at least 6,000 Armenians die.
1912 – The first Tarzan story by William Rice Burroughs appears in a
US magazine.
1913 – A Russian pilot, Lieutenant Peter Nesterov, is credited with
becoming the first person to perform the loop-the-loop.
1914 – More than 30,000 Russian troops are killed during WWII as they
are out-manoeuvred by German troops at the battle of Tannenberg.
1915 – German army captures Brest-Litovsk in Russia during World War
I.
1920 – The 19th Amendment to the American Constitution is ratified,
giving women the vote.
1930 – Death of US silent movie actor Lon Chaney who became known as
the man of a thousand faces.
1936 – Treaty ends British occupation of Egypt, except Suez Canal
zone, and Britain and Egypt form alliance for 20 years.
1937 – Japan blockades Chinese shipping; the first televised major
league baseball games is shown in the United States, a doubleheader
between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.

1942 – German army reaches Stalingrad in Soviet Union during World
War II.
1945 – Japanese envoys board US battleship Missouri to receive
surrender instructions at the end of World War II.
1947 – The UN Security Council passes a resolution for both the Dutch
and Indonesians to adhere to a ceasefire order.
1952 – Floods caused by monsoon rains inundate 90 per cent of Manila,
causing at least eight deaths. It is Manila’s third flood in a month.

1957 – Soviet Union announces it has successfully tested an
intercontinental ballistic missile.
1959 – Chinese troops cross into India’s north-eastern territory
after a border dispute.
1964 – Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, bans two black nationalist movements;
student and Buddhist riots force resignation of government of Premier
Nguyen Khanh in South Vietnam.
1967 – Andreas Papandreou, former Greek cabinet minister and son of
ex-premier George Papandreou, is indicted on treason charges and
accused of leading the Aspid (Shield) army conspiracy.
1970 – North Vietnam sends its chief negotiator back to Vietnam peace
talks in Paris after an eight and a half month boycott of
negotiations.
1972 – The summer Olympics games open in Munich, West Germany; death
of British yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester.
1973 – The Cambodian military reports that Khmer Rouge rebel troops
had severed Phnom Penh’s two vital supply roads – one leading to the
seaport and the other to rice fields.
1974 – Death of US aviator Charles Lindbergh.
1978 – Cardinal Albino Luciani of Venice is elected as Pope John Paul
I.
1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin wrap up a two-day summit in Alexandria with the return
of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt scheduled for next April.
1982 – Argentine government lifts a ban on political parties.
1985 – A special French investigator issues a report clearing
France’s Socialist government and the intelligence service of
involvement in the sinking of the Greenpeace protest vessel Rainbow
Warrior in Auckland harbour on July 10.
1988 – Nationwide strike paralyses government and transportation in
Burma and anti-government rallies spread; tens of thousands of civil
rights marchers gather in Washington, DC, on the eve of the 25th
anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
1990 – Number of US soldiers, airmen and sailors in the Gulf reaches
60,000.
1991 – Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev promises new national
elections after the signing of the Union Treaty, but there appears to
be little support for the treaty in the wake of a failed coup
attempt.
1992 – Serb militiamen pound Sarajevo with rockets and mortars,
setting fire to medieval Turkish baths and the main library in the
Bosnian capital.
1993 – Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and 14 others are charged in the World
Trade Centre attack and New York bombing plot.
1994 – US officials acknowledge that the present session of Congress
won’t pass legislation for universal health insurance coverage, which
US President Bill Clinton made the centrepiece of his legislative
agenda.
1995 – The Communist Party in Russia starts a campaign that calls for
resurrection of the Soviet state that collapsed in 1991.
1996 – Former military strongman Chun Doo-hwan is sentenced to death
after being convicted of mutiny and treason in South Korea. His
successor, Roh Tae-woo, is also found guilty and sentenced to 22-1/2
years in prison. They were pardoned a year later.
1997 – South Africa’s last white president, F W De Klerk, resigns as
head of the National Party and leaves politics.
1998 – A three-week-old rebellion reaches the outskirts of Congo’s
capital Kinshasa, and hundreds of soldiers are wounded and killed.
1999 – Anti-independence militiamen rampage through Dili, the capital
of East Timor, raising doubts about the viability of an upcoming vote
on the Indonesian territory’s future.
2000 – Somalis celebrate the election of Abdiqasim Salad Hassan,
their first president in nearly a decade; in a widely covered visit
to Africa US President Bill Clinton appealed to the leaders of
oil-rich Nigeria to set aside political acrimony and concentarte on
lifting its citizens out of poverty.
2001 – Ethnic Albanians rebels hand over machine-guns, mortar tubes
and other heavy weaponry on first day of a NATO mission to collect
arm’s from Macedonia’s militants.
2002 – US President George W Bush admits he is worried about the
economy’s “paltry” growth and, without making promises, assures steel
company executives and workers that protecting domestic steel is a
national security priority.
2003 – Rwandan President Paul Kagame is the overwhelming winner of
presidential elections. The election was the first since the 1994
genocide.

Agence France Presse
Aug 25 2004

Germany Welcomes Reform And Growth In Azerbaijan

BERLIN, Aug 25 (AFP) – German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder welcomed
Wednesday the reforms undertaken in Azerbaijan and economic growth
that has begun there, after talks here with President Ilham Aliyev.

“The domestic reforms have led to surprising growth,” said Schroeder,
adding that efforts to improve the rule of law had brought “much
success already.”

He called on German investors to drop their reservations about the
region around the oil-rich former Soviet republic, which borders
Iran, Russia and Turkey.

The two leaders signed a contract for the delivery to Azerbaijan of
three Airbus A319 passenger jets and a smaller aircraft.

Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim nation of about eight million people, has
sizeable oil deposits which it is starting to export to world
markets.

Its pro-Western and secular government has said it wants to move
closer to European institutions.

Schroeder also said that Germany supports a political solution to the
conflict in the enclave of Nagorny Karabakh and wants to continue to
help through the auspices of Europe’s OSCE security organisation.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a four-year war over Nagorny Karabakh,
which has a majority Armenian population. The conflict has cost an
estimated 35,000 lives and forced about one million people on both
sides to flee their homes.

Aliyev, 42, who succeeded his father as president last year, is
making his first visit to Germany as president and is expected to
leave on Thursday.

On a trip to Azerbaijan in April, German Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer said its leaders needed to improve their performance on
democracy and human rights.

Reuters
Aug 25 2004

Gardner Loses Quest for Another Gold

By Ori Lewis

ATHENS (Reuters) – U.S. heavyweight Rulon Gardner lost his Olympic
title Wednesday after being beaten in the semi-final stage of the
120kg Greco-Roman wrestling event by Georgiy Tsurtsumia of
Kazakhstan.

In a bout which went into overtime, the bigger and stronger-looking
Tsurtsumia held on for a 4-1 scoreline after the two men tied at 1-1
at the end of the mandatory six minutes.

Gardner, 33, narrowly escaped death when stranded in temperatures of
minus 25 degrees Celsius after his snowmobile broke down in a forest
in Wyoming in 2002.

He lost a toe to frost bite and last year also suffered a dislocated
shoulder in a motorcycle accident.

The articulate American had no regrets about his tactics in the bout.
He said: “I gave 100 percent, I have no bad feelings. I was trying to
score a point to win the match but he countered me and beat me. I
tried.”

Tsurtsumia stands at 1.95 meters and towered above Gardner, whose
physique is much stockier and who stands at 1.87 meters.

Gardner said that all his opponents had studied his technique closely
and knew exactly what was needed to beat him.

“These people (my opponents) have come here having learned each
set-piece. They saw what I can be worked on, where I’m weak,” he
explained.

Gardner beat the seemingly invincible Russian Alexander Karelin to
win the 130kg gold medal at the Sydney Games in 2000 but that
category has been dropped in Athens to make room for the women’s
wrestling events.

Gardner now meets Iranian Sajad Barzi for the bronze. Tsurtsumia’s
opponent for gold will be Russia’s Khasan Baroev.

In the other finals to be contested Wednesday, Russia’s Alexei
Michine will fight for gold in the 84kg division against Sweden’s
Armenian-born former world champion Ara Abrahamian.

In the 66kg class Farid Mansurov of Azerbaijan will meet Turkey’s
Seref Eroglu, while in the 55kg category Istvan Majoros of Hungary
will battle Gueidar Mamedaliev of Russia.

Elimination bouts in the three other Greco-Roman weight categories
(60kg, 74kg and 96kg) began Wednesday with medal bouts set for
Thursday. The freestyle competition begins on Friday in a
corresponding format to the Greco-Roman event.

Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel: 617-923-1918
Fax: 617-926-5525
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
August 25, 2004
Contact: 617-923-1918; [email protected]

ANCA EASTERN REGION TO EXPAND OPERATIONS TO NEW YORK CITY

WATERTOWN, MA–The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern
Region Board of Directors announced the establishment of a new office in New
York City and the hiring of ANC activist Doug Geogerian as the region’s new
Executive Director.

“With close to 20 local ANCs and working with countless activists in 31
states on the East Coast, we feel it is important for us to expand our
operations to give the Armenian American community additional resources to
rely on,” stated ANCA Eastern Region Chairman Dikran Kaligian. “With New
York City being the media and financial center of the world, an important
hub for academia and culture, and home to the headquarters of the United
Nations, various NGO’s and several Armenian American institutions, we feel
that this is an important and necessary step.”

“We are also excited to have Doug joining our staff. As an active and
committed member of the Armenian American community, he brings experience,
energy, and dedication to his position as Executive Director,” continued
Kaligian. “Doug will greatly assist the ANCA continue its work to further
promote important issues of concern to Armenian Americans,” concluded
Kaligian.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to begin working at the Armenian
National Committee of America,” stated Geogerian. “The task ahead promises
to be exciting and, at the same time, challenging. I look forward to
working with our local chapters and activists to help advance our interests
at the local, state and federal level.”

Geogerian earned a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Languages and Literature at
the University of Chicago in 1990 and was awarded a Masters of Education at
Harvard University in 1992. After pursuing advanced study at Teachers
College of Columbia University, Geogerian joined the faculty of a leading
progressive New York City high school whose mission was to engender critical
thinking skills in the minds of underprivileged youth. He has been a
teaching professional in the New York City public school system for the last
twelve years.

A prominent activist in the New York ANC, Geogerian has facilitated various
public forums, planned Genocide commemorations, met with Members of
Congress, and organized demonstrations for the advancement of the Armenian
Cause.

Current ANCA Eastern Region Director Arin Gregorian will be stepping down at
the end of August to pursue career interests in the Boston area. “Arin has
served as Director for three years, and his dedication and commitment have
contributed immensely to the success of the work we do in the Armenian
American community,” stated Kaligian. “We wish him great success in his
endeavors.” The Watertown, Massachusetts ANCA Eastern Region office will
remain open and active.

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in
coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout
the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad
range of issues.

Chechen journalist says “little” changes in Azerbaijan under new leader

BBC Monitoring Caucasus
25 August 2004

Source: Kavkazskiy Vestnik web site, in Russian 22 Aug 04

A leading Chechen journalist Mayrbek Taramov says “little” has changed
in Azerbaijan since Ilham Aliyev became president; the West and
especially the US demands stability whereas Russia is hoping for
another conflict in Karabakh. Neither the Azerbaijani nor the Georgian
authorities has paid much heed to the problems of the Chechen refugees
in the country, which number up to 7,000, as they do not want to
offend Russia, he says, although he praises the work of international
human-rights organizations and Georgian NGOs in this respect. Taramov
is not optimistic about the Caucasians ever owning their own national
wealth and it would be “naive” to suggest that an “elder brother” will
come along to protect their interests.

The following is the text of the interview with journalist Mekka
Khangoshvili of the Kavkazskiy Aktsent newspaper entitled: “Mayrbek
Taramov: Building a Caucasian Home is the sacred goal of any
Caucasian!”, posted on the Kavkazskiy Vestnik web site on 22 August;
subheadings have been inserted editorially:

[Kavkazskiy Vestnik correspondent Mekka Khangoshvili] Describe the
socio-political situation in Azerbaijan under [President] Ilham
Aliyev.

West looking to strengthen position in Azerbaijan

[Mayrbek Taramov] Since Ilham Aliyev arrived at the top post the
socio-political situation in Azerbaijan has not substantially
altered. The opposition very much hoped that with the help of the west
positive changes would happen in Azerbaijan. Their hopes have not been
justified, and there was little chance of this happening. I will
explain why. I don’t think that the ruling power, the high level of
corruption and the absence of democracy and human rights were to the
west’s liking, but they did not and will not try to change
anything. Why? Mainly because the west has invested in the Azerbaijani
economy, especially in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. And we know
that no financial infusions are possible to a country with an unstable
socio-political situation. The west knows how to count its money and
it values every cent. Therefore, stability in Azerbaijan is very
important to today’s bourgeoisie.

I am also certain that the west will make every effort to ensure that
another conflict does not flare up in Karabakh, although it is not so
much Armenia as Russia who will be hoping for this conflict to explode
again. Thus, the west will be trying to preserve stability to get the
pipeline up and running, whereas Russia will be trying to destabilize
the situation so that the project fails. But however strong Russian
influence might be in Azerbaijan, “Mr dollar”, and now the euro are
squeezing out the Russian rouble. I believe that the west, especially
the US, will be strengthening their position still more in Azerbaijan
and in the Caucasus as a whole.

Chechen refugee situation

[Khangoshvili] What is the situation of the Chechen refugees in
Azerbaijan?

[Taramov] As far as the Chechen refugees are concerned, in the great
Caucasian game of the world’s “sharks”, this problem is not so evident
or important. Nor was it under Heydar Aliyev. Every one has been
giving the impression that there is no problem of Chechen refugees in
Azerbaijan, especially Russia. The Russian embassy in Azerbaijan
literally gets up on its hind legs at the very mention of the Chechen
refugees. Its pained reaction can be easily explained, because Moscow
is shouting for all to hear that there is no war in Chechnya, and that
the fighting ended a long time ago. If this is the case, then what are
the Chechen refugees doing here in Azerbaijan? That’s the problem. The
very fact that there are Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan speaks for
itself, and makes it apparent that there is a full-scale war going on
in the Chechen Republic. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is yielding to
Russian pressure. There is no mention of Chechen refugees on the local
television or in the press, except the opposition press, and this is
very rare.

The authorities in Azerbaijan are being oversensitive regarding the
press-conferences which are being given by the Chechen Human Rights
Centre (CHRC) and the Council of Non-governmental Organizations (CNGO)
in Azerbaijan, at which the problems of our refugees are raised. That
is why those of us who are working closely with the CNGO, are trying
to solve the problem of our refugees. It would seem that the
Azerbaijani authorities should be welcoming our initiatives, after all
we are not asking them for anything, but, alas, the reverse is
happening.

Positive changes in relation to the Chechen refugees were only
observed after Bohdan Nahaylo, [head of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees’ office in Baku] from Great Britain took up the office of
High Commissar for Refugees and brought with him a number of
colleagues who began to show concern for the Chechen problem. Whereas
the financial and humanitarian problems showed little change, a
greater number of Chechen refugees given international status have
been on the move to third countries. Meanwhile, the overall number of
our refugees has not reduced of late and varies from 6,000 to
7,000. Whilst more and more Chechens have been leaving Azerbaijan for
Europe “by their own steam”, practically the same number has arrived
in Azerbaijan from Chechnya and Ingushetia. The reason for this is
that the wave of refugees from these regions is growing rapidly as the
fighting and the reparations intensify. People are fleeing, trying to
save themselves, although they know how difficult life is in Baku. In
other words, only those refugees who have at least some money can
survive here. But where can those refugees who have been living in a
state of war in a ravaged country for five years hope to get any
money?

No help from Azeri authorities

The Azerbaijani authorities are giving no help whatsoever to the
Chechen refugees. They say this is because there are almost one
million of their own refugees from Karabakh and Armenia, but I am sure
that even if this wasn’t a problem, the present Azerbaijani
authorities would still not respond to the Chechens for the simple
reason that they do not want a conflict with Russia. And therefore the
oversensitive reaction of the Azerbaijani authorities to the work of
the Chechen NGOs is understandable.

The director of the Azerbaijani human rights centre, Eldar Zeynalov,
made a typical remark on this subject at a seminar on the rights of
ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan: “Yes, to some extent the rights of
ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan are being infringed, but there are
minorities in Azerbaijan deprived of any kind of human rights, and
these are the Chechen refugees. How can one speak about the rights of
Chechen refugees if marriages between them are nor registered, and
Chechen children, born in Azerbaijan, are refused birth certificates?”
We would point out that this lawlessness is in violation of article 52
of the Azerbaijani constitution, where it says in black and white that
a person born on the territory of Azerbaijan is a citizen of
Azerbaijan. And the terrible thing is that the first to violate the
fundamental law of Azerbaijan are those officials who drew up this
constitution, i.e. the Ministry of Justice, of whose structural units
the boards of the registries of births, marriages and deaths are
members.

UNHCR giving some help to refugees

[Khangoshvili] Tell us about the relations between the Chechen
refugees and the board of the UNHCR [UN High Commission for Refugees]
and the Norwegian Council for Refugees and the extent of their help.

[Taramov] We have already touched upon this question earlier, so I
will continue with it. There has been a certain positive trend in
relation to the education of the children of Chechen refugees. The
situation of the Chechen refugees deteriorated a great deal following
the tragedy in America on 11 September 2001. They stopped taking
Chechen children into Azerbaijani schools and higher educational
establishments, and they started to take down those students who were
being taught before, despite the fact that their education had been
paid for. In September 2002 there was one scandalous instance in one
of Baku schools when a school director said when entering a year-one
class: “Are there any Chechen children here? Stand up! Leave the
class!” What kind of heart can a person have, never mind a woman or a
teacher, to say such cruel words to young children who by a miracle
had escaped the hell of war in the hope of finding peace, shelter and
human compassion?

The situation has improved a little now, thanks to the joint efforts
of the Chechen non-governmental organizations and international
humanitarian organizations. Probably, many people in the west have
begun to understand that uneducated children turn to crime quicker
than anyone, and that this is needed by Russia which goes on and on
about “Chechen banditry and terrorism”. It has long become clear to
the ideologists in the Kremlin and the Lubyanka that a lack of
education feeds terrorism and extremism. The Norwegian Committee for
Refugees and the board of the UNHCR have played a big part in
rendering aid in setting up schools in Chechnya. There are also a
number of private individuals who have been and are still helping
Chechen schools. At the same time, it has to be emphasized that senior
classes are still not functioning, because there are no conditions for
them, not to mention higher education. Here, the director of the
Chechen training centre, Ruslan Zelimkhanov, who still intends to
carry out a higher education programme for the children of Chechen
refugees, is doing a great deal. He will, of course, need great
support and financial help in this undertaking.

The Red Cross has cut itself off altogether from the Chechen refugees,
and it seems to me that all it is doing is looking after itself. It is
a similar situation with the UN Human Rights mission. Evidently, the
human rights situation, or rather the lack of it, among the Chechen
refugees suits them.

Refugees meet PACE officials

[Khangoshvili] How would you comment on the meeting between the PACE
[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] corapporteurs
Andreas Gross and Andres Herkel and the representatives of the Chechen
refugees? What was behind the invitation to the Georgian delegation to
this meeting?

[Taramov] The fact is that the problem of the Chechen refugees in
Azerbaijan has been raised more than once in the media. The situation
in Azerbaijan is unique inasmuch as, side by side with the well-known
problems of the Chechen refugees in Ingushetia and Georgia, to whom
various international organizations have access because they live
closely together, the living conditions of the Chechen refugees in
Azerbaijan are quite different. Here they are scattered in different
apartments, especially in Baku. This suits the Azerbaijani and Russian
authorities very well. Therefore, the problem of the Chechen refugees
here is less evident, and one gets the impression that there aren’t
any Chechen refugees here at all. It was only thanks to the Chechen
NGOs that this problem has been raised time and again. When the
Chechen human rights centre more than once sent worried letters and
appeals to Strasbourg, Geneva, the UN and other international
organizations, and especially to the media, calling for attention to
be drawn to the plight of the Chechen refugees, it was only then that
people started talking about our problem. There was a powerful
response to our statements that because of the lack of funds for their
well-being, young Chechen returning to Chechnya instantly fall victim
to targeted “cleansing operations” and then disappear without trace.

I would like to take this opportunity to issue a warning that those
who are in greatest danger are those young Chechens returning to
Chechnya from Azerbaijan and Georgia, whom the Russian special
services single out and are first to be wiped out. Therefore, when
the Chechen refugees are returning home it is best not to point out
that they have come from Azerbaijan and Georgia, but to say they have
arrived from Ingushetia. One of the first to draw attention to the
problem of the Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan was Olivier Dupuy, a
member of the European Parliament and the Transnational Radical Party,
who started raising our problem in the European Parliament and other
international forums. He also tabled a special request to the European
Parliament on the lack of education of the children of Chechen
refugees and birth certificates for new-born babies.

It should be added that despite the fact that the problem of documents
for new-born babies was raised at such a high level, at the PACE, and
that top officials of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice promised
PACE and the Chechen human rights centre two years ago that they would
settle this problem, it remains unresolved. It is strange, but it is
a fact. The situation is unique because Azerbaijan remains the only
country in the world which refuses to accept citizens born on its
territory as their own. Incidentally, the Chechens are of absolutely
no use to Russia, which is worse than a stepmother – they are only
needed in a document for their children whereby they would be able to
leave Azerbaijan without hindrance. At times, the Chechens are accused
not only of banditry and terrorism, but even of abducting
children. This is what this bureaucratic tyranny leads to. This is
probably also the cherished dream of the wise men of the Kremlin,
whose orders are being carried out by Azerbaijani officials with
particular satisfaction.

All these issues were raised at the meeting with Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] rapporteurs on Azerbaijan
[Andreas] Gross and [Andres] Herkel who listened to what the
representatives of the Chechen refugees had to say with particular
attention. The absolutely hopeless situation of the disabled Chechen
people and tuberculosis sufferers was raised by representatives of
these organizations. Andreas Gross’s reaction to the speech by Raisa
Khamzayeva, chairman of the Chechen disabled society, was
remarkable. Gross said that he was an artist by profession, and an
exhibition of his work was due to be held soon. He promised to
allocate the money obtained from the sale of his pictures to the
account of the Chechen disabled society. Of course, all the
representatives of the Chechen refugees who were at the meeting highly
praised this noble gesture on the part of the PACE member.

As far as the second part of your question is concerned, I would like
to point out that it does not pay to separate the Chechen refugees in
Azerbaijan and Georgia, because we have virtually one and the same
problem. It has to be said with regret that our contacts are very
rare. Probably, some of our “well-wishers” have an interest in such a
state of affairs. We always have to remember that our strength is in
unity, and many problems are solved jointly. That is why I have
become convinced of the need for a delegation of Chechen refugees from
Georgia to be here. Both they and we understood the great benefit of
such contacts. Your report was a very full one and the PACE lecturers
learnt a great deal from it.

Even if there had not been a meeting with the PACE corapporteurs, we
would have had to arrange mutual meetings. After all, many problems
can only be solved at the level of personal contact. But if you take
into consideration the fact that your delegation included the
well-known Kavkaz-Tsentr journalist, Data Tutashkhiya, then one needs
to think that they will not ignore this meeting and will cover it in
their agency. I personally have received a whole amount of useful
information from Umar, who is a member of the OSCE. I believe that if
we, Chechen refugees, will work more closely with the OSCE, an
organization which is geared towards resolving the conflict in
Chechnya, then we shall achieve a great deal.

Future of Caucasus region

[Khangoshvili] How do you see events developing in the Caucasus as a
whole in the near future, and what is your view from Azerbaijan of the
events in Georgia?

[Taramov] I would like to say again that the Caucasus is an extremely
important region for the destiny of the world. It is a crossroads of
the world, but the significance of the region was strengthened even
more when oil was discovered here. As a strategic raw material, it
has, on the one hand, become a curse for the people of the
Caucasus. The point is the Caucasians themselves have never
exclusively owned their natural resources which have been plundered by
the world imperialist powers, the palm of which belongs to Russia. I
very much doubt that the Caucasians will at any time in the future be
given the opportunity to own their own national wealth. If one
carefully studies the situation, one of the reasons that the war
flared up in Chechnya was the presence of oil there, and it cannot be
ruled out that the war in Karabakh, too, has the whiff of oil about
it. Everyone knows that it was thanks to the oil of Baku and Groznyy
that the USSR won the war against fascism.

What is the situation today? It is not difficult to see that the
interests of the world’s “sharks” are focused on the Caucasus
region. The US, the European Union, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and even far
off China and Japan are making their presence felt here. Thank God
that the Russian bear has finally been squeezed out of here. But then
the struggle for the vacant place of “elder brother” is becoming more
acute. Who will occupy this place, who will be the next “elder
brother”? It would be naive to suggest that some other “elder brother”
– American or European – would protect the common interests of the
Caucasians apart from the Caucasians themselves. And, incidentally,
no-one can be worse than Russia, and I am sure no-one ever will be. It
seems to me that all these “sharks” have agreed between themselves not
to solve any issues here by force, including the Karabakh problem. I
say again, a resumption of combat operations from any of the sides in
Karabakh would jeopardize the “project of the century” – the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline – which none of the “sharks”
wants. The only ones who are interested in solving the Karabakh
problem are Azerbaijan itself, which has lost 20 per cent of its land,
and the Chechen Republic, which has always supported and will continue
to support the fraternal Azerbaijani people.

Situation in Georgia

The Caucasians are no less disturbed by the situation in Georgia. It
is alarming and explosive. But here again, it is the western
countries, especially the US, who are playing the first
fiddle. Tbilisi has always reckoned to be the geographical centre of
the Caucasus, and the one who owns this centre is in an advantageous
position. The extraordinarily impudent behaviour of [Georgian
President] Mikhail Saakashvili makes me apprehensive. In one article I
wrote I compared him to a young foal who is galloping at full speed to
different sides, holding a stars and stripes rose in its jaws. I
expect everyone understands this comparison. You cannot put the cart
before the horse; in other words, the Georgian president should not
give priority to the interests of the west, in particular the US, and
push the interests of Georgia and the Caucasus into the
background. And I find absolutely bewildering Saakashvili’s almost
hostile attitude to the Chechen refugees and his desire to use the
Chechen “card” for his own interests. And I would like to warn my
fellow countrymen that there has been a desire to use the Chechen
people on the part of many countries, and so the Chechens should first
and foremost act by proceeding from the interests of Chechen
independence in coordination with the interests of the western
countries. For example, recently support for the Chechens, albeit
slight, can be sensed from the United States, whilst France, on the
other hand, has moved towards rapprochement with our eternal enemy,
Russia. Conclusions can be made from this. I believe that a
confrontation between the US and Russia will intensify in the future,
and this is linked, first and foremost, with [Russian President
Vladimir] Putin’s KGB-backed totalitarian regime.

Russian-Chechen relations

[Khangoshvili] What is your own personal view as to what needs to be
done for Russia and Chechnya to depart from a state of war?

[Taramov] This is a very broad question, and much has been said and
written on this. I do not wish to be a pioneer in this respect, and I
have no radical means of resolving this centuries-old problem. And,
indeed, the problem lies not with us Chechens but with those who
invade us with regularity. In other words, the aggressor is always
Russia. And the world community, instead of keeping the aggressor in
check, panders to it, saying that Chechnya is Russia’s internal
affair. Some people will say that the Chechens invaded Dagestan in
the autumn of 1999, and so on. I would like to say to those people
that the legitimate leaders of Chechnya have never declared war on
anyone, neither Russia, nor Dagestan. And as for those volunteers who
went to Dagestan to help their Dagestani brothers, it was their
initiative and their own business. Meanwhile, the Russian leadership
has taken advantage of this event, and what is more, according to
unpublicised Russian sources, Russia had been planning a second
Chechen campaign some time ago. “A new exacerbation of the Chechen
problem was inevitable. At the same time, Russia has proved to have an
object interest in going back to solving this issue as quickly as
possible!” (Russian bulletin “Questions of Security” No 17, October
1999).

One wonders how one can qualify the presence of mercenaries and
volunteers from all the Cossacks, Cherkess, residents of Adygeya,
Kabarda-Balkaria and other Russians on the side of the armed bandit
formations of Abkhazia or South Ossetia? As aggression against Georgia
on the part of Russia? But do you recall how many times the Soviet
Union invaded various countries under various pretexts? But for some
reason no-one in the west has been able to find the language to
describe a Soviet invasion as the internal affair of the USSR. Why
does the west now not condemn Russia when in essence it has been the
same aggressor in Chechnya as the USSR was, if not worse? And it will
continue to be so under the Russian fuehrer, Putin.

From all that has been said, one draws the conclusion that the
aggressor must leave its occupied territories; in other words, Russia
must withdraw its bandit formations from the Chechen Republic and
conclude a lasting peace. And the west must end its policy of support
for the aggressor by such verbiage as “Russia’s internal affair”, and
to exert pressure to force Russia towards peace. In this respect, I
was impressed by the Chechen Foreign Ministry’s plan entitled
“Chechnya’s conditional independence.” Although it is true that the
role of the Chechen resistance in this plan has been played down.

Georgian NGOs work on Chechnya

[Khangoshvili] What’s your opinion of the work of the Georgian NGOs on
the problems of Chechnya, and in particular, the Georgian centre for
cultural relations “Caucasian Home” and Kavkazskiy Aktsent newspaper?

[Taramov] There is a popular view that everyone acts according to the
amount of information and opportunities at their disposal. I am aware
of the work of the Georgian NGOs on the Chechen problem. It seems to
me that their work is deserving of high appraisal. One could have
described the work of the Georgian NGOs as excellent if they had been
able to influence the Georgian government to achieve a positive
result. Yes, of course, there have been some positives, but not
enough, I think. The fact is the Chechen problem is like a litmus
paper through which one can determine the work of the humanitarian
human-rights organization in the sphere of protecting human rights, in
particular the rights of the Chechen refugees. I have to say,
regretfully, that in this sphere the situation in Azerbaijan is even
worse. No-one, apart from the Azerbaijani human rights centre in the
person of Eldar Zeynalov, is bothering with the problem of the Chechen
refugees. I already spoke earlier about everything connected with this
problem.

United Caucasus

Not only in relation to your Caucasian Home organization, but on the
question of a united Caucasus in general, I believe that the building
of a Caucasian Home is the sacred goal of any Caucasian. And
therefore, such Caucasian leaders as [former Georgian leader] Zviad
Gamsakhurdia, [former Azerbaijani President] Abulfaz Elcibay and
[former Chechen rebel leader] Dzhokhar Dudayev, whose lives were taken
prematurely, and who cherished the dream of building a Caucasian Home,
are worthy of being canonized. And if the Georgian cultural relations
centre “Caucasian Home” and Kavkazskiy Aktsent are pursuing the goal
of Caucasian unification, and I do not doubt that for one moment, then
their work, too, is to some extent sacred.

I would like “Caucasian Home” to work more actively for the
unification of the Chechen human rights activists and
journalists. Contacts are necessary between sensible people from all
regions of the Caucasus, and “Caucasian Home” should be dealing with
this, and the aim of these people should be the construction of our
common home. I am confident that if a Caucasian Home is built, then we
Caucasians would be rid of numerous conflicts in the Caucasus, and
there would be no Karabakh, Abkhazian or South Ossetian problem. But
it is our misfortune that not a single leading world state has shown
any interest in our common home, and therefore I describe these states
as “sharks” who are prepared to swallow the Caucasus. These “sharks”
are waging a neo-colonialist policy here.

And now, can you imagine what a powerful state a unified Caucasus
would present? And what influence in the world the Caucasus would
have, bearing in mind its geographical situation, its energy
resources, its unique nature and the Caucasian mentality! Excuse me,
but what can the contemporary Europeans and the Americans teach us,
when we, Caucasians, are their distant forefathers, with our ancient
culture and democracy? My words have been backed up by that eminent
writer and thinker Alexander Dumas: “How can you not give the Caucasus
the name of the birth of mankind? The first-born of the world walked
upon its mountain ridges; its gorges swarmed with tribes who descended
lower and lower down the mountains, and finally scattered across the
virgin face of the earth, whereupon they gazed and conquered the land
from nature.”

Nevertheless, now, after thousands of years, returning to the distant
land of their forefathers from Europe and America, they are starting
to teach us, their distant ancestors. But it is not about our culture
triumphing over the ancient, – such is the way of life on earth –
nevertheless something alien is being imposed on us. Moreover, one
should bear in mind that this new, depraved western culture is not
only harmful to the modern world, but it is dangerous, because it is
capable of destroying modern civilization.

Azeri Defence Ministry laments Russian-Armenian military exercises

525 Qazet, Baku
25 Aug 04

Text of Rasad Suleymanov’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 Qazet
on 25 August headlined “Russia an invader Armenia start joint
exercises” and subheaded “Ramiz Malikov: We regret that the troops of
the occupying country and Russia, which mediates a settlement to the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, are holding joint exercises”

Armenian and Russian military units started joint exercises at the
Marshal Bagramyan military training centre yesterday. The deputy
defence minister of Armenia and chief of the General Staff, Col-Gen
Mikael Arutunyan, said that Armenia’s reinforced motorized-rifle
regiment and Russia’s 102nd military base stationed in Gyumri are
involved in the exercises that will last till 27 August.

Different weapons, artillery, fighters and bombers will be used during
the exercises. Arutunyan said that the aim of the exercises was to
examine the defensive capability of the troops.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the exercises were
being held within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty. He
also said that 5,000 servicemen are on active duty in the 102nd
military base, which is included in the North Caucasus Military
District.

An independent military expert, retired Col Ildirim Mammadov, thinks
that the joint Russian-Armenian exercises aim to create tension in the
South Caucasus. At the same time, this step is being taken as a
response to the ongoing events. “There have been ideas of late that
the USA will station military bases in the South Caucasus. On the
other hand, the developments in South Ossetia and the Georgian
president’s statements that the Georgian people should be ready for
war with Russia cannot but worry the Russians. In retaliation, Russia
is flexing its muscles in the Caucasus.”

Mammadov believes that the exercises might be held also in retaliation
for the command and staff exercises in Baku for the protection of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline. “The Russians are
unambiguously trying to disrupt this project. And their ally in this
effort could be only Armenia.”

Other experts also agreed that the exercises were a show of Russia’s
force in the Caucasus. They believe that these exercises serve the
ultimate goal of aggravating the situation in the South Caucasus.

The head of the press service of the [Azerbaijani] Defence Ministry,
Col Ramiz Malikov, says that the exercises are being held within the
framework of strategic partnership between Russia and Armenia. “On the
other hand, this is also a political issue. The Defence Ministry does
not comment on political issues. But anyhow, we regret that Russia,
which is a mediator in the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with the
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, and
the troops of the occupying country are holding joint exercises.”

Armenian presidential aide accuses authorities of inaction in summer

Hayots Ashkarh, Yerevan
25 Aug 04

An interview with an advisor to the [Armenian] president, Garnik
Isagulyan. He comments on possible domestic political developments in
the autumn.

[Hayots Ashkarh correspondent] Mr Isagulyan, what strategy do you
think the opposition will adopt in the autumn? What developments can
we expect?

[Garnik Isagulyan] I do not think that in a strategic sense there will
be any change in the positions of the opposition. The pivot of their
demands will again be the president’s resignation. Some developments
are possible in the sense of people’s participation, as the end of the
harvest is nearing. Unfortunately, we cannot say that farmers are
fully satisfied by the sale of this year’s harvest or by attention of
relevant state structures. But it is difficult to say whether the
opposition will manage to have the support of people in the regions.

[Correspondent] Do you think that the authorities have failed to use
this relatively calm period to strengthen their positions?

[Isagulyan] We have managed to do little in this sense. I thought that
the known speech of the president in Strasbourg should have resulted
in increased activity on the part of the authorities. Unfortunately,
the expected changes in the country did not take place. The same
people work in the government. Prospects of real reforms of the
legislative field are still unclear. We have failed the dialogue with
the opposition on the election law. Moreover, the coalition forces
themselves failed to come to an agreement in this issue. Today’s
package of constitutional reforms does not considerably differ from
the previous ones. I think this will also create a certain basis for
the opposition activity.

[Correspondent] Is the opposition itself united to raise a new wave?

[Isagulyan] It does not matter. There have always been disagreements
among opposition leaders, there are still disagreements over the
successful fulfilment of their claims and over the role of the only
leader. This is natural. But the opposition was guided from a certain
centre, I mean the Armenian Pan-National Movement, and it will
continue guiding them. In case of any significant or minor wave of
displeasure, the opposition will immediately get united.

[Correspondent] What should the authorities do to stop such
developments?

[Isagulyan] Unfortunately, our political elite, in particular senior
officials, have always had one permanent shortcoming: when everything
is calm because of hot weather in the summer or cold in the winter,
everybody forget that the situation was completely different a month
or two months ago. Naturally, public discontent because of different
problems might grow if they are not resolved on time. This summer was
not an exception either. The ruling coalition found itself in an inert
situation, and as was the case last year, the parties were mainly
trying to strengthen their own position within the authorities.
People’s problems were ignored once again.

[Passage omitted: problems at entrance examinations; farmers have
problems buying fertilizers]