ArmenPress
July 29 2004
PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN TO WATCH OLYMPIC GAMES ON AUGUST 23
YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS: Iskhan Zakarian, chairman of a
government department on physical training and sports, said today
president Kocharian will travel to Greece on August 23 to watch
Olympic Games. The Armenian delegation to Athens is composed of 52
people, 6 of whom are sporting journalists.

ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri
28 Jul 04
Armenian women pleased with their life in Azerbaijan

[Presenter Natavan Babayeva] The arrest of members of the Karabakh
Liberation Organization [who protested against Armenian officers’
visit to Baku] and the fact that the Armenian officers had been
invited to Baku [to attend a NATO conference] were wrong decisions by
the Azerbaijani authorities. This is the opinion of Yevgeniya
Shagenovna Abdullayeva who thanks the government for allowing her to
live in Baku in conditions of freedom and normal ethnic relations.
[Correspondent over video of Baku] More than 20,000 Armenians live in
the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, today. We decided to knock on a number
of doors which have always been open to Armenians in Azerbaijan –
just to ask how they are doing. We failed to meet a woman called
Rimma because she was at work. But we got in touch with an Armenian
woman who introduced herself as Madina. She was guarded by her
Azerbaijani husband and sons.
[Madina] Why are you filming me? How can you do things like that
without telling me?
[Man in Russian] Don’t film.
[Correspondent] What are your relations with the government? Are they
normal?
[Madina speaking in Russian] Yes. I am not complaining. Thank God, I
never complain. Everything depends on God. What can we do?
[Correspondent] We knocked on an another door. Yevgeniya Shagenovna
Abdullayeva met us with real Azerbaijani hospitality. She said that
the Azerbaijani government does not discriminate against her. Her
Armenian background has not restricted her movements or wishes.
[Yevgeniya Abdullayeva] I can say that I am personally satisfied. If
I had not obeyed, I would have never stayed here. I have brought up
two children here over the entire period of the [Nagornyy Karabakh]
conflict since 1988. My daughter was six in 1988 and another daughter
was four. Since that time, I have brought them up, they have
graduated from school and university, my daughter is married, I
travel and talk freely. No, I have no problems.
[Correspondent] Her only problem is that she is a housewife. Although
she had worked as a language and literature teacher for 19 years, she
had to quit her favourite job. Not because of the Azerbaijanis’
attitude to her, but because she was ashamed of what the Armenians
had done to the Azerbaijanis.
[Yevgeniya Abdullayeva speaking in Azeri] When I quit my job, I was
asked why are you doing this, nobody has ever reproached you, you
have an Azerbaijani family and children. I said no, why shouldn’t I?
I thought afterwards that my decision was correct. Everything needs
to be respected. Why should I wait?
[Correspondent] The Armenian woman is pleased not only with the
principal of the school, but also with the peace policy conducted by
the state in which she lives. As for [Armenian President] Robert
Kocharyan, she condemns him for his desire to unleash a war.
[Yevgeniya Abdullayeva speaking in Azeri] Who is he? Maybe someone
knows him, why should I? I do not know him and do not want to. Why
should I? Only because I am Armenian? First, I am Armenian living
here. I have not seen him, I do not meet him and I do not want to
meet him. What kind of attitude should one have to a country that
wants a war? Any country, not only Armenia. Would you have a good
attitude to a country that wants to wage a war with you?
[Correspondent] She says that the 25 years of her free life among the
Azerbaijanis should serve as a warning to Armenia. But this Armenian
woman also spoke about our officials’ position on Karabakh.
[Yevgeniya Abdullayeva speaking in Azeri] My attitude is that it is a
difficult issue. There is a mother who has lost her three sons, God
forbid. One must cope with this, right? It is difficult, they [the
Azerbaijani authorities] probably should not have given permission
and they [Armenian officers] probably should not have come here. One
should take people’s feelings into account. This is my personal
opinion. Was there any need to touch a raw nerve? Those who suffer
suffer in any case, right? But what can we do? The government should
deal with this, right?
[Correspondent] You see, even the Baku Armenians realize this.
Zamina Aliyeva and Aytan Mammadova, ANS.

Azartac news agency, Baku, in Azeri
29 Jul 04
Georgian Armenians demand compensation for Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline

Tbilisi, 29 July, Azartac special correspondent Islam Aliyev: An
Azartac special correspondent reports that the Armenian population of
the village of Tabatskuri of Georgia’s Tsalka District is demanding
compensation for the section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
which is being built on the plots of land owned by them. The
villagers staged a rally on 27 July and announced that a larger rally
would be staged if relevant organizations did not pay compensation to
them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ekho, Baku, in Russian
29 Jul 04 pp 1, 2
Azeri diplomatic corps discusses its problems with cabinet – paper

A recent meeting between Azerbaijani ambassadors and government
members noted the importance of intensifying the work of the
country’s diplomatic missions abroad, the Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho
has said. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated that
it was necessary to continue the “unrelenting struggle” against
Armenian propaganda and to intensify propaganda and information work
using modern information technologies, according to the newspaper. In
turn, other ministers touched on the problems that their departments
encounter in their international activities and drew the ambassadors’
attention to the need to increase control over budget expenditure at
the embassies. In reply, the ambassadors spoke about problems in
performing banking transactions with Azerbaijan and voiced many other
complaints. The following is the text of R. Orucov and N. Aliyev
report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 29 July headlined “The
Foreign Ministry decided not to wash its dirty linen in public” and
subheaded “Although, according to some reports, it did announce the
recall of ambassadors from a number of countries”. Subheadings have
been inserted editorially:
Diplomatic missions have to intensify work
The first joint session of the country’s diplomatic corps ended in
Baku yesterday. It emerged yesterday that President Ilham Aliyev
called on the Azerbaijani embassies abroad to work with the mass
media more closely. “Great attention should be paid to this sphere,”
Aliyev said. He said that a special post should be created in the
embassies for this purpose. At present, the embassies react to some
events or publications post factum in most cases. In Aliyev’s
opinion, the embassies should be proactive and should strive to get
the reports that are advantageous to Azerbaijan published (Turan news
agency).
Most of yesterday’s meeting was taken by speeches of government
members. According to the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry, effectively all the main members of the cabinet took part
in the meeting yesterday. In his speech, Defence Minister Safar
Abiyev reminded the audience of the tasks that the head of state has
set for the diplomats. Then the floor was taken by Interior Minister
Ramil Usubov who spoke about the need to intensify the diplomatic
missions’ work in terms of combating crime and ensuring internal
security at the foreign relations level. In turn, National Security
Minister Eldar Mahmudov spoke about great similarities in the work of
the diplomats and staffers of the special services. He said that
close cooperation between all government structures to ensure
national security was very important.
It has to be noted that almost all the members of the Azerbaijani
government delivered their speeches yesterday. And they all spoke to
the ambassadors about the problems that their departments encounter
in their international activities.
Ambassadors raise problems
The ambassadors replied with their own questions and suggestions.
They identified as one of the major problems the issue of extending
the validity period of the passports of our countrymen abroad and
issuing them quickly. Incidentally, it was decided at the session to
send a high-level official from the Interior Ministry on a business
trip to the embassies in those countries where the problem exists
with the extension of the passport validity period in order to
elaborate jointly with the diplomats a plan of measures to resolve
this issue.
First Deputy Finance Minister Ilqar Fatizada drew the diplomats’
attention to the need to increase control over budget expenditure at
the embassies. He reminded them of the rules of using office cars and
of the need to elaborate normative documents to celebrate the
national holidays of Azerbaijan.
In reply, the ambassadors told the representatives of the ministries
of finance and taxation about big problems that the foreign missions
experience when performing banking transactions with the home
country. Complaints about many other issues were also voiced.
As diplomatic sources told Ekho, the concluding speech by the chief
of the Presidential Executive Staff, Ramiz Mehdiyev, proved to be
most interesting. Most of the speech was dedicated to describing
different flaws in the work of the embassies. Some reports about the
session also say that the fate of different diplomats was also
discussed, but no details have been disclosed yet.
Unrelenting struggle against Armenian propaganda
Incidentally, according to the Turan news agency, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov said at the meeting that the Azerbaijani
ambassadors to the USA, Russia, France and Egypt would be recalled
soon. Touching on the main objectives of the Azerbaijani diplomatic
service, the minister noted that the unrelenting struggle should be
continued against Armenian propaganda which strives to “discredit”
Azerbaijan. Using modern information technologies, information and
propaganda work should be intensified both in Azerbaijan and abroad.
Activities directed at continuing the provision of aid to the
refugees and internally displaced persons should be carried out. The
foreign missions should closely follow the reports by the local mass
media about Azerbaijan, analyse them, and inform the Foreign Ministry
in time, Mammadyarov said. He pointed out the need to intensify
cooperation with the local and foreign mass media and to hold regular
news briefings. Mammadyarov also deems it important to broaden the
propaganda and information work using the Internet.
As one of the participants in the meeting noted in a conversation
with Ekho yesterday, “the event was very useful to all sides; I can
bring a visual example: yesterday some members of the diplomatic
corps saw one another for the first time in their lives.” He also
noted that some speeches touched on the financial activities of
ambassadors. But, he said, “nothing specific was said about recalling
some heads of missions,” although the source did not rule out the
possibility that the rotation of the ambassadors might take place.

PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Spokesperson and Press Division
Ref: 384a04
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
internet:
Anti-torture committee publishes its first report on Armenia
Strasbourg, 28.07.2004 – The Council of Europe’s Committee for the
Prevention of Torture (CPT) has today published its first report on Armenia,
following a visit to the country in October 2002.
In the report, the CPT concludes that people detained by the police in
Armenia run a significant risk of being ill-treated. The Commitee therefore
recommends that a high priority be given to professional training for police
officers, including in modern investigation techniques.
The report also draws attention to overcrowding in prisons and the shortage
of activities for inmates. Furthermore, the CPT calls for urgent steps to
improve the conditions in which people sentenced to life imprisonment are
being held at Nubarashen Prison, and highlights major deficiencies at
Nubarashen Republican Psychiatric Hospital.
In their official responses to the report, the Armenian authorities refer to
measures which have been taken to improve police training and to step up the
control of police activities. The authorities also announce a reduction of
the prison population, following the adoption of a new Criminal Code, and
highlight measures aimed at improving conditions at the Nubarashen
facilities.
The CPT report and the responses of the Armenian Government have been made
public with the agreement of the Armenian authorities. They are all
available on the CPT’s website:
To receive our press releases by e-mail, contact :
[email protected]
A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common
responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 45 member states.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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
27 July 2004
Foreign Minister Oskanian Meets With Ambassador Janez Lenarcic of
Slovenia, Incoming Chairman of OSCE Permanent Council
On 26 July, Minister Oskanian received Ambassador Janez Lenarcic,
Slovenia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE. Slovenia assumes the
chairmanship of the OSCE in 2005 and Lenarcic, as Incoming Chairman of
the OSCE Permanent Council was on a get-acquainted visit to Armenia
and the region.
In view of Slovenia’s imminent OSCE chairmanship next year, Ambassador
Lenarcic requested that Foreign Minister Oskanian share Armenia’s
views on cooperation with and within the OSCE. The Minister stressed
that the OSCE is an important organization for Armenia, both as a
supporter of democratization efforts, and in its support of media, of
the government’s anti-corruption strategy and in other civic
programs. The Minister spoke about the useful and effective role of
the OSCE Yerevan office in these programs.
The Foreign Minister also commented on the recent declaration by CIS
member countries on the need for OSCE reform, for greater transparency
and inclusivity, and pointed out that Armenia’s Permanent Mission in
Vienna repeatedly raises this issue with the OSCE leadership.
At the same time, both parties stressed that the OSCE, as the forum
within which the OSCE Minsk Group operates, is very important in its
role in conflict resolution and peace building. The parties exchanged
opinions on the various directions and areas of OSCE operations in
terms of their relevance to regions in transition, specifically the
South Caucasus.
Minister Oskanian also informed Ambassador Lenarcic on the latest
developments with the Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement process as
well as Armenia-Turkey relations.
Ambassador Lenarcic was accompanied by Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhyn,
Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office, and Ambassador Andrej Kasprzyk,
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman for the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict.

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
28 July 2004
Foreign Minister Oskanian Receives Representatives of Land and Culture
Twenty young people from all over the world who have volunteered to
serve with the Land and Culture organization visited the Ministry
yesterday.
After a brief tour of the Ministry, the Land and Culture volunteers
(of whom there are 75 this year, from Canada, France,Georgia, India,
Lebanon, Iran) were led into the office of the Foreign Minister.
Minister Oskanian commended the patriotic mission of the organization
and stressed the importance of sustainability of their endeavors. He
stressed that the best way to contribute to the development of a
national culture is to sustain close ties with historical
motherland. Minister Oskanian welcomed programs like Land and Culture
and other youth programs which offer young Diaspora Armenians a chance
to live and work in Armenia, as interns or volunteers.
During the meeting, Minister Oskanian responded to questions and
briefly commented on aspects of Armenia’s foreign relations, its
relations with neighbour countries and key players in the region, the
status of the Karabakh conflict resolution process, and
Armenia-Diaspora relations.
Land and Culture was founded in 1977 by a group of young French
Armenians. Subsequently, the organisation established branches in the
USA, UK, Armenia and other countries. Land and Culture started to work
in Armenia a year after the Gyumri earthquake of 1988.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Maryland Gazette Newspapers, MD
July 28 2004
Darnestown youth center approved
by Shannon Baylis Sarino
Staff Writer

A plan to build an Armenian youth center on 15 acres in Darnestown
was approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board July 22.
The plan will feature a 300-seat sanctuary, said Catherine Conlon, a
county planner. The sanctuary will also be used as a youth center.
Approval was also granted on the conditions that no weekday childcare
program or private school be allowed, and a portion of undeveloped
land would be given to a neighboring homeowners association.
The youth center, which is affiliated with the Soorp Khatch Armenian
Apostolic Church in Bethesda, will be built on the north side of
Darnestown Road, about 2,000 feet north of Seneca Road. According to
the planning staff report on the center, an application to build the
center was originally submitted in 1987. Hearings on the application
were held in 1989, 1995 and 2002.
The current plan consists of three parcels. The community center
parcel is made up of about 15 acres of land and eight acres of open
space and includes the house of worship, parking lot and septic
fields. The residential parcel — which contains six already existing
houses — is about 16 acres of land. The final parcel of almost two
acres of land is dedicated park land.
Conlon said before construction on the sanctuary can begin, the
center must record the lot and transfer ownership of the open space
to the Indian Run Homeowners Association, the houses neighboring the
center’s site. After the initial grading and septic digging has been
done, the center will begin landscape planning to create a buffer
between the center and the houses. Although the center does not need
to go before the Planning Board again, it could be some time before
construction begins, she said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KFSN (ABC Local), CA
July 28 2004
Preserving The Past

It’s old versus new in downtown Fresno. The latest conflict is on the
corner of Van Ness and Kern over the historic, but crumbling, Arco
Garage.
It’s a battle between progress and the past, and it’s being fought
all over downtown Fresno.
In 1931, it was the one-stop shop for car maintenance – known then as
the l.C. Wesley Super Garage.
It was the ultimate convenience for downtown workers – drop off your
car in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day. But, beyond
it’s colorful past, the Arco Garage was Fresno’s first glimpse of art
deco design.
Four years ago, the county tried to tear down the Arco Garage to make
way for an office building. Today, supervisors are once again
debating it’s future, whether to keep it, sell it to the historical
society, or a developer who envisions loft-style apartments.
Fresno’s track record for preserving the past by saving historic
buildings is not pristine:
The old courthouse – torn down.
The old city hall – torn down.
The old McMahon’s is being torn down.
The historic Armenian Church, replaced by a parking lot.
Even on Tuesday, the city turned down a plan to restore the vacant
Hotel Fresno.
As for the modest two-story Arco Garage, even the Downtown
Association is not so sure it’s worth preserving, but does like the
idea of more housing and saving Fresno’s architectural history.
The county will get the property appraised and take up the issue
again in September.
If it goes to the Historical Society, it will remain parking.
If the developer gets it, he says people could be living there within
a year.

Messenger.ge, Georgia
July 28 2004
Building closer relations with Armenia
By M. Alkhazashvili
A large Armenian governmental delegation, including almost all of the
country’s ministers and headed by Prime Minister Andranik Margarian,
was in Georgia for a two-day visit this week. Prime Minister of
Georgia Zurab Zhvania hosted the delegation. The major issue of the
negotiations was the deepening of economic cooperation. Of particular
importance in this regard for the Armenians is the revival of the
railway line which connects Russia with Georgia, and hence Armenia.
The Armenian delegation raised the question of the rehabilitation of
the Sochi-Tbilisi segment of the railway running through Abkhazia.
This question was discussed in March 2003 at the Shevardnadze-Putin
summit held in the southern Russian resort town of Sochi. The
Georgian government at that time made the revival of the railway
dependent on the unconditional and safe return of Georgian refugees
to their original dwelling-places in Abkhazia. This would, however,
necessitate determining Abkhazia’s status within the state of
Georgia, which would never be accepted by the current Abkhaz de facto
administration.
The new Georgian government shares this view. While saying that the
Georgian government understands the vital importance of this line for
Armenia, Zurab Zhvania told journalists on Monday that the renewal of
the railway is connected to the return of refugees to Abkhazia and
the process of Georgia’s territorial re-integration. “Until the
refugees return to Abkhazia, the railways will not be opened,”
declared Zhvania.
This leaves the situation in deadlock, however, as there is no reason
to suggest Georgian refugees will return in the near future. The de
facto regime in Abkhazia backs the idea of renewing the railway, but
is not prepared to consider the return of refugees. The Georgian
government hopes that by connecting the railway to the return of
refugees, it will be able to use the pressure of the Armenian lobby
on Russia, but it is difficult to say exactly how much influence is
wielded by Armenia in Russia.
Re-opening the railway line was not, of course, the only reason for
the delegation’s visit. Another very important issue was the
transportation of Armenian cargo through the Georgian Black Sea ports
Batumi and Poti, which is also very important for Armenia. The
reduction of tariffs for Armenian cargo was a topic of discussion in
Tbilisi, and the Georgian side promised to consider this issue.
Another issue discussed was the smuggling of timber from Georgia into
Armenia, which causes Georgia to incur serious material losses. Of
course it is obvious that it is Georgia’s responsibility to stop
smuggling across its borders, but to do so it requires cooperation
from the Armenian side.
Georgian-Armenian economic cooperation has some political flavor as
well. Georgia wants to develop good relations, both economically and
politically, with its two South Caucasian neighbors, but this is
complicated by the continuing distrust between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Given Georgia’s deepening economic ties with Azerbaijan,
it was important that Armenia not be made to feel ‘left out,’ and
that Georgia take this opportunity to develop closer ties with its
southern neighbor.
President Saakashvili has suggested the creation of a South Caucasus
common market, which, of course, will not happen in the near future
but could be a good prospect and incentive for future economic
cooperation and reconciliation.