China, Armenia to promote comprehensive cooperation
Viet Nam News Agency, Vietnam
Sept 28 2004
Beijing, Sept. 28 (VNA) – China and Armenia will continue with exchange
of high-level delegations to strengthen bilateral cooperation, says
a Sino-Armenian joint communique issued in Beijing on Monday.
The joint communique, signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and
his Armenian counterpart, Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan, who ended
his five-day state visit to China on Monday, says the two countries
will increase exchange of delegations between their parliaments and
encourage cooperation between their businesses.
The Armenian president said China’s market economy status will be
conducive to enhancing trade relations between the two countries.
He also reaffirmed that the People’s Republic of China Government is
the sole legitimate government representing the entire Chinese people.
Meanwhile, President Hu confirmed China’s support to the efforts of
the international community to address the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
peacefully, saying he hoped that the conflict will be settled in a
just and reasonable way in line with relevant international rules
and practices.
The two presidents witnessed the signing of three China-Armenia
cooperation agreements, including an agreement on technical and
economic cooperation.–

Ecologist Ferdinand Grigoryan to Take Home Know-How for Vanadzor Nursery
By Daphne Abeel
Armenian Mirror-Spectator
September 25, 2004
WATERTOWN, MA–Massachusetts’ forests, farms, nurseries and arboretums have
proved a fertile research laboratory for Armenian ecologist Ferdinand
Grigoryan, who is in the US for seven weeks, to learn and collect
information for Tsiatsan (Rainbow), the environmental NGO which he founded
in 1997.
Now working in partnership with the Armenia Tree Project (ATP), Grigoryan
has visited Levon Kachadoorian’s Everlast Nursery in Leicester, Concord’s
Walden Pond, Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum, Mahoney’s Rocky Ledge Nursery in
Winchester, various supply stores and talked to a local Armenian-American
farmer, Krikor Soujian, about his corn crop. Each visit has been an
opportunity to study planting and cultivation techniques, or to learn about
how small retail nurseries work.
What he has absorbed he will take back to Armenia where Tsiatsan’s main
project will be to develop a 15-acre reforestation nursery in Vanadzor, in
the Lori district, which by 2006, is hoped to have the capacity to produce
one million trees a year. The goal is to plant trees that are indigenous to
Armenia such as maple, oak, linden, walnut and beech.
“Mainly, I am learning about how people care for the environment here,” said
Grigoryan in an interview at ATP’s headquarters. “The idea of protecting the
environment is still new in Armenia. There is a lot that needs to be
grasped, not just about protecting the environment, but new growth
techniques that can be applied in agriculture.”
Grigoryan will be taking seeds home for testing as well as books and some
specific implements such as sprinkler heads, which will be used in the
irrigation system at Vanadzor. But, it is education that will ensure the
long-term success of environmental and reforestation projects, he said.
“Trees were being cut down at a great rate in the early ’90s, due to the
energy crisis. But people have learned that deforestation leads to
degradation of the soil and to erosion. We now have a program in the Lori
schools about environmental protection. We want to educate the students to
become stewards of the land,” he said.
To reach people who live in rural areas outside of Yerevan, Grigoryan plans
to produce a series of television programs on the environment to air twice a
month on community stations free of charge.
“We especially need to train people who are dependent on the land. If they
cut down a tree, we are teaching them to plant a tree to replace it,” said
Grigoryan. “In this way, we can change people’s psychology. Someone who has
planted a tree is much less likely to cut it down.”
There are signs that Armenia is beginning to pay more attention to its
environment, said Grigoryan. “Some legislation has been passed, and the
Armenia Forestry Agency has been transferred from the Ministry of
Environmental Protection to the Ministry of Agriculture. All of these
ministries have a limited budget. But, as an NGO, Tsiatsan can have access
to the top professionals in Armenia, in topography and many other fields.”
Also, Yerevan State University and more importantly, community colleges are
beginning to teach courses on ecology and protection of the environment. And
the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC) is encouraging their members to help with
environmental education in the schools.
He added, “The Armenia Tree Project has done a tremendous job in Armenia.
They are a great partner for us. There is no organization like it.”
Grigoryan said he had a special appreciation for what has been accomplished
at Walden Pond.
“I wanted to learn how natural forests are being protected,” he said. “There
is no cutting of trees there and when erosion occurs, the problem is
addressed immediately. I admire the way the area has been conserved, and
there is a relationship there between the animals and people that I haven’t
seen before.”
While he was here, Grigoryan visited St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary
School and invited the students to come to Armenia, meet students there and
work on the Vanadzor planting project.
Beyond planting trees, Grigoryan said, care and maintenance are extremely
important. He cited a recent case of the fir trees planted at Echmiadzin in
honor of all previous catholicoses. The trees died soon after as a result of
neglect.
“The NGO involved in the planting should have been responsible for the
maintenance. The trees were not watered properly. Yes, people should have
been educated to take care of them, but there should be accountability,” he
said.
Grigoryan concluded, “Each tree I plant is for the future and for future
generations. And each generation can do this. It’s very important. This is
the most important work of my life.”
Photo: Left to right, Ferdinand Grigoryan with Chris Adanalian of Armenia
Tree Project and Everlast Nursery owner, Levon Kachadoorian
Photo: The irrigation pipeline at Tsiatsan’s nursery project in Vanadzor

KARABAKH IN STAMPS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
28 Sept 04
At the end of the previous year one of the world’s most popular
journals in the sphere of philately German “MICHEL” published an
article headlined “A Letter from Nagorni Karabakh” on the stamps of
Nagorni Karabakh. For the author of the article Gerdt Bundesman the
core problem is that MICHEL refuses to include the stamps of Karabakh
in the catalogue; the reason is that the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh
has not been recognized, and according to the catalogue, the stamps
are not legal in world postal services. The article also informs that
the German post had recognized the stamps of Karabakh equally with
those of other countries and they are in fact used for sending mail to
other countries. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union we also used
the postal stamps of the USSR. But after the collapse of the Soviet
country, in the years of the Artsakh movement the necessity of issuing
the stamps of Nagorni Karabakh occurred. The issuing was undertaken by
the head of the information-analytical agency of the Supreme Soviet of
Nagorni Karabakh, advisor to president Sergey Kalantarian. During the
talk with him he told that in mid-1992 when he still worked at the
Supreme Soviet, he suggested issuing the stamps of the republic. The
suggestion was approved and on October 7, 1992 the decision on issuing
of Karabakh stamps was adopted. Sergey Kalantarian was responsible for
issuing and received a corresponding status. S. Kalantarian said that
the first stamps of the republic were used on June 11, 1993. The series
included the stamps “The National Flag”, “Artur Mkrtichian”, “The
National Monument”, “Church Gandzasar”. “In 1994 I sent information to
the catalogue MICHEL hoping that the stamps would be included in the
same catalogue. I was not refused at the beginning, they even promised
to publish the stamps. But in several months they refused saying
that the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh had not been recognized. Then,
in 1998 the publisher of the English catalogue “Stanley Gibbons”
got interested in our stamps to which I again sent the stamps and
information. This time they published the stamps but in the section
of Azerbaijan. I suggested the editor to place the stamps in the
catalogue separately in order for us to continue cooperation, as we
have no relations to Azerbaijan. Due to disagreement the relationships
were stopped,” said Kalantarian. According to him, owing to Gerdt
Bundesman recently the stamps of Nagorni Karabakh have been included
in the same journal “MICHEL” and later they will be included in the
catalogue as well. The Karabakh stamps were also placed in the French
catalogue “Yvert & Teller – 2003”. Sergey Kalantarian also informed
that in 1996 new stamps were issued dedicated to the fifth anniversary
of the independence of Karabakh on the funding of the German company
“Edition 2002” (M. Mittelstrass). According to S. Kalantarian, this
company wished to continue issuing our stamps. There is already an
arrangement and after signing the contract with “Artsakhpost” works
will hopefully begin. By the way, in 1997 on the means of the same
company stamps devoted to the New Year and Christmas, and in 1998
(with delay) stamps devoted to the fifth anniversary of liberation
of Shushi were issued. In the latter coloured pictures of Shoushi
of the beginning of the previous century were used. On February 20,
1998 together with Armenia stamps devoted to the 10th anniversary
of the Karabakh movement were issued and printed in Netherlands. On
2001 a series devoted to the 1700 years of adoption of Christianity
in Armenia was issued again on state funding. Besides the thematic
stamps there were also reprinted stamps on the basis of the previous
ones. According to Sergey Kalantarian, presently in the Republic of
Lithuania they are interested in issuing of our stamps. In Karabakh
there are people ready to issue new stamps at certain conditions and
provide them free of charge to “Artsakhpost”. Presently the joint NKR
and RA stamp “Karabakh Horse” is printed. While new stamps are issued
in our republic, different complaints are made by the neighbouring
country connected with the appearance of our stamps in the catalogue
“MICHEL” and in acceptance of our stamps in other country posts at
all. The NKR stamps are issued officially, they bear the national
symbols which provide collectors with certain information about
Nagorni Karabakh.
ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
28-09-2004

CONFERENCE FOR MEDICAL AND SOCIAL EXPERTS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
28 Sept 04
Recently cooperation between the RA Work and Social Ministry and
the NKR Ministry of Social Security has been rather active. The
evidence to this is organization of joint seminars, consultations. On
September 23-24 a conference was held in Stepanakert, which was
organized by the RA Agency of Medical-Social Expertise and the two
ministries. At the conference experts of the sphere both from NKR
and Armenia were present. The two-day conference aimed to share
methodic, organizational, professional skills with their Karabakh
colleagues, exchange approaches in medical-social expertise, and
render practical aid. On the first day the specialists arrived from
Armenia presented the structure of the RA Agency of Medical-Social
Expertise, aims, model of management, the legal acts used during the
expertise, contemporary methods of rehabilitation of the disabled,
peculiarities of medical-social expertise in case of tuberculosis and
childhood diseases. The head of the RA Agency Misha Vanian was also
present at the seminar. He said this was the second meeting with the
NKR specialists in the sphere of medical-social expertise, and the
first was in 2001. â^À^ÜAs to our cooperation, we invite our Artsakh
colleagues to take part in the analysis of the annual report, who will
naturally take part in the discussions of the existing problems in the
sphere and we gladly share our experience with them. Our agency has
been operating for two years now and as in Karabakh it is only being
created, we have come to help our colleagues,â^À^Ý mentioned M. Vanian.
ANAHIT DANIELIAN. 28-09-2004

Kocharian Aide Blames Britain For “Anti-Armenian” Report On Karabakh
By Ruzanna Stepanian and Emil Danielyan 28/09/2004 11:26
Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
Sept 28 2004
A national security adviser to President Robert Kocharian linked on
Monday a Council of Europe report accusing Armenia of illegally
annexing Nagorno-Karabakh with Britain’s policy in the region which
he denounced as oil-driven and pro-Azerbaijani.
Garnik Isagulian claimed that the report’s findings, rejected by
official Yerevan, were greatly influenced by the British nationality
of Terry Davis, its author and the new secretary general of the
Council of Europe.
“British Petroleum’s influence on British foreign policy is very
obvious,” Isagulian told reporters, referring to BP’s pivotal role in
the multibillion-dollar Azerbaijani oil projects. “They are solely
concerned with controlling oil reserves. This is what English policy
is all about. Only Baku’s oil matters to the British.”
The document in question was meant to serve as the basis for a
resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be adopted by the
organization’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). The 45-nation assembly
chose Davis as its chief Karabakh rapporteur long before he was
elected to head the Strasbourg-based human rights organization last
June.
“Considerable parts of the territory of Azerbaijan are still occupied
by forces from Armenia, and separatist forces are still in control of
the Nagorno-Karabakh region,” reads the draft resolution submitted by
Davis to a key PACE committee earlier this month. It effectively
accuses Armenia of illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territory as
well as ethnic cleansing.
“The Assembly reaffirms that independence and secession of a regional
territory from a state may only be achieved through a lawful and
peaceful process based on democratic support by the inhabitants of
such territory, and not in the wake of an armed conflict leading to
ethnic expulsion and the de facto annexation of such territory to
another state,” says the draft resolution. “The Assembly reiterates
that the occupation of foreign territory by a member state
constitutes a grave violation of that state’s obligations as a member
of the Council of Europe.”
The proposed wording is largely in tune with Azerbaijan’s
long-standing allegations about Armenian “military aggression.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev repeated in a speech at UN General
Assembly in New York late last week. Aliev charged that the Armenians
are intent on “consolidating the results of the aggression.”
The Davis report was rejected as “unacceptable” by Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian last week. The Armenian members of the PACE also
criticized it. One of them, deputy parliament speaker, Tigran
Torosian, plays down the document’s significance saying that it will
have no legal force because the PACE has appointed a new Karabakh
rapporteur, David Atkinson.
Atkinson is expected to present his version of a Karabakh resolution
at the PACE session in January. Isagulian contradicted Torosian when
he claimed that it is unlikely to differ markedly from Davis’s draft.
“We need a rapporteur who would represent a state with a neutral
position on the issue,” he said.
The presidential aide went on to predict that the Council of Europe
can have little impact on the Karabakh peace process because it is
spearheaded by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe. “Azerbaijan has realized very well that the
Karabakh problem has been solved within the Minsk Group framework,”
he said, apparently alluding to its peace proposals reportedly
upholding the disputed region’s independence from Baku.
Davis, on the other hand, indicated his support for the restoration
of Azerbaijan’s control over Karabakh by advising the Armenians to
look into “positive experiences of autonomous regions as a source of
inspiration.”
The report drafted by the Council of Europe chief also suggests that
the conflicting parties turn to the Hague-based International Court
of Justice if the long-running peace talks sponsored by the Minsk
Group remain lead nowhere. It says the court could rule on “whether
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan … has lawfully been violated
by Armenia in order to protect a right to secession by the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh.”

ARTSAKH IS PRICELESS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
28 Sept 04
Recently OSCE cochairman Stephen Mann has stated that the meeting
of the mediators with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in
Astana were aimed to reveal the presence of political will in the
two leaders. The American cochairman expressed the opinion that
regional development passes by Armenia. Pipelines, roads, railways
are built, and Armenia misses the chance of benefiting from the
economic integration in the entire region. As it would be expected
the reaction to the statement of Mr. Mann did not wait long. On the
same day foreign minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanian gave a press
conference and announced that Armenia cannot be frightened or worried
by stating that Armenia remains outside the implementation of oil
and gas and transport projects. According to the foreign minister
of Armenia, we have proved to the world that without railways and
pipelines Armenia is able to not only survive but even develop going
on to in the next hundred years as well. And to connect the question
of status of Nagorni Karabakh to some oil or gas pipeline and turn it
into an object of trade is simply impossible for, as Vardan Oskanian
emphasized, “Nagorni Karabakh is priceless and is not an object to
be sold, therefore we do not accept the argument that by defending
its interest the Armenian side loses the opportunity to take part in
large regional programs.” In reference to the construction of the
railway, the Georgian-Turkish agreement and other projects passing
by Armenia the foreign minister thinks that it is a mistake. “Whoever
connects these questions to the problem of Nagorni Karabakh, I state
that there can be no relation between these as Artsakh is priceless,”
said Mr. Oskanian. Making use of the meeting with the representatives
of the mass media, the foreign minister of Armenia also summed
up the results of the four meetings of the foreign ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan. Although presenting details of procedure
rather than content, he informed that the preliminary stage of the
process of talks was concluded by the Kocharian-Aliev meeting in
Astana and the four meetings of the foreign ministers in Prague. Now
the negotiation parties have taken a so-called “time out” to think
for a while and then enter the second round of negotiations between
the foreign ministers. According to Mr. Oskanian, the second round
will be on a higher level in terms of quality and will be closer to
the settlement of the problem than the first one. “At the beginning
of the second round the presidents will say what they will do on the
content basis of the talks between the foreign ministers. Those might
be changed, accepted or refused.” During the press conference the
former PACE reporter Terry Davis report on Karabakh was also touched
upon. Mr. Oskanian characterized the report as unacceptable because
it reflected the personal position of the reporter. “It is the opinion
of one person and is a subjective opinion; it is not possible to agree
with it as the picture is not presented truly,” said Vardan Oskanian.
Although the new reporter, British member of parliament David Atkinson
is not of better disposition towards Armenia and Artsakh judging by,
according to Vardan Oskanian, his numerous statements made before
his appointment, Vardan Oskanian, nevertheless, hopes that the new
reporter will be maximally unbiased in preparing his report. Of course,
the Armenian party should contribute to this directly. “Therefore it
is necessary to try to explain, present the situation as objectively
as possible in order for the report not to affect the process of
negotiations. Today this is our problem,” announced Vardan Oskanian.
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN. 28-09-2004

Georgian and Armenian banks sign agreement
The Messenger, Georgia (messenger.com.ge)
Sept 28 2004
The Central Bank of Armenia and the National Bank of Georgia have
signed an agreement to cooperate in the sphere of supervision of the
activities of credit organizations, Prime News reports.
The president of the NBG Irakli Managadze told journalists that close
cooperation of central banks of the region is very important given
current globalization. “This cooperation will promote development of
the banking and financial sectors of both countries,” Managadze said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IranMania
Sept 28 2004
Gazprom to take part in Iran gas pipeline project
IranMania.com
LONDON, Sep 28 (IranMania) – Inter-parliamentary commission of
Russia- Armenia in economic cooperation is to consider next month
the participation of Gazprom firm in construction of the gas pipeline
between Iran and Armenia.
An informed source in Armenian government told Interfax News Agency
that the Russian Gazprom company intends to offer its cooperation
for construction of 41 kilometers of the pipeline in the Armenian
territory.
According to the aforementioned source the expenditure of construction
is around $30 mln which will be financed by a loan from Iranian Bank of
`Export promotion`.
Interfax News Agency said Iran and Armenia signed an agreement on May
2004 to establish a consortium to provide gas for Armenia. According
to the agreement Iran will provide 36 bln cubic meters of gas for
Armenia in 20 years period.
Meanwhile, it is possible that the agreement be renewed for another 5
years and the amount of gas be increased to 47 bln cubic meters. The
construction work in Iran side started in mid-July and in Armenia
side will start by the end of October.

Armenian leader, Chinese premier discuss economic cooperation
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
28 Sep 04
[Presenter] The strengthening of Armenian-Chinese business
relations was discussed in Beijing this morning at a meeting between
representatives of the two countries’ trade and industrial spheres.
President Robert Kocharyan today visited one of China’s historical
and cultural sites, the Forbidden City. He also visited the Kung
Fu centre where the centre’s sportsmen demonstrated their national
sports exercises to the Armenian delegation.
[Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan] Robert Kocharyan’s state visit to
China is continuing. The official part of the visit is scheduled to
take place in the Chinese capital of Beijing. After the meeting with
the Chinese president yesterday, the Armenian president will meet
representatives of China’s business and legislative circles today.
Robert Kocharyan and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao discussed
issues of economic cooperation. Wen Jiabao said that China is ready to
invest in the Armenian economy and establish contact with its South
Caucasus partner. Robert Kocharyan also stressed that the Armenian
side is interested in speeding up Armenian-Chinese economic relations.
The Armenian delegation led by the president will leave for Shanghai
this evening.

NKR President’s Meeting
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
28 Sept 04
On September 23 at the permanent representation of NKR in Armenia NKR
president Arkady Ghukassian met with the special delegate of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office in Azerbaijan and Armenia, representative on the
Karabakh conflict Philip Dimitrow. During the meeting they discussed
the process of conflict regulation and the prospective steps in
this direction. Mr. Dimitrow pointed out the interest of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office in the peaceful settlement of the confrontation
and emphasized the importance of accelerating the process. The
NKR president especially pointed out the problems of the country’s
status and its security. Mr. Ghukassian believes that the settlement
of the conflict is impossible without consideration of the interests
of the people of NKR. And in the end the president of NK assured that
the Karabakh side is willing to solve the problems through practical
dialogue. At the meeting were also present NKR foreign minister Ashot
Ghulian and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzyk.
AA. 28-09-2004