PACE session (4-8 October, Strasbourg):
Urgent debate on terrorism
The situation in the Chechen Republic
Monaco accession ceremony
Strasbourg, 27.09.2004 – An urgent debate on the challenge of terrorism in
Council of Europe member states as well as a joint debate on the political,
human rights and humanitarian situation in the Chechen Republic are among
highlights of the session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
(PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg from 4 to 8 October 2004.
Other items due for debate include the functioning of democratic
institutions in Serbia and Montenegro and in Azerbaijan, the honouring of
obligations and commitments by Armenia, as well as women’s participation in
elections.
Guest speakers include Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Crown
Prince Albert of Monaco – who is due to address the parliamentarians just
before the ceremony for Monaco’s accession – and the President of the new
Pan-African Parliament Gertrude Mongella.
Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment
Programme, is due to participate in a debate on global warming. The annual
enlarged debate on the OECD and the world economy will take place in the
presence of its Deputy Secretary-General Berglind Asgeirsdottir. The
Director General of the World Trade Organization Supachai Panitchpakdi will
address parliamentarians during a debate on the Doha Development Agenda:
world trade at a crossroads.
The Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister and Chairman of the Council of
Europe’s Committee of Ministers Jan Petersen, the Organisation’s Secretary
General Terry Davis, the President of its Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities Giovanni Di Stasi and the President of the “Venice Commission”
Antonio La Pergola will also address PACE. Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights Alvaro Gil-Robles will take part in the debate on the
situation in the Chechen Republic.
The first ever meeting of women members of the Assembly is also due to take
place on the fringe of the session (Tuesday 5 October).
_________
Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, will give a press
conference on Monday 4 October at 11 a.m. (Room 1). Other press conferences
will be announced on the spot.
./..
The following is a provisional order of business which may be altered by the
Assembly on the first day of the session.
Monday 4 October
? Statement by Gertrude Mongella, President of the Pan-African
Parliament
? Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing
Committee
? Statement by Antonio La Pergola, President of the European
Commission for Democracy through Law (“Venice Commission”)
? Communication from Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe
? The Doha Development Agenda: world trade at a crossroads and
statement by Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director General of the World Trade
Organization (WTO)
Tuesday 5 October
* Functioning of democratic institutions in Serbia and Montenegro
* Communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary
Assembly presented by Jan Petersen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway
and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers
* Address by H.S.H. Crown Prince Albert of Monaco
* Implementation of Resolution 1358 (2004) on the functioning of democratic
institutions in Azerbaijan
* European strategy for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and
rights
* Women’s participation in elections
Wednesday 6 October
* Election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to
Slovakia
* Statement by Giovanni Di Stasi, President of the Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
* Possible urgent debate:Challenge of terrorism in Council of Europe member
states
* Address by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey
* The OECD and the world economy and statement by Berglind Asgeirsdottir,
Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD
Thursday 7 October
* Joint debate on the political situation in the Chechen Republic: measures
to increase democratic stability in accordance with Council of Europe
standards, the human rights situation in the Chechen Republic and the
humanitarian situation of the Chechen displaced population
* Implementation of Resolutions 1361 (2004) and 1374 (2004) on the honouring
of obligations and commitments by Armenia
* Global warming: beyond Kyoto and statement by Klaus Töpfer,
ExecutiveDirector of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Friday 8 October
* New concepts to evaluate the state of democratic development
* Campaign to combat domestic violence against women in Europe
* Education for Europe
* Population trends in Europe and their sensitivity to policy measures
See the Assembly’s website, , for further details.
Additional information may also be found on the Council of Europe web
portal,
Contact:
Communication Unit of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax +33 3 90 2141 34; e-mail: [email protected]
2
Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 451a04
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
[email protected]
internet:
The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 626 members from the national
parliaments of the 45 member states.
President: Peter Schieder (Austria, SOC); Secretary General of the Assembly:
Bruno Haller.
Political Groups: SOC (Socialist Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European
People’s Party); LDR (Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group);
EDG (European Democratic Group); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).

Reconsidering Turkey
By Richard Falk
Zaman, Turkey
Sept 27 2004
There is an exciting process of reform and reorientation taking place
in Turkey during the last few years that has been hardly noticed in
America, and certainly not properly appreciated.
To the extent any attention has been given, it has been to whether
the soft Islam of the AK Party provides the United States with an
opportunity to demonstrate its willingness and capacity to abide a
moderate Muslim outlook on the part of a foreign country in the
Middle East.
This possibility was severely strained in the weeks leading up to the
Iraq War when the Turkish Parliament twice narrowly turned down an
American request to use Turkish territory to launch its invasion.
This was at the time an unexpected show of strategic independence on
the part of Turkey, especially in the face of an American offer to
provide Turkey with much needed financial assistance in the amount of
$16 billion. It is worth remembering that during and after the cold
war Turkey had shaped its foreign policy entirely on the basis of
being a subordinate ally of the United States, and regionally since
the early 1990s, by working in an avowed partnership with Israel.
What was most surprising, and in the end revealing, about the Iraq
decision initially so resented in Washington was that the Turkish
military stayed in the barracks. In the recent past, any elected
government in Turkey was subject to repudiation by a military coup or
takeover if it crossed the red lines of either ‘secularism’ or the
strategic relationship with the United States and Israel. There
existed little room for maneuver on the part of politicians, and
foreign policy in particular was regarded as the domain of ‘the deep
state,’ the non-elected, non-accountable army leadership that had
claimed for itself the uncontested role of guarding the
constitutional order of republican Turkey as established by its
founding leader [Mustafa] Kemal Ataturk. What is fascinating about
this recent phase of Turkish foreign policy is this silent process of
fundamental change that has been taking place without attracting
notice except on an issue by issue basis. The scope and cumulative
weight of these changes should not be exaggerated. The deep state
remains in ultimate control of the political destiny of Turkey, and
the red lines still limit the options for elected leaders. But the
softening of these constraints is also part of the unfolding reality,
and deserves more attention than it has so far received.
Why this softening? I think the strength of the mandate received by
the AK Party in the last round of national elections over two years
ago, and the admitted absence of a secular alternative, has been
crucial. But also significant is the skill and creativity of its
leaders, particularly its Prime Minister, [Recep] Tayyip Erdogan, and
Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul, in taking steps forward in a manner
made acceptable to the hidden military overseers, including even the
civilianizing of the Turkish National Security Council. And overall,
the unexpected success of the present leadership in Ankara of
stabilizing runaway Turkish inflation while generating one of the
world’s fastest rates of economic growth has given the government an
underpinning of credibility.
The most obvious explanation of this Turkish opening is undoubtedly
the consensus in Ankara that it is in the national interest of the
country to obtain membership in the European Union at the earliest
possible time. And it is agreed on all sides that this goal is
attainable, if at all, only if Turkey demonstrates a willingness to
clean up its human rights record and solve its main internal and
external problems. This pressure was present even before the AK
leadership arrived, and first became visible in earthquake diplomacy
in which the Greek humanitarian response to the Turkish disaster in
1998 led to a dramatic thawing of Greek/Turkish tensions, initiating
a process that removed a major source of resistance to Turkey’s
presence in the EU. In that instance, Turkey responded positively,
but it was Athens that took the initiative. But what has been
happening more recently discloses a much greater Turkish willingness
to take bold initiatives in foreign policy.
I would mention several notable developments, but there are more. The
Turkish government overcame the influence of its own formidable
rejectionists to accept the carefully balanced proposals by Kofi
Annan, on behalf of the United Nations, to solve the long-festering
Cyprus crisis. When Turkish Cypriots voted to accept the plan, and
Greek Cypriots voted to reject it, there emerged a new European and
global realization that Turkey was moving away from its earlier
pattern of rigid nationalism. It was also a clear signal that Turkey
was ready to become a responsible member of the EU.
More impressive, and more subtle, were the Turkish moves to improve
their relations with their Islamic neighbors. Prime Minister Erdogan
engaged in successful goodwill diplomacy with most of Turkey’s
neighbors, achieving a dramatic breakthrough by establishing an
accommodation with Syria, and notably improved relations with Iran
and Egypt. The Turkish government criticized Israel for the targeted
assassinations of Hamas leaders, further solidifying its new image as
a truly independent sovereign state that was now conducting its
foreign policy according to ethical and legal principles, as well as
on the basis of real politik.
Recently, I had the benefit of long conversations with Ahmet
Davutoglu, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,
who confirmed these trends, speaking of ‘a new paradigm’ in Turkish
foreign policy. This influential policy advisor, previously a leading
intellectual presence in the country, saw Turkey as playing a
decisive role as participant in an emerging multi-dimensional world
order, being still in a positive relationship with the United States
and Israel, but also an active player in Europe, the Middle East, and
Central Asia. Davutoglu represents a new cultural and political trend
in Turkey associated with a deliberate revival of the Ottoman past,
both as a matter of cultural enrichment, but also as a source of an
enriched Turkish identity as a political actor. What Davutoglu
particularly celebrates is what he calls the ‘accommodative’
character of the Ottoman Empire at its height, that is, the
willingness to appreciate and respect civilizational and ethnic
diversity, and to deal with political conflict in a spirit of
compromise and reconciliation. Davutoglu seeks what he calls ‘a zero
conflict’ foreign policy for Turkey, as well as a balance between
relations with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and with the United
States. He agrees that much of this hinges in the end on the
willingness of Europe to set a schedule for Turkish accession to the
EU, and thereby confirm the benefits of this innovative approach
being taken by the AK leadership in Ankara. Without this tangible
positive result, there are dangers of a return to the earlier rigid
and narrower Turkish nationalism that approached conflict in a
somewhat paranoid and zero-sum fashion that seemed incapable of
reaching peaceful solutions because of its intense fear of being seen
as ‘weak.’
There are additional lingering difficulties with this rather hopeful
line of assessment. It is still not entirely clear which way the army
will jump in future crises, especially if it views its guardian role
as being subverted. Furthermore, Turkish urban elites are deeply
suspicious of the AK leadership, fearing that it conceals an
undisclosed agenda to turn the country into an Islamic republic.
Turkish society is quite polarized, as Kemalists refuse to
acknowledge the progress being made, contending unconvincingly that
any leadership would have taken similar steps. Also, there are some
remaining open wounds that the current leadership has not yet healed.
The acknowledgement of the Armenian genocide is still resisted, and
keeps this disturbing issue alive. And although the AK leadership has
taken some notable positive moves with respect to its large Kurdish
minority, on such matters as language and cultural rights, it has not
gone nearly far enough in providing the Kurdish regions in the
Eastern part of the country with a measure of self-rule. As well, the
economic picture is not rosy for the Turkish masses as unemployment,
poverty, and a low average standard of living torment most of the
society.
Yet on balance, considering the darkness that has descended on so
much of the world since 9/11, the Turkish story is encouraging. And,
in fairness, the Bush administration has, despite the refusal of
Turkey to join actively in the Iraq War, has welcomed these shifts in
Turkish foreign policy, and this has mad the process possible. At
this point, what will push the process forward is a positive response
from Europe, setting a date for the start of accession process, which
even optimists will take more than a decade and will be confronted by
roadblocks along the way. Nevertheless, at this moment, those that
believe in democracy and a peaceful world order should take heart
from Turkey’s impressive efforts to reform its foreign policy, and
congratulate the Turkish foreign ministry for exploring the frontiers
of the politically acceptable.
This has been a commentary exclusively written by Mr. Falk for ZAMAN
daily.

Armenia recognizes China’s full market economy status
Xinhua, China
Sept 27 2004
BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) — Armenia recognizes China’s full
market economy status, according to a joint statement between China
and Armenia issued here Monday.
The statement, signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and the
visiting Armenian President Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan, says such
a recognition is conducive for enhancing economic and trade ties
between China and Armenia.
The two countries agreed that the challenge for developing countries
caused by economic globalization should be acknow; edged,and
international society should take active measures to direct the
development of economic globalization towards common prosperity.
China and Armenia, both members of the World Trade Organization,support
the negotiation on the Doha Development Agenda and are willing to
increase communication during the negotiation process to maintain
long-term and steady growth of world economy and trade,said the
statement. Enditem

NEWS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel.: 617-489-1610
E-Mail: [email protected]
Contact: Marc Mamigonian
ARMENIAN CHRISTIANITY TO BE
EXAMINED IN LECTURE AT NAASR
The place of Armenian Christianity within the larger context of world
Christianity will be the subject of a lecture by Dr. Ara Dostourian
on Thursday evening, September 30, at 8:00 p.m., at the Center and
Headquarters of the National Association for Armenian Studies and
Research (NAASR), 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, Mass.
Dostourian, a retired Professor of History at West Georgia State
University and former research fellow in Armenian Studies at
Harvard University, has spent decades studying the development and
characteristics of Christianity as practiced historically by the
Armenian people.
Importance of Broad Context of World Religions
Frequently, when Armenian Christianity is analyzed it is viewed
without reference to world Christianity and other Christian traditions.
Moreover, the national or ethnic character of Armenian Christianity is
emphasized rather than its position within a larger Christian context.
Dr. Dostourian will present an overview of basic Christianity and its
relationship to the other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Islam) as well
as the two major non-Abrahamic world religions (Hinduism and Buddhism)
and place Armenian Christianity within the context of the three major
Christian traditions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
A special emphasis will be placed on Armenian Christianity’s
relationship with Orthodox Christianity, as the Armenian tradition is
part of the Oriental Orthodox family of churches (with Syriac, Coptic,
Ethiopian, and Indian). Armenian Orthodoxy will be compared with that
of the Eastern Orthodox family (Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian,
Bulgarian, etc.). Finally, the uniqueness of Armenian Christianity as
a faith that took root in a particular place and historical context –
political, economic, and cultural – will be discussed.
Lecturer with Background in History and Religion
Dr. Ara Dostourian received a Ph.D. in Byzantine History from Rutgers
University, having earlier received an MA in Medieval History from
Fordham University and a Masters of Divinity from the Episcopal
Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. He is the author of numerous articles
on Armenian history and religion, and is the translator and editor
of Armenia and the Crusades, 10th to 12th Centuries: The Chronicle
of Matthew of Edessa.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m. The NAASR Center and Headquarters is
located opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S. Post
Office. Ample parking is available around the building and in
adjacent areas.
More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing [email protected], or writing
to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

Priests in Punch-Up at Christianity’s Holiest Shrine
The Scotsman, UK
Sept 27 2004
“PA”
Rival priests got into a fight in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
Christianity’s holiest shrine in Jerusalem, after arguing over whether
a door in the basilica should be closed during a procession.
Dozens of people, including several Israeli police officers, were
hurt in the brawl at the shrine, built over the spot where tradition
says Jesus was crucified and buried.
Jerusalem police spokesman Shmulik Ben-Ruby said four priests were
arrested.
Custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by several
denominations that jealously guard territory and responsibilities under
a fragile deal hammered out over the last centuries. Any perceived
encroachment on one group’s turf can lead to vicious feuds, sometimes
lasting centuries.
Today’s fight broke out during a procession of hundreds of Greek
Orthodox worshippers commemorating the 4th century pilgrimage by
Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, to Jerusalem. Tradition says
that during the trip, Helena found the cross on which Jesus had
been crucified.
Church officials said that at one point, the procession passed a
Roman Catholic chapel, and priests from both sides started arguing
over whether the door to the chapel should be open or closed.
Club-wielding Israeli riot police broke up the fight, witnesses said.
After the brawl, the procession continued.
Greek Orthodox priests, dressed in black robes and donning elaborate
head-dresses, marched out of the church as bells rang loudly.
Carrying gold staves and roses, they marched through the church
courtyard and down a narrow stone alley as Greek Orthodox Christians
clapped and cheered.
In 2003, Israeli police threatened to limit the number of worshippers
allowed to attend an Easter ceremony if the denominations did not
agree on who would lead the ceremony. Police brokered a last-minute
deal and the ceremony passed peacefully.
But a year earlier, the Greek patriarch and Armenian clergyman
designated to enter the tomb exchanged blows after a spat over who
would be first to exit the chamber.

International Herald Tribune, France
Sept 27 2004
Kerkorian’s main man looks to post-MGM life
Andrew Ross Sorkin NYT
He says sale wasn’t goal for him or boss
LAS VEGAS Alex Yemenidjian, the chairman and chief executive of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, was sitting at his private pool outside his
high-roller villa at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino here recently.
He had just struck a $5 billion deal to sell MGM, the Hollywood studio
famous for its roaring-lion mascot and film franchises including
James Bond, to Sony and a group of investors after an agonizingly
long auction.
But he was not interested in talking about the deal. He wanted to
discuss why he never wanted to sell the company and why his boss,
the elusive billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who controls MGM and who
has now bought and sold the studio three times since 1969, did not
especially want to give it up, either.
“There is a perception out there that Kirk is a seller if somebody
gives him a good price,” said Yemenidjian, cutting a Bond-like figure
in a double-breasted blue blazer with a yellow silk handkerchief
protruding from the breast pocket. “That isn’t true. I think it bothers
him that Hollywood thinks that he treated MGM as an investment toy. Not
one time did either Kirk or the board tell me, ‘I want you to clean
this company up and prepare it for sale.’ Not once.”
Yemenidjian, 48, has been dogged by his reputation as MGM’s
flipper-in-chief ever since Kerkorian installed him as its boss
in 1999. Back then, the company was beaten and battered, written
off as a has-been, a debt-laden stepchild of the studio that once
produced films like “Gone With the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz.” And
when Yemenidjian arrived on the scene, he was a virtual unknown
in Hollywood. If anything, he was considered Kerkorian’s henchman,
an accountant experienced in making deals, not movies.
Yet within five and a half years, Yemenidjian turned around the
business by drastically scaling back productions, scoring a few
unexpected hits like the comedy “Barbershop” and the documentary
“Bowling for Columbine,” and by milking its library of more than
4,000 films.
He won respect on Wall Street, if not fans among the Hollywood elite.
Then he performed the final scene of the script that had been written
by critics the day he arrived: He sold the studio. In doing so,
he made a bundle for Kerkorian – who banked at least $2 billion –
as well as a small fortune for the company’s minority shareholders.
“Bringing an outsider’s viewpoint to Hollywood may not have
necessarily endeared him to the agents, movie stars and the rest
of the quote-unquote Hollywood community,” said Jack Liebau, the
principal at Liebau Asset Management, one of MGM’s largest minority
shareholders. “But from a shareholder’s standpoint, he’s exactly what
you’d want in the CEO of a publicly held company.”
But as Yemenidjian leaned back in his faux 17th-century Tuscan chair,
he said he still wished he could have ordered a rewrite and made his
own blockbuster acquisitions instead of selling.
“We tried to acquire other companies and they weren’t available,”
he said in a rare interview.
He listed targets that he said he had pursued vigorously: Vivendi
Universal, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures.
“There was nothing left to buy,” he said with a shrug. “There was no
place for us to go.”
How Yemenidjian, who, like Kerkorian, is of Armenian descent, became
Kerkorian’s top lieutenant, to run the last independent studio in
Hollywood and to sell it in a heated auction between Time Warner and
Sony could be its own dramatic release. There is even a potential
sequel: for all the sniping in the industry, Yemenidjian is being
talked of as a possible successor to Michael Eisner, who will step
down as chief executive of Walt Disney in 2006.
Yemenidjian was born in Argentina; his father was a shoemaker who
had fled Armenia. The family moved to Los Angeles when Alex was 13.
Yemenidjian graduated from California State University at Northridge
in 1977 and founded his own accounting firm. In 1989, Yemenidjian
went to a lunch that would change his life. A mutual friend of his
and Kerkorian’s, George Mason, a managing director of Bear Stearns,
planned for them to meet.
Two days later, he recounted, “Kirk asked me if I would take a leave
of absence from my firm for six months to work on a special project.”
Yemenidjian continued: “He never told me what the project was and
I never asked. When I showed up on January 1, 1990, I found out the
project was selling MGM.”
That was the second time Kerkorian would sell MGM. He had bought it in
1969, sold it to Ted Turner in 1986 and bought back a large chunk of
it only months later, when Turner’s financing fell apart. The second
sale, with Yemenidjian’s help, was to the Italian financier Giancarlo
Parretti in 1990. But Kerkorian would buy it back again in 1996.
The two hit it off immediately, creating what friends and associates
describe as almost a father-son relationship.
“He was the perfect man for Kirk – just perfect,” said Mason, who
plays a doubles tennis game at Kerkorian’s house every Sunday with
Yemenidjian and other friends. “People say Alex would throw himself
off a cliff for Kirk. He’s always had that attitude.”
Kerkorian, 87, who has not given an interview to the news media
in decades, said through a spokeswoman, “Alex is one of the most
accomplished CEOs I have worked with, and I am very happy with what
he and his team have achieved at MGM.”
Throwing himself into the role of Kerkorian’s right-hand man,
Yemenidjian worked on his mentor’s attempted takeover of Chrysler,
an effort to rescue Trans World Airlines and a bid for Pan Amercan
Airways. In 1995, Kerkorian sent him to Las Vegas to become the
president and chief operating officer of the hotel and casino company
now known as MGM Mirage.
But his Las Vegas act was cut short in 1999. Kerkorian had assigned
him to help find a replacement for Frank Mancuso, who was retiring
as MGM’s chief. Kerkorian rejected all the candidates and gave the
job to Yemenidjian, who had never worked in movies.
It was an audacious move. Yemenidjian hired Chris McGurk, president
and chief operating officer at Universal Pictures, as his own chief
operating officer, and the two went about shaking up MGM’s business
model.
Out went high-priced, risky picture deals. The James Bond films,
which had been released every two years, were moved to a three-year
schedule. Production budgets were cut.
The centerpiece of the turnaround was a renewed focus on additional
sales from the company’s library, typically an afterthought at other
studios. Bonuses were attached to sales of digital video disks and
marketing was redesigned. By 2003, the plan had succeeded. They may not
have created the next Miramax, but the company was no longer bleeding.
The New York Times

CENN – SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Request for Input on Panel 2004 Trip
2. PAN Germany calls for more transparency on international pesticide
trade
3. United Nations International Day for Disaster Reduction — 13 October
2004
4. Section of Extremely Poor Population in Armenia to Disappear in 5-6
Years: WB Representative in Armenia
5. Agribusiness Teaching Center Attracts Foreign Students
6. Armenia allows hunting for Red Data Book animals to entice hunters
7. EIA Reports Submitted to the Ministry of Environmetn of Georgia
1. REQUEST FOR INPUT ON PANEL 2004 TRIP
As part of its three-year mandate to study the impact of the BTC
pipeline and related BP-led investments in the Caspian region, the
Caspian Development Advisory Panel (CDAP) has begun preparations for its
second site visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, scheduled for late
October 2004. The Panel requests input from all interested parties about
the individuals and organizations with which it should consider meeting
during its visit to the region. The Panel made a similar request last
year in advance of its trip to the region and benefited greatly from the
many suggestions that were provided.
All submissions should be sent to CDAP via e-mail at [email protected] or
addressed to Caspian Development Advisory Panel Secretariat, c/o
Covington & Burling, Attention: Mr. Peter Flanagan, 1201 Pennsylvania
Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20004-2041, USA. CDAP thanks you for your
time and consideration of this request and looks forward to receiving
your input.
Caspian Development Advisory Panel Secretariat
c/o Covington & Burling
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
[email protected]
2. PAN GERMANY CALLS FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY ON INTERNATIONAL PESTICIDE
TRADE
PRESS RELEASE
Hamburg, 2004-09-24
On the occasion of the First Conference of the Parties of the Rotterdam
Convention in Geneva, PAN Germany declares that the Rotterdam Convention
is an important first step towards increasing transparency on
international trade in pesticides.
At the side event organized by the Pesticide Network UK (PAN UK), PAN
Germany states that the Rotterdam Convention is a large step ahead,
regarding transparency in particular. “The Governments ratifying the
convention have identified the importance of transparency and
acknowledged that information on regulatory decisions about pesticides
traded is important to identify potential hazard”, says Simone Hueber
from PAN Germany, “but it’s crucial that governments also know about
pesticide exports in general.”
The conventions Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure permits
developing countries to decide on the import of certain hazardous
pesticides and chemicals on the basis of detailed information.
The procedure is limited to a small number of chemicals and pesticides
listed in Annex III of the convention. “Metaphorically speaking we have
PIC as a small island of transparency in the middle of a dark sea of the
major trade in pesticides”, Simone Hueber says.
PAN Germany reminds of the problem that safe use of pesticides is not
guaranteed, especially not for farming under poverty conditions and
emphasizes the need of creating a legal basis for transparent trade in
pesticides globally. Furthermore the publication of the collected data
should be mandatory on the basis of active ingredients.
According to PAN Germany having detailed information on pesticide
exports would be beneficial to the aims of the Rotterdam Convention and
would help the secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention monitor the
parties compliance with the regulations under PIC.
The so called Rotterdam Convention entered into force as from February,
two months after the fiftieth party had ratified the agreement.
The First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam
Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade takes place in Geneva
from 20-24 September 2004.
For further information contact: Simone Hueber, Tel. 040-399 19 10 26
[email protected]
(2.408 signs, 413 Words)
Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V. Fon: +49 (0)40-39 91 91 0-0
Nernstweg 32, D-22765 Hamburg Fax: +49 (0)40-390 75 20
Please use our new mail address: mailto:[email protected]
Do you know our website?
A lot of interesting information is available at:
3. UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION – 13 OCTOBER
2004
ATTENTION ALL YOUNG PEOPLE!!
The theme of this year’s World Disaster Reduction Campaign is “learning
from today’s disasters for tomorrow’s hazards”.
To raise awareness, an International art contest for young people aged
16 and under is being held by the UN, and you are invited to
participate!
The best 12 pictures will be selected for publication in a UN/ISDR 2005
calendar that will be disseminated both to participants of the World
Conference on Disaster Reduction (18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan) and all around the world! In addition, the pictures will be
framed and exhibited2005 on-site at the WCDR. Deadline for receipt of
pictures is 20 October 2004.
Information for this exciting competition can be seen at:
contest-eng.htm
Address:
UN/ISDR Attention:
Nicole Rencoret
Office A.579 Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland
E-mail: [email protected]
4. SECTION OF EXTREMELY POOR POPULATION IN ARMENIA TO DISAPPEAR IN 5-6
YEARS: WB REPRESENTATIVE IN ARMENIA
Source: ARMINFO, September 23, 2004
The Armenian Office of the World Bank will put a stress on
implementation of social, health and educational programs in its policy
for the coming 4 years. Head of WB Office in Yerevan Roger Robinson said
at a press-conference today.
He said that the policy of the WB Office in Armenia for the coming 4
years is estimated at $200-220 mln, including $20 mln to be directed to
the state budget of Armenia within the coming three years annually. The
major idea of the budgetary credit PRSC is contribution to poverty
reduction, improvement of the business environment, customs and taxation
administration. Roger Robinson said that in conformity with WB’s
expectations, the annual revenues of Armenia’s state budget are to grow
by some 0.4% of GDP annually. In this connection, he said that after the
expiry of the given strategy, the WB will refuse from the idea of
crediting the state budget,
Commenting on the efficiency of the estimation of WB’s programs in
Armenia at the request of ARMINFO, Robinson said that WB Factor
Monitoring Department gave the highest assessment both of the work of
the Yerevan Office and the efficiency of the programs in Armenia.
Several our problems contained definite mistakes and miscalculations.
But all them depended on the underestimation of the difficulty of the
set tasks, Robinson said. As regards the reduction of absolute volumes
of WB’s credits issued to Armenia, Robinson said that it is accounted
for by improvement of the indicators of the fiscal policy of the
government which leads to reduction in demand for credits.
It should be noted that since 1992, the WB has issued $820.8 mln credits
to Armenia.
5. AGRIBUSINESS TEACHING CENTER ATTRACTS FOREIGN STUDENTS
Source: ARMENPRESS, September 23, 2004
An Agricultural Academy-affiliated Agribusiness teaching center, run
with the financial and technical assistance of the US Department of
Agriculture Yerevan office has started teaching two more subjects,
namely International Business Law and E-Trade. The course that lasts
three years and is conducted in English has attracted this year 60
students. Upon graduation they will be awarded diplomas of Texas
University (USA) and the Armenian Agricultural Academy.
This year 11 students from Agricultural Universities of Tbilisi and
Batumi, Georgia, have been enrolled and next month another 100 students
from India will be enrolled.
6. ARMENIA ALLOWS HUNTING FOR RED DATA BOOK ANIMALS TO ENTICE HUNTERS
Source: ITAR-TASS, Russia, September 25, 2004
Armenia has allowed unprofessional hunters to shoot wild animals listed
in the international Red Data Book, Head of the Armenian environmental
ministry’s agency for biological resources Artashes Ziroyan said.
He noted that the government had decided to set a part 2.4 thousand
hectares of land in the Vaiots Dzor region and 459 hectares in the
Syunic region in the republic’s southeastern area for the
Armenian-Italian company `Safari international’.
The company will organize hunting for wild goats, bears and Asiatic
moufflons in the assigned areas.
According to Ziroyan, the Red Data Book will not be an impediment to the
project because hunting will be allowed only for male moufflons, bezoar
goats and bears which are older than eight years and are no longer
capable of reproducing the species.
Ziroyan also said that there are quotas: permission will be issued to
shoot up to five goats and moufflons and no more than two bears each
hunting season.
Ziroyan, who earlier headed the Armenian Academy of Sciences’ Institute
of Zoology is convinced that `the hunting will produce profits.’
According to him, `the pricing process is now in progress’ and the
environmental ministry hopes to get no less than 500 dollars per each
killed animal.
Efforts will be made to secure the restoration of the population of the
animals in the Red Data Book, and the joint Armenian-Italian program
will help encourage environmental and hunting tourism in Armenia.
However, Karen Manvelyan, director of the Yerevan office of the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the Caucasus does not agree with Artashes
Ziroyan. According to him, bears can live for 25 years and the old males
continue to lead goat families. Their extermination will not be without
negative consequences.
7. EIA REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMETN OF GEORGIA
Source: “Sakartvelos Respublica” (“Republic of Georgia”), September 27,
2004
In accordance with the Georgian legislation EIA reports are submitted to
the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain an environmental permit
for the activity of second category:
1. Draft project of the development of the Gunia-Tsalka Deposit in
Tsalka Region, submitted by Ltd. “VGKS”;
2. Investigation and development of the Kizilajlo Basalt deposit in
Marneuli Region, submitted by Ltd. Roki”;
3. Development of the inert materials deposit in Borjomi region, village
Daba, submitted by Ltd. “Mshenebeli”;
4. Development of the inert materials deposit in Borjomi region,
Tsagveri, submitted by entrepreneur “Gio”
EIA report is available at the press-center of the Ministry of
Environment (68, Kostava Str., VI floor) and at the Department of
Environmental Permits and State Ecological Expertise (87, Paliashvili
Str., Tel: 25 02 19). Interested stakeholders can analyze the document
and present their comments and considerations until November 9, 2004..
Public hearing will be held on November 9, 2004.at 12:00, at the
conference hall of the Ministry of Environment.

Armenian, Chinese leaders set to deepen cooperation
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
27 Sep 04
[Presenter] A delegation led by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
is currently in China on a state visit.
[Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan reports by phone from Beijing]
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Chinese President Hu Jintao
held a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital,
Beijing, a while ago, after which they held expanded talks.
The state visit by Robert Kocharyan started at the Great Hall of the
People where an official reception was held. At the end of the meeting,
Kocharyan and Jintao will sign a joint declaration which notes that
Armenia and China are ready to continue and deepen relations in the
political, economic, trade, scientific, cultural and education spheres.
The Armenian and Chinese presidents stressed the importance
of developing economic relations between the two countries. The
presidents outlined the work and activities of the Armenian-Chinese
economic commission which is to speed up this process.
Robert Kocharyan and Hu Jintao noted that Armenian-Chinese cooperation
is not directed against a third side.

Visiting Armenian officials discuss cooperation with Chinese colleagues
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
27 Sep 04
[Presenter] A delegation led by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
left for China on a state visit on Sunday [26 September]. The president
made a stopover in Tajikistan en route to China.
[Passage omitted: Kocharyan discussed bilateral cooperation with his
Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmonov]
[Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan reports by phone from Beijing] The
agriculture ministers of the two countries have held a meeting at the
Chinese Agriculture Ministry. Armenian Agriculture Minister David
Lokyan said he was confident that the programme to provide Armenia
with Chinese tractors would be continued.
Also, Armenian businessmen met their colleagues at the Chinese
international trade development council today. The presidents of the
companies Pure Iron, Mshak [Technology Innovation Center] and Armenal
[Armenian Aluminium] discussed cooperation in the spheres of machine
building, high technologies and aluminium trading.
Chinese President Hu Jintao will meet Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan this afternoon.

Armenian, Chinese leaders sign joint declaration
Mediamax news agency
27 Sep 04
Yerevan
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, who is paying a state visit to
China, today met Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao.
A special correspondent of Mediamax reports from Beijing that according
to the results of the negotiations, the two countries’ leaders signed
a joint declaration.
The document says: “The sides think that the current international
situation is still facing deep and complicated changes. Peace and
development remain the leitmotif of this epoch and are the common
concern of the peoples of all the countries of the world. The
international community should step up its consultations, defend
the diversity of the world and promote the exchange and reciprocity
between various civilizations and models of development in the world.
“The sides stress that the role of the United Nations in the cause of
maintaining peace and security in the whole world is irreplaceable
and that the main purposes and principles of the UN charter remain
a cornerstone norm to be observed in settling international affairs.
“The sides positively assess the coordination of cooperation and mutual
support by both countries in international and regional organizations,
including the United Nations.”