ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 21, 2004 Wednesday
Armenia interested in stability in Georgia – premier
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
Armenia is interested in stability in Georgia, Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan said Wednesday, at a meeting with Georgian Foreign
Minister Salome Zurabishvili, who arrived here on an official visit.
“Armenian-Georgian relations are one of the elements of regional
stability which, however, require permanent attention and
discussions, especially in the economic sphere,” the prime minister
noted.
He expressed satisfaction over a “high level of inter-state relations
with Georgia,” which he said were based on mutual trust and
cooperation.
Margaryan expressed the hope that Georgian authorities would continue
to pay attention to the problems of Armenians living in Dzhavakhetia,
as well as to issues of the socio-economic sphere, education and
culture of ethnic Armenians in Georgia.
He reiterated the readiness of the Armenian government to contribute
to the programs of economic development of the Georgian region of
Samtskhe-Javakheti, which is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 21, 2004 Wednesday
NATO technical centre opens in Yerevan
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
NATO will provide free satellite and Internet communication to a
number of scientific and educational centres of Armenia, thanks to a
technical centre for realization of the NATO programme Virtual Silk
Road that opened in the Armenian capital on Wednesday.
Besides Armenia, science-education institutions of Azerbaijan,
Georgia, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan will also get free equipment and satellite and
Internet communication.
The executive director of the Arena Company, which is acting as NATO
partner in Armenia, Grigor Babayan, said the programme is designed
for three years and costs 2.5 million U.S. dollars. Armenia’s share
is about 500,000 dollars.
Babayan said Arena would provide with Internet communication Yerevan
State University within the framework of the NATO programme, as well
as Yerevan Physics Institute, the office of the U.N. development
programme mission and several other centres.
The Arena director said 33 more institutions of the country would be
connected to the web in the coming year.

Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press
July 21, 2004
INTELLIGENT PEOPLE, UNITE! — That Was Vladimir Putin’s Appeal During
His Visit to Kazakhstan. By Yelena Lashkina. Rossiiskaya gazeta, June
19, 2004, pp. 1, 3. Excerpts:
Astana — . . . Delegations from seven countries [arrived] in
Kazakhstan’s capital for summits of the Eurasian Economic Community
[EurAsEC] and the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO]. . .
. The first event was the opening of an international forum titled
“Eurasian Integration: Current Trends and the Challenges of
Globalization.”
As the host, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered the
first welcoming speech. “It’s extremely important that we jointly
develop and consistently implement a uniform policy for entering
world markets that works to everyone’s advantage,” he said. . . .
[In his remarks,] Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t [avoid
commenting] on the forum’s program. “I have the impression that
enemies of President Nazarbayev infiltrated the group of organizers,”
the Russian head of state said. “Here’s a session on security in the
Eurasian space where the main topic is defined as: ‘The Geopolitical
Interests of Outside Forces: The US, China, the EU, Japan and
Russia,’ ” said the Russian president, quoting from the forum’s
program. . . .
“All you have to do is open a map to see that Russia is situated in
the very heart of Eurasia,” . . . Vladimir Putin remarked.
“And on the subject of security in the Eurasian space, I think the
vast majority of people would agree that not only in the Eurasian
space, but worldwide these problems can hardly be addressed without
taking into account the role that Russia plays in the modern world.”
Putin ticked off other items on the program and let the organizers
have it with both barrels. “If I were permitted to take part in the
forum session titled ‘Conceptual Problems Pertaining to the
Activities of Integration Associations,’ I could briefly summarize
those problems in literally three or four phrases. They are
great-power chauvinism, nationalism, the personal ambitions of
political decision-makers and just plain stupidity, primitive
stupidity,” Vladimir Putin added quite earnestly.
Addressing the forum’s participants, President Putin said: “But
we’re intelligent people.” And so he concluded his participation in
the forum with the exhortation: “Intelligent people of the world,
unite!”
The heads of state proceeded from the forum to a meeting of
EurAsEC’s interstate council, where the parties signed an agreement
on the basic principles of that organization’s legislation, as well
as a decision on cooperation in the securities market. . . .
The heads of EurAsEC’s member states also agreed to coordinate
their efforts to gain admission to the World Trade Organization.
After the EurAsEC summit, the five members of that organization
were joined by the president of Armenia. The six then held a meeting
of the Collective Security Council of the CSTO’s member states. The
CSTO summit was held behind closed doors. But that’s perfectly
understandable: After all, the heads of the member states were
discussing the actual operations of their militaries. In particular,
according to an RG Kremlin source, they discussed joint actions in
the sphere of air defense. “To some extent, this was a continuation
of the discussion held in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, but with greater emphasis on the CSTO space and the
fulfillment of obligations, including financial commitments, in the
military realm. . . .

Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press
July 21, 2004
Nazism Expert Killed; Extremists Claim Responsibility
THE VICTIM, N. GIRENKO, SERVED AS EXPERT WITNESS IN SCHULTZ-88 TRIAL,
SUPERVISED SCHOLARS PROVIDING EXPERTISE ON NATIONALISTIC NEWSPAPERS
SOURCE: NAZIS SUSPECTED IN MURDER OF EXPERT ON FASCISM. By Sergei
Nekhamkin and Yelena Rotkevich. Izvestia, June 22, 2004, p. 5.
Condensed text:
St. Petersburg — . . . [Professor] Nikolai Mikhailovich Girenko was
murdered Saturday morning [June 19] in his apartment by a shot
through the door from a sawed-off rifle. The case is being handled by
the St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office’s Administration for the
Investigation of Particularly Important Crimes. Assistant city
prosecutor Aleksandr Zhukov told reporters on Monday that at the
present time, one of the hypotheses being considered by the
investigation is that the murder was connected with Girenko’s work.
But he said the investigators are also not ruling out the possibility
that the murder was motivated by hooliganism.
That phrase — “motivated by hooliganism” — evoked skepticism on
the part of Nikolai Mikhailovich’s colleague and close associate,
Valentina Uzunova. She said that a group of scholars supervised by
Girenko that has been providing expertise on extreme nationalist
publications had received threats regularly. . . .
One unfinished trial in which Prof. Girenko was serving as an
expert witness involves St. Petersburg’s most “rabid” nationalistic
group — Schultz-88. The “Schultz case” began in the spring of 2003.
At that time, while investigating an attack on an Armenian citizen,
detectives came upon a skinhead gang of about 30 people. It was
Girenko’s expert testimony that made it clear that this wasn’t just a
bunch of city toughs, but a group of inveterate racists and Nazis in
the Hitlerite mold. . . . Members of the organization have been
charged with fomenting ethnic and racial enmity and with publicly
calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order. The
trial is still ongoing.
Among Nikolai Girenko’s final acts was providing expert input on a
group of Novgorod newspapers: Novgorodets [The Novgoroder], Ya —
Russky [I Am Russian], Russkoye veche [Russian Assembly], Dlya
russkikh lyudei [For Russian People], Yevpaty Kolovrat and Russkoye
yedinstvo [Russian Unity] (one of them was shut down by court order).
These newspapers have ties to Russian National Unity. Prof. Girenko
tangled with that organization in St. Petersburg earlier, at the
trial of Aleksei Andreyev, another publisher of nationalistic
newspapers. Shortly before his death, Girenko had begun preparing for
a new trial involving RNU.

Agence France Presse — English
July 21, 2004 Wednesday 5:51 AM Eastern Time
No compromises on Karabakh: Azerbaijan’s president
KHUDAT DISTRICT, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan will make no compromises in its negotiations with Armenia
over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, President Ilham Aliyev
said Wednesday.
The statement appeared to mark a hardening of Azerbaijan’s stance
over the conflict, which remains unresolved after a war in the early
1990s that displaced a million civilians and left some 35,000 people
dead.
“We cannot react positively to calls on us to make compromises. On
questions of our territorial integrity we will never make any
compromises,” Aliyev said on a visit to northern Azerbaijan.
“Certain calls on us (to make compromises on Nagorno-Karabakh) are
without foundation,” the Azeri leader added.
“All international norms, the economic situation, are on our side.
Large resources are being given to the army and we will continue to
make available these resources.”
Since large-scale fighting ceased in 1994 Nagorno-Karabakh — which
is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan — and several
surrounding Azeri regions have been under the control of Armenian
forces.
Azerbaijan has insisted that Armenian troops relinquish the
territory, and has said it reserves the right to use force to settle
the dispute.
In the past, Azerbaijan has signalled that it might make concessions
in order to reach a lasting peace settlement with Armenia over the
enclage. One possibility that has been mooted is an exchange of
territory.
But Aliyev’s comments Wednesday, to a unit of border guards on
Azerbaijan’s frontier with Russia, seemed to indicate that this
option has now been ruled out.

Agence France Presse
July 20, 2004 Tuesday
Chirac confirme a Erdogan son soutien a la candidature turque a
l’UE(PAPIER GENERAL ACTUALISE)
Par Suzette BLOCH
PARIS, 20 juil
BODY: Le president francais Jacques Chirac a confirme mardi son
soutien a la candidature de la Turquie a l’Union europeenne en
recevant au palais presidentiel de l’Elysee le Premier ministre turc
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, en visite officielle a Paris.
M. Chirac “a rappele que l’integration de la Turquie dans l’Union
europeenne etait souhaitable des qu’elle serait possible”, a rapporte
l’Elysee a l’issue d’un tete-a-tete entre les deux dirigeants suivi
d’un dejeuner.
Le president francais a souligne que “la Turquie avait fait des
progres considerables, et qu’elle doit poursuivre et intensifier la
mise en oeuvre des reformes democratiques et economiques”.
M. Erdogan a remercie lors d’une conference de presse M. Chirac pour
“l’approche constructive” et “l’attitude tout a fait positive de la
France” en ce qui concerne la candidature turque.
Il a tenu a preciser que le Conseil europeen du 17 decembre ne ferait
qu'”approuver le debut d’un processus de negociation”. “Nous ne
savons pas combien va durer ce processus, c’est une periode qui nous
permettra de combler toutes nos lacunes”, a-t-il insiste.
M. Chirac s’est declare a de nombreuses reprises et sans ambiguiete
en faveur d’une adhesion, alors que son propre parti, l’UMP (Union
pour un mouvement populaire), y est oppose, ainsi qu’une grande
partie de l’opinion francaise.
Lors du sommet de l’OTAN a Istanbul le 29 juin, M. Chirac a qualifie
d'”irreversible” le processus menant a l’adhesion de la Turquie.
Au deuxieme jour de son sejour a Paris, M. Erdogan a ainsi obtenu un
appui de poids dans sa campagne pour promouvoir la candidature
d’Ankara dans une France tres reticente et divisee sur cette
question.
Paris et Ankara ont fait avancer parallelement un autre dossier
important, celui de l’achat eventuel d’avions Airbus par la compagnie
nationale turque Turkish Airlines pour le renouvellement de sa
flotte.
Ces discussions “sont en cours de finalisation”, a indique la
presidence francaise a l’issue de l’entretien Chirac-Erdogan. M.
Erdogan a indique que la signature devrait intervenir mardi soir ou
mercredi matin.
Ce contrat avait ete notamment discute lundi soir par M. Erdogan avec
le Premier ministre Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
Le consortium aeronautique europeen Airbus et l’americain Boeing
devraient en principe se partager ce contrat de deux milliards de
dollars (1,6 milliard d’euros).
M. Erdogan a appele les milieux d’affaires francais qu’il a
rencontres mardi au siege du Medef (patronat francais) a l’epauler et
a investir dans son pays. La France est le deuxieme partenaire
commercial de la Turquie et son quatrieme fournisseur.
Le ministre francais des Affaires etrangeres, Michel Barnier, a pour
sa part estime mardi, interroge sur la radio privee Europe 1 que “le
chemin etait encore long” avant l’adhesion mais que ce pays etait sur
la bonne voie.
M. Erdogan devait egalement mardi rencontrer les deputes de la
Commission des Affaires etrangeres de l’Assemblee nationale puis le
president sortant de l’UMP, Alain Juppe.
Le Premier ministre turc a regrette la persistance de doutes, de
reserves ou de debats sur le principe de l’adhesion de la Turquie.
“Le fait que ces debats continuent a exister malgre le paquet de
reformes qui a ete accompli, cela nous attriste”, a-t-il dit aux
journalistes.
L’opposition de gauche francaise est, pour sa part, favorable a
l’adhesion, mais le Parti socialiste exige au prealable la
reconnaissance du genocide armenien de 1915.
M. Erdogan a declare lors de sa conference de presse que les criteres
d’adhesion a l’UE “n’impliquent pas de reconnaissance d’un genocide
armenien”.
“Un tel evenement qui s’est passe dans le passe, savoir quelle partie
a fait telle chose, laissons cela aux mains des historiens”, a-t-il
ajoute. “Nous devons construire l’avenir, il ne faut pas s’occuper de
la partie vide du verre mais de la partie pleine”, a-t-il dit.
La communaute armenienne de France (450.000 personnes) est la plus
importante apres celle des Etats-Unis. Elle a appele a manifester a
Paris pour que M. Erdogan “engage son pays dans le processus de
reconnaissance du genocide armenien”.

Agence France Presse
July 20, 2004 Tuesday
Erdogan: la reconnaissance d’un genocide armenien pas dans les
criteres del’UE
PARIS
Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a declare mardi a Paris
que la reconnaissance d’un genocide armenien ne figurait pas dans les
criteres d’adhesion a l’UE et il a renvoye cette question “aux
historiens”.
Les criteres de Copenhague, qui definissent les conditions d’une
adhesion a l’Union europeenne, “n’impliquent pas de reconnaissance
d’un genocide armenien”, a declare M. Erdogan, interroge lors d’une
conference de presse qu’il a tenue a Paris ou il effectue une visite
officielle.
“Un tel evenement qui s’est passe dans le passe, savoir quelle partie
a fait telle chose, laissons cela aux mains des historiens”, a-t-il
ajoute. “Nous devons construire l’avenir, il ne faut pas s’occuper de
la partie vide du verre mais de la partie pleine”, a-t-il poursuivi.
De nombreux hommes politiques reclament en France, ou vit une
nombreuse communaute d’origine armenienne (450 000 personnes), que la
Turquie reconnaisse le genocide armenien de 1915, pendant l’empire
ottoman.
Le Parti socialiste, premier parti d’opposition en France, favorable
au principe de l’entree de la Turquie dans l’UE, la conditionne
cependant a la reconnaissance du genocide.
La Turquie, qui rejette categoriquement la these d’un “genocide”,
avait ete particulierement irritee par l’adoption par le parlement
francais en 2001 d’une loi reconnaissant le genocide armenien.
Environ 2.000 personnes ont manifeste mardi a Paris a l’occasion de
la visite de M. Erdogan a l’appel de plusieurs organisations
armeniennes de France.

El Pais
July 21, 2004
Turquia logra el apoyo de Chirac para negociar su adhesion a la UE
J. P.
Paris
El presidente frances, Jacques Chirac, confirmo ayer su apoyo a la
adhesion de Turquia a la Union Europea “en cuanto sea posible”, para
lo cual aconsejo “continuar e intensificar la aplicacion de las
reformas democraticas y economicas”. Asi lo dijo un portavoz de
Chirac tras la entrevista mantenida por el jefe del Estado frances
con el primer ministro turco, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, quien se mostro
convencido de que Francia aportara “un gran apoyo” a su pais en el
Consejo Europeo del 17 de diciembre, en que esta previsto decidir si
deben abrirse las negociaciones para la entrada de Turquia en la UE.
Por razones de politica interna, Francia ha sido uno de los paises
mas reticentes a la candidatura turca. Hace meses, Chirac estimo
publicamente en una decena de anos el tiempo necesario para hacer
realidad esa adhesion. Ayer se ahorro la comparecencia conjunta con
Erdogan -habitual en otras muchas visitas oficiales- y dejo que este
diera cuenta a la prensa, en solitario, de lo hablado.
A la clase politica francesa le cuesta mucho aceptar la entrada en la
UE de un pais musulman con cerca de 70 millones de habitantes. El
propio partido que sostiene a Chirac, la Union por un Movimiento
Popular, reitero su postura contraria a esa adhesion durante la
reciente campana a las elecciones europeas. El otro gran partido de
centro-derecha, la Union por la Democracia Francesa, tampoco lo
acepta porque “una ampliacion perpetua (…) debilitara a Europa y le
impedira actuar”, insiste su presidente, Francois Bayrou.
La entrevista de Erdogan con el lider socialista, Francois Hollande,
prevista para hoy, se ha visto precedida de una declaracion de ese
partido a favor de la apertura de negociaciones con Ankara, a
condicion de que Turquia respete los derechos humanos y reconozca los
abusos contra la minoria armenia a comienzos del siglo XX en
Anatolia.
Los problemas politicos de Turquia contrastan con el empuje de las
autoridades francesas y del constructor aeronautico Airbus para
venderle aviones a la linea aerea turca Turkish Airlines, actualmente
en fase de privatizacion.

Il Sole 24 Ore, Italia
July 20, 2004
Ankara chiede a Parigi un via libera per la Ue
Vittorio Da Rold
Il premier turco Erdogan vede Raffarin e Chirac – In gioco il si’ ai
negoziati
DAL NOSTRO INVIATO
PARIGI *c E’ una specie di e allo stesso tempo
una tappa cruciale quella che il premier turco, Recep Tayyp Erdogan,
in visita ufficiale a Parigi da ieri per tre giorni, tenta di portare
a compimento in terra di Francia per sostenere la causa di un
eventuale ingresso della Turchia nell’Unione europea.
Erdogan, un islamico moderato a capo di un governo monocolore che ha
raccolto buoni successi in campo economico rilanciando la crescita e
abbattendo l’inflazione, sara’ accompagnato da una numerosa
delegazione, tra cui una folta rappresentanza della Tusiad, la
Confindustria turca, per convincere Parigi, anche sul fronte dei
legami commerciali, ad ammorbidire la sua posizione ostile nei
confronti di Ankara.
Lo schieramento politico interno e’ abbastanza definito: la destra e’
contraria (la direzione dell’Ump, il partito di maggioranza ha votato
contro l’ingresso della Turchia durante la campagna per le europee)
mentre i socialisti sono favorevoli, in linea di principio
all’ingresso, ma pongono come condizione che Ankara faccia passi
avanti sul tema del rispetto dei diritti dell’uomo e sul
riconoscimento del genocidio armeno avvenuto durante la Prima guerra
mondiale (un tema pero’ che trova forti opposizioni proprio tra le
forze armate turche, guardiani discreti della laicita’ di Ankara).
Insomma, il quadro e’ abbastanza complicato al punto che Jean-Louis
Bourlanges, dell’Udf, il partito centrista, alleato con Chirac a
Parigi ma unito a Rutelli con i “Liberali per l’Europa” a Strasburgo,
non ha esitato ad affermare in un’intervista senza mezzi termini a
che . In altri
termini, non c’e’ spazio per Ankara, almeno per ora, in Europa pur
riconoscendo la possibilita’ di migliorare la natura di rapporti di
buon vicinato.
.
Comunque il governo francese, all’indomani dell’annuncio del
presidente della Repubblica, Jacques Chirac di indire un referendum
nel 2005 dagli esiti molto incerti sulla Costituzione europea, non
vuole correre altri rischi e non e’ favorevole all’eventuale ingresso
della Turchia nell’Unione. Roma, Berlino, Londra e Madrid, invece,
sostengono Ankara. Anche il presidente americano George W. Bush, nel
corso dell’ultimo summit della Nato svoltosi in Turchia, aveva
perorato la causa turca suscitando pero’ la reazione piccata di
Parigi che non si era lasciata scappare la ghiotta occasione per
l’ennesima polemica con l’iperpotenza americana: , aveva ribattuto Chirac a Bush che aveva
chiesto, senza successo, l’intervento della Nato in Irak. Ribaltando
la dottrina Monroe, Parigi aveva invitato gli Usa a pensare alle
politiche relative al proprio emisfero.
Da Parigi, dunque, passa la difficile strada di Erdogan per
Bruxelles, dal momento che la maggior parte della classe politica
francese e’ ostile all’idea di aprire un negoziato per l’ingresso
della Turchia nella Ue.
, ha precisato il premier Erdogan,
prima di partire per Parigi. Erdogan incontrera’ oltre a Chirac anche
il primo ministro francese, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, mentre ieri ha
partecipato a una cena con la comunita’ turca. .
VITTORIO DA ROLD

ARKA News Agency
July 21 2004
NKR President Arkady Gukasian receives group of French compatriots
Armenian-Georgian relations are one of constituents of regional
stability
RA Parliament Speaker and Georgian Foreign Minister discuss expanding
of bilateral relations
RA President and German Ambassador in RA discusses issues of mutual
cooperation
RA PM and US Ambassador to RA discuss issues of Armenian-US
partnership
*********************************************************************
NKR PRESIDENT ARKADY GUKASIAN RECEIVES GROUP OF FRENCH COMPATRIOTS
YEREVAN, July 21. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkady Gukasian received
group of French compatriots. Delegation consisted of the President of
`Europe de la Memoire’ Organization Alexis Govchian, Member of Board
of Commercial Council of Organization of Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Samson Ozararat, representative of Armenian Community of
Nice Grikor Adjerkhanian and Director Executive of EU Chamber of
Commerce in Armenia Ovanes Igitian. The parties share the impressions
on Nagorno Karabakh and exchanged views on several issues considering
links between Nagorno Karabakh and Diaspora. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS ARE ONE OF CONSTITUENTS OF REGIONAL
STABILITY
YEREVAN, July 21. /ARKA/. Armenian-Georgian relations are one of
constituents of regional stability, RA Government press office told
ARKA that this was stated by RA PM Andranik Margarian during the
meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabashvili. Margarian
expressed satisfaction with high level of Armenian-Georgian
interstate relations, based on mutual trust and cooperation and on
the friendship of the two people.
Talking about provision of regional stability Margarian stressed the
interest of Armenia in stability of Georgia.
During the meeting Zurabashvili represented internal political
developments in Georgia, namely situation in Ajaria, Abkhazia, South
Osetia and relations of Georgia with Russia and Turkey.
The parties also discussed actual problems of Djavahk. Margarian
expressed hope that the authorities of Georgia will continue
concentration on settlement of socio-economic, educational and
culture problems of Armenians of Djavahk. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AND GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS EXPANDING
OF BILATERAL RELATIONS
YEREVAN, July 21. /ARKA/. RA Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian
and Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabashvili discussed expanding
of bilateral relations, RA NA told ARKA. The parties noted the
importance of regional cooperation and involvement of South Caucasus
countries in mutual economic programs, stressed the necessity of
activation of the parliaments in international structures and
participation in South Caucasus parliament initiative.
Baghdasarian noted the steps taken by Georgia on the way of
democratization of society and expressed confidence that they will
contribute to improvement of life conditions of Armenians living in
Georgia. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT AND GERMAN AMBASSADOR IN RA DISCUSSES ISSUES OF MUTUAL
COOPERATION
YEREVAN, July 21. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian met today the
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to RA H.E.
Hans Wulf Bartels that is completing his three years long mission in
Armenia. As RA President Press Service told ARKA, RA President highly
appreciating Bertel’s contribution into the development of
Armenian-German relations, Kocharian mentioned that during the
Ambassador’s activity there was realized a whole package of
interesting programs. Bartels expressed his gratitude for the support
rendered during his mission in Armenia. T.M. -0–
*********************************************************************
RA PM AND US AMBASSADOR TO RA DISCUSS ISSUES OF ARMENIAN-US
PARTNERSHIP
YEREVAN, July 21. /ARKA/. RA PM Andranik Margarian met today the
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of US to RA John Ordway
that is completing his mission in the country. As RA Government
Public and Press relations Department told ARKA, PM highly
appreciated the Ambassaodr’s activity in RA as well as his efforts
aimed at stimulating the Armenian-US relations. The Head of the
Armenian Government also mentioned the essential progress targeted at
more active political and economic ties as well as the cooperation in
the international structures. As one of the results of the
cooperation he mentioned including RA in Millennium Challenge
initiative.
Presenting the program of working out and discussion of the
Millennium Challenge Armenian Program, Margarian assured that in
September as per the developed plan, the Program would be submitted
to the US Government’s review. He also expressed a hope that the
Armenian Program would catch the attention of the US Government,
while its implementation would contribute to considerable extent into
accomplishment of the strategic program for elimination of poverty.
In his turn as said by John Ordway, he considers the development of
the Armenian Program in the frameworks of Millennium Challenge an
evidence of cooperation of two countries and one of the most
important initiative for Armenia. He also expressed a hope that the
Program will continue successfully during the activity of new US
Ambassador. T.M. -0–