CILICIA’S FIRST MOORING SUCCESSFUL
Azg/am
21 July 2004
The Armenian “Cilicia” has moored in the most honorable place of the
Sochi harbor in “Morskoj Vokzal” and attracts the attention of Sochi
dwellers. Poti-Sochi voyage that took place on July 14-16 was a hard
one. Hmayak Tarakhchian, deputy chairman of the Marine Research Club,
Head of the Shore Coordination Headquarter, the tension was a natural,
a ship of this kind is on the sea for the first time. On the first day
of the voyage the weather was nasty, the wind was strong and waves
were huge. The seasickness was a great problem for the sailors but the
guys came over it. The sailors had to change the canvas
constantly. The two steering oars were broken, but the sailors used
the spare ones.
On July 17 after the document checking, the sailors met with the
Armenian community representatives. The Armenian community cared for
the staying expenditure of the crew. At present they solve the problem
of the engine and the steering oars.
“Cilicia” will stay in Sochi for two days and he will leave for the
next harbor on July 22. If the weather allows the sailors will be able
to land in Tuapse on their way to Noworosiysk. Otherwise they will
leave for Noworosiysk straightforwardly.
There are 17 sailors on the ship at present. Some of them will stay on
the ship only for the half of the way, but other members of the club
are unlikely to join the voyage, as Hmayak Tarakhchian said that 12
sailors are enough for navigating the ship. As for Zori Balayan, he
feels fine and doesn’tthink of coming back.
Glory to brave Armenian sailors! Bon voyage!
By Tamar Minasian

TURKEY TO DECLINE PRESIDENCY AT OSCE?
Abdullah Gul Explains
Azg/am
21 July 2004
Arminfo, citing Anatolu news agency, informs that the Turkish deputy
prime minister and foreign affairs minister Abdullah Gul officially
stated that Ankara declines the OSCE presidency term of 2007. Gul
refuted all the rumors that Armenia is the cause of this decision.
On June 14 Vartan Oskanian, foreign affairs minister of Armenia,
declared at Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies
that Armenia will veto Turkey’s presidency at the OSCE because of the
policy Ankara adopted against Armenia. “The OSCE presiding country has
to have relations with allmember states”, Oskanian declares.
Meanwhile Gul explains the refusal saying that the 2007 is the year of
Turkey’ s presidential elections and they cannot effectively preside
at the OSCE asa result. Gul’s excuse seems strange as far as the
Turkish officials were well aware of the elections in their country
while running for the OSCE presidency.
The foreign affairs minister of Cyprus said earlier that Turkey
refused the presidency as considered the probability of veto from
Armenia.
The USA State Department spokesman Richard Baucher declared: “Turkish
diplomats in the OSCE informed that Ankara turned down its candidacy
as theTurkish government will have other problems to consider in
2007. They said that won’t be able to run a decent tenure, and we
respect their decision”.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
July 20 2004
Turkish Prime Minister Seeks France’s Support Ahead Of Summit

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has started a three-day
visit to France aimed at gaining support for Ankara’s bid to join the
European Union. RFE/RL reports that Turkish officials attach great
importance to this visit, noting that opposition to Ankara’s goal of
EU membership remains high in France.
20 July 2004 — Before leaving Ankara yesterday, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear his visit would focus on
his country’s efforts to join the 25-member European bloc.
Although Ankara applied for entry into the EU in 1987, it was granted
candidate status only in 1999. And five years later, accession talks
have yet to start — a delay mainly due to European concerns about
Turkey’s poor human rights record.
The European Commission in October will review reforms implemented by
Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party since it came
to power two years ago. Ankara hopes a positive assessment will
prompt EU leaders to set a date for accession talks when they meet in
December.
Before boarding a plane for Paris, Erdogan said, “I will explain [to
French leaders] what steps Turkey has [already] made on its way
toward the EU…and reiterate its commitment to bringing its
legislation in line with EU laws.”
Erdogan, who is traveling with several ministers and a large business
delegation, met today with French President Jacques Chirac at the
Elysee Palace. No details of the talks were immediately available.
Addressing journalists after meeting his French counterpart
Jean-Pierre Raffarin yesterday, the Turkish leader said he is
counting on support from Paris when EU leaders meet in December to
decide whether to open entry talks with Ankara. “We talked at length
with the [French] prime minister about the EU summit next December
and we hope all the support France has lent us on the European issue
— notably through the intermediary of President Jacques Chirac —
will continue in the future,” Erdogan said.
Yet France, where Turkey’s accession into Europe has largely
dominated the recent campaign for EU parliamentary elections, remains
divided over the issue.
The Paris-based left-wing “Liberation” daily noted today that Turkey,
which has already secured the support of most European capitals, sees
France as the biggest obstacle remaining on its road to Brussels.
With the notable exception of the Greens, all French political
parties have either voiced opposition to Ankara’s entry into the
European bloc, or refused to take a firm stance on the issue.
The strongest opposition comes from right-wing nationalist groups and
the moderate, center-right Union for the French Democracy party. They
say they are concerned at the prospect of nearly 70 million Muslims
joining the EU and claim neither history nor geography justifies
Turkey’s claim.
The opposition Socialist Party generally supports Ankara’s membership
bid and hails the significant reforms made by Erdogan’s government.
But it believes conditions have still not been met for Turkey to join
the bloc and cautions against hasty decisions. The Socialist Party
also says a precondition for Ankara’s bid should be its recognition
of the killing of hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians during
World War I as genocide.
Even in Chirac’s Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) party there is no
consensus on the issue. Three months ago, the top UMP leadership said
it was opposed to Turkey’s becoming a EU member. The move then forced
Chirac — a longtime advocate of Ankara’s accession — to cautiously
enter the fray.
“I am convinced Turkey is destined to become a member of Europe. But
I am also convinced that its entry into the [European] Union will be
possible only under certain conditions that, as of today, are still
not met,” Chirac said.
In an interview with Marc Tronchot of France’s Europe 1 private radio
station, the French foreign minister today gave a similarly cautious
assessment. While praising Turkey’s efforts to meet conditions
required to join the EU, Michel Barnier warned against Ankara being
overly optimistic.
“We have to tell the truth: Turkey is not going to join the European
Union tomorrow morning. Turkey has still a long way to go before it
happens. Yet, it has been on this road for some time, preparing
itself and making progress,” Barnier said. He made it clear his
remarks were also meant to reassure those in France who believe
Turkey is not ready to join the bloc.
Talking to reporters on his way to Paris, Erdogan yesterday
acknowledged that Ankara’s membership bid may be heavily influenced
by European public opinion. “At [last month’s] NATO summit in
Istanbul, Chirac in person told me that 60 to 70 percent of France’s
public opinion was in favor of Turkey’s joining the EU,” he said.
The Turkish leader added that he hoped France’s political leaders
would eventually heed their voters’ opinion and voice support for
Ankara’s EU bid.
(Turkish TV, Anadolu, “Liberation,” Europe 1)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Statesman, India
July 20 2004
Putin Criticised As 15th Journalist Killed
The Times, London
MOSCOW, July 20. – The voice at the end of the telephone line was
muffled but menacing. `You should be careful what you write,’ the man
said, without giving his name. `Something could happen to you as you
walk on the street.’ Then the line went dead. The threat, made to The
Times several weeks ago, was most likely a hoax from one of the
desperate, disillusioned or mentally disturbed individuals often
calling foreign reporters’ offices here.
But it seems suddenly chilling after the gangland-style killing of
Paul Khlebnikov, editor of Forbes magazine’s Russian edition, on 9
July and the murder of Pail Peloyan, an Armenian reporter, at the
weekend.
It also emerged last week that a reporter in St Petersburg, Mr Maxim
Maximov, had been missing since 1 July. The three cases have not only
sent a chill through a press corps, but have also exposed the dark
side of President Putin’s Russia and raised questions about its
future direction.
The UN ranks Russia the world’s 57th-best country to live in, but an
international media watchdog rates it as one of the ten worst places
to be a journalist – alongside Iraq, Cuba, Zimbabwe and the West
Bank.
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists says that Khlebnikov –
an American citizen – was the fifteenth journalist to be killed in
connection with his work in Russia since Mr Putin took power. Many
human rights groups and reporters accuse Mr Putin of indirectly
encouraging such attacks through his own crackdown on the independent
media.
Mr Putin made clear his personal disdain for reporters at a news
conference in 2002, when he suggested that a French reporter
questioning the Chechnya war should come to Moscow to be circumcised
`so you’ll have nothing growing back afterwards’.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
KOCHARIAN RECEIVES OUTGOING FINNISH AMBASSADOR
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
received today Finland’s ambassador to Armenia, Timo Lahelma, who is
ending his diplomatic tenure in Armenia. Kocharian’s press office
said possibilities for boosting bilateral ties were discussed during
the meeting. Kocharian was said to underscore the necessity of
developing the appropriate legislation for stepping up business and
trade contacts.
Thanking for the assistance he received during his tenure, Timo
Lahelma pointed out that he is leaving Armenia with rich impressions
and good memories. Kocharian wished the diplomat success in future
activity.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES OUTGOING GERMAN AMBASSADOR
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian commended today the outgoing German ambassador Hans Wulf
Bartels for his heavy contributions to further development of
bilateral political and economic relations and underscored closer
ties with one of the most influential member of the European Union.
Margarian also noted that despite the evident progress, the available
potential is not used at full extent, particulalry, in trade,
establishment of joint ventures and other areas.
Ambassador Bartels expressed hope that the prime minister’s recent
visit to Germany for participating in a German-Armenian business
conference would serve as an additional impetus to deepening ties.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
GEORGIAN FM TO VISIT ARMENIA ON JULY 21
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: Georgian foreign minister Ms. Salome
Zurabishvili will pay her first official visit to Armenia on July
21-22. According to Armenian foreign ministry, she will have meetings
with president Robert Kocharian, National Assembly speaker Arthur
Baghdasarian, prime minister Andranik Margarian and foreign minister
Vartan Oskanian. During the visit she will also put a wreath at the
monument to Armenian Genocide, and will visit Etchmiadzin and Sergey
Parajanov’s museum.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/20/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. Turkish EU Entry Poses Nagging Problem for Chirac 2. State Department Says Schiff Amendment Should Not Become Law 3. NATO Exercises in Baltic Sates    4. Georgia Threatens to Drop South Ossetia Peace Deal 5. NEWS BRIEFS 1. Turkish EU Entry Poses Nagging Problem for Chirac PARIS (FT/Reuters)--The three-day visit of Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Paris has drawn attention to an unusual alignment of the planets in the French political environment. Jacques Chirac, the French president and an outspoken advocate of Turkish membership of the EU, is out of sync not just with a majority of voters, but with much of the country's political establishment, including his own center-right UMP party. After a working lunch on Tuesday with Erdogan, the Elysée said Chirac had reiterated his position that Turkish entry into the EU was "desirable." The president has warned that the road to membership may be 10-15 years long, but has made little attempt to mask what he declares to be his "conviction about Turkey's European vocation" in domestic self-interest. "It is an extremely unusual position for President Chirac to find himself in and is seriously explosive," said Eddy Fougier, a research fellow at the French Institute for International Relations. "The last few elections have shown that French voters are already angry that their concerns are not being taken into account. If the government presses ahead with Turkish membership, it could be very problematic." The only parties offering qualified support to Turkey are the Socialists and the Greens. The opposition Socialists support Turkish membership in principle, but party chief François Hollande has linked the start of entry talks to Ankara's recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians by Ottoman forces. France is home to a significant Armenian population. Pro-Armenian groups were to demonstrate in Paris later on Tuesday against Erdogan's three-day visit. It is on the right of the spectrum that Turkish membership poses the greatest concern. The UMP governing majority in April came out categorically against starting negotiations, with Alain Juppé, Chirac's closest ally and outgoing chairman, warning that Turkish membership would "fundamentally change the nature of the EU." For the moment the differences between the president and his party are being brushed aside, with Juppé simply saying: "Lui, c'est lui. Moi, c'est moi," (He has his opinions, I have mine), but that defense may be hard to sustain. The real test of Chirac's convictions, however, will come in December when EU leaders decide whether to open membership talks with Ankara, a candidate since 1999. The timing could not be more awkward for the French government. Turkey is likely to loom large over the newly pledged referendum on the European constitution, slated to be held late next year. The last 20 polls in France, the EU country most hostile to enlargement, show around 60 per cent consistently opposing Turkish membership. "People are extremely interested in the question and know what they think," Fougier said. "They worry about Islam and fear immigration. They have not warmed to enlargement since May 1 and show every sign of rejecting Turkey too." One senior UK diplomat says he has little doubt that President Chirac will stick to his support for Turkish membership. "France will not block the opening of membership negotiations with Turkey when the council meets in December, but will probably want to delay starting talks until after it has held its referendum on the constitution in the second half of next year," he said. 2. State Department Says Schiff Amendment Should Not Become Law WASHINGTON, DC (Combined Sources)--US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher announced last week that the US Administration "strongly opposes" the Schiff Amendment which passed the House last Thursday, and was added to the fiscal year 2005 foreign aid bill that later passed by a vote of 365 to 41. Rep. Adam Schiff's amendment would deny Turkey the use of US foreign aid money to lobby against the Armenian genocide resolution. "It should not become law," the State Department statement said, describing the amendment as detrimental to "reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia in pursuit of regional peace and economic cooperation," goals it referred to as being pursued by Turkey and Armenia "through direct meetings." "Turkey, our key NATO ally, and Armenia, our close friend, are partners in the Global War on Terror and in advancing democracy, prosperity and stability in the Caucasus. Our goal is to bolster cooperation between these two countries rather than to separate them." The statement welcomed House Leadership's (Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader DeLay and Majority Whip Blunt) strong opposition to the amendment and their commitment to crushing it in conference. "We welcome the Leadership's recognition of the important relationship with our reliable ally and friend Turkey and of the need for continued close economic and security relations between our countries," the statement says in closing. In their statement issued immediately after the passage of the Schiff Amendment, the House Leadership announced they would not schedule the Genocide Resolution (HR 193) during the remainder of this Congress. "Our relationship with Turkey is too important to us to allow it to be in any way damaged by a poorly crafted and ultimately meaningless amendment." The foreign aid bill discuss its version of bill, Senate version compared to House version, In the upcoming weeks the Senate will begin consideration of its version of the 2005 foreign aid bill; following its adoption on the Senate floor, House and Senate appropriators will convene a conference to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. 3. NATO Exercises in Baltic Sates    (Big News Network.com)--NATO has launched massive exercises with former Soviet republics in the Baltic states. The joint international military exercises called Rescuer/Medcuer-2004, have begun in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, under the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. Forces from the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are participating in the exercises, along with troops from the former Soviet satellite nations of Bulgaria, Poland, Croatia and Romania alongside US forces, reported the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press service. The servicemen will train on cleaning up the aftermath of natural disasters, and preventing terrorist acts in the Baltic states, according to Interfax. They are also developing cooperation between military and civilian agencies in the prevention of human and natural disasters. The drill script includes providing medical and humanitarian aid to large groups of people, deploying a peacekeeping force, and setting up sea-based and coastal hospitals. Divers will train on exposing terrorist groups and de-mining sea areas and hydro-technical facilities. The exercises will conclude on July 30. 4. Georgia Threatens to Drop South Ossetia Peace Deal TBILISI (Reuters)--Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili threatened on Tuesday to abandon a deal that has kept the peace for a decade in one of two Georgian regions lost to separatists. Leaders in South Ossetia, immediately responded by saying such a move could lead to a new war. Saakashvili questioned a 1992 accord that sent peacekeepers to South Ossetia, where tension has risen between Georgian authorities and separatist leaders who want to join Russia. Georgia and Russia accuse each other of undermining the deal. The president criticized provisions of the agreement, signed by his predecessor Eduard Shevardnadze, banning the Georgian flag from areas patrolled by peacekeepers. "I heard recently, and one of the Russian peacekeepers confirmed this, that in the center of Kartli (in South Ossetia) raising the Georgian flag is considered illegal," Saakashvili said. "If the previous Georgian authorities, representatives of Shevardnadze's regime, signed such agreements then we intend to withdraw from them and denounce these documents." Since leading a bloodless revolution to oust Shevardnadze and winning election in January, Saakashvili has made restoring central authority over all Georgian territory a policy priority. The president was speaking on Tuesday to the newly elected local assembly in Ajaria, a Georgian region on the Black Sea where he forced local leader Abashidze from office in May. Saakashvili hopes to capitalize on that to bring mountainous South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another Black Sea region, back under central control. But that is proving more difficult as, unlike Ajaria, both areas have formally declared independence and are populated mostly by non-Georgians. Eduard Kokoity, the leader of unrecognized South Ossetia, said Saakashvili's comments "could lead to a new war. "It is thanks to this very agreement that conflict was halted in 1992," he told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. Russia counseled caution. "All these years, the agreements reached around the Georgian-Ossetian conflict have upheld stability," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in Moscow. "There are no other mechanisms. Clearly, it would be improper to abandon them." The 1992 agreement set up a peacekeeping force with troops from Russia, Georgia and South Ossetia itself. But the accord has looked shaky in recent weeks, as Georgia has accused Russian peacekeepers of siding with separatists and trying to arm them, while Moscow has accused Georgia of trying to trigger a military confrontation in South Ossetia. Representatives of the three sides met in Moscow last week for talks, which ended with little progress. This week, Saakashvili briefly visited by night, a region adjoining South Ossetia-- a move criticized by Russia as unhelpful in trying to firm up peace. Earlier this month, he told military graduates that Georgia wanted peace, but in the event of outside aggression, "we will meet it with aggression. Great battles await Georgia." 5. NEWS BRIEFS Putin Calls on Security Council to Save CIS From Collapse MOSCOW (RFE-RL)During a July 19 Security Council session devoted to Russia's policy on the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russian president Vladimir Putin stated, "we are faced with an alternative: either we achieve a qualitative strengthening of the CISor this structure will be washed away from the geopolitical space," ITAR-TASS reported. "We should not let that happen, and Russia's role in boosting the influence and the authority of the CIS is very great," Putin said. He added that Russia faces the challenge posed by increasing "political and economic competition within the CIS space." Putin described the work of the Russian diplomatic corps and economic missions working in the CIS as inefficient and inadequate. He called for Russia to develop a coordinated and consistent policy on the CIS, adding that the Foreign Ministry should actively work to protect the rights of ethnic Russians living in the CIS. Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov announced after the meeting that the council decided at the session to set up a special committee to boost cooperation among the CIS states. The council also directed the Foreign Ministry to set up Russian information and cultural centers in CIS states. Karabagh Hands Over Azeri Prisoner STEPANAKERT (ARMENPRESS)Authorities of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic said Monday that they have handed over an Azeri soldier that had been detained when he crossed a cease-fire line last month. The hand-over of the 19-year-old serviceman, detained on June 30, took place after consultations with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Yerevan Mayor Favor Appointment of Future Mayors YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Current Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharian stated that he is in favor of converting the mayoral post from an elected position to an appointed post. He believes that such a move would be appropriate, because one third of the country's population lives within the city. Zakharian noted that one of the disadvantages of having an elected mayor is the disagreements that may rise between state authorities and the city head. Georgian Foreign Minister to Visit Armenia YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili will pay an official visit to Armenia for the first time on July 21-22. According to Foreign Ministry Press Services, she will have meetings with president Kocharian, National Assembly speaker Arthur Baghdasarian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. During her trip, the foreign minister will visit the Armenian Genocide monument, Etchmiadzin and Sergey Parajanov museum. Kotayk Head Commends President for Vacationing Habits YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS) Kotayk Provincial Governor, Kovalenko Shahgeldian, told a news conference on Tuesday that he commends president Kocharian for spending both his summer and winter vacations within the province, rather than traveling abroad. The president spends his summer vacations at Lake Sevan and the winter holidays in the resort town of Dzaghgadzor. The governor added that the visits have positive impacts on provincial authorities "as we have to work more accurately, and, in addition, I am given an opportunity to discuss some pressing problems with the president in an unofficial atmosphere." Citing president Kocharian, the governor said that the anticipated funds from the Lincy Foundation will be used to improve the infrastructure of the region and promote cultural activity amongst its residents. Shahgeldian also noted that significant changes will be made to the region's athletic facilities. Kocharian and Ryazanov Discuss Pipeline to Iran YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Armenian President Robert Kocharian and deputy chairman of the board of the Russian company Gazprom, Alexander Ryazanov, discussed the construction of a gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia in Yerevan on July 19. The sides also evaluated the work of ArmRosgazprom. 45 percent of the company is controlled by Gazprom. Shooter Norayr Bakhtamian Set 6 Records in Belarus YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Norayr Bakhtamian was among rifle shooters from 5 countries participating in an open competition in Belarus. He set 2 records in the host country. Garnering 575 points in the 50m competitions, Bakhtamian also surpassed the record of Gyumri's Yuri Sahakian, by three points. Overjoyed with his performance, Bakhtamian's coach said that he is confident that the shooter will make a similar showing during the upcoming Olympics. Thailand Parliamentary Delegation to Visit Armenia YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)A Thailand-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, headed by Senator Sanit Kulcharoen, will pay a visit to Armenia on July 21. According to Parliament Press Services, the delegation will meet Armenian National Assembly chairman Arthur Baghdasarian, Armenia-Thailand parliamentary friendship group members, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Trade and Economic Development Karen Chshmaritian and Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian. The trip will end on July 27. Lake Sevan is 1897 Meters above Sea Level GAVAR (ARMENPRESS)According to Sevan Observatory sources, Lake Sevan is currently situated 1897.95 meters above the sea level. Last year, the level was half a meter lower. The observatory also reported that 35 million cubic meters of water from Sevan was used for irrigation purposes between June 24 and July 20. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Ria Novosti, Russia
July 20 2004
GOLOS ROSSII RADIO STATION STARTS BROADCASTING IN GEORGIA, ARMENIA
MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) – The Golos Rossii (Russia’s Voice)
Russian State radio company has started broadcasting in Georgia and
Armenia. Golos Rossii programs are broadcasted in FM format six hours
a day in Yerevan and Tbilisi.
In Yerevan programs of the Sodruzhestvo (Commonwealth) channel are
broadcasted from 8.00 till 10.00, and from 20.00 till 22.00 at 103
FM. From 11.45 till 19.00 Golos Rossii information reviews are
broadcasted in the last 15 minutes of every hour.
Programs of the Russian International Radio and Sodruzhestvo channel
are broadcasted in Tbilisi from 10.00 till 13.00 and from 19.00 till
22.00 at 99.8 FM.
“Now Golos Rossii is considering the possibility of similar
cooperation with Azerbaijan,” the radio company said.
Since April Golos Rossii programs have been broadcasted in Lithuania
and the Crimea.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
KOTAYK GOVERNOR COMMENDS THE PRESIDENT FOR SPENDING VACATIONS IN
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: The governor of Kotayk province
Kovalenko Shahgeldian told a news conference today that he commends
president Kocharian for choosing the province as the site of his both
summer and winter vacations instead of spending them abroad. The
president spends his summer vacation on lake Sevan and the winter
holidays in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor.
The governor also added that this fact has a positive impact on
the provincial authorities ‘as we have to work more accurately, and
apart from it I am given an opportunity to discuss with the president
some pressing problems in an unofficial atmosphere.”
Citing president Kocharian the governor said the anticipated funds
from Lincy Foundation should be used to improve cultural, athletic
and road facilities of the regions. He said this would bring in
serious investments for upgrading of the province’s athletic
facilities.