ARMENIAN ANALYST SAYS DENOUNCES LEADER’S REFUSAL TO ATTEND NATO TALKS

Noyan Tapan news agency
21 Jun 04

Yerevan, 21 June: “The president’s (Robert Kocharyan) refusal to take
part in the Istanbul summit of NATO is a crude tactical mistake, which,
I think, may have bad consequences for the image of our country, and
for cooperation with Europe and the USA in the future, especially
as the leaders of the neighbour states are going to take part in
the summit,” the chairman of the West-East national and strategic
research centre, Aram Oganesyan, has said in an interview with a
Noyan Tapan correspondent.

He noted that transport corridors are already bypassing Armenia, in
particular, the North-South corridor via Azerbaijan, Iran and then
Pakistan and India. Negotiations are now being held on the unification
of the Turkish and Georgian railroads in the area of Batumi. “This
is being done now and if the foreign political situation regarding
Armenia will worsen, it will be a result of our mistakes.”

Aram Oganesyan recalled that the Caucasus is an important part of
NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme and is becoming one of the
most important elements of NATO.

At the same time, the analyst said that if one looks at the
chronology of the events, Kocharyan announced his refusal to visit
Istanbul immediately after his arrival from Moscow. A few days
later Russia announced that President (Vladimir) Putin will also
not participate in the Istanbul meeting, but send Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov instead. “There is some logic to this and agreement.
Armenia’s relations with Russia are the closest which is determined
by history, geography and culture. But it would be wrong to make our
national interests unconditionally dependent on Russia’s political
or national interests,” Oganesyan announced.

He said that Armenia must resolve the existing problems “at the
negotiating table with its neighbours which is the only way of
resolving conflicts”.

Armenian officers arrive in Azeri capital for NATO conference

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
21 Jun 04

We have just received a report from the [Azerbaijani] Defence Ministry.
According to the report, Col Murad Isakhanyan and Senior Lieutenant
Aram Ovanesyan have already arrived in Baku [for a NATO conference
due to start tomorrow].

The Defence Ministry will ensure the security of the Armenian officers
in Baku. It is reported that immediately after the NATO conference
in Baku tomorrow, they will return home. According to our report,
the Armenians arrived in Baku at the invitation of NATO without visas.

Armenian minister dismisses press reports as “slander”

Noyan Tapan news agency
21 Jun 04

Yerevan, 21 June: Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Ovik Oveyan
broke his vow of silence of the past 100 days and made a “forced”
statement at a news conference on 21 June to which he was invited. He
refuted various publications, slander and statistical data about him
and the ministry he heads published by the Armenian press.

The minister said this was done to order by certain forces. “Since I
have held no meetings with any of the journalists and have given no
interviews, all the reports about me have been published to order to
put it mildly,” he said.

Ovik Oveyan also called on the journalists not to believe any of the
publications which will appear before a news conference scheduled
for September. He said that in September he would give his first
“major” news conference and would give interviews and hold meetings
with journalists after that.

Speaking about his membership of the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] Party, he explained that it was not a hasty decision. It took
him several months or may even be a year to take the decision. “Having
familiarized myself with its charter, programme, its prospects and
constructive tasks it plans to tackle and having seen its list of
members, I decided to join the party,” the minister said.

Armenian agency sees NATO as more reliable partner than CIS security body

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
21 Jun 04

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) “calmly and
positively reacts” to its members’ cooperation with NATO, Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan said in Astana on 18 June. He noted that a
document was adopted on the main directions of CSTO-NATO cooperation
at the last CSTO Council meeting held in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Robert Kocharyan pointed out that specific mechanisms for the
realization of CSTO-NATO cooperation had been fixed in the
document. However, there is every ground to assume that this
cooperation will remain only a good intention as it has always been.

Such a state of affairs is first of all conditioned by the fact that
all the CSTO member-states (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan) differently perceive the aims and the tasks
of this military-political union.

[Passage omitted: quotes different officials]

The CSTO’s fundamental problem is that its members are not adherents of
common values, as for instances, NATO member-states. The main factor
that unites the countries into the CSTO is their good relations with
Russia. Thus, there forms not quite a normal situation when the main
task of CSTO membership becomes the demonstration of loyalty to Russia
and not the readiness to jointly oppose new threats.

Speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in
Washington DC last week, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
again noted that Armenia was going to sign an Individual Partnership
Action Plan with NATO this year. At the same time, Oskanyan pointed
out that Armenia was going to develop cooperation with the alliance at
the same pace like Georgia and Azerbaijan, with the aim of preventing
the formation of new separation lines in the region.

Thus, we witness a situation when the three South Caucasus countries –
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan – are working on Individual Partnership
Action Plans with NATO and only one of them – Armenia – is a CSTO
member. This is the best evidence that when it comes to the provision
of security in a long-term perspective all the three countries of the
region make a choice in favour of NATO irrespective of the serious
contradictions existing among them.

Last May, CSTO Council Secretary-General Nikolay Bordyuzha said that
“in case NATO expands its infrastructure to the borders of CSTO
member-states, including Russia, we shall have the right to take
preventive measures”. As everybody knows, NATO has expanded but the
CSTO has not taken any “preventive measures”. If CSTO member-states
really want to cooperate with NATO to resist the threats of terrorism
and other challenges, they should in the first place prove the
competence and viability of their organization and stop pretending
that they are playing the role of a new Warsaw Treaty Organization.

Top 10 in FIDE world chess championships survive to round two
MAHMOUD KASSEM

AP Online
Jun 21, 2004

The top 10 seeded players in the World Chess Federation championships
easily survived the first round of play, which stretched past midnight
to wrap up early Monday, in a competition where many of the most
famous names in chess were absent.

English players Michael Adams and Nigel D. Short made a particularly
strong showing in the final results among the top 10, striding into
their second round after beating Libyan and Yemeni players with two
straight wins Saturday and Sunday.

Adams, world No. 8 and seeded second in the tournament, trounced
his Libyan opponent, Hussein Asabri, ranked 127th in the tournament,
in the second game in 36 moves. Short, world No. 15 and No. 5 in the
tournament, showed similar ease, defeating Yemeni Hameed Mansour Ali
Kadhi, ranked 123rd in the tournament, in 37 moves after a French
Defense opening.

Iran’s Ehsan Ghaem Maghami again displayed stunning skill against
Armenia’s Rafael Vaganian in the second game of round one. The Iranian
underdog beat the well-respected grandmaster in an Alekhine Defense
named after the late Russian champion Alexander Alekhine.

“Maghami clearly came well prepared,” said Geoffrey D. Borg, general
secretary of the Mediterranean Chess Association.

Other players who drew with their opponents after two long games
faced more grueling contests with rapid and blitz games that lasted
well into the early hours of Monday morning.

Those nerve-racking rapid chess sessions dashed the hopes of the
youngest player and grandmaster in the tournament, 13-year-old Magnus
Carlsen of Norway, who fell to Levon Aronian of Armenia in the second
rapid game they played.

Carlsen played his favorite opening, the Trompowski, but Aronian
chose an equalizing line, a variation with e6. After some minor
complications, the Armenian gained advantages which lead him to a
solid victory.

Most players from the Arab teams didn’t make it to the second
round. Essam El Gindy, Egypt and Africa’s No. 1, and his compatriot
Ahmed Adly, were sent packing as were all the Libyans except Abobker
Elarabi who passed into the second round when his opponent, Alexander
Morozevich of Russia, failed to turn up to the match.

Hichem Hamdouchi of Morocco clinched a surprise victory over Alexander
Motylev of Russia in the second match of round one. Their first game
ended in a draw.

Sixty-four players remain for round two, which was kicking off
later Monday.

The World Chess Federation, known by its French initials FIDE, began
its Tripoli championship Saturday despite Libya’s refusal to allow
players from Israel and the absence of many top players. Only two of
FIDE’s top 10 were participating, apparently because many players
were angry that Garry Kasparov of Russia was to be allowed to play
the winner without having to go through qualifying rounds.

Libya, which is putting up the US$1.5 million in prize money for
the tournament, has been struggling to shake off its reputation as
a rogue state that sponsors terrorism and foments trouble around the
world. Welcoming the chess tournament and making a failed bid to host
the 2010 soccer World Cup were seen as part of a campaign to clean
up its international image.

Harrison’s place in history assured
Stephen Halliday at Braehead Arena

The Scotsman – United Kingdom
Jun 21, 2004

THE superlatives flowed almost as fluently as the barrage of punches
which took Scott Harrison into the history books on Saturday night
but no matter the praise heaped upon him, actions speak so much louder
than words for Scotland’s WBO featherweight champion.

Even compared to the legendary Roberto Duran by understandably jubilant
manager Frank Maloney in the wake of his breathtaking third round
stoppage of mandatory challenger William Abelyan at the Braehead Arena,
Harrison’s performance issued a proclamation to the rest of the nine
stone division’s elite that he is more than ready to stake his claim
as the finest of them all.

Injin Chi, the explosive WBC champion from South Korea, is first on
the wish-list of Harrison’s promoters as the 26-year-old pursues his
dream of unifying the titles. Boxing politics may yet conspire to deny
Harrison the marquee fights he craves against IBF and WBA champion
Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico or his Filipino rival Manny Pacquiao,
but there can be no doubt now that the Glaswegian belongs in such
elevated company.

Saturday’s defence of his title was widely predicted to be Harrison’s
most difficult yet against the Armenian-born Californian southpaw
with a reputation as the wild card of the division, a man capable of
seriously ruffling the smoothest of feathers.

While Harrison’s ruthless dismantling of an opponent ranked in the
top ten by three of the major sanctioning bodies will not receive as
much exposure in the Las Vegas Sun as it does in the Scottish one,
he can be sure this result will be duly noted on the influential
American boxing scene.

“I believe I am the best featherweight in the world,” said Harrison,
“and I just want the opportunity to prove it. I want to collect all the
belts I can, I want the unification fights. After that, my goal is to
move up to super-featherweight and become a two-weight world champion.

“I honestly don’t think about the money. What’s more important to me
is the chance to go down in history for a long, long time. Anyway,
if you keep winning world title fights, you don’t have to worry about
the money, it will come automatically.

“I think I’m just about getting to my peak now but at the same
time I feel I can jump up another level or two if I need to in the
big unification fights. I want to keep busy now and I want to keep
making history.”

His defeat of Abelyan was Harrison’s fifth victory in a world title
contest, drawing him level with Jim Watt’s record for a Scottish
boxer. It now seems inconceivable that he will not go on to become
his country’s most successful pugilist of all time.

Despite well-publicised personal difficulties Harrison encountered
in the build-up to the contest, cleared of an assault charge just
nine days earlier, there was a hugely impressive, almost serene focus
about the champion as he entered the ring.

Any fears that the anger he had expressed over both the court case
and Abelyan’s pre-fight taunts would result in a dangerous lack of
concentration were erased from the opening bell as Harrison settled
into a slick rhythm of controlled aggression.

The challenger paid for opting to share the centre of the ring in
the first round, Harrison catching him repeatedly with straight right
hands and clipping left hooks to take the session convincingly. The
second round saw Abelyan switch to the kind of tactics widely expected
of him, circling the ring defensively and landing several accurate
counter punches on the advancing champion.

It was enough to win Abelyan the round and suggested Harrison may be
in for as long and troubling an evening predicted. Instead, it was
simply the cue for the Scot to produce arguably the most impressive
round of his career to date.

Closing down the space Abelyan was attempting to create, Harrison
regained total control of the flow of the contest. Another jolting
right hand staggered and dropped Abelyan for the first time, the
stunned challenger continuing after an eight count from American
referee Samuel Viruet. There was no respite, Harrison sensing the
opportunity for an early night and refusing to let Abelyan off
the hook.

A blistering combination sent him to the canvas again, Abelyan this
time sprawling forward in disarray and looking unlikely to beat the
count. Bravely, he did, but when Harrison swarmed in again, Viruet
stepped in to call a halt at 1m 45sec of the round.

“Scott made a statement tonight, not just to British boxing where he
is now the country’s number one fighter ahead of Ricky Hatton and Joe
Calzaghe, but to the rest of the boxing world,” said manager Maloney.

“I don’t think anyone in the featherweight division can beat him. He
is a modern-day Roberto Duran, he will fight anyone and he does it
for the glory and for pride in his country.

“My only disappointment was that we didn’t have a sell-out for this
fight. I know it was on and off a few times, which made it difficult,
but Scott is the most successful sportsman in Scotland and I hope
the people will really get behind him.

“If we can bring Injin Chi here, a guy who loves to come forward and
fight, it would be a massive fight for Scott and for Scotland.”

Chi, the 30-year-old Korean who travelled to Manchester earlier this
year to stop Michael Brodie and claim the WBC title, is scheduled to
make the first defence of his belt against Eiichi Sugama of Japan
in Seoul on 24 July. With the WBC last week filing for bankruptcy
after losing a dollars 31 million lawsuit to German boxer Graciano
Rocchigiani, the organisation’s future is clearly in some doubt but a
fight with Chi would remain a major attraction for Harrison no matter
how many titles are on the line.

“It would be a great fight for Scott,” said his father and trainer
Peter Harrison, “and those are the kind of tests he wants now. He has
never shirked anyone and he will fight any featherweight out there.”

Glasgow super-featherweight Willie Limond convincingly won a gruelling
battle against crude French champion Youssef Djibaba, to lift the
vacant European Union title.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri official comments on cease-fire breaches on border

ANS TV, Baku
19 Jun 04

[Presenter] Baku has commented on reports about intense cease-fire
violations on the border. Novruz Mammadov, head of the international
relations department of the Presidential Executive Staff, said the
firefights with the Armenian armed forces on the Azerbaijani border
was a result of Yerevan’s harmful policy. The official did not rule out
that the Armenian community of Karabakh will be brought to book for the
conduct of the unlawful municipal elections on Azerbaijani territory.

[Correspondent over Karabakh villages] The campaign to nominate
candidates for the municipal elections by the Armenian community of
Nagornyy Karabakh kicked off today. The nomination campaign will end
on 24 June and the process of registering the candidates will continue
until 19 July. The election campaign will start on the same day. Let us
remind you that the municipal elections will be held by the Armenian
community in Nagornyy Karabakh on 8 August. Baku is not planing to
turn a blind eye to this move of the Armenian separatists. Statements
have already been sent to a number of international organizations
urging them to prevent such illegal measures from taking place in
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan.

Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department of
the Presidential Executive Staff, said that the issue of the illegal
municipal elections in Nagornyy Karabakh will be put on the agenda
of the Council of Europe first of all.

[Mammadov, shown speaking from his office] This act is undoubtedly
illegal. The appropriate bodies of Azerbaijan have spoken against
it and will continue to do so. The Milli Maclis and the Azerbaijani
parliamentarians in the Council of Europe will air their views in
the upcoming sessions. All this is illegal and lacks international
support. I would like to reiterate that all this is nothing less than
an attempt by the separatists to hearten themselves.

[Correspondent] Mammadov believes that international organizations
are currently actively trying to resolve the conflict. And very often
their approaches are in harmony with Azerbaijan’s position. The world
supports Azerbaijan’s demand that the conflict be resolved reasonably.

[Mammadov] From this point of view, both the Karabakh separatists
and the Armenian leadership are finding themselves isolated from
the world community. To alleviate such treatment and to parry these
blows, they resort to such measures. The crux of the matter is that
the Armenian separatists want to create certain institutions in
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. They resort to such methods
from time to time, i.e. violate all laws by holding the so-called
presidential and municipal elections in the self-styled NKR.

[Correspondent] Obviously Nagornyy Karabakh has not been recognized
and will not be recognized in the future as well, Mammadov said,
adding that the municipal elections have no legal basis. The conduct
of such measures once again proves that the separatist Armenian regime
does not want to resolve the conflict. The separatist regime’s plans
to conduct the unlawful election in Nagornyy Karabakh, which is an
integral part of Azerbaijan, is not their first or their last illegal
action. The Armenian side, which often violates the cease-fire
regime on the border with Azerbaijan and along the contact line,
once again proved that it is not ready for a constructive solution
to the conflict. The recent and intense breaches of the cease-fire
regime are not accidental, Mammadov said. The opposite side is taking
well-planned and well-considered steps.

[Mammadov] Armenian President Kocharyan is no longer trusted by his
people because of his failure to fulfill his election promises. The
resistance against him within the country is strengthening. By
violating the cease-fire regime, the Armenian leadership wants to
soften pressure and divert the attention from them to something else.

The second reason is also very important and is connected with the
first one: the Armenian leadership wants to decrease the external
pressure. Mammadov is sure that Armenia has never and will never
benefit from such an adventurist policy. Therefore, the Armenian
leadership should without fail put an end to this.

[Mammadov] Now the cease-fire regime has been breached in Qazax
District, some 200-300 kilometers from Nagornyy Karabakh. This
was a result of Armenia’s false and notorious policy. I would
like to reiterate that we have informed all interested states and
organizations, such as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, of this.

[Correspondent] Azerbaijan’s position on the problem is
constructive. It is ready for negotiations. Mammadov said that Yerevan
should not have breached the cease-fire regime.

Ayaz Mirzayev, Ibrahim Telmanoglu for ANS.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO LEAVE FOR STRASBOURG ON JUNE 22-24

ArmenPress
June 21 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
will leave for Strasbourg on June 22 for a three-day working visit.
The president will be accompanied by foreign minister, the permanent
representative of Armenia at the Council of Europe, other high
officials and reporters.

According to presidential press services, the president will address
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) session. He
will then answer the questions of the parliamentarians. Also a press
conference will be held.

The president will also hold a number of meetings, including with PACE
chairman Peter Shrieder, Council of Europe secretary General Walter
Schwimmer, Human Rights European Court chairman Lucius Wildhabber,
Norwegian prime minister Kiel Magne Bodevik. The president will also
attend an exhibition dedicated to Nansen. The Armenian delegation
will return to Yerevan on June 24.

PM TO ATTEND GERMAN-ARMENIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION CONFERENCE IN BERLIN

ArmenPress
June 21 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian is leaving fro Germany on June 22 to attend a German-Armenian
Economic Cooperation Conference. The government press office said,
finance and economy minister Vartan Khachatrian, who is also the
co-chairman of a German-Armenian inter-governmental commission on
economic cooperation, trade and economic development minister Karen
Chshmaritian, Central Bank governor Tigran Sarkisian, chief of customs
service Armen Avetisian, the head of the Armenian Development agency,
other officials, more than two dozens of businessmen and reporters
will accompany the prime minister.

In Berlin Margarian will also have meetings with deputy chancellor
and foreign minister Joschka Fischer, chairman of Berlin parliament
Walter Momper, Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereith and other officials.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MEGHRI HIDRO-ELECTRIC POWER STATION TO BE BUILT IN 2005

ArmenPress
June 21 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian ministry of energy
representative discussed technical matters of hydro-electric power
station with Iran counterparts at the Southern border of Armenia at
the banks of Arax river, just the place where the station is going
to be built.

According to Armenian energy minister Armen Movsisian, the location
of the station is now clear. During the coming 1-2 months, details
will be discussed with Iranian government after which an agreement
will be signed.

A. Movsisian informed that the construction may start some time in
mid 2005. The construction will run 5 years. The station will have
140 megawatt capacity and will produce 841 mln k/watt/hour energy
per year. According to initial estimates, the station will cost 140
mln dollar. The power station will be built by Iranian funds. The
Armenian side will return the money in the form of energy produced
by the same station.

The effectiveness of the power station will be number one both in Iran
and Armenia. The minister said the hydro power of the Arax river is
expected to be used to maximum.

A. Movsisian said there are 30 small hydro-power stations in Armenia
now that produce about 600 mln kwatt/hour energy per year.