AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, June 17, 2004

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SATAMIAN

New York – On the heels of the success of last year’s ‘Zvart’ operetta,
Krikor Satamian, along with collaborator Maestro Vatche Barsoumian,
is busy putting together another work by composer Dikran Tchouhadjian
originally titled ‘Leblebiji Horhor Agha’ and now incarnated as
‘Leblebiji’ for three performances this fall in Los Angeles.

A veteran of Beirut’s AGBU Vahan Papazian Theatre Group, a graduate
of England’s famous Bristol school, and an actor with a long line of
movie and network television credits under his belt, Satamian needs
no introduction to Armenian theatre lovers. His name is synonymous
with Armenian theatre in America. He continues to foster Armenian
language performances in a country where the tradition is confined
predominantly to first-generation Armenian Americans.

When Satamian first arrived in America, he settled in the New York area
and began drawing from the local talent pool. But as fluent Armenian
speakers became increasingly difficult to find on the East Coast,
he relocated to Los Angeles where he spotted more potential.

“There was fertile ground [in L.A.] for theatre with all the immigrants
from Armenia and the Middle East,” said Satamian. ” It caught on
like wildfire. I found a generation of actors and now I have a second
generation that is coming from the schools.”

He quickly tapped into the Armenian love of theatre, which has been
sustained by the Armenian immigrants from Armenia, Iran, Syria and
Lebanon. Now the head of the AGBU Ardavazt Theatre Group, Ardavazt is
the only full-time theatre company in Los Angeles. It often tours
other cities across the continent that are hungry for Armenian
theatrical productions.

Ardavazt is currently presenting Hagop Baronian’s ‘Honorable
Beggars’. Later this year, it will be mounting a play by Zareh
Melkonian, the production of ‘Leblebiji’ and five one-act plays
performed by the Ardavazt Junior’s company, created to cultivate a
new wave of talent.

Satamian has also created a series of highly successful one-man shows
that he toured to AGBU chapters across the continent. In Watertown
and Montreal, his performances helped in the fundraising effort for
local AGBU center renovation initiatives.

Since the San Francisco Opera’s ‘Arshak II’ production by Tchouhadjian
in 2001, Satamian has been mining his popular works, most of which
have not been performed since the late nineteenth century in Istanbul
and later in Beirut in the late sixties.

While Verdi influenced ‘Arshak II’, Tchouhadjian’s operettas were
popular pieces that provided people with the equivalent of the show
tunes of their era–works that combined Italian with Oriental music.

‘Leblebiji’ is Satamian’s most ambitious Ardavazt production and
is slated for three nights this fall in contrast to the two nights
reserved for ‘Zvart’.

“The reaction [to ‘Zvart’] was tremendous, it was more than we
expected,” Satamian said. “In fact, when we did our budget we
calculated sixty percent attendance income. It turned out that
attendance was over ninety-five percent.”

“We did two performances in a 3,000 person auditorium and both
performances were full,” he added, noting some people were turned
away from the Sunday performance because of space limitations.

“This time will be bigger. It’s big in scope, and everything needs
a lot of planning,” Satamian said of the preparation underway for
‘Leblebiji’,” he continued. “We will be getting more advertisers,
more donations this time. Those that were sitting on the fence last
time know we can do it and will be onboard.”

There will be new needs this time around, Satamian says, including
more advertising to the non-Armenian community who can easily enjoy
the production because of the ‘surtitles’ that electronically translate
the Armenian dialogue and music on a screen above the stage.

‘Leblebiji’ is the latest in Satamian’s repertoire, but as someone
who is always thinking and dreaming big, he hopes one day to up the
ante and produce more challenging productions.

“I have lots of plays in mind but I don’t have the talent power to
be able to do them. The people I have are competent who can do the
average play but the difficult ones like Shakespeare, Ibsen or Bernard
Shaw I can’t yet. I say ‘yet’ with the hope that maybe these people
will show up one day on the scene.”

If Satamian’s past successes are any indication, it won’t be long
before that happens. Until then, audiences can enjoy AGBU Ardavazt
Theatre Group’s 2004 line up. The company’s ‘Leblebiji’ performances
are scheduled for October 22-24, 2004 and for more information about
this and other shows please contact AGBU Pasadena at (626) 794-7942
or [email protected].

BISNIS Outreach in Pittsburgh, PA on July 22, 2004

BISNIS
June 21, 2004

Please Note: You are receiving this message as a BISNIS client located
in or close to PPittsburgh, PA as you may have an interest in meeting
with our representatives from Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine
and Washington, DC. To modify your profile, please see instructions
at the end of this email.

Center for Russian and East European Studies,University of Pittsburgh
and the U.S. Department of Commerce – BISNIS

With the support of

U.S. Commercial Service, Pittsburgh Office
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

Invite you to a seminar

Exploring Eurasia: A Fresh Look at Armenia, the Kyrgyz Republic,
Moldova, and Ukraine – Export and Investment Opportunities

WHEN: Thursday, July 22, 2004
8:45 a.m. Registration
9:00-10:30 a.m. Presentations
10:30-12:30 p.m. One-on-One Meetings

WHERE: University of Pittsburgh
4D 56 Posvar Hall, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

MARKET TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED:
· Industries Sectors to be Covered: IT, Telecommunications, Construction, Agribusiness, Pharmaceuticals/Medical, Consumer Goods, and Banking/Finance.
· Countries Covered: Armenia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Ukraine
· Presentations: Speakers will provide executive briefings on the business climate in their countries, and present trade and investment leads, as well as information on promising projects. A Q&A session will follow the presentations, and then an opportunity for one-on-one meetings with individual BISNIS representatives.
· Introductory remarks: Dr. Bob Donnorummo, Associate Director, Center for Russian and East European Studies,University of Pittsburgh, Lyn Doverspike, Director, U.S. Commercial Service, Pittsburgh Office.

For more information and to register, contact:
Desi Jordanoff, BISNIS
tel: 202-482-2709
email: [email protected]

Check Requested One-on-One Appointments: £ Armenia; £ Kyrgyzstan; £ Moldova; £ Ukraine
(Appointments shall be subject to availability.)

REGISTER DEADLINE: July 19, 2004!

Number of people attending Names of attendees

Company
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________ Fax: __________________ E-mail: __________________________

WHAT IS BISNIS?
BISNIS (), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, was founded in 1992 to assist in the economic development and transition of the countries of the former Soviet Union by helping U.S. companies to export to and invest in the region. BISNIS has 20 representatives posted throughout Eurasia, including 11 in Russia. In addition, BISNIS has 10 trade specialists in Washington, DC. BISNIS mainly assists U.S. and Eurasia companies by identifying and disseminating trade and partner leads, preparation of regional overviews, commercial news updates, and industry reports, counseling U.S. companies interested in entering Eurasian markets, and referrals to U.S. government programs as well as sources of financing and other resources. Since 1992, BISNIS has helped U.S. companies generate over $3.2 billion of export and investment transactions. In FY03 alone, BISNIS facilitated transactions exceeding $204 million. In 2002, 2003, and 2004, BISNIS was recognized by Forbes Magazine as
“One of the Best of the Web” for information on Eurasia. The BISNIS website gets over 1 million hits per month.

PROGRAM SPEAKER PROFILES
· Desi Jordanoff has joined BISNIS in Washington, DC as an International Trade Specialist in May 2004. She currently serves as country manager for Ukraine, Russia-Urals, and Turkmenistan, covers the Medical Equipment and Services; Consumer Goods; and Tourism and Hospitality sectors for all of Eurasia. She previously worked as an International Trade Specialist at Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Pittsburgh, PA and provided consulting and export assistance to small and mid-size companies in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Ms. Jordanoff holds a MBA degree from Katz Graduate School of Business and a Master of Public and International Affairs degree from GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh. Her Bachelor of Science is in Economics from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria. As a native of Bulgaria she speaks English, Russian and Bulgarian.

· Asel Sulaimanova – BISNIS Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic
Ms. Sulaimanova has worked for BISNIS in the Kyrgyz Republic since late 2002. Before joining BISNIS, she worked both in the private sector and for international donor institutions. Specifically, she was Project Manager for the European Union Program “Small and Medium Business Development” and an international consultant for several Asian Development Bank projects in the Kyrgyz Republic. Her commercial experience has been gained through working for several foreign companies doing different businesses in the Kyrgyz Republic. She graduated from Kazakh State Economic University in Economics and later received an MBA from the Bishkek International School of Management and Business in 1995.

· Andriy Vorobyov – BISNIS Representative in Ukraine
Andriy Vorobyov has worked for BISNIS in Kiev since October 2000. He has a background in agriculture, having graduated from the National Agricultural University of Ukraine. His previous work experience includes agribusiness and food processing, and work for the Department of Foreign Economic Relations at the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture. His recent reports for BISNIS have covered the Ukrainian Construction Sector, Trade and Project Financing in Ukraine, Customs Procedures in Ukraine, and overviews of several Ukrainian regions. Last year, Mr. Vorobyov accompanied a delegation of 25 Ukrainian companies to the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, and he has organized a number of U.S. Product Literature Centers at the largest Ukrainian trade events, including construction, automotive, food processing, pharmaceuticals shows.

· Iulian Bogasieru – BISNIS Representative in Moldova
Iulian Bogasieru joined BISNIS in December 2000. His previous experience includes working with the Moldovan Agency of Enterprise Restructuring ARIA as a consultant for three years on World Bank and European Union projects. His responsibilities were analyzing markets and providing turnaround management consulting for Moldovan businesses. Mr. Bogasieru graduated from the Academy of Economic Studies, Chisinau, Moldova, with bachelor degree in foreign economic relations. He speaks English, Russian, Romanian and Italian. Among his achievements as BISNIS representative, he organized three catalog shows of U.S. products in Moldova, which resulted in U.S. export contracts.

· George Isayan – BISNIS Representative in Armenia
George Isayan has represented BISNIS in Yerevan, Armenia, since January 1998. During 1989-1992, he worked in Armenia’s Chamber of Commerce as the head of business information department. In 1992-1997, Mr. Isayan worked at a private export-import company in Prague, Czech Republic, covering the company’s financial issues. As BISNIS representative, Mr. Isayan accompanied delegations of Armenian companies at Comdex IT show in Las Vegas (2000), BILISIM IT show in Istanbul (Turkey) in 2001, International Builders’ Show in Dallas, Texas, in 1999 and 2000, and SviazExpoComm ICT show in Moscow, Russia, in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Mr. Isayan speaks Russian, Armenian, English, Czech, and Arabic fluently.

FEATURED COUNTRY OVERVIEWS

Armenia

Area: 29,800 sq. km. (11,500 sq. mi.); Population (est.): 3 million; GDP growth rate: 13.9% (2003)
Natural resources: Copper, zinc, gold, and lead; hydroelectric power; small amounts of gas and petroleum.
Agriculture: fruits and vegetables, wines, dairy, some livestock.
Industry: chemicals, electronic products, machinery, processed food, synthetic rubber, and textiles.
2003 Trade: Exports–$678.1 million (81.3% to countries outside CIS): diamonds, scrap metal, machinery and equipment, brandy, copper ore. Export partners–Belgium, Israel, Russia, U.S., Iran. Imports–$1.269 billion (73.6% from countries outside the CIS): natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds. Import partners–Russia, Belgium, Israel, Iran, U.S.

Approximately 70 U.S.-owned firms currently do business in Armenia, including such multinationals as Procter & Gamble, M&M-Mars, Xerox, Dell, and IBM. Recent major U.S. investment projects include the Hotel Armenia; the Hotel Ani; Tufenkian Holdings (carpet and furnishing production, hotels, and construction); several subsidiaries of U.S.-based information technology firms, including Viasphere Technopark, an IT incubator; a Greek-owned Coca-Cola bottling plant; petroleum exploration by the American-Armenian Exploration Company; jewelry and textile production facilities; a large perlite mining and processing plant; and the joint venture Jermuk, which produces one of the more popular brands of mineral water in Armenia.

Recent BISNIS efforts have facilitated U.S. sales to Armenian private firms of medical diagnostic equipment and construction materials equipment, as well as the signing of an exclusive dealer contract between Ford and an Armenia company.

Kyrgyz Republic

Area: 77,181 sq. mi; Population: 5.03 million: GDP Growth Rate: 6.7% (2003)
Natural Resources: coal, oil, natural gas, antimony, gold, tungsten, tin, mercury, uranium, zinc, lead, rare earth metals, copper, iron, bauxite, hydropower, water resources.
Agriculture: Tobacco, cotton, wheat, vegetables and fruits, berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool.
Industry: small machinery (electric motors, transformers); light industry (cotton and wool processing, textiles, food processing), construction materials (cement, glass, slate), shoes, furniture, mining, energy.
Trade (2003): Exports–$548 million: Cotton, wool, meat, precious metals, minerals, textiles, tobacco, hydropower, machinery, footwear. Partners: Switzerland, Russia, United Arab Emirates, China, U.S. 7.9%, Kazakhstan. Imports: $601 million: oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs. Partners: Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, China, US, Germany, Netherlands.

Major foreign investments: Hyatt Regency Bishkek Hotel (renovation), Metromedia International (cable TV venture), Marvel worldwide Ltd. (80 % of VLKSM Garment Factory), WimmBillDann (dairy, juices), Kumtor (gold mining), Coca-Cola (bottling), Philips (light bulb manufacture & equipment), Malaysian Company (semiconductor production plant)

Recent BISNIS efforts have facilitated establishment of an office in Bishkek for a small U.S. firm seeking contracts with the U.S. airbase in the Kyrgyz republic – the company has already won one tender and has additional projects in the pipeline for FY04, sales of restaurant equipment to Kyrgyzstan, assistance to a U.S. company to set up production in the Bishkek free economic zone.

Moldova

Area: 33,843 sq. km. (13,000 sq. mi.); Population: 4.4 million: GDP real growth (Jan.-Sept. 2003): 7.0%
Natural Resources: Lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone.
Agriculture: vegetables, fruits, wine and spirits, grain, sugarbeet, sunflower seeds, meat, milk, tobacco.
Industry: Processed foods and beverages, including wine and refined sugar; processed fruit and vegetable products, including vegetable oil; dairy and meat products; tobacco items; metal processing and production of machinery; textiles and clothing, shoes; furniture.
Trade (2003): Exports $790 million (of which 46% go to countries outside the former Soviet Union): foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals. Major export markets: Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Romania, Germany, Belarus, Spain. Import: $1,34 billion (of which 61% come from countries outside the former Soviet Union): gas, oil, coal, steel, mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemical products, textiles, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables. Major suppliers: Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Germany, Italy.

U.S. companies active in Moldova include McDonalds, FoodPro International, Food Master International, Coca-Cola, Trans Oil Invest, Europharm, MetroMedia International, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, KPMG, Caterpillar, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Proctor & Gamble, John Deere, General Electric, and Apple Computer.

Recent BISNIS efforts have facilitated sales of U.S. telecommunications equipment and medical diagnostic equipment to Moldova, as well as assisted in the development of ties between North Carolina and Moldova and supported efforts of OPIC and TDA to find projects for possible financing.

Ukraine

Area: 603,700 square miles; Population: 48 million: GDP real growth (2003 est.): 5.5-6.0%
Natural resources: Vast fertile lands, coal, ironstone, complex ore, various large mineral deposits, timber
Agriculture: Products–Grain, sugar, sunflower seeds.
Industry: Types–Ferrous metals and products, coke, fertilizer, airplanes, turbines, metallurgical equipment, diesel locomotives, tractors.
Trade (2003): Exports–$18.1 billion: Ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, mineral products, chemicals, machinery, transport equipment, grain, and textiles, food products. Major export partners: Russia, Italy, Turkey, Germany, China. Imports–$23.58 billion: Energy, mineral fuel and oil, machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, and paper. Major importers: Russia, Germany, Turkmenistan, Poland, Italy.

More than 300 U.S. companies are represented in Ukraine. Among the major U.S. companies are: Apple Computer, Avon Cosmetics, Automobile Group (Cadillac, Chevrolet, Hummer), Bechtel National, Inc., Citibank, Colgate-Palmolive, General Electric, Kraft foods Motorola, Monsanto, Mary Kay Ltd.

Recent BISNIS efforts have facilitated sales of U.S. machinery and machine tools, as well as medical, printing, and telecommunications equipment to Ukraine, as well as creation of joint projects in the financial services sector.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

KERRY HONORS 86TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE
FIRST ARMENIAN REPUBLIC

WASHINGTON, DC — In a statement released to the Armenian American
community, presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry
marked the founding of the First Armenian Republic, established on May
28th, 1918, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In his statement, Sen. Kerry noted that, “the first Republic of Armenia
rose 86 years ago from the ashes of the Armenian genocide, but was
partitioned soon afterwards. Yet, Armenians yearned for independence,
and seven decades later realized their dream of self- determination.”

“Armenian Americans welcome John Kerry’s celebration of the 86th
anniversary of the first Republic of Armenia,” said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA. “As a Senator with a twenty-year track
record of advocating for issues of importance to Armenian Americans,
John Kerry understands the tremendous challenges – first among them
the horrific toll of the Armenian Genocide – that the Armenian people
overcame in 1918 on the road to the establishment of the Armenian
Republic.”

In April of this year, Sen. Kerry joined the Armenian American
community in marking the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
In a statement issued on April 22nd, Senator Kerry called “on
governments and people everywhere to formally recognize this
tragedy. Only by learning from this dark period of history and
working to prevent future genocides can we truly honor the memories
of those Armenians who suffered so unjustly.” In the days prior to his
statement, Senator Kerry joined 22 of his Senate colleagues in calling
on President Bush to “refer to the mass slaughter of Armenians as
genocide in your commemorative statement.” He was amongst the earliest
cosponsors of the Genocide resolution (S.Res.164), which marks the
15th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the Genocide Convention.

Senator Kerry’s complete record on Armenian American concerns is
posted on the Armenians For Kerry website
. The website includes previous statements by the Senator and provides
ways for Armenian American supporters to become active in the Kerry
campaign through donations or other volunteer efforts.

The congratulatory letter regarding the First Armenian Republic was
read at a Greater Washington, DC area celebration last Saturday night,
hosted by the ARF. The complete text of the statement follows.

#####

Letter from John Kerry Honoring Armenia’s First Independence

Tonight I join Armenian-Americans in proudly celebrating the Republic
of Armenia’s day of independence. The first Republic of Armenia
rose 86 years ago from the ashes of the Armenian genocide, but was
partitioned soon afterwards. Yet, Armenians yearned for independence,
and seven decades later realized their dream of self- determination.

I am proud of my work with the Armenian-American community including
my support for ending Azerbaijan’s blockades of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh, for the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act in 1996 and for
extending “permanent normal trade relations” (PNTR) to Armenia.

This evening I would also like to pay tribute to the Armenian-
Americans who have contributed so much to our great country.
Your hard work and strong values make our country a better place for
all Americans.

I hope you have a wonderful celebration and, of course, a very happy
birthday.

International Herald Tribune

NATO: Why not really make Russia a partner?

Ian Bremmer and Nikolas Gvosdev IHT Tuesday, June 22, 2004

WASHINGTON ‘You’re not our enemies anymore,” Secretary of State
Colin Powell told the Russians last month. Yet two years after the
NATO-Russia Council was unveiled as a new “bridge of security across
Europe,” 47 percent of Russians still consider the North Atlantic
alliance a threat to their national security.

As long as the NATO-Russia partnership remains solely a matter of
declarations and consultations, the opportunity to fundamentally
reshape the security not only of the Euro-Atlantic community but the
entire Eurasian land mass is being missed. Diplomats are squabbling
over four Belgian aircraft flying patrol over the Baltic states,
while real threats percolate along the soft underbelly of Eurasia –
terrorism, organized crime (especially smuggling and the drug trade)
and unstable states.

NATO’s primary purpose is to provide security. The alliance is there to
prevent any country – including Russia – from using force to dominate
its neighbors. But it is not NATO’s job to make Russia “disappear”
as an economic power in the region. If the United States wants to
extend a zone of peace and security across Eurasia, NATO cannot be
seen as a lever to keep Russia on the sidelines.

The “Great Game” geopolitical rivalry between Russia and the West
for influence across the Eurasian steppe is over. Russia failed in
its attempt to monopolize the region’s transportation links, and the
construction of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline is one signal victory. But
Central Asia’s gas reserves are controlled by Gazprom and, as in Soviet
times, will continue to pass through Russian-controlled routes. There
is nothing further to be gained by continuing to compete with Russia.

This is the reality: Moscow has sufficient economic and strategic
leverage to frustrate further Western plans for the region if Russian
interests are not taken into consideration. Russia will continue to
play a critical role in the Caucasus and Central Asia irrespective
of American intent. Cooperation with Russia is the only way forward.

Russia continues to have the most effective network of contacts
in Eurasia. First steps have already been taken in coordinating
intelligence collection, marrying Russia’s human intelligence
capabilities with American technological capacity. Why not build upon
this foundation and create a new security organization, grounded in
the NATO-Russia Council, that would develop joint institutions for
our joint security challenges?

Recent events in Georgia demonstrate how the lack of coordination
between Washington and Moscow can cause serious misunderstandings
and frustrate effective cooperation. When Americans hint that
the real purpose of U.S. forces in Georgia is to combat Russian
influence rather than root out terrorist cells, Moscow responds
with suspicion. Russia has a shared interest with the United States
in promoting a Georgian administration that can effectively crack
down on organized crime and radicals, and it demonstrated this by
helping to end the stand-off between President Mikheil Saakashvili
of Georgia and the defiant leader of Adzharia, Aslan Abashidze.
But cooperation will be limited if Russia believes America’s true
intent is to leverage Russia out of the region altogether.

Too often, security initiatives in Eurasia have had an “us or them”
approach. In the Kyrgyz Republic, both the United States and Russia
maintain military bases, although both ostensibly serve the same
purpose – to prevent the spillover of Islamist terrorism into Central
Asia. Indeed, Russia opened its base at Kant in autumn 2003, its
first post-cold war deployment, in response to the arrival of the
U.S. military. These forces have no mechanism for joint action –
not even the ability to communicate by cellphone.

Creating a joint U.S.-Russia base under the aegis of a NATO-Russia
partnership, a proposal the Kyrgyz president, Askar Akaev, endorses,
could lay the basis for practical cooperation that could then
be extended, both to the countries where Russia has prevailing
influence (such as Armenia) and those seeking greater integration
into Euro-Atlantic structures (such as Georgia, Uzbekistan or even
Azerbaijan). It would send a clear message to all countries in the
region that cooperation with Russia does not jeopardize their progress
to full membership in the Euro-Atlantic community.

It could also pave the way for greater regional stability. Take the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – if it can be resolved, a major source
of instability and a threat to the export of hydrocarbons from the
Caspian basin would be removed. Given the lack of trust on both sides,
the only effective peacekeeping force would be a joint Russia-NATO
operation – one that could give assurances to both the Armenians
and Azeris. The peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo – the
first time that Russian and NATO forces collaborated in that manner –
provide a foundation for extending such cooperation.

The American ambassador to Russia, Alexander Vershbow, has declared
that “NATO sees Russia as a partner.” If that is the case, then it
is time to institutionalize cooperation between Russia and the West
to deal with common threats.

Ian Bremmer is president of the Eurasia Group and a senior fellow at
the World Policy Institute. Nikolas Gvosdev is executive editor of
The National Interest. NATO looks east

Utut stuns Alekseev in Tripoli

Jakarta Post
June 22, 2004

Musthofid, Jakarta — Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto of Indonesia
defeated GM Evgeny Alekseev of Russia to advance to the second round
of the World Chess Championship in Tripoli, Libya, on Sunday.

Utut, who has an elo-rating of 2591 against Alekseev’s 2616 went
through on 1.5-0.5 points in two games in the knock-out tournament,
which featured 128 players from around the world.

“We were involved in a tense and dramatic battle before I could
stop him for a place in the second round,” Utut reported to Jakarta
by e-mail.

After his attacking tactical ploy ended in a draw in the first game
on Saturda, Utut started the second game more aggressively in an
all-out bid for a win.

The 38-year-old Indonesian employed remarkable restraint during the
game. He won a pawn in the 41st move and took another in a later move
before forcing the 19-year-old Russian into submission in 61 moves
in four-and-a-half hours.

Utut’s opponent in the second round is GM Vladimir Akopian of Armenia.
Akopian (2689), who was a finalist in the 1999 championship, defeated
Jose Gonzalez Garcia of Mexico on Sunday.

It is Utut’s fourth appearance in the world championship. He reached
the second rounds in 1997 and 2000 while he exited in the first round
in 1999.

The top seeds had little difficulty in getting past their lower-rated
opponents, with GM Vaselin Topalov, GM Michael Adams, GM Vassily
Ivanchuk and GM Nigel Short each registering 2-0 victories.

The Tripoli chess meet is going ahead in the absence of reigning
champion, GM Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, who has opted to skip the
tournament in protest at the tournament format.

Internet crimes in Armenia
By: Ludmila Goroshko

Computer Crime Research Center, Ukraine
June 22 2004

Most of computer crimes in the banking sphere of Armenia are committed
through the Internet, Olga Safaryan, legal expert of “Internews”
told during seminar “Legal Field of Information Technologies and
Their Correspondence to European Standards”.

She said that these crimes are not solved in Armenia, like anywhere
in the world, because banks try to avoid announcing such information;
they fear to incur reputation damage. Olga Safaryan informed that
these crimes haven’t been prosecuted yet hence they have no special
organization to fight computer crimes in Armenia.

“In my report I suggest, on the analogy of other CIS countries,
to create a department to control computer crimes. At the moment,
it is still not clear who will investigate these crimes if they
occur, and therefore there are no statistics,” she said. Besides,
Safaryan noted that August 1, 2003 a new Criminal Code of Republic of
Armenia came into force, where chapter 24 that consists of 7 articles
is fully devoted to computer crimes. The worst crime is the one
committed through negligence, causing of harm to health or other grave
consequences. It is provided for by article 254, part 4, to establish
6 through 12 years jail for illegal access to computer information.
“However, this article does not define grave consequences that may
lead to problems applying it”, she said.

Azeri, Armenian foreign ministers see Prague talks on Karabakh as “positive”

MPA news agency
22 Jun 04

Baku, 22 June: Different aspects of and prospects for resolving
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict have been discussed in Prague by the
Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers.

Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanyan expressed concern about the
recent cease-fire violations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,
MPA reports. The sides pointed out that the situation was being dealt
with in an atmosphere of mutual understanding.

The ministers said that the meeting was useful and positive. It was
attended also by the cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group from the USA,
Russia and France, and the special representative of the OSCE chairman,
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Armenia, Iran boost energy cooperation

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
21 Jun 04

[Presenter] The Araks river is in the focus of the Armenian-Iran
cooperation. Armenia and Iran agreed to jointly use the river’s hydro
[electrical generating] potential nine years ago. A joint commission
was set up on in 2000 and after three years a scheme to use the river
has been confirmed. The project includes the construction of two
power stations, one on Armenian and one on Iranian territory. The
Armenian Energy Ministry discussed the preparation of the joint
Armenian-Iran programmes and the issues of the construction of the
Megri hydro-electric power station during the meeting held in Syunik
District.

[Correspondent over video of power grids] The preparation works on the
construction power stations on the Araks river are being completed. The
construction site has already been confirmed. The sides will sign an
agreement in two months and the station’s ground stone will be laid in
summer 2005. The power station will be constructed by Iranian financial
means, estimated at about 40m dollars. This amount we [Armenia] shall
return in the form of energy produced in the new power station. This
is the third Armenian-Iran joint project. The first one was the
Armenian-Iran high-voltage power station which was commissioned last
year. The second line’s construction followed the first one which is
under construction and will be completed in the autumn.

There are seven Armenian-Iran joint programmes in the energy
industry. The construction of the Armenian-Iran gas pipeline’ will
also start soon. The agreement has already been signed, the financial
sources are being confirmed and the preparation works are being
completed. The construction of oil processing and chemical plants
are possible plans.

[Armenian Energy Minister, Armen Movsesyan, captioned] These seven
programmes which we have with Iran in the energy industry are quite
large, serious programmes. I think that all these programmes will
be implemented.

[Correspondent] Apart from the security issues in the field of energy,
these programmes will also promote the development of other districts
and the resolution of social problems, in particular, employment
issues.

Tereza Kasyan, “Aylur”.

INCREASING SALARIES AND PENSIONS

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 18, 2004

throughout the republic. She stressed that the background radiation
around the factory will by all means be checked and the findings of
the survey will be published. 99 FLATS WERE BUILT FOR RESETTLERS IN
2003. In the report of the state department of migration, refugees and
resettlement it is mentioned that in 2003 155 families resettled in
NKR and 99 flats were built for resettlers. The head of the department
Serge Amirkhanian mentioned that it is necessary to increase the
budget subsidies at least by one fourth of the budget confirmed in
2004 because after the adoption of the law “On Refugees” at the end of
the past year the department also has to solve the housing problems
of the refugees. In answer to our question whether the program
of resettlement can include also the dying villages of NKR Serge
Amirkhanian mentioned that there are such villages in the program:
Dahrav, Nakhijevanik, Aranzamin, Sarnaghbyur in Askeran region and
the village Garnakar in Martakert region. “Already three families have
been resettled in Dahrav, although there are about 68 abandoned houses
there,” mentioned S. Amirkhanian. He emphasized that the list of the
resettled villages is regularly reconsidered, therefore if the heads
of the regional administrations have suggestions in this reference
they may present them. THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IS
UNSATISFACTORY. The ministry of education and culture held tests in
the republic schools and the results were published in the newspaper
“Lusarar”. According to this information, the knowledge of the pupils
was graded zero. In this reference minister Armen Sarghissian announced
that the results of the tests will be compared to the results of
the final school examinations. According to the minister, similar
tests allow to reduce the amount of false marks to the minimum. Armen
Sarghissian mentioned the importance of objective grading of knowledge
of pupils because in two years it is planned to pass to the system of
admittance to higher educational institutions without examinations.
According to the minister, 7 directors of schools were dismissed
from their positions and two received warning in written form in the
result of the recent checking. According to the minister, the aim of
the checking is not punishing but rendering methodological help. A.
Sarghissian also emphasized that in the result of discussions during
the visit of the RA minister of education S. Yeritsian to Karabakh
teachers of Karabakh made 365 suggestions referring to the 12-year
secondary education system, of which many were accepted.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

NO INDEPENDENT MASS MEDIA

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 21 2004

The training with the topic “Monitoring of the mass media during
elections” organized by the Stepanakert Press Club with the financial
assistance of the international organization “Article 19” ended. The
topic of the third day was the activity of the non-governmental
organizations before elections as well as the cooperation of the mass
media and non-governmental organizations in conducting monitoring.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations took part in
the training on the third day: chairman of the public organization
“Institute of People’s Diplomacy”, coordinator of the international
organization “Caucasian Forum” on Karabakh Irina Grigorian, chairman
of the Association for Protection of Rights of NKR Citizens Georgy
Safarian, chairman of the public organization “Tradition” Valery
Balayan. The conductors of the monitoring asked them to tell about
their experience of election monitoring. According to G. Safarian,
five Karabakh public organizations took part in the monitoring for
transparency of the NKR presidential elections in 2002. There was
only one complaint at the Association for Protection of Rights of the
Karabakh Citizens, from candidate Albert Ghazarian whom the association
assisted to send the claim to the head public prosecutor’s office
(the town public prosecutor did not accept the claim). And on the
election day no violations of the law in effect were observed. Irina
Grigorian confessed that the monitoring started late therefore the
results were not complete. However, the first and small experience
will later become important basis by all means. Mrs. Grigorian also
informed that a club of non-governmental organizations operates
in Stepanakert, which involves about 10 public organizations. The
chairman of the public organization “Tradition” Valery Balayan
mentioned that if the experience of the observer is small, the
experience of the participant in elections is rather big. The first
election to the Supreme Soviet of the newly founded NKR in 1991 was
most fair and transparent. The question of propaganda of legislative
acts in the mass media and by non-governmental organizations was
also discussed. In this connection Alexey Koshel who conducted the
training mentioned that propaganda is a rather difficult problem
which requires long-lasting and determined work. According to him,
in Ukraine the school of political analysis is established which is
called for education of a new generation of analysts. He set forth
for discussion the problems of mutual understanding of journalists
and the mass media implementing monitoring. In this reference the
organization of coalitions (temporary associations of non-governmental
organizations and the mass media), press centers whose work will
become an important source of information for the mass media. The
peculiarities of coverage of the “black PR” during the elections were
also discussed. According to Mr. Koshel, extending truth to the reader
can be the only way to fight this phenomenon rather spread both in
the West and the entire post-soviet territory. Summing up the findings
of the three-day training, Alexey Koshel said, “In fact there are no
independent mass media.” Although he thinks that the tendency of the
mass media to become independent becomes apparent day by day. And in
this process the alternative mass media play a big role. The way-out
is self-organization and financial self-sufficiency by which the mass
media may certainly achieve at least relative independence. 

SUSANNA BALAYAN