OSCE Minsk Group meets with Azeri foreign minister
16.07.2004 12:04:00 GMT

Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – The co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group
for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict met with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov in Baku on Friday.
“We held excellent negotiations with the Azerbaijani foreign
minister,” French Minsk Group co-chairman Henry Jacolen told Interfax
following the meeting.
Jacolen and the other co-chairmen, Yury Merzlyakov of Russia and
Stephen Mann of the U.S., arrived in Baku to offer new proposals on
settling the Nagorno-Karabakh problem to the Azerbaijani
leadership. The international mediators had earlier visited Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh for the same purpose.
Merzlyakov earlier told the press: “There are new ideas, but we have
to negotiate with the Azerbaijani leadership first.” Commenting on
proposals that Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives be involved in the
talks, he said this issue is up to the negotiating parties to
decide. “In my view, all parties should take part in the
negotiations,” he said.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an Azerbaijani province populated mostly by ethnic
Armenians. Baku lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other
districts adjacent to it after a bloody conflict with Armenia in the
1990s.
The UN Security Council has issued a number of resolutions condemning
the occupation of Azerbaijani territory and demanded that Armenian
units be pulled out of the territory. The OSCE Minsk Group, which is
composed of representatives from the U.S., Russia, and France, is
mediating to help resolve the conflict.

‘So-Called Armenian Genocide Recognition not an EU Condition’
Zaman
07.16.2004 Friday
Armenians living in France are trying to bring Turkey’s refusal to
recognize the so-called Armenian genocide to the agenda by taking
advantage of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to
Paris next week.
A government official from the French Foreign Ministry told Zaman on
Thursday that Turkey would not be forced to recognize the so-called
Armenian genocide as a condition for membership to the European Union
(EU). The official said that Turkey, just like the other countries,
would have to fulfill the Copenhagen Criteria. Recognition of the
so-called Armenian genocide is not one of the Copenhagen Criteria.
During a press conference a journalist asked French Foreign Ministry
Deputy Spokesman Cecile Pozzo de Borgo, “Although recognition of the
[so-called] Armenian genocide is not among the Copenhagen Criteria,
some political party leaders in France want this to be set as a
condition for Turkey’s membership to the EU. What is the attitude of
France about this issue?”
Borgo declined to answer, saying that she could not comment on
internal politics.
Francois Hollande, Secretary General of the main opposition French
Socialist Party, explained in a joint-memo he prepared with the
Armenian Dashnak Party prior to the European Parliamentary elections
that Ankara should recognize the so-called Armenian genocide if it
wants to join the EU.
On the other side, French President Jacques Chirac had pointed out in
April that recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide was an issue
between Turkey and Armenia. He had said, “I see that there are
important developments on the subject. I appreciate these
developments; however, in bilateral plans, the judgment of the entire
future cannot be made only through history.”
Armenians Increase Efforts to Enact Denial Law
French Armenians are engaging in intense lobbying in support of a bill
prepared by Public Union Party (UMP) deputy Philippe Pemezec and
Socialist Party deputy Didier Migaud. The bill aims to punish those
who deny the so-called Armenian genocide.
Prepared by Migaud and called “The Punishment of Armenian Genocide
Discussions”, the bill regards the so-called Armenian genocide as a
crime against humanity and seeks to punish the people and institutions
that claim Armenians were not exposed to genocide in 1915. By making
this law pass from the French Parliament, the Armenians aim to enforce
the Armenian genocide law that theFrench Parliament adopted on January
18, 2001, but which did not impose any sanctions.
To protest Erdogan’s three-day visit that will start on Monday, the
Armenian Foundations are preparing demonstrations in Paris and
Marseille.
Erdogan is expected to meet with Francois Hollande and Alain Juppé,
the leader of UMP, which is against Turkey’s EU membership. Economy
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who is one of the candidates for Alain
Juppé’s position, is alsoknown to be against Turkey’s membership.
07.16.2004
Ali Ihsan Aydin
Paris

Byron festival finale
Hucknall Today
16 July 2004
HAILED as a symbol of faith and hope, an Armenian stone cross has been
put up on an outside wall of Hucknall Parish Church tower.
The cross, known as a khachkar, was dedicated on Sunday as a climax to
the seventh International Byron Festival.
It marks a friendship agreement between Hucknall’s Holgate
Comprehensive School and the Lord Byron School in Armenia.
The ceremony ensured that the ten-day festiival finished on a high
note after a series of disappointments.
No fewer than six of the 33 scheduled events proved non-starters for
various reasons.
Co-organiser Maureen Crisp said it was a big setback that those
festival mainstays, actor Ian Frost and playwright Bill Studdiford,
could not take part this year because Bill suffered a freak accident.
“But the second weekend of the festival, which involved Armenian
visitors, was an important feature and I am pleased that it went
extremely well,” said Maureen.
The khachkar was formerly in the quadrangle at Holgate School but was
broken into two by vandals.
The ceremony was in memory of former Hucknall rector Canon Fred Green,
who wanted the act of damage to be seen as a strengthening of faith.
Special guests at the service included the Armenian Ambassador to
Britain, Dr Vahe Gabrielian, and the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire,
Henry Machin.
The khachkar was given to Holgate as a symbol of gratitude for the
support Britain gave to Armenia after a devastating earthquake in
1988, particularly the building of the Lord Byron School in Gumryi.
It was vandalised four years ago – possibly by football hooligans who
might have mistaken Armenia for Albania at the time of the Euro 2000
tournament.
But it has now been replaced at Holgate by another khachkar made by
the same stonemason in Armenia.
Holgate deputy head teacher Tina Brace said Armenia had a tragic past
and, in the last two decades, it had been ravaged by the earthquake,
war and economic collapse.
“But these setbacks have not crushed the spirit of the people, who
remain determined to overcome their difficulties,” she added.
Lillit Hovsepian, who was formerly a schoolteacher in Gumryi and now
lives in Moscow, also spoke at the service.
Tears filled her eyes as she recalled the death and devastation
wrought by the earthquake.
Before the Lord Byron School was built, pupils were having to be
taught in a tent with just a stove to keep them warm in freezing
winter weather.
The new school is so popular that, although it was built to cater for
400 pupils, it is teaching 1,400 children in three shifts from 8.30 am
to 6.30 pm from Mondays to Saturdays.
it was a “wonderful occasion” when Margaret Thatcher visited Armenia
to open the new school, said Lillit. She added: “The link with Holgate
has made us realise we are not alone in the world.”
During the service, which was conducted by rector the Rev Linda
Church, Shakeh Avanessian danced a Gumryi prayer and Haikuhy
Harutyunyan, of the Lord Byron School, sang the Lord’s Prayer in
Armenian.
The Holgate wind ensemble also took part and there were readings from
Newstead Abbey Byron Society chairman Ken Purslow and society member
PamelaLewis.
Wreaths were laid at Byron’s tomb by the Armenian Ambassador, the High
Sheriff, Shakeh, Haikuhy, Notts County Council chairman Coun Nellie
Smedley(Lab), Ashfield District Council chairman Coun May Barsby
(Lab),representatives of Holgate and Lord Byron schools, and Maureen
Crisp on behalf of the International Byron Society. There was also a
candle-lighting ceremony.
New name for community centre
HUCKNALL Community Centre – described as “the heartbeat of the town”
for nearly a century – has been given a new name.
A ceremony to rename the Ogle Street building as the Lovelace Centre
was the final event of the 2004 International Byron Festival.
The new name commemorates Byron’s daughter, Ada Lovelace, who was a
gifted mathematician and is regarded as ‘the mother of computers’.
The ceremony was to have been performed by former Labour leader and
ardent Byronist Michael Foot.
He could not be present because of an eye infection but sent his best
wishes for the continued success of the centre.
Deputising for him at the ceremony, Newstead Abbey Byron Society
chairman Ken Purslow paid a tribute to the foresight and courage of
those who had built the Godber Memorial Hall, as the centre was
originally known.
The hall was constructed by Thomas Fish and Son, of Nottingham, and
opened on November 16 1907 by the Duke and Duchess of Portland.
It was the brainchild of Canon John Hankin Godber, who sadly died
without seeing his dream realised.
Among rules drawn up by the management committee of the time were that
there should be no gambling, foul language, drunkenness, shouting or
noise of any kind on the staircases. The name of any offender was to
be fixed to a noticeboard.
A youth who threw stones at the front of the hall during the building
work received “the punishment he deserved” from his father.
Mr Purslow said the Byron Festival was a fine example of the key role
which the centre played in the life of Hucknall.
He went on: :”Byron and Ada are both powerful marketing names in their
own right. Hucknall is their spiritual home and it is right that we
should record and acknowledge their achievements.
“Every child, adolescent and adult is aware that we live in an age of
high tech and computers.
“The name of Ada is synonymous with these and the centre’s new name
has been chosen to reflect the times.”

Iran-Armenia gas supplies through pipe may increase
16.07.2004 12:02:00 GMT

Moscow. (Interfax) – The amount of gas being supplied to Armenia under
a bilateral agreement to build a pipeline between the two countries
may be increased by over 30% from 36 billion cubic meters to 47 bcm
during the 20-year contract term, Armenian Energy Minister Armen
Movsisian told journalists.
He said that initially the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline would pump 1.1
billion cubic meters of gas per year, which will increase to 2.3 bcm
at the end of the contract.
He also said that the contract might be extended by five years – from
20 to 25 years.
Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Farhad Koleini was quoted as
saying earlier that trade between Iran and Armenia arising from the
agreement to build and operate the pipeline will amount to $10 billion
over the next 20-25 years.
Armenia and Iran signed an agreement on May 13 for the construction of
a pipeline between the two countries. The pipeline is 141 km long,
inducing 41 km in Armenia and 100 km in Iran. The total cost of the
project is estimated at $210-$220 million.
Gas should start to arrive in Armenia from January 2007 and will be
used at Armenian thermal power plants to produce electricity for
export to Iran.

U.S. diplomat meets with Georgian government
Messenger,com.ge
Friday, July 16, 2004, #132 (0656)
Ambassador Steven Mann, the U.S. State Department’s Special Negotiator
for Eurasian Conflicts, met with senior Georgian officials on Thursday
to discuss ways to reduce the tensions in the conflict region of South
Ossetia.
Ambassador Mann is also the Senior Advisor on Caspian Basin Energy
Diplomacy. According to a press release from the U.S. Embassy,
Ambassador Mann serves as a catalyst between governments, industry and
in some cases NGOs, to achieve specific milestones to forward the goal
of creating an East-West energy corridor from the Caspian to the
Mediterranean.
While in Tbilisi, the embassy states, Ambassador Mann may also have
meetings regarding the BTC pipeline.
Ambassador Mann arrived in Tbilisi from Armenia and will be traveling
to Azerbaijan to continue discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. He is the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE’s Minsk Group dedicated
to resolving that conflict.

Paris Club to decide Georgia debts
By M. Alkhazashvili
messenger.com.ge
Friday, July 16, 2004, #132 (0656)
The Ministry of Finance is trying hard to reschedule Georgia’s
external debts. Minister Zurab Noghaideli is in Paris where the issue
of restructuring Georgian debts is to be decided Thursday. The Paris
Club agreed to reexamine the issue after the IMF renewed its programs
with Georgia in early June.
Considering that on January 30, 2004 Georgia’s external debt was USD
1.851 billion, the structure of repaying these debts is a major issue
for the new government.
Servicing this debts is a huge burden for the Georgia’s economy. This
year GEL 189 million have been allocated for debt repayments. From
this amount GEL 88.3 million is for covering interests whereas GEL 101
million goes to pay off the principle as well.
The government hopes that the Paris Club will be positive and give the
Georgian budget serious relief. Georgia has 15 creditor countries and
Georgia owes to them USD 751 million. The remaining debt goes to
international financial organizations and most of them are long term
credits whose restructuring is not yet on the agenda.
In Paris, Noghaidelli will try to persuade the governments of
Azerbaijan, Armenia, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Austria, Russia, Turkey,
United States and Netherlands to restructure Georgia’s debts. The
restructuring concerns the amounts to be paid over 2003-2004 and
equals more than USD 196 million.
Georgia approached Paris Club first in 1999. It was decided then that
a restructuring would be allowed for debts taken before November 1999;
this included debts to CIS countries, Austria, Turkey, Iran, China,
Netherlands and United States. During the two years of the
consolidation period 2001-2003 Georgia was in fact free from
payment. The amount accumulated during the consolidation period is
payable from 2005.
Out of debts to individual governments, Georgia’s biggest creditor is
Turkmenistan. These debts were accumulated mainly in 1993-1994 for
consumed natural gas. According to the 1996 agreement, the debt was
fixed at USD 393.5 million. Turkmenistan has not agree to restructure
the debts but on the other hand it agrees to receive payment in
kind. Several Georgian enterprises are supplying Turkmenistan with
their products or services. Until today, these enterprises have
already covered USD 151.9 million in principle and USD 28.9 million in
penalties. For these activities, the enterprises covering Georgia’s
debts are paid back by the Georgian budget through the special
schedule.
In terms of Georgia’s international standing, the positive judgment of
the Paris Club will do a great deal to alleviate the country’s debt
burden. Meeting under the auspices of the World Bank and the European
Commission in June, international donors from 31 countries and 12
organizations, noted that “solid progress is expected to be made in
the July Paris Club meeting.” Without further restructuring of
Georgia’s external debt through the Paris Club, the donors stated,
“viability in public finances would not be possible.”

KARABAGH CEC TO USE MOBILE VOTING FACILITY
STEPANAKERT, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: Ahead of August 8 elections to
local self-government bodies of Nagorno Karabagh local authorities
have taken a decision to use a mobile voting facility for physically
disabled and those who cannot come to the polling station for other
valid reasons. Under the decision at least two members of the polling
station commission and one observer should administer mobile voting
jointly within the geographical territory covered by a polling
station.
The decision to use mobile voting facility was announced July 15 by
Sergey Davtian, the chairman of Karabagh Central Election Commission
(CEC), who warned the CEC members against campaigning in favor of a
candidate and expressed hope that the polls will be conducted in a
transparent atmosphere.
Armenpress correspondent in Nagorno Karabagh also reported, citinga
report by local prosecutors that the number of crimes decreased by 54
in the first six months of the year making 281 against 335 of last
year’s same time span. But according to the report, concurrently the
number of grave crimes rose. The prosecutors also succeeded in
bringing to the net some 100 people engaged in business and collected
2.5 million drams in penalties.

NEW BUILDING OF YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY BEING BUILT
YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: Some 1,500 students of the Yerevan
State University majoring in linguistics, philosophy, psychology and
journalism will have their classes in a new building of the University
the construction of which is supposed to be completed in 2005,
according to the schedule. The cost of the new building is $1.5
million, 25 percent of which was provided by benefactors, 35 percent
by the government and the rest were the funds of the University.
The new three-storey building occupies 5,000 square meters and will
comply with all requirements for students majoring in Humanities.
In another education-related development, Bishop Abraham Mkrtchian,
the prelate of the Syunik diocese of the Armenian church, told
Armenpress that the construction of Gitelik (Knowledge) University in
Yeghegnadzor, the regional center of Vayots Dzor province, is ending
and soon it will enroll students to major in 8 departments.

Azeri Diplomat Refutes Russian Co-chairs Statement
Baku Today 16/07/2004 17:20
A top Azeri diplomat on Thursday voiced protest against the idea of
involving the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh into the
peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Russian co-chairman of the Minsk group of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Yuri Merzlyakov, had said
while in Yerevan a few days ago that Nagorno-Karabakh’s participation
in the talks could contribute to finding a peace.
`Russia and other co-chairs of the Minsk Group should act under
theOSCE mandate, which doesn’t envision the participation of the
Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations,’ Ramiz
Novruzov, head of the International Relations Department at the
Presidential Apparatus, told reporters, according to Assa-Irada news
agency.
Novruzov added that the Armenian community may take part in the talks
only if the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh is also involved
in the negotiations.
The Azeri diplomat also refuted a statement by Merzlyakov that the
Nagono-Karabakh Armenians signed have the May 1994 cease-fire
agreement along with Azerbaijan and Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
“YERKIR”, UNION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
FOR REPATRIATION AND SETTLEMENT
Bagramyan ave., ap. 47/A, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel. +(374 1) 26 28 75
Web:
Contact: Robert Tatoyan, [email protected]
YERKIR
Union of Non-Governmental Organizations for repatriation and settlement
presents the schedule of grand opening ceremonies of its 2004 projects in
Armenia
(July-September, 2004)
DATE July 28
PROJECT Kindergarten
COMMUNITY MKR Nor Shahoumian Region, Yeghegnout
SPONSOR ARF Patanekan (Canada)
DATE August 15
PROJECT Kindergarten-Dance & Music School Complex
COMMUNITY RA Davoush Region, Chinari
SPONSOR Alen Gragirian (USA)
DATE August 18
PROJECT 5 single family homes
COMMUNITY MKR Hadrout Region, Haykavan
SPONSOR Armenian American Nurses Association,
Anadolian Family,
A group of LA Armenians,
Mr. & Mrs. Apo and Rose
Saghtejian,
Patyl Aposhian & Family (USA)
DATE August 18
PROJECT Clinic-Community Center
COMMUNITY MKR Hadrout Region, Haykavan
SPONSOR William So and Astghik Dadrian of
Newport Beach, California
DATE August 20
PROJECT School
COMMUNITY RA Geghargounik Region, Aregouni
SPONSOR United Armenian Students (USA)
DATE August 23
PROJECT Medical center
COMMUNITY MKR Hadrout Region, Norashen
SPONSOR Ara Aharonyan, AGBU France
DATE September 3
PROJECT 10 single family homes and School
COMMUNITY MKR Nor Shahoumian Region, Knaravan
SPONSOR Haroutiounian Family (New Jersey, USA)
DATE September 10
PROJECT School
COMMUNITY MKR Hadrout Region, Haykavan
SPONSOR Armenian American Council on Aging
(USA)
DATE September 13
PROJECT Kindergarten
COMMUNITY MKR Martakert Region, Talish
SPONSOR D.A. Connexion & France Karabagh
(France)
DATE September 15
PROJECT School
COMMUNITY MKR Hadrout Region, Tsamtsor
SPONSOR Armenia Fund (Geneva, Switzerland)
On June 1st, 2004, The MKR southern Hadrout Region community of Araler,
witnessed the grand opening of its new hospital, another Yerkir UNGO
project, sponsored by the Hayrenik Union of Los Angeles, USA.
Construction on the following projects will be completed by December 2004:
– 3 single family homes in Araler, Hadrout Region, MKR. Sponsor:
Charles Ghazerian, France.
– Water Distribution System in Araler, Hadrout Region, MKR.
Sponsor: Hayrenik Union, Los Angeles, USA.
– 10 single family homes and water distribution system in
Saralanch, Hadrout Region, MKR. Sponsor: France Karabagh and Amitie
Alsace-Armenie (France)
– 3 single family homes in Norashen, Hadrout Region, MKR. Sponsor:
AGBU.
– 5 single family homes and Clinic-Community Center, Knaravan, Nor
Shahoumian Region, MKR.
Sponsor: Haroutiounian Family, New Jersey, USA.
Yerkir UNGO invites all its sponsors and all those interested, to attend the
formal opening ceremonies of our 2004 projects. For further information
visit or call the Yerevan office at 01-262875, or “Yerkir
USA”‘s homepage at or 818-291-9703.