The Journal News.com, NY
June 23 2004
Team USA brings message to Yonkers
By CHRISTOPHER HUNT
YONKERS – Ron Siler remembered it – the small, hot gym. The walls
covered in fight mottos and pictures of former champions. He could
remember the musty smell of sweat.
He smiled when he thought of it. He had been there. He was much like
the kids that now looked at him like a rock star but probably didn’t
know his name.
But his warmup jacket read “USA Boxing.” That was enough.
Siler, along with the rest of the U.S. Olympic boxing team, visited
the Yonkers Police Athletic League yesterday to give youngsters hope
that success is attainable.
“I’ve probably seen the same things they’ve seen,” said Siler, a
flyweight (112 pounds). “I hope that by us coming here and
representing the United States, that’ll hopefully have a positive
effect on them that they can make it.”
Siler, 24, has four children and remembers growing up on the streets
of Knoxville, Tenn. He thought his experience could help the younger
boxers relate to him, and that his message would be clear.
“If you have dreams, stick to them,” he said. “As long as you stay
positive, you’ll make it in something.”
Vanes Martirosyan (152) stood in a corner after signing autographs,
telling the teen-agers surrounding him to stay focused. He fielded
questions about training and fighting but forced in reminders about
not quitting.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from,” said Martirosyan, who was born
in Armenia but moved to Glendale, Calif., when he was 4 and started
boxing at 7.
“If you want to be the best, you can be the best.”
Chazz McDowell, a 14-year-old fighter who started boxing at 8, asked
Martirosyan how many rounds he fought and if he had to run as part of
training.
“I hate running,” McDowell said, but he listened when Martirosyan
stressed its importance.
USA Boxing president John Woluewich of New Rochelle thought it would
be beneficial for the kids to see athletes with similar backgrounds.
“I wanted to show them that they can reach their dreams the same way
these guys did,” Woluewich said.
Sal Corrente, who runs the PAL boxing program, echoed the idea.
“A lot of these guys come from really bad neighborhoods and (the
kids) see guys like them who go on and make a name for themselves,”
he said.
Two-time Golden Gloves champ Angel Torres (125) worked out alongside
a few of the boxers and said seeing the Olympians motivates him to do
better.
“Most of those guys come off the streets like me, so I’m glad to see
them doing well,” said Torres, a 20-year old from Yonkers who lost in
the semifinals at the Eastern trials.
With the American flag painted onto his white Nikes, Andre Direll sat
on the edge of the ring happy to sign posters for kids who ran into
the gym after playing basketball.
Direll was raised by his grandparents in Flint, Mich., and used
boxing to stay out of trouble. His grandfather brought him to the gym
as a 10-year-old.
“I kept trying to quit,” Direll said. “But he just kept making me go
to the gym.”
Direll said his grandfather always provided him with encouraging
words and thinks that is what kids need to succeed.
“It’s always a boost of confidence to know I’m showing kids that
there’s more to do than hang out on the street,” he said. “I like to
know I have more fans.”
Still, the parting words that Martirosyan gave to the young, aspiring
boxers in the corner summed up the message of hope.
“See you in the future,” he said as he walked away.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 23 2004
Azeri Foreign Ministry Refutes Parliamentary Speaker’s Statement
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted a statement by the
parliamentary speaker, Murtuz Aleskerov, that Armenian officers
arrived in Baku secretly, ANS reported on Wednesday.
The ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov had made a
statement about the Armenians’ expected visit three days before the
Baku-hosted planning conference for NATO’s `Cooperative Best
Effort-2004′ military exercises began on Tuesday.
The exercises are planned to be held in Azerbaijan in September.
The arrival of the Armenian officers, Colonel Murad Isakhanyan and
Senior Lieutenant Aram Hovhanesian, caused outcry among ordinary
Azeri citizens, with a group of activists from Karabakh Liberation
Organization breaking into the hall of Baku’s Europe hotel where the
planning conference was taking place. As a result, the work of the
conference stopped for about ten minutes.
Reinforced police forces eventually forced the protestors out of the
hotel, arresting 12 people, including the KLO chairman Akif Naghi.
Police said a criminal case has been filed into five of the detainees
who are accused of hooliganism.

MOSNEWS, Russia
June 23 2004
Journalist Sues Russian Pop Idol Over Public Outburst
Russian pop star Filipp Kirkorov is being sued by Irina Aroyan, a
Russian journalist whom he had insulted at a press conference in the
South Russian city of Rostrov-on-Don. The preliminary consultation in
the process is scheduled for June 29 and the hearings are to start on
July 5.
Aroyan filed a suit under the article 130 part 2 of the Russian
Criminal Code which stipulates responsibility for insults and
degrading someone’s honor and dignity. The journalist is seeking a
punishment in the form of correctional labor – if sentenced, 20
percent of the singer’s income will be confiscated by the state for a
certain period of time.
The legal move was caused by Kirkorov’s behaviour at a press
conference in Rostov-on-Don on May 20. `Gazeta Dona’ journalist Irina
Aroyan asked Kirkorov why he has recorded so many cover versions
lately, wondering if he had a shortage of original material. Kirkorov
responded with a string of obscenities. Among other things, he
questioned Aroyan’s professionalism, said that he was `sick of [her]
pink sweater,’ made sexually suggestive comments, and made fun of her
Armenian accent, telling her that she should `learn to speak Russian’
before coming to press conferences with stars. He then ordered her to
leave the hall.
According to Aroyan, she was then cornered and threatened by two of
Kirkorov’s bodyguards who broke her camera and promised to `shut her
mouth’.
After the story appeared in the Russian media (first hitting Internet
news sites and then spreading to television and the paper press). The
New-York based Russian language newspaper Novoye Russkoye Slovo
published a report of a concert in New York City’s Radio City Music
Hall which Kirkorov had been hosting.
According to the paper, Kirkorov repeatedly voiced provocative and
insulting remarks, many of them of an anti-Semitic character. When
the world-famous philanthropist Dr. Ruth Westheimer came on the stage
to greet the performers, Kirkorov made some sexually explicit
remarks. When the US senator Chuck Schumer presented his speech to
the Russian-speaking population of the city, Kirkorov kept talking
simultaneously with him, pretending to translate the words of the
politician but instead commenting suggestively about women he could
see among the audience.
Novoye Russkoye Slovo writes that top boxing brothers Vitaly and
Vladimir Klichko had to interfere to silence the showman.
Filipp Kirkorov is one of Russia’s highest-profile pop stars and the
husband of the legendary singer Alla Pugacheva. He has long had a
scandalous reputation for arrogant behavior and has had a number of
run-ins with journalists, but he has always come out with his
popularity intact.

Bellona, UK
June 23 2004
EU is freezing 100m euros of aid to Armenia after refusal to shut
down its nuclear plant.
“Our position of principle is that nuclear power plants should not be
built in highly active seismic zones.”
It was said by Alexis Loeber, head of the EU’s delegation in Armenia,
BBC reported. The European Union, as part of its general policy
seeking the closure of elderly nuclear plants constructed in
territories of the former Soviet Union, agreed to give the grant aid
($122m) to Armenia for finding alternative energy sources and for
helping with decommissioning costs at the plant. In return, the
government in Yerevan would commit to a definite date for the plant’s
closure. “We cannot force Armenia to close the plant,” says the EU’s
Mr Loeber. “We feel that should definitely be well in advance of the
end of Metsamor’s design lifecycle in 2016.” The Metsamor plant has
no secondary containment facilities, a safety requirement of all
modern reactors, BBC reported.
Another concern is that due to border and railway closures with
surrounding territories, nuclear material to feed the plant is flown
into Armenia from Russia. “It is the same as flying around a
potential nuclear bomb,” says Mr Loeber. “It’s an extremely hazardous
exercise.” Areg Galstyan, the country’s deputy minister of power,
says $50m has been spent on upgrading safety at Metsamor. “It was a
big mistake to shut the plant in 1988,” says Mr Galstyan. “It created
an energy crisis and the people and economy suffered. Electricity
industry specialists say that due to the expansion and updating of
existing thermal and hydro-energy plants, the country has become an
electricity exporter in recent years. A major new power source will
come on stream in 2006 when a pipeline supplying gas from
neighbouring Iran is due to be completed, BBC reported.
At the same time PACE prepared four documents urging to close the
station. Despite some calls of international organizations to close
the station, the Armenian government did not respond to them.
European Union many times suggested Armenia to close Metsamor but
Armenia rejected them. As a result, European Union had to impose an
economic sanction on Armenia by refusing to allocate $100 million.
the
Armenian Trade Minister Chshmaritian reiterated Yerevan’s rejection
of the offer, saying that as much as $1 billion is needed for safely
shutting down Metsamor safely and putting in place an alternative
source of inexpensive energy. He added the Armenia-EU body decided to
set up a working group that will look into the issue in detail and
present its findings by the end of this year, Baku Today reports.
The Metsamor Nuclear Power plant produced 1.9 billion kilowatt hours
of electricity in 2003, or 36 percent of the total generation of
electricity in Armenia. ZAO Inter RAO UES, a subsidiary of Russia’s
Unified Energy System, and Armenia signed a contract in September
2003 to hand over trust management of the plant to Inter RAO UES.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 23 2004
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MEETS MEMBERS OF MM’S DELEGATION TO PABSEC
[June 23, 2004, 20:01:08]
Ambassador of Israel to Azerbaijan Eytan Naye met members of the
Milli Majlis /MM/ delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of the
Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation /PABSEC/.
Deputy Chair of the MM Standing Commission on Regional Affairs, Chair
of the PABSEC Committee on Cultural Affairs Shaiddin Aliyev informed
the Ambassador on the recent Assembly meeting in Jerusalem, and
pointed out its importance for the two countries. Touching upon our
country’s position in the region, Shaiddin Aliyev told of the
problems caused by the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands, role
of international structures and parliaments, as well as Diaspora
organizations in the settlement of the conflict.
Deputy Chair of the MM Standing Commission on Economic Policy Ali
Alirzayev noted the importance of expanding inter-parliamentary
cooperation and stressed Azerbaijan’s interest in development of
links with Israel.
Ambassador Eytan Naye noted that his country shows particular
interest in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan. He also announced
that the Speaker of Israeli Parliament had sent to the Milli Majlis
Chairman a letter inviting its parliamentary delegation to visit
Jerusalem.
During the meeting, a number of other issues of mutual interest were
discussed, as well.

Eurasianet Organization
June 23 2004
GEORGIA’S TREATMENT OF AZERI MINORITY RAISES CONCERNS
Fariz Ismailzade: 6/23/04
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent summit meeting with
President Mikheil Saakashvili took place amidst growing reports of
official harassment of Georgia’s Azeri minority, the country’s second
largest ethnic group. Promises made by Saakashvili to improve living
conditions for these Azerbaijanis have not been fulfilled, community
leaders say. The controversy comes as Saakashvili’s corruption
crackdown zeroes in on ethnic Azeri traders in the southern
Kvemo-Kartli region who are suspected of running smuggling operations
into Azerbaijan.
On May 25 more than 400 ethnic Azeris gathered in the district of
Marneuli to protest what they claim is an ongoing campaign of
repression by Kvemo-Kartli’s governor, Soso Mazmishvili, a member of
Saakashvili’s ruling National Movement bloc. Kvemo-Kartli contains
most of Georgia’s 500,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis, who work primarily as
rural laborers.
Protestors said that Saakashvili’s campaign promises that they would
see significant improvements in their living conditions have led to
little change since the reform leader was elected president in
January. Power sharing has yet to occur, they say.
“Azerbaijanis are forced out of their jobs and new people, who belong
to the ruling clan, are appointed. It does not make a difference if
these new people can work or not,” said Alibala Askerov, the head of
the national movement “Geyrat” (Honor). “Thus, the new regime is
trying to make a full change at all of the levels of the governmental
hierarchy and Mazmishvilli is in charge of this process in
Kvemo-Kartli.”
Land distribution drives concerns in this regard. More than 70
percent of local Azeris still are not able to privatize or rent plots
of land. Locals say that Georgian authorities disproportionately
favor Georgian farmers in land privatization, thus leaving ethnic
Azerbaijanis without land or forcing them to rent it from Georgian
farmers at high prices.
Resentment at land privatization has been simmering in Kvemo-Kartli
since ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze’s time, but a more recent
government policy has fanned the flames higher. As part of the
anti-corruption campaign, security and police forces in early June
raided the houses of several Azerbaijani businessmen in Kvemo-Kartli
region and arrested them on charges of trans-border smuggling. Trade
in agricultural products is the main source of income for Azeris
living on both sides of the border.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani media is expressing worries about the
situation in Georgia. Analysts in Baku often see Saakashvili as less
sympathetic to Azeri Georgians than his predecessor and more intent
on using nationalism to bolster Georgian morale. On June 8, the
independent daily Zerkalo warned that the ethnic tensions in
Kvemo-Kartli region paralleled those that had occurred in Armenia in
1988 prior to the start of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, a conflict that
left some 200,000 Azerbaijanis refugees. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. Other media outlets have speculated that
continued discrimination against ethnic Azerbaijanis in Georgia could
lead to a flood of refugees crossing into Azerbaijan.
Both Azerbaijan and Georgia have rushed to deny reports in the
Azerbaijani media of increased discrimination against ethnic
Azerbaijanis in Georgia and to dispel rumors, reported in the
Azerbaijani media, that a border checkpoint has been closed.
Embassies of both countries have released statements asserting that
the arrests were only intended to combat smuggling and have no
relationship with ethnic discrimination.
Instead, both countries are resolutely pushing friendship as their
official line. Since Saakashvili came to office in November 2003,
bilateral trade between Georgia and Azerbaijan has tripled to an
estimated $106 million, and plans to slash railroad freight fees and
construct a proposed $700-800 million railroad from Azerbaijan to
Turkey via Georgia could eventually boost that figure higher.
Saakashvili and Aliyev have also agreed to expand the two countries’
joint energy projects, a potentially lucrative field currently
dominated by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhran oil pipeline, scheduled for
completion in 2006, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas
pipeline, scheduled for construction in 2004.[For background see the
EurasiaNet archive].
Official Azerbaijani media outlets and Georgian media appear to have
skirted the issue of ethnic Azeri complaints altogether in their
reports of a June 16 visit to Marneuli by President Aliyev to meet
with representatives of Georgia’s Azerbaijani population. “[T]he warm
brotherly relationship established between Presidents Ilham Aliyev
and Mikhail Saakashvili is a graphic evidence of [the] inviolability
of the Azerbaijani-Georgia relation,” the official news agency
AzerTag reported about the event.
Editor’s Note: Fariz Ismailzade is a freelance writer on Caucasus
geopolitics and economics based in Baku.

Internews
June 23 2004
Internews Armenia Produces a Radio Show to Investigate Citizen
Concerns
(June 23, 2004) Twelve-year old Margarita did not imagine she could
lose her eyesight when she bought a bottle of mineral water last
summer, but when the bottle exploded on her way home her eyes were
permanently damaged. Her family was not compensated when they filed a
lawsuit against the mineral water company, but when their story
became the subject of a radio story on Internews Armenia’s new
program `Aniv Radio Investigation,’ radio stations that aired the
program received a flood of feedback from listeners.
Radio producer Robert Balayan from station Interkap, Vanadzor said,
`We had lots of phone calls from our audience. They insisted that the
problems of our city should be covered as well.’
`Aniv Investigation’ was inspired by Internews Armenia production
manager Harutyun Mansuryan’s desire to expand the format of two other
popular shows, `Aniv Talk Show’ and `Aniv Radio Hour.’ `We constantly
came across striking and impressive stories that we couldn’t explore
to the end because the program format didn’t allow us.’
`Aniv Investigation’ is produced by the Internews team and
freelancers. Other topics have included the safety of dairy products
in Armenia, the issue of adoption, and the suicide of a prisoner
accused of the October 1999 assassinations in the parliament.
Internews Armenia is funded by grants from the United States Agency
for International Development.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 22 2004
SPEECH BY ILHAM ALIYEV, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN
[June 22, 2004, 18:14:47]
Esteemed Mr. President,
Dear guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I do extend my cordial greeting to you once again and wish you
welcomed here.
Today, a new page is being opened in the relations between the
Republic of Azerbaijan and the Hellenic Republic. Useful political
dialogue is being held. Relations are developing fast. We want these
relations would cover all areas.
Dear Mr. President, I highly appreciate your official visit to
Azerbaijan and I am confident that this visit will pave ground for a
new level of relationship between our countries. It goes without
saying that the conducted discussions and meetings will define new
areas for mutual activities and contribute to the further expansion
of the relation in future.
Expansion and the development of relations between our countries in
political, economic, humanitarian, cultural and tourism fields are of
paramount importance. I wish to express my hope that the ties to be
established between Greek businessmen and Azerbaijani entrepreneurs
during the Greek-Azerbaijani business Forum will give an impetus to
our cooperation. Relationship will strengthen after your visit.
Today, Azerbaijani State continues the foreign and home policy
founded by the national leader Heydar Aliyev. From this points of
view the integration of Azerbaijan into the Europe and Euro-Atlantic
structures, to the international organizations has an important
place.
Thanks to the wise policy of Heydar Aliyev, today Azerbaijan takes
its well-deserved place in the world. Our country is the member of
Council of Europe and successfully cooperates with the NATO in the
framework of “Partnership for Peace” program and with the European
and Euro-Atlantic structures. Azerbaijan has been included into the
EU ” Wider Europe and neighbors” policy.
Today, the biggest energy projects of the world are being implemented
in Azerbaijan. The transportation of the energy resources from the
Caspian basin to the West, implementation of TRACECA Program, the
restoration of the Great Silk Road, the projects like the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline
are wonderful examples to this. After the implementation of these
projects a new stage of integration into Europe and the development
in Azerbaijan, as well as the countries of the region will start. The
operation of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline will significantly
expand Azerbaijan-Greek relations. This pipeline will not only make
our countries to prosper, but it will also have a positive impact on
their relationship.
Azerbaijan is closely co-operating with all the countries of the
region. Only Armenia has isolated itself from such co-operation. As a
result of military aggression of this country, 20% of our lands has
been occupied, more than 1 million refugees and internally displaced
people were ousted from their native places. Four UN Security Council
Resolutions and OSCE decisions regarding the conflict remain
unfulfilled. The Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict must
be solved soon based upon the international law norms and the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored.
It is with pleasure I wish to note that the Olympic games in the
current year will be held in its historic Motherland-Greece.
Azerbaijani sportsmen, as well as people form cultural and artistic
communities are having special preparation for this noble event.
Esteemed Mr. President, once again I want to express that I do attach
a high importance to your official visit to the Republic of
Azerbaijani and wish you good health and permanent development and
prosperity to your country. I raise my glass, Mr. President to You,
to the development of sincere friendship and mutually beneficial
relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Hellenic
Republic.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 22 2004
SPEECH BY KONSTANTIONOS STEPHANAPOULOS, PRESIDENT OF GREECE
[June 22, 2004, 18:15:18]
Mr. President,
I thank you very much for your kind words and I would like to assure
you of my hearty feelings that reflect the feelings of the Greek
people for the people of Azerbaijan. I would also like to thank you
warmly for the cordial hospitality you extended to all of us, your
Greek guests participating at the first state visit by a Greek
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
There had been contacts between Greek and the population of this
region in Antiquity. However, today’s relations are all the more so
important; we must serve them in a spirit of confidence in the value
of our friendship. Permit me to remind that Greece hailed the
independence of Azerbaijan as early as 1991 and forthwith established
diplomatic relations with the then new country of yours.
Today’s talks corroborated the conviction of how necessary is our
cooperation as well as the fostering of a climate of mutual respect
and trust, which will help our bilateral cooperation move forward in
all fields.
Greece opened its Embassy in Baku as early as 1993, which does
reflect the importance we attach to the development of our relations
with your country. Its operation gave a strong impetus to the
progress of Greek-Azeri relations.
I take the opportunity to say how delighted we are with your
decision, adopted by the Azeri Parliament, to open an Embassy in
Athens soon; the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Athens will constitute a
live connection between Athens and Baku.
Mr. President,
In the context of this visit, it was deemed constructive to set up a
business meeting, which aims at further expanding the existing good
economic relations between Greece and Azerbaijan. Our delegation is
thus composed also of a group of prominent Greek businessmen who are
currently exploring the prospects of further cooperation in various
sectors of the economy and trade. We trust their presence here and
their contacts with their Azeri counterparts will further enhance our
economic relations.
The success of this visit in the economic field is underscored by the
signing of three very important economic bilateral agreements that
constitute the springboard for further growth of business and
investment activities.
Our relations in the energy sector are already close and I am
confident that in the near dimension will e added thanks to the
forthcoming cooperation involving the energy corridor linking
Azerbaijan with Western Europe. This link will strengthen even more
the geo-strategic and geo-economic position of your country standing
between Europe and Asia.
I would also like to welcome good progress in our cultural relations.
The implementation of the first Program of Cultural Exchange in the
framework of the Educational Agreement of 1994 ushered in an ear of
exchange in the field of cultural activities.
Cooperation between our universities is of paramount importance. This
cooperation is taking shape in the form of agreement between Greek
and Azeri Higher Education Institutions that have already been signed
or are to e signed soon.
Part of these efforts is the foundation of the Center of Modern Greek
Language and Civilization in the local Slavic University that will be
inaugurated tomorrow, in conjunction with a scholarship program
granted by the Greek government.
Mr. President,
The recent enlargement of the Europe Union constitutes a historical
leap forward for the entire European Continent; Greece specifically
welcomed the integration of Cyprus among the European family.
Said enlargement constitutes a unique opportunity for further
promoting the relations of the Union with its neighbors to the East
as well as to the South. In fact, the acknowledgement that, in the
wake of the enlargement, closer cooperation with its new neighbors
would be more than necessary, recently led the Europe Union to the
adoption of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). The ultimate goal
of said policy is strengthening cooperation between the European
Union and the new neighbors in the fields of political dialogue of
trade and the internal market, of justice and home affairs as well as
in other sectors.
We are particularly pleased that a few days ago the European Council,
on the basis of a Greek proposal submitted under Greek Presidency,
decided to admit Azerbaijan in the European Neighborhood Policy. This
is the vindication of a Greek policy since our country has always
held the position that all three countries of the Caucasus must
become part of this policy as soon as possible end, in fact, at the
same time.
May I also remind that the decision to appoint a Special
Representative of the European Union for Southern Caucasus and to
launch the energy dialogue with Azerbaijan was also made under Greek
Presidency.
Mr. President,
Greece follows with particular interest the course of your country
and encourages every efforts in the direction of promoting political
and economic reform and strengthening democratic institutions and the
rule of law.
My country wholeheartedly supported the accession of Azerbaijan to
the Council of Europe that took place in 2001.
Greece considers existing cooperation in International Organizations
as very satisfactory. I take this opportunity to thank Azerbaijan for
having supported the Greek candidacy for the United Nations Security
Council for the period 2005-2006.
Greece attaches great importance to the initiatives undertaken by the
Azeri government to achieve a political settlement for the Nagorny
Karabakh problem. My country, as well as the Europe Union, supports
the direct negotiations between the President of Azerbaijan and
Armenia as well as the mediation efforts of the Minsk group in order
to achieve a just and viable solution of this issue. To this end it
is necessary to respect the International Law and to refrain from any
action that could endanger peace in the region.
Mr. President,
Greece considers southeastern Europe among the top priorities of its
foreign policy. We strive to enhance relations with neighboring
countries on a bilateral and a multilateral basis, aiming at securing
and maintaining pace in the region. A region that, unfortunately, is
not free of all risk of a flare up. We believe that the firm decision
of the countries of southeastern Europe to join the Europe Union and
NATO contributes to strengthening peace and cooperation in the region
as well as to the prosperity of its peoples. Greece does its utmost
to assist them in their European path; my country’s genuine interest
for its region, the Balkans, has been reflects, as we all known, at
the Saloniki Summit (21 June 2003) that put Western Balkans on the
road of accession to the European Union.
Our country also pursues its initiatives and efforts to improve
Greek-Turkish relations through cooperation in issues of common
interest. We aspire through cooperation in issues of common interest.
We aspire to more Greek-Turkish relations into a framework of good
neighborly relations governed by the rules of international law. We
hope that the sincere governed by the rules of international law. We
hope that the sincere aspiration of ours will be reciprocated by our
neighbor in the same earnest spirit. The recent visit by Prime
Minister Erdogan in Athens strengthened our hope as well as
willingness of the two countries to cooperate.
Mr. President,
The outcome of the referendum in Cyprus reflects the quasi-unanimous
conviction of Greek Cypriots that the Plan they were called the
evaluate neither secured the balance between the two Communities not
provided the necessary guarantees for the future evaluation of their
relations. I should like to assure you that Cyprus, like Greece, are
earnestly committed to achieving the reunification of the islands
through a just and functional settlement on the basis of the plan of
the United Nations Secretary General and in the context of the
Community acquis and of the fundamental principles of the Europe
Union. The accession of Cyprus has ushered in a new dynamism in view
to the forthcoming settlement of the Cyprus issue. What remains to e
done are some essential clarifications and improvements of the Plan
of the Secretary General of the United Nations that will benefit both
sides.
In concluding, may I dwell on the top global athletic event, the
Olympic Games and Greece will showcase to the world in two months,
with knowledge-legacy of our history-and with rightful pride. We
aspire to host Games that will be characterized y the quality of
organization and the sense of measure. We are doing whatever is
humanly possible in this direction and we are confident that in this
effort we will be successful. We also hope that the ideal of the
Olympic Truce during the Games, an idea revived from Antiquity, will
solidify peace and cooperation between peoples.
Mr. President,
I trust that our talks today will constitute a solid foundation for
further developing relations and deepening the cooperation between
our countries. It is in this spirit that I would like to thank you
again for your warm hospitality and raise my glass to propose a toast
wishing health and happiness to you and your wife as well as progress
and prosperity to the friendly people of Azerbaijan.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 22 2004
PACE SUMMER SESSION STARTED
[June 22, 2004, 19:32:46]
Head of Azerbaijan delegation made report on activity of the PACE
Bureau at the session
As the correspondent of AzerTAj reported, the group of deputies
headed by the head of delegation of Azerbaijan in Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, chairman of standing commission of
Milli Majlis on international relations and inter-parliamentary links
Samad Seyidov has arrived in the city of Strasbourg to take part in
summer session of the structure.
The summer session of pace commenced on June 21. In first half of
day, session of the Bureau of structure and assembly has taken place
in political groups. At session of the Bureau the agenda of session
has been finally discussed, the exchange of opinions on participation
of the Turkish community of Cyprus in the PACE both in its committees
and on other questions has taken place. The member of Bureau Samad
Seyidov in discussion of the Cyprian question has supported the
position of brotherly Turkey.
In the second half of day, the agenda of session was approved. It
includes: “Euro and the expanded Europe”, “Elections on the post of
the Secretary General of the Council of Europe”, “Observation by
Turkey of the obligations “, ” Fulfillment by Turkey of decisions of
the European Court on human rights”, “Contribution of the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the development of Central
and Eastern Europe”, “Fulfillment by Bosnia and Herzegovina of the
obligations; evolution and further development of democratic
institutes in this country”, “Role of women in conflict preventing
and settlement of conflicts”, “Possible monopolies of electronic
media in Italy and malfeasance”, “All-European interdiction of
corporal punishment of children”, “Position of refugees and IDPs in
the Russian Federation and a number of CIS countries”, “Water
resources management in Europe” and other questions.
At session, MP Samad Seyidov has made report on the work done, since
April session by the Bureau before the summer session. The Azerbaijan
deputy has in detail informed on the next assembly of chairmen of the
European parliaments, carried out by PACE on May 17-19 in Strasbourg,
about the meetings of chairmen of parliaments of Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Armenia with participation of chairman the PACE held within the
framework of this action,. Having touched the resolution adopted by
Assembly at the April session on performance of obligations by
Armenia, Samad Seyidov has noted, that in this question the structure
has given Armenia time until the fall session.
Then, the deputy has noted the work done by the Bureau in connection
with results of monitoring in Latvia, destiny of missing in Belarus,
cooperation with Kazakhstan, judgment on death penalty to the
Bulgarian doctors in Libya, presidential elections conducted in
Ukraine in October.
The report of the Azerbaijan deputy on activity of the Bureau of
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe testifies to high
trust to our country and growth of its image in the structure.
At the session, President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan is expected to
make speech before the deputies about situation in his country.
The Session continues its work.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress