Soloist has warm feelings for Siberia
By Richard Dyer, Globe Staff | June 18, 2004
Boston Globe, MA
June 18 2004
Tonight is Armenian Night at the Boston Pops, and conductor Bruce
Hangen’s program is called “Classic Pops” — it includes the
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Hangen will present an unusual soloist,
Mikhail Simonyan, now 18.
Born to Russian and Armenian parents in Novosibirsk, Simonyan began
to play the violin at 5. (Evidently that’s one of the things children
in Novosibirsk enjoy doing: Two of today’s leading soloists on the
instrument, Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin, as well as Ilya
Konovalov, concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic, grew up in the
Siberian city.)
At 13, Simonyan became a sensation in Russia and in New York in the
demanding First Concerto by the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. An
American sponsor brought him to Philadelphia to study at the Curtis
Institute of Music; more recently, successful businessmen based in
Novosibirsk have supported him — a usual situation in a country
whose cultural infrastructure has collapsed. Simonyan has already
played with the National Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the
Kirov Orchestra under Valery Gergiev.
Inspired by Gergiev’s example, Simonyan plans to return to Russia as
his home base for his international activity and contribute to the
musical life of his native land — unlike many of his contemporaries
and predecessors, who prefer easier living in the West.
Grand tour: The Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras will tour
Estonia and Latvia and play in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday
through July 4 under the direction of music director Federico
Cortese. The organization’s season-ending concert tomorrow in Sanders
Theatre is also a send-off concert for the tour and will include some
of the same repertoire, including Osvaldo Golijov’s “Night of the
Flying Horses” and Brahms’s Third Symphony.
Prize winners: Conductor Gil Rose and the Boston Modern Orchestra
Project won an award for adventurous programming from the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at the recent national
conference of the American Symphony Orchestra League. BMOP and Rose
won first place in the category of orchestras with annual operating
expenses between $420,000 and $1.625 million, chiefly for last year’s
“Opera Unlimited” festival, produced in collaboration with the former
Boston Academy of Music (now Opera Boston).
Robert Mealy, Baroque violinist and orchestra leader, has received
this year’s Thomas Binkley Award from the professional service
organization in the field, Early Music America, during the group’s
annual convention in California. The award recognizes distinguished
achievement in performance and scholarship by the director of a
university or college early-music ensemble. Mealy was cofounder of
the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra in 1995 and serves as director
of the Yale Collegium Players. He has been active as a performer with
many ensembles (including the King’s Noyse, Sequentia, the Boston
Camerata, and Les Arts Florissants) and in many festivals, including
the Boston Early Music Festival. He is the Christopher Hogwood Fellow
at the Handel and Haydn Society and is one of the most elegant
writers on the subject of early music.
Violist David Kim, who will be a senior at the New England
Conservatory in the fall, has won the second prize of $5,000 in the
annual Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San
Francisco. Kim played the Bartok Viola Concerto and music by Bach and
Brahms.
Schumann season: Emmanuel Music will perform what is apparently the
Boston premiere of Schumann’s opera “Genoveva” next season, as well
as Handel’s oratorio “Israel in Egypt,” both under the direction of
founding conductor Craig Smith. The oratorio is Nov. 13, the opera
April 2. Several generations of Emmanuel singers will participate,
including James Maddalena, Frank Kelley, Sarah Pelletier, Krista
River, and Aaron Engebreth.
Emmanuel also will launch a five-year series of the complete piano,
vocal, and chamber music of Schumann. The first season consists of
seven concerts featuring the Lydian Quartet, Triple Helix, and
violinist Danielle Maddon; pianists Randall Hodgkinson, Judith
Gordon, Leslie Amper, and Smith; and Emmanuel singers including Jayne
West, Jane Bryden, Mark McSweeney, and Donald Wilkinson. The regular
series of Sunday morning Bach cantata performances runs Sept. 26
through May 15. Smith leads most cantatas, but other conductors
include John Harbison, John Ehrlich, Michael Beattie, Leonard
Matczynski, Scott Metcalfe, Benjamin Zander, and James Oleson.
For more information visit

Iran-Armenia gas, electricity trade to reach $10 bln
Interfax
June 18 2004
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Trade between Iran and Armenia as part of an
agreement for the construction and operation of the Iran- Armenia gas
pipeline, involving supplies of Iranian natural gas in exchange for
Armenian electricity, will amount to $10 billion over the next 20-25
years, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Farhad Koleini said.
He said that this agreement will not result in increased competition
between Russia and Iran on the gas market, as these countries are
not competitors, but partners.
“We are cooperating with Russia in the international arena and our
cooperation is not restricted to the Caucasus, and we do not see
competition as a decisive factor. This is the Iranian model,” the
ambassador said.
Koleini said that “in the energy sphere Russia needs to develop a
serious model for cooperation with Europe and with Iran.”
The ambassador considers it possible to set up a consortium of large
gas producing countries in the near future.
He also said that in line with a state program, Iran is planing to
build seven nuclear power plants in various regions in the country.
“In this process Iran is cooperating with Russia and is continuing
dialogue with European countries,” the ambassador said.
Armenia and Iran signed an agreement on May 13 for the construction
of a pipeline between the two countries. The agreement is valid for
20 years, during which Iran is to supply its neighbor with up to 36
bcm in exchange for electricity produced in Armenia. The pipeline is
141 km long, inducing 41 km in Armenia ands 100 km in Iran.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $210-$220 million,
to be financed equally. Gas should start to arrive in Armenia from
January 2007.
Initially supplies will amount to 1.1 bcm of gas per annum, to
subsequently increase to 2 bcm, which will be used at Armenian thermal
power plants to produce electricity for export to Iran and Georgia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
June 16 2004
Increase of ISC-Star authorized capital up to $1 million to be
settled on June 25 at the meeting of shareholders in Yerevan
Robert Kocharian: development of small and medium business in Armenia
is a priority
Broadcasting of Culture TV Channel in Armenia to be another step in
expanding of Russian-Armenian cooperation – RF MFA
Till the end of 2004 Conversebank CJSC (Armenia) to issue securities
totaling AMD 300-500 mln
Conversebank’s (Armenia) share in Armenia’s economy is significant
RA MFA denies some publications about tightened inspection of visa on
Armenian-Turkish border
*********************************************************************
INCREASE OF ISC-STAR AUTHORIZED CAPITAL UP TO $1 MILLION TO BE
SETTLED ON JUNE 25 AT THE MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Increase of ISC-Star authorized capital up
to $1 million will be settled on June 25 at the meeting of
shareholders in Yerevan, the company told ARKA. The agenda of the
sitting also includes issues considering investments in
telecommunication projects, possible sale of shares to third figures,
organizational issues.
“Independently of the developings, we will continue our work on
realization of our projects. The goal is the same – construction of
accessible and reliable mobile network in Armenia and provision of
Internet services”, ISC-Star Director General Eduard Hakobian told
ARKA.
Another subject for the discussion will be second turning to RA
Ministry of Transport and Communication with an application for
provision of radio-frequencies and obtaining license for provision of
services in the field of mobile communication. Besides, shareholders
will consider participation of ISC-Star in tender on provision of
services in the sphere of mobile communication in Georgia that will
take place in the end of 2004.
Armenian-Russian-American JV CJSC ISC-Star was registered in Armenia
on Sep.24, 2001. The founders of the JV are legal and physical
entities of several foreign states, including Russia (KOMIN Ltd and
OJSC LanRusinvest) and RA residents. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
ROBERT KOCHARIAN: DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS IN ARMENIA
IS A PRIORITY
YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Development of small and medium business in
Armenia is a priority, RA President Robert Kocharian stated at the
working meeting with the heads of interested ministries, departments
and public organizations dealing with small and medium business. The
meeting was called to solve issues raised on June 8 during the
meeting of the President with representatives of small and medium
business. “All issues must be regulated and if there is some that can
be solved, then it should be explained”, Kocharian said. Legislative
activity and practical policy in the sphere of economy should be
organized so that they were directed on encouragement of small and
medium business.
In result of the meeting the President gave orders with concrete
terms of prosecution. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
BROADCASTING OF CULTURE TV CHANNEL IN ARMENIA TO BE ANOTHER STEP IN
EXPANDING OF RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN COOPERATION – RF MFA
YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Broadcasting of Culture TV Channel in
Armenia will be another step in expanding of Russian-Armenian
cooperation, RF MFA official site states. According to Russian MFA,
National Committee on Tele and Radio Broadcasting of Armenia made a
decision on provision of 23rd decimeter frequency for retransmission
of Culture TV Channel in Armenia. “Hope that transmission of the
Culture programs in Armenia will be another step in expanding of
Russian-Armenia cooperation in humanitarian sphere”, the document
states. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
TILL THE END OF 2004 CONVERSEBANK CJSC (ARMENIA) TO ISSUE SECURITIES
TOTALING AMD 300-500 MLN
YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Till the end of 2004 Conversebank CJSC
(Armenia) will issue securities totaling AMD 300-500 mln, according
to Smbat Nasibyan, the Director General of the bank. As he said, th
eissue of the securities was planned even earlier with the technical
support of IBM Business Consulting Services, however it was stopped
because of closing IBM Consulting. So, according to Nasibyan, the
bank is going to issue securities without anybody’s support during
2004. HE noted that issue of securities would allow the bank “to gain
experience and approve the chances to attract financial means from
the economy in future”.
Conversebank CJSC was registered on December 20, 1993. The bank was
later renamed to Conversebank CJSC on April 26, 1997. On October 31,
1996 the bank received a general license N87. The assets of
Conversebank made about AMD 25219, 9 mln as of May 31, 2004, and the
total capital amounted to AMD 3921,6 mln. ($1- AMD 546,12). A.H.–0–
*********************************************************************
CONVERSEBANK’S (ARMENIA) SHARE IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMY IS SIGNIFICANT
YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. Conversebank’s (Armenia) share in Armenia’s
economy is significant, as stated by Smbat Nasibyan, the Director
General of the bank at today’s press conference devoted to the 10th
anniversary of the bank. He noted that Conversebank according to its
financial balance ranks the seconds by the assets for the 1st Q,
2004, and ranks the first by the profit gained. “This actually
testifies to the fact that the bank achieved the goals it had from
the standpoint of its strategic development”, he said. According to
Nasibyan, for 10 years the bank gained the trust of the population,
made great investments from the standpoint of the technological
development and provision with bank e-services. According to him,
Conversebank is ahead of many banks functioning in CIS by providing
with services, the management quality and risks allocation. “For
Armenia with quite limited volume of consumption, including the
banking area, we managed to impement the system of automation and
provide with quite wide spectrum of services, in particular, the
clients of the bank can by making just one call to an automated
system find out the whole information they want beginning from
payments for utility services to monetary transfers”, he said.
Nasibyan also mentioned that the bank provides with wide spectrum of
services also via ATM starting from utility payments to purchasing an
easy card or Internet-services cards.
In respect with the 10th anniversary of Conversebank, the bank
planned in September 2004 to hold some arrangements, including
charity ones and even holding a concert with laser show elements. The
action “the Program of the best economic development of the region”
to be held, in the frames of which not only a competition for the
best business-program will be held, but also issues of funding will
be discussed.
Conversebank was registered on December 20, 1993. The bank was later
renamed to CJSC Conversebank on April 26, 1997. On October 31, 1996
the bank received a general license N87. The assets of Conversebank
made about AMD 25219, 9 mln as of May 31, 2004, and the total capital
amounted to AMD 3921,6 mln. ($1- AMD 546,12). A.H. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA MFA DENIES SOME PUBLICATIONS ABOUT TIGHTENED INSPECTION OF VISA ON
ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER
YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. RA MFA denied some publications about
tightened inspection of visa on Armenian-Turkish border. As ARKA was
informed in RA MFA Press Service Department referring to Turkish
Embassy in Russia, the order of visiting Turkey by Armenian citizens
has undergone no changes. RA MFA Press Service Department notes that
in international practice if visa regime is changed by one country,
then the country informs about it beforehand. “In this case, RA MFA
hasn’t received any notification from Turkey about it”, according to
RA MFA Press Service Department. A.H. –0–
*********************************************************************
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
June 17 2004
RA President receives the delegation of Armenian Assembly of Deputy
Friendship
RA President receives head of All-Russian State TV and Radio Company
Delegation of NKR Parliament to participate in sessions of Friendship
Armenian Parliamentary Assembly on June 18-19
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT RECEIVES THE DELEGATION OF ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF DEPUTY
FRIENDSHIP
YEREVAN, June 17. /ARKA/. The RA President Robert Kocharian received
the representatives of the Armenian Assembly of Deputy Friendship,
according to the RA Resident’s Press Service Department. “We have
accumulated a considerable experience of work in countries, where
Armenian Diaspora exists, we have many friends and we are interested
in developing these relations in different directions”, said the
President, welcoming the participants of the Assembly. Kocharian
noted that such kind of initiative is unprecedented to be carried out
at parliamentary level and expressed his hope that this practice will
bear a regular character. In their turn, the Assembly representatives
highly appreciated this initiative and said that it is viewed in the
context of Armenia-Diaspora relations. According to their estimates,
despite the outcomes, the fact of the Assembly itself is very
important in terms of initiating political relations between Armenia
and the Diaspora. L.V. -0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT RECEIVES HEAD OF ALL-RUSSIAN STATE TV AND RADIO COMPANY
YEREVAN, June 17. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian received the
Head of All-Russian State TV and Radio Company Oleg Dobrodeev, that
arrived to Armenia on occasion of translation of Culture TV Channel
in Armenia. As RA President Press Service told ARKA, Kocharian
mentioned that he applied by representatives of intelligentsia with
the request of broadcasting the channel, adding that the broadcasting
of eth channel is to give opportunity to communicate with high
spiritual values as well as the sides attached importance to this
event in respect of esthetic education.
The RA National Committee for TV and Radio Broadcasting assigned 23
decimeter frequency to the RA Ministry of Transport and Communication
for broadcasting of Culture Russian TV Channel. T.M. -0–
*********************************************************************
DELEGATION OF NKR PARLIAMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN SESSIONS OF FRIENDSHIP
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ON JUNE 18-19
STEPANAKERT, June 17. /ARKA/. The Delegation of Nagorno Karabakh
Republic Parliament headed by Speaker Oleg Yesayan is to participate
in the first session of Friendship Armenian Parliamentary Assembly
scheduled on June 18-19, 2004. As ARKA own correspondent in
Stepanakert reports, the Delegation also includes Vice-Speaker and
Chairman of Standing Commissions of NKR Parliament.
On the forthcoming session the Speaker of NKR Parliament to devote
his speech to working out of single approaches for solution of the
issues having national significance. T.M. -0–
*********************************************************************

PUTIN JOKES AT EURASIAN FORUM
RIA Novosti, Russia
June 18 2004
ASTANA, June 18 (RIA Novosti) – President Vladimir Putin joked that it
was “inhuman” to have the leaders of the Eurasian Economic Community
meet so early because of a three hour time difference between Moscow
and Astana.
The Russian President is participating in the international forum,
“Eurasian Integration: Trends of Modern Development and Challenges of
Globalization,” in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, at Lev Gumilyov
Eurasian University.
“We have come here to discuss humanitarian issues but [Kazakhstan’s
president] Nursultan Abishevich [Nazarbayev] is not treating us
humanely – it is 6 a.m. in Moscow now, and I will hardly be able to
deliver as great of a speech as he has,” Mr. Putin said smiling.
Mr. Putin was to speak after Mr. Nazarbayev who spoke about many
aspects of cooperation between member states of the Eurasian Economic
Community (the member states are Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, and Tajikistan) and CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization
(Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan). The
Russian president was apparently in high moods.
“Gumilyov’s ideas captivate people,” he said, “Some experts argue that
almost all people become relatives as 14 or 15 generations pass. I am
not sure about the entire planet, but within the Eurasian boundaries of
the former USSR we are all relatives, and closer than 14 generations,”
he emphasized.
Also smiling, he added that there was a funny thing on the agenda that
caught his eye. He said that while the first issue on the agenda was
speeches by heads of Eurasian Economic Community and CIS Collective
Security Treaty Organization member states, “the second line is
especially for [Armenian President Robert] Kocharyan’s speech,”
the Russian leader remarked.
Other heads of state followed in Vladimir Putin’s cheerful tone.
Giving the floor to the President of Armenia, Mr. Nazarbayev said that
he “would like to correct the mistake Vladimir Putin has noticed.” He
assured Mr. Kocharyan that he had nothing to do with what was written
on the agenda.
Mr. Kocharyan reciprocated by saying, as he took the floor, that “the
status of [the economic community] observer has some advantages. It
is great to be a separate issue on the agenda of the forum,” he said
and added he was “thinking whether one should lose this advantage by
getting membership.”
The hall applauded and Mr. Putin, jokingly irritated, exclaimed:
“What are you applauding at?”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Eurasian community leaders arriving in Kazakhstan for economic summit
Kazakh Television first channel, Astana
17 Jun 04
[Presenter] An agreement on cooperation in securities markets and
a treaty on coordinating the legislation relating to the EAEC [the
Eurasian Economic Community of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan – the former Customs Union] member states
are expected to be signed at an interstate council of the EAEC [in
Kazakhstan] tomorrow.
The chairman of the EAEC Integration Committee and a deputy prime
minister of Kazakhstan, Sauat Mynbayev, said the interstate session
would also discuss a single-tariff policy on railway freight, ensuring
the free movement of capital, goods and services and the countries’
information awareness in the run-up to WTO membership.
The EAEC member states will also discuss procedures for cooperation
in using water-energy resources of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.
The members of the committee said supranational structures should be
set up in order to effectively use the water resources.
[Grigoriy Rapota, the EAEC secretary-general] The cross-flow of
electric power from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Russia via Uzbekistan
and Kazakhstan has already been taking place for two years. This is
the first and important step towards creating a common energy market.
As we were studying these issues – the construction of a hydroelectric
power station – we came across important problems on which Central
Asian states have already been working. They concern the regulation
of water-energy resources. These two processes are interrelated.
Now we are discussing the creation of a permanent mechanism which
would implement this regulation.
[Presenter] The heads of the main states [of the EAEC] – Belarusian
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan,
Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov –
have already arrived in Kazakhstan to participate in the interstate
council of the EAEC.
[Video shows the session, Rapota speaking to camera and Lukashenka
at airport]

The Halifax Daily News (Nova Scotia)
June 17, 2004 Thursday
Cheer for the Salseros;
Talented performers and food vie for attention at the Multicultural
Festival
by Gee, Skana
This show could be brought to you by the letter S … sassy, sexy
salsa stylings by the Halifax Salseros, at this week’s Nova Scotia
Multicultural Festival.
“It’s such a great festival and it’s going to be nice to add some
local salsa dancing to it,” says Cindy Davis. “We do something called
rueda. It’s like square dancing – there’s a caller, there are set
moves, but it’s to salsa music.”
A longtime dancer who caught the Latin groove a few years ago, Davis,
26, is also co-ordinator for the Halifax branch of Salsa Team Canada.
“It’s fun music – people like to move to it – and it’s a good partner
dance; it’s very social. And it’s different from the Latin dance
sport, which is very technical and strict. This is more forgiving,
it’s fun, it’s energetic.”
The Salseros join dozens of acts gracing Alderney Landing during the
festival, which kicked off last night and continues through Sunday,
June 20. There’s everything from tai chi demonstrations, Irish step
dancers and Sudanese thumb piano, to Polish folk dancing, Brazilian
percussion and South Asian pop. As well, the Myungji Traditional
Dance Company visits from Korea, along with Haik!, a children’s dance
troupe from Armenia.
To top it off, there are 50 exhibit booths, 28 food booths – forget
that diet, there’s no resisting! – a kids’ activity area, and a beer
tent.
The event, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, is a major
highlight for the more than 40 cultural groups that take part.
“This is the biggest event in their cultural life here – they try to
present their past,” says festival chairman Mukhtyar Tomar, who came
to Canada 36 years ago from India. “People want to learn about other
cultural communities. And the food is the biggest draw.”
This will be the third year Sue Woo of Baan Thai restaurant has
volunteered in the food tent with the Thai Association.
The preparation takes days – spring rolls and spicy noodles are on
the menu – but she says it’s worth it: “Everybody knows Chinese food,
but some people say ‘What is Thai food?'”
Woo loves it when fest-goers ask questions because “that means
they’re interested in Thai culture.”
The festival was born in 1984 when the Multicultural Association of
Nova Scotia celebrated its own 10th anniversary with an evening of
ethnic food and performances, recalls Tomar.
“People enjoyed it so thoroughly, we were looking for something to do
year after year,” he says.
The festival started small the following year at the Technical
University of Nova Scotia, moving to the Dartmouth waterfront in
1987. It’s been there since – except for an experiment at the
Garrison Grounds in 1993 – growing to the point where it draws more
than 40,000 people.
Along with expanding to five days, the fest has also started a Focus
on Youth Day, expected to attract hundreds of school kids tomorrow.
It’ll feature music, performances, a spoken-word workshop with HFX’s
Shauntay Grant, crafts, and, of course, food.
“We’re celebrating 20 years of diversity and friendship – I am so
thrilled,” says Tomar.
Admission is $6 for adults, $5 students/seniors, $1 for kids five to
12. Visit

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
June 17, 2004, Thursday
$1 BILLION FOR ISLAM KARIMOV
SOURCE: Vremya Novostei, June 17, 2004, p. 2
by Arkady Dubnov
President Vladimir Putin began his four-day Central Asian tour with a
working visit to Tashkent yesterday. Putin’s itinerary includes three
summits in a row. Today a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) will take place in the capital of Uzbekistan,
attended by the leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Hamid Karzai, head of the interim
administration of Afghanistan, is invited to the summit as well.
The summit will adopt the Provision on Observer Status for the SCO,
and experts believe that Afghanistan will be given this status in the
near future. “We will discuss how we can help Afghanistan organize
elections, suppress anti-government actions, and restore its national
economy,” Putin said.
It is apparently too early yet to talk about what the SCO can do to
help the Afghanistan administration “suppress anti-government
actions.” Karzai is highly unlikely to appeal to members of the SCO
to send armed contingents. It is clear that this is the duty of the
US-led Western coalition. Karzai was in Washington the other day and
asked the coalition to boost its military presence in Afghanistan.
Astana will come after Tashkent. Summits of the Euro-Asian Economic
Community (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan)
and the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization will take place
in the capital of Kazakhstan on June 17 and 18. President Robert
Kocharjan of Armenia will join other national leaders on June 18.
June 16 was Russian-Uzbek day in Tashkent. Two documents were signed:
a strategic partnership treaty between Russia and Uzbekistan, and a
production sharing agreement between the Russian-Uzbek consortium
headed by LUKoil and the government of Uzbekistan (the
Kandym-Khauzak-Shady gas project in Uzbekistan).
Sources in the Russian delegation say that the “strategic” treaty was
President Islam Karimov’s initiative. In other words, official Moscow
insists that it did not force itself on Tashkent as a partner, that
it was Tashkent that aspired for partnership.
Putin was extremely tactful yesterday. “President Karimov himself
participated in work on the treaty,” he said. “I never thought it
would be ready in so short a time.” It appears that this is a
framework treaty stipulating “facilitation of equal strategic
partnership” in political, military technology, economic, and
humanitarian spheres carried out on the basis of “appropriate
accords.”
One article of the treaty is particularly interesting. It states that
“signatories enable each other to use military facilities on their
territories on the basis of special accords.” It is hard to imagine
Uzbekistan in need of military bases on the territory of Russia.
Which means that it was Tashkent that pledged to enable Moscow to
make use of military facilities on the territory of Uzbekistan. This
alone may justify strategic nature of the Russian-Uzbek partnership
proclaimed in Tashkent yesterday. The remaining articles of the
treaty merely give definitions of close cooperation between the two
countries.
The agreement LUKoil President Vagit Alekperov signed in Tashkent
appears much more interesting. It means that the Russian oil company
is coming to Uzbekistan to stay – and handle natural gas there.
LUKoil will operate Uzbek gas deposits for the next 35 years,
investing up to $1 billion in them. Known gas resources on the
territory in question amount to almost 3,000 billion cubic meters,
and top annual production should reach 8.8 billion cubic meters. Gas
production is to begin in 2007.
LUKoil will sell its part of the gas to Gazprom. To accomplish that,
the company intends to build a part of a pipeline connecting the area
with the Central Asia – Center pipe running across Uzbekistan. The
Russian oil company views the Uzbek project as strategic because “it
stands for transformation of LUKoil into an oil and gas company,” to
quote Alekperov.
Putin emphasized yesterday that “it is not Russia that is investing
in Uzbekistan, it is Russian companies.” Karimov immediately parried
by saying that he as president guaranteed security of the
investments. It is common knowledge in fact that foreign companies
have a chance in Uzbekistan only with the Uzbek leader’s personal
guarantees.

Europe Information Service
Euro-East
June 17, 2004
ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS ATTEND EURO-INTEGRATION INTERNSHIP IN LITHUANIA
Armenian diplomats attended an internship at the Lithuanian
Foreign Ministry from May 31 to June 11 to learn more about
European integration. According to the Ministry, they studied the
Lithuanian experience of preparations for EU membership, various
aspects of co-ordination of EU-related activities, and formation of
public opinion on Euro-integration, as well as attending a series
of meetings in the Lithuanian institutions and visiting the Vilnius
University’s International Relations and Political Science Institute.
The Ministry explained that representatives of the countries of
the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) would attend
various training activities on public administration in Lithuania in
2004-2005, in the framework of a programme to transfer Lithuania’s
Euro-integration experience to these countries. A similar internship
was held for Ukrainian officials in January.

Bacrot the hero
By Malcolm Pein
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
June 17, 2004, Thursday
THE Armenia v Rest of the World match went down to the wire as
Etienne Bacrot was forced to defend the tricky endgame of rook
against rook and bishop to secure victory for the Rest of the World
team. Bacrot completed his task using the well-known stalemate
defence and forced a draw on move 70 to give his team a win by the
narrowest of margins, 18.5-17.5.
The Armenian team moved to within one point of the Rest of the World
after Michael Adams was outplayed by Rafael Vaganian, but that proved
to be the only decisive game of the round. The Armenian, or
“Petrosian”, team won the final round 3.5-2.5.
World number one Garry Kasparov drew comfortably with black against
the world number two Vishy Anand by employing the sharp Sicilian
Sveshnikov. In a typical game from this opening Kasparov played as
actively as possible and was prepared to sacrifice a pawn or two if
necessary to open lines for his rooks and bishop pair.
Round six: Rest of the World 2.5-3.5 Armenia. Anand draw Kasparov
(Armenia), Sicilian Sveshnikov, 26; Van Wely draw Lputian (Armenia),
QGD Tartakower, 31; Vallejo Pons draw Leko (Armenia), Queen’s Indian
18; Gelfand (Armenia) draw Bacrot, Slav Defence 4 a6, 70; Akopian
(Armenia) draw Svidler, Sicilian Defence, 18; Vaganian (Armenia) 1-0
Adams, Colle System, 38.
Individual scores: Armenia/Petrosian: Kasparov 3.5/6, Leko 4/6,
Vaganian 3.5/6, Akopian 2.5/6, Lputian 2/6, Gelfand 2/6. Rest of the
World: Svidler 4/6, Adams 3/6, Bacrot 3.5/6, Anand 3.5/6, Vallejo
Pons 3/6, Van Wely 1.5/6.
Final score: Rest of the World 18.5-17.5 Armenia.
In the final position 26 Qxd4 27.Rxb5 Qxd1 28.Rxd1 (28.b3!?) Bxb2 is
level or 26…f4!? is unclear.
V Anand – G Kasparov
Armenia – ROW Moscow (6)
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8
Na3 b5 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 Bg7 11 c3 f5 12 exf5 Bxf5 13 Nc2 0-0 14
Nce3 Be6 15 Bd3 f5 16 0-0 Ra7 17 a4 Ne7 18 Nxe7+ Rxe7 19 axb5 axb5 20
Ra6 d5 21 Nc2 Bc8 22 Ra8 Qd7 23 Nb4 e4 24 Be2 Bb7 25 Ra5 d4 26 cxd4
draw
Kasparov
p p 7 ) p p – p Y 7 k c p p p p
6 c p p c p l n c p p p p p p n p A n b n p p Z p * d
Anand
Final position after 26.cxd4