Canada set to recognize Armenian genocide
By David Ljunggren
21 Apr 2004 19:17:29 GMT
OTTAWA, April 21 (Reuters) – The Canadian Parliament looked set on
Wednesday to overthrow long-standing government policy, and anger
Turkey, by passing a resolution saying Ottoman Turks committed
genocide against Armenians in 1915.
Government sources said the motion was likely to be approved, making
Canada’s legislature one of the few in the world to describe what
happened 90 years ago as genocide.
Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were deliberately
slaughtered by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923. Turkey denies the
charges of genocide, saying the Armenians were among the many victims
of a partisan war raging during World War One as the Ottoman Empire
collapsed.
Ottawa’s official position is that what happened was a tragedy but not
a genocide.
“It looks as though the government will lose. The Turks are not going
to be happy about this,” one senior government source told
Reuters. The motion says Parliament should “acknowledge the Armenian
genocide of 1915 and condemn this act as a crime against humanity”.
Ankara has fought hard to block attempts to press for international
recognition of the events as a genocide. The Turkish embassy in Ottawa
warned of negative consequences if the resolution was approved.
“Certainly, relations with Canada will suffer as the result of
adopting such a motion,” embassy counselor Fazli Corman told Reuters,
citing the example of Canadian firms seeking to sign contracts in
Turkey.
Canadian legislators have regularly defeated similar resolutions over
the last decade, in part because the governing Liberal party insisted
its members vote no.
But sources said Prime Minister Paul Martin, who took over last
December promising more freedom for legislators, had decided not to
issue voting instructions. Parliament is due to vote at about 7:30
p.m. (2330 GMT).
Liberal Member of Parliament Sarkis Assadourian, one of the backers of
the resolution, predicted victory and dismissed what he said were
warnings from the foreign ministry about the possible negative impact.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. How long do people have to wait
for the injustices of the past to be redressed?” said Assadourian, who
says his parents survived the events of 1915.
“Why do we have to be selective in our memories? If you’re going to do
it for one (genocide), why not do it for the others? Who is to say
Armenian blood is less valuable than some other blood?” he told
Reuters.
France’s parliament backed the Armenian case in 2001, prompting Turkey
to freeze official visits to France and temporarily block French
companies from entering lucrative defense contracts.
The U.S. Congress dropped a similar resolution in 2000 after the White
House warned it would harm U.S. security interests in the Middle East.
(Additional reporting by Randall Palmer in Ottawa)

NBC 10.com, PA
April 21 2004
Five-Legged Calf Born In Armenia
Cow Is Center Of Attention In Town
A farmer couldn’t believe his eyes recently when his milk cow gave
birth in Yerevan, Armenia.
Slideshow: Images Of Five-Legged Calf
The new calf arrived with five legs instead of four.
The fifth leg and a fully formed hoof hang from the calf’s left
shoulder.
The calf has become the center of attention in the Armenian village
where it was born.
Veterinarians have examined the calf.
They say it is still too early to tell if the extra leg or any other
unseen deformities will affect the calf’s life span.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
April 21 2004
FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS GERMAN COUNTERPART
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met with
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Joschka Fischer now visiting
Azerbaijan, April 21 to discuss development of bilateral relations,
cooperation on a number of joint regional projects, settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorny Karabakh and other issues,
AzerTAj correspondent reports.
The Ministers then have held briefing for media representatives.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov announced
that during the one-on-one meeting with his German counterpart, they
focused on prospects of development of political, economic and
cultural relations between the two countries, Azerbaijan’s
integration into Europe, ways of solution to Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, cooperation in combating terrorism and
touched on other issues as well.
Asked by German journalist whether opening borders between Turkey and
Armenia can complicate the conflict’s resolution, Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov answered that during President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev’s recent official visit to Ankara this question had been
discussed with Foreign Minister of Turkey Abdullah Gul, and It was
especially stressed that Turkey would not open its borders to Armenia
until the occupied Azerbaijani lands are released.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Joschka Fischer described his
meeting Azerbaijani counterpart as very fruitful. He expressed
satisfaction with improvement of the level of German language
learning in Azerbaijan. Speaking of the resolution of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Mr. Fischer said Germany sharing the
stance of the European Union towards the problem is very interested
in establishment of stability in the region. He promised as well that
Germany would do its best to assist development of democracy in
Azerbaijan.
Responding to the question from AzerTAj reporter of Germany’s
position with respect to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Foreign
Minister said Germany wants the conflict to be settled as soon as
possible. Germany is one of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, he said,
and we are aware of the existing difficulties. Mr. Fischer pointed
out the country is trying to contribute to the conflict’s resolution
in the framework of the Minsk group.
The Foreign Minister of Germany expressed satisfaction with human
rights situation in Azerbaijan mentioning the Decrees on Pardon
signed recently by President Ilham Aliyev and the work done in the
country for ensuring freedom of media. Mr. Fischer also described
activity of Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe and NATO `Partnership
for Peace Program’ as very positive factor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
April 21 2004
FORMER PRIME MINISTER SETS UP NGO TO PROPAGATE FAIR ELECTIONS
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: A former Armenian prime minister,
Armen Darbinian, told a constituent meeting of a new non-governmental
organization, Dignified Future, that it will work to promote
establishment of an electoral system that would meet international
standards.
Addressing the delegates of the meeting, the former prime
minister, who is now rector of Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
University, said the non-governmental organization was not an
initiative of a same-name political party of which he is chairman.
The goal of the movement, he said, is to start the process of
national reconciliation. He said the new organization is open to all
individuals, politicians and forces concerned with the level of
national election institutions.
The organization intends to launch a large-scale explanatory work
among people to raise their awareness about electoral process and
their key importance for democracy consolidation.
IA statement, issued today, the new organization said its creation
was prompted by “unhealthy climate brought in by virtually all
national elections, marred by vote rigging and other fraud, held in
Armenia in the last ten years.”

ArmenPress
April 21 2004
NO NEW CATTLE PLUG CASES REPORTED
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian authorities said today the
number of cattle which reportedly died of anthrax in the village of
Aygebats in Shirak province was 38. Earlier they said some 54 cattle
died of the disease. Veterinary experts probing into the case say
they are not sure the cattle plug was caused by anthrax, admitting
however, that the disease has some anthrax symptoms. They said one of
the theories of the cattle plug is that they were not vaccinated as
prescribed. Armenian veterinaries have been studying the case for
three days to make their final diagnosis, testing also the vaccines
in question on guinea pigs.
The first cases were reported on April 19 after some 700 cows in
the village had been vaccinated against anthrax. The condition of the
rest of the herd is said now to be normal. Concurrently the entire
population of the village was examined and nothing was found that may
pose danger to their health. Authorities denied rumors that part of
meat of the died cattle was taken out for sale.
The government has promised money compensations for owners of the
died cattle.

ArmenPress
April 21 2004
ARMENIA’S ECONOMY GROWS STEADILY
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian national statistical
service said the GDP volume in the first quarter of the year grew by
7.5 percent against the same time span of last year amounting to
223.7 billion Drams. The GDP growth in March against February was
21.3 percent, it said.
The volume of industrial production in terms of money in the first
three months of 2004 was 114,532,000 Drams (indirect taxes not
counted). The growth rate of industrial production in the first three
months of 2004 was 2.8 percent over the same time span of last year.
The growth rate in March against February amounted to 20.1 percent.
The volume of electricity produced in the first quarter was 1.75
billion kw/per hour, a 7.1 percent increase over the first quarter of
last year. The volume of agricultural growth (indirect taxes not
counted) in the first quarter of 2002 stood at 35.2 billion Drams, a
6 percent growth against 2002 January and a 31.2 percent growth
against February 2004.
According to Armen Avetisian, the chief of state customs
committee, the volume of exports in the first quarter of 2002 was 85
billion Drams against 78 billion Drams in the first quarter of 2003.
The volume of imports in the same time span amounted to 164
billion Drams against 148 billion Drams in the first quarter of 2003.
Avetisian also said that the collection of import duties met the
projected targets in the first quarter of this year despite the
political crisis in the country, amounting to 24.8 billion drams
($44.6 million) or 4 percent more than projected by the government
budget.
Earlier the state taxation service reported that it collected 28.3
billion drams in first-quarter revenues, up from 23.5 billion drams
collected during the same period last year.
Armenia’s 2004 budget projected 257 billion drams ($460 million)
in tax and customs revenues.

ArmenPress
April 21 2004
ARMENIANS FROM TURKMENISTAN MOVE TO KYRGYZSTAN
BISHKEK, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian ambassador to Kyrgyzstan,
Eduard Khurshudian, told Armenpress that the Armenian community in
this former Soviet republic numbers some 3,000 people, formed mainly
during the Soviet times. He said also Armenian Muslims, known also as
Hamshen Armenians, count some 1,500 people.
Hamshen Armenians have no contacts with other Armenians. According
to ambassador, a lot of work is to be done to win them over as
different forces, including also the Turkish community are trying to
gain its support.
The Armenian community, which is mainly concentrated in the
capital Bishkek, runs its cultural center, a Sunday school. Among
community members are several successful businessmen, but no
Armenians are involved in local executive bodies. The ambassador says
many Armenians from neighboring Turkmenistan move to Kyrgyzstan,
which provides more freedom to ethnic minorities.
Hamshen Armenians, a little-known group of Armenian origin living
along the Black Sea in Turkey and Abkhazia in Georgia, number several
hundred thousand worldwide. The Armenian community is largely unaware
of this group to whom they are related ethnically and whose language,
called Homshetsma by its speakers, is closely related to standard
Western Armenian.
The Hamshen probably derive their name from a village of the same
name in Northeastern Turkey, near Rize, which seems to have been
itself derived from an Armenian prince Haman Amatuni who came there
with migrants from the Ayrarat district in the eighth century A.D.
They were forced to convert to Islam from the 16th century down to
the 1915 Genocide.
Yet, although the language has been mostly de-Christianized, the
Hamshen still observe the Armenian Christian New Year (celebrated on
the day of Epiphany), the Armenian Christian feast of Vartivar, and
the language retains the Armenian Christian word for God, Asdvadz.
Some of them privately acknowledge their Armenian identity or
roots, but publicly few will do so. Others consider themselves to be
Turks. There are important political factors at play in Turkey which
would discourage the Hamshen from openly professing their Armenian
origins.

Russian energy minister reports to Duma on electricity reforms, strategy
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow,
21 Apr 04
Russian Energy and Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko has told the
State Duma that the recently established free market in electricity is
performing well, the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported on 21
April.
According to TASS, the minister told deputies during today’s
“Government Hour” that since it started operating in November 2003,
the market “has proved its effectiveness and has become one of the
most important steps of the first period of reform”. He noted that the
average daily volume of sales on the market had grown from 12m kWh in
November 2003 to 142m kWh in March 2004. Khristenko said this increase
had been accompanied by a rise in the number of participants on the
market from 14 to 75. A significant number of these are companies
independent of the national grid company, Unified Energy System of
Russia.
TASS also quoted Khristenko as saying that the “operation of the
market needs some adjustment”. In particular, he stressed the need for
a more balanced mechanism for setting prices.
Another TASS report quoted Khristenko as saying the average price on
the free segment of the market was lower than on the regulated
market. However, he also said prices on the regulated market were well
within the limits set by the government. “The price limits for
electricity in 2004 will be fully observed”. The report said that the
price limit per kWh is R0.846, and the current price is R0.822 per
kWh.
However, TASS reported Khristenko as saying that, unlike electricity
prices, gas prices would increase by more than the consumer price
index. He said serious measures needed to be taken to lower production
costs and increase the efficiency of the fuel’s use for the
electricity sector.
According to TASS, Khristenko said that among the government’s main
objectives in the reform of the electricity sector was the formation
of wholesale generating companies and territorial generating
companies, and the separation of 37 regional energy companies. He also
said that it is “vital to develop state regulation, and create a
system of antimonopoly control and ensure there was non-discriminatory
access to the market.”
“It is also necessary to create an integrated system of tariff
regulation during the transitional period,” TASS quoted Khristenko as
saying. He added that the question of Siberia joining the competitive
electricity market should be decided in 2004.
Khristenko also told MPs that energy integration could contribute to
the solution of political issues in the CIS, according to another TASS
report. “One of the key elements in this process is infrastructure
integration, which concerns not only the acquisition of assets of CIS
companies, but also the main planks of the distribution systems,”
Khristenko was quoted as saying.
The same report quoted the head of Unified Energy System of Russia,
Anatoliy Chubays, as saying that “the acquisition of assets in CIS
energy companies is a new strategy for us.” We have restored a single
energy system in 14 of the 15 former Soviet republics, and this means
that it is possible to take the next step – the acquisition of
companies,” Chubays was reported to have said. He added that, having
started this process in Georgia and Armenia, “we are now conducting
serious and complex negotiations with Ukraine, preparing for
negotiations in Kazakhstan, and planning vigorous activity in the
Baltic States”. Chubays also said that the company was not intending
to limit its activity to the CIS. “We are ready to participate in
tender processes in a number of countries in Eastern Europe,” Chubays
was quoted as saying.

Armenian opposition holds meeting before rally
A1+ web site
21 Apr 04
The Justice bloc and the National Unity Party held a meeting today to
discuss actions scheduled for today.
In an interview with Radio Liberty before the meeting, Justice bloc
leader Stepan Demirchyan spoke about the opposition’s positions over
the recent period.
“The impression is that nothing unites the opposition but violence
against the opposition and its supporters,” he said.

Armenian opposition activists detained ahead of rally – web site
A1+ web site
21 Apr 04
Employees of the criminal department of the Yerevan police arrested a
member of the Republic Hanrapetutyun Party, lawyer Karapet Minasyan, at
about 1400 0900 gmt today.
To all appearances, he will be set free after the rally scheduled for
today . Minasyan is not the only person arrested today. Several
opposition activists were taken to police for an “explanatory
lecture”.