Interfax
March 18 2004
Armenian Central Bank reserves up 15.9%
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Gross international reserves at the Central
Bank of Armenia increased 15.9% or by $70.2 million to $511.9 million
in 2003, a source in the bank told Interfax.
The source said that the share of the euro in international reserves
last year increased to 24%. However, he did not say by how much this
share increased.
The source also said that the Armenian Central Bank reduced to
nothing the share of gold in the gross reserves in 2003. “This is due
to the fact that yields on gold investments have fallen significantly
recently, which has led to a reduction in the attractiveness of gold
as an investment asset,’ the source said.
As of January 1, 2003 the Armenian Central Bank’s gross international
reserves amounted to $441.7 million, of which gold accounted for
$15.7 million.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
March 18 2004
New OSCE chairman examines conflict situation

Solomon Passy, Bulgarian Foreign Minister, who took office as the
OSCE chairman on January 1, paid a fact-finding visit to Azerbaijan
on March 15 as part of his tour of the South Caucasus region.
During the visit Passy met with President Ilham Aliyev and government
representatives to learn about the status of the Upper Garabagh
conflict. According to Novruz Mammadov, head of the International
Relations Department of the President’s Palace, the OSCE chairman may
define his standpoint on the conflict after the Baku visit.
“The present-day political situation in Armenia indicates that the
Armenian government was not ready to make compromises,” underlined
Mammadov, stressing that such a standpoint to the conflict is not
good for Armenia.
Meetings
The new OSCE chairman held meetings with President Ilham Aliyev and
Speaker of the Milli Majlis (parliament) Murtuz Alasgarov on Tuesday.
The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Upper Garabagh and the
strengthening of the OSCE, including the Minsk Group co-chairs’,
efforts to settle the conflict peacefully were a focus of the
meetings. Saying that the international community approaches the
conflict with double standards, speaker Alasgarov reminded the OSCE
chairman about the decisions adopted by the Council of Europe in 2002
and 2004 as well as the United Nations Security Council’s four
resolutions. The Speaker said that Azerbaijan had rejected the
Armenian government’s proposal on the restoration of communications
links in return for the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from
five of the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. The OSCE chairman, in turn,
said the conflict could be solved through dialogue, noting that
Azerbaijan and Armenia should continue talks and take a constructive
position. Passy stressed that the OSCE could only offer its support
during the talks. During the meeting with President, the parties
expressed their confidence that the conflict, which poses a great
threat to the South Caucasus region, would be solved under
international legal norms. It was particularly stressed that the
conflict could be settled only after Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity was restored and refugees and internally displaced persons
were returned to their native lands. Expressing his satisfaction with
the OSCE chairman’s visit, President Aliyev elaborated on the
positive results of the reforms conducted and democratic processes
underway in the country. Noting that the primary goal is to integrate
into Europe, Aliyev spoke about Azerbaijan’s participation in large
scale international projects.
By Azernews Staff

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
March 18 2004
MPs hesitant to visit Armenia

A meeting of the Committee on cultural, educational and social issues
of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Organization (BSEC) is scheduled to be held in Yerevan,
Armenia on March 24-25.
Poverty reduction in the Black Sea member states and reports on
solutions to social problems will be discussed at the gathering.
Azerbaijani MPs are refusing to attend the Yerevan meeting. The
question of whether the Azerbaijani MPs would visit Yerevan was yet
to be decided.
He noted that the final decision would be made in mid-March. Armenian
MPs were absent from the committee’s previous meetings held in
Azerbaijan.

San Diego Union Tribune
March 18 2004
Russian, Armenian community targeted
By Joe Hughes
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Two Russian immigrants have been arrested in connection with a scheme
to defraud members of San Diego’s Russian and Armenian community out
of hundreds of thousands of dollars, police said yesterday.
Yasha Kuper, 55, and his son, Roman Kuper, 28, were held last week,
Detective Christine Gregg said.
Bail for Roman Kuper was set at $1 million. Yasha Kuper posted
$10,000 bail after his arrest, but a second arrest warrant has been
issued and he is scheduled to surrender this week, Gregg said.
Sixteen victims have been identified, but that list will grow, police
said.
“We feel there are many other victims out there who are afraid to
come forward,” Gregg said. “We want these people to contact us if
they have had dealings with the Kupers.”
The Kupers, Gregg said, told victims that they were new to the
country and did not have Social Security numbers or bank accounts.
Victims allegedly were duped into providing their bank account
numbers on the premise that money would be wired from the Kupers’
accounts in Russia to the victims’ accounts here.
In exchange for helping out, the victims were told they could collect
a portion of the Kupers’ funds, police said.
Money was never transferred from Russia, Gregg said, and the victims
later found their accounts had been cleaned out.
Victims were solicited, Greg said, through advertisements placed in
Russian-language newspapers.
The Kupers moved to San Diego from Chicago late last year.
Police ask that anyone who has been victimized in the scam call Gregg
at (619) 528-4100.

The Free Lance-Star, VA
March 18 2004
Work by Picasso, Miró, others at MWC

Picassos, Pissarros and Mirós are included in the art collection of
Tia and Robert Cadow. The paintings can be seen at the Ridderhof
Martin Gallery on the MWC campus.
By ADELE UPHAUS
THE FREE LANCE-STAR
Alexandra Nechita is just 18, but she’s already one of the most
recognized names in the art world.
The Romanian-born child prodigy started drawing with pen and ink when
she was 2 years old and held her first show at the age of 8.
Today, she’s known as the “petite Picasso,” and her colorful cubist
paintings, which often go to benefit organizations like the September
11th Fund and the Special Olympics, sell out to masses of art
collectors.
Fredericksburg residents can see two of Nechita’s original paintings
at the Ridderhof Martin Gallery on the MWC campus in a show opening
tonight. They also can see a work by her inspiration–Pablo Picasso
himself–and art by other 20th century masters such as Joan Miró,
Camille Pissarro and Marc Chagall.
“Contemporary Masters: Selected Works From a Private Collection” will
be on display at the gallery through June 6, with an opening
reception tonight.
The collection belongs to local couple Robert and Tia Cadow, who own
Fredericksburg Supplies and Rentals near Four-Mile Fork. The show
represents a wide variety of 20th-century genres, from impressionism
to abstraction. Tying it together are themes of color, vitality and
romance.
“They’re all very different styles–it’s a nice mix,” Tia Cadow said
of the collection.
Not only is the collection varied by style, it’s also a veritable
United Nations of artists. There’s the Spanish Picasso and Miró, the
French Pissarro and the Russian Chagal. There’s work by the
Armenian-born Yuroz, whose bright, abstract paintings depict quietly
intimate moments between couples, and vigorous character studies by
Italian Aldo Luongo, who dedicated a painting of a red-haired
ballerina to Tia Cadow.
The collection also includes cartoonist Al Hirschfeld and Iranian
Abrishami Hessam, whose color-washed canvases look like something
from a daydream.
Cadow said she and her husband purchased their first piece of art in
1990–a seriograph, or limited edition print, by Linnea Pergola,
depicting a bustling Times Square cityscape. After that, she was
hooked.
“It just started,” she said.
She doesn’t consider herself or her husband “into art” in the sense
that they feel they need to buy a certain painting in order to
complete their collection. Rather, she purchases art when it appeals
to her.
“We buy them because we like them, not because of value. They’re
fun,” Cadow said.
For the most part, the works that appeal to her are bold, lively and
colorful, such as “Friendship” by Aldo Luongo, which depicts three
women with champagne glasses raised high, and a street scene by
Pissarro, which the couple acquired from London only two weeks ago.
“It shows all the street painters and it’s very colorful,” she said.
The Cadows also own several works by local artists and are fans of
the local art scene.
The collection has never been exhibited before, Cadow said. The
exhibition came about because the college is their client and Cadow
offered to lend the paintings to the gallery.
“I’m excited about it,” she said. “I’m excited to see people’s
reactions. The paintings are fun to look at. They’re just very
colorful.”

A1 Plus | 19:38:15 | 18-03-2004 | Official |
ARMENIAN CITIZENS DETAINED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA
On the 8th of March 2004, in the evening, 6 citizens of the Republic of
Armenia were detained in Equatorial Guinea. They have been charged with
participating in a coup d’etat attempt. There are a number of civilian
pilots of Armenian citizenship who work in the countries of Equatorial
Africa, on contracts with private aircraft companies.{BR}
In this matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
has made all possible efforts to obtain more specific information on this
situation as well as in providing the necessary legal assistance to those
Armenian citizens. Armenia’s ambassadors in New York and Moscow have met
with their counterparts from Equatorial Guinea.
At the same time, taking into consideration the fact, that the Republic of
Armenia has no diplomatic representation in the region, the Ministry has
applied to third country friendly states with certain influence in that
country for possible assistance.
—

Armenian leader, OSCE head discuss Karabakh, Georgian crisis
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today met a delegation led by the
OSCE chairman-in-office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
The press service of the Armenian president reports that Robert
Kocharyan welcomed the OSCE chairman’s visit and said that such visits
were already becoming a tradition. The president said that the visit
will allow the sides to sum up all the directions of bilateral
cooperation.
Touching on the Karabakh conflict, the sides agreed that there was no
alternative to a negotiated settlement.
The sides also spoke about the recent developments in the
region. Speaking about the situation in Georgia, Kocharyan said
stability in Georgia was extremely important to Armenia and that
Yerevan was interested in the speediest solution to all problems.
The president praised effective cooperation between the Yerevan office
of the OSCE and pointed to joint work on an anti-corruption programme
and the Armenian electoral code.

Armed Turks infiltrate Georgia’s Armenian-populated region – agency
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
AKHALKALAKI
Armed citizens of Turkey constantly infiltrate Georgia’s Akhalkalaki
region without official permission, A-Info news agency reports.
According to the source, the Javakhk section of the Georgian-Turkish
border is virtually unprotected. The Armenian-populated village of
Kartsakh in the Akhalkalaki region is particularly vulnerable.
The infiltration of Turkish citizens into Akhalkalaki has become more
frequent since the Turkish side started supplying Georgian border
posts with electricity.

Armenian PM regrets lack of OSCE condemnation of officer’s killing
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Official Yerevan deeply regrets the fact that the OSCE
chairman-in-office and the chairman of the Permanent Council have not
condemned the crime committed in Budapest, Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Markaryan told the visiting OSCE chairman-in-office,
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
The Armenian prime minister said that this step would have been seen
as very appropriate, given the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities
are trying to justify the dirty move by their serviceman.
To recap, Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov hacked to death an
Armenian colleague, Gurgen Markaryan, in Budapest on 19 February. The
Hungarian police are completing the investigation into this
crime. Both officers were undergoing English language training in
Budapest.

Armenian opposition set to overthrow incumbent president in April
Noyan Tapan news agency
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Some members of Armenia’s Justice and National Unity opposition
factions, which are boycotting the parliament’s work, made rather
harshly-worded statements in the National Assembly on 16 March.
The secretary of the Justice faction, Viktor Dallakyan, said the
following: “As a result of the mounting nationwide movement in the
republic, in April we will overthrow the regime of [Armenian President
Robert] Kocharyan who has repeatedly violated the constitution and has
usurped power.”
According to a member of the same faction, Vardan Lazarian, the
Justice bloc, realizing responsibility for an organized and painless
change of power, has set up a coordinating centre. Having analysed the
current situation, the centre prepared a programme and submitted it to
the bloc for approval. It envisages meetings with the public. The MP
said that although the local authorities are doing everything in their
power to hamper the opposition’s meetings with the people, the
meetings are very popular.
According to another member of the faction, Shavarsh Kocharyan,
numerous meetings in different residential settlements have shown that
“people hate the illegitimate president and demand decisive steps”. He
said that the only way to establish legitimate authorities without any
shocks is to conduct a referendum on a vote of confidence, but that is
quite unlikely to happen because Robert Kocharyan and his entourage
are giving an unrealistic assessment of the situation in the country.
Members of the Justice faction, Aram Sarkisyan and Grigor Arutyunyan,
and a representative of the National Unity faction, Amayak Ovanesyan,
also made statements against the incumbent authorities.