CENN – JUNE 14, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. 57th Meeting of World Journalists Held in Istanbul
2. Eurasian Space Development Concept Adopted
3. KfW May Credit Yerevan Hydro Plant Modernization
4. Terms of Reference — Agricultural Biodiversity
5. IRD Tender Announcement
1. 57TH MEETING OF WORLD JOURNALISTS HELD IN ISTANBUL
Source: AzerTag, June 12, 2004
The regular, 57th Congress of World Association of Newspapers /WAN/ was
held in Istanbul.
The organization created in Paris, in 1948, amalgamates 72 newspaper
associations, over 18.000 newspapers, 12 news agencies, 9
media-organizations of the world, AzerTAj correspondent reports.
Aim of annual forum is to unite journalists of world in the period of
globalisation, protect their rights and interests, and establish
cooperation between the mass media representatives and editorial offices
of different countries
2. EURASIAN SPACE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT ADOPTED
Source: AzerTag, June 12, 2004
According to information received by AzerTAj, The participants of the
forum “Eurasia in the 21st century: cultures dialog or civilizations
conflict”, held on the shores of the Issyk Kul high-mountain lake,
adopted a common Eurasian space development concept.
“The East and the West as social and cultural formations should have a
dialog, based on the principles of tolerance and mutual understanding,
as equal partners”, reads the document. “There are no grounds for
separating or opposing the cultural values from the viewpoint of their
belonging to different types of civilization”, stresses the concept.
The forum participants came to the conclusion that “only through the
dialog can the problems of security, counter-terrorism and violence
globalisation be settled”. The economic basis of the dialog should be
made up of “international trade and tourism development and
establishment of new transportation corridors”.
The globalisation advantages should be used by all nations to reduce
poverty and settle the environmental issues, which are closely related
to the economic and social issues, believe the forum participants.
“The oncoming generation should be brought up in the spirit of the world
culture and civilizations dialog”, reads the concept.
The forum was attended by Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmonov,
Kirghiz President Askar Akayev, UNESCO Director General Koitiro
Matsuura, Iran’s Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abdahi, and government
delegations of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Afghanistan,
Turkmenistan, Russia and other countries, as well as by famous
scientists.
3. KFW MAY CREDIT YEREVAN HYDRO PLANT MODERNIZATION
Source: Interfax, June 11, 2004
ZAO International Energy Corporation hopes to receive a credit of 15
million euros from Germany’s Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau by the end
of 2004 to modernize Yerevan Hydroelectric Plant, plant Deputy General
Director Mels Akopyan told Interfax.
He said that representatives from KfW are currently discussing this
project with IEC General Director Mikhail Mantrov in Moscow.
Akopyan said that the German bank is waiting for the question of
guarantees to be resolved before providing the credit. He said that he
hopes that the credit will be provided under beneficial terms.
IEC has taken on the obligation of repaying a credit for 18 million
euros already received from KfW to restore the fifth and sixth
power-producing units at Kanaker Hydroelectric Plant, which is also part
of the Sevan-Razdan Cascade power plant. This credit was provided to the
Armenian government at the end of 2000 for 40 years at 0.75% per annum,
with a grace period of 10 years.
The Sevan-Razdan Cascade united six hydro plants build between 1930 and
1962 and is one of the main electricity producers in Armenia. The plant
has a capacity of 556 megawatts or about 18% of the total power capacity
of Armenia.
ZAO International Energy Corporation was set up at the start of
September 2003 by Unified Energy System of Russia to operate the Sevan-
Razdan plant. The company has a license from the Armenian commission for
the regulation of natural monopolies to produce electricity in the
country for 15 years.
4. TERMS OF REFERENCE — AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY
Project Consultant (part-time)
UNDP/GEF Project:
Recovery, Conservation, and Sustainable Use of Georgia’s Agricultural
diversity
Project Summary:
The project’s goal is the conservation and sustainable utilization of
threatened local plant genetic resources important to food and
agriculture. The project has two immediate objectives. The first is the
on-farm conservation of selected local agricultural biodiversity in
Samtskhe-Javakheti, historically the main granary of Georgia, on a pilot
demonstration basis. The second is to develop and implement a strategy
for replication of best lessons learned in conservation and utilization
of local agricultural biodiversity to other Georgian regions.
The project will address threats and root causes by concentrating its
technical and financial resources along 5 main avenues of actions.
First, it will establish sources of primary seed and planting material
for the threatened crops and fruit varieties. Second, it will strengthen
farmers’ own organizational structures (e.g. farmer association) as main
vehicles for production and distribution of seed and planting material
and experience sharing. Third, it will assist farmers in accessing
markets, including markets for organic products. Fourth, it will enhance
access to information on local agricultural biodiversity to farmers,
authorities, research stations, donors and other stakeholders and
promote information sharing among them. Finally, the project will ensure
that best lessons from project activities in Samtskhe-Javakheti are
replicated to other regions of Georgia.
Responsibilities
The Project Consultant will be responsible to the Project Coordinator.
The Consultants will provide needed expertise to the Project. The
Consultant will work in close cooperation with the Project Management.
His/her responsibilities include but are not limited to:
ž working closely with the Project Coordinator, Manager and
Agrobiodiversity Program Officer, assisting in development of work-plans
for conservation program
ž development of an assessment and analysis of existing information on
agricultural sector, including
– analysis of cross-sectoral issues related to in situ and on farm
conservation;
– policy and legal framework;
– Institutional and human capacity;
– identification of gaps and assessment of existing needs with respect
to involving different stakeholders in the conservation program
implementation
ž assisting in preparation of and participation in stakeholders’
meetings, strategic planning workshops;
ž assisting with the drafting of strategy document on agricultural
diversity conservation and sustainable utilisation, as required by the
Project Coordinator.
Outputs
ž Analysis reports and recommendations
Qualifications
ž Recognized expertise in related subject (local and international);
ž At least 10 years of experience in professional or academic position
in related discipline;
ž Proven ability to effectively analyze situations and communicate
results well;
ž Excellent knowledge of written and oral English and Georgian.
Education
– Higher education in related discipline
Duty Station
Tbilisi
Period of work
5 days per month during the total period of the project implementation
(5 years).
Deadline for CV submission
June 21, 2004
Please deliver your CVs according to the following contact information:
UNDP
Mariam Shotadze
Program Analyst
UNDP, Georgia
Eristavi Str. 9, Tbilisi,
Tel: 25 11 28/29 or 31
Fax: 25 0071/72
E-mail: Mariam.Shotadze@undp.org
and
ELKANA
III Delisi str. Nakveti 16
Tel: 536487 (contact person: Rusudan Nemsadze)
Fax: 536484
E-mail: pr@elkana.org.ge
Important note: Interviews will be scheduled with the short listed
candidates only.
5. IRD TENDER ANNOUNCEMENT
IRD, Inc. is announcing request for application from experienced
construction/engineering companies to take part in implementation of the
2-year USAID-financed SAE Primary Health Care initiative project in
Tsalka district.
Interested parties are invited to apply immediately. Please submit the
application documents required below in a sealed envelope to: 1 Irakli
Abashidze St. Tbilisi 0179 IRD Georgia Office.
The deadline is June 28, 2004 12.00 AM.
Organization/Project description:
International Relief and Development is a US based non-profit,
non-governmental organization working in Georgia since 1999.
In 2003 IRD started implementation of the USAID/SAE “Primary Health Care
Initiative in Georgia” for the period of 2003 – 2005. The project is
designed to provide medical care and treatment to the vulnerable
population of Tsalka district. This project will:
– Increase the professional level of Primary Health Care providers;
– Improve the condition of out-patient medical facilities.
The activities outlined address these objectives with an overall goal to
providing increased access to and improvement of the delivery of primary
health care services in Georgia.
General Description of Work:
Rehabilitation of three village Ambulatories selected by IRD in Tsalka
district. Due to the severe weather conditions in Tsalka region,
rehabilitation works should be finished before October 2004.
Interested organizations should submit the following:
1. Organization’s legal status and place of registration;
2. List of the civic infrastructure building/rehabilitation activities
implemented during the last three years;
3. Approximate amount (in GEL) of the total operational activities
implemented during the last three years;
4. Information about human and material resources;
5. Information about the bad debt for the State budget and/or any other
law obligations raised against organization;
6. Information about participation in construction/rehabilitation
activities financed by USAID or other international donor organization;
7. Building-repairing experience in Tsalka Region (desirable).
Only successful candidates will be contacted on June 29, 2004 before
6.00 PM. On June 30, 2004 they will be invited to come to Tsalka to
perform the assessment of physical condition of three selected village
Ambulatories in Tsalka district. Before July 6, 2004 5.00 PM, they have
to submit rehabilitation projects for each of three Ambulatories
(including time schedule and detailed budget).
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