Author: admin

Arms exhibition to open in Nizhny Tagil

MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) – An international arms exhibition will be
held in Nizhny Tagil from July 6-10 to display, among other exhibits,
the latest developments of the Russian defense sector, the
Rosoboronexport press service told Interfax. “The Nizhny Tagil
exhibition will feature advanced weapons and upgraded military
hardware from more than two dozen countries,” the press service
said. Alexander Orlov, spokesman for the Collective Security Treaty
Organization’s secretariat, told Interfax on Monday that the
exhibition will also include military hardware and arms the Collective
Security Treaty Organization plans to sell at lower prices. The
hardware includes 80 armored personnel carriers, modernized artillery
launchers and munitions, Orlov said. The Collective Security Treaty
Organization comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, and Tajikistan. The organization’s collective rapid deployment
forces, which were created on May 25, 2003, involve nine battalions of
more than 5,500 people. Russia opened its air base on the premises of
Bishkek’s Kant airport in October 2003 to support the collective rapid
deployment forces’ operations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RECEPTION AT CABINET OF MINISTERS

Azer Tag
July 05, 2004

Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Republic Artur Rasizade received the
delegation led by Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov on 5 July.

Greeting the guests, Premier of Azerbaijan expressed confidence that
such an authoritative delegation would become another stimulation for
expansion of Azerbaijan-Russian relations. After election of Vladimir
Putin as President of the Russian Federation, he continued, the
bilateral relations between the two countries have acquired higher
level.

Actively developing the bilateral relations in the economic field, Mr.
Rasizade said. The goods turnover is increasing. Speaking of the
economic links, Premier noted the necessity of ties with the regions,
and especially with Moscow in the field of economy and cultural
sphere. He also stressed his adherence to expand cooperation with the
government of Moscow in all fields.

Touching upon the ongoing economic reforms, the reached
accomplishments in this sphere, the Premier of Azerbaijan noted that
priority in the economic program is given to social sphere, which will
receive additional source of finance after commissioning of the Main
Export Pipeline. Mr. Artur Rasizade stated that the major problem for
eh country is dissolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh
conflict.

Yuri Luzhkov, thanking for warm reception, noted the positive
alterations in Baku, actively being realized constructions
works. Mayor of Moscow gave a high assessment to new level of the
Azerbaijan-Russia mutual relations, also underlined the necessity of
development of the Azerbaijan-Moscow links having good experience in
the humanitarian-social sphere.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Ramiz Rzayev attended the meeting.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Frommers
June 30 2004

What’s New: An Online Update for Frommer’s Israel, Jordan and Sinai
Destinations: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israel, Amman, Haifa, Jordan,
Eilat, Petra
Activities: Air, Beach, Car Rental, Lodging, Tips and Resources
Author: Robert Ullian

[parts omitted]

Shopping

Honored by the Israeli Postal Service with a set of commemorative
stamps in 2003-04, Jerusalem’s two world famous Armenian ceramic
workshops are always worth visiting.

The Palestinian Armenian Pottery Workshop, Nablus Rd, next to the
East. Jerusalem American Consulate (); and
Jerusalem Pottery, located on the Via Dolorosa, at the Sixth Station
of the Cross in the Old City (); [tel.]
02/626-1587. The artisans of these workshops were originally brought
to Jerusalem at the start of the British Mandate in 1919 to maintain
the extraordinary ceramic tiles on the Dome of the Rock. Hand painted
tiles from the workshops adorn the exteriors and interiors of
buildings throughout Jerusalem, from St. Andrew’s Church to the
American Colony Hotel. The beautiful tile wall panels decorating the
Sukkot Patio at the Residence of the President of Israel, were
designed by Marie Balian of the Palestinian Pottery Workshop (Mrs.
Balian has been honored with a special exhibition of her work at the
Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.). The Karakashian family’s
Jerusalem Pottery Workshop is especially known for its individual
tile designs. An array of hand-painted plates, vases, and other
ceramic items for sale to the general public at very reasonable
prices is available at both workshops. The bazaars of the Old City
are flooded with printed, machine-made imitations of Armenian
ceramics, but only the real stuff shines.

Fans of Jerusalem’s Armenian ceramics tradition will want to check
out a beautifully illustrated book, The Armenian Ceramics of
Jerusalem, Three Generations, by Nurith Kenaan-Kedar. Published in
2003, it chronicles the work of both the Balian and Karakashian
families, and is available at the Eretz Israel Museum Bookstore in
Tel Aviv, or can be ordered at Steimatsky’s Bookstores throughout
Israel. Be sure to specify the English language edition. The A

Both Palestinian Pottery and Jerusalem Pottery are closed Sundays.
When tourism is especially slow, it is best to call Jerusalem Pottery
ahead of time to be sure they’ll stay open for your visit.

The works of a number of Judaica artisans listed in the Frommer’s
Israel 3rd edition can now be previewed on their websites. Oded
Davidson (), is a silversmith whose whimsical
work is in the collections of many museums, including the Israel
Museum and the Wolfson Museum in Jerusalem; Avi Biran, a silversmith
with many awards and a sense of humor in his designs, has had his
work shown in museums throughout the world, including the Jewish
Museum of Prague, and Jerusalem’s Wolfson Museum. Archie Granot
() is a Judaica paper cut artist whose work is in
the collections of the Jewish Museum of New York, the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

For complete article, see

;destid¾ACH

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Leaders of ten CIS countries watch horse races in Moscow

03.07.2004, 14.41

MOSCOW, July 3 (Itar-Tass) – Leaders of ten CIS countries gathered at
Moscow’s central racetrack on Saturday to watch the first horse races
for the Russian president’s prize.

Only Turkmen and Belarussian Presidents Saparmurat Niyazov and
Alexander Lukashenko could not arrive to attend the event.

The heads of Russian regions, who participated in the Russian State
Council meeting on Friday, were also invited to the races.

Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and senior officials of the
presidential administration and federal ministries also attended.

The presidents, some of whom were accompanied by the wives, gathered
on the special stands for guests.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with his wife sat at the central
table. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchmatook their places near Putin at the table.

The three leaders studied the race bill with great interest and asked
experts about the participants.

At the nearby table, Prime Minister Fradkov talked with Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov.

Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili with the wives were at another table near the Russian
president. Akayev had binoculars with him.

The fifth race was to be the main where English thoroughbred horses
were to participate. The prize for the winner of the 200-metre race
will be three million roubles.

Mounted guards of the presidential regiment marched before the leaders
before the races.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian pro-government MP urges opposition to return to parliament

Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
3 Jul 04

Text of Naira Zograbyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 3 July headlined “The opposition is outlawed”

An interview with the leader of the National Assembly faction of the
Republican Party of Armenia, Galust Saakyan.

[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Saakyan, there are rumours that
the high echelons of the authorities have already adopted a decision
to regard the absence of the deputies of the Justice and National
Unity blocs as inappropriate and deprive them of deputy mandates.

[Galust Saakyan] No such decision has been adopted. Simply there is a
situation where the opposition has found itself outlawed, and there
are no legal grounds to consider their absence from the National
Assembly to be appropriate. Their return to the parliament will be
difficult, as a legal solution to the problem demands that they be
deprived of their deputy mandates. The opposition can return to the
parliament only as a result of a political agreement. I think it would
be right for the opposition not to miss the chance to return to the
parliament by means of a political agreement.

[Correspondent] Why is the coalition interested in returning the
opposition to the National Assembly?

[Saakyan] The opposition is obliged to return to the parliament, as
there are quite serious problems in the world, as well as within the
country, which are above party and personal interests. First of all,
it is the Karabakh issue, as it is no secret that certain problems
connected with the Karabakh issue may arise in foreign relations. This
is an issue that demands the unification of the opposition and
pro-government forces. But if the opposition sticks to its tough
position and does not return to the parliament, this opposition will
be finally regarded as incomplete and will be seen as a power-hungry
opposition force.

[Correspondent] But the leaders of the opposition say that their
position on the matter of returning to the parliament has not changed.

[Saakyan] In the future, we shall end up facing much more serious
challenges whose culmination is the Karabakh issue. For this reason,
it is necessary for political forces to unite their position on this
matter as was the case in 2001 when all the political forces signed
the known document on the Karabakh issue. And today when processes
around the Karabakh issue are intensifying, the fact that the
opposition is not returning to the parliament will be negatively
accepted by the world community as well. The opposition’s rating has
fallen and will come to nought if they dissociate themselves from the
Karabakh issue. For four months now, the opposition has been staging
rallies and no analytical material concerning the Karabakh issue has
been submitted to society. So, we cannot but think that the actions of
the opposition are directed by different external forces. For this
reason, I think the expected developments around the Karabakh issue
may prompt the opposition to return to the parliament and start its
natural work there.

[Correspondent] Mr Saakyan, if there are problems whose settlement
requires the unification of the whole political field, why do you not
regard their political boycott as appropriate?

[Saakyan] Political boycott is not regulated by the law. In the legal
field, they have no choice but to return to the parliament. In summer,
representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia will try to explain
to them the need to return to the parliament. If we agree, it will be
only a political agreement. There is no other option. But if the
opposition rejects a political agreement, then I shall be the first to
deprive them of their deputy mandates.

[Correspondent] If you do not reach agreement and the opposition does
not come to the parliament in September, is there any way that this
will create a political situation that can be settled only by means of
extraordinary parliamentary elections?

[Saakyan] If the opposition boycotts the autumn session as well and if
there is a new political situation whose final settlement are
extraordinary parliamentary elections, then for me, as a member of the
Republican Party, it may be a very appropriate moment. I am sure that
in the elections, the Republican Party will gain more votes than it
has today. But we should not think only about our own narrow party
interests. The Republican Party will try to persuade the opposition to
return to the parliament, at least we have put forward our
suggestion. The opposition should reply to this. If there is no
political agreement, then the law will step in.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia’s presence in Baku-hosted NATO exercises normal – Azeri official

ANS TV, Baku
2 Jul 04

[Presenter] Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has a calm
attitude to the news that another group of Armenian officers will
arrive in Baku.

[Correspondent over video of flags of different countries] Official
Baku regards as normal the participation of Armenian officers in the
NATO exercises in Baku within the framework of the Partnership for
Peace programme this September.

[Azimov speaking to microphone] The NATO exercises due in Azerbaijan
in September are very important and large-scale. All NATO and
Partnership for Peace programme member countries have the right to
attend the event.

[Correspondent] Official Yerevan intends to send seven officers to
Azerbaijan in September. Azimov thinks that the number of officers is
defined at the NATO headquarters.

[Azimov] First, the number of officers depends on the format of the
exercises to be held in September. Second, it depends on the scenario
of the exercises. It will also depend on the role given to countries
within the framework of this scenario. Thus, I assume that two or
three people from Armenia might join the exercises in September.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

Parvana Sabirqizi and Azad Ibrahimov, ANS.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Main goal is Armenia’s ties with neighbours – European envoy

Arminfo
3 Jul 04

YEREVAN

“I am here not to comment on the Karabakh issue or Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s speech but to boost interparliamentary cooperation
between Armenia and other member states of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe [PACE], PACE Secretary-General Bruno Haller
said, asked by an Arminfo correspondent to comment on the Armenian
president’s speech at the fifth summer session of PACE in Strasbourg.

“My intention is to focus on international cooperation between Armenia
and its neighbours – Georgia, Azerbaijan and why not Turkey. This is
the main goal of my visit, he said. It is the PACE political committee
that is currently dealing with the Nagornyy Karabakh issue, and
European MPs will be able to familiarize themselves with the essence
of this problem after the submission of a special report.

Speaking about the process of fulfilling Armenia’s commitments to the
Council of Europe, Haller expressed his hope that the final version of
the monitoring report will be drafted and submitted for consideration
by October this year. Armenia will have time to do its best to ensure
that the report is positive.

[Passage omitted: Minor details]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HEIKKI TALVITIE: EU IS INTERESTED

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
02 July 2004

On June 30 NKR president Arkady Ghukassian met with the special
representative of the European Union on the South Caucasus Heikki
Talvitie who was in Stepanakert for a two-day visit. During the
meeting Mr. Talvitie said that the European Union is greatly
interested in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. In
this reference he mentioned that the EU is ready to assist to any
undertaking, any progress in the peaceful process. The special
representative pointed out the importance of establishing an
atmosphere is confidence between the conflict parties without which it
is impossible to achieve positive results in the negotiation
process. In his turn the president of NKR thanked Heikki Talvitie for
his visit to Nagorni Karabakh, which testifies to the wish of the EU
to attend to the real situation in the conflict area and to favour the
settlement of the crisis. He supported the opinion of the special
representative on the necessity of mutual trust. At the same time the
president of NKR mentioned that the Karabakh party has offered to
Azerbaijan to undertake joint efforts for creating an atmosphere of
trust but did not receive a corresponding response on the part of
Baku. Arkady Ghukassian especially pointed out the danger of the
growing anti-Armenian hysteria and rooting of the hostile image of the
Armenian in Azerbaijan. Once again the head of NKR emphasized the
importance of full-right participation of Karabakh in the talks
without which the problem of settlement will aggravate. Speaking about
the processes Arkady Ghukassian mentioned that the process of
democratization in all the public and political spheres in Karabakh
has already been deeply rooted. He added that Nagorni Karabakh goes on
to have its contribution to the process of integration and become part
of Europe. The participants of the meeting appreciated the fact of
maintenance of the cease-fire and emphasized the inadmissibility of
solving the conflict through force. At the end of the meeting the
president of NKR said that hopefully the visits of representatives of
European organizations to Nagorni Karabakh will be regular.

AA.
02-07-2004

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pravda.RU:Russia:More in detail

CIS informal summit in Moscow

15:20 2004-07-03

An informal summit of the CIS leaders will continue in Moscow on
Saturday.

The presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Moldova,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Belarus
arrived in Moscow at Vladimir Putin’s invitation yesterday.

The CIS leaders will hold an informal discussion of preparations for
the September summit in Astana and the celebrations of the 60th
anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin
press service told RIA Novosti.

Moreover, the sides will consider the CIS development and
implementation of these or those decisions, said Russian First Deputy
Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin.

At this summit the CIS leaders will hold a free discussion of
interesting issues, he added. In his words, they are likely to raise
the problem of the Georgian-Ossetian settlement to promote peaceful
talks. [South Ossetia is a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia].

“We expect Tbilisi to cease attacks against the mixed control
commission for Georgian-Ossetian settlement,” Mr. Loshchinin said.

“This commission is the single mechanism of negotiations, which was
formed to discuss Georgian-Ossetian problems,” he stressed. According
to him, no bilateral talks are planned during the informal summit.

© RIAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE KARABAKH LIBERATION ORGANIZATION PROTESTS THE VISIT OF ARMENIAN OFFICERS

CENTRAL ASIA – CAUCASUS ANALYST
Wednesday / June 30, 2004

By Fariz Ismailzade

This week police and demonstrators once again clashed in the streets of
Baku. The cause of these clashes was the arrival of two Armenian
officers in Baku to participate in a NATO conference. Several dozens of
members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) stormed the
“Europe” hotel, where the conference was taking place and attempted to
psychically remove the Armenian officers from there.

This week police and demonstrators once again clashed in the streets of
Baku. The cause of these clashes was the arrival of two Armenian
officers in Baku to participate in a NATO conference. Several dozens of
members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) stormed the
“Europe” hotel, where the conference was taking place and attempted to
psychically remove the Armenian officers from there.

“These officers represent the occupational army. Their hands are soaked
in blood. They have raped our women and killed our children. There is no
place for them in Baku,” exclaimed Akif Nagi, the chairman of the KLO.
Other demonstrators carried banners and posters and demanded that the
Armenian officers immediately leave the country. Several of them even
succeeded at entering the conference hall way and breaking windows
before being forcefully removed by security. Police subsequently
intervened and arrested several protestors, including Akif Nagi.

The Karabakh Liberation Organization unites mainly the families of the
war victims and displaced people from Karabakh. In the past, it has
protested against the planned arrival of Armenian military servicemen to
Baku to participate in NATO events, but this was the first case when the
Armenian officers actually did come. In previous times, the visits were
cancelled. The KLO belongs to the opposition in domestic politics and in
the last presidential elections in October 2003, it supported the
candidacy of Musavat Party chairman Isa Gambar.

The majority of local residents in Baku also voiced their criticism at
the arrival of the Armenian officers. Many respondents believed that the
representatives of the enemy’s army should not be allowed in Baku. “What
will Armenians think? They will think that it was OK to occupy our land
and now to come to the capital city of Azerbaijan, sit here, eat here
and laugh at us! What a shame!” said an old man to a local media outlet,
which widely covered the event. Even deputies in the Parliament debated
the issue and expressed their anger at the situation.

Meanwhile, the official Azerbaijani government took a constructive
approach to this issue and decided to allow the Armenian officers to
participate in the conference. “The relations between Azerbaijan and
NATO should not become the hostage of our relations with Armenia,” said
deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov. He also added that reacting
emotionally to these kinds of situations was the not best thing to do.
“We need to be more pragmatic than this.”

Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and NATO has been indeed
increasing since Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace Program of
NATO in 1994. Lately, Azerbaijan has sent peacekeeping troops to the
Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan and the recently signed an Individual
Partnership Program between Baku and NATO will further increase the
cooperation. That is why it was important for the Azerbaijani Government
to host this NATO conference at the highest level.

The visiting Armenian officers were tightly protected by security forces
during their stay. During the debates in the Azerbaijani Parliament it
was revealed that they did not even receive a visa from the Azerbaijani
embassy in Georgia, as was announced earlier.

The majority of analysts in Azerbaijan believe that the KLO protest was
not a sporadic event but rather the logical consequence of the
deadlocked negotiations in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process for the
past 10 years. The Azerbaijani society has been getting increasingly
frustrated with the stalemate and thus becoming more supportive of a
military solution to the conflict. Many people do not believe that the
international negotiations will produce any results and that the
occupied lands will be returned. Thus, the internal hostility towards
Armenia increases year by year. Several months ago, another indicator of
this growing hostility took place in Budapest, where an Azerbaijani
officer presumably (the court case is ongoing) murdered his Armenian
colleague. These are simply symptoms of Azerbaijani society’s increasing
impatience towards the Karabakh problem.

Meanwhile, dozens of Parliamentarians in Baku signed a petition calling
for the release of the arrested members of KLO, and the ANS TV has
voiced concerns at the brutality of the police forces while dispersing
the crowd. Even the Azerbaijani Human Rights Ombudsman Elmira
Suleymanova asked for the release of the arrested demonstrators.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress