Author: Basmajian Ani

ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DELEGATION TO VISIT LITHUANIA

Baltic News Service
September 7, 2004

VILNIUS, Sep 07 — A delegation of the Armenian Constitutional Court
is to come to Lithuania on the first official visit on Wednesday.

The Constitutional Court has reported that President Valdas
Adamkus will receive the Armenian Constitutional Court delegation
on Wednesday. On Thursday, the guests will visit the Lithuanian
Constitutional Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, and are
scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas.

During the four-day visit, the Armenian Constitutional Court delegation
will also meet with Justice Minister Vytautas Markevicius and Vilnius
University rector Benediktas Juodka. The guests will also have an
opportunity to meet with members of Lithuania’s Armenian community.

The Lithuanian and Armenian constitutional courts have been
cooperating since 1998. For the past six years, judges of the
Lithuanian Constitutional Court have annually attended international
conferences in Yerevan, arranged by the Armenian Constitutional Court
and the European Commission For Democracy through Law.

Azeri NGOs plan protests against Armenian officers’ visit

Turan news agency
7 Sep 04

Baku, 7 September: The national forum of non-governmental organization,
which is made up of dozens of NGOs, today made a statement on holding
a march on 11 September, Azay Quliyev, the president of the forum,
has told Turan.

The action will be held in protest against Armenian officer’s planned
visit to Baku to attend NATO exercises. The forum appealed to the Baku
city executive authorities to authorize the march that is planned to
be held via the route – the 20 January metro station, Qalaba cinema,
Azizbayov monument and the Elmlar Akademiyasi metro station.

Quliyev said that the NGO forum had urged [the authorities] not to
allow the occupation officers to visit Baku.

Ministry says H1 investments in Armenia’s telecoms up 40%

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
September 7, 2004

YEREVAN, Sept 7 (Prime-Tass) — Investment into the telecommunications
sector in Armenia rose over 40% on the year in January-June to
U.S. USD 41.5 million, the Economic Development and Trade Minister
Tigran Davtyan told reporters Tuesday.

Of the total, direct investments amounted to USD 21 million,
Davtyan said.

The major investor in the sector was Greece’s Telecommunications
Organization (OTE), he also said adding that the company continues
to invest in the sector.

“The increase of OTE’s investments testifies that the company is ready
for the fact that ArmenTel will not keep its monopoly in the Armenian
telecommunications sector for a long period of time,” Davtyan said.

ArmenTel is an Armenian telecommunications company, which was granted
the right to a monopoly for 15 years in 1997.

On September 8, 2003, the government decided to deprive ArmenTel of
its monopoly license, but the decision has not yet been enforced due
to ongoing lawsuits.

OTE controls a 90% stake in ArmenTel, while the remaining 10% is held
by Armenian government.

According to a financial statement provided by OTE, ArmenTel’s
operating revenue rose 22.7% on the year to 21.1 million euros in
the second quarter. End

Ferrero, Nalbandian Make Early Exits at US Open

Tennis-X.com
Sept 4 2004

Four seeds were bounced from the men’s draw at the US Open Friday,
including last year’s runner-up.

Headed home is 2003 runner-up and No. 7 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero,
whose dismal year continued with a five-set injury-riddled loss to
Austrian Stefan “The Poor Man’s Tommy Muster” Koubek.

“This year is going to finish soon, you know,” said Ferrero, who will
drop out of the Top 10 to No. 15 or 16. “I want to forget this year.”

Also ejected were last year’s semifinalist (8) David Nalbandian (l.
to Youzhny in five), (12) Sebastien “The Skateboard Kid” Grosjean
(l. to Haas in four), and (23) Vince “Vincenzo” Spadea (l. to Jurgen
“Tuna” Melzer in five).

Nalbandian had to be consoled after his five-set loss to Youzhny after
a disagreement between the players over the courtesy of holding up
new balls that resulted in Nalbandian repeatedly smashing his racquet
on court, then a few more in the hallway inside the stadium.

Seeded winners on the day were (2) Andy Roddick (d. Rafael “The
Prodigy” Nadal in three), (4) Lleyton Hewitt (d. Arazi), (18) Tommy
“The R.” Robredo (d. Clement in four),(28) Joachim “The Jackhammer”
Johansson (d. Gambill), (29) Guillermo Canas (d. Volandri), and (30)
Feliciano “F-Lo” Lopez (d. Kohlschreiber in five, almost blowing a
2-0 set lead).

“He’s got a crafty kind of game,” Hewitt said of Arazi. “With
the left-handed serve, it’s always going to be a little bit more
difficult.”

Winners in all-unseeded match-ups were Olympic Federer-killer Tomas
Berdych (d. Ketola), Brazil’s Richardo Mello “Yellow” (d. D.Sanchez),
Russian Nikolay Davydenko (d. Soderling in four), Slovak Karol Beck
(d. Pless), Alexander Peya (d. Enqvist in four), and Frenchman Michael
Llodra (d. Seppi in four).

On court Saturday at the US Open for the men are (1) Federer vs. (31)
Fabrice “The Magician” Santoro, (6) Agassi vs. (25) Novak, (3)
Moya vs. Olivier “The Roach” Rochus, (5) Henman vs. Tabara, (19)
Nicolas Kiefer vs. Thomas “Tommy the J.” Johansson, Sargis “Sarge”
Sargsian vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu, (16) Andrei Pavel vs. H.-T. Lee,
and (15) Paradorn “The Thai Fighter” Srichaphan vs. (22) Dominik
“The Dominator” Hrbaty.

ArmenPress
Aug 30 2004

A MONUMENT TO WWII HUNGARIAN AND ARMENIAN SOLDIERS UNVEILED

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS: The Hungarian delegation, headed by
Hungarian defense ministry deputy state secretary Vanperne Balok
Agnesh, participated in the ceremonial opening of a monument honoring
Hungarian war prisoners who died in Armenia and Armenian soldiers
killed in Hungary during World War II.
Head of Hungarian institute-museum of military history,
General-Major, Josef Kholno said that the monument symbolizes the
history long friendship between the two nations. According to him,
the two nations had a similar historic past and even had a common
enemy – Mongol Tatars and Osman Turks. Josef Kholno mentioned that
Armenians have lived in Hungary since 10th century. Speaking on WWII,
the General-Major said that though Hungarians were enrolled in the
war on the side of German army, Hungarian military officers did not
take part in political decisions. During the days, Hungarian war
prisoners were kept in labor camps in Armenia and many Armenian were
kept in Hungary as war prisoners. Many of them did not come back.
Armenian defense minister Serz Sargssian praised highly the
attitude of Hungarian government to its soldiers. Irrespective of
time, a state must be interested in its soldiers and honor their
memory, he said.
The present put wreaths to the memorial and honored the dead with
a minute of silence. Similar monument has been erected in Hungary.
The Hungarian delegation visited the memorial to the victims of
1915 Genocide. Speaking on his impressions from Tsitsernakaberd,
Vanperne Balok Agnesh said that all the nations throughout the world
should strive that such a crime is not repeated. It was mentioned
that the Hungarian parliament will rise the issue of recognition of
Armenian Genocide.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 26 2004

Azerbaijan urges Russia to step up efforts at conflict settlement

The Upper Garabagh conflict was in the focus of Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov’s meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei
Lavrov in Moscow last Wednesday. Lavrov said following the meeting
that “Russia is interested in a peace settlement of the

Upper Garabagh conflict, but the problem will be resolved only if the
parties come to terms”. The Russian minister said his country
approaches the talks both as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and
as a friend and supporter of Azerbaijan. He also gave a high
assessment to the numerous meetings held by the two conflicting
sides. Lavrov also pointed out the developing relations between
Russia and Azerbaijan. Mammadyarov, in turn, said Baku considers
Russia a strategic ally and pointed out that both countries are
interested in the economic and political stability in Azerbaijan.

Also discussed were issues related to fighting terrorism, weapons of
mass destruction and the Caspian legal status. Minister Mammadyarov
told a press conference upon completion of his visit to Moscow on
Thursday that Azerbaijan believes Russia should step up its efforts
in settling the Upper Garabagh conflict. “We believe Russia should
step up efforts at settling the conflict based on international legal
norms. We expect the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to express their view
on the conflict settlement,” the minister said. Mammadyarov
emphasized the principle of territorial integrity. “Other issues,
such as the self-administration principle, could still be discussed”,
he said. The minister added that the Azerbaijani side does not
believe in the “frozen conflicts” idea. He reiterated that Azerbaijan
adheres to a peace settlement of the conflict.

Statements on NATO bases ‘naive’
Mammadyarov termed the statements on a possibility of stationing NATO
bases in Azerbaijan as “naive”. “It is naive to believe that such
bases would appear overnight”, he said. The minister also pointed out
that coordination of the issue was a complex process and that
stationing of NATO bases requires a decision by parliaments. “I
believe that the issue of bases in the current situation is naive”,
Mammadyarov said. Touching upon the issue of Azerbaijan’s admission
to NATO, he said it should be addressed by the organization’s
member-states.

Solution of Caspian status ‘around the corner’
With regard to the Caspian legal status issue, Mammadyarov said
Azerbaijan hopes for a speedy resolution of the problem. “Solution of
this problem is around the corner”, he said. Touching upon the
outstanding discrepancies among Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan on
a number of oil fields, the minister said this was not a serious
problem. “The talks are underway. We have to be patient and allow
experts and diplomats to continue their work”, he said. Mammadyarov
added that the meeting of deputy foreign ministers on the Caspian
status issue scheduled for September in Moscow will be held as
planned.

Azerbaijan involved in Russia-Persian Gulf link project Azerbaijan is
involved in a number of projects on building a transport corridor
from Russia to the Persian Gulf via Azerbaijan and Iran, Minister
Mammadyarov said. Both Russia and Iran support funding the
construction of the North-South railway corridor, according to the
minister. He said Azerbaijan has completed construction of the
railway branch in Astara, on the Azeri-Iranian border. Iran is
building a railway line to link with Astara, Iran. “When a railway
bridge between these districts is built, the corridor will be put
into operation. The agreement on building the bridge has been
reached,” the minister said. Mammadyarov said Russia supports
Azerbaijan gaining access to the Persian Gulf. This will enable to
deliver cargo from Northern Europe through Russia and Azerbaijan via
the shortest route. Russia’s link with Iran through Azerbaijan was
used till the 1990s, when the volume of railway transit between the
two countries reached about 3 million tons. Experts’ estimates
confirmed that inter-regional transportation through this route may
yield considerable profits to all parties involved. Moreover, the
North-South corridor is more economical and reliable from the
viewpoint of ensuring the security, compared to maritime and other
types of land transport.

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Aug 25 2004

Iran provides $30m credit to Armenia

RBC, 25.08.2004, Yerevan 17:35:43.Iran will allocate a $30m
credit to Armenia to construct Armenia’s part of an Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline, Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian told journalists.

The credit will have a 5-percent interest rate and 7.5 year
maturity. The resources will be invested in laying the pipeline from
Agarak to Kadzharan in Armenia.

Movsisian added that the construction of the gas pipeline in
Armenia would start by the end of 2004. The laying of the pipeline
from Kadzharan to Yerevan will be financed by Armenia. The republic
will repay the credit in electrical energy supplies, the ARMINFO news
agency reported. Iran has already started laying the pipeline in its
territory, the minister added.

According to an agreement signed on May 13 in Yerevan
(Armenia), the gas pipeline is to be put into operation by January 1,
2007.

Novinite, Bulgaria
Aug 25 2004

Winning Start for Bulgaria’s Nazaryan

Bulgaria’s Armen Nazaryan won his first wrestling battle in the
Olympics, defeating Elgharably of Egypt. Photo by
armennazaryan.tripod.com

Bulgarian wrestler Armen Nazaryan overpowered his first Olympic rival
on Wednesday.

Nazaryan, 22, won over Ashraf Elgharably of Egypt, in Pool C of men’s
Greco-Roman 60kg pool elimination.

The Armenia-born athlete, who is married to a Bulgarian, is two times
World and Olympic champion.

No serious violations in Karabakh local polls – TV

Artsakh State TV, Stepanakert
23 Aug 04

[Presenter] The Karabakh Central Electoral Commission held a meeting
today to discuss preliminary results of the second round of local
government elections.

[Correspondent over video of meeting] The head of the Central
Electoral Commission, Sergey Davidyan, started the meeting by thanking
all the people who had contributed to holding successful elections. He
especially mentioned TV that had been present at every polling
station.

The turnout of voters this time was higher. In the capital Stepanakert
[Xankandi], out of 33,597 registered voters, 17,039 participated in
the elections, i.e. more than 50 per cent. According to preliminary
calculations, candidate for the office of mayor Eduard Agabekyan
received 9,427 votes, which is 53.3 per cent of the total number of
votes, and Pavel Nadzharyan polled 6,619 votes, which is 38.8 per
cent.

Those present at the meeting confirmed that the elections were open
and transparent, adding that at some polling stations there had been
problems with voters’ lists. Some people could not find their names on
the voters’ lists. There was one case when someone attempted to drop
two ballot papers into the box. There were no serious
violations. Preliminary results in other regions will be announced in
our next bulletins.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Aug 18 2004

REEL CRITICS
‘Diaries’ sequel royally engaging

AMUSING EVENTS KEEP STORY ROLLING

Carin Kellzi, 13, of Glendale begins eighth grade in the fall at
Armenian Sisters’ Academy in Montrose.

It all started when shy, 15-year-old Mia Thermopolis’ (Anne Hathaway)
grandmother Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) came to town and told Mia
she was a princess – heir to the throne of Genovia. Furious and
skeptical, Mia agreed to take princess lessons and make the biggest
decision of her life – to leave San Francisco and her wonderful
friends and family or to live in Genovia and make a difference in the
world. That was in part one – “Princess Diaries.”

Now five years later, Mia, a college graduate, returns and faces
bigger challenges than before. Not only does Mia have to get married
in 30 days, she has to win the hearts of all Genovians over the man
who is trying to take the throne away from her.

Before I divulge more of the movie, which has a good plot, constant
laughs and other witty events that keep the movie rolling fast, I
think “Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” is an incredible movie.
It’s hip, hilarious, romantic and heartwarming. It’s a movie that the
entire family would enjoy. Andrews is a wonderful actress and
Hathaway is truly a princess. On a scale of one to 10, I would rate
this awesome movie a 10-plus.

OLD AND NEW CHARACTERS ARE ENDEARING

Sareen Kellzi, 16, of Glendale will be a senior in the fall at Clark
Magnet High School. She is the sister of fellow critic Carin Kellzi.

Mia Thermopolis is no longer the awkward 15-year-old from the first
movie. She is now 21 and ready to accept her responsibilities as
queen of Genovia. There’s just one little problem – she has to get
married. So as the search for the perfect husband begins, Mia has to
decide what’s more important to her, finding true love or her
obligation to the Genovian people.

Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews reprise their roles as Princess Mia
and Queen Clarisse. Much of the original cast has also returned, to
the audience’s delight, including Heather Matarazzo as Mia’s best
friend, Lily, and Hector Elizondo as Joseph, head of Genovian
security. There are also many new faces that only add to the humor,
overall appeal and charm of the film, such as Princess Mia’s two love
interests and the palace employees.

While it could have easily been cheesy and predictable, “Princess
Diaries 2” doesn’t fall into that trap and manages to be both funny
and fresh, mostly due to Hathaway’s charming performance and Andrews’
elegant allure.

The movie is full of nonstop laughs kids and parents will both enjoy.
While I think the movie will be more appealing and enjoyable for
girls, I think brothers or dads dragged along to see it won’t be
disappointed either. It’s a great summer movie and I guarantee you’ll
leave the theater smiling.

– “Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” is rated G.