Author: Chilingarian Babken

Azerbaijan News Service
April 16 2005

FOLLOWING MEETING OF FA OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SCHEDULED IN
FRANKFURT
2005-04-16 09:53

Armenian and Azerbaijani FA ministers met with co-chairmen of OSCE
Minsk group separately in London. Co-chairmen first met with Armenian
minister. Vardan Oskanyan, FA minister of Armenia said in his
interview to `Radio of Liberty’ he considered these talks as a next
stage of Prague process and said the sides held consultations during
negotiations. Refusing to reveal details of the meeting, Vardan
Oskanyan said the talks were about just general issues. He also
refused to answer the question about any new peace proposals from
OSCE co-chairmen during the meeting. Armenian FA minister said
information in press on new peace proposal from OSCE co-chairmen is
exaggerated. Yuri Merzlyakov, Steven Mann and Bernard Fassier, OSCE
co-chairmen made statement on April 15. They expressed their concern
over regular cease-fire breaches and increase in number of victims as
the result lately. It is said in the statement that the two sides
should follow the cease-fire and take some measures to stop
cease-fire breaches. Azerbaijan and Armenia should pursue balanced
policy and prepare their nations for compromises to achieve peace. It
is also noted in the statement that resumption of the conflict may
end in tragic result for the nations in the region. Another meeting
between FA ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia and OSCE co-chairmen
will be held at the end of April in Frankfurt. The main target of the
meeting is to prepare for meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents that will be held in May.Foreign minister of Azerbaijan
Elmar Mammadyarov told in his interview with Radio Liberty that
official Baku’s position regarding release of occupied territories
and ensuring refugees return to homelands remain unchanged. Mr.
Mammadyarov added that Azerbaijan considers Armenian community in
Qarabaq as her citizens and ready to guarantee their security. `I
think Armenia must realize that it is important to release
Azerbaijan’s occupied lands and refuges return their homelands. We
understand the process is very complicated because conflict continues
more than 15 years’ says Elmar Mammadyarov. Foreign minister of
Azerbaijan says if yielding compromise means to ensure security then
official Baku recognizes Armenian community as citizens of Azerbaijan
and assures guarantee for security.

Ottawa Citizen
April 15, 2005 Friday
Final Edition

Hitler was wrong — Armenian genocide is not forgotten: Ninety years
later, the descendants of those who suffered the atrocities of mass
murder and expulsion are still haunted by their heritage of memory,
Patricia Sherlock reports.

by Patricia Sherlock, The Ottawa Citizen

Nearly a century after his grandmother’s death, Tony Boghossian is
plagued by a gruesome image. The day after his father and aunt, both
then children of seven and nine, buried the body, they returned to
the site only to find coyotes had dug it up.

For Mr. Boghossian, that’s not the kind of experience any child
should ever endure. But it was exactly that kind of experience that
millions of Armenians did endure. In September of 1915, newspapers
around the world ran headlines proclaiming “The Death of Armenia” and
“Terrible Tales of Turkish Atrocities.” Historians estimate massacres
and forced dislocations — the Armenian genocides, as it is now
called — resulted in the deaths more than one million Armenians.

Those deaths will be remembered today at 7:30 p.m. in Notre Dame
Cathedral in a multi-faith service commemorating the 90th anniversary
of the genocide of all but 200,000 of the Armenian population. The
Most Rev. Bagrat Galstanian, the primate of Canada’s Armenian Holy
Apostolic Church, says both Canadian houses of Parliament have
described the 1915 events as genocide, but the Canadian cabinet has
refused to do so. Bishop Galstanian calls it “a cause for concern
that the Canadian government will not change its policy accordingly.”

Turkey maintains Armenians lost their lives as a consequence of their
attempt to get more land from a collapsing Ottoman Empire, and the
Turks had to fight back.

Among those who survived were Mr. Boghossian’s father and aunt,
Movses and Yeghart Boghossian. The two children lost their mother
during the forced dislocation of their Black Sea village. She
probably died of hunger and disease, says Tony Boghossian. Their
father was also likely a victim of Turkish authorities. His father,
he said, remembered his own father leaving home in a soldier’s
uniform, never to be seen again.

Mr. Boghossian believes his grandfather was one of about 10,000
Armenians conscripted into the Turkish army and placed in labour
battalions to work on Turkish railway and construction projects. Many
died of the harsh conditions and others were murdered.

The journey of Yeghart and Movses lasted for about three years during
which they were moved from one place to another, sometimes staying
six or seven months before being forced to move again, never knowing
where they were going.

Along the way, they sometimes received help from ordinary Turks. Mr.
Boghossian remembers his father telling him as an old man of his
great joy when a Turkish police officer gave him coupons to buy
bread.

At some point, says Mr. Boghossian, Movses and Yeghart went back to
their village, but everything had been destroyed. Even the window
frames and doors had been removed for firewood. Relatives were unable
to care for them and placed them in orphanages in Istanbul.

Moses went through a series of orphanages moving from Istanbul to
Corfu, then Cyprus, and finally, at 18, to Beirut. As a young man he
moved to Aleppo, Syria, where he joined an existing Armenian
community, as well as Armenian survivors who had been forced to march
across the Syrian desert without food or water. His sister, who had
been at a girl’s orphanage in Istanbul, went to Bulgaria and he never
saw her again.

Mr. Boghossian’s father came to Canada under a foreign affairs
mandate that required entrants to be healthy young people. He didn’t
talk about the loss of his parents and homeland until he reached old
age.

Today, the Armenian community in Ottawa, and around the world, will
mark the 90th anniversary of the execution of Armenian leaders and
intellectuals in Istanbul, which they consider to be the beginning of
the genocide.

Ottawa-Centre MP Ed Broadbent will deliver the keynote speech and 25
spiritual leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim and
Hindu faiths will participate. “We (will be) joined with friends and
interfaith groups, and we want to show our solidarity against any
atrocities to anybody and to pray for the souls of the departed,”
said Primate Galstanian. The Armenian genocide set a precedent for
other genocides that followed in the 20th century, he said, recalling
a statement made by Nazi Germany’s dictator, Adolf Hitler, that no
one remembers the Armenians.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Marcel Gervais describes the Armenian
genocide as “ethnic cleansing at its worst.” He emphasized the
importance of remembering the atrocities, to prevent it from
“happening to anyone, anywhere.”

Today, according to Mr. Boghossian, the Turkish people are okay, and
even his father said nothing against them. But he does want the
Turkish government to stop denying the genocide and admit that what
happened under the Ottoman Empire was the systematic killing of
Armenians.

Xinhua, China
April 13 2005

Pakistan, Azerbaijan ask UN to implement resolutions on regional
disputes

Photo: Visiting President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (L) and
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz hold a joint press conference
in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on April 13, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

ISLAMABAD, April 13 (Xinhuanet) — Pakistani Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz and visiting President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev here
Wednesday urged the United Nations to implement UN resolutions on
their regional disputes and agreed that the UN reforms should be
based on consensus.

Addressing a joint press conference, the two leaders expressed
support to each other on the issues of Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh
and called for implementing the UN resolutions on the twodisputes.

Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India and both claim the
territory in its entirety. Azerbaijan has a territorial dispute with
Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Both issues should be resolved based on the norms and principles
of international law,” Aliyev said and lamented that the United
Nations could not implement its resolutions on both.

“If decisions adopted by international organizations are left on
papers and are not implemented, these decisions would not be
respected by the international community,” he added.

Aziz said he shared the views of the Azeri leader and said
Pakistan wanted a peaceful resolution of all disputes including the
issue of Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Effectiveness of the United Nations will only be felt if the
resolutions which have been passed are implemented,” he stressed.

On the UN reforms, Aziz said it should be conducted in a way
which is equitable, democratic and reflect the wishes of the majority
of the members through consensus rather than doing it in any other
way.

Earlier on Wednesday, Aziz and Aliyev held wide-ranging talks on
political, economic and regional and international issues of mutual
concern.

They also witnessed the signing of six agreements to promote
bilateral cooperation in the areas of culture, education, finance,
communication, information technology and aeronautics.

On Tuesday, Aliyev met his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf
and the two sides voiced a common stand on the UN Security Council
expansion. Pakistan has been advocating against creation of new
centers of privilege at the Security Council.

The two leaders also renewed a call for peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. On the
Kashmir issue, Aliyev expressed his country’s support for Islamabad’s
efforts aimed at resolving the dispute with New Delhi for durable
peace and security in the region.

Aliyev arrived in Islamabad Tuesday on a two-day visit and he was
due to leave for home later on Wednesday. Enditem

Armenpress

TAX SERVICE REPORTS INCREASED TAX COLLECTION

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: The chief of Armenian taxation service,
Felix Tsolakian, reported today to president Kocharian that the service
collected 35 billion drams in tax revenues in the first quarter of the year,
1 billion more than projected. The figure is also by 6.4 billion higher than
was collected in the first quarter of 2004.
He also said 12.9 billion drams were collected in mandatory social
payments in the same time span. This figure is 3.4 billion drams more than
collected in the first quarter of 2004.
President Kocharian was quoted by his press office as saying that the
service should pay greater attention to collection of mandatory social
payments. Kocharian said the service should develop legislative changes to
further improve this practice, based on in-depth analyses of international
practice.

A1plus

| 21:35:46 | 11-04-2005 | Social |

THE CASE WAS HEARD

Today in the RA Economical Court the case about the National Academy of
Science against `Meltex’ Co. Ltd was heard. The Academy demands to fire
`Meltex’ Co. Ltd TV Company `A1+’ who by the way has the building according
to a contract and meets all the commitments anticipated by the contract.

The case lasted for a few seconds only. Judge Matevosyan refused to accept
the objections of the `Meltex’ Co. Ltd advocate. The Judge immediately
announce the verdict – to fire `A1+’ from the area. `Meltex’ Co. Ltd intends
to appeal the decision of the court in the Court of Appeal.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/12/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) MKR Status Must be Clarified says ARF Faction Rep. Mkrtchian
2) Senator Barbara Boxer’s Statement on 90th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide
3) California Grandmother in Midst of Walking Record Setting 215 Miles in 19
Days
4) ‘Cultural Genocide’ Exhibition Kicks off

1) MKR Status Must be Clarified says ARF Faction Rep. Mkrtchian

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–On April 12, ARF parliamentary faction representative
Levon Mkrtchian told his colleagues within the National Assembly that the
conflict over Karabagh cannot be settled without first addressing the
status of
the Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR). The issue, Mkrtchian stressed,
directly impacts Armenia’s national security.
“Let us not forget that the Republic of Armenia’s president is the man who,
during Karabagh’s most critical period, endangered his family’s safety in
order
to lead defense forces,” Mkrtchian told parliamentarians. “This serves to show
that the president and his political allies will not budge on their demand of
resolving the conflict through a ‘package deal.’ There can be no resolution
without clarifying [MKR’s] status.”
Meanwhile, according to a survey conducted by the Armenian Center for
National
and International Studies (ACNIS), a private think-tank, Armenians continue to
consider Armenian control over Mountainous Karabagh non-negotiable, according
to an opinion poll released on Tuesday.
Of the 1,900 people randomly polled across the country, at least 84 percent
believe that Karabagh must either be independent or become an integral part of
Armenia under any peaceful settlement. Only 2.6 percent said they would
support
its return under Azerbaijani rule. The Armenian administration, likewise,
insists that it will never agree to such a solution.
The poll also revealed widespread pessimism about the conflict’s resolution,
with less than a quarter of respondents believing that it will happen in the
next five years. The majority, 56 percent, described external forces,
including
them the United States and Russia, as the number one obstacle to Karabagh
peace, and only 23.8 percent laid the blame on Azerbaijan.
Armenian public opinion appears almost evenly split on the question of the
decade-long status quo in the conflict zone. Almost 40 percent of respondents
believe the dispute should remain “frozen,” while 34 percent said it is not
good for the Armenian side.

2) Senator Barbara Boxer’s Statement on 90th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. As we
commemorate this stain on human history, we must also question how long it
will
take until the world acknowledges the injustice and horror that occurred. We
must question how long it will take for the world to acknowledge that it was
genocide.
Ninety years ago, the Ottoman Turks began their systematic effort to
eradicate
Armenians. From 1915 until 1923, 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives in
this intentional and grim act of genocide. Men were separated from their
families and murdered. Women and children were forced to march across the
Syrian Desert without water, food or possessions. Many died of hunger or
thirst or were killed when they lagged behind during the forced marches into
the desert.
The Armenian Genocide was the first of the 20th century. As with later
genocides, some question the accuracy of the historic events, asking whether
they actually happened. In fact, the government of Turkey still has never
admitted that genocide occurred. And, shamefully, our nation has put world
politics over truth and has failed to demand that the truth be told.
As we know, if we ignore injustice, we are likely to see it repeated. In his
justification for the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler said, “Who, after all, speaks
today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
This year to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, hundreds of people will walk
from Fresno to Sacramento in the “March for Humanity.” Although I am
unable to
join the marchers, please know that I am with them in spirit.
I join you in commemorating this anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. As we
remember the unspeakable acts from 90 years ago, let us also know the power we
have in naming these acts for what they are and in reminding the world. By
acknowledging this genocide for what it is, I hope that we are able to help
create a more just and humane world.

3) California Grandmother in Midst of Walking Record Setting 215 Miles in 19
Days

MODESTO (PR Newswire)–Zabel Ekmejian of Moraga, CA, is taking part in a
historical march from Fresno, Calif. to Sacramento. She and more than a dozen
other Armenians are walking 19 days and 215 miles in solidarity with the 1.5
million forgotten victims of the Armenian genocide.
“I took no measures to prepare for the walk. I didn’t change my diet or do
anything that I don’t normally do,” said Ekmekjian. “My strength and
motivation
is with the Lord and with his help I am determined to make it to Sacramento.”
Ekmekjian and the group of young Armenians have already walked more than 130
miles in their first week. They walk whether it’s scorching hot or pouring
rain. They sleep in churches and eat from a lunch truck that travels with
them.

“Ninty years have passed since the Genocide and we still have not received
justice for the millions of lost lives,” said Ekmekjian. “The least I can
do is
to sacrifice myself for a few weeks in an effort to raise awareness about the
Armenian Genocide and the plight of my family.”
Ekmekjian’s father survived the Genocide but she lost many other family
members in the brutal killings between 1915 and 1923. As a result of the
forced
exodus from his home Ekmekjian’s father, Garabed Kassabian, was split apart
from the rest of his family at the age of five.
“I have no pain and with the will of God will be able to walk all the way to
Sacramento,” said Ekmekjian. “What amazes me most is the will of the young
people in our group.”

4) ‘Cultural Genocide’ Exhibition Kicks off

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–An exhibit depicting the destruction of Armenian
cultural
monuments, beginning during the time of the Armenian genocide of 1915, opened
on Tuesday in the courtyard of Yerevan State University.
The exhibit, titled “Cultural Genocide,” is a collection of photos
provided by
the organization Research on Armenian Architecture that depict the destruction
of Western Armenian monuments by foreign forces.
Organizers say the photos reveal the human and cultural genocide that
began in
1915 by the Ottoman Empire, and which continues until now–in an effort to
destroy what has been created by a nation–to effectively erase a great
part of
the cultural heritage of Armenians.
“Cultural genocide is very dangerous, as a whole civilization, history of a
people, centuries-long heritage, and traditions fall victim,” said Tadevos
Charchian, a member of the “Nikol Aghbalian” students’ union, one of the
organizations that put together the exhibit. “A nation or people who does not
have spiritual values is somehow deprived from its past.”
The student council of the Yerevan State University’s History Department also
helped organize the exhibit.

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Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
April 8, 2005, Friday

THE CIS ANTI-AIRCRAFT SYSTEM VERSUS RUSSIAN MISSILE CARRIERS

SOURCE: Kommersant, April 6, 2005, p. 10
by Ivan Safronov

Combined exercises were conducted in the sky of eight CIS nations on
April 5. The Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers of the Russian
strategic aviation (the 22nd air division) were relocated from Russia
to Belarus. They simulated the flight of enemy bombers, which
Belarusian anti-aircraft units had to intercept during the exercise
of the CIS anti-aircraft system. Correspondent Ivan Safronov observed
the exercise from the Central command post located in the town of
Zarya, the Moscow region.

The exercise began at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time over Russia, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
The command set very difficult tasks. Colonel-General Boris Cheltsov,
Chief of the Central Staff of the Russian Air Force, said that almost
60 warplanes were involved in the maneuvers. General of the Army
Vladimir Mikhailov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force,
controlled the exercise from the Central command post located in
Tajikistan.

The Central Staff of the Russian Air Force decided to combine these
maneuvers with the exercise of the CIS anti-aircraft system. The
Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bomber of the 22nd air division moved
from Russia to Belarus, simulating the flight of enemy warplanes.

They were intercepted by Belarusian anti-aircraft units thanks to the
A-50 long-range radio-locating surveillance plane. Two Tu-95MS and
two Tu-160 bombers landed on the Machulishi airfield near Minsk. Four
Tu-22M3 bombers landed in Baranovichi.

In addition, the military organized a hypothetical skyjacking of a
warplane. At first Russia’s Su-24 warplane played the role of the
skyjacked plane. After that a Belarusian warplane was “skyjacked”.
Fighters forced both warplanes to land. Belarusian Su-24 took off
from the Ros airfield near Gomel and landed on the Siverskaya
airfield in the Leningrad region. Russian warplanes flew from Russia
to Belarus. Several MiG-31 fighters of the Kazakh Air Force and
Russian fighters from Karaganda took off in order to intercept them.
The Russian group landed in Karaganda, and the Kazakh fighters
visited Novosibirsk after accomplishing their tasks.

In addition, the Russian airbase in Kant (Kyrgyzstan) and Russian
anti-aircraft units deployed in Armenia and Tajikistan were involved
in the exercise. It should be noted that three A-50 long-range
radio-locating surveillance planes participated in the maneuvers.
They flew over Belarus and Tajikistan. Georgia did not let one A-50
plane fly over its territory to Armenia. Colonel-General Boris
Cheltsov said, “This is why the plane had to solve its task over the
North-Caucasian region. However, this did not worsen the results.”

Pan Armenian News

ARMENIAN KHACHKARS TO BE EXHIBITED IN LOUVRE WITHIN YEAR OF ARMENIA

09.04.2005 03:19

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Within the Year of Armenia, to be held in France in
2006-2007, Armenian Khachkars will be exhibited in Louvre, Arminfo
agency reported. In the words of French Ambassador to Armenia Henry
Cuny, French experts of the renowned museum have arrived in Yerevan the
other day. Along with Armenian colleagues they will choose Khachkars
from the funds of a range of Armenian museums to be exhibited in
Louvre. The Ambassador noted that within the Year not only many
cultural events, but also trade exhibitions of foodstuffs and other
Armenian produce will be organized in France. The Ambassador emphasized
that the main fruit symbol of Armenia will be the apricot. At that
he emphasized that “Armenian apricots are known for their taste
throughout the globe.” Henry Cuny noted that the holding of the Year
will allow presenting the culture of Armenia, accumulated in the
course of centuries, to wide strata of the population of France,
which in its turn will encourage the interest of the Frenchmen to
visit Armenia. “Armenia is one of most stable countries of the world
and it is most suitable for developing tourism,” the French Ambassador
to Armenia noted.

Blow To Armenia’s Shadow Economy

Local market traders say a new law punishes them and lets the big fish
off the hook

Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Caucasus Reporting Service
(CRS No. 281, 07-Apr-05)

By Naira Melkumian in Yerevan

The Armenian government says a new law obliging market traders to use
cash registers is an important step towards cleaning up the shadow
economy and boosting tax revenues, but small-time businessmen say they
are being unfairly penalised and forced out of business.

“The law on cash registers is a real instrument for protecting the
rights of consumers, which has been adopted in all civilised countries,”
Armen Alaverdian, deputy head of Armenia’s tax service, told IWPR. “It’s
also a method of registering turnover, and is thus a weapon in the fight
against the shadow economy.”

The new law, which came into force on April 1, is designed to help
ensure increased budget income for 2005 in an economy where around half
of transactions are believed to take place outside the tax system.
President Robert Kocharian told tax officials that their main goal this
year was a “serious battle with the shadow economy” and that the extra
revenues would go on social welfare.

According to Armenia’s draft budget, about 90 per cent of total revenues
estimated at 730 million US dollars this year should come from taxation.

But market traders are lobbying hard for the abolition of the new law,
which they say will drive them to ruin.

“I have four children and I can’t afford to buy a cash register, which
costs at least 100 dollars,” said Arman, a 35-year-old trader at the
Aresh market in the capital Yerevan. “We already pay the boss of the
market 200-300 dollars a month and that does not include the large sums
we spend on customs clearance.”

Traders say they are already having to pay ever-rising taxes on imports
of goods from Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Now they face the prospect of fines if they do not begin to use cash
registers. The penalty is equivalent to 300 dollars, and the amount
doubles for a second offence.

The government first took the decision to require cash registers in
1998, but their introduction was slowed down by the lack of a
legislative framework. Currently just over ten per cent of the 130,000
commercial organisations registered in the country use tills. The
authorities want them to be in universal use by 2010.

The law was not passed at the first attempt and was much debated in
parliament. The Orinats Yerkir party in the governing coalition
initially stoutly defended the rights of the traders.

“So why is Orinats Yerkir not supporting us any more?” said market
trader Anna, blaming party boss Artur Bagdasarian. “Now that the party
leader has become speaker of parliament, our problems don’t concern him
and he doesn’t listen to ordinary people.”

Samvel Balasanian, leader of the party’s parliamentary group, denied the
charge of political opportunism. He told IWPR that thanks to his party’s
efforts, the legislation had been postponed for two years, was now being
implemented gradually and could still be amended. “Earnings need to be
made legal,” he said.

Tax official Armen Alaverdian said that Armenia’s markets were rife with
tax-free trading.

The tax service told IWPR that the country’s 130 markets provided just
0.7 per cent of tax revenues – a figure of around four million dollars –
in 2004.

Tatul Manaserian, an economist who is an opposition member of
parliament, agreed that tens of millions of dollars were going
undeclared, but he said the traders were being unfairly singled out.

“Of course the use of cash registers ought to become normal business
practice in our country, too, but it is unacceptable to restrict
opportunities for small and medium-sized businessmen, who do pay their
taxes in one way or another. The section of society that forms the
middle class is being suppressed in this manner.”

Economist Vardan Bostajian argues that enforcing the use of cash
registers is a poor way of fighting the shadow economy. “Businessmen
operating… with a very small turnover are just trying to earn their
daily bread, and to put it mildly they do not welcome the budget being
swollen at their expense without getting any government support in return.”

Other economic experts say it’s the small fry at the markets who are
being targeted, while the bigger fish who own or run the markets and
cream off big profits are overlooked.

According to the most recent report from the International Monetary
Fund, large taxpayers provide only 23 per cent of tax revenues in Armenia.

“This problem deserves more attention in Armenia. The reason for it may
be that some of the big businessmen are closely connected with the
government,” said Manaserian, adding that more political will is needed
to tackle the problem.

“Basically the government wants to solve the problems of one section of
society by impoverishing another social group,” said Gayane Grigorian,
who has worked as a trader for many years at a Yerevan market. “It
definitely won’t make the nation wealthy, but it may lead to a rise in
emigration.”

Naira Melkumian is a freelance journalist in Yerevan.

FIRST “ARMENIA” CARGO ARRIVES IN POTI FROM RUSSIAN PORT OF KAVKAZ

YEREVAN, APRIL 6. ARMINFO. 18 carriages with grain for Armenia arrived
today in Poti (Georgia) by train ferry from the Russian port of Kavkaz,
says the press secretary of Armenia’s transport and communication
ministry Tamara Galechyan.

The 1,400 tons of grain imported into Armenia by the Victoria Trade
company are being discharged now to be sent to Armenia in 1-2 days.
Galechyan says that this is an experimental shipment with the schedule
of regular shipments to be agreed on during subsequent talks with
the Georgian side.

This is the second shipment by the Kavkaz-Poti train ferry – the first
one was for Georgia. The operations are carried out by the Annenkov
ferry capable of carrying 26-28 carriages. The ferry belongs to the
Russian Anship company having its operator in Georgia – Angeorgia. The
Kavkaz-Poti agreement was signed by Russia and Georgia Jan 10 2005.