Author: Emil Lazarian

The making of a tragedy
BY A. C. Grayling

The Times (London)
September 11, 2004, Saturday

When the Soviet Union disintegrated amid the confusion of the
anti-Gorbachev coup in 1991, some territories in its southern
regions made successful bids for independence, among them Armenia and
Georgia in the Transcaucasus, and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in central
Asia. Most were latecomers to the Russian fold, being Tsarist conquests
of the 19th century. For the inheritors of the defunct Soviet empire
their independence was deeply unwelcome, because they are rich in
natural resources, chief among them that substance whose toxic pall,
paid for by so many human lives, lies dark across the world: oil.

Exactly seven years before this week of endless Beslan funerals -on
September 9, 1997 -an agreement was signed between Russia and Chechnya
allowing oil to flow to the Russian port of Novorossiisk on the Black
Sea. It officially ended the first Chechen war, and gave the key to
why the conflict had happened. Some commentators claimed at the time
that world thirst for oil had been instrumental in bringing relative
calm not just to Chechnya but also to the whole region. Into this
volatile terrain were pouring hordes of businessmen and criminals,
scarcely distinguishable from each other, eager to profit from Caspian
oil, Turkmenistan gas, Uzbekistan cotton and Kirgiz gold.

Peace had come, the commentators continued, because the region offered
such rich opportunities that war could no longer be tolerated.

To say that this uncontrolled dash for the region’s resources had
brought peace was like saying that a fire had been extinguished
by dousing it with petrol. As American and European interests in
the region burgeoned, Russia strove to maintain its grip on those
parts of the original Soviet possessions which had not escaped into
independence. In particular, the Chechen oil pipeline -the only one
taking Caspian oil to the Black Sea -was vital, so in December 1994
the Russian army responded to Grozny’s efforts at independence by
invading, to assert Moscow’s control over the pipeline and, therefore,
the region’s economy.

The frightful war that followed, its re-ignition in 1999, the
excoriating terrorism that has spiralled from it, might have been
predicted from a single fact alone: the maze of animosities that
history and religion have between them bred, from the old Ottoman
borders in the Transcaucasus to the pass of Jiayuguan at the western
end of China’s Great Wall. It would take an epic to do it justice,
embracing as it must the Ottoman genocide of the Armenians in 1915
-in which over a million and a half were murdered -and then, working
eastwards in space and back through time, to the destroyer Genghis
Khan, who put whole cities to the sword.

For a flavour -a mere taste -of the complexities, note this: the
Georgians are Caucasians and speak a South Caucasian language,
but the Ossetians are Indo-Europeans, descended from the Alans and
related to Persians. The Ossetians practise Islam, Christianity and
paganism, and are involved in territorial disputes with Georgians and
the Ingush. Ossetians are allied with Russia, Georgians are not. Most
Georgians are Orthodox Christians, although some minorities in Georgia
are Muslim.

And so on. This passage comes from an internet letter disputing
a version of Caucasian history in which the collaboration of
Chechens with Hitler against Stalin (Hobson’s choice!) is offered
as justification for Russian attitudes to Chechnya. According to
the letter writer, the author of the anti-Chechen history does not
understand the subtleties of ethnic and religious diversity in the
region. How many outsiders, on this evidence, can? Anyway, the point
is that such diversity, once released from the grip of an overarching
police state, inevitably causes friction and fragmentation. It would
happen without the evil allure of oil, but oil makes everything
vastly worse, because into the local quarrels come dollar-laden
foreigners, buying and bribing in their desperation for the Earth’s
black blood. Control of the pipelines, accordingly, becomes a reason
for mass murder. If oil did not matter, some other prompt for fighting
would be needed; but -just perhaps -none might be found.

All this partly explains the background to the Beslan tragedy. It
does not, for absolutely nothing can, excuse it.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

September 10, 2004
___________________

WEEK-LONG SEMINAR HELPS DEVELOP JUNIOR CHOIR LEADERSHIP

By Mary Selvinazian

After a year of planning, the Association of Armenian Church Choirs of
America (AACCA) held its first junior choir leadership development
seminar: a week-long session for the next generation of choir members.

Held at the Diocese’s new Ararat Center in Greenville, NY, from August 3
to 8, 2004, the seminar brought together 12 young musicians — ranging
in age from 14 to 19 — from 10 parishes throughout the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern). The program’s purpose was to
train qualified leaders for future service as choir directors. The
participants were members of their parish choirs, serving as singers,
organists, and altar servers; each came recommended by his or her parish
priest.

The participants were greeted upon arrival by Fr. Untzag Nalbandian,
director of the Diocese’s Department of Youth and Education, who, on
behalf of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, commended the young people for
being selected for this new program.

Classes were taught by notable faculty members. Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian,
pastor of the Holy Martyrs Church in Bayside, NY, focused on the role of
the deacon in the Armenian Church. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian, pastor of St.
Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ, demonstrated how to properly play
Armenian sacred music on the organ. Dn. Rubik Mailian, choir leader for
the St. John Church of Southfield, MI, discussed voice production
techniques and explored how to direct different vocal sections. Maestro
Khoren Mekanejian, coordinator of Music Ministry for the Diocese, taught
conducting skills to the young participants. Dr. Socrates Boyajian,
choir director for the St. Mary Church of Washington, D.C., gave a
presentation on western music, led a survey of music theory, and taught
ear training.

Since graduates of this program will be given the title of assistant
choir director, part of their graduation requirement was for each to
direct a segment of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, August 8, at the St.
Peter Church of Watervliet, NY, during a badarak celebrated by Fr. Arsen
Barsamian. The complete service was sung a cappella, producing a
haunting blend of voices, reminiscent of ancient renderings of the
Divine Liturgy. Along with conducting, the 12 young singers also joined
in the singing, blending their voices with local choir members and
deacons of the St. Peter Armenian Church. This was the result of the
over six hours of daily instruction, and additional practice time, that
each new assistant choir director put in over the four-day period of the
program.

FUN AND LEARNING

Along with the rigorous daily classroom schedule, the young musicians
had plenty of time for fellowship and social activities.

Through evaluation surveys and comments, the participants indicated that
they were highly motivated by the week of instruction and that they
benefited a great deal from each of the courses. Some indicated that
this week was an experience they would not forget, noting that they
learned more about the Divine Liturgy.

Learning to conduct a choir is what they came for, and their comments
indicated they were not disappointed. Each gained enough confidence to
stand before a crowd and conduct; and each indicated that his or her
hope to return next year for more intensive training.

Dr. Socrates Boyajian, of the AACCA Central Council, spearheaded the
junior choir leadership program and served as the coordinator for the
week’s sessions. Assisting Dr. Boyajian were other AACCA Central
Council members: Dn. Gregory Krikorian, Arpie Kouzouian, Mary
Selvinazian, and Anoush Givelekian; each of whom spent the week at the
Ararat Center to ensure the smooth functioning of the program. Former
Central Council member Anna Garabedian, of Springfield, MA, was also
present.

Each parish sending a young member to the program contributed a sum
toward the expenses of the conference. The balance was picked up by the
AACCA Central Council, which received contributions from generous donors
to help fund this worthy cause.

Participating in the first junior choir leadership development program,
were:
Erika Belezarian from St. Mark, Springfield, MA
Alyne Corrigan and Taleen Terjanian from St. Stepanos, Elberon, NJ
Gregory Dalakian from St. Mary, Livingston, NJ
Tamar Derderian from St. Sahag and St. Mesrob, Wynnewood, PA
Elise Durgarian from Holy Translators, Framingham, MA
Harry Lang and Sarah Malconian from Holy Trinity, Cambridge, MA
Tamara Martirosyan from Sts. Sahag and Mesrob, Providence, RI
Ani Nalbandian from Holy Ascension, Trumbull, CT
Katherine Norris from St. James, Richmond, VA
Dziadzan Sahagian from St. James, Watertown, MA

— 9/10/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Khoren Mekanejian, coordinator of music ministry for
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), works with
student Gregory Dalakian on his conducting technique during the first
junior choir leadership development seminar organized by the Association
of Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA) from August 3 to 8, 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Fr Mamigon Kiledjian demonstrates proper organ pedal
technique to young musicians during a junior choir leadership
development seminar at the Diocese’s Ararat Center in upstate New York.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Students at the first junior choir development
seminar are introduced to the Choir Association’s website, which serves
as a useful tool for choir directors.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): Deacon Rubin Mailian speaks on vocal technique to
the young participants of the first ever junior choir leadership
development seminar organized by the Association of Armenian Church
Choirs of America (AACCA) from August 3 to 8, 2004.

# # #

Cradle of civilisation

The Independent – United Kingdom
Sep 11, 2004

Tony Wheeler

The Paykan car swerved in to the roadside. A portly gentleman levered
himself out from the driver’s seat and steamed towards me, like
the Titanic on a pressing engagement with an iceberg. I was in Iran
and I was about to be kidnapped. “I am a guide, I speak English,”
announced Ahmad Pourseyedi as he grabbed my arm. “Come, we will go
to the Fin Gardens.”

There was no arguing. The fact that I had only arrived in Kashan half
an hour earlier and was on my way to dinner merely enabled me to put
off the inevitable for 12 hours. The next morning I belonged to Ahmad,
in fact I had become part of his family. At each of the beautiful
traditional homes for which Kashan will, one day, be justifiably
famous, the ticket- seller was expected, no, commanded, to offer me
the family discount.

It was a typically Iranian encounter. I cannot remember the last
country I visited where there was such an overwhelming urge to make
you feel welcome, to roll out the Persian carpet, to include you in
the family gathering.

So this is what life is like on the Axis of Evil. I had driven through
Iran 32 years earlier, during the Shah’s reign, when Iran was firmly
part of Washington’s Axis of Good. “That was a golden era,” said
Mohamad, the tourist guide I’d encountered at the stunning restaurant
in the old Hammam- e Vakil in Shiraz, when I told him about my trip
in the 1970s. “There were problems, but we had so much more freedom
in those days.”

Not quite, I thought, thinking of the dreaded Savak, the Shah’s secret
police who were every bit as fearsome as Iran’s religious police
are today. “After every revolution there are winners and losers,”
mused Mansoor, back in the capital. “The Shah thought Iran ended at
Tehran. He neglected the country and the villages. People outside
Tehran are much better off now. Look out on the street,” he indicated,
pointing at the tumultuous traffic that boiled all around us. “You
see plenty of women driving, don’t you? That wouldn’t have happened
in the Shah’s era.”

I’d started my short tour of Iran aboard a new Iran Air Airbus which
zipped me south to Shiraz. The ticket for the London-Paris segment
of the journey cost pounds 15. When the poet Omar Khayyam wrote,
“a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou”, he was probably dreaming
about a jug of Shiraz. Sadly, although Shiraz, that dark peppery
red, is popular worldwide, you won’t find any Shiraz in Shiraz
today. Or anywhere else in the strictly teetotal Islamic Republic
of Iran. Fortunately I had sampled some Shiraz Shiraz way back on my
first visit, in the back of a VW Kombi van at a campsite in Isfahan.

Iran’s favourite wine may be off the list, but Omar Khayyam was never
Iran’s favourite poet in the first place. His popularity in the West –
all that “moving finger moving on” verse – is in part due to Edward
FitzGerald, who put a lot of effort into translating and promoting
him. Back home, his reputation rests on his mastery of mathematics
rather than his prowess with prose.

Saidi and Hafez, both of whom are buried in Shiraz, are the big
names in a country where poetry is still important. Hafez’s tomb
stands in a beautiful garden and features a popular tea house where
you can sit around, puff on a qalyan (water pipe), sip chay (tea)
and quote the master. Much of life takes place around a teapot. I
trace my 30-year love-affair with the drink straight back to my first
visit to Turkey and Iran in the 1970s. Tea had always been a stewed,
milked and sugared affair until I discovered it could come in tiny
glasses and, while sugar was on offer, it wasn’t essential.

Shiraz has a fine old fort, some interesting mosques and mausoleums
and the Bagh-e Eram (“Garden of Paradise”). But the real attraction
is 30 miles away, where the ancient ruins of Persepolis perch on a
plateau below a cliff face. Darius I (the Great) started building
his showpiece city in 512 BC. Its glory days ended in 330BC when
Alexander the Great invaded Persia, sacked the city and burnt it down.

Historians are uncertain whether the demolition of Persepolis was
the unfortunate result of a drunken party that got out of hand, or
deliberate revenge for the destruction of Athens 150 years earlier
by Xerxes, Darius I’s successor. Today things move faster: it took
less than two years from the attack on the Twin Towers to the trashing
of Baghdad. Alexander may have been slower in exacting revenge, but
he was also somewhat more organised than the modern-day invaders of
the Middle East. He cleared Persepolis before it was burnt – signs at
the site note that emptying its treasury took 3,000 camels and mules
to cart off the “12,000 talents” of silver. It’s the bas-reliefs
that really tell the Persepolis story, and the impressive Apadana
Stairway has the best of them. The 23 subject nations who turned up
to show their respects march in bas-relief line with gifts such as
a lioness and two cubs (from the Elamite delegation), a humped bull
(from the Gandarians of the Kabul Valley, the people who carved out
the Bamiyan buddhas), bags of gold (from the Indians of the Sind; even
then gold was important in India) and a giraffe and elephant tusks
(from the Ethiopians).

I’d intended to take a bus the 275 miles to Yazd the next day, but
Hassan, my Persepolis taxi driver, had been such a friendly guide that
I decided to splurge pounds 35 for air-conditioned comfort in the 40C
heat. We cruised off with his Chris de Burgh tape providing a wholly
inappropriate soundtrack and his nine-year-old daughter along for the
ride. Yazd’s Zoroastrian fire temple and towers of silence (where,
once upon a time, vultures would pick over dead bodies) provide a
reminder of this Islamic republic’s religious past. Yazd is also
a centre for underground irrigation channels known as qanat. The
city’s water channels may be hidden from view, but examples of
its other traditional architectural features are very evident. Any
worthwhile old home is topped by what looks like a cross between a
stylish chimney and a lookout tower. These badgirs (“wind towers”)
are cunningly designed to catch the breeze and funnel it down over a
pool of water in the house, providing a surprisingly effective form
of natural air conditioning. From Yazd I took a bus – air-conditioned,
comfortable and cheap (less than pounds 1.50) – for the 200-mile trip
to Isfahan. This city alone could justify any trip to Iran. It’s hard
to decide whether the prime attraction is the magnificent sweep of the
Emam Khomeini Square, with its perimeter of shopping arcades and its
breathtaking blue-tiled mosques, or the gentle curve of the Zayandeh
River with its multi-arched bridges and fringe of parks. I wandered
down one side of the river, pausing at a teahouse built into the Chubi
bridge. I then stopped for tea again just downriver from the Si-o-Seh
(“Bridge of 33 Arches”). Finally I walked back to the main square for
yet more tea, this time in a shop perched beside the bazaar entrance
gate at the north end of the square.

By the time I reached the south end, heading towards the restaurant
I’d chosen for dinner, the sun was down and the floodlit blue tiles
of the huge Emam Mosque had an eye-catching glow. A carpet dealer
intercepted me and after a short sales pitch switched to tour guide,
suggesting I should have another look at the mosque. “If you have
seen it in daylight you will find it quite different now that night
has fallen,” he says.

Unfortunately, a guard stops me. “It’s prayer time,” he says. “You
cannot go in.” Immediately an animated discussion started up with the
men sitting around him. Within minutes he relents. “They all say you
must see the mosque by night,” he explains. “If you keep over to one
side you will not disturb anybody. Go ahead.”

The next morning there are the shaking minarets to quake at, an
amazing pigeon house sited in the middle of a roundabout, and the
extravagant frescoes of the Vank Cathedral to admire before I head
off to Kashan. The cathedral is one of a group of Armenian churches
in the affluent Jolfa area, with its elegant cafes and glossy shops.

En route to Kashan there’s another diversion, this time to Abyaneh. The
old village’s twisting lanes and mud architecture has brought it
Unesco recognition, but as yet few tourists. If it were in France
or Spain every other house would be a cafe or craft shop. Here
there’s a solitary counter selling a handful of souvenirs. Between
the village and Kashan I had a brief encounter with that other Iran,
the one that features in the press much more often than beautiful
hotels and friendly people. “It’s a nuclear research centre,” my
guide explains as we pass anti-aircraft gun emplacements beside the
road and half-buried buildings.

Ahmad, my Kashan kidnapper, drops me off at the bus station after
checking what time my lift departs Tehran. I’d even been round to
his house where his wife brought us lunch while we took a break
during the midday heat. I’d enjoyed cruising around Kashan in his
Paykan car, “arrow” in Persian. Thirty years ago, in what seems like
a previous lifetime, I was a young engineer with the Rootes Group
car manufacturers in Coventry. I worked on the old Hillman Hunter,
a project known in-house as “Arrow”. They’re still the most popular
vehicles in Iran.

SURVIVAL KIT

GETTING THERE

British Airways (0870 850 9850; ) and Iran Air (020-7493
8618; ) fly to Tehran from Heathrow; Mahan Airlines
(0121 554 1555; ) flies from Birmingham. Fares
are around pounds 390.

STAYING THERE

In Tehran, the Atlas Hotel (00 98 21 88 00 408) has double rooms from
315,000 Iranian rials (pounds 20). Hotels are cheaper in other cities;
in Yazd you can stay in a restored traditional courtyard house for
around 160,000 Iranian rials (pounds 10).

RED TAPE

British passport holders require a visa to visit Iran as a tourist. The
Embassy of Iran (0906 302 0600; ) provides
these for pounds 54. Applications (both online and through the post)
take around one month to process. Before you can apply for a visa,
you must first have authorisation from an agent, details of which are
provided by the Embassy or Travcour (020-7223 5295; ),
the visa and passport service. For this you must send two passport
photos, a photocopy of your passport and details of your itinerary.

Khatamiterms universities as centers of thoughts

IRNA, Iran
Sept 9 2004

Yerevan, Sept 9, IRNA — President Mohammad Khatami here Thursday said
universities are the centers of thoughts and champions of dialogue
among civilizations.

“I am happy (the initiative of) dialogue among civilizations has been
welcomed by university professors and students,” Khatami said after
delivering a speech at Yerevan State University.

Human beings faced war, grudge, terror and two world wars over the
past century and terrorism also was expanded in the world, he added.
He noted that dialogue among civilizations seeks the rule of justice
in the world and direct human life towards peace.

The UN General Assembly accepted the initiative in 2001 without
opposition, he said, adding reputable centers have been established
in this regard.

“Although the idea of dialogue among civilizations was put forward in
2001, the anti-peace forces showed reactions including the September
11 events which warmongers filled the world with war and occupation
under the pretext of campaign against terrorism. “But human conscience
is against such actions,” Khatami said. He stressed that Armenia is
among suitable countries to promote dialogue among civilizations.

Egyptian Treasure Are Showcased at Lowell, Mass., store

zawya

LOWELL, Mass., Sep 08, 2004 (The Sun – Knight Ridder/Tribune
Business News via COMTEX) — Mohammed “Moody” Eltobgi was an Egyptian
businessman for many years. So when he came to the United States in
1995 and worked in restaurants, he yearned to run his own business.

He combined a love for handcrafted goods and business knowledge to
open Moody’s Buried Treasures at 66 Merrimack St.

He imports hand-blown, hand-painted glass, hand-carved alabaster and
a hand-painted brass plates, all made by craftsmen in his native Egypt.

When visiting his homeland, he makes a point to seek out craftsmen
in villages who can no longer afford to work in places like Cairo.

“I love art, I love to see these people working,” he said. “They are
going out of business because of machine shops.” Eltobgi can buy many
of these goods cheaply, but prices vary. A hand-painted perfume bottle
is $5. Earrings are $4. An alabaster candelabra is $45. A handmade
belly-dancing costume is $300.

He also carries Avon products at the request of customers who
frequented the former business located at the address, the Lil’
Avon Boutique.

He runs the store with his wife, MaryGayle. The couple lives in Lowell.

“All my life I’ve been in business, and I believe we will get bigger,”
he said.

Eltobgi plans another trip soon to add to his inventory, possibly to
Romania or Armenia, on his continued search for handmade goods.

By Rebecca Lipchitz

To see more of The Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to

(c) 2004, The Sun, Lowell, Mass. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at
(800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or
e-mail [email protected].

More intl humanitarian aid comes to Beslan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 8, 2004 Wednesday

MOSCOW, September 8 — Humanitarian supplies from all parts of the
world continue to arrive in the North Ossetian town of Beslan.

An An-12 plane brought from Azerbaijan five tonnes of medicines,
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

Two hundred kilograms of donor blood were delivered from Armenia.

Some 50 tonnes of relief supplies have been brought to Beslan over
the past three days. These include medicines, IT and burn-treatment
equipment and X-ray units, the Ministry said.

Planes with humanitarian supplies from Norway and Greece are expected
to land at the Beslan airport within the next few hours, spokesman
for North Caucasian regional border department Sergei Livantsov said.

Bishop Feofan of Stavropol and Vladikavkas called upon the clergy
and secular authorities to build a temple, on whose walls the names
of the Beslan victims should be inscribed.

The bishop arrived in Beslan on the first day of the hostage taking
drama and has remained there since, officiating at funerals.

Regional lawmakers donated their one-day wage to the victims’
relatives. They urged their colleagues from local self-rule bodies
to follow suit.

Azeri, French leaders discuss Karabakh, “excellent level” of cooperation

Turan news agency
8 Sep 04

Baku, 8 September: A one-to-one meeting between French President
Jacques Chirac and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, was
held yesterday evening [7 September]. The sides discussed the active
development of bilateral political and economic ties. Chirac said that
contacts between the two countries were at an “excellent level”. To
confirm this, he added that France was Azerbaijan’s third largest
foreign trade partner.

The meeting also addressed issues related to Azerbaijan’s integration
into the EU. The sides particularly spoke about Azerbaijan’s
involvement in the EU’s New Neighbourhood Programme.

The meeting also focused on regional problems and the Karabakh
settlement. Chirac said that Paris supported the continuation of
peace talks on the conflict settlement. As a co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group, France will continue making efforts in this sphere.

Khatami says his trip to help establish peace in region

IRNA, Iran
Sept 8 2004

Tehran, Sept 8, IRNA — President Mohammad Khatami here Wednesday
expressed the hope that his regional tour will help establish peace
and regional solidarity.

The Iranian President made the remarks prior to his departure for
Yerevan, the Republic of Armenia, in the first leg of his regional
tour which will also take him to Belarus and Tajikistan.

Terming Iran`s bilateral relations with the three countries as
friendly, he said the Islamic Republic welcomes amicable relations
with the regional countries in line with the establishment of stability
and unity in the entire region.

He also hoped that the existing relations will further profound by
signing several agreements during his regional tour of the three
countries.

Khatami reiterated that his visits to Armenia and Belarus are in
response to visits to Tehran of his two counterparts.

As to Iran-Tajikistan close relations, he said the two countries
share many cultural commonalities. The Islamic Republic is taking
part in several major projects in Tajikistan, he added.

The president further announced that he is to attend the summit meeting
of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
on the last day of his visit to Tajikistan.

Expansion of bilateral cooperation as well as the latest regional
and international developments will top the agenda of talks to be
held between the Iranian delegation and senior officials of the three
regional countries.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Khatami`s one-week visit is taking
place at the official invitations of his counterparts Robert Kocharian,
Aleksandr Lukashenko and Emomali Rakhmonov of Armenia, Belarus and
Tajikistan, respectively.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf,
Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Safdar Hosseini and

Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari are accompanying President
Khatami in his regional tour.

Xinhua News Agency – French
7 septembre 2004 mardi 5:01 PM EST

Tête-à-tête à Paris entre les présidents azerbaïdjanais et français

PARIS

Le président de l’Azerbaïdjan Ilham Aliev, arrivé mardi après-midi à
Paris pour une visite de travail de deux jours en France, a été reçu
pendant plus d’une heure par le president français Jacques Chirac au
palais de l’Elysée, a annoncé le service de presse de la présidence.

Mais ce service de presse n’a donné aucune indication sur la teneur
de leur entretien qui s’est déroulé en tête-à-tête.

La France est le troisième partenaire commercial de cette ancienne
république soviétique du Caucase riche en pétrole et à population en
majorité musulmane. Elle co-préside avec les Etats- Unis et la Russie
le “Groupe de Minsk” qui tente depuis dix ans de régler le conflit
qui oppose l’Azerbaïdjan à l’Arménie voisine à propos du
Nagorny-Karabakh, un conflit qui déstabilise une région stratégique
par laquelle transite le pétrole de la mer Caspienne, selon la
presentation du site internet du Quai d’Orsay.

Selon l’Elysée, M. Aliev doit d’ailleurs rencontrer à Paris le
co-président français du groupe de Minsk, l’ambassadeur Henry
Jacolin, afin de préparer la rencontre à la mi-septembre des trois
co-présidents avec les présidents arménien et azerbaïdjanais.

Le président d’Azerbaïdjan est accompagné de son épouse Mehriban, qui
doit être nommée jeudi ambassadeur de bonne volonté de l’Unesco,
l’organe culturel des Nations unies, dont le siège est à Paris.

Polish president grateful to Armenia for Iraqi multinational troops offer

PAP news agency
6 Sep 04

Warsaw, 6 September: After meeting Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
who is in Warsaw on an official visit, [Polish] President Aleksander
Kwasniewski has said that Poland is grateful for his declaration to
send Armenian troops to the multinational division which is under
the Polish command in Iraq.

“We appreciate this fact; we know that these are very difficult,
yet inevitable, decisions to make at the time when joint effort and
solidarity are needed to combat terrorism,” the president said at a
press conference.

[Passage omitted].

According to Kwasniewski, Polish-Armenian relations are “in a great
shape”. He added that a “basis for a treaty” had been established
that would enable a closer cooperation, especially an economic one.

Today, the agreements that were signed in the presence of the two
presidents included ones about cooperation in defence and combating
organized crime.

According to the president of Armenia, Poland’s EU entry “is giving
a new dimension to our cooperation”. Armenia wants to take advantage
of Poland’s experiences in the economic transformation and adoption
of laws to EU norms.

[Passage omitted].