Author: Felekian Ara

REPRESENTATIVES OF RULING COALITION OF ARMENIA HAVE PRACTICALLY
REACHED CONSENSUS IN ISSUE OF RATION OF PROPORTIONAL AND MAJORITY
SEATS IN PARLIAMENT

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9. ARMINFO. In the issue of the ration of
proportional and majority seats in the parliament members of the
ruling coalition of Armenia have practically reached a consensus. Head
of the faction of the party ARF Dashnaktsutiun Levon Mkrtchian stated
during the briefing at the National Assembly of Armenia.

According to him, the representatives of the ruling coalition have
practically agreed to increase the number of proportional seats to
70%. It should be noted that the parties Orinats Yerkir, United Labor
Party, as well as opposition forces represented by the bloc Justice
and the party National Unity come out for the increase of the number
of the proportional seats in the parliament to 70%.

As regards the position of the Republican party in this issue, head of
the faction of RPA Galoust Sahakian stated that the party is ready to
support any decision concerning which the parliamentary forces will
reach a consensus. According to him, now the parliamentary forces are
discussing two possible ration of proportional and majority seats in
the parliament – 60%-40% and 70%-30%.

Jean Paul II prie pour les Irakiens après les attentats contre des églises

Edicom, Suisse
Dec 8 2004

CITE DU VATICAN (AP) – Le pape Jean Paul II a déclaré mercredi qu’il
priait pour le peuple irakien après les attentats à la bombe contre
deux églises de Mossoul dans le nord de l’Irak, dernière violence en
date contre les chrétiens du pays.

»J’exprime ma proximité spirituelle avec les fidèles, choqués par ces
attentats», a dit Jean Paul II qui parlait depuis l’une des fenêtres
de ses appartements sur la place Saint-Pierre à l’occasion de la fête
catholique de l’Immaculée Conception.

Le souverain pontife a ajouté qu’il priait pour que les Irakiens
»puissent connaître enfin le temps de la réconciliation et de la paix».

Dans deux attentats simultanés mardi, des insurgés ont fait exploser
des bombes dans une église catholique arménienne et une église
chaldéenne à Mossoul, faisant trois blessés.

–Boundary_(ID_Pg2vY6gu1w1Ur9zhYYkWMQ)–

Iran, Azerbaijan agree on building two bridges to Naxcivan

MPA news agency
6 Dec 04

Baku, 6 December: The Iranian and Azerbaijani transport ministers
have agreed on the construction of two bridges connecting Iran with
the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) [Azerbaijan’s exclave].

Azerbaijan and Iran will jointly fund the construction of a bridge
between Poldasht (Iran) and Saxtaxti (NAR), and a bridge between Jolfa
(Iran) and Culfa (NAR). Three million dollars have been allocated for
the construction of the first bridge and 4m dollars for the second one.

Iran has begun to carry out the feasibility study of the project. The
construction will be done by Iranian companies and will start in the
first months of 2005.

Avvenire, Italia
Mercoledi 01 dicembre 2004

TRANSIZIONE TEMPESTOSA

L’ex impero

Dalle ceneri dell’Urss la nuova mappa degli Stati «inquieti»

Molti Paesi retti da leader legati alle vecchie nomenklature
comuniste. Il nodo delle minoranze russe

Da Mosca Giovanni Bensi

C’era una volta l’impero. È una transizione tempestosa e
contraddittoria, quella che ha fatto seguito alla morte dell’orso
sovietico. L’8 dicembre 1991 i presidenti delle tre repubbliche slave
dell’Urss – Boris Eltsin per la Russia, Leonid Kravchuk per l’Ucraina
e Stanislav Shushkevich per la Belorussia, riuniti presso Minsk –
decretarono la fine dell’Unione Sovietica e la sua sostituzione con
un’entità chiamata “Comunità degli Stati Indipendenti” (Csi). Qualche
tempo dopo ad essa aderirono anche altre 12 repubbliche, tranne le
tre baltiche (Estonia, Lettonia e Lituania). Presidente della Csi
venne eletto Eltsin e, dopo un «interregno» di Leonid Kuchma,
successore di Kravchuk a capo dell’Ucraina, oggi il presidente è di
nuovo il russo Vladimir Putin. Russia e Belorussia ad un certo punto
hanno deciso di iniziare un processo di riunificazione che procede a
rilento e senza molto entusiasmo.
Le repubbliche baltiche sono ora membri della Nato e dell’Unione
Europea. Lettonia e Lituania hanno come presidenti ex emigrati
politici che hanno trascorso decenni negli Usa: Vaira Vike-Freiberga
e Valdas Adamkus. Ma anche qui, come in quasi tutte le repubbliche ex
sovietiche, sopravvivono politicamente ex esponenti del regime. In
Lituania, per esempio, il primo ministro Algirdas Brazauskas, ultimo
capo del Pcus in questa repubblica, coesiste con il presidente
«americano». Lettonia ed Estonia hanno in comune con altre
repubbliche ex sovietiche la presenza di una forte minoranza di
lingua russa (oltre un terzo della popolazione).
La situazione in Ucraina è in questi giorni sotto gli occhi di tutti.
L’attuale presidente uscente è Leonid Kuchma, uomo legato al clan
politico-militare-industriale sovietico di Dnepropetrovsk da cui
proveniva anche l’ex segretario generale del Pcus Leonid Breznev. La
burocrazia già sovietica ha mantenuto nelle sue mani le leve del
potere appoggiandosi sulle strutture della parte orientale del Paese,
più industriale e fil orussa, strutture dalle quali è uscito anche il
candidato «vincente» alle recenti elezioni presidenziali, Viktor
Janukovich.
La Bielorussia è ora governata da Aleksandr Lukashenko, ex capo di un
kolkhoz, che ha stabilito un regime dittatoriale, ha restaurato i
simboli del regime sovietico e istituito «squadroni della morte»
incaricati di eliminare gli oppositori. Recentemente Lukashenko si è
fatto riconfermare alla presidenza con elezioni di dubbia legittimità
dalle quali erano stati praticamente estromessi gli oppositori.
Inoltre con un referendum ha modificato la Costituzione attribuendosi
il diritto di ripresentare la sua candidatura alla presidenza per una
terza volta. I bielorussi sono di fatto tutti bilingui, il bielorusso
è una lingua di scarse tradizioni culturali e fortemente influenzata
dal polacco. Il paese attraversa una crisi di identità che favorisce
il riavvicinamento alla Russia.
Fra Ucraina e Romania è inserita la Moldavia. I moldavi parlano
romeno (ma Stalin aveva imposto l’uso dell’alfabeto cirillico). Dopo
la caduta dell’Urss si era posto il problema di un’annessione alla
Romania, poi risolto negativamente. Negli anni ’90 la regione moldava
della Transnistria, abitata in prevalenza da russi, ha proclamato la
secessione con l’appoggio di Mosca.
Il Caucaso è la regione ex sovietica più martoriata. Fra Armenia
(cristiana monofisita) e Azerbaigian (musulmano sciita) vi è una
guerra, ora «congelata», per il possesso della regione del Nagorny
Karabakh. In Armenia, Paese con poche risorse economiche, vi è una
situazione di estrema instabilità, malamente gestita dal presidente
Robert Kocharjan. I forti contrasti politici hanno portato ad un
episodio senza precedenti nella Csi: nel 1999 un gruppo di oppositori
assaltò il parlamento provocando una strage. In Georgia l’ex
presidente Eduard Shevardnadze, già ministro degli esteri con
Gorbaciov, aveva instaurato un regime corrotto. Nel novembre
dell’anno scorso, dopo ele zioni truccate, venne cacciato, cedendo il
posto a Mikheil Saakashvili che ha inaugurato una linea decisamente
filo-occidentale. La Russia cerca di disturbare questa linea
appoggiando i movimenti secessionistici di tre regioni georgiane:
l’Abkhazia, l’Adzharia e l’Ossezia del Sud. L’Azerbaigian possiede
ingenti risorse petrolifere che ne fanno l’oggetto dei desideri di
Russia ed Usa, fra le quali è in corso una «guerra fredda» per lo
sfruttamento dei pozzi e per i tracciati degli oleodotti che dovranno
portare il petrolio sui mercati mondiali. Retto dopo la caduta
dell’Urss da Heydar Aliev, ex membro del Politburo sovietico
«convertitosi» all’islam, l’Azerbaigian è ora guidato con sistemi
autoritari dal figlio Ilham Aliev.
Infine vi è il blocco centro-asiatico, formato dalle cinque
repubbliche Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kirghyzstan, Turkmenistan e
Tagikistan, tutte musulmane sunnite e turcofone, tranne l’ultima che
è iranofona, e tutte, tranne una, governate da ex dirigenti
comunisti. Il Kazakhstan è ricco di petrolio e di gas, ed il suo
presidente Nursultan Nazarbaev segue una linea filo-russa.
L’Uzbekistan, la più popolosa delle cinque repubbliche, è retta in
modo autoritario da Islam Karimov. Nel Paese è attivo un forte
movimento islamico fondamentalista che ha più volte organizzato
sanguinosi attentati. Karimov ha concesso agli americani basi
militari durante la guerra contro i taleban afghani. Il Turkmenistan
è governato da un crudele ed eccentrico dittatore, Saparmurad
Nijazov, ora zelante sostenitore dell’islam. Il regime di Nijazov,
che si fa chiamare «Turkmenbashi» («duce dei turkmeni»), è stato
definito «qualcosa a metà fra Stalin e l’ayatollah Khomeini». Il
Turkmenistan è ricco di gas naturale che fa gola a molti. Il
Tagikistan è stato dilaniato dopo lo sfaldamento dell’Urss da una
feroce guerra civile, cessata con l’intervento militare della Russia
in favore del presidente Emomali Rahmonov. Ora la Russia possiede in
Tagikistan una base militare . Rimane la Kirghizia, governata da
Askar Akaev, l’unico leader centro-asiatico senza un passato di
dirigente comunista. Fra le repubbliche centro-asiatiche sembra la
più tranquilla.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

December 3, 2004

ANEC SEMINAR DRAWS YOUNG EDUCATORS
by Gilda B. Kupelian

“Thank you for being here,” said one of the teachers in attendance at the
New England Educators’ Seminar sponsored by the Armenian National Education
Committee (ANEC) in Providence, Rhode Island. “We sense that we are doing
something at least,” she said.

“You are doing more than some thing, you are teaching the language of our
cultural heritage, you are forming Armenian identity and instilling pride in
the legacy entrusted to us. And that, my dear Armenian teacher, is no small
feat,” was the validating response she deservedly received.

Hosted by the Mourad School, the ANEC Seminar attracted over thirty
educators from the New England area. Four experienced principals and two
members of the Armenian Relief Society joined the dedicated Armenian
teachers in this educational forum.

Noteworthy and most inspiring was the presence of the young teachers and the
assistant teachers who are Mourad School alumni: Alice Donabedian, Lucine
Kozinian, Siran Krikorian, Raffi Rachdouni, Natalia Sadaniantz and Armine
Tahmassian.

Following the opening prayer by Rev. Father Gomidas Baghsarian, pastor of
the Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, a summary of the pan-Diaspora
conferences recently organized by the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia in
Lebanon and the one organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture in
Dzaghgatsor, Armenia were presented by ANEC Executive Director, Gilda B.
Kupelian. This was an opportunity to learn about the challenges facing the
international Armenian communities of the Diaspora and to be apprised of
what the leadership policy and vision are in terms of Armenian education. Ms
Kupelian entertained questions and delivered her subsequent lecture on
teaching approaches for the non-Armenian speaker. The presentation included
a profile of the target students, scope and sequence and workable
methodology.

An audio-visual presentation of new teaching resources brought from Lebanon,
Armenia and overseas concluded that segment of the agenda.

Nayiri Balanian, the ANEC chairperson, gave a lively presentation on
teaching Armenian language and culture, with well-prepared demonstrations of
proven techniques that enhance the learning process. Her experience as a day
school teacher provided the basis and premise of her presentation. Ms
Balanian offered creative ways such as the enactment and visual presentation
of cultural vignettes and memorization techniques that help the retention of
the most important dates in our history.

ANEC offered the participants books on illuminations and a collection of one
act plays and poems authored by Ms Balanian. The seminar concluded with a
lavish reception prepared by the Ladies Guild.

Hurriyet, Turkey
Dec 2 2004

ANKARA SHOCKED BY SLOVAKIA’S `GENOCIDE’ RESOLUTION

Shocked on Tuesday by a surprise Slovakian Parliament resolution
urging recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide, the Foreign
Ministry demanded an explanation from Slovakia’s Embassy in Ankara.
Embassy officials replied that they were also shocked by the
development, adding that it is not a binding resolution. Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul is expected to summon the Slovakian ambassador
for a more in-depth briefing after returning to Turkey from his
current visit to Slovenia. The decision is entirely ignorant of
history, charged Foreign Ministry officials. /Hurriyet/

The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 30 2004

Georgia, Azerbaijan discuss Red Bridge border closure

Officials in Tbilisi say rail traffic already restored and detained
freight flowing into Georgia
By Anna Arzanova

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Georgia HE Ramiz Hasanov met with Georgian
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikheil Ukleba on November 29 to
discuss the several hundred freight cars being held up at the
Georgia-Azerbaijan border.

The rail-freight, excluding oil products, had been detained by the
Azeri side for over ten days now because of Azeri suspicions that
some of the cargo is destined for Armenia.

While Georgian media has reported there are more than 900 train cars
waiting to cross the border, Ambassador Hasanov said that the number
was in fact much lower.

“There are about 300 train cars loaded with different cargoes, and of
these only one or two belong to Georgia,” the ambassador told
journalists on Tuesday.

He also sought to downplay the amount of time the Georgian cars have
been waiting, saying that they “could have been lost somewhere,” and
stressing that “now the Customs Departments are working on this issue
and there won’t be any more questions regarding this.”

The Azerbaijani ambassador confirmed that the cargo destined for
Georgia and other countries is being held by customs officials
because of the belief that some of the cargo is in fact bound for
Armenia.

Azerbaijan and Georgia signed an agreement in June this year, an
agreement that has been ratified in Baku but not in Tbilisi, that no
cargo transported from Azerbaijan to Georgia would then continue to
any third country that would damage Azerbaijan, a tacit ban on
transshipping to Armenia.

“There is an agreement regarding the transit of cargo cross the
Azeri-Georgian border and we want all aspects of the agreement to be
fulfilled,” Hasanov explained.

“Imagine if we started supplying diesel fuel or some other product to
Abkhazia or South Ossetia: do you think this would infringe upon the
national interests of Georgia? Of course it would,” Hasanov said.

The ambassador said that both sides had reached an understanding of
this issue at his meeting with Ukleba and that Azerbaijan had
informed Georgia that no cargo bound for Georgia will be stopped.

“This is really the case. We reached an agreement and specialists
from our customs committee will arrive tomorrow. They will work
together with the specialists of the customs department of Georgia.
We cannot be sure where these train cars are destined, which is why
they were stopped.” stated Hasanov, explaining that specialists of
customs committee will determine where each train car is bound.

Speaking with the media on Monday, Deputy Minister Ukleba said that
train cars have already begun crossing the border, and confirmed that
representatives of the Azeri customs department would arrive on
Wednesday.

“After discussion of this issue there will be a decision regarding
the renewal of cargo transportation to Georgia, to wherever the
documents say it is destined,” Ukleba said.

Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said that the government is working on
the issue. “I would not dramatize this issue because our appropriate
structures are working together with Azeri structures. I do not
expect that this problem will be aggravated,” he stated on Monday.

Also on Monday, the commercial director of the Georgian Railways
Ramaz Giorgadze left for Baku to negotiate with colleagues there.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 27 2004

POTENTIAL OF AZERBAIJAN HIGH ENOUGH TO BECOME LEADER IN REGION
[November 27, 2004, 21:22:07]

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has met
the delegation headed by the special representative of chairman of
Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict Mr.
Goran Lennmark, November 27.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov highly has estimated at the meeting the
attention rendered by representatives of the European countries and
the international organizations to the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny
Karabakh conflict. Having noted that Azerbaijan supports peace
settlement of the conflict and carries out certain work in this
direction, the Minister has added that attempts to change border by
force at the present stage is impossible.

Having emphasized that the policy illegally carried out recently by
Armenia directed on resettlement of the population in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, represents threat to process of peace
talks, the Minister has underlined importance of demonstration by the
international public of position of principle for the termination of
this illegal activity. Having noted that the independent policy
pursued by Azerbaijan which regained the sovereignty in 1991, during
more, than 13 years, is directed on strengthening in the country of
democracy, norms of international law, the western and European
values, Elmar Mammadyarov has emphasized that Azerbaijan tries to
define the activity in the field of internal and foreign policy in
the form corresponding to these values.

Especially having emphasized that the Republic gives great value to
question of integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic
structures, the Minister has noted adherence of Azerbaijan to the
“New Neighborhood Policy” of the European Union and to the “Plan of
activity of individual cooperation” of the NATO, having expressed
confidence that cooperation in the given direction would create
conditions for the further expansion and deepening of relations.

Having expressed his attitude to the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny
Karabakh conflict, Mr. Goran Lennmarker has emphasized impossibility
of existence in XXI century in Europe the occupied lands, having
expressed hope for settlement of the problem by negotiations. Having
stated that quick resolution to conflict will benefit not only to
Azerbaijan, but also all region, the visitor has especially
emphasized that in case of the statement of stability on the Southern
Caucasus, favorable opportunities for regional development will open.
Having noted expansion of the European Union on the southeast, Goran
Lennmarker has told: “One of the major forthcoming tasks consists in
that Southern Caucasus became further a part of Europe. Highly having
estimated potential of Azerbaijan possessing advantage among the
countries of Southern Caucasus on the population and economic
development to become the leader in region, the visitor has called
the Republic for closer cooperation with the countries of the
European Union.

At the meeting, the sides had comprehensive exchange of views on
other questions representing mutual interest.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 26, 2004, Friday

TALKS ABOUT PEACE

SOURCE: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 45, November 24-30, 2004, p. 5

by Samvel Martirosyan

Despite Yerevan’s and Baku’s statements about the necessity of
solving the Karabakh problem peacefully, Armenia and Azerbaijan
continue increasing expenditure on defense. The leading world powers
interested in strengthening their influence in the Trans-Caucasian
region support militarist trends in this region.

Yerevan and Baku recently reported the increase of the budgets of the
security structures in 2005. Pavel Safaryan, Armenian Deputy Finance
and Economy Minister, stated that the Defense Ministry will receive
around $91 million next year; this is by 10% more than in 2004
(around $83 million). The national security service will receive
$12.5 million ($11.2 million in 2004). Police will get $19.8 million
($18.5 million in 2004).

Azerbaijan’s expenses are more substantial. Finance Minister Avez
Alekbberov said that it is intended to allocate around $240 million
to the Defense Ministry from the 2005 draft budget. This is by a
third more than this year.

In other words, Azerbaijan’s defense spending will be three times as
big as Armenia’s defense budget. However, there are some other
factors. Firstly, in Baku and Yerevan the actual allocations to the
military differ from official reports. As a rule, the military
budgets of the republics are twice higher than official reports. In
addition, no one knows how much Nagorny Karabakh spends on its
defense. It should be noted that the number of armored combat
vehicles, which Nagorny Karabakh has, can be compared with Armenia’s
arsenals.

In addition, Yerevan and Baku can add $8.75 million to their military
budgets. This money will be allocated by the US to its
Trans-Caucasian partners in 2005. Judging from a project presented by
George W. Bush’s administration, it was intended to allocate over $2
million to Armenia, and over $8 million to Azerbaijan. However, the
Congress managed to convince the government to make military aid to
the republics equal.

In the meantime, Russia started selling weapons to member nations of
the Organization of the collective security treaty at domestic
prices. Armenia used this opportunity. Yerevan received two Il-76
military-transport planes in late May. Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov said: “The military-transport planes were sold at
domestic prices – this scheme works. Armenia purchased two very good
military-transport planes.”

Militarization of Azerbaijan and Armenia takes place against the
background of the problem of Nagorny Karabakh. Ilkham Aliyev came to
power a year ago. He promised to solve the Karabakh problem using
force if Yerevan and Stepanakert refused to make concession. He
announced plans to reform the Azerbijani Army in May 2004. The
president of the republic stated at the opening of a military unit in
Nakhichevan that “the defense budget will be increasing along with
strengthening of Azerbaijan’s economic potential”.

Baku tried to add the issue of the state of Azerbaijan’s occupied
territories to the agenda of the UN General Assembly. Azerbaijan
considers Armenia as aggressor in this document. Nine members of the
general committee, which compiles the agenda of the General Assembly,
supported this document. The General Assembly decided to consider
this issue (42 members voted for discussing this problem). No one
voted against this topic.

It should be noted that Kazakhstan, which is Yerevan’s partner in the
Organization of the collective security treaty, supported
anti-Armenian feelings. Russia and the US did not vote against this
topic despite the fact that this subject is “unconstructive”. In the
meantime, representatives of Moscow and Washington opposed the idea
to consider the Karabakh conflict within the framework of the UN. The
Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its opinion regarding Azerbaijan’s
move: “Russia abstained from voting, as well as other co-chairmen of
the Minsk OSCE group. We think that the initiative to consider this
issue at the UN General Assembly and the OSCE on parallel tracks will
not contribute to the progress of negotiations. By the way, the
results of voting show that the majority of members of the
international community support this opinion.”

The US ambassador to Baku stated that the US does not approve of
Azerbaijan’s decision either. The diplomat stated: “Washington does
not support the idea to discuss the issue of occupied territories at
the UN General Assembly.” He noted that the US the Karabakh problem
can be solved by means of frequent peaceful negotiations between the
conflicting sides.

However, it’s an advantage for Baku to discuss this problem in the UN
because it distracts attention from a very important factor of the
problem: participation of Nagorny Karabakh in negotiations. Yury
Merzlyakov, co-chairman of the Minsk OSCE group, intended to invite
representatives of Nagorny Karabakh to negotiations. Baku cannot put
up with it.

Azerbaijan’s plan is obvious. If the General Assembly passes the
clause on occupied territories Baku will be able to start a
full-scale military operation against Nagorny Karabakh. The passage
of this resolution will invalidate the results of negotiations held
under the aegis of the Minsk OSCE group, and the problem will be
solved by the military.

Translated by Alexander Dubovoi

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
November 25, 2004

VOLARE: SODDU, MIE DENUNCE IN CDA NON VENIVANO VERBALIZZATE (2)

MILANO

(ANSA) – MILANO, 25 NOV – L’ aumento di capitale di marzo
realizzato da Volare, e’ stata la ricostruzione dell’ ex
amministratore Vincenzo Soddu, ha portato nelle casse della
societa’ “solo 80 milioni di euro, rispetto ai 135 milioni
necessari, di cui 100 di capitale e 35 di nuove linee di
credito”.

Le difficolta’ finanziarie della societa’ “erano ben note a
tutti – ha detto – ed erano sorte dall’ acquisizione di
AirEurope, dall’ 11 settembre, dall’ incidente di Linate, dal
fallimento di Swiss Air, dalla guerra in Iraq e via dicendo”.

Con l’ aumento di marzo e’ entrato nella societa’ l’
imprenditore armeno-argentino Edouardo Eurnekian, con il 38,6%
del capitale. “Prima della firma gli argentini chiesero che
fossero rinegoziati 142 milioni di debiti con i fornitori – ha
spiegato Soddu – cosa che fu fatta dal management dando tre anni
di respiro alla societa’. L’ accordo pero’ doveva essere
rispettato con il pagamento dei debiti correnti e soprattutto
dei contratti di leasing”.

“Con me sono sempre stati pagati gli stipendi, i leasing.
Com’e che sono arrivati a non pagare i leasing?”, e’ stata la
difesa di Soddu, che si ritiene oggetto di un “linciaggio
mediatico”.

Circa i dubbi sulla correttezza dei bilanci 2003 (c’e in
corso un’ indagine della magistratura di Busto Arsizio, ma non
risulta siano state formalizzate delle contestazioni), “nell’
agosto di quest’ anno e’ stato approvato sotto la presidenza di
Giorgio Fossa lo stato patrimoniale delle due societa’ operative
seguendo gli stessi principi contabili applicati al
31.12.2003”, ha detto Soddu. Non e’ mancato poi il riferimento
all’ indagine di Kpmg sui bilanci degli ultimi tre anni della
societa’: “bisogna chiarire come mai Kpmg si sveglia ad ottobre
e decide che quei principi contabili non vanno bene”.

Soddu, infine, ha detto di aver chiesto piu’ volte ai
magistrati di essere ascoltato. “Ho tutte le carte per
dimostrare quello che sto dicendo”, ha spiegato. Il dirigente,
che ha lasciato Volare a luglio, ha poi sottolineato la
validita’ dell’ azienda, ricordando che nei primi mesi del 2004
e stato registrato un utile operativo di 8,8 milioni, contro
una previsione a budget di perdite a livello di ebit per 6
milioni. Sulla semestrale hanno poi gravato 10 milioni di oneri
finanziari.