Author: Felekian Ara

RosBusinessConsulting Database
November 17, 2004 Wednesday 8:24 am, EST

Russian energy exports to Georgia to restart today

RAO UES will resume electrical energy supplies to Georgia’s capital
Tbilisi at 6 p.m. Moscow time today, Dangiras Mikolayunis, the
General Director of the Tbilisi electrical energy distributing
company TELASI, told journalists. According to him, 100 megawatts of
electrical energy will be imported daily and this will solve the
problem of the energy crisis in Tbilisi and partially in other
regions.

The resumption of imports became possible after the Kartli-2 power
line, which had been damaged in an act of sabotage, was restored.

TELASI has also resumed electrical energy imports from Armenia to
Tbilisi today totaling 100 megawatts per day.

ROUND-TABLE ON THE PROBLEMS OF FORMER PRISONERS OF WAR

NKR MFA Web-site

On November 13, in Stepanakert, the Karabakh non-governmental
organization “Center of Civil Initiatives” (CCI) held a ’round-table’
called “The Problem of the Adaptation, Social Rehabilitation and
Reintegration of Former Prisonersof War and Hostages into the Society
in the Context of the Karabakh Conflict”. Leaders of the NKR
non-governmental organizations, representatives of the Parliament and
Government, a priest, journalists, psychologists, lawyers,
sociologists, and former prisoners of war took part in the
’round-table’.

CCI Director Albert Voskanian introduced the programs on the
rehabilitation of former prisoners of war and hostages implemented in
Nagorno Karabakh. In particular, he noted that under the aegis of the
International Working Group on the Search of Missing People, Liberated
Prisoners of War and Hostages (IWG), and “The Center of Civil
Initiatives”, a group of former prisoners of war, hostages and their
family members studied computer, got legal consultationsof qualified
lawyers, had talks with priests and ICRC representatives,
etc. According to Albert Voskanian, in the frameworks of the mentioned
programs, about 60 people got juridical and psychological aid in
Karabakh.

In the course of the discussion, factors hampering the full
rehabilitation and reintegration of former prisoners of war and
hostages into the society were noted, issues of rendering actual
assistance to psychologically vulnerable citizens, as well as the
problem’s legal aspects were discussed. The importance of the
cooperation between the governmental and non-governmental
organizations in implementing adaptation programs was emphasized.

Cairo ‘Barely’ Held Arafat’s Ceremony

Zaman
11.13.2004 Saturday

Due to a lack of organization, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s funeral
ceremony ended as fiasco in Cairo yesterday.

A Finnish Representative, an Arab Foreign Minister and top levels of
a Turkish delegation including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and opposition Republican People’s Party
(CHP) leader Deniz Baykal as well as Organization of Islamic Conference
(OCI) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Islamoglu had trouble entering the
tent set up for the ceremony. After a hustle, the dignitaries were
finally let in. Delegates from Germany, Malaysia and Armenia missed
the ceremony altogether due to heavy airport traffic.

Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan, who was visiting Turkey, was also
included in the Turkish delegation to Cairo. The Palestinian Ambassador
to Ankara, Fuat Yasin, also missed the funeral ceremony. Yasin
expressed his sorrow saying, “This is a big scandal. This is such a
bitter thing.”

While Turkish top levels were lucky ones to gain entrance to the
ceremony, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fisher missed the ceremony,
as his plane was kept waiting in the air for an hour. Similarly,
Armenian delegation also missed the ceremony due to airport traffic.

The Finnish Representative, meanwhile, was not permitted to enter
the ceremony since he “did not have an identity tag”.

When the Egyptian protocol, caught unprepared by the funeral, forgot
accreditiation, protocol officials of guest delegations and their
chief bodyguards were not let into the ceremony. World leaders in
the procession who had followed Arafat’s casket for nearly 400 meters
were surprised when they were told, “the ceremony is over here.” Some
leaders waited in the cars while others chatted in groups.

11.13.2004 Cumali Onal Cairo

Azeri pundit says US president neither pro-Armenian, nor pro-Azeri

MPA news agency
8 Nov 04

Baku, 8 November: Eldar Namazov, chairman of the public forum
For Azerbaijan, held a press conference today (8 November) on the
results of his visit to the USA. The objective of the three-week
stay in America at the invitation of the US State Department was
to familiarize himself with the US election techniques and undergo
training, MPA news agency reports.

The election system of America is very complex. The majority of the
population does not seek to change it and, on the other hand, some
of the states are also unwilling to make changes on their own and,
by doing so, to limit their own powers, Namazov said. The chairman
of the forum has had meetings in the US State Department, Congress,
National Democratic Institute, and the [International] Republican
Institute. The meetings showed that the Americans are closely
monitoring the processes in Azerbaijan.

Namazov said that the Armenian diaspora of America has made a big
mistake by giving all its votes and financial support to [Democratic
contender] John Kerry. Until now, the Armenians used to divide their
vote equally between the two candidates but this time round they
decided to change their tactics.

Namazov explained the Armenian support for the Democratic candidate
by the fact that [American President] George Bush had paid no
attention to their opinion. However, this does not mean that Bush is
pro-Azerbaijani, Namazov said. During the first tenure of Bush no
progress has been made in the resolution of Azerbaijan’s problems.

`NAIRIT’ EMPLOYEES PROTESTING

A1+
02-11-2004

‘Nairit’ hasn’t run for 6 months. Factory was stopped in June for
re-equipment and re-functioning a few days later but it
didn’t. Theemployees of the factory anxious for the fate of it have
today held a protest action and demanded for their salaries of 2
recent months and the debt frozen.

‘Trade and Economic Development Minister Karen Chshmarityan announced
from Parliament rostrum that Kirov debt had been settled but we don’t
have money for bread. We haven’t been paid to the old debt. Moreover,
the new leadership doesn ‘t pay salary of 2 recent months’, factory
employee Alexan Margaryan said at the conversation with us.

He informed that the employees are resolute. `90% of the staff sitsat
home. We neither work, nor get money. Court refused to accept our
application reasoning the administration has settled the
issue. Salaries are frozen. Government doesn’t hear our voices. But we
will insist on our demand’,they say.

Mr. Margaryan is also anxious for the fate of the factory. He says
because of the debt of a few million drams electricity supply for the
factory had been ceased the day before since 11:00 AM whereas to
provide safety of chloroprene it is necessary to keep it cold for 24
hours.

‘1 million drams are spent daily to keep chlorine. The whole raw
materials may spoil because of cutting electricity supply once, not
even mentioning the ecological danger’, Margaryan says.

Fortunately, last midnight electricity supply was restored but for a
week only until the matter is somehow regulated.

Tomorrow `Nairit’ staff will march to Government building and then to
Presidential Residence demanding to solve `Nairit’ problems.

Upper Garabagh status priority for Armenia in talks

Assa Irada, Azerbaijan
28 Oct. 2004

Determination of the Upper Garabagh status is a priority for Armenia
in the talks over the conflict settlement, the Armenian Foreign
Ministry press spokesman Gamlet Gasparian said in a statement. Armenia
considers all other issues exclusively in view of the future status
of Upper Garabagh.

“Other issues raised by Azerbaijan, including the problem on refugees,
displaced persons and territories, should be discussed directly with
Upper Garabagh. Armenia is interested only in the final resolution
of the Upper Garabagh problem and applies this approach to its
participation in the negotiations.”

Commenting on the statement by the Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov that in Astana the Armenian President took a time-out
to analyze the results of the meetings held, Gasparian said the
decision to take a break in the talks was made jointly by the Azeri
and Armenian leaders.

“We have not received a reply yet on the issues Armenia is interested
in”, Gasparian added.*

Azerbaijan, Moldova Face Similar Problems, Says Moldovan President

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Oct 28, 2004

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, who visited Baku on October 26-27,
met with the Milli Majlis (parliament) Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov on
Wednesday. The parties focused on relations between the two countries.
Touching on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Alasgarov said that 20%
of Azerbaijan’s territory has been occupied by Armenia and more than
one million people became refugees and internally displaced persons
as a result of the Armenian aggression.

Stating that Azerbaijan and Moldova face a common problem of violation
of their territorial integrity, the speaker stressed the need for
settling both the Nagorno Karabakh and Transnistria conflicts.

Moldovan President Voronin confirmed that both countries have similar
problems. With regard to the world community’s position on the Nagorno
Karabakh and Transnistria conflicts, Voronin underlined that only
the countries that are closely familiar with these problems can
understand them.

Russia’s former Karabakh mediator stands for “multi-stage” solution – agency

MPA news agency
26 Oct 04

Baku, 26 October: Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov, the former Russian
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, is surprised at the “time-out”
taken in the Nagornyy Karabakh negotiations, because he believes that
the pace of the talks does not reflect the importance Azerbaijani and
Armenian attach to the solution of the conflict, MPA quoted Kazimirov
as telling the Regnum news agency.

“The time-out must be particularly alarming for Azerbaijan because it
has lost something in the military action. Baku insists that Karabakh
continues to be problem number one but when it comes to action,
it becomes passive,” Kazimirov said.

He has identified five possible scenarios for further developments:
the resumption of hostilities, the preservation of the status quo,
a package solution and two stage-by-stage solution alternatives.

The Russian diplomat believes the first three are hopeless and
perilous. Kazimirov described as attractive the “multi-stage” solution
which envisages the discussion on the whole range of issues “without
confining the talks to two key issues – the status for Nagornyy
Karabakh and the liberation of the territories outside it”. In the
meantime, the parties to the conflict could gradually attend to a
number of small but important issues which are currently blocked by
the dispute over the status and territories, he said.

The multi-stage alternative, Kazimirov says, envisages regular and
intense negotiations in four directions. The most important issue
is to strengthen the cease-fire and make it impossible to resume
hostilities even in five-10 years from now. The second direction is
the status. Kazimirov thinks that a compromise decision might be taken
on this issue. For example, all the parties involved could regard the
regime in Nagornyy Karabakh as temporary. “Then they could continue the
talks for the status, but a final agreement will not quick,” he said.

Kazimirov vigorously opposes the Armenian definition of the “liberated
territories”. The Russian diplomat thinks that “even if the Armenians
were historically right in some respects, modern issues must not be
resolved with the use of old maps. Then, for example, the Crimea
would have to be returned to the Greek – not to the Ukrainians,
Russians or Turks – but to the Greek”.

PEOPLE’S PARTY OF ARMENIA REMAINS ONE OF MOST ACTIVE AND PRINCIPLED
FIGHTERS FOR POWER CHANGE

YEREVAN, October 23 (Noyan Tapan). “I am convinced that the People’s
Party of Armenia has the necessary potential and in a short time the
party will be able to carry out Karen Demirchian’s behests.” Aram
Sargsian, member of the political board of the “Hanrapetutyun” (
“Republic”) Party and former Prime Minister, stated this at the 5th
party congress of the People’s Party of Armenia on October 23. He
expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the People’s Party of
Armenia for a 5-year successful cooperation and mentioned that despite
some disagreements “the two parties hane been and will remain
unified.” In his speech of welcome Ruben Tovmasiam, the first
secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia,
expressed confidence the People’s Party of Armenia will remain one of
the most active and principled fighters for the change of power in the
country. Among the speakers were the leader of the Democratic Party of
Armenia Aram G. Sargsian, the leader of national democrats Shavarsh
Kocharian, the Chairman of the Liberal Progressive Party Hovhannes
Honannesian and others.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Oct 23 2004

CHINA SUPPORTS SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN
[October 23, 2004, 16:59:19]

China’s stance in relation to the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unchangeable and based on support of the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Chinese Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing told in briefing at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan.

He noted as well that the foundation of the today’s close
relationship between the Azerbaijan and China was laid during
President Heydar Aliyev’s visit to China in 1994. Turnover of goods
between our two countries made $238 mln in 2003 but this figure does
not reflect our real possibilities, he said. The Ambassador expressed
hope for expanding of the trade and economic cooperation, and highly
valued the relations established in humanitarian sphere. In
particular, he mentioned the opening of Chinese Language and
Literature Department at the Baku State University.

Aspiration for peace and adherence to the values common to all
mankind are what unites today Azerbaijan and China in ancient times
communicated by means of the Great Silk Road, Mr. Zhaoxing said.

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov let journalists know
about the meeting with his Chinese counterpart. He also highly valued
the level of the existing Azerbaijan-China relationship and pointed
out the prospects of its development in the sphere of tourism, and
humanitarian one in all.