Author: Hunanian Jack

26TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF ARMENIAN BOOK HELD IN ANTELIAS

ANTELIAS, November 23 (Noyan Tapan). The annual exhibition of the
Armenian book was opened in Antelias on November 14. Along with the
different cathedral publishing houses a number of Armenian publishing
houses of Lebanon, foreign publishing houses, as well as individual
authors participated in the exhibition organized by the library
administration of the Mother See Church.

According to the press divan of the Catholicosate of the Great
Cilician House, clergymen, government officials, MPs, intelligentsia,
students, people being at the Cathedral during the liturgy, as well
as journalists were present at the opening of the exhibition. In his
speech Catholicos Aram I emphasized that it is necessary that the
publication and spread of the Armenian book should turn to mission. He
said that as a result of cooperation of the Catholicosate of the Great
Cilician House with Doctor Zaven Yekavian, the Head of the Armenian
Department of the Galust Gyulbenkian institution, many publications
have been released in Antelias up to now. Then the Catholicos, applying
to clergymen, intelligentsia and teachers, said: “Without Armenian
book your way is gloomy, without Armenian book your table is poor,
without Armenian book your heart is empty, without Armenian book you
is parched with thirst. Return to book, take it and read and don’t
forget that those reading books become rich owing to it”.

The students of Dprevank presented the artistic program and performed
with the polyphonic choral singing devoted to the Armenian language and
culture. Then the books of the spiritual, church-study, philosophic
spheres, as well as books for children and youth, books on the study
of literature, musical books and publications of other spheres of
culture were presented to participants.

The exhibition will operate till November 30.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

22 November 2004

Termination of the application of Jackson-Vanik Act to Armenia

On 19 November, the US Senate adopted a Miscellaneous Trade and
Technical Corrections Act that includes a provision on granting PNTR
(permanent normal trade relations) status to Armenia. The House of
Representatives passed the same act earlier this year.

Establishment of Armenia – US permanent normal trade relations
effectively repeals application of Jackson-Vanik amendment, and
Armenia-US trade relations will from now on be regulated by not only
bilateral, but also international agreements including WTO ones.

The volume of Armenia – US trade relations, including Armenian exports
to the US, have already started to grow. According to the US Department
of Trade, Armenia’s exports to the US during January – September of
2004 amounted US$33.2 million, a 42 percent increase compared to the
same period of 2003.

Armenian Speaker Expects Safety Guarantees At NATO Seminar in Baku

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2004

Speaker of the Armenian national assembly Artur Bagdasarian has
forwarded official letters to the Azerbaijani parliament speaker
Murtuz Alasgarov and chairman of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Pierre Lellouche, saying that he expects guarantees for the Armenian
delegation during its planned participation in the 58th NATO Rose
Roth seminar in Baku on November 25-27.

The letters pointed out those Armenian officers were not allowed to
attend the NATO exercises held in Baku in September.

“The Armenian parliament, while confirming the readiness of its
delegations to work in international organizations and adhering to a
positive stance on the Armenian parliament delegations’ visit to Baku,
is concerned over the safety of parliament members in Azerbaijan and
expects relevant security guarantees for Armenian delegates at the
Rose Roth seminar”, Bagdasarian said.

Chairman of Armenian parliament commission on foreign relations Mger
Shahgeldian and parliament member Alexan Karapetian plan to attend
the NATO event in Baku.

Youth Wings Deepen Armenian Coalition Friction
By Nane Atshemian 22/11/2004 08:54

Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Nov 22 2004

Leaders of the youth league of the Republican Party (HHK) publicly
castigated their counterparts from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Friday, in a further sign of mounting
tensions between two key members of Armenia’s ruling coalition.

The young Republicans, who control student councils at virtually all
state-run universities, rejected Dashnaktsutyun allegations of
large-scale corruption in the Armenian system of higher education.

Leaders of Dashnaktsutyun’s Nikol Aghbalian student organization said
on Tuesday that an opinion poll which they conducted among over 1,000
students found a widespread perception of corrupt practices affecting
their studies. The State Medical University was rated as the most
corrupt, with 72 percent of respondents there saying that their
professors routinely take bribes to give high marks during admission
and other exams.

Nikol Aghbalian said they have also found that virtually no
professors and lecturers at the 11 universities have been fired for
bribery in recent years.

The accusations prompted an angry rebuttal from representatives of
the student councils that are mostly affiliated with the HHK and have
close ties with university rectors. Speaking at a news conference,
they dismissed the poll conducted by the Dashnak students as
fraudulent.

Armen Ashotian, the leader of the HHK’s youth wing and an aide to the
Medical University rector, claimed that the corruption allegations
are politically motivated. He also charged that Dashnaktsutyun has
links with private medical schools and wants to discredit his
university to benefit them. “We as well as some sections of the
public are well aware of that,” he said.

Robert Makarian, who heads the student council at the State
Agricultural Academy, said Nikol Aghbalian leaders have never raised
their grievances with the councils. “Dashnaktsutyun’s student union
is absolutely unaware of how students live and what their problems
are,” he said.

The accusations come amid increasingly tense relations between the
Republicans led by Prime Minister Andranik Markarian and their junior
coalition partners. Dashnaktsutyun and the third coalition party,
Orinats Yerkir, have been pushing for a major change in Armenia’s
electoral system that would increase the number of parliament seats
contested under the proportional system.

The HHK, on the other hand, has a vested in maintaining the 56 of the
131 seats distributed in individual constituencies. Its
uncompromising stance has led Dashnaktsutyun to threaten to pull out
of the coalition.

The news conference by the Republican student leaders also featured
verbal attacks on Education Minister Sergo Yeritsian, a senior member
of Orinats Yerkir. “Our education minister is dealing with anything
except student problems,” said Makarian.

Associated Press Worldstream
November 17, 2004 Wednesday 1:14 PM Eastern Time

Armenia holds Romania to 1-1 draw in World Cup qualifier

YEREVAN, Armenia

Karen Dokhoian knocked home a powerful shot in the 62nd minute
Wednesday to help Armenia hold Romania to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup
qualifying match.

Romania striker Ciprian Marica put the visitors in the lead in the
29th minute, beating the offsides trap and Armenia goalkeeper Apoula
Edel.

Marica nearly scored another early in the match, but his powerful
drive from the edge of the box was blocked by Edel.

Armenia had its first opportunity in the 26th minute. Hamlet
Mkhitarian took a shot from inside the penalty box but it was cleared
by Romania goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea.

Aram Voskanian had another chance for the hosts in the 38th, but
Stelea kicked off his lobbing shot for a corner.

“The draw has disappointed us and may cause serious problems for us
in the future,” Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu said.

Romania won its first three World Cup qualifiers against Finland,
Macedonia and Andorra, but then lost to the Czech Republic in
October.

Romania has 10 points from five matches at the top of Group 1.
Finland has nine points.

Armenia: Apoula Edel; Karen Dokhoian, Harutyun Vardanian, Sargis
Hovsepian, Rafael Nazarian, Hamlet Mkhitarian, Alexander Tateosian,
Davit Grigorian (Aghvan Mkrtchian, 73), Armen Shangeldian (Karen
Aleksanian, 87), Aram Voskanian (Arman Karamian, 74), Edgar
Manucharian.

Romania: Bogdan Stelea; Flavius Stoican, Cristian Dancia, Flavius
Moldovan, Mihai Tararache, Cosmin Barcauan, Gabriel Caramarin
(Nicolae Dica, 46), Sorin Paraschiv (Florin Bratu, 74), Ciprian
Marica, Florin Cernat, Adrian Neaga.

Agence France Presse
14 novembre 2004 dimanche 7:54 PM GMT

Manifestation contre la position de Chirac sur l’adhésion de la Turquie

MARSEILLE 14 nov 2004

Une vingtaine de militants de la cause arménienne ont été évacués par
la police des abords de la bibliothèque marseillaise de l’Alcazar où
devait se rendre Jacques Chirac, à qui ils reprochent sa position sur
l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union européenne, a-t-on appris de
source policière.

Cette intervention s’est déroulée sans incident, selon la police.

Mais Patrick Mennucci, vice-président PS du conseil régional de PACA,
qui a assisté à la scène, a déclaré à l’AFP qu'”ils ont été frappés
avec une extrême violence”. Il a déploré cette intervention à l’égard
de “représentants connus d’associations arméniennes de Marseille”.

Dans la soirée, le conseil de coordination des organisations
arméniennes de France a dénoncé dans un communiqué une “atteinte à la
liberté d’expression”.

“Un collectif arménien s’est fait éconduire manu militari alors que
celui-ci protestait pacifiquement contre l’entrée de la Turquie dans
l’Europe sans la reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens”, a
expliqué le conseil.

De son côté, Vartan Arzoumanian, président du comité de défense de la
cause arménienne Marseille Provence, a expliqué que la police était
“intervenue avec une violence disproportionnée, les manifestants ont
été brutalisés”.

Les militants scandaient “Chirac, négationniste” et brandissaient une
pancarte où était inscrit: “Turquie, Chirac révisionniste”. Ils
exigent que la Turquie reconnaisse le génocide arménien avant de voir
s’ouvrir des négociations pour son entrée dans l’UE.

Ils ont été conduits au commissariat voisin pour un contrôle
d’identité, a-t-on précisé de source policière, ajoutant que “les
injures à l’égard du chef de l’Etat ne sont pas tolérables”. Le
préfet de la région PACA et des Bouches-du-Rhône, Christian Frémont,
a indiqué à l’AFP avoir essayé en vain de discuter avec les
manifestants.

Les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement européens doivent se prononcer
mi-décembre sur l’ouverture ou pas de négociations avec la Turquie.
Le président français a estimé dimanche à Marseille, dans le cadre
d’un débat de la “Cité de la Réussite”, que l’adhésion éventuelle de
la Turquie constituait “une chance extraordinaire pour l’Europe de se
renforcer”.

Eurasianet Organization
Nov 13 2004

NATO CHIEF AFFIRMS EXPANSION OF SECURITY FORCE IN WESTERN AFGHANISTAN

Nikola Krastev 11/13/04
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said November 11 that
the current situation in Afghanistan makes it logistically viable
for the alliance to expand its operations there.

“We have lived up to our promises, and at the moment the signs are
good that NATO is going to expand ISAF — the International Security
Assistance Force — into the west of Afghanistan,” de Hoop Scheffer
said. “We have covered the north now with a number of so-called
Provincial Reconstruction Teams. We will now go west, setting up
what we call a ‘forward support base’ in Herat, and then we want to
move counterclockwise to the south and the southeast of Afghanistan,
as well.”

De Hoop Scheffer said that NATO’s forces in the country have, in
general, been received well by the Afghan people. Asked why NATO,
originally created to provide security for Western Europe, is now
operating in Afghanistan, the secretary-general said the terrorist
attacks of 11 September 2001 brought about a major shift in NATO
policy.

“What is NATO doing in Afghanistan? Defending values at the Hindu
Kush in the present day international climate,” Scheffer said. “We
have to fight terrorism wherever it emerges. If we don’t do it at
the Hindu Kush, it will end up at our doorstep. In other words, this
perception gap in the long run must be closed and must be healed —
that is, for NATO’s future, of the utmost importance.”

Another priority for NATO in Afghanistan, he said, will be providing
additional security during parliamentary elections, scheduled for
April. The secretary-general said that extra NATO battalions will
be committed.

De Hoop Scheffer described NATO’s operations in Afghanistan as a
“moderate success.” But he warned that without deeper involvement
by the international community in the fight against drug production
and drug trafficking in Afghanistan, NATO’s ability to ensure the
country’s stability will be limited.

Referring to Afghanistan’s neighbors, de Hoop Scheffer underlined
the strategic role the Central Asian states play in the fight against
terrorism. Having just returned from a trip to Central Asia and the
Caucasus, de Hoop Scheffer said he envisions closer cooperation with
these states.

“We need, by the way, Central Asian nations, and the Caucasian nations
[to] play an important role in supporting the ISAF operation because
we need the lines of communication — to say in military terms —
[and] transit agreements with the Central Asians, to see that we can
adequately run the ISAF operation in Afghanistan,” Scheffer said.

De Hoop Scheffer said Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia have all
expressed interest in closer cooperation with NATO in its Partnership
for Peace program.

“They all want to extend their partnership with NATO. Even Armenia has
now applied for the so-called Individual Partnership Action Program,
which means that we are going to develop a tailored, Armenia-tailored
partnership program with that country, with Yerevan,” Scheffer
said. “That goes for the Central Asian nations, as well. So that
partnership is developing very well.”

De Hoop Scheffer stressed that Turkey is playing a particularly active
role in the Partnership for Peace program.

Foreign ministers of CIS security organization start meeting in Moscow

ITAR-TASS news agency
12 Nov 04

Moscow. 12 November: Countering international terrorism will be the
central issue at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization [CSTO], which began in Moscow today. The
organization comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan.

According to Aleksandr Yakovenko, official spokesman of the Russian
Foreign Minister, “this issue, along with fight against extremism,
the illegal circulation of narcotics, illegal migration and organized
crime is becoming increasingly prominent in the CSTO.”

“The organization is open to cooperation and interaction with the UN
and other international organizations, including NATO,” the diplomat
noted. “Proposals for building dialogue and cooperation are being
considered by the leadership of the alliance.” Yakovenko thinks that a
no less important direction of work is “creating a single information
field, which should facilitate the effective functioning of the system
of collective security”. “The first step,” he noted, “was the holding
of the International Antiterrorist Media Forum in April”.

“The unanimous approval of a draft resolution on giving the
organization the status of an observer at the UN General Assembly,”
the diplomat stressed, “attests to the growing prestige of the CSTO”.

Gazprom interested in privatization of Georgian pipelines

RosBusinessConsulting Database
November 11, 2004 Thursday 9:54 am, EST

Gazprom has confirmed its plans to take part in the privatization of
backbone gas pipelines and gas distributing organizations in Georgia.
According to Sergey Kuznets, the chief of the Division of Legal
Support for International Operations of Gazprom’s Legal Department,
the Georgian government is now preparing a list of properties to
be privatized. Kuznets pointed out that Gazprom was interested in
privatizing gas pipelines in Georgia, as gas supplied to Armenia
goes via this country. Georgian gas pipelines are often used rather
inefficiently, and Gazprom is facing problems with gas transportation
in this connection, Kuznets explained.

As for the possibility of Gazprom’s participation in laying a gas
pipeline from Iran to Armenia, Kuznets said the gas company was
interested in that project. Gazprom plans to supply fuel to Armenian
power plants and than export electrical power to Iran, the company’s
representative added.

French charity operating in Upper Garabagh

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Oct 9 2004

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement in October concerning operation
of 68 foreign companies in Upper Garabagh. The companies active in
Upper Garabagh are supposed to be in great number and carrying out
illegal activity.

A well-informed source told AssA-Irada that the French “Chen” charity
organization, which is engaged in agricultural and construction
activity in Upper Garabagh, has delivered 200 new computers to the
region within a program on computerization of secondary schools in
Shusha and Asgaran districts.

The French company also financed courses on information science held
for teachers and schoolchildren in 2004.*