Author: Karagyozian Lena

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From: “Katia M. Peltekian” <[email protected]>
Subject: Brewster goes Greek to give Inverness vital edge
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The Sunday Times, UK
July 24 2005

Brewster goes Greek to give Inverness vital edge

Craig Brewster is using foreign fitness techniques to improve
Inverness, while Dunfermline are focused on avoiding the relegation
fight. By Jason Bradshaw

IF CRAIG Brewster was a Michelin-starred chef, you might expect a
dash of Greek gastronomy fusing with the best of traditional Scots
fare. Few would look for the strong South American flavours in the
Dundonian’s recipe for success.
Having emerged in the past year as one of this country’s most
promising young managers, Brewster, with surprising assuredness, is
imprinting a truly cosmopolitan outlook on Inverness Caledonian
Thistle. While other clubs grunt and slog through the typical
Scottish pre-season, the Caley Thistle players have been doing it
very differently. Endless running is out. Lots of ball work and
individually-tailored heart and strength conditioning is in.

It’s all down to the huge impression Sergio Markarian made on
Brewster after the Scot parted with Dundee United to become a cult
hero in Greece during a five-year stint with Ionikos. A Uruguayan of
Armenian origin, Markarian, now 61, took this unheralded team to an
unprecedented fifth place in the league and into the Uefa Cup for the
first time in their history. He then guided Paraguay to the 2002
World Cup and later took Panathinaikos to the Champions League
quarter-finals, a first for Greece.

Brewster, still thriving as a striker at the age of 38, is an obvious
beneficiary of Markarian’s fitness methods. Ahead of Caley Thistle’s
second top-flight season, the Highlanders’ player-manager recalled
how the techniques helped him become all-time club record scorer at
Ionikos. `All of the players were amazed it wasn’t just a running
pre-season. We’d never seen the like. He kept it consistent right
through the year and I was so impressed with the effect he had on
us.’

This summer, Inverness kicked off the pre-season with two victories
and a defeat on the club’s first foreign tour in Denmark. `I told the
lads right from the start this summer I wasn’t one to run the legs
off them,’ Brewster stressed. `We work on everything, the whole
picture; strength, running, I’m a great believer that, where there is
a deficit of skill, you can go a long way towards making amends by
being strong, fit and organised. Then again, there is plenty of
ability in our squad and, hopefully, we can surprise a few teams
again.’

With only the former Kilmarnock striker Craig Dargo and Birmingham
City youngster Tom Parratt added, Brewster is under no illusions
regarding the difficult second season ahead. `In some respects,
nothing has changed from last season – survival is again our main
aim. But as professional footballers, you want to improve. The real
goal is to improve slightly on the eighth place we enjoyed last
season. I haven’t brought in a lot of players so far but, then again,
I’m happy with those I have.’

Brewster began last season at Dunfermline and his departure for the
Highlands contributed in no small way to the Fife side’s struggle for
survival. Local legend Jim Leishman was the best man available when
Davie Hay was dismissed with only three games remaining, and he is
now charged with trying to resurrect the club’s fortunes.

Leishman is more untouchable than Elliot Ness would have been around
the streets of East End Park, but financial restrictions as well as
losing two of their best players in goalkeeper Derek Stillie and
midfielder Barry Nicholson can only confirm his halo will at best be
roughed up during a tough campaign.

`At this stage everyone’s attitude and confidence is high,’ said
Leishman. `We’ve had a fine trip in Italy and we’re pleased with the
progress made in terms of fitness and team bonding.’

Mark Burchill has been recruited on a two-year deal from Hearts. Also
at the arrivals gate are Bryn Halliwell, the former Clyde goalkeeper,
and defender Scott Morrison from Aberdeen. Leishman is hopeful there
is a number of gems that may be unearthed for free through the club’s
youth policy. `The new lads have settled in very nicely and there is
also plenty of potential in the youth set-up,’ adds the manager.
`I’ve worked well with them in my former role, they just look at me
as a big pal.’ That is, until their first mistake.

The artificial surface has gone but puts Dunfermline at a very real
disadvantage. The estimated £500,000 it will cost to replace the
carpet has eradicated any transfer budget Leishman may have had,
while they might also play their first four games this season away
from home.

`It will be good to put that whole episode behind us in terms of all
the sniping that went on about the surface, now we can concentrate on
just playing the game. It’s going to be a hard season and we’re still
trying to sort out what money we will have available. If we can get
off to a great start we’ll be aiming for a top-six finish, if not we
might have to consolidate for another season.’

HOUSE OF ARMENIA’S ENERGY MINISTER ROBBED

YEREVAN, JULY 1. ARMINFO. Wednesday unknown people robbed the apartment
of Armenia’s Energy Minister Armen Movsissyan.

Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper reports that the burglary took place
while Movsissyan was on a working visit to Lori region.

The burglars entered the house from the roof by rope through the
window. They took jewelry and house equipment worth a total of $14,000
and also reportedly ammunition. Movsissyan is a big lover of hunting
and has a large collection of shotguns.

CENN – JULY 22, 2005 DAILY DIGEST

Table of Contents:

1. Second Meeting with the representatives of
Guesthouses<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
“urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
2. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
“urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Azerbaijan,
Georgia to Sign Agreement on Synchronizing Energy system
3. Armenia: Answers Demanded on UES Energy Deal
4. Japanese Tour Operators arrive in Armenia
5. There is no Organized System of Waste Management
6. Announcement of Caspian Ecological Program
7. Second International Conference on Sustainable Planning &
Development

1. Second Meeting with the representatives of Guesthouses

On July 15, 2005 in Public Informational Center of Bakuriani second
meeting was held between the representatives of Caucasus
Environmental NGO Network (CENN) and of small and medium guesthouse
owners of Bakuriani. Participants of this meeting discussed creation
of the Tourist Informational Center and association of small and
medium guesthouses. Also was discussed the charter of Bakuriani
guesthouses and other tangible questions. Among them the letter to
Gamgebeli of Bakuriani that is about the alienation of the part of
Bakuriani park.

Also was discussed the outline of web site and it’s content. The
participants of the meeting were pleased with the represented web
site.

The guesthouses owners consider that the main problem in Bakuriani is
the problem regarding electricity supply. To highlight this and other
existing problems the visit of journalist is planned to Bakuriani.

The next meeting is planned on July 22, 2005 in the office of
Environmental Informational Center of Bakuriani.

Address:- 2, Agmashenebeli Str, Bakuriani

Prepared by CENN

Public Environmental Informational Center of Bakuriani

2. AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA TO SIGN AGREEMENT ON SYNCHRONIZING
ENERGY SYSTEMS

Source: State telegraph agency of the republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, July 13, 2005

Georgia and Azerbaijan are planning to sign an agreement for
synchronizing the two countries’ energy systems, Nika Gilauri, the
Georgian Minister of Fuel and Energy said at a news briefing.

He said the Georgian government expects the agreement to be signed
soon. Further work on the details continued during the Azerbaijani
experts’ visit to Tbilisi on July 1. The minister stressed that both
countries’ energy systems are making technical preparations for the
winter, which will enable them to launch their parallel work.

During a recent meeting in Baku, both countries admitted that for the
last five years their collaboration in the power industry has been
ineffective due to problems stemming from legal obstacles that
appeared several years ago and have not been settled thus far. At
present, Gilauri said, a special working group is studying the
possibility of restoring and improving energy cooperation between
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The parallel mode can be used to deliver Georgian power to
Azerbaijan, which is possible in the summer, and for Georgia to
receive energy from Azerbaijan during the winter, the minister said.
Another issue currently on the agenda is the prospective construction
of a new 330 kilovolt power transmission line connecting the energy
systems of Georgia and Armenia. Currently, three power transmission
lines connect the two energy systems: Ashotsk-Ninotsminda (110kw),
Lalvari (110kw), and Alaverdi (220kw).

Gilauri said the Georgian government is allocating between $10
million and $12 million in order to finance the construction. Funding
will come partly from the Millennium Challenge Fund, which includes
essential spending for Georgia’s energy field. “This [construction]
is one of the priorities of the energy field for today,” the minister
said.

3. ARMENIA: ANSWERS DEMANDED ON UES ENERGY DEAL

Source: EinNews, July 14, 2005

Uncertainty surrounds a reported deal with Russia’s Unified Energy
Systems that would grant the company ownership of Armenia’s main
electricity company. After stating several months ago that it had
purchased the utility, the Russian energy giant on July 13 reversed
itself, claiming that it had only secured a management contract. The
transaction, shrouded in secrecy, has already sparked strong
criticism from one international financial organization, which faults
the Armenian government for refusing to answer questions on the
topic.

On June 30, the Russian energy giant Unified Energy Systems (UES)
announced that Interenergo, an offshore subsidiary of UES, had
purchased 100 percent of the shares of Armenian Electricity Network
(AEN) for $73 million. One of Armenia’s most successful companies,
AEN had been (and may still be) owned by the British-registered firm
Midland Resources Holding, Ltd. In 2004, AEN ranked as Armenia’s
fourth-largest corporate taxpayer, according to the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center, and earned revenues of some 70.67
million drams (about $106.6 million).

If the AEN purchase by UES is confirmed, Russian companies would be
poised to take full control of Armenia’s energy industry following
more than two years of steady expansion. In 2003, within the
framework of Armenia’s assets-for-debt program with Moscow, the
Hrazdan thermal power plant, the largest such plant in Armenia, was
transferred to Russia for $31 million. [For additional information
see the Eurasia Insight archive]. UES also was named “financial
manager” of the Armenian nuclear power plant Metsamor. To pay for the
delivery of nuclear fuel to Metsamor, the Sevan-Hrazdan hydroelectric
power station cascade was transferred to Russia in 2003. The same
year, GazProm, the Russian energy conglomerate, became the chief
supplier of natural gas to Armenia. The company also holds 45 per
cent of shares of “ArmRusGasProm,” which holds a monopoly on
distribution of natural gas in Armenia.

Under existing legislation, the sale of one-quarter or more of AEN
shares requires the approval of the government and the Commission on
Regulation of Public Services. The Armenian government has declined
all comment on the issue.

Controversy over the possible sale continues to build. Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty quoted a UES spokesperson as saying that
Interenergo was only “the beneficiary of a management contract” that
would give the Russian energy company day-to-day control of AEN,
rather than owning the Armenian firm outright. Information in the
company’s annual report that UES had purchased AEN was not correct
and has been removed from the UES website, the company spokesperson
said.

In a July 11 statement, an AEN spokesperson, who requested not to be
named, told EurasiaNet that the company’s shares had not been
transferred to Interenergo management. The spokesperson denied that a
sale had occurred, and stated that he was not authorized to release
information about the size of the deal.

With no ready explanations from the government, the patience of one
international financial organization appears to be running thin. In a
July 8 press conference, Roger Robinson, chief of the World Bank’s
Armenia mission, said that the organization, Armenia’s largest
creditor, is dissatisfied with the government’s failure to provide
information about the deal. “The electricity distribution networks
are one of the largest and [most] profitable spheres that is of a
great strategic value for each Armenian, and I consider the regular
provision of transparent and official information on events
concerning this sphere as very important,” Robinson said. On July 13,
PanArmenian.Net reported Robinson as saying that he would meet with
members of the government if the situation was not rectified “within
several days.”

Reports about AEN’s sale first appeared in February 2005, when the
Yerevan-based newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak reported that a deal had
been brokered whereby UES would purchase the company for $80 million.
Midland Resources Holding has held AEN since 2002 when it won a
privatization tender for the then state-owned utility for $40
million.

Reaction to the report was swift. On February 22, UES Chief Executive
Officer Anatoly Chubais confirmed that an offer had been made, but
stressed that “[a]ny decision is possible only . . . when it is
coordinated with the Armenian leadership,” the Russian news agency
RIA Novosti reported. It is not known, however, whether those
consultations ever occurred and, if so, with whom.

“It is clear that the situation is not [the] best,” Robinson said.
“The Armenian government and the Commission on Regulation of Public
Services must explain to the nation and to me what is going on.”

One political analyst believes that the reason for the government’s
silence is political. “In April and May of the current year, the
leadership of Armenia was seriously concerned about the possibility
of revolution in the country and saw the only way out in the support
from the outside. That’s why Yerevan was encouraging Vladimir Putin’s
[March 24-25] visit to Armenia,” said Stepan Safarian, research
coordinator at The Armenian Center for National and International
Studies in Yerevan. The fact that news of RAO UES’ interest in
purchasing AEN immediately followed Putin’s visit led Safarian to
conclude that “[t]he transfer of shares was the price that Armenia
paid for Putin’s visit.”

Chubais, the UES chief, enjoys close ties with the Kremlin and has
made no secret of his desire for expansion in the South Caucasus and
Turkish energy markets. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. The company also controls Georgia’s electrical power grid.
[For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

A representative of the ruling party coalition says that any deal
with UES would have more to do with economics than politics. “After
the privatization of the Armenian Electricity Network, some
conversations about the possible resale of the company have
periodically [taken place]. Naturally, the state is interested in
making the possible deal the most profitable for Armenia,” said
Galust Sahakian, leader of the Republican Party parliamentary
faction, a member of Armenia’s ruling coalition. “I’d sound rather
strict, but we would not like the Electricity Network to be sold to,
for example, a Turkish company.”

Sahakian also claimed that the AEN deal remains in the negotiations
stage, with nothing finalized to date. “I am a politician and I would
have information if the sale of the company took place,” he said.

4. JAPANESE TOUR OPERATORS ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

Source: ArmenPress, July 19, 2005

Within the framework of Familiarizion trips to Armenia, five Japanese
tour operators and one travel writer arrived in Armenia on July 16,
2005 to discover Armenia’s eclectic cultural treasures, ancient
monasteries and natural wonders, and to become acquainted with
Armenia’s hospitable people.

For the last four years the Armenian Tourism Development Agency
(ATDA), in cooperation with the local tourism industry, has organized
over 12 “familiarization trips” for foreign tour operators, travel
agents and travel writers with the goal of increasing Armenia’s
tourism awareness globally, and positioning Armenia as a new and
attractive travel destination. Armenia was presented to the Japanese
audience for the first time ever in 2002 and again in 2004 at the
JATA (Japanese Association of Travel Agents) International Tourism
Exhibition in order to increase the small number of Asian tourists
visiting Armenia. As a positive outcome of the JATA exhibition, the
ATDA in cooperation with the Armenian tourism industry, hosted the
Japanese tourism professionals in Armenia.

Air travel was provided by “Aeroflot” Russian Airlines and ground
excursions to the southern and northern regions of Armenia were
provided by Saberatours Svan, Armentour travel agencies and the
Armenian Tourism Development Agency. The Familiarization trip is sure
to secure promising increase in the number of Asian tourists for the
coming tourist season and promote Armenia as an unrevealed tourism
destination.

The Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) has proactively
encouraged the development of Armenian tourism, both locally and
globally since 2001. Today, the Government of the Republic of Armenia
charters ATDA, with funding from Hovnanian International.

5. There is no Organized System of Waste Management

SOURCE: “SAKARTVELOS RESPUBLICA”, (“GEORGIAN REPUBLIC”), JULY 21,
2005

The seminars cycle on the theme: “How to take care of Waste?” was
started by Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia.

The reason of the seminar is to seek for the ways of cooperation
between non-governmental, governmental and business sectors to find
the way out from the problems existing in waste management.

Such first seminar has been already held in the guesthouse “Tori”.
Participant non-governmental organizations declared that almost every
inhabited regions lack the organized system of waste management.
Because of that population is forced to put garbage in every possible
place.

They consider that after the “Rose Revolution” this problem
aggravated. The head of the NGO “Lobo” Lasha Chkhartishvili calls
government for approval and activation of the “Law on Waste”. Also –
to prepare first the National Strategy of waste management, and then
– regional and locals plans.

He also thinks that the system of hazardous wastes solitarily
collation and transportation system, also there safe disposals and
neutralize installations should be considered.

6. Announcement of Caspian Ecological Program

Caspian Ecological Program invites volunteers for one month with the
knowledge of English language and computes skills.

Contact person: Aiten Shirinova

MPPA Azerbaijan (UNDP-GEF)

E-mail: [email protected]

Room 108, Government Building

40 Uzeir Gadjibekov Street

Baku 370016 Azerbaijan

Phone: 99412 497 17 85, 493 80 03

Fax: 99412 497 17 86

E-mail: [email protected]

7. Second International Conference on Sustainable Planning &
Development

Second International Conference on Sustainable Planning & Development
will be held on September 12- 14, 2005 in Bologna, Italy. Conference
is organized by Wessex Institute of Technology, UK and Sponsored by:
WIT Transactions on Ecology & the Environment

Following the success of the First International Conference on
Sustainable Planning and Development held in Skiathos, Greece in
2003, the decision was made to reconvene the second conference in
Bologna from 12 to 14 September 2005.

The Conference will address the subjects of sustainable planning and
regional development in an integrated way as well as in accordance
with the principles of sustainability. It has become apparent that
planners, environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and
economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and
development can meet our present needs without compromising the
ability of future generations.

In recent years, there has been in many countries, an increase in
spatial problems that has lead to planning crises. Planning problems
are often connected with uneven development, deterioration of the
quality of urban life and destruction of the environment. The
increasing urbanisation of the world coupled with the global issues
of environmental pollution, resources shortage and economic
restructuring demand that we make our cities places worth living in.

On the other hand, problems of environmental management and planning
are not restricted to urban areas. Environments such as rural areas,
forests, coastal regions and mountains face their own problems that
require urgent solutions in order to avoid irreversible damages. The
use of modern technologies in planning, such as geographical
information systems and remote sensing, give us new potential to
monitor and prevent environmental degradation.

Effective strategies for management should consider planning and
regional development, two closely related disciplines, and emphasise
the demand to handle these matters in an integrated way. This
conference provides a common forum for all scientists, specialising
in the range of subjects included within sustainable planning and
development.

For additional information visit the site:

*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Tel: ++995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax: ++995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS RECEIVES THE PRIMATE OF ALEPPO
AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE DIOCESE

His Holiness Aram I received the Primate of Aleppo, Bishop Shahan
Sarkisian and the newly elected Executive Council of the Diocese on
July 18.The two sides discussed several issues relevant to the Diocese.

The representatives of the Diocese of Aleppo also met the Central
Executive Council of the Catholicosate. His Holiness, who presided
over the meeting, expressed his satisfaction at the future plans of
the Executive Council, seeing in them a development in the cooperation
between the Catholicosate and the Diocese.

His Holiness advised the representatives of the Diocese of Aleppo to
focus their attention on Christian education and its delivery by up to
date programs. He considered the spiritual and moral formation of the
new generation to be one of the priorities of the Armenian prelacies.

The Pontiff also highlighted the importance of Armenian education as
an important shield against the weakening of Armenian communities. His
Holiness talked about the factors strengthening the connection between
the church and people. He particularly stressed the importance of
social service.

“The church is in itself the people. If circumstances drift people away
from their church, the church initiates the move toward the people in
order to restore the parent-children relationship. Social service is
one of the tangible expressions of this honest and warm cooperation. It
constitutes the basis of the church’s mission,” said His Holiness.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about
the history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may
refer to the web page of the Catholicosate,
The Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church
is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

U.S. HOUSE CALLS ON AZERBAIJAN TO HOLD FREE ELECTIONS

— ANCA Welcomes Effort to Press Baku to
Meet International Democratic Standards

“Our measure is necessary after Azerbaijan
disenfranchised its citizens and made a mockery
of its promises to the international community
to hold a free and fair presidential election
in October 2003.” — Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
welcomed the adoption today of legislation in U.S. House calling on
Azerbaijan to hold free and fair parliamentary elections this November.

The measure, introduced by Congressman Elton Gallegly, Chairman of the
International Relations Subcommittee on Europe, raises serious concerns
about patterns of Azerbaijani government voter fraud, intimidation,
and restrictions on the opposition. It was adopted by vote of 416 to
1 this evening under the suspension calendar.

“We want to thank Chairman Gallegly for his leadership in securing
the adoption of this timely and important legislation encouraging
free and fair elections in Azerbaijan,” said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian. “For the people of Azerbaijan, democratic elections
will provide a long overdue opportunity to live under a government
of their own choosing; for Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, free and
fair elections will hopefully help Azerbaijan transform itself into
a better neighbor and more reliable partner in the search for peace.”

Speaking in favor of the resolution during debate on the House
floor earlier this week were several members of the International
Relations Committee, including its Ranking Democrat Tom Lantos (D-
CA). In his remarks, the San Francisco Democrat stressed that, “our
measure is necessary after Azerbaijan disenfranchised its citizens
and made a mockery of its promises to the international community to
hold a free and fair presidential election in October 2003. After a
campaign troubled by intimidation and countless irregularities and
violent incidents on election day, election observers concluded that
the vote in 2003 was one which was fraudulent and it resulted in an
illegal government.”

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Chairman of the International
Relations Subcommittee dealing with human rights, offered detailed
remarks in favor of the measure’s adoption. He shared with his
colleagues that he is “deeply convinced that the stability we all seek
in Azerbaijan is only possible through democracy. For that reason,
the November election must be free and fair. Whoever wins, it is
essential that Azerbaijan’s citizens and the international community
see the outcome as legitimate.”

Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) noted that, “in the most
recent elections in Azerbaijan, the 2003 presidential elections,
international election observers concluded that they fell well short
of international standards. The observers found numerous instances
of voting fraud, restrictions on political rallies and intimidation
against political opponents.”

Congressman Ben Cardin (D-MD), the Ranking Democrat on the U.S.
Helsinki Commission, in stating his support for the resolution, noted
a troubling incident, in May of 2005, in which Azerbaijani officials
“arrested and incarcerated a group of peaceful protesters in the
capital city of Baku.” Representative Joe Crowley (D-NY) pointed
out that Azerbaijan “has yet to meet its full potential and its poor
human rights record constantly overshadows any positive steps that
the government has taken.

#####

Azerbaijani, Armenian ministers to discuss Karabakh on Aug 23

ITAR-TASS News Agency
July 19, 2005 Tuesday 1:23 PM Eastern Time

MOSCOW, July 19 — The Karabakh settlement will be on the agenda
of the August 23 meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers in Moscow.

The consultations will be held within the framework of the CIS Council
of Foreign Ministers and contribute to prospects for the negotiations
between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President
Robert Kocharian due in Kazan on August 26.

“Chances for the Karabakh settlement are high as never before,”
special representative of the Azerbaijani president Araz Azimov said.

The Azerbaijani president and foreign minister had negotiations with
the OSCE Minsk Group delegation in Baku in early July.

Baku will invest $26 billion in social and economic projects in
Nagorno-Karabakh after the settlement, Azerbaijani Economic Development
Minister Farhad Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani position in the Karabakh settlement “has become much
more constructive,” said president of the unrecognized republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh Arkady Gukasian. “Azerbaijan is ready to discuss
issues, which have always been of interest for Nagorno-Karabakh,”
he told the Armenian television. Gukasian thinks that Azerbaijan has
a will for settling the conflict.

The United Nations and the European Union promised to assign large
funds for the post-settlement reconstruction of Nagorno-Karabakh. The
Minsk Group cochairmen are formulating principles of a normalization
document.

Minsk Group American Cochairman Steven Mann thinks that an agreement
on Karabakh may be reached within months, and everything depends on
the political will of the Azerbaijani and Armenian administrations.

French Cochairman Bernard Fassier said the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe is doing its best to bring the sides’
positions closer, as the settlement is important for the region
at large.

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07/19/2005
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1) Vandals Desecrate Armenian Monument in Budyonovsk
2) Top Iranian Diplomat Discusses Cooperation with Armenian Officials
3) Germans, French Lead Hostility against Turkey EU Membership
4) Russian Paper Predicts Heightened Tensions in Javakhk

1) Vandals Desecrate Armenian Monument in Budyonovsk

KRASNODAR (Combined Sources)–An Armenian monument in the southern Russian
town
of Budyonovsk was desecrated for the second time in less than six weeks on
July
16, reported Yerkramas, a weekly paper published by the local Armenian
community. The monument, dedicated to the town’s Armenian founders, had first
been vandalized in February 2005. The newspaper reported that lampposts
surrounding the monument and a cross-stone were damaged this time, while a
dead
cat was placed under its arch.
The fence surrounding the church was also set on fire, although it was
quickly
put out. Yerkramas editor Tigran Tavadyan said, “We are indignant at the
inaction of the local police for whom it seems to be easier to find and deport
labor emigrants from Armenia than to catch real criminals.”
The monument was inaugurated on October 17, 2004 as a token of
Armenian-Russian friendship. Budyonovsk was founded in 1799 by Armenians from
Karabagh who were given a charter by Russian Emperor Paul I. The monument
represents a 16-meter cross-topped dome symbolizing the first name of the
town,
Soorp Khatch.

2) Top Iranian Diplomat Discusses Cooperation with Armenian Officials

YEREVAN (Armenpress/IRNA)–Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with Iran’s
special envoy for Caspian affairs Mehdi Safari on Tuesday to review bilateral
relations, as well as international issues of mutual interest.
Oskanian commended Tehran’s persistence to conduct a balanced policy and
ensure regional stability. While both sides expressed satisfaction with the
development of bilateral relations, they suggested bolstering cooperation in
various areas including small and medium-sized businesses, tourism, education,
and culture.
The Armenian foreign minister also briefed the Iranian diplomat on the
pace of
the Mountainous Karabagh conflict resolution. Safari, who is in Yerevan on a
three day visit, reiterated his government’s intention to continually develop
positive relations with Armenia.
Safari also met with Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan to discuss the
implementation of joint projects in energy sector. Movsisyan highlighted the
importance of bilateral cooperation with Iran in various energy fields and
expressed satisfaction with growing trend of bilateral cooperation with Iran.

3) Germans, French Lead Hostility against Turkey EU Membership

Austria and Cyprus Pose New Obstacles

BRUSSELS (Reuters)–European Union president Britain fended off Austrian and
Cypriot attempts on Monday to raise new hurdles to Turkey’s bid to open EU
membership talks, while a survey showed a majority of Europeans opposed
Ankara’s entry.
The Eurobarometer survey, published by the EU’s executive European
Commission,
showed 52 percent of people in the 25-nation bloc opposed Turkish membership
and that only 35 percent were in favor.
Hostility was strongest in Western Europe. Only 32 percent in the 15 old West
European member states supported Turkish accession. The Austrians (80
percent),
Germans (74 percent), and the French (70 percent) were the most hostile.
Opposition to Turkey has grown by 24 percentage points in Austria, 20 in
Germany, and six in France since the Eurobarometer survey last asked the
question in 2002.
After EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn briefed the bloc’s 25 foreign
ministers on the proposed draft negotiating mandate for talks with Ankara,
Austria and Cyprus voiced familiar objections, diplomats said.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it was not the right moment to discuss the
issue, promising ministers they would have a substantial discussion at an
informal meeting in Wales in early September.
Despite public opinion, EU leaders committed themselves last December, and
again in June, to open membership negotiations with Turkey, and voters would
have their say once there was an accession treaty to ratify, said Straw.

Austria Questions Turkish Bid

Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnick said the EU should not rule out
alternatives to full membership and asked why the Commission was planning to
publish its next report on Turkey’s progress only after the talks started.
She also questioned the EU’s capacity to absorb such a large and economically
backward country.
“We have always thought it would be smart to explicitly spell out an
alternative,” Plassnick told a news conference. “We stress the issue of [the
EU’s] absorption capacity accordingly.”
But Plassnick did not endorse the views of Finance Minister Karl-Heinz
Grasser, who said in an interview with Britain’s Financial Times newspaper and
Austria’s Der Standard that the EU should postpone entry talks with Turkey and
consider Balkan membership hopefuls instead.
Grasser, a right-wing maverick, voiced similar views before EU leaders took
the decision last December to open negotiations with Turkey. Nevertheless, the
Austrian government went along with the EU decision.
Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iakovou demanded to know what conditions
Turkey would put on signing a protocol extending its EU customs union to
the 10
new member states which joined last year, including Cyprus.
Ankara is expected to sign the document in the next few weeks but has said it
will make clear the act is not tantamount to recognition of the government of
the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkey has kept 35,000 troops in Northern Cyprus since it invaded the east
Mediterranean island in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia,
engineered by Greece’s then ruling military junta.
Diplomats said that while no foreign minister made an explicit link, some had
said it would be difficult for them if the EU opened negotiations with Turkey
before starting talks with Croatia, whose membership bid has been stymied by
its failure to arrest and hand over a wanted war crimes suspect.
Straw said the two cases were not linked, but he pledged an EU task force
would review Croatia’s record again in September to see whether it had
cooperated sufficiently with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague to
warrant
starting talks.
The Eurobarometer poll of 29,328 voters in the 25 EU member states was
conducted by TNS Opinion and Social between May 9 and June 14, spanning the
period in which France and the Netherlands rejected a planned EU constitution
in referendums.

4) Russian Paper Predicts Heightened Tensions in Javakhk

JAVAKHK (Combined Sources)–A recent conflict between Georgians and ethnic
Armenians living in the mostly Armenian populated region of Javakhk in Georgia
was covered by the Russian newspaper Pravda, which wrote, “While at first
glance the incident appears insignificant, it can potentially become a grave
problem for Georgia.”
The paper writes that until now, stability in the region has been maintained
because of the Russian military base there. “But once the Russian servicemen
leave the region, serious ethnic and economic problems will emerge–which
Georgia is unable–and unwilling to cope.”
According to the Russian newspaper, Ria Novosti, the residents of the
Armenian-populated town of Akhalkalak, in Javakhk, attacked a local branch of
Tbilisi State University on Sunday, shattering windows and breaking furniture.
They also attacked Georgian students, after learning that they had “cleaned up
an abandoned church and surrounding grounds, located in the remote village of
Samsa.”
The chairman of Javakhk’s Virk party, however, said those reports are not
accurate. Tavit Rstakian told Radio Liberty that student and a representative
of the Georgian church in Javakhk entered the church with tools and began to
desecrate Armenian inscriptions by removing stones. Armenian women at the
church began to protest their actions, and were subsequently thrown out by the
students.
A local source was quoted by the Regnum news agency as saying that Armenians
were deeply offended by the developments and rose to defend the church from
being seized by Georgians.
A police investigation has been launched under the law on religious
intolerance.

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THERE ARE PROGRESSES IN DAQLIQ QARABAQ TALKS, ARAZ AZIMOV, DEPUTY FA MINISTER
2005-07-18 20:45

Azerbaijan News Service
July 18 2005

Official Baku spoke about the results of talks on Daqliq Qarabaq
conflict after th enext visit of OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen to
the region. Unlike co-chairmen Araz Azimov, deputy FA minister and
special representative of Azerbaijani president on resolution of
Daqliq Qarabaq conflict, thinks there are real chances to achieve
progresses in the resolution of the conflict. Recent progresses
in the process may be considered as breakthroughs as there didn’t
take place a single meeting during 2000-2004. But the situation
is different now, said Araz Azimov. He called Armenia to use this
chance. Mr. Azimov appreciated discussion of release of occupied by
Armenians Azerbaijani territories, return of refugees to their lands,
restoration of economic cooperation and roads as well as discussion
of some elements in determining status of Daqliq Qarabaq as positive
aspects of the process. Araz Azimov said though Armenia didn’t accept
proposal of Azerbaijan to construct Aghdam-Nakhchivan motorway,
cochairmen approach this proposal positively. And Turkey is ready to
show the highest support to this proposal. The next round of talks
on regulation of the conflict will be held on July 23 in Moscow on
FA ministers level. On July 26, presidents of the two countries will
meet in Kazan.

Erdogan to Putin: Time to Keep Your Word
By Can Karpat, AIA Turkish section

Axis Information and Analysis
14.07.2005

The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Sochi,
known as Russia’s holiday resort, as guest of the Russian President
Vladimir Putin. It is reported that during the visit, the Cyprus issue
will be discussed. Putin, who met Erdogan last January in Moscow,
then stated that Russia is ready to give its support to the project of
abolishing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot part, and also to the
Annan Plan on the United Nations platform. According to some sources,
Erdogan will remind Putin during his visit to Sochi this weekend of
the fact that the Russian gesture has not been materialised yet, the
Turkish Zaman newspaper reports. In fact, because of Russia’s veto
threat, the United Nations report is suspended in the Security Council.

The Turkish Prime Minister, who will meet Putin in Sochi as a response
to the special invitation of the Russian President, is also expected
to discuss international political evolution and other regional
issues. The Turkish diplomacy uttered its wish to see Russia in a
“promising attitude” about Cyprus issue, after the European Union
and the United States of America. Ankara’s initiatives have just
begun to receive some positive reactions from the United States of
America and the European Union even though these do not match to the
expected level.

After the referendum in Cyprus in April 2004, the report prepared by
the United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan is suspended because
of the veto threat of Russia. During the visit of the Turkish Prime
Minister to Moscow in January of this year, Putin had called Kofi
Annan on the phone as a surprise and afterwards he stated to Erdogan:
“We support the plan, which carries Mr. Annan’s name. In this plan,
there is also foreseen the improvement of economical relations with
the Turkish Cypriot part and the abolishment of the isolation upon
this part of the island”. Furthermore, the statement of Putin during
the then press conference on the 11th of January was of a special
interest: “In the Security Council, we had voted before the referendum
in Cyprus. We acted that way in order to prevent any external influence
during the referendum. We had discussed with the United Nations General
Secretary. I stated that I support his efforts to resolve the Cyprus
conflict. We will support any solution, which will bring the Annan Plan
to life. We think that the economical isolation of the Turkish Cypriot
part is not fair. We will support Mr. Annan’s plan in an active way”.

The statement of Putin had been interpreted by Ankara as a “gesture”.
Now, Ankara demands the concrete fulfilment of this gesture, which
has not been carried out since. The admission of the Annan Plan in the
Security Council will be a “historical diplomatic triumph” for Turkey,
for in this way the uncompromising attitude of the Greek Cypriot part
will be confirmed.

During the meeting between Erdogan and Putin, it is expected that the
evolution in Caucasus will be discussed. Erdogan will inform Putin of
Turkey’s firm attitude against the Armenian genocide claims once again.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the political evolution in the Middle
East and the improvement of economical relations between Turkey and
Russia will be also on the agenda of the meeting.

PREVENT CHILDREN FROM FEELING IGNORED

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
14 July 05

At the end of June a seminar for the parents of deaf children was held
in Stepanakert. At the seminar the head of the department of education
of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport Arkady Tovmassian,
head of the department of the Ministry of Social Security Gallina
Somova, the chairman of the Association of the Deaf Bella Grigorian,
the executive director of HanganakNGO Gohar Hovhanissian, ENT
specialist Bella Melkumian, teacher Aida Sevlikian and parents of deaf
children participated. The topic of the seminar was the future of the
children having hearing problems. The participants shared the opinion
that the rights of these children are neglected in our country,
secondary and higher education, choice of a profession and an equal
status in the societyare not available for them. The reason is that
there is no organization in the republic which deals with the problem
of deaf people. The parents pointed out the urgency of founding a
special boarding school for deaf children. The only place where the
children can get education is the school no. 11 of Stepanakert where
there are special classes for children who cannot hear. However, there
are many children in the villages where they cannot even get a medical
treatment, let alone education. The parents have to take their
children to ordinary schools, which affects both the physical and
mental state of the children. Certain parents are convinced that
theirs the right way of education of a deaf child, and when their
method proves ineffective, they fall in despair. The reason is that
there is no objective system of providing information to the families
of deaf children. The parents do not have information about the
methods of treatment, hearing aids and, most importantly, education
which would enablethe child to find his or her path to follow. This is
violation of the rights of children who cannot hear and their
parents. The parents often do not know to whom to turn and often stop
trusting the specialists they had turned to. “These children not only
need the love and care of their parents but also the special attitude
of the society and the state,” said the chairman of the NKR
Association of the Deaf, Bella Grigorian. The boarding school for
invalid children and quality specialists remain the main problem. “It
is impossible without the language of gestures. We seek for complete
rehabilitation of children with hearing problems without isolating
them in special institutions,” said Ms. Grigorian. The parents were
grateful that they could get answers to some of their questions.

EVIKA BABAYAN.
14-07-2005