Author: Karagyozian Lena

ARMENIAN FM RECEIVES US AIDE TO SECRETARY OF STATE LORA KENNEDY

ArmenPress
Oct 14 2004

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian today received an aide to US Secretary of State Laura
Kennedy. According to foreign ministry press services, during the
meeting the sides exchanged ideas on bilateral and international
issues of mutual interest.

Speaking on Armenian-American relations, the sides mentioned with
satisfaction that they continue to develop dynamically and with high
predictability

In this regard, the two attached great importance to the economic
element in Armenian-American ties. They discussed US-Armenia Task
Force 9th meeting which was held in Washington recently.

During the meeting reflections were made on regional issues. In
this context, ideas were exchanged on after-war recovery in Iraq and
possible Armenian participation in it.

In the context of regional development, relations with Turkey were
discussed noting the role of USA in this regard. Minister Oskanian
voiced his concern over the continued blockade by Turkey saying that
such policy impedes regional development.

Laura Kennedy serves as a minister-aide on foreign policy issues.
Starting this year, she works as an aide to US State Secretary. In
1992, she was charge d’affaires at US embassy in Armenia. In 2001,
she was US ambassador in Turkmenistan.

Budget expenditures will increase due to surplus profits

Gateway 2 Russia, Russia
Oct 12 2004

Russia’s federal budget surplus in 2004 will be R505.7bn, a source in
the Russian government told Ria-Novosti on the eve of the cabinet’s
sitting to discuss changes to the Law on the Federal Budget for 2004.

Initially, according to the budget for this year, a surplus of R83.4bn
was expected. “The Ministry of Finance has presented to the government
a budget forecast till the end of the year. It expects revenues to
increase by R531bn, and expenditure by R108.6bn,” the source said.

It said the increase in revenues is thanks to higher tax collection –
to the tune of R430bn – on mineral extraction, and thanks to revenues
from customs export duties.

Interest related expenditure will be down by R40.9bn, and non interest
related expenditure will go up by R149.6bn.

The source said that this means overall federal budget revenue by the
end of the year will be R3,273,8bn and overall expenditure, R2,768,1bn.

The Stabilization Fund is expected to receive R397.4bn by the end of
the year, the source said. This is R313.9bn more than envisaged by
the budget.

According to the source, the funding of the international cooperation
efforts has also increased. For example, Belarus is to receive a
credit of 175m dollars in order to finance part of the Russian gas
supplies and to balance out the trade. In addition, credit to Armenia
is to increase by 31m dollars.

In the sphere of agriculture, the current year expenditures
will be increased by R5bn. In the words of the source, this is a
contribution to the charter capital of Rosagrolizing for the purchase
of agricultural technology.

The healthcare section will be increased by R1.7bn. This sum will
cover the purchase of medical equipment.

Amendments to the budget also envisage an increase in investments. In
particular, R4.75bn will be spent on roads infrastructure projects,
while R11.9 bn will go to other capital investments, including the
reconstruction of facilities in Beslan.

Jerusalem’s disgrace

Ha’aretz
Oct 12 2004

The police interrogation of Armenian Archbishop Nourhan Manougian,
who allegedly slapped yeshiva student Zvi Rosenthal after Rosenthal
spat at Manougian and at a crucifix during the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross procession in the Old City this week, reveals a little bit of the
increasingly wild Jewish-nationalist-religious atmosphere in Jerusalem.

It is the bad luck of the Armenians, a peaceful and modest community
in the city, that its churches and other institutions, including
their ancient cemetery, is on the way to the Jewish Quarter in the
Old City. As a result, the priests of the community suffer from
the unrestrained behavior of yeshiva students who pass through the
Armenian Quarter, sometimes deliberately, to do harm and cause strife.

This is not the first time the Armenians have fallen victim to such
bullying. The police does not make an effort to prevent the disgraceful
phenomenon of spitting at priests – Armenians and others – and at
the crosses they carry.

The Interior Ministry has done nothing in response to appeals by
the heads of the church regarding their plight. Thus the state is
neglecting its duty to protect the legitimate representatives of a
peace-loving community.

That negligence, just like the bullying, is a disgrace to the state
of the Jewish people, which was persecuted through the generations
because of its religion and customs.

Moreover, it is a disgrace for Jerusalem. Ever since the city was
“reunited,” the city burghers and ministers in charge of it have
claimed the capital of Israel would protect the dignity and stature
of the three monotheistic religions and that their rights would be
honored, including the right to freedom of movement.

And now, while the police and Shin Bet focus on preparations for
the threat of impassioned assaults on Muslims on the Temple Mount,
it turns out that for some time the Christians in Jerusalem have been
suffering from various and sundry provocations by wild young people.
The provocations – from spitting near or at crosses to throwing trash
on the doorsteps of Christian edifices on Mt. Zion – have become an
ugly routine in recent years, fitting right in with the increasingly
extremist political atmosphere.

Jerusalem is a city holy to the three monotheistic religions. The
state of Israel and the Jerusalem municipality are responsible
for all the institutions and personages representing those three
religions. The churches, monasteries, schools and gardens in within
the municipal jurisdiction not only have the right to protection or
police escorts during their holidays, but also the sense of belonging
and full freedom of activity.

It is intolerable that Christian citizens of Jerusalem suffer from
the shameful spitting at or near a crucifix. Similar behavior toward
Jews anywhere in the world would immediately prompt vehement responses.

The mayor, the government and the security services must therefore make
clear to the heads of all the religious communities that the protection
of their safety is the top-ranking priority for them. At the same time,
they must take firm action against those enflamed youths looking for
opportunities to sabotage the complex fabric of life in Jerusalem.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say. Part A (Russia)
October 11, 2004, Monday

WHO IS TO BLAME? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
SOURCE: Novoye Vremya, No. 33, October 3, 2004, p. 16

by: Nikolai Popov

The Beslan tragedy continues to stir up public opinion. People
wish to know who was behind this terrorist attack, who ordered and
organized it, and where the next blow might be expected. According
to the latest polls, most respondents are inclined to agree with
the official version of the story: that behind the latest terrorist
attacks, including the slaughter in Beslan and explosions aboard two
airplanes, are “international terrorists, Al Qaeda and so on” – 43%
of respondents agree. Along with this, a significant number of people
(32%) hold a more traditional point of view: this is the matter of
“Chechen separatists.” A further 18% say that whether they are local or
international, they are “Muslim fanatics and Wahhabi fundamentalists.”

According to the poll, 20% of respondents have more politicized
opinion: 13% of respondents that there are “oligarchs” standing
behind the latest terrorist attacks and 7% say that these are Western
countries. Although it may seem strange, people in the Southern
federal district are inclined to blame international terrorism than
the neighbors-separatists from Chechnya for the terrorist attacks
more than anywhere in the country (50%). Rural residents are more
inclined than others to see a “Chechen link.”

While the supreme authorities are thinking whom they need to punish
and whom to award for Beslan, the public has formed its own notion
about “who bears the biggest responsibility for allowing the terrorist
attack to happen in Beslan.” The major part (32%) of respondents says
that the biggest responsibility lies with “the security agencies
of North Ossetia.” President Putin unexpectedly took second place
(15%). The next culprits are Federal Security Service (FSB) Director
Nikolai Patrushev (15%), Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev (9%) and
President Dzasokhov of North Ossetia (9%). According to the poll,
5% of respondents laid the blame for the terrorist attack in Beslan
on newly-elected President of Chechnya Alu Alkhanov.

The larger a city, the more residents are inclined to blame President
Putin for letting the terrorist attack happen. In cities with a
population over 1 million people, 21% of respondents blame Putin,
and 25% blame the security agencies of North Ossetia. People with a
higher education (18%) and high income (20%) are also more inclined
to blame the president.

In Russia respondents estimate the danger of terrorism much higher
than in the neighboring countries. Back in August, before the latest
series of terrorist attacks, 36% of respondents said that “danger of
terrorism is very high for our country” and 49% believed that this
danger “is fairly high.” The number of respondents with such opinion
in Kazakhstan amounted to 11% and 36%, in Lithuania to 3% and 21%
and in Armenia to 4% and 14% respectively.

Apprehensions have grown since then. Now 41% of respondents “are
very much afraid” that they or members of their families “may
become victims of terrorist attacks” and 40% are afraid of this
“to some extent.” This means that the overwhelming majority of the
population is afraid. Only 13% of respondents “are not very afraid”
of terrorist attacks and only 5% “are not afraid at all.” The lowest
level of fear is registered in Siberia and in the Russian Far East. The
highest level of fear of terrorist attacks is registered in cities of
over a million people. There, 50% of respondents “are very afraid”
of becoming victims of terrorists. The level of fear among women is
50%, in comparison to 31% among men. Young people are less afraid of
terrorism than elderly people; wealthy people and people with higher
education are afraid more often than poor and less educated people.

Unlike the international community, Russian citizens are inclined to
favor radical and harsh methods of combating terrorism, for example,
towards restoration of death penalty for terrorists: 72% of respondents
“fully support” the “introduction of the death penalty for terrorists
and their accomplices” and 18% “mostly support” this measure. Only
9% of respondents do not support introducing the death penalty
for terrorists. The number of supporters of the death penalty for
terrorists is highest in the Southern federal district and lowest
in Siberia.

Unexpectedly, we turned out to be among the most “advanced” countries
of the world according to the level of terrorism. This is a poor
achievement.

Along with this, it is impossible to say that the terrible
events changed the views of the people on order in the society and
reliability of the political system. Despite that a noticeable number
of respondents (15%) put the blame on the president for letting the
terrorist attack happen in Beslan, in general approval of Putin’s
activities on the post of the president and confidence in him did not
change significantly. There are still 73% of respondents who trust
Putin, as shown by a poll done between September 17 and 19. Along with
this, 21% of respondents “fully trust” him and 52% “rather trust than
distrust” – while only 6% of respondents “do not trust him at all.”

Translated by Pavel Pushkin

Fox Sports, Australia
Oct 7 2004

Carroll the latest gain
By Grantlee Kieza
October 8, 2004

GENERATIONS of immigrants were reborn to a new life in America,
passing by New York’s Statue of Liberty and its message of hope:
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”

But that’s America and we have a different motto out here.

In Australia, we’re not so much interested in the huddled masses but
in hulking football forwards or weightlifters with thighs bigger than
Texas or rugby rookies looking for a fresh start. We don’t want the
tired and poor, we want the energetic who are going to win gold.

Don’t worry about wretched refuse, either, we want people who can run
fast, leap high, punch hard and, in the case of Tonie Carroll, who
don’t mind switching camps.

Carroll’s selection as a Kangaroo utility for the Tri-Nations
tournament makes him the fourth league player to represent both Anzac
nations and brings league full circle after the first great Kangaroo,
Dally Messenger, was seconded to the New Zealand team for a tour of
Britain in 1907.

Two years later, Con Sullivan emigrated from New Zealand to play for
North Sydney and in 1910 made his Test debut for his adopted country.

Balmain’s Bill Kelly, a dual international in New Zealand, toured
Queensland and NSW in 1912-13 before his Australian call-up in 1914.

Like another hard-hitting Queenslander, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Carroll
was born in New Zealand but built a ferocious reputation in the
Sunshine State.

He said he had been asked to play for New Zealand every year since
playing in the black jumper at the 2000 World Cup but had declined
because he wanted to play for Queensland in the Origin series.

“I was born in New Zealand and I did play for them in 2000,” Carroll
explained, “but I’ve been here since I was six, so I think I’ve
earned my stripes.

“The most important thing for me was State of Origin.

“I’ve got a few phone calls from [the NZRL] this year, but I said no
and I’ve got to stick to my decision.”

Over the years Australian rugby union has also benefited from players
shifting loyalties with the arrival of Argentine strongmen Topo
Rodriguez and Patricio Noriega and, more recently, Tiaan Strauss and
Clyde Rathbone from South Africa.

But the Kiwis got one back on us when they scooped up Steve Devine
from Boggabri for the All Blacks.

While our national economy was built around the export of wool and
wheat, we’re now just as famous for importing talent. And not just
Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson.

Back in the 50s immigrants were credited for making us a richer
society, giving us souvlaki, spaghetti and goulash instead of fish,
chips and chops. Now they add to our reputation for sporting
greatness.

At the Manchester Commonwealth Games two years ago, Australia’s
immigrant athletes won more medals than most countries.

Twelve Aussie immigrants won 22 medals between them for Australia,
including 15 gold.

If they had entered as a team on their own, the Australian immigrants
would have finished fifth on the medal table among 72 nations taking
part.

Wrestler Mushtaq Rasem Abdullah won bronze after spending two years
in a UN refugee camp in Jordan after fleeing Baghdad.

Shooter Lalita Yauhleuskaya, who left Belarus for the land Down Under
in 1998, won three gold and a bronze and Armenian weightlifters
Yourik Sarkisian and Alex Karapetyn each won three gold.

Our athletics ranks soared in the years surrounding the Sydney
Olympics with the arrival from Belarus of world pole vault champ
Dmitri Markov and Russian husband and wife duo, Tatiana Grigorieva
and Viktor Chistiakov.

In cricket, some of our finest have worn the colours of the oldest
enemy, with Albert Trott, Sammy Woods and Billy Murdoch chief among
England’s best buys, while Kepler Wessels was a key figure in
Australian cricket before going home to South Africa.

In more recent times, England has fielded Martin McCague and Alan
Mullally, who were both raised in Australia, and the Hollioake boys
who were born here.

American basketballers Ricky Grace, Scott Fisher and Cal Bruton have
all played for Australia while boxing’s favourite Aussie import
Kostya Tszyu competed at the Seoul Olympics and won a world amateur
title under the flag of the Soviet Union.

When Tszyu first fought in Sydney in November, 1991, it was 30C and
sunny every day. When he went back to Russia it was -30C and there
was so much snow he could hardly see a thing.

He didn’t take much convincing to come back for good.

The Xinhua News Agency.
October 9, 2004 Saturday 9:30 AM EST

Finland 0 Armenia 1 – Euro under-21 result

STOCKHOLM

Finland lost to Armenia 0-1 in the European under-21 soccer
championship, Group One qualifier in Helsinki on Saturday.

Scorer: Melkonyan 77

Halftime: 0-0

Glasgow Daily Record, UK
Oct 1 2004

LOCALS FIGHT FOR REFUGEE

By Annie Brown

A CAMPAIGN to stop a refugee being deported is being backed by her
adopted community.

Julia Gulshan Babayeva and her two sons were taken from their flat in
Glasgow’s Sighthill to a detention centre two weeks ago.

The ethnic Armenian says she fled Azerbaijan after being sexually
abused by police after speaking out against the government.

Julia also says her teenage sons would be forced to join the army and
kill fellow Armenians if they returned.

Julia has worked for many health and help groups in Sighthill since
seeking asylum there thee years ago.

Now residents have raised £300 towards the family’s £1000 bail.

Julia said: ‘I miss my Sighthill. I want to go back.’

Donations can be made at

FINLAND INTERESTED IN PEACE SETTLEMENT OF ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT

AzerTag
October 02, 2004

Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov met the newly appointed
plenipotentiary ambassador of Finland to Azerbaijan Terkhi Khakala, on
October 1, the Ministry’s press center told AzerTAj.

Having thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs for meeting, Terkhi KhÃ
êà ëà has emphasized the interest, which has increased recently by
his country to Azerbaijan, and also importance of the efforts directed
on expansion of links between two countries in political, economic and
other spheres. Having noted interest of the country in peace
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny-Karabakh conflict, the
ambassador has emphasized, that Finland is amember of OSCE and
directly keeps up the processes concerning the resolution of conflict.

Having congratulated Terkhi Khakala on the occasion of appointment as
the new ambassador in Azerbaijan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar
Mammadyarov has expressed hope for his active participation in
expansion of relations between the countries. Having emphasized, that
Azerbaijan is the country representing great value from the economic
and strategic points of view, the Minister has noted presence of all
conditions for participation of Finland in economic projects carried
out in the Country. Highly having estimated political support of
Finland, Mr. Mammadyarov ascertained extreme importance of opinion of
world community basing on international legal norms in settlement of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

The ambassador presented a copy of his credentials to the foreign
minister of Azerbaijan.

Russia closes its airspace

RosBusinessConsulting Database
October 1, 2004 Friday

Russian has closed its airspace for aircraft of the Kazakhstan Aue
Zholy airline, the press service of the Kazakhstani company reported.

According to the Russian Transportation Ministry, this ban will be
first of all applied to airlines of Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and
Ukraine. On September 3, 2004, the main center of Russia for planning
and controlling air traffic officially informed aviation authorities
of CIS members that if they did not pay off their debt to the center,
Russia would stop providing air navigation service starting October 1.

The total debt of CIS airlines to the Russian center for planning and
controlling air traffic exceeds $15m. Kazakhstan Aue Zholy has the
largest debt totaling $3.5m.

DEFENCE MINISTER AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA TO SIGN MEMORANDUM ON
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING ON SEPT 24

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23. ARMINFO. The Ministry of Defence of the United
Kingdom and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia have
agreed a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Contacts and
Co-operation. The aim of the Memorandum is to further strengthen the
good relations which already exist between the two Ministries, and to
serve as a basis for increased co-operation between them in the field
of defence. ARMINFO was informed in Great Britain’s Embassy in
Armenia.

HE Mr Serge Sargsian, the Armenian Minister of Defence, and the
British Ambassador to Armenia, Miss Thorda Abbott-Watt, will sign the
Memorandum in a short ceremony at the Armenian Ministry of Defence in
Yerevan on Friday, 24 September 2004.

Over the last year the United Kingdom has sponsored places for 16
members of the Armenian Armed Forces to conduct a variety of training
courses outside Armenia, including the first Armenian cadet ever to
attend the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. The British Ministry
of Defence also funds English language training through the
Peacekeeping English Programme run by the British Council Armenia in
the Armenian Ministry of Defence. The Memorandum of Understanding
reflects a common recognition that stable and democratic sovereign
states contribute to confidence, stability and security in Europe as a
whole. It will put the existing co-operation programme on a formal
footing, and enable Britain and Armenia to develop further contacts in
areas such as the management of defence in democratic societies,
language training, peace support in humanitarian operations and arms
control.