Author: Maghakian Mike

KREMLIN CONSIDERS CONSTRUCTIVE TRILATERAL TALKS OF RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN AND AZERI PRESIDENTS

ArmenPress
Sept 16 2004

ASTANA, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS: Kremlin considers “useful and
constructive” Karabakh resolution talks among Russian, Armenian and
Azeri presidents which took place on Wednesday in Astana. “The talks
may be considered useful and constructive,” a Kremlin administration
source said.

“The main thing is clear: the sides are determined to continue with
the dialogue and look for compromise,” the source said. “An extremely
complicated and long standing problem is in question the resolution
of which requires time, serious efforts and reciprocal concessions,”
it said.

During the meeting it was mentioned that Russia and other co-chairs
of Minsk Group, US and France, will put all efforts to regulate
the conflict.

OFFICIAL BAKU REGRETS CANCELLATION OF NATO EXERCISES COOPERATIVE BEST
EFFORT-2004

RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 15 2004

BAKU, September 15 (RIA Novosti) – The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
has circulated a statement in which “deep regret was expressed in
connection with the cancellation of NATO’ exercises Cooperative Best
Effort-2004 which were slated for September 14-26 in Azerbaijan
within the framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.

The statement, which says that Azerbaijan viewed these exercises “as
a remarkable and significant event on the way of integration into the
Euro-Atlantic space and created all the necessary conditions for
their holding” stresses at the same time that during the peace talks
on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict “the
leadership of Armenia has been taking ever more non-constructive and
tougher stance.” “In this situation the participation of the Armenian
military in the exercises held in Azerbaijani territory was
unacceptable for Azerbaijan,” the statement says.

The foreign ministry’s statement also stresses that the Azerbaijani
side confirms its adherence to the Euro-Atlantic values and
partnership with NATO and expresses the hope that the relations of
effective partnership which were established between NATO and
Azerbaijan will dynamically develop in future.”

The unwillingness of the Azerbaijani authorities to see
representatives of Armenia whose “occupation troops” as it is alleged
in Baku continue to retain a considerable part of the country’s
territory has led to the cancellation of the exercises. It is also
assumed in Baku, that the support rendered by Yerevan to the
authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorny Karabakh – an
Armenian enclave on the territory of Azerbaijan – is conducive to the
strengthening of the “separatist regime in Stepanakert” and hinders
the returning of Nagorny Karabakh under the jurisdiction of
Azerbaijan.

Ayatollahs play in Russia’s backyard
By Sergei Blagov

Asia Times Online, Hong Kong
Sept 15 2004

MOSCOW – Amid growing Western pressure over Iran’s nuclear
ambitions, Tehran is losing no time in boosting its clout north of
its frontiers. Furthermore, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami toured
three former Soviet states when their former “big brother”, Russia,
was distracted by terrorist attacks and domestic political reforms.

During a three-day official visit to Tajik capital Dushanbe this week,
Khatami and his counterpart President Emomali Rakhmonov discussed
energy and infrastructure projects. The two nations also clinched a
deal to launch a joint venture that would finalize construction of
the 670-megawatt Sangtudin hydropower station in Tajikistan.

Last December, Tajikistan and Iran agreed to launch a consortium to
raise funds to complete the Sangtudin plant. On Monday, Rakhmonov
said Iran would bear 51% of the total construction cost, estimated
at about US$500 million. Forty-nine percent of the project is to be
funded by Tajikistan and other countries, including Russia. Moscow
has put up $100 million for the project.

Khatami is also reported to have observed the construction site of the
five-kilometer-long Anzub Tunnel crossing the Gissar mountain range,
which is slated to be part of a highway project to link Tajikistan and
Iran via northern Afghanistan. The tunnel is being built by Iranian
firm Sobir, which won an international tender by pledging to complete
construction by the end of 2006 for $39 million. The 110km road from
Iran to Herat, Afghanistan, has already been built. Khatami also
pledged that Iran would invest more than $700 million in the Tajik
economy in the coming five years.

Subsequently, Iran’s leader opted to come up with some diplomatic
overtures toward Moscow. On Sunday, Khatami told journalists in
Dushanbe that cooperation with Russia had benefited the region. He
hailed Iran’s nuclear plant deal with Moscow, and lauded Russia for
continued ties with Iran, despite US pressure. “We need cooperation
with Russia for safeguarding stability in Central Asia, the Caspian
and Caucasus regions,” Khatami was quoted by Interfax news agency
as saying.

Nevertheless, Khatami’s tour of the former Soviet states could be
viewed as Tehran’s attempt to poach a territory still considered by
Moscow as “near abroad”, at a time when Russia is overwhelmed by its
terrorist outbreaks.

>>From last Thursday to Saturday, Khatami visited Belarus, where he met
with President Alexander Lukashenko, Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky
and other top Belarusian officials. Iran has close relations with
Belarus, which is regularly under verbal attack from the West for the
authoritarian regime of Lukashenko. Russia has also been struggling to
create a “union state” with Belarus. And despite Western criticism,
Belarus sold Russian-made conventional military equipment and spare
parts to Iran.

While in Belarus, Khatami took the opportunity to criticize the
US-led “war on terror”, saying that “crises and tensions in the
Middle East only serve the illegitimate interests of outsiders”, and
that “countries that prevent others from living in peace” in their
homelands are the real members of the “axis of evil”. He also claimed
that “injustice and discrimination” were the causes of terrorism.

“Those who illegally occupy land belonging to others and those who
fuel chaos and extremism worldwide are the main components of the
axis of evil,” Khatami said. Leaving no doubt whom he bore in mind,
Khatami also lashed out at “the Zionist regime”.

Top Belarus officials told Khatami that they shared Iran’s
opposition to unilateralism and believe that countries that label
others as members of the “axis of evil” do so just to pursue their
own interests. Incidentally, some years ago, Lukashenko gained
international notoriety by suggesting that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
had certain merits for restoring order in Germany and making the
economy grow.

Prior to the Belarus visit, on September 8-9, Khatami traveled to
yet another former Soviet state, Armenia, mainly driven by economic
reasons. Khatami and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian
signed a framework treaty on the “principles and bases” of bilateral
relations. They also formalized the release of a $30 million Iranian
loan to Armenia, to be used for construction of a gas pipeline
that will link the two neighboring countries. The construction of
the Armenian section of its gas pipeline with Iran is expected to
begin by the end of next month. Iranian company Sanir is to become
a subcontractor for the project.

Hence Armenia is limiting its dependence on Russian energy supplies.
In May, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh traveled to Armenia
and signed an agreement on the construction of the 114km Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline that would cost $120 million. Iran reportedly agreed to
supply 1.27 trillion cubic feet (36 billion cubic meters) to Armenia
from 2007-27.

The Iran-Armenia pipeline could also be extended through
Georgia to Ukraine and on to the European Union. The
Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Ukraine-Europe gas pipeline, with a 550km
underwater section from the Georgian port of Supsa to the Crimean
town of Feodosia, has been estimated to cost $5 billion. The planned
gas supply would amount to 2.12 trillion cubic feet (60 billion cubic
meters) per annum, including 353 billion cubic feet (10 billion cubic
meters) for Ukraine.

Russia has been wary that Armenia’s extended pipeline could be
used to funnel Iranian gas to European markets. It could also allow
Turkmenistan to circumvent Russia’s gas-pipeline network. Presumably
fearing Moscow’s wrath, Armenia is yet to make a decision on the
extended pipeline.

Meanwhile, Russia has reiterated its proactive approach in the
“near abroad”. Last Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated
that Russia is ready to face Western competition in the former Soviet
states. “Our world is being globalized and one need learn to compete,”
he told Voice of Russia Radio. “We have to defend our line in the
pursuit of energy and other natural resources, we have capabilities
for it,” Lavrov said.

It remains to be seen, however, whether Russia is prepared to face
non-Western competition, such as Iran.

Sergei Blagov covers Russia and post-Soviet states, with special
attention to Asia-related issues. He has contributed to Asia Times
Online since 1996. Between 1983 and 1997, he was based in Southeast
Asia. In 2001 and 2002, Nova Science Publishers, New York, published
two of his books on Vietnamese history.

Population Explosion!
By ClickZ Stats staff

internetnews.com
September 10, 2004

There are countless sources for the number of Internet users in any
given country. ClickZ Stats tries to maintain an updated list of the
latest statistics on Internet users we’ve seen for countries around
the world. Often, there are widely differing counts. We do our best
to check on the accuracy of counts by comparing them to regional
growth patterns and other projections.

Many of the population statistics, number of Internet users, and
the number of ISPs come from the CIA’s World Factbook, but we’ve
included data from other sources where specified. Computer Industry
Almanac Inc. has also contributed Internet user data for more than
50 countries, and their detailed methodology can be found here.

Nielsen//NetRatings tracks the number of active users for approximately
20 nations, which account for more than 90 percent of the world’s
Internet users. The number of active users is an estimate of the
number of people that actually go online in a given month, rather
than the number of people with access.

If you know of a study that tracks the number of Internet users for
a country that is not on this list, send it to the ClickZ Stats Staff
so we can examine the study and possibly add it to this chart.

Global Online Populations
Worldwide Internet Population 2004: 934 million (Computer Industry Almanac)
Projection for 2005: 1.07 billion
(Computer Industry Almanac) Projection for 2006: 1.21 billion
(Computer Industry Almanac) Projection for 2007: 1.35 billion
(Computer Industry Almanac)
Nation Population
(CIA’s World
Factbook) Internet Users
(CIA’s World
Factbook) Active Users
(Nielsen//NetRatings) ISPs
(CIA’s World
Factbook) More Info.
Afghanistan 28.71 million NA NA 1 Read more
Albania 3.58 million 12,000 NA 10
Algeria 32.81 million 180,000 NA 2
Andorra 69,150 24,500 NA 1
Angola 10.76 million 60,000 NA 1
Anguilla 12,738 919 NA 16
Antigua and Barbuda 67,897 5,000 NA 16
Argentina 38.74 million 4.65 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 33 Read more
Armenia 3.32 million 30,000 NA 9
Aruba 70,844 24,000 NA NA Read more
Australia 19.73 million 13.01 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 8.79 million
(July 2004, at home) 571 Read more
Austria 8.18 million 4.65 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 1.3 million 37 Read more
Azerbaijan 7.83 million 25,000 NA 2 Read more
The Bahamas 297,477 16,900 NA 19 Read more
Bahrain 667,238 140,200 NA 1 Read more
Bangladesh 138.44 million 150,000 NA 10

Barbados 277,264 6,000 NA 19

Belarus 10.33 million 422,000 NA 23 Read more
Belgium 10.28 million 4.87 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 1.6 million 61 Read more
Belize 266,440 18,000 NA 2 Read more
Benin 7.04 million 25,000 NA 4

Bhutan 2.13 million 2,500 NA NA

Bolivia 8.58 million 78,000 NA 9 Read more
Bosnia and Herzegovian 3.98 million 45,000 NA 3

Botswana 1.57 million 33,000 NA 11

Brazil 182.03 million 22.32 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 11.61 million
(July 2004, at home) 50 Read more
Brunei 358,098 35,000 NA 2

Bulgaria 7.53 million 1.61 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 200 Read more
Burkina Faso 13.22 million 25,000 NA 1

Burma 42.51 million 10,000 NA 1

Burundi 6.09 million 6,000 NA 1

Cambodia 13.12 million 10,000 NA 2

Cameroon 15.74 million 45,000 NA 1

Canada 32.20 million 20.45 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 8.8 million 760 Read more
Cape Verde 412,137 12,000 NA 1

Cayman Islands 41,934 NA NA 16

Central African Republic 3.68 million 2,000 NA 1

Chad 9.25 million 4,000 NA 1

Chile 15.66 million 5.04 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 7 Read more
China 1.28 billion 99.80 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 3 Read more
Colombia 41.66 million 1.87 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 18 Read more
Comoros 632,948 2,500 NA 1

Congo, Democratic
Republic of the 56.62 million 6,000 NA 1

Congo, Republic 2.95 million 500 NA 1

Cook Islands 21,008 NA NA 3

Costa Rica 3.89 million 384,000 NA 3 Read more
Cote d’Ivoire 16.96 million 70,000 NA 5

Croatia 4.42 million 480,000 NA 9 Read more
Cuba 11.26 million 120,000 NA 5 Read more
Cyprus 771,657 150,000 NA 6

Czech Republic 10.24 million 3.53 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 300 Read more
Denmark 5.38 million 3.72 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 13 Read more
Djibouti 457,130 3,300 NA 1

Dominica 69,655 2,000 NA 16

Dominican Republic 8.71 million 186,000 NA 24

East Timor 977,853 NA NA NA
Ecuador 13.71 million 328,000 NA 31 Read more
Egypt 74.71 million 2.42 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 50 Read more
El Salvador 6.47 million 40,000 NA 4 Read more
Equatorial Guinea 510,473 900 NA 1

Eritrea 4.36 million 10,000 NA 5

Estonia 1.40 million 620,000 NA 38 Read more
Ethiopia 66.55 million 20,000 NA 1

Faroe Islands 46,345 3,000 NA 2

Fiji 856,300 15,000 NA 2

Finland 5.19 million 3.27 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 3 Read more
France 60.18 million 25.47 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 14.29 million
(July 2004, at home) 62 Read more
French Guiana 182,917 2,000 NA 2

French Polynesia 262,125 16,000 NA 2

Gabon 1.32 million 18,000 NA 1

Gambia 1.5 million 5,000 NA 2

Georgia 4.93 million 25,000 NA 6

Germany 82.39 million 41.88 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 29.74 million
(July 2004, at home) 200 Read more
Ghana 20.46 million 200,000 NA 12

Gilbraltar 27,776 NA NA 2

Greece 10.66 million 2.71 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 27

Greenland 56,385 20,000 NA 1

Grenada 89,258 5,200 NA 14

Guadeloupe 440,189 4,000 NA 3

Guam 163,941 5,000 NA 20

Guatemala 13.90 million 200,000 NA 5 Read more
Guernsey 64,818 NA NA NA

Guinea 9.03 million 15,000 NA 4

Guinea-Bissau 1.36 million 4,000 NA 2

Guyana 702,100 95,000 NA 3 Read more
Haiti 7.52 million 30,000 NA 3

Honduras 6.66 million 40,000 NA 8 Read more
Hong Kong 7.39 million 4.58 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 2.73 million
(July 2004, at home) 17 Read more
Hungary 10.04 million 2.94 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 16 Read more
Iceland 200,000 198,000
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 20 Read more
India 1.04 billion 36.97 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 43 Read more
Indonesia 234.89 million 12.86 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 24 Read more
Iran 68.27 million 420,000 NA 8

Iraq 24.68 million 12,500 NA 1

Ireland 3.92 million 1.81 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 22 Read more
Isle of Man 74,261 NA NA NA

Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) 2,967 NA NA 2

Israel 6.11 million 3.13 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 976,000 21 Read more
Italy 57.99 million 25.53 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 15.70 million
(July 2004, at home) 93 Read more
Jamaica 2.69 million 100,000 NA 21

Japan 127.21 million 78.05 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 34.71 million
(July 2004, at home) 73 Read more
Jersey 90,156 NA NA NA

Jordan 5.46 million 212,000 NA 5 Read more
Kazakhstan 16.76 million 100,000 NA 10 Read more
Kenya 31.63 million 500,000 NA 65

Kiribati 98,549 1,000 NA 1

Kuwait 2.18 million 200,000 NA 3 Read more
Kyrgyzstan 4.89 million 51,600 NA NA

Laos 5.92 million 10,000 NA 1

Latvia 2.34 million 455,000 NA 41

Lebanon 3.72 million 300,000 NA 22

Lesotho 1.86 million 5,000 NA 1

Liberia 3.31 million 500 NA 2

Libya 5.49 million 20,000 NA 1

Liechtenstein 33,14 NA NA NA

Lithuania 3.59 million 480,000 NA 32

Luxembourg 454,157 100,000 NA 8

Macau 469,903 101,000 NA 1

Macedonia 2.06 million 100,000 NA 6

Madagascar 16.97 million 35,000 NA 2

Malawi 11.65 million 35,000 NA 7

Malaysia 23.09 million 10.04 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 7 Read more
Maldives 329,684 6,000 NA 1

Mali 11.62 million 30,000 NA 13

Malta 400,420 59,000 NA 6

Marshall Islands 56,429 900 NA 1

Martinique 425,966 5,000 NA 2

Mauritania 2.91 million 7,500 NA 5

Mauritius 1.21 million 158,000 NA 2

Mexico 104.90 million 13.88 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 51 Read more
Micronesia 108,143 2,000 NA 1

Moldova 4.43 million 15,000 NA 2

Monaco 32,130 NA NA 2

Mongolia 2.71 million 40,000 NA 5

Montserrat 8,995 NA NA 17

Morocco 31.68 million 400,000 NA 8 Read more
Mozambique 17,47 million 22,500 NA 11

Namibia 1.92 million 45,000 NA 2

Nauru 12,570 NA NA 1

Nepal 26.46 million 60,000 NA 6

The Netherlands 16.15 million 9.79 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 7.78 million
(June 2004, at home) 52 Read more
Netherlands Antilles 216,226 2,000 NA 6
New Caledonia 210,798 24,000 NA 1
New Zealand 3.95 million 2.34 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 36
Nicaragua 5.12 million 20,000 NA 3 Read more
Niger 10.05 million 12,000 NA 1

Nigeria 133.88 million 100,000 NA 11

Niue 2,145 NA NA 1

Norfolk Island 1,853 NA NA 2

North Korea 22.46 million NA NA 1

Northern Mariana Islar 80,006 NA NA 1

Norway 4.54 million 3.03 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 13 Read more
Oman 2.80 million 120,000 NA 1 Read more
Pakistan 150.69 million 1.2 million NA 30

Palau 19,717 NA NA 1

Panama 2.96 million 45,000 NA 6 Read more
Papua New Guinea 5.29 million 135,000 NA 3

Paraguay 6.03 million 20,000 NA 4

Peru 28.40 million 4.57 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 10 Read more
Philippines 84.61 million 5.96 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 33 Read more
Pitcairn Islands 47 NA NA NA

Poland 38.62 million 10.4 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 19

Portugal 10.10 million 6.09 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 16 Read more
Puerto Rico 3.88 million 600,000 NA 76 Read more
Qatar 817,052 75,000 NA 1

Reunion 755,171 10,000 NA 1

Romania 22.27 million 4.94 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 38

Russia 144.52 million 21.23 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 35 Read more
Rwanda 7.81 million 20,000 NA 2

St. Kitts and Nevis 38,763 2,000 NA 16

St. Lucia 162,157 3,000 NA 15

St. Vincent and the Grenadines 116,812 3,500 NA 15

Samoa 178,173 3,000 NA 2

San Marino 28,119 NA NA 2

Sao Tome and Principe 175,883 9,000 NA 2

Saudi Arabia 24.29 million 2.54 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 42

Senegal 10.58 million 100,000 NA 1

Seychelles 80,469 9,000 NA 1

Sierra Leone 5.73 million 20,000 NA 1

Singapore 4.60 million 2.75 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 956,000 9

Slovakia 5.43 million 1.61 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 6

Slovenia 1.93 million 930,000 NA 11

Solomon Islands 509,190 8,400 NA 1

Somalia 8.02 million 200 NA 3

South Africa 43.6 million 4.78 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 150 Read more
South Korea 42.76 million 31.67 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 11 Read more
Spain 40.21 million 13.44 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 7.99 million
(July 2004, at home) 56

Sri Lanka 19.74 million 121,500 NA 5

Sudan 38.11 million 56,000 NA 2

Suriname 435,449 14,500 NA 2

Svalbard 2,811 NA NA NA

Swaziland 1.16 million 14,000 NA 6

Sweden 8.87 million 6.12 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 4.41 million
(July 2004, at home) 29 Read more
Switzerland 7.31 million 4.60 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 3.00 million
(July 2004, at home) 44 Read more
Syria 17.58 million 60,000 NA 1 Read more
Taiwan 22.60 million 9.52 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 5.0 million 8

Tajilistan 6.86 million 5,000 NA 4

Tanzania 35.92 million 300,000 NA 6

Thailand 64.26 million 7.57 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 15

Togo 5.42 million 50,000 NA 3

Tokelau 1,418 NA NA 1

Tonga 108,141 1,000 NA 2

Trinidad and Tobago 1.10 million 120,000 NA 17

Tunisia 9.92 million 400,000 NA 1

Turkey 68.10 million 7.27 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 50 Read more
Turkmenistan 4.77 million 2,000 NA NA
Turks and Caicos 19,350 NA NA 14
Tuvalu 11,305 NA NA 1
Uganda 25.63 million 60,000 NA 2

Ukraine 48.05 million 5.2781 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 260

United Arab Emirates 2.48 million 900,000 NA 1 Read more
United Kingdom 60.09 million 33.11 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 22.41 million
(July 2004, at home) <400 Read more
United States 290.34 million 185.55 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) 136.60 million
(July 2004, at home) 7,000 Read more
Uruguay 3.41 million 600,000
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 14 Read more
Uzbekistan 25.98 million 100,000 NA 42

Vanuatu 199,414 3,000 NA 1

Venezuela 24.65 million 2.31 million
(Computer Industry Almanac) NA 16 Read more
Vietnam 81.62 million 400,000 NA 5

Virgin Islands 124,778 12,000 NA 50

Wallis and Futuna 15,734 NA NA 1

Western Sahara 261,794 NA NA 1

Yemen 19.34 million 17,000 NA 1 Read more
Zambia 10.30 million 25,000 NA 5

Zimbabwe 12.57 million 100,000 NA 6

Azeri leader does not want to see Armenian officers arrive in Baku

Turan news agency, Baku
11 Sep 04

Barda, 11 September: The negotiations and consultations on the Karabakh
settlement will be continued and held in Astana [Kazakhstan] during
the forthcoming CIS summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told
journalists in Barda [central Azerbaijan] today. He said that the
negotiations will address several issues.

“Our condition is that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must
be restored. All other issues can be resolved later. Many things
depend on how the negotiations are held,” Aliyev said.

Asked by journalists on the possible visit of Armenian officers to
Baku, Aliyev said that the event [Baku-hosted exercise] is being
held by NATO. “But if we ask Azerbaijanis whether they want Armenians
to arrive, they would say no. I do not want Armenians to come here,
either,” Aliyev said.

At the same time, he said that the existent contacts with Yerevan did
not mean a change of Azerbaijan’s position over the settlement process.
“Normalization of relations between the two countries will be possible
only when Azerbaijan’s occupied territory is liberated,” the head of
state said.

Speaking about the role of international mediators, Aliyev said that
the OSCE Minsk Group had intensified its activities and new proposals
on the settling process could emerge soon.

IRAN, ARMENIA REVIEW EXPANSION OF RELATIONS

Asia Pulse
September 9, 2004 Thursday 8:25 PM Eastern Time

YEREVAN, Sept 9 — The chairmen of the Iran-Armenia Joint Commission
explored ways of expanding ties between the two countries here
Wednesday.

The Iranian chairman stressed Tehran’s firm will to expand bilateral
ties, and expressed hope the current visit of Iranian President
Khatami to Armenia would further consolidate and expand relations.

He pointed out that major steps have already been taken by the two
countries to boost relations in the energy and trade areas.

He said the volume of trade exchanges of the two countries in the
cuurent year shows an increase of 30 percent compared with the figure
last year.

The Armenian official said he believes relations between the two
countries received a remarkable boost after the latest visit of the
Armenian president to Iran, and expressed satisfaction with ongoing
Iran-Armenia joint projects. He also called for the expansion of
mutual ties in agriculture, culture and commerce.

He said new contracts that are to be signed by the two sides during
the current visit of President Khatami to Yerevan would further
enhance relations.

President arrived in Armenia on Wednesday morning on the first leg
of a three-nation regional tour.

OTE boss says restructuring plan afoot

Kathimerini, Greece
Sept 8 2004

Financial results will begin to improve in a year’s time, Vourloumis
says, adding that all company ventures abroad are now profitable

Restructuring is key to the future of OTE Telecom, its Chairman and
CEO Panayis Vourloumis said in a press conference in Thessaloniki
yesterday.

“(OTE’s) recovery will arrive through the restructuring we are planning
and which will affect a lot of activities. This (restructuring) is
not something unheard of, it is something other big fixed telephony
providers have undergone. Provided it starts immediately, it should
begin having an impact on the group’s financial results a year from
now,” Vourloumis said.

OTE, once the monopoly telecoms provider in Greece, has lost close
to 15 percent of the fixed telephony market since its deregulation
in 2000.

Mobile telephony started in 1993 and, while OTE was a late entrant
in the market, its subsidiary, CosmOTE, is a market leader.

OTE’s profits have been falling in recent years and management has
attributed this to three reasons: the competition that has naturally
risen in the fixed telephony segment; the low fees it says it has been
forced to charge its competitors for using its fixed-line network;
and extraordinary costs and write-offs in some of its acquisitions
abroad, especially in Romania.

Vourloumis estimated that profits from fixed telephony will continue
to be weak “for quite some time.”

Asked whether OTE will implement a voluntary retirement program,
Vourloumis replied that its plans for one are still at an early
stage and emphasized that the management will seek the employees’
consensus before proceeding with such a program.

Referring to OTE’s activities abroad, Vourloumis said that all
companies in which OTE participates, either as a majority or minority
shareholder, are profitable.

He referred to the legal tangles in Serbia, where OTE holds 20 percent
of Telekom Srbija, and Armenia, where it holds 90 percent of Armentel,
as “festering wounds.”

“Our strategy is to normalize our relations and to close the wounds
without a loss,” Vourloumis said. He appeared confident that a
solution will be found in Serbia, whereas he did not exclude an
eventual withdrawal from Armenia, where OTE has had to compete
with pirate telephony providers, but “on favorable terms and with
a big profit.” The mobile telecoms firms under CosmOTE’s management
in Albania, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
are “operating smoothly,” Vourloumis said. In Romania, according to
Vourloumis, “Romtelecom is doing well now but certainly OTE will not
recover its losses over the past few years soon.” He added that the
group is considering whether to reactivate their mobile telephony
subsidiary, Cosmorom.

“We must make a decision soon because, if we delay for a few more
months, there will be no place for us in the (Romanian) market,”
he said.

OTE’s chief said that the company’s successful handling of telecoms
services during the Olympic Games had imbued the company “with a new
self-esteem,” which must be used “to recover the ground we lost in
the past few years.”

ARMENIAN APPOINTED PROSECUTOR IN GEORGIA

03.09.2004 15:25

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By a decree of the Prosecutor General of Georgia
Tbilisi born Suren Barekian is appointed Prosecutor of Akhalkalaki,
Ninotsminda and Aspindza regions. It should be reminded that
prosecutor’s offices of several regions become united within the
reform of the judicial system of Georgia.

NALBANDIAN’S DUTCH DELIGHT

sportinglife.com, UK
Sept 2 2004

Eighth seed David Nalbandian put recent injury woes behind him to
get his US Open campaign off to a winning start.

Last year’s semi-finalist has played little this summer due to injury
but still had few problems against Dennis van Scheppingen of Holland,
winning in straight sets.

Aided by 13 double faults from his opponent, Nalbandian recorded a
6-4 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 victory.

The Argentine is likely to face a sterner test in round two when
he tackles Russian Mikhail Youzhny, a player who beat him recently
in Toronto.

Foreign Minister satisfied with results of Prague meeting

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 1 2004

Baku, August 31, AssA-Irada

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has expressed his satisfaction
with the results of the meeting with his Armenian counterpart Vardan
Oskanian held in Prague on Monday.

Mammadyarov told local ATV that the Prague meeting was a step forward
to settle the Upper Garabagh conflict and that a concrete decision on
the continuation of talks will be made after the foreign ministers
report on the results of the meeting to their presidents.

Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents are scheduled to hold the next
meeting within the summit of the CIS heads of state to be held in
Astana, Kazakhstan on September 15.*