Author: Tamamian Anna

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijna
Nov 30 2004

Azerbaijan not to allow cargo transit to Armenia – Azeri official

Hundreds of transit cargo trains have been withheld on the
Azerbaijani-Georgian border for three days. The contents of 309
carriages are suspected to have been en route to Armenia.
Commenting on the matter, First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov
said that Azerbaijan can detain all consignments coming from other
countries en route to Georgia through its territory, if they are
further delivered to Armenia. He said that to prevent the transit
delivery of goods to Armenia, he met with Georgian President, Prime
Minister and Secretary of the Security Council last week and
officially informed them of such instances.
During the meetings, Abbasov urged the Georgian government to thwart
such cases and warned of detention of all kind of cargoes to be
dispatched to Georgia by Azerbaijan in order to protect the country’s
national interests.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have signed inter-governmental agreements on
transportation of transit and export consignments through the
former’s territory provided that they are not further passed on to
Armenia, Abbasov said.
Abbasov said, however, that there have been instances of cargo being
delivered to Armenia through Azerbaijan’s territory, in particular,
transit of oil products and fuel.
The First Deputy Prime Minister also underlined that the freight
trains, the destinations of which are determined, are allowed to
enter Georgia.
`Not a gram of fuel will be dispatched to aggressor Armenia, which
has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory, so that it could launch
new military attacks on our country,’ Abbasov said.
The spokesman for the Georgian Railway Office Stepnadze said the
Georgian side is not aware of any cargo transportation to Armenia.
`As far as we know, the consignments coming from Azerbaijan are not
transported to Armenia via Georgia.’
He said that according to the existing bilateral agreements, the
consignments may not be transported to a third country contradicting
the interests of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Stepnadze indicated that the
detention of railway carriages on the border will not affect
bilateral relations.
`There are no problems between the two countries and Azerbaijan
reserves the right to inspect any consignment.’

ArmenPress
Nov 29 2004

ARMENIAN RIVERS ARE NOT AS POLLUTED AS AZERBAIJAN ALLEGES

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armen Saghatelian, the head of a
center for ecological and noospheric studies, an affiliation of the
Armenian Academy of Sciences, denied Azerbaijan’s allegations that
rivers flowing in from Armenia are polluted heavily with radioactive
substances.
The center will accomplish next December a project for monitoring
of the South Caucasian rivers, assisted by NATO and OSCE Yerevan
office. Saghatelian said samples of water from 13 rivers running
across Armenia to Azerbaijan are taken once a month to check the
volume of their contamination. Similar work is done in Azerbaijan and
Georgia and the data is collected in one center.
He said NATO provides funds for purchase of necessary equipment
while the OSCE office helps to carry out field work.
He said NATO helps also to buy scale spectrometers to decide the
volume of radioactive substances in the rivers, which he said is
important to deny Azerbaijan’s accusations that Armenia pollutes the
rivers with such elements. The project has been carried out in the
South Caucasian republics since 2003 and its overall budget is
500,000 euros.

Winston-Salem Journal, NC
Nov 28 2004

Human-rights rules of EU rankle Turkey
Multiculturalism not an acceptable idea in country of ‘unity’

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANKARA, Turkey

As a child, Hrant Dink dreamed of becoming a homicide detective, but
he faced an insurmountable obstacle. In overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey,
Jews and Christians can’t join the police.

Now that unwritten rule, the product of a history of ethnic strife
and distrust of non-Muslim minorities, is coming into heated debate
as Turkey faces up to the reforms it must undertake to achieve its
cherished goal of joining the European Union.

Participants almost came to blows earlier this month at a news
conference by a semi-official human-rights body, when its chairman,
Ibrahim Kaboglu, suggested that Turkey must expand minority rights.

Fahrettin Yokus, a civil-service-union leader, grabbed the papers
from Kaboglu’s hands and ripped them up.

“We don’t recognize this report; it is aimed at dividing the
country,” he shouted.

The EU demands, he charged, “are threatening our unity.”

Kaboglu, whose Human Rights Advisory Council was created by the prime
minister’s office, has asked for police protection. His critics,
meanwhile, have petitioned state prosecutors to file treason charges
against Kaboglu and those who signed the statement that he read.

Tensions have heightened since an EU panel ruled last month that for
Turkey to negotiate its way into the EU, a prosperous 25-nation bloc,
it would have to meet European standards of democracy and human
rights.

It urged Turkey to grant more rights to ethnic Kurds and recognize
Alawites, a religious sect rooted in Islam, as a minority. Jews and
Christians already have minority rights but still suffer such
discrimination as exclusion from the police, Foreign Ministry and
military officers’ corps, the panel said.

But although multiculturalism may be the norm in much of Europe, it’s
an explosive concept in Turkey. Here children open the school day by
saying: “Happy is the one who says ‘I am a Turk,'” and the word
“minority” is seen by nationalists as code for national
fragmentation.

More than a quarter of Turkey’s 71 million people are either Kurds or
Alawites or share both identities. The nation has about 130,000
non-Muslims – Greek, Armenian and other Christians, and Jews.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer says that the debate over minority
rights is “destructive” and that every citizen of the state – Muslim
or other – is a Turk and is bound to the Turkish state.

Azerbaijan has chosen to integrate into Europe – defence minister

Turan news agency
27 Nov 04

Baku, 27 November: “The situation in the South Caucasus is still tense
and difficult. The cease-fire agreement has already been preserved
for 10 years, but the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has not been
resolved so far,” Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Safar Abiyev told
the Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliament Assembly in Baku today.

Abiyev said that under Article 2 of NATO’s Partnership for Peace
programme, the member countries of this programme have to recognize
the territorial integrity of other member states. However, Armenia
ignores this, and now the time has come for NATO to express its
position on this, he said.

Asked about Azerbaijan’s military agreements with Russia, Abiyev said
that Azerbaijan has no commitments “to pursue a balanced policy” and
that Baku has chosen to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures. For
Azerbaijan, ensuring its own security and independence is above
everything, Abiyev said.

Abiyev said that currently Azerbaijan’s armed forces consist of 70,000
people, including 4,000 civilians. Military spending will account
for 2.3 per cent of GDP in 2005, Abiyev said. He told reporters
that Azerbaijan is not planning to increase the number of its troops
in Iraq.

ARF DASHNAKTSUTIUN ATTENDANT UNIONS PRESENT THEIR ACTIVITIES AND OBSTACLES

BEIRUT, November 25 (Noyan Tapan). The Unprecedented Congress Of The
Attendant Organizations And Unions Of The ARF Dashnaktsutiun Party
(Hamazgayin, The Armenian General Physical Training Society, The
Union Of Armenian Relief), Which Was Opened In Beirut On November 18,
Officially Started Their Working Sittings At The “Aghbalian” Sport
and Cultural Complex.

According to the report of the Union of Armenian Relief, the
successfull implementation of such programs as, for example, the
provision of social services for the Armenians of Javakhk, support
to the Armenians of Iraq, the publication of the book dedicated to
the 100th anniversary of the Union of Armenian Relief, as well as
fundraising are of great importance.

The report of the Central Board of Hamazgayin, was on the three-year
activities of the current central board of Hamazgayin, i. e. the funds,
the “Vahe Setian” printing-house, the “Bagin” monthly newspaper, the
“Arevik” festival.

Levon Mkrtchian touched upon the issue of the coordination of
Armenia-Diaspora relations, stressing that the assessment of
the possibilities of Armenia and the Diaspora is necessary for
the effectiveness of the process. He presented the spheres of the
activities and the ways of the establishment of relations with the
national structures of the Diaspora.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EDUCATIONAL POSTERS NOW ON THE INTERNET

Azg/arm
23 Nov 04

After four years of research and two years in production by a dedicated
artist in Portland, Oregon, a set of five instructional posters on
the Armenian Genocide has just been released and is now available
for viewing and free download on the web.

The posters were recently unveiled at an educator workshop in Oakland
California where the largest professional teacher training organization
in the US, Facing History and Ourselves, announced to San Francisco
Bay Area teachers and members of the community in attendance their
availability and endorsed the use of the posters in its national
teaching program on the Armenian Genocide.

The set of five theme oriented instructional posters teach about the
Armenian Genocide and provide a visual overview of key events related
to the genocide, its prelude, methodology, and aftermath.

Each illustrated poster measures 19″x25″ and includes photographs,
text, graphics and a chronology, allowing teachers and students
to easily conceptualize and grasp essential facts related to each
theme, and provides teachers with a template for further instruction,
exploration and study.

The posters have been teacher-tested and endorsed by Facing History
and Ourselves, which will be using them in its six regional offices. A
teacher study guide prepared by FHAO will be forthcoming soon.

Please see the following website for a detailed description of the
posters and information on how to obtain hard copies. A description
of the posters is below:

PANEL 1: Prelude to Genocide

A brief chronology of Ottoman history from 1502 to 1913 revealing
the myth and realities of Ottoman History and a list of major
historical events that led up to the Armenian massacres of 1894-96,
1909 and the genocide of 1915. 

Includes an overview of the corrupt Ottoman taxation system and
the failed treaties that sought to protect the Armenian minority in
the Ottoman Empire against increasing abuses and usurpations.

PANEL 2: Decapitation of a Nation

Includes a chronology of monthly events from Feb 1914 to May
1915 leading up to the genocide, the decision by Turkish leaders for
the genocide and their justification for it, the Turkish methodology
to first destroy Armenian leaders and intellectuals, the reaction
to the genocide by the Allies who for the first time warned Turkish
leaders for their “Crimes against Humanity” setting a legal precedent
for a concept used in future war crimes tribunals.

PANEL 3: Deportation

A chronology of monthly events from May 1915 to Feb 1916 showing
the deportation as a ruse for destruction of the Armenians. The full
US State Dept translation of the Official Proclamation of Deportation
by the Young Turks showing the demonization of the Armenians and the
authorization for the genocide.

Observations and statements by Swiss, German and American eyewitnesses
attesting to the intent of the Turkish government to destroy the
Armenians.

Includes photographs of the deportations, deportees, and survivors.

PANEL 4: Extermination

A chronology of monthly events from Oct 1916 to March 1918 with quotes
by major figures from the period describing in detail the deliberate
destruction of the Armenians and listing the growing reaction by
public figures in the US and elsewhere to the genocide. Includes a
map showing the deportations and massacres, photographs of the victims
and refugees, many taken under threat of death.

PANEL 5: Aftermath

A chronology of related monthly events from May 1918 to July 1923
describing the fate of the survivors, Armenian women sold in slave
markets or taken in Moslem harems, the forced Islamization of children,
scenes of starvation and destitution with hundreds of thousands of
refugees seeking food, shelter and relief, the continued destruction
of Armenians in 1920 by Turkish Nationalist forces, a discussion
of treaties that first sought to atone for the injustices upon the
Armenians and then relegated their plight to the backwaters of history
thus giving impunity to the Turkish state and paving the way for the
denial that continues to today. Includes a map and photographs of
the refugees.

Armenian Genocide Resource Center, November 18, 2004  

–Boundary_(ID_AYHNiOO28tEksNa8K8VmXg)–

Gateway 2 Russia, Russia
Nov 22 2004

Gazprom IAS H1 consolidated net profit dn by 13.3% to 89.964 bln rbl,
revenues up 11.8% to 471.474 bln rbl.

Gazprom announced its H1 IAS consolidated net profit lowered 13.3% on
year to 89.964 bln rbl vs. 103.761 bln rbl in the first six months of
2003.

Aggregate revenues increased by 11.8% to 471.474 bln rbl from 421.827
bln rbl, gas sales revenues accounted for 80% of the amount (82% a
year earlier), 32.701 bln rbl, or 9% above the first half of the
previous year.

The revenues derived from Europe gas sales dropped by 6.394 bln rbl,
or 3% to the first half of 2003, to 215.941 bln rbl tied to 10%
reduction in rbl prices (less taxes) which was partially set off by
higher sales volume – up 8%, or 6 bcm (to Germany, Italy, France).

The revenues derived from the gas sales to the Near Abroad Countries
increased by 21% to 29.689 bln rbl. Sales volume widened by 27% or
6.2 bcm to partially recover the lower rbl prices which slid 4%.
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan accounted for the
major portion of deliveries.

Domestic gas sales increased by 33.888 bln rbl, or 34%, to 133.472
bln rbl, following increased domestic prices which partially set off
lower volumes – dn by 2%, or 3.2 bcm.

Gas condensate sales revenues lowered by 96% to 2.955 bln rbl vs.
81.838 bln rbl a year earlier. Gas condensate, petroleum sales
widened 40% to 54.968 bln rbl vs. 39.129 bln rbl in the in the first
half of 2003. Gas transportation revenues increased by 16% to 15.297
bln rbl from 13.168 bln rbl.

Operating costs widened by 24.1% to 346.582 bln rbl from 279.374 bln
rbl.

Sales profit declined 12.3% to 124.892 bln rbl from 142.453 bln rbl.
Profit before taxes and minor deductions slid 10.8% to 129.172 bln
rbl vs. 144.793 bln rbl a year earlier.

Current profit tax amounted to 26.179 bln rbl, 7% up on year (24.469
bln rbl). Total profit tax declined 4% to 38.561 bln rbl from 40.236
bln rbl.

Profit before minors deductions lowered 13.3% to 90.611 bln rbl from
104.557 bln rbl.

Aggregate net debt increased by 596 mln rbl, or 0.1%, to 426.506 bln
rbl from 425.91 bln rbl early this year.

The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 22 2004

MP warns of attacks on Georgian energy
In Chile, Russian minister rejects claims and blames Georgia for
stalling
By M. Alkhazashvili

Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Security and Defense Givi
Targamadze says that, according to credible information which he has
received that has been double-checked and verified, Russian Military
Intelligence is planning to destabilize the Georgian energy sector
through any possible means, including carrying out subversive acts on
Georgian territory.

By Sunday, Russian officials had rejected the claims, saying that
Georgia and Russia have in fact cooperated in many fields in the
energy sector.

On November 19 Targamadze openly accused Russian intelligence of
attempting to cause chaos in the Georgian energy sphere, saying that
because Georgia is so dependent on electricity imports, it is as a
result very sensitive to any disruptions in supply. If the
electricity transmission lines from Russia or Armenia are attacked
and destroyed, virtually the whole of Georgia will be without
electricity.

Speaking at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Chile on
Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov categorically rejected
the claims, RIA Novosti reported.

“As to the sphere of power industry, in the past, Moscow and Tbilisi
coordinated the issue of the urgent reconstruction of the Inguri
hydroelectric power station,” Mr. Lavrov stressed, before accusing
Tbilisi of stalling to implement recent electricity agreements
between the two countries.

“These agreements have never been implemented for some reason,”
Lavrov said, “I think the Georgian side should carry out the
provisions of the agreements, instead of inventing some artificial
reasons.”

Not long ago the electricity transmission line in Shida Kartli
exploded and required a great deal of time and energy to restore. The
saboteurs were eventually detained by the Security Service, but only
after the sabotage had been carried out. According to newspaper Alia,
Targamadze says that Russian Military Intelligence plans to carry out
similar attacks on South Ossetian territory using local separatists.

Besides the damage to the Georgian energy sector, such attacks will
intensify the Georgian-Ossetian conflict as well, Targamadze warns.
Alia says that it is noteworthy that on the very day of his statement
unknown persons wearing masks blew up the 7th radio station on the
Baku-Supsa pipeline, only a few hundred meters from the Ossetian
village of Tsnelisi.

Targamadze’s information is yet to be verified openly, and some
Georgians have responded by saying that he is trying to pin the blame
for Georgian failings in the energy sector on Ossetian separatists
and the Russians, failings that are likely to be further exposed
during the coming winter. But if what he says is found to be true, it
leaves the government with the difficult job of trying to protect the
country’s energy infrastructure.

According to reports, Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri has not been
informed about possible attacks on transmission lines, although it is
not the responsibility of his ministry to provide protection.

PROFESSOR HOVHANNISIAN: I WAS IN NATIVE ENVIRONMENT IN IRAN

Azg/arm
18 Nov 04

Hovhannes Hovhannisian, head of Moscow Central Institute of
Traumatology and Orthopaedy, had a two-week visit to Iran on
invitation of the biggest Iranian hospital Milad, the Chair of
Traumatology and Orthopaedy of Tehran University and the Institute of
Scientific Development. He shared his impressions with Azg daily.

– I am in close relations with many Iranian colleagues whom I meet
mainly at international conferences. And now I had the chance of
visiting them in their country to perform demonstrative operations and
deliver lectures.

– Who was watching the operations? Students?

– No, professional doctors were. Milad hospital can compete with any
western hospital with its first-class personnel and technical
equipments. They asked me to use my methods and tools in operating the
patients I knew.

– What does make your methods unique?

– My scientific methods of fracture and joint treatment allow to
perform operation in field conditions, no expensive and stationary
equipment is needed.

– Especial considering Iran’s seismic location.

– That’s true but, besides, number of people who become victims of car
crashes is enormous in Iran too. There are more cars in Tehran than in
hugeMoscow. 5 of 9 patients I treated suffered a car crash.

– What was your language of communication there?

– There are many physicians in Tehran who are graduates of Russian
institutes, including the one I am coming from. They were voluntarily
helping me during operations, lecturing and also in my personal
conversations. As you can guess, I had no difficulty with local
Armenian doctors as regards communication. Iranians are kind,
hospitable people and show wonderful disposition towards Armenians. I
felt myself in a native environment. They offered me a contract for 10
years and I gladly signed it.

– Did you meet the local Armenian community?

– How could I miss the chance? Wherever I go, I always inquire about
the life of local Armenians. In Tehran’s Armenian church I had a warm
talk with the head of Iran diocese archbishop Sepuh Sargsian. Then I
was invited by the Union of Iran’s Armenian doctors. In the center of
Tehran Armenians have a cultural and health complex with a scientific
section, a swimming pool, a tennis-court, a football field and a
concert hall. It merely amazed me. Do you know what I said in my
interview to a Moscow newspaper? I said that Moscow Armenians, though
with greater possibilities, would only dream of such a national
center.

By Ruben Hayrapetian in Moscow

PRESS RELEASE/NEWS REVIEW

MELKONIAN ALUMNI CYPRUS

Contact: Masis der Parthogh

P.O. Box 16077, CY 2085
Nicosia, Cyprus.
Tel. +357 22 678666
Fax. +357 22 678664
Email: [email protected]

____________________________

Melkonian relative returns to help save school

Financial Mirror – November 10, 2004

Jack R. Melkonian, a grand nephew of the founders of the Armenian
high school in Nicosia, was in Cyprus to judge for himself the fate of
the historical school and lend a hand to the campaign to keep it open.

He addressed a fund-raising banquet on Sunday organised by the school’s
local alumni where more than 300 graduates and friends attended.

“A financial institution sitting 5,000 kilometres away cannot be the
owners of this school — you are the owners of the school,” he said
to a wild applause from the crowd.

Jack Melkonian hailed the importance of maintaining such an important
school for the rapidly changing Armenian diaspora and added that
opportunities were missed to transform the Melkonian Educational
Institute into a school of excellence.

On March 16, the New York-based AGBU charity organisation announced
that it would close the 78-year old Melkonian Education Institute
next June, claiming that the school no longer fulfilled its purpose.

The argument has been strongly contested by the alumni, parents and
friends in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and North America,
who have embarked on fund raising events to finance the struggle to
overturn the decision.

Members of the House of Representatives and Ministry of Education
officials have debated the closure extensively, with Education
Committee Chairman Prodromos Prodromou declaring on March 24 that
“in a multicultural society we should be opening new schools, not
closing them. This decision will be considered a hostile act against
the people and government of Cyprus.”

The House plenary session also voted through a unanimous resolution
on March 26 calling on the New York-based group to reconsider its
decision and start a dialogue with all parties concerned, including
the Armenian community of Cyprus and the worldwide alumni associations.

In April, a large part of the school’s estate including the historic
buildings and the wooded strip along Limassol Road were declared
a national heritage site. The protection order is widely seen as
depriving the U.S.-based organisation from selling the land, valued
at tens of millions of pounds.