Author: Toganian Liana

INDONESIA AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO KOCHARIAN

Pan Armenian News
17.06.2005 04:02

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Indonesian Ambassador to
Armenia Alexander Laturiu (residence in Kiev) presented credentials
to Armenian President Robert Kocharian, reported the Press Service
of the Armenian leader. R. Kocharian said he was satisfied with the
active cooperation between the two countries within international
organizations. Speaking of expansion of Armenian-Indonesian relations
the interlocutors mentioned the forming of a proper legal and treaty
framework as a priority task. Within the context of development of
business ties the importance of exchange of information and activation
of contacts was underscored. R. Kocharian wished Indonesia good luck
in eliminating the consequences of the tsunami that shook the country
a few months ago.

Azeri deputy minister says Russia’s Caucasus combat experience “valuable”

Interfax news agency
16 Jun 05

Moscow, 15 June: The Azerbaijani deputy interior minister and
commander-in-chief of the country’s Interior Ministry troops,
Lt-Gen Zakir Hasanov, has described as valuable the combat experience
gained by the Russian Internal Troops in the North Caucasus and other
“hot beds”.

“We are also interested in an exchange of experience in the sphere of
combat training of troops,” Hasanov told journalists after a meeting
with his counterpart, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Interior
Ministry’s Internal Troops, Col-Gen Nikolay Rogozhkin, in Moscow on
15 June.

Touching on the situation in Nagornyy Karabakh, Gen Hasanov said
that “almost the entire world recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity”.

“Our internal troops will carry out their tasks in Nagornyy Karabakh
fully once the issue is solved by political means,” the general said.

He underlined that the internal troops were preparing for performing
the tasks during the parliamentary elections due in November.

Russia, Georgia, Abkhazia to restore Sochi-Tbilisi train link
By Kseniya Kaminskaya, Yulia Bagrysheva

ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 15, 2005 Wednesday 12:30 PM Eastern Time

MOSCOW, June 15 — Russian, Georgian and Abkhazian experts at a meeting
in Moscow have confirmed the decision to start restoring the railway
link between the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi and the Georgian
capital Tbilisi through the territory of Georgia’s breakaway region
of Abkhazia, Abkhazian Prime Minister Leonid Lakerbaya has said.

Moscow, Sukhumi and Tbilisi and also Yerevan and Baku have taken
interest in this project.

Georgian conflicts settlement minister Georgy Khaindrava has said
“groups of experts will soon determine the preliminary conditions of
work and the funds necessary to get the work going.”

“Once the rail track has been examined, discussions will begin
on specific ways of how to resume traffic. Representatives of
international organizations will participate in the talks between
the parties concerned.”

“The first trilateral meeting of railway experts will be held in
coordination with the special U.N. representative in the zone of
the conflict,” Khaindrava said. The peace-keeping force stationed in
Abkhazia will be represented, too.

Khaindrava described the beginning of negotiations as “the first
step towards the solution of a bundle of problems in Russian-Georgian
relations.”

“Russian, Georgian and Abkhazian specialists will participate in the
examination of the rail track between Sochi and Tbilisi. Security is
one of the most essential questions.”

Lakerbaya remarked that “the mission of maintaining security will
have to be placed on Abkhazia’s shoulders.”

He hopes that the resumption of railway traffic will be successful
and take place on time and in an appropriate atmosphere, just as the
Russian and Georgian leaders agreed on in Sochi in 2003.

OSKANIAN AND MAMEDYAROV TO MEET IN PARIS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
13 June 05

On June 8th the foreign minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanian left for
Vienna to take part in the meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
According to the department of press and information of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, after the meeting with the co-chairs
the foreign minister of Armenia left for Washington for a two-day
visit. On June 11 – 14 the minister is visiting Peking where he
meets with the prime minister of China Ven Xia Bao and foreign
minister Lee Xiao Sin. On June 15th Vardan Oskanian will arrive in
London where he will deliver a speech on the Armenian Genocide at the
House of Lords. On June 16th and 17th V. Oskanian will be in Brussels
where at the meeting of NATO he will officially present the IPAP.
Then he will present the portfolio of the proposals of the Armenian
party of the Programme of Actions of Armenia. The last visit of the
foreign minister of Armenia will take place in Paris where he will
meet with the foreign minister of Azerbaijan E. Mamedyarov on June
18th in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. According to the
Azerbaijani mass media, the ministers will discuss the issues
outlined in the Prague meeting on January 11th, 2005. Some time ago
the vice foreign minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov said that the
previous meeting of the vice ministers was in the framework of the
stage by stage transformation of the conflict, which means returning
the regions under the control of the Armenian side to Azerbaijan, the
return of the Azerbaijani population, re-establishment of regional
relationships, decision on the status of Nagorno Karabakh. In his
turn, foreign minister E. Mamedyarov stated that allegedly Armenia is
willing to return the occupied 7 areas, which is a matter of time.
The foreign minister of Armenia denied this news, saying, “As to
the statements of the Azerbaijani side about returning the areas
controlled by the Armenian side, they do not correspond to the
reality.” In the meeting of the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Warsaw, Vardan Oskanian stated that after this meeting
new opportunities have come about the public discussion of which may
cause misunderstanding and have a negative impact on the progress in
the talks. Nevertheless, as the foreign minister of Armenia stated,
currently the following issues feature in the talks: the status of
Nagorno Karabakh, the return of the areas adjacent to Nagorno
Karabakh, the return of the refugees, and security. These issues are
closely interrelated and, hopefully, the upcoming talk between
Oskanian and Mamedyarov will pass in this context.

CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
13-06-2005

LAKE SEVAN LEVEL CONTINUES GROWING

YEREVAN, JUNE 14. ARMINFO, June 12 the level of Lake Sevan was 1,898.27
meters which is 42 cm higher than last year, says the spokesman of
Armenia’s Health Care Ministry Artsrun Pepanyan.

120 mln c m of water will be released this year for irrigation via
the Sevan-Hrazdan water power cascade.

In 1933-1950 the level of Sevan dropped by 19 meters putting it on
the verge of disaster by 1991. If in 1990 released for irrigation
were 208 mln c m of water – in 1993 as much as 1.643 bln c m. This
lowered the level by 2 more meters and killed several species of fish.

Since 1998 the Ministry has been working to reduce water release from
the lake and to restore the “pearl” of the republic. In 1999 the
government built Argel water power plant and Arzni-Shamiram water
canal to stop water release in the winter. In 2001 the parliament
approved a law on Sevan aiming to raise the lake’s level by 6 meters
and prevent its eutrophication.

In 2004 the government launched Vorotan-Arpa water canal allowing
to transfer to Sevan 165 mln c m of water from Spandaryan water
reservoir. This will allow to raise Sevan’s level by 20 cm a year
and to ensure the planned 6 meters in 30 years. In the last two years
the level has been raised by 94 cm – much more than expected.

KATSU: WB HAS CERTAIN CONFIDENCE IN ARMENIA

Pan Armenian News
14.06.2005 08:19

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration Hovik
Abrahamyan met with World Bank Vice-President Shigeo Katsu in Yerevan,
reported the Press Service of the Armenian Government. In the course
of the meeting the parties discussed questions of implementation
and further development of WB programs in Armenia, specifically
water supply and irrigation system. Having presented the course
of the reforms Abrahamyan said he was satisfied with the efficient
implementation of these programs, emphasizing that the continuation of
implementation of WB programs in Armenia will have a positive impact
on maintenance of current economic growth indicators in Armenia. At
that he noted that there are certain problems available, which will
hopefully be solved along with the WB. Noting that the WB has certain
confidence in programs being implemented in Armenia, Shigeo Katsu noted
that the questions raised will soon be discussed and solved. Mr. Katsu
suggested discussing opportunities for realization of a new water
supply program. Hailing the establishment of cooperation between
Armenia and the Asian Development Bank, Katsu and WB Armenian Office
Roger Robinson being present at the meeting noted the importance
of implementation of programs with the assistance of international
structures, specifically the WB and the Asian Development Bank,
the Millenium Challenges Account.

UK REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS IN ARMENIA

Pan Armenian News
13.06.2005 06:23

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ UK Representative for the South Caucasus Sir Brian
Fall and Director of the Asia-Pacific, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office Simon Smith are paying a call to Armenia June 12-14. Meetings
with President Robert Kocharian, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian and
Minister of trade and Economic Development Karen Chashmaritian, Deputy
Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian as well as representatives of
opposition parties and public organizations are scheduled. The visit
is dated to the UK~Rs assumption of presidency in the EU. The parties
are expected exchange views on issues to be discussed at the period,
IA Regnum reports.

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH LEADER VISITED TUFENKIAN SCHOOL

YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. Armenian Apostolic Church leader Catholicos
Garegin the Second, who is now in the United States for patriarchal
visit to the U.S. Western Diocese, has toured Tufenkian School in
Glendale. According to Press Center of St. Echmiadzin, Armenian
Apostolic Church seat, Garegin II met the school administration,
teachers and students. Upon completing the meeting, the Catholicos
blessed children.

Hovnan Terteryan, the leader of the U.S. Western Diocese of Armenian
Apostolic Church, and Archbishop Nerses Pozapalyan were present at
the meeting. M.V. -0-

PRESS RELEASE

HERITAGE PARTY
7 Vazgen Sargsian Street
Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 580.877
Fax: (+374 – 10) 543.897
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

June 10, 2005

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN CALLS HERITAGE PRESS CONFERENCE

Yerevan–In the wake of its Third Congress recently held here, the
Heritage party’s executive board today convened its first meeting
with journalists at its central headquarters.

The press conference of the party, which aspires to a leading role in
the political life of Armenia, opened with a comprehensive report by
its chairman Raffi K. Hovannisian on Heritage’s upcoming plans and
long-term priorities.

Since the May 30 Congress, the board has held two plenary meetings
during which Heritage’s activities, organizational measures, and issues
flowing from the decisions and basic documents of the Congress have
been assessed and determined.

“The board has authorized me to commence a series of inter-party
consultations, to include not only the well-known names of our
friends and colleagues but also the entire political spectrum,”
Hovannisian said, pointing out that the party first and foremost faces
the tasks of bringing to life the provisions and programs adopted by
the Congress and of seeking out the public pulse through face-to-face
meetings with the regional representatives and members of Heritage.

Speaking about the systemic changes that are an essential component
of Heritage’s policy approach, Raffi Hovannisian underscored the
national priority of a democratic transformation during the course
of this very year as an effective prerequisite to stand up to and
surmount internal and external challenges alike. “Transformation is
neither regular nor pre-term; it is imperative and of the essence,”
he concluded.

In responding to the journalists’ questions, the chairman of Heritage
once again clarified the positions of this new political force on
various aspects of domestic and foreign policy, holding that it
supports the smooth realization of a complex of improvements in
the Republic.

Board member and law professor Hrair Tovmasian touched upon a question
about the proposed constitutional reforms bill recently passed by the
National Assembly in a first reading. Heritage’s stance is negative
insofar as the suggested changes are cosmetic and will not bring
about such tangible results as society expects of the Constitution,
he maintained. What is more, Heritage will draw up and present
to the public its own version of Armenia’s Constitution which will
substantially differ from the ones currently in circulation.

During the press conference, complete answers were offered to queries
concerning new opposition formats, regional cooperation, foreign policy
orientations, the Karabagh conflict, the prospect of regulation of
Armenian-Turkish relations, and other critical matters.

Founded in 2002, Heritage to date has 46 regional divisions and
28 local offices throughout the land. Its central headquarters are
located at 7 Vazgen Sargsian Street, Yerevan 375010, Armenia, with
telephone contact at (374-10) 580.877, fax at (374-10) 543.897,
and email at [email protected]

The full Armenian transcript of Raffi Hovannisian’s Congress address as
well as other Heritage documents can be accessed via

Iran, Armenia to expand educational, scientific cooperation

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
June 13 2005

Moscow, June 13, IRNA — Visiting Iranian Minister of Education
Morteza Haji conferred with his Armenian Counterpart Sergo Yeritsian
in Yerevan on Monday.

In the meeting, the Armenian side described the Iranian delegation
visit to Armenia important in expanding ties in the field of education
and science.

Haji, for his part, expressed satisfaction over the two countries
cooperation in different fields.

Both sides stressed on forming work group, exchanging experiences,
cooperation in the field of educational aids and text books.

Iranian delegation arrived at Yerevan airport on Monday for a three-day
official visit.

The delegation also visited Yerevan State University today and
discussed mutual academic affairs with the university chancellor.