SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency
March 1 2005
President Assad Issues Decree
Damascus (SANA)
President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday issued decree No. 79 for the
year 2005 stipulating the ratification of the cooperation agreement
on communications and information services signed between Syria and
Armenia.
Toronto Star
Tue. Mar. 1, 2005. | Updated at 02:47 PM
Feb. 2, 2005. 01:00 AM
Marley month shakes up Ethiopia
Rastafarians flock to country to honour singer
Locals like tourism if not `Jamaican’ residents
ANTHONY MITCHELL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia~WThroughout his life, Bob Marley looked to Ethiopia as
the spiritual home of his Rastafarian faith.
But as Ethiopia welcomes hundreds of thousands of revellers for a month of
festivities starting yesterday in honour of the Jamaican reggae legend, many
here view Rastafarians ~W some of whom settled in Ethiopia because they could
worship the nation’s last emperor ~W with deep suspicion.
At best, the tiny Rastafarian community is tolerated as an oddity in the
deeply traditional and overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian country on the Horn
of Africa. At worst, they are accused of spreading drugs and crime ~W claims
they dismiss as springing from prejudice.
Organizers of this month’s celebrations hope music will melt away tensions.
Marley’s widow, Rita, together with the African Union and UNICEF, is
organizing the $1 million (U.S.) extravaganza, dubbed “Africa Unite,” in
honour of one of his most famous songs. The highlight is Ethiopia’s
largest-ever concert, coming on Sunday, Marley’s birthday, in the capital,
Addis Ababa.
“I have dreamed about doing this for years,” said Marcia Griffiths, one of
Marley’s former backup singers, as she arrived in Ethiopia for the first
time Monday. “All my life I wanted to come here with Bob in the flesh. Now
I’m here, and I know he is here in the spirit.”
It is the first time the annual commemoration has been held outside Jamaica.
Ethiopian officials estimate 500,000 people will attend the festivities.
After the concert in Addis, celebrations will move to Shashemene, where the
Rastafarians have built their community.
Marley’s music has always been popular here, and Ethiopians welcome the
visitors ~W and money ~W the event could bring the impoverished country. The
capital’s cassette and CD stalls, which normally blare Ethiopian pop, have
switched to Marley classics like “Get Up, Stand Up” and “I Shot the
Sheriff.”
——————————————————————————–
`All my life I wanted to come here with Bob in the flesh. Now I’m here, and
I know he is here in the spirit.’
Marcia Griffiths, former Marley backup singer
——————————————————————————–
“I think the Bob Marley concert will be very good for the country,” said
Yared Kebede, a teacher. “With thousands of people coming here and spending
money, that can’t be a bad thing.”
Rastafarians worshipped Ethiopia’s last emperor ~W Haile Selassie, who died
in 1975 ~W as their living god, a belief based on a 1920 prophecy by Jamaican
civil rights leader Marcus Garvey that a black man would be crowned king in
Africa.
Selassie in turn granted Rastafarians land in 1963 at Shashemene, 250 km
south of Addis Ababa, where several hundred continue to live. But successive
governments have refused to give Rastafarians citizenship in their adopted
country.
“In any other country in the world, if you stay in the country a number of
years and have children, those children would have citizenship ~W but not
here,” lamented Ambrose King, deputy head of the Rastafarians’ Ethiopian
World Federation.
On Friday, Rita Marley said she was determined to honor her husband’s wish
for burial in Ethiopia, but she did not say when the body might be moved
from Jamaica.
She first announced the reburial plans earlier this month ~W to the chagrin
of many in Jamaica who feared losing their cultural heritage.
Historian Richard Pankhurst said Selassie never held a particular affinity
for Rastafarians. The late emperor, who ruled from 1930 until he was
overthrown in a 1974 military coup that abolished the monarchy, also granted
land to Armenian refugees, Pankhurst notes.
Regular drug busts in Shashemene ~W a dusty, wind-swept town of seedy bars
and prostitutes ~W have also fuelled local prejudices against Rastafarians.
“The problem with the Jamaicans is that they smoke drugs,” said Kebede, the
teacher, using the local expression for Rastafarians, regardless of their
origin.
For Rastafarians, who preach a oneness with nature, smoking marijuana is a
sacrament.
The Telegraph
Calcutta India
Thursday, February 03, 2005
GIFT OF CRUELTY
There is something absurd, rather than grand, about an elephant being sent
as a gift by one modern prime minister to another. Extravagant or bestial
diplomatic gifts are an ancient tradition. Chinese, Byzantine and Moghul
emperors, among others, indulged in it, and important modern museums all
over the world have separate wings to exhibit these gifts, which range from
the exquisite to the bizarre. But Mr Manmohan Singh should definitely think
twice, even several times, before flying an elephant to his counterpart in
Armenia. It is a cruel thing to do (for the elephant), and is avoidable. The
creature will be flown, in some uncomfortable nether region of an aircraft,
to a zoo in Armenia, where temperatures are now well below zero.
Transporting animals in wretched conditions is done every day all over the
world. This is done for the meat, and even with this functional
justification, principled vegetarians remain appalled by what chickens and
pigs have to go through. But when elephants, white tigers and horses are
regularly forced to make hazardous journeys for the sake of international
relations, then the gratuitousness of the whole thing begins to look rather
unacceptable. Elephants are, after all, Schedule 1 animals in India, and
three white tigers once died when Messrs George Fernandes and Jaswant Singh
packed them off as gifts to Japan and Libya.
Most of the feelings that Ms Maneka Gandhi expresses for animals are, quite
understandably, not taken seriously. But her concern in this regard is more
legitimate. Apart from other animal rights groups in Karnataka, Ms Virginia
McKenna of the Born Free Foundation has also appealed to the Indian prime
minister to spare the six-year-old Veda. The question is not really that of
objectifying a living creature by turning it into a gift, but a simpler one
of cruelty and risk ~W especially when the Armenian prime minister will not
really be deprived of one of life’s essentials if not presented with an
elephant. Ms J. Jayalalithaa’s largesse and religiosity also sometimes
fasten themselves on elephants. But this does not involve physical cruelty
to the animals, making it one of this lady’s less culpable excesses,
whatever its political implications. Mr Singh, who likes to be unobtrusive
in public, might wish to reconsider the use of elephants ~W or any other
delicate and exotic animal, for that matter ~W to make polite exchanges with
his peers in other countries.
ArmenPress
March 1 2005
HAYASTAN FUND COLLECTS 80 PERCENT OF PLEDGED DONATIONS
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS: Hayastan all-Armenian Fund said it
has collected some 80 percent of donations, pledged during a last
year telethon. The latest telethon on 2004 November 25 set a
fundraising record on Thanksgiving Day by raising over $11 million
during live, 12-hour international broadcast event.
Funds are raised to complete the crucial North-South “Backbone”
Highway and provide for vital infrastructure projects in Armenia and
Karabagh. Telethon 2004 was broadcast to over 45 million households
in 24 cities throughout the United States and Canada, as well as to
major capitols and cities in Europe, South America, the Middle East,
the CIS and Armenia.
The Fund said construction of a section of the highway stretching
from Stepanakert to Karmir Shuka is underway. Construction of other
sections is set to start in late March.
International Third Business Forum «Bridge-2005» Held In Armenia
armeniadiaspora.com
Yerevan, February 28. /ARKA/. International business forum Bridge-2005
was held in Armenia. In words of organizer of the event, Chairman of
Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan,
similar meetings promote more active international processes among
the countries and enable the businessmen to contact each other in
informal environment.
The business forum was participated by 4 countries – Armenia, Russia,
Belgium and Canada. The participants discussed the wide specter of
actual issues as interaction of banking structures and enterprises in
implementation of small and medium business capacities. The special
attention was focused on the development of the agrarian sector –
investments, applying of ecologically sound technologies as well as
the problems related to creation of international transport corridors.
–Boundary_(ID_78XKA4uZHTkU1G0HGLjffg)–
TURKS “NOTICE GENOCIDE” IN OTHER COUNTRY PAYING NO ATTENTION TO
1.5 MLN KILLED IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25. ARMINFO. At Feb 24 session of the Great National
Assembly of Turkey, hearings on Hocali events were held. The 525th newspaper
reports that in his speech an MP representing the Right Way Party from Igdir
Dursun Akdemir informed those present of “the genocide in Hocali with 7,000
residents.”
According to the source, the MP said that 1,500 people had been killed and
condemned the leading world Mass Media for silence in this connection. He
also presented photos confirming the “fact of the genocide.” “There are no
Azerbaijanis in Armenia at present. Meanwhile, thousands of Armenians live
in Azerbaijan. Infringing all the legal norms, Armenia has occupied the
Azerbaijani lands. The genocide committed by Armenians must be known by the
whole world. I assure you that Armenian will choke with the blood they
poured.” In his turn, an MP representing the Party Justice and Development
from Ankara Khaluk Ipek also characterized the “acts of Armenians in Hocali
as brutality.” “Armenians together with the Russian soldiers of the 366th
regiment attacked Hocali from three directions and became killing the
innocent people firing at them and then left in direction of Aghdam. This
brutality must receive a legal assessment. One should not forget that
Armenia ignoring the decisions of OSCE and UN still occupies 20 percent of
Azerbaijan’s territory.” For conclusion, the Turkish Parliament adopted a
“document condemning the genocide in Hocali.”
PROTEST ACTION AGAINST DEMOLITION OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL
MONUMENT
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24. ARMINFO. “The Civil initiative of Kond safety” public
organization organized today a protest action against the demolition of a
building in the center of Yerevan.
The building was built in 1910-1914 and involved in the State list of
historical and cultural monuments.
As far as journalists know, it was bought by our compatriot from Diaspora
Nazaret Berberyan. The action participants covered the building with posters
“My elitist Erebuni” and “It is demolished by the state” and continued the
picket in front of the Armenian government’s building. -r-
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 24 2005
PRESIDENTS ILHAM ALIYEV AND AZEGLIO CIAMPI MAKE STATEMENTS TO THE
PRESS
[February 24, 2005, 11:40:05]
Following the one-on-one meeting, Presidents Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of
Italy and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan made statements to the press.
President of the Republic of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi noted in
particular that presence of the Azerbaijani President in Rome
emphasizes the importance Italy attributes to relations between the
two countries, and that since Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence,
`Italy has demonstrated her friendship by supporting its progress and
economic advancement.’
`Today, the conditions are ripe to build on the substantial prospects
for economic and cultural cooperation that have been created over the
past few years. First and foremost, in the promising energy sector,
but also in trade, direct investment, the setting up joint ventures,
and infrastructure projects,’ the Italian President said.
Speaking of the process of Azerbaijan’s integration into the European
family, President Azeglio Ciampi noted that the country’s `membership
of the Council of Europe is consolidating the progress of system
based on democratic pluralism and the effective enjoyment of
fundamental freedoms.’
`The more substantial and determined its progress towards these
objectives, the greater Azerbaijan will benefit as it moves closer to
Europe,’ he said.
Touching upon the situation in the Caucasus, the President pointed
out that expanding the certainty of law and civil progress is an
increasing responsibility for the European Union. `It has achieved it
by consolidating dialogue and interethnic coexistence in the complex
situation in the Balkans. It does likewise in the Caucasus, to
contribute to the stability and progress of the countries in the
region,’ he said.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev noted in his
statement that relations of traditional friendship and cooperation
are successfully developing between Italy and Azerbaijan. He
especially emphasized that it was the official visit to Italy by
national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev in 1997 that laid the
foundation of these relation, and foster their further development.
President Ilham Aliyev noted that today Azerbaijan is on the path of
rapid integration into the European family and Euroatlantic
structures. According to the President, the country is experiencing
economic growth, and is involved in large-scale energy projects. He
pointed out that the processes taking place in Azerbaijan at the
moment serve ensuring peace and stability not only in the country but
also in the whole region. He noted however that these processes are
hampered by the Armenia’s long-lasting aggression against Azerbaijan.
As a result of this aggression, he said, 20% of the Azerbaijani
territories were occupied by the Armenian armed forces, and over
million people became refugee and internally displaced. The President
expressed regret that the first plan of peaceful settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, developed by the OSCE
Minsk Group when presided by Italy has not been realized as yet.
He stressed that Azerbaijan’s stance is based on the basic principles
of the international law – territorial integrity and inviolability of
borders.
President Ilham Aliyev mentioned the Italy’s important contribution
to the process of Azerbaijan’s entering the European new neighborhood
policy, and highly appreciated the involvement of country in
realization of oil and gas projects in Azerbaijan, which are of
strategic importance for international energy security.
The Azerbaijani leader pointed out that the two countries have also
common stance with respect to the problems of international
terrorism, proliferation of nuclear weapon, illicit drug turnover,
illegal migration, as well as strengthening of democracy, protection
of human rights and ensuring supremacy of law.
DEMOGRAPHIC DISCRIMINATION POLICY APPLIED AGAINST KARABAKH THROUGHOUT
ITS BEING PART OF AZERBAIJAN
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 22. ARMINFO. Karabakh suffered from demographic
discrimination policy throughout its being part of Soviet
Azerbaijan. The goal of the policy was to reduce the Armenian
population and to increase the Azeri one, says Karabakh analyst,
professor of Russian-Armenian Modern Humanitarian Academy David
Babayan.
The policy got especially tough when Haydar Aliev was appointed the
first secretary of the central committee of Azerbaijan’s Communist
Party. Azeri Interior Minister Ramil Usubov says that only then did
Azeris feel themselves the real hosts of Karabakh and started actively
inflowing from the neighboring districts.
The demographic discrimination policy was launched right after
Karabakh was annexed to Soviet Azerbaijan. 36 new Azeri villages
appeared in 1923-1988. All strategic routes in Karabakh especially
those leading to Stepanakert were surrounded by Azeri villages. Later
during the Karabakh war these villages were turned into military bases
shelling Armenian settlements on a regular basis.
This all was aimed at seizing control over Karabakh’s communications
and water resources and at driving Armenians out (by lie or by force)
of their homes, says Babayan.-
Russian-Azeri transport cooperation against Armenian “interests” – agency
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
21 Feb 05
Armenia’s attempts to achieve changes in Russia’s regional transport
policy have failed, the Armenian news agency Mediamax has suggested.
In its weekly analytical review, the news agency cast doubt on Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s promises during his recent visit to
Yerevan “to take into account Armenia’s interests” as Moscow will
unlikely quit the “promising” railway project linking Russia to Iran
via Azerbaijan. Indifference to Armenian transport “interests” in the
region does not mean that Russia will give up an idea of purchasing
Armenian energy facilities “to form a chain”, Mediamax added. The
following is an excerpt from report in English by Armenian news agency
Mediamax; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
The visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Yerevan last
week left double impression. If we speak about the political component
of the visit, the participants of the talks did not say anything new
having described the Armenian-Russian relations as “partnership and
alliance”.
As to the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, in this case
Sergey Lavrov also did not go beyond stating official Moscow’s
position: “The solution of the problem should be found by Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Russia is ready to become a guarantor for the fulfillment
of the agreements.” The Russian and Armenian foreign ministers also
spoke about “practically full coincidence of positions” on the issues
of reforming the UN and the OSCE.
This could form an impression that the visit of the Russian foreign
minister to Armenia went off rather smoothly, especially in the light
of the scandal which burst out in Tbilisi in connection with Lavrov’s
refusal to visit in Tbilisi the memorial of the victims who died for
the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity during the
conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Lavrov’s diplomatic gestures
By the way, in this concern a question arose among several Armenia
media as to what prevented Lavrov from showing such “delicacy” and
refusing to visit the “Martyrs Avenue” in Azerbaijan where the people,
who have taken part in the anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku in 1990 and
killed as a result of the belated interference of the Soviet troops
into the conflict, were buried? When Lavrov was directly asked about
his attitude to those events in Baku, he behaved as a true diplomat
and not only avoided the answer but also used it to once more
indirectly mention about a complication in Russia’s relations with the
Baltic countries on the eve of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the
victory over Fascism.
This is Lavrov’s answer: “This question has long ago been answered
partly by the historians, though historical research and discussions
still continue. The emotions should not overshadow the necessity to
live together, to solve urgent problems. Any attempt to heat up
emotions around the historical facts, which has long ago been defined
in the relations between the states, only take us away from this. It
is not by accident that today talks are proceeding on the necessity
for the states to once more review their history, including the
history of the World War II. I regard such attempts to rewrite the
history as a desire not to allow the normal mutually beneficial
development of cooperation, partnership, which would be open for all
the European states. I prefer concentrating on topical problems. There
are a lot of them, I repeat. Life is actively going on: globalization,
mutual dependence. We have concrete affairs. Let’s leave all this to
the historians.”
However, today the point is not why the Russian leaders consider it
possible to honour the memory of the participants of anti-Armenian
pogroms and fear to visit the memorial of the Georgian victims in
Tbilisi. We would like to attach special attention to the report on
Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Markaryan, during which the latter did not hesitate to be a fly in the
ointment.
Lavrov pledges to take Armenian transport interests into account
The Armenian prime minister openly stated Yerevan’s concern about the
planned construction of the Qazvin-Rasht [Iran]-Astara [Azerbaijan]
railway bypassing Armenia within the framework of the North-South
international transport corridor.
[Passage omitted: background details]
In reply, Sergey Lavrov said that during the implementation of
regional transport projects Russia would take into account Armenia’s
interests and would not take steps that could harm them. He also
promised to inform Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin and the
head of the Russian Railways company, Gennadiy Fadeyev, about the
Armenian prime minister’s concern. Most likely, this can be understood
as follows: Russia takes Armenia’s concern with understanding but it
will not refuse taking part in the promising project.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
During his recent visit to Tehran, Armenian National Security Council
Secretary [and Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan discussed the
prospects for the construction of the Iran-Armenia railway. Last
December, having met the Iranian ambassador in Yerevan, Serzh
Sarkisyan described the idea of the construction of the railway as
“brilliant” and noted that if the implementation of the project became
possible, it would have major importance for Armenia. To all
appearances, Russia does not share the optimism of the Armenian
side…[ellipsis as published]
Armenia unsuccessful to change situation in its favour
The fact that the Armenian side decided to make the media aware of its
discontent with Russia’s regional transport policy may testify to the
fact that the attempts to achieve changes in the situation by
diplomatic methods were not successful, and this, of course, cannot
make Yerevan happy.
Nevertheless, without showing desire to ease Armenia’s transport
problems, Russia does not hide its appetite for Armenian energy. Last
week, the Russian RAO UES company [Unified Energy System of Russia]
confirmed that it was holding talks with the Midland Group offshore
company on the purchase of the Armenian power grid.
[Passage omitted: background details]
We should assume that the head of the Russian RAO UES company,
Anatoliy Chubays, who put forward a scandalous idea of building a
“liberal empire” in 2003, wants to begin its implementation precisely
in Armenia. The interest towards the power grids, besides political
implication, has evident economic implication as well. Chubays has
repeatedly stated that Armenia was a leader among CIS countries for
the level of collection of payments for the consumed electricity.
Taking into account the fact that Armenia’s main power facilities are
already controlled by the RAO UES company, the possible purchase of
the power grids will allow to “form a chain” providing maximum
business efficiency.
The Midland Group company cannot sell the shares it possesses without
the Armenian government’s consent. If the RAO UES Company is really
interested in the purchase, it is very unlikely that Yerevan will
refuse. If this happens amid Russia’s indifference to Armenia’s
interests in the region, future protests by Armenia will be at least
strange as official Yerevan’s decision will formally be considered
voluntary.