Category: News

RIA OREANDA
Economic News
March 15, 2004 Monday

Aslan Abashidze Called on Russia to Stop Rose Revolution in Adjaria

BODY:
Moscow. Aslan Abashidze claims that the Georgian authorities are
preparing military invasion of the republic. Mr. Abashidze considers
that they are trying to repeat the so-called Rose Revolution in
Adjaria, – according to NTV.

The Georgian authorities are gathering 100 thousand people, men and
women, from all the regions of the country. People with military
training and those who participated in similar actions will be among
them. All of them will come to the border of the autonomous republic
and women will be ahead them, Adjaria head claimed.

Mr. Abashidze also called on the world community to stop Tbiisi
authorities attempts to exert pressure on Adjaria. I want to tell our
opinion to influential world organizations and to our neighbors
Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to stop the force
that will bring lamentable consequences, Aslan Abashidze claimed in
the course of press-conference in Moscow.

SwissInfo
15 Mars 2004

L’UE presse Erevan de fermer sa centrale nucléaire

EREVAN – L’UE a pressé l’Arménie de fermer la centrale nucléaire de
Metzamor, à 30 km d’Erevan. Bruxelles lui a promis en échange
l’octroi d’une aide de 156,5 millions de francs. Construite en 1977,
cette centrale produit 40 % de l’énergie arménienne.

«La sécurité est très importante pour nous. L’UE octroiera à
l’Arménie 100 millions d’euros pour créer des productions d’énergie
alternatives quand l’Arménie fixera la date de la fermeture de la
centrale», a déclaré le directeur de la mission de la Commission
européenne en Arménie Torben Holtze.

Selon le ministre arménien des finances, l’Arménie a besoin de 1,3
milliard de francs pour compenser les pertes en cas de fermeture de
la centrale.

La fermeture de Metzamor est «une question très douloureuse pour
nous. Nous n’allons pas fermer la centrale tant qu’il n’y aura pas de
sources alternatives» d’énergie, a-t-il souligné. La construction
d’un gazoduc entre l’Arménie et l’Iran, qui doit être lancée cette
année, devrait accélérer ce processus, selon lui.

CASH INCOMES INCREASED

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
15-03-2004

According to the NKR National Statistics Service, the cash incomes of
the population of the republic in 2003 totaled 34408.7 million AM
drams and increased by 17.1 percent against 2002. The incomes in all
the spheres of activities have increased against 2002;
entrepreneurship by 55.0 percent, realization of agricultural
production by 32.8 percent, salary by 24.5 percent, social and other
transfers by 6.6 percent, other incomes by 6.9 percent. The average
nominal monthly salary of one worker employed in the economy totaled
33 661 AM drams in 2003 and increased by 13.4 percent from 2002. In
comparison to 2002 the average nominal monthly salary increased
notably in building by 49.7 percent, information computing services by
31.8 percent, communication by 27.7 percent, industry by 26.7 percent,
finance and loaning by 23.5 percent, material and technical supply by
20.3 percent. The average nominal monthly salary in comparison to the
average republic salary was notably low in the spheres of material and
technical supply, forestry, trade, health, communal services.

AA.
15-03-2004

Daily Star, Lebanon
March 12 2004

Nejmeh defeats Homenmen in a tight game

Nejmeh soccer team player, Moussa Hjeij, lead his team to victory
over Homenmen after scoring 3 goals out of 4 in the semi-final game
held at Jounieh Municipal Stadium on Tuesday.

Nejmeh soccer team player, Moussa Hjeij, lead his team to victory
over Homenmen after scoring 3 goals out of 4 in the semi-final game
held at Jounieh Municipal Stadium on Tuesday.
Despite the early goal scored by Geafar in the 8th minute of first
half, Nejmeh managed to work its way to Homenmen goals, leveling the
score by Moussa Hjeij through a penalty kick, 35 minutes into the
game.

Nejmeh third goal followed two minutes later by Salah Haddad and was
objected by Homenmen technical team who said that Haddad was
sneaking.

The second half witnessed Nejmeh taking advantage of their experience
and raised the score to four goals by Hjeij through a pass from
Mcpherline in the 68th and 71st minutes before they suffer a setback
in their performance due to the changes implemented by Zizo when he
replaced Hussein Salim by Attawi who failed to push forward the game.

Associated Press Worldstream
March 15, 2004 Monday 5:42 AM Eastern Time

NATO-sponsored training program begins in Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s land forces began a four-day NATO-sponsored training
exercise Monday on border control, defense officials said.

Turkey is leading the exercise as part of NATO’s Partnership for
Peace program, aimed at boosting ties between the military alliance
and states of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

Mammad Beydullayev of Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said the program
would familiarize Azerbaijani military commanders with methods to
prevent border incursions, steps for fighting the trafficking of
drugs, illegal immigrants and weapons and ways to control the flow of
refugees and ensure security.

The Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan said it was organizing the program
to help this ex-Soviet republic bring its military up to NATO
standards.

A similar training program was carried out last week in Georgia, and
plans are underway to bring the program to other nations.

Azerbaijan shares borders with Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Iran.

THERE ARE NO SPECIAL FAVOURITES IN THE TOURNAMENT

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
15-03-2004

Yanik Palatier has arrived from far Switzerland to take part in the
international chess tournament devoted to the 75th anniversary of
Tigran Petrossian. Before coming to Karabakh he knew nothing of this
small country besides that there had been war here. The Swiss
chess-player told about his decision to read corresponding books to
get acquainted with the events that took place in Karabakh. He did not
speak about his impressions as he has not managed to see the town
yet. Only once he had the opportunity to walk in the central street of
Stepanakert. He said it still can be felt that there was war here. He
mentioned that the first impression was good, the tournament is
organized on a high level, the hotel conditions are good, and he
pointed out the warm and friendly atmosphere. The Swiss young man has
been to Yerevan for several times and has many friends
there. According to him, the Armenians are very warm, proud and
hospitable. In reference to the chess tournament held in Stepanakert
for the first time, he appreciated the level of organization. He
mentioned that there areno special favourites, and according to him
the competition will be hard. He mentioned that he was not acquainted
with all the participants of the tournament. He did not know Tigran
Petrossian and Arman Pashikian but following their games he mentioned
that the games of the both were very interesting. The young
chess-player representing Switzerland has 0.5 point after two rounds.

ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
15-03-2004

INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP DISBANDED

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
15-03-2004

>From now on together with the state committee the Center of Civil
Undertakings will deal with the search for missing soldiers and
hostages, as well as work with their families in Karabakh. In the
current year the center organized computer courses for the children of
the missing soldiers and former hostages. The Karabakh
non-governmental organization Center of Civil Undertakings conducts
monitoring of prisons of the republic. According to the director of
the center Albert Voskanian, certain novelties were introduced in this
sphere of the republic. For example, according to the international
standards the wooden blinds of the windows of the dormitories of the
Department of Administration of Criminal Punishment (the former prison
of Shoushi) attached to the NKR Police were dismantled since February
1 of the current year. In autumn of 2003 the parliament of Karabakh
adopted the law about elimination of the capital punishment.
According to the DACP staff, at the beginning of the current year the
sentence of the last of the 15 convicts sentenced to capital
punishment was changed by 15 years imprisonment. According to
A. Voskanian, the Center of Civil Undertakings continues to support
the undertaking of passing the NKR prisons from the Police under the
authority of the Ministry of Justice.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
15-03-2004

NEW DIRECTOR OF ICRC OFFICE

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
15-03-2004

On March 11 NKR president Arkady Ghukassian met with the director of
the office of the Red Cross in Stepanakert Charlotte Hardford whose
term of duties in Nagorni Karabakh has completed. Ms. Hardford
introduced to the president the new director of the ICRC office in
Stepanakert Mireille Benard. She thankedthe government of the republic
for assistance to the humanitarian activities of the ICRC in
NKR. Speaking about the main directions of activity of the Karabakh
office of ICRC in 2003 Ms. Hardford told that the office will pursue
implementation of humanitarian programs in Nagorni Karabakh. In the
future they will deal with the problem of the missing soldiers, will
visit prisoners, find out their state of health, the conditions they
are kept in. Touching upon programs in the sphere of health care the
ICRC representative mentioned that the mission assists to the
reconstruction of 68 surgeries in different regions of Nagorni
Karabakh and helps to provide them with necessary equipment. According
to her, the ICRC mission also deals with providing them with
medication. In his turn, Arkady Ghukassian highly appreciated the
importance of the activitiesof the ICRC in Nagorni Karabakh, which was
the first among the international organizations to aid NKR. At the
same time the president emphasized the importance of further
activities of the ICRC mission in Nagorni Karabakh.

AA.
15-03-2004

NATO-sponsored border security course held in Azerbaijan

Trend news agency
15 Mar 04

BAKU

Trend correspondent R. Abbasov: NATO participation in a settlement of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is in the interests of Azerbaijan,
Maj-Gen Omer Bayrakli, the military attache of the Turkish embassy in
Azerbaijan, said at a ceremony to open “Border Security Control
Course” in Baku on 15 March. The course was organized by the Turkish
Defence Ministry.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan officially made no appeal for NATO
membership, it is intensively developing its relations with the
North-Atlantic Alliance, he said. “Among the CIS states, Azerbaijan is
a country which closely cooperates with NATO. Ex-president Heydar
Aliyev repeatedly said that NATO should be involved in solving
conflicts in the Caucasus,” Bayrakli said.

The head of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry department for
inspections, Mammad Beydullayev, said that the course is being held
from 15 to 19 March at the ministry’s training centre. Along with
military servicemen, representatives of the Foreign, National
Security, Interior Ministries, the State Customs Service and other
bodies will attend the course.

A lecturer and colonel of the Turkish army, Tuqay Bakkal, said that
the main goal of the course was to familiarize the Azerbaijani armed
forces with methods of preventing illegal border incursions, the
trafficking of drugs, weapons, human organs and so on. He noted that
the training was being conducted by the study centre of the
Partnership for Peace programme of the Turkish armed forces.

Up to now, 1,100 people have attended this course, including 320
Azerbaijani servicemen. Azerbaijan ranks second among 51 countries in
terms of the number of its participants. The course will also be held
in Ukraine, Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Moldova.

IF THERE WEREN’T FOR PETROSSIAN

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
15-03-2004

Young chess-player from Armenia, international master Tigran
Petrossian is also among the participants of the international chess
tournament devoted to the 75th anniversary of Tigran Petrossian, the
ninth champion of the world. The father of the young chess player was
a big fan of chess and deliberately named his son after Tigran
Petrossian so that he become a chess-player. Tigran has played chess
for 15 years, since he was five. Now he is a third year student at the
Yerevan Institute of Physical Training. “I have devoted my life to
chess and as I have already achieved certain success, the way I chose
has meaning,” says Tigran Petrossian. In reference to the tournament
the young chess-player says, “The participants are very strong, the
leading grand masters of the world are playing, almost all the grand
masters of Armenia are present. I cannot recall a similar tournament
in the past years in Armenia. The tournament is organized on a high
level. All of us realize that nowadays it is not easy to organize such
a tournament, especially if foreign chess-players are invited, which
also requires considerable financial means. I would like to mention
that the presence of the former champion of the world Boris Spassky is
a great honour for all of us.” Following all the games, we tried to
find out the reason why Tigran Petrossian lost in the second round. In
the game with the representative of Latvia grand master Yevgeny
Sveshnikov Tigran had a favourable position.In reference to this game
the young chess-player mentioned that he hurried with one move which
unfortunately resulted in losing the game. Unfortunately because
during the whole game he improved his position and besides Sveshnikov
had a problem with time. “I hope this defeat will not have a negative
effect on my further games. In such cases I try to get my mind off the
previous game otherwise I will not be able to continue the struggle.”

ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
15-03-2004