PanArmenian News
Jan 21 2005
CHURCH SERVICE IN MEMORY OF ARMENIANS KILLED IN BAKU
21.01.2005 16:56
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ January 23 Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II
will serve in St. Echmiadzin a special ritual in the memory of
Armenians killed in the course of the pogroms in Baku in January
1990. The commemoration of the victims will be served by all Armenian
churches throughout the globe. The liturgies will be offered Sunday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 21, 2005, Friday
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN SENT TO IRAQ
SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 19, 2005, p. 5
by: Viktoria Panfilova
THE DECISION TO SEND A MILITARY CONTINGENT TO IRAQ IS AN ATTEMPT ON
OFFICIAL YEREVAN TO INDICATE THE INTENTION TO INTRODUCE SERIOUS
CHANGES IN ITS FOREIGN POLICY
Armenian servicemen were seen off to Iraq, yesterday. The ceremony
took place in Evartnots airport, Yerevan. Forty-six servicemen will
become a part of the Polish contingent. The parliament of Armenia
ratified the Memorandum on Understanding concerning participation in
Iraq, the other day. The decision to send Armenian servicemen to Iraq
was made during President Robert Kocharjan’s visit to Poland. It was
agreed as well that a limited Armenian contingent (up to 50
servicemen) would serve in Iraq under the Polish flag.
To quote Aram Sarkisjan, leader of the oppositionist Democratic Party
that is an element of Justice coalition, “A great deal of Armenians
have lived in the Middle East for the last 100 years. Because of the
genocide, you know. The authorities of Arab countries accepted them
and permitted them to develop their originality. That is why we think
it wrong to meddle in the affairs of Arab countries. What information
we possess at this point indicates anti-Armenian moods in Arab
countries, particularly in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and the United Arab
Emirates. Worse than that, we do not rule out the possibility of
dramatic consequences of this decision for our country.”
Debates in Armenia over involvement in Iraq lasted over two months.
They were fierce both in society and in the parliament. The National
Assembly ratified the accord after an eight-hour meeting last Monday
but never reached a consensus on the matter.
Lawmakers who voted “nay” claim that the presence of a contingent in
Iraq will collide with national interests of the country, interests
of state security. Moreover, it will generate a threat to the
existence itself of the Armenian community in Iraq numbering 25,000
people and Armenian communities in Moslem countries.
Sarkisjan told this correspondent that the decision to send
servicemen to Iraq is an attempt on the part of official Yerevan to
indicate the intention to introduce serious changes in its foreign
policy.
It should be taken into account meanwhile that Russia is Armenia’s
geo strategic ally and that this fact cannot help having an effect on
the bilateral relations between Moscow and Yerevan. In fact, Moscow
already used its influence with Armenia more than once to prevent its
strategic ally in the Caucasus from becoming too independent. Neither
did Armenian leaders consult with countries of the Organization of
the CIS Collective Security Treaty. “Hence the criticism of the
authorities’ stand on the matter,” Sarkisjan said.
Translated by A. Ignatkin
AAP NEWSFEED
January 21, 2005, Friday 2:24 AM Eastern Time
Spo: All in the family for the Sarkisians
By Billy Freeman
SYDNEY, Jan 21
Dinner table discussion at the Sarkisian household often focuses on
goals and how to achieve them.
Father Yuri and son David know exactly what they want, but the
problem is only one of them can achieve it.
Both Yuri and David want to win weightlifting gold at next year’s
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in the men’s 69kg class and are
realistic about facing off against each other.
Yuri, 44, won three gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in
Manchester in the 62kg class, but has moved up a class in order to
compete against his son.
“We want the father and son to fight for the gold medal, which has
never happened before (in the) last 100 years,” said the senior
Sarkisian, who was born in Armenia and began representing Australia a
decade ago.
He said he would show his son no mercy if they both make the final in
Melbourne, saying his competitiveness would take over.
“This is the sport, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
“I know (we are) father and son, but you should fight until the
last.”
As you would expect from an 18-year old, David concedes nothing to
his father.
He wants to be the one standing atop the dais in Melbourne, teasing
his dad that it might be time to step aside.
“I’m not going to give him a chance to win anyway – he needs to
retire,” he said.
“In a couple of months I should be a lot stronger so I don’t think
he’ll have a chance anyway.”
David is currently competing at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival
(AYOF) in Sydney.
At the last AYOF in 2003 he won gold, adding to an already successful
career at such a young age.
He said he sometimes had to pinch himself that he was getting to
follow in his father’s footsteps.
“He’s like an idol, I used to always see him go off to competitions
and he would come back with medals,” he said.
“One day I just started to go down and train with him and now I’m
competing in international competitions.”
Associated Press Worldstream
January 21, 2005 Friday 12:52 PM Eastern Time
Armenian troops join coalition force in Iraq
WARSAW, Poland
A contingent of 46 Armenian non-combat troops joined the Polish-led
coalition force in Iraq on Friday, a military spokesman said.
Gen. Andrzej Ekiert, the commander of the 6,000-strong Polish-led
international force, shook hands with the Armenian soldiers and spoke
a few words of welcome to them at the force’s headquarters in
Diwaniyah, south of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Artur Domanski, a Polish
military spokesman.
The 46 soldiers – 10 bomb-disposal experts, 30 drivers, three medics
and three officers – will be given a week “to get acclimated to the
climate, get equipment and rest” before starting work, Domanski said.
The troops will be based at Camp Charlie in the city of Hillah.
Armenia’s parliament voted in December to send the contingent, a move
that was backed by President Robert Kocharian but drew sharp
criticism from many Armenians, opposition groups, and even the
30,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq, which fears being targeted
for attacks.
Associated Press Worldstream
January 20, 2005 Thursday
U.S. official’s statement angers Armenians
by AVET DEMOURIAN; Associated Press Writer
YEREVAN, Armenia
A statement by a U.S. State Department official about unrecognized
regimes in the former Soviet Union has sparked an uproar in Armenia,
with groups ranging from students to scientists taking offense over a
comment involving the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenians picked up on comments that Elizabeth Jones, assistant
secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, made last week in a video
link with journalists in Moscow, Bratislava and Rome ahead of a
meeting next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovakia.
Jones said it is in Russia’s interests for the self-proclaimed
republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, Trans-Dniester in
Moldova, and Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan “to be stable, for
corruption to end there, for criminal secessionists who rule there to
be removed,” according to the English-language Moscow Times
newspaper.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mostly ethnic Armenian enclave that has been
under ethnic Armenian control since a deadly six-year war against
Azerbaijani forces that ended in 1994 with a cease-fire, but without
a political settlement. Its self-proclaimed government is backed by
Armenia but is not internationally recognized.
Armenian media lashed out at Jones, and leaders of the small Caucasus
Mountain nation’s Academy of Sciences discussed it Wednesday, with
one scholar, Nikolai Oganesian, calling it “prevocational” and
another, Konstantin Karagezian, calling it “amoral.”
On Tuesday, several hundred students marched to the U.S. Embassy in
Yerevan, the capital, and handed over a declaration saying it was
“unacceptable.” Neither Armenia’s government nor the leadership of
Nagorno-Karabakh has reacted publicly, however.
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement Tuesday reiterating that the
United States “does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent
country,” does not recognize its leadership, and supports the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
It said the United States “holds that the future status of
Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between the parties in
the Minsk Group process,” in which mediators led by the United
States, France and Russia are working with Azerbaijan and Armenia to
foster a peaceful settlement. Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership is not
involved.
The statement said Jones’ comment “was directed at the need for the
U.S. and Russia to work together to resolve the conflicts and advance
transparency and rule of law in the conflict areas. We recognize that
the circumstances of each conflict are unique.”
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 21 2005
New UNICEF representative takes over in Armenia
Flu illnesses cases not registered in Armenia in Jan 2005
2005 to be a year of resistance to external challenges for Armenia –
RA NA Deputy
S.Chzmachian: 2004 was unexampled successful for RA banking system
*********************************************************************
NEW UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE TAKES OVER IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. Mr. Sheldon Yett, a U.S. citizen is
appointed new UNICEF Representative in Armenia, according to the
UNICEF Office in Armenia. The new UNICEF Representative has a 12-year
experience in the field of international development and has been
working iwith UNICEF headquarters in New York as a coordinator of
humanitarian issues and has also served in Somalia, Burundi and
Kosovo, as well as in other field duty stations.
The new UNICEF representative in Armenia has already met with the RA
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, and looks forward to working with
the Government of Armenia and other counterparts. L.V.-0–
*********************************************************************
FLU ILLNESSES CASES NOT REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JAN 2005
YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. Flu illnesses cases were not registered
in Armenia in Jan 2005, Chief Doctor of Infection Clinics `Nork’ Ara
Asoyan stated today. According to him, at the moment 32 people are at
the hospital with respiratory diseases, however none of them has flu.
He added that there were no registered cases of botulism in 2005.
L.D. -0 –
*********************************************************************
2005 TO BE A YEAR OF RESISTANCE TO EXTERNAL CHALLENGES FOR ARMENIA –
RA NA DEPUTY
YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. 2005 will be a year of resistance to
numerous external challenges for Armenia, as stated historian Hamlet
Harutunyan, the RA NA deputy in the National Press Club today.
According to him, the political forces of the country should
consolidate around the national problems, in particular, the Karabakh
issue. The statement of the US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth
Jones, he considers in the context of USA testing the interpolitical
stability in the country. Such checkups, according to him, can be
expected on the part of Russia as well. `They cannot thrust the
unfavorable settlement of the Karabakh conflict on us, if we come out
as one’, noted the deputy. At that, Harutunyan added that the problem
of change of power will not be pressing this year, as the opposition
has missed the opportunity which could be carried out in 2004. L.V.
-0 –
*********************************************************************
S.CHZMACHIAN: 2004 WAS UNEXAMPLED SUCCESSFUL FOR RA BANKING SYSTEM
Exclusive Interview of Samvel CHZMACHIAN, the Chairman Armenian Banks
Union to ARKA News Agency
ARKA – What was 2004 for RA banking system?
S.Chzmachian – 2004 was unexampled successful for RA banking system.
Thus, the assets of the system grew by 27.1% and achieved 365 billion
AMD and it is very good indicator. The credits grew by 39.6% and made
more than 130 billion AMD, total authorized capital grew by 6.7% and
stood at 39.2 billion AMD. Total capital of the banks grew by 26.5%
and achieved more than 63 billion AMD. Profit of the banks exceeded
10 billion AMD, having increased by 58.6%. Unfortunately not all the
banks can independentely overcome normative level on total capital in
$5 million by July 1, 2005. They now conduct negotiations with
investors and in favourable result they will be able to attract new
shareholders and remain in banking field.
ARKA – How do you estimate CB decision to increase the normative on
total capital for newly creating banks from $5 million to $10
million? What do you think, will the given normative change for
acting banks?
S.Chzmachian – Using the opportunity, I ask CB not to change the
demand to the capital for acting banks in near 5 years. According to
the information I poses, neither one country in Europe and Asia and
even in America, besides Kazakhstan, has the demands on capital more
than $5 million. I think, in this issue we should try to present
ourselves as bigger Catholics than Rome Pope, because it can lead to
losing of investors’ interest to banking activity in our country. The
banks themselves understand that it is necessary to increase the
capital and competition will lead to it without pressure by CB. CB
has made much for the banking system in the whole, however I think
that negative conditions that occurred in banking system in last 2-3
years, namely bankrupt Ardshinbank and Credit-Yerevan Bank, should
frighten our main bank, so much that it made such a decisions.
Armenian Banks Union asks CBA not to make decision when either the
sum of the capital is decreasing, or minimal demands to it are
growing.
ARKA – What risks expect banking system in 2005?
S.Chzmachian – We must be maximally careful in the issue of
crediting, must correspond to new demands on foreign exchange
position. The banks must be very attentive in fulfillment of demands
of new law on fight against money laundry and financing of terrorism,
because even one mistake committed by one bank can have significantly
negative influence on the whole banking system of Armenia. The banks
must be careful in hiring people. I would like to mention that
corporate management implemented by CB should not envisage full
depersonalization of people. L.D. -0 –
PanArmenian News, Armenia
Jan 21 2005
ARMENIAN-AZERI FRIENDSHIP INTERPRETED BY TOLYSHPRESS
21.01.2005 16:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ January 20 Tolyshpress information agency published
curious material, which says that “according to an investigation held
by Azadlyg, Azeri companies, which send cargo to Armenia, are under
the protection of top persons of the country. Thus, head of Azpetrol,
which supplies fuel to Armenia, is brother of Minister of Economic
Development Farhad Aliyev. Monopolist in that sphere – ABU Holding –
is owned by brother of Chairman of the State Committee for Securities
Heydar Babayev. The protector of the supplies of tea, vegetable oil,
fish to Armenia is head of the customs Kemaleddin Heydarov, while
that of corn supplies is head of the President Administration Ramiz
Mehtiyev.
PanArmenian News, Armenia
Jan 21 2005
RUSTAVI 2 PREPARES TELECAST ON JAVAKHK
21.01.2005 15:42
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Journalists of Rustavi 2 Georgian TV Company are
preparing a telecast, devoted to the problems of relations between
Tbilisi with the Javakhk region. In the opinion of TV Company
journalist Nata Koberidze, the ethnic factor adds to these in
Javakhetia. Koberidze considers that if people here demand
self-determination, some real grounds for that should be present. “In
my personal opinion, Akhalkalak residents have such a right to some
degree. It is natural that as a proud people it cannot bear violence.
If the state cannot solve their problems, they have to rely on their
own,” she says. In the opinion of the TV journalist, the situation in
Javakhk is harder than that in Georgian regions inhabited by Azeris,
A-Info news agency reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 22 2005
FM Dismisses Reports on Meeting of Azeri, Armenian Presidents
Foreign Minster Elmar Mammadyarov, in an interview with ANS TV,
dismissed the reports saying that Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian are expected to meet in Warsaw,
Poland in May.
He said, however, that the two countries’ foreign ministers will meet
in late February-early March and everything will depend on this
meeting.
The reports released earlier quoted the Council of Europe (CE)
Committee on Foreign Relations as saying that the next meeting of the
two presidents, initiated by the OSCE Minsk Group, would allegedly
take place on May 16 as part of the third summit of leaders of CE
member states.
BBC News, UK
Jan 21 2005
Analysis: Belarus defies West
By Leonid Ragozin
BBCRussian.com
Prominent political rivals of Mr Lukashenko have disappeared
President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus has long been a
target of US criticism – and the Bush administration clearly has it
on its radar.
The new US “outposts of tyranny” list presented by the incoming US
Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, mentions just one European
country – Belarus.
President Lukashenko, who maintains an iron Soviet-style grip on
Belarus, hit back on Friday, saying “some might not want this sort of
freedom which reeks of oil and is splattered with blood”.
The strength of “people power” in neighbouring Ukraine has fuelled
speculation that Belarus might go the same way.
But some experts are sceptical about such a scenario.
“Lukashenko obviously rigged the last (October 2004) referendum, but
nevertheless, according to independent observers, he received almost
48% of the votes, which amounts to colossal support,” says Russian
political analyst Andrey Piontkovsky.
Crackdown on dissent
Mr Lukashenko has used his security forces against non-governmental
organisations and the independent media. Demonstrations are often
broken up brutally.
Several prominent politicians have disappeared.
Mr Lukashenko, in power since 1994, also disbanded an elected
parliament, installing a hand-picked group of loyal deputies.
Belarus country profile
Angered by such authoritarian practices, the White House adopted the
Belarus Democracy Act last year.
It provides for sanctions against Belarus and the promotion of
democracy by helping non-governmental organisations and fostering an
independent media.
It also bans US federal agencies from giving any financial aid to the
country.
Radek Sikorski of the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington
think-tank, says “small amounts of money could go a long way” to
promote democracy in Belarus.
He advocates “Cold War-style activity” to effect change in Belarus,
such as “broadcasting real information into the country, supporting
underground newspapers”.
Instead of visa restrictions, Belarussian officials accused of
involvement in “disappearing” dissidents should be encouraged to
visit the West and then arrested, he told the BBC News website.
Shunned by EU
Mr Lukashenko, often dubbed “Europe’s last dictator”, is also a major
headache for the European Union, two of whose members – Poland and
Lithuania – share borders with it. I can’t see a figure around
which such a revolution could possibly develop
Jim Dingley
UK expert on Belarus
Four key members of Mr Lukashenko’s administration are banned from
visiting EU countries over their alleged role in the disappearances.
According to Mr Sikorski, the EU “has much stronger instruments than
the US” to influence Belarus, “for example, the promise of a European
path for the country”.
“If people can travel to the West, see the EU and democracy working,
eventually a new generation will demand the same rights,” he said.
He did not rule out a Ukraine-style popular revolt.
But according to Andrey Piontkovsky, Mr Lukashenko “remains popular,
unlike the completely bankrupt regimes of Slobodan Milosevic in
Yugoslavia, Eduard Shevardnadze in Georgia or Leonid Kuchma in
Ukraine” – all of which succumbed to “people power”.
Jim Dingley, a British expert on Belarus, describes the prospects for
such an uprising in Belarus as “highly unlikely”.
“I can’t see a figure around which such a revolution could possibly
develop.”
Nationalism weak
Moreover, Belarus does not have much national identity around which a
protest movement could coalesce, he says.
World War II largely destroyed the country’s ethnic mix and
nationalism was suppressed by the Soviet authorities.
Its once large Jewish population was largely exterminated by the
Nazis, many Poles were deported by Stalin or fled and Belarussian
identity was diluted by an influx of settlers from Russia.
In the long-term “a core of businessmen who are quite dissatisfied
with the limitations imposed on the free development of private
enterprise” could spearhead a revolt, Mr Dingley says.
But Mr Piontkovsky agrees that the prospects for a “velvet
revolution” in the near future in Belarus “are not too rosy”.
Russian influence
But Russia, which maintains close ties with Belarus, could play a
significant role, analysts agree.
The US “can and should use President [Vladimir] Putin to put pressure
on Lukashenko,” says Mr Sikorski. “The regime couldn’t survive a few
weeks without Russian support.”
Russia has been increasingly angered by Mr Lukashenko.
Russian newspapers speculated that he was aiming to become leader of
a united state of Russia and Belarus – a country which has existed on
paper since 1996.
But the leaderships disagree on key economic issues and relations
with the West.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in February 2004 that “the Belarus
president is responsible for systematic mistakes in domestic and
foreign policy, which hamper economic development and lead to the
international isolation of Belarus”.
But other former Soviet republics might be more ripe for regime
change in the near future, analysts say.
“Kyrgyzstan and Moldova are the first candidates, followed by
Armenia,” says Mr Piontkovsky.
He also believes that Russia’s President Putin is now on shakier
ground than Mr Lukashenko.
And Ms Rice did not include in the “outposts of tyranny” list the
Central Asian republics of Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan.
Opposition demonstrations do sometimes take place in Belarus – but
not even that limited dissent is tolerated in Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan, where human rights abuses are widespread.