UNUSUAL TOURNAMENT IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

A1 Plus | 18:26:54 | 25-05-2004 | Politics |

A chess tournament initiated by MP Hranush Hakobayn will be held
Wednesday in National Assembly. Two MPs from each parliamentary
fraction will play chess with grandmaster Smbat Lputyan.

Opposition MPs Victor Dallakyan and Aram G. Sargssyan will participate
in the event as well.

ARMENIA RECKONED AMONG AUTHORITARIAN STATES

A1 Plus | 21:45:54 | 25-05-2004 | Politics |

Azatutyun radio station reports Freedom House New-York-based
organization after conducting certain researches issued a list of
authoritarian countries and countries with dictatorship.

Armenia was placed among authoritarian states. Azerbaijan was among
the countries ruled by dictators. Georgia is included in the democratic
states’ list.

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage

PRESS RELEASE
Monday, May 24, 2004

AGBU CONCLUDES WORLDWIDE KHACHATURIAN@100 TOUR IN NEW YORK CITY

NEW YORK, NY-AGBU marked the conclusion of its yearlong
Khachaturian@100 tour with master pianist Sahan Arzruni through a
screening of a documentary at the French Institute Alliance Française
(FIAF) in New York City. A sold out audience gathered at the Tinker
Auditorium on Tuesday May 18 at 7:30 pm to view “Khachaturian: An
Archival Film,” which contained rare footage of the composer dating
back to the 1930s and 1940s. His Excellency, Armen Martirosyan,
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, was among
the many guests at the program.

Mr. Arzruni introduced the documentary, calling Khachaturian’s
music among the rarest of our cultural treasures. He explained the
various reconstructive stages it had gone through before reaching
these shores for a proper viewing in digital format. The original
forty-nine-minute long reel was first put together in Moscow in
Russian and later translated into Armenian. It is a particularly
valuable document, as it tells not only the story of Khachaturian’s
life in his own words, but also places his legacy within the rich
heritage of Armenian musical culture.

The black-and-white film opens with Khachaturian as a young boy, a
student at the Moscow Conservatory and a budding composer. It depicts
his first artistic initiatives, his later international triumphs
and his meetings with world leaders. Along the way, Khachaturian
himself talks about his views on composing, his own abilities,
Armenian music and the role of the people’s voice in a given creative
work. Particularly touching is hearing an urban folk song, “Vorskan
Akhper,” a tune Khachaturian’s mother used to sing, which magically
turns into the main theme of his Second Symphony during the course
of the film.

Following the screening, Mr. Arzruni entertained a number of questions
from the audience, weaving many anecdotes about Khachaturian into his
answers, thus lending humor and levity to the evening. Guests enjoyed
a reception after the Q&A session.

Taking the AGBU Khachaturian@100 tour to some two-dozen cities in four
continents over the past year, Mr. Arzruni has performed most recently
in Beirut, Lebanon; Geneva, Switzerland; and Toronto and Montreal in
Canada. The series proved to be an enriching conduit for Armenians
everywhere to become reacquainted with their cultural identity.

Mr. Arzruni has already left for Armenia, where he will preside over
the state graduation examinations at the Komitas Conservatory. For
his dedicated efforts in promoting Khachaturian’s music throughout
the world, Armenia’s Ministry of Culture has bestowed upon him a
special honor, which he will receive in Yerevan.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

May 24, 2004
___________________

IN WORCESTER, PRIMATE ORDAINS ACOLYTES, SUB-DEACON, DEACON

By Jake Goshert

Though tasked with tending to the oldest Armenian Church community in
America, Fr. Aved Terzian’s flock is a young, vital one.

“I have two of our Sunday School graduates waiting for me now,” Fr.
Terzian said the week before their graduation on Sunday, May 23, 2004.
“I’ve committed spending an hour with each one of them in private,
discussing where they are spiritually and what they’re going to be doing
in the future to serve the church.”

Already, many young people in the Church of Our Saviour in Worcester,
MA, are stepping up to answer Fr. Terzian’s call for service. On
Saturday, May 15, 2004, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), ordained 13 young
acolytes.

They were: Michael Arakelian, Adam Bullock, Brody Gardner, Armen
Hagopian, Michael Migridichian, Michael Hadchickian, Robert Sivazlian,
Hovhannes Balian, Zaven Donoian, Brendon Haddon, Michael Kaishian, A.J.
Pottle, and Seth Yaylaian. (Another future acolyte, Nikolas Ovesian,
broke his leg earlier that day and was unable to take part in the
ordination.)

“It is so good to see so many eager young people, who want to take on a
position of responsibility in their church,” the Primate said.
“Already, at an early age, they are following the footsteps of the role
models around them, the men and women who give of their time and use
their unique skills to keep this old parish vibrant.”

ROLE MODELS

Two of the men who have served as role models for the young acolytes
also continued on their journey of faith. During his two day trip, on
Sunday, May 16, the Primate ordained Henry Hagopian as a sub-deacon, and
Vasken Chagaian as a deacon.

“I am very fortunate to have six full deacons — a group of dedicated
men, who have family obligations and yet are in church every Sunday,”
Fr. Terzian said. “All these deacons are blessed with humility and
respect one another. They work so nicely with each other and with the
younger acolytes, who they help train.”

For Chagaian, who was born in Lebanon and attended the seminary of the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, serving the church is a joyful duty.

“You’re in touch with your heritage and the Armenian community,” he
said. “And you find time to do it. Even though I run my own business,
I make the time because it is my honor and privilege to serve on the
altar and to honor my roots.”

— 5/24/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), joined by Fr. Aved Terzian,
pastor of the Church of Our Saviour in Worcester, MA, ordains Vasken
Chagaian as a deacon.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): During a visit to Worcester, MA, on May 15 and 16,
2004, the Primate ordained 14 acolytes, one sub-deacon, and a deacon.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): On May 15, 2004, 14 young members of the Church of
Our Saviour in Worcester, MA, took on the responsibility of being
acolytes by being ordained.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, ordains 14 young acolytes 14 acolytes at the Church of Our
Savior in Worcester, MA, on May 15, 2004.

# # #

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

May 24, 2004
___________________

ARMENIAN LANGUAGE, FAITH, HERITAGE FOCUS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

In parishes throughout the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern), youngsters learn the Armenian language through weekly
courses. But when they finish those courses, usually at around the age
of 12, many youngsters were left without a structured Armenian language
and cultural education.

For decades, teens in the New York metro area have been able to attend
the Khrimian Lyceum, a once-a-month program designed to educate and
prepare future Armenian-American community leaders with strong
character, deep commitment, and a sense of responsibility and knowledge
of their shared cultural history.

“The object of the program is to prepare young Armenians to be
knowledgeable leaders, teachers, and administrators for our churches and
community groups,” said Sylva der Stepanian, coordinator of Armenian
education at the Eastern Diocese, who oversees the Khrimian Lyceum
program.

This year, the Khrimian Lyceum program spread to the Midwest and New
England. The Midwest Khrimian Lyceum Midwest opened on September 27,
2003, at the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Center in Chicago,
under the direction of Zabel Panosyan. Speakers at the monthly classes
have included Prof. James Jacobson on leadership, Dr. Kevork Bardakjian
on Armenian literature, Vehanoush Tekian on creative writing, Krikor
Mirijanian on architecture, and Dr. Hripsime Harutiunian on Armenian
wedding traditions.

The dozen Khrimian Lyceum students in the Chicagoland area also get
involved in the community in hands-on ways. They helped celebrate
Armenian Christmas Eve services at the St. James Church of Evanston, IL,
by reading from the Holy Scriptures, singing the badarak, and acting as
ushers. The students have also traveled, attending “Light of Light,” a
one-day symposium in Greenfield, WI, organized by the Diocese and the
local parish.

Along with academic courses, Khrimian Lyceum students work on a number
of extra curricular activities. In Chicago, for example, Seta
Kantarjian, director of the Shushi Dance Ensemble, has led a dance
workshop, and the students have studied drama with Vartan Oganisyan,
artistic director of the Khrimian Lyceum in New York.

GROWING PROGRAM

This was the Khrimian Lyceum’s first year expanding beyond New York
City. The original Khrimian Lyceum program has six grade levels, with
65 students total. In each of the two new areas, there is one class of
12 this year, with plans to add one new class each year until they reach
the full six grades.

“It is good for our children to know their heritage, know where they
come from, and to know they come from an ancient civilization,” said
Shakeh Johnson, who heads the program in the New England area. “Not
only that, but they also need to know that when it was an ancient
civilization, we had writers and poets and people who made contributions
to society. Knowing that, they can learn that they can survive no
matter what.”

The Khrimian Lyceum in New England is housed at the St. James Church of
Watertown, MA. Through similar programs and lectures, the students have
grown academically, as well as emotionally.

“I see the results already. Parents say they can’t believe how happy
they are that they forced their kids to go to the Khrimian Lyceum,”
Johnson said. “They say that now they don’t have to force their
children to go, because they want to go, and they’re ready to learn, and
they’re sharing what they learn at home. I can already tell that we
will see these children’s names as leaders of the community in the
future.”

Each of the new Khrimian Lyceums have students waiting to join next year
and are eager to expand their programs. For information on any of the
three Khrimian Lyceum programs, contact Sylva der Stepanian, coordinator
of Armenian education, by e-mailing [email protected] or
calling (212) 686-0710 ext. 48.

— 5/24/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Vartan Oganisyan leads a drama workshop for students
in the Chicagoland Khrimian Lyceum.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Students from the Midwest Khrimian Lyceum
participate in the 2004 Christmas Eve services at the St. James Church
of Evanston, IL.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Vehanoush Tekian teaches a writing workshop to
students in the new Midwest Khrimian Lyceum, which was started this year
along with a similar program in New England.

# # #

Relations with Turkey might hinder Armenia-NATO cooperation – agency

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
24 May 04

Relations with Turkey might hinder Armenia-NATO cooperation, Armenian
news agency Mediamax has reported. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
has refused to attend a NATO summit in Istanbul in order to once again
draw the alliance’s attention to problems in relations between Yerevan
and Ankara. The USA promised to mediate Armenian-Turkish dialogue
back in 1999, but with no results so far, the news agency said. But
“how far-sighted is the Yerevan government when it puts its relations
with Turkey and NATO on the same scale”, the agency questioned. The
following is an excerpt from the report in English by Armenian news
agency Mediamax headlined “Will the Armenian-Turkish border become
a separation line between Armenia and NATO?”; subheadings inserted
editorially:

On 10 May, the Armenian president’s press secretary Ashot Kocharyan
announced that [President] Robert Kocharyan would not take part in
the NATO summit in Istanbul in June. The reason for Robert Kocharyan’s
decision is the “current state of Armenian-Turkish relations”.

The Armenian president took part in the two latest summits of NATO and
the Council of Euro-Atlantic Partnership in Washington and Prague, so
the reasons making him refuse to participate in the Istanbul summit
must be really serious. At the same time, if viewed from different
aspects this decision seems quite controversial.

USA promised to mediate Armenian-Turkish dialogue

Robert Kocharyan’s critics recall that not only did the Armenian
president take part in the OSCE summit in Istanbul in the autumn of
1999, but he also met Turkish President Suleyman Demirel within the
framework of the summit. The Armenian president’s opponents note that
the state of Armenian-Turkish relations at that time left much to be
desired as well. However, few people remember that Armenia decided to
take part in the Istanbul summit of the OSCE after the international
community, and the United States in the first place, had convinced
Yerevan to give up the intention to impose veto on the decision to
hold the summit in Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Yerevan government seriously considered using the
right of veto in order to draw attention to the fact that Turkey
is the only OSCE member-state that refuses to establish diplomatic
relations with Armenia. The Americans managed to persuade Yerevan
promising to influence Turkey thus making it change its position as
regards the normalizing of relations with Armenia. US President Bill
Clinton discussed this issue during his talks with the Armenian and
Turkish presidents on the sidelines of the Istanbul summit of the
OSCE in 1999. Asked by Mediamax then whether the USA could become a
mediator between Armenia and Turkey, Robert Kocharyan said: “I think,
yes. The United States has been trying to play this positive role
for already several months.” As to the plans to veto the decision
on holding the OSCE summit in Istanbul, Robert Kocharyan noted that
such a step could throw back the development of bilateral relations
for at least several years.

Nearly five years have passed since that. During this time,
the United States has really made and is continuing to make many
efforts in order to achieve the normalization of relations between
Yerevan and Ankara. But no tangible results have been achieved –
there are no diplomatic relations, the border is closed, and the
improvement of relations is linked to the settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. Against this background, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan’s decision to refuse to attend the NATO summit in Istanbul
seems righteous, and most likely pursues the aim to remind the USA
of the promises made five years ago. On the other hand, a question
emerges – how far-sighted is the Yerevan government when it puts its
relations with Turkey and NATO on the same scale?

Armenia does not ignore NATO summit

It is no secret that NATO’s policy in the South Caucasus will be one
of the central themes at the alliance’s summit in Istanbul.

[Passage omitted: Armenia signed several accords with NATO recently]

There is no doubt that certain forces both inside Armenia and outside
it are trying to present Robert Kocharyan’s non-participation in the
NATO summit in Istanbul as “Moscow’s private order”. However, such
hints have already been voiced – one of Yerevan’s opposition newspapers
wrote that Robert Kocharyan made the decision not to go to Istanbul
after the recent meeting with Vladimir Putin, though the statement by
the president’s press secretary about not taking part in the summit
was made three days before Kocharyan’s working trip to Moscow.

On the other hand, Yerevan is not going to ignore the NATO summit –
the Armenian delegation in Istanbul will be headed by Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan. The only problem is that the Armenian president’s
absence and the Georgian and Azerbaijani leaders’ presence at the
summit may create a certain political background, which is not
desirable for Armenia at all today when it has taken a number of
steps which ought to prove that Armenia presents its own interests
in the region and not those of Russia.

There is another aspect too, which casts doubts upon the efficiency
of the Armenian leader’s decision, the main aim of which is to draw
NATO’s attention to the problem of Armenian-Turkish relations. The
alliance’s leaders have repeatedly stated during the last few years
that they do not intend to act as mediators between Yerevan and Ankara.

[Passage omitted: quotes NATO chief George Robertson’s 2001 interview]

Thus, the Armenian president’s absence at the summit in Istanbul might
not only fail to contribute to the normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations, but it will also deprive Yerevan of an opportunity to make
another step to get close to NATO.

New tactics

Three or four years ago, Armenian diplomats said in private talks that
they were intentionally using the “Turkish factor” as a lever at talks
with NATO, making emphasis on the fact that the absence of diplomatic
relations with Turkey negatively affected the alliance’s image in
Armenia. It is difficult to say what results could be achieved by such
policy but it is obvious that Yerevan has recently adhered to different
tactics the essence of which is to demonstrate its readiness to take
part in all NATO-led events which are in one way or another connected
with Turkey or Azerbaijan, thus pushing forward the idea about the
necessity to start regional cooperation in the South Caucasus.

[Passage omitted: on Armenian army chief’s visit to Brussels in
May 2004]

It is unlikely that the Armenian president’s refusal to take part in
NATO’s Istanbul summit can be considered as the rejection of this new
tactics, during the realization of which Yerevan, unlike the policy of
the past years, uses NATO as a “bridge” for establishing at least some
kind of contacts between Armenia and Turkey. But, on the other hand,
Armenia’s adversaries can interpret Robert Kocharyan’s refusal to
arrive in Istanbul as the refusal to adhere to regional partnership,
including within the PfP [NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme]
framework.

Armenian-Turkish ties might hinder cooperation with NATO

Finally, we would like to directly touch upon Armenian-Turkish
relations. While in 2003, both sides made optimistic statements about
the possibility to achieve some progress, the first five months of
2004 buried all the hopes.

Last year, the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers, Vardan Oskanyan
and Abdullah Gul, held three meetings. Commenting on the results of
his latest meeting with Gul in Brussels on 5 December 2003, Vardan
Oskanyan said it “differed qualitatively from the two previous
ones. We are about to make the first step. Although it is still
early to make definite statements, I should say that this meeting
has become an important stage, and I think that within the next few
months we will get the first positive result concerning the issue of
the Turkish-Armenian border,” the Armenian foreign minister said.

Late in April 2004, Vardan Oskanyan said in an interview with German
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “The start of our relations with the
new Turkish government was good. Since last year, I have had three
meetings with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. The first meeting
was good, the second less good, and the third one was bad. First,
we concentrated on bilateral issues. During the second meeting,
we discussed the Nagornyy Karabakh issue as well, and during the
third one the Karabakh issue became a precondition for normalizing
relations. Thus, we remained on the same positions we were during
the former Turkish government.”

One thing remains quite unintelligible – why did the Armenian minister
give a different assessment of his latest meeting with Abdullah Gul
only half a year later? No matter what the problem is the situation
will not change – Armenia deprives itself of an opportunity to be
represented at a high level at an extremely important NATO summit
in Istanbul because of the absence of relations with Turkey. If
in the next years events develop according to the same scenario,
the Armenian-Turkish border will become that very separation line
between Armenia and NATO, which is so feared by Yerevan.

Getting the job done

Bangkok Post – Thailand;
May 24, 2004

CHIRATAS NIVATPUMIN — A squeak of protest emerges from the well-padded
chair as Bob Kevorkian settles back and lights a cigar.

“You know, I do miss the physical work from a project. It’s less
stressful. You’re done for the day, come home, take a bath, relax,
and it’s over,” he said with a shrug.

“Management is different. So I do miss it, but of course, I’m fatter
now.”

Yet the 61-year-old former construction labourer shows little sign
of slowing down, not with the Thai economy firmly on the upswing and
the property sector booming with activity.

A former managing director of Philipp Holzmann (Thailand), Mr Kevorkian
has worked on some of the most prominent construction projects in
town, including projects such as the Sukhothai and Peninsula hotels
and the ill-fated Hopewell train project.

The British-educated Armenian left Philipp Holzmann just before the
1997 crisis to start his own firm, K-Tech Construction. Needless to
say, the timing was not good.

“I started in February 1997, with just one room, a maid, a driver
and a secretary,” Mr Kevorkian recalled, noting that turnover for
the first year was a paltry 50 million baht.

Compare that with last year’s revenues of 2.6 billion baht, expected
to rise to 4.5 billion this year. The company now employs some 10,000
people, including contract workers, with a project record boasting
the 260,000-square-metre Central Rama II development, the 47-floor
Central World Tower project, seven Carrefour projects and the Royal
Phuket Marina and Spa development.

The company recently filed to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand
with a proposed float of 7.2 million shares at five baht par value,
equal to 16% of its new capital.

K-Tech, with paid-up capital of 185 million baht, currently is 35%
owned by Mr Kevorkian. Other major shareholders include Suprangporn
Thumsujrit at 27% and the Thailand Equity Fund at 19%.

Funds raised from the initial public offering, expected to be held
within the next two months, will be used for working capital and
expansion, including diversification into public sector infrastructure
projects and development projects abroad.

“My basic philosophy is to believe in people. You must work with the
clients, give them what they want, on time, on budget and with the
right quality,” Mr Kevorkian said.

Finding the right balance for all three factors is a balancing act
for any contractor.

“The bricks, the concrete, the windows, they’re all the same. The
difference is in how well can you do it, how well can you control
the costs and manage time,” Mr Kevorkian said.

Logistics and planning, more so than engineering and technical
issues, are the key to completing any construction project on time
and on budget.

“The particular challenges of working in Thailand? You have working
hour restrictions, small sois, traffic,” Mr Kevorkian said.

“In most countries, you order the concrete for 10am delivery and it
comes at 10. In Bangkok, it could come at 1pm”

He paused. “Construction is a risk business. If you don’t want the
risk, you shouldn’t get involved. The more your experience, the better
your people are, the easier it is to manage the risks.”

Maintaining quality is key, Mr Kevorkian said. “You can be late,
you can be overbudget, but you need to deliver value,” he said.

“It’s like in a restaurant. A steak might cost just 100 baht, but if
it’s bad, you will leave feeling cheated. But a good steak, it can be
30 minutes late, it might cost 1,000 baht … but if it’s really good,
you will be happy.”

Mr Kevorkian noted that over 60% of K-Tech’s customers were repeat
customers such as Central, Golden Land, Carrefour and Ananda
Developments.

“I’ve worked in dozens of countries. It’s a great feeling to pass a
building and think to yourself, I was involved,” he said.

An acknowledged workaholic, Mr Kevorkian says he puts in 14 hours
of work a day, six days a week, meeting with clients, architects,
consultants and his project managers. And even after a full week,
he still takes time each Sunday to drive around to various K-Tech
construction sites to sneak a peek at where the project stands.

“My wife asks why I work so much. I like to say, in the office,
I’m king. At home, I’m only a husband,” he said with a grin.

“I don’t get stressed. It’s important to enjoy what you are doing. I’ll
be ready to retire once the excitement is gone. But for now, the
interest is still there.”

Research Refutes Armenian-Urart Relation

Zaman, Turkey
May 24 2004

It has emerged that the Armenians do not have a genetic relationship
with the Urart civilization that once settled in Eastern Turkey in
the vicinity of Van city.

Research conducted by Ankara University’s Anthropology Department
faculty member, Prof. Erksin Gulec, scientifically refutes Armenian
claims of kinship with Urarts. The Urarts established a strong
civilization in the 7th and 8th centuries in Eastern Anatolia as
well as in Caucasus. Armenians believe that the lands under the Urart
hegemony are the homeland of Armenians.

This thesis has been historically and scientifically refuted. Now,
it is anthropologically refuted as well.

Gulec anthropologically examined 288 different skeletons unearthed
during archeological excavations in Van and Hakkari. The Urart
skeletons previously removed in Tilkitepe and Erzincan were also
examined. Using a special method, distance analysis, it is possible to
analyze kinship relations of populations. In the end, the morphological
characteristics of Urarts and Armenians were compared.

Gulec presented his study at the 1st National DVI Congress held in Van
lately and said that Urarts had a Mediterranean morphologic structure
while the others have an Armenian structure. He said that the ancestors
of Armenians are accepted as Armenoids and said they were a sub-group
of Dinarics who lived in Anatolia previously in the Bronze Age.

05.24.2004
Necip Cakir

Armrosgazprom seeks involvement in Iran-Armenia gas pipeline

Interfax
May 24 2004

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armrosgazprom intends to be part of the building
and operation of the gas pipeline running between Iran and Armenia,
Armrosgazprom general director Karen Karapetyan has told the press.

The company would also “like to take on the building of the new gas
pipeline and its further exploitation,” Karapetyan said. “We are a
very ambitious company, and aspire to involvement in this serious
project,” he said.

This is now being discussed with Armrosgazprom founders Gazprom (45%,
worth $280 million), the corporation Itera (10%) and the Armenian
Energy Ministry (45%).

As reported earlier, the Armenian government is working on finding
funding for its role in the Armenian-Iranian project. Actual investor
proposals have yet to be announced.

Final agreement between the two countries on this pipeline was inked in
Yerevan on May 13. The document provides for shipments of 20 billion
cubic meters (bcm) of Iranian gas over twenty years in exchange for
electricity produced in Armenia.

The 700-mm diameter pipeline will run 141 kilometers and cost an
overall $210-$220 million to build. It will initially pump 1.1 bcm
per year, and that will steadily increase to 2 bcm. The gas will be
used by Armenian power plants to make and export electricity to Iran
and Georgia.

Ethnic communities in Abkhazia object to Georgian jurisdiction

Interfax
May 24 2004

Sukhumi. (Interfax) – Ethnic communities in Abkhazia are against plans
to restore Georgian jurisdiction over the self-proclaimed republic.

“The Russian, Armenian, Greek, Estonian, Ukrainian, Polish and German
communities in Abkhazia declare that the Georgian administration’s
hopes to gain support for their expansionist plans are unfounded,” says
a statement from Abkhazia’s ethnic communities circulated on Monday.

“The Georgian authorities, which are planning to ‘peacefully’
restore their jurisdiction over the territory of our republic, claim
that certain forces, including representatives of certain ethnic
communities in Abkhazia, allegedly support the intentions of this
potential aggressor,” the statement says.

“We, the various nationalities in Abkhazia, strongly support the
constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia, which proclaims independent,
sovereign and democratic development of our state,” the statement
says. “The multinational people of Abkhazia, who have had to struggle
for freedom and economic and cultural development, will not allow
anyone to encroach on their homeland, Apsny.”