Noyan Tapan
May 11 2004

Results of Tender of Video Film Scenarios organized by Pan-Armenian
International Youth Fund to be summed up in late May.

Thirty five individuals and organizations have introduced applications
for participation in tender of video film scenarios organized by
Pan-Armenian International Youth Fund. Astghik Avetisyan, the fund
press secretary informed that the tender results would be summed
up by the end of May. The authors of the best three scenarios will
receive prices.

It was also mentioned that the fund will support the production of
video tapes based on the chosen scenarios and broadcast them on some
Armenian TV Channels.

Vintage Launch for Berger To Grow Market Share

zawya

Dubai May 15th 2004: Berger Paints today announced the launch of its
new Vintage Finish, an exterior textured paint that gives an ancient
look and feel recreating the magic of a bygone era. The Vintage
product, which is aimed directly at new construction projects in the
UAE and the region, is set to help the company grow its market share.

With its unique engraved finish, the Berger Vintage Collection performs
the role of a decorative plaster and finish combining decoration and
protection in one with the added attraction of a vintage look.

Mr. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free
Zone Corporate commented, “With the dramatic pace of development
and construction taking place in Dubai and the Emirates we are very
fortunate to have a number of quality driven paint suppliers in the
UAE supplying specialist paint for exterior surfaces.”

Berger Paints company officials said that revenues so far this year
have grown over 25%, and the launch of Vintage will help the company
extend revenue growth potential and benefit from the current real
estate and construction boom.

“There is a growing need for new fashionable finishes for exteriors and
our offer comes with the backing of the Berger’s hallmark research
and development,” said Mr. Suresh Mohandas, CEO of Berger Paints
Emirates Ltd. “The new Vintage finish is the first of the several new
products and concepts planned to meet the ever increasing expectations
of the UAE market.”

The new Vintage line was unveiled by Mr. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem at
a dinner reception held at the One&Only Royal Mirage in the presence
of several leading UAE architects and consultants.

Berger Paints Emirates has its manufacturing unit in Al Quoz Industrial
Estate and services a large area including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Oman, Africa, Afghanistan and the CIS countries of Armenia,
Khazakstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Scholars are ‘ambassadors’ for Va. Tech
4-line readin goes here.
By Kevin Miller, [email protected]

roanoke.com
Saturday, May 15, 2004

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech seniors Mathew Cahill and Tim Work were
well re of the quality competition they faced in their quests to land
Fulbright scholarships to Austria. All that either of the two Tech
honor students needed to do was glance at the other’s application.

“Back in the fall when we were applying, we would talk about how it
was going,” Cahill said this week. “And in the end, we were the only
ones left standing.”

Work and Cahill received Fulbright teaching assistantships and research
grants and will head to Vienna in the coming months to teach English
in the public schools and conduct research in their fields of interest.

They were among the nearly 3,500 Tech undergraduates to be honored
during Friday night’s commencement ceremony. Individual colleges and
departments will hold their own graduation ceremonies today .

Named for the late Sen. J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright program
is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program that
aims to “increase mutual understanding” and help develop “friendly,
sympathetic and peaceful relations” between the United States and
other nations, according to an informational pamphlet from the
Fulbright Association.

The Fulbright program operates in more than 140 countries worldwide,
providing grants for American students and scholars to work abroad and
for foreign students and scholars to work on U.S. campuses annually.

Five other Virginia Tech students – including just one other
undergraduate – have received Fulbright grants since 1999.

“Mat and Tim are truly extraordinary honors students with excellent
language skills in German,” said Barbara Cowles, associate director
of University Honors. “The University Honors Program and the Campus
Fulbright Committee feel that they will be wonderful ambassadors for
Virginia Tech and the United States.” Work, who double-majored in
history and art history, spent his junior year studying in Marburg,
Germany. The 21-year-old Virginia Beach native said he visited more
than 50 cities in Europe during his stay, which helped whet his
appetite for additional overseas study.

“I would say, with few doubts, that it was the best year of my life,”
Work said. He plans to live and work in Berlin during the summer
before beginning his studies at Vienna’s Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute for
Urban History Research. Work said he would like to study at Cambridge
University in England after completing the nine-month Fulbright
program. He eventually hopes to become an art history professor.

Cahill, 22, also already has extensive experience abroad. He spent
the fall semester of his junior year studying German politics in
Munich and then the spring semester interning at the U.S. Embassy in
Vienna. Cahill also worked as an election observer in Armenia with
the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which works
on security and economic issues, human rights and election monitoring
in 55 participating states in Europe, Central Asia and North America.

Cahill, who double-majored in international studies and German,
said he hopes the Fulbright program will open additional doors for him.

“My ultimate career goal is to be an ambassador,” said Cahill, who grew
up in Williamsburg. Explaining his attraction to Vienna, Cahill added:
“It’s pretty much the center of East and West coming together.”

Curtain rises for Eurovision
By Sibel Utku Bila

The Age
May 16, 2004

Istanbul – Two dozen nations are set to battle for the crown in
Eurovision, the pan-continental song fest which attracts millions of
viewers worldwide despite the much-derided quality of its music.

The 49-year-old event, strongly ritualised by many and mocked
by others, this year offers a variety of attractions ranging from
whirling dervishes and dancers akin to leather-clad hobbits, to an
abundance of ethnic tunes and theatrical floorshows.

The contest is taking place amid heavy police presence, prompted by
several massive al-Qaeda-linked suicide bombings that hit the host city
Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest metropolis, last November, and in March.

About 2000 officers, some special forces armed with automatic rifles,
were on duty at the venue, a police official said. Traffic in the
vicinity was restricted.

Eurovision this year attracted a record number of 36 entries, with
Eastern Europeans making a particular effort to prove themselves on
the pan-continental music arena.

The increased interest forced organisers to hold a semi-final on
Wednesday, in which 12 countries were knocked out.

The winner will be chosen by the audiences of participant countries
through tele-voting, which, organisers say, will make Eurovision 2004
the biggest tele-voting event in television history.

The show, to be watched by an estimated 100 million people, will
also be broadcast in Armenia, Australia, Kosovo, Puerto Rico and the
United States.

Tipped as a hot favourite is Greek heartthrob Sakis Rouvas, whose
number Shake It comes complete with an explosive dance spectacle
involving stripping dancers.

He is expected to face a strong challenge from Ukraine’s Ruslana,
a charismatic brunette who wears leather costumes reminiscent of
the Lord of the Rings and performs a stompy dance inspired by ethnic
traditions in the Carpathian mountains.

The songs of Albania, Belgium, Cyprus, Malta, Serbia and Montenegro
and Sweden have also received warm receptions from audiences during
rehearsals.

Also closely watched will be James Fox, who is seeking to restore
Britain’s Eurovision pride following the dreaded nil points with
which his country’s entry was humiliated last year.

For Turkey, the gala event is seen as a unique publicity opportunity
to boost its image in the eyes of a European public often skeptical
over the Muslim nation’s bid to join the European Union.

They hosts are eager to convey messages of religious and cultural
tolerance – the title of the contest is “Under the same sky” and the
stage design is reminiscent of Istanbul’s world-famous monuments such
as the Hagia Sophia church and the Blue Mosque.

Even though Eurovision has marked the onset of several outstanding
careers including those of Abba and Celine Dion, it is mostly
associated with music of questionable merits, bizarre costumes and
last but not least, political bias in the voting.

Cyprus and Greece, for instance, would traditionally award their
respective entries with the maximum points, while countries from the
Baltics, the Balkans and Scandinavia would often extend a helping
hand to neighbours.

And the zero points Britain received last year, many believe, was
Europe’s punishment for Britain’s support for the US-led occupation
of Iraq.

Turkey won the right to host the show when one of its top pop divas,
Sertab Erener, came first in last year’s contest in Riga, after
decades of disappointment for the Muslim nation.

The Eurovision Grand Final will screen on SBS tonight (Sunday) at 7.30.

– AFP

Trustee’s Travels Lead To Narrowing Of Gap Between Bitter Nations
By MICHAEL SEBASTIAN, Journal Reporter

ELK GROVE JOURNAL / Thursday, May 13, 2004
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2004

Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war. The European and Asian nation,
respectively, have battled each other over territorial issues since
the fall of the Soviet Union. Despite the reigning bitterness, an
elected official from Elk Grove helped, ever so slightly, mend the
gap between the nations by working closely with their youth.

In March, Elk Grove Trustee Patton Feichter traveled to the capitol of
Lithuania — Vilnius — as part of a federally funded, international
teacher exchange program titled Civitas. From March 5 to March 14,
Feichter, a trustee for seven years, worked closely with teachers,
government officials, community leaders and youth of Baltic and former
Soviet bloc countries including Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Latvia,
Romania, Slovakia and Bosnia — as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.

For an entire day, Feichter and other Civitas representatives visited
the Vilnius Pedagogical University, a teacher’s college, to work with
future and current instructors. The group’s main thrust involved
bringing democracy to a classroom of citizens who view this free
world concept with excitement and uncertainty.

Feichter and others worked with teaching students from three nations
that day — Lithuania, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The only common language
the students shared was Russian, a completely foreign language to
Feichter. Yet with a translator Feichter and the Civitas team brought
the Armenians and Azerbaijanis to a shaky state of cohesion, despite
their reluctance, Feichter admitted.

Together, the foreign teachers learned the many ways to engage their
students in community concerns. A primary example involved flushing
out a problem, for instance, drugs or violence in elementary schools,
then researching the issue in search of an answer.

“The teachers would interview public and school officials and members
of the police department about the problem,” explained Feichter. “This
was a huge step because people from these countries never questioned
authority before.”

The day at Vilnius Pedagogical University was a success, Feichter
indicated. “The students worked well together,” he said adding,
“they were all wonderful to us — very thankful.”

Although the experience was a success, the Civitas team’s involvement
with Lithuanian government was not always light and easy. One day,
Feichter attended a session of the Lithuanian Parliament on the
nation’s Independence Day from the Soviet Union, a seemingly joyous
experience. However, once the formal celebration ceased, the political
wrangling began, according to Feichter. As he watched, members of
parliament continued with the impeachment process of their leader.

“I didn’t know the language,” Feichter commented. “But you could
definitely feel the tension in the room.”

The president was impeached after we left the country, Feichter added.

This Elk Grove trustee is no stranger to government or foreign
relations. A former high school government teacher, now comparative
government at North Park University, Feichter has traveled to Bosnia
almost annually since 1996 constantly stressing the importance of
democracy education. It’s an admittedly deep passion, according
to Feichter.

When not exporting democracy or watching anxious impeachment
proceedings, Feichter enjoyed the native life. He ate a traditional
Lithuanian dinner in a castle one evening. The festivities included
a Lithuanian Elvis Presley impersonator, Feichter chuckled.

“We were treated very well,” explained Feichter. “The only negativity
we received concerned Iraq. Many teachers polled me on our country’s
involvement in Iraq.”

The questioning didn’t faze him though. He will certainly return to
Eastern Europe next year to continue democracy education. Until then
however, Feichter plans to soak up some Lithuanian culture with the
nation’s cuisine. Chicago holds the largest Lithuanian population
outside Lithuania, which is a bonus for Feichter who has fallen in
love with one of their national delicacies — potato pancakes.

“They’ve got some of the best in the world,” he noted.

THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2004

Trustee’s Travels Lead To Narrowing Of Gap Between Bitter Nations By
MICHAEL SEBASTIAN Journal Reporter

Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war. The European and Asian nation,
respectively, have battled each other over territorial issues since
the fall of the Soviet Union. Despite the reigning bitterness, an
elected official from Elk Grove helped, ever so slightly, mend the
gap between the nations by working closely with their youth.

In March, Elk Grove Trustee Patton Feichter traveled to the capitol of
Lithuania — Vilnius — as part of a federally funded, international
teacher exchange program titled Civitas. From March 5 to March 14,
Feichter, a trustee for seven years, worked closely with teachers,
government officials, community leaders and youth of Baltic and former
Soviet bloc countries including Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Latvia,
Romania, Slovakia and Bosnia — as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.

For an entire day, Feichter and other Civitas representatives visited
the Vilnius Pedagogical University, a teacher’s college, to work with
future and current instructors. The group’s main thrust involved
bringing democracy to a classroom of citizens who view this free
world concept with excitement and uncertainty.

Feichter and others worked with teaching students from three nations
that day — Lithuania, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The only common language
the students shared was Russian, a completely foreign language to
Feichter. Yet with a translator Feichter and the Civitas team brought
the Armenians and Azerbaijanis to a shaky state of cohesion, despite
their reluctance, Feichter admitted.

Together, the foreign teachers learned the many ways to engage their
students in community concerns. A primary example involved flushing
out a problem, for instance, drugs or violence in elementary schools,
then researching the issue in search of an answer.

“The teachers would interview public and school officials and members
of the police department about the problem,” explained Feichter. “This
was a huge step because people from these countries never questioned
authority before.”

The day at Vilnius Pedagogical University was a success, Feichter
indicated. “The students worked well together,” he said adding,
“they were all wonderful to us — very thankful.”

Although the experience was a success, the Civitas team’s involvement
with Lithuanian government was not always light and easy. One day,
Feichter attended a session of the Lithuanian Parliament on the
nation’s Independence Day from the Soviet Union, a seemingly joyous
experience. However, once the formal celebration ceased, the political
wrangling began, according to Feichter. As he watched, members of
parliament continued with the impeachment process of their leader.

“I didn’t know the language,” Feichter commented. “But you could
definitely feel the tension in the room.”

The president was impeached after we left the country, Feichter added.

This Elk Grove trustee is no stranger to government or foreign
relations. A former high school government teacher, now comparative
government at North Park University, Feichter has traveled to Bosnia
almost annually since 1996 constantly stressing the importance of
democracy education. It’s an admittedly deep passion, according
to Feichter.

When not exporting democracy or watching anxious impeachment
proceedings, Feichter enjoyed the native life. He ate a traditional
Lithuanian dinner in a castle one evening. The festivities included
a Lithuanian Elvis Presley impersonator, Feichter chuckled.

“We were treated very well,” explained Feichter. “The only negativity
we received concerned Iraq. Many teachers polled me on our country’s
involvement in Iraq.”

The questioning didn’t faze him though. He will certainly return to
Eastern Europe next year to continue democracy education. Until then
however, Feichter plans to soak up some Lithuanian culture with the
nation’s cuisine. Chicago holds the largest Lithuanian population
outside Lithuania, which is a bonus for Feichter who has fallen in
love with one of their national delicacies — potato pancakes.

“They’ve got some of the best in the world,” he noted.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeris insist on return of occupied districts in exchange for opening railway

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
15 May 04

[Presenter Namiq Aliyev] The sides only exchanged ideas at the
Strasbourg meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers,
and the co-chairmen [of the OSCE Minsk Group] did not voice specific
proposals, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has
said. According to him, the reopening of the Baku-Naxcivan-Yerevan
railway in return for the liberation of the seven occupied lands will
be the main subject of the talks in the future as well.

[Correspondent over video of Mammadyarov speaking to microphone]
Despite the Yerevan government’s denial, the liberation of the seven
districts under Armenian occupation was discussed at the Strasbourg
meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, Mammadyarov
said in an exclusive interview with Azad Azarbaycan TV on his return
from the Strasbourg meeting. We should recall that Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan had denied that the issue of the seven
districts was discussed and had described this subject as absurd. But
Mr Mammadyarov said that this issue, which was discussed in Strasbourg,
would be included in the agenda of the future talks as well.

[Mammadyarov] You are aware of Azerbaijan’s position on the railway
and the seven districts. We, the Azerbaijani side, will always put it
forward as an idea. Well, this is Azerbaijan’s idea. The Armenian side
expressed its idea as well. The co-chairmen expressed their ideas as
well. We think that this exchange of ideas is to be continued at the
next meetings.

[Correspondent] Describing the Strasbourg talks as useful on the whole,
Mammadyarov did not reveal the details of the meeting. According to
him, the sides agreed to keep the results in secret.

[Mammadyarov] We had a very useful exchange of ideas at the meeting
and agreed to continue these meetings. For the time being, this is the
only thing I can say, because we decided to continue these meetings
and exchange any ideas in a confidential way.

[Correspondent] Mr Mammadyarov added that after submitting a report to
President Ilham Aliyev about the Strasbourg meeting, he could answer
specific questions. We should recall that the co-chairmen of the OSCE
Minsk Group attended the talks as well. As for the new proposals on
the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Mr Mammadyarov said
that all this was only an idea so far.

[Mammadyarov] I would not say that they were in the form of new
proposals. All this is an exchange of ideas. At the moment, we,
each side, express our own opinions. The time will show which ideas
will turn into proposals in the future.

[Correspondent] The sides also discussed a meeting between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Astana. According to
Mammadyarov, if the heads of state’s schedule makes it possible,
their meeting will take place this autumn.

Rasad Huseynov, Bahruz Maharramov and Ziyad Aliyev for “Son Xabar”.

Arts Digest : A capsule review and preview of art and entertainment in Armenia
By Gayane Abrahamyan, ArmeniaNow arts reporter

Armenianow.com
May 14, 2004

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT: RA President Robert Kocharyan visited the
Armenian Center for Contemporary Art, to the opening ceremony of
the international festival of alternative art entitled “Dream in
the Dialogue”. Art critics from Armenia, Austria, Germany and Italy
participated in the festival, which is held for the sixth time in
succession. Paintings will be presented within the framework of the
festival till May 21, as well as the show of “One Shot, One Minute” and
“In the Room” films will be organized. The “Spandara” experimental
theater will stage a play performed by the motives of Simone de
Bovouar’s “Monologue” novel, and the “Pat” experimental theater will
stage Jean Paul Sartr’s same name story. Four prizes of $1,500 dollars
each are set for the best works presented at the festival.

PRESIDENT’S AWARD: The annual award ceremony of RA President Robert
Kocharyan took place on May 7. Robert Poghossyan and Sons Fund is the
establisher of the award that is being held for the fourth year. As
every year, the nominees received diplomas, cash awards ($5000)
and a gold medal from the Poghossyans for their work done in 2003 .

“Reproduction Health” manual written by Razmik Abrahamyan and Gayane
Avagyan received the president’s prize in the healthcare sphere.

Professor Ashot Sukiasyan’s “Dictionary of Synonyms” received the prize
in the “Human Development and Humanities Values, Including Development
of the Humanities” nomination. The president of the republic personally
approached and handed the prize to the outstanding scholar.

Armenian artist Robert Elibekyan and poet Razmik Davoyan became the
winners among the seven authors nominated for the Art and Literature
nomination.

TWO PRIZES FOR ARMENIAN ACTORS: YEREVAN: Two out of four prizes of the
“Vidlunya” International Theater Festival on monoplays held in Kiev
on April 21-26 were given to Armenian actors Haik Zorikian and Aram
Hovhannisian, reported Noyan-Tapan agency on May 11. Hakob Ghazanchian,
Director of the “Armmono” international festival, told that Aram
Hovhannisian, an actor of the Paronian’s State Musical Comedy Theater,
was awarded with a prize for the “Rosinant” monoplay in the nomination
“The Best Genre Synthesis”, and Haik Zorikian, an actor of the Theater
of Pantomime, was awarded for the play entitled “Take Care of Each
Other, People” in the nomianation “The Best Actor Debut”. According
to Hakob Ghazanchian, actors of 15 countries participated in the
festival with 18 plays. After the Kiev festival the Armenian actors
received new invitations from Minsk, Moscow and Riga.

DAVID MALIAN’S 100 th ANNIVERSARY: The May 10 jubilee arrangement
organized at the Theatre Worker’s Union of Armenia was dedicated
to the 100th anniversary of People’s Artist of Soviet Union David
Malian. Since 1924 the actor worked in the National Academic
Theatre after G.Sundukian, successfully presented about 150
characters. D.Malian also stood at the source of Armenian cinema,
he played roles in “Pepo,” “Zangezur,” “David Bek,” “Anahit” and
other films. The memories about the creative way he passed and about
his partners were presented by David Malian in the book entitled
“Persons, Meetings.”

According to Yervand Ghazanchian, Chairman of the Theatre Workers’
Union of Armenia, D.Malian was one of the most outstanding figures
of the Armenian theatre and cinema. “David Malian was a legend for
my generation,” Tigran Torosian, RA NA Deputy Chairman, said. In his
estimation, the roles played by D.Malian have great importance, which
remain unforgettable in the history of the Armenian cinema and theatre.

SOUNDS OF JIVAN GASPARYAN’S DUDUK IN ISTANBUL: Armenian duduk player
Jivan Gaspsryan held a concert in the Yeni Meleq (New Angel) concert
hall, in Istanbul on May 12, accompanied by 3 Turkish musicians in a
hall that seats 2000 people. Before the concert in Turkey, Gasparyan
was in Moscow, where he was the only foreign musician, at a concert
devoted to President Putin’s inauguration.

FILM ABOUT PARAJANOV IN CANNES MOVIE FESTIVAL: Russian film,
documentary work by Georgy Parajanov “I died in the childhood” has
been included in the offical program of Cannes Movie Festival out of
contest, reported Arminfo on May 12.

The 1-hour-long film is dedicated to film director Sergey Parajanov
and was shot by his nephew. The film is presented in the form of
the hero’s confession. The film “I died in the childhood” gives a
unique opportunity to spectators to see the only scene shot by Sergey
Parajanov from the unfinished film “Confession,” the funerals of the
neighboring girl.

ON YEREVAN STAGES .

May 16 Aram Khachaturyan Philharmonic Concert Hall Lyric and Music
Evening devoted to 80 anniversary of Armenian poet Paruyr Sevak. Ticket
cost 1000-3000 AMD.

May 15, 16 National Opera and Ballet Theatre Rebirth of the opera
“Anush”, Anush – Anahit Mkhitaryan, Nune Badalyan .. , Sosi –
Alexander Tamazov, Saro – Ruben Nurijanyan. artistic director Gegham
Grigoryan. Ticket cost 2000-6000 AMD.

May 15, 16 Stanislavsky Russian Theatre, British Council presented
Russel Maliphant Dance Company. Ticket cost 2000-5000

May 19, 20 Aram Khachaturyan Philharmonic Concert Hall , Concert of
the new pop star Mister X. Ticket cost 1500-6000.

Change in the air

The Georgian Messenger
14 May 2004

After success in Adjara, President Mikheil Saakashvili promises that
he will return Abkhazia in the near future. The government is working
on various plans to resolve the conflict, which has been frozen for
more than a decade. Tbilisi is ready to take “extraordinary” steps
to achieve this dream.

The unexpectedly sudden and bloodless overthrow of Aslan Abashidze’s
regime in Batumi left a big impression on the Georgian population, as
well as the separatist government’s in Georgia’s breakaway provinces
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Sukhumi and Tskhinvali maintain that
“events in a neighboring coun-try” do not effect them and that enacting
Rose Revolutions 3 and 4 on their territory is impossible for two
reasons: 1.Tbilisi will not be able to find support-ers among the
remaining population of these territories. 2. In contrast to Adjara,
Moscow will not concede these crucial separatist allies.

However, life is full of surprises. Recently, a few flaws appeared
in the sepa-ratists’ logic. On May 12, a small group of residents
of Abkhazia held a protest in downtown Sukhumi. The demonstration
featured five-cross flags and pictures of the Georgian president. The
protesters appealed to President Saakashvili with the slogan “Misha,
reconcile us!” The protest was forcefully crushed by separatist law
enforcement bodies. According to reports, sixteen persons of various
ethnic-ities were arrested, most of them Armenian.

The small group of citizens gathered in Sukhumi called on President
Saakash-vili to speed up the process of resolving the Georgian-Abkhaz
conflict and to reconcile Abkhazians and Georgians, as well as all
people living on the territory of Abkhazia.

Sukhumi’s de-facto government is quiet about this demonstration and
its rep-resentatives continue to insist that not a single Abkhaz
political group is willing to hold any dialogue with Georgia on this
matter. Reportedly under the guidance of Abkhazia’s separatist prime
minister, Raul Khajinba’s, controls on the Abk-haz- Georgian border
will be beefed up and urgent measures will be taken through-out
Abkhaz territory.

As the Georgian media reports, the Saakashvili administration, which
enjoys astronomical popularity among the population, will be ready
to take “extraordi-nary steps” and will sign on to Russian conflict
resolution proposals that She-vardnadze never agreed to for fear that
a wave of protests would follow.

Russia proposes to Moldova and Georgia a “confederation” model
for solving the separatist conflicts plaguing these countries. This
proposal is quite similar to the United Nation’s “Boden Document.” The
plan for structuring Georgia as a confederation foresees the weakening
of the Tbilisi government and the mainte-nance of Russian influence
on the now-separatist regions. But now, Adjara no longer figures into
this scheme. It maintains autonomous status, though the ma-jority of
the powers that Aslan Abashidze usurped from the central government
over the years have been returned to Tbilisi.

According to some sources, the Georgian government’s Abkhazia strategy
is likely to be as follows: they will agree to the confederation
model offered by Russia, but with the condition that the 300,000
Georgian refugees from Abkha-zia be allowed to return to their homes
throughout the region. These people will change the political reality
in Abkhazia and will express their will during elections.

Afterwards, Abkhazia’s status as part of Georgia will be determined.
Russian political circles expect Saakashvili to take active steps
towards the return of the separatist regions in June or July. They
are predicting “bloody con-flicts,” but then again, they said the same
thing about Adjara and reality turned out to be entirely different.

There is also speculation that Saakashvili and Putin will hold a
meeting soon, where the president will try to convince his Russian
colleague of the necessity to resolve the conflict. Saakashvili
emphasizes that the despite the ousting of Abashidze’s strongly
pro-Russian regime, Russian economic interests in Georgia are not
in danger and he plans specifically to invite Russian businessmen
to the country to calm their fears. He will likely present the same
argument in regard to Abkhazia, where Russian capital has “got its
foot in the door” thanks to the separatist government. However,
the Georgian government continues to regard this investment as illegal.

Recent experience has shown that Saakashvili likes to make unexpected
moves and take risks. He seems to be ready to accept the Russian
conditions about the status of Abkhazia that were most likely posed
so that the Georgian side would find them unacceptable. Still,
the decisive word belongs to Russia, which must fully reject the
imperialistic policy it has pursued in the south Caucasus in the
1990’s. A fundamental element of this policy has been considerable
support to the separatist regimes. As the Abashidze situation shows,
however, there may be change in the air.

CENN – MAY 14, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:

1. We Welcome You to Become a Member of the “Caucasus Environment Society”
2. Bolnisi Public Environmental Information Centre
3. Kazakhstan Oil To Be Transported Through BTC MEP
4. 5 Armenian NGO To Receive $40,000 in Grants from World Band and SOROS
Foundation
5. ATDA Launches New, State-of-the-Art Website
6. Covering Environmental Issues
7. An Israeli Expert in the Remote Village of Aygut
8. UNDP Launches the Community Week Advocacy Initiative with Events in
Remote Areas of Armenia
9. 23 Million Euros Needed for Upgrading Abovian Gas Storehouse
10. Armenian premier says Ukraine may join gas pipeline project
11. Yerevan invites Kyiv to Iran-Armenia pipeline tender
12. Romania and Armenia Foster Cooperation in Education and Science
13. Conference on Armenian Architecture in Brussels
14. Russia, Armenia and South Africa to Set up Diamond Venture
15. Russia and Armenia Consider Opportunities to Boost Cooperation
16. World Bank Corruption May Top $100 Bln

1. WE WELCOME YOU TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE “CAUCASUS
ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY”

Became a member of the “Caucasus Environment Society” and you will enjoy the
full range of our
services. You will receive free of charge our magazine “Caucasus
Environment”, get free legal and
environmental consultancy, free access to CENN databases, maps, resources,
etc.

All membership fees support the CENN magazine’s mission of expanding
environmental knowledge
on the Caucasus and are considered as charitable contribution to the
production of the regional
magazine.

We welcome you to become a Member of the “Caucasus Environment Society” by
registering
online:

Annual membership fee for Caucasus citizens/organizations $19, for
international members – $39.
Shipment cost included.

For the more detailed information please contact CENN.

2. BOLNISI PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTRE

On May 12, 2004 was held the meeting in the Public Environmental Information
Centre of Bolnisi in
the framework of the DAI — Development Alternatives, Inc. project Water
Resources Management
in the South Caucasus.

The final seminar was organized for the local activists from the different
NGOs about River Basin
Management. The River Ktsia Basin Counsil Statement project and the Training
Plan for the River
Ktsia Basin Counsil members were considered with the active support of DIA
officers. According to
the most optimistic evaluations the River Ktsia Basin Counsil will be
created before the end of this
month.

Prepared By Malkhaz Inadze, CENN

3. KAZAKHSTAN OIL TO BE TRANSPORTED THROUGH BTC MEP

Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag, May
12, 2004

Transportation of Kazakh oil will be realized via main export
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Jurists
and experts have already prepared relevant documents.

Final meeting with Kazakhstan side will be held in May 2004 and prepared
inter-governmental
agreement, stated the President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Natig
Aliyev.

Signing of bilateral agreement is due in Baku.

4. 5 ARMENIAN NGO TO RECEIVE $40,000 IN GRANTS FROM WORLD BANK AND
SOROS FOUNDATION

Source: ArmenPress, May 12 2004

Five Armenian non-governmental organizations will receive a total of $40,000
in grants from the
World Bank and the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation) in 2004 as part
of World Bank’s
Small Grants Program. The relevant agreements were signed today. The program
was started six
years ago and two years ago the Soros Foundation joined it.

Naira Melkumian, a senior official of the World Bank Yerevan office, said
the main goal of the
program is to help resolve the most pressing problems of the vulnerable
segment of the population
“or at least to outline ways for their resolution.”

Larisa Alaverdian from the Armenian branch of the Soros Foundation said the
five organizations
were selected from a pool of 115 applicants. She said the Bank and the
Foundation would continue
to support the implementation of the program.

One of the organizations, Atur, of Assyrians, living in Armenia, will use
the grant for publication of
2,000 copies of a book in their mother tongue. The other organization,
called Millennium, will publish
a book of seven successful stories of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan who
settled in Armenia’s
rural regions. The stories then will be used for shooting a documentary.

5. ATDA LAUNCHES NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART WEBSITE

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Armenian Tourism Development Agency /ATDA/
3 Nalbandian St., Yerevan 3675010, RA
Tel.: (+3741) 54 23 03, 54 23 06
Fax: (+3741) 54 47 92
Email: [email protected]

Date: May 12, 2004

Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) Launches New, State-of-the-Art
Website

The Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) launched an impressive new
website
showcasing Armenia’s tourist attractions, cultural
treasures, national parks, art
galleries and all the resources necessary to make any trip to Armenia a
comfortable, pleasant and
memorable time for all.

ATDA’s and TIB’s /Technology into Business/ staff of professionals – with
indispensable funding
from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
unparalleled technical
support from the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) – has created
a site that has merged
“high tech” interface with “high art” aesthetics, utilizing both ancient and
modern Armenian motifs.

>>From interactive maps of cultural landmarks to a comprehensive and easily
accessible database of
tour agents, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and so much more, the ATDA
site has become the
web’s one- stop, on-line, Armenian tourism venue.

Much like ATDA’s now famous ARMENIAInformation Visitor Information Center,
at 3
Nalbandyan Street in the heart of Yerevan, the new ATDA website is a
virtual, full service concierge
facility and an expansive compendium of useful information and resources –
whether that be for
travelers and tourists or history lovers and the arts literati.

Sections are thoughtfully organized with easy access navigation bars;
graphics and photos are vibrant
and compelling; maps are easy to read and truly interactive, providing
details on any given point in
Armenia with the click of the mouse.

Background information and helpful travel hints are available at every turn;
shopping and recreation
sites are explored side by side with cultural centers, museums, concert
halls and art galleries;
Armenia’s vast array of architectural monuments and sacred sites are finally
presented in such a way
that travel planning is almost as fun as the actual visit.

The site is also exceptional in that it provides a constantly updated
calendar of weekly events, which
is available online and can be e-mailed to you every week once you
subscribe.

The ATDA has really provided interested travelers and tourism industry
professionals – no matter
their point of origin – a place on the web to fulfill, as well as provide
for every type of Armenian
tourism and travel need.

Do not hesitate, go to now.

For more information on ATDA and its activities, please visit us at 3
Nalbandyan Street or contact at
(+3741) 542303/6.

6. COVERING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Source: International Journalist’s Network, May 11, 2004

Covering Environmental Issues
May 17, 2004 – May 21, 2004

The Caucasus Media Institute (CMI) with support of the U.S. Embassy and the
UN Environmental
Program organizes workshop in Yerevan, Armenia. The workshop is aimed at
improving journalists’
coverage of environmental news. British and local specialists will conduct
the training in Armenian
and English for 12 journalists.

The CMI Web site:

7. AN ISRAELI EXPERT IN THE REMOTE VILLAGE OF AYGUT

Armenia Tree Project
Yerevan 375025, Aygestan 9th Str., #6
Tel./Fax (374 1) 569910
Internet:
E-mail: [email protected]

Press Release
May 11, 2004

May 9, 2004 – Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and Satsil NGO organized a seminar
on potato growing
in Aygut Village, Gegharkounik Marz. The seminar was conducted by Mr. Gadi
Moses, an Israeli
expert in potato growing technologies representing ECOTEX Ltd. Mr. Moses
visited Armenia as a
guest of Satsil NGO in framework of an agricultural consulting assistance
project in the South
Caucasus conducted by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture.

Since 2002 ATP has been implementing a Village Economic Development program
in the Getik
River valley where Aygut is situated. In this program of sustainable
mountainous development, ATP
partners with the villagers and with other international and local
organizations to combat the linked
problems of poverty and natural resource degradation. Among the contributors
to date are
USDA/MAP, World Food Program, Heifer International, Project Harmony, ORRAN,
Boghosian
Education Center, and Satsil.

The seminar started with an overview of potato growing techniques employed
by Aygut farmers,
most of who fled from Azerbaijan as refugees fifteen years ago. After
learning about the problems
villagers are currently facing in potato growing, Mr. Moses presented
practical solutions to them and
shared the Israeli farmers’ experience. The presentation lasted for over
three hours. “You have the
best soil in the world: with a bit of learning you could multiply your
yield”, Mr. Moses encouraged the
listeners. With consulting experience in almost 40 countries around the
world, Mr. Moses managed
to enter into a dialogue with the villagers and assess their problems in a
very practical way. The
topics covered at the seminar included fertilizers used in potato growing,
planting techniques (optimal
distance between seed nests, planting depth, density, etc.). The community
members were active in
asking questions, particularly addressing maximizing yield and problems
connected with different
species of potatoes.

For further information, please contact Karen Sarkavagyan at the Armenia
Tree Project
Phone: 569910, 553069
E-mail [email protected]

The Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 during Armenia’s darkest and
coldest years with the
vision of securing Armenia’s future by protecting Armenia’s environment.
Funded by contributions
from Diasporan Armenians, ATP has planted and rejuvenated over 500,000 trees
at more than 450
sites ranging from Gumri to Goris.

8. UNDP LAUNCHES THE COMMUNITY WEEK ADVOCACY INITIATIVE WITH
EVENTS IN REMOTE AREAS OF ARMENIA

Source: ArmenPress, May 11, 2004

Today, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and the United Nations
Development Programme
(UNDP) officially started the Community Week advocacy initiative with two
major events in
Tavoush, one of the most remote regions of Armenia. The events were attended
by the Governor of
Tavoush, four deputy ministers from the Ministries of Territorial
Administration, Agriculture, Nature
Protection, Trade and Economic Development and the UN Resident
Coordinator/UNDP Resident
Representative. The events included the inauguration of the fully
rehabilitated secondary school in
Voskepar village and the creation of a Village Development Foundation in
Koty community.

In the framework of UNDP’s Community Development Project, the secondary
school in Voskepar
has been fully renovated, including installation of a new heating system.
The Armenian Social
Investment Fund (ASIF) and the Governor’s office have provided the school
with new furniture and
materials and the local community has provided a seven percent in-kind
contribution to the project.

In Koty village, UNDP’s Agricultural and Rural Development Coordination
Unit, together with the
Ministry of Agriculture, have facilitated the development of a Koty
Community Strategy
Development Plan for 2004-2008. A working group representing all main social
groups in the local
population has worked to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at addressing
various problems in the
community. To ensure the successful implementation of the Plan, Koty is
establishing a Community
Development Foundation. The Foundation will be formed by donations from
community members,
former Koty villagers and international organizations.

According to Ms. Grande: “UNDP is committed to supporting communities
throughout the country.
We recognize that the country’s strength is its communities and that through
partnerships we can and
should help communities help themselves. The inauguration of Voskepar school
and the launching of
the Koty Village Development Foundation are wonderful events to mark the
beginning of Community
Week, an advocacy initiative of UNDP Armenia and the Ministry of Territorial
Administration aimed
at raising public awareness about ongoing legislative and other reforms
affecting communities and
contributing to discussions on community-related issues.”

Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration, Mr. Vache Terteryan, noted:
“The Government of
Armenia has adopted an approach to delegate more authority to our
communities in order to make
them more viable in the long run. Currently, most of the communities are in
need of considerable
assistance especially in terms of quality and accessibility of social and
health services and education.
In this respect, we are grateful for UNDP’s attention and ongoing support to
our efforts aimed at
community development, and we are confident that our successful cooperation
will continue in
future.”

Background: UNDP cooperation to date in the area of community and rural
development in Tavoush
region amounts around USD 750,000. Three schools and eight primary
healthcare facilities have
been rehabilitated by UNDP. In addition, UNDP supports the Tavoush Farmers
Association, which
provides technical support and various services to approximately 1,000 rural
households in seven
communities.

9. 23 MILLION EUROS NEEDED FOR UPGRADING ABOVIAN GAS STOREHOUSE

Source: ArmenPress, May 13, 2004

A 23 million euros worth project for upgrading an underground natural gas
storehouse in the town of
Abovian, some 20 off the capital Yerevan, developed by HayRusGazArd company,
the sole supplier
of Russian gas to Armenia, was praised highly by the European Bank for
Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) and participants of a round table, held on the sidelines
of a ministerial meeting
of INOGATE program.

Edward Nersisian, head of HayRusGazArd’s department for external relations,
told Armenpress the
underground storehouse is of key importance for Armenia in terms of its safe
gas supply and energy
independence and “is no less important than the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
the construction of which
is supposed to start later this year.

The upgraded storehouse will be able to store some 200 million cubic meters
of gas, while today it
can contain only 80 million. In case of securing the necessary funds the
upgrading will be over in 2-3
years. Nersisian said a mobile station for quick repair of breaks on the
pipeline is expected to come
to Armenia as part of INOGATE’s 2004 program.

10. ARMENIAN PREMIER SAYS UKRAINE MAY JOIN GAS PIPELINE PROJECT

Source: Era, Kiev, May 11,2004

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan is paying a visit to Ukraine. He
met his Ukrainian
counterpart, Viktor Yanukovych, today. In particular, the parties noted that
both countries had
tremendous potential for developing bilateral trade.

The Armenian prime minister also stated that Ukraine could take part in
bidding for the construction
of a gas pipeline to Iran. He noted, however, that a technical and economic
feasibility study of the
project was still being prepared, so details of the possible participation
of Ukrainian companies in
building the pipeline had not been discussed yet.

11. YEREVAN INVITES KYIV TO IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE TENDER

Source: Interfax, May 12, 2004

Armenia is inviting Ukraine to bid in a tender for the building of an
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline,
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan announced at a joint press
conference with his
Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich on Tuesday in the Ukrainian capital.

Margaryan said this was one of the main topics discussed by the
Armenian-Ukrainian commission for
trade and economic relations on Tuesday.

He noted that his country and Iran are engaged in technical consultations,
after which will be
discussions of financial details and then the announcement of the
construction tender.

“We are confident Ukraine will take part in it,” Margaryan said.

As reported earlier, a final agreement on building the gas pipeline is
expected to be signed in late
May during a visit to Yerevan by Irani Oil and Gas Minister Bijan Zanganeh.

The actual construction is slated to begin late this year and be completed
sometime in 2006.

According to documents signed earlier, the Iran-Armenia pipeline will run
141 kilometers, 100 km in
Iran and 41 km in Armenia. The project price tag is estimated at $120
million. Plans are for Armenia
to receive 700 million cubic meters of gas per year via the pipeline
initially, up to 1.5 billion cubic
meters later on. Armenia will pay for the Irani gas with electricity at 3
kilowatt/hours per cubic meter
of gas.

Building this pipeline has been a discussion subject since 1992. Aside from
the main project players,
Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, China and some European Union countries have
shown interest. The
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced its
readiness to be part
of the project financing.

12. ROMANIA AND ARMENIA FOSTER COOPERATION IN EDUCATION AND
SCIENCE

Source: ArmenPress, May 11, 2004

An Armenian delegation headed by minister of education and science was in
Romania recently.
Education and science ministry press services reported that the visit aimed
to discuss cooperation
projects with Romanian education and scientific research ministry to ensure
implementation of a 1999
agreement between Armenian and Romanian governments.

During the working meetings the sides discussed ways of fostering
cooperation. Particularly it was
proposed to open a department of Armenian Studies at Bucharest State
University and a department
of Rumanian studies at the Yerevan Linguistic University.

Further it was arranged to foster student and research exchange program.
Romanian government
took the responsibility to support the Armenian school in Bucharest. The
sides signed a
memorandum that they will later develop into an agreement.

13. CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE IN BRUSSELS

PRESS RELEASE

REF: PR/04/05/011

Assembly of Armenians of Europe
Rue de Treves 10, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 647 08 01
Fax: +32 2 647 02 00

Brussels, 13/05/04 – On May 7th 2004 at the CIVA (Centre International pour
la Ville,
l’Architecture et le paysage) in Brussels, the Assembly of Armenians of
Europe organized a
conference dedicated to Armenian Medieval Architecture. Mr. Bernard Coulie
(orientalist, rector of
the Catholic University of Louvain,), Mr. Sarkis Shahinian (co-chairman of
the Swiss Armenian
Association, researcher at the EFP, Zuirch) and Mr. Patrick Donabedian (PhD
in the history of fine
arts and fellow worker at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France)
contributed to the conference, to
which architects, members of the cultural units of the European Commission
as well as students and
professors were invited. The idea behind inviting the latter group was to
introduce European
specialists and academics to Armenian cultural heritage, emphasize its role
in world heritage and
reveal the unknown traditions of Armenian Architecture.

At the opening of the conference Mr. Bernard Coulie expressed his
condolences to the Belgian
Armenian Community on the occasion
of the decease of Arbak Mkhitarian, famous Egyptologist,
armenologist-orientalist and active
member of the Armenian community.

Mr. Bernard Coulie gave the audience insights into Armenian history, culture
and Christianity, which
became the integral part of the Armenian identity, while Mr. Sarkis
Shahinian presented in detail the
architecture of Armenian Churches in the Middle Ages and revealed the
connection between the
Armenian pagan and Medial Christian cultures, as well as presented a glance
to Modern Armenian
architecture, in particular the urbanism of Yerevan, capital of the Republic
of Armenia.

Mr. Patrick Donabedian elaborated on the subject of ‘khatchkars’, cross
stones, in which the
Armenian valley is abundant. This conference came to highlight the fact that
the majority of those
Armenian monuments concerned are in the territory of Turkey and are in
danger of disappearance.
Moreover, none of the mentioned monuments are under the protection of
UNESCO.

The conference was followed by the photo exhibition on Armenia by the French
photographer
Wojtek Buss. It was in Armenia that Wojtek Buss discovered his vocation of
photographer and
some years later he returned there in order to realize his dream. His book
publish in Paris in 1998
was entitled “Armenia, Splendour of a secret country”. His wonderful photos
of Armenian
monasteries, churches and landscapes bear witness to the love, mysticism and
courage of Armenians.

14. RUSSIA, ARMENIA AND SOUTH AFRICA TO SET UP DIAMOND VENTURE

Source: RusData Dialine – BizEkon News, May 12, 2004

Russia, Armenia and South Africa are negotiating to set up a joint venture
to mine and polish
diamonds.

Russia, Armenia and South Africa are negotiating to set up a joint venture
to mine and cut diamonds.

The venture will offer the full range of services – from mining proper
through to the marketing of
finished jewelry articles. Armenia is sixth in the world in terms of diamond
polishing. In 2003, its
cutting factories turned out about USD 250 million worth of polished stones.
Experts have recently
been forecasting increased demand for and rising prices of diamonds. In
Russia, the first auction this
year to sell diamonds weighing from 10.8 carats up on the domestic market,
to be held May 18, has
already received bids from 50 Russian processing plants. Novye Izvestia
recalls that Botswana tops
the world’s diamond production league – 32% of all diamonds valued at USD
2.3 billion. It is
followed by Russia, with 22% of world output worth USD 1.6 billion. Third is
Canada, followed by
South Africa and Angola. Russia and South Africa are the main suppliers of
gem-quality diamonds.

15. RUSSIA AND ARMENIA CONSIDER OPPORTUNITIES TO BOOST COOPERATION

Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency, May 11, 2004

Russia and Armenia consider opportunities to boost cooperation, Russian
Foreign Ministry
spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said on Tuesday.

Two-way trade increased by almost 35 percent last year. At the present time,
Moscow and Yerevan
exchange views regarding the prospects for implementing the property-
against-debt agreement, as
well as interaction in the sphere of energy and investments, Yakovenko said.

The parties attach an important significance to the solution of transport
problems, in particular by
resuming the railroad service between Russia and Armenia through Georgia.

Special attention is paid to the coordination of efforts aimed at
normalizing the situation in the
Caucasus, and the opening of the potential of multi-lateral cooperation,
including within the
framework of the Caucasian Four.”

This includes the prevention of new conflicts and the settlement of old ones
such as in Nagrony
Karabakh, Yakovenko said.

He said interaction within the frameworks of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS), the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and Eurasian Economic
Community where
Armenia received the status of observer, was an important sphere of
cooperation between the two
countries.

“Russia and Armenia are resolved to make task-oriented moves in the fight
against terrorism,” the
diplomat said, adding that “the political interaction in the sphere of
anti-terrorist fight is strengthened
by effective practical cooperation between secret services.”

16. WORLD BANK CORRUPTION MAY TOP $100 BLN

Corrupt use of World Bank (news – web sites) funds may exceed $100 billion
and while the
institution has moved to combat the problem, more

Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), an Indiana Republican,
charged “in its starkest terms,
corruption has cost the lives of uncounted individuals contending with
poverty and disease.”

He commended World Bank President James Wolfensohn for bringing greater
attention to the issue,
but said, “Corruption remains a serious problem.”

Lugar opened a hearing on corruption at the multilateral development banks,
the first public
examination in an ongoing Senate investigation.

He cited experts who calculated that between $26 billion and $130 billion of
the money lent by the
World Bank for development projects since 1946 has been misused. In 2003,
the bank distributed
$18.5 billion in developing countries.

Jeffrey Winters, an associate professor at Northwestern University, said his
research suggested
corruption wasted about $100 billion of World Bank funds, and when other
multilateral development
banks are included, the total rises to about $200 billion.

Damian Milverton, a bank spokesman, later disputed the $100 billion
estimate, insisting it had “no
basis in fact.”

“We completely reject the figure offered by one of the panelists as an
estimate of funding from the
World Bank that might have been misused,” Milverton told Reuters.

Winters testified that the World Bank’s anti-corruption effort was having
“minimal effects” and the
banks should all focus on supervising and auditing their lending.

“The lion’s share of the theft of development funds occurs in the
implementation of projects and the
use of loan funds by client governments,” he said.

Like other United Nations (news – web sites) agencies, World Bank rules
prevent staff from
testifying in public so Wolfensohn was not at the hearing. But senior bank
officials on Monday
privately briefed lawmakers on its anti-corruption efforts, a bank spokesman
said.

Carole Brookins, the U.S. executive director on the World Bank board,
defended the bank saying it
was leading efforts to fight corruption, but acknowledged, “there is more
that could be done to
strengthen the system.”

More than 180 companies and individuals have been blacklisted from doing
business with the World
Bank and their names and penalties posted on the bank’s public Web site.

Between July 2003 and March 2004, it said it referred 18 cases of fraud or
corruption to national
justice authorities based on investigations by its anti-corruption unit.

Specific bank projects under review by the committee include the Yacyreta
dam on the
Argentina-Paraguay border, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and projects
in Cambodia.

Hector Morales, acting U.S. executive director to the Inter-American
Development Bank, testified
that his institution recently accelerated anti-corruption efforts “but still
has much work to do.”

The More you Know, The Less Gold Glows
Visit for more information

Payal Sampat
International Campaign Director
Earthworks (formerly Mineral Policy Center)
Phone: 202-887-1872 x.210
Email: [email protected]
Website:

BAKU: Azeri officials comment on BBC reporter’s visit to Karabakh

ANS TV, Baku
15 May 04

[Presenter] Baku is seriously concerned about BBC World Service
employee Steve Eke visiting Nagornyy Karabakh without notifying
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani Speaker has commented on this unpleasant
incident.

[Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov speaking to an ANS microphone] I have
spoken to the foreign minister. He said that he would deal with the
issue. Thank you.

[Presenter] The head of the presidential administration, Ramiz
Mehdiyev, also criticized the actions of BBC journalists who do not
respect Azerbaijan. However, he was more careful in his comments.

[Mehdiyev] In any case, we would like those who go to Nagornyy Karabakh
to know that they should go to Karabakh through Azerbaijani territory
because Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. It is a positive
thing that they go to Karabakh and make impartial reports. We would
like all those who go to Karabakh to know that Nagornyy Karabakh is
a constituent part of Azerbaijan.