Ukraine to join construction of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
12 May 04

The Armenian prime minister [Andranik Markaryan] has suggested that
Ukraine should take part in the competition on the construction of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. This was one of the main issues discussed
during a session of the Armenian-Ukrainian economic cooperation
commission in Kiev. Andranik Markaryan said that Armenian-Iranian
technical consultations are coming to an end, after which the project’s
financing will be discussed.

The Ukrainian prime minister [Viktor Yanukovych] confirmed Ukraine’s
wish to take part in the construction of the gas pipeline.

The Armenian prime minister today discussed the strengthening of
Armenian-Ukrainian economic cooperation with Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US publisher demands British envoy to Armenia be evicted

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
13 May 04

[Presenter] The attitude of the foreign countries’ ambassadors,
accredited to Armenia on Armenian genocide is being discussed in the
circles of the Armenian Diaspora.

[Correspondent] The British ambassador to Armenia, Thorda Abbott-Watt’s
remarks made at the end of January 2004, on that the 1915 bloody events
are not genocide made quite a noise. Armenian communities all over
the world are concerned by this remark. Harut Sassounian, publisher
of The California Courier in his article expressed a complaint about
the British ambassador’s remark. In an interview with Armenian Public
TV, Mr Sassounian stressed that it is very hurtful for him that the
similar words were sounded in Yerevan.

[Harut Sassounian, captioned] At least, we can complain. If we
cannot change a position of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
we can at least express our dissatisfaction. We can do this, can’t
we? Because it does not demand money or strong force. We must express
our position. We have obligations and rights.

[Correspondent] Harut Sassounian drew parallels between this diplomatic
scandal and the Israeli ambassador to Armenia, Rivka Cohen, who made
similar remarks in 2002. According to Sassounian to hear such remarks
from an ambassador of that country which also was a victim of genocide,
was the most hurtful. In an interview with Armenian Public TV the
British ambassador noted that she does not wish to comment on this
remark. Here is Mr Sassounian’s assessments.

[Harut Sassounian] Bravo, she has learnt something from this event. The
other ambassadors, starting from the US ambassadors and others must be
more careful. It is right that they cannot express another position
against the their government’s position, but, at least, they should
shut their mouths and will be more cautious.

[Correspondent] What is needed to be undertaken in the current
situation? Mr Sassounian answered that only the Armenian government
must solve this issue.

[Harut Sassounian] They must solve this problem themselves. It not
necessary that the ambassador must be evicted from the country. It
they will do that there will be left no ambassadors in Armenia.

[Correspondent] Shortly after our interview, Mr Sassounian made a new
announcement, where he demanded the recall of the British ambassador
from Armenia. According to Mr Sassounian in such cases the Armenian
side’s diplomatic steps are a worthy reply not only to those who do
not respect our people’s hurtful feelings but also it reminds the
Turks that our demand has not been forgotten or a book of history is
not past issue.

OSCE welcomes contacts between Armenian authorities, opposition

Mediamax news agency
13 May 04

Yerevan, 13 May: Vladimir Pryakhin, the head of the OSCE office
in Yerevan and ambassador, has welcomed the resumption of contacts
between the authorities and the opposition in Armenia.

“I call on both sides to engage in a genuine dialogue to settle
the existing differences within the constitutional framework,”
Pryakhin said. He said that “a dialogue is the best way to reach
mutual understanding and develop political stability”, Mediamax news
agency reports.

Pryakhin also called on the Armenian authorities to re-consider
the cases of people detained during the recent demonstrations and to
continue efforts to reform the Code of Administrative Violations. This
would make it possible to eliminate the practice of administrative
detentions, “which is incompatible with European standards”, he said.

Opinions on 10 years of Azerbaijan, Armenia cease-fire – paper

Ayna, Baku
12 May 04

The fighting on the Azerbaijani and Armenian contact line was suspended
on 12 May 1994. Prior to this day, the Bishkek protocol was signed
in Kyrgyz capital between Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Azerbaijani
and Armenian communities of Nagornyy Karabakh.

[Passage omitted: war figures]

We wonder, how did Azerbaijan benefit from the 10-year truce period?
Respondents’ answers to this question vary.

An employee of the Defence Ministry press service, Capt Ilqar Verdiyev,
believes that over this 10-year period, the Azerbaijani army has
been transferred into a perfect body commanded from a single centre
and brought into compliance with the NATO standards: “Our country
has been participating actively in the NATO’s Partnership for Peace
programme since 1996. Our military education system has been brought
into compliance with the NATO standards. We have taken advantage of
the cease-fire period sufficiently. At present Azerbaijani army is
capable of liberating the occupied territories.”

But Lt-Col Uzeyir Cafarov, independent military journalist, said that
had that period been used properly, the Azerbaijani army should have
been stronger than it is now: “True, a number of military reforms
have been accomplished, but we should also look at the enemy on the
opposite side. That army resorted to illegal means to arm itself. The
leadership of the Azerbaijani army does not pay much attention to
procurement of weapons and ammunition. Actually, we should have
become the leader among the South Caucasus countries over the past
period. Regrettably, this is not the case.”

Zardust Alizada, independent pundit, branded the cease-fire years as a
“lost time”. “Enforcing a cease-fire regime in 1994 was very important
as we needed to win time to create an army, adjust our affairs and
liberate the occupied lands. Unlike many other opposition members, I
hailed the truce at that point. But I was wrong. It turned out that
the government benefited from the cease-fire regime to strengthen
its position. I consider that the 10-year is a lost period and the
policy pursued over this time is equal to national treason.

The deputy executive secretary of the [ruling] New Azerbaijan Party,
MP Bahar Muradova, is optimistic. She says that the classification of
the cease-fire period as “lost years” is wide of the mark: “Although
we have not reached a peaceful solution to the Karabakh problem over
the cease-fire period, we managed to prepare appropriate grounds for
it. First, Azerbaijan has achieved political and economic successes,
the mighty army able to liberate the occupied lands has been created.”

[Passage omitted: Predictions on the outcome of the conflict are
inappropriate]

The former head of the presidential secretariat, Eldar Namazov,
does not consider the reforms, implemented in Azerbaijan during the
cease-fire period, efficient: “This includes both the policy for
Karabakh settlement and the development of the country. Azerbaijan
could have been the leading country in the South Caucasus over these
10 years. Despite our sufficient potential, ineffective reforms did
not lead us towards these targets.”

[Passage omitted: other similar opinions]

Azeri ANS TV lashes out at BBC for “serious digressions” in Karabakh reports

ANS TV, Baku
12 May 04

[Presenter Natavan Babayeva] The BBC has replied to a warning letter
from the ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company. ANS has
advised to its partner in the sphere of information to overcome
serious digressions in its information policy during the recent year.

[Correspondent, over video of ANS letter, the BBC letter, BBC
Russian.com web page] What has happened with the BBC which was famous
as a symbol of impartial and balanced journalism in its time? Listeners
to the BBC Russian Service’s morning programmes on the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict during the recent month have frequently asked this
question to ANS, which is one of the companies broadcasting these
programmes. Appealing to BBC managers on 6 April this year, the ANS CM
[radio] management demanded an explanation on the serious changes in
the BBC’s information policy as well. As a result of the monitoring,
the ANS CM management has determined the biased nature of dozens of
reports prepared by the BBC service in Baku and informed its partners
about this.

The BBC management’s attention was also drawn to the anti-Azerbaijani
activity of the editor of BBC Russian Service, ethnic Armenian Mark
Grigoryan. We should note that this individual has been popularizing a
pro-Armenian stance and trying to do his best to prove that Nagornyy
Karabakh belongs to the Armenians, using his position in the BBC and
Azerbaijani correspondents forced to work and subordinate to him.

Today we received a reply from the BBC with regard to all our
complaints. Olexiy Solohubenko, executive editor, Eurasia, BBC World
Service, writes that a special meeting of editors has been held with
regard to the ANS complaints and all facts have been attentively
examined, and though it could be regarded as strange, defects have
been discovered neither in the activity of the BBC Russian Service
nor even in reports of editor Mark Grigoryan, despite the submitted
undeniable facts.

But we again draw the attention of our companions, who have a glorious
past in information provision, to these defects. This morning the BBC
Russian Service broadcast a 20-minute report dedicated to the 10th
anniversary of the truce agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
report unequivocally presents the Azerbaijanis as supporters of peace
and poor things avoiding the war. Instigating a capitulatory policy,
the thoughts of an Armenian political scientist and of Vladimir
Kazimirov, former Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group who is
famous for his pro-Armenian stance, dominate in the report as expert
opinions. In Vladimir Kazimirov’s view, the option for the settlement
of the conflict is the determination of the Nagornyy Karabakh status
and the return of refugees only after this.

We should note that the scenario voiced by Vladimir Kazimirov is the
option which the Armenians desire. But Azerbaijan and international
organizations, including the UN, demand the return of the refugees to
their lands and only after this to determine the status of Nagornyy
Karabakh. But for some reason, this point was forgotten in the report
prepared under Mark Grigoryan’s supervision. As for political
scientist Aleksandr Iskandaryan, invited by the BBC as an expert,
he says that the Baku government is not interested in the settlement
of the conflict because if [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev makes
concessions in the Karabakh conflict, he will lose his political power.

[Voice of Iskandaryan in Russian with Azeri voice-over] First, the
Azerbaijani leadership and Ilham Aliyev have some more important
problems than the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Maintaining
power, concentrating the flow of money in the hands of their clan,
distributing posts and other related issues are among them. Second,
the Azerbaijani leadership do not need true compromise as well,
because that compromise will sweep them away.

[Correspondent] Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the
BBC’s web site dedicated to Nagornyy Karabakh. Here one can see words
of Ali Aslanov, pupil of the 10th form and a refugee from Susa [town
in Karabakh], or to say more precisely, a blue quotebox presented
as an important statement by the BBC. 16-year-old Ali says: [the
TV pictures shows words in Russian in a blue quotebox on a web page]
It seems to me that Susa is not my motherland. [The following words
were not included in the voice-over: I have been living in Baku since
seven years of age] I like this city, I can say that I do not remember
my first home. All my friends live in Baku.

In our opinion, there is no need for additional comment. Zaur Hasanov,
ANS.

Armenian opposition rejects dialogue with ruling coalition

Mediamax news agency
13 May 04

Yerevan, 13 May: Armenia’s united opposition today refused
to participate in the negotiations with the ruling coalition
and independent parliamentary factions due to the fact that “the
authorities have not taken effective steps to meet the main demand” of
the opposition, or to be more precise, “to overcome the situation that
has developed in the country since the 2003 presidential elections”,
the Justice bloc and the National Unity Party said in a statement
approved in Yerevan today.

A member of the Justice bloc, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told a press
conference in Yerevan today that the opposition was ready to discuss
all issues with the coalition, but only after the consideration of
the opposition’s main demand.

The secretary of the Justice bloc, Viktor Dallakyan, told journalists
that at a rally scheduled 14 May, the opposition is planning to demand
that President Robert Kocharyan resign and answer “who is to blame for
the failure of the dialogue between the opposition and the coalition”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Mistake burdens officials

The Age
May 13, 2004

The president of the Australian Weightlifting Federation, Sam Coffa,
has accepted part of the blame for an “outrageous” blunder that
resulted in Australia having just one men’s representative in the
sport for Athens.

The men’s team finished second to the tiny island nation of Nauru
at last week’s Oceania championships in Fiji and will take its
smallest-ever weightlifting team to an Olympic Games.

The Australian women’s team finished first in Suva and qualified
one lifter.

The ignominy of the men losing out to a country of 11,300 people was
compounded by the fact coaches left behind a lifter ranked No. 1 in
the world – because they thought Australia would qualify first anyway.

“The one or two lifters needed to get us over the line were left
behind,” Coffa said yesterday.

“This was following advice from our coaching panel that we had enough
buffer to take us over the line and it didn’t prove to be the case.

“I won’t apportion the blame to anyone in particular but we are all
guilty and that includes me.”

Sergo Chakhoyan, currently training in Armenia and rated world No. 1 in
the 85 kilograms class, was the weightlifter told he was not required.

With his bronze medal in the clean and jerk at last year’s world
championships, he pre-qualified for the Games and he’ll now fill the
sole men’s spot for Australia. Nauru will take two lifters.

The bungle left Chris Rae, who won the 105 kilograms-plus class in
Suva, a shattered man.

The 23-year-old Sydney Olympian was in line to fill the second spot
pending results at the Games selection trials in Melbourne in June.

“It’s a huge error. It’s devastating for me and it has cost me the
chance of making the Olympics,” Rae said.

“The coaching staff said we didn’t need him (Chakhoyan) but the result,
where no athlete performed exceptionally badly and we still lost,
has proved the coaching staff has made a mistake.

“I thought it was odd – even on paper (before the Oceania
championships) it looked like the Australians weren’t going to win.

“For us to lose the position is a massive blow to me and it hurts to
know not picking the best team has probably cost me a chance to go
to a second Olympics.”

Rae is second in the Australian selection criteria for Athens and was
confident of qualifying for the Games, at which he said a top-10 spot
had been on the cards.

Australian coach Luke Borreggine refused to comment about the selection
mistake yesterday.

Herald Sun

Olympics

Bungle crushes lifters

Leo Schlink
13may04

AUSTRALIA’s Olympic men’s weightlifting squad for Athens has been cut in
half in farcical circumstances.

Australia will now have only one male and one female lifter at the Games
after the national team finished second to Nauru at the Oceania
Championships in Fiji last week.

Australian Weightlifting Federation president Sam Coffa last night accepted
part of the blame for an “outrageous” blunder.

The Australian Olympic Committee described the fallout from the comical
selection handling of the weightlifting squad as “unfortunate”.

Australia would have qualified two male lifters for Greece had it won the
Oceania Championships.

But it arrogantly rested a competitor ranked No. 1 in the world because it
assumed the squad would still qualify first.

“What happened was the one or two lifters needed to get us over the line
were left behind,” Coffa admitted. “This was following advice from our
coaching panel that we had enough buffer to take us over the line and it
didn’t prove to be the case. It’s not an embarrassment, but I am completely
outraged. We are all guilty and that includes me.”

Sergo Chakhoyan, who is training in Armenia and is rated world No. 1 in the
85kg class, is the Australian weightlifter told he was not required for the
championships.

Chakhoyan’s bronze medal in clean and jerk at last year’s world titles meant
he’d virtually pre-qualified for Athens. He is expected to be nominated for
the sole spot, subject to AOC approval.

But the bungle has shattered Chris Rae, who won the 105kg-plus class in
Suva. Rae was in line to fill the second spot, pending results at the Games
selection trials in June.

“It’s devastating for me,” Rae said. “It has cost me the chance of making
the Olympics.”

Azeri foreign minister, Council of Europe head meet in Strasbourg

Turan news agency
13 May 04

Baku, 13 May: Issues of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council
of Europe were discussed in Strasbourg yesterday by Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Council of Europe Secretary-General
Walter Schwimmer.

The sides exchanged their views on Azerbaijan’s progress in fulfilling
its commitments to the Council of Europe.

The press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has told Turan
that Mammadyarov, in the presence of Walter Schwimmer, signed the
protocol on amending the 1977 convention on fighting terrorism.

On the same day, Mammadyarov attended the first part of the 114th
session of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

On the evening of 12 May, Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers
held a meeting at the representative office of France in the Council
of Europe. The meeting was also attended by the co-chairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group.

Nothing is reported about the details of the meeting.

Azeri leader’s Karabakh remarks “standard” statement – Armenian ministry

Noyan Tapan news agency
13 May 04

Yerevan, 13 May: The Armenian Defence Ministry has described as
“standard” a statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
yesterday that “the Azerbaijanis can restore Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity at any time”.

“This statement contains nothing serious,” the spokesman for the
defence minister, Col Seyran Shaksuvaryan, said in an interview with
our Noyan Tapan news agency correspondent. He underlined that if the
Azerbaijanis could, they would have won back the liberated territories.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress