Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 7, 2004

ECONOMIC POLICY IN KARABAKH IS FAVOURABLE

This is the opinion of the manager of “Base Metals Ltd.” Artur
Mkrtumian, which he stated during his meeting with the mass media. So
far 7 million dollars have been invested by the shareholders of the
company in capital building, equipment. “The implementation of so much
work within a period of about 1.5 year is not only the result of the
technical skills and efforts of the specialists but also the
favourable economic policy. The construction of a similar factory
might usually be delayed, hindered. It should be mentioned that
everything was done quickly, without any difficulties, and the result
is the powerful factory. At the same time in parallel with the growth
of the company the legislative regulations of Karabakh have been
accomplished, which today favour similar companies to make
investments, set up a business and achieve success,” said Artur
Mkrtumian. PERSONNEL PROBLEMS. The prevailing part of the 750 workers
of the company, mainly the technical staff, are invited. According to
the manager of the company Artur Mkrtumian, the company cannot keep
the invited specialists in the country for years on. Therefore the
company intends creating a base of specialists in the factory through
the invited specialists. The manager explains the absence of
specialists by the absence of similar production in Karabakh. It the
beginning the factory also had lack of labour force. According to him,
the reason was the events of the last 10-15 years. People have been
alienated from industrial work which supposes certain scheduling and
responsibility. The problem, however, has been solved, according to
A. Mkrtumian. Moreover, there are now hundreds of people wishing to
work in the mine. “We have local specialists, miners who excellently
carry out this hard work from the point of view of specialization and
earn as much as the 6th class specialist invited from Kapan,
Alaverdy. They are 24-26 years-old young men and the company has great
expectations from them,” said A. Mkrtumian. The manager also informed
that for the organization and development of the production in
Karabakh with the NKR government they work out a program of training
necessary specialists at Artsakh State University. The program is in
the initial stage. The company has presented the list of the necessary
specialties. NOT ONLY SOCIAL BUT ALSO HOUSING PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED. The
monthly salary fund of the company “Base Metals” totals about 80-100
million drams. The work in the factory lasts 24 hours, in three
shifts, except for the underground mine which works a six-hour shift
taking into account the hard working conditions. “Base Metals” also
favours the improvement of the social conditions of the population of
the adjacent villages. The evidence to this is the newly built
dormitory which will be opened soon. The same is pursued with the plan
of the management of the company to build a resort center on the side
of the reservoir Sarsang.

LAURA GRIGORIAN.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 7, 2004

WE CANNOT CURE THEIR BODIES BUT WE CAN CURE THEIR SOULS

The union of disabled children “Zangak” was founded on May 18, by a
group of representatives of the intelligentsia. The aim of the union
is to bring together the disabled children of Artsakh, broaden the
range of their interests and favour their integration to the society
preventing their alienation from it. In the course of time the
organization also started to involve begging and homeless children,
therefore the management of the organization founded a nursery school,
in April 2001 undertook the foundation of the children’s center
“Zangak” which was granted license by the Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sport in 2003. Since its foundation the organization has
brought together here 212 children from the capital and 404 children
from the entire republic. Currently the organization works with 8-14
year-old children. According to the chairman of the organization Anna
Asatrian, including in “Zangak” homeless or begging but healthy
children they aimed at using the relationships of the healthy and ill
children to develop best human qualities in them, such as
king-heartedness and generosity in healthy children and optimism and
vitality in the disabled children. The organization is not funded by
the state and it operates on non-regular donations of businessmen from
Artsakh and abroad. According to Anna Asatrian, for the implementation
of a number of programs “Zangak” has cooperated with the NKR
Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Defence, as well as businessmen
from Artsakh and abroad. A number of programs were approved by
business circles of France and Iran. Time to time benefactors lend a
hand to “Zangak”, bring into being this or that program and leave,
whereas the organization has too many problems to be solved. Recently
the organization has had a period of difficulties. To overcome them
“Zangak” applied to the governmental and other organizations of
Karabakh. Fortunately, the director of the company Karabakh telecom
Ralf Yeirikian agreed to cooperate with “Zangak”. Visiting the
organization and getting acquainted with the working conditions he
agreed to become the permanent sponsor of “Zangak” and start funding
in April of the current year. The fact of a permanent sponsor
encouraged the management of the organization to undertake a program
for 32 disabled, homeless and insecure children included in the
center. After the improvement of the building and communal facilities
the organization will create a boarding house for 10 children from 8
to 14 years old. The personnel of the organization visited the houses
of the children whose parents had applied to them, got acquainted with
their living conditions and undertook an attempt of cooperation with
corresponding organizations dealing with children of this social
class. Besides the reconstruction of the boarding house, “Zangak”
faces many other problems. According to Anna Asatrian, the lack of
transport makes the communication with the regions difficult. Starting
from the financial hardships the employees of “Zangak” carry out
several jobs at the same time; the organization should have 17
positions, whereas it has only 7. To acquaint children with the
holidays and special days of Karabakh “Zangak” celebrates almost all
the holidays. Today we are living in a period called transition
period. It is difficult to forecast what will happen in the
future. One thing is certain that independent of the geopolitical
actualities and the economic model of development the vocation of the
human being is to aid the weak and the sick. Believe me, all the
children of “Zangak” need is kindness. We cannot cure their bodies but
we can cure their souls. So let’s give them a chance!

NVARD OHANJANIAN.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 7, 2004

GASIFYING OF STEPANAKERT COMPLETED SOON

In two or three months gasification of Stepanakert will be completed,
assured the director of “Artsakhgas” State CJSC Maxim Mirzoyan. In
this direction efficient work is carried out not only in the capital
but also the regions of the republic. Presently the company carries
out repairs of the old gas pipelines. Since May 1 the tariff of the
gas fee has been increased from 51 to 59 drams for each cubic meter.
Taking into account the fact that there are terms for payment of gas,
as well as electricity fees, which is from the first to the fifteenth
of each month, we tried to find out whether this would not arouse
problems among the population in relation to the increased tariff.
According to Maxim Mirzoyan, the employees of “Artsakhgas” carry out
corresponding explanation works among the population to pay in time
the fees for the gas used during the previous month. If the users do
mot make the payments within the mentioned term they will have to pay
by the new tariff. Maxim Mirzoyan says that all the problems in this
reference will be settled within a month.

LAURA GRIGORIAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 7, 2004

NUMBERS SAY

According to the data provided by the Civilian Registry Office of
Stepanakert, 212 births, 74 marriages and 11 divorces were registered
from January 1 till May 1 of the current year. Against the same period
of the past year, the birthrate dropped by 14, the marriage rate by
3. Unfortunately, the divorce rate increased; last year in the same
period only 9 divorces were registered.

LAURA GRIGORIAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHAT
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—- ListProc NextPart 1083956063541978031–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 19:03:48 | 06-05-2004 | Politics |

WHO ARE POLITICAL PRISONERS?

“It is wrong to call those arrested for participation in the Opposition
rallies political prisoners”, “Republican” Party Chair Galust Sahakyan says.
{BR}

So, how to call them? “People can cause disorders, break laws and be
arrested. When it is said a political prisoner or a political pursuit,
scaled operations we have witnessed are meant. And we cried all over the
world that we have political despots and political arrests”, Sahakyan
announced.

“Why was I arrested?”, “Justice” Bloc Secretary Ruzan Khachatryan asked.
“You know, I can’t now answer what for you were taken in detention. But as
far as I know you I think you wouldn’t commit a sin”, Mr. Sahakyan answered.

“Would you answer the same way if you knew all those arrested in person?”, a
journalist asked. “To know them we must gather, discuss, analyze all the
cases and make decisions”, Galust Sahakyan said.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 6 2004

Azerbaijan concerned by Uzbek company’s activity in Upper Garabagh

Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has denied the reports that the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry had allegedly sent a letter of protest
to Uzbekistan.

Confirming the fact that Azerbaijan has sent a letter to Uzbekistan,
Azimov said the letter contained no protest, but rather a request.
The Azerbaijani government’s letter came after one of the Uzbek
mobile communications providers signed a contract with the officials
of the so-called Upper Garabagh Republic to launch activity in this
region.

In the letter, Tashkent was requested to take appropriate measures
against the Uzbek company and inform the Azerbaijani side on the
matter.

Washington Times
May 6 2004

Bush names three new U.S. envoys

Washington, DC, May. 6 (UPI) — The selection of new U.S. ambassadors
to Thailand, Armenia and the Bahamas was announced by the White House
Thursday.

The president has picked Ralph Boyce to be the new U.S.
representative to the Kingdom of Thailand. A career member of the
U.S. senior foreign service, Boyce is currently the U.S. ambassador
to the Republic of Indonesia.

For the U.S. embassy in Armenia, President Bush has nominated John
Evans, another career member of the U.S. foreign service and
currently the director of the Office of Russian Affairs at the U.S.
Department of State.

The president has selected Floridian John D. Root to be the new U.S.
ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Root is currently
chairman of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Vestcor Companies that he
founded in 1983 and which develops multifamily rental and condominium
communities and controls a real estate investment portfolio.

All three nominations require confirmation by the U.S. Senate before
they may take effect.

The White House, US
May 6 2004

Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate
four individuals and appoint two individuals to serve in his
administration:

The President intends to nominate Ralph Leo Boyce, of Virginia, to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to the Kingdom of Thailand. A career member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Ambassador Boyce currently serves as Ambassador to
the Republic of Indonesia. He previously served as Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific
Islands at the State Department’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific
Affairs. Prior to this position, Ambassador Boyce served as Deputy
Chief of Mission in Bangkok and Singapore. He earned his bachelor’s
degree from The George Washington University and his master’s degree
from Princeton University.

The President intends to nominate John Marshall Evans, of Virginia,
to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United
States of America to the Republic of Armenia. A career member of the
Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Evans currently serves as Director of the
State Department’s Office of Russian Affairs. He previously served as
Director of the Office of Analysis for Russia and Eurasia in the
Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Mr. Evans earned his bachelor’s
degree from Yale University.

The President intends to nominate John D. Rood, of Florida, to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Mr. Rood currently serves
as Chairman of The Vestcor Companies, which he founded in 1983. The
Jacksonville, Florida company develops multifamily rental and
condominium communities, controls a real estate investment portfolio,
and provides construction services to its clients. Mr. Rood earned
his bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana.

The President intends to nominate Craig T. Ramey, of West Virginia,
to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for
Education Sciences (Researcher), for a two-year term.

The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be
Members of the President’s National Security Telecommunications
Advisory Committee:

Gary D. Forsee of Missouri

William H. Swanson of Massachusetts

Syrian Arab News Agency
May 6 2004

Syria and Armenian Agreement

Erivan , May 6 ( SANA )

Deputy Finance Minister Muhammad Khudre Assayed Ahmad and the Armenian
Deputy Economic and Finance Minister on Thursday signed an agreement
to prevent double taxation between the two countries .

The agreement comes after the two finance delegations concluded 3-day
talks in Armenian .

The agreement will contribute to activating the economic and
investment cooperation between both countries .

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress