Azerbaijan’s FM lifts veil on Nagorno-Karabakh talks

Date:01 May 2004 0136 hrs (SST)
URL:

BAKU : Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are locked in conflict over the
disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, are discussing a deal under
which Armenian forces would cede territory in exchange for the
re-opening of a rail link between their two countries, the Azeri
foreign minister said.

“We are discussing various ideas, including the option of opening the
railway with Armenia in exchange for it pulling back from the seven
districts of Azerbaijan it has occupied,” Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov told reporters.

He added: “The subject of our negotiations right now is how ready the
sides are to make compromises.”

The railway-for-land swap was initially proposed by the European Union
as a way of resolving the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which has
poisoned relations between the two former Soviet republics for more
than a decade.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a war over the mountainous enclave in
the early 1990s which left some 35,000 people dead and forced a
million others on both sides to flee their homes.

A ceasefire was signed in 1994, leaving Armenian forces in de facto
control of the enclave. But the war has never been formally declared
over. Peace talks to find a lasting solution have faltered, despite
mediation by the international community.

The remarks by the Azeri foreign minister partly lifted the veil on
peace talks which are being held in strict secrecy. Details of what
the two sides are discussing are very rarely revealed to the public.

Western governments are keen to see a lasting solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They say it is a source of instability in a
region which is taking on strategic importance for the West as an
export route for oil from the Caspian Sea.

Mamedyarov said the next round of talks would be in the French city of
Strasbourg on May 12, when he is to meet Armenian counterpart Vardan
Oskanian on the sidelines of a Council of Europe meeting.

He said they would pick up the discussions started by Azerbaijan’s
President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian,
who met for talks this week while attending a conference in the Polish
capital, Warsaw.

“In Warsaw there was a useful exchange of views between the presidents
and our aim is to continue that dialogue,” said Mamedyarov.

The railway line under discussion has been closed ever since the
conflict first flared up, some 15 years ago. It remained shut after
the fighting ceased as part of an economic blockade imposed by
Azerbaijan.

It links Armenia to Azerbaijan and also to Russia, a key Armenian ally
and trading partner. The re-opening of the route would ease the impact
of the economic blockade on Armenia.

The seven districts which figure in the proposed deal are not part of
Nagorno-Karabakh. They were seized by Armenian forces during the war
to provide a buffer zone against a possible attack by Azeri troops.

– AFP

Civil.ge
May 1, 2004

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili participated in the
summit of the Foreign Ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC) member countries in Azerbaijani capital Baku on April 30.

11-member organization (Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria,
Romania, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey)
discussed regional cooperation.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Salome Zurabishvili will
hold talks during the visit with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev and
with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamediarov, as well as with
other officials.

Source: BBC
Wednesday, 21 April, 2004, 15:34 GMT 16:34 UK

Country profile: Armenia

A landlocked republic with Turkey to the west and Georgia to the north,
Armenia has seen great changes since the break-up of the Soviet Union in
1991.
Once dubbed the Soviet ‘silicon valley’, Armenia’s economy collapsed when
its old markets disappeared.

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

It has since recovered significantly, but job creation and poverty reduction
have not kept pace with growth. Armenia also suffers from a trade blockade,
imposed by neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan since the dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh.

The conflict over the predominantly Armenian-populated region in Azerbaijan
overshadowed Armenia’s return to independence in 1991. Full-scale war broke
out the same year as ethnic Armenians in Karabakh fought for independence,
supported by troops and resources from Armenia proper. A ceasefire in place
since 1994 has failed to deliver any lasting solution.

Armenia has always experienced waves of emigration, but the present exodus
is causing much alarm. It is estimated that Armenia has lost 20% of its
population in recent years, as young families leave for what they hope will
be a better life abroad. The negative consequences for the economy have been
widespread.

Around 50% of Armenians live below the poverty line. Corruption and
political killings add to the sense of a society under threat.

Gunmen who stormed the Yerevan parliament in 1999, killing the prime
minister and other politicians, said the plight of the Armenian people was
the reason for the bloodshed. Analysts believe that there were more complex
political factors involved as well.

The government is trying to promote tourism and technology parks. But
foreign investors are reported to be extremely wary.

FACTS

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Population: 3.1 million (UN, 2003)
Capital: Yerevan
Major languages: Armenian, Russian
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 75 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 dram = 100 lumas
Main exports: Processed and unprocessed diamonds, machinery, metal products,
foodstuffs
GNI per capita: US $790 (World Bank, 2002)
Internet domain: .am
International dialling code: +374

LEADERS

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

President: Robert Kocharyan

President Kocharyan
President Kocharyan is a former president of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. He became Armenian prime minister in 1997 and was
elected president the following year on a platform of ensuring the existence
of Karabakh and boosting the Armenian economy.

Mr Kocharyan’s reelection as president in 2003 was followed by widespread
allegations of ballot-rigging.

He went on to propose controversial constitutional amendments on the role of
parliament. These were rejected in a referendum the following May at the
same time as parliamentary elections which left Mr Kocharyan’s party in a
very powerful position in parliament.

There were mounting calls for Mr Kocharyan’s resignation in early 2004 with
thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in support of demands for a
referendum of confidence in him.

A Communist Party official in Soviet times, Mr Kocharyan is no longer a
member of any political party.

The Armenian president has said he wants to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh
question and has held meetings with his Azerbaijani counterpart. But while
he acknowledges the importance to peace of compromise on both sides, he
insists that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh must be guaranteed the right to
exist within safe borders and that a link with Armenia must be maintained.

Mr Kocharyan was born in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1954 and trained as an
electrical engineer in Yerevan.

Prime minister: Andranik Markaryan
Foreign minister: Vardan Oskanyan
Defence minister: Serzh Sarkisyan

MEDIA

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Armenia’s government oversees national TV and radio. The national public TV
service can also be seen in many districts of neighbouring Azerbaijan. The
main Russian TV channels are widely available.

Libel and defamation are punishable by prison terms and journalists have
been sentenced under these laws. All print and broadcast media must register
with the Justice Ministry.

In 2003 the US-based NGO Freedom House downgraded its assessment of the
media climate in Armenia from “partly free” to “not free”, citing the use of
security and libel laws to silence criticism and the closure of a private TV
station in 2002.

The press

Aravot – private
Ayots Ashkar – private
Ayastani Anrapetutyun – founded by Armenian parliament
Aykakan Zhanamak – founded by opposition Democratic Homeland Party
Azg – founded by Liberal Democratic Party
Golos Armenii – private
Iravunk – founded by Union of Constitutional Law party
Respublika Armenia – founded by Armenian Presidential Executive Staff,
parliament and government
Yerkir – founded by Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun
Television

Public TV of Armenia – national, state-run
Armenia TV – national, commercial
Prometheus TV – national, commercial
Radio

Public Radio of Armenia – national, state-run
Hai FM – first private radio station

Hit FM – private, Yerevan FM station
Radio Alfa – private, Yerevan FM station
Radio Van – private, Yerevan FM station
News agencies

Arka – private
Armenpress – state-run
Noyan Tapan – private
Mediamax – private
Arminfo – private

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CENN – APRIL 30, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. NGOs Remains Final Opposition to Water Take-over
2. First case of human anthrax reported in Armenia
3. Design and Installation of Solar Photovoltaic Power Station
4. World Bank to Decide on Oil Investing by July

1. NGOS REMAINS FINAL OPPOSITION TO WATER TAKE-OVER

Source: The Messenger, April 29, 2004

After reassuring detractors by inviting a delegation from Tbilisi to its
headquarters in France, the French Compagnie Generale des Eaux (CGE) is
all but finally at the helm of the Tbilisi Water Supply Company
(Tbiltskal- kanali). Only a few non-governmental organizations and
analysts are fighting the company’s takeover of Tbilisi water’s
management. As they maintain, Tbiltskalkanali’s problems will remain
unsolved and the people of Tbilisi will be deceived.

The Tbilisi water supply system has long been in need of extensive
repairs. For this purpose, the World Bank allotted a EURO 25 million
credit, though it stipulated that the right to manage this sum be
granted to a company with experience in serving a city with over one
million residents and with assets worth over USD 50 million. The
tender’s results became known shortly after the Fall 2002 tender- the
French CGE prevailed.

The events that developed in Georgia at the end of last year stalled the
French company’s entrance into Tbiltskalkanali as did objections
launched by the Labor Party who claimed the company would jack up water
prices. But a recent visit of Tbilisi Sakrebulo (City Hall)
representatives to the company’s head office in Paris in April put an
end to the reservations of the city’s government.

According to Sakrebulo Head Zaza Begashvili, who was a member of the
delegation, the “French company does not plan to raise the tariff on
water consumption.” He also claims that if the French company receives
the management rights, the Tbilisi budget has the potential to save the
GEL 15 million annually that it spends on Tbiltskalkanali.

Begashvili said the government demands that the French company meet a
number of conditions after assuming management. Specifically it should
supply the capital’s population with 24-hour water and maintain the
minimal tariff on water consumption. If the Sakrebulo approves the
tender awarded to CGE in Georgia, the company will be obligated to
repair the capital’s water infrastructure, including, first of all,
changing the water pipes.

Now, the only voice protesting CGE’s takeover of Tbilisi water is the
NGO “Mental Development of Vake District” which claims that the
conditions of the tender will prove damaging to the Tbilisi population.
They recall when the American company AES came to town and managed the
local electricity distribution company Telasi. Such a comparison causes
concern among the population, as under AES electricity rates increased
quickly and electricity supply problems remained unresolved.

Opponents of CGE claim that the company’s plan will not improve the
quality of water, will not ensure 24-hour water supply and will not
repair the city’s water pipe network. Supporters of the French company,
however, disagree and point out that the total rehabilitation of the
Tbilisi water supply system will require a total of USD 300 million. The
company, meanwhile, will do the best it can with the funds allotted to
it by the World Bank.

In accordance with the terms of the tender, CGE will manage
Tbiltskalkanali for ten years. Of the WB’s EURO 25 million, 22 million
is foreseen for the rehabilitation of, the city’s water system. CGE
itself has said it will invest another USD 8 million of its own money in
the system. During the fIrst three years, the water rate will not change
and water consumption meters will be installed throughout the city,
though in apartment buildings a single common consumption meter will be
installed. Later on the rate will be gradually increased and reach GEL 2
per person per month (approximately 20 tetri per cubic meter of water
consumed) by the tenth year of CGE’s contract.

CGE management explains that they have proposed an operator tariff to
the Tbilisi government to compensate the water company for the new
operation, the investments, and improvements forecasted The Tbilisi
government should decide on the consumer’s tariff and then pay m receive
the difference As of now, the rate on water consumption is 90 tetri and
12 lari per person per month Furthermore, collection is less than 40
percent Not only individuals, but also businesses and organizations fail
to pay for their water. Total debts to the Tbilisi Water Supply Company
exceed GEL 40 million When the French company Generale des Eaux assumes
the management contract for the company, it will be responsible for
registration and fee collection This no easy task.

The issue of signing a contract with CGE is practically settled A draft
of the contract has been prepared and will be discussed by the NGO
sector, society at large and Sakrebulo commissions If their verdict is
positive, the contract will be signed by the city government,
Tbiltskalkanali and Generale des Eaux representatives.

2. DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER STATION

The American University of Armenia commenced implementation of the
project entitled Design and Installation of the Solar Photovoltaic Power
Station in Spring 2003. This project was brought into being due to close
cooperation of two leading entities in this field, namely the
Heliotechnics Laboratory of the State Engineering University of Armenia
(SEUA) and Viasphere Technopark -Transistor Plus.

The project was realized through generous funding by Mr. James
Turpanjian, Armenian benefactor living in USA. He is known in Armenia
for a number of financed projects.

This station has the highest capacity among similar systems functioning
in Armenia and the only one that is integrated into a solar driven
heating and cooling system. Since Spring 2002 the American University of
Armenia has been using solar water-heating panels for heating,
ventilation and cooling purposes of one of its large auditoriums through
the operation of special equipment. However, the electric portion of the
power supply of this equipment was taken from the electric grid. The new
solar electric power station will allow extracting the necessary power
for the above mentioned equipment also from solar radiation, thus making
the whole system independent of the external power supply.

The system is comprised of solar photovoltaic panels field, a solar
battery bank, and a three-phase DC/AC inverter.

The 72 solar photovoltaic panels are installed on a special seismic
isolated structure on the roof of the University. Each panel has
approximately 0.7 square meters of surface and has been produced at
Heliotechnics Laboratory of SEUA. Total surface of the panels is around
50 square meters with total peak power of 5 kilowatt. The photovoltaic
converter cells used in the solar panels were made by Krasnoye Znamye,
Russia.

The three phases DC/AC inverter has been designed and manufactured
specifically for this project by Transistor Plus thata is a part of
ViaSphere Technopark.

This project aims at demonstrating the feasibility of using the solar
energy as an alternative power source in Armenia.

Dr. Artak Hambarian,
Associate Director
Engineering Research Center
College of Engineering
American University of Armenia (AUA)
40 Marshall Bagramian Av., Yerevan, 375019, Armenia
fax: +(3741) 512 512
phone: +(3741) 512 631, 512 638 (AUA), 395 477 (home)
Internet:

3. FIRST CASE OF HUMAN ANTHRAX REPORTED IN ARMENIA

Source: Moscow Time, Apr 29, 2004

The first case of human anthrax has been registered in a village in the
Shirakskaya region of Armenia. As reported to a Rosbalt correspondent by
the Armenian Health Ministry, the infection originated in cattle, and
health workers do not exclude the possibility that the case will not be
the only one.

As of April 17, tens of cases of anthrax in cattle have been reported in
the region. The cause of the epidemic has been attributed to substandard
vaccine. The area has been quarantined, and health workers have reported
that the epicenter of the contamination has been localized.

4. WORLD BANK TO DECIDE ON OIL INVESTING BY JULY

Source: planetar, April 29, 2004

The World Bank will decide by July whether to keep investing in oil, gas
and mining projects, World Bank President James Wolfensohn said this
week, a subject of concern to environmental groups.

Wolfensohn commissioned an independent report in July 2001 to review the
bank’s role in so-called extractive industries.

Questions have been raised by environmental and global nongovernmental
groups whether the bank’s backing of such projects contributes to
development and lowering poverty in poor countries.

The Extractive Industries Review, led by former Indonesian environment
minister Emil Salim, recommended the bank cease funding oil and coal
projects because of environmental concerns.

In a draft response to the report in February, the bank said its absence
from these projects could result in lower quality projects and weaker
governance.

The bank’s most controversial oil projects, the Chad-Cameroon and
Caspian oil pipelines, were approved by the lender’s shareholders amid
fierce opposition by development groups, which said the projects would
do more harm than good.

But Wolfensohn said this week the bank first wanted to complete
consultations with industry and governments on the matter before it made
a final decision.

“I would guess you’re looking at a June or July date for something
definitive,” Wolfensohn told a Washington conference on energy sponsored
by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“In the meantime, dialogue is going along constructively,” he added.

Wolfensohn also said the oil and gas industry should pay attention to
the needs of the developing world, where demand for energy is set to
increase as populations grow.

In China energy demand is expected to triple in the next 20 years,
Wolfensohn said, adding: “And my guess is that’s a conservative
estimate.”

Magda Stoczkiewicz
Policy coordinator
CEE Bankwatch Network
c/o Friends of the Earth International
PO Box 19199
1000 GD Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone: +31 20 622 13 69, fax: +31 20 639 21 81
email: [email protected]

—
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

The Globe and Mail
Saturday, May 1, 2004 – Page A6

Of cabinet solidarity
and genocide

Behind the closed doors of the cabinet room last week, Prime Minister Martin
singled out Revenue Minister Stan Keyes as a shining example of cabinet
solidarity after he voted against a private member’s motion to recognizes as
genocide the mass killing of Armenians during the First World War.

There were reports after the controversial vote that Mr. Keyes was cursing
the fact that some of his colleagues had missed the vote while he was forced
to vote against the motion, a gesture that was not without political cost
for him. This was acknowledged by Mr. Martin, who was angry with some of his
cabinet ministers for abstaining or for ducking the vote by leaving the
House without permission. The Liberal back bench voted with the opposition,
and the motion passed.

Meanwhile, the rule, according to a senior Liberal, is that cabinet
ministers must seek permission in advance to miss the vote. Mr. Keyes, who
had sought that permission, was already in the chamber when the vote began
and decided not to leave because, as he told someone, “[I’d] feel like a
heel walking out.”

Armenian bishop dies of cancer

AP Online
May 01, 2004

Archbishop Zareh Aznavorian of the Armenian Orthodox Church has died
of lung cancer, a church statement said Saturday. He was 57.

Aznavorian, chairman of the religious council and director of the
Christian Education Department of the Armenian Orthodox Church of
Cilicia, died Friday at the church’s seat in Antelias, north of the
Lebanese capital, Beirut, the statement said.

The bishop, whose condition deteriorated in the past few days, had
received treatment in New York before returning to Beirut last month.

Born in Beirut in 1947, Aznavorian studied priesthood in the Antelias’
seminary and later in the Rome Theological University.

In the early 1980s, he was the Armenian Orthodox Vicar of Cyprus based
in Nicosia.

In the past few years, Aznavorian had been engaged in translating the
Old and New Testament from archaic Greek and Hebrew originals into
modern Armenian.

He will be burned in Antelias on Monday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia diplomats should step up activities in economic field – minister

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
1 May 04

YEREVAN

Armenia’s ambassadors abroad should step up their activities in the
economic field, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said on
Saturday [1 May], summing up the results of the annual meeting of
Armenia’s ambassadors accredited in foreign countries. “Armenia’s
embassies should help export Armenian goods and attract foreign
investments,” Oskanyan said.

Oskanyan said that “the priorities of Armenia’s diplomatic service are
security, development, European integration, the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement and the protection of historical rights and values”. Among
the historical rights and values, Oskanyan named “the international
recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide in 1915 in the
Ottoman empire, the strengthening of relations with the Armenian
diaspora and its involvement in the republic’s political and economic
life”.

He stressed that representatives of Armenia’s lobby organizations,
which operate in different countries, will gather on Monday [3
May]. “We want to meet these people who work for Armenia and promote
our foreign political initiatives,” the minister stressed.

Armenia has embassies in 30 countries, permanent missions in nine
international organizations and six consulates-general.

Black Sea Economic Cooperation meeting ends in Azeri capital

ANS TV, Baku
30 Apr 04

[Presenter] The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation Organization has ended in Baku. The
organization’s secretary-general demanded that Armenia explain its
failure to join the meeting.

[Correspondent over video of the meeting] The tenth sitting of the
foreign ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
was interesting for a number of reasons. The Armenian delegation did
not attend the session as was the case with the sitting the
organization held in Baku six months ago.

[Uncaptioned official, speaking to microphone in Russian, with Azeri
voice-over] The organization’s secretariat sent invitations to all its
member countries. The Armenian Foreign Ministry must perhaps explain
why their delegation did not attend the sitting.

[Correspondent] The second interesting point was the fight for the
post of deputy secretary-general of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
Organization, which has been disputed for a year. According to
unofficial reports, Russia wanted to appoint its representative to
that post. However, as a result of voting, Altay Afandiyev, head of
the economic cooperation and development department of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry, was elected deputy secretary-general.
Unfortunately, Mr Afandiyev’s first contact with the media was
unsuccessful. He acted as a real official.

[Video shows Afandiyev avoiding an interview with journalists]

[Correspondent] As far as the sitting itself is concerned, the Baku
sitting summed up Azerbaijan’s yearly chairmanship in the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation Organization. The sitting positively assessed
official Baku’s chairmanship during the year. But it also noted the
importance of institutional reforms inside the organization.

Representatives of influential international financial organizations
promised to help the Black Sea countries with the issues in
question. But they failed to clarify the form of assistance. The
organizers of the sitting did not give the media any additional
information, claiming that the second part of the discussions was
partly confidential as they took place behind closed doors. But we did
not see any closed doors. [Video shows the half open doors of the
meeting room and some people leaving the room]

[Passage omitted: The Baku sitting decided to admit Serbia and
Montenegro to the organization, other reported details]

Zaur Hasanov, Ruslan Mammadov and Ramil Qulammirzayev, ANS.

Toronto Daily Reporter
Sat, May 1, 2004

Oscar who?

Genies won’t try to copy Hollywood’s hoopla By bruce Kirkland

The Genie Awards often have been called Canada’s answer to the Oscars.
“Who’s kidding who?” asks Paul Gratton, chairman of the Academy of
Canadian Cinema & Television and an executive at Bravo in the CHUM
Television group, which will broadcast the Genies live on a
cobbled-together, cross-Canada network. The action kicks off a 8
p.m. from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

“It’s not the Oscars,” Gratton says. “We don’t have the star power. We
don’t have the recognition factor.”

FUNKY PARTY

While Mayor David Miller has proclaimed this Genie Awards Day in
Toronto, that honour is limited. So CHUM, working with the Academy for
a year’s trial, will present the 24th Canadian film awards as a funky
party hosted by Kids In The Hall comic Scott Thompson.

“CHUM very specifically is trying to change the energy in the room,”
Gratton says, “and one of the first ways we did this was to emulate
the Independent Spirit Awards more than the Oscars.

“Let’s not try to do a traditional show. Let’s throw a party because
there is stuff to celebrate this year — honestly! The success in
Quebec is part of it, but the overall quality of the movies that we
had to evaluate — all bulls— aside — really was higher this year
than in some recent years.”

After what Gratton calls “the Ararat/Spider fiasco” of 2003, the
Academy also overhauled its faulty nomination procedures. Last year,
Atom Egoyan’s Ararat won as best picture, but Egoyan was not even
nominated as best director. David Cronenberg won as best director, but
his Spider masterwork was not even nominated as best
picture. Cronenberg complained bitterly about the injustices,
including the exclusion of his star, Ralph Fiennes, as a best-actor
nominee.

“It was embarrassing,” Gratton says. “This system was flawed. David
Cronenberg was extremely upset about the results and this was one of
those cases where you say: ‘I don’t blame him.’

“So we re-invented that this year as well … There was far less
controversy this year. There were quirks, but there weren’t too many
things in there that were manifestly bizarre.”

Going into tonight’s awards, Quebec films — riding the crest of a
stellar year — dominate with the eccentric comedy Seducing Doctor
Lewis (La Grande Seduction) leading with 11 nominations. The Barbarian
Invasions (Les Invasions Barbares), which has already won the Oscar as
best foreign language film, and The Snow Walker, a B.C. production,
both have nine nominations. Also nominated as best picture are Owning
Mahowny and La Face Cachee De La Lune.

WORTH CELEBRATING

Says Gratton of the lineup: “There are at least three or four movies
that did not make the cut for the five best films that I think, in
numerous other years, would have. We’ve had some years where it was
hard to come up with five worthy best-picture nominees. This year, it
was not hard. So that’s worth celebrating and drawing attention to,
even if much of the audience is indifferent.

“This is really a re-invention of the Genies. I don’t think anyone
expects the bun to come out of the oven fully baked the first
year. So, what you want to see are elements that can be built
upon. You want to avoid a total disaster.

If it works, next year is the 25th anniversary, so it’s an important
year.”

Poochigian Presents Bill to Ensure Armenian Genocide Life Insurance
Settlements Reach Victims’ Families
Published on Thursday, April 22, 2004

April 21, 2004

SACRAMENTO – Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) has introduced Senate Bill
1689 to exempt Armenian Genocide life insurance settlements from state
taxation and other calculations related to income. The bill passed out of
the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee today o­n a 5-0 vote.

If ultimately approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor
Schwarzenegger, recipients of settlement payments would not have their state
income tax, financial aid or unemployment benefits negatively impacted by
their receipt of such settlements. The bill’s language mirrors exemptions
similarly afforded recipients of reparations and other legal
settlements related to the Holocaust.

“Survivors and heirs of victims of the Armenian Genocide have waited many
decades to resolve their claims. Correcting a past wrong should not have the
unintended consequence of financially harming the victims and their heirs
now,” said Senator Poochigian.

The Armenian Genocide-the First Genocide of the 21st Century-was marked by
unspeakable crimes against humanity. 1.5 million Armenians were subjected to
forced marches into the desert, torture, mayhem and murder. Thousands of
innocent children were orphaned. Those who escaped left behind all their
worldly possessions and emigrated to other nations.

Prior to 1915, the New York Life Insurance Company wrote over 2,000
insurance policies to Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Many of these
policies were written for individuals who became victims of the Armenian
Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Heirs o­n the policies later
sued for the value of the policies. In 2004, New York Life settled with
claimants resulting in a settlement of $20 million. A significant portion of
the
settlement will go to settle claims with heirs o­n the policies.

Senate Bill 1689 is modeled after Senate Bill 1397 (Brulte) and Assembly
Bill 989 (Chan) which exempted Swiss bank claim settlements and restitution
payment made to victims of the Holocaust.

Senate Bill 1689 reflects Senator Poochigian’s o­ngoing effort to affirm the
historical fact of the Armenian Genocide, promote the cause of justice for
victims, and guard against recurrence of such acts. In 2000, Senator
Poochigian authored Senate Bill 1915 which enabled victims and heirs of
victims of the Armenian Genocide to access the California court system to
compel insurance companies to pay insurance claims owed to victims of the
Genocide. That bill received the unanimous approval of the Legislature and
provided the opportunity to pursue contractual claims pertaining to the
recent settlement.

SB 1689 is expected to be heard next in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
No hearing date has been set.

####

Senator Poochigian’s website can be found by visiting:
.