RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 5, No. 173, 01-09-12

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From: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>

RFE/RL NEWSLINE

Vol. 5, No. 173, 12 September 2001

CONTENTS

[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA

[01] OUTGOING U.S. AMBASSADOR NOTES ARMENIA'S PROGRESS...

[02] ...COMMENTS ON KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

[03] ESTIMATES OF KARABAKH POPULATION DIFFER

[04] AZERBAIJANI ECOLOGISTS DEMAND CLOSURE OF CONTROVERSIAL RADAR STATION

[05] STANDOFF BETWEEN GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT MAJORITY, OPPOSITION PERSISTS...

[06] ...AS MORE DEPUTIES QUIT GEORGIAN MAJORITY FACTION

[07] PRESIDENTS EXPRESS SHOCK, OUTRAGE, SYMPATHY FOLLOWING U.S. TERRORIST ATTACKS

[08] KAZAKHSTAN'S PRESIDENT, MINISTERS DISCUSS BUDGET FOR 2002

[09] KAZAKHSTAN TO SUSPEND EXPORT OF FUEL OIL

[10] KYRGYZ-RUSSIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION MEETS

[11] KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT APPROVES INFORMATION PROGRAM

[12] UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT VIOLATES TAJIK AIRSPACE

[13] RUSSIAN MILITARY OFFICIAL DENIES MASSOUD HOSPITALIZED IN TAJIKISTAN

[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

[14] SLOVENIAN CABINET IN SPECIAL SESSION

[15] CROATIAN PRESIDENT SLAMS 'ATTACK ON CIVILIZATION'

[16] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT: 'NO WORDS' CAN EXPRESS REVULSION

[17] MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS 'TERRORIST ATTACKS'

[18] BOSNIA SLAMS 'ATTACKS ON INNOCENTS'

[19] U.S. THANKS KOSOVARS FOR SUPPORT

[20] MACEDONIA 'ON HORNS OF DILEMMA'

[21] MONTENEGRIN, YUGOSLAV LEADERS TALK PAST EACH OTHER

[22] BOSNIAN STRIKERS REJECT OFFER

[23] MOODY'S CRITICAL OF ROMANIA'S ECONOMIC REFORMS

[24] RULING, ETHNIC HUNGARIAN PARTY TO CONTINUE COOPERATION

[25] BULGARIAN PREMIER'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS POSTPONED

[26] NATO MANEUVERS BEGIN IN BULGARIA

[C] END NOTE

[27] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.

[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA

[01] OUTGOING U.S. AMBASSADOR NOTES ARMENIA'S PROGRESS...

Ambassador Michael Lemmon praised the transformation that has taken place in Armenia since his arrival there in October 1998,

RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. He contrasted Armenia's achievements with negative trends in some other former Soviet

republics, but added that the Armenian leadership must follow through with the implementation of those economic and democratic

reforms already embarked upon, however difficult it may prove to do so. Lemmon said that the U.S. remains committed to helping

Armenia become "a secure, prosperous, democratic country living at peace with its neighbors." He also praised as "wise and

successful" Armenia's so-called "complementary" foreign policy that aims to maintain close ties with both Russia and the West. LF

[02] ...COMMENTS ON KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

day by Lord Russell-Johnston, chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, according to Mediamax as cited by

Groong. Russell-Johnston reportedly expressed disappointment at the lack of progress toward resolving the Karabakh conflict, and

advocated a role for the Council of Europe in the mediation process, given that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are members of that

organization. He also raised the possibility of a withdrawal by Karabakh Armenian forces from part of the occupied territories

contiguous to the unrecognized enclave, a suggestion that elicited a negative response from legislators, according to AP. Lemmon

for his part said on 11 September that to the best of his knowledge there exists an agreement among European organizations that

mediation in the Karabakh conflict is the exclusive preserve of the OSCE Minsk Group. He denied that the Karabakh peace process is

deadlocked, characterizing it as being "in a normal period of consolidation, reflection, and assessment." LF

[03] ESTIMATES OF KARABAKH POPULATION DIFFER

population is just over 143,000, which is close to the number of Armenians living there prior to the onset of the Karabakh conflict in

early 1988, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported on 10 September. (In early 1988, Armenians accounted for approximately 75 percent

of the total 160,000 population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.) Officials in Yerevan say that over 1,000 Armenian

families, most of them refugees from Azerbaijan, have moved from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh or the Armenian-controlled district

of Lachin since 1994, and that up to 100,000 more families are ready to do so on condition that the Armenian government provides

them with financial assistance. But Armenian journalist Vahram Aghadjanian challenged those figures in an interview published in the

independent Azerbaijani daily "Ekho" on 8 September and reproduced by Groong. He said that families from Armenia who have

settled in Nagorno-Karabakh are numbered only in "dozens," not hundreds. LF

[04] AZERBAIJANI ECOLOGISTS DEMAND CLOSURE OF CONTROVERSIAL RADAR STATION

leased to Russia, Turan reported. After years of inconclusive talks, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General Safar Abiev and his

Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov succeeded during talks in Moscow on 7 September in coming close to agreement on the

conditions under which that lease will be extended (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 September 2001). The roundtable participants

argued that the radar station causes serious damage to the environment and to the health of the population nearby, and could be a

prime target for a nuclear strike. LF

[05] STANDOFF BETWEEN GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT MAJORITY, OPPOSITION PERSISTS...

fellow deputies to try to find common ground rather than risk precipitating "civic confrontation," Caucasus Press reported. At the

same time, Zhvania warned that he "will not tolerate" ultimatums from the opposition. But in apparent defiance of that warning,

opposition leader and deputy speaker Vakhtang Rcheulishvili read to journalists the same day a list of opposition demands on which

opposition deputies' attendance at future parliamentary debates is contingent. Those demands include amendments to the revised

election code and to the law on local elections. The opposition claims that the latter is invalid as voting on it took place in absence of

a quorum (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 August 2001). LF

[06] ...AS MORE DEPUTIES QUIT GEORGIAN MAJORITY FACTION

parliament faction, Caucasus Press reported. A second SMK deputy, Anzor Tamarashvili, similarly announced on 12 September that

he is quitting the SMK faction to join the "New Right-Wing," which is composed primarily of former SMK deputies who quit that faction

a year ago. Those two defections leave the SMK with 98 of a total 235 deputies. A spokesman for the Majoritarian--Georgia's

Regions faction, which numbers 22 deputies, said on 10 September that the faction may quit its present alliance with the SMK. LF

[07] PRESIDENTS EXPRESS SHOCK, OUTRAGE, SYMPATHY FOLLOWING U.S. TERRORIST ATTACKS

Bush following the 11 September terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Uzbek President Islam Karimov has sent a note to

the U.S. ambassador in Tashkent, and Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement condemning the "acts of barbarism." As

of 2 p.m. CEST, no information was available on official statements from Tajikistan or Turkmenistan. LF

[08] KAZAKHSTAN'S PRESIDENT, MINISTERS DISCUSS BUDGET FOR 2002

final draft budget for 2002, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported. That draft reportedly "took into consideration" unspecified

recommendations made by the president, who during a four-hour session on 27 August criticized the proposed targets for both

revenues and expenditures in earlier versions, according to Caspian News Agency. In May, Economy Minister Zhaqsybek Kulekeev

had said that three alternative variants would be prepared for economic development in 2002, based on "optimistic," "pessimistic,"

and "realistic" assessments of average world market prices next year for oil. (Those predictions were $21.5, $18.5, and $19.5 per

barrel respectively.) Reporting on a 4 September government session, Interfax said GDP in 2002 is predicted to reach 2.85 trillion

tenges ($17.8 billion), 7 percent higher than the anticipated figure for this year. LF

[09] KAZAKHSTAN TO SUSPEND EXPORT OF FUEL OIL

that sufficient reserves remain available for the country's domestic needs, Interfax reported on 11 September. LF

[10] KYRGYZ-RUSSIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION MEETS

on 10-11 September under the joint chairmanship of Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Trade and Industry Minister Arzymat

Sulaimankulov and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantsev, RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported. Among the issues on

the agenda were the joint Russian-Kyrgyz-Kazakh joint venture established last year to produce nuclear fuel in Kyrgyzstan on the

basis of Kazakh uranium (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August 2000); the transfer to Russia of shares in some 27 Kyrgyz industrial

enterprises in partial repayment of Kyrgyzstan's $150 million debt to Moscow; and Russian participation in developing gold deposits

in southern Kyrgyzstan and in completion of the construction of two hydroelectric power stations on the Kambar-Ata River, Russian

agencies reported. LF

[11] KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT APPROVES INFORMATION PROGRAM

Transport and Communications Minister Kubanychbek Djumaliev told RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau on 11 September. Some 5 million soms

($100,000) have been allocated for its implementation next year. LF

[12] UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT VIOLATES TAJIK AIRSPACE

reported, quoting an unnamed Russian Border Guard spokesman. LF

[13] RUSSIAN MILITARY OFFICIAL DENIES MASSOUD HOSPITALIZED IN TAJIKISTAN

press reports that Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud was brought to Tajikistan for medical treatment following the 9

September attempt on his life are untrue (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 September 2001). Speaking in Magas the same day,

Ingushetian President Ruslan Aushev, a former Soviet army general and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, paid tribute to Massoud,

whom he termed "an outstanding person...respected by many of the Soviet officers and generals for his noble conduct and for the

fact that he never engaged in treachery," Interfax reported. Aushev said that if rumors of Massoud's death prove to be true, it would

be "a serious blow" to the Northern Alliance. LF

[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

[14] SLOVENIAN CABINET IN SPECIAL SESSION

reported from Ljubljana. Drnovsek and President Milan Kucan sent telegrams of condolences and support to U.S. President George

W. Bush. The Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist attacks on Washington D.C. and New York in a statement on 11 September.

Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said that the attacks were also an attack on the international order and will have great consequences.

Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner canceled a planned visit to Slovenia so that she could attend an emergency session

of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. At that meeting, EU Commission President Romano Prodi said: "Our cooperation with the United

States in the fight against terrorism is more necessary than ever and it will be pursued with necessary and renewed vigor," RFE/RL

reported. PM

[15] CROATIAN PRESIDENT SLAMS 'ATTACK ON CIVILIZATION'

the United States and all civilization," RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. Cardinal Josip Bozanic sent a message of sympathy and

support to the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., Hina reported. Croatian dailies on 12 September discussed the world's

"helplessness against global terrorism," as "Slobodna Dalmacija" put it. "Vecernji list" noted that people everywhere in Zagreb

closely followed the news from the U.S. "Novi List" quoted legal expert Nikola Viskovic as saying that "globalization has led to the

globalization of terrorism." Military affairs expert Zarko Puhovski wrote that the U.S. will most likely "respond with terror" of its own.

Elsewhere, Croatian authorities tightened security at borders and airports, canceling all flights to Tel Aviv, dpa reported. PM

[16] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT: 'NO WORDS' CAN EXPRESS REVULSION

reported. He added that it is not possible for one to find the right words to condemn such an act, Hina reported. Kostunica noted

that it will now be necessary to rethink existing ideas about terrorism, adding that "we live in a region that is exposed to terrorist

attacks." Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic said that the attack was a "great tragedy with frightful consequences." Belgrade

dailies speculate on the "danger of revenge by the U.S.," as "Danas" put it. "Glas javnosti" ran a banner headline superimposed

over a photo of the burning World Trade Center reading "America attacked" and "New York and Washington the targets of

terrorists." "Blic" wrote of "America in flames," and "Politika" described the "greatest terrorist attack in history" and the "greatest

tragedy in American history." "Vecernje novosti" wrote of "America's black day." In Paris, President Jacques Chirac's office said he

has postponed a trip to Yugoslavia scheduled for 14-15 September, Reuters reported. PM

[17] MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS 'TERRORIST ATTACKS'

by the...terrorist attacks in the United States." He added that "we are shocked by what we saw [on television]. Macedonia

expresses its deepest condolences to the American people and families that lost their family members in the terrorist attacks on the

World Trade Center in New York." He stressed that the Macedonian government "most vigorously condemns terrorist acts, which

have become a common enemy to democracy worldwide." PM

[18] BOSNIA SLAMS 'ATTACKS ON INNOCENTS'

moved...over the cowardly series of terrorist attacks on innocent American citizens and the U.S. government," Hina reported from

Sarajevo on 11 September. Anic called on "the entire world" to pool efforts "against this evil." Federal President Karlo Filipovic and

Sarajevo Mayor Muhidin Hamamdzic each sent a telegram of sympathy and solidarity to the U.S. embassy, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian

Service reported on 12 September. In Banja Luka, Republika Srpska President Mirko Sarovic and Vice President Dragan Cavic sent

President Bush a telegram of condolence. Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic sent the U.S. embassy and Secretary of State Colin Powell a

telegram in which he "strongly condemned" the terrorist attacks in his own name and that of the government. PM

[19] U.S. THANKS KOSOVARS FOR SUPPORT

government and people of the United States, I want to thank the people of Kosovo for the tremendous outpouring of support you

have shown over the past 24 hours in the wake of yesterday's horrible terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Just as we

stood by you during your darkest hour, so you are standing by us now during this time of our great national tragedy. We have

received messages of support from Kosovars of all ethnic communities, and this fact alone demonstrates the revulsion everyone

shares for this horrible act of cowardly, terrorist violence." PM

[20] MACEDONIA 'ON HORNS OF DILEMMA'

accept a new international force that could lead to the partition of Macedonia along ethnic lines, Makfax news agency reported (see

"RFE/RL Newsline," 11 September 2001). "Dnevnik" wrote that Macedonians' "worst nightmares" might thus come true. "Nova

Makedonija" noted that "we are all well aware that the ethnic Albanians [want] an extended presence of NATO soldiers despite the

fears among the Macedonian population that certain parts of Macedonia's territory will be declared an international protectorate" in

the process. Commenting on the West's concern about a "vacuum" arising in Macedonia once Operation Essential Harvest ends, the

daily noted: "too much concern raises suspicions." It added that NATO troops are likely to stay for some time once they arrive, and

that Macedonians should decide whether this is acceptable. "Dnevnik" wondered if one can "fill a security vacuum with gunpowder." PM

[21] MONTENEGRIN, YUGOSLAV LEADERS TALK PAST EACH OTHER

Among those participating was Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, an indicted war criminal. Djukanovic and Kostunica then discussed

their differences on the future of relations between Belgrade and Podgorica, repeating their long-standing positions (see "RFE/RL

Newsline," 11 September 2001). The two agreed to continue dealing with their differences by political means. "Vijesti" noted that

only once the question of Belgrade-Podgorica relations is settled can the military expect to be considered for membership in NATO's

Partnership for Peace program. PM

[22] BOSNIAN STRIKERS REJECT OFFER

toward their back wages, "Avaz" reported on 12 September (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 September 2001). The workers rejected the

offer of "social assistance" as "immoral" and an attempt to skirt the real issues involved. The workers want the company to restore

Polihem's electric power so that they "can work and earn ourselves." PM

[23] MOODY'S CRITICAL OF ROMANIA'S ECONOMIC REFORMS

reported. Report author Nina Ramondelli, a Moody's vice president, wrote that the lack of serious structural reforms "continues to

undermine the sustainability of macroeconomic performances, to hold back economic growth and, sometimes, to put pressure on the

foreign debt service." According to the report, Romania's situation can improve only by formulating, together with the International

Monetary Fund, an economical stabilization program and by completing the privatization process of state-owned companies recently

offered for sale. ZsM

[24] RULING, ETHNIC HUNGARIAN PARTY TO CONTINUE COOPERATION

Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR) will continue to cooperate, Mediafax reported on 11 September. Premier and PSD

Chairman Adrian Nastase and UDMR Chairman Bela Marko reportedly discussed different chapters of their cooperation agreement

during their 10 September meeting, and noted that the Status Law recently adopted by the Hungarian Parliament is causing

"difficulties and the slowing down of [bilateral] relations." Nastase, who has protested previously against the Status Law, referred to

it as "nationalist." Marko said he hopes ongoing consultations between the Romanian and Hungarian governments will eventually

lead to solutions. ZsM

[25] BULGARIAN PREMIER'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS POSTPONED

The meeting was to be Saxecoburggotski's first trip abroad, and he was to meet with European Commission President Prodi and

Belgian Premier Guy Verhofstadt. Belgium currently holds the rotating chair of the EU and the Bulgarian premier's visit is seen as

symbolic of the country's hopes of joining the EU and NATO. The same day, Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi said in a telegram to his

U.S. counterpart Powell that "together with all Bulgarian people, [I] sharply condemn the organizers and the perpetrators of this act

of cruelty and madness." Meanwhile, the Bulgarian National Assembly adopted a declaration on 12 September urging the UN to

declare 11 September an international day for the "Victims of Terrorism." PB

[26] NATO MANEUVERS BEGIN IN BULGARIA

began 10 days of military exercises in Bulgaria on 11 September, Reuters reported. The maneuvers, code-named Cooperative Key

2001, will include land, air, and command and medical operations and involve troops from Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia,

Georgia, Latvia, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland, along with NATO forces. Some 1,300 personnel

as well as 72 aircraft are involved in the exercises, which are being held near the southern city of Plovdiv. U.S. Major Tim Dunne, chief

of media operations for NATO's Southern Regional headquarters, said: "The basis of the exercise is an imaginary request from the

UN for multinational support for a humanitarian operation." PB

[C] END NOTE

[27] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.

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