From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Apr 23 2003 - 14:35:12 EDT
CASPIAN NEWS AGENCY
CNA all-inclusive newsline
/14:44 23.04.2003/ Armenian leader says parliament and president should
cooperate to maintain internal political stability in the country
Yerevan, April 23. 2003. (CNA). Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
declared at a meeting with students in higher education in Yerevan that
the president and parliament should cooperate to maintain internal
political stability in the country. He said that conflict between the
president and parliament could have serious consequences for the country
and a negative effect on the pace of economic development, Mediamax
reports. The Armenian president called on the electorate to "take
account of this fact, as nobody will win from such a conflict". "For me
and, I think, for the whole country it would be preferable if political
forces supporting the president had a significant majority in the new
parliament," Robert Kocharyan said.
______
/14:41 23.04.2003/ Georgian and Ukrainian presidents discussed in Kiev
possible creation of free trade zone within CIS and Ukraine's possible
participation in the transportation of the Caspian oil
Tbilisi, April 23, 2003. (CNA). Georgian and Ukrainian Presidents
discussed on April 22 in Kiev possible creation of the free trade zone
within the Commonwealth of Independent States and Ukraine's possible
participation in the transportation of the Caspian oil. Eduard
Shevardnadze and Leonid Kuchma expressed willingness of creation of the
free trade zone within CIS and stated the step would further promote
economic cooperation between the CIS countries.
The two presidents also discussed Ukraine's role in transportation of
the Caspian oil to the western markets with the Odesa-Brody oil
pipeline. Eduard Shevardnadze pledged his support to the project, Civil
Georgia reports.
______
/14:38 23.04.2003/ Azerbaijan Prime Minister Artur Rasizade left for
U.S. on unofficial visit
Baku, April 23, 2003. (CNA). Azerbaijan's prime minister flew to the
United States after President Geidar Aliev collapsed during a televised
speech. An official in the Azerbaijani government said that Prime
Minister Artur Rasizade left Monday night. The destination and purpose
of the visit was unclear, although it was not planned in advance.
But sources in Baku said that Rasizade will undergo a medical
examination at a U.S. clinic.
______
/14:34 23.04.2003/ Russia to turn infantry division into military base
in Tajikistan
Moscow, April 23, 2002. (CNA). A Russian military source told Interfax
on Tuesday that an agreement is planned to be signed at a Collective
Security Treaty summit in Dushanbe on April 28 to turn the 201st Motor
Rifle Division into the 4th Military Base.
"The presidents of Russia and Tajikistan are to sign the bilateral
accord, which took the military departments and diplomats of these
countries two years to draft," said the source.
The draft points out that Russia's 4th Military Base will function in
Tajikistan for five years. Its subsequent stay may be prolonged "if
neither wishes otherwise."
______
/14:32 23.04.2003/ Iran signs 25-year contract to sell gas to UAE
Tehran. April 23, 2003. (CNA). Iran has signed a 25-year agreement to
sell over 14 billion cubic meters of natural gas per day to the United
Arab Emirates, a senior official for gas exports said in Tehranm IRNA
reports.
The exports will begin in 2005 and Iran will sell 14.16 billion cubic
meters of gas per day to the Persian Gulf emirate, Rokneddin Javadi,
managing director of the Iranian Gas Exports Company, said.
"The accord for selling Iranian gas to the (United Arab) Emirates was
oncluded in Esfand and the preparations are underway to start the
export," he added.
Iran has also held negotiations with Armenia for sale of gas and
preliminary agreements to this effect have been made, Javadi said.
Studies on laying gas pipelines to take Iranian gas to Armenia have been
completed and executive operations to start, he added.
Iran sits on the biggest proven gas reserves of the world -- put around
28 trillion cubic meters -- after Russia. Half of this lies in an
offshore field which the country shares with Qatar in the Persian Gulf.
The Islamic Republic has already been exporting natural gas to Turkey
under a 30-billion-dollar deal, according to which Iran is bound to
supply 10 billion cubic meters (350 billion cubic feet) of gas per year.
In December 2001, the two countries launched a 2,577-kilometer pipeline,
running from the northeastern city of Tabriz to Ankara to supply gas
from southern Iran near the Persian Gulf.
Officials have said that Iran looked at Turkey as 'a gateway for the
export of its natural gas to European markets'. The country also expects
to export gas to India.
______
/14:23 23.04.2003/ Armenian Prime Minister to visit Moscow to attend
session of CIS Council of prime ministers and foreign ministers
Yerevan, April 23, 2003. (CNA). Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian is leaving April 24 for Moscow to attend the session of the
CIS Council of prime ministers and foreign ministers. The session is
expected to discuss more than two dozens of draft decisions, pertaining
to CIS activity. Armenian government press office said the agenda of the
meeting contains some key issues, such as stepping up cooperation in the
area of security. The heads of CIS member countries governments will
also discuss a range of economic, financial and educational issues.
______
When re-using CNA content, we require that you credit Caspian News
Agency by including "CNA/www.caspian.ru"
|
