KIRK SERVES UP WINNER OF A YEAR FOR BIG DEALS
By PAUL THARP
New York Post, NY
Sept 15 2004
September 15, 2004 — At 87, wily investor Kirk Kerkorian still has
his healthy vigor and up to $20 billion to spread around. His two
mega-deals this year – the sale of his fabled MGM studios for $4.6
billion and the creation of a proposed $10 billion casino empire
he controls – has nearly tripled his personal fortune in the most
lucrative year of his colorful life.
Kerkorian is celebrating his success by taking his tennis racquets
in hand this week to scramble against other players – all over the
age of 50 – in a remarkable tournament, the World Seniors Tennis
Championship in Philadelphia.
One of his archrivals on the grass courts is 92-year-old former Davis
Cup player Gardnar Mulloy, the second-oldest player in the event,
which concludes for its 1,250 accomplished players on Sept. 26.
Kerkorian is, meanwhile, awaiting word on his effort to collect still
another $3 billion from DaimlerChrysler AG in a tangled lawsuit over
his one-time control of the automaker.
The car maker claims in other court papers that Kerkorian actually
made a profit of $2.7 billion on his investment in the company,
but Kerkorian claims in his suit he took a $3 billion bath on the
1999 merger.
In any event, Kerkorian clearly has a plan for his swollen fortune –
giving it away.
He has set up foundations for his two daughters to spend on making
the world a better place.
The endowment is enough to last a century, based on government
regulations that require a foundation to give away just 5 percent
annually of the profits earned by its investments.
Tax experts say Kerkorian’s estate, worth up to an estimated $20
billion, would be spared heavy taxation by making endowments to the
key foundation.
Some of the cash flows would come from Kerkorian’s casino merger of
his MGM Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group – should regulators clear
it later this year. It would create one of the world’s largest gaming
empires, throwing off cash flows of up to $6 billion a year.
The thrice-married and divorced Kerkorian recently stepped up his
contributions to one of the charitable foundations he founded in 1988 –
the Lincy Foundation, named after his two daughters, Linda and Tracy.
His business holding company, Tracinda Corp., is also named after the
daughters, both from his second marriage in 1954 to Jane Maree Hardy.
Kerkorian’s third wife is in her 30s.
Tracinda supports the charitable foundations with as much as $40
million a year in direct donations.
Their family foundation has awarded hundreds of millions to a wide
range of humanitarian efforts around the world, in areas including
health, education, athletics and global economies.
One favorite cause in recent years was rebuilding the economy of
Armenia, Kerkorian’s homeland.
The foundation, headquartered on South Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills,
has awarded more than $165 million alone in support to Armenia’s
government and economic organizations.
Kerkorian has placed some of his trusted executives on the foundation
board to protect its assets, which exceed $220 million, according to
recent filings.
Kerkorian built his first big fortune by flipping the MGM movie studio
three times since first acquiring it in 1970.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Putin to attend CES, CIS summits in Astana
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Sept 15 2004
MOSCOW, September 15 (Itar-Tass) – Russian President Vladimir Putin
leaves for Astana on a working visit on Wednesday . He will meet with
the leaders of the CIS states that are forming a common economic space
(CES), while on Thursday, he will take part in a broader CIS summit.
The leaders of the four CES countries — Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine
and Belarus — will first have a narrow-format meeting, and then
continue their talks together with members of their delegations.
The four leaders are expected to sign joint documents and give a news
conference. The main item on the agenda is the discussion of the list
of 29 first-priority agreements subject to signing, presidential aide
Sergei Prikhodko told Itar-Tass.
“The implementation of these documents is expected to create the
necessary conditions for deepening economic integration and phased
headway towards free movements of goods, services, capital and labor
forces within the confines of the four states,” Prikhodko noted.
“An agreement on setting up a commission on trade and tariffs will
be signed within the framework of the prepared package of documents,
which is expected to become a single regulating body for the CES
states,” the aide said.
On Wednesday evening, a tripartite meeting will take place between
the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan: Vladimir Putin,
Robert Kocharyan and Ilkham Aliyev.
In the course of his working visit to Astana, Putin is likely to hold
a separate meeting with the summit host: Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev.

Armenia wants broader cooperation with NATO
Interfax
Sept 15 2004
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia is open for serious and more extensive
cooperation with NATO, President Robert Kocharian assured a NATO
Parliamentary Assembly delegation on Tuesday.
Kocharian expressed satisfaction with the current extent of
Armenia-NATO cooperation and said his country was involved in a number
of NATO programs.
He also called for regional cooperation in the South Caucasus. This
would provide a good basis for settling conflicts, he argued.
He said Armenia had repeatedly proposed “the settlement of conflicts
in the South Caucasus via cooperation” but that Azerbaijan had rejected
the idea.
Armenia takes an active part in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.
NATO held an exercise in Armenia in 2003 as part of the program.
The Armenian presidential press service told Interfax that Kocharian
would leave for Astana on Wednesday to take part in a Commonwealth
of Independent States summit.
The service also said the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
planned to hold their next round of talks in Astana to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Globe and Mail, Canada
Sept 15 2004
Chechens live in fear of reprisals
Anti-Caucasian discrimination hits new high in wake of Beslan, MARK
MacKINNON reports
By MARK MacKINNON
MOSCOW — The day after the siege ended at Beslan’s Middle School No.
1, terror came to the Khadayev home outside Moscow.
Asya Khadayeva, 43, first spotted the car with the dark windows as
she left for work at about 7:30 a.m. The car followed slowly as she
and her daughter walked to the bus stop, and she was relieved when
the bus picked them up and their pursuers didn’t follow. An ethnic
Chechen, she had been worried about revenge attacks on her family
following the tragedy in Beslan.
What she didn’t know is that the men in the car were waiting for her
to leave. After the bus pulled away, about 30 men burst through her
home’s doors and windows. Some wore masks and security-service
uniforms, others carried grenades and automatic weapons.
Her three teenaged children, who were still in the house, were forced
to lie facedown on the floor with blankets over their heads. A gun
was pressed against her 15-year-old son Magomed’s skull. Her
five-year-old daughter Amina was dragged from under her bed and
forced to kneel beside her siblings at gunpoint while the home was
searched.
“She was screaming, ‘Don’t shoot me and don’t kill my brothers,’ ”
said Ms. Khadayeva, who moved to Moscow with her family four years
ago to escape the war in Chechnya. “They wouldn’t even let her older
brothers comfort her.”
The children’s father, Ramzan Khadayev, said the men identified
themselves as members of various Russian security services, including
the Federal Security Bureau.
They were at the house for several hours, Ms. Khadayeva said. Some of
the officers later drove to the food market where both parents and
Ms. Khadayeva’s brother work, and questioned all three.
“One officer told us, ‘You should leave [Moscow], it’s not your
home,’ ” she said. “I told them, ‘Okay, give me back my apartment,
which your soldiers destroyed, and the property that was stolen from
me and I’ll leave tomorrow,’ ” Ms. Khadayeva said. “They said that
wasn’t their problem. They told us we are Chechens so we are
terrorists.”
Chechens have been persecuted and feared in Russia since the 19th
century, when the armies of Czar Alexander II first tried to subdue
the fierce people who live along the north end of the Caucasus
mountain range. But the discrimination has hit new heights in recent
years as dozens of acts of terrorism across Russia have been blamed
on Chechens.
The hatred grew again after the hostage-taking at Beslan, where more
than 350 people were killed. Yesterday, Russian prosecutors charged a
Chechen man identified as Nurpashi Kulayev in the deadly
hostage-taking, the Interfax news agency reported.
With a fresh wave of anti-Caucasian xenophobia sweeping the country,
many Chechens say they now rarely leave their homes, fearful of even
their neighbours.
In Moscow, police have arrested dozens of Chechens in the past few
days, including a group of 20 men yesterday who were renovating
schools in the region. They were released later in the day. Last
week, in the Ural mountain city of Yekaterinburg, gangs of youths
armed with clubs, chains and Molotov cocktails attacked cafés owned
by Armenians and Azeris, killing one person and hospitalizing two
others.
Human-rights activists say the police are among the worst offenders
when it comes to anti-Caucasian racism.
“They have orders from the authorities to check every Caucasian
person, man or a woman. They treat every Caucasian as a potential
terrorist,” said Yuri Tabak of the Moscow Human Rights Bureau.
The situation for Chechens and other Caucasians living in Moscow has
become so dangerous that some say they’ve stopped going outside
unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Fatima Dudayeva fled the ruins of Grozny to join her sister in Moscow
a month ago, hoping to find work and “have some fun” in the big city
after almost a decade of constant war. But her arrival coincided with
a string of suicide bombings carried out by young Chechen women —
two on passenger planes and another outside a Moscow metro station.
Denied registration papers that would allow her to look for work or
rent a place of her own, she stays with her cousin in a small
apartment in the city and says she’s gone further than the corner
store only once in the past two weeks.
During that single trip out, Ms. Dudayeva was stopped by a policeman
who asked her to prove she wasn’t wearing a suicide belt. She had to
pay him a 500-ruble bribe (about $25) to avoid being taken into
custody.
“They look for a Chechen trace in everything that goes wrong,” the
dark-eyed 26-year-old said. “The next time something happens in
Moscow, the next terror act, it will be better to go back to
Chechnya, despite the war there, and stay for a while until things
calm down here.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ayatollahs play in Russia’s backyard
By Sergei Blagov
Asia Times Online, Hong Kong
Sept 15 2004
MOSCOW – Amid growing Western pressure over Iran’s nuclear
ambitions, Tehran is losing no time in boosting its clout north of
its frontiers. Furthermore, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami toured
three former Soviet states when their former “big brother”, Russia,
was distracted by terrorist attacks and domestic political reforms.
During a three-day official visit to Tajik capital Dushanbe this week,
Khatami and his counterpart President Emomali Rakhmonov discussed
energy and infrastructure projects. The two nations also clinched a
deal to launch a joint venture that would finalize construction of
the 670-megawatt Sangtudin hydropower station in Tajikistan.
Last December, Tajikistan and Iran agreed to launch a consortium to
raise funds to complete the Sangtudin plant. On Monday, Rakhmonov
said Iran would bear 51% of the total construction cost, estimated
at about US$500 million. Forty-nine percent of the project is to be
funded by Tajikistan and other countries, including Russia. Moscow
has put up $100 million for the project.
Khatami is also reported to have observed the construction site of the
five-kilometer-long Anzub Tunnel crossing the Gissar mountain range,
which is slated to be part of a highway project to link Tajikistan and
Iran via northern Afghanistan. The tunnel is being built by Iranian
firm Sobir, which won an international tender by pledging to complete
construction by the end of 2006 for $39 million. The 110km road from
Iran to Herat, Afghanistan, has already been built. Khatami also
pledged that Iran would invest more than $700 million in the Tajik
economy in the coming five years.
Subsequently, Iran’s leader opted to come up with some diplomatic
overtures toward Moscow. On Sunday, Khatami told journalists in
Dushanbe that cooperation with Russia had benefited the region. He
hailed Iran’s nuclear plant deal with Moscow, and lauded Russia for
continued ties with Iran, despite US pressure. “We need cooperation
with Russia for safeguarding stability in Central Asia, the Caspian
and Caucasus regions,” Khatami was quoted by Interfax news agency
as saying.
Nevertheless, Khatami’s tour of the former Soviet states could be
viewed as Tehran’s attempt to poach a territory still considered by
Moscow as “near abroad”, at a time when Russia is overwhelmed by its
terrorist outbreaks.
>>From last Thursday to Saturday, Khatami visited Belarus, where he met
with President Alexander Lukashenko, Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky
and other top Belarusian officials. Iran has close relations with
Belarus, which is regularly under verbal attack from the West for the
authoritarian regime of Lukashenko. Russia has also been struggling to
create a “union state” with Belarus. And despite Western criticism,
Belarus sold Russian-made conventional military equipment and spare
parts to Iran.
While in Belarus, Khatami took the opportunity to criticize the
US-led “war on terror”, saying that “crises and tensions in the
Middle East only serve the illegitimate interests of outsiders”, and
that “countries that prevent others from living in peace” in their
homelands are the real members of the “axis of evil”. He also claimed
that “injustice and discrimination” were the causes of terrorism.
“Those who illegally occupy land belonging to others and those who
fuel chaos and extremism worldwide are the main components of the
axis of evil,” Khatami said. Leaving no doubt whom he bore in mind,
Khatami also lashed out at “the Zionist regime”.
Top Belarus officials told Khatami that they shared Iran’s
opposition to unilateralism and believe that countries that label
others as members of the “axis of evil” do so just to pursue their
own interests. Incidentally, some years ago, Lukashenko gained
international notoriety by suggesting that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
had certain merits for restoring order in Germany and making the
economy grow.
Prior to the Belarus visit, on September 8-9, Khatami traveled to
yet another former Soviet state, Armenia, mainly driven by economic
reasons. Khatami and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian
signed a framework treaty on the “principles and bases” of bilateral
relations. They also formalized the release of a $30 million Iranian
loan to Armenia, to be used for construction of a gas pipeline
that will link the two neighboring countries. The construction of
the Armenian section of its gas pipeline with Iran is expected to
begin by the end of next month. Iranian company Sanir is to become
a subcontractor for the project.
Hence Armenia is limiting its dependence on Russian energy supplies.
In May, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh traveled to Armenia
and signed an agreement on the construction of the 114km Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline that would cost $120 million. Iran reportedly agreed to
supply 1.27 trillion cubic feet (36 billion cubic meters) to Armenia
from 2007-27.
The Iran-Armenia pipeline could also be extended through
Georgia to Ukraine and on to the European Union. The
Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Ukraine-Europe gas pipeline, with a 550km
underwater section from the Georgian port of Supsa to the Crimean
town of Feodosia, has been estimated to cost $5 billion. The planned
gas supply would amount to 2.12 trillion cubic feet (60 billion cubic
meters) per annum, including 353 billion cubic feet (10 billion cubic
meters) for Ukraine.
Russia has been wary that Armenia’s extended pipeline could be
used to funnel Iranian gas to European markets. It could also allow
Turkmenistan to circumvent Russia’s gas-pipeline network. Presumably
fearing Moscow’s wrath, Armenia is yet to make a decision on the
extended pipeline.
Meanwhile, Russia has reiterated its proactive approach in the
“near abroad”. Last Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated
that Russia is ready to face Western competition in the former Soviet
states. “Our world is being globalized and one need learn to compete,”
he told Voice of Russia Radio. “We have to defend our line in the
pursuit of energy and other natural resources, we have capabilities
for it,” Lavrov said.
It remains to be seen, however, whether Russia is prepared to face
non-Western competition, such as Iran.
Sergei Blagov covers Russia and post-Soviet states, with special
attention to Asia-related issues. He has contributed to Asia Times
Online since 1996. Between 1983 and 1997, he was based in Southeast
Asia. In 2001 and 2002, Nova Science Publishers, New York, published
two of his books on Vietnamese history.

ARMENIAN NOTEBOOKS TO BE ON SALE SOON
A1 Plus | 21:29:55 | 14-09-2004 | Social |
Notebooks produced in Armenia by Unicomp Company on projects and
consultations of Intel Corporation were presented Tuesday in Armenia
Mariotte hotel.
On beginning phase, the Unicomp intends to produce 100 notebooks
per month, the company director Armen Baldryan said. In his words,
the production of notebooks will increasingly grow to 1,000. He said
high quality is ensured.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le président Aliev hostile à la venue de soldats arméniens en Azerbaïdjan
Agence France Presse
11 septembre 2004 samedi 11:56 AM GMT
BARDA (Azerbaïdjan) 11 sept
Le président d’Azerbaïdjan, Ilham Aliev, s’est déclaré opposé samedi
à ce que des officiers arméniens participent à des manoeuvres de
l’Otan prévues la semaine prochaine dans son pays.
M. Aliev n’a pas précisé s’il interdirait aux militaires arméniens
l’accès à l’Azerbaïdjan, indiquant seulement que le gouvernement
prenait des “mesures” dont il n’a pas révélé la teneur.
Une guerre a opposé l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan au début des années
1990 à propos du Nagorny Karabakh, enclave à population
majoritairement arménienne sur le territoire de l’Azerbaïdjan. Le
conflit a fait 35.000 morts et environ un million de civils ont été
déplacés. Le territoire est resté sous le contrôle des Arméniens
depuis un cessez-le-feu en 1994.
Les deux pays coopèrent avec l’Otan au sein du Partenariat pour la
paix.
“Qui que vous interrogiez en Azerbaïdjan, personne ne vous dira qu’il
accepte la venue d’officiers arméniens”, a déclaré le président à la
presse lors d’une visite à Barda, dans le nord-ouest du pays.
“Je ne veux pas non plus qu’ils viennent. Je suis opposé à cela et
l’Azerbaïdjan prend les mesures nécessaires”, a-t-il ajouté.
Le président Aliev doit rencontrer la semaine prochaine son homologue
arménien Robert Kotcharian au Kazakhstan, en marge d’un sommet des
pays de l’ex-URSS qui débute le 15 septembre à Astana.
M. Aliev a estimé samedi que cette rencontre pourrait être
déterminante pour l’avenir du fragile processus de paix entre les
deux pays. “Beaucoup dépend de la rencontre à Astana”, a-t-il
déclaré. “Elle pourrait clarifier la question de savoir où nous en
sommes, si nous nous rapprochons d’un accord ou si nous partons dans
la direction opposée”, a-t-il ajouté.
L’Arménie, comme plusieurs dizaines d’autres pays, doit participer
avec un petit contingent à des exercices de l’Otan prévus à partir de
lundi en Azerbaïdjan.
Mais plusieurs médias indépendants en Azerbaïdjan ont fait campagne
auprès du gouvernement pour qu’il empêche la venue des soldats
arméniens. Les opposants ont promis de descendre dans les rues si le
projet se concrétisait.
La venue de militaires arméniens à Bakou pour participer à une
conférence de l’Otan avait déjà donné lieu à une manifestation le 21
juin dernier.

Agence France Presse
13 septembre 2004 lundi 11:37 AM GMT
L’Otan annule des exercices militaires prévus en Azerbaïdjan
BRUXELLES 13 sept
L’Otan a annulé un exercice militaire qui devait se dérouler à partir
de lundi en Azerbaïdjan, les autorités de Bakou ayant jugé
indésirable la présence de militaires arméniens sur leur territoire,
a indiqué lundi un porte-parole de l’organisation à Bruxelles.
La décision d’annuler ces manoeuvres a été prise par le commandant
suprême des forces alliées en Europe, le général américain James
Jones, a précisé le porte-parole, qui a fait part des “regrets” de
l’Otan face à l’attitude des autorités de Bakou.
Samedi, le président d’Azerbaïdjan Ilham Aliev s’était déclaré opposé
à ce que des officiers arméniens participent à des manoeuvres de
l’Otan prévues de longue date dans son pays dans le cadre du
Partenariat pour la Paix.
L’Arménie, comme plusieurs dizaines d’autres pays, devait participer
avec un petit contingent à ces manoeuvres, qui devaient s’achever le
27 septembre.
Une guerre a opposé l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan au début des années
1990 à propos du Nagorny Karabakh, enclave à population
majoritairement arménienne sur le territoire de l’Azerbaïdjan. Le
conflit a fait 35.000 morts et environ un million de civils ont été
déplacés. Le territoire est resté sous le contrôle des Arméniens
depuis un cessez-le-feu en 1994.
L’Azerbaïdjan et l’Arménie coopèrent avec l’Otan au sein du
Partenariat pour la Paix.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/14/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Kocharian, Aliyev to Tackle Karabagh Conflict at Astana Summit 2) Congresswoman Eshoo, State Senator Poochigian Honorees at 2004 ANCA Banquet 3) NATO Delegate Remarks on Armenian Genocide 4) Hamazkayin Honors its Cultural Leaders 1)Kocharian, Aliyev to Tackle Karabagh Conflict at Astana Summit YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--President Robert Kocharian will leave for Astana, Kazakhstan on Wednesday to participate in a summit of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) heads of state. Kocharian and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev will meet on the same day to discuss the current state of negotiations on settling the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. On the whole, the summit will take up broader cooperation of CIS member-countries in responding to new challenges of global security and stability. Economic interaction within the CIS, along with tackling problems that hinder trade and economic cooperation, and other urgent issues are also on the agenda. The summit is expected to draft and ratify more than a dozen documents. 2) Congresswoman Eshoo, State Senator Poochigian Honorees at 2004 ANCA Banquet --Pre-banquet party to kick off fiscal year fundraising LOS ANGELES--The Armenian National Committee of AmericaWestern Region (ANCA-WR) recently announced that Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and California State Senator Charles Poochigian (R-Fresno) will be honored at the 2004 Annual Banquet. ANCA-WR Chairman of the Board of Directors Raffi Hamparian praised the honorees saying, "Congresswoman Eshoo and Senator Poochigian are role models and exemplary public officials in their respective bodies. They have brought great pride to Armenian Americans and we are extremely grateful for their hard work." The Annual Banquet will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel in Pasadena on Sunday, October 24. The largest event of its kind that brings Armenian Americans together with a large number of federal, state and local public officials, the Banquet annually draws over 750 individuals, including a long list of dignitaries. Last year's event was no exception, and with this year's guest list packed with high profile figures, tickets sales are already heating up. The ANCA-WR Banquet is attended annually by prominent Members of Congress, State Legislators, Mayors, academics, and a vast number of Armenian American political activists. "The Banquet continues to get better with each passing year, with more dignitaries, better venues, and an amazing list of honorees," commented ANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian. "If you haven't been to an Annual Banquet, then you must attend. If you're an activist or supporter interested in politics, helping the Armenian Cause, and meeting exciting and interesting people, then this is your event," added Kassakhian. The annual pre-Banquet Kickoff Party will be at the elegant Cicada Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, on Thursday, September 16, at 7:30 PM. The Kickoff Party generally attracts those interested in reserving tables for the Annual Banquet. The complimentary event is part of ANCA-WR tradition marking the beginning of the fundraising drive leading up to the Annual Banquet. 3) NATO Delegate Remarks on Armenian Genocide YEREVAN (A1Plus)--Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday after meeting with Armenia's officials, head of Germany's NATO delegation Markus Meckel, said Armenia plays a key role in the stability of the South Caucasus, adding that neighbors should maintain good relations for common security. A visiting delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the NATO member states arrived Monday in Yerevan. Meckel acknowledged the Armenian genocide, and maintained it must be recognized by the international community. Meckel, a lawmaker, is a member of Germany's Social Democrat party, and a former East German Foreign Minister. 4) Hamazkayin Honors its Cultural Leaders The Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society honored three members who, through their dedication and skill, have succeeded in elevating culture in the California Armenian community. Hamazkayin Kousan Choir director Professor Ara Manash and the co-founders and artistic directors of the Ani Dance Ensemble Suzy Parseghian-Tarpinian and Yeghia Hasholian, received the Society's highest medal on September 12, during a public gathering that took place at Ferrahian School's Avedissian Hall. Awarding the medals was Hamazkayin Central Executive chairman Dr. Megerdich Megerdichian, who is visiting from Lebanon to review the region's activities. Megerdichian, who served as the keynote speaker of the September 12 event, was honored two days earlier during a reception in his honor at the Pasadena Armenian Center. Hamazkayin Central Executive member Edward Misserlian and Western Region chairman Vahakn Abkariants joined in congratulating the medal recipients, and addressed the mission and future of the 76 year-old organization. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

PRESS RELEASE
September 14, 2004
American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576
Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]
AUA LAW DEPARTMENT PLAYS LOS ANGELES
A standing-room-only crowd of almost 100 people were in attendance in
Pasadena, California, on August 20, as the Armenian Professional Society
presented a program entitled: “Current Issues in Armenia: Report from the
American University of Armenia Law Department.” Half-the-world away from
Yerevan, four members of the AUA administration were in Pasadena for the
event, which was generally acclaimed as a resounding success.
The program began with a thorough report on the current status of AUA by Dr.
Haroutune K. Armenian, President of AUA. Dr. Armenian spoke of many sides
of AUA, including its plans for expanding its role in international
education and its application for accreditation by the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
The Law Department’s two resident professors then spoke on how things are in
Armenia with respect to two social and legal problems. Associate Dean
Matthew Karanian spoke of Armenia’s environmental problems, including the
risk to Lake Sevan, and of the difference between the relevant law as
written and as applied on the ground.
Sara J. Anjargolian, Assistant Dean of the Law Department, spoke of the
status of women in Armenia and the differences in attitude and social
conventions between Armenian and American women.
A special guest, Judge (ret.) Aram Serverian of the Superior Court for San
Mateo County, California, who came from Northern California to attend the
event, spoke entertainingly of his experience as a visiting professor at
AUA, his highly favorable impressions of the Law Department students, and of
the Department’s need for financial support.
There followed a lively session of questions from the audience, followed in
turn by refreshments, conversations, and financial contributions to AUA.
The high and enthusiastic interest in AUA shown by the Armenian professional
community in Los Angeles — following a similar program presented in San
Francisco last January by the A.G.B.U. — may well stimulate future programs
of this nature.
The program was coordinated and m.c.’d by Professor Stephen Barnett, Dean of
the AUA Law Department. It was conceived and developed by Betty
Jamgotchian, Esq., director of the Armenian Professional Society, together
with Sara Anjargolian.
—————————————-
The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit educational
organization in both Armenia and the United States and is affiliated with
the Regents of the University of California. Receiving major support from
the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight
graduate programs. For more information about AUA, visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress