TURKISH COMPANY SPONSORS TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN YEREVAN
ArmenPress
Sept 9 2004
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS: Chetash, a Turkish company of
precious stones is to sponsor Yerevan Cup International Tennis
Tournament of Veterans which will run in Yerevan from September 27
to October 3, Armenian tennis federation told Armenpress. This is an
exceptional case in the history of Armenian tennis.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia to arrange Azeri-Armenia summit toward Karabakh settlmnt
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 9, 2004 Thursday
BAKU, September 9 — The latest events in the North Caucasus
showed again that “it is necessary to look for the solution to the
long-standing regional conflicts and to avoid new ones”, Russian
ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolai Ryabov who is concluding his tour
of duty in this Transcaucasian republic, told a news conference in
Baku on Thursday.
Ryabov believes that the whole of the Caucasus may come to grief
through ignoring these factors. He said the Russian side now makes
efforts to arrange the meeting of the Azeri and Armenian presidents,
Ilkham Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan, at the upcoming CIS summit in
Astana to discuss the ways of settling the Karabakh conflict. Ryabov
said the meeting might take place in a trilateral format, with the
participation of the Russian president.

Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt
Sept 9 2004
The limits of loyalty
Amending Lebanon’s constitution by Syrian dictate has thrown the
country into political turmoil, writes Mohalhel Fakih
Lebanon’s government is in crisis after four ministers tendered their
resignation in protest over a vote in parliament that amended the
constitution to extend President Emile Lahoud’s mandate for another
three years. The legislative move changed Lebanon’s political
landscape and intensified domestic and international pressure on
Syria, putting both Beirut and Damascus on a collision course with
the United Nations Security Council, the United States and Europe.
But Syria’s allies, especially President Lahoud, made clear they will
only deepen ties with Damascus and warned that the Lebanese face the
choice of either supporting Syria at this “dangerous” period or
backing US plans in the Middle East.
“I tendered my resignation,” Environment Minister Fares Boueiz told
reporters after a Monday meeting with Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He
had voted on Friday against a bill in parliament to amend the
constitution and extend the former Lebanese Army commander’s mandate,
a poll that the US charged was a result of a campaign of “threats”
and intimidation by Syria and “its agents”, drawing immediate denials
from Syria’s Information Minister Ahmed Al-Hassan. He told a news
conference in Damascus that “the most important thing of all is that
brotherly Syrian and Lebanese relations take the path of more
cooperation, coordination and congruity.”
Hariri, a long time rival of Lahoud, had sent clear signals that he
would not stay in office if the president remained. But after a
meeting with senior Syrian officials, Hariri himself proposed an
amendment of the constitution to annul elections, citing Middle East
tensions. Now, the fate of Hariri’s government looks uncertain.
“We are quitting the government,” Economy and Trade Minister Marwan
Hamadeh told a gathering. Hamadeh and two of his colleagues,
representing Druze leader MP Walid Jumblatt, had voiced vocal
dissatisfaction with the parliamentary vote. Jumblatt, an ally of
Syria, had rejected the decision to extend Lahoud’s term, claiming
the country was moving closer to military rule.
Hariri, an ally of Jumblatt, who conceived and implemented plans to
reconstruct Lebanon following the 1975-1990 Civil War, confirmed on
Monday that consultations will soon be held “on the fate of Boueiz’s
resignation and other resignations that could occur, as well as the
general situation of the government after returning from a series of
visits that will end on the 17th of this month.” Hariri is scheduled
to visit Cairo, Madrid and Brussels, but has reportedly cancelled a
trip to New York.
His bloc in parliament voted in favour of amending the constitution,
despite earlier condemnations. One of the deputies, Ghattas Khoury,
cast a ballot against electing Lahoud. His colleague MP Nabil de
Freij supported the amendment but said Khoury did not want to give in
to threats that he had been allegedly receiving. De Freij described
the parliamentary session as a “sad masquerade” but justified his
vote as a sign that he would not “give up on [Hariri]”.
Fresh from a resounding victory, Lahoud promised to launch new
development programmes across the country and give an added push to
the agriculture sector, clearly sending a signal as to who is in
charge. Beirut is rife with reports that Lahoud is planning to form a
mixed government of technocrats and politicians. The post-war
constitution, which distributed power on confessional basis, gave the
prime minister executive authority, but Hariri has on several
occasions complained that Lahoud was blocking his policies including
internationally backed privatisation plans.
The president should expect tough opposition not only from a
fragmented Christian community that opposes Syria’s military presence
in Lebanon, but also from some Muslim politicians and Druze leader
Jumblatt, whose 16 allies in parliament, along with the Christian
opposition Qornet Shehwan gathering, voted against amending the
constitution. Nevertheless, Lahoud told hundreds of visitors at the
Baabda Palace, congratulating him on staying in office, that: “this
sort of arrangement [ties with Syria] will continue with the aim of
achieving just and complete and lasting peace, which spreads the
stability which Lebanon and Syria enjoy over other countries in the
region.”
The head of state received unequivocal support from Hizbullah.
Casting ballots for Lahoud in the 96-20 vote, with three not
attending the parliamentary session, were a large array of deputies
and legislators belonging to Hizbullah. The Shia group warned the
Lebanese that the next 30 days set out by a UN Security Council’s
resolution, which was passed hours before parliament voted to keep
the president, were fraught with “danger”. Hizbullah Secretary-
General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, a top ally of Syria, said Syrian
troops, who entered Lebanon at the onset of the Civil War, should
remain, crediting Damascus for stability and unity in the country.
Nasrallah was a target of the US-French backed resolution calling for
the withdrawal of “foreign troops”, in reference to Syria, disarming
“militias” and sending Lebanese Army soldiers to the south. He
rejected the Security Council decision, as did Lebanon and Syria, and
accused the UN body of “lying” about wanting to protect Lebanon’s
sovereignty and independence, citing Israel’s almost daily breaches
of Lebanese airspace and its previous military invasions. Nasrallah
told a rally in Beirut’s southern suburbs that army garrisons were
sent to the south following Israel’s May 2000 pullout, but the aim of
the resolution was to protect US and Israeli interests, and to
permanently settle Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Hizbullah remains the only armed group following the end of the
Lebanon war on grounds that it continues to fight Israel’s occupation
of the Shebaa Farms region, a region the UN ruled was Syrian, but
Beirut and Damascus insist is Lebanese. Hizbullah has been branded a
terrorist group by Washington, which blames Syria for the influence
it holds. The organisation is hailed throughout the Arab world as a
resistance force to Israeli aggression.
This regional angle of Hizbullah and a Syrian struggle with the US
and France, and eventually the United Nations, turned the extension
of the former Army General’s mandate into a regional power tussle,
with Syria declaring victory. Syrian officials have said the fact
that Washington and Paris had to water down the Security Council
resolution that they drafted, not mentioning Syria by name, and a
nine-vote minimum possible approval at the world body, showed that
the US “failed”. But the resolution warning against intervention in
Lebanon’s presidential election also gave UN chief Kofi Annan 30 days
to ensure implementation and warns of “additional measures”.
Hizbullah’s leader urged the Lebanese to rally behind Lahoud.
Meanwhile, Syria’s strong ally and Maronite political heavyweight,
Health Minister Sleiman Franjieh, said Lebanon was now “either with
Syria or against Syria”. Franjieh had initially opposed extending
Lahoud’s mandate but told a news conference he agreed with the
official justification that regional tensions and Israeli “threats”
were behind amending the constitution, a decision that the US dubbed
“crude mockery” by Syria.
Hizbullah Deputy Mohamed Raad, who leads the nine-member bloc of
Hizbullah in parliament, said they voted to amend the constitution
“to support Lahoud and to reject the policies of the American
administration in the region”.
There were many who disagreed with Raad and Franjieh, including the
Maronite Church, to which the health minister and the president
belong. And the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, MP Jumblatt,
backed the Church’s condemnation of the amendment although he was
cautious not to publicly attack Syria.
“Syria gives orders, appoints leaders, organises parliamentary and
other elections, brings in whoever it wants and drops whoever it
wants and interferes in all aspects of life: in the administration,
the judiciary, the economy and particularly politics, through its
representatives here and its aides,” Maronite bishops, led by
Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, said. They added that Damascus
“compromises Lebanese interests in international forums and protects
the corrupt and the corrupters, while some of its nationals and some
Lebanese share the spoils and trade in power.”
The amendment provoked several campaigns to oppose an extension of
Lahoud’s mandate and Syria’s role in Lebanon, including from a
multi-confessional gathering of some 200 leading intellectuals and
opposition groups participating in what they called the “Petition to
Defend the Republic and the Constitution”. They lashed out at
Damascus for “imposing” its will on Lebanon and “endangering” both
countries.
At the same time, representatives of some 25 political factions and
parties, including Hizbullah, the Baath Party, Armenian Tashnak
Party, and House Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, converged on
the United Nations headquarters and protested against an alleged
French-US effort “to separate the Syrian- Lebanese attachment” which
they said “is impossible”. They warned that international pressure
only “endangers civil peace”.
The current divisions were described as menacing by the highest
authority of Shia Muslims in Lebanon Sheikh Abdul-Amir Qabalan and
were blamed by top Sunni religious leaders, headed by the Mufti of
the Republic Sheikh Mohamed Rashid Qabbani, on the US, while
attributing stability in Lebanon to Damascus. Both clerics had
reportedly earlier rejected an amendment of the constitution though
their statements were withdrawn. They have now said in one statement
that they support the amendment, “to stand up against Israeli threats
and the American diktat”.
US moves had put those opposing Syria in a corner. They insist that
they do not support foreign intervention in Lebanon but that Lahoud
should have gone. Sunni Muslim MP Mosbah Ahdab declared allegiance to
strong strategic ties with Syria but said he opposed an extension of
the president’s mandate, which would in his words “extend the crisis
for another three years”. Furthermore, he raised charges of threats
made against him to modify his position.
Ahdab appeared to be referring to a power struggle between Lahoud and
Hariri that virtually paralysed the state due to their economic
policy differences. Hariri refused to form a government when Lahoud
first came to office in 1998, and stayed in the opposition ranks
until he and his allies scored an unprecedented parliamentary victory
in 2000.
“There is no winner and no loser,” Lahoud declared. He said the
differences of opinion that emerged following the constitution’s
amendment were at the core of Lebanon’s democracy. He called for
opening a new page. Yet although Lebanon is accustomed to rancorous
politics, and despite calling US and French condemnations of amending
the constitution “interference in internal affairs”, Lahoud and the
Lebanese have to face up to the fact that Washington appears to have
its eyes focussed on the country.
“We are gravely concerned that the will of the people has been
circumvented by Syrian actions that led to this vote,” Tom Casey,
State Department spokesman told reporters.

Religious leaders condemn terrorism in North Caucasus
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 9, 2004 Thursday
MOSCOW, September 9 — Religious leaders of all the traditional
confessions in Russia condemn terrorism and call for safeguarding
peace in the North Caucasus.
The leaders of the traditional confessions practiced in the North
Caucasus called on the believers to prevent the outbreaks of hostility
and confrontation among the peoples of the South of Russia. This is
said in the joint statement adopted on Thursday after the meeting in
Yessentuki with the Russian president’s envoy in the Southern Federal
District, Vladimir Yakovlev.
“Truly religious people will never take the road of terror; those who
deliberately became terrorists betrayed their faith”, the statement
says. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, of Islamic
organizations, of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of Buddhists and
Judaists condemned “the horrible crime of the capture and killing of
hostages in Beslan, as well as the terrorist acts staged in Moscow
and on board two passenger planes”.
The religious leaders expressed condolences to the families and
relatives of the victims, Tass reports. The leaders of confessions
made assurances that they will exert every effort to safeguard peace
and security of Russia”.
Liturgies in memory of the killed hostages were conducted in all the
Orthodox churches of the Altai territory, Tass reports. Bishop Maxim
of Barnaul and the Altai said, specifically, that all the statements
by terrorists about their being motivated by religious ideals are not
just lies but also a provocation aimed to split the Russian society
by a bloody feud.

Skinheads burn down Azeri, Armenian cafes in Russia
Agence France Presse — English
September 9, 2004 Thursday 3:55 PM GMT
MOSCOW Sept 9 — A gang of young skinheads set fire Thursday to several
cafes owned by ethnic Azeri and Armenians in the Russian Urals city
of Yekaterinburg, torching them to the ground and killing one person
and injuring two, reports said.
Police arrested eight youths, aged between seven and 19, following
the overnight attacks.
NTV television reported five cafes had been torched, although the
Gazeta.ru Internet site said three had been attacked.
The gang set fire to the cafes after first surrounding them and
smashing them with chains and bats, reports said.
Xenophobic attacks have occurred regularly in major Russian cities in
recent years. They have generally targeted African and Asian students,
as well as diplomats and traders from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

IRAN, ARMENIA REVIEW EXPANSION OF RELATIONS
Asia Pulse
September 9, 2004 Thursday 8:25 PM Eastern Time
YEREVAN, Sept 9 — The chairmen of the Iran-Armenia Joint Commission
explored ways of expanding ties between the two countries here
Wednesday.
The Iranian chairman stressed Tehran’s firm will to expand bilateral
ties, and expressed hope the current visit of Iranian President
Khatami to Armenia would further consolidate and expand relations.
He pointed out that major steps have already been taken by the two
countries to boost relations in the energy and trade areas.
He said the volume of trade exchanges of the two countries in the
cuurent year shows an increase of 30 percent compared with the figure
last year.
The Armenian official said he believes relations between the two
countries received a remarkable boost after the latest visit of the
Armenian president to Iran, and expressed satisfaction with ongoing
Iran-Armenia joint projects. He also called for the expansion of
mutual ties in agriculture, culture and commerce.
He said new contracts that are to be signed by the two sides during
the current visit of President Khatami to Yerevan would further
enhance relations.
President arrived in Armenia on Wednesday morning on the first leg
of a three-nation regional tour.

National Public Radio (NPR)
SHOW: All Things Considered 9:00 AM EST NPR
September 7, 2004 Tuesday
Louis de Bernieres’ latest novel, “Birds Without Wings”
ANCHORS: ROBERT SIEGEL
REPORTERS: ALAN CHEUSE
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
Readers and moviegoers know Louis de Bernieres as the author of the
story of “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” It’s set in a Greek village
during the occupation by Axis forces. His new book, “Birds Without
Wings,” is set earlier and across the Aegean Sea. Alan Cheuse has a
review.
ALAN CHEUSE reporting:
“Birds Without Wings” takes us to the Anatolian coastal village of
Eskibahce at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s a small but
thriving place with a multireligious and multiethnic population,
mainly Turks and Greeks, but also a number of Armenians and Kurds,
Muslims and Christians alike, and a lively market where one of the
main narrators, a potter named Iskander, sells his wares. The potter
is one of a number of multiple narrators telling us about the village
and its inhabitants, his son Karatavuk who grows up to become a
soldier and fights the British at Gallipoli, and the boy’s Christian
friend Mehmetcik, whom he teaches to write. And we also hear about
the village’s richest man, Rustem Bey, whose first wife betrays him
and who buys a concubine in an Istanbul brothel and brings her home
to Eskibahce.
And then there’s the Christian girl Philothei, so beautiful her
father has her put on a veil, and her homely friend Drosoula and
Mehmet, the tinsman, and Abdulhamid Hodja, the local imam, and his
beloved steed Nilafor(ph) and Leonidas, the dissident Greek teacher,
and George Upete Theodoru(ph), a local Greek entrepreneur, and the
disfigured squatter known as Dog who lives in some nearby ancient
caves and–well, this all must sound exhausting. But de Bernieres
portrays everyone in this large cast of characters quite memorably
and illuminates their intertwining lives and fates to make a
marvelously engaging story of a village and a place and a way of life
that’s broken only by a disastrous war, about which we learn a great
deal. It’s also the story of the rise of Kemal Ataturk, who turns his
patchwork country into a nation of some stature.
Among dozens and dozens of lovely chapter-length anecdotes, we hear
the origins of the naming of a character called Ali the Snow-bringer,
who makes a living hauling ice down from the mountains. On the day of
his birth, we learn, snow fell for the first time in nearly a
century, leaving behind a new child and a communal memory that has
the savor of those stories that tell of lost Edens and magical lands.
The entire book has that same savor.
SIEGEL: The book is “Birds Without Wings” by Louis de Bernieres. Our
reviewer is Alan Cheuse.
(Soundbite of music)
MICHELE NORRIS (Host): This is NPR, National Public Radio.

Iran y Armenia acuerdan construccion de gasoducto
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
September 8, 2004, Wednesday
Erevan, 8 sep — Iran y Armenia acordaron la construccion de un
gasoducto en la primera visita del presidente irani, Mohammed Jatami,
a Erevan.
Por otra parte, Jatami destaco hoy junto a su colega armenio, Robert
Kocharyan, un acuerdo conjunto de amistad y cooperacion de ambos
paises vecinos.
Iran le dedica gran atencion a la estabilidad en el Caucaso, dijo
Jatami ante la prensa.
Las rutas economicas de Armenia en la region se ven recortadas por
Turquia y Azerbaiyan y depende urgentemente de Iran para el suministro
de energia.

ARKA News Agency
Sept 8 2004
Visit of Iranian President in Armenia will be fruitful in the view of
development of bilateral relations – RA NA Speaker
Mankind must give adequate evaluation to all manifestations of
terrorism, Robert Kocharian
Joining of international efforts necessary for fight against
terrorism – Iranian President
Armenian and Iranian President favor peaceful settlement of Karabakh
conflict
Presentation of Armenian culture portal takes place in
Yerevan
Robert Kocharian: sure that realization of Armenian-Iranian energy
projects to obtain regions importance
Dutch Hummel Company to become a sponsor of Armenian national
football teams
Armenian PM receives Head of Mission of IMF in Armenia
Today Armenian and Iranian Presidents sign agreement on fundamentals
and principles of cooperation
RA Prime Minister and President of Iran to discuss issues of economic
and political cooperation
*********************************************************************
VISIT OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT IN ARMENIA WILL BE FRUITFUL IN THE VIEW OF
DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS – RA NA SPEAKER
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Visit of Iranian President Mohammad
Hatami in Armenia will be fruitful in the view of development of
bilateral relations, RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian stated today
after the speech of Iranian President in Armenian Parliament.
According to the visit of Hatami will give new stimulus to bilateral
relations. L.D. –0—
*********************************************************************
MANKIND MUST GIVE ADEQUATE EVALUATION TO ALL MANIFESTATIONS OF
TERRORISM, ROBERT KOCHARIAN
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. The mankind must give adequate
evaluation to all manifestations of terrorism, as the Armenian
President Robert Kocharian stated on briefing held today in Yerevan.
The Head of the Armenian State also mentioned that “terrorism becomes
harsher and more brutal”. In his words, for the first time their
attacks were targeted at children that just became an instrument in
the hands of the terrorists. “One should not bear such crimes, it is
understandable that there are people that are ready to sacrifice
themselves for some purposes. But it is interesting whether they will
be ready to sacrifice their families and kids for the same purposes.
“I do not think, that they will be ready and if they are, it means
they are no more human beings.”, Kocharian stated. T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
JOINING OF INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS NECESSARY FOR FIGHT AGAINST
TERRORISM – IRANIAN PRESIDENT
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Joining of international efforts
necessary for fight against terrorism, the President of Iran Mohammad
Hatami stated today at the briefing in Yerevan, commenting terrorist
act in Beslan. According to him, “many terrorists try to commit a
terror act under cover of religion, which creates dangerous situation
and discredits the religion that promotes peace”. He said that it is
necessary to find and extirpate the very roots of terrorism. L.D.
–0–
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN AND IRANIAN PRESIDENT FAVOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Armenia President Robert Kocharian and
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami favor peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. As the Armenian President Press Service told ARKA
today, this was mentioned in joint statement of the heads of two
states. The sides highly appreciating direct negotiations of Armenian
and Azerbaijani Presidents at the same time expressed a hope that
they will promote prompt and final settlement of the issue that would
consider the current realties and to provide long-term and honorable
peace in the region. The Presidents mentioned that through deepening
and approaching of region’s countries’ interests it would be possible
to create favorable atmosphere for solution of existing conflicts on
Caucasus.
The sides also stressed the importance of continuation of contacts
among state servicemen of two countries around international and
regional issues. They also stressed the importance of UN and other
international structures in strengthening peace and security. T.M.
–0–
*********************************************************************
PRESENTATION OF ARMENIAN CULTURE PORTAL TAKES PLACE IN
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Presentation of Armenian culture portal
took place in Yerevan. According to the Chairman of
Association of Film Journalists and Critics Susanna Harutyunian, the
site is created on the base of Internet page of Arvest magazine.
“During two years of life of this page, we understood that Internet
has a lot of opportunities”, she said. According to Harutyunian today
the site contains news of culture, articles, schedules of seminars
and exhibitions, data base of culture organizations of Armenia, legal
articles and Government’s decisions in given field and forum. “We
hope that soon the number of visitors of our site will grow”, she
said.
The site was created on the initiative of the
Association in assistance with Open Society Institute Armenian
branch. L.D. –0—
*********************************************************************
ROBERT KOCHARIAN: SURE THAT REALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-IRANIAN ENERGY
PROJECTS TO OBTAIN REGIONS IMPORTANCE
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian is
confident that realization of Armenian-Iranian energy projects will
obtain regions importance, he stated this at the briefing in Yerevan.
According to him, energy is one of the most important spheres of
bilateral cooperation of Armenia with Iran. “In given sphere we
already accumulated certain experience on the base of which we can
develop steps on cooperation of infrastructures in the sphere”,
Kocharian said.
Today the Presidents of Iran and Armenia Mohammad Hatami and Robert
Kocharian signed the agreement on basis and principles of
cooperation.
Iranian delegation headed with the President arrived today in
Yerevan. It is the first visit of Iranian President in Armenia. L.D.
–0—
*********************************************************************
DUTCH HUMMEL COMPANY TO BECOME A SPONSOR OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL
FOOTBALL TEAMS
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Dutch Hummel Company will become a
sponsor of Armenian national football teams. According to the
President of Armenian Football Federation Ruben Airapetian, the
four-year agreement is signed with the company. He said that Hummel
will sponsor following Armenian football teams – women’s under 17
years, under 19 years, under 21 years and national team. He added
that the agreement was achieved “after long-lasting negotiations with
largest world companies” and the choice was determined with high
quality of company’s products and rich history of the company.
Airapetian called the agreement with Hummel “very successful” and
noted that AFF will do everything for creation of representation of
Hummel in Armenia. Besides, AFF will deal with advertising of the
company. Besides Hummel the sponsors of Armenian National Football
team are Zvartnots Airport, Tramondi Company, SIL-group. At this
Airapetian did not tell concrete sums of sponsor agreements.
The President of Hummel Soren Schriver in his turn added that the
company was founded in 1923 and is the oldest firm to issue sports
wear in the world. He said that sport is actively developing in
Armenia. He said that Hummel cooperates with such teams as Roma,
Benthic, Aston Villa and was a sponsor of Dutch National football
team for 25 years, as well as sponsored Dutch Olympic team. L.D. –0—
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN PM RECEIVES HEAD OF MISSION OF IMF IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. The Armenian PM Andranik Margarian
received today the Head of Mission of IMF Enrique Gelbart and the
Permanent Representative of IMF in Armenia James McHugh. As the
Armenian Government Public and Press Relations Department told ARKA,
the Head of IMF assessed almost 10-year old cooperation of the
foundation with Armenian Government as quite productive, mentioning
that the purpose of the regular visit is continuation of the dialogue
and discussion a number of financial-economic issues of interest with
the executive power. The representatives of the IMF mentioned the
necessity of promotion of entrepreneurship, particularly small and
medium-sized business, relations between relevant state structures
and increasing of exchanged information. At that the PM presented his
approaches and relevant steps undertaken in this direction as well as
the existing problems. He also expressed a hope that “due to
discussions and active cooperation it would be possible to find
efficient solutions of these and other problems”. T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
TODAY ARMENIAN AND IRANIAN PRESIDENTS SIGN AGREEMENT ON FUNDAMENTALS
AND PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATION
YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Today Armenian President Robert
Kocharian and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami signed agreement on
fundamentals and principles of cooperation. Also, delegations of two
countries signed memorandum on mutual understanding around the 5th
joint sitting of interstate commissions on Armenian-Iranian
relations, agreement on cultural cooperation between two countries
for the years 2004-2007. Also the sides signed memorandum between
Customs Committee at the Armenian Government and Customs Service of
Iran on administrative cooperation in issues related to customs
activity.
Iranian delegation headed by President Mohammad Khatami arrived today
in Yerevan. This is the first visit of the Iranian President to
Armenia.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Iran were established on Feb
9 1992. The Iranian Embassy in Armenia was officially inaugurated on
28 April 1992 and on 22 December 1992 Armenia opened its Embassy in
Iran. President of Armenia Robert Kocharian visited Iran with
official visit in December 2001. Economic relations play considerable
role in bilateral relations and energy sector and transport are
considered priorities here. The Armenian community of Iran is among
the largest national minorities in the country. The history of the
Armenian community of Iran traces back 400 years and the number of
Armenians is more than 200 thou. Islamic Republic of Iran allocated
two seats in Iranian Parliament.
As per statistics of provide by the Armenian National Statistical
Service the foreign turnover of Armenia and ran in Jan-Jul 2004 made
USD 52713.2 thou. (export USD 18030.8 thou., import – USD 3468.4
thou. versus USD 45746.8 thou. in the same period of 2003 (export USD
10418.3 thou., import – USD 35328.5 thou.). (I USD – AMD 515.85).
T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRIME MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OF IRAN TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL COOPERATION
YEREVAN, September, 8. /ARKA/. The RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan and the President of Iran Seyed Mohammad Khatami will
discuss issues of bilateral economic and political cooperation today.
According to the Press Service and Public Relations Department of RA
Government, the sides will also discuss certain projects recently
implemented thanks to joint efforts of the two sides. Besides, the
Head of RA Government and the Iranian President will consider the
expansion of trade and economic relations and implementation of
regional projects.
Seyed Mohammad Khatami, the President of Iran arrived today in
Armenia for a two-day visit. L.V.—0–
*********************************************************************

Anoushka:
A perfectionist and a Piscean
Sixth sense
Profile by Gamal Nkrumah
—————————————————————- ——–
“Blind children love to touch and feel me when I sing. I dance for the deaf,”
Anoushka says with a sparkle in her eyes. A moment later a frown crosses her
forehead when I ask whether her concern for children with sight and hearing
impairments, orphans, the disadvantaged and the physically and mentally disabled
is inspired by any particular spiritual or emotional needs.
“I’ve been working for the last eight years with the United Nations,” she
explains. “We take the children on a Nile boat tour. The children love the river.
The Nile is so beautiful.”
Her eyelashes flutter furiously.
“The children need you and you know that you can give of yourself. Everyone
is having fun,” Anoushka continues. “The outing is a very special day for these
kids with special needs. It is very important for them. We sing, we play, we
have fun. I take my hat off to Abdel-Salam Ragab for organising the annual
event,” she says referring to the director of the Pharaonic Village, Giza. “It
has become something of a tradition.”
The interior of her Heliopolis apartment is unrelentingly cheerful — the
sitting room, overlooking a lovely terrace, especially so. Everything is in
white, yellow and black. In one corner is a table on which lies a laptop computer
and a mobile phone, in the other a divan — canary yellow, gold and black — on
which the pop star reclines. It was a hot July afternoon and Anoushka has
just returned from a grueling game of squash. She is wearing a summery,
sleeveless blouse and no make-up.
Anoushka spends hours working out at the gym and dancing. She took up squash
a year ago and plays almost daily. She eats healthily and heartily too.
Moloukhiya is her favourite dish. She avoids butter and ghee, preferring olive oil
instead.
“I love Chinese food, but I don’t cook Chinese. I try to eat healthily, I
have my figure to keep,” she chuckles. “I love French fries, but I stay away from
them these days. I cook fish and chicken and I don’t touch red meat.”
Cooking is a favourite pastime. When not recording, rehearsing or working out
in the gym, she sneaks into her kitchen. “I love to cook for my friends,” she
says, and often cooks for her parents. But it is Misha — her three-year-old
papillion who at the mention of food pricks up its ears — that is the daily
recipient of Anoushka’s culinary endeavours. Misha is especially partial to the
chicken dishes.
We have been introduced by a mutual friend, a colleague of mine who, like
Anoushka, is an Egyptian-born ethnic Armenian. At first Anoushka addresses her
and they chat away in Armenian. I soon realise, though, that she is taking me
in.
“I normally cook her food without salt. That is why Misha has not stopped
licking your toes,” she tells my horrified colleague. “She loves to have friends
around. Misha is my baby. ”
“Yegour.” She summons Misha in Armenian.
It is soon established that both Anoushka and I are Pisceans, at which point
our Virgo friend excuses herself and leaves. We were both born on the third
month of the year — March — Anoushka on the 9th, myself on the 18th. What to
most people is an embarrassingly insignificant aside appears to break the ice.
Anoushka’s career took off on 6 October 1988, she recalls, the day she
received her first international prize for her song Habeytak ( I Loved You).
Ironically, for an ethnic Armenian, the award ceremony took place in Turkey.
“Certain dates are important for me,” Anoushka says. The 9th of July, 1999
was another important milestone in her career for it was then that she won an
international song contest. Yet inspite of her popularity Anoushka remains in
the peculiar position of never having had a really huge hit. Her video clips
appear regularly on a wide range of Arab satellite television channels and she is
in demand as a performer at Cairene high society weddings. She also
participates in many Arab and international music and song festivals.
Anoushka’s songs are catchy. Her latest hit Lamahouni (They Had a Glimpse of
Me), exemplifies her use of melody and improvisation to highlight the meaning
and mood of her lyrics. Some of her songs, like Ya Leil (Oh Night), have
received critical and popular acclaim. She has not, though, managed to effect a
successful crossover to television and the cinema, and her outings on the big
screen have been rare. She remains essentially a festival singer.
Anoushka’s vocal range runs from the breathy whisper to the banshee scream.
She sings simple love lyrics. Hers is infectious, feel-good, danceable music.
She dismisses charges that she does not have a particularly strong voice,
insisting that “the vigour of the voice depends to a great extent on the
intensity of the passion.”
When she sings in Arabic it sometimes seems as if the musicians are overly
conscious of swamping her voice.
Is she more comfortable, then, singing in English or French?
On the contrary, she counters, the performances that established her
international reputation were mostly in the Arabic language.
Many musicians cross genres, and Anoushka is no exception. A solo artist,
quietly testing musical boundaries, Anoushka is as comfortable singing in French
or English as she is in Arabic. But perhaps she is happiest mixing all three
languages on stage.
By her own admission she is suspicious by nature. “We Pisceans are
suspicious. It is difficult for us to trust others.”
She shrugs her shoulders and pulls a face.
She is not in the habit of confiding in strangers, especially not
journalists. She’ll make an exception of me, she says, on account of our mutual friend.
And, the stars. True to character, though, she will reveal little, though she
appears far more relaxed during my first visit than when, a week later, I
return with Al-Ahram Weekly’s photographer. The photo session obviously adds to the
day’s stress and Anoushka is far too forthright not to say so.
“I am not in the mood, please forgive me. But, I shall try. What do I wear,”
she asks nervously. Her discomfort is palpable.
“I can slip into an evening dress,” she offers.
An hour later and Anoushka is more relaxed. She must have Misha in the
picture.
The rumour mill has it that Anoushka is something of a court musician,
featuring prominently at state and national functions.
“Who told you that? I can guess who did,” she winces at me. “Some
journalists,” I stutter in alarm, trying to evade her question.
“No, it can’t be journalists. No really, you must tell me,” she says,
refusing to accept my demural as an answer.
Anoushka doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She has little patience with human
weaknesses. But with animals it is different.
She has always had a special place in her heart for dogs and other animals —
“dogs are such faithful creatures. Far more faithful than humans,” she tells
me.
Is that why she has never married, I venture. Such a beautiful woman must
surely have had many suitors.
“Thank God I am not married. I do not feel the need to. Look around you. How
many happily married couples can you find? There is deception everywhere.
Lies, and no ethics whatsoever in dealing with people,” she says, adopting a
mockingly supercilious tone.
Anoushka doesn’t see the point of marriage for a woman who stays up late,
lives practically on the stage and doesn’t want to be bossed around by a man. And
what she doesn’t actually see she senses.
“I have a sixth sense. In my line of business, marriage is out of the
question. A conventional marriage would be detrimental to my career.”
Anoushka will not be dragged into conversation about the men in her life. The
frequent rumours in the Arab press that she is married or engaged are given
short shift. “I have never been married and I am happy without a man in my
life,” she insists. “I neither need a man who brags about himself all day, nor one
who incessantly nags.”
And what about romance?
“The flame is usually gone after the first six months,” she complains.
“Nowadays girls can read men very easily.”
Anoushka, however, has a host of “platonic and very rewarding relationships
with men”. She values her friendships with men.
“My father is my good friend. I have got a few good male friends, ones I can
depend on in times of distress. Men who can advise me as friends and as
brothers. Friends like these last for a lifetime. Some are musicians I work with. We
are very close. They give me an honest opinion when I ask them about
something.”
Anoushka is careful to make time for her family. She is forever running
errands for her parents. “My father wanted to name me Vartanoush, Sweet Flower. My
mother insisted on Anoushka.”
“My father is an extremely emotional man. He is my idol,” Anoushka says. “As
I grow older I understand my father and identify with him more.”
It was her father who encouraged her to sing professionally. Her mother would
have much preferred her daughter to be a lawyer or doctor.
“My mother is very practical and down-to-earth. She does not like to show her
emotions. I’m more like my father. I express my emotions.”
Her mother, she says, is her most scathing critic.
“Mother is blunt. If she doesn’t like a song of mine she will say so, and it
hurts sometimes.”
Her mother, however, always attends Anoushka’s performances.
“And she sews the dresses I appear on stage in,” she chuckles.
Anoushka is very close to her sister, Christine, who lives in France.
Anoushka’s apartment is dotted with striking paintings.
“They are my sister’s,” she says, and I dutifully admire her paintings.
Anoushka is especially fond of her niece, another Piscean. “Small wonder. My
sister says that she takes after me. She is a free spirit.”
Anoushka refuses to be fenced in. She sometimes escapes Cairo in search of
peace and quite.
“My crazy friends and I hire a boat and take to the Nile. We sail, we have
fun, we leave modern civilisation behind. We drift back in time catching
glimpses of the peasants living along the Nile in so-called primitive conditions. We
contemplate. Perhaps because I am a Piscean I love water: shores, coastlines,
river banks, beaches.”
At times Anoushka yearns to get away from it all.
“A safari trip to East Africa perhaps, India, the Caribbean or Hawaii. But
I’d take my medicine chest, my mobile phone and my laptop computer. I cannot
leave those three behind.” She would also take Misha along.
Anoushka enjoys listening to different kinds of music though her all time
favourite is fellow Armenian Charles Aznavour — “the king of emotions” she calls
him. She also adores the music of Armenia’s duduk-king Djivan Gasparyan. She
is fond, too, of artists as varied as Pavarotti, Whitney Houston, Janet
Jackson and Barbara Streisand.
Among Arab singers Anoushka has a special regard for the voice and style of
Sabah Fakhri, the Syrian singer. “I love the old traditional styles, even if I
can’t imitate them myself. The artistic style of the older generation of
singers was far stronger than what we do today.”
Anoushka professes to be a workaholic. Her professional career has spanned 14
years though she first started to perform at the tender age of six when she
was pronounced a gifted child by her parents and teachers at the Kalousdian
Armenian School. Fluent in French and English, Anoushka is also proud of her
native Armenian and Arabic. “We had a good education at Kalousdian,” she explains.
After graduating from the American University in Cairo, where she studied
Business Administration, Anoushka embarked on her singing career and since has
devoted her life to song and dance.
No husband, no children, no regrets: in the morning she is invariably at the
gym, in the evenings she heads for the sound studio. Afternoons are reserved
for a game of squash, more workouts at the gym or cooking.
She abhors the gold-rush mentality of the contemporary Cairene music and
cinema scene. Anoushka is fastidious, and clearly cannot bear muddling her way
through matters she does not understand. She must know everything that concerns
her work.
“I’m interested in the details. I perform on stage, but I must know how the
backstage is organised.”
Having made a name for herself in the Arab world, Anoushka now wants to have
a go at wowing Western audiences. She teamed up with Kiko Motos, of the
Gypsieland Group. “He’s BIG in France,” she assures.
Although the idea of east meets west appeals to Anoushka she instinctively
felt that there was something wrong with her recordings with Kiko Motos. He had
asked her to repeat the refrain “Salam Aleikum! Inshallah!” and she refused
point blank, explaining to him over lunch that she would prefer a duet.
“I would rather sing along with you. I would like to take this opportunity to
tell the world that we are not terrorists in our part of the world. Peace is
the universal greeting in our part of the world. I was interested in peace as
a means of communication. Of communicating loving sentiments.”
Motos agreed and Anoushka rushed back to her hotel room and scratched out
some lyrics. “Mahlaha al-haya lamma tesoudha as-salam (Life is beautiful when
peace prevails).
“Kiko invited me to sing along with him. I sang in Arabic. He sang in
Spanish. He sang about love and life.”
The key to the album, released in France last month, is juxtaposition. The
sense of opposite extremes — east and west — finding common ground delighted
Anoushka. The music, definitely more energetic than her previous hits, fuses
elements of flamenco and Arabic music.
“I had an inkling it would be an instant success.”
Piscean sixth sense, she insists.
C a p t i o n : ‘Thank God I am not married. I do not feel the need to. Look
around you. How many happily married couples can you find? There is deception
everywhere. Lies, and no ethics whatsoever in dealing with people’
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 17 – 23 July 2003 (Issue No. 647)
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