Author: admin

Withdrawal of Russian military base Georgia’s internal affair –
Armenian leader

Arminfo, Yerevan
1 Apr 05

Tbilisi, 1 April: The withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia is
Georgia’s internal affair and it is up to Georgia to decide. Armenia
will not express any official position on this issue, Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan, who is paying an informal visit to
Georgia, has said.

Georgian Speaker Nino Burjanadze confirmed in an interview with
journalists that during the negotiations, Robert Kocharyan and
[Georgian President] Mikheil Saakashvili had discussed the situation
surrounding the Russian military base in Akhalkalaki in southern
Georgia, the Russian media reported.

“Informal meetings can yield very positive results – much more
positive than one-to-one negotiations between presidents during
official visits,” Burjanadze said. She also expressed her satisfaction
with the position of the Armenian authorities, and in the first place,
with the stance of the Armenian president on the problem of Russian
bases in Georgia.

Some experts think that Robert Kocharyan’s unexpected visit to Georgia
is linked to frequent protest actions by the ethnic Armenian
population in southern Georgia, who are against the withdrawal of the
Russian military base from Akhalkalaki.

The region’s population is afraid that after the withdrawal of the
base, it will lose its only permanent source of income since most of
the district’s population are working at the base.

The Armenian and Georgian presidents are going to spend their weekend
at the winter mountain resort of Gudauri [in Georgia].

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘PEACE IN CAUCASUS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT CANNOT BE LEFT ONLY TO
POLITICIANS’ DISCRETION’

Azg/arm
2 April 05

On March 29, daily Azg informed readers about the reconciliation
conference of Days of Caucasian Friendship organized by regional clubs
of Rotary International in Ankara in late March. Availing myself the
opportunity, I interviewed governor of Rotary International’s regional
clubs, Erhan Ciftcioglu, who had a very impressive speech at the
conference.

– The reconciliation conference of Days of Caucasian Friendship held
in March 18-20 was organized by your direct supervision. How did you
get this idea?

– The wish to settle all existing issues in the Caucasus was the
ground for organizing the conference. Besides, the aim of Rotary
International is establishing peace worldwide. The Rotary, with its 1
million 250 thousand members, 250 thousand interacts and hundred of
thousands adherents, is the greatest organization of the world’s civil
society. The Turkish department of such an organization having the
Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Azeri clubs under its subordination, could not
remain indifferent to the problems in the Caucasus, me, even more so,
as I am one of the 500 elected Rotary governors.

Secondly, I am coming from Mersin and I know what a tragedy you
suffered in Anatolia before and after the year of 1915 and especially
in 1915. For that reason we thought of putting all our means at hand
to the service of peoples who coexisted for 600 years. That tuned in
with the desire of Turks, Armenians as well as Azeris and Georgians.

I took the first step in organizing the conference year and a half ago
when I contacted the president of the Rotary club in Yerevan, Hovsep
Seferian, via Internet. I offered to sit around a table, draw forward
new views and inform the public about them. Feeling that them matter
is in standstill on the Internet, I called Hovsep with a special offer
to meet him first and then the Azeri side. Meanwhile, I demand that
they invited me to Yerevan to discuss the matter in details. In July
of 2004 I set off for Yerevan with my wife for 5 days. I told them at
the meeting: “Let’s pass over the political side of the issue and take
the first step for reconciliation – introducing our children to each
other”. I expressed readiness to host them. 22 young Armenians visited
Mersin, taking time for rest and meeting their Turkish peers.

– What’s the main result of the conference?

– I think it is the speeches of Hovsep Seferian and Ali Musayev,
Yerevan and Baku club presidents, tuned so well in the atmosphere of
the conference and Ali’s initiative to foster friendship.

– What impact will the conference have on the Armenian-Turkish
relations?

– The impact will be surely be positive because the key signal of the
conference was: “Dear state authorities, we miss each other much, so
find ways for reconciliation. It’s not our business as to how you will
do that”. But more than the signal we need reconciliation steps. I
personally took my firs step in this conference. It must be an impulse
for other organizations of civil society to be more courageous.

– What was the stance of state authorities towards the conference?

– Rotarian clubs could not take part in the conference without state’s
consent. I demanded that the Azeri and Armenian clubs informed
previously their state authorities. If the leaders of the 3 Caucasian
states did not want the national clubs to participate, the conference
would not take place. This means that our state figures expect that we
will draw forward new ideas. That’s the truth. And we did what
depended on us. 100 Rotary members from Ankara and 300 from other
regions of Turkey participated in the conference. The overall number
of participants was 500. Diplomats from many countries that have no
connection with the Caucasus expressed willingness take part. But we
did not want the conference gain political features.

– Why didn’t the Turkish press properly cover the event?

– I did not want certain people to misuse the conference, that’s why I
am glad that it was not properly covered. We wish, in the end, that
the society put pressure on the state authorities. We tell the latter
to settle the unsolved issues as they can.

– How do you imagine this settlement?

– I think if the traditions of Anatolia reflect in the politics, then
issues will be settled. We do not need other methods. My
starting-point is the traditions of Anatolia.

– You closed your speech with the following expression: “Peace in
Caucasus is so important that it cannot be left only to politicians’
discretion”. Couldn’t you open the brackets?

– I said that because reconciliation in the Caucasus is vital for
peoples of the region. Reconciliation is important for the world,
too. Meanwhile, it is obvious that the politicians are the ones who
brought issues to deadlock because they did things alone.

By Hakob Chakrian in Ankara

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RALLY IN JAVAKHK

Azg/arm
2 April 05

On March 31, despite the hindrances from the Georgian officials and
the Georgian Police, a rally took place in Akhalkalak (Javakhk,
Georgia) uniting several thousand people. The Georgian Police put up
roadblocks to hinder the potential rally participants to get to
Akhalkalak from the villages. At 9:00 AM the Police sealed off the
central square in Akhalkalak. However, after some verbal exchanges
with the people and the organizers of the rally, they opened the
square at 11:00 AM. At this time, about six thousand people had
gathered. Towards the end of the rally, the participants already
reached about nine thousand people.

United Javakhk accounted for the results from the last rally, which
took place on March 13 in front of the participants:

1 – The passport services have been returned to Akhalkalak, the tax
services have followed.

2 – Georgian officials agreed to include Armenian history classes in
the curriculum of the Armenian school in Georgia.

United Javakhk furthermore demanded that in the Akhalkalak and
Ninotsminda areas the Armenian language be granted official status on
a par with the Georgian language.

United Javakhk will fight with all constitutional means for the
fulfillment of the demands from March 13 and which did not encounter
the needed response from the Georgian authorities:

1) Recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 by the Georgian
Parliament.

2) Voting of a law on the protection of National Minorities Rights in
Georgia.

3) Demand not to withdraw the Russian Military Base in Akhalkalak (as
it represents a major stability and economic factor for the region).

United Javakhk called upon the All Armenian Catholicos to give Javakhk
the status of a separate Diocese.

The participants furthermore called upon Armenians worldwide not to
forget about their kin in Javakhk and to pay attention to the problems
in Javakhk.

And a plea was directed at the Armenian Government to further and help
as much as possible the economic development of Javakhk.

Social Union – “United Javakhk”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Jordan Times

Friday-Saturday, April 1-2, 2005

Dancing to Amman’s new rhythm

Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh

Has Amman changed? Is Amman changing? Yes.

All cities in the world change. Political, economic, social, demographic and
other factors affect size (with respect to both area and population), rhythm
and culture of cities. We live in a fast-changing world, and expansion and
diversification are quite natural.

Amman, however, is changing at a faster pace than most cities. It is
expanding physically in all directions, encompassing suburbs outside its
suburbs. Its population, due to natural and abrupt causes, is fast
increasing. But it is also becoming the hub of all kinds of regional and
international activities: political, economic, technological.

Look at traffic. Aside from the few morning hours on Fridays, and the late
night hours, its roads are – despite the large number of tunnels,
overpasses, bridges, new avenues and streets – extremely busy. Look at
people’s activities: primarily shopping, dining out and visits. Their
momentum has also increased immensely.

Look also at the number of students (from the country, the region and
abroad) who come to study at its schools and universities, the number of
patients who come for medical treatment, the number of people who come to
conduct business, the number of tourists. There are big increases at all
these levels.

The story of Amman, in fact, is a story of big cities, changes and
expansions – from the start. The other day, I was rereading Abdul Rahman
Munif’s masterpiece about Amman, `A Tale of City’. It is an autobiographical
novel describing the early days of Amman: primarily the 1930s, 1940s and
1950s, when the farthest point was the First Circle in Jabal Amman. Where is
Amman’s farthest point now? I think it is impossible to tell.

The point here is that in each decade of the past century, Amman went
through a big shift and a big change. Amman of the 1980s was very different
from that of the 1970s, and that of the 1990s was very different from that
of a decade earlier. Amman today is very different from that of even two
years ago.

Where is it heading? Where will this city with no borders stop? We started
with Amman, and for some time now we have been talking about `greater’
Amman. Many people would view this expansion positively, despite the
discomforts. Amman, from the start, has been a home to those who lost their
homes (like Circassians, Palestinians, Armenians, and others). Additionally,
due to its attractive political, economic, educational and social
environment, it has attracted all types of individuals and groups who have
found a haven in it. Furthermore, Amman’s variety and diversity, this ever
changing, ever expanding rhythm, have made it a very special city – in
addition to its physical location, its hotels, restaurants, markets, ancient
ruins.

For its inhabitants, however, and this is the point I wish to stress here,
the shifts and changes that the city witnesses need to be complemented by
shifts and changes in people’s way of dealing with life in the city on a
daily basis.

My theory (hypothesis if you like) has been that most of us who have come to
Amman from the countryside or the badia (a majority of Amman’s inhabitants)
have not prepared ourselves (mentally, psychologically, as well as with
respect to training and know-how) for living in an urban centre. For year,
maybe even until now, we have treated Amman as an extension to the
countryside or the badia. Such false assumption has had its grave
consequences, in addition to the discomfort, the chaos, the bad planning,
etc.

This is one level of the problem. Another has to do with the fact that we
have not taken the shifts and changes over the decades into account. We have
been living in Amman decade after decade in the same way, as if the city’s
rhythm were constant or static when, in fact, it has been dramatically
changing. This has created a gap, a rift between our ways and that of the
city. As a result, our relation with it has not been one of harmony or
complementarity, but of difference, tension and some alienation.

Amman is a real cosmopolitan city. It is also a great city, which has its
charms and challenges. We need to catch up with it, and dance to its tune
and rhythm, so that life in it will be both less discomforting and more
enjoyable.

Friday-Saturday, April 1-2, 2005

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

fightnews.com

Harutyunyan-Hayashida tonight!

March 31, 2005

By Francisco Salazar

Non-stop action will be plentiful as Kahren Harutyunyan will face Tatsuo
Hayashida for the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Junior
Bantamweight title tonight at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, CA.

The bout will headline a six-bout “Battle of the Rising Stars” card,
presented by All Star Boxing.

Both fighters have fought at the Quiet Cannon before. Ironically, both
fighters lost their last bouts at the Quiet Cannon and hope to turn things
around in this fight.

Harutyunyan, (11-2-3) from Glendale, CA by way of Yerevan, Armenia, has been
against strong opposition. The 23 year old made his professional debut in
2000 and has primarily fought his professional career around Southern
California.

In his last bout, Harutyunyan was winning decisively against Gilberto
Bolanos when he suffered a cut over his eye. Because the cut was allegedly
caused by a punch and the ringside physician ruled that Harutyunyan would
not be able to continue, Bolanos was awarded the victory after the seventh
round of an eight round bout.

Before the loss, Harutyunyan was undefeated in 12 fights. He has contributed
to Fightnews.com.

Hayashida, (17-5-1, 8 KO’s) from Tokyo, Japan, will fight for only the
second time outside of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Hayashida has lost his three bouts in a row. In his last bout, he lost a
very close decision to Miguel “Maikito” Martinez in September. Hayashida
appeared to be the fresher fighter and was dominating the action towards the
end of the fight.

He is a former OPBF Light Flyweight champion, having successfully defended
the title three times in 2002. He is a strong boxer-puncher and will hope to
come out victorious in his battle against Harutyunyan.

Both fighters realize the importance of this fight. A victory would earn the
winner the title and a spot in the top 15 of the World Boxing Organization
rankings in the Junior Bantamweight division.

In the co-feature, Junior Middleweight Santiago Perez will face Felipe
Santana in a six round bout.

Santiago, (8-0-1, 2 KO’s) from El Monte, CA by way of Copala, Guerrero,
Mexico, is coming off a controversial six round majority decision draw to
Terry Wright last month. Most at ringside felt Perez won the fight.

Perez has fought all of his bouts in Southern California and hopes to find
success in 2005 since his professional debut in 2003.

Santana, (2-0, 2 KO’s) from Mexico, has not fought since late 1991. In those
two bouts, he scored knockouts in the first and second rounds.

Santana hopes that despite the 13 and a half year layoff, he will pick off
where he left off and defeat the young Perez.

Francisco Zepeda will face George Moreno in a six round Welterweight bout.

Zepeda, (3-2-2, 1 KO) from Los Angeles by way of Michoacan, Mexico, won a
four round unanimous decision victory over Eduardo Estrella in November. He
is unbeaten in his last four bouts.

Moreno, (2-7-1) from West Covina, CA, has lost his last two bouts, both by
knockout. Moreno hopes to break Zepeda’s unbeaten streak in getting a
victory.

In other bouts:
– Middleweight Joey Aragon, (5-2, 2 KO’s) from Rosemead, CA, hopes to return
to the win column tonight against his opponent, Chris Moorings, in a four
round bout. Aragon is a former minor league baseball player in the Minnesota
Twins system.

– Jorge Espinoza, (2-0) from Los Angeles, will face Shane Langford in a four
round Super Featherweight bout. Langford (1-6-1) is from Los Angeles by way
of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

– Aaron Martinez, (1-0) from Southern California, will face an opponent to
be determined in a four round Junior Middleweight bout.

Doors to the venue open at 6:30PM, with first bell scheduled at 7:30PM.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling (323) 816-6200. Tickets
are priced at $50 and $35. All Star Boxing consists of Ed Holmes as the
promoter and Pete Hironaka as the matchmaker.

The Quiet Cannon is located south of the 60 Freeway, off of Garfield
Boulevard on the grounds of the Montebello Golf & Country Club.

Questions? Comments? Email Francisco Salazar

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Karabakh peace talks to be held in London, Azeri foreign minister

Lider TV, Baku
1 Apr 05

[Presenter] The UN and other international organizations have been
informed of the latest truce violations [on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
contact line], Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told
Lider TV. The minister said that a meeting with his Armenian
counterpart Vardan Oskanyan would be held in London on 15 April. He
said that next meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
will depend on the results of the London talks.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

[Mammadyarov] A meeting will most probably be held in London on 15
April. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen, the Armenian foreign minister
and I will be there. Presumably there is no need for a one-to-one
meeting [between the foreign ministers] now. The talks will take place
within the framework of the Prague process.

[Correspondent, over video of Mammadyarov] The talks are aimed at
facilitating a meeting between the presidents. Their meeting will
depend on the results of our talks.

[Mammadyarov] We can say after the talks if there is a need for the
presidents’ meeting. If there is an issue left and needed to be
discussed by the presidents, then they will hold a meeting. But there
might be no point in holding a meeting after the statements issued in
Yerevan.

[Correspondent] Mammadyarov also condemned the frequent truce
violations on the front line. The minister said the UN and other
international organizations are aware of the situation.

Murad Salmanov, Mehman Mehdiyev, Alik Baxtiyaroglu, Lider TV.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Messenger.ge, Georgia
Friday, April 1, 2005, #059 (0833)

News in brief:

Protests against Russian base withdrawal

There were protests in Batumi and Akhalkalaki on Thursday against the
Georgian government’s efforts to have Russia withdraw its military bases
from the regions, according to Black Sea Press.
In Batumi some 300 supporters of the leader of the United Communist Party
Panteleimon Giorgadze held a rally calling for the Russian base there to
stay, while in Akhalkalaki 500 demonstrators called for the base there to
remain.
Governor of Samtskhe-Javakheti Giorgi Khachidze said that the Akhalkalaki
rally was organized by the youth organization “Jemi,” which brings together
Armenian youth living in the region.
He noted that a similar rally was held on March 13, and that he had met with
the organizers of the rally, who also demanded that a passport office be
opened in Akhalkalaki, as the local dwellers had to go to other regions to
receive an identification card or a passport.
He said that a passport office had already been opened in Akhalkalaki.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia

2005-04-01 15:01

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF NEW PARLIAMENT BRINGS STABILIZATION TO KYRGYZSTAN

LUXEMBOURG, April 1 (RIA Novosti) – The acknowledgement of the
authorities of the new single-chamber parliament elected on February
27 and March 13 has brought stabilization to Kyrgyzstan, official
spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry told journalists on
arriving in Luxembourg on Friday.

“Efforts taken by acting Kyrgyz leaders to stabilize the situation are
yielding positive results,” Yakovenko said.

According to the diplomat, Russia is contributing to Kyrgyzstan’s
settlement.

“We want the domestic developments to be peaceful and legitimate. We
maintain permanent contacts with parliament, the government and
Foreign Ministry of the republic,” Yakovenko noted. In his words,
Moscow hails Bishkek’s readiness to stick to international
obligations, particularly, connected with the country’s membership in
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO: Belarus, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia) and Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO: Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China
and Tajikistan).

“Russia supports the OSCE efforts aimed at the restoration of
legitimacy in Kyrgyzstan on the basis of the Constitution,” Alexander
Yakovenko stressed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE chairman stated separatist regime will be involved to talk
process in late summer

01 April 2005 [15:27] – Today.Az

Current chairman of OSCE, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmiri Rupel was
on a visit to Armenia. In the frames of the visit he met with
President Robert Kocharyan.

In the meeting, particularly, the process of regulation of Karabakh
conflict was discussed. Rupel stated the importance of the relations
and talks between the sides of the conflict, and stressed once again
that, OSCE is ready to mediate the process. R.Kocharyan as usual
stated that, the participation of separatist regime occupying Karabakh
in the talks may affect the regulation process positively.

Exchange of opinions within OSCE-Armenia relations was also held in
the meeting. Karabakh conflict was prior topic of the meeting of OSCE
chairman with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vardan
Oskanyan. D.Rupel called Karabakh conflict unique because of all its
parameters and that it didn’t resemble other conflicts in post-soviet
sphere. He stated his hope to the meeting of Azerbaijan and Armenia
presidents to be productive. Besides, stressing Azerbaijan and Armenia
to be the main sides of the conflict D.Rupel said he will discuss with
official Baku the matter of invader separatist regime to attend the
regulation process.

D.Rupel expressed his anxiety about the intensive violation of
ceasefire. OSCE chairman also met with the head of separatist regime
occupying Karabakh Arkadi Gukasyan. D.Rupel giving report to
journalists after the meeting lasting half an hour stated that,
suitable conditions will be present for the negotiations among
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh in late summer: “This will
cause a good perspective in the direction of the regulating the
conflict peacefully”. /APA/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI POSITIONS DIFFER IN DETAILS, RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT SAYS

BAKU, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS: In an interview to an Azerbaijani news
agency APA, the Russian cochairman of the OSCE Minsk group, Yury
Merzlyakov, said the group, comprising also representatives of France
and USA, has developed several components of the Karabagh conflict
regulation, which he said were discussed at recent talks. He said in
general none of the sides has any drastic objections, but there are
essential differences in respect to some details.”We are working with
the sides to encourage them to narrow these differences. The sides
themselves have to agree on a mutually acceptable peace formula,
without which we are not able to make any progress,” he said.

Merzlyakov also spoke in favor of Nagorno Karabagh’s involvement in
the talks “at a certain point,” as some details cannot be resolved
without it. Concerning participation of the Azeri community of
Karabagh in the talks hesaid their position is represented by the
official Baku.

The Russian diplomat said he was concerned about frequent
breachesof ceasefire in the line of contact. He said both sides must
be wise enough toavoid it. Merzlyakov also said he pins great hopes
on Kocharian-Aliyev meeting in Moscow on the fringes of events there
to mark the end of World War II on May 9.

Merzlyakov also said the next meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers will take place in London most likely in mid
April. He explained the change of the venue of their meetings from
Prague to London by direct flights form Yerevan and London to the
British capital.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress