Author: Antonian Lara

NewsCentralAsia, Asia
Jan 14 2005

Sultan Sanjar and Samanid Legacy

Dr. M. Salim

Seljuks were Turks and their ancestry can be traced back to Oghuz
tribe of 10th century A.D. They were nomadic people populating north
of Aral Sea and to the east of Caspian Sea. Seljuk chief with his
followers in the middle of 10th century moved to the Syr Darya and
were knocking the doors of Islamic state of Samanids. Hence they
embraced Islam and cross cultural currents began to diffuse from west
to east in to Central Asia. Seljuks were the prime source of manpower
to defend Samanid Amirs. Later Samanid legacy ended giving rise to
three Turkic Muslim states, the Ghaznavids south of Amu Darya, the
Seljuks in southern Turkmenistan and Kara-khanids north of Amu Darya.
They were Turkic minorities ruling over majority of Iranian speaking
subjects.

One of the great Turk leader conqueror and patron of arts ruled
Khurasan, Turkmenistan and north Afghanistan. He was a Seljuk Turk
having control over north Persia and glorified their rule in this
part of Central Asia for over six decades. As one of the powerful
leader Sanjar in Turkish means `one who pierces’ a legacy, later
adopted by many Mughal princes in the Pak subcontinent. He was Sutan
B. Malik Shah born in 1086AD and died in 1157. He was appointed in
1097 as governor of Khurasan by his half brother Berk-Yaruk. Later
after death of Malik Shah, He was recognized as Al-Sultan Al-Muazzam.
His political career passed through ruling Karakhanids and appointed
various Karakhanid nominees around Samarkand. Than in 1117 defeated
Arslan Shah and placed his other Bahram Shah at Ghazna throne and
their alliance which lasted for thirty years.

Sanjar’s rule apart from neighbouring Persia and east, he conducted
his state affairs at Merv with his viziers with Diwani ala
overlooking administration affairs of the state. These were done by
the help of vizier such as Nizam-al-Mulk Hasan (1152) and Toghan Beg
(1124). These including Arab, Persian and Turkish viziers. Under
Sanjar, Nizam-Ul-Mulk was a grand vizier and a good administrater to
control Iranian speaking farmers and citizens.

While Sanjar was in power in Khurasan he was concerned with the
Ghaznavid rule in the east with whom peace was made resulting in the
cultural contacts such as in coinage and literature. Merv was the hub
of Seljuk empire in arts, crafts, culture and literature, poets Omar
Khayyam, Jurjani and the Nizami are a few to mention.

The Ghaznavid supremacy was broken by the Seljuks in 1040 at
Dandanaqan Merv Oasis resulting in the more territories . Armenia and
Iraq became the part of Seljuk empire and Merv became their capital.

The arts, culture, literature and architectural remains after
Samanids in the 10th century to the Mongol invasion in 1220 indicate
multicultural approach and variable tendencies of fusion from east to
west and south to north. Much more could have survived, but the
devastation caused by Mongol invasion left little remains. At Merv
there were twelve libraries and many cities were left in ruins.
Sanjar’s legacy left architecture with bricks and wood and bricks in
a monochrome design, stucco decoration with figures and wall
paintings have survived.

One of the main architectural decoration till today are the wooden
columns with very fine intricate designs of floral and geometric
nature such as at Khiva Friday mosque. These designs were based as
traditional motifs carved on wood façade of important buildings with
semicolumns of bricks in Turkmenistan and in the east mountains. The
mosque at Mashad-I-Misrian had a terracotta decoration. Other
important features were the caravanserais along the main and silk
routes.

The most important and dominating tomb is of Sultan Sanjar with a
square plan and side being 27m. It is 38m high. The elevated tomb is
a characteristic of Sanjar’s time and this style is evident in Lal
Mahra Sharif tombs in Pakistan. The square base of the tombs is
supported by secondary storey with a series of niches and a dome on
the top.

Other monuments of Sanjar’s time is the fort known as Sultan Qala
being the centre of Suljuk supremacy and charm of the Seljuk Capital.
This Qala covered about 4 square kms with a 15m high wall for
protection with a ditch. There was a palace area, a library and
barracks. In the Shahristan was a Friday mosque and Sanjar’s tomb. To
the west of this Qala were Mazar Mohammad b. Said and Mazar Yusif
Hamdani.

Sanjars legacy is reflected in Pakistan. These are Interesting tombs
in the Gomal valley of NWFP at Lal Mahra Sharif. This tradition
portrays Central Asia architecture with affilities to Sanjar’s
architectural style. These mark the beginning of tomb architecture in
Pakistan. The style evolved may be after struggle between Ghaznavids
or Hindu Shahis. Chira tomb No. 1 is rectangular in plan with 7.40 x
6.20m and with a present height of 5.70m with tapering walls. The
dome has completely collapsed. There are few pointed arched
entrances. There was a zone of transition from square chamber to the
base of drum with possible squinches.

The Plain brick style architecture reminds us the characteristics of
Sanjar tomb that must have influenced this style. As the soldiers,
traders and rulers exerted their influence in NWFP.

Multan is another important city with sufi tombs inheriting Central
Asian influence. The example can be given of tomb of Baha al-Din
Zakariya (1171-1262). The tomb has been constructed in three stages
with a total height of 77 feet. The lower storey has rectangular plan
with entrance of pointed arches. The second storey is octagonal built
on a zone of transition with squinches. The dome on top is
hemispherical. This tomb reflects a tradition of Sanjars’ time, as
the sufi traveled from Central Asian to Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.

Samanid Legacy in Pakistan.

1. End of the (Hindu) Turkshahi rule in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

2. Reunification of Pakistan under the Ghaznavids with the foundation
of Lahore as the Muslim capital.

3. Introduction of Persian as the language of the court and of the
elite. Rise of Lahori Persian poets.

4. Introduction of Islam by Sufi Saints foam Central Asia. Sufistic
Islam gains momentum.

5. Samanid architecture in Pakistan.

6. Samanid decoration of Glazed tiles. New schools of glazed tiles
started in Multan and Sindh.

7. Samanid Bukhara and Lahore as twin cities.

8. Scientist like Alberuni came to Pakistan, his stay in Nandana and
his experiment in measuring longitudes of the earth.

9. New ethnic movement of Turks, their settlement in Peshawar,
Taxila, Lahore, Multan and Sindh.

10. Introduction of new arts and crafts paper manufacture and Arabic
writing, new kind of China ware imported from Bokhara. Turks replace
Huns and introduce their own system, food, dress, and headgear.
Turkification of Pakistan.

End notes:

Sevim, A. & Bosworth, C.E.1998 The Seljuqs and the Khwarazm Shahs.
History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Vol.IV. pp. 145-175.
Unesco. Paris.

Dani, A.H.1993 New light on Central Asia. Sang-e-Meel Publications,
Lahore.

Brentjes, B. 1993 Islamic Art and Architecture in Central Asia.
Journal of Central Asia. 16(1+2): 19-25. Islamabad.

Ali, Taj. 1988. Anonymous tombs in the Gomal Valley, and the
beginning of tomb architecture in Pakistan. Memoirs No.4. Department
of Archeology, University of Peshawar.

Khan, A.N. 1983. Multan History and Architecture. Islamic University,
Islamabad. P.193.

About the author: Dr. M. Salim is an Associate Professor at the
Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University,
Islamabad, Pakistan. He read this paper at a seminar held in Ashgabat
a couple of months ago.

European bank invests in Armenian private construction company

Arminfo
12 Jan 05

YEREVAN

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has
allocated 850,000 euros to buy 28 per cent of shares of the Armenian
closed joint-stock construction concern Shen Concern, the deputy
director of the concern, Ara Asratyan, told our correspondent today.

He said that it was the first time the EBRD invested in a private
production enterprise in Armenia. He pointed out that the bank’s
investment had been channelled into the production of concrete
products and other construction materials, which are chiefly sold in
the republic. Asratyan added that the European bank had been
monitoring the operations of the company for the last two years and
made a decision to establish long-term cooperation with the
enterprise.

The contract has been concluded with the EBRD for five years and
envisages more investment in the production of construction materials
in Armenia. It is expected that after making fresh investment in April
2005, the European bank will own over 36 per cent of Shen Concern
shares. The deputy director pointed out that Shen Concern’s revenue
amounted to 1.5bn drams (3m dollars) in 2004.

The current investment portfolio of the European bank in Armenia
totals 60m euros. Armenia became a member of the EBRD in 1992.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE REFUTES INFORMATION OF AZERBAIJANI
MASS MEDIA SAYING THAT ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT HAS APPEALED TO CE
LEADERSHIP TO MAKE CORRECTIONS IN REPORT REGARDING NAGORNY KARABAKH

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12. ARMINFO. Tigran Torosian, Head of Armenian
delegation to PACE, Vice Speaker of National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia, refuted the information of Azerbaijani mass media saying
that the parliament of Armenia has sent a letter to CE Secretary
General and PACE Chairman, requiring to make corrections in the report
of David Atkinson concerning Nagorny Karabakh.

As Tigran Torosian told ARMINFO, such an information is not only
false, but it is also an absurd. Head of the parliamentary commission
for foreign affairs Armen Rustamian had declared that the Armenian
delegation is elaborating a strategy and proposals for making
amendments to the report of David Atkinson on Nagorny Karabakh.

Baku Today
Jan 10 2005

Mammadyarov Calls OSCE to Avoid Double Standards

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said he is against of
any double standards in the activity of OSCE, ANS TV reported on
Sunday.

`Double standards must be excluded within frames of OSCE and
principles of this organization must be applied and protected equally
in the world,’ stated Mr. Mammadyarov. Minister says, OSCE fails to
protect its principles fully as desired.

`In general we think activity of OSCE as a great success,’ he said.
`On the one hand OSCE played an important role in development of
democracy in the region and on the other hand it should realize its
role as a structure on ensuring security. For this I think political
will must be displayed.’

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are expected to pay visit the region
aiming to discuss preparation issues for OSCE mission’s visit to the
region by the end of month. Mission will include experts from the
countries suggested by Azerbaijan and Armenia. Delegates from
Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Finland will be included to the
fact-finding mission to investigate illegal settlement of Armenian
families in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan and will present a
report at the end.

Asheville Citizen-Times, NC
Jan 9 2005

Leo Krikorian’s `Implied Space’ challenges viewers’ concepts

photo: Special to the Citizen-Times
Krikorian’s “580 EV,” an acrylic on canvas 2000

The exhibit
What: “IMPLIED SPACE,” a retrospective exhibition of paintings,
prints and photographs by Leo Krikorian
Where: Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center, 56 Broadway
When: Ongoing through April 30
Particulars: The museum is in downtown Asheville and is open noon to
5 pm Wednesday-Sunday
For more information: Call 350-8484

By Robert Godfrey
Jan. 7, 2005 6:03 p.m.

Leo Krikorian came from a small Armenian farming community in Fresno,
Calif., to the Black Mountain College, near Asheville, in 1947. He
studied with Josef Albers, who he thought was a poor teacher, and
with Ilya Bolotowsky, who became a lifelong friend. His early major
painting influence, however, was Piet Mondrian, with whom he did not
study.

The current survey of Krikorian’s work at the Black Mountain College
Museum + Art Center covers the years 1947 to 2003. This
mini-retrospective demonstrates Krikorian’s growing and continued
interest in hard-edged geometric abstraction after he left BMC as
well as his intermittent interest in photography – he studied with
Ansel Adams at the Art Center School in Los Angeles.

The four earliest paintings in this exhibition are from his student
days at BMC in 1947 and 1948. They do show Krikorian’s fascination
with Mondrian’s “Plus and Minus” and “Broadway Boogie Woogie” series,
which were just being introduced in New York at about this time.

But Krikorian soon left the Mondrian construct and worked from a
color matrix that was more or less based on the theories of Johannes
Itten. Krikorian explored the visual effect color had on changing
backgrounds and environments. Albers’ seminal work, “Homage to the
Square,” also seems to have been affected by Itten’s theories.

Krikorian’s most important pieces in the BMCM+AC show are “569 EV”
from 1999, “580 EV” and “581 EV,” both from 2000, and “627 EV” from
2003. All of these paintings are acrylic on canvas. These works are
saturated with charged and juiced- up color that Krikorian
encapsulates through shape and background, forcing the viewer’s eye
in and out of the picture plane with reversals of positive and
negative positions. Everything becomes wrong, disruptive and almost
passively assertive. The paradox of the frontal plane becoming
spatially ambiguous happens: Gravity is misplaced and elusive. There
are boundless optical illusions on one hand and intentional color
manipulations on the other. The artist seems to be jerking us around.

Krikorian, like other geometric color-charged abstractionists, plays
with the idea of tension interrupting harmony and chaos provoking the
cosmos. Just when you think things are settling down, visual hell
breaks out. Shapes begin to soar and float. With Krikorian’s
paintings, there is never really a quiet moment. This is analogous to
the way improvisational jazz works.

If kindred spirits exist in Krikorian’s universe they may be Elsworth
Kelly and the Midwest-based painter Larry Zox. And perhaps a little
bit of Bridget Riley. All of these artists reach beyond pattern to a
complex compositional construction that balances shapes while
interrupting the space and where a particular color behaves according
to the color next to it or underneath it. Line is also an integral
element that both bounds a shape or points it in another direction.

In all of these artists there seems to be a conscious need to
stimulate visual tactileness through high-intensity color that
vibrates in relationship to a neighboring pigment. But unlike Mark
Rothko and, at times, Barnett Newman, Krikorian – and his cohorts –
never quite reach that state of sensual tactility, of indulging the
sublime.

So where does Krikorian fit within the scheme of modernism? I’m not
quite sure. There is a large body of work that indicates his
persistence and necessity to produce a type of work that comfortably
adds to the sequence of hard- edge abstraction (see Larry Zox),
optical painting (see Richard Anuszkiewicz) and even neo-geo (see
Peter Halley). But a full study of his work and the influence he had
on other artists has yet to be undertaken. Now in his 80s, Krikorian
has created more than 600 major works of which he is now, according
to a recent interview in a San Francisco paper, giving away. A
cafeteria/auditorium at the D.H. White Elementary School in Rio
Vista, Calif., houses a significant collection of his work. Some
important works have been donated to restaurants. When Krikorian had
his first solo show in Asheville, at Broadway Arts in 1990, it went
unnoticed.

I think Krikorian has been an important player in the art world since
the 1950s. He will probably for the moment, however, be most
remembered for “The Place,” a bar he operated in the 1950s in San
Francisco that became the hangout of jazz musicians, artists and the
beat writers and poets. In fact, this writer heard, as a high school
student in New Jersey in the late 1950s, a concert by Dave Brubeck
who brought the house down with “Leo’s Place, ” a piece he had
recently created in honor of Krikorian’s bar.

Fortunately all the works in the BMCM+AC retrospective will remain in
Asheville as part of the museum’s permanent collection. They were
donated by the artist.

Robert Godfrey previously served as head of the Western Carolina
University art department. He can be reached at
[email protected].

Los Angeles Daily News
Jan 3 2005

Youths turn faith into action

Armenian church group starting fund-raising drive to help refugees in
Sudan

By Alex Dobuzinskis
Staff Writer

For Armenian-American youths in a Burbank-based church organization,
the mass killings of civilians in Sudan echo their own people’s
genocide, and they want to extend help.
To demonstrate that commitment, the Armenian Church Youth
Organization will start a $15,000 fund-raising initiative Thursday on
the observance of Armenian Christmas.

Sudanese youths have been invited to participate in the event, which
will be held at the Burbank headquarters of the Armenian Church of
North America Western Diocese.

April 24 is generally the date when Armenians mark the killings that
occurred from 1915 to 1923 in the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
Approximately 1.5 million died in what Armenians say was genocide.
The Turkish government always has denied genocide occurred and claims
the Armenian deaths were due to war.

“When we’re marching on April 24, when we’re (decrying) the crimes
that have been committed against us, we say, ‘Never again,”‘ said
Matthew Ash, youth director for the Western Diocese.

Ash sees parallels between the Armenian Genocide and the humanitarian
crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, since both Turkey and Sudan
have denied accusations of genocide.

“It robs something from the victims’ families because they’re
suffering and the person who caused that suffering isn’t even
acknowledging it’s happening,” Ash said.

In recent months, tens of thousands have been killed or died of
disease in the Darfur region, where armed groups called Janjaweed and
pro-government militias have killed and raped villagers after rebels
took up arms last year, according to the United Nations. Aid workers
are faced with helping the more than 1.5 million people who have been
displaced by the conflict.

The $15,000 the ACYO plans to raise is expected to be enough to
provide food and shelter to 400 Sudanese refugees for 40 days,
according to the organization. The money will be sent to Care
International.

The ACYO was formed in 1946 and has 650 members in California and
Arizona. Most of its members are in their teens or early 20s.

Thera Der-Gevorgian, 17, of Glendale joined the organization eight
months ago and is part of the recently formed Burbank chapter.

She said she, too, sees similarities to the Armenian Genocide in
photos of the crisis in Darfur.

“Everything that happened during 1915 that happened to us the
Armenians is happening right now to them,” she said. “They’re just a
different color than us.”

The ACYO’s Burbank chapter meets at the Western Diocese headquarters
and has more than 10 members. The organization is trying to establish
a chapter in Glendale.

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian said youths with the ACYO have had
contact with members of the Sudanese community in Southern California
and that it is important to offer them support.

“After all, when we speak about religion and faith … faith should
be reflected in action,” Derderian said.

The ACYO plans to raise money for Sudan through a mailing campaign,
over the Internet and through appeals at events and plate collections
at churches.

One of the past projects of the ACYO was an initiative to support
hundreds of children orphaned by a 1988 earthquake in Armenia. Now
that many of those children are moving on to college, the ACYO has
launched a new initiative called Brighter Future for Armenia, to
provide nearly 300 students with $365 a year each to help pay for
college.

Prime Minister fears contaminated referendum

Reformatorisch Dagblad (Dutch daily newspaper)

December 22, 2004

Part of the article about a debate in Dutch parliament on the conclusions of
EU summit in Brussels. During this debate a motion was adopted urging the
Dutch government to bring up the recognition of the the Armenian Genocide in
its dialogue with Turkey during the EU accession negotiations. the Armenian
question.

See the complete article in Dutch:

… Almost all factions in Dutch parliament expressed their
disappointment about the fact that the EU has not made the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide as condition for the start of the accession
negotiations with Turkey. The Chamber unanimously adopted a motion of
Christian Union leader Rouvoet, that calls the government to bring up
in its dialogue with Turkey continuously and expressly the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide.

Never before the entire House of Representatives expressly pronounced
on the Genocide of 1915 of the Armenians by the Turks. The Armenian
Federation expressed satisfaction on Tuesday about the fact “that now
also the Netherlands recognises the Genocide.” …

Vazquez KOs Simonyan in first defense

*By Jerry Magee*
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

December 29, 2004

JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
Junior featherweight champ Israel Vazquez lands plenty of rights before
stopping Art Simonyan in the fifth round last night.

Israel Vazquez was wearing black gloves when his fight began last night
and red gloves when it ended. With the gloves of both colors, he was
equally destructive.

With the black gloves, the stylist from Mexico City knocked down Art
Simonyan in the third round, inflicted a cut below the Armenian’s left
eye and had him bleeding profusely from the mouth.

In the fourth round, Vazquez had to change to red gloves after a slash
developed in one of his black gloves. Vazquez kept the red gloves on for
only 99 seconds – the 40 seconds remaining in the fourth round when he
put them on, and the 59 seconds of the fifth that he required to stop
Simonyan.

Vazquez (37-3, with 28 knockouts) thus made a successful first defense
of his IBF junior featherweight championship before what a Sycuan
spokesman said was a sellout gathering of 460 at the Sycuan Resort and
Casino.

For Simonyan (14-1-1, seven KOs), this was a first defeat. The Armenian
was in the scheduled 12-round fight through the first two rounds, but in
the third Vazquez reached him with a thunderous right. A following left
hook deposited Simonyan, clearly dazed, in his corner.

Simonyan received a three-minute break in the fourth round while Vasquez
was changing gloves, but his reprieve was brief. In the fifth, the
champion got across another right that caused his rival to sag.

Although Simonyan did not go down, Dr. James Jen Kin, the referee, gave
him an eight count. In concluding, Vazquez went on the attack again and
Jen Kin moved in to spare Simonyan additional punishment.

Frank Espinoza, Vazquez’s manager, said this was one of his man’s best
fights. The winner’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he had anticipated
that Vazquez would be able to take Simonyan out, but not this quickly.

“Art just couldn’t handle Israel’s power,” said Roach.

From sparring with Simonyan, Vazquez said he had gained the impression
that his opponent did not possess a strong chin.

“I didn’t feel my strength,” said Simonyan. “My punches were not there.
I had no energy. I felt stiff.”

The undercard was made up of six scheduled four-rounders. For punching
power in these bouts, there was the sweeping right with which Shawn
Ross, a 254-pound heavyweight from Murrietta, knocked out Bernard Gray
of Oakland at 32 seconds of the third round.

For brevity, there was Crystal Hoy of Las Vegas stopping Sara Huntman of
Los Angeles at 31 seconds of the first round in the evening’s only
women’s match.

For class, there was Eddie Mapula, a junior welterweight from Tijuana
who would seem to have a future. He had too much in every area for
Hector Rivera of Michoacan, Mexico, and referee Raul Caiz Jr. wisely
called off matters following the third round.

For Mapula, 20, this was his fifth knockout in as many appearances.

For excitement, there was the cruiserweight go between Moses Matovu of
Las Vegas and Shane Johnston of El Cajon. Johnston, dropped in the
opening round of his first pro bout, rallied and had his rival reeling
in the second, but Matovu was able to gather himself and win a unanimous
decision.

In the other bouts, welterweight Francisco Maldonado of Guadalajara,
Mexico, outpointed Mauricio Borques of Caliacan, Mexico; and heavyweight
James Horton of Pomona knocked out James Harling of Las Vegas with a
counter right in the opening round’s final second.

Find this article at:

US NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CENTER MAPPED KARABAKH AS DISPUTABLE TERRITORY

PanArmenian News
Dec 22 2004

22.12.2004 16:19

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Being a historic Armenian territory Nagorno Karabakh
has made logical attempts to join Armenia by legal way. The cultural
and religious center of Armenia, Karabakh was ruled by Armenian dukes
even during the period when the rest of Armenia was under the yoke of
Turkish and Persian empires”, Yeni Zaman Azeri newspaper writes, citing
the reports of the Central Intelligence Agency of 1970-1980. The fact
is that the US National Geographic Center has recently issued a map,
on which Karabakh is not marked as a part of Azerbaijan. Weighing 5
kg and costing $165 the map shows Karabakh as a disputable territory
like the territories on the western coast of River Jordan, Northern
Cyprus, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Zerkalo daily also expressed
discontent over the fact.

Armenian minister sees no need for NATO membership, hails ties with Russia

Azg, Yerevan
18 Dec 04

Text of Tatul Akopyan report by Armenian newspaper Azg on 18 December
headlined “Armenian-Russian strategic alliance has no alternative
today”

Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan sees no need for Armenia
to join NATO.

Serzh Sarkisyan stated yesterday 17 December that relations between
Armenia and NATO will deepen and develop as long “as there are
not in conflict with our obligations under the Collective Security
Treaty”. There is currently no need for Armenia to put the issue
of NATO membership on its foreign policy agenda but this does not
mean that we should not develop our relations with the organization,
Sarkisyan said during a round table on the issue of regional security.

Yerevan and Brussels have made an obvious progress in their relations
in the last few years. Speaking about Armenia-NATO relations,
Sarkisyan said that Armenia has participated in 47 events and five
military exercises of the organization in 2004 and is going to increase
the number.

Armenian and Russian political leaders and US representatives took
part in the round table discussion. Serzh Sarkisyan took the floor to
speak about Armenia-NATO, Armenia-Russia, Armenia-EU relations and
the system of regional security in particular. “The Armenia-Russian
military alliance has no alternative today,” he said, adding that
relations with Russia won’t get in the way of its efforts to integrate
more closely with Europe especially in the event that Russia and
Europe will come closer together. The minister noted that cooperation
between Armenia and Russia in the military sphere has been reflected
in dozens of pages.

Serzh Sarkisyan hailed Armenia’s relationship with the European
Union as the key one. Our country exports 40 per cent of its goods
to Europe. He praised “brilliant military interaction” between the
Armenian and Greek peacekeepers in Kosovo. The Minister of Defence
noted that Armenia is the only country in the South Caucasus which
pursues a balanced policy. He thinks that cooperation between regional
countries will be possible one day, having recalled the fact that
European states such as England, France and Germany have the history
of centuries-long enmity but they are now allies.

Levon Lazarian, representative of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun, spoke about other areas of cooperation on
top of the one mentioned by the minister. He singled out relations with
Iran and the Arab world. Lazarian recalled two facts from the past:
firstly, Iran provided Armenia with a road, which was the only road at
the time when Armenia was blockaded on three sides, secondly by taking
a neutral stance on the Karabakh conflict, Tehran prevented it from
turning into a religious one, something which Azerbaijan strived for.