Author: Badalian Vardan

Pan Armenian News
TILL YEAR END ARMENIA SHOULD TAKE STEPS FOR OPENING ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER
13.05.2005 02:48
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a press conference on occasion of the 5-th
anniversary of his period of office Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian said he does not rule that at first after the opening the
Armenian-Turkish border certain hardships and problems may emerge especially
as regards the import of Turkish goods to Armenian market. In his words, an
analogous situation was created when establishing trade relations with Iran.
However within two years the problems were solved and the Armenian party
succeeded in producing the goods, which had been imported from Iran before.
The Armenian Premier noted that the trade with Turkey is carried out with
closed borders via Russia and Georgia presently. `Till the end of the year
we should try to take steps for opening the borders and establishing trade
relations with Turkey’, he said pointing out to the progress in the context
of the recent correspondence between the Armenian President and the Turkish
Prime Minister. Andranik Margarian also mentioned of the possibility of
Armenian-Turkish meetings till this autumn. `Thing are moving’, the Armenian
Premier resumed, IA Regnum reports.

Armenian Speaker, European envoys discuss constitutional reforms
A1+ web site
11 May 05
The speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan, received
the rapporteurs of the [Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] PACE
Monitoring Committee, Irzhi Yaskenya and George Kolumbie, today.
The meeting discussed the fulfilment of Armenia’s commitments to the PACE.
Asked by Yaskenya on constitutional reforms and a referendum, Bagdasaryan said
that the National Assembly had already adopted a draft of the constitutional
reforms in its first reading. The draft was drawn up by the coalition parties
which took into account the proposals of the Venice Commission of the PACE.
The speaker said that before the second reading, the draft would be discussed
with experts of the Venice Commission in order to bring the document into
line with the Council of Europe requirements.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
As for the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh problem, Bagdasaryan said that
Armenia is ready to continue peace talks and demonstrate a constructive
approach to the settlement of the conflict. At the meeting they also discussed
further democratic reforms in Armenia.

A1plus
| 19:44:25 | 11-05-2005 | Official |
THE BANKS WERE ORDERED TO SERVE THE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING ECONOMY OF THE
COUNTRY
Today Robert Kocharyan has had a working meeting with the heads of the
Armenian Commerce Banks. Robert Kocharyan has mentioned that although the
experts appreciate our banking system as a healthy one, there is still much
to be done, especially towards the enhancing of the system.
He has offered the bank heads to discuss in a sincere atmosphere all the
problems that hinder the quick development of the system, and also to refer
to the negative phenomena in the currency field and to the methods of their
prevention.
The main concern of the participants of the meeting was the disbalance
created as a result of the changing course of the Armenian currency as it
gives the shade economy a good chance to develop.
Robert Kocharyan has mentioned that they will be very strict in this sphere.
`There is information that some banks are in conspiracy with the exchange
spots. Let me tell you that in case of recording a concrete case the results
will be drastic for the bank’, underlined the President.
Robert Kocharyan has also mentioned that the final decisions about the
problems raised will not keep us waiting.

A1plus
| 16:08:12 | 11-05-2005 | Politics |
EXEMPLARY JOB IN COE
According to sources close to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, Armenia will soon
have another employee at the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe’s
General Directorate on Culture and Education has announced a job opening for
citizens of 17 member states, including Armenia.
Armenia’s permanent representative to Strasbourg, Ambassador Christian
Ter-Stepanian, is now actively trying to make sure that an Armenian citizen
is appointed to that position. Of course, Armenia would have achieved
greater success if our other diplomats had worked in a similarly exemplary
manner.

AZG Armenian Daily #084, 11/05/2005
Karabakh diary
9 MAY 1992: SHUSHI LIBERATED
These days 13 years ago Armenian tricolor was already fluttering from above
Shushi fortress. Defense of the town was broken from north and east on May
8. After street fights, the Armenian forces took under control the center of
Shushi in the evening. On May 9 Shushi was liberated from Azeri occupation.
57 Armenians gave their lives for the town’s liberation. Azeris’ tolls were
much heavier: 200 killed.
It has been 13 years already that Armenians worldwide celebrate the great
victory. These days 5 years ago, Father Gevorg from Surp Khazanchetzotz
church was telling, “We must populate and make Shushi prosper, otherwise our
struggle and victories render meaningless. We paid the highest price, the
blood of our young people, for Shushi”.
Unfortunately, the town is still mostly ruined today. Residents of the
gloomy and sad town, counting several thousands, drab miserable existence.
Most of them lost their homes in Baku and Kirovabad. May 9, Day of Shushi
liberation, is the only day in the year that breathes life into the town.
This is the day when the town becomes unnaturally populous: officials and
guests from Armenia and Diaspora come to the town to put candles in the
church. Indifference and misery prevails all other days of the year.
May 9, which is painted red in our calendars, is a day of great celebration
indeed but it is very slow to enter the lives of ordinary residents.
By Tatoul Hakobian

Pan Armenian News
CONCERT TO MARK DAY OF FIRST ARMENIAN REPUBLIC IN KRASNODAR
10.05.2005 03:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ May 25 a festive concert will take place in the Krasnodar
Territory concert hall to mark the Day of the first Republic of Armenia
reported the Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians of Russia. The event is
organized by Yerkir youth association of Krasnodar chaired by Diana
Hunanian. The concert program includes performances of young singers, Arax
dancing ensemble, a vocal and instrumental ensemble and Kuban Armenians team
of KVN (Club of cheery and smart). A number of youth ensembles of the
Armenian communities of Krasnodar territory are also expected to appear.

System Of A Down Slip F-Word Past SNL Censors, Abdul Spoofs Self
ChartAttack.com
Monday May 09, 2005
By: Angela Kozak, ChartAttack.com Staff
A slip-up by censors on Saturday Night Live stole the spotlight from
guest Paula Abdul and helped garner metal band System Of A Down
unplanned publicity.
The American four-piece performed their new single “B.Y.O.B” on the
show, complete with the bleeped-out refrain of “Where the fuck are
you?” Though that expletive was censored, both singer Serj Tankian and
guitarist Daron Malakian were shot, close up, mouthing it. However,
the show’s censors didn’t catch the “Fuck yeah!” screamed by Malakian
near the end of the song. One of the show’s cameras focused on
Malakian as he said it.
Several times, the word “fuck” has made it on to SNL uncensored. Band
leader Paul Shaeffer was the first, when he said fuck instead of
“fluck” on the program’s 100th Anniversary Show. Cast member Charles
Rocket said it on a 1981 show and was promptly fired. Norm MacDonald
uttered an F-bomb during a Weekend Update segment in 1997, but managed
to hold on to his job. The first band to get “fuck” past the censors
were R.E.M., when Michael Stipe sang it at the end of “What’s The
Frequency Kenneth” in 1995.
American Idol judge Paula Abdul, who appeared earlier in the program,
joined the ranks of other SNL guests who have used appearances to
laugh off scandals. Abdul spoofed allegations made against her by
former Idol contestant Corey Clark, who claimed she had an affair with
him and helped him get ahead in the contest.
As she introduced the show, Abdul said, “What you’re about to see is a
re-enactment of some events of this week’s biggest news story. Now,
all the facts have been changed to get laughs at my expense. I hope
you enjoy it.”
In the spoof, SNL cast member Amy Poehler portrayed Abdul and a string
of other cast members played previous Idol contestants. After a
performance by the fake Clark, Poehler said, “Corey, that was
beautiful. You really blew me away. It’s like [when] I rolled over
and said to you this morning, `You have real star quality. I’ll see
you at home.'”
Abdul still had some advice for Poehler at the end of the sketch. “You
need to perfect the clap a little more and be a lot more sexier so
contestants will be willing to sleep with you,” she said.

Putin tells leaders of ex-Soviet bloc to preserve unity
HENRY MEYER
AP Worldstream
May 08, 2005
Russian President Vladimir Putin told leaders of the troubled
Commonwealth of Independent States on Sunday that their grouping of
ex-Soviet republics remained relevant today and urged them to defend
its existence.
At a summit held the day before commemorations of the 60th anniversary
of the defeat of Nazi Germany, Putin said the body that groups 12
out of the 15 former Soviet republics had a key role in combatting
the spread of terrorism, extremism and xenophobia and fostering peace.
“For all of us it is obvious that Nazism, extremism and terrorism are
threats feeding on a single ideological source, a terrible threat,
against which we are obliged to defend our unique and peaceful
commonwealth,” Putin said.
“The new generation of our citizens should know the truth about the
events of those days. To know that truth means having an internal
immunity to the propaganda of extremism and xenophobia, national and
religious incitement. In the final analysis, it means to protect
the world from a repeat of conflicts and wars based on genocide,
national and racial superiority.
“I’m convinced that the CIS is capable of becoming an effective
instrument of such … work,” he said.
The meeting convened amid growing questions about the viability of
the CIS, which brings reformist leaders cheek to cheek with entrenched
Soviet-era autocrats following the popular uprisings against regimes
in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.
Putin himself in March questioned the body’s usefulness, saying it
had been created for a “civilized divorce” unlike the European Union,
which worked to pull its members closer together.
But on Sunday he said that six decades after the end of what Russia
terms the Great Patriotic War, the fraternity the peoples of the
Soviet Union felt as they fought in World War II was still palpable
today. Maintaining “historical unity” was a good basis for stable
development of the countries, he said.
In a reflection of the disputes between the member-countries, two of
the leaders, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev, were not attending.
Saakashvili was staying away from Sunday’s meeting, as well as Monday’s
Victory in Europe Day celebration in Moscow, because Georgia failed
to win agreement last week on the withdrawal of Russian bases it
regards as a legacy of Moscow’s imperial domination.
Aliev was boycotting because of the attendance of Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, and because Sunday is a day of mourning, marking
a key battle during the six-year war between Armenia and Azerbaijan
over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The CIS was born in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, and its
advocates hoped it would foster closer integration between the newly
independent countries. However, many of its initiatives have foundered
_ including the plans to remove trade barriers that have dominated
the CIS agenda since its creation _ and it has long been criticized
for being little more than a talking shop.
The group’s attempts to prove otherwise have often only fostered more
discord. Its peacekeepers have been accused of destabilizing conflict
zones in the former Soviet Union, and its election monitors _ deployed
to provide a counterbalance to Western-dominated observer missions
from such groups as the Council of Europe and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe _ have consistently given high
marks to blatantly fraudulent ballots.
Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, where the Communist government is also
looking West, are aiming for membership in the EU and NATO,and they
have forged close ties within a rival organization, GUUAM, as they
seek to throw off Moscow’s influence.
Uzbekistan’s authoritarian President Islam Karimov quit the five-nation
body this week in protest at its pro-Western tilt.

Turkish premier, Dutch ministers discuss reforms, Cyprus, Armenian issues
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
5 May 05
Istanbul, 5 May: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday
[5 May] that the tendency of inwardness in Europe was very detrimental,
adding that this could harm the long-term EU perspective.
Erdogan met with Czech President Vaclav Klaus, Dutch Deputy Foreign
Minister and Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm and IMF first managing
director Anne Krueger in Istanbul the same day. [Passage omitted]
In Erdogan’s meeting with Zalm, the two leaders exchanged views
about Turkey’s economic situation, Cyprus and Armenia. Erdogan said
in the meeting that the Netherlands was an important trade partner
of Turkey, and Turkey expected support from the Netherlands about
foreign investments.
Zalm said in his part that he envied the reforms undertaken by Turkey.
Regarding Cyprus, Erdogan said that “Turkey did the necessary things
about Cyprus issue, and there is nothing left for Turkey to do about
extension of Ankara Agreement’s additional protocol. Now we expect
a letter from EU Commission.”
In Erdogan-Krueger meeting, Erdogan said that the economic reforms
were successfully implemented in Turkey.

VETERAN’S WISH TO ARMENIAN SOLDERS
AZG Armenian Daily #083, 07/05/2005
60th Anniversary
“It was the fall of 1939 when I was recruited to the army”, 85 years
old WW II veteran Haykaz Verdian tells, “I was a student at Baku Oil
Technical School at the time. The war broke out when I was getting
ready to return home after two years of study.”
The young man had to put aside all his dreams and hopes. In 10 November
1941, Verdian participated in the battles at Volkhovsky front. He
served at the 136th anti-tank artillery division that had a primary aim
to join defenders of Leningrad. It was very difficult to break through.
“We were transferred to Kursko-Orlovsky front in May. There our
division was gradually advancing breaking enemy’s resistance. But
we appeared in encirclement in spring of 1944. We stood firm for 27
days fighting in enemy’s rear. On the 28th day Germans attacked us
with 11 tanks. Artillery waited for order”.
Already senior lieutenant by then, Verdian moved forward. His
battery alone managed to demolish 5 tanks of the enemy breaking the
circle. That combat brought him Medal of Battle Red Flag and Medals
of Great Patriotic War of 1st and 2d degree.
“I was wounded 4 times. First time it was in town of Zenkov, then
during the encirclement of Scevchenko and while forcing a crossing
over river Visla. In 3 cases I recovered on the battle field but the
4th wound was a serious one and I was sent to hospital spending there
60 days”.
Haykaz Verdian participated in Kiev liberation and seizure of
Berlin. He returned home as a captain.
“I was glad to be finally at home and to be beside my relatives
victorious and in captain’s rank”.
“On these days of great victory in WW II and liberation of Shushi
I wish that the Armenian soldiers always come out victorious from
every fight.”
By Anna Gzirian and Anushik Grigorian