Author: Badalian Vardan

USA to expand military ties with Azerbaijan – US congressman
Trend news agency
27 May 04
Baku, 27 May: “We welcome the Azerbaijani peacekeepers’ involvement,
along with the US military, in the fight against international
terrorism,” Congressman Curt Weldon, vice chairman of the House Armed
Services Committee, said at a meeting with Azerbaijani Defence Minister
Safar Abiyev on 26 May.
The US Congressman’s mission in Baku is to expand military cooperation
between the USA and Azerbaijan, Weldon said. He highly praised
Azerbaijan’s role in regional security issues. The USA intends to
make greater efforts for settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict,
he said. “The USA will continue its relations with Azerbaijan as with
its strategic partner,” he said.
Defence Minister Abiyev stressed that Azerbaijan is working shoulder
to shoulder with the USA in NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme and
in the struggle against international terrorism. Since the first days
of its independence, Azerbaijan has given preference to integration
into Europe and the USA and firmly has kept to this position, Abiyev
said. He also provided the congressman with detailed information
about the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Armenian opposition suspends protests until June 4
Interfax
May 24 2004
Yerevan. (Interfax) – The Armenian opposition intends to suspend
its protest activities until June 4, prominent opposition leader
and former prime minister Aram Sarkisian said at a rally in downtown
Yerevan on Friday evening.
“If our arrested friends are not released by this date, we will march
to President Kocharian’s residence and explain our demands to him,”
Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian said hurrying could harm the opposition’s struggle for a
change of power in the country.
“The opposition should not hurry its actions,” he said. The Friday
rally in Yerevan was organized by two forces represented in the
parliament, the Justice bloc of parties and the party National Unity.
The organizers claimed that the rally gathered about 30,000 people,
while the police said there were no more than 4,000.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
May 21, 2004
___________________
DIOCESAN KHRIMIAN LYCEUM COMMEMORATES CULTURE, WORKS TO KEEP IT ALIVE
The setting was modern: the Eastern Diocese’s Haik and Alice Kavookjian
Auditorium, with parents and friends waiting for students in the
Diocesan Khrimian Lyceum educational program to showcase their talents
on stage. But the message was one from the past: the importance of the
Armenian culture and language, and the need to vigorously pass it on to
the next generation.
To open the Khrimian Lyceum’s 2004 “Gala des Amateurs” — the annual
opportunity for students in the six-year program to display their
Armenian language skills, musical ability, and cultural knowledge — the
group of students led the audience in singing “Mer Hayrenik”.
About 60 students attend the Diocese’s Khrimian Lyceum in New York City.
(Similar programs were opened this year in Boston and Chicago.) During
the Gala, they sang songs in Armenian, such as: “Ov Soorp Mesrob”,
“Asdvatdzhshoonts”, and “Eentchoo”. Several students also performed
solos during the show, including Grace Tcholakian who sang “Hayerenuh
Eem Baberoos”. The choirs sang an ode to St. Vartan Cathedral, with Ani
Nalbandian accompanying them on the piano.
STRONG ACADEMICS
During the school year, the Diocesan Khrimian Lyceum — a six-year
program designed to train12- to 18-year-old graduates of Diocesan
Armenian schools to become the next generation of leaders for the
Armenian Church — brings experts to the students through monthly
classes, lectures, and workshops. The program also organizes an annual
symposium, which this year took students on a “virtual tour” of Armenia,
past and present.
The speakers opened the world of Armenia to the students. Arto
Vorperian, who has worked for Armenia’s tourist industry and now works
with the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), took the participants to
Armenia through a lively presentation. Artemis Nazerian spoke about the
talented musicians who have come from Armenia for more than 15
centuries. Armenian arts and crafts came to life with a hands-on
discussion led by Mariam Atarian. Armenian literature and journalism in
the Republic of Armenia and the diaspora was covered by Vehanoush
Tekian.
The students got an authoritative exploration on the Armenian Christian
faith from Fr. Haigazoun Najarian, who told them about its role in
historic Armenia and for Armenians today.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Along with language lessons, the students also get lectures on what it
means to be a leader, and take non-academic studies such as orchestra
and drama. During the “Gala des Amateurs”, the Khrimian Lyceum
orchestra, joined by pianist Deanna Gulmezian , performed a number of
lovely Armenian-themed pieces, such as: “Zeytoontsener”, “Arpa Sevan”,
“Azk Parabandz”, and “Gakaveek”. Other solo instrumental performers
included Nareg Naviters on the saxophone, and Sharis Aiazian on piano.
Along with the orchestra and choir groups, the program’s dance troop —
under the direction of Talar Zokian — also took the stage, and
performed a number titled “Ov Hahyots Ashkhar”, in beautiful costumes
borrowed from the Shushi Dance Ensemble.
The school’s actors took the stage to perform a play called “Ahnpahn
Hooren”, which recreated a slice of Armenian village life.
SENDING OFF THIS YEAR’S CLASS
Along with being a celebration of the Armenian spirit, the Gala was also
a chance to honor those students who completed the six-year program.
The 2004 graduating class includes: George Chahinian, Grace Cholakian,
Laura Dulgerian, Mary Gulmezian, Talar Parisian, Roy Seter, and Ida
Zohrabian.
“My parents were surprised to see how much we had learned,” Ida
Zohrabian said that night, when the students thanked their instructors
by approaching them and presenting them with red roses.
For more information on the Khrimian Lyceum programs in New York,
Massachusetts, and Illinois, and to sign your child up for next year’s
classes, contact Sylva der Stepanian, coordinator of Armenian education
at the Diocese, by calling (212) 686-0710, ext. 48.
— 5/21/04
# # #

CSTO IS BETTER PREPARED TO FACE FRESH THREATS THAN NATO
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 21 2004
MOSCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) – Chairman of the committee for CIS
affairs and ties with compatriots of the State Duma (lower house)
Andrei Kokoshin believes that the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (or CSTO, which includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) is better prepared for
countering the threats of the 21st century than Nato. He said this
at his meeting with Nato and Russian experts devoted to international
security issues.
In his words, Nato is loaded with the burden of the cold war years,
and its large-scale bureaucracy is slow in turning towards the most
burning issues of the international community.
Kokoshin pointed out Nato’s inefficiency citing the 1999 operation
in Kosovo unauthorised by the UN and in violation of international law.
“Russia and its CSTO allies are deeply concerned over the situation
in Afghanistan where the US military rule has been transferred to
Nato. Drug flows from Afghanistan grow incessantly,” said Kokoshin.
According to him, it is surprising that this is not yet high on
Nato’s agenda.
Instead of modernising its structures, developing more actively the
new forms and ways of combating threats to civilisation, Nato opted
for the expansion and admitted new members, which aroused negative
reaction in Russia and other CIS countries,” said the parliamentarian.
“The flights of Nato’s AWACS reconnaissance aircraft and F-16 fighters
along Russia’s borders now that terrorism is increasing in southern
Europe, Iran, Uzbekistan, and other parts of the world struck many
politicians in CSTO countries as absurd,” said Kokoshin.
He believes that “Nato’s expansion has contributed nothing to the
efficiency of the alliance’s fight against terrorism, drug mafia,
proliferation of WMD and its delivery equipment.” According to
Kokoshin, this confirmed once again that the Russians who opposed
Nato’s eastward expansion were right.

RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER UPBEAT ON TALKS WITH ARMENIAN COUNTERPART
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
20 May 04
Yerevan, 20 May: The Russian and Armenian defence ministers have at
their talks “taken yet another important step on the way towards
deepening the Russo-Armenian strategic partnership, the security
of our countries and the maintenance of peace and stability in the
Transcaucasus”, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov said today,
summing up the results of his meeting with his Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sarkisyan.
“We reviewed a broad range of issues relating to implementing
accords reached earlier on military and technical cooperation,
ensuring the operation of the Russian military base on the territory
of the Republic of Armenia and interaction in the sphere of military
construction and personnel training,” Ivanov explained. In addition,
he said, “we exchanged opinions on the development of the military
and political situation in the Transcaucasus region and clarified
positions on combating international terrorism”.
Ivanov pointed out that the decisions adopted during the talks
“were the natural result of the sides’ mutual interest in developing
all-round military contacts”. “They are a logical continuation of the
intensive work which the presidents of our countries are conducting
in order to develop interstate relations,” Ivanov stressed.
The Russian defence minister arrived in Yerevan today for a two-day
visit. On 21 May he will chair a meeting of the CIS Council of Defence
Ministers. The participants will afterwards be received by Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan.

Azeri TV lashes out at BBC “promoting reconciliation” with Armenia
ANS TV, Baku
20 May 04
[Presenter] The behaviour of employees of the BBC World Service, who
visit Nagornyy Karabakh, which is an integral part of Azerbaijan,
without the knowledge of the Baku government, remains the subject
of a public investigation. We have decided to view this step by a
BBC employee, as well as the activities of the producer of the BBC
Russian service’s morning programmes, Mark Grigoryan, against the
background of the BBC’s general stance on the Karabakh conflict.
[Correspondent over video of archive footage captioned as Susa, 2001]
You see these pictures for the first time. This is Susa. Col Uzeyir
Cafarov, who retired now, went to Nagornyy Karabakh under the guise
of a reporter and took these pictures in 2001. Azerbaijani soldiers
who abandoned the town in 1992 can witness that although more than
10 years have passed, nothing has changed there. That is, Armenian
reports that Nagornyy Karabakh is being rapidly reconstructed and
that foreign investment is flowing into the area are a lie.
[Uzeyir Cafarov, captioned as military reporter, retired
lieutenant-colonel] If we take Susa itself, only the central part of
the town has been reconstructed to show visiting people that there
is life there. In Lacin, all the reports about the life style there
are almost not true.
[Correspondent over video of archive footage] However, the BBC reports
quite its opposite. BBC journalist Steven Eke, who prepared reports
by illegally entering our area, claims that Nagornyy Karabakh towns
have been reconstructed and that normal life is being lived there. In
his reports, he says that the town’s [Susa’s] central streets have
been rebuilt and that there are no signs of war.
But what is the real picture?
[Video shows archive footage of Susa]
[Uzeyir Cafarov] I absolutely disagree that they are living a full
life there. Many ordinary people we spoke to, for instance in Lacin,
said sincerely that they knew that the lands should be sooner or later
vacated. They are forced to live temporarily in Lacin, because the
necessary conditions were not created for them in Yerevan. In Susa,
people are engaged in small business. All of them are newcomers.
[Correspondent over video of BBC Russian Service web site] Let us
carefully look at the BBC’s special web site devoted to the 10th
anniversary of the Karabakh cease-fire:
– I am looking for my university friend and the person who is
spiritually close to me, Edik Ayrapetov. He comes from Baku, lived in
Razin. I want to thank all those who will help me. Valeriy Bayramov,
USA.
– Or my friend Stanislav Oganyan, we studied at an Azerbaijani
university, he used to work for the Literaturnaya Gazeta newspaper
in the early 1990s, later as far as I know for the Sovetskaya Rossiya
newspaper. I will be happy to find him. Kamal Aslanov, Canada.
On the web site’s Looking for Friends section, dozens of Azerbaijanis
are allegedly looking for their Armenian friends who used to live
in Baku and Azerbaijan. They do not stop there. The atmosphere in
Azerbaijan and Armenia in connection with the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict is presented as follows – Moods in Azerbaijan: from
pseudo-patriotism to apathy. Moods in Armenia: without hatred,
but also without trust. These headlines show the BBC’s interests in
promoting reconciliation between the two countries and in Armenia
continuing to keep under control the occupied lands. The BBC and its
Armenian employees are carrying out propaganda to prevent resumption
of hostilities in the area and are trying to demonstrate to Azerbaijan
and Azerbaijanis that Azerbaijanis and Armenians can live together.
Our answer to Armenians who write so-called peace letters to
Azerbaijanis is ‘memory’.
[Video shows archive footage of mutilated bodies]
[Voice of journalist Cingiz Mustafayev, who was killed in Karabakh]
[words indistinct] They were scalped.
[Unidentified voice] They were scalped. Bastards, barbarians.
[Voice of Cingiz Mustafayev] They are bastards.
Zaur Hasanov, Zeynal Zeynalov, ANS

Armenian PM to hold talks in Kiev on trade, economic cooperation
By Vitaly Matarykin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 10, 2004 Monday
KIEV, May 10 — Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan arrived
in Ukraine on a three-day official visit on Monday for talks with
Ukrainian leaders on trade and economic cooperation.
During the visit, the Armenian prime minister will be received by
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma.
Margaryan will meet Ukrainian parliament chairman Vladimir Litvin, his
Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich, president of the National
Academy of Sciences Boris Paton and Foreign Minister Konstantin
Grishchenko.
The prime ministers of the two countries will take part in a session
of the inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation that will
focus on prospects for interaction in the energy sector, transport,
aircraft building, as well as military relations and contacts in
international organisations. After the session representatives of the
inter-governmental commission are expected to sign a protocol and an
agreement on authors’ rights.

Ukrainian president talks cooperation with visiting Armenian premier
Inter TV, Kiev
12 May 04
President Leonid Kuchma discussed bilateral cooperation and Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan during their meeting in Kiev today.
On the last day of his official visit, Markaryan will lay flowers at
the monument to the victims of the Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933.

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
May 10 2004
Gonul: 135 Million Tons Of Oil Were Transported Through Turkish
Straits
BERLIN – Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul has said,
”135 million tons of oil were transported through Turkish Straits
last year. This amount is expected to increase by nearly 50 percent
in 2010.”
Speaking at a panel discussion on ”Security in Black Sea Region”
under the 21st International Workshop on Global Security Conference
in German capital Berlin, Gonul highlighted important of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, saying that the project
would enable them to transport 50 million tons of oil annually.
Expressing Turkey’s satisfaction with co-operation in efforts to
provide peace and stability in the Black Sea region despite ongoing
crises in Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Gonul said that trade in
the region had accelerated, stability had been provided and relations
between regional nations had been improved since 1992.
Stressing that Turkey attributed great importance to regional and
international co-operation and solidarity, Gonul recalled that Turkey
had been actively supporting the Balkan Stability Pact, Southeast
European Defense Ministers’ Initiative and the Black Sea Economic
Co-operation (BSEC).
Noting that Turkey had further improved its bilateral relations with
the regional countries after the Cold War era ended, Gonul said that
23 separate conventions and protocols were signed with the Black Sea
littoral countries to this end.
Recalling that co-operation agreements were signed with Russia and
Ukraine, Gonul noted, ”Turkey’s bilateral relations with Bulgaria,
Romania and Georgia have further improved following the Cold War era.
Another significant security dimension of the Black Sea stems from
its strategic position as a transit corridor for energy resources.
Besides Russian oil, Caspian oil has also been transported through
the Black Sea. Meanwhile, Turkey is seriously concerned over
increasing vessel traffic in the Black Sea and in the Turkish
Straits.”
Referring to political problems in the Black Sea region, Gonul said,
”Southern Caucasus has begun gaining more importance due to
transportation of oil, natural gas and foodstuff. Any instability in
the region would have negative impacts not only on the region, but on
the whole Europe and Atlantic.”
Listing autonomous Republic of Adzharia and the Upper Karabakh
disputes as the most important sources of instability in the region,
Gonul called on the regional countries to exert more efforts to
resolve these crises.
Gonul added, ”the Black Sea countries should also take some further
steps in fight against international terrorism, organized crimes and
weapons of mass destruction. I believe that improvement of bilateral
relations in the region would make a valuable contribution to efforts
to provide peace and stability in the region.”
Later, Gonul left Germany for Turkey.

Pasadena Star-News, CA
May 6 2004
Rushing to defense
Marshall High students, teachers support embattled principal
By Gretchen Hoffman , Staff Writer
PASADENA — At the same time that a group of community members are
circulating petitions calling Marshall Fundamental High School
Principal Steven Miller a bigot who should be removed from his post,
students and teachers are rallying to his support.
Miller is anything but a racist, students and staff say, and he has
reduced school violence and increased student performance. He
motivates teachers and students alike, and is always willing to lend
an ear, they add.
One thing about Miller is certain, however. The road he travels at
Marshall these days is rocky. Some Armenian parents are upset that
middle school dean Kevork Halladjian was told he will not be
returning to his post next year. His lawyer, Dale Gronemeier, is
threatening a lawsuit if Halladjian is not reinstated, and alleges
Miller is a racist who did not do enough to halt violence during a
March 5 fight between Armenians and African Americans at the school.
Halladjian’s lawyer is married to Temetra Gronemeier, whose lawsuit
against the Pasadena Unified School District alleging age
discrimination was thrown out recently. She was seeking the principal
position, which was given to Miller.
Students said Marshall has always had racial conflict but that it has
largely abated under Miller’s guidance. Incidents like the March 5
fights, which resulted in a lockdown on campus and several
expulsions, were more common before Miller instituted peer-mediation
programs, they said.
“He doesn’t sit in his office filling out worksheets, he’s making
sure that each and every race is satisfied,’ said tenth- grader
Clarissa Belombre. “Instead of pointing to the one who’s running the
school, which is what people do, you need to point to the students.
They’re the one who caused it. He took care of the situation as he
could.’
Senior Veronica Gonzalez said she thought the accusations have been
made by people who do not know Miller.
“It seems like these are because of the position he holds,’ Gonzalez
said. “His main priority is us, the students. The thing that I think
is really just out there is that these people that are accusing him
are saying they’re here for the students but … it’s not helping us,
it’s tearing us apart.’
Senior Tina Lee said the petitions are from people who do not have
children at Marshall.
“They don’t even have grandchildren who go here,’ Lee said. “They
have no relation to anyone who has first-hand knowledge. I think they
have no right to say anything.’
Students and teachers said Miller’s detractors are focusing on the
fights as an excuse to get him thrown out of Marshall.
“For people to try to hang his career over one incident that
occurred, I don’t think that’s fair,’ teacher Darlene Davenpot said.
“Right now at Marshall, we do not need another principal.’
Teacher Rebecca Vasquez said discipline has been Marshall’s Achilles’
heel since she started there six years ago.
“I think he’s taken action where it hasn’t been taken before, and
that’s why he’s being targeted,’ Vasquez said. “It’s not productive
for anybody. It’s interesting that people outside our school are
coming in and creating problems.’
Teacher Patricia Kavanagh said she “can’t think of someone who is
less likely to be a racist. He’s been under more pressure than I can
imagine. He’s unknowingly become a part of … antagonism that was
here before he started.’
Many students said they had never seen Miller treat a student
differently because of his or her race and alleged that deans
Gronemeier and Halladjian gave preference to students of their own
race.
“I feel like Mr. Halladjian favors the Armenians, I guess because he
feels Ms. Gronemeier is African American and he needs to stick up for
the Armenian people,’ senior Rita Manoukian said. “Our own deans are
trying to mess up our school. How does that help us?’
Dale Gronemeier said his client and his wife have a “special
sensitivity’ toward students of their own race but operate with
complete fairness.
“What goes with the territory of disciplining students is that you
are dealing with students and parents in a negative and oftentimes
adversarial (role) because people don’t like to be disciplined,’
Gronemeier said. “Mrs. Gronemeier has 20 years’ experience as a
teacher and as an administrator at Marshall. There are legions of
Armenian students and parents who would swear by her fairness.’
Halladjian said he has an open door policy for all students
regardless of race.
“Anybody can come to my office, I’ll definitely make time to see them
right away,’ Halladjian said. “I try my best to deal with all
students at Marshall with the same fairness.’
Other students pointed to honors awarded to Marshall under Miller’s
tenure. The school was ranked in the top 4 percent of the country’s
public high schools in Newsweek’s 2003 Challenge Index. It was also
selected last year as one of three schools in the nation to receive a
College Board Inspiration Award in recognition of its work in
broadening economically disadvantaged students’ access to college.
“When Mr. Miller came, I felt he brought peace,’ senior Alexandria
Parker said. “I think he’s the bridge or the tie that connects
everyone together and by severing that cord, you’re severing Marshall
and all we’ve worked together to build. I think in the end, the truth
will speak for itself.’