Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Armenian foreign minister meets OSCE Karabakh mediators
Arminfo
8 Feb 05
Yerevan, 8 February: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, the Russian
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov, the French co-chairman,
Bernard Fassier, as well as (?Elizabeth Rudy), the assistant of US Co-Chairman
Steven Mann, discussed a number of organizational issues today.
The co-chairmen, who accompanied the OSCE factfinding mission in Nagornyy
Karabakh, arrived in Yerevan from Stepanakert [Xankandi] yesterday, the public
relations department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Arminfo news agency.
The meeting, in particular, discussed prospects for the holding of a meeting
between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Prague format.
Vardan Oskanyan said he was ready to take the first opportunity available to
meet again his Azerbaijani counterpart, the report said.
From: Baghdasarian

OSCE experts complete mission in breakaway Karabakh – Azeri official
Turan news agency
8 Feb 05
Baku, 8 February: The OSCE mission looking into facts of Armenia’s
settling the occupied Azerbaijani territories has completed the first
part of its work, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
has told journalists while commenting on the mission’s journey to
the occupied territories.
On the next stage the mission is expected to analyse the collected
material and prepare a report. “We expect this to be done in the near
future, and the prepared report will then be submitted to a meeting
of the OSCE Minsk Group and then to the OSCE Permanent Council,”
Azimov said.
He expressed his confidence that the facts provided to the mission
by the Azerbaijani side had been confirmed. Namely, the mission
received material from open and other sources about Armenia’s settling
20,000-23,000 people in the occupied territories. But even if the
mission discovers half or a third of this figure, this will confirm
the fact of illegal settlement anyway, Azimov said.
He went on to say that under the 1949 Geneva Convention the occupier
has no right to settle and change the demographic situation in the
captured territories. He also described as illegitimate Armenia’s
argument that the areas are being settled by the Armenians who were
deported from Baku, Ganca and Sumqayit. He stressed that international
humanitarian law unequivocally bans settlement of anyone who did not
live in the occupied territories before, regardless of their origin.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
From: Baghdasarian

Interests and aspirations clash in region of frozen conflicts
By Simon Tisdall
The Guardian
Feb 8 2005
The ancient Greeks called it Pontus Axeinus – the inhospitable sea.
Jason and the Argonauts sailed its turbid waters, seeking the Golden
Fleece in the land of Colchis, present-day Georgia. Turks who feared
its lowering storms called it Kara Dengiz, hence its English name.
Now the Black Sea, contested through history by Roman emperors,
Russian tsars, Nazi and Soviet totalitarians and, inevitably, by
British imperialists in the Crimea in the 1850s, is once again emerging
as a strategic amphitheatre of clashing interests and aspirations.
When Romania and Bulgaria join the EU in 2007, modern Europe’s new
frontier will come hard up against the rumbling underbelly of Russia’s
collapsed empire.
Arrayed around this new Black Sea bullring, an encircling host of
failed, floundering or would-be states must soon decide whether their
future lies within the Euro-Atlantic community.
It is here that defining 21st-century battles over identity, security,
democratic values, oil, and migration will be waged. And it is here
that an ever-enlarging Europe’s limitations, political as well as
geographical, may finally be painfully exposed.
Romania’s reformist leader, Traian Basescu, who watches over a
lengthy tract of western Black Sea coast, is keenly attuned to this
challenge. He won the presidency last December in Romania’s quieter
version of neighbouring Ukraine’s “orange revolution”.
Mr Basescu’s visit to London last week amounted to an early warning.
In his view Romania is becoming a frontline state in what governments
now call the Greater Black Sea region.
“The common security threats that we face are many. The Black Sea
region has become an area for trafficking in people, in drugs and
weapons,” Mr Basescu said.
“It is an area of frozen conflicts. These are threats for all Nato and
EU members. In this region we are in a democratic transition period, a
period of emerging democracies – and that presents an element of risk.”
Romania has been offered additional British help in fighting corruption
and organised crime, curbing illegal immigration and preparing for
EU membership, diplomats said.
Both Romania and Bulgaria are already Nato members. And the Bucharest
government, which has offered military base facilities to the US at
Constanta, has purchased two ex-Royal Navy frigates.
Yet while Romania, Bulgaria, and more precariously, Ukraine, have
made their pro-western choice, the fate of many regional states and
peoples hangs in the balance.
Moldova, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, is one of the most
dangerous of the “frozen conflicts” of which Mr Basescu warned.
Located in an area once known as Bessarabia, Moldova is the poorest
country in Europe, divided since independence in 1991 by a secessionist
movement in eastern Transdniestria.
Now Moldova’s communist leaders, facing elections next month, have
broken with their traditional ally, Russia, and are pursuing EU
integration. President Vladimir Voronin appealed last week for western
assistance, saying separatist “armed units” were bent on provoking a
crisis. Moldova has also asked in vain that Russia withdraw its troops.
Almost unnoticed, the EU published an “action plan” in December,
inviting Moldova “to enter into intensified political, security and
economic relations” and describing a Transdniestria solution as a
“key objective”. In short, Moldova is a looming European problem.
Similar disputes requiring international attention ring the Black
Sea. In former Soviet Georgia, scene of the 2003 “rose revolution”,
the pro-western government of President Mikhail Saakashvili is
still struggling with Moscow-backed separatists in South Ossetia
and Abkhazia.
Linked to Georgia’s future is the future of independence-minded
Chechnya, where low-level conflict with Russian forces still smoulders,
and the wider Caucasus region.
In Armenia an authoritarian government is locked in a cold
war with Turkey and Azerbaijan, principally over the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, where tens of thousands died in the early 1990s. To
end its isolation Armenia is increasingly looking to Brussels.
While insisting on political and economic reforms, the EU recently
included Armenia in its European “neighbourhood policy”. Self-interest
plays a part. Armenia’s woes have produced an exodus of economic
migrants; most head westwards.
Underlying all this is the Black Sea’s growing strategic importance
as an outlet for Russian and Caspian oil – another potential source
of conflict as well as wealth.
A sort of “best pipeline” contest is now under way. Russia is exploring
a new oil route with Bulgaria and Greece that would bypass pro-western
Turkey. From Athens, at least, this looks like a terrific idea.
Another pipeline will run from Azerbaijan via Georgia to Turkey’s
Mediterranean coast, deviously circumventing poor, ostracised
Armenia. Yet another could link Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast with
Macedonia, Albania and the Adriatic – with intriguing implications
for the Balkans.
While the EU gazes east and wonders just how far it can go, especially
regarding Russia, the US feels fewer constraints. It is determined
to secure its Caspian oil supplies. And its new military toeholds
on the western shore could in time be used to project US influence
across the entire Black Sea region.
Europe’s policy may be drifting. Russia may fret and storm. But
Washington reckons it knows which way the wind is blowing. Like the
ancient Greeks, it aims to turn the Black Sea into the Pontus Euxinus –
the friendly sea.
From: Baghdasarian

Buffalo News (New York)
February 1, 2005 Tuesday
FINAL EDITION
LANGUAGE OF PATRIOTISM COMES FROM THE HEART
By BEDROS PETE ODIAN
In the early 1940s, I was contributing my modest bit as a weatherman
in the Army Air Corps to the defeat of Adolf Hitler and Emperor
Hirohito. Midway through the war, the Army issued a call for officer
candidate school for personnel who knew foreign languages.
This was in anticipation of military government during occupation
when the war ended. Displaced people would be interrogated to assist
them in getting settled. Enemy personnel would be questioned during
investigations of war crimes.
Although I enjoyed meteorology immensely, I felt I could contribute
to postwar occupation activities.
I gained fluency in Armenian through my immigrant parents. Like many
immigrants, they spoke their native tongue at home. They never
attended school. Yet, they valued education. In the afternoons, after
attending public elementary school, I attended Armenian class at the
Armenian church. The priest was usually the teacher. Other times, a
lay person conducted the class.
I appeared before the officer candidate board, made up of a colonel
and other officers. The interview included questions about the
structure of the Army and current events.
Well into the interview, the colonel noted in my application that I
spoke, read and wrote Armenian. He asked me where I learned the
language. I explained that I learned it as a child, speaking with my
parents and attending Armenian classes. The colonel asked, “Your
parents speak Armenian at home? Don’t they know this is America?”
The question shocked me. I was not sure whether it was to test my
threshold of anger or to observe how I enunciated my answer. It was
an improper question.
I weighed my options. Should I give a “politically correct” answer to
gain favor, or give a truthful answer that would surely doom my
chances? I chose the latter.
I explained that my parents knew better than any of us in the room
that this is America. They fled from persecution and came to America
to seek a better life. My father, who by then was a widower, was
operating a one-man grocery store, coping with wartime shortages and
price-control regulations.
He had two sons, me and my brother, who was in the airborne infantry
in Europe. Yes, sir, I said, my late mother and my father knew this
is America. They were always thankful for their freedom.
A memo arrived a week later saying that I was not considered officer
material. But I do not regret my response. I sought to convey the
very essence of America and everything I learned about our country,
the land of liberty and opportunity, since my birth in the United
States in 1921.
Years later, the School of General Studies of Columbia University
added several language credits to my transcript for Armenian.
University officials didn’t seem to care how I learned to speak
Armenian. To be charitable, perhaps the colonel lost sight of the
objective of the language program.
Two of my friends growing up in the ’30s, Miltie Shapiro and Jimmy
Pappas, also were from immigrant families. Miltie attended Hebrew
school at the local synagogue. Jimmy attended Greek school at the
local Greek church.
I can see the colonel now: Don’t they know this is America?
BEDROS PETE ODIAN lives in Amherst
From: Baghdasarian

Le Figaro, France
04 février 2005
Dialogue sans concessions entre Debré et Erdogan;
TURQUIE Le président de l’Assemblée a rencontré le premier ministre
turc à Ankara
Sophie HUET
« Soyons comme deux amis, des gens qui se disent la vérité. » Cette
phrase de Jean-Louis Debré résume le climat sans concession, ni du
côté français, ni du côté turc, qui a régné tout au long de la
première journée de rencontres à huis clos de la délégation conduite
par le président de l’Assemblée nationale à Ankara. Accompagné par
les quatre présidents de groupes de l’Assemblée nationale, Bernard
Accoyer (UMP), Hervé Morin (UDF), Jean-Marc Ayrault (PS) et Alain
Bocquet (PCF), Jean-Louis Debré a rencontré à sa descente d’avion le
premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, puis le président de
l’Assemblée nationale de Turquie, Bulent Aric. Avec les deux hommes,
Jean-Louis Debré a d’emblée abordé les questions les plus sensibles :
Chypre, la reconnaissance du génocide arménien, les réformes
législatives à effectuer en Turquie (concernant le code pénal, le
code de procédure pénale, les droits de l’homme…) tout au long du
processus d’adhésion, qui aboutira, ou non, à l’entrée de ce pays
dans l’Union européenne. Au premier ministre, Jean-Louis Debré a
expliqué que l’attitude de la Turquie à l’égard du génocide arménien
« était un vrai problème en France ». Ce à quoi Erdogan a répondu
très directement : « Je suis déçu de la France… Je ne savais pas
que 400 000 Arméniens pourraient faire échouer le référendum » sur la
Turquie, prévu dans dix à quinze ans.
Lors d’une conférence de presse commune, les présidents des deux
Assemblées nationales n’ont quasiment pas échangé un regard. Bulent
Aric a déclaré qu’il ne demandait « aucun traitement spécial » pour
son pays, qu’il jugeait « tout à fait normal » que des opinions
contre l’entrée de la Turquie s’expriment en France. Mais il a
aussitôt adressé un « message au peuple français » pour lui dire que
« la Turquie de l’opinion publique française est très différente de
la Turquie réelle », déplorant « les malentendus, les images et les
symboles qui ne sont absolument pas représentatifs de la véritable
Turquie ». Les affiches de Philippe de Villiers prônant le non à la
Turquie ont d’ailleurs été publiées, avec des commentaires acides,
dans les journaux du pays.
Bulent Aric n’a pas non plus caché que « nos relations avec l’Union
européenne ne sont pas sentimentales ». Et il a ajouté : « Nous ne
sommes pas deux jeunes qui se sont rencontrés à la discothèque et se
sont aimés. Nous nous basons sur un accord de plus de quarante ans. »
Allusion à la célèbre formule du général de Gaulle, en 1963 : « La
Turquie a vocation à être européenne. »
Devant un parterre fourni de journalistes turcs et de caméras,
Jean-Louis Debré n’a pas trop usé de la langue de bois diplomatique.
« Nous avons à vous écouter et vous avez à nous entendre. (…)
Est-ce que la société turque est capable, dans un laps de temps
précis, d’accepter des réformes qui vont la changer ? », s’est
interrogé le président de l’Assemblée. Lequel a expliqué à ses hôtes
qu’ils avaient « une référence idéologique commune, la révolution
française, qui a aussi influencé l’oeuvre de Kemal Atatürk ». C’est
donc avec « un esprit critique » mais « sans préjugé ni opposition de
principe » que Jean-Louis Debré, visiblement sur le qui-vive, aborde
ce voyage.
Mais les questions des journalistes turcs ont révélé un vrai fossé
entre les deux pays. Ceux-ci ne comprennent pas qu’un référendum soit
nécessaire pour l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE, mais pas pour la
Roumanie, la Croatie ou la Bulgarie. « Comme pour l’adhésion de la
Grande-Bretagne, il est légitime que le peuple de France se prononce
» a répondu Debré. Un confrère d’Ankara a jugé « très blessante pour
les Turcs » la reconnaissance du génocide arménien par la France. «
C’est une loi (du 18 janvier 2000) je l’applique », a rétorqué le
député de l’Eure.
La délégation française a été un peu surprise par ces rencontres «
sans sujet tabou », selon Alain Bocquet (PC). « Les Turcs sont
demandeurs de l’adhésion à l’Europe, c’est très clair », commentait
Jean-Marc Ayrault (PS). « Leur désir d’Europe est très fort. C’est un
consensus politique dans le pays », ajoutait Bernard Accoyer. « Ils
veulent l’adhésion pure et simple, et considèrent qu’ils ont déjà un
partenariat privilégié avec l’Europe », a aussi affirmé Hervé Morin
(UDF), pour lequel « il y a vraiment un besoin de dialogue, car ils
nous parlent sans cesse de nos préjugés, de nos arrière-pensées ».
From: Baghdasarian

Texas Court Denies Preliminary Injunction but Accelerates Jury Selection
Date in Patent Infringement Suit Against Seven Networks
Jury Selection Set for June 29, 2005 in Marshall, Texas
PRNewswire
Tuesday February 1, 2005
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Visto Corporation, the
leading global provider of secure push email, whose platform for mobile
operators supports the broadest set of mobile devices, today announced
that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas,
has denied its motion for a preliminary injunction in Visto’s patent
infringement suit against Seven Networks but has accelerated the date of
jury selection for the trial of this matter. Visto is seeking both
damages and a permanent injunction prohibiting Seven from making, using
or selling its infringing products in the United States. Visto had filed
requests for preliminary and permanent injunctions on September 23, 2003
and on April 28, 2004, claiming that Seven had misappropriated Visto’s
intellectual property. Although Judge John Ward denied Visto’s request
for a preliminary injunction today, on his own motion at the January 25,
2005 hearing, he moved the jury selection date from July 5, 2005 to June
29, 2005.
“The Texas Court’s decision to accelerate the trial date underscores the
fact that there will be a resolution very soon. The arguments made in
court were reinforcing, and by July we will have closure. The noose
around Seven’s neck just got tighter,” said Brian Bogosian, chairman,
president and CEO of Visto Corporation. “With over 21 patents worldwide,
Visto is setting the industry standard with secure synchronization
technologies that deliver performance, reliability and security. By
protecting our intellectual property against unauthorized use by
companies like Seven, with no patents of its own, we hope to foster a
creative environment where true innovation is rewarded.”
Visto asserts that Seven Networks, Inc. is infringing on six of its
patents. These six patents included in the legal action are: US patent
nos. 6,085,192 and 6,023,708, which describe systems and methods for
securely synchronizing multiple copies of a workspace element in a
network, and the use of a global translator to synchronize workspace
elements across a network. U.S. Patent No. 6,131,116, entitled “System
and Method for Globally Accessing Computer Services,” U.S. Patent No.
5,961,590, entitled “System and Method for Synchronizing Electronic Mail
Between a Client Site and a Central Site,” U.S. Patent No. 5,968,131,
entitled “System and Method for Securely Synchronizing Multiple Copies
of a Workspace Element in a Network,” and U.S. Patent No. 6,708,221,
entitled “System and Method for Globally and Securely Accessing Unified
Information in a Computer Network.”
About Visto
Visto is the leading global platform for mobile operators to provide
wireless push email to the broadest set of mobile devices. Visto’s open
solution enables email for the mass market, targeting large enterprises,
small businesses, mobile professionals and consumers. The company’s
Visto Mobile(TM) platform with patented ConstantSync(TM) technology
works in real time with POP3, IMAP, Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino
email solutions for personal to enterprise use, providing maximum
control and flexibility for the operator and choice for the customer.
Visto’s customized, brandable solutions are available through mobile
operators worldwide including AT&T Wireless, Bell Mobility, KPN,
Manitoba Telecom Services, Nextel Communications, Inc., Rogers Wireless,
SaskTel Mobility, SmarTone and TELUS Mobility.
Established in 1996 and headquartered in Redwood Shores, California,
with offices in Seattle, London, Rome, Tokyo, Beijing and Tianjin,
China, Visto is backed by Oak Investment Partners, Draper Fisher
Jurvetson, VantagePoint Venture Partners, Meritech Capital Partners,
Rustic Canyon Ventures, Allegis Capital and Blueprint Ventures. For more
information, visit or email [email protected].
NOTE: Visto, the Visto logo, Visto Mobile, ConstantSync, WirelessInbox,
MessageXpress and Transcend Mail are either trademarks or registered
trademarks of Visto Corporation. All third-party trademarks, trade
names, or service marks are the property of their respective owners and
are used only to refer to the goods or services identified by those
third-party marks. Visto’s technology is protected by U.S. Patents
6,085,192; 5,968,131; 6,023,708; 5,961,590; 6,131,116; 6,151,606;
6,233,341; 6,131,096, 6,708,221 and 6,766,454. Other patents pending.
Source: Visto Corporation
From: Baghdasarian

LENT STARTS ON FEBRUARY 7 IN CONFORMITY WITH CALENDAR OF ARMENIAN
APOSTOLIC CHURCH
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4. ARMINFO. In conformity with the calendar of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Lent starts on February 7. It will continue
to the Easter, which is fixed for March 27 this year, AAC Ararat
Diocese reports to ARMINFO.
Forty days of Lent symbolize the 40 days Jesus Christ spent in the
desert praying. On March 2, in the middle of Lent, traditional “gata”
(“cake”) is baked and coins are put in it. According to beliefs, who
finds the coin in “gata” he will be successful. Wedding and offering
ceremonies are banned in the period of Lent. However, Catholicos of
All Armenian Vazgen I allowed wedding at Armenian churches on
Saturdays and Sunday during Lent, excepting the days of Holy Week
(March 20-27).
From: Baghdasarian

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 4 2005
Doctors call for release of former minister
Mirtskhulava’s condition requires medical attention impossible to
administer in prison hospital, they argue
By Mary Makharashvili
Doctors of Davit Mirtskhulava have said that the former chair of the
Energy Regulatory Commission needs permanent treatment that is
practically impossible to administer in the prison hospital.
The doctors gave evidence on behalf of Mirtskhulava at
Mtatsminda-Krtsanisi Regional Court on January 31, saying that his
current condition is very serious, and that he needs to be released
from prison so that he can receive the appropriate treatment. Doctor
Irakli Seria also declared that he would assist Mirtskhulava in
proving his innocence.
Despite his poor health, the former chair of the Energy Regulatory
Commission attended the court proceedings in the caged defendant’s
booth. Walking into the court room, he showed a serious limp, thought
to be a result of his ill health and a heart attack earlier this
year.
There he heard his lawyer Otar Gamkrelidze state that Mirtskhulava is
being detained illegally. “I think that he is an illegal prisoner as
the charge that Prosecutor’s Office has raised against him is not
proved based on the law and that is why there are so many violations
in this case,” said Gamkrelidze.
Another lawyer Eka Beselia commented on her colleague’s vast
experience, saying, “Gamkrelidze has directly said that he has never
heard of this kind of a thing during his years of legal practice,”
she said, adding that she has every confidence of proving her
client’s innocence.
However, while Prosecutor Kakha Machavariani said Mirtskhulava’s
lawyers were entitled to express their opinions, he also repeated the
charges facing Mirtskhulava: abuse of power and hiding secret
materials.
“He is accused of abuse of power while Georgian Minister of Fuel and
Energy, which the Prosecutor’s Office states seriously damaged the
country economically,” Eka Beselia explained to The Messenger.
In particular, the General Prosecutor’s Office named a contract
agreed with Armenergo during the period when Mirtskhulava was
minister, which the investigation claims is one-sided and
artificially increased Georgian Railway’s debt to Armenergo from USD
4 million to USD 6 million.
The investigation says that Mirtskhulava agreed to this in return for
certain benefits – namely, helping mediator company
Energomanqkorporatsia to embezzle 90 percent of the USD 6 million
transmitted from Georgian Railway. Georgia still had to pay the debt
as a result of the one-sided contract Mirtskhulava had signed.
As for the second charge against Mirtskhulava – that he took secret
materials relating to Georgia-Armenia criminal relationships from the
Energy Ministry and hid them in the office of the National Regulation
Commission – Beselia said that according to the legal documents could
only be considered as hidden if Mirtskhulava had kept them at his
private home or some other place besides the state structures.
Mirtskhulava is the first high ranking official from the Shevardnadze
administration whose case has come to court, as most others who have
been charged by the General Prosecutor’s Office have preferred to pay
money for their freedom.
The total sum that the Prosecutor’s Office requests Mirtskhulava pay
is over USD 2 million plus fines, but the former minister protests
his innocence, adding that he does not have enough money to buy his
way out of jail.
If the court finds Mirtskhulava guilty he faces twelve years
imprisonment, but as Beselia told The Messenger, they will not give
up and will fight to the end to prove the truth, even if the case
goes up to the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg.
From: Baghdasarian

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
02/01/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ARF Youth Delegation Participates in Fifth World Social Forum 2) PACE to Gather Commission on Implementation of Controversial Resolution on Karabagh 3) Judges, Defense Attorneys, and Prosecutors Issue Joint Statement on Constitutional Amendments 4) EU Reminds Turkey of Condition for Talks 5) Renowned Baritone to Dedicate Yerevan Performance to 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide 6) Memorial for Professor and Poet Leonardo Alishan 1) ARF Youth Delegation Participates in Fifth World Social Forum PORTO ALEGRE--A delegation of Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Youth Organization (ARF-YO) members joined over 155,000 activists from 135 countries at the fifth World Social Forum held in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. Participants of the five day conference, which convened on January 26 under the slogan of "another world is possible," gathered in Brazil to organize for tolerance, justice, and peace. Established in 2001, the World Social Forum is a meeting place for those who are interested in building a world in which meaningful relationships among humans flourish. As the Forum's charter of principles reads: "The alternatives proposed at the World Social Forum stand in opposition to a process of globalization commanded by the large multinational corporations and by the governments and international institutions at the service of those corporations' interests, with the complicity of national governments. They are designed to ensure that globalization in solidarity will prevail as a new stage in world history. This will respect universal human rights and those of all citizens--men and women--of all nations and the environment and will rest on democratic international systems and institutions at the service of social justice, equality and the sovereignty of peoples." Representing the ARF at the conference were Onnik Tamjian and Khachig Der-Ghougassian of South America's Armenian National Committee, Mkhitar Markarian of Armenia, Anet Armen of the United States and Damian Mnagian, and Juan Botista Karageozian of Argentina, both of whom were instrumental in educating Forum delegates about the genocide committed against the Ottoman-Armenians in 1915. To date, ARF delegations have participated in World Social Forum organized conferences held in Florence (2002), France (2003), London (2004) and the Ecuadorian capital of Quito (2004). Next year, Forum conferences will be held in several locations around the globe, in anticipation of the 2007 conference, which is scheduled to take place in Africa. 2) PACE to Gather Commission on Implementation of Controversial Resolution on Karabagh (Combined Sources)--The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will organize an ad hoc commission to review the implementation of its resolution on Mountainous Karabagh, adopted by the body on January 25. The resolution calls on Azeri authorities to establish contact with Karabagh's leaders--which they have persistently refused to do--and to refrain from any attempts to retake lost territory by force. Adopted early last week, amid protests from the Armenian delegation that described it as biased in Azerbaijan's favor, the controversial resolution describes Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) as a mono-ethnic area "which resemble the terrible concept of ethnic cleansing." The resolution, however, is legally non-binding. Delegation heads of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group member-countries will form the commission, which is to be set up in March 2005. According to Azeri sources, PACE will seek the assistance of Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis, as well as Armenian and Azeri presidents, in order to specify the commission's authorities. Pointing to the biased nature of the report, the deputy chair of the Armenian delegation to PACE Armen Rustamian told the body last week, "Azerbaijan is expecting to use this document as a justification to issue an ultimatum it has been preparing for a long time. Azerbaijan wants to solve the [Karabagh] issue according to its own scenario--that is, through war." A 10-member OSCE fact-finding mission is currently in the Jebrail and Fizuli regions of Karabagh to investigate Azeri allegation that they are being illegally populated with Armenians. The fact-finding team led by a senior German Foreign Ministry official, Emily Habber, and accompanied by the French, Russian, and US co-chairs of the OSCE's Minsk Group visited the Kelbajar district west of Karabagh on Monday, before arriving in Stepanakert to meet with Karabagh President Arkady Ghukasian. Ghukasian denied that the government of MKR is encouraging the resettlement of Armenian families in those areas and said those Armenians who have moved there since the 1994 ceasefire are mostly former refugees from Azerbaijan. Ghukasian also urged the visitors to inspect Azeri-controlled areas of Karabagh that were formerly populated with Armenians. "We have heard many interesting details and I am confident that those details will help us assess the situation correctly," Habber told local journalists. The OSCE mission will spend ten days traveling around the occupied lands and submit a report to the Minsk Group later on. 3) Judges, Defense Attorneys, and Prosecutors Issue Joint Statement on Constitutional Amendments YEREVAN (Armenpress)--In a conference organized by the American Bar Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) and funded by USAID, Armenian judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys met in Tsakhkadzor on January 28-30 to discuss three packages of constitutional amendments proposed by Armenia's various political groups. They were joined by NGO and Media Representatives. The discussions began by focusing on the section of proposed constitutional amendments related to the judicial system, with each of the groups debating problems and issues of concern. "Legal professionals of Armenia are very enthusiastic about constitutional reforms and want to contribute to the process. During these roundtables judges, advocates, and prosecutors demonstrated their command of the issue," said ABA/CEELI country director Karen Kendrick. On the closing day, a joint session summed up the results and drafted a statement on the judicial section of constitutional reforms, providing recommendations for a transparent and more effective functioning judiciary system. The statement marks the first time the three legal professional groups issue a joint declaration, to demonstrate a common approach and agreement on legal-judicial system reforms. Founded in 1990, the CEELI is a public service project of the American Bar Association. More than 5,000 legal professionals have contributed over $180 million in pro bono legal services to projects in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. Targeting Judicial reform in Armenia, CEELI seeks to enhance the independence, competence, and accountability of judges and to develop resources necessary for the transparent administration of justice. 4) EU Reminds Turkey of Condition for Talks BRUSSELS (Reuters)--The European Commission has reminded Turkey that it must sign a document extending its customs union with the EU to cover Cyprus before it can begin membership talks with the bloc as planned on October 3. "If Ankara dragged its feet for political reasons, the negotiations would not open," senior Commission official Jean-Christophe Filori told visiting Turkish journalists on Tuesday. The move is highly sensitive in Turkey because it is seen by diplomats as tantamount to de facto recognition of the internationally backed Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia without a peace deal to reunite the divided island. Turkey, which won its date to start long-delayed EU entry talks at a summit last December, recognizes only a breakaway Turkish Cypriot community in the north of Cyprus. Asked what would happen if Turkey did not sign the protocol, Filori said: "If the delay is a result of political resistance (in Turkey), yes it would be a problem and the negotiations would not start." Filori is a senior aide to EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, responsible for Turkey. Turkish financial markets are acutely sensitive to any suggestion of problems in Turkey's bid to join the EU. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, aware of the high stakes involved, said last week there would be no delay in signing the document, though he gave no date. "We are analyzing the situation with regard to international law and once we have made sure of our position, we will be in touch with the European Commission and we will make an effort to achieve a result as soon as possible," he told reporters in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum. "We would never want to extend the process," Erdogan said. The Greek Cypriot government is viewed by the other 24 members of the EU as the sole legal representative of Cyprus, which joined the EU with nine other states in May 2004. Filori said the EU had no plans to get directly involved in any revived diplomatic drive to reunite Cyprus, saying this would remain the responsibility of the United Nations. A previous UN peace plan was defeated last year when the Greek Cypriots rejected it in a referendum shortly before joining the EU. The Turkish Cypriots had backed the plan. Filori said a framework document establishing the structure for Turkey's accession talks would be ready by June at the latest. He declined to say how long he thought the negotiations would last. "Taking on the acquis communautaire (EU law) is a huge task and takes a huge amount of time," Filori said, referring to the tens of thousands of pages of European law which prospective members must adopt and implement. 5) Renowned Baritone to Dedicate Yerevan Performance to 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--One of the most famous world baritones, Renato Bruson, will perform in Armenia on February 5 together with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, at Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall. The concert, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, will mark Bruson's first visit to Armenia. Initiated by the head conductor of the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia Eduard Topchian, negotiations with Bruson began last year, but the agreement was reached recently. Arias and overtures from Giuseppe Verdi's operas will be performed, with the cost of tickets ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 drams ($6-20). "We have established all the conditions for the Armenian spectators to have an opportunity to hear the world-famed baritone," said Topchian. A concert with world-famed tenor Placido Domingo in Yerevan is currently in the works, which will also be dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia has been negotiating with Domingo's manager for the past several months. Bruson, one of the foremost Verdi and bel canto baritones of his generation, was unable to afford any kind of musical schooling at a young age, but his family encouraged him to sing in the local church choir. After finishing regular school, he auditioned for the Padova Conservatory, and was offered a five-year scholarship, where he studied with Elena Fava Cerati, who trained him thoroughly in the bel canto style and technique. He made his opera debut as the Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore at Spoleto in 1961. He appeared at the Met for the first time in 1969, as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and made his La Scala debut in Linda di Chamonix in 1972. In 1973, he made his Chicago Lyric Opera debut as Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, and in 1975 he made his Covent Garden debut in the same role, substituting for an ill Piero Cappuccilli. His Vienna State Opera debut was in 1978, as Verdi's Macbeth. He sang with Riccardo Muti for the first time in 1970, and over the years became an adherent of Muti's insistence on singing come scritto, without singer-interpolated high notes, believing that this focuses attention on the music and drama rather than the singer. He frequently championed the songs of Tosti, and was named an honorary citizen of Cortona, Tosti's home city, in recognition of this. While his Verdi roles are perhaps his best-known, especially Macbeth, Rigoletto, Renato (Un Ballo in Maschera), and Simon Boccanegra, he sang in no fewer than seventeen Donizetti operas during the 1970s and 1980s, just ahead of the crest of a great resurgence of interest in lesser-known nineteenth-century works. With his soft, rich, deep voice he has emerged as the leading romantic baritone of our time, specializing above all in Donizetti and Verdi, but not disregarding eighteenth-century opera. 6) Memorial for Professor and Poet Leonardo Alishan Accomplished former University of Utah professor and poet, Leonardo Paul Alishan, 53, passed away on January 9, 2005 as a result of a horrific house fire. Nardo was born on March 4, 1951 in Tehran, Iran to Armenian parents, Michael and Annette. He married Neli Assadurian on July 19, 1974. Three wonderful children was the result of their union, Michael, Ara, and Eileen. Nardo immigrated to the United States in 1973 and received his doctorate degree in 1978 in comparative literature from the University of Texas at Austin. He moved to Utah and joined the University of Utah's Middle Eastern Studies' department the same year. He enjoyed teaching and spending time with his students, which were his biggest source of inspiration. He left an everlasting impression on everyone who came in contact with him, and made their lives richer and more meaningful. His students admired his knowledge, candidness, humbleness, and warm personality, and rewarded him twice with voting him the most distinguished professor at the university. He also received a faculty award from the University of Utah for the 1994-1995 school year. Nardo was an accomplished researcher and poet, which received numerous awards for his literary body of work. His love for literature benefited Iranian, Armenian, and English literary communities in different capacities. He authored several articles and papers covering traditional and modern Iranian poets and writers, while becoming one of the top authorities in the world on `David and Sassoun,' the Armenian national epic. He was especially proud of his two published poetry books, `Dancing Barefoot on Broken Glass' and `Through a Dewdrop.' Nardo's legacy lives in his oldest son Micheal, who has inherited his wonderful personality, in Ara, who has inherited his gentle soul and artistic inclinations, and in his youngest child Eileen, his ultimate love, which completes the circle. His legacy will always be alive in every student and individual who came to know this wonderful mind and exceptional literary genius. He is survived by his children, Michael, Ara, and Eileen; wife, Neli; Nephew, Damian; Preceded in death by father, Michael; mother, Annette; brother, Sacco. A memorial reception will take place on Saturday, February 5, 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., at Cabrini Villas, 9600 Cabrini Drive, Burbank, CA 91504. For information call (818) 731-3365. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Baghdasarian

PACE INTENDS TO HELP OSCE MG RATHER THAN SUBSTITUTE FOR IT
YEREVAN, JANUARY 27. ARMINFO. “We are not going to substitute or OSCE
Minsk Group we just wanted to help the o-chairs,” PACE rapporteur on
Nagorny Karabakh David Atkinson says in an interview to BBC.
The over 10 year wrk of MG has yielded no results. PACE’s objective is
to bring about some parliamentary aspect in the confict settlement and
to enhance the role of the conflicting parties’ parliaments in the
process. This may give new settlement ideas. “After the adoption of
the resolution we are expecting the Azeri government to start
contacting Nagorny Karabakh representatives and discussing mutual
problems with them,” says Atkinson noting that these discussions may
be held in Strasbourg too.
In 1994-1995 when Atkinson was the chairman of the PACE committee for
CE non members he organized such a meeting in Strasbourg and all the
parties to the conflict were there. Unfortunately the meeting brought
no results. “But I think that the recent initiatives will be
fruitful.” The CE can make its own contribution to the peace process
but this is not substitution for MG. The major reason for no result in
the past years was the lack of contacts between the Azeri authorities
and Nagorny Karabakh representatives.
The CE’s initiative is expected to generate contacts that may lead to
the conflict settlement.
Asked if he was pressured by the Armenian or Azeri sides while
drafting his report on Nagorny Karabakh Atkinson says that he has his
own idea of the problem and his goals coincided with the opinions of
both Armenian and Azeri delegations.
From: Baghdasarian