Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

Protesters control Kyrgyzstan
By MARK McDONALD
SunHerald.com, MS
Posted on Fri, Mar. 25, 2005
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
MOSCOW – Protesters in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan took control
of the capital Thursday as they fought with pro-government partisans,
stormed government buildings, took control of the national TV network and
apparently chased the president from the country.
It was the third time in two years that opposition forces had overturned an
authoritarian government in Russia’s back yard in the wake of allegations
that elections were fraudulent. Unlike the Rose Revolution in Georgia in
2003 and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine last year, the Kyrgyz revolt was
marred by violence.
Opposition leaders quickly tried to re-establish order Thursday evening as
the defense and interior ministers ordered their troops to stand down.
The Supreme Court met in emergency session and annulled the results of a
recent parliamentary election that anti-government politicians said was
tainted by fraud. Parliament also convened Thursday night and named Ishenbai
Kadyrbekov, a former member of Parliament, as acting president.
Reports that President Askar Akayev had fled the country – to Kazakhstan or
Russia – were still unconfirmed late Thursday.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the United States
was working with the United Nations, European monitors and “our Russian
friends” to keep track of the rapidly unfolding events.
“The future of Kyrgyzstan should be decided by the people of Kyrgyzstan,
consistent with the principles of peaceful change, of dialogue and respect
for the rule of law,” he said.
The United States maintains an air base at the Manas airport outside
Bishkek, the capital. The base, with an estimated 1,000 troops, is used
principally for flights in support of American forces in Afghanistan.
A Russian military base, known as Kant, sits only a dozen miles away.
Thursday’s events in Bishkek began when protesters were charged by
stick-wielding Akayev supporters wearing blue armbands.
Fights broke out in the main square and along the principal downtown
boulevard. Several dozen injuries were reported. There were no immediate
reports of any deaths, and police and security forces didn’t fire on the
protesters.
Anti-government groups eventually took control of the presidential compound
in the city center. They seized the minister of defense – releasing him
later – and smashed windows and furniture in the White House.
They also freed opposition leader Felix Kulov, a former vice president and
former head of the secret police who was imprisoned five years ago on
embezzlement charges.
Kulov said it wasn’t clear whether Akayev had resigned from the presidency
before fleeing his Bishkek residence.
SOVIET REPUBLICS
The Soviet Union broke up in 1991, creating 14 separate republics, many of
them governed by people tied to the defunct Soviet system. Here’s a status
report on those countries:
ARMENIA: President Robert Kocharian, a former Communist Party member, became
president in 1997. He was re-elected in 2003 in a contentious election.
AZERBAIJAN: Political instability postponed elections until 1992. More
instability led to the election of Heydar Aliyev, a former KGB agent, as
president in 1993. His son, Ilham Aliyev, won the presidency in a disputed
election in 2003.
BELARUS: President Alexander Lukashenko was elected in 1994 and re-elected
in 1999. A referendum in 2004 did away with limitations on presidential
terms. He’s expected to run again in 2006.
ESTONIA: Declared independence in 1991 after the “Singing Revolution,” in
which thousands of Estonians sang in mass demonstrations.
GEORGIA: The “Rose Revolution” of 2003 forced former Soviet Foreign Minister
Eduard Shevardnadze from the presidency amid allegations of widespread voter
fraud.
KAZAKHSTAN: Former Communist Party member Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected
the country’s first president in 1991 and re-elected in 1997.
KYRGYZSTAN: President Askar Akayev apparently resigned and fled the country
Thursday after allegations of voter fraud in parliamentary elections sparked
opposition protests.
LATVIA: Several governments have formed, dissolved and re-formed since
independence in 1991. President Vaira Vike-Freiberga was elected in 1999 and
re-elected in 2003.
LITHUANIA: The government has swung from one political party to the other.
In January 2004, the president was impeached. A newly elected government
took office last December.
MOLDOVA: An election in 2001 led to the Communist Party being in control.
TAJIKISTAN: Instability led to a 1997 peace accord, implemented in 2000. The
1999 and 2000 elections were considered flawed but legitimate. Tajikistan is
the only Central Asian country with an Islamic party represented in
Parliament.
TURKMENISTAN: President Saparmurat Niyazov was elected in 1991. In 1999, he
was named president for life by a Parliament composed of members he’d
handpicked.
UKRAINE: Widespread allegations of voter fraud and intimidation in the 2004
presidential campaign led to the “Orange Revolution” protests, which
produced a runoff election won by opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko.
UZBEKISTAN: President Islam Karimov was elected in 1991; his term has been
extended until 2007.
Sources: State Department, Wikipedia, CIA Factbook
-Compiled by researcher Tish Wells

Georgian president arrives in Ukraine for official visit
AP Worldstream
Mar 24, 2005
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili arrived in Ukraine on Thursday
for talks with Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko aimed at expanding
cooperation between the two Western-oriented ex-Soviet republics.
Joint energy and transport projects were expected to dominate
negotiations when the two presidents meet Friday, but the unfolding
events in Kyrgyzstan were also likely to be on the agenda. Both
countries have offered to mediate.
Protesters in the Kyrgyz capital seized control of the presidential
and government headquarters on Thursday, reportedly prompting President
Askar Akayev to flee the country and tender his resignation.
The upheaval in Kyrgyzstan has been likened to last year’s Orange
Revolution protests in Ukraine and the 2003 protests in Georgia that
helped usher opposition leaders into power. Those protests were also
sparked by allegations of widespread election fraud.
During his visit to Ukraine, due to end early Saturday, Saakashvili
was also expected to meet with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and
Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn.
Both Saakashvili and Yushchenko have advocated a pro-Western course.
They have also talked about reviving a loose trade grouping of five
ex-Soviet republics. In addition to Ukraine and Georgia, the group
also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish columnist views alleged disagreement between premier, foreign minister
Hurriyet web site, Istanbul
21 Mar 05
Text of column by Erdal Saglam, “Why is the government deadlocked?”,
published by Turkish daily Hurriyet web site on 21 March
Although the prime minister, his aides, and other ministers are
denying it, everybody sees that there has been a standstill lately
preventing the government from making certain necessary decisions.
When you talk to them personally, most ministers admit that there is
such a standstill.
Business circles are disturbed by the government’s inertia although
they are not saying it openly. The fact that Prime Minister [Recep
Tayyip] Erdogan is responding sharply to criticisms is deterring
business organizations from voicing their criticisms openly because
they do not want to find themselves involved in a public debate.
Businessmen are saying they could easily tell in recent meetings with
the prime minister and his close aides that they were demoralized.
They are saying that all advisers to the prime minister looked
discouraged and crestfallen. It is being said that some ministers
have the same air [of discouragement].
What, then, is responsible for the standstill and the government’s
inertia and discouragement? Actually, Ankara has been asking this
question frequently and seeking an answer to it for about a month.
The conjectures proposed as answers to this question mostly refer to
international relations. It is being said that above all there is a
defeatist attitude within the [ruling] AKP [Justice and Development
Party] concerning the EU, that opinion polls conducted by the AKP might
have yielded results to that effect and that this could have made the
government indecisive. Some commentators are saying that these polls
could be one reason why the government has not been taking concrete
steps concerning the EU.
Relations with the United States are as much the focus of such
conjectures as the EU. Political circles are calling attention to
the fact that the US Administration appears to have adopted a harsher
attitude towards the ruling AKP and withdrawn its support for it and
that the United States might have certain major demands from the ruling
AKP unknown to the public and likely to place the AKP in a difficult
situation. Among these demands are the opening of the Armenian border
gate and a more intensive utilization of the Incirlik Air Base.
However, there are those suspecting that even these demands do not
explain the defeatist attitude of the government. Certain people who
believe that there are more important reasons [for the government’s
inertia] are saying that the United States might for example have
asked that its troops in Iraq be replaced with Turkish troops when
they are withdrawn sometime in the autumn. It is being pointed out
that Turkey might have been told that its demands concerning Cyprus
and Kirkuk [north Iraq] could be met in return. Particularly, this
idea sounds like a conspiracy theory yet there are quite a number of
people who say that it might well be true.
[Foreign Minister Abdullah] Gul acts like prime minister yet…
Meanwhile, it is being said that intra-party rows are playing a role
in inducing inertia on the government’s part. It is being asserted
that the party administration is in a fix particularly as regards
the issue of corruption, that it cannot expel certain people whose
names appear in dossiers that the party leadership cannot disclose,
and that for this reason there are disagreements in the party.
It is also being rumoured that the struggle for power between Prime
Minister Erdogan and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has started to
build up. Analysts point out that Gul has lately been making frequent
public appearances and that he is trying to appear to be cooperating
with the prime minister even as he is saying that the government is
making mistakes. They say that this long-discussed conflict might
have grown intense because of the [corruption] dossiers that have
been compiled.
Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that Gul is talking like a prime minister
about all topics from the economy to internal politics. Erdogan’s
close aides were offended for example at the fact that Gul met with
investors in London last week and discussed the economy. They are
even criticizing State Minister Ali Babacan who they found out had
organized the said meeting.
Those who listened to Gul’s speech at the Building Contractor’s
Association last week are saying that while dwelling on every subject
from relations with the IMF to politics, Gul delivered what was on
the whole a defensive address. Pointing out that Gul remained on the
defensive in this speech in order to get across the message that the
government is not behind schedule, building contractors said that
Gul failed to present a vision.
In short, the deadlock in the government is well known while the
rumoured reasons for it are various.

THE WAR PRISONERS WILL BE RETURNED, NOT EXCHANGED
A1+
23-03-2005
In Tbilisi the meeting of the representatives of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani State Committees of war prisoners and people missing
in action took place. The Armenian side was represented by Michael
Grigoryan, deputy head of the RA State Committee, and Leo Agajanov,
his assistant.
Svetlana Ganushkina and Bernard Klazen, co-heads of the international
working group looking for people missing in action during the Karabakh
conflict also took part in the meeting.
Mechanisms of constructive cooperation were worked out, on the basis
of the principle of returning the prisoners after the corresponding
check-up as soon as possible.
The participants of the meeting consider the exchange of people
immoral, and in future the stress will be put on the return of the
prisoners, not on the exchange.
The sides are ready to give the international organizations and the
relatives of the prisoners the possibility of meeting them, for them
to make sure that there is the possibility for them to return home.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN CAIRO
The International Islamic Forum for Dialogue and the Middle East Council of
Churches’ (MECC) Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee organized, for the
first time, a Christian-Muslim international conference that was held on
15-17 March in Cairo. The theme of the conference was “Religion and the
Perspectives for Dialogue.”
The conference was held under the patronage of Patriarch Shnouda, Head of
the Coptic Orthodox Church and Dr. Mohammed Said Tantaoui.
The members of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee of MEEC, as well as
members of the International Islamic Forum from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq
and England participated in the conference. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkisian,
primate of the Diocese of Tehran and a member of the Christian-Muslim
Dialogue Committee, participated in the conference on behalf of the Armenian
Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Two lectures about dialogue and its purposes were presented during the
conference. The participants discussed the common concepts and views in
Christianity and Islam. They also visited Dr. Tantaoui and Patriarch Shnouda
and issued a common declaration, outlining their readiness to continue the
dialogue initiative.
Archbishop Sebouh Sarkisian had a separate meeting with Patriarch Shnouda
and greeted him on behalf of His Holiness Aram I.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
–Boundary_(ID_OgStAw5Vykj693L1IaZolw)
Content-type: message/rfc822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-description:
From: Catholicosate of Cilicia
Subject: Antelias: Christian-Muslim International Conference held in Cairo
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN CAIRO
The International Islamic Forum for Dialogue and the Middle East Council of
Churches’ (MECC) Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee organized, for the
first time, a Christian-Muslim international conference that was held on
15-17 March in Cairo. The theme of the conference was “Religion and the
Perspectives for Dialogue.”
The conference was held under the patronage of Patriarch Shnouda, Head of
the Coptic Orthodox Church and Dr. Mohammed Said Tantaoui.
The members of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Committee of MEEC, as well as
members of the International Islamic Forum from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq
and England participated in the conference. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkisian,
primate of the Diocese of Tehran and a member of the Christian-Muslim
Dialogue Committee, participated in the conference on behalf of the Armenian
Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Two lectures about dialogue and its purposes were presented during the
conference. The participants discussed the common concepts and views in
Christianity and Islam. They also visited Dr. Tantaoui and Patriarch Shnouda
and issued a common declaration, outlining their readiness to continue the
dialogue initiative.
Archbishop Sebouh Sarkisian had a separate meeting with Patriarch Shnouda
and greeted him on behalf of His Holiness Aram I.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
–Boundary_(ID_OgStAw5Vykj693L1IaZolw)–

PanArmenian News
March 21 2005
BAKU CONTENT WITH REPORT OF OSCE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO TERRITORIES
SURROUNDING NAGORNO KARABAKH
21.03.2005 04:27
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Baku is content with the report of the OSCE
Fact-Finding Mission to the territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh,
Echo Azeri daily writes. Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz
Azimov stated that “on the whole Azerbaijan has achieved its goal.”
He reminded that by initiating the discussion of the issue at the 59-th
session of the UN General Assembly Azerbaijan was aspired to attract
the attention of the international community to “the policy of illegal
settling of these territories pursued by Armenia”. “Azerbaijan never
insisted on possessing absolutely precise data regarding the settling
of these territories. But the facts established by the Mission are
close to those Azerbaijan possesses”, he said. “I would like to note
that the Armenian Foreign Ministry gives rather one-sided assessment
to the outcomes of the Mission”, Araz Azimov added. In his words, the
report and recommendations of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs allow the
Azeri party to appeal to the corresponding UN Agencies for assistance
in their realization. This, in his opinion, can become a theme for
a new UN draft resolution. Azimov also stated that Azerbaijan will
press for inclusion of the issue in the agenda of the 60-th session of
the UN General Assembly. According to him, “Armenia’s responsibility
for the settling of the occupied territories is obvious”. Touching
upon the continuation of the dialogue with Armenia, Azimov said that
the recurrent meeting of the FMs is scheduled for mid-April.

EX CHAIRMAN OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS PLEADS
NOT GUILTY OF NEGATIVE CONTENT OF PACE REPORT ON NAGORNY KARABAKH
YEREVAN, MARCH 19. ARMINFO. The former chairman of the commission for
foreign relations of the Armenian parliament Hovhannes Hovhannissyan
pleads not guilty of the negative content of Terry Davis’ report on
Nagorny Karabakh.
He says that it is not he but the dull and passive foreign policy of
the Armenian government that is to blame for the anti-Armenian
report. “I am on friendly terms with Terry Davis, but having no oil
Armenia might offer democratic society to the West while today the
country is facing totalitarian rule, corruption, censure, misery and
lack of any propaganda work,” says Hovhannissyan.

AZERBAIJANIS THINK TURKEY HELPS THEM THE MOST IN KARABAKH ISSUE
Azg/arm
19 March 05
Public Polls of Region Center In Armenia and Azerbaijan
They think in Azerbaijan (1000 people) that Turkey helps them more
than other states in Karabakh issue (78%), then comes Georgia and
CE. Here, in Armenia, they think that fist of all Russia (33,8%), then
France and the OSCE Minsk group help them in Nagorno Karabakh issue.
These data are accumulated according to the public polls held in
Armenia and Azerbaijan in November and December of 2004. The poll was
carried out by Region Research Center of Investigating Journalists
with the assistance of European Committee’s offices in Armenia. And
Georgia. The Peace and Democracy Institute assisted to carry out the
poll in Azerbaijan.
Laura Baghdasarian, head of Region center represented other
interesting details of the poll to the journalists. In response to the
question what hinders the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh issue, they
said in Azerbaijan that the main reason is the behavior of the
Armenians, the fact of historical enmity, the strictness of the
Armenians’ positions, the unwillingness to make concessions. The
Armenian people also think that the main obstacle is the historical
hostility, as well as the regional contradictions that are indirectly
connected with the Azeris.
The Azeris think that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can threat their
country most of all (76,1%). They also pointed out the corruption and
some economic issues. In Armenia the Nagorno Karabakh issue is on the
fourth place, according to the scale of the danger it bears. The
Armenian first of all pointed out corruption (75,9%), the home
political instability and economic issues.
The poll found out that both the Armenians and the Azeris think that
their countries have definitely higher chances to win the war if the
military actions in Karabakh are resumed.
The Azeris said that their first friend is Turkey and then Georgia,
Russia, Germany and the US. Armenia occupied the first place in the
list of Azerbaijan’ s enemy countries. Then come Iran, Russia and
France. In fact, the Azeris display double standards to Russia.
The Armenians think that their friends are Russia, France, Iran, the
CIS countries and the US. According to the poll, the enemies of our
state are Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, the US and the Great Britain.
The Azeris treat the Armenians with scorn, anger and hatred. They
called the Armenians guileful, nationalists and aggressive.
The Armenians also feel hatred, anger and scorn towards the
Azeris. They called the Azeris guileful, malicious, insincere and
aggressive.
The news about Nagorno Karabakh settlement and Armenia cause the
indignation of the Azeris, then concern and interest. While the
Armenians treat the information on NKR settlement and Azerbaijan with
interest, first of all, then with anger and concern.
When speaking of themselves the Azeris say that they are hospitable,
kind and patient. While, the Armenians think that they are hard
working, hospitable, talented and patriotic.
By Tatoul Hakobian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baku Today
National
KLO Calls on Azeris to Get Ready for War
18/03/2005 12:46
The Karabagh Liberation Organization (KLO), a non-government organization
based in Baku, has called on Azeri public to get ready for war with Armenia,
Assa Irada reported today.
`Although international organizations have been informed of frequent
ceasefire breaches by Armenia of late and this country’s failure to return
three Azerbaijani soldiers, who accidentally passed to the Armenian side of
the frontline, they have not adequately responded to these facts,’ KLO
statement reads.
`These confirms that Armenia is unwilling to settle the Karabakh conflict
peacefully and give up its policy of aggression. The KLO believes that the
future activity of international organizations will yield no results
either.’
One Azeri soldier was killed in a ceasefire breach along the tense line
dividing Azerbaijan and Armenian-occupied territory on Thursday, according
to media reports.
Armenia controls Karabakh and seven surrounding regions almost 20 percent of
Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, March 17, 2005
AGBU HONORS ANTRANIG DANCE ENSEMBLE AND FOUNDING MEMBER ARMENINE
SAPAH-GULIAN
New York, NY – On Friday, April 1st, 2005, AGBU is honoring AGBU
Antranig Armenian Dance Ensemble and one of its founding members,
Armenine Sapah-Gulian, with a dinner dance reception at the Rockleigh
Country Club (26 Paris Avenue, Rockleigh, NJ).
Under the Artistic Directorship of Joyce Tamesian-Shenloogian and
Choreographer Gagik Karapetian, Antranig Dance Ensemble commemorated
its 35th anniversary in June 2004 with a sold-out performance of its
current production, “Journey Through Dance,” at New York’s Alice Tully
Hall, Lincoln Center. Attracting an audience of over 1000, admirers
continue to be dazzled by Antranig’s variety of regional dances,
vibrant folk costumes, and traditional choreography. The New York
debut of “Journey Through Dance” was the first of several planned
performances in New Jersey, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, and around
the country.
In recognition of three-and-a-half decades of artistic excellence, the
upcoming AGBU function will serve to honor past Antranig dancers,
committee members, and supporters, and kick off its 2005 tour of
“Journey Through Dance.”
In particular, AGBU will pay tribute to Armenine Sapah-Gulian for her
long-standing service to Antranig and her pivotal role in establishing
the dance group in 1969. Over the years, Sapah-Gulian has assumed key
leadership responsibilities with AGBU and the Ensemble as its longtime
advisor and tour manager.
For more information on the reception to honor Antranig and Armenine
Sapah-Gulian, please contact AGBU at (212) 319-6383, Ext. 128 ($70,
Begins at 7 p.m., RSVP by March 23rd).
AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble is the foremost Armenian dance group in
the United States comprised of over 30 young men and women. Antranig
performs full-length dance productions worldwide, and has played on
some of the premier stages of the world. For more information on AGBU
Antranig Dance Ensemble and its upcoming shows, please visit
AGBU is the largest Armenian non-profit organization in the world and
annually touches the lives of 400,000 Armenians. For more information
on AGBU and its programs, please visit