Author: Chatinian Lara

ICG’S KARABAKH REPORT TO ANALYZE OSCE MINSK GROUP’S ACTIVITY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 29 2007

The International Crisis Group is drawing up the third report on the
Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, ICG representative in Azerbaijan Vugar
Gojayev told the APA.

He said the report will analyze the mediating activity of the OSCE
Minsk Group and the Prague process, which started in 2004.

Gojayev said that meetings were held with government representatives
and experts and reported that Magdalena Fricheva, new director of
ICG’s South Caucasus project will arrive in Baku in late April to
conduct interviews.

The report will also analyze the influence of Azerbaijan’s economic
growth and oil revenues on the solution of the conflict. An expert
from ICG Office in Brussels will visit Azerbaijan in April to deal
with this issue. The expert will have meetings at the State Oil Company
international transnational companies and with economic experts.

Gojayev said the IGC is also having meetings in Armenia concerning
the report. The report is expected to be presented to the parties
in summer.

The IGC drew up two reports on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2005.

ANCIENT LAND OFFERS FEAST OF HISTORY AND NATURAL BEAUTY

Toronto Star, Canada
8
March 29 2007

Just the facts

The Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan is on Republic Square. It has 215
rooms and 11 suites. For information, visit

Visitors need a visa. For more information, call the Armenian Embassy
at 613-234-3710 or visit armembassycanada.ca

For information on travelling to Armenia, see the Armenia Tourism
Development Agency’s website at

British Airways, Austrian Airlines, Air France and Lufthansa offer
direct flights to Yerevan from Western Europe.

Weather: The best time to visit Armenia is in the fall or the spring.

Vibrant culture survived decades of Soviet dominance

Mar 29, 2007 04:30 AM BENOIT LEGAULT Special to the Star

Yerevan, Armenia-The axles scream at every bump in the road and we
are tossed about inside our minibus like lottery balls.

Appropriately enough, this crumbling Armenian back road, like an
archeological ruin, paves the way for a unique journey back in time.

Part of the road network, battered by the great earthquake of 1989,
remains in disrepair.

A couple of hours along, our stomachs feel the same. We have been
told to bring food and water since rural Armenia offers little for
tender Western stomachs.

But we are here to sample a different menu: a feast of ancient history
and natural splendours.

"This is a special place. Its beauty never ceases to amaze me," says
Armenian-American Matthew Karanian, a professional photographer and
writer (and attorney and university professor) who co-wrote Armenia &
Karabagh, The Stone Garden Guide, an illustrated 306-page guidebook
about his beloved homeland.

Set amid the mountains of the Caucasus Region, Armenia is surrounded
by exotic, sometimes turbulent neighbours, including Iran, Turkey,
Georgia and Azerbaijan, and packs 7,000 years of history into a
country that’s a little more than half the size of Nova Scotia.

Imagine a breathtaking blend of rivers, valleys, plains and sand
canyons reflecting 1,001 colours.

One of several countries whose doors have recently opened to tourists,
Armenia unveils a paradox of an intense religious culture and dazzling
urban nightlife that will impress even the most jaded traveller.

"When I was transferred to Yerevan, I did not know what to think
and what to expect. Now I’m having a great time here. The Armenian
culture and people are fascinating," says Frenchman Alex Nurock,
director of management at the Marriott Armenia Hotel in Yerevan.

Despite centuries of conflict and oppression, Armenians remain a
steadfastly religious people, proud of being the oldest Christian
nation on Earth.

Monasteries, some of them thousands of years old, remain active,
inhabited and true to their purpose. Very much a living history,
these medieval structures operate much as they did 1,700 years ago,
despite being Armenia’s No. 1 tourist attraction.

During my visit, the head of the Armenian Church, Catholicos Karekin
II, said that the role of all church leaders is "to establish goodness
in the heart of the people, so that, through love, they will find
their salvation."

"Christianity is like the colour of our skin," our guide added. "It
is inseparable for the life of every Armenian."

For centuries, Armenia’s political and social evolution has been
guided by faith.

The Armenian Apostolic Church resembles Catholicism (although married
men can become priests), and as with many Western nations of centuries
past, the church represents a kind of a parallel government.

The fraternal and historical links between Armenia and the West –
particularly France and the United States – breathe a natural warmth
into the relationship between Armenians and their guests.

Roughly eight million people of Armenian descent are scattered
throughout the world (double Armenia’s population), notably French
singer Charles Aznavour, American tennis legend Andre Agassi and
American singer and actress Cher.Armenia languished as a republic of
the former Soviet Union before regaining its independence in 1991.

Today, the architecture, cars and fashions stir memories of this
period and Russian endures as the nation’s most common second language
after Armenian.

Still, the painted-over greyness of the land is brightened by a grand
elegance that will not be denied.

Yerevan, the capital, resembles a modern Russian city. A small town
of 14,000 in 1900, it is now home to 1.2 million people. At its heart,
Republic Square is an immense public space and cultural centre bordered
by shops, hotels, museums and art galleries.

This was Lenin Square during the Soviet period, and the requisite Lenin
statue stood watch over the masses before eventually being toppled –
and beheaded – after independence.

This decapitated symbol of Soviet repression lies broken and discarded
in a back courtyard of the National History Museum, for all to see.

The Canadian consulate has a prestigious address – on Republic Square,
in an office once occupied by the KGB.

"The Canadian embassy is in Moscow but we provide consular services,"
says Artashes Emin, the honorary Canadian Consul.

"Once I was in an arts and crafts market, and I found a Canadian
passport on the ground. Then I returned to the consulate and the
Canadian who lost the passport arrived just moments after me, to
get a replacement passport. It was incredible. I really felt useful
that day."

Yerevan’s Genocide Monument pays homage to the estimated two million
victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.

A circular, underground museum recalls the event in stories and photos
while a 45-metre granite stela points to the sky to signal rebirth. A
12-sided structure leans inward to mourn the 12 Armenian provinces
annexed by Turkey. More a pilgrimage site than a tourist stop, the
park is both profoundly moving and deeply disturbing.

The greatest surprise is the restaurants and the lively nightlife
that begins as soon as the plates are emptied.

A full meal of Armenian specialties, accompanied with wine, costs
about $12, delivering wonderful memories at remarkably affordable
prices. At night, joyful revellers move through the main streets
in waves. Food and drinks are served on terraces with an authentic
Mediterranean flavour.

"Armenia is a destination that will open the eyes of a curious
traveller seeking something beyond the well-worn pathways of tourism,"
says Karanian.

Benoit Legault is a Montreal-based writer. His trip to Armenia was
subsidized by the Armenia Marriott Hotel and by Lufthansa Airlines.

TURKEY OPENS ARMENIAN CHURCH TO HELP EU, U.S. TIES
By Mark Bentley

Bloomberg
March 29 2007

March 29 (Bloomberg) — Turkey today opened a medieval church
abandoned since the slaughter of the country’s Armenian community
almost a century ago, a move that may help smooth relations with the
U.S. and the European Union.

The inauguration ceremony marked the completion of the
Turkish-government funded $1.9 million renovation of the church on
Akdamar island. The project may ease tensions following the January
murder of Hrant Dink, the most prominent member of the Turkish
Armenian community. The assassination by a suspected nationalist
sparked concern in Europe that Turkey wasn’t doing enough to protect
its Armenian minority.

The EU is pushing Turkey to expand religious freedoms for non-Muslims
as the country presses to become the only predominantly Muslim member
of the European Union. Turkey is also fighting against a proposed
resolution in the U.S. recognizing the massacres as a genocide.

"Every step that Turkey takes to look conciliatory and constructive
on the issue of Armenia and others will help the government in the
eyes of Europe’s politicians," said Katinka Barysch, an analyst at the
Centre for European Reform in London. "People in Europe and elsewhere
are concerned that Turkey looks quite hardline."

Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and the border
between the two countries has been shut since 1993. Gagik Guyurjian,
Armenia’s deputy culture minister, traveled to Turkey through Georgia
to attend the ceremony. Guyurjian was hosted by Turkish Tourism
Minister Atilla Koc.

Proposed Pilgrimage

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Patriarch Mesrob II, leader
of Turkey’s 60,000 Armenian Orthodox Christians, proposed an annual
pilgrimage to the church, which "perhaps could pave the way for
the longed-for dialogue, in which both sides have been unsuccessful
to date."

Koc spoke of the need for Turkey to "protect the cultural diversity
and assets of the different cultures and civilizations in our lands"
without directly mentioning Armenia or Armenians. He referred to the
church, adorned with Turkish flags and a poster of Turkey’s founder,
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as the Van Akdamar Church Memorial Museum. No
Armenian flags were present.

The 300-seat Church of the Holy Cross, located on a small island in
the middle of Lake Van in eastern Turkey, is in many ways a symbol
of the country’s Armenian community.

The church was built between 915 and 921 during the reign of Armenian
King Gagik I of Vaspurakan and was one of the most important religious
buildings in the region. Eastern Anatolia at that time was a heartland
of Armenian culture.

Architectural Inspiration

The church, whose sandstone walls and dome are adorned with carvings of
Jesus Christ and David and Goliath, is considered one of the greatest
examples of Armenian architecture of the period, and an inspiration
for the Gothic style that later developed in Europe, according to
the New York-based Landmarks Foundation, which has advised on the
church’s restoration.

The Armenian community, estimated to be about 1 million, was mostly
driven out of the area or killed during fighting at the time of World
War I.

Turkey says hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in ethnic clashes
during World War I after Armenian groups sided with invading Russian
forces. Armenians say 1.5 million of their brethren were killed in a
planned genocide. Many nationalist Turks say the genocide claim is
a treasonous insult to the country and making the assertion can be
considered a criminal offense in Turkey. Dink received a six-month
suspended jail sentence for challenging the policy of saying the
killings were not a genocide.

`Important Step’

The parliaments of more than 20 countries including France, Greece
and the Netherlands, as well as 39 of 50 U.S. states recognize the
deaths as genocide. The U.S. Congress is currently considering a
similar resolution.

By the end of last century, the church was falling apart due to the
heavy rains and winds that swept across the lake. The church, following
its reopening, will be a museum and there will be no cross on its dome.

The restoration of the church is "an important step for our two
countries," Guyurjian told reporters on the island.

Not all Armenians are pleased with the renovations.

The Istanbul-based Historical Heritage Protection Foundation, which
helped spearhead the church’s renovation "didn’t get five cents" from
representatives of the Armenian community in the U.S. after an appeal
for funding, said Verkin Kasapoglu, a director of the foundation and
a Turkish Armenian who lost relatives in 1915.

"Some Armenians don’t want to see anything good done in Turkey because
of the hatred against Turks," she said in a telephone interview on
March 27. "They see the monument as an enemy, not as an opportunity
to build bridges."

Patriarch’s Refusal

Catholicos Karekin II, the Armenian supreme patriarch, rejected a
Turkish invitation to attend the ceremony because the church will
operate only as a museum, the state-run Armenian News Agency said on
its Web site March 27.

"This action of the Turkish authorities against the pious Christian
beliefs and emotions of the Armenian people cannot be perceived as
a positive step on the path of bringing the two nations closer,"
Karekin said, according to the agency.

42 OF TOTAL NUMBER OF CANDIDATES NOMINATYED BY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM ARE CURRENTLY DEPUTIES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the data that the
RA Central Electoral Commission (CEC) received from 41 electoral
districts, out of the 174 candidates for deputacy nominated by the
majoritarian electoral system for the parliamentary elections to be
held on May 12, 141 candidates presented the documents necessary for
registration by the specified date.

Out of these 141 candidates, 6 are women (about 4.3%). 51 candidates
were nominated on civil initiative, 90 – by parties, including 26
candidates from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), 13 – from the
"Orinats Yerkir" Party, 13 – from the "Prosperous Armenia" Party, 8 –
"Alliance" and 5 – from the Youth Party of Armenia.

Bids for registration of the largest number of candidates – 7 – were
submitted to Yerevan’s electoral district No 4 and Aragatsotn marz’s
electoral district No 14. 1 candidate was nominated at each of the
following 5 electoral districts – No 7, 20, 27, 28 and 32. 4 of them
– nonpartisan Samvel Alexanian, RPA member Hrant Grigorian, chairman
of the "Prosperous Armenia" Party Gagik Tsarukian and member of the
same party Melik Manukian are deputies of the RA National Assembly
of the current convocation.

All in all, 42 current deputies have been nominated by the majoritarian
electoral system, including 19 from RPA, 4 from the "Orinats Yerkir"
Party, 2 from the "Democratic Way" Party, 2 from the "Prosperous
Armenia" Party, 1 from the ARF, 1 from People’s Party of Armenia,
and 13 – on civil initiative. Two deputies have been nominated at
each of 6 electoral districts.

Among 33 deputies who either did not submit the necessary documents
by the specified date or officially rejected thier candidacies are,
in particular, Arshak Sadoyan, member of the NA "Justice" faction,
Samvel Babayan, chairman of the "Alliance" Party, Tigran Urikhanian,
chairman of the Progrssive Party of Armenia, as well as 3 members
of the same party, Manvel Yeghiazarian, chairman of the "Arabo" NGO,
Rafik Gevorgian, chairman of the "Noah’s Dove" benevolent union.

The registration of candidates will take place from April 2 to April 7,
6 pm.

3 ARMENIAN PARTIES DISLODGED FROM ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.03.2007 18:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Three parties have not presented necessary documents
for registration in the parliamentarian elections scheduled for May 12
thus dislodging from the straggle. According to the Central Electoral
Commission of Armenia (CEC) Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia (LPPA)
at the head of Hovhanes Hovhannissian, United Progressive Communist
Party of Armenia (leader Vazgen Safaryan) and Arshak Baklachyan’s
"Armenians’ homeland" party will not participate in the further
campaign. 24 parties and 1 block presented necessary documents to
the CEC of Armenia.

141 candidates on majority system have presented necessary documents
to the district electoral commissions. 174 candidates are running
for 41 seats on majority system in the Armenian parliament.

The registration of party lists and candidates will take place April
2-7. The official campaign will start April 8 and last t ill May
10. Parliamentarian election of the Republic of Armenia will be held
May 12, IA Regnum reports.

PARTY LEADER DROPS OUT OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY RACE AMID ALLEGED PRESSURE

Aravot, Yerevan
28 Mar 07 pp 1, 3

The text of Anna Israyelyan report in Armenian newspaper Aravot
published on 28 March headlined "Time came and we saw ‘payback.’ Did
Samvel Babayan yield because of pressure, or…?"

In the summer of 2006, Dashink party leader Samvel Babayan told Radio
Liberty [Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty], "No one should be sure
that he can do fraud and not be held accountable on the spot." When
he was asked who would be the one to hold accountable, Babayan said:
"Time will come, and you will see."

The politician, who made such a big statement, withdrew his candidacy
yesterday [27 March] from electoral constituency No 37 [in Syunik
Region]. This is how Gnel Ghlechyan, the secretary of the Dashink
political council, explained one of the reasons for this withdrawal:
"What was going in the electoral constituency No 37 is a shame. One
could see blatant violations of law at almost every step months before
the election. This, of course, has affected our decision."

In his interviews with A1+, Radio Liberty and Arminfo yesterday,
Ghlechyan was offering the same texts to explain [Samvel Babayan’s]
withdrawal. One of the reasons is that the state machine has begun
to use administrative and financial resources as well as pressure
to secure its candidate’s victory. Does this mean that former Goris
mayor Samvel Harutyunyan, who is a candidate in the same constituency
and whose candidacy will be supported by Dashink – as the party said
yesterday – has more financial resources or he can fight against the
authorities more efficiently? It is not credible, to say the least.

This is why journalists wondered whether the authorities’ pressure was
the real reason for the withdrawal. "No. There has been no pressure
or threats against Samvel Babayan," Ghlechyan said, adding that the
decision has also nothing to do with the recent rumours about Dashink,
calling those rumours absurd. "Nothing like that has happened,"
he said.

It would be right for the Dashink members to coordinate their
statements because what Ghlechayan – the third on the party list of
candidates – denies, has been confirmed by Hmayak Hovhannisyan – the
fourth on the party list- in the 168 Zham newspaper’s 24 March issue.

In connection with the rumours that one of Samvel Babayan’s bodyguards
was detained on charges of illegal weapon possession, Hovhannisyan had
said, "There were no weapons. It was an effort to instigate something
we have not done. In our reality, such things happen to politicians
with an effort to use psychological pressure with the aim of pushing
them to adopt a milder, restricted and fearful position. In our case,
this cannot be successful, because the members of the team that
Babayan leads is not cowards, and will not yield to psychological
pressure. Simply, some representatives of law-enforcement agencies
had not calculated their own abilities, and tried to put pressure on
our team using rough methods."

Apparently, the pressure was successful. However, instead of admitting
this, Ghlechyan tried to blame the opposition. "Some political forces
claiming to be oppositionist and entitled to have members in the
electoral commissions had earlier promised to cooperate in thwarting
election fraud but they do not act according to their words. According
to the information we have, they cooperate with the authorities,
they have sold their places [in electoral commissions]." He refused
to name concrete names. The Justice bloc, the National Unity party
[of Artashes Geghamyan] and the Orinats Yerkir party of [former
parliament speaker Artur Baghdasaryan] have representatives in
electoral commissions. Yesterday, they were very surprised about
Ghlechyan ‘s statement but refused to comment because Ghlechyan did
not offer specific names. It is unlikely that those names will ever
be mentioned because the truth seems to be different.

According to the Radio Liberty, Babayan has been given a certificate
that he is a permanent resident of Armenia [a requirement for
candidates] in exchange for withdrawal of his candidacy in the
constituency No 37. Otherwise, he would be prevented from running
under the proportional representation system, too.

Today, Azerbaijan
March 27 2007

Turkish and Azerbaijani diasporas’ mutual initiative culminates in
confederation

27 March 2007 [10:18] – Today.Az

Seeking ways to counter the intensifying attacks of the Armenian
diaspora, the Turkish and Azerbaijani diasporas have finally settled
on a well-crafted strategy, following the First Forum of the World
Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas Organizations held in Baku on March
9.

Mehmet Azeriturk, the secretary-general of the Federation of
Turkish-Azeri Associations, told Today’s Zaman that the Turkish and
Azeri diasporas have decided to set up an international body to unite
Azeri and Turkish nongovernmental organizations, the International
Confederation of Turkic Associations.

"As we can see from the so-called Armenian genocide claims, the
Turkish world has difficulties in expressing itself to the world,"
complained Azeriturk while providing information on the latest
initiative of the Turkish and Azerbaijani diasporas. "At the
international level, we cannot ensure proper cooperation among Turkic
republics."

"The surveys conducted in Turkey show that only 1 percent of Turks
know about the Nagorno Karabakh issue," Azeriturk noted. "While
Armenians have made the entire world accept their unjustified claims
relating to incidents that occurred 95 years ago, we have failed to
inform even the people in Turkey of the Armenian atrocities in
Karabakh," he said.

"Under these conditions, we had to unite the Turkish world along
their common interests. Inspired by our Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip
Erdogan] and Azerbaijani President [Ilham] Aliyev, we have taken our
first step," Azeriturk said, referring to Erdogan and Aliyev’s
leadership in organizing the forum, to which Turkish Cypriot
President Mehmet Ali Talat had been invited, as a sign of greater
cooperation among Turkish people in the international arena.

The confederation will reportedly be established by the
representatives of Turkish and Azerbaijani diasporas, but
nongovernmental organizations from other Turkic republics can also
join as members. Azeriturk was optimistic about the future and
outcome of this initiative: "Everything will get easier after this
stage. I hope this organization will be a unified voice for the
entire Turkish world in advocating Turkish interests in the
international arena."

A long road to take

On the road to setting up an international lobbying body to represent
the entire Turkish world, first the unification of Turkish and
Azerbaijan nongovernmental organizations in Turkey and Azerbaijan
will be ensured. Later, umbrella organizations will be established in
the US, Canada, Germany, Russia, Australia, France and other
countries to unite Turkish and Azerbaijani associations and
federations. Moreover, nongovernmental organizations in other Turkic
republics will be invited to participate in this unification
initiative. Ultimately, an international confederation will be
established. Its head office will be located in New York and it will
have representative offices all around the world.

While it will primarily deal with the most complicated issues of the
Turkish world, namely those related to Nagorno-Karabakh, Cyprus, and
the Meskhetian Turks, the confederation will also conduct lobbying
activities concerning other problems affecting the Turkish people
around the world. The New York-based Federation of Turkish-American
Association will reportedly provide support, assistance and guidance
to the association.

Heydar Aliyev’s dream

The mastermind behind an international confederation of Turkish NGOs
was President Heydar Aliyev, the founding father of Azerbaijan. He
first announced his idea in 2002. Although he repeatedly talked about
his idea in meetings with Turkic-speaking countries, it could not be
implemented during his lifetime. He even caused the Azerbaijani
Parliament to enact a law to this end, and before he died, he left
the realization of his dream to his followers. In line with his will,
an Undersecretariat of Cooperation with Azerbaijani People Living
Abroad was established in Azerbaijan.

A ministry in charge of the Turkic world was established during the
coalition government of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Turkey. When the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) took power, this ministry was abolished
as part of the reorganization campaign. The ministry reportedly might
be revived or a similar organization could be created, which will be
led by State Minister Besir Atalay. Today’s Zaman

URL:

PanARMENIAN.Net

Iraqi Armenians want to become Armenian citizens
24.03.2007 16:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A number of Iraqi Armenians want to accept dual
citizenship, head of National Management of Armenians in Iraq Paruyr
Hakopian stated. `I cannot say the exact number of Armenians who want
to become Armenian citizens, but I can note that they are a lot. A
significant part of Armenians living in Iraq are not satisfied with
their situation and some isolation from their historical motherland,
and they are waiting for the day when the new law on dual citizenship
will come into force in Armenia,’ Hakopian said.

At the same time he underlined that Armenians living in Iraqi
Kurdistan are not exposed to oppression by Turks. `According to our
information Armenians residing in Northern Iraq have not suffered from
escalation of the conflict, and there are no victims among Armenian
population,’ he noted. Hakopian said that Iraqi Armenians do not have
any relation to PKK (Workers’ Party of Kurdistan), and as a result of
this they cannot become victims of Turkish servicemen,
`Novosti-Armenia’ reports.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 23 2007

RA DEFENSE MINISTER QUESTIONS POSSIBILITY TO COORDINATE KARABAKH
SETTLEMENT’S PRINCIPLES IN 2007

RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsian questioned the possibility to
coordinate the Karabakh settlement’s principles in 2007.
`’Neither international mediators, nor various countries’
representatives, nor we have ever stated the issue may be settled in
2007. The matter concerns principles”, the Minister said yesterday
in the course of a meeting with the families of servicemen.
In his words, even in case the principles are coordinated, it will
take years to resolve the problem.
`’I have some doubts of the possibility to coordinate the principles
in 2007. I am optimistic about the problem’s resolution by peaceful
way, however, I do not think it is the issue of today or tomorrow”,
Serge Sargsian noted, Novosti-Armenia reports.

The Nagornyy Karabakh leader says Karabakh ready for cooperation with EU

Arminfo
23 Mar 07

Yerevan, 23 March: The Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR] is ready for
cooperation with the EU, NKR president Arkadi Ghukasyan told reporters
today after a meeting with the EU special representative for the South
Caucasus, Peter Semneby.

During the meeting Semneby promised to visit the NKR again. "He said
that this [visits to Karabakh] did not cause opposition on the part of
Azerbaijan," Ghukasyan said. He added that specific programmes had
been discussed during the meeting. "He asked us to voice our opinion
about the issue. I think that the EU and we are ready for cooperation
in different spheres. This cooperation can also be considered in the
context of the [Karabakh] conflict settlement. We understand the need
to establish contacts between the NKR and the EU, taking in
consideration that the EU can do much in different spheres – economic
and social, and in promoting democracy," Ghukasyan said.