Author: Chatinian Lara

ACCEPT TAMANYAN AND DO THE VICE VERSA
A1+
13-07-2005

Today the guest of the National Press Club was the chief architect of
Yerevan Samvel Danielyan. Asked the first question by the journalists
what the future of Yerevan will be he said, `New buildings are being
erected in Yerevan’. Moreover, according to him, `we have several
areas taken from the Government especially with that aim’.
These areas, according to him, are those near the Grigor Lusavorich
Church, the Wine factory and the Kond district.
The journalists wondered how he evaluated the construction work in the
capital. `All the normative parameters are preserved’, said the chief
architect. In that case how does it happen that 8-storeyed buildings
are built in the North Avenue when the head of the Architects’ Union
said they must be not higher than 5 stores? `I cannot comment on his
words. There have also been offers about 8-storeyed buildings’, he
said.
According to Mr. Danielyan, firstly the buildings were to be
8-storeyed. Firstly when? Since Tamanyan’s times? In Tamanyan’s times,
according to him, no stores were mentioned.
Generally, Samvel Danielyan thinks that architecture is the reflection
of the changes which take place in the society. `New technological
elements will appear ` 5-star hotels, business centers’. He also
claimed that all the programs and projects are discussed with the
Architect’s Union, the Urban development Council and even with
non-governmental organizations.
It turned out, however, that the head of the Architects’ Union said
there is nothing of the kind, and nothing is discussed with
them. «The plan of Yerevan has been discussed in the enlarged
meeting of the Administration», said the NPC guest.

Armenian National Committee of Canada
3401 Olivar-Asselin
Montreal, QC.
H4J 1L5
Tel. (514) 334-1299 Fax (514) 334-6853
PRESS RELEASE
July 9, 2005
Contact: Shant Karajian (514) 334-1299
Roupen Kouyoumjian (514) 336-7095
Canadian-Armenian Community Leaders Meet the `Toronto Star’
Editorial Board
Toronto- A delegation representing the Canadian-Armenian Community met the
Toronto Star editorial board to discuss issues of concern to the
Canadian-Armenian community. The Armenian Genocide, Canada- Armenia
bilateral relations, Nagorno Karabagh, and the establishment of a Canadian
Embassy in Armenia were among the issues discussed during the June 28th
meeting. Bob Hepburn, editorial page editor, headed the five-member Toronto
Star board. The Canadian-Armenian community delegation included Aris
Babikian, president, Armenian National Federation of Canada (ANFC); Shaen
Mirakian, of the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto (ACC); and Vahan
Ajemian, Armenian National Committee of Toronto (ANCT).
A frank and open exchange of views took place during the one-hour meeting.
`It was an important and constructive meeting,’ said Babikian. `We had to
update and sensitize the Toronto Star editorial board with the concerns of
the Canadian-Armenian Community in light of recent developments, especially
after the House of Commons April 23, 2004 resolution recognizing the
Armenian Genocide,’ stated Aris Babikian, ANFC president.
At the end of the meeting the Armenian delegation provided the Toronto Star
editorial board with books and documentation on the aforementioned issues.
Since last year’s House of Commons resolution, the Armenian National
Committee of Canada and the Armenian National Federation of Canada and their
affiliated chapters in Montreal, Laval, Toronto, Hamilton, Cambridge, St.
Catharines, Kitchener, London, Guelph and Vancouver have regularly contacted
the Canadian media to inform them of the House of Commons resolution and
asked them to clarify their stand on this important moral and ethical issue.
The September 9, 2004 of ANCC and ACC members meeting with the CTV-TV board
had a positive effect on the CTV web resulting in an excellent segment on
the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
It was due to the diligent efforts of ANCC members that the Literary Review
of Canada published David Warner’s January 2005 brilliant review of Taner
Akcam’s book ` From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian
Genocide.’ As a follow-up, ANCC facilitated Michael Enright’s CBC Radio
`Sunday Morning’ interview with Taner Akcam.
On January 14, 2004 ANCC was successful in securing a resolution from the
National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, which represent over 400
newspapers and magazines, to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The ANCC was the organization which broke the news of the banning of Atom
Egoyan’s `Ararat’ in Turkey. Immediately afterwards, an explosion of
coverage took place with editorials in The Globe and Mail and the National
Post condemning the Turkish government’s action.
In 2002 renowned Canadian journalist and broadcaster Michael Coren hosted a
unique panel discussion between ANCC representatives and Turkish community
representatives to debate the genocide denial policy of the Turkish
government. The one-hour program on CTS-TV was an overwhelming success for
the ANCC representatives. Latter that year Mr. Coren invited ANCC
representatives to talk about the Armenian Genocide on his hour-long CFRB
radio program.
More recently, the ANCC disseminated to the Canadian media behind the scenes
details of the cancellation of a conference devoted to the Armenian
Genocide – organized by three Istanbul universities – due to pressure from the
Turkish government and extremist groups.
The ANCC helped introduce to the Canadian media writings of progressive
Turkish scholars and journalists to who, in the past years, have condemned
their government’s denialist policies and have called Turkish leaders to
recognize the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide.
In additional and due to the persistence, hard work and behind the scenes
efforts of ANCC and its members, The Globe and Mail and the National Post
now refer to the Armenian Genocide without ambiguity and without quotes or
the prefix `alleged’ in their editorials and stories. ANCC members continue
to be in touch with various Canadian media reporters, columnists, editors,
board members, publishers and presidents.
` We firmly believe that the media has an important role to educate and
bring the truth of the Armenian cause to the Canadian public. With that in
mind, the ANCC has, over the years, established an excellent relationship
with Canadian media, based on mutual trust and respect,’ stated ANCC
President Dr. Girair Basmadjian. `As in the past, we intend to continue our
communication with the Canadian media in an open, objective and positive
manners,’ said Dr. Basmadjian.
-30-

MEETING OF ARMENIA’s DEFENCE MINISTER WITH US AMBASSADOR
AND US MILITARY ATTACHE TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 11. ARMINFO. Secretary of National Security Council at
Armenia’s President, Defence Minister Serzh Sargssyan met today with
the U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John
Evans. The meeting was on the occasion ot introducing a new military
attache of the U.S. embassy, lieutenant colonel Rassel Grimley.
As the DM press-secretary, colonel Seyran Shakhsuvaryan informed
ARMINFO, Sargssyan thanked the former military attache, lieutenant
colonel Geffrey Predmore for his activity noting that
Armenian-American cooperation in the military sphere has been deepen
much within the last 2.5 years. Touching on the issue of the
postponement of Armenian peacemakers to Iraq (Jul 10), Evans informed
that it is caused exceptionally by technical reasons. At present,
both the Armenia’s Defence Ministry and the American command conduct
works on organizing the dispatch of Armenian peacemakers to Iraq on
Jul 13.

Agency WPS
The Russian Oil and Gas Report (Russia)
July 11, 2005, Monday
GAS STRATEGY OF RUSSIA TOWARDS THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS CHANGES
The formerly pursued policy of gradual transition to marketing
relations and prices remains in the past. When Moscow understood that
subsidizing of neighbors through gas supplies at low prices (in
comparison to the European level) does not bring the expected
political dividends, Gazprom received a cart blanche in its pricing
policy. Management of the company has started speaking in the open
about the intention to bring the selling price of gas to the European
level very soon not only for Baltic republics but also for the CIS
countries including Ukraine being the main transit territory in the
path of Gazprom’s gas to Europe.
Speaking at the shareholders’ meeting of Gazprom on June 24, CEO of
the company Alexei Miller announced: first of all, the company
planned to transit to “purely marketing mechanisms in mutual payments
excluding non-transparent bartering and offsetting schemes” and,
second, was going to “ensure a higher level of prices” in gas
supplies to the CIS and Baltic countries. The argument is simple and
understandable: “gas supplies to the former Soviet republics ensure
presence on the market for us now but with minimum profitability.”
After breakup of the USSR gas market in the newly established
countries neighboring Russia collapsed too. At a certain moment
Gazprom yielded this market to ITERA affiliated with the company’s
management. In circumstances of total bartering ITERA felt very
comfortable and made work on the markets of CIS and Baltic countries
a very profitable business. Changing of the management of Gazprom
changed the situation and the gas monopoly started regaining this
sales market gradually. In 2005, Gazprom is the sole supplier of gas
to the former Soviet republics.
It is planned that from Gazprom Ukraine will receive 23 billion cubic
meters of gas, Belarus will receive 19.1 billion cubic meters,
Moldova will receive 1.25 billion cubic meters, Kazakhstan will
receive 0.9 billion cubic meters, Latvia will receive 1.3 billion
cubic meters, Lithuania will receive 3.56 billion cubic meters and
Estonia will receive 0.73 billion cubic meters. Transcaucasia is
fully supplied with the Central Asian gas purchased by Gazexport. To
Azerbaijan Gazexport will supply 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas (5.5
billion cubic meters if there is the technical possibility for this),
to Armenia 1.7 billion cubic meters and to Georgia 1.2 billion cubic
meters. Gazexport will also sell 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas to
Moldova. Revenue of Gazprom on these markets will amount to about
$2.7 billion (including $1.15 billion in the framework of the barter
payment for export transit via Ukraine). Sales of Gazexport will
bring about $580-600 million more to Gazprom.
Meanwhile, export of the same quantity of gas to non-CIS countries
would earn at least $9 billion for Gazprom. Along with this,
additional transportation costs of delivery of this gas, leaving
apart Transcaucasia, look very modestly ($5-7 per 1,000 cubic
meters).
Gazprom has always been discontent with the serious difference in
prices. However, the gas corporation has begun a really aggressive
policy in this area only now. Formerly Gazprom was restrained only by
political orientation of the Kremlin at integration of the former
Soviet republics. Now Gazprom is hindered only by limited paying
power of the buyers. In any case, this factor has a very limited
influence because there is simply no alternative to Gazprom’s
supplies on this market. This means that the gas monopoly always has
opportunities to raise prices.
Now CIS and Baltic countries pay for gas at different rates although
the basic rate for this territory is set by Gazprom at the uniform
level of $80 per 1,000 cubic meters. The price is the cheapest for
Belarus ($46.68), Ukraine pays a little more ($50) and prices are the
highest for the Baltic countries (from $85 to $95). Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan buy Central Asian gas from Gazexport at $60-65 and
only Moldova pays in accordance with the basic rate.
In each case, there are special reasons for deviation from the basic
price to this or that side. With regard to the Baltic republics,
Gazprom has been moving towards European prices for a long time.
According to Deputy CEO of Gazprom Alexander Ryazanov, “There is a
three-year program of prices rising to the average European level.”
Thus, annual indexing of prices for the buyers in Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania will amount to 10-15%. Most likely, wholesale prices for
the Lithuanian company Lietuvos dujos where Gazprom has 37% will be
slightly lower than prices for the other two neighboring countries.
Belarus and Ukraine are transit countries for Gazprom’s export, which
determines the lowest prices. The rates set by the government for
Russian buyers have been used in Belarus until 2004. This was a kind
of support of the partner of the union state and an advance payment
for follow-up establishment of a joint venture on the basis of the
gas transportation infrastructure of Belarus. When establishment of
the union state stalled and Minsk set conditions for establishment of
the joint venture unacceptable for Gazprom, the company immediately
announced transition to commercial relations. These relations are
still the most privileged but there is no bartering the payments. So
far, the management of Gazprom has not released any statements about
revision of prices for Belarus. In any case, it is possible that in
the course of signing of the new contract for 2006, there will be a
10-15% indexing.
Building of new gas relations with Ukraine is only beginning but has
already acquired a scandalous nature. Despite that now the most
profitable business of Gazprom in the form of gas sales in Europe
depends on Ukraine by 80%, management of the Russian gas monopoly
launched a large-scale campaign for revision of the existing system
of gas supplies. At present Gazprom sells practically no gas to
Ukraine but pays with gas for the transit services provided by the
state-run Ukrainian company Naftogaz Ukrainy (26-29 billion cubic
meters annually in the last few years) at the offsetting price of $50
per 1,000 cubic meters. This scheme is confirmed by the ten-year
intergovernmental agreement of 2002. However, certain parameters (the
volumes of barter, as well as offsetting prices of gas and
transportation prices) are set annually.
In mid-March, after the first meeting of Alexei Miller and new CEO of
Naftogaz Ukrainy Alexei Ivchenko, representatives of Gazprom reported
that Ukrainian colleagues proposed transition to the monetary form of
transit payment. This novelty opened a prospect for Gazprom to sell
the volumes of gas released from the barter scheme at marketing
prices. Moscow proposed a price of $160 per 1,000 cubic meters (the
price is calculated according to the method “forecast of the price on
the border of Ukraine and Slovakia minus transportation via Ukrainian
pipelines”), which shocked Kyiv. Ivchenko started rejecting the idea
of transition to monetary payments but Gazprom that acquired
initiative at negotiations kept insisting on giving up bartering.
Most likely, the most radical scenario will not be implemented but
Gazprom can raise prices to $70-80 per 1,000 cubic meters without a
significant growth in the transit rate. It is obvious that increase
of the gas price for Ukraine will provoke the growth of the prices
for Belarus and Moldova.
Gas prices for the Transcaucasian republics will grow at least 20%
too, due to increase of prices of Central Asian gas for Gazexport.
Now Gazexport supplies mostly Kazakh gas to Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Its prices will grow inevitably after increase of real
prices of Turkmen gas. Although the formal price of $44 per 1,000
cubic meters remained in the contracts with Turkmenneftegaz, giving
up of bartering increased real expenditures of Gazprom on purchase of
Turkmen gas by $10-12 per 1,000 cubic meters.
Of course, it is impossible to expect that already in 2006, Gazprom
will manage to bring profitability of its business in the former
Soviet republics to the European level. Nonetheless, $1.5-2 billion
of additional revenue in this segment is a quite realistic goal in
this segment. Even despite the obvious political mistakes of Moscow
in the foreign Soviet republics, Gazprom remains the most powerful
tool of foreign policy towards these countries. This means that many
issues will be settled on a broader field for bargaining than the
coefficient of exchange of cubic meters of gas for dollars.
Source: Vremya Novostey, July 05, 2005

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/11/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Framework for Turkey's EU Accession Negotiations Garners Sharp Criticism 2) Erdogan Tells San Francisco Audience Turkey Has Nothing to Hide 3) Baku Protesters Demand Free Vote 4) OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair Negotiate in Azerbaijan 1) Framework for Turkey's EU Accession Negotiations Garners Sharp Criticism Hundreds of European organizations and foreign leaders call on European Union to integrate the Armenian genocide in Turkey's negotiations BRUSSELS (EAFJD) - -Over 350 associations and key leaders of European civil society from 21 countries, responded to an appeal by the European Armenian Federation (EAFJD) to include Armenian genocide recognition in Turkey's European Union (EU) negotiations for accession. The initiative, launched last April as the world marked the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, garnered support from groups representing Armenian genocide survivors and their descendants, associations for the defense of victims of genocide and crimes against humanity, human rights groups, member organizations of the Charter of European Armenians, as well as key European political figures. The European appeal urged the EU to integrate calls by national and European parliaments to include genocide recognition in the framework of negotiations. The EAFJD noted that on Tuesday July 5, the European Parliament's Christian Democrat French delegation called on the Council "to modify the mandate of negotiations of the [European] Commission," notably "to reinforce the exigencies of Union on essential topics such as freedom of religion, penal legislation, the recognition of Cyprus, and the recognition of the Armenian genocide." In a July 5 press release issued by the French delegation to the European Parliament, Jacques Toubon, Vice President of the EU-Turkey Delegation, accused the Commission of harboring an "irresponsible attitude" which was "totally devoid of reality." He affirmed that "the official framework of negotiations essentially engages Turkey on its terms and not the criteria laid down by the [European] Union." During the presentation of the negotiations framework to the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner responsible for enlargement, revealed that a program geared to promote "dialogue between Turkish and European civil societies" was in fact intended to improve European public opinion about Turkey's accession to the EU; 40 million euros will be allocated to that program in 2006 alone. "We would encourage the EU to utilize the criteria established by the European Parliament, adopted since the beginning of Turkey's accession process, instead of wasting funds trying to improve Turkey's image in Europe at the expense of European tax dollars," stated European Armenian Federation Chairwoman, Hilda Tchoboian. "It is regrettable that the Commission would so openly ignore the wishes of 450 million European citizens and their 730 elected representatives. It is an abnormal and dangerous situation for democracy. Encouraged by the support of political parties and leaders in the Union, we will again submit the European appeal and the signatories list to the European Council in the days leading up to the October 3 negotiations," concluded Tchoboian. 2) Erdogan Tells San Francisco Audience Turkey Has Nothing to Hide SAN FRANCISCO (Combined Sources)--Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was in San Francisco on July 7 to rub elbows with US media moguls in a bid to attract more foreign investment. Speaking for more than two hours at a forum organized by the World Affairs Council and The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Erdogan focused mostly on international terrorism, but also spoke about his country's relations with Armenia and the Armenian genocide. He said that if necessary, Turkey is prepared to come face-to-face with its past. "We have nothing to hide; we have confidence in our history--it is impossible that our forefathers would have done anything like this," he asserted about the Armenian genocide. He also advised the US not to succumb to Armenian pressure. According to Erdogan, Turkey has taken important steps to clarify assertions that presently harm Turkish Armenian relations. "We don't think it is right [for Armenians] to interpret history so as to transfer feelings of hate generations. We don't hold hatred. But there are countries who have nothing to do with this issue that have adopted political decisions which will not help to remedy the situation." Erdogan said he would expect American Armenians to play a more constructive role. He said that Armenia, instead of pulling out of Mountainous Karabagh, is trying to portray its actions as legitimate, through its various worldwide lobbying efforts. "This is unacceptable. The only country [in the region] that does not have the courage to benefit from neighborly relations is Armenia; Armenia's shortsightedness and unhealthy policy is a waste of time for its people." Erdogan lamented the international community's snubbing of Turkish occupied Northern Cyprus. "Greek Cypriots were admitted into the European Union. Turkish Cypriots are still facing international isolation," he said. "What have the Turkish Cypriots done to deserve such an isolation? How can human rights activists justify discrimination that Turkish Cypriots are facing in the island?" He pointed out a recent visit by three US Congressmen to Northern Cyprus as a positive development "aimed at breaking the political isolation of the Turkish Cypriots." Asked by a reporter how the terrorist attacks in London affect Turkey's EU bid, Erdogan said that, ''British authorities say that the bomb attacks were against whole humanity and all civilizations and they show a calm attitude against terrorism. This is our common problem. We can't target one religion or one country and accuse them... It would be wrong to say that this/that terrorist organization did this attack before getting clear evidence. This is the aim of terrorism, to be able to spread propaganda all the time. And we politicians should not be a tool of it.'' 3) Baku Protesters Demand Free Vote By Greg Walters BAKU--Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Sunday, demanding a free vote in November's parliamentary elections, and raising the possibility of another velvet revolution in the former Soviet country. Demonstrators waved orange flags in an echo of last winter's Orange Revolution in Ukraine; several protesters said they were prepared to mount a similar campaign of peaceful resistance if elections were deemed fraudulent. Sunday's protest appeared to be the largest this summer. Internews, a media support non-governmental organization, estimated that the crowd numbered in excess of 25,000. Though at least 200 riot police stood by, there were no immediate reports of arrests. Anti-government demonstrations have been held in Baku almost every week for over a month and some have been violently dispersed. 4) OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair Negotiate in Azerbaijan BAKU (Combined Sources)--The co-chairmen of the Minsk Group began another round of regional talks in search of a resolution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. The American, French and Russian mediators of OSCE's (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Minsk Group met with Azeri leaders on Monday and plan to travel to Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh to continue negotiations. They released no details about the content of their proposals, citing the confidentiality of the peace proposals. A meeting between the president of Armenia and Azerbaijan is scheduled to take place in the Russian city of Kazan on August 27. 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.

26 PEOPLE DROWNED IN ARMENIA’s RESERVOIRS FROM APR 12 TO JUL 6
YEREVAN, JULY 8. ARMINFO. Armenia’s Emergency Department has
registered 23 cases of drowning since Apr 12 to Jul 6, 26 people
perished as a result.
As ARMINFO was informed in the ED press-service, 10 of them were
children. The last tragic case was registered on July 6: two children
drowned in a reservoir for fish farming.

Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
July 7 2005
Armenians Divided on NATO Membership

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Adults in Armenia are split on their
country’s eventual participation in an international defence
partnership, according to a poll by the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies. 34.7 per cent of respondents believe
Armenia should join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
while 33.9 per cent disagree.
NATO was originally formed in 1949 as an agreement of collaboration
designed to prevent a possible attack from the Soviet Union on North
America or Western Europe during the Cold War.
In March 2004, NATO added seven more nations, six of which were once
members of the Warsaw Pact – a military alliance of Eastern European
Soviet countries.
Supporters of NATO in Armenia cite the partnership as the most
effective arrangement to ensure security, and believe it should be a
priority for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to become members of a
common security system.
Conversely, Armenians who do not want to join NATO believe their
country should continue being a member of the Russia-supported
Collective Security Treaty Organization, and believe the relations
between Armenia and Turkey have not yet been resolved.
Polling Data
Do you think Armenia should become a member of NATO?
Yes
34.7%

No
33.9%

Difficult to answer
31.4%

“Yes” Respondents – Why do you think Armenia should join NATO?
NATO is the most effective system for ensuring security
43.3%

It is expedient for Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia
to be members of a common security system
33.9%

Armenia cannot become a member of the European
Union (EU) without becoming a member of NATO
17.8%

“No” Respondents – Why do you think Armenia should not join NATO?
Armenia should continue to be a member of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization
and to link its security with Russia
52.9%

Because the relations between Armenia and
NATO-member Turkey are not yet resolved
24.9%

Armenia is not expected at NATO, so
there is no need to think about it
21.4%

Source: Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS)
Methodology: Interviews with 1,500 Armenian adults, conducted in June
2005. No margin of error was provided.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
July 5 2005
ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTIC
CONTEST “GOLDEN VERB”
YEREVAN, July 5. /ARKA/. Armenian journalists can participate in
international journalistic contest “Golden Verb”. According to RF
Information and Press Department, the contest has three nominations,
namely “Sharp View”- about the socio-political life in Russia,
“Mutual Interest” -on economic cooperation and investment attractions
in RF, and “Journey to Russia” – the best material on geographical,
ethnographical and cultural diversity of RF. Materials presented to
the contest should be published in the period from October 1, 2004 to
October 1, 2005. The nine best works will be selected in the end.
The jury are such known journalists as “Media Union” President
Alexander Lyubimov, President of “Association of Foreign Journalists”
Adib al Sayed, ITAR TASS Director Vitali Ignatenko, RIA “Novosti”
President Svetlana Mironyuk, Director of “Interfax” Michael Komissar,
“Expert” Journal Editor-in-Chief Valeri Fadeev, Chairman of “Golos
Rossii” Radio Company Armen Hovhannisyan, Vice-Chief of the Radio
Department of All-Russian State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company
(VGTRK) Irina Gerasimova and Russian State Television and Radio
Broadcasting Company (RTR) Commentator Nikolay Svanidze.
The first contest “Golden Verb” was organized by the All-Russian NGO
“Media Union” of Mass Media workers in 2003. Winners of the contest
were journalists from such countries as Germany, Spain, France,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Estonia. A.A. -0–

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN SPEAKER CONGRATULATED COMPATRIOTS ON CONSTITUTION DAY
05.07.2005 03:15
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of the National assembly of Armenia Artur
Baghdassaryan congratulated citizens of the Republic on the 10th anniversary
of adoption of the Constitution, reported the Press Service of the Armenian
Parliament. The congratulation message specifically says, «The first
Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted by means of a referendum
July 5 ten years ago. Past years have shown our Constitution proved its
viability at the hardest time. However, life goes on putting forwards new
tasks and demands that need legislative regulation at the level of the
organic law first of all. Today it is evident that amendments of the Organic
Law are necessary for progress. We should implement constitutional reforms
that are necessary to our people and issue from international standards.
Congratulating all Armenian citizens on the Constitution Day I am sure that
being adopted 10 years ago the document was efficient in the hard days of
the past decade. And the new one that will be put for nation-wide referendum
in autumn will lead Armenia to a law-governed state with civil society as
well.»

Daily News (NY)
June 30, 2005, Thursday
Works use love affairs to probe conflict between Islam and the West
By Celia McGee
As far as conspiracy theories go, the idea that a racist Buckingham
Palace ordered a hit on Princess Diana and her Muslim lover in a
Paris traffic tunnel eight years ago was one of the wilder ones.
But if moviemakers, writers and big-budget musical teams are to be
believed, since 9/11 little is fair in love and war when it comes to
the romantic meeting of the Middle East and West.
With the opening of “Yes,” written and directed by Sally Potter
(“Orlando”), the entertainment industry is beginning to deal with the
difficult subject of love affairs between Muslims and non-Muslims in
the light of recent world events.
“To some extent love stories with obstacles like the ones in ‘Yes’
have been around at least as long as ‘Romeo and Juliet,'” Potter says
of her movie, which is about a passionate entanglement between an
Irish-American scientist (Joan Allen) and the refugee Lebanese
surgeon (Simon Abkarian) she meets in London, where he has been
forced into a hotel kitchen job.
But, Potter believes, the World Trade Center attacks intensified
feelings on both sides about crossing boundaries of faith and ethnic
background. She set out to make a movie that tackled a lot that has
gone on since then.
“There was so much hate in the air after Sept. 11, with Americans
portrayed as the big baddies and people from the Middle East as
mysterious demons,” she says. “I wanted to set a cross-cultural love
story against it.”
Potter is not alone. This weekend also sees the U.S. release of the
French movie “Lila Says,” in which the lovebirds are a North African
teenager and a French girl of Polish descent living with her devoutly
Catholic and seriously twisted “aunt.” Based on a 1996 literary hit,
the story’s been updated with searing references to post-9/11
tensions.
November will bring Ken Loach’s “Ae Fond Kiss,” which shows a Muslim
deejay and a Scottish piano teacher in Glasgow encountering prejudice
of all stripes when they fall in love.
To be published next month, “Desertion,” a semi-autobiographical
novel by the Booker Prize-shortlisted Abdulrazak Gurnah, should also
draw attention. It reveals how a tragic love story about an
Englishman and a local Muslim beauty in 19th-century Kenya sets the
stage for heartache in modern times.
And playwright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton is adapting the
best-selling “The White Mughal” as a musical extravaganza that’s
conscious, he has said, of today’s global atmosphere. The book is the
true tale of an 18th-century official with England’s East India
Company who converted to Islam to marry an Indian princess descended
from the prophet Muhammad.
Movies like Potter’s, says Richard Pena, program director of the Film
Society of Lincoln Center, are being made in a climate where “Arabs
have become the ultimate ‘other.’ So the question has become what
happens when one gets involved in a romantic relationship with that
‘other,’ and what does one really know about them. Is it a matter of
‘sleeping with the enemy’?”
Allen says she tried to reflect such questions in her “Yes”
performance.
“I learned about a culture that wasn’t very familiar to me,” she
says, “and my eyes were really opened. One of the crucial messages
for me was the depth of our climate of suspicion and intolerance and
threat.”
She says she has been especially moved by audiences’ warm responses
to the movie and how “it leaves people in tears. I’m scared about
what’s going on in our government right now _ any dialogue has been
shut down, and dialogue is quintessentially American. This movie
should help start it up again.”
To play her sad and angry Lebanese lover, Abkarian, an Armenian
Christian, partly drew on childhood memories of when his family
briefly lived in Lebanon.
But he was also working with the way he has often found himself
unfavorably stereotyped in Europe and the U.S.
“We need to teach people that being one thing is not better than
another,” he says, “that we all need to coexist. I would end my days
if I didn’t believe we can meet in love and mutual respect.”
To that end, Potter says she fought against high odds to get “Yes”
made. Funding was hard to come by, the invasion of Iraq meant she
could no longer shoot scenes in Beirut, and new State Department
restrictions suddenly prevented Allen from filming in Cuba, another
important plot location.
“I do still believe that love can overcome hatred,” Potter says.
“Love _ and hope _ is the engine that pioneers change for the
better.”