Author: Chatinian Lara

ARMENIA CONDUCTS DYNAMIC FOREIGN POLICY AND IS SUCCESSFUL
Confessing This Gives no Other Way for Turks but Slandering
Azg/am
28 July 2004
On July 23 at PACE RA President Robert Kocharian answered the question
of the Turk MP “We can’t understand the reason for your approach of
keeping Armenia in blockade and confronting us in the international
arena. If you think that we can’t survive without Turkey, you are
mistaken. Armenia is surviving without you and experiencing normal
development.”
Judging from all, Kocharian’s answer presented the Turks with a fait
accompli, so they were at a loss. The contradicting evaluations of the
answer expressed their bewilderment. Some of the Turkish newspapers
evaluated the abovementioned words of Kocharian as “claim for
cooperation with Turkey” aswell as “provocation”. The Turkish
political experts are trying to deny the statements on “cooperation”,
at the same time they are warning the Turkish authorities “to be
careful in the relations with Armenia”. On July 8 in Yerevan Vartan
Oskanian repeated the statement made in Washington earlier saying that
“Armenia will exercise its right for veto against Turkey candidacy in
PACE.”
In this conditions Turkey gave up his candidacy for 2007 PACE
Chairmanship, and Yorgo Yakovo, Cyprus Foreign Minister, conditioned
this step by Armenia’s decision to put veto against Turkey. In other
words, RA President totally disarmed the Turkish side and deprives
them of the opportunity to speculatethe opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border in the international area, showing their
disability to offer pre-conditions to Armenia. RA Foreign Minister
considers the right for veto as a resistance to Turkey’s policy
against Armenia.
Perhaps, in this respect, the article of Hatem Jabarlu, employee of
the Eurasian Center for Strategic Researches, appeared in the July
publication of the Haber Analiz, where he stated that “Notwithstanding
the fact that Armenia is a small country in the South Caucasus, with
serious economic problems, it conducts a more dynamic policy and is a
success compared with Turkey and Azerbaijan, in particular.
The same Jabarlu and his colleague Yashar Kalafat published an article
entitled “The Evaluation of the Turkish-Armenian Relations from the
Psychological Viewpoint” in the July 24 issue of Haber Analiz. The
difference of the article from the previous one is that instead of
evaluations there appear slanders addressed to Armenia.
Kalafat and Jabarlu state that the position of the Armenians towards
Turkey has remained unchanged since early 20 century. They say that by
the 11-th article of the Independence Memorandum adopted in 1991
Armenians have included in the agenda the recognition of the Armenian
genocide. Moreover, they demand lands from Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Iran and even Russia, in order to realize the “From Sea to
Sea” program envisaged by Hai Dat (Armenian Cause).
According to the co-authors, “Turkey displayed good will for
establishing diplomatic and economic relations with Armenia after it
became independent.But Armenia responded to that “by carrying out the
so-called genocide propaganda, it doesn’t recognize Turkey’s
territorial integrity and continues its activities for denying the
Kars treaty.” All this, made Turkey close Kars-Gyumri border-gate in
the April of 1993.
Afterwards, the authors touched upon the publications appeared in
leading Turkish newspapers, as well as to accumulating the signatures
of the Kars dwellers and the recent rally in Kars during which the
results were published. They conditioned all these arrangements by the
influence of the Turkish-Armenian community and the Polis Armenian
Patriarchy, saying that the latter dictatethe central Turkish
newspapers. At the same time, they condemn Turk-Armenian Business
Union, including the editor-in-chief of Aqos, emphasizing that Hrant
Dinq pays less attention to the propaganda of the Armenian Genocide,
to the attempts to deny the 1921 Kars treaty and the claims for
Turkey’s territorial integrity, as well as he conditions the opening
of the Armenian-Turkish border by closing the Metsamor NPP.
Kalafat and Jabarlu try to teach the Turkish authorities that they
should explain the international community that it is impossible to
open a border that is not recognized by the Armenians. They believe
that Eastern Turkish borders are just a gateway for that separates the
Western and Eastern Armenians as a result of military actions.
The Eurasian Center for Strategic Researches, where the two authors
work, is a state structure. So their article should be considered as a
consistent proof for the policy Turkey undertook against Armenia. As
for the accusations addressed to Armenia, they should testify to “the
more dynamic foreign policy conducted by our republic and to the
success that was fixed.” In this case the accusations are the only
way.
By Hakob Chakrian

ARKA News Agency
July 27 2004
Armenian-Thai cooperation has big potential
‘HART’ GB Missionary Association to provide NKR population with the
humanitarian aid
A co-operation program till 2007 signed between the Georgian and
Armenian ministries of Science and Education
The representatives of Caucasus Europe News journal arrived in
Stepanakert
A building in the center of Yerevan, where the office of ARKA News
Agency is located, de-energized for about 4 hours
20-year-old Cadet of RA Military Institute breaks the previous
Guiness record when doing an exercise with rising and overturning on
a horizontal bar
RA PM and Georgian President discuss possibility of opening
Tbilisi-Gyumri-Kars railway
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN-THAI COOPERATION HAS BIG POTENTIAL
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. Armenian-Thai cooperation has big potential
that must be developed, the Head of Deputy Group of Friendship
Thailand-Armenia, Senator Sanit Kulcharoen stated today at the press
conference. According to him, it first of considers trade, industry,
tourism and culture links. He said that after return of Thai
delegation in Bangkok, its members will start works on development of
the Agreement on cooperation. He expressed hope that all necessary
documents will be prepared by the end of the year and during December
visit of Armenian delegation in Thailand, the agreements between the
countries will receive legal base.
According to Thai Senator, today Armenia and Thailand have two joint
ventures on production of jewellery. At this he also added that
representatives of Armenian community of Thailand consisting of 40
families are basically employed in diamond processing and jewellery
production spheres.
Deputy Group of Friendship Thailand-Armenia visited Armenia on July
21-27, headed by Senator Sanit Kulcharoen. Representatives of
delegation met with RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian, members of
parliament group of friendship from Armenia, Foreign Minister,
Minister of Trade and Economic Development. L.D. –0 –
*********************************************************************
HART’ GB MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION TO PROVIDE NKR POPULATION WITH THE
HUMANITARIAN AID
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan received a
delegation at the head of Baroness Caroline Cox, the Vice- Speaker of
the House of Lords of GB Parliament. As ARKA was informed in the main
news department adjunct to NKR President, the baroness noted with
satisfaction that positive changes in the area of formation of a true
democratic and civil society and restoration of housing complexes
destroyed during the war have taken place in the republic since her
last visit to NKR. She expressed her profound respect to NKR people
and their achievements on the way to their independence. At that, as
she said, `HART’ Missionary Association was founded by her with the
headquarters in GB and the USA, which will implement programs on
humanitarian aid to peoples of different countries of the world,
including NKR.
In his turn NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan expressed his gratitude to
the baroness for her permanent attention to NKR, and active
participation in the efforts of NKR people to form a modern
democratic state. He expressed her belief that understanding of a
fair position of the people and the Government of NKR regarding the
main principles of the conflict settlement by Cox has its objective
input in formation of an adequate attitude to the gist of the problem
and the ways of its settlement in the eyes of world community. A.H.
–0–
*********************************************************************
A CO-OPERATION PROGRAM TILL 2007 SIGNED BETWEEN THE GEORGIAN AND
ARMENIAN MINISTRIES OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. A co-operation program till 2007 was signed
between the Georgian and Armenian ministries of Science and
Education. According to RA President’s Press Service and Public
Relations Department, the program was signed in the frames of two-day
official visit of RA Prime-Minister Andranik Margaryan to Georgia.
A.H. –0–
*********************************************************************
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF CAUCASUS EUROPE NEWS JOURNAL ARRIVED IN
STEPANAKERT
STEPANAKERT, July 27. /ARKA/. The Director of Caucasus Europe News
(CEN) journal Selia Shoffur and Deputy Director Francois Gremi
arrived in Stepanakert. As Shoffur stated to ARKA’s reporter in
Stepanakert, the goal of the visit was to collect information about
Nagorno-Karabakh, as CEN is going to inform of the processes in the
countries of South Caucasus under the title `A Glance at East’. `We
decided to come and to see everything by ourselves, since we have too
little information about NKR’, she said. The guests met the
representatives of the Government as well as reporters, visited
Shushi, the regions of the republic, and talked with the citizens of
Stepanakert.
Caucasus Europe News is a journal covering events in the Caucasus and
is published in French, English and Russian. It studies key issues in
the South Caucasus, i.e. formation of civil society, settlement of
conflicts, co-operation of the region with EU. A.H. –0–
*********************************************************************
A BUILDING IN THE CENTER OF YEREVAN, WHERE THE OFFICE OF ARKA NEWS
AGENCY IS LOCATED, DE-ENERGIZED FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. For about 4 hours a building in the center
of Yerevan (1/3 Byuzand str), where the office of ARKA News Agency is
located was de-energized. As it was informed in the representative
office of Electric Supply Network, it was caused by a damage on
servicing sub-station. However, according to the staff of Electric
Supply Network, because of garbage heaps the access to the
sub-station was blocked and it made impossible to resume the supply
of electric power. To many telephone calls and demands to eliminate
the damage Electric Supply Network staff gave a laconic answer:
`Cleaning of garbage is not our duty’.
Meanwhile, in Sanochistka CJSC office organizing cleaning of garbage
they said that all garbage cleaning cars were busy. The staff of the
organization assured that as soon as they had a free car, they would
send it to the sub-station. However, at about 4:20 p.m. the electric
supply of the building was resumed. Electricians managed to get to
the sub-station through the heaps of garbage and eliminate the
damage.
It should be mentioned that the electric power supply was
periodically interrupted for the last 3 years in the above mentioned
building. At that, the reason as a rule was the same: garbage was
accumulated in front of the sub-station and made an obstacle to the
staff of Electric Supply Network to get into the sub-station to do
works there. A.H.–0–
*********************************************************************
20- YEAR-OLD CADET OF RA MILITARY INSTITUTE BREAKS THE PREVIOUS
GUINESS RECORD WHEN DOING AN EXERCISE WITH RISING AND OVERTURNING ON
A HORIZONTAL BAR
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. 20- year-old Cadet Zarzand mkhitaryan, who
is in his 3rd year in Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan of RA
Ministry of Defense, broke the previous Guiness record when doing an
exercise with rising and overturning on a horizontal bar. The
resident of Pshatavan Armenian village in Armavir region of Armenia
made 1050 overturns within 2 hours and 48 minutes. On the average,
the cadet made about 6 overturns per minute. Thus, Mkhitaryan broke
the previous record of a Russian pupil whos record was 1013
overturns. According toSeiran Arakelyan, the Deputy Trainer of the
institute, in his 1st year in the Institute Mkhitaryan couldn’t do
the exercise at all, however due to his will and hard work achieved
brilliant results. The cadet told reporters that spent only two
months for breaking the record. `First I wanted to be the first in
the Institute, then I wanted to become the first in Armenia and then
to break a world record’, he said.
Vardan Tovmasyan, the Chairman of the Commission on registering
Guiness records in Armenia said that within a week the tape with the
results will be sent to London for the consideration by an
appropriate committee. According to him, the final reply about
registering Mkhitaryan in the book of Guiness is expected within 1-2
months. Tovmasyan also informed that since 1970 Armenians already for
5 times were registered in the book of Guiness.
The representatives of RA Ministry of Defense, local prefecture,
teachers from military institute, the press and other guests were
present on the ceremony of doing the exercise to be registered in the
book of Guiness. Mkitaryan was encouraged already for 28 times for
diligence, physical and combatant training and progress in studies.
A.H.–0–
*********************************************************************
RA PM AND GEORGIAN PRESIDENT DISCUSS POSSIBILITY OF OPENING
TBILISI-GYUMRI-KARS RAILWAY
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. RA PM Andranik Margarian and Georgian
President Mikhail Sahakashvili discussed possibility of opening of
Tbilis-Gyumri-Kars railway. As RA Government Public and Press
Relations Department told ARKA, during the meeting Margarian stressed
that the operation of this railway will allow the countries of the
region to be included in the regional economic projects on more fully
level, particularly in the EU run TRACECA and INOGATE. The Armenian
PM also mentioned that RA was interested in the development of
Armenian-Georgian partnership between two countries in the
implementation of the regional programs.
As it is mentioned in the press release during the meeting the Head
of the Armenian Government expressed a confidence that the
centuries-old friendship between two peoples as well as the high
level of confidence between them enable them to develop and
strengthen relations of good neighbors between RA and Georgia that is
important for the regional security. T.M. -0–

ONASA News Agency
July 25, 2004
THIS DAY IN HISTORY – JULY 25
1924 – Greece announced the deportation of 50,000 Armenians.
0326 – Constantine refused to carry out the traditional pagan
sacrifices.
1394 – Charles VI of France issued a decree for the general expulsion
of Jews from France.
1564 – Maximillian II became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
1587 – Japanese strong-man Hideyoshi banned Christianity in Japan and
ordered all Christians to leave.
1593 – France’s King Henry IV converted from Protestantism to Roman
Catholicism.
1759 – British forces defeated a French army at Fort Niagara in
Canada.
1799 – Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Ottomans at Aboukir, Egypt.
1805 – Aaron Burr visited New Orleans with plans to establish a new
country, with New Orleans as the capital city.
1845 – China granted Belgium equal trading rights with Britain,
France and the United States.
1850 – In Worcester, MA, Harvard and Yale University freshmen met in
the first intercollegiate billiards match.
1850 – Gold was discovered in the Rogue River in Oregon. 1854 – The
paper collar was patented by Walter Hunt.
1861 – The Crittenden Resolution, which called for the American Civil
War to be fought to preserve the Union and not for slavery, was
passed by the U.S. Congress.
1866 – Ulysses S. Grant was named General of the Army. He was the
first American officer to hold the rank.
1868 – The U.S. Congress passed an act creating the Wyoming
Territory.
1871 – Seth Wheeler patented perforated wrapping paper. 1907 – Korea
became a protectorate of Japan.
1909 – French aviator Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel
in a monoplane. He traveled from Calais to Dover in 37 minutes. He
was the first man to fly across the channel.
1914 – Russia declared that it would act to protect Serbian
sovereignty.
1924 – Greece announced the deportation of 50,000 Armenians.
1934 – Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was shot and killed by
Nazis.
1939 – W2XBS TV in New York City presented the first musical comedy
seen on TV. The show was “Topsy and Eva”.
1941 – The U.S. government froze all Japanese and Chinese assets.
1943 – Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was overthrown in a
coup.
1946 – The U.S. detonated an atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll in the
Pacific. It was the first underwater test of the device.
1946 – Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis staged their first show as a team
at Club 500 in Atlantic City, NJ.
1947 – Fortune Gordien of Oslo, Norway set a world record discus
throw of 178.47 feet.
1952 – Puerto Rico became a self-governing commonwealth of the U.S.
1956 – The Italian liner Andrea Doria sank after colliding with the
Swedish ship Stockholm off the New England coast. 51 people were
killed.
1978 – Louise Joy Brown, the first test-tube baby, was born in
Oldham, England. She had been conceived through in-vitro
fertilization.
1978 – Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Red’s broke the National League
record for consecutive base hits as he got a hit in 38 straight
games.
1984 – Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to
walk in space. She was aboard the orbiting space station Salyut 7.
1987 – The Salt Lake City Trappers set a professional baseball record
as the team won its 29th game in a row.
1994 – Israel and Jordan formally ended the state of war that had
existed between them since
1948. 1997 – K.R. Narayanan became India’s president. He was the
first member of the Dalits caste to do so.
1998 – The USS Harry S. Truman was commissioned and put into service
by the U.S. Navy.
1998 – U.S. President Clinton was subpoenaed to appear before a
federal grand jury regarding the Monica Lewinsky case. The subpoena
was withdrawn when Clinton agreed to give videotaped testimony with
his lawyers present.
1999 – Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France. He was only the second
American to win the race. He won the race again in 2000.
2000 – A supersonic Concorde crashed outside Paris, France, killing
all 109 people aboard and 5 on the ground.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCE IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF
WELL-KNOWN PUBLIC AND POLITICAL FIGURE EDUARD HOVHANNESSYAN
YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMINFO. The Armenian Government presents its deep
condolence in connection with death of the father of Armenian
Parliamentary Vice Speaker, the member of ARFD Bureau Vahan
Hovhannessyan, Eduard Hovhannessyan. The well-known public and
political figure Eduard Hovhannessyan died at the age of 73.

IWPR CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE
No. 243, July 21, 2004
YEREVAN BECOMING A “DESERT”
Officials begin to worry about the systematic elimination of green areas in
the Armenian capital.
By Susanna Petrosian in Yerevan
The construction of an outdoor café in a leafy spot in central Yerevan was
halted last week, in a sign that city officials are beginning to take on the
unchecked building spree that has altered the face of the Armenian capital.
The move has been widely welcomed. “It is a precedent,” said Ruben Torosian,
a prominent former member of parliament. “The fact that finally someone was
stopped from building in the green zone is a positive sign.”
Gohar Oganezova, vice-president of Armenia’s Botanical Association, told
IWPR that “this case can be seen as the first small result of our fight over
many years against construction taking place on Yerevan’s green spaces,”
Before the city authorities had time to issue their ruling, it took workers
less than a day to chop down several old trees as they began clearing space
for the café.
Samvel Danielian, who is head of the architectural and town planning
department at the mayor’s office, promised that the area would be restored
to its former state.
But it is much too late to save large parts of the capital, which have lost
their green spaces forever to a café boom of doubtful legality.
Brash-looking cafes now sprawl across the entire city, depriving local
people of parks and open spaces they used for decades.
“When they cut down all those trees, the café-owners hardly gave a thought
about the future of our children,” said pensioner Arsen Darbinian.
“All the parks in Yerevan have been built over with cafes, and there’s
nowhere for children to play or for us to relax,” said housewife Lilit
Akopian.
Since 1990, the city has lost 40 per cent of its green areas due to new
construction, according to research carried out by three organisations, the
Yerevan Public Ecological Centre, the Centre for Regional Development and
Transparency International.
Thirty-eight environmental groups have banded together to protest about the
loss of green space.
“If illegal construction of various buildings does not stop, Yerevan will
soon become a desert,” warned Armen Dovlatian, leader of the Armenia’s
Socio-Ecological Party, one of the protesting organisations.
Srbui Harutiunian, another prominent environmentalist, said land was being
degraded, landslips were increasing and Yerevan citizens were suffering from
new allergic illnesses as a result of the changes.
But Marzpet Kamalian, deputy head of the state expert commission at the
environment ministry, rejected the charges, saying that the city was not at
risk at all. “The problem of desertification cannot affect Yerevan,” he told
IWPR, asserting that only a rural landscape can turn into a desert.
At the centre of the debate are Yerevan’s Ring Boulevard and the Opera
Garden. Twelve cafes have already been built around the famous Yerevan opera
house and three more are under construction. More than 100 cafes have been
built on the Ring Boulevard, some of them made of stone, although that is
explicitly forbidden by city laws.
Grachia Muradian, who heads the city department for control over town
planning and land use, told IWPR that everything was under control and that
the mayor’s office had stopped the construction of ten cafes in green spaces
this year. Muradian said planning regulations had always been violated in
Yerevan but his office was closely monitoring the situation.
Samvel Danielian, from the same office, told IWPR that the café-owners were
used to getting round regulations by acquiring very small plots of land and
then building outwards, but new city regulations were making it harder and
harder to break the law.
Environmentalists are not impressed and say the city authorities have been
turning a blind eye to blatant infringements of the law.
Detailed reports by the Association of Investigative Journalists in Yerevan
have recorded that the mayor’s office has been closely involved in giving
the green light to building projects.
“The mechanism which the mayor’s office uses is the following: first a plot
of land of 20 cubic metres, which does not need to be sold at auction, is
allocated and then this plot is enlarged with the help of subsequent
directives and decisions,” said Edik Bagdasarian, who heads the
investigative association.
“We can’t say that the law has been broken,” Grigor Melkumian, chief advisor
to the mayor, said in response to this allegation. “All decisions by the
mayor’s office have received state registration. If the decisions were
illegal, they wouldn’t have got state registration.”
But a former mayor, Robert Nazarian, has admitted that, “ninety nine per
cent of buildings in the opera park are illegal and we did not approve those
projects”.
Narek Sarkisian, until recently chief architect for the city, also conceded
that pressure was put on him to approve construction projects. “I tried to
do everything that was within my power, but very high-up are involved and
they believe they are above the law,” said Sarkisian.
If officials at this level are not ultimately responsible, who is? Edik
Bagdasarian points the figure of blame higher up, saying that his
organisation has established that in the Ring Boulevard, the owners of cafes
include four ministers, two generals, a deputy director of the national
security service and three heads of department in the mayor’s office.
The men involved have either denied their involvement or refused to comment.
Yervand Zakharian, who has been mayor of Yerevan for just a year, has
pledged to crack down on the illegal cafes. Many people are very supportive,
but others are waiting to see what happens.
“We’ve been so much deceived that we have to follow very closely what
happens in the green zones,” said Oganezova.
—
Susanna Petrosian is a journalist with Noyan Tapan news agency.

Voice of America
July 21 2004
Azerbaijani President: No Compromise in Country’s Territorial
Integrity
VOA News

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says his country will not
compromise its territorial integrity in a dispute with Armenia.
During a visit in northern Azerbaijan Wednesday, President Aliyev
said concessions on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity are not even a
topic of discussion.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh, an
ethnic Armenian enclave that declared independence from Azerbaijan in
1988. A six-year war over the area claimed some 35,000 lives.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov held talks
in Washington with Secretary of State Colin Powell and other
officials.
A State Department spokesman says talks with Secretary Powell Tuesday
focused on bilateral ties and cooperation in the global war against
terrorism. The spokesman says Mr. Powell stressed Washington’s
continued support for political and economic reform in the former
Soviet republic.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
July 19, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]
ADMINISTRATION’S OPPOSITION TO A GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
WILL NOT SERVE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
Washington, DC – The Bush Administration’s determination to bloc any
Congressional resolution reaffirming the Armenian Genocide will further
erode Washington’s ability to normalize relations between Armenia and
Turkey, the Armenian Assembly said Monday.
“It is obvious that there is ample bipartisan support to pass any
legislation on this subject, therefore the Administration’s latest statement
on the issue was totally unnecessary, and at best, it only served to further
pander to Turkey, just as President Bush did during the recent NATO
Conference,” Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian said.
During the NATO Conference in Istanbul last month, President Bush described
Turkey as a “strong, secular democracy, a majority Muslim society, and a
close ally of free nations” and said “your country, with 150 years of
democratic and social reform, stands as a model to others” – totally
ignoring the dark days of the 1915-16 Armenian Genocide during the final
days of the Ottoman Empire.
“In its most recent statement, the Administration says its goal is to
bolster reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia along with greater
cooperation between the two countries, and yet it continues to contribute to
Turkish intransigence,” Barsamian said.
“Despite four years of pressure from the United States, Turkey has not
appreciably changed its hostile policies against Armenia. It has not lifted
its blockade of Armenia, thus maintaining the only closed border in Europe,
or established diplomatic relations with its neighbor. The Administration is
wrong on the facts regarding Turkey-Armenia relations, wrong on its policies
and wrong in its politics – international and domestic,” Barsamian added.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-069

Associated Press Worldstream
July 19, 2004 Monday 2:58 PM Eastern Time
Nagorno-Karabakh hands over Azerbaijani serviceman
BAKU, Azerbaijan
Authorities in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave said Monday that they
handed over an Azerbaijani soldier who they said had been detained
when he crossed a cease-fire line last month.
The handover of the 19-year-old serviceman, detained June 30, was
carried out after consultaions with reprsentatives of the
International Committee of the Red Cross, a commission on prisoners
of war in Nagorno-Karabakh said. It said Azerbiajiani authorities
agreed to the handover.
Armenian-backed forces won control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a largely
ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, in a 1988-94 war that killed
some 30,000 people and drove a million from their homes.
Despite a cease-fire, the two countries continue to face off across a
heavily fortified no man’s land, and shooting occasionally erupts. No
final settlement has been reached, and the conflict continues to
aggravate economic troubles and threaten unrest in Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

Agence France Presse — English
July 16, 2004 Friday 3:21 AM Eastern Time
Iraqi Christian, Shiite Muslim stand firm in face of extremists
by SEBASTIEN BLANC
BAGHDAD
Attackers wreck five liquor stores along the same Baghdad street but
amid the rubble a Christian and a Shiite Muslim say their friendship
is stronger than the Islamist extremists’ hatred of alcohol.
Vartan Sarkissian, 51, an Iraqi Armenian whose family fled to Baghdad
to escape the 1915 genocide under the Ottoman Empire, lives in a
Christian neighbourhood around Al-Thariba avenue.
The busy shopping street is also home to his Shiite friend, Salah
Abdallah, despite being outnumbered nine-to-one by Christians.
The 38-year-old car salesman has an apartment in a building near
Vartan’s shop, which sells mobile telephones.
The pair, both sporting moustaches, are good friends. Their children
play together. Every now and then they even share a small glass of
something alcoholic.
And Salah, a moderate Muslim, is on occasion invited to the local
church to attend family events.
He has a figure of Jesus at the front of his car as “a present from
my Christian friends”, Salah explained, adding that he really enjoyed
Mel Gibson’s blockbuster, “The Passion of Christ”.
The two friends were, naturally, shocked by the bomb attacks which
took place overnight Wednesday against five liquor stores along their
street. It reduced the shop fronts to rubble and also wrecked several
neighbouring stores.
Vartan’s mobile phone outlet was partially damaged.
“We do not want an extremist in a turban ruling Iraq. It is not
possible to set up an Islamist regime here,” said Salah, who blamed
militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr for the
attack.
Such men adhere to a strict line of Islam and frown on any
association with alcohol.
“Moqtada has divided the Shiites,” who represent around 60 percent of
the Iraqi population, said Salah.
“But these attacks are not going to affect our relationship with the
Christians. They are our brothers and are always welcome here,” he
said.
Despite the strong sentiment, the violence does have an adverse
effect.
Vartan can name five or six families who have recently left the
country for Syria or fled to Iraqi Kurdistan in the north.
“It is sad because they are people we have welcomed for 20 years,”
agreed Salah.
His Christian friend appeared set to weather the storm, however. “I
will repair my shop and pray for those people who have lost their
sense of social responsibility,” Vartan said.
Vartan does not blame Iraqi Muslims for the violence that has raged
in the country for the past 15 months.
“It is simply a case of establishing what their goals are to find who
is pushing from behind: it is Iran,” he said.
Salah and Vartan said they were prepared to begin communal patrols,
armed with Kalashnikov riffles, to help secure the neighbourhood.
“I will protect him and he will protect me. We are not just
neighbours we are friends and brothers,” said Vartan.
“He is like an uncle to my son. There are people who want to break
the bonds in Iraq between Christians and Muslims. They will not
succeed,” said the Armenian.

ArmenPress
July 13 2004
ARMENIA SEES GROWTH IN TOURISM
YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS: Arthur Zakarian, head of a trade and
economic development ministry department for tourism, told Armenpress
that the geography of foreign tourists visiting Armenia is expanding
and visitors from EU countries are set to exceed those coming form
ex-Soviet republics.
According to him, this is the indication that Armenia is becoming
gradually a tourist attraction for Europeans. “Armenian tourists
industry sees annual growth and potentially has all prospects for
becoming one of the largest sector of the Armenian economy,” he said.
He said the number of foreign travelers visiting Armenia rose by
12 percent to approximately 33,000 in the first quarter of this year.