Author: Chmshkian Vicken

REGULAR SITTING OF EU-ARMENIA COOPERATION COUNCIL TO BE HELD IN AUTUMN
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 5 sitting of the commission
on cooperation and partnership between the RA and European communities
and their memeber states, chaired by the commission chairman, RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian, the report on the work carried out by
the working groups with the aim of developing a National Program was
discussed. Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy David Avetisian
noted that the European Commission expressed satisfaction at the
progress made by Armenia with respect to developing the National
Program. This assessment was given in February at the Brussels
meeting of the RA government, the EU-funded Armenian-European Policy
and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC) and high-ranking officials of the
European Commission. The European Commission pledged to provide
additional assistance for this work. According to the RA Government
Information and PR Department, a regular sitting of the EU-Armenia
cooperation council is scheduled in the autumn of 2005. The European
Commission intends to discuss at the session Armenia’s progress in
the development and implementation of the national program of the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and to develop its actvities
aimed at assisting the program implementation.

Azerbaijan’s Aliev Seeks Polish Help for European Integration
Jamestown Foundation
05 April 2005    
Fariz Ismailzade
   
After visits to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China, Azerbaijan’s President
Ilham Aliev reversed course and paid a visit to a European country —
Poland — on March 30. The trip refuted speculations that Azerbaijan
was gradually shifting its foreign policy course towards the East.
The visit was important from two perspectives: Poland’s involvement
in energy transport issues in Azerbaijan and the political-military
assistance that Poland can render to Azerbaijan in its efforts to
integrate with European institutions. “We should do our utmost to
widen our links in numerous fields,” Aliev said in Warsaw (Baku Sun,
April 1). Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski responded by saying
that Poland was ready to help Azerbaijan integrate into Euro-Atlantic
structures (Zerkalo, March 31).
As in his visits to other countries, economic issues dominated
President Aliev’s program. The inclusion of Minister of Economic
Development Farkhad Aliev (no relation to President Aliev) and the
head of the Customs Committee, Kamaleddin Heydarov, in the delegation
has become a regular feature of the President’s visits. This shows
the vital role that President Aliev gives to the issues of foreign
investment, bilateral trade, and increased economic cooperation.
During Aliev’s visit to Poland, the governments of the two countries
signed several economic agreements on topics such as mutual trade
and economic cooperation, double taxation, and mutual protection of
investments (Azeri Times, April 1). President Aliev also met with
Polish businessmen and encouraged them to invest in the Azerbaijani
economy by describing the recent legal and economic reforms in the
country. A group of Polish private sector representatives already
visited Baku several years ago (Azeri Times, April 1). Poland, which
has recently joined the European Union, can serve as a good model
for — as well as an advocate of — Azerbaijan, which also aspires
to become a member of the EU in the future.
Yet, potential cooperation in the oil and gas sector overshadowed all
other issues. Poland seemed very eager to cooperate with Azerbaijan
on the issue of oil and gas transit from the Caspian region. This
topic has been active since 1998, when Poland’s President Kwasniewski
visited Azerbaijan. On April 3 ANS television’s weekly analytical
program claimed that Poland’s interest in this issue comes from
its desire to lower its dependence on Russian energy supplies. One
way Poland could boost its role in the East-West energy transport
corridor is by extending the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline from Ukraine
to the Polish port of Gdansk on the Baltic Sea. President Kwasniewski
has repeatedly mentioned this idea during bilateral talks.
The project is a worthwhile consideration, if for no other reason than
it would boost the trade between Poland and GUAM members (Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) and lower their dependence on Russia
transit routes. However, in order to fully realize this idea, two
factors are required: increased amounts of oil coming from the Caspian
and reversing the flow of the Odessa-Brody pipeline (currently it
is running southward carrying Russian oil to the Black Sea.) Newly
elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has already expressed
his intention to reverse the course of that pipeline. As for the
first factor, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili recently visited
Kazakhstan where he actively urged President Nursultan Nazarbayev to
ship some Kazakh oil to Europe through Georgia and Ukraine. Nazarbayev
has reportedly promised to send a governmental delegation to Azerbaijan
to discuss the tariff issues (Echo, April 2). Should these issues be
resolved, Poland could become another important outlet for Caspian oil,
which would further strengthen the European integration of Azerbaijan.
Another issue emphasized in the bilateral talks was military
cooperation. Azerbaijani Minister of Defense Safar Abiev was added
to the delegation specifically for this topic. Unlike China, Poland
has even signed a special agreement with Azerbaijan in the sphere of
military-technical cooperation and assistance.
Poland, having recently become a member of NATO, can offer Azerbaijan
priceless lessons in terms of modernizing its army, raising it to
NATO standards, and conducting military exercises and training for
soldiers and officers. Poland could also become a strong advocate
of Azerbaijan inside the European political and military structures,
especially on the issue of the Karabakh conflict.
During the bilateral talks, President Kwasniewski reportedly
said that Poland supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
believes that the Karabakh conflict should be resolved according to
international law. “Baku’s offer to give the broadest level of autonomy
to Nagorno-Karabakh is worth considering,” President Kwasniewski said
(ANS TV, April 3).
–Boundary_(ID_ICs8KorDS0y+43Yjf8347g)–

The Tribune, India
Sunday, April 3, 2005, Chandigarh, India
Vatican announces new Bishops
Vatican City
Pope John Paul II has appointed two new archbishops and papal ambassadors
and accepted the resignations of three other prelates, the Vatican said
today as the Pope lay on his deathbed.
A Vatican statement said the Pope had approved the new appointments on March
12, before his rapid deterioration.
He named Bishop Manuel Urena Pastor Archbishop of Zaragoza in Spain, and
accepted the resignation of his predecessor, Elias Yanes Alvarez.
The Pope also accepted the resignation of Nerses Der Nersessian as Bishop
for Armenian Catholics in eastern Europe, naming Bishop Nechan Karakeheyan
as his successor and elevating him as Archbishop.
He accepted the resignation of Bishop Vartan Kechichian, the Armenian
coadjutor bishop.
The Vatican said the Pope also appointed Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, formerly
Nuncio in Tanzania, as Nuncio – or Ambassador – to El Salvador and Bishop
Giambattista Diquattro to Panama, elevating him as Archbishop. – AFP
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon
Professor Shahe Kazarian at Haigazian University:
Humor Styles, Well-Being & Family Health
“Sense of humor a day keeps the shrink away”, was the opening
statement of lecture by Dr. Shahe Kazarian, Chair of the Department of
Social and Behavioral Sciences at the American University of Beirut,
Lebanon, and author of 2 books on diversity psychology and law enforcement.
During his lecture delivered at Haigazian University on March 31,
2005, Prof. Kazarian explained humor in 4 contexts: Sense of Humor, Humor
Styles, Link between Humor Styles and Personal Well-Being, and the link
with Family Health.
According to Kazarian, Humor is multifaceted; the cognitive ability is
marked in terms of remembering jokes, the aesthetic response is defined by
the degree of appreciating humor & jokes in general, the habitual pattern
is when humor becomes a character trait, and finally when humor is used as
a coping strategy.
In the same context, Dr. Kazarian introduced the notion of the
facilitative hypothesis, which considers the sense of humor as a
facilitative agent in daily life, thus enhancing physical, psychological
and social well-being.
On Humor Styles, Kazarian stressed on the way humor is used, meaning
it can be beneficial to a person’s well-being, as well as detrimental, the
other extreme.
In elaborating more on the Beneficial Humor Styles, Kazarian
highlighted the concept of self-enhancing humor, which means cheering
oneself, using humor to cope with stress, and adopting a humorous outlook
to life, and the concept of Affiliative Humor explained by joking around,
saying witty statements, laughing with an amusing others.
On the other hand, Detrimental Humor can be self-defeating and
hostile. This is achieved when humor is used to amuse others at one’s
expense, to make fun of others, and sometimes to hide other inner feelings.
In extreme cases, humor can be offensive and manipulative.
Dr. Kazarian concluded his lecture by relating humor to Family Health.
Research conducted in Canada, the AUB, Haigazian University and elsewhere
has shown that hostile humor is much strongly correlated with family health
than beneficial humor. Criticizing and picking on children could have
negative drawbacks on their developments, and in the long run affect their
personality.
This interactive and cheerful lecture organized by the Cultural Hour
at Haigazian University came after a short break to cheer the audience
after the past tragic events that hit Lebanon.

EastsideBoxing.com
Australian Boxing News
31.03.05 – By Anton Williams: Anthony Mundine is currently sparing world
light heavyweight contender Paul Briggs on the Gold Coast and has raised a
few eyebrows by requesting the services of Manny Siaca ahead of his world
title fight with Mikkel Kessler in Sydney on May 11th. Reports suggest that
Mundine is training harder than ever and the last training session with
Briggs was as brutal a sparring session as any in recent times. Briggs is
reported to have said that Mundine is looking fitter and stronger than ever
and is now “prepared to get his hands dirty” in order to prepare for what he
(Mundine) says is the biggest fight of his life. Stay tuned for further
developments.
In other boxing news Kostya Tszyu is training upwards of six hours a day at
the Institute of Sport in Canberra (Australia’s number 1 elite sports
training academy) in preparation for his June 4 World Title Fight with Ricky
Hatton in Manchester, England. The fight which is scheduled for 2am to
satisfy American TV commitments was sold out in a British Sporting Record
time of 2 hours. With 22000 Englishmen booing an Aussie it promises to be a
great fight.
My early prediction is that with Hatton being a fighter that gets hit a lot
and Tszyu being the hardest hitting junior welterweight I have seen, Kostya
should stop Hatton in no more than 5 rounds. Still on Kostya. With only one
year left in the fight game he is already looking to promote fights and has
taken up managing an incredibly gifted and powerful fighter by the name of
Anton Solopov who interestingly enough beat Miguel Cotto(World Champ) as an
amateur. For the record Kostya has stated he has 3 fights left in him. The
Hatton fight, one in Russia, (his homeland) and one here in Sydney so
whatever you do try not to miss his last three fights because it will be a
while until we see another tough, gifted and incredibly humble champion like
him.
Also it has been Thirty Years since the Flyweight Division has been unified
(to hold two or more Titles in the One Division). Vic Darchinyan recently
won the IBF Flyweight World Title and has a remarkable record of 22 Fights
for 22 Wins (17 KO’s).
One of the most devastating punchers ever seen in the lower weight classes
in many years (he benchpresses close to 250lb), Vic Darchinyan impressed
Jeff Fenech at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games whilst representing Armenia,
building up an impressive amateur record of 152 wins from 170 bouts. The
former world champion saw something special in the big punching southpaw and
he has been proven correct.
Darchinyan left a trail of destruction when winning the IBF flyweight world
title from long standing and previously undefeated Irene Pacheco. The
“Raging Bull” is now looking towards world domination in the flyweight
division. I’ll keep you updated on his progress over the coming months.
Other World Class Boxers that will feature in future news include Nedal
‘Skinny’ Hussein, Lovemore NDOU as well as the captain of Australia’s 2004
Olympic Boxing Team to Athens, Jamie PITTMAN. If you want me to cover a
fighter here in Australia just let me know and I’ll hunt him down for you.
Until next week this Eastside Boxing’s roving reporter in Sydney, Australia.
Anton Williams

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
March 31, 2005
___________________
DIOCESE RAISES MORE THAN $60,000 FOR TSUNAMI
On Wednesday, May 30, 2005, the Eastern Diocese presented a check to the
National Council of Church’s Church World Service (CWS) to fund tsunami
relief efforts in Asia.
More than $66,000 was raised by parishes and individual donations, and
channeled to the CWS through the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), which
has a history of providing relief to victims of extraordinary natural
disasters.
“As the world stepped forward to help our fellow Armenians after the
devastating earthquake, so too have Armenians shown time and time again
our Christian spirit of helping our fellow man,” said Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern). “I thank all those who gave to help those in need so far
away. It could have been easy to see the suffering on television and
done nothing to help, but so many were moved to give generous gifts of
support.”
Bishop Vicken Aykazian, diocesan legate and ecumenical officer is a
leader in the National Council of Churches (NCC) and was involved in
organizing the Diocesan-wide fund-raising efforts. On behalf of the
Diocese, he delivered the check to Rev. John McCullough, executive
director of CWS, the NCC’s international relief organization.
The funds raised by the Armenian community will be used by CWS for
long-term, on-going relief work in the areas devastated by the December
tsunami. CWS has been working in the area for several decades and has
staff on the ground in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India.
Assistance efforts include providing medical and psychological help,
installing water systems, and delivering food.
“Church World Service is an ecumenical organization, sponsored by the
Armenian Church and other denominations — Orthodox, Protestant, and
Anglican. So it is truly doing the work of God,” Bishop Aykazian said.
“Our community came together to offer our support, and then we came
together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to provide relief to
the victims of that terrible tragedy.”
— 3/31/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Bishop Vicken Aykazian, diocesan legate and
ecumenical officer, presents a check for $66,000 to Rev. John
McCullough, executive director of Church World Service, the
international aid organization of the National Council of Churches. The
money, raised by parishes and through individual donations, will be used
for long-term relief of victims of December’s Asian tsunami.

The Providence Journal (Rhode Island)
March 22, 2005 Tuesday
West Bay
School board chief discards history curriculum resolution
BENJAMIN N. GEDAN, Journal Staff Writer
Member Andrea Iannazzi’s proposal was aimed at encouraging deeper
discussion of events such as the Holocaust.
CRANSTON – School Committee member Andrea Iannazzi had hoped that her
curriculum resolution would yield deeper discussions in high school
classes of history’s darkest moments.
But last night, she didn’t even get to discuss it.
School Committee Chairman Gordon Palumbo refused to include the
resolution in the agenda, preventing any vote. It was the first time
he exercised that prerogative as chairman.
Palumbo said history classes already teach about the slave trade, the
Armenian genocide and the Holocaust, topics Iannazzi looked to
promote in her resolution.
“It’s already there,” Palumbo said yesterday of the curriculum. Of
Iannazzi’s resolution, he said, “It’s counterproductive.”
Public school classes also discuss Benito Mussolini’s dictatorship in
Italy, the Irish potato famine, and apartheid in South Africa, the
other topics cited by Iannazzi.
Iannazzi wanted her resolution to encourage more thorough discussions
of human rights in the city’s public school curriculum. Discussion of
the issues, she said, could help discourage racism and homophobia
among students.
Last night, she did not mention the resolution during the meeting.
But she said she planned to write a new version as a proposed policy
change, hoping to solicit input from faculty, and gain support during
the month preceding a School Committee vote.
Her resolution has already been endorsed by City Council President
Aram G. Garabedian
“I think it has a better chance of passing in that format,” Iannazzi
said. “I am absolutely, one hundred percent committed.”

The Boston Globe
March 20, 2005, Sunday THIRD EDITION
IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE EARTH
PHOTOJOURNALIST CAPTURES BIG DIG
by By Ron Fletcher, Globe Correspondent
Camouflage no longer defines Michael Hintlian’s wardrobe. The
photojournalist’s predawn groping for a pair of duck bib overalls,
safety vest, and hard hat has ended. Four thousand rolls of film
later, his attire differs once again from that of the Big Dig workers
whom he spent seven years chronicling unofficially. Morning musings
now revolve around ideas other than how to slip unnoticed into a crew
of ironworkers or piledrivers.
These days, when he returns to the sites and sights he visited
thrice-weekly, it’s in the humdrum role of commuter.
“I’ll still take a few shots of the project from my car
window as I’m driving through town,” said Hintlian. “Even though the
bulk of the work is done, there are still some interesting things
going on. I can’t quite accept that my work there is over. It’s like
Frankenstein’s obsession, but one I certainly don’t regret.”
>>From 5,000 prints, Hintlian has culled 65 black-and-white shots that
capture the trials and triumphs of the country’s largest public works
project. They appear in the recently published book “Digging: The
Workers of Boston’s Big Dig.” In images that convey the menace and
promise of iron, steel, and concrete, Hintlian has highlighted the
faces, arms, hands, and torsos of some of the Dig’s 5,000 workers. In
them, you glimpse the living that takes place between the taxing
shifts.
“My core interest was exploring where work and worker meet,” said
Hintlian. He recalled the very first shot he took, an image that did
not make it into the book but remains a personal favorite.
“It was early in the project, back in 1997,” said Hintlian. “This
group of ironworkers were doing some preliminary work, rigging a huge
beam. I caught this image of their arms just their arms coming into
contact with the wire cable and the steel column. That dazzled me.
That opened the door.”
Hintlian’s previous work focused on the plight of Armenians after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union. With the Big Dig project, which
initially seemed like a welcome distraction from the grief and
struggle throughout his grandfather’s post-genocide homeland,
Hintlian unearthed some common denominators and evolved as a
photographer.
“Photographers often struggle with the classification of their work:
Is it art? Is it journalism? Is it lasting or fleeting?” said
Hintlian, 56.
“I’ve begun to see my work more in terms of history,” he said. “I
hope and trust that I’m putting together a body of work that in 50 or
100 years will add to our understanding of what happened in a
particular place at a particular time to particular people, whether
it’s Armenia or downtown Boston.”
A full-time photojournalist, Hintlian remains well aware of the
momentous events he missed during his subterranean days in Boston. “I
would have gone to Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Hintlian, “but I was
too deep into this project. Also . . . I was finding a voice and
direction I’d been looking for as a photographer. I was learning not
to let my conscious mind get in the way. . . . I can’t wait to return
to Armenia with this new approach to what I do.”
Though Hintlian now drives through the city in civilian clothing,
he recalls fondly his days among the hard-hatted workers.
“I had this, well, tool that weighed 19 ounces, while they handled
tons of steel,” said Hintlian. “Still, we were both there to build
something, bolt by bolt or image by image.”
Michael Hintlian will discuss his Big Dig photographs at the Old
South Meeting House at 310 Washington St. Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Admission is free.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

World Expo celebrates future and past, but present butts in
Agence France Presse — English
March 27, 2005 Sunday 1:15 AM GMT
NAGAKUTE, Japan March 27 — The World Exposition that opened here last
week for a six-month run is a celebration of the glories of the past
and the promise of the future, but that has not stopped the realities
of the present from butting in.
After billions of dollars in investment and preparation, including a
new international airport, the first two days of the Expo were marred
by rain and snow which helped to make attendance below expected.
Crowds still had to wait for over an hour though to visit the main
attractions at the 21st century’s first World Exposition, which
organizers hope will draw 15 million visitors.
The longest lines included those to see a frozen mammoth dug up
in Siberia and humanoid robots and virtual reality shows put on by
Japanese companies.
Some guests found the robots were not to their tastes.
Four-year-old Kyoko Shimaya was approached by a neon light-beaming
security robot while she strolled their Expo ground with her mother
and friends on opening day Friday.
The bulky robot with an interactive, touch-panel display monitor —
developed by Sohgo Security Services — works as a tour guide by day
and at night searches for intruders.
“I like robots, but not this one,” she told the security robot,
while Sohgo officials looked on, managing to keep their grins.
For some of the Japanese media, one of the main attractions was the
South Korean pavilion where reporters spotted a map showing a small
island chain as belonging to South Korea. Japan also claims ownership
of the land in what has become an escalating dispute.
But, in a sign of what little attention Japan has paid to the island
row, most Japanese visitors did not notice the map and were more
interested in photos of hugely popular South Korean soap opera actor
Bae Yong-Joon.
“Oh, here is Yon-sama, here is Yon-sama,” a middle-age Japanese woman
said to her friends, using Bae’s nickname in Japan.
Today’s world showed up in a different way at the French site, where
a short film was projected on the walls and the ceiling of a large,
square room.
The audience was bombarded with images of poverty, pollution and
child labour, with the film ending in a message to think about future
generations.
“We wanted to show what was wrong, the ugly side of our world, and
later show what we can do to change,” said Kevin Berthon, a staff
member at the French display.
Current events also crept up for exhibitors from Kyrgyzstan, where
opposition protesters overran the hardline regime of Askar Akayev
one day before the opening of the Expo.
The Kyrgyz display was empty on opening day, with a simple note posted
reading that the exhibit would open soon.
Young Armenian economist Hasmik Muradyan was surprised by the reality
of the cost of living in Japan.
“Yesterday I went to a supermarket. One apple was 200 yen (nearly
two dollars). For that money, you can buy five kilograms (11 pounds)
of apples in my country,” said the 26-year-old, who works as a cashier
at a gift shop of the joint pavilion of the Caucasus countries Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia.
One preoccupation commonly shared, especially for participants from
warm countries, was the weather of central Japan, where occasional
light snow whirled in strong winds.
“One minute, it’s sunny. One minute, it’s snowing. The changing
weather is unique at this Expo,” said Isahk Yeop, secretary general
of the Malaysian ministry of natural resources and environment.
“It’s not like this in Malaysia,” he said.

PUTIN PAYS ROUTINE VISIT TO ARMENIA
RIA Novosti, Russia
March 24 2005
YEREVAN, March 24 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s President Vladimir Putin
and Mrs. Putin have arrived in Yerevan, Armenian capital, on a two-day
routine visit. Meeting them at the Zvartnotz airport were the host
country’s President Robert Kocharyan, Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan,
and Defense Minister Serge Sarkisyan.
Robert and Bella Kocharyan are treating Vladimir and Lyudmila Putin
to supper on the private presidential residence tonight.
Tomorrow, the two presidents are meeting at the negotiation table.
Gareghin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, will receive Mr. Putin
afterwards. President Putin will next appear at a gala opening of
the Year of Russia in Armenia.