Author: Emil Lazarian

WHY DID YERVAND ZAKHARYAN BECOME SO KIND?

Lragir.am
01 Aug 06

The mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan announced July 31 that the
problem of property of the residents of the neighborhood of Kozern
will be solved in the upcoming two months. The Office of the Defender
of Human Rights reports that Ombudsman Armen Harutiunyan sent the
second official letter July 28 to the mayor of Yerevan.

"I am worried that the recognition of rights of the citizens for
property throughout the expropriation for the development of Yerevan
is often rejected on false grounds," stated Armen Harutiunyan in
the letter.

Armen Harutiunyan informed Yervand Zakharyan that according to the
citizens, the commission set up to settle this problem says it only
deals with measurement and would not raise the issue of "viewing the
expropriated property as the property of the owner". We again propose
solving the problem of recognition of the right for property before
expropriation. Probably this became the last chord of "kindness"
of the mayor.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ILLEGAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME STATE PROPERTY

Lragir.am
01 Aug 06

The illegal buildings in Yerevan will become state property, announced
the mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan. He said there are about
112 thousand illegal buildings in Yerevan. The mayor mentioned that
inventory of these buildings is already underway. He also mentioned
that the buildings which comply with architectural standards will be
sold by auction.

"Every illegal building built on state land is built for the state,"
announced Yervand Zakharyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN KARABAKH THEY ARE EAGER TO KNOW WHY ARMENIA FOUNDATION DOES NOT HURRY

Lragir.am
01 Aug 06

The society in Nagorno Karabakh is worried why Armenia Foundation
does not hurry to start the reconstruction of Martakert, for which 7
million dollars were raised during the November 2005 telethon. The
Lragir has wrote about this for several times, pointing to the
controversies between the NKR government and the leadership of Armenia
Foundation. We have written that the Karabakh government does not
want Naira Melkumyan to continue to be the chief executive of the
foundation. The prime minister of Karabakh announced two months
ago that the foundation is to blame for postponing the project
of reconstruction of Martakert. Afterwards the foundation made an
official release on the reconstruction of the project of Martakert.

The Karabakhopen.com published an article by Murad Petrosyan, the
editor of the Chto Delat Newspaper in Stepanakert where the author
says the reason of the slow pace of the foundation is that in the
Armenian reality moral reputation, sense of duty and organizational
abilities are overlooked in appointing key officials.

"If Ms. Melkumyan, the executive director of Armenia Foundation
possessed the abovementioned traits, would she sit on 5 million
dollars, which have a definite addressee, for 8 months?" asks Murad
Petrosyan.

He says the later construction of infrastructure in Martakert is
put out to tender and the longer the money for construction remains
in the bank, the more income the money will bring. "And if now Ms.

Melkumyan pays herself a salary of 2000 U.S. dollars, soon she will
be able to increase this sum up to 3-4 thousand. If presently she
has three managers and three assistants, soon she will be able to
increase their number up to 6," writes Murad Petrosyan. However, he
says, it would be wrong to blame only Naira Melkumyan for the slow
reconstruction of Martakert.

"First of all, the one who appointed her is to blame. Second, the NKR
government and NKR President Ghukasyan are to blame for this situation,
as well as the government of Armenia, and especially Robert Kocharyan,
who is the president of the board of trustees of Armenia Foundation,"
thinks Murad Petrosyan.

According to him, the laziness of the president of the board of
trustees would be explicable if only Artsakh were dissatisfied with
the activities of the foundation. Murad Petrosyan says, however,
that complaints were heard on the airwaves of Radio Liberty, which
is broadcast in the large Armenian Diasporan communities. Murad
Petrosyan writes that this is the reason why he cannot understand
the calm attitude of Robert Kocharyan towards all this, especially
that soon there will be another telethon for Shushi and Hadrut.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
08/01/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1. Sen. Biden Delays Senate Foreign Relations Committee Vote On Hoagland
Nomination
2. Aram I Says Israel Must Stop Massacre of Lebanese People
3. Minsk Group Co-Chairs to Discuss Peace Process in Paris

1. Sen. Biden Delays Senate Foreign Relations Committee Vote On Hoagland
Nomination

WASHINGTON–Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), the Ranking Democrat on the Foreign
Relations Committee, was joined today by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) in
forcing a
month-long delay in the Committee’s vote on the controversial nomination of
Richard Hoagland to replace the current US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
The controversy within the Foreign Relations Committee over the Hoagland
nomination began with Senator Biden’s June 23rd letter asking Secretary of
State Rice Condoleezza Rice to respond to a series of questions, including
specific inquiries about reports that the current Ambassador had been recalled
due to his having "accurately described the Armenian Genocide as genocide."
The
debate over the merits of the nomination heated up during the June 28
confirmation hearing due to the nominee’s evasive and unresponsive answers to
straightforward questions posed by panel members about US policy on the
Armenian Genocide. Following the hearing, Ambassador-designate Hoagland, in a
sharp departure from established Administration practice, responded to a
written Senate inquiry by questioning the genocidal intent of the perpetrators
of the Armenian Genocide, a denial tactic frequently used by the Turkish
government.
As a result of the intervention of Senators Biden and Kerry,
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s nomination will not be considered by the
Committee until the Committee’s next business meeting in September.
"The ANCA welcomes the leadership of Senators Biden and Kerry in ensuring
that
the Foreign Relations Committee has the time to more carefully consider the
implications–for both our foreign policy and our values as a nation–of
confirming a US Ambassador to Armenia who is on record denying the Armenian
Genocide," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "We appreciate, as well, the
principled efforts of Senators Allen, Boxer, Chafee, Coleman, Dodd, Feingold,
Kennedy, Reed, Sarbanes, and others to seek an honest explanation of the
firing
of Ambassador Evans, to explore the role of the Turkish government in his
recall, and to insist that the Administration clearly articulate its stand on
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide."
The panel’s decision comes in the wake of a nationwide campaign by the
ANCA–in Washington, DC and in grassroots communities across the country–to
demand answers concerning the recall of Amb. Evans and to educate Senators
about the adverse impact of sending an envoy to Armenia that has called into
question the genocidal character of Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of
its Armenian population. The ANCA has mobilized thousands of activists to
share
their views with their Senators and Representatives about the need for an
honest explanation of Ambassador Evans’ recall and, more broadly, the exact
outlines of the State Department’s policy on the Armenian Genocide.
As early as this February, Members of Congress, at the urging of the ANCA,
began pressing the State Department for a full, open, and official explanation
of the firing of the current US Ambassador to Armenia, over his truthful
comment last year on the Armenian Genocide. Despite a series of Congressional
letters and questions posed during Congressional testimony by Secretary of
State Rice and other senior officials, the Administration failed to provide a
meaningful explanation of its decision to recall Ambassador Evans.
In the shadow of this controversy, Ambassador-designate Hoagland came before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 28 for a confirmation hearing,
alongside the President’s nominees to represent the US in Ireland and
Switzerland. During this hearing, Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Norm
Coleman
(R-MN) pressed Ambassador-designate Hoagland for answers about US policy on
the
Armenian Genocide. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) expressed serious reservations
concerning the circumstances of the nomination and the Administration’s policy
on the Armenian Genocide.
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s responses during the hearing, and later to
written questions submitted by panel members, were largely evasive,
characterized by repeated–often strained–efforts to avoid using the term
genocide, even while refusing to acknowledge that he had been instructed
not to
use this term. The following day, on June 29, the panel, and then the full
Senate, voted to confirm nominees for the ambassadors to Ireland and
Switzerland, but chose to not take any action on Hoagland’s nomination.
In the days that followed his confirmation hearing, Ambassador-designate
Hoagland responded to several dozen written questions concerning US policy on
the Armenian Genocide, the recall of Ambassador Evans, and the instructions he
had received regarding how to address this matter if confirmed by the Senate.
Among his written responses to a series of questions posed by Senator Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), was a deeply troubling, morally objectionable and historically
inaccurate indication that the Armenian Genocide did not meet the US
definition
of genocide because of the absence of a "specific intent" on the part of the
perpetrator. This denial of the Armenian Genocide–which went far beyond the
bounds of the Administration’s traditional policy–prompted the ANCA to
announce its formal opposition to Richard Hoagland’s nomination on July 18.
Soon after, the ANCA determined that, according to Department of Justice
records, the State Department had misled the US Senate about its
communications
with the Turkish government concerning the February 2005 public affirmation of
the Armenian Genocide by Ambassador Evans. In a letter, dated June 28th,
written on behalf of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Senator Biden, the
State Department denied that the Turkish government had even approached the
Administration on this issue. However, official Foreign Agent Registration Act
filings by the Turkish government’s registered foreign agent, the Livingston
Group, document that, in the days following Ambassador Evans’ February 19,
2005
remarks, one of Turkey’s agents communicated on at least four different
occasions with State Department officials concerning the envoy’s statement and
his subsequent retraction.
To date, half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including Senators
George Allen (R-VA), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Lincoln Chafee
(R-RI), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Russell Feingold (D-WI),
John Kerry (D-MA) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), have contacted Secretary Rice or
questioned Ambassador Designate Hoagland directly regarding the Armenian
Genocide. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with over
sixty members of the House have also expressed serious concerns to the State
Department on this matter.
For a comprehensive overview of documents regarding the firing of Ambassador
Evans and the Hoagland controversy, please visit anca.org

2. Aram I Says Israel Must Stop Massacre of Lebanese People

ANTELLIAS, LebanonHis Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia
tersely condemned the bombing of a building in the southern Lebanese city of
Qana, calling it a massacre.
"What has happened in Qana, South Lebanon by Israel, is outrageous, inhumane
and against all international laws and conventions," the Catholicos said in a
statement to the international press.
"I simply do not understand how Israel describes as ‘a technical error’ the
shelling with his advanced and sophisticated war machine a building where
children, women, sick and disabled people have taken refuge. All sorts of
justifications or clarifications provided by Israel are unacceptable in the
face of this human tragedy," said Aram I.
Speaking about the continuing attacks, Aram I said: "Was the shelling by
Israel of a UN observer post in South Lebanon, which took the lives of four UN
observers a `technical error’? Was the pounding of civilian cars, ambulances
and trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the refugees ‘a technical error’? Was
the destruction of roads, bridges, electricity supplying centers and
infrastructures it ‘a technical error’? Was the bombing of building housing
hundreds of families ‘a technical error’?"
Aram I emphatically added that "This war must end. It must stop immediately
and without any condition. Innocent people are being killed, families are
being
destroyed; Lebanon is on the brink of collapse and people are still dealing
with diplomacy. One cannot remain indifferent before human slaughter… We
must
protect human life by all means. The UN and the powers of this world must act
firmly on this basis. This is the realistic way of dealing responsibly with
this complex and critical situation. First protection of life and only then
creation of proper conditions for diplomacy and for the settlement of the
conflict. Therefore, I add my voice to the Spiritual Leaders, both Muslem and
Christian, of Lebanon, to appeal to the international community, for an
immediate cease-fire."

3. Minsk Group Co-Chairs to Discuss Peace Process in Paris

BAKU (Armenpress, RFE/RL)–The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will assess the
recent visit by US Co-chairman Matthew Bryza to the region during a two-day
meeting, which was scheduled to begin to day in Paris, reported Armenpress.
Bryza is going to present the results of his regional visit to his French and
Russian counterparts, Trend news agency reported
Meanwhile, President Ilham Aliyev again rejected any resolution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would not put Karabakh under Azeri control
ahead
of talks with a visiting top US negotiator on Tuesday, reported Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty
"Azerbaijan will never–neither today, nor tomorrow and under no
circumstances
— agree to Nagorno-Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan," Aliyev told his
cabinet in remarks reported by Azeri newspapers on Tuesday. "The issue of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity can not be a subject of negotiations."
Aliyev and his Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov were meeting later in the
day with Bryza. "I do not have much to tell you at the moment," the Azeri ANS
television quoted Bryza as telling reporters in Baku. "Actually, there is
nothing [new] to speak about."
Aliyev has repeatedly demanded restoration of Azeri control over Karabakh in
recent months amid fading hopes for an Armenian-Azeri agreement which
international mediators hoped will be signed this year. However, a framework
peace accord proposed by a team of American, French and Russian mediators
seems
to allow for the possibility of Karabakh’s independence or reunification with
Armenia. The three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group favor a gradual
resolution
of the dispute that would culminate in a referendum of self-determination in
Karabakh.
Bryza confirmed over the weekend that under the terms of the proposed deal,
the disputed region’s status would be decided by the "people of Karabakh." He
indicated that this includes the region’s former Azeri residents that were
forced to flee their homes during the 1991-94 war.
Bryza spoke with RFE/RL in Yerevan after holding talks with President Robert
Kocharian and before proceeding to Stepanakert where he met with the
leadership
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic president Arkady Ghoukassian told reporters after
the meeting that he briefed Bryza on the Stepanakert government’s position on
the conflict which he said is "somewhat different from the approaches favored
by the co-chairs." "I think Mr. Bryza understands that it is impossible to
settle the conflict without Karabakh’s participation," he said. "Not only he
but all the co-chairs realize that."
However, Bryza made it clear in his RFE/RL interview that it is the
presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan that must have the final say in the peace
process. He
downplayed in that regard the fact that he is apparently the most high-ranking
US government official to ever visit Karabakh.
"There is no statement of any sort that should be read from my visit to
Stepanakert other than that I am going there in my sole capacity as a co-chair
so I can understand better what the situation and what the views are of the
people that are living in Karabakh," Bryza said.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

In Wake of Hate Murder, Students Speak Out About Racism

St Petersburg Times, Russia,
Aug 1, 2006

By Ben Judah

Special to St. Petersburg Times

Jacques, is a 19-year old medical student from Senagal who studies
at St. Petersburg State University. He is not somebody who makes
enemies easily. Friendly and easy talk to, Jacques, who like other
foreign students interviewed in the wake of the acquital last week
of suspects in the race-hate murder of a Congolese student, asked
for his full name to not to be published.

Jacques will never forget his first few days in St. Petersburg.
Traveling home late on the metro, a group of skinheads began shouting
racial slurs as he mounted the escalator. Then they physically
assaulted him. Jacques ran for his life. He says this is not the only
time this has happened to him.

Amnesty International has described racism in Russia "as out of
control." Nineteen people have been killed in racially motivated
attacks this year, according to the Sova Center, a group that
monitors extremist activity, and another 166 people have suffered
serious injuries.

The news that a St. Petersburg jury last week cleared four suspects
of the murder of Congolese student Roland Epassak, the second time in
four months that a court has acquitted suspects of hate crimes, came as
no surprise to Jacques or many other foreign students from Africa and
Asia contacted to this article. For him, "the verdict just shows what
we experience every day. That this is an inherently racist country."

"Back in [the Senegalese capital] Dakar," he recalls, "I was thrilled
when I knew I was coming to St. Petersburg. Russia had been a great
friend to Africa in the past and the chance to study in a European
university seemed fantastic. I had no idea that racist feeling was
so strong here."

Now he wishes he’d never come.

"No black man should come to this country," he said. "They’d have
to be crazy. I am scared to walk the streets alone, especially after
the recent murders."

African students at the university dormitory on Korableistratelny
Ulitsa said that they had experienced violent aggression in St.
Petersburg more than once.

Samba, 20, who studies environmental management and is from also from
Senegal puts it bluntly: "Russians look at me like dirt. They talk
to me like a child. The police treat me as if I’m a drug dealer. And
everyone will stab you in the back if you’re black."

Chatting to Samba in the dormitory lift, it immediately became clear
that discrimination is a a daily occurance for balck people in St.
Petersburg. As the doors opened on the fourth floor, and a group of
young Russian women refused to get in, with one saying loudly "I’m
not getting in a lift with a nigger!"

On the sixth floor two, visibly drunk young men, got in. Turning to
Samba, they spat on the floor before walking straight out again. "You
see? Racism is a fact of life for us," Samba said.

It is not only black Africans who relate such experiences of life
in St. Petersburg. Jee Rao, 21, a South Korean exchange student and
fluent Russian speaker, has had similar experiences.

"They treat people who look like us differently," he said. "I have
found it very hard to make Russian friends, though many are very
kind. Still even some young people, look at me with disdain as
an Asian."

According to Hu Lee from Beijing racist feelings lurk only just below
the surface here.

"Russians do not like people from China. They may be polite, but they
do not treat us with the respect and friendliness they would give us
if we were white," he said.

Even some Jewish and Armenian students here for a semester from North
America have reported difficulties. Yitzhak, 20, from San Francisco
feels nervous.

"I don’t tell people I’m Jewish. I just don’t feel comfortable. The
atmosphere here is one of intolerance and open xenophobia," Yitzhak
said.

Pointing at the anti-Semitic graffiti that abounds around
Petrogradskaya metro station, Yitzhak just shrugs.

Talking about the issue with Russian students, reveals a great deal
of antipathy to the issues raised by xenophobia – and denial. Katya,
18, said "racism does not exist here."

As attacks have becoming increasingly vicious in character according
to the Sova Center, foreign students from Asia and Africa in St.
Petersburg are living on edge.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Toronto to Celebrate Creative Spirit With "Luminato"

CCNMatthews (press release), Canada
July 31, 2006

The Toronto Festival of Arts & Creativity Announces New Name, World
Premiere Programming and Internationally-renowned Arts CEO

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(CCNMatthews – July 31, 2006) – Luminato, the new
Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, was unveiled today with the
announcement of June 1-10, 2007 as the dates for the first of the
Festival’s annual celebrations.

The Festival, founded and co-chaired by Tony Gagliano, Executive
Chairman and CEO of St. Joseph Communications and David Pecaut,
Senior Partner at The Boston Consulting Group and Chair of the Toronto
City Summit Alliance, will celebrate the creative spirit across all
the arts each year. The Festival will feature the best of Canadian
and international artists in music, theatre, dance, visual arts,
film, design, literature and other disciplines. It will include both
ticketed and free events throughout the city engaging residents and
tourists in what is hoped to become, over time, one of the great arts
festivals in the world.

"Our vision started with the premise that Toronto, one of the most
culturally diverse cities in the world, has the potential to become
one of the most creative cities, as well," said Gagliano. "Luminato,
in time, will bring the best of the world to Toronto, and the best
of Toronto to the world."

An original name and brand was chosen to signal the festival’s unique
focus on celebrating creativity. "In choosing the Festival’s new name
– Luminato – we wanted to capture the essence of the creative spirit,
so we chose the notion of light, hence ‘lumina,’" said Pecaut. "It was
also important to capture the spirit of the city of Toronto itself,
which is exemplified by ‘TO.’ We hope ‘Luminato’ will become synonymous
with the power of the arts to enlighten all of us."

Following on an earlier announcement in July, the founders were
also pleased to formally introduce Luminato’s newly appointed Chief
Executive Officer, Janice Price. A veteran international arts leader,
Ms. Price was most recently President and CEO of The Kimmel Center
for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia and was both the Interim
Executive Director and Vice President of Marketing and Communications
at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Ms. Price began
her career in Toronto, working with the Hummingbird Centre for the
Performing Arts, the Stratford Festival and the Corporation of Massey
Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. She has also served as a board member for
Factory Theatre, the Toronto Dance Theatre, the United Way of Greater
Toronto and the Casey House Foundation of Toronto.

Ms. Price will lead the non profit organization in developing Luminato
into one of the world’s great arts festivals attracting a large local,
national and international audience to Toronto. "I’m looking forward
to reconnecting with Toronto artists and audiences," said Price. "I’ve
spent many years managing cultural facilities, and know first hand the
positive impact those facilities have in a community. But what drew me
to this amazing opportunity was the chance to come home and create a
truly world-class festival of artistic collaboration and creativity —
one that can expand beyond walls in its engagement with audiences."

The Festival has received significant support to date, including
generous contributions and backing from governments, as well as
numerous arts, business and civic leaders.

"The Government of Ontario is contributing $2-million in development
funding to help launch the first Luminato Festival," said The
Honourable Greg Sorbara, Ontario’s Minister of Finance. "This Festival
builds on the many creative investments in Toronto in recent years
and will provide an opportunity for us to invite the world to Toronto
each year to celebrate the creative achievements of both Canadian
and international artists."

The City of Toronto has also been very supportive in the development of
the Festival. "This festival fits with the City of Toronto’s broader
vision of building on Toronto’s reputation as a city rich in arts
and culture and underscores our desire to have Toronto become known
throughout the world as a creative city," said Mayor David Miller. "The
City is supportive of initiatives like this one."

Today’s announcement also provided a tantalizing glimpse of what
Torontonians and visitors can expect in the next year in terms of
the Festival’s programming. Luminato will begin on June 1, 2007 and
run through an exciting 10 day program, including the debut of world
premiere events. A sampling of the programming includes:

Opening Weekend – Royal Ontario Museum

The Festival will launch in conjunction with the opening of the
Royal Ontario Museum’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal on June 2, 2007. An
evening outdoor ceremony will feature the public debut of the dazzling
Daniel Libeskind-designed building, outdoor concerts and free museum
access all night long. There will be illuminations, entertainment,
and dancing in the street as the ROM celebrates the opening of the
Lee-Chin Crystal and kicks off a week of festivities for the Toronto
Arts Festival. Plans are also underway for a Luminato street festival
surrounding the ROM throughout the weekend.

"Not the Messiah" – by Spamalot creators Eric Idle and John Du Prez

Luminato and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra have commissioned an
oratorio from Spamalot Tony and Grammy Award winning duo Eric Idle
and John Du Prez to write the music and lyrics of a new work based on
Monty Python’s Life of Brian. The oratorio will be called "Not the
Messiah". The Festival is proud to present the world premiere. "It
will be funnier than Handel, though not as good," said Idle. Not the
Messiah will be conducted by Peter Oundjian, Music Director of the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra, who is also Eric Idle’s full cousin. It
will be performed by a narrator, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
with guest soloists and choir.

Visual Arts Display – Atom Egoyan and Kutlug Ataman –
"Auroras/Testimony"

"Auroras/Tes timony" will be a collaborative multi-media installation
created for the Festival with the Art Gallery of Ontario and exhibited
in a public space in Toronto. It is the world premiere of a co-creation
by two artists, an Armenian-Canada and a Turkish-Argentinean, who found
commonalities in each other’s work when introduced to one another in
New York last year.

Young Centre for the Performing Arts and The Distillery District

Throughout the ten days of the Festival, in the various venues of the
Young Centre for the Performing Arts and throughout the Distillery
District, celebrations will be held in theatre, dance, music, and
visual arts with the remarkable community of artists that live and
work in Toronto. As well as showcasing some of the most inspiring work
the artists have created, the Distillery portion of Luminato will
present original collaborations between disciplines and generations
with a particular emphasis on youth and emerging artists.

Closing Weekend – Waterfront – "Carnivalissima: A Spectacle of
the Senses"

Carnivalissima will be a bold celebration of Carnivals of the World,
including Brazilian, Caribbean, European, Lenten Winter Festivals
(Venice, Switzerland, Brussels, Spain), Latin and Mardi Gras.

Produced by Luminato and Harbourfront Centre, the Carnivalissima
will become a huge celebratory street party of carnivals, parades
and other spectacles, including a bold fusion of local, national and
international spectacle on the streets, on the stages, and in the
water. The Festival will use carnival traditions found in diverse
Toronto communities as a launching point for a carnival "extravaganza."

Additional information on Luminato can be found at

About Luminato

Luminato is a non-profit organization created to oversee the management
of the city’s most significant multi-disciplinary celebration of
artistic achievement and creativity launching in June 2007. The annual
festival will celebrate the creative spirit across all the arts. It
was formed as an initiative of the Toronto City Summit Alliance and by
leaders of Toronto’s arts and cultural communities. The Toronto City
Summit Alliance is a non-profit corporation dedicated to building
the Toronto region through broad civic leadership. The Alliance is
directed by a Steering Group of 50 leaders from the private, labour,
volunteer and public sectors and can be contacted through its website:
Torontoalliance.ca.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: U.S. MEDIATOR SAYS ELECTIONS NO OBSTACLE TO ACCORD

EurasiaNet, NY
July 31, 2006

Emil Danielyan 7/31/06
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not necessarily remain unresolved
even if Armenia and Azerbaijan fail to hammer out a framework peace
accord this year, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew
Bryza told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on July 29.

Bryza is the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is tasked
with facilitating negotiations to resolve the conflict. He insisted
that elections due in the two countries in 2007 and 2008 will not
present an insurmountable obstacle to a solution.

Finish The ‘Heavy Lifting’

"I think it’s possible to work through an election season and
still make progress," Bryza said. "It’s up to the [Armenian and
Azerbaijani] presidents as to whether or not they have enough good
will and political courage to do so…. It’s just easier, much easier,
if we get the heavy lifting done now."

Bryza said he hopes that presidents Ilham Aliev and Robert Kocharian
will iron out their differences in the coming months.

"Of course I’m still hopeful," he said. "If I weren’t hopeful, why
would I even want to put in an effort? This isn’t about theater;
it’s about results."

Looking For A Breakthrough

Bryza was speaking in Yerevan after what he described as "encouraging"
talks with Kocharian that marked the start of his first tour of the
conflict zone since his appointment as U.S. co-chair. He replaced
fellow State Department official Steven Mann in that position in
early June, following the failure of Kocharian’s last face-to-face
negotiations with Aliev. That failure all but dashed hopes for a
near-term solution to the Karabakh dispute.

In two subsequent statements, the mediating group’s U.S., French,
and Russian co-chairs indicated their frustration. They said they
will initiate no more Armenian-Azerbaijani talks until the two sides
display greater commitment to a lasting peace.

Bryza, who proceeded to the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, later on
July 29, said he is visiting the region to get "some more guidance
from the presidents themselves to determine how they would like to
take the process further."

He said he was assured by Kocharian that the Minsk Group plan is
essentially acceptable to Yerevan.

"I enjoyed hearing his account of where things stand and how we got
here," he said. "I felt a constructive, candid attitude on his part.
He was very open. And he helped me think through what sort of
recommendations I might bring to my fellow co-chairs."

‘There Is Political Will Here’

Asked whether he found the kind of "political will" for compromise
that was demanded by the mediators, Bryza replied: "I think there is
political will here, definitely, to keep the process going. There have
been public statements that the [Minsk Group’s proposed] framework,
the principles are agreeable [for Armenia].

"What’s never clear is whether or not there is enough will on both
sides to eliminate or to resolve the distance that still stands between
them," he added. "But I will just say I feel encouraged after today’s
discussions."

Armenian officials have claimed implicitly that the two rounds of
negotiations between Kocharian and Aliev this year collapsed because
the latter backtracked on his earlier acceptance of the key principles
of the peace plan that were officially disclosed by the Minsk Group
co-chairs last month. Bryza, however, was careful not to blame any
of the parties for the deadlock, saying that they both want to "enact
some changes to the ideas that are on the table."

"The principles that are on the table don’t constitute an agreement,"
Bryza said. "They are principles, suggestions. So it’s not possible for
anyone to walk away from an agreement, if there isn’t an agreement."

At the heart of those principles is the idea of holding a
referendum on Karabakh’s status after the liberation of most of the
Armenian-occupied districts in areas of Azerbaijan surrounding the
disputed enclave. Bryza confirmed that the mediators believe the
status should be decided by the "people of Karabakh"

"But the question is how do you define the people of Karabakh? And
there were residents there in 1988 who wish to participate," he added
in a clear reference to the region’s displaced Azerbaijani minority.
"All these things have still to be worked out as part of a broad
package."

No Breach Of Territorial Integrity

Aliev and other Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly stated in recent
weeks that they will never accept any deal that could legitimize
Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan. Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov was quoted by the day.az news service earlier this week
as indicating that Baku is only ready to let the Karabakh Armenians
decide the extent of their autonomy within Azerbaijan.

"The principle of self-determination does not mean a breach of
territorial integrity," Mammadyarov said.

This might explain why the leadership of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has expressed serious misgivings
about the proposed peace formula.

Bryza, who is apparently the highest ranking U.S. official ever
to visit Karabakh, appeared to downplay Stepanakert’s objections,
implying that Baku and Yerevan have the final say in the peace process.

"It’s really up to presidents Kocharian and Aliev whether or not they
will agree to the formula," he said. "We are just waiting for a sign
from the presidents as to whether or not they would like to restart
a formal process."

‘Now Is The Time’

Bryza, who traveled to Baku on July 30, also said he will meet the
group’s French and Russian co-chairs in Paris early next week to
brief them on the results of his shuttle diplomacy. The mediators
stressed in their recent statements that "now is the time" to resolve
the Karabakh conflict.

Some of them warned earlier that failure to do so before the end of
this year would keep the peace process deadlocked for at least three
more years. They pointed to parliamentary and presidential elections
due in Armenia in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and an Azerbaijani
presidential ballot scheduled for 2008. Many observers believe that it
will be even more difficult for each side to make painful concessions
to the other in the run-up to the polls.

But in an indication of the mediators’ fading hopes for 2006, Bryza
insisted that a Karabakh settlement will be feasible even during the
election period.

"I don’t necessarily feel that there needs to be a hard deadline
on the peace process," he said. "It’s better if we have a sense of
what compromises might be suggested before other political events
[in Armenia and Azerbaijan] move forward. But it doesn’t have to be
by the end of this year."

"I would argue that the elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan don’t pose
an obstacle to reaching an agreement," he continued. "They just pose
an additional complicating factor. It’s up to the presidents to guide
their populations or societies, their voters in whatever direction they
wish (a) to win the vote for themselves and their political parties,
but (b) to build support for the agreement.

"If the presidents succeed, with our help as mediators, in finalizing
and eliminating the final differences with regard to this framework
agreement and if they come up with an agreement that’s mutually
acceptable, that should be a plus in an election," Bryza argued.
"That’s a huge achievement that should actually help political
leaders and their parties to win votes. So it could be useful to
have elections. The is question is, though, will the presidents have
decided to take these tough decisions in time?"

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Etisalat and Orascom lose outbid for AmenTel

ITP Technology, United Arab Emirates
July 31, 2006

by Alex Ritman

Etisalat has lost the bidding for Armenian fixed and mobile operator
ArmenTel. According to the Russian news agency ComNews, the 90% stake
currently held by Greek telco OTE will go to a consortium consisting of
India’s VTEL holdings and Knightsbridge Associates, and also believed
to include Sistema Group of Russia. The Russian company is thought
to be taking control of ArmenTel’s monopoly fixed-line business with
the Indian and Armenian side of the consortium taking responsibility
for its mobile operations.

Following OTE’s announcement that it was to sell its 90% stake in
April, 10 parties announced their interest, including Etisalat,
Sistema, MTC of Kuwait and Belgium’s Belgacom. In June, OTE reduced
the number of bidders to four, namely Vimpelcom and MTS of Russia,
an Etisalat-backed consortium, and the winning group.

While the amount of the winning bid is as yet unknown, the 90% stake
is estimated to be worth over US$300 million.

As of April 2006, ArmanTel had a fixed-line subscriber base of around
595,000 subscribers and a mobile subscriber base of around 320,000.

Egyptian operator Orascom has also missed an expansion opportunity,
losing out in the auction for Serbian mobile operator Mobi 63 in the
Balkan country’s largest state-owned asset sale. Mobi 63, which has
over two million subscribers, eventually went to Norway’s Telenor
for US$1.9 billion. Telekom Austria was also involved in the auction.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian foreign trade deficit grows 21% in H1

Interfax, Russia
July 31, 2006

YEREVAN. July 31 (Interfax) – Armenia’s foreign trade deficit increased
21.2% year-on-year to $513.5 million in the first half of 2006,
a source in the National Statistics Service told Interfax.

Foreign trade increased 12.6% year-on-year to $1.389 billion in
January-June. Exports dropped 0.6% to $437.7 million, while imports
grew 19.9% to $951.2 million.

Foreign trade turnover amounted to $2.79 billion in 2005, up 35.1%
from 2004. The trade deficit was $850 million. tj

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress