Author: Emil Lazarian

ARONIAN’S NEW ACHIEVEMENT
AZG Armenian Daily
22/08/2006
The match between Levon Aronian and Peter Svidler to decide the world
champion in Chess960 (Fischer Random) came to its end in Hilton Hotel
in Mainz, Germany.
Levon Aronian took this honorable title from Peter Svidler of Russia
defeating him with the score 5:3.
Opening the match with two victories, Aronian succumbed the other day
allowing the Russian to equalize. In the game five playing black pieces
Aronian suffered another defeat thus giving Svidler the lead. But in
the last three games of the match Aronian overcame his rival making
the score 5:3.
Next year Levon Aronian will defend his title in a match against
Frenchman Etienne Bacrot.
In the Random Chess tournament held simultaneously in Mainz Vishvanatan
Anand of India overcame Azerbaijani Teimur Radjabov with the score 5:3.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“NKR IS FORMATED AND ANNNOUNCED AS AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC ON ITS LAND, WHICH HAS NOTHING COMMON WITH AZERBAIJAN”
ArmRadio.am
21.08.2006 09:49
“It is a fact that NKR is an independent and self-governmental republic
with state institutions and civic society. The Azerbaijanian government
can not accept this fact. The Azerbaijanian people have accepted this
fact long ago.
The government does not accept the NKR indepedance as in order to
stay in the government they have to look for external enimies and
have to load people with “all-national” problems. This is a strategy
which unfortunatly has justified itself. In reality I have not noticed
that the Azerbaijanian authorities have the wish to find the rational
solution of the problem”, said Arman Melikian, the counsellor of
foreign policy issues of the NKR President, to “Radionews” .
“I am more than confident: in order to solve the problem the NKR
participation is nessecary and there are also some other problems
which need to be disscused”, Melikian added.
“It is not new that Azerbaijan announces Nagorny Karabagh as a part
of Azerbaijan, but this is not the reality” told the former minister
of Foreign Affairs, now the counsellor of foreign policy issues of
the NKR President Arman Melikyan, evaluating the ordinary document
that Azerbaijan is spreading within UN.
The other day the minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Araz
Azimov announced that in September new proposals are awaited from
the Co-chairs of the Minsk Group and that this time “they will here
constructive suggestions”.
According to the words of the counsellor of foreign policy issues of
the NKR President it is good that Azimov has such an opinion but it
would be better if we could hear such words from the Co-chairs . “I
do not know maybe Azimov is the confidential person for them and he
has the “right of the first news” and he may announce the news to
the world”, said Arman Melikyan in sarcastic tone.
“Let the Co-chairs give their suggestions and we will see if it will
be in September or in January, the time and circumstances will show”,
he added.
Arman Melikyan also spoke about the caracterization of the suggestions
of the Co-chairs by Azimov as “constructive”, saying “As long as
I have noticed these past years the suggestions of the Co-chairs
have always been refused by Azerbaijan and I want to mention that
“constructiveness” is different for Azerbaijan than it is in our
imagination. We mix the reality with the desired”.
“I can agree that Azerbaijan does not want the existance of a second
or third Armenian State on their land. But NKR has been formed and
announced about itself on their land that has nothing common with
Azerbaijan,” mentioned the counsellor of the NKR President.
Speaking about the current status of the peace process, Arman Melikyan
expressed the opinion that there is nothing strange that Azerbaijan
and Kharabagh were against the suggestions of the Co-chairs, but
Armenia was not against with some abstemiousness.
“We have to take into account that the status of Armenia in this
negotiations is as much mediatory as the status of the Co-chairs
is. Armenia is interested in the protection of its national interests,
and on the other hand Armenia is interested in the quickening of the
peace process. In that sense the position of Armenia is milder.
Conerning some other problems, Arman Melikyan thinks that they can
be solved in the framework of Azerbaijan-NKR negotiations. There are
such problems where Armenia does not have the opportunity to tell
its opinion.
“For example, in the solving of the problem of the Armenian refugees of
Azerbaijan. This is a problem that NKR has to arise and to solve. Or
the problems concerning the territories under the control of NKR,
or the problems concerning the Azerbaijani internal displaced
persons. There is a package of Kharabagh-Azerbaijan bilateral
negotiations, formulated the counsellor of foreign policy issues of
the NKR President.
According to his considerations, superpowers and other interested big
centers have their strategy and as they tell it is easier to solve the
problem in the framework of bilateral that in trilateral negotiations,
but “I think that time will show that the negotiations have to be
continued in other framework and have to include other problems that
do not exist in the agenda now. I am more than sure that in order to
overcome the dead lock the participation of Kharabagh and disscusion
and solving of some other problems is mandatory “.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN COUPLE ARRESTED FOR STEALING GOLD CHAINS FROM SHOP; EGYPTIAN GIRL FOILS MOLESTATION BID
Arab Times, Kuwait
Aug. 20, 2006
KUWAIT CITY: Police have arrested an Armenian couple for stealing gold
chains worth KD 1,400 from a jewelry shop in Fahaheel in addition
to 210 grams of gold from another shop, reports Al-Rai Al-Aam
daily. Acting on a complaint securitymen disguised as women set a
trap for the suspects and arrested them. During interrogation the
couple admitted to committing the crime and guided police to their
accomplices. However, the Al-Anba daily said one of the arrested
persons is a transvestite who distracted the salesman by pretending
to flirt with him while the other stole the gold.
The daily also said the suspects were caught red-handed when they
tried to play the same game with another gold shop in the area. The
salesman was suspicious of the couple and without their knowledge
called police. Meanwhile, police are looking for an unidentified
person for attempting to molest an Egyptian girl, reports Al-Rai
Al-Aam daily. In his complaint to police the girl’s father said
his daughter was on her way home from a club in Salmiya, when an
unidentified person laying in wait in a deserted area surprised her
and ordered her to remove her clothes. The girl screamed for help
and the panicked attacker escaped from the scene.
3 sought for shooting in air: Sulaibiya police are looking for three
unidentified persons for shooting in the air, reports Al-Rai Al-Aam
daily. The daily quoting eyewitness reports said the men were seen
driving in a black 4×4 vehicle. After receiving information about the
incident the Interior Ministry pressed a helicopter into service but
failed to nab the men. The daily quoting unidentified police source
said one of the suspects is wanted by law for a criminal offence
and the men allegedly fired in the air when they approached a police
checkpoint.
Meanwhile, another source said the three men might have been either
hunting for birds, trading in alcohol or even attempting to smuggle
weapons out of the country.
In other news, as police patrols searched for the ‘black’ vehicle, they
arrested two Lebanese men for photographing sensitive establishments
in the area and referred them to the State Security Department,
reports Al-Watan daily.
Maid missing in Egypt: A Kuwaiti woman has filed a missing persons
report on her Sri Lankan maid with the police in Alexandria, Egypt,
reports Al-Rai Al-Aam daily. The daily quoting the woman said the
family was vacationing in Egypt and the maid allegedly escaped from
‘home’ after picking up a quarrel with one of the members of the
family.
GTD prepares violators list: The General Traffic Department is
preparing a list of names of employees in governmental departments
who had earlier been fined for committing traffic violations,
reports Al-Watan daily. Traffic sources said letters have been sent
to employees requesting them to pay the fines before Sept 15, or they
will be referred to the Traffic Court. The sources added the GTD will
not entertain any transactions unless the fines are paid.
Woman foils kidnap bid: A Kuwaiti woman, in her 30s, recently field
a complaint with the Khaitan Police Station accusing an Iraqi man of
assaulting her following a vain attempt to kidnap her, reports Al-Rai
Al-Aam daily. The complainant told police the suspect, identified
only as K.S., forced her into his car and drove off to South Surra.
When she discovered his plans she resisted him and jumped from the
car. A Kuwaiti motorist drove her to the police station.
Cash, jewellery stolen: Police are looking for an unidentified
person for breaking into the home of a Kuwaiti man in Taima, Jahra
and stealing KD 5,800; 31 million Iraqi dinars, jewelry, a mobile
telephone and two Saudi passports, reports Al-Rai Al-Aam daily. The
victim said the suspect climbed the fence and entered his home.
Syrian boy drowns: A 14-year-old Syrian boy drowned off a beach in
Abu Halifa, reports Al-Rai Al-Aam daily. The daily quoting eyewitness
reports said the victim was swimming with two other compatriots and
when he cried for help they tried in vain to save him. Several men
enjoying an evening out on the beach rushed to the rescue of the two
other youths and pulled them to safety. The boys have been admitted
to the Adan Hospital. The Coast Guard patrol boats and Sea Rescue men
searched the area and found the corpse of the victim among the rocks
on the beach. It has been reported the victim was pulled under water
by strong currents.
Army man rescued: A first lieutenant in the Kuwait swimming off
a beach in Julaiya suddenly felt weak and could not swim himself
to the shore. He cried for help and his friends pulled him ashore,
reports Al-Watan daily. The daily without going into details said the
army man was rushed to a hospital for medical checkup. In a similar,
unrelated incident, a five-year-old Iranian boy was rescued by an
unidentified person while swimming in the sea off Blajat Street. The
boy was unconscious and was surprisingly floating on water, reports
Al-Anba daily. It has been reported the victim was with the family
enjoying an evening out when suddenly went missing and the family
raised an alarm. The boy has been referred to the Amiri Hospital.
Sponsor’s house set on fire: An unidentified Asian man has been
detained for interrogation for allegedly setting fire to his sponsor’s
house in Al-Rabiya, reports Al-Qabas daily. The daily quoting a
security source said the male servant had an argument with his boss –
the daily did not give details about the argument – and in revenge
set the house on fire. The Fire Service Directorate after receiving
news of the fire dispatched fire engines, moved the occupants of the
house to safety and put out the fire.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kucharian visits wind power plants built by Iran in Armenia
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Aug. 18, 2006
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) – Robert Kocharian President of the Republic
of Armenia visited the wind power plants built by Iran in Armenia,
the Persian service of Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported
here on Friday.
The four power plants built by Iran have generated over 500,000
kilowatt/hours of electricity during the first half of the current
year, noted the Armenian president during his visit to the power
stations located in the Pushkin region of the Transcaucasian republic.
He pointed to another power plant also under construction by Iran in
Kurtan – one of the 107 villages of the Lori region in the northern
part of Armenia – and explained that the facility consisted of five
wind turbines with an annual capacity of 19.5 million kilowatts
of electricity.
There are 40 power plants currently operational in the republic,
he also commented adding that 30 more are expected to be added to
the figure.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. Not Take Notice Of Armenian Lobby’s Letter On Lebanon
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Aug. 18, 2006
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Department of State has not taken notice of
the letter of Armenian lobby –addressed to U.S. President George W.
Bush– requesting that Turkey should not participate in UN Peace
Force in Lebanon.
Replying to a question on the letter sent by Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian to U.S. President
Bush, State Department’s Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said he did not
read the letter.
Stating that talks regarding peace force in Lebanon are under way at
the UN in New York, Casey noted that the U.S. administration wished
that countries which are eager to contribute to this force would be
included in negotiations, as well as Turkey.
ANCA’s letter claimed that Ottoman Empire ruled the Middle East
violently for centuries, asserting that Turkey’s participation in
peace force in Lebanon did not comply with national interests of the
United States.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia posts Q2 foreign reserves
RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Aug. 18, 2006
RBC, 18.08.2006, Yerevan 18:34:58.Armenia’s gross foreign assets
rose by 5.7 percent ($43.4m) in Q2 2006 to $803.726m, the press
office of the Armenian Central Bank reports. International reserves
(foreign currency reserves) grew from $760.288m to $803.726m. The
country’s SDR in the IMF decreased by $6.1m (4.4m SDR) to $12.4m
(8.4m SDR). Its net foreign assets rose by 18.9 percent ($90.2m)
to $568.1m in the reporting period.
Armenian gross foreign assets amounted to $755.160m as of January 1,
2006, including $755.037 of international reserves.
Armenia’s SDR in the IMF was $10.177m (7.121m SDR). Its net foreign
assets amounted to $472.424m, including $472.339m of currency reserves.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Arif Aliyev: Armenia and Georgia do not want to join international
conventions to clean the Kyur River
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
[ 18 Aug. 2006 19:59 ]
“70 percent of Azerbaijan’s water balance is formed outside the
republic. We are obliged to use Kyur’s water, because, it is the
biggest water source in the country.
Despite Azerbaijan’s efforts, neither Armenia, nor Georgia wants
to join international conventions to clean the Kyur,” Arif Aliyev,
“Azersu” OJSC chairman told journalists, APA reports.
He said Baku is supplied with drinking water that meets all standards.
“99 percent of harmful substances are cleaned. Then the water is
disinfected with chlorine,” Aliyev said. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
DEPUTY JUSTICE MINISTER MEETS WITH UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
[August 18, 2006, 16:32:54]
Togrul Musayev, Deputy Minister of Justice met with the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Antonio Gutteres.
Mr. Musayev thanked the guest for his efforts towards solution of the
problems of over one million Azerbaijanis who became refugees and
IDPs as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
Speaking on the good human rights record of Azerbaijan, in
particular, concerning refugees and IDPs, Deputy Minister dwelt on
the work being done in Azerbaijan to strengthen the legal system and
raise the efficiency of the justice in accordance with the decree of
the President of Azerbaijan Republic of January 19, 2006. He touched
upon the activity of the justice and reforms being implemented in
this area, as well as long-term cooperation with the office of UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Azerbaijan.
Mr. Gutteres, in his turn, highly appreciated the work that
Azerbaijan government does to improve the state of refugees and IDPs.
UN High Commissioner stressed, in particular, the significance of the
work done to modernize and improve judicial system in Azerbaijan.
The sides shared views on other issues of mutual interest.
The discussions also involved Pirkko Kourula, Director of UNHCR’s
Bureau of Europe, Elchin Amirbayov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to
Switzerland and Vilayat Zahirov, Deputy Minister of Justice
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Figaro, France
18 août 2006
Aznavour : la biographie de reference
par Bertrand Dicale
LONGTEMPS, Charles Aznavour disait n’avoir guère envie d’etre
biographie, a moins que ce ne soit par lui-meme. Il a donc publie en
2004 Le Temps des avants (Flammarion, 353 p., 20 EUR), livre de
souvenirs traversant une vie et une carrière exceptionnelles, mais
qui ne contentait peut-etre pas les fans desireux d’un livre de
reference. Le voici maintenant, Charles Aznavour ou le destin
apprivoise, biographie detaillee et precise, nourrie par une belle
enquete dans les archives et un grand nombre d’entretiens avec
temoins et proches du chanteur. Alors qu’un Musee Aznavour doit
bientôt ouvrir en Armenie, le chanteur voit sa vie, sa carrière et
son oeuvre decortiquees en plus de 600 pages menees avec souffle et
generosite. Le chantier a ete commence par Marc Robine, helas
brutalement disparu en août 2003, et repris par Daniel Pantchenko,
egalement journaliste du trimestriel Chorus-Les Cahiers de la
chanson, appartenance qui a mis en confiance le chanteur – “Avec eux,
je n’avais aucune raison de me mefier !
“. Tout est la, en effet, a commencer par une plongee dans les
racines familiales de Charles, Varinag Aznavourian, ne le 22 mai 1924
a Paris VI e : le peuple armenien eparpille sur les routes du monde
après des dizaines d’annees de persecutions et le genocide declenche
par les autorites turques en avril 1915, la France hospitalière, la
vie de debrouille, d’ambition et de ferveur des exiles qui veulent se
faire une vie nouvelle. L’enquete historique est etonnante, notamment
lorsque la destinee des Aznavourian croise Manoukian – oui, le
Manoukian de l'”Affiche rouge”, qui apprendra le jeu d’echecs a
Charles. Recit des annees dures “On me dit qu’il y a dans son livre
ce qu’il n’y a pas dans le mien. Moi, j’etais beaucoup plus pudique”,
nous a dit Charles Aznavour a propos de cette biographie. En effet,
le recit de Pantchenko detaille les interminables debuts d’un
chanteur entre dès l’enfance dans le monde du spectacle, mais qui
mettra des annees a conquerir sa place, renommee et bonne fortune.
Recit des annees dures, des rebuffades d’Edith Piaf aux jugements
abrupts de la critique, des doutes de professionnels aux decrets
arbitraires du public. Aujourd’hui, Aznavour relativise la durete de
ce temps-la : “Cela fait soixante-treize ans que je fais ce metier.
Meme si j’avais passe la moitie a galerer, ce n’est pas la mer a
boire. Si j’ai une ecriture profonde, grave, fouillee, cela vient de
la. Rien n’a ete futile dans ma carrière.” Car Aznavour n’est pas un
chanteur leger. Certes, il fait lui-meme la distinction entre ses
“deux metiers : la chansonnette, comme avec Au creux de mon epaule et
des chansons plus fortes comme Tu t’laisses aller ou la decision, le
premier dans la chanson francaise, d’aborder l’homosexualite dans
Comme ils disent. ” Il revendique la distinction, non d’ “auteur de
chansons” mais d’ “ecrivain de chansons”. Enorme pourvoyeur du
patrimoine en grandes chansons classiques portees par lui-meme ( La
Bohème, Mes emmerdes, Non je n’ai rien oublie, Emmenez-moi, Les
Plaisirs demodes, For Me formidable, Mourir d’aimer… ) ou donnees a
d’autres interprètes ( Retiens la nuit pour Johnny Hallyday, La Plus
Belle pour aller danser pour Sylvie Vartan…), il va enregistrer une
oeuvre colossale en francais et dans une demi-douzaine de langues.
Modestie jamais, humilite toujours Travailleur opiniâtre, il mène
plusieurs carrières de front, dans la chanson et dans le cinema, en
France et a l’etranger, comme interprète et comme auteur-compositeur
pour d’autres… Comme le dit Patachou a Daniel Pantchenko :
“Modestie jamais, humilite toujours.” Et, si brillante que soit son
oeuvre, Aznavour professe toujours la discipline du travail et du
doute : “Avoir des facilites est le plus dangereux dans ce metier. Il
faut toujours revenir, revenir, revenir sur ses chansons jusqu’a
l’enregistrement.” Et ensuite ? La vie ne s’arrete pas a la fin de sa
biographie. À la rentree, outre un nouveau voyage dans sa chère
Armenie dont il est devenu de fait l’ambassadeur universel, il part a
Cuba enregistrer un nouvel album avec Chucho Valdes, orientation
latine qui l’a conduit a reecrire les musiques de plusieurs chansons
en chantier. “J’ai dû faire le double de travail.” Et il aimerait
bien qu’un autre auteur vienne a son tour fouiller non sa vie mais
ses chansons, pour une etude critique. Quant a lui, il pense a faire
partager son experience unique de la scène, du studio et de la
creation : “J’ai commence a prendre des notes pour ecrire un livre
sur la facon de faire ce metier, mais sans donner de conseils.” Des
conseils ? Sa reussite prouve qu’il ne les a pas tous ecoutes… n
Charles Aznavour ou le destin apprivoise, par Daniel Pantchenko avec
Marc Robine, Fayard-Chorus, 616 p., 22 EUR .
–Boundary_(ID_4O16fuvaO4iUCP1Anhactw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #157, 19/08/2006
Armenian Genocide
ZORYAN INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON GENOCIDE
As part of its continuing effort to integrate the Armenian Genocide
into world genocide studies, the International Institute for Genocide
and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (IIGHRS),
chaired by Dr. Roger W. Smith, announces the co-founding and joint
publication of a new journal, Genocide Studies and Prevention, in
partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars
(IAGS), headed by Dr. Israel W. Charny. The journal’s first issue,
Summer 2006, published through a partnership with the University of
Toronto Press, is available now.
“Genocide Studies and Prevention, as a peer-reviewed journal, was
established to fulfill several goals at the same time,” remarked
Dr. Smith, a founder of the IAGS. “First, as the official journal of
the IAGS, its mission is to understand the phenomenon of genocide,
create an awareness of it as an ongoing scourge, and promote the
necessity of preventing it. Second, as an initiative of the IIGHRS,
it is intended to help stimulate, educate and develop new generations
of scholars to engage in research and provide an academic forum
on genocide. Third, it is hoped that it will educate government
policy-makers, as well as the general public, on why and how genocide
occurs so that they may be persuaded to use all of their influence
to prevent genocide, or at least intervene if it is already taking
place,” he concluded.
The first issue of this inter-disciplinary journal is devoted to
the genocide in Darfur. It features articles written by such noted
experts as award-winning author Rene Lemarchand; Samuel Totten, who
served as an investigator on the US government’s Darfur Atrocities
Documentation Team; legal experts Kelly Dawn Asking and Jerry Fowler;
Political Science Professor Scott Straus; and Major Brent Beardsley,
who served as General Romeo Dallaire’s personal staff officer in the
UN peace-keeping mission in Rwanda in 1994 and was an eye-witness to
the genocide there.
The second issue, which is already in press, will be devoted to the
Armenian Genocide and will have many distinguished contributors,
including Taner Akcam, Vahakn Dadrian and Roger W. Smith. Subsequent
issues will be devoted to such themes as the Genocide in Rwanda,
Genocide and International Law, and Genocide and Ethnocide of
Indigenous Peoples.
Israel W. Charny, President of IAGS stated that, “Today, one can look
with some satisfaction on the increasing emergence of scholarship and
the scientific study of genocide, and therefore one may also dare to
begin to think of the possibilities for preventing genocide. It is for
these reasons that we are especially pleased to see the synergies of
our relationship with the IIGHRS, with whom we share a deep commitment
to the study and genocide of all peoples, in the establishment of
this new journal.”
Genocide Studies and Prevention is published three times a
year. Subscriptions are $50.00 per year, but a discount is available
for the first year. For more information, contact the IIGHRS (Zoryan
Institute), [email protected], Tel: 416-250-9807.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress