Author: Emil Lazarian

U.S. ADMINISTRATION STRIVES FOR AZERBAIJAN’S SUPPORT IN IRANIAN ISSUE,
RUSSIAN ANALYST CONSIDERS

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. “The goal of the today’s meeting in
Washington between the Presidents of the U.S. and Azerbaijan is that
the U.S. administration influences on Azerbajian in the issue of
Iran, thus, the U.S. strives for having practical support of
Azerbaijan in this issue.” Alexander Krilov, a leading research
officer of the World Economy and International Relations Institute of
the Russian Academy of Sciences stated about this at the April 28
“Caucasus” international conference, organized by the Caucasus Media
Institute. Besides, according to him, Baku, in the respond of striving
of the U.S. to use it as a bridgehead on Caspia against Iran, does
not want to help Americans in this issue not to make relations with
neighbors more difficult.

A.Krilov also attached importance to the succesfully developing
many-sides Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation and pointed out Russia’s
interest in development of “South-North” porjects where Azerbaijan is
destined an important role. At the same time, he assured that the
Kremlin which strives for keeping its presence in Azerbaijan, does not
do it to the detriment of relations with its strategic partner –
Armenia. As for the martial calls made from Baku for settling the
Karabakh conflict in the way of war, the Russian analyst mentioned
that the authorities of Azerbaijan uses the myth about the military
superiority upon Armenia for strengthening its won power.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN HAS MEETINGS WITH SERGEI MIRONOV, RENE VAN DER
LINDEN AND BORIS GRYZLOV IN SAINT PETERSBURG

SAINT PETERSBURG, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April
28, RA National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian met with Chairman
of Council of Federation of RF Federal Assembly Sergei Mironov in
Saint Petersburg. During the meeting they reached agreement about
holding days of RA NA at RF Federal Assembly in autumn, as well as
about holding a conference on issues of interregional cooperation of
the two countries in one of the Russian regions populated with
Armenians. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA NA Press Service,
issues regarding fulfilment of Armenia’s commitments towards PACE, the
Electoral Code were discussed at A.Baghdasarian’s meeting with PACE
Chairman Rene van der Linden. The sides mentioned the importance of
the political consent around the Electoral Code and holding the coming
elections in correspondence with the democratic standards. PACE
Chairman on behalf of PA expressed readiness to provide
assistance. Artur Baghdasarian as the Chairman of BSEC and RF State
Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov signed an agreement on cooperation between
the Parliamentary Assembly of BSEC and Interparliamentary Assembly of
the Eurasian Economic Cooperation, according to which it is envisaged
to contribute to cooperation between the two structures and to
establishment of a dialogue between the two countries and peoples.

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206

T | 818-243-6222
F | 818-243-7222
E | [email protected]

Press Release
April 28, 2006

Armenia Fund Continues Reconstruction in Earthquake Zone

Yerevan, Armenia – Armenia Fund continues its reconstruction projects in
the earthquake battered northern region of Armenia. In 1988, the country
was struck with a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 on the
Richter scale and an epicenter at Gyumri-Spitak. Armenia’s 2nd largest
city – Gyumri – fell to rubbles as the earthquake struck a major blow to
its infrastructure. Residential buildings toppled one after another
forcing the population to live in temporary shacks.

Thanks to the combined effort of countless NGOs and Diaspora based
philanthropists, the region is gradually recovering through large-scale,
long-term infrastructure development assistance. Armenia Fund and the
Lincy Foundation have been at the forefront of such reconstruction
projects.

Building upon years of revitalization projects, Armenia Fund is proud to
announce, yet again, that it will construct 2 new, modern residential
buildings in the `Yerankyuni’ District of Spitak. The financing of the
project is generously provided by the British affiliate of Armenia Fund.
The affiliate has also undertaken the reconstruction of the Artik
Regional Hospital of Shirak which is the only regional healthcare
facility catering the republic’s northern population. The new building
will be dubbed as 7B and 8B – completing a series of other building in
the district. Each building will consist of three or two room apartments
designed for 8 families. Although construction of the project had
started in late 2004 and early 2005, the British affiliate of the Fund
pledged to complete its financing.

The buildings will feature four floors, modern windows and doors, as
well as a roof resistant to the harsh climate of Armenia. The
surrounding landscape of the buildings will be rehabilitated through
financing provided by the government of Armenia. Upon the completion of
the project, the `Yerankyuni’ district will enjoy a series of new
residential buildings. The 8A building was completed thanks to financing
provided by the German affiliate of Armenia Fund – Hayastan Fonds eV
Germany. The 7A building was completed by the British affiliate.

Armenia Fund continues to provide large-scale infrastructure development
assistance in the earthquake region. The Fund focuses on the
construction of safe and reliable housing, as well as new schools,
healthcare facilities, and cultural centers. Armenia Fund is the single
most effective organization in carrying out such projects in Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh thanks to the wholehearted support of the Armenian
Diaspora around the world.

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRAVDA, Russia
April 28 2006

Young woman denies reports she won Miss Iraq contest and returned the
title

04/28/2006 00:42 Source:

A young Iraqi woman has denied reports that she won the Miss Iraq
beauty pageant and returned the title after receiving threats from
Islamic extremists.

“Everything is a big lie and fabricated. I never took part in such an
event and did not even know that a beauty pageant had taken place,”
Tamar Goregian told The Associated Press in a phone interview on
Thursday.

Earlier this month, the American TV network ABC reported that
Goregian had won the Miss Iraq contest which was held in a Baghdad
social club on April 9. She gave back the beauty crown four days
later because she was threatened by religious extremists who called
her as “the queen of infidels” for taking part in a contest that
violated Islamic principles.

The Associated Press reported the ABC story on April 12. A person
familiar with the pageant confirmed the report to the AP but insisted
on anonymity as he said he also feared retribution from Islamic
militants.

Goregian, 29, an engineer and a Christian of Armenian origin, said
she came to Jordan on April 10, the day after the contest, to look
after her mother who was to undergo an operation in the kingdom.

“Those lies caused me fear and worry,” Goregian said Thursday. “The
false reports that I have taken part in the pageant contest and
(received) threats from Muslim groups could expose me to danger.”

“I am afraid to return to Iraq and I’m afraid for my family, who
remained in Baghdad,” she added.

Asked about the person who confirmed the ABC report to the AP,
Goregian insisted that she did not take part in any Miss Iraq
contest.

ABC said that after Goregian handed back the award, the title of Miss
Iraq went to Silva Shahakian, another Iraqi Christian.

Shahakian was quoted by ABC’s “Good Morning America” as saying she
would keep the title, but she planned to change her residence for
personal safety.

“This chance does not come to every girl. So, I’m lucky to have that.
I’m not going to lose it,” she said in the program broadcast April
11.

The network said the pageant organizers are hoping to send Shahakian
to the Miss Universe contest which is due to be held in Los Angeles
on July 23, reports AP,.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EurasiaNet, NY
April 28 2006

ALIYEV IN WASHINGTON: NO CHANGE ON IRAN POSITION

Shahin Abbasov 4/28/06

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said April 28 that his three-day
visit to Washington would play an “instrumental” role in promoting
the democratization of the Caucasus nation. He added that the visit
had not altered Baku’s position on the Iran crisis, appearing to
reduce the White House’s room for geopolitical maneuver on the issue.

Aliyev met with top US officials on the final day of his Washington
stay – President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Speaking to journalists, the
Azerbaijani leader said his talks with Bush “covered all aspects of
our bilateral relations.” Bush said he emphasized three topics –
energy, Iran and democratization. The US president added that global
democratization efforts would benefit from Azerbaijan’s emergence as
“a modern Muslim country that is able to provide for its citizens,
that understands that democracy is the wave of the future.”

The Azerbaijani leader said the trip would prove “instrumental in the
future development of Azerbaijan as a modern, secular state.” Aliyev
went on to stress the stalemated Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks,
expressing hope for a negotiated end to the conflict and adding that
any settlement would have to preserve Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
“Armenian troops have to withdraw from occupied territories,
Azerbaijani internally displaced persons have to return, and after
that we can discuss the status of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Aliyev said.

On Iran, the two presidents provided scant details on their
discussions, suggesting that a significant geopolitical difference
exists. Political analysts in Baku believed that US officials were
eager to obtain Azerbaijani support for possible military strikes
against Iran in order to prevent Iran from continuing with its
nuclear research. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Baku has been opposed to the use of force against Iran, which is
Azerbaijan’s southern neighbor. [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. Aliyev told Azerbaijani television April 28 that
“our position has not changed – the problem should be resolved by
diplomatic means.”

Prior to the presidential meeting, Elmar Mamedyarov, Azerbaijan’s
foreign minister, said the Bush-Aliyev discussions would aim to
provide US officials with a clearer picture of Azerbaijani-Iranian
relations. “Iran is our neighbour and many Azerbaijanis are living
there. We carry cargo to Nakhchivan [an Azerbaijani exclave] via
Iran. We supply Nakhchivan with Iranian gas. That is why we do not
want a military solution to the Iranian problem,” he told journalists
on April 27. Mamedyarov also discouraged speculation that Aliyev was
acting as a go-between in the US-Iranian dispute. He denied that
Iran’s defense minister, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, who visited Baku on
April 19, had asked Azerbaijani officials to pass along a message to
the Bush administration.

Though military cooperation and US access to bases in Azerbaijan now
seem out of the question, the United States may tighten intelligence
gathering and sharing, suggested Kaan Nazli, a Europe and Eurasia
analyst with the New York-based consulting firm, Eurasia Group. “The
real issue is continuation of intelligence cooperation,” Nazli said.
That Aliyev met with John Negroponte, director of national
intelligence, and that the Azerbaijani president’s entourage included
National Security Minister Eldar Makhmudov lend credence to the idea
that the two states explored ways to enhance intelligence
cooperation.

Some analysts in Baku characterized the Washington visit as an
all-around success for Aliyev. “His position in Azerbaijan is stable,
and he did not have to ask any favors of the United States.
Meanwhile, the United States needs Azerbaijani support in the Iran
issue,” said Ilgar Mammadov, an independence political analyst.

Opposition leaders in Baku, struggling to regain traction after
parliamentary elections in late 2005, attempted to stir up the
domestic political scene with unsubstantiated speculation that Aliyev
cut a secret deal with Bush to make Azerbaijani bases available to US
forces. A report posted April 27 on the Day.az web site quoted Isa
Gambar, head of the anti-Aliyev Musavat Party, as saying, “now it is
time for official recognition of the existence of such agreements
between Azerbaijan and US.”

Upon his return to Baku, experts expect Aliyev to follow up on his
democratization rhetoric with reforms — both substantive and
symbolic – that are designed to improve Azerbaijan’s international
image. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Arif
Yunusov, head of the Conflict Prevention Department at the Baku-based
Institute for Peace and Democracy, suggested that Aliyev might reopen
channels of communication with his political opponents, adding that
the opposition could very well win a few additional seats in repeat
parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 13.

Mammadov said that Aliyev’s enhanced international stature could
prompt him to undertake liberalizing economic and political changes.
“There is no elections scheduled in the country soon and the
opposition is weak, so the president may easily initiate some liberal
steps and reforms,” Mammadov said.

Concerning the Karabakh issue, Azerbaijani officials are now looking
forward to the next meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group, which
Mamedyarov, the foreign minister, indicated would convene May 2 in
Moscow. The Minsk Group is charged with mediating peace talks, and
Baku’s expectations are high that US negotiators will press for a
settlement that conforms to Azerbaijan’s wishes. “They [US officials]
need stability in the South Caucasus given the rise of tension over
Iran,” Yunusov said.

Editor’s Note: Shahin Abbasov is a free-lance journalist based in Baku

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006

Garabagh mediator cites new approach

Baku, April 27, AssA-Irada

The approach toward settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict has somewhat changed, Russian ITAR-TASS
news agency quoted the US co-chairman of the mediating OSCE Minsk
Group (MG) as saying.
Steven Mann said the new approach envisions advancing step by step
and putting off certain complex issues until later.
`From this standpoint, suitable grounds have emerged for compromises
[by the conflicting sides] on the conflict resolution,’ the
intermediary said, adding that the dispute could not be resolved once
and for good.
Mann said he would visit Moscow next week to hold consultations with
the other co-chairs.
The OSCE mediators are due to meet in Moscow on May 2, followed by
their visits to the region.*

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AN ARMENIAN OFFICER WOUNDED AS A RESULT OF CEASE-FIRE VIOLATION BY
AZERBAIJAN

Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. A regular violation of the cease-fire
regime by Azerbaijan resulted in wounding of an Armenian officer.

Armenian Defense Ministry press-service reports Azerbaijan as firing a
section of Ijevan-Noyemberyan road approximately at 3:30 PM
yesterday. Senior Lieutenant Gegham Mikaelyan was wounded in the cabin
of “Kamaz.” He was taken to Noyemberyan town hospital at about 4:00
PM. Doctors say his life is no longer in danger.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Time Out
April 26, 2006

Music – Live preview – Mahmoud Ahmed – Hammersmith Palais; Thursday

by John Lewis

Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie may have been the subject of
thousands of Rasta anthems, but his own favourite music was a brass
band that he heard on a state visit to Jerusalem in 1923. So taken
was the Lion of Judah that he hired a group of Armenian saxophone
players as his official musicians, unwittingly introducing Ethiopia
to jazz instrumentation. As a result, Addis Ababa became host to a
burgeoning jazz and R&B scene; a scene that exploded in the early
’60s when Haile Selassie welcomed 6,000 US ‘peace corps’ into the
country.

Mahmoud Ahmed is the most famous product of this ‘golden age’ of
Ethiopian jazz that thrived until Selassie was deposed in 1974.
Ahmed’s legendary early ’70s LPs like ‘Ere Mela Mela’ still sound
remarkable today – hypnotic funk beats, wah-wah guitars, Stax-style
horn riffs and snake-charmer saxophones, all rumbling under Ahmed’s
passionate, wailing Arabic-inflected vocals.

Despite making music for nearly 50 years, his spellbinding show at
last year’s WOMAD festival was his first ever in the UK. This London
debut sees him share the bill with El Tanbura, a highly rhythmic Sufi
outfit of Egyptian fishermen. The concert celebrates music of the
Nile, but Mahmoud Ahmed’s lopsided funk really does sound like
something from a parallel universe – think a Bollywood singer jamming
with Fela Kuti on Motown and you’re nearly there. Amazingly, all the
best things about his ’70s albums are still intact. The bass and
drums are still hypnotically funky; the rasping horn section still
sound like they’re playing in a nearby toilet; and even at the age of
65, Ahmed’s voice is still sensational.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Newsday (New York)
April 28, 2006 Friday
NASSAU AND SUFFOLK EDITION

Lost in his native Cuba

BY JOHN ANDERSON. SPECIAL TO NEWSDAY

(1 1/2 STARS) THE LOST CITY (R). Andy Garcia’s lopsided idyll about
the Havana of his boyhood and the Cuba of his dreams. With Bill
Murray, Dustin Hoffman, Inés Sastre, Tomas Milian. Written by G.
Cabrera Infante. Directed by Garcia. 2:23 (violence). At the Sunshine
Cinemas and AMC Empire, Manhattan.

When ethnic pride comes in the door, filmmaking savvy seems to jump
out the window. Two examples: Atom Egoyan’s Armenian genocide soaper,
“Ararat,” and Roman Polanski’s Warsaw ghetto melodrama, “The
Pianist,” movies wherein gifted directors were reduced to lumber
salesmen by the weight of history and the memory of their mothers.

Add to this lackluster list “The Lost City,” which was clearly a
labor of love for Andy Garcia, and for the rest of us will simply be
laborious (ta-dum). Born in Cuba, Garcia became part of the
post-Castro exodus at age 5, and “The Lost City” seems like a film
he’s been nursing in his bosom since he first sighted Miami. His
intentions are admirable, Fidel Castro being indefensible. But his
primary purpose is pushing an agenda, so the movie becomes
indefensible.

Why Garcia and screenwriter G. Cabrera Infante decided to make “The
Lost City” into a melange of “The Godfather” and “Casablanca” is
anyone’s guess. (Why would Garcia remind us he was in “Godfather:
Part III”?) Garcia plays Fico Fellove, owner of the club El Tropico
and the eldest of three brothers – each of whom will follow a
different path in the Cuban revolution. Luis (Nestor Carbonell) joins
a bourgeoise insurrection that wants to topple President Fulgencio
Batista (Juan Fernández) without handing the country over to the
untrustworthy Castro. Ricardo (Enrique Murciano) will go completely
native, adopting the khakis and beard of a true believer and turn on
his own family. (His resemblance to a movie Judas – the old Judas –
has got to be intentional).

Fico is apolitical, devoted to the music that both his club and the
movie showcase. But he’s forced, naturally, into taking a stand.

“The Lost City” might have been a tidy, well-wrought story with 45
minutes cut, but it is bloated beyond redemption. Despite
invigorating performances by Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman – the
latter as Meyer Lansky, the former as a kind of comedic Greek chorus
in shorts – the film is so transparent in its sentiments that it
can’t be taken seriously.

Once Castro comes to power, the cruelty goes nationwide. So does the
stupidity: A Castro functionary (Elizabeth Peña) orders Fico to ban
saxophones from his club, because the sax was invented by a Belgian
and Belgium had a shameful record in Africa.

Nowhere near the attention is paid to the crimes of the U.S.-backed
Batista, which is what got Castro his foothold to begin with. But
“The Lost City” isn’t history. Nor is it very good filmmaking.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS

Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
27 April 2006

On April 21 parliamentary hearings entitled “The Karabakh Problem:
Prospects of Settlement” were held for the first time in NKR.
Independent from what responses from the international community the
proposals on the Karabakh problem voiced in the parliament and the
conclusion based on the statements of the parliamentary factions and
groups will receive, the debates were an opportunity to bring together
the political forces and NGOs to express their standpoint freely.

Although the approaches of the NKR NGOs were definitely different,
they had a common opinion on principal points. The concern about the
fate of the Karabakh people was outlined in the statements of
speakers. The approaches of the representatives of political forces
were similar with regard to the recognition of the right for
self-determination of the people of Karabakh and the engagement of
Karabakh in the negotiations. NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan
said currently proposals are offered during the negotiations, which
suggest efforts for eradication of the consequences of the war rather
than the settlement of the conflict based on the rights of the people
of Karabakh.

According to the foreign minister, the aspirations and interests of
great powers are clearly outlined in the region. He is convinced that
the mediators are trying to push Azerbaijan to make concessions to
settle the issue in the framework of territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, and the Armenian party to accept greater compromises. This
is a circumstance, which shifts the settlement of the problem to the
military plane. Emphasizing the importance of working out a clear
concept by the Armenian party to reach the international recognition
of NKR, Armen Rustamyan, Chair of the Committee of External Relations
of the Armenian National Assembly, said, “We should enable the
international community to discern the non-constructive standpoint of
Azerbaijan,” emphasizing the importance of moving the international
community to a level of positive neutrality. Armen Sargissian, the
head of the parliamentary group ARF-Movement 88 of the NKR National
Assembly, emphasized the importance of recognizing NKR as a full-right
party in the settlement process. “Nagorno Karabakh is a subject of the
talks, not an object. The engagement of Karabakh is necessary, and
Armenia should act as a guarantor of the rights of NKR and promote its
international recognition,” said Armen Sargissian, emphasizing the
building of a democratic state with all its institutions as part of
the strategic plan.

Member of Parliament Arthur Tovmassian, Hayrenik Party of NKR, says
the calls of Azerbaijan for a military and political change are caused
by the lack of confidence between the parties. He thinks that the
potential of Armenians all over the world should be used for the
settlement of the Karabakh problem, both parties should be invited to
organize various meetings for the settlement of the issue, using all
the possibilities of democratic diplomacy. “It is not something new
that Azerbaijan has greater economic resources, but economically
powerful does not necessarily mean strong and effective. I think
Azerbaijan will lose more territories in case it wages a new war,”
said Arthur Tovmassian.

Emphasizing the importance of working out a common concept as a
result of the parliamentary debates, Vahram Atanessian, the head of
the NKR National Assembly Faction of Democracy, said the involved
parties should be concerned about the militaristic calls, statements
about territorial integrity and proclaiming of a murderer Man of the
Year; in this context the international community should give an
adequate assessment. Vahram Atanessian believes that it is possible to
undertake elimination of the consequences of the war only after the
international recognition of NKR. Hrant Melkumyan, the leader of the
Communist Party, said the return of liberated territories, Azerbaijani
refugees and deployment of peacemaking forces in the region are
unacceptable. The deputy leader of the Movement 88 Party Gegham
Baghdasaryan said the format of the talks between Armenia and
Azerbaijan has distorted the essence and status of the conflict over
Nagorno Karabakh. “It is not a secret that in the course of years
Nagorno Karabakh was forced out of the talks. Moreover, it has become
an object while it used to be a subject,” he said. The chair of the
NKR NA Social Committee Arpat Avanessian asked the chair of the RA NA
Committee of External Relations Armen Rustamian, “Are you aware of the
deeper nuances of the presently ongoing negotiations and to comment on
Mr. Oskanian’s statements about compromises.” Armen Rustamian assured
that the information he gets during the consultations with the
president and foreign minister of Armenia is enough to form a full
picture of the talks. For the statements of the Armenian foreign
minister (particularly, after the talks in Rambouillet), it was
mentioned that Azerbaijan’s standpoint on two principle questions
(namely, the status of NKR and guarantees of security) is not
flexible, and Armen Rustamian believes Azerbaijan will hardly
recognize the right for self-determination of the people of
Karabakh. In answer to the Armenian Member of Parliament Hmayak
Hovanissian whether NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian possesses
enough information about the process of settlement, Georgy Petrossian
assured that sufficient information on the talks is acquired through
various channels. At the same time, he emphasized that unlike the
political forces of Armenia, the political parties of NKR do not
interfere with the internal political affairs of Armenia and have
always displayed an adequate and interested approach with regard to
the settlement of the Karabakh issue. In conclusion, the chair of the
NKR NA Committee of External Relations Vahram Atanessian published a
document based on the joint statements of the groups and factions of
the NKR National Assembly, which says, “The groups and factions of the
NKR National Assembly define the Karabakh-Azerbaijani armed
confrontation of 1991-1994 as Azerbaijani aggression against
proclaimed NKR, the actions of Nagorno Karabakh as an application of
the indivisible right of people for self-defence under Article 51 of
the UN Conventions, and the current reality in the conflict area as
the consequences of the Azerbaijani aggression. The recognition of
democratic NKR will become an important factor of regional stability
and security.”

NVARD OHANJANIAN.
27-04-2006

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress