Author: Emil Lazarian

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 3 2005

`Several occupied regions may be returned this year’ – Foreign Minister

BAKU

`Opportunities exist for returning several Azerbaijani regions
occupied by Armenia this year, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
told journalists on Wednesday. For this to happen, first of all, a
favorable attitude must be shown by the other party, he said.
Commenting on the fact that the OSCE fact-finding mission, which is
monitoring the occupied Azeri territories, is accompanied by the
so-called `foreign ministry official’ from the self-proclaimed Upper
Garabagh `republic’, Mammadyarov said that this individual is not an
observer and has no official status.*

ARMENIA: BUILD A SOLID AND LASTING PEACE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 28, 2005 (Vatican Information Service) – This
morning John Paul II received the president of the Republic of
Armenia, Robert Kocharian, recalling other meetings they had held, in
the Vatican in 1999 and later in Yerevan in 2001, during the Pope’s
apostolic visit to Armenia.

The Pope told the president of his “sincere appreciation for the good
relations between the Holy See and the government of your country. I
know that the Catholic community is welcomed and respected, and that
its various activities contribute to the wellbeing of the entire
nation.”

He went on: “Everyone earnestly hopes that the collaboration between
the Holy See and the Armenian government will continue to grow and,
where the situation calls for it, that eventual improvements to the
status of the Catholic Church will be made.”

The Holy Father also gave assurances of the “friendly and respectful
relations between the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic
Church. This understanding, which is even more active thanks to the
initiative of the Catholicos Karekin II, will certainly have positive
repercussions for the peaceful coexistence of the entire Armenian
people, who are called to face no small number of social and economic
challenges.”

“I also hope,” said the Pope., “that true and lasting peace comes to
the region of Nagorno-Karabagh where you, President Kocharian, come
from. This will come about by a decisive refusal of violence and a
patient dialogue between the parties, thanks also to active
international mediation.”

The Pope concluded by recalling that the Holy See, “which over the
centuries has not failed to denounce violence and defend the rights of
the weak, will continue to support all efforts aimed at building a
solid and lasting peace.” AC/VISIT PRESIDENT/ARMENIA:KOCHARIAN VIS
050128 (300)

GEORGIA ACCUSES RUSSIA OF DELAYING TANK REPAIR PLANT HANDOVER

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
31 Jan 05

(Presenter) The Russian tank repair plant (in Tbilisi) still belongs
to its old owner. Russia was supposed to have the plant handed over to
Georgia on 30 January, but the Russians are not in a hurry.

The plant, which is situated in Moskovis Avenue, is used as a service
centre for equipment belonging to the Russian and Armenian armed
forces.

The Defence Ministry says that Russia has failed to meet its
obligations.

(Davit Sikharulidze, deputy defence minister) As in all other cases,
in this specific case the Georgian side has honoured all its
obligations. As I said before, unlike all other civilized countries,
this is how you negotiate with Russia: first, you need to make a lot
of effort to agree with it about something and sign a document, but
then you need to do even more to make sure that this document is
implemented.

Hovnanian Enterprises Selected to Forbes List of 400 Best Big Companies
for the Fourth Consecutive Year

PRNewswire-FirstCall
Thursday, January 27, 2005

RED BANK, N.J., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Hovnanian Enterprises,
Inc. (NYSE: HOV), a leading national homebuilder, announced today that
for the fourth consecutive year it has been named to Forbes Platinum
400, an annual listing of “America’s Best Big Companies.” Hovnanian
ranked fifth on the list based on five-year annualized total return.

To make the list, a firm must have revenue of more than $1 billion and
rank in the upper half of one of 26 industry groups in Forbes’ composite
scoring for return on capital, sales growth and earnings growth. Forbes
also considers a company’s accounting and corporate governance practices.

“In 2004, we once again achieved significant returns on capital, as well
as revenue and earnings growth, and we are honored that Forbes has
recognized this outstanding performance and acknowledged us as one of
America’s Best Big Companies,” said Ara K. Hovnanian, President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “Our achievements are a direct
result of the efforts of our operating management teams and talented
associates across the Company. We expect to continue our strong
performance in 2005 as we build on our solid market position and
implement further improvements to our operating processes.”

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. founded in 1959 by Kevork S. Hovnanian,
Chairman, is headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey. The Company is one
of the nation’s largest homebuilders with operations in Arizona,
California, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas,
Virginia and West Virginia. The Company’s homes are marketed and sold
under the trade names K. Hovnanian(R)Homes, Goodman Homes, Matzel &
Mumford, Diamond Homes, Westminster Homes, Forecast Homes, Parkside
Homes, Brighton Homes, Parkwood Builders, Great Western Homes and
Windward Homes. As the developer of K. Hovnanian’s Four Seasons
communities, the Company is also one of the nation’s largest builders of
active adult homes.

Additional information on Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., including a
summary investment profile and the Company’s 2003 annual report, can be
accessed through the Investor Relations page of the Hovnanian website at
To be added to Hovnanian’s investor e-mail or fax
lists, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or sign up at

Source: Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.

Pan-Turkism in European Council

Yerkir/arm
January 28, 2005

Every time we speak about pan-Turkism, we are accused of being unable
to leave the past behind and to understand that the ideology of
pan-Turkism has long been exempted from the Turkish political agenda.

They are trying to convince us that Turkey wants to live on the
European values and that Turkey’s accession to Europe benefits
Armenia, since we will then border upon a European civilized
state. After this we are driven to the idea that we should not try to
prevent Turkey from the accession without recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and matching the European standards.

The Turks themselves proved how dangerous these statements are. At the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, during the discussion
of the Karabagh issue, a Turkish politician from `civilized, not
biased with pan-Turkism’ Turkey , using a suitable occasion, passed an
anti-Armenian resolution. He acted to the full power available. So
imagine how much more power he will have after becoming a member of
the EU and how he will use it.

Some people, forces will say this has nothing to do with pan-Turkism
and civilized Turkey. And we will allow ourselves to state that these
forces, who voluntarily assume the role of Turkey’s advocates, who are
seeking to return power, have nothing to do with the Armenian state
and Armenian national interests.

OSCE mission arrives in Karabakh to check facts of Armenian settlement

Regnum, Moscow
30 Jan 05

The OSCE expert mission to collect facts of settlement in the
territories controlled by the Karabakh forces arrived in the Nagornyy
Karabakh capital of Stepanakert on 30 January.

The members of the group have met the foreign minister of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic, Arman Melikyan, and discussed the forthcoming
monitoring with him. At this moment, their meeting with the republic’s
president, Arkadiy Gukasyan, is continuing.

Passage omitted: Details of the visit

COLLISION OF IDEAS IN OSCE

A1+
25-01-2005

The Armenian delegation to the Council of Europe finds the resolution
about the Karabakh conflict adopted today extremely negative. As Armen
Roustamyan mentioned in his report, the Report only does not
correspond to its aim – to avoid the use of force, but moreover –
it sets Azerbaijan free.

According to Roustamyan, the report will create new difficulties in
the conflict and will no how contribute to its settlement. During the
discussion of the report, when 4 members of the Armenian delegation
made speech – Shavarsh Kocharyan, Armen Roustamyan, Tigran Torosyan,
and Artashes Gegamyan, two tendencies were noticeable. The Armenian
party tried to stress the right of self-determination, proving that
the insertion Karabakh into Azerbaijan by force will cause new
tensions and bloodshed.

The Azerbaijani delegation did everything in order not to introduce
any changes in the draft resolution and it succeeded. François
Rogeblois from the European National party, representative of the
French delegation, indirectly supported the Armenian point of
view. `The borders are the heritageof the past’, said the French
delegate, `stability in the region must be founded on the right of
self-determination’. Besides, several delegates from France, Greece,
and Italy underlined that the participation of the Karabakh
representatives is necessary in the negotiation process, for the
settlement of the conflict is impossible without the participation of
the people.

It is also worth mentioning that the delegates of Russia did not make
speech.

However, the majority of the delegates thought that the David
Atkinson’s report is a `balanced’ approach to the problem. The
resolution is adopted, which can be ground for the Armenian party to
reconsider the strategy in the field of foreign policy.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
January 25, 2005 Tuesday 1:59 PM Eastern Time

Conflicts in South Caucasus affect regional cooperation – EU

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Conflicts in the South Caucasus prevent the European Union from using
its potential in that region, EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus Heikki Talvitie said on Tuesday when summing up results of
his visit to Armenia.

Regional cooperation is a EU priority in the South Caucasus, but it
cannot be developed because of conflicts, he said.

The European Commission report on Armenia will be ready in March, and
a program based on the European Neighborhood Policy will be developed
before the yearend, he said. The program will regulate relations with
Armenia, whereas the EU-Armenia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
of 1999 is in effect now, the diplomat said.

Progress in the settlement of conflicts will have good effect on the
program, he said. The mandate of the EU special representative for
the South Caucasus includes support to efforts of the OSCE Minsk
Group for Nagorno-Karabakh. Talvitie welcomed Prague consultations
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers.

Las Vegas Sun, NV
Jan 25 2005

Girls’ plight sparks community support

By Timothy Pratt
<[email protected]>
LAS VEGAS SUN

Friends and family of Emma and Mariam Sarkisian — two Armenian teens
who have lived most of their lives in Las Vegas and are threatened
with deportation — rallied in support of the girls Monday, as their
attorney filed additional arguments to a federal judge in favor of
releasing them from a Los Angeles cell.

Meanwhile, Emma, who is 18, expressed frustration in a call from her
cell at being detained under what she described as “gross,
disgusting” conditions and being kept in the dark about their case.

The rally of about 30 people was held outside George Federal Building
in downtown Las Vegas on Monday afternoon. Some of the Sarkisians’
supporters had come from Los Angeles, holding signs with messages
such as, “To become American is not a crime.”

One of them was Grayr Nikogosyan, a neighbor of the Sarkisian family
when they lived in the Los Angeles area during the mid-1990s who has
maintained a friendship with them since then.

“The girls don’t deserve all this,” Nikogosyan said, referring to
their detention since Jan. 14 and possible deportation to Armenia.

The case began in July when Rouben Sarkisian, father of the girls,
was surprised at the Las Vegas office of immigration authorities by
the news that his daughters had no legal status in the United States.

Rouben Sarkisian is a U.S. resident, the step below citizenship, and
thought the girls were also residents. He has three other daughters
who were born in the United States.

Instead, they were told the girls were under orders to be deported
since 1993, according to their attorney, Jeremiah Wolf Stuchiner.

A twist got added to the case when the Republic of Armenia didn’t
recognize the girls, since they left the country when it was still a
Soviet republic, making them Soviet, not Armenian, citizens.

But by Jan. 14, Armenia changed its position on the issue. The girls
were sent to Los Angeles the same day. Since then, their legal team
has twice had to make 11th hour moves to keep the teens from being
placed onto flights to Moscow. The maneuvers bought time to argue
before a federal judge that the girls should be allowed to stay for
humanitarian reasons.

The girls are in the middle of something they shouldn’t have to
endure, their friends and family said Monday.

“They are just trying to lives their lives as normal teenaged girls,”
Nikogosyan said.

Nikogosyan also said that his daughter, Mari, who attends Clark
Magnet School in Glendale, Calif., had rallied hundreds of friends to
send letters to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., about the case.

Mari said her school and other schools in Glendale are taking up the
cause, since most of the students at those schools are Armenians or
children of Armenians.

“Everybody’s sending e-mails about this,” she said.

Alisa Petrossian, a news editor at Horizon TV, an Armenian station in
Los Angeles, said her station had broadcast news of the Sarkisian
girls three times over the weekend to an estimated 250,000 viewers
nationwide.

The Los Angeles area is home to about 150,000 Armenians, according to
the U.S. Census.

The girls are being detained during the day in a federal holding cell
in Los Angeles and are taken at night to a Best Western hotel that
immigration authorities rent out for children and families awaiting
deportation, Emma said.

Emma said the girls did not obtain soap and shampoo until three days
after arriving to Los Angeles.

When she had a headache during the first couple of days, she said she
asked for Tylenol and was told she would have to be taken to the
hospital.

“I didn’t want to be separated from my little sister,” she said,
referring to 17-year-old Mariam.

There has been no nurse or doctor to see them to inquire of their
health during the 10 days they have been detained, she said.

A sergeant and two officers guard them at all times, including when
they sleep, she said.

Emma described the cell as having a phone that uses pre-paid cards, a
window that guards use to observe them, a television that is usually
tuned to the news, benches and a toilet that is “filthy.”

She said that only the benches had been cleaned since the two have
been detained.

An immigration services spokesman this morning said he was not
immediately able to comment on the allegations.

The sisters are able to call their parents with cards they buy with
$190 their parents gave them before being taken into custody. They
have $120 left, she said.

Attorney Jeremiah Wolf Stuchiner, part of the legal team for the
Sarkisians, filed arguments to a Las Vegas federal judge Monday
arguing for their release. He said that parental rights and
international law favors his motion.

The idea is to bring the girls back to Las Vegas while the federal
judge rules on Stuchiner’s underlying argument — that the girls
should be given humanitarian consideration and allowed to remain in
the United States a few months longer while their father finally
becomes a citizen.

At that point, their father can petition for them to become
residents.

Meanwhile, Stuchiner said, they should be home and not in a cell.

“They’re not exactly a flight risk. Why should they be away from
their family?” he said.

EU envoy urges Armenia, Georgia to put forward joint regional initiatives

Mediamax news agency
25 Jan 05

YEREVAN

Issues relating to the preparation of an Individual Action Plan as
part of the European [Union’s] New Neighbourhood Policy were discussed
in Yerevan today by the Armenian deputy foreign minister, Ruben
Shugaryan, and the special representative of the European Union in the
South Caucasus, Ambassador Heikki Talvitie.

Heikki Talvitie expressed his confidence that work on the Individual
Action Plan would be completed this year so that it could be adopted
in 2006, the press service of the Foreign Ministry has told Mediamax.

Shugaryan and Talvitie said the document, together with the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), would serve as an
effective framework for Armenia’s integration into the European Union.

Ambassador Talvitie suggested that Armenia capitalize on the
opportunities presented by the New Neighbourhood Policy by putting
forward new programmes involving regional cooperation. Namely, the EU
representative said it might be a good idea to initiate some joint
Armenian-Georgian programmes in the first stage. He said their
successful implementation could facilitate the development of new
regional initiatives.

Ruben Shugaryan and Heikki Talvitie also exchanged opinions on
regional problems and discussed ways of securing a negotiated
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.