Author: Emil Lazarian

Catholic world news
June 24 2004
Turkish bishops in historic meeting with premier
Ankara, Jun. 24 (FIDES/CWNews.com) – In a historic first, Turkey’s
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with the country’s
Catholic bishops, raising hopes for an eventual legal recognition of
the Catholic Church in that country, the Fides news service reports.
Erdogan met on June 21 with the bishops of the several Catholic
groups in Turkey, representing the Latin, Armenian, Chaldean, and
Syrian rites. The prelates asked the prime minister to consider
juridical recognition of the Catholic Church in Turkey.
The unprecedented meeting is a “milestone” for the life of the
Catholic Church in Turkey, Father George Marovich told Fides. Father
Marovich, a spokesman for the bishops’ conference, reported that
Prime Minister Erdogan sought the bishops’ help in securing Turkish
entry into the European Union, and expressed satisfaction when he was
reminded that the Turkish bishops have already joined with the
Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, a group bringing together
the Catholic bishops of the European Union nations.
Turkey has a population of 66 million, of whom 98 percent are Muslim.
Many Christians hide their faith, since Christians are not allowed to
sit in parliament or enter the military.
Among the country’s Christians, most are Orthodox, led by the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople– who is acknowledged as the
leading prelate of the Orthodox world, although his own flock is
relatively small.

New York Times
June 25 2004
Separatist Revives Movement in Quebec
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
MONTREAL, June 24 – Until a few months ago, Gilles Duceppe was a shaky
leader of the fading separatist movement in Quebec, seemingly
destined to be an odd footnote in Canadian history.
But in an turn of fortunes that has more to do with the collapse of
the governing Liberal Party than his own skills, Mr. Duceppe is
emerging as the big winner of the parliamentary election campaign
that will choose a new prime minister on Monday.

Mr. Duceppe has no chance of replacing Prime Minister Paul Martin,
because his party is competing just in Quebec. Because of widespread
disgust in the second most populous Canadian province over Liberals’
scandals, Mr. Duceppe’s Bloc Québécois is poised to sweep Quebec and
carry a large delegation to the next House of Commons. If recent
polls hold, the bloc will emerge for the first time as a vital power
broker in Ottawa whose support may well be necessary for the next
federal Liberal or Conservative government to survive in power.
The son of a famous actor, Mr. Duceppe was a Maoist union organizer
in his youth and appears an unlikely politician to become a leading
national force. His generally stiff speaking style makes him anything
but an inspiring political leader. He was the laughingstock of a
campaign seven years ago, when he was photographed wearing a hygienic
hairnet at a cheese factory that made him look like he was coming out
of the bath wearing a shower cap.
For a rebel leader, Mr. Duceppe appears to be a portrait of caution
and paradox. At age 56, he campaigns without a tie in a charcoal-gray
suit held up over his slight frame by a belt and suspenders. On his
campaign bus, he relaxes with high-volume Janis Joplin and Maria
Callas.
A year ago, Mr. Duceppe’s Bloc Québécois and the entire separatist
movement were waning into the fringes of politics. The bloc’s
provincial cousins, the Parti Québécois, lost control of the
provincial legislature and government in a landslide defeat in April
2003 to the Liberal Party led by Jean Charest, a passionate advocate
for a united Canada.
Since that vote, Mr. Charest has fallen quickly in the polls after
unfulfilled promises to cut taxes and improve health care and day
care.
A government audit found that the federal government had furtively
passed out tens of millions of dollars to friendly advertising
companies involved in antiseparatist publicity efforts deeply
offended Quebecers.
“The Liberals tried to buy Quebecers, and there is a lot of
indignation about that,” Mr. Duceppe said in an interview. He
modestly noted that a recent poll by Leger Marketing showed that
roughly half the people who planned to vote for the bloc’s
parliamentary candidates were not trying to win sovereignty but
merely trying to punish Mr. Martin and the governing party.
“Duceppe is riding the biggest surfing wave of his life,” Michel C.
Auger, political columnist of the Journal de Montréal, said. “He
didn’t create the wave, but he saw it and knew what to do with it.”
Mr. Duceppe’s campaign is tightly controlled to avoid any more
hairnet incidents. A day of campaigning in and around Montreal this
week was carefully choreographed to make him appear as liberal and
unthreatening as possible to fence-sitting voters, especially ethnic
minorities who usually vote Liberal and oppose separation from
Canada.
While appearing on a youth music television station to discuss his
support for environmental protection and the need to clean up
politics, he spoke of the importance of Black History Month and
Jackie Robinson’s playing for a minor league team here as a sign that
he is receptive to minorities. At a news conference, he courted
minority votes by speaking of the Jewish Holocaust and Armenian
genocide.
He attended a barbecue here for an underdog bloc candidate, Maria
Mourani, who is of Lebanese descent, where he was filmed and
photographed surrounded by Muslim, Chinese and Russian voters.
“There’s no difference between Quebecers who are immigrants and
Québécois de souche,” he said sitting beside Ms. Mourani, referring
to Quebecers whose ancestors were French settlers before the
18th-century British conquest.
It was a pitch before the cameras with future elections in mind.
Although Liberal candidates in some Quebec districts have thrown in
the towel and halted campaigning, separatist leaders around the
province plan to build on the expected victory to retake the
provincial government in 2007. Mr. Duceppe may well use his campaign
this year to set up a campaign as leader of the Parti Québécois
against Mr. Charest, followed by a push for a referendum a year or
two after that.
The separatist forces lost two referendums, in 1980 and 1995, the
second defeat by an extremely narrow margin. Polls show support for
sovereignty at 40 to 45 percent.
Mr. Duceppe is careful to repeat at almost every campaign stop that
the election on Monday is not about sovereignty and that he is ready
to work in Ottawa to influence policies like opposing any missile
defense agreement with the United States and pressing for more
federal money for health care and unemployment insurance.
In two television debates, Mr. Duceppe projected the most poise of
the four major party leaders, surpassing expectations.
At the same time, he makes no effort to hide his long-term
intentions.
“Quebec is a nation that will someday be a country,” he said at a
press conference on Tuesday. “I want to create a new society with
social justice, without racism or sexism.”
Prime Minister Martin, who represents a Montreal district in the
House of Commons, had hoped to appeal to Quebec nationalists by
appointing Jean Lapierre, a former founder of the Bloc Québécois, to
be his chief Quebec spokesman. But Mr. Lapierre proved to be a clumsy
advocate, leading Mr. Martin in the last week to turn to Liberal
hard-line antiseparatists to shore up the traditional Liberal base.
“Let’s not play with fire,” Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew warned
this week. “By voting for the bloc, you give them momentum. You give
them the taste of victory that they had lost recently.”

Armenia set to expand cooperation with NATO – deputy minister
Hayots Ashkharh, Yerevan
25 Jun 04

Text of Vaan Vardanyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Hayots Ashkharh
on 25 June headlined “What took place in Baku should be regarded as an
incident”
An interview with [Armenian] Deputy Defence Minister Artur
Agabekyan. He comments on the events that have taken place in Baku.
[Hayots Ashkharh correspondent] How do you assess the events in Baku
when an attempt was made to lynch two Armenian officers who attended a
NATO conference within the framework of the Partnership for Peace
programme?
[Artur Agabekyan] I think it may be regarded as an incident. Our main
purpose has always been to use any invitation to cooperate with
NATO. Only by means of cooperation, can numerous regional problems be
settled.
[Correspondent] Even if Azerbaijan seems unable to ensure the security
of Armenian officers on its territory?
[Agabekyan] I would not like to give such assessments, as if there is
any bias here. I think that on the first day of the conference, they
simply could not predict such an incident. In the next few days,
security was already seriously ensured and our officers took an active
part in the subsequent work of the conference. We managed to reach
such a level that we shall participate in upcoming summits as a
fully-fledged party with five Armenian officers in attendance. We
shall have posts in a multi-national unit which is being formed.
[Correspondent] Does it mean that the participation of the rank and
file is ruled out?
[Agabekyan] We wanted the Armenian rank and file to participate in the
exercises together with officers. But the incident let it be known
that only the participation of officers is expedient. Because ensuring
the security of officers is much easier for Azerbaijan than of the
rank and file. The point is that the rank and file will live in
barracks together with representatives of other countries’ rank and
file. As for the officers, they live separately as is the case in our
country. So in September, we shall take part in those exercises and
expect support from the NATO member countries and the USA. We hope
that the Azerbaijani party will learn a lesson from the incident and
will seriously ensure the security not only of Armenian officers, but
also of the whole event. After the last incident, not only Gen Murad
Isakhanyan, but also all the other participants in the conference
think that what took place was an attempt not only on the life of
Armenian officers, but also of all the participants in the
conference. The Azerbaijani party seems to have drawn conclusions from
this.
[Correspondent] How will you explain the latest worsening of the
situation on the defence positions in the village of Berkaber? An
Armenian contract serviceman was killed. Against the background of the
conference, is the Azerbaijani party deliberately worsening the
situation?
[Agabekyan] I would not like to connect these two questions. Such
worsening sometimes takes place along the entire Armenian border
during the period of time between shifts and engineering work. What
took place near the village of Berkaber was due to engineering
works. The Azerbaijani party tried to take a more favourable position
and the heights that were controlled by our observation posts. Our
units took relevant steps. I think that this activity will be
temporary. In any case, we should understand that we do not guard an
ordinary border, we guard the border with Azerbaijan. Unfortunately,
in such a situation, we may have losses and wounded, this is the
difficulty of service. But we have to find the strength and resist
it. Our general staff is cooperating with international structures. We
always visit sectors of the border and try to reduce the intensity of
firefights there.

Los Angeles Times
June 25, 2004 Friday
Home Edition
MOVIE REVIEW;
Dreams, detours get ‘Bought & Sold’;
In the affecting drama, an aspiring DJ begins working for a loan
shark and meets people who cause him to reconsider the direction of
his life.
by Kevin Crust, Times Staff Writer
Writer-director Michael Tolajian mines the diversity of a multiethnic
enclave of storefront shops in Jersey City, N.J., to craft the
well-acted drama “Bought & Sold.” Leavened with humor, the film
traces a young man’s hard-won entry into adulthood as he discovers
his priorities.
A year out of high school, Ray Ray Morales is anxious to make it as a
DJ and is growing frustrated by the low pay, not to mention the
smelly feet, associated with his job as a shoe salesman. Played by
Rafael Sardina, who resembles a young Oscar De La Hoya, Ray Ray feels
pressure from his pushy fiancee, Hilda (Cristina Ablaza), and his own
creative ambitions.
To help Ray Ray save for a turntable he’s been eyeing in the window
of a pawnshop, his friend Papo (Frank Harts) hooks him up with a
second job working for a loan shark who also deals in “gaming
interests,” “pharmaceutical sales” and “vehicle export.”
“It’s important to diversify,” says Alphonso “Chunks” Colon (Joe
Grifasi), who fancies himself as the neighborhood padrone. After
determining Ray Ray is too smart to waste on petty crime, Chunks
gives him an assignment working at the pawnshop monitoring its cash
flow. The proprietor, an elderly Armenian named Kutty Nazarian (David
Margulies), owes Chunks a great deal of money and it becomes Ray
Ray’s responsibility to ensure the weekly payments are met.
Kutty runs the shop with help from his attractive niece, Ruby (Marjan
Neshat), who catches Ray Ray’s eye and encourages him to pursue his
dreams. Hilda, on the other hand, doesn’t care what Ray Ray does for
a living as long as he provides for her in the manner she envisions.
Chunks is at first paternal toward Ray Ray, but when business becomes
business, things get ugly fast and the younger man is forced to
choose which path his life will take. Tolajian creates a viable,
self-contained world and does a nice job of integrating veterans
Grifasi and Margulies with an ensemble of newcomers. The story wraps
a little too neatly and backs away from some of its darker impulses
but is finally a sweet-natured tale of male rituals and cultural
adaptation in urban America.
*
‘Bought & Sold’
MPAA rating: R for language and sexual references
Times guidelines: Threats of violence
Rafael Sardina…Ray Ray Morales
David Margulies…Kutty Nazarian
Joe Grifasi…”Chunks” Colon
Marjan Neshat…Ruby
Frank Harts…Papo Rivera
A Pawnshop Pictures production, released by Pathfinder Pictures.
Writer-director Michael Tolajian. Producers Bergen Swanson, Michael
Tolajian. Cinematographer Kip Bogdahn. Editors Seth Anderson, Michael
Tolajian. Costume designer Michelle Phillips. Music Joe Delia.
Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes.
Exclusively at Laemmle’s Sunset 5, 8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood,
(323) 848-3500.
GRAPHIC: PHOTO: ROAD TO DISCOVERY: Rafael Sardina stars as Ray Ray
Morales in the New Jersey-based drama “Bought & Sold.” PHOTOGRAPHER:
Pathfinder Pictures
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian leader vows to fulfil European commitments
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
23 Jun 04
Presenter President Robert Kocharyan took questions from MPs after his
speech in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe PACE.
There were Turkish and Azerbaijani representatives among them as
well. Robert Kocharyan also held some important meetings in Strasbourg
this morning 23 June .
Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan from Strasbourg by telephone Good
evening Lilit, you are on the air.
Correspondent The Armenian president’s working visit to Strasbourg
started with official meetings. He first met the Norwegian prime
minister. PACE President Peter Schieder also met the Armenian
president. They talked about Armenia’s democratization and election of
Terry Davis as secretary-general of the Council of Europe which took
place yesterday. Peter Schieder welcomed Armenia’s steps towards
democratization under President Kocharyan and spoke highly of our
country’s commitments to the CE.
Today Robert Kocharyan also visited the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) and met the president of this organization, Luzius
Wildhaber. They discussed the improvements in the Armenian court
system and judiciary, without which, according to Robert Kocharyan,
there can be no democracy in the country. After the Armenian
president’s speech in the PACE, the MPs asked him questions. The
questions were mainly about Armenia’s integration into the European
Union, a settlement of the Karabakh conflict and regional cooperation.
Asked by PACE’s co-rapporteur on Armenia Jerzy Jaskiernia as to when
Armenia plans to implement its commitments regarding the electoral
code and constitutional reforms, President Kocharyan answered that
they will be ready by the end of this year.
The Turkish and Azerbaijani representatives also asked questions. The
Turks were mainly interested in the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
borders and the president’s opinion about the possibility of
cooperation and relations. Robert Kocharyan reiterated that relations
should be built without any conditions attached and called for
regional cooperation. The Azerbaijanis, as always, made use of this
opportunity and, like a broken record, once again talked about the
occupied territories and refugees. The hall applauded Robert Kocharyan
when he said that he had led the Karabakh movement since 1988 and that
he was proud of this.
The Armenian president again announced our country’s position that
they should develop regional cooperation, which according to Robert
Kocharyan will create a favourable atmosphere for the settlement of
the conflict. Generally speaking, judging by the applause, the
Armenian president’s speech was accepted positively by the PACE.
After the PACE session the Armenian president held a news conference
which was a good opportunity for Turkish and Azerbaijani journalists
to meet the Armenian president. There were mainly questions about
Karabakh. President Robert Kocharyan said that the Turkish and
Azerbaijani journalists should study and get familiarized with the
laws according to which Nagornyy Karabakh by referendum was declared
an independent state.
Speaking about Azerbaijan’s claims for 20 per cent of the occupied
territory and the problem of refugees, Robert Kocharyan said that
Azerbaijan should bear responsibility for everything since it was the
one to start the hostilities in a territory which did not belong them,
hoping that they would win.
Robert Kocharyan is now holding a meeting with the newly-elected
secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis which is about
to end.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
June 24 2004
Bankrupt Armenian Carrier Unable To Clear Huge Debt
By Gevorg Stamboltsian 24/06/2004 16:19
The executive director of Armenian Airlines said on Wednesday that
the state-owned carrier which was declared bankrupted recently is
highly unlikely to fully repay its debts estimated to total $28
million.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Arsen Avetisian said the company would
be able to do so only if it was allowed to resume and operate a
single daily flight from Yerevan to Moscow for at least two
consecutive years.
`But given the existing agreement between [the private airline]
Armavia and the Armenian government, the likelihood of the
implementation of a financial adjustment plan drawn up by Armenian
Airlines is very small,’ he admitted.
Armavia, which is owned by Russia’s second-biggest Sibir airline, was
granted most of Armenian Airlines’ flight rights in the former Soviet
Union and Western Europe when it signed the agreement with the
government more one year ago. It has since replaced Armenian
Airlines, notorious for mismanagement and poor service, as the
country’s flagship carrier.
The Yerevan-Moscow flights reportedly generate 42 percent of
Armavia’s operating revenues. Sibir, which has already invested
heavily in its Armenian subsidiary’s fleet of mainly European-made
aircraft, is therefore unlikely to share the lucrative service with
anyone.
Meanwhile, Armenian Airlines creditors, most of them based outside
Armenia, are expected to gather in Yerevan next month to discuss its
future. According to Avetisian, they will likely decided to liquidate
the company. He said it can partly clear the debts with proceeds from
the planned sale of its property and equipment, including Soviet-era
commercial jets.
Armenian Airlines, profitable as recently as in 1997, began steadily
sliding into bankruptcy in 1998 and carried out its last flight in
December. Avetisian blamed the downfall on the Russian economic
crisis of 1998 and a series of subsequent restructurings which
deprived the company of some of its profit-making divisions. But some
independent aviation experts believe that the company fell victim to
government corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement.

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate distribution
Congress of Canadian Armenians (CCA)
Taro Alepian
Montreal, CANADA
Tel: 514-336-4387
Fax: 514-336-1969
e-mail: [email protected]
UNITED FRONT ESTABLISHED BY ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN CANADA
Montréal, June 17, 2004 – The Congress of Canadian Armenians (CCA)
was launched yesterday at its inaugural meeting in Montreal. Its aim
is to create a united front in presenting Armenian issues and the
Armenian community to the Canadian public, to carry out significant
projects of general interest to the community, and to provide a forum
where member organizations can coordinate their ctivities.
The Diocese of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church of Canada, many of
the largest Armenian organizations in Montreal and several prominent
individuals are members of the Congress. In time, this will be extended
to other parts of Canada until Armenians in all regions of the country
are represented.
The Congress also intends to cooperate and work closely with other
organizations in carrying out its activities.
For more information contact:
Taro Alepian, chairman
Montreal CANADA
Tel: 514-336-4387
Fax: 514-336-1969
e-mail: [email protected]
or
Haroutiun Arzoumanian, secretary
Montreal CANADA
Tel: 514-337-7290
Fax: 514-334-1241
e-mail: [email protected]

Georgia should rather strivie for joining CSTO than NATO
Pravda.RU:World
19:20 2004-06-22
Chairman of the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) committee
for CIS affairs and ties with countrymen Andrei Kokoshin believes
that it would be more logical for Georgia to strive for joining the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) than NATO. The CSTO
incorporates Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan.
“It would be more logical for Georgia to strive for joining the CSTO
since the new Georgian leadership has said many times of late about
its friendly feelings towards Russia, and its recognition of Russia’s
leading role in ensuring security and stability in the region,”
Kokoshin said on Tuesday in an interview with RIA Novosti.
According to him, the CSTO is more modern and flexible organization
than NATO, which was created after the cold war period and therefore
is not burdened by the past events.”
Kokoshin believes that the attempts of Georgian and some other
CIS countries’ representatives to use Russia-NATO cooperation
as an argument in favor of its entering NATO are “groundless and
illogical.” “Russia cooperates with NATO in combating terrorism, in
non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and in some other
areas where this cooperation is mutually beneficial and equal. But
this is achieved not always,” Kokoshin explained.
He also pointed out that “Russian and foreign experts differently
assess the effectiveness of such cooperation inside NATO as well,
not to mention its interaction with external partners.”
“The overwhelming majority of State Duma deputies have a negative
attitude to statements made by some Georgian officials about the
plans of its joining NATO,” Kokoshin stressed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Australian
The Age, Australia
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
Daily Telegraph, Australia
June 22 2004
NATO conference disrupted
>>From correspondents in Baku, Azerbaijan
A NATO conference in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan was
disrupted today when hardline nationalists tried to storm the hotel
where the meeting was taking place.
Police arrested 12 demonstrators, who were protesting against the
presence at the conference of two servicemen from the neighbouring
country of Armenia.
Azerbaijan and Armenia are officially in a state of war after
fighting in the early 1990s over the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
About 30 demonstrators broke through a police cordon outside the
venue for the meeting, a hotel in the Azeri capital, Baku, and
smashed the glass door of the conference hall, witnesses at the scene
told AFP.
They were prevented from getting into the hall by the hotel’s
security guards and were later detained by police. The meeting was
suspended for five minutes as a result of the disturbance.
Earlier, the protesters had marched through Baku carrying placards
with the slogans: “Armenians Out!” and “The Armenian criminals have
the blood of our people on their hands.”
“We will continue this protest action all day,” said Akif Nagi, who
led the demonstration. “Our aim is to force the Armenians to leave
the conference.”
The conference is being held to prepare for a training exercise of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, called “Cooperative Best
Effort,” which is due to take place in Azerbaijan later this year.
The conference is being attended by delegates from 24 NATO member
states and partner countries, including the two Armenian officers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia hopes for Iranian credit to build hydro plant
Interfax
June 22 2004
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia is hoping to receive a credit from
Iran to build a hydroelectric plant on the Araks river, the cost of
which is estimated at $140 million, Armenian Energy Minister Armen
Movsisian told journalists.
He said that Armenia plans to repay the credit with supplies of
electricity to Iran.
The minister said that there are plans to build two identical
hydroelectric plants on the Araks river – the Megrin Hydroelectric
Plant on Armenian territory and the Karachilar Hydroelectric Plant
in Iran. Movsisian said that in the coming two months a feasibility
study would be prepared for the construction of Megrin Hydroelectric
Plant. Construction is set to begin in mid-2005 and an agreement with
Iran will be signed by the end of this year.
The minister said that the plant will have a capacity of 140
megawatts and will produce 841 million kWh of electricity per year.
For comparison he said that 30 small hydro plants are operating in
Armenia, producing a total of 600 million kWh of electricity per
year. He said that the new plant would be the best in Armenia as
regards its technical and economic parameters and in time it is planned
to build a whole chain of plants on the Araks river together with Iran.
The Armenian government and Energy Ministry are currently working on a
program to develop alternative energy production, to ensure Armenia’s
security in the event of Armenian Nuclear Power Plant closing. The
main emphasis in this program is being placed on developing hydro
production.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress