Author: Emil Lazarian

TO CONDUCT REFERENDUM IN KARABAKH MEANS ITS LOSS
BAKU, JULY 12. ARMINFO-TURAN. The statement of high-ranking
diplomatic source in Yerevan of radio “Liberty” on the possibility of
conducting a referendum in Nagorno Karabakh within the coming 15
years would means its loss for Azerbaijan.
This is the opinion of most of politicians and independent political
experts in Baku. According to the Armenian sources, referendum in
Karabakh is one of the elements
Of the future peaceful agreement which can be signed this year.
According to some information, the Protocol on Intentions can be
signed during the meeting of the president of Armenia and Azerbaijan
in Kazan, on August 27 of this year. Official Baku understands quite
well all negative perspectives of referendum, but the West wants
peaceful agreement. If I. Aliyev contrary to the national interests
makes such step he will get support by the West on the eve of
parliamentary elections. Then, the West will again close eyes to the
violation of human rights, jusT like in October 2003. In this case I.
Aliyev will have the parliament controlled by him and the threat
against his regime will weaken. However, explosion of indignation may
take place and then nothing will save the ruling regime.
Commenting on the situation to Turan agency Vafa Guluzade, political
expert, said that the government of Azerbaijan should not agree to
referendum. “The Armenian made it in Yerevan and there is no doubt
that they will again vote for independence,” he said.
It is difficult to believe that the authorities of Azerbaijan can
agree to such proposal, said former Ambassador of Azerbaijan to
Russia Hikmet Hacizade stated.
Conducting of referendum runs counter the international law, as the
referendum must be held in the whole country, and not in some of its
regions. If Baku agrees to such variant it will mean betrayal of
national interests and explosion of indignation. “It will be
impossible to realize such agreements,” he said.
Political expert Eldar Namazov noted that such variant of settlement
is lobbied by the Armenians for many years ands ruins counter the
interests of Azerbaijan and health sense. “To conduct a referendum in
the occupied territories is impossible and the attempts to make this
variant are doomed to failure,” Namazov said.

FAREWELL MEETING
A1+
12-07-2005
Today Armenian President Robert Kocharyan held meeting with Ukrainian
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Vladimir
Tyaglo, who is completing his three-year diplomatic mission in
Armenia.
Robert Kocharyan gave a positive estimate to the development of the
Armenian-Ukrainian relations, underscoring the Ambassador’s
contribution.
In his turn Vladimir Tyaglo thanked the RA authorities for the support
and noted that he has spent splendid years in Armenia and is leaving
the republic with warm feelings and bright recollections.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH ISSUE TO BE SOLVED VIA REFERENDUM
A1+
12-07-2005
`Robert Kocharyan is not empowered to make decision on behalf of
Karabakh. Who is the President of Armenia if he has not recognized the
independence of Nagorno Karabakh and has not declared Karabakh to be
inseparable from Armenia?’ RA President’s former advisor on foreign
relations Aram G. Sargsyan said when commenting of the possible
resolution of the conflict.
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will arrive in Armenia one of these
days, then they will make for Karabakh. In the opinion of the
Co-Chairs a `considerable progress was achieved’. According to the
preliminary agreement it means that a referendum can be held in
Karabakh within nest 10-15 years, conveyance of 5 regions to
Azerbaijan, opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, unblocking of the
communications and deployment of peacekeepers in the security area.
Justice bloc member Aram G. Sargsyan considers such settlement
inadmissible for Armenia. `If we agree to conduct a referendum in 10
years, we will give up for lost the whole process starting from
1988. The referendum held in 1991 with the participation of
international observers confirmed the independence of Karabakh from
Azerbaijan. Besides it should be noted that the people residing in
Karabakh before 1988 took part in the referendum. If 40 thousand
Azeris lived there at that time, now the number can make 160
thousand. Such demographic changes can lead to unfavorable results.
Aram Sargsyan noted that in case of returning the land the matter
concerned the determination of status but not conduction of a
referendum. `Robert Kocharyan yielded to Aliyev’s demand to start all
over again. Moreover he agreed to return territories thus jeopardizing
Karabakh’s security’, he stated.
Can Karabakh disagree with the decision and the process will reach a
deadlock? `Sure. I am aware of the position of the Karabakh leadership
and support it’, Aram Sarsgyan said.
`Any decision should be coordinated with the will and consent of the
people of Armenia and Karabakh. It can be achieved via parliamentary
discussions and referendum’, he resumed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 12 2005
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS RECEIVES GREECE AMBASSADOR TO RA
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. The Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin the Second
received the Greece Ambassador to Armenia Antonios Vlavianos, who has
accomplished his diplomatic mission in Armenia. During the meeting the Head
of Armenian Church appreciated the Ambassador’s work in Armenia, as well as
pointed out his important contribution to the development of the relations
between two countries and nations that promotes further development of
bilateral cooperation, the Holy See of St. Echmiadzin’s Press-Chancellery
reports.
In his turn, Vlavianos expressed gratitude for the reception and on behalf
of the Greek Embassy as well as personally made a donation to the Holy See
of St. Echmiadzin for humanitarian programs.
During the meeting the sides mentioned the warm relations between Armenian
Apostolic and Greek Orthodox Churches, as well as discussed issues related
to the monks of the Holy See of St. Echmiadzin, who are being educated in
Greece. A.A. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
July 12 2005
GERMANY AND ITALY FOR CONTINUING TALKS WITH TURKEY
12.07.2005 05:31
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Italian and German Foreign Ministers Gianfranco
Fini and Joschka Fischer have stated that in spite of the problem
regarding EU enlargement due to the vote on the European
Constitution, the talks on accession of Turkey and the Balkan states
to the EU should continue. Having noted that during the meeting of
Italian and German Foreign Ministers in Rome the parties have
discussed matters of EU enlargement, European Constitution, fight
against terror, as well as issues referring to Iraq and Afghanistan,
the Zaman Turkish newspaper reports that after the meeting Fini told
journalists that continuation of talks with a balanced Islamic
country as Turkey is very important to Europe, which is under a
threat of international terrorism, reported the Yerkir newspaper.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Lraper Church Bulletin 11/07/2005
Contact: Deacon Vagharshag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970, 517-0971
F: +90 (212) 516-4833, 458-1365
[email protected]
[email protected]
<; THE PATRIARCH VISITS THE XXII WORLD CONGRESS OF ARCHITECTURE On Wednesday morning, 6 July 2005, His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, visited an exhibition organized by the XXII World Congress of Architecture. He was accompanied by engineer Nazar Binatli, a member of the Armenian Patriarchate Committee for Repair and Restoration. His Beatitude the Patriarch first attended "The World is Speaking," exhibit at the CRR Center, and then toured the exhibition and stands of various countries at the Harbiye Military Museum. His Beatitude the Patriarch visited in particular the Republic of Armenia stand prepared by Prof. Narek Sargsyan. During a visit of about two hours, the Patriarch had conversations with the Director of the Republic of Armenia Architecture Museum, Prof. Ashot Grigoryan; the Head of the Republic of Armenia Chamber of Architects, Master Architect Migirdic Minasyan; Prof. Narek Sargsyan; and a journalist from the Nor Jamanak newspaper, Karen Mikaelyan. Praising the quality of the stand of the Republic of Armenia, His Beatitude the Patriarch noted that just as it is important to participate in international conferences, it is also as important to have exchange visits and contacts in the arts, culture, and commerce that promote good neighbourly relationships and dialogue between Turkey and Armenia. The architects from the Republic of Armenia who attended the congress had paid a courtesy visit to the Patriarchate on Tuesday, 5 July 2005. The web site of the World Congress of Architecture is <;

Kommersant, Russia
July 12 2005
Passazh in Ruins
// Shoppers burned along with it
Arson
Yesterday in Ukhta (Komi Republic), two unknown persons threw Molotov
cocktails at the Passazh shopping center owned by local businessman
Vladimir Gevorkian. Nineteen female customers and two male employees
died in the fire. Another five people are in critical condition.
Investigators are convinced that organized crime groups from among
Slavic convicts serving sentences in Ukhta, who have long dreamed of
forcing Caucasians out of business in the city, are behind the crime.
There has never before been a fire with so many victims resulting
from arson in Russia. Sergey Dyupin has the details.
A Fire of Republican Significance
The fire in the Passazh shopping center located in the old city
center on Oktiabrskaya Street started exactly at 14.00. It developed
swiftly after breaking out on the first floor of the building; a wall
of flame raced through a long, narrow corridor to the only exit,
cutting off the escape route for all shoppers and salespersons
gathered on the first and second floors. Within several seconds, the
fire ascended a staircase to the second floor, penetrated the small
shops located on both sides of the corridors, and spread into the
attic.
`The situation instantly became critical,’ a city fireman involved in
putting out the fire and evacuating the victims told Kommersant.
`This happened because, during construction, subsequent renovations,
and operation of the building, elementary fire safety requirements
were not observed.’
As specialists explained, the store owners were worried about their
own image. They faced the old building dating from the 1950s with
brick, installed double-glazed windows, made European-style
renovations inside, and hung advertisements outside. There was a lot
of emphasis on protecting the goods – all the windows were enclosed
in metal grilles and steel doors equipped with alarms were installed
at both entrances. At the same time, the two interior corridors that
ran along the length of the entire building were so narrow that two
shopping carts could not pass one another. The emergency exit from
the store was locked altogether. On the inside, the building was
finished with combustible synthetic materials; and because there was
no provision for air conditioning in Passazh, in hot weather, all the
windows had to be left open.
`Earlier, there was a sixteen-room wooden barrack for deportees in
this building,’ the fireman explained. `After renovations, this
barrack was turned into respectable, expensive shopping center, but
the building’s safety was still at the barrack level. So when the
fire broke out, Passazh turned into a real crematorium.’
People cut off by the fire rushed out into the narrow smoke-filled
corridors and collapsed after inhaling toxic fumes. The passageway
before the only open exit from Passazh became jammed, so that even
those who had managed to remain conscious were prevented from getting
out. People tried without success to break off the grilles on the
second floor. Someone beat on the locked steel door at the other
emergency exit, but his attempts were also unsuccessful. A store
security guard managed to save about ten people. After miraculously
escaping outside, he immediately drove his jeep to the wall of the
burning building, fastened the winch hook to the grille of a window
near the fire escape, and pulled it out. Fear-maddened people raced
to the opening and clung to the stairs, but only a few of them
managed to get down them. Most simply collapsed.
By the time the first firefighting crews arrived, the whole building,
from the first floor to the roof, was engulfed in flames. All the
firefighters could do was surround the building and flood it with
water. After about two hours, the fire was extinguished, but then the
burnt-out floors and roof collapsed under the weight of the water.
However, at that point, there was no one left alive in Passazh.
It was only towards late evening, after investigators had sifted
through the wreckage, that the first summaries of the disaster
appeared. Twenty-one people, almost all of them women, died in the
fire, and almost as many were in hospitals suffering from burns,
carbon monoxide poisoning, and injuries received from jumping from
the second floor. Doctors said that five of the injured were in grave
condition, so the number of victims could increase.
Given the scale of the tragedy, the local authorities have decided to
pay for the burial of all the dead, and declare the day of the
funerals a day of mourning in the Komi Republic. However, no date has
been set; many of bodies were badly burned, so it will take some time
to identify them.
Ex-convicts Suspected
As is usual in these cases, several theories as to the cause of the
fire were considered at the very start of the investigation.
According to one of them, the fire started due to the spontaneous
explosion of a gas cylinder. It is known that several days before the
fire, there had been minor repair work done at Passazh using gas
welding and the builders had left a full 40-l propane cylinder under
a first-floor staircase. Since the fire broke out in that exact
place, the gas cylinder theory advanced by the Ministry of Emergency
Situations was the leading one in the first few hours, but it soon
had to be abandoned.
As the specialists said, the gas cylinder explosion was an effect,
but not a cause, of the fire. The fire was caused by arson. Witnesses
told investigators from the prosecutor’s office that they had seen
two young men, possibly even teenagers, rushing from the building a
second after it burst into flame and taking to their heels. All
doubts faded after fire engineers had done some work at the site.
`The specialists’ conclusions are still not final,’ Ukhta’s
prosecutor, Nikolai Sanaev, told Kommersant. `But they have
tentatively established that the fire started on the first floor
under the up staircase, that is, about in the middle of the corridor.
The ignition source was some kind of volatile liquid – traces of it
were discovered in the ashes – but further examinations will be
needed to determine the exact composition and quantity of this
liquid.’
The arsonists have so far not been arrested; therefore, it is still
premature to speak of their motives. However, local investigators are
convinced that the teenagers were recruited for the crime by a local
organized crime group of ex-convicts, or `blues’, the name given here
to the heavily tattooed [hence the name `blues’] professional
criminals who have served their sentences in the Komi Republic and
have stayed on after doing their time. There are a lot of these
people in the North, but the blues don’t always occupy a niche worthy
of their `authority’ in local business – Caucasians get in the way.
Ukhta is becoming more and more like other big cities,’ an officer
with the local criminal investigation department told Kommersant.
`Azerbaijanis here run the produce business – both wholesale and
retail – Armenians deal in manufactured goods, and Dagestanis run the
transport business. There’s nothing left for our local convicts to do
but pick pockets the old fashioned way, so they’re against anyone who
tramples on their business. This is what causes all the problems.’
However, not everyone in Ukhta agrees with this. `Local businessman
Vladimir Gevorkian and his son Georgy own Passazh, along with their
partners, Vladimir Gusev and Aleksey Vladimirov,’ Viktor Zhuravelev,
the head of the city administration’s department of consumer markets
and trade, told Kommersant. `They recently leased the shopping center
to OOO Severtorg, which sublet the space to small businesses. All of
these deals are absolutely legal, and all of those involved in them
are respectable people and serious, diversified businessmen, not
criminals. There have never been any criminal or interethnic
confrontations in city business. Therefore, I’m convinced it wasn’t
arson; the blaze was caused accidentally by careless use of fire.’
When the Kommersant correspondent asked Zhuravelev to put him in
touch with the owners of Passazh, he said it was impossible, because
Gevorkian was out of the republic and his partners were being
questioned at the prosecutor’s office.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 11, 2005, Monday
NATIONAL MINORITIES OF GEORGIA ARE READY TO REVOLT
SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, July 07, 2005, p. 4
by Yury Simonyan
GEORGIA: SITUATION IN PLACES OF COMPACT RESIDENCES OF AZERBAIJANIS
AND ARMENIANS IS DRAMATICALLY AGGRAVATED
In the last few days, Georgia once again found itself face to face
with the old problem of inter-ethnic conflicts. Situation in places
of compact residences of Azerbaijanis and Armenians grew dramatically
worse.
The search for Sadraddin Palangov, resident of Sadakhlo village on
the border with Armenia, did not yield any results yet. Palangov was
a local spiritual leader also known as mullah Gara. (…) Bearing in
mind that not long before disappearance of mullah Gara Armenian
border guards arrested four residents of Sadakhlo, Azerbaijanis who
were cutting wood in the border forest, local residents accused
Armenians of the crime against their spiritual leader too. Residents
of Sadakhlo picketed the Georgian-Armenian interstate highway
demanding arrival of the top-ranking officials of the Interior
Ministry and General Prosecutor’s Office from Tbilisi. Finally, they
were content with interference of the district authorities. Amiran
Shubitidze, head of the local administration, held successful
negotiations with Armenian border guards and all arrested were
released. However, he failed to find any information about
disappeared Palangov. Zurab Melikashvili, plenipotentiary of the
President in Kvemo Kartli province, told journalists that search was
underway and the leading specialists of the Interior Ministry
participated in the search. (…)
Once again, quietness was broken in the Tsalksky District of the same
region where Greeks, Armenians and migrants from the high mountain
areas of Georgia were residing compactly. Relations between the
natives and the migrants were aggravated recently so much that
special forces were sent to the region according to the order of
President Mikhail Saakashvili. Relative still lasted only for a short
time. Now local Armenians accuse the special forces of infringing on
their rights and open support of the Svans (Georgian ethnic group)
relocated there.
To relieve the tension of the inter-ethnic relations the President
even had to take steps of economic nature. Thus analysts interpreted
the order of Mikhail Saakashvili to make Dzhavakhetia historically
populated by Armenians the main supplier of food products to the
Georgian army.(…)
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #127, 12/07/2005

Diaspora
LITERARY SOIREE AT THE UNION OF CALIFORNIA’S ARMENIAN WRITERS
On July 7, the Armenian Writers’ Union of California held its regular
monthly open-door meeting at the public library of Glendale, pulling
in numerous writers and literature aficionados. The writers were free
to present their works from the stage. It was nice to see young
authors to join the ranks of renowned writers. Among the authors to
recite their works were Esther Davtian, Armen Poghosian, Hayrik
Dodorian, Sona Van, Martik Davtian (from Tehran), Vartan Murdaghanian,
Tevan Shahbazian, Raffi Davtian, Mane Hayryan, Manya Aslanian, Albert
Grqiasharian, Kima Kirakosian, Gayane Ghazarian and Sonya Mkrian.
Prose writers and poets alike gave great pleasure to listeners with
the fiction in Armenian language. Many writers failed to recite
because of time pressure.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 11 2005
ARMENIA APPRECIATES RESULTS OF YEAR OF RUSSIA IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, July 11. /ARKA/. Armenia appreciates the results of the Year
of Russia in Armenia, the RA Presidential Assistant Vigen Sargsyan
stated at his meeting with Mikhail Shvidkoy, Head of the RF Federal
Agency for Culture and Cinematography, RIA “Novosti” reports. The
sides discussed the closing of the Year of Russia in Armenia and
plans for the Year of Armenia in Russia. “We say again and again that
cultural events are the best and the most impressive ones of the Year
of Russia in Armenia”, Sargsyan said. He said that the Armenians
liked the discotheques with the participation of Russian artists.
Adults liked especially performances of the Bolshoy Theather, Moscow
Anton Chekhov Art Academic Theater, as well as the tour of the Sergej
Obraztsov Sate Academic Puppet Theater.
Shvidkoi reported that the Year of Armenia in Russia is expected to
be opened with a gala concert at the State Kremlin Palace on January
22, 2006. The second opening is to be held in St. Petersburg on
January 24.
A Russian economic forum and an industrial exhibition are expected to
be held in Yerevan late in November 2005. RF Prime-Minister Mikhail
Fradkoy is expected to attend this exhibition. A retrospective show
of Armenian films, an exhibition of works by Sergey Parajanov, a
round-table of intellectuals, as well as performances of Armenia’s
choirs are to be organized. Armenian opera singers are expected to
give solo concerts and take part in Russian theaters’ plays.
Probation of young performers at Russian art studios and an
exhibition of children’s paintings will be organized as well. The
State Symphonic Orchestra of Armenia and the Russian Konstantin
Stanislavski Drama are to make tours of Russia. During the meeting
Armenian side insisted that Shvidkoy conduct his program “Cultural
Revolution” in Yerevan. A.A. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress