Author: Emil Lazarian

Azerbaijan, Armenia agreed on two more issues – Azeri foreign minister
Assa-Irada
27 Jun 05
Baku, 27 June: “We managed to come to an agreement on two issues of
principle with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan in Paris,”
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told Assa-Irada.
Mammadyarov did not specify what they had agreed on, saying that the
sides had agreed to keep it confidential. He also said that despite
the progress in the talks, the sides had not yet been able to achieve
agreement on certain issues, he said.
“Of course, we will discuss these issues in the future. We will decide
what we should do to achieve our goals,” Mammadyarov said. He went on
to say that the talks were currently being conducted in keeping with
the principles defined by the [Azerbaijani and Armenian] presidents
in Warsaw and the foreign ministers were trying to reach consensus
on those principles.
[Passage omitted: the ministers had a brief unofficial meeting in
Brussels]
Mammadyarov said he could not confirm Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov’s forecast that the peace process might yield results in August.
“It is very difficult to name a date for this. To be honest, I do not
believe that the talks will give results by late August. Much will
depend on the presidents’ meeting in Kazan in late August,” he said.
[Passage omitted: the Armenian side denies reports about the ministers’
unofficial meeting in Brussels]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 05:10
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Ambassador to the Arabic Republic
of Egypt Ruben Karapetyan presented credentials to President Hosni
Mubarak, reported the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Armenia. In the course of the meeting R. Karapetyan conveyed
R. Kocharian’s greetings to H. Mubarak and assured that he will do
his best to further develop and strengthen the Armenian-Egyptian
mutually beneficial cooperation. In his turn the Egyptian President
asked to convey his regards to his Armenian counterpart and wished
R. Karapetyan success in his service.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Moving Russian military equipment to Armenia not to affect Karabakh settlement.
ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 27 2005
MOSCOW, June 27 (Itar-Tass) – The redeployment of Russian military
equipment from Georgia to the Russian Defence Ministry’s base
in Armenia will not change the balance of forces in the Karabakh
conflict zone and will not hamper the quest for the ways of peaceful
settlement. Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Committee for
International Relations of the State Duma lower house of parliament,
expressed his confidence in this on Monday.
He said, the Russian military bases are being speedily removed from
the Georgian territory. The Russian military base situated in Gyumri,
in the Armenian territory, is a possible place to which armaments
and equipment can be moved from Akhalkalaki base.
“If Azerbaijan offered an opportunity for the deployment of military
forces in its territory, Moscow would consent to this,” Kosachev
said. “Therefore, the redeployment of Russian military forces will
not affect the prospects for erasing tension in relations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

MEETING WITH NKR PRESIDENT
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
26 June  05
On June 21st NKR President Arkady Ghukassian met with the
parliamentarians of the Moldavian Republic of Transdnestr Vallery
Babcinetsky and Claudia Treskova who monitored the NKR parliamentary
election. During the talk the observers shared their impressions
from the election. Pointing out the high level of polls, they agreed
to the evaluations of the observers from the USA, European and CIS
countries. The observers said they believe that the NKR authorities
and people will remain committed to the supreme goals of freedom and
democracy. Arkady Ghukassian thanked the observers for their work and
wished the people and authorities of Transdnestr peace and prosperity.
AA.
26-06-2005
–Boundary_(ID_cj3B27IoR90Pz5nUv+jZzQ)–

The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
June 22, 2005 Wednesday
A young and ambitious ‘Boris’
by Andrew L. Pincus
LENOX
If you know opera, you know “Boris Godunov.” But do you know “Boris
Goudenow”? Not likely. Johann Mattheson’s opera, composed 159 years
before Mussorgsky’s dark-as-night portrait of the Russian czar, is
just now receiving its world premiere, 295 years after its birth.
Call it a prequel from a time before there were prequels. The Russian
Mussorgsky’s tragedy picks up where the German Mattheson’s happier
work from 1710 leaves off: with Boris’ 1598 coronation as czar of
Russia.
Mussorgsky’s Boris, racked by hallucinations and guilt, ultimately
goes mad and dies.
Fresh from its premiere run in Boston, the Boston Early Music
Festival’s production of Mattheson’s “Boris” opens the Tanglewood
season in performances at 7 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Festival
co-directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs are music directors, and
Lucy Graham is stage co-director and choreographer.
The international cast is headed by Vadim Kravets, a Russian, in the
title role. Ten soloists will be joined by adult and children’s
choruses, a 30-piece baroque orchestra and a troupe of dancers, with
period costumes and sets. If past performances in the festival’s
opera series are any guide, the kind of spectacle beloved by baroque
musicians and audiences will be on parade.
The Mussorgsky and Mattheson operatic portraits are “almost
opposites,” says Stubbs. “With Mussorgsky, you have the dark and mad
side of the story.” In Mattheson, “it’s the ambitious, bright, crafty
young Boris who winds his way to the coronation by a combination of
statesmanship and deceit. It’s a young hero, and the whole opera ends
with the happy coronation of the young hero. The two things are
absolutely like day and night.”
But why, you ask, has a three-centuries-old opera by one of the
leading lights of German baroque music — he was Handel’s mentor —
never been seen before? Only an unstaged performance of a different
edition in Hamburg, Germany, this year preceded the staging here.
The short answer is that the score turned up only a few years ago in
Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. O’Dette and Stubbs came upon it
during their explorations of baroque opera for their biennial Boston
festival.
“Boris Goudenow” is the fifth production in the series [all brought
to the Berkshires] since its inception in 1997 with Luigi Rossi’s
“Orfeo.”
A fuller explanation goes back to 1710, when Mattheson was a leading
composer, singer and conductor — “a star in his own time,” according
to O’Dette — at the Hamburg Opera. Internal difficulties at the
company, including doubts whether the musicians could perform
Mattheson’s “Boris,” denied it a premiere. He left the company and,
while still in his 30s, began going deaf and had to give up
composition and performance.
[Mattheson tells a story about himself: In 1704, after singing the
part of a character who commits suicide in his opera “Cleopatra,” he
went to the harpsichord to conduct the rest of the performance.
Handel, who was in command at the keyboard, refused to yield. The two
men fought a duel in which only a large button on Handel’s coat saved
him from being run through. They apparently reconciled; a year later,
Mattheson sang the leading roles in two Handel operas. ]
Soon after Mattheson’s departure from the opera company, it collapsed
amid financial and political problems. He retired to a life of
contemplation and writing critical and theoretical tomes about music.
His four operas, along with his 27 oratorios and numerous other
works, were forgotten.
We fast-forward now to World War II, when Hamburg Library officials,
knowing their city was about to be bombed, sent their most valuable
holdings to a remote castle near Dresden for safekeeping. When
Germany was defeated, Russian soldiers carted off the trove as booty.
It wound up in St. Petersburg, later to be claimed by an Armenian
scholar for Yerevan.
In 1998, as O’Dette tells the story, the secretary to German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl “phoned the director of the Hamburg Library
and said, ‘Meet me in Bonn tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock with a
tractor-trailer.’ ” There, the Armenian ambassador to Germany
presented the librarian with 42 crates of Hamburg Library holdings
from before the war, including the complete works of Mattheson.
O’Dette and Stubbs learned about the recovered score while doing
research for their 2003 festival opera, Johann Georg Conradi’s 1691
“Ariadne.” Wanting to continue their explorations into the
development of German opera, they settled upon “Boris Goudenow” for
this year’s festival.
A selection of Mattheson’s other works complemented the opera in the
Boston festival, which ended Sunday. The overall festival theme was
“East Meets West: Germany, Russia, the Baltic.”
“What emerges,” says O’Dette, “is a picture of an outstanding
composer who has never been recognized by music history because,
tragically, he became deaf at a young age and had to give up
composing and gave all of his music to the Hamburg Library.” As a
scholar, O’Dette adds, Mattheson “wrote so much that music historians
have focused on all of his books and have neglected to look at his
music before it disappeared. So that now we have to opportunity to
evaluate and enjoy the music of a composer who was considered one of
the great German composers of the early 18th century — in fact, the
person Handel went to Hamburg to study how to compose operas with.”
Mattheson’s operatic style is a mix of German and Italian elements,
with some arias in each language. Not yet in the comedy-free opera
seria style favored by later composers, “Boris Goudenow” has love
interest — three couples, all happily united at the end — and a
comic servant. The highly varied solos and ensemble numbers are
shorter than in later operas.
There is no pretender to the throne driving Boris to madness, as in
Mussorgsky.
“It is in every way a different kind of experience from going to see
Mussorgsky,” says Stubbs. “It doesn’t mean that if you love
Mussorgsky, you’ll hate this, or vice versa. But it is an entirely
different thing and much more like a drama with music, with
spectacular scene endings, with dancing and singing and everything.”
In September, the production moves on for two performances each in
Moscow and St. Petersburg, offering Russians a different perspective
on Mussorgsky’s tormented hero. Other cities in the United States and
Europe have also expressed interest but, paradoxically, the opera
can’t be seen in Hamburg, its birthplace.
The festival organizers have discussed a Hamburg staging with
presenters there, says O’Dette. But “then we were confronted with a
rather obscure and nasty clause in the German copyright law which
enabled a local amateur in Hamburg to make kind of an edition of the
work on his laptop and claim he owns performing rights in Germany to
it.”
A machination worthy of Boris. Litigation may offer a way out.
GRAPHIC: Colin Balzer performs the role of Gavust, a foreign prince,
in the Boston Early Music Festival production of ‘Boris
Goudenow’.Nell Snaidas sings the role of Olga, a Russian princess and
Aaron Sheehan portrays Ivan, a Bojar, in ‘Boris Goudenow’.In the BEMF
production of “Boris Goudenow’, standing left to right, Vadim Kravets
performs the role of Boris Goudenow; Ellen Hargis portrays Irina,
wife of the Czar and sister of Boris Goudenow; Marek Rzepka is Fedro;
and in the background, the chorus of old men.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL: ALLIANCE RECOGNIZES TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND
SOVEREIGNTY OF AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, JUNE 25. ARMINFO. NATO recognizes territorial integrity,
independence, sovereignty of all the PfP signatory-states. The
Azerbaijani 525th newspaper reports that NATO Under Secretary General
John Colston made this statement during his meeting with the Personal
Staff of the State Frontier Service of Azerbaijan.
He says that his structure actively cooperates with international
organizations to maintain regional stability in the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan has chosen the right way to come closer with the
EuroAtlantic union and makes a tangible contribution to development of
international cooperation in the defense sphere, John Colston says. He
expressed gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for progressive
policy of participation in NATO actions in Afghanistan and Kosovo. He
pointed out the large financial expenses the process was connected
with, adding that the alliance was ready to support reforms aiming
Azerbaijan-NATO rapprochement. Special reports will be prepared
shortly reflecting the basic directions of cooperation between the
alliance and Azerbaijan, Colston says.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 24, 2005
___________________
DETROIT-AREA COMMUNITY WELCOMES VEHAPAR
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, arrived in Detroit, MI, to a joyous welcome on Tuesday, June
21, 2005. Though not his first visit to the area, it was his first as
Catholicos.
He flew in on Tuesday, June 21, following a month-long pontifical visit
to the Western Diocese, on a plane provided by Richard Manoogian’s Masco
Corporation. The Catholicos was joined in the trip by Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese.
They were greeted at the Detroit airport by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern);
Armenia’s ambassador to the United States, Tatoul Markarian; Richard
Manoogian; Bishop Vicken Aykazian, diocesan legate; Fr. Garabed
Kochakian, pastor of the St. John Church of Southfield, MI; members of
the parish council at the St. John Church; and students from the
Manoogian school.
WELCOME TO DETROIT
The delegation attended a welcoming brunch, hosted by the Masco
Corporation, which was also attended by Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan,
Primate of Canada; a representative of Michigan’s governor, leaders from
Habitat for Humanity, and Diocesan Council members.
In remarks to the group, Ambassador Markarian spoke about the importance
of the Armenian Church in the past and how it continues to play a
leading role in the life of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenians
around the globe.
In his remarks, the Catholicos thanked his host, Richard Manoogian, and
spoke about the international reputation of his parents, Alex and Marie,
who were known as great benefactors of the Armenian community. He
marveled that Richard and his sister Louise have continued in their
parents’ tradition of supporting Armenian causes.
In recognition of his continued service to the Armenian people, the
Catholicos presented Mr. Manoogian with a gold and silver cross from the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
HRASHAPAR SERVICE
The following day, Tuesday, June 22, after working on a home with
Habitat for Humanity, the Catholicos celebrated a hrashapar service at
the St. John Church of Southfield, MI.
The large church was packed with parishioners. Speaking to them, the
Catholicos expressed great joy at seeing so many faithful attend the
special service. He told the crowd that their sisters and brothers in
the Republic of Armenia sent their blessings to the community in
Detroit.
He encouraged the group to be faithful of the traditions of the Armenian
Church. This year holds two anniversaries for the Armenian people, he
said: the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian alphabet
and the 90th anniversary of the Genocide. While one event is joyful,
the Catholicos said, the other reminds us all of the sorrowful history
of the Armenian people.
During the service the Catholicos presented Archbishop Barsamian with a
silver vessel filled with holy muron in an expression of appreciation.
MEETING THE PARISHIONERS
The Catholicos then met with the parishioners of the St. John Church in
a public reception. Each parishioner had a chance to step forward and
receive a pontifical blessing from the Catholicos.
Following the reception, the Catholicos attended a luncheon with parish
leaders. It was an opportunity for dialogue between the local leaders
and the Catholicos. They discussed a wide range of issues in an open
and frank manner.
“We are all grateful that the Catholicos was able to visit Detroit, one
of our great local communities,” Archbishop Barsamian said. “I was
heartened to see so many people coming out to welcome him and to attend
the badarak.”
BUILDING UPON A FOUNDAITON OF FAITH
The pontifical visit to the Detroit Armenian community was a chance for
the Catholicos to encourage a rejuvenation of the Armenian faith.
“All of us are being called to build upon the foundation we have
inherited, and to do more: to beautify that inheritance, and strengthen
it, for the sake of the future,” Archbishop Barsamian said during the
stop at the St. John Church. “Certainly, that is the task that Vehapar
has taken on in Armenia, where he has worked to revitalize the spiritual
life of our countrymen. And as faithful Armenians of the diaspora, it
should be our duty — your privilege really — to offer our best
efforts, our strongest support, and our deepest prayers of hope, for the
success of this re-birth of faith in our homeland, and among all the
Armenian communities of the world.”
Fr. Kochakian said that more than 1,000 people attended the service at
the church, with families brining all their young children. Many people
who had not been involved in the parish’s life before signed up to serve
as ushers or be members of the Women’s Guild.
“The Vehapar’s presence effectuated a lot of ministry to the parish and
gave it an injection of spirit,” Fr. Kochakian said. “It was an
excitement this parish hasn’t seen in years. He expressed verbally how
moved he was that everyone knew how to greet him. It gave him the
message that everyone was ready to serve with him for the good of the
church. He said he left with a great sense of spiritual satisfaction.”
— 6/24/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, and Richard Manoogian in front of a photo
of Mr. Manoogian’s father Alex.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): The Catholicos presents a cross to Richard Manoogian
during a reception welcoming the Catholicos to Detroit, MI, on June 21,
2005.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): The Catholicos speaks to the standing-room-only
crowd at the St. John Church of Southfield, MI, on June 22, 2005.
PHOTO CAPTION (4): Fr. Garabed Kochakian, pastor of the St. John Church
of Southfield, MI, along with parish council chair Edward Korkoian and
Dn. Richard Norsigian, present the Catholicos with miniature
reproductions of the church’s beautiful new tile mosaics.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AllAfrica.com, Africa
June 24 2005
Venaani Warns Against Ethnicity And Tribalism
New Era (Windhoek)
June 23, 2005
Posted to the web June 24, 2005
Frederick Philander
Windhoek
“I TABLE the motion on tribalism and ethnicity cognisant of the fact
that our country was disadvantaged by 100 years of colonisation and
white minority apartheid rule.”
With these words, young and firebrand DTA parliamentarian, McHenry
Venaani, yesterday motivated this motion in the National Assembly.

“Many African nations have gone through long and protracted
conflicts, influenced and sometimes fuelled by ethnicity and
tribalism. Our nation’s human struggle, too, was long and bitter.
Finally, apartheid was defeated and a dream Namibia became a
reality,” Venaani reminded the House from the outset.
In his opinion, ethnic conflict comes a long way from biblical times
and continues to prevail in modern times.
“In recent times, the Turkish government was suspected and accused of
murdering 1,5 million Armenians, the Nazis in Germany killed six
million Jews, mass murders occurred in some parts of the world as
well as Africa in particular, inspired and fostered by ethnic
conflicts. Granted, ethnicity exists anywhere where the human race
manifests itself. The challenge is how best it can be managed by
nations,” the DTA man, who also referred to the Rwanda and Burundi
conflicts between the Hutus and the Tutsis, said.
“This is an example of how ethnicity can impact negatively on
society. Such actions of brutality and contempt of human rights
violations should and must never be repeated on the African
continent.
However, the current conflicts in the DRC, Eritrea and Darfour region
in Sudan are all clear manifestations of eminent ethnic conflicts
that threaten human development, peace and social progress,” he
eloquently warned the House.
According to him, the eminent public opinion on tribalism and
ethnicity that exists warrants a national introspection and
stocktaking.
“Namibia as a country will and shall not remain immune to ethnic
conflicts that may lead to any extent with time. The attempts of the
Caprivi secessionists are clear warning signs of ethnic conflict in
our country. Petty border disputes between ethnic groups and
sub-clans in the country should also not be taken lightly,” he
cautioned.
In his opinion, Namibians should be pro-active and macro-manage
ethnic diversity that manifests itself in the country.
“No ethnic group in this country represents 53 percent of the total
population on its own. We inherited unbalanced apartheid structures
such as the civil service, the armed and police forces and replaced
them all with the same unbalanced structures, only in black fashion,
since the former was a white dominated structure,” he charged.
He said the spread of ethnicity and tribalism should be controlled
especially in appointments in the public sector.
“I do not believe that competency should be swallowed by ethnic
representation demands, but surely no one ethnic group can claim
higher competency levels in all spheres than others. Persons
currently benefiting from this practice of tribalism, either by
accident or per intention, cannot be blamed. However, the policy
implementers should be collectively blamed,” he said.
He charged: “Our country is experiencing a dangerous and alarming
practice of tribalism and ethnicity. At every level of governance, it
is clear that one observes employees that either hail from one
specific village region and tribe. Nearly each department is stocked
with individuals in charge from one specific tribe or region. The
question is why does it happen that some ethnic groups dominate
others beyond proportions?”
He also cited examples in the public sector where one tribe dominates
others, such as in bursary allocation in the Ministry of Education.
“Since 1992, bursaries allocated represented 84 percent given to one
specific tribe. This is an unhealthy situation that for the next 10
to 20 years, academic and tertiary jobs will be exclusively allocated
to this group, evidence of a perpetuation of certain ethnic groups or
tribes advancement. Members of this tribe shall remain job creators
and the less fortunate tribes would be jobseekers if a remedy is not
found for this imbalance,” Venaani, who charged that the same
tendencies are present in the police, foreign service and civil
servant permanent secretaries, argued.
“Ethnicity and tribalism is not among the top levels alone, but also
at lower levels of governance such as in the prison services. Very
few other ethnic groups can claim non-dominance in certain government
structures.
With this in mind I call for the appointment of a national group to
research the prevalence and impact of ethnicity and tribalism at all
levels of government and the society,” he suggested.
The motion also asked for the establishment of an ad hoc
parliamentary committee to investigate and research other countries
that have developed policies or laws.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Karabakh leader says ready to cooperate with Dashnaks
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
22 Jun 05
The leader of Nagornyy Karabakh has said he is ready to cooperate with
the opposition Dashnaktsutyun Party despite the difficult relationship.
In an interview with the Armenian Haykakan Zhamanak daily, Arkadiy
Gukasyan accused the party of spreading false rumours ahead of the 19
June parliamentary elections which could potentially destabilize the
situation in the separatist republic. Gukasyan also said he did not
announce his plans for the forthcoming presidential elections since
this could cause panic among pro-government forces. The following is
an excerpt from Anna Israelyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 22 June “I have not declared war on Dashnaktsutyun”;
subheadings have been inserted editorially:
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] The bloc of the [Armenian]
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] and Movement-88 might
reject its three seats in the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic]
National Assembly of the fourth convocation. How do you assess
prospects of this parliament acting without the opposition?
[Arkadiy Gukasyan] I think this an absurd intention. I do not think
they will do this. But if they do, this will be evidence of their
futility. I think the parliament and the country on the whole need
opposition. But I do not think that if the RFD is not in the
parliament we shall have no opposition. We shall have opposition in
any case.
[Correspondent] Represented by Azat Ayrenik [Free Motherland Party]?
[Gukasyan] This cannot be ruled out.
[Correspondent] But this party is believed to be yours.
[Gukasyan] These people are mine.
Row with Dashnaks
[Correspondent] Representatives of the RFD – Movement-88 bloc say that
you should have said before the election campaign that you were the
president of everybody and guaranteed free elections. Instead, the
last day of the election campaign, though not mentioning names, you
made a speech against a party running in the elections. Why?
[Gukasyan] I do not think so. I said I was ready to guarantee free,
fair and transparent elections. I was elected by people and always
thought I am the president of everybody. But if RFD officials say they
do not consider Arkadiy Gukasyan to be the president of the whole of
Karabakh, it is their problem.
[Correspondent] Do you mean the statement of the RFD Karabakh central
committee made on 29 December 2004 that says: “The person who became
the leader of the NKR has failed to understand the essence of his
mission and be on the appropriate level. He has failed to become the
symbol of unity and accord.”?
[Gukasyan] I cannot imagine how I can persuade them that I am the
president of everybody after these kinds of statements. But if they do
not want to see me as the president, this is their problem. They do
not represent the whole people of Karabakh.
[Correspondent] Why did the Dashnaks in Karabakh go into opposition?
Was [former NKR Minister of Education and Culture] Armen Sarkisyan’s
dismissal the only reason for this? Or is the RFD displeased with the
social and economic situation?
[Gukasyan] It would be more correct to ask the RFD this question, let
them explain. I see no serious grounds to behave in this way.
[Correspondent] Earlier we asked this question the RFD’s Karabakh
representatives and they replied that the RFD did not always agree
with your personnel and structural policies and your approaches on the
shadow economy and agricultural credit programmes.
[Gukasyan] I am sure that in the NKR we are capable of ensuring
natural economic growth and this will be obvious for everybody who
will compare Karabakh and Stepanakert of 2005 and of 1999-2000. I am
sure that we have managed to settle many social and economic problems.
I have never received any constructive offer or programme from the
RFD. It is easy to criticize, but I have never heard them propose an
alternative option.
“Karabakh is not Kyrgyzstan”
[Correspondent] On the final day of the campaign you said in your TV
speech that “false rumours are being spread that the authorities have
been instructed to put pressure on electorate, people are frightened,
and voters are forbidden to meet candidates from some political
organizations”. Why do you think these reports are groundless while
representatives of the RFD – Movement-88 bloc say they sent letters to
you and the NKR prime minister in which they mentioned the names of
the officials who committed these violations, but the letters remained
unanswered?
[Gukasyan] I received only one letter. And the information provided in
the letter was not confirmed. I am sure that the rumours spread by the
bloc are mainly false.
[Correspondent] Were you making a threat when you said in your speech:
“Any attempt by any party to destabilize the situation after the
elections will be assessed appropriately. Those who will initiate or
carry out this will be punished with the utmost rigour of the law.”?
[Gukasyan] This concerned violations as well. I am a guarantor of
stability and legality in Nagornyy Karabakh and I think I had a reason
to make this statement since certain forces and people are trying to
create an impression that it is Kyrgyzstan or Georgia here.
[Correspondent] Does this mean you were informed that the events that
took place in these countries may repeat in Karabakh?
[Gukasyan] I rule out this since Karabakh is not Kyrgyzstan. I do not
even think that this is possible in Karabakh. I did not mean real
steps but the fact that these rumours could damage stability in the
NKR.
[Correspondent] Representatives of the bloc say that you should have
made a special statement saying you are not going to be nominated for
a third term. This could certainly ease the atmosphere since the
parliamentary elections are regarded as a kind of preparation for the
2007 presidential elections.
[Gukasyan] I do not think that this statement was necessary. They
might have been more interested in another aspect: if I make such a
statement, the pro-government team will find itself in panic.
But I really do not have such an intention, especially as the law does
not allow me to run for a third term.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
No bridges burnt
[Correspondent] In its statement in December 2004, the RFD Central
Committee hoped that Arkadiy Gukasyan “will finally start improving
his relationship with Dashnaktsutyun”. Have all the bridges of mutual
understanding and cooperation been burnt?
[Gukasyan] I have not burnt any bridges. I do not think this is the
general position of Dashnaktsutyun. This is the approach of its local
officials. They have made many statements and, if you noticed, I have
not even replied to them.
The president is obliged to cooperate with all political forces. Today
I am also ready to cooperate irrespective of the number of
representatives of a certain political force in the parliament. I did
not declare war on anybody and if it seems to them that I have to make
some steps, I think it is them who have to make these steps. It is
them who are making statements that are worsening the situation.
But I would like to say that I highly appreciate the role of all the
NKR parties, including the RFD. I reiterate that I am ready to
cooperate with them, listen to them and accept any of their
constructive proposals. And I am sure that we shall cooperate.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOREIGN MINISTER OSKANIAN MAKES SPEECH AT CONFERENCE ON IRAQ
BRUSSELS, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On June 22,
Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian participated in
an international conference on Iraq, at the invitation of the US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Secretary General of the
European Union Javier Solana. More than 80 foreign ministers attended
the conference and discussed support for Iraq’s political transition
process, encouraging its economic recovery and reconstruction, and
helping establish the rule of law and public order in the country.
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN, together with Jean Asselborn,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg which holds the EU
Presidency, as well as Secretary Rice spoke about building a renewed
international partnership to help Iraq. Representatives of the Iraqi
Transitional Government presented their vision and strategy at the
conference held in Brussels. At the conference, Minister Oskanian
said, “We commend and appreciate the simple act of convening this
conference. It was important for everyone. It was significant for
those in Iraq who need to know that the world continues to remain
engaged, and it is reinforcing for those involved in the effort to
re-build Iraq.” “The people of Iraq need and deserve the persistent
political and economic involvement of all of us around the world. Even
countries like Armenia, with modest resources, can continue to
maintain a small, symbolic presence there,” he said, referring to the
40 non-combat medical personnel who have been engaged there since the
beginning of the year. “Armenians know well the value of moral support
and the driving force of concerned onlookers. Further, as the foreign
minister of a country and a people still living through the difficult
and trying period of transition, I can tell you that it is only
through sustained economic support, through the long-term investment
of serious economic resources, that a society will begin to believe in
the prospect of peace, in the promise of democracy.” The Minister also
noted the presence of Armenians in Iraq. “Iraq is blessed with natural
resources. Those include not just those in the ground, but also the
wealth that is derived from its ethnic diversity. A sizable and old
Armenian community is part of that mix, and we know that together with
the other citizens of Iraq they look forward to contributing to Iraq’s
prosperous, peaceful future.” Minister Oskanian concluded by saying,
“Armenia, in turn, looks forward to developing and strengthening
bilateral relations with a peaceful, unified and democratic Iraq. It
is only 200 miles, as the crow flies, between our two capitals, and
the ability to easily communicate and cooperate is an exciting one for
all of us.”