FESTIVAL OF BALLROOM DANCES TO BE HELD IN TBILISI
ArmRadio.am
26.04.2007 15:25
May 11-13 "Caucasus Cup -2007" festival of ballroom dances will be
held in Tbilisi.
The contest will feature dance couples from Moscow, Volgograd, Yerevan,
Donetsk, Minsk, Kiev, Baku and different cities of Georgia. Traditional
team competitions will be held for the Caucasian states.
The dance pairs will be evaluated by a world-class jury.
DANS LES YEUX D’AïDA KEBADIAN
Solis Rene
Liberation, France
24 avril 2007 mardi
Hallucines, malicieux, inquiets, songeurs, les habitants des peintures
d’Aïda Kebadian sont d’abord des visiteurs. Debarques d’un monde
aux couleurs plus vives, ils viennent regarder le nôtre. Naïfs mais
sans illusions, ils ne quemandent ni compassion ni interpretation ;
ne revendiquent que leur propre presence ; se moquent de l’etonnement
qu’ils provoquent. Depuis vingt-cinq ans qu’elle peint et expose
Mexico, New York, Paris , Aïda a fait du regard de ses personnages
l’enjeu majeur de son travail. L’angoisse, la violence, la perplexite
des debuts, se sont en partie adoucis. Le trait s’est affirme, jusqu’a
se permettre des clins d’oeil Chagall, le Douanier Rousseau , sans
pour autant se manufacturer. Voyageurs d’une longue route, les demons
apprivoises ne sont pas des marchands de pittoresque. Deserts, volcans,
jardins, animaux, plantes exotiques, ballons ou roues de la fortune,
leur univers est fait de souvenirs revisites. L’Armenie tourmentee
des debuts a trouve au Mexique, où Aïda a vecu au milieu des annees
80, une renaissance en couleurs qui perdure jusqu’a aujourd’hui. Sur
les murs de la Generale de Belleville, dans ce qui constitue l’une
de ses plus consequentes expositions de ces dernières annees, les
personnages d’Aïda Kebadian dressent leur carrousel enigmatique.
Impossible de leur echapper.
–Boundary_(ID_tC2kZYVDhKrw459SAvQbag)- –
OSCE MG: NEW KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING TO MARK ENDPOINT FOR NEGOTIATIONS ON BASIC PRINCIPLES
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.04.2007 14:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Vartan
Oskanian, and Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, met in Belgrade on April
18 under the aegis of the three Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group –
Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Ambassador Bernard Fassier
(France), and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza
(USA) – and in the presence of the Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman in Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.
The Co-chairs facilitated a constructive and forward-looking
discussion between the foreign ministers, who continued to embrace
the Basic Principles proposed by the mediators as the foundation for
the negotiations. The foreign ministers and the mediators have driven
the process very close to a point at which Armenian President Robert
Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will have to assess
these principles.
The Co-Chairs plan to visit the region in late May in order to explore
with each president the idea of an additional summit between them
that could mark an endpoint for negotiations on basic principles and
a starting point for a process to develop a comprehensive settlement
agreement, based on those principles, that will pave the way for
enduring peace and stability in the region.
As always, the co-chairs continue to stress the important role that
the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan must play to prepare their
societies for peace. They urge both sides to engage actively in
confidence-building measures that will help build trust between them,
the OSCE communication unit reports.
Georgia Devises New Plan for South Ossetia
A1+
[12:54 pm] 21 April, 2007
The rebel administration dismisses the latest Georgian initiative
as an attempt to sow division and seek recognition for a pro-Tbilisi
faction in the region.
A new Georgian initiative on South Ossetia has been met with deep
suspicion in the unrecognised republic, where it has been dismissed
as a ploy to promote a rival pro-Tbilisi entity. In Georgia, the plan
has been seen as a credible transitional arrangement that could help
end the long-running territorial dispute.
President Mikheil Saakashvili has proposed that South Ossetia should
be run by a new, interim administration pending an end to the present
impasse.
The 1991-92 conflict left South Ossetia a self-declared independent
republic, a state of affairs that Georgia does not accept. Tbilisi
believes a negotiated settlement should keep the region within the
Georgian state, albeit with a degree of devolution.
Under the new plan, President Saakashvili would pick the people to
run the interim entity and define the rules by which the entity
operates. The question of the entity’s final status would not be
addressed at this transitional stage, although it is clear Tbilisi
envisages that it will ultimately regain control of the wayward
territory.
The three-page bill describes its aims as "promoting a peaceful
resolution of the conflict, restoring constitutional order on the
former South Ossetian autonomous territory, protecting the rights,
freedoms and interests of people and ethnic groups living on that
territory, determining the [final] status of the former South
Ossetian autonomous entity, and creating the appropriate conditions
for democratic elections."
The bill has now been submitted to the Georgian parliament, and from
what legislators have said so far, the signs are that it will be
approved. Only then will it become apparent when and how the proposed
administration is to take shape, but government sources say that
should happen soon.
Tbilisi has hinted that it is open to negotiations with South Ossetia’s
current leaders if they are interested in the plan. The speaker of
Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze said the authorities were prepared
to "talk to anyone – including de facto president Eduard Kokoity –
who claims to represent the interests of South Ossetia’s people".
Most of all, though, Tbilisi’s plan looks like a way of raising the
status of the "alternative" – and friendly – government of South
Ossetia. Dismissed by the South Ossetian rebel authorities as a
"puppet administration", the "alternative government" sits in the
ethnic Georgian village Kurta.
Its leader Dmitry Sanakoyev, who set up the "alternative government"
last autumn, has been described by Saakashvili as "a hero who does
everything he can to bring about reconciliation between the Georgian
and Ossetian peoples". But the Georgian authorities have studiously
avoided ascribing the role of political leader to Sanakoyev, referring
to him merely as the head of a public organisation.
Significantly, perhaps, the bill says that either political leaders
or representatives of public organisations will be selected to run
the proposed administration.
Sanakoyev, meanwhile, has taken up the plan for an interim
administration with enthusiasm.
"I think it’s a good move for furthering the negotiating process," he
said. "I welcome the initiative and declare that we are ready to assume
the responsibility for further resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian
conflict."
Some analysts believe that by installing a pliable interim
administration, Tbilisi would be better placed to undermine the
Tskhinval government’s claim to act for everyone in South Ossetia, and
therefore to reduce the international impact of demands for the region
to be recognised as an independent state, or even annexed to Russia.
In Tskhinval, the de facto South Ossetian authorities suggested
Saakashvili had "lost his grip on reality".
Their foreign ministry issued a statement saying that "the authorities
in South Ossetia are determined not to allow the creation or
operation… of any ‘temporary’, ‘alternative’ or other governing
structures whose activities would lead to the further exacerbation
of Georgian-Ossetian relations".
South Ossetian first deputy prime minister Boris Chochiev told IWPR
that that the Georgian plan was designed to win greater recognition
for Sanakoyev’s pro-Georgian group, and then provoke the rival
administrations into "a civil war in which Ossetians will be pitted
against each other".
"All this is aimed at undermining the [formal] talks, and getting the
authorities in the Kurta collective farm recognised as the voice of
the Ossetian people.
What Saakashvili forgets is that Sanakoyev represents neither the
interests of the Ossetian people, nor those of the Georgian people,"
said Chochiev.
Nor does the Georgian plan sit well with Moscow, which has good
relations with the South Ossetian rebels. In a statement issued on
March 29, the Russian foreign ministry urged Tbilisi "to abandon its
plans to accord legitimacy to the alternative government of South
Ossetia and adopt a constructive position on taking the negotiating
process forward".
"The foreign ministry has been watching with concern the growing
propaganda emanating from Tbilisi in relation to the so-called movement
of Dmitry Sanakoyev. The aim is clear – to make untutored observers
inside and outside the country come to believe in the respectability
of what is in fact a network of agents set up by the Georgian secret
services".
The Georgian authorities responded by saying that Moscow’s angry
reaction only proved they had chosen the right course.
The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian affairs, Matthew Bryza, appeared upbeat about the Georgian
initiative.
"As I understand it… the goal is to build contacts between South
Ossetians and other citizens of Georgia to the point that tensions
reduce, people feel that they’re all together in one common political
family, and then it’s possible to define and establish autonomy,"
he told a press conference in Tbilisi.
In Georgia, politicians and analysts have given the South Ossetia plan
a mixed response. Most political parties, including opposition ones,
have given the bill their backing, but some fear it is merely a PR
exercise by the authorities.
"If it’s possible to create an administrative entity where Ossetians
and Georgians can show the world that they can live together, run an
administration and maintain cultural ties, of course we will support
such an initiative," said Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of the opposition
Conservative Party.
Political analyst Paata Zakareishvili believes the Georgian authorities
are trying to find a way out of the situation they put themselves in
by creating the "alternative government" of South Ossetia, instead
of making real progress on resolving the conflict.
"It was wrong to rely on Dmitry Sanakoyev, who had neither public
support nor other leverage. Now the authorities are trying to give
him some status," said Zakareishvili. "It seems they [the Georgian
authorities] are unable to undertake real projects and confine
themselves to PR exercises."
Zaakareishvili said it would be difficult to persuade the international
community to recognise Sanakoyev as a party to negotiations.
Another analyst, Ramaz Sakvarelidze, said the key to the new initiative
would be persuading Russia to recognise Sanakoyev’s role – but he
added this would not happen in the near future.
Archil Gegeshidze of the Georgian International Relations and Strategic
Research Fund said the president’s initiative was interesting, but
would achieve nothing unless the international community gave it the
green light to it and the Georgian authorities regained the trust of
the Ossetian population.
South Ossetia has recently seen an upsurge in tensions following
a series of armed clashes, the most recent of which, on March 25,
left two Georgian policemen dead. Each side accuses the other of
provoking these incidents.
In South Ossetia, local people had heard of the Georgian initiative
but were largely sceptical.
Svetlana, a 47-year-old teacher in Tskhinvali, said she did not
believe that Tbilisi’s intentions were peaceful.
"I’m sure that all the recent initiatives from the Georgian government
have been undertaken not because they want to make it up with us,
but because they want to achieve their own ends," she said.
Tskhinval resident Alexander, 33, said, "A civil war [between
South Ossetian factions] would play into the hands of the Georgian
authorities, since if that happened they would have a real opportunity
to bring in their troops and launch hostilities."
He gave his own explanation for Georgia’s haste to come up with new
initiatives, saying, "Georgia wants to become a NATO member as soon
as possible, but before that it must resolve its territorial disputes.
That’s why they have been devising all these plans."
A 56-year-old pensioner in South Ossetia who withheld his name
expressed guarded optimism that a new interim administration might
"bring order to the region at last".
"We’re all tired of the uncertainty and chaos around us," he said. "I
think it will lead to changes for the better. Russia will never
recognise us, and living in a state of suspense is difficult."
By Giorgi Kupatadze in Tbilisi and Irina Kelekhsayeva in Tskhinval
Giorgi Kupatadze works for the News Georgia news agency in
Tbilisi. Irina Kelekhsayeva is a freelance journalist in Tskhinval.
Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Caucasus Reporting Service
Arthur Baghdasaryan’s "foreign gambles"
ArmRadio.am
21.04.2007 14:02
According to a publication in today’s issue of "Golos Armenii"
newspaper, the leader of "Orinats Yerkir" (Rule of Law) Party, NA
Deputy, ex-Speaker of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan tried
to convince a senior official of the British Embassy that international
organizations need to intervene in the electoral processes in Armenia.
According to the publication, unknown people passed a CD to the
editorial office, which includes the video of a conversation between
Arthur Baghdasaryan, his Adviser on Foreign Policy Issues Tigran
Lazarian and a senior British diplomat in "Marco Polo" restaurant of
Yerevan that supposedly took place in February. The discussion focused
on the parliamentary elections in Armenia, and Arthur Baghdasaryan
tried to convince his interlocutor that international organizations
should intervene in the electoral processes in Armenia. For his
part, the British diplomat declared that the Armenian authorities
must overstep the limits for the outer forces to be able to take
measures. "We need an exact fraud for the European Union to come
forth with a decisive statement," said the British diplomat.
The newspaper assures that it becomes apparent from the video that
the two interlocutors are interested in the complete failure of the
upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia.
SAMVEL BABAYAN: WE DO HAVE A WAY TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE EXISTING CLAN
Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007
ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The "Dashink" (Alliance) party
has no goal to overcome the 5% at the parliamentary elections and
have a small faction at the new National Assembly. Party Chairman
Samvel Babayan stated about it at the April 19 meeting with voters in
Etchmiadzin. In his words, being represented with a small number of
deputies will not give them possibility to influence on the political
processes of the country. S. Babayan mentioned that he observes the
pre-electoral campaign and does not find a word to comment upon it: in
his words, "politicians giving today promises will forget all us in 5
years." In the "Dashink" head’s opinion, any state functions according
to the laws written by a deputy but "if those laws are dictated by a
group of people and they only press a button at the parliament hall,
then we are condemned to live in the conditions like the present ones."
Responding a question of one of those present, if he was taken to
the NSS and examined laid on the floor, he mentioned that "there is
no such a person who will be able to stand in front of me and speak,"
so it can not even be spoken about laying him on the floor. He added
that similar rumours are spread tendentiously in order to show that
"there is no way to struggle against the existing clan," whereas,
in his words, "there is a way: this way is our struggle itself."
Touching upon the arrest of Zhirayr Sefilian, the coordinator of the
"In Defence of Liberated Territories" public-political initiative,
commander of the "Shoushi" battalion, S. Babayan mentioned that he
did not know what anti-constitutional statements Sefilian made but he
observed events being promoted on his arrest. "The reason of Zhirayr
Sefilian’s arrest was that Samvel Babayan attempted to unite around
him boys passed through the war, including Sefilian as well," the
"Dashink" head concluded.
PARK NAMED AFTER LEGENDARY ITALIAN SCREEN-WRITER TONINO GUERRA TO BE CREATED IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Apr 19 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN. A park named after world-famous
Italian screen-writer, playwright and poet Tonino Guerra will be
created soon in Yerevan, in front of Italian street, in the territory
between monuments to Alexander Myasnikian and Stepan Shahumian. As
Armen Mazmanian, Art Director of Goy theater, stated at the April 19
press conference, the park will be opened in summer, in the days of
the Golden Apricot – 2007 (Voske Tsiran) international film festival,
in which Tonino Guerra will also take part.
"Tonino Guerra has already given his consent to construction
of fountains in the park by his draft (Guerra is also known for
his drafts of fountains of great value: NT)," Mazmanian said. The
park’s construction will be directly headed by Yerevan Mayor Yervand
Zakharian. The park’s architect is the grandson of famous writer
Kostan Zarian, Ara Zarian, who resides in Venice.
In A. Mazmanian’s words, the famous Italian screen-writer, who has
not been creating screens either for theater or cinema for already
15 years, of his own free will wrote a screen for Goy theater. And
in summer when Guerra again comes to Armenia the rehearsals of the
performance will start.
The Art Director of the theater said that his acquaintance and
friendship with Guerra started last year when the renowned writer
arrived in Yerevan to take part in the Golden Apricot film festival as
a guest. A. Mazmanian said that on April 16 he took part in Tonino
Guerra’s 87th birth anniversary and gave him a 250-kg khachkar
(cross-stone) made by similarity with one of Jugha khachkars.
After leaving Armenia Guerra wrote nearly 30 articles, lithographic
works and a poem about Armenia and Armenian people. In Mazmanian’s
words, Guerra everywhere tells and presents the Golden Apricot
festival and calls all renowned figures of cinematography for
"leaving for Armenia and participating in that festival." "I think
this is the best assistance to Armenia done through art and artist,"
Mazmanian emphasized.
Besides, a branch of Tonino Guerra International Cultural Association
opened in Yerevan, the Chairman of which is A. Mazmanian. The latter
said that with the funds of that cultural association every year young
Armenian producers, screen-writers and cameramen will pass one-month
master-classes in Italy.
CHRISTIAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS MURDERED IN TURKEY
by Daniel Blake
ChristianToday, UK
April 19 2007
Three Bible publishing house workers have been killed in the latest
attack on Turkey’s minority Christian community on Wednesday.
Three Bible publishing house workers have been killed in the latest
attack on Turkey’s minority Christian community on Wednesday.
Photo: Turkish police officers wrestle an unidentified man down
following an attack at a publishing house in the south-eastern Turkish
city of Malatya, April 18, 2007. Attackers slit the throats of three…
(REUTERS/Ihlas News Agency)
The attackers bound their victims before slitting their throats
in the publishing house in Malatya, a city in central Turkey and a
nationalist stronghold.
Four people are believed to have been detained for questioning
regarding the killings, and one other suspect that fell from the
building was taken to the hospital with head trauma.
It has emerged that one of those murdered was of German nationality,
German Ambassador to Turkey Eckart Cuntz said.
Images appeared on television stations showing police leading several
young men out of the building where the killings took place.
Political tensions are rising in the secular but largely Sunni Muslim
country over the past year, with Armenian-Turkish editor Hrant Dink
being shot dead by an ultranationalist youth earlier this year.
Late last year the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict
XVI, paid a short visit to Turkey to ease relations, but during the
visit a number of protests broke out in Istanbul. There have been
reports of an increase in violence against Christian clergy since
the visit.
Christian missionaries are routinely accused by Turkish nationalists
of attempting to undermine Turkey’s political and religious order.
The EU has clamped down on hostilities towards Christian missionaries
in Turkey, however, telling the country that the Christian minority
must be given more religious freedom in order to reach the level of
religious freedom acceptable for entry to the EU.
Carlos Madrigal, an evangelical pastor in Turkey, told Reuters:
"We would like a government campaign to get rid of the myths, such
as that missionaries are trying to divide the country, these are the
things which feed such acts.
"In some ways the situation has improved because we have got
legal rights … but there are parts of society which have become
radicalised."
NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT COULD BE CLOSE TO RESOLUTION, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TELLS OSCE
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 18 2007
Azerbaijan, Baku / "Trend" / corr. A. Gasimova / The Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict could be close to a resolution and Armenia is committed to
working on the peace plan negotiated by the OSCE Minsk Group within
the conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian informed the
OSCE Permanent Council.
"We could be close to a resolution. I have been a Minister for nine
years now and prior to that I was the chief negotiator on the Karabakh
issue. I have seen all the proposals that have been produced by the
mediators and I can assure you that we have never been as close as
this," Minister Oskanian said.
The Minister said he would travel from Vienna to Belgrade for talks
with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, and that he would "reaffirm
our commitment to every single principle that has been inscribed
in that document. We will never backtrack on our promises. We will
continue to reaffirm our position."
POLICE PROMISE TO ELIMINATE DEFECTS IN PRE-TRIAL PRISONS
ARMENPRESS
Apr 17 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: The deputy head of a police department
in charge of overseeing public order, Colonel Karen Mehrabian said
an inner investigation confirmed the findings of a public monitoring
group, an alliance of 11 non-governmental organizations, set up to
monitor the situation in pre-trial and detention centers.
Mehrabian said police are working now to eliminate the most crying
shortcomings and defects, revealed by the group, while it was visiting
the detainees between April-October 2006.
The findings of this monitoring, embracing 50 detention and pre-trial
prisons across the country, were presented today in a report, compiled
by the group.
Arsen Fidanian, coordinator of the group, said the monitoring was made
largely through visits to pre-trial prisons and detention centers,
some of which were surprise visits. He said the report was based also
on findings of the Office of the Human Rights Defender and information
from some detainees.
He said the main subject of the monitoring was whether people in
detention centers were kept legally, what kind of food and medical
assistance they received and whether they were subjected to torture.
The report was sent to police, which examined it for three months
and promised to take action to eliminate the reported defects.