Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Daily Georgian Times, Georgia
March 10 2007

Has Putin Downgraded Sergey Ivanov?

`Georgia does not owe anything to Armenia,’ says Ramaz Sakvarelidze

Russian President Putin’s decision to appoint Sergey Ivanov
Vice-Premier of Russia prompted analogies with Georgian President
Saakashvili’s move when he re-assigned Defense Minister Irakli
Okruashvili to the Ministry of Economy. The Georgian Times asked
Ramaz Sakvarelidze, an independent political expert and a former
foreign affairs adviser to President Saakashvili, to comment on
Ivanov’s reassignment.

Q: What was the rationale behind the cabinet shuffle in Russia? Would
you assess it as [Ivanov’s] advancement or downgrading?

A: The whole world would like to weigh in on it. No one has the exact
answer. I think Putin got rid of him. Ivanov had a rising political
rating and perhaps he would lay claim to Russia’s presidency, whether
or not it complied with Putin’s preferences. Ivanov’s policy was
based on the so-called `hawks” policy – or forceful methods in
politics. This ran counter to Putin’s political track.

Putin’s policy is also based on aggression, but it is built on
economic levers. Putin has taken a step that may seem pretty familiar
to us: he reassigned a high-rated Defense Minister to a position
which is honorable but also less popular. In his place, Putin
appointed the Chief of Tax Authorities, who may uncover some
financial disorders in the Defense Ministry and thus fund evidence of
Ivanov’s criminal accountability.

On the other hand, the appointment of the Tax Authorities Chief to
the Defense Structure suggests the ministry is going to lose its high
profile. Ivanov slipped out of control – he was leading an
independent policy that did not fully coincide with that of Putin.

Q: Should we blame Ivanov’s `independent playing’ for contributing to
tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow?

A: Certainly, the Defense Ministry has done the lion’s share in
deteriorating Georgian-Russian relations.

Q: Do you mean the Georgian Defense Ministry as well, or should we
just pile blame on Ivanov?

A: The Georgian Defense Ministry also played its part. After the
demise of the Soviet Union, the Russian Defense Ministry and
Intelligence Administration [known as GRU in Russia – GT] took over
control of the Caucasus region. The Defense Ministry of Russia was
trying to restore the Russian empire, while Putin does not seek to
reinstate the USSR. The Russian President hinges expansion plans on
economic levers. This is why there is infighting between President
Putin and the Defense Minister. Putin does not want the conflict to
erupt, as that would foil his plans of entering Europe. If Russia
plays a positive role in regional conflict resolution, Europe will
welcome Russia with applause.

Q: Let us leave Russia for a while and talk about Georgian-Armenian
relations. Quite recently, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a
contract to launch a new regional railway project. Armenia again
found itself an outsider and expressed its protests. Does that mean
we are going to upset Armenia?

A: Georgia does not owe anything to Armenia. From history we remember
that in critical periods when Georgia was dependent on Armenia,
Yerevan took steps that served its national interests best but which
would compromise those of ours. Abkhazian events and its foreign
policy choices in Europe are good examples of this.

Georgia should not feel remorse if it prioritizes its national
interests. Armenia should realize soon that it has to become
friendlier towards its neighbors. It has yet to be made clear what
position Yerevan had towards Armenian military groups during the
Abkhazia war. I think Georgia has made more good-neighborly steps
towards Armenia than it was necessary. All three republics of the
South Caucasus should be interested in playing a common geopolitical
game. Therefore, we should forget old stories and look ahead. Georgia
should think of developing more harmonic relations in the future. The
same goes for Armenia. Armenia is running out of time. If we are
talking about Russia’s plans related to conflict settlement, then
there is a high risk that Armenia, with its current policy, will soon
be deadlocked.

Georgian Times

Bryan College Station Eagle, TX
March 8 2007

Artist’s portraits illuminate the lives of ‘torchbearers’

By JIM BUTLER
Eagle Staff Writer

Portraitist Robert Schiffhauer illuminates the lives of subjects he
chooses because of the light they have brought to the world.

Schiffhauer, whose work will be part of three exhibitions in the
Brazos Valley, calls the people he has chosen to capture on canvas
"torchbearers."

"[They] light our way towards just societies that build up
institutions for racial equality, freedom of speech, human rights,
healthy environments and wise use of resources of land and sea," said
Schiffhauer, who turns 70 on Monday. "They go beyond nationalism to a
love of humanity. In return, many were tortured and executed."

On Thursday, four of Schiffhauer’s portraits will be part of Texas
A&M University’s College of Architecture biennial exhibition in the
J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the
campus. Raphael Lemkin from Poland and Germans Franz Werfel, Armand
Wegner and Johannes Lepsius risked their lives to expose government
atrocities in Eastern Europe during World War II.

Schiffhauer subtitled the collection: "They shed light while others
shed blood."

"Lemkin coined the word genocide in connection with the Turkish
slaughter of Armenians," Schiffhauer said. "My personal favorite is
Wegner. He was a medical corpsman in the German Army and went into
these refugee camps and spirited out photographs of proof of what had
happened."

Werfel wrote The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, a novel that detailed the
Armenian genocide. Johannes Lepsius was a missionary who worked with
religious organizations to rescue children and pleaded with Turkish
authorities to end the killing.

The exhibit will have 65 pieces from 20 artists. A reception will be
held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Stark galleries. Admission is free.

The exhibit will run through May 6. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesdays through Fridays and noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

On March 16, a retrospective of his work covering 40 years will be on
display at the Langford Building A in the College of Architecture.

In late May, a collection of Schiffhauer’s portraits is planned for
the Brazos Valley African American Museum, 400 E. 20th St. in Bryan.
Subjects of those portraits include Martin Luther King, John
Coltrane, Barbara Jordan, Louis Armstrong and W.E.B. DuBois. His
portraits of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Charles Gordone, who
taught theater at Texas A&M, were in one of the first exhibits in the
new museum.

Schiffhauer, an associate professor of architecture, pointed to
several influences that directed him to a career in art and education
and an attraction to the likes of King and Wegner.

"Discrimination has bothered me since childhood. I was discriminated
against as a German-American. Kids called me names and teased me."

Schiffhauer’s father, a first-generation German-American, worked in a
tool and die factory in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. "My family had no tradition
of higher education. Work in a factory was better than in a coal
mine."

With encouragement from a neighborhood art teacher, Schiffhauer
started drawing as a teenager.

"I think I was attracted to beauty because the town was so ugly,
banks of coal dust, slag heaps, factory buildings. My parents
couldn’t understand my wanting to go to art school. They said, ‘How
are you going to make a living?’"

Schiffhauer applied to several schools and received a full
scholarship to Cooper Union Art School in New York, considered one of
the best in the country. He earned graduate degrees from Yale
University and taught at the University of Houston before coming to
Texas A&M.

After experiments with abstract expressionism and minimalism,
Schiffhauer settled on portraits as his main interest.

"I got a lot from Vincent Van Gogh. I loved his self-portraits, so
revealing. The artist makes himself vulnerable, bears his soul."

Four years ago, Schiffhauer did an exhibit entirely of
self-portraits, each in a different style.

"The hard thing in doing portraits of these people [pointing to
paintings that will be in the exhibits] is that I don’t know them.
But I’ve immersed myself in biographies and their written works."

During his studies in New York, Schiffhauer became interested in
jazz.

"Music is symbolic of freedom. Coltrane compositions were so
spiritual, especially the Love Supreme that he did toward the end of
his life. Armstrong was America’s goodwill ambassador."

Schiffhauer hopes his paintings will remind viewers of the sacrifices
others made for freedom.

"So many things get lost in history. That’s why we have wars over and
over. People forget how horrible wars are.

"These people [in the paintings] paid a price to bring light and
truth into our lives. They shouldn’t be forgotten."

030807/entertainment_20070308048.php

TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Turkish Press
March 6 2007

WASHINGTON D.C. – Saban Disli , a member of the Turkish parliamentary
delegation which is currently in Washington D.C. so as to express
Turkey`s sensitivity regarding the Armenian resolution submitted to
the U.S. House of Representatives, said that the delegation tried to
explain the consequences of the approval of such a resolution to the
related parties.

Disli, who is an MP of Justice and Development Party (AKP),
held a press conference in Washington D.C., together with other
parliamentarians from the delegation.

Stressing that "a large-scale struggle" was necessary on the matter,
Disli said, "this is a serious issue. It is a black spot trying to
defame our history".

Disli stressed that two separate parliamentary delegations would
visit Washington D.C. within this month as a part of this struggle,
aiming to explain the views of the Turkish society on the issue to
American congressmen.

Upon a question on which measures Turkey would take in case of the
resolution`s approval and whether a resolution condemning the "Indian
genocide" would be adopted at the Turkish parliament, Disli noted,
"We do not want to consider the probability of the approval of the
resolution. We are working for a lasting solution".

Being reminded that the major part of the logistic support to Iraq
was sent from Incirlik base, Disli stressed, "if we talk about a
specific issue, then it will be a threat. We are pointing to our
common benefits, not to threats. We said that our common interests
and in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and concerning Israeli-Palestinian
conflict could be damaged".

Commenting of the Jewish lobby`s stance regarding the Armenian
resolution as well, Disli indicated that the representatives of the
lobby expressed that they watched the issue closely, however they
did not want to affirm which steps they would take on the matter.

VLADIMIR KARAPETYAN: THE ARMENIAN SIDE IS POSITIVE ABOUT THE MEETING OF FMS IN GENEVA

armradio.am
05.03.2007 16:02

Responding to ArmInfo question about Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov’s concern over the forthcoming meeting of the Foreign
Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, acting press secretary of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetyan said: "Negotiations
take place between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
and the Armenian side is positively disposed. I would not like
to comment on sentimental statements of one of the members of he
Azerbaijani delegation."

According to Day.az., the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
declared about his "serious concern" to ANS CM radio station. In
Azimov’s words, "the talks between the Foreign Ministers of the two
countries were unproductive." "If the negotiations continue this way,
I don’t know what we shall be discussing in Geneva. I think the Azeri
side is leaving for Geneva with a sense of anxiety," he noted.

Let us remind that the meeting of the Foreign Ministers is due on
March 13-14 in Geneva.

It’s worth mentioning that Araz Azimov’s statement is kind of strange,
taking into consideration that Elmar Mammadyarov was the first to
declare about his willingness to meet with Vartan Oskanian in Geneva.

ABOUT 34 MILLION DOLLARS TO BE INVESTED IN ELECTRIC NETWORKS OF
ARMENIA THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Investments of 12 bln 065.7 mln drams
(about 34.4 mln USD) will be made in Electric Networks of Armenia
company this year. 45% of this sum will be spent on reconstruction
and reequipment of distribution networks. According to the RA Public
Services Regulatory Commission, in 2008, 7 bln 51.1 mln drams will be
invested in networks, with 47.3% of this sum being spent on purchase
of machinery and equipment. In 2009, investments will amount to 7 bln
496 mln drams. According to the same source, work on reconstruction,
reequipment and extension of distribution networks, introduction of an
automated system of electricity assessment, creation of a center on
information servicing of users and rapid response, and capital repair
of meters will be done within the next three years. It is also
envisaged to repair administrative and production buildings and
purchase computers and office equipment. This year the frequency and
duration of blackouts will be reduced by 2.5% and 10% respectively,
while in 2009 – by 4.5% and 12%.

Armenian opposition movement holds rally in Yerevan

Arminfo
2 Mar 07

Yerevan, 2 March: "We have to state today that unfortunately, the
Armenian opposition could not put aside its ambitions and
stereotypes," Ashot Sargsyan of the Armenian Pan-National Movement
said at the rally of the Alternative movement [on 2 March].

He said President Robert Kocharyan’s impeachment should be the key
goal of the new public movement. The impeachment could be initiated by
the parliament to be elected on 12 May. "This is why we called on the
entire opposition at our first rally on 20 February to unite in one
election bloc called Impeachment which could consolidate the efforts
to fight together. No opposition party opposed the initiative, some of
them even supported it. The current situation allowed us to see the
real faces of some of the opposition leaders. The authorities have
received a unique opportunity to stage a show called a ‘parliamentary
election’," Sargsyan said.

Political expert Aghasi Yenokyan said that lack of unity among the
opposition in the parliamentary election campaign is the result of the
tricks by President Kocharyan’s agents, who did their best to prevent
the opposition from uniting. He said that no problem of the country
could be resolved "until Kocharyan’s killers travel freely in the city
and fight leaving innocent people dead". He said that for the
Alternative movement, the participation in the parliamentary election
is a means of fighting for free and fair elections.

Statements were voiced at the rally, which was attended by around
1,500 people, that ruling parties’ actual rating was no more than 10
per cent and that it took only determination and will to win the
election. The next rally of Alternative supporters will be held on 9
March.

New Anatolian, Turkey
March 3 2007

‘Turkey a major transit route’

The New Anatolian / Washington
03 March 2007

According this year’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
(INCSR), Turkey is a major transit route for Southwest Asian opiates
to Europe and serves as a staging area for major narcotics
traffickers and brokers.

The report issued by the U.S. Department of State indicates that
Turkey is also a base of operations for international narcotics
traffickers and associates trafficking in opium, morphine base,
heroin, precursor chemicals and other drugs. "Both morphine base and
heroin are then smuggled from Iran to Turkey and ultimately to
Western Europe."

Underscoring the strong commitment of Turkish law enforcement forces
in disrupting narcotics trafficking, the INCSR said the police were
Turkey’s most proactive counter-narcotics force, while the
Gendarmerie and Customs units continued to play a significant role
against narcotics.

INCSR underlined that though Turkish authorities continued to seize
large amounts of heroin and precursor chemicals it was estimated that
multi-ton amounts of heroin are smuggled through Turkey each month.

The report also pointed out that the government devoted significant
financial and human resources to counter-narcotics activities and
Turkey continued to play a key role in Operation Containment (a DEA
regional program to reduce the flow of Afghan heroin to Western
Europe), as well as in other regional efforts.

According to the report, full-year drug seizure statistics for Turkey
are as follows: 10,283 kg heroin, 529 kg morphine base, 23,884 kg of
cannabis, 440 kg of opium, more than 19,900,000 captagon tablets and
2,400,000 ecstasy tablets.

The INCSR warned that despite drug abuse remaining at a modest in
scale in Turkey, compared to other countries, the number of addicts
is increasing.

The report also noted that Armenia’s borders with Turkey and
Azerbaijan remain closed due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, adding
however that small amounts of opiates and heroin are smuggled to
Armenia from Turkey via Georgia. "When all of Armenia’s borders open
once again, police predict drug transit will increase significantly,"
the report stressed.

TURKEY PROTESTS CYPRUS-FRANCE MILITARY ACCORD

Assyrian International News Agency, CA
March 1 2007

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey protested a military cooperation accord
signed between France and Cyprus, saying Thursday that it threatened
stability in the eastern Mediterranean and would affect efforts to
reach a solution to the Cyprus problem.

The French Defense Ministry confirmed that a military agreement
with Cyprus was signed in Paris on Monday during a visit by the
Cypriot foreign minister, but did not provide further details. The
French Foreign Ministry said the accord was "standard" between two
EU members and that it involved military training and information-
and knowledge-sharing.

Turkey has vowed to defend the interests of Turkish Cypriots, and
stations some 40,000 troops on the north of the divided island.

"France’s signing of a military agreement with the Southern Cypriot
Greek Administration is a worrying development," Turkey’s Foreign
Ministry said in a statement Thursday. It said the accord contradicted
previous agreements on the island’s status and "represented a threat
to the stability and security of the Eastern Mediterranean."

Tensions over the status of Cyprus, an EU member, have thrown Turkey’s
European Union membership bid into disarray.

Turkey props up a government in northern Cyprus that no other country
in the world recognizes, and it refuses to recognize the Greek Cypriot
administration as the primary authority on the island.

This has also been a period of heightened tension in Turkish-French
relations. France’s parliament voted in October to approve a bill
that would criminalize denying that the mass killings of Armenians
by Turks at the beginning of the 20th century was genocide, prompting
Turkish trade organizations to call for a boycott of French companies
and the Turkish military to say it would break off all contacts with
its French counterparts.

Turkey vehemently denies that it committed genocide against Armenians,
saying they were killed in interethnic fighting as the Ottoman Empire
collapsed.

FIRST CANDIDATES NOMINATED AT ELECTORAL DISTRICT N 38

Noyan Tapan
Mar 01 2007

KAPAN, MARCH 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Two applications for nomination for RA
NA elections by majoritarian system were submitted to Syunik district
electoral commission N 38 on March 1. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed by Artur Gevorgian, the Chairman of the District Electoral
Commission, RPA member, RA MP Vahe Hakobian and Orinats Yerkir member,
Head of Department of NA Control Chamber Gerasim Alaverdian submitted
applications on nomination.

MICROECONOMIC INDUCES REGISTERED IN ARMENIA SINCE EARLY 2007 ARE PROMISING

Noyan Tapan
Mar 01 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 1, NOYAN TAPAN. During the February 28 working meeting
of the Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Chairman of the Central
Bank of Armenia (CBA) Tigran Sargsian, the microeconomic indices
registered in the country since early 2007 were assessed as promising.

The interlocutors pointed out posistive tendencies in the export-import
structure, according to which the share of imported equipment and new
technologies has increased this year, which means that new enterprises
with higher productivity will operate soon.

The CBA chairman said that an unprecedented growth – 12% of time
deposits was registered in January, which shows that citizens trust
banks and prefer to deposit in Armenian drams. Tigran Sargsian said
that this changed attitude to the national currency explains also
the fact that that more than 50% of resources attracted by commercial
banks were made for the first time in Armenian drams.

According to the RA President’s press service, the meeting participants
also spoke about the salary growth indices, according to which a 20%
growth was registered in January of this year.