Author: Jagharian Tania

The Armenian connection
By Malcolm Pein
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
June 15, 2004, Tuesday
THE England number one Michael Adams put the shutters up and kept
Garry Kasparov at bay with the black pieces in round four of the
match between “Armenia” and the Rest of the World taking place in
Moscow.
Facing the English Opening, Adams chose the Hedgehog set-up and
defended patiently in a cramped position. Gradually the Cornishman
found some counterplay, which enabled him to engineer some exchanges
into a drawn position on move 45. With two games to play, the score
is 14-10 to the Rest of the World.
Loek Van Wely’s nightmare tournament continued and he was forced into
a passive position by Vladimir Akopian, who took his time before
infiltrating with his rooks to win a pawn. Boris Gelfand more than
equalised against Vishy Anand but the Indian steered the game into a
drawn rook and pawn endgame.
The contest commemorates the 75th anniversary of the late Armenian
world champion Tigran Petrosian. All the players in the Armenian team
have Armenian connections: three are Armenian nationals – Vladimir
Akopian, Smbat Lputian and Rafael Vaganian; Kasparov’s mother Klara
is Armenian, as is Peter Leko’s wife, Sophie Petrosian; Boris Gelfand
studied under Petrosian in the 1980s.
Rest of the World 3-3 Armenia. Kasparov (Armenia) draw Adams English
Opening Hedgehog, 45 moves; Lputian (Armenia) 0-1 Bacrot, Slav
4…a6, 54; Leko (Armenia) draw Svidler, Sicilian Scheveningen, 20;
Anand draw Gelfand (Armenia), Petroff, 30; Vallejo Pons draw
Vaganian, French Defence Winawer 5…Ba5, 48; Van Wely 0-1 Akopian
(Armenia), Queen’s Indian 4.g3, 65
Leko’s direct 6…Nc6 threatens Nxd4 and Van Wely finds that 7.d5 Na5
loses a pawn and 7.e3 Nxd4 works. Perhaps the odd looking 7.e4 was
playable because after 7 e4 Bb4 8.d5 is reasonable and 7.e4 d5 loses
a pawn. As played Leko seizes the initiative and wins with ease.
L Van Wely – P Leko
Armenia – ROW (3) Moscow
Queen’s Indian
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 g3 Ba6 5 Qb3 Bb7 6 Nc3 Nc6! 7 Qd1 Bb4 8
Qd3 d5 9 cxd5 Qxd5 10 Bd2 Qh5 11 Bg2 0-0-0 12 0-0 e5 13 Rac1 Nxd4 14
Nb5 Nxb5 15 Qxb5 Bxd2 16 Nxd2 Bxg2 17 Kxg2 Rxd2 18 Qa6+ Kb8 19 Rxc7
Kxc7 20 Qxa7+ Kd6 21 Qxb6+ Ke7 22 Rc1 Rhd8 0-1
Leko
p 7 p p p p e c o c
f p m p p p o p Y
p p p p p p p n b n 7 b n X n p 6 p p
Wely
Final position after 22…Rhd8
The Internet chess newspaper Chess Today reports that Alexander
Morozevich will not play the Fide Knockout in Libya later this month.
The tournament now includes only two of the world’s top 10 players.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenia Fund USA
152 Madison Ave, #803
New York, NY 10016
Contact: Lisa Markarian
Tel: 212-689-5307
Fax: 212-689-5317
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Mgrdich Ghazarian is 54 years old. He lost his vision three years ago
due to a workplace accident. “I’ve never used a computer before in my
life, not even when I had my vision. I can’t read Braille because my
fingertips are not sensitive enough. I think I’m slower than the others
and it takes a lot of effort but I’m getting the hang of it. I can
finally get information I want without depending on my family to read to
me and I can write letters or notes that people will actually be able to
understand. I can search the internet and send emails. All this is new
to me and it’s very exciting” he says. Thanks to the efforts of Armenia
Fund USA and YCRDI this is possible.
June 15, 2004
Armenia Fund USA Helps Arev Shine for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Two years ago when Professor Arman Kuchukyan and his team of programmers
and engineers at YCRDI (Yerevan Computer Research and Development
Institute, better known as Mergelian Institute), embarked on an
experiment to create a software program that could help the blind and
visually impaired use computers. Today that experiment is a reality.
Today the blind and visually impaired in Armenia have hope for the
future. Today there is Arev.
Arev (Armenian Reader with Elocutionary Voice) is assisted technology.
It substitutes sight with sound and allows the blind and visually
impaired to be able to operate a computer just like any person with
perfect vision. Unlike other comparable software programs, Arev operates
entirely in Armenian. It is a screen-reading program that reads out
text on the screen through headphones and speakers. Whatever the screen
says, the program will read. This program will allow the blind and
visually impaired person to learn, study, and work independently.
“We asked ourselves, how could computers help the blind and visually
impaired become more independent, self-sufficient, and better integrate
into the work force and society? Those who are blind and visually
impaired are very quick learners, have amazing memories, and no trouble
understanding the computer during the one month tutorial course” says
Sargis Karapetyan, a leading engineer. And today, after much hard work
and very little money we have the only program of its kind ever created
or used in any of the former CIS countries” says Professor Kuchukyan.
With Arev the user can scan in books and articles they want to read, or
write letters and papers. They can play chess, email, and search the
web. The advantages Arev offers the blind and visually impaired in
Armenia is extensive, however the limited number of computers available
is disheartening to the students.
The Braille system for learning, reading, and writing is an important
one, but it has its limitations. Braille texts in Armenia are outdated
and worn from years of use. For individuals who become blind and
visually impaired later in their life Braille is nearly impossible to
use.
Every blind and visually impaired person in Armenia can take advantage
of Arev. The software, valued at $800, will be given free of charge to
those who are in need, however there remains the very real problem of
being able to secure computers for those individuals. “We are willing
to install the program free of charge. Every blind and visually
impaired person in Armenia can have Arev, but we can’t accommodate them
with computers and hardware. Unfortunately, we don’t have this
capability,” Professor Kucukyan said. Ideally, both Director Alexan
Aharonyan of School #14, a state funded boarding school for the blind
and visually impaired, and Professor Kuchukyan would like for every
student there to have in-school access to computers so that they may
have long term training before moving on.
This year Armenia Fund USA’s generous contributors Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence
Howard helped equip a classroom at School #14 complete with 6 computers,
2 scanners, printers, desks, chairs, and all the necessities required
such as headphones. The school currently has 120 students eight of whom
will graduate this year. Of those eight students, six will continue on
to higher education.
Arev has much to offer these bright students. And after graduating they
will have more opportunities available to them than they previously
imagined. They will be armed with the knowledge that they too have
solid, marketable skills that employers will find valuable.
“What we need to do now is organize a round-table discussion with
individuals who are willing to consider the positive effects of this new
program in Armenia. This means bringing together people from the
Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, and those who might
be future employers, to help them understand how this can be of benefit
to everyone in Armenia”. Plans to expand these training programs for
the blind and visually impaired in Karabakh as well as other regions of
Armenia are currently being discussed.
While the programmers and engineers at YCRDI laid the groundwork to help
make the lives of the blind and visually impaired a little easier in
Armenia, there is still much to be done in helping to actualize their
commendable work. Thanks to Armenia Fund USA’s ongoing efforts to help
realize the work done at YCRDI, Arev can keep shining for the blind and
visually impaired who are eager to take a more active part in the
Armenian community.
Those who want to support the project can send in a 100% tax deductible
contribution to Armenia Fund USA, Inc., 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 803,
New York, NY 10016. Or, visit us on the web at
<; to make your contribution online and learn about other Armenia Fund USA projects. Armenia Fund USA is a non-profit 501(c)(3)organization under U.S. law, and restricts its contributions exclusively to humanitarian aid projects as defined and determined by the Internal Revenue Code and prevailing rules and regulations.

Armenian general calls for new military partners, more mobile army
Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
11 Jun 04
headlined “What kind of army do we need?”
Gen Arkadiy Ter-Tadevosyan (Komandos [Commando]) has said that
Azerbaijan has now started a process of building up its military
potential and is gradually emerging from the former period of
stagnation.
Judging from this reality, Ter-Tadevosyan thinks that as well as
preserving military and political union with Russia, Armenia should
at the same time start active moves towards military cooperation with
other powers. In future it will be necessary for us to reorganize
the army to make it much more mobile. The general said that the
whole contemporary world is moving in this direction, as it is not
fruitful to keep a big army. It is better to have comparatively small,
but mobile and technically equipped, armed forces.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES MEMBER OF GERMAN KfW BANK COUNCIL
ArmenPress
June 9 2004
YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: The president of Armenia Robert Kocharian
received today the delegation of Kredietenschaft fur Wiederaufbau
(KfW) bank, headed by member of KfW council Ingrid Matheus Mayer,
which arrived in Armenia within a regional visit.
The presidential press office reported that Robert Kocharian stated
with satisfaction that the program carried out in cooperation with KfW
are the most successful ones from the point of their effectiveness. He
particularly outlined the cooperation in the sphere of energy and
banking system.
According to Mrs. Mayer, the cooperation in various spheres is on
the excellent level. She said that KfW pays serious attention to the
development of small and medium business. In this regard she outlined
the importance of the German-Armenian fund’s activity. She said the
cooperation in the spheres of energy will be continued. In her words,
there is a certain interest towards the water system.

Le Figaro
07 juin 2004
Las Vegas : nouvelle bataille des casinos;
JEUX OPA de MGM Mirage sur Mandalay Resort
Le milliardaire américain Kirk Kerkorian ne plaisante pas avec
les fêtes. A l’occasion de son 87 e anniversaire, le célèbre homme
d’affaires a décidé de s’offrir Mandalay Bay, l’un des plus prestigieux
casinos de Las Vegas, exception faite bien sûr de ceux qu’il possède
déjà, comme le MGM Grand et le Bellagio, fréquentés par des stars comme
Ben Affleck ou Jennifer Lopez. A la surprise générale, vendredi, son
groupe de casinos et d’hôtellerie MGM Mirage, numéro un américain,
a lancé une offre publique de rachat sur son rival Mandalay Resort
Group, quatrième casinotier américain. A travers cette opération,
Kirk Kerkorian a, à coup sûr, décidé de participer à la consolidation
en cours dans le secteur du jeu outre-Atlantique. En réalité, il
entend mettre la main sur la Mecque du jeu. En cas de succès de
son offre en effet, l’homme d’affaires prendra la tête du premier
groupe de jeux d’argent aux Etats-Unis, devançant ainsi les deux
poids lourds historiques de Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment et
Harrah’s Entertainment ! Outre le Mandalay Bay, le groupe Mandalay
Resort contrôle notamment à Las Vegas le Luxor, un hôtel en forme
de pyramide égyptienne, et l’Excalibur. Un cadeau d’anniversaire qui
devrait pourtant lui coûter cher. Pour s’imposer roi des casinos, le
milliardaire met sur la table pas moins de 4,85 milliards de dollars,
auxquels il faut ajouter les dettes du Mandalay Resort, estimées
à quelque 2,8 milliards de dollars, qu’il propose généreusement
d’assumer.
Rafler la plupart des salles de jeux légendaires de Las Vegas lui
reviendrait donc au total à 7,65 milliards de dollars. L’offre
propose 68 dollars par action en numéraire, soit une prime de
près de 13% par rapport au cours de clôture de vendredi à 60,27
dollars. Elle intervient aussi au lendemain de la publication
de résultats trimestriels (clos fin avril) records pour le groupe
Mandalay Resort. Pourtant, celui-ci ne semble pas considérer l’offre
de l’homme d’affaires hostile, même si elle reste «non sollicitée»,
de source proche des négociations. Cette sollicitude ne devrait pas
être partagée par les grands casinotiers de la ville. Le groupe
Harrah’s pourrait ainsi s’inviter à cette partie. D’autant que
selon certaines rumeurs, il aurait déjà cherché à se rapprocher de
Mandalay ces dernières années. Mais le milliardaire américain, fils
d’une famille modeste d’Arméniens de Fresno (Californie), connaît bien
Las Vegas. Bien ancré dans le milieu depuis son achat en 2000 de MGM
Mirage pour 6 milliards de dollars, il a contribué à transformer la
ville du Nevada en capitale mondiale du jeu, d’abord en convoyant des
joueurs dans ses avions en 1947 puis en y construisant lui-même des
hôtels casinos géants. Fidèle à sa réputation d’entêté, Kirk Kerkorian
exige toujours de DaimlerChrysler, en tant qu’ancien actionnaire,
plusieurs milliards de dollars de dédommagement suite à la fusion
des deux constructeurs automobiles. En revanche, il s’apprêterait à
vendre à Sony ses studios de cinéma MGM pour 5 milliards de dollars,
ce qui pourrait l’aider à financer l’acquisition de Mandalay Resort.
D. D.

Aznavour et le Choeur de France Anjou
La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
05 juin 2004
Les 170 choristes du Choeur de France Anjou sont sur la scène du
centre des congrès ce week-end. Ce soir (à guichets fermés) et demain
dimanche, 15 h (il reste des places, 21 EUR, tél. 02.41.34.47.98).
Cette grande et belle chorale qui a déjà fait ses preuves en quinze
ans d’existence, toujours en assurant la promotion de la chanson
française, fête cette fois Charles Aznavour et ses quatre-vingts ans.
Hommage au poète arménien, à « La Bohême » et à bien d’autres de
ses titres déjà passés à la postérité. Le Choeur de France chantera
aussi Florent Pagny, Claude Nougaro (un autre hommage, au disparu),
ou encore « Manhattan Kaboul » de Renaud et Axelle Red. Le tout
accompagné par cinq musiciens.

A PERSONAL TOUCH DARING PIECES ARE A HIT WITH CONSUMERS WHO WANT MORE
FASHION UNDER THEIR FEET.
by: Jennifer Quail
HFN Journal
May 24, 2004
NEW YORK – Retailers are noting a shift in the way their customers
are shopping, taking time to select designs that are more reflective
of their individual personalities, which often means a slant to more
bold designs.
Fred Hall, store manager for Einstein Moomjy’s 56th Street location in
Manhattan, said he has noticed that his customers are “spending more
money and not settling” for a product that doesn’t meet their standards
for quality and design. “There has been a significant turnaround,”
Hall said. “Consumer choices are reflecting more personality now,
becoming much more dramatic.”
One prime example of the more daring designs being selected is Lenore,
an exclusive for Einstein Moomjy. Based on an original abstract
painting by the Armenian artist Lenore Selian, Lenore is “unique,”
Hall said. “It goes back to that idea of fashion [for the home]
and people are buying that now.”
Lenore has been one of the store’s top sellers recently and the store
will work with its clients for custom-size options.
Howard Brodsky, founder, chairman and co-chief executive officer
of CCA Global Partners, parent company to Carpet One, has noticed
the West Coast’s more contemporary styling having an effect on new
designs, noting “the West Coast is always a bit more contemporary,
whereas the Northeast will be a bit more traditional.” He said there
has been a definite “move and direction in contemporary. It’s pushing
the bar a little, but it’s exciting and good for the industry.”
“Everyone’s very into florals,” said Amanda Price, public relations
manager for The Rug Company’s London operations. “I think it’s because
furniture has turned very square and formal, so you put in a floral
rug design and it sort of softens the room.”
“We’re finding people don’t want rugs that just blend in anymore,”
said Alex Conway, public relations manager for The Rug Company’s New
York operations. “They want to be daring and really say something.”
Price noted one particular new artist, already appearing in the
London shop and soon to appear in New York, is Kim Parker. She said
the designer’s “tea roses” and “mums and asters” rugs have been
“designs people really just love.”
And Conway agreed with California’s design influence, saying the
store has gotten requests for very oversized versions of very daring
designs. “It’s really incredible the sizes we’re doing for clients
out there.”
Hall has also noticed wall-to-wall gaining in popularity, “especially
here in New York where most apartments or co-ops will require
80 percent coverage” of a tenant’s floors, he said. But why would
someone in a city as transient as New York go for an investment like
wall-to-wall carpeting, which seems so long-term? “They take it with
them,” Hall said. “They buy the wall-to-wall and will have it cut to
area rugs.”
Again, the looks that go for the more dramatic effect are what’s
winning here. To that end, he said one of his customers recently made
a very shrewd observation when he said, “Buying carpet now is like
buying fashion.” Hall said, “Einstein Moomjy for years has tried to
make the business about fashion.”
Another point made was the fact that many of the more modern, daring
designs in the market today are made available at both the high-end
and more open price points as well, making it easier for the consumer
to take the plunge and test bolder prints in their own homes. “They
don’t have to make a major decision,” Brodsky said.
Indeed, many catalogs are up on the more daring trend as well. IKEA,
of course, has its stores and catalog pages packed with mod designs in
bright popping colors. And the customer is certainly not faced with a
major investment. For example, the company’s Odum rug is hand-tufted
100 percent wool and runs $199 for an approximate 6-by-8. And at Crate
& Barrel, contemporary styling gets a whole new look with coconut
wood for the company’s Kona Rug. An 8-by-10 Kona retails for $699.
Caption(s): An exclusive to Einstein Moomjy (above), Lenore (right)
has been very popular with the retailer’s Manhattan clientele. / Above:
Crate & Barrel’s Kona Rug is constructed from links of durable coconut
wood. Top: IKEA’s Odum rug offers bold design at a minimal price. /
Howard Brodsky, CCA Global Partners: The West Coast is always more
contemporary.

ARKA News Agency
May 25 2004
Two -day Armenian-German intergovernmental discussions on financial
and technical co-operation begins in Yerevan
RA President holds working meeting with RA Minister of Science and
Education
Qatar is interested in food processing sphere of Armenia
*********************************************************************
TWO -DAY ARMENIAN-GERMAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL DISCUSSIONS ON FINANCIAL
AND TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION BEGINS IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, May, 26. /ARKA/. Two -day Armenian-German intergovernmental
discussions on financial and technical co-operation began in Yerevan.
According to the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy Press Service
Department, the Chairman of the intergovernmental group from the
Armenian side was represented by Vardan Khachatryan, and the German
Chairman – the Director of South Caucasus and Meddle Asia Department
of the German Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development V.
Armbruster. Issue interesting for both parties were discussed during
the meeting. The participants evaluated the programs implemented so
far with the support of German Government, the present process of the
programs, the existing goals and issues. The agenda of the meeting
included the following issues: the regional fund of credit
guarantees, stimulation of small and medium business, development of
communities, implementation of the system of guaranteeing deposits,
poverty reduction strategic program, the program of regional
electronic communication, reconstruction of small hydroelectric power
pats, the program on technical; re-equipment of hospitals.
The program of co-operation between Armenia and Germany has begun
since 1993. initially, the co-operation was in the framework of
technical programs, then – financial ones, and since 2001 regional
programs in the frames of Caucasus initiative.
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT HOLDS WORKING MEETING WITH RA MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND
EDUCATION
YEREVAN, May, 25. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian held working
meeting with RA Minister of Science and Education Sergo Yeritsian.
The Minister represented reforms in the sphere, issues related to
improvement of legal field and process of preliminary works to entry
examinations. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
QATAR IS INTERESTED IN FOOD PROCESSING SPHERE OF ARMENIA
YEREVAN, May, 25. /ARKA/. Newly appointed Ambassador of Qatar to
Armenia Saleha Ibragim al-Kuari (residence in Teheran) handed
credential to RA President Robert Kocharian. During the meeting
Kocharian stated that Armenian is interested in development of
cooperation with Persian Gulf countries, namely with Qatar. The
parties noted that relations between the countries received new
impulse after official visit of Robert Kocharian in Qatar in 2002.
The Ambassador stressed the interest of Qatar party to food
processing sphere of Armenia. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************

Armenian defence minister praises army’s role
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
15 May 04
[Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan] The cease-fire proposal
made on 12 May 1994 was acceptable to us. Although there are opinions
that if the cease-fire had not been thrust upon us and if we had not
concluded the cease-fire agreement, we could have achieved greater
successes.
Over the last 10 years, I have asked myself more than 10 times. If we
had the opportunity not to sign the cease-fire and to continue the
hostilities, we could have achieved success that would have forced
the enemy to ask for peace and solve our problem once and for all. I
have always drawn the conclusion that we had no such opportunities.
Possibly, if we had continued the hostilities, we could have
achieved some success, but to this end, we needed a greater amount
of weapons first of all, and we also had to answer the question of
whether our achievements would justify our losses. Apart from this,
the Azerbaijani army was entirely defeated, but unfortunately our
losses were increasing.
What did these 10 years of neither war nor peace give us? We managed
to complete the build-up of the army and now we are implementing this
work according to schedule. We managed to get a sufficient number of
weapons for our army, increase army discipline, educate our officers
and train young professional officers. We managed to bring our army
into combat readiness. We must admit that this is not only our own
assessment of our army’s combat readiness.
What the army needs to do today is to defend and improve the current
situation. Of course, financing is needed. But the most important
thing is the national attitude to the army. The Armenian army is the
army of the Armenian people and we must support it.

Russia’s military base at Gyumri faces no problems – Ivanov
Itar-Tass, Russia
May 20 2004
YEREVAN, May 20 (Itar-Tass) — Relations between Russia and Armenia
in the sphere of defense and security have been developing dynamically
and steadily and there have been no major problems in military affairs,
including the operation of the 102nd military base at Gyumri, Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said upon arrival in Armenia on a
working visit.
Russia supplies Armenia with military products at internal prices.
“These matters have been discussed regularly within the framework of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Armenia is entitled to
the same opportunities to buy Russian military hardware as the other
CSTO member-states.”
Later on Thursday Ivanov will hold talks with his Armenian counterpart
Serge Sarkisian to look into Russian-Armenian cooperation in the
field of defense, military-technological cooperation and military
personnel training.
“Regional security issues and situations in trouble spots will be
discussed, too,” Ivanov said.