Author: Jagharian Tania

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.

Arinc: Number Of Turkish People’s Applications To E.C.H.R. Has Dropped
Anadolu Agency
May 20 2004
STRASBOURG – Number of Turkish people’s applications to the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has dropped, Turkish Parliament Speaker
Bulent Arinc said on Wednesday.
Arinc, who is currently in Strasbourg to attend conference of
parliament speakers of member countries to the Council of Europe,
held separate talks with ECHR Vice President Jean Paul Costa and
Turkish jurists at the ECHR on Wednesday.
Holding a news conference following the meetings, Arinc said,
“number of Turkish people’s applications to the ECHR about right
to live, torture and maltreatment have dropped. It is a pleasing
development. Reforms made in democratization in Turkey have a
significant role in this development. Turkish people do not apply to
the ECHR about freedom of expression and closure of political parties
any longer. Our government has been making legal changes for a more
free life in Turkey.”
Upon a question about decision of the State Security Court (DGM)
in the re-trial process of former deputies of the Democracy Party
(DEP) which was banned by the Constitutional Court, Arinc said that
the ECHR had made some legal objections to the DEP case.
“Following decision of the ECHR, former deputies of the DEP were
re-tried, and the court ratified its first decision in accordance with
Article 341/1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CMUK) arranging the
decision to be made in retrial process,” he said.
Recalling that the jurisdiction was independent in modern and
democratic societies, Arinc said that judicial independence was valid
in Turkey, and no one could affect decisions of courts.
Arinc also gave information about his meetings at the Council of
Europe.
He recalled that he had held very positive and constructive bilateral
meetings with parliament speakers of Greece, Georgia, Armenia and
Russia.
Arinc is expected to return to Turkey on Thursday.

Mikhail Fradkov: Russia Interested in Development of Relations with Armenia
RIA OREANDA
Economic News
May 14, 2004 Friday
Moscow. Russia is interested in the development of the relations
with Armenia and is ready to consider all the issues of bilateral
cooperation. RF Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov made the respective
statement in the course of the meeting with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian.
Our relations are positively developing in all the directions but at
the same time we have topics to discuss with each other in order to
discover new efficient opportunities for cooperation, Mr. Fradkov
said. We are ready to consider the topics on the agenda that will
contribute to the extension of the Russian-Armenian relations, the
Prime Minister assured.
Robert Kocharian, in his turn, noted that the volume of cooperation
between the two countries is rather wide and we managed to considerably
develop it recently.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
May 14, 2004, Friday
KOCHARJAN HAS PROBLEMS
SOURCE: Vremya Novostei, May 14, 2004, p. 5
by Arkady Dubnov
President Robert Kocharjan of Armenia is visiting Moscow. Kocharjan
is the first Caucasus leader to meet with Vladimir Putin since his
inauguration. He will meet with Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister
Mikhail Fradkov today. Yesterday, he met with Alexei Miller, CEO of
Gazprom. The visitor also expects to meet with Igor Materov of ITERA.
The natural gas problem is no longer an economic issue for Armenia;
it is geopolitical. Yerevan wants gas from Moscow and also from Iran.
It even hopes to provide Iranian pipeline transit in future. Ukraine
also wants Iranian gas. All of these routes will bypass Russia, and
the Kremlin has some question for Armenia, known as one of Russia’s
most loyal allies in the CIS.
Putin and Kocharjan will also discuss the situation in the Caucasus.
This is the subject where the visitor will be asking questions
because the consequences of the Revolution of Roses in Georgia cannot
help worrying him.
Like Georgia not long ago, Armenia – that is, Kocharjan – has serious
problems with the opposition that demands the president’s
resignation. A large demonstration will take place in Yerevan today.
On April 13, the Armenian authorities dispersed a demonstration
staged by the opposition and the political crisis in this country
entered a new phase. On April 28, the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE_ adopted a resolution giving Kocharjan three
months to release the opposition activists arrested on April 13. The
PACE will insist on economic sanctions against Yerevan otherwise. All
this explains why Robert Kocharjan needs Moscow’s support so badly.
To secure it, he may have to sacrifice something. According to our
sources, the matter may concern a controlling interest in
Armrosgazprom for Gazprom (these days, Gazprom controls a 45% stake,
ITERA 10%, and Armenia the remaining 45%; the subject may have been
discussed by Kocharjan in Moscow yesterday).
Presidents Putin and Kocharjan will discuss Nagorno-Karabakh as well.
No sensational developments are expected in this particular sphere.
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Guardian, UK
May 12 2004
EU sets out how new neighbours can become good friends
Ian Black in Brussels
Thursday May 13, 2004
The Guardian
The expanded EU is offering its new neighbours greater cooperation
and assistance – but also keeping them at arm’s length.
“We want to give them a real stake in the enlarged EU so that they,
too, can develop and prosper,” Günter Verheugen, the commissioner for
enlargement, said yesterday. “A ring of well-governed countries
around the EU offering new perspectives for democracy and economic
growth is in the interests of Europe as a whole.”
However, Mr Verheugen made it clear that EU membership was not on
offer.
This month’s historic “big bang” enlargement, taking in eight east
European countries and Cyprus and Malta into a club of 25, has
extended the EU’s borders to the former Soviet Union and the Middle
East and north Africa.
The EU’s new neighbours range from Ukraine and Moldova to Tunisia and
Israel.
Later this year, the union will make a hugely significant and
controversial decision on whether to go ahead with long-awaited
membership talks with Turkey, whose 70 million people would make it
the largest member state after Germany.
The EU already has a formal “strategic partnership” with Russia, but
the new policy is also intended to apply to Ukraine, Belarus and
Moldova – as long as they meet standards on human rights and
democracy.
Mr Verheugen acknowledged that Belarus, often described as Europe’s
last dictatorship, was especially problematic. Relations between
Brussels and Minsk have been frozen for seven years.
The commission said it also wanted to forge links with Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia in the Caucasus.
In the south, the policy will apply to Algeria, Egypt, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and the Palestinian
Authority – all partners in the Barcelona process of
“Euro-Mediterranean dialogue”.
Participants will be offered tailor-made neighbourhood policy “action
plans” promoting good governance, human rights and economic and
social development. But the biggest carrot is likely to be the offer
of a stake in the EU’s internal market if local laws and regulations
are brought into line with Brussels’ requirements, as well as
participation in EU training and research programmes.
There would also be benefits from open borders for trade and free
movement for capital and people.
Migration, crime, terrorism and people-trafficking are other areas
where the EU wants to boost cooperation.
Romano Prodi, the commis sion president, has talked of a “ring of
friends” which could share everything but the EU’s institutions.
The new plan does not include countries that have applied to join the
EU or are already negotiating. Romania and Bulgaria are expected to
enter in 2007, with Croatia not far behind.
Other Balkan countries are expected to follow, raising the prospect
of an EU of 30 or more members and 500 million people by the end of
the decade.
The commission says it expects to make €255m (£172m) available to the
neighbourhood programmes in 2004-06, and will propose a substantial
rise for 2007-13.

The International Herald Tribune
May 7, 2004 Friday
Membership could cost Turkey its soul ;Joining the EU
by Sedat Sami
CARBONDALE, Illinois
A former prime minister of Turkey, Mesut Yilmaz, declared in 1999
that “Turkey’s road to the European Union goes through Diyarbakir,” a
mostly Kurdish city in southeastern Turkey. He was alluding to
European Union demands that Turkey grant more autonomy to its Kurdish
citizens as the price of an eventual membership in the EU.
But a detour to Diyarbakir is not the only one that Turkey will be
forced to take to win EU membership. The danger is that the journey
will lead Turkey away from itself — making membership not worth the
price, which is national sovereignty.
The demands on Turkey are many. Last January, Romano Prodi, the
president of the EU Commission, intimated that the reunification of
Cyprus would enhance Turkey’s EU chances. With the Greek Cypriot
electorate rejecting a reunification plan put forward by Kofi Annan,
the UN secretary-general, it is now apparent that Turkey will
continue to be pressured to offer more concessions to the Greek
Republic of Cyprus to change its mind. In short, Turkey’s road to the
EU will have to pass through Nicosia, too.
In addition, the United States wants Turkey to open its border with
Armenia before the NATO summit meeting in Istanbul in June. Turkey
closed the border more than a decade ago, when a war erupted between
Armenia and Ankara’s ally, Azerbaijan. Given the brittle nature of
its economy and its dependence on the International Monetary Fund and
World Bank, Turkey seems to have little choice but contemplate yet
another detour to the EU, this time through Yerevan.
Finally, a failure to reach an agreement this year with Greece over
territorial rights in the Aegean would lead to the World Court, as
stipulated in the 1999 communique that officially named Turkey a
candidate country. Thus Turkey’s road to the EU may have to snake
through The Hague too.
These issues all generate strong feelings among the Turks. They want
Kurds treated as first-class citizens, for instance, but are deeply
suspicious of any suggestion of autonomy. A strong urge for a fair
and just partnership between the Greek and Turkish communities in
Cyprus is tempered by memories of the terrorism by the Greek
nationalist movement EOKA. And they fear that opening the Armenian
border would be a betrayal of the Azeris who have been driven from
their homes by Armenian troops.
With the EU planning to reconsider its status in December, Turkey is
now faced with a historic decision: What price should the nation pay
for just the promise of negotiations aimed at a future EU membership?
Unfortunately, a rational debate in Turkey about the pros and cons of
EU membership has been clouded by a fog of disinformation. Big
business conglomerates that control the news media are feverishly
pushing for membership, while only a small handful of nationalist and
leftist publications are daring to point out the problems with
accession. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Islamist regime seems to draw its
legitimacy more from the praises of EU leaders, obsessed with the
unification of Cyprus, or of the State Department, eager to assign to
Turkey a major role in its new Greater Middle East project, than from
the people.
Why are the government and business so intent on membership? The
answer lies in Turkey’s economic ills, including high unemployment
and a monumental trade deficit attributable in part to a
disadvantageous customs union with the EU. The underlying problem,
however, is an unholy alliance between a corrupt political elite that
has sought to hang on to power by hook or crook and an equally
corrupt business elite that has robbed Turkey with the connivance of
a meek, underpaid and sometimes crooked bureaucracy. To get itself
out of this economic mess, the regime is banking on the generosity of
a rather skeptical Europe.
But again, at what price? A country cannot be great without a strong
sense of itself. Taking refuge in the bosom of the EU will not save
Turkey unless it rediscovers its moral compass and refuses to
surrender abjectly on matters of national interest. Turkey’s road to
the EU may well be its road to perdition. ** Sedat Sami is a
professor emeritus of engineering at Southern Illinois University.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/06/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Council of Europe Not the Politburo, Says Kocharian 2) Parliament and Opposition Leaders Meet 3) Hardliner Abashidze Flees Ajaria 4) Azerbaijan Not Ready for Risks or Responsibilities 5) ANC Praises Republicans for Advancing Genocide Reaffirmation 1) Council of Europe Not the Politburo, Says Kocharian YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)--President Robert Kocharian said on Thursday said that while he finds the recommendations of last week's Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolution "normal," he disagrees with its assessment of the Armenian authorities' response to the street protests launched by the opposition one month ago. The April 28 resolution warns Armenian authorities that PACE will consider stripping the Armenian delegation's voting rights in the Assembly, unless it remedies, by September, abuses addressed in the resolution. "We are reviewing [the document]. I see no particularly big problems in its content," he told journalists. "But there are quite serious inaccuracies in the description and chronology of events." He said that a response to the descriptive segment of the resolution will come in a few days, while an official response will be submitted to the June session of PACE. He also said that a PACE monitoring delegation will arrive in Armenia soon to examine the situation first-hand. "The Council of Europe is an organization of which we are also a member. We have a right to vote and express our opinion there. We are there to defend our common interests, not to clear domestic matters," stressed Kocharian, adding that the Council of Europe should not be perceived as the Soviet Union's governing Communist Party Politburo. "You must not regard the Council of Europe as the former Politburo where they made and imposed decisions." Though important, the decisions of PACE are not binding for the Council of Europe leadership. Kocharian also downplayed fears that international focus on Armenia's political instability would affect foreign investment into the country. "Armenia's economy will suffer greater damage if investors begin to question the ability of authorities to establish order in the country." He admitted, however, that recent tensions will bear some negative impact. "Those people attempting to escalate tensions do not realize that negative repercussions will eventually be felt by all Armenian citizens." 2) Parliament and Opposition Leaders Meet YEREVAN--Opposition leaders and 13 senior representatives of all parliament factions met behind closed doors late Thursday to try to defuse political tensions sparked by the month-long opposition campaign against President Robert Kocharian. Initiated by parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, the talks began late in the afternoon and lasted for about five hours. A brief statement issued by the participants afterward said they agreed on the "necessity to create a new situation in the country" and that a 32-point agenda for further "consultations" was formulated. According to one of the negotiators for the Justice party Victor Dallakian, the agenda will be disclosed by Friday. 3) Hardliner Abashidze Flees Ajaria BATUMI (AFP)--Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili triumphantly arrived in the Black Sea region of Ajaria after the province's renegade leader resigned and flew into exile in dramatic scenes overnight. Georgian officials announced new elections to choose a replacement for ousted leader Aslan Abashidze and appointed an interim administration to run Ajaria--site of the region's biggest oil terminal--until a new leader is chosen. "I congratulate you all," a jubilant Saakashvili said as he arrived in Ajaria to chair a meeting of his ministers. "We have shown the world that we are a great people. Only we could have staged two bloodless revolutions in six months," he said. Abashidze's departure in the early hours of Thursday morning was the final act of last year's revolution, in which Saakashvili led weeks of protests which forced then President Eduard Shevardnadze to go into retirement. But the Ajarian chief, a member of Shevardnadze's old guard, stayed on, and until Thursday, had defied the authority of the capital, Tbilisi, and shown growing separatist tendencies. Russian news agencies reported that Abashidze had landed in Moscow, accompanied by Russia's Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, who had earlier flown to Ajaria to help mediate the conflict. His departure avoided what many feared would be a bloody separatist war, causing turmoil in Georgia just as Western oil companies are building a multi-billion-dollar pipeline through the country to export oil from the Caspian Sea to world markets. With Abashidze's 12-year rule over Ajaria suddenly over and his feared paramilitaries handing in their weapons, Saakashvili's administration set about filling in the power vacuum. Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said on Ajarian television that new elections would be called and announced the creation of a commission, made up of Saakashvili aides and local figures, to run the region in the interim. But he said that Ajaria's autonomous status within Georgia, enshrined in law since the start of the last century, would be respected. "The new elections will be held with due account taken of Ajaria's special status, which will now be finally clarified by a special constitutional law," Zhvania said. On the streets of Ajaria's palm tree-lined capital Batumi Thursday, the last vestiges of Abashidze's rule were being swept away. Special forces troops from Tbilisi were in position outside government buildings, instead of the masked men in camouflage fatigues who had propped up Abashidze's regime. Drop-off points were set up around the city where civilians could hand in the weapons they were given by Abashidze's security forces to defend against an invasion from Tbilisi. Meanwhile some 2,000 Saakashvili supporters were holding a celebratory rally outside the local administration building chanting "Misha!, Misha!"--Saakashvili's affectionate nickname. It was a token of their new freedom. Previous opposition rallies in Batumi had been brutally dispersed by police loyal to Abashidze, with dozens of people arrested. Abashidze is a former Communist official who had ruled his corner of Georgia with a rod of iron and appointed his own relatives to key positions. His fate was sealed this week when thousands of his opponents took to the streets to demand his resignation, defying the police. At the same time Saakashvili, the 36-year-old who came to power in last year's "rose revolution" in the Georgian capital, introduced direct presidential rule and Georgian special forces were dropped in to Ajaria by helicopter. Abashidze appeared to have made use of an offer from the Georgian president of safe passage out of the country for him and his family if he agreed to go quietly. 4) Azerbaijan Not Ready for Risks or Responsibilities YEREVAN (Armenpress/Yerkir)--Karabagh leader Arkady Ghukasian reiterated that the Mountainous Karabagh conflict cannot be resolved unless Stepanakert becomes a full party to negotiations. "Sooner or later, Azeri leaders will have to agree to negotiate with Karabagh, and I am confident that the international community shares this very viewpoint," said Ghukasian, citing an OSCE Budapest summit resolution identifying Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Mountainous Karabagh as the parties to the conflict. Citing Azeri "distrust, enmity, and war rhetoric," Ghukasian said that the "package solution" must be sought, rather than the "step-by-step approach." While the first proposes settling key problems, including status, security guarantees, and troop withdrawal, with a single, comprehensive agreement, the latter calls for Armenia to surrender specific buffer zones to Azerbaijan, in exchange of deployment of international peacekeepers in Mountainous Karabagh. "We have the resources to resolve the conflict in one to two years, but we should also realize that resolution and peace contain certain risks; Azerbaijan's leaders do realize this, and are not ready today to take the risks and shoulder responsibilities." In a reversal of previous opinion on the effectiveness of the Minsk Group, which spearheads the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe's (OSCE) efforts to find a political solution to this conflict, Azeri president Ilham Aliyev said earlier this week that the Group's activity is apparent, and that "the co-chairmen are determined to deal with the problem." 5) ANC Praises Republicans for Advancing Genocide Reaffirmation LOS ANGELES--The largest Armenian-American grassroots public affairs organization in the Western US praised a number of Republican legislators in the US Congress for their outstanding support on issues of concern to tens of thousands of Armenian-American voters throughout California, Nevada, and other western states. In a statement, the Armenian National Committee of America--Western Region also commended Republican Governors of Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska for officially acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. A record number of Governors issued proclamations this April acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and April 24 as a Day of Remembrance. The list includes Republican Governors Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho, Judy Martz of Montana, and Mike Johanns of Nebraska. The ANCA-WR also applauded California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's move designating April 24 a Day of Remembrance for the Genocide, as well as Republican State Senator Chuck Poochigian's powerful proclamation at the April 24 Commemoration in Montebello, California. "We appreciate the work of our Republican friends, particularly the Governors and members of Congress who support the ANC's initiatives to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and urge Congress to pass resolutions acknowledging this crime against humanity," said ANCA-WR Government Relations Director Armen Carapetian. Last week, the Nevada ANC honored Senator John Ensign (R-NV) as the "ANC Man of the Year" for his staunch support of Armenian-American issues. Senator Ensign introduced Senate Resolution 164, reaffirming US's commitment to preventing genocides and punishing perpetrators of genocide. The legislation also clearly identifies the mass murder of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as a case of genocide. The bill is currently backed by 39 Senators, nine of whom are Republican. Several months ago, ANC-Orange County honored Congressman Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) with its Freedom Award for his consistent support of issues that concern Armenian-American constituents. Just last week, Royce, who serves on the influential International Relations Committee, reaffirmed his pledge to fight for official acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide while addressing the ANCA Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide Observance. At its largest annual event, the ANCA-WR presented Congressman George Radanovich (R-Fresno) its "Man of the Year" honor several months ago for his dedication and commitment. Radanovich is the principal author and sponsor of H.R. 193, which acknowledges the Armenian Genocide. The legislation passed unanimously in the House Judiciary Committee on May 21, 2003 and awaits a vote on the House Floor. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.