Author: Kalantarian Kevo

PAINTINGS OF 13 ARMENIAN ARTISTS REPRESENTED IN “ARAME PICTURE-GALLERY
2005” CATALOGUE
YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Paintings of 13 Armenian modern artists
were represented in the “Arame Picture-Gallery 2005” catalogue, the
presentation of which took place on April 1 in the picture-gallery of
the same name. Many of the works represented in the book were
displayed at the picture-gallery. Aram Sargsian, Director of the
picture-gallery, mentioned that the names of artists represented in
the catalogue – Ruben Abovian, Emil Gazaz, Shota Voskanian, Marat
Margarian and others, are well-known not only to Armenian but also
foreign art lovers. Their works were displayed in the famous
picture-galleries of US, Germany, France, Switzerland and other
European countries. “They achieved serious success owing to their
original mentality, rich imagination and high skill,” A.Sargsian
said. According to the director, the “Arame” picture-gallery considers
its main task to raise interest in painting in the republic, as well
as contribute to the international recognition of Armenian
painters. A.Sargsian said that numerous subject and personal
exhibitions will be organized at the picture-gallery during the year
and it’s planned to represent American Armenian painter and sculptor
Emil Gazaz’s personal exhibition to art lovers in autumn.

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Russian investments in Armenia voiced
RBC, 01.04.2005, Yerevan 14:21:58.
Russia invested some $67.204m in Armenia’s economy in 2004, which accounted
for 21.99 percent of foreign investments in this country, the ARKA news
agency has reported. According to the Armenian statistics service, direct
Russian investments totaled some $48.69m. Russia invested approximately
$91.832m in Armenia in 2003, including some $68.429 in direct investments.
The total amount of foreign investments in Armenia was some $305.551m
in 2004, including $226.72m in direct investments in the industrial sector
of the economy.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES TO GRANT ARMENIA $175 MILLION
Azg/arm
01 April 05
Press service of the Ministry of Finances and Economy informed that
Armenia has already prepared its package of offers that will be
presented to the Millennium Challenges Fund.
The Armenian government is looking forward to receive $175 financial
aid to invest in the spheres of irrigation and road construction.
Government is hopeful that the money will spur economic activity in
rural regions.
The press release of the Ministry informs that on March 25 the board
of trustees headed by PM Andranik Margarian approved the Millennium
Challenges’ Armenian program, which was presented to the Millennium
Challenges Fund in US. The Armenian government and the US Millennium
Challenges Fund will continue negotiations in coming months to draw up
an agreement.
During 14 years of its independence the Armenian Republic has never
received a permanent loan of this size. Therefore it’s a great chance
to totally improve the irrigation system and the road network that are
a guarantee for the further development of agriculture and for
bettering villagers’ life.
By Ara Martirosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Polish leader backs Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
Trend news agency
30 Mar 05
BAKU
Poland supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, Polish President
Aleksander Kwasniewski told a joint news conference with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev in Warsaw on 30 March.
Kwasniewski said that Nagornyy Karabakh is an integral part of
Azerbaijan and that the conflict should be settled on the basis of
norms of international law.
He went on to say that the sides to the conflict should reach an
agreement themselves, but Poland, for its part, is ready to render the
necessary assistance. Kwasniewski offered to organize a meeting
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Poland.
The Polish president also said that in line with the mandate of the
OSCE chairman’s personal envoy, Andrzej Kasprzyk has been given
special instructions on the observance of stability on the contact
line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops and on the conduct of
relevant monitoring missions.
Kwasniewski said Poland was interested in the preservation of
stability in the South Caucasus.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IT’S HIGH TIME TO REPRESENT KARABAKH ISSUE TO THE WORLD AS GENOCIDE
CONSEQUENCE, OPPOSITION MP ASSURES
NOYAN TAPAN
MARCH 29, 2005
YEREVAN
We should spare no efforts to persuade the world that Karabakh is not
only a territorial or self-determination problem but a problem of
survival, struggle against realization of Genocide for Armenians,
Stepan Zakarian, a member of NA Ardarutiun (Justice) faction, declared
during the parliamentary hearings dedicated to the ways of Karabakh
settlement. The MP assured that much might have been done for Karabakh
settlement in Armenia, Karabakh and abroad, in the spheres of
propaganda and diplomacy since the establishment of the cease-fire.
Without going into the details of the shortcom ings the speaker
touched upon the problems to be solved for improving the situation.
According to Stepan Zakarian, the actions are to be carried out in two
directions, in the way of Armenia’s obvious democratization compared
with Azerbaijan and implementation of propaganda proper to the
perception of the civilized world. In his affirmation, we should speak
about the dangers threatening the Karabakh people unless it is able to
defend itself. According to Zakarian, the Armenian party doesn’t take
a sufficient advantage of Turkey’s numerous problems in connection
with EU integration, as well as the fact that the European countries’
position to Turkey isn’t unequivocal. Armenia doesn’t make sufficient
use of the issue of recognition of Armenian Genocide by the world,
either.
In the MP’s affirmation, now, on the eve of the Armenian Genocide’s
90th anniversary, it’s high time to represent the Karabakh issue to
the world as the consequence of the Genocide, to speak about the
identical policy carried on towards Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan,
to stress the circumstance that until these countries haven’t
recognized the fact of the Genocide Armenians can’t believe the
guarantees of security given by them. Zakarian also mentioned that the
announcement about the danger threatening the Armenians by Turkey will
show the West the presence of a Russian military contingent in
Armenia, in difference to other countries. According to the MP, we
should also carry on propaganda in Russia speaking about the fact that
many Chechen fighters and representatives of other nations
participated in the Karabakh war on the part of Azerbaijan.
According to the MP, the establishment of democracy isn’t immediately
connected with Karabakh issue but it is very important for gaining the
West’s sympathy. According to him, the holding of elections
corresponding to European standards, balancing of the power wings as a
result of constitutional reforms, in the conditions of presence of an
independent judicial system and mass media will immediately improve
the West’s attitude to Armenia. Stepan Zakarian said that the presence
of Karabakh factor makes a possible revolution in Armenia
dangerous. That’s why the People’s Party of Armenia always speaks
about establishment of the constitutional order by avoiding shocks.

ArmenPress
March 29 2005
RUSSIA WANTS TO TAKE ON LEASE KARS-GYUMRI RAILWAY
YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS: Russian transport minister Igor
Levitin who is also a cochairman of the Russian-Armenian
intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, said last
Saturday that Russia intends to take on lease a railway that connects
the Turkish city of Kars with Armenian Gyumri. Used intensively
during the Soviet times it stopped working after Turkey imposed a
blockade on Armenia.
Levitin attributed Russia’s intention to resume the operation of
the railway to the political aspect of the issue, saying its
resumption would be several times cheaper than Turkish-Georgian plans
to build a new railway from Kars to Georgian Akhalkalaki.
Levitin said talks with the Turkish side are continuing. He said
the railway would boost freight flow and would also create hundreds
of new jobs.

Those eyes have seen the Genocide
Yerkir/arm
25 March 05
Remella Emlikian was born in 1905. She marked her 100th birthday on
this February 25. She fled Musaler in 1915. She has 4 children and 21
grandchildren and grand-grand children.
She lives in Yerevan at 8 First Street of Noragavit, Second Alley.
The Turks are insisting that the Armenian Genocide issue should be
left for the historians because facts proving the reality of the
Genocide are needed. No documents are needed to reveal the truth.
Remella Emlikian is a living proof; her eyes have seen the Genocide.

SCIENTIST-HISTORIAN STEPAN STEPANIAN: ARMENIA IS TO PRECISELY AND
CONSISTENTLY CARRY ON POLICY OF HAY DAT’S REQUIREMENTS
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The largest falsification in the
history is the negation of the fact of Armenian Genocide by the
Turkish government. Turkey lays oneself out in this issue. Professor
Stepan Stepanian, Department Head of the History Institute of RA
NAS, declared this at the March 24 press conference dedicated to
the 90th anniversary of Armenian Genocide. He assured that little
has changed in Turkey’s attitude to other peoples since then. In the
historian’s opinion, Armenia is to precisely and consistently carry
on the policy of Hay Dat’s requirements. Stepan Stepanian expressed
satisfaction in connection with the fact that the Armenian Genocide
has been already recognized by 15 countries and declared that the
international recognition of the Genocide will give Armenians a
possibility to demand a material compensation. The historian mentioned
that according to the calculations conducted at the beginning of the
previous century, the material losses from the Armenian Genocide made
19b francs, which is today equivallent to $60b: “We have the right
of demanding this compensation from the current Turkish government,
which is the successor of the Young Turks’ government.” The scientist
also approved of the holding of the large-scale program dedicated
to the 90th anniversary of the tragic events: “We should show to the
world that the Genocide has taken place and the world should recognize
this without any obstacles.”

The Age , Australia
March 27 2005
Darchinyan retains flyweight title
March 27, 2005 – 10:54PM
Australia’s Vic Darchinyan wore his opponent down and eventually
broke his heart as he retained his International Boxing Federation
flyweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of South African
Mzukisi Fikali at the Sydney Olympic Park Sport Centre.
Armenian-born Darchinyan, who was making his first defence of the
title he won last December, was leading by one point on two of the
judges’ cards and by three on the third at the time of the stoppage.
Fikali retired himself just over half a minute out from the end of
the eighth round after soaking up some vicious blows in the preceding
couple of minutes.
Darchinyan’s superior power proved decisive as the 29-year-old
Sydneysider gradually sapped the resolve of his 33-year-old
challenger.
Darchinyan shaded the first couple of rounds with some eye-catching
flurries.
The challenger lifted his work rate in the third, though Darchinyan
landed some good body shots toward the end of the round.
Fikali finished the fourth round with a cut just above his left eye.
Darchinyan threw his punches selectively rather than trying to
dominate for the entirety of each round.
The South African landed with some jabs and occasionally beat the
champion to the punch, but he didn’t appear to have the power of
Darchinyan.
The Australian looked more effective when he fired his right jab and
followed up, especially with some powerful body punches.
Fikali proved a slippery adversary, making the Australian miss on a
number of occasions as he lunged in an attempt to push the pace.
The challenger’s corner did a good job with the cut as the flow of
blood was stemmed.
While Darchinyan appeared to land the bigger blows, Fikali enjoyed
some success in backing up the champion and opened up a cut close to
his left eyelid in the seventh round.
It was unbeaten Darchinyan’s 23rd straight win and his 18th KO.
Sikali, who came into the fight holding the much more
lightly-regarded National Boxing Organisation flyweight title,
suffered his sixth loss in 38 bouts.

Box: Darchinyan, Sikali meet for first time
Australian Associated Press
March 25, 2005, Friday
SYDNEY, March 25 — Mzukisi Sikali’s trainer says his charge has the
mind of a chess player and computer.
But whether he has the moves and power will be revealed on Sunday
when he takes on Australia’s world flyweight boxing champion Vic
Darchinyan at Sydney Olympic Park.
Darchinyan and South African Sikali met for the first time at today’s
press conference before the Australian’s first International Boxing
flyweight defence.
“When I can see my opponent, I become much angrier,” Darchinyan said.
The intense Armenian-born boxer took encouragement from the fact Sikali
only intermittently made eye contact with him during the traditional
stare down pose adopted by the two protagonists for the photographers.
“It tells me he is scared of me,” Darchinyan said.
Both trainers today were full of praise for 33-year-old Sikali,
who has logged 29 wins (17 KOs), five losses and two draws.
Darchinyan’s trainer Jeff Fenech labelled the challenger a “complete
fighter”.
“He’s got great coordination and a great eye. He doesn’t use his feet
much, he uses his great upper body movement and makes you miss and
makes you pay,” Fenech said.
Sikali’s trainer Harold Volbrecht compared his fighter’s style to
boxing legends Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard and said his
charge had the mind of a chess player and computer, who never needed
to be told anything more than once.
Darchinyan made it clear he wanted to extend his collection of title
belts well beyond his IBF strap and the lightly regarded International
Boxing Organisation belt the South African will put on the line
on Sunday.
“I want to unify the belts and then maybe I move up to a different
weight, bantamweight,” Darchinyan said.
“After this fight I am looking for a fight for the World Boxing
Association world title against Lorenzo Parra of Venezuela.”
However, Fenech was adopting a more circumspect attitude following
the world title fight loss of his super middleweight Danny Green
earlier this month.
“I don’t like putting the old cart before a horse, because I think I
did that in my last training regime with Danny Green, I was very, very
confident he would win, I don’t want to do that with Vic,” Fenech said.
However, Fenech felt Darchinyan would be primed to produce a better
performance on Sunday than he did in taking the title off the
previously unbeaten former champion Irene Pacheco last December,
because of a superior preparation this time around.
Softly spoken Sikali respected Darchinyan more for his physical
prowess than for his mental aptitude.
“He (Darchinyan) is a strong guy, but the way I see him, he’s not a
clever guy,” Sikali said.
The undercard for Fenech’s first world title promotion will also
include two other world ranked fighters in super bantamweight Nedal
Hussein and junior welterweight Lovemore Ndou.