Author: Kalashian Nyrie

“FEAST FOR KERRY”

Azg/am
25 Aug 04

A Musical Festival on August 28

An unprecedented musical festival called “Feast for Kerry” is going to
burst out in Franklin, Massachusetts, in a campsite “Armenia” on
August 28.

The festival is aimed to do honour to the Democratic candidate John
Kerry who is respected by the Armenian community of the US for the 20
years of pro-Armenian policy in the Senate. Now Armenians hope that
John Kerry would be kind of Woodrow Wilson, American president
sensitive to the problems of the Armenians.

Armenians all over America will gather at the campsite to express
their support to the senator Kerry. The festival includes music of all
types, from folklore to jazz. A desk named “Kebab for Kerry” will be
open all day long.

Harut Sassounian of the California Courier was present at the
Democratic convention in Boston and writes that the Hye Dat National
Committee of America, that usually makes its decision public by the
end of the polls, this time was certain about the choice. The choice
was easy to take as “Bush administration has nothing to offer the
Armenian community” whereas Kerry has voted for the Armenian Genocide
acknowledgment and now is one of the supporters of the new
acknowledgment formula.

On the convention days in Boston Mr. Sassounian met many Armenians
even from Republicans who had come to unanimously support John
Kerry. “This is a good opportunity enabling Kerry to cooperate with
different representatives of the Armenian community in case of taking
the office”, writes Mr. Sassounian.

By Hakob Tsulikian

ARKA News Agency
Aug 24 2004

Pan-Armenian cultural festival to be held once in two years

Exhibition of exclusive works of modern Armenian applied arts `Silk
Road’ to be held in Yerevan on Sept 10

ARMENIA EXPO international exhibition Forum to be held in Yerevan on
Sept 10-13

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PAN-ARMENIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL TO BE HELD ONCE IN TWO YEARS

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. The Pan-Armenian cultural festival to be
held once in two years, as Lilit Asatryan, Deputy Armenian Minister
of Culture and Youth Affairs told today on pres-conference related to
completion of `One Nation, One Culture’ festival. She mentioned that
the intention of the organizers is uniting the representatives of the
Diaspora and Armenia was successful and henceforth the festival will
turn to a traditional event. `Succession of the national values and
transfer of knowledge from the old to the new generation is important
in preserving the cultural traditions’, she remarked.
Tamara Poghosyan, the Executive Director of the festival added that
it allowed uniting not only the representatives of the Diaspora and
Armenia, but people inside the country. In her words, tradition of
holding such an event is very important as forming of pan-national
tradition, preservation of ties with the Motherland, restoration of
relevant attitude to the culture is the priority of the cultural
policy. She mentioned that around AMD 110 mln was collected for
holding of the festival. But, as she explained the expenses were much
bigger due to numerous sponsors – Atenk, Ashtarak-Kat, Grand Holding,
Multi Group, MIKA Armenia, Flash, Hovhnainan International, Zangezur
Copper Molybdenum Combine, ACP, Bank Anelik, Inecobank, Chamber of
Commerce. Also, around 100 people, most of which were students
rendered volunteering services in holding of festival.
`One Nation, One Culture’ festival was held on Aug 15-23. More than
1500 Armenian artists from 22 countries participated in the festival.
T.M. -0–

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EXHIBITION OF EXCLUSIVE WORKS OF MODERN ARMENIAN APPLIED ARTS `SILK
ROAD’ TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON SEPT 10

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. Exhibition of exclusive works of modern
Armenian applied arts `Silk Road’ to be held in Yerevan on Sept 10,
as Terjian Hotel, host of the exhibition, told ARKA that the event
will exhibit Nune Aghbalyan’s, Lecturer of Yerevan State Institute of
Fine Arts and Gevorg Shadoyan, Designer’s exclusive works.
For the first time in Armenia there will be held an exhibition of the
most modern costumes collection with Armenian ornaments and paintings
on silk ties, brooches, scarves and other accessories.
Representatives of the Armenian Government, embassies, international
and local organizations, as well as mass media are invited to attend
the exhibition. The entrance to the exhibition is free. T.M. -0–

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ARMENIA EXPO INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FORUM TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON
SEPT 10-13

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. The 4th universal international
trade-industrial exhibition Forum ARMENIA EXPO 2004 to be held in
Yerevan on Sept 10-13. As LOGOS EXPO Centrå told ARKA, `Industrial
Armenia’, `Build Expo’, `Trans Expo’, `Comp Expo’, `Polygraph,
Publishing, Advertising’, `Food and Drinks’ exhibitions to be held in
the frames of the Forum. Also Business Days of the USA, China and
Russia to be held on Sept 11-13. As it is mentioned in the press
release, the exhibition Forum covering an area of 1000 sq. m. to be
participated by 170 companies from Armenia, Russia, Ukraine,
Byelorussia, Iran, Syria, Germany, Italy, USA. China, Lithuania,
Georgia, Hungary, Japan and Czech Republic. The Forum is organized by
LOGOS EXPO Centre as well as the Armenian Foreign, Trade and Economic
Development Ministries as well as the Union of Manufacturers and
Entrepreneurs of Armenia and Armenian Development Agency. T.M. -0–

KARABAKH CAPITAL GETS NEW MAYOR

Mediamax news agency
23 Aug 04

YEREVAN

Preliminary reports suggest that Eduard Agabekyan, chairman of the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic National Assembly’s Standing Commission on
Social Issues and leader of the (newly-established) Movement-88
political organization, has been elected mayor of the Nagornyy
Karabakh capital of Stepanakert.

The second round of the mayoral election was held in Stepanakert on 22
August, with Eduard Agabekyan and the former deputy mayor of
Stepanakert, Pavel Nadzharyan, running for the post.

The NKR Central Electoral Commission told Mediamax today that
according to preliminary results, Eduard Agabekyan got 55.3 per cent
of the vote, and Pavel Nadzharyan – 38.8 per cent.

The commission also reported that in comparison with the first round,
the runoff turnout increased by 10 per cent to reach almost 51 per
cent.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 20, 2004 Friday 12:03 AM Eastern Time

Russia, Armenia ponder ways to normalize situation in Caucasus

By Mikhail Petrov

SOCHI

The presidents of Russia and Armenia will hold bilateral talks in
Sochi on Friday, specifically on coordination of the efforts of the
two countries seeking to normalize the situation in the North
Caucasus. The two countries have consistently called for the peaceful
settlement of the regional problems and are seriously concerned over
the threats of destabilization in the South Caucasus in the wake of
the aggravation of the situation in South Ossetia.

Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharyan will exchange views on ways to
unlock the potential of multilateral cooperation and the use of the
already existing regional mechanisms and the CIS peacekeeping
potentialities for this purpose.

The presidents also plan to consider further interaction within the
frame of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian
Economic Community, in which Armenia has been granted the observer
status.

The two countries are determined to take steps on both the bilateral
and multilateral basis in combating terrorism in all its forms and
reinforce their political resolve with effective practical
cooperation of their law enforcement agencies and special services.

Putin and Kocharyan will also focus on realization of bilateral
understandings in the economic and other fields. They will examine
the status of mutual trade and investment cooperation, the
fulfillment of the property-for-debt agreement, as well as
interaction in the fields of energy and transport.

ARKA News Agency
Aug 18 2004

RA Foreign Minister receives UNHCR Chief Inspector

Memorial service takes place in St. Echmiadzin on the 10th
anniversary of decease of Vazgen I, the Catholicos of All Armenians

The newly appointed German Ambassador to Armenia presents her
credentials to the RA President

An exhibition -sale of Armenian books printed in Armenia and abroad
takes place in Yerevan

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RA FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES UNHCR CHIEF INSPECTOR

YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian
received Chief Inspector of UN High Commissioner for Refugees on his
visit to RA Tahiar Ali. As RA Foreign Ministry Press Service told
ARKA, the main purpose of the inspection visit is summarizing the
works performed in the region since 1988 towards improving of the
refugee’s state as well as to evaluate the activity of UN High
Commissioner for Refugees.
During the talk, the Minister highly appreciated the activity of the
UNHCR in RA and expressed a hope that in the future this important UN
structure will be more actively involved in all works, related to
refugees performed by RA Government.
The sides also touched upon the issues related to social integration
of refugees into the society. Tahir Ali to leave from RA for Georgia
and then to Azerbaijan. After his regional visits he will submit a
report to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. T.M. -0–

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MEMORIAL SERVICE TAKES PLACE IN ST. ECHMIADZIN ON THE 10TH
ANNIVERSARY OF DECEASE OF VAZGEN I, THE CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS

YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. Today, memorial service on the 10th
anniversary of decease of Vazgen I the Catholicos of All Armenians
took place in Echmiadzin Holy See. According to the Press Service of
Echmiadzin Holy See Chancellery the memorial service was served with
the assistance of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. In his
speech, the Head of St. Echmiadzin Chancellery, Archbishop Nerses
Pozapalian spoke about the productive life of Vazgen I and emphasized
the efforts of the Armenian Patriarch aimed at the glorification of
Echmiadzin Holy See. As the press release states, the ceremony was
attended by clergymen of high rank and a group of Romanian Armenians.
L.V.–0–

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THE NEWLY APPOINTED GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA PRESENTS HER
CREDENTIALS TO THE RA PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. The newly appointed German Ambassador to
Armenia Haike Renate Paitsch presented today her credentials to RA
President Robert Kocharian. According to the Press Service Department
of RA President, during the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction
concerning the current level of Armenian-German relations and
mentioned that these relations were developing especially dynamically
recently. Paitsch expressed confidence that good bilateral relations
will intensify in future through even closer cooperation. She
conveyed to Robert Kocharian the friendly message of Horst Keller,
the President of Germany.
In his turn, the RA President noted that Armenia attaches special
importance to partnership with Germany. He highly appreciated the
assistance of the German Government in the process of reforms in
Armenia. According to Kocharian, the economic component occupies a
particular place in the agenda of bilateral relations and mentioned
the efficiency of cooperation programs in energy and financial-
technical areas. L.V.–0 –

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AN EXHIBITION -SALE OF ARMENIAN BOOKS PRINTED IN ARMENIA AND ABROAD
TAKES PLACE IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. An exhibition -sale of Armenian books
printed in Armenia and abroad takes place in the open air on the
square after Charle Aznavour in Yerevan. The Chairman of the National
Association of Editors of RA Vahagn Khachatryan told reporters that
about 1000 titles of books, 50 publishing houses and printing houses
of the country, like `Arevik’, `Luis’, `Lusabac’, `Anahit’, `Noyan
Tapan’, `Nahapet’ are presented on the exhibition. As he said, the
exhibition presents mainly the books in the field of science, art,
culture, and moral values issued for the last 2-3 years. Also works
of a very famous foreign authors such as Shakespeare, Gabriel Garcia
Markes, Moris Metterlink are exhibited. The books of the writers
representing Diaspora have a separate stand, on which research and
historic materials devoted to the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey, the Karabakh liberation movement and the Armenians in
Javakhq. Works of both old authors and modern writers representing
Diaspora such as Peter Balakyan are exhibited. Khachatryan stated
that the majority of authors from Diaspora will be exhibited on th
eeother exhibition which will take place on August 30 in the RA
National Library.
According to Khachatryan, the goal of the exhibition is to develop
publishing house, restore the love to reading books, transfer
cultural values to the Armenian nation through books. Khachatryan
noted that recently the quality of the Armenian publications has
improved.
The Exhibition-Sale of Armenian books is held for the second year and
this time it’s held in the frames of the festival `One Nation-One
Culture’. The first Exhibition-Sale was organized last year. The
finances gained from the sale of the books exhibited will go into the
maintenance of publishing -houses in the country. A.H. -0 –

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Aug 12 2004

DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS HIS AMERICAN COUNTERPART
[August 12, 2004, 18:25:59]

US Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld staying in Baku for a
one-day visit met on 12 August with Defense Minister of Azerbaijan
Colonel-General Safar Abiyev at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects of bilateral
cooperation between Azerbaijan and USA, expanding of Azerbaijan
relations with NATO and other issues.

Colonel-General Safar Abiyev expressed the wish that the United
States, as the OSCE Minsk group co-Chair, would intensify its role in
the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, unambiguously support the Azerbaijan’s stance on
the matter, and force Armenia to release the occupied territories.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld stated that the United State
supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and would exert every
effort as the OSCE co-Chair. Ambassador Steven Mann, according to
him, will do his best for the problem to be solved fairly within the
framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United
States Hafiz Pashayev and Ambassador of the United States to
Azerbaijan Reno Harnish.

Tensions thaw Russia’s frozen border conflicts
By Andrew Jack

FT
August 13 2004

The death of three Georgian soldiers yesterday in clashes with
separatists in the breakaway region of South Ossetia highlighted how
the long-dormant conflicts around the borders of the former Soviet
Union are being reawakened.

An uneasy period of peace risks being replaced by one of the first
significant redrawings of the regional map since the collapse of
communism.

With intensified fighting and renewed diplomatic activity, Russia
yesterday called for a ceasefire in South Ossetia, and Georgia sent in
a top negotiator.

One reason for the tensions has been a more aggressive stance taken by
Mikheil Saakashvili, the youthful and populist pro-western leader
elected president of Georgia last year. He is keen to break the
deadlock since he came to power with increasing efforts to bring the
region back under Georgian control.

But the attitude of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, against a
backdrop of simmering conflict in the neighbouring republic of
Chechnya, and the expansion of the European Union eastwards have
introduced an international dimension.

South Ossetia is not alone. Along with Abkhazia, it is one of two
so-called “frozen conflicts” in Georgia. There are two others
elsewhere: the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan and
Transdnistra in Moldova. All were created by military action at the
time of the collapse of the USSR, replaced by an uneasy peace with
their “host” states.

Between them, they are home to more than 1m impoverished people,
living under regimes that are economically and diplomatically
isolated, accused of corruption and autocracy. Now the security risks
they present are putting them back on the agenda.

“Their residents feel like forgotten Europeans, within but outside
Europe,” says Walter Schwimmer, secretary-general of the Council of
Europe, the inter-governmental human rights organisation. and

The common denominator for all the conflicts is the Soviet Union. When
it collapsed, a series of “grey zones” emerged, resistant to the newly
independent states to which they were historically attached.

Hundreds of thousands of small arms remain, raising concerns over the
militarisation of the regions and the risk of weaponry falling into
the hands of criminal groups and terrorists.

Modern Russia continues to play a role in maintaining the
conflicts. They touch on its “near abroad”, the border zone of
traditional Soviet influence that has again become a foreign policy
priority under Mr Putin as the EU and Nato have expanded into
territory Moscow controlled for the second half of the last century.

Russia has offered easy transit and passports to residents in South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, overseen commercial transactions and maintained
leverage through peacekeeping troops in Georgia and Transdnistra that
operate outside the jurisdiction of the OSCE. “Fundamentally, Russia
keeps these places alive by passively supporting them,” says Dov Lynch
from the EU Institute for Security Studies in Paris.

But he stresses that the frozen conflicts have their own internal
momentum, with the local regimes perpetuating their power and few
democratic institutions.

The international community also helps maintain the status quo,
traditionally through political neglect and the provision of
humanitarian assistance that supports the population and reduces the
chance of social explosion of popular revolt.

There are signs that the problem is starting to be taken more
seriously, however. In the past few months, the EU has become more
active, imposing travel bans on the leadership of Transdnistra in an
attempt to force negotiations for a political settlement with Moldova,
which may be an EU neighbour if Romania joins the EU in 2007.

Russia has also become more assertive, withdrawing troops and military
stockpiles from Moldova, and attempting to broker a settlement late
last year.

“Disintegration is the worst scenario,” says Konstantin Kosachev, head
of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “If Georgia
goes out of control, Russia will be the next to be destabilised.”

Without more power-sharing and prosperity from the “metropolitan”
countries from which they have broken away, the tensions in South
Ossetia and its counterparts may defrost in a far less elegant way.

STATE REGISTER TO APPEAL TO COURT SOON WITH PURPOSE OF LIQUIDATION OF
NON-REGISTERED PARTIES

YEREVAN, August 11 (Noyan Tapan). The State Register will appeal to
the court soon with the purpose of the liquidation of the Armenian
parties non-registered after the approval of the new law “On Parties”
in November 2002. The total number of these parties makes 51. Edik
Margarian, Chief of the Department on Registration of Public
Organizations, Unions of Non-Commercial Juridical Persons and Mass
Media of the State Register Agency, told NT’s correspondent that these
parties didn’t submit applications on self-liquidation. He mentioned
that the documents necessary for the liquidation of 33 parties are
already ready, and it is also necessary to prepare the documents of 18
other parties. It should be mentioned that the “Gardmank” Party and
the Agrarian Party non-registered after the approval of the new law
have already wind up their activities. ARF Dashnaktsutyun, “Pedagogues
of Armenia”, the Nationalistic Party of Armenia, the “21st Century”
Democratic National Party and the “Victory and Democracy Unity” Party
have already submitted applications on self-liquidation, and they will
be also liquidated soon.

Azeri pundits assess Iranian leader’s visit differently

Ekspress, Baku
5 Aug 04

Text of Xazar Altay report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 5
August headlined “What does Khatami’s visit promise?”, subheaded
“Politicians think differently”

“One cannot expect any sensational development or turn in
Iranian-Azerbaijani relations in the near future,” ex-presidential
aide and political analyst Vafa Quluzada told Ekspress yesterday 4
August , commenting on Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s visit to
our country today.

He said that Tehran had always established cooperation with Azerbaijan
on the basis of “mutual principles defined by Tehran” which are
unacceptable to Baku.

“We can never be the country which Iran wishes us to be. Under such
circumstances, Tehran has never accepted us, is not accepting us and
will not do so in the future either,” Quluzada said.

The political analyst, who touched upon the current
Iranian-Azerbaijani ties, said that cooperation in the economic, trade
and transport spheres are good.

“However, the political and military and technical ties have no
prospects. Iran is playing double games with us. We should either
stand this or protect ourselves,” Quluzada said.

He described Khatami’s visit to our country this time as a “tactical
and farsighted move”.

“The Iranian leadership wants to get Azerbaijan’s consent so that
official Baku establishes its relations with the West in line with
Tehran’s interests. In exchange, the mullahs will review their
cooperation with the Armenians,” political analyst Rasim Musabayov
told Ekspress.

He thinks that Khatami agreed to visit Azerbaijan after a long pause
because of “the new realities in the region”.

“Tehran simply wants to restore its presence in the region and counter
the anti-Iranian threats,” he said. Musabayov spoke about “the
existence of multilateral cooperation ties” between Baku and Tehran,
but added that Iran is not capable of compromising on the Caspian
status and cooperation with Armenia. As for the opening of the
Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz, Musabayov regarded as impossible a
practical solution to the problem in the near future.

AMIP Azarbaycan Milli Istiqlal Party Chairman Etibar Mammadov thinks
that the Iranian president’s visit to our country will play an
important role from the viewpoint of mending bilateral ties. He thinks
that the progress in the resolution of contentious issues between the
two countries will depend on the results of the negotiations. “Iran is
a neighbouring country and it should have normal relations with its
neighbours,” Mammadov said.

Mubariz Qurbanli, an MP from the NAP ruling New Azerbaijan Party ,
described Khatami’s visit as a new stage in bilateral relations. He
added that the documents which are to be signed will strengthen the
political, economic and trade relations with Iran. He expressed the
hope that differences of opinions about some issues will be resolved
as well.

The DPA Democratic Party of Azerbaijan secretary-general, Akif
Sahbazov, said that Azerbaijan and Iran should have normal relations
since they are neighbours.

“I assume that the documents to be signed will have a positive impact
on the development of bilateral ties,” he said.

“President Khatami’s visit to Baku promises no good and this is
because the Iranian leadership is insincere in its relations with the
Republic of Azerbaijan,” according to the statement by the defence
committee of the National Revival Movement of South Azerbaijan NRMSA .

The statement says that the Iranian leadership has been preventing
Azerbaijan from opening its consulate in Tabriz. Turks of South
Azerbaijan northern Iran who are struggling for respect for their
national rights are being arrested, subjected to assimilation and are
not allowed to have schools in their mother tongue.

“This shows that Tehran applies double standards in its relations with
Baku.”

The authors of the statement, who demand an explanation from the
Iranian president over the arrest of the national movement’s activists
and the prominent Azerbaijani figures during their march to Fort Bazz
last month July , also think that Khatami’s intention to visit Azeri
poet Nizami’s grave in Ganca is not desired.

“As his predecessor Rafsanjani, Khatami also wants to gain ground by
saying that he visited ”the grave of the great Persian poet in
Azerbaijan”, the statement by the NRMSA defence committee said.

First-ever Nagornyy Karabakh football league set to kick off 1 August

Arminfo
31 Jul 04

STEPANAKERT

The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic will start to have its own open
football league on 1 August.

Ayk Dzhavadyan, vice-president of the Artsakh Armenian name for
Karabakh Football Federation, which was registered recently, announced
this at a press conference in Stepanakert capital of Nagornyy Karabakh
today. He said that in Soviet times Nagornyy Karabakh football had
been represented by the “Karabakh” team which had been successful
enough to get into the USSR’s 2nd league division. Football was a
popular and well-liked game in Karabakh but football life in the
republic had died because of the armed conflict with Azerbaijan up
until 1994. From 1994-95 several Karabakh teams had had to join the
Armenian leagues. And so from 1 August Karabakh will have its own
league, Ayk Dzhavadyan said.

He announced that having the league was possible thanks to the active
cooperation of Arkadiy Gukasyan, president of the republic, and the
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, as well as from the US
entrepreneur and philanthropist Grach Kaprielian, who is also the
president of the Artsakhk Football Federation.

Ayk Dzhavadyan also said that in the last 2-3 years 500,000 US dollars
had been invested in developing football in Karabakh. “The Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic’s football league is aimed not only at reviving the
best traditions of Karabakh football, improving the physical health of
the population and providing means for practising this sport, which is
popular throughout the world, but also at contributing towards the
coming into being and strengthening of our state and helping the
international recognition of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic. We also
hope to set up close ties and cooperation with teams from other
countries,” Ayk Dzhavadyan noted.

Nine teams will take part in the league which will be run along
European lines. The teams are from Stepanakert and all regions of
Nagornyy Karabakh, as well as one team from the town of Goris in the
Republic of Armenia. The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic’s championship
league will end in the middle of November. The winners will receive
medals, certificates and prizes.