Author: Kanayan Tamar

A1plus
| 16:30:16 | 28-04-2005 | Social |
ALTERNATIVE TO GAS AND ENERGY
The sources of hydrocarbon are exhausting all over the world to date
resulting in rise in prices for gas, oil and electric power. Proceeding from
energy security the problem was solved long ago in the Scandinavian states,
where alternative sources for heating the dwelling houses or other domestic
demands are used. Taking onto consideration the fact that climate conditions
of Armenia are alike those of Sweden and Norway, this novelty can be
implemented in Armenia as well.
However the program initiators did not take into account the fact that more
than a half of the Armenian population are poor people. Thus, TermoTex
Swedish company, which is trying to solve energy problems with the help of
nature, will face hardships in the Armenian market. With the help of modern
equipment the company is going to process energy from air, water and earth.
However the price of one device makes 8 thousand euros, what questions the
advisability of its implementation in Armenia. TermoTex representative
Vladimir Potapov noted that presently 90% of Swedish population use the
system. At that it should be noted that the government provides a credit
amounting in 75% of the device price.
The company representatives have not held talks with the Armenian
authorities on the issue yet. `If the government and crediting companies are
interested the program is real’, Potapov said.
Anyway they did not take into account the fact that besides the insolvency
of the population the Armenian banking system contrary to the European one
demands incomparably high interest.

–Boundary_(ID_Y9ukKx0YnNNSW3z0i3nHBw)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822
From: Mihran Toumajan
Subject: Schrempp Wins Big In High-Profile Case; Ruling setback for Kerkorian
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
DCX’s Schrempp wins big in high-profile case
Ruling is setback for billionaire investor Kirk
Kerkorian, who sued on fraud claims.
The Detroit News
Friday, April 8, 2005
By Christine Tierney and Ed Garsten
DaimlerChrysler AG CEO Juergen Schrempp won a big victory Thursday
against a bitter adversary after a U.S. judge cleared him of fraud
charges leveled by Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Farnan said Kerkorian, Chrysler’s biggest
investor in 1998 when Germany’s Daimler-Benz AG acquired Chrysler
Corp., was a sophisticated investor who had failed to prove that he
had been misled about the nature of the deal.
Kerkorian and his investment arm, Tracinda Corp., sought more than $1
billion in damages from Schrempp and DaimlerChrysler, claiming that
then-Daimler-Benz CEO Schrempp never intended the deal to be a merger
of equals, although the deal was described that way at the time.
In a 125-page ruling, Farnan said Tracinda appeared in 1998 to be
concerned primarily with the prospect of financial gain.
“Tracinda did not find corporate governance or the ‘merger of equals’
label to be important at the time of the merger,” Farnan wrote.
“Kerkorian supported the merger and thought there ‘would be good
value’ in the transaction before he had any discussions about
corporate governance.”
The judge agreed with DaimlerChrysler’s defense that it had complied
with the deal’s terms as they were spelled out in the proxy statement
and other documents vetted by Kerkorian’s counselors and lawyers.
Although Kerkorian is weighing an appeal, Farnan’s ruling comes as a
huge relief to Schrempp, who is still trying to restore the
profitability of his auto empire. Chrysler has recovered from heavy
losses to become profitable, but Mercedes is now struggling to improve
earnings and quality.
Financial analysts said the company could afford the damages, but a
victory was the best outcome. As for Schrempp, “he dodged a bullet,”
said analyst David Healy at Burnham Securities.
Kerkorian filed suit against Schrempp and other DaimlerChrysler
officials in 2000, citing two interviews in which Schrempp appeared to
suggest that he always intended the deal to be a takeover. In that
case, Kerkorian argued that he was entitled to a takeover premium for
his stake.
The value of Kerkorian’s Chrysler stake soared from just under $3.7
billion to $4.8 billion after the deal was announced. But his
attorneys argued that Tracinda would have received more if
Daimler-Benz had openly proposed a takeover.
“By calling the transaction a merger of equals, Daimler saved $7
billion to $8 billion in the acquisition, Chrysler management got
rich, and Chrysler shareholders got cheated out of a control premium,”
Kerkorian attorney Terry Christensen said last year.
In a notorious interview with Britain’s Financial Times newspaper in
November 2000, Schrempp said he had always wanted to make Chrysler a
division but had gone about it in a “round-about” way for
psychological reasons.
In another interview with Barron’s, he said he had what he wanted: “I
have Daimler, and I have divisions.”
In a 13-day trial in Wilmington, Del., Schrempp did not deny the
statements but said he was misinterpreted. He said his intention had
been to structure Chrysler’s operating business as a division of the
new company, much like Mercedes-Benz.
Kerkorian’s attorneys also pointed to the shrinking number of former
Chrysler officials on the DaimlerChrysler management board — only one
when the trial ended in February 2004 — as further evidence of a
German takeover.
Kerkorian testified in court that he had relied on assurances from
former Chrysler Chairman Bob Eaton that the deal would be a merger of
equals.
But Farnan said Kerkorian should not have relied only on his
“reasonably general” talks with Eaton, as he had thorough access to
details of the negotiations.
The 87-year-old casino mogul had appointed a representative on
Chrysler’s board — James Aljian — after his own aborted takeover bid
in 1995.
That year, Kerkorian also hired Jerry York, Chrysler’s former CFO, who
was concerned that the Auburn Hills automaker might run into serious
difficulties if it did not pair up with a strong automaker.
“The court cannot ignore the sophistication of Tracinda as an investor
and its subjective views regarding the transaction in light of the
information that was available to it, which was far more than that
which is available to the average investor,” Farnan wrote.
Before the trial began, DaimlerChrysler settled similar suits from
other investors claiming to have been duped.
“While we are clearly disappointed in today’s judgment, we are pleased
that other DaimlerChrysler shareholders who followed Tracinda’s lead
and filed lawsuits based on our exact claims … were successful in
reaching a settlement with DaimlerChrysler for $300 million,”
Christensen said. “It is obvious that, as an individual shareholder,
Tracinda was held to a different standard.
You can reach Christine Tierney at (313) 222-1463 or
[email protected].
*********************************************
Tracinda vs. DaimlerChrysler: A bitter trial
Kerkorian’s claim:
Daimler-Benz executives duped investors by billing the
1998 deal as a “merger of equals” when they planned a
takeover, robbing Chrysler shareholders of a takeover
premium. He relied on published comments by
DaimlerChrysler CEO Juergen Schrempp that he always
wanted Chrysler as a division.
DaimlerChrysler’s defense:
Kerkorian, with a representative on the Chrysler board
at the time of the merger, was intimate with and
approved all details of the discussions and terms of
the final combination agreement. Kerkorian made $2.7
billion on the deal and didn’t object to it at the
time. DaimlerChrysler complied with all contract
terms.
What the judge found:
Kerkorian, Chrysler’s largest shareholder, was a
“sophisticated investor” who should have known that
the “merger of equals” tag was a “promotional phrase”
that was “vague”. Kerkorian “wouldn’t have reasonably
relied on” such representations for “such a complex,
multi- billon-dollar transaction.”
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around

–Boundary_(ID_Y9ukKx0YnNNSW3z0i3nHBw)–

UNION OF ARMENIANS OF TRANSDNIESTRIA CREATED
YEREVAN, APRIL 27. ARMINFO. A Union of Armenians of Transdniestria
(UAT) was established on April 24 in the town of Grigoriopole.
Rerpesetnatives of the Armenian communities of the towns of
Grigoriopole, Tiraspole (capital of Transdniestria) and Dubossari were
included in it. The press-service of the newly establishment UAT
informs Regnum NA that the communities of the towns of Benderi,
Rubnitsa and Kamenka are to be included in the union in future. A
Tiraspole businessman Gegham Gevorgyan has been elected Chairman of
the UAT Board. Besides, a Community Council has been established,
which will convene sittings twice in a year on April 24 (Day of
Remembrance of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide) and on October 13
(Day of Holy Gregory the Enlightener).
According to the source, at April 24 sitting, the Armenian community
of Transdniestria observed a minute of silence in memory of the
Armenian Genocide Victims in the Ottoman Empire as well as laid
wreaths on the old Armenian cemetery of Grigoriopole.
According to different data, at least 1,000 Armenians life in
Transdniestria. The first Armenian settlement occurred there on July
25 1792 when in conformity with the decree of the Empress Yekaterina
II the town was founded with participation of Armenian emigrants. The
settlement was given the name Grigoriopole in honor of the first
Catholicos of All Armenians Gregory the Enlightener.

Turkish Press
April 27 2005
Press Review:
Sabah:
BAYKAL: `SAYING WE’LL OPEN OUR ARCHIVES TO LOOK INTO THE
SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISN’T ENOUGH’
Addressing his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal evaluated
recent developments on the so-called Armenian genocide issue, and
criticized the government’s stance, saying, `Saying we’ll open
up our archives isn’t enough. We should also consider the political
dimension.’ /Sabah
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO GEORGIA
26.04.2005 05:56
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 28 Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia
Artur Baghdasarian will leave for Georgia on a two-day formal call. The
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker and officials accompanying him will arrive in
the Georgian capital via Sadakhlo checkpoint by car. On the arrival day Mr.
Baghdasarian will meet with Georgian Speaker Nino Burjanadze, heads of
parliamentary committees and factions and members of the Georgian
Parliamentary Standing Delegation for Relations with Armenia. April 29 A.
Baghdasarian will meet with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Prime
Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Georgian Orthodox Church leader,
Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. April 30 Artur Baghdasarian will return to
Yerevan.

Der Tagesspiegel, Deutschland
Montag, 25. April 2005

Verräter und Drohanrufe
Wie türkische Blätter über das Gedenken zum Genozid an den Armeniern berichten
Die ganze Woche über berichtete die Hürriyet groß über die
bevorstehende Gedenkveranstaltung am Sonnabend im Abgeordnetenhaus
und Berliner Dom zum 90. Jahrestag der Vertreibung und Ermordung der
Armenier im Osmanischen Reich. Am Sonntag konnte der Leser die
Nachrichten über die Veranstaltungen in Berlin leicht übersehen. „Er
hat sich bei den Armeniern entschuldigt`, schrieb die
Boulevardzeitung in der Überschrift der Meldung auf der ersten Seite
der Europa-Beilage. Gemeint war der Ratsvorsitzende der Evangelischen
Kirche in Deutschland, Wolfgang Huber. Dieser hatte in seiner
Ansprache im Berliner Dom das armenische Volk wegen der deutschen
Beteiligung am Völkermord um Verzeihung gebeten. „Die armenischen
Veranstalter ließen keine türkischen Journalisten rein`, schrieb die
Milliyet in ihrer Nachricht.
Dagegen berichtete die Hürriyet am Sonntag auf ihrer Titelseite
„exklusiv` über die Vorbereitung zu der Gedenkfeier in Bremen. „Das
passt nicht zu Deinem freundschaftlichen Wesen`, zitierte das Blatt
in der Überschrift des Aufmachers einen „türkischen Freund` von
Bürgermeister Henning Scherf (SPD). Dazu zeigte die Zeitung ein Foto,
auf dem die beiden Männer gestikulierend miteinander plaudern. Am
gleichen Tag widmete die Stadt Bremen unter der Schirmherrschaft von
Scherf einen bereits bestehenden Gedenkstein zum armenischen Denkmal
um. „Dies ist der Stein des Hasses`, schrieb dazu die Hürriyet zuvor
in ihrem bebilderten Aufmacher auf der Titelseite der Europa-Beilage.
Den kurdischstämmigen Politiker Giyasettin Sayan aus Berlin hat es in
der vergangenen Woche am härtesten getroffen. Weil er befürwortet,
dass die Bundesrepublik Deutschland den Völkermord offiziell
anerkennt, bezeichnete die Hürriyet ihn am Freitag als den „Brutus
unter uns`. „Seitdem werde ich am Telefon anonym als Bastard der
Armenier beschimpft`, sagte der PDS-Abgeordnete des
Abgeordnetenhauses gegenüber dem Tagesspiegel. Brutus war einer der
Mörder des römischen Kaisers Julius Cäsar. Suzan Gülfirat

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of the South Bay Cities
2222 Lomita Blvd. – Lomita, CA 90717
Contact: Lori Khajadourian
Tel: 310-541-2610
Email: [email protected]
2005-04-21
SOUTH BAY CITIES AND ARMENIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY MARK 90TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Torrance, CA – The City Councils of three South Bay Cities have joined
other California cities and Armenians around the world in
commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The
Cities of Lawndale, Rolling Hills Estates and Lomita have passed or
will be passing proclamations to remember the atrocities committed
against the Armenians and honor the memory of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide.
On the evening of Tuesday, April 12, 2005 the Mayor of the City of
Rolling Hills Estates read a proclamation declaring April 24, 2005 as
a `Day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1925.’ The
Mayor presented the proclamation to Councilmember Frank Zerunyan whose
grandparents survived the genocide. Councilman Zerunyan was also one
of the featured speakers at a commemorative event organized by the
Torrance chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) that took
place Friday, April 22nd at the Armenian Community Center in Lomita.
The City of Lawndale followed suit on the evening of Monday, April
18th passing a similar proclamation as the City of Lomita will be
doing during its City Council meeting on Monday, May 2nd. `It is a
great thing to witness our civic leaders recognizing an issue that is
so important to members of our community both young and old’ said
chairperson of the South Bay ANC chapter Khajik Khajadourian `By
working together the South Bay’s ANC and AYF chapters hope that next
year more South Bay cities will join the growing number of California
cities joining our community in commemorating the Armenian Genocide.’
The South Bay cities are located in the south end of the Santa Monica
Bay and are bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the south and west and by
the City of Los Angeles on the north and east. The diverse South Bay
Cities are famous for their quality of life, beautiful beaches and
thriving industries. The Armenian-American community in the South Bay
includes active chapters of the Armenian Relief Society, which
operates a weekly Armenian language school, Armenian National
Committee, Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union and `Potorig’
Armenian Youth Federation.
The South Bay ANC is part of the largest and most influential Armenian
American grassroots political organization. Working coordination with
a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a
broad range of issues.
#####

[Congressional Record: April 22, 2005 (Extensions)]
[Page E739]
>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr22ap05-29]

COMMEMORATING THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
______

HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, and the representative of a large and
vibrant community of Armenian Americans, I rise to join my colleagues
in the sad commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
Today we declare to people living in every comer of our globe that
the Turkish and American governments must finally acknowledge what we
have long understood: that the unimaginable horror committed on Turkish
soil in the aftermath of World War I was, and is, an act of genocide.
I strongly believe that the tragic events that began on April 24,
1915, which are well known to all of us, should be part of the history
curriculum in every Turkish and American school. On that dark April
day, more than 200 of Armenia’s religious, political and intellectual
leaders were arrested in Constantinople and killed. Ultimately, more
than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically murdered at the hands of
the Young Turks, and more than 500,000 more were exiled from their
native land.
On this 90th anniversary of the beginning of the genocide, we lend
our voices to a chorus that grows louder with each passing year. We
simply will not allow the planned elimination of an entire people to
remain in the shadows of history. The Armenian Genocide must be
acknowledged, studied and never, ever allowed to happen again.
The parliaments of Canada, France and Switzerland have all passed
resolutions affirming that the Armenian people were indeed subjected to
genocide. The United States must do the same. I will not stop fighting
until long overdue legislation acknowledging the Armenian Genocide
finally passes.
Of course, an acknowledgment of the genocide is not our only
objective. I remain committed to ensuring that the U.S. government
continues to provide direct financial assistance to Armenia. Over the
years, this aid has played a critical role in the economic and
political advancement of the Armenian people.
Additionally, it is clearly in our national interest to foster peace
and stability in the South Caucasus region. We in Congress need to
renew our commitment to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which
denies assistance to Azerbaijan until it ends its stranglehold on the
embattled region of Nagorno-Karabagh. We will not stand by as the
Armenian people are threatened yet again.
On this solemn day, our message is clear: the world remembers the
Armenian genocide, and the governments of Turkey and the United States
must declare–once and for all–that they do, too.

Calcutta Telegraph, India
April 23 2005
Phoenix from urban decay
SUBHRO SAHA
What stands dull and decrepit today, in the heart of Park Street,
could be busy and beautiful in another 18 months.
Heritage hotel and landscaped pedestrian plaza, boutique brands and
bookstore, open-air theatre and rooftop exhibition space, sunken
parking lot and rolling art gallery.
Shades of Leicester Square or a mini Centre Georges Pompidou is what
the 95-year-old Park Mansions promises to evoke after a restoration
and adaptive reuse initiative undertaken by the Apeejay Surrendra
Group (see box).
“We want to create a destination that will give people of all ages
and calling enough reasons to come to Park Street,” stresses Jit
Paul, adviser to the group and the brain behind the revival scheme,
which got the heritage panel nod on Thursday evening.
Constructed by Armenian jute merchant Thaddeus Mesrope Thaddeus in
1910, Park Mansions was acquired by Paul from estate managers Talbot
and Company, and housed the French cultural centre premises, Alliance
Francaise, besides Sky Room, Bombay Photo and Rajniklal.
Alliance was ravaged by a fire, Sky Room downed shutters and the
building – flanked by Park Street, Free School Street and Royd
Street, and hence, with a regal triple frontage – now lies in an
advanced state of urban decay.
“We plan to repair the crumbling edifice and restore it as a vibrant,
iconic rendezvous for residents, with a basket of activities,”
explains architect Dulal Mukherjee, anchoring the design solution.
The five entry points to Park Mansions, built in “old colonial style
with an East European aura”, will be given a facelift with grand
marble lobbies, modern elevators and stairways. A quaint heritage
hotel built across four levels and one-bedroom studio apartments will
complement exclusive brands housed in the retail quarter.
The piece de resistance of the makeover model will be the interactive
zone and pedestrian plaza, created across the 50,000 sq ft central
courtyard, now essentially used as parking space.
“It will be very contemporary and I plan to use deconstruction
architecture to create a feel of unlimited space with a strong
pedestrian axis and totally segregated vehicular traffic,” says
Mukherjee.
With a blend of hard and soft landscaping, the well of the mansion
will throb with activity, revolving around performing arts and music
and spilling onto the rooftop arena. A twin-level sunken parking lot
will hold over 100 vehicles with access along the eastern corridor.
“For two decades, we allowed Park Mansions to disintegrate. Now, we
are determined to make amends and do something positive that would
energise the region and enthuse others,” says Paul, underlining the
need for a holistic restoration drive across the city, instead of
piecemeal efforts.
The Apeejay Surrendra Group plans to retain T3 – The Tea Table at its
present location, across the new-look Flurys. While most of the
ground-level retail tenants like Rajniklal, GKB Opticals, Burlingtons
and Gupta Brothers will stay where they are, talks are on with a host
of new, high-profile new entrants like Citizen.

The Statesman, India
April 22 2005
100 years ago today
APRIL 22, 1905
(News Items)
Armenian College Prize Distribution
The annual distribution of prizes to the pupils of the Armenian
College and Philanthropic Academy was held last evening at the
Theatre Royal in the presence of a large gathering of parents,
guardians, friends. His Grace the Archbishop of Armenia, Persia, and
India presided. The proceedings included vocal and instrumental items
besides recitations in Armenian French and English, all of which were
rendered in a manner which reflected much credit on the training
of the boys. The report of the management was read by Mr W.P.S.
Milstead, Principal of the Institution.