Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARKA News Agency
May 7 2004
RA President appoints RA Ambassador to France pluralistically the
Ambassador to Andorra
On May 10 RA President to leave for Lebanon with working visit
Crusade of SEUA students to fortress of Karabakh city Shushi to start
on May 9
6 May
Lycos-Armenia company together with Enterprises Incubator Foundation
creates education centers in two Armenian institutes
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT APPOINTS RA AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE PLURALISTICALLY THE
AMBASSADOR TO ANDORRA
YEREVAN, May, 7. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian appointed RA
Ambassador to France Edward Nalbandian pluralistically the Ambassador
to Andorra (residence in Paris), President’s press office told ARKA.
L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
ON MAY 10 RA PRESIDENT TO LEAVE FOR LEBANON WITH WORKING VISIT
YEREVAN, May, 7. /ARKA/. On May 10 RA President Robert Kocharian will
leave for Lebanon with working visit. During the visit, Kocharian
will meet with the President of Lebanon Emil Lakhudo, Prime Minister
Rafik Khariri, Parliament Speaker Nahib Berri and Vice Premier Issam
Fares. The President will also meet with Catholicos of Great House of
Kilikia Aram I and representatives of Armenian community of Lebanon.
Kocharian will also visit culture and historic monuments of Lebanon.
Goods’ turnover between Armenia and Lebanon in 2003 made $900
thousand ($1 – 554.56 AMD). L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
CRUSADE OF SEUA STUDENTS TO FORTRESS OF KARABAKH CITY SHUSHI TO START
ON MAY 9
YEREVAN, May, 7. /ARKA/. Crusade of State Engineering University of
Armenia students to fortress of Karabakh city Shushi will start on
May 9. The procession will start from previous positions of NKR
capital – Stepanakert, just from the same place where on May 9, 1992
Karabakh forces conducted operation of liberation of Shushi.
Besides, the participants of the crusade will be baptized in Shushi
Church Surb Kazanchetsots and visit Common Grave in Stepanakert.
50 students will take part in the crusade. The activity is financed
by SEUA and All Armenian Youth Fund in support of RA Ministry of
Defense. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
LYCOS-ARMENIA COMPANY TOGETHER WITH ENTERPRISES INCUBATOR FOUNDATION
CREATES EDUCATION CENTERS IN TWO ARMENIAN INSTITUTES
YEREVAN, May 7. /ARKA/. Lycos-Armenia company together with
Enterprises Incubator Foundation creates education centers in two
Armenian institutes, according to Hovhannes Avoyan, the Chairman of
the Union of IT Enterprises, the Executive Director of Lycos-Armenia.
As he said, such centers are created in Yerevan State University and
State Engineering University of Armenia, where 50 students specialise
in IT area and take a two-year training program. Avoyan noted that
the students are provided with good specialists, computers and
internet. According to him, there are three main problems when
training the specialists in IT area: first, the lack of good
specialists in this area; second, the need of changes of education
programs and teaching new subjects; third, the lack of modern
computers and Internet. He noted that the education centers created
in two Armenian institutes are to solve the above mentioned problems.
Avoyan noted that Armenia has a demand for specialists in
programming, and the Armenian Universities do not answer the demand
either by quantitative or qualitative indicators. He added that 4-5
Armeian companies are looking for highly qualified specialists in
programming. At that, Avoyan doesn’t think that there is a brain
drain of specialist from Armenia, noting that Lycos-Armenia lost only
1-2 specialists for 4-5 years. He emphasized that 60 specialists work
in the company today, and their number to be brought to 100 till the
end of the year. Avoyan added that programming area ensures the
highest salaries in Armenia, beginning from $500.A.H. – 0 –

A1 Plus | 19:03:48 | 06-05-2004 | Politics |
WHO ARE POLITICAL PRISONERS?
“It is wrong to call those arrested for participation in the Opposition
rallies political prisoners”, “Republican” Party Chair Galust Sahakyan says.
{BR}
So, how to call them? “People can cause disorders, break laws and be
arrested. When it is said a political prisoner or a political pursuit,
scaled operations we have witnessed are meant. And we cried all over the
world that we have political despots and political arrests”, Sahakyan
announced.
“Why was I arrested?”, “Justice” Bloc Secretary Ruzan Khachatryan asked.
“You know, I can’t now answer what for you were taken in detention. But as
far as I know you I think you wouldn’t commit a sin”, Mr. Sahakyan answered.
“Would you answer the same way if you knew all those arrested in person?”, a
journalist asked. “To know them we must gather, discuss, analyze all the
cases and make decisions”, Galust Sahakyan said.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 5, 2004
GERMAN PRESS PUTS UNDER DOUBT
The supporters of Turkey’s membership to the European Union bring
honest but unconvincing arguments, says the German newspaper Leipziger
Volkszeitung. Turkey’s integration to the EU will indeed favour the
political stabilization of the country, but is this good, asks the
newspaper? In case of membership Turkey will become the first country
of the EU by the number of population. This means that at the EU
Ministerial Council Turkey will have considerable weight, and will be
represented in the Europarliament by the largest group of members of
parliament. The countries, which are for Turkey’s membership, will
hardly agree to such distribution of forces; this is the opinion of
the newspaper. Moreover, membership of new countries to the EU will
also mean expansion of the territory of the EU. In case of Turkey’s
membership the EU will have common border with Syria, Iraq, Iran,
Azerbaijan and Georgia, i.e. crisis regions, writes the German
newspaper. IN THE UPCOMING TEN YEARS EU MEMBERSHIP “DOES NOT THREATEN”
TURKEY, THINKS JACQUES CHIRAC. It will take at least ten years from
Turkey to become member of the EU. This was stated by the president of
France Jacques Chirac during the press conference devoted to the
questions of wider EU. He mentioned that the talks for the membership
of Turkey will last long, 10 years and more. According to the French
president, the necessary conditions for membership to the EU have not
been provided in Turkey yet, informed the agency “Interfax”.
PANARMENIAN

The Times (London)
May 5, 2004, Wednesday
Il trovatore
by Hilary Finch
Il trovatore. Covent Garden. ***
ELIJAH MOSHINSKY has returned to direct the first revival of his
visually spectacular Il trovatore, new to the Royal Opera two years
ago. With Dante Ferretti (designer for the likes of Pasolini, Fellini
and Scorsese) in charge of the sets, it’s still a banquet for the
eye. Except, that is, for the monochrome landscape images which act
as curtain projections between the overlong scene changes.
Verdi’s four musical canvases -the Duel, the Gypsy, the Gypsy’s Son
and the Punishment -are realised in monumental tableaux, each one
beautifully lit by Howard Harrison. Every entrance in the dark
shadows of the first is framed by a line of lofty pillars; Azucena
and her band of Risorgimento partisans hide out among four massive,
glowing furnaces; exquisite Piranesi-like perspectives of glass and
steel house the convent.
But there’s a price to pay for this visual magnificence. Tableaux
they may be; but Verdi’s are tableaux vivants, and Moshinsky’s
staging, seduced by its own beauty, does too little to empower this
cast beyond formulaic body language. There’s simply too little
impassioned engagement with the music, with each other or with the
audience.
This is very much in the nature of the beast. While Moshinsky’s
production admirably realises the form of Verdi’s opera, it can too
easily stifle its beating heart. The individual seems trapped within
the massive set pieces: the emotional charge at the meeting of Di
Luna, Manrico and Leonora in the convent is diffused by the fearful
symmetry of the stagecraft; the sparring of the Count’s leather-clad
soldiers in Part III is almost risibly “choreographed”.
Dwarfed by their environments, a strong new cast stand and deliver
goods of considerable quality. Three Eastern European singers
contribute effectively to Verdi’s dark palette in this opera.
The opening narrative is compellingly and elegantly shaped by the
Ferrando of the Armenian bass-baritone Arutjun Kotchinian. And the
Georgian baritone Lado Ataneli brings menace, if too little ardour
and anger to the role of Di Luna. In the Russian mezzo Irina Mishura,
Azucena, Verdi’s own favourite, has both the high flare of flame and
a dark anguish within her true chest voice. She simply isn’t
exploited enough on stage.
Marco Berti’s coarse-edged and tirelessly robust Manrico and Fiorenza
Cedolins’s Leonora sing feistily, but too seldom to each other.
The Royal Opera Orchestra play superbly for the veteran Verdian
Edward Downes; but on the first night, even he was unable to provide
quite the elan and momentum this show still needs.
Box office: 020-7304 4000

A1 Plus | 22:36:06 | 27-04-2004 | Politics |
COUNCIL OF EUROPE ANTI-TORTURE COMMITTEE VISITS ARMENIA
A delegation of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)
recently carried out a three-day visit to Armenia. The main purpose of
the visit, which began on 20 April 2004, was to collect information
concerning the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the
course of or following the recent demonstrations in Yerevan.
The delegation interviewed numerous persons who had been deprived of
their liberty in connection with the above-mentioned demonstrations.
Most of these persons had been released by the time they were
interviewed. The others were interviewed by the delegation at Kentron
penitentiary establishment and at Temporary detention centre of the
Yerevan Department of Internal Affairs. The CPT’s delegation consisted
of Eric Svanidze, a Georgian lawyer, Marija Definis Gojanovic, a
Croatian forensic doctor, and Borys Wodz of the Committee’s
Secretariat.
In the course of its visit, the CPT’s delegation held discussions with
Davit Harutyunyan, Minister of Justice, Hayk A. Harutyunyan, Head of
the Armenian Police, and Aghvan Hovsepyan, General Prosecutor.

Hid in oven
The Guardian – United Kingdom
Apr 28, 2004

So far the new border controls at Terespol and elsewhere appear to
work. Maj Woloch says there has been no “dramatic increase” in the
number of illegal immigrants trying to enter Poland. There have,
though, been some extraordinary attempts.
“The weirdest case we ever came across was that of an Armenian who
managed to hide in the oven of a passenger train,” says Maj
Woloch. “It was summer, so fortunately the oven wasn’t lit.”
Some immigrants don’t make it, he adds. A fisherman trying to catch
pike and bream in the Bug recently found a body instead.
The border authorities recognise that Poland will not be a point of
entry just for locals from down the road but also for thousands of
people from further east – from Vietnam, China, India and Afghanistan,
and Kurds from the north of Iraq.
Last year a customs dog discovered four Chinese immigrants in a goods
train, hidden by glass, according to Maj Woloch. Many of these
would-be immigrants pay thousands of dollars to criminal gangs.
“There are international groups that are trying to get people from
Russia into the EU. It is very profitable,” he says.
In 2003 the border guards turned back 10,314 people attempting to
enter Poland via Terespol. They also arrested 384 people already in
Poland, many of them prostitutes, who were trying to work illegally.
But with wages in Poland five or six times higher than in Belarus, it
seems inevitable that workers from the east will try to enter both
legally and illegally, while many Poles will head west.
So long as there is inequality, Maj Woloch and his men will have a
tough job on their hands.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 28, 2004
CONSOLIDATION IS THE ALTERNATIVE
According to the minister of agriculture B. Bakhshiyan, the progress
in the sphere of agriculture is rather quantitative than qualitative.
Then why is the progress so slow despite the fact that there are no
problems in the legislative sphere, and everything is done to promote
the development of agriculture? The actuality, however, arouses
anxiety. To find out the opinion and approach of the legislators in
reference to the problems and development rates of the sphere of
agriculture we talked to the chairman of the permanent committee of
industry and industrial infrastructures of NKR National Assembly Kamo
Barseghian. – Mr. Barseghian, what is your evaluation of the situation
in the sphere of agriculture? What is, in your opinion, the reason for
slow rates of development of NKR agriculture? – Of course, the
collapse of the Union was followed by inevitable consequences,
moreover, it was necessary to adjust to the new production
relationships, which by the way, went on through great difficulties.
Naturally we could not have advanced by the former rates of
production, especially after the war. The rates of reproduction also
had dropped. Being separated from the Soviet Union, then Russia,
adopting the line of independence, we were to access the international
market where our products were inferior in quality. According to the
new economic relationships privatization was to become the strategic
issue. However, the implementation of privatization was carried out,
in my opinion, from a wrong standpoint. Privatization should be
started with shops and then only proceed to the sphere of
agriculture. What is more, the agricultural machinery should not have
been included in the process. In other words, privatization should
have been implemented stage by stage. And what happened in reality?
Mistakes were made in the very beginning, and those were rather
serious mistakes. – Could you enumerate them? Not could but I should
enumerate them. Starting with consumption cooperatives. I want to
emphasize that the consumption cooperatives had been established even
before the revolution. In the Soviet years these cooperatives were not
modified and remained as cooperative property. In our times it is only
in NKR (in Armenia HayCoop still operates) that the consumption
cooperatives, on a vague basis, were announced as state property, then
privatized and the receipts were directed at filling the budget
gap. The next mistake was that the whole population of Karabakh
profited from privatization except for the inhabitants of
Stepanakert. The whole population of the villages and regional centers
received farming land 6000 square meter or 0.6 hectare. The
inhabitants of Stepanakert who worked all their lives in factories
received only living area. The general dissolution of collective farms
should have been prevented. The agricultural machinery should not have
been dissolved as neither Armenia, nor Karabakh produce
machines. Living in blockade for a long time we were to use the
machines which we inherited from the Soviet rule. And we took and
privatized the machinery. There were very few owners who could afford
to repair the machines. These are used intensively, and the new ones
are not available for the ordinary land farmer. Therefore machines
are dispersed and in a bad condition. And it is impossible to consider
seriously the development of agriculture without agricultural machines
and modern ones. – During this session the National Assembly adopted
land, forest and water codes, the laws “On Seed Farming” (which has
not been passed in Armenia yet), “On Tax on Land”, “On Nature
Preservation”, “On Flora”, “On Fauna” etc. there is an intention to
present to the National Assembly the bill “On Hypothec”. There are
laws, now it is the turn of the executive to bring them in effect. –
Certain progress was achieved in agriculture in the recent years,
especially in the sphere of production of grain. – Yes, there is
certain success. But only with the large landowners. It is a fact
that without consolidation agriculture does not have serious
possibilities for development. The only way out from the situation is
consolidation of private farms and cooperation. Otherwise the
government will have to aid farmers permanently by granting low
interest long-term loans and sell the new acquired agricultural
machines though hypothec. In recent years Armenia has started the
import of new machines, naturally at the current high prices. Is an
ordinary farmer (supporting a family of five members) who has in
average 3 hectares of land, able to buy any new machine? And such
farmers are very many in our country. Either the government should aid
them to buy machines through the hypothec method, or as I mentioned,
they have to join efforts and means. If we have successful farmers, we
will be a developing country. And being an agrarian country we must
have a state strategic program of development of agriculture.
SUSANNA BALAYAN

“Vigil remembers genocide”
Hymns and poems are used to commemorate the Armenian genocide that occurred
89 years ago.
By Aaron Burgin
Published: Friday, April 23, 2004 — USC Daily Trojan
Adrineh Khatchikian’s voice lifted the spirits of a somber crowd of
200 Armenian students, faculty and other onlookers commemorating the
genocide that nearly wiped out a population of Armenians almost 90
years ago.
Singing “Kroonk,” a hymn written by famed Armenian monk and songwriter
Komitas, Khatchikian was part of the annual vigil held at Hahn Plaza
created to inform people about the Armenian genocide, said Dina
Yadegarian, president of the Armenian Student Association
April 24 is the official memorial date for the estimated 1.5-million
Armenians killed between 1915 and 1922 at the hands of the Talaat
Pasha and the defunct Ottoman Empire.
Commemorations were held at USC on Thursday, however, to ensure that
most of the campus’ Armenian student population, mostly commuters,
could participate, Yadegarian said.
Some who participated in the vigil, such as Markar Markavian,
performed musical pieces for the event.
Markavian performed “Dele Yaman and “Kroonk” on the tar, a traditional
Armenian musical instrument, bringing some of the onlookers to tears.
Several speakers, including ASA chaplain Father Vazken Movsesian and
poet Lory Bedikian, addressed the crowd with a message of hope for the
future and a possible recognition of the genocide by the Turkish
government, which does not recognize the genocide.
Movsesian, known as “Father Vazken” to students, said that there was
an air of excitement surrounding the solemn occasion.
“It is a very momentous occasion, because, despite the atrocities, the
Turkish government’s plans were foiled just by the presence of
Armenians,” Movsesian said. “It just shows our strength as a people,
and our resolve to keep the memory of our people alive.”
Bedikian, a University of Oregon alumna, read two poems in honor of
her grandmother, Sion Abajian, who, at 100 years of age, is one of the
few living survivors of the genocide.
She urged passersby to stop to recognize the event and to read the
posters, brochures and pamphlets that told the story of the Armenians.
The “ghosts” she spoke about in her poem that haunt her grandmother
came from the lack of official recognition of the genocide.
“It makes you feel like being the victim of a crime,” Bedikian
said. “You feel alone and isolated.”
In his speech, Movsesian said that the lack of acknowledgement of the
genocide led to other genocides throughout the 20th century.
“It adds insult to injury because of what we’ve gone through, the lack
of recognition made the way for the Holocaust, Rwanda, Ethiopia and
all sorts of atrocities,” he said.
“Hitler himself said, ‘Who remembers the Armenians?'” Movsesian said.
In terms of recognition by the U.S. government, the House of
Representatives recognized the Armenian genocide on April 24, 1975 by
designating April 24 as a “National Day of Remembrance of Man’s
Inhumanity to Man.”
Student Senate also recognized the Armenian genocide on April 24,
1983.
Only with recognition, Movsesian said, can the healing process
actually begin, adding that only then could the Armenian deaths not be
in vain.
All of the speakers said the event was not meant to incite hatred
toward anyone, but to recognize the events that occurred and the
people who suffered and continue to recognize their legacy.
Armenians who attended the commemoration looked on with grave faces as
the speakers each addressed the audience with their words of
encouragement and remembrance of their ancestors lost during the
genocide.
Arpine Shakhbandaryan, a student who attended the vigil, said she
could only remember as far back as her great-grandparents’ generation,
something that her friends who were with her could relate to.
She said the main reason she was there was because too many of the
original survivors died without seeing any changes.
“I’m angry and frustrated because most of those who survived are
either of old age or dying without seeing justice,” she said. “We’re
going to continue to battle so that these memories aren’t forgotten.”
Vazken said he believes that the Armenians’ strong Christian faith and
belief in the resurrection will carry the day.
Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as its national
religion.
“We are the only nation who have adopted Christianity, never to enjoy
a day of peace in their existence,” Movsesian said. “We’ve always been
the object of persecution and opposition.”
“However, Armenians strongly believe in the Christian notion of the
resurrection, and we will always be strong and rise above all the
adversity that has befallen our people.”

A1 Plus | 21:41:03 | 23-04-2004 | Politics |
AMERICAN CITIZEN TO FACE TRIAL
On Friday, Armenian Prosecutor General Office confirmed the fact of
American citizen Arthur Vardanyan arrest.
The office source says formal charge is already brought to
Vardanyan. He is charged with two counts of repeatedly using his
Armenian passport while being a US citizen, illegally crossing
Armenian borders, participating in the opposition staged rallies and
making inciting calls to coup.

ArmeniaNow.com, 23 April 2004
Random or Planned?: Attack on former politician raises questions
(From media and ArmeniaNow news sources)
An attack on a prominent oppositional figure on Thursday has sparked outrage
by anti-government sympathizers who see the act as a premeditated order by
authorities.
Ashot Manucharyan, who in the late 1980s was a member of the “Karabakh
Committee” and later was Minister of Interior and then National Security
Advisor during the first term of President Levon Ter Petrosyan was severely
beaten while walking on Tumanyan Street in Yerevan in mid-afternoon.
Gayane Markosyan, a human rights activist who was with Manucharyan at the
time, said three unknown men attacked Manucharyan. She described the men as
having shaved heads. One of the attackers, Markosyan said, pushed her aside,
while the others kicked and beat Manucharyan. The victim was taken to
hospital, where he underwent surgery and is being treated for broken jaw
bones.
Since a falling out with Ter Petrosyan in 1994, Manucharyan has been out of
the public light, but is believed to be influential still among the current
opposition.
He has been active in Intellectual Forum, a gathering of moderate
oppositionists who do not support a specific party, but are opposed to the
current administration. Manucharyan was reportedly on his way to a Forum
meeting when the attack occurred.
An associate of Manucharyan, who was active with him during the Karabakh
Movement told ArmeniaNow the attack on Manucharyan is “without doubt”
connected to the present opposition movement.
“The attack,” Manucharyan’s comrade said, “represents a level of desperation
(by authorities) that is frightening.”
Poet Silva Kaputikyan, who has become an opposition celebrity after, in
protest of violence against the opposition, returned a State award she was
given by President Robert Kocharyan, gave a response to Manucharyan’s
attack.
“Beating in Armenia has become the basic means of politics and the most
influential part of state terror,” Kaputikyan said. “All cases when force
has been used should be viewed from this standpoint.”
Police have not released information about the attack, except to say that an
investigation has been opened.
Ashot Kocharyan, spokesperson for Robert Kocharyan, said the President would
not be making an official statement concerning Manucharyan, but said that he
could speak for the President in saying that he “condemned” the attack.
The attack on Manucharyan came during a week in which at least 76 arrests
were made on oppositional sympathizers, bringing the total number of such
arrests to more than 500 arrests since regular demonstrations began three
weeks ago.
—