Author: Karabekian Emil

CRITIC’S CHOICE: "ARARAT " ON CBC ON SATURDAY AT 10:00PM
by Ken Carriere

The Globe and Mail (Canada)
THE GLOBE REVIEW 7; TELEVISION: SATURDAY
July 27, 2007 Friday

There is no way to make a simple, ordinarily plotted drama about
the Armenian genocide of 90 years ago. To this day, angry debate
flies back and forth over its extent and what term should be used to
accurately describe it. Some governments do officially recognize it as
a "genocide," others refuse to, while many hurriedly dig a trench in
the middle where they can hide. Cleverly, award-winning director Atom
Egoyan, himself of Armenian descent, incorporated the contemporary
debate into his historical movie. In fact, the self-referential plot
revolves around the difficulty of an Armenian director trying to
mould such a hotly controversial subject into a workable movie, in
the face of intense opposition from the Turkish authorities and even
from one of the actors (played by Elias Koteas) on the film within the
film. Numerous subplots – some might say a few too many to comfortably
squeeze into two hours – weave in and out of the main story, mainly
about the consequences the genocide inflicts on people to this day.

Ararat won five Genie Awards, including best picture and best
supporting actor (Koteas). David Alpay, Christopher Plummer and
Marie-Josee Croze also star.

ARKADY GHUKASYAN WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD DE FACTO

A1+
[05:51 pm] 24 July, 2007

Leader of the "National Democratic Party " Shavarsh Kocharyan considers
that Nagorno-Karabakh has made two important steps towards democratic
maintenance. One of those steps was the adoption of the Constitution,
by which the NKR concluded a vital development stage; the second
one was the beginning of a new stage and new procedures. The NKR
Constituion may be considered one of the best constitutions in the CIS.

"The international community is in a ridiculous state and announces
that it does not recognize the NKR Constitution", says Shavarsh
Kocharyan, adding that recognizing or not recognizing a Constitution
was absurd.

The other important factor, according to Shavarsh Kocharyan, was
the fact that the functioning president having the opportunity to be
nominated for the third period does not do accept the nomination.

After the amendments to the Constitution, Arkady Ghukasyan could
run for presidency for the third time but he did not. "Thus, he
reestablished morality that was forgotten", noticed Shavarsh Kocharyan.

Mr Kocharyan said he noticed many positive things during the
presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh.

For the first time a second serious candidate was nominated for the
post of the president, namely Masis Mayilyan, who congratulated the
elected president. Mr Kocharyan was amazed by this since that was
not accepted in our political practice.

Shavarsh Kocharyan said one should envy the atmosphere in the NKR –
no tension, no distrust. "It was like a resting place, they came voted
and left, people did not gather, no tensed atmosphere prevailed. People
realized the importance of elections and were so calm", said Shavarsh
Kocharyan and told how the proxies of Masis Mayilyan and Bako Sahakyan
followed the elections amicably.

And when the observers asked Shavarsh Kocharyan how it happened that
even the opposition parties supported the candidature of Sahakyan,
Kocharyan answered, that the NKR people realized the external menacing
danger and did everything not to disrupt the public: "Recognize the
independence of that country, and you will see that the opposition will
have its candidate", Shavarsh Kocharyan ensured the foreign observers.

Shavarsh Kocharyan pointed out another peculiarity of the NKR political
system. Since it is smaller both in size and the population is small,
the principle of collective leading is functioning there. Thus, the
former President Arkady Ghukasyan is well-aware of the negotiating
process and will have a steering role in NKR governing activities.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH HIGHER THAN KOSOVO

Kosovo’s independence can serve as a precedent for recognizing
Karabakh’s independence, Mr Kocharyan said and suggested Karabagh’s
merits be more positively evaluated. Nagorno-Karabakh is in a better
position than Kosovo since Kosovo is preserved by international
peace-keeping troops while Nagorno-Karabakh protects everything
with its own power. Thus, Karabakh proves that it can stand for
its independence. Mr Kocharyan said Armenia’s mistake was that it
negotiated with

Azerbaijan instead of Karabakh, by shifting the problem of national
self-determination into a territorial dispute.

One journalist noted that maybe the NKR president insisted on official
Yerevan’s involvement in negotiations. Shavarsh Kocharyan agreed
with that point, but noted that Karabakh should participate in the
negotiations as a subject, and Armenia should guarantee that.

DERRY CITY ENDURE TOUGH TRIP TO ARMENIA

RTE.ie, Ireland
July 24 2007

Derry City will train tonight in the match stadium for tomorrow night’s
Champions League qualifier second leg against FC Pyunik of Armenia.

Derry had a nightmare journey to Armenia travelling via Heathrow,
Prague and Yerevan where they encountered visa difficulties on arrival.

After finally resolving the visa issues, the squad only got to their
hotel at 7am local time today.

The Candystripes have no injury concerns but the temperature in
Yerevan today touched 40 celsius, with a high level of humidity so
preparations are far from ideal for John Robertson’s men.

HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS’ ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS START IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Jul 23, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Centralized entrance examinations
started on July 20 at eight Armenian higher educational institutions
simultaneously.

1404 entrants were to take part in exams in 11 subjects on July 20, 171
out of them in English, 179 Physics, 328 Mathematics, 103 Chemistry,
75 English Language oral, 62 German, 122 Biology, 66 Russian, 68
Geography, 53 Armenian Language oral and 97 History of Armenian People.

Arkady Hayrapetian, the Vice-Chairman of the commission in Mathematics
held in the Armenian State Engineering University, said that the
examination started in time, 30 out of 328 entrants were absent. He
said that the eight examination tasks were made up exclusively on
the basis of school textbooks.

"No problem has emerged during the examination, the respective
technical part was explained, the examination is proceeding in normal
conditions," the commission’s Vice-Chairman added.

Levon Mkrtchian, the RA Minister of Education and Science,
visited all 11 examination centers on the occasion of the start of
examinations. According to the Minister’s evaluation, the starting
examinations began in time and are proceeding at the normal and
proper level.

ARMENIAN DIAMOND INDUSTRY IN FURTHER DECLINE
By Anna Saghabalian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 23 2007

Armenia’s diamond-processing industry, once a driving force of economic
growth, recorded a further steep decline in the first half of this
year, a senior government official said on Monday.

According to official data made public by Gagik Mkrtchian, head of the
jewelry department at the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development,
local plants produced 25 billion drams ($74 million) worth of gem
diamonds, down by 48 percent from the same period last year.

Armenia’s total diamond output similarly dropped by over 17 percent
to 93 billion drams in 2006, continuing a serious downturn in the
sector that began in 2004. As a result, refined diamonds ceased to
be the country’s single largest export item and now account for just
1 percent of its gross industrial production.

Citing the sharp appreciation of the Armenian dram, which began in
late 2003, foreign investors dominating the export-oriented sector
have laid off a considerable part of their workforce. Shoghakn,
the country’s biggest diamond-cutting company owned by an Israeli
billionaire, alone slashed about a thousand jobs before suspending its
manufacturing operations last month. The company located in a small
town 15 kilometers north of Yerevan is now facing an uncertain future.

While admitting the stronger dram’s negative impact on the dollar-based
industry, Mkrtchian said company owners exaggerate their losses. He
argued that their workers’ wages are paid in U.S. dollar equivalents,
meaning that the latter now earn considerably less than they did a
few years ago.

"Workers complain less than their employers who have cut their
wages," Mkrtchian told a news conference. "Practically speaking,
[the employers] have not been incurring huge losses."

The official reiterated his view that continuing weak global demand
for refined diamonds, 60 percent of them sold in the United States, is
another major reason for the crisis. He said the Armenian government
has drawn up an anti-crisis program aimed at helping the industry
avoid complete collapse.

"We are primarily talking about financial, insurance, transport
and other infrastructures and speeding up our integration into
international processes," Mkrtchian said. He singled out the need
for local manufactures to boost their efficiency and productivity.

The sector’s decline has only been compounded by the fact that a
2001 intergovernmental agreement that entitled Armenia to importing
large quantities of Russian rough diamonds has essentially remained
on paper. Imports of those diamonds began falling sharply in 2004
and ceased altogether in 2006.

Mkrtchian confirmed reports that the Russian diamond mining giant
Alrosa is considering setting up a joint venture with another major
Armenian company, DCA. The latter is believed to be controlled by Ara
Abrahamian, a Russian diamond tycoon of Armenian descent. His brother
Gagik, who runs DCA, told RFE/RL last week that the two parties are
close to cutting a deal.

According to Mkrtchian, Alrosa is also discussing with the Yerevan
government the possibility of resuming supplies of Russian raw diamonds
to other Armenian firms.

Speelman on Chess

Jonathan Speelman
Sunday July 22, 2007
The Observer

July is a prime time for chess, as evinced by the latest edition of Mark
Crowther’s splendid weekly magazine "The Week in Chess" (TWIC –
), which contains no fewer than 3700 games
from 33 different events, currently in progress or recently finished; plus
news of a further couple of dozen soon to get underway.
Of the latter, I should mention the 40th Biel Chess Festival where play
starts tomorrow and the 8th Montreal International, only a little weaker,
which began on Thursday. This was preceded by the Canadian Open
Championship, which was won by the Chinese grandmaster Bu Xiangzhi – who has
gone on to Biel, ahead of a strong group half a point behind, including
Nigel Short, who is playing in Montreal.

Victory by a Chinese player would have been extraordinary just a few years
ago but since 1980, when they first began to take an interest in our form of
"International Chess", Chinese players have come on in leaps and bounds.
Indeed, China is now a chess superpower and proved so graphically at last
year’s Turin Olympiad when the men came second and the women third for
easily the best result overall.
The Chinese progress has been underpinned by huge government support and
testing competition in numerous tough events. The latest such pitted their
players as a team against a team of foreigners and proved, against the
trend, to be something of a reversal. It was the 4th Taiyuan GM Match: a
double round "Scheveningen System tournament" (whereby each Chinese player
faced each foreigner twice but team mates didn’t play) which, with a
generous smattering of rest days, took place in the Chinese city from July
7th to 14th

Commensurate with its status, China currently has seven top hundred players
and on paper the four in Taiyuan, Wang Yue (the world number 22) Ni Hua
(31), Zhang Pengxiang (65) and Wang Hao (102 but equal 100th) significantly
outrated their visitors just two of whom are in the top hundred: Vadim
Zvjaginsev (Russia 51), Ivan Cheparinov (Bulgaria 52), Karen Asrian
(Armenia) and Csaba Balogh (Hungary). However, even today Western
grandmasters still have an edge in experience over their Chinese
counterparts and it is perhaps this which finally counted.

In a close contest the first half was drawn 8-all but the foreigners won
round five by 3-1 to take a serious lead. which they maintained in round six
and added to in the penultimate round. This left the Chinese three point
behind with a round to go and while they did win the final round 2.5 – 1.5
as Wang Yue defeated Cheparinov for the second time, the final score was
still 17-15 in the foreigners’ favour. The individual scores were:
Zvjaginsev 5.5/8, Wang Yue 5, Wang Hao, Asrian and Cheparinov 4, Balogh 3.5;
and Zhang Pengxiang and Ni Hua 3.

The top scorer Zvjaginsev, a 30-year-old Muscovite, is an especially
interesting player with a highly eclectic style. It was he who instituted a
recent mini trend of playing (1 e4 c5) 2 Na3!? against the Sicilian Defence
and his unconventional play can be highly appealing. I particularly liked
this slow burning but ultimately extremely violent effort.

Vadim Zvjaginsev v Zhang Pengxiang

Taiyuan 2007 (round 5)

Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 Qe2!? Very typical of Zvjaginsev this introduces a sort
of King’s Indian Attack.

3…Nc6 4 c3 Nf6 5 g3 Be7 6 Bg2 d5

Certainly not forced but if Black remains reticent in the centre then
eventually White will play d4 himself.

7 e5 Nd7 8 d3 b5 9 h4 Rb8 10 0-0 0-0 11 Bf4 c4!? This gains space on the
queenside but allows White firmly to cement the e5 pawn.

12 d4 b4 13 Qc2 bxc3 14 bxc3 Qa5 15 Ng5 g6 16 Nd2 Threatening 17 Nxc4

16…Nb6 17 a4! Forced against the threat of …Na4 attacking c3 and
preparing to invade on b2.

17…Bd7

SEE DIAGRAM ABOVE RIGHT

18 Ra2! This lovely prophylactic move shores up the queenside while White
prepares slowly to strike on the kingside. It reminds me of a win years ago
at Hastings by Ulf Andersson against George Botterill when in even more
extraordinary fashion Black doubled his rooks behind a pawn on a6 blockaded
by a White pawn on a5!

18…Rb7 19 Rfa1 Rfb8 20 h5 Na8 21 hxg6 hxg6 22 Ndf3 Kg7 22…Rb3 looks like
a

good idea to pressure c3 but White will Zhang Pengxiang (Black)

Vadim Zvjaginsev (White to play)

defend the pawn with 23 Bd2 and then turn his attention back to the
kingside. For example if Nd8 24 Bh3 Nb6 25 Kg2 slowly teeing up on the h
file when if 25…Nxa4 (25…Bxa4? 26 Nxe6! is simpler) 26 Nxe6 Nxe6 27
Rxa4! Bxa4 28 Bxe6 Kf8 29 Bxf7! Kxf7 30 e6+ and White blasts through.

23 Bh3 Rh8 24 Kg2 Qd8 25 Rh1 a5!? Preparing a highly inventive blow. If
instead 25…Na5 26 Raa1! Nb3 27 Rae1 followed by 28 Bg4 Black’s counterplay
is very limited.

26 Raa1 Nb4! Sacrificing a piece for just a pawn to create connected passed
pawns.

27 cxb4 axb4 28 a5 b3 29 Qd2 Nc7 30 a6 Ra7

Zhang Pengxiang (Black)

Vadim Zvjaginsev (White to play)

31 Nxf7! Instinctively returning the piece to smash through on the kingside
and quite rightly so. If 31 Bg4 Rxa6 32 Rxh8 Qxh8 33 Rh1? Qxh1+! 34 Kxh1 Ra2
the passed pawns win.

31…Kxf7 32 Bg5 b2?! After this desperate move White wins fairly easily.
32…Kg8 was much better but White still seems to be first after 33 Bg4 Rxh1
34 Rxh1 Rxa6 35 Rh6! Be8 36 Qc1! Qe7 37 Qh1!.

33 Bxe7 bxa1Q 34 Bxd8 Qxh1+ 35 Kxh1 Rxh3+ 36 Kg2 Rh5 37 g4 Now 37…Rh8 will
be met by 38 Qg5 so Zhang Pengxiang resigned.

853281

The Watertown TAB
Watertown, MA

Editorial: Watertown should keep `No Place for Hate’

It appears that the national head of the Anti-Defamation League lobbied
against Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
And, understandably, this has stirred up some strong feelings right here in
Watertown.
As you can see from a surge of letters to the editor, as seen on the
opposite page, the action by the ADL’s national director, Abraham Foxman,
has some residents so furious that they are calling for an end to the
Watertown’s participation in the ADL-sponsored `No Place for Hate’ program.
Town councilors recently reaffirmed Watertown’s participation in the
program, which aims to `provide communities with a solid framework for
promoting an inclusive environment while fighting all forms of hate and
bigotry,’ according to its Web site.
But now, some say Watertown must respond to Foxman’s action by pulling the
town out of `No Place for Hate.’
More than 8 percent of Watertown residents trace their heritage back to
Armenia, according to the Census. The actual number may be higher. Certainly
Watertown became a sanctuary for Armenians fleeing the World War I-era
attempt by the Turkish government to wipe them out.
Turkey’s government continues to deny that the mass deaths of Armenians were
the result of government policy. To Turkey’s great shame, it is still a
crime to `insult Turkishness’ by calling it what is clearly was: genocide.
More than a million ethnic Armenians died in what was without doubt a
program by the Turkish government to eradicate Armenians. Hitler publicly
admired Turkey’s methods.
The Armenian Genocide bill, House bill 106, is now in the House Foreign
Affairs Committee. There’s a similar bill in the Senate. The new
Democratically controlled Congress appears to offer the best chance in years
of putting the U.S. government on record as calling Turkey to account for
its systematic campaign to eliminate Armenians.
So why in the world would the head of the ADL, an organization with a proud
history of fighting anti-Semitism and racism, argue against U.S. government
recognition of the Armenian Genocide?
Here’s what Foxman said, according to the L.A. Times:
`I don’t think a bill in Congress will help reconcile this issue. The
resolution takes a position. It comes to a judgment. The Turks and Armenians
need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn’t be the arbiter of
that history. And I don’t think the U.S. Congress should be the arbiter,
either.’
It boggles the mind that the head of the ADL could actively work against
recognition of a genocide, given the centrality of the Holocaust to the
ADL’s work.
But Foxman’s line of thought isn’t different from that of other public
figures from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to a wide range of members
of Congress: As a moderate Muslim state, Turkey is an important U.S. ally.
And Turkey may be the closest thing to an ally that Israel has among states
with a Muslim majority. Pushing recognition of the Armenian Genocide could
result in Turkey taking actions against U.S. and Israeli interests.
This `realpolitik’ way of thinking envisions Turkish hardliners retaliating
by, for instance, shutting down U.S. military bases in Turkey. The thinking
goes: Israel still faces an existential threat from its neighbors, so
keeping Turkey friendly is a greater good than righting a historical wrong.
But these considerations of geo-politics should be removed from the
discussion about whether Watertown should participate in `No Place for
Hate.’
While `No Place for Hate’ has attracted a vocal minority of people who make
the specious claim that it somehow muzzles free speech, the program itself
is a good one. It’s a public statement that Watertown stands against bigotry
and hate.
`No Place for Hate’ was created by the ADL New England Region, in
partnership with the Massachusetts Municipal Association. It has virtually
nothing to do with Foxman’s national organization.
`The local `No Place for Hate’ is very committed to efforts to reinforce
tolerance,’ said Will Twombly, co-chairperson of the program’s Watertown
committee. `We are not in any way part of efforts to deny the Armenian
Genocide.’
Watertown shouldn’t pull out of `No Place to Hate’ over Foxman’s
hypocritical decision to work against governmental recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. To do so would be `throwing the baby out with the bath
water.’
The goals of `No Place for Hate’ track well with the moral imperative to
recognize the Armenian Genocide. Put another way, when our friends
disappoint us, the solution isn’t to stop being friends. It’s to work to
bring our friends around.
Putting pressure on Foxman to reverse his stance is a good thing.
Getting rid of `No Place for Hate’ in Watertown isn’t.

VIETNAM CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES TO ARMENIA AND TAJIKISTAN ON DIPLOMATIC TIE ESTABLISHING

Thai Press Reports, Thailand
July 17, 2007 Tuesday

Section: Regional News – On the occasion of the 15th anniversary
of diplomatic tie establishment between the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam and the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Tajikistan
(July 14, 1992-July 14, 2007), Deputy PM, Foreign Minister Ph?m Gia
Khiem on July 13 extended separately congratulations to Mr. Vardan
Oskanian and Mr. Khamzokhon Zarifi, Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Tajikistan respectively.

On behalf of the Vietnamese State and Government, Deputy PM, Foreign
Minister Ph?m Gia Khiem wished the Armenian and Tajik people happy
and prosperity. He also expressed his desire that the friendship and
multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the two republics will
be continuously strengthened and developed.

OPINION: KOSOVO AND NAGORNO KARABAKH ARE SIMILAR ISSUES

Regnum, Russia
July 16 2007

"Only we need elections in Nagorno Karabakh, be it presidential or
parliamentary ones," Armenian political analyst Stepan Grigoryan
announced at a news conference today.

A REGNUM correspondent quotes him as saying that the international
community will not recognize the forthcoming elections in Nagorno
Karabakh so easily. "The international community can easily recognize
only a referendum organized with NATO or the OSCE assistance," the
analyst said. Speaking on the upcoming election in Nagorno Karabakh
in general term, the expert found positive the fact that the acting
president Arkady Gukasyan did not run for the third term. "It confirms
elements of democracy in Nagorno Karabakh," he noted adding that
the fact that several candidates are running for presidency is also
significant.

Speaking on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the Armenian
analyst said that discussion of the Gabala radar station issue between
the two great powers raised the authority of Azerbaijan. "It is fills
Azerbaijan with enthusiasm in the Karabakh issue somehow," he noted
adding that only international rules of the game and interests in
oil and gas issue can halt Azerbaijan from forceful settlement of the
conflict. At the same time, he also noted that granting independence
to Kosovo can influence the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. "Because
Kosovo and Nagorno Karabakh have similar problems," he stressed adding
that they differ only in their scale.

Armenian premier, US envoy discuss Radio Liberty broadcasts

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
12 Jul 07

The USA regards as very significant Armenian Prime Minister Serzh
Sargsyan’s participation in the council of the directorate of the US
Millennium Challenge Corporation – Armenia Organization. Washington
also highly rates Armenia’s participation in peacekeeping missions in
Iraq and Kosovo, the newly-appointed US charge d’affaires to Armenia,
Rudolf Perina, said in Yerevan today.

The US envoy and Sargsyan discussed the possibility of expanding
Armenia’s participation in peacekeeping missions in the future. Perina,
who was co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group in 2001-2004 and had the
opportunity to visit Yerevan, noted that he is very happy to be in
Armenia again and have the opportunity to strengthen and develop
bilateral ties between the USA and Armenia.

The sides also touched on the issue of Radio Liberty’s Armenian service
broadcasts in Armenia. Perina noted that the problem is linked to
contractual obligations, but if there are problems, they should be
resolved.

Sargsyan mentioned his earlier meeting with the former deputy US
ambassador to Armenia, Anthony Godfrey, where he said that they had
never raised the issue of suspending or prohibiting Radio Liberty
broadcasts in Armenia. Sargsyan said that the question should not be
assessed in this way.

The prime minister said the problem is linked to the settlement of some
issues and the chairman of the council of the Armenian TV and Radio
Company is holding talks with the leadership of Radio Liberty’s
Armenian service in this direction.

The prime minister pledged that he will consider this issue again, if
there are question regarding the results of the negotiations.

Perina described this as a positive decision and noted that if there
are misunderstandings related to technical issues, they should
definitely be solved during negotiations.