Author: Khondkarian Raffi

Washington Post
March 28 2005
Picnic Is No Party In the New Basra
Uproar Over Armed Attack on Student Event Redraws Debate on Islam’s
Role and Reach
By Anthony Shadid
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, March 29, 2005; Page A09
BASRA, Iraq, March 28 — Celia Garabet thought students were
roughhousing. Sinan Saeed was sure a fight had erupted. Within a few
minutes, on a sunny day at a riverside park, they realized something
different was afoot. A group of Shiite Muslim militiamen with rifles,
pistols, thick wire cables and sticks had charged into crowds of
hundreds at a college picnic. They fired shots, beat students and
hauled some of them away in pickup trucks. The transgressions: men
dancing and singing, music playing and couples mixing.
That melee on March 15 and its fallout have redrawn the debate that
has shadowed Iraq’s second-largest city since the U.S. invasion in
2003: What is the role of Islam in daily life? In once-libertine
Basra, a battered port in southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf, the
question dominates everything these days, from the political parties
in power to the style of dress in the streets.
In the days that followed the melee, hundreds of students, angry
about the injuries and arrests, marched on the school administration
building and then the governor’s office, demanding an apology and,
more important, the dissolution of the dreaded campus morality
police. The militiamen who attacked the picnickers at first boasted
of stamping out debauchery, even distributing videos of the event.
But, gauging the popular revulsion, they later admitted to what they
termed mistakes. The governor, himself an Islamic activist, urged
dialogue to calm a roiled city and deemed the case closed, even as
students insisted they remained unsatisfied.
To many in Basra the students managed what no local party or
politician had yet done: They interrupted, if briefly, a tide of
religious conservatism that has shuttered liquor stores in a city
that once had dozens, meted out arbitrary justice and encouraged
women to wear a veil and dress in a way considered modest.
“The students broke through the barriers of fear,” said Ali Abbas
Khafif, a 55-year-old writer and union organizer jailed for 23 years
under former president Saddam Hussein. “This was the first mass
response to religious power.”
The victory may be fleeting in a city where Islamic activism and guns
often go hand in hand. Even in their moment of triumph, many secular
students acknowledge they are fighting a losing battle; some suggest
it is already lost.
“We have felt both our weakness and our strength,” said Saif Emad,
24.
The day began with eight yellow school buses lined up by 10 a.m. at
one of the two campuses of Basra University, a sprawling expanse
where pink bougainvillea interrupts a dreary landscape. Hundreds of
students from the university’s engineering college piled into the
buses. They were joined at Andalus Park by hundreds more on foot and
in their own cars. By 10:30 a.m., there were from 500 to 750 students
and guests at a picnic the university had approved.
Young men started playing soccer. Others went to buy ice cream. The
more boisterous began dancing to a song, “He Went to Basra and Forgot
Me,” by Ali Hatem, an Iraqi singer. A few grew exuberant, thrusting
tape players along with red-and-white scarves into the air. Most of
the women were veiled, although a handful, including some Christians,
went bareheaded.
“All of a sudden, students started running,” recalled Garabet, 21, a
civil engineering student.
At that moment, from 20 to 40 militiamen loyal to the militant young
Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr and his Mahdi Army charged into the
two-acre park of overgrown grass, concrete picnic tables and paths of
colored tiles. Some of them wore checkered headscarves over their
faces, others black balaclavas. They carried sticks, cable, pistols
and rifles, a few with a weapon in each hand. They were accompanied
by two clerics in robes and turbans: Abdullah Menshadawi and Abdullah
Zaydi.
Garabet, an unveiled woman from an Armenian Christian family, never
saw her assailant. He struck her twice in the back of the head with
his fist. “I was afraid to turn around,” she said.
She stumbled, then headed with others toward the black steel gate.
Militiamen were shouting “Infidels!”
“It was chaos,” she said. “Everyone was yelling.”
As she walked out the gate, a second blow to the back of her head
almost knocked her unconscious. Two weeks later, she is still wearing
a neck brace, and her vision is blurred. She has numbness in one hand
and suffers severe headaches.
At about that time, students said, a militiamen struck an unveiled
21-year-old, Zeinab Faruq, with a stick. Another accosted a couple,
they recalled. The militiaman fired two shots at the legs of
22-year-old Muhsin Walid; another shot grazed Walid’s hand.
Sinan Saeed, 24, a husky mechanical engineering student, described
seeing one girl run toward the exit, then seeing a man stumble over
her. Both were beaten with sticks and cables as they lay on the
ground. Some surged through the gate; others tried to clamber over
the chain-link fence, Saeed said. At the exit, militiamen slapped
students with one hand, gripping their pistols in the other.
Students accused the men of stealing cell phones, cameras, gold
jewelry and tape players as the students left.
“They focused on the women,” said Saeed’s friend, Osama Adnan. “They
were beating them viciously.”
“Without any discrimination,” Saeed added.
Within half an hour, the fracas had ended. University officials said
15 students were seriously injured. The militiamen detained about 10
students, who were taken to the local office of the Sadr movement
before being released that evening. By all accounts, police were
present in force but did not intervene. The students insist that the
police were cowed by Menshadawi, one of the two clerics.
One student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recalled Menshadawi
shouting, “There is no secular government! There is only the
government of the Mahdi Army!” as he stood on some park steps
brandishing a stick and a pistol.
In the Sadr movement’s office, Heidar Jabari acknowledged excesses
but defended the action. “There was a mistake in our execution, but
we had the right to intervene,” he said.
Tall, with a friendly demeanor, Jabari said he had warned students
two days before the incident that the picnic was inappropriate.
Shiites were still observing the sacred month of Muharram, he said,
and a suicide bomb had recently killed 125 people in the southern
city of Hilla. “The blood from there was still fresh,” he said. “No
one listened to us.”
Jabari conceded that students were hurt and the beatings “went beyond
what was legitimate.” But, he added, “They say freedom means they can
do what they want. This is not freedom. Freedom does not mean you can
transgress traditions.” He spoke calmly but with clerical sternness.
“There are traditions and rules in an Eastern society that are
different from a Western society. Every Iraqi has a right to act
against these transgressions.”
To bolster their case, the movement, one of Basra’s most powerful,
released a video of footage it had gathered of the picnic. It
distributed it to local stores, which in turn sold it for about $1.
The images were relatively tame, even by Basra’s conservative
standards. Men are shown dancing. In the most exuberant moment, one
dancer ties a scarf around his waist and swivels his hips. A man
pushes a woman on a swing.
“At a wedding party, they do a lot more than that,” said Saleh Najim,
the dean of the engineering college.
The night of the confrontation, word of a protest went out, and the
following morning about 150 students gathered at the engineering
college, itself divided between secular and religious students. Their
numbers swelling as they went, they made their way to the president’s
office and issued their demands: no work for the Islamic groups on
campus, an official apology, punishment of the militiamen, return of
stolen property, disbandment of the much-feared security committees
that act as morality police in each university department and their
replacement with Iraqi army troops.
Students vowed to remain on strike until the demands were met.
Classes were canceled.
The next day, the students convened again. This time, they said, they
planned to head to the governor’s office. Police tried to block their
path, firing shots into the air at the gate, but they managed to
leave through another exit in 15 school buses. Once at the governor’s
office, they found hundreds of students from smaller colleges and a
few high schools already gathered. Inside, the governor met with
members of the city council and the Sadr movement, student
representatives and school officials.
Two hours later, students recalled, Mohammed Abadi, the president of
the city council, emerged. The students’ demands would be met, he
declared. He read a text from a microphone mounted on a police car
outside the office, going over each demand.
“We will compensate what was lost,” students recalled Abadi saying.
“What was stolen!” someone shouted from the crowd, correcting Abadi.
Following Abadi’s statement, city officials and Sadr’s movement
treated the matter as closed.
“The issue is settled,” said Mohammed Musabah, who took over as
governor of Basra the day of the melee. He acknowledged that police
had not arrested anyone, as students had demanded. But, he said in an
interview, “We spoke with them in a stern tone. Both sides wanted to
resolve it by way of dialogue.”
Few students this week said they were thinking about dialogue. Nor
did they seem to believe their demands had been met.
Saeed said that as he passed out leaflets during the protests, a
student sympathetic to Moqtada Sadr tapped his shoulder. “Be
careful,” he said he was told menacingly. On the wall at the campus
gate, scrawled in black, graffiti reads, “Basra remains Moqtada’s
Basra.”
“For a moment, we felt the strength of our voices,” Saeed said. “We
were making up our own minds.”
But, he added, “You can see on campus that students are still scared
to speak.”

OFFICE OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN THE USA
1025 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 1000, Washington DC, 20036
Tel: (202) 347-5166
Fax: (202) 347-5168
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site:
ARTSAKH NEWSLETTER
Vol. 7, no. 1
March 28, 2005
The ARTSAKH NEWSLETTER is a publication of the NKR Office in
Washington, D.C., the official representation of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in the United States. To subscribe/unsubscribe to the Artsakh
Newsletter, please reply to this email.
In this issue:
1. AZERBAIJAN ATTEMPTS TO SCUTTLE THE NK PEACE PROCESS
2. MEMBERS OF US CONGRESS SUPPORT KARABAKH’S FREEDOM
3. NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE NKR GOVERNMENT
4. ECONOMIC GROWTH IN 2004, PRIORITIES SET FOR 2005
5. SITUATION ON THE LINE OF CONTACT
6. NKR TO HOLD ITS 4TH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
7. `SAVE A LIFE, ACT TODAY!’ CAMPAIGN
1. NAGORNO KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS
High-level consultations continued between the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan. Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev
met in Astana, Kazakstan last year to advance the negotiation
process. However, no tangible progress has been reported. The OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs visited the region in July 2004 to consult with
the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh.
In November 2004 Azerbaijan initiated a discussion at the UN General
Assembly by submitting a draft resolution `On the situation in the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan’. A number of countries, including
the U.S., objected this move. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs from the
United States, Russia and France criticized Azerbaijan for its efforts
to force a debate on the Karabakh conflict at the UN. Under pressure
from the Group, Azerbaijan suspended its resolution.
The OSCE mediators returned to the region in January 2005 to accompany
a fact-finding mission, created to verify Azeri allegations that
Armenia was engaged in mass population of territories under Nagorno
Karabakh’s control. The Nagorno Karabakh authorities cooperated
closely with the group, headed by a German Foreign Ministry
official. The group presented its findings to the OSCE Permanent
Council on March 17, which concluded that `overall settlement is quite
limited” and “there is no clear organized resettlement, no
non-voluntary resettlement, no recruitment…’. The report also said
that “the mission did not determine that such settlement has resulted
from a deliberate policy by the government of Armenia.”
NKR praised the report as `highly objective’ in a March 28 statement
and called on the international community to follow the lead of
Armenia and the United States in supporting Nagorno Karabakh’s efforts
to overcome the consequences of the Azerbaijani military
aggression. The OSCE mission acknowledged that the authorities of the
Nagorno Karabakh are in charge of the situation in controlled
territories, including Lachin, a fact on which the two Armenian sides
have insisted all along.
Azerbaijan continues to refuse to negotiate directly with Nagorno
Karabakh, the main concerned party, thus delaying prospects for
resolution to the conflict. Armenia and NKR have repeatedly stated the
importance of Karabakh’s direct participation in the negotiation
process. `Everybody understands that without considering Karabakh’s
position no resolution is possible’, underscored NKR President Arkady
Ghoukasian at a February 28 meeting with students of the Artsakh State
University.
In related news, an outspoken opponent of the Azerbaijani war rhetoric
was assassinated on March 2, 2005. Elmar Huseinov, a leading
opposition journalist, and his publication, the Monitor, were
well-known for its criticism of Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian
policies. Official Baku continues to portray Armenians as its eternal
enemies and does not favor any contact with Nagorno Karabakh.
Karabakh has repeatedly called on Azerbaijan to agree to a series of
confidence building measures and to work towards establishing an
atmosphere conductive to peace and friendly relations between de-facto
neighbors, Azerbaijan and NKR.
2. MEMBERS OF US CONGRESS SUPPORT KARABAKH’S FREEDOM
Marking the 17th Anniversary of Karabakh Movement, NKR parliament
adopted a special resolution, which reconfirmed Karabakh’s commitment
to a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Azerbaijan, called on
official Baku to work towards establishing an atmosphere of trust and
tolerance in the region, and appealed to the international community
to recognize Karabakh’s efforts to build a full-fledged civil society
based on the rule of law.
Several members of the U.S. Congress joined in commemorating the event
by sending letters to the people of Karabakh and speaking on the floor
of the House of Representatives.
`Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to the people
of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) on the 17th anniversary of the Nagorno
Karabakh Freedom Movement,’ Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said.
`On February 20, 1988, the people of Nagorno Karabakh officially
petitioned the Soviet government to reunite with Armenia and reverse
the injustice perpetrated by the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin. This
peaceful and legal request was met with violent reaction by the Soviet
and Azerbaijani leadership, and escalated into full military
aggression against Nagorno Karabakh. The people of Nagorno Karabakh
bravely defended their right to live in freedom on their ancestral
land,’ said Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY) in his floor statement.
`Today, the unwavering strength of the Freedom Movement can be seen in
the democratically-elected government of Nagorno Karabakh. […] I
congratulate the people of Nagorno Karabakh for their steadfast
commitment to promoting freedom, democracy and economic development
over the past seventeen years,’ echoed Rep. Martin Meehan (D-MA) in
his speech on the House floor.
`The people of Nagorno Karabakh should be commended for […]
achieving sovereignty in the face of strong opposition from
neighboring nations. The United States is honored to share such
fundamental values with Nagorno Karabakh as democracy, liberty, and a
profound respect for human rights,’ said Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ).
`Congress recognized this consistent move towards democracy, granting
NKR $20 million in humanitarian assistance in FY `97, an additional $5
million in FY `03 and $3 million just last year. This assistance has
not just been crucial for needs of the people of NKR, but has also
fostered the beginnings of an excellent relationship between our two
countries,’ underscored Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in his floor
statement.
Pallone and Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), the co-chairs of the
Congressional Armenian Caucus, also sent a joint letter to the people
of Nagorno Karabakh.
The letter said in part: `We applaud your constructive approach and
ongoing contribution to peace and strability in the region. Our
support for your democracy and your quest to live free, under the
government of your own choosing, remains strong.’
`Like so many who have undergone the pains of oppression, the people
of Nagorno Karabakh must rest assured knowing that democracy breeds
peace. The United States will continue to promote the cause of our
democratic friends in Nagorno Karabakh, not yielding until the goals
set forth on February 20, 1988, have been realized in full,’ concluded
Rep. Holt in his powerful statement on the House floor.
NKR President Arkady Ghoukasian thanked members of the U.S. Congress
for their public support. In his March 4, 2005 letter Ghoukasian said:
`The people of Nagorno Karabakh are truly grateful for this ongoing
support, which contributes to achieving a secure, democratic and
prosperous Nagorno Karabakh and South Caucasus.’
Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States
Vardan Barseghian met with members of Congress to personally thank
them and brief them on recent developments in Nagorno Karabakh.
3. NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE NKR GOVERNMENT
President Arkady Ghoukasian announced several new cabinet appointments
and also introduced some structural changes. On January 12, 2005 a
presidential decree finalized the following structure and personnel:
Prime Minister – Mr. Anoushavan Daniyelian
Vice-Prime Minister – Mr. Ararat Daniyelian*
Minister of Agriculture – Mr. Vahram Baghdassarian
Minister of Defense – Lt.Gen. Col. Seyran Ohanian
Minister of Education, Culture and Sports – Mr. Ashot Ghoulian
Minister of Finances and Economy – Mr. Spartak Tevossian
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Amb. Arman Melikian
Minister of Health – Mrs. Zoya Lazarian
Minister of Justice – Mr. Robert Hayrapetian
Minister of Social Security – Mr. Lenston Ghoulian
Minister of Territorial Administration & Development of Industrial
Infrastructures – Mr. Armo Tsatourian
Minister of Urban Development – Mr. Boris Alaverdian
Chief of Staff, Minister – Mr. Suren Grigorian
Head of National Security Service – Mr. Bako Sahakyan
Head of Police – Mr. Armen Isagulov
Head of State Tax Service – Mr. Hakob Kaghramanian

* not related to the Prime Minister
4. ECONOMIC GROWTH IN 2004, PRIORITIES FOR 2005
The NKR economy continued to show strong growth last year with the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reaching 42.2 billion dram
($79.3million), up by 17.5% from 2003. Exports totaled $39 million
(m), a 25% growth over last year.
Nagorno Karabakh’s industrial output totaled 18.5 billion drams
($35m), registering a 160% growth, as compared to the previous
year. Eighty percent of industrial enterprises are privately
owned. The main sectors showing growth were ore-mining (a 46% growth
in 2004), food processing (8% growth), production and distribution of
electricity (2.5% growth). Capital construction totaled 9.1 billion
drams ($17.2m), up by 5 percent.
On December 27, 2004 the NKR Parliament adopted the 2005 state budget,
which included 6.5 billion drams ($13m) in projected income and 21.4
billion drams ($42.8m) in expenses. The resulting deficit is due to be
covered mainly by $27m inter-government loan from Armenia.
The 2005 budget allocated in part (in drams):
4,490m for social security (21% of state budget)
1,210m for health care (a 30% increase)
785m for education, sport and youth programs
577m for social subsidy for certain categories of children
500m for restoration and development of irrigation facilities
200m for development of viticulture, cattle breeding and agro-machinery lease
190m to support families of killed soldiers, war wounded and veterans
107m to conduct first post-independence census
100m for preservation and reconstruction of historic architectural monuments.
Funding has also been earmarked for small and medium business loans, a
program that has been operating since 2001.
As of January 1, 2005, the minimum wage increased by 30% to 15,000
drams, and the minimum pension rose by the same percentage to 4,000
drams.

The government has also identified priority development areas for next
few years, which included school construction, building new medical
facilities with modern equipment, improvement of road infrastructure,
water reservoirs and irrigation facilities.
5. SITUATION ON THE LINE OF CONTACT
Azerbaijan continued its attempts to draw closer to NKR positions,
which led to increased tensions along the Line of Contact. Azerbaijan
violated the cease-fire regime several times in early March, causing
isolated skirmishes that resulted in lose of live from both sides.
NKR denounced Azerbaijan’s tactics while warning that continued
attacks will be rebuffed forcefully. Deputy Foreign Minister Masis
Mayilyan called for international demarcation of the Line of Contact
to prevent local attacks and further destabilization.

On March 18, 2005 Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian said that the
`defense capability of the NKR Army is high and that the Army is able
to ensure the security of the republic and its population.’
The OSCE cease-fire monitoring missions continued regularly and
confirmed that the overall situation on the Line of Contact remained
stable.
6. NKR TO HOLD ITS 4TH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
Nagorno Karabakh will hold its fourth Parliamentary Election on June
19, 2005. The new Central Electoral Commission has set the dates for
candidates’ nomination, registration and campaigning. Four major
political parties — the ruling Democratic Artsakh and opposition
ARF-Dashnaktsutiun, Movement-88 and Our Homeland Armenia — along with
several smaller parties plan to participate.
As in the past, NKR invited international observers to monitor the
vote. Past elections in NKR were observed by international monitors
and reported to be in line with or exceeding the internationally
accepted standards for post-soviet territories.
Opposition to people’s right to vote continued in Azerbaijan, as
official Baku made statements on Karabakh’s upcoming ballot. As in the
past, the government of Azerbaijan launched a campaign of undermining
and discrediting the June election in Nagorno Karabakh. Despite Baku’s
effort, the international community clearly appreciates the Nagorno
Karabakh’s right to live in freedom, under a government of its own
choosing. In 2004, commenting on NK municipal election, the U.S. State
Department did not criticize the ballot and said only `that [the
election] would not affect the ongoing peace talks’. Members of the
U.S. Congress have supported democratic processes in Nagorno Karabakh.
`The men and women of Nagorno-Karabakh exercised their right to
vote–a right which we have cherished for more than two centuries and
a right that we hope will spread across the
world. […]Congratulations to the people of Nagorno Karabakh for
[their] commitment to freedom and democracy,’ said Rep. Adam Shiff
(D-CA) in a September 2002 statement on NKR Presidential Election.

7. `SAVE A LIFE, ACT TODAY!’
Extend a helping hand to the children of Artsakh!
The Government of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) asks you to
contribute to its efforts to ensure proper medical treatment for the
children of Artsakh.
Artsakh is still recovering from a devastating war initiated by
Azerbaijan. Much has been done to improve pediatric medical
care. However, some children with special needs still require medical
treatment outside Artsakh, in Armenia, Russia and elsewhere.
Considering the dire social situation in the republic, the NKR
Government has been consistent in trying to ease the financial burden
on such families by providing funds for treatment abroad. We often
rely on your support for making this assistance possible and are happy
to inform that last year five children received such benevolent
assistance.
A special committee has been created to oversee the proper
distribution and use of the humanitarian assistance. The Committee on
Implementation of Medical Assistance Projects (CIMAP) includes
representatives of Ministries of Health, Social Security and Foreign
Affairs, a local non-governmental organization, Motherhood, and a
local liaison of the U.S.-based Americans for Artsakh organization.
CIMAP receives and reviews applications for financial assistance and,
after scrupulous consideration, decides on the amount of financial aid
to be provided. It also outlines financial reporting guidelines for
recipient families. These families agree to use the funds exclusively
for medical treatment and associated expenses and to report to the
committee on the results.
Last year, CIMAP reported to its donors on the assistance impact and
use of funds in required detail.
Currently, a number of children are awaiting for financial help to
continue or even start their medical treatments. The NKR Government
requires at least $10,000 a month to be able to continue helping those
children.
We call on you to join this humanitarian effort and help ensure that
proper medical treatment is provided to the children of Artsakh! We
welcome donations from individuals and organizations! Every dollar is
sent to Artsakh to benefit the children.

Please mail your tax-deductible donation today to:
ARMENIAN CHILDREN’S RELIEF FUND
31800 West Eight Mile Road
Farmington, MI 48336
Please make your check payable to the Armenian Children’s Relief Fund
and include a note `Children of Artsakh’.

For more information, please contact
NKR Office at (202) 347-5166 or [email protected]
CIMAP can be contacted directly at (374-71) 7-15-51 or [email protected]
* * *
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is
based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia
and the public representing the official policies and interests of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in the United States (NKR Office) on behalf of the government
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The NKR Office is registered with
the U.S. government under the Foreign Agent Registration
Act. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice,
Washington, D.C.

A bang-up business: Robert Zildjian used an old formula to start a new
company
Financial Post – Canada
Mar 28, 2005

While some age-old family recipes call for a dash of basil or a pinch
of garlic, Robert Zildjian’s family blend is a secret combination of
copper and tin that has been used to make cymbals since 1623.
The name Zildjian has been synonymous with cymbal manufacturing since
17th-century Constantiople, when Sultan Osman II gave the name
(meaning “son of cymbal maker”) to an Armenian alchemist named Avedis.
Mr. Zildjian, 81, is the 13th generation of cymbal makers to inherit
Avedis’ coveted family recipe. He has also developed a few recipes of
his own, including one for a successful startup.
In 1981, Mr. Zildjian started Sabian Cymbals Ltd. in Meductic,
N.B. The founding of Sabian formalized a break from the centuries’ old
family business — Boston, Mass.-based Avedis Zildjian Co., where
Mr. Zildjian worked until 1979. A legal battle turned family feud saw
Mr. Zildjian split from the company. He took his recipe and his
business saavy to the sleepy eastern town of Meductic and has watched
Sabian grow ever since.
In little more than two decades, Sabian has become a major player in
the global cymbal market, quickly gulping up market share previously
held by its major rivals, Zildjian Co. and Paiste Co. — both more
than a century old.
Sabian has grown to a workforce of 130 employees worldwide and now
manufactures more than 900,000 cymbals a year — the most in the
industry, according to Mr. Zildjian.
About 97% of Sabian cymbals are exported outside Canada. Sabian was
responsible for 36% of total cymbal sales in the United States last
year and estimates it has captured about 35% of the European
market. It is also making inroads into the Middle East and Asia.
The Sabian logo adorns the cymbals of some of the biggest names in pop
music — from Neil Peart, drummer for Rush, to Chris Wilson of Good
Charlotte, Incubus’s Jose Pasillas, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot
Chili Peppers. It is remarkable growth for a company that had to
establish itself under the shadow of industry giants, but Mr. Zildjian
says the formula for success in the up-start market is pretty
straightforward.
“You have to have good people around you,” he says. “In small
business, you have to be tough, you have to have good financial
backing, and you have to have inspiration. But, in the end, it’s the
people around you that matter most.”
One of the people Mr. Zildjian credits with Sabian’s success is the
company’s president, Daniel Bar-ker. Mr. Barker joined Sabian as
vice-president in 1985, when it was still quite small. With his
extensive background in the music industry — including 12 years at
Zildjian Co. and a stint as an entrepreneur — Mr. Barker successfully
steered Sabian through the problems that are virtually universal for
entrepreneurs.
“Like any startup company, we had a great deal of difficulty at
first,” Mr. Barker says. “In the first few years, people didn’t come
running to the door. It wasn’t until 1987 that we started using black
ink. But by 1991, we were doing fairly well, and we’ve been growing
ever since.”
Sabian’s growth has been staggering by industry standards. For all but
two years since its inception, Sabian has experienced double-digit
increases and is rumoured to have grossed as much as $35-million last
year.
“We feel that, if we are number two in revenue (in the industry),
we’re so close to being number one we can taste it,” Mr. Barker says.
Success required one part financing and two parts persistence, he
says.
“Bob (Zildjian) and his family had a passion for this. They couldn’t
see failure. They were going to make this work one way or the
other. There was just no middle ground,” he says. “And to the family’s
credit, they put the money right back in the business to make it
grow. They did not take money out of the business. That helped finance
a lot internally. I can’t think of too many cases where I’ve ever seen
that.”
A solid relationship with the banks and other financiers is also
vital. “Many entrepreneurs go on a dream or have a good idea,”
Mr. Barker says. “They might get the startup money from investors or
by working with banks, but they don’t know how to turn that around —
they don’t know how to use it properly. Entrepreneurs who are looking
for fast growth need to establish good credit with the banks, get
their interest rates down, and then turn their money over and invest
in capital projects or inventory.”
A good relationship with the bank, he says, is based on a few simple
rules: Always pay your bills on time, and know where you are headed.
“A solid business plan is a key here, but a business plan has to be
followed up.”
Mr. Barker recommends entrepreneurs raise double the capital they
originally planned because unexpected expenses will always find their
way on to the balance sheet. And anyone not familiar with a balance
sheet should take some courses.
“It’s not enough to have a passion for it. Not everyone who goes into
business has that MBA background and sometimes some of the simplest
things — such as the tax implications — could be fundamental in a
startup.”
Finally, Mr. Barker warns prospective entrepreneurs not to get swept
away in small, inital successes.
“People figure if they invent the next best mouse trap, everything’s
golden,” he says. “So they get investors involved and raise a bunch of
capital and then go out and buy a $1,000 copying machine when a $250
one would suffice. It’s almost an ego thing — they just don’t make
the proper investments. With every purchase you should be asking
yourself, how will this help me grow?”

LIVE LEOPARD IN THE WILD PHOTOGRAPHED FOR FIRST TIME IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A live leopard was photographed
in its natural surroundings for the first time in Armenia. “This
photo proves once again the fact that not the panther, as the
locals often claim, but the Persian leopard is found in Armenia,”
Karen Malkhasian, director of the Wild World Fund’s (WWF) Caucasus
Program Office in Armenia, told NT correspondent. According to him,
this is the third case in the international practice that a leopard
has been photographed in the wild, and the picture’s authors – a WWF
expert Alexsander Malkhasian, the head of the Endangered Species Fund
Project Igor Khorozian and a member of the atipoaching brigade Mukuch
Boyajian are already accepting their colleagues’ congratulations. For
this unique type of leopard, the south of Armenia in particular the
Meghri mountain range is a natural environment, which extends as far
as the Azerbaijani and Iranian borders. Since 1999, various programs
on protection and studying of the leopard have been implemented in
Armenia. After examining the traces left such as remains of a hunt,
excrements, the hunting spots found, etc, the experts came to the
conclusion there are currently 5-7 leopards in the territory of
Armenia. “This means the leopard population is in a crisis situation
in Armenia, and the animal is vitually on the verge of extinction,”
A. Malkhasian believes. The photo of a live leopard was taken during
the latest expedition in March, 2005. “We have obtained an evidence
that the leopard started to lead a sedentary life in the territory
of Armenia,” K. Malkhasian pointed out. He expressed concern at the
fact that all efforts to protect the leopard might be futile. The fact
is that the construction of a 10-km wide alternative road is planned
through the Meghri mountaing range. According to the information in the
WWF’s possession, no ecological examination required in such cases has
been conducted, although the construction may lead to the destruction
of unique ecosystems and consequently to the loss of the leopard
population. “We are hopeful that those planning this construction
will realize how important it is to preserve the integrity of that
area, and the rare plant and animal species found there, which are of
universal value ,” K. Malkhasian said. As regards the construction of
strategically important communications, the WWF is ready to provide
all the necessary information so that the construction work will be
done with minimal damage to nature.

New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
March 28 2005
Who rules NZ: Top judge and judicial activist
Dame Sian Elias, New Zealand’s first woman Chief Justice, likes to
push the boundaries. Picture / Mark Mitchell
28.03.05
As a young woman in the 1960s, Sian Elias was determined not to be
ordinary or, as one friend recalls her saying, not to be “an Austin
1100, suburban housewife”.
And she got her wish. She has had an eventful legal career, capped by
her appointment as New Zealand’s first woman Chief Justice.
And naturally she has the services of a Crown limousine. But Sian
Elias is no judicial show-pony.
Beyond her graciousness and charm, she has been the lightning rod for
trouble in the past two years between the Government and the
judiciary.
There have been occasional mutterings in the Beehive about why she
doesn’t stand for Parliament if she wants to get political.
And occasional nervousness. As Chief Justice, Elias becomes
“administrator” in the Governor-General’s absence, acting proxy head
of state with the ultimate power to dissolve Parliament.
The nervousness is over the possibility that some day she might
actually do it, although she probably never would.
Less facetious is a subtle change in attitude by the Government to
legislation as a result of a more suspicious relationship between the
judiciary and the Executive.
At the peak of disgruntlement about Elias last year, senior
Government members were heard to talk of the need to “Sian-proof”
legislation.
That means leaving as few ambiguities and loose ends in legislation
before Parliament as possible in order to leave no room for later
judicial activism, the usually pejorative term to describe
development of new principles of law by judges to justify their
decisions.
Or as those deemed “activists” see it, the term given to judges by
people who don’t like their decisions.
The relationship appears to be in a cautious phase at present, with
the players determined to give no cause for complaint after
ill-judged outbursts by both Elias and State Services Minister Trevor
Mallard last year.
If the relationship was perceived as hostile, it’s not a description
that can be pinned to Elias in any personal sense. Quite the
contrary.
If there were one trait no one who knows her would argue with, it is
that she is gracious in all things, even under fire.
Act MP Stephen Franks knows from experience. He was pilloried for
suggesting in Parliament that Elias left open an appearance of bias
by sitting on the foreshore and seabed case because of a case she had
argued before the Waitangi Tribunal over control of the Manukau
Harbour and seabed.
A short time later he was at a function on the legal cocktail circuit
at which two High Court judges abused him, one calling him a disgrace
to his profession for his criticism.
Elias was at the same function and made a beeline for him, not to
castigate him but to engage him in discussion about what he had said.
Elias did not figure largely on the radar of this Government until
two years into its first term, when it discovered she had disciplined
a senior Auckland judge 18 months earlier for accessing soft porn on
his High Court computer. The fact that she had not told the
Attorney-General of this was as great a sin in the Government’s eyes
as the judge’s actions and seen as protecting “the boys’ club”.
For its part, the judiciary and many in the legal profession were
disturbed at the public flogging by the Government and the none too
subtle pressure to get Justice Robert Fisher to resign.
Elias’ leadership was undoubtedly appreciated then by her brethren on
the Bench, but that was likely shaken last year when she raised the
possibility that judges could be swayed by financial considerations.
It was an argument in favour of a better remuneration package and in
the worthy promotion of judicial independence, but it failed
spectacularly to enhance the standing of judges.
The recent tension between the Executive and the judiciary has
centred around two things: opposing views on the notion of “the
sovereignty of Parliament”, and the way Elias has gone about
criticising the Government for what she perceives is ignorance over
the importance of judicial independence – bleating about it to
overseas audiences and declaring the Prime Minister to have “a
profound lack of understanding” of judicial independence.
But the undercurrent has been the Government’s horror at the Court of
Appeal’s foreshore and seabed judgment, led by Elias.
It could be said that the landmark case was one she had been in
training for throughout her legal career.
The decision of June 2003 allowed for the possibility that the Maori
Land Court could issue freehold title over the foreshore and seabed.
Addressing the consequent legal uncertainties and upheavals in
Maoridom dominated the political agenda for the next 18 months.
Elias is a heroic figure among those whose passion is Maori justice,
and a key figure in what is so disparagingly termed the treaty
industry. She has a reputation for compassion and humanity.
So did her father, the son of Armenian refugees, who practised as a
GP for many years in West Auckland.
Elias arrived in New Zealand with her father and Welsh mother as a
toddler from London. She was raised in Titirangi and went to the
private Anglican school Diocesan School for Girls in Epsom.
Skipping the upper sixth form after getting University Entrance, she
started at Auckland University’s law school in 1966, one of only half
a dozen girls, including former Attorney-General Margaret Wilson, in
a class of well over 100 boys.
But while the young Wilson was resolute in all things and a political
creature, it was not clear at the time that the cultured young Westie
would earn a name synonymous for championing legal justice issues for
Maori.
That evolved through her career, rather than existing as a driving
force from the outset.
At university she was part of the Dio set, stylish, fun without being
flamboyant.
She studied hard but was not among the scholarly elite of her cohort.
She was part of a generation that wanted to change the world but she
was a strong advocate of the legitimacy of change from within the
system.
She preferred to observe demonstrations from the independence of the
footpath, where good law students should be, rather than join the
melee.
Elias joined the Auckland aristocracy and the Fletcher dynasty when
she married Hugh Fletcher in 1970. The pair studied further at
Stanford University in California, where she gained a masters in law.
The couple have two grown sons.
Elias has been one of New Zealand’s most notable models of
affirmative action for women.
She and close friend Lowell Goddard were chosen to become the first
women Queen’s Counsel in 1988, and in 1995 Elias was appointed a High
Court judge.
She has New Zealand’s first woman Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, to
thank for her job as the country’s first woman Chief Justice – a
position commonly appointed not only from the other gender but from
outside the judiciary.
Elias’ appointment may have been a surprise to the legal profession,
but it was no surprise to the Cabinet colleagues of Shipley, who made
no secret of the fact that she was determined to appoint a woman.
Elias beat present Court of Appeal Judge John McGrath, then
Solicitor- General, to the job.
She is a successful model of affirmative action. No one in the legal
profession the Herald spoke to disputes that she is up to the job of
Chief Justice, even her critics.
One of her most notable judgments as a High Court judge directly
affected politicians in the David Lange vs Joe Atkinson defamation
case.
The final outcome on appeal was to give the news media a stronger
defence against defamation actions by politicians.
As a lawyer, she specialised in company law and was leading counsel
for the plaintiff in the long-running Equiticorp case.
But it is her association with Treaty of Waitangi law for which she
attracted headlines.
With two small boys in 1979, Elias was working part-time at the Grey
Lynn neighbourhood law office when she worked for some Maori and
Pacific Island defendants accused of attacking a haka party of
Auckland University engineering students.
In 1984, she helped Nganeko Minhinnick’s Manukau Harbour claim to the
Waitangi Tribunal, a case that opened up a new world to her.
It also led to work on other treaty cases, including a claim to
prevent the Government selling radio frequencies, and the case
challenging the 1994 Maori electoral option.
The work has given her an appreciation of Maori custom and
aspirations that she fosters today among the judiciary and in her
private life.
Every Waitangi Day she makes a pilgrimage as a private citizen to
Waitangi, something Shipley does as well.
When she was appointed Chief Justice, Elias told the Herald: “One of
the reasons I’m so optimistic about the future is because what
happened at Waitangi [the signing in 1840] is so consciously founded
on an expectation that justice will be achieved through law.”
Her first words last year at the first sitting of the new indigenous
Supreme Court were to acknowledge the presence in the public gallery
of an unassuming Maori couple, invited for the occasion to represent
the tangata whenua, Te Atiawa.
Elias was made Chief Justice at the young age of 50. The compulsory
retirement age of 68 means that over 18 years she has the potential
to leave an imprint on the law in New Zealand. But it is unlikely she
will stay that long.
Five years into the job, she is half- way through her term as New
Zealand’s top judge, saying when she was appointed that she saw it as
a 10-year position.
But she may have changed her mind given the way her job has changed.
The position of Chief Justice carries more weight and is more
powerful today than it was five years ago. Elias now assumes the
mantle of pre-eminent jurist as head of the Supreme Court.
Before the Supreme Court was established last year, the Chief Justice
was more of an administrative role, with the right to sit on any
case.
The president of the Court of Appeal was regarded as the pre-eminent
jurist, and no more so than under the tenure of Sir Robin Cooke,
later Lord Cooke of Thorndon.
He made a deep imprint on not just the law but on the continuing
debate over the sovereignty of Parliament and, undoubtedly, on the
development of Elias’ career.
One of his earliest challenges to the sovereignty of Parliament still
cited by his acolytes was contained in a 1984 judgment involving, of
all things, the Poultry Board, when he said “some common law rights
presumably lie so deep that even Parliament could not override them”,
which is tantamount to saying that in extreme circumstance, the
courts can overrule the will of Parliament.
It is a good guess that Elias is one of his admirers – she did not
consent to an interview – and if she wasn’t in Cooke’s early days,
she certainly would have been after 1987.
That was when he handed down his Court of Appeal ruling in the case
of the Maori Council vs the Attorney-General, establishing a key
principle of the Treaty of Waitangi as “partnership”.
It was a stunning judgment and a victory for the Maori Council and
its team of lawyers – David Baragwanath, now a High Court judge, the
late Martin Dawson and one Sian Elias.
Its significance, however, was adjudged through the passage of time
with its “partnership” principle being fostered by successive
Governments in many areas of state.
The suspicion with which the judiciary and Elias is regarded in some
parliamentary quarters is not over a simple academic argument about
the sovereignty of Parliament but because of a belief that those who
would dismiss it are often activist and more likely to deliver
decisions of the foreshore ilk – with a devil-may-care attitude to
its consequences.
Cooke is still going strong. In his most recent speech, he described
the sovereignty of Parliament as a “catchphrase beloved by some
sections of the media and some politicians” which “does not survive
in-depth analysis”.
Elias has picked up Cooke’s baton.
She began her run in a speech in Melbourne in 2003 about
parliamentary sovereignty, describing it as a merry-go-round.
“We have assumed the application of the doctrine of parliamentary
sovereignty in New Zealand. Why is not clear,” she said.
“Parliamentary sovereignty is an inadequate theory of our
constitutions. An untrammelled freedom of Parliament does not exist
.. We should get off the merry-go-round.” .
The words of a woman who has found a confidence in her role as Chief
Justice – and no doubt of a woman determined not to be an ordinary
Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice
* Heads the judiciary.
* Presides over the Supreme Court.
* Stands in for the Governor-General if necessary.
* Manages the relationship between courts and other branches of
Government.
* Advises the Attorney-General on judicial appointments.

The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] denies plans to hold chess
tournament this year – Armenian agency
Arminfo, Yerevan
24 Mar 05
Stepanakert, 24 March: The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] has
not planned to hold an international chess tournament this year,
the NKR Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports has told our
Arminfo correspondent. The ministry was commenting on reports of the
Azerbaijani media on the chess tournament [in Karabakh].
[Passage omitted: Azerbaijani media report]
[The Azerbaijani Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth, Sports
and Tourism have appealed to FIDE and other international bodies to
prevent the Armenians from holding a chess tournament in Karabakh,
the Azerbaijani radio station ANS 0700 gmt 23 March reported]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
March 26, 2005
STATEMENT OF THE CENTER OF PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL
SECURITY
[March 25, 2005, 20:50:37]
On March 28, employees of the Ministry of National Security will
mark their professional holiday, 86th anniversary of establishment
of security bodies. Before this date, with a view of increase of
the efficiency of public relations and more full informing of the
society on bodies of national security, there has been created official
website of the Ministry of National Security – .
The Internet-site of the Ministry is provided with catalogues
on the corresponding areas, useful information resources and
links. On the site with use of arguments is widely covered the
history of establishment of the security bodies of Azerbaijan and the
autobiographical data concerning various directions of their activity,
and also the persons supervised the security bodies, the legislative
base making ground for activity of bodies of special service, the steps
undertaken in the field of combat against international terrorism and
various displays of the organized crime, the international cooperation
in this sphere, the selflessness shown by employees of the Ministry
of National Security in fights for independence and territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan, its history, legal aspects, consequences of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the political
line pursued at the present stage on the way of settlement of the
conflict, essence of the policy carried out by Armenia against our
country and the Armenian state terrorism. Users can familiarize with
the information interesting them in the following sections: public
relations, library, Academy of MNS, a museum, a picture album. Besides,
for maintenance of efficiency of public relations on official site
of MNS, are stipulated special addresses of contacts.
Since March 28, of this year users of the official website of the
Ministry of National Security can receive the objective and unbiased
information on activity of the Ministry from the primary source.

PUTIN SPEAKS UP FOR MORE RUSSIAN INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA
RIA Novosti, Russia
March 25 2005
YEREVAN, March 25 (RIA Novosti) – Vladimir Putin has spoken up for
the growth of Russian investments in Armenia and welcomed Armenia’s
investments in Russia.
“We are observing a definite growth of Russian investments. So far,
it is not large but the perspective here is very significant”, the
Russian president told the press conference after talks with his
Armenian analog.
“We will also welcome Armenian investments in the Russian economy,
especially the sectors in which Armenia is interested. There are such
sectors – we have spoken about them today”, Putin said.
In turn, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan noted that the potential
of Armenian-Russian economic partnership by large exceeds the current
volume of cooperation.
He said that Armenian-Russian contacts are particularly developing
in capital construction, the banking and energy sectors.
“But it is only a small portion of what can be achieved. It is
a new quality of Armenian-Russian cooperation, which will be of
regional rather then bilateral significance”, Kocharyan told the
press conference after the talks with the president of the Russian
Federation.
“The transport component is a weighty part of the bilateral contacts.
It has always held back the development of Armenian-Russian cooperation
in the economic sphere”, Kocharyan noted.
In his opinion, this problem can largely be resolved with putting
into operation the Kavkaz-Poti ferry line.
“The ferry service has begun. I see it as the start for resolving
the serious problem of transport”, the Armenian president said.
The Russian and Armenian presidents also expressed regret that young
people in the two countries are not very much in association.
When asked by journalists whether there is a problem of the lack
of knowledge of each other’s life among young people in Russia and
Armenia, Kocharyan replied: “Yes, it is regretful but such is the
reality”.
In turn, Vladimir Putin said: “Such a problem exists but it is due
to the limitation of contacts in recent years”.
“It is not so much a political as economic factor”, Putin believes.
The two leaders continually discuss such questions in a bid to resolve
the problem, he said.
“All the integration associations are also concerned with it. The
more insistently we do it, the more effectively such problems are
resolved”, the Russian president said.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
CATHOLICOS ARAM I CALLS FOR DIALOGUE AND NATIONAL UNITY
On the occasion of Palm Sunday, His Holiness Aram I gave a special
speech to the believers gathered in the St. Gregory the Illuminator
Cathedral in Antelias on Sunday, March 20. During his speech he spoke
about the current political situation of Lebanon and focused on the
role expected from the Armenian Community.
His Holiness said that Lebanon is currently facing difficult times,
pointing out that after the assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri, popular protests and statements by politicians have
left the people worried and confused.
“Lately, some people started to ask about where the Armenian Community
of Lebanon stands in this situation,” His Holiness said, adding:
“We are with Lebanon in the full and the true understanding of the
word. The Lebanese-Armenian Community is not indifferent or neutral
towards the events unfolding in Lebanon. It has a clear view and a
position that is based on its deep loyalty and strong attachment to
Lebanon and true love for it.”
The Pontiff assured that as a community comprising the vast Lebanese
society, the Armenians are with “Lebanon’s unity, integrity,
sovereignty and independence.” “We truly believe that Lebanon’s only
road to salvation is the unity of its people. Our community acted on
and defended this principle for thirty years.”
The Catholicos added that Armenians also support the harmonious
cohabitation of the Christian and Muslim communities. “Throughout
Lebanon’s most difficult times the Armenians of Lebanon tried to
become a bridge between all sides for the sake of preserving the
cohabitation of the Lebanese society. Now as well, this is the role
of our community,” he said.
His Holiness emphasized that the Armenian community is with the
preservation of liberties and justice. Pointing out that Lebanon is
a democratic country and a country of freedom, Aram I highlighted
the importance of protecting these principles. He also said that
the truth should be revealed about the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri and an investigation must be conducted by the
United Nations.
“We are with the full and exact implementation of the Taef
Accord. Let’s not forget that the Arab World and the international
community support the accord, which was signed with the participation
of representatives from all the communities of Lebanon,” said
His Holiness, emphasizing the imperative of the quick and full
implementation of the Taef Accord.
Aram I assured that the Armenians support the establishment of
good neighborly relations between Lebanon and Syria, based on the
principle of mutual recognition of each country’s independence,
integrity and sovereignty.
His Holiness reminded that the Armenians of Lebanon have with the
national consensus concerning the Hezbollah; and he praised the
initiative of the Lebanese people to unite under the Lebanese flag with
the same expectations, principles and the same vision for Lebanon’s
future. Aram I also said that the time has come for the issues raised
by the people to be discusses around the table of dialogue.
“The Armenians of Lebanon are ready to actively participate in all the
initiatives that spring from the approaches and principles we already
stated. We are continuously consulting with the different parties in
order to bring the country out of its current stalemate,” He said. He
praised the patriotic approach of the leaders of the Armenian Community
and advised them to continue their full participation in strengthening
Lebanon’s internal unity, sovereignty and integrity.
##
View picture here:
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about
the history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may
refer to the web page of the Catholicosate,
The Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church
is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Russia, Armenian presidents to continue talks on Friday
ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 25 2005
YEREVAN, March 25 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin
and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan will continue talks on
Friday and will focus on the whole range of bilateral relations.
“Priority will be given to the state and prospects of trade and
economic cooperation – projects in power-engineering, non-ferrous
metallurgy, banking sphere, construction and transport, implementation
of the “property-for-debt” agreement, increased military-technical
cooperation”, a Kremlin official said.
“An important place will be occupied by issues of humanitarian
cooperation, enhanced contacts between the citizens of both countries,
interaction of public organizations, strengthening of the role and
significance of the Russian language in Armenia and the Armenian
language in Russia”, he added.
Besides, the presidents will “synchronize their watches” regarding
such important problems, as the fight against terrorist and extremist
threats, ensuring security and stability in the Caucasus, the solution
of regional problems.
“Specific attention will be paid to the interaction of both countries
in reforming the CIS, to mutually advantageous participation of Russia
and Armenia in EurAsEC and ODKB (Collective Security Treaty)”, the
official said.
Putin and Kocharyan will also open the Year of Russia in Armenia.
“This large-scale event corresponds to the traditional friendly ties,
cultural and spiritual closeness of both peoples”, according to the
Kremlin official.
The Year of Russia envisages over 120 events in political, economic,
humanitarian, scientific and technical spheres.
The Russian president will also visit Echmiadzin to meet Armenian
Catholicos Garegin the Second. “The leaders of Russia and Armenia
render all-round assistance to the development of cooperation between
the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church”,
the Kremlin official said.