Author: Liana Toganian

OPPOSITION OFFICIAL CHIDES ARMENIAN HEAD FOR LACK OF PROGRESS IN KARABAKH
TALKS
Noyan Tapan news agency
9 Nov 04
Yerevan, 9 November: “I think (Armenian President Robert) Kocharyan’s
complexes are to blame for the transformation of the Karabakh conflict
into a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kocharyan
believes that his successor in the post of president of the NKR
(Nagornyy Karabakh Republic) is unable to conduct negotiations since
he is not as clever as he is,” Aram Sarkisyan, member of the political
council of the Anrapetutyun (Republic) Party and former prime minister,
has said.
He thinks that Robert Kocharyan, who has transferred the Karabakh
conflict into a territorial dispute, has driven this issue of big
politics into a deadlock.
“The public and political parties consider it necessary for Nagornyy
Karabakh to return to the negotiations process. Other points of
views are out of the question since the problem is precisely about
Karabakh’s self-determination,” Aram Sarkisyan said.
He thinks that the major task of the peaceful settlement of the
conflict should be not to make any of the sides feel themselves losers
since the realization of defeat, at least, indicates an approaching
wave of dissatisfaction. In this context, the former prime minister
thinks that the Armenian side should put the accent on the right
of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh to self-determination. The
Karabakh people should themselves decide whether they want to be
part of Armenia, remain independent or enjoy any other status, Aram
Sarkisyan said. “After all, it is up to them to decide. It is clear
that a settlement should be legally based on the right of the nation to
self-determination, rather than, as the Council of Europe says, filing
a suit with a court which will decide who is right and who is wrong.”
In the meantime, Aram Sarkisyan noted that neither the Armenian nor the
Azerbaijani public were ready for mutual compromises. He said that it
was necessary to prepare the public and in this context, for a start it
is necessary to continue contacts at the level of public organizations.
He is confident that delaying the problem harms both sides. “The time
of behind-the-scene talks has passed, the talks should not be an end
in itself but should produce a concrete solution to the problem. But
the authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan have neither enough resources
nor the political will for that,” Aram Sarkisyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MP says Iraqi involvement may turn Armenians into “terrorist” targets
Noyan Tapan news agency
3 Nov 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian government should aim to prevent Armenia and the Armenian
communities [abroad] from becoming a target for terrorist
strikes. This is the position of the board of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsyutun [ARFD] which held its
session in [the town of] Dzhermuk at the end of last week.
At a news conference on 3 October, the chairman of the Armenian
National Assembly’s standing commission for foreign relations and a
member of the board of the ARFD, Armen Rustamyan, made public a
document adopted by the board. According to the document, the
dispatch of Armenian troops to Iraq is one of the most topical issues
now as it is the issue of safety of the Armenian people and
specifically of the Armenian community in the Middle East.
Having studied the government’s decision to endorse a proposal for the
Armenian defence ministry to join the appropriate memorandum [on
sending troops to Iraq], the ARFD board stated that on the issue of
Iraq the Republic of Armenia should strictly follow the resolutions
adopted by the UN Security Council and other international
organizations of which it is a part.
Asked by a Noyan Tapan correspondent about how the ARFD faction is
going to vote on the proposal to send Armenian servicemen to Iraq,
Rustamyan said that “the board will clarify its position and act on
that, once it receives an appropriate package”.
The board also touched on Turkey’s membership of the EU and said that
Turkey should first resolve its problems with Armenia before it joins
the EU. “We have two main conditions: the recognition of the Armenian
genocide and Turkey’s neutrality on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,”
Rustamyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia and Armenia to create railway company
RBC, 03.11.2004, Moscow 17:06:00.In the course of today’s working
meeting in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Russian Railways President
Gennady Fadeyev and Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian signed
letters of intent to create a joint company using attracted private capital.
The company will deal with cargo transportation between Armenia and Russia,
the press service of Russian Railways reported.
According to Fadeyev, this project will stabilize the transportation
system in the Caucasus. In his turn, Margarian pointed out that Armenia was
interested in participating in the project concerning the north-south
transportation corridor and in widening cooperation with Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2004
Contact: Serouj Aprahamian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES CONTINUE
TO SPEAK OUT ON ARMENIAN ISSUES
— Incumbents and Challengers Reach out to Armenian American
Voters through the ANCA Candidate Questionnaire
“I will continue to support a strong
U.S.-Armenian relationship. Our nations
stand together, determined to create a
future of peace, prosperity, and freedom
for the citizens of both countries,
regions, and the world.”
­ Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5)
WASHINGTON, DC – In the final weeks before the November 2nd
elections, Congressional candidates from around the nation continue
to submit Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Candidate
Questionnaires outlining their views on Armenian American issues.
The ANCA questionnaires were sent to over 1,000 Congressional
candidates throughout the country as part of this election cycle’s
ANCA voter education drive. Copies of both the Congressional and
Presidential questionnaires can be downloaded by visiting the ANCA
website at Also provided on this website are sample
cover letters and instructions for forwarding the questionnaires to
candidates.
The ANCA’s election year voter education campaign helps inform
Armenian Americans about the policy issues impacting Armenia,
Nagorno Karabagh, and the Armenian American community. The
campaign also provides timely and reliable information on the
records and views of the candidates seeking Armenian American
votes, while encouraging increased civic participation in local,
state, and national elections.
The Questionnaire features nine questions about recognition of the
Armenian Genocide; U.S. support for Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh;
U.S.-Armenia economic relations; Self-determination for Nagorno
Karabagh; Conditions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan; the Turkish
blockade of Armenia, and; the U.S. subsidy of the Baku-Ceyhan
pipeline bypass of Armenia.
Provided below are several recent responses from Congressional
candidates throughout United States.
—————————————————————-
Question 1: The Armenian Genocide
Do you support Congressional initiatives and resolutions to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide?
—————————————————————-
Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA-53): We must recognize and condemn all acts
of genocide against all races. I have supported resolutions in
Congress doing so. The international community must also address
ways to prevent future genocides and work to stop current
genocides.
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL-19): Congress plays an important role in
insuring that the Armenian Genocide is not overlooked or forgotten.
I am proud to play my role and will do all I can to help remember
the 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5): The fate of one and a half
million Armenians at the hands of Young Turks in the early part of
the 20th Century remains one of the darkest moments in the history
of the world. I have long recognized the genocide inflicted upon
the Armenian people. This is why as Chairman of the House
Judiciary committee, I cosponsored and expeditiously voted out of
my committee, legislation affirming America’s support of the
Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987. Although we cannot
do anything about the people who were murdered, we can remember the
events that transpired, and honor the citizens of Armenia by
commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4): The atrocities committed against the
Armenian people between 1915 and 1923 must be recognized for what
they were: genocide. I believe that the truth about the Armenian
Genocide should be understood by all and officially acknowledged by
the United States government, as well as the Turkish government.
If we continue to react with silence regarding these events and are
unwilling to stand up and publicly condemn these atrocities, we
effectively give our approval to abuses of power such as the
Armenian Genocide.
—————————————————————-
Question 2: U.S. Support for Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
Do you support U.S. aid and other bilateral programs to strengthen
Armenia’s independence?
—————————————————————-
Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ-9): As a Member of the Foreign Operations
Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue
to work to ensure that Armenia receives the assistance it needs to
become a flourishing and self-sufficient country.
House Candidate Bill Federer (R-MO-3): Yes. Armenia has a long
and noble history as its own nation!
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-6): I am a proud member of the Armenian
Issues Caucus and support US aid to Armenia.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18): I fully support maintaining a
high level of economic assistance, along with the necessary
military and humanitarian assistance to Armenia, both to help the
country overcome the dual blockade which continues to impede
Armenia’s economic well-being, as well as to continue the shift in
U.S. assistance programs, away from humanitarian goals to longer
term development ones.
—————————————————————-
Question 3: U.S. Support for Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
Do you support continued U.S. developmental and humanitarian
assistance to Nagorno Karabagh?
—————————————————————-
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI-Senate): Yes, Nagorno-Karabagh needs
continued developmental and humanitarian assistance from the U.S.,
especially due to the damaging blockades of trade and assistance
imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Rep. Thaddeus McCottter (R-MI-11): Definitely. The NK region
needs our help to not only grow, but to combat the economic
consequences of the blockades.
—————————————————————-
Question 4: U.S. – Armenia Economic Relations
Do you support expanding the U.S.-Armenia economic relations,
including extending permanent normal trade relations for Armenia
and negotiating a Social Security Agreement and Tax Treaty?
—————————————————————-
Senate Candidate Inez Tenenbaum (D-SC-Senate): I will support the
right of Armenians everywhere to live in a peaceful, democratic,
and secure society.
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA-7): The ascension of Armenia to the World
Trade Organization will begin to stabilize trade relations with the
United States. It is a step in the right direction because free
trade with Armenia will have a positive effect on not only the
economy of that country but that of the United States as well. All
free trade promotes job creation and economic growth throughout the
world; by helping Armenia we are helping the American economy
prosper.
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL-19): I support extending permanent normal
trade relations between the United States and Armenia as a means of
strengthening the bonds and the commitment between our nations.
—————————————————————-
Question 5: Self-Determination for Nagorno Karabagh
Do you support Nagorno Karabagh’s right to self-determination
within secure borders?
—————————————————————-
House Candidate Robert M. Neeld (D-FL-14): Yes. Security would
help stabilize the region and allow a return of local culture.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-2): I believe Azerbaijan should stop the
economic blockade of Armenia and believe Armenians should have the
right to live within secure borders in a democratic society.
House Candidate Joe Driscoll (D-PA-15): The Congress, in the
fiscal year 2003 foreign aid bill, should encourage the
Administration to deliver previously appropriated aid to Nagorno
Karabagh in a timely manner, and to allocate no less than $10
million specifically for reconstruction and economic development
activities to help the people of Nagorno Karabagh recover.
—————————————————————-
Question 6: Conditions on U.S. Aid to Azerbaijan
Do you support maintaining Section 907 as a statement of U.S.
opposition to Azerbaijan’s blockades?
—————————————————————-
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA-13): I support maintaining Section 907 until
Azerbaijan removes the threat of any blockades against Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabagh.
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI-11): Yes. Azerbaijan must be held
accountable for their actions­economic injustice must not be
rewarded. I signed a letter to President Bush asking for parity in
foreign military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan, maintaining the
intent and the language of the Section 907.
—————————————————————-
Question 7: The Turkish Blockade of Armenia
Do you support legislative and other means to encourage Turkey to
end its blockade of Armenia?
—————————————————————-
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA-40): Yes. Turkey’s blockade has inflated
Armenia’s transportation costs by 30-35%, stifling its trade and
economy. I have written to the President asking that he reiterate
his Administration’s position to the Turkish government that the
blockade be lifted.
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI-11): Turkey, too, must be held
accountable, both for the Genocide of the past, and their blockades
of today. The world must never forget what they did and what they
still try to do today.
—————————————————————-
Question 8: The Turkish Blockade of Armenia
Do you support linking U.S. arms sales/transfers to Turkey to its
blockade of Armenia, occupation of Cyprus, mistreatment of Kurds,
restrictions on Christian communities, and human rights record?
—————————————————————-
House Candidate Joe Driscoll (D-PA-15): Congress should carefully
scrutinize proposed sales and transfers of U.S. military hardware
to Turkey, and ensure strict enforcement of Code of Conduct
legislation limiting arms sales to regimes, including Turkey, that
violate human rights or engage in aggression against neighboring
states.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI-8): I support conditions on U.S. arms sales
to any nation that is in violation of international law and
disregards human rights.
—————————————————————-
Question 9: U.S. Subsidy of Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline Bypass
Do you oppose U.S. taxpayer subsidies for a Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
route that avoids Armenia?
—————————————————————-
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4): The United States should not
subsidize any oil or gas pipeline in the South Caucasus that is
against the interests of U.S. taxpayers and fails to advance the
U.S. goal of helping Armenia advance toward a more prosperous
economic future.
Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA-43): I believe Armenia is a safe site for the
pipeline and it would be a boom to economic development.
#####
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia-Armenia interregional ties “important reserve” – minister
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
October 13, 2004 Wednesday
YEREVAN, October 13 — Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin,
who co-chairs the Russian-Armenian economic cooperation commission,
said the development of inter-regional ties between the two countries
is an important reserve of bilateral relations.
Levitin was speaking at an international economic forum, organized
by the World Armenian Congress and the Union of Armenians of Russia.
Regional cooperation agreements have been signed by Moscow,
St.Petersburg, and the Volgograd, Samara, and Sverdlovsk regions,
he said.
Commenting on Armenia’s state debt to Russia, the minister said the
two countries found a solution of this problem last year.
The handover of companies as payment of the state debt creates
preconditions for boosting trade and economic interaction between
the two states.
He also emphasized that the Russian-Armenian trade and economic
cooperation is developed in accordance with the principle of equality,
while meeting each party’s national interests and to their mutual
advantage.
Levitin noted positive examples of cooperation, including such joint
ventures as Armenal, in which the Russian Aluminum company invested
more than 40 million dollars, the Armavia airline, in which Russia’s
Sibir holds a 70-percent sake and the Orbita plant which is wholly
owned by Rosaviaspetskomplex.
“We have cooperation plans in the fields of power generation,
including nuclear power generation, and information technologies
where resources and experience of Russian communications operators
on Armenia’s market will be used, as well as in the sphere of space
exploration and science,” the minister said.
He said Russia’s commercial banks begin to display interest in
servicing Russian companies which operate in Armenia, and setting up
new joint ventures.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Group seeks Armenian bone marrow donors
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Sept 29 2004
Help save a life. The Council of Armenian American Nurses and the
Armenian American Medical Association are planning a Bone Marrow
Donor Drive. This drive is in conjunction with the Armenian Bone
Marrow Registry and the Caitlin Raymond International Registry at the
University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center.
The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is an independent,
non-governmental, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to
ensure that every ethnic Armenian struck with a life-threatening
blood-related illness is able to find hope for long-term survival
through the identification of a genetically suitable bone marrow
match.
Patients are desperately and literally seeking a savior. Parents
of sick children are racing against time to save their child before
it is too late. Someone in our community may hold the life of a child
in his or her hands.
Donors must be: between 18-55 years old; in general good health;
medically insured with medical insurance information available; and
reside or be employed in Massachusetts.
The drive will take place during the annual bazaar of St. James
Armenian Apostolic Church, 465 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown on Oct. 15
and 16 from 2-7 p.m.
For more information visit the Registry web site,
or contact Marilyn Bazarian at 617-484-1072.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian MP unhappy about Council of Europe Karabakh report
Public Television of Armenia
16 Sep 04
[Presenter] Adequate, but unsatisfactory – this was the assessment of
democratic changes in Armenia in a report by a co-rapporteur of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] on Armenia’s
commitments.
At another debate in Paris, MPs of PACE heard a report on Karabakh. The
report had been drawn up by [Council of Europe Secretary-General]
Terry Davis, who said that it should not be accepted as the
secretary-general’s view. This report was filed once it was submitted
to the political commission.
The head of the Armenian delegation at the Council of Europe, Tigran
Torosyan, said that the filed report by Terry Davis did not contain
favourable statements on the Karabakh conflict. Now the major goal
is to have a new report drafted that will describe the real situation.
[Tigran Torosyan over telephone] I suggested in my speech that a
meeting be arranged without delay between representatives of Nagornyy
Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the presence of the co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group. The presence of the co-chairs is of utmost
importance as Terry Davis’s report also refers to the Minsk Group.
[Presenter] The MP from the opposition, Shavarsh Kocharyan, is unhappy
about the PACE report on Armenia honouring its commitments. PACE
expressed its “satisfaction” with the fulfilment of the requirements
of the January session of the Council of Europe. Kocharyan said that
the word “satisfaction” implied honouring the commitments.
Armenian delegates who were absent from the PACE session believe that
the report is impartial.
[Passage omitted: covered views of parliamentary factions]

NATO cancels Azeri war games as Armenian officers refused entry – agency
Mediamax news agency
13 Sep 04
Yerevan, 13 September: The supreme allied commander, Europe, US Gen
James Jones, today decided to cancel the Cooperative Best Effort –
2004 exercises because of the refusal to allow Armenian military
officers entry to Baku, a representative of the headquarters of the
North Atlantic alliance in Brussels has said in a telephone interview
with Mediamax. The exercises were due to start in Baku within the
framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme.
The NATO representative stressed that Gen Jones had decided to cancel
the exercises “because of Azerbaijan’s refusal to issue permission to
Armenian officers, the fundamental principle of conducting exercises
within the framework of the Partnership for Peace programme was
breached and, in accordance with this principle, the exercises have to
be open to all partner countries”. “NATO regrets that this principle
was breached in the organization of the exercises in Azerbaijan,”
the NATO representative told Mediamax.
[Passage omitted: background information]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Art Museum Network News
July 8 2004
Art from the Byzantine Empire Examined in New Getty Exhibition
Tuesday, September 14, 2004 – Sunday, December 5, 2004
J. Paul Getty Museum

“Saint Luke.” New Testament, Byzantine, 1133. Tempera colors, gold
leaf, gold paint, and ink on parchment. Collection: The J. Paul Getty
Museum.
LOS ANGELES, (amnnews.com) – The widespread influence of the
Byzantine Empire on neighboring countries and the enduring legacy of
its art are explored in the new Getty exhibition “Byzantium and the
West,” at the Getty Center, September 14 – December 5, 2004. The
exhibition features manuscripts that showcase the distinctive
brilliance of Byzantine art and highlight the manner in which
different cultures reacted to the artistic heritage of the Empire
over time.
Drawn primarily from the Getty’s rich collection, the works on view
include bound manuscripts, leaves, and a painting, all dating from
the 11th through 17th centuries. Among these are several loans from
other West Coast collections. The exhibition explores the striking
naturalism and courtly splendor that distinguishes Byzantine art, and
examines the diverse ways in which the highly admired style was
emulated by three of Byzantium’s closest neighbors: Germany, Italy,
and Armenia.
The Byzantine Empire, which lasted from 330 until 1453, inherited the
territories and cultural traditions of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Drawing upon the art of classical Greece and Rome, Byzantine artists
continued the naturalistic tradition in their depictions of the human
form. One hallmark of their style was to arrange the folds of
garments to suggest the body underneath the garments. Byzantine art
was also known for its rich visual brilliance. Strongly influenced by
the sumptuous ceremony of the emperor’s court, artists from the
Empire illuminated their manuscripts with bright gold and other
precious materials. The geometric patterns and lush decorations they
used were partly based on motifs found in Byzantine metalwork and
jewelry of the period.
Trade, intermarriage, and military expeditions facilitated the
exchange of ideas and goods between Byzantium and the West.
Paintings, illuminated books, and silk textiles from the Empire were
among the luxury items given away as diplomatic gifts. As rulers in
Western Europe established their centers of power, they looked to
Byzantine models for symbols of imperial greatness. They adopted
Byzantine religious imagery, and artists in the region incorporated
Byzantine themes and styles into their work, reinterpreting and
adapting them to suit their own culture and the interests of their
patrons.
In Germany, the intermarriage of the imperial family with Byzantine
aristocrats in the 900s intensified the connection between the two
peoples. German artists adapted poses from Byzantine art, used bright
patterns inspired by silks from the Empire, and often followed the
naturalistic tradition of depicting Christ as vulnerable and human
rather than as a triumphant figure, much to the disapproval of the
Western Church. They also depicted their subjects dressed in exotic
robes. A German miniature of the Annunciation, created around 1240,
shows the Virgin dressed in a Byzantine costume called a “maphorion,”
with a veil that covers the head and shoulders and a star on her
forehead. In the drapery of the archangel Gabriel, the German artist
also incorporates the bright highlights and angular folds of
Byzantine illumination, but in a departure, he does not follow the
tradition of hinting at the body underneath.
Parts of Italy were once within the boundaries of the Empire, and
strong ties persisted through commercial and military activity,
especially with the beginning of the Crusades around 1095, which
brought about the greatest interaction between Byzantium and the
West. As more people became familiar with the landscape of the Holy
Land, Western artists began to respond to this expanded worldview. An
Italian manuscript created in the late 1200s follows the Byzantine
tradition and sets the Nativity within a mountainous landscape with
the Holy Family taking shelter in a cave, rather than resting in a
stable as described in the Bible. Italian artists also borrowed
imagery, such as the Virgin’s swoon, which is known from a small
number of examples in Byzantine manuscripts of the 1000s, but
flourished in the West only after 1250.
Armenia, the closest eastern neighbor to the Empire, remained an
independent Christian state but looked to the Byzantine Orthodox
Church for inspiration. In an Armenian manuscript, Saint Mark is
shown in the Byzantine manner as a Gospel writer who is bearded and
seated at a lectern. The background of gold is also adopted from the
Byzantine tradition and suggests a heavenly setting for the figure.
The Armenian artist, however, includes more elaborate architectural
details and a distinctive sun, which suggest a natural setting.
Armenian artists also incorporated Islamic art forms into their work.
Years of contact with the Byzantine Empire, Western Crusaders, and
Islamic neighbors allowed Armenian artists to choose selectively from
different artistic traditions, resulting in the development of a
distinct style that reflected the exchange and integration of many
cultural sources.
When the Byzantine Empire ended with the fall of its capital,
Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), to the Ottoman Turks in 1453,
its artistic traditions continued and were sometimes entwined with
innovations of the Italian Renaissance, especially in areas such as
Venetian-ruled Crete. Byzantine scholars who took refuge in Italy
after the fall of the Empire contributed to the sustaining power of
its art and culture, and Constantinople continued to be imagined as
the seat of Christian splendor. Western artists, however, began to
visualize Byzantine courtly splendor in familiar terms. Rather than
depicting the Byzantine emperor in the gold and jewels of an Eastern
ruler, for example, they might show him in the ermine-lined cloak and
crown common to European kings, this time adapting imagery from the
West to Byzantine subjects.
# # #
About the Getty: The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural
and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that
features the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the
Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Grant Program. The J.
Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs are based at the Getty Center in
Los Angeles.
Visiting the Getty Center: The Getty Center is open Tuesday through
Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Mondays and major holidays.
Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is available
for a fee; no reservation required. Reservations are required for
event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call 310-440-7300
(English or Spanish) for reservations and information. The TTY line
for callers who are deaf or hearing impaired is 310-440-7305.
Additional information is available on the Getty Web site at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian party leader slams president for non-attendance at NATO summit
Mediamax news agency
30 Jun 04

YEREVAN
The leader of the Armenian Liberal Progressive Party, Oganes
Oganesyan, today criticized [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan’s
decision not to take part in the NATO summit in Istanbul.
Speaking at the National Press Club today, Oganesyan said that the
president’s refusal to take part in the NATO summit could negatively
affect Armenia’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan refused to take part in the NATO
summit in Istanbul because of the absence of diplomatic relations
between Armenia and Turkey. The Armenian delegation in Istanbul was
headed by Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan.
Oganes Oganesyan said that Armenia should strive to join
NATO. According to him, already in five years Georgia, Azerbaijan and
Uzbekistan can become full members of the North Atlantic Alliance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress