Author: Maghakian Mike

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
May 27, 2006 Saturday
Aliyev says no all possibilities for Karabakh settlement used yet
by Viktor Shulman
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev said not all possibilities for
resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been used yet.
“The latest visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen to Azerbaijan,
a visit of senior diplomats and the talks they had inspire hope for a
peaceful settlement. These possibilities have not been used up yet,
and Azerbaijan is using them,” the president said on Friday evening
at an official reception on the occasion of Day of the Republic.
At the same time, he said Baku would never allow “Nagorno-Karabakh
to be separated form Azerbaijan.”
Aliyev believes that the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh is the main source of threat not only to his country
but also to the entire region where major energy and transport
projects are implemented.

Arménie – De Noé au KGB
Benoît Legault
Édition du samedi 27 et du dimanche 28 mai 2006
Mots clés : Arménie (Pays), Tourisme, kgb
Les essieux du minibus touristique se tordent de déplaisir. Les
passagers sont projetés vers la gauche, vers la droite, puis de bas en
haut. Nous sommes sur une route de campagne assez banale en Arménie,
où le réseau routier a été torturé par le grand tremblement de
terre de 1989. Une partie de ce réseau n’a pas encore été
réparée.
Le grand hôtel Marriott Armenia constitue la plus prestigieuse adresse
touristique du pays. Il est situé sur la place centrale d’Erevan, la
capitale.
Pays martyr, peuple très religieux, monastères formant la
principale attraction touristique : tout se tient. On nous avait
prévenus d’apporter de l’eau et des victuailles car la campagne
arménienne propose peu de nourriture qu’un tendre estomac d’Occidental
peut digérer. Mais que fait-on ici ? Nous entrons dans un monde
d’histoire antique, de monastères à la fois vivants et
millénaires.
À l’inverse du Canada, l’Arménie propose beaucoup d’histoire (7000
ans) et peu de géographie (340 kilomètres de l’est à l’ouest et
170 kilomètres du nord au sud). On peut donc visiter tout le pays en
quelques jours. Bien que situé en Turquie, juste au-delà de la
frontière, le célèbre mont Ararat domine l’histoire et le paysage
arméniens. Selon de nombreux historiens, ce mont aurait été le
refuge de Noé et de son arche il y a quelque 4000 ans.
La majesté du mont Ararat fascine, mais les splendeurs naturelles
abondent dans ce petit pays. Des vallées, des plaines, des canyons,
aux multiples couleurs de sable… autant d’images s’incrustant pour
toujours au fond de l’esprit.
Dans cette nature mythique, de grands monastères subliment les
paysages ; ils furent construits en hauteur pour rebuter les
envahisseurs. Grands btiments de pierre bruntre surmontés d’une
tour ronde au toit conique : le style des monastères y est
admirable. Le plus beau de ces joyaux architecturaux est le monastère
Haghpat, inscrit au Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. En outre, les
monastères arméniens sont habités, mais l’ascétisme n’est qu’une
facette d’une vie religieuse qui façonne l’évolution sociale et
politique du pays depuis plus de 1700 ans.
L’Église apostolique arménienne s’apparente au catholicisme,
cependant que les hommes mariés peuvent y devenir prêtres. Un peu
comme dans le Canada français d’autrefois, l’Église joue ici le
rôle d’une forme de gouvernement parallèle.
Erevan prend l’allure d’une ville russe moderne. Elle qui ne comptait
que 14 000 habitants en 1900 en abrite aujourd’hui 1,2 million. Il
s’agit d’une cité du XXe siècle d’allure soviétique et non pas
d’une ville-musée orientale.
Le square de la République donne des frissons tant il en impose. Cette
place immense, typique de l’architecture urbaine soviétique, est le
coeur de la capitale. Au coeur de ce coeur, l’hôtel Marriott Armenia
Yerevan propose des chambres de luxe et une terrasse où le Tout-Erevan
aime à se faire voir. Anecdote : le btiment de l’hôtel, qui
abritait autrefois des bureaux du KGB, héberge aujourd’hui le consulat
du Canada…
Le génocide arménien de 1915 (deux millions de morts) prend tout son
sens lors d’une visite du monument qui lui est consacré à Erevan.
Cette visite glace le sang. Le génocide figure en bonne place au
palmarès de l’horreur massive. De la vague connaissance historique à
la prise de conscience, ce monument vous fait voyager dans le temps et
l’émotion.
La meilleure des bonnes surprises d’Erevan demeure l’animation des rues
le soir et celle des restaurants où on fait la fête dès que les
assiettes sont vidées. Un copieux repas de spécialités, bien
arrosé, coûte environ 15 $. Voir et faire des choses en Arménie
ne coûte jamais cher, même si les souvenirs qu’on en conserve
demeurent, eux, très chers.
Collaborateur du Devoir

LAWMAKERS QUESTION REMOVAL OF U.S. ENVOY IN ARMENIA
By Jocelyne Zablit, AFP
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 26 2006
U.S. lawmakers are questioning the apparent dismissal of the US
ambassador to Armenia over a statement he made in which he recognized
the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide.
Sixty members of Congress on Monday sent a letter to Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to express concern about ambassador John
Evans’s early departure from Yerevan in coming weeks.
The White House on Tuesday nominated Richard Hoagland, the current
ambassador to Tajikistan, to replace Evans. His nomination requires
confirmation by the Senate.
The lawmakers said in their letter to Rice that recent information
indicates Evans was sacked for declaring in February 2005 that “the
Armenian genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century”. He
made the statement in meetings with Armenian-American communities.
Evans later corrected his remarks, as Washington does not officially
recognize as genocide the massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians in
the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
“I am seriously concerned at the early departure of Ambassador Evans,”
Congressman Ed Markey, a Democrat, said Wednesday in a statement. “I
hope that this sudden action by the State Department is not related
to comments made by Ambassador Evans about the Armenian genocide.”
The State Department had no immediate comment but a spokesman
underlined that all ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president.
The 60 congressmen who signed the letter to Rice defended his use of
the word “genocide”, saying it was a proper interpretation of the
“cataclysmic events of 1915”. “By employing the proper term last
year, the ambassador was only building on previous statements by
our leaders in government, as well as the repeated declarations of
numerous world-renowned scholars,” the letter states, referring to
comments made by then-president Ronald Reagan in 1981 in which he
specifically used the word genocide in describing massacres.
“In effect, Ambassador Evans did nothing more than succinctly repeat
the conclusions enunciated by those before him,” the lawmakers said.
They also questioned whether Turkey had played a part in Evans’s
departure from Armenia.
“Were the United States to allow the views or beliefs of a third
country to interfere with our diplomatic postings to the Republic of
Armenia, it would establish a dangerous precedent and be injurious to
the long-standing relationship built on trust and friendship between
the two countries,” the letter said.
Evans, a career diplomat, was appointed ambassador to Armenia in
August 2004. Ambassadors typically serve overseas for an average of
three years.
The U.S. administration has consistently stopped short of calling the
World War I massacres of Armenians a genocide. However several other
countries, including France, Canada and Switzerland, recognize them
as such.
Turkey has lobbied hard against the “genocide” label, arguing that
300,000 Armenians and as many Turks were killed in civil strife
in the final years of the Ottoman Empire when the Armenians rose
up for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading
Russian troops.

KOCHARYAN STARTED TO MEET DELEGATION OF INTERNATIONAL CONCILIATORS IN YEREVAN
Author: A.Mammadov
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 25 2006
The Armenian president Robert Kocharyan started to meet with the
delegation of the international conciliators which includes Russian
deputy foreign minister Grigori Karasin, the USA state secretary
assistant Daniel Freed, advisor of French Foreign Ministry Pyer Morel
and co-chairs of the OFCE Minsk Group.
According to information of Mediamaks agency, the conciliators are
expected to make a statement at 18:00 with local time.

FESTIVAL OF YOUTH PERFORMANCES TO BE HELD IN JUNE IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
May 24 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A Festival of Youth Performances will
be held on June 23-30 in Yerevan on the initiative of the Armenian
Theater Figures’ Union. 8 Yerevan and 3 regional, Goris, Gavar
and Kapan theaters will take part in the festival. As Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed by RA People’s Artist Yervand Ghazanchian,
Chairman of the Armenian Theater Figures’ Union, producers and actors
aged 30 and below will participate in the festival.
According to Y.Ghazanchian, the festival is also a peculiar review
that will gave young producers and actors an opportunity to present
their professional skills. “We should be sure that the Armenian
theater will have deserved successors after us and will develop,”
Y.Ghazanchian emphasized. According to him, it is possible that
after the festival the best participants will receive an invitation
of working at Yerevan theaters.
The festival is held with the assistance of RA Ministry of Culture
and Youth Affairs and Yerevan Mayor’s Office.

2008.3 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID IMPORTED TO ARMENIA IN JANUARY-MARCH
Noyan Tapan
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. 2008.3 tons of goods with a total cost
of 10.1 mln USD were imported to Armenia on the line of humanitarian
aid in January-March of the current year. 1415.5 tons of goods with
a total cost of 11.5 mln USD were imported in the same period of
2005. According to the data of RA National Statistical Service,
devices made 30.8% of the aid, machines, equipments and mechanisms
13.7%, paper and goods made from paper 11.6%, textile goods 8.7%.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: FRANCE TO TOUCH UPON POSTPONED DRAFT SOONER OR LATER
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Sooner or later,
France, as the leader of Europe, will again touch upon that issue,
and we’ll have success this time.” Vahan Hovhannisian, the NA Deputy
Speaker, an ARF Bureau member said to journalists on May 19, touching
upon the postponing of the votion at the French NA the previous day
for the draft envisaging criminal liability for denying the Armenian
Genocide. According to him, clashes of interests are understandable,
including the one that big financial and economic circles which are
interested in Turkey influence on the Government. “But there are other
circles as well, and they will become active now,” V.Hovhannisian
assured.
According to him, the blackmail implemented by Turkey is not surpising,
either, as during the last 250 years it “has been Turkey’s main way
of leading policy.” He also emphasized that Turkey’s reaction in
the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide proves that the
foreign policy being implemented by Armenia is becoming effective,
and that the taken course is right.

PRODUCTION OF 23 INCOMPLETED FILMS FINISHED AT HAYFILM AND HAYK FILM STUDIOS IN 2005
Noyan Tapan
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Production of 23 out of the 29 films
made at Hayfilm and Hayk state film studios in 2001-2005 was finished
in 2005. The production of the remaining 6 incompleted films is in
progress at Hayfilm, and it is envisaged to complete this process
this year. According to the RA National Statistical Service, the
total production cost of the completed films makes 381.4 mln drams
(abouit 854 thousand USD). 65.9% of the total production costs or
251.3 mln drams was incurred in 2005. The revenues of the above
mentioned film studios in 2005 amounted to 552.4 mln drams, 480.2
mln drams of which was received from the RA state budget. The total
financial expenditures of the two film studios made 551.1 mln drams.

HASMIK POGHOSYAN APPOINTED MINISTER OF CULTURE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 19:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By RA President’s decree Hasmik Poghosyan, the
chairwoman of the Council of the Armenian Society for Cultural Ties
will replace Gevorg Gevorgyan at the post of the Minister of Culture,
reported RA leader’s press service. To note, Gevorg Gevorgyan was
appointed the Minister of Culture in February 2006 after Hovik Hoveyan,
member of Orinats Yerkir party, handed in his resignation.

UN TO ADDRESS DEBASEMENT OF MISS UNIVERSE, EUROVISION
The Chaser (satire), Australia
May 22 2006
New York:
United Nations officials have criticised the victory of TISM, from
Norway, in the Eurovision Song Contest, as a wave of despondency
swept the impoverished Eastern European nations whose best performance
artists failed to make the grade.
“This is a terrible result: our officers will now have to deal with
the consequences of this decision,” said UN secretary for emerging
nation development Ramos-Boutros Hopkins, “dung-eating peasants have
been shown to gain a great boost in their national esteem by victory
in these sorts of empty international competitions. After all, they
stand no chance in the real world so these sorts of awards are the
equivalent of an ’employee of the month’ program at KFC. Giving the
award to a prosperous country like Norway is a total waste.”
“WE have seen this trend also debase the original purpose of Miss
Universe as well,” said Hopkins, a reference to the victories of Miss
Canada and Miss Australia in recent Universe contests, “Miss Universe
is there to stop Latin American countries from going communist: that’s
why we used to circulate it between Miss Venezeula, Miss Trinidad and
Tobago and Miss Peuto Rico. Who knows what instability will result
with these Westerners winning?”
In an emergency session, the UN is reportedly working behind the
scenes to ensure the next Miss World pageant is won by a former Soviet
Bloc nation.
“We gave it to Russia in 2002, but with the Eurovision trophy moving
West we are going to have to take some serious diplomatic measures.
Eurovision should have gone to Turkey or Armenia: we can’t give them
Miss Universe without making it obvious that the pageant’s judging
is less than objective.”
tion=com_smf&Itemid=161&?topic=2753.msg603 22;topicseen