Author: Maghakian Mike

LAWRENCE’S MID-EAST MAP ON SHOW
BBC News, UK
Oct 12 2005
Lawrence’s proposals were opposed by British authorities A map showing
Lawrence of Arabia’s proposals for the reconstruction of the Middle
East following World War I is set to be displayed for the first time.
The newly-found map shows TE Lawrence opposed the allied agreement
which eventually determined the borders of Iraq as it is now.
He said separate governments should operate in the predominantly
Kurdish and Arab areas in what is now Iraq.
The map is to go on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.
It is just one of a number of previous unseen items in the museum’s
new exhibition, Lawrence Of Arabia: The Life, The Legend.
Lawrence, who presented his proposals to the Eastern Committee of
the War Cabinet in November 1918, also mooted the idea of separate
governments for the Mesopotamian Arabs and Armenians in Syria.
Allied agreement
These proposed borders would have replaced those drawn up in the
1916 allied agreement, which was negotiated between Sir Mark Sykes
and Francois Georges-Picot on behalf of Britain and France.
Lawrence’s stance was formed during the Arab Revolt of 1916/18 when
he heard the views of men from across the Middle East who were serving
in the army of Britain’s Arab allies against Turkey.
He was also in contact with other British experts on the region,
such as DG Hogarth and Gilbert Clayton.
But Lawrence’s suggestions came across opposition by the British
administration in Mesopotamia.
The map shows that the opinions of those who knew the region well
were often ignored
Hania Farhan
Jeremy Wilson, Lawrence biographer and historical adviser to
the exhibition, said the discovery of the map was “particularly
interesting” because “it suggests that Lawrence’s proposals were
taken fairly seriously, at least in London”.
Mr Wilson added that the proposals “would have provided the region
with a far better starting point than the crude imperial carve-up
agreed by Sykes and Georges-Picot”.
Meanwhile, Hania Farhan, regional director of the Middle East and
North Africa, Economist Intelligence Unit, said: “The map shows that
the opinions of those who knew the region well were often ignored,
as the colonial powers in London and Paris had their own agendas and
did not appear to care about the facts on the ground or the people
of those areas.
“Lawrence’s proposed borders differ substantially from those that
ended up being put in place.”
The exhibition will run from 14 October to 17 April 2006.
It will also include the Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle Lawrence
was riding when he had his fatal accident on 13 May 1935.

PACE organises public hearing on gender equality in the South Caucasus
Strasbourg, 11.10.2005 – Parliamentarians from Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia will join with women’s groups in the three countries, as well as
experts from the UN, to discuss gender equality in the South Caucasus at
a public hearing in Tbilisi (Georgia) on Friday 14 October 2005.
“Not enough attention has been paid to the situation of women in the
South Caucasus,” said Rosmarie Zapfl-Helbling (Switlzerland, EPP/CD),
Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and
Men of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (APCE), which is
organising the event in collaboration with the Parliament of Georgia.
“This hearing – and the report which will flow from it – aims to
highlight the difficult situation many women in the area face, and to
push for gender equality to be made a priority.”
Participants will hear an overview of the situation in each of the three
South Caucasus countries before discussing topics such as women’s
health, violence against women and the role of women in conflict
prevention and resolution.
The conclusions of the hearing will form part of a report being prepared
by Vera Oskina (Russia, EDG) on the situation of women in the South
Caucasus.
A day earlier, on Thursday 13 October 2005, a regional parliamentary
seminar will look at ways in which national parliaments in the South
Caucasus can help promote equality. The event will be opened by the
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burdjanadze. Although the
seminar is closed to the press, a press conference will be held at 6
p.m. on Thursday 13 October in the Georgian Parliament.
Link to the programme of the hearing
The hearing, which is open to the press, will be held in the “Ilia
Chavchavadze” Room of the Georgian Parliament (8 Rustaveli Avenue,
Tbilisi) on Friday 14 October 2005, beginning at 9.15 a.m.
Contacts:
Tanja Kleinsorge and Jannick Devaux, PACE Secretariat, mobile + 33 6 63
49 15 62.
ED130a05

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN ARMENIA: DECLARATION BY THE CHAIR OF THE COE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Strasbourg, 10.10.2005
Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Portugal
and Chairman of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, made
the following statement:
“After several months of intense debate, Armenia’s National Assembly
has just adopted a number of constitutional amendments, in line
with the country’s commitment undertaken when joining the Council of
Europe. The referendum to be held on 27 November on this reform will be
vital for Armenia. By turning out to vote during the referendum, the
people of Armenia will indeed be deciding on changes of fundamental
importance for their future. The expertise of the constitutional
amendments by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has shown
that the reform will allow the alignment of the Constitution with
European standards by enhancing the independence of the judiciary,
providing a more balanced distribution of power between the executive
and the legislative branches, as well as promoting local democracy
and freedom of the media.
I appeal to the sense of responsibility and concern for the common
good of Armenia’s political parties, beyond their differences, in
order to support this reform, which is essential to the country’s
future as a democracy. By participating in the referendum and showing
their attachment to the values of freedom and democracy, the people
of Armenia will show their desire to see Armenia fully assume its
part in the European construction.”
“After several months of intense debate, Armenia’s National Assembly
has just adopted a number of constitutional amendments, in line
with the country’s commitment undertaken when joining the Council of
Europe. The referendum to be held on 27 November on this reform will be
vital for Armenia. By turning out to vote during the referendum, the
people of Armenia will indeed be deciding on changes of fundamental
importance for their future. The expertise of the constitutional
amendments by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has shown
that the reform will allow the alignment of the Constitution with
European standards by enhancing the independence of the judiciary,
providing a more balanced distribution of power between the executive
and the legislative branches, as well as promoting local democracy
and freedom of the media.
I appeal to the sense of responsibility and concern for the common
good of Armenia’s political parties, beyond their differences, in
order to support this reform, which is essential to the country’s
future as a democracy. By participating in the referendum and showing
their attachment to the values of freedom and democracy, the people
of Armenia will show their desire to see Armenia fully assume its
part in the European construction.”

WRITER ‘UNLIKELY TO BE IMPRISONED’
The Independent (London)
October 10, 2005, Monday
Orhan Pamuk: Supporting Armenian genocide claim
ISTANBUL Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said he was confident
a court would dismiss charges against the best-selling Turkish writer,
Orhan Pamuk, who faces prison for supporting Armenian claims they
suffered a genocide under Ottoman Turks in 1915. Mr Gul said the
case would be probably be dismissed as a court had already thrown
out similar charges against another person.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IT TECHNOLOGIES MAY PROMOTE ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2005
YEREVAN, October 10. /ARKA/. IT technologies may promote Armenia’s
economic development, Chairman of the Union of IT Enterprises
Hovhanes Avoyan told reporters. According to him, it requires a wider
application of IT in other economic sectors. Avoyan pointed out the
necessity of using all the potential of computers, while it is used
at the most primitive level in Armenia. “We mainly use games, and
accountancy programs in business,” he said. According to Avoyan, the
DigiTec 2005 exhibition held in Yerevan aroused keen interest in IT.
Avoyan pointed out that the exhibition displays solutions to computer
problems in various fields, particularly in healthcare.
Director of the Enterprises Incubator Foundation Bagrat Yengibaryan
said that this exhibition will occupy its worthy place among other
European and regional exhibitions and will help Armenian consumers
to find their way in diverse IT technologies.
Thirty IT organizations from Armenia and other countries participated
in the DigiTec 2005 exhibition. The exhibition was organized by the
Enterprises Incubator Foundation and Union of IT Enterprises.

SCIENTISTS COMPLAIN OF PRIVATIZATION
A1+
| 16:52:58 | 10-10-2005 | Social |
The work of the “General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute” has been
ceased for the last days. The problem is that the municipality has
sold the majority of the land belonging to the Institute. The Institute
staff tried to struggle against the unlawful act, but applying to the
three court instances was no use. Today the Institute staff intends
to organize a sit-down strike opposite the President’s residence.
The General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute had 5 hectares of
land which was a must for the Institute as s sanitary and security
zone. “In the Institute chemical experiments are realized”, said head
of the Institute Sevan Davtyan.
By this decision the Institute was factually deprived of the security
zone and hence of the possibility to realize secure experiments. “This
means the beginning of the end”, noted the head of the Institute
who is a doctor-professor of Chemical sciences. He realizes that if
they start to build luxury mansions in the security zone (some have
already been built), the Institute will be deprived of its building
in the closest future.
The Institute engages in the investigation of the lithosphere and
processes different technologies. Part of the work realized by
the Institute is used in the military field. Some of them are also
important for jeweler’s art which has been recognized as a prior
branch of economy by Robert Kocharyan.

LATVIA IS INTERESTED IN DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN RIGA AND YEREVAN
Regnum, Russia
Oct 10 2005
There are many perspectives in financial cooperation between Armenia
and Latvia, we only need to concretize them and make first steps
towards the realization, President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said
on a business forum of the two countries.
As a REGNUM correspondent reports, according to Kocharyan, to develop
partnership between the two countries, at first a solid legal and
negotiation system should be established. “The second principal
element is the predictability of both countries. There is no such
problem currently. After obtaining independence, Armenia has been
heading towards serious economical growth. Third, we need a healthy
competition. And the last factor is safety. Many crimes such as racket
have been successfully exterminated,” said president of Armenia. The
main problems, according to him, are lack of information and
contacts. However, the new EU policy “Extended Europe: New Neighbors”
will provide both countries with needed partnership possibilities.
In her turn, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga informed,
that during her visit to Armenia, many documents important for
future negotiations have been signed. “We’re impressed by Armenia’s
economic growth and hope that it will continue for the good of both
our countries”, said Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
During the forum, Latvian finance minister Krisjanis Karins noted,
that the Latvian side was interested in direct flights between Riga
and Yerevan. In his turn, Kocharyan said that this could be one of the
components of business and tourism development. The only discussable
question now is the visa question. The Latvian side hopes that it
could be settled by establishing an Armenian embassy in Latvia that
will happen in the near future.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA PROPOSES WORKING-OUT DOCUMENT TO STRENGTHEN CULTURAL LEGACY PROTECTION
Pan Armenian
08.10.2005 18:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian yesterday left for
Paris to take part in the UNESCO General Conference that has Education
for All slogan this year, reported the Press service of the Armenian
MFA. The same day V.
Oskanian made a statement at the conference. He specifically noted
that Armenia fully supports the education policy of the organization,
which coincides with Armenia’s strategy. The first university founded
eight centuries ago and a highest literacy index in the world evidence
Armenia’s commitment to education and science. Armenian cultural
values spread worldwide were a way and guarantee of Armenian people’s
survival from Singapore to Lvov, from Moscow to Paris, the Minister
noted. There is no better example than St. Lazarus Island in Venice,
of which both Armenians and Italians are cultural fathers. “We dream
that our immediate neighbor be as tolerant and valuing. However,
thousands of Armenian cultural monuments in Turkey symbolize not only
lost lives, but also lost opportunities. In its turn Azerbaijan does
everything to keep away from us. As no Armenians remained on its
territory, Armenian cultural monuments have become their targets,”
Vartan Oskanian stated. In his words a number of cultural monuments
in Armenia are included in the World Legacy list. Besides, V.
Oskanian said he was content with UN activities. He presented
Armenian delegation’s intention over ratification of the Convention
on Protection and Encouragement of Cultural Diversity. The Armenian
FM also noted that Armenia proposes working out a new document that
would strengthen cultural legacy protection.

Radio Russia
Oct 7 2005
Ethnic communities take on Russian state agencies’ duties –
minister’s aide

In Moscow the Russian state agencies have been replaced by the ethnic
communities as the defender and protector of small business,
Konstantin Remchukov, a Russian businessman and aide to the economic
development and trade minister, as well as the de-facto owner of a
nationwide liberal paper, told Radio Russia’s “At First Hand”
programme on 7 October.
Discussing the Russian government’s economic policies with the
programme’s host, Natalya Bekhtina, Remchukov said that one of the
most urgent tasks for the government was to stimulate small business
and so far this task had been ignored and taken on only by ethnic
communities who provide loans and protection for members of their
ethnic groups.
“I talked to an Armenian businessman based in Moscow and he told me
that when Armenian refugees arrive in Moscow they visit some person
who takes on responsibility for the newcomers’ life and business [in
Moscow]. And this person is the most efficient protection for them.
The Armenian family is offered a private loan, a trade outlet, a
small shop or a shoe polisher’s booth. They are told how to deal with
the police and government inspectors. They are told to repay their
loan within two or three years. They are protected from criminals,”
Remchukov told his host.
“So we can see that the refugees in Moscow are very well organized
and their communities execute the state’s duties while the state does
not do so. The state does not offer people a start-up loan, does not
create favourable conditions for small business. And the ethnic
communities – the Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian and Chechen
diasporas – just do it themselves,” said Remchukov.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANALYSIS-FRICTION IN AZERI RULING ELITE ON ELECTION EVE
By Lada Yevgrashina
Reuters
10/06/05 07:11 ET
BAKU, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev faces
the fiercest challenge to his power not from the opposition at
parliamentary elections in a month’s time but from warring factions
inside his own ruling elite, analysts say.
The Nov. 6 vote is under close international scrutiny after rigged
elections in ex-Soviet Georgia and Ukraine led to revolutions — a
scenario Aliyev’s opponents say could be repeated in the energy-rich
Caspian Sea state.
Though ruling officials deny a split, analysts say Aliyev, 43, is
caught in a power struggle between young modernisers in his team who
want a fair election and older hawks prepared to use force to put
down opposition protests after the vote.
“The ‘velvet’ revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia only happened
because there was a clear split in the ruling clan,” said analyst
Zardusht Alizade.
If Azerbaijan’s government snubs international pressure for a fair
vote, “it can expect a schism, and part of the ruling elite will join
the opposition camp,” he said.
Even Aliyev’s opposition challengers say they are less of a threat
than the enemies in his own camp.
“A real split can be observed inside Ilham Aliyev’s team,” Ali Kerimli,
one of two leaders of Azerbaijan’s main opposition bloc, told Reuters
in an interview.
“And more than that, the struggle between the factions is even more
bitter than that between the authorities and the opposition,” said
Kerimli, whose National Front, with four seats, is the only opposition
party in parliament.
Next month’s election has laid bare the infighting, with candidates
from rival factions running against each other for the same seat in
parliament on the ruling New Azerbaijan Party ticket, Kerimli said.
Aliyev, elected president in 2003 to replace his father Haydar,
who had ruled since Soviet times, is popular with voters and governs
almost unchallenged by the weak opposition.
SPLIT DISMISSED
All members of his administration say they are united in their loyalty
to the president.
“There is no split. All this talk of divisions is without foundation,”
said Siyavush Novruzov, deputy head of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party.
But analysts name Ramiz Mehtiyev, head of the presidential
administration who served for many years under Haydar Aliyev, as
the key figure in the faction that favours authoritarian methods to
preserve power.
On the other side is a group of younger politicians led by Azerbaijan’s
representative to the Council of Europe, Samed Seidov, who are pushing
for political reform, analysts say.
Local newspaper reports said Seidov and his allies — who include
some of Aliyev’s personal friends — complained this summer that the
old guard in the administration was frustrating reform.
Soon after, tax police raided a university run by Seidov, the
reports said.
Azerbaijan’s ruling elite is a patchwork of clans from the Aliyev
family’s native region of Nakhichevan, ethnic Azeris from neighbouring
Armenia and family friends and relatives.
Analysts say Aliyev shares the reformist leanings of his younger
aides but is not strong enough to take on the old guard.
Offshore oil and gas fields operated by BP are ramping up production,
promising Azerbaijan a windfall of billions of dollars over the next
20 years. Some observers say the clans are fighting for a share of
these spoils.
“The struggle inside the governing elite has intensified with the
election, but also as a result of the growing flow of financial
resources,” said analyst Leila Aliyeva.
Newspaper reports say the latest feud is between Economic Development
Minister Farhad Aliyev and Kemalatdin Haydarov, the customs chief
and an old favourite of the ruling family.
Farhad Aliyev has been stripped of some official powers and has
complained to reporters of a death threat, though he did not give
the source of the threat.
President Aliyev has promised that the Nov. 6 election will be fair
and says accusations of ballot-rigging and official repression are
empty opposition rhetoric.
Police at the weekend used truncheons to break up an opposition
rally in the centre of the capital, saying the protesters did not
have official permission. The opposition had turned down the offer
of a venue on the outskirts of Baku.
(Additional reporting by Rufat Abbassov)