Author: Maral Takmazian

PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV DISCUSSED DAQLIQ QARABAQ CONFLICT WITH ROBERT KOCHARYAN, PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA IN KAZAN
Azerbaijan News Service
Aug 27 2005
Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan and Robert Kocharyan, president
of Armenia held talks on settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Daqliq
Qarabaq conflict in Kazan. The presidents first met face to face.
Later the meeting continued with participation of OSCE Minsk group
co-chairmen. There were also held exchange of views on certain question
agreed at the meting of FA ministers of two countries in Moscow on
August 24 during the talks lasting for an hour. The two presidents
as well as OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen positively appraised the
talks. The plane of President Ilham Aliyev landed in Heydar Aliyev
airport at about 7:30 pm.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Deputy FM cites ‘great chances’ for progress in peace talks
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Aug 16 2005
Baku, August 15, AssA-Irada — Liberation of Azerbaijan’s seven
districts around Upper Garabagh will be discussed at the meetings
of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers and presidents, Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told journalists on Monday.
Azimov said that there are great chances for positive results in the
talks on the settlement of the Upper Garabagh conflict, but said that
much depends on Armenia’s readiness to take one more step toward a
peace agreement.
The Deputy Foreign Minister said that issues relating to the return
of Azerbaijani refugees home, rehabilitation of communications in the
occupied districts and determination of the status of Azerbaijani
and Armenian population of Upper Garabagh will be discussed
at the meetings. “It is impossible to free all occupied regions
simultaneously. Liberation of Upper Garabagh may be discussed only
after the seven districts around it are freed.”
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs stated during their last visits to the
region that the positions of the conflicting sides have drawn closer
due to mutual compromises.
Azimov seemingly confirmed that the Azerbaijani side has made
compromises. However, he chose not to mention the details, as
elaborating on the compromises may impede peace talks.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse
6 juillet 2005 mercredi 4:49 PM GMT
Condamné pour sa présentation du génocide arménien, le Quid fait appel
PARIS
Les éditions Robert Laffont et la société Quid ont décidé mercredi de
faire appel du jugement du tribunal de grande instance (TGI) de Paris
les condamnant pour leur présentation du génocide arménien, estimant
cette décision “inquiétante” pour la liberté d’expression, dans un
communiqué.
“Les Éditions Robert Laffont et Quid sont extrêmement surprises de la
décision rendue aujourd’hui par la 17ème Chambre du TGI de Paris”,
souligne tout d’abord le communiqué pour qui le jugement “suppose
qu’il y aurait une seule présentation correcte du génocide arménien
et peut être demain de d’autres crimes internationaux”.
Selon la maison d’édition et le Quid, “les données fondamentales sur
le génocide arménien figuraient dans les éditions du Quid
poursuivies”.
“Cette décision sans précédent est inquiétante, elle ouvre une +boîte
de pandore+” car elle “pourrait en effet permettre demain à tel
groupe, telle association, de rétablir une véritable censure en
imposant au juge de n’admettre qu’une seule présentation admissible
des tragédies”, poursuivent les auteurs du communiqué pour qui “la
liberté d’expression et partant la liberté d’édition pourraient être
également compromises”.
Pour cette raison, les éditions Robert Laffont et Quid “entendent
saisir la Cour d’appel de Paris”.
Le Quid, célèbre ouvrage encyclopédique, a été condamné mercredi par
le TGI de Paris à payer un euro de dommages-intérêts à plusieurs
associations en raison d’une présentation jugée contestable du
génocide arménien.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 20:21:56 | 06-07-2005 | Official |
SUPER-MINISTER IN MOSCOW
Today the delegation of Hovik Abrahamyan, Minister of Regional Government,
left for Moscow.
The Minister has met the head of the RF President’s staff Dmitri Medvedev.
The course of organizing events in connection with the Russian year in
Armenia has been discussed and a wide circle of events has been envisaged.
The draft project of the events of 2006 – the Armenian year in Russia was
also discussed.
The Minister has also met the RA Minister of Regional Development Vladimir
Yakovlev. Issues of cooperation between the two Ministries have been
discussed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #123, 06/07/2005
Science
13 CENTURY ARMENIAN BOOK ON WELFARE ART FOR HORSES AMAZES FOREIGNERS
“This book on welfare art for horses written in Cilicia is a real scientific
treasure”, Dr. Jasmin Dum-Tragut, linguist and armenologist at Linguistic
Institute of Salzburg, Austria, said. In cooperation with Zoology University
of Vienna, Dr. Dum-Tragut translated into German the most ancient Armenian
book on how to cure horses dated back 13 century (1295-98). The book titled
“The Welfare Art for Horses in Cilicia. Armenian Legacy” includes also a
dictionary of professional terms and explanations. The original book,
written by an Armenian polyglot priest (unfortunately the name is not
mentioned) and a Syrian horse breeder, came to be the most ancient and most
professional research in the Middle East. Specialists at Vienna Zoology
University were taken by surprise to read about herbal medicines that were
far more productive than those medicines we have today. Those medicinal
herbs used to grow in the Armenian Plateau and were used for healing human
diseases as well.
During the 2 and a half years of preparation for translation, Dr. Jasmin
Dum-Tragut has met Armenian zoologists, horse breeders and common peasants
to find out the exact root of some terms. He found out that all of these
people use Russian or Turkish words and do not even remember the Armenian
equivalents.
Thanks to the Austrian armenologist and linguist we have not only the book
translated but also have Armenian words saved from oblivion.
By Hakob Tsulikian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey ‘faces toughest test’ for EU entry
By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Vincent Boland in Ankara
FT
June 30 2005 03:00
Turkey will face the toughest test ever presented to a candidate for
entry to the European Union and might have to settle for less than
full membership, the European Commission said yesterday.
Setting out the Commissions’s proposals for negotiations with Ankara,
Olli Rehn, enlargement Commissioner, said Turkey would face the “most
rigorous” test of any EU candidate to date, while several of his
colleagues called for a “privileged partnership” instead of membership.
“It certainly will be a long and difficult journey, but the journey
is as important as the destination,” Mr Rehn said, emphasising the
reforms Turkey would need to carry out during the talks.
He highlighted problems over Turkey’s relations with its neighbours –
such as Cyprus and Armenia – and continuing obstacles over economic
issues, such as the pharmaceutical trade and intellectual property
rights.
“It’s a fact of life that privileged partnership will be part of the
political debate in the months and years to come,” he added.
Under the Commission proposals, which will have to be backed by all
25 EU member states if talks are to begin on schedule on October 3,
Turkey will have to implement reforms rather than just promise changes.
Discussion of the proposals took place in an atmosphere shaped by
the recent French and Dutch No votes to the European constitution,
in which concerns about Turkish entry played a big part. In addition,
German elections expected for September could result in a victory
for the Christian Democrats, who are opposed to Turkish membership.
The Commissioners who expressed reservations yesterday about the
proposals included Charlie McCreevy of Ireland, Benita Ferrero-Waldner
of Austria, Viviane Reding of Luxembourg and Markos Kyprianou of
Cyprus. Jacques Barrot of France also opposes Turkish membership. In
the end, the text re-stated the EU’s position that the talks were
“open-ended” rather than explicitly discussing privileged partnership,
but it strengthened the emphasis on limits of the EU’s capacity to
absorb new members.
Countries such as Austria and Cyprus are likely to want to make changes
to the document. “Once the [EU] member states get their hands on the
text, it’s bound to get worse,” said a diplomat from an EU country
friendly towards Turkey.
Austria is likely to want to expand on the idea of privileged
partnership, and Cyprus to intensify calls for Turkey to recognise
it diplomatically. However, the forthcoming British presidency of
the EU will want to keep such demands vague.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Tender Opportunity in Armenia’s Natural Gas Sector
BISNIS Oil & Gas
June 2005
This broadcast contains information on:
TRADES AND TENDER
Company: ArmRusGasprom
City / Country: Yerevan, Armenia
Tender: 48,000 household natural gas meters with consumption rate 4
cub.m/hour and additional 32,000 at 6 cub.m/hour.
For more information see
*******************************************
EVENTS
Corporate Taxation in Russia and CIS
September 22-23, 2005
Cyprus (locale to be confirmed)
Marcus Evans conference will give a unique opportunity to hear from
those personally involved in drafting and applying tax legislation.
The focus of the conference will be on giving practical advice on tax
administration, minimising the tax liability by all legal means and
analysing all aspects of corporate taxation such as: transfer
pricing, VAT, export VAT and profit tax.
For more information see
*******************************************
UPDATES
Report on Oil and Gas Exports from the Caspian Region by RPI
Oil and Gas Exports from the Caspian Region provides analysis of the
fundamentals and practice of oil and gas exports from Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The report reviews the
export potential of the Caspian region and focuses on economic, legal
and technical aspects of exporting oil via different routes.
For more information see
*********** SENT BY **********************
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Email: [email protected]
Direct Tel: 202-482-2047
Fax: 202-482-2293
NEED FINANCING FOR A PROPOSED SALE TO EURASIA?
BISNIS FinanceLink helps U.S. companies find financing for export
transactions where a Eurasian buyer has already been identified. For
more information:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA ELECTED DEPUTY PRESIDENT
A1plus
| 16:33:05 | 15-06-2005 | Official |
Armenia has been elected deputy President of the 60th session of the
UN General Assembly.
As deputy President country, Armenia, in the face of the permanent
representative to the UN, Ambassador Armen Martirosyan, will take
part in the works of the Chief Committee. The 90th session of the
General Assembly will start on September 14.
The Chief Committee is responsible for the works of the General
Assembly, including for the discussion of the agenda issues and
representing offers of certifying the UN member countries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Massis Weekly Online – Vol. 25, No. 22.
June 11, 2005
– Pontifical Divine Liturgy At The Cathedral Of Our Lady Of The Angels
– Aram Sarkisian Arrives In The United States
– The Twenty Hunchakian Gallows

– His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos Of All Armenians In The Western
Diocese Pontifical Divine Liturgy At The Cathedral Of Our Lady Of The Angels
LOS ANGELES — At 3:30 p.m. on June 5, 2005 His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, celebrated Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Led by a vast procession of
Archbishops, Bishops, diocesan clergy, deacons and ecumenical guests,
His Holiness made his official entry into the Cathedral under the
`Amphovani’, the traditional umbrella of the Catholicos. As he proceeded
to the Altar, His Holiness blessed the faithful who had filled the
Cathedral to capacity.
All Diocesan clergy and deacons of the Southern California region took
part in the procession, as well as high ranking clergy, including His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese;
His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese; His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian; His Eminence
Archbishop Arsen Berberyan; His Eminence Archbishop Nerses Bozabalyan;
His Grace Bishop Vicken Aikazian, Legate of Washington, D.C.; His Grace
Bishop Bagrat Galsdanian, Primate of the Canadian Diocese; and His
Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian.
His Holiness was assisted during Divine Liturgy by His Eminences
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian. The United
Armenian Central Choir of the Western Diocese sang the Liturgy, directed
by Deacon Stepan Gozumian and accompanied by Dr. Ronald Sinanian on the
organ.
During the Divine Liturgy His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
welcomed the Catholicos. `Your Holiness,’ said Archbishop Derderian, `it
gives me a great honor to extend to you a warm welcome to the Western
Diocese on behalf of our Diocesan clergy, Diocesan Council, and the
faithful members, as well as the ecumenical guests and dignitaries who
are present here today.
His Holiness Karekin II is the spiritual leader of the Armenian
Apostolic Church and the nation. Since his election to the throne of St.
Gregory the illuminator in 1999 the Armenian Church has become a
dominant presence in the life of the Armenians both in Armenia and the
Diaspora. It is time for the Church of Armenia to recuperate from the
loss of the dark era of the Soviet Union and to radiate the Light of God
from the hearts of Armenians in Armenian and in our communities.’
In his Pontifical Sermon His Holiness Karekin II expressed his gratitude
to the Cardinal for making the Cathedral available for the Pontifical
Divine Liturgy. He extended to the faithful his warm and heartfelt
blessings form the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Catholicos urged
the faithful to renew and reawaken within them the Christian faith and
the love towards the Armenian Apostolic Church, as we celebrate together
the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian alphabet. He
continued saying `the ills and difficulties of Armenia and the Armenian
Apostolic Church will disappear’ when we are connected in Christ.
On this auspicious occasion, in appreciation of the hard work,
unrelenting devotion and dedication of His Eminence Archbishop
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese, to the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, the Western Diocese and the faithful, His Holiness
presented to Archbishop Derderian a `Banagia’, the official symbol of
the rank of Archbishop.
In celebration of the 1600th anniversary of the alphabet the `Banagia’
is adorned with the original 36 Armenian letters. His Holiness also gave
a cross to Cardinal Roger Mahony expressing his gratitude for allowing
the Western Diocese the use of the Cathedral.
Following the Sermon His Holiness Karekin II, as well as the high-raking
clergy participating in the Liturgy and over 25 clergy administered Holy
Communion to the faithful.
-Aram Sarkisian Arrives In The United States
Former Prime Minister Will Be Keynote Speaker At The 90th Anniversary
Commemoration Of 20 Gallows
GLENDALE — Aram Sarkisian, the leader of Armenia’s `Hanrapetutyun’
(Republic) opposition party, has arrived in the U.S. at the invitation
of Social Democratic Hunchakian Party. He will be the keynote speaker at
an event dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the hanging of 20 Hunchak
party leaders by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. The event will be held in
Glendale on June 11th at United Community Church (333 E. Colorado St).
Sarkisian’s first stop was the nation’s capital Washington DC where he
is met with officials in the National Security Council and the State
Department as well as members of the U.S. Congress.
Sarkisian, who briefly served as Armenia’s prime minister in 1999-2000,
after the assassination of his brother Vasken Sarkisian, put his visit
in the context of recent U.S. calls for democratization in the South
Caucasus and elsewhere in the world. `Western governments are always
elected by the people and that is called democracy,’ he said. `The
Russians, on the other hand, support the likes of Saddam Hussein,
[Belarus President Aleksandr] Lukashenko, [Armenian President Robert]
Kocharian who is totally rejected by our people. That is why Russia is
losing.
`Russia is offering us nothing, while the West is urging us not to rig
elections and to form legitimate judicial, legislative and executive
bodies.’
Sarkisian and his `Hanrapetutyun’ party, which is a key member of
Armenia’s largest opposition alliance, has been the most vocal opponent
of Robert Kocharian, who’s re-election in 2004 was marred by massive
voter frauds, arrests and brutal dispersion of peaceful demonstrators
opposing his illegal power grab.
In April of 2004, special security forces using water cannons and stun
grenades chased thousands of demonstrators away from the presidential
palace, and later seized and ransacked the offices of opposition parties
including `Hanrapeputyun’ which sustained the most damage. Aram
Sarkisian had to stay in hiding for a few days fearing arrest by
the Kocharian regime. Only condemnation and pressure by European Union
countries forced the government to back down.
– Biography:
Aram Sakisian was born on January 2, 1961 in the village of Ararat in
the Ararat region. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering from
Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1989.
>From 1980-1982 he served in the Soviet Army. For the next four years he
worked first as a foreman, later laboratory head, then assistant to the
chief engineer and eventually chief engineer in Araratardshin Trust
Company. From 1993-1998 he worked first as an assistant to the director,
later he was appointed deputy to the general director, administrative
director and eventually became the general director of the Araratcement
Company.
>From 1999-2000 he was prime minister of the RA and from 2000-2002 he was
the general director of Araratcement CJSC Company. On May 25, 2003 he
was elected to the NA from the proportional
list of the opposition Justice Alliance.
Mr. Sarkisian is married and has three children.
– The Twenty Hunchakian Gallows
The 7th General Convention of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party which
was held in Constanta, Romania, in 1913, had a unique and great
importance not only for the Hunchaks, but in the history of the Armenian
people as a whole. During the Convention, members stressed their concern
of the Ittihad (Young Turk) government’s blatant disregard of the
Armenian lives who resided in Historic Armenia.
The Hunchaks feared that this disregard would only escalate as time
pasted. The Hunchaks also stressed the importance of a United
Independent Armenia which would be impossible under the racist
and dictatorial Young Turk govern-ment’s rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Thus the convention adjourned with two main objectives:
I – As stated in its original program, the party was to move from licit
to illicit activities, thus becoming once again a covered organisation.
II – To plan and assassinate the leaders of the Ittihad (Young Turk)
party, the same leaders that carried out the Adana massacres of 1909,
and thus the same leaders who at that moment were planning the
annihilation of the Armenian people.
Unfortunately, these secret objectives were passed on to the Turks by an
Armenian agent for the government; consequently as soon as the delegates
arrived in Constantinople, they were arrested. By
the end of the year a total of one hundred and forty Hunchak leaders
were arrested.
After spending two years in the horror known as Turkish jails, and
lengthy mock trials, twenty prominent figures – Paramaz, Dr. Benne, Aram
Ach’ekbashian, Vanig and others were sentenced to death by hanging. Few
weeks after the beginning of the Armenian Genocide on June 15, 1915, all
twenty men were hung in the central square of Constantinople, know as
Sultan Bayazid Square.
The destiny of the Twenty Martyrs was intertwined with the destiny of
their nation. They knew what was coming, sounded the alarm but were
betrayed by a fellow Armenian. They believed that an
independent Armenia will be born from the ashes of the old one, they
were right.
Over the past decades, the Twenty Martyrs were a source of inspiration
for thousands of young Armenians through out the world, but most
especially to those who joined the Social Democrat
Hunchakian Party, fought under its banner, and in its ranks worked for
the welfare of all Armenians.
Today the Armenian Republic is a living example of what the Twenty
Martyrs and thousands of other Hunchakian heroes fought and died for.
But the struggle must and will continue, until the immediate and future
objectives of the Social Democrat Hunchak Party and the Armenian people
are accomplished.
MassisWeekly.com – Massis Weekly Online – Organ Of the Social Democrat
Hunchak Party – Western USA – All rights reserved. Republication and
redistribution of Massis Weekly Online content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Massis Weekly Online. Massis Weekly
Online shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or
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Venice Commission examines media freedom in Italy, constitutional reform
in Armenia and electoral reform in Azerbaijan
Strasbourg, 09.06.2005 – The Council of Europe Commission for Democracy
through Law (“Venice Commission”), which this year marks its 15th
anniversary, will hold its 63rd plenary session in Venice on 10 and 11
June (Scuola Grande di San-Giovanni Evangelista).
On the session agenda are the examination of a number of important legal
texts from different countries, and the adoption of several opinions.
The Commission will, for example, adopt its second interim opinion on
constitutional reform in Armenia, and discuss the amendments to the law
on the procedure for conducting rallies and demonstrations in this
member country. An exchange of views is foreseen with Tigran Torossian,
Vice-President of the National Assembly of Armenia.
Joint opinions of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the
revised draft amendments to the electoral codes of Armenia and
Azerbaijan will also be adopted.
Another point on the agenda is the adoption of an opinion, drawn up by
the Commission at the request of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe, on the compatability of the Italian “Gasparri” and
“Frattini” laws with the Council’s standards concerning freedom of
expression and media pluralism, with particular reference to the case
law of the European Court of Human Rights.
Finally, opinions will also be adopted concerning the question of
de-certification of police officers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the
federal law on the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation, and
the amendments of 8 December 2004 to the Constitution of Ukraine.
A press briefing will take place on Saturday 11 June at 12.45 (Scuola
Grande di San-Giovanni Evangelista).
All adopted opinions will be available on the Commission’s website,
following the session:
Contacts in Venice:
Tatyana MYCHELOVA, Secretariat of the Venice Commission
Mobile: + 33 6 76 72 04 02
Roberto TUMBARELLO, Council of Europe Press Correspondent for Italy
Mobile: + 39 335 69 38 216
Press Release
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 312a05
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
internet:
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[email protected]
A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 46
member states.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress