Author: Nahapetian Samvel

AZG Armenian Daily #093, 24/05/2005

Culture

‘MASHTOTS-1600′ CONTEST TO BE HELD BEFORE SUMMIT IN TUNIS

The World Summit Awards has begun a series of contest-exhibitions of the
best national online exhibitions. The contest will be held before the World
Summit of Informational Society held by the UN in Tunis in autumn. In
Armenia the contest will be dedicated to the 1600th Anniversary of the
Creation of the Armenian Alphabet. The contest is initiated by the
Informational Technologies Foundation and is sponsored by RA Government,
“Hayastan” All Armenian Foundation, “The Matenadaran’s Friends” foundation,
the council contributing to the development of informational technologies.

“Mashtots-1600″contest is being held in the following nominations:
e-teaching, e-management, e-healthcare, e-business, e-entertainment and
e-integration. The submitted works should represent the Armenian studies,
Armenian literature in the new contemporary way, they should secure the
quality and aesthetic perfection of the electronic versions of the Armenian
letters.

“At present, the abilities and the success of each participant country at
the competition greatly depend on the quality of the informational
technologies. All the countries realize that and the Summit is aimed at
increasing the international awareness of these issues. Unfortunately, there
is a barrier between those who are included in that sphere and those that
are left out,” Garegin Chuqazian, Chairman of the Informational technologies
Foundation, said this during the press conference at “Media” cafe. Bagrat
Yengibarian, chairman of Incubator Companies Foundation, and Armen
Grigorian, chairman of the board supporting the development of informational
technologies, were also present at the press conference. They dwelt on the
terms and the nominations of the competition. 300 participants have appealed
for the competition for all the nominations. The application deadline is May
26. All the works submitted for the competition will be concluded on June 12
at the “Moscow” cinema. A ceremony and a seminar will be held on June 12, in
Oshakan.

The first 8 best works will be awarded $1000 each, while the best 9-16 works
will be awarded $500 each. Special prizes are envisaged for e-Armenian
studies ($2000-1000 for the first and the second place), as well as $1000
and 500 for the Armenian fonts’ nomination.

By Ruzan Poghosian

HUMILIATING ALTERNATIVE SERVICE

A1plus
| 15:40:04 | 20-05-2005 | Social |

“The young people are forced to look after disabled people, to
cut nails, to wash a dead body, etc, etc, so what? These are not
humiliating works are all. If they are Christians, they must bear
it. Jesus Christ too washed the feet of his apostles”, said Artemis
Lepejyan, head of the non-governmental organization “Saint Sandoukht”
during the discussions of the alternative military service.

As for how an 18-year-old boy can wash a body, the woman was not
interested in it. Filaret Belikyan, representative of the Republican
Party was not interested in it either; moreover, he said that
the soldiers simply want to avoid their service. He reproached the
organizers of the discussion and particularly the authors of the film
“Alternative Military Service” where the alternative servers expressed
their ideas about their service. He said that the organizers do not
have full data about the issue and the film was one-sided.

In answer to him, Avetik Ishkhanyan advised not to make a speech of
patriotism but to get acquainted with the result of the monitoring
realized by them. Filaret Belikyan said he would by all means.

AGBU Press Office
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New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383, x137
Fax 212.319.6507
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 19, 2005

AGBU ORANGE COUNTY PARTICIPATES IN FIRST LOCAL PAN-ARMENIAN FESTIVAL

Orange County, CA – On June 11 and 12, 2005 in Laguna Hills, CA, over
19 organizations from Orange County’s flourishing Armenian community,
including the local AGBU Chapter and Young Professionals Group, are
coming together to host a two-day festival to benefit orphanages in
Armenia. AGBU will be sponsoring booths at the festival, along with
the other participating Armenian groups, providing information about
its organization and activities.

A spectacular line up of fun and entertainment is planned for people of
all ages and interests, including a music and dance program, children’s
activities, Armenian cuisine, drawings for great prizes and a Saturday
ribbon cutting ceremony with local political representatives. For
more information on the Orange County Armenian Festival, please visit

AGBU Orange County is dedicated to preserving and promoting the
Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and
humanitarian programs. For more information on AGBU and its worldwide
chapters, please visit

Ukraine willing to send peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh

BAKU. May 19 (Interfax) – Ukraine is willing to send its troops to
Nagorno-Karabakh to help settle the conflict in that region, said
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk.

“We are prepared to provide assistance in deploying peacekeeping
forces and are willing to send our contingent [to Nagorno-Karabakh]
if need be,” Tarasyuk said at a meeting with Baku parliamentary
speaker Murtuz Alasgarov in Baku on Thursday.

PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF relations BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND UKRAINE DISCUSSED

Azer Tag
[May 18, 2005, 23:27:11]

On May 18, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov
has met Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk who is
visiting the country with official visit.

Mr. E. Mammadyarov, having welcomed the Ukrainian colleague, has
emphasized that strategic cooperation between two states is constructed
on sincere friendly relations, and that between two countries there
are no unresolved questions.

Minister B. Tarasyuk, shared his views of the colleague, informed
that has been received by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev,
and noted, that the carried out negotiations have made on him deep
impression.

Minister E. Mamedyarov in detail informed the visitor on opening
ceremony of the Azerbaijan part of the BTC MEP on May 25, and also
the work spent for realization of the gas main Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
and the Baku-Tbilsii-Kars railway.

At the meeting, the parties had exchange of views on opportunities
of establishment of new business relations, activity of the
intergovernmental commission, cooperation in the field of power supply,
a number of aspects of mutual relations. Besides, opportunities of
increase in number of the Azerbaijan students in the Kiev Institute of
the International Relations, creation of opportunities for education
of citizens of Azerbaijan in the Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy and
other questions were discussed.

The parties also have discussed other problems representing mutual
interest, including reforms in the United Nations, prospects of OSCE
and the questions connected to activity of GUAM.

Ministers have discussed process of settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

***

On the same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk
has met at the Baku Slavic University with tutorial staff and student.

Warsaw summit a success despite Armenia reversal

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

DIPLOMACY

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

A two-day summit of Council of Europe leaders proved to be a blow to
hopes for a meeting between the Turkish prime minister and the Armenian
president, as it witnessed tension between the two countries over the
issue of the alleged Armenian genocide instead of a much-anticipated
breakthrough.

Erdogan rebuked Armenian President Robert Kocharian yesterday for
raising the issue of the alleged genocide in his address to the
Council of Europe on Monday and said Turkey would reject outsiders’
“lobbying efforts” on the issue.

“We do not appreciate these efforts to lobby (in favor of the Armenian
claims), lobbying that has no basis on historical documents and facts,”
Erdogan said.

But despite reversal on the dialogue with Armenia, the Turkish
delegation took pride in successfully pushing for the inclusion
of a call for a fight against Islamophobia in the final statement
of the summit. “We strongly condemn all forms of intolerance and
discrimination, in particular those based on sex, race and religion,
including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” the leaders said in the
final statement.

The Turkish delegation also successfully worked against a Polish
proposal to refer to international humanitarian laws in the section
of the final statement dealing with international terrorism. Turkish
representatives even said it would not sign the statement if the
reference to international humanitarian laws was not withdrawn,
threatening to block approval of the text.

Speech by Robert Kocharian, President of Armenia

Abhaber
May 16, 2005

“Armenia is at the beginning of a complex road of European
integration. Till the end of this year we are going to fully complete
our post-accession obligations with the Council of Europe. This was a
difficult but a fruitful process of reforms, which was widely supported
by our society.

We look forward to deepen our interaction with the European Union
within the framework of “European neighborhood” policy. To us it is
an opportunity to continue the political and economic reforms, now
under EU auspices. We consider ourselves to be a part of Europe. Our
cultural heritage is a part of the European culture. We implement the
reforms because they ate deeply grounded in the needs of our state,
and not because we want to be commanded by anyone. Perhaps that is
why the efficiency of reforms in Armenia has been quite high.

In Armenia people believe in Europe with open borders, without
violence, without blockades, without refugees; in Europe where
human rights and the right of peoples for free choice are respected,
where the present is being build upon objective evaluation of the
past. In this context we see the perspective of settlement of the
conflict in Nagorno Karabagh. Namely, we look forward to find ways
of including the de facto established Republic of Nagorno Karabagh
into the European processes of integration. Our efforts aimed at
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide committed in
the Ottoman Turkey are also explained by our belief in European
values. This year we are commemorating the 90th year of those sad
events, and we appreciate support of those states which have recognized
and condemned that Genocide.

Our summit takes place as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of victory
in the World War II. It takes place in a country that among the first
suffered from that terrible war. It is very symbolic, since at the
same place where Europe was once, decades ago, broken into two parts
we today discuss its reintegration. The victory in the World War II
saved the world from fascism, but divided Europe. Today, fighting new
challenges and threats we shall not only win, but also make sure we
do not create new dividing lines, we shall do our best to create the
common European architecture of peace and stability.

First of all let me thank President Kwasniewski for the wonderful
organization of the summit. I am confident that this meeting of
heads of the Council of Europe member-states is extremely well-timed.
Europe is in the process of transformation and it creates an urgent
need for discussions and adequate measures aimed at reforming the
European structures and institutions.

Those changes are of fundamental character. “Eastern Europe”
and “Western Europe” are not any more political terms; they have
transformed themselves to regular geographic concepts. Meanwhile,
the word “Europe” is not anymore simply a geographical name of a
continent. It is a political term widely perceived as a unique model
of a community of nations. A European is perceived as a member of
that community.

In this framework the institutionalization of that process and the
psychological adaptation of the Europeans go hand in hand, most
probably due to the advancement of information technologies. And the
speed of that transformation is so high, that it easily fits within a
lifetime of one generation. I sometimes think that what this process
has its own logic and does not depend much on politicians.

All this offers questions which require consideration and response.
Namely:

– Has the European integration geographical and cultural boundaries
and where are they?

– How do the European Union enlargement and further
institutionalization affect the demand for other organizations,
including the Council of Europe? It is becoming more and more apparent
that for European Union member-states our club becomes less and
less attractive.

– What is the future of Europe’s relations with the rest of the world,
which has other suppositions and traditions?

– Are the processes currently underway in Europe going to transform
into a new ideology with the consequences to follow in form of a
global divide?

Answers to these questions very much depend on the European leaders
sitting at this table.

Blood Smeared on Velvet Revolutions
By MIRZA CETINKAYA

Zaman
05.17.2005 Tuesday – ISTANBUL 23:39

In order for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to avert an
uncontrolled disintegration, the Mikhail Gorbachev-Eduard Shevardnadze
duo aside, there was also the West that could adjust the brakes and
control speed in the region. But the visibility range of the hurricane
sweeping through the local remnants of the Communist Party in the
former Soviet republics decreases to zero most of the time. Now who
will bump where? It is not that easy to make this prediction in this
part of the world. All eyes having turned to Belarus after US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice’s compliments to Alexander Lukashenko,
calling him “The last real dictator in Europe,” the “battle ship”
play is now being staged in Central Asia once again.

The struggle between Uzbek leader Islam Kerimov and the groups
he refers to as “terrorist,” has entered a bloody phase. The
demonstrations that were triggered by the trial of 23 young businessmen
accused of plotting to overthrow government, were peaceful at
first. But troops opening fire at protesters, and at an unknown
armed group that raided a prison, turned the incidents into an armed
conflict. According to conflicting figures in the Andijan carnage, a
city in eastern Uzbekistan, almost 500 civilians lost their lives. On
the other hand, Karimov who gave the number of the dead as 10, and
“certainly most of them rebels,” holds Hizb ut-Tahrir he describes as
a terrorist group, responsible for the clashes. But the spokesperson
of the group in London, Imran Vahid, denied any involvement.

According to a claim also shared by Moscow and expressed by Kerimov,
those who raided the prison and the Andijan Governor’s Office came
from Afghanistan and “were very well-organized”. If they came from
Afghanistan, then they are linked to al-Qaeda. Consequently, they are
not appropriate for the velvet revolution. Then, they do not receive
support from the West. That is a clever approach. The fable of Ivan
Krilov is suitable here one again: “The wolf looking at a flock of
sheep from the hole where it is hiding, watches with saliva dripping
from the corner of its mouth, as the shepherd slaughters the fattest
sheep and cuts its meat into pieces. The wolf seeing the shepherd
dogs sunbathing indifferently says, ‘If I had done what the shepherd
is doing, you would raised an uproar’.” Linking the severe problems
over the years to Hizb ut-Tahrir, and providing cosmetic solutions may
cost Tashkent government dear. On the other hand, using force could
make Uzbek Interior Minister Zokir Alamtov introduce the country to
the example of Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin, who was only able to
rule for three months in 1979. Askar Akayev throwing in the towel so
easily resulted in the assumption that anyone who can bring spectators
of a soccer match together can start a revolution. Opponents who
saw Karimov use force will prefer to act more cautiously from now on.

When “truckloads” of dead bodies were brought to the square on
the outskirts of the Pamir Mountains, Armenian opposition close to
Mount Ararat took pains to act more prudently. Opposition leader Aram
Karapetian, who had made the first on a soft revolution in the capital,
Yerevan on May 14, said insistently that the time for a revolution will
be in direct proportion to the number of people they can gather in the
streets. Belarussian opposition leaders are cautious about the methods
used by Kiev and Tbilisi in preparation for a velvet revolution. It
seems that with regards to the colorful revolutions in which blood
has been smeared, more energy and strategy will be needed henceforward.

May 16, 2005 Moscow

05.17.2005 e-mail:[email protected]

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05/16/2005
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1) Armenian, Azeri Leaders Hold Crucial Karabagh Talks
2) Hariri Electoral List Offends Majority of Lebanon’s Armenians
3) Catholicos Aram I President Khatami Meet
4) Iran and Armenia Agree to Build Power Stations on Arax River

1) Armenian, Azeri Leaders Hold Crucial Karabagh Talks

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan spoke for nearly
three hours late Sunday and early Monday in closely watched talks on
Mountainous Karabagh.
Information about the meeting held on the sidelines of a Council of Europe
summit in Warsaw was scarce. Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian were
reported to approve another series of talks between their foreign ministers
who
have reported progress towards a peaceful settlement in recent months.
According to Azeri sources, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov indicated that
the two leaders discussed a timetable for Armenian withdrawal from occupied
Azeri territories around Karabagh.
However, an Armenian foreign ministry official in Yerevan told Agence
France-Presse that he has no information about such a agreement.
“We are discussing which district should be liberated and when,” Mammadyarov
told Azerbaijan’s ATV channel, according to BBC Monitoring. “They [the
Armenians] agree that all the districts should be returned, however, they are
thinking of a timeframe. There are many issues involved such as the military
issue, the return of refugees, the issue of land mines and the rehabilitation
of the territories.”
Yet another Azeri TV station, ANS, reported the contrary, quoted Mammadyarov
as saying that although Aliyev and Kocharian “did not make a significant
breakthrough” they decided to continue the so-called “Prague process” of
meetings of the two foreign ministers mediated by French, Russian and US
diplomats.
Armenia has not released any details of the Warsaw talks that began at 11
p.m.
local time and continued into early hours of the morning. “The presidents did
not find it necessary to issue any statements to the media after the meeting,”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamlet Gasparian said. “There is nothing I can say
about their agreements and discussions. The presidents will do that if they
find it necessary.”
Gasparian said that Aliyev and Kocharian began the meeting in the presence of
the Russian and French foreign ministers as well as the three co-chairs of the
mediating Minsk Group, and then spoke for two hours in a tête-à-tête format.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan later on Monday, Aliyev said the two presidents “reviewed” their
positions.
“You know that our foreign ministers often meet and discuss different
issues,”
he said. “We shall not issue a statement for the press today as it is early
yet. I hope that the negotiations will produce results and the issues between
us will be resolved.”
Kocharian did not elaborate, only saying, “I see the prospect for finding a
settlement of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict in the context of respect for
European values,” he said without elaborating in a subsequent speech at the
Warsaw summit.
The Aliyev-Kocharian talks were preceded by Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian’s meeting with the US, Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group. Gasparian declined to reveal its details.

2) Hariri Electoral List Offends Majority of Lebanon’s Armenians

BEIRUT (AFP/Aztagdaily)–Saad Hariri, son of the slain former premier Rafiq
Hariri, on Sunday announced his electoral list for Beirut’s three
constituencies in the Lebanese general election due to begin May 29.
Hariri announced 19 candidates for the city’s 19 seats, of which 10
are Christian and the rest Muslim.
These include candidates for the four Armenian seats, but exclude the two
candidates put forth by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), which has
widespread support among Beirut’s significant Armenian minority.
“The list fails to consider the will of Lebanon’s majority of Armenians,”
writes Beirut based Aztag Armenian newspaper “This deprivation of just rights
counters the premise for creating national unity based on a balanced approach,
to include the varies sectors of Lebanon’s communities.
Leading up to the release of the electoral list, ARF officials held several
deliberations with key officials, including Hariri, so that the Armenian
community of Lebanon would be properly represented.
Calling the move “surprising and offensive” the paper also calls into
question
approaches to certain sectors of the Armenian community.
Hariri’s list includes Solange Gemayel, widow of slain president and
Christian
warlord Bashir Gemayel, who will be the only candidate for Beirut’s Maronite
Christian seat, and Shiite movement Hezbollah’s Amin Sherri for one of the two
Shiite seats.
A key ally of Hariri’s father and a former justice minister, Bahige Tabbara,
is to stand for one of six Sunni seats.
Other candidates on the Hariri list are the same as those who stood in the
last elections in 2000 in support of his father.

3) Catholicos Aram I President Khatami Meet

TEHRAN (Combined Ssources)–Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I,
met with Iranian president Mohammad Khatami in Tehran on Saturday, and
discussed current world and regional developments.
President Khatami said Iran has consistently been tolerant of different
religions, and that a peaceful coexistence is in place.
The Catholicos described the that co-existence as “among the cherished values
of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He said that religions are currently in
danger and the followers of faiths must emphasize dialogue to strengthen the
role of religion in human life.
Referring to “hidden forces” that seek to disrupt Lebanon’s stability,
President Khatami praised the role of religious and ethnic leaders in
preventing crises. “The Lebanese people must prove to the world they are able
to safeguard stability and security in their country.”
The two leaders also discussed Iran’s position on the Mountainous Karabagh
conflict. Khatami said Iran promotes negotiations, and urges a peaceful
resolution, emphasizing the issue must not be considered as a conflict between
Muslim and Christians. “Territorial problem can be solved through discussions
and logic.”
During his 14-day visit to Iran, His Holiness will tour the provinces of
Isfahan, Markazi, West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan.
Catholicos Aram I arrived in Iran on May 12 to conduct two weeks of official
meetings.
He presided over a special ceremony on May 13 in Tehran’s “Ararat” sports’
complex and dedicated the 10th anniversary of his enthronement and the 75th
anniversary of the establishment of the Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon.
On this occasion His Holiness said: “I renew my vow to continue the
mission of
Antelias dedicated to the church, our nation and our homeland.”
Highlighting the Catholicosate’s mission, he said that Antelias forms
individuals, and enhances spiritual formation, and is also an expression of
the
will to build a homeland and a pioneer in the fight for justice.
“Jubilees are nothing without man’s readiness for devotion. The Catholicosate
of Cilicia, with its brotherhood, seminary, dioceses and structure, flourished
the lives of our church and nation during the last 75 years. One of the first
victims of the Armenian Genocide, the Catholicosate of Cilicia prepared new
manpower and formed spirits as a response to the inhumanness of the
perpetrator
and in place of the ruins and destruction,” said His Holiness.
The ambassador of Armenia to Iran, Iranian deputies, representatives of
organizations and unions, as well as a large number of Iranian Armenians were
present at the ceremony.

4) Iran and Armenia Agree to Build Power Stations on Arax River

TEHRAN (Armenpress)–Iran and Armenia agreed on May 14 to build two power
stations at the border of their two countries, IRNA reported.
The decision was taken at the seventh meeting of the joint technical
commission, and agreed to by Iran’s Water and Energy Resources Company Ira
deputy head for development projects Naser Ne’mati, and Armenian deputy
minister of energy Karen Sarkisian.
“Given the 40-km Iran-Armenia common border across the Arax river, the two
sides decided to use the relevant hydroelectric potential,” Ne’mati said.
According to a report released by the Iran’s Public Water and Energy
Resources
Company PR department, Ne’mati said that the first power station, with a
production capacity of 130 MWs, will be established in Armenia by building an
18.3-km tunnel.
“The second one with a capacity of 140 MWs will be constructed in Iran. A
17.5-km tunnel is required to be set up for the second power station,” added
the report.
The preliminary studies on the first phase of the second project is currently
underway.
Five documents have already been signed and necessary talks on expediting the
settlement of the current problems have been held.

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AZG Armenian Daily #085, 12/05/2005

Interpol

‘CRIMINALS’ SEARCH REMAINS OUR PRIORITY’

Armenia became a full member of Interpol in 1993. The head of National
Central Bureau of Interpol (NCB), Vartan Yeghiazarian called a press
conference yesterday to present the works of the Bureau to journalists. He
complained that the mass media misinterprets the Bureau’s activities. “We
don’t have James Bonds, we do not investigate, we are simply contributing to
the work of investigative services of member states”, Mr. Yeghiazarian said.

Thanks to the operative actions of the Armenian Police, in 1998-2000
location of 976 criminals in Interpol member states was revealed, 769 of
which were detained and 265 extradited. In 2004, 431 people were under
investigation, 168 of which were discovered, 162 were detained. Today, there
are 265 criminals wanted. The website of the Interpol Armenian branch has
posted data of the 13 most important ones. From March of 2004, the NCB has
discovered 69 vehicles hijacked from abroad and 2 pieces of art from overall
36 in search were returned to their owners.

Mr. Yeghiazarian said that their organization is stressing the struggle
against terrorism, trafficking and drugs. “Though we are engaged in
investigation of all kinds of crimes, criminals’ search remains our
priority”, he emphasized. Though the local branch of Interpol exchanges
information with all 182 member states, relations with European countries
are more intensive. Mr. Yeghiazarian said that they face problems connected
with trafficking in Arab Unite Emirates (3 of 9 procurers were found and
extradited) and with numerous cases of prostitution in Turkey.

Mr. Yeghiazarian said that NCB will hold an important meeting in June where
they will discuss issues of connecting to I-24/7 new telephone system. The
new system will enable quick and high-quality connection with the general
secretariat and the member states.

By Gohar Gevorgian