Author: Talalian Arpi

E-MAIL SAYS SOME SINGERS ARE FOLLOWERS OF RELIGIOUS SECTS

Panorama.am
18:31 14/02/2007

Today, some Taron Gevorgyan, sent a letter to Panorama.am from his
[email protected] address saying some renowned Armenian singers,
among them Armine Nahapetyan, Shprot, Andre and presenter of Rubikon
TV program, Arsen are followers of religious sects.

"In fact Arminka is the follower of "Rema" religious sect which has
influence in Armenia. Her friend, Shprot, is the follower of "Word
of Life" religious sect. The singers regularly attend their meetings
and even pay the ten percent due.

Andre and other singers often send SMS messages to each other
addressing each other as "Son of Jesus Christ."

Arminka told Panorama.am in an interview that she is tired of such
gossips which are caused by her religiosity.

Our sources say, the author of the e-mail, Taron Gevorgian, is a
student of chemaran, Armenian Apostolic church school in Armenia.

AZERI EXPERT NOTES IMPORTANCE OF IRAN-RUSSIA RAILWAY PROJECT

Day.az, Azerbaijan
Feb 14 2007

14 February: "As soon as the tension surrounding Iran’s nuclear
programme subsides, this country will probably join transport projects
in the South Caucasus," political expert Rasim Musabayov has said.

The expert thinks that Russia and Iran are interested in the
implementation of the North-South transport project as they mainly use
Azerbaijani territory to transport cargo. In his opinion, Armenia’s
position on the Karabakh issue has sidelined this country from all
regional projects.

Azerbaijan is gradually creating in the region its own developed
infrastructure in which all the countries of the region, as well
as other states will be interested. "If countries like China and
Korea are interested in projects implemented in the South Caucasus,
it is quite logical that neighbouring Russia will also join transport
projects in Azerbaijan," the expert said.

Iran already understands that simple observation of economic changes
is a nonconstructive position. In order to build a new 300-km railway
from Iran’s central regions to the border town of Astara, about 1bn
dollars will be required. Taking account of the possibilities of Iran
and Russia, this is not a big amount of money, the expert thinks.

A swift solution to problems between the USA and Iran would play
a positive role in the development of the entire region. The
implementation of the North-South project would also restore the
geopolitical balance in the South Caucasus which has obviously
been disrupted in favour of the USA and Europe, Musabayov said in
conclusion.

BAHAR MURADOVA: "THE COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA IS UNREALIZABLE"

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Feb 12 2007

Lord Russell Johnston, a chairman of the Sub-Committee for the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) appraised positively the meeting with Azerbaijan and
Armenian delegation. He expressed his desire to hold such meetings
at the level of different structures of both countries.

Deputy MM Chairman and head of Azerbaijan delegation to the PA OSCE
Bahar Muradova informed that if they fail to reach a settlement
concerning the conflict, any cooperation between Azerbaijan and
Armenia will be impossible: "Azerbaijan repeatedly stated about its
position in this issue. Today a specific part of Azerbaijan’s lands
are occupied by Armenia. Armenian’s occupation policy resulted in
deprivation of over million of our citizens of their native homes and
properties. In this case, it is useless to speak of any cooperation
between Azerbaijan and Armenia."

In addition, B. Muradova thinks that any arrangements hosted
by international organizations are not harmful for our State:
"Azerbaijan is represented in powerful states worldwide. Such meetings
are also organized by their structures and we should attend their
arrangements. For instance, LINKS, a UK organization carries out a
joint project, which covers MPs of three Caucasus countries.

Thus, whether we want it or not, we have to maintain contact with
Armenians in the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE."

According to vice-speaker, if any meeting can influence on the conflict
settlement, Azerbaijan is interested to attend them.

B. Muradova also touched upon the issue concerning the putting the
report of the PA OSCE Chairman and Rapporteur Goran Lenmarker on the
agenda: "As you know, Armenia always tries to distract international
organizations’ attention from the discussion of such issues. This
time they abide by their own principles. One of the reasons that
the report was not put to the agenda is due to both party’s attitude
towards the document. Azerbaijan as well as Armenia has also their
own position to this point. To date these positions did not change
at all. The OSCE leadership that was witness of such situation is
likely not to discuss the report yet."

–Boundary_(ID_rXWpkYB7Bv0Pho/wvnI/2g) —

WHAT IF CONGRESS ADOPTS THE ‘GENOCIDE’ RESOLUTION?
View By Sahin Alpay

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 12 2007

A resolution instructing the US President to declare as "genocide" the
Armenian massacres in Ottoman Turkey was recently introduced once more
to the House of Representatives, as has been the case every other year.

Like the previous ones, the Bush administration has made it clear
that it is opposed to the adoption of the resolution. The present
Turkish government, also like the previous ones, is exerting great
effortS to stop the adoption of the resolution.

This time; however, the adoption of the resolution seems more
likely than ever. This is because the Democratic Party, which has
traditionally been more sympathetic toward the resolution, is in
control of the Congress, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
reportedly highly supports the resolution. The horrendous murder of
Turkish Armenian journalist and editor-in-chief of Agos weekly Hrant
Dink is also said to have increased the number of representatives
likely to vote in favor.

The adoption of the resolution by the US Congress will not, however,
mean the recognition of the "Armenian genocide" by the US government,
since the resolution is of a nonbinding character. The following
will happen:

The US Congress will join the list of parliaments that have since
1965 adopted resolutions, reports or declarations of recognition
of the "Armenian genocide." The countries whose parliaments have
adopted "genocide" resolutions (in chronological order) so far
are the following: Uruguay (1965), Greek Cyprus (1982), Argentina
(1993), Russia (1995), Greece (1996), Lebanon (1997), Belgium (1998),
Vatican (2000), Italy (2000), France (2001), Switzerland (2003), Canada
(2004), Slovakia (2004), Holland (2004), Poland (2005), Germany (2005),
Venezuela (2005) and Lithuania (2005). (The Swedish parliament adopted
a report to that effect in year 2000, but reverted later on.)

Now we can pose a number of questions. Have the resolutions adopted by
the parliaments of countries listed above led to the deterioration of
bilateral relations between Turkey and the governments of countries
involved? It does not seem possible to give an affirmative answer to
this question. Turkey does not, anyway, recognize the Greek Cypriot
government. It is certain that Turkish – Greek relations have much
improved since 1999. Relations between Turkey and Russia have during
recent years improved on an unexpected scale. The level of support
for EU membership among the Turkish public has certainly decreased
during the last two years, but this surely cannot be explained by the
effect of "genocide" resolutions adopted by parliaments of a number
of EU member states.

How, then, would the adoption of the resolution by Congress affect
bilateral relations between Turkey and the US? It would not be
prophetic to say the very negative attitudes among the Turkish public
toward the US, chiefly because of the Iraq policies pursued by the
Bush administration, are likely to get even stronger, and that this
is likely to be more to the detriment of the US than Turkey.

Would the adoption of the resolution by Congress prove that Ottoman
Turkey had pursued a genocidal policy toward its Armenian citizens
in the period between 1915 – 1923? No, it would not. Some people
will continue to insist that the tragedy which led, according to
objective sources, to the deaths of at least 650 thousand Ottoman
Armenians was the result of a decision by the Ottoman government to
exterminate the Armenians. Others; however, will continue to argue
that the decision for forced deportation of Armenians was not aimed at
their extermination, but that the deaths were the result of famine,
disease, and massacres by tribal elements and security forces acting
on their own.

Will the adoption of the resolution by Congress help inform the Turkish
public at large on the great tragedy that befell the Ottoman Armenians
in the 1915 – 16 period? No, it can hardly be expected that it will
help improve research and broaden the debate on the history of the
final period of the Ottoman Empire. If indeed the Turkish public
opinion is more informed today than yesterday about what befell the
Ottoman Armenians, the contribution of "genocide" resolutions to this
can be said to be close to null.

Would the adoption of the resolution by Congress help the consolidation
and strengthening of liberal and pluralist democracy in Turkey
as supposedly desired by the West? No, it would not. This, on the
contrary, would serve the interests of those reactionary forces in
Turkey who would like to pull the country out of the civilized world.

Would the adoption of the resolution by Congress help normalize
bilateral relations between Turkey and Armenia, and lead to the
establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of borders between
the two countries? Surely not, because the position of those in Turkey
who are in favor of such normalization will not be strengthened.

‘SWEAR ON A GUN AND LOVE TO THE POINT OF DEATH!’
By Bulent Kenes

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 12 2007

Since daily Yeni Þafak rose to prominence with its courageously
published news reports during the Feb. 28 process (1997-2002) —
when the military bureaucracy eliminated the elected parliament of
the Saadet Party, thereby clogging the channels of civil politics and
humiliating the majority of society by denigrating their conservative
views, and when the most egregious instances of corruption dragged
Turkey into the most serious economic crises in its history due to the
period’s notorious unaccountability – that same newspaper has recently
been preparing to put its signature to again a big journalism event.

With the fog surrounding the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink still not dissapating, the paper is publishing news reports
that the seeds of more potential murders have been planted and thus
is reviving the courageous journalism it engaged in the past.

If Turkey’s history of democratization is ever written in the real
sense, undoubtedly Yeni Þafak’s efforts and hard work, along with
those of few papers like Zaman, will not be overlooked in the writing
of this history.

As you might remember, at that time influential circles with
a military-bred mindset — despite outwardly having a civilian
appearance — along with many of our colleagues acted in complicity
with the military and aided it in blotting out freedoms. The latest
development Yeni Þafak covered is a bit different than this, however.

Some people are again in civilian garb, but this time they are either
soldiers or retired soldiers.

I’m talking about the activities of the Association of Kuvayý Milliye
(National Forces), founded and presided over by former Col. Mehmet
Fikri Karadað. The things they did at the opening ceremony of the
association’s Antalya branch led to a shiver running down the spine
of many. I’m talking about an event that one might think could only
happen in backward countries where extreme forms of nationalism are
still practiced.

According to news reports, the former colonel swore in the members
by having them take an oath of allegiance on a gun and on the Qur’an.

The wording of the oath possesses characteristics that could blow up
Turkey’s atmosphere of peace, which still is unable to be destroyed
despite the existence of certain problems. The oath begins with
these racist words: "I’m a Turk, son of a Turk, who doesn’t have
‘pretenders’ in his ancestors, and born from a Turkish mother and
a Turkish father…" This defies Ataturk’s famous motto, "How happy
is he who says he’s a Turk," which doesn’t place any emphasis on the
ethnic background.

Before they took the oath, Karadað told the members: "There is
death and killing for this cause! Or else there will be regret and
embarrassment before our children!" There are slogans written in the
hall where the swearing-in ceremony took place giving the impression
of an armed gang with archaic nationalistic and racist views rather
than an activity of a lawful civil association. The slogans read
"Kuvayý Milliye never forgives!" "Kuvayý Milliye doesn’t leave the
reckoning for the oppressed to the hereafter!"

These people, who think they love this country more than anyone else
— to the point of death — are attempting to take upon themselves
the responsibilities of the state, with some of the most rudimentary
fascist remarks under the shadow of guns and also by abusing our
sacred scripture, the Qur’an, for their own purposes.

What we are encountering is a former officer who dares to try to work
as a savior in a civil sphere, apparently being unable to leave behind
his "armed days." This pathological case reminds me of a character in
our Nobel Prize-winning writer Orhan Pamuk’s novel "Snow," where an old
actor attempts to pursuit racist plans, having failed to attract the
public attention he long sought. However, Karadað’s case is neither
fictitious nor it is played on stage.

Karadað is playing a very dangerous real game over the foundations
of social peace.

Having seen this, one cannot help thinking what sort of illegal acts
Karadað, though now officially a civilian, might have perpetrated
while he was still in his military position, which had allowed him to
use weapons. In this regard, I’m sure that it would be very beneficial
to inspect the former colonel’s past and present scope of duties.

Now, let’s leave history and return to the present time. What else
could be more alarming than this? How is it that public prosecutors
in Turkey fail to take action in the face of such gang formations —
similar to white supremacists in the United States — which damage
our country’s unity and integrity while claiming to preserve it? Or
do we no longer have such prosecutors in this country? What are they
waiting for? Do they have to wait for the Karadað-led gang formation
to start killing the 13,500 people they declared to be traitors,
as in the Dink case, to launch a legal process against them?

Having the authority to take action without prior permission from a
higher authority, it is hard to understand why these prosecutors prefer
to simply watch such actions that are designed to unravel the social
fabric of our culture of tolerance and mutuality. Does someone need
to die, or must a massacre be perpetrated, before they take action?

Somebody must demonstrate that a state still exists in this country
by stopping the actions of these destructive "country-saviors" who
swear by guns and swear to kill or be killed. And of course, this
"somebody" should be bold prosecutors within the justice system,
which is part of the legal foundation of this country.

–Boundary_(ID_59O/Jh1YQzZwTx0glaMXCg)–

HANGING TOGETHER: THE CAUCASUS

The Economist
U.S. Edition
February 10, 2007

The implications of a diplomatic shift in an important oil-rich region

WHEN God was parcelling out land to the peoples of the earth, the
Georgians arrived late. But their explanation-that they had been
drinking in his honour-so delighted God that, according to a Georgian
creation myth, he granted them the world’s choicest spot. The gods have
indeed favoured Georgia this winter, bestowing a mild one when a harsh
one might have been disastrous. But the Georgians owe thanks also to
an earthly benefactor: their neighbour Azerbaijan, whose oil-fuelled
foreign policy is transforming the volatile but vital Caucasus.

Since the revolution of 2003 that swept Mikhail Saakashvili to
Georgia’s presidency, his yen to join NATO and the European Union has
infuriated the Kremlin. Last autumn, the Russians imposed postal and
aviation blockades, alongside the existing embargoes on Georgia’s
water, wine and fruit. Then, with winter approaching, they doubled
the price for Russian gas-in theory for commercial reasons, but with
the real aim of taming Mr Saakashvili.

Yet, for all Mr Saakashvili’s high-profile rambunctiousness, the
most important country in the Caucasus is Azerbaijan. With around 8m
people, most of them Shia Muslims, it has the biggest population. It
also has oil and gas, which a consortium led by BP is extracting from
the Caspian Sea and pumping through new pipelines across Georgia
to Turkey and beyond. All the Caucasian economies are now picking
up, after collapsing with the Soviet Union-even corrupt Armenia’s,
dependent though it mostly is on remittances. But the growth created
by Azerbaijan’s second oil boom (the first was 100 years ago) was
the highest in the world last year: 34.5% , says the finance minister.

Azerbaijan’s president is Ilham Aliev, who inherited the job from
Heidar, his strongman father. The younger Aliev seemed also to
have inherited the Caucasian skill of diplomatic balance, eschewing
Georgian-style pyrotechnics. But that careful equilibrium appeared
to change in December, when the Russians tried to hike the price of
the gas that, despite its own reserves, Azerbaijan was itself still
importing. The idea was apparently to stop Azerbaijan helping the
Georgians with cheaper supplies.

"Commercial blackmail," said Mr Aliev. Azerbaijan stopped importing
Russian gas altogether-and, thanks to the warm weather, gas from
Azerbaijan seems set to help Georgia through the winter. Elmar
Mammadyarov, Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, says his country is
merely "taking responsibility as a regional leader." Mr Saakashvili
is more exuberant: "a geopolitical coup", he says of the new gas
arrangements. The truth is, Mr Aliev now needs Mr Saakashvili too.

Azerbaijan’s future, and Mr Aliev’s power, rest on the new pipelines,
which have bound their two countries together, and bound both of them
to the West. In a few years they may also carry Kazakh oil from the
other side of Caspian, and-perhaps-gas from Turkmenistan. That would
undo Russia’s grip on the supply of Central Asian gas to Europe,
and is as unpopular an idea in Moscow as it is welcome elsewhere.

Two things undermine the hope that the fractious Caucasians have
finally learned to hang together, to their own benefit and that of
Western energy consumers.

One is domestic politics. Russia’s diplomatic power may be waning, but
its political model remains popular. Armen Darbinian, a former Armenian
prime minister, quips that his and other post-Soviet countries have
become "one-and-a-half party states": a party of power, plus others
that are basically decorative. In Azerbaijan, opposition activists
are regularly harassed and locked up. Like Russia, Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan will all hold presidential polls next year. Mr Aliev
will surely win his; the whisper in Baku is that his wife will take
over next. But another whisper is that, in the absence of democracy,
Islamism is on the rise-encouraged, say some, by Iran to the south.

The Islamists, says Ali Kerimli, a disgruntled oppositionist, curry
favour with their complaint that "the West sells democracy for oil."

Others say the threat is fanciful. The call to prayer rings across the
boutiques and restaurants of downtown Baku, but there are actually
more hijabs on the streets of London, says Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, an
imam. All the same, things may change if too much of the oil money
goes into nepotistic contracts and vanity projects, and too little
on diversifying the economy and easing the grinding poverty in which
many Azerbaijanis still live.

The other big Caucasian danger is war. Russian support for South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, two enclaves that broke away from Georgia in
the 1990s (see map), is one of Mr Saakashvili’s main gripes.

Azerbaijan also lost a secessionist conflict over Nagorno Karabakh,
a part of Soviet Azerbaijan mostly populated by Armenians. Mr Aliev
periodically makes dark threats about retaking Azerbaijan’s lost
territory by force, though a flare-up in Georgia currently looks
likelier.

Mr Saakashvili says Russia’s economic embargo "achieved the opposite
of what was intended", and that Georgia has found new markets.

Suitably cheered, he this week hosted Mr Aliev and Turkey’s Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, shaking hands on a new railway that will link the
Caucasus to Europe-but miss out Armenia. Vartan Oskanian, Armenia’s
foreign minister, complains that there is an existing railway across
Armenian-controlled territory that could be used instead. The railway,
like the pipelines, symbolises what the countries of the Caucasus
can achieve together, but also how far apart they remain.

Armenian caucus co-chairs urge Chairman Lantos to reject Turkish Threats

09.02.2007 16:03

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) expressed outrage at
recent warnings by the Turkish government that it will take actions
threatening the security of U.S. troops in Iraq should Congress even
consider the Armenian Genocide Resolution, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a letter to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos
(D-CA), Reps. Pallone and Knollenberg noted that, "it is our
understanding that senior Turkish government officials have warned
that, in response to Congress even considering this resolution,
they will close supply pipelines for our forces serving in Iraq.

This shameless threat to interfere in U.S. military operations is
absolutely unacceptable and deeply offensive." The Representatives
went on to express dismay at the response of several Administration
officials who, caving in to the Turkish government’s threats, have
urged Members of Congress to oppose even debate on this human rights
measure.

"Sadly, the Turkish government is able to maintain its denial –
against all evidence and the tide of international opinion – in large
part due to the State Department’s efforts to silence those who speak
with moral clarity about the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian.

The letter to Chairman Lantos comes on the heels of a three-day
Washington, DC visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul,
who had announced that his government’s opposition to the Armenian
Genocide resolution was a top priority in discussions with senior U.S.
officials. "In this case, approval of this bill against Turkey would
ruin everything.

I told my counterpart that this step will have a great influence
on our relations," said Gul during a press conference immediately
following his meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

GEORGIAN FILM TO BE PRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN BERLIN

Prime, Georgia
Feb 8 2007

Film "Walk to Karabakh" by Georgian director Levan Tutberidze, will
be presented at the 57th international film festival in Berlin.

Prime-News was told at the National Cinematography Center that the
abovementioned film would be shown at the cinema theater "CinemaxX"
on February 14.

According to the initiating of the National Cinematography Center,
Georgia is presenting new production to the European cinema market
for the first time in 2007.

The 57th international film festival in Berlin will be opened on
February 08 and last till February 18. It is planned to present about
350 films during the festival.

MEET ACTOR KEN DAVITIAN, THE REAL AZAMAT FROM BORAT
Written By: Adam Gonshor

andPOP, Canada

Feb 7 2007

(andPOP) – Ken Davitian is an overnight success with 30 years of
acting experience.

Davitian did everything he had to do to remain and survive as an
actor, from opening his own restaurants to working in the waste
removal business.

Then along came a fictitious Kazakhstani journalist.

In Borat, Davitian played Azamat Bagatov, the Armenian-speaking
producer. And now that the film has grossed over $125 million in the
U.S., Davitian’s life will never be the same.

"Where I would have done the same one day’s work on a movie set,
they would have called it a day player. Not they call it a cameo,"
he proudly tells andPOP.

"This is what they call the stuff you dreamed about, the stuff you
worked for. Now I’m inside the bubble instead of outside."

Even the most hardcore Borat fans are surprised to learn Azamat was
not who he appeared to be, but rather he was played by Davitian, an
American actor. While promoting the film, he had to be in character
for every interview and appearance. Now, Davitian is able draw back
the curtain, essentially introducing himself to his new fans who know
little about him.

But Davitian was almost too good for the role of Azamat.

When he auditioned in front of Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and director
Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) for the role, Davitian
never broke character.

>>From the time he entered the room, Davitian was Azamat. He knew
they were looking for someone to play a frumpy, fish-out-of-water,
Eastern European, and they didn’t realize he was acting. He handed
them a wrinkled 8×10 photo of himself that he had folded in his pocket.

Davitian realized that he had the room fooled and had to reveal his
true identity.

"They were concerned that, ‘gee the guy is perfect but he’s so green,
he won’t be able to last the 18 hours (of filming each day). He’s
just a nice old man and to drag him around for four months,’ I think
they thought it was a bit overwhelming for that person. I heard one
of them say, ‘he’s still taking classes?’ Because they had said,
‘can you do improvisation,’ and I said (with the accent), ‘oh yes,
improvisation, I take it in classes,’ and the reaction was, ‘oh my
god, what’s he doing in an audition at this level and he’s still
taking classes?’ So I knew I had to give it up at the end."

Even once he won the role, Davitian was told that Azamat was going
to have little-to-no face-time on camera. His voice was to be heard,
but for the most part, he wouldn’t actually be seen in the film. "It
was out of (Cohen) being gracious to share the screen with me that
I got that part in the movie."

Want to know how Azamat really sounds? Listen to a clip of Ken Davitian
discussing the Golden Globes and appearing in the movie. ( MP3 ) It
would be shocking if Davitian were to get recognized for anything
other than his role in "Borat," but playing Azamat was hardly his
rookie experience.

He’s had small appearances in such television shows as Becker, E.R.,
Arliss, Gilmore Girls and Boston Leagal, and in films like Holes
and S.W.A.T.

With a plethora of actors trying to secure one of the scarce roles
that the Hollywood machine has to offer, Davitian was happy to accept
whatever he was offered – until two weeks ago.

"It’s the first time in my life that I passed on something," he says.

"My work ethic doesn’t allow me to pass on things." But he has to
now that he has a stack of scripts to choose from.

He can decide his next role – and he hasn’t decided yet – but Davitian
hopes he can work with the Smashing Pumpkins again. Davitian had a
creepy role, playing some sort of dominatrix-like character in the
Pumpkins’ 2000 music video, "Stand Inside Your Love."

With the Pumpkins on the verge of getting back together, Davitian
hopes frontman Billy Corgan is reading this article. "Tell them I
want to do another video!"

"Billy is a type of guy that he explained all of the emotions that
were going through his head that he wanted to see in this character,"
Davitian recalls.

(Rumour has it, Sharon Osbourne hated that Pumpkins video so much that
it was one of the reasons she quit as the band’s manager. This is the
first time Davitian has heard this. "Now when I meet Sharon Osbourne,
she’s not going to like me!")

In the meantime, Davitian is spending some time at his restaurants,
"The Dip," one located in Sherman Oaks and the other in Los Angeles.

He suggests ordering the pot roast or pastrami. "All of the meat is
cooked there, and it’s all my recipes. A dip is a French role that’s
cut in half and it’s either single dipped in the aju, double dipped
which is the standard, and we also do submerged, where the sandwich
is made and it’s put into the aju and it’s very wet, tastes great,
and you get a bib."

Davitian is also ready to focus on Borat for a little bit longer.

He’ll be doing the rounds again when the DVD is released in March. He
was told that his original audition tape would be one of the extras,
though that feature isn’t listed in a recent Fox-distributed press
release about the DVD.

Last month, Davitian was the subject of Cohen’s acceptance speech when
he won the award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical at the Golden
Globes. His completely nude and improvised wrestling scene with Cohen
could be justifiably regarded as the funniest scene in the history
of film, but Cohen reminded the star-packed audience that creating
humour has its price.

"I saw some amazing, beautiful, invigorating parts of America. But
I saw some dark parts of America, an ugly side of America. A side of
America that rarely sees the light of day," Cohen said in his speech.

"I refer, of course, to the anus and testicles of my co-star, Ken
Davitian. Ken, when I was in that scene and I stared down and saw
your two wrinkled Golden Globes on my chin, I thought to myself,
‘I better win a bloody award for this.’ And then when my 300-pound
co-star decided to sit on my face and squeeze the oxygen from my lungs,
I was faced with a choice: death or to breathe in the air that had
been trapped in a small pocket between his buttocks for 30 years."

A big deal is being made about Cohen having to endure Davitian’s
"Golden Globes" in his face, but remember, it was no picnic for
Davitian either.

However, Davitian reveals, that scene had one deception in the form
of a strategically placed black bar.

"I can tell you," he says, "that the black bar that you saw while he
was running was an exaggeration and not necessary."

Photo:

BAKU DESCRIBES PUTIN’S STATEMENT AS "LAME JOKE"

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.02.2007 15:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Russian President Vladimir Putin’s news conference
clearly hinted on cooling in Azeri-Russian relations," said Arif
Yunusov, the director of the department of conflictology at the
institute of peace and democracy. "Putin was rather restrained as
regards Azerbaijan and poured compliments on Armenia. Several months
ago his statements on Karabakh were different. Thus, we have got the
following picture: Russia understands that with its rough actions it
pushed Azerbaijan closer to the West. The gas blackmail has failed
and Russia has received one more minus in form of Azerbaijan. So,
if Russia loses Armenia, it will be a loud collapse of its foreign
policy in the South Caucasus. Moscow is most likely to consolidate
positions in Armenia and at the same time smooth policy towards
Azerbaijan and Georgia, Yunusov said.

When commenting on Vladimir Putin’s wish to Armenians and Azeris "to
reconstruct Aghdam, since its port was always popular in the former
USSR", Yunusov said it looked like a lame joke that can be taken in
different ways. "Leaders of many states often make foolish remarks
during news conferences of the kind and Putin is not an exception,"
he said.

"I suppose Putin wanted to take the train off but a top politician
like him should understand that jokes on Karabakh conflict are
inappropriate," Yunusov resumed, reports Day.az.