Author: Talalian Arpi

Hartford Courant (Connecticut)
June 2, 2006 Friday
2 WEST CENTRAL EDITION

PRIEST’S ATTORNEY: ALLEGATIONS `MALICIOUS’

by HILDA MUNOZ; Courant Staff Writer

Allegations that the pastor of a local church sexually molested a
12-year-old girl from his congregation are “false and malicious,”
the man’s attorney said Thursday.

The Rev. Krikoris Keshishian, the longtime priest at St. Stephen’s
Apostolic Armenian Church on Tremont Street, was arrested in May and
charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact.

Keshishian was in Superior Court in New Britain Thursday, when Judge
Elpedio N. Vitale ordered that he not contact the girl and that he
have no unsupervised contact with children under 16. Keshishian is
scheduled to return June 16.

His attorney, Hubert Santos of Hamden, made a brief statement outside
the courthouse. Six priests and several of St. Stephen’s parishioners
stood behind Santos as he spoke to show their support for Keshishian.

Santos said his client is honorable and asked that prosecutors
continue investigating the allegations.

“We ask the state of Connecticut to re-examine the charges. … We
look forward to vindication,” Santos said.

Keshishian has been free on a promise to appear since his arrest.

Police said Keshishian, of 21 Garry Drive in New Britain,
inappropriately touched the girl at the church.

The charges stem from a single incident in May 2005, but there may be
more counts involving the same girl, police said. The girl reported
the alleged abuse to a family member, who called police.

Fourth-degree sexual assault is a felony punishable by one to five
years in prison.

Parishioners at St. Stephen’s have come out strongly in support of
Keshishian, who has celebrated Mass at the church since his arrest.

“I think he’s innocent. I don’t believe he’s done something wrong,”
said Manusak Terdjanian, a congregant at St. Stephen’s who attended
Keshishian’s court proceeding.

The girl, who used to attend Sunday school at St. Stephen’s while her
grandfather went to Mass, told police that Keshishian rubbed her
buttocks while hugging her, an arrest warrant affidavit states.

SMALL STATES MAY INFLUENCE SUPER POWERS, IF THEY HAVE BIG POLICY
By Ruzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily
01/06/2006

Professor Allan Henrikson and Ambassador Stephen Bosworth delivered
lectures at the American University of Armenia. The first lecture was
entitled “Change in the Idea of Far and Near East and Its Influence
on Armenia,” while the second one was about “Big Policy of Small
States.” Professor Henrikson touched upon the foreign policy of USA,
focusing on the changes that took place in the course of the last few
years, particularly after the 9/11 terrorist act. He stated that USA
spared no sources and efforts to struggle against the international
terrorism, including the war in Iraq.

Besides the issue of Iraq, the US foreign policy is particularly
focused on the relations with the Eastern Asia, as China becomes
a serious opponent for USA due to the development level of its
economy. Taking into account this factor, the USA is rather concerned
about weakening its influence in the world.

Meanwhile, according to Ambassador Steven Bosworth, the small states
should have big diplomacy that would allow them influence the policy
of the super powers.

He stated that Armenia is among the small states that managed to draw
the attention of super powers to the issue of the Armenian Genocide’s
recognition and made them change their views on the phenomenon of
genocide.

The USA was also influenced by the diplomacy of Armenia, as some of
the states of the country condemned the Armenian Genocide.

ANKARA AGAIN SEEKS TO MISLEAD EUROPE ABOUT ITS ANTAGONISTIC POLICY TOWARD ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
02.06.2006 12:18

Reports, based on sources in the Turkish government, are being
circulated by the Turkish media allege that “secret talks” are taking
place between Armenia and Turkey aimed at normalizing relations
between these two countries.

Sources close to the Turkish government quoted the government’s
spokesperson, Namik Tan, as saying that Turkey intends to continue
to make efforts to normalize relations with Armenia.

The European Armenian Federation recalls that, each year, on the
eve of the European Union’s annual assessment of Turkey’s candidacy,
Ankara revives its efforts to misinform and disorient European public
opinion about its true intentions and policies toward Armenia.

“We have no doubt that meetings between emissaries of both countries
may occur but there is a clear evidence that, as in the past, actual
progress will not be possible until Turkey undertakes a fundamental
realignment of its policies toward Armenia,” said Hilda Tchoboian,
Chairperson of the European Armenian Federation.

The Federation notes that Turkey continues to strangle Armenia
through blockade and a broader strategy aimed at isolating Armenia
internationally, and that it persists in escalating its political
campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide.

“Along the same lines as the notorious Erdogan proposal to establish
a ‘historians committee,’ this new effort does little to conceal
Turkey’s belligerent attitude toward Armenia or its desire to treat
Armenia as a hostage country,” continued Tchoboian.

The European Armenian Federation urges the European authorities to
condemn Turkey’s efforts to mislead and confuse the European family
of nations regarding its true posture toward Armenia.

“If Turkey truly wants to become a European nation, it needs to take
the steps that the world expects of it – including acknowledging
its state responsibility for the Armenian Genocide and lifting its
blockade of Armenia,” concluded Tchoboian.

WHITES BEGIN AND CONTINUE WITH BLACKS
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
01 June 06

Hence, it turned out that only Robert Kocharyan considers the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs and the Day of the Republic important. He was
alone to explain his staying here with the visit of co-chairs and
the Day of the Republic. While the Minister of Defense of Armenia
went to Torino for a holiday to watch the World Chess Olympiad on the
days of the visit of the co-chairs. In fact, as a defense minister,
Serge Sargsyan has nothing to do with the co-chairs; they mostly
meet with the president and foreign minister. The recent visit of the
co-chairs was unprecedented by its format, however, and surprisingly,
the secretary of the Council of National Security of Armenia, the
defense minister of Armenia was not in Armenia, he was watching chess.

Whereas, the Karabakh issue, is one of the prime issues of national
security, if not the key one.

Hence, supposedly, the World Chess Olympiad is of more importance
to the minister of defense from the point of view of national
security and defense than the unprecedented meeting of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs. Serge Sargsyan is also the president of the Chess
Federation of Armenia, and he is in Torino as a president. However,
as the president of the Chess Federation of Armenia he had never
participated in the World Chess Olympiad and other international
tournaments before. Hence, in fact, not only the visit of the Minsk
Group was unprecedented, but also the step of the defense minister
of Armenia. It is possible, of course, that the success of the chess
team is more important than the recurrent visit of the Karabakh
conflict mediators. And our chess team is really good. Who knows,
it might not be that good if Serge Sargsyan were not in Torino?

Moreover, nobody knows whether the defense minister would have gone
to Torino if his plans had not been thwarted, which he confessed
on May 15, the day of election of the new rector of Yerevan State
University. This is highly probable in the context of the recent
home political developments in Armenia. Coalitions collapse and are
created, new ministers are appointed, new parliament posts are taken
up, attention-grabbing details of restaurant parties are published,
journalists undergo abuse, the state of aviation is discussed,
the black boxes of the plane are found. The minister of defense is
in Torino, watching the Chess Olympiad, to show that the minister
of defense would not waste time and effort on political shows, and
prefers the important job of upholding the country’s reputation.

On the other hands, there are the plans. Aren’t these developments
anyhow related to these plans? Have these plans been thwarted to a
degree that everything needs to be started from the zero point, the
Olympic gold of Torino or some other medal? However, on the other hand,
it would be useful to follow the games of our chess players and the
course of events in Armenia. In this case, much may be understood,
and the Olympic logic of many home political developments may become
clear. Or the degree of thwarted plans may become known.

“You may lose the battle, but you may find your love,” sang the
customs officer in the film “The White Sun of the Desert”, who did
not take bribe but “worried about the homeland.” And no doubt much
has been thwarted in our country, to a degree than one has to go as
far as the Alps to see better from afar. The game is almost over. I
wonder who is going to start with the whites next.

NEW 10,000-DRAM BANKNOTES PUT IN CIRCULATION

Noyan Tapan
May 30 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. In accordance with the decision of the
Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Board, starting May 31, ten thousand
dram banknotes of the Republic of Armenia of 2006 issue will be put
in circulation. According to the CBA press service, these banknotes
are a legal means of payment in the territory of Armenia and shall
be accepted at their nominal value in payment for all goods and
liabilities expressed in money, without any time restriction. The
banknotes of the nominal value of 10,000 drams issued in 2003 remain
in circulation without restrictions and a change of circulation
conditions.

The CBA also provided the description of a 10,000-dram banknote. Like a
banknote of 2003 issue, it also bears a portrait of the writer Avetik
Isahakian and has a violet shade.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Lavrov: `We Observe Progress in Karabakh Talks’

30.05.2006 13:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of Azeri parliamentary delegation to the PACE
Samed Seidov asked a question to Russian FM Sergey Lavrov on the way
Russia was going to use CE experience in settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, taking into account Russia being a co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group, a respective CE resolution is adopted over the NK and
there is a subcommittee on the conflict. Lavrov diplomatically
answered, `Of course any experience is important to us. The OSCE Minsk
Group deals with settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It is
pleasant to me to note we observe progress in the talks.’

In Seidov’s opinion, at this phase the EU does not conceal it wants to
engage in Karabakh conflict settlement, however it is the OSCE MG,
which has the mandate for that. In his words, non-productiveness and
even sometimes idleness of the OSCE MG sometimes results in containing
the settlement process, reports Trend.

Russia will preside the CE in the coming 6 months.

ACTUAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STILL HIGH IN ARMENIA
By Mher Ohanian

Yerkir.am
May 26, 2006

Though officially the unemployment rate has been significantly reduced
in Armenia the number of the people who are paid satisfactory wages
is still as low as it was 5 or 10 years ago.

According to official statistics, the unemployment rate stood at 7.7%
as of April 1 against the 9.3% percent registered in January.

The number of the people seeking employment is 116,200 people; 91,000
of them or 84.7% have an official status of unemployed.

According to official data, the unemployment rate in Armenia is even
lower than that of Germany, which has unemployment rate of about 10%.

Apparently there is a significant contradiction between the official
numbers and the reality. According to estimates, the economically
active part of the Armenian population is 1,163,000 but it is not
known which portion of these people is engaged in seasonal jobs inside
Armenia and outside it.

‘Hidden’ employment

An essential side of the Armenian labor market is the so-called hidden
employment, which can only be revealed through studies. In 2005, the
Armenian Statistics Service tried to carry out such study to reveal
the employment rate among people aged between 15 and 70.

The study showed that those who are employed ‘secretly’ count for only
22.9 percent of the total number of the employed people. The number
of the people who have jobs based on ‘unwritten’ contracts was only
16.2 percent and constituted only 25.4 percent of the total number
of the employed.

The number of the self-employed was only 6.7 percent of the total
number of the employed.

Just a superficial analysis of those numbers indicates that the
official statistics does not show the real picture of the unemployment
rate in the country. The studies carried out among households reveal
that the real unemployment rate in Armenia is 4 times bigger than the
numbers shown by the official statistics. Despite a decrease trend,
the actual unemployment rate in Armenia stood at 31.3 percent in
2005. For comparison, it was 31.6 percent in 2004, 35.3 percent in
2002, 38.4 percent in 2001.

`Union for the sake of Armenia’ Party reached Chambarak

ArmRadio.am
27.05.2006 15:45

`Union for the sake of Armenia’ Party created its next cell in
Chambarak, Gegharkunik marz. During the meeting with the initiative
group of the Party residents of the city presented their problems and
expressed the hope that these would find their solution.

One of the major targets of the `Union for the sake of Armenia’ Party’
is regional development, which envisages serious consideration of the
problems in marzes of Armenia.

World Chess Federation (FIDE)

May 26 2006

FIDE: Armenia Holds Russia to 2:2 Draw, Ukraine Beats Russian Women
2:1

Armenia held Russia to a 2:2 draw to remain tied for the lead at 15.5
points after 5 rounds. Russian star Vladimir Kramnik beat rising
talent Levon Aronian but Gabriel Sargissian evened the score at the
expense of Alexander Morozevich. The match of the leaders was
cordoned off to control other players from crowding them.

In the women`s division, Ukraine won 2:1 to end the winning streak of
Russia who, however, held on to a slim half point lead. Natalia
Zhukova beat Alexandra Kosteniuk while the other two boards were
drawn.

Watch games live at the official site. If you do not see the games,
download Java 2 Runtime Environment (JRE). For assistance, please
contact Turin Webmaster Vittorio Rossi.

Top games are also at playchess.com and Internet Chess Club. For
results go to Open Olympiad, Women`s Olympiad and Olympiad news.

Download Electronic Bulletins of the Turin Olympiad.

Got to photos by IA Ales Drinovec of Slovenia, well known as one of
the principal workers in the Bled Olympiad.

RUSSIA CONTINUES WITHDRAWAL OF HARDWARE FROM MILITARY BASE IN GEORGIA

RTR Russia TV, Moscow
25 May 06

A train carrying hardware left the Russian military base in Batumi
last night. A total of 50 communications and rear service vehicles
as well as engineering equipment are to be redeployed to the Russian
Defence Ministry base in Gyumri, Armenia.

Another six such trains will leave Batumi in the next few months,
the headquarters of the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus
has said.

I recall that the withdrawal of military hardware from this base
began in the summer of 2005. Two assault landing ships brought to
Russia 12 tanks, 12 air defence systems and combat patrol vehicles.

Under Russian-Georgian agreements, the base in Batumi is to be closed
in 2008.