Author: Tavakalian Edgar

NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVED A DELEGATION OF SWITZERLAND’S ARMENIAN UNION

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 7 2007

May 6 the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghoukassian
received a delegation of Switzerland’s Armenian Union headed by the
organization leader Vahe Gabrash.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the NKR President’s
Press Office today, Arkady Ghoukassian had welcomed the guests’
active participation in the programs targeted at the Republic rural
regions’ development.

Congratulating Switzerland’s Armenian Union on the opening of a hotel
in the village of Melikashen, the NKR President noted infrastructure
stimulating tourism’s development was forming on the whole territory
of the Nagorno-Karabagh due to such ideas’ realization.

RA Ambassador to Switzerland Zohrab Mnatsakanian accompanied the
delegation during the visit to the Nagorno-Karabagh.

AZERBAIJANI POLITICIANS DISAGREE WITH FRANCE’S NEW PRESIDENT

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 7 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr S. Aghayeva / Azerbaijani politician
Vefa Guluzadeh, believes the election of Nicola Sarcozy, President
of France is not a good thing for Azerbaijan. The major problem for
Azerbaijan is that the new president will adhere to its pro-Armenian
position, regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, as the Armenians backed him in
the elections.

Guluzadeh does not consider that the election of Sarcozy to be the
nation’s choice. "This is the force of a definite oligarchic industrial
military complex, which dominates France at present," he stated.

Touching upon the further relationships between Azerbaijan and France,
the politician noted that he did not consider the present level of
relationships to be developed sufficiently. "The economic bonds between
Azerbaijan and France are established on a mutually beneficial base,"
he stressed.

Another Azerbaijani politician Rasim Musabeyov believes that despite
the election of a new president, the policy of the country towards
Azerbaijan will not change. The state is headed by the political
party which backed Jacques Chiraque.

The politician did not rule out the possibility of certain changes
in France’s political course. According to him, Chiraque displayed
keen interest in the solution to the regional problems including
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, Sarcozy will not deal with
this problem in the commencement of his presidency. He will focus on
internal political problems and issues of European integration. In
total the policy will remain the same.

As a result of the presidential elections held on 6 May in France,
the representative of the right wing, Nicola Sarcozy received 53.06%
of the votes, while socialist Segolen Ruayal received 46.94%. The
difference made up some 2mln votes.

The attendance at the elections was the highest compared to the last
20 years (85%).

ARMENIA BLOCKS TURKISH ELECTION OBSERVERS

Agence France Presse — English
May 7, 2007 Monday 3:59 PM GMT

Armenia said on Monday it had refused visas to eight Turkish election
observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
who were due to monitor parliamentary polls.

"We do not consider it proper that Turkish representatives carry out
monitoring in Armenia… due to the lack of diplomatic relations,"
between the two countries, foreign ministry spokesman Vladimir
Karapetyan told AFP.

The two neighbours have no diplomatic relations and their common
border has remained closed for more than a decade.

They have fundamental differences over the mass killings of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I as well as Turkey’s
support for Azerbaijan in an Armenian-Azeri war in the early 1990s.

Armenia, an ex-Soviet state in the Caucasus mountains, holds
parliamentary elections on Saturday.

A top official at the Vienna-based OSCE said Monday that he was
concerned about Armenia’s decision.

"Preventing some observers from participating contradicts the
principles of transparency and objectivity which are an indispensable
aspect of democratic elections," OSCE director for democratic
institutions Christian Strohal said in a statement.

FIRST COURT HEARING OF DINK MURDER CASE TO BE HELD ON JULY 2

ISTANBUL, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 14th criminal
court of Istanbul made a decision to hold the first hearing of the
Hrant Dink’s murder case on July 2.

According to the Turkish press, the court hearing is likely to be a
closed-door one as Article 185 of the Criminal Procedure Code
stipulates that "a closed-door court hearing shall be held if the
accused is under the age of 18 years."

So in accordance with this article, the court hearing of the case of
Ogun Samast charged with murder of Hrant Dink will be held behind
closed doors, as the accused has not yet reached 18.

The court announced that Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel Prize winner, will also
participate as aggrieved party in the trial. To recap, Yasin Hayal –
one of the accused in the case of Dink’s murder – threatened Pamuk by
telling him "to become reasonable".

GEORGIAN FM ON PLACING U.S. AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM: WE HAVE MORE SIGNIFICANT TASKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2007 14:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia does not participate in any discussions
over placing on its territory elements of U.S. air defense system,
Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili clarified his countries
stance on issues concerning American air defense system.

On May 2 Georgian FM at the interview to The Financial Times stated
that Tbilisi is ready to discuss the possibility of placing on its
territory elements of American air defense system. "If Americans
turn to us with such a request (over placing air defense elements in
Georgia) we will willingly negotiate with them," cites the newspaper
minister’s words. Earlier official representative of Pentagon
lieutenant-general Henry Obering stated about US’s wish to place air
defense system radar stations in Caucasus.

In his official written statement, which was spread on Friday,
Bezhuashvili underlined, "I want to dispel misunderstandings or various
interpretations around my statements in The Financial Times, which were
not understood properly. In my interview I underlined that no talks
over placing elements of American air defense system in Georgia are
on the way and no such negotiations are planned. Consequently we do
not participate in any discussions over this issue." The Georgian FM
thinks, "any speculations around this question are counterproductive."

"We have more significant tasks. As a responsible ally and member of
the international community our task is to deepen and widen democratic
reforms now and in future," Bezhuashvili underscores in his written
statement, RIA "Novosti" reports.

Volach’s "Father" Wins Top Tribeca Prize; Gibney’s "Taxi" Wins Doc Award

TRIBECA ’07

IndieWire.com
May 4, 2007

by Eugene Hernandez

David Volach’s "My Father My Lord" (Hofshat Kaits) won the Founders
Award for best narrative feature (including a $50,000 cash award) and
Alex Gibney’s "Taxi to the Darkside" won the prize for best documentary
feature (including $25,000 cash) at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.
Organizers presented the prizes at an awards ceremony and party at Jing
Fong restaurant in New York City’s Chinatown. A total of $270,000 in
cash prizes were presented at the ceremony as the festival heads into
its final weekend, which will include numerous screenings of the winning
movies.

"I think that film can help us all know each other better," noted
Tribeca Film Festival executive director Peter Scarlet, welcoming guests
to Thursday’s awards event. Continuing he praised the work of his
festival programming colleagues Nancy Schafer and David Kwok, among
others, likening their work to that of Saint George, "slaying the
dragons of bad movies before they get into the theaters," at what he
called, "this unstoppable 6th Tribeca Film Festival."

Films highlighting political and international issues were honored at
this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Nouri Bvouzid from Morocco, the
writer and director of "Making Of," whose film won the screenwriting
prize and an award for actor Lofti Edbelli, told the audience, "I made
this film as a cry for peace, I am happy that it has spoken to everyone
in the West, as it has in my home."

A pair of short film directors also spoke out about international
situations during their acceptance speeches. Winner of the prize for
best narrative short, Jens Assur, director of "The Last Dog in Rwanda"
commented that for him, things have come full circle. He recalled
meeting a man by the name of Paul Kagame years ago while traveling in
Rwanda and today in New York City he again met with the man, who is now
president of that country. "My goal with this project has been to spread
awareness and knowledge about the world," Assur said on stage, praising
the Tribeca festival for a similar mission.
Tribeca Film Festival executive director Peter Scarlet (left) and
"Making Of" writer/director Nouri Bvouzid. Photo by James Israel/indieWIRE

Meanwhile, Yoni Brook, winner of the best documentary short prize for "A
Son’s Sacrifice," also saluted the Tribeca event. Standing alongside his
producer Musa Syeed on stage, he said, "Three years ago the Jewish kid
and the Muslim kid decided to make a movie…it look a little longer
than we thought [it would], but we are so grateful to Tribeca." The
film, funded in part by ITVS, will air on PBS later this year.

Finally, dedicating her NY Loves Film documentary award to the late Jim
Lyons, an emotional Esther Robinson praised him for his work editing her
film about her own uncle and his relationship with Andy Warhol, "A Walk
into the Sea: Danny Williams and The Warhol Factory." She also stirred
hearty laughter reflecting on New York City.

"New York is like this really hot, slightly mean guy," Robinson told he
audience, "So mean, but when its good, God is it good." Continuing after
a burst of laughter and applause, she reflected on the subject of her
film, saying, "We all move to New York because we want to see or realize
a viison and we go where there’s people who help us realize that vision."

COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS:

The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature:
"My Father My Lord" (Hofshat Kaits), directed by David Volach (Israel)

Best New Narrative Filmmaker:
"Two Embraces" (Dos Abrazos), directed by Enrique Begne (Mexico)

Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film:
Lofti Edbelli in "Making Of" (Akher film), directed by Nouri Bouzid
(Tunisia, Morocco)

Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film:
Marina Hands in "Lady Chatterley," directed by Pascale Ferran (France,
Belgium)

Best Screenplay:
"Making Of" (Akher film), written and directed by Nouri Bouzid (Tunisia,
Morocco)
honorable mentions: "Lost in Beijing" (Ping Guo), screenwriters Li Yu
&Fang Li, directed by Li Yu (China); "Half Moon" (Niwemang),
screenwriter/director Bahman Ghobadi (Iran, Iraq, Austria, France).

Best Documentary Feature:
"Taxi to the Darkside," directed by Alex Gibney (U.S.A.).

Best New Documentary Filmmaker:
"A Story of People in War & Peace," directed by Vardan Hovhannisyan
(Armenia)
special jury mention – Documentary: "We Are Together" (Thina Simunye),
directed by Paul Taylor (U.K.)

NY Loves Film – Documentary:
"A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and The Warhol Factory," directed
by Esther Robinson (U.S.A.)

Made In NY – Narrative:
"The Education of Charlie Banks," directed by Fred Durst (U.S.A.)

Made In NY Special Jury Recognition – Narrative:
"The Killing of John Lennon," directed by Andrew Piddington (U.K.)

Best Narrative Short:
"The Last Dog in Rwanda" (Den sista hunden i Rwanda), directed by Jens
Assur (Sweden)

Special Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short:
"Super Powers," directed by J. Anderson Mitchell & Jeremy Kipp Walker
(U.S.A.)

Best Documentary Short:
"A Son’s Sacrifice," directed by Yoni Brook (U.S.A.)

Student Visionary Award:
"Good Luck Nedim" (Sretan Put Nedime), directed by Marko Santic (Slovenia)

Student Visionary Award:
"Someone Else’s War," directed by Lee Wang (U.S.A./Philippines)

Cadillac Award:
Winner to be chosen by the audience and announced on Saturday, May 5th

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award – Documentary:
Dee Rees for her documentary work-in-progress, "Eventual Salvation"
honorable mention – "Ultimate Christian Wrestling" by Jae-Ho Chang and
Tara Autovino

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award – Narrative:
Ben Rekhi for his current screenplay, "Waste," co-written by John Campo

Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award – Screenwriting:
Marilyn Fu for her screenplay, "The Sisterhood of Night," an adaptation
of the short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Millhauser. Caryn
Waechter is attached to direct
honorable mention – "Last Road Home" by Roberto Marinas.

Recipient of the 2007 Tribeca/Sloan Screenplay Development Program Grant:
David Freeman for "A First Class Man"

ribeca_07_vola.html

20 STUDENTS DETAINED AFTER CLASHES BETWEEN AZERI AND ARMENIAN STUDENTS IN MOSCOW

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2007

Injured are reported after the incident between Azerbaijanis and
Armenians in the Peoples’ Friendship University after Patricia Lumumba
in Moscow.

Some Azerbaijani students injured following fire shots that came by
Armenian students. One of them 21-year-old Aghali Aliyev received
severe wound and placed at the hospital, APA reports.

Other injured Azerbaijani students refused medical cure in the
hospital satisfying with out patient treatment. Law enforcement
authorities who investigate the pictures of cameras that filmed the
incident try to find out the people firing at Azerbaijanis. Scuffle
between Azerbaijanis and Armenians kept on going in the dormitory
of the university. 20 men involved in the conflict were taken to the
Interior Affairs Department of Cheremuski district.

The clash occurred between Azerbaijani and Armenian students in
the Peoples Friendship University after Patricia Lumumba during
"South-West planet" exhibition. The reason for the scuffles was
dance of Armenians with the flag of the so called "Nagorno Karabakh
Republic" according to Galina Kuzmina, university press service’s
head. "Azerbaijani students protested severely against this action.

But the university leadership did not let the incident come to blows.

Information on use of fire-arms by the students is groundless".

Azerbaijani students receiving education at the university told APA
when Armenian students attempted to dance with the flag of the so
called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" they seized the flag and tore it.

After Azerbaijani and Armenian students came to blow and one Armenian
student shot from fire-arms at Azerbaijanis.

Azerbaijan Embassy to Russia told APA they do not have information
on the conflict between Azerbaijani and Armenian students at the
University after Patricia Lumumba and injured Azerbaijani students.

Armenian students did not come to sort out relationships with
Azerbaijani students and Azerbaijani businessmen in Moscow near
"McDonalds" restaurant at 20.00 Baku time. More than 100 Azerbaijani
students gathered in the territory where special militia forces were
controlling.

HEAD OF NKR AD CALLS STATEMENTS OF AZERBAIJANI SIDE LIE

Arminfo Agency
2007-04-30 10:20:00

The Baku mass media have been lately exaggerating the subject of
training flights of Azerbaijani airplanes not far from the NKR
border. Azerbaijan’s official sources claim as if their fighting
airplanes may carry out manoeuvring flights in the air space under
NKR Defense Army control any time.

As ArmInfo special correspondent in Stepanakert reports, Head of DA’s
Air Defense, Colonel Alexander Gasparyan thinks that such claims are a
lie and the Azerbaijani party tries to pose the desired as real. "These
figments do not meet the reality. As for the fighting efficiency of
NKR AD troops and their readiness to adequately respond to the enemy,
we have proved this during the war when we had poorer technical and
professional opportunities. The fact that the forces of NKR Defense
Army’s AD have demonstrated their superiority over those of other
countries during the recent international competitions- trainings,
indicates the level of our preparation", A. Gasparyan said. The
Command of NKR DA notes that the air defense system detachments,
being on combat duty, keep vigilant watch on each flight of objects of
the enemy’s air forces (at a distance of 30-35 km from NKR borders),
and they are always ready to take the relevant measures.

DENYING ARMENIA’S GENOCIDE

The Sofia Echo, Bulgaria
April 30 2007

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), which is supported
mainly by Bulgarians of ethnic Turkish descent and is a member of the
ruling tripartite coalition, caused controversy on April 25 when it
refused to accept the term "genocide" in a declaration honouring the
memory of close to 1.5 million Armenians slaughtered in 1915 in the
then-Ottoman Empire. Roupen Kirkoryan, an MP of Armenian descent,
proposed that the memory of the Armenians be honoured by a minute
of silence in Parliament. When the clock started clicking, MRF MPs
walked out of the chamber in protest. The MRF appeared to endorse
the view of the modern Republic of Turkey that the tragedy with the
Armenians was not a slaughter, opposition MPs said. The MRF proposed
that Parliament adopt a declaration showing "compassion with the
tragedy of all nations and groups of people that had been victims of
violence". This prompted all opposition MPs to walk out of the chamber,
precluding debate on the proposal.

WORLD BRIEFING UNITED NATIONS: REVISED GENOCIDE EXHIBIT OPENS
By Warren Hoge

The New York Times
May 1, 2007 Tuesday
Late Edition – Final

A United Nations exhibit on the Rwandan genocide that was dismantled
three weeks ago after Turkey objected to a reference to the Armenian
genocide was opened in revised form by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Where the original exhibit had an entry called "What is genocide?"

that cited the deaths "following World War I" of a million Armenians
"in Turkey," the revised entry is called "Defining the Crime" and
refers to "mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during
World War I." Some 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman
Turks, but Turkey says they were victims of war and unrest instead
of genocide. The exhibit observes the 13th anniversary of the 100-day
slaughter in Rwanda of 800,000 Tutsis by Hutus.