Author: Toganian Liana

EDGES OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT OUTLINED AMONG KOZERN INHABITANTS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Inhabitants of the Kozern district of
Yerevan and officials of the Yerevan Mayor’s Office agreed to start
works in the district from April 13 in the direction of defining
the factual number of the district inhabitants, registration of
those left without registration and measurement of their private
property. Anahit Poghosian, an inhabitant of the district participated
in the meeting held in the RA President’s staff office, among the
inhabitants and representatives of the Mayor’s Office, informed
the Noyan Tapan correspondent about this. According to her, it was
decided to meet once in every ten days and discuss done works only
at the end of which the issue of privatization of the property will
be discussed. The process may last for 2-3 months. The inhabitants
of the Kozern district organized an action of complaint on April 12,
in front of the RA President’s residence. They asked the President
to take under his personal control and solve the issue of the
district inhabitants. The inhabitants are not against sale of the
territory, they simply demands to re-establish their violated right of
property. According to them, since still 1990s, they have continuously
appealed for privatization of the territory occupied by them. But
they were refused: with a reasoning that it is a zone for sale, is
not subject to privatization, though the territory was recognized a
zone for sale by the RA Government’s decision only in 2004. According
to the inhabitants, the Prime Minister sent a message to the Mayor’s
Office and instructed to form within 7-days term a commission to study
the problems of the district and to discuss them jointly. But, at the
April 11 meeting with inhabitation, Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian
stated that he is not going to create any commission. Besides,
Y.Zakharian accused the Chairman of the “Community and Right”
organization undertaken protection of the district inhabitants’
rights, of “giving political lining” to the issue.

EXCHANGE OF FIRE IN GAZAKH REGION

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
April 13 2006

Turan

Yesterday there was exchange of gunfire between Armenian and
Azerbaijani military units on the western border.

The Defense Ministry’s press office reported that at 8:26 p.m.

Armenian troops from Voskevan village in Noemberian region opened
fire at Azerbaijani army positions in Gushchu Ayrym village of the
Gazakh region.

At 11:35 p.m. Armenian troops fired on Azerbaijani positions in the
Gedabek region from the Armenian Krasnoselsk region.

At midnight Armenian troops fired at Azerbaijani positions in Mazamli
and Gyzyl Hajily villages of the Gazakh region. An hour later the
Mazamli region was again fired on. The Azerbaijani side returned fire,
casualties are not reported.

BUDAPEST COURT TO SENTENCE AZERBAIJANI ARMY OFFICER TOMORROW

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006

Budapest court tomorrow will pass a sentence on Azerbaijan Army
officer Ramil Safarov, who is indicted for murder of Armenian Army
officer Gurgen Margarian in Hungary.

Official representative of Safarov’s family, lawyer Adil Ismayilov
told APA from Budapest that Safarov will address the trial with his
final statement at 8.30a.m by local time (11.30a.m by Baku time). A
sentence will be pronounced on him after that.

The lawyer said he talked to Ramil Safarov on the phone today and
added that Safarov is ready to final statement and feels well.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Hungary told APA that delegates of the
Embassy will also attend the trial.

FINAL STAGE OF POLICE TRAINING CENTER RENOVATION STARTED

Armenpress
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Police Training Centre
has launched today the third and final stage of its renovation,
Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan,
Major-General Ararat Mahtesyan, First Deputy Head of the Armenian
Police, Mr. Anthony Godfrey, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy
in Armenia toured around the Centre, which was followed by a short
presentation of the accomplished and anticipated activities.

Renovation of the centre is part of a large-scale Police Assistance
Program launched by the OSCE Office in Yerevan in 2004. The program
envisages three key components: refurbishment of the Police Training
Centre, development of the curriculum in line with international
standards and introduction of a community-policing model in one of
Yerevan districts.

Refurbishment of the Training Centre has been made possible with
financial contributions from the Governments of the USA, Belgium
and Sweden.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

Watch the recorded video of the The message of His Holiness Aram I on the
occasion of the 3rd Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference held in Antelias here:

Re ad the message of His Holiness Aram I in Armenian here:
Messages/messages5.htm

NEW ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE CULTURAL MISSION OF ANTELIAS

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the Third Pan-Armenian Writers’
Conference, His Holiness Aram I announced the establishment of a new fund
sponsored by the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Calouste Gulbenkian
Foundation for supporting Armenian children’s literature.

The Armenian Pontiff also announced the establishment of the “Khathcig
Babikian Publishing Fund” for the encouragement of the publishing field. The
fund’s committee will decide on the publications it would sponsor.

His Holiness Aram I stressed the importance of mutual visits by Armenia
based and Diaspora Armenian writers for purposes of acquaintance. He
announced that the Catholicosate of Cilicia will invite two writers from
Armenia each year to be the guests of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and
become in close contact with the hear of the Armenian Diaspora and its
institutions.

His Holiness stated with great pleasure that he has appointed Dr. Zaven
Yegavian, Director of the Department of Armenian Affairs of the Gulbenkian
Foundation, as the cultural and educational advisor of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia. His Holiness Aram I praised Dr. Yegavian, assuring that his
loyalty, love and commitment to the Cilician See during the last decade
resulted in fruitful contributions to the Armenian culture.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the books
published in the Printing House of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

VIVACELL HOLDS CHARITY ACTION IN CONNECTION WITH MONTH OF WOMEN’S HOLIDAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. During the month of women’s holidays,
from March 8 to April 7, the VivaCell company organized a charity
action. 1185 Alo cards were given to mothers that gave birth to a
child on those days at Yerevan maternity hospitals. As Noyan Tapan
was informed from VivaCell Press Coordinator Mihran Sahakian, 51
mobile phones were given on March 8 and 87 mobile phones on April 7
by the company.

GLOBAL HIT

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Apr 03 2006

That’s the soulful sound of the duduk. The duduk is a kind of folk
oboe from Armenia. It’s played here by the Armenian master of the
duduk, Djivan Gasparyan. In Gasparyan’s homeland, the duduk embodies
Armenian culture and pervades folk music. But there’s no need to
leave the United States to hear it. There’s probably one playing at
a theater near you. The World’s Adeline Sire explains.

The duduk has become the stuff of Hollywood soundtracks. It’s about
2000 years old, so it’s probably the oldest and the hardest working
instrument in show business. Many blockbusters have featured it,
including The Crow, Dead Man Walking, The Siege, and even Hulk. The
trend started with the 1988 film “The last temptation of Christ.” That
soundtrack was composed by British rock musician Peter Gabriel.

Venezuelan-born musician Pedro Eustache was haunted by the sound of
this mysterious instrument.

Pedro: “I said what the heck is that? It sounded like a cello meets
a voice, meets a clarinet, meets a lot of pain, incredibly expressive
and it just rocked my world.”

Eustache took up the duduk in 1994 and studied with master Djivan
Gasparyan. He soon learned the secrets of this rudimentary instrument
made of Armenian apricot wood. It’s topped with a large reed that
sounds like this:

Eustache is a freelancer and in Hollywood, he’s very much in demand
by film composers. He plays dozens of woodwinds from around the
world. But he treasures the duduk. And likes to improvise on it.

Pedro: Duduk is such a difficult instrument, pfffff…..it kicks
my butt all the time, excuse my French–which is not French– but
duduk can express something very specific, peculiar, particular,
that nothing else can express. I would say evocative, I would say
extreme expression from sweetness to pain and they say in Armenia,
the sound of this instrument is a prayer.”

That quasi-holy sound has made the duduk a welcomed guest in religious
film epics. In 2004, 16 years after “the last temptation of Christ
” the duduk appeared in Mel Gibson’s film “the Passion of the
Christ.” And this time, Eustache was playing.

More than an instrument, the duduk is a dramatic device. John Debney
composed the score for “the Passion of the Christ.” He says he chose
the duduk because it sounds just like a human voice. But he says that
usually when film composers use it, they aim to refer to the distant
past and distant lands.

Debney: “It does evoke something ancient. I think that most westerners
are drawn to this instrument because it is a plaintive instrument that
is very exotic and very beautiful. And I think that’s very appealing.”

Filed under “ancient times” evoked by the duduk, you find the films
“Gladiator” and “Alexander.” And as for exotic, in 2005 alone, the
duduk evoked a fictitious land in “Chronicles of Narnia,” and the
middle east in “Syriana” and “Munich.”

Pedro Eustache is the featured duduk player in Munich’s soundtrack. And
he’s played many more gigs, even in settings beyond Hollywood. He
says the duduk is quite a chameleon.

Eustache: “I’ve played this in churches, in Hispanic churches, I have
played this in huge arenas all over the world, I have played this from
Dubai to India to Japan to Venezuela, I’ve used this in Iranian pop,
you know, it’s pretty amazing.”

Eustache also performs with classical Indian music master Ravi
Shankar. In 2002, Eustache performed with Shankar and his band
in London. It was a memorial concert for the Beatles’ George
Harrison. Shankar had written a duduk solo for Eustache. And that solo
didn’t fall on deaf ears. Paul McCartney was so impressed by the sound
of the instrument that he inquired about the musician who’d played it.

McCartney: “He said that he called Ravi Shankar….and said “Ravi,
I want to have that Indian musician that plays this mournful Indian
instrument…. voovoovoo…. and Ravi said “No no no, he’s not Indian,
he’s from Venezuela and the instrument is from Armenia.. hahaha…”

McCartney called Eustache and invited him to play a duet on his latest
album “Chaos and creation in the garden.” The song is “Jenny Wren.”

Pedro Eustache is convinced that this folk horn from Armenia has a
powerful and limitless reach. He says it will definitely outlive its
current fad. It’s just a hunch but it’s based on experience.

Eustache: “I’m from Venezuela, South America. My parents came from
Haiti and I am a whole multicultural weird thing. My point being,
there are things that go beyond geography and chronology an the sound
of the duduk is one of them. I have played this instrument anywhere
and everywhere and it affects people, it immediately capture’s
people’s sensibilities, it connects deeply with them, I think there
is something so incredibly universal about the sound, the strength,
the reality of this instrument.”

Its appeal is so universal that last November, UNESCO issued a
proclamation naming duduk music a “Masterpiece of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

As for Eustache, he’ll next play on a couple of songs Stevie Wonder
is writing for a documentary. Eustache says the R’N’B star loves the
instrument so much he’s getting one for himself. The duduk’s next
appearance will be brought to the silver screen by composer Hans
Zimmer. Zimmer asked master Djivan Gasparyan to the play for the
soundtrack of “The Da Vinci Code,” out this May.

For the World, I’m Adeline Sire.

Pedro Eustache is a woodwind player and a duduk specialist.

For information about Pedro Eustache and his latest solo CD, go to:

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GOVERNMENT MUST CONTROL ENERGY SECTOR

Lragir.am
08 April 06

Mher Shahgeldyan, Chair of the Committee of Defense, National Security
and Internal Affairs, answering to the our news reporter’s question
onthe transfer of the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan to Russia, said
this deal needs to be viewed from two aspects, political and
economic. `Of course, from the political aspect the Armenian
government must absolutely control its energy sector, especially
strategic energy generation. From the economic aspect, it is possible
that an energy plant, for instance, is co-owned by foreign
companies. Of course, if they are friendly countries, and the
companies are known worldwide. However, it is also a fact, and we have
stated this for a number of times, that for the national security and
energy independence the government must have control and levers of
management.

For economic benefit, it is important that about 600 million dollars
is invested in Armenia, which will enable to operate the fifth
generating unit and export electricity to neighbor countries. As far
as I know, the fifth generating unit was put out to auction formerly,
and there were no buyers willing to make investments to operate it.’

LEGISLATIVE REFORMS NECESSARY FOR INCREASING ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN
ANTI-CORRUPTION STRUGGLE

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Cooperation of the National Assembly,
public organizations and mass media is unequivocally necessary for
having success in the anti-corruption struggle. This was mentioned at
the April 7 meeting of the working group discussing problems of mass
media within the framework of the conference dedicated to the theme
“Role of RA National Assembly – Civil Society Cooperation in
Anti-Corruption Struggle” organized by the NA, Eurasia fund, OSCE and
UN Development Program. As Boris Navasardian, the Chairman of the
Yerevan Press Club said in the interview to the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, it’s first of all necessary to increase the role of
mass media in the anti-corruption struggle and their level in covering
that theme. Journalists’ being protected by the law is also important
as covering of corruption event is a dangerous activity for a
journalist. According to B.Navasardian, it’s aslo necessary to exclude
events of corruption in mass media which are connected with activity
of different institutions having influence on mass
media. B.Navasardian found it difficult to mention to what extent the
mentioned problems are solvable in the nearest future as the
parliamentaries’ readiness has a great role in their solution what is
very difficult to expect, taking into account that the elections come
soon. According to the YPC Chairman, it became clear of the
discussions, held within the framework of the conference, with
participation of foreign experts, journalists’ public organizations
and journalists, that there are many things to do. Amendments in some
laws are primary among them: first of all in the Laws On Television
and Radio, Advertisement, Postal Communication. According to
B.Navasardian, it’s necessary to make an attempt to influence on
televisions, as on the most powerful mass media, as soon as possible,
to make their contents closer to public demands. According to him,
coverings dedicated to concrete facts of corruption must be in the TV
broadcast, otherwise, the society will not believe those demands of
the authorities that “a productive anti-corruption struggle is
promoted among us.”

EU ENVOY WARNS OF CONSEQUENCES OVER NEW WAR FOR GARABAGH

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 6 2006

Baku, April 5, AssA-Irada
The European Union envoy on the South Caucasus has warned that
a possible resumption of hostilities to resolve the long-standing
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh could have
bitter ramifications, a statement that follows Azerbaijan’s threats
to resort to the use of force.

“By stating its intent to settle the conflict through military action,
Azerbaijan has chosen a dangerous path,” Peter Semneby told a news
conference during his visit to Yerevan.

Semneby said that with the stalling conflict settlement, Armenia
will be completely isolated and its economy will not develop. “Any
attempts to use force would bring about negative consequences for
the conflicting sides and the region as a whole.”

The EU representative said the Garabagh dispute should be settled only
in peace. “The parties to the conflict are at the end of negotiations
and I believe a relevant decision will be passed,” he added.

Semneby ruled out the use of the Kosovo option for the Garabagh
settlement that was proposed earlier. “Every conflict has its own
specifics and this model could not be applied to all frozen conflicts,”
he said. Semneby said that any given model that has been tested could
not be taken advantage of to resolve all disputes.

The EU envoy also said there are currently no plans to change the
format of the OSCE-mediated talks.

“The OSCE Minsk Group is working very well and the fact France is
involved in it as a co-chair means the EU’s interests are being
protected as well.”