Author: Torgomian Varazdat

Aberdeen Press and Journal
June 22, 2004
Wolves set to pounce on opera-loving prey
A Colourful combination of opera, schoolgirls, wolves and a snake
launched Aberdeen International Youth Festival yesterday. Lisa Beare,
16, Anna Maxwell, 17, and Kay Ritchie, 17, launched the festival with
a burst of song from The Magic Flute as they showed off some of the
opera costumes.
The Cults Academy pupils will join a cast from Canada, France,
Belgium, Iceland and Germany, and work with Armenia’s foremost youth
orchestra, a conductor from Calgary, director from Paris and
choreographer from London. With the help of Moira Hunter, their
school’s head of music, the teenagers are learning the roles, which
require them to sing in German, in advance of rehearsals beginning on
July 12.
Festival chief executive Stephen Stenning said the cast and musicians
would have only a few weeks to overcome language barriers and learn
their roles before The Magic Flute is staged on August 9.
Last year’s youth festival opera, Carmen, a pay-what-you-can show,
was a sell-out. Tickets are now on sale at Aberdeen Box Office for
this year’s opera and other festival events.
It was revealed that Big Brother winner Cameron Stout is to host the
festival’s World Music Gala on August 7. It is a celebration of
traditional Scottish and world music and is to be a key part of the
city’s Tartan Day celebrations.

AZERI PRESIDENTIAL AIDE CONDEMNS PROTEST AT ARMENIAN PRESENCE AT NATO MEETING
Assa-Irada, Baku
23 Jun 04
BAKU
The head of the public and political department at the presidential
administration, Ali Hasanov, has commented on the radical steps by the
KLO (Karabakh Liberation Organization) against the arrival of Armenian
military officers in Baku within the framework of NATO’s Partnership
for Peace programme.
He said that any protest actions should be held within civilized
norms. The protest against the Armenians’ arrival should not have
involved the smashing of the hotel doors and windows and storming of
the conference room. The official said that the public stance on this
issue was understandable, adding that however, radical steps were
unacceptable. Hasanov stressed that the Azerbaijanis were cultured
people and said that international legal norms should in no way be
violated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia, Iran boost energy cooperation
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
21 Jun 04
[Presenter] The Araks river is in the focus of the Armenian-Iran
cooperation. Armenia and Iran agreed to jointly use the river’s hydro
[electrical generating] potential nine years ago. A joint commission
was set up on in 2000 and after three years a scheme to use the river
has been confirmed. The project includes the construction of two
power stations, one on Armenian and one on Iranian territory. The
Armenian Energy Ministry discussed the preparation of the joint
Armenian-Iran programmes and the issues of the construction of the
Megri hydro-electric power station during the meeting held in Syunik
District.
[Correspondent over video of power grids] The preparation works on the
construction power stations on the Araks river are being completed. The
construction site has already been confirmed. The sides will sign an
agreement in two months and the station’s ground stone will be laid in
summer 2005. The power station will be constructed by Iranian financial
means, estimated at about 40m dollars. This amount we [Armenia] shall
return in the form of energy produced in the new power station. This
is the third Armenian-Iran joint project. The first one was the
Armenian-Iran high-voltage power station which was commissioned last
year. The second line’s construction followed the first one which is
under construction and will be completed in the autumn.
There are seven Armenian-Iran joint programmes in the energy
industry. The construction of the Armenian-Iran gas pipeline’ will
also start soon. The agreement has already been signed, the financial
sources are being confirmed and the preparation works are being
completed. The construction of oil processing and chemical plants
are possible plans.
[Armenian Energy Minister, Armen Movsesyan, captioned] These seven
programmes which we have with Iran in the energy industry are quite
large, serious programmes. I think that all these programmes will
be implemented.
[Correspondent] Apart from the security issues in the field of energy,
these programmes will also promote the development of other districts
and the resolution of social problems, in particular, employment
issues.
Tereza Kasyan, “Aylur”.

The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)
June 19, 2004 Saturday Final Edition
Flood of prospects try to make cut: 1,500 show skills CBC reality TV
show offers shot at NHL
by: JOHN MEAGHER
A 30-year-old pharmacist by day and a beer-league goalie by night,
Dikran Karlozian is one of 1,500 NHL longshots attending the Bell
Making The Cut Tryout Challenge this weekend at the 4-Glaces arena
complex in Brossard.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” said Karlozian, who was hoping
to survive yesterday’s round of cuts and eventually earn one of six
coveted invitations to an NHL training camp in 2005.
The three-day Montreal tryout camp is the last of seven stops in
a nationwide search for Canada’s best unsigned hockey players. The
public won’t know which skaters have been selected until the Making
The Cut reality television show airs this September on CBC and RDS.
While the odds of ever reaching the NHL are stacked against him,
Karlozian is taking an optimistic approach to his one and only kick
at the can.
“A 1-in-10,000 shot at the NHL is better than none at all,” he said.
“I’m looking at this as more of a chance to gauge myself against
better players out there. I honestly don’t actually expect to make
much of an impact unless I actually get some help from the hand of God,
or something.”
Since the Montreal camp began yesterday, legions of NHL wannabes
like Karlozian have gladly paid the $55 registration fee to be put
through their paces by a coaching staff headed by Scotty Bowman and
Mike Keenan. Assisting them will be Jacques Demers, Alain Vigneault
and Pierre McGuire.
A whittled-down group of players – or “survivors” – will be asked to
stick around for a series of contact 3-on-3 games in the afternoons.
Coaches and the scouting staff will then compare notes from the other
tryout camps held recently across the country, before issuing 68
invites to next month’s main tryout camp, to be held at an undisclosed
location.
>>From that shortlisted group, six eventual winners will be selected
to report to one of Canada’s NHL franchises: the Canadiens, Ottawa
Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and
Vancouver Canucks.
Wesley and Shawn Scanzano, identical twin brothers from Dorval, also
headed to Brossard in hopes of some day landing a dream job in the NHL.
Last season, the undrafted Scanzano twins toiled in the minors for
the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League.
Wesley, a 23-year-old winger, has previously attended the NHL training
camp of the Phoenix Coyotes, but never caught on. He is viewing this
weekend’s tryout camp as another crack at an NHL career that’s eluded
him since his junior days with the Quebec Remparts, where he played
alongside future NHLers Mike Ribeiro, Simon Gagne and Eric Chouinard.
“I’ve nothing to lose,” he said. “I’m just going there to do my best
and hope something good happens. If not, we’ll move on.”
Scanzano says making the NHL is as much about timing as talent. “You
have to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve spent the past
couple of years trying to make the NHL, so I thought this might be
my last shot.”
Shawn Scanzano has tasted success before, but never at the NHL level.
As a rugged junior defenceman in 2000, he won a Memorial Cup with
Brad Richards and the Rimouski Oceanic. Richards won the Stanley Cup
this year with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was named the Conn Smythe
Trophy winner as playoff MVP.
Karlozian is a late bloomer who has improved with age.
A Montrealer of Armenian decent, he didn’t start playing organized
hockey until he was 16. He has spent much of the last 14 years making
up for lost ice time.
“Hockey has already changed my life,” said Karlozian, who was obese
as a child, weighing 260 pounds at age 12.
Now a more solid 230 pounds, he says his beer-league goaltending
skills give him the confidence to reach for the NHL.
“I just want to take my shot and have a little piece of mind at the
end,” he said. “If I make it, great. If I don’t, well, at least I
took my shot.
“Who knows? If I make a couple of big saves, I might catch the eye
of somebody important.
“But I’m not going to cry if I don’t make it, because I have very
good career to fall back on.”
[email protected]
GRAPHIC: Photo: GORDON BECK, THE GAZETTE; Goalie hopeful Charline
Labonte, hoping to make the cut for the CBC reality series Making
The Cut, gets encouragement from NHL coaching greats Scotty Bowman
(left) and Mike Keenan at 4-Glaces Arena in Brossard.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian leader urges regional cooperation at Kazakh summit
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
18 Jun 04
[Presenter] A summit of the leaders of the member countries of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO] is taking place in
Astana [Kazakhstan]. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is also taking
part in the summit. President Kocharyan today delivered a speech
in the Kazakh capital during a forum called Eurasian Integration:
Contemporary Development Tendencies and Globalization Challenges of
the Eurasian Economic Community. He stated that the Eurasian Economic
Community promotes the re-establishment of severed ties and creates
a new level of cooperation, which will have a positive influence
on the development pace of the countries. He noted that for speedy
development, it is necessary to ensure not only domestic and economic
stability, but also security.
[Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan from Astana] This is the second day of
the visit to Astana by the presidents of Armenia, Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This morning they took part
in an international forum of the Eurasian Economic Community, which
discussed this organization’s preliminary tasks. Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan established this organization –
the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEc) – in 2000.
To recap, Armenia is participating in EurAsEc as an observer. President
Kocharyan welcomed the forum’s work and noted that the Eurasian
Economic Community promotes the re-establishment of severed ties
and creates a new level of cooperation. Robert Kocharyan stressed
that Eurasia is a crossroads of civilizations, cultures and state
traditions. This is a serious factor in intergovernmental relations,
which opens new horizons and at the same time, requires efforts to
bring different countries’ economies closer to each other.
President Kocharyan also touched upon Armenia’s economic situation
and stated that like most of the Eurasian countries, our country
has already overcome the difficulties of the transition period
thanks to the current political and economic reforms, which places
new tasks and obligations on the countries. One of them is regional
cooperation. President Kocharyan stressed the importance of regional
organizations’ integration, first of all in the sphere of energy and
transport communications.
The Armenian president noted that the conflicts in the South Caucasus
are an obstacle to the development of the region as a whole and its
countries. Regional cooperation and integration processes could provide
regional security, stability and a settlement to current conflicts.
The leaders of the six countries continued to discuss Eurasian issues
after the summit during a session of the security council. Regional
and international security and world issues were on the agenda. The
leaders of the member countries will also discuss cooperation in
the foreign political, military and military-technical spheres. The
presidents’ joint news conference is expected after the session. The
delegation led by Robert Kocharyan will return to Yerevan tonight.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 17 2004
IRAN SUPPORTS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN AND THIS POLICY IS
UNCHANGEABLE
[June 17, 2004, 19:08:59]
Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament Murtuz Alaskarov received the
delegation led by justice minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Muhammadismail Shushteri, 17 June, AzerTAj correspondent reported.
Touching upon the existing friendly relations between the two
countries Mr. Alaskarov expressed satisfaction with the current
level. A number of documents signed during the reciprocals visits of
the by heads of state set reliable ground for these links.
Azerbaijan has always been keen in expansion of ties with Iran and
this policy successfully continues today, he underlined. Highly
appraising the inter-parliamentary links, Murtuz Alaskarov emphasized
that there is a working group on cooperation between the legislative
bodies of the two countries. According to the agreement reached by
this Group and Parliaments of the two countries, members of
parliament of both countries have the same position in the
international organizations.
Updating on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict,
Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament said that Azerbaijan adheres
peaceful settlement of the problem in the frame of territorial
integrity of states and international law. “We also highly appreciate
Iran’s support in this problem and hope that this policy will be
further continued”, Mr. Alaskarov stated.
Expressing gratitude for warm reception, Mr. Shushteri said that his
country is also interested in development of relations with
Azerbaijan. Approval of the agreements on cooperation in the field of
law-enforcement by the Parliaments eases our mutual activity.
Security of our citizens, legal environment for investment and other
actions have especially promoted our cooperation, he stressed. “We
are convinced that and the parliaments will benefit our common
cause”. Touching upon the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, the Minister
said that Iran has always supported Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity, condemns the Armenian aggression and adheres peaceful
resolution to the problem. “This policy is unchangeable”, the Iranian
Minister underlined.

Armenian president welcomes Russian purchase of ailing plant
ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 15, 2004 Tuesday
YEREVAN, June 16 — Armenian President Robert Kocharyan welcomed the
purchase by a Russian company of a controlling stake in the domestic
synthetic rubber plant that faces a financial plight.
Board chairman of the Volgaburmash machine-building enterprise Andrei
Ischuk told Kocharyan Tuesday his company is completing a deal to buy
a controlling interest in the Yerevan-based Nairit chemical enterprise
that produces synthetic rubber.
Kocharyan expressed hope Volgaburmash will be a stable and reliable
partner for Armenia.
Founded in 1936 Nairit faced financial problems and had to periodically
stop production in the past 10-12 years, according to plant director
Sergei Muradyan.
Ischuk said Nairit has all the grounds for profitable production. An
investment program worth several dozen million dollars and a
rehabilitation business plan have already been designed.

Abelyan: Harrison is there for taking
STEPHEN HALLIDAY
The Scotsman, UK
June 16 2004
WILLIAM Abelyan will be a long way from home on Saturday night but
if the Armenian-born, California-based mandatory challenger to Scott
Harrison’s WBO featherweight title is to be believed, the Braehead
Arena will be the scene of a comfortable coronation.
The 25-year-old, fighting outside the United States for the first time
in his six-year career, provided a withering and dismissive analysis
of Harrison yesterday as he met the Scottish media for the first time.
Dethroning Scotland’s world champion, according to Abelyan, will be
little more than a formality. He bases his claim on the evidence of
Harrison’s contests with Mexican veteran Manuel Medina last year. The
Scot, of course, slumped to a shock points loss to Medina in July
before regaining his belt with an 11th-round knockout in the rematch
four months later.
“I can’t believe Medina went the distance and then another 11 rounds
with Harrison,” said Abelyan. “I was Medina’s sparring partner and
I put him on the canvas twice. Medina is an old man.
“For me, Scott Harrison is a typical, come-forward fighter. He is a
strong kid, no doubt about it, but he just comes straight on to you.
There is no movement. I will be ready for him. I’m not going to say
I’ll knock him out, but I will do my stuff in the ring on Saturday
and the knockout will come.
“I’m a boxer, not a fighter, and I will show what’s going to happen
on Saturday. It’s nothing personal as far as I’m concerned, I’m just
here to become the world champion and take the belt home.
“I haven’t fought for a year, because everyone wants to avoid me.
When I become champion, they will all have to fight me.”
Don House, Abelyan’s trainer, echoed his boxer’s confidence. “Scott’s
a decent fighter but he doesn’t possess anything I’m worried about,”
said House. “William has fought tougher guys in the past and I’d just
like to thank Scott for allowing us to come here and win the belt.”
The taunts are unlikely to disconcert highly-motivated Harrison,
whose preparations for the second defence of his second reign as
champion were disrupted by his court appearance last week which saw
him found not guilty of assault.
Frank Maloney, Harrison’s manager, issued a vote of confidence in
his man, but not without some reservations.
“I am concerned about Abelyan,” said Maloney. “I would have preferred
to avoid this fight, but it’s typical of Scott that he didn’t want
to go down another route. Most guys who have had the problems Scott
went through over the past week would have cried off, but Scott isn’t
most guys. He is either incredibly single-minded or just has a screw
missing, I’ve never worked with anyone like him.
“Scott won’t be able to take a backward step in this fight, he’s
going to have to corner Abelyan and slow him down. I think that’s what
will happen but Scott is fighting for his career. Unlike with Medina,
if Scott loses this one, there is no rematch clause. Win it, though,
and there are some massive paydays ahead.”

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY MAKES STUNNING DECISION AUTHORISING OPPOSITION RALLY
A1 Plus | 21:00:27 | 14-06-2004 | Politics |
Artarutyun opposition bloc’s Press-Secretary Ruzan Khachatryan said
Monday Yerevan municipality had authorized a rally scheduled for
coming Wednesday.
This is the first time the municipality has given its authorization
to an opposition-staged rally. Before that, the opposition has been
repeatedly denied authorization.
The opposition activists explain such a precipitous shift in the
authorities conduct with the PACE approaching session and PACE
representative Yerzi Yaskernia’s visit to Armenia.

The Shield Finale Scoop!
by Daniel R. Coleridge
TV Guide
June 15 2004
Last week on FX’s The Shield, Lem freaked out and pulled an
unbelievable stunt. Cracking under pressure, he burnt up most of the
Strike Team’s “retirement fund” — aka their stolen Armenian
money-train loot — in the furnace! Admit it: You thought Vic Mackey
(Michael Chiklis) and Co. might whack him Sopranos-style, right then
and there. Well, in tonight’s season finale at 10 pm/ET, Shield fans
will learn Lem’s fate after the guys fought over that cash. Can’t
wait? Read our revealing interview with Kenny Johnson, who plays Lem.
Spoiler alert: If you don’t want any hints, better stop reading
now…
TV Guide Online: Just curious. What is Lem’s actual name?
Kenny Johnson: [Chuckles] Curtis “Lemonhead” Lemanski. The real story
is Shawn Ryan, the creator, has a bald head. Back when he wrote for
Angel, he wore these lemon-scented ice packs in the writers’ room to
keep his head cool. So they called him Lemonhead, and he gave his
nickname to my character on The Shield.
TVGO: Strange! So why did Lem suddenly go nuts and torch the moolah?
Johnson: The money is evil. It’s destroying the team and making Lem
sick. There’s a lot of guilt involved because people all around us
are dying. On top of that, they’re closing in on the four of us.
Aceveda and Dutch are suspicious, plus the Armenians know our names.
That’s why Lem has a bleeding ulcer, where he’s starting to puke up
blood. He’s internalizing stuff. My character was never about the
money, unlike Shane, who’s selfish and full of BS.
TVGO: It’s weird that Vic and Shane left Lem and Ronnie to transport
the money in their van.
Johnson: Exactly, man! So Lem’s thinking, “If the Armenians or the
police are surveilling us and I get stopped, I’m the one with the
money, so I’m screwed!” So he made a choice in the moment.
TVGO: It’s a huge betrayal, though. Without revealing too much, have
you worried that Lem will be killed or somehow written off?
Johnson: When the finale script came out, people read the script and
thought I was going. [CCH Pounder] called me and asked, “How do you
feel? If they wrote that about me, I’d be on the phone asking what’s
gonna happen!” After a few days, I got calls from Shawn Ryan and FX.
They told me, “You’re okay. You’re not leaving the show or going
anywhere.” I played it off like I wasn’t worried for a whole weekend,
but I was!
TVGO: Phew! How do you feel about Lem emerging as the Strike Team’s
conscience?
Johnson: I’ve always asked that Lem have his own voice and a point of
view, so he wasn’t always just going along with Vic Mackey. Shawn
wanted to slowly build up to Lem standing up for himself. So it’s
great for me.
TVGO: Switching gears. Besides The Shield and Pensacola: Wings of
Gold, there are lesser known gigs here on your résumé — like Red Shoe
Diaries! Oh, really?
Johnson: [Laughs] It was one of their classier episodes. I played the
pool boy who hooks up with this Italian maid. Ally Sheedy and her
rich husband spy on us, so they can live out their sexual fantasies!
TVGO: Wow, your career’s come a long way. Did that role require any
nudity? It was late-night cable, after all.
Johnson: I wasn’t naked in that. But you did see my naked backside in
The Shield’s “Co-Pilot” episode last season, where the gay cop,
Julian, saw me drop my towel in the locker room. He was checking me
out. I also did a movie with Jennifer Tilly called At Home with the
Webbers where I was naked, except for leather chaps. Oh, and I was in
Lambada: The Forbidden Dance. People still make jokes about that
one… It was a cool dance, just a bad movie.