Author: Torgomian Varazdat

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MP PLANNED ACT OF TERROR, SAYS PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
Mediamax news agency
12 Apr 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian Prosecutor-General’s Office today reported that “one of
the opposition deputies in the National Assembly and his supporters”
had organized an act of terrorism at the beginning of April.
Moscow residents Gevorg Mesropyan and Artur Mangasarov, who have
previous convictions, were arrested for illegally carrying weapons
during the rally organized by the Justice bloc and National Unity
Party on 9 April, the press service of the Prosecutor-General’s Office
told Mediamax today.
“For a large sum of money a criminal group recruited the two
terrorists, who were to have opened fire amongst the rally-goers at
1600 on 9 April in order to create panic and carry out a terrorist
act,” the statement from the Armenian Prosecutor-General’s Office
says.
“Gevorg Mesropyan and Artur Mangasarov have been arrested and have
confessed,” the press service of the Prosecutor-General’s Office told
Mediamax today.

Associated Press Worldstream
April 8, 2004 Thursday
Belgium: citing North America as site of worst genocide is not
anti-U.S. gesture
BRUSSELS, Belgium
A display praising the merits of peacekeeping that cited the
decimation of native North Americans as the world’s worst genocide
was based on a historical study and shouldn’t be considered a jab at
the United States, Belgian defense officials said Thursday.
Defense Ministry spokesman Gerard Vareng denied criticism that the
display carried an anti-American message.
The display, shown at the monument of the Unknown Soldier in Brussels
this week, was meant to honor Belgian soldiers who died in
humanitarian missions.
It included a panel listing “North America” as the continent of the
world’s worst genocide with a death toll of 15 million, starting with
Christopher Columbus’ 1492 arrival in the New World but giving no end
date.
The daily De Standaard called the display – that was also covered
extensively in a defense ministry publication – insulting to
Washington.
It said Defense Minister Andre Flahaut, who has tangled with U.S.
officials in recent months, effectively blamed the United States for
killing 15 million people “in a genocide that continues to this day.”
The newspaper complained about a “curious” list of genocides that
mentioned Nazi Germany, Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia and other countries
but ignored killings in the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin and
Europe’s colonial past in Africa, including Belgium’s role in the
Congo.
Vareng said “the peacekeeping display was the work of historical
experts. They took the list of genocides and the numbers of people
who died in them on the Encyclopedia of Genocide” by Israel W.
Charny, head of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in
Jerusalem.
He said the two-volume encyclopedia, published in 1999, is a “very
serious book that deals with all kinds of genocides.”
The ceremony this week at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier
coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide in which
up to 1 million people died.

The Toronto Star
Apr. 1, 2004. 07:50 AM
Bayrakdarian soars with Mozart
GEOFF CHAPMAN
MUSIC CRITIC
The countess Adhle was bemoaning her lonely, loveless life to a
disguised hermit in the aria “En proie ` la tristesse” and hundreds of
panting, would-be suitors in Thomson Hall were instantly ready to
comfort her.
That countess was dazzling Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian,
singing the aria from Rossini’s comic opera Le Comte Ory, and the
Toronto Symphony under Sir Andrew Davis was in full musical sympathy
with her plight.
This wry declaration of melancholy was the occasion of some of the
best, high-flying coloratura you’ll hear for a while, full of blazing
moments that inevitably led to a big Standing O.
Our glamorous soprano, always on the verge of breaking out of barely
contained ecstasies, showed a faultlessly sustained command of colour
and dynamics.
Last night’s concert, the first of four, was one of charm and
imagination, with large helpings of Mozart finding the orchestra in
lively, bright-toned mode.
The composer’s lovely melodies are tailor-made for Bayrakdarian and
her emotional involvement was clear in two arias from the serenata Il
Re pastore, her soaring sweetness and exceptional breath control over
a cushion of strings evident in the love-struck “L’amero saro
costante” and “Alla selva, al prato, al fonte”. Fully engaged with the
text, the notes and her colleagues, she conquered an audience in a
state of reverent hush with the sheer beauty of her voice.
Her concert aria, words drawn from Mozart’s Idomeneo, was delivered
with zeal, expressive passion married to intelligent interpretation
and absolute attention paid to tonal nuance. Perhaps there were times
when low notes seemed to disappear but that was a tiny flaw.
The concert began with Stravinsky’s Symphonies Of Wind Instruments, a
work that originally was a chorale for recently expired composer
Debussy. Its 1947 incarnation featured brass and woodwinds and Russian
folk melodies in conjunction with modest sonorities. It was short, an
odd program choice to point to the imminent vocal glories.
Davis was himself featured on piano in Mozart’s concert rondo for
piano and orchestra, a very serviceable effort conducted from the
keyboard stool.
The TSO was in fine fettle for the evening closer, Beethoven’s eighth
symphony, its familiar strains masking the stop-and-start
eccentricities from the composer that are particularly noticeable in
the opening movement. The playing throughout was a bracing treat
The program can be heard again tonight at 8, on Saturday (sans the
Stravinsky) at 7.30 and on Sunday at 3 at the Weston Recital Hall.
Additional articles by Geoff Chapman

ArmenPress
April 1 2004
YEREVAN MAYOR SAYS NO ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL RALLIES COULD BE SANCTIONED
YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS: Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakarian
joined today a cohort of government representatives to denounce the
opposition’s plans to stage mass protest rallies to push for
president Kocharian’s resignation, saying the municipality is
concerned over radical announcements, which he said would destabilize
the situation.
Speaking to a news conference, Zakarian said “the revolutionary
calls of the opposition are serious impediments to the municipality’s
plans to go on with a number of major projects aimed to improve the
overall conditions of the city.”
Zakarian argued that mass street protests may eventually lead to
disruption of Yerevan’s economy. “Yerevan municipality cannot remain
indifferent to the aftereffects of such actions, ” he said.
“The municipality has to ensure conditions for implementation of
its plans,… Yerevan needs today political stability and normal
conditions for economy functioning,” he said, adding that the
municipality could not sanction anti-constitutional rallies.

ARKA News Agency
April 1 2004
Secretary of Security Council, RA Defense Minister to travel to
Georgia with official visit today
Nothing threatens constitutional order of Armenia, PM confident
********************************************************************
SECRETARY OF SECURITY COUNCIL, RA DEFENSE MINISTER TO TRAVEL TO
GEORGIA WITH OFFICIAL VISIT TODAY
YEREVAN. April 1. /ARKA/. The Armenian delegation headed by Serge
Sargsyan, the Secretary of the National Security Council subject to
the RA President, RA Defense Minister is going to travel to Tbilisi
with official two-day visit today. As stated by the RA Foreign
Ministry during the course of the visit tge delegation to meet with
the Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian PM Zurab
Zhvania, the Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia
Ivane Merabishvili, the Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of
Georgia Major-General Givi Iukuridze. T.M.–0–
********************************************************************
NOTHING THREATENS CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER OF ARMENIA, PM CONFIDENT
YEREVAN. April 1. /ARKA/. Armenia lives a definite political tension,
but it is not so strong to threaten the constitutional order, as said
by RA PM Andranik Margarian commenting on oppositions’ intention to
achieve power change. `If any party or individual undertakes actions
aimed at braking the country’s stability, he will be punished within
frames of the law’, he stressed. Margarian also mentioned that the
coalition expressed its wish to enter a dialogue with the opposition,
but unfortunately, the latter puts precondition – `power change then
dialogue’. `We do not accept the idea of power change, but are ready
to negotiations on the issues related to the Government or coalition
parties’, added the PM. In his words, `the State must cautious so
that statements of the group of people not to contradict the
interests of the majority of people’. T.M. -0–

Armenian premier sacks deputy head of government department
Arminfo
26 Mar 04

YEREVAN
Under Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan’s decision, Mikael Melkymyan
was today relieved of the post of deputy head of the Department for
the Management of State Property under the Armenian government, the
press service of the Armenian government has informed Arminfo news
agency.

Armenian opposition blocs unite to fight “illegitimate” authorities
Arminfo
26 Mar 04

YEREVAN
Two Armenian opposition forces – the Justice bloc and the National
Unity Party have agreed to consolidate their efforts in the struggle
against the country’s authorities.
These two political forces yesterday [24 March] signed a cooperation
agreement, which, in particular, noted that the Justice bloc and the
National Unity Party are taking on responsibility to head the national
movement in the struggle with the “illegitimate” authorities of
Armenia and to establish a constitutional government.
To that end, the sides agreed to jointly organize “a nationwide
demonstration of disobedience” not later than 13 April. “We confirm
our determination to struggle till the change of power in Armenia,”
the agreement said. The date of the demonstration will be declared on
5 April. The Justice bloc and the National Unity Party will make a
joint statement today.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 23, 2004 Tuesday
Group of illegal immigrants to be deported from Russian Far East
By Marina Shatilova
VLADIVOSTOK
Over 30 illegal immigrants, most of them citizens of the People’s
Republic of China will be deported from the Russian Far-Eastern
Maritime territory shortly as part of a special operation codenamed
Illegal Immigrant, press officials at the territorial administration
said.
The operation began a mere three days ago, and yet it has helped
expose hundreds of people who broke Russia’s immigration laws.
The press officials said inspections had embraced 120 enterprises
that hired foreign workers, as well as more than 1,200 foreigners
having jobs here.
In about 400, encroachments on the foreign citizens sojourn
regulations were exposed.
Another goal of the operation is to identift the foreigners who
illegally get jobs in the Maritime territory.
Sources at the interior department here say over 16,000 foreigners
were brought to responsibility for different offences last year
alone. Most of them were holders of Chinese, Azerbaijani and Armenian
passports.
Of that number, 120 people were detained for criminal offences and
700 more, for getting illegal jobs.

Azeri foreign minister, Canadian official discuss Karabakh, ties
Sarq, Baku
16 Mar 04
Text of Zulfuqar report by Azerbaijani newspaper Sarq on 16 March
headlined “Vilayat Quliyev received David Preston” and subheaded “They
discussed the Nagornyy Karabakh problem”
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev yesterday received David
Preston, director general of the Central, East and South Europe
Department of Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade, the Azerbaijani ministry’s press service has reported.
The meeting discussed the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan and ways to resolve it, bilateral relations between the
two countries and other subjects of mutual interest. Quliyev said that
this visit will strengthen friendly relations between Azerbaijan and
Canada and will contribute to the development of fruitful cooperation
within international organizations. The visit will also expand
economic relations and will benefit the prospects for further
Azerbaijani-Canadian cooperation. Quliyev said that he supports the
purpose of the visit.
He also briefed Preston on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, on efforts
to resolve it and the harsh living conditions of refugees. It is
important that the international community steps up its efforts to
resolve the conflict as soon as possible and in line with
international legal norms and principles, he said.
In turn, Preston said that the purpose of the visit was to expand
relations between Canada and Azerbaijan in various spheres. Canada
attaches great importance to the comprehensive development of
relations with Azerbaijan and desires closer cooperation in
international organizations.
Speaking about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Preston expressed
the hope that this problem will soon be resolved in a peaceful way
with the efforts of the international community.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Sarkis Assadourian M.P.
120 Confederation
House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada
Contact: Daniel Kennedy
Tel: 613 995 4843
Ottawa March 18, 2004
Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
To Review Foreign Credentials Issue
Says Chair Assadourian
Mr. Sarkis Assadourian (Brampton Centre, Lib.): Chairman of the
Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration of the House of
Commons, announced today, that the committee will undertake a study of
the issue of recognition of foreign professional credentials in
Canada.
The committee is tentatively scheduled to travel across Canada in the
coming weeks. Hearings will be held in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto,
Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver to hear witnesses present evidence
relating to the issues of recognition of professional credentials and
to explore possibilities that will allow new Canadians with
professional experience to more fully participate in growing Canada’s
economy.
Under the current system, some immigrants to Canada with professional
credentials have been unable to participate fully in the Canadian
economy because their foreign credentials have not been recognized by
the professional licensing agencies. Canadians of Chinese, East
European Indian and Pakistani origin in particular have been
affected. The committee will look for new ways to allow these talented
professionals to share their skills with their fellow Canadians.
Commenting on the upcoming business of the committee M.P. Assadourian
said, “I am extremely pleased that the Standing Committee on
Citizenship and Immigration will be studying this important issue. It
is time for us to stress the need for a re-thinking on the recognition
of foreign professional credentials to allow for skilled Immigrants to
Canada to contribute fully to Canada’s growth. I have always
considered it a tremendous waste of skill and talent when immigrants
with professional credentials were sidelined and prohibited from
realizing their full potential in Canada. We must utilize fully the
talents of foreign graduates. ”
-30-
For further information contact: Daniel Kennedy 613-995-4843