Author: Zargarian Hambik

Zaman, Turkey
May 6 2005

Ankara Moderate to Erdogan-Kocharian Meeting
By Suleyman Kurt, Huseyin Akkas

Published: Friday 06, 2005
zaman.com

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul denoted that Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Armenian counterpart
Robert Kocharian may meet in Moscow or Warsaw but nothing has been
planned yet.

The two leaders, who exchanged letters about the Armenian genocide
allegations in April, will participate in the celebrations of the
60th anniversary of the World War II Victory which will be organized
in Moscow on May 9, and they will take part at the European Council
Summit, which will be held on May 15-16 in Poland. Minister Gul
answered the questions concerning the topic at Esenboga Airport
before he left for Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, May 5. Mentioning that he
wanted to call attention to the point, Gul told that after Turkey
recognized Armenia after the disintegration of the Soviet Union,
but there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries now.
Noting that this differentiation should be made clear, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs said negotiations at the presidents level in the
past and negotiations at foreign ministers level are currently being
held. Gul added these kind of negotiations may happen in international
meetings but that nothing has planned yet. US officials, meanwhile,
have also commented on the possibility of talks saying, “It would
be wonderful”. Kocharian met President Suleyman Demirel in Yalta in
1998 and at the Istanbul Summit of Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1999. Mentioning attempts in some
European countries for to criminalize objections to the allegations
of Armenian genocide, Gul said that they are contrary to Europe’s
basic rights.

A1plus

| 15:54:09 | 06-05-2005 | Politics |

«THE JUNTA USES ANY CHANGE IN THE DOLLAR RATE»

«During 10 months the governing junta has robbed the people of
270 million dollars». This is the conclusion of the Justice bloc
secretary Viktor Dallakyan counting the changes in the dollar-dram
rate for the last 10 months.”From 565 drams it became 430. If the
profit of people was about 900 thousand dollars a day, multiply
this number by 30 days and 10 months and you will gate 270 million
dollar”. Viktor Dallakyan noted that in case of any change in the
dollar rate the junta gets profit.

Member of the Democratic Delegate Mkrtich Minasyan was worried about
the problem. He also blamed himself for the situation created. During
toda’s briefing in NA he noted that when the Central Bank made a
report in the NA the problem was not paid enough attention to. He
informed that the Democratic Delegate fraction is going to apply to
the Committee on financial and economical affairs to organize hearings
about this matter. The Orinats Yerkir Party was of the same opinion.

And Armenian Revolutionary Federation leader Levon Lazarian thinks
that people do not trust the speculative processes. Levon Lazarian
is worried by the situation as it wo’t contribute to stability.

–Boundary_(ID_+a/yh+CoQwUH2JzmSB7Ugg)–

64.9 BLN AMD SERVICES PROVIDED IN ARMENIA IN JAN-MAR 2005

YEREVAN, MAY 3. ARMINFO. 64.9 bln AMD services were provided in
Armenia in Jan-Mar 2005 which is 17.7% more than in Jan-Mar 2004.

Services got 0.1% cheaper during the period due to 5.3% drop in service
tariffs in transport, 3.5% in communication, 2% in health care. Bills
and social services got 2.2% and 21% more expensive respectively.

Transport services made for 32.6% of total services, communication
25.6%, financial services totalled 6.5 bln AMD, education 4.3 bln AMD,
health care 3.8 bln AMD, hotel 2.9 bln AMD. 83.5% of services were
provided in Yerevan.

BELGIAN SENATE CONSIDERS BILL ON CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Pan Armenian News
03.05.2005 03:18

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The bill on criminal responsibility for denial
of the Armenian Genocide was included in the agenda of the Belgian
Senate. It should be noted that by a majority vote the Belgian
Parliament had passed the bill, according to which those, who deny
the Armenian Genocide, can be arrested or will have to pay a large
administrative fine. After being approved by the Senate, the document
will be submitted for ratification to the Belgian King. At that there
is a certain trend available – as a rule the Senate approves documents
adopted by the Parliament. The document provides for imprisonment
from 8 days to a year and a money fine from 26 to 5000 euros for
denial of the Armenian Genocide. The punishment will spread on all
those, who will undermine the Genocide, protect of support those, who
have committed it or any crime against humanity. Moreover, justice
mechanisms will allow Belgium to indict any EU country denying the
Armenian Genocide.

ARMENIA’S AMBASSADOR TO GREAT BRITAIN READS LECTURE AT OXFORD
UNIVERSITY

YEREVAN, APRIL 29. ARMINFO. Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland Vahe Gabrielian delivered a lecture at Oxford University.

As ARMINFO was informed in the Department of Press and Information of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, concerning during his
lecture the attainments of the Republic of Armenia in its newest
history and problem of withstanding against threats the Armenian
diplomat introduced the audience with the problem of peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict and recognition of Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. Vahe Gabrielian also concerned the
1,600th anniversary of creation of Armenian alphabet.

Ha’aretz, Israel
May 1 2005

Analysis / Turkey: a friend for trade

By Zvi Bar’el

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan waited three months after
his foreign minister returned from Israel before calling Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon and setting the time for his visit here.

Erdogan arrives today, and it can be expected that Israel and Turkey
will continue to maintain ties on two different tracks – economic and
military on the one hand and political-diplomatic on the other hand.

>From the economic-military perspective, life appears rosy as usual.
The trade between the two states totals some $1.4 billion; Turkey is
about to purchase some $183 million worth of Israeli drones; Turkish
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, who is arriving with Erdogan, intends
to discuss purchasing Popeye and Arrow missiles.

Israeli tourists continue to flood Turkey, which would also like to
see Russian gas for Israel being piped through it.

But, as far as Erdogan’s Middle Eastern policy is concerned, Israel
is seen as an external force at best and a hindrance at worst. Turkey
and Syria are cooperating in economic security affairs – in mid-April
the Turkish president visited Damascus in defiance of American
pressure to cancel the visit. Turkey’s relations with Iran are
warming up due to joint interests regarding Iraq’s future.

Turkish public opinion vis-a-vis the United States is not merely
critical but at times hostile. Turkey does not consider its
friendship with Israel as capable of influencing Turkey’s acceptance
process into the European Union. However, Turkey sees no
contradiction between its strong economic-military ties with Israel
and its sometimes blatant criticism of Israel (Erdogan called
Israel’s policy in the territories “state terrorism”).

Turkey is trying to keep all its options open. For example, it is
willing to cooperate with the U.S. in the defense force against
Russia in the Caspian Sea region while at the same time purchasing
from Russia a strategic product like gas. It wants to be a member of
the European Union but refuses to yield to the demand to recognize
the Armenian massacre in 1915 as genocide. Turkey needs American
support to continue receiving World Bank assistance, but it slams
American policy in Iraq and in the Middle East.

“Turkey still believes it is a power, at least a regional one,” a
Turkish official tells Haaretz. “But it keeps discovering that it is
not desirable as a broker in regional conflicts, and finds other
powers doing as they will in `Turkish’ areas.” Israel’s relations
with Turkey should be seen in this perspective, he says, noting that
“Turkey is not expected to change its policy of keeping its options
open following this visit.”

Pan Armenian News

UNION OF YOUTH OF RUSSIA AND ARMENIA NEW ORGANIZATION FOUNDED

30.04.2005 02:30

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ To implement youth programs on cooperation between Russia
and Armenia and raising the patriotic spirit of the youth a new youth
organization Union of Youth of Russia and Armenia UYRA is founded within the
structure of Non-Commercial Partnership of the Association of the
Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation, reported the Yerkramas, the newspaper
of Armenians of Russia. The most important task for the new organization is
to form a common youth policy in the two states, drawing public attention to
youth problems, activation of the young generation’s participation in the
social and political life, forming a common information, educational,
economic and cultural space. The UYRA will promote spiritual intimacy of the
peoples of Russia and Armenia, many-years’ friendship and cooperation
tradition between the nations. In the opinion of UYRA head, Chairman of the
Youth Movement and member of the Supreme Council of the Russian Party of
Workers’ Self-Government Karen Dasoyan, the peoples of Russia and Armenai
becoming closer fits the demands of the time and is determined by the
current major geo-political processes.

Los Angeles Daily News

Vandalism at restaurant deplored

By Naush Boghossian
Staff Writer

Friday, April 29, 2005 – GLENDALE — Police are investigating
vandalism at the city’s popular Zankou Chicken restaurant, which was
splashed with red paint hours after employees said they received an
anonymous threatening call. Police said the owner, employees and
others believe the incident was retaliation because the business
stayed open on Sunday, the day commemorating the killing of 1.5
million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.

“This is obviously done to intimidate, because business owners know
that if they choose to stay open, they could potentially suffer some
sort of consequence. It’s a type of terrorism at its most basic
level,” said Detective Stewart Brackin.

Employees had notified police about 7:30 p.m. Sunday that an anonymous
caller had said employees should be ashamed for being open and made
further threats, Brackin said, and the vandalism apparently occurred
that night after the restaurant closed.

Officers noticed the paint at 4:30 a.m. Monday and contacted the
owner. Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian said that last-minute business
reasons forced her to keep the restaurant open the day commemorating
the genocide — for the first time in 22 years.

“I feel sad. It’s not by closing your store that you’re Armenian,”
said Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian. “It’s a shame that people forget
all about the good things we’ve done for the Armenian people, our
community.”

Officials at the Armenian National Committee Western Region condemned
the vandalism.

“Clearly, no one has the right to impose their will on others. It’s a
case of intolerance, and that’s what April 24 is trying to fight,”
said Armen Carapetian, government relations director of the
organization. “To then turn around and act in an intolerant manner, I
think, does the day of remembrance an injustice.”

Anybody with information on the incident is asked to call Glendale
police at (818) 548-2058. To leave an anonymous tip, please call (818)
507-STOP.

Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 [email protected]_
(mailto:[email protected])

The Nation (Thailand)
April 27, 2005, Wednesday

OBITUARY: K-Tech’s Bob Kevorkian dies, aged 65

The Nation.

The Thai business community yesterday mourned the passing of Bob
Kevorkian, managing director of K-Tech Construction & Engineering and
a key player in the country’s real estate sector.

Kevorkian, a British national of Armenian origin, died early
yesterday morning, aged 65, said Pritpal Singh Gill, who heads urban
projects at Golden Land.

“His death came as a shock to us all,” said Gill, whose friendship
with Kevorkian goes back 16 years to when they worked together on the
President Park residential site.

“Bob was a self-taught, self-made man,” said Gill, who recalled how
the builder founded “from scratch” the Thai Bauer construction firm
in the late 80s, before joining Philip Holzman.

A large, jovial, rotund man, Kevorkian was a powerful player in the
local construction scene over the past two decades, when the real
estate market expanded to staggering new heights, before collapsing
during the 1997 financial crash.

“Remarkably, it was during the worst period of the property fallout
in 1997 that Bob was able to form K-Tech with a formidable team of
professionals,” said Gill.

Today, the firm is involved with several major projects, including
the Northshore condominium project in Pattaya and the Central Group’s
new office tower.

Nigel Cornick, chief executive of Raimon Land, said Kevorkian’s death
was a “big loss” as he had been a key player in the real estate
scene.

Cornick, whose ties to Kevorkian go back 10 years, said K-Tech had
been instrumental in finishing his firm’s luxury condominium – The
Lakes – last year. Kevorkian was also constructing Raimon’s
Northshore project, due to be completed at the end of this year.

His passing should not affect K-Tech’s contracts, however, as
Kevorkian was a good organiser who was able to place capable managers
to oversee respective sites, said Cornick and Gill.

When asked to describe Kevorkian’s key trait, Cornick said: “His
presence and his ability to stick to his commitments.”

Gill said: “Bob was an affable man” whose warm character could
quickly gain the confidence of partners and customers.

Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, managing director of CB Richard Ellis
Thailand, was also shocked by the news of his passing.

“I will always remember him as a kind and nice man,” she said. “Bob
ran a professional show.”

Gill said Kevorkian had been committed to his work and was a devoted
husband to his British wife, Linda. They have two sons, a daughter
and an adopted Thai son.

Apart from his huge portfolio of projects – which include the new
Bt6-billion Royal Phuket Marina project on the eastern coast of
Phuket – Kevorkian also spent much of his time on charity work.

He set up an Aids home in Bangkok and another in Armenia.

“When the tsunami struck in late December, Bob mobilised his men to
help in the rescue effort and to clean up the beaches at no cost,”
said Gill.

“He also contributed about Bt4 million in donations, along with money
from Royal Phuket Marina, to tsunami victims.

“It was his wish to be buried in Armenia,” Gill added.

“As his death came suddenly, the arrangements for his funeral are
still being organised”, he said. “But there will be a Thai service,
as he has touched so many people here.”

JUBILEE CONCERT OF “SERENADE” CHAMBER ORCHESTRA TO TAKE PLACE IN
ARMENIA’s PICTURE-GALLEY APR 29

YEREVAN, APRIL 27. ARMINFO. A jubilee concert dedicated to the 14th
anniversary of “Serenade” chamber orchestra – prize-winner of
international contests and festivals – will take place in Armenian
National Picture-Gallery on Apr 29.

As ARMINFO was informed at the Picture-Gallery, well-known opera
singers by Armenian origin will arrive in Yerevan specially for this
day. Izabel Bayrakdaryan (Canada) and Souren Shahijanyan (France) will
perform “Seville barber” by Rossini jointly with “Serenade”
orchestra. Orchestra’s conductor Eduard Topchyan informed that
“Serenade” has been never financed by Armenia yet, despite the fact
that it has repeatedly presented the country with honor at prestigious
international scenes, contests and festivals.

To note, the orchestra cooperates with foreign musicians Tibor Warga,
Roland Diense, Emmanuel Payu, Sergey Khachatryan, Kim Kashkanyan,
Izabel Bayrakdaryan, Aleksey Lyubimov, etc. “Serenade” has produced 6
compact disks with its performances of Armenian and foreign
composers. The orchestra will start to preparation of long-term
concert tour in Germany and Swiss after closing the summer concert
season.