Category: News

Russian paper sees Georgia-Armenia as friends ‘on paper’
The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 11 2005
The Russian newspaper Gazeta SNG reports that the participation of a
low ranking delegation from Armenia at the funeral of Prime Minister
Zurab Zhvania demonstrated the relations these two countries have
with each other.
For some reason, the paper writes, the first president of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the ex-speaker of the Armenian assembly Babken
Ararktsyan were the ones who arrived in Tbilisi for the burial ceremony
of Zhvania. This friendship, the paper states, “means almost nothing
for the two ‘brothers’ – neither for Georgia nor for Armenia.” Opposite
directions in foreign policy will have adverse affect on the relations
of Tbilisi and Yerevan, the paper concludes. According to the paper,
Armenian-Georgian relations are facing a difficult time. Armenia does
not comprehend the open anti-Russian approach of the current Georgian
leadership, and Tbilisi accuses Yerevan of the opposite. The politics
led by Zurab Zhvania helped control the reforms of Saakashvili.
“Now the president is free and can do everything he sees as right.
The only thing that can stop him, according to the Georgian observers
is the appointment of the Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili
to the position of the Prime Minister, who is famous for his harsh
statements. It is still impossible to make Georgia a united state,”
the paper writes.
The paper notes that Georgia participates in GUUAM, an international
body that paper describes as an incapable organization. However,
the paper states, the presidents of Ukraine and Georgia make every
effort to “raise this ancestor if integration from the dead.”
The paper writes that Georgia does not share Armenia’s opinion, even
in the Karabakh conflict. However, official Tbilisi is content not to
make statements regarding “the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.”
“During the visit to Armenia in 2004, people hinted to the Georgian
president that it would be better if he would pay attention to the
settlement of his own conflicts,” the paper notes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – February 11, 2005
CATHOLICOS ARAM I ANNOUNCES 2005 THE YEAR OF THE
90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, His
Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, issued an
encyclical that was read during the Divine Liturgy in all churches within
the jurisdiction of the Cilician See.
His Holiness notes in his encyclical that the Catholicate of Cilicia has
itself witnessed and lived the massacres its people were subjected to. For
ninety years the Catholicate helped to provide the physical and
psychological needs of the Armenians forcibly removed from their land,
played a crucial role in the formation of the Armenian communities
worldwide, built churches and schools, spread spiritual, moral and cultural
values, and became a staunch defender of the rights of its people.
His Holiness asked the Armenian people to embrace the message of the
90th anniversary with a united spirit, to commemorate the anniversary
appropriately, and to regard it as a time to strengthen the struggle for
justice. He also urged the faithful to participate in pilgrimages to Deir
Zor-site of the forced deportations and death marches-which is a reminder of
the struggle for survival.
PRELACY BEGINS SIX-WEEK LENTEN PROGRAM
The Prelacy’s six-week Lenten program began yesterday, Wednesday,
February 9, with the traditional Husgoom service at St. Illuminator Armenian
Cathedral in New York City, presided by the Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan. In his introductory remarks, His Eminence emphasized the
importance of the Lenten season for our spiritual journey. It is an
opportunity for us, sinful and fallen human beings, to turn to God and to be
with him in order to be ready to meet Him at the Resurrection, the Prelate
said.
Deacon Shant Kazanjian, Director of the Armenian Religious Education
Council (AREC), presented the first of his six-part Bible study on the
Passion narratives. The study focused on Matthew 20:17-28, Holy Monday
reading, which served as an introduction to the Passion Week. Dn. Shant
discussed how a suffering and crucified messiah seemed oxymoronic to the
first century hearers, the correct understanding of what it means to confess
Jesus as the Messiah-offering himself as ransom (prgank) to deliver humanity
from sin and wickedness and death, and, in light of all this, how then shall
we live.
Now that the stage is set, the next five sessions will focus on the main
acts of the Passion drama. The second Bible study, next Wednesday, February
16, will focus on the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples
(Matthew, Chapter 26:17-30).
During the fellowship hour, the participants enjoyed a light Lenten meal
prepared by the Prelacy Ladies Guild.
For information, contact the Prelacy office at 212-689-7810, or visit
the Prelacy web site at
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA WILL VISIT TOMORROW
John Evans, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, will visit Archbishop
Oshagan tomorrow morning. The Ambassador is making various visits to leaders
of the Armenian community as well as participating in a series of town hall
meetings in various cities. USAID Director in Armenia Robin Phillips and
Aaron Shirinian, assistant to the ambassador, will accompany him.
HEAD OF CHURCH OF DENMARK VISITS ANTELIAS
The leader of the Church of Denmark, Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen,
visited the Catholicate of Cilicia this week where he had a meeting with His
Holiness Aram I. The two spiritual leaders discussed issues related to
Christian education and ecumenical relations.
The Catholicos expressed his belief about the importance of renewing the
Ecumenical Movement and making it relevant to the lives of the people. They
emphasized the importance of the success of the peace process and bringing a
halt to the emigration of Christians.
The two spiritual leaders discussed the social service activities of the
Catholicate. His Holiness noted that it is thanks to the support of the
Danes that the Birds Nest Orphanage has provided shelter to thousands of
Armenian orphans. The orphanage is currently under the patronage of the
Cilician See, but the Church of Denmark continues to aid the institution.
PRELATE WILL VISIT CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND
FOR PILLARS RECEPTION AND CELEBRATION OF DIARENTARATCH
Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Chicago, Illinois, to be with the All
Saints Church parish in Glenview, Illinois.
Saturday evening His Eminence will attend a Pillars of the Prelacy
reception, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Jack Mardoian, which is expected to
attract a number of faithful friends who have agreed to support the Prelacy
through this annual giving program.
On Sunday, the Prelate, will officiate at the Divine Liturgy and deliver
the Sermon. He will also preside over the Diarentaratch ceremony where
newborns are presented to the Church, as well as the traditional bonfire
ceremony.
DER VARTAN RECUPERATING AFTER SURGERY
We have been informed by members of the St. Gregory parish (North
Andover, Massachusetts), that their pastor, Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian, is
continuing his recovery from hip replacement surgery. We wish Der Hayr a
continued speedy recovery.
SPECIAL RELIGIOUS SERVICE FOR NEW CANADIAN PRELACY BUILDING
Under the auspices of Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the
Armenian Prelacy of Canada, a special religious service took place for the
newly built Prelacy building.
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, and
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy, and all of
the clergy from the three Prelacies were present at the ceremony which
coincided with the commemoration of the Feast of St. Ghevontiants.
The official opening of the building will take place in May.
THIS WEEK WE COMMEMORATE DIARENTARATCH
(PRESENTATION OF THE LORD)
This Monday, February 14, the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast of
the Presentation of the Lord (Diarentaratach). This feast, which occurs
forty days after Theophany, is considered to be scriptural confirmation of
our Lord’s revelation as God.
The tradition goes back to Jewish law, when a child was taken to the
temple on the 40th day and presented to God as a gift. In accordance with
this practice, forty days after the birth of Christ, his mother Mary took
the infant Jesus to the temple. A familiar figure during those days was a
man named Simeon. He was quite elderly and considered to be a just man. He
had prayed to God to give him an extended life so that he could see the
Savior. When Mary took Jesus to the Temple, Simeon was also present. Upon
seeing Mary and the child, Simeon declared: Lord, now you are dismissing
your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your
salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light
for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.
In the Armenian Church this feast has also taken on many old customs and
traditions from pre-Christian times. The traditions were taken and given a
Christian flavor. For example, according to tradition, the night before the
feast, wood and branches would be burnt in the courtyard of the Church, and
newly married couples would gather around the fire that was started with
candles brought out of the church. The atmosphere would be one of merriment
and celebration as young men jumped over the fire. Those present would light
a candle from the bonfire and take it home so that Light would prevail.
ST. VALENTINE
February 14 is also Valentines Day. St. Valentine was a priest in Rome
who was imprisoned for befriending persecuted Christians. He became a
convert and was eventually clubbed to death.
In modern times Valentines Day has become a Hallmark holiday and a good day
for florists and makers of chocolates.
REMEMBERING LINCOLN
And, of course, February 12 is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th
president of the United States. Some of us old timers at Crossroads remember
when February 12 was a holiday. Now, since the advent of Presidents Day,
Lincoln and Washington, whose birthday is February 22, have been lumped
together in a holiday that is primarily marked by sales in shopping malls.
Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of the President, recalled the last thoughts
uttered by her husband in the theater the evening he was assassinated:
He said he wanted to visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed
by the footprints of the Savior. He was saying there was no city he so much
desired to see as Jerusalem. And with the words half spoken on his tongue,
the bullet of the assassin entered the brain, and the soul of the great and
good President was carried by the angels to the New Jerusalem above.
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GEORGIAN NEW PRIME MINISTER – AN OLD FRIEND OF ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT
PanArmenian News
Feb 11 2005
Yerevan hopes that the appointment of Zurab Nogdayeli will allow to
preserve the trusting atmosphere between political leadership of
Armenia and Georgia.
Within the next few days the president of Georgia Mikhail
Sahakashvili will sign the decree on appointing the minister of
finance Zurab Nogdayeli to the post of Prime Minister. Armenian
government has a wealth of experience in cooperating with this figure
and it is quite reasonable to assume that the appointment of the new
leader will not spoil intergovernmental relations between the two
countries.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Warm relations that connected Armenian leadership
and Zurab Jvania were not at all conditioned by his ethnic origins.
Working contacts with him were all crowned with success. Jvania
personally coordinated the solution of several issues connected with
Armenia. That is why besides sincere sympathy the tragic death of the
Prime Minister caused Armenian leaders to worry about agreements
reached with the late head of the government. It is hard to say
whether the appointment of Zurab Nogdayeli will preserve the friendly
atmosphere in the relations between Armenian and Georgian
governments. But in current conditions this appointment was perhaps
optimal in all senses and harmless for Armenian-Georgian relations.
Armenian political leaders know Nogdayeli very well. Yet being a
deputy he participated in Armenian-Georgian inter-Parliamentary
contacts as well as agreements on the level of Armenian and Georgian
youth organizations. As a minister of finance he had normal working
relations with the members of Armenian government. He worked with
Armenian minister of finance Vardan Khachatryan, foreign minister
Vardan Oskanyan and transport minister Andranik Manukyan. As a
minister of finance, Nogdayeli has twice been in Yerevan in February
and September, 2001. Both visits were aimed at discussing the destiny
of the 20 million debt of Georgia to Armenia. In that period the
behavior of the minister seemed a bit strange since he cast doubt on
the sum that Georgia owed to Armenia and then evaded giving an answer
about the terms and forms of paying back the debt. In Yerevan
Nogdayeli showed himself as characterized by the speaker of Georgian
parliament Nino Burjanadze: a tough, uncompromising person. It is
hard to say how the negotiations on the debt would end if president
Shevarnadze did not call the minister to start the payment of
interest on debts. Anyway, it is worth mentioning that Nogdayeli’s
hard behavior in negotiations was not at all conditioned by any
special attitude towards Armenia. The minister just felt the heavy
responsibility for budget implementation and watched every penny. As
a result, failing the budget he had to resign which he did
beautifully, expressing disagreement with the course of Edward
Shevardnadze.
The appointment of Nogdayeli is on the whole convenient for Armenian
community of Georgia. Being a minister Nogdayeli tried to focus
attention on the problems of Javakhq. Particularly he promised in
December to find funds for constructing Tbilisi – Ninotsminda road
and implementing other programs in Javakhq. Nogdayeli is on good
terms with the leadership of Armenian community of Georgia. As it is
known Nogdayeli was one of the most reliable members of Zurab
Jvania’s team where the president of the Union of Georgian Armenians
Gena Muradyan played an important role. The new head of the
government and the head of Armenian community represent one political
clan. This allows hoping that Muradyan will keep his position after
changes in the personnel. (Muradyan occupies the position of deputy
president of the department that coordinates industry, trade,
transport and communications)
Political correspondents initially predicted that the future Prime
Minister will be a person who was fateful to Jvania. This appointment
is aimed at preserving the ruling triumvirate. But now, it is already
obvious that the candidature of Zurab Nogdayeli as a Prime Minister
is not convenient for Nino Burjanadze, so it is possible that there
may be serious contradictions between the key components of the
ruling triumvirate. On one hand this will allow Georgia to gain
healthy opposition which is now missing but on the other hand it will
weaken the positions of the ruling power. This can be alarming also
Armenia since à a lot of things depend on the stability in the
neighboring country.
Artyom Yerkanyan
–Boundary_(ID_AfIfpnLFrdHgYLTOY06azg)–

Frankfurter Allgemeine, Germany
Feb 11 2005
Reference to genocide to be added
State retracts decision to eliminate notation
11. Februar 2005 F.A.Z. Weekly. The eastern state of Brandenburg has
withdrawn its decision to remove a passage in a history lesson that
refers to the killings of more than 1 million Armenians by the Turks
in the early 20th century.
The state’s premier, Matthias Platzeck, made the announcement on
Tuesday after he met with Armenian representatives in the state
capital of Potsdam. Beginning next school year, the history lesson
for the ninth and 10th grade will once again include a reference to
the killings, but it will also contain other examples of genocide.
Previously, the killings of the Armenians were listed as the only
example.
In explaining the latest decision, Platzeck said it would be wrong to
list just one example of genocide. The view was shared by the state’s
education minister, Holger Rupprecht. In a newspaper last week,
Rupprecht defended the decision. “The reference was removed because I
and the premier consider it to be a mistake to list Armenia as the
sole example of such a controversial subject.”
The issue is an extremely sensitive one between Armenians and Turks.
Armenians say 1.5 million people were killed between 1915 and 1923 as
part of the Ottoman Empire’s campaign to push them from eastern
Turkey. Turkey maintains the Armenians were killed as the empire
fought civil unrest.
As a result, the Social Democrat Platzeck faced pressure from both
the Armenian and the Turkish representatives. The first change was
announced in late January two weeks after Turkish General Counsel
Aydin Durusay raised the issue.
The decision set off a wave of criticism from parties in the state,
including at least one member of the Social Democrats, who demanded
that Platzeck reverse the decision. Sven Petke, the general secretary
of the Christian Democrats in Brandenburg, said the removal of the
passage had hurt the state’s reputation. “It was not the reference to
the genocide on the Armenians that communicated a wrong image. It was
the unjustified removal,” Petke said.
Armenians joined the criticism as well. This protest resulted in
Tuesday’s meeting, which was attended by the Armenian Ambassador
Karine Kazinian. Kazinian expressed her satisfaction with the change.
“The key issue is that that genocide and everything associated with
the things that happened then will be discussed clearly,” she said.
Platzeck denied previous reports that he had bowed to Turkish
pressure and noted that discussions with the Education Ministry had
been conducted months ago.
Brandenburg is the first of Germany’s 16 states to use a textbook
that discusses the subject of genocide in the 20th century.

Trustbuster
by Scott Woolley,
Forbes
Feb 11 2005
A tiny upstart in the cigarette business threatens to topple a
comfortable cartel engineered by big tobacco companies and their
strange bedfellows, the state attorneys general. Big tobacco was
supposed to come under harsh punishment for decades of deception when
it acceded to a tort settlement seven years ago. Philip Morris,
R.J.Reynolds, Lorillard and Brown & Williamson agreed to pay 46
states $206 billion over 25 years. This was their punishment for
burying evidence of cigarettes’ health risks.
But the much-maligned tobacco giants have subtly and shrewdly turned
their penance into a windfall. Using that tort settlement, the big
brands have hampered tiny cut-rate rivals and raised prices with near
impunity. Since the case was settled, the big four have nearly
doubled wholesale cigarette prices from a national average of $1.25 a
pack (not counting excise taxes) in 1998 to $2.10 now. And they have
a potent partner in this scheme: state governments, which have become
addicted to tort-settlement payments, now running at $6 billion a
year.
A key feature of the Big Tobacco-and-state-government cartel: rules
that levy tort-settlement costs on upstart cigarette companies,
companies that were not even in existence when the tort was being
committed. The 1998 scheme came under legal attack almost from the
start. While the cartel has fought off most of these challenges, it
has just taken a palpable hit.
A federal court in New York tossed out a key antidiscounter rule, and
the entire settlement could yet crumble. This is due to the
doggedness of one Jeffrey Uvezian, who sells cheapie cigs under such
brands as Cobra, Boston and Tough Guy, through his company,
International Tobacco Partners. Uvezian has since 2002 been waging an
antitrust attack on the big tobacco companies and their allies in the
state attorneys general offices.
The one academic study to measure the impact of the settlement on Big
Tobacco backs up Uvezian: The deal raised both profits and stock
prices of the big companies. This finding comes from economist Frank
Sloan of Duke University–an institution founded, ironically, with
tobacco money. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s office
dismisses Uvezian as a dangerous renegade intent on undoing the
“spectacular results” of the 1998 settlement. Spitzer’s deputy
counsel Avi Schick says the settlement is directly responsible for a
17% decline in cigarette consumption since 1997. He rejects Uvezian’s
charge that Big Tobacco has profited from the tort case and calls the
Duke University study so flawed “as to be worthless.”
Regardless, Schick says, the higher prices and lower sales “directly
translates into tens of thousands of longer, better and healthier
lives.” “It is very common for vice to masquerade as virtue,” Uvezian
retorts. He stole that line from U.S. Judge Dennis Jacobs of the
Second Circuit Court of Appeals in NewYork, who made the observation
in a hearing related to Uvezian’s case earlier this month.
A second zinger came after a deputy attorney general for New York
declared that to believe the states had sold out to Big Tobacco, you
would have to assume that 46 attorneys general are liars. “That’s
tempting,” Judge Guido Calabresi shot back. “It may be that when the
states were offered a stake in a monopoly, they took it.” In getting
the four cigarette titans to agree to pay the states princely sums,
which would require price increases, the states agreed to help the
big brands avoid getting undersold by discounters. They did so by
requiring even new off-price brands to pay roughly the same level of
fees (now about 40 cents a pack). The states were disarmingly
transparent about their intent: to “fully neutralize” the competitive
advantage of the discounters, the settlement says.
The settlement took hold in November 1998, and the giants instantly
raised prices by 45 cents a pack–this at a time when Marlboros
retailed for about two bucks a pack. That was enough to cover
payments to the states and then some, but the big brands continued
with a spree of price hikes–up 18 cents a pack the next year, then
up 19 cents the year after that. The incessant price hikes created an
opening for discounters, who spotted and then exploited a loophole in
the fee rules.
The settlement let them get refunds from states where they didn’t do
business, so a newcomer who sold cigarettes only in, say, Virginia
would get back 98% of the state-imposed fees. And so a flood of new
cut-rate brands popped up, including a handful of upstarts from
Jeffrey Uvezian. The son of a well-known cigarmaker, he previously
was running a cigar factory in the Dominican Republic and had begun
importing cheap smokes from Armenia, his ancestral homeland.
Discounters sold less than 1% of the cigarettes in the U.S. in 1997,
garnering a tiny share of the $49 billion smokers spent. The
discounters hiked their take to 8% in 2003 and cost the states a
cumulative $600 million in payments they otherwise would have
received. William Sorrell, attorney general for Vermont, who was
overseeing the settlement, urged state legislators to close the
loophole by passing a new law to eliminate any refunds. In a
confidential memo to fellow attorneys general, he noted that all
states have an interest in reducing the sales of discount brands.
So far 39 states have passed this measure, requiring all discounters
to pay the full fees even if they operate in only a few states. After
Indiana passed the law, Uvezian was forced to hike his prices by 50%.
His monthly sales in the state dropped from 20,000 packs to 11,600.
Four months later he abandoned the state altogether. In August the
nation’s biggest discounter, General Tobacco, capitulated and joined
in the settlement, agreeing to pay $1.7 billion to the states over
the next ten years even though it had no part in the cancer coverup.
Uvezian hired a venerable antitrust lawyer, David Dobbins, 76, and in
early 2002 sued in federal court to overturn the new law in NewYork
State and derail the settlement itself. Dobbins says that in 50 years
as a lawyer he had never seen a cartel so brazen: “If you’re an
experienced antitrust lawyer, this case just blows your mind.”
Dobbins previously had sued to challenge the settlement, representing
two tiny wholesalers in a federal lawsuit against the big brands
filed in western Pennsylvania. The case was thrown out. Then the
Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia took on the matter.In
June 2001 it declared that while “it is clear” the accord “empowers
the tobacco companies to make anticompetitive decisions with no
regulatory oversight by the states,” the settlement was immune from
antitrust laws.
Dobbins and his new client, Uvezian, similarly lost the first round
in their case in early 2002, when a federal District Court judge in
New York rejected it. They filed an appeal to the Second Circuit in
New York, argued the case in August 2002–and won a surprising ruling
in their favor in January 2004. The decision let Uvezian pursue his
lawsuit on antitrust grounds, returning the case to federal trial
court in New York.
Then last October the trial judge issued a split decision:He sided
with Uvezian and enjoined the New York State law that eliminated the
discounter refunds. “The state has failed to elicit any justification
whatsoever for its passage,” the judge said. The refund ruling was a
landmark, the first settlement-related rule ever to be knocked down
by a court.
Related challenges are under way in Kentucky, Tennessee and Idaho,
filed by other cheapie-cig sellers. So far an Oklahoma judge has
sided with the challengers while a Louisiana judge went with the
states. Spitzer’s deputy warned that the ruling “will flood New York
with cheap cigarettes.” Dobbins responds that New York is perfectly
free to levy a straightforward excise tax on all cigarette makers–it
just can’t get away with participating in a cartel.
But the judge refused to touch any of the settlement’s other
protections. So now Uvezian and his lawyer are back at the Second
Circuit Court of Appeals, imploring a panel of judges to go even
further and declare the deal a violation of federal antitrust law.
The appeals judges bombarded Dobbins with procedural challenges in
the hearing earlier this month, but also showed deep concern about
what Dobbins says the $200 billion state settlement has wrought–a
cozy oligopoly protected by state governments eager for tobacco cash.
As U.S. Judge Jacobs put it:”This may be one of the most successful
cartels ever.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian paper cautions “Orange avengers”
The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 11 2005
The Armenian newspaper Aravot (Morning) reports that the government
of Ukraine headed by Victor Yanukovich and Nikolai Azarov decreed
that the ex-president Leonid Kuchma could receive a lifelong pension.
According to the document, the ex-president was set to receive other
perks as well. According to the paper, the Supreme Rada MPs have
supported the request of the future Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko
to abolish the order regarding the lifelong perks and bodyguard of
the ex-president.
But this is not all, the paper states. Kuchma can find himself behind
bars soon because the Ukrainian parliament also supported a demand
for the arrest of the ex-president.
MPs intend to arrest Kuchma for undisclosed crimes committed during his
tenure. Rumors indicate the MPs are looking into the disappearance
of the journalist Giorgi Gongadze and the beating of Alexander
Yeliashkevich, who fled to the United States and later received
political asylum there.
Both events took place in 2000, and although the opposition, which
is now in power, always accused Kuchma of the murder and beating,
there remains a lack of solid evidence to prove this. In addition,
the former president is accused of illegal use of special technical
means to gather information in exchange for major bribes.
“It is still unknown whether or not Ukrainians will arrest Kuchma.
But it is already known that the General Prosecutor of Ukraine
Sviatoslav Piskun, to whom parliament’s demand was sent, was
dismissed from his position because of Kuchma in 2003. It is known
as well that Yulia Timoshenko was even arrested during the Kuchma
government. However, as it is known, such people are eager to get
back at their offenders,” the paper writes.
Aravot advises that it is rather wise to resist temptation and leave
the ex-president alone to calmly continue his life. “All-knowing Putin
behaved himself in such a way. He did not even allow ex-president of
Russia Yeltsin to be offended when Russian MPs also wanted to get
back at him. Putin did this not only to secure of his own position
after the resignation,” the paper stressed.
The paper stated that if all ex-presidents are arrested soon after
they step down, then only a “fool” would agree to leave his post.
“They will probably declare themselves as lifelong president!” the
paper states. “Now choose yourself what is better for our state: to
have a lifelong president of Armenia Kocharyan without any hope for
democratic change or Kocharyan as well, but on a perpetual pension?”
the paper asks.

GUL MEETS WITH AZERBAIJAN FOREIGN MINISTER
Turkish Press, Turkey
Feb 11 2005
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with his visiting Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mammedyarov in Ankara. The Azerbaijan-Armenian
dispute over the latter’s occupation of upper Karabakh dominated the
two top diplomats’ talks. Gul pledged that the Turkish-Armenian border
gate would remain closed until Armenia ends its occupation, adding,
“Our bilateral ties with Armenia can be normalized when the occupation
ends.” Bilateral economic relations, including energy ventures, were
also taken up. In addition, Gul sought Baku’s backing for ending the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) international isolation. He
urged Mammedyarov to become a model for other countries to take steps
towards that end. /Star/

Azeri ombudsman slams Armenian plans to set up similar body in Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
10 Feb 05
[Presenter] Azerbaijan denounces the separatist regime’s plans to set
up an institution of ombudsman in Nagornyy Karabakh and does not view
as expedient the opening of two similar institutions in one country
[as Nagornyy Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan], Azerbaijani ombudsman
Elmira Suleymanova has said. She was also negative about another
proposal by the Armenian side.
[Correspondent, over archive footage of Armenian ombudsman Larisa
Alaverdyan] Armenian ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan has appealed to
her Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmira Suleymanova. In her appeal, the
Armenian ombudsman demanded compensation for the Armenians that have
left Azerbaijan [in 1990].
[Suleymanova, speaking to microphone] I do not want to discuss the
issue with her. She serves her own policy [as heard, presumably her
country’s policy]. She turned to us over compensation. Alaverdyan
herself has left Azerbaijan for Armenia as well. She knows very
well that Armenians have sold all their houses and property in
Azerbaijan. They turned them into gold and money and took with
themselves. They raise the compensation issue now. The Armenian
ombudsman appealed to me a few days ago, but I am not going to answer
her because she seeks a pretext for a correspondence.
[Correspondent] In fact, Suleymanova is more interested in compensation
than her Armenian counterpart because Suleymanova is more realistic
about the protection of rights of about 1m [Azerbaijani] refugees
and displaced persons given an attitude to Azerbaijan’s just cause
in the international public opinion [as heard].
There is another interesting issue. It has been decided to establish
an institution of ombudsman in the so-called Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic. However, Suleymanova considers there is no need for this.
[Suleymanova] An ombudsman in every country is to protect the rights
of citizens and foreign citizens in their countries. Everybody and
the world know and accept that Nagornyy Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s
integral part and it would be more correct if its people turn to the
Azerbaijani ombudsman with their problems.
[Correspondent] Suleymanova, who described as illegitimate the
establishment of a certain body in the illegitimate republic, is
going to turn to international bodies over the problem.
[Passage omitted: more about institution of ombudsman]
The latest steps taken or to be taken by the Armenians, whose activity
grew after the visit by the OSCE’s fact-finding mission to Nagornyy
Karabakh [to monitor whether ethnic Armenians have been resettled
in Nagornyy Karabakh], promise nothing good for the talks on the
settlement of the conflict.
Eldaniz Valiyev, Ramin Yaqubov for ANS.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU FOLLOWS ACTIVATION OF PROCESS OF PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11. ARMINFO. At present EU follows the activation
of the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict awaiting its
final resolution. EU Special Representative on the South Caucasus
Heikki Talvitie said at a press conference, Thursday, Azerbaijani
Mass Media reports.
He said that EU attentively followed the negotiation process. He said
despite some lull in the negotiations after the meeting in Astana, the
situation again went right, but there were still some issues subject
to solution. As regards the EU’s role in the Karabakh conflict’s
resolution, Talvitie said that he could just bring the position of
the organization. He pointed out that the staff of OSCE MG mediating
between the conflicting parties was effective being represented
by the USA, France and Russia. he said. He noted that the EU could
contribute to restoration and reconstruction of the territories after
their release.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STEPANAKERT-BASED OFFICE OF ICRC CONTINUES RESTORATION OF
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OF NAGORNY KARABAKH
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 11. ARMINFO. Stepanakert-based office of the
International Committee of the Red Cross continues the restoration of
medical institutions of Nagorny Karabakh, at the same time providing
them with medicines and rendering professional assistance.
ARMINFO’s own correspondent in Stepanakert informs, according to
the head of Stepanakert-based office of ICRC, the organization also
provides material aid to the families of the missing, needy categories
of the populations, old people. 40 playing-grounds for children
are built under the project “Construction of safe playing-grounds”,
which ICRC is implementing jointly with the Red Cross of Norway.