Category: News

A-Info news agency, Akhalkalaki, in Armenian
15 Nov 04
Envoy vows to implement “serious” projects in Georgia’s
Armenian-populated area

Akhalkalaki, 5 November: The Georgian president’s representative in
Samtskhe-Javakhetia [Georgia’s Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti
Region], Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, has said that from now on he will
meet journalists every weekend and brief them on weekly events in the
region.
A number of important events will be organized in the region, he
said.
The presidential representative pledged to brief the media and the
local community on a regular basis on relations between the company
BP and local residents. He also promised to focus on the developments
in the customs and transport spheres.
Nikolozishvili intends to implement serious projects and relies on
the media for the coverage of his activities.
A-Info news agency, Akhalkalaki, in Armenian 1210 gmt 15 Nov 04

European Report
November 17, 2004
EU BILATERAL AVIATION AGREEMENTS WITH AZERBAIJAN TO BE REVISED
SHORTLY
Bilateral air services agreements between Azerbaijan and the EU
Member States will be adapted shortly to permit all European airlines
to offer flights to Azerbaijan from any Member State with a bilateral
pact with the country. Airlines have thus far only be able to fly to
Azerbaijan from their country of origin, a fact in contradiction with
Community law since the Court of Justice’s now notorious ruling of
November 2002 on bilateral aviation agreements with the United States
(open sky agreements). The agreement with Azerbaijan was signed on
November 14 during a visit to the region by Francois Lamoureux,
Director-General of the European Commission’s DG Transport.
In September, Chile was the first country to agree to the inclusion
of so-called “Community carrier” clauses in bilateral agreements with
the Member States, permitting airlines to offer flights from other
Member States. It has since been followed by Lebanon and Georgia.
Azerbaijan is therefore fourth on the list of States proposing to
review their bilateral pacts (any revision would take effect
following the official signing of the amended agreement) to fall in
line with European law. Negotiations are due to begin shortly with
Armenia and the countries of Central Asia.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of the Independent Councillor, City of Ryde
Email: [email protected], or Alt. Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9879 4159 , Mobile: 0412 048 330
PO Box 631, Galesville, NSW 2111, Australia
Science prize goes to UNSW again
16 November 2004

The Australasian Science prize has been awarded to an academic from
UNSW, for the second year in a row.
The 2004 prize has been awarded to Professor Levon Khachigian, an
NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow in the Centre for Vascular
Research (CVR) in the Faculty of Medicine.
Professor Khachigian and his 15-strong team in the Transcription and
Gene Targeting Laboratory are hoping to develop novel treatments for
arterial diseases, including several aggressive cancers, based on
innovative ways for identifying genes that damage blood vessels.
“I think that one of our strengths is our ability to translate
fundamental observations into potential therapeutic strategies,” said
Professor Khachigian. “We like to think of inventive ways to interfere
with key molecules and the cellular events that would otherwise lead
to the manifestation of disease.”
Their most recent discovery is of molecular tools that block the
growth of aggressive melanoma in mice.
In accepting the prize, Professor Khachigian called for increased
funding for health and medical research by Government in its new term
– an area, which he claims, received scant attention in the recent
federal election campaign. “Otherwise we risk losing the opportunity
of capturing and building upon the people, project and infrastructure
investments already made,” he said. “Our competitive position as an
international player in research is squarely dependent on adequate
government funding.”
“Fundamental understanding is critical to any area of research, which
is why we need to support curiosity-driven research,” said Professor
Khachigian.
UNSW Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Wainwright, and Professor Michelle
Haber, Director of the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia applauded
Professor Khachigian’s impressive body of research. He was presented
the Award by the editor of Australasian Science Guy Nolch.
Last year, another UNSW academic, Emeritus Scientia Professor Mark
Rowe, was presented with the prize for his work as a sensory
neuroscientist.
Next month Professor Khachigian will be awarded his Doctor of Science
(Research), his third degree over 23 years from UNSW.
Our Congratulation to Professor Levon Khachigian and his family,
Prof. Khachigian is born in Lebanon of Armenian Parents he resides in
Ryde, he is married and has two children.
Sarkis Yedelian, Councillor, City of Ryde.
For further information about Australasian Science go to the website.

Racing Post
November 17, 2004, Wednesday
FOOTBALL: 10-1 ARMENIA’S TASK MADE EASIER
by IAN COYNE
HILLS yesterday slashed Armenia to 9-2 from 7-1 to win their World
Cup qualifier against Romania today after Steaua Bucharest’s
Florentin Dumitru became the 13th player to withdraw from the
visitors’ squad.
Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu is expected to field an experimental
line-up including uncapped defenders Mihai Pascovici of Farul
Constanta and Lucian Goian of FCM Bacau, and midfielders Tiberiu
Balan of Sportul Studentesc and Ciprian Danciu of Otelul Galati.
Ladbrokes should see plenty of business for the home side in their
shops, as they are 10-1 Armenia on their coupons but only 7-1 for
internet and telephone clients.
Punters who backed Wrexham at 3-1 with Skybet to be relegated from
League One at the start of the season will be far happier than the
beleaguered north Wales outfit’s fans after the club applied to go
into administration in order to avoid a winding-up order from the
High Court.
Clubs in administration receive an automatic ten-point penalty from
the Football League, which would leave the Dragons second-bottom in
the standings. The club owe pounds 800,000 in unpaid taxes.
Steven Gerrard is expected to return to Liverpool’s midfield against
Middlesbrough on Saturday after playing the second half of a Reds
reserves game on Monday.
Gerrard, who broke a bone in his foot in the Merseysiders’ 2-1 defeat
against Manchester United on September 20, admitted he hopes to stay
injury-free for the remainder of the campaign.
Anyone who fancies backing Mexico at 1-100 to beat St Kitts and Nevis
can do so with Blue Square, who are betting on tonight’s Concacaf
World Cup qualifiers.
Blue Square – Concacaf World Cup qualifiers (kick -off time): 5-4
Honduras v 17-10 Costa Rica, 11-5 draw (11pm); 1-8 Trinidad & Tobago
v 11 St Vincent, 11-2 draw (11pm); 6-5 Panama v 7-4 El Salvador, 11-5
draw (12.30am); 2-7 USA v 7 Jamaica, 7-2 draw (1.15am); 1-100 Mexico
v 33 St Kitts & Nevis, 9 draw (2am).

RosBusinessConsulting Database
November 17, 2004 Wednesday 8:24 am, EST
Russian energy exports to Georgia to restart today
RAO UES will resume electrical energy supplies to Georgia’s capital
Tbilisi at 6 p.m. Moscow time today, Dangiras Mikolayunis, the
General Director of the Tbilisi electrical energy distributing
company TELASI, told journalists. According to him, 100 megawatts of
electrical energy will be imported daily and this will solve the
problem of the energy crisis in Tbilisi and partially in other
regions.
The resumption of imports became possible after the Kartli-2 power
line, which had been damaged in an act of sabotage, was restored.
TELASI has also resumed electrical energy imports from Armenia to
Tbilisi today totaling 100 megawatts per day.

Athens News Agency
November 16, 2004
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE EXAMINES ISSUE OF
TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION
STRASBOURG (ANA/O. Tsipira) – The European Parliament’s Foreign
Affairs Committee examined the issue of Turkey’s accession to the
European Union in the framework of a discussion which took place on
Tuesday night on the report by Dutch Eurodeputy Kamiel Erlings which
will be put to the vote at the European Parliament in December
Other issues discussed were the issue of Cyprus, the genocide of the
Armenians, the Kurdish question and the situation concerning human
rights in Turkey
Ruling New Democracy party Eurodeputy Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos said
“it is unacceptable that forces of Turkey, a candidate country,
should occupy part of the territory of a member-state, while it is
also unacceptable that its military establishment should give
instructions to its forces for provocative acts against another
member-state.” Dimitrakopoulos further said that on December 17 the
European Council must decide positively on a date for the beginning
of accession negotiations
Main opposition PASOK party Eurodeputy Panos Beglitis, referring to
Turkey, said “this country has carried out an institutional
revolution. It has a European prospect. In other words, we say ‘yes’
to the beginning of negotiations, but without this being considered a
‘blank cheque’. We demand, therefore, respect for the political and
economic criteria of Copenhagen and respect for the acquis
communautaire.” Cypriot Democratic Rally Eurodeputy Ioannis
Kasoulides said on his part amendments which create the impression
that Turkey no longer has any obligations concerning a solution to
the issue of Cyprus because the majority of Greek Cypriots said ‘no’
in the referendum on the Annan plan are very negative.
From: Baghdasarian

Baltic News Service
November 16, 2004
ESTONIAN TARTU’S FORMER TWIN CITY IN ARMENIA WANTS TO REKNIT TIES
TALLINN, Nov 16
Estonia’s second-largest city Tartu’s former twin city in Armenia,
Gumri (earlier Leninakan), is keen to restore the broken ties.
The Armenian city is very interested in picking up the threads of the
good relationship with Tartu, Mayor of Tartu Laine Janes said after
meeting with the mayor of Gumri, Vardan Ghukasyan.
“We can offer them support and consultations in the framework of the
soon-to-be-launched European Union neighbor integration program,”
Janes told BNS through a spokesperson for the city government.
Both mayors found the two cities’ cooperation in the fields of
culture and education needs to be strengthened.
The mayor of Gumri will probably visit Tartu next May in the
framework of the Armenian regional affairs minister’s visit to this
Baltic state.
Gumri is the second-largest city in Armenia after the capital Yerevan
with a population of about 150,000.
The city was in 1989 hit by a strong earthquake that destroyed
practically all of it, claiming around 25,000 lives.

Baltic News Service
November 16, 2004
ESTONIAN PRESIDENT GIVES OVERVIEW OF EU NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY TO
ARMENIAN LEADERS
TALLINN
Estonian President Arnold Ruutel on Monday met in the course of an
official visit to Armenia with the prime minister of the country,
Andranik Margaryan.
The Estonian head of state gave in the meeting an overview of the
principles of the European Union’s neighbourhood policy which would
be applied also in relations with South Caucasian countries, the
president’s office reports.
The prime minister gave recognition to the regional cooperation of
the Baltic states and spoke about the specifics of Armenia’s
relations with its neighbors.
Ruutel stressed the importance of mutual understanding in this
context and pointed out the possibilities arising from the Minsk
Process for Southern Caucasus countries.
Talking about participation in international Partnership for Peace
programs, Margaryan said Armenia is ready for cooperation with all
NATO member countries.
The president gave an interview to Armenian television speaking about
the possibilities to promote bilateral relations in various areas.
The Armenian head of state, Robert Kocharyan and his wife, Bella,
hosted a dinner in honour of the Estonian presidential couple. In his
speech at dinner, Ruutel said the Estonian society has by now reached
a level that makes it possible to share with others general
conclusions drawn from the reform process. “We also know that Armenia
is a country where the opinion of Estonia is trusted and expected,”
he added.
Kocharyan said it is important for Armenia to establish
goodneighborly relations with all its neighbors. The conflicts taking
place in Southern Caucasus hinder the natural development of the
region, he observed. “Mutually beneficial regional cooperation
facilitates the resolving of conflicts and stable development of the
region, and creates significant potential for further progress. The
best example of this is the cooperation between the countries of the
Baltic region,” he said.
The Estonian president will continue his visit on Tuesday, delivering
a lecture at the University of Yerevan and meeting with the Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karegin II. Ruutel will
arrive back in Estonia on Tuesday evening.

Lompoc Record, CA
Nov 17 2004
Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ features a cast of more than 100
By The Record Staff

11/17/04 The Santa Barbara Festival Ballet presents one of the most
cherished ballets in history, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,”
Saturday and Sunday, Dec 11 and 12, at the Arlington Theatre in Santa
Barbara. This holiday treat celebrates the company’s 30th annual
performance. With a cast of more than 100 performers from the Santa
Barbara Festival Ballet and Santa Barbara Ballet Center, this
traditional production includes live music from members of the Santa
Barbara Symphony, under the direction of Elise Unruh. This is Santa
Barbara’s only fully-orchestrated live performance of “The
Nutcracker.”
Giant mice doing battle with toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes,
waltzing flowers and a toy nutcracker transformed into a prince make
up some of the magical elements of “The Nutcracker.” Clara,
accompanied by the Nutcracker Prince, journeys to the Kingdom or
Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy calls for a festival of dances
from foreign and exotic lands. This holiday tale has always been a
delight for families throughout the world and this 30th annual
performance promises to be a wonderful family experience for young
and old alike.
This year’s guest artists are Sayat Asatryan, dancing the role of
Cavalier, and Olga Tchekachova, as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Asatryn was
born in Yerevan, Armenia, and trained in Russia at the Voronezh
Ballet School and St. Petersburg Ballet Academy. He was a principal
ballet dancer with the Moscow Kremlin Ballet, touring internationally
in South America, Europe, Japan, France, Egypt, and the U.S.
Tchekachova was formally a principle dancer with the Bristol Ballet
in England, and has toured internationally as a principle dancer with
the Kirov Ballet and St. Petersburg Ballet dance companies.
Artistic Directors Denise Rinaldi and Michele Hulse Pearson are
directing and choreographing this 30th anniversary production. Scenic
design is by Le Straburg and Marina Harris, with costume design by
Sue Stafford Kennedy.
The Santa Barbara Festival Ballet is a Santa Barbara based company
dedicated to providing a forum in which gifted, pre-professional
dancers are able to gain work experience for a future careers. “The
Nutcracker” is an opportunity for those dancers to work with
professional guest artists and to perform to live music. This fully
staged ballet has long been a cherished part of Santa Barbara
County’s traditional holiday entertainment, and is frequently young
children’s first exposure to classical music and ballet.
Tickets are available through the Arlington Ticket Agency and all
Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $15 to $38; discounts are available
for children, students and seniors. For more information, call the
box office at 963-4408.

Salt Lake City Weekly, UT
Nov 17 2004
Armenian Rhapsody
by John Saltas
I have this friend I’ll call Auburn. Not that he doesn’t like seeing
his name in print, but Homeland Security being what it is, there’s no
real reason to reveal his true identity. One never knows. Anyway,
Auburn thinks I can’t write a column without mentioning a particular
Balkan country known in the early part of this century for importing
into America a great number of swarthy men willing to work for cheap
wages in unsafe working conditions. Remember, the key word here is
`work,’ so if you’ve guessed Albania, guess again.
I imagine it’s safe to say I may have annoyed Auburn. So much so that
he’s willing to make a bet with me. His bet is that if I don’t
mention this particular country renowned for its feta cheese and
buxom women, he will pay me 45 minutes worth of drinking my favorite
elixir, VO whiskey, which is blended just to my liking just up north
a ways in Canada. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of fine
American distilleries. I’m just practicing for the day, if ever, that
I can actually get all of my medications from Canada. Which will be
never, by the way.
If I do mention this land of olives and shouting merchants, I will
pay him 45 minutes worth of drinking his favorite elixir, beer. He
noted in his bet that he preferred a particular favorite brand of
American beer. I don’t like seeing people suffer, so I’m going the
extra mile here in order to win lest he overindulge in a fluid that
is simply not up to worldwide taste standards. I’m not an attorney,
so I can’t make out a particular clause in his betting document that
sets the parameters of what constitutes exactly a mention of this
particular place where many people are named George, Nick, Maria and
Sophia.
Assuming I may have lost already, I’ll pay him off instead with what
are now my two favorite imported beers, Kotayk and Kilikia. They’re
not brewed in the aforementioned land that is mercifully devoid of
LaVars and Britneys, but in Armenia.
As most American schoolchildren surely know, Armenia is the home to
Mount Ararat, a revered holy place liberally mentioned in the Old
Testament of the Bible, but now just an afterthought to many
modern-day Christians who prefer the passages that reign terror on
such groups as homosexuals. As those school kids can also attest,
Armenia became settled by one of the hallmark cultures of early
civilization, the Sumerians. As luck would have it, the Sumerians
were not only good with the alphabet but with brewing beer.
Explorers and conquerors from the land I cannot mention made it to
Armenia a few centuries before Christ was born. Thus, they also found
beer. Since they pretty much ruled things back then, beer found its
way to ports all over the world. That’s just one more reason people
such as Auburn should go soft on me: If not for the people from the
land with great ships and strong armies, we might be drinking mead
while hoping for a Ute win this weekend.
I had a couple of Kotayks and a Kilikia this weekend at the
Leprechaun Inn and at Cedars of Lebanon. I’ve always believed the
Irish are trendsetters. And Lord knows I like the Lebanese. I prefer
Kotayk beer, as it is more of a lager style, but Kilikia holds its
own, too, if you prefer Pilsners. Both beers are new to Utah. I’d
imagine that the Bayou carries them, too. The spot where Auburn hangs
out might not have the cooler space, so come collection time, if I
lose, the payoff will have to take place elsewhere. Sorry, Jerz.
While conducting my Kotayk and Kilikia research, I happened upon yet
another aggravation of Utah liquor laws. You know those little blue
DABC stickers that are on all the liquor sold in state liquor stores
and clubs? Each one adds a nickel to the price of that individual
bottle or can of beer. All it says is something like `Utah DABC’ and
is about half the size of a postage stamp. A nickel. That’s a $1.20
additional cost for each case of beer. Kotayk and Kilikia both
already have that disclaimer printed right on their labels, yet an
additional label with a 5-cent price tag is required for some
reason – uh, let’s milk those sinners for all they’re worth perhaps?
Happily, those funds go to our school kids so they can study their
ABC’s – Armenia, Beer and Cuneiform writing.
As good as I think those Armenian beers are, I don’t think I’m going
to smuggle any into Rice-Eccles stadium this Saturday. Beer’s a bit
too wieldy for me. I’m going to stick with the standard 99-cent
plastic flask. My buddy Joe Caputo buys them in bunches at Kirkham’s.
He’s a former Vietnam combat Marine, and I believe he knows a thing
or two about packing light and sneaking through enemy lines. I’m
always grateful when he empties out his ammo canister and hands one
over to me. I’m even more grateful because he’s already filled it up,
usually with Crown Royal, which I can’t afford. That’s just what the
doctor ordered: a flask of Crown Royal and a thumping to that team
from down south.
I’ve seen too many upsets in sports to get uppity, though. However, a
Ute win would bring unprecedented joy not only to Ute fans, but to
everyone else getting screwed by the BCS. Another nice side effect of
a Ute win is that all those people stuck in the woe-is-me Kerry funk,
might actually snap out of it. To Auburn. To Armenia. To Utah by 5 – at
least.
Staff Box
Bill Frost: College football is sooo cute! It’s almost like real
football. But, since I didn’t attend either university, I don’t
really care – since the U probably has hotter cheerleaders, I’ll go
Red. Drink: Vodka (Grey Goose) & Gatorade (Red Punch).
Larry Carter: Utah all the way. I will be drinking the strongest
alcohol I can find so that I will have the pleasure of regurgitating
all over my neighbor’s BY-who banners. Do they have to hang them
everywhere?
Natalie May: Go Utah! It’s going be sa-weeet! I’ll be drinking hot
cocoa with marshmallows … it being a `dry’ stadium and all.
Kylene Stemmons: What game?
Shane Johnson: BYU, just to see their headhunting boosters eat
Crow-ton when he pulls off a Mormon Miracle. I’ll wash down the
bitter irony with an Old Milwaukee 40.
Scott Renshaw: Utah should win in a walk, but I have a certain
sympathy for BYU. Like my alma mater, Stanford, BYU has a coach who
can probably only save his job by pulling off a huge upset of their
BCS-bound arch-rival. I’ll be watching with a cold, carbonated
libation in hand.
Haigen Pearson: I only see RED, and I will be enjoying a few Pabst
Blue Ribbons as the Utes embarrass the `Y’ and all of their poor
fans.
Jennifer Van Grevenhof: The Utes of course. I’ll be drinking Corona
to prepare for the warm, sunny weather at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe.
Brent Broadwater: The Running Utes by 21. And I will be drinking
Coca-Cola, the nectar of the gods.
Abbey Reynolds: Just thinking about football makes me feel like
drinking. It doesn’t matter what I drink, as long as it makes me
forget how our culture views university sports as more important than
education.
Mike Varanakis: Utah! Water mostly – I will end up being the designated
driver, I’m sure!
Paula Saltas: Utah by 35, and drinking peppermint patties or whatever
Charley Cayias serves at his tailgating party.
Ben Fulton: While the sight of cultural rivalries battling it out on
the sports field is sometimes amusing, it depresses me more with age.
Besides, it pales next to Glasgow’s raging war between the soccer
teams of Rangers and Celtics. If I drank Scotch, I’d drink it now.
Maybe a Bushmill’s.
Josh Wangrud: U of U (for the love!) and it’s BYOB.
Barbara Pavlinch: BY-Who? Utah, of course! I’m not quite sure yet,
but I think I will be drinking Bloody Marys. The tomato juice has
licopenes, and celery is good for me. Yeah, Bloody Marys it will be.
Go Utah!
Jerre Wroble: U of U natch, but I really don’t do football. I may sip
on a coffee and Bailey’s while watching the parking gestapo issue $25
tickets to the hapless fans who park on my `restricted’ street near
the stadium.
Burke Johnstun: Utes! I will be drinking some caffeine-free Coke. I
am one wild S.O.B!