Category: News

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 1, 2004 Thursday
One killed, 7 injured in explosion at Armenian power station
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
A worker was killed and seven others received injuries when a tank
holding sulfuric acid exploded on Wednesday at an Armenian power
station.
One of the injured workers is in critical condition, a spokesman for
the Armenian department for emergency situations told Itar-Tass on
Thursday. Despite the accident, the Razdan power plant, the biggest
in Armenia, keeps operating in a routine regime, Nikolai Grigoryan
said.
The power station accounts for over 20 percent of electricity
produced in Armenia. The station was under construction for ten years
and was commissioned in 1976. In 2002, an agreement was signed under
which a block of shares of the Razdan power plant goes to Russia to
settle part of Armenia’s debt to Russia.
The power plant worth 31 million dollars is now governed by the
International Energy Corporation, which makes part of the Unified
Energy Systems of Russia power utility.

La Croix
1 juillet 2004
Marque-page. Histoire. ET L’ARMENIE DEVINT CHRETIENNE de Jean
Guréghian. Ed. de Paris (1), 90 p., 15 Euro.
LESEGRETAIN Claire
Histoire
ET L’ARMENIE DEVINT CHRETIENNE de Jean Guréghian. Ed. de Paris (1),
90 p., 15 Euro.
Les Arméniens furent le premier peuple entièrement converti au
christianisme, en l’an 301. Alors même que l’Eglise arménienne a fêté
voici peu le 1700e anniversaire de l’événement, on sait moins les
circonstances de cette conversion. Le petit livre de Jean Guréghian,
préfacé par Jean-Pierre Mahé et illustré par Gaguik Soghomonyan,
précise comment le roi arménien Tiridate embrassa la foi au Christ.
Après avoir persécuté des adeptes de cette nouvelle religion et tenté
de violer l’une d’elles (la belle Hripsimé), Tiridate tomba malade.
Saint Grégoire dit l’Illuminateur, qu’il avait fait enfermer et
supplicier, guérit alors le roi et le conduit au christianisme. Le
récit de cette conversion est ici inspiré, sans digressions
superflues, de l’oeuvre de l’historien antique Agathange.
P.-Y. L.P.
(1) 13, rue Saint-Honoré, 78000 Versailles.

Armenian foreign minister, EU envoy praise expansion of ties
Arminfo
1 Jul 04
YEREVAN
We are satisfied with Armenia’s involvement in [the EU’s] European
Neighbourhood Policy and are ready to begin joint work with the
European side within the framework of the Individual Partnership
Action Plan, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said today at a
meeting with the special representative of the EU for the South
Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie.
The Armenian presidential press service has told Arminfo that the two
men discussed Armenia’s relations with the European Union and with
Turkey, as well as a settlement to the Karabakh conflict. Speaking
about relations with the EU, they noted the importance of the
forthcoming visit to Armenia by Janez Potochnik, an official in charge
of EU enlargement. During the visit, the sides will consider prospects
for bilateral cooperation.
Oskanyan spoke about the results of the Armenian-Azerbaijani-Turkish
trilateral meetings in Istanbul within the framework of the NATO
summit. Discussing the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, they noted
the need to organize more confidence-building meetings.
The minister also noted the significance of other programmes of
regional cooperation for the development of the South Caucasus.
For his part, Talvitie spoke about the results of his visit to
Nagornyy Karabakh on 29 June. He also met the [Armenian] deputy
foreign minister, Ruben Shugaryan, today.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian leader, EU envoy discuss Karabakh
Mediamax news agency
1 Jul 04
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received the special representative
of the EU for the South Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie, in Yerevan today.
The presidential press service has quoted Kocharyan as saying that Talvitie’s
frequent visits to the region testify to the EU’s growing interest in the
South Caucasus, including Armenia.
Talvitie informed the Armenian president of his visit to Nagornyy Karabakh.
Kocharyan and Talvitie agreed that an atmosphere of trust should be created
between the parties to the Karabakh conflict.

Armenian leader says domestic crisis is over
Arminfo
30 Jun 04
YEREVAN
The question of the aggravation of the political situation in Armenia
can be regarded as closed, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan told
reporters in Vanadzor today, commenting on the estimates of some
opposition leaders about his speech at the session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE].
[Passage omitted: reported details of Kocharyan’s PACE speech]

Armenian foreign minister believes Turkey wants better ties – Turkish TV
NTV television, Istanbul
1 Jul 04

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskankyan has said that in the brief
meeting he had with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the
NATO summit, he was convinced that Turkey wants to improve the
relations between the two countries. Commenting on the 10-minute
meeting he held with Erdogan, Oskanyan said: I believe that the
Turkish government sincerely wants a change towards the amelioration
of the relations with Armenia.
Oskanyan remarked that the issue of reinstating the rail transport
between Turkey and Armenia was discussed with Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul. On the subject of the Nagornyy Karabakh issue between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Oskanyan said: Armenia will not accept
Turkey’s acting as an impartial mediator.
Oskanyan reported that with US officials, he discussed the intention
to veto the proposal to appoint Turkey as the term president of the
OSCE in 2007. The Armenian foreign minister expressed the belief that
the position of OSCE term president should be filled by a country that
has diplomatic relations with all member countries.

El Pais
July 1, 2004
Comunidad Valenciana edition
Les senderes valencianes del jubileu Petjades de pedra cap a les vies
compostellanes
Juga a favor d’aquesta hipotesi un testimoni magnific i ben
suggeridor, que conservem documentat a l’inventari parroquial de
defuncions i que considere oportu d’exhumar ara que som al cor del
jubileu compostel.la del 2004. En efecte, fa prop de quatre-cents
cinquanta anys (exactament l’episodi va esdevenir-se a l’octubre del
1556), a l’hospital de Benlloc moria un home vell, natural d’Armenia,
que regressava d’haver peregrinat a Compostel.la. Com que ningu del
veinat no podia “entendre sa llengua, no rebe los sants sagraments”,
tal com te cura d’anotar el dietarista de l’epoca. Aixi doncs, les
dades identificatives d’armeni i de romeu li van ser descobertes
gracies a la credencial compostel.lana que portava damunt.
No em negareu que el cas constitueix una bella mostra d’enigma que
tot seguit desperta la curiositat. Que feia un armeni, procedent de
Galicia, per aquestes latituds? S’hi trobava perdut? Deambulava
absolutament errant? Potser es dirigia a Valencia, a la recerca
d’algun vaixell que el retornara al seu pais. De tota manera, no hem
de perdre de vista que aleshores transcorria una etapa especialment
atzarosa per totes les latituds de la Mediterrania, per tal com aixo
s’esdevenia en vespres de les preses de Nicosia i Venecia pels turcs
i a cinc anys escassos de la batalla de Lepant.
El pelegri armeni que va trobar el descans definitiu a Benlloc devia
ser originari de la Petita Armenia, l’estat cristia de la costa
sud-est de l’Asia Menor que a l’edat mitjana havia mantingut
relacions comercials amb la corona catalanoaragonesa. Potser era un
armeni de la diaspora, marcat per l’estigma d’emigrant cronic que
pesava damunt la generalitat del seu poble, segles abans de la
globalitzacio. Siga com siga, els romeus com ell devien fer
pelegrinatges incerts i penosos, al limit de les precarietats mes
estrictes. Del nostre heroi, per exemple, ens consta que la suma dels
recursos economics de que disposava quan va arribar a Benlloc es
reduia a “uns quants reals”, que no van cobrir mes enlla de les
despeses que generaven aleshores un parell de misses, dites per la
seua anima, que reposa en pau entre els avantpassats belloquins.
Abans de morir, el nostre romeu degue passar per l’ermita de
l’Adjutori. Encara mes, m’arriscaria a conjecturar que l’Adjutori
degue constituir el reclam que va fer-lo desviar-se fins a Benlloc.
En aquest sentit, disposem d’un element forca suggeridor, la vieira
esculpida en un bloc de pedra que ha anat a raure a un mur lateral de
l’ermita. Es clar que aquesta escultura preciosa, que representa el
simbol per antonomasia del pelegrinatge compostel.la, suscita tot
d’una interrogants com els segueents i molts altres: pertanyia aquest
carreu venerable a la primitiva esglesia de l’Adjutori? Hi tenia un
pes rellevant la devocio a sant Jaume? Potser l’ermita havia
esdevingut fita d’alguna ruta de pelegrinatge?
Ben mirat, Benlloc quedava a la vora de la Via Augusta i tambe del
cami ral, dos eixos viaris que estaven ben connectats amb la xarxa
principal de camins que portaven directe a la tomba de l’apostol. Be
podia haver estat, doncs, una fita -modesta i marginal, si voleu-
dins l’entramat de camins compostel.lans que solcaven la vasta
geografia europea.

Armenian minister in favour of improving ties with Turkey
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
1 Jul 04
Text of Anna Akopyan report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak on
1 July headlined “The attitude was normal”
An interview with [Armenian] Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan.
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Oskanyan, although you assessed
the meeting with the Turkish and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
positively, you said that the meeting did not yield any tangible
results. Nevertheless, Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan said that they
view the meeting as an opportunity to get the frozen processes in the
South Caucasus out of deadlock.
[Vardan Oskanyan] Maybe they had such a purpose, but the fact is that
there was no progress as a result of the trilateral meeting. Erdogan
did not say that there was progress, but he thinks that the meeting
might lead to progress. This trilateral meeting was not only
connected with the Karabakh issue, it was much more expanded.
[Correspondent] The resolution by NATO member countries says that NATO
highly appreciates Georgia and Azerbaijan’s rapprochement with NATO
and the fact that they have individual action programmes. There is no
word about Armenia in the resolution. In this sense, how do you assess
Armenia’s further potential in developing relations with NATO?
[Oskanyan] This is the next step of cooperation with NATO, which
Azerbaijan and Georgia have already taken and want to establish. We
are discussing that issue and will inform NATO after taking a
decision.
[Correspondent] After your meeting with Turkey’s Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul, you said that although Turkey has a great desire to
improve its relations with Armenia, the political moment is not ripe
for them yet. Is that moment ripe for Armenia?
[Oskanyan] I said it is not ripe in Turkey because they cannot show
political will. In response to the objections of some circles, I can
say that Armenia wants and is ready to regulate its relations with
Turkey without pre-conditions.
[Correspondent] Recently [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan told
Turkey from a high rostrum that they are wrong if they think that we
cannot live and develop without them. Today from another high rostrum
you said that Turkey plays a big role in the Caucasus, including in
Armenia. Was this sector of your speech directed at softening the
impression made by Kocharyan’s speech?
[Oskanyan] No, it was not. In fact, today we do not depend on Turkey,
our economy is really developing. Even if Turkey decides to perpetuate
this situation forever, I think we shall continue to develop at quite
a quick pace. So for Armenia the improvement of relations with Turkey
is not a problem of life and death. Simply, we do not see any reason
not to have normal relations with our neighbours. As for Azerbaijan,
everything is clear here – there is the Karabakh conflict and it
should be settled, then we can start improving relations. As for
Turkey, in a bilateral sense, there is no obstacle that does not allow
us to have normal relations. That is, on the one hand, if Turkey
continues this way, this will not create a deadly situation for
Armenia, and on the other, it is always desirable to have friendly
relations with neighbours, which will certainly open wider
opportunities for economic development. But it should be stressed that
Turkey also needs to open the border and improve relations in the
economic and political sense, especially in terms of being present in
the Caucasus, because Turkey has such a desire and wants to play such
a role in the region. But it cannot do so only because it cannot
establish normal relations with Armenia, so this is a bilateral way.
[Correspondent] Mr Oskanyan, do you not think that after Robert
Kocharyan’s speech in Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
[PACE], Turkey demonstrated a pronounced attitude towards our
delegation and you as its head? You seemed to be displeased while
boarding the airplane.
[Oskanyan] It was a very normal attitude, and my meetings with the
Turkish authorities, mainly with the foreign minister, were very
warm. I also had an opportunity to have a very warm conversation with
Turkey’s prime minister. Their attitude towards Armenia was warmer
than necessary.

La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
30 juin 2004
Championnat d’Europe de racer au pylône ;
La base de loisirs de Payré va accueillir du samedi 3 au dimanche 11
juillet, une soixantaine de compétiteurs pour la treizième finale du
championnat d’Europe et le trophée de l’Arc Atlantique.
Le racer au pylône est une discipline très spectaculaire des modèles
réduits de bateaux. Le prototype est animé par un moteur à explosion
deux temps qui est alimenté par un carburant à base d’alcool
méthylique et d’huile de ricin.
Lors de son apparition aux Etats Unis, les courses se disputaient en
ligne droite. Les moteurs devenant de plus en plus performants, ce
genre d’exercice devenait dangereux. On a eu alors l’idée de relier
le racer par un cble à un pylône, d’où le nom de ces compétitions.
Le racer au pylône a été importé en France en 1935 et a connu le
succès parce que cette forme de modélisme est économique, puisqu’il
n’y a pas de radio commande ni d’appareillage compliqué, que l’engin
est sobre en carburant et qu’un bassin de 40 x 40 m est suffisant
pour pratiquer.
Le modèle tourne sur un circuit d’un peu plus de quinze mètres de
rayon et sa vitesse est chronométrée sur cinq cents mètres, soit cinq
tours, dès l’instant où le concurrent estime que son engin a atteint
sa vitesse maximum, les vitesses réelles peuvent atteindre les 280
km/h. Les compétiteurs sont classés par catégories selon la vitesse
et en deux spécialités : hélice marine, et hélice aérienne.
Les Iles-de-Payré sont habituées à accueillir des compétitions de
haut niveau. Le premier rendez-vous européen avait réuni en 1997
seulement trois nations : le Royaume-Uni, l’Arménie et la France.
Cette année, le club organisateur, le Modèle circulaire marin France
va accueillir une soixantaine de passionnés représentants seize
nations. Il y aura là plusieurs détenteurs de différents titres
européens et mondiaux, qu’ils soient Arméniens, Ukrainiens, Bulgares,
Russes ou encore Anglais ou Italiens. Cette semaine servira également
au club de répétition en vue de la réception en 2005 des championnats
du monde.
Parmi les favoris, on peut citer l’Arménien Hratchia Shahazizian,
ingénieur à la Cité des Etoiles de Moscou, recordman du monde, les
Russes Vadislav Subbotin et Alexander Ivanin ou le Bulgare Jivko
Tcatcankov, champion de monde 2003.
Jim Free, champion d’Angleterre, Giovanni-Baptista Frare, ancien
champion d’Italie seront présents et la France comptera sur Pierre
Barbotin, 3e des championnats du monde 2001 et recordman de France
avec 242 km/h, et les juniors Etienne Blaud, champion de France 2003
et Julien Kantardjian, recordman de France (212 km/h).
Chez les féminines on suivra avec intérêt le duel entre la Bulgare
Diana Ubinova, championne du monde 2003 et l’Arménienne Gayane
Shahazizian, trois fois championne du monde juniors.
Le programme
– Samedi 3 et dimanche 4 juillet : de 14 heures à 19 heures, accueil,
enregistrement et entraînements.
– Lundi 5, de 10 heures à 20 heures, et mardi 6 juillet, de 9 heures
à 20 heures, manches de compétition.
– Mercredi 7 juillet : repos.
– Jeudi 8 et vendredi 9 juillet, de 9 heures à 20 heures, suite des
manches.
– Samedi 10 juillet, à 10 heures, remise des prix.
GRAPHIQUE: Image: Hratchia Shahazizian, champion du monde toutes
catégories et recordman du monde.

Egoyan heads to 1970s Los Angeles in Somebody Loves You
Screendaily
by Denis Seguin in Toronto
June 17, 2004
Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan is preparing his tenth feature, entitled
Somebody Loves You, with long-time collaborator Robert Lantos of Serendipity
Point Films producing.
The Academy Award-nominated Egoyan wrote the screenplay based on the novel
Where The Truth Lies by Broadway wunderkind Rupert Holmes. Sandra
Cunningham, a co-producer on Egoyan’s Ararat, will perform a similar role.
Principal photography is slated to commence in August in Toronto.
Serendipity would not confirm casting.
Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the story follows a young celebrity journalist as
she tracks the secrets of a showbiz duo who were driven apart by a bizarre
death in which one of them may have played the part of murderer. The deeper
she digs the more she finds herself involved with both men and perhaps
risking more than she bargained for.
It’s the third adaptation of a novel for Egoyan, after 1997’s The Sweet
Hereafter and 1999’s Felicia’s Journey. Egoyan acquired the rights to Where
The Truth Lies in early 2003, well before its publication date last autumn.
It was recently released in paperback in North America.
Where The Truth Lies is the first novel by Holmes, whose Broadway musical
The Mystery of Edwin Drood won Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Music and
Best Lyrics, making him the first person to ever win all three prizes
solely.
Produced by Serendipity Point Films and Ego Film Arts, the project is backed
by Telefilm Canada. Other backers will likely include The Harold Greenberg
Fund, Super Ecran and The Movie Network.