Category: News

New Iranian envoys arrives in Armenia
Arminfo
8 Jul 04
YEREVAN
The new ambassador plenipotentiary and extraordinary of the Islamic
Republic of Iran [IRI], Ali Reza Haqiqian, arrived in Yerevan today.
The ambassador will soon present his credentials to Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and start his duties, the press service of the
Armenian Foreign Ministry told Arminfo news agency.
The ambassador, Ali Reza Haqiqian, was born in Esfahan in 1958 and has
a university degree. He has been in the Iranian Foreign Ministry since
1981, represented the Islamic Republic of Iran in Canada, Germany and
Iraq.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pakistan’s Musharraf assures Azeri leader of support in Karabakh issue
Azerbaijani TV Channel One, Baku
8 Jul 04
The presidents of Azerbaijan and Pakistan, Ilham Aliyev and Pervez
Musharraf, held a joint news conference following the signing of a
number of bilateral cooperation agreements. Before answering
questions, the presidents made statements.
In his remarks, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev welcomed the
visiting Pakistani president and the delegation accompanying him. He
said the visit was a significant event in the history of the two
countries and added that the two countries maintained effective
cooperation in the political, economic and cultural fields. Aliyev
said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan had always supported each other in
the international arena.
“Pakistan has always supported Azerbaijan’s fair position on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and I would like to thank the
distinguished president on behalf of the Azerbaijani people,” Aliyev
said.
He said that Azerbaijan would also provide its political support to
Pakistan. Under such circumstances, economic cooperation will bring
the countries even closer together, Aliyev said. These issues, he
added, are permanently discussed by the intergovernmental economic
cooperation.
“There are great opportunities in the fields of tourism, energy and
agriculture. Of course, our relations in the humanitarian and cultural
areas are successfully developing as well. Pakistan and Azerbaijan are
allies, we understand each other very well, our positions on
international and regional issues overlap and I am sure that our
relations will improve even further after this visit,” Ilham Aliyev.
At the end of his statement, Aliyev reiterated his words of welcome
for the Pakistani leader and expressed the hope that the visit would
be productive and successful.
In his reciprocal address, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
thanked his Azerbaijani counterpart for the warm welcome and for his
words about thriving Pakistani-Azerbaijani relations. He said it was a
pleasure to lead the Pakistani delegation visiting Azerbaijan.
“Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy very strong cultural, historic and
religious bonds, therefore, these bonds must facilitate cooperation
and collaboration in all fields, especially political and economic,”
he said.
He added that the presidents and the delegations of the two countries
had held a very comprehensive exchange of views on many areas.
“In the political field the special feature of our relationship is the
reciprocal support that Pakistan has always received and is always
grateful to Azerbaijan for its support on the Kashmir dispute. We also
support Azerbaijan in the Nagornyy Karabakh issue,” Musharraf
stressed.
“The occupation of Nagornyy Karabakh by Armenia is the cause of
concern to us, the government of Pakistan, and every individual
Pakistani. Therefore, I have assured the president of our continual
and full support in this dispute with Armenia over Nagornyy Karabakh,”
he said.
The Pakistani president pointed to complete identity of views on all
international issues and said that the two presidents had agreed to
keep in touch in order to continuously renew their approaches to
problems.
“In the economic field we have agreed that we need to identify areas
of common interest and focus on them through the creation of a joint
economic commission which must meet on an annual basis, so that we can
then proceed further for mutual benefits,” Pervez Musharraf said.
“We are extremely glad at the signing of these agreements. We look
forward and are very sure that these will be precursors for more
interaction between our two countries, for closer cooperation and
understanding between our two countries,” he said.
Musharraf said he had invited Ilham Aliyev to Pakistan and that the
invitation was accepted.
At the end of his statement, Musharraf said in Turkish: “Long live
Pakistani-Azerbaijani friendship. I believe that we are not friends,
we are brothers. Pakistan has always been together with Azerbaijan.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia continues talks to release pilots arrested in Equatorial Guinea
Arminfo
9 Jul 04
YEREVAN
A delegation from the Armenian Foreign Ministry is in Equatorial
Guinea at present to conduct negotiations on the conditions of
detention and the further fate of the detained Armenian pilots. Gamlet
Gasparyan, a spokesman of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told an
Arminfo correspondent this.
He said that for the time being the delegation is discussing with the
leadership of this African country ways of improving conditions for
and rendering medical assistance to the Armenian pilots. The spokesman
of the Armenian Foreign Ministry noted that as of 8 July there has not
been any information about the court trial. The Armenian delegation
has been in Malabo [capital of Equatorial Guinea] since the end of
June. The delegation is being led, as last time, by the Armenian
ambassador to Egypt, Samvel Manasaryan.
To recap, on 8 March the authorities of Equatorial Guinea arrested a
large group of people, including, as well as other foreigners, six
Armenian pilots. The Armenian pilots are accused of plotting to
overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. The Armenian pilots
deny the accusations entirely.
The Armenian delegation has already been in Malabo before. The
Armenian diplomats met the prime minister of Equatorial Guinea, the
minister of internal affairs and deputy minister of state security,
the prosecutor-general and the foreign minister. Messages from
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II urging the release of the Armenian pilots were handed to
the foreign minister of Equatorial Guinea.

Department of Armenian Studies, Haigazian University
Beirut, Lebanon
Contact: Ara Sanjian
Tel: 961-1-353011
Email: [email protected]
Web:
MARY DANIELYAN LECTURES AT HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY ON THE CONTIBRUTION OF
TOROS TORAMANIAN TO THE STUDY OF ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE
BEIRUT, Friday, 9 July, 2004 (Haigazian University Department of
Armenian Studies Press Release) – Mrs. Mary Danielyan lectured at
Haigazian University on “The Contribution of Toros Toramanian to the
Study of Armenian Architecture” on Thursday, 10 June, 2004.
Danielyan is a graduate of the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute and worked
after 1973 as an expert on the reconstruction of historical monuments in
the Soviet Armenian Ministry of Construction and later in the Board for
the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments. She was chief
architect, author or project manager of numerous reconstruction projects
of historical monuments in Armenia, including Garni, Makaravank,
Goshavank, Zvartnots and Noravank. From 1999 to 2003, Danielyan was the
chief architect of Zvartnots. Since 2003, she has been project manager
in the Architecture and Engineering Section of the Holy See of
Echmiadzin. She has also published a number of scientific articles on
some of these restoration projects.
Danielyan began her lecture by providing a biography of Toros
Toramanian, whom she described as a “talented artist and theoretician,
who acquainted the world with Armenian architecture.” Toramanian was
born in 1864 in the town of Shabin Karahissar, then part of the Ottoman
Empire. He graduated from the Constantinople Lyceum of Fine Arts and in
the next few years designed a number of private residences for the rich,
as well as public buildings in Constantinople, Bulgaria and Romania.
Danielyan said that the lack of studies on Armenian architecture had
troubled Toramanian since his student days. In 1902, he accepted an
offer from Garo Basmajian in Paris to take part in an expedition to the
medieval Armenian capital of Ani, which was then part of the Russian
Empire. Toramanian participated in the excavations that the Russian
Caucasologist Nicholas Marr was conducting in Ani and was awed with what
he saw. Toramanian later took his research notes to Prof. Jozef
Strzygowski in Vienna. In 1918 the latter published a two-volume work,
Die Baukunst der Armenier und Europa [The Architecture of the Armenians
and Europe], acknowledging his debt to Toramanian. In 1921, Ani was
annexed to Turkey, and Toramanian could not return there to continue his
research. He asked Strzygowski in 1925 to return his notes, but to no avail.
When a committee was established in 1923 to preserve Soviet Armenia’s
historical monuments, Toramanian became its chief expert and
participated in the reconstruction of parts of the Echmiadzin cathedral.
He also compiled the inventory of the Division of Architecture in the
History Museum of Armenia. Toramanian died in 1934. His published works
include a number of studies on the churches of Zvartnots, Gagikashen and
Tekor, as well the historical and cultural monuments of the Aragatsoyn
and Shirak regions, including the medieval church at Yereruyk.
The second part of Danielyan’s lecture focused on Toramanian’s
contribution to the study of the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator
or Zvartnots, the magnum opus, according to speaker, of medieval
Armenian architecture. The name Zvartnots, she explained, means ‘the
abode of angels.’ The church was built by the Catholicos Nerses III of
Tayk in 642-662, a period which also witnessed the first Arab invasions
of Armenia. The site chosen was believed to be the place where King
Trdat had met St. Gregory the Illuminator, who converted Armenia to
Christianity, after his release from the dungeon at Khor Virap. A
smaller church had existed in that same place before the seventh
century. The initial plan of Nerses III was to build not only a new and
bigger church, but also a city nearby. The latter part of his dream did
not materialize. The Church of Zvartnots has two altars, one of which
was constructed in Byzantine style in 652 to enable the Emperor
Constantine to receive communion in this new church according to
Chalcedonian traditions. The Church of Zvartnots stood for 300 years.
With its attendant constructions, it was the seat of the Armenian
Catholicos for some time, and Nerses III is believed to have been buried
within its compound.
Toramanian first participated in the excavations of Zvartnots at the
invitation of the Rev. Father Khachig Dadian in 1904. Toramanian was
highly impressed by Zvartnots. He said that although Zvartnots was not
as large as the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople or the Pantheon
in Rome, its architectural style was highly original and it could,
hence, compete with Hagia Sophia through its high artistic traits.
Toramanian was unhappy, however, with Dadian’s unprofessional methods in
excavating the site. The latter frequently used dynamite to transport
the large pieces. That same year, Toramanian presented his own
reconstruction of Zvartnots. It was based on a newly discovered model of
the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator (Gagikashen), constructed by
King Gagik I in Ani in the tenth century. Gagikashen was reputed to have
been built in the Zvartnots style. Toramanian’s theory was immediately
criticized by Dadian and Ter Sargsian, a renowned architect from St.
Petersburg. After Toramanian’s death, his main critic was the architect
Stepan Mnatsakanian. Most experts in Armenian architecture do accept,
however, the validity of Toramanian’s proposed reconstruction; Danielyan
described it as Toramanian’s magnum opus.
Today, only five percent of the church’s original structure survives,
said Danielyan. Following its destruction, the stones were used for a
variety of purposes by people living in its vicinity. In the year 2002,
the Lincy Foundation financed the partial reconstruction of this
monument, based on Libarid Sadoyan’s plan, which had been approved in
1986. Moreover, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund funded a separate project
to survey and digitalize all 2050 stone fragments still standing in the
Zvartnots compound. All these fragments now have their own ID cards,
forming an archive consisting of 30 volumes or 56 CDs.
The second part of Danielyan’s lecture was accompanied by a slide show
of both archival and recent pictures related to the excavations and
reconstruction of Zvartnots.
In a very lively question-and-answer session that followed the lecture,
Danielyan answered a variety of questions related to local and foreign
influences in the architectural design of Zvartnots, the causes of its
destruction and the various signs carved by masons on stones used during
construction, as well as the bas-relief of a Zvartnots-type church on
the door of Sainte Chapelle in France, Toramanian’s international
stature, the whereabouts of his notes used by Strzygowski, etc.
Danielyan told the audience that three years ago Toramanian’s
granddaughter had sold all of her grandfather’s remaining archives to
the Armenian Board for the Preservation of Historical Monuments. These
archives are now being catalogued, and the Armenian National Academy of
Sciences is planning the publication in three volumes of Toramanian’s
scientific works. The Church of Zvartnots itself cannot be reconstructed
according to internationally agreed criteria, for very few of its
original stones remain in place.
Danielyan’s lecture on Toros Toramanian was the first in a series of two
to be held at Haigazian University. Her lecture tour to Beirut was
initiated by Haydjar, the Association of Armenian Professionals
(Architects and Engineers) in Lebanon.
Haigazian University is a liberal arts institution of higher learning,
established in Beirut in 1955. For more information about its activities
you are welcome to visit its web-site at <;. For additional information on the activities of its Department of Armenian Studies, contact Ara Sanjian at .

Armenian TV company fined for illegal rebroadcasts
Arminfo
8 Jul 04
YEREVAN
An independent TV company, “Tsayg”, broadcasting in Gyumri has been
fined 100,000 drams about 151 dollars . Today’s session of the
Armenian National Commission for Radio and Television NCRT adopted
this decision unanimously.
The head of the NCRT, Grigor Amalyan, said that as a result of
monitoring it had been determined that the “Tsayg” TV company
illegally retransmitted programmes from the Russian “TNT” channel on
31 May and 14 June. He recalled that in line with the republic’s
legislation, the retransmission of the TV programmes of a foreign
country is possible only if there is a corresponding bilateral
agreement. “Tsayg” was obliged to inform the National Commission for
Radio and Television in advance about the planned retransmission.

Azeri paper comments on possible Karabakh presence at Bulgarian session
Ekho, Baku
8 Jul 04
MPs and experts from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia recently took
part in a session of the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative in
Bulgaria. There were reports afterwards that Nagornyy Karabakh had
been represented at the session by David Babayan, unbeknown to members
of the delegation from Azerbaijan. An Azerbaijani newspaper article
said that such participation “is effectively a challenge to Baku”. The
paper spoke to two people who had attended the forum. One said that
it could not be ruled out that Babayan had been there but they had not
been introduced .He urged clarification. The other said that if true
then a protest would be filed. The following is the text of
R. Orucov’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 8 July headlined
“Armenian separatist was sitting at same table with Azeri deputies”
and subheaded “Parliamentarians say that they were unaware of this and
promise to hold the organizer of session of South Caucasus
Parliamentary Initiative accountable”
As Ekho has already reported, the second plenary session of the South
Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative SCPI , which was founded a few years
ago through the efforts of the British nongovernmental organization
LINKS, was held on 1-4 July in Sofia. MPs and experts from Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Armenia took part in the session.
Yesterday’s 7 July report by the Armenian news agency ARKA that the
separatist regime of Nagornyy Karabakh had been represented at the
session in the Bulgarian capital by a staffer of the “apparatus of the
president of the Republic of Nagornyy Karabakh” David Babayan (“Trend”
as published ) has become a sensation. He said that it was mainly the
issues of expansion in Europe, relations in this context among the
states of the South Caucasus and the settlement of the conflicts in
the region that were discussed. He also said that “as always, the
Azeri delegation declared the principle of resolving the issue of the
status of Nagornyy Karabakh only after the liberation of all
territories and return of the refugees.
It has to be noted that participation in such a representative forum
by a functionary from the separatist regime of Nagornyy Karabakh is
effectively a challenge to Baku. The point is that the Azeri
participants in the forum – deputies of the Milli Maclis – said in
their comments to the press that only representatives of the
legislative bodies of the three South Caucasus countries convened in
Sofia.
It emerged that the members of the Azeri delegation to the SCPI did
not even have a clue that the “staffer of the apparatus of the
president of the Republic of Nagornyy Karabakh” was sitting at the
same “round table” with them.
For example, Sahlar Asqarov, a Milli Maclis deputy from the New
Azerbaijan Party and a member of the delegation, told Ekho that “it
was not mentioned in any speech during the session that a
representative of the Republic of Nagornyy Karabakh is present here.”
“LINKS Executive Director Dennis Sammut said nothing about this
either,” Sahlar Asqarov said. The deputy noted that the published
report has to be studied, and if it is confirmed, all appropriate
measures should be taken. “I will inform the head of our delegation to
the SCPI, Siayvus Novruzov. We should clarify all this. The
possibility cannot be ruled out that this Babayan was there indeed but
he was not introduced to us. Perhaps the head of LINKS knew about it
but did not tell us.”
Another member of the Azeri delegation, deputy from the People’s Front
of Azerbaijan Party Alimammad Nuriyev, was also not informed. “We were
told that delegates and experts from Armenia are taking part in the
session,” the parliamentarian noted. This deputy also thinks that this
issue has to be studied thoroughly. “And first and foremost we should
demand an answer from LINKS because they organized this “round
table”. If everything is confirmed, we will of course file a protest
and most probably we will refuse to take part in subsequent sessions
of the SCPI. This discredits the very idea of the SCPI, which is
inadmissible,” the deputy emphasized.
According to him, it was agreed when the SCPI was created that it
would consist of parliamentarians and experts only from the three
Caucasus states, Nuriyev noted. “If we found out that a representative
of Gukasyan was present at the session, then we would expel him or
leave the session ourselves,” Nuriyev said. In his opinion, if the
participation of Babayan in the session is confirmed, “LINKS will have
to account for this.”
Nuriyev recalled that, at the previous session of the SCPI in December
2003 in Edinburgh, the Georgian delegation voiced the initiative that
it would be good to invite all sides who deem themselves parties to
the conflicts in the Caucasus. “Back then we strongly objected to
this,” the parliamentarian said.

CSTO to hold military exercise in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan 2-6 August
Interfax-AVN military news agency web site
9 Jul 04
MOSCOW
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is going to hold
the Rubezh-2004 exercise in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan 2-6 August, an
official of the CSTO’s press service told Interfax-Military News
Agency Friday 9 July .
“The exercise will be participated in by detachments of the armed
forces of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, as well as
by operative groups of their General Staffs, representatives of
charter and working bodies of the organization, plus observers of the
CIS member-states and states parties to the Shanghai Treaty,” he said.
According to him, the exercise is aimed to improve coordination of
control bodies in the course of an operation to stabilize the
situation in Central Asian collective security zone. Moreover, there
are plans to exercise control over the CSTO parties’ forces in
combating international terrorism.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization includes six states,
namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and
Tajikistan.
The Collective Rapid Deployment Force (CRDF) was formed in Central
Asia 25 May 2001, following a decision of leaders of Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, who were parties to the
Collective Security Treaty at that time. As of now, the CRDF
comprises nine battalions with a total strength of 5,500 people. A
Russian AFB in Bishkek has been supporting the CRDF since October
2003.

Linking with ink: Armenian paper celebrates 70 years of news from the
Diaspora
By Monica Deady
Watertown Tab
Friday, July 9, 2004
To exist for 70 years in a world full of shifting, recycling and revamping
is not a small feat. The Armenian Weekly, a weekly ethnic newspaper written
and published in Watertown, has reached the regal age of 70, with plans to
continue on with its task of sharing news of Armenians worldwide.
The Armenian Weekly, published in English, was first published in Boston in
1934 as a means for the Armenian community to learn about what was affecting
the Armenian people throughout the United States and the world. What began
with four pages a week has increased to 20, with a circulation of about
1,700 and a readership of more than 7,000.
The paper moved to the Watertown office in 1985 to be closer to where the
population is centered. According to editor Jason Sohigian, who has been
editor since 1999, Watertown has the largest concentration of Armenians
outside of Los Angeles. It is published by the Hairenik Association of
Watertown.
“Our primary focus is the Armenian view,” Sohigian said, sitting in the
small newspaper office on the first floor of 80 Bigelow Ave. “I think the
Armenian interest or Armenian point of view is not really represented in the
other media. I think it’s a good chance for Armenians to discuss the issues
that affect the community.”
For example, Sohigian said the paper may cover topics like United States aid
to Armenia or dual citizenship.
“For us, I think the way we present things and the topics we choose to
present … it gives people something to think about,” said assistant editor
Sossi Essajanian, who said her family has always received the paper. “We
want not just a newspaper, but a collection of news and analysis.”
The paper, which is what Sohigian called “an organ” of the Armenian
Revolution Federation, an Armenian political party, tries to represent the
points of view of that party in Armenia, and publishes editorials, political
analyses, columns, short stories and poems.
Several newspapers are published as arms of the ARF party in many areas of
the world, Sohigian said, and the Armenian Weekly published in Watertown
focuses on the East Coast of the United States.
Most of the paper’s subscribers are in major cities, where Sohigian said the
Armenian population is concentrated, including Detroit, Chicago, New York
City, Providence, R.I., Boston and Worcester. He said they also have
subscribers from New Jersey, Florida and other parts of the world.
Members of the Armenian Caucus in Congress receive the paper as well,
Sohigian said.
Although the paper does not have any writers on staff, they have
contributors worldwide and longtime columnists, poets and volunteers who
help them with everything from art to translation to copy.
Sohigian said they accept press releases and often work them into stories
and will report on Armenian issues that are concerns to other regions of the
United States and the political activity in Washington, D.C.
“It’s kind of like a community service,” Sohigian said.
Throughout its publication, the paper has focused on youth writing through
the Armenian Youth Federation. Students are encouraged to submit writing,
and it is often one of the first places they are published.
One journalist, Mitch Kehetian, who says he saw his first byline in the
Armenian Weekly, has been a journalist for more than 50 years. He is
currently the editorial page editor at the Macomb Daily, a paper that covers
the northern suburbs of Detroit.
“I always read the local paper because it gives me a feel for the
community,” he said, and said the Armenian Weekly does the same thing.
Tom Vartabedian, a 37-year veteran reporter and photographer at the
Haverhill Gazette, has also been a correspondent for the Armenian Weekly for
34 years. When he was about 20 years old, he volunteered to be the Boston
chapter scribe for the Youth Federation and said his contributions to the
paper never stopped. He has been writing a weekly column since 1970.
“It gives me a chance to exercise my mind and contribute to an ethnic
newspaper,” Vartabedian said. “It’s a vehicle that connects one community to
another. It’s also a tool to publicize a community, and it’s an organ …
it’s our voice,” he said. “It’s a voice for all to be heard.”
“There are a number of things that create a community…” said Hayg Oshagan,
a member of the editorial board, “but having people spread in a geographic
space does not create a community. A community becomes a community when they
have a connection with one another.”
He said the Armenian Weekly is one of those things that can supply the
connections.
“A newspaper creates a forum across the whole region,” said Oshagan, who
worked on the paper for a few summers when he was in college and has been on
the board for about three years. Oshagan said some of the challenges of the
newspaper are finding stringers to work for them and getting the paper to
all of the subscribers in a timely manner, which can be delayed.
Still, he said over the years, he thinks the paper has found a “comfort
zone” and “a way of working well.”
“It connects [Armenians] with the past, it connects them with the present,
it connects them with their origins and their identity,” said Tatul Sonentz,
who has been contributing to the paper since the 1950s. “It will survive, I
believe, as long as there is a community.”
Photo: Assistant editor Sossi Essajanian looks over proofs of The Armenian
Weekly, which is celebrating 70 years of publication. – STAFF PHOTO
BY KATE FLOCK
Monica Deady can be reached at [email protected].

PRESS RELEASE
July 9, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Embassy of Armenia Hosts Presentation on Armenian Science and Lake Sevan
On July 7, 2004, the Embassy of Armenia hosted members of the Federal Water
Quality Association and the Greater Metropolitan Washington Area Section of
the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America for a presentation on
Armenian science and environmental issues. Dr. Arman Kirakossian, Armenian
Ambassador to the U.S., delivered the keynote address, entitled “The State
of the Science in Armenia, with a View Toward the Water Environment of Lake
Sevan,” to an audience of some 60 experts, researchers, and officials from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Civilian Research & Development Foundation, and other
public and private entities.
In his presentation and the Q&A that followed, Ambassador Kirakossian
presented the modern state of scientific infrastructure, policies, and
directions in Armenia. He described the many challenges facing the Armenian
scientists today, such as drastic decrease in government funding, greater
need for commercial viability and involvement of the private sector in
directing and funding R&D, and curtailing the so-called ‘brain-drain.’
Despite these challenges, the Armenian scientists continue to make progress
in many areas of fundamental and applied science due to perseverance and
support from their foreign colleagues and international donors, the
Ambassador noted. He also presented the government’s plans to strengthen
science and education sectors.
Turning to Lake Sevan, Ambassador Kirakossian described the severity of the
man-made ecological problems in Lake Sevan during the twentieth century,
caused by extensive irrigation and hydropower usage. The resulting 18-meter
drop in water level and disruption of water balance in the lake was a good
example of Soviet era environmental damage, he added. The Ambassador then
noted the current positive trends in Lake Sevan ecology, but stressed the
need for continuing attention for and greater international cooperation to
preserve the unique environment of Lake Sevan.

Hucknall Today, UK
July 9 2004
Byron festival off to Hellas of a start
GREECE’S sensational triumph in winning the Euro 2004 football trophy
has given a surprise boost to Hucknall’s seventh International Byron
Festival.
Festival.
There has surely been no greater champion of the Greek nation than
Byron, who gave his life when he supported its people’s fight for
freedom.
In his final poem, ‘On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Sixth Year,’ he
wrote about the glory of Greece and described the country as being
‘awake.’
The festival is always well supported by Greek people, for whom Byron
is a national hero.
Newstead Abbey Byron Society secretary Maureen Crisp said the timing
of Greece’s football success was perfect as far as the festival is
concerned.
The festival got off to an unfortunate start, with four events
scheduled for last weekend proving non-starters.
The world premiere of a new play, ‘Extraordinary Friends Byron and
Shelley,’ and a performance of ‘Beppo’, a Venetian love story, both
written by Bill Studdiford and starring Ian Frost, had to be
cancelled because Bill had suffered a serious knee injury.
An open-air rock concert, to have taken place on Hucknall Market
Place, had to be called off because of a problem with the licence.
And an international concert at Hucknall Parish Church wrongly
appeared on the festival programme, having previously been cancelled.
To make matters worse, a town crier who was supposed to have
performed the traditional opening of the festival did not turn up.
However, the festival can boast some notable successes as well,
including a fashion show at the Central Methodist Church which raised
more than £300 for Hucknall’s Hope Lea Project for people with
learning difficulties.
Food events have also been well patronised – a poached salmon and
real ale lunch, an Italian night of food, wine and music and a
strawberry fayre, all at Hucknall Community Centre. On the same
theme, there will be ‘A Tram Trip And A Thai’ at lunchtime today.
The Byron Cineplex Cinema has got its new tower, showing the word
Byron, during the ten-day festival, and there was a special showing
of the famous film, ‘The Bad Lord Byron,’ on Monday.
Another special event was a music and poetry session, ‘With Great
Pleasure,’ presented by Gwenda Watkins and Gillian Berry, at
Nottingham University’s Gallery Restaurant and Millennium Garden.
And a further highlight was a fascinating talk by Edward Enfield –
father of comedian Harry Enfield – at the Byron Dinner, held at the
community centre, on ‘Byron And The Elgin Marbles.’
The speaker said he would only be in favour of the marbles being
returned to Greece if plans for a museum to house them went ahead.
A top fun event was a ‘Fawlty Towers’ murder mystery night, also at
the community centre.
The festival will reach its climax on Sunday with the dedication of
an Armenian monument, a khatchkar, at Hucknall Parish Church in
memory of former rector the late Canon Fred Green.
This will be followed by a service and a concert of music and poetry
from members of Holgate Comprehensive School and the Lord Byron
School in Armenia.
Tomorrow night there is a tribute to a friendship agreement between
the two schools with a performance by Armenian artiste Shake
Avanessian at the Parish Church.
The final event of the festival will be an official renaming of the
community centre as the Lovelace Centre.
Poet’s on track
THE poet Lord Byron has been honoured in a special new way – by
having a tram named after him.
He is among a number of famous people with Nottingham connections who
are adorning the city’s transport of the future.
A naming ceremony for the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) trams,
which run between Hucknall and the city’s Station Street, proved a
memorable occasion.
Fittingly, it took place in the same week as Hucknall’s International
Byron Festival. Newstead Abbey Byron Society stalwarts Maureen Crisp
and Ken Purslow attended the ceremony, accompanied by three Greek
people in national costume.
Another of the 15 named trams commemorates Salvation Army founder
William Booth, who had a close affinity with the Dispatch district.
Each tram carries the person’s name on the front and back, while a
notice inside reveals more about them.
NET spokesman Colin Lea described the naming ceremony as ‘fantastic’.
THE LAST OF THE PROGRAMME
TODAY
6.30 pm – Heritage bus tour, starts from Hucknall Community Centre,
free of charge but booking essential by ringing 0115 9529303.
12 noon – A Tram Trip And A Thai, a trip by tram to a location in
Basford providing wonderful Thai food, leaving from Hucknall tram
station, £7.50 (including tram fare), bookings in advance only by
ringing 0115 9529303.
7.30 pm – ‘A Poem And A Pint,’ Hucknall Community Centre, traditional
festival event, come along and listen to or recite your favourite
poems, themes this year include friendship, family and love, £3.
TOMORROW
>From 10 am – Flower festival, Seymour Road Baptist Church,.free of
charge, lunches available.
7.30 pm – Concert for Armenia, tribute to the friendship agreement
between Holgate Comprehensive School and the Lord Byron School in
Armenia, includes a performance by Shake Avanessian, supported by
Hucnall Rotary Club, Hucknall Parish Church, £5.
SUNDAY
10 am – Boatswain Walk, bring yourself and your dog for a pleasant
Sunday stroll in memory of Byron’s dog, Boatswain, starts from
Hucknall Community Centre, free of charge.
>From 10 am – Final day of flower festival at Seymour Road Baptist
Church, free of charge.
3 pm – Dedication of khatchkar in memory of the late Canon Fred
Green, followed by a service and concert of music and poetry from
members of Byron Society and students from Holgate School and Lord
Byron School, Hucknall Parish Church.
4 pm – Official ceremony to rename Hucknall Community Centre, free of
charge.