Category: News

Voice of America
May 10 2004
Armenian President Declines Invitation to NATO Summit in Turkey
VOA News
Armenian authorities say President Robert Kocharian he will not
attend a NATO summit in Turkey next month.
Officials at the president’s office says the decision was made over
what it called the lack of progress in relations between Armenia and
Turkey. They say Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan will go in his
place.
Armenians and Turkey are still at odds over the deaths of more than a
million ethnic Armenians in Turkey during War War I.
Armenia says Turkey is responsible for genocide in the deaths between
1915 and 1923.
Turkish authorities say the deaths were fewer and were the result of
war.

MOSCOW, YEREVAN DEVELOP COOPERATION
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 10 2004
MOSCOW, May 10 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Armenia pay special attention
to multilateral cooperation in the Caucasus, said Russian foreign
ministry official spokesman Alexander Yakovenko.
“Special attention is paid to issues of coordination of the two
countries’ efforts to rehabilitate the situation in the Caucasus,
develop the multilateral cooperation potential, including in the
framework of ‘the Caucasus Four’, prevent new and settle old conflicts,
in particular, the Nagorno-Karabakh one,” he said.
Yakovenko said during contacts of Russian and Armenian representatives,
issues of international policy are important. “The positions of Russia
and Armenia here are close or coincide. The sides are full of resolve
to make purposeful steps in the fight against terrorism in all its
manifestations on the bilateral and multilateral basis,” he emphasized.
Touching upon bilateral interaction, Yakovenko said the dialogue
focuses on discussion of issues of bilateral relations from the point
of view of realization of agreements reached at Russo-Armenian summits
and on determination of new possibilities to deepen cooperation.
He reminded those present that in the economic sphere, discussed are
issues of strengthening economic ties, realization of the Property
on Account of Debt agreement (participation of Russia in purchasing
the shares of the most liquid Armenian industrial enterprises),
issues of interaction in power engineering, transportation and
investment. The sides attach great significance to the resolution of
transportation problems, in particular, be means of restoration of
railway communication between Russia and Armenia via Georgia.

RIA OREANDA
Economic News
May 10, 2004 Monday
Robert Kocharyan to Visit Moscow on May 13-15, 2004
Yerevan. On May 13-15, 2004 the President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan
will pay a work visit to Moscow, according to Ashot Kocharyan,
press-secretary of the Armenian President.
It is expected that in the course of the visit Robert Kocharyan
will hold meetings with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The
top-level officials will consider different issues within the framework
of Russia-Armenia bilateral cooperation.
In addition, the Armenian President intends to hold meeting with the RF
Prime Minister, Mikhail Fradkov. In the words of Ashot Kocharyan, the
officials will consider possibilities of enlargement and development
of economic cooperation.
Apart from that, the visit will include the meeting of Robert
Kocharyan with Chief Executives of the companies supplying natural
gas to Armenia and other Russian businessmen.

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected] Website;
Upon the instructions of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, the Canadian
Youth Mission to Armenia (CYMA) executive has designed this yearâ^À^Ùs program
as
attached
PRIMAT’S MESSAGE ADDRESSED TO THE PARTICIPANTS
Dear Friends,
I am elevated by the honor, privilege and joy to address the
participants of CYMA 2004, who are going to accomplish CYMA’s 11th
mission to Armenia. To me, CYMA implies dedication, courage and a
future giant step towards strengthening our Christian identity and
Armenian integrity.
During my almost one year tenure as the Primate of this Diocese,
I have visited our parishes established and mission alike. At those
visitations I have met with wonderful enthusiastic young people who
once have participated in CYMA’s various missions in Armenia and now
they assume responsible rolls in their respective parishes.
CYMA is a movement that shall never end. It is a movement which
creates a sense of belonging; it is a movement which bridges the
Diaspora with Hayastan in a practical manner.
There is no talk, there is only action in Canadian Youth Mission to
Armenia, to the Mother See Holy ETCHMIADZIN.
Dear CYMA participants,
I call you as pilgrims. You are going home – ARMENIA, to bring
flavor and fragrance of our country to Canada, becoming apostles for
the prosperity of our Nation and Holy Church. Bless You.
As the spiritual leader of the Armenian Church in Canada, I ask
from my people to encourage your sons’ and daughters’ mission
spiritually, morally and financially, supporting them on the verge
of becoming new apostles of our Holy Church,
Hayastan and the Diaspora.
With Love and Prayer,
Bp. Bagrat Galstanyan
Primate
JOIN CYMA TODAY!
Contact your local recruitment office today or simply e-mail us
for an application form at [email protected]. We look forward
to answering any of your questions.
2004 will mark the 11th mission of the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia
(CYMA).
To date, over 400 people have participated in this program, making
it one of the most successful youth programs throughout the Armenian
community worldwide.
TESTIMONIALS:
“Last year’s trip meant a lot to me. I was given the opportunity to
live and experience how Armenians have lived for many years. It was
very educational and emotional, I still speak of it to this day. I
can’t wait to go back and do it all over again. This trip really
put in perspective who Armenians are and it turn, who I really
am. HAYASTAN! HAYASTAN! HAYASTAN!”
Aris Cevahirciyan, Participant 2004, Executive Committee 2004
“Seeing Armenia was like a dream – my wildest and best one; I will
definitely go back to relive the experience.”
Melanie Kalinian, Participant 2004, Executive Committee 2004
THE CYMA LEGACY
1993 Built a school in Ararat 1999 Renovated Dzaghgatzor orphanage
1994 Renovated a seminary and adjacent church in Harich 2000 Renovated
school in Aradashen
1995 Renovated â^À^ÜNor Tbrotzâ^À^Ý school in Ararat 2001 Youth
Pilgrimage
commemorating 1700th anniversary
of Christianity
1996 Renovated â^À^ÜMeghetiâ^À^Ý childrensâ^À^Ù day campus in Dilijan 2002
Continued renovations of school in Aradashen
1997 Day Camp for 200 orphans in Dzaghgatzor 2004 CYMAâ^À¦ Touch Your
Roots!
1998 Renovated Khor Virab & conducted day camps in
Ararat 2004 CYMAâ^À¦ Many Hands, One Heart!
CYMA Honorary Board of Directors
Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan
Senator Jacques Hébert
Seantor Shirley Maheu
Dr. Arshavir Gundjian, Prof. of Engineering at McGill University
Taro Alepian, Group President/Industrial at SWC-Lavalin
Important Information
Pre-Trip Orientation: July 5th – July 7th, 2004
Departure Date: July 8th, 2004
Return Date: August 7th, 2004
Application Deadline: May 22nd, 2004
$500 Deposit by: May 22, 2004
Participation fee: $2,500 (from Toronto or Montreal)
Note: It is Important to note here that all participants are expected to pay
the full participation fee.
Accomodations
CYMA members will live with pre-selected families in the village of
Aradashen, in the province of Armavir in Armenia. Each home will
accommodate 2 or 4 participants who will have the opportunity to
bond with their families, learn their way of life and become an
integral part of the community.
Christian Outreach Program
Visitations will be made by CYMA participants and clergy, offering
spiritual and humanitarian relief for families in extremely difficult
circumstances. This will give our participants the opportunity to
understand the hardships that many Armenians are having to
endure.
Construction and Renovation
This yearâ^À^Ùs mission takes us to Yerevan, where 4 days a week, we
will be renovating a centre for the physically challenged youth of
Yerevan. This yearâ^À^Ùs team will be working on the restoration of the
walls, floor and repainting of the rooms and hallways of the centre.
Travel Excursions
Participants will have many opportunities to visit churches,
landmarks and monuments. Three days a week, as well as
weekends, and the last few days of the mission will be devoted
primarily to these excursions. The many important places to visit will
include the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, Genocide Memorial, Lake
Sevan, Yerevan, etcâ^À¦
Children’s Workshop
This day camp will give CYMA participants the opportunity to
interact with the local children by doing arts & crafts, activities and
playing sports. The workshop will take place at the nearby school
in Aradashen, twice a week, for half a day. It will also include a
nutritious lunch, and the children will also be given school supplies
on behalf of CYMA.
Hay-Ess Program Under the guidance of local professionals, participants
will take part
in workshops to learn the history of the land and of the church, as
well as the culture through singing, dancing and drawing. This
program was added in 2002 and proved to be one of the most
enjoyable parts if the mission.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Rt. Rev. Fr. Ararat Kaltakjian â^À^Ó CYMA Director
(514) 276-9479 Zaven Gunjian â^À^Ó (514) 483-3766
Choghik Aghazarian â^À^Ó Assistant to CYMA Director Karen Mouradian â^À^Ó
Treasurer,
Executive Member
(514) 337-0984 – email: [email protected]
Kareen Proudian â^À^Ó (514) 939-9842 Bedros Kokorian â^À^Ó (416) 292-7729
TORONTO â^À^Ó CYMA Recruitment Office
920 Progress Court, Scarborough, Ontario M1G 3T5
tel: (4160 431-3001 fax: (416) 431-0269 MONTREAL â^À^Ó CYMA Recruitment
Office
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont, Quebec H2V 3H2
tel: (514) 276-9479 fax: (514) 276-9960

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/10/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Remembering Shushi Liberation with Calls for Peace 2) Government, Opposition Continue Negotiations 3) Kocharian to Steer Clear of NATO Summit in Istanbul 1) Remembering Shushi Liberation with Calls for Peace STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)--Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) celebrated the 1992 liberation of Shushi on May 9, also the Russian holiday Victory Day, which observes the end of World War II. In a statement, President Kocharian celebrated the "day of victory and peace," saying that the day has taken on new meaning since the liberation of Shushi. "The day symbolizes the adamant will of the people to protect their rights, guarantee their security, and freedom to develop." Kocharian said that the days also correspond to the 10th anniversary of a ceasefire in Karabagh. "The fruits of this peaceful decade are unmistakable," he said, pledging his resolve to settle the conflict peacefully. MKR President Arkady Ghukasian said that the Shushi operation literally saved the people of Artsakh from physical elimination, by opening the "road to life" and to Armenia. Talking about Shushi's Liberation and Victory Day, Ghukasian pointed to the strength of successive generations. "The current generation continues with the glorious military traditions of their grandfathers and fathers who demonstrated courage and fearlessness on the battlefield of the World War II. The current generation defended the freedom and independence of Mountainous Karabagh even when the enemy outnumbered physically, and outweighed with their military hardware." He stressed that while MKR's defense forces remain the most reliable guarantor of security, vigilance must be maintained at a time when Azerbaijan tries to reverse history, cherishing hopes for a forcible settlement of the Karabagh problem. "We should maintain the rate of military construction, equip our army with up-to-date weapons, and seek to improve fighting skills." Ghukasian emphasized, however, that Karabagh's army is one of peace, with the fundamental goal of defending MKR and its people against external aggression. "Be confident; our army is ready at any moment to repulse the enemy if it dares to breach our peaceful life and infringe on our independence," he added. "May the memory of those who were killed for Artsakh's happy future, live forever. The duty of those living is not to allow the blood shed by them be in vain. Long live our military veterans!" Ghukasian said. Recollecting that a cease-fire agreement was signed 10 year ago, Ghukasian said that Azerbaijan was forced to recognize Mountainous Karabagh as a party to the conflict and sign the truce--exclusively because of the successes of the Karabagh army. "Precisely for this reason, our army is also one of the effective guarantors of maintaining a peaceful settlement with Azerbaijan. I would like to assure you that, as before, MKR's leadership is committed to a peaceful settlement of the Karabagh conflict. There is no alternative." 2) Government, Opposition Continue Negotiations YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Senior representatives of the Armenian government and the opposition held another meeting on Monday, without substantive discussions, but agreeing instead on a new format of their talks. The two sides seem to have discarded a 30-point agenda of their talks tentatively approved by their leaders last week, instead deciding to upgrade the status to "negotiations" after the parliamentary leaders of the three parties of the coalition informed the opposition that they have been authorized by President Robert Kocharian to discuss possible solutions to Armenia's political crisis. The negotiations between the coalition parties and the Artarutyun (Justice) and the National Unity Party (AMK) are due to formally get underway on Thursday, the day before the next opposition rally in Yerevan. The two sides have to finalize their agenda in the next two days. Artarutyun and the AMK announced on Tuesday a 10-day suspension of their campaign of street times to give the authorities time to address those demands. One of their leaders, Albert Bazeyan, was skeptical on Sunday about chances of ending the standoff through negotiations. "The Council of Europe expected the opposition to freeze some processes so that we could organize discussions with government bodies on ways of bringing the country out of crisis," Bazeyan said. "But we see no reciprocal steps by the authorities and our rallies and marches will most probably resume on May 14 with much greater vigor." 3) Kocharian to Steer Clear of NATO Summit in Istanbul YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--President Robert Kocharian will not attend a NATO summit in Istanbul next month due to the persisting strained relations between Armenia and Turkey, his chief spokesman said on Monday. "That has nothing to do with the Armenia-NATO relationship which is currently on the rise," the presidential press secretary, Ashot Kocharian, told reporters, citing Yerevan's growing involvement in the US-led alliance's Partnership for Peace program. "The president's non-participation in the work of the summit has more to do with the current state of Turkish-Armenian relations," he said. He added that there has been no "considerable progress" in the US-backed efforts to improve them in the past year. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and French President Jacques Chirac are among dozens of Western leaders due to attend the summit in Turkey's largest city on June 28-29. The leaders of neighboring Azerbaijan and Georgia, which view NATO membership as a long-term foreign policy goal, will also attend. Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations, the establishment of which Ankara links to a resolution of the Karabagh conflict. Senior officials from either country have made rare visits to the other over the past decade only to take part in high-level international meetings. Kocharian, for example, attended the November 1999 summit in Istanbul of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Turkey signaled last year its readiness to reopen its border with Armenia before a Karabagh settlement--a move which would please the United States and the European Union but would jeopardize its close ties with Azerbaijan. Some Armenian sources involved in contacts with Turkish officials said earlier this year that the decision to lift the 11-year blockade might be announced during the NATO summit; however, Kocharian's decision not to travel to Istanbul suggests that the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border is still not on the cards. Turkish leaders reportedly assured Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev last month that they will continue to link the normalization of relations with Armenia to a pro-Azeri solution to the Karabagh dispute. "It is out of the question for now to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said afterward. Gul also called for a trilateral meeting on Karabagh of the Armenian, Azeri, and Turkish foreign ministers. Turkish diplomatic sources were quoted as saying that the meeting could take place on the sidelines of the Istanbul summit. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

GEORGIA TO DEPLOY TROOPS IN ETHNIC ARMENIAN DISTRICT FOLLOWING CLASHES
Prime-News news agency, Tbilisi
10 May 04
Tsalka (south-east Georgia), 10 May: A 150-strong unit of the Internal
Troops numbering will be deployed in Tsalka District on Monday (10 May)
following mass disturbances involving the district’s ethnic Armenian
and Georgian residents on Sunday.
Prime-News correspondent has reported from Tsalka that the president’s
representative in Kvemo Kartli Region, Ioseb Mazmishvili, as well as
a group of investigators from the regional offices of the Interior
Ministry and the Prosecutor-General’s Office, arrived in Tsalka on
Monday to investigate the incident.
The Prime-News correspondent has said that the regional administration
will be based in Tsalka until the final settlement of the situation
in the district. A temporary command post coordinating law enforcers’
activities will be set up.
Ioseb Mazmishvili told Prime-News that the temporary command post
will work out a plan of special measures, including the disarming
of residents.
Disturbances involving ethnic Georgians and Armenians started during
a football match on Sunday and later transformed into mass clashes.
The president’s representative in the region has described the
situation in the district as tense.
Several dozen people, mostly Georgians, including children, were
injured. One young person suffered concussion.
Prime-News correspondent has reported that a group of doctors from
Rustavi went to Tsalka on Monday to treat the injured.
Mass disturbances involving ethnic Georgians and Armenians have
happened in Tsalka District before.

Ex-foreign minister says Armenia may join BTE gas project if peace
talks are successful
10/05/2004 11:40
Baku, May 8, AssA-Irada — The statement, made by official Baku
concerning the liberation of seven occupied districts of Azerbaijan
by Armenia following the recent talks, has sparked different opinions.
Former foreign minister of Azerbaijan Tofig Zulfugarov has told
AssA-Irada that a concrete proposal concerning the liberation of
seven occupied districts should be expected after the meeting of the
two countries’ ministers scheduled to be held in Strasbourg on May 12.
Commenting on the absence of any reaction to the proposal by Armenia,
Zulfugarov did not rule out the possibility of applying pressure on
Yerevan, mainly on President Kocharian.
According to some sources, the United States has supported the
idea of liberating occupied territories and thus aspires to achieve
Armenia’s participation in the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipeline
project. Giving a positive assessment to the idea, Zulfugarov said
that Armenia’s involvement in the BTE project may divert its attention
from the issue on Garabagh status.*

Georgia consolidates
The Washington Times
May 10, 2004
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili leveraged his widespread support
to rid his country of a long-standing problem. Aslan Abashidze held
undemocratic sway over the region of Adzharia for more than a decade
and appeared to be fossilized into the political scene. Mr. Abashidze
fled Adzharia on Thursday – without a shot being fired by Georgian
forces.
The United States welcomes this development. It is backing a pipeline
that will transport oil from the Caspian Basin to the Georgian capital,
Tbilisi, and off to international markets. This project is central to
President Bush’s efforts to diversify global sources of energy. The
departure of Mr. Abashidze, who had resisted central authority from
Tbilisi, helps to secure Georgia and therefore the project. It could
also help prevent unrest from spreading to Georgia’s potentially
volatile neighbors, such as Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The other prominent protagonist in the Abashidze drama has been
Russia. Russia has two military bases in Adzharia, which the Georgian
government wants removed faster than the Kremlin would prefer. The
Georgian government claims a retired Russian general was running
Mr. Abashidze’s renegade militia. That man, Lt. Gen. Yury Netkachyov,
appears to have been acting as an independent mercenary, but the
association surely was embarrassing to the Kremlin. In the end,
Russia played an important role in helping the Georgian government
overcome its Abashidze problem.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Saakashvili spoke over
the telephone about two to three times in the days preceding
Mr. Abashidze’s flight, said Georgia’s ambassador in Washington,
Levan Mikeladze. The day of his departure, Russian security chief Igor
Ivanov dropped in on Mr. Abashidze, and the pair left for Russia. By
playing this constructive role, Moscow surely bolstered the good will
and trust of its neighbors, a move that could pay dividends.
“The clear message from Washington was not to use force,” said Mr.
Mikeladze, adding that the dialogue with Mr. Putin “helped to avoid
a [military] confrontation.” Had the Georgian government brought in
firepower, Mr. Abashidze probably would have appealed to Moscow to
move its troops in Adzharia against Georgian forces.
Mr. Saakashvili will help set up a temporary council in Adzharia
until legislative elections are held next month. He has significantly
bolstered Georgia’s cohesiveness through diplomatic dexterity and
firm leadership. Moscow should also be commended for gracefully
ushering out Mr. Abashidze.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Queen of the movie bosses
by Dominic Rushe
Sunday Times (London)
May 9, 2004, Sunday
How Amy Pascal became the most powerful woman in Hollywood.
The office in which Hollywood legend Louis B Mayer once “auditioned”
starlets has been taken over by Amy Pascal. But apart from a shelf
of snow shakers made to commemorate movies she helped to pro- duce,
she has yet to stamp her personality on it.
White-walled and sparsely furnished, the room could be the lobby of
an upmarket hotel. It seems too antiseptic for Pascal, who is chic
in a bohemian way dressed in black, with a long string of pearls,
and hair that is a mass of red curls.
Pascal proudly showed off the tiny anteroom where Mayer, the final
M in Metro Goldwyn Mayer, had his casting couch.
It leads on to a huge balcony with views of the Hollywood hills.
“I’m thinking of having meetings out here, maybe some plants,”
she said.
If Pascal has yet to leave her imprint on Mayer’s office in the Art
Deco Thalberg building in Culver City, she has certainly made her mark
on the industry. She has just released a record five profitable films
in a row (Gothika, Hellboy, 13 Going on 30, Secret Window and 50 First
Dates) and has been elevated to chairman of Sony’s motion-pictures
group, owner of Columbia Tristar.
Pascal -Hollywood’s most powerful woman, according to Forbes magazine
-is preparing to release what could be her biggest gamble to date:
the $ 200m (£110m) summer blockbuster, Spiderman 2.
Sony is also, ironically, in talks to take over the now troubled MGM.
Mayer’s old studio still makes the James Bond movies, but its glory
days are long gone. MGM’s back catalogue is now more valuable than
its film-making unit.
Just down the corridor from Pascal is another office that is also
beginning to bear the signature of a new owner. Less flash, the room
is home to London-born Michael Lynton, the former chief executive of
AOL Time Warner Europe and now Pascal’s boss.
Despite a brief stint at Disney’s ill-fated Hollywood Pictures,
Lynton is an outsider. A self-portrait by Stanley Spencer hangs on his
wall. “People think it’s Harry Potter,” he said. Lynton’s literary
tastes appear to be more highbrow. The office has a bookcase of
well-thumbed Penguin classics -he once ran the company.
Both books and movies are businesses that people get into because
they are “completely in love” with the product, said Lynton.
“If somebody comes in from left-field, people understandably ask
why he is entitled to that position,” he said. “I don’t presume
to be the movie picker. I am an outsider. It is useful to have an
outside perspective as long as the person can take his ego out of
the equation.”
Pascal’s unit is a shining star in a troubled company. Sony is carrying
$ 12.8billion in debt and is in the middle of a huge restructuring. The
company’s consumer-electronics division is still underperforming and
its music business – along with those of its rivals -is struggling
to fight off the threat of piracy and consumer apathy.
Lynton’s appointment was not a total surprise. Sir Howard Stringer,
Sony Corporation’s chairman, pulled a similar move last year, putting
in another outsider, NBC television executive Andrew Lack, to run
the group’s music division.
But with Sony Pictures doing so well, this time rival studio executives
were expecting fireworks between Pascal and Lynton. “They’ll fall
out. They always do,” said one. But so far the two seem to get along
in classic Hollywood odd-couple style.
“It was a shotgun marriage but we found true love,” said Pascal. She
will concentrate on movies while Lynton will ensure that Sony is
making as much money as possible out of its films. He will also keep
an eye on the broader picture.
The industry has probably never undergone a time of greater change,
said Lynton.
“Studios are very complicated enterprises; there are a lot of moving
parts. Amy has done, and continues to do, a brilliant job putting
together this great slate of movies.
“That said, there is a broader agenda that the studio has to contend
with on distribution, television programming and issues of piracy.
It’s helpful to have two heads.”
While Pascal prepares Spiderman to face his next opponent, Dr Octopus,
Lynton is up against an equally tricky opponent.
Kirk Kerkorian was six years old when MGM released its first picture.
Born in Fresno, California, in 1917, Kerkorian grew up the son of poor
raisin farmers in a small colony of Armenian immigrants. He was given
his first break, and a passion for flying, by the aviator Florence
“Pancho” Barnes, Hollywood’s first woman stunt pilot. During the second
world war, he enlisted with the RAF, ferrying planes from Canada to
England. After the war he started an airline with the purchase of a
single plane.
Eighty years later Kerkorian is the 33rd richest man in America, with
a $ 6billion fortune based on buying low and selling high. Since 1969
he has ownedMGM three times and sold it twice. Now it appears he is
trying to even the scores.
Sony and MGM will not comment, but MGM has delayed its annual meeting
to review “strategic options”.
MGM is the last independent studio in Hollywood. All its rivals are
owned by giant media combines. Warner Brothers, for example, is owned
by Time Warner, 20th Century Fox by News Corporation, ultimate owner
of The Sunday Times.
Sony and two private-equity firms, Texas Pacific Group and Providence
Equity Partners, are thought to be offering $ 5billion for MGM.
Kerkorian, who controls 75% of MGM, has held talks with Sony about
a deal before, but they came to nothing after a disagreement over
price. This time MGM watchers believe a deal may work. “At this price
it is more likely than before,” said Mike Savner, an analyst at Banc
of America.
Without the financial muscle of a parent group such as News Corp
or Time Warner, Savner said MGM will struggle and its fortunes will
continue to decline.
Of MGM’s $ 1.9billion revenues last year, $ 1billion came from its
home-entertainment division. MGM has a back catalogue of 4,000 films.
Among others it owns West Side Story, the Rocky movies, Terminator,
19 Woody Allens, and a handful of Ingmar Bergmans. It also owns the
rights to the James Bond, Pink Panther and Addams Family movies.
Old films have rarely been so valuable. The proliferation of cable
channels, services like video-on-demand, and DVD sales have made old
movies hot commodities.
DVD sales rose 43% last year, with American firms netting $ 14.9billion
in worldwide sales. More than two-thirds of those sales now come from
old movies.
Lynton compares the film industry today with the book business after
the second world war. The arrival of cheap paperbacks made classics
like Dickens or Dostoevsky available to a whole new audience and
fuelled a huge sales boom. “There are so many analogies between the
book business, which is now a mature business, and the film business
today,” he said.
In a notoriously high-risk business, DVD holds out the promise of
greater stability. Perhaps like the music industry and its CD-fuelled
growth years, DVD sales will prove a temporary phenomenon. But for now,
Hollywood thinks it has struck gold.
DVD sales may be low risk, but the blockbuster is getting ever more
expensive and frightening. To a large degree, it has always been this
way. As Hollywood chronicler John Gregory Dunne wrote in The Studio:
“Hollywood is a technological crapshoot. Table stakes open at a
million dollars.” But Dunne’s insider book on 20th Century Fox was
written in 1968. Since then the stakes have become even bigger.
With so many big films coming out over the summer, and movies being
released so quickly on DVD and pay-per-view TV, the business has
changed, said Pascal. “The old equation in Hollywood was that a movie
would rake in eight times its opening weekend. These days the opening
weekends have got bigger but the ratio has fallen to four times,”
she said.
Whereas a few years ago the studios would stagger their “event” movies,
these days cinema goers are being bombarded with blockbusters week
after week during the summer.
Some films, for example Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai, are now so
expensive they hardly make money. Their cinematic run is almost an
extended advertisement for DVD and other post-cinema sales.
Two dozen movies that cost more than $ 100m to make are due for
release this summer in what is sure to be a cut-throat battle. Last
summer was littered with hyped movies that proved to be duds. They
included The Hulk and Matrix Reloaded.
The rewards for hitting it big are immense and, as MGM learnt to its
cost, it doesn’t matter how good your back catalogue is if you are
not producing new movies and franchises.
The first Spiderman film raked in $ 800m and made stars of Tobey
Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, proving there is a worldwide appetite for
the webslinger. Pascal and Sony have a lot riding on Spiderman 2, which
opens in Britain on July 15, not to mention Spiderman 3 due for 2007.
Sequels are increasingly popular in Hollywood but as The Matrix series
showed, they do not always live up to expectations. With Spiderman,
Pascal seems confident she has a three-part winner. “It’s very hard
to make sequels,” she said. “The ones that work best are the ones
that were meant to be serialised in the first place.”
Pascal said she saw a clear three-part narrative for Spiderman from the
start. The first is about childhood and discovery, the second about
the confusion of adolescence, and the third about the challenges of
becoming an adult.
But most of all, she said, it is about getting the greatest number
of people to come and see a great story. “My job is most of all about
the story. Without that you have nothing at all.”
Louis B Mayer would no doubt have agreed.

ARKA News Agency
May 10 2004
10 May
NKR Army is one of the guarantors of peaceful process of Karabakh
settlement
Nagorno Karabakh celebrates three holidays – Victory Day, NKR Defense
Army Day and Liberation of Shushi Day
8 May
The RA President Robert Kocharian congratulates the Armenian nation
on the Day of Victory and Peace
7 May
Training for Abkhaz and Georgian journalists held in Yerevan
The RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan to go to Kiev with a two-day
visit on May 10
*********************************************************************
NKR ARMY IS ONE OF THE GUARANTORS OF PEACEFUL PROCESS OF KARABAKH
SETTLEMENT
STEPANAKERT, May, 10. /ARKA/. NKR Army is one of the guarantors of
peaceful process of Karabakh settlement, says the letter of NKR
President Arkady Gukasian on the occasion of Victory Day and creation
of NKR Defense Army. “Today, when Azerbaijan tries to turn the
history back, hoping to gain revenge in military settlement of
Karabakh conflict, we have no right to drop speed of military
construction, equipment of our army with modern armament and increase
its fighting efficiency”, the letter says. Gukasian said that May
holidays coincide with another important event – conclusion of
cease-fire regime between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh 10
years ago. “Azerbaijan was forced to recognize Karabakh as a party of
the conflict and conclude peace only due to successes of our army.
And if the regime is observed by now, it is first of all thanks to
the power and strength of NKR Defense Army”, Gukasian stated. L.D.
–0—
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NAGORNO KARABAKH CELEBRATES THREE HOLIDAYS – VICTORY DAY, NKR DEFENSE
ARMY DAY AND LIBERATION OF SHUSHI DAY
STEPANAKERT, May, 10. /ARKA/. Nagorno Karabakh celebrates three
holidays – Victory Day, NKR Defense Army Day and Liberation of Shushi
Day. Official delegation of Armenia headed with RA President Robert
Kocharian arrived in Karabakh for participation in the celebrations.
Representatives of supreme administration of Nagorno Karabakh and
Armenian delegation placed flowers to the memorials of legendary hero
of Karabakh war Ashot Ghulian and USSR Marshal Hovannes Bagramian.
Then the parties visited Memorial complex of the capital and placed a
wreath and flowers to the memorial of the heroes of Great Patriotic
War. The delegations also visited Shushi City.
The celebrations dedicated to Victory Day ended with holiday
fireworks. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
THE RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN CONGRATULATES THE ARMENIAN NATION
ON THE DAY OF VICTORY AND PEACE
YEREVAN, May, 8. /ARKA/. The RA President Robert Kocharian
congratulated the Armenian nation on the Day of Victory and Peace.
According to the RA President’s Press Service Department, in his
statement Kocharian says: “May 9 is a double festive day for our
nation since 1992: it has acquired a new meaning with liberation of
Shoushi on that day and it symbolizes the will of our nation to
protect its rights and ensure security of the country”. “The fact
that 10 years have passed since signing the agreement on ceasefire is
also symbolic. We appreciate peace and will adhere to the principle
of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict in future”,according
to the President’s statement. A.H. –0–
*********************************************************************
TRAINING FOR ABKHAZ AND GEORGIAN JOURNALISTS HELD IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, May 10. /ARKA/. Currently Abkhaz and Georgian journalists
permanently writing for the electronic edition of Institute for War
and Peace Reporting (IWPR) and Panorama daily published by the
assistance of IWPR are attending the training organized in Yerevan.
The three-day training is attended by seven Abkhaz and eight Georgian
journalists. During the training each journalist will have a task –
to write an article on political situation in Armenia. As Inal
Khashig, Co-Editor of Panorama told ARKA, the trainings are organized
twice a year for teaching of European standards of writing of
articles to journalists. “This time we chose Armenia, as the recent
events are of interest, moreover few Abkhaz and Georgian journalists
are aware of the situation in Armenia. “, he said. Khashig also noted
that the journalist problems are not discussed during the training.
“We cultivate normal European taste to the young journalists”, he
said.
Tom de Vaal, Editor of London IWRP Caucasus Department informed ARKA,
that Panorama is a unique product as it is published in
simultaneously Abkhazia and Georgia, adding that IWRP is attempting
to enhance readers range of the edition throughout Caucasus. “We will
try to create a Caucasus daily on the basis of Abkhaz-Georgian
edition with the main purpose to fill in the information vacuum.”, he
said. In his opinion, the issue of all-Caucasian newspaper is
possible in perspective. The editorial plans issuing of a daily in
Javakhetia on Georgian and Armenian languages as well as one in
Karabakh. T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
THE RA PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARGARYAN TO GO TO KIEV WITH A TWO-DAY
VISIT ON MAY 10
YEREVAN, May, 8. /ARKA/. The RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan to
go to Kiev with a two-day visit on May 10. According to the RA
President’s Press Service Department, meetings with the Ukraine
President Leonid Kuchma, the Representative of the Supreme Rada
Vladimir Litvin, the Prime –Minister Victor Yanoukovitch, the
President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine Boris
Patonov are planned in the course of the visit.
According to the press release, a session of the Armenian-Ukraine
intergovernmental commission on economic co-operation to take place
on May 11 in Kiev. The members of the commission will focus on the
issues connected with fulfilling the decisions made during the
previous sessions, and the course of implementation of the programs
on long-term economic co-operation between Armenia and the Ukraine
for 2001-2010. Besides, the members of the session will consider the
issue on cooperation between the two countries in the area of trade,
science and technology, education and tourism, as well as in
transport and economic areas.
According to the press release, the Armenian state delegation will
include the RA Minister of Trade and Economic Development Karen
Chshmarityan (the co-Chairman of intergovernmental commission), the
Minister of Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatryan, the Head of
Control Service of the Prime Minister Sargis Grigoryan, the Armenian
Ambassador to the Ukraine Armen Khachatryan, the President of the RA
National Academy of Sciences Fadei Sargsyan, the Deputy of RA NA
mourad Gouloyan as well as the Deputy Ministers of Transport and
Communication, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Agriculture, Education and
Science, Culture and Youth Affairs. A.H. —0—
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