S.SARGSYAN: PEACE SETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES NOT EXHAUSTED YET
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.09.2006 18:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Secretary of the National Security Council
at the Armenian President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan met with
US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, Spokesperson for the Armenian
MOD Head, Col. Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net.
During the meeting, thanking Ambassador Evans for his service,
Sargsyan noted that within the past two years Armenian-American
relations strengthened considerably.
He also expressed confidence that cooperation between Armenia and the
US will develop by the new leader of the US diplomatic mission. In his
turn J. Evans frankly thanked Armenian MOD Head and all the Ministry
personnel for productive defense cooperation.
Touching upon the Karabakh settlement, Serge Sargsyan appreciated the
role of the OSCE MG co-chairs and said he was sure opportunities for
peaceful settlement of the issue are not exhausted yet.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM BECOMES GERMAN
Armenpress
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS:Arthur Abraham, Armenia-born IBF
boxing champion has become a German citizen. The documents have been
handed over to him at the resident’s registration office in Berlin
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. The 26th year old boxer had to relinquish
his Armenian nationality instead.
Arthur Abraham said : “I was born in Armenia, my roots are there –
but I grew up in Germany. Here I made something of myself. Therefore
I owe everything to Germany. I like living here. Germany is my home
and that’s final.”
The champion is going to defend his title on 23rd September in
Wetzlar. The defense against the Colombian Edison Miranda having been
planed for last Saturday in Oldenburg had to be postponed because of
Abraham’s illness.

ARMENIANS VIOLATE CEASEFIRE IN AGDAM
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 5 2006
Armenians violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijani
region Agdam.
APA’s Garabagh bureau reports Armenian Armed Forces from their
positions in the occupied Bash Gervend village of Agdam fired on
Azerbaijani Army positions from 01:00 on 5 September.
This morning Armenians from the occupied village Gulluje fired on
the opposite positions of Azerbaijani Armed Forces again. the enemy
was silenced by response fire. No casualties were reported.

EP REGRETS SLOWDOWN OF REFORM PROCESS IN TURKEY
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Aug 5 2006
The European Parliament’s (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee has expressed
regret that the reform process in Turkey has slowed down, and called
on Turkey “to recognize the Armenian genocide as a pre-condition”
for EU membership.
In a report adopted Monday evening in Strasbourg, the committee
notes the “persistent shortcomings” in Turkey’s reform process in
areas such as freedom of expression, religious and minority rights,
the role of the military, policing, women’s rights, trade union rights
and cultural rights.
According to an EP statement released Tuesday, the report urges Turkey
to “reinvigorate” the reform process.
MEPs also urge Turkey “to take concrete steps for normalization of
bilateral relations” with Cyprus “as soon as possible.” The Foreign
Affairs Committee calls on Turkey “to recognize the Armenian genocide
as a pre-condition for accession” and for a lowering of the threshold
of ten percent of votes below which political parties cannot enter
the Turkish parliament.
MEPs repeated the warning that negotiations do no automatically lead
to membership and that whether or not negotiations are successfully
concluded, Turkey must remain “fully anchored in European structures.”
The report, prepared by Dutch MEP Camiel Eurlings, was adopted by 53
votes in favor to 6 against with 8 abstentions. It will be debated
by the whole EP during its next plenary session on September 25-28.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ISRAEL DOES NOT DISCLOSE ITS STANCE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE
AZG Armenian Daily
06/09/2006
“My words about Nagorno Karabakh conflict uttered during my Baku
visit in May were distorted,” Azerbaijani media quoted Josef Shagal,
deputy of Knesset, as saying. The Israeli deputy said that he never
expressed his country’s position in Nagorno Karabakh issue.
“Israel will make public its stance in Nagorno Karabakh as soon as
Azerbaijan makes known its position in Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

WHO IS BEHIND THE BOMBINGS IN TURKEY, AND WHAT DO THEY WANT?
Justin Huggler, The Independent – United Kingdom; Aug 30, 2006
AZG Armenian Daily
06/09/2006
How serious is the latest outrage?
It appears Turkey is facing a new bombing campaign – and this time
the targets are tourists. Coordinated blasts in Istanbul and two major
tourist centres on Sunday and Monday have left at least three people
dead and 47 injured, including 10 Britons.
Istanbul was the target of al-Qa’ida-style bombings in 2003, but this
does not appear to be the work of Islamic militants. Instead, it seems
an older enemy has come back to haunt Turkey: Kurdish separatists.
A group calling itself the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAF) has claimed
responsibility and said on its website: “We had warned before, Turkey
is not a safe country. Tourists should not come to Turkey.”
The latest bombings seem to bear out earlier reports that Turkey has
been trying to cover up a bombing campaign against tourist resorts for
some time. There has been a series of blasts in Istanbul and popular
resorts all year. When four people were killed in an explosion at
Manav-gat in June, the authorities said it was caused by a faulty gas
cylinder – but the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility,
and Turkish newspapers claimed there was footage of a bomb being
hidden.
Who are the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons?
It’s not entirely clear. Some observers believe it’s little more
than a front for the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), the Kurdish
separatist group that fought a 15-year civil war with the Turkish
authorities in the Eighties and Nineties. But others say there is
strong evidence it is a splinter group led by commanders who have
split from the PKK because of dissatisfaction with its tactics,
along the lines of the Real IRA and the IRA.
The Falcons first appeared in 2004 – the same year the PKK renounced
a unilateral ceasefire. The direct targeting of tourists would be
a change in recent tactics for the PKK. Even in its heyday, much
of the PKK’s efforts were directed against the Turkish military –
although there were attacks on civilians, including tourists.
At least 30,000 people are believed to have died in the war between the
PKK and Turkey. But today the PKK is a shadow of its former self. The
guerrilla army which fought for control of cities in south-eastern
Turkey during the Nineties is largely gone, defeated by a combination
of brutal tactics by the Turkish army, and a dramatic coup when Turkey
captured its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, in 1999, and paraded him before
television cameras in chains.
After Ocalan called for a peaceful solution from the dock, during
his trial by Turkey, the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire. But it
ended the ceasefire in 2004. Since then, the PKK has resumed violence,
mostly against the Turkish military. In the meantime, the Falcons
have emerged with a series of attacks on civilians.
What is the status of the Kurds in Turkey today?
The Kurds remain one of the world’s largest stateless peoples, and
they make up somewhere between a quarter and a third of Turkey’s
population. At one point it was illegal to call yourself a Kurd or
to speak a word of Kurdish in Turkey – which meant for thousands of
rural Kurdish women, who only knew their own language, it was illegal
to speak. During its brutal suppression of the PKK insurgency, the
Turkish military burned more than 3,000 Kurdish villages to the ground,
leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless and penniless.
The worst excesses are now a thing of the past – largely thanks to
Turkey’s ambition to join the European Union. The EU has made it
clear Turkey will have to give the Kurds minority rights as part of
the price of joining.
But critics say the changes Turkey has made in its treatment of the
Kurds to satisfy the EU have been little more than ‘cosmetic’. And
it is clear from the resurgence of violence that there is still
resentment at their treatment among Turkey’s Kurds.
What does this mean for Turkey’s hopes of EU membership?
The opponents of Turkish membership inside the EU – and many still
remain – may seize on the latest violence as evidence that Turkey
has not resolved the Kurdish issue. The EU does not want to import
a major ethnic insurgency inside its own borders.
But those behind the bombings, whoever they actually are, may
find there is far less tolerance for such tactics in the post-9/11
world. Certainly Turkey can expect complete backing from the US against
the militants – but then it always could. It was the EU that Turkey
found harder to convince.
The EU’s reaction will have major implications for how Turkey responds
to a new wave of Kurdish violence. It succeeded in crushing the PKK
in the Nineties with a campaign of extraordinary brutality in which,
as well as burning thousands of Kurdish villages, it responded to
the rebels with guerrilla tactics of its own, sending commandos into
the mountain to hunt down the rebels – and snatching Ocalan from the
streets of Nairobi in a Mossad-style operation.
It is open to question whether the EU will be able to stomach such
extreme tactics in a candidate state. The Kurdish issue was cited
when the EU rejected Turkish membership overtures again and again
for many years.
Is the situation in Iraq to blame for the renewed violence?
Turkey certainly says so. The PKK used the Kurdish mountains of
northern Iraq as a base for many year s, when they were turned into
“safe havens” where Saddam’s army was not allowed to go after the
1991 Gulf War. They were supposed to be forced out after the fall of
Saddam, but with Iraq mired in anarchy and violence, Turkey claims
the PKK are back in their old mountain bases there.
In the old days before the US-led invasion, the Turkish army used
to cross the border regularly to hunt down the PKK in northern
Iraq. Turkey says the situation is worse than ever now.
The Iraqi government does not want the Turkish army flitting across
its border whenever it suits it – not least because the Turks have
always been suspected of territorial designs on northern Iraq.
But Iraq’s security forces, unable to contain their own insurgency,
are in little position to do much about the PKK.
On top of that, the sight of Iraq’s Kurds enjoying considerable
autonomy just across the border is sure to fuel the aspirations of
Turkey’s Kurds for the same.

KAREN GEVORGIAN: THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TRADE IN STREETS IS ENDLESS
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
06/09/2006
Karen Gevorgian, head of the Trade Department at the Yerevan City
Mayor’s Office, stated that they constantly struggle against the
illegal trade in the streets but they fail to totally improve the
situation. In the course of the yesterday’s press conference, he said
that they will manage to get rid of the illegal trade in the streets
only when there is no demand for that. He called for the Yerevan
residents to give up buying goods from the streets.
According to Karen Gevorgian, they have begun the program of
modernization of the trade kiosks in the Tigran Mets and Komitas
Streets. These measures will help secure hygienic and sanitary
conditions. The department has removed 48 illegal kiosks from Komitas
Avenue.
As for the complaints concerning the loud music coming out of the night
bars and cafes, Gevorgian stated that two restaurants, particularly
“Geghama” and “Parvana” had to pay AMD 25-30 thousand of penalty
for that.
Earlier the given penalty amounted to AMD 1000 that was no big problem
for the restaurants, as well.
Gevorgian also touched upon the sale and display of funeral items. He
stated that the law prohibits the slae and display of funeral items
in the city streets.
While there are several streets in Yerevan that are totally occupied
with kiosks and shops for funeral items, including coffins and wreaths,
etc. Gevorgian added that the city administration suggests allocating
a special place for that purpose out of the town. He said that for
instance, 80% of the catafalques have no permission to work. He
emphasized that the city administration will soon submit suggestions
to the government in this issue, too.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER ON PROGRAM OF ARMENIA-DIASPORA FORUM 2006
By Tamar Minasian
AZG Armenian Daily
06/09/2006
On September 5, RA foreign minister Vartan Oskanian met with the
leadership of RA National Academy of Science. The participants of
the meeting were aimed to discuss the program of Armenia-Diaspora
Forum 2006 envisaged for September 18-20. Within the framework of
the forum “New Responses to Old Questions. The Armenians in the 21st
Century” two-day seminar will be held. Mr. Oskanian informed that it
is expected that the issues of the state, the national identity, the
business relations between Armenia and Diaspora, the migration issues,
as well as the issues of 2020 Diaspora prospects will be discussed.
Mr. Oskanian emphasized the importance of the forum and expressed
hope that the present will take active part in the abovementioned
activities and the discussions, as well as make suggestions for the
settlement of various issues.
In response to the question of Karlen Dallakian about the state
evaluation of the activities carried out by the World Armenian
Congress from the viewpoint of the relations between Armenia and
Diaspora, Mr. Oskanian stated that big sums and efforts have been
invested in the successful activities of that organization and there
are certain results, thought the organization fails to justify the
efforts spent. As an objective reason, he stated that frequently
the interests of various communities of Diaspora clash between each
other. At the same time he said that The World Armenian Congress is
not the only organization that unites Armenia with Diaspora, and the
state can’t be prejudiced to such organizations.
As for historian Ashot Melikian’s concern about the approach of
RA authorities to the issue of Javakhk, Mr. Oskanian said that
they can’t remain indifferent to the given issue, to the fate of
the Georgian-Armenians and they take certain steps to improve the
situation, though it’s an inner issue of Georgia.
The participants of the meeting also touched upon the tense relations
between Antialias and St. Etchmiadzin, the correct choice of the
programs broadcasted over RA Public TV’s Pan-Armenian network, as well
as the issue of double citizenship. Mr. Oskanian stated that all the
abovementioned issues will be included in the agenda of the forum.

‘BESAME MUCHO’ AND ‘CRANES’ IN ONE CD
By Susanna Margarian
AZG Armenian Daily
06/09/2006
Singer Sarine Balian is first time in Armenia. Urged by Narek
Harutyunian, founder of Narekatsi Art Center, she arrived in to
see her fatherland about which she only heard. “I have been here
for a week and I learn new things and meet new faces every day. I
have never been to a place where everything is written in Armenian,
everyone speaks Armenian and all these is very exciting. Diasporans
Armenians here do and feel the same things and we have the same nature
and character but we seldom talk of that,” she says.
Sarine did not come empty-handed; she brought her first album titled
“Juxtaposed” that saw the light lately. Her live performance will
take place at Narekatsi Center on September 12.
Born in Lebanon, she lived in America and performs jazz. She was
captured by the freedom of jazz music when still a student at San
Francisco University.
“Jazz for me was a door of revelations that grants possibility of
advancement and reincarnation. For instance, jazz versions of Armenian
songs are very close to my heart,” Sarine says.
She also teaches and thinks that contact with her students helps to
even more crystallize her art.
“Children prefer joyous and rhythmic songs. Regardless a song’s or
a dance’s ethnic background people prefer the one that creates good
mood,” she says.
With regard to “Juxtaposed”, it must be noted that it’s a wonderful
collection of diverse ethnic songs by which Sarine once again confirms
that love, human sadness and emotions are the same for all people
despite ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences.

SHALL WE HAVE A NEW HYMN ON SEPTEMBER 21?
A1+
[06:06 pm] 05 September, 2006
The haste about the adoption of RA hymn is determined by the desire to
have a new hymn on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the republic. Out
of five proposed variants only one will be chosen as the state hymn
lest the parliament comes up with legislative initiative about the
former hymn “Our Country” and reaffirms it.
Poet David Hovhannes referred to the possible legislative
initiative. He wrote an application and left the Competition Board
on August 28.
“I am not the last man in the sphere of art. Why shouldn’t I be
included in the Board?” this rhetorical question was aroused by Henrik
Hovhannesyan, renowned scientist and professor. “You haven’t suffered a
great loss, you merely saved your nerves from extra stress,” comforted
David Hovhannes. The latter also confessed that half members of the
22-person Board were unknown to him whereas he considered Henrik
Hovhannesyan’s presence in the Competition Board necessary.
THE ANTHEM IS A SPIRITUAL VALUE AND NOT A STATE ONE
David Hovhannes defined the words hymn, anthem and emblem. In his
words, the anthem may be accepted by the Diaspora representatives who
are deprived of their country and who have got spiritual power. Our
anthem “is derived from the heart of each Armenian” whereas the hymn
must be a national epos. The emblem in his opinion is a military term,
the symbol of army.
Both David Hovhannes and Henrik Hovhannesyan don’t want Aram
Khachatryan’s work to be chosen for the second time though they have
nothing against Aram Khachatryan. They both think that the test must
go in line with the music.
KOMITAS IS MORE THAN KHACHATRYAN
David Hovhannes and Henrik Hovhannesyan think that Aram Khachatryan’s
work is connected with political past and is inadmissible in this
respect. Henrik Hovhannesyan claims that the same is true with “Our
Country.” They deem the song “Armenia, country of paradise” written
by Komitas the best work which unfortunately didn’t pass the first
stage. Among the five songs in question Henrik Hovhannesyan prefers
Tigran Mansouryan’s work as he is greatly impressed by Charents’
words. But this work is difficult to perform.
David Hovhannes prefers the current hymn which hasn’t passed the
first stage either. By the way, he voices hope that the legislative
initiative of the parliament will be supported, and the current hymn
will be preserved for some time.
ARE PEOPLE INDIFFERENT OR DO THEY PREFER KHACHATRYAN?
Khachatryan’s work has gained the most points as a result of
Internet polling initiated by A1+(). David Hovhannes
and Henrik Hovhannesyan think this fact is conditioned by nostalgia
and indifference. “There are people who still live with illusions
of the past in their hearts and soles. Others say that they are fed
up with social problems and haven’t got time to think of the hymn,”
adds David Hovhannes.