Radio Polonia, Poland
Aug. 18, 2006
A turn for the worse
German-Polish relations turn sourer still; Ukrainians working without
a permit in Poland; and illegal betting on the internet are just some
of the stories in the Polish current affairs magazines.
Reviewed by Krysia Kolsowska
18.08.06
“A turn for the worse”, writes Solidarnosc, a weekly of the
Solidarity trade union, commenting on the current state of
Polish-German relations. They took another plunge recently over an
exhibition mounted in Berlin about expulsions in the 20th century.
Poland argues that the exhibition puts an equality mark between the
suffering of Armenians or ethnic cleansing in the Balkans and
post-war deportations of Germans from Eastern Europe under the
decisions of the allied powers.
This is an offense to Poles, victims of the war started by Germany.
If such false analogies gain an official status, then the Germans
themselves will not be able to understand the horror of the last war,
says Solidarnosc. Erica Steinbach, president of the German expellees
union, is entering the center of German politics. The exhibition
sponsored by her organization was mounted in a prestigious place and
its opening was graced by many leading German personalities. This is
why Poles are alarmed. A spirit of historical manipulation has been
revived, something which should worry German people most. That was
Solidarnosc.
The weekly Polityka writes that a day after Erica Steinbach opened
the exhibition about expulsions, renowned German writer and Nobel
literary prize winner Guenter Grass revealed that he had served in
notorious Waffen SS units towards the end of the war. The weekly
recalls that five years ago, Grass published a novel on how the
Soviets sunk a ship evacuating Germans trapped by the Red Army in
East Prussia, killing over 9 thousand of its passengers, more than a
half of them children. By doing this he drew attention to the tragedy
of German refugees.
Now he is giving a clear signal to the Germans that they should stop
pretending: don’t cheat ourselves now that we are old, because at a
young age the majority of us believed in Nazism and had some share in
it. But the weekly writes also that without Polish-German dialogue
our mutual neighbourhood is threatened by provincial egocentrism and
the loss of empathy with neighbouring nations.
Newsweek reports that as many as 100,000 people from non-EU Ukraine
may be working in Poland without a permit. Only about 3 thousand are
employed legally. This will soon change, Poland’s labor ministry
plans to issue a regulation in the autumn enabling citizens of
neighbouring countries to work legally in this country. Today
Ukrainians who come to Poland find employment as manual workers.
Women, who may be teachers, nurses or accountants back home, work as
cleaners, child minders and cooks. Men usually work at construction
sites.
Their earnings are poor and cases of cheating by employers are not
that rare. Analysts sound an alarm that the Polish economy badly
needs immigrant labor today. Cheap workers from the East will fill a
gap on the market and contribute taxes to state coffers. Perhaps the
best example for Poland should be the economic boom experienced by
Ireland in the past decade also thanks to immigrant workers, Newsweek
points out.
Wprost publishes the list of Poland’s fifty richest politicians,
which is opened by 42 year old Janusz Palikot, a deputy of the
opposition liberal Civic Platform who declared to be worth 330
million zlotys. Palikot became involved in politics already as a very
wealthy man.
He became millionaire in the 90s, starting with production of wooden
cases for transporting alcohol and then moving on to alcohol
production. A completely different approach is represented by his
party colleague and now deputy to the European Parliament, Pawel
Piskorski. He was elected MP at the age of 23, even before graduating
from university. He made 1.7 million zlotys during his political
career, drawing many a suspicious look even from his party
colleagues.
Polish politicians, writes Wprost, tend to regard income statements
as a necessary evil, whereas revealing assets could be beneficial for
their political careers. People would perhaps be more willing to vote
for politicians who can prove what the sources of their income are,
than those who talk all the time about how little they own, says
Wprost.
Though it is illegal in Poland, around 200,000 Poles visit bookmakers
on the web, writes the weekly Przekroj reporting on studies conducted
by the Inter-active Market Research Institute. During the world
soccer championships, the number of Poles making bets through the net
rose more than 120 percent. Bookmakers admit unofficially that their
profits in Poland are smaller than in other countries because Poles
tend to win more often than representatives of other nations.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
DEPUTY JUSTICE MINISTER MEETS WITH UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
[August 18, 2006, 16:32:54]
Togrul Musayev, Deputy Minister of Justice met with the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Antonio Gutteres.
Mr. Musayev thanked the guest for his efforts towards solution of the
problems of over one million Azerbaijanis who became refugees and
IDPs as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
Speaking on the good human rights record of Azerbaijan, in
particular, concerning refugees and IDPs, Deputy Minister dwelt on
the work being done in Azerbaijan to strengthen the legal system and
raise the efficiency of the justice in accordance with the decree of
the President of Azerbaijan Republic of January 19, 2006. He touched
upon the activity of the justice and reforms being implemented in
this area, as well as long-term cooperation with the office of UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Azerbaijan.
Mr. Gutteres, in his turn, highly appreciated the work that
Azerbaijan government does to improve the state of refugees and IDPs.
UN High Commissioner stressed, in particular, the significance of the
work done to modernize and improve judicial system in Azerbaijan.
The sides shared views on other issues of mutual interest.
The discussions also involved Pirkko Kourula, Director of UNHCR’s
Bureau of Europe, Elchin Amirbayov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to
Switzerland and Vilayat Zahirov, Deputy Minister of Justice
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ertugrul Ozkok:Even the Armenian MPs want us in Lebanon
Hurriyet, Turkey
Aug. 18, 2006
What will happen if Turkish soldiers take up a position in the United
Nations peace-keeping force headed for Lebanon? How will the people
of Lebanon react?
The most meaningful answer to this came during Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul’s visit to Beirut this week; it came during a dramatic
moment at a dinner for four foreign ministers given by Prime Minister
Fuat Siniora.
*****
The dinner given by Siniora took place in a large salon in the Prime
Ministerial buildings in Beirut. The beauty of the salon apparently
touched everyone present at the dinner. The Lebanese Prime Minister
Siniora placed Gul at the same table as the French Foreign Minister
as well as ministers from both Pakistan and Malasyia. There were also
9 ministers present from the Lebanese cabinet. They were sitting at
different tables throughout the salon. Siniora said to Gul at the
dinner “Yours was the first civilian airplane to land at the Beirut
Airport following the start of the war.”
*****
The most important topic at the meal was the peace-keeping force to
be sent to Lebanon. PM Siniora underlined that, as far as he was
concerned, it was a necessity for Turkish soldiers to be present in
that force. When Gul asked Siniora how the Lebanese people would
react to the presence of Turkish soldiers, the answer he received was
“Even the Armenian minister on our cabinet wants the Turkish soldiers
to come.” The French minister in particular was surprised by these
words. But before this sense of surprise could pass, Siniora pulled
another trick out of his hat: he called over the Armenian cabinet
minister, who happened to be one of the 9 Lebanese ministers present,
to the table where Gul was sitting. Holding the Armenian minister’s
arm, Siniora asked “You also want the Turkish soldiers to come, don’t
you?” The Armenian minister answered in the affirmative. Of course,
this did surprise the Turkish authorities present in the salon,
especially since only that same morning, the Lebanon-based Armenian
Tashnak Party had issued a declaration announcing that it was against
the arrival of Turkish soldiers as a part of a possible peace-keeping
force.
In Lebanon, where the Armenians number around 120 thousand, the
Tashnak Party holds 6 seats in the Armenian Parliament. Clearly the
Armenian minister and the Tashnak declaration were at odds. It is
impossible to know whether the Armenian minister was speaking out of
the need to be polite, or in all honesty. Interestingly, Gul told
reporters at the meal who witnessed this exchange that Ankara was
“not taking seriously” the claims that the Armenian lobby in the US
was trying to prevent the Turkish soldiers from coming to Lebanon.
******
But going further, what do the Lebanese Shiites and in particular the
Hizbollah think of this all? Of the 9 government ministers present at
the dinner, 5 were Shiites known to be Hizbollah supporters. The
Shiite Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nebih Berri, answered the
question of how it was that the Lebanese Shiite community viewed the
potential arrival of Turkish soldiers in their country. Said Berri to
Gul at the dinner: “I speak in the name of the Shiites in Lebanon. We
want from our hearts that the Turkish soldiers participate in the
peace-keeping forces.”
*****
These are some of the behind-the-curtains events from Gul’s visit to
Beirut two days ago. And so, what will we say after all this to the
idea of our soldiers going to Lebanon? I don’t know what other people
think, but I have shared my views on this before: the Turkish
soldiers must join in the peace-keeping mission in Lebanon. We should
all prepare ourselves to think like this. The CHP is, however, is
against this. Which is why I want to remind them of this: even Spain
and Italy, who are busy withdrawing their military forces from Iraq,
are preparing to send their forces to Lebanon.
*****
Turkey is the strongest and most effective country in the region.
It must fulfill its duties on this round. But it must also take care
to minimize the risks for its soldiers on this mission. If only the
political opposition in Ankara would see fit to be helpful on this
front, our soldiers would go off with much more boosted morales.
45.asp?gid=74

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
Experimental program on state single exam to be implemented in
Yerevan in autumn 2006
Source: Trend
Author: À. Mammadov
18.08.2006
(ARKA) – In autumn 2006, an experimental program on state single exam
will be held in Yerevan, Vanya Barseghyan, director of Estimation and
Test Center adjunct to the RA Ministry of Science and Education told
journalists after his meeting with directors of secondary schools of
Armenia, reports Trend.
He said that the program would be implemented in several communities
of Yerevan and one region, information about which would be provided
later.
“All projects of preparation work have been already worked out and
soon the process will begin “, he said.
Barseghyan finds that a state single examination is quite expedient,
since future entrants will be able to pass only one exam in their
chosen subject and not two, as it was before (at school and at
university – ARKA). He emphasized that all principles of the single
exam had been worked out and they are assumed to be under accurate
control.
Barseghyan informed that applications for participation in the single
exam would be received at schools and later on handed in to the Center
and the exam itself would be conducted by regional examination centers.
In November-December 2005, an experimental state single exam was
held in Shirak region of Armenia. Exams were in Armenian language
and Literature, Foreign Language, Mathematics and History of Armenia.
4481 pupils of higher classes from all 153 secondary schools of Shirak
region took part in the experiment. S.P.
–Boundary_(ID_aV1cA5LM5KStUU5ciffgnw)–

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
Armenia launches development of state conception of informal
education
Source: Trend
Author: À. Mammadov
18.08.2006
(ARKA) – The Armenian Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs started
implementation of the conception of informal education, which is
included in the program of strategic actions on the state youth
policy for 2006-2007.
The press service of the ministry reported that the work on the
document was included in the plan of actions of the government for
2007, reports Trend.
With the aim to work out the conception, the ministry of culture
created a working expert group that consists of representatives of
both the public sector and NGOs.
Establishment of cooperation with all the interested structures:
public authorities, international and non-governmental organizations,
is to be carried out within the frameworks of working out the
conception.
It is planned to conduct public discussions over the preliminary
version of the conception, which will be organized on
and
The working out of the conception was preceded by a conference,
participated by experts of Informal Education in Armenia and
interested persons on March 3-6. The conference addressed the issues
of creating an effective system of informal education and the current
situation in this sphere.
–Boundary_(ID_O1/8c2HYgYV+6xkZOTAD6g)–

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Visits Georgia
Source: Trend
Author: À. Mammadov
18.08.2006
() – UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres
is set to be in Georgia from August 18-20 as part of his South
Caucasian tour, which will also include Azerbaijan and Armenia,
reports Trend.
The main purpose of the visit to Georgia is to undertake high-level
discussions on the progress of peace negotiations, to visit
conflict-affected regions and populations, and to see UNHCR’s
assistance programme in the country, the UNHCR reports.
During his visit the High Commissioner will meet with senior
government officials, internally displaced persons, and refugees. He
is scheduled to visit Sokhumi and Gali in breakaway Abkhazia,
Tskhinvali in breakaway South Ossetia, and the Pankisi Gorge in north
of Georgia where Chechen refugees are living.
–Boundary_(ID_YV85wkjLSXm+9nGFbkS41A)–

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
Armenian Armed Forces launch large-scale trainings in occupied
Azerbaijani lands
[ 18 Aug. 2006 12:24 ]
Armenian Armed Forces begin large-scale military trainings in the
Azerbaijani region of Agdam’s occupied areas, APA’s Garabagh bureau
reports.
The enemy uses heavy artillery and armored equipment. It is not known
when the trainings will finish. Armenian military maneuvers can be
observed from the dwelling places in the contact front line. /APA/

Tourism in Armenia
The Messenger, Georgia
Aug. 18, 2006
Armenia’s Tourism Department is predicting the arrival of half
a million tourists yearly by 2010. Recent statistics display an
encouraging trend for the landlocked nation: in 2005, Armenia welcomed
318 000 visitors. That number has risen to an estimated 350 000
for all of 2006. Given that, 500 000 tourists is not out of reach,
but the infrastructure in the country will require improvement to
accommodate and attract prospective visitors.

Georgian Ambassador to Armenia says relations are ‘perfect’
The Messenger, Georgia
Aug. 18, 2006
Svobodnaya Gruzia reports, in an interview with RIA Novosti
Armenia news agency, that Ambassador of Georgia to Armenia Revaz
Gachechiladze does not see any difficulties in bilateral interstate
relations. “It is very difficult to overestimate the current level of
the Armenian-Georgian relations-it is very high. Visits of the most
high-ranking officials are now a normal event. I can evaluate our
political relations as perfect. I think that economic and cultural
relations need to be intensified a little bit. Though, positive signs
can be seen in these directions as well,” he stated.
“And I find no difficulties in Georgian-Armenian interstate
relations. In the future our joint aspiration for integrating into
the European Union will become the priority trend in our bilateral
relations, I believe. Though this prospect may not be that close,
it isn’t that far off either,” the diplomat pointed out.

The Pyramids and the Sphinx: Art and Archaeology
by Corinna Rossi AUC Press 160pp
Egypt Today, Egypt
Aug. 18, 2006
Egypt’s many pyramids and the Great Sphinx are the most widely
recognized symbols of Ancient and modern Egypt alike. Mysterious and
irresistible to the eye, these massive structures – over eighty of
which remain, scattered largely along the west bank of the Nile –
evoke the religious system and beliefs of one of the most highly
refined and evolved of ancient civilizations.
Even today, we don’t entirely understand how they were constructed
and what techniques were used, but recent research and excavations
have thrown new light on life at the building sites and on the daily
existence of generations of designers and craftsmen who dedicated
their lives to these immense constructions.
Bursting with full-color photographs and drawings, this beautifully
illustrated book serves as a wonderful introduction to these royal
monuments. The straightforward text explains the history and
significance not only of the famous Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza,
but also of the lesser-known tombs that stretch from Saqqara to
Meidum and Dashur. The Pyramids and the Sphinx draws on the most
recent archaeological findings to lead the reader on a discovery of
the most fascinating aspects of Egyptian civilization. Combining
majestic aerial shots with close-up photographs of interior artwork
and reliefs, this guide is a must-have for anyone with a serious
interest in archaeology.
Chant Avedissian: Cairo Stencil EDITed BY Rose Issa Saqi Books 144pp
Chant Avedissian’s stenciled monoprints are common sights in Cairo.
They decorate the homes of the wealthy and hang on the walls of
trendy restaurants and bars. The main themes of his monotypes
romanticize the era of his childhood, from the 1950s through the
1970s, celebrating glamour and idealism through portraits of opera
singers, starlets, divas and royalty.
This coffee table book gives a wonderful overview of Avedissian’s
works and life. Rose Issa gives an informative introduction not just
to Avedissian’s rise to fame, but also to Egypt’s self-discovery and
transformation after colonial rule.
Each of the nine sections of the book begins with a short explanation
of the next theme before turning to his highly colored and
captivating images.
Avedissian was born in 1951 in Cairo, the son of Armenian refugees
who fled the Turkish incursions of 1915-16. After studying art in
Canada and France during the 1970s, Avedissian returned to Egypt,
where he fused the techniques, concepts and cosmopolitan experiences
acquired abroad with the heritage of his Armenian-Egyptian background
to produce striking commentaries on the world around him.
His artistry in works on display in Europe, the United States and
Jordan ranges from photography to costume and textile design to
painted stencils.
Rainbow: English Castle Magic by Martin Popoff Metal BlADE 230pp
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow is one of those diminished legends that
will forever be referred to as “a Deep Purple offshoot,” which is of
course true, but so disgustingly unfair to the majesty of Blackmore’s
‘solo’ vehicle. Rainbow produced a varied and brilliant catalog of
work in its lifetime, and one can only hope that Blackmore sees the
light – or at least the dollar signs – and launches a reunion in some
fashion. Until such a time, items like this excellent tome keep both
interest and nostalgia at the forefront.
Ostensibly a collection of in-depth album reviews buttressed with
interview snippets and historical references, Rainbow: English Castle
Magic is eminently crafted by Martin Popoff, one of the brightest
chroniclers of hard rock. Popoff is obviously a fan, but yields to a
pure journalistic desire to tell the whole story, even if it is a bit
rough on the objects of his admiration. Not as in-depth or as fully
fleshed-out as a proper biography might have been, this work is
nonetheless direct and endlessly interesting with so much perspective
that Popoff should consider a complete biography project on the
subject.
Within its 230 pages you will find a nearly endless array of stories,
some untold until now, laid out in chronological order which has the
(likely unintended) effect of causing the reader to drop the book and
run for the discs on which Popoff is waxing. These albums/CDs/tapes
yield much more when spun with a Popoff-inspired fresh ear.
A reference work that I will use for years to come, Rainbow: English
Castle Magic is but one in a series of such books by Popoff and I
shall be eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next. See
or for easiest ordering info.
40 Pyramids of Egypt and their Neighbors Photographs by Sherif
Sonbol, Text by Peter Snowdon Cyperus Press 96pp
Rare is the photographer who looks at a familiar art form and shows
it in a new light. But Sherif Sonbol’s stunning and revelatory
photographs [demonstrate] a particularly agile eye, frequently
abstracting shapes into dynamic and explosive bursts of color. Even
when Mr. Sonbol concentrates on stillness, he exemplifies that a
pause is not a pause but ‘an act of accomplishment’.”
So says Anna Kisselgoff of Egyptian photographer Sherif Sonbol’s
recent work in a New York Times review, underscoring how rare it is
for an Egyptian book to win rave international reviews.
40 Pyramids, Sonbol’s latest self-published tome, is a reasonably
daring enterprise in a time when the nation seems to be showing
disinterest in books of this format. But Sonbol, an established
photographer who is probably best known for being his generation’s
top professional specializing in capturing ballets and other High Art
performances on film, plunges on.
Here, though, there is a dramatic shift in interest as he primarily
focuses on architecture. Not just any old form of architecture, but
the masterpieces of Ancient Egypt surrounded with grandeur and
mysticism. Sonbol takes us on an exciting journey to explore the
Pyramids of Egypt after splitting them into 10 geographic
territories, namely: Giza, Abu Sir, Saqqara, Dashur, Fayoum, Minya,
Sohag, Luxor, Edfu and Aswan. Interesting? Sure. But what makes it
all special is his decision to twin photos of ancient artifacts with
shots of the lives of those who live in those same locations.
Nowhere is Sonbol’s artistry more on display than in the chapter on
Giza. You may have seen countless photographs of the Pyramids of Giza
and the Sphinx, but Sonbol has fresh angles that display the ‘agile
eye’ to which Kisselgoff refers. The images in this chapter include
an amazing (if somewhat small) shot of a passageway inside the great
pyramid.
The Fayoum chapter boasts an impressive (and unconventional) night
shot of the Snoferu Pyramid and, in stark contrast, the famous
waterwheels, which are second only to the full-spread image of the
great cemetery in the Minya chapter.
That said, Photoshopped images are the only disappointment in the
book, of which there are more than a few. The skies, in particular,
look oddly artificial on a handful of occasions.
Look out for the soon-to-be-released second history-related
installment from this talented photographer on newsstands soon; the
subject: palaces. et
ID=6608