Today, Azerbaijan
March 17 2006

Frank Geerkens: “Restoration of relations might be useful for
Azerbaijan and Armenia”

17 March 2006 [09:38] – Today.Az

He said that OSCE focuses on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict.

“OSCE Chairman-in-Office Belgian Foreign Minister visited the region
and met with the sides on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,”
said Frank Geerkens, chairman of the second preparatory meeting of 14th
Economic Forum on Enhancement of transport security in the OSCE region.

He said that OSCE focuses on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict.

“Our aim is to play a coordinating role between the two countries. As
for the events and initiatives, these relations are possible within
OSCE in various forms. Restoration of the relations might be more
useful for the sides.”

URL:

Former Soviet territory has hope for recognition
Abkhazia is cut off and struggling

By Tom Parfitt, Globe Correspondent | March 17, 2006

Boston Globe, MA
March 17 2006

SUKHUM, Abkhazia — At first glance the tiny self-declared republic
of Abkhazia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea is an earthly
paradise. For decades its palm trees, warm scented air, and long
beaches drew thousands of holidaymakers from across the Soviet Union.

Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev relaxed on its shores.

Even today, it is famed for its gentle climate, its mandarin oranges,
and its sweeping boughs of yellow mimosa blossom. But look closer,
and there are signs of an uglier past.

Side streets in the seaside capital, Sukhum, are dominated by the
gutted remains of smoke-blackened houses, choked with weeds. In the
countryside not far away, whole settlements stand in silent desolation,
abandoned in a furious war that raged here in the Caucasus more than
a decade ago.

The conflict flared up in August 1992 when the armed forces of
Georgia attacked Abkhazia, a region within Georgia’s territory that
had declared its intent to break away from the country after the
Soviet collapse. Since 1931, when Stalin began a forced colonization
of the region by Georgians, Abkhazians had nursed a desire to wrest
back total control of the territory.

In late 1993, after a year of fighting and atrocities on both sides,
the Abkhazians drove out their enemies — including thousands of
Georgian civilians who were by then a majority of the population —
and declared independence.

Ever since, this scrap of land, home to about 200,000 people, has
led a lonely existence, cut off by an embargo and unrecognized by
any country in the world.

”In the last 13 years, Abkhazia has formed a state with its own
institutions, authorities, army, and democratic development,” said its
de facto president, Sergei Bagapsh, in an interview at his offices
in downtown Sukhum. ”But the world ignores us when we have every
right to gain international recognition.”

Despite its frustration, Abkhazia is one of a posse of unrecognized
former Soviet territories that are now champing at the bit because
of a far-off event in the heart of Europe.

Last month, face-to-face talks between delegations from Kosovo and
Serbia finally began in Vienna. The UN-brokered negotiations will
decide the future of Kosovo, the ethnic Albanian province of Serbia
that has been under UN protection since NATO air strikes forced Serb
troops out in 1999.

European diplomats indicate that Kosovo has a chance to gain full
independence and recognition by the international community later
this year.

That suggestion has prompted a wave of hope for similar recognition in
self-declared territories like Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s
other breakaway region, as well as the republic of Trans-Dniester in
Moldova, and the disputed district of Nagorno Karabakh, an Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan.

Bagapsh predicted Abkhazia’s independence will be recognized ”within
three days” if Kosovo is granted status as a country.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia threw his weight behind Abkhazia’s
cause at the end of January when he said Kosovan independence would
set a precedent.

”We need universal principles to find a fair solution to these
problems,” Putin said in his annual news conference. ”If people
believe that Kosovo can be granted full independence, why then should
we deny it to Abkhazia and South Ossetia?” he asked.

Russia’s support for the Abkhazians, an ethnic group that believes
God entrusted their territory to them for protection, has been key.

Moscow, keen to keep neighboring Georgia weak and hoping to slow
the region’s drift toward the West, supported the Abkhazians in the
1992-1993 war with weapons and air strikes. Thousands of irregulars
from Abkhazia’s ”brother nations” in the Russian North Caucasus
republics — including Chechens and Cossacks — also streamed across
the border to fight Georgia.

But Abkhazia’s victory came at a price. Georgia accused it of ethnic
cleansing and severed all trade. Many buildings were destroyed, and
the republic is desperately poor. Sukhum has no functioning airport,
receives little direct bilateral aid, and its coast is cut off by
Georgian ships. Its critics say it is a haven for organized crime,
which is hard to verify. And its only link is with Russia, which
buys its oranges and sends a trickle of tourists to the republic’s
crumbling resorts.

UN-led talks between Georgia and Abkhazia have borne little fruit
since the end of the armed conflict.

But Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba of Abkhazia said there is hope
that independence for Kosovo will set a vital benchmark that could
alter the course of his stranded republic.

”The international community needs to face up to the fact
that obstacles put in front of people and their aspirations to
self-determination only lead to bloodshed,” he said. ”In that sense,
Kosovo could become a kind of marker that determines a new world
attitude towards these issues.”

At Shamba’s cramped three-room foreign ministry, officials are
following every squeak and whisper of the Kosovo negotiations, which
are due to resume today.

Developments in Serbia are complicated by an increasingly fragile
local situation. Georgia is fed up with what it perceives as Moscow’s
meddling in its internal affairs, and the parliament in Tbilisi,
the capital, is gearing up for a vote in July, when it is expected
to demand the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces that separate
Georgian and Abkhaz troops along the cease-fire line.

While any parliamentary vote will not be binding, President Mikhail
Saakashvili of Georgia is facing growing pressure from nationalists
to rein in his rebellious breakaway republics and rid the country of
foreign interference.

The country’s military budget is rising rapidly, with the United
States providing vital training and equipment.

Officially, the United States is neutral in the conflict, but
representatives of the Abkhazian foreign ministry who returned last
month from a USAID-funded trip to Washington said administration
officials urged them to accept broad autonomy within Georgia rather
than push for independent status.

Viktor Tvanba, an Abkhaz veteran of the 1992 conflict who lives
in Sukhum, said the withdrawal of Russian troops would lead to a
region-wide conflagration.

”The Georgians will surely attack us and then we’ll unleash such a
furious response that we’ll drive them all the way back to Tbilisi,”
the 56-year-old said. ”Any less would be an insult to our dead
relatives.”

As in Kosovo, every call to arms is accompanied by claims to historical
precedence on the territory, which are disputed by historians on
both sides.

The fate of the southern Gali region of Abkhazia where Georgians
dominate remains a major sticking point.

Interethnic strife has led to scores of deaths in the area since
the war, and most refugees who fled during the conflict have been
prevented from returning to claim their property and livelihoods.

GREAT BRITAIN’S REPRESENTATIVE IN OSCE VISITS MILLI MAJLIS [March 17, 2006,
22:00:52]

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 17 2006

Great Britain’s permanent representative at OSCE Collin Monroe on 17
March met with Samad Seyidov, chairman of the Standing Committee on
International Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Links, head of the
Azerbaijan delegation at PACE.

Samad Seyidov said Azerbaijan closely cooperates with the Council of
Europe, NATO, Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, and the
Organization of Islamic Conference and other international
structures. The Country attaches special importance to cooperation
with OSCE and its Parliamentary Assembly, he said. “Because OSCE is
directly engaged in settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. We hope the Minsk Group will increase its efforts
for quick resolution to this conflict and the problem will find its
fair solution”, he emphasized.

Collin Monroe expressed pleasure with the ongoing development process
in Azerbaijan, in particular, the economic progress. Such intensive
development of economy may be an important factor and in settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the guest underlined.

The parties had comprehensive discussions on prospects of relations
between the Great Britain and Azerbaijan, the ongoing progresses in
region and other questions of mutual interest.

Ambassador of Great Britain in Azerbaijan Lawrence Bristow took part
in the meeting.

RA FM: RESPONSIBILITY FOR NEGOTIATIONS’ DEADLOCK RESTS WITH BAKU

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 17 2006

“In the civilized world there is not a country or a nation that uses
the amount of its budget to compete with the neighbors. I believe
the actions of the kind cannot add one’s honor. Nowadays there are
other spheres of competition – economical, cultural. The Azeri party
is aware that Armenia surpasses it in the above-mentioned spheres”,
stated RA FM Vardan Oskanyan in an interview with the Second Armenian
TV when commenting on the Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s statement,
Regnum reports.

To remind, March 16, while speaking at the opening of the Second
Congress of the world Azerbaijanis, President of Azerbaijan stated:
“My task is to make military budget of Azerbaijan equal to all the
budget of Armenia in the near future”.

According to RA FM, “Azerbaijan’s statement on bloating military
budget and making it equal with Armenia’s state budget is not news,
such statements used to be repeatedly made”.

“Let’s turn to the U. N. human development ratio, which includes health
care, education and other spheres. Undoubtedly, we surpass Azerbaijan
by all the rates. We are superior having positive atmosphere, free
economy, as well as democracy, human rights and freedom of speech. This
is the international organizations’ estimation. There are no points
of comparison between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the spheres”, stated
RA FM.

“We face a task to prepare our societies for peace, not war. We
regret such statements, consider them to be negative and believe
responsibility for the negotiations’ deadlock rests with Baku”,
stated Vardan Oskanyan.

According to the Minister, the principal goal is to manage to continue
the process and go on acting on the positive factors we used to have
before the Presidents’ talks in Rambouillet. “It is not a secret that
in Rambouillet Azerbaijan stepped backward in respect of the positive
issues. It is very important to return the process to the zero point,
the so-called “pre – Rambouillet position”, where there are a lot of
positive sides, and to build the process on the basis”, noted Oskanyan.

In Oskanyan’s words, in the course of a meeting that is to be held
in Istanbul March 20 the OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs will chart
future tasks. “We will wait for their decision. We should continue
the process, as we think the process has not been exhausted yet”,
stated RA FM.

RECURRENT SITTING OF CONSTITUTION COMMISSION HELD IN STEPANAKERT

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 17 2006

March 16 a recurrent sitting of the Constitution Commission headed
by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) President Arkady Ghoukasyan
was held.

According to the information De Facto received at the NKR President’s
Administration, discussion of two chapters of the Constitution draft
had taken place in the course of the sitting.

By the Arkady Ghoukasyan’s proposal, the expert group formed of
professional lawyers was delegated to study notes and suggestions
made at the discussion and to prepare conclusions on the basis. The
NKR President stated the NKR future constitution must correspond to
the internationally recognized criteria.

Arkady Ghoukasyan charged the working group to prepare and place for
consideration a schedule of the Constitution Commission’s further
works.

NKR PRESIDENT SIGNED A NUMBER OF LAWS

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 17 2006

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic President Arkady Ghoukasyan signed a
number of laws on making modifications in the NKR laws “About Tax on
Trade”, “About Cash Operations”.

According to the information De Facto got at the NKR President’s
Press Service, Arkady Ghoukasyan had also signed laws on making
modifications and addenda to the NKR laws “About Tax Service”,
“About Fixed Payments”, “About Income Tax”, “About Using Control –
Cash Devices”.

Peter Semneby: “European Union is ready to send peacekeepers to the conflict zone”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 17 2006

[ 17 Mar. 2006 20:55 ]

The European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby held a news conference on the conclusions of his visit
to Azerbaijan (APA).

Mr.Semneby said that during his visit, he had talks with Azerbaijan’s
President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Arthur Rasizade, head of
President’s Executive Office Ramiz Mehdiyev, deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov as well as opposition leaders Ali Karimli, Isa Gambar,
Sardar Jalaloglu, Lala Shovkhat and Eldar Namazov.

Saying that he will fulfil the mission of his ancestor Heike Talvitie,
Mr.Semneby said he will focus on the settlement of frozen conflicts
in the region. According to the diplomat, the EU can support settling
conflict though observation, sending peacekeepers and renovation works.

“Talvitie’s office was in Finland but mine is in Brussels-near the
European Union organizations. This will ensure to attach more attention
to the South Caucasus,” he said.

Stressing that the EU’s interest in the South Caucasus is growing,
Semneby explained this interest by two Black Sea states recently
becoming members of the European Union.

“The European Union is negotiating with Turkey, Turkey borders on
the three Southern Caucasus countries”.

Peter Semneby said that there are opportunities for the settlement
of Nagorno Garabagh conflict in the current year.

“The main point is achievement of the agreement, changes are necessary
in the sides’ position. Common interests can be found in the settlement
of all conflicts”.

He said that the European Union is ready to station its peacekeeping
forces in the region. Peter Semneby said that The European
Union-Azerbaijan talks held in Brussels on March 7 were not fruitless.

“Talks held in Brussels were not unsuccessful, they are ordinary
talks. It was known in advance that the third round of the talks will
be held in order to come to any agreement”.

Diplomat added that the cooperation plan has not been agreed on with
all of the three Southern Caucasus countries. /APA/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/17/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM

1) Turkey Has Less Than Two Years to Meet EU’s Political Accession Criteria
2) Fifty House Members Call on Foreign Aid Appropriators to Maintain Military
Aid Parity to Armenia And Azerbaijan
3) US Urges Turkey to Open Border with Armenia
4) Armenian Organizations Demand Introduction of Armenian as State Language
5) Authorities in Tabriz Assure Normalization of Situation
6) Courts Allow Turkish Demonstration in Berlin
7) ANCA Joins Armenian Bar Association-Led Coalition in Fighting Armenian
Genocide Denial in Massachusetts
8) Burbank ANC Organizes Armenian Genocide Art And Essay Contest
9) Armenian Genocide Documentary to Be Honored at 2006 Midwest Journalism
Conference in April
10) Armenia Fund Reconstructs Artik Hospital
11) Third Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference to Be Held in Antelias
12) Element Band Presents Armenian CD Yev O Phe
13) Critics’ Forum: Visual Arts: By Ara Oshagan

1) Turkey Has Less Than Two Years to Meet EU’s Political Accession Criteria

BRUSSELS–Noting the slowing pace of reform in Turkey, the European Parliament
has called on the Turkish government to take immediate steps to ends its
discriminatory and repressive policies.
In its recently adopted resolution on the “Commission’s 2005 Enlargement
Strategy Report,” the Parliament called on the European Commission to define
the geographical boundaries of the European Union. This report, prepared by
Elmar Brok, a Conservative from Germany, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, aims to formulate a comprehensive enlargement policy before
focusing
on candidate nations (Macedonia, Western Balkans) and countries in negotiation
(Turkey, Croatia).
In the section of the report dedicated to Turkey, the European Parliament
states that the priorities outlined in the Accession Partnership “have to be
accomplished in the first phase of the negotiations” and “notes with
satisfaction that the Commission now supports this view as well by stating
that
those criteria have to be fulfilled within one or two years.”
Based on these considerations, the Parliament therefore called on Turkey “to
present as soon as possible a plan, including a timetable and specific
measures, to meet these deadlines,” and urged the Commission and the Council
“to make the progress of the negotiations conditional on the timely
accomplishment of those priorities.”
This demand comes in reaction to the slowing down of Turkey’s reforms, which
were noted in the resolution. The Parliament also formally asked Turkey “to
remove all existing legislative and practical obstacles to full enjoyment of
fundamental rights and freedoms by all Turkish citizens, notably freedom of
expression, religious freedom, cultural rights and the rights of minorities.”
The Resolution also urged the Commission “to conduct a rigorous and thorough
scrutiny of developments on the ground.”
The adopted text–for the first time in European Union history–also recalled
that “the capacity for absorption of the Union…remains one of the conditions
for the accession of new countries” and stressed that “defining the nature of
the European Union, including its geographical borders, is fundamental to
understanding the concept of absorption capacity.”
Thus, the Parliament requested that that Commission submit a report by
December 31, 2006 “setting out the principles which underpin this concept” and
invites it “to factor this element into the overall negotiation timetable.”
“We welcome the adoption of this resolution as a true expression of the
growing will of the European Parliament to be involved in the Union’s
decision-making processes. This measure–like the many previously adopted
resolutions on this matter–urges the European Commission and Council to
not be
satisfied with pledges and prolonged delays, but rather to demand genuine
reforms in Turkey,” said Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.
“We are working with European democratic movements in order to require that
Turkey meet its criteria within the next two years–including its full
recognition of the Armenian genocide and the abandonment of its aggressive
policies toward Armenia.”

2) Fifty House Members Call on Foreign Aid Appropriators to Maintain Military
Aid Parity to Armenia And Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON, DCCongressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA)
were joined by forty-eight of their House colleagues today in urging the
leadership of the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee to support
pro-Armenian
provisions in the fiscal year 2007 foreign aid bill, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
Members of Congress cosigned a letter, addressed to the panel’s Chairman Jim
Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), which would strengthen the
hand of pro-Armenian members of the Subcommittee, most notably Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and John
Sweeney (R-NY). Representative Sweeney, who joined the panel last year, is one
of only two Members of Congress of Armenian heritage.
The letter notes that members of Congress are “deeply troubled” that the
Administration’s request for military aid for Azerbaijan is considerably
higher
then the request for Armenia. By signing the letter, legislators will add
their
voice to the effort to ensure that the agreement struck in 2001 between the
White House and Congress to keep aid levels to these two countries equal is
fully respected. In addition, the letter calls for a hard earmark of at least
$75 million for Armenia, a one-year $5 million allocation for Karabagh, and
the
preservation of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.
Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Radanovich in
cosigning the letter included: Reps. Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert Andrews (D-NJ),
Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Eric
Cantor (R-VA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI),
Jim Costa (D-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), William Delahunt (D-MA), David Dreier
(R-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott
Garrett (R-NJ), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Dale Kildee (D-MI),
James Langevin (D-RI), Sander Levin (D-MI), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Stephen
Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui
(D-CA), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY),
Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Donald
Payne (D-NJ), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Bobby Rush (D-IL), H. James Saxton
(R-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad
Sherman (D-CA), Rob Simmons (R-CT), Mark Souder (R-IN), Edolphus Towns (D-NY),
Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), and Lynn
Woolsey (D-CA).
Representatives Knollenberg, Pallone, and Rothman also submitted individual
letters citing their foreign aid priorities for Armenia and Karabagh, among
other countries.
The House Foreign Operations panel is set to review the FY 2007 foreign aid
bill, which will then be considered by the full Appropriations Committee and
then the full US House of Representatives. The Senate will finalize its own
version, which will be reconciled with the House bill by a conference
committee.

3) US Urges Turkey to Open Border with Armenia

ANKARA (Armenpress)–US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs Daniel Fried and the OSCE Minsk Group US Co-Chair Steven Mann met in
Turkey Friday with Turkish officials to discuss the Karabagh conflict
settlement, Ankara-Yerevan relations, and energy issues.
During the meeting, Fried urged Turkey to open up its border with Armenia
as a
step toward normalization of relations between the two countries, Anatolia
News
Agency reported.
Fried said that the opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey will be
beneficial for the two countries and the whole region. He said US will support
it.
The Turkish side refused, saying that it defends Azerbaijan and will not open
its border with Armenia unless progress is made in the Karabagh conflict and
Armenia steps back from its demand for recognition of the Armenian genocide.
Referring to the Armenian genocide, Fried said that Turkey should seriously
recognize the mistakes it has made in the past.
Fried said, “The tragedies should be recognized. People must be truly and
bravely interested in the issue. At the same time it is necessary to think of
the future of the two nations.”
The US official also discussed with Turkish officials Iran’s nuclear program
and the Cyprus issue. Turkey and the United States share concern over the
Iranian nuclear issue, but officials from both sides agree that it should be
resolved through diplomatic means, Anatolia said.

4) Armenian Organizations Demand Introduction of Armenian as State Language

AKHALKALAK (Armenpress)The Virk and Javakhk organizations, which are based in
the Armenian populated Georgian region of Javakhk, have demanded that Armenian
receive the status of a second state language in the region.
The organizations prepared a letter of appeal to the Georgian Parliament at a
Thursday meeting in Akhalkalak.
According to them, since the majority of the local population is of Armenian
origin, they must be able to conduct official business in the Armenian
language.
Representatives of Virk and Javakhk also point out that Armenians already
suffer frequent discrimination because of their ethnicity. They say Armenians
are not hired as public officers and are often replaced by Georgians who come
to Javakhk from other regions of Georgia.

5) Authorities in Tabriz Assure Normalization of Situation

TEHRAN (Alik)–An Azeri satellite television station operating in Iran has
been
disseminating Anti-Armenian propaganda and calling on the local population to
engage in anti-Armenian demonstrations. Kevork Vardanian, Iranian Member of
Parliament representing the Northern Iran Armenian community, went to Tabriz
last Tuesday to check on the hostile situation created by the Azeri TV
station.
Vardanian has also been in touch with the governor’s and interior minister’s
office in the meantime. He was assured that all the necessary security
measures
have been taken by the Iranian government to prevent an inter-ethnic clash
between the local Azeri population and the Armenian community.
“We were at the Prelacy until midnight and fortunately nothing happened. The
local security officials called me and the Prelate to assure us that the
situation is under control and nothing will happen. The most important thing,
however, is that the Armenian community of Tabriz is leading a normal life and
last week’s concerns have all disappeared,” he said.
Vardanian also informed that local authorities visited the church and assured
the public that “the security of the Armenian community is the responsibility
of the Iranian security apparatus and that they will guarantee that.”

6) Courts Allow Turkish Demonstration in Berlin

–Demonstrators cannot deny Genocide

The German Court of Appeals allowed on Friday a demonstration organized by
Turks against the recognition of the Armenian genocide and in honor of Talaat
Pasha to be held Saturday, March 18. The court has allowed the controversial
demonstration, but forbade demonstrators from denying the Genocide either
verbally or in writing.
The court also called on the police to strictly enforce this decision.
The Berlin Police Department wanted the demonstration to be banned completely
because they feared violence would erupt and because they suspected
demonstrators would try to both deny and glorify the Armenian genocide.

7) ANCA Joins Armenian Bar Association-Led Coalition in Fighting Armenian
Genocide Denial in Massachusetts

WASHINGTON, DC–The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has joined
with a broad coalition of civil rights organizations in filing an amicus
curiae
(friend of the court) brief in Massachusetts Federal District Court to oppose
attempts by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) to mandate
the
inclusion of Armenian genocide denial material in Massachusetts’ genocide
curriculum guide.
The coalition led by the Armenian Bar Association, also includes the Irish
Immigration Center, the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, and the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
In support of the State of Massachusetts, the coalition filed its brief on
March 8 urging the dismissal of the complaint filed by the ATAA, a lobbying
group that actively denies the Armenian genocide and is calling for the
inclusion of the ATAA website in a list of educational sources provided as
part
of a teacher’s guide on genocide education. The complaint also calls for the
addition of other websites, including that of the Embassy of the Republic of
Turkey, which the ATAA had lobbied to include in the guide. These website were
disqualified from the guide because they denied the Armenian genocide,
contradicting the Massachusetts statute that requires the teaching of the
Armenian genocide.
In filing the brief, coalition members expressed their opposition to the
inclusion of genocide denial material in Massachusetts’ curriculum guide and
refuted allegations that plaintiffs’ free speech rights were violated. The
brief argues, “This case is not about Plaintiffs’ ability to express
themselves, to receive ideas, or to access information. Nothing in the
Massachusetts Guide to Choosing and Using Curricular Materials on Genocide and
Human Rights has altered those rights. Rather, this case involves
[Massachusetts’] right as a government to express its own official views on
matters of historical importance and their place in education and to choose
the
specific content of its own message.” Citing judicial precedent, the brief
noted that courts cannot compel state governments to speak as plaintiffs
demand: “The government is entitled to full control over its own speech,
whether it speaks with its own voice or enlists private parties to convey its
message, and the remedy for dissatisfaction with its choices is political
rather than judicial.”
To read the entire brief, visit:
ae.pdf

8) Burbank ANC Organizes Armenian Genocide Art And Essay Contest

In the spirit of “learning from the past, shaping our future,” the Armenian
National Committee (ANC) of Burbank has organized an essay and art contest to
commemorate and learn from the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923.
The contests officially began in early March with the help of more than 80
English, Art, and History teachers from the Burbank Unified School District.
Contest packets were distributed to teachers and student. Students in grades
10-12 were invited to take part in either the art or essay contest with the
theme, “Learning From The Past, Shaping Our Future: What does the Armenian
genocide mean to me?” Using any form of visual media or their own original
writing, participating students of all ethnic backgrounds will have the
opportunity to creatively express their thoughts and feelings about the impact
of the Armenian genocide.
“Our goal is to create an understanding among youth that this crime against
the Armenians is not just past history and it still has a real impact on our
lives today” said Tamar Krekorian, head of the Genocide Commemoration
Committee
of the Burbank ANC. “Through this contest, young people will learn the
continuing lessons of the Armenian genocide and will be prepared to work
together to prevent future atrocities.”
The Burbank ANC is also collaborating with a long time friend, the Burbank
Public Library. The contests, running through March 24, 2006, will culminate
in an award ceremony Saturday, April 1 at the Burbank Central Library.
Student
art will be on display and excerpts from winning essays will be read. Three
winners for each contest will be awarded cash prizes. Representatives of the
City of Burbank and the Burbank Unified School District present the winners
with their prizes. The event is open to the public. For more information on
the contest, visit <;www.burbankanc.o rg.

9) Armenian Genocide Documentary to Be Honored at 2006 Midwest Journalism
Conference in April

A Regional Emmy nominated documentary about the Armenian genocide, The
Armenian
Genocide: 90 Years Later, will be honored at the 2006 Midwest Journalism
Conference in Bloomington, Minnesota. The event, which is sponsored by the
Northwest Broadcast News Association in memory of journalist Eric Sevareid,
will take place April 1.
As part of an ongoing series by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
in Minnesota (CHGS) about genocide and its lingering effects, [The Armenian
Genocide: 90 Years Later] aired on public television in Minnesota last April
and was nominated for the 2005 Regional Emmy in the category of “Best News
Special.”
The documentary, which is being honored in the Talk and Public Affairs
category, discusses events that led to the Genocide, issues related to
Genocide
recognition, and its effects on Turkish democracy. The film also addresses
current issues about revisionism and the repression of viewpoints that deviate
from the official position in Turkey.
The program discusses this phenomenon and raises questions about how the
issue
of the recognition of the Armenian genocide fits into the context of
understanding the current status of Turkish democracy, academic freedom in
universities, and issues involving language and identity for minorities. Most
poignant in the program is the testimony of those whose family members
survived
the Genocide and lived to tell about it. They discuss how the memory of the
Genocide is embedded in the identity of many Armenians.
Discussants include Taner Akçam, Stephen Feinstein, and Eric Weitz, from the
University of Minnesota, as well as descendants of survivors, and members of
the community who explore issues related to the genocide.
The documentary is a co-production of Twin Cities Public Television and the
University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, (CHGS) and
is distributed by the Armenian Genocide Resource Center in Richmond California
through a special arrangement with CHGS.
The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Minnesota has been at the
forefront of education on the Armenian genocide for many years. It was
established as an Independent Center with its main administrative relationship
with the Department of History. CHGS is also affiliated with The Institute for
Global Studies, The Humanities Institute, Department of German, Dutch and
Scandinavian Languages, The Human Rights Program at the University of
Minnesota
School of Law, and The Center for European Studies.
Its director, Professor Stephen Feinstein, has been at the helm of the Center
since its creation in 1997 and has expanded its website to include eyewitness
survivor testimonies, documents, teaching guides, online streaming video and
audio, and other materials about the Armenian genocide. Some of the materials
were provided to the Center over the years by the Armenian Genocide Resource
Center (AGRC), including an expanded reference guide for teachers and
students,
and are available through its website.
The Armenian Genocide: 90 Years Later DVD is available from AGRC for a
special
price of $14.95 plus $4.00 shipping and handling. Send check or money
order to
AGRC, 5400 McBryde Avenue, Richmond, CA 94805.

10) Armenia Fund Reconstructs Artik Hospital

YEREVANThe British affiliate of Armenia Fund has embarked on a vital hospital
reconstruction project in the Republic of Armenia. The Artik Hospital the
Shirak Region of Armenia will undergo major renovation in order to meet the
growing needs of the region.
Presently, the project is in its design stage. The scope of the
reconstruction will include strengthening of the building and its foundation,
construction of a boiler-house, installation of a modern heating system, as
well as installation of new doors and windows. The hospital will also undergo
crucial seismic retrofitting in order to prevent collapse in case of an
earthquake. In addition to key structural upgrades, new restroom facilities
will be built and new flooring will be installed throughout the facility. Part
of the new plan will encompass a new electrical conduit system, as well as
safe
and reliable wiring throughout the building. After its completion, the
hospital
will have a new, independent sewage system. The surrounding landscape of the
hospital will be redesigned as well.
After a close assessment of the hospital, healthcare specialists
determined that the condition of the hospital is critically deteriorating.
Construction experts revealed major structural damage due to a lack of repair
and maintenance over the years.
Over the past twenty years, the hospital has been moderately renovated.
Unfortunately, the catastrophic earthquake of 1988 crippled the hospital’s
structural support and foundation structure. Currently, only one out of four
buildings is being used for patient care.
The hospital currently has 40 beds and serves as the main healthcare facility
for the town of Artik. Due to a lack of readily available healthcare
facilities, the hospital serves the Shirak region’s growing 60,000 population.
Armenia Fund plans to expand patient capacity as soon as reconstruction works
are completed.

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and infrastructure
development assistance to Armenia and Karabagh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is the US
Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund.

11) Third Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference to Be Held in Antelias

ANTELIAS (Combined Sources)–The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, based in
Antelias, Lebanon, will host the third Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference on
April 6-9, according to a press release by the preparatory Committee.
The conference will be the third meeting of writers from Armenia and the
diaspora. In consultation with the presidency of the Union of Writers of
Armenia, the Committee has already sent invitations to writers in Armenia,
Karabagh, and the diaspora. More than 170 writers from Armenia, Karabagh,
Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece,
Switzerland, England, Australia, Georgia, the United States and Canada have
already accepted the invitations.
All writers can participate in the conference. Interested individuals can
contact the preparatory Committee for more information by emailing
[email protected].

12) Element Band Presents Armenian CD Yev O Phe

–Band incorporates sounds of Europe and the Mediterranean, while maintaining
purity of original compositions

Titled Yev O Phe, Element Band’s first Armenian CD brings a refreshing and
long-awaited sound to Armenian music by partnering distinct vocals with
colorful, warm, and exotic arrangements.
While the sounds of Europe and the Mediterranean come to life through the use
of classical guitar, violin, bass, accordion, bouzouki, mandolin, and
keyboard,
Yev O Phe remains free to be distinctively Armenian.
The band takes great pains to keep the Armenian songs pure, but uses bold
arrangements and genuine sounds of instruments to introduce exciting twists
and
compositions of traditional songs.
Element Band first captured the attention of audiences with their performance
at the John Anson Ford Theatre in May 2005, as the opening act for the French
gypsy band Bratsch. They later opened for the legendary Demis Roussos at the
Kodak Theater in November 2005.
Element Band members include Ara Dabandjian (arrangements, keyboards,
classical guitar, accordion, string instruments), Saro Koujakian (songwriter,
vocals, guitar), Gars Sherbetdjian (vocals), Shant Mahserejian (violin), and
Jeremy Millado (bass).

Yev O Phe

During the Middle Ages, as a result of greater and more enduring contact
between Armenia and the West, the 36-letter Armenian alphabet incorporated two
additional letters, o and phe, to better reproduce the sounds of European
tongues–all the while, needless to say, remaining utterly Armenian. As a
result, the modern Armenian alphabet can almost perfectly replicate the
pronunciations of various languages.
So it is with Element’s Armenian compositions that incorporate the sounds of
Europe and the Mediterranean, while remaining untethered, simply free… to be
Armenian–uniquely.
Yev O Phe will be available on March 19 at , ,
, and at a store near you.

13) Critics’ Forum: Visual Arts

Of Man and Nature, Layers and Fragments: The Art of Vasken Brudian

By Ara Oshagan

Vasken Brudian is an architect and artist. He has held one solo exhibition,
but his work has been part of many group shows across the country over the
past
few years. After a long hiatus, Brudian has returned to the art scene with
brand new work and the publication of a monograph titled, “Paintings and
Collages: Towards a New Aesthetics.” In conjunction with this publication,
Brudian’s work will be on display in a solo exhibit at the Harvest Gallery in
Glendale, from March 24 to April 2.
Brudian’s work draws together a wide array of concepts and ideas and
employs a
plethora of media: from architectural drawings, paint, acrylic and ink, to
photography, alphanumeric texts, philosophical writings, poetry, literature,
and essays by well-known writers. And complementing his range, the sizes of
his
works also vary from the very intimate to ones over 20 feet in length. His
work
is expansive and inter-disciplinary and does not lend itself to easy
categorization. It attempts to strike a difficult and delicate balance of
form,
color, and concept.
Brudian is best known for his “architectural paintings”though these two words
are not nearly sufficient to describe what this work is. These “paintings” are
the product of a process that combines free-hand painting (the paint and
brush)
with modern technology-based methods (the computer and plotter). Paint and
pencil is used to begin a painting on a surface, typically mylar. Then, after
it is dry, architectural forms (everything from lines to beams to numbers to
sections of buildings and stairways) are drawn over it with a large-scale
plotter. Then more paint is added, then more plotting. This process is
repeated
several times, layer upon layer, until a dense and multi-storied canvas
emerges. Obliteration is used as a tool of construction here. Each layer fully
or partially obliterates the one before it. It obliterates and also fuses into
it and builds on top of itconstructing a painting in the same way one
constructs a building, perhaps. Technology is inherent to the creation of
these
worksthey cannot be conceived or made without the use of computer technology.
The end result of this process is that paint and architectural fragments are
held in tension, the fierce linearity of bits and bytes tussle with the
free-flow of the hand, instinct is interwoven with technology. Are the two
fusing or clashing? This is a question that is raised by Brudian over and over
again.
In his monograph, Brudian includes some of this earlier work but also adds a
host of new work, some of it continuing in the vein of architectural painting
and some of it departing from it completely. The new work takes its
inspiration
from various literary works, poems, and essays. These fragmentary textual
references are a strong presence, and they also serve as platform on which
Brudian develops his explorations of various themes. This series also
introduces photographic images, mainly landscapes. And although they are at
times altered, their essential photographic quality is retained. In the new
work, these large natural landscapes are fragmented and altered and then
juxtaposed with fragmentary texts or abstractions or architectural paintings.
Nature, as a concept, makes itself known.
Where the landscape photograph is brought together with poetic fragments, the
result is overtly and simply emotional. “The Caged Bird”which combines a
scenic
landscape photograph cast to red with Maya Angelou’s verse about a bird
singing
of freedomis idyllic in its presentation of nature and the bird’s romantic
musings about freedom. “Two Butterflies,” which presents a very similar
idyllic
and idealized scene of nature, adds poetry by Emily Dickinson about waltzing
butterflies. It is nearly impossible to not imagine butterflies waltzing in
those trees or to not see the flight of a bird. These works are like reveries,
simple invitations to stop and contemplate nature, to bathe in the serenity
and
emotional flow of verse and landscape.
It’s quite a leap from these pieces to the much more challenging and
compelling ones that bring together nature and man via architecture and
technology. This work is a direct continuation of Brudian’s architectural
paintings but extends their reach significantly. While the earlier work was
based on a process of layering and melding of diverse forms, Brudian’s new
work
begins with a clash, a conflict, but goes furtherthat is, it turns in on
itself. In his best work, Brudian tiptoes along the razor-sharp edge between
man and nature, conflict and harmony, instinct and technology.
These larger canvases are composed of two totally distinct and disparate
partsa color-washed photographic scene of nature on one side and a
Brudian-style architectural painting on the other. The works are juxtaposed
and
placed next to each other and forced to inhabit the same frame. The two sides
of the frame are pitted against each other, and while in one moment they are
clashing and tussling, in the next they suddenly seem to flow together in a
strange harmony.
The best example of this is “/Twisting the Separatix/,” where underneath a
serene row of upright trees (cast to blue) mad architectural forms crisscross.
At first, it seems the ground ends and underneath the soil, architecture and
art begin, i.e. manthe dividing line, the front is demarcated, the trenches
are
dug. But then, those architectural lines and forms begin to echo strange
rootscold, hard rootsthat seem to feed the trees themselves, and suddenly the
two parts of the canvas flow into each other, give and take from each other.
Nature and man are at war, yes, but also at peace and perhaps even nurturing
one another.
The work, at its best, is a constantly shifting perspective, asking and
answering and suddenly losing hold of the answer and questioning again. The
effect is thought-provoking and inquisitive: are the two sides clashing or
complementing each other? What is the relationship between the natural and the
man-made? These are the critical questions Brudian poses in his work.
Brudian’s monograph is a bold attempt at embracing a plethora of diverse and
difficult concepts, using nearly as many diverse media. In his best pieces, he
manages to strike a delicate balance between a host of extremesideas, forms,
and colors, all pulling in different directions. Brudian’s reentry into the
art
world is refreshing and welcome.

Ara Oshagan has degrees in Physics and English Literature from UCLA and a
degree in Geophysics from UC Berkeley. He used to be a scientist and now is a
photographer. But everything still comes from Literature.
You can reach him or any of the other contributors to Critics’ Forum at
[email protected]. This and all other articles published in this
series
are available online at To sign up for a weekly
electronic version of new articles, go to Critics’
Forum is a group created to discuss issues relating to Armenian art and
culture
in the diaspora.

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Polyeucte – Grand Theâtre Massenet Saint-Etienne, France
By Francis Carlin

FT
March 17 2006 02:00

They are doing Carry on Christians in Saint-Etienne, a dizzy
Technicolor show that is as camp as Christmas. Alexandre Heyraud’s
interlocking series of red colonnades is simple and practical but
management should have taken the costume designer Frederic Pineau
aside and stopped him spending the entire municipal budget at the
local fabric warehouse. Pineau’s riotous pastel togas and headdresses
are right out of a 1950s time-warp.

Gounod thought his penultimate opera, based on Corneille’s tragedie
about the Armenian prince who flouts Roman authority and converts to
Christianity, was his best. It shows how mistaken composers can be
about their own works.

Polyeucte too often gets bogged down in an oompah, grand opera
style that the music director, Laurent Campellone, delivers with
keen attacks but a bit too much vigour. Apart from the tenor recital
lollipop “Source delicieuse”, there is little music of note but much
emphatic padding, run-of-the-mill orchestration, and regurgitated
formulae from past successes such as Faust.

Jean-Louis Pichon’s lame production makes things worse by leaving
the cast stranded mid-stage in shock-horror poses but the work
really requires a starry cast to make us overlook its pious self-
indulgence. Cecile Perrin’s Pauline can muster the high notes but is
hoarse in the middle register. Jean- Pierre Furlan in the title role
has a tenor voice that is in a weird class of its own: his vibrato-less
timbre could cut through the din of roadworks.

Evgeny Alexiev, as the altruistic Sevère, has appreciable power
but wayward control. The supporting cast is more at home with the
required style, notably Christophe Berry in a stylish, all-too-
brief pagan barcarolle.

And Corneille? He is probably still revolving in his tomb. But the
matinee audience lapped it up, particularly the climax, as Pauline
follows her husband and embraces death and the Christian faith.

Tel +33 4 77 47 83 40

–Boundary_(ID_MdbOAO5OgvVrI5erOSiIOA)–

Kenyan government denies links to suspected Armenian mercenaries

The Standard, Nairobi
17 Mar 06

Text of report by Biketi Kikechi and Ayub Savula entitled “Mutua
denies govt link to Armenians” published by Kenyan newspaper The
Standard on 17 March

The government yesterday said it had nothing to do with the business
two alleged mercenaries are doing in the country.

Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua said a company owned by Artur
Sargaryan and Artur Margaryan, known as Brother Link Ltd, was
registered in their names on 1 December 2005.

“They were later issued with class H type immigration investors
permits on 23 January 2006,” said Mutua.

He said the government could not explain any relations they may be
having with a Narc activist.

“Ask the activist, but you cannot expect the government to answer
questions for a person who is not its employee,” Said Mutua.

He, however, said the two brothers could be having other companies,
among them Kensington Holdings Ltd, where Ms Winfred Wangui Mwai is
also a director.

Mutua said it appeared the Armenians had been meeting several people
in the country, such as Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and others.

“As we speak here, they are at the police station recording a statement
on allegations that they are mercenaries, “said Mutua.

However, Artur Margaryan was at the time addressing journalists at
a press conference in KTN offices.

Mutua said the police would be particularly interested in the pictures
and CCTV footage the Armenians claim they have. He said there was
nothing wrong with businessmen or any other people holding a press
conference at the airport VIP lounge.

He did not explain why they were using GK [Government of Kenya]
vehicles, covering their car number plates nor the kind of business
they did in the country.

Elsewhere, the government said the two men would record a statement
with the police. Office of the President Assistant Minister Joseph
Kingi and Internal Security Permanent Secretary Cyrus Gituai [said]
the men were already under investigation.

“Give the government time to carry out investigations. We are
investigating whether they are mercenaries or not,” Kingi said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress