AVRAAM RUSSO, A SYRIAN ARMENIAN WHO REALIZES FAME IN RUSSIA

Azad Hye, United Arab Emirates
March 7 2006

Azad-Hye, Dubai, 7 March 2006: In its 6th December 2001 issue, “The
Moscow Times” Russian leading English-language newspaper’s reporter
Elvan Levent describes the new phenomenon of the Russian pop music
with the following words: “After 16 years of performing at clubs and
restaurants in Britain, Syria, France and Cyprus, Avraam Russo is well
on his way to becoming a confirmed pop star — in Russia. Russo, who
speaks seven languages and can sing in 14, is a Syrian-born musician
of Turkish descent. Now 31, he moved to Russia five years ago and is
today on his way to the top of the local charts”.

In the following year (2002), Avraam Russo won a Russian national
premium award called “Pesnya Goda” (the song of the year) for his
famous hit “Daleko Daleko” (Far away in Russian), originally taken from
the Egyptian Arab famous singer Amr Diab’s song “Tamalli Ma’ak” (2000).

What is the story behind Avraam Russo? Is he really of Turkish descent?

Quite the contrary. Russo’s real name is Apraham Ipjian (nicknamed
Apo or Apig).

Born in 1969 in Aleppo, Apig comes from a very poor family. He had
three brothers and lost his father in early age. His mother used to
work in hard manual works, serving households in that northern city
of Syria, where a community of 50 thousand Armenians live.

As he discovered his singing talent, he was soon involved in several
amateur bands, making part-time appearances in family style outdoor
restaurants (such as Ramaya, Aleppo Family Swimming Pool, Somar,
Ouroubeh, etc.) and in hotels (Al Amir) in Aleppo.

In 1993 he moves to Cyprus and works in a night club for two years
earning no more than US$ 200 per month. However, his presence on the
island of Aphrodite proves to be important for his future career.

During one of his visits to Cyprus a Russian Jewish tycoon Telman
Ismailov (now Vice President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and
owner of huge retail enterprises in Moscow and entertainment outlets
such as Prague Restaurant), a well connected person with Russian
politicians (including the Mayor of Moscow), attends one of his
multi-lingual performances and upon noticing his talent, he immediately
invites him to work in one of his prestigious outlets in Russia.

Ismailov, originally from Baku, Azerbaijan had been living (and
thriving) in Moscow since the early 1990s.

After hesitating for one year, Apig eventually takes his advice. At
that time he was back in Syria. His first trip to Moscow was in 1995.

In a relatively short time he gets to be famous. With the help of
a girlfriend he learns Russian and prepares a repertoire in many
languages, exactly the way he used to do in Syria and Cyprus. His
linguistic abilities helped him to overcome the language barrier. His
command of European languages was also impressive. During his
childhood, he used to live for some years in Europe, when his father
was still alive.

There was always a kind of mystery about his origin. People
made different speculations, judging on his knowledge of several
languages. He himself had not explicitly referred to his ethnic
background, maybe due to an informal agreement he made with his manager
before receiving wide recognition. After all Russian fans might be
fascinated with his songs and style and would not be interested to
know about his origin. Armenians of Aleppo though insist in branding
him as their fellow compatriot.

Photo: 21lj41

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SHARJAH RULER RECEIVES ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR

Emirates News Agency
March 7, 2006 Tuesday 10:59 AM EST

H.H Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member
and Ruler of Sharjah received here today outgoing Armenian Ambassador
Arshak Poladian, who called on the Ruler of bid him farewell at the
end of his tenure in the country.

Sheikh Sultan wished the envoy well and hailed contributions to
promote relations between the two countries.

AZERBAïDJAN ET ARMENIE S’ACCUSENT MUTUELLEMENT DE RUPTURE DU CESSEZ-LE-FEU

Agence France Presse
7 mars 2006 mardi 1:59 PM GMT

Bakou

L’Azerbaïdjan a accuse mardi l’Armenie d’avoir viole le cessez-le-feu
au Nagorny Karabakh et provoque la mort d’un soldat azerbaïdjanais,
Erevan reprochant pour sa part a l’armee azerbaïdjanaise d’avoir tue
un soldat armenien le 3 mars.

Les Armeniens ont ouvert le feu mardi a 04h45 (00h45 GMT) depuis la
region de Terter a la limite du Nagorny Karabakh (enclave separatiste
peuplee d’Armeniens en territoire azerbaïdjanais) et du reste de
l’Azerbaïdjan, tuant Parviz Cahangirov, un soldat ne en 1986, a
declare le ministère azerbaïdjanais de la Defense dans un communique.

Le ministère accuse egalement les Armeniens d’avoir blesse un soldat
qui se trouverait “dans un etat grave”.

“Cette information (…) ne correspond pas a la realite. De plus,
nous sommes fatigues des violations periodiques du cessez-le-feu de la
part de l’Azerbaïdjan”, a declare de son côte a l’AFP le responsable
de l’information de l’Armee de defense du Karabakh, Senor Astratian.

Ces derniers jours, le ministère armenien de la Defense a diffuse
des informations faisant etat de violations du cessez-le-feu.

“Le 3 mars, la partie azerbaïdjanaise a ouvert le feu en direction
de la division armee d’Idjevan (nord de l’Armenie) blessant a la tete
l’appele Arsen Zakvossian, âge de 19 ans, qui est decede a l’hôpital”,
a indique le ministère dans un communique.

Le cessez-le-feu a ete viole les 4, 5, 6 et 7 mars par l’Azerbaïdjan,
a affirme le responsable de presse du ministère, Seïran Chakhsouvarian.

Un conflit meurtrier avait eclate au debut des annees 1990 a propos
du Nagorny Karabakh, qui a proclame unilateralement son independance
en 1991. L’Azerbaïdjan veut en reprendre le contrôle.

–Boundary_(ID_kGVUUDsKHPPBH+XVkGcsbA)- –

DEDICACE VARTAN BERBERIAN, AUJOURD’HUI AU HAVRE; LE DEVOIR DE MEMOIRE EST UTILE

Paris-Normandie
7 mars 2006

URSET

Vartan Berberian livre Le figuier de mon père, hommage bouleversant
a ses parents. Ancien de la Marine marchande, il fait escale a la
Galerne et dedicace son autobiographie.

Pourquoi avez-vous decide d’ecrire votre biographie?

Vartan Berberian: J’arrive a un âge où je me demande: que
restera-t-il après mon depart? Laisser un maison ou un livret
d’epargne ne serviraient pas a grand chose a mes trois enfants et
dix petits-enfants. Quel meilleur heritage qu’un livre! Et compte
tenu de la vie que j’ai eu, le devoir de memoire est utile.

Le livre est un hommage emouvant a vos parents. Que vous ont-ils legue?

V.B.: J’ai eu une enfance pauvre mais mes parents m’ont inculque un
etat d’esprit d’une richesse inestimable. Mon père m’a appris qu’il
faut travailler pour obtenir quoi que ce soit. Je ne crois pas du
tout aux loteries ou aux fermes celebrites. C’est tout le sens du
titre de mon livre.

Pouvez-vous raconter l’anecdote derrière ce titre a la Pagnol?

V.B.: J’ai voulu offrir un figuier a mon père. Je voulais un
arbre grand et majestueux. Mon père me demande le prix qui etait
exorbitant. Le lendemain, il revient avec quatre petites branches
de figuier. Il a plante le sien et j’ai achete un grand figuier
magnifique. La première annee, son figuier a donne une figue delicieuse
et le mien des dizaines de figues rabougries. Aujourd’hui, le figuier
de mon père se perpetue. Il faut etre patient et travailleur.

Fils d’immigres qui ne parlaient pas francais, vous avez formidablement
reussi. Quel est le secret de cette integration?

V.B.: Je dois mon integration en France a mes parents. Je me souviens
de ma mère me disant: Ce pays qui nous accueille est un grand pays.

Ton armenite, exprime la a l’interieur de la maison. Dehors mele-toi
aux autres enfants. Bien sûr j’ai eu quelques humiliations en tant
qu’Armenien. Quand je rentrais humilie a la maison, j’ecoutais mes
parents et j’oubliais tous mes soucis. Mon père etait un travailleur
infatigable et il ne se plaignait jamais. Il a passe trois ans et trois
mois dans les prisons turques, enchaîne a un camarade. Mais pour lui,
il avait toujours un pied libre.

Vous avez des mots durs contre la population turque. N’avez-vous pas
peur de relancer la polemique?

V.B.: Je n’ai aucune haine contre les Turcs. Je plains simplement
ce peuple auquel les dirigeants ne disent pas la verite. Mon père a
perdu trente un membres de sa famille, tous morts les yeux ouverts.

Toute sa vie, ma mère m’a repete ne me laisse pas mourir les yeux
ouverts. J’espère qu’on verra un jour un grand homme turc reconnaître
le genocide armenien pour qu’on puisse enfin tourner cette page de
notre histoire.

PROPOS RECUEILLIS PAR TIPHANIE ROQUETTE

– A 18 h Cafe La Galerne, 148 rue Victor-Hugo. Tel. 02.35.43.22.52.

–Boundary_(ID_7c+yC1fUzRjCkl+75i sU7A)–

POLICE FIND WEAPONS IN WESTERN AZERI DISTRICT AFTER TIP-OFF

Lider TV, Baku
6 Mar 06

[Presenter] A large batch of arms and ammunition has been found by
the side of a road between Xanlar and Goy Gol [western Azerbaijan].

The person who had left the weapons tipped off the Xanlar district
police.

[Correspondent, over video of cartridges, guns] A total of 4,500 5.45
mm bullets, four magazines, two Kalashnikov rifles, one sawn-off
16 mm shotgun, four F-1 hand grenades, a 32-mm hunting rifle, one
small-calibre pistol, 120 machine-gun cartridges and a bayonet were
found following an anonymous call to the duty unit of the Xanlar
police.

Police chief Maharram Quliyev said that the weapons had been left
by the side of the Xanlar – Goy Gol road. Some people resort to such
methods because they are cautious about handing over their weapons.

[Maharram Quliyev] Those were the weapons given to people at the
start of the war [for Nagornyy Karabakh] in 1990-91 when the state
was not strong enough. People are handing over the weapons that were
given to them during the war.

[Correspondent] A similar anonymous call was made to the Xanlar
police earlier this year. The police then discovered a five-shot gun
and cartridges.

OSKANIAN AND BRYZA DISCUSS KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net/
07.03.2006 21:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a meeting of Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian
with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs Matthew Bryza US-Armenian cooperation matters were discussed,
as well as some international and regional issues. V. Oskanian
appreciated US Government’s continuing assistance to Armenia in
building a democratic society, human rights protection and economic
field. Details of assistance to Armenia within Millenium Challenges
Account were discussed. Energy problems in the region were also touched
upon. Oskanian briefs the US State Department representative with basic
direction of Armenia’s foreign policy. He emphasized the importance
of the NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), as well as
talks on Armenia’s participation in the European Neighborhood Policy
(ENP), the second round of which successfully completed on March
6. The parties also discussed matters of peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the situation after the latest talks,
reported the Press Service of the Armenian MFA.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA RECALLED DUE TO STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.03.2006 22:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans is recalled to
Washington, reports the California Courier. John Evans has already
informed the Armenian Government on his withdrawal. His statement
on the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 was the cause
of the recall of the American Ambassador. According to the source,
the US Senate has already approved the candidacy of new Ambassador to
Armenia: incumbent Ambassador to Tajikistan Richard E. Hoagland will
take the office of the Ambassador to Armenia. It should be reminded
that during a meeting with San Francisco Armenian community February
19, 2005 J. Evans said, “recognition of the Armenian Genocide
is important.” “Today I will call it Armenian Genocide,” Evans
stated. US Administration and officials are used to avoiding the term
“genocide”. “No US official ever denied this fact – I believe playing
with words in this case would not suit Americans,” Evans said. “I
believe things should be called their proper names, however US official
policy has not changed yet, as ties with Turkey are available within
the NATO, especially in the military field.” “The Armenian Genocide
was the first genocide in the 20th century. I assure you that we are
going to work well over this problem,” John Evans added.

Later on, when delivering a speech at the US Embassy in Armenia
February 28, 2005, John Evans wished to clarify his statement, made
February 19, reports IA Regnum. “I want to explain the US policy.

The definitions on the tragedy of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey
and future status of Nagorno Karabakh that I assumed during an
unofficial meeting with the US Armenian community can give cause for
misunderstanding.” “In spite I noted that the US policy towards the
Armenian tragedy did not change, I used the word “genocide”, which
reflected my personal point of view – that of John Evans and not a
politician. However, it was inappropriate,” the Ambassador stated.

The US Embassy in Armenia refused from commenting the report to
PanARMENIAN.Net.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GUL: SECURITY AND STABILITY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.03.2006 22:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ensuring security and stability in the South
Caucasus has always been a priority to Turkey’s foreign policy,
Turkish FM Abdullah Gul said. “Our relations with states of the region
rest on deep historic and cultural roots. Presence of independent,
peacefully co-existing and cooperating states with political and
economic stability is important to us in the South Caucasus in that
respect,” the Turkish FM said. In his words, strategic cooperation of
Ankara with Azerbaijan and Georgia strengthens. We make consecutive
efforts to strengthen independence and sovereignty, as well as preserve
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Georgia,” Abdullah Gul added.

“We highlight relations with Azerbaijan, which are best reflected in
the words of the late Heydar Aliyev: “One nation, two states.” Turkey
provided comprehensive military, financial, technical, education
support to Baku and it will continue doing it,” Gul said. In
his words, democratization in South Caucasus is a major goal of
Turkey’s foreign policy. “Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia lately
implemented joint projects, each of which can be considered as
“a success formula.” The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline beginning
operation in 2006, planned completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas
pipeline this year, as well as engineering assessment of the building
of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway, which we hope to put into
operation as soon as possible are some of these important projects,”
the Turkish FM said, reports Trend agency.

HOVHANNES IGITYAN: NEW REFERENDUM IN KARABAKH IS A TRAP

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.03.2006 23:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A new referendum in Nagorno Karabakh proposed at
the Rambouillet meeting of the Armenian and Azeri Presidents is a
trap, Chair of External Relations Commission of the National Assembly
of Armenia in 1995-1999 Hovhannes Igityan stated in a conversation
with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, the returns of the
referendum on NKR’s independence in 1991 are in fact canceled if it is
the case. “The move can be considered as a concession by Azerbaijan,
however it is not so. The NKR should be the one to set conditions
of holding (or not holding) a referendum. A legal formula should be
“invented” for displaced persons and refugees – only the NKR Ministry
of Internal Affairs can deal with that,” Igityan remarked. At that
he added that the legal framework for recognition of Nagorno Karabakh
independence will be weakened.

BAKU CALLED ARMENIA AGGRESSOR SO MANY TIMES, THAT BELIEVED IT

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.03.2006 23:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The format of peace talks over the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict has changed during the 7-8 years, Chair of External Relations
Commission of the National Assembly of Armenia in 1995-1999 Hovhannes
Igityan stated in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In
his words, both subjective and objective factors were present in
this case. “In 1998 new President Robert Kocharian came to power and
the foreign policy of changed naturally. New authorities pursued the
policy of bilateral talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which suited
rather well to the opposing party. The methodology of the conflict
changed. Azerbaijan started calling Armenia as an aggressor country
exclusively. Azeris said it so many times, that they started believing
it even themselves,” Igityan underscored.

In his opinion, each new meeting of the two presidents and mediators
only legalized that new format. “The OSCE MG accepted those changes
with pleasure – there was one problem solved. However, it should not
be forgotten that signatures of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the NKR are
under the Bishkek agreement on cease-fire. As of the participation
of the so-called “Azeri community” of NK, lead by Nizami Bakhmanov,
in the talks, it is absurd at all. Nizami Bakhmanov is not a juridical
person and is not entitled to represent anyone,” Igityan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress