Nicosia: `Minorities should be made to do the army’

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
March 12 2006
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
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`Minorities should be made to do the army’
By Jacqueline Theodoulou

MINORITY religious groups of Armenians, Latins and Maronites, should
be made to join the National Guard like everyone else, Ombudswoman
Eliana Nicolaou has ruled.
Nicolaou, who is also head of the Authority against Racism and
Discrimination, acted after a group of Greek Cypriots requested that
she investigate whether the fact that these minority groups were not
made to do military service constituted a form of unfair treatment
and discrimination.

The Ombudswoman’s report ruled in favour of the plaintiffs and was
sent on to the Defence Ministry, with the request that the
appropriate regulations be made and discrimination against Greek
Cypriot youths in favour of the minority groups be lifted.

But Maronite House Antonis Hadjiroussos described Nicolaou’s report
as `superficial and lacking in depth’, and said the matter would be
discussed with representatives from other minority groups.

`We have never refused to join the army. It was the government that
decided that Maronites were not obliged to join the army. I don’t
know why the Ombudswoman is now describing this as discrimination.

`We will discuss the matter with Nicolaou and the other minorities
and will then decide how to react.’

According to Dr Vahakn Atamian, Armenian House Representative, the
groups are planning to meet President Tassos Papadopoulos and discuss
the matter.

`After that, we will see how we will proceed,’ Atamian said
yesterday.

Following a recommendation by the National Guard, almost no members
of the above minorities have served in the National Guard since the
1960s. And due to the small number of their communities’ members,
only a few dozens of Armenian, Maronite and Latin 18-year-olds avoid
the call-up every year.

The Defence Ministry is examining Nicolaou’s report and will be
giving an official response soon.

Taleh Ziyadov: What is next in the Karabakh Peace Process?

Regnum, Russia –
March 12 2006

Taleh Ziyadov: What is next in the Karabakh Peace Process?

In Paris last month, another round of negotiations between Armenia
and Azerbaijan attempting to resolve the eighteen years old Karabakh
conflict ended with no results. The OSCE Minsk group mediators from
France, Russia and the United States watched quietly as Armenia’s
President Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev
tried and failed to agree on a framework document, which was supposed
to be the foundation for future talks.

The so-called Prague peace progress, which has been going on for more
than two years, has reached its climax in Paris. The talks revealed
that in the view of today’s political realities and the situation on
the ground in the South Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan are not
ready to sign any agreements in 2006. It suddenly became clear when
the two presidents failed to reconcile the issues of security,
self-determination and territorial integrity.

Once again the negotiations collapsed. But this time they also buried
along all hopes for a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict in
the near future. This has left many western officials, regional
experts and ordinary citizens alike anxiously guessing about what is
next in the Karabakh peace process.

As cynical as it may seem, the Karabakh peace process does not have a
bright future. Out of many possible development scenarios, there are
three main courses of action: a status quo, a new war or a solution
within the framework of territorial integrity. Although the last
option holds the key to a long-term peace in the region, in the
absence of international pressure the first two choices are bound to
overweight the third one.

A status quo option is the most likely alternative between now and
2008 – a year when both countries will have their next presidential
elections. This does not mean, however, that political, economic and
military processes will go smoothly in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenia has already threatened that in case the negotiations fail,
Yerevan may recognize a self-declared and unrecognized
Nagorno-Karabakh republic. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, repeated
that if the peace process is unsuccessful, Baku will use all possible
means, including the military option, to restore the territorial
integrity of the country.

Moreover, during this temporary status quo period, Armenia will be
further isolated from regional energy and transportation projects and
Azerbaijan will triple or quadruple its military budget thanks to
money from the country’s energy exports.

The growing economic and military strength will make Azerbaijan even
more reluctant to consent to solutions that are on the table today.
The increasing self-confidence and loud demands of anxious refugees
and internally displaced will compel the future Azerbaijani
governments to take increasingly drastic actions to settle the
conflict by force. Then it will be not a question of `whether or
not’, but rather `when’ a new war is likely to begin.

Yet, neither a prolonged status quo nor a new war will settle the
Karabakh conflict permanently. Instead, a peace and prosperity for
Armenians and Azerbaijanis will come out of the optimal proposal – a
solution that will guarantee the security and self-governance rights
of Armenian and Azerbaijani ethnic communities of Karabakh without
breaking up the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan.

The security of Armenians in Karabakh has been the major concern of
Yerevan. Armenia wants to make sure that Armenians in the region will
be safe and secure after the pullout of all Armenian troops from
Azerbaijan. This genuine concern, however, becomes hypocritical and
damaging when President Kocharyan continues to reject solutions that
incorporate options that guarantee the security of Karabakh Armenians
within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

If President Kocharyan is sincere in his statements, he should work
constructively to find an optimum, not maximum, solution. President
Aliyev has already stated that he is open to all proposals that do
not jeopardize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

In fact, the resolution model for the Aland Islands – predominantly
Swedish province of Finland – that was recently circulated in the
Armenian and Azerbaijani media, could constitute a good framework for
addressing concerns of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia could
obtain exclusive rights for security of Karabakh Armenians and
resolve the issue of the region’s final status without delay, while
Azerbaijan will preserve its territorial integrity and return its
extensive IDP population back to their homes.

This year might be the last time when Armenians and Azerbaijanis will
have a real chance to settle their disputes peacefully. A lack of
international attention and pressure, a rapidly vanishing mutual
trust between two nations, and further delays in the peace process
will inevitable strengthen the hands of those who advocate a military
solution for the conflict. This could lead to unanticipated actions
that would bring more misfortune to both nations and the whole South
Caucasus region.

Taleh Ziyadov holds a Master’s degree from the School of Foreign
Service at Georgetown University. He specializes in energy, security
and geopolitical issues in the Caspian region and Eurasia.
From: Baghdasarian

South Caucasus: Slow progress on plans for closer EU ties

EurasiaNet, NY
March 11 2006

SOUTH CAUCASUS: SLOW PROGRESS ON PLANS FOR CLOSER EU TIES
Ahto Lobjakas 3/11/06
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

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Officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were in Brussels in
recent days for another round of talks on “action plans” for closer
EU links. Although it is now a year since the European Commission
first proposed the “action plans,” there is no end in sight to the
process. EU officials say the talks have proven complex. It also
appears Azerbaijan must overcome a spat with Cyprus over its ties to
Northern Cyprus before the “action plans” can be formally approved by
the EU.

The Commission tabled its proposals for the “action plans” for the
three South Caucasus countries in March, 2005. The plans detail the
assistance the EU will offer Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan over the
next few years.

All three countries are keen to pursue closer ties with the EU. Yet
their second round of talks with the EU this week did not prove
conclusive.

European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin told RFE/RL that the EU is
moving as quickly as possible.

“We are hoping to be able to conclude consultations on the action
plans for all three countries of the South Caucasus as rapidly as
possible, and consultations up to this point have gone very well,”
Udwin said. “We’ve just completed the second round — the first was
held just before Christmas — and we are making very good progress.
We are narrowing down the number of topics that still have to be
tackled.”

However, Udwin said a third round of talks will be needed. Commission
sources say these may take place in the second half of May.
Commission officials refuse to elaborate on the details of the talks,
saying it could have a negative impact.

Udwin said there was no political motive behind this extension of the
“action plan” talks, and no technical difficulties holding things up.

“There is no delay as such; we started a little later than some had
hoped, but the consultations, now they are under way, are going
extremely well,” she said. “It’s important to understand that the
action plans that we’re talking about cover a very wide range of
policy areas and each of the difficult chapters has to be tackled and
they have a number of very precise points within them.”

Georgia’s Many Goals

Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Valeri Chechelashvili told
journalists in Brussels two days after his round of talks on March 7
that there is agreement with the EU on about three-quarters of the
contents of the “action plan.” He said the round of talks in May
could prove to be the last.

Chechelasvili said Georgia would like the “action plan” to contain a
reference to the prospect of free trade with the EU. He said Georgia
is preparing to unilaterally give up trade restrictions for the
entire world, but understands that the EU is not keen to tackle the
issue within the framework of the present talks. Georgia would also
like the EU to ease its visa regime, having itself unilaterally
lifted its visa requirements for EU citizens.

EU sources have told RFE/RL, however, that the bulk of Georgia’s
diplomatic energy is currently focused on securing greater EU
involvement in conflict resolution — something the “action plans” do
not encompass beyond a reference to the EU’s readiness to assist with
postconflict rehabilitation.

The Georgian minister for conflict resolution, Georgi Khaidrava, was
also in Brussels in recent days. According to diplomats, he was
lobbying EU member states to join the Joint Control Commission —
which is tasked with monitoring the situation in the South Ossetian
conflict zone and is comprised of Georgia, the breakaway republic of
South Ossetia, Russia, and the Russian republic of North Ossetia —
to contribute peacekeepers for the breakaway republic of South
Ossetia, and to agree to set up a border monitoring mission.

Azerbaijan-Cyprus Spat Delaying Matters?

The EU itself is at the point of dispatching a formal reply to an
earlier letter from the Georgian government for assistance.

Armenia’s main sticking point in the “action plan” talks appears to
be the future of the Medzamor nuclear plant. Yerevan is keen to
secure more financial EU support for the decommissioning of the plant
and securing alternative energy supplies.

Azerbaijan’s main problem regarding the negotiations is with Cyprus.
The EU member state has, in the course of the past year, put the
brakes on EU-South Caucasus progress over Baku’s apparent willingness
to pursue ties with Northern Cyprus. The internationally unrecognized
government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus relies on
backing from Turkey. Ankara is also a close ally of Baku.

EU officials say Azerbaijan has only allowed one commercial flight to
take place in violation of the policy of isolation followed by the EU
with regard to Northern Cyprus, but refuses to commit itself
unequivocally to ruling out any further flights. Similarly, Baku
refuses to take steps to close down a cultural exchange center in
Northern Cyprus, which it says is operated privately.

The Azerbaijani-Cypriot spat may partly account for why the EU is
content to put off the conclusion of the talks on the “action plans”
by a few more months.

EU officials say that Cyprus is likely to prevent the South Caucasus
action plans from coming into effect unless Azerbaijan clearly
renounces links to Northern Cyprus.

AbuDhabi: 25th anniversary celebration in Abu Dhabi

Azad Hye, United Arab Emirates
March 12 2006

UAE Armenians > 25th anniversary celebration in Abu Dhabi

Azad-Hye, Dubai, 13 March 2006: The Armenian Community School of Abu
Dhabi celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Friday, March 10, 2006. The
function took place at `The Club’ in Abu Dhabi and the hall was
packed to capacity with students, teachers, former students, parents
and friends – some of them from Sharjah and Dubai – who had come to
participate in this memorable event (about 180 attendants
altogether).

The function was held under the auspices of the Catholicosal Vicar of
Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf Countries, His Eminence Archbishop Gorun
Babian, who had come from Kuwait especially for this occasion.
Present also were His Excellency Dr. Arshak Poladian, Ambassador of
the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Marat Melikian, 3rd Secretary and Head
of the Consular Office, members of the Armenian Community Council of
Abu Dhabi, the Executive Council, members of the Community Council of
the Northern Emirates, the principal of the Ohannessian School of
Sharjah.

The first part of the program consisted of an exhibition of pictures,
posters and handicraft prepared by the students of the school
especially for this occasion. There was a 25th Anniversary
commemorative book which was a compilation of two and half decades of
school activities and achievements (you can download a complete copy
or selected parts of the book from the links provided below). Mugs
and caps displaying the 25th anniversary logo, designed by Mr. Raffi
Simonian, were on sale for a nominal fee.

Upon the arrival of the guests of honor, Archbishop Babian and
Ambassador Poladian, the program got under way. After the Hymn of the
Republic of Armenia, sung by the audience, the principal of 23 years,
Mrs. Tamar Der-Ohannessian delivered the opening speech, highlighting
the major role the weekly school plays in the Armenian Community of
Abu Dhabi. There was a slide show prepared by Mr. Berge Ohannessian,
one of the former students of the school, which delighted all those
present, at the same time conveying a feeling of nostalgia, as
everyone recognized themselves and their children throughout the past
years. Copy of the slide show was distributed with the commemorative
book.

The school children sang and recited in a very well rehearsed manner.

Ambassador Poladian took the podium to express his heartfelt
appreciation and delight on this occasion, praising the devotion and
hard work of both teachers and students. Then, he invited Archbishop
Babian to present him with the passport of the Republic of Armenia,
as a token of recognition of his services in Iran and GCC countries
(Babian has been the Prelate of Isfahan for more than two decades
before moving to Kuwait).

The keynote speaker of the day was Archbishop Babian himself, who
first addressed the children delighting them with his easygoing
manner, encouraging them to answer his questions regarding how much
they loved the Armenian school, the Armenian language and their
fatherland, Armenia. Then, on a more serious note, he expressed his
appreciation and gratitude to the teachers for their devotion,
perseverance and patience in the great effort of teaching the mother
tongue and history, culture and religion to the new generation.

The names of all the teachers who had taught and still did at the
school were read, and all those present came forward to receive a red
rose from the Armenian Community Council.

Two teachers, Mrs. Arous Ohannessian and Mrs. Tamar Der-Ohannessian
(the principal of the school), were presented with beautiful framed
plates etched with the school 25th Anniversary logo for their work of
over 23 years at the school.

The ceremony was concluded with a large celebration cake brought to
the front to loud cheers and singing from the audience. This was
followed with the ceremonial cutting. Souvenir pictures were taken.

A sumptuous reception followed the ceremony where everyone had the
chance to sample great food and conversation.

It was indeed an appropriate tribute to 25 years of achievement.

The event as announced in our Events Calendar:

sp?evid=48

Website of the School:

(You are invited to post your comment in the Guestbook and read the
comments of graduates and friends of the School)

The 25th anniversary commemorative book – online version:

Complete version (7.51 MB):
sary-book.pdf

We have divided the book into four sections to help you to download
each section separately, if you wish to do so:

Preface (1.23 MB)

Phot o gallery – Part I (2.31 MB)
-1.pdf

Photo gallery – Part II (2.22 MB)
-2.pdf)

Index (2.45 MB):

The contents of the above commemorative book:

Page 1: Logo.

Pages 3-5: Brief history of the school (Armenian and English).

Pages 6-8: Messages of Archbishops Gorun Babian and Oshagan Choloyan.

Page 9: Message of Mrs. Tamar Der-Ohannessian, Principal of the
School.

Page 10: Message of the founding Principal Sona Badalian.

Page 11: Co-founder Mrs. Ashkhen Arzoumanian tells the story of
opening the School.

Page 12: Alice Ohannessian a graduate of the School interviews
another graduate Alenoush Shahmirzayan-Seraidarian, on the occasion
of having the later’s daughter registered as second generation
student in the school.

Page 13: `My Story’, Lena Derohannessian, daughter of the Principal
of the School and a graduate herself, remembers what school meant and
continues to mean for her.

Page 14: `I am an Armenian’, by Shaghig Toukhmanian Festekjian.

Page 15: `My first little Armenia’, by Sareen Sanossian.

Page 16: List of locations where the Armenian school held its classes
since 1981.

Page 17: Meeting of the graduates in Abu Dhabi, on 3rd February 2006.

Pages 19-45: About 130 photos covering school years 1981-2006.

Pages 46-49: Visitors of the school such as Historian Nikolai
Hovhannissian (1986), Catholicos Aram I (1988), Poet Razmig Tavoyan
(1992), Poetess Silva Gaboudigian (1996), Poet Kevork Emin (1998),
Professor Architect Varaztad Haroutounian, Minister Vartan Oskanian
(1999) and Bishop Nareg Alaemezian (2001).

Pages 50-58: Complete list of students and teachers during the last
25 years.

Page 59: Gratitude page for those who contributed to the success of
the Armenian Community School of Abu Dhabi during the past 25 years.

Pages 60-62: Press clips.

Pages 63-64: Pamphlets of graduation ceremonies.

The publication of the book has been made possible by Leon and Tamar
Der-Ohannessian

http://www.azad-hye.net/events/events.a
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/25th-anniver
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/preface.pdf
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/photo-gallery
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/photo-gallery
http://www.azad-hye.com/adschool/index.pdf

Gorky proves worthy as abstract expressionist

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
March 5, 2006 Sunday
FOURTH EDITION

Gorky proves worthy as abstract expressionist

By David Bonetti POST-DISPATCH VISUAL ARTS CRITIC

It was Jackson Pollock who, in Willem de Kooning’s words, “broke the
ice,” creating in an amazing act of inspiration the so-called “drip”
paintings that have since defined abstract expression. But it was
Arshile Gorky, the dark, gloom-enshrouded refugee from Armenia, who
first found his mature voice as a painter among the artists of that
haunted generation that helped make New York the world’s art capital.

Gorky (1904-48) was the great apprentice of his time. One after
another, he tried on the styles of the painters of the near past,
only to throw them off when a new avatar appeared to him. What Gorky
did that was original and remains impressive was to combine Picasso’s
cubist space with Miro’s biomorphic surrealist imagery as if they
were one thing.

Gorky is seldom seen hereabouts, so this exhibition MOCRA is
presenting is greatly welcomed.

The show, which comes from Jack Rutberg Fine Arts in Los Angeles,
features 43 drawings from Gorky’s apprenticeship years. From his
start, Gorky was a superb draftsman, so it offers many small
pleasures to those who appreciate fine drawing.

What’s more, it allows the forensically inclined viewer to watch a
particular form transmute from representational to abstract to
representational again. And for those who know them, the payoff is to
see the genesis of the sexually charged forms that dominate Gorky’s
mature works.

In the current show, the form to follow is kidney-shaped, which
appears as a breast, a gourd, a peanut, a compote, a cartoon-like
head.

In two graphite drawings of female nudes from the mid-’30s, hung side
by side, you can see how Gorky was pushing himself out of the
familiar into the undiscovered. In one, a finely delineated portrait
of a woman with a stylish ’30s hairdo has been cut off from the rest
of his drawing by a crudely scrawled rectangular frame. Below the
cut-off point hangs a pair of large breasts turning into soft
geometric forms. In the adjacent drawing, the entire nude is composed
of interlocking kidney or peanut forms — the arm and shoulder, the
knee, the thigh/rump, the torso, the head. What Gorky had repressed
returns to dominate.

Despite a number of nude studies here, the still life, cubism’s
primary medium of experimentation, predominates. In these studies,
some quite beautiful, Gorky explores the possibilities of
representing three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface that
Picasso and Braque, taking off from Cézanne, had explored earlier.

This exhibition is as much about Hans Burkhardt as it is about Gorky.
The Swiss-born Burkhardt (1904-94) was a student and studio mate of
Gorky who saved a cache of works that the impulsive Gorky was
throwing out when he was evicted. Burkhardt moved to Los Angeles in
1937 and became one of the major abstract painters of that emergent
cultural center.

There are four paintings in the show. One is a portrait by Gorky of
the young, stiff Burkhardt holding his palette. Two others are
collaborations between student and pupil, showing various allegiances
to Picasso and Miro. The fourth, a Cézannesque landscape of Staten
Island by Gorky, demonstrates that Gorky was a very good apprentice.

Brooks did better

James Brooks (1906-1992) was born in St. Louis, but by the time he
was 5 he moved with his family to Oklahoma and Texas. By 1926, he
liberated himself by moving to New York, where he became a minor
member of the abstract expressionist fraternity.

The Greenberg Van Doren Gallery represents his estate, and in this,
his centennial year, the gallery is showing his work. One doesn’t
know if it is intentionally a centennial show or not, because the
gallery’s promotional materials make no mention of it.

Unfortunately, the show confirms Brooks’ second-rate status. Only a
handful of the dozen and a half works on view suggest a major talent.
In most of the dreary abstractions, Brooks’ inept drawing, jejune
sense of composition and disregard for surface dominate the viewing
experience. Color is Brooks’ strong point, but these works fail to
exploit even that virtue.

“Maruga” a 1962 vibrant composition of red, white, black and gray,
hints at what Brooks could do. I’ve seen better Brooks. This show
does him no honor.

‘Gorky: The Early Years, Paintings and Drawings, 1929-1937’

Where: The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, 3700 West Pine Mall,
St. Louis University

When: Through March 12. Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through
Sunday.

How much: free

More info: 314-977-7170 or

‘James Brooks: Small Paintings and Works on Paper’

Where: Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, 3540 Washington Avenue

When: Through March 25. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday

How much: free

More info: 314-361-7600 or

www.slu.edu
www.greenbergvandoren.com

Armenian minister says Azerbaijan not ready for Karabakh war

Armenian minister says Azerbaijan not ready for Karabakh war

Arminfo, Yerevan
11 Mar 06

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said that Azerbaijan is
not ready for war over Nagornyy Karabakh.

In an interview to Armenian TV channel Shant, carried by Arminfo news
agency on 11 March, Sarkisyan said that the Azerbaijani leadership
will not risk starting war against Armenia. “The military resolution
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is simply ruled out. They cannot
daunt the Armenian side, nor can they change our position by this,” he
said.

Oskanyan said that Azerbaijan can achieve a lot through
negotiations. “If today the Azerbaijani side is not ready to or cannot
take the risk of achieving the settlement of the issue by way of a
simple compromise, it will never risk finding a military solution to
the issue,” he said.

The Azerbaijani leadership is not ready for any risk today, especially
considering the clear pressure from the international community
regarding this matter, Oskanyan said. Investment worth billions in
that country will be the first victim of new war, should it start.
“Nobody will allow Azerbaijan to unleash war against Armenia,” he
stressed.

Oskanyan said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that
“Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is not subject to discussion” is
for “domestic use”. He said that the key issue in the peace process is
the right of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh to
self-determination. “This has now become irreversible,” he stressed,
adding that Azerbaijan will have to address this issue regardless of
whether it wants to or not. He said that major pressure is being
exerted on Azerbaijan with regard to this issue. He stressed that now
the essence of the matter is in the connection between the usage of
the right to self-determination and the resolution of all other
issues. “If we manage to correctly formulate this connection and come
to a compromise decision on this issue, I think it will make it
possible to push the process,” he said.

Otherwise, it will mean that Azerbaijan remains on its maximalist
positions and the process still remains where it has been, he added.

The minister said that now it is Azerbaijan’s turn to make
compromises. “We have made our share of compromises… I think what we
have given agreement on is the utmost line beyond which Armenia really
cannot go. At the same time, Azerbaijan has not yet reached that
line. So, really a lot depends on Azerbaijan today,” he
stressed. “There is a balanced option on the negotiating table which
can be painful for both sides and at the same time provide great
opportunities. This chance cannot be missed. Azerbaijan must introduce
its share of compromises into the talks,” he said. The minister added
that it is no coincidence that the US mediator in the Nagornyy
Karabakh peace process is going to visit the region. The mediator is
visiting in order to “take some promises from the Azerbaijani
president so that we can continue the process,” Oskanyan said.

If the Karabakh peace talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents held at Rambouillet in France on 10-11 February had been
successful, Nagornyy Karabakh would have been involved in the
negotiating process, Oskanyan said.

“Armenia must continue to be involved in the negotiating process. But
Karabakh must become a participant in the negotiating process at some
stage, and if progress had been achieved at Rambouillet, I think that
stage would have arrived, and Nagornyy Karabakh would have been
involved in the process,” he said, adding that without Nagornyy
Karabakh’s participation at this stage “we simply cannot imagine the
definitive settlement of the issue”.

He said that Armenian Robert Kocharyan’s statement on the possibility
of recognition of the independence of Nagornyy Karabakh was a message
to Azerbaijan which should have a think about it. “Azerbaijan must
understand that we eventually may see for ourselves… that they are
not ready to hold talks on what is on the negotiating table and that
they aspire to remain on their maximalist positions,” he said. This
may also lead us to believe that “this position will not change and
that they, not reaching the maximum, may go for military action. This
must dictate some other steps on our side,” the minister added.

Oskanyan said he does not believe that the Armenian side is losing the
propagandist warfare. “Although Turkey and Azerbaijan have more
possibilities today, nonetheless, Armenia is not in a bad position in
this regard either,” he said. “The struggle is difficult, we are
making great efforts, but I believe that basically we are managing to
maintain the balance,” he said. At the same time, he agreed that the
propagandist warfare intensified following the Rambouillet talks.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgian governor dismisses Armenian rioters as “common criminals”

Georgian governor dismisses ethnic Armenian rioters as “common criminals”

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
12 Mar 06

[Presenter] In Akhalkalaki [town in southern Georgia populated mainly
by ethnic Armenians], where the Russian military base is still
stationed, a court and university building have been ransacked. The
alleged pretext was the killing of an Armenian youth in Tsalka
[another town in southern Georgia with a large ethnic Armenian
population]. However, new demands were heard in Akhalkalaki, from
where our correspondent reports.

[Correspondent] Members of the Armenian public council staged a rally
in the centre of Akhalkalaki at about noon [on 11 March]. The
organizers cited a murder in Tsalka several days earlier as the
reason. Akhalkalaki’s Armenian population is convinced that their
kinsman in Tsalka was killed precisely because he was Armenian.

[Azat Mipaktsyan, captioned as chairman of the Javakheti
intelligentsia organization, in Russian] Gevork Gevorkyan was killed
in Tsalka in what we are told was a common street fight. The people
rose in order to prevent such incidents in future.

[Correspondent] Members of the Armenian public organization say that
the resettlement of people from other parts of Georgia is behind the
frequent conflicts in Tsalka. They want the authorities to ensure the
safety of ethnic Armenian residents.

[Vardan Akopyan, captioned as chairman of Akhalkalaki youth
organization, in Russian] People are outraged by the fact that the
Georgians studying there [at the university in Akhalkalaki] are not
local.

[Correspondent to Akopyan] Where are they from?

[Akopyan] For example, from Kutaisi or Zugdidi. They have been
provided with accommodation. We have a very hard climate here, but all
the necessary conditions are being created for them and they are also
being paid scholarships.

There are already hundreds of such people here.

[Correspondent] After the rally, people broke into the Akhalkalaki
District court in protest at the dismissal of ethnic Armenian
judges. The next object of public anger was the Akhalkalaki branch of
the [Tbilisi] state university.

Protesters broke down the main door and ransacked the building. They
said that Armenians, unlike Georgians, could not study there because
tuition was in Georgian.

[Akopyan] The Armenian language should be declared a state language in
places where Armenians live in compact communities. There are a total
of almost 200,000 ethnic Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti [province
which includes Akhalkalaki] and in the 13 Armenian villages in Tsalka
District. We see this as our right, especially as the right of the
local people, people who were born here. This would lift most of the
tension.

[Correspondent] According eyewitnesses, angry people also broke into
the local office of the [Georgian] Orthodox Church. Nuns say that they
were looking for arms. [Passage omitted]

The governor [of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Giorgi Khachidze] has arrived in
Akhalkalaki to look into the situation.

[Khachidze] These are common criminals. Criminals have no nationality.
Some little men organized this. They brought uneducated children here
who committed these acts of vandalism. These are common criminals who
are no better than those who killed an ethnic Armenian youth in Tsalka
several days ago.

[Correspondent] Criminal proceedings have been launched in connection
with these incidents [riots], but Samtskhe-Javakheti police have not
yet arrested anyone.

BAKU: Lord Russell-Johnston to give talk on NK conflict in PACE

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 12 2006

Lord Russell-Johnston to give a talk on Nagorno Karabakh conflict in
PACE Political Committee tomorrow

[ 12 Mar. 2006 14:35 ]

A regular meeting of the Political Committee of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will be held tomorrow.
Information of the lord Russell-Johnston on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict was also included in the agenda of the PACE Political
Committee.

As APA was told by the press-service of Milli Majlis, the chair of
the standing committee for international and interparliamentary
affairs of Milli Majlis, head of the Azerbaijani delegation in PACE
Samad Seidov will also attend the meeting of the Political Committee.
In parallel with the information of lord Russell-Johnston, members of
the PACE Political Committee will also discuss situation in Middle
East, Kazakhstan and Belarus, issues on European Muslim communities’
facing cases of extremism, and hold an exchange of views on future
activity of the Committee. /APA/

Levon Aronyan ` winner of the Linares Super Chess Tournament

Levon Aronyan ` winner of the Linares Super Chess Tournament

Armradio
12.03.2006 15:09

Levon Aronyan won the Super Chess Tournament, featuring eight leading
Grand Masters of the world held in the Spanish city of Linares. In the
last round Levon Aronyan defeated Peter Leko of Hungary, who was
leading during the whole course of the tornament. Thus, gaining 8.5
points, Levon Aronyan headed the list of the Super Tournament. As it
is known, up until the last round four chess players were applying for
victory. However, in the last round all of the four players played a
draw. In the result, our compatriot, 23 year-old Levon Aronyan
achieved his second greatest victory.

To remind, earlier Levon Aronyan had become FIDE World Cup holder in
Khanti-Mansiysk city of Russia. We congratulate Levon Aronyan and
believe that this is one of his recurrent victories, not the last one.

Churches Think ‘Small’ In Cooperation

CHURCHES THINK ‘SMALL’ IN COOPERATION
By Brian Murphy

Lowell Sun (Massachusetts)
March 11, 2006 Saturday

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil –Charged with promoting Christian unity, the
World Council of Churches has taken its work seriously — each of its
meetings has grown bigger and more ambitious over the past six decades.

But now even some of the most ardent backers of the WCC’s mission
are wondering if smaller may be better.

During the WCC’s latest global assembly — bringing together 4,000
envoys from more than 350 churches — delegates challenged the group
to look hard at whether such parliament-style, mega-meetings are still
relevant at a time when Christianity is being rapidly reordered around
the world.

In the West, mainline Protestant churches face graying congregations
and declining influence. Some denominations, most notably Anglicans,
also are in danger in splintering over disputes on gay clergy and
same-sex blessings. Pentecostal and evangelical movements, meanwhile,
keep steamrolling through Africa, Latin America and elsewhere —
but accounted for less than 2 percent of participants at the WCC
gathering in February.

“The ecumenism of structures, the ecumenism of papers and documents and
speeches has reached its limits,” said Norberto Saracco, a Pentecostal
pastor and theologian from Argentina. “We cannot continue in this way.”

It was more than just grumbling from groups outside the World Council
of Churches, whose core membership includes mainline Protestants,
Anglicans and Orthodox churches. [The Roman Catholic Church is not
a member, but cooperates closely.]

The keynote address of the conference repeatedly raised the idea
that Christian churches need to find clearer ways to connect and
cooperate beyond simply sharing the stage at meetings and issuing
joint communiques.

Catholicos Aram I, the spiritual head of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
sounded at times like a CEO, saying the WCC must become more “efficient
and credible” and reverse an “in-house mood of restlessness,” with
the group’s income falling about 30 percent since 1999.

Aram, the moderator of the assembly, urged for more outreach to the
evangelical powerhouses and stressed that the WCC members must learn
how to engage more with youth or risk becoming spiritual dinosaurs.

“The ecumenical movement, for some, is getting old. For others,
it has already become obsolete,” he told the conference last week.

“Institutional ecumenism has been preoccupied with its own problems
and, therefore, lost touch with the issues facing the churches.”

The modern map of the Christian world has little in common with
the Euro-centric model at the WCC’s founding congress in 1948. The
Christian centers of gravity now reside in the countries where European
missionaries once brought the faith.

“Mainstream Christianity is aging and falling in number,” Aram said.

“Christianity is re-emerging with new faces and forms … that have
dramatically changed the Christian panorama.”

But it’s not clear what that means for the WCC and its tradition
of big tent meetings. The only consensus is that it cannot afford
to freeze out the Pentecostal, evangelical and related churches,
which some experts predict could account for more than a third of
the world’s 2.2 billion Christians in less than 20 years.

The handful of Pentecostal and evangelical guests at the Brazil
conference expressed a desire for closer contact with the WCC, but
gave no clues on how it could happen. There is still deep resistance
across the movements for such pan-Christian alliances.

Many pastors worry that the WCC will try to rein in their spontaneous
style of worship and their plans for expansion, which are often
bankrolled by what’s called “the Gospel of prosperity” which says
God smiles on those who help the church.

But the mainline churches seem to have little choice but to make
room. Some WCC veterans say the future could include fewer academic
speeches and large conventions. Instead, they foresee more attempts
at joint worship and social programs –especially those aimed at
young people in the West.