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

ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL WORKS WITHIN KARS-AKHALKALAKI PROJECT TO FINISH IN 2006
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 00:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The project of new railway
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku (KATB) provides for building direct rail
communication between Turkey and Georgia with following unification
of the branch with that already available in Azerbaijan.
This will result in the forming of a modern system of railways,
linking the three states, Turkish FM Abdullah Gul said. In his
words, “KATB opens new opportunities within the context of cargo
transportation between Asia and Europe.” “In case Marmaray project
(laying rail under the Bosporus) joins with the expected rail and sea
route between Baku and Kazakhstan (Aktau) in the east and father to
China, KATB will become part of a shorter rail communication between
Asia and Europe,” he remarked.
Gul reminded that December 28, 2004 in Tbilisi Turkey, Georgia and
Azerbaijan signed a protocol on the KATB project. According to the
document, technical works within project implementation are held by
a joint working group. May 25, 2005 three state leaders, present at
the ceremony of pouring oil in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, signed
a statement, supporting the KATB project. To discuss it the three
Ministers of Transport gathered for talks in Istanbul September 19,
2005. This resulted in decision to sign an inter-governmental agreement
soon, as well as start works on financial provision.
According to Gul, engineering and technical works within the projects
are carried out by a Turkish company and are funded by Turkey. They are
planned to be completed in 2006. The international tender within the
KATB will be announced after the projecting works are over, he added,
reported Trend agency.
Armenia is against the building of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku
railway, as it considers the project economically inexpedient, s the
building of that rail branch is in contrast to the already available
railway Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku.

TURKISH AMBASSADOR SAYS YEREVAN AND BAKU SHOULD STRIVE FOR PEACE
Armenpress
Mar 07 2006
BAKU, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS: Turkey’s ambassador to Azerbaijan said
his country would render military assistance to Azerbaijan in case
a new war resumed between it and Armenia if Baku and Ankara signed
a military union agreement.
The ambassador, Turan Morali, was quoted by APA news agency as saying
that his government did not, however, support a military resolution
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
“At any rate both sides should strive for peace,” he was quoted
as saying.
He said under a Turkish-Azeri agreement on military cooperation
Ankara provides a large-scale and diverse assistance to Azerbaijani
armed forces.

GAS HIKES TO AFFECT ARMENIAN INDUSTRY, OFFICIAL SAYS
Armenpress
Mar 07 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenal foil plant has issued in February
the first output-100 tons of foil, after accomplishing a major $70
million modernization project. Arthur Ashughian, head of a department
of the trade and economic development ministry, told a news conference
today that the annual volume of foil production will reach 25,000 tons.
Ashughian said Russia’s decision to double the price of natural
gas it sells to Armenia would lead to higher primary cost of local
metallurgical industry’s products. He said the share of energy in the
primary cost of metallurgical products makes now from 30 to 42 percent
and when the gas price raises it will be from 52 to 60 percent. He
said higher gas price may kill Armenian cement industry and make it
unable to compete with other regional producers.
He also said Armenia’s metallurgical industry produced $31.7 million
worth output in January. He said prospecting in Getik mine by Global
Mines has showed that it has some reserves of uranium, but added it was
premature to talk about whether they may have industrial significance.