COURT: DEAD MAN WAS WANTED FOR MURDER
Peterborough Evening Telegraph, UK
Oct 13 2005
AN Armenian man found dead in a field near Peterborough was a gangster
wanted for murder in Belgium.
Hovannes Amirian (42) was shot and stabbed before his body was dumped
in Upton and set on fire.
Nishan Bakunts (28), of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and his father-in-law
Nisha Chatsjatrijan (44), who was living in Holland at the time,
are standing trial at Norwich Crown Court.
Both deny murder.
Jurors heard Mr Amirian was known to be involved in organised crime
in Belgium and was a self-confessed Mafia member.
The court was told Mr Amirian was wanted for questioning about the
murder of a man in Belgium, in 2000.
In evidence on Wednesday, Bakunts’ sister Lucinne Karepetian, said
she had visited Chatsjatrijan in Holland after the victim’s death.
She said Chatsjatrijan told her eight bullets had been fired into Mr
Amirian’s head and he had begged on his knees not to be killed.
The court was told that before his body was taken to the field, he had
been killed in the medical room at the Cooper Roller Bearings Factory
in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, where Mr Bakunts worked as a security officer.
The case was adjourned until Wednesday pending the arrival of an
interpreter.

NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE GOES TO PLAYWRIGHT HAROLD PINTER
By Anna Weinberg
Book Standard, NY
Oct 13 2005
Just days after the celebration of his 75th birthday, British
playwright Harold Pinter has been awarded the 102nd Nobel Prize for
Literature. Past winners of the literature prize have included last
year’s controversial pick, Elfriede Jelinek, as well as Pablo Neruda,
Albert Camus, Saul Bellow, Boris Pasternak and Jean-Paul Sartre,
who declined to accept the award in 1964.
Born in 1930, Pinter made his playwriting debut in 1957 with The
Room, a short play that he wrote in four days about a blind woman
whose room is invaded by a strange succession of characters. But he
is better known for such works as The Caretaker, The Homecoming and
The Birthday Party, the original production of which closed after
just one week, thanks to thunderously bad reviews. “Pinter restored
theatre to its basic elements,” says the Swedish Academy, which every
year selects one author to receive the $1.3 million prize. “That he
occupies a position as a modern classic is illustrated by his name
entering the language as an adjective used to describe a particular
atmosphere and environment in drama: ‘Pinteresque.’ ”
As the son of a Jewish dressmaker growing up outside of London, Pinter
has said that it was in part his experience with anti-Semitism that led
to his becoming a playwright. But Pinter also lived through the London
Blitz in WWII, though he was evacuated from his home. Upon returning
to London, he played a variety of roles in his school theater, which
led him to seek a career in acting. He was accepted into the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art in 1948, and in 1951 obtained a place in Anew
McMaster’s world-renowned repertory company. Though he had some small
success with his early plays, it was not until 1959’s The Caretaker
that Pinter began to achieve fame. The Swedish Academy calls Pinter
a dramatist “who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday
prattle and forces entry into oppression’s closed rooms.”
This year’s announcement of the prize was delayed a week past the
originally scheduled award date. Many have speculated that this was
due to an internal scuffle over whether to award the prize to Turkish
writer Orhan Pamuk, a popular 53-year-old writer who has recently
come under fire from his government as a result of a controversial
newspaper interview. In the interview, Pamuk asserted that Turkey was
guilty of genocide against Armenians and Kurds in the 20th century,
a charge that the country has vehemently denied. The author has been
accused of insulting Turkey’s national character, and is facing a
trial this December. Though the Swedish Academy has officially denied
the allegations of a Pamuk-related argument, this would not be the
first time the secretive committee has split over politics. In 1989,
two judges resigned from the Nobel selection process when the panel
refused to honor author Salman Rushdie, then under a fatwa from the
Ayatollah Khomeini.
Pinter himself is no stranger to controversial politics. As a
conscientious objector, Pinter was fined in 1949 for refusing to
fulfill his mandatory national service. “I could have gone to prison-I
took my toothbrush to the trials,” Pinter wrote in Playwrights at
Work. “But it so happened that the magistrate was slightly sympathetic,
so I was fined instead, thirty pounds in all.”
More recently, Pinter has been a harsh critic of the war in Iraq. He
published a volume of anti-war poetry in 2003, and joined a group
calling for Prime Minister Tony Blair’s impeachment in 2004.

TUFENKYAN FOUNDATION TO REALIZE A NUMBER OF BUSINESS PROJECTS IN NK
deFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005
The NKR President Arkady Ghoukasyan received a famous businessman
and philanthropist from the U.S. James Tufenkyan.
James Tufenkyan is the founder of Tufenkyan foundation, which has been
acting in Armenia since 1999. He is the owner of a network of hotels,
a number of enterprises for production of carpets, ceramic products
and furniture, as well as some building companies.
According to the information received at the Central Information Agency
under the NKR President, in the course of the meeting the parties
discussed the issues referring to realization of a number of business
projects by Tufenkyan foundation. Mr. Tufenkyan stated he intended
to open the representation of his foundation in Stepanakert for more
effective and productive realization of economic activity in the NKR.
The meeting’s participants also dwelled upon the possibility of
cooperation between Nagorno Karabakh government and Tufenkyan
foundation in the issue referring to the forests’ recovery.
The NKR President Arkady Ghoukasyan expressed his gratitude to the
philanthropist for the contribution to the realization of a number
of social and humanitarian programs in Artsakh.
The NKR Prime Minister Anoushavan Danielyan participated in the
meeting as well.

CENTRAL ASIA: REPLAYING THE GREAT GAME
By Igor Torbakov
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
The Jamestown Foundation
Oct 13 2005
There is a direct parallel between the current Russian-American
rivalry in Central Asia and the military-diplomatic duel that the
Russian and British empires were waging in the Eurasian heartland in
the 19th century, the analysts say. Both Moscow and Washington deny
they are intensely competing in the strategically important region,
but the two sides’ deeds are more eloquent than words.
Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s pivotal state, appears to be in the center
of the two great powers’ geopolitical tug-of-war. During U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s October 10-13 tour of Central
Asia, Tashkent was demonstratively excluded from her itinerary.
Symptomatically, a few days prior to Rice’s visit to the region,
Uzbekistan joined the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Community (EEC),
thus having made another regional grouping – Central Asian Cooperation
Organization (CACO) redundant (See EDM, October 11).
Tashkent’s move, the regional experts argue, has intensified
Moscow-sponsored integration process in the post-Soviet lands and given
Russia additional economic and political clout in what it regards as
its natural zone of influence.
Washington intended to punish the authoritarian Uzbek President Islam
Karimov for backtracking on democratic reform, ruthless suppression
of the May 14 riots in Andijan and, last but not least, eviction of
American troops from the Karshi-Khanabad base. Rice, who visited
Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan but bypassed
Tashkent, gave Karimov, in the words of U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, a “very clear
message.” Now, Fried added, “We have to see how he responds.”
In fact, the Uzbek strongman responded even before receiving the signal
from Washington, as he clearly anticipated what this message might
be. On September 19-24, Russia and Uzbekistan conducted joint military
maneuvers in Uzbek territory. The war games, billed as “anti-terrorist
exercises,” appear to be a sign of growing Russian-Uzbek military
ties. Their goal, according to Uzbek military sources, was to
train Russian and Uzbek forces together to quickly put down an armed
rebellion in Uzbekistan similar to the Andijan uprising but larger in
scale. And last week, while in St. Petersburg, Karimov called Russia
the “center of gravitation” for the post-Soviet states and invited
his hospitable host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, to upgrade
the relationship between their countries from the level of strategic
partnership to that of full-blown alliance. Not surprisingly, most
Russian analysts approved the Uzbek leader’s “correct geopolitical
move,” with some commentators adding- in a seeming allusion to his
previous skillful maneuvering between Moscow and Washington – that
this time Karimov had made his “final strategic choice.”
There are several issues vital for the political elites of the Central
Asian states on which Russia and the United States appear to have
different perspectives. The paramount one is securing and perpetuating
the rule of the local powers that be. There is a general consensus
within Russia’s policymaking and analytic community that it was
primarily U.S. pressure and the fear of a possible “color” revolution
that pushed Karimov back into Moscow’s fold. The majority of Russian
experts share a view that the post-Soviet leaders of Central Asian
states are particularly wary of Washington’s democratization drive and
of what they perceive as America’s plan to install pro-Western regimes
in the region. Bush administration policies, one regional expert
contends, scared Central Asia’s autocratic rulers and forced them to
“seek protection under the Russian security umbrella.” Remarkably,
speaking on October 12 in the Federation Council, the Russian
parliament’s upper chamber, at the special hearings on Russia’s
policies vis-a-vis the CIS countries, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
energetically advocated further strengthening Russian-Uzbek ties,
adding that any economic or political sanctions against Uzbekistan
are useless.
The second issue is the outside powers’ military bases in Central
Asia. While happy to get lavish payments from the Pentagon for American
use of the local military facilities, the region’s rulers are uncertain
about Washington’s true strategic intentions. They also know the
U.S. forces will be reluctant to get involved in any local political
conflicts and will not support the local regimes militarily if the
latter are challenged in any kind of mass uprising or “revolution.”
By contrast, Russia, while seeking to beef up its military presence
in the region, is keen to give the Central Asian regimes the
guarantees of its readiness to provide military assistance in the
time of dire need. Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
Secretary-General Nikolai Bordyuzha announced on October 11 that a
“large group of forces” would be created in Central Asia, similar to
the Russia-Belarusian and Russian-Armenian integrated army groups.
(The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Russia.) Bordyuzha said that the Central Asian army
group would be composed “not from battalions, but from regiments and
divisions and, in the event of a serious military conflict, it will
defend CSTO members from all sides.”
Most Russian experts see Secretary Rice’s Central Asian tour as
an attempt at countering the growing Russian influence in the
strategically located and energy-rich region, although Fried and
other U.S. officials specifically stressed that Washington did not
view Central Asia as a battleground of the Russian-American Great
Game. But the leading Moscow analysts are not convinced. For them,
Russia and the United States are locked in the classic geopolitical
“struggle for the leadership position in Central Asia.” Local security
specialists seem to agree: “Some time ago we were talking about the
Cold War,” commented Col. Gen. Abdygul Chotbayev, the former commander
of Kyrgyzstan’s National Guard. “It ended, having been transformed
into a geopolitical rivalry between the two world powers – the United
States and Russia — over spheres of influence in Central Asia.”
(Rossiiskaya gazeta, October 13, 12; Vremya novostei, Gazeta, October
12; RIA-Novosti, Kommersant, October 11; RFE/RL, October 11, 5;
Washington Times, October 9)

KAZAKHSTAN AND ARMENIA SPECIFIED BASIC DIRECTIONS OF PARTNERSHIP
Kazinform, Kazakhstan
Oct 13 2005
ASTANA. October 13. KAZINFORM. On October 12 in the city of Yerevan
the first sitting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Commercial
and Economic Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Armenia took place,
MFA press service reported.
The discussion of the wide range of issues resulted in accurate
specification of the priority directions of cooperation. In particular,
the sides agreed on consolidation of the contractual and legal
base, increase of Kazakhstani investments into Armenia’s economy,
support of entrepreneurship, development of transport association and
interaction in the sphere of agriculture and expansion of cultural
exchanges between the countries. The sides also signed a Archiving
Partnership Agreement.
In the course of the visit to Yerevan Kazakhstani delegates held
a number of meetings with Armenian senior officials. Armenia
supported the intention of Kazakhstan to chair in the Organization
for Cooperation and Security in Europe in 2009.
The Government of Armenia also expressed readiness to provide for
Kazakhstan the copies of Kypchak manuscripts of 14-16 centuries which
are been kept in the world-known treasury of ancient manuscripts –
Matenadaran.

TRANSPORTATION MINISTER COMMENTS ON ARMENIAN COMPANIES HANDED TO RUSSIA
RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Oct 13 2005
RBC, 13.10.2005, Erevan 17:57:16.Russia has not met requirements to
utilize the capacities of Armenian companies handed to it to settle
Erevan’s state debt to Moscow, co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian
intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation Igor
Levitin, who is also Russian transportation minister, has told
journalists. According to Levitin, a working group has been created and
a protocol on enhancing the efficient operation of these companies has
been signed. Russia has made no decision on whether these companies
should produce civil or military goods, he added. In 2003, Armenia
handed 5 companies estimated at USD93.7m to Russia.

ARMENIAN STATE BUDGET-2006 WILL EXCEED $1 BILLION
Regnum, Russia
Oct 13 2005
Armenian state budget-2006 will exceed $1 billion, that is the
first time in the history of the independent country, said Armenian
Prime-Minister Andranik Margaryan. As it has been in the last three
years, this is a social budget.
As a REGNUM correspondent informs, during the discussion of the
budget draft, the government proposed to the parliament to approve
the budget as follows: revenues – 382 billion dram, expenses –
451 billion dram, deficit – 69.9 billion dram. According to Finance
Minister Vardan Khachatryan, this year’s deficit is only 3%, that
meets the requirements of the EU. Also, in 2006 wages and pensions
will be raised.
The prime minister informed that 38% of all the expenses will be put
on social needs. The revenues will be 52.7 billion drachms higher
then in 2005, the deficit decrease has raised from 30% to 47% thanks
to using internal recourses.

RUSSIA HOPEFUL ABOUT RENEWED RAIL LINK WITH GEORGIA, ARMENIA
By Nane Atshemian
Armenialiberty.org, Armenia
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 13 2005
Russia and Georgia are close to reaching a long-awaited agreement on
restoring their direct railway connection which could significantly
benefit the Armenian economy, Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin
said on Thursday.
But he cautioned that the section of the railway passing through
Abkhazia is in need of serious capital repairs that would take as
many as two years.
The Abkhaz section of the Soviet-built railway was seriously damaged
during the 1992-1993 armed conflict which led to the Black Sea region’s
de facto independence from Georgia. Until recently Georgian leaders
opposed its restoration before a settlement of the conflict.
But the administration of President Mikhail Saakashvili appears to
have softened Tbilisi’s position on the issue.
Levitin said he will again discuss the issue with Georgian officials
during a visit to Tbilisi next week and is optimistic about a positive
outcome of the talks.
“If the Georgian side is prepared for the restoration and confirms that
to us, Russia, Georgia and Armenia will have to set up a consortium,
determine each country’s share of investments in the project and start
restoring the railway,” he told reporters in Yerevan. “According to
our calculations, [the repairs] could last for two years.”
Speaking at a joint news conference with Levitin, Armenian Defense
Minister Serzh Sarkisian said Saakashvili reaffirmed Tbilisi’s
commitment to a quick resumption of rail communication between Russia
and Georgia and Armenia during his recent informal talks with President
Robert Kocharian. “Armenia will certainly participate in the project,”
he said.
Sarkisian added that Russia is ready to cover most of the repair
costs. “We are not talking about tens of millions of dollars,” he said.
The lack of rail communication with Russia and other countries makes
export-oriented Armenian companies less competitive and hampers
foreign investment in Armenia’s struggling economy. It is also a
serious hindrance to Russian-Armenian economic ties. Hence, Yerevan’s
strong interest in restoring the vital transport route.
Sarkisian and Levitin spoke at the end of a two-day session of the
Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation,
of which they are the co-chairmen. Officials said the commission
discussed a broad range of economic issues, with the Armenian side
again pressing the Russians to make good on their pledge to revive
Armenian enterprises which were given to them in payment for Yerevan’s
$100 million debt. All of those enterprises except a big power plant
used to be part of the Soviet military-industrial complex and are
now largely standing idle.
“Russia feels its responsibility for those enterprises. That is one
of the obligations which we have not yet fulfilled,” admitted Levitin.
The Russian official said Moscow needs more time to decide what to do
with those industries. “We can’t figure out what type of production
they should have: defense or civilian or both,” he explained.
Russia’s strong presence in the Armenian energy sector was also
high on the agenda of the commission’s session. The two ministers
said they discussed in particular the recent controversial takeover
of the Armenian power grid by Russia’s state-run power monopoly,
Unified Energy Systems, but did not give details.
Levitin was also asked to comment on the Armenian government’s decision
not to grant Russia’s Gazprom giant a contract for the construction
of a pipeline that will pump natural gas from Iran to Armenia. Work
on the Armenian section of the pipeline will be carried out by an
Iranian company and financed with a $35 million loan provided by the
Iranian government.
“We understand the actions of the Armenian side,” Levitin said. “I
consider them logical.”

FRENCH INSURER SETTLES SUIT BY HEIRS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS
Armenialiberty.org, Armenia
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 13 2005
(AFP) – The heirs of victims of the 1915 Turkish massacre of Armenians
have agreed to settle a class action lawsuit against French insurer
Axa for $17 million, lawyers said Wednesday.
The lawsuit, filed in a California court, accused Axa of failing to
pay death benefits for the insurance policies purchased by Armenians
living in the Ottoman Empire prior to the genocide in which up to
1.5 million people were killed.
“This is an example where dead men can’t speak but they can file
lawsuits,” said Vartkes Yeghiayan. “It writes another chapter about
persistence and hope. The resolution of the case helps the healing
process.”
Under the terms of the deal, announced in Los Angeles, Axa will donate
at least $3 million to various French-based Armenian charities and
another $11 million towards a fund designed to pay out policyholders
of Axa units that did business in the now defunct Turkish-run Ottoman
Empire.
“Certain of these policyholders and beneficiaries were among the
1.5 million Armenians who perished and were unable to obtain their
insurance proceeds in the ensuing chaos,” lawyers for the victims’
descendants said in a statement.
The Axa settlement follows a similar agreement with New York Life
Insurance Company in early 2004 under which it agreed to pay $20
million.
“The AXA and New York Life settlements are important building blocks
not only toward seeking financial recovery for the losses resulting
from the Armenian Genocide but also in our ultimate goal, which is
for Turkey and the US to officially acknowledge the genocide,” said
U.S. celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos.
Geragos, who has represented stars including Michael Jackson and
Winona Ryder, is of Armenian descent. “These cases are historical
because they are the only cases ever brought on behalf of genocide
survivors,” he said.
No comment was immediately available from Axa.
The settlement, subject to court approval, will be administered
in France, which was one of the first countries to recognize the
Armenian genocide.

WINE FOR ST. STEPHEN’S
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Oct 13 2005
St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School’s PTO will host its fourth
annual Wine Tasting event on Friday, Oct. 21, starting at 7 p.m.
The venue will be the newly opened Arsenal Center for the Arts in
Watertown, Greater Boston’s new home for the visual, literary and
performing arts. The event will have about 300 attendees, sampling
wines from all around the world and food from many of the area’s fine
food establishments. While mingling, they will also enjoy the sounds
of Gitano Rafael, a trio playing gypsy guitar music.
This year’s event will feature a masquerade theme, since it is
taking place so close to Halloween, and guests are encouraged to
wear masks. For those unable to find the perfect mask before coming,
there will be a chance to pick one up at the event – many varieties
will be sold at the door.
As in years past, the evening will include a live as well as a
silent auction featuring works of art and other one-of-a-kind items
from Armenia.
Donations for the tickets are $50 per person. Tickets need to be
purchased in advance, as they will not be sold at the door. The event
usually sells out. To reserve your tickets, call Linda at 617-901-8022
or e-mail [email protected].
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress