NAASR PRESENTS TALK ABOUT ARMENIAN PHOTO COLLECTION
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Oct 6 2005
The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research will present
“Armenian Photographs in the Getty Museum Collection,” an illustrated
lecture by Van Aroian, on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. at the NAASR
Center, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont.
The Getty Museum in Los Angeles houses the Getty Research Library,
which contains a collection of Ottoman photographs. This collection
is an invaluable resource for Ottoman scholars, ethnographers,
historians of Ottoman photography, and students of Armenian Ottoman
life. Furthermore, this collection provides a valuable resource for
an investigator interested in developing the significant contribution
of Armenian photographers to the early development of photography
throughout the Ottoman Empire.
The program will provide a visual presentation and sampling of the
Ottoman photo collection at the Getty Research Institute, with a focus
on its Armenian flavor and contributions. These photos will provide
us the opportunity to walk down memory lane and share together some
social and historic commentary.
Van Aroian spent some six weeks in 1999-2001 looking through the
Getty’s Ottoman photograph collection. He earned a bachelor’s degree
at Boston University and a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies
at Harvard University. He was a fellow in Urban Geography at Clark
University and an Urban Planner and Deputy Director of the Worcester
Redevelopment Authority. He later joined his brother in-law, Kevork,
and wife Mary Balekdjian Aroian in importing and retailing Oriental
carpets.
Admission is free (donations accepted). A reception will follow
the program. For more information call 617-489-1610, or e-mail
[email protected].

VICE PRESIDENT SHEKHAWAT MEETS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT
Rediff, India
Oct 6 2005
Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on Thursday had a meeting with
Armenian President Robert Kocharian soon after arriving in Yerevan
on a two-day visit, which is expected to give a major impetus to
relations between the two countries.
The Vice President flew to Yerevan from Minsk on the third leg of his
three-nation tour that earlier took him to Romania and Belarus. He
was received warmly by Vahan Hovhannisyan, Deputy Chairperson of
the National Assembly of Armenia, and Michael Carvardanyan of the
Armenia-India Parliamentary group.
Soon after his arrival, the Vice President had a meeting with
Kocharian. This is the first ever Indian Vice Presidential visit
to this Commonwealth of Independent States country, which is the
smallest of the nations that came into existence after the break-up
of the Soviet Union in 1991.
During his visit, the Vice President will be addressing the national
assembly of Armenia. On Friday, he will be conferred honorary degree
by Yerevian State Medical University where some 400 Indian students
are studying.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEN. OZKOK MEETS AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER ABIYEV
Turkish Press
Oct 6 2005
BAKU – “Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan since it acquired
its independence,” said Defense Minister Safar Abiyev of Azerbaijan
on Thursday.
Turkish General Staff Chief Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who is currently in
Baku on an official visit, met Abiyev.
Speaking at the meeting, Abiyev said, “there has been close cooperation
between Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces. Azerbaijan needs a
powerful army in order to further strengthen its independence. We
rely on Turkey’s support to establish a sound army, develop defense
industry, and improve our relations with NATO.”
Abiyev said that Azerbaijani armed forces gained experience by
participating in joint military exercises aiming to protect the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural
gas pipeline.
“Despite all efforts, security problem has still been continuing in
the region. Armenia has occupied nearly 20 percent of Azerbaijani
territories. More than 1 million Azerbaijani people have been living
under extremely difficult conditions in refugee camps,” he said.
Abiyev added that terrorist groups and drug traffickers had been
using the occupied regions as their base due to lack of control.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CRITICALLY INJURED: EGOYAN ADMITS HE’S HURT BY RECENT REVIEWS OF WHERE THE TRUTH LIES
By Sarah Rowland
Montreal Mirror, Canada
Oct 6 2005
There are those who view Atom Egoyan as the golden boy of Canadian
cinema. After all, he’s been the darling of the Toronto Film Festival
for more than 10 years now, raking in award after award, only to donate
a big chunk of his cash prizes to under-funded Cancon filmmakers,
like Mina Shum.
But then there are those who see him as a pretentious art-pig whose
greatest talent is manipulating art councils for grant money. It’s
safe to say that Rick Groen falls under the latter category. Last
September, Groen wrote a catty review in The Globe and Mail that not
only slagged Egoyan’s latest film, Where the Truth Lies, but almost
every movie the man’s ever made.
“It was unbelievably painful- more so than those sort of things
should be,” says Egoyan, who, for what it’s worth, is one of the
nicest directors one could ever hope to interview. “When you get a
criticism of an individual film, you completely understand that some
people might not like that particular work. And you’re also able to
take solace in the body of work that you’ve done.” Not so here. The
article went on to compare and contrast Egoyan and David Cronenberg,
with the Crash director coming out on top.
“I think this false kind of competitiveness that’s been set up between
David and I is just ridiculous,” says Egoyan. “I adore David.
He’s my mentor. So it just seems odd that our two careers are lined
up. I mean, when David read it, he called me to say that he was
appalled.” According to Egoyan, this kind of destructive criticism
is very indicative of anglo culture.
“The evening that it came out, I was at a Unifrance function and
the ambassador was talking about how the new generation of French
filmmakers would make the old generation proud and I almost felt like
weeping because that doesn’t happen in English Canada,” he says.
“It’s like, ‘Let’s demolish whatever we build up just so we can build
it up again.'”
The Duke, the Empress and the Almighty
In the spirit of building up, Where the Truth Lies has gotten a raw
deal in more ways than one. Along with mixed reviews (as many have
already read by now), Egoyan’s murder mystery has also been unjustly
slapped with an NC-17 rating for a harmless threesome scene in a
hotel room. This is unfortunate for several reasons; most notably
in that all the controversy has overshadowed the actual movie, which
is an intriguing whodunit starring Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth as a
Martin and Lewisesque comedy team. The duo split up at the peak of
their career after the body of beautiful young chambermaid (Rachel
Blanchard) shows up in their hotel room.
One of the film’s major themes is how we treat celebs like superior
beings. In his everyday Toronto existence-where the only attention he
gets is turning the occasional head-it’s hard for Egoyan to relate to
this kind of worship. But when he goes home to his motherland Armenia,
it’s quite a different story.
“We are like gods there,” he says, referring to himself and his wife.
“People stop in the middle of the street and look at you and
start crying. And in that particular culture, there are no physical
boundaries, so strangers are constantly touching, hugging and kissing
you. I didn’t like that. I think having people treating you as this
super human all the time would be an impossible way to live.”
Thanks to this taste of fanatical behaviour, Egoyan says he can better
understand Bacon and Firth’s characters, who spend a great deal of
off-time hiding out in their fivestar den of excess.
“I certainly see how a celebrity would need to have this one particular
space or zone where they feel they can escape from it all.” He can
also relate to being one of the people who dote on these privileged
individuals.
“I was a houseboy at the Empress Hotel when I was growing up in
Victoria. And it amazed me how much access I would have to strangers’
rooms. Just by delivering sheets or cleaning up a tray I could suddenly
walk into someone else’s life. I’ll never forget walking into John
Wayne’s room. It was just this weird thing for a 16-year-old to
suddenly have access to the great man,” he says before adding,
“And no, I didn’t have a threesome with John Wayne.”
Where the Truth Lies opens Friday, Oct. 7

LATVIAN PRESIDENT VAIRA VIKE-FREIBERGA VISITS ARMENIA
ITAR-TASS, Russia
TASS
Oct 6 2005
YEREVAN, October 6 (Itar-Tass) – Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
will discuss the prospects of further developing economic cooperation
between the two countries during her official visit to Armenia,
which begins on Thursday.
Itar-Tass was told at the Presidential Press Service here that the
visit was chiefly intended to give fresh impetus to the development
of inter-state relationships, to promote cooperation and to determine
the priorities of economic interaction. The presidents of the two
countries will discuss also problems of EU-Armenia cooperation and
of regional integration.
They are planning to sign a joint declaration and some
intergovernmental agreements on the stimulation and mutual protection
of investments, on cooperation in the customs sphere, and also
in culture.
“Armenia highly appreciates the present level of its relations
with Latvia and is determined to make its bilateral relations with
that country even stronger than now, to promote cooperation in the
economic domain,” officials of the Armenian President’s Office noted
on Thursday. “Active cooperation with Latvia is very desirable for
Armenia, for using Riga’s experience in the effort to effectively
surmount the difficulties of the transition period,” officials of
the Presidential Office stated.
Military cooperation between Armenia and Latvia is also developing
quite effectively, an official of the presidential administration
noted. Armenia is planning to completely reorganise its armed forces
and, therefore, it is important to analyse the Latvian experience
in the reform of the armed forces, as well as in peacekeeping and in
civil defence.
It is believed in Yerevan that in spite of the existing positive
tendencies, economic cooperation between Armenia and Latvia is still
unsatisfactory. For instance, trade turnover between the two countries
added up to slightly more than two million U.S. dollars last year and
to 1.5 millions in the first six months of the current year. Armenian
exports are expected to grow notably this year.
The sides will also touch on the possibility of their cooperation
both within the European structures and in other international
organisations, officials of the Armenian presidential administration
pointed out.

NATO MAY PLAY LARGE ROLE IN SOUTHERN CAUCASUS – MINISTER
ITAR-TASS, Russia
TASS
Oct 6 2005
DUSHANBE, October 6 (Itar-Tass) – Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanyan said NATO may play a large role in establishing peace in
southern Caucasus and induce countries in the regions to a peaceful
dialogue.”
Oskanyan said so at a seminar on security in southern Caucasus,
organized by the Armenian parliament and NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly.
“It matches Armenia’s efforts and wishes;” this task can be viewed
within the context of the program of individual partnership between
Armenia and NATO, the foreign minister said.
The implementation of the individual partnership program will help
Armenia to attain three goads: to institutionalize the dialogue with
NATO on border security and the fight against terrorism and illegal
weapons-trafficking.
It will also facilitate the country’s army reform, whose objectives
envision civil control over the armed forces, and ensure Armenia’s
participation in NATO-led peacekeeping operations.
“We can achieve all this with NATO’s assistance,” the minister said.
Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
/CSTO/, it has Russian military bases in its territory, but at the
same time, the republic closely works with NATO, in accordance with
Yerevan’s principle of “complementary foreign policy.”

ANALYSIS-FRICTION IN AZERI RULING ELITE ON ELECTION EVE
By Lada Yevgrashina
Reuters
10/06/05 07:11 ET
BAKU, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev faces
the fiercest challenge to his power not from the opposition at
parliamentary elections in a month’s time but from warring factions
inside his own ruling elite, analysts say.
The Nov. 6 vote is under close international scrutiny after rigged
elections in ex-Soviet Georgia and Ukraine led to revolutions — a
scenario Aliyev’s opponents say could be repeated in the energy-rich
Caspian Sea state.
Though ruling officials deny a split, analysts say Aliyev, 43, is
caught in a power struggle between young modernisers in his team who
want a fair election and older hawks prepared to use force to put
down opposition protests after the vote.
“The ‘velvet’ revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia only happened
because there was a clear split in the ruling clan,” said analyst
Zardusht Alizade.
If Azerbaijan’s government snubs international pressure for a fair
vote, “it can expect a schism, and part of the ruling elite will join
the opposition camp,” he said.
Even Aliyev’s opposition challengers say they are less of a threat
than the enemies in his own camp.
“A real split can be observed inside Ilham Aliyev’s team,” Ali Kerimli,
one of two leaders of Azerbaijan’s main opposition bloc, told Reuters
in an interview.
“And more than that, the struggle between the factions is even more
bitter than that between the authorities and the opposition,” said
Kerimli, whose National Front, with four seats, is the only opposition
party in parliament.
Next month’s election has laid bare the infighting, with candidates
from rival factions running against each other for the same seat in
parliament on the ruling New Azerbaijan Party ticket, Kerimli said.
Aliyev, elected president in 2003 to replace his father Haydar,
who had ruled since Soviet times, is popular with voters and governs
almost unchallenged by the weak opposition.
SPLIT DISMISSED
All members of his administration say they are united in their loyalty
to the president.
“There is no split. All this talk of divisions is without foundation,”
said Siyavush Novruzov, deputy head of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party.
But analysts name Ramiz Mehtiyev, head of the presidential
administration who served for many years under Haydar Aliyev, as
the key figure in the faction that favours authoritarian methods to
preserve power.
On the other side is a group of younger politicians led by Azerbaijan’s
representative to the Council of Europe, Samed Seidov, who are pushing
for political reform, analysts say.
Local newspaper reports said Seidov and his allies — who include
some of Aliyev’s personal friends — complained this summer that the
old guard in the administration was frustrating reform.
Soon after, tax police raided a university run by Seidov, the
reports said.
Azerbaijan’s ruling elite is a patchwork of clans from the Aliyev
family’s native region of Nakhichevan, ethnic Azeris from neighbouring
Armenia and family friends and relatives.
Analysts say Aliyev shares the reformist leanings of his younger
aides but is not strong enough to take on the old guard.
Offshore oil and gas fields operated by BP are ramping up production,
promising Azerbaijan a windfall of billions of dollars over the next
20 years. Some observers say the clans are fighting for a share of
these spoils.
“The struggle inside the governing elite has intensified with the
election, but also as a result of the growing flow of financial
resources,” said analyst Leila Aliyeva.
Newspaper reports say the latest feud is between Economic Development
Minister Farhad Aliyev and Kemalatdin Haydarov, the customs chief
and an old favourite of the ruling family.
Farhad Aliyev has been stripped of some official powers and has
complained to reporters of a death threat, though he did not give
the source of the threat.
President Aliyev has promised that the Nov. 6 election will be fair
and says accusations of ballot-rigging and official repression are
empty opposition rhetoric.
Police at the weekend used truncheons to break up an opposition
rally in the centre of the capital, saying the protesters did not
have official permission. The opposition had turned down the offer
of a venue on the outskirts of Baku.
(Additional reporting by Rufat Abbassov)

ARMENIA SUPPORTS INDIA’S UNSC BID
Outlook , India
Oct 6 2005
Sunil Gatade, Yeravan (Armenia), Oct 6 (Pti)
Armenia today came out in strong support of India’s bid for permanent
membership in the UN Security Council and shared New Delhi’s views
on Kashmir issue during talks Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
had with its leaders including President Robert Kocharian.
The talks also resulted in India assuring Armenia in providing
fullest cooperation in Information Technology and agriculture
sectors. Meanwhile, the CIS country offered assistance to New Delhi
in science and technology especially in laser technology, in which
it has a competitive edge.
Shekhawat, who is the first leader from a major democracy to visit
this South Causasian country formed after the breakup of Soviet Union
in 1991, saw the Armenian leadership reiterating their positions on
various issues, including UNSC expansion and Kashmir, during warm
and friendly talks.
Armenia is the first country in the world whose Foreign Minister
had made the demand of inclusion of India in the UN Security Council
three years back.
The first Vice Presidential visit to this CIS country witnessed
the signing of an Mou on Parliamentary Cooperation between the two
countries and Shekhawat was given a standing ovation at the National
Assembly whose special session he addressed.
Addressing the National Assembly of Armenia, the Vice President
dwelt at length on the issue of terrorism, saying democracies are
“haunted and threatened most by terrorism”. He said the fight against
the scourge has to be comprehensive and sustained. “We need to isolate
the elements who instigate, support or assist terrorism, in any form,
as much as those who perpetrate it.” His concluding the address with
a sentence in Armenian touched a chord with the Parliamentarians.
The two sides will also be signing a Protocol of Exchange of
Instruments of ratification of the Treaty on friendship and
cooperation. The treaty was signed during 1995 visit to New Delhi of
the then Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossyan.
Shekhawat will be presenting shipping documents of 60 tractors to
Armenian authorities tomorrow which is a gift from India. As part of
a five million dollar grant, New Delhi would be gifting 300 tractors
to Yerevan.

INDIA, ARMENIA SIGN MOU ON PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION
Sify, India
Oct 6 2005
Yerevan: Giving a boost to their close and friendly relations,
India and Armenia on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding
to intensify and promote cooperation between the parliaments of the
two countries.
The MoU on parliamentary cooperation was signed by secretary
(Coordination) Vijay Kumar and Hayk Kotayan, secretary general of
the Armenian National Assembly, in the presence of Vice-President
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
The pact was signed soon after Shekhawat’s arrival in this picturesque
country — the smallest of the republics that came into existence
after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 — on a two-day visit
on the last leg of his three-nation tour.
The two sides are also scheduled to initial a Protocol of Exchange
of Instruments on Friendship and Cooperation on Friday.
Shekhawat, who is the first Indian Vice-President to visit the country,
was given the honour of addressing the National Assembly at its special
session on Thursday, signifying the excellent bilateral relations.
The Vice-President had detailed discussions with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian whose country endorses India’s permanent membership
in the UN Security Council. Armenia supports India’s stand that the
Kashmir issue should be resolved bilaterally within the framework of
the Simla agreement.
The two countries have so far signed as many as 18 agreements in
diverse fields ranging from cooperation in Information Technology,
science and technology to defence.

FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM HAS TO BE COMPREHENSIVE: SHEKHAWAT
Sunil Gatade
Press Trust of India, India
Oct 6 2005
Yerevan (Armenia), Oct 6 (PTI) Asserting that the fight against
terrorism has to be comprehensive and sustained, India today said
the elements who “instigate or assist” the menace in any form need
to be isolated as much as those who perpetrate it.
Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, here on a two-day visit on
the last leg of his three-nation tour, also said the UN needed to
be reformed urgently as the present system suffered from “democracy
deficit” and wanted the reforms, including expansion of the Security
Council, be carried out expeditiously to “judiciously reflect the
present global scenario”.
Addressing the National Assembly of Armenia, the Vice President
dwelt at length on the issue of terrorism, saying democaracies are
“haunted and threatened most by terrorism”.
He said the fight against the scourge has to be comprehensive and
sustained. “We need to isolate the elements who instigate, support
or assist terrorism, in any form, as much as those who perpetrate it.”
The Vice President, who earlier held detailed discussions with
Armenian President Robert Kocharian, said India greatly appreciated
Armenia’s support to its candidature for a permanent seat in the UN
Security Council.
He also thanked Armenia for its principled and consistent support to
India on the issue of terrorism and said that to accomplish the task
of development without any distraction or hindrance, an international
environment of peace conducive to growth was needed. PTI