Armenpress
CHINESE AMBASSADOR SAYS RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA GOOD

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS: In an interview to
Armenpress news agency Chinese ambassador to Yerevan,
Tzu Siolian, said Armenian-Chinese political contacts
were on high level with mutual exchange visits and
other contacts. He said Armenia and China have no
political problems.
“Our relations are developing based on reciprocal
respect and equality. Both countries support one
another at international organizations,” he said. The
ambassador lamented a low trade between the two
countries which last year made only $8 million. But he
said it was significantly bigger over the previous
years.
Last year the government of China gave Armenia 15
million Yuan assistance which Armenia wants to spend
on buying agricultural machines. The ambassador also
mentioned cooperation in education area. Now around 30
Chinese students major in different areas at Yerevan
universities.
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Thursday, April 06, 2006
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There is an unspoken Armenian theory (to which I subscribed for many years) that says: “The angrier you get, the more you raise your voice in outrage, the closer to the truth you are.” It took me many years to see the wisdom in the old Chinese proverb: “He who loses temper has wrong on his side.”
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In NEWSEEK magazine today an American politician running for office is quoted as having said: “It’s hard to have a debate when you have to debate a bunch of morons!” I can’t imagine an Armenian saying that about fellow Armenians, can you?
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Since not all of nature is comprehensible to us, we tend to call phenomena that we can’t explain miracles, Aldous Huxley writes in one of his essays after witnessing a “miracle” (a weeping statue) in an Armenian church in Beirut. As a child I remember someone telling me that Jesus did not change water to wine, which would amount to legitimizing alcoholism. He just had water added to the remaining wine and the guests were by then too drunk to notice the difference in taste. And in our paper today I read that according to an Israeli scientist Jesus did not walk on water but on a patch of ice. If you are interested in this subject I suggest you read Thomas Mann’s THE TABLES OF THE LAW where many other Biblical miracles are explained scientifically.
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If I had a say in the matter, I would make tolerance (beginning with tolerance of Turks and their side of the story) the most important subject for study in our schools. One benefit of tolerance: it may lower the barriers that divide us thus enhancing our chances of survival as a nation.
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The very same people who have been blabbering endlessly about massacres demand that I change my tune and say something new.
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Friday, April 07, 2006
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On more than one occasion I have been told to Armenianize my surname. To what end? To cover up 600 years of Ottoman subjection? Can it be done? I think of Malcolm X who changed his name but was murdered by his own kind anyway. Besides, the root of my surname is not Ottoman but Venetian. “Bailo” in Venetian dialect means ambassador. Among other words that the Turks borrowed from the Venetians are “piazza” and “maranga” (carpenter).
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Was one of my ancestors an ambassador? I don’t know and I care even less. Unlike some of my fellow Armenians who trace their ancestry all the way back to Vartan Mamikonian (of Chinese descent) or the Bagratunis (Jewish), on a good day I can trace mine all the way back to my father, who was born in Sivrihisar, a town famous only as the birthplace of Nasreddin Hodja – a detail that I discovered only very recently on the Internet.
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Some of my readers may not be aware of the fact that for several centuries Venice and Constantinople were in constant touch as allies, competitors, and more often as rivals.
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When Sultan Mehmet II (1429-1481) wanted his portrait painted, he asked the Doge of Venice to send him a good painter. The Doge chose Gentile Bellini. The Sultan approved Bellini’s portrait and he commissioned him to paint the head of John the Baptist, who it seems is venerated as a prophet by the Muslims. When the work was done the Sultan had one minor objection. The neck of the prophet was too long, he said, and explained that when a man is beheaded the muscles in the neck contract and the neck shrinks. When Bellini seemed unconvinced, the Sultan had one of his slaves beheaded in Bellini’s presence to prove his point. Bellini was so horrified and scared that something similar might happen to him if he displeased His Majesty that he hastened his return to Venice under cover of darkness.
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It is to be noted that some of these superpatriots who urge me to change my name are so proud of their own that they write under assumed names that are anything but Armenian. As Zarian says somewhere, “even their filth has not been picked up from our own streets but from alien gutters.”
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Saturday, April 08, 2006
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Whenever told he repeats himself, Saroyan would recount the story of the cellist who played the same note over and over again. When asked why he did that, he would reply, “Other cellists play different notes because they are looking for the right one. I have found it.”
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To the untrained ear all Bach’s fugues (and he wrote hundreds of them) sound alike. One could also say that all of literature, from THE ILIAD and THE SONG OF SONGS to MADAME BOVARY, ANNA KARENINA, and LOLITA, is about women.
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A few years ago when a Holocaust denier by the name of Zundel was jailed in Canada, one of our elder statesmen wrote me an angry letter saying it was wrong to jail a decent man for exercising his fundamental human right of free speech. And now, he and his kind are doing exactly the same thing when they refuse to listen to the Turkish side of the story on the grounds that the Turks are denialists.
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To verbally abuse someone on the Internet from a safe distance and anonymously is to compound insolence with cowardice. The question to be asked at this point is: What kind of idiot would make himself vulnerable to these charges? If I have said this before, it bears repeating.
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RUMORS ON SKIRMISHES ARE FALSE BUT KARABAKH NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT SECURITY
Lragir.am
07 April 06
The situation at the front line is calm. It is true that there has
been certain activity there as it usually happens in spring, `when
theydo engineering on the positions after the snow melts,’ said Seyran
Ohanyan, NKR Minister of Defense, to news reporters. According to him,
there are gunshots from the Azerbaijani side, and it would be at least
unserious not to shoot back. The minister assures that no Karabakh
soldiers were killed during this violation of the ceasefire.
This is an official opinion. The unofficial one does not differ. In
tiny Karabakh where everyone knows one other, there are no rumors
about border incidents and casualties. Here they think that the
information spread by Azerbaijan pursues political aims. We can only
guess at these aims. It is clear, however, that in the future
Azerbaijan will use this information to acquire political
dividends. Armenia will be presented as an aggressor, and Azerbaijan
as a victim.
Huzeyr Jafarov, an independent military expert, told the Zerkalo
Newspaper that skirmishes occur often. `When I was an army officer, we
received information from the officers on sentry, reported to the
minister of defense, who decided to publish that information or not.
Now, apparently, the ministry publishes all the information, having
the approval of the country’s leadership.’
According to the Azerbaijani expert, he does not know how it happens
that every day a person is killed at the positions, which are highly
protected.The commanders are to blame, says Jafarov. He is also
surprised that the Armenian side reports no casualties. The expert
starts thinking that there are no casualties from the Armenian side.
Nevertheless, tensions at the front line, artificial or real, worries
the public. Major-General Vitaly Balasanyan, MP, chairman of the Havat
NGO, is going to introduce a bill on the security and defense of
Nagorno-Karabakh people.
According to V. Balasanyan, the increasingly aggressive militaristic
statements of Azerbaijan, and the frequent violations of the ceasefire
by the enemy at the front line make us focus on the security of the
NKR population and the effectiveness of the Defense Army, and
centralize all our military potential to be ready for a resumption of
military actions.
Under this bill the NKR National Assembly will request the National
Assembly of Armenia to adopt a decision, reflecting the urgency of
stationing troops of the Republic of Armenia in NKR.
The recent statement of the president of Armenia that under threat of
war the Republic of Armenia will assume responsibility for the
security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, i.e. any encroachment on
Karabakh will be viewed as an encroachment on Armenia, may act a
signal for such a decision. The General is convinced that in the
decision of the NKR National Assembly the Republic of Azerbaijan must
be presented as an aggressor, a state claiming to the territories of a
neighbor people.
Considering this reality, the NKR Parliament must draw up a document
on the consequences of possible military actions, and extend it to the
international community and the international organizations, engaged
in the peace settlement of the conflict.

Armenia decides against extending coach’s contract

AP Worldstream; Apr 06, 2006
Armenia’s soccer federation said Thursday it would not extend coach
Henk Wisman’s contract and would appoint a replacement to lead the
team in qualifying for the 2008 European Championship.
“The soccer federation of Armenia refused to extend its contract with
Henk Wisman, head coach of the national team,” Araik Manukian,
spokesman for the federation, told The Associated Press.
Wisman, of the Netherlands, took over in May 2005 and was contracted
until the end of the World Cup qualifying last October, with an option
to extend his term for another two years.
Wisman replaced France’s Bernard Casoni and was Armenia’s fourth
foreign coach in three years, but Armenia lost five matches under him
and finished next-to-last-last in its World Cup qualifying group.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES ARMENIAN WOMEN ON MOTHER’S AND BEAUTY DAY
Yerevan, April. ArmInfo. President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has
congratulated women on Mother’s and Beauty Day celebrated in Armenia
on April 7. The presidential press-service told ArmInfo.
The congratulation message in particular says: “This Day provides a
pleasant opportunity to son for displaying their love and gratitude to
their mothers.
I wish our mothers, sisters and wives to be appreciated, and to remain
beautiful. I wish them celebrate this Day cheerfully. I congratulate
all our mothers on this Day and wish them strong families, healthy and
worthy children and happiness.”

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH CELEBRATES ANNUNCIATION DAY ON APRIL 7
Yerevan, April 7. ArmInfo. The Armenian Apostolic Church is
celebrating today one of the most significant holidays in the church
calendar – Annunciation Day.
The press-service of Mother See of Etchmiadzin told ArmInfo that
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II declared Annunciation Day a Day
of Maternity and Beauty in Armenia. The Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary is the best example of maternity and the role of women in
society. This day, the Armenian Apostolic Church is christening
mothers at all the Armenian churches.

‘The Armenian Genocide’ screened at Congress library
07.04.2006 16:27
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – `The Armenian Genocide’ documentary was shown on
April 4 in its first public screening at the US Congress library. The
screening was intitiatied by Congressman Adam Schiff.
Following the screening, Armenian Ambassador to United States Tatul
Margarian thanked Schiff and praised the film’s producer Andrew
Goldberg.
The one-hour documentary will be aired throughout United States
beginning April 17 on PBS.

Karabakh analyst: Ilham Aliyev justifies militarization and
hyper-centralization by Karabakh factor

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15:44 04/07/2006
`Oil drug heavily influenced minds of Azerbaijani politicians: their
optimism , caused by inflow of oil dollars into Azerbaijani economy and
Azerbaijan’s advantages concerning Armenia turns into bragging and creating
political mythology, which are very dangerous for societies,’ stated
Karabakh analyst David Karabekyan to REGNUM.
At the same time, he stressed, most likely Baku will intensify its activity
in foreign policy in future, wishing to strengthen its positions as
independent actor of sub-regional and regional politics, that more and more
firmly and harder proclaims its interests and readiness to defend them. `In
the situation, when the neighboring country strengthens its pressure on us,
it is necessary to defend our position more fundamentally, more heartily to
correct errors, look for resources to solve problems. I personally believe
that to deal with aggressive regime, propagating hatred against Armenia, is
the same as to put out fire with petrol or to try to calm down predator
with victim’s meat. Every new concession will cause new demand,’ said
David Karabekyan.
The analyst stressed, by manipulating the Karabakh factor, Azerbaijani
leaders solve questions of internal policy and of their power’s
strengthening. ` Manipulating the Karabakh factor, Aliyev-senior succeeded
in dismissing his fellow countrymen from Nakhichevan Abulfaz Elchibey from
the presidential post, and conjointly, having clearly calculated political
state of affairs in the country and around Transcaucasia, he got rid of
competitors-representatives of national security, defense and law
enforcement agencies, and opponents, as well as suppressed mutinies in
Lenkoran and people’s liberation movement of Lezghins, living in the North
of Azerbaijan,’ said David Karabekyan.
According to the analyst, Aliyev-junior smartly uses the factor for
justifying of military expenditures growth, hyper-centralization of
governing, and abundantly wide and active participation of power
structures’ representatives in social and political life of the
country. `As for the struggle against opposition, everything is easy and
effective here. Like his father, Aliyev-junior succeeded in persuading
Azeri and international community, that the post and political niche,
occupied by him, are exactly those, he is to occupy and will do it for
benefit of all and everyone. In contrast to impulsive and unpredictable
Saakashvili, Aliyev is predictable and bears certain traditions. It means,
unlike his opponents-oppositionists, Aliyev-junior intends to carry out
more reserved and considered policy in direction Russia-West and
Iran-Turkey-Russia-USA. Evidence of it is pretended successes of his
regime, which are proclaimed by Azerbaijani propaganda to be real, in
Karabakh settlement, economy, and growth of Azerbaijani factor in regional
policy,’ said David Karabekyan.
The analyst believes, forces opposing to the current regime are not able to
change fundamentally the situation in the country, whereas the ruling
regime demonstrate that it anyhow pushes the country forward.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan not to join anti-Iran coalition – deputy foreign minister
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
6 Apr 06
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has denied that
Azerbaijan is going to join the anti-Iran coalition, Azad Azarbaycan
TV reported on 6 April.
Speaking at a news conference on the results of his recent visit to
the USA, Azimov said: “How can Azerbaijan join the anti-Iran coalition
if the latter does not exist.” He said “such an issue cannot be
considered at all”, adding that Azerbaijan is not going to join any
coalition against any state.
Azimov said that Azerbaijan wants to establish good-neighbourly
relations with all states in the region. He also expressed hope that
as a result of the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,
relations with Armenia will also normalize.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH AND IRAN ARE NOT RELATED
Lragir.am
07 April 06

For the United States, the conflict over Karabakh is an important
issue, and it is not realistic to say that the United States is eager
to resolve the conflict soon in the context of a possible campaign
against Iran. Thus Mher Shahgeldyan, Chair of the Committee of
Defense, Internal Affairs and National Security, explained the
activity and interest of the U.S. in the settlement of the conflict.
In his opinion, the settlement of the Karabakh conflict is important
for the United States in the context of regional policies, and is
viewed separately from the Iranian issue.
Mher Shahgeldyan says it is absolutely clear that the United States
seeks for a rapid settlement of the issue. In this regard the member
of parliament believes that Armenia should commend the efforts of
international organizations, the world, centers of power for the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Mher Shahgeldyan particularly emphasized that the authors of these
efforts exclude application of force, which favors the stance of
Armenia.