Hayastani Hanrapetutyun, Yerevan, in Armenian
17 Sep 05 p 2
SEPARATIST MINISTER NEGATIVE ABOUT AZERI LEADERSHIP’S BELLICOSE
STATEMENTS
“I am sure that the world will recognize Nagornyy Karabakh”
An interview with the foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic [NKR], Arman Melikyan.
Asked about his attitude towards the International Crisis Group’s
report on Armenia, Arman Melikyan replied: “There are impartial and
sensible points in it, but there are also views that contradict our
position. At present, I would not like to talk about the details of
our approaches, but a certain policy can be noticed from the first
pages of the document.” Then, he added that the report is being
studied in detail and the attitude of the NKR Foreign Ministry
towards the report will be presented in a written form.
Journalists also wondered about the details of discussions on the
Karabakh issue at the sitting of the temporary commission of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The minister said:
“In fact, it is already noticeable that different international
organizations understand that without the NKR, it is difficult to
find a way to solve the issue.” Asked about the steps taken by the
Foreign Ministry for the international recognition of the NKR,
Melikyan replied: “It is no secret that the beginning of legislative
work is one of the most important components for the international
recognition of the country. The NKR parliament recently adopted a
number of laws concerning our system. I would emphasize the law ‘On
the international agreements of the NKR’, which will become a basis
for establishing official relations with our country. I hope that we
shall join a number of international conventions by the end of the
year. I am sure that the NKR will be internationally recognized in
the near future.”
Asked about Melikyan’s attitude towards [International Crisis Group
representative] Alain Deletroz’s statement that a referendum should
be conducted in the NKR in 10-15 years’ time to define the status of
the NKR and asked whether Deletroz had grounds to say this, Melikyan
replied: “I do not doubt that the group is not interested in a
long-lasting peace in the region. As for the conditions that have
been offered, we may not accept them, especially as idea of holding a
referendum is not at a stage when we should discuss such an option.
There are always pre-conditions. But the principle of adequacy should
become one of the main principles in the negotiations, however, in
fact it does not exist yet.”
“Mr Melikyan, how will you comment on the fact that there was no
comment in Armenia and Azerbaijan after Kazan meeting between
[Armenian President Robert] Kocharyan and [Azerbaijani President
Ilham] Aliyev?” Melikyan did not deny that maybe this time Aliyev
decided to keep to the principle of confidentiality. Asked about his
attitude towards the openly bellicose statements of the Azerbaijani
leadership, Melikyan replied: “Of course, my attitude is negative. I
think that war is unlikely at the moment.” At the same time, the
minister did not rule out that war is possible.

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 21, 2005, Wednesday
PRESIDENT ILKHAM ALIYEV OF AZERBAIJAN HELD A MEETING CONCERNING
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION ISSUES
President Ilkham Aliyev of Azerbaijan held a meeting concerning
military construction issues in the Defense Ministry on September 16.
Aliyev focused on successes in the development of the Armed Forces
and appreciated servicemen’s skills and the quality of logistics
supply. He said that the republic focuses on military construction
issues because part of its territory is invaded by a foreign army.
Azerbaijan allocated $175 million on defense in 2004, $300 million in
2005, and plans to spend $600 million in 2006. This is not the limit.
(…)
Aliyev said, “I have set a task to make the military budget of
Azerbaijan equal to Armenia’s military budget.” He noted that Armenia
and some international organizations are concerned about the increase
of defense spending in Azerbaijan. Aliyev said, “In the meantime, we
are concerned about Russia’s decision to relocate its military
hardware from Georgia to Armenia. We are concerned about military
exercises conducted in Armenia. We have increased our military budget
because Russia illegally shipped military hardware worth $1 billion
to Armenia in the mid-1990s. This is why we will continue making
adequate moves.” (…)

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 21, 2005 Wednesday 7:06 AM Eastern Time
Russian-Armenian relations become major stability factor – Putin
MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to
Armenian leader Robert Kocharyan on the occasion of Armenia’s
holiday, Independence Day, the presidential press service reported on
Wednesday.
“The centuries-old traditions of friendship between the peoples of
Russia and Armenia, and the proximity or coincidence of interests of
our countries are a firm basis of bilateral interaction. It is good
that Russia-Armenian relations of allies, characterized by dynamism
and versatility, became a major factor of stability and security in
the region,” Putin’s message said.
The president said he was sure of the success of the Year of Russia
cultural festival in Armenia this year and the counterpart event, to
be staged by Armenia in Russia in 2006.
They will help intensify mutually advantageous Russian-Armenian
cooperation, the Russian leader said.

Agence France Presse — English
September 20, 2005 Tuesday 7:33 PM GMT
OSCE stops Karabakh monitoring mission after shot
YEREVAN
A ceasefire monitoring mission from the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) along frontlines between Azerbaijani
soldiers and ethnic Armenian forces in the volatile Nagorno-Karabakh
enclave was stopped Tuesday after gunfire.
“During the monitoring today, a single shot was heard by both OSCE
groups conducting monitoring along the frontline.
The monitoring was stopped,” Olexandr Samarski, an OSCE field
assistant, told AFP.
The monitors were near the village of Karakhanbeili in the Fizulinsky
region.
The OSCE conducts regular monitoring missions along the frontlines,
where a ceasefire has held since 1994 despite frequent shooting
incidents between the two sides.
Karabakh, a mountainous chunk of Azerbaijan’s territory predominantly
inhabited by Armenians, unilaterally declared independence from Baku
in 1991, unleashing a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that killed
some 25,000 people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The West Australian (Perth)
September 21, 2005 Wednesday
METRO
Coward’s Singapore fling
by RON BANKS
By the age of 29, successful London playwright Noel Coward was
feeling exhausted. His doctor suggested that he would soon have a
nervous breakdown if he didn’t take a holiday.
So Coward headed by sea to China and South-East Asia for a six-month
rest and recreational tour. The travel obviously stimulated his
creative juices because while he was in Shanghai, he wrote Private
Lives, still regarded as one of his wittiest plays.
As he pushed down through Asia, Coward’s male companion took ill with
dysentery and the pair hurried on to Singapore where proper medical
treatment was available.
Coward stayed at the Raffles Hotel while his friend was recovering
and while in this colonial outpost, he volunteered to take part in a
production of N.C. Sherriff’s anti-war play, Journey’s End.
One of the actors from a company of English touring players named The
Quaints had been injured and Coward, who enjoyed acting as much as
writing, stepped into his role.
This much is history but Perth playwright John Aitken blends these
facts of Coward’s time in Singapore with his own imagination to
produce his new play, Imperial Facade.
Coward will be played by John Michael Swinbank, who has made his own
cabaret career singing the songs of the multi-talented writer, actor
and composer.
Swinbank has even performed his own show about Coward at Singapore’s
famous Raffles Hotel, so is well-prepared for his role in Aitken’s
play.
Around the central character of Coward, the playwright has created
several historical and fictional characters to tell his story. One of
the real characters is Raffles owner-manager Tigran Sarkies, one of a
family of Armenians who built the hotel.
Aitken’s storyline does take some liberties with Sarkies’ character,
however, weaving him into an incident in which an Asian woman was
supposedly ordered off the dance floor for fraternising with the
white colonials.
There is some evidence that Coward intervened in this incident to
remonstrate with Sarkies over his racist behaviour, though versions
of the tale differ in the historical accounts.
A rather more fictional character invented by Aitken is a Chinese
princess. She comes to Singapore looking for her brother, who has
fallen in with the Tong, or Singapore-Chinese mafia. But the Chinese
princess is not quite what she seems and is revealed to be a male.
The princess is played by Gary Tong, who grew up in Carnarvon and in
recent years has become a star in the Malaysian film industry. Tong
has also just completed a new Australian film in Melbourne.
“The play is very much about the various facades that people build up
around themselves,” says Aitken. “The Chinese princess is obviously
not quite what she seems and everyone in the colonial society of the
time was not quite what they appeared to be.”
One of the most obvious facades, says Aitken, was that of Coward
himself, whose public image was that of the romantic male lead, the
kind of man of charm, wit and sophistication that women swooned over.
“It was not true,” says Aitken, “because Noel was really a gay man.
In my play, he falls in love with one of the actors from the touring
company, The Quaints.”
As Aitken explains, the real-life company was a down-at-heel bunch of
actors who toured throughout Asia in a hand-to-mouth kind of
existence. Among its members was a young English actor named John
Mills, with whom the real Coward struck up a friendship that would
later lead to Mills’ roles in such Coward films as the wartime naval
drama, In Which We Serve.
No play about Coward would be complete without some of his songs and
Swinbank will serve up some of his classics such as Mad About the
Boy, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and Don’t Put Your Daughter on the
Stage, Mrs Worthington – all written during his Far East adventures.
The songs will be accompanied by leading Perth pianist Mark Coughlan.
Imperial Facade runs from September 27 to October 15 at Rechabites
Hall, William Street, Northbridge. Tickets at BOCS

ACTION AGAINST REBEL KURDS “MATTER OF TIMING”, USA TELLS TURKEY
Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English
21 Sep 05
New York, 18 September: “Intervention against PKK [Kurdistan Workers’
Party] terrorist organization in Iraq is a matter of timing, not
principle,” US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at a meeting
with Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
Iraq, PKK, and Cyprus were mainly discussed during Gul-Rice meeting
in New York City, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
Gul expressed Turkey’s views on Iraq, Afghanistan, Middle East,
Caucasus, Armenian-Azeri conflict, terrorism, Cyprus question,
Central Asia, Balkans and European Union (EU).
It was reported that Secretary Rice said her country shared the views
of Turkey as regards to the presence of terrorist PKK organization in
northern Iraq, and stated that US was determined to take action
against PKK which was considered as a terrorist organization.
Diplomatic sources said Rice stressed that taking action against the
PKK was not “a matter of principle but a matter of timing”.
“US is more prepared to take concrete steps against PKK,” diplomatic
sources reaffirmed.
“Improvement of bilateral relations were also reviewed at the
meeting,” the sources said, and noted that, “both parties have
assessed that they are in a comprehensive partnership.”
Sources said some critical issues like Kirkuk, PKK, and Tall Afar
were also discussed, stating that “it was observed that views on the
mentioned issues were parallel”. [Passage omitted]

The Standard (St. Catharines, Ontario)
September 21, 2005 Wednesday
Final Edition
EU’s door still open for Turkey: Close vote in German election could
prevent de-facto veto of Ankara’s membership application
by Gwynne Dyer, Special to The Standard
The near-tie in the German election, in which Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder came from 13 percentage points behind conservative
challenger Angela Merkel in late August to less than one point behind
her by the Sept. 18 vote, has thrown German politics into turmoil,
but one thing is clear. The door through which Turkey hopes to enter
the European Union, which Merkel had promised to slam shut, is still
open. The entry negotiations begin Oct. 3 and Turkey is still a
candidate for full membership.
Merkel launched a high-profile campaign last month to block Turkey’s
entry, sending letters to EU leaders in other countries asking them
to offer Turkey not full membership but only “privileged
partnership.” “We are firmly convinced,” she wrote, “that Turkey’s
membership would overtax the EU economically and socially and
endanger the process of European integration.” In other words, Turks
are poor (though she did not object to other candidates like Bulgaria
and Romania that are not significantly richer), they’re Muslim, and
there are far too many of them.
It was a cynical appeal to the anti-Turkish and anti-Muslim
prejudices of German voters who are already uncomfortable with the
growing diversity of their county (about three per cent of Germany’s
80 million people are of Turkish origin), and fear a further influx
of immigrants if Turkey joins the EU. It was also bit late in the day
to raise such objections, since Turkey has been a recognized
candidate for full EU membership for the past six years. But if
Angela Merkel had become the leader of a strong majority government
in Germany, the biggest country in the EU, the Turks would have been
betrayed and rejected once again.
Turkey has tied itself into knots in order to meet the EU’s standards
for membership, and that has been a good thing for the Turks, who now
live in a far more just, equal and democratic country than they did a
decade ago. But they do feel that they have kept their side of the
bargain, and only six months ago, all three of the most powerful EU
countries, Germany, France and Britain, firmly backed Turkey’s
membership.
But then came the French and Dutch votes last May and June that
rejected the proposed new EU constitution and the whole scene turned
sour.
France wavered first, with new prime minister Dominique de Villepin
pandering to anti-Muslim sentiments in France by sounding very cool
about the prospects for Turkish membership. Then Angela Merkel in
Germany went further, advocating only “privileged partnership” for
Turkey — and though Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder still backed
Turkey’s membership, her election victory seemed so certain that
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul felt compelled to warn that
“should (the EU) place anything short of full membership (on the
table), or any new conditions, we will walk away. And this time it
will be for good.” Only Britain still backed Turkey unequivocally.
To make matters worse, Turkey announced that while it would sign a
customs deal opening up trade with all 25 EU members, it would still
not recognize the government of the Republic of Cyprus, one of the 10
countries that joined the EU in May, 2004. French president Jacques
Chirac promptly tried to turn that declaration into a proof of
Turkish bad faith, insisting that it “poses political and legal
problems and is not in the spirit expected of a candidate to the
Union.”
In fact, it was quite reasonable, since Cyprus has been divided since
a Greek-Cypriot coup in 1974 that aimed to unite the island with
Greece triggered a Turkish invasion to protect the Turkish-speaking
minority. The government of the “Republic of Cyprus” rules only the
Greek-speaking part of the island. Last year, both the
Turkish-Cypriots and Turkey itself supported a United Nations plan to
reunite Cyprus while the Greek-Cypriots rejected it, so Abdullah Gul
felt fully justified in refusing to recognize the current government
in Nicosia as the sole representative of all Cypriots — but he did
promise “to establish relations with the new partnership government
that will emerge following a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus.”
Even the start of Turkey’s membership talks early next month was
looking in doubt. Cheat the Turks on that and they would surely walk
away, abandoning the vision of a broader Europe that rises above the
old mutual fear and suspicion between Christians and Muslims, and
also ending all hope that countries east of Turkey, like Georgia and
Armenia, might one day qualify for EU membership. The situation
looked pretty grim — and then Angela Merkel stumbled.
She may yet end up as chancellor of Germany at the head of some
awkward three-party coalition — the outcome may not be known for a
month or more — but it would not be the kind of strong, cohesive
government that could impose a de-facto German veto on Turkish
membership of the EU. And it could even be the Comeback Kid himself,
Gerhard Schroeder, a strong supporter of Turkey, who forms the next
German government.
As for Cyprus, EU ambassadors agreed in Brussels last Monday that
while Ankara must eventually recognize the government of Cyprus, that
can happen at any point in the entry negotiations, which are expected
to last up to 10 years. That leaves plenty of time for a settlement
that includes Turkish-Cypriots, too, so Ankara will go along with it.
One more crisis has been surmounted and the talks will begin Oct. 3
as planned.
Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles
are published in 45 countries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Calgary Sun (Alberta)
September 20, 2005 Tuesday
EARLY EDITION
MUSIC FANS FEEL DOWN
BY GARY GRAFF, SUN NEWS SERVICES
NEW YORK
There was a surprise waiting for System of a Down on the group’s
recent tour of Europe.
The crowds were exuberantly into the material from the Los Angeles
quartet’s latest album, Mezmerize, as well as their three previous
ones.
But then, says guitarist Daron Malakian, “we played some of the songs
we haven’t released yet, and some of the kids were already singing
along to them — just from what they’ve heard on the Internet, I
guess.
“I think it’s amazing,” Malakian says.
“It doesn’t freak me out at all. I think the fact that people are
that interested is great, you know?”
There’s no question interest runs high for System, which played the
Saddledome last night, these days — higher, probably, than for any
other rock band, with the exception of the red-hot Coldplay.
Mezmerize and the upcoming Hypnotize, a second album that was
recorded during the same sessions, have raised the excitement to a
fever pitch.
After its mid-May release, Mezmerize debuted at No. 1 on the
Billboard Top 200 chart in the U.S. and in more than a dozen other
countries, and has sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Malakian, the group’s primary songwriter and co-producer of its
albums, is stoked by the reception. “Not too many people are
interested in rock bands these days,” he says.
“For me to be in a rock band people are actually interested in is
really special for me.”
And how did that band turn out to be System? “Honesty, man. It’s just
honesty,” Malakian says. “From the first day, we were never worried
about, ‘Are we going to get a record deal or not? Is radio going to
play it or not?’ When I sit at home writing the songs, I don’t think,
‘What’s going to be the hook?’ or ‘Is this going to be a single?’ We
haven’t changed the way we think. What we’re doing right is basically
not compromising our real emotions in our music.”
That first day was back in the mid-1990s, when the group — whose
other members are singer Serj Tankian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and
drummer John Dolmayan –formed after meeting in Armenian community
centres in Los Angeles. All four band members are Armenian-American,
and their songs reflect their background, delving into issues such as
genocide and oppression.
But it was their sound that really set them apart. Rather than
following after more conventional groups such as Korn and Deftones,
which defined the new-metal scene, System delivered its own
aggressive spin, marked by frenetic, jagged arrangements, sharp tempo
changes and stream-of-consciousness lyrics.
It was a wholly originally sound, sophisticated and even a little
weird — though Malakian says that wasn’t by design.
“I really take a songwriter’s approach,” the guitarist says. “A lot
of people talk about the strange time signatures and riffs and all
this technical stuff, but I’m not chopping up riffs or anything like
that.
“I approach it like writing the songs … It’s a very traditional
songwriting style.”
That weird quality definitely has big appeal. System’s eponymous 1998
debut album went platinum thanks to nearly two years of worldwide
touring — including the first of two stints at Ozzfest, the
heavy-metal concert series. Mezmerize and Hypnotize will keep System
touring well into 2006, but Malakian is already eyeballing his
creative life beyond that.
He has been producing, working with the band Amen for his own
eatURmusic label and Bad Acid Trip for Tankian’s Serjical Strike
imprint.
Malakian also talks about doing an electronic music project.
But, he says, the outside activities will remain adjuncts to the
band’s work.
“There’s plenty of stuff I’d like to do outside System,” Malakian
says.
“I think it all bounces off each other and makes each thing better.”
– – –
Editor’s note: A review of last night’s show was not available by
presstime. For Mike Bell’s review, go to calgarysun.com

Calgary Sun (Alberta)
September 20, 2005 Tuesday
FINAL EDITION
POWER PLAYERS
BY MIKE BELL, CALGARY SUN
Sometimes, to open a mind, you must use force. A hammer. A sack of
doorknobs. Or, in the case of Armenian-American rock act System of a
Down, a rhythm section plucked straight from a construction site and
a guitar you could carve a side of beef with.
All the better to cram into your cranium the band’s socially and
politically charged material. And, as was the case last night at the
Saddledome in front of a crowd of 12,000 or so, all the better to put
on one of the best, one of the most intelligent and one of the most
memorable arena metal shows to come through this city in ages.
It was the antithesis — some might say the antidote — to this
year’s double dose of Crue concerts.
System, like, say, Tool a couple of years ago, showed metal can be
heavy, loud and brutal enough to knock you senseless, while knocking
sense into you at the same time.
They showed you don’t need contortionists and midgets when the music
and message are powerful enough in their own right. In fact, the bare
stage, simple lighting and lack of excess energy exuded in on-stage
antics was barely missed when you were bludgeoned with the throbbing,
relentless sonic attack of the quartet’s superb musicianship.
Leading off with Soldier Side from behind a spotlit curtain and
B.Y.O.B from their latest album Mezmerize, SOAD offered a healthy
barrage of material from that album, their self-titled debut, even
their rarities album and most importantly, their career-making,
groundbreaking release, Toxicity.
Again, frontman Serj Tankian seemed, at times, to be going through
the metal motions, but his whisper-to-a-primal-scream more than made
up for it.
As did the rest of the band, who induced the crowd into a sea of
clap-happy moshers with their good-natured goading and semi-spastic
soloing, including a brief blood-letting from guitarist Daron
Malakian, prior to a blistering, yet oddly moving version of
Mezmerize’s answer to the Bush administration’s answer to Sept. 11,
Sad Statue. And then, later, a reworking of Dire Straits’ Sultans of
Swing into a more personalized version.
It just kept coming — the ferocity, the force and the filling for
that forcefully pried-open mind.
And they didn’t insult their audience by coming on for a
predetermined encore — they played long, they played loud and they
played smart.
Setting the challenging note for the rest of the show — although
maybe setting the experimental bar a little too high — were
Sacramento noise merchants Hella.
Watching their baffling, filling-rattling set, you couldn’t help but
feel violated. The feedback-heavy structurally retarded sound orgy
was akin to being dropped inside an Escher print and beaten through
the confusion by a board with a nail in it.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m still not sure. Next up was
the psychedelic space odyssey of The Mars Volta.
Years ago, in the very same Saddledome, Sonic Youth opened for Neil
Young in one of the most polarizing warm-up performances I’ve ever
seen. Knowing Young’s classic rock fans, it was easy to understand
the animosity and downright aggression directed at the NYC alt-rock
pioneers.
But last night, the venom directed by a little less than half the
audience towards the odd, but nonetheless accessible Floydian and
Hawkwindian soundscapes created by the brilliantly out-there outfit
was rather disappointing, especially considering the cannabis cumulus
hovering inside the ‘Dome.
Musically and visually — the light show and backdrop were fittingly
trippy and afroed frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala was an awe-inspiring
and entertaining cross between James Brown, Prince and Beck — The
Mars Volta’s brilliant hour-long experience was as high as you can
get while still being tethered to this Earth.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Contact: Talin Gregorian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
ANCA-WR WRAPS UP LOCAL SUMMER INTERNSHIP
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western
Region (ANCA-WR) recently wrapped up its Annual Summer Internship
Program, which took place at the regional offices in Glendale, CA.
The internship program is an opportunity for Armenian American youth
to gain the experience of grassroots community outreach by working on
a variety of issues of concern to Armenian American communities such
as increasing Armenian American political activism at the local level
and developing economic links between California and the Republic of
Armenia.
`This internship allows us to further advance our grassroots efforts
in the Armenian American communities. Having the opportunity to help
the youth perfect its grassroots and advocacy skills will ensure that
the Armenian Cause will continue to advance,’ said ANCA-WR Board
member Leonard Manoukian.
This year’s interns were chosen from a large pool of young Armenian
American community-leaders and activists. Through the extensive
application process completed by the ANCA-WR Executive Board, Kaiane
Habeshian and Shant Krikorian were selected for the six-week program.
Kaiane Habeshian, a resident of Waltham, MA, is in her second year at
Brandeis University in Massachusetts where she plans on double
majoring in Biology and Spanish. For the past three years, Kaiane has
been a copyeditor for The Armenian Weekly. She is also currently
playing a key role in establishing an Armenian Student Association at
her university.
Shant Krikorian who is a resident of Glendale, CA is in his first year
at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He has grown up as
an active member of the Armenian American community, having been a
Patrol Leader in the Homenetmen Glendale `Ararat’ Chapter’s Scouting
Division. He was also most recently a board member of the
Transnational Council of the European Union Center of California.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a
broad range of issues.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress