Political Affairs Magazine
Sept 9 2005
Hundreds Rally at White House for “A Day for Darfur”
By Political Affairs

To mark the one-year anniversary of the Bush Administration’s
declaration of genocide in Darfur, Sudan, hundreds of activists
joined leadership figures at a rally outside the White House today to
denounce the continuing failure of political leadership from
President Bush on this crisis. The death toll in Darfur now stands at
more than 400,000 people, with a further 2.5 million people displaced
and left homeless as a result of the ongoing government-sponsored
genocide.
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “As
Americans struggle to cope with the President’s failure of leadership
on the domestic front in the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
we must also condemn the President’s failure of political leadership
on the international front, where he has failed to act to stop the
ongoing genocide in Darfur, and the death toll continues to mount.”
Speakers and activists at today’s event emphasized the urgent need
for protection for the people of Darfur, and called on President Bush
to take every step necessary to ensure an immediate multinational
intervention to support the African Union and provide security to
Darfur.
Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service, said, “As
Jews who understand the consequences of silence and indifference in
the face of genocide, we must respond to the crisis in Darfur and
increase pressure on the international community to end the violence
and suffering. No-one can stand silently by.”
Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council
of Churches, said, “It is unacceptable for us to sit idly by as
people die. This is true whether it is in the Deep South or Darfur,
Sudan. This genocide is one of the greatest horrors of our day. We
urge people of conscience everywhere to call on our leaders to take
action now before events force us to one day have to confess our sin
of negligence and complicity.”
Today’s event also saw the release of a petition signed by many tens
of thousands of Americans, calling on the President to act urgently
to provide protection to the people of Darfur. Across the country,
citizen engagement on the crisis in Darfur continues to grow, as
Americans raise their voices to emphasize that genocide cannot be
ignored.
Rev. Jim Wallis, Founder an Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners Magazine,
said today, “People of faith are united in their call for bold and
immediate Presidential leadership in order to restore hope and
security to the people of Darfur. Now is the time to put real meaning
behind the words ‘never again’.”
Fatima Haroun of the Sudan Peace Advocates Network said today, “The
people of Darfur have suffered more than enough already. It is time
for international action to stop the violence and bring relief and
peace to this troubled region.”
David Rubenstein, Coordinator of the Save Darfur Coalition, said
today, “The Save Darfur Coalition’s 134 member organizations
represent more than 130 million Americans. We call on President Bush
– one year after he recognized the genocide in Darfur – to take
decisive and effective action to end the violence that is brutalizing
innocent civilians in Darfur.”
Today’s event was organized by Africa Action, American Jewish World
Service, Armenian National Committee of America, Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America, Faithful America, Greater Washington Jewish Task
Force on Darfur, NAACP, National Council of Churches, Religious
Action Center of Reform Judaism, Save Darfur Coalition, Sojourners,
STAND, Sudan Peace Advocates Network, TransAfrica Forum, and the
United Methodist Church.

Telecom timing
By Peggy Hollinger
FT
September 8 2005 03:00
With France Telecom midway through its ‚¬3bn rights issue, it
doesn’t seem quite the right moment for the Greek finance ministry to
put 10 per cent of OTE on the block. Sceptics might take this as a
sign that the steam is beginning to run out of the Hellenic telecom
group’s recovery, especially as the shares at ‚¬17 are trading
some way below its hoped for ‚¬20 target.

OTE has been something of a basket case, with stakes in mostly
loss-making fixed and mobile businesses in Romania, Albania,
Macedonia, Armenia, Bulgaria and Serbia.
But investment banker-turned-company doctor Panagis Vourloumis, who
took over as chief executive 15 months ago, seems to be prescribing
the right medicine. Declines in fixed-line revenues are slowing and he
is making good progress on cutting costs. The company is even planning
to float its majority-owned Rom Telecom, next year.
His strategy has been endorsed by a 30 per cent rise in the shares so
far this year. True, they have stalled recently amid fears over
administrative delays to job cuts. But it might be wrong to interpret
the government’s haste in selling as a sign that the recovery is
really stuttering. Far better to look at the parlous state of the
government’s own finances.
The government’s troubles could be good news for OTE’s new
investors. The company is finally beginning to look like a mainstream
operator and, while business in the Balkans is still unpredictable,
its prospects look a lot brighter.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 9 2005
NEXT ATTEMPT OF DISINFORMATION OF THE `TURAN’ AGENCY
MISREPRESENTING REALITY, THE AGENCY ATTEMPTED TO DISSEMINATE
DISINFORMATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE INTERESTS OF RADICAL OPPOSITION
[September 09, 2005, 20:31:06]
The `Turan’ Information Agency, taking the function of analytical
center of the radical opposition and this time has attempted to
disseminate disinformation to confuse the public. The Agency
addressing the Gallup Organization interested whether it would
conduct pre-election poll in Azerbaijan. The mentioned Organization
responded to the Agency that Gallup had not conducted any poll
connected to pre-election situation in Azerbaijan and the
Organization’s spokesman Ch. Stewart called it `counterfeit’.
The `Turan’ Agency adhering its tradition has put a distorted
question to the Gallup Organization’s representative and received
appropriate answers. The `Gallup International’ Center for
Sociological Studies in April 2005 has conducted a poll to learn the
level of reliance of the Armenians, Georgians and Azerbaijanis in the
South Caucasian countries to their leaders and to the presidents of
the leading countries – the United States and Russia. In result, it
was established that 77 percent of Azerbaijanis rely on Ilham Aliyev.
The poll results were disseminated by the US influential `Washington
Post’ journal, through the Turkish newspaper `Zaman’, the Armenian
newspaper `Azg’, the Georgian media, including the `Imedi’ TV of this
country, and Russia’s `Regnum’ Agency. There is sufficient
appropriate information in the Internet and anybody can familiarize
with them in the websites. Interesting is that the `Turan’ Agency has
referred to the AzerTAc News Agency as a source. Moreover, the
above-mentioned media disseminated this information prior to AzerTAc.
For detailed information, it should be mentioned that some 55
organizations in 20 world countries have the right to officially use
the trademark of the Gallup Organization.
Apparently, radical opposition is deeply concerned with the results
of the poll conducted by Gallup. They, in any way, even at cost of
lie and disinformation attempt to blacken the results of poll. High
rating of the Azerbaijan President was approved not only by Gallup
International, but also by the US Republicans Institute, the Soros
Foundation, many foreign and local poll centers.

Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Sept 9 2005
By-election for Armenian Rep. in October

09/09/2005

The by-election for a new representative of the Armenian religious
group to the Cyprus House of Representatives will take place October
9th, 2005.
The new representative will succeed Bedros Kalaydjian, who died last
week at the age of 71.
Candidacies must be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer Monday
26 September 2005, between 0900 and 1230, local time.
The Ministry of Interior calls upon all Armenian Cypriots who will be
18 before or on October 9th to register at their district offices to
be able to vote.
The three religious groups, belonging to the Greek Cypriot community,
Latins, Armenians and Maronites, elect a representative each to the
House, who does not take up one of the 56 parliamentary seats.

Portland Tribune, OR
Sept 9 2005
What’s Armenian for `shake your booty’?
Without being overpowering, the scents of cigarette smoke and cologne
define the atmosphere inside Ararat on a Friday night. The restaurant
and nightclub, named for the mountain that is a symbol of Armenian
culture, draws a mainly Eastern European crowd to its small dance
floor every weekend.
At 11 p.m. the place hasn’t started to jump yet. A long banquet
table in the center of the room, with `reserved’ signs on it, is
still empty. A few girls are dancing together to melodramatic Russian
disco.
The decorations are spare but striking. Vinyl records suspended
from the ceiling twist in the breeze. Huge gold letters, spelling out
A-R-A-R-A-T, give the awning over the tiny side bar the look of an
outdoor kiosk. The dance floor makes up for its size with style: It’s
lit from beneath by flashing, pulsing, multicolored lights.
We settle down at one end of a long table for some
people-watching. Just before midnight, the place starts filling up. A
group finally claims the `reserved’ table behind us. The waiter
brings them three bottles of champagne.
A woman selling flowers circles the room. She looks familiar – one
of the tribe who wander, mostly ignored, through Portland’s bars and
nightclubs. But unlike others of her ilk, she’s doing a brisk
business here. She sells out within an hour, and stays to watch the
dancing.
The dance floor is now filled with rhythmically moving bodies.
Suddenly, the music stops. The DJ asks everyone to sit down, which
they do reluctantly, to make way for the belly dancer. Dressed in a
spangled scarlet ensemble, with long black hair and a dazzling smile,
Eva appears. Her elaborate, sinuous routine concludes with a
circumnavigation of the room, collecting dollar bills in her
waistband.
Afterward, I step outside with her to ask a few questions. Her
full name is Eva Van Derlip, and she’s filling in tonight for the
regular belly dancer, known as Yemaya. Belly dancers have a solid
community in Portland, she says. As if to prove her point, we’re
joined by Debra Souki, another belly dancer, who is planning to teach
beginners lessons at Ararat starting next month (call the restaurant
for details).
`Have you seen the back?’ Souki asks me. She rounds up one of the
owners, Nelli Grigorian, and they lead me past the now-packed dance
floor, down a hallway, and into another world – albeit one also
defined by its aroma. In this case, it’s the sweet, enveloping scent
of freshly baked bread. We’re surrounded by kneading tables, ovens
and racks filled with loaves.
Grigorian, handing me a braided loaf, tells me she came to
Portland with her husband, Avo Karapetian, 11 years ago. They first
came to Los Angeles from Armenia, but didn’t like it, and continued
north. Now, handing me a package of sweet rolls (which, by the way,
make a great 2 a.m. snack) she tells me she loves Portland, loves how
friendly people are here.
I decide that, purely for research purposes, I need to dance on
the flashing dance floor before I leave. Unfortunately, after
midnight, the music is mostly techno, which I don’t find very
inspiring. Nevertheless, one of my friends and I thread our way into
the group, which has achieved critical mass.
In dance floor terms, this means it doesn’t much matter if you’re
a bad dancer, because no one can see you. You’re just one small
moving part of a larger organism. It also doesn’t matter if you don’t
like the song – there’s a contagious desire to keep moving, anyway …
at least up to a point.
The music changes. It’s the first song tonight that I’ve actually
recognized. It’s a terrible, annoying, repetitive pop song that was
once a huge hit in Europe. I was traveling there with my parents at
the time, 20 years ago, and we heard it everywhere we went, to the
point where it became a family joke. Now here it is again, although
apparently no one else likes it either. The DJ actually puts a halt
to it partway through.
Still, there’s no escaping this song. It’s been stuck in my head
ever since.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 9 2005
THE EXHIBITION OF THAI GOODS TO OPEN IN YEREVAN
An exhibition of Thai goods is to open in Yerevan in 2006, and
representation of RA Trade Industrial Chamber will open in Bangkok
and Thailand. RA deputy foreign minister Armen Bayburtyan informed of
the fact on the outcomes of the talks with Thai deputy foreign
minister Virachai Virameteecul.
According to Bayburtyan, `The Joint Programs of Actions’ will
contribute to the development of bilateral ties and stimulate the
development of trade between the two countries. In his words,
Armenian – Thai cooperation is especially successful in agriculture.

Armenian, US speakers agree to develop cooperation
Aravot, Yerevan
9 Sep 05

Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Aravot website on 9
September
The chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia, Artur Bagdasaryan,
has met US Congress Speaker Dennis Hustert in Washington.
An official press release says that the parties discussed Armenian-US
relations “in an atmosphere of full mutual understanding”. The parties
agreed to develop cooperation between the US Congress and the National
Assembly of Armenia.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 9 2005
ARMENIA AND THAILAND SIGNED `THE JOINT ACTION PROGRAM’
On September 8 foreign ministries of Armenia and Thailand signed `The
Joint Action Program’.
According to Thai Deputy foreign minister Virachai Virameteecul, the
signing of the document has become the result of RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan’s visit to Thailand on July 9 – 13.
Thai foreign minister said he had met RA foreign minister Vardan
Oskanyan. In the course of the meeting the parties came to an
agreement on a lot of issues referring to the program.
The document was signed for 2 years – 2005 – 2007. It is going to be
a principal document stimulating ties between the two countries,
while Thai and Armenian MFA will coordinate the new programs.

Sudan Tribune, The Sudan
Sept 9 2005
Chronology of a Failure to Stop Genocide: Bush Administration Policy
on Darfur since September 9, 2004
On this day last year, the White House declared that genocide was
taking place in Darfur, Sudan. This announcement was the result of
political pressure from Congress and citizen pressure from across the
U.S. The legal finding was itself based on overwhelming evidence from
a study of the region completed by the State Department the previous
month. The U.S. remains the only government to acknowledge the crisis
in Darfur as genocide, thereby invoking special responsibilities to
act.
However, since September 9, 2004, the Bush Administration has done
little to stop the violence and provide protection to the people of
Darfur. Despite important opportunities and obligations, and growing
public pressure, the President has failed to take the necessary steps
to ensure an urgent multinational intervention to stop this genocide.
Instead, the Bush Administration’s other interests in Sudan have
inhibited its response to the crisis in Darfur. U.S. diplomatic
engagement in ending the long-running civil war between the northern
government and southern rebels, and the U.S. desire to maintain an
intelligence-sharing relationship with the Sudanese government in
context of the so-called “War on Terror” have both been considered
more important than saving lives in Darfur.
A decade after the U.S. blocked international action on the genocide
in Rwanda, the White House has abdicated its responsibilities to stop
the genocide in Darfur. It has left the African Union (AU) to deal
with this crisis, even while it knows that the AU lacks the capacity
and the mandate to protect the people of Darfur. The death toll in
Darfur now exceeds 400,000 people, more than 2 million people have
been displaced and left homeless, and the genocide continues. It is
clear that U.S. financial support for humanitarian efforts in Darfur,
limited official travel to the region, and occasional remarks about
U.S. engagement have failed to substitute for assertive international
leadership to provide the protection to the people of Darfur
necessary to stop the genocide.
Genocide is a unique crime against humanity and it demands a unique
and urgent response. Once the U.S. recognized that genocide was
occurring in Darfur, it should have immediately acted to provide
protection to the people of Darfur – to stop the killing and rapes,
to restore security to the region, to facilitate the urgent delivery
of humanitarian assistance, and ultimately to support the voluntary
return of displaced people to their land. A multinational
intervention mission, approved by the United Nations (UN) Security
Council under Chapter 7 of its Charter, would provide the mandate and
authorize the force necessary to build on the AU mission and stop
this genocide. Instead, while the U.S. has drafted all UN resolutions
on Darfur in the past year, it has not once sought to achieve such an
intervention to stop this genocide.
The following is a chronology of the failure of the Bush
Administration over the past year to stop the genocide in Darfur:
September 9, 2004: President Bush issues a press statement
acknowledging that genocide is taking place in Darfur. Then-Secretary
of State Colin Powell testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee that genocide has been committed in Darfur, and that the
government of Sudan and its proxy militia bear responsibility, but he
denies logic by stating that “no new action is dictated by this
determination.”
September 18, 2004: The United Nations (UN) Security Council passes a
weak U.S.-sponsored Resolution (1564), which presses the Government
of Sudan to end the violence in Darfur but fails to impose strong
measures to ensure this outcome. Indeed, this follows the expiration
of a deadline set in a previous resolution, by which the government
was supposed to have disarmed the Janjaweed militia. Resolution 1564
also requests that the Secretary-General establish an International
Commission of Inquiry to investigate reports of violations of
international humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur.
September 21, 2004: President Bush briefly mentions the “terrible
suffering and horrible crimes in Darfur” in remarks to the UN General
Assembly, and reiterates the U.S. finding that genocide is occurring,
but he fails to propose urgent international action to stop the
genocide.
October 1, 2004: President Bush responds to a question on Darfur
during the first Presidential debate by emphasizing that genocide is
occurring but failing to propose action to address the crisis. He
simply states that the AU observer mission in Darfur should be
supported.
October 18, 2004: President Bush commits to supplying two military
transport aircraft to support the small African Union mission in
Darfur.
November 1, 2004: President Bush extends Executive Order 13067, which
was first invoked in 1997, and which maintains sanctions against
Sudan and states that the actions and policies of the Sudanese
government pose an extraordinary threat to U.S. national security.
November 19, 2004: The UN Security Council passes a weak
U.S.-sponsored Resolution (1574), which again demands that the
government, its militia forces and the rebel groups cease violence in
Darfur, and expresses support for AU plans to increase its mission to
3,320 observers.
January 9, 2005: President Bush commends the signing of the
North-South Peace Agreement in Sudan, and urges the government of
Sudan to end atrocities in Darfur and allow the free movement of
humanitarian workers and supplies.
February 1, 2005: In response to the UN Commission of Inquiry report
on Darfur, a State Department spokesperson emphasizes that the U.S.
stands by its conclusion that genocide had been occurring in Darfur,
and states that the continued accumulation of facts on the ground,
and the facts in the UN report itself, support that view, and that
the U.S. continues to hold that position.
March 31, 2005: The U.S. abstains as the UN Security Council adopts a
resolution to refer cases of war crimes in Darfur to the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
April 14-15, 2005: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick
travels to Sudan to meet with senior officials from the genocidal
regime in Khartoum. While in Sudan, Zoellick evades media questions
on the crisis in Darfur and refuses even to use the word “genocide”.
April 20-22, 2005: Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, Head of the
Sudanese intelligence agency, is flown to Washington on a Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) jet to discuss intelligence sharing in the
context of the so-called “War on Terror.” Gosh has been accused by
numerous human rights groups and members of Congress of planning
attacks on civilians in Darfur.
April 25, 2005: Media reports indicate that the White House has
leaned on Congressional allies to strike the Darfur Accountability
Act from the budget supplemental appropriation bill, claiming it
might impede the North-South peace process in Sudan.
May 27, 2005: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and
European Union (EU) agree to send air transport, vehicles, training
and other materials to support the expansion of the AU mission in
Darfur. The U.S. agrees to provide additional financial support for
this mission.
May 31, 2005: Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick again travels
to Sudan, continuing a policy of constructive engagement on the part
of the Bush Administration with the genocidal regime in Khartoum.
June 1, 2005: President Bush breaks months of silence on the crisis
in Darfur by repeating his Administration’s position that genocide is
occurring, but offers only a transport plane to support the AU
mission.
June 9, 2005: NATO agrees to help the AU with airlifts and training
for its mission in Darfur.
June 22, 2005: Deputy Secretary Zoellick’s testimony before the House
Committee on International Relations confirms that the U.S. has an
intelligence-sharing relationship with Sudan, which is impacting the
U.S. response to the crisis in Darfur. Zoellick emphasizes that U.S.
support for the small AU operation is the centerpiece of U.S. policy
on Darfur.
July 7, 2005: NATO begins a three-month airlift of AU observers into
Darfur, and the U.S. commits to supporting NATO’s work in the coming
weeks by transporting about 1,200 Rwandan troops and equipment from
Rwanda to Sudan to participate in the AU observer mission.
July 9: Deputy Secretary of State Zoellick again visits Khartoum to
represent the U.S. at the inauguration of the Government of National
Unity. Zoellick also makes a third, and uneventful, trip to Darfur to
meet with local leaders, NGOs and humanitarian groups and internally
displaced people (IDPs).
July 21: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits Sudan to meet
with senior government officials in Khartoum and to visit camps for
displaced people in Darfur. However, a fracas between Sudanese
security officers and Rice’s entourage appeared to generate greater
attention and indignation from U.S. officials and media than did the
ongoing genocide in that country. Rice repeats that the
Administration’s position remains that genocide is occurring in
Darfur.
July 26, 2005: The State Department announces the appointment of
Roger P. Winter as Special Representative of the Deputy Secretary of
State for Sudan, tasked with engaging with the new Government of
National Unity and advising the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on
policy related to Darfur and to Sudan in general.
August 1, 2005: President Bush issues a statement expressing
condolences to the family of Dr. Garang, First Vice President in the
Government of National Unity, who has just died. Secretary of State
Rice emphasizes that the U.S. remains committed to the cause of peace
in all of Sudan, including resolution of the “humanitarian crisis” in
Darfur.
September 8, 2005: For more than two years, a growing number of
communities and organizations across the U.S. have been demanding
leadership from the White House to stop the genocide in Darfur. This
diverse movement now includes a range of religious groups, student
activists, African-American groups, relief agencies, and human rights
organizations of all kinds.
On the one-year anniversary of the Bush Administration’s declaration
of genocide in Darfur, a coalition of these groups and their
supporters gather outside the White House to condemn the failure of
political leadership on the part of the President in ensuring
protection for the people of Darfur, and to urge immediate action to
stop the genocide in Darfur.
This event, called “A Day for Darfur”, is co-sponsored and endorsed
by the following groups: Africa Action, American Jewish World
Service, Armenian National Committee of America, Darfur
Rehabilitation Project, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America,
Faithful America, Greater Washington Jewish Task Force on Darfur,
Human Rights First, NAACP, National Council of Churches, Religious
Action Center of Reform Judaism, Save Darfur Coalition, Sojourners,
STAND, Sudan Peace Advocates Network, TransAfrica Forum, and the
United Methodist Church.
NOTE:
U.S. Humanitarian Assistance for Darfur (2003-present) = $710,000,000
U.S. Spending on Iraq War & Occupation (2003-present)
$192,000,000,000
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia Now, Armenia
Sept 9 2005
Praise in Paris: `Mels’ and Duryan find success in repeat performance

By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Yerevan native playwright Narek Duryan’s play `Thank You, God’ is
enjoying a repeat performance in Paris, at the De Jazet Theater.

The actor takes on many personalities

The play was so successful during a month-long run in June, that the
board of directors of the 700-seat theater in Bastille Square invited
Duryan back, where he is again the featured attraction this month.
`Stepping into this theater is a big success, for this theater is
among the ten most important and authoritative theaters in Paris,’
says actor and director Duryan, son of the popular conductor Ohan
Duryan. `If we take into account that 480 performances are played in
Paris every day, 30 percent of which have a life of only a day, than
one can imagine how difficult it is to attract attention.’
The character created and embodied by Duryan carries elements of
self-biography, of a man named Mels who has passed through a
socialist regime and is enjoying a European democracy trying to
realize what freedom is.
The hero’s name is comprised from the quartet of socialist stalwarts
– Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.
Fed up with the ways of the Soviet Union, Mels crosses the state
border and finds home in the capital of democratic France. His bright
hopes fade, but he seems to succeed in everything (although his
marriage to a French woman turns out to not be a happy one).
`In this performance I study the question of personal freedom and
what is freedom,’ the play’s creator says. `It is a relative
phenomenon. When was I more free, when I could not travel, for I was
in a prison called Soviet country, but traveled around the world in
my mind, or now, when I can go wherever I want, but I don’t have
money? This is also a kind of imprisonment, a jail.’
Gradually developing the plot Mels tells about the way he has passed;
he was born in Armenia, had his military service in Siberia, opening
Siberia to the audience in a humorous manner: `It’s strange but I
remember with nostalgia our Soviet routine life, we had bread and
cheese, we were happy, it was a prison but we rebelled and were drawn
to Siberia. Which one is better? In dictatorship you cannot speak for
everyone listens to what you say, and in democracy speak as much as
you wish, no one listens to you.’
During `independence’, Mels ends up selling his valued possessions in
Yerevan’s vernisage bazaar; he puts his father’s military coat for
sale, medals he has won at the expense of his blood: `Everything is
shown by means of humor and anecdotes, but it hurts, for he sells a
whole history,’ says Duryan.
The author purposefully presents his hero in three societies – in
dictatorship, in wild capitalism and democracy. And the alterations
of the human type according to the type of the society become obvious
when Mels says to himself in total freedom: `I saw dictatorship and
freedom and now I understand a simple thing: freedom is measured by
the largeness of one’s cage’.

The French press have taken notice of Duryan

The French press and the cultural programs at the TF1 TV Company have
covered the Armenian’s performance. Elle a Paris writes: `With a
great portion of sense of humor and deep observation Narek Duryan
opened the closed curtains of the Soviets before us.’ And the Paris
Capitale says the performance `created a big revolution in the De
Jazet Theater for French audience’.
The artist, who has lived in Paris for the past 25 years, says he
wonders when Armenia itself will open up the borders of its own
freedom and cage together with Mels.
Audiences in Paris have been about 20 percent Diaspora. (Duryan hopes
to bring the performance to Armenia, but doesn’t know when.)
The Armenian audience is acquainted with Duryan’s art through several
performances – the musical `Don Quixote’ by Servantes-Bulgakov,
`Operation Nemesis’ historical-documentary performance staged
together with `Bohem’ theatrical group in the Theater of Young
Audience.
The `Bohem’ that has a rich experience of 15 years is the only
professional, stable, constantly theatrical group acting abroad, who
has never interrupted its activities and has traveled to European
countries, the USA, Canada, Egypt and oriental countries for many
times.
`Although it is 25 years already that I live in Paris, I always
considered myself a man from Yerevan, I haven’t changed even my
language; for me the acknowledgement of the audience here (Yerevan)
is very important and I think I will get it soon,’ says Duryan.