ROBERT KOCHARYAN: NAGORNO KARABAKH PEOPLE~RS CHOICE IS NOT SUBJECT TO CASSATION
DeFacto.am, Armenia
Sept 2 2005
RA President Robert Kocharyan circulated a message in connection with
the 14th Anniversary of NKR independence.
The message runs in particular: “We celebrate the 14th Anniversary
of independence of Artsakh reaffirming our commitment to the ideas
of freedom and democracy.
Historic choice made by the people of Artsakh is irrevocable. This
is proved by the strengthening of its army, state structures, and
economic progress and, overall, by the very existence of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.
The Republic of Armenia is and will always be the unshakable safe
guarder of Artsakh. We will do our best to bring closer a fair
resolution of the NK problem, remaining committed to the principles
of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue”, runs the
RA President’s message.

Romance and realism in Brassai’s Paris pictures
By Robert Reed / Special to The Daily Yomiuri
The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo)
September 1, 2005 Thursday
The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Ebisu is celebrating
its 10th year with a schedule of special exhibitions that reflect
its character as an institution dedicated to building and educating
an audience for the art of photography. After a series of three
exhibitions covering the history of photography in Japan up through
World War II, the museum now presents a show of the works of Brassai,
one of Europe’s best-known photographers of the 20th century.
This show is exemplary of the kind of high-quality presentations of
foreign artists the museum has sought to bring its audience over the
last 10 years and, in fact, is one that was assembled by the Pompidou
Centre, Paris, in 2000, to celebrate the centenary of the artist’s
birth and that has since toured to Britain and Italy.
Brassai is known today primarily as a photographer of the streets
and cafes of Paris at the time between the two world wars when the
city was the artistic capital of Europe. Like so many of the artists,
writers and thinkers gathered in Paris at that time, Brassai was not
a native Parisian but an expatriate drawn to the City of Light by
its irresistible intellectual and artistic gravity.
Born Gyula Halasz, the pseudonym Brassai that he chose after beginning
his artistic activities in Paris in the early 1930s means “of Brasso”
(Brasov), his native town in what was Hungarian Transylvania (now
part of Romania). His mother was Armenian and his father a Hungarian
professor of French literature with a degree from the Sorbonne. After
studying art in Budapest and Berlin, Brassai finally realized his
dream of living in Paris at the age of 25, in 1924.
During his first years in Paris, Brassai supported himself by writing
as a correspondent for Hungarian and German publications while devoting
himself to the study of French. In Berlin, he had counted artists
such as Kandinsky, Kokoschka and Moholy-Nagy among his friends,
and after moving to Paris he was again quick to make friends in art
circles. One of the first of these was the photographer Eugene Atget,
whose works Brassai came to admire deeply.
It was in 1929 that a friend lent Brassai a camera so that he could
take his own pictures to send back with his articles to Hungary and
Germany rather than having to rely on other photographer’s pictures.
As soon as he began to take and develop pictures, Brassai decided that
photography was a medium through which he could express his view of
the world.
In Brassai’s first serious portraits of Paris, beginning in 1930,
what we see is not the City of Light but the empty streets of the
Parisian night that he loved to wander. The collection of photographs
published late in 1932 under the title Paris du nuit (and in the
English edition as Paris After Dark in 1934) quickly caught the
attention of the Paris art world.
In the selection of works from this period on view in the Ebisu show,
we see the deserted night streets, peopled only occasionally by young
hoodlums from the slums and prostitutes on the Place d’Italie. In
these early years Brassai also photographed the nightlife of Paris,
in the cafes and bars, the dance halls and the brothels.
If the images appear stark it is because Brassai sought unadorned
reality above all else. If they seem unfinished it is because, like
that first camera that started him on his quest, Brassai always tried
to keep the spirit of the amateur, using no special equipment and
developing no new techniques.
In keeping with this stance, he also fervently denied the label of
artist throughout his career. The ground he broke was not in the
realm of technique or style but in the new subject matter he found
and the intimate knowledge of the fellow artists he photographed in
their studios. Brassai considered Goethe to be his true mentor and
he adopted the philosopher’s aphorism as his own: “Little by little,
objects have raised me to their own level.”
There is a striking photograph in this show titled A Subway Pillar
that exemplifies a series of photographs in which Brassai sought to
express the nobility of ordinary objects. He called this series Objets
a Grandes Echelles (Large-scale Objects) and it was these images that
caught the eye of Picasso and made him ask Brassai to photograph the
large stock of sculptures he had not yet shown the public.
Later, Brassai would be invited to the studios of many artists and
writers of the day, including Matisse, Giacometti, Pierre Bonnard,
George Braque, Georges Rouault, Bernard Buffet, Aristide Maillol,
Samuel Beckett, Thomas Mann and Olivier Messiaen. Particularly
memorable was a 1939 pictorial feature in Life magazine titled
“Picasso in his Studio.”
But this is not the side of Brassai’s career that the Ebisu show
focuses on. The Pompidou Centre collection from which his show is
compiled includes the vast archive of the Brassai estate and the
artist’s personal collection that his widow, Gilberte, donated to the
museum. From this, the show seeks to present the full spectrum of
Brassai’s own creative genius rather than his perhaps more visible
role as chronicler of the Paris art world. Thus, the show includes
Brassai drawings and sculpture as well as photographs.
As an art student, Brassai had naturally studied drawing, and he would
return to drawing as a medium of artistic expression in his 40s, partly
out of necessity. In the fateful month of June 1940, when the German
Army occupied Paris, Brassai was in Cannes, having fled before the
invasion with many of his artist friends. Although he had an invitation
to move to the United States, he boarded the last refugee train back
to Paris because he had forgotten to bring along his negatives.
Back in Paris, Brassai was told by the German occupation authority
to apply for a license to practice his profession as a photographer.
When he refused to do so, he was forbidden to work as a photographer
for the remainder of the war. This is when he returned to drawing and
made it a medium that he would continue to work in for the rest of
his life. This is also the period when Picasso asked him to photograph
his sculptures.
After the war, Brassai began making sculptures of his own, from the
stones he found during his frequent alpine treks in the French Alps.
Many of these charming works are stylized nudes that parallel his work
in drawing and photography–also on display in this show. Other works
seem to reflect the primitivism that had captured the imagination of
Picasso and many other artists of the day. And one humorous sculpture
is a Picassoesque bust in miniature of Picasso himself.
Another part of this show that is sure to impress visitors is the
selection of prints from Brassai’s Graffiti series, a collection
of photos of Paris wall graffiti that the artist sought out and
photographed over a period of more than 30 years. These images created
a sensation in New York when they were first shown together at the
Museum of Modern Art in a show organized by American photographer
Edward Steichen.
The reception was equally fervent in Europe when Brassai’s Graffiti
books were published in Germany and France. By this time, artists
like Picasso, Braque, Miro and Dubuffet were already avid collectors
of these prints, some of which came in pairs with a 10-year interval
between them to show how the graffiti had aged over the years. In
this show, these haunting images are grouped under Brassai’s original
themes of Love, Death, Magic and the Primitive.
Brassai–From the Pompidou Centre Collection
Until Sept. 25, open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (until 8 p.m. on Thursdays
and Fridays). Closed Mondays except Sept. 19, when the museum closes
the following day instead.
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, a seven-minute walk from
JR Ebisu Station.
Admission: 1,000 yen for adults, 900 yen for university students and
800 yen for high school and middle school students and seniors 65
and older.
Information: visit or call (03) 3280-0099.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Washington Daybook
September 1, 2005
ORGANIZATION: Armenian Youth Foundation holds a rally to expose and
counter Azerbaijan’s plan to intimidate Karabagh’s Armenian
inhabitants into relinquishing their right to self-rule, while the
most senior officials in Baku repeatedly threaten to take Karabagh by
military force.
TIME: 3 p.m.
LOCATION: Azerbaijan Embassy, 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: 617-923-1933, [email protected];
TYPE: Rally
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia Now, Armenia
September 3, 2005
Baltic “yans”: A visit with the Armenians of Latvia
By Suren Musayelyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Editor’s Note: Staff writer Suren Musayelyan recently visited relatives
in Latvia, where he found a small, but vibrant community of Armenians
. . .
“Ani”, “Ararat”, “Artsakh”, “Erebuni”, “Kert”, the names of Armenian
landmarks might be expected on restaurants in the popular Diaspora
regions such as Glendale, Tehran, Montreal . . . But Riga?
(Latvia is situated in Northern Europe and is one of the three Baltic
states along with Estonia and Lithuania that were occupied by the
Soviet Union in 1940. Latvia regained its independence in 1991. It
has a population of about 2,300,000. The largest national minority
is Russians, about 28 percent).
With an Armenian population of about 2,500 in Riga (3,000 in the
entire country), the capital of Latvia is home to about two dozen
Armenian restaurants – approximately 1 for each 100 Latvian-Armenians.
According to one of the elders of the community, Karlos Shekoyan,
this detail only stresses that “the Armenian community, although not
very large, is very diverse.”
The Armenian community is represented by a khachkar in Riga.
The 84-year-old, a well-known tamada (toast-master) among the Latvian
Armenians, who was brought to Riga by his fate in 1949, says that
the members of the community try to rally around the church.
“We all have families: children, grandchildren, but it is the meetings
in the church that are spiritual communication for us, bringing us
closer to our historical homeland,” says Shekoyan.
The religious organization of the Armenian Apostolic Church called
St. Gregory the Illuminator Church appeared in Riga in 1993. And the
construction of the church began in late 1997 (the church is situated
in 6 Kayusalas Street). Construction is not complete yet, but services
are already being held. The church is being built exclusively on the
donations of the parishioners.
Father Markos (lay name – Hrachya Hovhannisyan) also emphasizes the
role of the church in the life of the community thousands of miles
away from their historical homeland.
“The Church is the core of our unity. It is heroism for such a
small community like ours to purchase such a large territory for
the construction of a church,” says Archimandrite Markos, who came
to Riga in November 2002 and was appointed prior of the St. Gregory
the Illuminator Church.
According to Fr. Markos, Armenians in Latvia can be found in
practically all spheres of activities, but there are especially many
Armenians engaged in arts and culture.
According to him, there were Armenians in Latvia before the
sovietization of the republic in 1940, but they were very few and
disorganized. Armenians, who now live in Latvia, mostly came to this
Baltic state during the Soviet times, after 1946.
The first public organization – Latvian-Armenian Cultural Society –
was founded here in 1988.
The Armenian community of Riga was established on the basis of the
Latvian-Armenian Cultural Society in 2001. This community is a member
of the “Commonwealth” union of public organizations of Latvia’s
national minorities and receives financing from the state.
Its chairman Artur Isakhanov has lived in Riga since 1979. He says
that the community faces lots of challenges in trying to preserve
their identity, including differences within the community itself.
But he says what they have actually achieved inspires him with optimism
for the future.
“It is for the first time in 50 years that only our community here
in the Baltic states has managed to purchase land and build a church
there. It happens very rarely in these parts, practically never,”
says Isakhanov. “We have already got permission for the privatization
of the land and soon this land will belong to Holy Etchmiadzin.”
The church in Riga is the first Armenian church to have been built in
the Baltic States (which include churches in neighboring Lithuania
and Estonia, which, however, unlike the one in Riga were not built
like Armenian churches but were converted into them).
Isakhanov says that it is important for them to see the community
centered around the church. The local Armenians also plan to build
a cultural center and a school near the church.
The Armenian community in Latvia tries to keep abreast with their
compatriots in other Diaspora communities across the world. They
now have their own newspaper, “Ararat” (printed in 2,500 copies),
close ties with the Armenian communities of neighboring Estonia
and Lithuania and participate in many international pan-Armenian
conferences and forums.
According to Isakhanov, there is an Armenian lobby in the Latvian
Parliament and among the Armenian lobbyists are even extreme right-wing
deputies, such as Chairwoman of the Seim (the Latvian Parliament),
Ingrida Udre.
In spring, when Armenians across the world commemorated the 90th
anniversary of the Genocide, the Armenian community in Latvia arranged
a whole series of events, including an exhibition on the Genocide at
the Seim of Latvia.
Even though the Armenian lobby failed to push a declaration on the
genocide through the Latvian legislature this spring (only 15 of
the 100 deputies supported it, including 11 rightist (Latvians) and
four leftists (Russians)), they are determined to initiate the same
declaration next year. Isakhanov says they will continue to work in
this direction in the future.
“The president of Latvia recently met with our ambassador and said to
him: ‘Perhaps you shouldn’t remember the past, but should look into
the future,’ to which he replied: ‘Then why don’t you want to forget
your problems with Russia in the past?'” says Isakhanov, calling it
a policy of double standards.
There is a khachkar in the very center of Riga, placed by the
Armenian community in 1989 in memory of the victims of the massacres
of Armenians and the earthquake in Spitak. In 2001, on the occasion
of the 1700th anniversary of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity,
the khachkar was reconstructed and re-consecrated.
Armenians in Latvia, whether they have a citizen’s passport or don’t,
mostly come together at church meetings and other events organized
by the community.
Anahit Sargsyan recently celebrated her 80th birthday with her
compatriots in the church yard. Originally from Tbilisi, Georgia,
Anahit has lived in Latvia since 1953.
“All my friends here are already dead. I have made new friends here
in the community, which is a family for me. I feel very sad when I
miss a single Sunday church service,” she says.
Preservation of language is another challenge, especially for the
younger generation of Armenians in Latvia.
Tigran Bogoyan, 29, was born and raised in Riga. A graduate of
the Department of Economy at the Latvian University, Tigran runs
an accounting firm. He says he often goes to Yerevan where he has
relatives. He speaks Armenian a little.
“I try to speak Armenian with anyone who speaks Armenian. Although
I was born and lived all my life in Latvia, I feel more at home in
Armenia,” says Tigran.
There is a Sunday school in Riga available to Armenians who want to
learn the language. The school was established in 1989, but according
to Isakhanov, this school needs more attention both in terms of
financing and interest towards it among the members of the community.
Headmistress of Riga’s Armenian Sunday School Elza Mirzoyan says that
besides the Armenian language they also Armenian history and culture.
But she says they have fewer children attending the school than they
would like to see.
“The Armenian language is spoken less and less by children. Their
parents speak the language, but the children do not. Unfortunately,
this tendency is observed throughout the Diaspora,” says Mirzoyan.
The Armenian boys and girls attending the school also participate in
various school competitions among Latvia’s national minorities and
their headmistress says that performing under the Armenian tricolor
they feel that their ancient historical homeland is behind them.
“I am sure that our children will grow to become real patriots of
the Armenian nation,” Mirzoyan concludes.
;AID=1046&CID=1239&IID=1040&lng=eng
From: Baghdasarian

AMBASSADOR FINLEY OUTLINES U.S. POLICIES ON SOUTH CAUCASUS
US Fed News
September 1, 2005 Thursday 4:54 AM EST
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Department of State’s International Information Programs
issued the following press release:
U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) Julie Finley briefly outlined basic U.S. policies on
several issues relating to the South Caucasus at a meeting of the
OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, September 1.
Among the policies she reiterated U.S. support for:
* Free and fair elections in Azerbaijan;
* Support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and “peaceful
settlement of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts in Georgia;”
and
* The work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to facilitate a peaceful,
negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Finley noted that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had called the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and “encouraged each president
to make the compromises necessary to reach such a settlement.” (See
related article.)
Finley noted that this was her first Permanent Council intervention
as the new U.S. ambassador to the OSCE.
Following is her statement to the Permanent Council:
(begin text)
United States Mission to the OSCE
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO AMBASSADOR TALVITIE, EU SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
As delivered by Ambassador Julie Finley
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
September 1, 2005
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It almost goes without saying that this is my first Permanent Council
intervention as Ambassador of the United States to the OSCE. Allow me
to take a moment to thank you and your colleagues for the very warm
welcome I have received this past ten days. I look forward to meeting
those I have not yet met in person and working together in a spirit
of consultation and cooperation to address the many, many challenges
ahead.
I have long appreciated and valued the important role OSCE plays, and
can play. It is an honor for me to represent my country at this
important time when citizens in so many places are embracing the
principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act. In doing so, they
reap the benefits of secure, democratic futures. Still, we have
promises yet to keep, and the OSCE can help to bring bright futures
to places where people still yearn to be free and equal.
I can assure you, my friend President Bush shares my enthusiasm for
what OSCE has done and especially for what OSCE can do.
Mr. Chairman,
The United States warmly welcomes the return of Ambassador Talvitie
to the Permanent Council. We welcome the news that the European Union
extended his mandate for another six-month period, until February
2006. The Ambassador’s extraordinary experiences give him a unique
perspective on this region. We are heartened by his optimistic
report.
The United States is watching the election process in Azerbaijan with
great interest. We appreciate the progress made to date. As we have
stated on many occasions, the United States strongly supports free
and fair elections in Azerbaijan. Secretary of State Rice spoke with
President Aliyev about this just last week. We look for guarantees
that those who campaign will be free of harassment and intimidation.
We look for guarantees that parties and candidates will have equal
access to the media. And we look for guarantees, that in the
post-election period, the voters of Azerbaijan will see the honest
results of their voting – in the cities, towns, and villages.
Mr. Chairman,
We support fully the continuing work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to
facilitate a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. In her recent phone calls with Armenian President Kocharian
and Azerbaijani President Aliyev, Secretary Rice encouraged each
president to make the compromises necessary to reach such a
settlement. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs have indicated a desire to
brief the full Minsk Group in the near future on the progress of the
negotiation process.
Mr. Chairman,
The United States supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and
continues to support peaceful settlement of the South Ossetia and
Abkhazia conflicts in Georgia. We remain concerned that the situation
in South Ossetia is tense. We call on both sides to fulfill previous
agreements to bring greater stability to the situation on the ground.
We urge both sides to engage in a direct dialogue to restore
confidence and begin discussions toward the resolution of the status
of South Ossetia within Georgia. We believe that economic cooperation
and confidence-building measures have an important role to play and
are encouraged by progress in this regard. We urge the international
community, and particularly the Russian Federation, to lend support
to such efforts.
Thank you.

Armenian parliament approves far-reaching constitution change
Agence France Presse — English
September 1, 2005 Thursday 6:28 PM GMT
YEREVAN Sept 1 — Armenia’s parliament approved constitutional changes
on Thursday that would reduce the president’s powers and increase
the independence of the courts, but which opposition parties see as
a ruse by President Robert Kocharian to stay on in office.
The changes, approved in a second reading and due for a third reading
before going to a referendum, would represent a substantial shake-up
of the former Soviet republic’s political system.
They include giving parliament a greater role in forming governments
and ending the president’s role as head of the government and head
of the Council of Justice.
They would also permit the holding of dual citizenship, a move that
would allow millions of members of the Armenian diaspora living in
the United States and elsewhere to have Armenian citizenship as well
as that of their home country.
Opposition parties refused to vote on Thursday’s proposals, suspecting
that the authorities would use the changing of the constitution as
an opportunity to discount Kocharian’s current second term in office
and let him stand again for election.
“The changes… would allow the president to nominate himself for
a third time,” Aram Sarkisyan, leader of the opposition Democratic
party, said.
Kocharian’s spokesman, Viktor Sogomonyan, denied the charge.
“Neither the current nor a changed constitution would allow the
president to stand for a third term,” Sogomonyan told AFP.
Armenia’s opposition parties had been boycotting parliament since
February last year, accusing Kocharian of rigging his re-election in
2003. But they were persuaded to return for the second reading by the
46-nation Council of Europe, which promotes human rights and democracy.
But they refused to vote on the changes.
In the event of approval in a third reading, the authorities plan a
referendum on the changes in November.

Timoshenko passes sarcastic comments on flamboyant Rssn MP
By Vitaly Matarykin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 2, 2005 Friday
KIEV, September 2 — Circumstances have pressed Ukrainian Prime
Minister Julia Timoshenko to make comments on issues standing wide
apart from economy or politics.
Friday night, she made explanations to the media about her ethnic
background and aired a sarcastic note on a flamboyant Russian MP who
had initiated the filming of an erotic parody depicting her fictitious
intimacy with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Timoshenko said Transport Minister Yevgeny Chervonenko had released
untrue information about her ethnic roots in connection with the
beating of a student of the Jewish Theological University in Kiev at
the end of August.
Chervonenko accused her of insufficient attention to the incident,
saying she herself had an Armenian father and a Jewish mother.
“My mom was very astonished to hear it, because she’s a hundred percent
Ukrainian as far bask as her roots can be traced,” Timoshenko said.
Her late father descended from an ethnic Latvian family, she said
contrary to media reports that he maiden surname was Grigian, which
clearly suggests an affiliation with the Armenian people.
On the beating of the Jewish religious student, Timoshenko said all
the malefactors had been detained.
“I am well-disposed towards the Jews, I support all the Jewish
organizations and treat that nation very respectfully,” she said
She did not shun the question about the erotic movie, an idea of which
was authored by the Russian Liberal-Democratic MP Alexei Mitrofanov.
“I actually think the people who do such things can only have some
fantasies about sex but are good for nothing when it comes down to the
real thing, so let’s forgive them their trespasses,” Timoshenko said.

ARMENIAN HONEY-CAKE MAKER PLANS HEFTY INVESTMENT ON HIGH DEMAND
Czech News Agency
September 2, 2005
FRYDEK-MISTEK, North Moravia, Sept 2 (CTK) – Miko International,
an Armenian family company producing honey cakes in North Moravia,
said today it plans multi-million investments in production and
hirings owing to high demand.
Gevorg Avetisyan, who founded the company three years ago, told CTK
today the company would start three-shift operation next week.
Miko, employing 64 people formerly registered at the Frydek- Mistek
employment office, is looking for a bigger production facility now.
Avetisyan said the company could not satisfy demand for cakes made
according to an old Armenian recipe.
“Interest is incredible, we already sell to seven countries in Europe,”
he said. Besides the Czech Republic, Miko sells cakes to Austria,
Britain, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland.
Sales director David Grochol said markets overseas had also expressed
interest.
In the first six months of this year, honey-cake sales brought
in Kc11.4 million, beating the amount for full-year 2004 by more
than half.
Gevorg Avetisyan’s sister Hasmik, the owner of the company, started
to make the so-called Marlenka cakes.
The company moved from a small leased facility to a former kitchen of
an old people’s home, which it bought from the town and modernised.
But even its 1,000 square metres are not enough.
“After two months, we found out we need about 3,000 square metres.
Either we will build something new, or we will rebuild an existing
building,” said Avetisyan.
Avetisyan is a university graduate who majored in architecture. His
sister studied philology.
Avetisyan said he was planning to buy a production line and to
abandon manual production. The investment will reach about Kc50
million in total.
Miko has obtained a trademark and three certificates from a hygiene
lab, as well as a certificate proving the product complies with EU
standards. But it has also registered the first attempt at a forged
honey cake.
“About two months ago, a product called Marenka, made by a North
Moravian company, appeared on the market. Our clients could easily make
a mistake, so we will try to reach an agreement with the producer,”
said Grochol.
“If it does not help, we will defend ourselves using all means
available,” he added.
Pavel Osina from the Frydek-Mistek town hall said the town was trying
to help the Armenian business.
“We have sold them one building for quite a good price. The industrial
parks will probably be full, but we could offer them some place in
former army barracks,” he added.
Jarmila Krpcova from the Frydek-Mistek employment office said she
would welcome more such companies.
“They hire not only trained confectioners. We have cooks and women
without education who can do this job,” she told CTK. The unemployment
rate in Frydek-Mistek reaches some 13 percent against the national
average of 8.8 percent.

NEWS YOU CAN AFFORD TO MISS
By Anna Arutunyan
Moscow News (Russia)
August 31, 2005
Siberian Engineer Proves Fermat’s Last Theorem on TV
An engineering professor from Siberia’s Omsk, Alexander Ilyin, proved
the ever-elusive Fermat’s Theorem live before TV cameras. Last week,
NTV aired 15 minutes of the professor proving the theorem. The proof
has yet to stand up to the tests of the Russian Academy of Science,
and if it holds up, it will be published in one of the academy’s
scientific journals. Pierre de Fermat came up with the theorem in
1660. Since then, mathematicians have been struggling to prove it.
Andrew Wiles finally proved the theorem in 1994, basing his proof on
the Shimura-Taniyama-Weil Conjecture. But mathematicians from around
the world are still trying their hand.
Those Russians are always coming up with something. Couple of years
back, folks from Armenia astonished the world with their 100 percent
effective AIDS cure. Oh, wait, Armenians aren’t Russian… Still,
Lenin invented the light bulb, the steam engine, and I’ll bet he
even proved Fermat’s Last Theorem back in grade school. What, like
it’s hard? I never could figure out why Yutaka Taniyama had to get
into elliptic curves just to prove a theorem that would help prove
Fermat’s theorem. He committed suicide, by the way. So the theorem
states that the equation xn+yn=zn has no non-zero integer solutions
for x, y, and z where n > 2. What’s there to prove? Let’s have x=1,
y=2, and z=3. For n=3, you get 1+8 =27. See? That wasn’t so hard. I’d
explain further, there’s just not enough space on page 11.

Turkey must drop preconditions for diplomatic relations – Armenia
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 1, 2005 Thursday
YEREVAN, September 1 — Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic
relations with Turkey without any preliminary terms, the Armenian
president’s press secretary, Viktor Sogomonian said on Thursday.
“Armenia’s stand remains unchanged. We are ready to enter into a
constructive dialogue with Turkey at any time,” he said, adding that
the two leaders discussed these issues in messages they exchanged
lately.
“Yerevan has a very positive vision of the ever-stronger dialogue
between Moscow and Ankara, and of their efforts to enhance cooperation
and security,” Sogomonian said. “Relations between Russia and Armenia
have a strategic dimension to us. We believe that deeper cooperation
between Moscow and Ankara may prove a certain mediatory resource for
addressing our own issues,” he said.
Armenia and Turkey have a 330-kilometer-long common border,
but no diplomatic relations. Ankara says it is ready to normalize
bilateral relations with Yerevan, if it stops demanding international
acknowledgement of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915
and curtails support for Nagorno-Karabakh in the smoldering conflict
with Azerbaijan.