PanArmenian News
March 16 2005

USING MILITARY LEVERS INEVITABLE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT, WORLD
AZERBAIJANIS CONGRESS CHAIRMAN SURE

16.03.2005 03:42

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «If Azerbaijan starts liberating its occupied
territories by force, the countries of the world will support us,»
President of the World Azerbaijanis Congress (WAC) Mohammed Rza
Kheshti residing in the US stated. In his opinion, in the course of
the Karabakh settlement the use of military levers is inevitable.
«The latest talks show that Armenians are trying to protract time.
The Azeri party should take this into account,» M. Kheshti said. The
WAC supposes that «Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian did not
join the latest Prague meeting intentionally.» «Today the situation
over the Karabakh problem is not in favor of Yerevan. They are trying
to hamper the process by means of technical speculations, though the
main goal is to hamper the Prague talks,» he said. The WAC stand is
«the conflict should be solved via diplomacy, not force.» «Diplomats
should act diplomatically, politicians should secure the political
solution of the issue, the Diaspora should work with the
international community and the Parliaments of the world, and the
military should stand on the front positions,» M. Kheshti summed up.

LANGUAGE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR OF STATEHOOD

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 March 05

Since January 1, 2005 the department for language has been operating
under the NKR Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. We had a talk
with the head of the department Lernik Hakobian about the functions,
problems and prospects of the department. `Mr. Hakobian, it is certain
that the use of language as a public phenomenon must be controlled. We
would not like to dwell on the problems connected with language
frequently covered in press. First we would like to find out the main
functions and responsibilities of the department.’ L.H.: ` The main
function of the department is implementation of a common policy on
language, administration of the NKR law on language and state language
policy, standardization of the literary Armenian language and its use
in all the spheres of life, organization of scientific conferences,
consultation, etc. devotedto the language policy. The department will
inspect the implementation of the state language policy by the state
governmental and local governmental bodies, meeting the demand for
Armenian language competence of state officials and people involved in
the sphere of service, use of the Armenian language in education,
admittance exams and teaching, paperwork, signs, postal stamps and
envelopes, street advertisement, seals, and if necessary, use of other
languages along with the Armenian. The department will control the use
of Armenian in documents of foreign governmental bodies and companies
liable to governmental control, obligatory teaching of the Armenian
language in ethnic communities, conducting their documentation and
keeping seals in Armenian along with their own language.’ S.K.: `What
measures will you take in case of a breach of the law on language?’
L.H.: `The department has sanctions; according to the civil code,
violation of the law on language is liable to a fine. Generally, there
is punishment for violation of any law. Why should the breach of the
law on language remain unpunished? By the way, the size of the fine is
considerably large.’ S.K.: `Probably, the department will undertake
propaganda among thepopulation.’ L.H.: `Certainly. People, for
example, are not acquainted enough with the law on language, the
requirements of the state language policy. One of the most important
tasks of the department is to work with the population through the
mass media, by way of meetings, discussion of their applications and
suggestions. Thus, the citizens may consult the department for making
signslater to avoid problems. The survey we conducted in such a short
period of time showed that the relevant body allows installing
advertisement hoardings guided by the law on advertisement neglecting
the law on language. Often, the two laws are breached at the same
time. Similar mistakes happen in other spheres of life. To prevent
this kind of controversies it is necessary to cooperate with the
relevant bodies fulfilling those functions.’ S.K.: `In whatform are
you going to administer control?’ L.H.: `Control will be administered
bythe department in accordance with the relevant laws, the regulations
of the ministry and other legal acts. Time to time we shall inspect
offices to find out whether paperwork is conducted in Armenian. We
shall visit public places to find out if the signs and advertisements
correspond to the law on language. The department will check the
language of the mass media, publications, official speech, education
and culture, the system of foreign languages teaching, etc.’ S.K.:`Do
you have relationships with the similar organization in the Republic
of Armenia?’ L.H.: `So far we have had exchange of experience. The RA
State Language Department formed a consulting group aimed to work with
similar departments. Soon the group will be invited to Artsakh.’

SVETLANA KHACHATRIAN.
15-03-2005

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 16, 2005 Wednesday

Russia, Armenia help US operation to stop arms smuggling

By Oksana Polishchuk

NEW YORK

The operation of the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to
stop the smuggling of arms from the former Soviet republics and
Eastern European countries was assisted by authorities of Russia and
Armenia, federal attorney David Kelly told reporters on Tuesday.

He said the mostly Russian-made arms had been bought in Georgia,
Armenia and some Eastern European countries.

Criminal charges have been brought against 18 suspects, 17 of whom
have been arrested, Kelly said.

The group smuggled into the US, via New York, Los Angeles and Miami,
Kalashnikov submachine guns, grenade-launchers and portable
anti-aircraft systems.

It planned selling homing missiles alone for 2 million dollars.

The FBI conducted the operation during a year, engaging an informant
in it, who posed as a buyer of arms allegedly linked to the terrorist
net Al-Qaeda, the federal attorney went on to say.

About 15,000 telephone talks were wiretapped during the operation.

The FBI man in particular tried to find out whether the smugglers
could get hold of nuclear materials, but no confirmation of such a
possibility had been got, Kelly said.

Before arrest, the criminals had offloaded in the US eight
machine-guns, as well as Ak-47 Kalashnikov submachine-guns and USI
rifles, the attorney said.

The arrests have stopped the criminal activity of several arms
traders and shut down a potential international channel through which
the arms could find a way into the hands of civilians and terrorists,
Kelly stressed.

The arrested people have been charged with collusion aimed at
establishing routes of illegal arm transportation.

Thirteen of the arrested have been accused of supplying arms for
transportation.

RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
March 16, 2005 Wednesday

Smugglers of Russian-made weapons held in the United States

by Roman Kirillov

SOURCE: Izvestia, No 42, p.1

U.S. authorities charged 18 people in an alleged scheme to smuggle
grenade launchers, shoulder-fired missiles and other Russian military
weapons into the United States.

The arrests resulted from a yearlong investigation in which an FBI
informant posed as an arms buyer who claimed to have ties to
al-Qaida.

The case, which took investigators to South Africa, Armenia and
Georgia, also included wiretaps on seven phones and interceptions of
more than 15,000 calls, according to prosecutors, the FBI and police.

Seventeen of the 18 people charged were in custody on Tuesday,
arrested in New York, Los Angeles or Florida, authorities said.
Prosecutors alleged that the defendants were preparing to import the
weapons, including anti-tank missile systems, into the country from
Eastern Europe.

Several of the defendants are from the former Soviet republics.

ARKA News Agency
March 16 2005

RA FM meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Vienna

Ashot Hakobyan relieved of post of Vice-Chief of RA Emergency
Department

Association of young believers formed in NKR

Draft of RA Government’s national eurointegration program to be ready
late in May

RA Government to shorten list of licensed activities

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RA FM MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS IN VIENNA

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has
held a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen in Vienna,
Austria. The press service of the RA Foreign Office reports that the
meeting participants discussed a number of issues related to the next
stage of negotiations for the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and to the
OSCE fact-finding mission’s report on the settlement of territories
around Nagorno Karabakh. The report is to be submitted to the OSCE
Permanent Council on March 17. The same day, Minister is to return to
Yerevan.
Late in January-early in February, an OSCE fact-finding mission was
on a visit to Nagorno Karabakh to monitor the settlement of
territories around the NKR. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

ASHOT HAKOBYAN RELIEVED OF POST OF VICE-CHIEF OF RA EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. RA Prime Minister issued a decree
relieving Ashot Hakobyan of the post of Vice-Chief of the Emergency
Department, RA Government, the Public Relations Department, RA
Government, reports. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG BELIEVERS FORMED IN NKR

STEPANAKERT, March 16. /ARKA/. An Association of Young Believers has
been founded in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) with efforts of
the Artsakh diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). The
information center of the Artsakh diocese reports that the goal of
the Association is to unite young people round the AAC, inculcation
of centuries-old national spiritual values in them, protection from
sects and encouragement of their spiritual growth. One of the
components of the activities is the delivery of lecturers at
collectives and organizations. The work is being carried out with the
blessing of Leader of the AAC Artsakh diocese, Archbishop Pargev
Martirosyan and is supposed to teach young people spiritual heritage
and religion thereby battling various sects. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

DRAFT OF RA GOVERNMENT’S NATIONAL EUROINTEGRATION PROGRAM TO BE READY
LATE IN MAY

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. The original draft of the RA Government’s
national program of
Executing the terms of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
signed between the EU member-states is to be ready at the end of May
2005, stated RA Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, Chairman of
the Coordinating Commission David Avetisyan. According to him,
`Armenia assumed most serious commitments, which will have an
appreciable impact on the country’s development in the future.’
A comparative analysis of the legislation of Armenia and of the EU is
currently being made with the sponsorship of the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC). P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

RA GOVERNMENT TO SHORTEN LIST OF LICENSED ACTIVITIES

YEREVAN, March 6. /ARKA/. According to the RA Government’s program of
action a proposal is to be made in the third ten-day period of this
March for shortening or simplifying the list of activities liable to
licensing, Karen Tamazyan Head of the Department for the Development
of Financial Market and Currency Regulation, RA ministry of Finance
and Economy, told a press conference. According to him, the Ministry
is preparing relevant proposals concerning this document. `We have
not yet determined specific directions, but we think changes need to
be made in 6-7 types of activities in various spheres, especially in
the case of doubling activities, which will be summarized,’ Tamazyan
said. He stressed that the RA Government will make a final decision,
and changes themselves will be summary ones.
The RA Government’s program of action envisages the submission of a
bill on amendments to the Law on Licensing to harmonize it with the
Law on State Duty.
In 2001-2004, a total of 3,670 licenses were issued by the simplified
procedure in Armenia. A total of 120-130 types of activities are
licensed in Armenia now, most of them by the complicated procedure.
P.T. -0–

“Hooligans” and “Cowboy del Amor” Sweep Top SXSW ’05 Prizes

Indiewire.com
March 16, 2005
by Eugene Hernandez

Lexi Alexander’s “Hooligans,” starring Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire
Forlani, Marc Warren, and Leo Gregory won both the narrative feature
audience award and the narrative jury prize at the 2005 SXSW Film Festival,
while Michele Ohayon’s “Cowboy del Amor” was the winner of both the
documentary audience award and the doc jury prize. At the SXSW film awards
in Austin, TX Tuesday night, festival and conference producer Matt Dentler
said that it was the first time that films won both jury and audience
awards.

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s “The Boys of Baraka” was won the special jury
prize from the documentary jury and was the runner-up in doc audience award
balloting. Ian Gamazon and Neill Della Luna’s “Cavite” won the special jury
award from the narrative jury and Ben Rekhi’s “Waterborne” was the runner-up
for the narrative audience prize.

Jay and Mark Duplass’ “The Puffy Chair” was the winner of the audience award
in the festival’s Emerging Visions section, while Marion Lipschutz and Rose
Rosenblatt’s “The Education of Shelby Knox” won the audience prize in the
Lone Star States section of the festival. Arin Crumley and Susan Buice’s
“Four Eyed Monsters” and Ellen Spiro’s “Troop 1500” were second in voting in
each category respectively.

In the Reel Shorts competition, jurors awarded the top prize to Keith
Bearden’s “The Raftman’s Razor,” while the special jury prize in the
category went to Katja Straub’s “All White People Are French.” In the
animated short category, Hathan Jurevicius’ “Orpheus & the Underworld” won
and Nadine Takvorian’s “Elegy” received the special jury notice. Monkmus won
the music video award for the video for “Year of the Rat” by Badly Drawn Boy
and the special jury award winner was Ton Petrossian for the “Vermillion”
video by Slipknot.

In Texas prizes, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra won the Texas Shorts award for
“Termination” and Spencer Parsons won the special jury award for “Once and
Future Asshole.” David McGinnis won the Texas High School competition award
for “Comic Y” and the special jury award went to David Vass for “Life of a
Pencil.”

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 16, 2005 Wednesday

RF presence in Caucasus necessary to ensure stability – deputy

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Russia’s presence in the Caucasus is necessary to ensure stability in
the region, Democratic Party leader Aram Sarkisyan said.

Sarkisyan told Itar-Tass on Wednesday Russia’s presence in the
Caucasus, including the military one, “will ensure stability in this
region of the world.”

“The necessity of Russia’s presence in the Caucasus, including the
military one, is linked with the geopolitical situation. We consider
Russia’s base in Armenia one of the forms of ensuring security of the
country,” he said.

“To decide on the presence of a foreign military base is a sovereign
right of every state. But it would be reasonable to refrain from
withdrawing Russia’s bases from the territory of Georgia,” Sarkisyan
said.

“Moreover, the military base in Akhalkalaki ensures stability in this
Armenian-populated region and makes it possible to solve social
problems. That is why it is necessary to think thousand times before
deciding on the withdrawal of Russia’s military bases from Georgia’s
territory,” the Armenian parliamentarian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RURAL AREAS IN THE CENTER OF ATTENTION

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 March 05

`Azat Artsakh’ regularly touches upon the program of development of
small business. This is not accidental for this sphere is directly
connected withthe development of industries, the flow of investments
into this sphere, maximum use of internal resources, as well as
employment and growth of people’s income and ability to pay. The
program has also a positive effect on the process of internal and
external migration in the country, as well as the flow of rural
inhabitants into towns. The state strategy of development of small
business (especially in the recent years) had a significant role in
the economic andsocial rehabilitation of the country. It is enough to
say that in 2004 82 per cent of the production in the republic was
produced by the private sector. It isnot a secret that small business
in the republic is mainly based in the capital and other
towns. Mainly. However, it would be much more useful if the rural
areas were not left without attention. In this reference the carpet
weaving factory `ArtsakhGorg’ operating in Stepanakert for about a
decade took steps worth praising. The material and technical basis and
the quality of the production enabled `ArtsakhGorg’ to become a branch
of `ArmenCarpet’ (owned by the heirs of the famous company
`Megerian’). `Our cooperation with the Armenian company has good
prospects and is mutually profitable,’ said the owner of `
ArtsakhGorg’ Robert Babayan. `First of all, the orders we receive from
the parent company increased. With the growth of the volume of
production we decided to not only expand the production (where about
30 people are employed) but also to involve rural areas. We chose the
village of Shosh, Askeran region. The new workshop was operated in a
short period (the head of the community Y. Abrahamian endeavoured to
do the best for the undertaking because the problem of employment of
part of the inhabitants of the village would be solved). For already a
month ten young carpet weavers have been working in the Shosh branch
of the carpet factory. Another 20 people are waiting. They will be
involved in the production gradually, simply there is a problem of
area and training,’ said Robert Babayan. Recently the owner of the
factory decided to open the second branch of the factory in the
village of Avetaranots, Askeran region. Last Saturday Robert Amirian
met with the head of the community who promised to provide building
and make a list of the persons who would wish to work in the branch of
the company. According to the preliminary arrangement the branch of
Avetaranots will have 50 workers. They also discussed the question of
developing sheep breeding to produce wool and thread in the country
instead of importing it.The program of sheep breeding will be
implemented on the means of the owner of the factory.

NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.
15-03-2005

Glendale News Press
Published March 16, 2005

Turning trash into treasure

By Joyce Rudolph, News-Press and Leader

The old adage, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, is taken to
another dimension by Glendale artist Raffi Adalyan, who transforms discarded
items into works of art to last a lifetime.
The 64-year-old incorporates used objects, such as broken violins and old
shoes, into his three-dimensional paintings, he explained, his daughter Yeva
Adalyan translating.

“He gets attached to things,” his daughter said. “While other people put old
violins in the trash, he makes them live forever.”
Raffi Adalyan’s work, on display this week at the Harvest Gallery in
Glendale, is an updated version of a series he started in the early 1960s
while in Armenia.
But those had no color, he said.
“When I came to the United States in 1992, the style of the 1960s came back
to me, but in a completely different mood — with color,” he said.
His work was limited in 1960s, he said, because Armenia was under Soviet
government, which had strict rules about art expression. He had to hide a
lot of his work.
In one work, he has painted over used shoes, in adult and children’s sizes,
so you can’t see them very well. It depicts the massacres of innocent people
around the world because of their political or religious beliefs, he said.
“It’s my way of rebelling against it,” he said.
Raffi Adalyan is thrilled that Harvest Gallery owner Aris Ajand asked him to
show his unique work.
“What we like to do is to show new artists or show artists’ work in
different settings,” Ajand said.
Most of the paintings being shown have violins incorporated into the design,
but each says something different to the viewer, he said.
“When next to each other, the consumer sees the differences,” he said. “And
it’s interesting to see how the people choose their favorite one or two.”
The Armenian-born artist is also a violinist, thus the liberal use of the
instrument in his work. He graduated from Yerevan’s Music Conservatory in
1966, and played with the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra for 20 years.
After rehearsals, he would go to the studio and paint. He received no formal
training in this art but learned the basic techniques when he was 13 from
his brother, Ruben Adalyan, an accomplished painter.
“Ruben is my worst and best critic,” he said.
In 1976, his first solo exhibit of 60 paintings was at the Contemporary Art
Gallery of Yerevan. He has also shown at the Leon Ragain Gallery in France
and galleries around the world.
He came to the United States in 1992 with his wife, Nora, who he met at the
conservatory. She is a viola player. Their son, Martiros Adalian is also a
painter.
Raffi Adalyan is preparing for his 65th birthday celebration exhibition in
October in ArmeniaThe works, measuring at least 10 feet wide by 6 feet tall,
are made of multiple layers of canvas that have been torn as a method of
being interactive with viewers.
People can peal back a layer to expose pictures or poetry — and even a no
smoking sign — underneath.
His main goal, he said, is to create some kind of emotion and make them
think.
“Art in the last few decades hasn’t gone anywhere, and that’s a shame
because we need new ideas in art, and there always needs to be a rebel,” he
said.
FYI
WHAT: Raffi Adalyan solo exhibit
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday
WHERE: Harvest Gallery, 938 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale
INFO: (818) 546-1000

PanArmenian News
March 16 2005

US AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN CONCERNED OVER DEVELOPMENTS AT CONTACT
LINE OF AZERBAIJAN AND KARABAKH ARMED FORCES

16.03.2005 07:55

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish is
concerned over the developments at the contact line between the Armed
forces of Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh, Day.az reported. `The
repeated breaks of the cease-fire makes worry. At the same time it
proves that the conflict is not frozen and it demands a solution,’ R.
Harnish told journalists Wednesday. The Ambassador emphasized that
the US follows with attention the developments in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict region. `We understand the importance of not
admitting breaks of the cease-fire regime at the front line,’ he
noted.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress