PanArmenian News
March 12 2005

REPORT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AWARDED ALL-RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
DIPLOMA

12.03.2005 04:05

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations all-Russian
scientific and practical conference of young historians has been held
in Tobolsk city, Yerkramas newspaper of Armenians of Russia reported.
One of the Diplomas at the conference was awarded to the report
titled On the Issue of Denial of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey.
Chairman of the Youth Parliament of Tobolsk city, representative of
Yerkramas newspaper of Armenians of Russia Hakob Asloyan has authored
the report. Hakob Asloyan has been participating in the conference
for the third year and he always makes reports on Armenian issues.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
March 12 2005

SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN, SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF
THE ARMED FORCES ILHAM ALIYEV ON THE SOLEMN CEREMONY DEVOTED TO 13TH
ANNIVERSARY OF CREATION OF INTERNAL TROOPS OF THE MINISTRY OF
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
[March 12, 2005, 22:22:03]

Dear soldiers and officers!

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of 13th anniversary of
creation of the Internal Troops, and I wish each of you success.

After restoration of state independence, in Azerbaijan there had been
created Internal Troops. It was the extremely difficult period for
our country. The first years of our independence were accompanied in
Azerbaijan by anarchy and chaos. The country, it is possible to tell,
was on the verge of partition, and because of crisis experienced in
Azerbaijan, our country appeared at edge of precipice. In such
difficult conditions Internal Troops, certainly, could not perform
its functions in full sense. At the same time, the staff of Internal
Troops bravely battled for territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, has
done huge work on protection of our grounds, many lost their lives
and became shehids. Those years the future of Azerbaijan was
determined, and its destiny was solved. Each citizen was disturbed,
questions on set thinking on what way Azerbaijan can develop,
stability will be established in Azerbaijan whether or not. After the
Azerbaijan people extremely due to its wisdom and foresight has
addressed to the national leader and has invited him to Azerbaijan,
after arrival of the leader of our people Heydar Aliyev to authority,
the situation has completely changed. The anarchy and chaos has been
put an end, bitter consequences of the experienced crisis gradually
began to be eliminated. Despite of all these difficulties, Azerbaijan
has taken a way of development. The ceasefire regime that has allowed
Azerbaijan to achieve all-around development of the potential has
been established. The ceasefire regime operates till now.

As you know, we are now negotiating on settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I think, that positive
tendencies in negotiations amplify, and these negotiations can
proceed extremely within the framework of restoration of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. We aspire to settlement of the
mentioned conflict on the basis of principles of international law,
and I am confident, that we shall achieve it. Azerbaijan should
restore and will restore its territorial integrity. We want to solve
this question peacefully, by negotiations. But it is not a secret
that we must necessarily be ready and we are ready to all other
variants, in this direction also was done huge work.

Last years, huge work has been done in the field of army
construction. Material base of army was strengthened, and the
necessary new techniques and equipment were got. In the process of
strengthening of economic potential of Azerbaijan, naturally, our
military potential should become stronger. Not casually, the volume
of the charges, allocated for troops in the budget of 2005, is
increased approximately by 40 percent. We also shall carry out
henceforth it. Azerbaijan should liberate the native lands. We shall
never reconcile with loss of our lands and by all means we shall
liberate our native lands

After establishment of the ceasefire regime, new horizons and new
prospects have opened for Azerbaijan. Our country began to develop
promptly. Carried out by the leader of our people Heydar Aliyev, the
political-economical reforms have provided to our country all-round
development. Today, both the political authority of Azerbaijan on
region, and internal economic potential has transformed our country
into the leader of region. I think that all positive tendencies
should continue successfully, Azerbaijan should achieve further
strengthening of the power, strengthening of the potential.

All the work done for last years, has allowed developing our country
in high level. Today, our task consists in rise the international
authority of our country, on more courageous, convincing statement,
protection of our position on the international organizations,
establishment on the region of closer fruitful relations with
friendly, neighboring countries and, certainly, strengthening of our
economic potential. Much has been done in this direction. The program
of economic development is successfully realized, and due to all this
work Azerbaijan becomes stronger and powerful state.

Now, are being carried out large-scale projects extremely important
for our country, our people, and also the whole region. The oil
pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan successfully is under construction. All
other power projects successfully implemented brings and will bring
to our country colossal benefit.

Not a secret that Azerbaijan, by virtue of the geo-politic position,
economic potential, natural resources, draws attention of many
foreign circles which direct here many questions or undertake such
attempts. We do not presume it. Azerbaijan is fully independent
state. Independence does not mean extremely state attributes.
Azerbaijan pursues completely independent policy. We carry out our
policy only for protection of national interests of Azerbaijan
people. We establish kind and sincere relations with all countries,
all organizations, and such policy will continue. But, first of all,
national interests of Azerbaijan should be protected in full sense.

Happiness of Azerbaijan is that thanks to policy of the national
leader of our people Heydar Aliyev, the country has got stronger both
economically, and politically that today allows us to carry out
independent policy in full sense. This policy will be carried out and
henceforth, and I am confident, that will result Azerbaijan in the
light future.

For protection and further development of all the achieved successes,
for even more scale accomplishments, political conditions in the
country should be stable. Where there is no stability, there is no
development. The main condition of any development is stability. Such
stability in Azerbaijan exists, and it is strong enough. The forces,
trying to break stability, I am confident, well understand, that will
receive worthy repulse. We do not presume, that political condition
in Azerbaijan has become aggravated, that stability has been broken,
and rights of citizens are broken. For us, protection of the rights
of each citizen is extremely important. The state has provided and
will provide henceforth safety of our citizens. In this sense, the
Internal Troops have very big tasks, which are successfully carried
out.

Last years, the Internal Troops in Azerbaijan have achieved quick
development, professionalism and patriotism are observed at the
highest level. It is extremely important achievement for us.
Protection and strengthening of political conditions in Azerbaijan
should become for all of us the main condition. Only in such
conditions, the country can successfully develop. All of us know,
that Azerbaijan will face fine and bright future. After putting into
operation of the oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan after Heydar
Aliyev, large currency means will act to Azerbaijan. It will open new
opportunities for all-around development of our country. It should
benefit to each citizen of Azerbaijan. Such opportunities have
appeared and will appear henceforth. In that case, the major
condition for us is internal stability, calmness. I do not doubt,
that this policy, the policy pursued for more than 10 years, it will
be carried out and henceforth. If before presidential elections
someone also doubted of it, now as it seems to me, for doubts and
anxieties are not present any bases.

The time past after presidential elections, has shown that between
people and authority there is deep trust. We feel this support, we
base on it. It is confident, that this unity represents extremely
great value for the future of Azerbaijan. In the countries, where
there is unity, the trust between people and authority, there is
success. There, where it is not present, there are big difficulties.
I think, that we shall successfully cope with all tasks. Anyway, the
time past after presidential elections, has shown, that any question
we put has found solution. There is no such question, which was not
solved, or the promise not fulfilled by us. All given promises were
fulfilled. We hold the given word, have gained trust of people and we
shall achieve its further strengthening.

Great value also represents the question of equipment of the Internal
Troops. In this direction, essential steps also were undertaken. I
can tell that all the requests from the Ministry of Internal Affairs
have received the positive answer. The most part of techniques, which
we today see here, is got for last year. We give to this great value.
Each sphere of Azerbaijan, in particular, military, should be
equipped with new technical equipment. Opportunities of Azerbaijan
extend. The financial position improves, and the basic purpose of our
economic policy consists in that in the country, there was a powerful
economic potential that we could solve all questions successfully. I
think, process of purchase of technical equipment will continue. We
can have new questions, and therefore, we shall carry out it.

Simultaneously, are being solved social problems of staff. The wages,
as a whole were increased, these tendencies in Azerbaijan have
amplified. Improvement of living conditions of our citizens is
priority for us, for the government. In Azerbaijan, there should not
remain poor people, jobless. With this purpose, it is stipulated
realization of the Program of Regional Development, which is
successfully put into practice. All other programs – the program of
poverty reduction and so forth are realized also. But for this
purpose, time is necessary. The number of people living in Azerbaijan
in conditions of poverty, is great enough, somewhere 40 percent. We
try to reduce and we shall reduce this number. This purpose is
pursued with increase twice of the minimal wages. It is necessary for
us to do the utmost that each citizen, each Azerbaijani lived well.
Anyway, we aspire to this. We carry out this work on the basis of the
thought over programs – Programs of Economic Development, the Program
of Regional Development and other social programs.

In Azerbaijan, it is necessary to strengthen combat against
criminality. Till now, in this direction, has been done great work,
and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has exposed criminals. Some
criminal groups were neutralized. Calmness prevailing today in the
country and social order testify that we can achieve successes in
this direction. In particular, the statistics shows, that Azerbaijan
is among the first among neighboring countries, republics of former
Soviet Union. At the same time, this combat is not up to the mark.
Here, there are big lacks, and it is necessary to do serious work on
their prompt elimination.

As you know, recently, on March 10, as a result of the national
safety of special operation carried out by the Ministry, a big
criminal group has been exposed, arrested, and the person taken in
hostages was released. I regret, that the leader of this criminal
group is the person, long years worked in the Ministry of Internal
Affairs, and a part of the criminals who have gathered around of him
are employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is the big
stain for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and it should wash off
this stain.

As you know, this criminal group within 10 years made various crimes
in Azerbaijan. It was engaged in kidnapping. They kidnapped and after
reception of the repayment released. Besides, they have made some
murders, which, unfortunately, within long years remained uncovered.
When there was last case connected to abduction of the person, I have
charged with this question to the Ministry of National Security,
investigation and inquiry was carried out in strict confidence. It is
possible to tell, for short time, approximately two weeks ago,
criminal group and all its heads and participants have been
established. Simply, for the lack of data on the location of the
person seized in hostages, I have not allowed to carry out operation
and have raised the question so, that safety of the person, first of
all, should be provided. On March 10, as a result of the operation
carried out with high professionalism, it is possible to tell, all
members of criminal group have been arrested, and the hostage was
released.

This is monstrous incident. It is gangster group which during long
years held in fear Azerbaijan, Baku, and we have exposed it. They
will answer under the law. The most awful consists that last hostage
was the woman. It is an act incompatible with any morals. Certainly,
this gangster group, its members will answer before the law for all
committed crimes. Each criminal and each person who has broken the
law should answer under the law. Leadership of the law should guide
all of us. People should know, that the state conducts ruthless
struggle against criminals. We cannot allow that criminal groups here
have appeared. We cannot allow that our citizens lived in fear.

I want to note once again, that our main task consists in that our
people lived in peace and calmness. As the President, I realize this
task and I do utmost for protection, preservation, strengthening of
stability. Therefore, yesterday I have given to Minister of Internal
Affairs strict instructions on carrying out of internal inquiry,
serious investigation and as soon as possible to remove available in
the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in this system lacks.

I want to note also, it is already obviously that the some people,
using the developed situation, are going to launch campaign against
Minister of Internal Affairs for maintenance of personal or political
interests. We do not admit it. As I have already told, the incident
is a big stain for all bodies. But it is necessary to know also, that
similar can take place and in other organizations. The happened
incident should not cross out all work done till now by the Ministry
of Internal Affairs. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has done
extremely important work in Azerbaijan. It has very important
functions. It is the structure on guard of the law in Azerbaijan, and
I highly estimate the work done in the past. At the same time, I
strictly charge to remove all lacks and inform on it the public. I
repeat, I shall not allow, that it has turned to campaign and that
someone, having taken advantage of it in personal or political ends,
slandered all body.

Dear soldiers and officers!

Azerbaijan will have bright future. Our country already feels its
force in region, and not only we, but also the public and the
international community see it. Also is available the diplomatic
successes achieved by Azerbaijan lately. The international
organizations have accepted a plenty of documents exposing Armenia:
last resolution adopted by the Council of Europe, the resolutions
adopted up to it by the United Nations Organization, the resolutions
adopted by the Organization of Islamic Conference. As a whole, we see
and we feel, that the international community supports our just
cause. For the first time, the European international organization
has recognized Armenia as a state – aggressor, has condemned the
policy of ethnic cleanings carried out by Armenia, having created
thus new, favorable circumstances for process of negotiations.

I repeat, that we do not want war. We know, that war is a
humanitarian disaster. At the same time, all should know, that we
should be ready and are ready to war. The big work in this direction
will be carried out and henceforth. The work done in the field of
army construction is a priority question in my activity, as
President. All our efforts, all forces should be directed on the
further strengthening of our army, increase of its professionalism,
equipment by the advanced technical equipment and maintenance of its
ability at any moment to release the native lands. We shall carry out
it and henceforth.

I do not doubt at all that this conflict, the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will find its solution. The policy of
Armenia is deprived of any prospect, a legal basis, and political
support. Simply, the Armenian Diaspora, patrons of Armenia in the
world, some hypocritical policies, circles, the organizations,
pursuing the policy of double standards, interfere with normalization
of conditions. But justice will triumph. Our cause is right. We did
not grasp another’s lands, did not carry out ethnic cleaning, and did
not break territorial integrity of other country. We demand what
belongs to us by the right. We do not claim for the lands of other
country. But also the land we shall concede to nobody. It should know
all. First of all, it is necessary to know by Armenia, it should
know, that the patience of Azerbaijan people is not boundless. I want
to repeat, that we shall participate during negotiations till last
moment if there are even 5 percent of hope for the peace settlement
of question. If we shall be convinced that hopes are not present, we
shall interrupt negotiations and we shall solve the problem in other
way. Let nobody doubts of it!

Dear soldiers!

Dear officers!

Once again I congratulate you on the occasion of the Day of Internal
Troops, I wish you health and successes.

Thanks.

You’re needed at home, expat New Zealanders told
By Sarah Catherall

New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
March 13 2005

Diana Cook expected to stay away from New Zealand for only a year.
After growing up in the small Northland town of Kaikohe, the
Treasury-trained economist left a Wellington job for a position in
Ukraine six years ago. That job led to a role as an economic
consultant in Oxford, and now, as a consultant in London, she is part
of an international team providing expenditure advice to governments
in Serbia, Armenia and Bosnia.

The small-town girl is one of hundreds of thousands of skilled New
Zealanders the Government wants to lure home. But the 34-year-old has
bigger plans. She is about to start a new job in Britain, analysing
housing shortages in southeast England.

Asked if she would heed the call to return home, she says: “I do miss
family and friends and I think there would be interesting career
opportunities for me in New Zealand. The downside for me is New
Zealand’s isolation. It feels so small and so far away. Travel is
pretty expensive and I’d really miss the theatres and galleries, and
other entertainment options in London. So it’s more of a lifestyle
than a career choice for me to stay here.”

After calling mothers to the workforce to plug skill gaps, the
Government will soon launch a campaign targeting expats, focusing on
Kiwis’ emotional links to their homeland. We’re up against other
Western countries also campaigning for our skilled workers. And our
Government has an even bigger job than such countries as Australia –
with at least 14 per cent of working New Zealanders offshore
(Treasury’s estimate), we are first in the OECD in losing our
residents abroad.

Immigration Minister Paul Swain says the campaign will involve
“creative ways” of target-ing expats. He thinks many offshore Kiwis
have no idea that unemployment here is now the lowest in the OECD and
there are jobs to fill.

Says Swain: “When these people left in the 1990s, New Zealand would
have been a completely different place. Unemployment was still quite
high and there were too many people and not enough jobs. We now have
the complete reverse of that, with too many jobs and not enough
people. There are now opportunities for them that may not have been
around when they left. We’ll be saying we need them to give us a
hand.”

There are two types of expats overseas and one is possibly out of
reach. According to a Massey University “talent flow” study, there
are expats who expect to stay away, mainly driven by money, influence
and achievement; then there are those who plan to come home, who are
lured back by family, lifestyle and friends. About half of the 2201
expats surveyed last year described themselves as “permanently
settled” and 27 per cent of those were certain or likely to stay
overseas. A further 29 per cent were – like Cook – torn about where
they would end up.

Typically university-educated, many were working in the financial
sector. Just under half had been away from New Zealand for one to
five years, while half had been away for six years-plus. Asked what
needed to change for them to return home, most cited career
opportunities, higher pay and a better cost of living, along with
improved tax incentives for business.

But it is the emotional attractions likely to be highlighted in the
Government’s campaign: ageing parents and relatives, a yearning to
bring up children back home, safety, security, and lifestyle.

“Return to New Zealand apparently provides more of an attraction to
the family-oriented, the sociable and the presumably humanistic
medical staff, but repels those seeking career success and money, and
the successful … entrepreneurs,” the report says.

One of the researchers, Massey University business lecturer Duncan
Jackson, is not sure how easy it will be to entice Kiwis home. “We’ve
found that careers are pushing people overseas – both my brothers
went to London and they’ve found they could make astoundingly more
money over there and also enjoy career progression.”

When looking for carrots to dangle, we should look at countries like
Singapore, he says, which reduces student loans for those who agree
to stay home.

“There are schemes operating to hold people in other countries. Here
we have the student loan scheme which is unfair and punitive, and if
you have a massive loan and can earn three times more in the UK,
where would you go?”

The Massey study found only 10 per cent of participants had a student
loan, mainly because the mean age was 30-plus. “[The student loan]
can be expected to increase in importance as more and more young
qualified people go offshore,” it said.

One of those paying off his student loan is Mark Hotton, the
London-based editor of a newspaper for expat New Zealanders, New
Zealand News UK. Hotton is waiting for a highly skilled migrant visa
which will allow him to stay in London for at least another year and
possibly up to four. Student loans “are a major sticking point,” he
says. “The Government needs to address this or a whole generation of
Kiwis will take out loans and not come back to pay them off.”

New Zealand’s campaign comes as Australia also tries to keep its best
and brightest on home soil and increases its skilled migrant quota.
New Zealand shares a common job market with Australia, and both
countries are battling to find enough trades and technical staff.

Treasury policy manager Geoff Lewis says we suffer a similar problem
to countries such as Canada and Ireland, which lose talent to bigger
neighbours. Australia, which worries that it is bleeding talent, has
only 2.1 per cent of its nationals offshore. “We would like to have
lots of highly skilled people but we need the wages to attract them,”
he says.

That’s a point echoed by recruitment firms struggling to fill job
vacancies. Rob Young, a partner with Swann Recruitment, which fills
senior executive positions, says the strength of the Kiwi dollar and
low wages are turn-offs about returning to New Zealand. And while
there are jobs, career opportunities can be limited – take the senior
manager in Bahrain who was offered a $120,000 job to return to New
Zealand but was already earning double that.

At Phoenix Recruitment in Auckland, Jenny Durno has 150 chartered
accountancy vacancies to fill. Accountants are one profession the
country is short of, and Durno says Kiwis can earn between $75,000
and $108,000 in Australia for a job that would pay between $55,000
and $75,000 here.

On a recent trip home, Diana Cook found New Zealand “a bit insular”.
But in London she fights the crowds on her hour-long train journey to
and from work, then returns to her costly rental property with a tiny
garden. “A campaign should focus on the lifestyle benefits of New
Zealand,” she says.

However: “There’s not much a Government campaign could do to
encourage me to return really. It’s more of a personal trade-off that
I have to make.”

AZERBAIJAN CONSIDERS SOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT VIA FORCE, BUT AS
AN EXTREME MEASURE, ALIYEV STATED

PanArmenian News
March 12 2005

12.03.2005 05:27

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan considers the solution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict by force, but as an extreme measure, republic
leader Ilham Aliyev stated Saturday. “We want to solve the problem
peacefully. However, it is not a secret that we a ready to other means
of solution of the conflict. We are ready to negotiate till the very
last moment – even if 5% of hope for peace solution is present,”
Aliyev stated. It is clear that war is a humanitarian catastrophe.
However, we should be ready and we are ready to war,” the President
emphasized. Aliyev noted that “on the whole we feel the support of the
international community” and drew the attention to the PACE latest
resolution on Nagorno Karabakh. “For the first time the European
organization recognized Armenia aggressor, condemned the ethnic
cleansing, which formed good basis for the talks,” he considers.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
March 12 2005

VARDAN OSKANIAN TO LEAVE FOR GENEVA MARCH 14-15

12.03.2005 05:21

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ March 14-15 Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian will leave for Geneva on a working visit, where he will take
part in 61-st session of the UN Human Rights Commission, the Foreign
Ministry Press Service reported. The FM is expected to deliver a
speech at the session, to meet with the Commission Secretary General
and to have bilateral meetings with official representatives of
different countries.

PanArmenian News
March 12 2005

CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: DAYS OF CUBAN CULTURE PLANNED IN ARMENIA

12.03.2005 05:14

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Cuba intends to activate exchange of views in
Armenia over the cooperation in various spheres, expansion of the
legal and contract framework between the two countries, Cuban
Ambassador to Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan
(residence in Moscow) Jorge Martinez stated at a press conference in
Yerevan, adding that the Cuban party is also ready to hold a sitting
of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation, Regnum
news agency reported. In his words, there are large prospects in
education cooperation. “At present two student girls from Armenia
study at Cuban State University, one Cuban studies in Armenia,” the
Ambassador informed. There is also much cooperation potential in
health, specifically bio-techniques and gene engineering, exchange of
specialists for cancer diseases. In economy Martinez did not rule out
the opportunity of exporting Cuban cigars and rum to Armenia and
importing Armenian brandy to Cuba. The Ambassador also spoke in favor
of making mutual investments in tourism. Martinez informed that
respective issues will be discussed in the course of today’s meeting
at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Armenia. In the
Ambassador’s words, holding Days of Cuban Culture is also planned in
Armenia. The arrangement matters will be discussed in the course of a
visit of representatives of the of Cuba-Armenia Partnership
Organization this May.

PanArmenian News
March 12 2005

ARMENIAN FM TO MEET WITH OSCE MG AMBASSADORS MARCH 16

12.03.2005 05:10

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A meeting of Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian with the Ambassadors of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is planned in Vienna March 16,
Regnum news agency reported. Just then the date of the new meeting of
Armenian and Azeri FMs is expected to be fixed. In the words of OSCE
MG Russian Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov, the OSCE fact-finding mission
on discovering settlement of territories around Nagorno Karabakh will
officially deliver the report to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna
March 17. Yuri Merzlyakov noted that the mission report is balanced.
Besides, as noted by Mr. Merzlyakov, at present the Ambassadors
consider the opportunity of holding the recurrent meeting of the
Armenian and Azeri Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev.
Among the possible dates is mentioned May 8-9, when both Presidents
will be present at the celebrities on the occasion of the 60-th
anniversary of the Victory in Moscow. Either it may happen May 16-17
at the Council of Europe summit in Poland. However, as noted by the
Russian diplomat, specific terms are not determined yet. “Proposals
are made, we await for what the parties will say,” he noted.

Memories of Noland inspire embattled Armenian family
By By RON BAIN The Daily Sentinel

Grand Junction Sentinel, CO
March 12 2005

Saturday, March 12, 2005

RIDGWAY – Tearful memories of Vietnam War veteran, adoptive father
and homebuilder Max Noland permeated Friday’s memorial service held
in his honor after his accidental death Monday, when he fell from
the roof of a home he was building in Purgatory.

Noland had been fighting for six years alongside his wife, Nvart
Sargsyan, and his adopted sons, Gevorg, Hayk and Joseph Sargsyan,
against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which
sought to deport the brothers and four other family members to their
homeland of Armenia.

Family friend Peter Whiskeman told the approximately 125 people
gathered at Ridgway Community Church on Friday that Hayk had just
been accepted to the University of Colorado, where he hopes to join
his brother Gevorg next fall if they are not deported.

Gevorg is studying to be a writer at CU.

“Max told me, ‘You’re a good writer. You write about heart. You truly
write from your heart,’ ” Gevorg told the mourning crowd. “I will
just not write anything until the time comes. It shall come out at
the time you need it.”

Noland escorted Gevorg to school and stayed with him every day for
weeks in the ninth grade, when “I couldn’t speak a word of English,”
the adopted son said. “He wouldn’t say much. Only when he talked,
you knew exactly what he was talking about. I’d always argue with him.
He’d be arguing with me without trying to hurt me in any way.

“I’ve come to the point of understanding the situation,” Gevorg said
of Noland’s death. “When I found out, I was so mad at first. I think
he left a hole in our hearts.”

Noland’s youngest adopted son, Joseph, pointed to one of many
photographs Noland had taken, and said, “That was his favorite.”

Whiskeman agreed that Noland’s “photography was beautiful.” Noland’s
scenic photos of rural Ouray County lined the walls of the community
church where the memorial service was held.

“I began to wonder if there was nothing that Max couldn’t do and do
well,” he said.

Whiskeman organized a fund-raising dinner in Ridgway after Immigration
Services last year jailed four members of the Sargsyan family who
voluntarily reported to Denver. Nvart’s father, Ruben, Gevorg, Hayk
and sister Meri were detained in Denver for weeks before appeals
freed them temporarily.

But they continue to face the threat of deportation.

Noland married Nvart in 1999 after she divorced an American man the
Sargsyan family claims defrauded Armenians who were trying to obtain
U.S. visas. Noland adopted her sons and introduced them to life in
Ridgway, and they sought special visas for immigrants who have been
victimized by human trafficking or violence, or who would be injured
if deported home.

The Sargsyan’s plight has resonated in Ouray County, where residents
raised more than $30,000 for the family’s legal defense and sent
hundreds of letters and e-mail messages to immigration officials,
asking them to reconsider the case and allow the family to stay.

Bulgarian News Network, Bulgaria
March 12 2005

Coming up

SOFIA (bnn)- Here is a schedule of events expected in Bulgaria on
Saturday:

[parts omitted]

VARNA–Ministers of transport of Armenia and Bulgaria Andranik
Manukyan and Nikolay Vasilev visit this Bulgarian Black Sea port.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 12 2005

Azerbaijan, Georgia in border delimitation dispute

AssA-Irada 12/03/2005 17:37

Azerbaijan is currently in a border delimitation dispute with Georgia
and only the division of 20% of the border has been agreed upon with
this country, says Garib Mammadov, Land and Mapping Committee chairman.

The 480-km-long Azeri-Georgian border is divided into 5 territories
and 24 sub-territories, and only 5 sub-teritories have been agreed
upon thus far, he said.

“We have a certain misunderstanding with Georgia and our positions
do not coincide due to their groundless claims.” Mammadov said that
the map, approved by the Georgian parliament in 1963 (Soviet Union
times), was prepared by not Azerbaijanis, but Georgians, Armenians
and Russians, and therefore, does not meet Azerbaijan’s interests.
Prior to this, a different map was used. An Azeri delegation will
leave for Tbilisi to continue talks late in March, he said. Mammadov
continued that Azerbaijan shares a 390.3-km border with Russia
and only a 55-km section (15%) has yet to be agreed upon with this
country. Only the territories bordering on the Balakan, Gusar and
Khachmaz Districts of Azerbaijan have yet to be agreed upon, he said.

Mammadov added that Azerbaijan faces no disputes with Iran and Turkey
over border delimitation.