PRESS RELEASE
January 11, 2005
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:

Embassy Hosts Christmas Open House, Concert by Armenian Musicians

On January 7, 2005, the Embassy of Armenia hosted the traditional Christmas
Open House reception for the Armenian American community of Greater
Washington area that featured a concert by famous Armenian musicians
performing in the U.S., Noune Karapetian (soprano) and Vahan Sargsyan
(piano).

Before the concert, Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Arman Kirakossian
spoke briefly on Armenia’s achievements and challenges in 2004, emphasizing
the need for continued economic, political, humanitarian, and commercial
cooperation between the Diaspora and Homeland to sustain Armenia’s economic
growth and help address the social needs of the vulnerable people in
Armenia. Ambassador Kirakossian also presented his vision for the
U.S.-Armenian bilateral relations and cooperation in 2005.

The Armenian Ambassador then paid tribute and handed out certificates of
appreciation to Armenian-American friends of the Embassy who have
contributed toward maintenance and preservation of the historical building
of the Armenian Embassy in Washington in 2004.

The recital that followed featured selected pieces of Armenian and
international classical and folk music by Noune Karapetian and Vahan
Sargsyan.

The reception was attended by members of the Armenian-American community and
officials from the National Security Council, and State Department. Among
the guests were Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Vahram Nercissiantz
and former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Michael C. Lemmon.

PanArmenian News
Jan 11 2005

YOUNG TURKISH WRITER CONSIDERS TABOO FROM ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TOPIC
SHOULD BE REMOVED

11.01.2005 17:08

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “In 1915 made almost the half of the Turkish
population were non-Muslims, who were expatriated or destroyed. This
topic should stop being a taboo,” young Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk,
whose works are known by European readers well, said in an interview
with Hurriyet newspaper. The state leaders consider that there is no
need to address that topic, as there is a problem in relations with
Armenia. “I am not interested in the issue of state relations with
Armenia. Many people were annihilated here,” O. Pamuk said.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 11 2005

RA President congratulates Viktor Yushenko with election on the
position of the President of Ukraine

Catholicos of All Armenian receives Bulgarian Minister of Science and
Education

Plane of Armavia Airlines performing the flight from Yerevan in
Rostov on don was forced to return in Yerevan

Fifth round of negotiations between Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers on Karabakh settlement held in Prague

Monitoring of NKR and Azerbaijani Armed Forces contact zone reveals
no violations of the ceasefire regime

Robert Kocharian: `We cannot encourage creation of privileged
conditions for anyone’

Russia will be a mediator in settlement of Karabakh conflict and
relations between Turkey and Armenia – V. Putin

RA Ministry of Science and Education receives the Minister of Culture
and Science of Bulgaria

Armenia to send humanitarian aid to Sri-Lanka population affected by
tsunami disaster

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RA PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES VIKTOR YUSHENKO WITH ELECTION ON THE
POSITION OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian
congratulated Viktor Yushenko with election on the position of the
President of Ukraine, President’s press office told ARKA. Kocharian
expressed confidence that historic relations between Armenian and
Ukrainian people will continue successful development and deepening
for the welfare of the two countries. L.D. –0–

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CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIAN RECEIVES BULGARIAN MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND
EDUCATION

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Catholicos of All Armenian Garegin II
received Bulgarian Minister of Science and Education Igor Damianov,
St.Echmiadzin press office told ARKA. Garegin II noted expanding
relations between the countries, which are the `reflections of
century-long friendship of two Christian people’. He expressed
gratitude to Bulgarian authorities for tender attitude to Armenian
population of the republic.
RA Minister of Science and Education Sergo Yeritsian and Bulgarian
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Stephan
Dimitrov also took part in the meeting. L.D. –0–

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PLANE OF ARMAVIA AIRLINES PERFORMING THE FLIGHT FROM YEREVAN IN
ROSTOV ON DON WAS FORCED TO RETURN IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Plane of Armavia Airlines performing the
flight from Yerevan in Rostov on don was forced to return in Yerevan,
Armavia press service told ARKA. The decision was made after airport
of Rostov refused to accept the plant due to damage on landing strip.
L.D. –0–

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

FIFTH ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN
MINISTERS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT HELD IN PRAGUE

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. The fifth round of negotiations between
Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Vardan Oskanian and Elmar
Mamedyarov on Karabakh settlement was held in Prague with
participation of Co-Chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group (MG). As Armenian
Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department told ARKA, earlier
both Ministers arrived in Prague by invitation of OSCE MG. As it is
stated in the press release, this is the first meeting of a similar
kind after some time break in the Prague negotiations. During the
meeting the Ministers discussed the issues related to possibilities
of settlement of the Karabakh conflict on the bases of common
approaches achieved during the previous stage of the negotiations.
Also, the Ministers had separate meetings with the Co-Chairmen of the
OSCE MG. Today in the late evening Oskanian returned to Yerevan.
To mention, the Foreign Ministers held four meetings around the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. On the last meeting of
the Ministers on Aug 30, the sides achieved agreement around future
meeting with the Co-Chairmen on Oct 25, 2004, however later the
meeting was postponed. As Oskanian stated earlier, all negotiations
concerning the process were suspended as the sides were expecting new
instructions from the Heads of two States around continuation of the
negotiating process. T.M. -0–

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MONITORING OF NKR AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES CONTACT ZONE REVEALS
NO VIOLATIONS OF THE CEASEFIRE REGIME

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. The regular monitoring of the Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijani Armed Forces contact zone near the
settlement of Marzili revealed no cases of violation of the ceasefire
regime. As NKR Foreign Ministry Press Service told ARKA, the
monitoring from the NKR territory was implemented by Coordinator of
the OSCE Tbilisi Office Lieutenant Colonel Imre Palatinusz (Hungary).
The Monitoring Group included Field Assistant of Personal
Representative of the OSCE Acting Chairman Alexander Samarsky
(Ukraine).
The monitoring was held as per the established schedule and no cases
of violation of the ceasefire regime were recorded.
The monitoring mission from the NKR side was accompanied by
representatives of the NKR Defense and Foreign Ministry. T.M. -0–

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

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: `WE CANNOT ENCOURAGE CREATION OF PRIVILEGED
CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE’

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. `It is necessary to conduct equal and
fair approach to economic subjects in realization of tax
administration’, RA President Robert Kocharian stated during the
meeting with the administration of RA State Tax Service. According to
the President, any exception will damage the whole process. `If you
start gathering taxes form yourself, your friends and relatives, I’m
sure you will not allow others stay away of tax field. Our attention
will be concentrated on this’, Kocharian said.
He stressed the necessity of easing the methodology of conduction of
tax inspections and paid attention of principle of conduction of
inspections on the base of results of researches. `Organization of
inspections should be realized on the base of data analysis, which
will increase their productivity. Researches of control service at RA
President’s show that there are companies where the inspections have
not been conducted for years and there are structures where the
inspections are made several times a year’, Kocharian said.
The President also paid attention to use of additional methods during
checking the reliability of reports of businessmen paying simplified
tax and fixed payments and improvement of mechanisms of control over
activity of tax inspectors and increase of demands to quality of
their work.
Kocharian stressed the necessity of increase the level of
transparency and publicity of process of settlement of all mentioned
problems. L.D. –0–

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RUSSIA WILL BE A MEDIATOR IN SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT AND
RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA – V. PUTIN

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Russia will be a mediator in settlement
of Karabakh conflict and relations between Turkey and Armenia, RF
President Vladimir Putin stated during the meeting with
representatives of Turkish business circles in Moscow.
Answering the question of Turkish mass media, Putin said that during
the meeting the parties did not discuss Karabakh conflict.
Both parties expressed desire to establish friendly relations between
neighbors.
`Russia in its turn will make everything to settle conflicts in post
Soviet area, including Karabakh conflict’, Putin said and added, `But
we will do it as a mediator and guarantor of agreements that will be
achieved between the parties of the conflict’.
Turkish PM in his turn spoke for future establishment of relations
with Armenia.
He reminded that Turkey already opened Istanbul airport for flights
from Armenia. Land border is not opened yet, but its opening will
depend on process of negotiations, he added.
Prime Minister stressed that Turkey is interested in development of
relations with Armenia. L.D. –0–

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RA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION RECEIVES THE MINISTER OF CULTURE
AND SCIENCE OF BULGARIA

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. RA Ministry of Science and Education
Sergo Yeritsyan received a delegation headed by Igor Demyanov, the
Minister of Culture and Science of Bulgaria. The delegation has been
to Armenia with an official visit since January 9-12. According to RA
Ministry of Science and Education Press Service Department, this is
the first official visit on the part of the Ministers of Bulgaria to
Armenia.
During the meeting Yeritsyan introduced reforms in the sphere of
education introduced in Armenia to guests. The Ministers of the two
countries discussed the program on cooperation in the sphere of
science and culture signed by the two countries in 2003, as well as
aspects of cooperation that can be implemented in the nearest future.
According to the parties, the cooperation may have an impact on both
the sphere of education and science. It’s supposed that a
corresponding protocol will be signed issuing from the results of the
visit.
In the course of the visit, the delegation will meet professors and
teachers as well as students of some Universities and will be
introduced cultural and historical values of Armenia.
RA and Bulgarian Governments began cooperation in 1994. A program on
cooperation between the two countries for 2003-2006 in the field of
science and culture was signed in the framework of the above
mentioned agreement during the official visit of RA President
Kocharyan to Bulgaria on September 8 2003. A.H.-0–

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ARMENIA TO SEND HUMANITARIAN AID TO SRI-LANKA POPULATION AFFECTED BY
TSUNAMI DISASTER

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Armenia will send humanitarian aid to
the population of Sri-Lanka affected by tsunami disaster, as stated
Armen Bayburtyan, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia. According
to him, it is planned to send tents and mobile energy generators to
the total sum of AMD 15 mln (about $30 thou), as well as antibiotics
and pain-relieving medicine of AMD 10 mln (about $20 thou). He also
said that it is also planned to send aid to Indonesia as well. In
addition, according to Bayburtyan, Armenian Church of Calcutta
pledged $210 thou to the Indian Government. Also, 10 citizens of
India can pass a treatment course by request in the Rehabilitation
Centre of the Armenian Red Cross. L.V. – 0–

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
Jan 11 2005

Ukraine’s Withdrawal Seen As Politically Important, Militarily
Insignificant

By Kathleen Moore

Ukraine says it plans to pull its 1,600 troops out of Iraq in the
first half of this year. The announcement comes after eight Ukrainian
soldiers died in an explosion at an ammunition dump in Iraq. Kyiv’s
decision follows other announcements of changes to the multinational
force in Iraq. Poland, which also has one of the largest troop
contingents in Iraq, is cutting its presence by one-third within the
next few months, while the United Kingdom says it plans to send an
extra 400 soldiers.

Prague, 11 January 2005 (RFE/RL) — “The [outgoing] president of
Ukraine [Leonid Kuchma] has ordered the defense minister and the
foreign minister to immediately begin planning for a withdrawal of
the Ukrainian contingent from Iraq in the first half of this year,”
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk said.

Kuzmuk said the country’s 1,600 troops could begin leaving Iraq in
March or April. The Ukrainian parliament called today for an even
quicker withdrawal.

The troop presence has been unpopular, and a withdrawal had been
expected. But the firmer timetable announced yesterday came a day
after eight Ukrainians — and one Kazakh — died in an explosion at
an Iraqi ammunition dump.

Valeriy Chaly, an analyst at Kyiv’s Razumkov Center, told RFE/RL:
“This decision wasn’t unexpected. Parliament in December adopted a
resolution that had a recommendatory character, and today we’ve seen
that confirmed with the request for the president to sign a decree on
the immediate withdrawal of the Ukrainian contingent from Iraq. Of
course, the deaths of the biggest number of Ukrainian soldiers since
the beginning of the campaign [on 9 January] provided a shocking
stimulus [to this decision]. But nonetheless — though it might sound
cynical — I would say it has a political tinge to it.”

Kuchma’s order was seen by some as an attempt to upstage the man who
is soon to replace him. Viktor Yushchenko, who won last month’s rerun
presidential election, is also in favor of withdrawing Ukrainian
troops from Iraq. Warsaw, too, has announced it is pulling one-third
of its troops out of Iraq next month, after the Iraqi elections.
Other countries withdrew last year, like Spain and the Philippines.

But there are changes in the opposite direction. The United Kingdom
announced yesterday that it will be sending more troops to Iraq —
400 of them, ahead of the 30 January elections. Georgia also
previously announced extra troops for this month. And Armenia last
month approved sending a small contingent of troops. “In a way, it
doesn’t matter enormously how many countries are there and what
they’re producing in military terms. Politically, it’s a different
matter.”

In an initial reaction to the Ukrainian move, U.S. State Department
spokesman Adam Ereli expressed condolences for the soldiers who died.
And he said a withdrawal would not detract from Ukraine’s
contribution.

“I would reject any notion that anybody is running scared in this
matter. First of all, Ukraine has courageously supported the
multinational force in Iraq. They are one of the largest contributors
of troops. They are an important partner to the coalition’s efforts.
We value their contribution, and we recognize their sacrifice,” Ereli
said.

Julian Lindley-French is a Geneva-based security analyst. He said the
Ukrainian and Polish moves will be a blow to the multinational force,
as it needs as many troops as possible to perform a “robust”
peacekeeping job.

“The Ukrainians and Poles would argue that with the elections coming
up, they’ve fulfilled their job to be present until Iraq can
reestablish its own state sovereignty. Obviously, in the real world,
the need for troops to stabilize the situation will continue. I
suspect the Poles and Ukrainians are using the increased numbers of
American and British troops as a cover to try and get out — in a
sense, trying to force the Americans and the British to keep high
levels of troops there over a longer period, which won’t go down too
well in Washington or London,” Lindley-French said.

But British defense analyst Paul Cornish told RFE/RL that such troop
reductions don’t matter much, at least in military terms. “[The
Ukrainians and Poles are] doing important policing and guarding
roles, [but] they are much less significant than the British and
Americans and those forces — and there are few of them — that can
conduct high-intensity counterinsurgency operations,” he said. “So
really, in a way, it doesn’t matter enormously how many countries are
there and what they’re producing in military terms. Politically, it’s
a different matter.”

Any final decision on the status of Ukraine’s troops may come only
when Yushchenko takes office.

A total of 16 Ukrainian troops have died in Iraq since their
deployment as part of U.S.-led coalition forces in 2003.

ARMENIANS WHO LOST THEIR HOMES IN MARAKHA START NEW LIFE IN BERDZOR

Azg/arm
12 Jan 05

Author of “The Black Garden” British journalist Tom de Waal wrote in
his book that the Azeris invaded Marakha village on April 10 of 1992
but Armenian forces fought the village back the next day and buried 43
beheaded and burnt bodies of Armenians. 50 more Marakha Armenians were
captured 19 of whom didnot return anymore.

The village with a rich economy became an enemy territory and its
inhabitants spread all over Russia, USA and elsewhere. Some of them
began a new life in the region of Qashatakh, in the river gorge of
Hakar. Four families settledin Berdzor, former Lachin. Roza Avanesian,
82, says that her Marakha house has turned into a vantage point for
snipers. “I’ve left there my two-storied house and my pregnant cows. I
shudder to think of that. Lamentation accompanied us on our way out of
the village”, Roza Avanesian tells.

The Avanesian’s family was one of the first to settle in Berdzor.
Armenian forces conquered Lachin in May 18 of 1992, a month later
after the Marakha pogroms. On November 26 of 1991 the Supreme Council
of Azerbaijan ordered the ministries of defense and home affairs to
clear Nagorno Karabakh off Armenian population and to defend local
Azeris. But the Karabakh forces managed not only to defend the
Armenian population of the region but also to conquer strategic
territories out of the administrative territory of Karabakh.

“We left our homes naked. We went to Hrazdan at first but it was
impossible to make a living there. We were going to leave for Russia
when learnt aboutthe chance to settle at the liberated Berdzor. And we
have been here since 1994”, Valiry Avanesian says.

Angela, Valiry’s sister, also settled in Berdzor with her husband and
4 children. “We fled from the Turks, and now they live in our houses”,
Angela Avanesian says.

Berdzor is the administrative center of Qashatakh region and was
formed in 1994 including Hakar river gorge, regions of Lachin,
Khubatlu (nowaday Qashunik) and Zangelan (nowaday Kovsakan) that were
forcibly united with the Soviet Azerbaijan at the beginning of the
past century.

Plumber Slavik Grigorian notes with pain that 5 more villages of
Martakert region together with his native Marakha are still under
Azeris’ control. “I left my home in overalls, leaving everything we
had. We feel in safety her, though we are not as rich as we were in
Marakha”, Slavik Grigorian says praising God.

Armenian refugees of Azerbaijan and of the Northern Martakert region
are not the only inhabitants of Berdzor and Qashatakh. There are also
people from Armenia each of whom has his own reason for settling in
the Hakar gorge.

Father Atanes Movsisian serving at Qashatakh region, settled in
Berdzor for8 years ago. “We have great spiritual legacy in these
territories liberated at the price of our martyrs. There were churches
once but unfortunately most of them lie in ruins today.
Tsitsernakavanq, a church of 4th century, has been reconstructed.
Today there are 3 churches that hold weekly services in Qashatakh”,
father Atanes says.

The Holy Ascension Church of Berdzor was built after the territory was
liberated, Tsitsernakavanq was reconstructed on the money the Najarian
family from the US and another church was built in Aghavno village.
There are dozens of semi-ruined churches and hundreds of khachqars
(cross-stones) in Qashatakh.

The regions of Khubatlu, Zangelan and Lachin that are included in
Qashatakh were once Armenian regions in Syuniq province. Muslims,
mainly Turkish-speaking Kurds, penetrated the territories in 18th
century. In 1923, when Stalin created the autonomous region of Red
Kurdistan, the Armenian Qarvatchar, Qashatakh, Qashunik and Kovsakan
regions were included into newly formed unit.

On m y way back to Yerevan, Kamo, the taxi driver, was telling that if
the Azeris had opened the Lachin corridor in 1991-92 when the Karabakh
forces were retreating and Azerbaijan had half of Karabakh, then
Armenians would possibly leave Karabakh for Armenia. He reminded that
Karabakh forces broke through enemy ‘s defense on May 18 and opened
the humanitarian corridor. Now Kamo’s taxi was picking up speed on the
corridor’s paved road.

By Tatoul Hakobian

WILL REFERENDUM DECIDE KARABAKH’S FATE?

Azg/arm
12 Jan 05

Oskanian And Mammediarov Resume Bilateral Meetings

The regular meeting of RA and Azeri foreign ministers will be held
with the participation of f the OSCE Minsk group mediators in Prague,
on January 10. Vartan Oskanian said in the interview to Interfax
agency before departing to Prague that “the negotiations of this year
will qualitatively differ from the first stage of the Prague process.”

“At present we will touch upon certain issues and details, while in
the course of the first stage of the Prague process we discussed
general principles. The more we deepen in details the more the
negotiations get complicated. When we begin work with details we
should be ready to make mutual concessions,” Oskanian said, expressing
hope that in 2005 “we will be able to fix a progress in the Nagorno
Karabakh issue.”

The Associated Press informed that few days ago Azeri President said
in the sitting of the security council that the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict enters “a new, positive stage”. “Certainly, I don’t
mean that the conflict is settled. The negotiations are still on and
we spare no efforts to make them go in the way beneficial for us,”
Ilham Aliyev said, adding that the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh has
entered “a new stage.”

On his turn, Yuri Merzliakov, Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group
told the Azeri press that Armenia agreed to make some concessions in
the course of the Prague negotiations. “Now, it is Azerbaijan’s turn,”
Merzliakovsaid.

During the December 22 press conference, 2004, Oskanian advised the
journalists to pay attention to the article published in the French Le
Figaro. According to him, the article reflects “today’s general
trends in the Nagorno Karabakh issue.” Pierre Lelouche, head of the
NATO parliamentary Assembly, and Anna Palacio, former Spanish foreign
minister, the authors of the article, visited Nagorno Karabakh in
autumn and expressed the opinion that “Armenia should have the
temporal control of Nagorno Karabakh who’s further fate will bedecided
though a referendum in 5 or 10 years.”

According to daily Azg’s information, it is not excluded that Armenia
and Azerbaijan will agree an agreement on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, according to which, the Karabakh forces should quit
several Azeri territories under their control, while Baku will agree
to hand the control of Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia under the condition
that in 5 or 10 years the status of NKR will be decided through a
referendum.

By the way, in the course of the December 22 press conference,
Oskanian said that Yerevan will be able to ratify the right of
Karabakh people for self-determination and achieve its international
recognition, on the other hand, he added that the realization of the
right of Karabakh’s self-determination can be indirect from the aspect
of the time.

Last year, in the course of one of his public speeches, RA President
Robert Kocharian drew the attention to the trends of the settlement of
the current conflicts in the other corners of the world, particularly,
he pointed out the crisis in the South Sudan, where interesting
developments take place.

A historical event took place in Kenya on January 9, with the
participation of Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, and Colin
Powell, the US State Secretary, as well as the leaders of some African
countries. The South and North authorities of Sudan have signed an
agreement, according to which the status of the unrecognized Blue Nile
and Nuba Mountain’s Country will be decided in six years through a
nation-wide referendum.

It’s worth mentioning that the international community led by the US
has chosen the referendum as a settlement of the conflicts. The same
happened in 2004, when two simultaneous referendums were held in
Cyprus among the Greek and the Turkish communities of the island. It
is not excluded that the fate of Kosovo will also be decided though a
referendum.

As for Sudan, it is worth mentioning that the sides in conflict came
to agreement in the following issue. The Southern part of the country
will be announced an autonomy and be governed according to the
principles of autonomy from the July of 2005.While in six years the
country will decide through referendum whether it stays in the
structure of Sudan or it becomes an independent state. John Garange,
leader of the separatists for many years, will become the first rime
minister of Sudan. The oil profits of Sudan that amount to $ 4 billion
annually will be equally divided between the Northern central
government and the Southern autonomy in the course of the coming six
years.

BBC states that if the referendum is held tomorrow, the South will
vote for its independence. John Garange, who signed a cease-fire with
the authorities of Sudan two years ago, is for a united state of Sudan
that has two centers.

By the way, Sudan and Azerbaijan a number of things in common. The
most important is that both Baku and Khartoum have turned for help to
Osama bin Laden, World’s terrorist N1, to settle the Nagorno Karabakh
and South Sudan conflicts, relevantly. The US exerted punishment
measures on Sudan for giving shelter to bin Laden years ago. But
Heydar Aliyev felt the danger in time and agreed to cooperate with the
US in its anti-terrorist combat.

The conflict burst out in Sudan in 1983, when Khartoum authorities
tried to impose the rules of Islamic law on the population of the
Southern part of the country that don’t speak Arabic. About 2 million
people died in thearmed conflict that lasted for 20 years.

It’s worth mentioning, that the humanitarian crisis that is still on
in Darfur, the Western part of Sudan, should not be confused with the
conflictbetween the South and the North of the country. Darfur
conflict began in 2003, when the rebels of this region began attacking
the authorities, condemning them in racism. About 70 thousand blacks
died in Darfur in two years and 2 million quitted their homes. The US
characterizes Darfur crisis as a genocide.

By Tatoul Hakobian

TURKISH SINGER DISTORTS “ADANA LAMENTATION”, A SONG DEVOTED TO GENOCIDE

Azg/arm
12 Jan 05

She Calls this Sacrilege a Wish to Talk of Genocide

The first song of Turkish singer Seden Gurel’s “Bir Kadin Sarki
Sylyor” album (2004) is the Armenian song known as “Adana Lamentation”
devoted to the massacres of Adana’s Armenian population in 1909. In
her album “Adana Lamentation” turned into a love song titled “Sebebim
Ask” – “The Reason is Love”.

Sibel Alas is the author of the words, and Istanbul Armenian Shirak
Shahrikian ‘s duduk accompanies the song. The latter’s participation
in this sacrilege aroused the indignation of the Armenian community in
Istanbul. Shahrikian wrote an article in Turkish for
Armenian website trying to justify himself where he says that the
Armenians’ disapproval was expressed by numerous phone calls. Seden
Gurel, in her turn, wrote a letter in Septemberof 2004 where she tries
to convince that the aim of the song was to tell the Turkish people of
the Genocide (Gurel used the word “soykirim” – genocide- thus
recognizing the Armenian genocide).

It’s hard to say how the Turkish society learns about the Armenian
Genocide by listening to “The Reason is Love”. The song was
broadcasted by one of Turkish state TV channels on April 24 with the
accompaniment of semi-naked Turkish women’s dance.

The song’s video clipping is available at

SHORT BY DUTCH FILMMAKER DISAPPOINTS COMPATRIOTS

AzerTaj News Agency
January 11, 2005

A short documentary entitled “Hope Dies Last” made by Dutch filmmaker
Susanne Kroger has caused serious discontent among Azerbaijani community
of Holland.

According to the State Committee for Working with Azerbaijanis Living in
Foreign Countries, the film tells the story about 3 Armenian and 2
Azerbaijani soldiers missing in the battles for Karabakh during the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. After the film was first presented in
Amsterdam, over 100 members of the Society “Netherlands – Azerbaijan”
and organizations of Azerbaijan Diaspora exchanged views on what they
had seen with representatives of the Dutch National Council of Churches
and Red Cross, and Armenian community. The members of the Azerbaijani
Diaspora exasperated by the facts that the film allots 21 minutes to
Armenia against 8 minutes to Azerbaijan, presents the missing soldiers’
parents as well as cities of the countries in sharply different ways,
refers to towns and villages of Karabakh under Armenian names. They
resolutely condemned the work noting it does not represent the reality
but distorts the facts in favor of Armenians. The claims were supported
by Dutch specialists, as well.

;catid=&news_year=&news_month=&news_day=&newsid=88422&themes_viewing=&themes_page=&themeid=&news_page

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
01/11/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1. Armenia Demands Corrections to Atkinson Report on Karabagh Conflict
2. Russia Ready to Act as Intermediary in South Caucasus Conflicts
3. Oskanian, Mammadyarov Meeting in Prague
4. Armenia Hails New Russian-Georgian Ferry Link

1. Armenia Demands Corrections to Atkinson Report on Karabagh Conflict

In a letter to the President and Secretary General of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, (PACE), Armenia has requested that several
corrections be made to the January 26 PACE report on the Mountainous Karabagh
conflict, reports the Trend news agency.
In their letter to PACE president Peter Schieder and secretary general Terry
Davis, Armenia’s parliamentary leadership accuses the European Commission of
one-sidedly supporting Azerbaijan’s position [in the conflict], and demands
the
removal of the term “separatist forces,” among others. Armenia also expresses
serious concern that the report fails to reflect issues tied to the regions of
Ketashen and Shahumian.
Overall, the Armenian side requests changes in 14 articles of the report that
deal with the status of Mountainous Karabagh, format of negotiations, and the
history of that conflict. Authored by PACE rapporteur David Atkinson, the
report will be reviewed on January 22 PACE’s Political Committee during a
Council of Europe leadership summit.

2. Russia Ready to Act as Intermediary in South Caucasus Conflicts

MOSCOW (Combined Sources)–Russian president Vladimir Putin affirmed his
readiness to act only as an intermediary in the settlement of the Karabagh
conflict.
“Russia will do everything possible to settle the conflicts remaining on
post-Soviet space, including the long-lasting Karabagh conflict,” Putin
announced. “However, we will do it only as an intermediary and guarantor of
agreements which are going to be reached by conflicting sides.”
Meeting with Turkish businessmen in Moscow, Putin said that although the
Karabagh conflict was not discussed specifically, general issues of relations
between countries in the region were on the agenda. Both sides, he stated,
expressed the desire to establish friendly relations among neighbors.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan again ruled out an unconditional
reopening of his country’s border with Armenia, saying that official Yerevan
should first take unspecified “positive” steps.
Putin, meanwhile, pledged to assist in the normalization of relations between
the two historical foes.
“If we see positive approaches from Armenia’s government, we will open the
border. But we don’t see such approaches now,” Erdogan said at a joint news
conference with Putin during an official visit to Moscow. He did not
elaborate.

The Turkish premier’s stance contrasted with Putin’s positive assessment of
the Armenian leadership’s efforts to improve relations with Turkey. Putin said
Moscow is holding “constant consultations” with Ankara on the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian ties.
“Armenia is looking for ways of improving relations with Turkey,” he said.
“Russia will assist in this process as much as possible.”
Putin was also pleased with the current state of Russian-Turkish relations,
pointing in particular to the booming trade between the two nations seen as
longtime geopolitical rivals. “Our most optimistic forecasts about economic
cooperation have come true,” he told Erdogan.
According to Putin, Russia and Turkey need to “continue developing an
effective infrastructure of bilateral trade.”
Erdogan, in his turn, promised to support Russia’s admission to the World
Trade Organization. “Turkey is expected to demonstrate its full support for
Russia’s membership in the WTO at a meeting of the working group on Russia’s
admission to the WTO in Geneva on January 24,” he said.
He highly commended the high level of trade and economic relations between
the
two countries. “We couldn’t even dream about this 10-15 years ago,” Erdogan
said.
Ways to broaden cooperation will be discussed by the Business Council on
Wednesday, which will be attended by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.
Putin thanked the Turkish businessmen for their concrete proposals, assuring
them that “all those proposals will be thoroughly studied by Russian experts
and ministry officials.”

3. Oskanian, Mammadyarov Meeting in Prague

PRAGUE (RFE/RL)–After three-hour talks with his Azeri counterpart Elmar
Mammadyarov, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian revealed that no
specific agreement for a resolution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict had
been reached.
“I wish I could say that there is a full agreement on the principles [of the
settlement],” he said. “But we are still not there. There is a general
framework of issues [discussed by the parties], but as this meeting showed,
they need to be further consolidated.”
The meeting took place in Prague on Tuesday, in the presence of French,
Russian, and US mediators; it marked the start of the second stage of “the
Prague process.”
Oskanian refused to go into details of the discussions, saying that much
remains to be done for hammering out a compromise agreement acceptable to both
parties. “This is a fairly difficult and complex process and it will continue
to be like this during further meetings,” he said. “On the whole, I consider
the overall mood and the atmosphere positive.
“It is still too early too disclose any details. Once we have agreements on
concrete issues, I think we will be able to talk about them little by
little.”
Asked about chances of a breakthrough in the peace process this year,
Oskanian
said, “We are working toward achieving that goal. But it is still too early to
make definite statements to that effect.”

4. Armenia Hails New Russian-Georgian Ferry Link

YEREVAN (RFE/RL–Armenian government officials and businessmen said on Monday
that they are looking forward to the impending launch of a Russian-Georgian
ferry link that will effectively restore Armenia’s rail communication with
Russia disrupted more than a decade ago.
A relevant agreement was due to be signed in Tbilisi by Russia’s Transport
Minister Igor Levitin and Georgia’s Minister of Economic Development Alexi
Alexishvili. The planned regular service between the Georgian Black Sea
port of
Poti and Russia’s Port Kavkaz is designed for cargos shipped in train cars. It
is expected to become operational by the end of this month.
Senior officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan were also in the Georgian
capital
to discuss final preparations for the launch of the service. Transport and
Communications Minister Andranik Manukian, who headed the Armenian delegation,
was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as welcoming the Russian-Georgian
agreement.
Armenian businessmen involved in external trade were also confident about its
positive impact on landlocked Armenia’s economy. “It will have considerable
effects on the cost of goods shipped from Armenia to Russia and vice versa,”
said Arsen Ghazarian, chairman of the Armenian Union of Entrepreneurs and
Industrialists. He said the high transportation costs in Russian-Armenian
trade
could go down by 30 percent as a result.
Ferries capable of carrying heavy train cars have until now operated between
Poti and Ukrainian and Bulgarian ports. Armenia has relied on them heavily in
its commercial exchange with the rest of the world.
The Armenian government has long been pushing for the opening of the
Poti-Kavkaz service and has financially contributed to the scheme. Among the
costs involved was the purchase of a ferryboat that can carry up to 28 rails
during a single journey. The service is expected to operate twice a week.
“The volume of our cargo turnover [with Russia] is great,” said Vladimir
Badalian, co-chairman of the Armenian-Georgian Business Association.
“According
to our calculations, we need four or even more ferries.”
But Ghazarian disagreed. “I don’t think there is a need for a second ferry
right now,” he said. “What we need is that the existing ferry operates at full
capacity in both directions so that we have a reasonable transportation
cost.”
Levitin’s trip to Tbilisi, the second in two months, is also likely to have
involved discussions on ways of reopening direct rail communication between
Russia and Georgia that used to run through the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow on December 28, Levitin sounded upbeat about
the possibility of doing that as early as this year. He said he believes that
it is now possible to restore the rail link, once vital for the Armenian
economy, before a full resolution of the Abkhaz conflict.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail:
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
George Shirinian
DATE: January 11, 2004
Tel:416-250-9807

Dr. Roger W. Smith Elected Academic Chair of Zoryan Institute

Dr. Roger W. Smith, internationally renowned genocide scholar, has
been elected chairman of the Zoryan Institute’s Academic Board of
Directors, namely, Professors Stephan Astourian, Yair Auron, Levon
Chorbajian, Vahakn Dadrian, Eliz Sanasarian, Lisa Siraganian, and
Khachig Tölölyan. Their responsibility is to recommend and approve
new scholarly projects, and to oversee and ensure the overall quality
of academic programs undertaken by the Zoryan Institute and its
subsidiary, the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights
Studies.

New Chairman’s Vision

Regarding his election as chairman, Smith says, “I have very much
enjoyed working with the outstanding scholars on the Zoryan Board over
the years. It is a challenge and honor to assume the responsibilities
of Chair of the Academic Board of Directors. In the term ahead, I hope
to continue to encourage activities that Zoryan has excelled at for
many years — sponsorship of conferences and lectures on the Armenian
Genocide, support for research and publication on the Armenian
Genocide and Diaspora Studies, and, above all, the Genocide and Human
Rights University Program (GHRUP). But I also see Zoryan
collaborating more with our colleagues at universities in Europe and
North America to offer courses based on the GHRUP model, as we have
already done with the University of Minnesota. I wish to encourage
students of all nationalities to engage in the study of other
genocides in comparison with the Armenian Genocide as a point of
reference. In this respect, Zoryan is initiating in 2005 a program
providing dissertation fellowships to Ph.D candidates. I think it is
also very important that Zoryan continue to reach out to the Armenian
community at many levels with lectures and educational programs, and
also encourage all Armenian and non-Armenian organizations and
individuals to support the Zoryan Institute, morally and financially,
in its endeavors to fulfill its mission.”

Background

A pioneer and major authority on the subject of genocide, Smith has
written widely on its nature, history, and prevention, and, in
particular, on denial of the Armenian Genocide. Educated at Harvard
and the University of California, Berkeley, Roger W. Smith is
Professor Emeritus of Government at the College of William and Mary in
Virginia. There he taught political philosophy and the comparative
study of genocide for twenty years. Dr. Smith taught his first course
on genocide, entitled “Human Destructiveness and Politics” in 1982. To
his dismay, he found that material on the Armenian Genocide was
extremely scarce, and due to the Turkish government’s tremendous
efforts to deny the event, few people outside the Armenian community
had even heard of the Genocide.

Describing how he came to his field of specialization, he stated, “My
interest in genocide, the ultimate denial of equality, is rooted in my
childhood. A moral commitment to equality was entrenched in me while
growing up in Birmingham, Alabama. It came partly out of a love for my
parents, who were strong and inspiring, despite the hierarchies and
valuations imposed on them by society, and partly from witnessing the
various socially sanctioned indignities inflicted on black people in a
deeply segregated south.”

Early Involvement with Zoryan

Recalling how he first got involved with Zoryan, Smith related that he
had been invited to attend its one-day conference on “Genocide and
Denial” in May 1986. He gave a very well received talk on the
psychological roots of denial, which he subsequently expanded and
published in 1990 as “Genocide and Denial: The Armenian Case and its
Implications.” As a result, he was invited to participate in many
scholarly and memorial forums thereafter. He began to focus his
research and teaching on Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. A
groundbreaking 1995 article co-authored by Smith, Robert Jay Lifton
and Eric Markusen, entitled “Professional Ethics and the Denial of the
Armenian Genocide,” exposed the secretive process by which the Turkish
government funds academics to discredit scholarship on the Armenian
Genocide. The article fueled a major protest by over one hundred
prominent scholars and intellectuals against the corruption of
American universities by the Turkish government.

Dr. Smith joined the Zoryan Board of Directors in 1988. “I was aware
of the institute’s Open University Program, Oral History Program,
research projects, and publications, including Hitler and the Armenian
Genocide, A Crime of Silence: The Armenian Genocide, and The Karabagh
File. As a non-Armenian, my understanding from the beginning was that
the Armenian Genocide was a crime committed not only against the
Armenian people, but also against all of humanity. I found the work on
the board that first year exciting, and my understanding of the
Armenian Genocide was confirmed, as the experience deepened my
knowledge, and perhaps made me even more of an activist on issues of
human rights and genocide.”

GHRUP

One of the experiences at Zoryan that has become exceptionally
engaging for Smith is the Genocide and Human Rights University
Program, run annually by the International Institute for Genocide and
Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute). He believes
strongly that the form of education necessary to prevent further
occurrences of genocide is one that promotes “tolerance, respect for
individuals, and a more humanistic view of the world.” His vision made
him an ideal choice in 2003 for Director of the GHRUP, which explores
the major genocides of the 20th century from historical, political,
sociological, legal, and human rights perspectives.

Many graduates of the program cite Dr. Smith as an inspiring teacher
and mentor. Smith is equally impressed with the students’ drive and
motivation to make a difference in the world. “Twenty years ago, there
were only a handful of us interested in the subject,” he recalls. “The
success of the GHRUP has made me feel overwhelmingly optimistic for
the future of genocide studies. The course plants a seed of knowledge
in every student who attends. Whether they use this knowledge to
become a human rights activist, a genocide scholar, or simply a person
who can influence others through informed dialogue, each and every one
of them now has the tools needed to spread awareness about genocide,
the world’s worst violation of human rights.”

The Zoryan Institute is the first international center in the Diaspora
devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues
related to the history, politics, society, and culture of Armenia,
Armenians around the world, and the Armenian Genocide, and in
conceptualizing Armenia’s place within a universal context. It
maintains offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Toronto, Canada.