Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Jan 1 2005

A hometown chess prodigy
Gledale’s Tatev Abrahamyan, 16, finished in second place at the U.S.
Chess Championships last month.

By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader

DOWNTOWN GLENDALE – When Tatev Abrahamyan entered the 2005 U.S. Chess
Championship in late November, her confidence was a bit shaken. She
had just returned from Greece, where she competed in the World Youth
Champ- ionships, and struggled to a 16th-place finish.

Turns out the Greek tragedy just increased the Southern California
drama.

Tatev, a junior at Clark Magnet High School, finished second in the
women’s division at the U.S. Champ- ionship, winning $9,200 and
cementing her reputation as a rising star in the competitive chess
world.

“I got in better shape as I played one tournament after another,”
Tatev said. “I got in shape in Greece.”

Tatev began playing chess eight years ago, when her family lived in
Yerevan, Armenia. She saw her father play, and the game caught her
interest. Then her father took her to the Chess Olympiad, the chess
version of the Olympics, and before long she was taking lessons and
playing competitively.

Her family moved from Yerevan to Glendale three years ago to escape
poor conditions. She never joined the chess club at Clark Magnet,
instead playing in tournaments with a private coach. She tried out
for the United States’ Olympiad team this year and didn’t qualify,
but chess experts believe she will be there eventually.

“She’s a very good thinker,” said John Henderson, press officer for
America’s Foundation for Chess who attended the U.S. Championships.
“She doesn’t get flustered, which is a great help, if you’re a
serious chess player. She’s not easily riled. If she loses, she takes
it in stride and gets ready for the next game. That’s a good
attribute to take when you’re playing chess.

“There are a lot of prodigies in chess, and she’s one of them. She
has a bright future.”

At the U.S. Championships, Tatev played one six-hour game per day for
nine consecutive games, going 4-4-1 against both male and female
competition. She matched Rusudan Goletiani, 24, of Hartsdale, N.Y.,
for the best women’s score, forcing a tie-breaker.

Goletiani beat Tatev in two 25-minute matches to win the women’s
title.

“I was really nervous and very tired,” Tatev said. “The game didn’t
go well.”

But Tatev knows she’ll have plenty more chances. After she graduates
from Clark Magnet, she’s considering taking a year off to focus on
chess. Eventually, she might become a coach.

“I like playing,” Tatev said. “I like the fighting, I like coming up
with new ideas, I like being better than other people.”

Indian Express, India
Jan 1 2005

Some interesting traditions to ring in the New Year

Express Features Service

New Delhi, December 31: The Chinese New Year “Yuan Tan” takes place
between January 21 and February 20. The Chinese clean their houses to
rid them of lasts year’s bad luck before the celebrations begin.
There are street parades where dancing dragons and lions weave their
way through crowded streets.

Hungarians burn effigies on New Year’s eve known as “Jack Straw”
which represent the evils and misfortunes of the past year. Jack
Straw is carried around the village before being burnt.

For the Armenians, the most important pastries partaken on this day
is the Darin – a big flat bread, that has a coin hidden in it. The
person who finds the piece with the coin is considered lucky for the
New Year.

In England crowds of people gather in Trafalgar square, and
Piccadilly Circus to hear the chimes of London’s Big Ben announce the
arrival of the New Year. They stand around with arms linked to sing
Auld Lang Syne.

In Germany people would drop molten lead into cold water and try to
tell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring shape meant a
wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig plenty of food in the year
ahead.

Palm Beach Post, FL
Jan 1 2005

Bush sending brother Jeb to Asia seen as savvy

By Dara Kam
Special to the Palm Beach Post

TALLAHASSEE – Political experts say President Bush’s decision to send
his brother to grief-stricken Asia is a savvy move to stem criticism
of the United States’ initial response to one of the world’s worst
natural disasters.

It also may set the stage for Gov. Jeb Bush’s own run at the White
House in 2008, despite his insistence he is headed back to the
business world in Miami. The governor’s staff says he is perfectly
suited for the mission after overseeing disaster relief in Florida
following four hurricanes.

“It’s not that he brings a special expertise about emergency
management,” Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of
Virginia, said Friday. “It’s that he’s the president’s brother, and
symbols are important. This is partly a public-relations operation.
The president got off on the wrong foot here and got a lot of
criticism.”

The United States initially pledged $15 million in aid, boosting that
to $35 million and then on Friday to $350 million. U.S. patrol and
cargo aircraft have been sent to Thailand, and an aircraft carrier
and other ships have been ordered to the region to aid in disaster
recovery, the president said Friday.

Gov. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell will lead a delegation
to the region to meet with leaders and determine what assistance the
United States can provide, a State Department official said.

The team will depart Sunday from Andrews Air Force Base near
Washington. Gov. Bush plans to return Thursday, but Powell will stay
for an international summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

President Bush tapped his brother because of “his extensive
experience in the state of Florida with relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction efforts following natural disasters,” the White House
said in a statement.

“He’s also the president’s brother – I think it signifies the high
level of importance that the president puts on this delegation,”
White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

This is the first time President Bush has called on his brother to
represent the country on such a high-profile mission. The appointment
came after the president was criticized by international officials
for his slow response to the earthquake and tsunami.

Gov. Bush received high praise for his handling of the four
hurricanes that ravaged Florida during a six-week period in August
and September. In 1988, when the Bush brothers’ father was
president-elect, Jeb Bush led an aid mission to Armenia following an
earthquake.

“The governor has… a lot of experience dealing with recovery,
first-responding efforts, rebuilding,” said Alia Faraj, a spokeswoman
for Gov. Bush.

The governor’s relationship with the president will benefit the
affected countries, the University of Virginia’s Sabato said, because
“what he sees and hears is going to go straight to the Oval Office.”

Despite his contention that he is not interested in a presidential
bid, the governor’s trip elevates his stature.

“It’s going to cause tongues to wag again about a Jeb Bush candidacy
for presidency in 2008 despite his frequent denials of it,” Sabato
said. “No doubt the other candidates for president are probably
jealous.”

Lance deHaven-Smith, a Florida State University political scientist,
went further.

“I take it to be a clear indication that he’s interested in higher
office,” he said. “When you watch his denials about not running for
president, he says, ‘I like the job I’m doing.’ You never him say,
‘I’ll never run for president.’ It’s a masterful appointment to send
him overseas.”

news.com.au
January 1, 2005

Yushchenko rings in New Year

>From correspondents in Kiev, Ukraine
January 1, 2005

UKRAINE opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko rang in the New Year with
Georgia’s leader today in central Kiev, hours after Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovich resigned and all but admitted losing a presidential rerun vote.

In an appearance sure to irritate Russia, Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili joined Mr Yushchenko in hailing Ukraine’s “orange revolution”,
which followed Tbilisi’s “rose” uprising last year.

“This is a triumph of good over evil,” a beaming Mr Saakashvili said in
Ukrainian to some 100,000 people gathered in Kiev’s central Independence
Square, the epicentre of the “orange” protests which he fervently supported,
albeit in private.

“I am a president and because of my official position I couldn’t come here,
but my heart was on Khreshchatik (Kiev’s main thoroughfare)… I must say
that these last few days I have felt like a native of Kiev,” said Mr
Saakashvili, who attended university in the city.

“I wish you a happy new year with your new president,” he said. “You have a
super president, he is a good friend of mine and a great politician.”

For his part Mr Yushchenko said: “Ukrainians have been independent for 13
years but now they are free,” a few moments before midnight when fireworks
exploded over the Kiev sky.

The celebration came hours after Mr Yushchenko’s pro-Russia electoral rival
Mr Yanukovich resigned from his post and said that his appeals over the
historic December 26 vote were unlikely to be granted.

“I have made a decision and am formally submitting my resignation,”
Yanukovich said in a televised address. “I find it impossible to occupy any
post in a government headed by these authorities.”

But Mr Yanukovich stopped short of conceding defeat in the poll, which would
have brought Ukraine’s six-week election saga to an end.

“Concerning the election results, we are keeping up the fight but I don’t
have much hope for a just decision from the central election commission and
the supreme court,” he said.

Mr Yanukovich repeated his assertion that “external forces” were responsible
for his defeat in the December 26 vote.

But he got no support from Ukraine’s outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, who
called on the nation during his New Year address to “accept the democratic
choice” made in the presidential poll.

Ukraine’s “orange revolution” marked the second year in a row that peaceful
protests headed by a Western-leaning leader swept out a Russia-friendly
regime in an ex-Soviet nation.

Moscow has accused the United States of fomenting the unrest in order to
install allies in its strategic backyard, charges that Washington has
denied.

But opposition movements in authoritarian-leaning former Soviet republics
and Russia have hailed the peaceful uprisings and in the heat of the
“orange” demonstrations, Belarussians, Armenians, Azeris and Russians
mingled with Ukrainian protesters in central Kiev.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Saakashvili was mobbed by hundreds of wildly cheering
opposition supporters as he walked through a tent city in central Kiev set
up in Mr Yushchenko’s support after he refused to concede defeat to Mr
Yanukovich in a November 21 runoff because of fraud.

Mass opposition demonstrations led to the annulment of the runoff election
due to massive fraud, remade Ukraine into a de facto parliamentary republic
and led to a historic rerun vote on December 26, which Mr Yushchenko won by
more than 2.2 million votes.

Agence France-Presse

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Jan 1 2005

Armenian Tragedy, But Who Is Responsible?
View: Jan SOYKOK (JTW), 2 December 2005

Newly independent Republic of Armenia is a landlocked country.
Armenia is surrounded by 100 million Turkish (Azerbaijan, Turkey and
Iranian Azerbaijan) and Georgia. It has no significant natural
resources and fertile territories. Its population relatively low,
about 3 million and the immigration to Russia, Europe and North
America has dramatically continued. Armenian economy has been
depended on aids from the US and Armenian diaspora. Armenian workers’
financial transfers also have a significant contribution to the
economy. In short, Armenia, had to develop good relations with its
neighbors in order to end its isolation. However the Armenian
Governments has chosen an awkward way:

Unlike the other former USSR republics, Armenia forged its links with
the Russian Federation. Georgia and Azerbaijan for instance made
efforts to lessen their dependency to Russia. Both states have tried
to balance Russia with the European Union, the United State and
Turkey. Armenia, on the other hand, has been skeptical in developing
relations with these three `alternatives’. Even, opponents to
relations with Russia were considered as traitors by main stream
political parties.

Secondly, young Armenia involved the ethnic conflicts and Armenian
forces occupied neighboring Azerbaijan territories. Apart from the
Nagorno-Karabakh territories, many Azerbaijani towns have been under
Armenian occupation.

Third, Armenia with its Constitution and Declaration of Independence,
has not recognized neighboring Turkey’s borders. Many Armenian
politicians, even today, call Turkey’s Eastern region as `Western
Armenia’.

Moreover, Armenia has encouraged separatist movements among the
Georgia Armenians and Russia Armenians. Apart from this, Armenia’s
close relations with Russia have been considered as a direct threat
by Georgia. Georgia, in return, has forged its relations with the
West (EU and US), Azerbaijan and Turkey.

In addition, Armenian politicians have made the so-called `genocide’
allegations foremost priority of Armenian Foreign Policy. Armenian
politicians argued that Turkey has to recognize 1915 events as
`Armenian genocide’. Otherwise good neighborhood was not possible for
the Armenian side. The Armenian diaspora in particular has
manipulated Armenia’s Turkey policy. Extreme Armenian diaspora
institutions have even opposed commercial relations with Turkey.

`Armenia Island’

As a result of all these Armenia’s isolation has deepened: As Sachs
from NYT points it out `Citing terrorism concerns, Russia abruptly
sealed its border with Georgia in September and kept it closed for
nearly two months, effectively cutting off the road that was the main
transit route for Armenian trade with Russia.’ Turkey after the
Armenian forces’ occupation of Azerbaijani territories closed its
borders with Armenia except the air transportation. Turkish Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan says they could not take any step before the
Armenians take a step in occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
Naturally, Armenian borders and almost all relations with Azerbaijan
were ceased. Not only the borders with Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan
but also Iranian border is also problematic. Armenia’s only direct
outlet, apart from the Georgian way, is through Iran to the south,
where trade has been hampered by a poor road network and lack of rail
lines.
Iran is in the United States’ `enemy list’ and Iran, with Russian
Federation, has been considered as one of the obstacles for the
Western policies in the Caucasus. So, developing closer relations
with Iran would be risky for Armenia.

Azerbaijan and Georgia has celebrated the completion of a large
section of the pipeline to carry Caspian Sea oil to the Turkish port
of Ceyhan. The $3 billion regional energy project bypasses Armenia
entirely. The pipeline project will integrate Azerbaijan and Georgia
with West and relations between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia are
being forged changing regional balance of power against Republic of
Armenia. Turkey, considered as historical enemy in Armenia, will also
start membership negotiations with the EU. It is estimated that
Turkey will be a EU member in 10 years. According to Armenian Foreign
Minister Oskanyan European leaders ignored what he called Turkey’s
“faults and shortcomings” with regard to Armenia. “What is
regrettable,” he said, “is that Europe is closing its eyes on
Turkey’s petulance.” For Armenia Turkey has no right to close its
territorial borders with Armenia. `Turkey has to establish diplomatic
relations with all European states, including Armenia says one of the
Armenian officials. However Armenian forces still occupies almost 20
percent of Azerbaijani territories and Armenia does not recognize the
written international agreements set Turkey-Armenia borders.

Dr. Sedat Laciner from ISRO says `Armenia must question its relations
with the world and the region. While all neighboring countries takes
great steps in integration with the West and the global order,
Armenia’s dependency to Russia has dramatically increased. Nothing is
bad with having good relations with Russia. However if you claim you
are an independent state you should balance your relations. A
nation-state cannot establish its security and foreign relations on
trusts and promises.’ According to Dr. Laciner extreme Armenian
diaspora manipulate and misdirect newly independent Armenian State:

`Armenia has no enough human sources to survive. Migration to Russia,
Europe and Northern America has badly damaged national economy.
Hundred thousands work abroad. About 40,000 Armenians work illegally
in Turkey, for instance. However the Armenian nationalists are
talking about a Greater Armenia from Black Sea to Mediterranean, from
Mediterranean to Caspian Sea. Armenia suffers from corruption and
economic catastrophes. However Armenian politicians are talking about
events happened almost a century ago. They politically attack Turkey.
The EU project has been the greatest Turkish dream and Armenian
politicians they have made enormous efforts to prevent Turkey’s EU
membership. Turkish public was shocked by Armenian anti-Turkish
campaigns. Armenian politicians do not understand that Turkey is
ready to normalize its relations with Armenia. AK Party, in
particular, is very willing to develop good relations with Armenia.
However if you insist on armed occupation and if you do not recognize
Turkey’s national borders, and if you continue to undermine Turkey’s
relations with the EU, you cannot expect any step from Turkey’ added
Dr. Laciner.

Turkish Embargo?

Armenian politicians accuse Turkey for Armenia’s economic failures.
Turkish-Armenian territorial border is closed. However there are
direct weekly flights between Yerevan and Istanbul. There is no
diplomatic relations between two states, however thousands of
Armenians work in Istanbul and other Turkish cities. Turkish goods
make their way to Armenia. According to New York Times, Turkey is
Armenia’s seventh largest trading partner. Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from
ISRO claims Turkey is its fifth largest partner. But the closed
border adds cost of road transit through third countries like Georgia
or by the planes that operate flights between Yerevan and Istanbul to
Turkey-Armenia trade. Georgia roads are not safe enough and mostly
closed due to the ethnic tension. Turkey says it will not open its
border before withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied
territories.

Armenian Foreign Minister on the other hand told NYT that they will
not give up the captured territories: “We won’t trade off Karabakh
for a railroad. We have learned to cope with the isolation. Things
are evolving around us. Let it be.” In short, Armenian politicians
seem happy with the status quo.

Armenian forces still occupy 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territories.
Armenia does not recognize its main neighbor’s national borders.
Armenian politicians organize anti-Turkey campaigns in European Union
and the United States. And, Armenia ironically cannot understand why
Turkey does not open its borders with Armenia. Nearly half of the
country’s 3 million people live in poverty on less than $2 a day, but
Armenia’s Foreign Minister could say `we have learned to cope with
the isolation’. As Dr. Gulcan says, `Armenian politicians have chosen
isolation. They curtail the real problems with the past. They
sacrifice today for the legacies and imagined enemies. They should
not learn to cope with isolation, but to cope with their
politicians.’

Zaman, Turkey
Jan 1 2005

Brussels Waits ‘Turkish Issue’

EU Capital in Noel ‘Laze’ to Wake up by Turkey File

Brussels, the capital of European Union (EU), attracted attention
throughout the year, with this years frenzy peaking during the
December 17th summit. Then, the action stopped, hitting rock bottom
for the “Noel laze”.

The EU will wake up from its hibernation in the first week of
January. Traditionally, EU leaders go to their home countries after
the December summit for Christmas and vacation a while. Not only the
leaders, but also the citizens of the world’s richest clubs, go south
for the Noel holiday. This is the reason why more than 4,000 EU
citizens are still missing in South Asia.

In addition to Christmas, the EU also hibernates in August. Brussels
is dead during the month of August and the second half of December.
While it is torture to find a parking spot when the EU is in session,
we now have more than enough space around the EU building to park.
Brussels is a phantom city now. The staff still on duty for the
holidays operates the largest bureaucratic machine in the world while
its in hibernation.

While it was a county in Europe prior to the establishment of the
European Economic Community (EEC), Brussels has since transformed
into one of the two most important capitals in the world. Everyone in
the city knows that if the EU did not exist, Belgium would hardly be
a spot on the map. Perhaps, the bureaucrats in Brussels do not want
to wake up from this long winter sleep because as soon as they wake
up, they will find a huge dossier on Turkey. This file does not
resemble at all those for the other candidate countries. Turkey’s
file requires hard work and “creative solutions”.

Relaxation emerged in Brussels when the EU leaders said, “We’ll reach
decisions on Turkey by considering 2004 Progress Report” at the
Copenhagen summit in 2002… Turkey’s process has been clarified a bit
and taken out of a situation where arbitrary decisions could play a
role.

Since 2002, “Eurobureaucrats” have known that the most critical
decision reached by EU will be on Turkey. In the second half of 2004
in particular, a well-defined Turkey wind blew in the Union and
Turkey was discussed from the earth to the sky.

The Progress Report that was awaited with anticipation was finally
released on October 6 along with its recommendations. The Report laid
down such a conclusion that everyone interpreted it as his wish.
While those who supported “privileged partnership” found satisfactory
sentences in the report, those who feared the Turkish labor force
were satisfied when they saw permanent restrictions. When Ankara,
without discussing the report thoroughly, found it “balanced”, the
owner and the guardian of the report, Enlargement Commissioner Gunter
Verheugen, handed over his duty in peace.

With the October 6th report, the EU signaled that they would treat
Turkey differently than the other candidate countries. Ankara’s
“balanced” judgment was made with the expectation that its mistakes
would be corrected at the December 16-17 summit, when the final
decision was due. Ankara found a conditional and heavy report before
it in the summit. Both Ankara and EU, which will begin membership
negotiations with this report, prepare for 2005. Everyone knows in
Brussels that if the negotiations begin on October 3, the European
public opinion will discuss Turkey, Islam and the history of Turks,
for decades. Members who do not want Turkey’s accession will demand
that Ankara recognizes an “Armenian Genocide”.

2005 will be a Cyprus year again

The agenda to accelerate with the new boss of the Enlargement Olli
Rehn’s Turkey visit in February, will speed up with the preparations
of a new Accession Partnership Document and a negotiation frame. The
EU will determine the negotiation position and lay out short, medium
and long-term priorities. The negotiations, normally handled with 31
parties, could possibly rise to 39-40 parties with Turkey.

Most important, in order for all these preparations to have meaning,
the Cyprus issue will have to be resolved because the EU set a de
facto recognition of the Cyprus Greek Community as condition to start
membership negotiations on October 3. Since there is the possibility
that the Greeks will wake up on the morning of October 4 with the
demand “recognize us”, Ankara knows well that without a solution to
the issue, it cannot proceed in the negotiations because the Greeks
having veto power. And that makes 2005 a year for Cyprus again. Soon,
we will be witnesses to new initiatives regarding Cyprus.

In short, October 3 will be as important as December 17, 2004 for
Turkey.

01.01.2005
Selcuk Gultasli, Zaman, Brussels

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress, Armenia
Jan 1 2005

President Robert Kocharian’s New Year Congratulatory Address

Dear compatriots: We are bidding good-bye to 2004. For Armenia
this year was peaceful, stable and fruitful. Accomplished works
provided for significant economic growth, which translates into new
enterprises, irrigation for new gardens, and new jobs. This is a
difficult but the shortest road toward prosperity for our country and
our people.
To have a qualitatively new country we must work hard. Social
polarization in our country is still deep. The number of our citizens
living in poverty is still large. It means that the process of
reforms must continue, and the cornerstone of this process is the
rise of living standards and fight against poverty. To achieve these
goals we have developed a mid-term plan of action, which is being
implemented persistently.
Results of the accomplished works in this passing year will be
noticeable in 2005. In a number of areas we plan a significant
increase of salaries. The state budget has a qualitatively new
structure, where shares allocated to health care and education are
substantially augmented. Greater attention toward education is
emblematic, since in 2005 we celebrate the 1600 Anniversary of the
Mesropian alphabet.
Dear friends:
In the sphere of foreign affairs important has been involvement of
Armenia in the European `New Neighborhood’ initiative. This fact
underlined the readiness of the European Union to build special
relations with our country. Cooperation with our partner-foreign
states has been enhanced, and Armenia has continued active
participation in international processes.
Armenia-Spjurk relations have been further advanced. I would like
to distinguish `One Nation-One Culture’ first Armenian festival,
which was performed enthusiastically. Allying with the `Hayastan’
All-Armenian Fund the Armenians of Diaspora managed to collect a
considerable amount of money to conclude construction of the
Karabagh’s North-South highway. This is an important step in
strengthening the factual independence of Karabagh – independence,
which is nonnegotiable.
Peaceful and creative year for our country has been secured also
by our Armed Forces, which in the passing year have become even
stronger. I congratulate our military – defenders of our state. I bow
to the memory of fallen heroes.
Dear compatriots from Armenia, Artsakh and Spjurk:
I wish you a Happy New Year. For Armenia and our people 2005 will be
a more productive year. All the preconditions are set for that. I
wish you all good health and happiness. Let this New Year bring to
your homes good happenings, success, and joy.
Happy New Year!

Agence France Presse — English
January 1, 2005 Saturday 1:16 AM GMT

Ukraine’s Yushchenko, Georgian leader ring in New Year after PM
resigns

KIEV

Ukraine opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko rang in the New Year with
Georgia’s leader early Saturday in central Kiev, hours after Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovich resigned and all but admitted losing a
presidential rerun vote.

In an appearance sure to irritate Russia, Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili joined Yushchenko in hailing Ukraine’s “orange
revolution,” which followed Tbilisi’s “rose” uprising last year.

“This is a triumph of good over evil,” a beaming Saakashvili said in
Ukrainian to some 100,000 people gathered in Kiev’s central
Independence Square, the epicenter of the “orange” protests that he
fervently supported, albeit in private.

“I am a president and because of my official position I couldn’t come
here, but my heart was on Khreshchatik (Kiev’s main thoroughfare)…
I must say that these last few days I have felt like a native of
Kiev,” said Saakashvili, who attended university in the city.

“I wish you a happy new year with your new president,” he said. “You
have a super president, he is a good friend of mine and a great
politician.”

For his part Yushchenko said: “Ukrainians have been independent for
13 years but now they are free,” a few moments before midnight when
fireworks exploded over the Kiev sky.

The celebration came hours after Yushchenko’s pro-Russia electoral
rival Yanukovich resigned from his post and said that his appeals
over the historic December 26 vote were unlikely to be granted.

“I have made a decision and am formally submitting my resignation,”
Yanukovich said in a televised address. “I find it impossible to
occupy any post in a government headed by these authorities.”

But Yanukovich stopped short of conceding defeat in the poll, which
would have brought Ukraine’s six-week election saga to an end.

“Concerning the election results, we are keeping up the fight but I
don’t have much hope for a just decision from the central election
commission and the supreme court,” he said.

Yanukovich repeated his assertion that “external forces” were
responsible for his defeat in the December 26 vote.

But he got no support from Ukraine’s outgoing President Leonid
Kuchma, who called on the nation during his New Year address to
“accept the democratic choice” made in the presidential poll.

Ukraine’s “orange revolution” marked the second year in a row that
peaceful protests headed by a Western-leaning leader swept out a
Russia-friendly regime in an ex-Soviet nation.

Moscow has accused the United States of fomenting the unrest in order
to install allies in its strategic backyard, charges that Washington
has denied.

But opposition movements in authoritarian-leaning former Soviet
republics and Russia have hailed the peaceful uprisings and in the
heat of the “orange” demonstrations, Belarussians, Armenians, Azeris
and Russians mingled with Ukrainian protestors in central Kiev.

Earlier Friday, Saakashvili was mobbed by hundreds of wildly cheering
opposition supporters as he walked through a tent city in central
Kiev set up in Yushchenko’s support after he refused to concede
defeat to Yanukovich in a November 21 runoff because of fraud.

“I didn’t have a chance to officially support you, but during your
victory I once again felt myself a Kievite,” said Saakashvili, who
attended university in the Ukrainian capital.

“Georgia’s revolution has been considerably strengthened by Ukraine’s
‘orange revolution,’ which will drive important changes in all of
former Soviet territory,” he said in an appearance on Ukrainian
pro-opposition television last week.

The mass opposition demonstrations led to the annulment of a November
presidential runoff election due to massive fraud, remade Ukraine
into a de facto parliamentary republic and led to a historic rerun
vote on December 26, which Yushchenko won by more than 2.2 million
votes.

If Yanukovich chooses to continue with his appeals over the results
of the vote, which he contends was marked with irregularities,
Yushchenko’s official confirmation as the winner could be put off for
weeks as the legal wrangling drags on.

Russia, which openly backed Yanukovich ahead of the poll, has blasted
the West for what it called interference in Ukraine’s internal
matters and warned that peaceful revolutions like those in Kiev and
Tbilisi could destabilize the region.

“If you have permanent revolutions you risk plunging the post-Soviet
space into endless conflict,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said
days ahead of Ukraine’s rerun vote.

Portlan Press Herald
Saturday, January 1, 2005

Despatches

Portland: Orthodox Armenians plan Christmas Mass on Jan. 8

PORTLAND – The city’s Orthodox Armenian community will gather at the
Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul on Jan. 8 to celebrate Christmas Mass for its
traditional holiday, which is celebrated in the Orthodox and Apostolic
Armenian Church according to the Eastern Church calendar on Jan. 6.

The Mass, in Armenian and English, will be celebrated by Father Vartan
Kassabian of St. Gregory’s Armenian Apostolic Church in North Andover, Mass.
This is the second Christmas Mass held in Portland. Hundreds from all over
the state attended last year.

The effort to organize the Mass reflects a renewed interest in Portland’s
Armenian heritage.

Last year, the community dedicated a memorial to the Armenians who had
settled in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood. Last April, St. Paul’s Cathedral
hosted a special service marking the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923, when more than 1.5 million
Armenians died. Portland’s Armenian community dates back to the late 19th
century.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
January 1, 2005 Saturday 11:49 AM Eastern Time

Azeri president calls 2004 turning point in Karabakh settlement

By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman

BAKU

President of Azerbaijan Ilkham Aliev said in his New Year address to
the nation on Saturday that 2004 had marked a turning point in the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

He noted that “progress has been made in the negotiating process, the
international public has started paying more attention to the problem
and the OSCE Minsk Group which acts as mediators in conflict
settlement has increased its activities.”

“I’ve repeated it many times that Azerbaijan will never make any
concessions in question of its territorial integrity and is not going
to discuss this subject,” Ilkham Aliev went on to say. He emphasized
that the talks should be conducted in compliance with international
law.

The next year’s priority tasks include the further strengthening of
the country’s economic potential, the creation of new jobs and the
solution of social problems, including the increase of salaries and
pensions.

Ilkham Aliev stressed that Azerbaijan would be able to solve many of
its problems when the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline begins operation
in 2005 and when the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
pipeline is finished.