Libération , France
21 octobre 2004

Uniques objets; Littérature étrangère

par LEVISALLES Natalie

Inventaire d’exil par la Croate Dubravka Ugresic.

Dans le Musée des redditions sans condition, certains passages
peuvent être identifiés comme des fragments de la réalité, d’autres
comme des produits fictionnels. L’histoire qui suit est rapportée
comme “une histoire qui court à propos du général Mladic, le criminel
de guerre”. Alors qu’il pilonnait Sarajevo depuis des mois, Mladic
ayant un jour aperçu dans la mire de son canon la maison d’une de ses
connaissances, aurait téléphoné pour avertir “qu’il lui laissait cinq
minutes pour ramasser ses “albums” avant de faire sauter sa maison.
Par “albums”, le général Mladic entendait les albums-photos. Ce
criminel (…) était parfaitement conscient qu’il travaillait à
l’anéantissement de la mémoire. Dans sa “magnanimité”, il abandonnait
à cette personne le droit de vivre et de se souvenir. Il lui faisait
grce de sa vie nue et de quelques photos de famille”.

Comme Mladic, Dubravka Ugresic connaît l’importance des photos.
Exilée de Croatie depuis 1993, elle écrit : “Les réfugiés se divisent
en deux catégories : ceux qui ont des photos et ceux qui n’en ont
pas”, et aussi : “La vie n’est rien d’autre qu’un album de photos.
Seul ce qu’il contient existe. Ce qui n’est pas dedans n’a jamais
existé.” Ugresic fait partie de “ceux qui ont des photos”. Parmi
celles que la narratrice du Musée… (un “roman” qui ressemble plutôt
à un collage autobiographique de journaux intimes, visions et
souvenirs rêvés) a emportées, il y a un cliché d’elle avec cinq
amies, sans doute les “sorcières de Zagreb”, ces intellectuelles
accusées en 1993 de “porter atteinte aux intérêts de la Croatie”.

Le Musée… est donc un livre sur l’exil. Pas l’exil devenu
nostalgique de ceux qui se sont reconstruit une vie, qui ont une
nouvelle maison, de nouveaux amis, ou au moins des commerçants qui
les reconnaissent. La narratrice n’a rien de tout ça : à 45 ans, elle
a perdu famille, amis, travail et même désir de retourner chez elle,
mais c’est un esprit décidé à ne pas se laisser fléchir par le
déracinement et la solitude. Elle regarde comment d’autres exilés
croisés à Berlin ou aux Etats-Unis se mettent en condition de
supporter la perte de leur vie d’avant et d’assurer la continuité de
leur biographie. (“Il est peut-être consolant de penser que tout exil
est un travail qu’on fait sur sa propre biographie”, dit un
personnage). Certains ont les albums, “entre ces deux genres –
l’album de famille et l’autobiographie -, il existe un lien
indubitable : un album est une autobiographie matérialisée, une
autobiographie est un album verbal”, d’autres se bricolent des
objets, comme l’artiste arménien Sarkis, avec son installation d'”une
douzaine de plaques qu’il a subtilisées dans les rues où il a
habité”.

Le Musée des redditions sans condition est composé de fragments et de
listes : les ingrédients de la soupe à la farine, les meubles d’une
maison d’enfance, le contenu des vitrines poussiéreuses du musée des
Redditions, dont le vrai nom est “musée de la Capitulation sans
condition de l’Allemagne fasciste durant la Grande Guerre patriotique
de 1941-1945”, créé par les Soviétiques à Berlin. Ou la ville de
Berlin, qui “ressemble à un éléphant de mer qui aurait avalé trop
d’objets indigestes”. On risque toujours d’y marcher “sur une tombe
(…), les étoiles jaunes, les croix gammées noires, les faucilles et
les marteaux rouges crissent sous les pas du promeneur sensible telle
la carapace des hannetons”. On comprend le sens de ces listes en
découvrant le contenu de l’estomac de Roland, l’éléphant de mer mort
à Berlin en 1961 : un briquet rose, quatre btonnets d’esquimaux (en
bois), une broche métallique en forme de caniche, une petite voiture
verte en plastique, une boîte de bière (Pilsner, 33 cl), un chausson
d’enfant, un compas… “Le visiteur se tient devant ces objets comme
devant un champ de fouilles archéologiques… Il ne peut s’empêcher
de penser, en poète, que ces objets ont dû avec le temps instaurer
entre eux des rapports subtils.” La narratrice ajoute : “L’exil est
l’histoire des objets que nous laissons derrière nous, des
sèche-cheveux, des transistors et des cafetières qu’il faut acheter
chaque fois, l’exil c’est le changement de voltage et de longueurs
d’ondes, la vie avec un transfo.”

Dubravka Ugresic a enseigné vingt ans à l’Institut de théorie de la
littérature de Zagreb avant d’être déclarée “ennemi public” par
l’Etat croate et de devoir émigrer, d’abord à Berlin, puis aux
Etats-Unis et enfin aux Pays-Bas. Elle est l’auteur d’essais et de
romans dont l’Offensive du roman-fleuve (Plon, 1993) et Dans la
gueule de la vie (Plon, 1997) avaient déjà été traduits en français.

Dubravka Ugresic

Le Musée des redditions sans condition

Traduit du croate par Mireille Robin. Fayard, 358 pp., 20 euros.

Armenia unruffled by Azerbaijan’s bid to take up Karabakh issue with UN

Arminfo
22 Oct 04

YEREVAN

It is not the first time Azerbaijan has been exploiting the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem trying to come up with initiatives on the settlement
of the conflict at various international structures, the information
and public relations department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry has
told our agency, commenting on the statement by the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry on the possibility of putting the issue of the
situation in the occupied Azerbaijani territories on the agenda of the
59th session of the UN General Assembly.

However, the department said that Azerbaijan’s intentions did not mean
that they would be realized. Nevertheless, the Foreign Ministry said
that such attempts are in the centre of attention of Armenia’s
diplomatic circles.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry proposed to include the
issue of the situation in the occupied Azerbaijani territories on the
agenda of the 59th session of the UN General Assembly. In particular,
Baku intends “to prevent attempts of the Armenian side to foresee [as
received, presumably, predetermine] the outcome of the settlement of
the conflict”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian authorities sanction opposition rally due on 26 October

Arminfo
22 Oct 04

YEREVAN

The Yerevan Mayor’s Office has sanctioned a rally of the Armenian
opposition on Freedom Square scheduled for 26 October. But it banned a
mourning march to the building of the National Assembly on 27 October
to mark the fifth anniversary of the terror act in the Armenian
parliament.

The press service of the capital’s municipal council told Arminfo news
agency that the march was not sanctioned because it was planned to lay
wreaths at the memorial to the victims of the terror act. “Wreaths are
laid with the participation of maximum 15-20 people, but not a crowd
the opposition is planning to gather,” the press service of the
Yerevan Mayor’s Office said.

HAYOTS YERKIR INITIATIVE GROUP PROPOSES OWN VERSION OF NEW ARMENIAN
CONSTITUTION

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22. ARMINFO. The Hayots Yerkir initiative group
proposes its own original version of new Armenian constitution with a
no less original mechanisms of its adoption.

The member of the group Khachik Chilingaryan says that now that delay
is similar to death one should immediately change the “completely
rotten and compromised” current system of government. This requires an
absolutely new constitution rather than some constitutional
amendments. The group’s constitution stipulates particularly that the
president and the constitutional court chairman should be elected once
in 7 years, the parliament should consist of 2 chambers the second one
comprising representatives of Diaspora and the regions.

The state budget should also consist of 2 parts: internal budget and
Diaspora related budget. Any unpopular governmental action should be
considered at a nationwide referendum without preliminary
parliamentary discussion. The people should have the right to dismiss
(through referendum) any top official.

The group member Agasi Manukyan is sure that the government will
reject such a democratic constitution. The text of the constitution
will be placed on the group’s web-site

In a month the group will meet again to set up coordinating groups for
explaining the constitution to the people. “As soon as people are
aware of the constitution they will rise on such a mass scale that the
government will not dare to oppose and will be forced to adopt the
constitution,” say the group members.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

<SELF-DETERMINATION UNITY> PARTY LEADER READY TO UNITE WITH ARMENIAN
NATIONAL PARTY

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22. ARMINFO. <Self-determination unity> party’s
leader Paruyr Hayrikyan didn’t exclude the possibility of the
unification with Armenian National Party. Paruyr Hayrikyan himself
stated at the press-conference, Friday.

According to Hayrikyan, he is ready to unite with any party with whom
< Self-determination unity> party will find common
interests. Concerning the issue on the registration of <Jehovah’s
Witnesses> religious organization, he noted that the organization is
not mentioned in law violations in Armenia. At the same time, the
Government must exercise severe control over its activity. Referring
to his favorite theme of the negative influence of Russia on Armenia,
P. Hayrikyan reminded that he is the opponent of Russian imperialism,
which reemerged with <security officer’s> occupying the President’s
office. He mentioned that Russia’s ex-President Boris Yeltsin’s policy
included some democratic elements. What democratic elements the matter
concerned, when the whole world was witnessing Russia’s collapse,
P. Hayrikyan preferred not to go into details.

During the press-conference Hayrikyan informed that he will take part
in the international conference <The European Union. The priorities of
foreign policy> , which will take place 30-31, October, 2004 in
Tbilisi. He will make a 15-minute report. According to P. Hayrikyan
there will be representatives from Georgia, Germany, Great Britain and
other European countries at the conference.-A-

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, FRENCH DIPLOMAT DISCUSS KARABAKH

Arminfo, Yerevan
22 Oct 04

YEREVAN

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Tatul Markaryan yesterday received
Jean Francois Terral, director of the French Foreign Affairs
Ministry’s European Department.

The press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told our news
agency that the sides at the meeting discussed development of
relations between Armenia and France, including prospects for settling
regional conflicts. Markaryan informed the diplomat of the existing
situation in the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement and thanked him for the
balanced position of France.

The deputy minister rated highly the contribution made by France as a
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group to the establishment of stability in
the region.

GibrahayerGIBRAHAYER
e-newsletter
[email protected] m.cy

TURKS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST EURO-ARMENIAN CONVENTION IN BRUSSELS

– More than 200 delegates from 20 countries participate
– Cyprus delegation raises Melkonian and MagaraVank issues

Gibrahayer – 20 October, 2004 – Brussels, Nicosia: More than 200
Euro-Armenian delegates gathered in the European Parliament in Brussels, to
send a message of unity, regarding the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
and Turkey’s EU accession possibilities.
The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks by European
Armenian Federation chairwoman Hilda Tchoboian and Armenia’s Deputy Foreign
Minister Ruben Shugarian, and messages by Cathoicoi Karekin II and Aram I,
as well as Patriarch Nerses-Bedros XIX.
Issues on the agenda were Armenian Culture and Identity in Europe,
EU-Armenia Relations and the Challenges of the Enlargement Process. Keynote
speakers included representatives of European institutions and Euro-Armenian
politicians and intellectuals. Discussions often drew the active
participation of MEP’s.
Participants underlined the necessity forGenocide recognition,
respect toward the country’s non-Muslim minorities and withdrawal of Turkish
troops from Cyprus to be addressed before the member-states of the EU could
grant Turkey “the” date.
Cyprus Delegation
The Cyprus delegation was one of the first to address the Convention, with
Dr. Antranik Ashdjian of ANC Cyprus highlighting the need for action against
the destruction of Armenian heritage in Turkish-occupied Cyprus and Massis
Der Partogh of the Melkonian Alumni stressing the need to stop the closure
and subsequent sale of the Melkonian Institute.
A Cypriot delegation visited the Cyprus Permanent Mission, and
briefed about the conclusions of the Convention. The entire delegation was
also received by Cypriot MEP Ioannis Kassoulides, at his office on the 8th
floor of the Europarliament.
Turks and Azeris angered by Armenian presence
In response to the Convention, Turks and Azeris staged a protest meeting
outside the European Parliament building, a few hours after the convention
called upon EU bodies not to give in to vivid Turkish propaganda aiming to
convince for a positive decision at the December 17 EU Heads of State
summit.
The Cyprus delegation returned to the island on Wednesday.

CHRISTOFIAS ON OFFICIAL VISIT IN ARMENIA
Gibrahayer – 21 October, 2004 – Nicosia: – The Cyprus delegation – visiting
Armenia under House President Demetris Christofias – met with the President
of Armenia Robert Kocharian as well as Prime Minister Antranik Margarian and
President of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdassarian in Yerevan. Demetris
Christofias is being accompanied by a representatives of members of
Parliament, great friends and warriors of the Armenian people Dr.Eleni
Theocharous and Honourary President of EDEK Socialist Party of Cyprus
Dr.Vassos Lyssarides. Joining the delegation are Democratic Party
Vice-President Nicos Kleanthous and AKEL Press Secretary Andros Kyprianou.
In Yerevan, Demetris Christofias characterised the tiesbetween Cyprus
and Armenia “not friendly but more than brotherly” and highlighted the
similarity of the history of the people of Cyprus and the people of Armenia,
noting that ”we are two victimized people that through our struggle to
survive we have developed a high sense of solidarity and love for the
individual and of justice”.
The delegation visited the Genocide Memorial at Dzidzernagapert on
Tuesday where Christofias declared that if Turkey wants to join the EU they
must recognise the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian government officials expressed the desire to follow the path
of Cyprus toward European integration to which Christofias affirmed Cyprus’s
commitment to help Armenia to that end.

CYPRUS THREATENS TO USE VETO AGAINST TURKEY

EU Observer:-Cyprus has raised the spectre of voting against Turkey when EU
leaders gather in December to decide whether to open membership negotiations
with Ankara.
President Tassos Papadopoulos told Cyprus television onMonday (11
October) that Cyprus reserved the right to use its veto. “We will decide on
the matter in December” said Mr Papadopoulos. He added that he knew that a
small country like Cyprus resorting to the veto would be “no easy thing”.
German newspaper Die Welt quotes Cypriot diplomats as saying that it
would be impossible for Nicosia to accept the opening of EU talks with
Ankara so long as it does not recognise one of the 25 member states.
At the moment, Turkey recognises only Turkish Northern Cyprus as a
state – and at the same time it refuses to recognise the Republic of Cyprus
as a state.
Turkish papers quote Greek president Costis Stefanopoulos as saying
that Athens would support Turkey’s EU membership but that there were
obligations it had to fulfill under international law. “Under international
law, first Turkey needs to recognize Greek Cyprus”, said Mr Stefanopoulos.
Turkey wants changes to Commission report Turkey also has issues on
another front. A spokesperson for the Turkish government on Monday demanded
that changes be made to the recently published report by the European
Commission on opening EU negotiations with Ankara. Turkey is objecting both
to the phrasing that the negotiations have an open end and to the fact that
permanent curbs to the freedom of movement of workers have been suggested.
Debate but no vote in France Meanwhile, in France, the discussion about
Turkey continues to rage. On Monday, it was decided that French MPs will
hold a parliamentary debate on Turkey, but will not vote on the issue. The
debate will take place on Thursday (14 October) and threatens to split many
parties, including the ruling UMP party. Mr Chirac has tried to reassure
French voters – hostile to Turkey – by saying that France could apply its
veto on Turkey whenever it wanted.

ARMENIAN ARCHBISHOP ASSAULTED BY SPITTING JEW JERUSALEM
(Combined Sources)An altercation that started when a yeshiva student spat at
the cross being carried by Armenian Archbishop in Israel Nourhan Manougian
during a procession near the Holy Sepulcher on Sunday, has exposed growing
tensions between traditional Christian denominations and religious Jews in
Jerusalem’s Old City.
The student, Zvi Rosenthal, not only spat at the cross but also at
Manougian himself; Manougian reacted by slapping the yeshiva student.
The incident developed into a brawl during which Manougian’s ceremonial
medallion, which has been used by Armenian archbishops since the 17th
century, broke.
Both Archbishop Manougian and the yeshiva student were detained for
questioning. Police are now considering whether to initiate criminal
proceedings against the Armenian archbishop and to charge him with assault.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked much anger among the clergy of the small
Armenian community in Jerusalem.
Religious Jews, among them yeshiva students, customarily spit on the
ground as a sign of disgust on seeing the cross. The Armenians, who live
adjacent to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, suffer from this phenomenon
more than any of the other Christian sects in the Old City.
Manougian says he and his colleagues have already learned to live with
it. “I no longer get worked up by people who turn around and spit when I
pass them by in the street; but to approach in the middle of a religious

procession and to spit on the cross in front of all the priests of the sect
is humiliation that we are not prepared to accept,” he notes.
A policeman is customarily posted to guard the Armenians’ religious
processions, but doesn’t generally do anything to prevent the spitting. The
Armenians took the matter up with Interior Minister Avraham Poraz some seven
months ago, but nothing has been done about until now.
“The Israeli government is anti-Christian,” Manougian charges. “It
cries out in the face of any harm done to Jews all over the world, but is
simply not interested at all when we are humiliated on an almost daily
basis.”
“Incidents like these aim at ridding Jerusalem of its Christian and
Muslim populations in order to emphasize the city’s Jewish character,”
emphasized Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia Aram I.
Lawmaker Rabbi Michael Melchior (Labor Party) says the phenomenon
should be tackled through educational means. “I would expect prominent
figures among the religious and ultra-Orthodox sectors, such as the chief
rabbis, to denounce this phenomenon,” he says.
Yassir Arafat, leader of the Palestinian National Authority, condemned
the Israeli attack on Archbishop Manougian. Arafat held a telephone
conversation with the Archbishop inquiring about his health following the
unwarranted assault.

TATIANA’S CORNER
This space is reserved for local artist Tatiana Ferahian’s comic strips
which are amalgamations of Armenian-Cypriot social commentaries, painted
with her usual wry and ironic humour, to stimulate and encourage awareness
and interest toward our community’s everyday happenings.

NEWS IN BRIEF
* Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan has denied in a newspaper
interview any plans to return three or four regions to Azerbaijan in return
for concessions on Karabakh.

* Armenian Catholicos Garegin II said he was to make a visit to Moscow to
join the Armenian community of Moscow in celebrating the 75th birthday of
Russian Patriarch Alexy II.

* The Youth Movement of Dashnaktsoutiun together with over 300 organizations
participated in the third European Socialist Forum (ESF) in London, October
15-17. a delegation of the Socialist Youth Movement of EDEN also
participated from Cyprus.

* The Armenian and Cyprus Football National Football teams lost at home to
the Czech Republic and France 0-2 and 1-3 respectively for the
qualifications of the World Cup 2006.

* Armenia registered the Jehovah’s Witnesses on Wednesday, allowing the
religious group to operate after years of debate and denial.

* 783 Azerbaijanis are currently held in captivity and as hostages in
Armenia according to Eldar Samadov, acting chairman of the working group of
the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.

* Karabakh PM Anushavan Daniyelyan is in the USA on a working visit. The
main purpose of his visit is to help organize the coming telethon aiming at
fund raising to assist the NKR, and especially to complete North-South
highway in Nagornyy Karabakh. On Monday Daniyelyan met with representatives
of Dashnaktsoutiune’s Western Central Committee members in a meeting that
span over two hours.

* The Armenian Cause Committee of France has filed a lawsuit against the
Turkish consul of Paris for statements posted on the consulate’s website.
Turkey must resolve differences with its neighbor Greece especially over the
divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus before it can join the European
Union, Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos said Sunday.

* Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Armenian FM Vardan Oskanian said
Turkey does not deserve that the European Union begin accession talks with
that country.

SUPPORT HAY TAD ACTIVITIES IN CYPRUS
To support its political activities, The Armenian National Committee of
Cyprus has organised a raffle, participants of which will have the
opportunity to win Armenian Commemorative Coins depicting themes from
ancient Armenian history. A block costs £50.00 ($100 for our international
readers).
Your support will enable the local chapter of our enthusiastic political
action group to materialise its multidimensional political agenda, in
promoting Hay Tad activities both in Cyprus and in Europe.
You can make your contribution to the following account:
Armenian National Committee of Cyprus
P.O.Box 21171 – Nicosia 1503 – Cyprus
Hellenic Bank: account Number 122-01-039699-01
IBAN: CY88 0050 0122 0001 2201 0396 9901

g i b r a h a y c a l e n d a r

* Armenian Relief Society “Sosse” Chapter Fund Raising Tea for the ARS
Armenia Projects on Sunday 28 November, 2004 at The Holiday Inn Hotel at
4:00 p.m. Handicraft, Lebanese cookies and home made delicacies on sale.
Proceeds to the “Sosse” Kindergarten of Stepanakert – Republic of Karabagh.

* Melkonian Cyprus Alumni Banquet.Sunday, November 7, 2004 – 1pm
“Christiana” Reception Hall, Alambra. Guest of Honour: Jack R. Melkonian,
grand-nephew of Garabed Melkonian. CYP 15.00 adults / CYP 5.00 students and
children. Prizes included on entrance ticket and raffle tickets. Contact
names for reservations to be announced. Directions to “Christiana” and
convoys will be arranged. All are welcome.

* California Alumni Dinner banquet Oct. 30, 2004. Details to be announced.

* AYF Badanegan Miaoutian get-togethers begin on Saturday October 16,2004
and will continue every Saturday starting from 4:00 p.m. Contact Vartoog
Karageulian on 24-659245.

* AYMA Chicco Football practices have begun and are taking place every
Friday from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. for children starting from the age of 7.
Contact Krikor Mahdessian on 99650897.

* AYMA Table Tennis practices have also begun two weeks ago. They will
continue this Saturday 16 October 6:00 – 8:00 p.m and every Saturday
throughout the season, under the expert guidance of ex-Cyprus Champion
Sirvart Costanian. Classes and practice session for all ages.

* AYMA Football team practices are taking place every Tuesday and Thursday
from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. A.Y.M.A. will be participating in the Second Division
Amateur Football League and will be bidding for the Championship Title and
subsequent promotion to Division One. The Championship begins on Saturday
November 20, 2004.

* A.G.B.U Women’s Auxiliary Body. Armenian Food Bazaar. Sunday 14 November,
2004 starting from 12:00 lunch time at AGBU club premises.

* Bible Study Group Organised by The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus. The
Group got together on Wednesday 13 October 2004, at the Sourp Asdvadzadzin
Church on Armenia street, Nicosia. To receive further details please call
Elise at the Prelature office on 22 493560 or email [email protected]

* This October the Pharos Trust, in cooperation with the Brazilian
Consulate, is proud to present a month of Brazilian Culture in Nicosia.
Through film, photography, literature, music and performance art, the Trust
offers audiences in Cyprus rare opportunities to experience the spirit,
history, culture and diversity of this vast and unique country. You can
subscribe to receive the e-newsletter of The Pharos Trust at

* StHilarion – Lapithos – Kyrenia BIKE RIDE Sunday October 24,organised by
Micromania. Meeting point: Ledra Palace, Turkish checkpoint. Meeting time:
9:00 am. Bus leaves: 9:30 am. Bus arrives St Hilarion: 10:00 am. Riding
time: approx 2 ½ hours from St.Hilarion to Lapithos & then to the beach.
Riding distance: approx 20 km. Bring with you: passport, water, helmet ,
swim wear. Cost of bus and food + one drink: Between £10- £12 per person
depending on how many turn up. Bus leaves the beach: 3 pm Bus arrives back:
3:30 pm. Age limit: 12+. First come first serve, so book your seats early
!! Please contact Ricky or Baret (Duke) Bedelian on: 22-661517 ,
99-433972.

* If you happen to be in London on Friday, 12th November don’t miss this
Back to Hye Skool Party. Time: 8pm-1am. Venue: The ultra-hip & funky
Babushka 41 Tavistock Crescent, Notting Hill, W11 1AD. Tix: £5 before
10:30pm, £7 after, Age: Strictly 18+ (No ID? No HYE party) Tube:Westbourne
Park (Hammersmith & City) – 1 min walk Notting Hill Gate (Central, District
& Circle) – 5 min ride (#27, 28 & 328 buses on Pembridge Road opposite
WHSmith outside station). Music:DJ Josey Kray & FBI Squad playing old skool
tunes, as well as the freshest tracks, Armenian and more. Xtra: Quality
prizes for the best dressed skool boy and skool girl. New surprises in store
for all. Contact: Raffi 07958 137 702, John 07961 166 969 [email protected]

* Armenian Radio Hour on The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation can be heard
via real audio on . Broadcast times 17:00-18:00 local Cyprus
time (14:00-15:00 GMT) News bulletins at 17:15 local time on Sundays,
Tuesdays, Fridays. Armenian Cypriots can also tune in on the following radio
frequencies 91.1 FM (Mount Olympus – for Nicosia listeners) 94.2 FM
(Paralimni/Protaras/Agia Napa) 92.4 FM (Larnaca) 96.5 FM (Paphos).
The Armenian Prelature announces that the next permit for the Armenian
Cemetery visitation at Ayios Dhometios on the Green line, is scheduled for
Sunday 25 October,2004

* Every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. (Cyprus time +2 GMT) on CyBC’s Trito,
Puzant Nadjarian presents the “History of the Blues” together with Robert
Camassa. You can also hear it on Real Audio from the Internet edition of
CyBC on . A repeat program can also be heard seven hours
later at 2:00 a.m. local time.

* The Hairenik Association, Inc. launched its online Armenian Radio
Station.You can now listen to a variety of Armenian music online, 24 hours a
day, combined with news and other interesting information about the Armenian
community in the US, Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk and the Armenian Diaspora.
To listen to the Hairenik Online Radio go to the RADIO button then click on
your player of choice.
Launch Hairenik Radio in your preferred Player 24 hours of non-stop Armenian
music and programs on the internet

. . . . . News . . . . . ANC hour . . . . . Song dedications . . . . . Youth
discussions . . . . . Game Shows . . . . . Interviews . . . . . Religious
programs . . . . . Cultural programs . . . . . History . . . . .

Gibrahayer, is an independent electronic environment, now in its fifth year,
disseminating news & posting upcoming events about the Armenian community of
Cyprus, Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. The list also promotes the
discussion of issues brought forward by its members. The subscription to
this service is free. To subscribe to Gibrahayer e-newsletter, follow the
instructions at To contact the
listmaster send an email to [email protected]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTERVIEW-Russia brewer lures exotica-loving foreigners

By Julie Tolkacheva

MOSCOW, Oct 22 (Reuters) – Russian brewer Baltika, the top beer
producer in a land better known for vodka, plans to add Iraq and Cuba
to its export map next year as it continues to attract new overseas
fans, Baltika’s exports head told Reuters.

“There are quite a lot of people who like to taste new brands,”
Baltika Director for Exports Dmitry Kistev said in a telephone
interview late on Thursday.

“They are attracted by the unusual link of ‘beer and Russia’,” Kistev
said of Baltika’s typical customer.

The St Petersburg-based company, jointly owned by Carslberg

and Scottish & Newcastle, plans to raise its export volumes to 180
million litres next year from just 41 million litres in 2001 when it
began shipping abroad.

“Initially, exports were just the acknowledgment of the quality of our
beer,” Kistev said. “But when Russian market growth started to slow in
2001, we had to look for new markets.”

In 2001, export volumes accounted for 1 percent of Baltika’s overall
sales, but the company hopes to raise that to 6.5 percent this year
and 9 percent in 2005.

The ultimate goal is to export 15-18 percent of production, Kistev
said.

EXOTIC COUNTRIES

Russia’s biggest beer exporter, which has recently started deliveries
to New Zealand, sells the amber liquid in 35 countries. It plans to
enter markets in Brazil, Cuba, India and Iraq next year.

“We think that military operations will continue next year,” he said
of Iraq, adding that Baltika hoped mainly to supply coalition forces
with its beer.

“It will be Baltika No. 9, our strongest beer with 8 percent alcohol
content. We already have orders, maybe deliveries will start even this
year.”

Baltika will also sell Baltika No.0, its alcohol-free beer, for the
local Iraqi population.

The United States — Baltika’s biggest market — should consume 1.5
million litres this year and double that next year.

“China should show a similar result next year,” Kistev said.

Brazil will drink 360,000 litres of Baltika beer in 2005.

The only market where Baltika faces major problems is ex-Soviet
Georgia, whose authorities jailed the head of Baltika’s local
distributor for 3 months on accusations that the company had not paid
excise charges. Baltika denies this.

“We have been forced to stop sales to Georgia,” Kistev said. Baltika
used to deliver beer to Armenia via Georgia, but will now have to
consider transportation through Iran, where Baltika also sells
alcohol-free beer.

Baltika also plans to launch production outside Russia, primarily in
the CIS countries.

“There are such plans and we are holding talks,” he said without
elaborating.

10/22/04 03:02 ET

Erdogan raises EU issue on visit to France

Irish Times
Oct 22, 2004

PARIS: The issues that have dogged Turkey’s application for EU
membership resurfaced during a two-day visit to Paris by the Turkish
Prime Minister, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan writes Lara Marlowe in Paris.

Though rarely said, the main issue is that Turkey’s 70 million people
are almost all Muslim.

In the week that French schools began expelling Muslim girls who
insisted on wearing Islamic headscarves, Mr Erdogan, the leader of the
moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party, won no friends in
France by telling LCI television station that his daughters study in
the US to escape the ban on headscarves in Turkish universities.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr Erdogan tried to evade a question
from The Irish Times about article 305 of the new Turkish penal code
by saying that offences which constitute “anti-national activities”
are not specifically defined in the law. The EU demanded that Ankara
withdraw another article that would have made adultery a criminal
offence, but article 305 apparently went unnoticed.

An explanatory memorandum drawn up by the Turkish Justice Commission
provided only two examples of “anti-national activity”: demands for
the recognition of the Armenian genocide, and support for the
withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus. The commission’s findings
would serve as the basis for implementing the law. “Anti-national
activity” is punishable by 10 years in prison, 15 years for publishers
and journalists.

In 1987 the European Parliament made recognition of the killing of 1.5
million Armenians in 1915, the resolution of the Cyprus and Kurdish
conflicts, and an end to human rights abuses, conditions for Turkish
accession to Europe. In 2001 the French National Assembly voted for a
law recognising the Armenian genocide.

But Mr Erdogan showed no sign of budging on the Armenian issue. “It
has never been studied on the basis of Ottoman archives,” he said. “We
say, ‘leave it up to the historians’. The archives are open. Let them
come and examine the archives in an objective fashion.” Ankara has
welcomed the work of a British historian who claims that “only”
600,000 Armenians were slaughtered by Turks, and that Turkish Muslims
were also victims.

Though Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, Mr Erdogan said, “Turkey should
not withdraw its troops from Cyprus” because a 65 per cent majority of
Turkish Cypriots voted to accept a reunification plan drawn up by UN
Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan.

Mr Erdogan said he was “saddened” by French opposition to Turkey’s
application and objected to the holding of a referendum. He appealed
to President Jacques Chirac to stop the issue being exploited in
domestic politics.

Armenian president arrives in Georgia for three-day visit

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
22 Oct 04

Tengiz [correspondent], thank you very much. I am being told that
another honorary guest of Tbilisoba [annual Tbilisi festival], Robert
Kocharyan, the president of Armenia, has already arrived at Sadakhlo
[border checkpoint] and is about to meet [Georgian President] Mikheil
Saakashvili. We are going live to Sadakhlo. [Over video]

The presidents are standing on the red carpet. Anthems are being
played.

Robert Kocharyan is already in Georgia. The anthems of the two
countries have been played and the presidents are leaving Sadakhlo.

The president is introducing Georgian ministers to Robert
Kocharyan. As I have already told you, this is a three-day visit [as
heard]. After the meeting with Mikheil Saakashvili, Robert Kocharyan
plans to meet the country’s Number 2 and Number 3. He will also take
part in Tbilisoba and tomorrow will travel to Likani. Robert Kocharyan
will leave Georgia on Sunday [24 October] at noon.

Robert Kocharyan and Mikheil Saakashvili will hold a meeting at the
State Chancellery at three o’clock [1100 gmt], after which a briefing
for the media will be held on the 11th floor.

This is a live link-up with Sadakhlo where President of Armenia Robert
Kocharyan arrived a few minutes ago.