Capital News 9, NY
Sept 8 2004

Local man gets new lease on life
9/8/2004 6:48 PM
By: Capital News 9 web staff

Just as a Troy man was about to lose hope on his life, persistence
paid off.

Setrak Nalbandian, 41, was initially denied a crucial multi-organ
transplant by his health insurance provider, MVP. But now, after many
calls from Capital News 9 and his family, MVP is giving the go-ahead.
Setrak’s family and parish community at Saint Peter Armenian Church
have been working for years to try to get him the help he needs. Now,
hope is around the corner.

Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjain said, “There’s no greater joy in the world
than having children that you love and having them love you back. I
can only imagine that that’s his greatest motivating factor is to
live for those kids and his wife.”

According to family friends, Setrak could get his transplant in the
next 34 days now that MVP has given the clearance.

IVASHOV: CONFLICTS SHOULD NOT BE SOLVED WITH THE USE OF FORCE

RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 8 2004

MOSCOW, September 8 (RIA Novosti) – The settlement of conflicts on
the post-Soviet area demands restoration of trust rather than the
use of force, vice-president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems
Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov said at a press conference held in
RIA Novosti.

“The historic memory is most acute when there was a bloodshed. Time is
the only cure for hatred, and only time can restore trust and settle
a conflict,” he believes.

“The attempts to resume conflicts, solve the most difficult problems
with the use of force have no prospect,” Ivashov stressed. In
this connection, he recalled the important role of peacekeepers,
who prevent the resumption of clashes in the zones of conflicts –
in Transdniestria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Touching upon the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, he called
upon the sides “not to cherish a hope that the conflict will be settled
rapidly.” “Both the Azeri and Armenian sides should demonstrate wisdom
and begin the process of “small steps”, restore confidence of an
ordinary people to an ordinary people,” the general pointed out. “If
there are no mobilization calls to war, people will move towards
each other,” he believes. In Tajikistan, Ivashov recalled, at the
beginning of the 1990s peace was established due to peacekeepers and
political efforts. The main cause for success was that “the states,
which had different, sometimes opposite interests in the region,
wanted peace,” Ivashov pointed out. Russia, Iran, Afghanistan,
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan participated in the settlement. “Russia
played the decisive role,” the general stressed.

He also declared that he might refuse to take part as witness for
the defense in the trial of the former Yugoslavian president Slobodan
Milosevic.

Ivashov, who took part in the settlement of the Kosovo crisis as
a representative of the Russian defense ministry, explained this
by the fact that the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslaviagave Milosevic a lawyer against his will, who receives the
right to determine the witness who will speak.

“In this case I will not defend Milosevic and may become an object of
manipulation. But I would like to defend him, and show the objective
principles.”

“In the Tribunal the aggressors try the victims of aggression. Those
who stirred up the Kosovo conflict, act today as prosecutors,”
Ivashov said.

“I do not see any crimes in Milosevic’s activity. If the Yugoslavian
army shot down NATO planes, this was its duty in time of attack,”
the general stressed.

Armenia 0 Finland 2

sportinglife.com, UK
Sept 8 2004

Finland enjoyed their second successive victory in the World Cup
qualfiers with a comfortable result in Armenia.

Goals from Mikael Forssell and Aleksei Eremenko Jr in either half
secured the win for the Finns, who now have six points from three
games in Group One.

Hosts Armenia came into the match having lost their opening qualifier
3-0 against FYR Macedonia last month, while their opponents were on
a high after managing the same result over Andorra just four days ago.

And it was the Finns who laid out their intentions from the start,
with coach Antti Muurinen to play in an attacking style with captain
Jari Litmanen and Eremenko encouraged to get forward from midfield
as much as possible.

The tactics paid off after 23 minutes with Forssell’s opener. The
striker received the ball from Eremenko just outside of the area, made
his way past two defenders before firing a shot into the bottom corner.

Forssell almost added a second on the stroke of half-time when he
once more tricked his way past the Armenian defence, but the final
ball flew past the wrong side of the post.

Finland eventually doubled their advantage after 68 minutes, when
Joonas Kolkka’s perfect pass found an unmarked Eremenko who had a
simple tap-in into the net.

Substitute Pekka Lagerblom should have made it 3-0 five minutes later
but failed to hit the ball into an empty net leaving the Finns content
with a two-goal win.

Teams

Armenia Hovsepyan, Mkrtchian, Nazarian (Aleksanian 73), Dokhoyan,
Albert Sargsian (Manucharian 54), Khachatrian, Artur Petrosian,
Melikian, Karamian (Grigorian 78), Movsisian, Hambardzumian.

Subs Not Used: Berezovsky, Nikolay Sargsian, Hakobian, Galust
Petrosian.

Booked: Melikian, Albert Sargsian, Aleksanian.

Finland Niemi, Pasanen, Hyypia, Vayrynen, Nurmela, Forssell, Litmanen
(Lagerblom 46), Kolkka (Pohja 86), Kuivasto, Riihilahti, Eremenko Jr
(Kopteff 73).

Subs Not Used: Jaaskelainen, Koppinen, Kallio, Johansson.

Booked: Riihilahti.

Goals: Forssell 23, Eremenko Jr 68.

Ref: Paulius Malzinskas (Lithuania).

KOCHARIAN, KHATAMI SIGN DOCUMENT ON BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BILATERAL COOPERATION

ArmenPress
Sept 8 2004

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
and the visiting Iranian president Mohammad Khatami, who is heading
a high-ranking delegation, discussed today a wide variety of issues
on bilateral relations, the current level of their partnership
and prospects for its enlargement, as well as the latest regional
developments, noting that a deeper regional cooperation is able to
pave the way for creation of a favorable climate for regulation of
the regional conflicts.

The talk between the two presidents was followed by a plenary session
of the joint inter-governmental economic cooperation commission. In
the presence of the two presidents several agreements were signed
envisioning mutual cooperation in the field of energy, constructing a
wind farm in Armenia, procedure for customs agreement, financing the
construction of a 40 kilometer Armenian section of the Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline.

Also an agreement on mutual cultural exchange in the 2004-2007 period
and the protocol of the fifth Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Commission
are among the agreements inked by the two countries. The two presidents
signed an agreement on the basic principles of Iran-Armenia cooperation

Speaking to a joint news conference president Kocharian described
the visit by his counterpart as “an event of a crucial significance.”
“We have discussed the entire range of bilateral relations,” he said,
adding that the signed documents were a clear indication of a very
high level of partnership.

Kocharian said also that bilateral relations between the two nations
are becoming richer and expand day after day. ” I have informed
president Khatami on the current pace of Nagorno Karabagh regulation
and heard also his own approaches towards a variety of other issues,”
he said.

Khatami in turn said he was happy for a chance to visit Armenia
and meet Kocharian. “Armenia is a country where an industrious and
devoted people live that have contributed greatly to world culture
development,” he said commending the 200,000 strong Armenian community
in Iran for contributing to the country’s progress and a significant
role in the Islamic Revolution. “Armenia is Iran’s geographic neighbor,
and though our general policy is to establish good relations with
all our neighbors, our relations with Armenia are of a special
kind. Relations between Iranians and Armenians are a good example
for all those who want to live side by side and respect one another,”
Khatami said.

In a reference to regional affairs he said the sensitive region
that encompasses Iran and the Caucasus needs to have an ensured
stability. “We deem our neighbors’ security our own security and
believe that science and education development can serve as a good
stability guarantee,” he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NINE ARMENIANS DEATH IN BESLAN SCHOOL SIEGE CONFIRMED

ArmenPress
Sept 8 2004

ROSTOV ON DON, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: According to the latest
information from Armenian consul general in the southern Russia,
Ararat Gomtsian, at least nine of the hostages killed by the
terrorists in Beslan school siege were ethnic Armenians. Five of them
were children. He said all Armenians who suffered in the crisis were
taken to hospitals in Moscow and one, Mariam Simonian, to a hospital
IN Rostov-on-Don city. All in all 33 ethnic Armenians were among the
hostages, seven of them are reported missing. Another official of
the Armenian consulate general said the figures were not final and
could change any minute.

At least 335 people, most of them children, have been officially
confirmed dead since Russian special forces stormed a secondary school
in the North Ossetian town of Beslan seized by Islamist militants
fighting for neighboring Chechnya’s secession from Russia.

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]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: September 8, 2004
Contact: George Shirinian Tel: 416-250-9807

BAL FAMILY SETS UP $100,000 PHD SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT ZORYAN INSTITUTE

TORONTO, CANADA – A new scholarship fund has been established at the
Zoryan Institute by the Bal family for PhD students preparing their
thesis on the Armenian Genocide or comparative genocide with a focus
on the Armenian Genocide.

The creation of this fund was the initiative of Mr. and Mrs. Dikran
and Sonia Bal of Montreal, who made it possible by their generous
donation of $100,000 as a seeding fund for this purpose.

The Bals have been regular supporters of the Zoryan Institute. In just
the last two years, in addition to this new scholarship fund, they have
contributed $200,000 for scholarly research and publication in general,
and the Genocide and Human Rights University Program in particular.

The scholarships will be awarded to a total of four candidates each
year, and are renewable, pending an annual review. Applicants must
have completed an MA in one of the social sciences, such as history,
international law, political science, psychology, or sociology and
be enrolled full-time in an accredited PhD program. Knowledge of the
Armenian and Ottoman Turkish languages will be considered an asset for
applicants. The amount awarded will vary according to the individual
needs of each research project.

In explaining why they chose to create such a fund, Mr. Dikran Bal
commented that “It is important for people like us, who are not
specialists but care about this field of study, to support those who
can make a scholarly contribution. The fruits of their research go
directly towards helping us understand the Genocide and its impact
on our history, the formation of modern Armenian society, and on our
identity.” He continued by appealing to others to help. “We hope that
the community will join us in supporting this initiative and build up
this scholarship fund to attract new scholars. With a knowledge of
our recent history, we will never be able to understand our present
and accordingly plan for our future, as a nation.”

He concluded his remarks by stating, “It is clear that the Armenian
community wants to see its genocide studied, documented, analyzed and
written about, and to see it achieve full recognition along with other
cases of genocide, universally. There are currently very few young
scholars taking up this challenge. Therefore, I urge the community
to actively support the institute and help Zoryan motivate young
scholars to pursue work in this field at the highest academic level.”

Mrs. Sonia Bal, joining her husband, expressed her thoughts on this
initiative, by stating, “I hope that this scholarship fund will
be a catalyst for drawing young scholars to pursue their academic
dreams in this field. I feel that the Zoryan Institute is the right
organization to administer such a fund, as it has a proven record of
over twenty years of original scholarship and a reputation for academic
integrity, directed by board members who are world renowned scholars,
such as Prof. Vahakn Dadrian, Dr. Roger Smith, and Dr. Yair Auron,
to name only a few.”

“We are deeply moved by the kind of support that the Bals’ donation
signifies,” remarked K.M. (Greg) Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan
Institute. “This kind of support is essential for the institute to
carry out its mission and to help pursue the study of the Armenian
Genocide as part of the worldwide phenomenon of genocide. Moreover,
it is inspiring to find people like the Bals, who appreciate how
much time and effort goes into developing such an institute, and
particularly into preparing scholars in this field. It is my fervent
hope that through the growth of this scholarship fund, we will enable
students to pursue the study of the Armenian Genocide and make this
subject part of their professional careers.”

Professor Vahakn Dadrian, Director of Genocide Research at the Zoryan
Institute, explained, “It is exciting to see people like the Bals
get involved actively and personally in the support of genocide
studies. Such involvement can only serve to reinforce Zoryan’s
motivation to persist and at the same time renew its commitment to
this much neglected domain of scholarship. Moreover, students need
extra encouragement to pursue the study of the Armenian Genocide,
because it is a difficult and often painful subject to deal with. Apart
from that, it demands knowledge of many languages, and the sources
of information are scattered around the world and hard to find,” he
remarked. “The establishment of such a fund will definitely facilitate
the recruitment of interested and qualified candidates.”

Roger Smith, Chairman of the Academic Board and Director of the
Genocide and Human Rights University Program (GHRUP), noted, “This
scholarship fund created by the Bals serves as a perfect complement
to the GHRUP, which is designed to provide students with a strong
introduction to genocide studies on campuses in the US, Canada and
Europe. The confidence in the institute demonstrated by the Bals
with this most thoughtful and strategic idea is both humbling and
gratifying.”

Further details about the application process will be announced. For
more information about the scholarship, please contact the Zoryan
Institute, 255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310, Toronto, Canada M3B 3H9,
E-mail [email protected].

CONSTRUCTION OF MODERN GERARD CAFESJIAN ART MUSEUM TO START SOON

ArmenPress
Sept 8 2004

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Construction of a modern Gerard
Cafesjian art museum will start soon in Yerevan and will most
likely host the first art funs in a couple of years. David Hotson,
the director of an architectural David Hotson company, was named
the winner of a contest announced for the best design. He designed
several prominent venues, namely the office of UN General Secretary,
African Art Museum in Manhattan, New York and several others.

According to John Waters, the deputy chairman of Cafesjian Museum Fund,
the design takes into account the opinions of experts and respective
officials. The main building of the museum will enlarge the territory
of Kaskad which joins Tamanian park to Arabkir community by outdoors
stairs and indoors escalator. The museum building will encompass
public places, a decorative pool, architectural monuments, parks,
a cafe and an outdoors cinema which can be attended by passer-bys
and visitors of the museum.

A 25 meter high glass tower will be made by famous glass makers,
Stanislav Libenski and Yaroslava Mrikhtova. Near the glass tower and
the museum building a monument to independence will be erected. The
museum will exhibit rare samples of 20-th century painting and
architecture. To be located on 10 thousand square meters, it will
also host traveling exhibits throughout the world. The total project
costs 25 mln USD.

“This is a excellent opportunity to work in Armenia, in a country
with such an outstanding history and culture, in such an unusual
environment. Cafesjian museum will enter in between the history of
Armenian nation and its future. It is a call for a promising future
of Armenia, concurrently reflecting its strong origin,” architecture
D. Hotson said, speaking about the design.

Iran’s president reaches agreement with Armenia on gas pipeline

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
September 8, 2004, Wednesday

YEREVAN — Iran and Armenia agreed Wednesday on the construction of a
gas pipeline during Iranian President Mohammed Khatami’s first visit
to Yerevan. The agreement was reached in a meeting between Khatami
and Armenian President Robert Kocharian at which the two leaders
also signed a broad agreement on friendship and cooperation between
their two countries. Armenia, which shares a 50-kilometre-long
border with Iran along its southern tip, is dependent on energy
deliveries from Iran. It is cut off from much of the economic
activity in the region by Turkey to the west and Azerbaijan to the
east. In addition, Khatami told reporters Iran was dedicating great
attention to stability in the Caucasus. The Iranian news agency IRNA
said Khatami referred to historical ties between the two countries
during his meeting with Kocharian and highlighted the role of Iran
and Armenia in the region. He said the two sides’ security, stability
and development are interrelated and for this reason, “We should
broaden our ties more than ever before,” he said, according to IRNA.
Kocharian said relations between Armenia and Iran were very close,
and all opportunities should be seized for broadening of mutual ties.
Iran plays a very significant and unique role in the region, he said,
adding that Yerevan welcomes expansion of cooperation with Tehran.
dpa am fk gj

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/08/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Iran’s Khatami Pledges Closer Ties with Armenia
2) NATO, US to Develop Military Aid Program in Azerbaijan
3) Abkhazia Will Never Rejoin Georgia Announces Speaker
4) Aliyev, Chirac Meet in Paris
5) Finland Defeats Armenia in World Cup Qualifier

1) Iran’s Khatami Pledges Closer Ties with Armenia

YEREVAN (RFE-RL)–Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami described on Wednesday his
country’s relationship with Armenia as a benchmark of peaceful co-existence
and
cooperation between neighbors on the first day of an official visit to Yerevan
where he was given a red-carpet reception.
Khatami was greeted at Yerevan airport by virtually all members of Armenia’s
ruling cabinet before going into talks with President Robert Kocharian. The
two
leaders signed a framework treaty on bilateral cooperation which they said
will
further strengthen political and economic links between the two nations. They
also presided over the signing of several other agreements covering the energy
sector, customs administration, and culture.
“The relationship between the Armenian and Iranian peoples can serve as the
best example for all those who want to live side by side and respect each
other’s sovereignty,” Khatami declared at an ensuing joint news conference
with
Kocharian.
“We have felt obliged to establish and deepen relations with Armenia since
its
independence,” he said. “Every year that followed 1991 saw a further
development of our relations. The agreements signed today give us hope that
they will continue to deepen in the future.”
“I declare that this relationship is to the benefit of the sides but not to
the detriment of anybody else,” Khatami added.
“We are ready to make every effort to help resolve crises existing in the
region, including Mountainous Karabagh, and to contribute to the establishment
of a lasting peace and stability in the region,” Khatami said in a speech at
the Armenian parliament later in the day.
Kocharian, meanwhile, said that Armenia and Iran should pay particular
attention to developing their economic cooperation. He singled out the energy
sector where the two nations plan to implement multimillion-dollar joint
projects.
The biggest is the construction of a pipeline that will ship Iranian natural
gas to Armenia and possibly other countries. An agreement on the
implementation
of the $120 million project was signed by the two governments in Yerevan last
May.
Armenia’s ambassador to Tehran, Gegham Gharibjanian, said this week that work
on the Iranian section of the pipeline is already underway and will soon begin
on the Armenian side. Energy Minister Armen Movsisian had said earlier that
the
Armenian government will receive a $30 million loan from Iran to finance the
construction of the Armenian section.
Despite the energy projects, the volume of Armenian-Iranian trade has
steadily
declined in recent years and made up only 3.5 percent of Armenia’s external
commercial exchange last year.

2) NATO, US to Develop Military Aid Program in Azerbaijan

BAKU (Ekspress)–Commenting on the outcome of US Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld’s visit to the South Caucasus last month, NATO general Frank Boland
told Baku-based Ekspress that the US and NATO intend to launch an
unprecedented
military aid program in the region in the near future.
“We are thinking about extending our aid to Azerbaijan within the
framework of
the newly-drawn up program. Discussions were held during Rumsfeld’s meetings
with Azerbaijani officials,” commented Boland, the chief of Force Planning
Section at NATO’s Defense Planning and Operations Division
The US Congress, according to Boland, has considered specific loans for the
development of military forces in the South Caucasus countries in the current
year. “This figure is higher in Azerbaijan than in other countries,” he said,
and revealed that Azerbaijan seeks to implement the program in the Caspian
basin and its borders.
According to some critics, the US and NATO project exceeds the limits of the
Caucasus. Boland said the initiative will help beef up the onshore, offshore,
and air security of Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan in the Caspian region.
He also said that NATO is familiar with the realities of the Mountainous
Karabagh conflict, and is seeking new approaches there. “We will increase our
positive attempts to achieve a solution to the conflict.”
Addressing NATO, Azerbaijan cooperation, Boland stated that the fight against
terrorism in maintaining security in the region is necessary, and that
numerous
projects centering on security, are nearing completion. “These projects mainly
serve the development of security in the region. The interests of NATO and
Azerbaijan in the region coincide.”

3) Abkhazia Will Never Rejoin Georgia Announces Speaker

SUKHUMI (Interfax)–Abkhazia will never voluntarily rejoin Georgia, Abkhaz
parliament speaker Nugzar Ashuba said during a meeting with OSCE envoys in
Sukhumi on Tuesday.
“We cannot commit another fatal mistake. We are prepared for any sacrifices
just to defend our freedom, so that the world not lose one more people,”
Ashuba
said.
He did agree, however, that the negotiation process between Georgia and
Abkhazia should continue.
The OSCE delegation visiting Abkhazia is led by Ivan Naidenov of Bulgaria and
includes representatives from 23 countries, including Russia, the United
States, Germany, Poland, France, Britain, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Portugal,
the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Denmark and others.
“We are here to study the situation in the region on the spot. The OSCE could
be more actively involved in the processes going on here,” Naidenov said at
the
meeting in the Abkhaz parliament with the Abkhaz parliamentary speaker and
deputies.
The sides discussed approaches to settling the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict,
Abkhazia’s political status, the return of refugees, and the implementation of
agreements concluded between the Russian and Abkhaz leaderships in Sochi.

4) Aliyev, Chirac Meet in Paris

PARIS (AzerTag)Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev met with French counterpart
Jacques Chirac in Paris on Tuesday, underlining the rapid political and
economic developments between the two countries.
They also focused on Azerbaijan’s aspirations to integrate into the European
Union, as well as Azerbaijan’s regional conflicts, including Mountainous
Karabagh. Chirac stressed his commitment to continued peace negotiations, and
said that France would implement its mediation mission as an OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair.

5) Finland Defeats Armenia in World Cup Qualifier

YEREVAN (Reuters)Finland beat Armenia 2-0 in a World Cup Group One
qualifier on
Wednesday, lifting Finland to second place in the group on six points, three
behind leaders Romania who hold a perfect record.
In an often choppy game with fouls stopping the flow of play, Finland went
ahead after 24 minutes when striker Mikael Forssell, surrounded by defenders,
found the back of the net from the edge of the box.
Finland made it 2-0 in the 67th minute when Alexei Eremenko was put through
just over the halfway line for a clear run on goal before slotting the ball
past Armenian keeper Armen Ambartzumyan.
The 21-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best new talents of Finnish
football, scored twice in Finland’s comfortable 3-0 win over Andorra on
Saturday.
There was little for the Armenians to take from the match, whose goal
tally is
now 0-5 after two defeats in their opening two qualifiers.

All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
subscription requests.
(c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.

ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

I’ll Be The First Soldier

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
8 Sept 04

On the occasion of the Independence Day of NKR the public organization
of the disabled azatamartiks “Vita” organized a meeting to which
members of the National Assembly Ararat Petrossian and Maxim Mirzoyan
were invited too. Not having their office the chairman of the public
organization Arevik Petrossian invited the members of “Vita”
to her home. The moods of the disabled could not be described as
festive. Perhaps they remembered details from their life during the
war, or maybe problems of everyday life. One thing is certain that
each of them dreams of living in a free, independent and peaceful
fatherland. They are conscious that the problem of Karabakh has long
ago been moved from the military arena to the sphere of diplomacy. And
the fair settlement of the problem is conditioned by the elimination of
the problems hindering the regular activity of political and public
structures of both the Republic of Armenia and Nagorni Karabakh,
and a joint and determined position of the people. The azatamartiks
proved by their actions that Artsakh is an Armenian territory, and
the land of the ancestors belongs to those who lived and continue
living on this land. Congratulating the disabled azatamartiks,
Arevik Petrossian mentioned that in 13 years NKR achieved all the
attributes of state. Along with the state political structures a
stable public sphere was formed in Karabakh. As to the recent
elections to the municipalities, I must say that all the conditions
are present in Karabakh for building a democratic state and a civil
society, emphasized the chairman of the organization. Touching
upon the problems of the organization, which is the solution of
the social problems of the azatamartiks, the problem of office and
transport, she mentioned that they rely upon the government of the
country and hope they will do everything for the protection of the
rights of the azatamartiks. According to member of parliament Ararat
Gevorkian, he had a dual feeling on the Day of Independence. “We
owe to these men for the independence of our statehood. At the same
time I feel pain and pity for the thing that many of the disabled
azatamartiks live in extremely hard social conditions. I would like
our government to provide more support to the disabled, the families of
killed azatamartiks,” mentioned Ararat Petrossian adding that our
people live in a country where war may break out at any time. ”
Independence is a great victory but not a final one. Our people
are at the tenuous borderline between war and peace. Our dream is
to live in a free and peaceful fatherland. Let there be no war ever
and the number of the disabled people do not multiply,” said the
member of parliament. Disabled soldier Edward Andrian said, the fact
of four members of “Vita” receiving treatment abroad speaks
about the willingness of the government. “The traces of war have
been erased in Stepanakert, the town has been restored, prospered and
become beautiful. I think in the course of time the quality of life
of the people who stood up for their rights in 1988 and assured the
entire world that their land is Armenian, will rise. Everyone must be
master of their fate and no one has the right to rule us,” said
Andrian adding that in case Azerbaijan resumes military actions, it
will have great losses because the Karabakh army is strong and ready to
counterattack the enemy. “If war breaks out, I’ll be the first
soldier of my country,” said azatamartik Armen Shahnazarian. Armen
is from the village Chartar. He was wounded in 1994, and his elder
brother was killed in 1993. “I want Karabakh become a rich country
for us to be able to provide well-being of our families. Several
of my acquaintances left Karabakh for Russia. I will never leave the
fatherland, maybe if I have the possibility I will leave abroad and get
treatment. But then I’ll come back. This is our land, we liberated
it and we must look after it. My children will grow here. I repeat,
if, God forbid, war resumes in our wonderful country, I will be the
first soldier of my country,”

NVARD OHANJANIAN. 08-09-2004