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Phone (212) 319-6383
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, August 30, 2004

AGBU SPONSORS KARABAKH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
CONTINUES TRADITION OF PROMOTING PERFORMING ARTS

New York, NY – As part of AGBU’s ongoing mission to promote and
preserve the Armenian heritage and to encourage cultural life in
Karabakh, AGBU, responding to the request of the Karabakh government,
has agreed to sponsor a Chamber Orchestra in Karabakh.

Consisting of 26 members, the Orchestra will initially be housed at
the Musical College is Karabakh’s capital of Stepanakert. At first,
the Karabakh Chamber Orchestra will operate as a string orchestra with
19 musicians and will eventually expand to include brass and drums. In
a show of support, the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Armenian
Chamber Orchestra and the Serenade Chamber Orchestra will assist the
new Karabakh Orchestra with musical notes and publications. Rehearsals
are expected to commence in September 2004.

AGBU has long recognized the importance of the performing arts
throughout its history – in just the past year, the organization has
sponsored the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in Armenia, the
production of Armenia State Opera’s “Anush” and Gayane Ballet, the
Zvart Operetta in California, and the special 100-year Aram
Khachaturian Anniversary tour with performances and lectures by Sahan
Arzruni.

“On behalf of the Central Board of AGBU, it is with a great sense of
pride and enthusiasm that we engage in this project to advance the
government’s call for cultural programs and revival,” said AGBU
President Berge Setrakian. “We look forward to the Chamber’s
successful debut,” Setrakian continued.

With the addition of the Chamber Orchestra, AGBU’s presence in
Karabakh continues to grow. In fact, AGBU recently opened an office
in Stepanakert to oversee its numerous projects including: the
AGBU-launched Norashen Centennial Project, which is currently helping
to rebuild and repopulate Karabakh; and the reconstruction of a
building to house the widows and veterans of the Karabakh war, as well
as Stepanakert School # 7, among others projects.

AGBU ( is the largest international, non-profit Armenian
organization in the world, and is dedicated to preserving and
promoting the Armenian heritage and culture through humanitarian,
educational, cultural and social programs that serve some 400,000
Armenians annually.

Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
Sunday Times, Australia
Advertiser, Australia
The Mercury, Australia
Aug 31 2004

On this day

31 aug 04

1990 – About 250 militant Armenian nationalists give up their weapons
after the republic’s parliament declares a state of emergency.

1290 – Jews are exiled from England by proclamation of King Edward I.

1422 – King Henry V of England dies of dysentery in France and is
succeeded by his nine-month-old son, Henry VI.
1688 – Death in London of John Bunyan, English author of The
Pilgrim’s Progress.
1704 – Forces of Russia’s Tsar Peter the Great take Narva in Russia.
1823 – French forces storm the Trocadero and enter Cadiz in Spain.
1846 – Committee is established in Sydney to organise appeal for
Irish famine.
1871 – Basutoland is united with Cape Colony, South Africa.
1876 – Turkey’s Sultan Murad V is deposed on plea of insanity and is
succeeded by Abdul Hamid II.
1887 – US inventor Thomas A Edison receives a patent for his
Kinetoscope, a device which produces moving pictures.
1888 – Body of Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols, first victim of murderer
“Jack the Ripper”, is found in London.
1900 – British forces under Frederick Roberts occupy Johannesburg.
1907 – Anglo-Russian Convention is signed in St Petersburg, settling
differences between the two over Persia, Afghanistan and Tibet.
1918 – Bolshevik troops attack British embassy in Petrograd, Russia.
1920 – First ever news program is broadcast by the radio station 8MK
in Detroit, Michigan.
1922 – Czech-Serb-Croat Alliance is signed at Marienbad.
1923 – Italy occupies Corfu in Greece.
1939 – Attempts by French Premier Daladier and British Prime Minister
Chamberlain to negotiate with Adolf Hitler of Germany fail.
1942 – German General Irwin Rommel renews offensive against British
at Alam Halfa in North Africa in World War II but is driven back to
original lines.
1950 – Contingent of 80 men from First Battalion, Royal Australian
Regiment, leaves for the Korean War.
1957 – Malaya becomes an independent member of the British
Commonwealth.
1962 – Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent nation within the
British Commonwealth.
1967 – Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Malaysia are
re-established, following Indonesia’s opposition to the formation of
the Malaya federation.
1968 – West Indian Garfield Sobers becomes the first cricketer to
score six sixes off one over in first-class cricket, in England.
1969 – Rocky Marciano, former world heavyweight boxing champion, is
killed in an air crash in Iowa.
1973 – Death of John Ford, US film director.
1977 – Ian Smith wins the Rhodesian general election with 80 per cent
of the overwhelmingly white electorate’s vote.
1980 – Polish labour leaders sign agreements with Communist
government, establishing for first time in a Soviet-bloc nation the
rights to strike and to establish free trade unions.
1983 – Murdered opposition leader Benigno Aquino is buried in Manila,
with over a million mourners being addressed by his widow Cory.
1986 – Soviet passenger ship Admiral Nakhimov collides with a
merchant vessel in the Black Sea, causing both vessels to sink; 448
die.
1986 – Moscow’s secret police hold US correspondent Nicholas Daniloff
on spying allegations.
1987 – Government and opposition officials in South Korea agree on
revising Constitution to clear way for direct presidential elections
and other reforms.
1989 – Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips separate
after 16 years of marriage.
1990 – East and West Germany sign a treaty to harmonise their legal
and political systems after merging on October 3.
1990 – About 250 militant Armenian nationalists give up their weapons
after the republic’s parliament declares a state of emergency.
1991 – Uzbekistan and Kirgyzstan become ninth and tenth Soviet
republics to declare independence.
1992 – Palestinian Arabs dismiss Israel’s self-rule proposals as
unacceptable and say peace negotiations are at an impasse.
1994 – IRA declares an open-ended ceasefire in its 24-year campaign
against British rule of Northern Ireland.
1995 – Bomb-laden car explodes in a crowded square outside Algeria’s
national police headquarters, killing 10 and injuring 15.
1996 – Iraq captures Irbil in northern Iraq, a key city inside the
Kurdish “safe haven” protected by US-led forces, in Saddam Hussein’s
largest military action since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.
1997 – Princess Diana and her millionaire companion Dodi Al Fayed are
killed in a Paris car crash.
1998 – North Korea launches a new, more powerful long-range ballistic
missile that crosses over Japan’s main island and crashes into the
Pacific Ocean.
1999 – Opposition lawmakers in Venezuela pledge to defy a decision by
supporters of President Hugo Chavez to shut down the legislature,
worsening the country’s constitutional crisis.
2000 – The United States decides to boycott several meetings in Japan
dealing with science and the environment in a protest of the
expansion of Japanese whaling.
2001 – Delegates from more than 160 countries attend the weeklong
United Nations-sponsored World Conference Against Racism in Durban,
South Africa.
2002 – A Russian Mi-24 assault helicopter is shot down by a missile
in Chechnya. Both of the gunship’s pilots are killed. Chechen rebels
claim responsibility.
2002 – Lionel Hampton, one of America’s jazz legends, dies. He was
94.
2003 – Kenya lifts a ban on the Mau Mau movement, which spearheaded
an uprising against British colonialists in the 1950s.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise, CA
Aug 30 2004

U.S. District Judges Tevrizian, Taylor to Take Senior Status

By a MetNews Staff Writer

U.S. District Judges Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr. and Gary L. Taylor will
take senior status within the next year, the MetNews has learned.

Taylor will take the semi-retired status on Dec. 8, his 66th
birthday. Tevrizian will do so on Aug. 5 of next year, the day after
he turns 65.

Sixty-five is the minimum age for senior status, which allows a judge
to draw full salary for carrying as little as a 25 percent caseload,
if the judge has at least 15 years of service. Judges who are older
than 65 and have at least 10 years of service may take senior status
if their ages and years of service total at least 80.

Traditionally, most judges have waited until shortly before the
effective date to give notice of their intent to leave active status.
The early announcements by Tevrizian and Taylor are in keeping with
President Bush’s call for judges to give notice up to a year in
advance, so as to minimize the length of time a seat remains vacant.

Los Angeles Native

Tevrizian, a Los Angeles native, has been a judge for most of the
past three decades. He was appointed to the federal bench in 1985 and
previously served more than 10 years as a trial judge in Los Angeles
County.

The jurist majored in finance and accounting at USC, graduating in
1962, then earned a law degree there in 1965. He worked for a
national accounting firm before joining the law firm of Kirtland &
Packard where he worked from 1966 to 1972.

Tevrizian was 31 when he was appointed to the old Los Angeles
Municipal Court by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1972, making him the
youngest of Reagan’s judicial appointees. Reagan’s successor, Jerry
Brown, elevated him to the Superior Court in 1978, but in 1982 he
retired to return to law practice as a partner in the law firm of
Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Tunney.

Reagan, as president, appointed Tevrizian to the federal bench in
1985.

Tevrizian, who in 1987 was named Trial Judge of the Year by the
California Trial Lawyers Association, is one of the few federal
judges to have won the County Bar’s Outstanding Trial Jurist Award.
Bar officials gave him that honor in 1995, citing his demeanor and
skillful handling of complex cases.

The Malibu Bar Association honored him as Federal Court Trial Judge
of the Year in 1998.

Gold Medal

The judge is an active member of the local Armenian American
community. He received the Peter the Great Gold Medal of Honor from
the U.S. section of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences,
recognizing his accomplishments in the legal field.

In 1999, the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, Inc. awarded
him the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, given `to Americans of diverse
origins for their outstanding contributions to their own ethnic
groups and to American society.’

He has served on the boards of Southwestern School of Law and the
Glendale Memorial Health Foundation.

Taylor was an Orange Superior Court judge when then-President George
Bush appointed him to the federal bench in 1990. A 1963 graduate of
UCLA School of Law, he served in the Army Judge Advocate General’s
Corps from 1964 to 1966, then practiced in Newport Beach for 20 years
before then-Gov. George Deukmejian named him to the Superior Court in
1986.

He was an active member of the Orange County Bar Association before
becoming a judge, chairing its delegation to the State Bar Conference
of Delegates twice and its Business Litigation Section three times.

MTV
Aug 30 2004

Tom Morello, Serj Tankian Releasing Axis Of Justice CD/DVD

Tom Morello at an Axis Of Justice event
Photo: Kevin Estrada
“It just seemed like it was a really special, even historic, evening
of musicians coming together for social change.” – Tom Morello

Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello and System of a Down singer Serj
Tankian were thinking the same thing midway through last month’s
benefit for their Axis of Justice political action group. “Maybe we
should release this,” Tankian recalled.

“As it was going on, it just seemed like it was a really special,
even historic, evening of musicians coming together for social
change, but in an artistic atmosphere that was pretty unprecedented,”
Morello said. “So we started discussing putting it out.”

Those discussions have led to Axis of Justice Concert Series Volume
1, a CD/DVD set recorded and filmed by friends for free at the July
17 concert at the Avalon in Hollywood (see “Flea, Tool Singer Join
Fight Against Hunger, Homelessness”).

“Everyone did everything out of [the goodness of] their hearts, and
that’s what made it so special,” Tankian said. “It wasn’t a gig, it
was more like friends that care about causes getting together and
making music.”

Axis of Justice will release the collection on November 2 – Election
Day. “It’s making a statement in saying that we need a more just
America,” Tankian said. “We have the biggest hearts in the world, but
the people who represent us don’t show that and instead foster hate
against us.”

Both the CD and DVD will include the memorable all-star
collaborations from the show, including an encore of U2’s “Where the
Streets Have No Name” with Tankian and A Perfect Circle’s Maynard
James Keenan on vocals, Pete Yorn on guitar and vocals, Morello on
guitar, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea on bass, Audioslave’s Brad
Wilk on drums and Jonny Polonski on keyboards. That lineup, minus
Keenan and Polonski and with Tankian on piano, also covers Bob
Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” and Funkadelic’s “Alice in My Fantasies.”
An improvisational jam featuring Flea, Wilk and Tankian is also
included.

The CD features Tankian’s “Charades” and an improv piano number, two
songs from Morello as the Nightwatchman (“Until the End” and “Union
Song”), Pete Yorn’s cover of Junior Kimbrough’s “I Feel Good Again,”
two songs from Jurassic 5 (“What’s Golden” and “Freedom”), and two
spoken-word tracks from Knowledge: the self-explanatory “President
Evil” and “Speak on It,” about the Armenian genocide and featuring
Tankian on piano.

As a bonus, the CD will include a cover of Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So
Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” performed by Chris
Cornell and Keenan at last summer’s Lollapalooza.

The DVD will include most of the same tracks, along with the
Nightwatchman’s “The Road I Must Travel” with Tankian on piano, Yorn
on guitar, Polonski on bass and Wilk on drums, and Yorn’s “Strange
Condition” and “Broken Bottle.”

Bonuses on the DVD will include excerpts from Morello and Tankian’s
Axis of Justice radio show, such as interviews with Michael Moore and
Janeane Garofalo, as well as four songs from an early Axis show at
West Hollywood’s Troubadour.

Morello and Tankian have yet to schedule their next concert, although
Axis is sponsoring a show Tuesday at the Knitting Factoring in New
York featuring the Nightwatchman, the Coup’s Boots Riley, Spearhead
and a special guest. The Nightwatchman is also performing Wednesday
at a protest of the Republican National Convention in New York, and
the Axis of Justice radio show is taking over New York’s K-Rock for
three hours on Monday afternoon.

“I’ll be playing rebel music and telling the truth as I see it, so
look out,” Morello said.

– Corey Moss

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Monday, August 30, 2004

ARMENIANS ON TRIAL FOR AFRICAN “COUP ATTEMPT”
Six Armenian nationals working on contract in West Africa appear to have
been caught up in an attempted coup. Pilot Ashot Karapetian, co-pilot Samvel
Darbinian, aeronautical engineer Ashot Simonian, navigator Samvel
Matchkalian, flight engineer Razmik Khachatrian and technician Suren
Muradian flew an Antonov-12, a Soviet-made cargo plane for Armenia-based
Tiga Air company. The six were arrested last March in Equatorial Guinea,
along with their client Gerhard Eugen Merz of Germany (who had since died in
prison), several South Africans and Guineans.

Ambassador Sergei Manaserian and other officials are currently in Equatorial
Guinea for the trial, and had visited the aviators twice before. They met
with local leaders to request that the Armenians be released and that their
detention conditions be improved in the meantime. The Armenians did not
report being ill-treated in custody and have been able to telephone their
relatives in Yerevan on at least one occasion.

The Armenians have pled “not guilty” to charges of coup plotting, which
according to the governments of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea
as well as confessions of would-be participants, involved dozens of South
African and Angolan mercenaries led by British ex-Special Forces soldier
Simon Mann, and was allegedly financed by Mark Thatcher, son of the former
British Prime Minister. They are said to have sought to overthrow President
Teodoro Obiang Nguema and install his Spain-based opponent in this oil-rich
country.

According to Armenian pilots and their lawyer, they arrived in Equatorial
Guinea last January to fly freight between that country and two other
African nations, and until last week were unaware on what charges they were
held. Local prosecutors, however, have alleged that the Armenians were to
fly in mercenaries for the would be coup and demanded they be sentenced to
at least 26 years in prison.

Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamlet Gasparian described the
accusations as “nonsensical, absurd.. and groundless.” According to
Gasparian, South African suspects in the case have denied that the Armenians
were involved in coup preparations. A release of some of the alleged
mercenaries following a separate, but related trial in Zimbabwe, may augur
well for the Armenians. But Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian argued against
a rush to optimism. The verdict is expected on September 1. (Sources: RFE/RL
Arm. Report 3-10, 23, 31, 7-13, 8-23, 26; Arminfo 3-18, 23, 5-21, 6-21,
7-16; 8-24, 30; ArmeniaNow 3-26; AFP 8-24, 26, 27)

SOUTH OSSETIA CEASE-FIRE HOLDS FOLLOWING GEORGIAN PULL-OUT
Georgia pulled out most of the forces it introduced in South Ossetia earlier
this summer, heeding calls by the United States to de-militarize the region
and resume peace talks. Some of the Georgian forces involved were trained by
the U.S. The province lies in proximity to the Russia-Georgia gas pipeline
and highway, both of key economic significance to Armenia. Armenian
officials have expressed concern over recent fighting in the area, which
Armenian observers see as setting a potentially negative precedent for the
Karabakh peace process.

The new cease-fire took hold last week, as President Mikhail Saakashvili
sacked his Armed Forces’ chief of staff, whom other Georgian officials
accused of failing to achieve military objectives and losing at least 16
Georgian soldiers in the process. The Ossetian side reported at least
several police and civilians killed, mostly from Georgian shelling of the
regional center of Tskhinvali. Saakashvili says he is committed to a
peaceful settlement. Georgia is now seeking to replace Russian peacekeepers
in the region with a Western force. (Sources: Arm. This Week 7-12; New York
Times 8-5; RFE/RL Newsline 8-23, 25, 27; Civil.ge 8-26, 27)

NO MEDALS, AS ARMENIA TEAM RETURNS FROM ATHENS
Armenia’s 18-person team won no medals, as the 2004 Summer Olympics in
Greece concluded over the weekend. Diaspora Armenians fared better winning
at least one gold, one silver and several bronze medals.

Armen Ghazaryan placed fourth in weightlifting, shy of a medal by only about
a pound of his own weight, and Norair Bakhtamyan also placed fourth in
shooting. Four wrestlers, two weightlifters and one boxer from the Armenia
team finished in the top ten of their respective competitions. Armenia won
one gold and one silver medal in 1996 and one bronze in the 2000 Olympics.

Baku-born Karina Aznavourian won a team fencing gold for Russia, her second
in as many Olympics. Three Gyumri natives, Ara Abrahamian, Artiom Kiureghian
and Mkhitar Manukian, won silver and bronze medals in wrestling for Sweden,
Greece and Kazakhstan, respectively. Another wrestler, Masis-born Armen
Nazarian secured a bronze medal for Bulgaria. (Sources: ;
Arm. This Week 8-16)

Note to readers: Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next issue of Armenia
This Week will appear on September 13. Visit
to read Armenia This Week issues
since 1997.

A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
122 C Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 393-3434 FAX
(202) 638-4904
E-Mail [email protected] WEB

Armenian Assembly of America
Research and Information Office

FACT SHEET
August 24, 2004

AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT’S WAR RHETORIC
In the years since the outbreak of the Karabakh conflict in the 1980s, the
Azerbaijani government and entities sponsored by it have hurled a litany of
threats, hate-mongering, complaints, accusations and abuse at the Armenians
of Karabakh, Armenia and Armenians around the world. Such rhetoric continued
unabated despite the establishment of a cease-fire in Karabakh in May 1994
and the ongoing peace process, and has intensified in recent years.
Egregious examples of this rhetoric follow:

· President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly told his nation that
Azerbaijan could launch a new war in Karabakh: “At any moment we must be
able to liberate our territories by military means. To achieve this we have
everything.” Aliyev predicts that Azerbaijan will soon become an
economically strong state, while its military “superiority” will increase
further. “Under these circumstances we cannot react positively to those
calling us to compromise.” (Source: Zerkalo 7/23/04) Azerbaijan has been
increasing its military spending to more than $217 million (Source: IISS
Military Balance) and buying more tanks, artillery and aircraft (Source: UN
Directory of Conventional Arms). Aliyev warned that unless Armenians
capitulate “we will all smash the heads of the Armenians.” (Source: Turan
via BBC Monitoring 10/27/00)

· The Azerbaijani Defense Minister Gen. Safar Abiyev says that
occasional violations of the 1994 cease-fire are “natural” since Azerbaijan
is still “at war.” (Source: Sarg via BBC Monitoring 8/14/03) Abiyev makes
claims on Armenia’s territory: “Armenia must always remember that what
Azerbaijan accepted yesterday will not be accepted today and tomorrow.
Azerbaijan will not want to have a separated state – meaning Nakhichevan,
cut from the mainland Azerbaijan. This issue will be raised tomorrow.”
(Source: Ekho 5/16/03). Asked if the Azeri army is ready “to go to Yerevan,”
Abiyev answers: “We can go even farther.” (Source: ANS via BBC Monitoring
3/22/02) Abiyev claims that “The Armenian state was created on the occupied
Azeri lands with the area of 29,000 square kilometers.” (Source: ANS.az
12/7/01)

· The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Ramiz Melikov: “In
the next 25-30 years there will be no Armenian state in the South Caucasus.
This nation has been a nuisance for its neighbors and has no right to live
in this region. Present-day Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani
lands. I believe that in 25 to 30 years these territories will once again
come under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.” (Source: Zerkalo 8/4/04) Following
the brutal murder of an Armenian student of NATO English language courses in
Hungary last February, Melikov qualified the confessed murderer Ramil
Safarov as a “talented and disciplined officer.” Melikov added that, “as an
Azeri, I understand and support Safarov’s actions.” Melikov did not exclude
similar attacks on Armenians in the future. (Source: Regnum 2/25/04)

· Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe Agshin Mekhtiyev
warned of more attacks on individual Armenians, adding that he “would not
advise Armenians to sleep easy in their beds.” (Source: Zerkalo 2/24/04)
Parliament member and former Heydar Aliyev bodyguard Siyavush Novruzov told
Terry Davis, envoy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
that “similar incidents” could occur in PACE as well, unless the Karabakh
conflict is settled in Baku’s favor. (Source: Ekho 2/27/04) Azerbaijan’s
Human Rights Ombudsman Elmira Suleimanova said that Safarov should serve as
“an example for Azerbaijani youth.” (Source: Zerkalo 2/28/04)

· The Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security (MNS) has publicly
and, according to media reports, clandestinely sponsored rhetoric and
activities directed against Karabakh peace efforts. In 2004, this successor
to the Soviet-era KGB held a public competition for the “best” films and
books targeting Armenians, with Minister Namik Abbasov giving financial
awards of up to $2,000 to the winners. (Source: Azertag.com 3/26/04) Azeri
officials have condemned Track II peace-building contacts with Armenians,
and groups linked to MNS have attacked Azeri peace activists. (Sources: ANS
via BBC Monitoring 11/3/01, 4/16/02; 525ci Gazet 5/11/02; Zerkalo via BBC
Monitoring 4/30/03; IWPR Caucasus Report 5/1/03)

· Heydar Aliyev’s National Security Advisor Vafa Gulizade demanded
that “Armenians should be driven out of Azerbaijan forever.” Unless
Azerbaijan fights and drives all Armenians out, Gulizade believes that
“Armenians would [eventually] buy up real estate in Baku… They will try to
take Azerbaijan into their hands in this way.” (Source: Azadlyq via BBC
Monitoring 10/10/01) “The entire Armenian population of Nagornyy Karabakh
should be moved from there…This problem will not be resolved as long as
Armenians are in Nagornyy Karabakh.” (Source: Yeni Azerbaycan via BBC
Monitoring 11/14/01) “If they want autonomy on our land, let us have
autonomy in Zangazur and Goyca [southern and eastern Armenia] which will
enable Azerbaijan to reach Turkey by land.” (Source: ANS via BBC Monitoring
4/6/02)

· The Azerbaijani Parliament member from ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party
Asia Manafova: “Our people must repay the debt it owes to [the late
President] Heydar Aliyev and free Karabakh from Armenian occupiers. To
achieve this goal we are ready… undertake acts of suicide bombing.”
Manafova called on other Parliament members to also become suicide bombers.
(Source: Regnum.ru 12/15/03) The pro-government Azerbaijan News Service
(ANS) has been the most active Azeri TV channel opposing any contacts with
Armenians and arguing for war, suggesting, among other things, to recruit
suicide bombers from among thousands of orphaned and homeless children in
Azerbaijan. (Source: ANS via BBC Monitoring 10/13/02).

As one of the leading mediators in the Karabakh peace process and Co-Chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as a nation with deep bilateral ties with
both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the United States needs to be much more active
in securing an end to such irresponsible and bellicose high-level
Azerbaijani statements. Clearly these officials envision another military
offensive against NKR and Armenia, ethnic cleansing and in the case of Col.
Melikov, Armenia’s demise and genocide against its population. Silence in
the face of such threats only emboldens the would-be aggressors.

–Boundary_(ID_Oyg3T8fNwh9sUyIKjyOWdA)
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ASBAREZ ONLINE
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08/30/2004
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1) Armenian Genocide To Be Observed in Israel
2) US Plans to Increase Aid to Georgia
3) Karabagh To Celebrate 13th Anniversary

1) Armenian Genocide To Be Observed in Israel

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Yuri Stern, a member of the Armenian Caucus in the Israeli
Knesset, said that the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide should be
observed in Israel. A government sponsored celebration dedicated to Komitas
will be held jointly with local Armenian organizations in the country.

2) US Plans to Increase Aid to Georgia

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–US Senator Richard Lugar, Chairman of the US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, is expected to sign an agreement with Georgia on
increasing financial aid to the country.
The increased resources will be spent on destroying weapons of mass
destructions, particularly biological weapons.
Lugar, who is currently on a working visit to Georgia, is expected to meet
with top government officials including President Mikhail Saakashvili, Prime
Minister Zurab Zhvania, and Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili, among
others.

3) Karabagh To Celebrate 13th Anniversary

STEPANAKERT (Noyan Tapan)–In celebration of the 13th anniversary of the
Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR), a number of festive events are scheduled
to take place in Stepanakert and various regions of the country on
September 2.
MKR was established on September 2, 1991 and declared its independence on
January 6, 1992.
According to Karabagh’s Foreign Ministry, government officials, as well as
guests from Armenia and Russia will visit the Stepanakert Memorial Complex.
Famous musicians from Armenia will be performing.

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ARKA News Agency
Aug 30 2004

4th meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijan foreign ministers takes place
in Prague

RA NA Speaker congratulates Armenian President with 50th anniversary

Celebration of 13th anniversary of Ukrainian independence takes place
in Ukrainian Embassy to Yerevan

New mayor of Stepanakert takes the office

The Stepanakert Press-Club and Artsakh Association on Human Rights
Protection on the whole positively evaluate the second round of
elections of the Mayor of Stepanakert

Priorities of the Armenian external politics in the context of
Karabakh Conflict Settlement discussed in Stepanakert

Catholicos of All-Armenians meets Danish Foreign Minister

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

4TH MEETING OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TAKES PLACE
IN PRAGUE

YEREVAN, August 30. /ARKA/. 4th meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijan
foreign ministers took place in Prague. OSCE MG Co-Chairmen and
Personal Representative of Acting OSCE Chairman Anjey Kaspshik also
took part in the meeting. This meeting as previous ones did not have
any special agenda.
According to the estimation of the participants the meeting was
`useful and positive’. L.D. –0 –

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

RA NA SPEAKER CONGRATULATES ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WITH 50TH ANNIVERSARY

YEREVAN, August 30. /ARKA/. RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian
congratulated Armenian President Robert Kocharian with 50th
anniversary.
Robert Kocharian was born on August 31, 1954 in Stepanakert. Since
February 1988 Kocharian was one of the political leaders of Artsakh
movement, in August 1992 took the chair of NKR State Defense
Committee Chairman and in November 1996 he was elected the President
of Nagorno Karabakh. On March 20, 1997 Kocharian was appointed on the
position of RA Prime Minister and on March 30, 1998 in result of
extraordinary presidential elections he was elected the President of
Armenia, then on March 5, 2003 re-elected. L.D. –0 –

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

CELEBRATION OF 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE TAKES PLACE
IN UKRAINIAN EMBASSY TO YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 30. /ARKA/. Celebration of 13th anniversary of
Ukrainian independence took place in Ukrainian Embassy to Yerevan. RA
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian congratulated friendly Ukraine with
Independence Day and wished Ukrainian people happiness and
prosperity.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Vladimir Tyaglo expressed hope that
`relations between the countries continue develop successfully in the
future’. L.D. –0

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

NEW MAYOR OF STEPANAKERT TAKES THE OFFICE

YEREVAN, August 30. /ARKA/. New mayor of Stepanakert Eduard Agabekian
and 15 members of the council of deans received certificates.
According to the final results of mayor elections, 50.5% of voters
took part in the elections. 58.7% of votes were gathered by Eduard
Agabekian, 41.3% – Pavel Nadjarian.

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

THE STEPANAKERT PRESS-CLUB AND ARTSAKH ASSOCIATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
PROTECTION ON THE WHOLE POSITIVELY EVALUATE THE SECOND ROUND OF
ELECTIONS OF THE MAYOR OF STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, August 30. /ARKA/. The Stepanakert Press-Club and
Artsakh Association on Human Rights Protection on the whole
positively evaluate the second round of elections of the Mayor of
Stepanakert. As it’s stated in the document on the results of the
second round of the elections provided to ARKA, the `high
professionalism and objectivity of the Central Election Commission
and Election Committees’ are emphasized. The organizations that
conducted monitoring note the unexampled activity of local observers
and the trustees of the candidates. `This contributed to exerting
public control over the elections and created preconditions for
further development of democratic institutions’, as stated in the
document. Evaluating the second round of the elections as one more
step on the way to the democratic reforms, the representatives of the
monitoring group also mention than there were all facilities for
holding fair and transparent elections, and the organization of a
normal work of the observers and the trustees. At the same time,
according to them, some shortages registered in the first round of
the elections failed to be avoided during the second round. In
particular, using the administrative resource, which was more obvious
in the second tour, and facts of counter- propaganda were recorded.
The Stepanakert Press-Club and Artsakh Association on Human Rights
Protection express hope that there will be some progress during the
next elections.
To remind, by the results of the elections, Edward Aghabekyan, the
Chairman of NKR NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, the Leader
of `Movement-88′ political organization was elected as a new Mayor of
Stepanakert. According to the NKR Central Election Commission, as
compared to the first round, the activity of the capital electors
increased by 10% up to 51%. A.H.-0–

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

PRIORITIES OF THE ARMENIAN EXTERNAL POLITICS IN THE CONTEXT OF
KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT DISCUSSED IN STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, August 30. /ARKA/. A seminar for the representatives of
youth organizations of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh was held under
the title `Priorities of the Armenian External Politics in the
Context of Karabakh Conflict Settlement’. The seminar was organized
by the Armenian Fund `For the Development of Science’. According to
ARKA’s reporter in Stepanakert, key issues referring to the politics
of the official Yerevan and Stepanakert in the light of the Karabakh
conflict settlement were discussed during the seminar. There were two
main issues discussed during the seminar: if the societies of two
countries are ready to the reconciliation, even if the authorities
sign the agreement on peace, and whether Armenia gains from
postponing the conflict settlement process. A.H.–0–

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

CATHOLICOS OF ALL-ARMENIANS MEETS DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER

YEREVAN, August 30. /ARKA/. Catholicos of All-Armenians met the
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller. As St. Echimiadzin Mother
See told ARKA, the sides discussed the relations between peoples and
governments of two countries, as well as warms relations between the
churches. Touching upon the Karabakh conflict Garegin II and P.S.
Moeller mentioned spiritual mission of the religious Heads of Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Catholicos thanked the Danish Minister for the
assistance of Denmark to Armenia in the last century and in recent
years.
P.S. Moeller arrived in Armenia in the frames of the regional visit
in the South Caucasus countries. T.M. –0

Agence France Presse — English
August 30, 2004 Monday 11:11 AM GMT

Court in Azerbaijan sentences NATO protesters

BAKU

A court in the former Soviet republic of Azerbiajan handed out prison
sentences Monday to protesters who had tried to storm a conference of
NATO officials in the Azeri capital two months ago.

The court found six protesters guilty of public order offences and
resisting arrest, and ordered that they should be sent to prison for
terms ranging from three to five years.

The protesters had been demonstrating about the presence at the NATO
meeting of two officers from Armenia’s armed forces.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war in the early 1990s over the
disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The two neighbouring
countries remain at a state of war, though there is no large-scale
fighting.

Among those sentenced Monday was Akif Nagi, leader of the hardline
Karabakh Liberation Organisation, which favours new military action
against Armenia. He was given five years in jail.

Supporters and relatives of the convicted men staged a protest in the
courtroom when the sentences were handed down but they were dispersed
by police.

The NATO meeting, which took place in the capital, Baku on June 21,
was briefly disrupted as the protesters scuffled with police and
smashed windows outside the conference venue.

Many people in Azerbaijan sympathised with the protesters —
evidence, observers said, of growing public support for a renewal of
hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The war there displaced a million civilians and left some 35,000
people dead.

California Courier Online, September 2, 2004

1 – Commentary
Armenians Win Olympic Medals,
But Not for Their Own Country

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
**************************************************************************
2 – Turpanjian Family Establishes
$1 Million Scholarship at AUA
3 – Canadian Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian
Receives “Mesrob Mashdots” Medal
4 – Pianist Sergei Babayan to
Perform Sept. 24 at CSUF
5 – APN-WD Host Health,
Wellness Talk on Sept. 23
6 – Aspen Armenians
Help Renovate
School in Armenia
************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
Armenians Win Olympic Medals,
But Not for Their Own Country

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

Armenians around the world have been anxiously watching the Olympic Games
on TV during the past two weeks, hoping to see the country’s flag raised
and its national anthem played at the end of one or more sporting events in
which 18 athletes from Armenia were participating.
Several Armenians did end up winning gold, silver or bronze medals, but
regrettably, not one of them represented Armenia. The ones who won medals
at these games had left Armenia in recent years and were competing for
Russia, Bulgaria, Sweden or Kazakhstan.
Regardless of which passport these athletes held and which flag they
competed under, Armenians still cheered for them proudly and loudly. Their
joy, however, was mixed with disappointment at the failure of athletes
representing Armenia to win a single medal. Such poor results cannot be
simply explained away by the usual excuse that Armenia does not have the
necessary resources to train world-class athletes. Armenia was not any
richer in the past 8 years, and yet it won one gold and one silver medal in
1996, and one bronze in the 2000 Olympics. Armenia’s neighbors are
economically no better off and yet, Georgia managed to win two gold and two
silver medals, and Azerbaijan won one gold and four bronze medals.
After the embarrassing results of the 2004 Olympics, the Armenian
government should completely overhaul its Olympic Committee and put more
competent people in charge. If Armenia lacks the necessary resources to
prepare top-notch athletes, it should seek assistance from the Diaspora.
While Armenia has more urgent needs at the moment than sports, there are
individuals and organizations in the Diaspora that specifically support
athletes and athletic activities. Their contributions, therefore, would not
be diverted away from Armenia’s more critical needs. Furthermore, victories
by Armenian athletes in international competitions would boost the morale
of a destitute population that is yearning for positive news.
Of course, the fastest and the most efficient way of developing top-notch
athletes is to provide incentives for those who have left, to return to
Armenia. They should be given adequate housing, training facilities and
financial support.
With relatively modest sums of money and a dedicated effort, a few Armenian
athletes, by their outstanding performances, could put Armenia on the map
of the world. There is no better way to showcase Armenia than by having the
country’s flag raised and its national anthem played under the watchful
eyes of several billion people! Armenians have less than four years to get
ready for the next Olympics in China.
Kerry Pledges to Fight Denial of Armenian Genocide
Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry issued a statement on the
Armenian Genocide last week that goes far beyond what most other candidates
have promised in the past. In addition to pledging to recognize the
Armenian Genocide, Sen. Kerry stated that he would fight against its
denial.
Most Armenians, after terribly disappointing past experiences, have become
very skeptical about promises made by previous presidential candidates.
However, given Sen. Kerry’s long-standing acquaintance with the Armenian
community in Massachusetts, his support for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide in the U.S. Senate for the past 20 years, and his unequivocal
statements on this subject, Armenians should be assured that Sen. Kerry is
more worthy of our trust than past presidential candidates. For those who
still remain skeptical, what alternative do they have? Pres. Bush has
repeatedly proven that he cannot be trusted given his broken promises to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Here are excerpts from Sen. Kerry’s latest statement issued over the
weekend on the occasion of an Armenian fund-raising festival that was
organized by the ANC in the Boston area:
“I have been honored to represent tens of thousands of Armenian Americans
as a Massachusetts Senator. And I look forward to representing hundreds of
thousands of Armenian Americans as the next President of the United States.
“It has been my privilege, over the past two decades, to work with the
Armenian community on important issues including U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, strengthening U.S.-Armenia relations and trade, lifting
the devastating blockades of Armenia and working for a fair and lasting
peace in Nagorno Karabagh….
“I want to assure you that, as President, I will continue to fight against
the denial of the Armenian Genocide. My administration will recognize April
24, 2005 as the 90th Anniversary of this atrocity and will work to ensure
that the lessons of this crime against humanity are used to prevent future
genocides. There can be no compromise on the clear moral imperative to end
genocide.”
**************************************************************************
2 – Turpanjian Family Establishes
$1 Million Scholarship at AUA
OAKLAND, CA – The Turpanjian Family Foundation pledged $1 million over 10
years to the American University of Armenia (AUA) in April 2004 to
implement an innovative Big Brother-Big Sister orphan mentorship program,
and to provide educational scholarships to support qualified undergraduate
and graduate Armenian students who are at an economic and social
disadvantage.
On Aug. 13, AUA received its first installment of $100,000 from the
Turpanjian Family Foundation and AUA has begun program implementation.
One of the key components of the Turpanjian Family Foundation Scholarship
Program is to empower its graduates to make long-term contributions to
Armenia’s political, social and economic development. To this end,
scholarships will be awarded to eligible undergraduate and graduate
students in Armenia’s universities, including the AUA, whose major areas of
study are determined to be of critical need and strategic importance for
the development of Armenia. AUA has already sent out public announcements
in
Armenia’s media to recruit eligible students.
Additionally, for the first time in Armenia, AUA will introduce a ‘Big
Brother-Big Sister’ mentorship program for orphans. AUA alumni and
students will be matched with orphans, as ‘big brothers’ or ‘big sisters’,
to establish one-on-one lifelong friendships and mentoring relationships
and to help with their social and intellectual development. This
mutually beneficial connection will not only assist the orphan with
lifelong guidance and counseling, but also instill within AUA alumni and
students the values of helping others less fortunate and the benefits of
participating in community service.
“Supporting a scholarship program in Armenia is a wonderful way to support
the local state institutions of higher education and individual students
who have the potential to attend AUA and make valuable contributions to
Armenian society,” stated AUA President Haroutune Armenian. “The Big
Brother/Big Sister component of this program will also help those who are
at a socio-economic disadvantage to overcome their circumstances and
believe in their potential leadership and entrepreneurial roles in
Armenia’s economy.”
**************************************************************************
3 – Canadian Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian
Receives “Mesrob Mashdots” Medal
TORONTO, Canada – Catholicos Aram I, of the Holy Sea of Cilicia, acting
upon the request of Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian
Prelacy of Canada, bestowed the prestigious “Sourp Mesrob Mashdots” medal
to Canadian Armenian soprano, Isabel Bayrakdarian.
The official awarding ceremony of the “Sourp Mesrob Mashdots” medal took
place on Aug. 15, during the celebrations of Assumption of the Holy Mother
of God at the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Toronto by Archbishop
Hagopian.
Born in Beirut, Bayrakdarian began singing Armenian liturgical music in the
church choir at the age of three, and continues to do so today. Her debut
album, “Joyous Light,” was a collection of medieval Armenian sacred music
dating from the 5th century. It reached no.1 in the classical charts across
Canada within days of its release.
Bayrakdarian has received numerous awards throughout her career, most
recently taking home a Juno for her second album, Azulão. She can also be
heard on the Grammy award-winning soundtrack, Lord of the Rings, The Two
Towers, as well as Atom Egoyan’s Ararat.
Bayrakdarian’s upcoming engagements include Suzanna in a new production of
Le nozze di Figaro with Los Angeles Opera, a debut with the San Francisco
Symphony (Mahler’s 2nd Symphony) and a recording project this summer.
During the 2004/2005 she returns to the Metropolitan Opera, to the Lyric
Opera of Chicago twice, and she will make her debut with the Pittsburgh
Opera. She will perform in concerts and recitals in Montreal, Washington,
DC, Toronto, Victoria, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Yerevan, among other
cities.
**************************************************************************
4 – Pianist Sergei Babayan to
Perform Sept. 24 at CSUF
FRESNO – Award winning pianist Sergei Babayan will perform in the opening
recital of the Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concert Series at Fresno
State. The concert will be held at 8 p.m., on Sept. 24 in the Concert Hall
on the Fresno State campus.
The concert is co-sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program of Fresno
State. Babayan will be performing works by Leighton, J.S. Bach, and Liszt.
One of the most charismatic personalities on today’s concert stage,
Babayan’s vibrantly expressive performances have spirited audience acclaim
worldwide. Ever since his arrival in the United States, on his first trip
outside of the Soviet Union in 1989, his breathtaking virtuosity and a
wide- ranging tonal palette have brought him critical praise and accolades.
He is the winner of four first prizes in international piano competitions
including the 1989 Robert Casadesus Competition in Cleveland (marking the
first time a Soviet artist had competed without government sponsorship),
the Palm Beach Competition (1990), the Hamamatsu Competition in Japan
(1991), and the Scottish Competition (1992).
Babayan was born in Armenia to a musical family and started to play the
piano at the age of three. He began his musical studies at the age of six
under Luisa Markaryan and later with George Saradjev. He continued his
studies at nineteen with Mikhail Pletnev at the Moscow Conservatory and
completed post-graduate work there in 1989 as a student of Professor Vera
Gornostaeva. He also studied privately with Lev Naumov in Moscow.
After making his New York recital debut in 1990 at Alice Tully Hall to
great critical acclaim, Babayan embarked on a busy schedule that has
included solo appearances with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Calgary
Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Symphony, the National Orchestra of
Belgium, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the
Slovenska Filharmonia of Bratislava, the Brno Philharmonic, the Bergamo
Symphony of Italy, the Florida Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, New World
Symphony, and Orchestre National de Lille.
Ticket reservations for the concert may be made by calling 278-2337.
Relaxed parking will be available in Lots C and V after 7:00 PM the night
of the lecture. For more information on the concert, contact the Armenian
Studies Program at 278-2669.
**************************************************************************
5- APN-WD Host Health,
Wellness Talk on Sept. 23
BURBANK, CA – The Armenian Professionals Network of Western Diocese will
host an evening program about health and wellness with three well-known
Armenian physicians on Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Western
Diocesan complex, 3325 North Glenoaks Blvd., in Burbank.
Speakers will be Harout Mesrobian, M.D., Zaven Arslanian, M.D. and Rafi
Balian, M.D.
The topics are Heart Attack, Preventive Medicine and Management of
Arthritis Pain.
For more information, contact Dr. Harout Yagsezian at 323-783-1773 or Vahe
Ashjian at 818-212-9976.
**************************************************************************
6 – Aspen Armenians
Help Renovate
School in Armenia
ASPEN, CO – The Armenians of Aspen, CO (all 20 of them) recently met at the
home of June and Hovik Abramian for their annual dinner and get together.
This years gathering was also a fund raiser for the Armenian School
Foundation.
Enough pledges were made to renovate one existing classroom in Armenia,
many of which are pitifully neglected and dilapidated. The cost for one
classroom is $2,000.
When completed a dedication plaque will be installed saying that it is
donated by the Armenians of Aspen.
**************************************************************************
********************************************************
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Azg Armenian Daily
Aug 30 2004

EMPLOYERS AVOID HIRE IRAQI ARMENIANS

WHY DIDN’T THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS RECOGNIZE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF
AZERBAIJAN IN 1918-1920?

“KARABAGH MAY HAVE GOOD FUTURE”

NEW NEWSPAPERS IN ARMENIAN PRESS

CAMPING IN GUGARK DIOCESE

“CILICIA” AT HISTORICAL SHORES

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

EMPLOYERS AVOID HIRE IRAQI ARMENIANS

Iraqi Refugees Looking for Alternative Shelter

The war in Iraq made Iraqi Armenians leave their homes for Armenia.
Forty-nine families (87 people) found refuge in Armenia by July.
Thirty-one families applied for temporary lodging till the end of the
war.

Most of the Iraqi emigrants live in hired flats, some of them stay
with their relatives and few families bought flats in Armenia,
informs the Administration for Migration and Refugees. There are even
few young people who have already made their ways to the
universities. The Migration Administration has located most of the
needy at the Nor Nork borough hostel. But the rooms of the hostel are
overcrowded.

Most of the emigrants work as cooks and jewelers. According to
Ruzanna Petrosian, of the Migration Administration, the Iraqi
Armenians complain that the employers don’t treat them as permanent
and trustworthy workers. They are not hired out of fear that they can
leave Armenia any moment.

Some of the Iraqi Armenians are really looking forward to leaving not
having got any means for survival.

Four more citizens of Iraq applied to the Against Juridical
Willfulness NGO asking to help them leave Armenia for not having any
job here. Two of them were Armenians, other two Arabian.

The International Organization of Red Cross was supporting them
monthly. But the program is over now and they turned to the NGO
asking to give them 50 US dollars a month to keep body and soul
together. But the NGO was unable to meet their needs.

Armenia became a refuge for 2 Kurdish families four years ago who
were unsatisfied with Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Besides sheltering Kurds and Arabs Armenia grants asylum to religious
and political outcasts. Samuel Lem Logan, a 42-year-old Sudanese, has
been in Armenia since 2000. The oppression that Christians face in
that Muslim country made him come to Armenia. He has no permanent job
here and hopes to leave either to Sudan or to the USA. But Samuel
didn’t waste his time: he married an Armenian girl.

Armenia granted shelter to a citizen of Chechnya who left Armenia
lately.

The Against Juridical Willfulness NGO informs that there are still
people who view Armenia as second home. One of them is Asiv Ziman who
fled Pakistan because of Muslims’ oppression of Christian. He is
married to an Armenian and is engaged in trade. Unlike all others who
shared his fate he is already accustomed to Armenia and is not going
to leave for another country.

By Karine Danielian

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

WHY DIDN’T THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS RECOGNIZE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF
AZERBAIJAN IN 1918-1920?

Baku Celebrates 13-th Anniversary of Independence Declaration

The Armenian government is sparing no efforts declaring that Nagorno
Karabakh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. In his June
24 speech at the European Council Robert Kocharian stated: “As a
result of collapse of the Soviet Union 2 separately independent
states were formed in the territory of Soviet Azerbaijan: Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The existence of the two states is equally
justified. Thus, the territorial wholeness of Azerbaijan has nothing
to do with Nagorno Karabakh”.

Any historical fact may be viewed from two angles the least. For
instance, we, Armenians, are sure that Nakhidjevan is a purely
Armenian territory whereas the Azeris assure that not only
Nakhidjevan but also Zangezur, Karabakh and Yerevan are Azeri
territories. But that Karabakh has never been a part of independent
Azerbaijan is a fact, according to the Azeris’ very history.

On August 30 the Azeris celebrated the 13-th anniversary of
Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The
communist authorities of Baku adopted the document in 1991, August
30. This document is equally important for Karabakh too. In
accordance with the Declaration, Azerbaijan declared its independence
in the territory of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (DRA) of
1918-1920. Nagorno Karabakh was not in the territory of Azerbaijan by
that time. Therefore, if the contemporary Azerbaijan is the successor
of the DRA, according to the Declaration, then Baku cannot have
claims for Karabakh. Only after July 5 of 1921 Karabakh was forced
into Soviet Azerbaijan.

In 1918-1920 not only Nagorno Karabakh but also Plain Karabakh and
Nakhidjevan were included in the DRA. Nakhidjevan became a
protectorate of Azerbaijan only in 1921 according to Kars Treaty. And
the Plain Karabakh was partially added to Azerbaijan during time. An
interesting fact: The League of Nations, predecessor of the UNO,
didn’t recognize the DRA reasoning it by Azerbaijan’s territorial
conflicts, i.e. Karabakh and Nakhidjevan, with its neighbors.

Jamil Hasanov, historian at the Baku State University, writes that
the Azeri delegation left for the Paris peace conference in 1919
hoping that the League of Nations would recognize the DRA
independence and would enroll Azerbaijan in the League. The Baku
delegation hoped to get the US president Wilson’s support and to
establish diplomatic relations between the two states, according to
Dr. Hasanov. Despite the supposed support of president Wilson, the
issues of DRA’s independence and membership in the league remained
unsolved, writes Dr. Hasanov.

The DRA failed to gain membership in the League of Nations in
contrast to neighboring Armenia and Georgia. Thus, Azerbaijan was not
internationally recognized because it tried to come into the League
with Karabakh and Nakhidjevan, non-Azeri territories.

There are other examples too testifying to the fact that Karabakh was
not a part of the DRA. For instance, on April 20 of 1920, the other
day of Azerbaijan’s sovietization, the Foreign Affairs commissar
Husejnov send a note to the government of yet independent Armenian
Republic (Armenia became Soviet only on December 2). It read: “The
proletarian government of the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan demands
that you clear Karabakh and Zangezur off your troops”. This also
testifies to the fact that Karabakh was not a part of Azerbaijan
during the first Soviet years. Husejnov didn’t mention the name of
Nakhidjevan simply because it was a part of independent Armenia by
that time and was annexed only in the spring of 1921.

On August 10 of 1920 a treaty between the Dashnak (the ruling party)
government and Soviet Russia was signed. The second part of the
treaty read: “The Soviet troops of Russia conquer the arguable
regions of Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhidjevan with the exception of
the territories destined for the troops of the Armenian Republic”.

And at last the note signed by the chairman of the Revolutionary
Committee Narimanov and the Peoples’ Commissar of Foreign Affairs
Husejnov which says: “Nagorno Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhidjevan are
recognized as constituents of Soviet Armenia”.

By Tatoul Hakobian

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

“KARABAGH MAY HAVE GOOD FUTURE”

British The Economist about Post-Soviet National Conflicts

After the recent events in Southern Ossetia, the political scientists
drew the attention of the leading international mass media on
settlement prospects of the four national conflicts existing in the
post-Soviet territory. The Economist, British authoritative weekly,
published an editorial dedicated to Nagorno Karabagh, Abkhazia,
Southern Ossetia and Transdnestria in its August 19 issue.

“The unfinished wars in Transdnestria, Abkhazia, Southern Ossetia and
Nagorno Karabagh are the key factors that hinder the former Soviet
independent states to unfold their potential fully. A microstate is
in the center of each conflict. The leaders of these microstates won
the local wars but for the Russian arms. Notwithstanding the huge
differences, these microstates have many things in common. The
isolation that lasts for decades and the unrecognized governments
made them a military society.”

“The society of Nagorno Karabagh is the closest to the natural
society among these four countries. In 2001, when the local corrupt
Samvel Babayan was arrested, there existed some mixture of economy
and local policy in Karabagh that is considered independent. But it
is united with Armenia and its economy is supported by Diaspora, in
fact.”

“Recently, local elections took place there. Notwithstanding the wave
of anger and indignation in Azerbaijan, that posses Karabagh de jure,
the competition between the candidates was real. In Stepanakert the
atmosphere was quiet according to post-Soviet criteria. Thus,
Karabagh may have a good future if the fate of this enclave is
settled in some way”, the Economist writes.

According to the weekly, the mutual concession seemed to have been
reached four years ago. “Most of Nagorno Karabakh’s part was to be
united with Armenia, while the Azeris would get the neighboring
regions and the corridor that joined the two parts of the republic
(Azerbaijan and Nakhidjevan). Lately, the positions of both sides
became stricter and the polls testified to the fact that the majority
of the Azeris want that territory (Karabagh) to be regained by
force.”

The Economist means the Key West treaty, that is considered to be a
secret document, but some of its articles have already appeared in
the press. Particularly, by the second article of the treaty Karabagh
was to unite with Armenia against the withdrawal of the Armenian
forces from the territory belonging to Azerbaijan administratively,
except Lachine. This very region secures the land communication
between Karabagh and Armenia. As for the unification of Azerbaijan
and Nakhidjevan, this can be reached by getting a part of Meghri
region, stretching by the bank of Arax. But Lachine and Meghri
corridors have no equal status: the first is united with Armenia,
while Meghri is just a transportation corridor.

“The struggle for Karabagh always existed and a new war is very
possible. Compared with it, Southern Ossetia is a hotbed of a small
but important quarrel. Abkhazia and Transdnestria may have a special
political status, if not for the independence, but for historical
reasons. Both of the administrations have the control of the
territories and the economy and are able to exist independently. But
both of them are the volunteer hostages of Russia,” the Economist
writes. The British weekly reminds the data of the American Herman
Marshal Research Center that define the regions in conflict as “the
cracks of the Soviet Empire that are hotbeds of arm and drug trade,
trafficking, organized crimes and terrorism.”

The Economist adds that Marshall’s conclusion is right for Abkhazia,
Southern Ossetia and Transdnestria, except for Nagorno Karabagh.

By Tatoul Hakobian

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NEW NEWSPAPERS IN ARMENIAN PRESS

Recently, new newspapers were issued in the Armenian press market and
some others will be issued in near future. Today, it’s hard to say
what part will these new periodicals play both in the market and the
politics. But its’ obvious that they will try hard to have influence
in our social-political live. Moreover, at least, the two of them are
financed or sponsored by figures having political claims.

The “Third Power” newspaper is the first among them that is
considered “a social -political independent newspaper”, but is
financed by Levon Hairapetian, Moscow dwelling businessman, and Aram
Karapetian, leader of Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) party. The
newspaper is published by “Missia l” ltd. Vahram Aghajanian, former
reporter of Azg Daily, analyst of the Iravunk weekly, is the
newspaper’s editor-in-chief. The newspaper consists of 16 pages, is
multicolored and well printed.

Few days ago, the first copy of Zoravig newspaper was issued too. It
is established by “Zoravig- Merhak” ltd. Pushkin Serobian is its
editor-in-chief. It is “August 23 Federation” union’s official
periodical.

In some days the newspaper of “Nig Aparan” union will be issued too.
The head of the union is Aghvan Hovsepian, RA Public Prosecutor. His
political claims are frequently spoken about, recently. The newspaper
is very likely to be entitled “Haykakan Dzeragir” (Armenian
Handwriting).

According to the information circulating in the journalistic sphere,
a new periodical will appear in the Armenian press very soon. Today
we know only the name of the editor, Satik Seiranian.

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CAMPING IN GUGARK DIOCESE

The summer vacations are the continuation of the studying process,
but in a special way. These studies should contribute to our
children’s true Armenian education.

Gugark Diocese emphasized the national-spiritual education of the
children in its activities. It organized the summer vacations of many
schoolchildren in “Tsitsernak” (sparrow) camp.

It has been the third year that “Tsitsernak” camp is functioning
under the shelter of Holy See of Etchmiadzin. This is one of the best
camps in Armenia by its order and the educational orientation.

This year, the main building of the camp became a dormitory that
helped to organize vacations for 1050 children instead of 600. Some
of the buildings of “Krunk” camp that also belong to the diocese have
also been renovated. Here the children spend their hours of study and
entertainment. The camp has a new pool and a game square.

There were 48 children of the perished azatamartiks (freedom
fighters) as well as 48 unilateral and 70 bilateral orphans among the
1050 children that spent their summer vacations in the camp. Sepuh
Archbishop Chuljian, head of diocese, assured that they will spare no
effort to enlarge and make the camping complex more comfortable so
that more children could rest there.

By Astkhik Asrian

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“CILICIA” AT HISTORICAL SHORES

Two or three more days and the Armenian “Cilicia” sailing boat will
be at the coast of historical Cilicia, Hmayak Tarakhchian of the
“Ayas” sea research club informed yesterday. On August 27 “Cilicia”
moored at the Athens, and the crew spend 2 days in the
Olympic-battered city. On August 29 publicist Zori Balayan again
joined the sailors after having been in Bulgaria.

Today “Cilicia” is making its way through the Aegean Sea to the
historical Ayas. According to Mr. Tarakhchian, the boat has the right
to navigate in the Aegean Sea but he is uncertain about the ship
mooring in the harbor. The coast of Cilicia begins with the island of
Rhodos and stretches to Iskyandaru (Alexandria) Gulf where the
ancient harbor of Ayas used to be. Mr. Tarakhchian expressed hope
that the Turkish government will allow “Cilicia” moor at Ayas. And we
shall wait for rich impressions of our sailors as they go through
historical Armenian territories.

By Tamar Minasian