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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, July 22, 2004
AGBU INTERNSHIP PROGRAM A SUCCESS
NEW YORK, NY- From a large and highly competitive candidate pool, 34
aspiring professionals were selected to participate in AGBU’s 17th
Annual New York Summer Intern Program (NYSIP). The Program selection
process while difficult, focuses on individuals who have not only
demonstrated an ability to excel in their respective academic
environments, but have also balanced such scholastic success with
diverse and impressive extracurricular interests. The 2004 intern
class, hailing from Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, France,
Switzerland and the United States is no exception, and each has been
provided with a unique and invaluable opportunity to gain the
vocational experience necessary to complement their various fields of
study. The United Nations, the Mayor’s Office, ESPN Radio and Wachovia
Securities are among the organizations participating in the Program.
All this within an exciting backdrop that is New York City.
“Interning at David Scheinfeld and Associates has been an amazing
experience. I was able to gain insight as to how the legal system
operates and thus enabled me to decide if I want to pursue this as a
career in Austria.” (Bagin Hartunian-Tahmasians, Austria)
In addition to providing each intern with a ‘day job,’ the eight-week
Program itinerary includes a number of educational and cultural events
for its participants. Thus far, the interns have attended a lecture
exploring the psychological effects of genocide and trauma, presented
by Dr. Anie Kalayjian, and have been introduced to the literature of
Arthur Nersesian and Nancy Kricorian through a series of book readings
by the authors. At a Young Professionals of Greater New York (YPGNY)
sponsored event Mr. Nersessian discussed his “Chinese Takeout, ” while
a later seminar would highlight Ms. Kricorian’s “Dreams of Bread and
Fire.”
“Growing up, I wasn’t very involved in the Armenian Community. I am
grateful to the AGBU New York Summer Internship Program for organizing
such thought provoking lectures that have enabled me to rediscover my
own identity.” (Kristina Kazarian, USA )
With a further three weeks remaining, each intern is seeking to
maximize their time in the Big Apple. While they have wholeheartedly
embraced the professional opportunities afforded to them, they have
equally made themselves available for various community service
projects. Of particular note, the Program participants volunteered
their services for the Target Children’s Day at the South Street
Seaport, sponsored by Target Stores, as part of the Downtown NYC River
to River Festival 2004, and in association with Thirteen/WNET New
York, as well as for the Sunshine for Seniors Program in conjunction
with YPGNY. Along the way, all have started on a road that will see
them maintain lasting friendships with like-minded young cosmopolitan
Armenians.
“I’ll be leaving New York… knowing that I have a wealth of
friends… who have shared my experience and culture. Best of all
though: I’ll be leaving New York as an Armenian.” (Emily Ohanjanians,
Toronto, Canada)
The AGBU New York Summer Intern Program would not be possible without
the guidance, dedication and generous support of Vartkess and Rita
Balian, founders of the Program and co-chairs of the President’s Club
since 1987, whose invaluable leadership has inspired interns from
around the world. The President’s Club, as sponsors of the Program,
have sustained and expanded the Program in order to offer Armenian
students opportunities to gain professional work experience that will
aid them in their future careers.

Armenian leader, Georgian foreign minister discuss regional development
Mediamax news agency
22 Jul 04
YEREVAN
Armenia is openly interested in stability in Georgia, Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan told today’s meeting in Yerevan with
visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili.
The sides discussed Armenian-Georgian relations and prospects for
developing the South Caucasus region, Mediamax learnt from the
presidential press service. Since economic relations between the two
countries do not correspond to the genuine potential and aspirations
of Armenia and Georgia, Kocharyan said that it was necessary to
intensify the activities of the intergovernmental commission on
economic cooperation.
The Armenian president and the Georgian foreign minister also
discussed the prospects that emerged following the involvement of the
South Caucasus countries in the EU’s New Neighbourhood policy.

Envoy in Azerbaijan denies Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction launch
ANS TV, Baku
21 Jul 04

[Presenter Natavan Babayeva] The Armenian ambassador in Tehran has
said that Iran has started to construct a gas pipeline from Iran to
Armenia. But the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan advises us not to
take this report seriously.
[Correspondent, over archive footage] Iran has started to construct a
100-kilometre section of the gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia across
its territory, the Armenian ambassador in Tehran, Gegam Garibdzhanyan,
has told Iran.ru news agency. According to him, the construction will
finish in spring 2006 and is being held at the expense of the Iranian
state.
The Armenian ambassador said that an Iranian company, representatives
of which had visited Armenia a few days ago, would build the
pipeline’s 40-kilometre section across Armenian territory. Although
Garibdzhanyan did not name the company, he said that the state [Iran]
is in control of this company which has the capacity to finish the
construction before the scheduled date. [Passage omitted: background
of pipeline project].
The Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ahad Qaza’i, denied the
statement by the Armenian ambassador to Iran on the construction of
the gas pipeline.

Armenian, Georgian foreign ministers discuss regional problems
Arminfo
21 Jul 04
YEREVAN
Armenian and Georgian Foreign Ministers Vardan Oskanyan and Salome
Zourabichvili have discussed bilateral relations and some issues of
regional significance in Yerevan.
Welcoming the guest, Oskanyan said that Zourabichvili’s visit and her
high-level meetings will lend a new slant to the issues on the agenda
of Armenian-Georgian relations, the Armenian Foreign Ministry press
service told Arminfo. The ministers discussed the main tasks of
bilateral relations and the region’s prospects. They voiced their
approaches to the issue of European integration and noted the
potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in terms of
strengthening relations with the European and North Atlantic
structures, such as the EU and NATO. They said that this will have
greater importance in connection with the South Caucasian countries’
admission to the Expanded Europe programme.
Oskanyan stressed the importance of developing roads and means of
transport both in the West-East and South-North directions. He said
that the proportional development of these directions will help turn
the South Caucasus into a busy crossroads. In this connection, the
parties exchanged their views on the possibility of restoring the
existing railway lines in the region, particularly the
Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway and the Abkhaz section of the
Russia-Georgia-Armenia railway.
The parties also discussed issues of supplying energy to the region
and the processes going on in this sphere. In this connection, they
touched upon the implementation of several programmes with Iran.
The regional countries’ relations with Turkey were also discussed at
the meeting. Oskanyan spoke about the current state of
Armenian-Turkish relations and the possibility of making progress on
the issue. Then the parties discussed the region’s sore points – the
Nagornyy Karabakh, Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts,
and possible ways of settling these conflicts.

Armenian premier, Georgian minister discuss ethnic minorities’ problems
Arminfo
21 Jul 04
YEREVAN
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan and Georgian Foreign
Minister Salome Zourabichvili have discussed the strengthening of
relations between the two countries.
At a meeting held today, Markaryan voiced his satisfaction with the
high level of interstate Armenian-Georgian relations based on mutual
confidence and cooperation, and on the traditions of centuries-old
friendship between the two nations, the Armenian government press
service told Arminfo.
Armenian-Georgian relations are a component of regional stability, he
said, adding that nevertheless, these relations require attention and
discussion, especially in the economic sphere.
In this context, Markaryan noted the importance of the Georgian
Foreign Minister’s first official visit to Armenia and stressed that
the visit will promote preparations for his visit to Georgia which
will take place in several days.
[Passage omitted: Markaryan says a wide range of economic issues is to
be discussed during his visit to Georgia]
Talking about the maintenance of regional stability, Markaryan said
that Armenia is interested in stability in Georgia. At his request,
Zourabichvili briefed him on the political situation in Georgia,
particularly on the new situation in Ajaria, the tasks that exist in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia and on the country’s relations with Russia
and Turkey.
The parties also discussed the problem of Javakheti [Georgia’s
Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti Region]. Markaryan stressed that
the Armenians always show interest in the fate of their compatriots
living abroad and voiced his hope that the Georgian authorities will
keep paying attention to the Armenian population in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti Region and solve the social and economic problems
of Georgia’s ethnic Armenian citizens, their education and cultural
issues.
Markaryan reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness to assist the implementation
of programmes on the social and economic development of
Samtskhe-Javakheti.
The parties reaffirmed the readiness of the two countries’ governments
to strengthen bilateral political and economic ties and to be actively
involved in regional integration processes.

Azerbaijan to buy Pakistani weapons – paper
Ayna, Baku
21 Jul 04

Azerbaijan is interested in buying Pakistani weapons, the Azerbaijani
daily Ayna has reported. The newspaper quoted an independent military
expert as saying that military agreements may be signed during an
upcoming visit to Azerbaijan by Pakistan’s Gen Muhammad Aziz
Khan. Pakistan can help Azerbaijan form a national military-industrial
complex, he said. “Almost 10 Azerbaijani officers are studying in
Pakistan. I believe that if the talks go well and an agreement is
reached, then this number will increase many times over,” the expert
added. The following is the text of C. Sumarinli report by
Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on 21 July headlined “Pakistan will help
form our military industry” and subheaded “Military sources say that
Azerbaijan is interested in assault rifles made in
Pakistan”. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (which includes
the navy, airforce and ground troops), Gen Muhammad Aziz Khan, is to
visit Azerbaijan in about two weeks, the Pakistani ambassador to
Azerbaijan, Faiz Mohammed Khoso, told journalists several days ago.
He said that the visit will take place at the invitation of
Azerbaijan. Khan will meet Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col-Gen Safar
Abiyev and other officials. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is also
expected to receive Khan. During the meeting the sides will discuss
military cooperation.
Official military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan began in
May 2001 when Abiyev visited that country and signed a joint
declaration with Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. The
agreement envisaged that Pakistan will render Azerbaijan assistance in
military training, education, health, as well as technical aid.
Pakistan’s military education is one of the best in the world. For
instance, the military academy and military communications college in
Pakistan have excellent equipment and personnel. The national defence
college of Pakistan’s military academy is compared with the world’s
leading military education centres. Experts especially note the
special nature of Pakistan’s military education.
In terms of logistics and equipment, the Pakistani armed forces are
very developed and regarded as one of the strongest armies in the
world, experts say.
Talks failed in 2001
We have obtained information from military sources that the
Azerbaijani delegation and their Pakistani counterparts discussed the
purchase of weapons and military hardware in May 2001. For some
reason, however, the deal did not materialize. But chances are high
that the talks will be successful in 2004.
Currently, there are 14 military plants in Pakistan. These facilities
mainly produce small arms, grenade-launchers and machine guns. Some
work was carried out recently to start mass production of military
hardware. For this reason, Pakistan may offer its close ally
Azerbaijan military hardware and weapons at discount prices. This is
crucial for the Azerbaijani government because Armenia, which has
occupied our territories, buys weapons and military hardware from
Russia at reduced prices in accordance with the regulations of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Pakistani assault rifles
Military sources say that Azerbaijan is most interested in acquiring
assault rifles made in Pakistan. They are not inferior in quality to
Kalashnikov assault rifles used by our army and are cheaper.
An independent military expert, retired Lt-Col Uzeyir Cafarov, told
Ayna in an interview that military relations between the two countries
can be described as satisfactory at the moment. “The first time the
Pakistani military visited Azerbaijan was in 1992. By now there have
been numerous meetings between Azerbaijani and Pakistani
servicemen. Khan’s visit will create conditions for signing a number
of documents. They will mainly concern the issues discussed during the
recent visit to Azerbaijan by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.”
Developing Azerbaijan’s military-industrial complex
In the near future, the relationship between the two countries will
become even more dynamic, Cafarov said. “The documents to be signed
during Khan’s visit will concern the formation of Azerbaijan’s
military-industrial complex and the intensification of exchange
programmes for military personnel. It is very important for Azerbaijan
to form a national military-industrial complex. Almost 10 Azerbaijani
officers are studying in Pakistan. I believe that if the talks go well
and an agreement is reached, then this number will increase many times
over.”
Cafarov confirmed that the Pakistani army is one of the strongest
armies in the world and there is a lot Azerbaijan can learn from
Pakistan. “The Pakistani army is mainly formed on the basis of NATO
and some local standards. They have completed a lot of military
reforms. Therefore, I believe that Azerbaijan must maintain close
military cooperation, as well an open and free exchange with
Pakistan.”
Cafarov also touched on the prospects for Azerbaijan’s purchase of
weapons from Pakistan. “I reckon that this will be done in the
future. At this stage, Azerbaijan may obtain some important military
equipment from Pakistan. In general, these two countries can establish
trade in military hardware in the future.”

PRESS RELEASE
July 22, 2004
American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576
Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]
Water Safety in Armenia
Yerevan – The Environmental Conservation and Research Center of the American
University of Armenia and the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network, Yerevan
Office hosted a free Environmental Panel Discussion on July 14, 2004,
focusing on Water Safety and Water Supply in Armenia.
Based upon the Yerevan Water Company’s findings, there were only about 30
violations for bacterial contamination among the more than 10,000 samples
taken last year. Panelists included Dr. Vladimir Davidyants, Chief Sanitary
Doctor of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Health, Mr. Richard Walkling,
Chief Executive Officer, Yervodokanal (Yerevan Canal Company), Mr. Eduard
Mesropyan, Director, JINJ Environmental Consulting, and Dr. Charles Dunlap,
Director, Environmental Conservation and Research Center, American
University of Armenia. They raised some concern that these samples may not
fully represent the quality of water that many people are drinking because
the samples were not taken in the upper floors of buildings. However, it
was noted that if the low levels of bacterial contamination in Yerevan are
correct, this represents a dramatic improvement in the 15% contamination
rate measured by AUA in 1995.
`Although Yerevan appears to have safer water than it did seven years ago,
Ministry of Health data continue to show a 20-30% rate of bacterial
contamination in Armenia’s rural water supplies,’ stated Dr. Charles Dunlap,
Director of AUA’s Environmental Conservation and Research Center. The
panel discussion led to a commitment on improving public information on
water testing carried out by the Ministry of Health and the Yerevan Water
Company. The Ministry of Health committed to establishing a web site where
findings could be publicly available, and the Yerevan Water Company also
agreed to disseminate its data upon request.
AUA’s Environmental Research and Conservation Center has an ongoing interest
in the conservation of Armenia’s surface water quality and research into
health threats from drinking water contamination. In 2002, the Center
designed and specified the equipment and procedures for a $500,000 water
quality laboratory being built by USAID in the Ministry of Nature
Protection. In 2003, the Center constructed a scientific research laboratory
at AUA dedicated to water quality analysis. The lab is currently supporting
a project to independently assess the safety of Yerevan drinking water
samples collected from homes throughout Yerevan.
The Environmental Conservation and Research Center conducts research into
conservation, ecology, environmental contamination, and sustainable
development in the Republic of Armenia, and serves the community through
education outreach programs and collaboration with local scientists and
organizations. ECRC is funded by the generous support of Mr. Sarkis Acopian.
AUA is registered as a non-profit educational organization in both Armenia
and the United States and is affiliated with the Regents of the University
of California. Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers
instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For
more information about AUA, visit or For more
information about the AUA Environmental Conservation and Research Center
visit
Picture: At AUA, environmental experts and health officials discuss Armenia
‘s water quality and safety.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS, Russia
July 22 2004
Iran begins building 140 km-long gas pipeline to Armenia

VIENNA, July 22 (Itar-Tass) – Iran has begun building a 140
kilometers-long gas pipeline to Armenia, OPEC sources said here
Thursday quoting the Armenian ambassador to Teheran, Gegam
Garibjanian.
The cost of which stands at around 120 million U.S. dollars, they
said.
The two countries signed an agreement on the project in May, when the
Iranian oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, visited Yerevan.
Under its provisions, Iran will be supplying 36 billion cubic meters
of natural gas to Armenia annually from 2007 through to 2027.
OPEC sources also indicated that in the future the pipeline might be
used to ship Iranian gas to Georgia, Ukraine and farther on to
Europe.
To make the whole scheme possible, a 550 kilometers-long section of
the pipeline will laid at the floor of the Black Sea, stretching
half-latitudinally from the Georgian port of Supsa to Feodosiya in
the Crimea, the sources said, adding that the its projected cost was
in the neighborhood of 5 billion U.S. dollars.
Forecasts suggest that once the project is implemented, the Iranian
gas supplies to Europe may reach 60 billion cubic meters a year, and
Ukrainian imports will likely account for 10 billion cubic meters out
of that amount.
A decision on whether or not to extend the initial 140 kilometers of
the pipeline must be taken in Yerevan, the sources said.

Payvand, Iran from IRNA
July 22 2004
Iran begins building 140 km gas pipeline to Armenia: report
Tehran, July 22, IRNA — Iran has begun building a 140-km-long gas
pipeline to Armenia, said the Itar-Tass news agency monitored here
Thursday.
The two countries signed an agreement on the project worth around 120
million US dollars in May, when Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar
Zanganeh visited Yerevan.
Under its provisions, Iran will be supplying 36 billion cubic meters
of natural gas to Armenia annually from 2007 through to 2027.
Itar-Tass, citing OPEC sources in Vienna, said that the pipeline
might be used to ship Iranian gas to Georgia, Ukraine and farther on
to Europe in the future.
The news agency said the sources had got the news from Armenian
ambassador to Tehran, Gegam Garibjian.
To make the whole scheme possible, a 550-kilometer-long section of
the pipeline will be laid at the floor of the Black Sea, stretching
from the Georgian port of Supsa to Feodosiya in the Crimea, it said.
According to the same sources, the project is estimated to cost about
five billion US dollars.
Forecasts suggest that once the project is implemented, the Iranian
gas supplies to Europe may reach 60 billion cubic meters a year, of
which Ukrainian imports will likely account for 10 billion cubic
meters.
Tehran has already a multi-billion-dollar contract with neighboring
Turkey to supply gas for 25 years.
The gas flow was launched in December 2001 via a 2,577-kilometer
pipeline, running from the northeastern city of Tabriz to Ankara,
which supplies gas from southern Iran near the Persian Gulf.
The contract has been a boon to Iran’s bid to become a sustainable
gas supplier to Turkey and Europe.
Looking for alternative markets, Tehran has also held talks with the
Persian Gulf littoral states and the Central Asian nations for the
sale of gas.
The country sits on the second largest proven gas reserves of the
world after Russia, which has been a headache for Iran by getting
into, what is feared to be, an unnecessary and costly competition.

Georgia Straight, Canada
July 22 2004
Lullabies Sad Beyond Belief
By alexander varty
It was just one of those games you play when you’re stuck in traffic
and it’s too hot and you’ve got to do something or go crazy, but it
got me thinking anyway. “Name some songs that make you sad,” she
said, and after trotting out the usual suspects–the occasional
Richard Thompson ballad, pretty much anything by Nick Drake, the
Hello Kitty theme–I found myself stumped.
On reflection, however, I think I’ve identified the most miserable
song in the English language: “Rockabye baby, on the treetop…”
You know the rest: the terrible wind, the splintering crash, and, one
presumes, the strangulated cry of the unfortunate infant. It’s like a
Lemony Snicket novel writ small.
I’ve always wondered why this dismal little ditty is so popular, and
I suspect it’s because it encapsulates the archetypal emigrant
experience: exile from the ancestral home, a stormy passage, and
disaster. Think of all those Scots driven across the Atlantic by the
Highland clearances. But the horrors of “Rockabye Baby” pale when
compared to “Nazei Oror”, an Armenian lullaby based on a poem by
Avetis Aharonian. It’s worth quoting at length: “The caravan
passed/With a burden of tears/And in the black desert/Fell to its
knees/Exhausted/Ah, with the pain of the world/Don’t cry/I have
already shed many tears/My milk has frozen/On your lifeless lips/I
know it is bitter/My child/And you don’t want it/Ah, my milk has
become/The taste of my grief.”
This is a more explicit song of exile: the caravan it refers to was
made up of women and children deported from Turkey in 1915, during
what has come to be known as the Armenian holocaust. Somewhere
between one and one-and-a-half million Armenians lost their lives
during this systematic campaign of genocide, instigated by the dying
Ottoman empire, and a million more fled to Syria, Lebanon, Greece,
North America, and Russia–where, following the breakup of the Soviet
Union, Armenians finally founded a state of their own.
Armenian Lullabies, which contains “Nazei Oror” and a dozen other
bedtime songs, is a product of the New York City – based Traditional
Crossroads label, but it was recorded in Yerevan, the capital of
Armenia. And it’s informally dedicated to the survivors of the
massacres of 1915; singer and folklorist Hasmik Harutyunyan first
heard several of its featured tunes from women who had survived the
pogrom.
Not surprisingly, it’s a beautiful but mournful document, even if
“Nazei Oror” is the only song specifically inspired by historical
events. Armenian music tends toward minor keys and plaintive
melodies, and a traditional Armenian childhood was never easy:
although the culture that produced these songs was devoutly
Christian–one reason for its persecution by the Turks–it also
believed in an array of supernatural beings, some quite malignant.
These could, on occasion, threaten a child, and thus many Armenian
lullabies have a magical as well as a soporific function: they were a
mother’s way of weaving a protective spell to keep her infant safe.
In her singing, Harutyunyan fuses maternal tenderness, fierce memory,
and spiritual conviction, making Armenian Lullabies a recording that
should appeal to more than just Armenians and ethnomusicologists. And
she’s helped in this by the instrumentalists of the Shoghaken
Ensemble, who have two CDs out on the Traditional Crossroads imprint,
including the recently released Traditional Dances of Armenia.
Naturally, the Shoghaken Ensemble’s dance music is more sprightly
than its lullabies; percussionists Kamo Khachaturian and Levon
Tevanyan contribute clattering, capricious rhythms that would be
effective in any village square, or at any folk-festival gathering.
But the band’s star is zurna virtuoso Gevorg Dabaghyan, whose
clarinetlike instrument wails and cajoles and chants as seductively
as any voice.
It’s interesting to consider Armenian music as the missing link
between the music of Mediterranean Europe, North Africa, and
Asia–appropriately enough, given Armenia’s location. On Traditional
Dances of Armenia the performers employ the dhol, a drum that’s also
used in Punjabi bhangra, and the bowed string instrument known as the
kamancha, a staple of Iranian classical music. But they also feature
the oud, which can be found almost everywhere in the Muslim world,
and the kanon, a kind of hammered dulcimer not unlike that popular in
both Hungary and India, while some of the melodies they play wouldn’t
sound out of place in Morocco or the south of France.
What’s more important, though, is that the performances on
Traditional Dances of Armenia, like those on Armenian Lullabies, are
passionate enough to possess more than merely academic appeal.
Armenian culture may have been threatened, but it clearly remains
very much alive.