PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Communications Officer
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 24, 2004
___________________
Week of June 18 to June 24, 2004
* * *
ASP PARTICIPANTS HEAD TO ARMENIA
Participants in this year’s Armenia Service Program (ASP), organized by
the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), headed to
Armenia on Tuesday (6/22), after a day of orientation and team-building
exercises at the Diocesan Center in New York City. While in Armenia,
the group of 26 young people from throughout the Diocese will serve as
counselors at a summer camp for needy children, and tour the country,
deepening their understanding of their faith and heritage. For updates
on the group in Armenia, and to learn more about the Armenia Service
Program, click to our website:
;selmonth=6&sel
year04
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 6/22/04)
* * *
ARMENIAN OF THE YEAR HONORED WITH MEDAL OF FREEDOM
On Wednesday (6/23), President George Bush awarded the “Presidential
Medal of Freedom” to Dr. Vartan Gregorian. The medal is the nation’s
highest civilian award. Dr. Gregorian is the president of the Carnegie
Foundation and past president of Brown University and the New York
Public Library. Earlier this year, Dr. Gregorian was also the recipient
of the Eastern Diocese’s “Armenian of the Year Award,” during the 2004
Diocesan Assembly.
Dr. Gregorian was one of 13 people awarded the presidential medal during
the ceremony at the White House. Also receiving the award were such
luminaries as Pope John Paul II, entertainers Rita Moreno and Doris Day,
the late cosmetics entrepreneur Estee Lauder, golf legend Arnold Palmer,
the long-time editor of Commentary magazine, Norman Podhoretz, and
former Republican Senator from Massachusetts Edward Brooke, who in 1966
became the first African-American senator to be elected by popular vote.
To learn more about Dr. Gregorian, click to our website:
(Source: The New York Sun, 6/24/04)
* * *
CLICK TO OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Today (6/24) from noon to 3 p.m., the St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks group
is hosting a picnic for the public on the Cathedral plaza. You can
learn about this, and many more exciting events around the Diocese, by
clicking to our website’s Calendar of Events:
If your parish is having an event, get it listed for free by e-mailing
the information to [email protected].
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 6/24/04)
* * *
FIND THE PERFECT GIFTS ONLINE
You can find perfect gifts for any loved one by going to the St. Vartan
Bookstore website, Shopping online is safe,
easy, and quick.
Go to for great gifts for art lovers, young
readers, musicians, historians, cooks, and people proud to be Armenian.
New items are added to the online inventory every week.
For simple, secure, and speedy ordering, click to the St. Vartan
Bookstore today:
(Source: , 6/24/04)
* * *
COME TO THE ARARAT CENTER CONSECRATION, OPEN HOUSE ON SATURDAY, JULY 24
Every Armenian is invited to attend an open house and consecration on
Saturday, July 24, the last day of St. Vartan Camp. The day of free
food, live music, and fun will run from noon to 5 p.m. Archbishop
Barsamian will consecrate the land at 2 p.m. The event is free, and
open to the public.
RSVP by July 10, by e-mailing [email protected] or calling (212)
686-0710 ext. 43.
(Source: Ararat Youth and Conference Center, 6/24/04)
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-1) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Minister of Foreign Affairs Launches Nansen Exhibit at the Council of Europe
Minister Oskanian inaugurated an exhibition of documents and photographs on
Fritjof Nansen, the Norwegian humanist-explorer, who established the first
High Commission for Refugees, under the League of Nations. The passports
given to Armenian refugees of the Genocide of 1915 bears his name.
The Nansen exhibit was sponsored by the Armenian delegation to the Council
of Europe, on the occasion of Norway’s taking on the presidency of the
Council.
Present at the opening were the Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly, Peter Schieder, Norway’s Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and
President Robert Kocharian.
The text of the Minister’s remarks appears below.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vartan Oskanian
On the Opening of the Nansen Exhibit
At the Council of Europe, Strasbourg
June 23, 2004
Mr. Schwimmer, Mr. Schieder, Mr. Prime Minister, and Mr. President,
Armenians have long been fascinated by and grateful to the Norwegian
Fridtjof Nansen. And not because he could ski 50 miles in a day or because
he explored Greenland and survived the North Pole.
As great as Nansen¹s interest was in adventure and the sciences, following
the first World War, he became deeply engaged in international affairs. And
this bore great significance for Armenia and Armenians. He supported the
Covenant of the League of Nations and advocated the rights of small nations.
He repatriated hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war. He mustered help
for millions in Russia dying of famine.

And, he helped establish and lead the office of High Commission for
refugees. In that capacity, Nansen tried to solve the problem of Greek
refugees and arranged for an exchange of 1.2 million Greeks living on
Turkish soil for about 1/2 a million Turks living in Greece. Nansen invented
the Nansen Passport, a document of identification which was recognized by
dozens of governments and which provided an identity to hundreds of
thousands of refugees, including great numbers of Armenians rendered
homeless by genocide, massacres and deportation, at the turn of the 20th
century.

He helped the stateless and homeless whose causes appeared politically
intractable. He helped the human victims on both sides of political and
military conflicts.

Before the creation of international aid and development programs, he drew
up a political, industrial, financial plan for creating a national home for
Armenians. He did this at the invitation of the League of Nations. And
although the League failed to implement the plan, Armenians and others
interested in justice and equal rights believe he accomplished a great deal
– by putting on the international agenda the rights of peoples to their own
homeland.

This man, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, was a Norwegian from a well
to do family. Perhaps it was because he never had to struggle to assure his
own survival, that he had the time and the wherewithal to take on the
struggles of others.

The same can be said for the country and people of Norway who have been
blessed with natural wealth, and the wisdom to use it wisely. From the work
of the Nobel Committee to that of Transparency International, Norway has
found ways to encourage and reward those who make efforts to truly integrate
human rights and democratic values and good governance in their own
societies. With Norway at the helm of the Council of Europe, we look forward
to working together to follow Fritjof Nansen¹s example: to recognize that
which is good and right in society, and to work to improve those aspects
which are still incomplete.

In Armenia, we are thankful for the work of the Norwegian Refugee Council,
and we recognize that today¹s refugees are more fortunate than those whose
fate Fritjof Nansen tried to affect. Yet, judging by the number of those who
still regard the Nansen passports with pride, we can justifiably say that
Nansen gave documents and a sense of belonging to one generation, but his
legacy to succeeding generations is the recognition of a universal
responsibility to acknowledge each individual¹s right to live not as victims
but as equals, in charge of their own lives and their own destiny.

So we offer this modest exhibition, moved by the commitment of this great
humanist, and are proud that it is presented here, in the halls of the
Council of Europe, an organization which espouses the ideas and principles
around which Fridtjof Nansen lived his life.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
June 24, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
HOUSE FOREIGN AID COMMITTEE REINSTATES U.S. POLICY ON SECURITY PARITY
Assembly Credits Congressman Knollenberg
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly praised members of a key foreign aid
subcommittee today for reinstating U.S. policy to maintain military aid
parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Foreign
Operations bill. The bill, which lawmakers passed by voice vote last night,
foils the Administration’s attempt to provide Azerbaijan a $6 million
increase over Armenia by placing the neighboring countries on equal footing.
“We commend Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and his Subcommittee for maintaining
equal security assistance between Armenia and Azerbaijan by explicit policy
and by allocating $5 million in military financing to Armenia and
Azerbaijan,” said Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. “We
are especially appreciative of Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI), who serves on the committee, for taking the lead to reinstate U.S.
balance and impartiality in dealing with the Karabakh conflict.”
Representative Knollenberg said, “Parity in military assistance to Armenia
and Azerbaijan is absolutely critical to maintaining the careful balance
between the two countries. We cannot settle for anything less. I’m also
pleased we were able to increase military assistance to Armenia from $2
million to $5 million in order to help them modernize their equipment.”
Congress has recently rebuffed attempts by the Administration to tip the
scale in favor of Baku by upholding this long-standing parity policy. The
Administration attempted, during the August congressional recess last year,
to provide an additional $5 million in security assistance to Azerbaijan via
the 15 day congressional notification process. Fortunately, Congress
blocked this request until Armenia received equal treatment.
This April, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Caucus
member John E. Sweeney (R-NY), along with over 40 of their congressional
colleagues, wrote to Chairman Kolbe urging that the subcommittee maintain
symmetry in levels of any military/security assistance for Armenia and
Azerbaijan. In addition, they requested “not less than” $75 million in
economic assistance for Armenia and an additional $5 million in humanitarian
assistance for Nagorno Karabakh in FY 2005. The Assembly strongly supported
this initiative by urging Members to sign on to this letter during its
advocacy portion of its National Conference and via a nationwide Action
Alert.
In a letter dated February 10th of this year and sent to the 131 members of
the Armenian Caucus and 35 Senators, the Assembly said that providing
asymmetrical military assistance to Azerbaijan will not only “have a
potentially destabilizing effect on the South Caucasus,” but also “damage
U.S. credibility as an impartial and leading mediator in the ongoing
sensitive peace negotiations for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.”
The Subcommittee also approved “not less than” $65 million to Armenia, an
increase of $3 million over the Administration’s FY 2005 budget request. An
additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance for Nagorno Karabakh was
also allocated. The Administration did not propose any assistance for
Karabakh.
The bill will next be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee.
Once the full House and Senate complete action on their version of the bill,
a joint House-Senate Conference Committee will reconcile the differences.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-061

ZAWYA
Iran signs customs cooperation agreement with 22 countries
24 June 2004
Tehran — Iran has signed customs cooperation agreements with 22 countries,
said the International Cooperation Department at Iran`s Customs
Administration here on Wednesday.
According to the Department, some of the agreements, related to a bill which
has been passed by Majlis, concern European, Asian and African states and
there are one signed with a South American state. The agreements help
upgrade level of commercial exchanges with countries and remove certain
impediments to expansion of economic cooperation.
The agreements are also expected to facilitate technical and educational
cooperation and help speedy exchange of information. Iran is now engaged in
talks with Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Morocco and China to sign the
agreements. Presently, contracts with Belarussia, Albania, Spain, Italy,
Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and
Hungary are undergoing their final stages.
In addition, Georgia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Portugal, Switzerland, France,
Tanzania, Zambia, Japan and the Philippines have voiced readiness for talks
to ink related agreements. Iran`s Customs Administration official has in
recent years signed 37 memoranda of understanding with 19 countries for
expansion of cooperation.
Russia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Austria, Ukraine,
Turkey, Armenia, India, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tazakhstan, Sudan,
Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tunisia, Cuba and Lebanon have so far
signed customs cooperation agreement with Iran.
© IRNA 2004
Article originally published by IRNA 24-Jun-04

PRESS RELEASE
June 24, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:
Scholarships Available to Diaspora Armenians to Attend Armenian Universities
The Government of Armenia has established 75 full scholarships to allow
Diaspora Armenians to study in the Armenian public universities and colleges
in the academic year 2004/2005. 70 scholarships will be provided to
applicants interested in pursuing undergraduate studies, and 5 scholarships,
for graduate studies.
Applications for scholarship and enrollment will be considered by a special
commission of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science. Priority is
given to applicants pursuing studies in Teacher’s Training, Armenian
Studies, and Fine Arts.
In addition to tuition-free positions, Diaspora Armenian applicants will
also have an opportunity to apply for and be enrolled in public universities
on paid basis, following the procedure outlined above.
The deadline for submitting applications is August 20, 2004. The application
forms, list of universities and departments are available upon request from
the Embassy of Armenia, via email: [email protected] or telephone:
202-319-1976, ext. 348.

Northern Avenue Legal Analysis
Arman Zrvandyan 2004
24.06.2004
CSI .csi.am
In 2001 the Government of RA planned to construct Northern Avenue in
Yerevan. For the realisation of this project the Government of the RA made
several decisions approving the area of real assests (sites, houses and
construction) located within the planned area of Northern Avenue in Yerevan
and amortisied for the state needs, as well facilitated establishment of «
Northern Avenue and the Cascade » projects realisation office » governmental
non-profitable organisation wich has been charged for the activities related
to the construction of the Northern Avenue and the Cascade. Morover, in
accordance to the Government decisions N 950 of 05.10.2001 and N 1169-N
14.08.2002 N the organisation was also charged for the whole portfolio in
determination, following it currency adjustment offer and further purchase
of the confiscated sites and real estate in the area of Northern Avenue
It is noteworthy that before the confiscation of individual’s property for
the state needs, the latter should observe particular preconditions
envisaged by the Constitution of the RA, aacting laws and ratified
international agreements; and their ignorance makes the process of the
amortization of the real estate of individualsillegal.
Thus, Article N28 of the Constitution of the RA on confiscation of the
individual’s property either for the state or public needs defines the
following:
“.Confiscation of property for the needs of society and the state may occur
only in exceptional cases with prior full compensation on the basis of the
law. ”
This impleis that before confiscating the property for the needs of the
society and statethe authorities of the RA must observe the following
preconditions in accordance with the Constitution of the RA :
1. Confiscation of the property should serve for the satisfaction of the
needs of the society and the state;
2. Confiscation of property for the needs of society and the state may occur
only in exceptional cases;
3. Confiscation of property should be realized solely on the basis of the
law;
4. The authorities are obliged to provide prior full compensation.
Have the authorities of the RA satisfied the above-mentioned requirements
envisaged in the Constitution and International agreements? In order to give
a proper answer to the question it is necessary to understand how the
authorities should have provided the very guaranties.
The precise answer was given by the Constitutional Court of the RA in its
Decision N SDO-92 (SD) of February 27, 1998, that, while clarifying points
of the above stated article 28 of the Constitution of the RA, declared such
a legal position in which the property of an individual can be confiscated
in accordance to the provisions of the Second part of the Article N28 of the
Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and in case of his disagreement, the
state can terminate the enjoyment of the rights to the property by means of
Accepting Law on that particular property that will substantiate its
explicit importance and significance and define distinctly that the
confiscated property will be used for the needs of the state and the
society. Moreover, the Constitutional Court states that the Government of
the Republic of Armenia cannot establish such procedures of confiscation of
property for the needs of the state and society that will automatically
authorise it with the right for confiscating this type of property.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia has never accepted any Law
on Confiscating the Property in the Area of the Northern Avenue as stated in
the Decision of the Constitutional Court of the RA. Furthermore, the
afore-mentioned decisions of the Government of the RA, that were taken as a
legal basis for the realisation of processes of confiscating the property in
this area, are mere Sub-Constitutional Acts and they can no way be addressed
and treated as “Laws”. Accordingly, the absence of the Law automatically
implies the disregard to the other constitutional requirements, as only in
the Law on the Confiscation of the confiscation-due Property in the area of
the Northern Avenue the Government of the RA could have proven the explicit
importance and significance and define distinctly that the confiscated
property will be used for the needs of the state and the society.
Thus, as the Constitutional norms are put into force immediately and
International Agreements of the RA are superior over the Laws that
contradict them, it goes naturally that the provisions of the latter should
be practised.
In these conditions the decision made by the executive branch of the RA
couldn’t have served as satisfactory legal basis for confiscations of the
individuals’ property.
Furthermore, the Article N1 of the Protocol N1 of the European Convention on
the “Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” states the following
Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his
possessions. No one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the
public interest and subject to the conditions provided for by law and by the
general principles of international law.
So, as you can see, the European Convention also foresees restrictions in
the usage of own property, though, the same way as in the Constitution of
the RA, it allows confiscation in the manner of “except in the public
interest” and “subject to the conditions provided for by law” and not by a
Sub-Constitutional Act.
The European Court on Human Rights in its case of Zvolski and Zvolskaya
against Republic of Czech gave the following in its Verdict:
. Article N1 of the Protocol N1 of the Convention requires that any
interference into the right of enjoying possessions of the natural person by
the state authorities must be legal. Moreover, the predominance of the
Right, which is one of the fundamental principles of the democratic society,
is applicable to all the Articles of the Convention.
The law, which serves as a basis for the interference, should correspond to
the relevant provisions of the inter- state Legislation, including
Constitution of the High Agreeing Side (See, point 65 of December 11, 2002
in the Verdict of ECHR on case of Zvolski and Zvolska against Republic of
Czech)
Those preconditions for the deprivation of the property are included,
primarily, to establish control over restrictions towards individual’s
fundamental right of property by the Legislative body and prevent possible
abuse and violations committed in out of the control on behalf of the
Executives.
Summarising the above written, we can conclude that the Confiscation of the
property realised in frames of the project on the Construction of the
Northern Avenue in the RA was not “on the basis of Law” as the National
Assembly has not ever accepted the relevant Law, which is a direct breach of
both the Constitution of the RA and other laws as well as provisions
envisaged in the Article N1 of the Protocol N1 of the European Convention on
Human Rights.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
06/24/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. ANCA Joins Coalition Campaign to Stop Genocide in Sudan 2. Berlin Leader Momper Addresses Turkey's Genocide Denial 3. Russian Mediator Confirms Work on New Karabagh Plan 4. Bomb Blasts across Turkey Days before NATO Summit 5. Armenia Reaffirms Plans to Join NATO Drills in Azerbaijan 1. ANCA Joins Coalition Campaign to Stop Genocide in Sudan WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)--The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) participated in a press conference yesterday, organized by the Congressional Black Caucus and Africa Action, voicing its support for a nationwide, grassroots campaign to secure US intervention to stop the impending genocide in Sudan. Congressional Black Caucus members, including Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Representatives Donald Payne (D-NJ), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) were joined by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), and Africa Action Executive Director Salih Booker in calling attention to the ongoing tragedy in Sudan, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives in 2004. In response to a question by ANCA Government Affairs Director Abraham Niziblian about individual involvement in stopping the cycle of genocide in Sudan, Rep. Payne cited the example of he Armenian Genocide, noting, "if we had done something then [in 1915], we would not have had the 1930's genocide committed by the Nazis." Salih then stressed the importance of participating in a petition drive initiated by Africa Action on June 15, calling on Secretary of State Colin Powell to support an immediate intervention to stop the killing [in Sudan]." Over the past several weeks, the ANCA has called attention to the atrocities in Sudan through a series of letters to Congressional offices, urging them to take a stand to stop the cycle of genocide through support of Congressional initiatives regarding Sudan as well as for the Genocide Resolution (H.Res.193 / S.Res.164), which reaffirms US commitment to the principles of the Genocide Convention. In a June 17 memo to Congressional staff members, Niziblian stated, "As the descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, Armenian Americans feel a special obligation to encourage our government to take the lead in preventing genocides, anywhere around the world. Please stand up against genocide in Sudan and do all that you can to ensure we, as a nation, meet our obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish all instances of genocide." Similarly on June 23, Niziblian asked Members of Congress to "work for the passage of the Genocide Resolution (H.Res.193 and S.Res.164) to reaffirm our collective commitment to the aims of the Genocide Convention." The Genocide Resolution was introduced in the Senate in June, 2003 by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ). Its companion House measure, H.Res.193, led by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), was adopted unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee last May and has 111 cosponsors. The resolution cites the importance of remembering past crimes against humanity, including the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides, in an effort to stop future atrocities. Support for the measure has been widespread, with a diverse coalition of over 100 ethnic, religious, civil and human rights organizations calling for its passage, including American Values, National Organization of Women, Sons of Italy, NAACP, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and the National Council of La Raza. Africa Action has reported that, "In Darfur, the Sudanese government is destroying African Muslim communities who have challenged the authoritarian rule of the government. Government forces and Arab militias known as the janjaweed have burned and pillaged thousands of villages, poisoned water systems, and subjected the population to large-scale rape and other atrocities." On May 17, House Members overwhelmingly adopted H.Con.Res. 403, condemning the Sudanese Government for its attacks against innocent civilians in the impoverished Darfur region of western Sudan, by a margin of 360 to 1. Its companion resolution in the Senate, S.Con.Res. 99, was adopted unanimously on May 6. Rep. Payne announced that he would introduce additional legislation calling on the "UN Security Council to introduce a resolution authorizing intervention in Darfur" and "urging the US Administration to expose those responsible for the genocide." INDIVIDUALS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE AFRICA ACTION PETITION DRIVE BY VISITING: 2. Berlin Leader Momper Addresses Turkey's Genocide Denial BERLIN (Armenpress)In a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, the president of the Berlin House of Representatives Walter Momper, said on Thursday that Turkey has to follow European Union (EU) guidelines in aspiring to join the EU, and must review its policy on the recognition of the Armenian genocide. "Every intelligent man knows the reality of Armenian genocide," said Momper, clarifying that at least "Germans know of what went on in the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the 20th century." Margarian urged Momper to consider taking up the issue of the Armenian genocide in Berlin's parliament so as to "serve as good example for others." He stressed that recognition and denouncement of the genocide would prevent repetition of such crimes. Margarian, along with a sizable Armenian delegation, arrived in Berlin on June 22 to conduct three day's of meetings with high-level officials in an effort to boost a wide variety of relations between the two countries. An Armenian-German Economic Forum took place on June 23 "to introduce Armenia as reliable partner" according to Armenia's ambassador to Germany Karine Ghazarian. "I am confident that this Conference will provide a good environment to achieve its main objective to deepen and further develop the economic cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Armenia and give a new incentive to enlargement and consolidation of the existing ties between the business communities of the two countries," Ghazarian stressed in opening the conference. The one-day forum was organized by the Armenian Embassy in Germany along with the German Economic Cooperation and Development Ministry, as well as by the Technical Cooperation Company, German Industry and Trade House, Restoration Foundation (KFW), Oriental Commission on German Industry, German Investments and Development Organization. 3. Russian Mediator Confirms Work on New Karabagh Plan MOSCOW (RFE/RL)A senior Russian diplomat confirmed on Thursday that he and the other international mediators are working on a new peace plan attempting to reconcile the opposing strategies of Armenia and Azerbaijan on ending the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. The Russian co-chair of the OSCE's Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov, said a synthesis of a "step-by-step" settlement of the conflict pushed by Azerbaijan and a single "package" accord demanded by the Armenian side, is the only realistic way of breaking the decade-long deadlock in the peace process. "The co-chairs are now trying to propose a variant of the settlement which would literally allow us to synthesize incompatible proposals, namely, those two approaches," Merzlyakov said. "In our view, this is possible to do if the parties display good will." The new "third-way" strategy of conflict resolution was apparently the main focus. Merzlyakov and the Minsk Group's French and US co-chairs also took part in it. Precisely what practical form that synthesis might take remains unclear. After his meeting in Prague on Monday with Azerbaijan's foreign minister, Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian said that though the idea is realistic, the approach must somehow address the thorny issue of Karabagh's status. President Robert Kocharian made it clear on Wednesday, however, that Armenians will never agree to Karabagh's return to Azeri rule. "Karabagh has never been part of an independent Azerbaijan," Kocharian said, addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. "Azerbaijan's territorial integrity therefore has nothing in common with Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR)." MKR's leadership and the Kocharian administration insist on a "package" settlement which was almost secured during a peace conference on the Florida Island of Key West in April 2001. According to the Armenian side, Azerbaijan's then President Heydar Aliyev backtracked on the deal which would have upheld Armenian control of Karabagh. It proposes settling key problems, including status, security guarantees, and troop withdrawal, with a single, comprehensive agreement. Oskanian and other Armenian officials said earlier this year that the only way to push the peace process forward is to revive those Key West agreements. The step-by-step solution that Azerbaijan advocates was strongly backed in late 1997 by Kocharian's predecessor Levon Ter Petrosian. It calls for Armenia to surrender specific buffer zones to Azerbaijan, in exchange of deployment of international peacekeepers in Mountainous Karabagh. 4. Bomb Blasts across Turkey Days before NATO Summit ISTANBUL (Reuters)A bomb blast has ripped through a city bus, killing four people in Istanbul, days before US President George W. Bush arrives in the country for a NATO summit, Turkish television says. It was the second bomb blast to rock a Turkish city on Thursday. The bus was passing in front of a hospital in a residential district of Istanbul, the country's largest city, when the blast occurred, CNN Turk said. Ambulances rushed to the scene. Seven people were hurt. Witness Mehmet Tatli told Reuters that he helped carry bodies of the dead and injured after the explosion and saw four bodies in total. Earlier on Thursday a small parcel bomb exploded outside the Hilton Hotel in the Turkish capital of Ankara, where Bush is due to stay on Saturday night before attending the summit in Istanbul. That blast wounded three people. The Turkish government, which hosts the NATO summit in Istanbul on June 28-29, earlier moved to reassure the public on security arrangements. "Turkey is a sufficiently strong and secure country. Such incidents happen everywhere, in London, in Paris, everywhere," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters, adding that the Bush visit would go ahead as scheduled. Analysts said the blast renewed global security concerns, which since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States have tended to damage the dollar. Bush is due to spend Saturday night at the Hilton in the southern part of Ankara where many embassies are located, before talks on Sunday with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. 5. Armenia Reaffirms Plans to Join NATO Drills in Azerbaijan YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Armenia reaffirmed on Thursday its plans to take part in the NATO-led military exercise in Azerbaijan this September, but appeared to have scaled back its participation, strongly opposed by many Azerbaijanis. Armenian military officials had earlier said that they would like to participate not only with staff officers, but also with a platoon of combat troops, saying they did not want to be reduced to mere "observers." But Deputy Defense Minister Artur Aghabekian told reporters that only five to seven officers will now participate in the "Cooperative Best Effort 2004" war games to be held within the framework of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. "We have been assigned concrete roles [by the organizers] and we will take part in the exercise in accordance with them." Aghabekian clarified that Armenia has been given five slots in the NATO-led multinational force that will practice various peace-keeping tasks at an Azerbaijani military facility. Final preparations for the drills were discussed this week at a conference in Baku attended by military representatives from the participating nations, including two officials from the Armenian Defense Ministry. The conference was overshadowed by angry protests against their arrival in the Azerbaijani capital which were staged by a local pressure group favoring a hard line on Karabagh. 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The Herald, UK
June 24 2004
Olympics: Athens to Athens

DOUG GILLON
50 days to go
When the XXVIII Olympics of the modern era open on August 13, the
Games will truly be coming home. Athens was merely the place where
the Games restarted.
The ancient Olympics date back to 776BC and were held every four
years in southern Greece, in the valley of Olympia. Lighting a flame
on the altar of Zeus is the origin of the modern flame-lighting
ceremony.
The first Olympic champion recorded was a cook, Koroibos of Elis, who
won the stadion, a sprint of nearly 200 metres. It was the only
athletic event among religious ceremonies attended by crowds of
40,000.
Events were added regularly, and wars were suspended in a month-long
truce, or heiromenia, to allow competitors safe passage to the
celebrations.
Although there was no prize money (just an olive wreath), athletes
were supported in their training, and rewarded by their patrons, just
like professionals. There was evidence of doping, bribery, cheating,
and even boycotts.
Women were excluded on pain of death from the all-male contests, but
were permitted to own horses. The first female winner was Kyneska of
Sparta who won the tethrippon in 396 and 392 BC. Or rather her horses
did. She was not actually a competitor at all, but a horse breeder,
whose horses won the 12-lap, four-horse chariot race.
The Games were held for more than 1100 years, until abolished in
393AD by the Roman Emperor Theodosius, who considered them to be
pagan. The last recorded champion of the ancient era was a boxer,
Varasdates, Prince of Armenia, in 369AD.
50 days to go
When the XXVIII Olympics of the modern era open on August 13, the
Games will truly be coming home. Athens was merely the place where
the Games restarted.
The ancient Olympics date back to 776BC and were held every four
years in southern Greece, in the valley of Olympia. Lighting a flame
on the altar of Zeus is the origin of the modern flame-lighting
ceremony.
The first Olympic champion recorded was a cook, Koroibos of Elis, who
won the stadion, a sprint of nearly 200 metres. It was the only
athletic event among religious ceremonies attended by crowds of
40,000.
Events were added regularly, and wars were suspended in a month-long
truce, or heiromenia, to allow competitors safe passage to the
celebrations.
Although there was no prize money (just an olive wreath), athletes
were supported in their training, and rewarded by their patrons, just
like professionals. There was evidence of doping, bribery, cheating,
and even boycotts.
Women were excluded on pain of death from the all-male contests, but
were permitted to own horses. The first female winner was Kyneska of
Sparta who won the tethrippon in 396 and 392 BC. Or rather her horses
did. She was not actually a competitor at all, but a horse breeder,
whose horses won the 12-lap, four-horse chariot race.
The Games were held for more than 1100 years, until abolished in
393AD by the Roman Emperor Theodosius, who considered them to be
pagan. The last recorded champion of the ancient era was a boxer,
Varasdates, Prince of Armenia, in 369AD.
50 days to go
When the XXVIII Olympics of the modern era open on August 13, the
Games will truly be coming home. Athens was merely the place where
the Games restarted.
The ancient Olympics date back to 776BC and were held every four
years in southern Greece, in the valley of Olympia. Lighting a flame
on the altar of Zeus is the origin of the modern flame-lighting
ceremony.
The first Olympic champion recorded was a cook, Koroibos of Elis, who
won the stadion, a sprint of nearly 200 metres. It was the only
athletic event among religious ceremonies attended by crowds of
40,000.
Events were added regularly, and wars were suspended in a month-long
truce, or heiromenia, to allow competitors safe passage to the
celebrations.
Although there was no prize money (just an olive wreath), athletes
were supported in their training, and rewarded by their patrons, just
like professionals. There was evidence of doping, bribery, cheating,
and even boycotts.
Women were excluded on pain of death from the all-male contests, but
were permitted to own horses. The first female winner was Kyneska of
Sparta who won the tethrippon in 396 and 392 BC. Or rather her horses
did. She was not actually a competitor at all, but a horse breeder,
whose horses won the 12-lap, four-horse chariot race.
The Games were held for more than 1100 years, until abolished in
393AD by the Roman Emperor Theodosius, who considered them to be
pagan. The last recorded champion of the ancient era was a boxer,
Varasdates, Prince of Armenia, in 369AD.

Calcutta Telegraph, India
June 24 2004
Indian challenge ends
Tripoli: Indian challenge ended at the world chess championship as GM
P. Harikrishna and IM Neelotpal Das bowed out in the second round.
Harikrishna went out after a valiant effort against European champion
and 2001 finalist Vassily Ivanchuk of the Ukraine in the second round
while Das lost in the first set of tie-beak rapid games against
Armenian Grandmaster Ashot Anastesian.
Das had earlier held his famous rival to a draw twice in the normal
time control in the two-game match, but failed to keep the momentum
ticking in the rapid chess.
India fielded five players in the championship but stalwarts Krishnan
Sasikiran, Dibyendu Barua and Surya Shekhar Ganguly crashed out in
the first round itself and with the ouster of Harikrishna and Das in
round two the team will return home early.
Top seed Grandmaster Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria proceeded to the
third round with back-to-back victories over compatriot Alexander
Delchev.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 24 2004
Azeri Official Calls for More Tolerance
Baku Today 24/06/2004 11:16
An official from the president’s administration on Wednesday said
while he understands the feelings of ordinary Azerbaijanis protesting
against the arrival of two Armenian officers in Baku to attend a NATO
conference, he underlined that all protest actions have to be within
norms of law.
“It is very normal to protest anything that you don’t like. But it
doesn’t mean that you may break windows of a hotel or attack a
conference hall,” said Ali Hasanov, head of the social and political
department at the presidential apparatus.
Hasanov was referring to Tuesday’s protest action by the Karabakh
Liberation Organization (KLO) in front of Baku’s Europe hotel where a
planning conference for NATO’s `Cooperative Best Effort-2004′
military training was taking place. Several dozen members of the KLO
attempted to rally in front of the hotel to protest the Armenian
participants of the conference, Colonel Murad Isakhanyan and Senior
Lieutenant Aram Hovhanesian.
Although police prevented the protestors from assembling in front of
the hotel, a group of 15-20 young KLO members managed to broke into
the hotel, after which the work of the conference was stopped for
about ten minutes. During a squabble with police and guard of the
hotel, the protestors broke several windows of the building.
Hasanov noted that the people of Azerbaijan will not stand the
occupation of their historical lands. But he added: `The Azeri people
are very cultural, so we have to be more tolerant.”