Author: Antonian Lara

AZERI CHARGE D`AFFAIRES TO CANADA SPEAKS AT ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 29 2008

Charge d`Affaires of Azerbaijan to Canada Farid Shafiyev made a report
entitled "Azerbaijan’s perspectives in the regional security issues"
at the Royal Military College of Canada, the embassy said.

He covered the current state of peace talks over the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh as well as Azerbaijan`s integration
into Euro Atlantic structures and regional security issues.

The College`s executive director Colonel (Ret`d) Chris Corrigan shared
his views about Azerbaijan and the region.

Shafiyev also demonstrated a slideshow featuring photos about
Azerbaijan`s successes after restoring its independence.

DM Michael Harutyunyan met with Armenian members of the Georgian Parliament

armradio.am
01.03.2008 14:27

The delegation headed by RA Defense Minister Michael Harutyunyan
visited St. Gevorg church of Tbilisi and met with the religious
leader of the Georgian Diocese Vazgen Bishop Mirzakhanyan. Later
the delegation visited the Armenian embassy of Georgia to meet with
Armenian members of the Georgian Parlaiment Van Baibour, Hamlet
Movsisyan and Melik Rayisyan, as well as the President of the Union
of Georgian Armenians Gena Mardoyan.

During the meeting the parties attached importance to the role of the
Armenian community in the development of Armenian-Georgian relations.

On March 1st the delegation headed by RA Defense Minister Michael
Harutyunyan returned to Yerevan.

THE NKR PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKIAN MET WITH OSCE ACTING CHAIRMAN

Azat Artsakh Daily
28-02-2008
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh

On February 26th in Erevan a meeting of the NKR President Bako Sahakian
with OSCE acting chairman Ilka Karneva took place.

During the talks a wide scope of questions refering to the process
of regulation of Karabakh conflict was discussed.

The interlocuters emphasized, that regulation of the main problem
by peaceful way has no alternative. In that sense the sides noted,
that warlike announcements had a negative influance upon the peaceful
process.

The President, representing the position of official Stepanakert,
noted, that it was necessary to re-establish the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as a ful and equal side of the negotiating
process.

Minister of Foreign Affairs G.Petrosian, the chairman of OSCE
parliamentary congress Goran Lenmarker, personal representative of
OSCE acting chairman Anjey Kasprzhik participated in the meeting.

After the talks a joint press-conference of the NKR President Bako
Sahakian and OSCE acting chairman Ilka Karneva took place.

AZERBAIJAN’S 70-YEAR ANTI-ARMENIAN POLICY RESULTED IN SUMAGIT POGROMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.02.2008 16:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s 70-year anti-Armenian policy resulted
in Sumagit pogroms, political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"The Sumgait atrocities can’t even be described as conduct of
normal but embittered by propaganda industry people. Judging by the
large-scale involvement and silent agreement of the population, it’s
easy to conclude that the Azeri nation is seriously ill. Meanwhile,
the leadership keeps on filling the "syndrome of crowd" into the
fevered brain of a Turkic average man," Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

He reminded that in November 1988 a group of young patriots led by Igor
Muradyan (one of the founders of the Karabakh committee) requested
the committee members to introduce a draft resolution recognizing
the Sumgait events as Genocide to the Armenian SSR Supreme Council
session. "However, the committee chaired by Levon Ter-Petrosyan was
busy with a more important task – democratization of Armenia. The
patriots’ demands ended in a fight in then-Theater Square on November
4. The Karabakh committee rejected the proposal. November 21, 1988
emerged as the start of mass killings, pogroms and deportation of
Armenians from Azerbaijan," he said.

"A crime without punishment entails a recurrence. A crime without
condemnation transforms into mass mental disease," he noted.

Sumagit pogroms in February 1988 claimed lives of 32 Armenians. The
Armenian population of the town – some 15 thousand people – fled to
Armenia. Many of them died in Spitak earthquake on December 7, 1988.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN ARMENIA

A1+
28 February, 2008

Today Robert Kocharyan presented credentials to the head of the
European Commission Delegation to Armenia Raul de Luzenberger.

The RA President congratulated the newly appointed head of the
Commission and underlined the importance of establishment of the
European Commission’s permanent mission in Armenia.

Robert Kocharyan underlined the relations with EU and pointed out
the necessity to expand them.

As the Ambassador de Luzenberger mentioned, the EU is interested in
the continuation of stable collaboration with Armenia. In this regard,
he prioritized the proper implementation of the programs within the
frameworks of New Neighborhood Policy.

The parties also discussed the post-election developments in Armenia.

SERBIA GOING TO BRING ACTION AGAINST STATES RECOGNIZING KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2008 14:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Serbia intends to institute suits against the states
which recognized independence of Kosovo. The decision was made during
a session of the Security Council presided by Boris Tadic.

A team of lawyers was formed in the near future to appeal legitimacy of
the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo. The actions will be addressed
to UN International Justice Court and other instances.

Serbia recalls its ambassadors from the states recognizing Kosovo’s
independence which was proclaimed on February 17.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: "LOST PEOPLE IN THAT SQUARE"

Panorama.am
13:50 27/02/2008

"I guess six days are enough to see the reality," talking about the
recent conditions and meetings organized in the Freedom square, said
the president of the RA Robert Kocharyan in an interview given to
Public TV. He said that it is possible to wait for a while but their
tolerance is limited. The president is concerned that legislative
bodies might create attitude of distrust. "There is enough power
and possibilities, but we are conscious that there is a lost mass in
that square."

He said that it is time to wake up and to understand that it is
impossible to come to a power by force. "I direct my words to the
people gathered in the Freedom square, dear people, do not let
irresponsible politicians to make you tools in their hands; it is
not your game and you will not get any use of that game if they win;
you will lose and the country will lose also," said the president.

As for the latest arrests, the president said that they take measures
to guarantee the security, peace of our society. "When a new government
is accomplished, people should see that the wined president is intended
to include in the management not only the Republicans and Prosperous
followers but also other parties," said the president.

ONLY REPENTANCE OF AZERBAIJAN’S LEADERSHIP CAN BECOME A STEP ON WAY OF REVIVAL OF TOLERANCY BETWEEN ARMENIANS AND AZERBAIJANIS

DE FANCTO
Feb 26, 2008

YEREVAN, 26.02.08. DE FACTO. Only the repentance of Azerbaijan’s
political leadership may become a step on the way of revival of
tolerancy between Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples, the President of
the Russian Society for Friendship and Cooperation with Armenia Victor
Krivopuskov stated in the course of an international conference titled
"The Problems of Xenophobia and Tolerancy in the Region of the South
Caucasus" held on February 25 in Yerevan.

Victor Krivopuskov underscored that anti-Armenian pogroms in Soumgait
had been organized, purposeful and planned. "The Azerbaijani leadership
not only committed crime against Armenians, but also against their
own people: those days a lot of Azerbaijanis, who participated in
Armenians’ carnage, became criminals", V. Krivopuskov underscored.

According to Victor Krivopuskov, the Soumgait issue should not be
considered in the context of interethnic conflict only, but also from
historic viewpoint. "Soumgait is a continuation of Turkish policy,
embodiment of the idea of Great Turan under conditions of modern
Azerbaijan", he noted.

According to the Russian public figure, Azerbaijan’s authorities did
not repent for what they had done; moreover, nowadays they continue
aggressive policy of hatred against Armenians that is manifested
in falsifications of historic facts, events of the recent past,
establishment of pseudo history.

He noted that at present Azerbaijan published numerous booklets
and brochures, which reflected anti-Armenian propaganda in Russia
and abroad.

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN IS EQUALLY DISPLEASED BY THE ACTIONS OF THE AUTHORITIES AND THE EX-PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

Mediamax
February 25, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Tomorrow the presidential candidate of Armenia,
Chairman of "Orinats Yerkir" party Artur Baghdasarian will give a news
conference, in which he "will make political and legal assessments
of the past elections and will inform of his further actions".

Mediamax reports that the statement of the pre-election staff of
Artur Baghdasarian, spread today, reads this.

"Yesterday, at 18:00, the Armenian CEC announced during its special
session the final results of the presidential elections. The calling
of the session was announced 30 minutes prior to the session, despite
the fact that the law provides 2 hours for it. The session took place
right after the expiration of the date of vote recount in the polling
stations, not giving the candidates the opportunity to get familiar
with the appeal results and to compare the electoral documents for
revealing the real picture", the statement reads.

"Alongside with this process, arrests of political figures took place
in the country, which surely deserves condemnation. Simultaneously,
at the Freedom Square the process of declaring Levon Ter-Petrosian
President continued, who allegedly had gained 65% of votes, which is
also inadmissible", the statement notes.

"The use of brute force methods by the authorities will increase the
public distrust, will deepen the real possibility of mass public
confrontations, will cast a serious shadow on the international
authority of the country and will subject to doubt the whole process
of presidential elections", the statement reads.

The statement of Artur Baghdasarian’s pre-election staff also notes
that "we consider unacceptable and dangerous any efforts of force
interference and we speak for the solution of the present complex inner
political situation exclusively with the use of political methods".

Toronto Star, Canada
Feb. 26, 2008

Crooked Man’s message lost in mess of a play

Feb 26, 2008 04:30 AM
Richard Ouzounian
Theatre Critic

A Crooked Man
**(out of 4)

By Richard Kalinoski. Directed by Hrant Alianak. Until March 2 at The
Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. W. 416-504-7529

The hardest kind of a review for a critic to write is one of a
production that has the most worthy of intentions but fails to live
up to them in its execution.

That’s exactly what happens with A Crooked Man, playing until this
Sunday at the Theatre Centre.

Richard Kalinoski’s script has a lot on its mind – too much, in fact,
to fit into 90 intermissionless minutes. He wants to make us aware
once again of the horror of the 1915 genocide, in which up to 1.5
million Armenians were slaughtered by the Turks. Turkey denies the
genocide happened.

But he also wants to pose the moral dilemma of whether a man who
kills a mass murderer acts out of revenge or righteousness, as well
as dig deep into the psyche of an 88-year-old survivor of this
holocaust and make him come to terms with some even more shocking
events from his past.

But we’re not done yet. There are also narrative threads about
inter-generational communication, respect for the elderly and the
importance of family.

Is it any wonder that A Crooked Man frequently seems less like an
actual play than the outline for a play that Kalinoski meant to
write, but never got around to finishing?

The dialogue is more interested in establishing historical facts and
making Dr. Phil-like psychological points than sounding like anything
human beings might actually say.

And any playwright who decides that his climactic scene has to take
place on a roof should think twice if he knows it’s being done in a
low-budget production.

When we should be thinking about the play’s message, we’re actually
worrying whether Hrant Alianak (as the 88-year-old Hagop) and Garen
Boyajian (as his 26-year-old journalist grandson) are going to
survive on the rickety scaffolding that pretends to be a rooftop.

Alianak, who excels at playing juicy, melodramatic villains, isn’t
very convincing as a tortured old man and Boyajian has a certain
sweetness but doesn’t really connect to Alianak at any point in their
lengthy scenes together, which make up most of the show.

Carlo Essagian and Michael Kazarian are pretty embarrassing as a
variety of characters, acting in the stiff style that marks the
lesser ranks of community theatre.

Only Araxi Arslanian gives her scenes any reality and you sigh with
relief each time she appears.

Socially conscious playwrights take heed: it’s not enough to have
something worthwhile to say, you’ve got to say it in a worthwhile
manner as well.