Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Pro boxing back after 50 years
By Frank Haynes

BOXING: RINGDOM OF FIFE

Daily Record
May 19 2005

PROFESSIONAL boxing is returning to Fife for the first time in 50
years

Promoter and manager Tommy Gilmour is turning back the clock and
maintining a family tradition by staging an event at Fife Ice Arena
in Kirkcaldy on June 11 – half a century after his grandfather ran
the last show in the town.

The night will be headlined by promising local youngsters, Celtic
welterweight champion Kevin Anderson and light-heavyweight Steven
McGuire.

Gilmour is hoping fight fans will come out in force to back his
promotion and help kick-start the boxing scene in the area.

He said: ‘It is the first fight night in Fife in over 50 years and
although I wasn’t there at the last one, it was my grandfather who
ran it.

‘My son Christopher has followed in my footsteps as a promoter recently
so it’s a sentimental path I’m taking back to my grandfather’This is
the first time Kevin and Stevie have had the opportunity to have a
local support as opposed to a travelling support.

‘At this stage we’re trying to see if we can get Kevin an IBO
Intercontinental title fight against Vladimir Borovski who was
previously the Ukrainian welterweight champion.

‘The main support will be Stevie against Varuzhan Davtyan, an Armenian
who is known for giving people ‘fright nights’.

‘There have been a lot of good names in Scottish boxing who have
appeared in the past at Kirkcaldy Ice Rink.

‘Guest of honour on June 11 will be an 85year-old fellow called Jim
Gallagher, a former middleweight who boxed the last time there was
a show there.’

Gilmour encouraged fans in the east of Scotland to help make Fife a
regular boxing venue by supporting the event.

He said: ‘We are seeing if we can build up a following in Fife and
already the boxers are getting a great response from the local public.

‘We believe we are going to get a really good crowd because when
Kevin comes to Glasgow he brings a support of 250-300 people. Stevie
and Kevin have taken 1000 tickets between them so they must hope they
are going to move them.

‘We’re always looking for new venues for television and if we can get
arenas where we can get thousands rather than hundreds of people in,
then you’ve got to look at it.

‘Especially in the case of Kevin, if he can perform well then we are
looking at a major title in the next year.

‘It would be better for us if he can do it in his own back yard
without people having to take a day off work or leave work early to
travel to Glasgow.

‘That is the incentive for the fans to come out

Armenia denies being ready to return land to Azerbaijan

YEREVAN. May 18 (Interfax) – Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Gamlet Gasparian on Wednesday denied Azerbaijan’s claims that an
understanding has been reached on the return of several Azerbaijani
areas controlled by Armenians to Azerbaijan.

“This statement is clearly untrue,” Gasparian told Interfax.

Earlier, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov said that
Armenia had agreed to free seven districts around Nagorno-Karabakh.

RESULTS OF SURVEY

A1plus
| 16:13:16 | 18-05-2005 | Social |

Human Rights Defender Larissa Alaverdyan was shocked by the results
of the January survey organized by the Peace Initiatives Caucasus
Center. Asked the question “Are you aware that in Armenia there is an
Institute of the Defender of Human Rights?” 42.5% of the participants
of the survey answered “Yes”.

“I wonder if the numbers can be trusted as the opinion about the Human
Rights Defender is too good”, complained Larissa Alaverdyan during
the representation of the “Democratic Reforms Monitoring in Armenia”.

She aware that, for example, in France during the 25 years of
existence of the Ombudsman Institute only 10% of people is aware of
its existence. And Larissa Alaverdyan doubts the 42.5%. “I think a
lower percentage would be more correct”, said the RA Ombudsman.

Armenpress

VOICE OF EUROPE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED AGAINST ACCESSION TALKS WITH TURKEY

PRAGUE, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS: An international Hlas pro Evropu/Voice for
Europe campaign was officially launched on May 9 in Prague. At the same
time, the campaign was launched also in Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava
and Berlin.
The aim of the Voice for Europe initiative, which shall be running from
today until the beginning of September 2005, is to collect at least 1
million of signatures of European citizens who want to make the
decision-makers of the European Union hear their opinion. In the Czech
Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Slovakia, it will be
possible to sign a petition to block the opening of the accession talks with
Turkey, planned for October 3, 2005. The petition may also be signed in an
electronic form or sent by post; it is available at
The organizers firmly believe that Turkey’s accession to the European
Union will not contribute to the European integration – on the contrary, it
would weaken and complicate the entire process, to an extent which will not
be advantageous either for the member states of the European Union or for
Turkey itself. “We support the idea of a favored partnership and we caution
our politicians against offering full membership to Turkey,” said David
Gresak for Czech organizers.
The campaign in the Czech Republic is provided with organizational backup
by the Asociace pro evropske hodnoty (Association for European Values) and
all participants work for free as volunteers, they are often students and
university graduates. “We are citizens of the European Union, we respect
European values and we want to participate in the creation of our own
future,” added David Gresak

Armenpress

ARMENIAN MONASTERY IN NORTHERN CYPRUS TURNED INTO CAFE

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS: Citing an April 17 story in Yeniduzen
newspaper published in the Northern Cyprus, Armenian foreign ministry said
an Armenian Saint Makar monastery, which is in the mountainous part of the
island, was turned into a cafe. The newspaper said its new owner, Dervish
Sonmezler, intends to rebuilt the monastery into a hotel.
The monastery was built in the 4-th century AD by Copts, but later it
passed to Armenians and was for centuries an Armenian Church sanctuary.
Though it was subordinated to the second Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias,
Lebanon, the monastery maintained closed ties with Etchmiadzin.
Before the Turkish occupation of the Northern Cyprus the monastery was
one of the favorite destinations for local Armenians, but now it is
inaccessible to Christians. All manuscripts and other relics kept in it were
plundered and sold and only the intervention of the Republic of Cyprus, the
Armenian Church and international organizations prevented further
destruction of the monastery.

PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI AND PRESIDENT BUSH HAVE DISCUSSION WITH CIVIL
SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES

GeorgiaWelcomesUSA.com
(Tbilisi, Georgia)
Tuesday 10 May 2005

Location: Offices of the President of Georgia in Parliament
Time: Approximately 10:45 AM
Media Coverage: Georgia and U.S. Media Pool and Georgia Host TV Pool
for a few minutes coverage before private meeting continues

All of these participants are citizens of Georgia:

Mrs. Nona Aldamova-Japaridze , from the Akhmeta District in eastern Georgia
is a graduate of Tbilisi State Medical Institute. She is President of
“Caucasian Women’s Rights”, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) which
she
established in 2003.

Aldamova-Japaridze ahl-dah-noh-vah jah-pah-reed-zeh

Mr. Jambul Anchabadze was born in a village near Zugdidi, the major town in
the western Georgian province of Samegrelo just east of Abkhazia. He
received a degree in history from Sukhumi Pedagogical Institute and lectured
in history there for nearly 20 years. After the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict
in 1992-93, he relocated to Tbilisi and currently teaches as a Professor of
History on the “faculty-in-exile” of the Sukhumi Branch of Tbilisi State
University.

Abkhazi ahb-HA-zee-ah
Jambul Anchabadze Jahm-bull ahn-ha-bahd-zeh
Zugdidi zuhg-dee-dee
Samegrelo sah-may-greh-low
Sukhumi soo-hoo-mee

Mr. Rostom Atashov is a lifelong resident of Tbilisi. Mr. Rostom received
his law degree from Yaroslavl State University in Russia in 1987 and worked
there in the Prosecutor’s office after graduation. He returned home to
Georgia in 1988 and joined the Ministry of Justice. He also sat several
terms as a judge in Georgia. He currently serves as chair of the NGO “Union
of Yazidis of Georgia” (Georgian Kurds are also known as “Yazidis”),
the
larger of two Kurdish organizations in Georgia. Founded in 1987, the
organization has approximately 10,000 members and works to promote the
Kurdish language and culture in Georgia and assists ethnic Kurds with their
integration into Georgian society.

Atashov ah-tah-shahv

Mr. Edgar Bitbunov was born in Tbilisi. In 2000 he graduated from the Small
Academy at the Association of Young Scientists of Georgia, Faculty of Law.
In 1998 Edgar became head of the Assyrian Youth Department, part of the
Assyrian National Congress (ANC) of Georgia, and two years later was elected
to the board of the same organization. The ANC was established in 1992 and
focuses on protection of the rights of Assyrians in Georgia, as well as
preservation of Assyrian cultural heritage and issues of social integration.
Since 2000 Edgar has been actively involved in organizing a number of
conferences.

Edgar Bitbunov biht-buh-nohv

Mr. Robert Chomarian was born in Akhalkalaki, chief town of Javakheti
region, which is known for its large ethnically Armenian population. In 1972
he graduated from the Yerevan Institute of Agriculture in neighboring
Armenia SSR. From 1979 to 1980, he worked on the Regional Committee of the
Communist Party of Georgia. From 1980 to 1989, he worked on the Department
of Agriculture of Akhalkalaki District, and then on the Agricultural
Committee responsible for supplying food to the Black Sea coastal resorts
under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Georgian SSR. Currently he serves
as Director of the Akhalkalaki branch of the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), which is rehabilitating children’s hospitals and medical
clinics. He is also involved in exchange programs to bring ethnic Armenian
school children to study in other parts of Georgia.

Robert Chomarian cho-MAH-ree-in
Akhalkalaki ah-hal-kah-lah-kee

Ms Alana Gagloeva, Deputy Spokesperson for the President of Georgia, is
Tbilisi born and an ethnic Ossete. She was formerly a moderator of focus
groups at the privately run Institute of Polling and Marketing in Tbilisi.
She was also the drummer in Tbilisi-based rock band, Embryon. She is
currently studying English, French, German, other languages and Culture at
the Institute of Foreign Languages at Tbilisi State University.

Alana Gagloeva Ah-lah-nah gog-LOW-ay-vah
Ossete oh-sett

Mr. Vasilii Ivanovich Kadenets was born in the Gulripshi District of
Abkhazia and received a doctorate in Economics at the Sukhumi Subtropical
Institute in Sukhumi. He currently serves as ataman (leader) of the Cossack
Union of Georgia, and works actively to promote friendly relations between
his organization and similar Cossack organizations in Russia. He fought
during the 1992-93 conflict in Abkhazia (on the Georgian side).

Vasilii Kadenets vah-see-lee kah-deh-nehts
Gulripshi goohl-reep-shee
Abkhazia ahb-HA-zee-ah
Sukhumi soo-hoo-mee

Mr. Mamuka Khutsishvili was born in the Samarkand Region of Uzbekistan
because his ehnic-Meshketian family was deported from Georgia to Uzbekistan
in 1944. He relocated to Georgia in 1997. He received a degree in management
from the St. Petersburg Railway Transport Institute. Mr. Khutsishvili is now
in private b usiness in Tbilisi. He spends a great deal of his time
assisting the returning Meskhetian population with their reintegration into
Georgian society.

Khutsishvili hoot-seesh-vee-lee

Mrs. Ana Matveeva was born in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, and in 1985 graduated
from the Kiev Institute of Light Industry where she received a degree in
Economics. Ana has lived in Georgia since 1986. From 1986-99, she worked as
an economist at the electronics factory, “Orion.” She began teaching at
the
Ukrainian School in Tbilisi in 1999, and in 2004 received a degree in
Russian Literature from Tbilisi State University. Since 2000 she has served
as the director of a Ukrainian secondary school in Tbilisi, where she
currently resides.

Mateeva mah-TEE-eh-vah

Ms. Marina Meshvildishvili was born and raised in Tskhinvali, South Ossetia.
In 1991, during the midst of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, she moved to
Tbilisi to continue her work with trade unions there. She currently resides
in Tbilisi, where she has serves as the chair of “Tskhinvali House,” a
confederation of 17 Georgian and South Ossetian NGOs that claims to work on
civil society development in South Ossetia. She travels regularly to South
Ossetia to meet with colleagues there.

Meshvildishvili mesh-veel-deesh-vee-lee
Tskhinvali

Mr. Nasib Nasibov was born in Marneuli, a principal town in the
Azeri-populated region of Kvemo Kartli, bordering Azerbaijan. He specialized
in Near Eastern Studies at Baku State University in Azerbaijan SSR. He
currently works as a journalist for the venerable Azeri-language newspaper
Gürcüstan, which was founded in 1921 as the voice of the Azeri community of
Georgia and which remains the main media vehicle for the Azeri community to
this day. He also teaches Azeri language at Caucasian University in Tbilisi.

Nasib Nasibov nah-sihb nah-see-bohv
Marneuli marr-new-lee
Kvemo Kartli kih-veh-moh kahrt-lee
Gurcustan goohr-jih-stahn

Mr. Anzor Shaoshvili graduated Tbilisi State University with a degree in
economics and had a career for years as a documentary filmmaker and book
distributor. Since 1995, he has served as coordinator of “JOINT”, a
Jewish-American Joint Distribution Committee that administers food and
medical assistance to vulnerable groups in the Georgian and Armenian
population with a special focus on the Jewish community which has centuries
of history in Georgia.

Anzor Shaoshvili ahn-zohr showsh-vee-lee

Mrs. Nino Stavridi was born in Tbilisi and graduated from Tbilisi University
where she specialized in Greek language and literature. She did postgraduate
work in Greece. She returned to Tbilisi and has worked since 2000 at the
Embassy of Greece in Georgia as both consular and economic assistant. She is
a member of the editorial board of the journal, Georgia-Ellada and a founder
of the Georgia-Ellada Fund.

Nino Stavridi nee-noh stah-vree-dee

Mr. Arnold Stefanian was born in Tbilisi and graduated with a degree in
International Economics from Tbilisi State University. He currently serves
as the director of the NGO “Multinational Georgia,” an organization that
works on legal rights for the various ethnic minorities of the country. He
is currently engaged in a longstanding effort to lobby Parliament to pass a
new law giving greater legal status to Georgian ethnic minorities. He is
chair of the Union of Young Armenians of Georgia, which works specifically
with ethnic-Armenians and chair of the Union of Armenians in Tbilisi.

Stefanian steh-FAH-nee-in

Mrs. Leila Suleimanova was born in Marneuli, one of the principal towns in
the Azeri-populated region of Kvemo Kartli bordering Azerbaijan. In 1988,
she graduated from Baku State University in Azerbaijan SSR where she
specialized in Near Eastern and Arab Studies. In 2000 she founded the
Marneuli-based NGO, “Union of Azerbaijani Women of Georgia”. She runs
a
U.S.-funded center to help educate local Azeri women in computer skills,
Georgian language and about their legal rights.

Leila Suleimanova lay-lah soo-lee-mah-noh-vah
Marneuli marr-new-lee
Kvemo Kartli kih-veh-moh kahrt-lee

Kocharyan arrives in Moscow to take part in VE Day celebrations

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 7, 2005 Saturday 3:33 PM Eastern Time

MOSCOW, May 7 — Armenian President Robert Kocharyan arrived in Moscow
on Saturday to take part in the CIS summit and the VE Day celebrations.

On May 8, Kocharyan will take part in the CIS informal summit and
meet WWII veterans. On May 9, the Armenian president will lay wreaths
at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier and watch the military parade on the
Red Square.

US NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND INAUGURATED IN YEREVAN

Armenpress

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian, government
members, heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Armenia and reporters
were invited to a ceremony today marking the opening of a new compound
of the US embassy in Armenia. Located on the bank of Yerevan Lake on
the road running to Etchmiadzin, the embassy is the second biggest
building overseas, owned by the government of the USA.

Built on a nine-hectare site, this project, which was concluded
in August 2001 and budgeted at $76 million, is a demonstration of
Washington’s growing interest in Armenia.” Eighteen million of that
money were used for purchase of Armenian building materials and
recruiting local workers.

Deputy ambassador Anthony Godfrid said the diplomatic mission houses
five buildings, one of which will be assigned for Marines, of whom
there are now only six people, but their number may increase soon.

The government of USA paid Armenia $5 million for the land plot. The
embassy has a rich library accessible to all. It also provides a
special room for those standing in line for visas.

US ambassador John Evans said the new embassy compound symbolizes the
durability of relations between USA and Armenia. “Since 1991 when
Armenia became independent the government of USA has been working
with its government to develop democracy, establish market relations
and free economy,” Evans said, adding that his government appreciates
Armenia highly for its role in fighting international terrorism. He
also said Washington will continue to work with Yerevan and Baku to
seek ‘a just solution to the Karabagh conflict,” which would require
compromises from both sides.

EU envoy in favour of opening Armenian-Turkish border

Mediamax news agency
5 May 05

Yerevan, 5 May: “If the Armenian-Turkish border opens, this will be
a very positive event,” the special representative of the European
Union in the South Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie, said in Yerevan today.

The beginning of the talks on Turkey’s accession to the European
Union [EU] “will certainly have an influence on Armenian-Turkish
relations”, Talvitie said at a briefing in Yerevan today, Mediamax
new agency reports.

At the same time, the EU special representative said that “this does
not means that Armenia should not take steps for its part”.

Commenting on the letters that the Turkish prime minister and the
Armenian president have exchanged, Talvitie did not rule out that
“we are witnessing the initial stage of a process that may turn into
a dialogue between the leaders of the two countries”.

At the same time, the EU special representative in the South Caucasus
did not make any forecasts on this score noting that “the situation
still remains very brittle”.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
May 2 2005

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES DELEGATION OF
MUNICIPALITIES OF TURKEY
[May 02, 2005, 19:20:49]

On May 2, President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev has
received at the Presidential Palace the heads of municipalities of the
Turkish cities of Iskenderun, Payas, Ceyhan, Sarimazi, Mersin-Toroslar,
Lapseki and representatives of Azerbaijani structures functioning in
this country.

The head of Azerbaijani state, having noted that is glad for arrival
in Azerbaijan of representative delegation of the brotherly country,
has emphasized that their numerous meetings in Baku would be extremely
fruitful. Having ascertained the high level of relations between our
countries, President Ilham Aliyev has told: “The further strengthening
of brotherly and friendly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan is
extremely important task for us. It is very glad that our traditional
links quickly develop”.

Having reminded about successful results of his last year’s official
visit to Turkey, the President of Azerbaijan has told: “We have opened
general consulate in the Kars province of Turkey. Our political,
economic, cultural relations go deep. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline, which unites us from the economic point of view even
more closely, this month, will be commissioned. Also the gas main
simultaneously is under construction. All this will represent, on
the one hand, great value for our economy, and on another, will even
more strengthen our positions in the world. Turkey and Azerbaijan
are enough dynamically developed countries. Our economy develops in
high rates, and the economic situation of our country improves. The
more we shall be stronger from the economic point of view, the more
our national interests will be provided.

Having noted at the same time, that there are forces, trying to prevent
interaction between Azerbaijan and Turkey, realization of grandiose
power projects and other questions, the head of the Azerbaijani state
has emphasized importance of the further strengthening of unity of
our peoples in occurring in this sense in region processes and close
cooperation.

Having reminded saying of the national leader of Azerbaijani people
Heydar Aliyev “We are one nation, two states”, President Ilham Aliyev
has noted that Turkey and Azerbaijan live and become stronger, being
guided just by this principle.

Having touched the question of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, the head of the Azerbaijani state said that as a result of
this aggression more than one million of Azerbaijanis, being expelled
from the native lands, live in hard conditions, and has told: “Despite
of it, Azerbaijan develops. In our country, in all branches reforms
are carried out, Azerbaijan every year becomes economically stronger”.

Along with the relations at the level of the states and the
governments, President Ilham Aliyev has emphasized value of ties
and reciprical visits at the level of cities, municipalities of
two countries.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Center in the German city of Mainz, member
of the Central Council of the Congress of Azerbaijanis of Europe,
the coordinator of Turkic communities Bashar Kemur, having thanked
to President Ilham Aliyev for the hospitality rendered to them,
has told: “We know you as the person who is putting into practice
precepts of your father. We very much love this country and you. I
want to convey to you gratitude of our compatriots living abroad,
for the close attention to them. We express gratitude to the State
Committee on Work with the Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, led by you
for the contribution to realization of all this work.

Mr. President, the national leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev
has addressed us, saying: “In what country you live, you are citizens
of this country. But do not forget the culture, the traditions, and
the major – your language”. I want to inform you that all this is not
forgotten. Your father also has told: “It is necessary that you lead
up the questions connected to Azerbaijan, up to heads of the states,
politicians, intelligentsia of the countries, where you live, so that
also they knew us, helped us in solution of our problems”.

Bashar Kemur informed that he has been living in the German city
of Mainz for 25 years, and read out the letter of the head of the
government of the Reinland-Pfalz Province of Germany in which were
expressed respect and kind wishes to the President of Azerbaijan.

Chairman of municipality of Iskenderun Mete Aslan, having expressed
gratitude for warm reception, has told: “We have seen here, as the
great leader Heydar Aliyev has told, remarkable samples of concept
of the nation. We, the heads of municipalities, have declared that
always we are close to Azerbaijan, we support and we shall support
it. We once again state it before you. Besides, we have arrived to
support Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict.

Having noted creation under the initiative of the national leader of
Azerbaijan people of Heydar Aliyev the State Committee on Work with
the Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, President Ilham Aliyev has emphasized
that last years was done successful enough work directed on cohesion of
Azerbaijanis of the world, the further strengthening of their activity.

Then, chairman of the municipality of Ceyhan, Huseyn Sezlu said that
participation in this meeting is great honor for him, and conveyed to
the President of Azerbaijan cordial greetings from the inhabitants of
Ceyhan, the chairman of the National Movement Party of Turkey Devlat
Bakhchali and has told: “The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is for
us also the oil pipeline of friendship. We count it some kind of means
of rapprochement with our brothers and with excitement we wait for its
opening. With support of President Ilham Aliyev we have carried out
in Ceyhan the actions devoted to 86th anniversary of the Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic. We were very glad to this. Created under Heydar
Aliyev, the State Committee on Work with the Azerbaijanis Living Abroad
simultaneously is the organization of all Turks. We are grateful for
all this to deceased Heydar Aliyev and you.

Then, Huseyn Sezlu, informing the Head of Azerbaijan state about
measures which will be taken in the municipality of Ceyhan in
connection with preparation for opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
MEP, has told: “In the city center, in Ceyhan, on the most
outstanding place, will be erected the monuments to Heydar Aliyev and
Ataturk. We want to carry out opening of these monuments on the day of
commissioning of the pipeline. The great son of the Turkic world Heydar
Aliyev will always live in heart of the Turkish Republic. We want
that the world has understood the reality of words “one nation, two
states”. These monuments will be made in Azerbaijan. Simultaneously,
in the most picturesque site of Ceyhan we shall create beautiful park
“The Turkic World”. We shall complete all this under protection of
Your Excellency.

President Ilham Aliyev highly has estimated the ideas, positively
assessed the initiative of carrying out of the stipulated actions on
day of the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan MEP.

Members of the Turkish delegation have presented to the President of
Azerbaijan memorable gifts.

President Ilham Aliyev was photographed with the guests for memory.