Author: Emil Lazarian

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
June 24 2004

Bankrupt Armenian Carrier Unable To Clear Huge Debt

By Gevorg Stamboltsian 24/06/2004 16:19

The executive director of Armenian Airlines said on Wednesday that
the state-owned carrier which was declared bankrupted recently is
highly unlikely to fully repay its debts estimated to total $28
million.

In an interview with RFE/RL, Arsen Avetisian said the company would
be able to do so only if it was allowed to resume and operate a
single daily flight from Yerevan to Moscow for at least two
consecutive years.

`But given the existing agreement between [the private airline]
Armavia and the Armenian government, the likelihood of the
implementation of a financial adjustment plan drawn up by Armenian
Airlines is very small,’ he admitted.

Armavia, which is owned by Russia’s second-biggest Sibir airline, was
granted most of Armenian Airlines’ flight rights in the former Soviet
Union and Western Europe when it signed the agreement with the
government more one year ago. It has since replaced Armenian
Airlines, notorious for mismanagement and poor service, as the
country’s flagship carrier.

The Yerevan-Moscow flights reportedly generate 42 percent of
Armavia’s operating revenues. Sibir, which has already invested
heavily in its Armenian subsidiary’s fleet of mainly European-made
aircraft, is therefore unlikely to share the lucrative service with
anyone.

Meanwhile, Armenian Airlines creditors, most of them based outside
Armenia, are expected to gather in Yerevan next month to discuss its
future. According to Avetisian, they will likely decided to liquidate
the company. He said it can partly clear the debts with proceeds from
the planned sale of its property and equipment, including Soviet-era
commercial jets.

Armenian Airlines, profitable as recently as in 1997, began steadily
sliding into bankruptcy in 1998 and carried out its last flight in
December. Avetisian blamed the downfall on the Russian economic
crisis of 1998 and a series of subsequent restructurings which
deprived the company of some of its profit-making divisions. But some
independent aviation experts believe that the company fell victim to
government corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement.

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate distribution

Congress of Canadian Armenians (CCA)

Taro Alepian
Montreal, CANADA
Tel: 514-336-4387
Fax: 514-336-1969
e-mail: [email protected]

UNITED FRONT ESTABLISHED BY ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN CANADA

Montréal, June 17, 2004 – The Congress of Canadian Armenians (CCA)
was launched yesterday at its inaugural meeting in Montreal. Its aim
is to create a united front in presenting Armenian issues and the
Armenian community to the Canadian public, to carry out significant
projects of general interest to the community, and to provide a forum
where member organizations can coordinate their ctivities.

The Diocese of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church of Canada, many of
the largest Armenian organizations in Montreal and several prominent
individuals are members of the Congress. In time, this will be extended
to other parts of Canada until Armenians in all regions of the country
are represented.

The Congress also intends to cooperate and work closely with other
organizations in carrying out its activities.

For more information contact:

Taro Alepian, chairman
Montreal CANADA
Tel: 514-336-4387
Fax: 514-336-1969
e-mail: [email protected]

or

Haroutiun Arzoumanian, secretary
Montreal CANADA
Tel: 514-337-7290
Fax: 514-334-1241
e-mail: [email protected]

Armenian minister dismisses press reports as “slander”

Noyan Tapan news agency
21 Jun 04

Yerevan, 21 June: Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Ovik Oveyan
broke his vow of silence of the past 100 days and made a “forced”
statement at a news conference on 21 June to which he was invited. He
refuted various publications, slander and statistical data about him
and the ministry he heads published by the Armenian press.

The minister said this was done to order by certain forces. “Since I
have held no meetings with any of the journalists and have given no
interviews, all the reports about me have been published to order to
put it mildly,” he said.

Ovik Oveyan also called on the journalists not to believe any of the
publications which will appear before a news conference scheduled
for September. He said that in September he would give his first
“major” news conference and would give interviews and hold meetings
with journalists after that.

Speaking about his membership of the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] Party, he explained that it was not a hasty decision. It took
him several months or may even be a year to take the decision. “Having
familiarized myself with its charter, programme, its prospects and
constructive tasks it plans to tackle and having seen its list of
members, I decided to join the party,” the minister said.

ANTI-ARMENIAN IN ALL DIMENSIONS

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 21 2004

Experts state that 1-3 million Azerbaijanis live in and near Moscow,
and 63 percent moved from Azerbaijan in recent years. 40 percent are
young and middle aged men who migrated without their relatives. A
small part arrived with their families. Only 5 percent run their own
business, 43 percent found high-salary jobs. 86 percent consider
they have already got accustomed or will soon get adjusted to the
new life, 45 percent with the assistance of their relatives living
in Moscow. 20 percent want to bring their families. What about those
who did not achieve success? Will they leave the capital of Russia in
the near future? 50 percent do not know, 33 will never leave despite
difficulties. Difficulties for 55 percent is home, for 35 percent
jobs, for 72 percent registration or status of refugee. For most of
them the negative attitude of the people and authorities of Moscow was
an unpleasant surprise. If we add the language factor and feeling of
loneliness the picture will become complete. The Russian newspaper
“Azerbaijani Congress” published since May 2003 is for supporting
and bringing together their compatriots. Recently I got one of the
editions of this monthly newspaper. Of the mentioned edition with
16 coloured pages one may get more information, such as that in the
large region of Primorye the Azerbaijani community is rather large,
whereas in Stavropolie they have only 45 thousand compatriots where
“unfortunately the majority prefers to trade in the market” (perhaps
they would wish to become at least senators, or governor or famous
cultural figures). And the community with 45 thousand members has not
a single Sunday school. The regional department of the All-Russia
Azerbaijani Congress which was registered on February 28, 2000
(soon after which accidentally or not the profane actions of ruining
Armenian cemeteries were launched) has such an aim. Instead they have
managed in other places. For example, in Chuvashia. On February 24 of
this year the statue of Nizami Gyanjiev was opened in Cheboksary. Are
there relations between Nizami Gyanjiev and Cheboksary? No. And why
must there be any relations. They wished to do they did. For it was
not done on the means of the Chuvash people. The deputy chairman of
the AAC Natik Aghamirov paid all the expenses from his pocket. By
the way this is the third statue of the Persian writer in Russia, the
first and the second are in Moscow and Sanct Petersburg. What can they
do? Only in Moscow there are 114 names indicating the contribution and
talent of Armenians in all spheres: memorial, street, a whole living
quarters, theatre, church, cemetery. Perhaps I would not write this
article if I did not read the article by certain Emin Mamedly “The
Khans of Nakhjvan” under the headline “History”. After reading it one
comes to the conclusion that the aim is not so conveying information
about this or that Caucasian Tatar who served in the Russian army
and achieved high ranks as extending to the Russian reader that the
Armenian lands are not Armenian. Mentioning about the fact that the
khanate of Nakhijevan was annexed to Russia by the famous agreement
of Turkemenchay (February 10, 1828) and that Persia once and for
all (the latter expression is taken in inverted commas) yielded –
the Azerbaijani khanates of Yerevan and Nakhjvan to Russia, and by
the Supreme Manifest Tsar Nikolay I named the united area – Armenian
region, which was followed due to the support and aid of the Russian
commanders by the mass resettlement of the Armenian population from
Persia to the mentioned region and the khanate of Karabakh. How is it
possible to name the only subject of the Russian empire in the Caucasus
after a concrete nation, exclaims the author with hysteric pity and
then states with unhidden hatred how the committee of resettlement
was headed by ethnic Armenian Colonel Lazarev and Lieutenant-Colonel
Arghutinski-Dolgorukov and how the former khans were deprived of
their rights. Moreover, by the fourth article of the same agreement
the khans, beks and clergymen of the other Russian provinces were
also deprived of rights and – they were not allowed to settle down
in the Armenian region. The pseudo-historian of our times calls the
fair and regular historical phenomenon “colonization of the region”
by forced resettlement of the Muslims and immigration of Christians,
mainly ethnic Armenians, as well as Russians, Ukrainians and – Germans,
Czechs, Polish (?). “In this situation the only means of preserving
the lands of the historical motherland was devoted service to the
house of Romanov,” writes the author. Here we are – Mamedli did not
hesitate to pour the poison of his heart on the excellent writer
of historical novels Valentin Pikul. He was especially furious with
the interpretation of the character of the Ismail khan (who plays a
dual game) in the film “Bayazet” on the novel of Pikul shown on the
second Russian channel. He labels this excellent film as “immoral
and illiterate”. By the way, one of his mentioned khans Kelbili
khan later fought against Andranik, and his brother, officer of the
division “Savage” Jumshud was at the same time the commander of the
Karabakh cavalry. In such cases it is accepted to say no comment but,
nevertheless, we shall try to comment on this. At the end of the
article the author says, “Allah rahmat eliasin” (Allah give peace to
their souls) and this is not in vain as they have shed the blood of
thousands of Armenian women and children. By the way, the editor of
the newspaper “Azerbaijani congress” is Afrang Dashdamirov not unknown
to the intelligentsia of Artsakh who once occupied the position of
the head of the department of propaganda of the Central Committee of
the Azerbaijani Communist Party under Heidar Aliev and the position
of the secretary of the Central Committee on propaganda under Kyamran
Bagirov. To conclude I will add the following: the propaganda machine
of our enemy is enviably active not only at home but also abroad. In
the brains of the growing generation they must seed the absurd and
brazen idea that there is no Armenian land in the world. And if
at one time a generation captured a greater part of the historical
motherland of the Armenians, the duty of the following generations
is to preserve it at any cost and not to yield back. And for this
sake they will not hesitate even to declare their prophet Mohammed
Christian. What do we oppose to this machine, with what success? But
this is already another subject for study.

NVARD AVAGIAN

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, June 17, 2004

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SATAMIAN

New York – On the heels of the success of last year’s ‘Zvart’ operetta,
Krikor Satamian, along with collaborator Maestro Vatche Barsoumian,
is busy putting together another work by composer Dikran Tchouhadjian
originally titled ‘Leblebiji Horhor Agha’ and now incarnated as
‘Leblebiji’ for three performances this fall in Los Angeles.

A veteran of Beirut’s AGBU Vahan Papazian Theatre Group, a graduate
of England’s famous Bristol school, and an actor with a long line of
movie and network television credits under his belt, Satamian needs
no introduction to Armenian theatre lovers. His name is synonymous
with Armenian theatre in America. He continues to foster Armenian
language performances in a country where the tradition is confined
predominantly to first-generation Armenian Americans.

When Satamian first arrived in America, he settled in the New York area
and began drawing from the local talent pool. But as fluent Armenian
speakers became increasingly difficult to find on the East Coast,
he relocated to Los Angeles where he spotted more potential.

“There was fertile ground [in L.A.] for theatre with all the immigrants
from Armenia and the Middle East,” said Satamian. ” It caught on
like wildfire. I found a generation of actors and now I have a second
generation that is coming from the schools.”

He quickly tapped into the Armenian love of theatre, which has been
sustained by the Armenian immigrants from Armenia, Iran, Syria and
Lebanon. Now the head of the AGBU Ardavazt Theatre Group, Ardavazt is
the only full-time theatre company in Los Angeles. It often tours
other cities across the continent that are hungry for Armenian
theatrical productions.

Ardavazt is currently presenting Hagop Baronian’s ‘Honorable
Beggars’. Later this year, it will be mounting a play by Zareh
Melkonian, the production of ‘Leblebiji’ and five one-act plays
performed by the Ardavazt Junior’s company, created to cultivate a
new wave of talent.

Satamian has also created a series of highly successful one-man shows
that he toured to AGBU chapters across the continent. In Watertown
and Montreal, his performances helped in the fundraising effort for
local AGBU center renovation initiatives.

Since the San Francisco Opera’s ‘Arshak II’ production by Tchouhadjian
in 2001, Satamian has been mining his popular works, most of which
have not been performed since the late nineteenth century in Istanbul
and later in Beirut in the late sixties.

While Verdi influenced ‘Arshak II’, Tchouhadjian’s operettas were
popular pieces that provided people with the equivalent of the show
tunes of their era–works that combined Italian with Oriental music.

‘Leblebiji’ is Satamian’s most ambitious Ardavazt production and
is slated for three nights this fall in contrast to the two nights
reserved for ‘Zvart’.

“The reaction [to ‘Zvart’] was tremendous, it was more than we
expected,” Satamian said. “In fact, when we did our budget we
calculated sixty percent attendance income. It turned out that
attendance was over ninety-five percent.”

“We did two performances in a 3,000 person auditorium and both
performances were full,” he added, noting some people were turned
away from the Sunday performance because of space limitations.

“This time will be bigger. It’s big in scope, and everything needs
a lot of planning,” Satamian said of the preparation underway for
‘Leblebiji’,” he continued. “We will be getting more advertisers,
more donations this time. Those that were sitting on the fence last
time know we can do it and will be onboard.”

There will be new needs this time around, Satamian says, including
more advertising to the non-Armenian community who can easily enjoy
the production because of the ‘surtitles’ that electronically translate
the Armenian dialogue and music on a screen above the stage.

‘Leblebiji’ is the latest in Satamian’s repertoire, but as someone
who is always thinking and dreaming big, he hopes one day to up the
ante and produce more challenging productions.

“I have lots of plays in mind but I don’t have the talent power to
be able to do them. The people I have are competent who can do the
average play but the difficult ones like Shakespeare, Ibsen or Bernard
Shaw I can’t yet. I say ‘yet’ with the hope that maybe these people
will show up one day on the scene.”

If Satamian’s past successes are any indication, it won’t be long
before that happens. Until then, audiences can enjoy AGBU Ardavazt
Theatre Group’s 2004 line up. The company’s ‘Leblebiji’ performances
are scheduled for October 22-24, 2004 and for more information about
this and other shows please contact AGBU Pasadena at (626) 794-7942
or [email protected].

Kabardino-Balkaria marks Aznavour’s 80th birthday
By Marina Chernysheva

ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 20, 2004 Sunday 1:27 PM Eastern Time

NALCHIK, June 20 — The Culture Fund of Kabardino-Balkaria had a
party marking the 80th birthday of singer Charles Aznavour on Sunday.

Representatives of 12 cultural and ethnic associations of the republic
were invited to attend the party by the republican organization of
the Russian Armenian Union.

More than 5,000 Armenians live in Kabardino-Balkaria nowadays, head
of the Armenian community of Kabardino-Balkaria Zherar Ioannesyan said.

Ethnic Armenian MPs gather in Yerevan to discuss national problems

Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
18 Jun 04

Seventy deputies of Armenian origin from 25 countries have arrived
in Yerevan to attend the first session of the Armenian Parliamentary
Assembly of Friendship, Noyan Tapan news agency said on 18 June.

The session whose sole aim is to “join the efforts of the Armenian
National Assembly and MPs of Armenian origin from abroad” is discussing
“ways of resolving all-Armenian problems and expanding relations
between parliaments”, the agency said.

Armenian Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan, Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan,
the chairman of the Karabakh parliament, Oleg Yesayan, and Armenian
Prime Minister Vardan Oskanyan addressed the session and noted the
need to “maintain the assembly’s effective work” and regularly to
gather to discuss national issues.

Euro-Est
17 juin 2004

PARTICIPATION DE DIPLOMATES ARMENIENS A UN STAGE EN LITUANIE SUR
L’INTEGRATION EUROPEENNE .

Des diplomates arméniens ont participé an stage au ministère
lituanien des Affaires étrangères, du 31 mai au 11 juin, en vue d’en
apprendre davantage sur l’intégration européenne. Selon le ministre,
ces diplomates ont étudié l’expérience lituanienne en matière de
préparation à l’adhésion, divers aspects de la coordination d’activités
liées à l’UE ainsi que la formation de l’opinion publique quant à
l’intégration à l’Union européenne.

Ils ont également pris part à une série de réunions au sein des
institutions lituaniennes et ont visité l’Institut des Sciences
politiques et des Relations internationales de l’Université de
Vilnius. Le Ministre a expliqué que des représentants des pays du Sud
Caucase (Arménie, Azerbaïdjan et Géorgie) participeront à différentes
activités de formation en matière d’administration publique, en
Lituanie, en 2004-2005, dans le cadre d’un programme de transfert
vers ces pays de l’expérience lituanienne en matière d’intégration
européenne. Un stage similaire a été organisé en janvier à l’attention
de hauts responsables ukrainiens.

Russian “Kultura” TV channel to be broadcast in Armenia

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
16 Jun 04

[Presenter] The Russian TV channel “Kultura” will be broadcast in
Armenia from September. The head of Russian State Radio and Television
Company Oleg Dobrodeyev, founder of “Kultura” TV, arrived in Armenia
to sign agreement. The Russian “Kultura” promises to show films on
Armenian culture when it is broadcast in Armenia.

[Correspondent over video of meeting] The Russian TV channel “Kultura”
will be soon broadcast in Armenia. This was successful due to the
efforts of the Armenian culture representatives. Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan said this during a meeting with the head of Russian
State Radio and Television Company Oleg Dobrodeyev. Oleg Dobrodeyev
thanked them for the support and attention.

[Oleg Dobrodeyev, captioned, in Russian with Armenian voice over] They
like this channel a lot in Russia. We are assessing your support and
assistance in the broadcast of “Kultura” in Armenia. Thank you. Because
without your assistance this project could not come to fruition.

[Correspondent] Kultura’s programmes would provide Armenians with an
opportunity to be closer to genuine cultural values.

Anand draws with Kasparov

Rediff, India
June 16 2004

June 16, 2004 03:12 IST — Former World champion Viswanathan Anand
drew his final round game with world No. 1 Garry Kasparov to ensure
victory for the Rest of the World team against Armenia at the Hyatt
Ararat in Moscow, on Tuesday.

Despite defeat in the sixth and final round, the Rest of World held
on to their lead, winning the match by a narrow 18.5-17.5 score.

Rest of the world began the last round with a two-point cushion at
16-14, while Armenia looked for two extra wins, without defeats.

Playing Kasparov with white pieces, Anand snatched the precious half
point with a comfortable draw.

The Sicilian Pelican game between Anand and Kasparov saw neither
player willing to take risks. A little out of the theoretical waters,
Anand captured the center “d” pawn and offered a draw which Kasparov
accepted. Just into the middle game, Anand held more than an even
position on the quenside, but Kasparov’s double bishop ensured
splitting of the point.

Anand completed the event with two wins, a lone defeat to Leko and
three draws.

The only decsive game of the day came from the Vaganian-Adams game,
wherein the veteran Armenian brought in all his experience in the
Queens Indian game to down the English Grandmaster.

Giving it all, Vaganian went all out for the kingside attack,
marshalling his pieces in quick time. Adams’s decision to hold on
to the bishop against knight backfired as the white knight occupied
vital squares, making inroads into black’s territory.

Holding a vice-like grip in the position, Vaganian found an nice
intermezzo forcing Adam’s resignation by 38 moves.

Short draws occured in Valleo Pons-Leko and Akopian-Svidler, where
peace was signed in 18 and 16 moves respectively.

Dutchman Loek van Wely opened with white pieces against Armenian
Grandmaste Lputian and the game moved in the Queens Gambit Tartakover
variation. The players focussed on the queenside and van Wely was
just pleased to sign a draw, as Lputian forced the repetion of moves,
by repeatedly attacking the white queen.

With the lead narrowing down, it all boiled down to the Gelfand-Bacrot
game. A student of former world champion Tigran Petrosian, in whose
memory this event is held, Gelfand held a minor advantage in the Slav
game after the opening phase.

A big space advantage and the awkward position of the black king
pointed to a defeat for the world team. But the Frenchman, Bacrot,
rose to the occasion, and hung on grimly.

Ensuring a winning rook and bishop endgame, Gelfand had Bacrot in
all knots. Extricating himself from difficulties, Bacrot sacrificed
his bishop, wiping out the dangerous pawns.

A stalemate on the 70th move, gave the Rest of the World team a
crucial half point, ensuring them a match victory over the Armenian
team by a single point, 18.5-17.5.

Results Match 6: Rest of the World (18.5) beat Armenia (17.5).

Viswanathan Anand (ROW) drew Garry Kasparov, Rafael Vaganian (ARM)
beat Michael Adams (ROW), Fransisco Vallejo Pons (ROW) drew Peter Leko
(ARM), Vladimir Akopian (ARM) drew Peter Svidler (ROW), Loek van Wely
(ROW) drew Smbat Lputian (ARM), Boris Glfand (ARM) drew Etienne Bacrot
(ROW).

Viswanathan Anand – Garry Kasparov: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6
10. Nd5 Bg7 11. c3 f5 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14. Nce3 Be6 15. Bd3 f5
16. O-O Ra7 17. a4 Ne7 18. Nxe7+ Rxe7 19. axb5 axb5 20. Ra6 d5 21. Nc2
Bc8 22. Ra8 Qd7 23. Nb4 e4 24. Be2 Bb7 25. Ra5 d4 26. cxd4 Draw Agreed.