Author: Hovhannisian John

International rights group criticizes Azeri body for POWs – Armenian agency

Mediamax news agency
31 May 04

Yerevan, 31 May: The Azerbaijani state commission for POWs, hostages
and missing persons is engaged more in propaganda rather than search.

The press service of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] Foreign
Ministry has told Mediamax news agency that the co-chairmen of the
International working group for the release of POWs and hostages and
for the tracing of missing persons, Svetlana Gannushkina and Bernhard
Clasen, said this at a meeting with the NKR foreign minister, Ashot
Gulyan, in Stepanakert [Xankandi] today.

The co-chairmen of the International working group also said that
humanitarian problems could not be politicized. At the same time,
they noted that it was important to continue the activities of the
International working group.

Ashot Gulyan, for his part, expressed the hope that the experience
accumulated by the International working group would help it resolve
the problems facing it, which are also a cause of concern for all
the sides to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. The minister noted
that the fact that Azerbaijan excessively politicized the issue
of missing persons and POWs and laid false claims to Armenia and
Nagornyy Karabakh significantly hindered the search work and created
an atmosphere of distrust. Ashot Gulyan said that a clear-cut position
of the International working group in this regard could help prevent
the Azerbaijani side from taking such steps.

Heirs kept in dark, lawyer says
Notice of genocide settlement at issue
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
May 28 2004

An attorney in New York Life’s $20 million settlement with descendants
of Armenian Genocide victims says the company is failing to notify
possible heirs.

Ben Nutley, a Beverly Hills attorney representing three claimants in
the class-action case, has asked the judge to order the company to
include the word Armenian Genocide in public notices of the settlement
and to broaden its advertising of the deal.

“We’re saying the notice wasn’t disseminated widely, correctly or
accurately,” Nutley said. “You are obligated to make your best effort
to have a notice that will attract the attention of potential claimants
of the settlement.”

Any unclaimed money goes into a fund to be distributed to Armenian
charitable organizations identified in the agreement, he said.

Nutley said legal notices published in newspapers leave out the term
“Armenian Genocide.”

“It’s denialist language,” he said. “For these claimants who have
objected to the notice so far, it’s about justice for all Armenians
and this is something they’re committed to.”

But New York Life officials maintain they have carefully followed
the court’s instructions.

“The terms of the settlement, including the notice provisions, were
negotiated by attorneys on both sides and subject to court approval,”
said William Werfelman, a spokesman for New York Life. “We’re confident
they provide the best possible notice to those who may be entitled
to benefits under the settlement.”

The insurance company reached a $20 million settlement in January with
descendants of Armenian policyholders who perished in the genocide
of 1915. After attorney fees, administrative costs and donations to
charitable organizations, the settlement leaves $11 million to pay
the holders of more than 2,000 policies.

Notices were placed in newspapers for about six weeks in an effort
to find descendants of policy holders.

Claimants must object to the terms of the settlement by June 15 and
a final approval hearing is scheduled for July 30.

Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 [email protected]

TRUTH AND REALITY OF KARABAKH WAR

AZG/AM
28 May 04

Azerbaijan Made Additional Weapons Purchases in Ukraine and Turkey,
and Hired Some 2,500 Mercenaries in Afghanistan

In April 2003 British NGO Safer World, funded by British and other
European government agencies and foundations, published a study
entitled “The Caucasus: Armed and Divided – small arms and light
weapons proliferation and humanitarian consequences.”

The study includes individual sections on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
both authored by Gagik Avagian of the Yerevan-based Cooperation and
Development NGO and Azerbaijan by Arif Yunusov of the Baku-based
Institute for Peace and Democracy, as well as an overview by Maxim
Pyadushkin of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies
and Technologies.

The study focuses on proliferation of former Soviet Army’s weapons
in the Caucasus, and in the process debunks the widely held belief of
“Russian support for Armenia” during the NK war. Some of Pyadushkin’s
key arguments include: During the division of Soviet military
property in 1992, overseen by the Russian government, Armenia was
at a disadvantage because fewer Soviet forces were based in Armenia
than in either Georgia or [especially] Azerbaijan. According to
Yunusov, by late 1991, Soviet army units in Azerbaijan, excluding the
airborne division, held 309 tanks, 599 other armor, and 387 pieces of
artillery; in all 15% more than in Armenia. Soviet air forces based
in Azerbaijan had 124 combat aircraft, 50 transportation aircraft and
24 combat helicopters; [there were virtually none in Armenia]. Baku
had a garrison of 11,500 soldiers at Salyan barracks and a Higher
Military School. Together with 6000 sailors at the naval base at
Nargin, there were 62,000 Soviet military personnel in Azerbaijan,
which included 12,000 ethnic Azeris. Armenia inherited two out of
three army divisions stationed on its territory (most of the third
division remains under Russian control to date) and no Air Force
units; Azeris inherited nearly all of the equipment of the four
army and one airborne division, parts of the four Air Force units,
as well as a portion of the Caspian fleet.

Armenia received about 500 wagons (one wagon equals 38m3)
of ammunition, with Azeris receiving 11,000 wagons, more than 20
times as much. According to Yunusov, Azerbaijan inherited 7,000-wagon
strategic ammunition depot at Giliazi/Sumgait (which was fully acquired
by the field commander Suret Husseinov who bribed the local Russian
commander), two district depots at Agdam and Nasosny with 1,100 each
(Aghdam depot, inc. 728 wagons with artillery shells, 245 wagons with
missiles and 131 vagons with small arms ammo, was inherited by Azeris
for free) and four divisional depots at Guzdek, Ganja, Lenkoran and
Nakhichevan with 150-200 wagons.

Azerbaijan received one and a half times more small arms (machine guns,
grenade launchers, etc.; according to Yunusov at least 90,000 in all)
than Armenia and Georgia together. According to Avagian, the Armenian
side experienced shortages in weapons and ammunition throughout the
war, with some military operations conducted just to capture arms
from the Azeris.

Azerbaijan received considerably more than its share of heavy arms
under CFE limitations set at 220 tanks, 220 other armor and 280
artillery; while Armenia, at least initially, received considerably
less. According to Col. Ayaz Mamedov, late Azeri Gen. Baba Nazarli in
mid-June 1992 [at the time of the Azeri offensive in NK] bribed the
commander of the 23rd division (Ganja) Gen. Yuri Pakhomov to acquire
the division’s entire arsenal together with tank crews. According to
the Azeri Defense Ministry, by August 1992 Azerbaijan received 307
tanks, 449 other armor, 130 mortars, 33 MLRS “Grad”, 2,000 machine
guns, 57,000 submachine guns and 17,000 pistols. According to Russian
commanders, in total Azerbaijan inherited 325 tanks, 789 units of other
armor, and 458 pieces of artillery. According to Yunusov, in spite
of the huge arsenal it inherited, Azerbaijan made additional weapons
purchases in Ukraine and Turkey, and hired some 2,500 mercenaries
in Afghanistan (while most of them went on to fight in Chechnya and
Yugoslavia, at least 400 stayed in Azerbaijan after the war leading
to increase in the Islamic Jihadi activity in Azerbaijan).

Russia and individual Russian commanders are believed to have sold
additional weapons to Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan during and after the
war, although no concrete figures are available. According to Avagian,
Nagorno Karabakh made direct purchases from Russian military units
stationed throughout the FSU and some Armenian officers claim that
NKR army’s weapons holdings are kept secret even from Yerevan.

By mid-92, 40,000 people had been mobilized into the Azeri army,
more than half of them deployed in Karabakh. Additionally there
were 4,000 in OMON and 7,000 in mostly XCP volunteer detachments. In
September-October 1992, Elchibey amnestied 701 criminals (including
murderers and rapists), willing to fight in NK. According to then
Interior Minister Hamidov (quoted in Zerkalo, 28 June, 2002), 60
of them were killed in action, 120 were wounded and over a dozen
decorated with government awards. However, a large number of those
released deserted leading to increase in crime rate. In mid-93, Aliyev
disbanded 33 pro-Elchibey battalions, numbering up to 7,000 people.

Prepared by Tatoul Hakobian

Armenian president and ecology minister discuss Lake Sevan, environment

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
26 May 04

[Presenter] President Robert Kocharyan held a working meeting today
with Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan where they discussed protection
of Lake Sevan, forests and other environmental issues. The ecology
minister assured the head of state that the efforts directed to the
restoration of the green areas all over the republic will be felt
this year.

[Correspondent] During the discussion of the environmental issues with
the president, Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan outlined the issue
of Lake Sevan. Already in 1998, President Robert Kocharyan urged to
stop the use of Lake Sevan’s water for energetic aims. As a result of
some years’ works, the water level in Lake Sevan has risen by 98cm,
which means that now the lake contains 1.18bn cu.m. more water. The
minister announced that now they are concerned about the rising water
level in Sevan. The Ecology Ministry is implementing the programmes
on protection of the ecosystem of Lake Sevan and development of the
surrounding environment, with the assistance of the international
organizations.

[Armenian Ecology Minister, Vardan Ayvazyan, captioned] We discussed
the issues connected with the protection of the ecological system of
Lake Sevan, and especially the Ecology Ministry, which is implementing
an 8m-dollar programme in the area of Lake Sevan. We are trying
to implement various programmes in the villages too, starting with
protection and restoration of the green areas and development and
implementation of small businesses.

[Correspondent over video of Lake Sevan] The president focused
attention on the issues of building a National Park around Lake
Sevan. The forests’ issues are also always in the president’s centre
of attention. The minister assured him that cultivation of 360,000
hectare of forests in Gegargunik and Tavush Regions will yield a
positive result.

The president also stressed the importance of adopting a law on
ecology, which according to the ecology minister it is already
ready. The government will submit it to parliament for discussion soon.

Lilit Setrakyan, “Aylur”.

Substance beats style in ‘Figaro’
By Rob Lowman, Entertainment Editor

Redlands Daily Facts, CA
May 26 2004

THE LIST OF timeless artworks may not be growing these days, but
no matter. We already have enough to engage us. Or so listening to
Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro’ suggested on Saturday night.

The occasion was opening night of a new Los Angeles Opera production
of the work. Directed by Ian Judge and designed by Tim Goodchild, it
takes the place of Peter Hall’s version, which was both well-liked and
straightforward, albeit a bit unspontaneous after several revivals. But
the exchange has not worked in our favor.

No, playwright Beaumarchais’ savvy barber-cum-valet and his bride-to-be
don’t now work for modern American plutocrats (see Peter Sellars),
nor do they reside in a pile reminiscent of Poe’s House of Usher
(see Jonathan Miller).

There is, though, something decidedly Eurotrashy about Goodchild’s
outsized palace rooms, with their super-rich colors and anachronistic
modern-day accouterments, like telephones and glossy magazines. And
one can’t ignore Deirdre Clancy’s bizarrely matched costumes, each
seemingly plucked from a different theatrical road company. Why, you
may ask, are the count’s soldiers dressed like chauffeurs, circa 1920?

More serious are the lapses Judge makes regarding 18th-century
manners. Seeing Figaro kiss the hand of his master’s wife, to say
nothing of watching the page Cherubino smooch with her, subverts what
Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte intended. Without class
boundaries, Figaro and his cohorts risk nothing — and sacrifice is
central to this opera.

Still, one goes to “Figaro’ primarily for the music, not the visuals,
or even always the morals. And musically this production is strong.
Though no one in the cast is famous, several singers no doubt will
be. Topping the list is Figaro himself as personified by Uruguayan
bass-baritone Erwin Schrott.

Schrott won great acclaim here last season as a sexily resonant Don
Giovanni. And it’s no surprise that the company signed him to this
role. To be convincing, Figaro must be clever and charming. It’s no
bad thing if he’s a lady-killer, too. And Schrott certainly is that.
He swaggers across the stage with enviable self-confidence. How
nice that he has a voice to match — deep and robust, but with a
captivating, bright edge.

This vigorous Figaro is paired with a Susanna of commensurate gifts,
soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, a Canadian born to Armenian parents in
Beirut. Though making her L.A. Opera debut with this role, Bayrakdarian
already has appeared at two company galas and won Placido Domingo’s
Operalia competition in 2000. Pretty and vivacious, she looks like an
ideal Susanna; more important, she sings like one, with a glimmering,
even tone. Her wise and cheeky performance proved a joy from beginning
to end, but never more so than in her final aria, when she was also
ineffably touching.

Susanna’s noble counterpart, the Countess, is sung by Bulgarian soprano
Darina Takova. If Bayrakdarian sounds like topaz, then Takova’s voice
is amber. In the Countess’ two great arias — “Porgi amor,’ about
love lost, and “Dove sono,’ about its possible reclamation — Takova
sang ardently, though she got more expressive as the opera progressed.

American bass David Pittsinger’s Count Almaviva, no slouch himself
in the testosterone department, rounds out the central quartet. His
gripping account of the great vengeance aria “Vedro mentr’io sospiro’
seethed with wounded pride, and he made a convincing foil for Figaro
at every turn.

With two beloved arias, the trouser role of Cherubino has always
been plum for mezzo-sopranos, and Boston native Sandra Piques Eddy
assumes it enthusiastically, singing well and offering a particularly
convincing portrait of a young man on hormonal red alert. No less
fine were Anna Steiger as a robustly scheming Marcellina and company
regulars Michael Gallup, as blustering but somehow amiable Dr.
Bartolo, and Greg Fedderly, as an unctuous, stuttering Don Basilio.

In the pit, Stefan Anton Reck, in his company debut, made a fine
first impression, leading Mozart’s effervescent score with ample
enthusiasm and enough sensitivity to avoid overpowering the singers,
which his broad gestures certainly suggested he might do.!end!

Movements of anti-aircraft systems controlled in CIS – Ivanov
By Alexander Konovalov, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 21, 2004 Friday

YEREVAN, May 21 — The CIS Council of Defence Ministers has not
discussed the control of movements of portable anti-aircraft systems
at its meeting in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Friday, Russian
Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov told reporters.

He explained that CIS presidents had made decisions on this matter
at their meeting in Yalta last autumn.

“We fulfil them,” he said.

“In accordance with these decisions, national authorised bodies for
exchange of information on the movement of the systems have been set
up or are to be set up in the CIS countries, except for Turkmenistan.”

“The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation reporting
to the Defence Ministry has been formed in Russia to be in charge of
this question,” Ivanov said.

He said large-scale military exercises of CIS states would be conducted
in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in early August.

Russia will send to the exercises military transport, combat and
naval aviation, and permanent readiness troops.

Besides, exercises called West-Antiterror will be held in Moldova
at the end of June, engaging antiterrorist structures of Russia,
Ukraine Belarus, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.

Spain coach Saez opts for a defensive Euro 2004 squad

The Star
Friday May 21, 2004

MADRID: Spain coach Inaki Saez opted for a conservative Euro 2004 squad,
naming eight defenders and leaving out Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes
yesterday.

Experienced players from Real Madrid and champions Valencia made up the
backbone of the 23-man squad which will play hosts Portugal, Greece and
Russia in Group A.

The coach said 20-year-old Reyes, who has won four caps and scored two goals
for Spain in the Euro qualifier against Armenia in October, had not yet
reached maturity.

“Reyes is a man of the future for the national side,” Saez said.

As well as Reyes, Saez left out Valencia attacker Mista, the highest-scoring
Spaniard in this year’s Primera Liga with 19 goals. Mista’s stunning form
helped his side seal a league and UEFA Cup double this season.

“My experience of international tournaments is that central defenders always
receive the most punishment, and in the final – which is what we aim to
reach – you are always short of defenders,” Saez said.

“So I have put another man in at the back.”

Saez named Raul despite the Spanish captain’s poor season with Real Madrid.
Fellow striker Fernando Morientes of Monaco also won a place after a
brilliant Champions League campaign.

Saez opted for versatile Barcelona defender Gabri to plug any holes in the
Spanish defence, saying he was familiar with the player from coaching the
Spanish youth team who won the 1999 World Cup in Nigeria.

Defensive stalwarts Ivan Helguera and Michel Salgado of Real Madrid, and
Carles Puyol of Barcelona are included and Betis’ Juanito won a place
despite his side’s indifferent league form.

Spain, who have not lost in nine internationals, will rely on first choice
goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Real Madrid.

Athletic Bilbao’s 24-year-old goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia was named in the
squad for the first time.

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Santiago Canizares (Valencia),
Daniel Aranzubia (Athletic Bilbao).

Defenders: Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Ivan Helguera (Real Madrid), Carlos
Marchena (Valencia), Michel Salgado (Real Madrid), Gabri (Barcelona), Raul
Bravo (Real Madrid), Cesar (Deportivo Coruna), Juanito (Betis).

Midfielders: Juan Carlos Valeron (Deportivo Coruna), Xabi Alonso (Real
Sociedad), Ruben Baraja (Valencia), Vicente (Valencia), David Albelda
(Valencia), Joaquin (Real Betis), Xavi (Barcelona).

Forwards: Raul (Real Madrid), Albert Luque (Deportivo Coruna), Fernando
Torres (Atletico Madrid), Fernando Morientes (Monaco), Joseba Etxeberria
(Athletic Bilbao). – Reuters

IRAN SEEKS ENERGY COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

IPR Strategic Business Information Database
May 20, 2004

According to “Tehran Times”, a member of Sadid Saba Nirou Company’s
board of directors stated that Energy Ministry sought more cooperation
with Armenia in the field of wind energy. Shahram Aminian said that
Iran was capable of exporting technical know-how to neighboring
countries. He noted that Iran – Armenia negotiations in this regard
had not been finalized, but the Energy Ministry is following up the
issue. The official said Iran enjoyed technical know-how to build
wind turbines and was capable of exported relevant services to other
countries.

VICTIMS OF PONTIAN GREEKS GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED IN ARMENIA

ArmenPress
May 19 2004

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS: The Greek ambassador to Armenia,
Antonios Vlavianos, other dignitaries, government officials and
ordinary Armenians commemorated today the memory of hundreds of
thousands of Pontian Greeks mercilessly massacred by the government
of Turkey between 1914-1922. The commemoration ceremony was held at
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan, erected in commemoration of the
victims of Armenian genocide of 1915, also committed by the government
of Turkey.

Of the 700,000 Greeks living in Pontus (the area stretching along the
southern coastline of the Black Sea) in 1914, 300,000 were killed
as a result of Turkish government policy and the remainder became
refugees. “Three millennia of the Greek and Armenian presence was
wiped out by a deliberate policy of creating a Turkey for the Turks.
The Pontian people were denied the right to exist, the right of respect
for their national and cultural identity, and the right to remain on
land they had lived on for countless generations, ” the ambassador
said addressing the present.

Mr. Vlavianos said the tragedy experienced by both nations have
forged closer ties and links between Armenians and Greeks, adding also
that the memory of innocent victims will never be forgotten. He said
all efforts will be exerted to make both genocides internationally
acknowledged and condemned so that to prevent future repetitions of
such horrible crimes.

“The genocide of Pontian Greeks was recognized only by the
government of modern Hellenic Republic, which is not deemed as
its priority foreign policy issue, unlike Armenia which has made
significant progress in pushing for the 1915 genocide’s international
recognition. Greece has officially recognized the Armenian genocide,”
he said, explaining that Armenia did not acknowledge the genocide of
Pontian Greeks because of the absence of an official request on the
part of Greek government.

Around 1,500,000 Armenians and 300,000 Pontian Greeks were annihilated
through exile, starvation, cold, illness, slaughter, murder, gallows,
axe, and fire. The Pontians now lie scattered all over the world as a
result of the genocide and their unique history, language (the dialect
is a valuable link between ancient and modern Greek), and culture
are endangered and face extinction. A double crime was committed –
genocide and the uprooting of a people from their ancestral homelands
of three millennia. The Christian nations were not only witnesses
to this horrible and monstrous crime, which remains unpunished,
but for reasons of political expediency and self interest have,
by their silence, pardoned the criminal. The Ottoman and Kemalist
Turks were responsible for the genocide of the Pontian people,
the most heinous of all crimes according to international law. The
international community must recognize this crime.

International Journalist’s Network
May 18 2004

How to Use ‘News Factory’
May 24, 2004 – May 24, 2004

Seminar

In Yerevan, Armenia. Organized by Internews-Armenia. Trainers
Konstantin Naumov and Denis Shchevchenko of Internews-Russia will
lead the seminar. They will present the News Factory program, which
facilitates the organization of newsroom work for TV stations.
Internews-Russia created the software to help regional stations
automate their news production, while creating computerized archives
of their local news reports. No more than one representative from
each TV company may attend. Contact David Aslanyan at
[email protected], telephone +374 1 58-36-20. Internews-Armenia: