Author: Jalatian Sonya

Europe ready to cooperate with Baku under New Neighbors initiative
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 17, 2004 Friday

BAKU, September 17 — The affiliation of Azerbaijan to the New
Neighbors initiative of the European Union begins a new phase in the
Azerbaijani integration with the EU, European Commission President
Romano Prodi said at a Friday press conference in Baku.

He said it was the central item on his negotiations with Azerbaijani
officials, including President Ilham Aliyev.

Europe is ready for cooperation within the framework of the New
Neighbors policy, Prodi said. Everyone wants to see fruit and
benefits of expanded Europe, and Azerbaijan will get an access to
the 500-million European market through the New Neighbors initiative,
he said. The initiative will also promote broader cultural and public
relations between the EU and Azerbaijan, Prodi said.

He said the Baku meetings assured him that it was necessary to launch
the New Neighbors policy immediately. Cooperation priorities will
be defined at further negotiations between the European Union and
Azerbaijan. The New Neighbors initiative embraces Azerbaijan, Armenia
and Georgia, and all countries will enjoy the same approach. Yet
cooperation priorities will be different in each case, Prodi said.

The European Commission supports negotiations between presidents and
foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the Karabakh conflict
and hopes for settlement with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Prodi said. He said that the European Union will not interfere with the
dialog but it may assist the return of refugees and assistance to the
development of Azerbaijan and Armenia after the Karabakh settlement.

Baku wants close integration with European institutions, Azerbaijani
Prime Minister Artur Rasi-zade said at a Friday meeting with Prodi.

Azerbaijan is the only South Caucasian country, which has repaid $57
million in EU loans in full, he said.

The European Union is implementing over 25 joint projects in
Azerbaijan, primarily in the sphere of transport, telecommunications,
energy and foods.

BBC News, UK
Sept 17 2004

Ray of light in family’s black life

By Ruben Mangasarian
For BBCRussian.com

I received many e-mails at my photo agency after my photo story
“Black Life” was published on the Karabakh Page of BBCRussian.com and
then on BBC News Online.

Ruben says baby Maria is the happiest in the family – because she
doesn’t understand anything

The photos related the story of an Armenian refugee family from
Azerbaijan living in desperate poverty in Bagratashen, near the
Armenian capital, Yerevan.

The conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh – in
Azerbaijan but claimed by Armenians – displaced thousands of people
in 1988-1994.

“I don’t think in my life photos have ever moved me more,” wrote
Heidi Wallace from Los Angeles in California.

“The depth of this poor family’s plight is almost more than I can
bear.”

“I would go through the ends of the world to send them a care
package,” added Christina Flanary, also from the US.

I will never forget those overwhelming feelings. Thinking about
taking those pictures, I realised what was hitting so hard.

The mother Lida’s “black life” was like a real hell on Earth – not
the one for evil sinners.

Tough lives

The family was covered by a pall of smoke and soot from burning
plastic bags in their kitchen stove – they couldn’t afford normal
fuel.

Black life – one refugee family’s struggle against poverty

In pictures

Everything was black: the walls, curtains, clothes, the faces of
Lida’s children.

It seemed they had given up knowing any other life and kept only
their love for each other.

It was different in the summer. As the weather was warm the stove was
taken outside.

But life was, and is, still tough. They have almost no furniture –
just two beds, several chairs and a bench.

All the clothing is kept in big sacks.

The only electrical appliance in the house is a bulb. No fridge, no
radio, no TV and, what shocked me most, no toilet.

I didn’t have the courage to ask them how they survived without one.

New clothes

Jay, a BBC News Online reader from Britain, sent some money, so I
paid local authorities to build a toilet cabin for Lida’s family.

Lida cooks an omelette – she will not eat herself, but give it to the
children
Then I needed to get them into new clothes. I wanted them to wear
fresh shirts sent from Tokyo on their clean washed bodies.

I asked the children – have they ever had a bath or taken a shower?
They didn’t know what they were.

So I arranged for them to visit local communal baths. It was the
first time they had washed in something other than a small tub with
lukewarm water.

Lida is the only person who knows the outside world – she goes out to
earn some money.

The rest of the family don’t leave the house much – only to get water
from a tap nearby.

The children don’t know what friendship is, they still don’t go to
school, they cannot read or write.

Readers’ help

Yolande McLean, born in Canada, currently designs publications in
Tokyo, Japan. She wrote:

The family in their new clothes….
“When I saw Ruben Mangasarian’s photos of Lida and her family, I was
struck by the compassion behind them. I knew the family must have
endured circumstances as harsh as any I’d come across.

“And then I thought, in spite of the soot and smoke, what beautiful
kids! Armen had a shy, self-conscious smile; Mariam seemed pensive.

I showed the story to Jay in England and said ‘let’s do something.’ I
think he said, ‘Sure! Cool!'”

“Ruben asked me why we wanted to help a family living in an
unfamiliar country so far away. The simplest answer is, why not?” she
went on.

“The fact is, though, Armenia really doesn’t seem so far or so
strange. After you’ve travelled a while, borders, distances, and
differences are not formidable obstacles.”

Yolande said she felt Lida could use a friend. “I’m no refugee, but I
understood what it was like to be a stranger,” she said.

“I’m delighted to see Asya smiling and wearing her new cardigan, and
is that my velvet baseball cap on Armen?”

Colour in their lives

Jay Dykes, 38, from the UK, wrote:

“My friend in Tokyo, Yolande, alerted me to your haunting images that
depict the life of Lida and her children.

… kindly sent by readers Yolande [left] and Jay
“Words fail me… when I viewed your photos I was immediately moved
by them.

“I feel it was the strength of the pictures, the strength of my
friend’s words, and the strength that I could see in the eyes of the
whole family peering out of the darkness that made me want to do
something, anything, to try and help,” he added.

Yolande has sent from Tokyo two boxes with clothes and shoes, the
third one is on its way.

Jay sent some money. They were the first to spring into action to
help Lida’s family.

But the family still need help to bring some colour into their “black
life”.

ARMENIAN PRO-GOVERNMENTAL LAWMAKERS HAIL PACE MONITORING COMMISSION’S STATEMENT

A1 Plus | 19:43:47 | 16-09-2004 | Politics |

Yesterday’s statement by the PACE monitoring commission saying
Armenian authorities have complied with PACE demand was hailed by
pro-governmental members of Armenian National Assembly on Thursday.

Answering the question journalists put to him about imbroglio over
stripping A1+ TV Company of its broadcasting license, United Labor
Party leader Gurgen Arsenyan said this demand wasn’t fulfilled.

Foreign Ministry disappointed by cancellation of NATO exercises in Baku

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2004

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its
disappointment with the cancellation of NATO’s “Cooperative Best
Effort-2004” exercises.

Azerbaijan regards the exercises as an important step in its
integration into the Euro-Atlantic community and created all the
suitable conditions to hold the exercises, the statement says.
The document also outlines the reasons for the Azeri public’s protest
against the planned visit by Armenian military men to Baku.

“As a result of Armenia’s aggression, 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory
was occupied and more than one million people became refugees and
internally displaced persons. The government of Armenia is taking a
non-constructive position in peace talks. In this case, the Armenian
officers’ participation in military exercises in Baku is impossible,”
the statement says. The statement also expressed Azerbaijan’s adherence
to Euro-Atlantic values and principles, its commitment to cooperation
with the North Atlantic Alliance, and a hope for further development
of long-term and fruitful partnership.*

Parliament Members Discuss NATO

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2004

Abolition of NATO maneuvers “Cooperativ Best Effort 2004” in Azerbaijan
was discussed at yesterday’s session of Azerbaijani parliament
(Milli Mejlis).

Turan/BT — Deputy Ibrahim Isayev expressed his regrets that NATO
yielded to Armenians and abolished maneuvers in Baku. “We did not
let Armenian officers to Baku, and I want to congratulate you on
this occasion,” he said. The leader of the Party of Popular Front
of United Azerbaijan Gudrat Hasanguliyev expressed his satisfaction
and called this event as “big achievement”. Hasanguliyev called to
be “vigilant” concerning persons and companies, who “contact” with
Armenians, and indicated on non-admission of such cooperation.

At the same time, the deputy Musa Musayev expressed his doubt
concerning positive results of cancellation of NATO maneuvers. He
reminded about significant efforts, which Azerbaijan put for joining
of Azerbaijan as associated member of the parliament assembly of
NATO. If Azerbaijan strives settling Karabakh problem by peaceful
means, then it must cooperate with NATO, said Musayev.

The parliament speaker Murtuz Aleskerov said to certain extent
NATO decision served as response to appellation of the Azerbaijan
parliament. “We protested against arrival of servicemen, who occupied
our lands and shed blood of our nation and achieved their purpose,”
he said.

Russians ground Polish military plane en route to NATO exercise

AP Worldstream
Sep 14, 2004

A Polish military plane carrying soldiers and weapons to Azerbaijan
for a NATO exercise was grounded in southern Russia following a mix-up
over its transit permit, an army spokesman said Tuesday.

The plane, carrying 15 soldiers, ammunition and weapons, was detained
late Monday in Rostov-on-Don and prevented from proceeding to Baku,
Azerbaijan, Col. Zdzislaw Gnatowski said.

Gnatowski said that, although the plane had received permission
from Moscow to transport soldiers and weapons through Russia, that
information apparently had not been forwarded to local officials
in Rostov-on-Don.

Officials’ efforts to sort out the mix-up were overtaken by NATO’s
scrapping the planned exercise, part of the alliance’s “Partnership
for Peace” program, after Azerbaijan rejected a request by neighboring
Armenia to participate.

Gnatowski said the plane was expected to return to Poland on Wednesday.

CONSTRUCTION OF MODERN GERARD CAFESJIAN ART MUSEUM TO START SOON

ArmenPress
Sept 8 2004

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Construction of a modern Gerard
Cafesjian art museum will start soon in Yerevan and will most
likely host the first art funs in a couple of years. David Hotson,
the director of an architectural David Hotson company, was named
the winner of a contest announced for the best design. He designed
several prominent venues, namely the office of UN General Secretary,
African Art Museum in Manhattan, New York and several others.

According to John Waters, the deputy chairman of Cafesjian Museum Fund,
the design takes into account the opinions of experts and respective
officials. The main building of the museum will enlarge the territory
of Kaskad which joins Tamanian park to Arabkir community by outdoors
stairs and indoors escalator. The museum building will encompass
public places, a decorative pool, architectural monuments, parks,
a cafe and an outdoors cinema which can be attended by passer-bys
and visitors of the museum.

A 25 meter high glass tower will be made by famous glass makers,
Stanislav Libenski and Yaroslava Mrikhtova. Near the glass tower and
the museum building a monument to independence will be erected. The
museum will exhibit rare samples of 20-th century painting and
architecture. To be located on 10 thousand square meters, it will
also host traveling exhibits throughout the world. The total project
costs 25 mln USD.

“This is a excellent opportunity to work in Armenia, in a country
with such an outstanding history and culture, in such an unusual
environment. Cafesjian museum will enter in between the history of
Armenian nation and its future. It is a call for a promising future
of Armenia, concurrently reflecting its strong origin,” architecture
D. Hotson said, speaking about the design.

Next OSCE Monitoring Is To Run on September 7

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 7 2004

Next OSCE monitoring at Armenian-Azerbaijan front line is scheduled
to run on September 7, Turan reported.

The monitoring is to run on the territory of the village Ashagy
Veysally, Hojavend region.

Running of the monitoring by both parties will be accomplished by
field assistants of personal representative of OSCE Acting chairman,
press service of the Ministry of defense of Azerbaijan reported to
TURAN news agency.

ArmenPress
Aug 30 2004

TSAGHKADZOR HOSTED ALL ARMENIAN EDUCATIONAL FIRST CONFERENCE

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS: All Armenian Educational First
Conference under the auspices of president Kocharian and Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II opened on Aug 27 in the resort town of
Tsaghkadzor. Some 220 Armenian teachers from 29 countries of the
world participated in the conference.
Armenian president Robert Kocharian addressed a message which says
in particular, “education plays an indispensable role in
Armenia-Diaspora relations. This important pillar of preservation of
Armenian identity needs continued renewal and modernization. Steps
taken by Armenian leadership, education of teachers at higher
educational establishments, training of teachers from Diaspora,
publication of textbooks and methodology manuals are necessary but
not sufficient support to Armenian schools across the world.” In his
message, the president also voiced his hope that the developments at
the conference will open up wider opportunities for Armenian
establishments across the world.
Catholicos of All Armenian Karekin II honored the conference,
noting that cooperation in the field of education between Armenia and
Diaspora is of vital importance. The more healthy our schools are,
the bigger our hope for the future, he said.
The conference was also greeted by PM Andranik Margarian, Speaker
of Armenian National Assembly Arthur Baghdasarian and His Holiness
Catholicos Aram A. Congratulating speeches were made by Armenian
minister of culture and youth affairs Hovik Hoveian, chairman of
Armenian writers’ union Levon Ananian.
The first speaker of the conference, education minister Sergo
Yeritsian said that accessibility and openness, quality and
compatibility of education are challenging issues today because very
few young people attend Armenian schools across the world now.
Speaking on education policy and reform, he underscored
modernization of education. He said by the proposal and support of
Catholicos of All Armenians a training school for Diaspora teachers
is planned to be opened in Armenia which will contribute largely to
quality of education in Armenian schools across the world.
Speaking about the education system within Armenia, the minister
said that we have a developing school though it is slightly
imbalanced. Schools in border areas and mountainous regions
considerably stay back from schools in the capital. In some cases
even non specialists teach certain subjects there and a lot of
vacancies are available. Yeritsian promised that the salaries of
teachers will rise up to 51,000 in 2005. He also said that there will
be no teachers in the republic in the coming three years who will
stay without passing training.
The head of Armenian national institute of education affiliated to
education ministry Viktor Martirossian preferred 12 year education in
his speech on the topic of Armenian education and educational
developments in the world. The Armenian schools will pass onto this
new regime starting 2006. Though the economic conditions push for
shorter education, the Russian statistics indicates that 85 percent
of illnesses among schoolchildren are due to overload of teaching at
schools.
Only 25 percent of children go to kindergartens because of poor
facilities in kindergartens and low public income levels.

Hripsimeh Janpoladian-Piotrovskaya passed away

88
30.08.04

Aged 87, after a long and severe illness passed away Hripsimeh
Janpoladian-Piotrovskaya – the mother of the academician Mikhail Piotrovski
– the present head of the Hermitage museum and the widow of the academician
Boris Piotrovski who occupied that post for almost thirty years. A graduate
of the Yerevan University turned an outstanding archeologist-orientalist,
Hripsimeh Janpoladian-Piotrovskaya had found her destiny on the excavations
of the famous Karmir-Blur. It was on that expedition, having made way into
the manuals on Ancient history, that she met in 1941 Boris Piotrovski, then
a scientific collaborator of the Hermitage museum. The bronze statuette of
the Urartian war god (a not accidental coincidence with 1941), that
Hripsimeh Mikaelovna had found, introduced them to each other. They married
in 1944 in Yerevan where Piotrovski, dying in the Leningrad blockade from
emaciation, had been evacuated the year before. In Yerevan was born their
firstling – Mikhail. His vocation too became archeology. Still a school
student he was frequenting expeditions, and the first ever expedition salary
Mikhail spent on a small nephrite vase, a mascot-gift for his mother.

For many years, continuing her scientific work at the Archeology Institute
of the USSR Academy of Arts, Hripsimeh Piotrovskaya has been doing, maybe,
her principal life-work: keeping the family hearth warming the Piotrovski
house counter the uneasy soviet and post-soviet social-political winds. She
was also the editor of the works of the academician Boris Piotrovski
published posthumously: among them the encyclopedic `History of the
Hermitage museum,’ the diary `Travel notes’ and biographical notes `Pages
from my life.’ Being the mother of Mikhail Piotrovski and the wife of Boris
Piotrovski is a difficult pride and a joyous responsibility. She carried
them with dignity and tact. It is sorrowful to say about her – she was.