Author: Jilavian Emma

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| 20:56:26 | 24-05-2005 | Politics |

LAST BELL FOR AUTHORITIES

Today during the hour for statements the deputies touched upon various
issues, including the Unity Round-Dance to be held on May 28 and the
necessity of change of power. Out of 17 deputies present in the hall 10 were
the opposition deputies.

Opposition also called to authorities to abdicated from power. Justice bloc
deputy Grigor Harutyunuyan said that there is no freedom of speech in
Armenia and 20 TV companies that are functioning in the capital report the
information that is profitable for the authorities.

The opposition deputies also noted that presently Armenia is taking exams
before the international community, the first exam being the Constitution
and the local self-government bodies.

«This process will show whether Armenia will take steps proceeding from the
interests of the people or will follow the destructive path», Shavarsh
Kocharyan said. When the three minutes were over chairman Vahan Hovhannisyan
rang the bell. «This bell will the last for the authorities», Shavarsh
Kocharyan stated.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
May 24, 2005, Tuesday

AZERBAIJAN BECOMES AN OBSTACLE

SOURCE: Kommersant, May 24, 2005, p. 10

by Vladimir Novikov, Gennadi Sysoev

Another round of Russian-Georgian negotiations on withdrawing Russian
military bases from Georgia has opened in Tbilisi. Deputy Foreign
Minister Merab Antadze heads the Georgian delegation; special envoy
Igor Savolsky heads the Russian delegation.

The talks are shrouded in secrecy. Foreign Minister Salome
Zurabishvili even warned that comments would only be made after the
meeting. According to our sources, the chances of success are fairly
high. Moscow and Tbilisi have certainly bridged the gap in dealing
with the problem which had defeated them for years.

Georgia wants the Batumi base withdrawn by March 2008, and the
Akhalkalaki base (plus all heavy military hardware) withdrawn by July
1, 2007. Russia is prepared leave Batumi by the end of 2008 and leave
Akhalkalaki by late 2007. In other words, the difference is not
substantial – a fact acknowledged yesterday even by Nino
Burdzhanadze, speaker of the Georgian parliament. “We may find the
Russian proposals on dates and terms acceptable,” she said. “It
doesn’t really matter if the bases are out before January 1, 2008, or
in May 2008.”

The status of the peacekeeping base in Gudauta (Abkhazia) remains
undecided as yet. Also undecided are questions of procedures for
withdrawing facilities, military hardware, and personnel from
Tbilisi, Akhalkalaki, and Batumi; the status and functions of the
joint counter-terrorism center to be established simultaneously with
the withdrawal; and the legal form to be taken by Georgia’s
commitment not to host military contingents from any other countries
after the Russian withdrawal.

Actually, another stumbling block could be the position of
Azerbaijan, which only came to light recently as an issue that could
impact the future Russian-Georgian agreement. Chief of the General
Staff Yuri Baluyevsky confirmed Baku’s worst fears last week. He said
that some of the military hardware from the withdrawn bases in
Georgia would be transferred to a military base in Gyumri, Armenia.
“This would cut the withdrawal time to four years. That’s a measure
we are forced to take, since new infrastructure cannot be set up in
the time available,” Baluyevsky explained.

This is precisely what has unnerved the government of Azerbaijan –
especially since Moscow, when reaching agreement with Armenian
President Robert Kocharjan about the movement of troops, conveniently
“forgot” to mention the matter to President Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan.

The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan sent a note to the Russian Embassy
in Baku yesterday, expressing “concern over statements made by some
Russian political and military leaders about the possibility of
transfering some property and military hardware from Russian military
bases in Georgia into Armenia.” The government of Azerbaijan
maintains that “this scenario would be inconsistent with regional
peace and security interests. It would only exacerbate tension in the
already-problematic process of resolving the Azerbaijan-Armenia
conflict.”

Trying to allay Baku’s fears at least partially, Savolsky said
yesterday that most military hardware in question would be returned
to Russia. Still, it doesn’t seem that Azerbaijan (and the West)
would tolerate any reinforcement of the Russian army group in
Armenia. The government of Azerbaijan is essentially linking the
future of Azerbaijan-Russia relations with the matter of Russia’s
withdrawal from Gudauta. This greatly restricts Moscow’s room for
maneuver.

Translated by A. Ignatkin

FIRST PRIMER FOR YEZIDS ISSUED IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MAY 23. ARMINFO. First 800 samples of primer for Yezinds has
been issued in Armenia.

Despite the centuries need in primer, the book will occur on the desks
of schoolchildren only in September 2005, the co-author of the book
Hasan Tamoyan informs ARMINFO. Yezids had their alphebet of 33
letters, however it was forgotten. The letters in the primer are like
those from Cyrillic alphabet. It is not accidentally that the primer
was issued in Armenia, the Armenian intelligence has always
contributed to preservation of traditions of Yezid culture.

Yet in 1921 the primer by Hakov Ghazaryan (Lazo) was issued, which
consisted of Armenian letters and not enough corresponded to the
sounds of the Yezid language. Tamoyan thanked the Armenian people for
their contribution to preservation of traditions of Yezids for
centuries and tried to issue a text- book for Yezid children. Armenia
is the largest center of Yezid Diaspora. Where some 50,000 Yezids
reside. (Yezids consider their historical motherland Irak, wherein
their only cathedral is located).

Besides, Tamoyan said that the demand for the primer will increase as
responses from RF and Georgia have been received. Text-books in Yezid
language for higher forms will be issued in future, he said.

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
May 23 2005

Leader of world Armenians: Iran a model for followers of divine
religions

Isfahan, May 23, IRNA

The spiritual Leader of the World Armenians Archbishop Jasliq Aram I
Keshishian said on Monday that the world should follow peaceful
coexistence of the followers of divine religions in Iran.

The spiritual leader of the world Armenians arrived in the ancient
city of Isfahan, central Iran, on Sunday.

The rights of religious minorities in Iran, Armenians in particular,
are respected and that they enjoy an appropriate position in Iran, he
told IRNA on the sidelines of his visit to Hovaneh Church in Isfahan.

The Article 13 of Iran’s Constitution is truly observed in Iran given
that the religious minorities enjoy the freedom to perform their
religious rituals, have representatives in the Majlis (parliament),
are present in academic centers, cultural and art arenas and hold
administrative posts, he noted.

However, he reiterated that the blood money as the most important
problem facing the Armenians was solved upon the approval of Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Iran’s judiciary chief underlined that the country has seriously
taken into consideration the respect for the rights of religious
minorities in Iran,” he added.

He also quoted the judiciary chief as declaring that the judiciary is
ready to set up ad hoc councils to resolve the problems of the
religious minorities residing in Iran.

It is also expected that the provincial authorities give more
attention to the preservation of Armenians’ cultural heritage given
the high tourism attractions of Isfahan province, said the spiritual
leader.

It is worth mentioning that the Iranian authorities have always paved
the way for the Armenians’ presence in political, cultural, social,
art and sport areas, he stated.

The spiritual leader of the world Armenians arrived in the ancient
city of Isfahan, central Iran, on Sunday.

During his stay in Isfahan, the leader of world Armenians is to
confer with Armenians residing in this city as well as the Friday
prayer leader and the provincial governor general.

Archbishop Jasliq is scheduled to visit the city of Shahin Shahr in
the northern part of Isfahan province and confer with the Armenians
in this city.

Armenian settlement in Isfahan dates back to the Safavid era. Most of
the Armenians in Isfahan live in the historical region of Jolfa.

The spiritual leader of the World Armenians arrived in Tehran on
Thursday, May 12 for a 14-day visit. He has already visited Iran
three times.

During his stay in Iran, he visited Tehran and Markazi provinces and
is currently touring Isfahan before going on to the provinces of West
Azarbaijan and East Azarbaijan.

He also paid tribute to the founder of the Islamic Revolution the
late Imam Khomeini on Thursday, May 19.

The Armenian citizens in Iran enjoy citizenship rights and they are
present on the scene to elevate their country, Iran, said the
Armenian leader last Sunday, May 15 in Arak, Markazi province.

The total number of Armenians around the world stands at 15 million,
he said, adding that the 300,000 Armenians in Iran freely perform
their religious duties.

The religious center of the World Armenians is located in Lebanon and
the center follows up all various issues of the Armenian population
throughout the world, he added.

Archbishop Jasliq Aram I Keshishian conferred with President Mohammad
Khatami in Tehran on last Saturday, May 14.

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French ‘No’ camp aims to consolidate lead
By John Thornhill in Paris

FT
May 22 2005 16:12

The No camp in France’s referendum on Europe’s constitutional treaty
stepped up its campaign over the weekend targeting every shade of
the political spectrum in an attempt to consolidate its lead in the
opinion polls.

The latest poll, published on Sunday by the Ifop institute, showed
52 per cent of people who have decided how to vote oppose the treaty.
But the outcome of the vote on May 29 is still up in the air and much
will depend on the final week of campaigning.

At a rally of 5,000 supporters in Paris on Saturday, Philippe de
Villiers, the leader of the nationalist Movement for France, said
that the adoption of the constitution would strip Europe’s nations
of their sovereignty and transfer too much power to Brussels. “To
have 450m people run by 18 technocrats is a totalitarian idea from
the last century,” he said.

Mr de Villiers, who has been one of the most energetic No campaigners
drawing support from conservative Catholic, Gaullist and sovereigntist
traditions, said that France had a “special mission” in the world,
thanks to its historical, geographic, and linguistic links, which
should never be abandoned.

“It is impossible to imagine Europe without France. But France is
also an extra-European power, a world power,” he said to wild applause.

Flanked by anti-constitution MEPs from several European countries,
including the UK, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland, Mr de Villiers said he
believed in a Europe of “free peoples.” “Ours is a No of the people,
not of the elite,” he said, explaining that it reflected France’s
gut rather than its brains.

Mr de Villiers stoked the audience’s evident antipathy towards
President Jacques Chirac and his unpopular government, led by prime
minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Every mention of the two politicians’
names was met with boos. But the audience roared with laughter when
an artfully edited video was shown contrasting some of Mr Chirac’s
old speeches denouncing the “Brussels bureaucracy” with a more recent
interview in which he stated he had always been a convinced European.

Mr de Villiers said one of the most positive consequences of rejecting
the treaty would be that it would help block Turkey’s entry into
the EU. He attacked Ankara for failing to acknowledge its role in
the Armenian genocide of 1915 and summoned a flag-waving Armenian
representative on to the stage. “The people who say there is no link
between Turkey and the constitution are liars,” Mr de Villiers said.

On the other side of Paris, a slightly smaller number of leftwing
opponents of the treaty gathered at Place de la Republique, where
they heard speeches from communist and socialist politicians as well
as anti-globalisation and environmental campaigners.

“To vote for this constitution is to shoot yourself in the head, to
renounce your citizenship,” said Jose Bove, the anti-globalisation
protester. “This constitution is going to lock up Europe in an
economically liberal model for 50 years.”

France’s extreme right parties have also been conducting an active,
but largely subterranean, campaign against the European constitution.
But on Saturday morning, a cavalcade of white vans plastered with
stickers for France’s National Front circled Paris’s ringroad before
congregating at a rally in the centre of the city. Campaigners
handed out leaflets condemning the loss of French jobs to lower cost
countries abroad.

The Yes campaign appears to have been startled by the strength of
this grassroots movement against the constitution. But government
ministers and pro-constitution campaigners are planning a series of
high-profile events this week to try to recover momentum. They are
also hoping that a forthcoming blizzard of appeals on the radio and
television will help swing voters their way.

DEVELOPMENT IN RIGHT DIRECTION

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| 14:06:47 | 21-05-2005 | Politics |

The principal function of advocacy is to provide juridical assistance
to physical and juridical persons. It is fixed by laws and in some
cases by court codes.

“The UK is the only exception. There is no special law on advocacy”,
constitutional right specialist Vardan Poghosyan says. A united chamber
of lawyers functions almost in all the Western European states. In
France the chamber was formed in 1971, in Germany – in 1959. The Union
of Lawyers of America is the most famous in the US. There are lawyers
unions in some states but in the US their activities are regulated not
by a single law but by the legislation of the given state. In Germany
the situation is different. Though a lot of lawyer unions function in
there their activity is regulated on the state level, since a united
chamber of lawyers functions in the country. The united Chamber of
Lawyers functions in Russia and in all the CIS member-states.

In Vardan Poghosyan’s opinion the problems connected with
the activities of the Chamber of Lawyers demand general
settlement. “The existence of one chamber is justified. However
Armenia has no experience. It hard to say how the development will
proceed. Unfortunately the lawyers unions in Armenia functioned in
various directions and this cause hardships when forming a united
chamber. Anyway, I have no doubts that the development follows the
right direction”, he says. He considers that the law “On Advocacy”
adopted in 2004 definitely regulated the lawyers’ authority, cases
of depriving them of license, suspension of their activities.

In our republic the institute of advocacy has not formed yet. “The
reason for it is the absence of independence justice system. Very
often the success of the case depends on the ability of the lawyers
to find common language with the judge”, Vardan Poghosyan resumed.

Victoria Abrahamyan

Tandem, Canada
May 19 2005

A woman’s battle to transcend two divided cultures

Toronto actress Arsinée Khanjian unveils traditions in Sabah

By Angela Baldassarre

Arsinee Khanjian as Sabah, in the film by Ruba Nadda While her husband,
Atom Egoyan, is fending off bad press for his latest movie at the
Cannes film festival, actress Arsinee Khanjian is busy honing her
own chops by promoting Ruba Nadda’s feature directorial debut, Sabah.

A Gemini and Genie Award-winning actress with strong dark and
exotic features, 47-year-old Khanjian not only has appeared in all
of Egoyan’s films, but has starred in fare by some of the world’s
bravest filmmakers, including Olivier Assayas, Catherine Breillat
and Michael Haneke.

In Sabah, Armenian-born Khanjian plays a 40-year-old single Muslim-Arab
woman who lives with her widowed mother (Um Mouhammed) in a Toronto
home. Sabah must answer to her older brother, Majid (Jeff Seymour)
who controls the family finances; but one day Sabah decides to defy
her familial duties and goes swimming to a public pool where she meets
and eventually falls in love with Stephen (Shawn Doyle), a Christian
man who is also divorced. And thus begins Sabah’s battle to transcend
two divided cultures.

Tandem talked to Arsinee Khanjian in Toronto.

You look so comfortable in this role.

“It was written for me as I understood it. The first time Ruba got in
touch with me was three years ago. I received a script through Atom’s
office where she knew where to find me. So she sent the script with
a letter saying ‘I would love you to read this. I’ve written it with
you in mind and I’d love you to consider it.’ When I read that first
draft, and since then it’s gone through many wonderful drafts, I was
very excited about it, I thought it was a very honest piece of work.

It came from a real, very simple but sincere place. It didn’t have any
sort of heavy undertones, major socio-political analyses. It was a very
true story of a particular family and of a particular woman, one that
was 40 years old. How often do you see that on a screen today? And
she was presented as 40, not 40 looking like 20 or 30. I was really
excited about the script but then I started having concerns about it.”

What kind of concerns?

“Maybe that’s when I kinda politicized the premise. I started wondering
if I was the right person to play it, although I’m completely familiar
with the environment. I come from the Middle East, I grew up in
the Middle East. I was 17 when I left, so I had enough conscious
understanding of what Arabic culture is about, Middle Eastern culture
is about. However, because I am from Armenian background therefore
there are still major differences in terms of religion, Armenians being
Christian and here we were dealing with a family with Muslim values. I
felt that maybe I wasn’t the right person to play the part given the
climate of today in terms of how the west is trying to figure out
what Islam is about. I had many discussions with Ruba wondering if
she has thought about that, if I were later to be in this situation
where I would have to talk about the film and the character and that
family and that situation. And she was incredibly at ease about it
saying that ‘what you read in this script is my intense relationship
with my own culture and I think you’re a good voice for it.’

Why is Sabah 40?

“I asked Ruba ‘why is she 40? You’re a young woman?’ She came up with
the most wonderful answer, saying probably because for a 40-year old
it’s more difficult to break away from your traditions especially
if those traditions have become the purpose of your life. And to
question yourself and be able to entitle yourself with those rights
which are absolutely basic individual rights, it makes it much more
interesting premise. That really made me trust the journey of the
character. From there on it was a particular journey because I had
never found myself in that situation so I didn’t have any first-hand
pain of being completely isolated in terms of my family functions. It
was very important for me to be truthful without making her this kind
of strange character from being completely inexistent to suddenly
breaking through. It was very important for me to give her a journey,
and each step of the journey was not necessarily a confrontation with
the outside world but with the world that she had taken on in terms
of her personality, her identity. We talked a lot with Ruba about
that. I felt that the only way that I could understand her was in
terms of her struggle to come out from her own limitations as opposed
to one that has been imposed on her.”

–Boundary_(ID_iJ/ceN2m7D/kdLRuwwGCYw)–

PROBLEM OF RECOGNITION AND CONDEMNATION OF GENOCIDE IN NOT ONLY ARMENIANS’ ONE, ARMENIAN ARTISTS EMPHASIZE

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of the recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide conducted by the Ottaman Turkey
in 1915 remains actual and important even today as a genocide is the
most ultimate crime against the mankind which has no prescription. This
is stated in the call of Armenian a group artists addressed to people
of good will of the world. “The genocide is not only human victims,
it is annihilation of cultural values, vandalism as well, which is
going on up today. As far as the fact of the Armenian Genocide is not
officially recognized and condemned by today’s authorities of Turkey,
it will be on the agenda as the primary task of the international
community,” the ducument reads. The artists emphasize that the problem
of recognition and condemnation of the Genocide is not only the
Armenians’ one, “This is the problem of all peoples and each of us,
as the most important pre-condition to prevent similar crimes and
terrorisms.” “Addressing to everybody on the occasion of the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we expect your assistance in
the issue of condemnation of all genocides conducted in the world,
particularly, of the Armenian Genocide,” Armenian artists state. The
artists call people of good will living in different countries of
the world to join their voice to the action headed under the title
“21th Century without Genocides and Terrorisms” as “each voice added
to our numerous voices can save life of at least one child if not of
thousands of innocent victims who even today fall sacrifices to the
terrorism being conducted in different countries of the world.”

SPEAKER OF AZERBAIJAN PARLIAMENT RECEIVES DEPUTY CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF TURKEY

Azer Tag
[May 18, 2005, 22:13:25]

Chairman of Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic Murtuz Alaskarov
on 18 May received deputy chief of the General Staff of Armed forces of
the Turkish Republic, General of Army Ilker Bashbug and the delegation
he was accompanied.

Chairman of Parliament greeted the guest, noting that the friendly
and brotherly relations between two nations have deep roots. After
Azerbaijan regained state independence, these relations develop
on the base of principle “One nation, two states”. Development and
strengthening of relations with Turkey is one of the priorities of
the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. Thanks to nationwide leader of
Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, these relations have acquired strategic
character and reached high level. After reciprocal visits of the
heads of two states, discussed were prospects of cooperation of the
two fraternal countries. President Ilham Aliyev continues this policy
and makes Greta contribution of development of the established links.

Mr. Alaskarov noted that the parliamentary links are also high
level. Friendship groups of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan and of
Grand National Assembly of Turkey function in both countries.

Chairman of Parliament with great satisfaction emphasized assistance
of the Turkish Armed Forces rendered to Azerbaijan in army building,
informed the guests on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, updated on the efforts made for settlement of this problem,
expressed gratitude for fair position of Turkey in this question,
also dwelt with efforts of the international organizations in this
direction.

Mr. Ilker Bashbug expressed gratitude for warm reception and kind words
on his country, said Azerbaijan is a friendly and fraternal country
for him, and he feels himself in his homeland. The occupied regions
around Nagorno Karabakh should immediately be released, he said.

Deputy chief of the General Staff of Armed forces of the Turkish
Republic highly assessed armed forces of Azerbaijan. He said:
“Geopolitical position of Azerbaijan requires powerful army. I believe
the Azerbaijan Armed Forces and see it in the NATO. We shall make
necessary efforts in this direction”.

Ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan Turan Morali took part at the
reception.

TOP 50 SUPERCOMPUTERS RATING PUBLISHED

MOSCOW, May 17 (RIA Novosti) – The Computing Research Center at the
Moscow-based Lomonosov State University and the Interdepartmental
Supercomputing Center at the Russian Academy of Sciences announce
issue of the second edition of the Top 50 rating of supercomputers in
countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The basic trend
in the list dynamics over the past three months is a sizeable increase
in the share of commercially used supercomputers, the political daily
Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

The Computing Research Center deputy director Vladimir Voyevodin says
that in the updated list of supercomputers are now leading banks,
factories, as well as a novel entry — the oil-producing sector. The
list is now much closer to the world figures, where about 30 percent
of supercomputers are doing work for different industries.

Russia’s most powerful computer is located in the Interdepartmental
Supercomputing Center and is made up of 276 units (2xPowerPC 970
2.2 GHz 4 GB RAM). The most powerful computer for commercial service
is held by the Savings Bank (Sberbank) and is based on HP SuperDome
PA-RISC 750 MHz.

The most efficient cluster in the CIS is found in the Institute
of Information Science and Automatics Problems of the National
Academy of Sciences of Armenia in Yerevan. It is made up of 64 units
(2xXeon 3 GHz 1 GB RAM). For the full version of the rating go to: