Author: Karakhanian Suren

MaxBoxing
Dec 28 2004

Simonyan Fighting for A Title, and So Much More
By Thomas Gerbasi (December 28, 2004)

Motivation comes in a number of different forms. For some in the
fight game, it’s money; for others, it’s the chance to make history
or to be able to put a world championship belt in their trophy case.
For junior featherweight contender Artyom Simonyan, who challenges
for his first world title tonight against IBF champion Israel Vazquez
at the Sycuan Resort and Casino in El Cajon, California, his
motivation can be found in the picture he carries with him wherever
he goes.

It’s his four-year-old daughter, and while that isn’t the greatest
surprise in the world, as most fathers carry their children’s
pictures around with them, in the case of the 29-year-old Simonyan,
it’s the closest he’s ever come to his only child, who was born after
he left Armenia for California in 2000.

`It’s very tough,’ said Simonyan’s manager Harry Kazandjian. `He
carries his daughter’s picture with him all the time, they talk on
the phone and he watches her videotapes that they send him from
Armenia. It’s tough, that’s why I say I think whatever it takes, he
will do it to win this title, so hopefully after the fight he can go
visit his family.’

It’s what keeps Simonyan in the gym constantly, working hard and
honing his craft, hoping that not only skill, but sweat will push him
through the tough times against the veteran Vazquez, who while two
years younger, dwarfs the challenger in professional experience, with
39 fights to Simonyan’s 15.

Yet since a 2002 stoppage of then-once beaten Radford Beasley,
Simonyan has shown that he has what it takes to compete at the higher
levels of the sport. Three victories followed the Beasley fight, over
quality foes Ablorh Sowah (TKO 6), Carlos Contreras (W12), and Fahsan
3K-Battery Por Thawatchai (W12), and coupled with Simonyan’s past
sparring sessions with the likes of Vazquez and Manny Pacquiao,
Kazandjian is confident that his charge will take care of business
against the champion tonight, even if the two combatants are friendly
outside the ropes.

`He knows that this is a world championship fight, this is a war,’
said Kazandjian. `There is no friendship and he knows that he has
been here four and a half years, he hasn’t seen his family, his wife,
and his daughter. He knows how important this fight is. There’s no
friendship; this is a war.’

If Simonyan can pull off the upset, he will become the second world
champion from Armenia to be crowned this month, joining buddy Vic
Darchinyan, who stopped previously unbeaten Irene Pacheco in 11
rounds on December 16 to win the IBF flyweight title. With
Darchinyan, Simonyan, featherweight contender William Abelyan and
2004 US Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (who was born in Armenia) all
making noise in the boxing world, are we witnessing the birth of a
new breed of world-class Armenian fighters?

`With the situation now between the countries, they have a chance to
get out and expose their talents,’ said Kazandjian. `The Darchinyan
kid, he and Art were in the same league and Art was the number one
pick to go to the Olympics at his weight, and Vic actually did go to
the Olympics, to Sydney. And he ended up staying over there. But they
know each other, they’re very close friends. They were talking on the
phone before and after Vic’s fight. I think it’s a lot easier to get
out of Armenia now to visit the United States, so they’re all trying
to take a shot, to come here and expose their talent. There are a lot
of talented fighters in Armenia.’

Simonyan, a highly touted amateur who compiled a 195-20 record
including three national championships, didn’t make the trip to
Sydney because of political issues, according to Kazandjian, but he
did make the trip to Glendale, California in 2000 to chase his boxing
dreams. Luckily, Glendale has a huge Armenian population of 350,000,
making his adjustment to the States a little easier, though there
still were the expected rough spots.

`Getting adjusted to the lifestyle here in the United States, which
is totally different from Armenia (was the biggest challenge),’ said
Kazandjian. `But he got adjusted very fast, which helped him in his
boxing career. He even adapted very fast from the amateur to the
professional style. But no matter how much he likes to be here, he
always misses his family.’

Yet Simonyan is here on business, which is what he told his manager
upon setting foot in sunny California. `When he got here he said he
wanted to become world champion,’ said Kazandjian.

He’s got his chance tonight, to take all the years of toil and
frustration of being away from home and put them into 12 rounds of
boxing that he hopes will unseat Israel Vazquez as champion. It’s a
tough life, but one which Artyom Simonyan has accepted.

`It is what it is, and there’s no going backwards right now,’ said
Kazandjian. `We’re right at the end, and he just has to do the best
he can, hopefully win the title, and then he can visit his country as
a world champion.’

And finally meet the little girl he’s only seen in pictures.

ABDULLAH GUL CONSIDERS THAT ISSUES OF OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH
BORDER AND RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOT INCLUDED IN EU CRITERIA

YEREVAN, December 17 (Noyan Tapan). The issues of opening of
Armenian-Turkish border and recognition of Armenian Genocide aren’t
included in the EU criteria. Abdullah Gul, Foreign Minister of Turkey,
declared this answering the question of the Yerkir-Media Armenian
TV company. According to the Regnum agency, Gul declared to the TV
company: “These issues are absolutely different. We’ll speak about
these issues separately but they aren’t within the framework of EU.”

Answering the question, when Turkey considers it possible to open the
Armenian-Turkish border, Gul said: “Our region needs development of
cooperation and neighbourly relations. That’s why we attach importance
to settlement of the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” He
expressed hope that “the issue will be solved in peace and will be
closed for ever.” The closure of the issue, according to him, means
“formation of a new atmosphere in the region.”

Gul even made it clear that besides Armenia, the Armenian Diaspora
should also bear the responsibility for the Armenian-Turkish relations:
“I think it is doing wrong complicating Armenia’s business. Turkey is
the most important and largest country of the region, it’s large both
in the respect of number of its population and economic power. So,
we want not only our country but the whole region, including Armenia,
to develop, and peace and security to be established in the whole
region. It’s no use instigating hostility, renewing the issues,
in which the historians should be engaged, and attaching topicality
to these issues. I am sure that the Diaspora also has an important
obligation in this issue.”

16 SLOVAK MPS TO PARTICIPATE IN VOTING AT EU ASSEMBLY

Azg/arm
17 Dec 04

Recently the Republic of Slovakia officially recognized the Armenian
Genocide. Ashot Grigorian, our compatriot, businessman, head of
the Armenian community of Bratislava, greatly contributed to the
achievement of this recognition. “A wide-raging movement is unfolded
for recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Slovakia. This movement
is well highlighted in the local press and mass media. The movement
is directed against Turkeyâ~@~Ys denial of the Armenian Genocide”,
Mr. Grigorian said in a telephone interview to Azg Daily.

16 Slovak MPs will participate in the voting at the EU Assembly in
Brussels today. Ashot Grigorian promised to keep us well informed
about the details of further events.

By Hamo Moskofian

–Boundary_(ID_M3iucBqs8UporzB+ZxGR7A)–

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II EXPRESSES SATISFACTION WITH CAREFUL ATTITUDE
OF RF AUTHORITIES TO ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

ETCHMIADZIN, December 16, (Noyan Tapan). On December 15, His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians received
Mr. Boris Grislov, President of the State Duma (Parliament) of the
Russian Federation.

His Holiness welcomed the honored guest to the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and reflected on the increasing cooperation between
Armenia and Russia in economic and cultural spheres. Thanking His
Holiness for the audience, Mr. Grislov informed the Catholicos of
the details of his recent visit to Armenia and the agreements which
were made between the two governments.

His Holiness and Mr. Grislov also spoke of the close ties that exist
between the Armenian Apostolic and Russian Orthodox Churches. Offering
his best wishes to the President of the Duma, the Catholicos of All
Armenians extended his appreciation to the Russian authorities for
their care and attention to the Armenian community in Russia.

Present for the meeting were His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian,
Director of Inter-Church Relations for the Mother See; Mher
Shahnazarian, president of the standing committee for defense,
national security and internal affairs for the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia; and Anatoly Dryukov, Ambassador of the
Russian Federation to Armenia.

di-ve, Malta
Dec 15 2004

EU parliament calls on EU leaders to open negotiations with Turkey

by di-ve news

STRASBOURG/MALTA–December 15, 2004 — 1105CET– European Parliament
called on EU leaders to open membership talks with Turkey “without
undue delay,” and urged Ankara to carry out more democratic reforms.

The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, voted 407 to 262,
with 29 abstentions, to pass the resolution, which is non-binding but
nevertheless likely to influence leaders on the eve of a historic
summit in Brussels on Turkey’s membership application.

The parliament urged Turkey to meet demands for a “zero-tolerance”
approach to torture, which the legislature says is still being
carried out by authorities in Turkey.

The resolution also said the opening of negotiations would
“pre-suppose recognition by Turkey” of Cyprus, which joined the EU in
May.

The parliament also urged Turkey to acknowledge “the genocide
perpetrated against the Armenians” nearly a century ago.

Turkey has been accused of killing as many as 1.5 million Armenians
during a 1915-1923 campaign to force them from eastern Turkey. It
denies this.

The assembly rejected an amendment calling for the preparation of a
“special partnership” with Turkey as an alternative for membership, a
proposal pushed by French and German conservatives.

The “Bible for children” translated in Ottoman language to evangelize in
Turkey

KONIGSTEIN, Germany, December 13 2004 (CNA) – Turkish-speaking Christians
now have access to a Bible for children printed in Turkish published by the
international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The 1st edition of the Bible, entitled “God speaks to his children,”
comprises 15,000 copies, 5,000 of which are to be distributed in Turkey,
while 10,000 are destined for being given to Turkish native speakers in
Western Europe.
“There are about 100,000 Christians” among the country’s population of about
66 million, said  Father Lorenzo Piretto, O. P., an Italian priest based in
Istanbul.
The majority of Christians in the Western Asian country “are Apostolic
Armenians. The Catholics are Latins, Chaldeans, Armenians and Syrians. There
are also Greek and Syrian Orthodox, as well as various Protestant groups,”
said Fr Piretto.
“The Catechists are very content to have excerpts from the Bible in
Turkish…At the entrance of churches, where the books are displayed, Muslims
are free to take a copy,” the Dominican priest added.

Zaman, Turkey
Dec 14 2004

France Backs ‘Genocide’

Following its support for “privileged partnership” for Turkey
instead of full European Union membership, France has headed down a
new path in opposition to Turkey.

French Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier, attended the meeting of the
Council of European Union (EU) Common Affairs in Brussels yesterday
where he said France “will ask Turkey to recognize the Armenian
tragedy experienced in the past.”

Barnier remarked that it could not be defined as a condition to begin
negotiations, but that it would be brought to the agenda during the
negotiations.

France’s main opposition party, the Socialist Party, released a
declaration yesterday announcing that the “Recognition of soldiers
withdrawing from Cyprus, Armenian genocide, as well as progress in
human rights should be imposed on Turkey” during the negotiations.

Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, of the Dutch EU Term Presidency, says
France did not raise any condition like the recognition of Armenian
genocide and that this element was not among the Copenhagen Criteria
or pre-conditions.

Minister Barnier told the press during the meeting of Ministers that
France supports the start of negotiations with Turkey, but warned
that negotiations could be stopped at any moment and that there was
no guarantee that the negotiations would end in full membership.

Barnier said the French public would have the last say on the issue
in a referendum. The Minister also said that although asking Turkey
to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a pre-condition was
not legally acceptable, it is very difficult to see Turkey’s point
either morally or politically.

Barnier said negotiations may begin mid-2005 at the earliest and that
the date will be determined by EU leaders at the summit. He added
there will be no compromising on the documented results.

No similarities in Armenia with events in Ukraine, Georgia – OSCE envoy

Mediamax news agency
14 Dec 04

YEREVAN

The OSCE ambassador to Yerevan, Vladimir Pryakhin, considers
“inappropriate” the attempts to draw parallels between the political
situation in Armenia and the events in Ukraine and Georgia.

Vladimir Pryakhin said at a briefing in Yerevan today that the “OSCE
never supports either of the parties to conflict and we do not want to
be involved in the struggle for change of power,” Mediamax reports.

Vladimir Pryakhin noted that the main tasks for the OSCE in Armenia
are the assistance in building democratic society and human rights
protection. He said that in 2004 the OSCE office actively assisted in
the establishment of a dialogue between all Armenian political forces.

“Without defending either of the sides, we pursued only one aim – to
provide the protection of civil principles and human rights,” Vladimir
Pryakhin said.

He noted that the OSCE office in Yerevan is also active in the
realization of programmes of socioeconomic importance. In particular,
the OSCE office rendered assistance to the process of privatization of
Zangezur copper-molybdenum complex and financed the elaboration of a
programme of the socioeconomic development of Syunik Region [southern
Armenia]. Vladimir Pryakhin said that in 2005 the OSCE office is
planning to render assistance to the process of setting up the
community police in Armenia. In particular, the OSCE is going to
provide the community police with 50 cars, set up emergency centre and
train the policemen.

PAN-ARMENIAN YOUTH FUND TO ORGANIZE PILGRIMAGE TO DER DZOR NEXT APRIL

YEREVAN, December 13 (Noyan Tapan). The youth camp of the “Baze –
Winter 2005” Pan-Armenian Youth Fund (PAYF) will not be
held. According to PAYF Executive Director Artur Poghosian, it was
decided that four arrangements would be held within the framework of
the program in 2005 instead of two programs held annually.

On April 18-23, 2005, Pan-Armenian Youth Fund will organize pilgrimage
to Der Dzor with the participation of 130 young people from Armenia,
Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia and Russia.

The pilgrimage will start in Etchmiadzin. Young people will leave for
Aleppo after receiving the blessing of Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II. Other 70 young Armenians from Syria, the US and several
European countries will join them there. Arthur Poghosian also said
that it is expected that a meeting with the representatives of the
Armenian traditional parties and youth organizations will be held. A
conference devoted to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
will also take place here.

A. Poghosian noticed that the program of arrangements for 2005 was
discussed at the RA Prime Minister and, it is likely to be approved
till the end of the year.

Armenian parliament amends law on parties

Arminfo
8 Dec 04

Yerevan, 8 December: The Armenian parliament has adopted a draft
law, which has been initiated by the republic’s ruling coalition,
on changes to the law on parties in its first and final reading.

The draft law envisages strengthening of the parties. It particularly
says that a party cannot have less than 2,000 members, including no
less than 100 members in a region. The draft law also says that the
currently operating parties have to meet the requirements considered
by the changes to the law on parties during a year after the law
takes effect.

Armenia’s Justice Ministry has registered 65 parties up to now.