Author: Madatian Greg

ArmenPress
June 28 2004

PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS ON THE OCCASION OF 10-TH ANNIVERSARY OF
MILITARY INSTITUTE

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS: On June 27 a ceremony, dedicated to
awarding military ranks and certificates to graduates of the Military
Institute after Vazgen Sarkisian and the 10-th anniversary of the
establishment of the institute was held at Republican Square in
Yerevan. The government press service said prime minister Andranik
Margarian sent a special message on this occasion, which
particulalry, said:
“Dear officers, gentlemen, dear graduates of the Military
Institutes and cadets. I congratulate you all on the occasion of the
10-th anniversary of the Military Institute. Established in an
arduous time for our newly independent state, the first military
academy of the defense ministry succeeded in a very short time not
only in filling the lack of necessary experience and skills, but has
won also a good name, performing with honor its mission of
supplementing the national army with skilled and career officers,
armed with rich knowledge and professional skills in the subsequent
years. The number of its graduates, more than 1,500 who all have
supplemented the army is very impressive.
The contribution of career and seasoned officers of the older
generation to the achievements of the Institute during the ten years
of its existence is great. It were their efforts that in cooperation
with devoted fighters-the squads of the Yerkrapah Union- that formed
the armed forces of Armenia.
Devoted to the hard, but also nation-committed work of building
the army, led by military commander Vazgen Sarkisian, they dreamed
about constant improvement of the armed forces, formation of highly
professional officers. Today with ten years behind, the leadership,
senior officers and professors of the main national military
institute can be proud of having created solid foundations for
carrying out this goal, of having created a military academy that
meets all international standards.
We realize well that the problems and concerns of the army, its
structures, as well as those of the Institute are not solely the
problems and concerns of the armed forces. The government did
everything in its power in the passed years to support the
establishment and strengthening of the armed forces. I am confident
that we shall be able to further strengthen the defense of our
country step by step through our joint efforts in order to ensure the
state’s and the people’s security.
Taking the advantage I wish also to congratulate around 300
graduates of this year, who will soon be dispatched to army units. I
congratulated also senior officers of the Institute, professors, who,
having imparted their knowledge and experience to the cadets in the
course of tuition, have the right to anticipate brilliant results in
the near future.
Once again I congratulate you all on the occasion of the 10-th
anniversary of the establishment of the Military Institute, I wish
you all good health and good service for the sake of strengthening of
our national army, for the sake of our state’s and people’s
prosperity.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
June 27, 2004, Sunday

Bush’s Ankara talks focus on Iraq

Ankara

Iraq topped the agenda for U.S. President George Bush’s brief visit
to Ankara Sunday, with Turkish leaders pressing for U.S. action
against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. In a brief statement before
meeting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bush said
ongoing developments in Iraq, NATO and a variety of other issues
would be the main agenda points. “I would remind the people of this
good country that I believe you ought to be given a date by the
European Union (EU) for your eventual acceptance into the EU,” Bush
said. “I appreciate so very much the example your country has set on
how to be a Moslem country and at the same time, a country which
embraces democracy and rule of law and freedom.” Bush declined
reporters’ questions and did not make any other public statement
during his stay in Ankara. After meeting Erdogan in the morning, Bush
layed a wreath at the mausoleum of the founder of the modern Turkish
Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and later met Turkish president
Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The U.S. president then flew to Istanbul where he
met various religious leaders including Greek Orthodox Patriarch
Bartholomeus, Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan and head of
the Turkish Religious Affairs Department Ali Bardakoglu. On Monday
Bush will participate in a two-day NATO summit in Istanbul. According
to Turkish media reports, leaders in Ankara sought assurances from
Bush, as well as from Secretary of State Colin Powell and National
Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, that the U.S. supported the full
territorial sovereignty of Iraq and that the oil-rich region of
Kirkuk would not be handed over to Iraqi Kurdish groups. Turkey is
concerned that Kurds in northern Iraq are laying claims on the region
with the view to use oil revenues that may one day allow them to
declare independence. Ankara fears that such a development may lead
to Turkey’s own restive Kurds to push for independence. On that
point, Turkish leaders called on Bush to make real efforts to rout
out rebels from the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) now holed up in
mountainous northern Iraq. Security was tight for Bush’s first-ever
visit to Turkey with some 13,000 police on duty in Ankara, police
helicopters patrolling the skies and some of the capital’s busiest
roads closed to traffic. Ties between Turkey, the only Moslem member
of NATO, and the United States were severely strained in the run-up
to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq when the Turkish parliament refused
to allow U.S. troops to use Turkey as a launching pad to attack its
neighbour. While government to government relations are now on a much
better level, the invasion and occupation of Iraq have been extremely
unpopular amongst Turks and anti-U.S. feeling may rise even higher if
a threat by members of the al-Tawhid wa al-Jihad group in Iraq to
execute three Turkish nationals being held hostage is carried out.
The group has said the three would be executed if Turkey does not
agree to pull its citizens and companies out of Iraq within 72 hours.
Supporters of various leftist political parties and trade unions
gathered in the Istanbul suburb of Kadikoy on Sunday to protest both
Bush’s visit and the NATO summit, but unlike protests in Ankara on
Saturday the demonstration proceeded peacefully. dpa cw sc mga

Anadolu Agency
June 26 2004

Erdogan: We Don’t Want To Break Ties With Armenia

ISTANBUL – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on
Friday that they did not want to break ties with Armenia, stating
that they wanted to protect ties.

Erdogan attended a conference ”The New Atlantic Alliance At a New
Crossroads” jointly organized by Turkish Economic and Social Studies
Foundation (TESEV) and U.S. think-tank organization German Marshall
Fund.

When asked how Kurdish people who wanted to establish a federal
formation in Iraq were considered, Erdogan said that Turkey did not
have any concern based on any ethnic factor.

Erdogan noted that Turkey had only concern over Iraq and stated, ”we
want that territorial integrity of Iraq should be respected. Any
ethnic component should not sovereign over another ethnic component
in Iraq. We should accept that resources of Iraq belong to Iraqi
people. People living there should also accept it.”

Replying to a question on bringing democracy to the Middle East,
Erdogan said that people in the region should determine their own
fate and future.

Replying to a question on his view on relations between Turkey and
Armenia, Erdogan said that they wanted peace and they were walking on
this path. ”We have been extending efforts to remove offense with
our neighbors,” he noted.

Stating that if Armenia continued to deal with so-called genocide
issue, it could not get any result, Erdogan said that historians
should deal with the issue.

UCLA Armenian Students Association
405 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, CA. 90095

PRESS RELEASE ~ June 21, 2004
Contact: Raffi Kassabian [email protected]

UCLA ASA Ushers In New Leadership With Annual Banquet

Pasadena, CA– A crowd of over 400 Armenian-American students and
professionals gathered at the Pasadena Armenian Center on Friday June
18, 2004 to celebrate UCLA Armenian Students Association’s annual End
of the Year Banquet. Guests included various executives from ASA’s
and ASO’s from all over Southern California, including, USC, UC
Riverside, Cal Poly Pomona, and Shant Students Association.
Entertainment was provided by singer Harout Pamboukjian and DJ
Soundillusionz.

The program included UCLA’s traditional “Passing the Torch” Ceremony
MC-ed by former ASA Social Director Elen Asatryan. The newly elected
executive board honored the current executive and showed their
appreciation for their diligence and efforts with a small gift
presentation. In addition, the current executive board honored Maral
Karacussian, this year’s recipient for the 2003-2004 “Most Dedicated
Member” award for her hard work and dedication to this year’s ASA
Cultural Committee. “We need to come together and further the cause”
proclaimed Karacussian. “Social events are great, but it is also
important that we spread cultural and educational awareness throughout
our respective college campuses.”

The night was filled with great food, drinks, and quality music. More
importantly, it brought together Armenian-American students from all
over California for a night of fun and dancing. “It’s events like
these that serve as a conduit for students and executives from
different ASA’s to network with one another to further the Armenian
Cause” asserted newly elected UCLA ASA President Raffi Kassabian.

The UCLA ASA is one of the oldest Armenian-American student groups in
the United States, celebrating its 60th year in existence. The
organization’s purpose is to cultivate a true understanding and
appreciation of Armenian history, heritage, and culture through
cultural, social, and recreational activities.

Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School Class of 2005
A Sampling of the Power in Our Youth

June 25, 2004
Cosmic Ray Division – Armenia
Contact: Anahid Yeremian
Stanford, California
650 – 926 – 4444
[email protected]

As I sat at my desk, pondering the simulation results for a particle
accelerator injector design, our secretary put an envelop on my desk,
“Are these Armenian characters?” pointing to the first line of the
return address. “Yes,” I said, “That’s the Rose and Alex Pilibos
Armenian School. I was there two weeks ago to talk about cosmic ray
science and the cosmic ray stations in Armenia.” The Cosmic Ray
Division (CRD) is the group of scientists in Armenia who conduct
world-class research on top of Mt. Aragats and we, the Diaspora, have
been supporting them and proudly following their progress.

I am always delighted when young people take the time to write to me
after my visits to their schools. It shows that they were interested,
it shows that they are polite, it shows that they know how to network.

So I eagerly opened the envelop and read the letter. In its short 6
lines it had already brought me to tears of joy and pride by the time
I got the “Sincerely”. It showed all the things I said above, but it
also showed that these students have compassion and are willing and
able to take on responsibility. I want to share this letter with you,
so you too can be proud of our next generation.

“Dear Representative of CRD friends,

It was truly an honor and a pleasure to have you as a guest speaker at
our school. We learned much about your helpful projects, which
rekindled an even stronger love and respect for our homeland.

To lend our humble support, enclosed please find $180.00 which we, the
students have collected. We wish you success in your future endeavors
and hope to meet you again, this time on the steppes of Aragatz.

Sincerely,
Eleventh Grade Students of
Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School ”

I wondered, “how many lunches did they have to skip, or which pleasure
they gave up to save these funds to help their fellow Armenians in
Armenia?” I was so overwhelmed with pride for them, that I began to
miss them immediately. I called the school to thank them, but they
were already gone for the summer, and the accumulated tears in my eyes
flooded down my cheeks.

Class of 2005 at Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, if you are
reading this article, know that I am extremely proud of you, and I
thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Anahid Yeremian

Canadian Press
June 24 2004

Egoyan headed for mainstream
New star-filled film project stars Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth

TORONTO (CP) — Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth in an Atom Egoyan film?

Looks that way. The two international stars will be featured in
Somebody Loves You, described as a “sumptuously seductive film noir”
for which principal photography begins Aug. 30 in Toronto, Los
Angeles and London. Based on a novel by Rupert Holmes, Somebody Loves
You will be written and directed by Egoyan and produced by Robert
Lantos’s boutique company Serendipity Point Films.

“I love this project,” says Lantos. “Of all my collaborations with
Atom Egoyan, it is my favourite. It is in-your-face provocative and
at the same time delightfully intelligent.”

In what appears to be a departure from the Canadian filmmaker’s
art-house style, the Canada-U.K. co-production is a study of fame,
fortune and the mores of sexual convention.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
June 24 2004

Iran recognizes Armenia as aggressor

Iranian Justice Minister Mahammad Ismayil Shushteri met with
Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov on Thursday.

Along with bilateral cooperation, the conflict over Upper Garabagh
was discussed. Alasgarov said Iran has always supported Azerbaijan’s
position within international entities, including the Islamic
Conference Organization. He noted that although Azerbaijan supports a
peaceful settlement, it will liberate its occupied territories at all
costs. Shushteri said Iran considers Armenia an aggressor country and
that his country will do its best to achieve the settlement of the
conflict.

He stressed that his country is interested in resolving the conflict
and assured the Azerbaijani side that Iran’s position on the issue
will remain concrete and clear. Touching upon legal cooperation
between Azerbaijan and Iran, Shushteri said the two countries have
signed and ratified three relevant documents so far and emphasized
the need for even closer collaboration in this area.

Selling Armenians on Armenia

Condos lure expatriates back home
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
June 20 2004

GLENDALE — Forget Hawaii, Aspen or the Caribbean. How about buying
a time share in … Armenia?

It may sound like a tough sell — mainstream attractions are few
in this arid, agricultural country of 3 million. But builders of
Western-style town homes just outside the capital Yerevan believe
they have ready buyers among the more than 8 million Armenians living
outside the country.

“Come Home to Armenia” beckons the marketing campaign of East
Coast-based Hovnanian International Inc., which has just begun to
market the time shares in Glendale, home to the largest population
of Armenians outside Armenia.

“To local Armenians, I say, It’s your land, it’s your responsibility,
to go back and see how magnificent it is,” said Hovnanian
representative Hilda Grigorian, who staged the first time share meeting
this month in Glendale, drawing more than 100 prospective buyers.

Armenian-Americans have flocked to visit Armenia since its independence
13 years ago from the former Soviet Union. There they encounter a
land of great natural and historic beauty — and Third World living
conditions.

Running water in the capital city is sometimes limited to a few hours
in the morning and evening, phone service and electricity are erratic
— elevators break down in high-rise buildings. No building codes or
inspections exist despite the pattern of earthquakes — a reality in
a place where the average monthly income is about $24.

But for those willing to plunk down $4,500 to $6,000 for a 20-year
lease on one of Hovnanian’s fully furnished 1,500- to 1,800-square-foot
town homes, the one-week-a-year time shares provide an old-world
setting without its nitty-gritty inconvenience.

In fact, Hovnanian’s enclave, which at build-out will have 500
single-family homes, looks much like homes in planned communities in
Irvine or Santa Clarita — only with Mount Ararat as a backdrop.

“Our goal is to get the Armenian diaspora to return and to return
frequently — if not every year, but every other year,” said Arthur
Havighorst, vice president for Vahakni (Hovnanian) Homes and Timeshare
Resort.

The pull of family and culture is similar to the concept behind time
shares in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the United Arab Emirates
— not necessarily considered the top vacation destinations for the
average traveler.

La Crescenta resident Leonig Shekherdimian already visits Armenia
once a year to see family and take in scenes from her homeland. She
typically rents a Yerevan apartment, with its trials of broken plumbing
and sweltering accommodations with no air-conditioning.

A time share would mean that “I don’t have to worry about no water
or no heating or no air conditioning.”

La Crescenta resident Gagik Alagozian visited Armenia for the first
time two years ago, and that was enough for him to decide to invest
in the country.

“I opened up a small business there — I have cattle — and I want
to expand,” said the aerospace engineer who moved to America from
Iran 27 years ago.

He also plans to invest in a home.

“We go to Big Bear to see nature, but in Armenia, there are places
absolutely untouched that you can explore.”

There is also an effort to market the time shares to retirees and
tourists.

More than 41,000 visitors come to the country each year, and tourism
is now the second largest part of the country’s GDP.

“Armenia is a beautiful country. It has a strong, ancient history,
and it was the first Christian nation,” Shekherdimian said. “Just to
visit the churches there says a lot about our country and culture.”

France meeting of South Caucasus speakers postponed

Assa-Irada, Baku
18 Jun 04

Baku, 17 June: A meeting between the chairmen of the Azerbaijani,
Georgian and Armenian parliaments planned to be held at France’s
initiative in Versailles on 8 July has been postponed, sources at
the Milli Maclis [Azerbaijani parliament] told Assa-Irada news agency.

The source did not explain the reasons for the postponement, but said
that the speakers’ Versailles meeting might take place in September
or October this year.

We have to say that Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov’s meeting
with his Georgian counterpart Nino Burjanadze planned for 1 July is
also postponed. The reason is a visit to Azerbaijan by a representative
of the PACE secretary-general in late June.

The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
June 17, 2004 Thursday

MaryAnn’s music makers;
Awards to honor students in memory of lover of the arts

By MERRY FIRSCHEIN, STAFF WRITER, North Jersey Media Group

PARAMUS

Orthodontist Robert V. Kinoian loves music and art. He also loved his
wife, MaryAnn, who died of breast cancer four years ago. So Kinoian,
a classical guitarist who has played at Carnegie Recital Hall, has
created The MaryAnn Kinoian Memorial Scholarship Fund to reward
children in their music and art studies.

On Monday, six children – two each from Ridge Ranch Elementary
School, East Brook Middle School, and West Brook Middle School – will
receive small monetary prizes meant as a pat on the back for their
hard work.

“The award says, ‘Look, you’re interested in music and this is
something that has value. People are recognizing your ability, and
it’s worth pursuing,’-” said Kinoian. “They might say, ‘Maybe I
should keep up with this, because someone did recognize me.’-”

MaryAnn Kinoian waged a 10-year battle with breast cancer and
succumbed in September 2000 at age 45. Robert Kinoian is now raising
their daughter, Lucine, who is 14..

MaryAnn was a nurse administrator and operating room supervisor and
instructor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City
and in New Jersey at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

When MaryAnn was in high school, she played the violin for the
all-state orchestra in New York. And she was the chairwoman of the
art exposure program at Ridge Ranch from 1995 to 1999, when Lucine
was a student there.

“We would have posters of pieces of fine art, either paintings or
sculpture,” Kinoian said. “We would write up the background on the
paintings and give questions to the parents to ask the kids.”

Robert Kinoian is a classical guitarist who studied with Andres
Segovia, an innovator of the modern classical guitar. Kinoian has
performed at Carnegie Recital Hall and Merkin Concert Hall. By his
late 20s, he changed careers and became a dentist. He still plays the
guitar.

“I started at 8 years old,” he said. “I remember seeing the Beatles
in 1964. I always wanted to play guitar. There are even photos of me
with a toy guitar.”

When MaryAnn died, Robert Kinoian came up with a way to honor her. “I
thought it would be nice to give a little prize to children who
showed an interest in music and art,” he said. “In the spring of
2001, I approached [Ridge Ranch Principal] Meryl Barrett with the
idea. She was very pleased and enthusiastic about it.”

Administrators at each school choose the children, usually graduating
students, who will receive the award. Their names are kept secret
until the graduation ceremony, when Kinoian presents each child with
a plaque and a check.

“The child must be someone who has excelled in music and someone who
has excelled in art, and showing enthusiasm for these subjects,”
Kinoian said. Ridge Ranch students receive $50 and the middle school
children receive a $75 check.

Kinoian also gives a small award to two students at the Sunday school
of his church, St. Leon’s Armenian Church in Fair Lawn.

Kinoian’s goal is to distribute prizes to children in each of the
district’s elementary schools and middle schools. Currently, he funds
the awards himself. He hopes in the future to use money given in
honor of his wife.

“My main thrust is to support the younger children, to encourage them
that this is a worthwhile pursuit even if it doesn’t turn out to be
their career,” he said.

An award like this, even such a small one, is so important, Kinoian
said. “There seems to be so little support for the arts in financial
support from the government,” he explained. “We don’t see a lot of
art or music programs in schools. It’s peripheral.

“I always had a love for music,” he said. “It’s been such an integral
and important part of my life, I want to support children who have
those feelings, too.”

GRAPHIC: PHOTO, CARMINE GALASSO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER – Robert V.
Kinoian, shown in his orthodontics office in Paramus, is honoring the
memory of his wife by rewarding children who excel in music and the arts.