Author: Mamian George

INSTITUTE FOR ARMENIAN ISSUES LAUNCHES WEBSITE

Yerkir
05.04.2006 15:11

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The Institute for Armenian Issues, established
in 1977 in Munich, Germany, has launched its website –

The institute advocates Armenian issues, including the Genocide issue,
the protection of the rights of Armenians in Turkey, as well as social,
educational, cultural and religious issues of Diaspora Armenians.

Doctor Eduard Hovhannisian played a great role in the establishing
of the Institute for Armenian Issues.

>From the first day of the foundation and until his death in 2004,
Hovhannissian was the director of the Institute. To honor the great
work he has done, the Institute was named after Hovhannisian after
his death.

ALIS PANIKIAN: “I’M PROUD OF BEING CANADIAN, BULGARIAN AND ARMENIAN”

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 04 2006

TORONTO, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Alis Panikian,
a 21-years Canadian Armenian student who was recognized “Miss
Universe Canada” and got the right to present Canada in the
“Miss Universe” world competition, convened press-conference in
Toronto recently. According to the Istanbul “Marmara” daily, Alis
Panikian informed that she was 5 years old when her mother, Ann,
migrated Canada from Bulgaria with her and they settled in the
city of Toronto. “My Armenian origin comes from my grandfather’s
side. He was an authentic Armenian, my father was half-Armenian,
and I’m a quarter-Armenian. We’ve taken my grandfather’s name. I’m
proud of being Canadian, Bulgarian and Armenian. Though I do not know
Armenian, I have numerous Armenian relatives and friends. I want to
visit my birth palce Bulgaria on a proper occasion to see my father
and relatives,” the Canadian Armenian beauty said. Alis mentioned that
she has numerous wishes the most important of which realized. She also
won in the “Queen of Coffee” international competition taken place
recently in Columbia. Alis Panikian is a second-year student at the
York University of Toronto, learns English and communication skills,
wants to become a journalist, at the same time to go to Paris, Milan
and New York as an experienced model.

DELEGATION OF BELGIAN BUSINESSMEN TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA IN SEPTEMBER

Noyan Tapan
Apr 03 2006

BRUSSELS, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The first business forum organized by
the Belgium-Armenia Chamber of Commerce (BACC) took place at the Meizer
hall of the University of Brussels on March 30 with the participation
of about forty businessmen from Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxemburg, as well as representatives of Belgium-based international
corporations. According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department,
among participants were the director of the Siemens company Brussels
Office, the head of the European office of the Allianz insurance
company and representatives of a number of large companies. Valery
Safarian, the Founding Chairman of the Belgium-Armenia Chamber of
Commerce, Pierre Gyurjian, Director of the McKinsey company Belgian
Office, Co-Chairman of Armenia 2020 Initiative, Vincent Claes,
representative of the Jaga company (Belgium) which has experience
of operation in Armenia, and other speakers presented the process
of Armenia’s economic development, the legislation on invsetments,
the most rapidly developing branches of economy and the government’s
priorities. On the initiative of the BACC, a delegation of Belgian
businessmen will come to Armenia in September 2006 in order to examine
the opportunities of cooperation and establish business relations on
the spot.

AZERIS OF CANADA HELD ACTION AT ARMENIAN EMBASSY IN CANADA

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2006 22:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ March 31 some 60-70 Azeris held a rally at the
Armenian Embassy in Ottawa. They cried out slogans condemning the
“pogroms in Khojalu” and Armenia’s aggressive policy. They also
asked the police to convey a letter explaining the aim of the action
to the Embassy officials. For his part, Armenian Charge d’affaires
in Canada handed the ralliers the documents informing of the real
events in Khojalu as well as the recent statement on Khojalu by Armen
Martirosyan, Armenia’s permanent representative in the UN, reported
the Horizon, the Armenian newspaper published in Canada.

THE BEAUTY OF BEIRUT
By Fergal Keane

Daily Mail (London)
April 1, 2006 Saturday

Lebanon may not be your first choice for a family trip, but the BBC’s
Special Correspondent is spellbound.

LET’S get the negative stuff out of the way first. My mother-in-law’s
question spoke for nearly everyone we knew. In her inimitably
down-to-earth, west of Ireland manner, she asked: ‘What, in the
name of God, are you going to that place for?’ For a moment, I was
stumped. I tried talking about the Beirut I knew and loved but I
could hear my credibility as a son-in-law draining away with every
word. Mrs Flaherty spoke for many.

Most of our friends consider the Middle East as a place to be avoided
and regard the word ‘Beirut’ with varying degrees of dread.

For them, it is still the city where Terry Waite, John McCarthy and
Brian Keenan were kidnapped by Islamic extremists and held for years.

And yet more civilians have been killed by terrorists in London in
the last year than in Beirut, a statistic the Lebanese would be far
too polite to point out, but it’s worth remembering nonetheless.

I realise that a veteran war reporter’s concept of ‘safe’ may be
different from that of the ordinary citizen. After my experiences in
Rwanda and Iraq, you might think I have a twisted sense of proportion
when it comes to risk assessment.

But as far as the safety of my family goes I am an absolutist. I
refuse to take chances. And so if I think Beirut is a safe place to
take my wife Anne and our children Daniel, ten, and Holly Mei, two,
that’s because it is.

Beirut is quite simply the most exciting, exotic, culturally
stimulating place within four hours’ flying time of London.

For a start there are 300 days of sun a year in a place that basks
by the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Add to that the glistening
peaks of the mountains beyond the city and you have the tantalising
possibility of mornings on the beach and afternoons in the fresh
mountain air, or vice-versa.

And over the past decade the city has undergone a stunning facelift.

The architectural wreckage of the civil war has been largely cleared
away, though there are still a few shell-pocked buildings to add a
frisson to an otherwise serene vista.

The downtown district of Solidere, which saw some of the worst of
the fighting, has had many of its Ottoman era buildings restored and
is now a pedestrianised zone full of restaurants, cafes and haute
couture boutiques.

We were welcomed warmly wherever we went. Actually that’s an
understatement.

I don’t think words could do justice to the hospitality we encountered.

It began with a welcome dinner at the home of Armenian friends of
mine in the hills above the city.

We entered the small flat to find a table crowded with Middle Eastern
delicacies. There was tender lamb on a bed of scented rice and pine
nuts, marinated raw minced meat (I passed), wonderfully juicy stuffed
vine leaves, and at least 20 other meat and vegetable dishes.

THE FEAST was followed by an Arabic dance in which our children
excelled. To raucous cheers from the assembled group Holly Mei copied
the belly dancing of the daughters of the house while Daniel performed
his own hip-hop adaptation.

At midnight we attempted to make our excuses and leave. Our host was
horrified. ‘This is Beirut!’ he said. ‘ Parties only start to get
going at midnight.

We will be here until breakfast.’ And so we were dragged back to the
table. More lamb. More fish.

More belly dancing. At 3am, we staggered out to our taxi with Holly
still dancing.

This is a city that loves children. They get attention without
seeking it.

On the streets, Lebanese of all persuasions stopped to admire our
fairhaired son Daniel and his adopted baby sister Holly Mei.

Miss Hurricane Holly, as she is known by her exhausted parents, was
a sensation on the streets of Beirut. I imagine that they have seen
very few Chinese babies. Everywhere we went she was fawned over,
cuddled, offered sweets.

All of this attention she accepted with grace, though towards the end
of the week I noticed a certain imperiousness creeping into her manner.

When she threw a rare tantrum (over having to sit in her buggy while we
climbed a steep hill) a man emerged from a small bread shop to harangue
me in Arabic. I think the gist of it was that I was a wholly unsuitable
father if all I could do was let my child scream her lungs out.

Beirut traffic can be grim, but the city is compact. Even in the worst
of gridlock it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to get from east
to west. We just walked a great deal.

>>From one neighbourhood to the next, the sense of where you are can
alter profoundly. ‘I never knew it would feel so amazingly French,
like France in times gone by,’ my wife remarked as we strolled through
the quaint narrow streets of Christian Ashrafiya.

The women of these Beirut streets are haughty and handsome, and
they know that no man would be foolish enough to wolf-whistle. As a
Lebanese friend of mine put it: ‘They take no nonsense. They would
eat the men alive if they did anything like that.’ Food is one of
the big attractions. In a week of many memorable meals one of the
best was at Abdel Wahab on Rue Abdel Wahab al Inglezi.

This is an Ottoman-era gem with high roofs and a cool interior. The
variety of meze – cold and hot starters – can be bewildering.

We ordered far too much and by the time the ritual grilled chicken
and lamb arrived we were glutted and wordless. A pot of fresh mint
tea helped sort that out and we were eating again in no time.

But the city offers a great deal more than fantastic Middle Eastern
cuisine.

There are also excellent French, Italian and Asian restaurants. Some
of the top-end Continental restaurants can be pricey and tend towards
the pretentious. My advice is to investigate the huge variety of
Lebanese food.

WITHIN a few minutes of eating in Ashrafiya or shopping in the
upmarket ABC Mall with its Seattle Coffee shop and Virgin Megastore
you can be driving through the southern suburbs near the airport,
the strongholds of the Shia, traditionally the poorest and most
downtrodden of Lebanon’s groups.

Here, stern mullahs hold sway and many of the women wear headscarves
or veils.

But this too is a place of change. You simply would not have gone
near these suburbs in the 1980s and early Nineties. It was where
Waite and McCarthy spent the years of their confinement.

Now the kidnap gangs have gone. There is an easygoing tolerance
of visitors.

It is a good place to drink the strong bitter Arabic coffee and smoke
a narghile, the water pipes whose fruity aroma fills the cafes.

One of my favourite spots is the Armenian district of Bourj Hammoud.

This is a warren of small streets crowded with shops selling spices and
jewellery with excellent value in gold rings, necklaces and bracelets.

And of course on a cultural level, Lebanon is fabulously rich.

It boasts the finest Roman ruins in the region at the UNESCO world
heritage site of Baalbek, which the Romans knew as Heliopolis.

Then there is the heritage of its Phoenician seafarer origins and
the remnants of every invading power to have marched through, from
the armies of Alexander the Great through to the Crusaders, Turks,
French, Israelis and Syrians.

In the city centre the churches of the Christians (they make up 40 per
cent of the population) stand beside the mosques of the Sunni and the
Shia, the sound of church bells blends with the call of the muezzin.

The assassination of the country’s prime minister last year was a
serious blow to tourism.

The attack was blamed on Syria. Suddenly Lebanon was bad news again.

However, (as I told my motherinlaw) these brutal attacks were targeted
specifically against Syria’s local enemies.

Tourists were and are not a target. Nor was there any hint of a return
to the fratricidal days of the civil war – Lebanon saw some of the
biggest peaceful protests in the history of the Middle East. This
country has had enough of war.

One of our loveliest afternoons was spent in the ancient city of
Byblos. The Bible took its name from the papyrus reed paper produced
here and it is said to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited
city. Daniel and I climbed the ruins of ancient temples and a Crusader
citadel while Anne and Holly wandered through the souks.

Afterwards we went to the restaurant of Pepe Abed overlooking the
Phoenician harbour and dined on fresh seafood while the ancient owner
observed us from a corner. He was here when General De Gaulle came
during World War II and welcomed film stars like Brigitte Bardot and
David Niven when Beirut was the playground of the Med.

The celebrities and playboys were driven away by the war but I suspect
they will be back.

Lebanon is too much fun to stay ignored for too long.

COX & Kings (020 7873 5000; coxandkings.co.uk) offers five nights’
bed and breakfast at the Movenpick, including British Airways flights
and transfers, from Pounds 865 per person. The company’s programme
of family holidays, Family Explorer, will be launched this spring.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 31, 2006 Friday

MOLE CLOSE TO SAAKASHVILI;
Official of the presidential administration in Georgia arrested for
espionage and treason against the state

by Yuri Simonjan

A SPY SCANDAL IN GEORGIA; An update on the spy scandal in Georgia.

Simon Kiladze, official of the PR Service of the Presidential
Administration, was arrested in his office on the premises of the
Georgian State Chancellery yesterday on charges of espionage and
treason against the state. Kiladze’s duties included monitoring of
foreign, mostly Russian, media. Georgian TV channels ran the tape
showing arrest of a mole supplying sensitive information to secret
services of “a foreign state” on Tuesday morning.

Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili announced at a special briefing
yesterday that since 2004, Kiladze had “systematically updated
secret services of a foreign state on the president of Georgia;
senior officials of the legislative and executive branches of the
government, visits of state delegations, consultations and matters
discussed in the course of these visits, and provided information
of strategic importance for the country.” “This man used e-mail
or international mail depending on the value of the data. He even
brought sensitive information to the foreign country in person every
now and then,” Merabishvili said. By the minister’s rough estimate,
Kiladze was paid at least $20,000 for the information (just the money
transacted via Georgian banks). “The Interior Ministry knows for a
fact that Kiladze has leaked information to his spy runners since
2004. Identities of his handlers will be revealed in the course of
the trial,” Merabishvili said.

Director of the Presidential Administration, Georgy Arveladze,
arranged another briefing. He announced that “agents of a foreign
state” had operated in Georgia and even in its upper echelons of
power with impunity until recently but “no more”. Arveladze assured
journalists that it will be different now. “Nobody will be permitted
to trade interests of the state for money from foreign intelligence,”
he said.

Journalists were never told what country the spy had been working
for. Neither was President Mikhail Saakashvili any more specific. He
only told journalists yesterday that “Georgia has a lot of enemies”
who want to split it “but they will be frustrated.” As for the
likes of Kiladze, the people “working against their own country”,
Saakashvili advised them to surrender to counterintelligence before
May 1, in return for guarantees that no steps would be taken.

As a matter of fact, the circle of potential enemies hungry for
sensitive information on Georgia is not broad at all. Popular
Tbilisi weekly Kviris Palitra or Palitra Nedeli featured results
of an interesting opinion poll not so long ago. Its readers were
asked to name two particularly hostile countries. Almost 700 readers
responded and 94.4% of them named Russia. Belarus was named the second
hostile country (33.7%). No wonder – what with all the latest scandals
between Tbilisi and Minsk. Armenia became the third hostile country
with 28.1%. One of these three countries will probably be identified
as having recruited Kiladze.

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, March 29, 2006, p. 4

PRESENTATION OF “WORLD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2005-2006” REPORT TO TAKE PLACE ON APRIL 3 IN YEREVAN

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 31 2006

YEREVAN, March 31. /ARKA/. Presentation of the “World Information
Technologies 2005-2006” (WIT) report of the World Economic Forum will
take place in Yerevan on April 3. According to the information of the
“Economy and Values” research center, Armenia will be presented in
this WIT report for the first time.

According to the press release, data on Armenia as well as approaches
to stimulation of competency in the IT-sphere within the framework
of the “Competitive Armenian Private Sector Program” of the USAID
will be presented during the event.

Week and strong sides of national sector of information technologies
are studied in the WIT report as well as “Networked Readliness Index”
of 115 countries are presented in it, the aim of which is to estimate
and define conditions of use of information technologies. S.P.-0–

REMARKS AT THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Aktif Haber, Turkey
March 30 2006

Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs
Mayflower Hotel
Washington, DC
March 27, 2006

Ambassador Fried: Thank you for that kind introduction.

I have the disadvantage of having to follow my friend Vartan [Oskanian,
the foreign minister]. That is a real disadvantage because he’s
very very good. A good interlocutor, a good friend. Most of the
time we agree. When he disagrees, I am reminded by just how good he
is. [Laughter].

It’s a pleasure to be here at the national conference, and I was
happy to accept the invitation from the Assembly and the Armenian
General Benevolent Union and the Eastern and Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church, one of the great ancient churches of Christendom,
to speak to you today. And I understand that this conference is held
in partnership with at least 15 other Armenian-American organizations
and others are in attendance. But let me say in particular that I
value my years of cooperation with the Assembly, and I appreciate
its leadership’s professionalism and their [inaudible] commitment as
Americans to work with us to support democratic and prosperous Armenia.

Now it’s true that we don’t agree on all issues and the Assembly can
be just as frank, which is a diplomatic word — [Laughter] — just as
frank as they have to be in expressing that. But as Americans it’s not
only your right, it’s your duty to speak out to your government when
you agree and when you disagree. That’s never gotten in the way of
our partnership. I appreciate the candid advice from the Assembly and
from the American Armenian community, and I look forward to hearing
more of it. It’s good to hear straight out what’s on your minds,
what you like about what we’re doing, what you don’t like about what
we’re doing. That’s the way a real partnership is made.

I’ve just come back from a visit to Yerevan, and I have to say that
it is beautiful to see a city with Mount Ararat floating in the
distance, the mountains, the snow, and spring just beginning to come
to Yerevan. [Applause].

As Americans, you should be proud that our new embassy compound is up
and running. It’s a physical embodiment of our commitment to Armenia.

It shows that we have put in the money to reflect our political will
to see that Armenia prospers in the 21st Century as a free country,
secure and democratic. [Applause].

While I was in Yerevan I had the privilege of meeting with President
Kocharian, with Vartan Foreign Minister Oskanian, with the Defense
Minister Sargsian, and with political leaders, including leaders
of the opposition. That’s what we do when we go abroad in the State
Department. We meet with everyone. And we had serious talks. We talked
about regional security, which as you know means Nagorno-Karabakh,
relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. We talked about
strengthening the economy and promoting democratic reform. And I want
to say a few words about those issues today and talk about key topics
that I think are of interest to you.

President Bush’s new National Security Strategy says that it is the
policy of the United States to seek and support democratic movements
and institutions in every nation and culture. Your efforts here and
your efforts in Armenia, to help Armenia democratize and prosper
economically, matched with U.S. efforts and hopes for the country,
and I thank you for them.

I also thank you because in areas of business transparency the
Armenian-American community is leading by example. I thank you for
that as well.

Now this is a good day in U.S.-Armenian relations. Today the United
States and Armenia will sign its Millennium Challenge Cooperation
Compact. That is a new assistance agreement for $235 million, and that
is new money for Armenia. It is a testament to Armenia’s progress
and its commitment to do more on good governance, economic freedom,
and investment in its people.

Much remains to be done and no community is more aware of the
challenges, as well as the progress, as the Armenian-American
community.

The challenge to sustain Armenia’s status as an MCC recipient is
allowing voters to independently and freely choose their leaders
through elections that meet international democratic standards. We’re
looking at the parliamentary and presidential elections next year and
in 2008 as key tests. We hope that Armenia is moving in that direction.

We are building and taking at face value assurances from the
government, and with our own election strategy geared to work with
both the government and the Armenian civil society to try and achieve
this goal. We must achieve this goal to sustain our relations.

We believe that Armenia has the potential to be a leader in the
region by showing progress on democratic reforms to keep pace with
its economic expansion.

Let me turn to an issue that is much on our minds at the State
Department and perhaps on yours, which is Nagorno-Karabakh. A solution
to Nagorno-Karabakh remains a key focus. Obviously, and I don’t need to
tell you this, a resolution would open the door to large investment,
deeper integration with the global economy, peace will bring greater
prosperity.

Now we were hopeful last month that the meeting at Rambouillet between
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan would move us decisively
forward. We were disappointed that it didn’t happen, but we did not
give up, we did not turn away.

Before I went to Yerevan, I went to Baku and met with President
Aliyev. I was sufficiently encouraged by what he said that I went
to Yerevan for further discussions, and based on the help and sound
thinking of the Armenian side, there is a possibility for progress
in 2006. Now this is not easy. Neither side can or will achieve its
maximum aims. Peace will require solutions that meet both sides’
concerns as much as possible. And both Armenia and Azerbaijan must
prepare for a good settlement, and the best can be the enemy of
the good.

The United States is not going to impose a settlement. We’re not
going to force Armenia or Azerbaijan to take anything. We don’t have
that power, and it is not our intention to try to exercise it. But
it is our intention to support a solution if both governments arrive
at it, and if there is a solution we are going to get behind it. If
the government of Armenia agrees to it, we will support them, and I
hope you do as well.

Now we hope, but also anticipate, that a solution on Nagorno-Karabakh
will result in an open border with Turkey, which is a consistent goal
on our agenda with Ankara. From Yerevan, I went to Ankara and I made
this point with the Turkish government that we want the border open,
and we want it open as soon as possible. [Applause].

This has not been easy for Armenia, but even with closed borders to
the east and west, Armenia has a northern border that is open to it
through Georgia, and Armenia’s economic growth is strong. Almost
14 percent last year, which is the fourth straight year of double
digit growth. Construction is up 34 percent, and you can see it when
you’re in Yerevan. We know that your community is helping fuel this
construction boom.

Agriculture is growing, 11 percent last year. Industrial production
is growing, and inflation remains low.

The Armenian government has increased its ability to collect taxes.

That and corporate taxes which increases government revenues which
helps provide better services and the infrastructure for yet more
growth in a virtuous cycle. We’re seeing an increase in Armenian
government expenditure, on education, science, and health. This
investment in citizens will help bring a good future for Armenia.

The U.S.-Armenian relationship is continuing to deepen and our
economic support is continuing. Since independence, the United States
has contributed more than $1.5 billion of assistance. That’s quite
a bit of money for a country the size of Armenia. And many in the
Armenian-American community have also made substantial financial
contributions to, and investments in, Armenia as well.

Our assistance program, well much of it, is aimed at promoting economic
reform to help create the conditions for Armenians to continue their
economic growth in the best possible way.

There’s more work to do. Tax collection is up, but you know better
than I do how much of the economy remains underground. Corruption is a
serious problem. Corruption is a tax on the poor and a tax on honest
entrepreneurs. That is a drag. An economy saddled with corruption is
moving forward with lead weights tied to each leg.

We want to see greater economic integration between Armenia and
Georgia and Armenia and all the states of the Caucasus. We push
this regularly, and I did so when I was in Baku. We would like
to see greater integration. Now it is difficult in advance of a
Nagorno-Karabakh solution, but we keep raising it, and we will keep
raising it. It’s good not only for Armenia; it would be good for
Turkey and Azerbaijan as well.

Let me talk about regional security and military assistance. We
do support Armenia’s efforts to strengthen its relations with the
Euro-Atlantic community. Armenia has a policy of complementarity,
which means roughly balance in its relations with the West and the
Russians. This is not a problem for us. We don’t want to force Armenia
to choose between its historic friends and its Western identity, but
we do want our relations to grow. We do want our relations to grow,
and we don’t want barriers put in the way.

Our relations in the security field have grown. We value and appreciate
Armenia’s troop contributions in Iraq. There are 46 non-combatant
soldiers serving there now. There are 34 Armenian peacekeepers in
Kosovo. And we hope that Armenia will continue to do its part through
NATO’s Partnership for Peace to contribute to other operations in
the future.

Armenia has increased its cooperation with NATO. The government
is reforming its military in cooperation with the U.S. to make it
more interoperable with NATO. Armenia is pursuing what NATO calls
an individual partnership action plan with NATO. This is basically a
chapeau that lets the Armenian military slowly but as fast as Armenia
wants, grow closer to NATO so we can work together.

Frankly, I want to express my appreciation for the Assembly’s
encouragement last year to Armenia to complete its defense
assessment. That cleared the way for deeper security cooperation
between our two countries.

Now I know that some in your community, in the Armenian-American
community, are concerned about U.S.-Azerbaijani military relations,
so let me address this straight up. The fact is Azerbaijan has
made contributions to the War on Terror and these contributions —
overflight rights, access to Azerbaijani bases, information sharing,
law enforcement cooperation — are useful. Now Azerbaijan faces
security threats not from Armenia, and when I was in Baku I repeated
that Azerbaijan’s security problem really doesn’t come from Armenia,
it comes from other countries. It’s got a rough neighbor to the south,
Iran. And it’s on the Caspian Sea with a lot of oil and gas.

Our security cooperation with and assistance to Azerbaijan is meant
to improve Azerbaijan’s posture against those threats, not against
Armenia. I repeat. Not against Armenia.

President Bush has noted that to succeed in our own efforts, we need
the support of our efforts to fight terrorism, we need the support and
actions of friends and allies. We must join with others to deny the
terrorists what they seek, which is safe haven, financial support,
and the support and protection certain nation states historically
have given them. So we do need to work with all the countries of the
region on a counter-terrorist agenda.

But our assistance to Azerbaijan does not undermine our support for
Armenian security, and it is not designed and will not be used for
offensive purposes against Armenia. So we design our programs with
Azerbaijan very carefully. Counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism,
programs to counter trafficking in weapons of mass destruction.

Now let me mention a couple of words about energy security. In
January of this year, disruptions of electricity and gas to Georgia
affected Armenia, as well. After this episode, we’re looking at ways to
bolster energy security in the region and strengthen Armenia’s energy
independence. The key to doing this is to support market forces, to
diversify energy supplies, and avoid monopolistic restrictions. We’ve
been discussing this in NATO, we’ve been discussing this in the
European Union and with key countries in the region. We will continue
to look at ways in which the United States can support energy security
for all the countries of the south Caucasus.

We are concerned by increased energy ties with Iran, and so we’re
looking at alternatives. We’ve talked to the Georgians about them.

Now let me conclude with discussion of a tough issue for all of us.

April 24th is less than a month away. I’m not going to duck this issue.

The U.S. position on events of 1915 has not changed. We believe that a
productive dialogue is the best way to establish a shared understanding
of history that honors the victims of these horrific events, murders
on a mass scale, killings without justification, deportations. Over
1.5 million people lost their lives, innocent victims. But we want to
foster reconciliation and peace based on an understanding of history,
not a denial of it. We believe that the tragedy of 1915, the killings,
is of enormous human significance and its historical assessment should
be determined not on the basis of politics, but introspection among
civic leaders and scholars. This process has begun in Turkey where
it needs to take place.

Now I know from experience and consultations with the Assembly and
other groups that the Armenian American community has a different view,
and I expect that you will express that view, and that is not for us —
I would be surprised if you didn’t, and I welcome the dialogue we’ve
established. [Applause].

Voice: Horse manure.

Voices: Be quiet. Sit down.

Ambassador Fried: I will value even frank comments, but —
[Laughter]. Hopefully a dialogue can be serious.

Sitting here with us is my old friend John Evans, our Ambassador
in Yerevan. He is the Ambassador, remains the Ambassador, has —
[Applause and cheers].

Like all of us, we all serve at the pleasure of the President.

Ambassador Evans came from Yerevan for the signing of the Millennium
Challenge Account Compact this afternoon, and will be in the meeting
this afternoon between Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Oskanian.

There has been a great deal of speculation. I don’t discuss personnel
issues, but since my friend is sitting here, I thought I would
recognize Ambassador John Evans. [Applause].

Now I gather there will be some time to take questions. I wouldn’t
be surprised by a frank exchange. [Laughter]. That doesn’t bother me.

I appreciate the chance to meet with you and have a discussion of
all issues, whether we agree or disagree. America is a free country,
and I’m here to listen and to answer your questions the best I can.

Thank you for your attention. I’m glad to see that people were paying
attention. [Laughter]. [Applause].

Moderator: Thank you, Ambassador Fried. You said in Armenia and the
capital of Turkey that Armenians and Turks need to have courage on
the issue. The United States has to have courage on the issue of the
Armenian genocide. [Applause]. And that ambiguity out there in terms
of denial, curriculum that is trying to be inserted in classrooms
around this country, our government needs to be very clear about
their role and mission on this issue.

Your first question: As the U.S. and EU applies increasing pressure
on Iran with the prospects of confrontation grows, will the U.S. take
concrete steps to ensure Armenia’s security and economic stability?

Will the U.S. guarantee that the border with Turkey will be open
before there is conflict with Iran or potential conflict with Iran
that would risk a border closing?

Ambassador Fried: That’s a fair question, but I don’t have to yet
accept the premise that we are headed for a military confrontation with
Iran because we are now focused on achieving a diplomatic solution
to the problem of Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. We are not going
through the motions, we are serious about this. We do not believe
that Iran is North Korea. We do not believe that Iran thrives on
isolation. Iranian society does not want to be shunned by the world
and its leaders to not reflect the consensus in that society, as far as
we can tell. So I believe that our diplomatic efforts can bear fruit.

However, to be responsive to the question, we will continue to have
a serious discussion with Armenia as our thinking develops. And as
John Evans can tell you, this issue came up in our discussions a week
and a half ago in Yerevon. We will continue to work with Armenia to
make sure that its security is part of our thinking and integrated
into our thinking. Can I guarantee that the border with Turkey will
be open? I can’t guarantee that, and to say that I could would not
be honest. But I can say that we take Armenia’s security seriously.

Armenia didn’t choose its neighborhood, but there you are.

[Laughter].

We will continue to work to see to it that Armenia is not vulnerable,
particularly on energy issues. And I did have explicit discussions in
Ankara about a future in which Armenia, in which gas and oil flowed
freely through Armenia from the Caspian without political hindrance,
so we are beginning this dialogue.

Moderator: I’m sure you imagine I’m getting a few questions on
Armenian genocide.

Ambassador Fried: I imagine. [Laughter].

Moderator: Why are third parties permitted to dictate America’s
foreign policy vis-a-vis Armenia and Cyprus?

Ambassador Fried: Third parties are not permitted to dictate our
foreign policy, nor do they dictate our foreign policy. We have a
policy which many of you disagree with. I understand. But we have a
policy of seeking to encourage Turkey to reflect more seriously about
subjects which have been taboo for generations in that country. I
said earlier that process has begun in Turkey. You recall that the
famous Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk spoke clearly about this. He is
not the only Turk speaking out. As I said, this process has begun
as Turkish society modernizes, and as it modernizes, as democracy
in Turkey deepens, Turkey will have to go through what many other
countries such as the United States have had to go through in our
own history, which is looking back at the darker spots in our past.

With respect to the United States, those darker spots include things
like slavery and racial discrimination, treatment of American Indians,
and in my opinion, internment of American citizens of Japanese origin
in camps in World War II. Those are painful subjects.

Just as dealing with the history of the mass killings of Armenians is
painful for Turkey. And by the way, I say this to my Turkish friends
using the same words. We keep one set of books.

Now that process has begun in Turkey. It is certainly not going fast
enough to satisfy you. It is not going fast enough to satisfy us. But
this process has begun and it will, I hope, bring greater understanding
to Turks of their own history.

We will continue to have a dialogue about this as April 24th
approaches. I will not attempt to anticipate what the President will
say. I do believe he will issue a statement on April 24th, in fact
I can’t believe there won’t be one. And I expect, as we have in the
past, to consult with the Armenian Assembly about this and to have
a frank set of discussions before and after.

Moderator: How will the U.S. deal with Azerbaijan regarding,
or how will it take to task, regarding the issue of the Armenian
historical landmarks of the Cemetery of Djulfa that was destroyed by
the Azerbaijanis?

Ambassador Fried: When I go to Baku and when U.S. officials go
to Baku, we always raise issues of living — Not just issues of
Nagorno-Karabakh, but issues of long-term peace in the south
provinces. Now I would be happy to raise issues of Armenian
historical sites in Azerbaijan. These historical sites, regardless
of differences over Nagorno-Karabakh, need to be respected and need
to be protected. This is a universal policy of the United States,
and I look forward to hearing from you about some of these sites so
that we can raise it with the Azerbaijani government. [Applause].

Moderator: How does the U.S. policy of promoting freedom
and democracy fit into your policy towards resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Especially considering the democratic will
of Nagorno-Karabakh to remain free?

Ambassador Fried: I don’t want to get into the details of the
shape of settlements under discussion. There is nothing worse than
negotiating in public. But the philosophic premise behind the question
is a good one and a fair one. That is how much weight do you give
self-determination, which is clearly a factor at stake here? How
much weight do you give issues of territorial integrity? And how much
weight do you give to well, facts on the ground? All right? Now that
is a difficult issue.

In my view, it is probably a mistake to try to apply rigid precedents
to all similar issues. Nagorno-Karabakh is not the same as Kosovo,
which is not the same as Abkhazia, which is not the same as Chechnya.

These issues are individual, and they need to be handled
individually. We are well aware that the will of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh has to be respected. [Applause]. We are also aware
that there are issues of territorial integrity and the challenge
that we all face that Foreign Minister Oskanian and Foreign Minister
Mammadyarov and those involved in trying to help an agreement, have
to deal with all of these issues. And I am convinced that there can
be solutions at hand.

I don’t know when they will come about, but I think that 2006 is a
good window for them, and I don’t think that the people of Armenia,
Nagorno-Karabakh, or Azerbaijan deserve to live forever in a state
of uncertainty.

Moderator: Why does real politik trump the moral position in
recognizing the genocide, more in the U.S. than in France? If the
U.S. wants to foster reconciliation and peace in the region it’s true
that introspection needs to be fostered within Turkey. With Turkey’s
export of denialist tactics can peace and truth really be achieved?

And specifically if you could comment on a federal lawsuit in
Massachusetts currently that denialist material be put into the
genocide curriculum.

Ambassador Fried: I can’t comment about the lawsuit. The United States
government has never denied the events of 1915. We do not support,
what was the phrase, export of denialist literature or positions. We
do support efforts by Turkey to deal with its history more seriously.

As I said, this process has begun. It has not ended. Efforts such
as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission were serious, and these
were efforts in which Turkish, as well as Armenian scholars, were
involved. It produced a serious look at those issues which we have
recognized officially.

This is not an easy issue. It is not an easy issue for the United
States government, and we are not at the end of the road on this
issue. We will continue to urge our Turkish friends to face difficult
issues of their past seriously, and we will urge Armenia to help the
Turks make this possible without ever sacrificing historical truth
or your position.

Now that is not an entirely satisfactory position for your community,
but again, I value the advice and input and even the criticism from
the Armenian American community and it [inaudible].

Moderator: Is there any truth to reports in the Atlantic Monthly that
the U.S. is upgrading the Baku air bases for potential airstrikes
on Iran?

Ambassador Fried: No. [Laughter].

Moderator: What is your position on recent reports that Ambassador
Evans is being recalled because of his statements last year on the
Armenian genocide issue?

Ambassador Fried: We all serve at the pleasure of the President. I
won’t discuss personnel issues. Ambassador Evans, as I said, is
a friend of more than 20 years standing. He’s our Ambassador. He’s
right here. He will be in the meetings today at the State Department,
as I said. [Applause].

Moderator: Thank you, Ambassador Fried, for this very frank
discussion, as always, and we thank you all for your attention and
for participating. Thank you very much. [Applause].

hp?nID=66236

HEAD OF THE CAUCASUS MUSLIMS VISITS SAUDI ARABIA
Author: S. Agayeva

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 30 2006

The Caucasus Muslims Administration Chairman, Sheikh of Islam,
Allahshukur Pashazadeh will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia, the Caucasus
Muslims Administration told Trend.

The aim of the visit- is participation at the international
conference ‘Islamic World Unity’ that is to take place on April 1-2 in
Mecca. Conference is organized under the auspices of the Saudi king,
Abdallah bin Abdul-aziz al-Saud. The famous Muslim leaders and well-
known Islamic clerics will take part at the conference.

Pashazadeh is expected to present a report on the Islamic world
problems and will emphasize the role of the Muslim unity in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.

PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN AND FAMOUS PUBLIC FIGURE HARRY ORBELIAN PASSES AWAY IN SAN FRANCISCO

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 29 2006

SAN FRANCISCO, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Prominent
businessman and famous public figure Harry Orbelian, composer
Constantine Orbelian’s brother, passed away after serious illness at
the age of 86, in San Francisco (U.S., California), on March 26.

Noyan Tapan was informed about this by the RA Foreign Ministry’s
Press and Information Department. Harry Orbelian was born in 1920
in Armenia. In 1948 he moved to the United States. He always worked
actively in the direction of establishing business ties between the
U.S. and the former Soviet Union, numerous international conferences
and seminars were held under his direct presiding. Harry Orbelian
was the President of the Global Trade Council of San Francisco and
the Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce. He was also actively
connected with implementation of humanitarian programs directed to
Armenia. Orbelian always supported the Embassy of Armenia to the
United States and the Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia expresses condolence on
behalf of the Government on the occasion of Harry Orbelian’s death.

RF Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, RF Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov, former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachov and other high-ranking
people sent telegrams of condolence.