Author: Nadirian Emma

LEADERS OF 12 ARAB TRIBES MEET WITH RA DEFENCE MINISTER

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Leaders of 12 Arab tribes of North
Syria, at the meeting with Serge Sargsian, the Secretary of the
National Security Council attached to the RA President, the Defence
Minister, expressed their readiness from now and then also to assist
the fastening of the Armenian-Syrian traditional freindship. At the
March 31 meeting, the RA Defence Minister thanked the Arab tribal
leaders for visiting Armenia and attached special importance to the
appreciable contribution that they have in fastening frindship of
Armenian and Syrian Arab peoples. The tribal leaders expressed warm
and high estimation about the ancient culture of the Armenian people,
their rich traditions, emphasizing that today Armenians in Syria have
great contribution to state and public construction.

Agence France Presse
March 30 2005

Turkey probes official who ordered novelist’s books destroyed

30/03/2005 AFP

ANKARA, March 30 (AFP) – 16h55 – The Turkish interior ministry is
investigating an official who ordered the seizure and destruction of
works by novelist Orhan Pamuk for making a reference to the massacre
of Armenians, the Anatolia news agency said Wednesday.

Pamuk, author of several novels including “My Name Is Red,” “The
White Castle” and “The New Life,” caused an outcry when he said in an
interview with a Swiss newspaper that “one million Armenians were
killed in Turkey.”

The statement appeared to contradict official denials of an Armenian
genocide.

Furious at the remark, deputy governor Mustafa Altinpinar of Sutculer
in the Mediterranean province of Isparta, issued a circular ordering
all copies of Pamuk’s books to be confiscated from local libraries
and bookstores and destroyed.

“The author has made baseless, slanderous and injurious accusations
against the Turkish nation,” the circular said.

A search of local bookshops and libraries, however, failed to produce
a single copy of Pamuk’s books, newspapers said.

“I issued the order in reaction to Pamuk’s remarks over the
Armenians, but now I wish I had first checked to see whether there
were any of his books in our town,” Altinpinar was quoted as saying
by the daily Radikal.

The governor of Isparta province, Isa Parlak, immediately announced
that Altinpinar had “abused his authority.” He cancelled the order,
while Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu ordered an investigation,
Anatolia said.

The massacre of Armenians during World War I is one of the most
controversial episodes in Turkish history.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor
of modern Turkey.

Turkey instead says that 300,000 Armenians and thousands of Turks
were killed in civil strife when the Armenians rose against their
Ottoman rulers.

Pamuk, one of Europe’s most prominent novelists, has been translated
into more than 20 languages. He lives in Istanbul.

Swissinfo, Switzerland
March 29 2005

Calmy-Rey faces delicate mission in Turkey

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey is travelling to Turkey on
Tuesday, 18 months after a diplomatic spat put paid to a previous
trip.

Ankara withdrew its invitation at the last minute after a cantonal
parliament voted to recognise the 1915 slaughter of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians as genocide.

Three months later – in December 2003 – a similar vote in the House
of Representatives reached the same conclusion, drawing fresh
condemnation from Turkey.

Armenians say around 1.8 million people were killed; Turkey disputes
this, putting the figure closer to 200,000.

The Turkish foreign ministry warned parliamentarians that the
decision could have “negative consequences” on relations between the
two countries.

The Swiss foreign minister is due to holds talks with her Turkish
counterpart, Abdullah Gül, on a wide range of issues.

Roberto Balzaretti, Calmy-Rey’s diplomatic adviser, told swissinfo
that discussions would cover mutual concerns such as “human rights,
minorities and economic relations”.

Asked whether Calmy-Rey would raise the Armenian question, Balzaretti
said it would be difficult “to avoid issues that have caused problems
in the past”.

Tread gently

Françoise Saudan, a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs
committee, who visited Turkey in August, cautioned that the Swiss
foreign minister would need to tread gently.

She said the genocide remained a touchy subject for Turkey, which had
not faced up to its past in the same way Switzerland addressed its
Second World War past.

But Jean-Jacques de Dardel, head of international security policy at
the Swiss foreign ministry, said this week’s visit was not about
resurrecting past disagreements.

“[She] is not going to Ankara to rekindle tensions, but to strengthen
relations between Switzerland and Turkey,” he said.

The issue of Turkish membership of the European Union is also likely
to feature during talks between both foreign ministers.

Calmy-Rey made it clear in December that the Swiss stood to benefit
should Turkey join the bloc.

Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, has signed a series of
bilateral agreements with Brussels covering areas including trade.

Iraq, which borders Turkey, and the Middle East are also expected to
be on the agenda.

Kurdish question

On the second day of her visit Calmy-Rey is due in the city of
Diyarbakir in the mainly Kurdish southeast of the country, where she
is expected to meet local representatives and non-governmental
organisations.

This section of the trip was viewed in poor light by Ankara in 2003.
Shortly after the invitation was withdrawn, the Turkish authorities
accused Calmy-Rey of meeting a member of a banned Kurdish
organisation in Lausanne.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office later launched an investigation to
find out whether the Swiss foreign minister had been spied on by
Turkey’s secret service.

On the final day of her trip, Calmy-Rey is due to give an address to
the Swiss and Turkish business leaders in Istanbul.

“Turkey is Switzerland’s most important business partner in the
Middle East. Around 40 Swiss firms move there every year,” said
Balzaretti.

Swiss exports to Turkey totalled SFr1.9 billion ($1.6 billion) in
2004 – up 17 per cent on the previous year.

Last week the government lifted restrictions on arms exports to
Turkey, which were imposed in 1992 during a Turkish crackdown against
the Kurds.

swissinfo with agencies

Kentucky.com, KY

FOOD

Posted on Sun, Mar. 27, 2005

WINE REVIEW

Spicy white good with Southern fare

By Wendy Miller

CONTRIBUTING WINE WRITER

Just when you had conquered gewurtztraminer, along comes another
white wine — rkatsiteli (ar-kat-si-TEL-lee) — that rewards efforts
of pronunciation. I first tasted it in Tbilisi, Georgia, more than
30 years ago. It made such an impression that I still remember floral
aromas (that I now know are like some rieslings) and a spicy, herbal
flavor (that I now know is like some gewurtztraminers).

Although relatively unfamiliar in the United States, the grape has been
around for thousands of years, originating in the Caucasus Mountains,
and is planted widely outside the United States. On this soil, it
thrives in the Finger Lakes vineyards of the Dr. Konstantin Frank
winery in New York.

The Dr. Konstantin Frank 2002 Rkatsiteli bears enough resemblance
to an Alsatian gewurtztraminer that it would pair well with Thai and
Szechuan dishes. I served it with grilled chicken and crudites with
a creamy lime-chipotle dip. It was a marriage made in heaven.

Closer to the American Southern palate, it would be great with fried
chicken, sweet potatoes, a collard green gratin and a salad with
buttermilk dressing. Of course, dishes from Georgia and Armenia,
like satsivi — grilled chicken with a rich, spicy walnut sauce —
stuffed grape leaves, flat bread with mozzarella or Muenster or
a tomato-laced eggplant caviar would lend an exotic edge to this
fabulous American wine.

I found it in Midway for less than $20, but it might be on Lexington
shelves as well.

SCOTISH “RENAISSANCE” AND ARMENIAN “HOVER” CHAMBER CHOIRS’ JOINT
CONCERT TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, NOYAN TAPAN. A joint concert of Edinburgh University
“Renaissance” and Armenian “Hover” (Cools) chamber choirs will be held
in Yerevan Komitas Chamber Music House on April 3. As Noyan Tapan was
informed from “Hover” chamber chorus, works by Komitas, Marentsio,
Ligetti and other composers will be performed at the concert.

WHAT DOES THE ORINATS YERKIR KNOW THAT OTHERS DO NOT KNOW?

A1+
25-03-2005

On March 28 in Armenia political consultations will start between
several political powers. Or, to be more exact, between Parliamentary
and out-of-Parliament powers. The opposition and the authorities
are not treated here. Simply the consultation of discussing the
democratic problem in the country was initiated by the «Orinats
Yerkir» fraction.

The powers taking part in the consultation are not made clear yet.
But it is a fact that, for example, the «Republican» party
forming part of the coalition has not received an invitation from
his colleagues. Nevertheless, Galust Sahakyan, head of the Armenian
Republican party, greeted the Orinats Yerkir initiative.

According to other political powers, political consultations usually
take place either in grave political situations, or on the threshold
of elections. Several powers do not notice either of these situations
in Armenia.

As for the Orinats Yerkir, Samvel Balasanyan, head of the party,
reminded that there is a pre-election period in Armenia: in fall there
will be the elections of the local governing bodies. So in order to
reduce tension in that period they organize consultations starting
from now.

–Boundary_(ID_32F4QrOyqgoi6EpuFeswsg)–

Putin-Kocharyan meeting begins in Yerevan

ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 25 2005

YEREVAN, March 25 (Itar-Tass) — A meeting of Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has just begun
here. It is taking place in a presidential palace in Yerevan, which,
according to the law, is an official working residence of Armenian
presidents.

Kocharyan welcomed the honoured guest on the threshold of the palace.
The two presidents went to the Golden Hall, where meetings with
foreign statesmen visiting Armenia and with foreign ambassadors after
the presentation of credentials are usually held.

The three-storeyed palace was built in 1958 on the design of Mark
Grigoryan, merited architect of Armenia and winner of the National
Prizes of the USSR and Armenia (1900-1978). The palace housed the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the republic up to 1991. Late in
the 80s the palace was rebuilt, and its floor space was increased.

After the property of the Communist Party was nationalised in 1990,
the parliament moved to the palace of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of Armenia, situated in front of the palace designed
by Grigoryan. The Grigoryan palace was given to Armenian presidents
as their residence. The post of president was instituted in Armenia
in May 1990, and the first presidential elections were held in October
1991. By that time a metal fence was built around the palace.

The palace, built in the style of classicism, with elements of
traditional Armenian architecture, is not quite suitable for the work
of the presidential staff, which is not numerous. There are many
official premises there. A press conference of Putin and Kocharyan
will be held in one of the halls of the palace on Friday afternoon.

A special ground for official welcoming ceremonies with the
participation of the guard of honour was created in the yard of
the palace.

ArmenPress
March 24 2005

IMF MISSION PRAISES ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES FOR STRONG REFORM MOMENTUM

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS: A press release by IMF said an IMF
team visited Armenia March 3-17th 2005. The mission met with
President Kocharian, Prime Minister Margarian, the Ministers of
Finance and Economy, Trade and Economic Development and Energy, the
Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, and other senior officials.
It said since the conclusion of the Armenia’s PRGF program, which
the IMF Executive Board reviewed in December 2004, the Armenian
authorities maintained strong reform momentum. In recent weeks,
loopholes in the simplified tax were eliminated. The State Tax
Service merged the central audit department with the large taxpayers
unit. The collection function of the State Fund of Social Insurance
(SFSI) was moved to the STS. As a result of this reform, social
contributions increased substantially. The authorities passed decrees
lengthening the time for conducting audits to a maximum of 45 days.
The payment of VAT refunds to exporters improved significantly, and
the STS are now paying off the backlog of claims.
Armenia’s macroeconomic performance continues to be impressive. In
2004, GDP increased 10.1 percent, fueled by strong private
construction and agriculture. Inflationary pressured eased during the
second half of 2004, as the appreciation of the Dram exerted downward
pressure on import prices. In 2004, the central government fiscal
deficit was 1.7 percent of GDP. Tax revenue performance during the
first two months of 2005 has been particularly strong.
The mission held discussions on new program that could be
supported by a 3-year PRGF program. In the coming days, the
government will review the proposed Memorandum of Economic and
Financial Policies. If agreement is reached in the coming weeks, the
proposed program could be presented to the IMF executive board in
late May.
The main challenges for 2005 will be to consolidate the
macroeconomic gains of the recent past and to continue implementation
of the structural reform agenda. The focus of the prospective program
will be reforms in tax policy, revenue administration and the
financial sector. On tax policy, the authorities agreed to limit VAT
exemptions at the border effective 2006. In tax administration, the
program will focus on enhancing tax audits, tax arrears collection,
and the VAT refund mechanism. In the area of customs reform, the
authorities agreed to an operational review of the State Customs
Committee (SCC).
Agreement was also reached on measures to strengthen banking
supervision. The CBA intend to complement the existing
compliance-based approach with risk-based supervision. In this
regard, the CBA will introduce a bank risk-rating process; greater
focus on bank management; and increased emphasis on banks’ internal
policies, controls, and business strategies. The proposed program
also focuses on addressing key weaknesses in corporate governance of
banks, with the authorities agreeing to implement many of the
recommendations made by the recent FSAP update mission.

Russian president to visit Armenia on 24-25 March

Mediamax news agency
22 Mar 05

Yerevan, 22 March: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in
Yerevan on a working visit on 24 March, the press secretary of the
Armenian president, Viktor Sogomonyan, told Mediamax news agency today.

Vladimir Putin will meet Armenian President Robert Kocharyan during
the visit which will last till 25 March. A meeting of members of
the official Russian delegation with their Armenian colleagues with
the Russian and Armenian presidents in attendance has been scheduled
as well.

Robert Kocharyan and Vladimir Putin will also attend a concert on
the occasion of the official beginning of the Year of the Russian
Federation in Armenia.

An Arabic beat with a view of Lake Michigan
By Susie Kasinski Drummond

The Journal Times
Monday, March 21, 2005

RACINE – With an instrument resting on her lap and her instructor
tapping out a steady beat, Kristina Schmidt gently plucked the
qanun’s strings.

A 25-year-old graduate student from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Schmidt is one of 14 people attending the Heartland
Seminar, which continues through Wednesday at the DeKoven Center,
600 21st St.

The five-day seminar focuses on Arabic music, and it is sponsored by
Xauen Music, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to preserving
the heritage of classical Arabic, Sephardic, Turkish and Armenian
music. Organizers declared this the first event of its kind in the
Midwest.

“I want you to get the feeling of the instrument,” said Hicham Chami, a
Moroccan-born qanun performer and instructor. The qanun is a plucked
box zither that is trapezoid shaped, with one of the sides being
rectangular. It is a classical instrument of the Arab world.

Schmidt, who was playing the qanun for only the second day,
self-corrected her mistakes and made progress under Chami’s watchful
eye.

“Even if yesterday was the only day of instruction, I felt I got my
money’s worth,” she said. “This is exactly the thing I needed.

“It’s the only thing of its kind I’ve seen, so I didn’t think twice
about coming.”

Schmidt traveled two hours to attend the residential program. Other
attendees came from California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana
and Minnesota.

Violinist Yaron Klein, 33, of Boston said he was enjoying his immersion
in music-making. Klein has played Arabic music for a few years, but
the undivided attention of his instructor, Hanna Khoury, helped bring
his playing to a higher level.

“The seminar is a combination of studies about music and playing
music,” he said. “This is a wonderful way to experience the two
elements.”

The instruction methods at this seminar were as diverse as
the students. Beginning and accomplished musicians of all ages
experienced one-on-one lessons, group workshops, lectures and ensemble
rehearsals. The seminar culminates with an Arabic recital at 7:30
p.m. Wednesday.

Mediums used in daily classes included qanun, ‘ud, nay/ney, violin,
riqq, hand drums, and vocals.

Lecture topics were “Arabic versus Western Music – Approaches to
Playing, Teaching and Writing”, “Changes in the Concept of Maqam over
the Last 200 Years”, and “Historical Evolution of Moroccan Andalusian
Music.” Workshops addressed Arabic music for dance and Bedouin music.

“The Arabic music is so beautiful,” said Catherine Alexander, 40. She
said that Arabic music uses blended notes to create very different
sounds and scales that evoke a spiritual feeling in the listener. She
endured a two-day train ride from California to participate in the
seminar.

“I’m so happy. I’m meeting all these people who are just as
enthusiastic about the music as I am,” she said.

Chami became a student of music at a very young age. Rather than
studying in a traditional classroom, as is common in today’s society,
he sat with his professors and played for hours.

“Nothing compares to the human touch in teaching,” Chami said. “We
would sit with our professors for hours and learn more than music;
we learned about life.”

Documenting Arabic music is important to Chami; it adopts a regional
flavor depending on where it is created and performed. Mainstream
Arabic music, as played by international superstars, is more widely
known in the Middle East. He said much of the traditional music has
been lost.

“If a professor dies, he may take away with him a repertoire that
was not put in writing,” he said.

Chami wants the music to live on, and his Arabic music seminars will
help him in his plight. He plans to return to Racine for a similar
workshop next year.

“For our first edition, we are extremely happy to have this number
of attendees. It’s beyond our wildest imagination,” he said.

In addition to Chami and Khoury, the faculty included Karim Nagi
Mohammed, a native of Egypt and a percussionist; Naser Musa,
a singer/songwriter of Palestinian descent; Kareem Roustom, a
Syrian-born composer, guitarist and oud player; and Dr. Scott Marcus,
a ethnomusicology teacher at University of California-Santa Barbara.

Cindy Infantino, seminar coordinator, said: “We believe in the music
and in keeping it alive.”

To learn more about Arabic music and training seminars, please visit
the company’s Web site at