Author: Nadirian Emma

Georgians mourn prime minister as authorities continue investigation amid
persistent suspicions

AP Worldstream
Feb 06, 2005

JIM HEINTZ

Georgians bid farewell Sunday to the late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania
amid worries about the future of their struggling country and doubts
over the official explanation of his death.

Mourners by the thousands came to the capital’s recently opened Holy
Trinity Cathedral and filed slowly past Zhvania’s coffin, which was
covered with the Georgian national flag, as priests sang requiem
music. Among those who came to mourn were President Mikhail
Saakashvili and the man he replaced after leading opposition protests
in 2003, Eduard Shevardnadze.

Georgian Orthodox Church leader Catholicos Ilya II summed up Zhvania’s
political career, his death and the country’s prospects for progress
by saying “Joy is the origin of sorrow, and sorrow is the origin of
joy.”

After the requiem, Zhvania’s body was to be taken to Parliament for a
ceremony outside the legislature before burial in the Didube cemetery,
where some of Georgia’s most illustrious people are interred.

Zhvania, 41, was found dead early Thursday in the apartment of a
friend, who also died; both deaths officially have been attributed to
carbon-monoxide poisoning due to faulty ventilation of a gas space
heater.

Although such deaths are not uncommon in Georgia, where central
heating systems went out of service a decade ago amid the country’s
post-Soviet deterioration, many Georgians resist the official
explanation.

“There’s a lot about this that isn’t understandable,” said one of the
mourners, 68-year-old retired miner Mamanti Dzhakhaia. He noted that
both Zhvania and his friend were found dead sitting in chairs, whereas
carbon-monoxide victims usually succumb while sleeping.

He also questioned whether Zhvania’s security guards were
lax. Official reports say the guards broke into the apartment only
after being unable to reach Zhvania by cellular phone for a long
period, perhaps hours.

Although Georgian officials have repeatedly dismissed the possibility
of foul play, they also have asked help from the U.S. Federal Bureau
of Investigation in analyzing blood samples to determine Zhvania’s
cause of death.

Zhvania was a key figure in attempts to lift the country out of its
post-Soviet economic collapse and political turmoil. He was also one
of the leaders of the 2003 “Rose Revolution” protests that propelled
Saakashvili to power and brought down Shevardnadze.

Zhvania earned respect and affection from many Georgians and was seen
as a moderating balance to the sometimes-incendiary boldness of
Saakashvili, who was elected president in 2004.

“He will be hard to replace. All the other members of government will
have to work better than they have been doing,” said another mourner,
47-year-old agronomist Khuta Temularia.

Among the dignitaries traveling to Georgia for the funeral was
U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, who was designated by President George W. Bush to head the
U.S. delegation. Neighboring Russia, which has had tense relations
with Georgia over two separatist regions that have ties with Moscow
and over Saakashvili’s determination to cultivate closer relations
with the West, was sending a low-level official _ Transport Minister
Igor Levitin. World Bank President James Wolfensohn also was scheduled
to attend.

Lugar on Sunday hailed Zhvania as a man noted for “cajoling more than
haranguing” and praised the ambition of his policies to make Georgia a
fully functioning nation.

“He was saying, quite simply, that Georgia is not a barren, exotic
country where imported reforms can only take root as fragile specimens
in a carefully tended hothouse,” Lugar told reporters. “On the
contrary, ‘bring reforms’ he was saying, ‘bring sound administration,
bring rationality, bring democracy … we are ready for them’.”

Zhvania’s initiatives as premier included working to seek negotiated
settlements to the separatist tensions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Zhvania’s death followed a Tuesday car-bombing that killed three
policemen in Gori, a Georgian city close to South Ossetia, prompting
speculation that both incidents were aimed at derailing the
negotiation process.

One Georgian parliament member said both events were the work “of
certain outside forces,” an apparent reference to Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply rejected the assertion.

Alcatel Swings to $52 Million Profit

Associated Press
Thursday, February 3, 2005

PARIS – Alcatel SA, the French telecommunications equipment maker,
said it swung to profit in the fourth quarter as a year of
restructuring began to show results.

Net profit came in at 40 million euros ($52 million) in the three
months to Dec. 31, after the 524 million euro net loss posted for the
year-earlier period.

Revenue rose 1 percent to 3.81 billion euros ($4.98 billion), and
operating income jumped 18.7 percent to 393 million euros ($513
million).

Alcatel said Thursday it expects “low-to-mid single-digit” sales
growth in 2005 and a “double-digit” increase in earnings per share. It
continues to target a gross margin – operating profit as a share of
revenue – of 10 percent.

The company – which competes with companies like Germany’s Siemens AG
and Cisco Systems Inc. – returned to profit in 2004. Nevertheless,
Alcatel said Thursday it does not plan to pay a dividend this year,
but hopes to for 2005 earnings.

The lack of dividend and cautious 2005 guidance disappointed
investors. Alcatel shares dropped 9 percent to 10.24 euros ($13.37) in
Paris trading.

In the past year, Alcatel has stopped making fiber optics, mobile
handsets and batteries as part of a strategy focused on more
profitable sectors such as those associated with “triple play” – the
use of mobile phones for voice, television and Internet access.

“We are confident that Alcatel is on the right track,” Chairman and
Chief Executive Serge Tchuruk said.

As part of its restructuring, Alcatel has been investing in Asia and
Africa, building mobile networks and strengthening its commercial
activities there. These investments helped deflate the company’s
gross margin in the fourth quarter to 34.4 percent from 36 percent the
year before.

“An aggressive strategy has also been followed in establishing
footprints in certain high potential markets of the emerging world,
accepting temporary losses as an investment for future growth,”
Tchuruk said.

Tchuruk said he saw first-quarter sales growth between 3 percent and 5
percent.

Alcatel’s full-year 2004 net profit stood at 281 million euros
($367.01 million) after a 1.9 billion euro loss the previous year,
mainly on writedowns and restructuring costs. Revenue fell 2 percent
to 12.27 billion euros ($16.02 billion).

;u=/ap/20050203/ap_on_bi_ge/earns_france_alcatel_2

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
February 4, 2005, Friday

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT IRAN

Armenian Defense Minister Serzhik Sarkisyan, who is also Security
Council secretary, will pay a visit to Iran on invitation of Hassan
Rouhani, secretary of the Irani Security Council. Over the course of
the visit Sarkisyan is expected to meet with the Irani president,
defense and foreign ministers, Security Council secretary, according
to Colonel Seyran Shakhsuvaryan of the Armenian Defense Ministry
press service. The sides will discuss the issues of bilateral
co-operation and regional issues.

Source: Regnum news agency, February 2, 2005

ArmenPress
Feb 4 2005

RUSSIA TO SHIP MORE NATURAL GAS TO ARMENIA IN 2005

MOSCOW, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenia will receive more natural
gas from Russia in 2005. An agreement to that effect was signed today
in Moscow by Alexander Miller, the chairman of board of directors of
Russian Gazprom and Karen Karapetian, the chairman of
Armenian-Russian natural gas operator Hayrusgazard.
The two men also discussed energy -related issues in view of
Armenia’s growing economy with a special emphasis on further
gasification. In 2005 Armenia is expected to consume 1.7 billion
cubic meters of gas, almost four times less than it used to consume
under the Soviets.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
February 2, 2005, Wednesday

AN AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER WOUNDED AS A RESULT OF A FUSILLADE FROM THE
DIRECTION OF ARMENIA

Azerbaijani soldier Fuad Shikhiyev was wounded in a fusillade from
the direction of Armenia at the area of confrontation between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces in the vicinity of Agdam. The
soldier has been hospitalized and is in stable condition, the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

This proved to be the second similar incident over past several days.
Azerbaijani soldier Adyl Mamedov was killed in a fusillade from the
direction of Armenia on January 26.

Source: Turan news agency (Baku), January 31, 2005

Las Vegas Sun
Today: January 31, 2005 at 14:05:27 PST

Pope Cancels Audiences After Getting Flu

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS

VATICAN CITY (AP) –

Pope John Paul II has come down with the flu, forcing him to cancel
scheduled audiences for health reasons for the first time in more than a
year, the Vatican said Monday.

The frail, 84-year-old pontiff showed symptoms of influenza during his
regular appearance at noon Sunday in his apartment window overlooking St.
Peter’s Square, and doctors advised that he cut back on his activities,
papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.

“He has joined the more than a million Italians who have come down with the
flu,” Navarro-Valls told The Associated Press.

Asked by Vatican Radio if it was a mild case, Navarro-Valls said, “Of
course.”

Navarro-Valls expressed caution, however, about when John Paul would resume
his regular activities. “We’ll see,” he told the radio. “As always with
influenza, it is a day-to-day question.”

There appeared to be no particular alarm in the Vatican City enclave.
Officials went about business as usual while Vatican Radio was quick to
issue its reassuring report.

Despite Parkinson’s disease and crippling knee and hip ailments, John Paul
has appeared in good form in recent months. He continues to receive foreign
leaders – the president of Armenia visited the Vatican last week and the
president of the European Parliament is due Friday – as well as appear
before pilgrims and tourists twice a week.

The last time the pope skipped an audience for illness was in September
2003, when he canceled his weekly public audience because of an intestinal
ailment. The last time when he was reported to have the flu came during a
trip to his native Poland in June 1999, when he skipped a Mass in Krakow,
disappointing a crowd of 1 million people.

This has been a particularly bitter winter in Rome – the city got a rare
dusting of snow last week – and the Italian Health Ministry has recommended
flu shots, particularly for the elderly, but it was not known if John Paul
had taken one. Vatican officials refused to say, citing the pope’s right to
privacy.

The Vatican makes brief announcements when the pope is ill, but rarely
provides details on the extent of the illness or any medicine he may be
taking.

Among activities scheduled for Monday was the presentation of the Vatican’s
yearbook, which Navarro-Valls said was simply turned over to him. Also on
the schedule were meetings with several bishops and foreign officials.

John Paul’s voice was weak but he was otherwise in good form during his
appearance Sunday when he tried to release a dove out of his apartment
window as a symbol of peace. He chuckled with children who watched in
delight as the bird flew back into the room overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

The pontiff was addressing thousands of young people from an Italian
Catholic organization that had marked January as a month to promote peace.

At his public audience each Wednesday, scores of faithful are brought up to
the stage to kiss the pope’s ring or shake his hand.

Vegas’ Walk of Stars comes with a price tag

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan)
January 24, 2005

To mark Las Vegas’ centennial, the Las Vegas Walk of Stars has released
the names of 100 future honorees.

Guess who was Star No. 1?

“Mr. Las Vegas” himself, Wayne Newton, given the inaugural star Oct. 26
as a tribute from his fan club.

Now here’s the catch: Each celebrity star costs $15,000, and the public
is invited to sponsor their favorite entertainer — either those on the
100 Stars list, or another deserving recipient. Those interested in
becoming sponsors can contact Las Vegas Walk of Stars at 702-655-7827.
Sponsors will be invited to participate in their honoree’s dedication
ceremony, receive a commemorative plaque and possibly meet their honoree.

Here’s who might be getting in if someone pops for the 15Gs — take a
deep breath:

The 5th Dimension, Andre Agassi, Paul Anka, Ann-Margret, Burt Bacharach,
Pearl Bailey, Count Basie, the Beatles, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett,
Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Ray Bolger, David Brenner, George
Burns, Lance Burton, Sam Butera, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Cab Calloway,
George Carlin, Johnny Carson, Charo, Roy Clark, Nat King Cole, Natalie
Cole, Perry Como, David Copperfield, Bill Cosby, Tony Curtis, Vic
Damone, Dorothy Dandridge, Rodney Dangerfield, Sammy Davis Jr., Neil
Diamond, Marlene Dietrich, Phyllis Diller, Celine Dion, Fats Domino,
Jimmy Durante, Billy Eckstine, Duke Ellington, Redd Foxx, Connie
Francis, Danny Gans, Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Buddy Greco, Shecky
Greene, Hank Greenspun, Buddy Hackett, Bob Hope, Lena Horne, Howard
Hughes, Elton John, Shirley Jones, Kirk Kerkorian, Alan King, Gladys
Knight, Steve Lawrence & Edie Gorme, Jerry Lewis, Liberace, Rich Little,
Joe Louis, Robert Maheu, Rocky Marciano, Frank Marino, Dean Martin,
Rowan & Martin, Mary Kay Trio, the McGuire Sisters, the Mills Brothers,
Bob Newhart, Donald O’Connor, Elvis Presley, Louis Prima, Juliet Prowse,
Lou Rawls, Debbie Reynolds, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Kenny Rogers, Penn
& Teller, the Scintas, Neil Sedaka, Chester Sims, Frank Sinatra, Red
Skeleton, Keely Smith, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Tarkanian, the
Temptations, Danny Thomas, Mel Torme, Jerry Vale, Sarah Vaughn, Bobby
Vinton, Joe Williams and Steve Wynn.

Compiled from staff, news service and Web reports by JOHN SMYNTEK at
313-222-5169 and [email protected]. Hear him Fridays in the 7 a.m.
hour on WJR-AM (760) with Paul W. Smith.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]

31 January 2005

DIRAMAYR ALICE BALIOZIAN ENTERS ETERNAL REST

Sydney, Australia – Today, the Armenian community of Australia solemnly
farewelled Diramayr Alice Baliozian, the beloved mother of His Eminence
Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
Australia & New Zealand, who passed away on Friday, 28 January, 2005 at age
82 years.

Present at the funeral service were a number of dignitaries, government
officials and representatives, church leaders, clergy, representatives of
Armenian organisations, Diocesan and Church Councillors and the community at
large. During the service, messages of condolence were read from His
Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and
His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The passing of Diramayr Alice brings great sadness not only to her children,
grandchildren and extended family but to the Armenian community of Sydney
who endeared Diramayr as their own mother. Since her arrival to Australia
in 1976, Diramayr was a pillar of church community life bringing her service
when and where it was needed. She was a woman of small stature and soft
demeanour, yet her simple, wondrous smile communicated more than a mouthful
of eloquent words and conveyed genuine warmth and care. She was indeed a
quiet achiever.

Diramayr was a woman of conviction, deep faith and spirituality, values that
she instilled in her children by example. She will always be remembered for
the quiet force that she was for her immediate family and church family.

In his eulogy this afternoon, Archbishop Aghan conveyed his deep sadness for
the loss of his beloved mother but emphasised that the sadness was also
measured against a deep joy in the knowledge that Diramayr Alice truly
walked her life with God. With the will of God and His promise of eternal
life only, can we take comfort in today’s loss.

TURKISH GENERAL’S WORDS PROVE TURKEY’S BELLIGERENT STANCE

Azg/arm
29 Jan 05

Turkish Genera’s statement that Turkish troops in Cyprus will not be
withdrawn until a final settlement is found to the island’s division
has caused another setback to any peace effort this year.

Land Forces commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, the No 2 in Turkey’s
military powerful Genera! Staff, made the remarks during a meeting
with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

“Without a definite and permanent agreement, not a single soldier will
leave from here Buyukanit said. Denktash expressed full satisfaction
with the General’s stand.

As Reuter points out, pulling back some of the 35.000 troops Turkey
keeps in the northern third of Cyprus is seen as a goodwill gesture to
revive a UN peace process to reunite the island before Turkey begins
European Union accession talks in October.

The Associated Press notes that Turkey is under increasing pressure to
end the island’s partition as it advances its own bid to loin the EU.

The Turkish military commander added during a troop inspection “We
desired that a lasting peace should be achieved, but what Kind of
permanency is also very important. What looks permanent today could
change tomorrow”.

The Cyprus government reacted immediately. Spokesman Kypros
Chrysostomides said the views expressed by the top Turkish General
confirmed, once again Ankara’s intransigent stand, and its Insistence
on occupying illegal part of Cyprus, now European territory.

“The General’s statement is a provocative answer to all those who have
suggested, either in private or publicly, that Turkey should make
goodwill gestures in order to promote the search for a Cyprus
settlement. These suggestions usually referred to the withdrawal of
troops, something that would facilitate a Cyprus settlement”, the
spokesman said.

The statement showed how wrong ware all those who believed that there
has been a change in Turkish policy, he noted.

Defense minister Koulis Mawomcolas said Buyukanit’s remarks showed
Turkey’s real intensions, He said Turkey’s military establishment
remained defiant of political moves to put the country in the EU and
handled matters concerning neighboring countries in an absurd,
third-world manner that did not promotegood neighborly relations.

Chrysostomides said the Cyprus government had taken “a series of
practical moves” to help the creation of a good climate of
understanding and cooperation leading to the resumption of peace
talks.

These Included the agreement to grant EU funds to the Turkish
Cypriots, the green line trade regulations and, perhaps more
importantly, President Papadopoulos’ decision not to veto the opening
of accession talks between the BU and Turkey.

Some reports from Ankara suggest that General Buyukanit’s statement
reflected a sharp divergence of views between the military
establishment and Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan. Some hard-line
Turkish diplomats also side with the military,

Erdogan and his team are keen to undertake a new diplomatic campaign
in order to promote a Cyprus settlement, anxious, to avoid a possible
Cyprus veto to the start of EU accession negotiations.

The same reports say the Greek Cypriot side will insist on a Turkish
troop pullout, before agreeing to a new round of peace talks.

The EU agreed in December to start entry talks with Turkey on October
3, but Greek Cypriots have the right to veto such negotiations if no
settlement is reached.

Brussels expects Turkey to expand its protocol on customs union with
the EU to include the ten new members, thus giving tacit recognition
to Cyprus. Erdogan’s pro-EU government has promised to work for a
settlement this year, but no concrete steps have been taken and Ankara
still refuses to recognize the Cyprus Republic.

VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTION AND LAW ON LANGUAGE

Azg/arm
29 Jan 05

Appeal

An Open Letter to Armenian Authorities, Particularly Andranik
Margarian, Prime Minister, President of the Council of Armenian
Republican Party and President of State Commission on Celebration of
1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet

As a citizen of Armenian Republic, I feel obliged to draw your
attention to the fact that is as I think a violation of the Armenian
Constitution (the 12th article) and the Law on Language: the seals of
Armenia’s frontier posts contain no letter of the Armenian alphabet.

Moreover, if the frontier signets had the inscription “Rossiya,
Yerevan” (in Russian) before 1998, we have marked progress since then
and now the inscription reads “Armeniya, Yerevan” (in Russian), which
means that Armenia grew into an autonomous republic of RF from being a
Russian city.

Mr. Prime Minister,

I appeal to you to treat this fatal mistake from both its linguistic
and contextual meanings. I am sure that you will agree that this
disgustful fact contradicts Nzhdeh’s ideology of Tsekhakronutyun that
the Republican Party proclaims. Great leader, as was Garegin Nzhdeh,
would not bear such a thing.

Best regards, Gevorg Yaztchian

P.S. The last document of the 1st Armenian Republic – Dro’sletter to
the head of the Armenian delegation, Alexander Khatisian in December 2
of 1920- also was in foreign language. Is it surprising that a state
ruled by authorities with such a sacrilegious attitude towards
national values collapsed? It threatens today’s Armenia as well if it
goes on with such criminal ways.

By Georges Der Partogh, Nicosia