Author: Nahapetian Boris

UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIAN FM

Pan Armenian News
06.09.2005 06:51

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Ukrainian Ambassador to
ArmeniaAlexander Bozhko presented credentials to Armenian Foreign
Minister (FM) Vartan Oskanian, reported the Press Service of the
Armenian MFA. In the course of the meeting V. Oskanian congratulated
the Ukrainian diplomat over appointment to the office of the Ambassador
to Armenia and return to the country. He wished Mr. Bozhko good luck in
fulfilling his high mission. Having expressed satisfaction over the
level of the Armenian-Ukrainian cooperation, the Minister noted that
much is yet to be done to intensify political, trade, economic and
cultural relations. Speaking of the process of European integration
of Armenia and Ukraine, the interlocutors noted the commonality of
foreign policies and emphasized the need for coordinated actions in
that respect. Within that context the parties noted the importance
of continuation of political dialogue. It should be noted that A.
Bozhko was Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia in 1996-2001.

The Toronto Sun
September 2, 2005 Friday
FINAL EDITION

THEY’RE IN OUR SYSTEM;
QUARTET BRINGS DOWN THE HOUSE

BY LIISA LADOUCEUR, SPECIAL TO THE TORONTO SUN

NEVER underestimate the power of a good musical pummelling.

For who would have believed that System of a Down, four
Armenian-American underdogs playing complex, kooky, uncatchy hard
rock with a communist (or at least very socialist) manifesto could be
stadium superstars.

The California group emerged from the late-90s Ozzfest scene to
become a leading voice for pierced activists and aged headbangers
alike; their influence in the underground has been growing as
steadily as their goatees.

But as they proved last night at the Air Canada Centre in front of
15,000 stoked fans, System of a Down are not actually the kings of nu
metal — they are the new kings of metal.

Emerging onto a stark stage dressed all in black with fancy
aristocratic jackets, they took control of the crowd immediately with
their recent hit BYOB and for almost two hours, never let go.

It’s almost impossible to sing along to their tunes, but leader Serj
Tankian’s mix of rapid-fire speak and operatic singing was like a
tribal war cry and the crowd responded on cue.

Guitarist Daron Malakian was the team spazz, racing about. The
rumbling bass and rapid-fire kick drums had the power and fury of
death metal, but without the relentless pacing and ridiculous lyrics.
Well, “pull the tapeworm out of your a–” is pretty ridiculous and
most of the songs that aren’t political are equally goofy but how
else to turn everyone in the room into a fist-pumping 14-year-old
boy?

Besides, the band’s musicianship is so stunning, so dynamic and
dramatic any juvenile geeking out was forgiven.

This was not Fred Durst-style goofing off. It was utterly intense and
refreshingly playful.

When Serj sat down with an acoustic guitar to play Questions, it was
the heaviest unplugged interlude ever.

The band didn’t say a word to the crowd, and didn’t have to.

Tunes that sound chaotic on radio flowed seamlessly from one to the
next, from Violent Pornography to Mr. Jack to War To Prison Song,
with ferocity and precision.

They even worked in some Neil Young and Dire Straight references.

By the time they got to bombastic hits like Ariel and Toxicity,
System of a Down were playing as good as Metallica in their heyday,
and perhaps better than any other metal bands on the road today.

Two devil saluting thumbs up.

—

SYSTEM OF A DOWN
Air Canada Centre
‘New kings of metal’

— LIISA LADOUCEUR

Sun Rating: 5 out of 5

GRAPHIC: photo by Ernest Doroszuk SINGER SERJ TANKIAN dances to the
beat of his own drum last night at the ACC.

Countries Pledge Hurricane Aid to U.S.
By BARRY SCHWEID

The Associated Press
09/02/05 23:53 EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) – In an accelerating drive, more than 50 countries
have pledged money or other assistance to help Americans recover from
Hurricane Katrina.

Cuba and Venezuela have offered to help despite differences with
Washington. Oil giant Saudi Arabia and small countries like Sri Lanka
and Dominica are among the nations making pledges.

“I hope that will remind Americans that we are all part of the same
community,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday as offers
kept pouring in.

None has been turned down, Rice said at a news conference, disputing a
report from Moscow that a Russian offer had been rejected. However,
she said some offers were being taken up immediately and others
“somewhat later,” depending on the needs on the ground.

But Cuban President Fidel Castro said he hoped an offer made Tuesday
to send 1,100 Cuban doctors would be accepted “immediately so as not
to lose another minute.” Castro said in a live broadcast in Havana
Friday night that he had just sent a diplomatic note to the U.S.
mission in Havana to make the offer a second time.

In her news conference, Rice singled out Sri Lanka for praise for
making a contribution even as it struggles to recover from the tsunami
and earthquake disaster of last December.

And she said contributions from poor countries were being accepted
because “it is very valuable for people being able to give to each
other and to be able to do so without a sense of means.”

Australia announced a donation of $8 million to the American Red Cross.

“The United States is so often at the forefront of international aid
efforts to help less fortunate nations,” Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer said. “So it is only fitting that Australia should contribute to
the daunting task of helping the thousands of American citizens whose
lives have been thrown into turmoil by this unprecedented disaster.”

France, “determined to show its solidarity with the United States,”
offered a range of aircraft and two ships, with helicopters and
planes capable of airlifting tons of supplies, a disaster unit with
20 soldiers, a civil defense detachment of 35 people and an airborne
emergency unit, the French Embassy said.

Canada is loading three warships and a coast guard vessel in Halifax
with emergency supplies and food, and will dispatch them to Louisiana
next Tuesday, Dan McTeague, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Minister
Pierre Pettigrew, said in an interview.

Up to 1,000 divers, engineers and reconstruction experts will be
aboard, McTeague said.

Prime Minister Paul Martin has announced the release of 30,000 barrels
of gasoline and oil for U.S. use.

Japan said it would contribute $200,000 to the American Red Cross
for its relief operations. Upon request, Japan is prepared to provide
up to $300,000 worth of tents, blankets, power generators, portable
water tanks and other equipment, the Japanese Embassy said.

The United States historically has aided victims of disasters, but it
is not universally recognized as providing the level of aid expected
of a rich nation.

In July, President Bush resisted British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s
ambitious goals for assisting Africa, though Bush took steps to double
U.S. aid to more than $8.6 billion by 2010.

The United States, which has the world’s largest economy, lags behind
other rich nations in the percentage of its giving to nations in
Africa, the world’s poorest continent.

By Friday, offers had been received from Armenia, Australia, Austria,
Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Britain, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba,
Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France,
Germany, Greece, Georgia, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Paraguay, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea,
Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela and the United Arab
Emirates.

EU DEBATES PROS AND CONS OF TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP
By Gareth Harding

World Peace Herald
Sept 1 2005

BRUSSELS — Brussels, the self-styled capital of the European Union,
is a consensual sort of place, where believers in the EU project
far outnumber doubters, and polite debate is preferred to heated
argument. But when it comes to the pros and cons of Turkey’s membership
in the Union, the gloves come off and etiquette flies out the window —
as a demonstration against Ankara’s EU bid proved earlier this week.

On a leafy square wedged between the European Parliament and the
Council of Ministers in the EU quarter of the city, several dozen young
activists from the “Voice for Europe” campaign handed out leaflets
against Turkish membership of the 25-member bloc to bemused motorists,
tourists and passers-by. They held up banners proclaiming “55 percent
vs. 35 percent: can’t you count” — a reference to a recent European
Commission opinion poll showing a majority of Europeans against Turkish
membership, let off balloons with the slogan “Turkey is not in Europe,”
and set up a huge clock with the hand standing motionless at 5 minutes
to noon. The message? Even at this late stage — accession talks with
the predominantly Muslim state are due to begin in Brussels in one
month — the decision by EU leaders to open membership negotiations
with Ankara can be reversed.

It is difficult to get worked up about draft directives and
parliamentary amendments — the usual Brussels fodder — but the
question of whether Turkey should be admitted into the EU in the
latter half of the next decade unleashes powerful emotions.

When Boris Blauth, the German coordinator of the Voice for Europe
campaign, tells United Press International that Turkish immigrants
commit “far more crimes” than locals, a Belgian journalist of Turkish
origin retorts: “Turks don’t have a chance to integrate. They are
put in a ghetto and left to their own devices.” To illustrate his
point, the photo-journalist tells the story of a date he once had in
Brussels. “After two hours talking in a bar, I told the girl my name
and she spat in my face and left.”

A hot-headed Armenian demonstrator has little sympathy for the
reporter’s romantic woes or arguments in favor of Turkish entry. “You
shouldn’t be a journalist. You should be a clown,” he says, to which
the reporter replies: “Go forth and multiply” — but not quite in
those words.

It is easy to see why Turkish membership of the EU, which is the
main topic on the table of a meeting of European foreign ministers
in Wales Friday, sparks such violent reactions.

If Turkey joined the EU in 2015, it would become its most populous
state within a decade due to strong population growth in the
predominantly Muslim republic and low fertility rates in the Union.

As population size largely determines voting power in the EU, it would
leapfrog Germany to become the state with the greatest political clout.

Turkey is considerably poorer than EU states, with a per capita gross
domestic product equal to a quarter the EU average.

“Unemployed manpower will stream into European territories, which
will result in tensions both on the labor force market and on the
level of society,” says a pamphlet distributed by Voice for Europe.

Blauth’s main concern is that Turkish values, which he describes as
in the “Asian, Islamic tradition,” are different from European secular
values such as equality between men and women and freedom to practice
one’s religion. “Let them have their culture and let us have ours,”
says the German.

Opponents of Turkey’s membership of the EU vigorously deny they are
racist or xenophobic, but there is more than a hint of Islamophobia
in some of the arguments they put forward.

“A Muslim state cannot join the European Union,” says Mogens Camre,
a Danish Euro-skeptic member of the European Parliament who took
time out to meet the campaigners Monday. “You can believe in any
God you like, but the Islamic religion is not about democracy. The
Arab world rejects modern society and we don’t want their fingers
on our buttons in Europe. We’ve only been able to develop the way we
have because we are a homogenized society. If the Muslims took over,
Denmark would be a desert.”

These arguments may be crude and pander to the public’s basest fears
about a clash of civilizations between Christian Europe and Muslim
Turkey, but they are widely held in the EU. In a recent commission
poll, three-quarters of Germans and 70 percent of French respondents
came out against Turkish accession, with over half of those interviewed
opposing Ankara’s entry into the 25-member club.

Since it was founded in May, Voice for Europe has collected over
26,000 signatures for its petition against Turkish membership and
has brought its message to Budapest, Copenhagen, Athens, Warsaw,
Prague and other European capitals.

“We have had a very good response on the streets,” says Blauth.

“Even Turkish women in hijabs (headscarves) have signed our petition.”

Despite the muscular campaigning against Turkey’s membership bid by
groups like Voice for Europe and the last-minute doubts expressed by
senior members of the French, Austrian, Greek and Cypriot governments,
membership talks with Ankara are still likely to kick off as planned
on Oct. 3 — over 40 years after Turkey first filed its application
to join. But the public debate about whether to admit the large,
powerful and populous nation on Europe’s eastern fringes is likely
to run and run.

MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN, SAYS REFUGEE IN ARMENIA
By Rosa Minasyan UNHCR Armenia

UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Reuters AlertNet, UK
Sept 1 2005

YEREVAN, Armenia (UNHCR) – Destiny has come full circle and brought
Sergey Danielyan back to his origins, to his ancestors’ land where
his life started.

Danielyan was born in 1936 in eastern Armenia. As a young man, he
joined his brother in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, where he worked as
a driver and started a family.

In 1989 and 1990, tensions between the two countries over the disputed
region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted into massacres of Armenians in
Azerbaijan’s Sumgait and Baku. As ethnic Armenians, Danielyan and
his family had to flee. But he wanted to go to Armenia while his
wife decided to join her family in Brest, Belarus, taking their two
daughters with her.

“I did not go with my family as I wanted to come back to my
motherland,” Danielyan explains. So he went alone to Armenia, where
he was recognised as a refugee. In the beginning, he received some
humanitarian assistance from the UN refugee agency, like food, clothing
and other basic supplies. The Armenian Department for Migration and
Refugees gave him shelter until he moved to his grandfather’s old
house in Shinuayr village, not far from Goris city in eastern Armenia.

Situated at the bottom of a gorge, the isolated village is accessible
only on foot or donkey through a narrow road. It is completely cut
off from the outside world once the rains start. Villagers gather in
their garden during harvest time, but Danielyan is the only person
who lives there permanently.

“I’ve done all the repair works myself,” he says proudly to a visiting
UNHCR team. “I planted new trees in the old garden. In addition I
cultivate saplings, which I give for free to other villagers. Everybody
likes and respects me. I don’t even want to keep a dog, so that people
can freely come to my place.”

<IMAGE2>Sergey Danielyan near his home in the remote Shinuayr village
in eastern Armenia. © UNHCR/R.Minasyan

At 69, Danielyan is cheerful and agile. He can easily climb trees,
and walk to the upper village and look after his brother’s garden.

The earth there is stony and he has to carry the soil in a bucket.

But he says it is not hard for him to do all this work alone. He is
already used to it and feels satisfied with his way of life.

Although he lives alone – his daughters are working as a teacher in
Belarus and a lawyer in the United States – he seems happy living
with nature. Everything he needs is grown in the garden and he gives
corn and cherries freely to everybody. “Let them take!” he booms,
gesturing around the garden.

All passers-by stop and greet him or talk for a few minutes out of
respect. Once a month, his relatives living in the upper village send
him lavash (flat bread). His neighbours also bring him fresh milk and
yogurt. “In principle, I don’t need much, I eat very little. Fresh
air and nature are quite enough for me,” says Danielyan.

There’s an Armenian saying that people living in harmony with nature
become wise men. Danielyan is a living example of this. Despite his
remote location, he is fully informed on current affairs around the
world. He rattles off facts on the number of Russians living below
the poverty level, on Russia’s military pullout from Georgia, on the
Baku-Jeyhan oil pipe line, and on relations between the government
and opposition in Armenia.

“I don’t need TV,” he says. “It will not show anything here because
of the weak signal. Instead I have a radio, which helps me to be
aware of the situation in and outside the country.”

Danielyan himself is a custodian of history – his garden is filled with
ancient cross stones and pagan monuments. The most eye-catching item
is a 3-metre-high cross stone with text engraved in ancient Armenian.

“When I was born, this cross stone was already here,” he says.

“People say that this cross stone was put up by [18th century Armenian
national hero] David Bek. The specialists came from Yerevan and said
that they were going to take it away to the museum. But its place is
here and it should stay wherever our ancestors put it. That’s why I
cemented its base.”

The village authorities call Danielyan “director of the open air
museum”. They even promised to pay him a salary, which he received
just twice. Still, he continues to maintain these monuments without
expecting any assistance or words of thanks.

“I am a person with a sincere heart and the doors of my house are
always open to everybody,” he says of his life credo.

Ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan like Danielyan form the biggest
group of refugees in Armenia today, numbering more than 230,000.

UNHCR opened its office in Armenia in 1992 to help the government
meet the needs of more than 360,000 ethnic Armenian refugees from
Azerbaijan who fled because of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The refugee agency and its partners have worked to provide humanitarian
assistance for refugees, and permanent shelter for those living in
temporary dwellings.

In recent years, UNHCR has focused on local integration, actively
participating in the development of the refugee law in Armenia, and
advising on how to facilitate the naturalisation of refugees. This
means that refugees from Azerbaijan can simply apply for citizenship
at the Armenian Social Protection Unit of the Department of Migration
and Refugees, instead of having to live permanently in Armenia for
several years in order to qualify for citizenship.

Some 62,660 ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan have so far been
naturalised in Armenia. Those who remain refugees live among the local
population and have been included in the National Poverty Reduction
Strategy paper along with other vulnerable Armenians.

This year, the Armenian government has allocated funds to solve some
of the refugees’ accommodation problems by providing housing purchase
certificates in all regions of the country except Kotayk and Yerevan.

UNHCR continues to provide legal assistance to those refugees in
need of protection, and produces bulletins and TV programmes to raise
public awareness on refugee issues in the country.

–Boundary_(ID_tOImhTBTWgsItMzt080CHA)–

MASSIVER DRUCK AUF ORHAN PAMUK

_ B87A0FE6AD1B68/Doc~EFAE65F9586E14E_

(http://www.f az.net/s/Rub1DA1FB848C1E44858CB87A0FE6AD1B68/Doc~E FAE65F9586E14E)
A3ADE8A30B116F49B6~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html

Tu rkei
Istanbuls Staatsanwalt klagt Orhan Pamuk an
Von Hubert Spiegel
31. August 2005 Orhan Pamuk hat keinen Hehl daraus gemacht, daÃ~_ seine
persönliche Lage in der turkischen Heimat in den letzten Jahren zunehmend schwierig
wurde.

Die Hetze nationalistischer Kreise gegen den international bekanntesten
Schriftsteller der Turkei nahm dabei zum Teil beängstigende Formen an. Pamuk, der
in diesem Jahr den Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels erhält, hat dies
nur angedeutet, als er im Gespräch mit dieser Zeitung vor wenigen Wochen
sagte: â~@~^Zu oft – und jedes Mal mit mehr Nachdruck – wurde mir nun schon gesagt,
ich solle auf meine Worte achtgeben, auf meine Bucher, meine Kommentare, meine
Interviews, auf jede Ã~DuÃ~_erung, die ich Journalisten oder Ausländern
gegenuber fallenlasse” (Orhan Pamuk im Interview). Jetzt ist der Druck auf den
Friedenspreisträger noch einmal massiv erhöht worden: Die turkische
Staatsanwaltschaft hat ein Verfahren gegen den Dichter eröffnet, das Pamuk mit einer
Haftstrafe von bis zu drei Jahren bedroht.

Dafur hassen Sie mich
Der Staatsanwalt des Istanbuler Bezirks Sisli beruft sich dabei auf Artikel
301/1 des turkischen Strafgesetzbuches, der die Herabsetzung oder
Beschädigung der â~@~^turkischen Identität” und des â~@~^Turkentums” als Straftat definiert
und Freiheitsstrafen zwischen sechs Monaten und drei Jahren dafur vorsieht.

Pamuk werden Ã~DuÃ~_erungen aus einem Interview zur Last gelegt, das im Februar
dieses Jahres im Magazin des Schweizer â~@~^Tages-Anzeigers” erschienen ist. Damals
hatte Pamuk kritisiert, daÃ~_ die Massaker an den Armeniern in der Turkei noch
immer tabuisiert sind: â~@~^Man hat hier dreiÃ~_igtausend Kurden und eine Million
Armenier umgebracht. Und fast niemand traut sich, das zu erwähnen. Also mache
ich es. Und dafur hassen sie mich.”

Wie der Generalstaatsanwalt aus der bloÃ~_en Erwähnung historisch weitgehend
verburgter Opferzahlen ein Verbrechen wider das Turkentum konstruieren will,
bleibt vorerst sein Geheimnis. Ebenso rätselhaft bleibt, warum ein Land, das
seine Aufnahme in die Europäische Union energisch betreibt, einen seiner
prominentesten kulturellen Botschafter mit Freiheitsentzug bedroht, weil er sagt,
was in jedem Geschichtsbuch auÃ~_erhalb der Turkei nachzulesen ist. Orhan Pamuk
befurwortet den EU-Beitritt seines Heimatlandes. Nun muÃ~_ ihn neben der
persönlichen Bedrohung besonders schmerzen, daÃ~_ ausgerechnet sein Fall die
Hoffnungen der Turkei erheblich schmälern könnte. Denn wer in Europa wird sich noch
fur die Aufnahme eines Landes aussprechen, das seine bedeutendsten Dichter
verfolgt, weil sie historische Wahrheiten aussprechen? Wie immer der ProzeÃ~_
ausgeht, er hat schon jetzt mehr daruber verraten, welches Verständnis der â~@~^
turkischen Identität” von Teilen der Justiz des Landes gepflegt wird, als dem
turkischen Volk lieb sein kann.

Ein typischer Gummiparagraph
Der Artikel 301/1 ist ein typischer Gummiparagraph, denn weder die â~@~^
turkische Identität” noch der Akt ihrer Herabsetzung sind darin näher definiert. So
ist beides vollkommen ins Ermessen der Justiz gestellt und sind der Willkur
Tur und Tor geöffnet. In jungster Zeit soll der Paragraph Intellektuellen
gegenuber bereits mehrfach aus der Mottenkiste der Repression gezogen worden sein,
ohne daÃ~_ es aber zu Verfahren gekommen wäre. Deshalb schien ein ProzeÃ~_ gegen
Pamuk zunächst wenig wahrscheinlich, als die deutsche Ausgabe der
weitverbreiteten turkischen Zeitung â~@~^Hurriyet” vor einigen Monaten meldete, daÃ~_ die
Staatsanwaltschaft in Istanbul die Möglichkeit eines Verfahrens gegen den
Schriftsteller prufe. â~@~^Hurriyet” gehört zu den turkischen Zeitungen, die Pamuk
als â~@~^Hund” oder â~@~^elende Kreatur” zu bezeichnen pflegen.

Entscheidend fur die Einschätzung des Vorgangs durfte jedoch nicht zuletzt
die Frage sein, wie die treibenden Kräfte hinter dem Verfahren beschaffen
sind. Als vor einigen Monaten ein Landrat in der turkischen Provinz die in
funfunddreiÃ~_ig Sprachen ubersetzten Bucher Pamuks aus den öffentlichen Bibliotheken
seines Machtbereiches verbannen und vernichten lassen wollte, wurde der
Vorfall hierzulande eher als Kuriosum verbucht. Denn zum einen riefen
ubergeordnete Instanzen den Mann zur Ordnung, zum anderen stellte sich heraus, daÃ~_ in
den Regalen der betroffenen Bibliotheken ohnehin kein einziges Werk Pamuks zu
finden war. Aber auch diese Farce hatte einen ernsten Kern, zeigte sie doch,
wie blindwutig jene vorgehen, die allein ihr Ressentiment zum Handeln treibt.

Unklare Motivlage
Noch läÃ~_t sich nicht erkennen, welche Motivlage diesmal das absurde Vorgehen
gegen Orhan Pamuk steuert. Handelt hier ein Bezirksstaatsanwalt auf eigene
Faust oder auf Anweisung? Duldet oder unterstutzt der Justizapparat dieses
Vorgehen? Man darf gespannt sein, ob und wie die turkische Regierung das
Verfahren gegen den Friedenspreisträger des Deutschen Buchhandels kommentiert. Als
der Deutsche Bundestag im vergangenen Juni die Massaker an den Armeniern vor
neunzig Jahren verurteilte und dabei ausdrucklich die deutsche Mitschuld
betonte, fand der turkische AuÃ~_enminister erstaunlich deutliche Worte: Der
Bundestag habe â~@~^verantwortungslos, besturzend und verletzend” gehandelt.

Orhan Pamuk selbst hat gegenuber dieser Zeitung erklärt, daÃ~_ er sich vorerst
nicht zu dem Verfahren äuÃ~_ern möchte, das am 16. Dezember in Istanbul gegen
ihn eröffnet werden soll. Aber im Gespräch ist ihm anzumerken, wie sehr ihn
dieser Schritt der Istanbuler Staatsanwaltschaft bedruckt. Es ist ein Schritt
in die falsche Richtung. Denn er fuhrt die Turkei weg von Europa.

–Boundary_(ID_8Mh8jxWJQmoeZmZbCwavqg)–

SWISS BAN EGYPT, ARMENIA AIRLINES ON SAFETY CONCERNS (UPDATE1)

Bloomberg
Sept 1 2005

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) — Switzerland has banned two airlines from its
airports in a list released today for the first time to increase
transparency after five plane crashes worldwide last month focused
public attention on carriers’ safety.

Egypt’s Flash Airlines and Armenia’s Air Van Airlines are forbidden
from landing in Switzerland, Raymond Cron, head of the Federal Office
for Civil Aviation said at a briefing in the Swiss capital Bern today.

Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger decided to publish the Swiss
blacklist after meeting last week with his French counterpart,
Dominique Perben. French regulators, releasing their list for the
first time, said Aug. 29 that they have refused landing rights to
five airlines over the past four years. Belgium said the same day
that it bars nine carriers.

European Union countries each have separate safety policies on
approving airlines serving their countries. A carrier blacklisted in
one country isn’t necessarily banned elsewhere in the 25-nation bloc.

EU regulators have proposed legislation forcing the bloc’s 25 nations
to publish an annual list of all banned airlines in order to create a
consolidated, region-wide list of these carriers. The U.K. makes its
list public, while Italy and Germany don’t identify which airlines
they keep out of their airports.

“Only a Europe-wide list will lead to the goal,” said Cron, who took
over the safety dossier at the European Civil Aviation Conference one
week ago. “I am convinced we will have this European list. If we’re
fast, it will be ready in 2006,” he said.

Revelations of Swiss Ban

Revelations of a Swiss ban against a Flash Airlines Boeing 737-300 that
wasn’t widely publicized in the EU helped unblock the initial debate
over a public blacklist after the jet crashed in January 2004 in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt, killing all 148 passengers, including 135 French
citizens. Switzerland bans both airlines and individual aircraft.

The Swiss list doesn’t cover airlines that don’t operate in the
country, but any airline that is banned by another country will
automatically be rejected by Switzerland if it issues a request.

Swiss authorities will reassess the permits of airlines operating in
Switzerland that have been banned by another country, Cron said.

In addition, the aviation authorities aim to revise a law stipulating
that travel agencies must inform customers which airline they will
fly with. In order to be taken off the blacklist, a banned airline
must prove its flight safety.

“Just because we’re making things more transparent, doesn’t mean it’s
safer to fly,” Cron said. “But transparency will help consumers be
more aware, and airlines be more aware.”

French, Belgian and U.K. Lists

France’s blacklist includes Air Koryo of North Korea, Thailand’s Phuket
Airlines, Mozambique’s Linhas Aereas de Mocambique, Air Saint Thomas
of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and International Air Services of Liberia.

Belgium has banned Air Van Airlines as well as the Central African
Republic’s Africa Lines, Egypt’s Air Memphis, Central Air Express
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya’s ICTTPW, Nigeria’s
International Air Tours, Ghana’s Johnsons Air Ltd., Rwanda’s Silverback
Cargo Freighters and Ukraine’s South Airlines.

The U.K. has banned aircrafts registered or operated by companies with
an Air Operators Certificate from the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, and Tajikistan,
according to a January 2004 report found on the government’s Web
site. The U.K. has also refused or suspended permits of Mauritania’s
Air Mauritanie, Kyrgyzstan’s Phoenix Aviation and Phuket Airlines.

Four of the five plane crashes in August were fatal. None involved
an airline on the banned lists. All 309 on board an Air France Airbus
A340 survived after the plane slid into a ravine and burst into fire
during a rainstorm Aug. 2 at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Nineteen of the 39 people on a Tunis Air ATR-72 regional aircraft
were killed Aug. 6 in a crash on the coast of Palermo, Sicily. All
121 people aboard died when a Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 went down
north of Athens on Aug. 14.

An Aug. 16 crash in Venezuela of a Medellin, Colombia-based West
Caribbean Airways plane killed all 160 people aboard, including 152
French tourists. Forty people died Aug. 23 in the crash of a Tans
airline Boeing Co. 727-200 in the Peruvian Andes jungle.

WHOM CHEAP WHEAT FAVOURS
Norayr Hovsepian. 31-08-2005

Azat Artsakh Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
31 Aug 05

Today it is the market that determines prices, moved by the forces of
supply and demand. The reality is simple and very practical. The market
sets its rules, and the buyer may choose which product to buy. However,
there are cases when this “alternative” does not work. The price for
a number of products is almost constant; these products are necessary
for everyone. We would not be mistaken to include bread among these
products. But in this case we come across something that is difficult
to understand (for ordinary people) even in a market economy. A
lot of factors determine market price, among these the price of raw
materials. Now let us come back to our reality. In the past one or two
months the price for wheat dropped by over 25 per cent. In 2004 the
price was between 90 and 120 drams, while this year it is hardly 65 –
70 drams. If we imagine the price to be a thing that is supported by
a great number of springs, it will remain steady if one of the springs
fails. Who suffers and who is to blame? Naturally, the dropping price
for wheat is a blow to the interests of grain producers. Besides,
keeping the price for bread unchanged injures the interests of the same
producers. Now in more simple terms. Today those involved in grain
production can be divided into two groups: part of them produces for
their needs (mainly the village population), the other part for the
market (city dwellers comprise a significant number among them). For
the former the decrease in the price for wheat and the unchanging
price for bread means very little (they neither sell wheat nor buy
bread), whereas the situation is different for the latter. They
lose both as wheat sellers and bread buyers. The picture acquires a
funny shade. Now if we add to it the pensioners, sole parents and,
generally, the whole population, we will have the whole of the people
who are worried by the problem of bread. To whom can one turn to? The
question is urgent and concerns many people. Is there a mechanism
of control the citizen can rely on? The NKR Ministry of Agriculture
found it difficult to answer this question. The Ministry of Finance and
Economy gave a similar answer. As a result, the producer, the retailer
and the consumer (the latter involves everyone independent of their
living standards and public status). We tried to attend to all the
three. One of the largest bread producing factories in the country is
Stepanakert Bread Factory. According to the executive director of the
company A. Hayriyan, the factory supplies 40 per cent of requirements
in the capital. Besides, a significant amount of bread is sold in the
regions. 3.4 – 4 tonnes of bread are produced daily. The company daily
distributes 13-14 thousand loaves of different kinds of bread to shops
in Stepanakert. The executive director of the company assured that the
price for bread is not going to change. “The bread price dropped in
February and March of the current year. But I do not think that the
price will again go down,” said Mr. Hayriyan. As to the reason of
the decrease in February and March, and why the low price for the raw
material does not affect the price for the production, he only said
that this is private business and has its own rules. The answer of the
retailers is more than clear. “We get the bread from the producers at
the same price. How can we sell at a lower price?” they say. For the
consumers’ part, we were asked different questions such as what they
can do, whom they can turn to. They wonder if they can be sure that the
price for bread will remain the same if the price for wheat goes up.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA SETS RECORD STRAIGHT IN FACE OF CONTINUED AZERBAIJANI
MISINFORMATION ABOUT NAGORNO KARABAGH

“At the heart of this issue is Nagorno Karabagh – a
democracy defending itself against a corrupt monarchy
that blockades its neighbors and abuses its own
citizens.” – ANCA Memo to Congress, August 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC – In letters sent last week to every Member of Congress,
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) responded to the
recent escalation of Azerbaijani Embassy’s misinformation campaign
by outlining the long-standing United States record in support of
Nagorno Karabagh.

In an August 26th memo to Congressional offices, ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian explained that, “the Azerbaijan government –
on the defensive about its own record on democracy and freedom – is
again resorting to misstatements and outright falsehood to advance its
agenda.” The ANCA letter came in response to an August 17th letter
by Azerbaijani Ambassador Hafez Pashayev, which misrepresented
the progress of democracy and free elections Nagorno Karabagh.
Erroneous statements in the letter included false assertions that
“Nagorno Karabagh was never independent nor a part of Armenia,”
as well as untrue charges about Armenian aggression.

The ANCA memo highlighted several key points concerning United
States support for Nagorno Karabagh:

* Declassified CIA reports from the seventies, eighties, and
nineties reveal a pattern of official -although confidential-
acknowledgement that Nagorno Karabagh is a historic part of
Armenia. ()

* In the late 1980’s, the United States welcomed Nagorno
Karabagh’s historic challenge to the Soviet system and its leadership
in sparking democratic movements in the Baltics and throughout the
Soviet empire.

* The U.S. Senate, in November of 1989, adopted S.J.Res.178,
recognizing that “Nagorno-Karabagh has continually
expressed its desire for self-determination and freedom.”

* The U.S. State Department’s representative to the OSCE
“Minsk Group” regularly visits Nagorno Karabagh, which is
an official party to the peace process, and consults with its
democratically elected leaders.

* The U.S. Government, since 1992, has been on record
officially condemning Azerbaijan’s blockades and other uses
of force against both Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
(Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act).

* The U.S. Government, over Azerbaijan’s protests, has
provided direct humanitarian assistance to Nagorno
Karabagh since 1998.

On August 3rd, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) initiated a Congressional
letter to President Bush, drawing attention to “the important
progress being made by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
Artsakh, towards freedom, peace and prosperity.” This letter,
which is currently gaining signatures during the Congressional
recess, notes that, just as, the U.S. champions “freedom for all
peoples around the world, we should also continue supporting the
aspirations of the people of Artsakh to live in freedom,
particularly in the strategically important South Caucasus.”

ANCA chapters and activists have been contacting their legislators
over the past month in support of the Congressional letter to
President Bush, set to delivered to the White House on September
30th.

#####

BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA IMMERSES YOUNG DIASPORANS INTO ARMENIAN FAMILY LIFE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2005
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
[email protected]

Yerevan, Armenia – In Birthright Armenia’s second year of operation
in the Homeland, the organization has ramped up efforts to provide
real-life experiences in Armenia through homestay living, a program
service connecting young diasporan participants from all over the
world with Armenian host families. Birthright uses the homestay
experience to “immerse” volunteers in Armenian family life so they see
the Homeland beyond the eyes of a tourist. Over 25% of this summer’s
group of Birthright participants opted for host family arrangements
over apartment living – almost triple that of last year.

While volunteers are free to choose from several different living
options during their eight-week minimum stay in Armenia, Birthright
places special emphasis on the homestay living option as it is one
of the most important tools in the volunteers’ “journey of self
discovery” into their Armenian heritage. Not only does homestay
living promote language use, especially for those who have little
or no understanding of the Armenian language, but it also promotes
youth-to-youth interaction, as host families are required to have at
least one family member in the 18-32 year age bracket. If the above
benefits are not enough to convince volunteers to choose the homestay
living option, Birthright Armenia offers further incentives by paying
for the first month of host family expenses for every volunteer who
wants to experience it.

>>From the volunteers’ perspective, the homestay living option is
a success. Many Birthright Armenia participants form a lasting bond
with their homestay families, with some making return visits after
their programs finish. When asked how a homestay has contributed to
her overall experience in Armenia, Maral Kasparian, a biology teacher
in Canada volunteering with the Diaspora Armenia Connection (DAC),
answered, “My Armenian language skills have improved and I have a
better understanding of people’s issues and struggles and concerns for
their lives, their country and about world issues.” Another Birthright
Armenia participant, Washington, DC resident Sophia Malkasian, who is
volunteering for the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC), agrees, saying
“It has enabled me to establish direct relationships with Armenians
and it allows me to see the particular nuances of an Armenian family.
For example, I have learned how expressive, affectionate and loving
families are with each other because I observe it every day.”

Another key aspect of homestay living is involvement in Armenian
customs and traditions. Massachusetts resident and AVC volunteer
Ani Sarkisian stated that one of the most interesting experiences
she had in Armenia was participating in her host sister’s nephew’s
“atam hatik,” which is performed after a baby gets his first tooth.
This ritual, where a child chooses one of several items placed
in front of him to predict his future profession, was Ani’s first
introduction to Armenia’s unique family rituals. “I am involved in
all my family’s activities and I love it. The second I met them,
I felt as though they treated me as a member of their family.
That’s the joy of my experience.”

Host family members are also very excited to participate in the
homestay experience as they discover more about young diasporans
and gain unique insight into their way of life in the Diaspora.
Arsen Andreasian, who is hosting volunteer Celine Derebekian, a
professional photographer from France, says “I look at her photos of
places that are ordinary for me, but now I see it through her eyes
and find new meaning in them.”

Gohar Avetisian, who is currently hosting two young volunteers, one
from London and the other from Montreal, says she feels fortunate to
have welcomed these two young men into her home. “I know everything
about them – how they work, how they study, how they live. When I
think about them returning to their own countries, I feel very sad
for Armenia.” She went on to say that she would like to continue
working with Birthright Armenia by hosting future volunteers.

Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen ties between the Homeland
and Diaspora youth by affording them an opportunity to be a part of
Armenia’s daily life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through
work, study and volunteer experiences, while developing life-long
personal ties and a renewed sense of Armenian identity. For those
interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia, please visit
or email [email protected].

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