Author: Nalchajian Markos

The Washington Times
March 23, 2004, Tuesday, Final Edition

An emerging wider Europe;
Democracy and free markets make their impact

By Tod Lindberg, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia

This “New Europe” capital on the banks of the Danube is rapidly
emerging as a crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. I first
started to get the point as I was getting on a plane a week ago bound
for Frankfurt, Germany, en route to a conference in Bratislava of
prime ministers and NGOs, mainly from countries about to join the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, on the
subject of “Towards a Wider Europe.”

At the gate, I ran into a former colleague of mine, an expert on
taxation and budget matters. He asked me where I was going from
Frankfurt, and I told him. So was he, he said. Baffled, I asked,
you’re going to the NATO conference? Not exactly his field. No, he
said, he was going to a meeting on international tax policy with a
bunch of EU finance ministers, at which he was speaking. And he
added, who would have thought there would be one major international
conference going on in Bratislava, let alone two?

Bratislava has a number of things going for it: Its old city is
charming in its own right. It’s close to a major international
airport, Vienna, about 45 minutes away, and soon will be
psychologically closer still, when Slovakia becomes an EU member on
May 1, and the passport checks at the border disappear. The
government has made a healthy measure of enlightened public-policy
choices, including a low and flat tax that is likely to generate huge
investment. And diplomatically, it punches above its weight, as
witness the conference I was attending.

We are entering on a couple of watershed months for European and
trans-Atlantic institutions. Next week, seven government chiefs will
be in Washington for the purpose of depositing their ratification
documents for accession to NATO. And the European Union will welcome
10 new members a month later. It is certainly worth worrying about an
emerging rift between the United States and Europe. But one should
not lose sight of the really quite amazing exercise in
institution-building that has been going on over the past 10 years.

This process is not, however – or should not be – at an end. The
simple reason is that while the strides have been tremendous, the job
is not yet finished. Too much of Europe is still out in the cold:
riven by conflict, beset by governments that range from inefficient
and corrupt to much worse [in the case of Belarus’ Alexander
Lukashenko, Europe’s last dictator, a tyrant of the first rank], or
simply not far enough along on the path of reform to have won a place
in the European Union or NATO.

One of the most encouraging signs is that, overwhelmingly, those
countries newly joining the institutions of the West have been
committed to serving as advocates for those aspiring to do so. This
was readily apparent after the 1999 round of NATO enlargement, when
new members Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic worked to advance
the case of the so-called V-10, the 10 countries hoping to join in
the next round [seven of which became members]. Now, successful V-10
members such as Slovakia are taking a lead role on behalf of the
three left out and others possibly still to come.

The work that needs to be done is considerable. Democracy in the
Balkans is still very much a work in progress, especially with the
alarming flare-up of ethnic violence in Kosovo last week. Slovenia,
the lone V-10 country not participating in the Bratislava conference,
last week welcomed the odious Mr. Lukashenko on a visit, defying an
EU ban [Slovenia not yet technically being a member]. Cynicism of
that order, though rare, is certainly unhelpful, especially when
courageous Belarus dissidents, such as Irina Krasovskaya, are trying
to mobilize to bring to their country the freedoms Slovenia seems to
take for granted.

The Black Sea region features both the lingering dispute between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the more hopeful case of Georgia.
Georgia’s new president, Mikhail Saakashvili, did a star turn at the
podium, discarding his prepared remarks and instead describing the
remarkable few days he had just been through at home. A local
strongman sought to prevent the president’s entry into “his”
territory. After a tense standoff and some tough talk and action from
Mr. Saakashvili, the strongman backed down. Mr. Saakashvili went in –
and was greeted by thousands of supporters cheering and waving roses,
the symbol of Georgia’s “Rose Revolution.” “Within two days the whole
population was mobilized,” he said. “Shoot at us if you want, we
won’t stop … Freedom can always defeat violence.”

How wide is “wider Europe”? That’s hard to say. But the message out
of Slovakia is that we will all be better off if we keep probing to
find out, rather than draw new lines marking an “in” group and an
“out” group. Though it may take some getting used to, Bratislava is
actually at the very heart of Europe. The map doesn’t lie, and
neither do the political realities.

* Tod Lindberg is the editor of Policy Review magazine and a research
fellow at the Hoover Institution. His column appears on Tuesdays.
E-mail: [email protected].

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 19 2004

INTERVIEW WITH B. DJOBAVA

Among the guests of the International Chess Tournament held in
Stepanakert was young chess-player from Georgia, grand master Bahadur
Djobava.
– What did you know about Nagorni Karabakh?
– I heard about the territorial and political conflict between
Azerbaijan and Nagorni Karabakh 12 years ago, when I was a child. And
today it is painful that the historically attached neighbour nations
solve their problems in military ways.
– We knew that you would participate in the tournament.
– When I learned about my possible participation in the international
tournament to be held in Stepanakert I was glad because the
competition was going to be serious and besides I had many
acquaintances among the participants and organizers. I hoped that the
tournament would also favour the friendly and cultural relationships
between the chess-players from different countries and would become a
festivity for the lovers of chess. Unfortunately, I could not take
part in the tournament because of the decision of the administration
of the Georgian Federation of Chess. As a chess-player I felt
humiliated; we always thought that we must contribute to the
development of chess in the world. Therefore I accepted the
invitation of the organizer of the tournament Smbat Lpoutian to take
part in the tournament as a guest. On these days the chess school of
Stepanakert was opened. I met with the children, delivered a lecture
for them.
– What is your impression from the tournament?
– I was especially impressed by the meeting with the guest of honour
of the tournament, former champion of the world Boris Spassky. His
presence imparted friendliness to the atmosphere. The tournament was
marked for strong participants and interesting and tense competition.
The hall was always full of audience. I would like such tournaments
to be organized more frequently in all the countries of the world,
especially in Transcaucasia: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
– Certain Azerbaijani mass media gave a negative reaction in your
address.
– In the web site of FIDE I was blamed that the flag of Georgia was
raised for my participation. I want to assure that the flag of
Georgia was not raised although it should have been as Tigran
Petrossian was born in Tbilisi. I do not want my name to be
circulated in the political and chess intrigues. I only did my duty
of a professional chess-player to make our favourite game more famous
and popular.

ANAHIT DANIELIAN

Armenian opposition set to overthrow incumbent president in April

Noyan Tapan news agency
17 Mar 04

YEREVAN

Some members of Armenia’s Justice and National Unity opposition
factions, which are boycotting the parliament’s work, made rather
harshly-worded statements in the National Assembly on 16 March.

The secretary of the Justice faction, Viktor Dallakyan, said the
following: “As a result of the mounting nationwide movement in the
republic, in April we will overthrow the regime of [Armenian President
Robert] Kocharyan who has repeatedly violated the constitution and has
usurped power.”

According to a member of the same faction, Vardan Lazarian, the
Justice bloc, realizing responsibility for an organized and painless
change of power, has set up a coordinating centre. Having analysed the
current situation, the centre prepared a programme and submitted it to
the bloc for approval. It envisages meetings with the public. The MP
said that although the local authorities are doing everything in their
power to hamper the opposition’s meetings with the people, the
meetings are very popular.

According to another member of the faction, Shavarsh Kocharyan,
numerous meetings in different residential settlements have shown that
“people hate the illegitimate president and demand decisive steps”. He
said that the only way to establish legitimate authorities without any
shocks is to conduct a referendum on a vote of confidence, but that is
quite unlikely to happen because Robert Kocharyan and his entourage
are giving an unrealistic assessment of the situation in the country.

Members of the Justice faction, Aram Sarkisyan and Grigor Arutyunyan,
and a representative of the National Unity faction, Amayak Ovanesyan,
also made statements against the incumbent authorities.

Armenian PM regrets lack of OSCE condemnation of officer’s killing

Arminfo
17 Mar 04

YEREVAN

Official Yerevan deeply regrets the fact that the OSCE
chairman-in-office and the chairman of the Permanent Council have not
condemned the crime committed in Budapest, Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Markaryan told the visiting OSCE chairman-in-office,
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.

The Armenian prime minister said that this step would have been seen
as very appropriate, given the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities
are trying to justify the dirty move by their serviceman.

To recap, Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov hacked to death an
Armenian colleague, Gurgen Markaryan, in Budapest on 19 February. The
Hungarian police are completing the investigation into this
crime. Both officers were undergoing English language training in
Budapest.

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 17 2004

FOREIGN MINISTER SPEAKS OUT ON RUSSIA’S POLICY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

MOSCOW, March 17, 2004 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow has noted progress in
Russian-Chinese relations. “China is our neighbour and friend,”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference on
Wednesday.

“Russia’s and China’s positions on the overwhelming majority of
international problems are identical,” Mr. Lavrov said and added that
China’s position was becoming clearer and more outward-looking.

Mr. Lavrov also said that China was emerging as a major international
player.

Russia believes it important that China should tackle international
issues in cooperation with other countries. “This is a guarantee of
sustainable international relations,” said the minister.

Speaking about Russia’s relations with Japan, Mr. Lavrov said the
bilateral peace treaty must be drafted with due heed to the two
countries’ constitutions.

The minister said Moscow and Tokyo had a plan, according to which
they were working over the treaty.

When pressed for comment on Russia’s position on the territorial
dispute with Japan, Mr. Lavrov said that both countries had relevant
guidelines and the desire to move on.

Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi and Russian leaders adopted the
Action Plan in January 2003 when Mr. Koizumi was visiting Russia.
This comprehensive political document outlined the guidelines of
bilateral cooperation, including the guidelines of peace treaty
talks.

The negotiating process involves the two countries’ senior officials
and a bilateral commission, which was set up in 1998 and is headed by
the two foreign ministers.

Japan’s claims to South Kuriles continue to be the most sensitive
issue of bilateral relations, which hampers the signing of the peace
treaty. The insufficient volume and dynamism of mutual trade, which
do not correspond to the two countries’ cooperation potential, poor
investment in the Russian economy and Tokyo’s refusal to re-register
the former Soviet Union’s property in Japan with modern Russia make a
series of other problems facing the two countries.

Mr. Lavrov also emphasised at the press conference that Moscow sought
to continue the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme.

The Russian minister emphasised that the next round of talks had been
scheduled for as early as the summer of 2004.

Mr. Lavrov said he would meet his South Korean counterpart, Pan
Ki-mun, in late April or early May.

“This is when we will discuss arrangements for the third round of
six-party talks on North Korea, which will positively take place,”
Mr. Lavrov said, when asked whether the impeachment of South Korean
President No Mu-hyon would influence the negotiating process.

The process involves the United States, North Korea and other parties
concerned, including Russia, China, South Korea and Japan, which are
looking for ways to end the North’s nuclear programme. The first two
rounds of talks in Beijing did not bring progress, however the
countries did not abandon their efforts.

At the end of the second round of talks, the parties announced that
they would gather for the third round in summer 2004. They also
resolved to set up a joint working group to round off rough corners
in the positions of, above all, the USA and North Korea.

Observers suggested that the impeachment of the South Korean leader,
who supports rapprochement with the North, may affect the course of
talks. However, South Korea’s constitutional court may overrule,
within 6 months, the parliament’s impeachment decision if it finds it
insufficiently substantiated.

When speaking about the situation in the Balkans, Mr. Lavrov said
Russia was continuing to promote its interests in the region by
developing friendly relations with regional countries.

“We look forward to a time when the withdrawal of troops of one
country from another country will not be treated as the latter’s
inability to ensure its interests,” said Mr. Lavrov.

Mr. Lavrov said Moscow advocated a united Cyprus’ accession to the
European Union. However, this must happen on mutual accord and under
the UN aegis, said the Foreign Minister.

In the beginning, Russia had some doubts about the UN-proposed scheme
of resolving the Cyprus problem, according to which the UN Secretary
General was to advance his solution if the Cypriot negotiators,
Greece and Turkey fail to come to an agreement.

“We thought such an approach would endanger the principle of
voluntariness,” said Mr. Lavrov. He added that the involved parties’
current actions dispelled Moscow’s doubts.

In comments on media reports that Greece has approached NATO,
requesting it to help ensure Greek athletes’ security during the
summer Olympics in Athens, Mr. Lavrov said it was Greece’s legitimate
right to do so. “As to our athletes, we will resolve this problem on
our own,” he said.

When dwelling on certain aspects of Russia’s relations with former
Soviet republics, the Foreign Minister emphasised that Moscow was
continuing efforts to settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorny Karabakh.

“Russia co-chairs what is known as the Minsk Group, which also
involves the USA and France. The group is looking for appropriate
ways to settle the conflict,” said Mr. Lavrov.

The group had advanced a series of settlement scenarios, which did
not work for technical, and later on, for political reasons,
according to Mr. Lavrov.

Yerevan and Baku will conduct direct political dialogue, which will
bring stability to the entire region, said Mr. Lavrov.

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TOP STORIES
03/15/2004
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1) Georgia Blockades Ajaria, Presents Ultimatum
2) Armenian Political Parties Call for Stability in Georgia
3) Tessa Hoffman Questions Competence of UK Ambassador Abbott-Watt
4) Soccer-Stadium Clash Leads to Rioting In Syria; 14 Die
5) Kocharian Congratulates Reelected Putin

1) Georgia Blockades Ajaria, Presents Ultimatum

POTI (AFP/Interfax)–Georgia has imposed an economic blockade on its
autonomous
region of Ajaria in a bid to make leader Aslan Abashidze recognize the central
government’s authority.
The move was the latest step in an escalating armed standoff, sparked early
Sunday when armed supporters of Abashidze barred Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili from entering the coastal territory.
Tbilisi says unauthorized armed groups are operating on the territory of the
region on the Black Sea coast, and has vowed to bring Ajaria back under
central
control, in time for March 28 parliamentary elections.
Abashidze charges that Georgia’s new leadership will use the election to oust
him from power.
Tensions heightened as Russia, which has a military base on Ajarian
territory,
warned Georgia of “grave and unpredictable consequences” if Ajaria comes under
attack.
Georgian ministers said Monday they had no plans to send the military into
Ajaria, but there were still fears the crisis could erupt into armed conflict,
with Ajaria’s leader warning that Tbilisi’s stance was leading the country
toward bloodshed.
Abashidze confirmed that a state of emergency has been declared in the
autonomous republic, and a curfew introduced.
Abashidze avoided giving a direct answer to questions about the
possibility of
mobilizing the republic’s population, but said: “I am not hiding the fact that
the entire republic is ready to defend its region.”
The situation in the nation has been stable for 13 days, but the Georgian
president’s actions may disrupt the balance, Abashidze said. “One’s ambitions
should not be above the interests of the state,” he said.
The local opposition–supporters of Saakashvili–has been banned from holding
pre-election rallies in Batumi, Abashidze said.
“We have warned them and will take the corresponding measures. If they
try, it
will end badly,” he said
Saakashvili gave Abashidze a deadline of Monday evening to recognize the
government’s authority over his region or face unspecified consequences.
Starting on Monday morning, Saakashvili ordered the closure of Ajaria’s Black
Sea port, and its border with Turkey, and cut-off the region’s road and rail
links with the rest of Georgia.
He added that criminal charges would be brought against Ajaria’s leaders, and
their bank accounts frozen.
“We are dealing. . . with an attempt to stage a mutiny against Georgia, and
this is an armed mutiny,” Saakashvili told reporters from his crisis center in
Poti, a coastal town just north of Ajaria.
“Georgia is facing a clear threat of disintegration…. No major cargo will
enter or leave (Monday) from the territory of Ajaria.”
But the 36-year-old leader said he still favored a peaceful resolution of the
crisis, adding that “not all the resources for dialogue have been exhausted.”
The blockade is likely to deal a devastating blow to Ajaria’s economy, which
depends on income from the transit of goods across its territory.

2) Armenian Political Parties Call for Stability in Georgia

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Concerned over recent political tensions in the autonomous
region of Ajaria, Georgia, representatives of Armenia’s political parties
called for a peaceful dialogue between Georgia’s central authorities and
Adjaria’s leaders in resolving the brewing conflict.
National Assembly Vice-speaker and Armenian Revolutionary Federation leader
Vahan Hovhannisian, said that although the problem is an internal issue, any
clash in the region is undesirable. Noting that Armenia’s biggest concern is
Georgia’s stability, Hovhannisian expressed worry about the country’s ethnic
Armenians: “The roads connecting central Georgia with Adjaria go through
Armenian-populated regions; clashes could, therefore, affect Armenian
communities.”

3) Tessa Hoffman Questions Competence of UK Ambassador Abbott-Watt

International Law expert, historian, and chairman of Germany’s 1915 Genocide
Recognition Commission, Dr. Tessa Hofmann, responded to UK Ambassador to
Armenia Thorda Abbott-Watt’s recent statement categorically denying the
Armenian Genocide.
The Azg newspaper reported that Ambassador Abbott-Watt, during a January 20
press conference in Armenia, stated: “Great Britain accepts that the events of
1915 were mass killings [of the Armenian population], the responsible for
which
are the Turks. I see no problem calling it brutality. It shouldn’t have taken
place even in the course of war. But, I do not think that recognizing the
events as genocide would be of much use.”
In the following March 11 letter to UK Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw, Hofmann condemns the Ambassador’s comments
and
questions Abbot-Watt’s competence to serve as UK Ambassador to Armenia.
“It has been brought to our attention that the UK Ambassador to the Republic
of Armenia, Mrs. Thorda Abbott-Watt has repeatedly denied the genocide of 1.5
million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the years 1915-16.
Mrs. Abbott Watt mentioned `mass killings` and `brutality,` but ignored that
half of the victims died during death marches or exile in desert areas from
starvation, exhaustion, and epidemics. The UN Convention on Genocide describes
such circumstances as `deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life
calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.’ (Art.
2, c)
Mrs. Abbott Watt is wrong in publicly doubting that the case of the Armenian
Genocide did not correspond with the definition and categories of the UN
Genocide Convention. She may not know that the author of this convention, Mr.
Raphael Lemkin, drafted it on the empirical base of both the Armenian and the
Jewish Genocide as case studies during WW1 and WW2.
Mrs. Abbott Watt may also be ignorant of the joint statement of May 27, 1915,
in which the governments of Britain, France, and Russia warned the Ottoman
government to hold its members personally responsible for the crimes committed
on the Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire. In this statement, the
killings
of the Armenian population were categorized, under the terms of contemporary
law, as a crime against humanity and civilization.
Mrs. Abbott Watt is obviously not qualified as a scholar of genocide
research.
Otherwise, she would know that the denial of genocide is considered as an
integral part of the crime and its final stage. Sadly, Mrs. Abbott Watt
herself
contributes to the crime of denial, thus keeping painfully alive the trauma of
the Armenian nation and upsetting all others, who are aware of the
consequences
of genocide denial.
As an international NGO, which is focusing on the recognition of denied
genocide crimes, we urge you to re-consider whether it is advisable that Mrs.
Abbott Watt, who is ignorant of basic facts of legal history and international
relations and who makes repeated incompetent and offensive statements, may
continue her diplomatic career in a country where half of the population
descends from survivors of genocide.”

4) Soccer-Stadium Clash Leads to Rioting In Syria; 14 Die

DAMASCUS (Reuters)–About 14 people have died in the northeast Syrian city of
Kameshli in rioting sparked by fighting at a soccer match on Friday.
As panicked fans tried to escape, a stampede resulted, injuring and killing
the victims, witnesses said.
State-run Syrian Radio reported the deaths as it began live coverage of the
match, which was quickly called off.
One witness said visiting fans also shouted slogans that offended Syrian
Kurdish supporters of Kameshli, a town near the Iraqi border that has a large
Syrian Kurdish population.
Police surrounded the stadium and fired shots in the air, but it was not
clear
whether they had been able to stop the fighting. Officials were not
immediately
available for comment.
Hospital officials said four of the injured had bullet wounds, including an
11-year-old boy who had been shot in the stomach.
Visiting fans threw sticks and stones at the Kameshli supporters, witnesses
said. “We had nothing to defend ourselves with because we were not expecting
this, so we had to run and there was a stampede,” a witness said.
The stadium clash led to rioting yesterday by Syrian Kurds living in the
city.
About nine people died and up to 40 needed hospital treatment. The rioting
spread to nearby Amouda, Ras al-Ain, and al-Hassaka, where buildings were also
damaged.
Sources close to government said they believed certain Kurdish politicians
were turning the issue “from a soccer-match riot into an issue of a political
dimension,” a reference to demands by some 200,000 Syrian Kurds who are not
recognized as citizens.
The Hairenik weekly newspaper contacted the Armenian Prelacy in Kameshli to
confirm the status of the Armenian population in the region. The Prelacy
reported that stability had been fully restored on Monday, and that all
Armenians there and in sounding areas, are safe.
Kurds make up some two million of Syria’s 17 million large population. But
Syrian officials avoid reference to Kurds as a distinct minority and stress
the
importance of national unity.

5) Kocharian Congratulates Reelected Putin

YEREVAN (Reuters)–President Robert Kocharian joined government leaders around
the world on Monday in congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on his
widely anticipated landslide reelection in the weekend presidential ballot.
“On March 14, Russia made a firm choice in favor of stability, democracy, and
prosperity,” Kocharian said in a message to Putin, publicized by his office.
“Armenia highly appreciates your huge personal contribution to the deepening
of the allied Russian-Armenian relations. Success has been obvious in the
whole
spectrum of bilateral ties. Let me assure you of our readiness to continue
efforts at stepping up cooperation between Russia and Armenia.”
Kocharian’s positive reaction was echoed by his political allies. “Putin’s
reelection means an internal strengthening of Russia, which is definitely good
for Armenia,” said Vahan Hovhannisian, leader of the governing Armenian
Revolutionary Federation.
Hovhannisian, at the same time, noted that Yerevan will need to display
“greater flexibility” in maintaining simultaneously good relations with the
West and its main strategic ally, which has been more assertive towards its
former Soviet satellites under Putin.
Some Armenian opposition representatives expressed concern at the tightening
of Putin’s grip on power. Shavarsh Kocharian, a senior opposition lawmaker,
deplored “the absence of a real alternative” in the Russian election. “This is
extremely undesirable for Armenia as well, because Russia has substantial
influence on Armenia and would naturally, like countries under its influence,
develop in a similarly authoritarian way,” he said.

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PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 05, 2004

UCLA Armenian Graduate Students Association
Graduate Students Association
c/o Armenian Graduate Students Association
Kerckhoff Hall Room 316
308 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Contact: Gevork Nazaryan
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

UCLA AGSA hosts academics to discuss current research in Armenian Studies

The UCLA Armenian Graduate Students Association held the second annual,
international Graduate Student Colloquium in Armenian Studies at UCLA on
Friday, February 20, 2004. It drew numerous academics and students from
UCLA as well as local universities who enjoyed presentations on themes from
Classical Literature, the Contemporary History and Politics of
Transcaucasia, Modern Literature, as well as Armenians and Education Issues
in the USA. “I found putting the colloquium together to be a most rewarding
experience and the day itself was not only informative and academically
stimulating, but exciting as well,” remarked Ani Moughamian, a UCLA
graduate student in the School of Education and Project Director of the
2004 colloquium. “We really brought a great group of students together from
so many different places and it was a thrill for me to see how successful
the colloquium was this year in terms of scholarship and camaraderie
between students.”

“It was a pleasure to be able to attend such a wonderful event. The AGSA
members did an excellent job and the colloquium has developed in so many
ways since last year. I can only expect its continued growth in the coming
years and the UCLA AGSA is happy to provide the foundation for the creative
and ambitious graduate students of this and future organizing committees,”
commended Haig Hovsepian, Executive Officer of the UCLA AGSA. He also
expressed his thanks to Dr. Peter Cowe (Professor and holder of the
Narekatsi Chair in Armenian Language and Literature) for his participation
in the organizing committee. “Dr. Cowe helped make the 2003 colloquium a
reality and continued to provide a professional experience for the 2004
organizing committee in its efforts to put together a quality event.”

The first panel of the morning session featured Andrea Scala (Austria) and
Lilit Hovsepyan (Armenia) who presented their works regarding texts by John
Chrysostum and Gregory of Narek, respectively. Andrea hails from the
Armenology community of Italy where, since submitting his abstract in
response to the 2004 call for papers, he received his degree from the State
University in Milan. For Lilit, it was the first time presenting her work
in an academic conference outside of the Republic of Armenia. She happily
relayed that “… it was a good chance to come into contact with other
people [in the field], to make friends, and learn much about the students
and educational system at UCLA.” She also noted that her participation in
the colloquium and the colloquium itself has received positive support and
feedback from her colleagues in Armenia. She looks forward to more graduate
students presenting their work in the coming years.

Leading off the second panel of the day, Ohannes Geukjian (Peace Studies –
University of Bradford, UK) presented a paper on the historical and
territorial dimensions of the conflict in Artsakh. He was joined by Asbed
Kotchikian, a political science doctoral student from Boston University,
who delivered a lecture on the perceived roles of Russia and Turkey in
Georgian and Armenian foreign policy.

“I was excited both about the geographical range of participants in this
year’s colloquium as well as the diversity of disciplines which they
represented within the broad field of Armenian Studies,” expressed Dr.
Peter Cowe. “This is a real indication of the growth and expansion of our
field and is very stimulating.”

His sentiments were echoed by Talar Chahinian, a UCLA graduate student in
the Department of Comparative Literature, who presented her work on
French-Armenian writers in the years immediately following the Armenian
Genocide. “It is very exciting to see graduate students from different
countries and across various disciplines coming together… The colloquium
did a great job of providing a forum for these different voices and also of
providing a space for community building among the participants.”

Talar was joined by fellow UCLA graduate student Tamar Boyadjian (Near
Eastern Languages and Cultures) who presented her latest work exploring the
use of natural imagery by late-19th and early-20th century Armenian poets.
Rounding off the third panel on modern literature was Karen Gharslyan of
the Bryusov State Linguistics University (Armenia) who compared the
literary perceptions of Giambattista Vico and James Joyce as it related to
the Biblical Flood, Noah and his descendent, as well as the role of the
Armenian people in this beginning of humanity.

Though the day’s program was nearing its end by the end of the fourth
panel, the question and answer session that followed was no less energetic
than those that preceded it. Artineh Samkian who presented on the topic of
language use in Armenian private schools expressed her appreciation of the
dialogue between academics in the audience. “I received some important
comments and constructive criticism that will help me to better shape my
project in its ‘final’ state.” Artineh, UCLA graduate student in the School
of Education was joined by Ani Moughamian and Yeprem Mehranian (University
of Massachusetts, Amherst). Whereas Ani presented data on the literacy
achievement of Armenian-American learners of the English Language, Yeprem
delved into the issue of the search for identity and the negotiation
between that of being Armenian and American.

Ramela Grigorian, a graduate student from the Department of Art History at
UCLA noted that a number of this year’s participants had indicated that
they would be returning to their home institutes and students as well as
colleagues to excitedly inform them about the colloquium and the active
Armenian studies community. “How wonderful that a symposium like this has
the power to inspire! I do hope to see more members of the community attend
the conference next year!”

With only a week to rest, the organizing committee is already back to work
and is in the process of drafting the next year’s call for papers. The UCLA
AGSA looks forward to February 2005 and hosting the next Graduate Student
Colloquium in Armenian Studies.

———- Attachment # 1 of 1: 2004 GSCiAS Photographs (3) ———-

– 1 – Photo viewable/download-able at:

– 1 – Caption: Andrea Scala (right – State University of Milan, Italy) and
Lilit Hovsepyan (left – Abovian State University, Armenia) field questions
from the audience following the first panel of the morning on classical
literature.

– 2 – Photo viewable/download-able at:

– 2 – Caption: Members of the audience during the third panel on modern
literature

– 3 – Photo viewable/download-able at:

– 3 – Caption: UCLA AGSA general member, Ani Nahapetian moderates the
question and answer session following the fourth panel of the day
(Armenians and Education Issues in the USA). Seated from left to right are
Ani Moughamian (UCLA), Artineh Samkian (UCLA), and Yeprem Mehranian (U
Mass, Amherst).

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

March 9, 2004

Contact: Ardashes Kassakhian 818.500.1918

OUTSTANDING WORK OF ANC CHAPTERS AND ACTIVISTS ACKNOWLEDGED AT AWARDS EVENT
Evening Thanks Individuals and Chapters for Hard Work and Dedication

Glendale, CA – The hard work of over a dozen ANC chapters from across
the the Western United States was recognized at the first annual
ANCA-WR Grassroots Awards Event held on February 29, 2004 in Glendale,
California. On the same night that Hollywood was honoring its best
across town at the Oscars, ANC leaders and supporters from throughout
the Western Region gathered in Glendale to acknowledge each other’s
hard work and celebrate their dedication and commitment to the
Armenian Cause. Activists from Sacramento, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, amongst many others came together
for this unique and special event.

“The 2004 ANCA-WR Grassroots Awards event acknowledged chapters and
activists who comprise the core that make the ANC the largest, most
effective and efficient Armenian-American grassroots public affairs
organization,” statedANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian.

One Grassroots Activists from each ANC chapter received a special
recognition. In addition to individual awards, awards were also given
to individual chapters for Best Website, Most Innovative Project,
Media Outreach, Voter Outreach, Up-and-Coming Chapter, as well as
others.

“The dedication and strength of our ANC chapters is a tribute to the
democratic principles of America’s founding fathers and the pioneers
of theArmenian Cause,” commented ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian
after the event. “On a daily basis, ANC members encourage Armenian
Americans to vote and to participate in the political life of our
nation. I am very proud of each and every ANC chapter and activist
who was honored at our Awards Event.”

The Master of Ceremonies at the ANC Awards Event was longtime
community activist and former Burbank ANC Chair, Stepan Boyadjian.
With a good dose of humor, Boyadjian kept those in attendance laughing
as he kept the program moving along. Assisting Boyadjian was ANCA-WR
Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian who thanked everyone in
attendance for their dedication and support.

“What makes the Armenian National Committee such a unique organization
is the simple fact that this organization doesn’t function with the
sole work of one or two individual staffers but rather through the
constant effort of thousands and thousands of individuals who do their
part every day of ever week of every year,” commented Kassakhian. “We
owe our supporters a big ‘thank you’,” he added.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards in a
variety of categories, including individual honors. Each chapter
nominated an individual who had made an impact or exceptional
contribution to his or her respective chapter. Individuals were
nominated from their chapters to receive recognition. Presenting ANC
Chapter Awards were ANCA-WR Board Members Aida Dimejian and Garo
Ispendjian. In a creative display of solidarity, the Burbank ANC
nominated the Burbank ANC Chapter Activist as their individual
honoree. The selfless nomination served as the closing theme for the
evening as Burbank received the 2004 ANCA-WR Grassroots Activist of
the Year award for the entire Western Region of the United States.
The other awards for individual chapters wereas follows:

– Crescenta Valley – Saro Senekerinian
– Fresno Central California – Ara Kachadourian and Rich Sanikian
– Sacramento – Hovannes Boghossian
– Glendale – Milene Apanian
– Pasadena – Susan Berberian
– San Diego – Dr. Robert Deranian
– San Francisco – Raffi Momjian
– Montebello/San Gabriel Valley – Serge Samoniantz
– East San Fernando Valley – Vahe Shahinian
– West San Fernando Valley – Nichan Kulukian

Chapters were also recognized for their outstanding work throughout
2003. The honorees for each category were as follows:

– 2004 ANCA-WR Rising Star – Crescenta Valley ANC for their
outstanding work in establishing a relationship with their local
community and involving a wide cross section of the community in ANC
activities;

– 2004 Best ANCA-WR Local Website – Central California/Fresno ANC for
their website;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Best Local Voter Outreach Campaign – San Francisco /Bay
Area ANC for regularly emailing and updating Bay Area Armenians on
local, state and federal elections in 2002-2003 with special
recognition for the ANC San Francisco Mayoral Debate;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Best Local Voter Outreach Campaign –
Montebello/SanGabriel Valley ANC for their voter outreach and
registration drive and being the deciding factor in their local
municipal election with pecial recognition for the “Honoring the
Montebello City Council” event;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Most Outstanding Initiative by a Local Chapter – San
Francisco/Bay Area ANC for their Genocide Education Campaign with
special recognition for the project;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Best Media Outreach Campaign – Pasadena ANC for press
coverage in the Pasadena Star News on the Policeman’s Appreciation
Luncheon and the Person of the Year Event.

ANCA-WR Chair Raffi Hamparian thanked each chapter and the ANCA-WR
office staff for their hard work and encouraged every individual in
attendance to strive for greatness in the coming year in the pursuit
of the ANC’s goals. Among the officials present at the event were
Congressman Adam Schiff, California State Senator Jack Scott,
California State Assemblyman Paul Koretz, former ANC Chairmen Jack
Misserlian, Armand Keosian, Dr. Sahag Baghdasarian and Steven Dadaian.
Glendale School Board Member Greg Krikorian, Burbank School
BoardMember Paul Krekorian and Glendale Community College Board Member
Ara Najarian were also in attendance.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughoutthe United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

Editor’s Note: Photos available upon request.
#####

A1 Plus | 17:44:24 | 11-03-2004 | Social |

AN ATTEMPT AT OUR CITIZEN

Last night at attempt upon life of Armenian MP Tatul Manaseryan who is in
San Bernardino cell of California was made. A black male prisoner of the
jail attempted Manaseryan’s life. {BR}

The relatives of Tatul Manaseryan held a protest action near the USA Embassy
in Armenia. Manaseryan’s aunt Kima Virabyan assured that Manaseryan had been
arrested baselessly and no accusation had yet been brought over the case.

It is to remind that Tatul Manaseryan was arrested on January 15 in one of
Washington airports. Mrs Virabyan said that the arrest played into the hands
of our Authorities. “They want Tatul to be abroad this period. The first
session was to take place today. But everything was done to drag it out”.

Virabyan said they had come to ask USA Ambassador to support to release
Manaseryan. She stated the reason for oppressing Manaseryan is his activity
in the opposition field.

USA Embassy didn’t receive Manaseryan’s relatives. Armenian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs promised to receive them tomorrow.

—

Azeris deny NATO conference venue changed over Armenian officer’s killing

Ekspress, Baku
12 Mar 04

The venue for the second planning conference of the Cooperative Best
Effort – 2004 military exercises, which will be held in Azerbaijan
within the framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme this
September, has been changed. The NATO headquarters said in a press
release yesterday that officers from partner countries would meet in
Kiev this time. The NATO leadership links this change to “technical
issues”. We should remind you that the conference was expected to be
held in Baku at the end of this month.

[Passage omitted: NATO official has commented on the issue to Mediamax
news agency]

“The fact that NATO’s second conference is to be held not in Baku, but
in another country has nothing to do with Armenia,” the head of the
press service of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, Ramiz Malikov, has
told Ekspress newspaper. According to him, this decision was made
before the Armenian officer’s murder in Budapest and this change has
nothing to do with Yerevan’s groundless accusations: “Since the
Cooperative Best Effort – 2005 exercises will be held in Ukraine next
year, according to general rules, the planning conference of this
year’s exercises should have been held precisely in that country, and
this has happened. I do not see any problems here,” Malikov said.

He also said that the second planning conference was earlier planned
in Ukraine: “Previous information about this was incorrect”.

We should remind you that a representative of NATO’s South-West
command, Turkish Navy Capt Olcay Uyar, has said that the March
conference will be held in Baku.

But after the aforesaid Budapest incident, Armenia refused to send its
servicemen to Baku under the pretext that the implementation of
military programmes in Azerbaijan is “dangerous”.