Author: Talalian Arpi

ARMENIAN SUB-UNITS BREAK CEASEFIRE REGIME AGAIN

Azer Tag
[May 19, 2005, 18:35:50]

According to the press office of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan,
from 23.15 till 23.30 on May 18, sub-units of the Armenian armed
forces located 0,5 km south of the occupied village of Baganis Ayrym,
0,3 km northwest of the occupied village of Ashaghy Askipara and 1
km northeast of the occupied village of Kheyrimly of Gazakh region
subjected opposite positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces deployed
in the outskirts of the villages of Baganis Ayrym and Mezemli of the
same region to sub-machine and sniper rifle fire; on May 19, between
02.40 and 02.50, the Armenian sub-units located 1,5 km southwest of
the village of Jojug Marjanly of Jabrail region, and from 07.00 to
07.05 those deployed 1,5 km southeast of the village of Yusifjanly
of Aghdam region fired form the same types of weapon at the opposite
positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces.

In all the events, the enemy was stopped by a counter-fire.

Russian MP visits Nagornyy Karabakh Republic ahead of parliament
polls

Artsakh Public TV, Stepanakert
18 May 05

[Presenter over video of meeting] The NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic]
president, Arkadiy Gukasyan, on 18 May received Konstantin Zatulin,
deputy of the Russian Sate Duma and director of the Russian Institute
of CIS [and Diaspora] Studies. They discussed the current stage of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement, the social, economic and
political situation in the NKR and some other issues.

Zatulin noted obvious positive changes in the political, economic
and social spheres in Nagornyy Karabakh.

After the meeting, Mr Zatulin gave an interview to Karabakh
journalists. Konstantin Zatulin said the following:

[Zatulin] The purpose of my visit to Nagornyy Karabakh is to get more
information about the situation in the NKR on the eve of parliamentary
elections [due on 19 June] and to see my old friends.

As far as I have seen, the election campaign has not gone beyond
the boundaries of a civil process and it differs much from that in
Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. I am confident that the elections will be
transparent, free and democratic and the strongest will win. I think
that parliamentary elections are a very important event.

Concerning the life in Karabakh in general, I think that the people
of Karabakh have not only proven their rights but have also ensured a
dynamic development, for example in the political, economic and public
life. This is a very positive thing. You do not need Azerbaijan’s
approval of what you are doing because their reaction in general
is negative.

As to the negotiating process and especially the latest meeting between
[Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev and [Armenian President Robert]
Kocharyan, which is now full of legends, eventually, the last say
belongs to the people of Karabakh and the people have already expressed
their will. As to the position of the Russian Federation, I would like
to underline that Russia, being a co-sponsor of the negotiations and
a co-chairman of the [OSCE] Minsk Group, is a guarantor of a peaceful
settlement to the conflict and does not support revanchism. President
Putin does not want to impose any models of settlement. I hope that
the people of Nagornyy Karabakh will understand that the Russian
position is in the interests of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS PAYS HIS FIRST VISIT TO ARAK

For the first time in the history of the past few centuries of Iran’s
Armenian community, an Armenian Catholicos visited Arak, a town which
lies at a distance of approximately 275 Km from Tehran and where the
few remaining Armenians have still preserved their church and school.

His Holiness went on a Patriarchal visit to Arak on May 16,
accompanied by the Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, primate of the
Diocese of Tehran. His Holiness was greeted by policemen, a huge
number of believers, scouts and students.

After a regular service held in the Armenian Church of Arak, Archbishop
Sarkissian welcomed His Holiness and presented to him the Armenians
of Arak, who though small in numbers, have a strong will to preserve
their Armenian identity.

Delivering his first-ever speech to the Armenians of Arak, His Holiness
praised their will efforts to enrich their lives with national and
religious values. His Holiness emphasized the Armenian Church’s
devotion to its people.

“I come to Arak from far away Antelias to be with you, to bring the
love and care of the Armenian Church, so that living in this isolated
place, far from large Armenian communities and distant from the center
of the Diocese, you wouldn’t remain deprived of our church’s spiritual
and moral support and encouragement,” said His Holiness.

The Armenians of Arak had organized a luncheon for His Holiness. The
community’s scouts and the school’s choir entertained the attendants
with national and patriotic songs.

Amazed by the high organization of the Arak Armenians and inspired
by the songs of the scouts, His Holiness said: “I came and saw the
Armenian community of Arak and I take it with me with its Armenian
vigor, to testify that a community living so far from Armenian centers
has succeeded in keeping its Armenian identity, traditions and songs,
poems and Armenian language in its surroundings.”

His Holiness praised the director of the Armenian school of Arak and
granted her the St. Mesrob Mashdots Medal of Honor. He also praised
the members of the church’s and the school’s boards of trustees and
all the Armenians of Arak for their dedication to the community. His
Holiness commended the primate of Tehran who has paid special attention
and care to Arak.

Archbishop Sarkissian, Armenian members of the Iranian parliament
and Ararat Keshishian also delivered remarks. Afterwards, the crowd
of believers approached His Holiness to kiss his right hand.

His Holiness also received the town’s police chief. He visited the
St. Hagop Armenian Church, built in 1718 and located in the formerly
Armenian-populated village of Kalava. His Holiness said a short prayer
and then visited the village’s Armenian cemetery, which is rich with
Khatchkars (crosses of stone).

The Syrian Ambassador to Iran had organized a luncheon in honor of
His Holiness a day earlier, on May 15. The primate of Tehran and
the ambassadors of Bahrain, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Palestine
and a number of other countries attended the luncheon in the Syrian
embassy. The Syrian ambassador and His Holiness emphasized the historic
ties between Lebanon and Syria, as two neighboring countries.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about
the history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may
refer to the web page of the Catholicosate,
The Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church
is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Crisis Group official,The NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic] president discuss Karabakh settlement

Artsakh Public TV, Stepanakert
14 May 05

Text of report by Nagornyy Karabakh’s Artsakh Public TV on 14 May

[Presenter over video of meeting] The NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic]
president, Arkadiy Gukasyan, on 14 May received the Caucasus Project
director of the International Crisis Group on conflict prevention
and resolution, Sabine Freizer, and a political analyst of the group,
Levon Zurabyan.

Ms Freizer said that the main goal of the visit to Nagornyy Karabakh
was to get more detailed information about the republic and life there,
to learn the opinion and positions of the NKR public and authorities
on the current stage of the conflict settlement and ways to resolve the
issue. In this connection, she said she wanted to meet representatives
of state structures, political parties and ordinary people.

Based on the results of the visit a report will be prepared, which
will encompass information about processes taking place in Nagornyy
Karabakh and make practical recommendations to international structures
working on a settlement to the conflict, Sabine Freizer said.

For his part, the NKR president underlined the importance of the work
carried out by the group in preventing conflicts and expressed the
hope that the report would make a positive contribution to forming a
positive atmosphere around the peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. President Gukasyan filled the guests in on the
process of democratization and building of a civil society in the
republic, as well as on economic and social reforms in the NKR.

Touching upon the position of the Stepanakert [Xankandi] government
on the principles of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement,
Arkadiy Gukasyan stressed that the resumption of hostilities was
inadmissible and that the conflict should be resolved exclusively by
peaceful means. An atmosphere of confidence has also to be created
between the parties to the conflict, he added. The NKR president put
a special emphasis on the fact that a final and mutually acceptable
solution could be reached only with the full participation of the
NKR in the negotiating process.

Turkish press 17 May 05

BBC Monitoring Service – United Kingdom
May 17, 2005

The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and
commentaries published in 17 May editions of Turkish newspapers
available to BBC Monitoring

Turkey/USA

Posta [tabloid] “If the prime minister wants to avoid a negative
atmosphere in his meeting with Bush at the White House on 8 June,
Ankara has to take a different approach. It is hard for us to work
out a solution saying: ‘Our relations with the USA are very good’…
Rather than be a bystander, Ankara must certainly act against elements
that are damaging relations. Like it or not, we should not forget
that the Bush administration will rule the world for four more
years.” (Commentary by Mehmet Ali Birand)

Milliyet [centrist] “Turkey found itself facing a very difficult
problem with the USA’s Iraq operation. Sometimes there may not be a
‘solution’ to difficult problems. However, some answers are better
than others. Ankara was unable to come up with the answers that might
have been better than others. It was unable to deal with tough guy
Bush… By coming up with the answers that are better than others,
Ankara must be able to manage this old alcoholic, ‘transient’ but
‘very dangerous’ man, who thinks he has been reborn.” (Commentary by
Guneri Civaoglu)

Uzbekistan

Milliyet “Do the Uzbeks, who have been suffering under a despotic
administration for years, have no place in the democracy doctrine
that Bush is trying to spread? Apparently not. Washington’s lack of
concern for a public movement that brought the deaths of hundreds of
people is a sign of that… Rather than the Uzbeks achieving democracy,
the important thing for the Bush administration is that this country
continues its current policies, which serve the interests of the
USA. And [President] Karimov does that… How then could the despot
in Tashkent be toppled easily?” (Commentary by Sami Kohen)

Yeni Safak [liberal, pro-Islamic] “Will the cover of ‘Islamic
terrorism’ be able to conceal this massacre [in Uzbekistan] that has
happened right after Bush vigorously celebrated the anniversary of
the… revolution in Georgia? Can the expression in the White House
statement saying ‘not to go too far in human rights violations’
conceal the fact that USA is an accomplice to the murderers?”
(Commentary by Akif Emre)

Tercuman [conservative] “Let the turmoil in Uzbekistan not deceive
anyone. Islom Karimov, who has been ruling the country with an iron
fist, is a very merciless leader. He is not a dictator who will
withdraw like Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev without letting the weapons
talk… Carrying out a ‘civilian coup d’etat’ in Uzbekistan is a
very hard job. But even the most violent dictators will certainly
fall one day.” (Commentary by Nuh Gonultas)

Armenian issue/UK

Radikal [centre-left] “As far as I know, only the UK has made
a statement at government level saying: ‘There was no Armenian
genocide’. Now if the UK says ‘Things that are written in the Blue
Book are all true’ as an answer to our parliament’s letter [asking the
British parliament to acknowledge that genocide allegations in the
so-called Blue Book were nothing but British World War I propaganda
against Turkey] what will we do then? Is there any sense losing
a friend for no reason? … Unfortunately, Turkey’s initiatives
about the Armenian issue do not give me the impression of being
trustworthy.” (Commentary by Ismet Berkan)

WHAT THE RUSSIAN PAPERS SAY

MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti)

Gazeta

Experts Sound Off On Recent Event In Uzbekistan

Mass unrest that swept Andizhan, a city in Uzbekistan, last week
claimed many lives. Russian experts commented in Gazeta, a daily,
on the situation, which remains tense.

Alexei Malashenko, scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow
Center: The events were provoked by a difficult economic situation
and unemployment, the absence of an opposition and procrastination
with reforms. All of this was the doing of President Islam Karimov.
In a region where the bulk of the population is Muslim, any social
protest will eventually take the form of an Islamic struggle, but
the root of the people’s discontent is their economic desperation.

Alexei Makarkin, deputy general director of the Center of Political
Technologies: Karimov has been recently rushing from Russia to the
U.S. and back. He made the choice last week, when Tashkent announced
its withdrawal from GUUAM (an organization of Georgia, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova). Karimov needs political support
for his actions, which Russia can provide. Moscow and Uzbekistan may
increase their cooperation and Uzbekistan may soon join the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (its members are Russia, Belarus, Armenia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and EurAsEC (Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan).

Konstantin Zatulin, a State Duma deputy from United Russia: There
are no reasons not to believe Karimov when he says that the unrest
in his country was provoked by extremist organizations, which aim to
establish a Shariah regime. Karimov has always persecuted them rather
harshly. I do not want to whitewash Karimov’s regime, but he is doing
everything correctly, so far.

Sergei Mitrokhin, Yabloko deputy chairman: Karimov’s propaganda
agencies claim that the situation was destabilized by orthodox
Islamists, though it was a revolt of an active part of society and
business against the dictatorship of Karimov. They definitely will
be accused of Islamic tendencies. Russia may soon feel the negative
effects of the events in Uzbekistan. Pandering to Karimov could
push Uzbekistan towards a civil war and the creation of an Islamic
state there.

Vedomosti

Transneft To Build Northern Pipeline

Transneft has allocated 850 million rubles, or 17% of its net 2004
profits, to study the feasibility of constructing an oil pipeline on
the Arctic Ocean’s bottom that could export oil to the United States,
Vedomosti, a daily, reported.

State-run Transneft monopolizes all Russian trunk pipelines.
Transneft Vice-president Sergei Grigoryev confirmed corporate plans,
noting that the pipeline will stretch from Kharyaga in the Komi
Republic to Indiga in the White Sea. The new pipeline would pump
24 million tons of oil per year and requires about $2.2 billion to
complete. Grigoryev said he was sure that Transneft could implement
this project on a par with the Eastern Siberian oil pipeline, which
will cost an estimated $11.5 billion.

There has been discussion of constructing an Arctic oil pipeline
toward the Barents Sea coast for several years. Russian oil giants
like LUKOIL, Yukos, TNK, Sibneft and Surgutneftegaz suggested building
a pipeline toward Murmansk on the east shore of the Kola Bay in the
Barents Sea. However, federal officials did not like the idea of
building a private oil pipeline.

Transneft then suggested working out a Western Siberian – Barents Sea
coast pipeline route. Bureaucrats took their time in choosing between
the Arctic pipeline and the Eastern Siberian pipeline and decided to
build the Taishet – Pacific pipeline in late 2004.

The Kharyaga – Indiga pipeline is a scaled-down version of the initial
Arctic pipeline. It is much cheaper because it can be built with the
Eastern Siberian pipeline, Valery Nesterov, an analyst with Troika
Dialog brokerage said. The Western Siberia – Indiga pipeline, he said,
would cost some $5.6-6.2 billion. And the Murmansk pipeline would cost
about $11.8 billion. According to Nesterov, the Arctic and Eastern
Siberian oil pipelines could be commissioned before 2010. And he
expects this route to be popular with oil tycoons. LUKOIL and Rosneft,
which are developing the Timano-Pechora deposits, are interested in
this route, as are Surgutneftegaz and TNK-BP.

Vremya Novostei/Vedomosti

Authorities Present Claims To Diamond Monopoly

The relatively small tax claims presented by the Prosecutor’s Office to
Russia’s diamond company ALROSA have sparked a big scandal. Sources
close to the company’s management are drawing special attention
to the prosecutors’ intention to audit the activity of ALROSA’s
counterparties, Vedomosti and Vremya Novostei, daily newspapers,
reported.

“Tax authorities have revealed the facts of the misuse of 153 million
rubles (about $5.4 million),” Sergei Marchenko, a representative of
the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, said Saturday. He did not specify the
circumstances of the misuse of funds, possibly, because this episode
was not the main subject of the prosecutors’ attention.

ALROSA, which accounts for about 23% of the world diamond output,
was referred by a presidential decree to strategic companies. The
Russian government controls 37% of company shares, while the Yakutian
government holds 32% and Yakutian uluses (district administrations)
have an 8% share. The remaining shares belong to private owners. In
2004, ALROSA sold its main products worth $2,480.5 million, including
diamonds worth $130.9 million.

Experts are drawing attention to the fact that the claims that
are presented are several hundred times smaller than the diamond
company’s financial flows. The amount of the claims, they said,
rules out the version of the illegal transfer of assets abroad. Most
likely, the claims refer to small administrative violations. It has
not been ruled out that they deal with the relations between ALROSA
and Yakutia, where the diamond monopoly is registered. This version
corresponds to the rationale of the federal authorities’ actions.
Last winter the company’s management was replaced and an additional
issue of its shares was declared.

In late March Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov instructed relevant
departments to take measures until May 1 to place ALROSA under federal
ownership again and prepare an agreement on property delimitation
with Yakutia.

Natalia Odintsova, head of analysis at Prospekt investment, does not
rule out that this case may lead to a new replacement of the company’s
management. This measure, she said, would play into the Yakutian
government’s hands and those of the company’s minority shareholders
whose shares (about 10%) were arrested in March on the insistence of
ALROSA President Alexander Nichiporuk.

Kommersant

Russia To Assemble VW Pointer And Skoda Octavia

Volkswagen will start building a factory 100 km south of Moscow this
fall, where the first Skoda Octavia and second-generation Volkswagen
Pointer cars are scheduled to be ready by 2007, Kommersant reported.

The construction site already has the required infrastructure.

This full-cycle factory is under Volkswagen ownership and investment
volumes are unknown. However, such investments are likely to match
those of Ford (over $150 million), Toyota ($145 million) and Renault
($250 million). Preliminary reports set the number of cars to be
assembled at the plant each year at at least 25,000.

The Volkswagen project is covered by a governmental resolution allowing
duty-free part imports. The vehicles will therefore cost 12 to 15
percent less than their ready-made equivalents.

The new factory will turn out Volkswagen Golf Vs and Volkswagen

Jetta golf-class sedans, scheduled to replace Volkswagen Boras this
fall. It will also produce Audi A3s and Skoda Octavias. The D segment
Skoda Octavia, which now costs at least $20,800, will be the first
vehicle off the assembly line. A similar VW model could follow.

Second-generation VW Pointers will also be assembled in Russia. These
compact cars are to phase out the VW Golfs being produced in Brazil
and China. Only the Russian market uses the Pointer trademark.

Until recently, all foreign carmakers preferred assembling just one
model, but the new VW factory could produce two or three models on
different platforms. Market players say that Volkswagen’s ambitious
plans could require no more than $100 million to accomplish.

Vremya Novostei

Number Of Divorces, Marriages In Russia Declines

The number of divorces in Russia is gradually declining but almost
every third child is born out of wedlock, the Russian daily Vremya
Novostei reported, citing the latest statistics.

According to a study by the Federal State Statistics Service published
ahead of International Family Day, the number of couples that divorced
last year fell by 164,000, from 800,000 divorces in 2003 to 636,000
in 2004. The progress is evident not only in provinces, but also in
the capital. This year, more than 14,000 families in Moscow filed
for divorce, down by 1,200 couples against the same period last
year. According to researches, more than one third of divorces are
filed by couples that have been married for less than five years.

However, the number of those marrying is also declining. In 2002 and
2003, more than one million marriages were registered in Russia, but
in 2004 the figure was down to 979,700. In Moscow, 4,460 marriages were
registered in April, down by 3,280 against the same period last year.

As a result, the number of children born out of wedlock is soaring.
In recent years, their number has doubled and amounted to about 30%
of all children born in the country, sociologists say. Russia is
approaching European figures, the Statistics Service says. Modern
Russia has also adopted another demographic peculiarity of Europe –
the number of children a family has. Today, the childbearing rate of
Russian women is 1.3 compared to that of 2 in 1989.

The only figure that remains unchanged is the number of people that
decide to get married for a second time: just below one third of
all marriages.

Pravda.ru
May 16, 2005

*Babel Fish Translation* Help
<; _ylu=X3oDMTA4NmZqZGZpBHNlYwNidHh0/SIG=11nt60u2u/** http%3a// lp>

*In English:*
Main/culture/music/classical classical music helps the victims Of Beslan
tragedy 16.05.2005 01:05 Igor bukker istochnik: To PRAVDA.Ru the
constant address:
This
spring on the counters of London in the the United Kingdom, music lovers
noted the unique CD “Hovhaness – Concerto for Two Pianos; Three Pieces
for Two Pianos “. The worshippers of classical music will without fail
estimate appearance this CD, practically entire collection from which
will go into the fund for aid to the victims of the Beslan tragedy.
First, this is yet one additional performance of one of the most
brilliant pianists of the present, Martin Berkofsky. In the second
place, for the first time came into being the unique, previously lost
work of great Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness, “Concerto No. 10 in
three movements for two pianos and orchestra”. It was found and restored
by Martin Berkofsky’s himself. In the recording of this work also
participated the ascending star – Turkish pianist Atakan Sari. This disk
can be considered unique and international, since Martin Berkofsky
selected for the joint operation the well-known Russian symphonic
orchestra of “Globalis”. According to the pianist, it for a long time
reflected, to what association it is possible to entrust the very first
performance of “concerto 10”. From the point of view of orchestral music
this work is considered one of the complex: in it are interwoven the
music of the West and East, different cultures, epochs and styles. The
orchestra of “Globalis” was created in 1998: majorities of participants
in the association – graduates of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev
philharmonic societies. Not many orchestras can brag by this quantity of
laureates of All-Union and international competitions. Furthermore,
“Globalis” is known as one of the best recording orchestras. The
association collaborates with the most famous composers of peace – USA,
Japan, China, Austria, England, Poland, so forth all these professional
qualities of the Russian association became decisive. It is necessary to
note that this recording of the concerto for two pianos, made in Moscow,
is very important for Martin Berkofsky, since precisely this pianist
first in 1965 opened to peace the name Of Hovhaness. Subsequently, the
musicians became close friends. Therefore this disc with the recording
of “Concerto No. 10” became a tribute to the memory of a friend.
“Concerto 10” can be considered the early work of the great Hovhaness.
It was written the year 1954, just before the appearance of most famous
symphony “Mysterious Mountain” (Symphony No.2), that became known to
the world. By energy of the music of Hovhaness, a deep association
developed with “Globalis”. As Stanislav Simonov said, the director of
the orchestra, was extremely interested to work with this beautiful and
complex work together with the star of classics, the pianist Martin
Berkofsky. The music of this Armenian composer casts a spell by its
beauty and unusualness. It still is cognitive even for the venerable
professionals: the echoes of the folklore of different national
character are sprinkled in the musical thread of work, and, the original
sounds of ethnic tools extract classical pianos. “Concerto 10” consists
of three movements – andante, largo and moderato. The first part
resembles frightening advance through the musical jungle: winds overlap
the atonal splashes of pianos. The threatening stringed reelings, the
bird trills of flutes and the oriental melodies of pianos create the
mood of endlessness. Motion begins with the theme of oboe, which then
transfers to the entire orchestra. The second movement begins with a
series of gripping stringed chords, augmented by the angular ascending
line of the pianos, very uncommon for Hovhaness. But all this serves as
prelude to the section in which the pianos imitate “kanoon” – Turkish
plucked instrument. In addition to this, in the finale of work the piano
extracts the sounds, in practice not unlike “jhala taranga” – the
north-Indian instrument, which is a collection of the china cups, which
are tuned by the addition of a varying quantities of water. This musical
figure sounds as a low, monotonic rumble. The arrangement By Hovhaness
of “jhala technique” for piano became one of many oriental idioms, which
he successfully injected into western classical music. After the release
of the disc we immediately succeeded in having a talk with the director
of the orchestra “Globalis,” Stanislav Simonov. “Your trio –
“Globalis”-Berkofsky-Sari – became international. The disc was recorded
in Moscow, and brought out in England. Why you did decide to bring out
it abroad, but not here? The idea of the production of this disk
belonged to Martin Berkofsky, and from the very beginning it was planned
to bring it out it in London. There, there are many outstanding firms,
which specialise exclusively in classical music. Moreover in Europe and
America the interest in classics is nevertheless higher than here in
Russia. All these components became decisive in the selection of the
country for the production of this disc with the participation of our
symphonic orchestra.” “Stanislav, you are the producer of this
international disc. And in this position, are you going to spend the
profits from its sales?” “Absolutely not. The major portion of the
profits will go into the fund for aid to the children of the Beslan
school tragedy. On this, we with Martin agreed from the very beginning
of our work. Generally, Berkofsky is one of the pianists with an
international name, who transfers the profits from his concerts and
recordings to charitable foundations. Personally I am familiar with
Martin for more than three years, and have had the time to understand
him as a generous, open person. He has not a drop of snobism,
pompousness, or any other negative features. Martin is obsessed by
music, he lives by it, and it is easily understood that his music and
his entire life belong to the people. Photos from Stanislav Simonov’s
archive

Kathimerini, Greece
May 14 2005

Turkish, Armenian leaders due to meet next week, report says

ISTANBUL (AP) – Leaders of neighbors Turkey and Armenia are expected
to meet for rare talks at a summit next week, Turkey’s Anatolia news
agency said yesterday. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and Armenian President Robert Kocharian were expected to meet on the
sidelines of a Council of Europe summit scheduled for Monday and
Tuesday in Warsaw, the agency said. The date of the meeting was not
specified. Turkish and Armenian officials could not immediately
confirm the report. However, Council of Europe spokesman Can Fisek
said there were `strong indications’ the leaders would meet.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 12 2005

Armenian president, Turkish PM `likely to meet’ in Warsaw

Baku, May 11, AssA-Irada

Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyib Erdogan will most likely meet within the Council of Europe
summit in Warsaw May 16-17, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
said in a meeting with ambassadors of EU states in Ankara.
`Turkey is often urged to open its border with Armenia. However, with
nothing in return, we cannot do this. In particular, the Armenian
Diaspora opposes the development of Turkish-Armenian relations and
pursues an improper policy of interference.’
Turkish premier Erdogan lately said `the meeting with Kocharian in
Moscow was not planned, as Ankara did not receive such a request’.
`If Armenia fulfils its commitments, Turkey will do its best to
ensure a fair and long-term solution of regional problems’, said
Erdogan.
The Armenian President’s administration said it is unaware of the
planned Kocharian-Erdogan meeting.*

Armenia’s Karabakh war veterans restore militia forces

Arminfo
11 May 05

YEREVAN

“Increased pressure of foreign forces on Armenia and belligerent
statements of the Azerbaijani authorities have forced us to revive the
Armenian National Army (ANA) created by Razmik Vasilyan,” the chairman
of the union of the Artsakh [Karabakh] liberation war veterans, Ayk
Grigoryan, has said.

Grigoryan told journalists that the organization led by him consists
of former ANA members for 90 per cent. ANA activists took an active
part in the war for Artsakh, and many of them received government
awards. Grigoryan said that the reorganization of the ANA would help
unite the veterans.

He said that all pubic organizations which had contributed to the
liberation of Artsakh would be invited to the ANA congress to be held
soon.

“There are no disagreements between us, Yerkrapa [Union of Volunteers]
and Vogu Pardzutyun [Armenian: Integrity] are fraternal public
organizations,” Grigoryan said.

The reformed ANA will also deal with social problems and protection of
the rights of the veterans, ANA leaders said.

To recap, the ANA was created by Razmik Vasilyan in November 1988. The
ANA was disarmed and disbanded on 29 August 1990 under a decision of
the Soviet Armenia government.