Author: Talalian Arpi

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
17 Nov 04

Armenian defence minister displeased with 2005 military spending

YEREVAN

Armenian Security Council Secretary and Defence Minister Serzh
Sarkisyan said in Yerevan today that the volume of military spending
envisaged by the 2005 draft state budget is not satisfactory.

At the same time, the minister said that the budget hearings are
continuing and expressed the hope that “the government will find a
possibility to increase this sum”, Mediamax reports. According to the
minister, the salaries of officers and ensigns should be increased
first.

Serzh Sarkisyan said that “beginning from 1 January 2005, we want to
increase the salaries of officers by 50,000 drams 96 dollars , that
of contract ensigns – by 30,000 drams 58 dollars , and that of the
other military – by 10,000 drams 19 dollars “.

“We are facing a serious problem regarding the growth of
international prices, these sums must be compensated, and I am sure
that the country’s leadership will allocate enough funds for the
Armenian army in order not to harm our armed forces’ fighting
readiness,” Serzh Sarkisyan said.

The secretary of the Armenian Security Council also denied the
information that the Armenian side does not finance the Russian
border guards stationed on the territory of Armenia.

New Britain Herald, CT
Nov 17 2004

Fay Vincent may speak at chamber event
By SCOTT WHIPPLE, Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN — At Yale Law School, they were as close as the three
musketeers. Following graduation, they went their separate ways.

Bart Giamatti became commissioner of Major League Baseball. Fay
Vincent, a securities lawyer, ran Columbia Pictures for nearly 10
years before succeeding Giamatti as commissioner in 1989 following
his death. Harry Mazadoorian became a published author and law
professor at Quinnipiac University.

On Thursday, Mazadoorian will receive the New Britain Chamber of
Commerce’s prestigious Distinguished Community Service Award. Vincent
will be on hand for the celebration, and may say a few words on
behalf of his long-time friend.

“There are few people you meet in life about whom nobody says
anything bad,” Vincent said Tuesday. “To my knowledge, nobody has
ever said anything bad about Harry. Everyone likes him.”

Vincent said he and Giamatti used to call Mazadoorian “the designated
friend” after baseball’s designated hitter.

“The three of us had a lot in common,” Vincent said. “We’re all
ethnic. Harry’s Armenian; Bart was Italian; I’m Irish. We were all
from families that didn’t have much to start with. Harry’s family
worked for (The) Stanley Works; my grandfather worked for Scoville’s
in the factory.”

Vincent said that although Mazadoorian has become a significant
figure, he’s never changed.

“He’s always been very likable, very smart,” he said. “And he loves
New Britain.”

Mazadoorian and Vincent talk every day. Often, they chat about
baseball.

In September 1992, baseball owners voted 18-9 for Vincent’s
resignation. Vincent had ordered New York Yankees owner George
Steinbrenner to resign as the club’s general partner. Steinbrenner
had made a $40,000 payment to confessed gambler Howard Spira for
damaging information about Yankee star Dave Winfield.

“I liked having a job where part of it was going to baseball games,”
Vincent said. “I liked hanging around the ballparks, talking to the
umpires, managers and players.”

What he didn’t like were “the politics, the back-stabbing owners, and
all the anonymous quotes about me in the newspapers.”

Vincent spent the summer of 1956 at George W. Bush’s boyhood home in
Midland, Texas. He worked for George H.W. Bush in the oil fields that
summer and lived with the Bushes. The president was 9 years old then,
playing Little League baseball, and hardly a major league scout’s
dream candidate. When Bush owned the Texas Rangers, Vincent told him,
“You’d better be nice to me. Remember, I saw you play Little League
baseball.”

Barbara and George Bush were hospitable to Vincent that summer.

When Vincent got elected baseball commissioner, President George H.W.
Bush called to wish him well.

“If I had known you were going to become baseball commissioner when
you were working for me in the oil fields back in Texas, I would have
been a lot nicer to you,” Bush allegedly said.

Vincent replied, “Mr. President, if I had known you were going to be
president, I would have been a lot nicer to you.”

To Vincent, George H.W. Bush has always been a hero.

“I look up to him,” he said. “And, Georgie, his son — as we used to
call him — has come on to be a great man. I admire him, too.”

On Thursday, Vincent’s wife, Christina, will accompany him to the
awards dinner at the Student Center ballroom of Central Connecticut
State University. He said he hopes Mike Halloran, another Yale Law
School grad and gridiron great from New Britain High School, will be
at his table to cheer Mazadoorian on.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
Nov 16 2004

Council Of Europe Envoy Urges Faster Reform In Armenia

By Ruzanna Khachatrian 16/11/2004 09:50

A high-ranking representative of the Council of Europe urged the
Armenian authorities on Monday to redouble their efforts to honor
political commitments that earned Armenia membership in the respected
human rights organization nearly four years ago.

Ambassador Roland Wegener, a Strasbourg-based German diplomat
representing the Council’s governing Committee of Ministers, singled
out the promised reform of Armenia’s constitution, judicial system
and electoral legislation.
`We feel that progress has been made, but we also see that the most
important projects still lie ahead,’ he told reporters at the end of
a fact-finding visit to Yerevan.

Wegener, who heads a special monitoring team formed by the Committee
of Ministers, met with President Robert Kocharian, Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian as well as the leaders of the Armenian parliament
factions during the three-day trip. Kocharian, according to his press
office, assured the envoy that he is genuinely committed to bringing
Armenian legislation into conformity with European standards.

The Armenian authorities are currently working on a package of
constitutional amendments that are due to be put to a referendum next
summer. Also, the Armenian parliament, dominated by Kocharian
supporters, approved last month in the first reading a set of
amendments to the country’s electoral code.

Those discussions have been boycotted by the Armenian opposition
which refuses to recognize Kocharian’s legitimacy and accuses the
authorities of creating a smokescreen of political reform to mislead
the Europeans. Opposition leaders reaffirmed their stance in separate
meetings with Wegener over the weekend.

One of them, Shavarsh Kocharian, argued that the authorities have not
prosecuted any officials involved in vote rigging and human rights
abuses and are refusing to abolish the Soviet-era practice of
`administrative detentions’ repeatedly condemned by the Council of
Europe. `The obligations are not being met,’ he told RFE/RL. `That’s
one of the obsctales to the lack of a [government-opposition]
dialogue urged by European structures.’

One of the leaders of the parliament majority, Tigran Torosian, said
Wegener urged the top Kocharian allies to give the opposition a say
in legislative reform. He said the majority is ready to do so and
hopes that the opposition will drop its `preconditions’ for the
dialogue.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS TO AMOUNT TO $260-280 MILLION IN ARMENIA THIS YEAR

Azg/arm
16 Nov 04

Recently, the UNDP and RA Trade and Economic Development Ministry
represented World’s Investments Report 2004 at Armenian Development
Agency. Touching upon the report, Liz Grande, the UN representative,
informed that it is already the third year that the foreign
investments have decreased in the entire world, amounting to $560
billion. Moreover, the biggest decrease is fixed in the EU countries
and the North America, amounting to $110 billion. While in Armenia, as
well as in the region as a whole, the investments have increased in
the same period.

Tigran Davtian, RA Trade and Economic Deputy Minister, emphasized that
the growth of the foreign investments in Armenia is taking place on
the background of the decrease of the world’s investments. In the
first half of this year the foreign investments have increased by
about 40 % and they will amount to $260-280 million as it was
envisaged for the end of the year. Deputy Minister stated that a
number of large investment programs will be carried out in
November-December of this year. He also reminded that last year the
investments made in Armenia amounted to $230 million.

Afterwards, they informed that the investments’ structure has been
changed. At present they have increased in the real sector of the
economy, in the light industry, mine industry, construction and in
other fields, too. The biggest investments in Armenia are made by
Greece, Argentina, the US and France. The local investments have
increased as well.

Tigran Davtian didn’t want to compare the investments made in Armenia
and Azerbaijan, saying that in Azerbaijan the investments are made in
one sphere only. As for Georgia, after the political changes the
interest of the foreign investors to this country has increased. The
deputy minister welcomed this phenomenon, saying for the most of the
foreign investors Armenia is considered a small market and that would
be beneficial to offer them the Georgian marketas well. While the
activization of Armenian-Georgian economic relations inspire with hope
that in future it will be possible to establish an Armenian-Georgian
regional market, Tigran Davtian stated.

By Ara Martirosian

Fugitive Caught

City News Service
November 12, 2004 Friday

LOS ANGELES

A fugitive wanted for allegedly running down man in a road-rage
slaying in Universal City in 2000 was in custody today after he was
arrested in Armenia and handed over to U.S. authorities, police said.
Shahen Eghia Keshishian, 32, was wanted for the murder of 44-year-old
freelance film editor Michael Craven of Canoga Park on the southbound
Hollywood (101) Freeway south of Barham Boulevard on April 29, 2000,
according to Glendale police. Keshishian, a commercial truck driver,
was at the wheel of a new Chevy Suburban when he and his passenger
threw eggs at Craven’s Jeep, according to the Glendale and Los
Angeles police departments. “The victim and suspect pulled to the
shoulder when Keshishian suddenly accelerated and intentionally ran
over the victim,” according to an entry on the LAPD’s most wanted
list. His arrest by Armenian authorities in the Armenian capital of
Yerevan last Saturday and his subsequent return to Los Angeles
resulted from an effort involving the FBI, LAPD and Glendale police,
authorities said. Assisted by other U.S. law enforcement agencies,
the LAPD determined last month that Keshishian was hiding in Armenia,
a Glendale police statement said, adding he was later arrested by
Armenian authorities for overstaying his visa. Prior to his arrest,
Glendale police officers who had gone to Armenia to assist in the
training of officers in that country secured an agreement from
Armenia’s National Security Service to help locate Keshishian, the
Glendale police statement said. It added that the LAPD, with the help
of the Glendale Police Department, began to develop a relationship
with Armenian authorities over the past few years. “This is the first
time in which someone from Armenia was handed to U.S. authorities to
be returned to the United States to face criminal charges,” the
Glendale statement said. Keshishian, now at the Twin Towers jail in
lieu of $1 million bail, has been charged with murder and is expected
to appear in court Nov. 24., the Daily News reported. “I am pleased
as punch. I am just so elated,” homicide Detective Martin Pinner of
the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division told the Daily News after
returning from Armenia with Keshishian in tow on Wednesday. “This
arrest, I do believe, came as a result of policemen talking to
policemen, and massive cooperation with other agencies in two
different countries.” Craven was driving on the Hollywood Freeway
with a friend after dinner when his jeep was pelted with eggs thrown
from the Suburban after one of the drivers apparently cut off the
other, the Daily News reported. The Suburban turned out to be a key
clue in identifying Keshishian, according to Pinner, who told the
Daily News that it had been fraudulently bought by someone who loaned
it to Keshishian the night of the murder. “We researched every
Suburban purchased in the time frame around the murder,” Pinner told
the newspaper. “We looked for him all over the U.S. with the help of
the FBI and tons of agencies. Boston, New York. I spoke to people in
Texas. We did a lot of work,” Pinner said. Detectives continue to
search for the passengers in the SUV that night. “It was the
passenger throwing the stuff at the victim,” Pinner told the Daily
News. “It’s a felony. The passenger is also going to jail. I’d love
to figure out who he is.”

Ex-Soviet republics back U.S. move to stop weapons proliferation

AP Worldstream
Nov 12, 2004

Russia and five other ex-Soviet members of a regional security pact
voiced support Friday for a U.S.-led effort to stem the spread of
weapons of mass destruction.

Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan hailed
U.S. President George W. Bush’s Proliferation Security Initiative as
“a key part of global efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of
mass destruction.”

The six nations, which belong to the Collective Security Treaty,
said they were ready to cooperate with Bush’s program. It envisages
international efforts to intercept components of weapons of mass
destruction on planes, ships and on land.

“The Collective Security Treaty member states are located at the
crossroads of possible routes of illegal transit of weapons of
mass destruction … and are ready to cooperate … in taking the
necessary steps to counter the spread of WMD,” the six nations said
in a statement.

Bush’s initiative was launched in Krakow in May 2003. Russia joined
it earlier this year.

Foreign ministers and other top officials from the security pact’s
member states also discussed ways to bolster cooperation in fighting
terrorism and strengthening regional security.

Azeri POW cleared of high treason charges, accused of torturing captives

525 Qazet, Baku
27 Oct 04

Many probably remember the report of the National Security Ministry
last year that Azerbaijani citizen Nadir Mahmudov, who was taken
prisoner near the village of Araz-Yaglivand of Fuzuli District in
October 1993 and remained in Armenian captivity until 11 December 1995,
had been convicted of high treason.

The report, which was in the media spotlight, said that Mahmudov
defected to the enemy on 23 October 1993 near the village of
Araz-Yaglivand of Fuzuli District occupied by the armed forces of the
Republic of Armenia and engaged in espionage. The indictment bill of
the investigations department of the Security Ministry said that while
at the Xankandi [Stepanakert] children’s hospital between December
1994 and 11 December 1995 (i.e. until he was released from captivity),
Mahmudov committed a crime against the state, beating up prisoners and
brutally treating them in order to create favourable living conditions
for himself and not to carry out physical work. While in captivity,
he seized clothing and food provided to the prisoners by the Red Cross
and handed them over to the wardens. The indictment also stressed that
while in captivity, Mahmudov met employees of the Armenian security
agency and persuaded some of the captives to spy for the enemy. It
must be noted that a detective of the investigations department of
the National Security Ministry, Sahib Alakbarov, was in charge of
the investigation.

The Grave Crimes Court examined the case last year, and under the
verdict issued by judge Alovsat Abbasov, Mahmudov was sentenced to
seven years in prison. The defence did not agree with the court
ruling and appealed to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals
decided on 22 October 2003 to uphold the decision of the court of
first instance. The defence then had to file complaints with the
Supreme Court and the Council of Europe.

It became known recently that in the plaintiff’s absence, the Supreme
Court collegium for criminal cases and administrative offences ruled on
14 September 2004 that there were no legal grounds to find Mahmudov
guilty of high treason and changed the 22 October 2003 decision
of the Court of Appeals. According to the final conclusion of the
Supreme Court collegium, Mahmudov’s actions in Armenian captivity fall
under Article 115.2 of the Criminal Code that envisages punishment
for torturing captives and people protected by humanitarian law and
for treating such persons brutally and inhumanely. For this reason,
the article under which he was held accountable for his deeds was
changed from 274 to 115.2.

Nadir Mahmudov’s lawyer Vaqif Samadov said in an interview with our
newspaper that the defendant’s appeal to the Supreme Court said that
he had been arrested without guilt.

[Passage omitted: details of Mahmudov’s appeals]

Samadov also commented on the unexpected decision of the Supreme
Court collegium for criminal cases and administrative offences:
“As far as I know, Mahmudov appealed to the Council of Europe over
his case. It seems that the case was reconsidered under pressure from
the Council of Europe.”

The lawyer believes that although the court changed the article,
it failed to consider the case comprehensively and impartially:
“Although the article has been changed, Mahmudov’s punishment has
not been commuted. As I said before, convicting civilians who have
been in captivity runs counter to the existing international legal
norms. Therefore, Mahmudov’s case was in the focus of the Council of
Europe’s attention. According to the law, the state is responsible
for the security of civilians. Nevertheless, since some officials in
the law-enforcement agencies lack professionalism, incidents that
damage our country’s image happen and the cases finally make their
way to the Council of Europe.”

[Passage omitted: rights activist says convicting an ex-POW is absurd]

A1+
| 22:10:21 | 04-11-2004 | Politics | author: Diana Markosyan |
LEVON MKRTCHYAN – “DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENTS IN FAVOR OF AZERBAIJAN”

During the 59th full session of UNO General Assembly in December the issue
on “Situation in 7 occupied territories of Azerbaijan” will be discussed.
Under various appraisals, it’s the failure of Armenian diplomacy. What does
Levon Lazarian, head of ARF Party of Coalition think about this?
-It’s a dangerous development. Azerbaijan really tries to move the issue
from the professional structures to parliamentary or international ones,
where professionalism is lacking, and in fact, it gives a chance to make
decisions upon emotions. The factor of Islamic states can’t be excluded
here, either. And this will make the issue of another quality, Azerbaijani
part thinks. They try to collect the issue by segments. But we and the
professional structures – OSCE, Minsk Group etc must resist it. The
structures noticed that the way leads to nothing, moreover, it resulted in
the conflict exacerbation, and they tried to pass on to the professional
manner of settlement, which justified itself – there is peace for some
years. Those structures must assess return of the issue to UNO format as
negative.
-Mr. Lazarian, during the time of the former Authorities the process of
Karabakhi conflict settlement was moved to OSCE from UNO format. At the
times of the ex Authorities Karabakh was a full negotiating part. USA Senate
907 Resolution on Freedom Support was valid in the times of former
Authorities. Don’t you think that regress is fixed over all the cited
directions?
– I wouldn’t say so because the conflict is full and the history of it doesn’t
accept the conceptions like “former and present Authorities”. The conflict
itself has complications, and the settlement of it depends on
resourcefulness of resisting those complications. The present Authorities
inherited the unsolved conflict, and in a defeatist strategy in fact.
Authorities dragged out the process, essentially looking for solutions and
that policy justified itself partly. For instance, Key West was s success.
In fact, it was joining of Nagorno Karabakh to Republic of Armenia as the
radical settlement to the problem. Now all the approaches alike consist of
more positive solutions than before.
-By the appraisals of some analysts and the representatives of ex
Authorities, now there is a danger of losing Karabakh even. Do you agree to
it?
Such kind of appraisals made by the former Authorities are based upon the
present political situation in Armenia. They have the task of power change
and delivering a blow to the power. I want to say that during 15 years
serious diplomatic activity was spread. The activity resulted in both
successes and failures. If looking at the aspect of conflictology, Armenian
people are in an advantageous position now.

RosBusinessConsulting Database
November 2, 2004 Tuesday

Armenian industrial production up

Armenian industrial production gained 1.6 percent to $692.8m in January
to September 2004 in comparison to the same period in 2003. Industrial
products totaling $683.8m were sold in the reported period including
$63.3m in the CIS and $185.8m in other countries. According to the
country’s National Statistics Service, the volume of industrial
production decreased by 1.1 percent in September this year.

The chemical industry advanced considerably in January to September
2004, namely by 175.5 percent against January to September 2003.
Armenian energy companies produced 4.4787bn kWh in the first nine
months of this year, which was a 9-percent increase against the
corresponding period in 2003. A noticeable decline was reported in
jewelry production (84.2 percent).

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, October 28, 2004

ARARAT MAGAZINE TO HONOR ANAHID AWARD WINNERS

MEET ERIC BOGOSIAN, DIANA DER-HOVANESSIAN, GREGORY DJANIKIAN AT NOVEMBER 4 NY RECEPTION

NEW YORK, NY-ARARAT, the magazine that for decades has been a forum
for English-language of literature and Armenian American talent, will
host a reception for three winners of the Anahid Literary Award. The
reception will take place on Thursday evening, November 4, at AGBU
headquarters (55 East 59th Street, New York City) at 7:30 pm.

Attending the reception and reading from some of their works will
be New York writer/performer Eric Bogosian, Boston poet Diana
Der-Hovanessian, and Philadelphia writer Gregory Djanikian.

An anonymous donor established the Anahid Literary Award in 1989. The
efforts of the well-known writer and intellectual, Jack Antreassian,
were instrumental in formulating the conditions and creating the
board to administer the award. Mr. Antreassian was also the first
editor of ARARAT. The Armenian Center at Columbia University agreed
to administer the award, which consists of a prize of $5,000. Its
purpose is “to recognize the achievements of American writers of
Armenian descent, to encourage the development of their careers,
and to foster the publication and dissemination of their works.”

On the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the awards, ARARAT
magazine published a special issue devoted to the Anahid award
winners. Now, with this reception, three of the winners have agreed
to meet with the metropolitan area friends of ARARAT and afficionados
of Armenian American literature.

Eric Bogosian is the creator of monologues and solo shows as well as
a playwright and novelist. His solos have received three Obie awards,
a Drama Desk Award, among other honors. His work has had extended runs
Off-Broadway, and performed around the world. Bogosian has appeared
in over two dozen films, including his own adaptation of his play
Talk Radio and Atom Egoyan’s Ararat. In 2004 Bogosian was named a
Guggenheim fellow.

Diana Der-Hovanessian is a groundbreaking translator and poet. She
was a Fulbright professor of American poetry at Yerevan State
University in 1999 and 1994. She has awards from the NEA, PSA,
PEN-Columbia Translation Center, National Writers Union, American
Scholar, Prairie Schooner and Paterson Poetry Center. She has taught
workshops in poetry, translation, and the poetry of human rights at
various universities.

Gregory Djanikian was born in Egypt, and grew up in New York and
Pennsylvania. He began writing seriously while an undergraduate
in college. His prizes include a National Endowment for the Arts
Fellowship, and two from Poetry magazine, the Eunice Tietjens Prize,
and the Friends of Literature Prize. He is Director of the Creative
Writing Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

ARARAT Magazine (), is sponsored by the AGBU and
is proud to present these three Anahid award winners at the November
4th reception. Suggested donation is $10 ($5 for students), and copies
of the Special Anahid Award issue will be available for purchase at
the event. As space is limited, preference will be given to those
who make reservations and pre-pay. Please RSVP by calling Hripsime
212-319-6383, or by email to [email protected].