Azeri embassy in Georgia denies Armenian servicemen entry visas
Bilik Dunyasi news agency
8 Sep 04
Baku, 8 September: The Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia has refused to
issue entry visas to Baku to the Armenian servicemen who are planning
to take part in NATO exercises [on 13-26 September].
“The Armenians have already appealed to the embassy, but we are not
going to accept their request,” the Azerbaijani ambassador to Georgia,
Ramiz Hasanov, has said.
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Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
Email: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Website:
_www.anca.org_ ()
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PRESS RELEASE – PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 7, 2004
Contact: Armen Carapetian
(818) 500-1918
ANCA ENDORSES U.S. SENATOR BARBARA BOXER
Washington, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America announced
on Thursday, September 2, 2004 that it will endorse U.S. Senator
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for reelection. The two term Democratic Senator
from California is seeking reelection and is challenged by Republican
and former California Secretary of State Bill Jones.
The ANCA endorsed the Senator based on her record of long and faithful
public service with special regard to Armenian-Americans living in
the State of California. Since her tenure as a Congresswoman, Boxer
has held an open door policy toward her constituents and has carried
their message to the halls of Congress. In a letter to Senator Boxer,
the ANCA stated that while the Senator’s responsibilities as an elected
official have increased, she has managed to maintain close working
relationships with even her smallest constituencies. California is
the nation’s most populous state and home to the nation’s largest
Armenian American community.
On issues of concern to her constituents of Armenian heritage and to
the Armenian-American community at large Senator Boxer has time and
again defended their history and their rightful place in American
society. As recently as this year, she made statements of support
for the official reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide including
letters to President Bush urging to end the illegal Turkish blockade of
Armenia. In addition to these measures, Senator Boxer has co-sponsored
and actively sought the support of leaders in the Democratic Party for
legislation on the issue of Genocide reaffirmation. Additionally,
Senator Boxer has been a staunch advocate of aid to the Republic of
Armenia as it undergoes the difficult process of transition towards
democracy and a free market economy. Senator Boxer traveled to Armenia
to witness firsthand these changes and returned as an even stronger
advocate than before.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the 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.
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For the latest news and action alerts log onto _www.anca.org_
() .
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Athens 2004 Olympic Games: A bitter harvest for Armenia
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
AZAD-HYE (30 August 2004): Actually there was no harvest at all. Armenia
could not even pocket a single bronze medal in the Athens 2004 Olympic
Games, although it was represented by 18 sportsmen, performing in nine sport
categories.
All neighboring countries achieved successful presence, compared to their
participation in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (Azerbaijan scored 1 gold and
4 bronze medals, Georgia 2 gold and 2 silver, Turkey 3 gold, 3 silver and 4
bronze, and Iran 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze).
>>From the opening ceremony it was clear that the Armenian team was lacking
motivation. The men were wearing dark soviet style gruesome customs, while
there was only one woman representative in the whole team. The CBS channel
commentator mentioned that half of Armenia’s population is below the poverty
rate and that the winners of the golden medals will receive 40 thousand
dollars (an amount that the Armenian Government eventually will not have to
spend). We were wondering why this sum was not spent before the Olympic
Games.
On 6 August 2004 President Robert Kocharian met with the participants and
coaches of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in a resort located in Dilijan.
Addressing them he said “After the Olympics, I would like to hear each
participant say that he did his best to triumph”. For much of his
disappointment the athletes will have nothing to tell him now. He promised
them to be in Athens in August 23 to encourage them (note that Azerbaijan’s
President and Turkey’s Prime Minister attended the opening ceremony and
inspected the situation of their athletes personally before the start of the
Games).
Armenia first appeared in the Olympic competitions as an independent state
in Atlanta 1996 Games, when Greco-roman wrestler, Arman Nazaryan won
Armenia’s first Olympic title in the flyweight division. Also in Atlanta,
Armen Mkrchyan won a silver medal in light flyweight freestyle wrestling. At
the Sydney 2000 Games, Arsen Melikyan won a weightlifting bronze medal in
the middleweight division to bring the nation’s tally to one gold, one
silver and one bronze.
But the Athens 2004 Games did not witness any kind of achievement under the
Armenian flag, although four individual Armenians achieved medals in
Greco-Roman wrestling under different flags (Armen Nazarian bronze medallist
for Bulgaria; Artiom Kiouregkian bronze medallist for Greece; Ara Abrahamian
silver medallist for Sweden and Mkkhitar Manukyan bronze medallist for
Kazakhstan). Incidentally the last three athletes are born in Gyumri in the
seventies of the last century and their life was devastated as youth when
they witnessed the earthquake of 1989.
Bulgarian “Novinite” newspaper (issue 26/8/2004) says that Armen Nazarian
was one of many Armenian wrestlers who sought greener pastures because of
the lack of funds in his homeland. He initially wanted to compete for
France, but the French said they didn’t have the money to take him. He chose
Bulgaria partly because his girlfriend lived there, but mainly because of an
offer from the Slavia Litex wrestling club, where six of the eight members
of the 1999 Worlds team trained.
Similar stories are behind our other champions who are now competing under
different flags. If this trend continues we will feel much more disappointed
in Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
No peace deal till Armenia pulls back from occupied lands – Azeri minister
Space TV, Baku
31 Aug 04
[Presenter] Azerbaijan may sign a peace agreement after Armenian
troops withdraw from Nagornyy Karabakh, [Azerbaijani Defence Minister]
Safar Abiyev has told a ceremony to celebrate Turkey’s army day.
[Correspondent over video of Abiyev speaking at a rostrum] Azerbaijani
Defence Minister Abiyev has said that he supports the statement of the
Azerbaijani leadership about signing a peace deal with Armenia only if
that country pulls its troops out of Nagornyy Karabakh. Abiyev said
that Azerbaijan’s armed forces support this policy of the country’s
leadership and they are ready to execute all the orders of the supreme
commander to drive Armenian troops out of the occupied lands.
He said that Armenia’s uncompromising position blocks the resolution
of the Karabakh conflict. The policy that the occupying Armenian
leadership is pursuing is a source of threat not just to the South
Caucasus, but to Europe and the world at large. Nevertheless,
the Azerbaijani people will not leave an inch of their land under
Armenian occupation, Abiyev stressed. The defence minister thanked the
leadership of Turkey for its support of Azerbaijan in the settlement
of the [Karabakh] conflict. He particularly noted the contribution
of Turkish specialists to the training of Azerbaijani soldiers.
“I HAVE RECEIVED NO PRIZE IN ARMENIA,” SAYS SINGER AWARDED WITH PRIZES
IN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS
YEREVAN, August 27 (Noyan Tapan). Armenian singer Andre was awarded
with the “World Champion – 2004” diploma during the “World Art
Performance” international competition-festival held in the United
Stated on August 7-14. He performed Latin, pop, sacred and gusan songs
at the festival and was awarded with a gold medal for the performance
of the first three and with a silver medal for gusan songs. But Karine
Sukiasian, producer of the singer who participated in eight
international festivals and returned with prizes from these festivals,
said during the August 27 press conference that Andre wasn’t honored
with other attention besides the congratulations of his relatives and
friends. The sum necessary for participation in the last festival was
searched by his relatives. “I have received no prize in Armenia up to
day, meanwhile I represented Armenia on the international scene for
many times,” stressed the singer. According to him, he received a
proposal to represent another country at the international festival,
but he refused from this proposal. It was also mentioned that after
the festival held in the United States Andre received a proposal of
cooperation from world-famed producer Mike Jho, but the program of
further cooperation hasn’t been specified yet.
Edicom, Suisse
SwissInfo
26 août 2004
Le concours international de violon de Sion sacre un Arménien
SION – Le violoniste arménien Haik Kazazyan, 22 ans, a remporté le
premier prix du concours international de violon de Sion. Il a
également remporté le prix du public et le prix du jury des enfants.
La deuxième place est revenue à l’Américain Nathan Cole.
Ce dernier a également emporté le prix de la meilleure exécution de
l’oeuvre imposée. La troisième place a été attribuée au Hongrois
Antal Szalai, 23 ans, indiquent les organisateurs.
Six violonistes, dont deux femmes, étaient encore en lice pour la
finale. Le concours, qui a débuté le 16 août, a réuni 25 candidats
sélectionnés parmi 80 inscriptions. Les trois lauréats se produisent
jeudi soir à Sion et vendredi soir au Victoria Hall de Genève lors
d’un concert de gala.
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
The Mercury, Australia
Sunday Times, Australia
Advertiser, Australia
Aug 26 2004
On this day
26aug04
1896 – Armenian revolutionaries attack the Ottoman Bank in
Constantinople, provoking a three-day battle in which at least 6,000
Armenians die.
55BC – Roman forces under Julius Caesar invade Britain.
580 – It is thought that toilet paper is invented by the Chinese.
1346 – A cannon is used for the first time in a European battle as
Edward III of England defeats Philip VI of France.
1541 – Suleiman I, Sultan of Turkey, takes Buda and annexes Hungary.
1847 – Liberia is proclaimed an independent republic.
1859 – Britain and Japan sign a commercial treaty.
1883 – A huge eruption of a volcano on Krakatoa island in the Sundra
Strait between Java and Sumatra continues. The two-day eruption and
associated tidal waves kill about 36,000 people and destroy
two-thirds of the island.
1883 – Cricket’s Ashes trophy is created when a defeated English
captain is presented with an urn containing ashes of the 1882-3
stumps following Australia’s victory.
1884 – A patent is granted to German immigrant Ottmar Mergenthaler
for the Linotype machine, which allowed mass production of
newspapers.
1896 – Insurrection begins in the Philippines against the Spanish;
Armenian revolutionaries attack the Ottoman Bank in Constantinople,
provoking a three-day battle in which at least 6,000 Armenians die.
1912 – The first Tarzan story by William Rice Burroughs appears in a
US magazine.
1913 – A Russian pilot, Lieutenant Peter Nesterov, is credited with
becoming the first person to perform the loop-the-loop.
1914 – More than 30,000 Russian troops are killed during WWII as they
are out-manoeuvred by German troops at the battle of Tannenberg.
1915 – German army captures Brest-Litovsk in Russia during World War
I.
1920 – The 19th Amendment to the American Constitution is ratified,
giving women the vote.
1930 – Death of US silent movie actor Lon Chaney who became known as
the man of a thousand faces.
1936 – Treaty ends British occupation of Egypt, except Suez Canal
zone, and Britain and Egypt form alliance for 20 years.
1937 – Japan blockades Chinese shipping; the first televised major
league baseball games is shown in the United States, a doubleheader
between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.
1942 – German army reaches Stalingrad in Soviet Union during World
War II.
1945 – Japanese envoys board US battleship Missouri to receive
surrender instructions at the end of World War II.
1947 – The UN Security Council passes a resolution for both the Dutch
and Indonesians to adhere to a ceasefire order.
1952 – Floods caused by monsoon rains inundate 90 per cent of Manila,
causing at least eight deaths. It is Manila’s third flood in a month.
1957 – Soviet Union announces it has successfully tested an
intercontinental ballistic missile.
1959 – Chinese troops cross into India’s north-eastern territory
after a border dispute.
1964 – Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, bans two black nationalist movements;
student and Buddhist riots force resignation of government of Premier
Nguyen Khanh in South Vietnam.
1967 – Andreas Papandreou, former Greek cabinet minister and son of
ex-premier George Papandreou, is indicted on treason charges and
accused of leading the Aspid (Shield) army conspiracy.
1970 – North Vietnam sends its chief negotiator back to Vietnam peace
talks in Paris after an eight and a half month boycott of
negotiations.
1972 – The summer Olympics games open in Munich, West Germany; death
of British yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester.
1973 – The Cambodian military reports that Khmer Rouge rebel troops
had severed Phnom Penh’s two vital supply roads – one leading to the
seaport and the other to rice fields.
1974 – Death of US aviator Charles Lindbergh.
1978 – Cardinal Albino Luciani of Venice is elected as Pope John Paul
I.
1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin wrap up a two-day summit in Alexandria with the return
of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt scheduled for next April.
1982 – Argentine government lifts a ban on political parties.
1985 – A special French investigator issues a report clearing
France’s Socialist government and the intelligence service of
involvement in the sinking of the Greenpeace protest vessel Rainbow
Warrior in Auckland harbour on July 10.
1988 – Nationwide strike paralyses government and transportation in
Burma and anti-government rallies spread; tens of thousands of civil
rights marchers gather in Washington, DC, on the eve of the 25th
anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
1990 – Number of US soldiers, airmen and sailors in the Gulf reaches
60,000.
1991 – Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev promises new national
elections after the signing of the Union Treaty, but there appears to
be little support for the treaty in the wake of a failed coup
attempt.
1992 – Serb militiamen pound Sarajevo with rockets and mortars,
setting fire to medieval Turkish baths and the main library in the
Bosnian capital.
1993 – Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and 14 others are charged in the World
Trade Centre attack and New York bombing plot.
1994 – US officials acknowledge that the present session of Congress
won’t pass legislation for universal health insurance coverage, which
US President Bill Clinton made the centrepiece of his legislative
agenda.
1995 – The Communist Party in Russia starts a campaign that calls for
resurrection of the Soviet state that collapsed in 1991.
1996 – Former military strongman Chun Doo-hwan is sentenced to death
after being convicted of mutiny and treason in South Korea. His
successor, Roh Tae-woo, is also found guilty and sentenced to 22-1/2
years in prison. They were pardoned a year later.
1997 – South Africa’s last white president, F W De Klerk, resigns as
head of the National Party and leaves politics.
1998 – A three-week-old rebellion reaches the outskirts of Congo’s
capital Kinshasa, and hundreds of soldiers are wounded and killed.
1999 – Anti-independence militiamen rampage through Dili, the capital
of East Timor, raising doubts about the viability of an upcoming vote
on the Indonesian territory’s future.
2000 – Somalis celebrate the election of Abdiqasim Salad Hassan,
their first president in nearly a decade; in a widely covered visit
to Africa US President Bill Clinton appealed to the leaders of
oil-rich Nigeria to set aside political acrimony and concentarte on
lifting its citizens out of poverty.
2001 – Ethnic Albanians rebels hand over machine-guns, mortar tubes
and other heavy weaponry on first day of a NATO mission to collect
arm’s from Macedonia’s militants.
2002 – US President George W Bush admits he is worried about the
economy’s “paltry” growth and, without making promises, assures steel
company executives and workers that protecting domestic steel is a
national security priority.
2003 – Rwandan President Paul Kagame is the overwhelming winner of
presidential elections. The election was the first since the 1994
genocide.
Xinhua General News Service
August 25, 2004 Wednesday 7:30 PM EST
Paris mayor pays homage to liberators of Paris
PARIS
Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe on Wednesday paid homage to all
liberators of Paris in an address at the City Hall to celebrate the
60th anniversary of Paris’ liberation from Nazi occupation.
Delanoe said that Paris’ liberation was the “symbol of the Europe
that freed itself from the Nazi yoke”.
He paid homage to all liberators, including Americans, Spanish,
Armenians, Polish, German anti-Nazi fighters and Italian
anti-Fascists.
“Their will to serve mankind’s dignity and liberty gathered them in
our city, for which they relighted the flame,” he said.
“To all these guides who made our city blazed up when breath of
liberty met with flame of honor, I extend our immense gratitude at
the name of Parisians,” said the mayor.
“Oblivion, indifference or even worse falsification are permanent
dangers at the origine of barbarism, which forms anti- Semitism,
racism or repulsion of others because of their identity, ” he noted.
“To all liberators of Paris, we owe living in the honor,” he said.
After more than four years of Nazi occupation, Paris was liberated by
the 2nd French Armored Division and the 4th US Infantry Division on
Aug. 24-25, 1944.
AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
AGBU APPLAUDS 2004 MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN GRADUATING CLASS
Graduates Achieve Early Admittance to Harvard, Yale, Columbia,
University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and Duke among others.
New York, NY – Addressing AGBU’s 2004 Manoogian-Demirdjian graduating
class, Principal Hagop Hagopian emphasized the importance of civic
responsibility, preserving and strengthening our Armenian identity and
spirit, and having the courage to meet present and future challenges.
The official commencement ceremony, which took place on June 19th,
marked, as noted by Valedictorian Armen Yerevanian, “two separate
events, one: a commemoration of the past; and two: a dedication to the
future and the hope that it brings.” Salutatorian Christina Tokatlian
also addressed the 46 seniors, expressing great pride in her Armenian
heritage, noting that “it is not being born Armenian, but living as
such, which makes us Armenian.”
Chairman of the Manoogian-Demirdjian School Board and AGBU Central
Board Member Sinan Sinanian provided the graduates with words of
wisdom and sound advice before introducing keynote speaker, the
Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA, Dr. Peter
Cowe. Dr. Cowe stressed the importance of and need to preserve our
Armenian culture and homeland.
Taking the podium next, AGBU President Berge Setrakian, took the
opportunity to congratulate the 2004 graduating class and the school
itself for its strong record of achievement as exemplified by the
early acceptances to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, University of
Pennsylvania, MIT, Duke and Johns Hopkins University. “Throughout our
98-year history, our organization has devoted much energy, thought,
and resources to establishing educational programs that meet the needs
of Armenians wherever they may be throughout the world,” remarked
Setrakian.
President Setrakian continued to focus on the importance of education
and the needs of the future generation stating, “as AGBU approaches
its Centennial, we are taking great care to address our mission in
education in the context of immense complexities and diverse needs of
Armenians today…It is critical that we continue to support what is
working so well, improve if we can what is not, but most important,
create new initiatives that take into account the changing needs of
Armenian youth everywhere.”
“As we progress through the 21st Century and attempt to address an
even more fluid and rapidly changing social, political, and
technological climate, it is important for AGBU to reassess the
effective use of its resources, in terms of both human and financial
investments. And let me assure you, we are doing just that,” Setrakian
continued. In concluding his remarks, Setrakian made a special appeal
to the graduates: “AGBU needs your energy, intelligence, and
dedication now and throughout your lives to ensure that hand in hand
we will preserve and promote our Armenian identity and heritage. Good
luck and God speed.”
Founded in 1976, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian is one of the largest
Armenian schools in the Diaspora and continues to serve Southern
California’s growing Armenian community. For more information on AGBU
and its schools, visit
Fresh Fruit with Minted Yogurt
Just one of the many offerings of Armenian cuisine.
I’d be hard put to find a strictly Armenian restaurant in the Bay Area,
although Armenians have long lived in California. That’s one good reason to
check out Barbara Ghazarian’s book Simply Armenian, which is firmly rooted
in the cuisine while modernizing some dishes to make them lighter and less
caloric. The book encompasses 150 dishes from peasant fare to banquet
dishes. My favorites were the bulghur (cracked wheat) and lentil dishes;
kebabs; homemade yogurt and not-too-sweet cakes. Armenians, who are
Christian, have 180 fasting days a year, so vegetarian dishes are a staple.
They shine in this book.
Simply Armenian: Naturally Healthy Ethnic Cooking Made Easy
Barbara Ghazarian
Mayreni Publication
$17.95
ISBN: 1-931834-06-7
96.5 KOIT – San Francisco
Recipes
August 11, 2004