Author: Tigranian Ani

MP says Council of Europe’s Karabakh resolution advantageous to Armenia

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
25 Jan 05

[Presenter] The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE]
today called for more efforts to settle peacefully the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. A resolution adopted in this regard today called on
Yerevan and Baku to refrain from using military force against each
other.

[Correspondent Artur Grigoryan reports outside PACE building in
Strasbourg] Armenia and Azerbaijan were admitted to the Council of
Europe on 25 January 2001, having undertaken a commitment to settle
the conflict peacefully.

There could also be a military solution, when Azerbaijan consolidates
its potential at the expense of its oil. In this case, of course,
Azerbaijan will cease to be a member of the Council of Europe,
[British MP] David Atkinson said.

One out of three Armenian proposals was adopted, according to which
Armenia should bring its influence to bear on Nagornyy Karabakh to
achieve a peaceful settlement. It means that Karabakh is given a
chance to be a party to the negotiations. David Atkinson stressed this
suggesting that Azerbaijan hold consultations with Armenia and
Karabakh without any preconditions.

[Armen Rustamyan, member of the Armenian delegation in Strasbourg,
captioned] Although some changes have been made to the document, I am
concerned. First, will the Minsk process [peace talks mediated by the
OSCE Minsk Group] benefit form all these? I think that all the
amendments made to the resolution did not take into consideration 12
years of the Minsk process experience.

[Tigran Torosyan, deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament and head
of the Armenian delegation] The resolution adopted today has two
important advantages for Armenia. First, this is the first document
which says that any territory can be separated from any country
democratically and based on the support of the people living on that
territory. It is obvious that this is the problem of Nagornyy Karabakh
and we shall develop this idea in the future in order to achieve a
final resolution for Karabakh.

The second aspect is the most important one connected with future
efforts. The session pointed out that starting from today Armenians
and Azerbaijanis should establish contacts, build an atmosphere of
confidence and create cooperation possibilities. I would like to
remind you that this is Armenia’s positions repeated over years. The
Parliamentary Assembly confirmed Armenia’s position, and I am sure
that if in a year they again return to this resolution Azerbaijan will
face two problems. It will either continue to stick to its position
that cooperation is possible only after the conflict settlement or
have to answer to the assembly over its failure to implement this
resolution.

[Correspondent] It is noteworthy that delegations from nine countries
joined the Armenian side’s proposal, and only Turkey supported
Azerbaijan’s proposals.

IranMania, Iran
Jan 25 2005

Khatami, Aliyev optimistic about enhancing cooperation

LONDON, Jan 25 (IranMania) – Immediately after the formal ceremony to
welcome Azeribaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Iranian and Azeri
presidents expressed their desire for expanding Tehran-Baku
relations.

President Mohammad Khatami accompanied by President Ilham Aliyev told
reporters at Sadabad Complex that Iran is keen on further development
of relations with Azerbaijan Republic, IRNA reported.

Responding to an Azeri reporter about what Iran will do to help
resolve Karabakh crisis, President Khatami said that Iran is among
the few countries which supports Azerbaijan’s national sovereignty
and territorial integrity.

“Iran believes that the Karabakh crisis would be resolved through
logic and understanding between the two parties without resorting to
force. I believe that Karabakh conflict will be resolved if the two
sides seriously decide to do so,” he said.

Khatami noted that Iran has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan
and Armenia and is ready to mediate between them to help resolve the
crisis at the earliest.

Whether there is similarity between the occupation of Arab lands by
the Zionist Israeli regime and occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the
Iranian president said Iran condemns occupation and use of force by
any country.

“Of course, there is a difference. I believe Israel has occupied the
entire Palestine and established an illegitimate existence, but
Armenia is a country itself. But at the same time, occupation and
seizure of an inch of the other’s territory is condemned and the
international community should help end the occupation,” Khatami
said.

President Aliyev told reporters that his visit to Iran is aimed at
developing relations in all fields, including the economy.

He pointed to the accords President Khatami signed during his visit
to Baku and said Azerbaijan is keen on the implementation of these
accords.

Aliyev further said Tehran-Baku relations are developing rapidly and
political and economic cooperation is excellent.

“The exchange of visits by presidents of the two countries indicates
the extent of relations enjoyed by the two countries,” he said.

Donald Kuspit To Speak on Arshile Gorky

ArtDaily.com
January 21, 2005

LOS ANGELES, CA.- Donald Kuspit, one of America’s most distinguished
art critics, is making a rare speaking appearance in Los Angeles at
Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, 357 N. La Brea Ave., on Friday, January 28,
7:30 p.m. Dr. Kuspit will present “A Discussion on Arshile Gorky”, on
whom he has written and lectured extensively.

In his roles as a critic, art historian, author of countless articles
and more than twenty books, Donald Kuspit is among the most respected,
prolific and at times provocative commentators on modern and
contemporary art.

Donald Kuspit is Professor of Art History at Stony Brook University,
New York. Winner of the prestigious Frank Jewett Mather Award for
Distinction in Art Criticism given by the College Art Association, he
is a Contributing Editor at Artforum, Sculpture, and Tema Celeste
magazines, the Editor of Art Criticism, and on the advisory board of
Centennial Review.

“An Evening with Donald Kuspit” at Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, 357 N. La
Brea Ave. in Los Angeles is sponsored by the Hans G. and Thordis
W. Burkhardt Foundation and is free and open to the public, but space
is limited. This lecture is presented in conjunction with “Arshile
Gorky – The Early Years,” an exhibition of 67 works by this important
20th Century artist. The exhibition extends through February 26. Those
wishing to attend should R.S.V.P. to (323) 938-5222 to reserve
seating.

;int_new=12396

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND JEWISH HOLOCAUST INTERWOVEN BY IMPUNITY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22. ARMINFO. The Armenian Genocide is connected with
threads of impunity to the Jewish Holocaust, says Armenia’s FM Vardan
Oskanyan before his trip to New York for speaking at the UN special
session devoted to the 60th anniversary of the liberation of
concentration camp prisoners during WWII.

The 60th anniversary of the libration of Osvencim is a historic
event. The participation of Oskanyan in the session reflects Armenia’s
political stance. “It’s our moral debt to be there and to speak on
that day. Osvencim is a manifestation of the Jewish Holocaust,” says
Oskanyan reminding the words of Hitler after the Holocaust: “who now
remembers the Armenian Genocide.” Today the Armenian Genocide is one
of the topical issues of the international politics and unless it is
settled fairly there will be no fair solution to the Holocaust and
effective prevention to possible genocide in the future. Oskanyan says
that in his speech he will focus on genocide prevention through
recognition and condemnation.

Film/Music Recommendations

The Absolute Sound’s 2004
Golden Ear Awards
2004_golden_music_awards.jsp

Welcome to our annual Music Golden Ear Awards, with each writer choosing up
to three of his favorite records and/or multi-disc series released in 2004,
giving equal consideration to musical and sonic merits. The selections aren’
t meant as the reviewers’ definitive Top Three from 2004, but as three of
the year’s unequivocal best.

BOB GENDRON
Diamanda Galás: La Serpenta Canta. Blaise Dupuy, producer. Mute 9255 (2 CDs)
Buy CD
Diamanda Galás: Defixiones: Will and Testament, Orders From the Dead. Blaise
Dupuy, producer. Mute 9254 (2 CDs) Buy CD

An inimitable performer whose confrontational methods and avant-garde
approaches are nearly as famous as her disarming four-octave vocal range,
Diamanda Galás has returned after a five-year hiatus with two astonishing
double albums, both recorded in concert during 2001 and ’02. Each finds her
sounding demonically possessed. A solo record of voice and piano, La
Serpenta Canta is a harrowing set of blues, spiritual, soul, and country
covers that Galás’ fiery voice makes shiver, shriek, and haunt. Fiendish,
mighty, and delicate, her radical reinterpretation of traditional American
song probes the psychological depths of loss, death and horror with a stark,
sacrificial vision. Gorgeously packaged in hardcover-book form with detailed
liner notes and translations, Defixiones: Will and Testament is a
multi-language song cycle of poems that speak to Armenian, Greek, and
Assyrian genocides committed by Turkey in the early 20th century. Unearthing
atrocities condoned by the Allied Nations, Galás invokes past historical
injustices, her arresting passion and dramatic ache capturing human tragedy
in an apocalyptically surreal manner. Galás turns piano keys into sharp
icicles that prick and pierce. Faint electronic treatments provide chilling
background ambiance. Against it all, her voice hisses like a snake,
screeches like a bat, and bellows as if it were that of a sinner trapped in
the bowels of hell. On both records, intimate sonics give listeners a
carnage-splattered front seat to the world’s ongoing social and political
conflicts, and bring Galás’ transfixing grief-stricken voice up-close and
personal. Both sets close with a sensory-shattering rendition of Blind Lemon
Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” the singer’s extreme cadence
ricocheting as if the song’s two white horses are being tied together and
pulled in opposite directions until all that remain are shallow pools of
blood.

Elliott Smith: from a basement on a hill. Smith, et al., producers. Anti
86741 Buy CD

Initially deemed a suicide, Elliott Smith’s death remains an unsolved
mystery. The artist’s battles with depression, isolation, and drugs-which
provided him bittersweet inspiration, even here-were widely known. But
according to close friends, before his untimely death, the sensitive
Portland singer-songwriter was approaching life with newfound zest. If from
a basement on a hill-circumstantially Smith’s last album, 15 beautiful and
often intimate songs he completed before passing-is any indication, he wasn’
t a man planning to die. Sunshine bursts through even the thickest liquor
hangovers and pharmaceutical hazes, Smith’s mellifluous voice softly
hovering over a harmonious blend of crashing cymbals, radiant rhythms,
glowing acoustic strumming, light piano notes, and ballroom romance. He
wistfully professes to being “strung out again,” yet if this heartbreaking
and hopeful batch of radiant pop waltzes, scintillating melodies, and
shimmering poetry says anything, Smith was drunk on life’s dreams. The album
‘s sonics-from the warm washes of guitar chords to the finger-pick scraping
of strings-make it painfully evident that, like Buckley and Cobain before
him, this shooting star streaked across the sky much, much too soon.

The Clash: London Calling (Legacy Edition). Mick Jones, producer; Tony
Dixon, mastering. Columbia/Legacy 92923 (2 CDs) Buy CD
Universally and justly regarded as one of the ten best albums in rock
history, The Clash’s London Calling has been significantly expanded and
given the red-carpet treatment as a two-CD, one-DVD 25th Anniversary “Legacy
Edition.” Originally released in December 1979, the 19-song double-LP
telegraphed punk’s vital cry out to every corner of the world, lassoing
reggae, soul, rock, blues, country, funk, and jazz as no artist had
previously done. Featuring 21 unreleased performances-including four unknown
Clash songs-the long-lost Vanilla Tape recordings, finally discovered in
March by Mick Jones, fill disc two of this seminal set. Though of rough demo
quality, they’re a window on rehearsal sessions that went down at Vanilla
Studios, the London car repair shop that functioned as the setting for
material that became a generational juggernaut. Remastered and loaded with
two booklets, superb liner notes, and photos, London Calling has never
sounded better.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 13 2005

Armenia wants to forge ties with Turkey without pre-conditions

Armenia supports forging ties with Turkey without any pre-conditions,
Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanian told journalists on
Wednesday.
`Despite this position of Armenia, Turkey continues to link the issue
of opening the Armenia-Turkey border and eliminating the existing
differences with a number of unacceptable terms.’
Oskanian said that no changes have been observed in the
Armenia-Turkey relations in 2004 due to the non-constructive position
of Turkey. However, he noted that last year he met with his Turkish
counterpart Abdullah Gul in Istanbul and New York to discuss the
political situation in the region and the world. Moreover, foreign
ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey met as part of the NATO
summit in Istanbul, he added.*

VARTAN OSKANIAN: DETAILS STYMIE NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Azg/arm
14 Jan 05

Vartan Oskanian, RA foreign minister, discussed his Prague meeting
with his Azeri counterpart.

Oskanian stated that the resumption of the negotiations after some
break was a positive step and some progress had been fixed. The
Ministers cleared out that there is similarity in comprehension of
some issues, but only in deep issues. “When you go into details, it
turns out that the common points are not that close to discuss them in
details,” RA foreign minister said.

In response to the question put by daily Azg whether they discussed
the probability of solving the Nagorno Karabakh issue through
referendums in two countries, Oskanian said: “Spare me of answering
this question. All the questions connected with Karabakh are being
discussed thoroughly. We will see in future how these issues will
develop. A rather complicated process is expected, but we expect some
prospects.”

Two foreign Ministers agreed to be careful in making statements not to
hinder the settlement of the issue. The negotiation process has
entered a more serious stage and one should be more cautious.

Oskanian didn’t specify about the details of the negotiations for this
very reason. He stated that it is early to speak of the probability of
applying any of the step-by-step versions. That period has passed
already and the general principles are being discussed now.

Though the general circle of the issues exists already but it was
obvious that “before going into details, we should consolidate those
issues.”

As for the aspects and events of the last year, Oskanian emphasized
the importance of imparting the economic element to the country’s
foreign policy and the processes of the integration into Europe.

Oskanian stated that “in the aspect of multilateral diplomacy Armenia
was rather active and widely involved in the international and
regional processes and deepened its relations with its traditional
friends in 2004. The intensive diplomacy will continue in 2005, as
well.

As for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the last year yielded
good results. Argentina, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Canada
joined the countries that recognized the Armenian genocide. As for the
European Parliament, it made its stance over the Armenian Genocide
more concrete, demanding from Turkey to recognize the crime committed
against the Armenians and to open the borders with Armenia. This year,
when Armenia is going to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, it’s the most appropriate time to raise this issue
in the international instances again, as today this issue is still
actual for many countries of the world.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
01/12/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Oskanian Holds Press Conference after Meeting with Azeri Counterpart
2) Schwarz Joins Congressional Armenian Caucus
3) Turkey Criticized by Europe’s Rights Court over Treatment of Journalist
4) Kocharian, Vardanian Prioritize Social Sector

1) Oskanian Holds Press Conference after Meeting with Azeri Counterpart

YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE-RL)–Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian revealed
during a press conference on Wednesday that 2005 could prove to be decisive
for
the resolution of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict.
“The second phase of the Prague process will be qualitatively different from
the previous phases,” he said, referring to his face-to-face meeting with
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Tuesday.
“A serious political will and consistency must be displayed here. The year
will be quite intensive,” he told a news conference Yerevan.
Without divulging details about his meeting with Mammadyarov and separate
talks with international mediators also held in Prague on Tuesday, Oskanian
said that the conflicting parties have yet to reach a full agreement on “the
framework of issues” that have been the main subject of their discussions
since
last spring.
Noting that the Azeri press very often releases inaccurate information,
Oskanian stressed, “We have entered a more serious round in the negotiation
process and in order not to put the other side in a difficult position we must
be careful in our statements.”
Mammadyarov was similarly reserved in publicly commenting about the meeting.
“We are happy with the current level of discussions,” Azeri media quoted
him as
saying. “The main result of the meeting is that the parties agreed to continue
negotiations in a positive spirit.”

2) Schwarz Joins Congressional Armenian Caucus

Detroit, MI (ANCA)–Newly elected Rep. John “Joe” Schwarz has become the
newest
member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. Schwarz’s entrance into
the Caucus brings its membership to over 140.
During Schwarz’s campaign for Congress last year, the ANC of Michigan
played a
key role in supporting the candidate by introducing him to members of the
local
Armenian-American community, as well as co-sponsoring a fundraiser with
Armen-PAC and AAPAC of Michigan last June before Michigan’s August primary
election. Schwarz’s 7th Congressional District stretches from Western
Washtenaw
County near Ann Arbor to Coldwater, near the Indiana border.
With Schwarz’s Caucus membership, Michigan’s 15-member Congressional
delegation will now have 13 Caucus members. “I am very appreciative for the
superb support given to my candidacy for Congress by the Michigan
Armenian-American Community, and I look forward to being an active Member on
the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,” said Schwarz. “As a student of
history, I have always been fascinated by the history, the great trials and
tribulations, and the pride in heritage of the Armenian People.”
“We welcome Joe’s membership in the Armenian Issues Caucus and look
forward to
working with him on a number of issues of special concern to his
Armenian-American constituents,” said Georgi-Ann Oshagan, ANC of Michigan
chairwoman. “Joe promised us here in southeastern Michigan that he would
immediately join the Caucus if elected, and he kept that promise.”
Schwarz is a practicing physician and served in Vietnam in the US Navy. He
also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Schwarz was most recently a
state senator from Battle Creek, and is a former city commissioner and
mayor of
Battle Creek.
Founded in 1995, the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues is a bipartisan
forum for the discussion of policies to foster increased cooperation between
the United States and Armenian governments and to strengthen the enduring
bonds
between the American and Armenian peoples. It was founded by Congressmen Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and John Porter (R-IL) and is currently co-chaired by Rep.
Pallone and Michigan Republican Joe Knollenberg.

3) Turkey Criticized by Europe’s Rights Court over Treatment of Journalist

STRASBOURG (AFP)–Turkey was criticized by the European Court of Human Rights
on Tuesday over its treatment of a journalist who reviewed books about the
sensitive Kurdish southeast of the country.
One of the books reviewed by Attila Halis in January 1994 was written by
convicted Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, who for many years was
Turkey’s
most wanted man. Ocalan was captured by Turkish undercover agents in Kenya in
1999, brought back to Turkey, and sentenced to death. His sentence was later
changed to life in prison.
Rebels from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been held responsible by
Ankara for a 15-year civil conflict that claimed more than 30,000 lives in
southeast Turkey.
Halis was given a one-year jail sentence and a heavy fine in March 1995 for
disseminating propaganda after a trial presided over by a Turkish military
judge.
After losing an appeal, Halis went on the run, but the Turkish police caught
up with him in March 2002. His sentence was finally suspended in July the same
year.
The European court declared that Ankara had violated the European Convention
on Human Rights in two areas: the right to freedom of expression and the right
to a free and fair trial.
“The applicants conviction was disproportionate to the aims pursued and,
accordingly, not necessary in a democratic society,” the court declared.
The article was never actually published, as the January 2, 1994 edition of
the paper, Ozgur Gundem, was seized before it was distributed.
At a historic summit in Brussels in December, Turkey was invited by the
European Union to begin membership talks in October; however, the country was
advised that it must ensure that recent legislation adopted to improve human
rights was applied at all levels.
The president of the European Court of Human Rights Luzius Wildhaber recently
declared that Turkey’s once widely faulted legal practices were approaching
European standards.

4) Kocharian, Vardanian Prioritize Social Sector

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–President Robert Kocharian and Labor and Social Affairs
Minister Aghvan Vardanian discussed social sector reforms on Tuesday, and
announced that their 2005 priorities include reforming the pension system.
They
proposed the introduction of a mixed system that combines public and private
sources to finance pensions.
Vardanian said the two also discussed the introduction of Social Security
cards to the country, noting that 2.2 million people have applied, and 1.6
million have already been issued cards.
The Social Security Foundation was also reviewed at the meeting, the minister
said, adding that beginning this year, the social security tax will be
collected by the Tax Inspectorate.

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Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 29 2004

Baku Expects Progress in January Meeting of Azeri, Armenian FMs

Baku expects considerable progress at the meeting of Azerbaijani and
Armenian foreign ministers upcoming in January, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov told local ATV channel.

`If Armenia continues to approach the issue seriously, as it did at
the Sofia and Brussels meetings of foreign ministers, remarkable
changes will be achieved in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement.’

Asked whether the January meeting can be termed as a start of the
second stage of Prague meetings, Mammadyarov said: `In general, I am
opposed to breaking the talks into stages. The meeting should be
considered continuation of the Prague process.’

The foreign minister added that the parties will set the exact time
of the meeting early next month after a telephone conversation.

NKR FM AGAINST NEGOTIATIONS FOR RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WITH
ANY PRECONDITIONS

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 27. ARMINFO. I am against negotiations for
resolution of Karabakh conflict with any preconditions. Negotiations
proceed from the necessity of life and if Baku really needs these
negotiations, it will apply with a relevant proposal, the newly
appointed minister of foreign affairs of NKR, Arman Melikyan, said in
response to the question concerning the readiness of Baku to start
talks with Karabakh if Armenia leaves the negotiation process.

According to ARMINFO’s special correspondent to Stepanakert, the
minister noted that the basic aspect of the ministry’s activity in the
foreign political sphere is achivement of international recognition of
NKR. It will become a corner stone of our work and all our contacts
both bilateral and under international organizations will depend on
it, Melikyan said. The minister called the protection of NKR citizens’
rights abroad one of the most important directions of the activity of
the foreign ministry. The minister pointed out that he will control
over the given process himself. He refuted the information spread by
Azerbaijani Mass Media “on the move of NKR Foreign Ministry to
Yerevan.” “The point is not the move of NKR FM to Yerevan, The point
is that our efforts on solution to major political tasks require
presence of the minister in Yerevan. It is accounted for by the fact
that we must activate the contacts with international organizations
and the diplomatic missions in Armenia, as well as with the Foreign
Ministry of Armenia. It is just a functional issue and in the
succession of time the given issue will fall away when there will be
an opportunity to organize the main volume of contacts in the
territory of NKR,” Armen Melikyan said.