Author: Toganian Liana

FresnoStateNews

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25, 2005

Contact: Shirley Melikian Armbruster

(559) 278-5292 or (559) 593-1815

Fresno State Alum Charlie Keyan Donates $150,000 for Scholarships

A former Fresno State football team athletic manager has donated $150,000 to
California State University, Fresno. Charlie Keyan of Indio, a retired
businessman and farmer who graduated in 1948, has established two endowed
scholarships.
A $100,000 endowment will establish the ~SCharlie Keyan Endowed Scholarship
in Armenian Studies,~T with the income to be used to provide scholarships for
students at Fresno State who enroll in Armenian Studies courses, with
preference for freshmen.

Keyan also provided an endowed scholarship of $50,000 to the Athletics
Department, with the income to be used for scholarships to student-athletes
in the football program.
The donations were made, he said, with a goal of helping young people
complete their college education. He noted that he received help when he was
in college, and now he wants to help students stay in college.

He said he chose to give to Fresno State and in particular to the Armenian
Studies Program because he heard from former classmates and friends how well
the program has been doing under the leadership of director Dr. Dickran
Kouymjian and Barlow Der Mugrdechian.

Keyan indicated that he plans to add funds to the existing scholarships and
establish a separate endowment to benefit students studying agriculture at
Fresno State.
A native of Fresno, Keyan enrolled in Fresno State in 1944, graduating with
a major in history and physical education in 1948.

After graduation he went into business with his brother-in-law in Los
Angeles and later worked the night shift while working as a substitute
teaching during the day. He began purchasing property in the San Fernando
Valley, building multiple housing units on them. He later moved to the
Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs, and farm land. He grew grapes and
shipped and sold his own produce in his own facilities.

Later he began investing in the stock market and was also very successful in
that. He retired in 1988.

Fire, earthquake and hurricane… he’s a hero

Lynn News, UK
24 March 2005

Bryan Kirby is not the sort of person who would ever describe himself as a
hero. But for the hundreds of people he has helped in crisis situations at
home and abroad over the past 35 years, the retained Fakenham fireman has
been just that.

It’s been a devoted commitment since he joined up as a tender 22-year-old
back in 1970, but now Bryan has decided to call it a day.

“The service has changed a lot in recent times, with new health and safety
regulations and revised training systems. I think it’s only right that
someone else should take it forward,” he said.

Bryan was encouraged to join the brigade in the first place by his Uncle
Harry who was a sub-officer at Fakenham. It was the start of regular
Wednesday night practice sessions and call-outs ~V or shouts ~V at any time of
the day or night.

“I was living at home with my parents and the rest of my family then and the
alarm was linked to the telephone. It made a helluva noise so you couldn’t
fail to hear it. Woke everybody up, of course.”

Over the years Bryan gradually achieved various promotions, moving up to
sub-officer and finally station officer.

In 1986 he became a member of the International Rescue Corps, a
multi-national group dedicated to immediate assistance for disaster areas
anywhere in the world.

His first mission was to a huge earthquake in Armenia and in 1989 he was
part of a team rescuing people stranded by Hurricane Hugo in Montserrat.
Subsequent calls found him in Iran, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Georgia and
Japan.

On the home front, Bryan is well known in Fakenham as a successful
businessman.

He started up Fakenham Tyres on the Hempton Road as a one-man band back in
1970 and now employs four full-time mechanics.

More recently he opened Fakenham Superbowl with his wife Kay and extended
its operations to include a children’s indoor play area. These enterprises
have gone from strength- to-strength.

Bryan says he will not miss the alarm calls, especially at night, but he
will definitely miss the camaraderie of all the guys at the station. “You
become very close, especially when you have to deal with things like serious
road accidents which can be very upsetting,” he said.

“Most of the time you get over it among yourselves and it helps to have a
kind of black humour. The service is very good and provides support for
anyone who needs it.”

Now with slightly more time on his hands, Bryan is considering various
business ideas for the future. He has never found it easy to be idle and
with two enterprises still on the go is unlikely to be found twiddling his
thumbs.

One pastime he especially enjoys is cycling and this could be on the
increase as he gets used to life after the fire brigade.

24 March 2005

Armenia and Azerbaijan plan not to exchange prisoners hence, but to release them

Today, Azerbaijan
March 24 2005

24 March 2005 [14:22] – Today.Az

The state commission of Azerbaijan and Armenia on issues of military
prisoners and lost persons plans running regular direct contacts.

Such agreement was concluded at the meeting of representatives of
State commission of both states in Tbilisi.

The agency Trend was informed, Azerbaijan state commission was
represented by secretary of Commission Shahin Sailov and the chief
of Working group Firudin Sadigov and Armenian party was represented
by the deputy chairman of State commission Mikhail Grigorian and his
assistant Leo Agajanov. Co-chairmen of the International working group
on search of lost persons and release of prisoners in Karabakh area
Svetlana Gannushkina and Bernkhard Klazen participated at the meeting.

The meeting was held in business atmosphere, in conditions of mutual
understanding. Mechanism of constructive cooperation, based on
principle of returning of prisoners as soon as possible and without
running of necessary checking, was developed. Participants of the
meeting consider exchange of prisoners as immoral fact, and in future
will raise only the issue on release of prisoners.

Parties declared their readiness to create conditions for meeting
of relatives and representatives of international organizations
with prisoners.

URL:

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS LAW ON COUNTER-TERRORISM

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 23 2005

YEREVAN, March 23 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – The Armenian
National Assembly has adopted the law On Counter Terrorism in the
third final reading.

“This is a model law for CIS countries,” said secretary of the
Dashnaktsutyun faction Grair Karapetyan.

According to him, the law outlines the legal and organizational bases
of counter terrorism and regulates relevant relations.

The law implies the establishment of a coordination body, the
operative counter terrorism headquarters which will be supervised by
the Armenian president.

The republican executive national security body, the Interior Ministry
and the Armenian Armed Forces handle counter terrorism issues. Other
executive bodies also have anti-terrorist authorities.

The law prohibits the distribution of information hampering counter
terrorism activities and exposing the life and health of Armenian
citizens to danger.

Armenian defence minister, US envoy praise military ties

Mediamax news agency
21 Mar 05

Yerevan, 21 March: “Armenia’s cooperation with the European command of
the US armed forces and NATO is confidently moving forward,” Armenian
Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan told US ambassador John Evans today.

The press secretary of the Armenian defence minister, Seyran
Shakhsuvaryan, told Mediamax that the sides discussed details of the
forthcoming visit of the deputy commander of US troops in Europe,
Gen Charles Wald, which is due in late March.

EDITOR OF DRAFT RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONVINCED THAT GERMAN
MPs WILL FOLLOW THEIR CONSCIENCES ON THIS ISSUE

BERLIN, MARCH 18. ARMINFO. The German-Turkish relationship is very
important to Germany and to the Federal Government. The governments of
Germany and Turkey have always solved their differences by mutual
agreement. We are convinced that German Members of Parliament will
nevertheless follow their consciences on this issue, says Mr Christoph
Bergner MP, the editor of the draft resolution on genocide, and
President of the German-Caucasian Parliamentary Group in the
Bundestag.

It is not the first time that the Turkish government has tried to
influence decision making in German federal and state administrations.
To some extent this is quite normal among friendly nations. We
endeavour to conduct a dialogue and to explain our position. Therefore
we hope that our motion will receive a broad backing not only in
Parliament but perhaps finally also by our Turkish partners.

Armenia asks OSCE to set up new factfinding mission

Arminfo
17 Mar 05

YEREVAN

At the request of the Nagornyy Karabakh authorities, Armenia has asked
the OSCE Permanent Council to discuss the issue of setting up a new
factfinding mission for an impartial assessment of the situation in
the districts which were densely populated by Armenians in the past
and are now under Azerbaijan’s control – northern Mardakert, eastern
Martini of Nagornyy Karabakh and Shaumyan District, the Armenian
Foreign Ministry says in a statement issued in connection with today’s
OSCE report on the territories controlled by the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic [NKR].

The Armenian Foreign Ministry also pointed out in the statement that
according to the UN Economic and Social Council’s committee on
economic, social and cultural rights: “The committee expresses its
concern over the illegal seizure by refugees and internally displaced
persons of the property that belonged to the Armenians and other
ethnic minorities.”

Turkish foreign minister views ties with US, EU entry, Cyprus issue

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
14 Mar 05

London, 14 March: Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullah Gul said on Monday [14 March] that the entry negotiations
with the European Union (EU) would be a test for Turkey’s resistance
and patience, adding: “I believe that Turkey will pass this test
successfully.”

Speaking at a conference at the London School of Economics, Gul, who
is currently paying a four-day official visit to Britain, said: “We
are determined to further improve our bilateral relations with
Britain.” Referring to Turkey-the EU relations, Gul said: “Turkey and
the EU have created a synergy in economy and politics. As a result,
Turkey became an attractive country for European investors. Recently,
diplomatic consultations between Turkey and the EU have
increased. Turkey and the EU have also succeeded in creating a joint
power to overcome problems such as fundamentalism, racism and
anti-Semitism. After the EU decided to open entry talks with Turkey on
3 October, the Turkish government has given priority to the
negotiation process with the EU. Therefore, our reforms will continue
rapidly.” “We are aware that the negotiation process will not be
easy. The negotiation process will be a test for Turkey’s resistance
and patience. I believe that Turkey will pass this test successfully,”
he said.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Gul said: “Both Turkey and the
[self-declared] Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have
extended full support to a solution in the island. Turkey’s only
target is to protect rights and security of the Turkish Cypriots. As
you know, Turkish Cypriot people supported United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan in the referendum on April 24th.
However, the embargoes and isolation imposed on them have still been
continuing.”

“Turkey also holds consultations with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia
with the aim of providing peace in southern Caucasus. After Israel
withdraws from Gaza, international community will have to expend more
efforts to resolve the economic problems and the issue of security in
the region,” he said.

Upon a question about Turkey-United States relations, Gul said that
the relations had been progressing on the right track. Replying to
another question, Gul said: “There is not any problem about signing of
the protocol about the customs union. However, Turkey’s signing the
protocol will not mean recognition of the Greek Cypriot side. There
are two separate states and two separate nations on the island.”

Upon a question about the events during a demonstration in Istanbul
marking the International Women’s Day, Gul said: “We do not approve
such events. We have launched an investigation into them. Such events
can be experienced anywhere in the world. Turkey has made the
necessary reforms, however, it will take time to remove the problems
in implementation.”

When asked what would happen if the EU Constitution was rejected in
referendums in France and the other countries, Gul said: “It may lead
to a crisis both in the EU and in those countries. Such a crisis can
normally affect Turkey.”

Armenia to shift to Summer Time on 27 March

Arminfo
15 Mar 05

YEREVAN

Armenia will shift to Summer Time on the night of 26 March leading to
27 March.

Residents of the country will have to move clocks one hour forward at
0200 on 27 March [2200 gmt on 26 March], the National Institute of
Meteorology has told an Arminfo correspondent.

Gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia dominates Georgian PM’s talks

Payvand’s Iran
3/12/05

Yerevan, March 12, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA — A gas pipeline from Iran to
Armenia was among the topics that topped the agenda of talks Georgian
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and authorities in Yerevan on Friday
and Saturday.

“We want the gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia that is under
construction to be used in the future for gas imports to Georgia,”
Nogaideli said on Saturday, summing up the results of his visit
to Yerevan.

“This project will benefit Armenia, and if today Georgia is a transit
country for Armenia, Armenia will then become a transit country for
Georgia,” he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan said, “The Georgian
side raised the question of Armenia becoming a transit route for
the transportation of gas from Iran to Georgia and Ukraine through
Armenia.”

Currently Armenia receives natural gas from Russia through Georgia and
regards the gas pipeline from Iran as an alternative way to strengthen
its energy security.

The head of the Russian-Armenian joint venture ArmRosgazprom, Karen
Karapetyan, said earlier that the gas pipeline from Iran would be
used exclusively for the internal needs of Armenia and not for transit.