Author: Toganian Liana

ST PETERSBURG: HARES AND ‘CHIZHIKS’
By Philip Marriott The Moscow News

Moscow News (Russia)
September 1, 2004

Spending a few days in St. Petersburg can present you with a
difficult choice as far as sightseeing goes; there is just too much
to see and wonder at that it’s hard to know where to start. Anything
located in the centre will shake Moscow out of the hair, certainly
looking at the architecture or other visual attractions. And then of
course further afield are Peterhof, or Repino.

Take one of the canal trips through the city centre and you will
learn why Petersburg has been described in the past as a floating
city between two worlds. Without a doubt this is the best way to see
the city as you pass by former palaces of the tsarist elite,
barracks, and gardens like the Letny Sad or Summer Garden containing
antique sculptured figures from classical mythology along with
allegorical figures of such notions as wisdom, truth etc. The Summer
Garden is right next to Marsovo Polye or Mars Field with its monument
to the Unknown Soldier. The boat takes you across the Neva to show
you the battleship Aurora and Petropavlovskaya Krepost – Peter’s
castle, the original core of St. Petersburg. Some things you won’t be
able to see from the boat however are the beautiful Armenian and
Catholic churches on Nevsky Prospekt (Nevsky Avenue). The Armenian
with one of the latest additions to the town, a fountain in the form
of a tree bearing pomegranates, the Catholic one under renovation and
with a very informative display about the history of the church
itself and some of the horrors it and its congregation have gone
through.

Recent additions to the monuments in the city include two charming
bronze sculptures, one of which is the Hare atop a wooden pillar just
under one of the bridges leading to Zayachy Ostrov (Hare Island). You
can also see living compatriots nearby in the zoo – a good option if
you are with kids. The other monument on a small scale is the Chizhik
or bird sculpture on the wall of the Fontanka canal and opposite the
famous house of the same name – a former palace of Sheremetyev and
later where Anna Akhmatova lived and received her famous visitor
Isaiah Berlin. The bird commemorates the fact that former students of
the law school nearby were called Chizhik-Pizhiks because the colors
of their uniform were the same as the bird. A rhyme grew up on the
theme of the students secretly going to a notorious nearby drinking
place. ‘Chizhik-Pizhik, gdye ty byl: where have you been? Drinking
vodka by the Fontanka. I had one, I had a few and now…I’m drunk!’
It gets lost in translation!MN

PRESENTATION OF BOOK ABOUT SECRET SERVICE MAN HAYK HOVAKIMIAN TAKES PLACE

YEREVAN, August 31 (Noyan Tapan). On August 31, the presentation of
the “Resident” documentary book by publicist Ashot Aghababian took
place. The book describes the adventurous life of Hayk Hovakimian,
a General-Major, a doctor of chemical sciences, a USSR resident of
secret service in the US in 1938-41. While working at the book the
author studied numerous archives materials and documents, which for
about 60 years were kept in the archives of the USSR State Security
Committee and in the closed museum of the Secret Service with “top
secret,” “burn in case of danger” inscriptions. Arevshat Avagian,
the Chairman of the Armenian Fund of Culture, mentioned that only
since 90-s of the previous century articles, books about Armenian
secret service men, General Ivan Aghayants and Mihkail Alaverdov,
Colonel Gevorg Vardanian and others began to be published in Russia
and Armenia, films about them were shown.

Worldwide Faith News (press release)
Aug 27 2004

WCC LEADER RECOGNIZES “PROPHETIC ROLE”
OF CHURCHES IN KOREAN UNITY AND PEACE

Full text of the statements and photos available, see below.

“Churches are called to play a prophetic role in the promotion of
justice, peace and reconciliation in both North and South at this
critical point in Korean history,” stated WCC central committee
moderator Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Cilicia)
in Seoul, as the WCC executive committee adopted a declaration
focusing on Korean reunification.

In a public statement on Korea, the executive committee recognized the
risk of conflict on the Korean peninsula, and urged the churches and
the international community to find ways of consolidating efforts for
a peaceful reunification of North and South Korea.

It called on churches to “mobilize support” for actions which
reinforced stability, dialogue and exchange in the region, and urged
the lifting of sanctions and the provision of aid to North
Korea. Earlier in the week, the WCC leadership met with South Korean
president Roh Moo-hyu and officials at the South Korean Ministry of
Unification.

The statement was issued as the WCC executive committee completed its
meeting in Seoul, the first to be held in an Asian country, 24-27
August 2004. The meeting, which also reviewed WCC programmatic
activity and administrative issues, was hosted by the National Council
of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and visits were made during the week to
the WCC member churches in the country.

Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan

Commenting on other issues of international concern, the committee
encouraged WCC to work with other civil society groups in support of
the renewed peace initiative in Somalia. The moderator of the WCC
Commission of Churches on International Affairs, Ambassador Betheul
Kiplagat, is leading the peace negotiations in the country.

In a minute on Zimbabwe, the executive urged the Zimbabwean churches
to support efforts towards democratic reform, and agreed to send an
international ecumenical team to the churches there as a sign of
encouragement and solidarity. The country faces serious social
upheaval and politically-motivated violence.

In a statement on the situation in Sudan, the WCC executive committee
deplored the ongoing humanitarian disaster and forced displacement of
civilians in the Darfur region, and urged the African Union and the
United Nations to provide for an international peace-keeping force,
the investigation of war crimes, and the full deployment of
independent observers to monitor the cease-fire and human rights in
the region.

A step towards consensus

The WCC executive committee marked a significant step forward in the
introduction of a consensus model of decision-making in the WCC by
authorizing the necessary changes to WCC rules for the next central
committee. According to Catholicos Aram I, “much more than a change of
procedures, a consensus approach will enable all programmes and
actions of the WCC to be perceived as building fellowship and
understanding.”

The move to consensus was decided after some member churches,
especially the Orthodox churches, expressed disagreement with the
current style of WCC decision-making.

Religions as a source of peace

The committee voiced support for a major international inter-religious
conference to be sponsored by the WCC in June 2005. According to WCC
general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, “the Council seeks to uphold
how religion can be used as a source of peace and justice around the
world, and avoid situations when religion can be a source of
conflict.”

The next meeting of the WCC central committee will be held in Geneva
in February 2005, one year before WCC the ninth assembly in Porto
Alegre, Brazil. During the week, the Korean churches reiterated their
hope that a future WCC assembly will be held in their country.

The full texts of WCC executive committee statements are available at

Photos of the WCC visit to Korea are available at:
4.html

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Communications Officer
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
August 26, 2004
___________________

Week of August 20 to August 26, 2004
* * *

PRIMATE HEADED TO RACINE FOR ORDINATIONS THIS WEEKEND

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), will be at the St. Mesrob Church of Racine,
WI, this weekend. On Saturday night (8/28), he will lead a vespers
service at 6 p.m., followed by the ordination of acolytes. During the
Divine Liturgy on Sunday (8/29), starting at 9:30 a.m., the Primate will
ordain sub-deacons and a deacon. For more on his visit, including a
list of those to be ordained, click to our website:
;selmonth=8&sel
year04

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/25/04)
* * *

CATHOLICOS CONSECRATES NEW CHURCH IN UKRAINE

On Monday (8/23) His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, traveled to Kharkov, Ukraine, where he
consecrated the newly built Church of the Holy Resurrection on Tuesday
(8/24). It is the first Armenian Church in the eastern Ukraine.

(Source: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 8/24/04)
* * *

PRIMATE VISITS HIGH SCHOOL GRADS AT ST. NERSESS

Last week the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary welcomed high school
graduates and college students for a week-long summer conference.
Archbishop Barsamian visited with the students last Tuesday (8/17). The
conference was just one of a series of week-long gatherings held
throughout the summer at the Seminary, during which students focus on
the Armenian Christian faith. For more on these programs and others St.
Nersess has for the public, click to its website:

(Source: St. Nersess Seminary, 8/26/04)
* * *

PAYING RESPECTS TO LATE ARTIST

Last week the Armenian community laid to rest “Katchaz” Kechejian, an
artist who came to America 30 years ago from Armenia, where he lived
after leaving his native Beirut. His funeral was held last Friday
(8/20) at the St. Gregory the Enlightener Church in White Plains, NY,
where he was a parishioner. Archbishop Barsamian delivered remarks
during a wake held last Wednesday (8/18).

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/25/04)
* * *

NEW PRIEST ASSIGNED TO CATHEDRAL IN YEREVAN

The V. Rev. Fr. Anushavan Jamkotchian, a member of the Brotherhood of
Holy Etchmiadzin, has been assigned by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, as the parish priest of the
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral of Yerevan. Fr.
Jamkotchian recently completed his doctorate education at the Rheinische
Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn, Germany.

(Source: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 8/25/04)
* * *

FAMILY PAYS TRIBUTE TO MOTHER IN ARMENIA

Two siblings, Gregory Manuelian and Christine Brewster, recently paid
tribute to their late mother, Diane Manuelian, by working with the Fund
for Armenian Relief (FAR) — the Diocesan-affiliated aid organization —
to build a new playground for the children at the Nork Orphanage in
Yerevan. To read more about how the pair worked with FAR to build a
better future for Armenia, click to FAR’s homepage:

(Source: Fund for Armenian Relief, 8/24/04)
* * *

STAND UP AGAINST GENOCIDE

The Eastern Diocese is working with a number of international ecumenical
and aid organizations to bring attention to the genocide in Sudan, and
to send help to the victims of the violence. Click to our website to
learn more, and to see how you can help:
;selmonth=8&sel
year04

(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 8/24/04)

# # #

Armenian parliamentary candidate complains about “gross breaches” of law

Arminfo, Yerevan
19 Aug 04

YEREVAN

The parliamentary by-election campaign in Armenia’s 44th constituency
is going on with gross breaches of the country’s electoral laws.
Candidate Babken Markaryan told today’s news conference at the
Pakagits Club that supporters of some candidates were collecting
voters’ passports, bribing them so that they cast their votes for this
or that candidate. “A vote in the 44th constituency costs from 10,000
to 20,000 drams [18-36 dollars],” Markaryan said. He also said that
supporters of some candidates were putting pressure on his
followers. Markaryan claims that unidentified men have lately attacked
his supporters and beaten them.

Markaryan also said that other candidates’ supporters always tear his
election posters down from walls. “This stopped only after I called
Aram Sarkisyan, parliamentary candidate Artak Sarkisyan’s brother, and
asked him to calm down his supporters,” he said. Markaryan said that
he had decided to stand in the election only at the request of voters
from the 44th constituency, who urged him not to surrender and to
struggle to the very end. The candidate expressed his confidence in
his victory if the election is free and fair.

The by-election in the 44th constituency is being held because deputy
from the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed Country] Party, Aram Arutyunyan,
has been appointed to the post of the town planning minister. Five
candidates are standing in the election, with Araik Ayrapetyan, owner
of a chain of pharmacies and the Lavanda dry-cleaner, and Artak
Sarkisyan, co-chairman of the SAS Group of companies, being the main
contenders.

Araik Ayrapetyan is a member of the Nig-Aparan union [of countrymen]
and enjoys the support of the union’s honorary chairman, Armenian
Prosecutor-General Agvan Ovsepyan. His candidacy is also supported by
the People’s Deputy group, which consists of businessmen and which
Ayrapetyan is planning to join if elected to the National
Assembly. Artak Sarkisyan’s candidacy is supported by the Orinats
Yerkir Party, of which he is a member.

The by-election in the 44th constituency will be held on 29 August.

Armenian president off to Athens to watch Olympic Games

Mediamax news agency
23 Aug 04

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan left for Athens today.

The presidential press service told Mediamax news agency today that
Robert Kocharyan will watch the performance of Armenian sportsmen at
the Olympic Games.

Edmonton Sun (Alberta, Canada)
August 21, 2004 Saturday Final Edition

HISTORY CHANNELLING;
THAT’S THE GRECIAN FORMULA FOR THESE OLYMPIC GAMES

BY DAVE ‘CRASH’ CAMERON, EDMONTON SUN

The Olympics are all about history.

The first to be documented was held in ancient Greece in 776 BC.

Coroebus, a cook from Elis, won the sole event – a run of
approximately 192 metres (210 yards).

The competitors were naked. But it is not known whether Coroebus also
cooked in the nude.

The Olympics were shut down in AD 393 by a Roman emperor because he
didn’t like its “pagan influences.”

This is the first case of political meddling messing up the Games.

The first “modern” Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, revived by a
French aristocrat named Pierre de Coubertin.

Born in 1863, he was only seven when France was overrun by the
Germans during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Some historians
believe that de Coubertin attributed the defeat of France not to its
military skills, but rather to the French soldiers’ “lack of vigour.”

This would not be the last time that the French were to be labelled
“weenies.”

Approximately 300 athletes – all male, all clothed – competed in
1896. (Susan Nattrass didn’t qualify for the Canadian team because of
her gender.)

There were nine events: swimming, cycling, track, fencing, shooting,
weightlifting, gymnastics, wrestling and lawn tennis.

CBC’s Don Whittman had to cover all nine events by himself.

Our man Terry Jones filed his first-ever column.

He dubbed it “the greatest Olympics ever.”

– – –

I’m just kidding, of course.

Jonesy didn’t cover his first Olys until Paris in 1900.

– – –

It is an honour and a pinnacle for athletes to make the Olympics. The
same is true for members of the media.

While this is Jonesy’s 13th Olympics (not kidding), TSN’s Farhan
Lalji is working his first.

“I just got married a month ago and now I’ll be gone for a month,” he
told me before boarding the 12 hours worth of flights to Athens. “My
wife’s loving that.

“But I’m looking forward to it. This is why you want to work for a
national network – to get the opportunity to do something like this.

“A lot of people have concerns about terrorism. For me, honestly,
that’s one thing I’m not concerned about. I’m more concerned about
the heat and the logistical headaches.

“I don’t do well in the heat,” said the B.C. boy.

“It’s events like this that define you as a reporter. I know for me,
the best job next to mine, outside of sports, is to be an
international correspondent.

“The Olympics are always going to be a big deal regardless of the
politics and the socioeconomic conditions around it.

“The Olympics are still the Olympics, and it’s still going to be
centre stage. There’s not another event I’d rather cover.”

– – –

My new pal James Sharman, host of the most excellent Sportsworld on
The Score (Ch. 80, weekdays at 3:30 and 5 p.m.), isn’t in Athens, but
the native of England has a strong perspective since he covers many
of these sports more than the once-every-four-years.

“I think internationally the Olympics still enjoy that ‘romantic
appeal.’

“Certainly in Europe and Australasia the so-called ‘pure sports’ such
as track and field have a massive following. The Golden League events
in Europe are capacity-filled, atmosphere-rich spectacles, and,
indeed, the top stars are household names.

“It seems in North America only the record holders at the ‘glory’
events are known.

“I think this has as much to do with the marketing of sports in North
America. It is truly a big-league continent.The amount of money
ploughed into the marketing of the NBA, MLB, NFL, and, to a lesser
extent, the NHL, brings those athletes into our living rooms every
time we turn the TV on.

“Team sports are where it’s at over here.

“You can sell a million L.A. Lakers jerseys, but try selling a Haille
Gebreselassie vest”

– – –

In his column in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (the Star-Trombone as
he calls it), Karl Weiner appears impressed by the sense of history
in Greece after visiting the narrow Panathinaiko stadium, the site of
the 1896 Games on a spot where a previous stadium stood in 334 BC.

You may have seen Panathinaiko when it was used for the celebration
in June following Greece’s underdog win of the Euro 2004 soccer
tournament. It is also where the Games’ marathon run will end.

“It is the world’s Fenway Park, the globe’s Rose Bowl, the friendly
confines of ancient dreams and echoes,” Weiner said.

“I’ve been to Yankee Stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum, Notre Dame’s
football stadium, the tiny gem of a football stadium at St. John’s
and the old Maple Leaf Gardens.

“Panathinaiko is as good as it gets.”

– – –

Why not? The first athletes were naked.

Overcome with Olympic fervour I bought my first issue of Playboy in
years. Not since Hugh Hefner … well, actually, Hef hasn’t changed,
has he?

But times have. If these athletes had posed like this years ago …
oh, the scandal. Likely, their tickets to Athens would have been
cancelled.

But I bought the magazine for the articles. Honest.

– – –

Think our team sucks?

Armenia hasn’t won a medal since AD 388.

armenianow.com
August 13, 2004

Holiday from War: Iraqi-Armenian family enjoy brief reunion in Armenia

By Suren Deheryan
ArmeniaNow reporter

In March of last year, when the United States invaded Iraq, ArmeniaNow
reported on two Iraqi-Armenian students who watched on television from
Yerevan while their home was under attack (click here). Andranik and Mihran
Sedrakyan were university students here, but their parents and younger
brother were in peril as bombs fell on Baghdad.
Sixteen months later the boys were reunited with their mother and brother
who left Baghdad for a visit to Yerevan (they were also joined by their
grandfather, who came from the United States).

When war broke out, the boys gave up studies for news
It is 12 hours before Rina Sedrakyan and 14-year old son Sevak will board a
flight from Yerevan to Aleppo. Once in Syria, they will take a 16 hour taxi
ride through desert, dust and numerous armed posts to reach Baghdad.
Rina dreads the trip, but looks forward to seeing her husband and sister.
She has worried about them, especially since the August 1 attacks in their
city near an Armenian Catholic church.
During two months in Armenia the mother/wife/sister came to understand the
anxiety her sons Mihran, 24, and Andranik, 25, experienced. For seven months
after Baghdad came under attack, the boys were cut off from communication
with their family. They were in Yerevan to attend university. But for four
months they didn’t go to class, spending time instead watching news reports
of war in their home.
Peace is far from Baghdad, but Rina, 44, could not wait for more convenient
times before seeing her sons. With great effort she and Sevak came to
Yerevan in June and stayed until last Sunday.
“Finally I saw my sons, my father and had a wonderful time together in
Armenia,” Rina said, while packing for the return. “Now it’s time to go
back. I’ve left my husband and my sisters in Baghdad and I’m very anxious
for them.”
Anxiety reached new levels when Christian churches were bombed in Baghdad
two weeks ago.
“We go to the Armenian Apostolic church and up to this moment Armenians
could go to churches every time during every ceremony,” Rina said. “But
after this incident I think most of us would be afraid to go to our
churches. It means that we are in danger too.”
Rina says now the family will also avoid going to the Armenian community
club, where they have always gone for swimming, exercise and different study
groups.
After a restful reunion in Armenia, Rina was dreading the return to a war
zone.
“It’s wonderful, peaceful and safe in Yerevan,” Rina said. “Here all of us
are Armenians and we can go out without any yashmak. Our evening walks here
were worth everything. As a woman in Baghdad, I don’t risk to go anywhere
alone for two years.”

Rina’s second trip to Armenia was 26 years after the first
Each Yerevan night Rina could rest without the interruption of explosions –
a luxury she been denied since March last year in her own city.
(According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, there were some
20,000 Armenians in Iraq in 2003, about 10,000 in Baghdad. Today the
ministry has no accurate data as the Armenian Embassy in Iraq has
temporarily stopped its activity.)
According to the Department of Migration and Refugees of Armenia more than
100 Armenian refugees from Iraq have moved into Armenia since the war
started.
Rina said a few Armenians have died during attacks – those who worked for
international agencies. Some of her relatives had worked for American
organizations, but left their jobs after three Armenian women were killed
while working for the Americans.
The Sedrakyans say war has become a normal way of life in Baghdad. Life
continues, people go to work, children to schools, sometimes it is possible
to meet even wedding parties.
“This year we took part in three Armenian wedding parties in Baghdad,” Rina
said. “Three of the brides were from Yerevan. Their husbands have worked in
Yerevan and brought their girl-friends with them to Baghdad. This of course
is a brave deed on behalf of the girls.”
In 1978 Rina and Sedrak Sedrakyan reversed that pattern, as they came to
Yerevan to get married.
At that time Sedrak’s brothers were studying in Yerevan, so the couple
decided to have their wedding here.
They had hoped to return for their 25 th anniversary last summer, but the
events in Baghdad ruined those plans. Instead, they spent their anniversary
in their basement.
Sedrak wanted to be with his family in Yerevan, but was afraid to leave the
house unattended during such troubled times.
Rina found Yerevan to be beautiful, she said, “but 26 years ago there were
no beggars here, now there are many in the streets”.
Mother and son Sedrakyans took candles from Holy Etchmiadzin to put in the
Armenian church in Baghdad.
“I had brought candles from the Armenian church in Baghdad and lighting them
here I begged for peace for Iraq,” Rina said. “Now I’ll take candles from
here and hand them to the Armenians so that they’ll also light candles of
our saint Etchmiadzin in the Armenian churches of Baghdad.
“We beg for peace and a quiet life from God. Life in Baghdad is like an
animal’s life; we eat, drink and sit at home. We think only of staying
alive.”

Turkish debt row more of politics – Azeri paper

Yeni Musavat, Baku
2 Aug 04

Text of Konul Samilqizi’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 2 August headlined “Turkey’s response to Ilham Aliyev” and
subheaded “The issue of airplanes may be a response to the Cyprus
betrayal”

There has long been tension between the governments of Azerbaijan and
Turkey. The reason is that the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture
has not repaid its debt of 3m dollars to the Turkish company Saka
Korkmaz. Under a Turkish court decision two airplanes and a vessel
owned by Azerbaijan are being held hostage against the debt. Moreover,
the Fikrat Amirov vessel has already been put on auction for 800
dollars – a price that is much lower than its actual cost.

The matter is that the debt owed by the Azerbaijani Ministry of
Agriculture to Saka Korkmaz dates several years back. Granted that
when the dispute first emerged, the Turkish government wanted to show
that it was not interested in this issue by releasing the grounded
airplanes several times and making statements at the level of the
Foreign Ministry. However, the further course of events, namely the
detention of the two airplanes and the vessel once and for all, the
escalation of the problem to the level of mutual lawsuits and Ankara’s
acting as an observer gives all grounds to say that the Turkish
government has at least decided not to react to the tension. The
reasons behind this are quite clear to the Azerbaijani public.

What is more, the clan regime that again usurped power in Azerbaijan
with the support of the Erdogan government has failed to justify the
hopes of Ankara, like those of other protectors. The fact is that the
regime in Azerbaijan has taken steps against Turkey’s interests under
Russia’s influence. A vivid example of it is the position [Azerbaijani
President] Ilham Aliyev and his regime have been taking on the Cyprus
issue. It is natural that the response to such shameful mistakes and
betrayals is not instant and explicit if relations between states,
especially allies, are concerned. Now let us have a look at the
chronology of steps taken in Turkey in relation to Azerbaijan
following the “great shame” that Aliyev and the squad of the clan’s
deputies admitted on 28 April:

On 12 May, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that problems
remained only with neighbouring Armenia and made a statement on the
necessity of improving relations;

On 13 May, the park named after [ex-President] Heydar Aliyev was
destroyed in Ankara. The official explanation as to why the
one-month-old park was destroyed was that part of its territory was
reportedly owned by another company. It is up to you to make a
conclusion how reasonable it was for this company to find out about
the construction of a park on its territory one month later;

On 14 May, the Turkish press circulated another report ranked as “a
diplomatic abomination”. The news was about a scandal around the
opening of an illegal bar in the premises of the Azerbaijani embassy
under the decision of the Turkish Ministry of Finance. We are again
leaving it to the readers to conclude how accidental the coincidence
of this scandal with the mistake Aliyev made with regards to Cyprus
was;

On 26 June, that is only a few days after Aliyev promised the Greek
president not to recognize [Turkish Republic of Northern] Cyprus,
another statement by Erdogan was made public. He said they intended to
forge relations with Armenia and the precondition was the waiver of
the idea of “Armenian genocide”. In other words, it was officially
announced that Ankara has given up on the Karabakh condition.

It is enough to mention these four instances to include here the
scandal around the debt to Saka Korkmaz. We will probably have to
enlarge this list if the debt is not paid off.

Noyan Tapan, Armenia
Aug 10 2004

NKR LEADERSHIP EXPRESSES PERPLEXITY ON OCCASION OF STATEMENT OF CE

STEPANAKERT, 10.08.04. `The NKR leadership thinks that the election
of the government bodies of all the levels on the basis of the
principles of democracy is an important step on the way to the
construction of the free democratic society.` It is mentioned in
comments of the press service of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in connection with the statement of Secretary General of the Council
of Euorpe Walter Schwimmer on the inadmissibility of the holding of
the NKR local elections. Reminding that W. Schwimmer comes up not for
the first time with such statements, in which the holding of the
elections in Nagorno Karabakh is condemned, the comments express
perplexity in connection with the fact that it is not clear how the
elections may negatively influence the process of the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict, because it is obvious that only the legitimate
power may bear the responsibility for the entrusted territories and
has necessary authorities for carrying on peaceful negotiations on
the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. `The NKR for over 10
years has lived as a sovereign state, which bears no relation to
Azerbaijan and independently organizes its life in the territory that
historically belongs to the Armenians of Karabakh. An impression has
grown up in us that all the international structures that come up
with such statements render political support to the regime, which
unleashed the large-scale war against Nagorno Karabakh and doesn`t
refuse from the attempts to aply force against the NKR. Meanwhile,
according to many independent experts, Nagorno Karabakh takes the
lead over Azerbajan on the level of its democracy,` reads the
comments of the press service of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.