Author: Vardanian Garo

RFE/RL: Georgian Prime Minister Dies
Thursday, 03 February 2005

3 February 2005 — Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has died by
an apparent gas leak.

Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said in a live broadcast on
Georgian television that Zhvania had been found dead by police in an
apartment in Tbilisi this morning along with an unnamed friend.

It was not immediately clear if Zhvania was in his own apartment or
elsewhere, or whether he died as a result of foul play.

Zhvania, who was 41, was appointed prime minister by President Mikheil
Saakashvili following his election victory in January 2004.

(Reuters/AP/AFP)

Russian minister unaware of OSCE mediator’s stance on Karabakh

ANS Radio, Baku
2 Feb 05

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who is on an official visit to
Azerbaijan has said that he is unaware of the position of the Russian
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov, who considers
the Nagornyy Karabakh separatist regime to be a party to the
conflict. The minister is going to hold meetings today to discuss the
Caspian Sea legal status and the fight against global terrorism.

[Passage omitted: other details of the visit’s schedule]

ArmenPress
Feb 2 2005

ANOTHER US ARMENIAN BIDS FOR HAYFILM STUDIO

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS: Gevork Gevorkian, the director of
Hayfilm (ArmenFilm) studio told Armenpress a US-based businessman of
Armenian origin has offered to pay $1.5 million for the studio and
pledged to invest another $100 million to make it a contemporary
laboratory for production of films.
Gevorkian said none of his employees is against privatization, as
“it is very difficult to shoot films in conditions which the studio
offers.” He said out of 15 cameras only one works and that one was
presented to it by Charles Aznavour 15 years ago.
Gevorkian has been director of the studio since 1992. He said the
program presented by Khachikian meets their expectations, both in
what regards its modernization, wages, improvement of the studio’s
territory, training of the personnel and so. The restoration project,
designed by another US-based Armenian, envisages that in five years
the studio would develop into a modern movie-city.
Two other businessmen of Armenian origin, Gerard Cafesjian from
the USA and Ara Abrahamian from Russia have submitted their bids. The
first proposed $600,000 for the studio and $5 million in investments
and the second $1 million and $ 6 million in investments.
Hayfilm movie studio is located on 33.4 hectares just outside
Yerevan.

New Straits Times , Malaysia
Jan 29 2005

FOCUS: As world population grows, so too migration

Millions leave their homeland every year in search of greener
pastures, writes YEANG SOO CHING.
SUCH has migration developed through the ages that every country on
the planet is today more likely than not facing migration issues in
in one way or another. According to the United Nations World
Migration Report 2003, the number of migrants in the world increased
from 84 million in 1975 to 175 million in 2000. By 2050, the number
is estimated to reach 230 million.

About 2.3 million people emigrate from the developing world to the
developed world annually, accounting for two-thirds of the population
growth in the West. Historically, more migrants have lived in Europe
than any other continent; some 56 million of them in fact, accounting
for 7.7 per cent of the population.

However, in recent times, Asia has supplanted Europe as the continent
of emigration. In North America, Asian migrants make up 13 per cent
of the population, and in Australasia, they are 19.1 per cent.

“The world population is growing by 83 million people a year, of
which 82 million are born in developing countries. High population
growth goes hand in hand with emigration,” says the report.

About 100 million of the international migrants are migrant workers
and their families, says Dr Walter Schmid, president of Swiss
Conference for Social Welfare Assistance. Schmid was in Kuala Lumpur
recently to speak at the 31st International Conference on Social
Welfare, hosted by the National Council of Welfare and Social
Development Malaysia.

He presented a paper entitled Migrant Labour in a Globalising World:
Economic Drives, State o TURN TO PAGE 3, COL 4 o FROM PAGE 2
Regulations and Transnational Behaviour. “In a globalising world, the
dynamics of economic life transcend national borders and have become
uncontrollable for national Governments,” he observes.

“No state can pursue a migration policy by ignoring the rules of the
international market. The free flow of goods, capital and services
has broken the traditional links between economy and states.
“Technology and globalisation affect the way goods and services are
produced, as well as their distribution. Commerce follows new
patterns.” Thus, migrant workers in a globalising economy can be
categorised. First, there are the routine production workers in the
formal manufacturing enterprises. This number is on the decline
because production is increasingly being computerised. Then there are
in-person servers who perform simple repetitive tasks such as waiting
on tables. This number is on the increase.

The third category is the highly skilled migrants recruited for
problem-solving. Examples are in managerial tasks. Due to the
increased mobility of economies, this category is also on the
increase. Another category of migrant workers are the seasonal
workers in agriculture. Such low-wage jobs under precarious
conditions are increasing as well.

Labour migration is certainly on the increase, says the International
Labour Organisation (ILO). From 1970 to 1990, the number of countries
employing foreign labour rose from 42 to 90.

ILO estimates there are 20 million migrant workers across Africa, 18
million in North America, 12 million in Central and South America,
seven million in South and East Asia, nine million in the middle
East, and 30 million in Europe.

While resources and connections are still the most important factors
for labour migration, people have more choices now, so temporary
migration is on the rise too. And more than ever, women are migrating
on their own. As at 2000, 49 per cent of the world’s migrants are
women. And of the 80 to 97 million workers and their dependents now
living in countries other than their own, experts estimate no less
than 15 per cent are working illegally. To ensure orderly migration,
more and more Governments are recognising the need to establish and
improve their policies, laws and practices. Twenty-five years ago,
only six per cent of countries had policies to curb immigration; now
40 per cent do.

“The standard concerns of Governments are about combating illegal
migration. There are dilemmas and contradictions in this. The more
illegal migration is challenged, the higher the prices and profits of
traffickers,” says Schmid. Dr Astghik Mirzakhanyan, project
co-ordinator at the Armenia office of the United Nations Development
Programme, says two out of three Armenians are either migrants or
decendants of migrants, and every fourth person born in Armenia
currently lives outside its borders. “The Republic of Armenia
declared its political independence after the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991,” she says.

“There are three million people living in Armenia, and about 10
million Armenians living outside of Armenia, most of them in Russia.”
Why Russia? Mainly because Armenians did not need visas, and they had
links in the form of personal relationships and friendships.

“There were no language barriers; neither were there barriers to
financial flows. In some regions in Armenia, every eighth able-bodied
man regularly leaves the country for seasonal work abroad, again
mainly in Russia, adds Mirzakhanyan.

California Courier Online, February 3, 2005

1 – Commentary
American Jewish Group To Lobby
For Turkey’s EU Membership

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
2 – Gift of Life Founder Gets
Second Transplant From Son
3 – Hye Shakar IV Feb. 17 Concert Will
Raise Funds for Juvenile Diabetes
4 – Cal Poly, Pomona Students
Win All-ASA Quiz Bowl
5 – Grammy Award-Winning Chakmakian
Performs Feb. 8 at Hollywood Jazz Spot
6 – USC Friends Host Concert-Tour
For Armenian Students, Feb. 7
7 – AGBU Replies to
Patriarch’s Lawsuit
8 – Commentary
Creating an Environment for Change
Through Turkish-Armenian Dialogue

*************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
American Jewish Group To Lobby
For Turkey’s EU Membership

By Harut Sassounian,
Publisher, The California Courier

For several years now, the Israeli government and a few American-Jewish
groups have supported Turkey on various issues, some of which run counter
to Armenian interests.
In addition to denying the Armenian Genocide, lobbying the US Congress
against a commemorative resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and
backing Azerbaijan in the Karabagh conflict, these Jewish groups have now
added a new irritant to the existing disagreements with Armenians.
In a report issued last December, David A. Harris, the Executive Director
of the American Jewish Committee, wrote that the European Union’s decision
to start membership talks with Turkey was “truly momentous.” He stated that
Turkey is counting on the AJC and American Jews to lobby for its interests.
The enthusiastic and almost blind support by Israel and some American
Jewish groups for Turkey’s EU membership runs against Armenians’ intent to
force Turks to recognize the Armenian Genocide and open the border with
Armenia, as the price of admission to the EU.
In the following excepts from his lengthy report, Mr. Harris makes
abundantly clear the close partnership between Israel, the AJC and Turkey:
“…In the Turkish Jewish community, with which the American Jewish Committee
has a very close affiliation, last week’s news from Brussels will be
enthusiastically received. The 22,000-member community has long taken the
view that Turkey’s future anchored in Western institutions is the best
guarantee of national security, stability, and prosperity.
“And, in Israel, the EU’s announcement will also be welcomed. Israel has
publicly declared its support for Turkey’s accession….
“In a recent American Jewish Committee visit to Turkey, the European Union
was issue number one (and two and three) on the agenda of government
officials, including the prime minister and foreign minister. The October
EU Commission report had just been released, and the ensuing two months
were seen as the last chance to persuade European leaders to do the ‘right
thing’ at their fateful meeting in Brussels on December 16-17.
“Turkish leaders view the AJC as important to the political equation. Not
only have we been consistently regarded as a steady and reliable voice for
the Turkish-American relationship, but also, because of AJC’s wide-ranging
contacts throughout Europe, the Turks have counted on our support when we
meet with French, German, Greek, and other European leaders. Lacking a
well-organized Diaspora community, they’ve looked to American Jews to
fulfill that role….
“In the 1990s, the [Turkish-Israeli] bilateral relationship took off in
dramatic fashion, including defense cooperation, joint military exercises,
counter-terrorism measures, intelligence-sharing, a free trade agreement,
and tourism….
“Today, Israel regards its links with Turkey as vitally important and
mutually beneficial….
“And not least, Turkish Jewry, though diminished in size, largely due to
aliyah [exodus], continues to prosper and enjoy a full communal life,
including keeping alive the Judeo-Spanish language of Ladino. Anti-Semitism
exists, but is not regarded as a major threat, according to communal
leaders. What is a threat — and not only to Jews — is terrorism.”
By denying the Armenian Genocide, siding with Azerbaijan on the Karabagh
conflict, and lobbying the US Congress against recognition of the Armenian
Genocide, the Israeli government and some American Jewish groups have
deeply offended all Armenians. Nevertheless, both Jews and Armenians must
be mindful of the following key points.
Armenians must not forget that there are many prominent American Jewish
individuals and organizations as well as high-ranking Israeli officials and
scholars who fully support the Armenians on the foregoing issues. In their
frustration and anger, Armenians would be wrong to lash out at all Jews.
For example, when some ill-mannered Yeshiva students insult Armenian
clergymen in Jerusalem, Armenians should not react by accusing all Jews or
all Israelis of being anti-Armenian. To be sure, several Israeli officials
and Rabbis as well as Jewish-American organizations have condemned the
crude behavior of these Yeshiva students. Furthermore, many righteous Jews
have not shied away from severely criticizing the Israeli government for
its denial of the Armenian Genocide.
Similarly, Israelis and Jewish Americans should not blame Armenians of
being anti-Jewish, just because of prejudicial statements made by few
Armenian individuals. Armenians and Jews would be unnecessarily
antagonizing each other by indiscriminately condemning all members of both
groups for the sins of the few. Political differences should not be pursued
by exchanging insults, but through informed dialogue among Armenians and
Jews of good faith.
**************************************************************************
2 – Gift of Life Founder Gets
Second Transplant From Son
By Jeff Hansel
Rochester Post-Bulletin
ROCHESTER, MN – Three decades ago, Ed Pompeian needed a kidney transplant.
His mother, Helen, offered one of hers. It was the early 1970s, and
transplantation was new.
“I was Mayo’s 167th transplant patient. Now they do about 250 a year, just
kidney transplants,” he said.
Today, at 53, Pompeian has been offered another kidney. This time it will
come from his son, Aaron, 20, a St. Olaf College student. But Pompeian is
more than a transplant recipient. He also is the founder of Rochester’s
Gift of Life Transplant House.
After his first transplant, Pompeian wanted to support other patients. So
he visited them at Rochester Methodist Hospital for 10 years. One patient
was sent to an unusual floor because of an infection. That’s how Pompeian
ended up meeting his wife, Jayne.
Patients inevitably asked him about affordable housing. “That was actually
the beginning, in my mind, of a transplant house,” he said.
He was from Michigan when he came to Mayo for his first transplant.
“It was hard finding housing, so we ended up staying in hotels,” he said.
Pompeian started a real estate career in Rochester in 1975 and always kept
the idea of housing for transplant patients in mind. Apartments and rooms
in buildings and motels were offered for them. He opened the first Gift of
Life House in the 1980s.
Eventually, he bought the current House in 1994. There are 48 bedrooms,
each with a private bathroom, and his mother still works there. The house
serves 30,000 people a year.
The elder Pompeian won’t stay at Gift of Life after the surgery because
he’s a Rochester resident. But he’s always an advocate for the house.
“We still need donations. We still have a mortgage that we’d like to
retire,” he said.
Pompeian says everything in his life “that has been wonderful” happened
after his first transplant. He married, had four children, and developed a
successful career.
Now he needs another successful transplant.
“I don’t worry too much because I know I am in good hands, between my
doctors and God and my family,” he said.
***************************************************************************
3 – Hye Shakar IV Feb. 17 Concert Will
Raise Funds for Juvenile Diabetes
GLENDALE – The Juvenile Diabetes Project of the Armenian American Medical
Society of California will be sponsoring Hye Shakar IV at the Glendale High
School Auditorium on Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m.
The concert will star the Zvartnots Dance Ensemble, the a capella singing
group Zulal from New York, and the amazing drums of Jacob Armen and his
band.
The project has been in operation since 1993, supplying all the juvenile
diabetics in Armenia, Artsakh and even the Armenian juvenile diabetics of
southern Georgia with human insulin, visual teststrips, supplies and
information to control their blood sugars. This has resulted in a dramatic
reduction in short and long term complications from this devastating
disease.
Before the start of the Juvenile Diabetes Project, juvenile diabetes in
Armenia meant a life of frequent short term complications from low blood
sugars (hypoglycemia) resulting in coma and even death, and long term
complications from high blood sugars (hyperglycemia) resulting in weight
loss, blindness, kidney disease, hypertension, nerve damage, stroke and
heart disease. By supplying all the children with visual blood test strips
(which they split to get several readings), human insulin, syringes,
lancets and the proper books in eastern Armenian, the Project has been able
to markedly reduce both the short and long term complications of the
disease resulting in a near normal lifestyle for all the children. No
program has made such a dramatic change in the life of children in Armenia,
and no program has made such a dramatic improvement in children with
diabetes in the former Soviet Union.
With the $12,000 raised by the Knights of Vartan Sevan Tahlij 50th
anniversary banquet in 2003 and the money raised by the Hye Shakar III
concert in 2004, two years of visual teststrips was purchased for the
children. The money raised from this concert will be used to purchase human
insulin. All supplies are given to the children without charge and are sent
to Armenia through the UAF. The project is under the guidance of Dr. Elmira
Pashinyan, Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital #4 in
Yerevan. The 600 patients covered by this project range from under 1 year
of age to their late teens and early twenties.
Ticket prices are $50, $37.50, $25, $15 and there will be a separate
section for high school students for $10 with a valid school ID. For
tickets contact Hourig at 323-466-0497, Marina at 818-243-5731, or Seda at
818-790-7271.
All donations should be sent to the AAMSC at 834 Ida Ave., Solana Beach, CA
92075.
**************************************************************************
4 – Cal Poly, Pomona Students
Win All-ASA Quiz Bowl
LOS ANGELES – On January 16, members of the All-ASA Committee came together
to compete for the Quiz Bowl trophy, in the 4th annual All-ASA Quiz Bowl
competition. It was hosted by USC’s Armenian Students’ Association, who was
the previous year’s winner. The game was organized by U.C. Berkeley, Loyola
Marymount University, UCLA, and UC, Riverside, who comprised the Quiz
Bowl’s official organizing committee.
This year’s participating teams included students from California
Polytechnic Institute at Pomona, California State University Northridge,
Loyola Marymount University, U.C. Berkeley, UCLA, U.C., Riverside and USC,
as well as members of the AEO fraternity, AGBA, and Usanogh. Each
organization was represented by a team of five members, as well as one
person that would be a judge on the judging panel. Cheering the teams on
from the audience were fellow members of their organizations as well as
other guests.
In the first round, teams would choose a category and the number of points
they wanted to play for, and the host, USC ASA’s Arpine Shakhbandaryan,
read the question aloud. All the teams had 10 seconds to discuss and write
their answer, which they handed to the judges. This year’s categories
included American history, psychology, math, Armenian literature, and
information technology as part of the first round.
The second round drew questions again from sports/entertainment, science,
Armenian history, art history, and English literature. The five teams with
the highest scores from the first round moved on to compete in a more
fast-paced second round of questioning. Cal Poly answered the last question
of the game correctly, winning the trophy, the title of 2005 All-ASA Quiz
Bowl winner, and the honor of hosting next year’s competition.
The interval between the two rounds provided everyone a chance to converse
with old friends, as well as get to know other young Armenians over a light
lunch. The real celebration however, began after the game. Amid receiving
some well-deserved congratulations from fellow participants, a member of
Cal Poly’s winning team joked, “Cal Poly is now accepting transfers from
other schools!”
The fun continued later that night in Glendale, at Maurizio’s Pizzeria for
an after-Quiz Bowl celebration put together by USC’s ASA to raise funds for
their upcoming events. The party was not only attended by members and
friends of all the connected organizations, but also by people who simply
wanted to be a part of the festivities.
The Quiz Bowl is just one of several events organized by the All-ASA, an
organization that has been active since 2003. As stated in its website,
(all-asa.org), “The primary goals of the All-ASA are to promote cooperation
between its Constituent Organizations and create a united front of Armenian
student organizations on the principles of democracy, equal opportunity,
responsibility, accountability, and transparency.”
**************************************************************************
5 – Grammy Award-Winning Chakmakian
Performs Feb. 8 at Hollywood Jazz Spot
TruArt Records presents the exotic world of keyboardist, composer and
Buddha-Bar recording artist, Armen Chakmakian, formerly with the Grammy
Award-winning world fusion group “Shadowfax,” for one performance only on
Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Catalina Bar & Grill beginning at 8:30 p.m.
As an artist, Chakmakian continues to break new ground and explore new
territory with his inventive and dramatic compositions, blending
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern sounds, Armenian and Arabic influences,
with contemporary jazz, hypnotic world rhythms and unforgettable melodies.
A native of Glendale, Chakmakian studied jazz with world-acclaimed music
educator John Novello and attended Berklee College of Music, UCLA, and USC
where he studied the “History of Armenian Music.” The break of a lifetime
occurred when Armen joined the Grammy Award-winning band, “Shadowfax” as
keyboardist.
The Feb. 8 concert will be his first since the release of his new CD,
“Caravans.” Also featured will be selections from his debut solo album,
“Ceremonies”which entered the radio charts at the #1 spot (NAV Top 100) and
spawned two tracks for the European compilation CD series, “Buddha-Bar” I &
IV, and have to date sold over 700,000 units.
Armen will be joined by his ensemble which includes oud and violin
virtuoso, John Bilezikjian (Leonard Cohen, Ofra Haza), percussionist Andre
Harutyunyan (Vas, Axiom of Choice), and Martin Flores (Manu Dibango, Joan
Sebastian,) on dumbek, djembe and drum set.
Doors open at 7 p.m. For ticket information, call Catalina Bar & Grill at
(323) 466-2210 or link to CatalinaJazzClub.com.
**************************************************************************
6 – USC Friends Host Concert-Tour
For Armenian Students, Feb. 7
By Seda G. Marootian
LOS ANGELES – Middle and high school students attending private and
parochial Armenian schools in the Los Angeles area are invited to attend a
day on the campus of the University of Southern California on Feb. 7,
beginning at 10 a.m. Sonia Akian, board member of USC Friends of Armenian
Music is coordinator of the event.
The 280 teenagers, accompanied by teachers and parents, will be treated to
a concert in Newman Hall at noon. An Armenian jazz trio, head by Armenian
Chakmakian and accompanied by drums and bass will open the program. Lucina
Agbabian Hubbard, USC instructor in Armenian music courses is emceeing the
performance.
Also featured are USC Friends of Armenian Music scholarship recipient
Pepronia Pilibosian and Shoushanig Hovakimyan in a two-piano presentation
of Babajanian-Haroutunian’s “Armenian Rhapsody.” Pilibosian will accompany
saxophonist Michael Young in a medley of contemporary Armenian pieces.
Students from Armenian Sisters Academy, Chamlian, Mesrobian, Merdinian, St.
Gregory Hovsepian, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian, Mekhitarist Fathers, Rose &
Alex Pilibos and Arshag Dickranian schools will be greeted at the various
gates of the USC campus by USC Friends Board members. This year, 15
exchange students from Argentina who are visiting AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
School are among the guests.
“Touring the campus facilities, lunching in the student complex and
enjoying a program of Armenian music in the classical and popular genre is
an annual event that has become quite popular with our Armenian students,”
Akian said.
USC Friends of Armenian Music, founded in 1979 by the late Grant Beglarian,
Dean of Music at USC from 1962 to 1982, continues to support music courses
offered in the curriculum in addition to granting scholarships to Armenian
students and promoting the growth of the Armenian music collection housed
in Doheny Library.
7 – AGBU Replies to
Patriarch’s Lawsuit
NEW YORK, NY – The AGBU Central Board of Directors addressed the lawsuit
filed by Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan with a
communiqué last week. The text is reprinted below in its entirety.
“We regret the actions of His Beatitude in filing a lawsuit against the
Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). We believe that His Beatitude has
not been fully informed of the true position with regard to AGBU’s
operation of the Melkonian Educational Institute. AGBU remains committed to
serve and pursue the best interests of the Armenian nation and not the
particular interests of the few, no matter how vocal. The decision to close
the Melkonian Educational Institute was carefully considered and is fully
permitted under the terms of the unconditional grant made to AGBU. In
addition, contrary to the allegations made, through the years AGBU has paid
to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, pursuant to Garabed Melkonian’s
wishes, all sums provided for by him and much more, as evidenced by
receipts and other documents. As throughout our history, AGBU will continue
to honor the vision of its many generous benefactors including the late
Garabed Melkonian, for the benefit of all Armenians worldwide.”
**************************************************************************
8 – Commentary
Creating an Environment for Change
Through Turkish-Armenian Dialogue
By Kaan Soyak
Co-Chairman of TABDC
The Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) has been one of
the main advocates for creating official and unofficial dialogue between
the Turkish and Armenian governments, as well as expanding contacts between
the two communities.
Both governments were reluctant when first approached by TABDC in 1997 to
engage in such dialogue. Nevertheless, TABDC’s initiatives to sponsor
“people to people” exchanges have contributed to creating an environment
whereby many business leaders, journalists and government officials have
made significant contacts with each other.
In my opinion, it would never be a waste of time for the Armenian Diaspora
to talk directly to Turkish government officials and to the Turkish people.
Senior officials in Turkey want direct dialogue with Diaspora Armenians.
However, they need confidence and trust, which is currently absent.
In considering approaching both Turkish officials and private individuals,
Armenians must realize that the Turkish people are exactly the same as the
Armenian people. They are like twins in their behavior and in their way of
thinking. Many of my Armenian and Turkish friends’ ancestors used to live
together in the same hometowns. Turkey is the motherland of Armenians and
Turks, where they lived together for centuries.
Today, the soil is crying and waiting for Armenians to come back, talk with
the local people and live in peace. Why do I have to bring a handful of
soil from these lands to my Armenian friends in the US? Why don’t they come
and feel the soil with their own hands? I know Armenian-Americans will not
move back to Anatolia and start a new life there. But, why don’t they
consider visiting the land they once shared with Turks for centuries and
re-energize themselves? Perhaps we can all work together to bring our
common land back to its glorious days.
Recently, an exhibition was opened in Istanbul devoted to Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. A record number of visitors
attended this exhibition. It once again showed how a mature Armenian
community lived in the empire and what role it played in our collective
society.
The more Armenians get involved at all levels of discussions with Turks,
the more they will be able to help the Turkish public learn about the
contributions of Armenians in the past. I consider the absence of Armenians
from Turkey to be a loss in our quality of life. We were once a successful
community — a great nation — when we were together. We were such a mixed
society that no one in Turkey today even remembers the names of his or her
ancestors.
I don’t want Armenians to leave this dialogue to third parties. This is our
joint motherland. Armenians should go back there and tell all the Turks
about their story; explain to them the suffering of their families; and ask
openly the reason why so many innocent people were killed in 1915. This is
the hard road that we need to take to prepare the environment for our two
governments to take the politically difficult steps forward.
The Armenians’ hesitation for dialogue helps benefit third parties who
don’t care about our region and are only pursuing their own agendas and
personal interests under the guise of reconciliation between Armenians and
Turks.
***************************************************************************
*************************
The California Courier On-Line is a service provided by the California
Courier. Subscriptions or changes of address should not be transmitted
through this service. Information in that regard should be telephoned
to (818) 409-0949; faxed to: (818) 409-9207, or e-mailed to:
[email protected]. Letters to the editor concerning issues
addressed in the Courier may be e-mailed, provided it is signed by
the author. Phone and/or E-mail address is also required to verify
authorship.

Sofia News Agency/Novonite, Bulgaria
Jan 28 2005

Sofia Exhibits Unique Glimpses from Turkey’s Top Peak

Photo reporter K. Atanasova (R) was heartfully greeted by M. Behar,
CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc., while opening her exhibition on
Turkey’s Mount Agri. The event is held under aegis of H.E. Ambassador
Haydar Berk (L). Photo by Y.Nikolova (SNA)

An exclusive photo exhibition dedicated to Turkey’s Mount Agri opened
in Sofia to offer rare images from this remote and slightly known
region believed to keep the biblical Noah’s Arch.

The pictures were taken by Sofia News Agency’s young photo reporter
Kameliya Atanasova, who climbed the dormant volcano last summer in a
joint expedition of Bulgarian and Turkish alpinists.

The lavish opening of the exhibition attracted scores of official and
ordinary people intrigued to peep into that another world caught in
pictures.

The expo was organized by PR leader M3 Communications Group, Inc.,
and held under the aegis of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey and
H.E. Ambassador Haydar Berk.

Snowcapped Agri rises to a height of 5165 m, and is Turkey’s highest
peak. It overlooks vast areas bordering Iran, Iraq and Armenia.

Agri is the famous biblical Mount Ararat, the legendary site of the
second beginning of the world. It is believed that Noah’s Ark rested
on its summit during the big flood, and the wide plain of Igdir at
the foot of the mountain is the first place where Noah set foot after
the disaster.

EurasiaNet Organization
Jan 27 2005

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION OFFERS GOVERNMENT DEAL ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Emil Danielyan 1/27/05

Armenian opposition leaders have sent feelers to President Robert
Kocharian and his allies on a constitutional deal. The initiative
could break a lengthy deadlock that has prevented the president from
amending Armenia’s controversial basic law. At the same time, the
opposition’s surprise move poses political risks for Kocharian.

Political analysts have differing theories as to why the country’s
two main opposition groups are now ready to compromise after putting
up years of resistance to the constitutional changes. Most analysts
interpret the move as either a sign of a softening of the
opposition’s stance on Kocharian’s leadership, or as a ploy designed
to undermine Kocharian’s credibility.

The Ararutiun (Justice) bloc and the National Unity Party (AMK)
indicated on January 19 that they are ready to endorse Kocharian’s
package of constitutional amendments — due to be put to a nationwide
referendum later this year – provided that several changes are made.
The opposition’s proposals include giving the Armenian parliament a
larger role in the formation of the government, and making the mayor
of the capital Yerevan an elected official. The opposition also wants
to limit the president’s authority to appoint and dismiss judges.

The proposals were addressed to leaders of the three parties that are
represented in Kocharian’s cabinet, and that control the legislature.
Leaders of the governing coalition were clearly caught by surprise.
Parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian promised to start
“consultations” with other majority leaders and deliver their common
response by the end of January.

Armenia’s post-Soviet constitution, enacted following a reputedly
fraudulent referendum in 1995, has long been criticized for vesting
too many powers in the presidency at the expense of the legislative
and judicial branches. It empowers the president to single-handedly
form and dismiss governments, dissolve the National Assembly
practically at will and name virtually all judges without
parliamentary confirmation.

Constitutional reform was among Kocharian’s key promises when he came
to power in 1998. It was also one of the conditions for Armenia’s
accession to the Council of Europe four years ago. Kocharian’s first
attempt to implement reforms ended in failure when his package of
draft amendments fell short of sufficient popular support at a
referendum in May 2003.

The opposition urged voters at the time to reject the proposed
changes, saying that they would only enhance executive power.
Opposition leaders were equally critical of revised amendments
jointly drafted by Kocharian and the coalition leaders in the course
of the last year. “The un-elected president and the dubiously elected
coalition have no right to remodel the constitution of the Republic
of Armenia,” one of them, Victor Dallakian, declared last August,
referring to the hotly disputed presidential and parliamentary
elections of 2003. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Armenian authorities, meanwhile, are facing growing pressure from the
Council of Europe over constitutional reform. In a resolution adopted
last September, the Strasbourg-based organization’s Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE) urged them to hold another referendum “as soon as
possible, and in any event by June 2005 at the latest.” The Armenian
parliament is expected to start final debates on the issue in March.

The Justice bloc and the AMK said they will suspend their year-long
boycott of parliament sessions if the presidential camp agrees to
their proposals. Significantly, those proposals reflect the
recommendations of the so-called Venice Commission, a Council of
Europe body monitoring legal reform in the member states. In an
interim report released in December, the commission concluded that
the revised amendments represent “a shift in favor of the president”
when compared to the initial version of constitutional reform
suggested by Kocharian in 2001.

“More significant amendments, especially with respect to the key
issue of the balance of powers between the state organs, are
necessary,” read the report. It noted that the Armenian legislature
would remain “subordinated” to the president and play no role in the
nomination and dismissal of prime ministers. The Venice Commission
also said the presidential authority to appoint and sack Yerevan
mayors contradicts not only European standards, but also some
provisions of the Armenian constitution.

These recommendations are largely acceptable to at least one of the
three governing parties, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).
But it is Kocharian who has a final say on the matter, and it remains
unclear if he will agree to curbs on his existing authority.

The opposition hopes that Kocharian will not, according to some
observers. In that case, they say, opposition leaders might try to
take political advantage, claiming the moral high ground and
portraying the president as an inherently undemocratic politician.
The Armenian leader’s commitment to democracy and rule of law has
already been seriously questioned by the West. “If they don’t accept
[the opposition proposals], we will turn the constitutional
referendum into a referendum of confidence in Kocharian,” Dallakian
warned last week.

No wonder that Hayots Ashkhar, a Yerevan daily staunchly supportive
of Kocharian, looked for ulterior motives behind the opposition
overtures. In a weekend editorial titled “Political Games,” the paper
suggested that the opposition is bent on discrediting authorities in
the eyes of Europeans. The ruling coalition must therefore be on its
guard, it said.

Governing-coalition parties already offered the opposition to jointly
work out constitutional amendments last April, in an unsuccessful
attempt to stave off anti-Kocharian street protests in Yerevan. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. They now say the offer
may no longer be in force. “The situation has changed a bit [since
April],” said Armen Rustamian, an ARF leader. “So has our mood.”

The anticipated constitutional referendum should also finally clarify
whether Kocharian would like to stay in power if he completes his
second five-year tenure in 2008. The existing constitution bars him
from seeking a third term. The draft amendments currently in
circulation would not abolish this restriction, but they may still
undergo changes before being put to the vote.

Editor’s Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.

ABOLISHMENT OF SECTION 907 OF FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT – RESULT OF TERROR
ACTS AGAINST U.S.

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22. ARMINFO. The abolishment of section 907 of
Freedom Support Act in 2001 was a reaction to the terror acts against
the US, says US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans.

The abolishment of the section banning military support of Azerbaijan
was an attempt to find ways of cooperation with that country in
fighting terrorism in the regions like Afghanistan. The truth is that
the US is developing active military cooperation with both Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The recent dispatch of Armenian peacekeepers to Iran is a
vivid proof of such cooperation. The US welcomes it. It is important
that nobody in Moscow, Washington or any other world capital wants to
break the equilibrium in the South Caucasus as everybody wants peace
in this region. Naturally any bellicose statements are blamed for both
sides would like to avoid war resumption. On the contrary, the US is
encouraging the sides in their search for peaceful solutions to their
conflict.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 20 2005

President to visit Russia in February

President Ilham Aliyev is expected to visit Russia in the second half
of February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press
conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
Lavrov said that he would arrive in Baku on February 2 and discuss
with the Azeri side preparations for the visit. Cooperation and
conducting reforms in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
will be considered as well.
The Russian minister said resolution of the Upper Garabagh conflict
may also be discussed during the visit. He added that progress is
observed after the Astana meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents and their meeting with President Putin.*

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 19 2005

VAT MEETING CANCELLED, RUSSIA WANTS TO ACT AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN
TURKEY AND ARMENIA

The Viennese Armenian-Turkish Platform (VAT) yesterday announced that
it would not carry through its starting initiative “The First
Viennese Armenian-Turkish Round Table” originally planned for spring
2005. The reason is that the Armenian side has failed to provide the
platform with the necessary confirmation as agreed in August 2004.
The Turkish side accepted to participate in the dialogue, in which
each part was supposed to present 180 documents on the year 1915
showing their understanding of the so-called Armenian genocide. In
July 2004, the first 100 documents each from the Armenian and Turkish
side were exchanged to get the dialogue started. The VAT was founded
by four Austrian historians as a neutral platform serving as an
intermediary for Turkish and Armenian researchers scientifically
investigating the Armenian-Turkish Question. In related news, the
Moscow radio yesterday announced that the Russian Federation is ready
to act as a mediator between Turkey and Armenia as well as the
guarantor of any possible agreement to be signed between the two
countries. /Hurriyet/