Author: Virabian Jhanna

Celebration of South Caucasian music in Tbilisi
By Christina Tashkevich

The Messenger, Georgia
June 14 2005

Last weekend musicians from the South Caucasus gathered in Tbilisi to
participate in an event organized by the British Council, the aim of
which was to build closer ties by sharing their experience and talent
and at the same time gaining contacts for the future.

Explaining the importance of the event the organizers of the conference
said there was previously “little history of local co-operation,”
despite the strong musical traditions and a great wealth of gifted
artists in the region.

At the conference participants discussed a variety of issues such as
independence from the government and surviving in a global market as
an artist, producer, or label company.

“If it’s a business, we need to earn money,” the Armenian delegate
Nika Babayan said at the conference session.

However, for many what is most important is the love of art and
entertainment; money comes second. Laurence Ball, CEO of Domino
Records, one of Britain’s leading independent labels and home to the
Scottish sensation Franz Ferdinand, says he established his independent
label because of his “love of music” and not because he saw it as a
business opportunity.

Domino Records, a company with a 10-year history has already sold
about 150 albums and 150 singles and has offices in the United States.

Other key conference speakers included Gavin Robertson, an expert in
rights issues with a special interest in the digital domain, Lucy Bird,
marketing manager of The Sage in Gateshead, which is Britain’s newest
large-scale music venue; and Nicola Curic from Serbia’s EXIT festival,
which has become a major European music event since its introduction
in 2000..

This year’s EXIT festival will feature Fatboy Slim and The White
Stripes. According to Curic, the festival has a certain social message,
every year using music to make people think about some of the most
acute problems in the country.

The first EXIT festival featured a campaign motivating people to
go and vote in elections against Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. Last
year’s message was to highlight the fight against human trafficking
and exploitation. “EXIT has contributed to changing the negative
image of Serbia and Montenegro,” Curic said at the conference.

Several local bands and musicians attended the conference, including
“Georgian Lemon Juice” and “Nikakoi,” who performed at the Noa Noa
club on Saturday.

Armenia, Lithuania to boost bilateral ties

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
10 Jun 05

[Presenter] Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met Lithuanian Speaker
Arturas Paulauskas today. The sides discussed cooperation between
Armenia and Lithuania.

The Lithuanian speaker said that the Baltic countries are more
experienced in European integration and intend to share it with their
Armenian counterparts. He said that great changes can be seen in all
spheres in Armenia.

Noting Lithuania’s great success in European integration and in the
transition period, Kocharyan described Lithuania’s experience as
useful for Armenia because the two countries have a lot in common.

The sides also discussed opportunities for developing economic
cooperation, noted the importance of bilateral discussions, exchanging
information and intensifying business relations.

The meeting also discussed regional issues. Kocharyan informed the
Lithuanian parliamentary delegation about the current situation in the
negotiating process on settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

The members of the delegation also met officials of Armenia’s
legislative and executive authorities today.

[Correspondent] Lithuanian Speaker Arturas Paulauskas who is paying a
visit to Armenia at the invitation of Armenian Speaker Bagdasaryan
started his working day with a tete-a-tete meeting with his Armenian
counterpart. The Armenian speaker informed his Lithuanian counterpart
about the constitutional reforms in the country, noting that Armenia
has taken the path of European integration and it is important for
Armenia to learn Lithuania’s experience as a new member country of the
European Union.

The sides touched on cooperation between the Baltic and South Caucasus
countries, describing it as a three plus three formula.

The meeting also discussed opportunities for expanding
interparliamentary relations and implementing specific programmes.

The Lithuanian speaker also met Minister for Territorial
Administration Ovik Abramyan. During the meeting, the Armenian side
touched on Armenia’s commitments to the Council of Europe and noted
that Armenia has already fulfilled 90 per cent of them.

Abramyan stressed that mutual high-level visits are important to the
development of relations between Armenia and Lithuania.

[Passage omitted: The delegation of the Lithuanian parliament also
visited the Armenian genocide memorial]

AZG Armenian Daily #106, 10/06/2005

Turkey

ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS TO VISIT TURKEY IN JULY

Turkish Foreign Ministry Positively Evaluates This Initiative

The Union of Turkish Journalists of Ankara and the Union of Private Radio
and TV Companies initiated to invite 20 Armenian journalists to Turkey. This
initiative is supported by Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey. The
Armenian journalists will visit Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia and Antalya.

ANKA agency informed about this on June 7. The agency stated that the
organizers will emphasize “the inconvenience of passing the grief both side
experienced as a result of the events of 1915 to the coming generations.”
Turgut Dedeogli, Chairman of Union of Turkish Journalists in Ankara, said
that they found it necessary to take this initiative to lessen the tension
caused by “the statements on the so called genocide” lately. He said that
the Armenian journalists will visit the offices of Hurriyet, Milliyet, and
Sabah newspapers in Istanbul, as well as the Armenian Patriarchate in Polis.
They organizers will also hold meetings with the Turkish journalists.

Dedeogli said that they envisage organizing the meeting of the Armenian
journalists with President Ahmed Necet Sezer and high-ranking Turkish
officials. He added that they will spare no efforts to unfold discussion
between the Turkish and the Armenian journalists. Dedeogli said that “the
events of 1915 made both sides suffer, but that shouldn’t be passed to the
coming generations. The grief was not conditioned by state policy, thus the
commitment of a genocide was impossible and this factor will be emphasized.”
Dedeogli said they applied to Turkish History Foundation and other
institutions to secure the opportunity for the Armenian journalists to study
the archives of Turkey.

Dedeogli said that the visit of the Armenian journalists to Turkey is
envisaged in July. He added that Turkish Foreign Ministry evaluates this
initiative quite positively.

By Hakob Chakrian

Houston Chronicle, TX
June 9 2005

Texas Music Festival’s opening concert has it both ways
By CHARLES WARD

CLASSICAL/NEOCLASSICAL, the opening concert of the 2005 Texas Music
Festival, was an engaging illustration of a basic instinct in art:
having cake and eating it, too.

Arts aficionados love to appear up-to-date without sacrificing
tradition. In classical music, that’s been played out in such
20th-century styles as neoclassicism and neoromanticism. Composers
used essential musical traits of those historic periods to make
(conservative) sense out of the riot-like expansion of melody,
harmony and form in the last century.

Two “classic” works for strings framed Tuesday’s concert at the
University of Houston Moores Opera House: Michael Haydn’s Quintet in
C Major, P. 108, and Mozart’s Quintet in C Major, K. 515. Both
expanded the string quartet with an extra viola.

In the program’s opening work, Haydn, the young brother of Franz
Joseph Haydn, set out the parameters efficiently. The forms were
clear-cut but developed via some very entrancing music.

In the Mozart quintet, the forms and style were expressed in suave
and sophisticated terms. Charm was never far away – the last movement
was toe-tapping good – but the music had a depth of feeling and
intelligence that Haydn’s lacked.

Both performances featured violinists Kenneth Goldsmith and Lucie
Robert, violists Rita Porfiris and Karen Ritscher, and cellist Kevin
Dvorak. Their ensemble playing wasn’t always tidy, but they conveyed
the spirit of the music very well.

Paul Hindemith was a proponent of practicality and conservatism in
20th-century composition. Though key works have an elegant beauty,
others can be thornier. The Quartet (1938) for violin, clarinet,
cello and piano was one of those, at least on Tuesday.

British clarinetist David Palmer played gorgeously in terms of tone
and expression, but he was way too timid and deferential to the other
players (Goldsmith, Dvorak and pianist Timothy Hester). His
reluctance to lead when the clarinet had key melodies threw balance
out of kilter. The piano ended up dominating too much.

Armenian-born and Russian-trained cellist Vagram Saradjian offered
the American premiere of the Suite for Solo Cello by Armenian
composer Levon Chaoushian. Stylistically, the work was faintly rooted
in tonality but generally strayed further from the ideals of
neoclassicism than Hindemith’s.

Saradjian is always an intensely involved performer and he dug into
the music with his customary exuberance. The music exploded from his
strings, though the physicality of his playing produced too many
extraneous sounds.

A1plus

| 12:23:23 | 08-06-2005 | Social |

SCHOOL HEADMASTER CHANGED AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

The workers of the Georgian Ministry of Internal affairs, driving away
hundreds of Armenians gathered near the Akhaltskha comprehensive school N3
after H. Toumanyan, entered the school building.

The people gathered near the school building after the incident on June 3,
when the representatives of the Akhaltskha power structures, head of the
educational department Zaritse Yura and people sent by the President’s
authorized representatives, against the will of the teachers, pupils and the
Armenian residents of Akhaltskha, wanted the realize the May 24 decree of
the Minister of Education Kakha Lomaya, according to which the headmaster of
the school Mrs. Lyuba Matevosyan must be resigned from her post.

According to the agency «A-Info», as far as Robert Muratyan who must replace
L. Matevosyan does not enjoy the trust of the people, the pupils and the
teachers had organized a meeting.

RUSSIA TO REMAIN ONE OF LEADING ACTORS OF CAUCASUS, ARAM KARAPETIAN SURE

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Russia will remain one of the leading
actors in the Caucasian region. Aram Karapetian, the Chairman of the
“Nor Zhamanakner” party expressed such a confidence at the June 1
press-conference. According to him, the process of the Eurointegration
about Armenia’s participation in which both country’s President and
whole political field state, is still very far from becoming reality
the evidence of what is particularly the results of the referendum of
the European Constitution held in France. Aram Karapetian expressed
a confidence that on the geographic political field Armenia will
remain as a country of a pre-Russian position. According to him, in
the nearest future, re-formations of the administration are expected
both in Georgia and Ukraine which can go on even in a conflict
way. According to the Chairman of the “Nor Zhamanakner” party, rather
interesting foreign political developments are observed as a result
of the statements made lately by US President George Bush connected
with the democratizing processes in the South Caucasus. Particularly,
a “large Russian landing” consisting of persons of enough influence
arrived in Yerevan. According to Aram Karapetian, the revolutional
process in Armenia became obvious even abroad and even a competition
started among superpowers: “which superpower will be able to perceive
the logics of the process and not to lose the moment.”

Surprises galore in Elite round
Wednesday, 1 June 2005
By Andrew Haslam

There will be a new name on the UEFA European Under-19
Championship trophy after this year’s final at
Belfast’s Windsor Park on 29 July following a dramatic
conclusion to the Elite round on Tuesday evening.

Armenian celebrations

With holders Spain already eliminated, 2003 winners
Italy went into their final round of fixtures in Group
4 knowing that victory against Belgium would all but
guarantee a place in the eight-team final tournament,
which will be played in Northern Ireland from 18 to 29
July. However, Paolo Berrettini’s team slumped to a
2-0 defeat, allowing Armenia – who had never before
reached a UEFA finals tournament at any level – to
qualify in style, with a 5-1 win against
mini-tournament hosts Hungary.

New names

The tournament will have an unfamiliar look about it,
with Northern Ireland having never reached a finals
tournament at U19 or U18 level while only Germany of
the sides who were present in Switzerland a year ago
qualified this time round. The Germans clinched their
finals berth with something to spare, emerging
victorious all three Group 2 games to ensure a
six-point winning margin in the section.

English exuberance

The first side to join the hosts this summer were
England, who claimed first place in Group 1 thanks to
three wins on home soil at the end of March. Martin
Hunter’s side were next joined by France – four-time
winners of the old UEFA European-18 Championship, the
last in 2000 – who travelled to Spain for Group 3, and
held firm to end the holders’ reign.

Serbo-Montenegrin success

Group 7 was the next to be decided, and again the
first-placed side won all three games to progress in
style – this time it was Serbia and Montenegro who
made the most of home advantage to claim a finals
berth. Group 6 proved a different story, however, as
mini-tournament hosts Russia were joined by
near-neighbours Ukraine and Lithuania – but it was
Norway who held sway, winning two games and drawing
one to hold off the Ukrainians by a point.

Final-day drama

With the Germans then winning Group 2, that left two
places in Northern Ireland still to be decided. Both
sections went down to the last round of fixtures, with
Armenia prevailing in Group 4 while Greece claimed
their third successive Group 5 victory to secure the
eighth and last place in the finals.

Finals draw

The eight successful teams will discover their final
opponents on Friday when the draw takes place in
Belfast at 14.30CET.

2004/05 UEFA European Under-19 Championship

Elite round final standings

Group 1
1 England*
2 Sweden
3 Denmark
4 Moldova

Group 2
1 Germany
2 Czech Republic*
3 Netherlands
4 Croatia

Group 3
1 France
2 Spain*
3 Israel
4 Portugal

Group 4
1 Armenia
2 Belgium
3 Italy
4 Hungary*

Group 5
1 Greece
2 Scotland
3 Slovakia
4 Austria*

Group 6
1 Norway
2 Ukraine
3 Russia*
4 Lithuania

Group 7
1 Serbia and Montenegro*
2 Poland
3 Republic of Ireland
4 Albania

* – Elite round mini-tournament hosts. Qualifiers in

AUTHORITARIAN POLICE REGIME ESTABLISH IN ARMENIA, EX-SPEAKER THINKS

YEREVAN, JUNE 2. ARMINFO. An authoritarian police regime has
established in Armenia, states the former parliamentary speaker,
one of the ideologists of the former ruling party APNM, member of
APNM-patronized public and political organization “Armat” Babken
Ararktsyan.

He says that the international community is aware of the necessity of
“color” revolutions in authoritarian states of the post-Soviet area,
like Armenia. It is quite another question that Armenia like Ukraine
and Georgia has become an appendix of the South Caucasus because
of the poor foreign policy of its present authorities, that is why,
the international community does not care if there is revolution in
Armenia or not. Of course, the external factor plays a considerable
but not decisive role in organization of a revolution in Armenia. The
public interest in it is necessary, so export of revolutions from
outside has no prospects, Araktsyan thinks. He is sympathetic with the
present opposition as in conditions when the opposition is deprived
of a possibility to present its positions on various issues to the
people it must not be demanded much, he thinks.

AZERIS CONSIDER MAKING STIR BEFORE EVERY ELECTION IN NKR THEIR DUTY

Pan Armenian News
02.06.2005 08:01

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In neighboring Azerbaijan they consider it their
duty to raise a stir over legitimacy and legality of every election
conducted in the NKR, stated Chairman of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Central Electoral Commission Sergey Nasibian when commenting upon the
statements of the officials of Azerbaijan that any election conducted
in Nagorno Karabakh were not valid, reported the NKR Foreign Ministry
Press Service. In this connection, the NKR CEC Chairman noted that the
people of Nagorno Karabakh had solved the issue of its status long
ago, having declared in 1991 the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on the
basis of international law and having confirmed it via a referendum
December 10, 1991. Currently, the NKR is a de-facto established
independent state, which legally holds presidential, parliamentary
and municipal elections. The election to the NKR National Assembly,
scheduled on June 19, 2005, is the forth parliamentary election in the
history of its independent statehood. Three nation-wide presidential
elections and the same quantity of elections to the self-governing
bodies have been conducted earlier. As reported by S.Nasibian, today
the republic’s Central Electoral Commission and electoral district
commissions realize all the preparatory and organizational measures
aimed at the conducting of fair and transparent election meeting
democratic principles. “Local and foreign observers, who watched the
course of elections in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic many times,
noted the higher level of elections in the NKR in comparison with
those in Azerbaijan. It’s likely that it is one of the reasons of the
Azerbaijani party’s sick excitement about the coming parliamentary
elections in the republic”, S.Nasibian said, noting that the elections
in Azerbaijan itself, according to the evaluations of international
observers, were invariably accompanied with gross violations of
the generally accepted norms and did not correspond to the European
standards. According to him, the NKR electoral commissions are very
resolute to continue the good traditions and do their best in order
the coming parliamentary elections become a regular step in the
establishment of the Karabakh state, strengthening the statehood and
further development of democracy. “The Azerbaijani party’s anxiety that
the elections will become an obstacle for the peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, are quite groundless. On the contrary,
the presence of legally elected authorities of Nagorno Karabakh can
only stimulate the negotiation process”, the NKR Central Electoral
Commission Chairman noted.

Hay Dat Council to meet in Yerevan

02.06.2005 15:18

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s (ARF) Hay Dat
Council is scheduled to hold its meeting in Yerevan on June 3 and 4,
ARF Bureau’s press service reported.

The Council comprises members of the ARF Bureau in charge of Hay
Dat activities, heads of the Hay Dat committees of U.S. and Europe,
directors of the Hay Dat offices in Washington, Brussels, Moscow,
and Beirut as well as the Yerevan central office, and representatives
of the ARF Supreme Body of Armenia and ARF Artsakh Central Committee.

The Council is to discuss additions to the Hay Dat strategy in the
light of the recent international and regional developments, and
shape the action plans for the Hay Dat offices worldwide.

On June 2, the ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat Council representatives met with
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.