Azat Artsakh – Repubic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 24, 2004

IDEA OF COMMON STATE IN CYPRUS

On March 7-14 the group of 19 Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists
visited Cyprus. The visit was organized by the press clubs of Yerevan
and Baku within the framework of the program `The possibilities of
settlement of the Karabakh conflict: evaluations of experts and
coverage in the mass media’. The implementation of the project was
assisted by the network program of the mass media of the Open Society
Institute. The organization of the visit was favoured by the office of
press and information of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Cyprus, the
press service of the embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Russia, the
chairman of the union of journalists of Cyprus Andreas Kannauros, the
press and information service of the government of North Cyprus. The
aim of the visit of the representatives of the mass media of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Nagorni Karabakh was to observe the problem of Cyprus
from inside and also an attempt to compare with the actualities of our
region. According to the editor of the `Weekly Bulletin’ of the
Yerevan Press Club Elina Poghosbekian, `The changing atmosphere of
both the north and the south of Cyprus inspire optimism. It is more
difficult to foresee whether we the Armenian and Azerbaijani
journalists who appeared on the hospitable island of Aphrodite will be
able `to learn to walk again’. Thus, it is too early to draw parallels
with the South Caucasian actualities. The other aim of our visit was
the discussion of ways of further cooperation between the mass media
and the unions of journalists of these countries.’ The history of
negotiations for the unification of North and South Cyprus started in
1947 is apparently approaching its end. If on March 22 the direct
dialogue between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and
the Turkish community of the island does not have any results, then
within the framework of the project of the Secretary General of the UN
Kofi Annan the negotiations will involve the guarantor countries
Greece and Turkey. In case of failure in that stage too Kofi Annan
will extend his final suggestions. And if this program is not accepted
by the parties either, the question will be solved by a referendum in
the north and the south of the island, which will probably be held on
April 21. The thing is that after the military coup in Athens on April
21, 1967 and the seize of the power by the `black colonels’ on July
15, 1974 an attempt was made to unite Cyprus and Greece, which was
followed by the deployment of Turkish forces in the island. On April
23, 2003 free moving was allowed by the so-called `green’
(demarcation) zone. According to the spokesman of the government of
the Republic of Cyprus Chrisostomides, after opening the border every
day about 10 thousand Turkish and Cypriot people cross it, and during
all this period no skirmish has been reported. Free passage has
enabled the Turks of Cyprus to receive the passport of the Republic of
Cyprus. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of
Cyprus, since April of 2003 13.5 thousand people for the North have
received passports. Since May 1, 2004 the Republic of Cyprus will
become a member of the European Union and consequently the borders of
free passage will be enlarged considerably. However the home minister
of the Republic of Cyprus pays no less importance to the fact of local
significance: since April of the same year 34 thousand Turkish
Cypriots have received internal passports. According to him, only in
their archive there are data concerning issuing such passports to 115
thousand Turkish Cypriots. `Our meeting with the prime minister of the
internationally non-recognized state of the Turkish republic Mehmet
Ali Talat took place on the eve of his visit to Ankara where he was to
have consultations with the government of Turkey. Turkey is the only
country which has officially recognized the Turkish Republic of
Cyprus,’ writes Elina Poghosbekian. The prime minister confesses that
the situation that North Cyprus is not recognized yet cannot last any
longer. Nothing good may come out of it if South Cyprus is admitted to
the European Union whereas the north is not, he added. The president
of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus Rauf Denktas has radical
position and demands founding a confederation of two independent
states. The variant of Rauf Dengtas is absolutely unacceptable for the
Greek Cypriots, however, as prime minister Talat mentioned, there are
questions seriously bargained for. There is the question of the fate
of the settlers from Turkey, who outnumber the native Cypriots, to be
solved. Their exact number is not known; according to the Greek party,
their number is 125-130 thousand, whereas the Turkish party says they
form 35 % of the 200 thousand population of North. Of the people
settled in the island who may stay and who will have to leave after
receiving a compensation? What will be the size of the compensation?
What will be with the further presence of the foreign forces (Turkish,
British and Greek) in the both parts of the island? The home minister
of the Republic of Cyprus Christu assures that the unification will be
through economic relations, which are becoming more effective after
opening up the `green’ zone. `In my opinion, the unification will
require 6 million pounds. One thing is clear: without donors we cannot
supply the living of the population,’ said Christu. The annual income
of the Cypriot Greeks (16 thousand dollars per capita) surpasses the
annual income per capita of not only the Cypriot Turks but also of the
`old’ members of the European Union Greece and Portugal. Will the
Greek community say `yes’ during the referendum? The home minister of
the Republic of Cyprus is convinced that the economic relationships of
the communities with the institutional circles established by the
European Union will enable a rapid settlement of the problem. `Having
a bitter but instructive experience of co-existence we will again
learn to walk.’ The `star time’ of Cyprus is expected on May 1. Will
it on this red date of the calendar enter the European family united
or the 30 years of division will last? Little time is left. We will
only add that in Cyprus Karabakh was represented by the members of the
Stepanakert press club Gegham Baghdassarian and Narineh Aghabalian.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

Azat Artsakh – Repubic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 24, 2004

MELKONIAN SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED IN JUNE 2005

By the decision of the office of the Armenian General Benevolent Union
the Melkonian school in Cyprus will be closed in June 2005. The basis
for this decision was the belief of the AGBU that this educational
institution failed its essential task to increase the knowledge of the
students and instill moral values in them. The school founded in 1926
had a humanitarian mission in the beginning, sheltering the Armenian
children who had lost their parents during the genocide of the
Armenians. Instead of the school the AGBU plans establishing a
secondary school for the Armenian children of Cyprus, as well as
founding youth complex Melkonian in Armenia to enable the young
representatives of the Armenian Diaspora to visit their historical
motherland.

AA

Azat Artsakh – Repubic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 24, 2004

REVIVING FOOTBALL TRADITIONS IN ARTSAKH

These days Gagik Tsatrian, once a popular football player of `Ararat’
of Yerevan, graduate of the Moscow high school of coaches, is in
Artsakh. Our compatriot has been living in Russia for 15 years
already, where he worked with Russian football clubs. Currently he
lives in Karelia, where along with running his business he works as a
sport advisor. Every year Gagik Tsatrian visits his motherland. This
time he arrived for the occasion of the 50th birthday of his former
teammate, former football player of Karabakh Karlen Simonian. In 1977s
these two football players together with their teammates in `Karabakh’
they won the title of champion of Azerbaijan. Wecan only imagine what
difficulties they had to overcome to achieve this title. As in all
the other spheres of life in Azerbaijan football was also an area for
discrimination. It is notable that after this victory the football
federation of Azerbaijan dismissed the coach of the team Razmik
Petrossian labeling him nationalist and appointed an Azerbaijani in
his place. During our talk Gagik Tsatrian mentioned that since the
1960’s the Artsakh sportsmen were in a real struggle with the Azeri
nationalism because the concealed conflict between the Turks and the
Armenians went on also in the field. Unfortunately in the recent years
football in Artsakh has regressed if not to say it has lost its former
popularity. The reason is perhaps that no more serious football
matches are held in the stadium of Stepanakert. And this has a purely
political explanation: NKR is not recognized. Whereas football fans
remember that in the 1970-80 certain matches of the Cup of the USSR
were held here, and not only those with the participation of
Azerbaijan. According to Gagik Tsatrian today in Karelia, where he
works, international matches are held. In the context of the
International Chess Tournament held in Stepanakert the necessity of
developing this sport also becomes apparent. Especially that Artsakh
has football traditions, we only have to revive them. There are no
difficult problems if the way of solution has been found. At the same
time he expressed anxiety concerning the present situation of this
sport in Karabakh. He mentioned with pity that the former glory of
`Karabakh’ Karlen Simonian, who after leaving sport trained teams, now
is left without any work. Such specialists, he said, cannot be left
out of the game. And in general, according to him, it is inadmissible
to make such persons victims of intrigues. G. Tsatrian enumerated the
names of the people who could contribute to the restoration of the
potential of football in the republic. In any sport it is possible to
organize international tournaments in Artsakh. One of the hindering
reasons is the absence of adequate sports grounds and halls. Last year
after the international competitions of table tennis the NKR vice
minister of education, culture and sport G. Balayan also raised this
question. Only a year passed but it became possible to organize a
high-level sports event. This tendency may only arouse positive
anticipations. And again returning to the topic of football and making
a conclusion from the concerns of Gagik Tsatrian and the formulation
of Gary Balayan, we will mention an important circumstance: the
solution of the question requires comprehensive state
assistance. Having the example of the recently held chess tournament
let us remember that sport is the ambassador of peace in the world and
one of the effective factors favouring the recognition of the
country. In addition, Gagik Tsatrian is ready to employ his
possibilities and relations in Russia for the realization of such a
program.

SVETLANA KHACHATRIAN

AzerNe4ws, Azerbaijan
March 25 2004

EU sets S Caucasus in its sights

The European Union (EU) plans to extend its borders as far as the
South Caucasus, Heike Talvitie, the EU special envoy on South
Caucasus, told a Friday meeting held at the permanent parliamentary
commission on human rights.

Talvitie said that the EU was interested not only in the settlement
of the conflicts in the South Caucasus, but also in establishing an
alliance with regional countries. He noted that a special project was
being developed to admit Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to the EU.
The dates and conditions for admission of the three countries will be
made after the project is developed.

Underlining that he is leaving Baku for Yerevan, the EU special envoy
stressed that he would do his utmost to settle the Upper Garabagh
conflict and take advantage of all the opportunities to bring peace
between the conflicting sides.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
March 25 2004

Safarov case continues

The investigation into the criminal case of Senior Lieutenant Ramil
Safarov, an officer of the Azerbaijani Army, who is accused of
murdering his Armenian counterpart during NATO training courses in
Budapest, Hungary, is nearing completion.

Safarov killed the Armenian officer on February 19, 2004 after being
insulted by him. At a meeting with Zahid Oruj, a member of the
Coordination Council of the Committee for Protection of Ramil
Safarov’s Rights, Peter Zalay, Safarov’s advocate, said that the
results of the initial investigation would be known after March 21.

Zahid Oruj presented the advocate with all the necessary
documentation, a book outlining the Garabagh developments published
in English and newspaper cuttings featuring public opinion towards
the Azerbaijani officer. The Coordination Council’s working group
told AssA-Irada that Safarov’s health and psychological condition
were good and that no undue pressure had been exerted on him.

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
March 25 2004

Representation in federal institutions – The Legislature
By Yiouli Taki

CONSTITUENT state representatives in federal institutions should have
the internal citizenship of the respective constituent state. This is
in line with the provision that political rights in federal elections
will be exercised on the basis of internal citizenship: the people
who will elect the representatives of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot
states in federal institutions will have the internal citizenship of
the relevant constituent state.

Internal citizenship is defined on the basis of residence on the date
the Foundation Agreement comes into effect. Neither of the
constituent states will be obliged to grant internal citizenship to
those who will choose to live in their territory but have the
internal citizenship of the other constituent state.

Thus it is expected that the Turkish Cypriot constituent state will
not grant internal citizenship to Greek Cypriots who choose to reside
permanently on its territory, so as to ensure that only Turkish
Cypriots will vote for or be voted as representatives of the Turkish
Cypriot state. In this way, the equal status of the two constituent
states, as specified through their representation on a federal level,
will be translated as political equality between the two communities.

The Legislature: The House of Representatives and the Senate
The two constituent states will be represented in the House in
proportion to their population, though no state will hold less than
25 per cent of the seats. Of the 48 seats, 36 will go to the Greek
Cypriot state and the rest to the Turkish Cypriots. Decisions will be
taken by simple majority.

Representation in the Senate will be based on the political equality
of the two sides; each constituent state will have 24 seats. There
will be two decision-making procedures according to the matter on the
agenda.

Simple Majority: Standard decisions will be taken by simple majority
of the Senators present and voting, including a quarter of the
senators from each constituent state who are present and voting.

Special Majority: Certain issues will need a special majority of at
least two-fifths (10) of the Senators from each constituent state.
Such issues will include the approval of the federal budget and the
election of the Presidential Council, as well as a series of issues
concerning the vital interests of the two constituent states.

House decisions will need the approval of the two bodies. A special
law will provide for a compromise mechanism between the two bodies.

How are the religious minorities going to be represented on the
Legislature?

The Maronite, Latin and Armenian minorities will be represented by at
least one deputy each. The deputies will be counted amongst the
representatives of the constituent state where the majority of the
members of the respective minority reside.

How are the minority representatives going to be elected?
Members of the relevant minority would have the right to vote for
their deputies irrespective of their internal citizenship.

What is the authority of the Legislature?
The Constitution of the United Republic of Cyprus provides the
following powers for the legislature: 1. It will legislate and make
decisions on issues within its competence 2. It will approve
international agreements that need ratification 3. It will elect and
oversee the Presidential Council 4. It will refer to the Supreme
Court – by special majority – allegations of impeachment regarding
members of the Presidential Council and independent officials for
serious violation of their duties or serious crime. 5. It will adopt
the federal budget.

When will a special majority be needed in decision-making in the
senate?

A special majority will be necessary for: 1. Ratification of
international agreements on issues under the legislative authority of
the constituent states. 2. Ratification of conventions and adoption
of laws and regulations concerning airspace, the continental shelf
and territorial waters of the United Republic of Cyprus, including
the economic and border zone. 4. Adoption of laws and regulations
regarding citizenship, immigration, water resources and taxation. 5.
Approval of the federal budget. 6. Election of the Presidential
Council

You have stressed that political equality between the two communities
is protected through a provision in the UN plan that does not oblige
constituent states to provide internal citizenship to citizens from
the other state. Can you explain?

Political rights during federal elections will be exercised on the
basis of the internal constituent state citizenship status. The only
way for the Turkish Cypriot state to secure that its federal
representatives will be Turkish Cypriots is through the provision
stipulating that a constituent state is not obliged to grant Turkish
Cypriot citizenship to Cypriot citizens holding the internal
citizenship status of the Greek Cypriot state who choose to reside
there permanently, after the Foundation Agreement comes into effect.
Consequently, Greek Cypriots who are granted permanent residency in
the Turkish Cypriot state, will continue to have the internal
citizenship of the Greek Cypriot state.

Thus exercising their voting rights at the federal level in the Greek
Cypriot state: they will be able to elect candidates of the Greek
Cypriot state or run for office themselves. This secures Turkish
Cypriot demands since a primary concern of the Turkish Cypriot
community is that of a situation where Greek Cypriots would be
elected as representatives of the Turkish Cypriot state. The equality
of the two constituent states is thus translated into political
equality between the two communities; this would not have been
possible if Greek and Turkish Cypriots could represent the Turkish
Cypriot state at a federal level.

UEFA.com
March 25 2004

England start steadily

Hosts England made a solid start to the Group 2 mini-tournament as
they began their quest to qualify for the UEFA European Under-17
Championship finals for a third successive time.

Enthusiastic crowd
John Peacock’s side got the better of a spirted Armenia at
Hillsborough, Sheffield in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 7,000.
England began the stronger, with Shane Paul hitting the bar early on
after excellent play from Gary Roberts. However Armenia, particularly
through the ever dangerous Edgar Manucharyan, also threatened
sporadically.

Spot-kick opener
England took the lead in the 18th minute when Mark Noble was fouled
in the penalty area and duly beat Armenia goalkeeper Shahen Manvelyan
with the spot-kick. A second goal arrived in the 69th minute when
Paul combined with substitute Fraizer Campbell and blasted the ball
into the net.

Next games
In their next game, England will face fellow day-one winners Iceland
in Doncaster while the Armenians will take on the Norwegians in
Mansfield. Only the top side in the group will reach the eight-team
final tournament in France this May.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 25 2004

Agreement is not a case , said Aliyev

Azerbaijan and Armenia have not agreed on anything said, Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev yesterday evening at Bina airport, shortly
after he arrived in Baku from Uzbekistan.
Aliyev’s statement came as response to Armenian statements that said,
Azeri and Armenian sides have reached certain agreement over Karabakh
conflict during Key West talks in the Unites States in 2001.
Let Armenian side to promulgate the agreement if there is one said
Aliyev, adding, Azerbaijan and Armenian sides had discussed in Key
West various proposals both of the Minsk group and of the sides to
Karabakh conflict for the solution of the conflict, although they did
not reach a concrete agreement for that.

The Armenian statements are for domestic politics, Aliyev said.

Aliyev said, he has told the Minsk group to extend to the Armenian
side that Armenia should step back from `lying’ position, as such
behavior is incompatible with negotiation ethics.

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
March 26 2004

Composers! A call to arms

Current events in Australia are crying out to be expressed in music,
Tony Stephens learns.

John Haddock believes that modern composers in the classical
tradition should turn their attention more to current affairs.
“Classical musicians should take their eyes off Beethoven for a
while,” he says.

“The pop music world used to comment on things that concerned them
about the modern world but that doesn’t happen much now. There are
opportunities for classical composers.”

Haddock saw an opportunity with the sinking of the SIEV X in the
Indian Ocean and the rescue of asylum seekers from fishing boats in
Australian waters, including the “children overboard” incident before
the last federal election.

Angered by the whole unhappy episode in Australian history, the
composer wrote the libretto and music for an aria, See My Children
Fly, which he says could come from a modern opera.

He wrote it with a particular singer in mind, the Armenian-born
soprano Arax Mansourian, who feels as passionately about the issue of
asylum seekers as Haddock does.

And tomorrow the Sydney Youth Orchestra joins the musical stand on
the refugee matter when See My Children Fly has its premiere in a SYO
concert at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith.

Mansourian sings the role of an Afghan woman fleeing with her
children from war-torn Afghanistan. She sings of her journey and the
death of her children, using the metaphor of flight drawn from the
age-old Afghan passion for kite flying.

Do not hold my hand.
Do not touch me tenderly,
Or look upon me
With the sad eyes of a stranger.
Do not welcome me.
Do not invite me in.
Do not lock me up
with the detention of your charity.
I am lost.
I am illegal.
I have nothing,
not one thing.
No visa,
no life,
no family.
Here behind the wire
and the dirt
and the mandatory detention.

“The female concerned, her life and the death of her children is my
own creation,” Haddock says. “But the sinking of the SIEV X, in
October 2001 in the Indian Ocean, and the rescue of asylum seekers
from the fishing vessel Olong by the frigate HMAS Adelaide in the
same month is very real.”

The SYO artistic director, Thomas Woods, says the new piece is one of
the most important works to have its premiere in Australia in many
years. “John’s superbly crafted music conveys an emotional, artistic
response to what has come to be described as the refugee crisis. The
artistic angle provides the human element – and allows us to identify
with refugees as people.

“Arax Mansourian is a world-class soprano with a mature,
sophisticated voice, and John has written a work that demonstrates
her abilities to the fullest.”

Haddock put the aria idea to the soprano while working with
Mansourian when she sang the lead role in Tosca last year.

“He gave me the libretto and I thought it beautiful and emotional,”
she says. “And he gave me the music. I liked it.

“John is an emotional person and I’m emotional. A critic praised my
singing in Verdi’s Requiem but said it was unfortunate I was
emotional. How could you not be emotional in Verdi’s Requiem?Anyhow,
I’m proud to be singing John’s aria.”

Haddock joined the Australian Opera in 1989 and has worked with most
leading opera conductors over a wide repertoire. His opera Madeline
Lee won an Australia Council development grant in 1999 and will be
performed for the first time at the Sydney Opera House in October.

Madeline Lee is about a World War II bomber abandoned in the Libyan
desert and the men who set out to recover it. Haddock wrote it with
Michael Campbell, and Michael Lewis and Christopher Lincoln will sing
the leading roles. “It’s about men isolated and facing up to their
past,” Haddock says.

Mansourian, formerly a leading soprano with the Yerevan State Opera
in Armenia, has performed the title role in Aida, Leonora in Il
Trovatore, Mimi in La Boheme, Nedda in Pagliacci, Liu in Turandot,
Desdemona in Otello, Leonora in La Forza del Destino, Elizabeth in
Tannhauser, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and the title role in
Katya Kabanova. Her daughter, Shoushan Petrosian, is a pop singer in
Armenia and her brother, Tigran Mansourian, a composer. Another
brother, Mher, is an artist in France.

Tomorrow’s concert will also feature Bernstein’s Overture to Candide
and Rossini’s La Boutique Fantasque, both of which are part of the
SYO’s repertoire for their tour to Italy in July.

Interfax
March 25 2004

Armenia to receive World Bank loan for education reform

Yerevan. (Interfax) – The World Bank is to allocate a $52 million
ten-year loan to Armenia for education reform, Roger Robinson, the
head of the Bank’s Yerevan office, told the press on Wednesday.

The money will be disbursed in three installments, with $19 million
allocated in the first four years for high school education reforms.
The $19 million loan, which will be given for 40 years with a 10-year
grace period, was approved on January 22.

If the first stage of reforms is successful, the World Bank will
continue to finance the education system reforms, Robinson said.

The terms and components of the second and third stages will be
determined later, he said.