Composer Gaining International Audience

Reuters/Billboard
March 20 2004

Composer Gaining International Audience
By Anastasia Tsioulcas

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian is a man of
passion and intensity.

Whether discussing his friendship with Dmitri Shostakovich,
describing his childhood in Beirut, Lebanon, or recounting the
influence of William Faulkner’s writings on his work, Mansurian
punctuates his reflections with sweeping hand motions and piercing
glances.

Yet the 65-year-old’s music exemplifies the power of the small and
subtle gesture. Renowned violist Kim Kashkashian — herself
Armenian-American — explains the appeal of Mansurian’s music this
way: “His writing is very distilled, very concentrated. The intensity
is extreme.”

Mansurian says his music is steeped not just in Armenian music and
history but is also influenced by a Japanese artist he observed some
30 years ago.

“I saw an ikebana artist creating a composition from flowers,” he
says, “and the theory behind this art is to reveal beauty through
simplicity. When they cut off leaves, you can see the childhood of
the plant. From that emptiness, you imagine and create life
yourself.”

Despite his renown at home and his friendships with such colleagues
as Arvo Part, Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Valentin
Silvestrov and others, Mansurian is not well-known internationally.
But that is rapidly changing.

Since their first meeting several years ago, Kashkashian has become a
champion of Mansurian’s work, and the composer has written several
works for her. Kashkashian’s advocacy has blossomed into a long-term
commitment to Mansurian from producer/ECM label head Manfred Eicher.

The first fruit of that relationship arrived last July, when the
Munich-based ECM released “Hayren,” a disc that included Mansurian’s
piece “Havik” as well as songs by the revered Armenian
composer/ethnomusicologist Komitas (1869-1935), arranged by
Mansurian.

On March 30, ECM continues to explore Mansurian’s work with a two-CD
set titled “Monodia.” Two compositions on the new disc were written
expressly for Kashkashian: the 1995 viola concerto “And Then I Was in
Time Again …” and “Confessing With Faith” for viola and voices (in
which Kashkashian is joined by the Hilliard Ensemble).

“Lachrymae,” a piece for viola and saxophone, is played here by its
dedicatees, Kashkashian and saxophonist Jan Garbarek (who makes his
instrument sound remarkably like the traditional Armenian duduk).
Rounding out the collection is 1981’s Violin Concerto, played by
Leonidas Kavakos.

At Last! CKDG is on Air

CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse), Canada
March 20 2004

At Last! CKDG is on Air

MONTREAL, March 19 /CNW Telbec/ – The management of CKDG-FM, the new
radio station for all Montrealers, is pleased to announce that the
station is now broadcasting at 105.1 on the FM dial.

Many Montrealers were literally searching for the station weeks ago
following the billboard campaign posted all over the city announcing
our coming on air.

>From now on, route 105.1 will accompany you every morning, 7 to 9,
with a French morning show, L’Espresso, and a drive-home show from 4
to 6 called From Shore to Shore.

CKDG Route 105 broadcasts programs in Greek, Armenian, Russian,
Serbian, Croatian, Tagalog, Romanian and Hungarian, over and above
their French and English programming.

CKDG is a new commercial radio station dedicated to news, sports,
culture, innovation and, foremost, a commitment to reflecting
Montreal’s cosmopolitan flavour on the airwaves.

For further information: Marie Griffiths, CKDG, (514) 273-2481;
Nathalie Vachon/Bertrand Morin, Hill & Knowlton/Ducharme Perron,
(514) 395-0375

Chess: Honor peerless Petrosian

Washington Times, DC
March 20 2004

Honor peerless Petrosian

By David R. Sands

Armenian chess enthusiasts this month organized a strong invitational
event to mark the 75th anniversary of the birth of the late, great
Soviet world champion Tigran Petrosian. Petrosian, born in Georgia of
Armenian parents, was world champion from 1963 to 1969, losing the
title to Boris Spassky.
Armenian GM Karen Asrian won the tournament with a 6-3 score, but
Petrosian’s namesake, 20-year-old Armenian IM Tigran L. Petrosian,
did quite well for himself, finishing with an even 41/2-41/2 score
despite being the second-lowest-rated player in the field. The
international master pinned a loss on Russian GM Mikhail Kobalia in
Round 4, outplaying his higher-rated opponent for much of the game
and surviving a blunder-filled scramble just before the first time
control.
In a Kan Sicilian, White’s 16. Nxc3 0-0 17. Nd5!? is an almost
standard Sicilian motif. Petrosian gets the better game if Black
accepts on 17…exd5?! 18. exd5 Rfe8 19. dxc6 Ba6 20. Qf3, with the
White c-pawn clogging Black’s game. Black sidesteps that with
17…Qd8 18. Nxf6+ Bxf6, but White boldly enters a tactically
complicated line that gives him a comfortable advantage.
Thus: 19. Qb5! Bxb2 20. Nxa5!? (bold or foolhardy, depending on
your tastes, as 20. Qxb7 Bxc1 21. Rxc1 Ne5 22. Nd4 looks like a safer
way to obtain an edge) Bxc1 21. Nxb7 Nd4! (perhaps the only way to
remain in the fight) 22. Qd3 Qb6 23. Rxc1 Rxa4 24. Na5. White has two
bishops for a rook and pawn, but Kobalia at least has eliminated
White’s queen-side pawns.
Better for Black would have been 25…Qb3!, eliminating one of
the bishops on 26. Qxb3 Nxb3 27. Rb1 Nxd2 28. Nxd2 Rd4 29. Nf1 f5.
Black’s center and king-side become problems after the game’s
25…Qb5?! (the pins of the White knight along the diagonal and the
c-file prove transitory) 26. Be3 Rc8 27. Bxd4 exd4 28. Bf1! Qc5 29.
Rc2! Rc7 30. Ne3, and White’s pieces suddenly become much more
active.
Petrosian drives the Black rook back and then switches abruptly
to the other flank with 34. Qa2 Rb8 35. Qd2!, with the threat of 36.
Qg5 g6 37. Ne7+ Kg7 38. Nd5. But it looks as if both players were
short of time as the position grows critical.
There followed 35…g6 36. Nh6+ Kg7 37. h4?? (trying to open more
lines, but overlooking that the knight is precariously perched; 37.
Ng4! keeps the focus on Black’s numerous weak king-side squares)
Rb1?? (returning the favor; on 37…Qh5!, White’s best now appears to
be 38. Nxf7 Kxf7 39. Qxd4 Rb1 40. Qxd6 Qb5 41. Qc7+ Ke6 42. Qc8+,
with a draw) 38. Ng4.
The knight has escaped, and White must simply work his bishop
into the attack. Still a move short of time control, Kobalia makes
things simple with a second oversight: 38…Qc1? 39. Qxd4+, losing a
pawn outright and leaving his king in the lurch. Black resigns.
The real Tigran Petrosian is the chess equivalent of a
postgraduate degree, a player with a style so distinctive and subtle
that it baffled even many strong players of his day. Though
criticized for being too cautious, Petrosian actually was a superb
tactician, a world-class speed player and the one Soviet grandmaster
even Bobby Fischer unreservedly admired.
Consider today’s diagrammed position from Petrosian’s win over
strong West German GM Wolfgang Unzicker in a 1960 team match, three
years before he wrested the world crown from Mikhail Botvinnik.
White’s strategy here is given close scrutiny in American IM John
Watson’s brilliant 1999 treatise “Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy,”
a book in which Petrosian games are cited frequently.
As Watson notes, White has a distinct advantage on the queen-side
but no clear avenue for penetration. Petrosian’s uncanny solution:
transfer his king from g1 to a2(!), pound open some lines on the
newly vacated king-side, and then shift back to the c-file when
Black’s forces have been diverted.
The execution includes some nice tactical points. If, for
example, 38…Qxb5, White wins with 39. axb5 a4 40. b6 Rad7 41. Na5
Ra8 42. Rxd6! Rxd6 43. b7 Rb8 44. Rc8 Rd8 45. Rxd8 Rxd8 46. Nc6. The
opening of the g- and h-files causes Unzicker no end of headaches, as
he must constantly guard against getting his queen pinned and against
an invasion by the White queen at h8.
With Black badly tied up, the action shifts back to the c-file,
now with devastating impact: 50. Qh2! Bf6 51. Rc8! Rad7 52. Nc5! b3+
(desperation) 53. Kxb3 Rd6 54. f5! (threatening both the queen and
55. Qxd6) Rb6+ 55. Ka2. Since 55…Qxf5 56. Rxd8+ Bxd8 57. Nd7+ picks
off the rook, Black resigns.

Tigran Petrosian Memorial Tournament, Stepanakert,
Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, March 2004
Petrosian Kobalia
1. e4 c5 21. Nxb7 Nd4
2. Nc3 e6 22. Qd3 Qb6
3. Nf3 a6 23. Rxc1 Rxa4
4. g3 b5 24. Na5 e5
5. d4 cxd4 25. Nc4 Qb5
6. Nxd4 Bb7 26. Be3 Rc8
7. Bg2 Nf6 27. Bxd4 exd4
8. Qe2 Qb6 28. Bf1 Qc5
9. Nb3 Qc7 29. Rc2 Rc7
10. 0-0 d6 30. Ne3 Qa7
11. a4 b4 31. Rxc7 Qxc7
12. Na2 Nc6 32. Nf5 Qc5
13. Bd2 a5 33. Qb3 Rb4
14. Rfc1 Be7 34. Qa2 Rb8
15. c3 bxc3 35. Qd2 g6
16. Nxc3 0-0 36. Nh6+ Kg7
17. Nd5 Qd8 37. h4 Rb1
18. Nxf6+ Bxf6 38. Ng4 Qc1
19. Qb5 Bxb2 39. Qxd4+ Black
20. Nxa5 Bxc1 resigns

U.S.S.R.-West Germany Match, Hamburg, Germany, 1960
Petrosian Unzicker
1. d4 Nf6 29. Kf1 Kf8
2. Nf3 e6 30. h4 h5
3. Bg5 d5 31. R1c2 Kh7
4. c4 c6 32. Ke1 Kg8
5. Qc2 Be7 33. Kd1 Kh7
6. e3 0-0 34. Kc1 Kg8
7. Nc3 h6 35. Kb1 Kh7
8. Bf4 Nbd7 36. Qe2 Qb7
9. cxd5 cxd5 37. Rc1 Kg7
10. Bd3 a6 38. Qb5 Qa8
11. 0-0 b5 39. f4 Kh7
12. a4 b4 40. Qe2 Qb7
13. Na2 Ne8 41. g4 hxg4
14. Nc1 a5 42. Qxg4 Qe7
15. Nb3 Ba6 43. h5 Qf6
16. Bxa6 Rxa6 44. Ka2 Kg7
17. Qd3 Ra7 45. hxg6 Qxg6
18. Rfc1 Nd6 46. Qh4 Be7
19. Bxd6 Bxd6 47. Qf2 Kf8
20. Rc6 Nb8 48. Nd2 Rb7
21. Rc2 Nd7 49. Nb3 Ra7
22. Rac1 Nb6 50. Qh2 Bf6
23. Qb5 Nc4 51. Rc8 Rad7
24. Nfd2 Nxd2 52. Nc5 b3+
25. Rxd2 Qa8 52. Kxb3 Rd6
26. Rdc2 Rd8 54. f5 Rb6+
27. Rc6 g6 55. Ka2 Black
28. g3 Kg7 resigns

David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by e-mail at
[email protected].

Bible study series to take place at First Armenian Presbyterian

The Porterville Recorder, CA
March 20 2004

Bible study series to take place at First Armenian Presbyterian

By The Porterville Recorder staff

“The Last Journey,” an exploration of the Gospel of Luke, is the
theme of the 2004 Lenten Bible Study Series at the First Armenian
Presbyterian Church of Fresno.

The series will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 1
and April 8. on April 8. Lent is the 40-day period of prayer and
preparation preceding the celebration of Easter.

Study leaders Kenneth Bedrosian, Larry Shapazian, Arpi Keledjian,
Carolyn Halajian and Robert and Arevig Adjemian will cover the topics
as “Following Jesus is Being on the Same Journey” (Luke 9:51-62),
“How Can I Join the Journey” (Luke 10:25-37, “Carrying the Weakness”
(Luke 17:1-6), and “His Journey, His Standards” (Luke 22:24-27).

Studies will be held in a variety of locations, including Southeast
Fresno with hosts Jack and Grace Chavoor (453-0403); Central Fresno
with hosts Mardiros and Maral Afarian (237-6638); Northwest Fresno
with hostess Lucille Paul (432-3592); Northeast Fresno in the English
Language with hosts Jerry and Nelda Baker (434-6194); and Northeast
Fresno and Clovis in the Armenian Language with hosts Nerses and
Kenarig Kalayjian (323-5095).

The Study Series will culminate at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 8,
with a Moundy Thursday meal and special program to commemorate
Christ’s institution of Holy Communion at the Last Supper. The Maundy
Thursday observance will take place in the church Fellowship Hall,
located at 430 S. First St., midway between Huntington Boulevard and
the Kings Canyon Road Promenade. Childcare and special meals for
children age 8 and younger will be provided and parents are
encouraged to call the church offices at 237-6638 to make
reservations.

The church will observe Holy Week with an 11 a.m. Praise Service on
Palm Sunday, April 4, and Easter Sunday, April 11. The services will
mark the triumphal entry of Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem, His
Passion and Crucifixion and His Resurrection.

The public is warmly invited to participate in the Lenten season
studies and services. More details are available by calling 237-6638.

Chartered on July 25, 1897, FAPC is a multi-generational congregation
drawn from the New and Old Worlds. The Reverence Mgrdich Melkonian is
the Senior Pastor and the Reverend Samuel Albarian is the Associate
Pastor for Mission and Outreach.

FAPC is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and
the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America.

Ex-pastor admits he committed tax fraud

Times Union, Albany, NY
March 20 2004

Ex-pastor admits he committed tax fraud

Albany — Former Troy priest who stole church funds and failed to
report income on his taxes takes a plea deal

By MICHELE MORGAN BOLTON, Staff reports

A priest who embezzled thousands of dollars from his congregation’s
collection plate pleaded guilty to tax fraud Friday in federal
district court after admitting that he failed to report the stolen
money to the Internal Revenue Service.
Megerdich Megerdichian, 47, the former pastor of Troy’s Holy Cross
Armenian Apostolic Church, could be sentenced to three years in
prison, a year of supervised release and fined $250,000 when he is
sentenced on June 14. He is currently living in Cranston, R.I. No
further information was available Friday night.

Megerdichian took the plea deal offered by federal prosecutor Steven
A. Tyrrell during an appearance before U.S. District Judge Lawrence
E. Kahn.

The priest led the Troy parish for 16 years, according to information
provided by U.S. Attorney Glenn Suddaby and IRS Special Agent in
Charge Anne Marie Coons.

Church finances were controlled by a four-member board during
Megerdichian’s tenure at the church, officials said. They were
signatories on all church accounts and were required to approve
church expenditures.

But from at least May 1995 until sometime in late 1997, those board
members had no idea that the priest had established a private account
at a Fleet Bank in Troy in which he deposited thousands of dollars in
checks made out to the church.

Board members were unaware the account existed, Suddaby and Coons
said.

Megerdichian used some of the money for personal expenses and then
“knowingly and willfully” failed to declare the income on his federal
tax returns, they said: “This resulted in an underpayment … of
$9,442.”‘

Megerdichian was removed from ministry in 1998 and required in 2000
to repay the parish in full. As part of Friday’s plea deal, he also
must pay restitution to the IRS.
From: Baghdasarian

Pipeline construction on track

Africa Analysis, Ltd.
March 19, 2004

PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION ON TRACK

Iranian ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Farhad Koleini has disclosed
that the Iranian oil and gas minister is expected to visit Armenia
soon to conclude a final agreement on the construction of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. Construction of the pipeline is scheduled
to start soon, to be completed within a year or two. The Armenians
are very keen on the pipeline, which will become one of the main
alternative sources of fuel for Armenia after the closure of its
nuclear power plant. The Russians also consider the construction of a
gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia to be in their interest. At
present, Russia is consulting with Armenia on a feasibility study
since there is a possibility that the Russian company Gazprom may
operate part of the pipeline through Armenia in the future.

The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline has been on the drawing board since
1992. In addition to the two main participants in the project, other
interested parties include Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, countries
in the European Union, and China. The European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development has said that it is ready to finance
the project.

About $ 1bn is needed to replace the capacity of the nuclear plant.
At the moment only the European Union has said that it is ready to
put 100m into a special fund for the project. But the EU will only
pay the money to create alternative energy supply sources once the
Armenian government closes its nuclear plant, which the EU has been
insisting on.

It is hoped that the EU’s decision will prompt other foreign
investors to consider injecting funds into the project.

Armenia and Iran signed an agreement in 1995 to establish the route
of the pipeline, which stretches along 141km, with 41km in Armenia
and 100km in Iran. The agreement also sets the price for gas to be
transported through the pipeline at $ 84 per 1,000 cubic metres. The
cost of the project is estimated at $ 120m.

The pipeline may be extended to the Armenian-Georgian border. In this
case, the cost of the project will increase to $ 306m and the
pipeline will be 550km long and have a capacity of 4.5 billion cubic
meters a year.

Azerbaijan, Georgia eying NATO, EU

Czech News Agency (CTK)
March 19, 2004

AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA EYING NATO, EU

BRATISLAVA, March 19 ; (PVR)

Azerbaijan and Georgia are part of Europe and they see their future
in NATO and the EU, their presidents, Ilham Aliyev and Mikheil
Saakashvili, said at the conference Towards a Wider Europe: The New
Agenda today.

Azerbaijan sees its future in the deeper integration into the
Euro-Atlantic space, Aliyev said.

He said his country was mostly tormented by the dispute with Armenia
over the region Nagorny Karabakh.

The problem can threaten the stability of the whole region, Aliyev
said.

He called on the EU and the Council of Europe to devote more
attention to Nagorny Karabakh.

If international organisations pay more attention to the problem, a
peaceful solution will be found, Aliyev said.

Saakashvili congratulated the European countries which are to join
NATO and the EU in the months to come.

He mentioned Romania which persistently supports Georgia in its
effort to join European structures and Bulgaria whose representatives
supported him during the solution to the last Adzhara crisis.

Saakashvili stressed that Georgia made part of Europe as it its
easternmost part.

The right steps were chosen by the Baltic countries which do not
close the door behind them to European institutions, trying to keep
them open also for others, Saakashvili said.

Everyone wants to share the success story, Saakashvili said. The idea
of New Agenda – more attention to the Balkans, the Black Sea and
Transcaucasia – was also supported by Romanian Premier Adrian
Nastase.

He supported integration of these countries into the EU and NATO. For
a successful integration, relationships with Partnership for Peace
should be developed, Nastase said.

The close entry of Kosovo’s neighbours into NATO and the EU can help
the security of the whole region, Nastase said.

The expansion of NATO and the EU should not end at the eastern border
of Romania, he added.

Remarks on Georgian-Adzharian conflict by Duma’s Kosachev…

Official Kremlin Int’l News Broadcast
March 16, 2004 Tuesday

REMARKS ON GEORGIAN-ADZHARIAN CONFLICT BY STATE DUMA COMMITTEE FOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHAIR KONSTANTIN KOSACHEV AND FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER
OF GEORGIA TENGIZ KITOVANI

Anchor: I am Ksenia Larina. Our guests are State Duma Committee for
Foreign Affairs Chairman Konstantin Kosachev. Good day, Konstantin.

Kosachev: Good day.

Anchor: And Tengiz Kitovani, a former Defense Minister of Georgia.
Good day, Tengiz.

Kitovani: Good day.

Anchor: I guess you all understand what issue we are going to discuss
now. It certainly is the conflict between Georgia — shall I say,
between official Georgia and its autonomous region that is called
Adzharia. Many experts say that this confrontation may develop into a
real civil war. So, let us discuss this today.

To begin with, I would like to ask our guests to express their views
on these developments, the main causes and how natural this conflict
is for you. Tengiz, you will begin.

Kitovani: This dates back to the times of Gamsakhurdia and his
appointment of Aslan Abashidze. The whole of Georgia was against
that. But Gamsakhurdia made a decision to appoint him chairman of the
Council of Ministers in Adzharia. And he also appointed Ardzinba. So,
the separatist movement goes a long way back into the times when
Gamsakhurdia made these appointments.

So apparently the separatist movement evolved with the support of
some separatist-minded politicians. As a result, we have today what
we have. The appointment of Saakashvili, it became immediately
obvious after this appointment that separatists ran away to Moscow in
search of asylum, from South Ossetia, Adzharia and Abkhazia. Aslan
Abashidze was among them. So apparently this scenario had been
prepared here.

Anchor: Do you mean here in Russia?

Kitovani: Of course, because that’s how things are developing now.
Russia supports Aslan Abashidze, and the Americans support
Saakashvili. Aslan Abashidze must not have been supported because
presidential politicians consider him a criminal. Under Gamsakhurdia
he shot in his own office a man who was in power at that time. I want
you to know this. He killed a man and remained in his office for 10
more years unpunished.

Anchor: He killed a person in his own office?

Kitovani: He did. He shot him dead in his own office. The man’s name
was Imnadze. I can tell you a lot of things.

Anchor: I want to turn the floor over to Konstantin Kosachev, who has
been smiling all this time.

Kosachev: Well, no, I haven’t been smiling because the situation is
developing in a tragic way and, God forbid, may come to a bloodshed.
There is nothing to laugh about.

But I cannot agree with such a one-sided assessment of the situation.
First of all, I think that not only and not so much Gamsakhurdia is
responsible for this situation. On the one hand, it has deep
historical roots. On the other hand, it existed and was not resolved
during Shevardnadze’s rule.

Second, I am absolutely convinced that if Russia were interested in
disintegrating Georgia and separating ethnic regions from it, it
would have done so a long time ago. Believe me, Russia can do that,
given the current sentiments in these ethnic regions. However,
Russia’s consistent position in favor of Georgia’s territorial
integrity, which we have repeatedly emphasized, has allowed Georgia
to remain as an integral state and not fall into feudal
principalities.

Third, when contacts with Russian officials take place in these
capitals, and I know what I am saying and I know what is discussed at
such negotiations, the only goal that Russia pursues in the context
of such negotiations is to convince the leadership of the concerned
ethnic regions to continue the political dialogue with Tbilisi,
refrain from unilateral radical actions based on force, and look for
compromises that can help Georgia remain as an integral state for
years and even centuries.

That is our main national interest for Russia — preserving Georgia
as an integral state, because Georgia’s disintegration into small
components will have an immediate and most negative impact on the
situation in the Caucasus where unfortunately we have enough problems
as it is.

Anchor: Is the President empowered to use force if at stake is a part
of the country that he is running or he isn’t?

Kosachev: Theoretically, he is empowered because this is part of
Georgia. As far as I understand, the leadership of Adzharia is not
saying that Adzharia is not part of Georgia. It has recognized that,
thank God. By the way, the parliamentary elections due to be held in
Georgia on March 28 will also be held on the territory of Adzharia,
which is a sign of the position of the present leadership of
Adzharia.

It is another question that any president — and I am sure that Mr.
Saakashvili is a wise President — should look for, if not the
shortest, the optimal ways toward this or that goal. And I am sure
that the use of force in conflicts of this kind will not bring the
coveted goal of a compromise any nearer, on the contrary, it will
make it more remote. This is what we are witnessing now. What is
happening before our eyes has again provoked emotions on both sides.

Let us think back to February 25 the day of inauguration of the
Georgian President when they stood shoulder to shoulder with the
President or, properly speaking, the Chairman of Adzharia, Mr.
Abashidze. They were standing together reviewing the military parade.
And I am sure that a Russian heart rejoices at such a picture. And
now, just three weeks on, we see the absolute opposite.

Why is it happening? I suspect that it should all be traced to the
March 28 elections. President Saakashvili is up against daunting
problems that face Georgia. First of all, problems of economic
character — rampant corruption and an industry that is at a
standstill. I am afraid that no miracles will happen in the Georgian
economy by March 28, much as we would all like it to happen.

And that generates the temptation of a small victorious military
operation that will enable the President of the whole of Georgia to
look like a credible national leader. I think such actions are
extremely dangerous and undesirable.

Anchor: Tengiz, to pick up where Konstantin Kosachev left off, a
question to you. Is military force the only solution at present?

Kitovani: I agree that the question cannot be solved by military
force. That would mean civil war. This is not an option. The parties
should agree peacefully. But at the same time I must be critical of
those who are setting up a blockade inside their own country. This is
not the way to act. Naturally, it will lead to a military
confrontation. You know that both Armenia and Georgia get cargoes
from Batumi. Everybody knows that. And the Armenians will get angry
because the cargoes delivered to Batumi are destined for Armenia.

Armenia will demand the opening of ports. And that becomes a vicious
circle. So, I am against any confrontations on the territory of
Georgia.

Anchor: Let us recall that Mr. Abashidze had turned for help to
Russia and to President Bush. And I would like Tengiz to answer my
question: How do you assess these remarks by the Adzharian leader?
And my second question: Should Russia interfere in this conflict to
some degree?

Kitovani: I think Russia should interfere if a conflict situation
arises. Russia should defuse the situation that obtains in Georgia
which is at war with its own people. Russia cannot do it as it could
be done when the arrival of Ivanov defused the situation during the
presidential election. So, I would be glad to welcome Russian
representatives who would follow this path.

Anchor: Should Russia support one or the other side in this conflict?

Kitovani: Russian policy must play this main role — and I have
always spoken about it — Russia should defuse the situation that is
becoming more and more tense in Georgia. The Russian President can do
it, he can do it.

Anchor: And the fact that Luzhkov has gone there, what does it mean?

Kitovani: Well, Luzhkov went to see his friend. They have long been
friends.

Anchor: So, you consider it to be a private visit?

Kitovani: Yes, a private visit, I think. Luzhkov cannot resolve this
issue, he went to see Abashidze as his friend.

Anchor: Well, I for one, find it rather strange: the mayor of Moscow,
the mayor of the capital of the Russian state, pays a private visit
to Adzharia at the peak of the conflict between two opposing forces.
Do you really think it is just a private visit?

Kitovani: Well, Luzhkov does have an interest because Luzhkov is
building some kind of dachas in Adzharia for Moscow. That much I
know. And of course, Luzhkov wouldn’t like the money to be lost,
Moscow’s money with which he is building something in the outskirts
of Batumi.

Anchor: The same question to Konstantin Kosachev, regarding Russian
participation in this conflict. How do you see Russian participation
in this?

Kosachev: First, I know exactly what Russia must not do in this
situation. We must not use our military capability in the shape of
our base in Batumi, on no account. Secondly, we must not use economic
levers, whether with regard to Tbilisi or Batumi in order to induce
the conflicting parties to strike a compromise. And thirdly, we must
not tap the potential of our own diaspora, and there are a lot of
people in Adzharia with Russian passports, to influence the
situation. And as to what we must do, and here I absolutely agree
with Mr. Kitovani, we must made maximum use of the political resource
which Russia has and which in my opinion is unique compared to the
resources of the United States or of the European Union.

We are equally reliable partners and allies now for Tbilisi and
Batumi. We enjoy the trust of both sides. I think it is hardly
feasible to line-up a certain living shield on the administrative
frontier and to send our politicians there or our heads of Russian
regions, and I think that indeed Mr. Luzhkov in this case is acting
on his own initiative rather than upon someone’s instruction from
above.

Incidentally, in Adzharia now, according to media reports, there
already are appearing some State Duma deputies. Here I would like to
stress…

Anchor: Alksnis is there and Savelyev.

Kosachev: I will stress that it is their private trips and again
there are no decisions of the State Duma taken to send its
representatives there. So, the deputies are there on their own
initiative as physical persons and citizens of Russia and not as Duma
deputies. Of course, it is impossible for Russia to stay away from
the conflict. I suspect that if the blockade of Adzharia continues,
Russia will have to organize some activities to simply help the
people…

Anchor: To provide humanitarian aid.

Kosachev: Humanitarian assistance will have to be provided as we are
doing it in the case of Abkhazia and in some of the episodes — with
South Ossetia. That is why I constantly say that now any radical
actions of either side are equally harmful. When the cortege
accompanying Mr. Saakashvili, was stopped at the administrative
border, this was also a radical action on the part of the Adzharian
leadership which also added a spark to ignite the fire. It is
probably possible to find some more flexible variants of actions, to
let in the official part of the cortege and to cut off the armed
guards. So, it was wrong to say that no matter who you are, president
or no president, the road is closed. Now it is also wrong to close
the air space, the port of Batumi and to threaten the closure of the
checkpoint in Sarpi on the border with Turkey. All these actions are
kind of links being added to one chain that may close and form a
vicious circle and of course Tbilisi and Batumi will not be able to
break that vicious circle. And here arises the role to be played by
Russia and I am positive that it will be constructive.

Anchor: And if Abashidze asks for military assistance?

Kosachev: Categorically no, I am profoundly convinced.

Anchor: Tengiz, and what does the head of Adzharia have today and I
am asking you about some military structures that he has?

Kitovani: Naturally, he places hopes on the Russian division which is
stationed there. But will the Russians comply with the request? Now,
Abashidze is asking assistance from those divisions that are
stationed in Batumi. This is the main role and incidentally, this is
the talk that Abashidze is using about seeking assistance from the
division stationed in Batumi.

Anchor: But does he have his own army?

Kitovani: Allegedly, there is the division manned by Georgian
soldiers — but this is nonsense, fairy-tales and the talk of the
child. But the only danger is coming from the side and it is correct
to close the Turkish borders because the Turks may take advantage of
the conflict. Under the agreements of 1920s, it is clearly stated
that Turkey has the right to enter the territory of Adzharia.

Kosachev: But the agreement is not valid, it no longer has any
effect.

Kitovani: It is valid. But if they enter, it will be late. Now all
the documents are being studied because it is necessary to take a
look at the agreement and so on. Then they will raise what was signed
at the Istanbul summit. The withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia
is not being complied with either. But it was written on paper and it
remains on paper.

Kosachev: Just a minute…

Kitowani: I will finish my thought. It stays on paper and those who
write, they execute.

Kosachev: I will take issue with that. It is because the Istanbul
accords contain a bilateral protocol between Russia and Georgia on
withdrawing by 2002 two bases — Vaziani and Gudauty — and it is to
be executed by 2002 and in regard to the bases in Akhalkalaki and
Batumi, agreement was registered to the effect that the parties will
decide on the format of the functioning of the bases on Georgia’s
territory. I ask you to refresh these documents in your memory.

As long as these bases are undesirable for Georgia, and now they are
definitely undesirable for Georgia, they are subject to withdrawal.
Russia does not challenge this and these bases will be taken away
from the territory of Georgia, including the base in Batumi, within
deadlines to be agreed by the parties.

Anchor: We don’t have much time left. Of course, we want to talk a
little about your forecasts — the worst case scenario and the best
scenario. If it is the worst case scenario, how will the events
develop. Konstantin, what do you think?

Kosachev: The worst-case scenario is the replay of Abkhasian variant
of 1992-1993 when armed units clash and these clashes quickly
develops into a civil war that involves pensioners and children.

Given the short temper of the confronting factions, and as far as I
understand, and if I am wrong, please correct me, mainly Georgians
live in Adzharia, at least they say that they are Georgians but of a
somewhat different type — so, given the short- tempered Georgian
character on both sides, neither will concede, and all this will go
on, resulting in flows of blood and heavy casualties only to end the
same way as the conflict in Abkhazia ended where the sides had
realized the pointlessness of using force any further and returned to
their places on different sides of the barricade. That’s the most
terrible scenario that may happen. It is absolutely senseless and it
will only inflict a new deep wound upon the efforts to resolve the
conflict by political means and preserve Georgia’s territorial
integrity.

Anchor: Tengiz.

Kitovani: I want all this to end peacefully. And I think it will. I
will travel to Tbilisi shortly to convince the sides to resolve the
whole thing peacefully with the help of Russia and America. The only
way out of this is to end this peacefully.

Mr. Saakashvili will have to make some concessions to Abashidze at
this point because otherwise Georgians will have to pay a dear price
and face grave consequences.

Kosachev: I hope and I am convinced that Mr. Saakashvili will have
enough political wisdom, restraint and strategic vision to try to
solve all of Georgia’s problems, including the Adzharian problem, at
one strike for a certain political or historical occasion.

Anchor: Tengiz, you said in the beginning that Abashidze is a
criminal. Then why don’t authorities simply arrest him and get it
over and done with?

Kitovani: You know, that’s exactly what he is afraid of. He is afraid
of this because it has been said several times on Tbilisi’s
television that he killed Imnadze in the 1990s under Gamsakhurdia.
So, he is simply afraid of all of this because he is a very careful
person. I know him very well. Tbilisi considers him a criminal for
killing Imnadze. Perhaps Muscovites do not know about this, but
Tbilisi’s television carries a lot of reports about this murder.
Imnadze’s daughter also often appears on television and she actually
witnessed the murder of her father.

Kosachev: If Mr. Saakashvili is aware of this fact, it’s very strange
that during the inauguration ceremony in Batumi on February 25 he was
standing shoulder to shoulder with this man. So, I think that the
situation is not as simple as that.

Kitovani: It’s a fact and it occurred in 1991. The daughter and
mother were arrested in Kutaisi and I liberated them because the
roads were blocked as they were seeking to get rid of the witnesses.
I got them out of there and took them to Tbilisi with a police escort
to make sure they didn’t get killed on the way. That’s what happened.

Anchor: Unfortunately we have run out of time. Obviously this topic
will be among the main news for a long time. We all want the
situation to be resolved peacefully. Our guests, Tengiz Kitovani and
Konstantin Kosachev, wish that too. I thank you for coming here
today.
From: Baghdasarian

Franklin Inst.’s Benjamin Franklin Medal and Bower Award Laureates

Source: The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute Committee on Science and the Arts Announces the Benjamin Franklin Medal and Bower Award Laureates for 2004

Raymond Damadian, Inventor of the First Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) Machine, Among the Laureates Honored with America’s Most
Historic Science Awards — Widely Regarded as American Nobel Prizes

PHILADELPHIA, March 18, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) — The Franklin Institute’s
Committee on Science and the Arts, together with Institute President
and CEO Dennis M. Wint, today announced the Benjamin Franklin Medal
and Bower Award laureates for 2004. These preeminent scientists are
being recognized for their outstanding achievements in the fields of
chemistry, computer and cognitive science, electrical engineering,
life sciences, mechanical engineering, and physics. Laureates will be
honored formally at a gala awards ceremony and dinner, presented by
Fleet Bank, on Thursday evening, April 29, 2004, at The Franklin
Institute, in Philadelphia. The Master of Ceremonies for this
celebration will be Lester Holt. Holt is the lead anchor for daytime
news and breaking news coverage on MSNBC.

The 2004 Franklin Institute Bower Award Laureates are: Seymour Benzer,
who will receive the esteemed Bower Award for Achievement in Science
and the accompanying $250,000 Cash Prize; and Raymond Damadian, who
will receive the Bower Award for Business Leadership. The Benjamin
Franklin Medal Laureates are Roger Bacon, Harry B. Gray, Richard
M. Karp, Robert B. Meyer, and Robert E. Newnham.

“These exceptional scientists are taking up the torch of a
180-year-old-legacy of extraordinary achievement in science and
technology,” says Wint. “Whether lifting the veil on the mysteries of
the brain, or inventing tools and technologies to help us conquer
disease and revolutionize many aspects of science, engineering, and
business, these Laureates are changing the quality of our everyday
lives. We are proud to honor these individuals as they have honored
and inspired us and generations to come through their dedication to
science.”

Meet The Laureates

The Bower Award Laureates

The 2004 Bower Award and the accompanying $250,000 Cash Prize for
Achievement in Science in the Field of Brain Research goes to
geneticist Seymour Benzer for his pioneering discoveries that both
founded and greatly advanced the field of neurogenetics, thereby
transforming our understanding of the brain. More than anyone else,
Benzer began the effort to trace the actual, physical links from genes
to behavior. Research based on these fundamental experiments is today
providing profound insights into such degenerative disorders as
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to opening the door
to a new world of understanding about the genetic basis of brain
function and pathology, Benzer also is honored for his monumental
discoveries in molecular biology and physics early in his career.

The 2004 Bower Award for Business Leadership in the Field of Brain
Research goes to physician and inventor Raymond V. Damadian for his
development and commercialization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
used in clinical applications. Damadian filed for a patent in 1972,
which was granted in 1974 for an “Apparatus and Method of Detecting
Cancer in Tissue”. Soon afterwards, he and his team built the first
MRI scanner and achieved the first human scan (1977), and subsequently
founded FONAR Corporation and developed the first commercial MRI
machine in 1980. MRI technology has transformed the diagnosis and
treatment of disease in our lifetime, and in doing so, created an
entirely new industry. The development and commercialization of the
MRI has given the world a Jules Verne view inside our bodies such that
even the inner workings of the brain are now within reach. Today,
thanks to Damadian’s work, more than 60 million MRIs are performed
each year around the world.

The Benjamin Franklin Medal Laureates

The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry goes to Harry B. Gray for his
pioneering contributions to the understanding of the underlying
physics and chemistry that control electron transfer in
metalloproteins. Specifically, Gray has applied his knowledge of
inorganic chemistry to biological processes. He and his team
identified the molecular pathway by which electrons move in proteins
that contain a bound metal ion such as iron or magnesium in their
structure. Examples of metalloproteins in living cells are chlorophyll
in plants and hemoglobin in blood. Gray is an indefatigable promoter
of inorganic and biological chemistry.

The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science goes to
Richard M. Karp for his contributions to the understanding of
computational complexity. vHis work helps programmers find workable
solution procedures to tremendously complex problems, avoiding
approaches that would fail to find a solution in a reasonable amount
of time. Scientific, commercial, or industrial situations where his
work applies include establishing least-cost schedules for industrial
production, transportation routing, circuit layout, communication
network design, and predicting the spatial structure of a protein from
its amino acid sequencing. Karp is among the world leaders in
algorithm design, analysis, and computational complexity.

The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering goes to Robert
E. Newnham for his invention of multiphase piezoelectric transducers
and their spatial architecture, which has revolutionized the field of
acoustic imaging. Specifically, Newnham invented the composite
piezoelectric transducer, which has had exciting applications in the
fields of underwater acoustics, medical ultrasound, wireless
communications, and chemistry. He is considered one of the pioneers in
the field of electronic composites and acknowledged as the “Father of
Unified Nomenclature of Piezocomposites”.

The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering goes to Roger
Bacon for his fundamental research on the production of graphite
whiskers and the determination of their microstructure and properties,
for his pioneering development efforts in the production of the
world’s first continuously processed carbon fibers and the world’s
first high modulus, high strength carbon fibers using rayon
precursors, and for his contributions to the development of carbon
fibers from alternative starting materials. So many of today’s
products and technologies rely on high strength composites. From
sports equipment to aerospace advancements, high strength graphite is
an integral part of today’s world — a world made possible by Roger
Bacon.

The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics goes to Robert B. Meyer for his
creative synthesis of theory and experiment demonstrating that tilted,
layered liquid crystal phases of chiral molecules are ferroelectric,
thus launching both fundamental scientific advancement in the field of
soft condensed matter physics and in the development of liquid crystal
displays that meet the demands of current technology. The application
of his work has been instrumental in the development of new
technologies including flat panel displays and optical switches
important to the modern computer and optical communication industries.

The Story of the Franklin Institute Awards Program

The long, distinguished history of The Franklin Institute Awards
Program dates back to 1824, when the Institute was founded by a group
of leading Philadelphians to train artisans and mechanics in the
fundamentals of science. Philadelphia — then the largest city in the
United States — was the nation’s innovation and manufacturing
center. In 1824, the Institute arranged the first of what became a
series of annual exhibitions of manufactured goods.

With the exhibitions came the presentation of awards — first
certificates and later endowed medals — for achievement in science
and technology. Recipients were selected by the Institute’s venerable
Committee on Science and the Arts, established in 1824 as the
Committee on Inventions. The Institute’s all-volunteer Committee still
nominates recipients of The Franklin Institute Medals. Committee
members represent academia, corporate America, and government. They
evaluate the work of nominated individuals for its uncommon insight,
skill, or creativity, as well as for its impact on future research or
application to serve humankind.

Widely regarded as the American Nobel Prizes, these awards reflect
upon the spirit of discovery embodied by Benjamin Franklin, as well as
the power of science to inspire lives and encourage future innovation
and discovery. The list of Franklin Institute medal winners reads like
a “Who’s Who” of notable Nineteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-First
Century scientists. The list includes Alexander Graham Bell, Marie
Curie, Rudolf Diesel, Thomas Edison, Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Albert
Einstein, Jane Goodall, and Herbert Kelleher to name but a few. To
date, 101 Franklin Institute Laureates also have been honored with 103
Nobel Prizes.

The newest awards — the Bower Award for Business Leadership and the
Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science — are made possible
by a $7.5 million bequest in 1988 from Henry Bower, a Philadelphia
chemical manufacturer. The Bower Science Award carries a cash prize of
$250,000, making it one of the richest science prizes in America.

Today, The Franklin Institute continues its dedication to education
and science literacy, creating a passion for science through its
museum, outreach programs, and curatorial work. Recognizing leading
individuals from around the world is one important way that the
Institute preserves Franklin’s legacy.

Awards Week

In addition to the formal Awards Ceremony on Thursday evening,
Laureates will participate in a series of symposia to be held at local
universities during Awards Week. This year’s symposia are scheduled at
the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Villanova
University, and the University of Delaware.

Laureates will also take part in a Meet the Scientist session on
Tuesday of Awards Week, during which hundreds of students from city
schools are invited to meet the scientists and join in a question and
answer session with them. This lively and exciting discussion presents
a rare opportunity for students to interact with some of the most
exceptional scientists in the world. Moderating the event and
interacting with these world-renowned scientists are students from
Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS) –
a Philadelphia-based program for minority middle- and high-school
students.

Also scheduled for Tuesday is an interactive Celebration of Science,
wherein demonstrations geared to young museum visitors highlight the
scientific concepts behind the work of this year’s Laureates.

The 2004 Franklin Institute Awards Ceremony and Dinner is generously
presented by Fleet Bank. Fleet’s lead sponsorship helps to underwrite
the extraordinary costs associated with staging the April 29, 2004
Awards Ceremony, which will be attended by more than 700 business,
civic, governmental, and education leaders. This support also provides
funds for free or reduced admissions for the 300,000 or more
schoolchildren who visit the museum each year.

Also providing support are Associate Sponsors, Centocor, Inc.;
Cephalon, Inc.; Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and the Four Seasons
Hotel. In addition to their support of the formal Awards program on
Thursday evening, Cephalon, Inc. will generously underwrite the
Laureates’ Symposia and the Meet the Scientist program during Awards
Week.

For more information on the 2004 Franklin Institute Awards Program,
please call Donna Dickerson, Awards Program Director, at 215.448.1329,
or check the Institute’s web site at ,
For tickets, please call Barbara Cowan,
Director of Development Events, at 215.448.0984. To arrange for
interviews or to receive additional Laureate information and
photographs, kindly contact Evan Welsh, Public Relations Director, at
The Franklin Institute at 215.448.1176 or [email protected]; or Emily
Reynolds, Communications Manager, at 215.448.1175 or [email protected].

CONTACT: The Franklin Institute
Evan Welsh, Public Relations Director
(215) 448-1176
[email protected]

Emily Reynolds, Communications Manager
(215) 448-1175
[email protected]

© 2003 PrimeZone Media Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.fi.edu
http://www.fi.edu/tfi_awards.

Museum waxing lyric

The Star, South Africa

World briefs – February 24, 2004
February 24, 2004

Museum waxing lyrical

Paris – The city’s famous Grevin wax museum is to add a figure of
79-year-old crooner Charles Aznavour to its collection of French icons
next month. Aznavour – 80 years old in May – is a veteran entertainer
who got his start with help from singer Edith Piaf. He was to be
featured next to portraits of actors Gerard Depardieu and Alain Delon,
among others, the museum said yesterday.