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February 2000, Volume
1l, No. 2
IIEP[RTMENI$
G(IUH STtlRY
32
LOOking lOn a $aUiOn Armenia's domestic siruarion offers no solutions.
rtlGU$
GITIEITIIS
22 Je!'usalem Jutilee
50 $euen Yeans in Pnison
Pilgrimage of the century includes top government, religious leaders.
Father Manuel Yergatian remembers his years in Turkish prison.
12 tnom the Editon 13 [8tter$ 16 ilM Uiew 18 N0teb00[ 21 Byte$ on tile 24 Economic NBws & lndicatons 26 Global Pictune 28 Armenia Bniels 30 Regional Bniels 70 othcn People's Mail 71 How I Got That $hot 74 taces 76 Undercxposed 78 E$$ay tTITItlN
35
Anmenian FaGe 0n Uniuersallssues The Armenian Assembly's Ross Vartian
REGI(IIII
46 loo!fing l0r
GGnuine lndependence Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the US.
58 ilMUT
Tf,Tffi
43
68 llGws
opcn $esame
Will the Armenian-Turkish border open anytime soon?
ln the $outhenn Gaucasus The economic effects of the Chechen War
Of Aznavour, Datevik, Guvder, Guler and Kazaz.
c0lurEcil0tu$
54 Medicual lob[ylsts Relations within the Moslem World
IRT$
62
Rushing lowand $uccess
Interview with Hollywood Producer Arthur Sarkissian Cover design by Patrick Azadian Altul (ISSN 1050-3471) is pubished monlhly $45 peryear by The Foulrh Millennium Socely 207 SouthBrandBoulevard Sule203 Glendale.CA91204iPhone:(818)246,7979.Fu:{818)24&0088.
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Writo lo Aim! we wilcome all communication. Allhouoh we read all lelters and submissions, we ari unabte to acknowledge everylhini we receive due l0 limiled slatling and resources. Letters l0 the Ediior may be eiriled tol publication.
The reference to the Patriarch of Jerusalem
calls for the following clarification: As the advent of Badr al-Jamali marks the beginning
of the "Armenian period" in Fatmidi Egypt, the visit of Catholicos Grigor Martyrophil (or Vkayaser) in 1075, together with the warm reception he received from Badr as well as the religious privileges he enjoyed, mark ttre beginning of the establishment of an Armenian see in Egypt, which is still functioning today. Matthew of Edessa and medieval Arab historians of Egypt record that Martyrophil ordained his nephew (sister's son and uncle of Nerses Shnorhali) as Catholicos Grigor of the Armenians of Egypt. The powerful vizier and
the dominance of Armenian troops in the Fatimid army promised a safe haven to waves of Armenian immigrants driven out of their lands by the Byzantines and the advancing Deserving Scholarly Attention The article about the two Egyptian scholars
("The Historical Present" Connections, December 1999) was very enjoyable. Not only was the information about them interesting, but it was good to see how they had been
Seljuk Turks. It has been estimated that, in time, Armenians in Fatimid Egypt numbered 30,000. The study of the Armenian diasporas calls for an assessment of the legacy of the Armenian Fatimid period. Such an assessment will also have long term implications not only for the history of Egypt but the dispersion of Armenian communities as well.
able to transform their individual accomplishments and interests into something usefirl and beneficial for Armenia
uf,#ff
#i*orrr,
Whittier Califurnia Being bom and bred in Egyp! the article "The Historical Present," prompts the follow-
ing observations: TtE Farimid srare dares ftom 969 to ll71 AD unlike tlp infonnation in the article - nanrely "l2th to 13ft cen[nies." Over tre course of sonp 200 yean of nrle, 0rere were six Moslem ard ore ChrisianAnrenian viziers, nrling atotal of58 years. The founder of the House of al-Jamali has never been called Badredeen. Both Arab and Westem historians refer to him as Abu'l-Najm Badr al-Armani and describe his early career as a ghulam [servitor] of the govemor of Aleppo,
frwn a mamluk tmilitary slavel of Jamal alDawla of Tripoli, hence his epithet al-Jamali. Badr al-Jamali was sufllmoned to Egypt by Caliph al-Mustansir to contain a rampant civil war and restore order in the Fatimid state. Badr arrived with his own troops, including a sizeable Armenian contingent. Then, following his military success, he restructured the Fatimid army with Armenian Christians predominating in both infantry and cavalry units. Moreover, to stengthen the fortifications of Cairo (called al-Kahira meaning the victorious) Badr mostly relied on Armenian masons and craftsmen.
Sona Zeitlian
kts Angeles, Califumia Itwas ajoy to read abouttwo young OiaqporarF Armenian archaeologists in thatch Tchilingrian's article, 'Ttre Hisffiical hesent'' . The rich history of fie Anrpnians of Egypt deserves such scholarly attention. However, trvo points need to be clarified. Firstly, the article states that the Fatimid dynasty mled Egypt from the l2th to l3th centuries. In facg the Ayyubid dynasty (ll7l-1250\, founded by Saladin Ayyubi, held sway over Egypt during this period. krstea4 the Fatimids should be the l0th to l2th centuries. This attention to Egyptian dynastic chronology is so important because ttre Fatimid period was tlp 'Golden Age ' of Erypt's Arrnenian community. Starting wifi Amir el Guyustr Badr el
Jamali el Armani
n
1W4, until the end of
Fatimid nrle, Armenian govemors consecutiveIy ruledEgypt. Thatis why the Fatimid dynasty
has sometimes been called the "Armenian dynasty."
Secondly, one ofthe archaeologists, Nairy
Hampikian, says that "[t]he number of Armenians in Cairo grew so rapidly that the Patriarch of Jerusalem himself came to Egypt and installed one of his relatives as the first
Archbishop
of the Armenian community in
Egypt." This is inconect. Using the chroniclers Urhayetsi, Kirakos, Vartan and St. Nerses Shnorhali as his sources, the l9th cennrry historianArchbishop Maghakia
AIM FEBRUARY
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Ormanian reports that Catholicos Krikor
II
Vkayaser, was blown offcourse in 1075 while going on a pilgrimage from Constantinople to
Jerusalem and Egyptian monasteries. Forced to dock atAlexan&ia the Catrolios was welorred by tlrc Sultan of Egypt,AMuldamin Munstonser. Upon discovering the vastress of Egypt's
Armenian community, Catholicos Krikor tr ordained his nephew, Prince Grigoris Patrtavmi, Prrelate of Egypt's Armenians. The Sultan of Egypt then gave ttre
a bishop and made him
Prelate tlre title Egyptians refer
of '?atriarch'. Until today, to the Primate of Egypt as
'tsatach'and the kelacy
as "Batrachkhana'. During the Fatimid period, especially under Egypt's Armenian govemor Badr el Jamali el Armani, the Armenian Docese of Egypt would grow to more than 35 churches and monasteries. Thehistory of theArmenians ofEgypt is one of the most profound histories of the Armenian Daspora. Much of that history remains to be uncovered by skillfirl archaeologists and historians. However, much has already been adequately documented and must not be overlooked.
Krikor Pidedjian Yonlcers,
New York
It's Also Political The new law requiring the teaching ofthe Armenian Genocide in the Massachusetts schools (Diaspora Briefs, November 1999) may gladden the hearts of some but I see a
disturbing trend. If politicians solely interested in garnering yotes from target groups can walk into our classrooms and tell our teachers what to teach, where does this end? The Jewish Holocaust is already a mandated unit in New Jersey schools. How long will it be before Kosovar or Hmong refugees get some politico eager to be reelected to push through a bill requiring the teaching of their historic grievances? How long before Ttrkish immigrants become numerous enough to get through a bill requiring that their version of events to be taught? Theissue has nothing to do with the rnerits of the relevant maferial being intoduced. Rather, as a university professor, faced wittr tlrc appalling igno rance of high schml graduates, I am concerned
with what sudect mater is going to be deleted from the existing cuniculum in Massachusets in order to make rmm for the genocide unit New are notadded to the curiculum; they replace something that is a,eady therc' R.H. Ha,ysen Pitman, New lersey
unis
For the reeord: Five ofthe photographs included in Path to Power (Natio4 December 1999) shouW have been attributed to Ara Oshagan NM regrets the omission.
l3
The Fourth Millennium Society is an independetrtly funded atrd administered public charity committed to thc dissemination of infomation for the purpose of developitrg an infomed pubtic, Underpinning all our work is the fim conviction that the vitality of u independent press is fundamental to a democratic society in Armetria and democratic institutiors in the Diaspora. The Fourth Millennium Society publishes Armcnian International Magazine in its effort to conhibute to the national dialogue. The directors ee grateful to
the Benefactors, Trustees, Patrons and Fricnds of the Fourth Millennium Society who are committed to the wcll-being, grcwth and dcvelopment of Amenians and Armctria through the promotion of open discussion and the free flow of itrformation mong individuals md orgmiations, Their finmcial cotrtributions support the work of the Fourth Millennium Society and ensure the independence of AIM. Michael Nahabet, Raffi Zinzalian, Directors
DIRECTORS
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Irad Us Into Salvation The Savior Himself Was Known First, as a Teacher The US has too many politicians and very few statesmen; Armenia has several powerful men (and they are all men) and no authoritative leader. There is no one willing or able to govem (See page 32.) Governing means educating. And Armenia's leaders from the best and most sincere to the most opportunistic and power-driven - have demonstrated no inclination to educate, explain, instruct, indoctrinate, win over, Instead, Armenia's offlcials have ruled. This is as true of its presidents and prime ministers, as it is of those who head ministries and agencies. To the extent that they are able to rule in a one-way, top-down process, they do so. Some even get things done. No one said authoritarianism is ineffective. It's simply short-sighted and individual. When the guy goes, so goes his power base' There couldn't be a better (and sadder) example of this than the situation
which has arisen after the demise of the late Prime Minister. Following Yazgen Sargsian's assassination, it became startlingly clear that his authority was entirely personal. When he was removed from the scene, none of his power or legitimacy
devolved to his underlings or supporters.
It's not always so stark. Sometimes, the individual isn't removed, but loses power because his legitimacy and clout are either diminished (as in the case of President Kocharian since October 1999) or seriously harmed (as in the case of former President Ter Petrossian after September 1997.) It is indisputable that a healthy civil society depends on the govemed believing in the intention and ability of the governors to serve their common interests. It relies equally on an enlightened govemment that understands that power is a means, a tool, a necessity for serving the common good. Therefore, what is needed first is an understanding of the concept of the common good. Armenia appears to lack that basic understanding today, at all levels of society. That is why everyone is out for themselves; and, at the same time, is searching for the savior with a bag full of elixirs to resolve all problems. Maybe it's natural that the world's first Ctristian state should seek a savior. But, if we had leamed anyttring at all from the Savior who came 2,000 years ago, it is that the I-ord helps those who help themselves.
It's aSmall World, AfterA11 Austria Sneezes, Karabakh Catches Pneumonia Those who live in superpowerland (North America) or wannabe superpowerland (Europe) forget that even small and non-memorable events in our backyard can have consequences far, far away. Here is a case study of the intricacies and complexities of international relations, and evidence, once again, of what an incredibly small and shrinking world it is in which we all live. In the fall of 1999, Joerg Haider became a provincial governor in the small European country of Austria. He was unabashedly chauvinistic and racist in his campaign statements, and he appealed to an interesting new brand of xenophobia among a largely under30 group of Austrian voters. Today, Haider's Freedom Party, the largest far-right party in Europe, is Austria's second strongest party and a critical part of its ruling coalition. This turn of events has scared members of the European Union.
France, Germany, and even Italy and the UK, are worried that events in Austria might spill over into the rest of Europe. As a result, the European Union has said, in so many words, thatAustria may be effectively ostracized from the European communiry if it does not adhere to Europe's spiritual and moral values. Such sanctions, this year, would hit Armenians hard. No, not the 5,000 plus who live in Vienna and other cities. But the Armenians of Armenia and Karabakh. Austria, this year, holds the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
16
Europe, the organization which has mandated the Minsk Group (See page 26) with the task of finding a just and equitable resolution to the Karabakh conflict. It is in the framework of the Minsk Group and the OSCE that Armenia has been lobbying hard for a resolution that takes into consideration the facts on the ground, and the de facto independence of Karabakh, from Azerbaijan. It is here that Armenia has stated that is is ready to participate in compromises which will tead to security and prosperity for Karabakh. And Armenia, like the rest of the 53 countries which make up the OSCE, has a veto over the decisions of this organization which operates on the principle of consensus. Unlike the UN, and other international forums, each member, including the smallest members like Armenia, must sign on to any OSCE decision. What happens, then, to Armenia and Karabakh, if Austria, the chairman of the OSCE is neutralized, and the OSCE becomes too weak to function? Does the Karabakh conflict get relegated to the back burner, and left to smolder? Or does a new godfather step in?
So far, all willing godfathers, from the US to the USSR, have been worked into the Minsk Group formula. The Minsk Group, today, has three co-chairmen, after all. That way, they will work on keeping each other in check, and Armenians (in Armenia and Karabakh) will escape any extreme judgements on their future.
AIM FEBRUARY
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But if the Minsk Group appears to be impotent, then any one of the major players - the US, or certainly Russia - will not hesitate to step in and push for a resolution to its own liking. Russia, which is anxious to protect its primary role in that corner of the world will enthusiastically shepherd the Karabakh issue, just as soon as its elections are complete, and regardless of whether the Chechen situation is resolved.
The other main player interested in seeing the conflict resolved in the region are
such that its own economic (and security) interests
not undermined is the US. But that country is in the middle of elections, and unlikely to act anylime soon. Hostage to all these developments are the people of Karabakh. Hostage, too, is the small republic of Armenia, still blockaded by its neighbors because it supports Karabakh in its claims for selfdetermination. The moral of the story is: Never underestimate the importance of even small elections. They can impact situations and events far beyond the local.
Doctor, Lawy et, Engineer Acceptable Careers for Parents, Not Children Maybe those days are over, and this writing is redundant. Maybe parents around the world have already figured out that the world is bigger, more complex, more layered, more intricately interrelated, laden with more opportunities and infinitely
more fascinating than just the traditional careers
-
doctor,
lawyer, engineer, and of course, businessman - would indicate. Maybe. After all, these careers were the obvious choices for those seeking self-reliance in Middle Eastern societies with limited alternatives. And they served the Armenian minority well. Upstanding Armenian professionals did much to boost the community's image and visibility in government and power circles. But Western society of the 21st century is not the Middle East of the 1940s and 50s. Times have changed. Yet, a quick look around the memberships of Armenian Students Associations at local colleges seems to indicate that change is slow a-coming. E-commerce? Psychology? Social work? Urban planning? Political science? Public administration? Cinema? Art history? Journalism? Linguistics? Graphic Design? Or, horrors, English literature? Fashion design? Perish the thoughts. No parent wants their child to go hungry. And few parents seem convinced that the above fields could indeed lead to gainful employment (See page 35.)
There is an unwillingness to encourage young people to purwill not only make them useful within the community, but also with those non-Armenian public and private agencies which drive life in the West. No sense in complaining about no access to the media, if nobody's kids can become reporters or editors. Why deplore the lack of ians'within arts and cinema circles if junior can't join their ranks? Who's to competently, consistently, professionally lobby government agencies and the media for a fair treatment of sue the careers which
Armenian issues if no one knows how? Will there be Armenian at the head of United Way or AOL? Will 'ians' leading social service and public relations agencies?
an be
The large (and not-so-large) community organizations such as the political parties, the Armenian Assembly, the Armenia Fund, the AGBU and the Armenian Relief Society, not to mention the largest institutions - the churches - where do they go to hire serious, able, trained visionaries? On the one hand, there is a growing impatience with incompetence and unprofessional volunteerism within the community. On the other hand, community orgaruzations looking for new blood - whether as volunteers or as paid staff - come up empty-handed in an environment where the social sciences, the arts and the humanities, are still terra incognita.
AIM FEBRUARY
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I
r.
r( Armenia is an ideal market lor Turkey.ll
is now diflicult to lind a more or less eminent person [in Armenia] who is not somehow involved in a criminal Gase as a defendant, suspect or witness.
-Sadan Eren
!l
'T,i'#,'il;lJi31'll;,3[Ti,iiilil!1?l 5( 0pening ol Armenia-Turkish border is possible belore the settlement ol the Karabakh conflict. r, chairman, Azerbaijani
-Haykakan
ll
From now 0n we are a party ol Armenia despite the fact that we are scattered all over the world and are a structure ol al! the Armenians. We are Armeniacentric, lol the center of the Armenians is Armenia. t! -Vahan Hovannesian,
ilfrlttH:ll#l.ligf;
(6The opening of Armenian-Turkish borders will be prac' tically impossible as long as the existing problems between Armenia and Azerbaiian are not resolved. r,
-,3lT,T$i,TlfliXfl l( Any regiona! strategy ignofing lran would likely fail.
!!
-Mehmet 0gutcu Commentator, Turkish Milliyel newspaper
"W:*#
Me m be
r of parl iam e nt and
re p rese
ntative,?Jl3jr?:iT.llt#:lll
I(Anyone who was to write that the Jews were victims of a European civil war and that, anyway, 'Germans also died' would be regarded as cracked or a neo'Nazi. Not so il you deny the Armenian holocaust. !l -Robert Fisk The I ndependent,
rrEmigration is societys protest against govemment policy. It is the only possible form of protest, when politics is so devalued and no political processes exist in the country.lt
-David Shahnazarian Chairman, 21st Century Pafi
r( People emigrate because they can.
,,
the current [parliamentl deputies and the president don't trust each other, it's lheir problem... lt's unclear why our citizens should be drawn into solving their Froblems.ll
t!
aa
lt is our view, the US view, that we respect the tenitorial
integrity ol Russia, including Chechnya within Russia. tt -James Rubin US State Department spokesman
lI
-AravotYereuan,
Russia has a very strong economic and political incentive to prevent the building ol [the Baku' Geyhanl pipeline. [The proiectl is not going to get anywhere. t! -Michael Radu
to disagreement over constitutional amendments
Foreign Policy Research lnstitute, Philadelphia
llo Handshakes
tn a survey reported by Novoye Vremya, 50 percent of men polled in Armenia consider homosexuality "a shame and would never shake hands with homosexuals," while 96 percent of the men have "nothing against" lesbians. Armenian women are more accepting: 94 percent of them are tolerant of both male and lemale homosexuals. Meanwhile, Armenia's Criminal Code stipulates up to five years of imprisonment for "sexual intercourse between two men."
limes $quane in Yeneuan? Armen
IIArmenia gives all the pashas and empBrors sleepless ni-ghts. Each one ol them would like his realm to haue a nicely rounded bOrder. 8o thst Philip's, the sun his realm, as in King-border that does should neuer set. A
in
Ohanian, head of
Yerevan's Architecture and Urban Development Department, attributes the city's poor appearance "to the lack of billboards," Noyan Tapan reports. "Unfortunately," he adds,
"the current economic situation in the country does not allow people to spend considerable funds for advertisements." Please, before putting billboards up, check with New York, London or Paris! t8
it will cease to exist.
;i;:i,?'fl $l,'-iiil:
_rrrr,rn Azadian
r.ll
referring
(l lf the GIS doesn't change,
London
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
,
Iunfiish [o[[y in flmenica
Fe[nuany 1000
In July 1990 Kevork Imirzian wrote, "The arrival of the Sultan had been planned by public relations experts for years. With the arrival of the Suleiman the Magnificent exhibit, 'Thrks are showcasing historical splendors,' read one report, 'as part of a $10 million campaign to enhance their f "'. nation's global reputation.'Another quoted the Tirkish minister of culture: "A distorted image of Tiukey has unfortunately emerged in the minds of many. We now face the task of correcting this image." Its glorious past notwithstanding, Turkey did not discover the real benefits of image-enhancing unt'rl the mid-1970s. The reports around that time of assassinated T\rkish consular officials by Armenian "terrorists" also brought into light the "forgotten genocide" of the Armenians that the TUrkish govemment kept denying with medieval vehemence. The United States, of course, was not virgin territory for the veteran T[rkish lobby. Starting with the pubtcity stunts of Halide Edib, Kemal's
tlrytlo'
m$***,ffiHH;'::-lf*il,fm*::l
hfiff#E'#r silsEe
chief propagandist in the early days of the T[rkish Republic, rhe govemments inAnkara always took pains to nurhue cordial ties wittr Washington. Although leveraged heavily on Tirkey's stategic and economic value to the US, rarely did the Turkish lobby assume a conspicuous role before 1965 - ttre year in which the worldwide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of theArmenian Genocide rekindled the fires under an issue long thought to be extinguished. ,j Since the nettlesome "Armenian problem' that had given it its new impeils, i the Tlukish lobby made the denial of the Genocide an inseparable part of its agen- i dabeside is usual'bread andbuttet''lobbying for the annual aid checkfrom the US. The annual US aid of $500 million to Ti.rkey helps that country finance its lobbying activities in the US. The irony is not lost on Roger Smith, a professor of Government at the College of William and Mary, who has written extensively on Turkish historical revisionism. "It is not the Turkish govemment," says Smith, "but rather the American taxpayer who ends up with the financial burden
for Tirrkey's effort to rewrite history."
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
ffi$,t-$:l&:s,i*"[-IH H$m
,
ffi,
NOTEBOOK
BunninU
tuil Aulay
The forty-day-old Jesus was taken to the temple by Mary and Joseph to be presented to God. Tiamdaraj [Before God] is the feast of Candlemas traditionally celebrated by the Armenian Church on February 14. On the evening of February 13 in Armenia, Iran and a few other places around the world the priests light the altar candles and the faithful take the lit candles home with them. On the way, in the churchyard or some other public place, they bum a fire (sometimes of old Christmas trees which had been kept for this occasion) and celebrate. They take gifts, and eat together, in honor of new births, new couples and any other occasion.
No doubt this custom is Ieft over from a pagan holiday which not only survived but took on new form in the Christian era. Gathered around the fire, there is singing and competition. A child is swung over the fire for good luck, to let the flames bum the evil away. Newlyweds, too, as well as those engaged to be married, gather around the flre for good luck. In rural areas, the direction of the ascending smoke used to be a sign of a good harvest
-
somewhere.
The similarity of this holiday to the Persian (or Zoroastrian) feast held before the Iranian New Year has not escaped anyone. Neither has the parallel between the Armenian god Mihr and the Persian Mithra both of whom were the gods of sun and fire. Still the allure and fascination of fire continue to make Tiarndamj (or Tmdez) as its colloquially called, a popular holiday in the Middle East and Armenia. For the few who have tried to keep this tradition alive in the US, the result has been a visit by firefighters and a fine for violating safety codes.
tlot a Eooil $iun When the Armenian Airlines IL 86 didn't leave Paris's Charles De Gaulle airport in December, it was"t because of any technical problems. It was simply that the Airlines had"t paid their bills, and so the French made their demands as publicly as they could. They stopped the plane from flying for a few days. Armenian Airlines has had no major technical problems in its nearly decade of operations. However, the rest of its activity has seen such ups and downs that even a savvy traveler doesn't know what to expect. When the Airbus was purchased in 1998 things seemed to be looking up. The condition of the craft was much cleaner than the older
to the former Soviet fleet. Even service improved, with some foreign training and a new outlook. trss than two years later, those who fly the Airbus comment on its diminished appearance. Staff are not smiling. Reports say that the airlines hasn't paid most administrative staff in nearly two months, and flight crew members who used to receive $40 per flight are down to $10, say some insiders. Until the airport and airlines are divided from each other, and an open skies policy is implemented so that foreign carriers can fly in, things just won't improve, according to professionals in the business.
equipment belonging
What the airlines needs is a professional, independent management company. Armenian Airlines, and the Republic's Transportation Ministry don't seem to be moving in that direction.
AIM FEBRUARY
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NOTEBOOK
14.s83
Lilling $pinit$, $till
Number of Armenians who arrived in New York between 1899 and I907 31.67
Average amount of money, in dollars, each had upon arrival dockside 330
Number of years before Christ that Alexander lhe Creat did not come through Armenia. despite popular beliel 36
Number of years elapsed, in the l2th century, between the foundation of the Aghtamar and Hromkla catholicosates. 1948 Year when it became illegal to forbid Armenians and other minorities from buying land in certain neighborhoods of Fresno County. California
Jackie Shahbazian, the singer whose renclerin-r: of traditional songs "lrn Anush Davigh" and "Lemer Hairrni'' rnade her a firvorite ol the Armenian Anterican stage. now captivates childrcn at a Los Angeles such as
alca elenrcntary school. In 1912, Shuhbazian married thoracic sut-scon Henry Joseph Kurkjian and began a career in school admrnistration. Befbre that. she had traveled
to nciuly every Arrnenian crtrnmunily in the US, as well as those
5
ir-r
Number of functioning churches in Anatolia today
Istanbul, Beirut and Tehran. singing tblk favorites.
About Shahbazian's single album, Jutkie Sfurhbtqian sings in Annattiu. William Sarryan saicl, "Your voice is very ntuch at honre in the Arnrcnian dirnension of'lifting the spirit by means of song. The songs: they a-re pure and true and absolutely delightfirl - deep in a sor.row that is ner erlhelcss solrehow sh:urgely, ntagically.joyous: That's Annenia for- youl" Bom in San Francisco to a mother fiom Mush and a father fiom Gurun, Shahhuian was raisecl hearing her mother sing thesc songs. Throughout her education in Hollywood and later at UCLA, she siing. During her five veius with the Saint James Choir in Los Angeles, she met and sang with Zarouhi Elntassian Viutian and her l.rusband Setrak Vaniiut. "l learnecl everything Annenian fiom her." said Shahbazian about Elmassian who was her voice teacher as well. "Ancl rny firvorite Armenian songs are by Komitas and Sayat Nova." In 1970. during her thircl visit kl Annenia, she was given the oppoftunity to sin-u iu.rd record with the Jrpashian Orchestra ancl the result wa-s the album which was a favorite in homes throu-ehout the US. Tbday, as assistant principat at Siinta Monica Boulevard Elementary School. in Hollywoixl. Califirrnia, she works with Annenian stuclents every day, in a public school environment where individual cultures arc taught and prontoted. It's a fiu'cry fiont the eiuly days in Hollywood when culturc was remembered from picnic to banquet. lrom weekencl to weekend.
Although Shahbazian-Kurkjian
18
Number of sports, cultural, educational organizations functioning in Istanbul today 300 Number of disabled individuals in Armenia, waiting for wheelchairs 30,000
Estimated number of Armenians in Ausftalia's New South Wales, according to Armenian community f,gures 1,552 Number of people living in the state of New South Wales, Australia, whose first language is Armenian 9,571 Number of people living in the state of New Sourh Wales, Australia, whose first language is Assyrian
has
not sans in a while. her next 'perlbrmance'
will be at the wedding ceremony of niece, Janet
Vlt
Annual Rept'rt.
Mouijian of Fresno California,
a coloratura soprano, cunently with New
Trtrtt Bebveett Two l,unds, Tinteline of Arnrcnian
her the
Ciry Opera.
AIM FEBRUARY
2(XX)
AIM
Research
History,
SBS Rotlitt
Juhllee ln IhE ]|uly
hnd
Pilgrimage of the Century Includes Top Government, Religious Leaders By HRATGH
TCHltll{GlRlAil
early 1000 Armenians from around the world gathered in tlre Holy l,and during the week of January 17-24 ta celebrate the bi-millennial jubilee of Christ's Nativity in Bethlehem. The celebrations were headed by the top leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church with the participation of Armenian President Robert Kocharian, who ted a 30-member state delegation to Palestine and Israel for the occasion. Dubbed "Jerusalem 2000," the event was the first large-scale Armenian pilgrimage to the Holy Land in modern history. There are records that pilgrims from historical Armenia visited the holy places as early as the first few cenfurieS of the common era. However, the
tradition declined after the beginning of the Arab-Israeli wars in the late 1960s. '"This pilgrimage was significant from the viewpoint of Armenian history" said Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan of Istanbul and all Tlrkey. "As far as I know, the Catholicos of All Armenians and the Patiarchs of Jerusalem
tlre tiny Armenian community in
Jerusalern,
numbering about 1500. Some 650Armenian pilgrims ftrom the US, the Netheriands, Tlukey, Jordan and otherparts of the world participated The pilgrimage was Catholicos Garegin tr of All Armenians' first pontifical visit abroad. It started in Jordan where, in an audience with
ident of independent Armenia at the religious
Jordan's King Abdullah, he received the Kawkab Medal of the First Order. Pafriarch Torkom Manoogian of Jerusalem, Bishop Vahan Topalian of Amman and Royal Court
services in Bethlehem made the occasion even more significant and added to the symbolism. observe The national pilgrimage Armenian Christnas (according to the Julian calendar, on January 19) also boosted the morale of
Chief Fayez Tarawneh were also present. The King thanked the Catholicos for making Jordan his first stop, assuring him that the Jordanian Kingdom would "continue to nurture equality and justice and be an example of
in the Grotto of the Nativity, and that, on the feast of Chrisunas." The presence of the presand Istanbul had never been togetherbefore
to
with enduring fratemal relations." Appreciating the King's "care for the
a society
Armenian community in Jordan," Garegin tr
sai{ "It is because of this sincere guardianship that Armenians in Jordan have been able to prosper, keep their language, faith and taditions and become loyal citizens of this counoy." Garegin II and his delegation also met Jordanian Prime MinisterAMur Ra'uf RawaMeh and the 4,000-strong Armenian community in Jordan. From the East Banlq the Catholicos and his entourage, accompanied by Pafiarch Torkonl taveled to the West Bank and were greeted by
nearly a thousand pilgrims and clergymen at Jerusalem's Jaffa Gate, the entrance to the Old City leading to theArmenian Patriarchate Road.
A solemn and colorfirl procession was led to the Armenian Patriarch with the participation of ecumenical guests and various Christian leaders of Jerusalem. The last time a similar grand entrance to the Old City by the Supreme head of the Armenian Church took
place was 25 years ago, when Catholicos Vazken I had come for the opening of the Alex Manoogian Theological Seminary
in
dozens
ofmonla and priests and hundreds ofpil-
grims formed a long procession into the Basilica of the Nativity in Bettrlehem. The Catholicos celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the site believed to be ttre place where Cluist was bom. The same evening, the Armenian hierarchs and President Kocharian and his delegation attended a reception and dinner in their honor at the Palestinian Presidential Palace in Bethlehem, hosted by Palestinian Authority President YasserArafat. After an exchange of greetings, Arafat conferred the Palestinian State Medal of the Second Millennium to the three Armenian religious leaders.
At midnight, the Catholicos and the Patriarchs led Presidents Kocharian and Arafat into the Church of Nativity, for an hourJong candlelight vigil service.
On Christmas day, as is customary, Palestinian, Israeli and Armenian state delegations paid congratulatory visits to the Church leaders at theArmenian Patriarchate in the Old City, which was followed by an official dinner honoring President Kocharian in the refectory of St. James Monastery. President Kocharian met
with
On Christmas Eve, January 18,
1975. the
Minister Ehud Barak and President Ezer
Catholicos, the two Patriarchs, 12 archbishops,
Weizman, who gave a luncheon in honorof the
Prime
Armenian President. Kocharian and his delegation also paid a visit to the Hebrew University where they were greeted by the University Rector and the head of the Armenian Studies
Program as well as the chairman of the Armenian Students Organization. During his meeting with students and faculty, Kocharian praised the importance of
theArmenian Studies
Program and discussed possible cooperation between the Hebrew University and institutions in Armenia. Catholicos Garcgin and Patiarch Mesrob Mutafyan also visited the Univenity. Earlier, on January 13, Patriarch Mesrob attended a benefit concert in Tel Aviv orga-
nized by the Israeli-Turkish Friendship Association in'support of the victims of the August 1999 ear*rquake in Turkey. The following day, Turkish Consul General in Jerusalem, Ethem Tokdemir, hosted a reception honoring Patriarch Mesrob at the Orient Palace in Bethlehem, attended by diplomats, civic and religious community leaders. For the Armenian Church, which is one of the custodians of the centuries-old Holy Places in Palestine and Israel - along with the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches - Pilgrimage 2000 was a landmark religious and national
celebration. !
Armenia's Deputy Minister of Energy Robert Nazarian
IRIDE Businessmen meet in Tehran to increase volume
ol bilateral trade.
A delegation of Armenia's Union of Industrialists and Businessmen, headed by Aram Vartanian, visited Tehran and held a series of meetings. Fereydoon Entezari, the DeputY
Head
of
Iranian Chamber of
total $45.22 million debt for energy supplies into Georgia's foreign debt. Georgian energy companies will pay the remainder by the end of the year.
Commerce, Industries and Mines, noted progress in bilateral trade relations and welcomed the reduc-
tion of visa formalities,
TEGl5llto8Y
customs
tariffs and transportation costs, as well as the increase in barter trade between the nvo countries. Entezari
suggested that a list of Iranian barter goods that could be exPorted to Armenia should be prepared to further enhance economic relations. Armenian representatives noted that the presence of Armenian businessmen in Central Asian countries could be useful in facilitating closer economic ties between Iran and CIS countries. Entezari said Iran and Armenia could also cooperate in producing computer software, electronics and automobile parts' The possibility of a further exchange of trade delegations, specially those involving small and medium size industries were discussed as an important factor in solidifying trade and economic relations.
Four power netwolks are up l0r sale. The Armenian government intends to privatize four power distribution
of its ongoing
denationalization of state-owned enterprises. The most important requirement for the power network is the amount that a prosPective investor is willing to spend on ren-
$I[TE
BUDEET
A "realistic" budget tor FY 2000 awaits discussion and approval. While the Armenian govemment is late in presenting the 2000 budget for approval by the parliament, World Bank representative Gohar Giulumian affirmed that the budget is realistic, with no major growth
Loan provides reliel to government budget shortfall. As agreed at the end of last year, the World Bank disbursed a $20 million tranche of the SAC-3 structural adjustment loan to Armenia, which will cover the state's 1999 budget deficit. The remaining $5 million of the originally agreed $25 million loan will be disbursed as part of a new SAC-4 lending program this year'
ing to Finance Minister lrvon needs
around $4045 million for repairs. The asking price for each network is $30 million. While affrrming the profitabilthe Yerevan networks, Barkhudarian said, "To diversify the risk, we should abstain from
ity of
selling all four stations to
regulatory obstacles hinder possible Israeli investments.
WOR]II B[tT(
ovation and modemization. Accord-
Barkhudarian, each station
High-tech talent in Armenia attracts lsraeli attention. An Israeli Embassy official from Tbilisi, Georgia, pointed to the relatively cheap yet advanced technological talent in Armenia, which could be utilized for the production of computer components and high-tech microprocessors. Other potential sectors for ArmenianIsraeli ventures are food processing and diamond and precious gem cutting, already a successful segment of Armenian economy' However, the official noted that Armenia's current bureaucratic and
foreseen in either income or expenses. Significant ievenue sources are tax, non-tax and foreign credits, and possibly privatization of state-owned enterprises. The deficit will be covered by a World Bank $45 million SAC-4 credit this year. At2}2billion Drams, the income section of the budget has a three percent increase over 1999. And at 254 billion Drams, the expense section has a 2. I percent increase over the previous year. The parliament is expected to discuss and approve the budget in the near future.
HIIERGY
networks as part
said
Yerevan is ready to negotiate a new agreement and is ready to hear Tbilisi's proposals on the issue. Meanwhile, Georgia is in the process of renegotiating its energy debt to Russia. In mid-January, Anatoly Chubais, chairman of Unified Energy Systems (UES) met with Georgian officials and President Eduard Shevardnadze and signed a protocol on cooperation. Russia has agreed to convert $36.25 million of Georgia's
hTOTUIE
IIUI IBIIIE
1999 Armenia's population income reached 627 tillion Drams, a 13.5 percent increase while expenditures totaled 631 trillion Drams, an increase of 14.8 percent compared with previous year. An average nominal wage was 18,464 Drams, an increase of 19.2 percent. The retail sector, which totaled 382 trillion Drams, also registered a7.7 percent increase compared with 1998, while the volume of services rendered to the population totaled 167 trillion Drams, an increase of I percent.
In
one
investor, though these requirements are not written in stone." He added that for strategic reasons, high-voltage electric power transmission lines would remain in state possession. Armenia resumes supplying electrici$ to Georgia. To supplement Georgia's perennial energy shortage, the US operated AES-Telasi power company operating in Tbilisi will import 100-120 mw of electricity from Armenia. Under the contract, electricity imports for Tbilisi will continue for two weeks. On January 8 Armenia stopped supplying electricity to Georgia when an energy agreement between the two countries expired.
Preliminary data provided by the Ministry of Statistics indicated that in 1999 Armenia's negative trade balance totaled $568 million. Exports stood at $233.5 million, an increase of 5.9 percent from previous year and imports totaled $801.7 million, a decrease
of ll.2
AIM FEBRUARY
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llllltu$TRY Russian aluminum giant may rescue large Yerevan aluminum plant lrom possible bankruptcy. Russian aluminum giant SiberianAluminum (SA) Group expressed an interest in investing $30 million in the Yerevan's huge Kanaker Aluminum Plant (KANAZ), which has been mostly idle for years. The proposed deal would upgrade the plant's equipment and technology and bring it in line with current foreign demands. Under the proposed deal with theArmenian government, within one year, the monthly production level of the plant would reach 2,000 tons of aluminum foil, which would then be exported. Currently,.the state-owned KANAZ, operating atjust 10 percent of its capacity, produces 300 tons of foil per month. The deal will also guarantee some 750 jobs. Given the size of the plant and the government's experience with previous foreign
I(Among the GIS countries Armenia has the best inyestment
climate.ll -Ray,mond Cretini General Manager, The Andre Group, Switzerland
GIS Ig9O EIIP Eight ol12 CIS countries registered GDP growth in 1999 compared with 1998-
investors, Armenian officials have been hesitant to cede majority stakes in KANAZ and instead have preferred a production-sharing deal with Russian investors. Japanese company interested in mining plants in the south. Mitsubishi, the large Japanese company, has expressed interest in
investing up to $10 million intheZangezar Copper and Molybdenum Plant, which mines one of the largest copper deposits in the ex-Soviet countries.
Source: Russian State Statistics Committee, CIS lnterstate Statistical Committee,
HSIBT HP TMITIH IT zMO Economist Forecasts-
The deal was discussed between Prime Minster Aram Sargsian (above right) and Mitsubishi representatives in Yerevan. The Japanese company will modernize the plant with payment in molybdenum concentrate. So far Mitsubishi has not made a formal statement regarding
the development of the Zangeztr district as a whole, which the Armenian govemment wants as part of the deal. In 1999, the Zangezur plant mined about 6.5 has a capacity of up to 9 million tons annually.
million tons of ore. It
Romanian Gompany also negotiating in mining industry. The Armenian government is currently negotiating with the Romanian Metal Prince Company on possible investrnents in two mining and
metal processing enterprises in the country's southern region. According to Ashot Shakhnazarian, First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, an agreement is expected to be signed soon, whereby Metal Prince will invest some $7 million - $4 million in theAgarak coppermolybdenum plant and $3 million in Kapan's mining plant.
AIM FEBRUARY
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KIRABflIffi More trequent direct talks mise hopes lor the tesolution ol the Karabakh conllict.
In an effort to add impetus to their search for peace, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright also met Kocharian and Aliyev in Davos. After separate hour-long meetings, a State Departrnent official said both presidents were serious about bringing peace to the region. Earlier, Undersecretary of State for the Newly Independent States Stephen Sestanovich (lower left, seated in center) and the US Minsk Group co-chairman Carey Cavanaugh (lower far left) visited Yerevan and Baku to seek ways to speed up the stalled peace process and explore the possibility of assistance in rebuilding war-devastated areas after the conflict is settled. Another round of talks is scheduled to take place in Vienna with US, Russian and French participation. Despite the increase in rhetoric by Russia and the US, however, presidential elections in both those countries will doubtless mean a slowing of their involvement in the resolution of this complex 10-year-old problem.
UIUIIEII $TIIES l,lew US-Armenian task force will locus on deYelopment ol economic relati0ns. Continuing on their five face-to-face meetings last year, Presidents Robert Kocharian of Armenia and Heidar Aliyev of Azerbaijan met again in Moscow and Davos, Switzerland to keep the negotiations momentum for the resolution of the ll-year Karabakh conflict on track. On the sidelines of the CIS summit in Moscow, Acting Russian PresidentVladimir Putin hosted "frank and substantive" talks between the two leaders (above). Putin stated that Russia is ready to act as guarantor of a settlement reached by Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two presidents did not make any public statements after their meetings, but Kocharian affirmed that they "should take serious decisions." Russia, as one of the mediating Minsk Group cochairmen, has recently shown increased involvement in the peace process. This has come at a time when the OSCE Minsk Group's effectiveness is under question, since the OSCE's chairman this year is Austria, and Austria is being ostracized by members of the European Union because of the rightist policies of its government.
Armenia and the US signed an agreement to establish a task force to promote bilateral consisting of five members from each country economic relations and to better use US economic assistance to Armenia. US State Department coordinator Bill Taylor (above, left) and Prime Minister Aram Sargsian signed the agreement in Yerevan. A number of US agencies will be involved in the task force, among
-
Putin emphasized that Russia "has been doing and will do everything possible" to find a solution to the conflict. While admitting that the Karabakh problem "is very very complicated for both states," he said that both Kocharian and Aliyev are "full of determination" to reach an agreement. 'Sefiling the Nagomo-Karabakh conflict is of vital importance to both Azerbaijan and Armenia" said Aliyev. "I believe that the direct negotiations, meetings and dialogue now going on benveen the two presidents are making progress towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict " he added.
-
them theAgency for Intemational Development and Eximbank. According to Taylor, the idea to set up such a group was suggested by former Prime MinisterVazgen Sargsian to US Vice PresidentAl Gore during their meeting in Washington. Having found the idea "brilliant," Gore suggested that the State Department implement it. During his meeting with Taylor, Kocharian expressed Yerevan's willingness to cooperate economically with others in the region. A similar agreement was signed in Baku during Taylor's meetings with Azerbaijani offi cials. Taylor indicated that the World Bank, which is preparing to participate in "the post-conflict reconstruction' of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, has backed a US initiative to hold an intemational conference on economic reconstruction in the region. He added that a group ofinternational experts would soon visit the Caucasus states to assess the situation and prepare an extensive report to prospective donors and financial institutions.
AIM FEBRUARY
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GOIflUCIT
llF EIIRI|PE
MilGR
Europeans are concerned about Armenia's nuclear power plant. After three days of negotiations, Armenia and the Council of Europe (CE) signed a protocol on future cooperation to increase the safefy of Armenia's Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The agreement includes the establishment of a working group, which will deal with allocation of the necessary safety equipment. In 1998, Armenia had ptedged to close the nuclear power station by 20M however, closure is related to finding altemative means of energy by the planned date, they said. According to NPP Director Suren Azatian, the nuclear plant is the most important component of Aremnia's energy network and its closure could cause serious problems for the counfiry. Since 1995, when the plant was restarted, large investments have been made to insure the operational safety of the plant. Currently, half of the 18 million kw/tr energy generated daily inArmenia comes from the nuclear plant. If the NPP were closed, Armenia would need some 2,000 tons of oil daily to generate nine million kw/tr of energy through thermal power plants.
Uil agency assures assistance to relugees in Almenia.
A memorandum of "understanding and cooperation" was signed in Yerevan between Armenia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "This is the third memorandum signed this year, aimed at resolving a number ofissues regarding refugees," said Khosrov Harutiunian, Minister of Territorial Affairs. LINHCR representative Thomas Birath, who has been in Armenia since 1992, gave a positive assessment of his agency's cooperation with Armenian authorities, especially in the last two years. The agreement will attempt to resolve social, health and housing problems for refugees and promote acquisition of Armenian citizenship by a greater number of refugees. In addition to improved housing conditions, those with refugee standing receive health care services, loans and other benefits. Considering the difficult economic situation in the country, refugees tend to keep their "refugee status', for socialeconomic protection, since being deprived of it would mean the end of assistance
cr$
from intemational institutions.
rut$I[E iltp lsnlE lmproving
Regional conflicts and Karabakh were disoussed at Moscow.
relations tops discussions in Jerusalem. A delegation headed by President Robert Kocharian participated in the largest ever Armenian pilgrimage to the Holy Land to celebrate Armenian Christmas in Bethlehem. Palestinian Authority hesident Yasser Arafat received Kocharian (below, with Armenia's Ambassador to Israel Edward Nalbandian, left) and Armenian religious leaders, including Catholicos Garegin tr, in his official residence. Even though this was an unofficial visit to Israel, Kocharian met with Israeli President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak and sffessed the importance of normalizing Armenian-Israeli relations. He noted that Israel is an influential state in the Middle East and improved bilateral relations would not be directed against third counfiies such as Iran or Syria. "The Republic of Armenia will never take any step that may undermine the interests of its friends,,' assured Kocharian.
President Robert Kocharian participated
in the summit of
the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow. Kocharian said that Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin set a relaxed tone at the summit. According to Kocharian, the summit showed that the key to CIS integration is the strengthening of each state's economic policies.
In recent years, Israel has been very active in Azerbaijan and Georgia and it has a strategic and military alliance with T[rkey, which could have "dangerous implications" for Armenia if Azerbaijan joins the pact. "The alliance itself is not dangerous if we were not in a conflict with Azerbaijan," said Kocharian, emphasizing that Armenia too should strengthen its ties with Israel.
With the Chechnya conflict as backdrop, Acting president putin stated that he stands for the''absolute recognition of territorial integri-
ty" in conflict resolution. Kocharian (above center, with from left to right, Georgia's Shevardnadze, Russia's Putin, Azerbaijan's Aliev and Ukraine's Kuchma) indicated that Armenia's position on settling regional conflicts is different from other CIS members. While CIS leaders overwhelmingly supported Putin's declaration, Kocharian said Armenia has consistently insisted that this principle does not apply to Karabakh. Three ambassadors receiue additional diplomatic porffolios. President Robert Kocharian augmented the porfolios of three ambassadors. Ambassador to France Edward Nalbandian, who was previously head of Armenia's diplomatic mission in Egypt, was appointed ambassador to Israel. He will reside in Paris. Ambassador toArgentina
Ara Ayvazian will represent Armenia in Uruguay as well, and Ambassador to Turkmenistan Aram Grigorian was appointed ambassador to Tajikistan simultaneously. AIM FEBRUARY
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27
PRES$
IHE UNCERIIINTV GBNTINUES
Newspaper editor will appeal court decision to clear his record.
Calls lor President l(ocharian's resignation can still be heard.
Opposition parties continue to call for President Robert Kocharian's resignation. Most vocal among them is Vazgen Manukian (above' right) leader of the National Democratic Union (NDU), who claimed that Kocharian has lost political control. Manukian, who was twice a presidential candidate, added that "It would be better for the country as a whole if he realized that he can no longer continue in this way." Other opposition political parties, including the Communist Party, have joined the chorus calling for early presidential elections. ARF leader and member of parliament Vahan Hovannesian (above, left) wamed that sudden changes of leadership in the country could have grave consequences. The anti-Kocharian rhetoric has received more culrency in view of
of the October 27 assassinations in Armenia's National Assembly. Gagik Jahangirian, the military prosecutor in charge of the investigation, even stated that he does not rule out the possibility of questioning Kocharian in the course of his investigations. Jahangirian, who is supported by the Yerkrapah leadership, the Karabakh war veterans union which called for Kocharian's resignation soon after the murder of their leader the late prime minister, Yazgen Sargsian, said at least one high ranking official is likely to be arrested and that the killing in the parliament was part of an attempted coup. Meanwhile, the list of suspects interrogated and arrested has grown to almost two dozen, including a top Kocharian aide and sup porters, and a National Assembly Deputy. "I would like to tell all those politicians and parties with ideas
the ongoing investigation
to calm down," said Kocharian before leaving for Davos, Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum. He assured his opponents that "the country is being govemed and the situation is under the president's control." Observers believe that Jahangirian's investigation has been highly about extraordinary presidential elections
politicized. Leader of the largest Miasnutiun parliamentary faction, Andranik Markarian, stated that the president's fate depends on the outcome of the military investigation.
"Those who brought Robert Kocharian to power will cast him aside," said Ara Sahakian, former National Assembly deputy speaker and a prominent member of the former ruling party, the Armenian National Movement. Kocharian "is only ruling the country today because Miasnutiun lacks an outspoken leader and a sffong candidate for the presidential chair. As soon as the party finds its man, Kocharian will be forced to resign, or simply retired," added Sahakian.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Aram Sargsian and his loyal
Miasnutiun parliamentary bloc have kept a relative silence.
AYerevan Court ofReview suspended the one-year prison sentence of Nikol Pashinian, editor of Haykakan Zhamanak while fellow journalists continued to protest insolidarity (above.) Pashinian was sentenced last year for insulting law enforcement off,cials and for declining to publish a retraction. However, the Review Court failed to clear Pashinian of the criminal conviction. He is planning to ask the higher Court of Appeals to clear his record.
Pashinian's daily newspaper is highly critical of President Kocharian. The paper has repeatedly insisted that the charges against its editor are "politically motivated." Last year Haykakan Zhamanak lost a lawsuit brought by Serge Sargsian, former Minister of Interior and National Security. Sargsian is currently Kocharian's chief of staff'
AIM FEBRUARY
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III$ISTER Heavy slorms damage villages and cause helicopter crash. Armenia was hit with heavy snowstorms and avalanches during a January storm, causing floods and electricity shortages in the mountain region near theArmenian-Georgian border. Strong winds blew off roofs and caused heavy damage in villages, which were virtually cut of from the outside world. Army units were called to the region for rescue and assistance as local ffiasftucture was unable to cope with ttre disaster. Heavy snow caused floods in several villages in the south as well, where villagers escaped to neighboring areas for temporary shelter.
An Armenian Air Force transport helicopter crashed in the southof the country due to a blizzard near Sisian, the district center of Yeghegnadzor. A search for casualties by the Defense Ministry's Aviation Department was hampered by heavy snowfall in the area. So far, no official report on the accident or casualties has been released. The helicopter was on its way to Karabakh to bring three doctors from the Military Clinical Hospital for medical assistance. east
TRAII|SPlIRIIII(lIll Armenia's roads get a lacelifl.
The Commission is also studying the industrial capacities of prisons and their workshops and is in search of more efficient ways of operating them. In 1986, 35 to 40 production workshops were operating in Armenia where over 4,630 prisoners produced goods worth $70 million. Today only seven workshops are operating with only 147 working prisoners producing goods worth $50,000. Dallakian believes that with more organization and planning, the prison workshops could start operating at full capacity again. Indeed, Dalakian reported that prisoners complained that most of the crimes committed inside the prisons and correctional facilities are due to unemployment and that they are willing to work in order to overcome boredom and avoid personal skirmishes. Prison work could also provide for the needs ofprisoners themselves. Dallakian noted that it costs $183,000 just to pro vide appropriate uniforms for inmates, and in 1999, only $96,000 had been allocated for this purpose.
ffi
100 percent increase in employment still means high unemploymenl.
About 90 percent of major repairs and work on 251 km (160 miles) of road inArmenia and smaller scale repairs on 635 km (400 miles) have been completed in 1999 according to the Transportation Ministry. The remaining work is expected to be completed by the first quarter of this year. At the beginning of 1999, 692kn (430 miles) were in need of major work; 1,6321<n( 1050 miles) needed medium-scale repairs and 5,372k{rl ( 3,700 miles) needed routine maintenance.
IIUTRI$IRUGIURE Parliament c0mmissi0n suggests improvements to Armenia's penitentiaries. The Parliamentary Commission on State and lâ&#x201A;Źgal Issues reported that currently there are about 7,000 prisoners in Armenia's conectional labor facilities and prisons. Victor Dallakian, chairman of the Commissiorl stated that
his committee regulady visits conectional facilities to assess tlre situation and prepare suggestions for changes and improvements. The Commission is preparing anumberof amendments toArmenia's Conective and Criminal Code to provide beter supervision in the facilities, protect the rights of the prisonen and provide better social conditions. Also, as Council ofEurope rules dicArc, jurisdiction overprison systems inArmenia should be tansferred from the Interior MinisOy to the Ministry of Justice.
Armenia's l,abor and Employment Center reported that 10,702 people found jobs in 1999, twice as much as in the previous year. Women counted for more than half of those who found employment. The largest demands were for secondary school teachers, doctors and drivers. kstyear, tlrcMinisty of SocialSecruity organized sorne 25 tainingcotuses for the prblic, which reportedly urabled 382 unemployed citizens o tain for new professions. Seventy-five pe,lcent of them were pnovided wih jobs.
Nevertheless, unemployment remains
a major problem
in
Armenia's economy - officially affecting I 1 percent of the work force, but as much as 20-40 percent by other unofficial estimates. The high rate of unemployment is the major cause of emigration fromArmenia.
AIM FEBRUARY
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RIRIING WIH
SEGURITY
South Gaucasus states and regional playerc sift through several proposed regional secuilty arangements. Since the OSCE Istanbul summit, diplomatic traffic in the South Caucasus has increased with economic and political dealmakers shutfling throughout the region. In addition to pipeline negotiations among Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, discussions on several "security systems" have been taking place in various capitals'
Tirkey is concerned that its historic rival Russia will reassert dominance in the southern Caucasus once it "wins" the Chechen war. In January, Turkey exchanged diplomatic visits with Azerbaijan, Georgra kan, and Russia and displayed intense engagement in the whole region.
sions with great attention, but I think it is more important that the regional states themselves express much more interest and readiness because, ultimately, the resolution of these issues depends on their mufual consent."
A '!act of
stability"
in
the
Caucasus withoutRussia is unthink-
able said Russian ForcUn Ministâ&#x201A;Źr
Igor Ivanov during his visit to Anlrar4 adding tlnt Tlulay assured Moscow ftat talks for such a pact would include Russia. "At first sight, the initiative seems attractive because it was put forward not by
remote countries, but by the two staEs of the region and it conforms to the OSCE fonnat" said Ivanov. Moscow asled Ankara to provide additional information on the initiative formore serious snrdy.
Despite US objections, there are also talks of including kan in such a pact. Tehran's bid to gain leverage over the gas market in the region is linked to its desire to be heard on the security issue. han has been pushing the idea that it would be wise to diversrfy energy supply routes in case Russian and US pipeline plans fail. The fate of another regional club is also uncertain. The five-state GLruAM (Georgra, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova) defense ministers meeting, which was to take place in late January, was posq)oned indefinitely. The establishment of a peace-making unit made of GWAM member states was to be discussed at the meeting. Founded in 1997, GWAM leaders have repeatedly assured that the organization is not directed against a non-member country and that member states have united only out of economic interests'
While the three South Caucasus states - Armenia, Azerbaijan' Georgia - have put forward their own proposals for a new regional security, Turkish President Suleyman Demirel (right) proposed the creation ofyet another one: a Caucasus Security Pact. Demirel's proposal is aimed at increasing the ability of countries in the region to support each other and curtail growing Russian assertiveness' Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze hailed ttre Tirkish initiative as
"a very important historical idea." The new pact would address the
political and economic security concerns of counfries lying between the Caspian to the Black Seas. Georgia and Azerbaijan have welcomed Demirel's ideas. "Our
points of view coincided. And, what is very important, there is the political will and desire to implement our intentions," said Demirel during an official two-day visit to Georgia. Demirel informedArmenia about its new initiative in a letter to the Armenian President and urgedArmenia to endorse the Caucasus pact, which will "bring peace, stability, and prosperity not only to the Caucasus region but to the whole of Eurasia." The establishment of Armenian-Turkish diplomatic relations was not discussed in the letter. Armenia's Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian appreciated Tirkey's "positive engagement," however, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson added "without normalization of Tirrkish-Armenian relations, it is impossible to speak about regional programs." Meanwhile, the US has increased its efforts towards regional cooperation among South Caucasus states. US Undersecretary of State for Newly Independent States, Stephen Sestanovich, referred to the creation of a regional security system as one of the possible directions for cooperation. He said in Yerevan, "We are following these discus-
lllt
RIGH, HI|ERGY PtllIR
Electrici$ rationing in Azerbaiian causes embarrassment t0 oil rich Gountry. Azenergo, state power generating company, announced that "effective immediately," elecricity supplies to the country' s eight million inhabitants will be cut daily for six hours. Hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and TV and radio companies will not be affected. According to Muslim Imanov, chairman of Azenergo, the rationing was necessitated because of 70 percent failure of payment for elecricity by consumers. In addition to non-payments, decaying infiastuctwe and a shortage of nafural gas forheating have also putpresswe on
Oil rich Azerbaijan's
the distribution system.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR has halted exports of its own crude oil to provide enough fuel to local refiner-
ies to produce fuel oil for power generation. "We had to
stop
exports because we had hardly any fuel oil for the power stations and it' s unlikely we'l1 begin before February 1," said SOCAR's Tofik Akhundov. Opposition parties in Azerbaijan blamed the govemment for incompetence in economic planning and the inefficient use of the energy generated in the country. On his part, PresidentAliyev blamed the energy shortage "on corruption and inefficiency," and charged that top officials have failed to prevent the embezzlement of heating oil and some have been involved in energy theft. For "serious shortcomings in their work," Aliyev dismissed the deputy chairman of Azerenergy and the acting chairman of Azerigas.
AIM FEBRUARY
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G[UG[$U$ PEIGEIIIIIffi$ Former advisers analyze the situation. Vafa Guluzade savored the moment. He had just finished making a presentation about the Karabakh conflict, at a forum sponsored by the Open Society Institute at the venerable Brookings Institution, in Washington, DC. Guluzade, a former foreign policy advisor to Azerbaijan's president, had offered fieAzerbaijani perspective. Gerard Ubaridian, who had been advisor
to Resident l,evon Tix Pefiossian, had presented t]re Armenian vievrpoint Each ofthem had given their standard script about making peace, thereby
giving credence to the billing of the event '?erspectives of Two Peacemakers." Libaridian's presentation was morc scholarly, more thoughffirl, buteach of them-at thatpoint-could claimtobe adiplomat. Vardan Barseghian, the head of Karabakh's Information Office in the US, rose and was acknowledged by the moderator. How could Azerbaijan justifr its failure to negotiate directly with Karabakh, which is the cenfral party to the dispute? Barseghian identified himself, and said he wanted Guluzade's response. Guluzade responded. And responded. After a few minutes, the moderator leaned over, and anxiously ried to catch Guluzade's glance. In the audience, Eldar Namazov, a member of Azerbaijan's parliament who was visiting the US from Baku, smiled sheepishly. And so did several other representatives of Azerbaijan. Guluzade began with a verbal attack on Barseghian, and to the apparent embarrassment of many, he didn't relent. "You are arrogant," for asking that question, he said. "You donnt represent Karabakh. You're nothing more than an NGO." Then, he spoke his mind about Karabakh. "You have no right to declare independence," he said. "We'll decide what to give you.
Maybe cultural autonomy,
if
you're lucky.." Guluzade continued
his tirade. Azerbaijan will "never" talk to the Armenians of Karabakh, he said. "ff you accept to be Azeri citizen, I'll talk to you. But not until then." The Armenians of Karabakh, he said, should go back to Armenia. The moderator was finally able to intervene, and he persuaded Guluzade to conclude his remarks.
Guluzade (above, right) and Libaridian (above, left) had previously participated in negotiations over the fate of Karabakh, during which time the two became friendly. "He's a very reasonable man when you negotiate," he later told AIM. "That's all I'll say." Guluzade had stressed during his remarks that Russia is to blame for the conflict, Russia started it, Russia perpetuated it, and Russia ultimately wants to be on hand to enforce the peace. "Armenia is a country fully occupied by Russia. ButAzerbaijan is only 20 percent occupied [by Russia]," Guluzade said. Libaridian rejected this, of course, but he did sound his own concems about Russia. "Azerbaijan and Armenia could become irrelevant to the conflict," he said, alluding to a batfle that would be fought between competing imperial interests, presumably Russi4 kan and the West. 'Then the question becomes whose peace will it be? If peace is the ultimate goal, will Russians accept a deal that gives sffategic benefit to the US? I don't think so. This is a new version of the Great Game." Dr. Arman Kirakossian, Armenia's ambassador to the US, aftended the event, but did not participate. He had presented his diplomatic credentials to President Clinton the previous day, thereby making this one of his first public appearances after his official acceptance by the US.
-By Matthew Karanian
BUIil IEII
PIPETE PUMG$
IWO
Georgian demands to ehange pipeline agreomenl terms introduces lurther delays lorthe Baku-Geyhan route. Turkish President Suleyman Demirel visited Tbilisi to iron out the terms of the agreements signed in Istanbul in November among Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey for the construction of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Since the signing of the pact, Georgia has asked for a series of changes in the agreement, despite warnings from Azerbaijan that the amendments would be unacceptable. Georgia is seeking to avoid liability for environmental damage from possible spills and is asking for pipeline fees, a share ofthe oil, and compensation for land along the route. Turkey wants Georgia to guarantee the security of the stretch of pipeline that runs through its territory, but with the Chechen war still raging that is an unlikely prospect for now. While negotia-
An agreement lor increased trade relations puts Turkey and lran back on track. Thkey and kan signed a memorandum to imprcve bilateral tade rplations and increase tadeto atleast $2 billion ayearfiromthe cunent$600 million. "We will sell them goods in retum for our natural gas purchases," said Tirkish State Minister Recep Onal. In 1996, under an Islamist-led government Turkey had signed a $23 billion deal to buy gas, via a pipetne extending from Tabriz to Ankara, for 23 years starting in 1999. However, pipeline construction'was not completed on the
tions continue, President Eduard Shevardnadze pledged to Demirel that Georgian demands would not derail the pipeline project. Still, there are a host ofcontentious issues that need to be resolved before any concrete plans are draw for the construction of the pipeline. Analysts believe that without Russian consent and a strong US push for the pipeline' s construction, the deal will have trouble getting off the ground.
Tlrkish side and deliveries are delayed until mid-2001. Turkey
blamed the delay on international investors, since the project involves kan which is considered a "terrorist state" by the US. But construction of the 1,050 km (656-mile) section of the pipeline is underway as the Tirrkish pipeline concern has secured some 9450 million from international financial institutions. Meanwhile, kan wants to be compensated for the $200 million it has invested on its section of the project and as penalties for Turkey' s failure to accept hanian gas under a take-or-pay contract. The bilateral agrEerrxent also includes provisions o revih]ize arail conrrection betrreen llukey ard fzn. '"This milway will be a tridge all tre way flrom hdia to Enope, lhking tF oontirms along the ancient SilkRoad," said Onal.
AIM FEBRUARY
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3l
By SALPI HAROUTINIAN GHMARIAN
rmenia's top political leadership was wiped out in a single fall aftemoon. That was in October. Since then, the Armenian govemment and theArmenian Republic appear to be in free fall. On the economic front, the government's 2000 budget which was to have been submitted in November 1999 was finally presented to the National Assembly this month, and promptly set aside. Other, ostensibly more important matters dominated the domestic political scene. Stories raged about imminent political appointments, job cuts, a possible presidential resignation, the formation of a new cabinet and the development ofnew government coalitions. As a result, everyone
adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
On the intemational front, the Karabakh peace process, which appeared to be moving at full speed throughout 1999, suddenly ran
into a wall. No one seemed to know whether to push forward, sit out for a while, or backtrack. Alt the while, official visits continued, meetings took place, and rumors flew about
the deals the presidents of Armenia Azerbaijan were ready
to
and
make. Rumors
soared about everything else, too
-
the real
relationship betrveen President Robert Kocharian
and Prime Minister Aram Sargsian, the new terms of the Russian-Armenian alliance as articulated by Russian presidential hopeful Vladimir Putin, the deals being worked out AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
between Turkey and Georgia, the ongoing investigation of the assassinations and who
fall
within the Prosecutor might next General's net and the growth and expansion of the gasoline and other domestic "cartels." AII this of course provided even more excuse to watch rather than act. Power
-
and where it comes from of Kocharian, Vazgen
The triumvirate
Sargsian and Karen Demirchian had reached
an understanding where each had clear responsibilities in govemance. A presidential aide describes it this way: "Separately, each of these men seemed highly vulnerable and a possible target
at any time:
President
COVER STORY Kocharian, an acknowledged war hero, former Prime Minister of Armenia and President of Nagorno-Karabakh, was credited by many for his pro-western orientation and for being the only man who could legitimately negotiate with Azerbaijan on settling the Karabakh
together during these months of crisis, how is the effort to build a "coalition government" going to succeed? Who will form the coalition? Where are the powers who can propose, cajole, dictate and push through anything?" said a Western observer who has worked with
conflict, but he was and still is not fully accepted by the people. An Armenian from Karabakh is simply not an Armenian from
the government off and on over the last decade. Nevertheless, much of February was taken up by meetings of the various parties
Armenia. Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian, former Minister of Defense, had had to create and maintain an army without a federal budget to support iq so he found the money elsewhere. Plus, he strictly enforced mandatory military service, therefore although he was revered by a small circle of supporters, he was disliked by much of the public. Karen Demirchian, former Secretary-General of SovietArmenia, was remembered for his lack of political clout with Soviet Russia regarding Azerbaijan's atrocities against Armenians and the Karabakh conflict.
and their leaders, trying to identify the makeup of a new cabinet. "Who will the new appointees represent beyond themselves? Who will beneflt from this new shake-up?" asked one local reporter. Calls for the president to resign also were heard in February - but from predictable quarters. Perennial presidential candidate Vazgen Manukian was one of those insisting that a resignation was the only way out of the deadlock. None ofthe usual suspects backed his call. On the contrary, even zrmong those who arc not ardent Kocharian supporters, few seemed to believe that a resignation was a solution. "A weak, but balanced and predictable president is preferable to a weak, unbalanced
"Still, together, these three seemed impenetrable. They had made a pact that for better or worse, they would put up with each other's politics as long as each stuck to his part of the agenda: Demirchian would work on maintaining public support; Sargsian would use his heavy-handed approach to do away with com.rption and bring the economy into order; and Kocharian would negotiate an acceptable peace seftlement for Karabakh." Following Sargsian's and Demirchian's murders, their followers were not able to maintain the coalition with Kocharian. It's not clear whether they didn't want to, or simply couldn't. Those who have worked closely with these men explain that their power was largely personal, based on their own individual characters. With the charismatic gone, there was nothing to pass down to their followers. Not even their policies. As a result, in the days following the assassination, the search was on to identify powerpoints among elected and appointed officials. Who had a power base and what was it? Who could initiate and carry out decisions? As it became obvious that neither the new prime minister
nor the new president of the National Assembly had this kind of authority, it also became clear that neither did the president. In the first government shufifle following the assassinations, Kocharian was able to control some appointments, but not others. In the
second government shuffle expected in February, everyone watched to see what new coalition could be created out of the old and familiar parties. "If the political parties and the more powerful individuals have not been able to work
and unpredictable president," says Aram Abrahamian, editor of Aravor, not known for its pro-Kocharian stance. Hayots AshWwrh said that if some in the opposition are unhappy with the authorities, they should not content themselves with attacking Kocharian. After all, members of the cabinet and Parliament are equally responsible.
Vladimir Nazarian, head of the National Assembly's Legal Services, and principal architect of Armenia's constitution, said, "As a
citizen,
I am opposed to special presidential
elections, because there is no salvation that way. It would be different if there was a political elite, like the one that exists in Russia; then, it would be possible to confidently state that one of them could do something today. But in the case of an absolute vacuum to think that elections are the right way, is not a solution."
Nazarian continued, '"The people have two needs: They don't want a new president,
or a new National Assembly. They
want bread, and justice. We've experienced elections. They bring us neither bread, nor jus-
tice." And Nazarian added, "It would be different if there was, say, a General Andranik..."
High Expectations
is no
General Andranik. Instead, for a while in January and February the most
There
likely candidate for savior seemed to be Armen Sarkissian, Armenia's Ambassador to the UK, the most senior diplomat abroad, and, for a short time in 1996, prime minister. AIM FEBRUARY
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Ik Rumor ilill Government by rumor is not new to Armenia. Perhaps because the news delivery system of the Soviet era was demonstrably untrustworthy and disreputable, informal, word-of-mouth information took on greaterthan-usual significance. As a result, then and now, every important political and economic development is explained, conclusively, by what one has heard. There are many examples: The earthquake of 1988 was, "according to reliable sources," caused by the Soviets. They
it and carried it out to thwart the Democracv Movement. Someiumors live long after their time. The earthquake rumor is one 6f them. lt reappears a couple of times a year. others, like the one about the leaders of the Armenian National Movement, are forgotten. But in '1988, "everyone knew" that the Russians had planted the Karabakh Committee in Armenia so that they would serve as agents for Moscow Some rumors had no national significance, but spread regardless. ln the terrible winters of 1993 and 1994, many blamed President Levon Ter Petrossian for "sending his son and daughter abroad, to Paris, to escape the hard times." Never mind that the son in question, a teenager at the time, was a student in a Yerevan high school, and Ter Petrossian didnt even have a daughter. Rumors are not limited to Armenia. The Diaspora often signs on, too. lt was accepted as planned
truth that the recent election of Garegin ll
as
Catholicos of All Armenians was "bought" by the Diaspora, 0r certain important figures in the leadership. The government was "promised millions 0f dollars" seven million to be exact - in exchange for its support of the "Diaspora's candidate." That several Diaspora individuals and organizations were fiercely backing some-
-
one else was discounted.
Time has a way of tempering the most absurd stories. Yet, cunent tales in the rumor mill take on huge significance, beyond their value. Since the assassination, rurnors have become the pervasive tools of analysis. Rumor one: The Russians spearheaded the tragedy in order to throw Armenia more completely into their camp, Rumor two: The Americans did it wasn't Strobe Talbott, the Deputy Secretary of State there that day in order to derail the Karabakh negotiations. Rumor three: Some in Karabakh instigated it in order to throw the negotiations off course. Rumor four: President Kocharian did it to "seize power completely." As they are repeated in the streeb of Yerevan, and in some Yerelan newspapers, these are not theories that try to explain possible motivations. They are statements of fact. Someone has heard that one 0r the other of these scenarios was the cause of the 0ctober 27 lragedy and that is the end of the story. Even when it's plausible that
-
-
a certain theory could possibly, conceivably, arguably, have some validity, it is neither explored nor debated. No one aslc, 'What did Kocharian possibly gain in the aftermath of these
crimes?' or'ls it really to Karabakh's benefit to throw the negotiations off course?' It's enough that the rumor has been uttered.
COVER STORY Sarkissian, who is widely liked and respected
for his western ways and people skills,
was
touted as the candidate most likely to pull Armenia out of the current stalemate among various groupings. The stories are that he is the favorite candidate of Diaspora philanthropists. Even members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation - Dashnaktsutiun spoke of his coming as a done deal. For a public tired of the seemingly senseless political infighting among the various small power groupings, Sarkissian's apparent popularity in all comers makes him very
- and unique. "IfPresident Kocharian did resign, and ifthere were special presidenappealing
"Nothing has gotten better since Kocharian became president. Nothing. So, any change has got to be better than this. Officials are less responsive now to what we're trying to do than they've been in the past, and no one at the top seems to understand that they have to knock some heads together. The people and the people's needs are totally neglected. All struggles are over personal power, not poli cies or programs." Fed Up
It is not only Diasporans who are fed up with the status quo. Foreign direct invesfrnents are down. Thavel toArmeniais down. Emigration
tial elections, and if they were held fairly, and if Armen Sarkissian won by a huge margm, then perhaps he can pull the country out of the nearly half-year long political slump, and
vageable. It can happen with or without new elections, with or without a coalition govemment. It simply requires an end to the intemal squabbling and a serious approach to basic economic and social challenges.
Beilock's prescription includes placing
order to maintain Armenia's advantage as a source of skilled labor, reducing unnecessary and opaque procedures in order to facilitate business transactions, reducing comrption by increasing living wages, reducing opporhrnities for retums from comrption, and teaching skills and a sense ofprofessional ethics, viewing the business community as partners in the development of Armenia. None of tlrese proposals are new. They've been offeredbefore, and often.
But together, they are a doable list of objectives thatbreaks down the cunent seemingly overwhelming disorder. Beilock also advocates estimating the likely economic impact of a political accommodation with Turkey andAzerbaiian, in order to better mdenand what is at stake in intemational negotiations.
even longer economic decline. That's got to be better than the current stale-
mate," is the explanation
of
first-
instance.
No one says what a President Sarkissian (or any other president) might do to assure that the rest of those in (lesser) positions of power
This, too, has been carefully
uttered before. And it remains a touchy subject. Both the Yerkrapah
- from parliament commission chiefs to ministers - follow along.
Union of WarVeterans, as well as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation - Dashnaktsutiun publicly repeated
Kocharian, whose lack of a power base, has made him (even in his own words) almost an observer in the governing process, is a good example of a president, popularly elected, who found himself with no
their hardline stance against
any compromises in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Yet, Kocharian has repeatedly insisted that compro-
mises which do
mandate just two years later. How would Sarkissian be different? Who would back him? One businessman expressed the conviction that with Sar{cissian comes British businessman-
philanthropist Vatche Manougian's money. A Diasporan activist said that other philanthropists, too, would back a Sarkissian candidacy, just as a way out of the hopeless status quo. A high-placed government official said that anything is better than the current deadlock.
Sarkissian has said privately, and publicly, that he is not seeking such a post. One close observer who has worked with him for
"He'd be stupid to take it, and he's not stupid. With whom and through whom
years said,
would he work? What will change at the levels immediately below him that will make him any more effective than his predecessors?" Adiasporan organizational head, who has
been active in Armenia in various projects over the last decade, disagreed, expressing a frustration that is the result of years of trying.
a
high priority on education and training in
not
jeopardize
Karabakh's security are essential. Unlike their reaction to the mention
in
of
Levon Ter compromise Petrossian's days, however, the hardliners have not descended to calling is up at alarming rates. A recent study by Richard Beilock, a University of Florida economics professor, cites decreases in trade, foreign investment and economic output, coupled with increases in reliance on Western assistance, as well as in comrption and red tape.
But Beilock is not pessimistic. "Unlike under the Soviets, correcting the [current] situation is entirely within the power of the Armenian people and its govemment," he says. No one in Armenia seems to think so. Recent polls show that nearly a third ofthose questioned can't think of what (or who) might put an end to the current standoff. And this
apparent uncertainty and chaos, among the public and in govemment, has had its negative impact on the economy. Still, Beilock believes the situation is salAIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Kocharian a traitor for advocating give and take. How can they? Kocharian was the president of Karabakh, and many in Armenia feel that he - more than most - has a right to support some concessions in the search for peace. So, for now, it appears Kocharian is here to stay with or without a government and parliament willing to take risks and do some
-
work. For now at least, radical
change appears undesirable. And besides, someone
would have
to act to bring about
such a
change. No one has demonstrated a readiness to take on such a responsibility. Unless, of course, as jurist Nazarian said,
"If
there was, say, a General Andranik..." A cynical Diasporan noted that perhaps that is why the General's ashes were thken to Yerevan
for
reburial.
r
NATION
An firlnerlan [aGB oll An Interview with the Armenian Assembly's Ross Vartian
Unluer$al ls$llu$
By SALPI HAR0UTINIAN GHAZARIAN
herc is a public perception that the Armenian Assembly is not a grasstooh organizalion, nor does it try to be, in oder not to appear to be in competition with the political parties. ls that a fair characterization? No, I don't think so. The Assembly is grassroots. We've made it a priority for the past four years. We now have 6,000 grassroots participants - organizations and individuals. We have activists now in virtually every state in the country. So, when we want
to
promote grassroots advocacy with
Congress, the Administration or the mainstream media, we have experienced advocates we can call on. I think one of the advantages for small communities like the Armenian-American community is that for those of us who do engage, we have a disproportionate influence and we're demonstrating that with this network of activists around the country.
are going t0 want a hand in the decision-making process tomorow? Wouldn't that change the nature ol the Assembly? Our experience is that most people simply want to be relevant to the cause. They don't
necessarily want
to be decision-makers,
because being a decision-maker requires a
lot
more time, and is a much heavier burden as well. These are intelligent people. They know what the challenge of being a decisionmaker means. However, many of our current Affiliates and Trustees began as grassroots participants. The Assembly's task is to provide opportunities for involvement in response to the needs of our volunteers. Just as the Assembly stailed out as a Gonsensus based umbrella organization, and developed in a dillerent direclion, is there the possibility that it will evolve lurther and become a bottom-up organization?
have been looking for something like this, or do you have to pull teeth to get them to come out? Frankly, we have to pull less teeth in North Carolina than in large communities, In North Carolina, there is less Armenian competition for individuals with limited volunteer time. In small communities, there re not scores of Armenian organizations seeking financial support and volunteer time. So, to the extent that they feel Armenian, they can also become proactively Armenian via the Assembly's grassroots network.
It's already a mixture. It's a transition organization in that regard. When this organization first started, there were a relatively small number of volunteer managers and donors. The managers would propose a program ofaction and budget to the donors, and the available finances would determine how much of the desired goals would be authorized. We now have 1,700 people - Trustees and Affiliates - contributing annually. To accommodate this growth, we convene annual meetings like the one you witnessed last year. In some ways, it becomes a shareholders meeting, an opportunity for the officers and senior staff to justify ourselves to the generous and active investors in our organization.
lsn't the natural evolution of this going to be that those who are the implementorc today
The meeting I witnessed last year more than being a shareholders meeting, remind-
Have you lound that those in out of the way c0mmunities, like Noilh Carolina,
-
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
ed me ol a revival meeting. I don't know that people get excited about Armenian organizations any more. And these people were excitedl! I think the stength of the organization is our priority mission to find coiltmon ground amidst the incredible diversity of political
views, counEy of origin, socioeconomic
sta-
tus, age and professions among theAssembly's
membership. That common ground is nonpartisan service to theArmenian people. If you do it professionally, that satisfies one need. [f you do it with passion, that satisfies another. When you combine passion with profes-
sionalism, and you empower people to engage on their terms, that creates excitement. Armenians aren't victims, Armenians don't have to lose, Armenians are as legitimately American as anybody else. We don't have to protest, we can sit at the table with our public policy makers in Washington and genuinely participate in formulating US foreign policy and allocating resources because we are promoting the best values of our common Armenian and American values. We have good ideas, and our ideas are based on core American values and Armenian values. Our members also get excited because they know they can be as active as they want in our advocacy process and savor the victories their advocacy has produced.
Finally, the non-partisanship of our organization is genuine, both in American and Armenian contexts. Active Armenians are so used to being part of a partisan process, that this is a refreshing change of pace. This is not to denigrate partisan activ-
ities. They have their role as well. But I think there is a growing number of Armenian-Americans that appreciate the Assembly's non-partisanship.
NATION You mentioned socioeconomic diversity as
zations. We welcome the diversity and
well. But there's still the image that
experience this brings to the Assembly.
the
Assembly is a rich man's otganization. I don't understand how that image can still be around when $100 per year provides an individual with Afflliate membership in
What about in yout Armenian partisan life? Are there active pafi memben in the Assembly?
a
our organization. An Affiliate receives monthly publication and is invited to our annual meeting. If this contribution is
ratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar) members, as well as Hunchaks. Regrettably, there are no Armenian Revolutionary Federation
beyond your means, you can also become an
(Dashnak) Assembly members. Presumably Dashnak Party members interested in advocacy would consider membership in the Assembly redundant. It is also possible that
activist with no contribution, and form part of an e-mail, fax or mail network of volunteers. We value each of our 6,000 donors and participants regardless of the size of
There are some Armenian Democ-
Assembly membership
is prohibited or
his/her fi nancial contribution.
discouraged.
ln the Armenian context, it's interesting that the partisanship is so deePlY ingrained, and sometimes s0 damaging,
What is the Assembly's relationship today with lhe Armenian National Gommittee ol America (ANCA)? For a while, it appeared lo an 0bserver that thete uras a great deal ol Gompetition and turt definition going 0n.
that the urord political has a bad meaning, just because we don't want t0 be partisan.
I ruould $ay Umt today the nelationship between fie Assemily and tfie IIUGA h ile best ifs euen been. 0n a lunctional, pnagmatic [asi$, uue GoopGnate a$ much as wG nGGd to. fhe agsnda that is punsued in t'lhshington is a shaned agenda, and I think thats ffie most impontant ffiing. Thene is not an oGcasion now whGn wc walk $Gparately into a congrGs$ional ollice dhagneeing ouen tte commufftyt agenda. Still, looking
at the Assembly's leadership and membership, there are many individ'
uals who come lrom parlies or with a strong church association. What's hap' pening? Have we transcended that type of belonging? ls this a new model? I don't know if it's a model for everyone. But it is a model for a sufficient and rapidly growing number of people who wish to make a difference for their people. The Armenian Assembly is not saying that partisanship is wrong. We are saying that there is a vital role to be played by people who are not partisan. We are not a non-partisan, non-political organization. We are an
aggressively political organization in the context of advocacy, lobbying and making a difference through America's political process. However, the Armenian Assembly is not all consuming. Many of our members are also active, partisan Democrats, Republicans and Independents, as well as active members of other Armenian organi-
I
would say that today the relationship
between the Assembly and the ANCA is the best it's ever been. On a functional, pragmatic basis, we cooperate as much as we need to. Neither organization is able to
a substantial amount of its time investing in the other, because our agendas are so demanding of our limited volunteer and financial resources. The agenda that is pursued in Washington is a shared agenda, and I think that's the most important thing. There is not an occasion now when we walk separately into a Congressional office disagreeing over the community's agenda. We don't disagree when we are speaking to the Hill and we don't have to be in the same room to convey the same message. On all the core issues that the community has been helping us flght and win - aid to Armenia, aid to Karabakh, an objective US position in the peace process, retention of Section 907, passage of the Humanitarian Aid corridor
spend
act, US affirmation
of the Armenian
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Genocide - the two organizations are virtually on the same page. The October 27 assassinations have aflected your work in Washington? Yes. There was an immediate impact on the peace the pace and substance process. There was an immediate reassess-
of
ment in the White House about Armenia's stability and prospects for regional peace. Nevertheless, President Clinton and senior Administration officials expressed confidence in Armenia's surviving leadership. ln the House of Representatives, there was a strong statement of solidarity. The Assembly's role was to encourage U.S.
faith in and solidarity with Armenia at its moment of yet another tragedy. The Assembly has consciously, actively, at
greal cost perhaps, adopted a non-inter' vention policy. Given the Assembly's experience over lhese years, and given where we are now, if someone asked you to inter' vene and said what should we do not simply to convince the world we're stable and on the right path, bul indeed t0 stay 0n the course. The Assembly consciously adopted and retains a policy of non-intervention in the political affairs of Armenia and Karabakh. Our policy of non-interference is based on a fairly fundamental premise. We as members of the Diaspora and as active citizens of our various nation-states
-
must intervene with our countries
to
get
each more actively engaged with Armenia and Karabakh for the good of the people of those two states - to help make their lives more secure and easier to endure. Assembly intervention in Armenia and Karabakh based on our own notion of what ought to be done is wrong for two reasons. First, we would not have to pay for our hopefully infrequent, but inevitable mistakes. If we are not present in Armenia and Karabakh to pay the price for our policy actions, we ought not to be making those policy decisions. Second, Armenia's and Karabakh's difficult movement toward democracy would take longer to secure if the Diaspora, especially organized institutions like ourselves, were intervening in the affairs of both places. The duly elected authorities in Armenia and Karabakh need to take their own decisions, reap the rewards or pay the consequences for those decisions without outside interference. Everyone in our community would agree that the US or Russia or any other foreign power ought not to
NATION even more necessary today because in a moment of instability which Armenia is definitely in at the moment, the solutions have to come from within. If the people of Armenia rely on outside parties now to make their society more stable they may create a dependence on that outside source of power that will restrict their freedom of action in the future.
Again, externally granted stability
is
much less strong than stability stemming from internal cohesion and that internal cohesion must develop now, tomorrow, continuously. What has been the Assembly's agenda? Has
it been strictly Armenian issues, 0r have there been other issues around which it's built coalitions?
Since its inception, the Assembly
has
in a number of broad based coalitions to promote human rights, minority engaged
rights, genocide education, holocaust and genocide affirmation and remembrance. For 28 years, we've been advocating universal themes as well as particular themes that
affect Armenian lives. We are the for the Central and Eastern European Coalition, a grouping of ethnic American organizations who represent approximately 23 million Americans. We Secretariat
have common issues - US support for economic assistance to Central Europe and the
former Soviet Union, for democracy
and
governance programs in all those places, for
NAIO expansion and for generous funding of the Partnership for Peace program within NATO. These issues impact all of the ancestral homelands of the participating groups.
In addition, the Coalition has endorsed issues of specific concern to our community, such as the Humanitarian Aid Corridor
Act and Section 907 of the
Freedom
Support Act.
A second example is a working group that has successfully advocated US support for a wide range of international
human
rights conventions. The working group con-
interfere in our homeland.
Why don't we
say the same thing when it comes to organized Armenian groups who are not part of Armenia or not part of Karabakh? The
elected and appointed officials in Armenia and Karabakh understand what our nonpartisan approach means for them. They can seek our counsel and they can ask us to assist them in their relations with the US and we will do so because it is in the US's national interest to promote these relation-
ships. Our job is to give Armenia's and Karabakh's leaders the international support that they need so that they have the political space and the security to take their decisions independent of all outside interference and that includes the Assembly.
sists
of prominent Jewish American
and
non-ethnic human rights and religious organizations. This diverse combination of orga-
nizations has effectively promoted Senate approval of international conventions presented by successive administrations on women's rights, children's rights, Genocide and torture.
Do you leel as conlident that that approach is as necessary loday in this environment 0l uncertainty as il was at the beginning? I think you can make a case that it is
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Via the Assembly's active involvement
in
these issues, our community was recog-
nized for its leadership on universal causes that also impact Armenians.
NATION The same is true of for people who are already
need and ready to interact.
What about this work has changed over the 20 years that you've been with the Armenian Assembly? There have been two distinct periods
Karabakh. So,
inclined to act upon their sense of identity and have the financial wherewithal to do so, they now have an outlet. They can actually get on a plane, go to Armenia or Karabakh and can engage in real activity in both places, whether it is for financial gain or for humanitarian impulse. Those without the financial wherewithal, too, can engage through the political process or in educational programs, or any other way. They can act out their Armenian fantasy now, because there is a real Armenia now and a real Karabakh, and both of those
with attendant agendas - one before and one after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, the implosion of the former Soviet Union and the liberation of Armenia and Karabakh. Prior to these events, the Armenian-American advocacy agenda sought affrrmation of and a full
of projects about the Armenian Genocide, increased involvement of the Armenian-American community in our nation's democratic process, and protection
range
real places publicly indicate that they wel-
of Armenian minorities at risk in the Middle East. After these events, our initial agenda has been augmented and at times overwhelmed by the needs and aspirations of our people in Armenia and Karabakh. The earthquake and the demise of the former Soviet Union were watershed events for all Armenian-Americans, causing literally thousands in our community to actively participate in our political process for the fust time and thousands more to engage directly in the ongoing challenge to improve the securi-
come that engagement.
I don't know il you're the last of them, but you're certainly an interesting mix 0l the traditional lield worker lgordseechl but in an almost non-Armenian enuilonment. Ale there people now who say I want to be doing
How much of that need 0r urillingness t0 par-
Absolutely. Increasing numbers of
ally do this work full-time. Do we have the
Armenian-Americans already drawn to public service view positions like mine as fulfllling and rewarding. They are absolutely
kind ol cadres ready t0 work for Armenia and Armenian Gauses in a way that we didn't 20 years ago? Twenty yea]s ago, the message was 'You're crazy t0 work l0l an Armenian institution, g0 to law school." Has that message changed?
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ty and quality of life of the people of Armenia and Karabakh. Today there is a sense of urgency and immediacy. Armenia and Karabakh are independent, but not yet fully secure. Independent Armenia and Karabakh are no longer wistful ideas, but functioning realities in need and prepared to interact.
ol the woodwor* have not just become involved, bul it appears to me that there is also new money out there; the base ol donors has changed. Since the earthquake and since independence, I think there is a whole new way of engaging. Armenia is no longer an idea or a myth, or something that we might secure somewhere many generations downstream. We're dealing with an Armenia that is real, in
what Ross does?
ticipate has translated to readiness to actu-
lnmenlat and lkrffiaffi,c dfficult mouemGnt touuanil ilemmnacy wouild tr[G l0nw t0 secme lI ffie llla$ona, Gs[GGidly mnfficd fttstlftifions mG
These people who have come oul
legitimate form of public service. It may not even be necessary any longer to have Armenian-Americans working their entire careers for Armenian organizations. I may be one of the fossils, one of the last people who does this, because there are considerably more young and talented professionals within the generation that follows mine who want to make a difference for their people and build an important portion of their employment history with Armenian-American organizations.
Armenian parents laugh when I say this, but I have told them there are only three professions for their children acceptable to them: businessman, doctor, lawyer. I think many in our community still promote these rewarding
professions. However, there is a wonderful diversity of career interests in our community now, including public service.
I
would say that there are a sufficient number of people who are willing to commit at least a portion of their professional life to things Armenian. There's no professional
correct. Via our professional service with the Assembly, we are each able to participate in a small way to our organization's substantial and unique contribution to the priority needs of the Armenian-American community. I do not subscribe to the notion that it is a sacriflce today to 'work for your people.' On the contrary, it is an immensely gratifying experience.
ll you could wtite a prescription and say, 'lf the community were to do this, then public aduocacy work would be much easiel t0 do.' Some things are obvious. As
I
assume is
the case for Armenian political parties, we simply need greater numbers. We're very proud of the fact that we have over 6,000 activists in all 50 states, but why isn't it 50,000?, 500,000? We obviously need more people so we can accomplish more important objectives more quickly. There is also the ongoing need for greatet would say that the Armenian Assembly suffers from a crisis of success - we have more compelling projects
financial resources.
I
than resources.
And for those in our community not inclined to engage in the US advocacy effort, there is an urgent need for direct Diaspora engagement and investment in Armenia and Karabakh.
Every concemed Armenian-American
with a person investing important
not yet engaged surely has some time and
time at the ArmenianAssembly, then moving on and up having had a powerful professional experience while simultaneously helping
some financial resources that could be allocated to promoting our community's advocacy agenda or to directly engaging in Armenia and Karabakh. Just do it.
problem
their people. Mainstream America now accepts
this path of ethnic engagement as a AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Afl
1\INI
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OYes ONo
OYes ONo
60. How often do you use the Internet (other than for e-mail)? 45. Have you ever held office
in an Armenian organization?
OYes ONo
O Daily O At least once a week / but not daily O At least once a month / but not weeklv
46, Have you ever
held office in a non-fumenian organization?
OYes ONo 47. Do you attend church?
O O
Few times a year Never
61. Which of the following have you attended during the last three months? Check all that apply-
OYes ONo
O Concert O Sports event O Cinema O Museum
48. If yes, what denomination?
O fumenian Apostolic O fumenian Catholic O fumenian Evangelical
O Theater
O Other 62. How many countries have you lived in, in your lifetime?
OOne OIho 02+
49. Are you:
O Male O Female 50. What is your age?
O Under 25 O 25-34 O 35-44 O 45-54 O 55-64 O 65+ 51. What is your
marital status?
O Single O Married O Widowed O Divorced/Separated 52. What is the highest educational level you have achieved? O Less than secondary
O O O O
High schooVsecondary diploma 2-year college degree 4-year college/university degree
64. Which of the following do you own? O StockVshares O Mutual funds O Works of art Please proceed to next page.
OYES!YE8I
Master'Vdoctorate or equivalent
IUMITIIfiTMEGII.
53. What is your working status?
O O O O
63. How often have you purchased computer-related equipment during the last three years? O 0nce O lkice O More than twice
Full-time employed Part-time employed Self-employed
Retired
finsVlrtsrNlMr
O Student O Homemaker O Unemployed
Smnur Auonrss
54. What is your occupation?
Comvrrv
lh,EPHoNE
55. What was the total combined income of all members of your household before ta"res for 1999?
O Zero-50,000 O 50,000-75,000 O 75-100,000 O 56. What type of home is your
principal residence?
100,000+
O Ntl THANK$, I IIllN'I WANT THE GII. rD RIITIffi REUIil IIIITYilOUI,
$&eak oxt in ths AIffiEADERSURITEY 65. How many people in your family smoke? O None O One O More than one
72.
What has been your greatest source of disappointment in AIM?
66. How many people in your family eqioy an occasional drink? O None O One O More than one 67. Do you bring drinks as gifts?
73. What do you
like most about AIM?
74. What do you
like least about AIM?
OYes ONo 68. Number
O Zerc O
ofnights you stayed in a hotel last year:
l-7 O 8-14 O 15+
69. Number of times you rented a
O Zero O ?0. What
l-3
car last year:
O 4+
AIM articles do you most remember from previous years?
76. If you could cha,nge
just one thing about AIM, what would it be?
?1. What has been your greatest source of satisfaction in AIM?
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-
By MATTHEW KARANIAN
chmit Guler seldom has an opportunity
' to speak Armenian. He lives in Turkey, , in the historically Am.renian region of Kars, not far fiom the borcler that separates the modern republics of Turkey and Annenia. Guler is able to see Armenia every day, but because the border is closed, he doesn't get to see - or speak to - many Armenians. So he only knows the basics, which he demonstrated during a recent telephone interview: hello, thank you, what is your name, call me tomolTow.
But Guler might soon need to learn a few nrore words ol Annenian.
A recent spatter of amicable contacts between Armenian and Turkish business leaders has prompted speculation that there may be a rapprochement between the governments of the two countries. The root of the speculation appears to be
the initiatives of Armenian and Turkish business people, has been quickly muted by their political leaders. however. "What we hear [about rapprochementl is from other circles, particularly business circles," says Vartan Oskanian, the Foreign Minister of Armenia. Business leaders want better relations between Armenia and Turkey, and their relations are cordial. But there's no
visible correlation to politics, he says. Instead, Turkey has been "very clear on iinkage to Karabakh," he says. Turkey will keep the border sealed until the Karabakh conflict is resolved. Oskanian made his comments during a recenl telephone interview from his office in Yerevan. At the Turkish Foreign Ministry, they said the same thing, in Turkish. It is irnpossibte for normal Turkish-Armenian relations betbre a resolution of the Karabakh conflict. said a ministry official, to AIM, on rhe relephone.
the conventional wisdom that political decisions are driven by economic needs. Ifthe rapprochement is genuine, then Turkey's "East Gate" with Armenia could soon be open again. People such as Guler may start having frequent business transactions with Arrnenians. The speculation of a d6tente, based upon
Keeping Speculation Alive
One would think that this would have foreclosed discussion about an imminent border opening. But a coincidence of political overtures and intemational meetings has kept the idea alive.
AIM FEI]RUARY
2OOO
For exantple, last month a delegation fr.om
Armenia's Foreign Ministry traveled to Kars and met with Turkish oflicials about opening the frontier. Armen Hovhannisian. the Turkish Desk Attach6 at the Ministry, says it was just talk, however, and that nothing was resoived. But meanwhile. Turkey was proposing a
regional "stability pact" for the
Caucasr.rs.
Turkey envisions - publicly, at least - a coalition that would include Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as Turkey and Russia. This suggests a softening ofTurkey's pol-
icy of isolating Arrnenia. The irnplication is clear: if Armenia and Turkey were members of the same pact, bilateral relations between thern would necessarily improve. The timing of the Turkish proposal gave added credibility to the media speculation of a border opening. The only thing unclear is why any of this is happening.
For example,
if
Turkey's objective in
proposing the regional stability pact is to increase its influence in the region, and to be a counter-weight to Russia's, then it needs Armenia's support. This support would give Turkey credibility, and it might help persuade Russia to join the pact, rather than light it. Armenia rnight be ternpted to acquiesce
,13
NATION
to greater Turkish influence in the region if it is given an open border with the West. Under this hypothesis, an open border is the prize for Armenia's cooperation. Turkey might want the border open itself, however. The regions of Kars, Ani and Van, all within the borders of the modern Republic of Turkey, are impoverished. Open trade with Armenia could help their economies. "All hopes for this region are connected to trade with Armenia," says Arsen Avakian, the Head of the Turkish Desk at Armenia's Foreign Ministry. Or Turkey might want the border open because the political and economic isolation
Union. The EU requires that applicants have normal relations with their neighbors. And, says Hovhannisian, echoing a comment made by President Kocharian at a recent
olArmenia no longer suits its
land crossings was maintained.
Assistant Secretary of State Stephen Sestanovich has suggested that each country open unofficial information centers in each
never open the border
Turkey has always said that it would until there is a resolution of the Karabakh conflict. But late in 1999 Turkish President Suleyman Demirel said the border would open if there was progress on
other's capital, as a precursor to diplomatic recognition.
Karabakh, notes Hovhannisian. "Progress" is a vague standard, but it sounds easier to achieve progress, than a resolution. Does this mean that Turkey really is sofr ening its position on Karabakh? Oskanian is not persuaded by the semantics. Progress or not, "there has been no softening."
and said that Turkish-Armenian relations are important for the whole region," Avakian says.
interests.
Hovhannisian says the speculation is much ado about nothing. 'There's just a lot of fuss about it, but the reality is not as much as the
media [suggests]." But still, he offers several hypotheses. If Armenia's isolation is continued, its conduct in the region may become unEedictable. This would be contrary to Twkey's intertsts in mainaining an environment trat will suport tlre pipelines carrying Azerbaijani oil through tlre rcgion.
An open border may further Turkey's aspiration to membership in the European
economic summit in Switzerland, Armenia offers a shorter route to the other Turkish republics of the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The US Departrnent of State says it doesn't see
any moderation in policies, eitlrer. A spokesman told AM ttrat Turkey's initiatives should be seen only as "confidence building measures." According to this official, the US would
like to
see a
process
Making Progress on Karabakh Turkey closed the border back in 1991 as an act of solidarity with Azerbaijan, which was in a state of de facto war with Armenia. The closure eased a bit in 1995, with the approval of a twice-weekly flight between Yerevan and Istanbul, but the prohibition of
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
full normalization of relations
between the two countries. He says that this
of normalization could begin with
trade. Taking small steps toward normal relations appears to be the American approach to
achieving greater stability in the Caucasus. But, he is very quick to point out, this isn't happening.
There has also been some subtle pressure on Turkey from the US, says Avakian. "Bill Clinton went to Istanbul [last year]
Indeed, the US has consistently encouraged Turkey to engage in bilateral relations with Armenia. So, if Turkey is indeed warming up to Armenia, this may partly be in response to this prodding, says Avakian.
NATION A Benevolent Thrkey? In recent months, Turkey has also engaged in a reduction of hostilities with two other neighboring states - Greece and Iran. Although increased diplomatic communications with Greece might be seen as
Brothers-in-Business Turkish - and Armenian - sincerity is perhaps most evident at the local level. Just last year, the Mayor of Kars traveled
an attempt by Turkey to lobby for EU membership, Turkey's overtures to Iran are less
between the two districts. The purpose of the visit was
transparent.
municipal relations, ard encourage future eco-
Hovhannisian suggests that Turkey may be seeking to neutralize Iran's potential opposition to Turkey's growing influence in the
Caucasus and to counter Iran's strong diplomatic ties with Armenia. "But it doesn't have the ability to get very far," he says.
There's a litany of problems that are unlikely to be overcome. Iran has a large minority Azeri population. By some estimates, the Azeri population may be as high as 30 million
-
in rough parity with
the
regional Kurdish population ofTurkey, Iran and Iraq. Then there's the secular vs. fundamental-
ist Islamic nature of the two governments, which may keep Turkey from getting too close to Iran. Turkey may fear the influence of radical Iranian Moslems on its government. Christian Armenia, by contrast, is an unlikely target "Turkey and Iran are on rival paths,"
says Hovhannisian. Their relations may improve, but they won't become allies. Armenia needn't worry, he suggests, that Turkey will attempt to persuade Iran to close its border with Armenia. "I don't distrust Turkey. What they are doing is in their interests. But there is also some sincerity in all this."
to the Armenian region of Shirak, located across the border, to negotiate cooperation to
improve
nomic ties. 'The theme of the visit was improving and establishing the mechanism of cooperation," says Avakian, of theArmenian Foreign Ministry.
Kars and Shirak are now "brother towns," he says. Naif Alibeyoglu, the Mayor of Kars, needed some high-level clearance to get across the border, however. He carried a note from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allow him to pass the Turkish checkpoint.
On the Armenian side, the Armenian Ministry had told the guards that he had special permission, and he was allowed to cross. Alibeyoglu met with the Vartan Ghukasian, the Mayor of Gumri, and they agreed to continue to meet and to work toward developing cross-border trade between the two regions. The event was widely observed. Recent press reports have quoted Turkish business leaden who are supportive of a border open-
ing. Sadan Eren, the head of one of the region's Chambers of Commerce, is one such advocate.
"The Armenian door which will
be
opened as Azerbaijan eases her attitude will be lucrative for Turkey," he told a reporter. "Armenia is an ideal market for Turkey." But at the Foreign Ministry in Armenia, Hovhannisian is pragmatic about the likelihood of an open border. "Relations are unpredictable. You don't know what's going to happen." I
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
RE GI ON
hoffinUlon 0enulne lnde[Eltdence An Interview with Azerbarjan's Ambassador to the US, Hafiz Pashayev By MATTHEW KARANIAN
bronze plaque outside a modern office building in Washington, DC
between Turkey and
Armeni4 until Karabakh is
wealth ol Turkish States be consistent with the loreign policy obiectives ol Azerbaiian?
resolved.
subtly announces the presence of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. There are no flags flagging and no guards guarding - just another sign that says: take the elevator to the seventh floor, past several professional offices. If your visit is expected, the doors of the elevator will open directly onto the embassy suite, where you will be greeted by a huge map of Azerbaijan, and then by views of McPherson Square, just three blocks north of the White House. In early 1993, Hafiz Pashayev left Baku and a career in physics to become Azerbaijan's first ambassador to the US. He's also ambassador to Canada and Mexico, and he has held all three posts ever since. The embassy says it is uncorrmon for him to give interviews, but Pashayev nevertheless
spoke with AIM, and shared some of his views on his counffy, and on its relations with its neighbors.
ln recent weeks, Turkey has been aggres' sively asserting itsell in the aflairs ol the Caucasus. Perhaps the most dtamatic aclion has been its proposal of a so-called Caucasus Security Pact. Won't Turkey's actions have the opposite ellect in the Caucasus, by pro' voking Russia? Many leadershave already come outwitltthis if we can solve this tKambakhl problem with Armenia tlren we'd like to have a security pacl But realistically, [there can be] no pact without a Karabakh resolution.
idea. In our case,
Therc's
hlk ol
keeping Armenia out ol the pact.
I don't think that would be a security pact without one member of the south Caucasus region. I don't see how Russia [would allow tol keep Armenia out.
will continue
Turkish border sealed? What kind of influence can we exert on a big county? It's just an understanding [between Turkey and Azerbaijan.l Possibly the domestic public opinion of Turkey and Azerbaijan encourage to somehow keep restrained relations
There are perhaps 30 million ethnic Azeris living in northern lran. Wouldn't you preler t0 see Turkish dominion lhere, instead ol lranian?
Even in Azerbaijan some people talk about unification of North Azerbaijan [the Republic of Azerbaijanl and South Azerbaijan [northern Iran]. But that's not realistic.
ing the Soviet years. 1992 was the first time when people from both sides had an opportunity to meet each other, talk to each other. I think every family in Azerbaijan has some family over there. My own father was born in Tabriz [Iran]. But I can tell you when I met for first time Iranians of Azeri ancestry in the US, when I was studying at the University of California [UC Irvine for a year in 19751 it was very exciting.
Turkey reconsider its position? We consider the position of Turkey is the right position. Armenia is one country that made
Can we expect that Azerbaiian
is the successor to the Turkish
Empire. Turkey succeeded because it found it was better to give up imperial ambitions and take care of the country itself. This is why Tirrkey is a successful country today. Now we can compare Russia and Turkey as successors to two empires. Giving up [on imperial ambitionsl would help Russia now, also.
No. Historically Azerbaijan has even been deprived of any communication with Iran citizens. We had a closed border dur-
have urged an open border. Shouldn't
to use its inlluence to keep the Armenian-
We cannot even give any reaction on that.
Turkey
ls Azerbaiian encouraging unilication?
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in response to the Karabakh conllict, in solidarity with Azerbaiian. Bul the economy in eastern Turkey is sutlering, and the local Turkish otlicials, as well as lhe Armenians,
aggression against another country. Every neighboring country should react. [Keeping borders withArmenia sealedl is avery justposition, and it should be the position of all other countries. ff we could properly present the Azeri side of the story we would get much more sup port from the US, more support on aid.
Why not? Wouldn't membership in a Gommon-
There has also been talk bY a Tu*ish Minister ol the past glories ol the 0ttoman Empire. [Turkey's Minister lor Relations with Turkic-language CIS States, Abdulkhaluk Ghei, made an appeal lor restoration ol the Ottoman Empire last month.l He advocates establishing a Gommonwealth ol Turkish States, which would be headed by Turkey,
and include Azerbaiian, the Gentral Asia republics, and other states with other Turkic populations. We cannot consider this as a serious proposal or idea. AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Azerbaijan and lran sharc rcligious beliefs, and
lhere are the lamily ties. Why aren't there closer ties between the two countries? Why is cooperation between Armenia and Iran better than berween Azerbaijan and kan? In some ways it doesn't depend on us. It [relations] is not open. Just as we were not open during Soviet days. I think eventually it will be. Initial contact has started already.
Azerbaiian has made it clear to lran that it would
lilah
build, orat leasthlkabout, a pipeline
REGION Opporrunities to study in the Azeri language in Iran are difficult. Are you encouraging Azeri relugees from lran lo enter Azerbaijan? No, of course not. We ourselves need help for our own refugees. We don't need any more refugees.
This rapprochement with lran comes at the same time as your overtures to NATO. lsn't it unrealistic t0 think Azerbaijan can ioin NAT0? Some radical people in Azerbaijan would like to have immediate membership in NATO. But in our case, we official people, reasonable people, understand that we need to cooperate in existing programs [within NAIO]. There are many possible ways to be in cooperation, and we see ourselves as part of all European
**&
security arrangements. Unrealistic to join NATO? Ten years ago, was it realistic the Soviet Union would collapse? I'11 say not so realistic. Russia even might be part of a security arrangement. Even part of NATO. If NAIO is a guarantor of democratic development of the region, then why not? All countries should desire that.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaiian have met something like nine times in the past year, to resolve the Karabakh conflict. This in itself is a good fact. Bul we don'l seem any closer t0 peace today than a year ago. It's promising at least that they are talking.
But in secret! This says they are very serious .ll.
in their own desire to find not temporary, but a final solution. Overall I'm optimistic by the fact that they have meetings. Even il the leaders can agree, what guarantee is there that there can be a lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia? What support will there be among the people?
south lhrough lran. kr addition to tlre main export line, yes. I think
than Azerbaijan is willing to pay. The tariff issue is still under discussion.
we'll need additional pipelines. So, what about lran? Wasn't the proposalt0 build a pipeline through lran intended as a thleat to Georgia, because ol Georgia's position on tarifh lor its portion ol a pipeline lrom Baku? No. It's a natural desire for any counffy to want to get as much profit as possible in any deal. We had some dfficulties [with Georgia], but we've resolved many already.
But Georgia still wants more taliff revenue
We are not against a pipeline through Iran, but we have priorities, based on the independence of a line. Russia and Iran are oil producing countries, so it is very important for us to have pipelines through non-oil
producing countries. The relationship between Azerbaijan and Iran is getting better, but it's still not enough. We desire to have more relationship, more cooperation. But now it is difficult for an Azeri in Iran.
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
We need leadership that can overcome the inevitable opposition ttrat may come. Everyone was much more hopeful before the shooting occurred in Armenia. After that, the position of the president seemed not so strong.
The US has been urging the Gountries of the region t0 reduce their rhetoric. But the verbal attacks and accusations that are hurled suggest that relations between the people ol the two countries may never improve. In spite of all the consequences in Azerbaijan of Armenian aggression, Armen-
ian claims on territory, we are still optimistic about the future. We had a bad 47
REGION experience in the past and we somehow overcame this. Today, when we are almost in the 2lst century, it is important to be good members of the international community. My experience in this country says it is unfortunate that the sad history
of the Armenian
people have had
have some problems with our powerful neighbors.
ment in the country.
If we can be independent, both of There are a Gouple 0t new trauel guides 0n Azerbaiian available here in the US. Many people say that Tbilisi is the capital ol the Caucasus, and this is the city that most tourists visit. Wil! Azerbaiian Gompele with Georgia for tourists? It's our desire to have as many tourists as possible. But it's not a priority because we are very realistic people. We understand it is not possible to get tourists from the US until you provide them full comfort and reliability. There's a great opportunity for tourism in the region. [n Soviet times, the Caucasus was the best tourist place. And it's the best way to cre-
us [Azerbaijan and Armenia], then we can find a way to solve all our problems. We may need to give up historic, ambitious claims to neighbors.
an
What is really independent?
impact on these days. Russia has announced its rcadiness lo be a guaranlol 0[ peace. will you support their involvement? What does this mean guarantor? We have no specifics [about the Russian proposal]. But this is just a statement. What kind of reaction from Azerbaijan would you expect? We would like to have them as part of the process. But our recent experience with the leadership ofthe SSR presently does not permit us to be optimistic about seeing any one country as a guarantor. We need a broader
security guarantee. Azerbaijan would invite in other countries? Azerbaijan wants to be really independent, not rely on lran, Turkey, Russia. We
Genuine independence. ff the three countries of the South Caucasus would have no outside
military involvement, it would be easier for counfies to create their own security.
the three
Oil was to bring greater genuine independence to Azerbaijan, but today there are energy sh0rtages in Azeftaijan, and the c0untry will actua!ly stan t0 impoil oil. I haven't heard of such a thing.
ate relationships between countries. You would like to see tourists from Armenia? This is our hope, after this conflict is
-
the Russian news It was on the internet agency lntertax reported last month that Azerbaiian would begin importing crude oil because ol a domestic shonage. The shottage had already lorced teduced electrical service to customerc in Baku. There was a problem with mismanage-
somehow settled. Why not? We have a long experience living next to each other.
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CONNECTIONS in Armenia. there were some pubiications related to the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Annenia (ASALA.) It was a big set up. During the qr.restioning, they repeatedly asked about the ASALA leadership, how they operate and who the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) leaders were, I kept telling them I have no connection with eitherASALA or ARF or any other organization. They insisted that I knerv but was not telling them. It was obvious that they weren't sure how to proceed, but they had to find a way to pun-
ish me. In those days. the military _qovernment wanted to show that they are flghthg against terrorism and punishing the culprits.
From the airport the.v took me to Samandag, the central headquarters of Turkish intelligence senices located in a deserted area away tiom Istanbul, where if they killed you no one would ever know. There, they locked n-re up in a little bathroom. And that's where the-v started the torture. They beat you until you say yes to whatever they s;ry. The beating does not stop until you "conf'ess." I stayed thele about 30 or 31 days and I was beaten heavily beaten every clay. Those people had no conscience. After years in Jertsalem, nt1, knowledge of Turkish had diminished. mixed Annenian. Arabic, Hebrew and English words in my responses. My Turkish was not fluent. They couldn't understand this. They thought I was hiding things from them and beat me even more. After the month-long intenrrgation. I signed some papers. They blindtblded me and brought me back to Istanbui.
-
-
I
There were seven others arrested in connec-
tion with my case. They were also beaten up. For about 15 days, we stayed at a place called Seiimiye, the central miiitary prison in
Uskudar. Subsequently, we were brought before ajudge who asked us a few questions. Then he announced my alrest. The other seven were released but were called to give testimony. They were not allowed to leave the counfuy. Remember. all this was happening in the years of the niilitary regime.
The state prosecutor charged rne with turning the Jerusalern Seminary students into terrorists. As the dean o1' the seminary, they suid I was irrvolvetl with terrrrristic propaSanda. I was also accused ot narning my dogs (in Jerusalem) Ataturk. That ivas absolute nonsense, as everyone knew that I had narned them Tiger and Joyce. The court knew that this was absolute fabrication as the thenPatriarch ofJerusalem had even sent the officiai registration and medicai records of my dogs to the Turkish court. We should also remember that in those
days the ASALA was quite active in its anti-
gel the etlbrts of the late Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Turkish campaigns. Indeed. the presiding
Alchbishop Yeghishe Derderian, who tried tcr gain ml, release through diplomatic channels. The govemnrent of the Netherlands was helpful
judge declared from the bench that during n.ry arrest and subsequent trial the activities of ASALA had increased. They rvanted to connect lne with tenorism. And ASALA s operations dici not help lny case. The coufi thought that because I was in Turkish custody.
ASALA had intensilierl its activities.
Tl.re
truth is that I had nothing to do with any organization, let alone with terroristr.
My whole
affest and trial was a set-up
because they wanted to find a victirn. They wanted to show that they are doing somettrilg against
ienorisrn But the truth remains that the1,' could not find an iota of evidence to back their accusations .
Life in Prison My prison life
ca-se and met with then-Chancellor Helnrut Kohl. Subsequently during a meeting rvith TLrrkish President Turgut Ozll. K,rhl prcsentcd a pctition to the Turkish
to Germany especia.lly tbr my
state to release 4,tr prisoners.
l
was the 45th per-
.on on lhe li:I. My name had been added at the end u ith u pencil. Ozal agrreed to release the 44.
but he<iratcd about the 45th. But later. they agreed to include me. My impression is that thel did not wanl to treat me as a special case and therefore I was released when a seneral for the i5 people on KolrJ': [ist. but lor thousands ol other
amnesr\, was declared, not only
was more horrible than the
beatings during the initial intenogation period. Imagine you arc in one cell with 80-100 people you do not know. Fortunately. they were all leftists. The other prisoners did not hurt me, but there was tremendous psychological torture in the prison. "ftey didn't allow you to go to thc toilet. the1, delayed bdnging your daily food, the.v wouldn't
take you to a doctor', they wouldn't give you medicine if you're sick, they would tum o11 the lights i1'you were reading a book, if you stood up they told you to sit down. They employed different kinds of psychological pressure. Often.
guards would take you out and knock
yor-r
unconscious, just for their anlusement. The beatings were \o freqLrent day,
as uell, Then, there was a priest from the Benedictine monastery in Jerusalem who went
thal one to my amazement, all my cellmates - all
80 of them - formed a human shield around me to protect me. They told the guards 'you have to crush us to get this man,'that enough is enough. I'11 never forget that incident.
It
was
a miracle of God that on that day I ',vas not beaten. The following day, the prison chief came and my cellmates told hirn to his face about my beatings. The chief had no idea. Indeed, he told my cellmates that he had corne to transler me to another place where I would be protected frorn other prisoners. But niy cellmates told him that it was his own guards who were beating me. The chief was so upset he transf'ened the old guiirds and brought in new r.lnes. I believe this was in response to pressure on the Turkish govemment on rny behalf. There was great interest in my case in Europe. While in prison, I received many leG ters fiom Catholic and Protestant churches and organizations. I used to correspond with them regularly, In fact, I got so many letters that two of my cellmates filled two large albums with the stamps from the envelopes. Many people tried to help me. I cannot for-
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
pri soncr..
I :elred lor three years in lstanbul prison\. Lrler they took nre to Chanakale. up the Dardanelles, which was a comparatively more con.rlbrtable place. During those Iater yeafs. therc was no torture. I used to pass my tirne in prison by painting. But at the beginning, during the years clf constarlt beating, I couldn't even read a book. Those {irst thl'ee yeafs were completely wasted. Aller tlie transf'er kr Chanakale, and in vier,', o1'the pressure frorn Europe. the prison !:u11111. puid nrr)r'e ilttention to me. Thcy put me in a cell with only 20 inmates. they brought me brushes and paint. The cells were cleaner and nrost ol' tlre inrnales were Iellisls. mo\t ot them k-new me since we were transferred from the :ame prison. They were very nice people. I painted lrom early morning unlil late at night. Er eryda_r. the judge and the chief oi the prison had io see me. If I was sick, they would
get me rnedical attention. This war
not becau*e I u as a nice guy. but because of pressure frorn Eulope on my behalf.
Unfirrtunately. I did not have an Armenian
Bible uith nre. Thel llrruldn't allou it. I hud an English Bible and used to spend n-ry tirne l lelt arll my paintings there. I didn't want to be rerninded ol'niy tirne in reading it iurd painting. But
prison. I used to paint beautiful places iurd abstract thernes. I also painted postcards lbr the inmates.
One o1'tlre things that botherecl me a lot was the silence ol'the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul. Throughout my imprisonment, I did not hear anything from the Patriarchate.
A: l priesl. I wuuld have
expected some
interest in my condition. [n fact, since
I
did
not ha\e any money to send a cable. the prison chief himsell sent word to the Patriarchate several rimes to aJrange for a pastoral risit. for someone to come and talk with
CONNECTIONS me during the allowed visitation times, to give me some moral support. But no one canre. Towards the end of my time. I wrote an
angry letter to the Patliarch. It was only then that Father Hovan ancl Sister Hripsirne visited rne. And the only other person who visited me was Diramayr" Mutafyan. the mother of the
curent Patriarch, Archbishop Mesrob.
She
loved me and was like a mother to me. Since no one else was willing to corne see me, she insisted that she visit. The prison was more than a two-hour drive from Istanbui. I am immensely grateful to these people. On the day of my relezr^se from prison - May i7, 1986 - it was Bishop Mesrob (now Patriarch) who came to greet me. He was waiting at the gate with a few other community members.
We embraced and went to
i
i
,
I
'
The night befbre my operation, I said my prayers and read my book of prayers. During the procedure, I t'elt that my soul was walking around the operating nrom. Avery bright, white light hit my face. In the light, I heard a voice speaking neither Armenian nor English. nor Turkish nor any language that I had heard, but I was able to understand it. The voice said. you will be better and stafied to touch my heeut. I
felt very
When I opened my eyes after the operation, I could not walk or eat. But
within a week I started to leam to walk again. I was like a child again. I realized that Cod is with me again. God has always been beside me
krm igme yernfui
so that
(Surddkn k T0* dlrbmart|@ aEffiis @s M lutu kak 6rys aTud ffir*/d ndtuiluEu fu.\,f & eb^an K66 RuhDn Oruru ng.orcrsril adt!rrsya u*st E[N4
Freedom My nonnal lif'e started again. Of course, it was difhcult to adjust. It
Even though the doctors have
serving the community gives nre strength and vigor to go on in life.
freedonr
ies were c()ntraclcd. In iact. yeurs luter when I had heart surgery in Holland. the docbrs told me that I had already had two heart anacks caused by the tortures. They said it's possible not to realize that one is having a heart attack. The left side of mv heart was dead and, miracuiously. I lived in prison for six years with only ha-lf of my hearl functioning. This was only a miracle of God. When I went to prison, St. James was with me. I said a prayer on that first day of torture. I prayed to St. James and said that I have served you as a seminarian and as a priest. If I am guilty, take my lif'e, il'I am innocent, then let me live. And God was with me. Tlloughout the torlure and beatin-es, I sensed a cefiain power. I used to curse the police and the guards and laugh. I had never cursed in my lif'e befbre. They would beat me iurd I would laugh. Atter my telease. I served for two years in the Istanbul Patriarchate. And it was another miracle of God. that in 1990 I accompanied Patriarch Karekin Kazanjian to Holy Ejmiatsin fbr the Blessing of the Holy Muron. This was my first trip outside Turkey after prison. When
was appoinied pastor
as
possible, celebrating the liturgy and
Whcn I was llccd fronr prison. tlrere were no teeth left in my mouth - because of the beatings. My hearr beat had increased and several aner-
I
can serve Him. Even
told rne to rctire and work as little
again.
we retumed.
I
though I still have medical complications, every morning when I open my cyes. I thank Cod because it is God who allowctl me to live.
ediyorlur
the
comfortable. Afterward, the light
rumed into darkness.
Okulu'n&
Patriarchate.
was krugh to deal u,'ith
issued a general amnesty during the time of Turgut Ozal antl I was ahlc to leuve the countly without uny prohlcm. lndeed. it uas a rrrirlcle that I was ablc to obtain a passporl. ln 1993, my passportexpired and I applied to the Turkish Embassy in Holland to renew it. I was toltl thc passporl was just an exit pennit urd not officially recorded in state records. I realizcd thut thc passport agency ofticer had kindly aurunged lor me to lervc the countr].
of
the
Armenian community in the Netherlands. Fortunately. the Turkish government had
Reflections While the memory of those days is tading away, it comes back to me whenever I see a film or hear a conversation. But T smile because those days are gone. Many people ask me about
those days, but
I try to avoid the
(about 10,000) of Armenians fnrm Turkey, lran, Laq and more recen{y lrorn Annenia. We have church services every Sunday in Amsterdam and a visiting priest f'rom France conducts services in Almelo, about two hours awav. My father died while I was in prison. I had lost my mother a long time ago. I have a sister, who lives here in the same town and helps me a lot. I also have a brother who lives in France. ln 199'7, I underwent open-hear1 surgery and I am alive today only because God intervened. I opened my eyes two months after the operation, which the doctors told me lasted for over 20 hours. When I woke up, I had iost
subject. It is a very personal experience. It is better not to discuss it, especially when people start their quesrions with 'Who betrayed you?' Whatever happened, happened. If there were people who betrayed me. then their fate is in God's hands. I do not denounce anyone. But it is clear to me that someone in the community had a hand in my anest and conviction. My interrogators knew every detail, every step of rny lif'e. The only thing that I'm not sule about is wl:rether this person was tronr Istanbul or Jerusalem. Still,lif'e is based on taith. I know, from my experience, that when a person is suffering severely. he calls upon God to accompany him. In our comfortable, daily life we fbrget God. But man has to remember the word of God. The soul needs the hope of t-aith to live. Deeds without faith are meaningless. If one suft-ers, but does not believe, life becomes meaningless. I believe that Christ will save us and that's what gives me hope in my life. One has to be ready to answer for all his deeds in
my memory. I did not know where I was.
this life.
I was actually
convicted for 14 years and 8 months, to be followed by four and a half years in a labor camp near Er-erum. But because of the general amnesty, I only served slr years and eight months. Thousands of otlrers were released as well.
Parish Priest Since I 990. I hare been serving as a pastor
in Holland. We have a verl nicc comrnunity
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2OOO
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CONNECTIONS
[U|gdlguill hh AUB Professor Explores Armenian-Moslem Relations in the Middle East By HRATGH TCHlLlllGlRlAN
as facts. We should bring history out, determine the relations and describe them through
he political and cultural history of the Armenians in the Near East is one of the least explored areas wiilrin traditional Armenian Studies. But Seta
accepted scientific methodologies," she insists.
Dadoyan has found much material on in Islamic literature, especially
Dadoyan, Professor of Cultural Studies, Philosophy and Art at the American University of Beirut (AUB), has created a
Armenia
new interest in the subject - with a particular focus on its contemporary significance. Dadoyan, one of only two Armenians with full-time professorial positions among AUB's 300-member faculty, published The
in
among the chroniclers of the period. She mentions the example of one chronicler, who
(now in Lrbanon). Dadoyan says that it would have been strange if there were only 30 Armenian (Moslem) brothers and only in Baalbek. There must have been others in other places as well. And she found them. So
Fatirnid Armenians: Cuhural and Political Interaction in the Near East in 1997. Published by Brill as part of a series on Islamic History and Civilization, the book explores Armenian history in the llth and
l2th centuries,
and the "Armenian Period"
did her
in
the last century of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypr Dadoyan's extensive research in primary Armenian and Arabic sources has turned up new data on Armenian-Moslem relations in the medieval Middle East. She is a great believer in the multidiscipli-
nary approach. "Research on Armenian themes should not be out of context," she insists. "Armenology as an exclusive field of study per se does not exist and never did. Armenian studies should be comparative, contexural, and interdisciplinary."
She explains that scholars have very little knowledge about, for example, "youth organization in Armenia in the 10th century." Mentioned for the first time by historian Mateos of Urha, '"These youttr organizations were important social and lay organizations and played a great role in the process of urbanization and civic development," says Dadoyan, who had published a volume in l99l on medieval and modern Armenian philosophy. Having lived under Arab nrle for centuries, Armenian-Moslem relations are particularly important. "One of the issues in at least the medieval period is redefining Christian identity in the Islamic milieu, another major issue is the case of Moslem Armenians," explains Dadoyan,
1138, wrote about Armenian paramilitary in the citadel of Baalbek
"brothers" killed
who has made the study of these themes the focus of her research.
But discussion of Armenian Moslems is of the politically incorrect subjects in
one
Armenian historiography. For decades, it has been a sensitive issue for Armenians both from political and religious perspectives. "There is a tendency to discuss Armenian history from a nationalist point of view," says Dadoyan. "Love of one's nation is a matter of conscience, but it should not effect one's scholarship. Historical scholarship should not
be a matter of feeling. On the confrary, it should be bold enough to see historical facts
colleague,
art historian
Nairy
Hampikian (see AIM December 1999.) Dadoyan pieces together information dispersed in various texts and "reconstructs" a wider view of Armenians in the Islamic period. "You have to read a lot of sources to flnd these passing references to Armenians and put the story together." One of the focal points of her study has been the typology of different political careers of Armenians in the Near East, especially in the Crusader period. She explains, for example, that efforts to install the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in the 12th century started decades before the kingdom was actually established. "Such'unorthodox' information recorded in various sources constitutes some of the most interesting pages of Armenian his-
tory"
says Dadoyan
with excitement.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of her research is her discussion of Armenian "lobbying" in medieval times. As Armenians were under direct Islamic rule for 200 years, she argues that the Bagratuni Kingdom was established due to the efforts of
an Armenian by the name of Yehya
al-
Armeni, who was a commander and governor of Darson and had lobbied on behalf of the Armenian King Ashot. "There were many moreArmenians in the
high administrative and military
establish-
ments of the Arabs," she says. "These officials played a significant role in the life of Armenians spread throughout the Near East
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
CONNECTIONS and Armenia proper."
"very interesting" times, Armenian historians
Between the fall of the Bagratuni Kingdom in 1045 and the establishment of the
"tend to want to create harmony in the collective history of the nation," she continues. "They tend to simplify matters by basically revolving everything around the church.
Cilician Kingdom in 1198, the cenffal problem was flnding a safe haven for Armenians, Dadoyan says. "For 150 years between these two kingdoms, Armenians were endangered: they could have been lost, assimilated. But through the creation of certain principalities
This tendency is understandable in view of the pressures that Armenians were under. True that the church has played a very important role in the life
of identity, especially in the cultural realm," she says with passion. She explains that "Armenian art in Lebanon is mostly a reflection of this crisis." Her intellectual and artistic search to determine what "Armenian art" is in the kbanese context led her back to the earliest roots of the issue. "I started to go back into
and sovereign enclaves Armenians were able to preserve their collective existence, because they were part ofthe
lp history to find
the context, back to the
l3th century and so on. Studying the Islamic period was inevitable to formulate a wider picnre of the processes that we've gone through in history"
t"*D
she says.
of the nation social and political fabric of the ruling powers," she continues. Armenians were able to maintain a balance between major powers competing in the region. Still, "We've never had centralized leadership in our history except for short periods time," comments Dadoyan. "Armenians were spread all over the periphery of Armenia proper and politics was mostlocal nature, determined by the geostrategic conditions and circumstances of a given period."
of
ly
- even as a surrogate state in the
She finds the contemporary processes of integration into local kbanese society, on the one hand, and the parochial conservatism of community institutions on the other, as both inevitable and uncontrolled.
and educated in Lebanon, is also a painter and
out being aware of them. And we don't choose between one or the other," she
absence of an Armenian state - but there is much more to Armenian history" argues Dadoyan. In addition to being a scholar of history the Aleppo-born Dadoyan, who was raised
an accomplished artist in her own right. In
"We go through these processes with-
in
Stuck between Islam and Byzantium, "Armenian history has been imposed on us," she says. "I would say starting from the fourth century, the issue of East and West has always been before us."
Indeed, the East-West tension is most vis-
ibly manifested in Armenian Church history which saw the emergence of several sectarian and dissident movements. "This East-West division is one of the most important arteries of Armenian history and the richest," affirms Dadoyan.
While there are different schools of thought and controversies related to these
fact, her first book is a study of Armenian painters in the Middle East. Her interest in history stems from a contemporary problem.
"My
research
into the history of
Armenian-Arab, Armenian-Islamic relations stems from the dilemma of contemporary Lebanese-Armenian identity. LebaneseArmenianness is a condition, there is a crisis AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
says. "We do both: we open up and close in. This is a daily routine. We do not have integration in an organized, well-thought, methodic way." Dadoyan explains that the community does not have structures or institutions that would give shape to such processes. Other Lebanese Armenian intellectuals, artists and
politician agree, "Integration is happening
CONNECTIONS by circumstantial processes, by
ffiffirBmil'msffi'tm@
accident, there is no vision of how that integration should be or could be. "The fact that our Armenian
0Imffimffildhsdd Inmffi sdmmhkfrmr,frtBffim sfimeof,ffieom m
social organizations in Lebanon party affiliated has become a handicap for development," she continues. 'There is no clear cultural direction and understanding in the post-war period in lrbanon." For example, she points out are
the enormous decline
llmffiffirffimm
strn &f lffindsaffiL
m
in terms of
social,
what they are looking for?" asks Dadoyan.
"We can no longer exist
AUB to continue their higher education. Those students who come from non-
place beyond the control of Armenian political parties, who traditionally have had a total
Armenian private schools tend to do better, at
hold over community institutions. They are aware of the process, but they themselves do not know how to deal with it or what to do about it. "There is a crisis of vision," according to Dadoyan. "When political parties or organizations offer very little or nothing to a young
in
their freshman year. Currently, among AUB's 7,000 students, there are about 100 Armenian students, who are mostly underclassmen and graduates of private schools.
party ideology belongs to a different world. It has very little
into main-
Diaspora identity issues, Dadoyan defines being an Armenian in ttre Diaspora as "being aware of a crisis: The crisis of being an Armenian." This crisis is not always a negative conditiorl however. "If you forget this crisis, then the issues become closed," she says. In fact, "It is this
questioning, this inquiring of the existential
to preserve what you have. The crisis is not emotional; on the contrary, it is
concerns that provide motive
intellectual."
David R. Ajemian vice President Phone 213.228.4003. Fax 213.228.5823 At Bankof America Private Banlq we are experienced at hetping our clients dewlop a customized plan for their ftnancial needs. Let us show you how the pieces might ftt together.
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as
only party-affi liated Armenians," she cautions. "Today. Armenian
understand." As a historian familiar with stream Lebanese culture and society is taking
Nevertheless, integration
-
cultural and communal life how do you expect this young person not to be integrated into the 'other' where they can find
to do with global reality. This is what the leadership has to
of the
educational level of Armenian schools in Lebanon. She sees the effects of this decline among the Armenian students who come to
least
Armenian
Lo3c V.luc
elaixrtQr x*4w rrtld lx
Bank of America Prlvatâ&#x201A;Ź Bank
r
THE PROCEtt BEGINS: ARr{ENIA-DIAtPORA (ONTERENCE ua,r t*"ofurt rtuV wt*"o searclofor a,frauworbfor coolwa.ou,t, on!0u1, swzro, joalorieu.td,, coordin atd, Armuh,
-D
ia,rpora uopcratww.
THE PRO(Ett CONTINUEt: WWW.ARl|IENIADIAtPORA.COJVI iu.h,tdz* reforts anA
futor frotn tho unfenru.e; cow*.rzutr an/, optni"on, alout L*.e wllfadl*ate adwe fulhidaa.L and, organtz* twn^a..L iun/rleaat*tt inthz danhpu,uat of thz rtru*utu for Aruruu^a,-Du,spora, olf et*tittt. Data, ba"ro fuitehput*, utorktry lrotl?t conrpositi.ott, ta,sb w^anagnzat, retou.rco iaz*ift.atwa i,sruer exylorati.oo--all of th,e,ro ati, woro m/,1, tako F{aro on, ctnfereru.o *nd, rnoro. Th.i,r unbrtte
th),r rtto. Join,thzp+ou,rr.
Hil)o/oul
try).
Txr xEwErr lrNt( !N THE TOOO-yEAB-orD (HAtN
ArmeniaDiaspora
The Impact of Russia's Chechen Campaign on Economic Development By DAUID LEWIS
oncemed by the growing US role in the region, and talk of NAIO membership for Georgia and Azerbaijan, Russia is using its campaign in Chechnya to place additional pressure on its southern neighbors, while attempting to retain its strategic partnership with Armenia. These moves could have far-reaching consequences for the political future and economic potential of the region. It is impossible to talk about economics and investment in the Caucasus region with-
out discussing politics. Political instabiliry interethnic conflict and geopolitical intrigue have been significant factors in deterring the
foreign investment that the region so badly needs. The region's economy has undoubted
oil reserves in Azerbaijan, transport facilities in Georgia, and high-
potential. Major
skilled light industries in Armenia could be
a
complimentary economic mix. However, apart from intemal conflicts, the presence of large
58
oil reserves in the Caspian has made the
region a center
of complex geopolitical intrigue. The US and westem powers have sought to assert their influence over oil
point ofview ofTbilisi and Baku they looked like warnings of more to come. At the same time, a propaganda campaign in the Russian
reserves and export routes, to provide a valuable source of energy reserves not subject to OPEC regulation. The new Russian leadership is trying to reverse Russia's long post-imperial decline and lack of influence over Caspian resources by using diplomatic, economic and political pressure on its southem neighbors, Georgia and Azerbaijan. At the same time it is attempting to retain the sffong military and strategic partnership with Armenia that has provided it with its sole reliable ally in the region. Russia may be economically weak and militarily limited, but it still retains sev-
media suggested that there were Chechen guerrilla bases in Georgia and Azerbaijan, and that Islamic fighters and equipment were
eral areas in which it can exert pressure on the other side of the Caucasus mountains. During the Russian military campaign in
Chechnya there were several bombings of border villages in Georgia and Azerbaijan. They may have been accidents, but from the AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
crossing into Chechnya from Georgia. As a result, the Russian govemment put considerable pressure on Georgia to allow joint border pafrols along the Georgia-Chechnya border. The effect of all these moves was to make
Georgian politicians concerned that Russia was seeking a pretext for some kind of intervention in the southem Caucasus. Alongside these military incidents came a threat by Acting President Vladimir Putin to impose a visa regime on the two countries. At present citizens of Azerbaijan and Georgia enjoy visa-free entry to Russia, and many young men use this facility to find work and conduct business in Russia, where the eco-
nomic situation is still better than in their In both countries, a significant
homelands.
REGION portion of national income comes from these migrant workers. In Georgia, despite its
efforts to attract western companies, the income from workers in Russia is about eight times as big as that from foreign invesfinent. The workers are mostly young men, and both leaderships are understandably concemed about high levels of unemployment among a social group that can cause political and social destabilization, or lead to a significant rise in crime. If Russia goes ahead with its threat to impose a strict visa regime, the Georgian and Azerbaijani economies will come under severe pressure. This pressure from Russia finally paid
off
at the CIS summit in Moscow in January. Putin held a meeting with the three heads of state of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to discuss Russia's involvement in the North Caucasus.
With a combination of threats
and
promises Putin won concessions from the three countries on a number of issues. Above all, he secured the verbal support of Georgian
President Eduard Shevardnadze
and
Azerbaijani hesident Heydar Aliyev for the
Russian military offensive
despite
in
Chechnya,
the instinctive sympathy
many
Georgian andAzeris feel for the Chechen bat-
tle for independence from Moscow. Moscow apparenfly retreating from an agreement to withdraw its forces from two military bases in Georgia, in Gudauta and Vaziani, by July 2001. In early February a senior official with Russian forces in Georgia asserted that there was no intention to close the bases.
is also
While issuing veiled threats, the Russian leadership has also talked of assisting in the solution of the region's intractable inter-eth-
nic conflicts. Russia has always used its potential influence in ethnic conflicts in the Caucasus to provide leverage against the two regimes. It provided covert support toAbkhaz separatists against the Georgian regime and has always been reluctant to support any resolution of the Nagomo-Karabakh crisis that did not favor its own sffategic position in the region. It has now reactivated its interest in a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, believing that it can use a resolution of the conflict to enhance its influence with Azerbaijan. The rift between Armenia and its two neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, remains the key obstacle to economic development of the region, since it effectively excludes Armenia from many potential transport, pipeline and communications projects that could traverse the region.
At the recent CIS summit,
Russia pro-
in negotiations over the Nagomo-Karabakh dispute, effectively displacing the US from the process. US
posed to act as guarantor
efforts to achieve a breaklhrough in the dispute have foundered on domestic opposition in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Rightly or wrongly, Russian offlcials believe that they can persuade the Armenian leadership to accept a Russian-sponsored plan, which would involve concessions to Azerbaijan, in exchange for greater Russian influence in Azerbaijan and a limit to US involvement in the region. Any settlement of the Nagomo-
Karabakh dispute
will
require
Russian
involvement, but a deal that favors Russia's interests above all is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term. Any settlement on Russia's terms alone would be a major blow for regional economic development, since it would seriously raise political risks for western companies in Azerbaijan, whose operations would once again be dependent on Russian goodwill for their success. Such a project would also cause serious problems for Russia: buying influence with concessions to Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh could cause a rift with Russia's only serious ally in the region, Armenia.
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.\zc-r'blLi.jan's oil rcscrvcs lrtc thc plizc itt thc $lrttlc lirt'ipllLtcttcr- ()\ cr lltc (-iltterl\tls. rtt](l p()tcntiall\ thc nurin slitttttltts iirr ccortotttic fe!ancllrti()n thloLrglrout thc lcgiort. [rr.trthctclcr clol'rnrcnt ol lltosc lcsoLrrccs hlis lrr'ctt Iittt itctl bv trt o nlLin ltittLlrtttcc:: tltc llte l. o1'r iltblc c\l)ort n)utcs untl thc lxrliticirl instrilrilitr irt tltu-l-hc tilst prohlcttt. ol ltou to !e1 ()il to rcsi()n.
nurkcts. has bccn l)lrtilll\
solr
crl br ['S
hirckt--il pipclinc scltctttcs. Otte ltrrrtt BltkLt ttt Srrpsa ((icolgili) is ullcach opct-rtltottlLl. rtttotlt cr 1l'orn llaku to Ccvlran is in thc lirtal plart
ning stagt-:s.,\ rorrlc throLtgh R.Lrssil eor.tltl lralc 0llcrerl ir Viul)lc tttitin e xltot't t'otttc. bttt the situation in ('hcchnrrr hus ttticlc transit throrrgh the pipelinc inct'casinllr prohlcrrratic.
'[he rcinrprr:ition o1' ILttssian control
ovcr-
Chechnya oncc a!iiin ollcrs n l)()lrrltiirll) stil ble rrrr-rte lirl Lril trlrnsit. Russin is rtlso lcarning to trsc 1'lr-icinl a\ a \\cllp()n: lrt .lrtttLuLrv Prttitr rrrclclcti u 50 perccrrt cut irr ltil lritttsit costs lirt' cenl|ai Asirin stltta\ to cne ()urii!L' thr'tlt to tlsc roulcs through Rrrssia lather' thatt rtlottg tltc ncu 'Silk Ilrutl. ucro:s the soLttltcttt ('attcltstts to 'l'urkc-r'.
ils l'utult rrs sirnilar lo Irntnce irt \\'cst Aliica. rcspccting thc inrlcpcntltncc ol its iirrtttct r olonit's. ri h i Ic rnliirtlrritrinu c1'lecti vc political arrrl cconorttic conltrrl thlrttqh lt r ttrictr ol' clr.tnnclr lrntl Lrrirt! nrilitlrr-r'tt'tcrttts ottlY lts rt
l:tsl t.'r,rll. I lor,rt r. i. tllrt r itr,'tl i'ltt',tt'. IiLr:rie's a( ()nonlic u cukncss. Tll.' facl lcrtllins thut onlr \\ c\tL-rlt lLid lttttl il.ir crtttte ttl e arr ollcl thr hltsis lir sclious ee ottotttic tlcltl .\ tt.cnd tou ltrtis LrclttctRussiun inllrrcncc in thc tcgton * ill rrLisc t'isks
r)pnrcnt in llrc re!.ion.
lbr inrcslols. litttl crtLtsc nrorc politicltl instrt bilitt, r'athcl tltan lcss. Iltncucri ()pIot'tttttitic\ firr li.Lrssirrn hLtsincss in thc rcgiotr u,ill lrlso tltr nothing to breltl' tiotrn lhe irtttcatte t'ltct rtttrl con ul'rtion that allccts all tlrlec statcs ()r inrprovc thc Iou lcvt'l rrl c()rl)()t-lttL' lrrrtl pLrlrlic !()\cnrlncc tllrt has bcctt a tnlr jot- tcrtstttt lirtthc Ilck ol iurc:1nren1. Onir il'Rus.ie attrl the L1S cln lgrec to w0r-k togcthet'. trith lrolh countlics lcco!.nrzinl thlt thc othcr llts sigrtil: icurt striltcgic intcrcsts itt tltc t-cgiort. is lt lottg-
t.lnr s()lutiol to thc politiclrl conllicts
that
bli!.litctl the lcgion po:sib)c. Ortlr u ith thi: krntl of rcuion ri itlc' cooltcrlttiotr. wrtlt thc
have
ILrLssil's l1L-\\ Caucilsus policr sccttts to lte nr0r'ir-tg tolvartls tlull ()l'pcireclttl hcgelttott.' r.rsing its inlltrcncc to rcsolvc rcsional cort-
inclr.rsiott of lran anrl Turkr'r. u ill the rcgiot.t's tnre econonric llotcntiul bcllin t() hc realizetl. r
llicts, lrrrrl rt thc slnre tirlc rcoriclttirtg ihc)t'l tlr \r'tll\\ .rtilr rlllrl -qlti tti ttL r'o| !L.cs\i( rl'l\
David Lewis
r'.',1 ir
litr-Rr-rssian husiltcss rr.rtclcstr
in the
lLrclaliro energl sectors. ltlcllly. I{trssia
rrrost :e'es
is Senior Analyst with Control Risks Group He provides advice on political
risks faced by companies investing n Ca,casus and tl^e Caspian region.
\l\t IrF.BItt \R\
t1)00
the
ARr\4ENrAN VbMEN oF Tr{E
Srncp
By Alice Navasargian
This bilingual coffee-table.book presents the life stories of more than sixry Armenian women of sound and stage in Armenia andPl*p-o-ra (circa 1840-1999). Siranoush, Lucine Amara, Gohar Gasparian, Siroonr\4angurian, Z.ara Doloukhanian, Arlene Frances, Lili Chookasian, Lucy Ishkhanian, Cathy Berberian, Louisa Bozabalian, Kallen.Esperian and,many more... with short biographies, and their dramatic personalities. The album contains 300 pages, including more than 280 photographs, both sipia and frrll color. Hard iover 10.25" x 12.75"
ii
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HushllluToward $llGGB$$ Producer Arthur Sarkissian Grosses High in Hollywood By SALPI HAR0UTINIAN GHAZARIAN
om in Iran, Arthur Sarkissian, 50, spent a good part of his life in England before moving to the US and
a movie producer. His recent major production credits
becoming
include WhileYouWere Sleeping with Sandra Bullock, and Rush Hour with Jackie Chan and Chris T[cker. Arttrur Sarkissian Productions is cunently putting together a sequel to the highly popular Rash Hour, which was produced for $35 million and grossed over $250 million worldwide. The sequel, with the entire original cast and original director, will begin filming in the
fall of 2000.
Why do you produce movies? What's the attraction? I was raised on American pictures and I had this incredible love affair with movies and collecting pictures. I was being told off
all day long by parents,
schoolteachers, everybody that I just talk about movies and nothing else. It's a love I've had since I was a kid and that's the reason why I pursue it. I
I could have done other things - I went the clothing business in England, very into successfully, at a much younger age. That happened because my parents didn't agree that I should go to the States to study film directing. They thought it was too far. You know how Armenian families are - they like guess
IIBsilMB
M
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to have a tight hold on what you do, where you go; they're conEol freaks. So, I ended up in England. The next best thing to movies was fashion so I decided to start designing clothes and opened my own boutique. Eventually, I got tired of that and came over here. AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
What did you design?
I used to design suits, shirts, sweaters, dinner suits, shoes, everything that I felt like wearing. The line was called Vincci. That lasted for about six years.
What did it mean lo be a lilm bufl in Tehtan in the yean belore the revolution? In those days it was incredible. We had access to every movie, pretty much, about six or eight months after they opened here. The Middle East was a considerable market. They go to the movies a lot and they love movies. I was raised on those movies.
When you thought ol yoursell getting into movies, what did you imagine? I always thought about directing when I was a kid, because that's what I wanted to do. I would always buy movie related material. I would follow what movies were opening, stars' careers. I was more interested in that field than any other field in my life. That's why I ended up in it.
ARTS That's why. But how did you end up in this field?
I
played
a
while just doing nothing.
Meeting people, becoming friends with those in the movie business whom I liked and have remained friends with, like Howard Koch Sr. In the flrst half hour he and I talked, I gave him every credit of every movie he had ever done. He was floored. He couldn't believe it. He said, "You are not in this business, you
didn't grow up in this business, how come you know all this? How come you know what movie I directed when it didn't even do two weeks here?" So, you meet him and you meet another one, and you meet another one, and you just kind of get to know people. Just knowing them doesn't mean you get to direct or produce movies. Sometimes you do get a break. And that break could come from someone bringing you in or you could do it on your own. Of course, it's very difficult to do it on your own.
Does linancing
a lilm mean that you
are
dependent 0n the producer t0 make the lilm happen or is the producel dependent 0n you? These days the business has changed so much that people really don't understand how
movies are made. Somebody says, "This movie lost money." But just because it didn't do well at the box office doesn't mean it will lose money. There are all the presales, the commitments. There are so many different ways of selling a movie now. You have not just TV, but also cable, syndication, DVDs all of that wasn't around years and years ago. So there is a lot of sophisticated financing that goes into securing pictures and a lot ofpeople do look for individuals who have the backing or the strength to be able to put packages together. Putting packages together is basical-
ly getting
actors and a director and committing to them. You then create a commodity, and that's when the financier relies on his producer to make the product good enough to set
it up.
Did they need you to put packages togethel
s0 their lilms could get made, or did you need to convince them that you Gan do this s0 that you could get into tlris business?
I'm still trying to convince them. It's
a
very very rough business. I don't think anybody helps anybody. But I learn something new every day, something that I thought won't happen happens. It keeps you on your toes all the time. And there's a lot of aggravation that goes with it. In every business there is aggravation. In every business there are good guys and bad guys. But if you're successful in what you're doing and
you produce some successful movies, itjust shows you have a good feel for material. And most of it is also luck. I mean, you put something together and everything else has to work. The timing of the movie has to work. The direction has to work, the acting has to work. The editing has to work. It's extremely difficult to make movies. Making them is one thing. To make them work, and be successful, is everybody's dream. Bottom line is when you put things together, a film becomes a director's piece, it's in the hands of the director. He's the guy. You just have to feel that the person that you decided on has that same feel about this material that you do. And you can usually sense that. Then you just leave it to your director. If anybody tells you it's otherwise, don't believe them.
studios who wanted it, too, such as Universal and Fox. New Line wanted Brett Ratner to direct it. I had seen portions of his Money
Talks and liked
it very much. Chris was in
with a lot of energy and humor. Brett has such a great talent and his timing is so terrif,c with actors and action. He is a very talented guy and he did a great job. that. He was this newcomer
One of your early films, Ghrome Hearts, apparently has a cult following. I wanted to do a spoof, a takeoff of The Night of the Living Dead and Hell's Angels together with the Magnfficent Seven. lt was a great idea and the script was hilarious. Unfortunately, it didn't tum out the way I wanted it to turn out even though the feel was there. But it became this cult movie. People
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How did Rush Hour Gome about? I had just come out with While You Were
Sleeping, and Ross Lamana came to my office and said he had a screenplay about an Asian cop and an American cop; he gave it to me and said "I am going to sit here while you read this because you're the first person to lay eyes on this." So we sat there and I read it and I liked it. The way it's writren, I told him, the cop has to be played by either Chow Yun Fat or Jackie Chan. These are the only two big Asian stars that can pull this off. Originally, it was a lot more serious, more like The French
Connection; we lightened because
it
it up a little
was Jackie Chan. Jackie has this
incredible humor. He is very charismatic, a very good guy, extremely talented. This was the right vehicle for him. Where did Ghris Tucker come in? Was the original character wrillen lor a Black cop? Disney had acquired it first and put it in tumaround to me. The film got made at New Line who I had a relationship with. They really wanted it and they knew that there were other
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
m.
put the leathers on and ride their Harleys to go see it. I think we made that movie for $l.l or $1.2 million. Do you
still think about directing?
If I were to f,nd the right thing, I would definitely do it. But I don't go looking for it. It's the same with other projects. I don't go looking for a particular thing. I will read anything, I will look at anything. I have a liking for a very big range of musicals, thrillers, action, horror. But there has to be something about them.
Film is supposed t0 be the medium olthe century and Armenians aren'l there. Why is that? I don't know, I have absolutely no idea. I was asking that question a couple of years ago of some friends of mine. Armenians are very good businessmen, they are very shrewd, why aren't they in this business? It's a business that is as lucrative as any other, they move towards it in the right way, but they're not around as investors. They're just not there." I have always tried to do Forty Days of Musa
if
Dagh because to me that is one the biggest love stories ever written. It's not so much about the massacres or "Let me show what had happened to the Armenians." None of that. To me, it's another Dr Zhivago ot Spartacus, it's just very big. And nobody, I mean nobody, that I talk to would even listen to help with the financing or try and get a screenplay done by a major writer of the caliber of William Goldman - someone who can adapt heavy books like that. I was amazed that there was no interest from anybody, even about a story that is intemational that just happens to be about Armenians. It's an incredible love story about courage that is timeless. It was translated into dozens of languages. There are n0 inveslols at the business end of the process. Where are the writers, directors and actors? There have been some directors - Charles Aznavour, Henri Vemeuil. We have some tal-
ent, but if you tell me where's the Armenian who wrote Sting or one of those, I can't tell you. It may be different in our generation. But going back 30-40 years, all kids were told was, 'Be an architect, doctor, lawyer.' There were five or six things you could be. That's all you heard. If you rebelled against your family, you were an outcast. I put up with fights you wouldn't believe. These days, people like us will tell our children, if that's what you want to do, just go for it. I won't say, "Don't do that, go become a doctor."
ll a potential investor doesn't put money into this business, why would they put their kids into it?
Today, there
is more
exPosure
to
the
movie business than there ever was. It used to be all gossip-type information: who married who, who moved where. Now, you have the business side, too. And I think, maybe, by hearing so much, there are investors in different fields who will begin to see this as an alternative business. Why has the Great Armenian Movie not been made? You can't point to either a Schindler's lrslor a Fiddler on the Rootinthe Amenian context. I don't know. I guess it's because of lack of encouragement, lack of really wanting to do it. Not enough people are fighting for that
one particular thing. It's like movies of all kinds: do it for the right reasons. If there is a good story with a good writer, maybe one of these great Armenian stories will fall into place one day.
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Binthmanlr
Ihe
A Bilingual Anthology of Armenian-American Poetry
Armenian Political Thinking Since lndependence
Edited by Gourgen Arzoumanian
By Gerard J. Libaridian
61 poems by Nancy Agabian, Ara Babaian, Sevana Bagdasarian, Sylva Dakessian, Tina Demirdiian, Alec Ekmekji & Shahe Mankerian, in original English
EI&THHARI( llld*Jl*H*ft
and their translations to Eastern or Western Armenian. This anthology seeks to penetrate the depths of ArmenianAmericans' creations. lt also grasps psychological and sociological issues and the methods of dealing with social and identity problems. Paperback
-
210 pages
$15.00
Ghallenge ol Statehood
An analysis of conflicting interpretations of history have nurtured competing policies and influenced the future of Armenia and its relations with its neighbors, The author challenges the ideologized views of war and diplomacy, of the Genocide and the politics of its recognition, and of national unity and political legitimization. He explores the Karabakh conflict, relations with Turkey, and the relationship between Homeland and Diaspora.
Paperback-162 pages $15.00
rsBN 0-684-80151-5
Blue Crane Books, Cambridge, MA tsBN 1-886434-10-7
Wnitings lnom Pnison
Fnagile llneams
lpen
Letter, Glendale, California
By Leyla Zana
ln 1994, Zana and five other Kurdish parliamentarians were stripped of their parliamentary immunity, arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for statements made in suppoft of a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish problem in Turkey. Since the arrests, a tremendous effort has been launched on her behalf by human rights organizations and the diplomatic community worldwide. This book is a collection of Zana's personal letters and statements written from Ankara prison since her arrests.
Paperback- 115 pages. $15.00 1999, Blue Crane Books, Cambridge, MA rsBN 1-8866434-08-5
Ghildnen's Gonstnugtion Gubes Made in the Republic o[ Armenia
22 pieces of hand-cut and shaped wooden pieces embellished with Armenian manuscript designs make for a beautiful and satisfying first toy for the youngest child, as well as the budding architect. Older children will enjoy the special designs and the traditional motifs.
$45.00 Available exclusively
through AlM.
Armenia Photography by Antoine Agoudiian More than 150 black and white photos rom '1 989 to 1998 depict various moments of joy and pain in the lives of Armenians after the earthquake. "The same things Antoine Agoudiian saw in Armenia, but he did it with a talented and watchful eye, as an artist devoting his sensibility to his afi, with love. He took his time so he would not miss anything. Thanks to him, I went back, saw again and took a new measure of all that my eyes had only brushed past and skimmed throush. visitins in black and white this .'oiSl.,tjlilr.Hl$;,
f
Paperback- 80 pages $28.00 1999, Actes Sud, France rsBN 2-7427-2316-1
A Ulhll ol $ilence The Unspoken Fate of the Armenians Produced and Directed by Dorothee Forma Humanistic Broadcasting Fnd, The Netherlands
An unprecedented documentary on the Armenian Genocide. The
film presents the lives and schol-
arship of two historians
-
Turkish Scholar
Taner Akcam and Armenian professor Vahakn Dadrian. "Turkey can never become a democracy if it does not face its history," says Akcam, "We have to research violence in our past in orderto know and understand our present. Contemporary Turks are not guilty, but they have a responsibility toward history."
Video Documentary $25.00
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
-
54 Minutes
-
VHS NTSC
llut ol $tone
Hagopian The Art of Hagop Hagopian
Armenia
Written and Compiled by Shahen Khachaturian Director of the National Gallery of Armenia and the Martiros Saryan Museum.
Photography and Text by Robert Kurkjian and
I
300 of Hagopian's paintings from 1%8-94, Hardcover album
Artsakh
Malthew Karanian
"This painter's art has absorbed the pain and the wisdom of all of Armenia," someone wrote in the visitors' book at the Hagop Hagopian's retrospective exhibition in Moscow "Hagop Hagopian belongs to a generation of Armenians who, as an aftermath of the 1915 genocide, up and matured away from their homeland," writes Khachatrian, chronicling Hagopian's life and is part of this book. Khachatrian also presents Hagopian's works during various periods with notes from D. Andranikian, Eme Azar, R. Davoyan, J. Carzou, A. Kamensky, 0. Nikulina and Hagopian himself. lncludes
grew
-
150 vivid full color images made during the years 1995 through 1999 capturing moments in time, peoples' expressions and beautiful landscapes. "Three thousand years ago, among rock-strewn steppes, an ancient people chiseled a homeland. They created a society, and built a nation. These Armenians carved an enduring civilization - out of stone," say Kurkjian & Karanian. Deluxe Hard Cover Edition
-
184 pages
$49.95
- 192 pages
$75.00
1999, Stone Garden Productions, Washington DC
lsBN 0-9672120-0-6
1997 AAA Publishing House, Canada
lsBN 09697620-0-6
ilM 4th Millennium Mug your AIM while sipping your coffee or tea from this beautiful Armenian lnternational Magazine Fourth Millennium Society Mug. Read
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Bonn at $ea
Mythological Figune$
Guvder, a genocide survivor who was born at sea as his family fled Turkey, is a farniliar' name on the lrbanese afts scene. His ink and watercolor renderings of people in daily life activities evoke a sense of the Middle East, yet they are timeless. They can equally be from the refugee era between the world wars, or postCivil War lrbanon. The humorous, cantakerous Guvder, 80, is a beloved teacher, who has been with the Academie Libanaise de Beaux Afis for years. There, he teaches the students of architecture, "because they're more serious," says one of his students. One of his larger works
hangs
at the
Catholicossate Museum in
Antelias, Lebanon. His sculptures and paintings have taken over the books and other objects in his home. He listens exclusively to classical music, is a prolific producer of largely religious themes, and after decades at ar1, is still excited, at being simultaneously master and student.
After spending a couple of months at Galerie 224 in Lagttna Beach, California, Emii Kazaz's mythological figures will move to Palm Springs, as part of the first Palm Springs International Art Fair March I 5 to t 9. Kazaz's heroes whether on the canvas or in bronze blend his Armenian past and the traditions of Europe. Kazaz,bom in SovietArmenia, has lived in the US for over two decades. His work fulfills none of the requirements of either milieu. Kazaz draws, paints and sculpts from his base in Hollywood, California. His work has appeared in shows and exhibitions around the world. AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Wniting aMusical
Listening to Hen Heant
Singer, composer, philanthropist Charles Aznavour is now a writer. His new musical, Lautrec, about the adult life of French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec will open in London in April. The actors include Armenian actor Sevan Stephan, above left, who will play the role of Lautrec, and Hannah Waddingham, center, who portrays Suzanne Valadon, Lautrec's great love. Aznavour has been busy promoting other projects, too. He is on his way to Georgia, to visit the birthplace of his parents. After that, he is planning to visit Armenia, where he has been engaged since the earthquake through his charitable organization Aznavour
Listen to My Heart is Datevik Hovanesian's new CD. It is coproduced by the newest and oldest name s in jazz - veterun jazz historian and critic George Avakian of New York, and Bernard Ganimian, a Parisian businessman who has been one of the mainstays of the
pour I'Armenie.
French-Armenian dance group Navasart. His Alliance TransAtlantique has come out with Hovanesian's new blend of authentic Armenian melodies with the best traditions of jazz. Hovanesian's CD was chosen Best Jazz Album for 1999 by the Armenian Music Awards in Los Angeles, and Hovanesian was named Best Female Vocalist. She will be in concert in Los Angeles to perform her combination of folk and jazz at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on May 6.
Photognaphen ol thc Gentuny Ara Guler, 72, was named Photographer
of the Century in Turkey by the readers of several Turkish photography magazines. The
Armenian artist whose black and white images of urban life has made him a master of the art with the local press, was honored for
his introduction of new technology to
the
field and for being the flrst to introduce the art of photography to Turkey, according to the editor of Turkey's Photography Magazine. Guler (seeAIM, November 1993) has photos which appear throughout the Encyclopedia Brittanica and his work has also been published in Hurriyet, Der Stem, Paris Match,
Life andTtme.
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
OTHER PEOPLE'S MAIL
Iteso
ane
mal lettons lnom neal poople. $ond us youns.
Dear
Dear Friends, One of the unexpected ironies of the fin de siecle has been the of public interest in the Ottoman Empire, nearly a century after it passed from the scene. The post-Cold War upheavals in the Balkans have done more to bring the Ottoman Empire out of the attic and back into the limelight of public discussion than all of our history survey courses, scholarly articles and monographs, and "Age sudden revivat
of
Suleyman" exhibitions combined. The result has been, ifnot quite a posthumous rehabilitation of the Ottoman past, then at least widespread acknowledge-
ment of the role
it
P,
You're not going to believe what happened the other moming. I was laying in bed (without my glasses on) and saw something moving on the ceiling. Normally I kill bugs when there are no men around. Anyway, I called C and said, "There's a bug on the ceiling and you need to kill it!" He walked over, looked up and very calmly said, "That's not a bug, that's a scorpion." I took a major dive under the covers and screamed for 10 seconds. C wacked away at the creature and killed it with my edition of French Voguet
has
inquired as to the color of
played in forming the cul-
tures and politics
of
the scorpion and its size. I
an
told him I was afraid there
entire region. Current public interest in the Ottomans presents a rare (and most likely fleeting) oppornrnity for academic specialists in Ottoman studies. There is a real need - and market demand
-
would be others, and wanted to know what I could do to prevent the rest of the family from moving in. He
said, (translation) "Don't
worry they don't live in groups." My theory is, where there's one, there's 100! He then proceeded to ask how the scorpion was
for accessible, well-writ-
ten books and articles, addressed to the educated gen-
killed.
eral reader rather than to specialists, that would address this interest and help
told him (leaving
said, "Next time you kill
a broader audience.
we don't do these things, others less well-informed about the subject will surely fill the gap.
A.
I
out French Voguet) He then
inform public discussion. Although it is, unfortunately, not the way to tenure and academic glory I would urge colleagues to consider putting some time and effort into writing articles and books for non-specialist audiences. If you cannot spare the time for a book, op-ed essays and the electronic news media offer other opportunities to share your expertise with
If
My heroll
Later I was relating the story to my driver. He
one, be sure to burn it in the room where you found it... the smell will keep the others away." I, ofcourse, responded with, "but I thought they didn't live in groupsl" He just smiled!
So now, as you can imagine, I am flinging back my covers every night and checking the toes of my shoes and slippers before putting them on. Whatever you do, don't tell my mom!! She'll freak. Life in Armenia, you've got to love itl See you soon.
L. AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Both Sdesof the
min
By Flrair Hawk Khatcherian
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Aftef SUrviVing CanCgf in 1993,
I made a vow to photograph every Armenian church structure in the world. This has become both an adventure and a pilgrimage. I have ffaveled from Jerusalem to Singapore, from Bulgaria to Greece in order to document every single known church building - from the out-of-the-way to the well-known. Even on a trip to Califomia, I asked my friends to drive past the familiar sanctuaries in Hollywood and Montebello, so I could include them. tn fact, at this writing, I'm on a plane heading from Montreal to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Venezuela. The challenge is trying not to repeat what others have already done. After all, Armenian churches have been photographed and rephotographed over and over. So, I try to find views which not too many people notice. Last year, in the northern Armenian region of Alaverti, the seventh century church Odzun was the site of a pilgrimage, as part of the 1700th anniversary celebrations. The church was packed with locals and pilgrims. I tried different angles and as the curtain was drawn I lowered my cameras and turned my gaze towards the worshippers, and at the same time glanced back towards the altar. Noticing a crack between the curtain and the wall, I switched to my fisheye lens which covers almost 180 degrees and snapped a few pictures. One of them is the one shown here: the priest drinks wine while the altarboy looks up towards the sky. On the other side of the curtain, the worshippers wait, listen to the chanting, unaware of what takes place on the other side.
-Hrair Hawk Khatcherian (pictured right with
Karabakh resident), author of Artsakh: planning A Photographic Journey, 1997, is a second book, Western Armenia: The Land and Churches after
the Armenian Genocide. Armenian Churches: Around the World, will hopefully be completed by 2001.
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
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Started in 1999, AIMt mouthly dinners, featuring distinguished speakers, have turned iffi'the gathering placc for the "new" Armenian. Dinner is followed by a.5fo61briefing by AIM onl&e {em events and developments of the month. The fuatured speaker makes a presentation on a signiftcance in
fu,pew millenni$s.
io6t,are followed by a didogpe
rfr[ffindarmunhdI Hagop Abrahamian & Haik Abcariari,i, LrrE ron trrc DrsenrED rN AnunNm Abrahamian was a teacher in Gumri when the earthquake struck. He formed and is now president of Pyunic, the sports association for the disabled in
fumenia. Abcarian is a product of Pyunic,rra Paralympian athlete and marathon participant.
h$nm
& urt urffidry
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1000
lames Tufenkian
Fnou MeNuermN ro Ynnrveu James Tufenkian's designer carpets which evoke theibest of Tibetan and Central
fuian
tradition, are advertised in Architectural Digest and sold on Broadway, in New York.
In
1994, Tufenkian started an operation in fumeirini Today, he controls the entire carpet
making & exporting operation, from the sheep to export. i.r
Ar BnmDvrETr CorrEcrroN
Dinner 7:30 pm. Bde$ng 8:00 pm. Speaker 8:30 pm.
i
Donation $28 for AIM subscribers, $32.00 for non-subsffb.rt.
109 East Harvard Street
Glendale, California
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UUinning at Finst Attcmpt "Once in Armenia, I gave myself a month and knew that if I found l0 of them, I would have a good story to te11," Artinian said. In December, 1997, she was able to find 12 of them who were willing to share their stories for the project. "This was my second triP to Armenia," said Artinian. "During my first visit in 1994, I was so emotional that I couldn't even take pictures. But this time, I had a mission in mind and was very strong. I had no time for emotions. It was more about continuing my research and going back to find them." Although shooting took only 11 days, "It was very hard work under difficult conditions," said Artinian. She shot l l hours of film, returned home and did posrpro-
Surviving on the Richter Scale, Ataz Artinian's first documentary, has won five awards in Canada and the US in its first year of release. The 2S-minute film has been named Best Student Video
at the Montreal World Film Festival. It received the Silver Documentary
Hugo at the Chicago International Film
Festival, the Bronze Plaque, at the Columbus International Film and Video Festival, the Award of Excellence in Documentary at Berkeley Film & Video Festival as well as the Silver Award in Documentary at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Artinian, 26, born in Montreal, Canada, graduated in 1995 from Montreal's Concordia University with a degree
in Communication
duction
Studies. For
her film project, Artinian embarked upon nine months of research in the print and video archives she had collected and classified for her father after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. "I was 14 when it happened and I always had the stories and images in my head," said Artinian, who concluded her research with a list of 250 names of survivors whom she wanted to track down.
for the next 11 months.
In
December 1998, Surviving on the Richter
Scale premiered on national TV
in
Canada. Recently, Artinian was involved
in research on Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan's next film and has a few projects of her own in mind for the future. "I am definitely going back to Armenia one day," said Artinian, "with another mission." -Hrair Sarkis Sarkissian
Uantan Dilhanian
Young Repuhlican Gun A
Vartan Djihanian, 19, is currently cam-
sophomore
at UCLA, Vartan
is
studying Political Science and Public
paigning for a Central Committee in California's 43rd Assembly District. On March 7, 2000, voters in the cities of Pasadena, Glendale and seat on the Republican
Policy and plans to attend law school. He
is the Finance Director of the Bruin
parts of Los Angeles will have the opportunity to elect Vartan as the youngest member of the committee. Vartan has been active in politics since he was 13 years old. After meeting thenJudge Jim Rogan on a field trip while in middle school, Vartan began volunteering for Rogan's successful campaign for the State Assembly and has since been an integral part of his campaign team. Adding another Armenian voice to the local political process and bringing in a younger, more moderate group of Republican voters to the ballot are a few of Vartan's goals. "Because of my age, I am able to bring in a whole new voting block. Most of my petition signers were new voters.The average age was 19," said Vartan.
Republicans, the Area Six Deputy Director of the California College Republicans, a member of the UCLAPTe-Law Society and
the Recording Secretary and College Board Member of the Armenian American Republican Council. ln 1997, nominated by James Rogan, Vartan was appointed by House Speaker Newt Gingrich as one of
66 Congressional pages. He has also served as the student member of the Glendale Unified School District's Board of Education. In 10 years, Vartan says, he will "hopefully be practicing law somewhere." And politics? "It's in my blood. I can't get away from it. I will always, in some way' be involved in politics'" -Hrair sarkis sarkissian
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
Mlchaellg[atlan
Pnoducing 0xygen
On February 2, some of the biggest names in the entertainment business: Geraldine Laybourne, the creative and business force behind
Nickelodeon and Nick at Night, Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, developers and producers of Rosanne, The Cosby Show and, Oprah Winfrey, one of the most important and powerful people in popular culture, launched Oxygen, a cable network and its related Web site, for women. With such original shows as Exhale with Candice Bergen, a nightly hourJong conversation between Candice Bergen and the most interesting people of the day, Tiackers, a two hour hosted show exclusively for gnls 12-17, Oprah Goes Onlilw, Oprah An4 pajana pa@ and others, Oxygen is a blend of Web Sites and TV that is designed to offer the modem woman the best in innovative technology and great programming. One of Oxygen's four Hollywood-based shows is co-produced by Los Angeles native, Michael Agbabian, 29. Agbabian, a graduate of USC Film School and his partner, Dwight Smith, have been hired to develop and produce Pajama Party. The show originated in England, aired on BBC and was hosted in 1998 by its current co-executive producer and host, Katie Puckrik. "I am in a fortunate position to be part of a very high profile cable network. It is not too often that one can be part of a network that is launching," said Agbabian, who is currently producing 13 shows for the network. Pajama Party is part of Oxygen's Friday night line-up: smart, funny and a frank talk-variety show, based on the components of a real life slumber party, with celebrity guests in pajamas, funny cooking segments, great conversations, and more. Unlike other networks which cater to women's social and health problems, ..We want to show that women can have fun and be smart at the same time," said Agbabian. In June 1999, Agbabian and Smith created and sold two shows to MTV which they are in the process of developing. Beat Boys, ahalfhour comedy-horror-music show, "is a fun show and not a typical situation comedy," said Agbabian. Homewrecker is a half-hour show similar to MTV's Real World, but is a game show, which may also be
interactive. Agbabian and Smith had also developed and produced Happy Hour on the USA Network in early 1999 as well as a pilot for the television game show version of Madonna'sTruth or Dare,..which never made it to air, but still might," said Agbabian. After graduating from USC, Agbabian helped shepherd through "Cheating, Inc." by William Lorton, which was the first short film from USC to ever make it to the Cannes Film Festival. Later he produced two feature f,lms, Anyone for Bridge and 40,000. It was after working at New Line Cinema in feature film acquisitions that he met Smith and together decided to go into producing television shows. "Initially, I wanted to be in the theater, but TV and film had much more of an allure," he said. hoducing three shows for two major cable networks simultaneously seems to be just ttre for Agbabian. Eventually, I want to have my own production company and produce fllms and shows for television and the intemet. Shows that are firn and have not been done before.,, As an Armenian in Hollywood, Agbabian acknowledges the exis-
tence of many Armenians in the business but senses a lack of Armenian identity with many of them. "If all of us come together, we can have an Armenian presence in the business,,' said Agbabian. ..We may be able to have Armenian characters on situation comedies or even shows aboutArmenian families at some point,,,he continues. But as far as having a major feature film about the Genocide, Agbabian said, "I hope the day will come where the story can be told because it is a really compelling and tragic story. But it is difficult to sell such a story when no one knows about the Genocide and there is no Armenian powerful enough to say that this story has to be told.,, Agbabian contributes to Armenian organizations such as the AGBU, AUA, Armenian Assembly and AMAA through various projects. .The
community has been very supportive of me. If I am
a young
representa-
tive of Armenians in the business, that is great. There are others and there should be more," said Agbabian.
AIM FEBRUARY
-Hrair Sarkis Sarkissian
2OOO
75
Iuntlc Roclt GountnY This huge turtle sitting on the hills in northern Armenia is not part of any art installation. Constructed by The Great Sculptor in the Sky, it has weathered earthquake and other natural calamities, and remained slow and sure.
Winning Platinum in
lntennational Gompetition It's not a wedding. It's an intemational competition for Armenia's Kotayk won the Platinum Star. The competition, organized by the Board of Intemational Devlopment, had 150 companies from 75 countries participating. The award to Kotayk comes at a time when the Armenian brew is being exported to Russia, France and the US. The beer, produced in Armenia by a French-Armenian joint venture has found fans among serious beer dnnkers who compare its taste to the best of European brews. Exporting a local Armenian product is good forArmenia's economy, but not as good as it could be. The bottle's label and cap, and the bottle itself are produced outside the country and imported. beer. And
AIM FEBRUARY
2OOO
PapieF d'Arm6nie Known all over the world as a natural deocloriz-
cr. Paprer cl'Arnrenie (or Armenian paper) is producecl by a 1 10-year old cornpany locutecl in Montrou-ee. a suburb of Paris. In 1885, clur' trip to Amrenia, August Ponsot firund that Armenians ailed and purificd thcir horncs by burning benzoin. With the hclp ol' plralrnacist Henri Rivier. he sr.rcccedccl in intirsin-q pulp papcr with a rnix of benzoin ancl inccnsc. ancl in the process lounded the Laboratoire du Papier
Tnie
in-e a
pap ier,
d'Arn-renie. More than 0 centLrrv
fNslx# Ponsot's signature. and the cornpany is -uranclduughter'. Tl.re lirnr exports all over the world and is seeing a boonr in business because it is environnrent-liiendly. The
run by his great. great rl
'tr
r:i
r.
; rl','
I
;--miliffi Ananat May Be losing Pneciou$ Fan Base to Newcastle United 0bjective: Gather donations fiorn thousands of incliviclr-rals
and organizations around Newcastle, Englancl (inclucl
ing tl.re Manager of the Newcastle United Footblll lsocccrl Club. Bobby Robson, far right) to prepare gilt boxcs firr the children in Chechnya. Problem: The Foreign Ol{ice says Chcchyna is not sat'e lbr the drivers and volunteers who will bc dclivcring thc gift: trr the children irt the u rrr-t,rlr) r'r'gi()n. Solution: The plane. with (r0.0(X) shoe boxes of gifis headcd fbrArrnenia the dav lrctirre New Year's.
AIM TTI'IIRT]AITY
2O(X)
romance associated with Papicr d'Armenie is owed in sorre pafi to writcrs [-co Tolstoi and Gabriel Carcia Marclr-rcz ancl French singers Catherine Lara and li.csine. rvho have sun-s. lir erally, thc praiscs of "thcsc srnall papers."
ESSAY
ll0 Pin[ Elephants Bneed in Anmenia? By ARTASHES EMIN
rmenians don't drink alcohol. What I really mean is they do not get drunk - into oblivion. This conviction was the result of exposure in my early years to Armenian "patriotic" stereo-
types (subject to a separate discussion) and the apparent absence of drunks on the streets of Yerevan. I also vividly remember that both my grandfathers used to drink 50 grams of vodka at breakfast for purely medicinal purposes, to kickstart the appetite. They did not drink much else the rest of the day. One of the many sources of national pride, in the good old Soviet context, was the absence in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic of a network of vytrezvytels. Even the Armenian language equivalent of this Russian word does not exist. An English approximation would be a "dry-out center" or perhaps a "hangover ward.". In Russia, the police and volunteers would round up those who had collapsed on the sfreets, or looked shaky, and hand them over to the vytrevzytels for the night. These
Rule #2. Never drink without eating. A sliver of rock-hard dried herring does not count. Witness the default shish-kebab or the shinbone and tripe soup that adorn any Armenian event involving drinking. I am not in on the science behind this, but apparently plenty of fatty food helps break the alcohol down into more body friendly substances. As a result, there is no Armenian word
for
hangover.
Rule #3. Never drink without serious cause. Skipped over as irrelevant by others. Some conscientious types have devised clever schemes to circumnavigate the issue of a pretext. One of the least troublesome alternatives is: a) identify a fly (any insect will do), b) track its progress around the premises, and c) drink to its arrival and safe departure every time it enters or leaves your airspace. For Armenians, it has to be a funeral, a birth,
or a preponderant permutation in
popular institutions dotted the landscape of the former empire - with the sole exception of Armenia.
good time was not a legitimate excuse to get drunk. Rule lf4. Never drink with-
Their absence was even a tourist attraction of sorts and many a wager was lost by visiting Soviets (and won by sawy
out toasting. Mind you, it's not just clicking the glasses that counts, you must say something moderately eloquent and plausible. This is
locals) over this
most unthinkable of deficiencies. As for the conviction, it
was shattered
truly a litmus test
for impaired judgement and helps flag the need for a timely withdrawal. It also sets a laid-back pace and provides for natural intervals
in my late
teens when I witnessed an impromptu drinking contest between Russians and Armen-
ians on a gorgeous Black Sea beach one day. TheArmenians outdrank the competition, remained
!F--::
between intakes. There rs also a school of thought which
claims that the traditional Armenian anush [may it go down welll that everyone is supposed to exclaim greatly decreases the chances for
on their feet, apparently enjoying the whole adventure and even helping to haul the losers home. I was im- \ pressed since Russians were reputedly (and deservedly) invincible in these matters, I was also baffied, since the Armenian feat obviously did not fit with my early perception. There must have been something to it that defled superficial explanation. This triggered a trail of detached observation, comparative analysis, a bit of hands-on experience and some schmoozing, all of which boiled down to a discovery that I am about to share. There are four unwritten rules of Armenian drinking, fine-tuned over millennia of experience. Most other Soviets lacked or ignored these - presumably for lack of those millennia. This set of rules saved our country from the disgrace of vytrezvytels and prevented Armenian drinkers from becoming Alcoholics Anonymous clients. Rule #1. Never drink alone. Broken by our northern brothers all the time. Sometimes, purely as a cost-sharing arrangement, they will arange to split a bottle. On the other hand, Armenians drink in a sup-
portive setting rather like an American-style group therapy session. The bad vibes are vented and one leaves the event mellow and enthused about being around so many good people.
78
between.
Certain social functions are also acceptable. Until recently, just having a
intoxication.
Apart from these rules, over the centuries
Armenians have preferred to consume fermented products rather than the distilled and concentrated stuff of our neighbors: that is, good old wine and quality beer. Travelling through Armenia 24 centuries ago, the Greek historian Xenophon "found all kinds of excellent provisions, old wines of great fragrance, dried grapes, and vegetables of all kinds. There was also [...] barley-wine, in large bowls; the grains of barley floated in it even with the brims of the vessels, and reeds also lay in it, some larger and some smaller, without joints; and these, when any one was thirsty, he was to take in his mouth, and suck. The liquor was strong, unless one mixed water with it, and a very pleasant drink to those accustomed to it... Whenever any person, to pay a compliment, wished to drink to another, he took him to a large bowl, where he had to stoop down and drink." It may be safe to say, that, from the earliest days, drinking has involved stooping and, rules or no rules, it remains detrimental to human posture. r
AIM FEBRUARY
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