Author: Chaltikian Arsine

CoE MONITORING GROUP ARRIVING IN ARMENIA TODAY

12.11.2004 15:21

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Monitoring Group of the Council of Europe
Committee of Ministers is arriving in Armenia today. As reported
by the Press Service of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, the Ago
Group visit will last till November 15. In the course of their stay
in Armenia the group members will meet with the country leader and
will monitor the course of fulfillment of Armenia’s commitments,
assumed upon accession to the CoE. It should be noted that the Group
will visit Baku November 18-21. It should be reminded that the Group
was initiated by Italian Ambassador Pietro Ercole Ago in January 2001.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – November 11, 2004

PHILADELPHIA IS WELCOMING ALTAR SERVERS
AND PARISH LEADERS FOR SEMINAR AND MEETING
As we told you in detail last week, St. Gregory Church of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, is hosting two events this Saturday, November 13.
Altar servers from the Mid-Atlantic area will attend a seminar to
further their knowledge of the Armenian Church services. The new Badarak CD
will be introduced as a teaching tool to establish uniformity in our
churches in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. A total of twenty altar
servers will participate representing the following parishes: St.
Illuminators Cathedral, New York City; St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New
York; Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey; Soorp Khatch Church,
Bethesda, Maryland; and St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia parish is also hosting the regional meeting of boards
of trustees with the executive council, on Saturday. This is part of a
continuing program that started two years ago to establish a better chain of
communications between the boards and the religious and executive councils.

CHRISTMAS FAMILY CONCERT IS SOLD OUT
All tickets for the Prelacy’s Christmas Family Concert have been sold.
The concert featuring NVAIR and Friends and Taline from California on
December 4 at the Alliance Francaise in New York City is the culmination of
the Prelacy’s year-long celebration of the “Year of the Family.” Thank you
all for your support.

PRELATE WILL BE IN WASHINGTON, DC THIS SUNDAY
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will be in the Washington, DC area where on
Sunday, November 14 he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Sourp Khatch
Church in Bethesda, Maryland. He will also attend the banquet marking the
40th anniversary of the church.

PRESIDENT OF KARABAGH WILL VISIT PRELACY
ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Arkady Ghougassian, the President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh
will visit the Prelacy office next Tuesday, November 16, at 3 pm, to meet
with the Prelate and a select group of individuals. President Ghougassian is
in the United States in support of the Armenian Fund’s annual Thanksgiving
telethon.

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN WILL ATTEND BENEFIT DINNER
Archbishop Oshagan will attend a benefit dinner reception hosted by Mr.
and Mrs. Raffi and Haigouhi Megerian on Tuesday evening, November 16. The
benefit on behalf of the Armenia Fund USA will take place at the home of the
hosts in Bayville, New York. His Excellency Arkady Ghougasian will be a
special guest. Proceeds of the event will benefit the rehabilitation of the
drinking water distribution project in Stepanakert.

PRELATE AND VICAR WILL PARTICIPATE IN
WCC EVENT
Archbishop Oshagan, Prelate, and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian,
Vicar, will participate next week in the WCC International Affairs and
Advocacy Week. During the week the WCC will host a high level delegation of
ecumenical church leaders from around the world. The goal is to spark
dialogue amongst member churches in order to further develop revitalized and
prioritized WCC advocacy role within the United Nations. The seminars and
reception will be attended by key International Affairs people from the
ecumenical community from all over the world.
The World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on
International Affairs has a historic relationship with the United Nations.
The Commission was present during the foundation of the UN. Its historic
goal has been to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war through
the establishment of mechanisms in society, which promote human rights for
all persons.
The closing reception will take place next Thursday, November 18, at the
Church Center for the United Nations, 777 U.N. Plaza, 2nd floor, New York
City.

CATHOLICOS ARAM I CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT BUSH
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, sent a
message to President George W. Bush congratulating him on his re-election on
behalf of the Cilician See and the United States Eastern and Western
Prelacies. His Holiness emphasized the important role the United States
plays in the struggle for justice and human rights, understanding between
nations, and peace on earth.

OPENING OF ACADEMY FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN ANTELIAS
Catholicos Aram I presided over the official opening of the Academy for
Religious Studies, in Antelias on November 1. The opening was under the
sponsorship of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, with the support of the
Christian Education Department, as well as the ecumenical information, and
youth departments of the Catholicosate. Classes will be held regularly every
Monday and Thursday evenings. The first semester will take place during
November, December and January. The second semester will take place March,
April and May.

SAYAT NOVA DANCE COMPANY TO PERFORM
AT BENEFIT FOR ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL
Massachusetts area Armenian Americans will have the opportunity to
attend an encore performance of the Sayat Nova Dance Ensemble and support
the St. Stephens Armenian Elementary School at the same time.
The Ensemble will perform this Sunday, November 14, at the Brookline
High School, 115 Greenough Street, at 5 pm. Proceeds from the performance
will benefit the 2005 graduating class trip to Armenia. For information call
617-899-8823.

LEVON SARYAN ARTICLE IN JOURNAL
We recently became aware of an article written by Dr. Levon Saryan that
appeared in the American Journal of Numismatics. The article is titled, An
Unpublished Silver Double Tram of Gosdantin I (1298-1299), King of Cilician
Armenia.
The article presents a unique silver double tram of King Gosdantin I of
Cilician Armenia, who ruled for about one year between 1298 and 1299.
Dr. Saryan was ordained a deacon of the Armenian Church last month by
Archbishop Oshagan in Racine, Wisconsin.

WINTER IN OUR GARDEN
We experienced our first frost this week in the Mid-Atlantic area,
bringing an end to the last remnants of life in our garden. Even the herbs,
so hearty against the elements, seemed to say, Enough, it is time for us to
sleep. We gave in and performed the necessary winter maneuvers. We cleared
the dead plants, pulled up the stakes, shut the water, gathered the hoses,
prepared the soil, and cleaned the shed. Ready for winter. And, yes, for
spring, too.

VETERANS DAY
Today is Veterans Day, a federal holiday in the United States. We
related the history of the day last week. This week we simply express the
wish that every soldier of every country will return safely home.
We leave you with the last two stanzas of a poem by Khrimian Hayrig, The
Memorial of the Lamenting Soldier:

O Jesus, Savior bringing peace.
Our world you came and saw.
Men are insane; they have not yet
Mastered your Gospel’s law.

Angel of love incarnated.
You said all men that live
Are brethren; give to us your peace,
Which this world cannot give.

Visit our website at

Azeri officer killed in Armenian truce violation – TV

Lider TV, Baku
8 Nov 04

[Presenter] The Armenian side has broken the cease-fire on the front line
again and an Azerbaijani officer has been killed. Lider TV’s special
correspondent for the Karabakh region, Teymur Zahidoglu, reports that Lt Bahaddin Abdiyev
was shot dead in the territory of Agdam District at an early hour today. He
had been conscripted by the military enlistment and registration office of Tovuz
District. We are now having a link-up with the Karabakh region for the
details. Our correspondent Teymur Zahidoglu is to be on the phone. Hello, Teymur.

[Teymur Zahidoglu speaking over the phone] Good day, Rasad.

[Presenter] Teymur, how did the incident happen?

[Correspondent] Armenian army units in the occupied village of Yusifcanli in
Agdam District fired on the Azerbaijani army positions in the village of
Hacimammadli in Agdam District from assault rifles and machine guns on the night
leading to 8 November. As a result, an Azerbaijani army officer, Lt Bahaddin
Abdiyev, aged 24, was shot dead. There are no other casualties among the military
or local civilians.

[Passage omitted: repetition]

Other front line villages of the district are being subjected to fire from
small-calibre guns intermittently every other day. Back to you, Rasad.

[Presenter] Thanks, Teymur. It was Lider TV’s special correspondent in the
Karabakh region, Teymur Zahidoglu.

The head of the press service of the [Azerbaijani] Ministry of Defence, Ramiz
Malikov, has already confirmed the reports on the death of the Azerbaijani
officer and said that an investigation is under way.

UNDP ENHANCES PROFESSIONAL SKILLS OF ARMENIAN MUNICIPAL SERVANTS

ArmenPress
Nov 8 2004

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: The Ministry for Coordination
of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Operations of
Armenia and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) inaugurated
today a new project on the Establishment of the Municipal Service
System. A UNDP press release said the aim of the project is to support
decentralization and help strengthen communities by focusing on the
legislative, educational, technical and operational systems that
are necessary to ensure viable, accountable and effective local
administrations.

Considerable progress has been made since local self-governance
was introduced in 1995. Two laws have been adopted and three local
elections have occurred. Armenia has joined the European Charter
of Local Self-Governance and communities are now recognized as
legal entities. Communities receive 100 percent of the revenues from
property and land taxes and a share of the revenues from profit taxes
and nature protection fees.

Despite these achievements, local prerogatives remain limited and
communities still depend on subsidies from the central government
to provide vital public services including education and healthcare.
Widespread poverty and Armenia’s administrative division into large
number of communities remain serious obstacles to effective local
self-governance.

Within the framework of the project launched by Hovik Abrahamian,
Minister for the Coordination of Territorial Administration and
Infrastructure Operations, and Lise Grande, UN Resident Coordinator and
UNDP Resident Representative, a package of legal acts aimed at ensuring
viable municipal service systems will be introduced. Steps will also
be taken to introduce performance-based budgeting at the local level
and training on fiscal decentralization will be provided to community
heads, members of local councils and municipal civil servants.

Grande noted: “Together with the Government of Armenia we are trying
to strengthen local communities. This is particularly important
because small villages and former industrial towns have suffered
enormously during the past decade. Their economic viability has been
undermined and large parts of their populations have been forced to
emigrate. To ensure that Armenia remains strong and unified and that no
one is left behind, the country needs effective and accountable local
administrations, capable of providing public services and supporting
the general needs of the community.”

The Establishment of Municipal Service System project is a
two-year project with a budget of USD 312,700. To ensure successful
implementation, a Steering Committee will be formed comprised of
representatives of UNDP, Ministry for Coordination of Territorial
Administration and Infrastructure Operations, the Public Administration
Academy of Armenia and other partners.

Abelyan KOs Honorio in featherweight bout

.c The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) – William Abelyan knocked out Mexico’s Martin Honorio
in the fourth round of their featherweight bout Friday.

Armenian-born Abelyan ended the fight at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino
with one punch, a jarring left to the head that send Honorio
backpedaling in the ring and down to the canvas with one minute left
in the round.

The left-handed Abelyan is now 24-5-1 with 13 KOs. Honorio is 18-3
with 12 KOs.

11/06/04 01:30 EST

KARABAKH NOT TO TAKE PART IN MILITARY DRILLS OF UNRECOGNIZED REPUBLICS –
MINISTER

Mediamax news agency
2 Nov 04

YEREVAN

The foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR), Ashot
Gulyan, has denied that the NKR defence army’s subunits will take part
in the “command and staff exercises of unrecognized republics”.

“The NKR defence army does not have a task more important than the
protection of the security of the republic’s borders and people,
especially outside Nagornyy Karabakh,” Ashot Gulyan stressed.

Armenian media bodies condemn beating of journalist

Arminfo
29 Oct 04

YEREVAN

The Armenian committee to protect freedom of speech, the Yerevan Press
Club and the union of Armenian journalists have condemned the beating
up of Vardevan Grigoryan, editor-in-chief of Aragats Ashkhar
newspaper.

According to a statement forwarded to Arminfo, the organizations are
demanding that the law-enforcement agencies conduct an impartial
investigation into the incident and bring the culprits to book. The
statement notes that ”this is already the second incident of this
kind in October involving representatives of the regional media, while
the atmosphere of impunity generates new crimes that also affect
Armenian regions”.

We should recall that the head of the fire department, Gagik
Barsegyan, and his deputy Nraz Aloyan violently beat up Grigoryan in
the village of Tsakhkaovit of Aragatsont Region on 27 October for
publishing an article entitled “Poor firemen, they have nothing”,
which criticized the firemen for their actions during a fire at a
villager’s home. Incidentally, this is not the only attack on the
editor of the regional newspaper because a similar incident happened
five years ago when an administrative punishment was meted out to the
culprit.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE

27 October 2004

Hamlet Gasparian, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, answers a
question by Armenpress News Agency

Question: Azerbaijan has presented a motion to the 59th General
Assembly on “The Situation in the Occupied Territories.” They
specifically refer to so-called settlements. Such a step and such
allegations do not seem to be in sync with the context of ongoing
Nagorno Karabakh negotiations today. How does Armenia view these
statements, and does Armenia intend to take reciprocal action?

Answer: Azerbaijan has always made unfounded statements about supposed
‘resettlement’ and other similar charges. Armenia has always refuted
these charges and invited the international community to visit the
region and see first hand for themselves. Azerbaijan has consistently
opposed these Armenian proposals.

We state once again that there is no official policy of
resettlement. There may be individuals who have decided to settle
there, on their own – Armenian refugees from Shahumian or Getashen –
but this by itself does not redefine the situation. We have said and
will repeat again that if Azerbaijan selectively removes individual
issues from the comprehensive discussion of Nagorno Karabakh’s status,
to attract or divert international attention, then they must negotiate
those issues directly with Nagorno Karabakh. In this sense, we believe
that Azerbaijan’s recent UN initiative does not refer to us.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Oct 22 2004

UN, OSCE Report Speaks of Environmental Impact on Conflicts

Environmental degradation and competition for natural resources
could sharpen disputes in areas of the southern Caucasus already
mired in conflicts, report issued by OSCE, UNDP and the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) in Tbilisi on October 22, says.

According to the report the militarized situation in such places as
breakaway Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent
regions of Azerbaijan also hampers waste management and disposal, and
the maintenance and renovation of irrigation and hydroelectric dams,
leading to stifled economic growth, according to the report,
Environment and Security: Transforming Risks into Cooperation – The
Case of the Southern Caucasus.

`The assessment demonstrated that in the worst case, environmental
stress and change could undermine security in the three South
Caucasian countries,’ Frits Schlingemann, Director of UNEP’s Regional
Office for Europe, was quoted in a joint press release issued by
OSCE, UNEP, UNDP.

Access to natural resources in conflict areas, management of
cross-border environmental problems and the rapid development of the
capital cities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are some of the
concerns highlighted in the new report, part of a wider effort called
the Environment and Security Initiative, run jointly by OSCE, UNEP
and UNDP.

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Oct 21 2004

PM calls on France to support Turkey’s EU bid

The Turkish Prime Minister said that Turkey would not withdraw its
forces from Cyprus.

Turkey’s Prime Minister on Thursday repeated his call on France to
back his country’s bid to be given a date to start accession
negotiations with the European Union.
Turkey wanted to see France cast a vote in favour of opening
accession talks when EU leaders meet on December 17 for their end of
year summit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a press
conference in Paris Thursday.
Erdogan, in the French capital for the release of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s report on
Turkey, said that Turkey had fulfilled the requirements laid down for
it to start membership negotiations and it was now the European Union
that would be tested on the December 17.
Erdogan said that political leaders acted according to the
will of their nations.
`However, for action between states you do not act according
to feelings,’ he said. `You do it by criteria.’
When asked a question about the so-called Armenian genocide,
Erdogan said people should study the Ottoman archives first.
`The Armenian citizens in my country do not have such
complaints,’ he said. `No one has the right to agitate the matter
while looking from a distance.’
He said that these matters should not be used to generate into
hatred and that friendship should be sought instead.