Author: Chilingarian Babken

Russia post highest CIS inflation in H1

MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax) – Russia had the highest rate of consumer
market inflation in the first half of 2005, with prices growing 8.0%,
the CIS Interstate Statistics Committee said.

Ukraine also had high inflation of 6.4%.

Inflation was 4.8% in Azerbaijan, 4.7% in Moldova, 4.4% in Kyrgyzstan,
4.1% in Tajikistan, 4.0% in Belarus and 3.5% in Kazakhstan.

Georgia had the lowest inflation, with 0.7% and Armenia, with 1.4%.

The committee did not give figures for Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. [RU
ASIA EUROPE EEU EMRG MCE] rm

Le genocide armenien est une “affaire turque”

swissinfo 6 août 2005 17:58

Contrairement a la Chambre du peuple, la Chambre haute du parlement
suisse ne se prononcera pas sur le genocide armenien par la Turquie.

Peter Briner, president de la commission de politique exterieure du
Senat, estime que des pays tiers n’ont pas a montrer du doigt la
Turquie, 90 ans après les faits.

La commission des affaires etrangères a decide de ne pas porter
l’affaire du genocide de 1915 devant le plenum de la Chambre des
cantons, a indique samedi Peter Briner (Parti radical, droite).

Comme le gouvernement, la commission estime que l’affaire n’est pas
du ressort du parlement.

Il appartiendrait plutôt aux parties concernees, soit la Turquie et
l’Armenie, de s’en saisir. Une commission mixte d’historiens devrait
“se pencher sur les evenements horribles” comme la Suisse a reflechi
sur son histoire durant la 2e Guerre mondiale.

Membre de la commission, Francoise Saudan rencherit. Samedi sur les
ondes de la Radio Suisse romande, la radicale genevoise s’est dite
“mal a l’aise quand nous nous posons en justicier du monde entier”.

Ne pas plier face aux pressions

La Suisse ne doit pas se montrer faible face a la Turquie, meme si
elle ne doit pas pour autant repliquer de la meme facon, a par
ailleurs declare M. Briner.

Le senateur est revenu samedi sur l’annulation par Ankara de la
visite que le president de la Confederation Joseph Deiss devait
effectuer en Turquie en septembre.

Une affaire qui a fait couler beaucoup d’encre ces jours-ci en
Suisse, et qui constitue un nouvel episode d’un bras de fer qui ne
date pas d’aujourd’hui entre la Turquie et la Suisse.

En 2003, rappelons que la visite diplomatique de Micheline Calmy-Rey,
ministre des Affaires etrangères, avait ete reportee de 18 mois.
Motif, le parlement vaudois avait vote un postulat reconnaissant le
genocide armenien.

“Il est important de ne pas courber l’echine”, a precise le president
de la commission de politique exterieure. Selon lui, “c’est bien
qu’il y ait eu ici de vives reactions”. Que la Turquie justifie
l’annulation de la visite de Monsieur Deiss par des raisons d’agenda
ne correspond sûrement pas a la verite.

C’est une formule diplomatique typique lorsqu’on ne trouve pas de
meilleure explication, a ajoute M. Briner. “On ne peut s’empecher de
penser que le gouvernement turc essaie de calmer la population en
brassant de l’air.”

Mobilisation anti-Suisse

Les medias turcs ont manifestement “mobilise l’opinion contre la
Suisse”. L’affaire est liee a la procedure que la justice suisse a
declenchee contre le chef du Parti des travailleurs turcs (PKK) et
contre un historien pour avoir nie le genocide armenien en 1915.

Selon M. Briner, la Turquie sait pourtant très bien que, si elle veut
adherer a l’Union europeenne, elle ne pourra faire l’economie de se
pencher sur la question armenienne.

“Or, la question est delicate en politique exterieure”, a releve le
conseiller aux Etats.

Francoise Saudan n’est, quant a elle, pas aussi categorique. Elle
estime que meme l’UE, dans ses discussions avec la Turquie, a des
exigences concernant les relations avec Chypre, mais ne revient pas
sur le genocide armenien.

–Boundary_(ID_IcNHbH5YUslWJvZRMCvKcQ)–

Lraper Church Bulletin 07/08/2005
Contact: Deacon Vagharshag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970, 517-0971
F: +90 (212) 516-4833, 458-1365
[email protected]

FOUR DEACONS ARE CALLED TO THE HOLY ORDER OF PRIESTHOOD

Photos at (English page)

On Wednesday, 27 July 2005, four deacons under the spiritual
jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, the Reverend
Deacons Sahag Bicakciyan, Sevan Civanyan, Harutyun Babigyan and Hayg
Koparyan were officially called to the Holy Order of Priesthood by
His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey.

The service began, following Vespers, in the Holy Mother of God
Patriarchal Church in Kumkapi. As the bells joyfully announced the
occasion, in the presence of all the Armenian priests and monks in
Istanbul and about 200 church members, the deacons due to be ordained
knelt at the threshold of the main door of the Patriarchal Church.

>From there, as penitential psalms were recited antiphonally, they
proceeded on their knees through first the narthex and then the
nave towards the chancel, at the entrance of which His Beatitude the
Patriarch was seated surrounded by the clergy. The sponsoring priests,
the Very Revd. Hieromonk Tatul Anusyan and the Revd. Dr.

Krikor Damatyan, presented the candidate deacons one by one to the
Patriarch for public questioning and final consideration before their
official call to the Holy Order of Priesthood.

The Patriarch then publicly asked the sponsoring priests whether the
ordinands were approaching “to bear the sweet yoke of our Lord Jesus
Christ (Mt 11:29-30)” of their own free will, whether they were ready
“to leave the world and to take up the Cross and follow Christ (Lk
9:23; 14:27)” and whether they had completed the prescribed course
of studies before ordination (2Tim 3:15). The sponsors clergymen
answered affirmatively.

The Patriarch then turned to the ordinands and asked them whether
they were ready to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of
God (Acts 6:1-4), to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord (Lk
8:15; Heb 5:8; 1Pt 1:14) and the directives and canons established
by the Apostles and the Patriarchs and their successors and not to
teach anything in contradiction to them (Acts 2:42; Heb 13:17). The
candidate deacons answered affirmatively.

The Patriarch then began the public examination of the ordinands,
asking them whether they professed the Orthodox faith in the Triune
God, in the Incarnation of Christ our God, in accordance with the
three holy ecumenical councils of Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381)
and Ephesus (431) and whether they renounced all those classified by
the Church as schismatic. The candidate deacons answered affirmatively.

The Patriarch then asked whether the ordinands renounced and
anathematized all those “who do not confess Jesus Christ as perfect God
and perfect Man, and Mary as the Holy Mother of God.” The ordinands
raised their hands in denunciation and answered “We renounce and
anathematize!” The whole congregation responded in unison, “Anathema!”

The ordinands and the congregation responded likewise as the Patriarch
mentioned, one by one, the names of the heresiarch Arius of Alexandria
who emerged in 319 as the champion of a subordinationist doctrine
about the Person of Christ; Macedonius of Constantinople who was
deposed in 360 on account of his teaching that the Holy Spirit was not
consubstantial with the Father and the Son; Nestorius, the Antiochian
heresiarch who became Patriarch of Constantinople in 428 and who taught
that there were two separate Persons in the Incarnate Christ, the one
divine and the other human; the monophysite heresiarch Eutyches of
Constantinople, deposed in 451, who taught that the manhood of Jesus
of Nazareth had been absorbed into his divinity, thereby rendering
our redemtion through his sacrifice on the holy Cross impossible;
and all modern heresies and spiritually harmful sects such as the
Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The Patriarch then asked whether the ordinands were disciples of all
Orthodox theologians and patriarchs. The ordinands replied, “We learn
from them and follow them!” The whole congregation responded in unison,
“May the eternal memory of the just be blessed!”

The ordinands and the congregation responded likewise as the Patriarch
mentioned, one by one, the names of Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew;
Saint Gregory the Illuminator and his sons and grandchildren Saints
Arisdages, Vrthanes, Husig, Krikoris and Daniel; Saint Sylvester of
Rome; Saint Athanasius of Alexandria; the Holy Translators Saints
Sahag Barthev and Mesrob Mashtots; Saint Basil the Great of Caesarea
in Cappadocia and his brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa; Saint Cyril of
Jerusalem; Saint Ephrem the Syrian; Saint Gregory the Wonderworker of
Pontus; Saint Gregory the Theologian of Nazianzus; Saint Epiphanius
of Cyprus; Saint John Chrysostom of Constantinople; Saint Cyril of
Alexandria; Saint John of Nisibis; Saint John of Odsun; Saint John
of Vorodn and his disciple Saint Gregory of Dathev; the Holy Fathers
of the Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus,
and all holy and Orthodox Patriarchs “who render the Word of Truth
with an Orthodox confession.”

The Patriarch then concluded the public examination, reminding the
ordinands and the faithful present of the words of the Lord Jesus, who
said: “Everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess him
before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men,
I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32-33),
and also the words of Saint Paul the Apostle who said, “No-one can say,
`Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1Cor 12:3).

All those present then stood in reverence as they listened to the
ordinands who recited, on their knees, the Profession of Faith
formulated by Saint Gregory of Dathev.

The Patriarch then gave his blessing to the ordinands and asked
all those present to pray for them to be mentally and spiritually
prepared for the Holy Mystery of the Ordination to the Sacred Order
of Priesthood which would take place next morning.

The Parish Council of the Holy Mother of God Patriarchal Church then
served tea in the churchyard in honour of the candidate deacons and
their families and relatives.

US GOVERNMENT PINS HOPES ON PEACEFUL REGULATION OF CONFLICT

ArmenPress
Aug 5 2005

BAKU, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Minsk Group US co-chairman
Steven Mann commented on the Azerbaijani Foreign Affairs Minister
Elmar Mamedyarov’s meetings in Washington saying the main theme of the
discussions was the negotiations over the Karabagh conflict regulation.

“My government pins hopes on the present pace of the negotiations
over peaceful regulation of the conflict. We really think the peaceful
regulation is possible basing on the serious dialogue which continues
between the conflicting sides for more than a year. The Armenian and
Azerbaijani leaders have made decision to regulate the conflict in
peaceful way, besides some progress is registered in the negotiation
process but for reaching a peaceful agreement it is necessary to
activate the process,” Steven Mann told AzerTaj news agency.

Der Spiegel, Germany
Aug 1 2005

Yankee Go Home, Says Uzbek Dictator

On Friday, Uzbekistan’s dictator issued an ultimatum to the US: get
out in six months or less. As Germany also has a base in the country
– from which it operates missions in neighboring Afghanistan –
questions over the role of German troops there came up on Monday’s
editorial pages. Also under discussion: Turkey’s EU aspirations and
its non-recognition of Cyprus.

SPIEGEL ONLINE

Traditionally closer to Moscow than Washington, Uzbekistan is a
strategic point for the US military

Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s demand that the US evacuate his
country in less than six months does not come as a surprise. Ever
since he used Tiananmen-style tactics to put down mass protests last
May, he’s been staging a prodigal son-like return to Vladimir Putin’s
table. After helping the Americans with logistical support for their
operations in Afghanistan, Karimov’s return to Moscow’s sphere of
influence looks like a cheating spouse crawling back to a
dysfunctional marriage after a failed tryst. Getting in line with
Russia and other authoritarian governments like those of Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and China under the guise of regional
cooperation means trying to run the country as things were before,
without dealing with the pesky human rights issues that have been
coming up lately. It is also a move to reset the balance of power to
something more like its pre-911 configuration.

US support for the evacuation of Uzbek refugees fleeing government
repression seems to have been the last straw for Karimov. Responses
from Washington have been mixed – some are describing the future
pull-out as the loss of an important strategic position, while others
say that the base was not that significant, and that other solutions
can easily be found. In any case, it remains a key supply point for
German troops in Afghanistan. They have not been asked to pull out,
but human rights issues in the country now have the German press
questioning Uzbekistan’s position.

The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung says that the Uzbek government’s
order constitutes an act of desperation by the government. It writes:
“The recent evacuation of Uzbek refugees from Kyrgyzstan has made it
clear: the US and the Europeans no longer believe that the Uzbek
government was really putting down an Islamist revolt when it wildly
opened fire on its own people on May 13 in Andijan.” The paper says
that “since the terrorist attacks in London, the US and Europe must
make it clear that the fight against terror cannot be a blank check
for dictators to shoot people down or torture them. The people in
Andijan rose up against an unjust regime and were gunned down.
Citizens of Andijan took part in an act of civil self defense against
a torture-regime. They have nothing to do with the London bombers.”
Referring to the German troops in Uzbekistan, the paper writes:
“Germany should evacuate the Bundeswehr base in Termez – used to
supply troops in Afghanistan – as quickly as possible. One cannot
create peace in Afghanistan while operating from a country that mows
people down.”

The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted that the German
troops in Uzbekistan were in a difficult situation. “Unlike the
Americans, they can only reach their contingent in Afghanistan via
the Termez base. This has already forced the German government to be
friendlier than it would like to be with the Karimow regime, and turn
a blind’s eye toward Andijan – a hundred kilometers from Termez”. The
commentator goes on to say that “a newly reinforced Karimow could be
tempted to compensate for the loss of American base-leasing payments
by turning towards Berlin. This too should be taken into
consideration when the extension of the Afghanistan mandate is
brought up.”

DDP
Membership one day?

On Friday, Turkey finally signed the Ankara Protocol to extend the EU
customs union to the 10 new EU member states including Cyprus. But
then Prime Minister Erogan turned around and said that Turkey doesn’t
recognize the Republic of Cyprus as a legitimate representative of
the divided island. On Monday, German editorialists addressed the
issue, asking whether Turkey should be allowed to have its cake and
eat it too.

The Berliner Zeitung writes that “Turkey wants to be a member of the
European Union, but refuses diplomatic recognition of Cyprus, a
member of this union. You would think that this is completely
unacceptable, but the British EU presidency and other EU states
support Ankara.” The paper says this allows for diplomatic
maneuvering: British Prime Minister Blair for example, can now let
Erdogan believe that the signature does not mean recognition of
Cyprus. Why leave things so unclear? Because the EU needs Turkey, the
paper says. “No other country applying to join the EU has received so
many concessions even before the accession talks begin. Human rights
violations, repressive policy towards Kurds, denial of genocide in
Armenia – all of these things seem to be of secondary importance. The
reasons for this can be read in the EU commission’s recommendation in
favor of accession negotiations.” The key issues which make Turkey an
attractive member include its strategic positioning along energy
supply routes, its access to Caspian oil and central Asian markets,
as well its enormous military potential. The paper concludes by
quoting the EU Commissioner Günter Verheugen. “Turkish accession
would make the EU a top global political player.”

The conservative Frankfurter Allegemine Zeitung on the other hand is
far less positive about Turkish accession. “One can agree with the
opinion of the Cyprus government that it is strange that a country
would like to join an organization of which it does not recognize all
of the members.” The paper goes on to say that “it does not bode well
that the accession negotiations are beginning with such leniency.
Negotiations consist of giving and taking. So far, Turkey has taken
more.”

The business daily Handelsblatt is also pessimistic about Turkey’s
stance. “Someone who wants to join a club should respect its rules,
and above all its members,” it says. “Otherwise conflict will
threaten not only the admission of the aspirant; it will also
endanger the club itself. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
must finally learn this. For years, Turkey has been pushing for entry
into the European club. On October 3, it will begin accession talks –
and here, one should really expect concessions. But Erdogan clearly
has little regard for etiquette.” As for the Role of the EU in the
Cyprus talks, the editors say “The EU must urge the Cypriots to come
to an agreement. But it must not allow Turkey to dictate the rules.
It is now up to the British presidency to postpone accession
negotiations until the interests of all members are taken care of.
Including those of Cyprus.”

–Boundary_(ID_SKBHqwjmomcsOcB4Fwwj7w)–

Armenia’s population over 3.2m as of 1 July 2005

Arminfo
29 Jul 05

Yerevan, 29 July: As of 1 July 2005, Armenia’s permanent population
reached 3,215,900 people – 1,664,300 women and 1,551,600 men,
Armenia’s National Statistics Service has said.

In 2003, the life expectancy among men was 69.9 and women 75.8. In
January-June, infant deaths per 1,000 babies under the age of one were
11.4 per 1,000 babies – 8.6 per 1,000 for girls and 13.7 per 1,000 for
boys.

Infant deaths among children up to the age of five were 12.6 per 1,000
– 10 per 1,000 for girls and 14.8 per 1,000 for boys.

[Passage omitted: other figures; details of education and
unemployment]

AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY CLUTTER TV FREQUENCIES IN NKR

STEPANAKERT, JULY 28. ARMINFO. Residents of the villages in the north
of Berdadzor region of NKR have an opportunity to receive broadcasting
of tje first TB channels of Russia and Armenia.

Talking to ARMINFO, Director of the CJSC Artsakhkap Suren Mirzoyan
said the complex of measures on improvement of the system of
tele-radio transmission, in particular on installation of
retransmitters, were taken by combined efforts of the NKR Government
and Artsakhkap. Mirzoyan said the problem of accessibility of TV
broadcasting for the residents of the villages existed yet in the
Soviet period. At present the main TV station of NKR is modernized.
There are similar problems in several populated areas of Mardakert and
Askeran regions. Satellite transmitters are to be installed in
Shahumyan region. Many problems are connected with geographical
location of the regions. However, Mirzoyan says the communication
signals intentionally transmitted from Azerbaijan to Turkey clutter
normal transmission.

Iran and Ukraine offer Armenia part in gas project

Mediamax news agency
26 Jul 05

YEREVAN

Tehran and Kiev offered Armenia to take part in the work of a
five-party committee studying the design and construction of a gas
pipeline from Iran to Ukraine.

This is said in a memorandum signed by officials from Iran and Ukraine
in Tehran on 25 July, Mediamax reports quoting Iranian media.

Commenting on the document, Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister Mohammad Hadi
Nezhad-Hoseynian announced that Ukraine wants to import 20 to 30bn
cubic metres of natural gas from Iran annually for domestic use.

Apart from this, the minister noted that Ukraine has also agreed to
allow Iran to use its infrastructures for the transit of 20bn cubic
meters of gas to Europe.

“Both sides have also decided to suggest that Armenia, Georgia and
Russia establish a five-party committee to study design and
construction of the gas pipeline from Iran to Ukraine,” Iran’s deputy
oil minister said.

PRESS RELEASE
South Florida Armenian Students’ Association
Contact: Michael Toumayan
Tel: 561-716-6155
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Habitat for Humanity Armenia Delegation meet South Florida ASA

BOCA RATON ` A delegation from the Habitat for Humanity (HfH) Armenia
Office held a meeting with the South Florida Armenian Students’
Association (ASA) on July 18th in Boca Raton to raise awareness of
Armenia’s growing needs for housing and to promote close relations
between the Armenian youth of South Florida and the Habitat youth
group called Habiarm.

Representing HfH Armenia office were Executive Director Ashot
Yeghiazaryan, and Resource Development Coordinator Zaruhi Tonapetyan.

South Florida ASA was represented by Michael Toumayan and
Vice-President Roupen Joubi, who noted that Armenian students have an
important role to play in initiating continuous contacts with
Armenia’s youth and encourage young South Florida Armenians to visit
Armenia and help rebuild the country from the devastation caused by
the 1988 earthquake that left many homeless.

Thousands in northern Armenia still live in metal shacks called
domiks, iron containers, erected for temporary quake relief. “It is
unacceptable to have our brothers and sisters living in such dire
conditions,” said advisor Alex Aghyarian.

The Executive Committee of the South Florida Armenian Students’
Association agreed to hold a workshop in the near future on
volunteer/internship opportunities in Armenia offered by various
Diaspora organizations, including the ASA. One of such organizations,
Birthright Armenia, has already shown interest to the Florida Atlantic
University ASA to hold a workshop sometime in 2006 in Boca Raton, Fla.

Mr. Yeghiazaryan stated that it is essential for an Armenian youth
organizations like ASA to have strong ties with and help Armenia,
especially through Habitat for Humanity Armenia. In his turn,
Mr. Joubi added that all young Armenians owe it to themselves and to
their homeland to go and visit there at least once in their life time;
this would be a great occasion to do just that. “Besides seeing and
experiencing Armenia, it is also rewarding to know that building your
country from bottom up with your own bare hands contributes to the
well being of your people and homeland.”

South Florida ASA is part of the National ASA branches throughout the
United States East Cost and is a student, non-profit organization
dedicated to enhancing the awareness about the Armenian culture. If
you would like to contact us, please write us at
[email protected]

Official denies Armenian origin of grenade thrown at Bush in Georgia

Regnum, Moscow
23 Jul 05

23 July: Armenia’s Defence Ministry has denied reports that the hand grenade
thrown at the US and Georgian presidents in Tbilisi on 10 May was made in
Armenia.

The hand grenade cannot have been made in Armenia as “currently Armenia does
not produce hand grenades”, Armenian Defence Ministry spokesman Seyran
Shakhsuvaryan said.

According to RFE/RL, Armenia used to produce hand grenades in the 1990s, but
stopped producing them as it was not profitable and required large technical
expenses.