Author: Felekian Ara

Strategic rail ferry starts operating between Russia and Caucasus

Radio Russia, Moscow
27 Mar 05

[Presenter] The first rail ferry from Russia began unloading today
in the Georgian port of Poti. Tengiz Pachkoria has the details.

[Correspondent] The ferry has brought wheat and maize. It will
operate once a week during the first few months, and then become more
frequent. By April or May, the ferry is expected to begin taking wines,
mineral waters, manganese concentrate and other products from Poti to
[the Russian port of] Kavkaz. The agreement on a ferry link between
Georgia and Russia was signed in January this year in Tbilisi by
Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin and the then Georgian prime
minister, Zurab Zhvania. The ferry can be used not only by Georgia and
Russia but also by Armenia, Azerbaijan and countries in Central Asia.

Russia, Armenia to promote development of humanitarian coop-Putin

ITAR-TASS News Agency
March 25, 2005 Friday

YEREVAN, March 25 — Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that
the Russian and Armenian leaderships intend to make all efforts to
develop bilateral humanitarian cooperation.

“We are looking for ways to overcome these problems,” Putin said
in reply to a query why contacts between young generations of the
countries in the humanitarian sphere became less intensive than
between elder generations. “The more persistently we will do it,
the more effectively we will resolve it,” the president believes.

In his view, some decline in relations “is caused by limited contacts
between people” as compared with the Soviet Union. “This is not of
political character, but the economic aspect is rather more important,
and this is caused by the fact that this is more difficult for people
to move than in the Soviet times,” Putin pointed out.

For his part, Robert Kocharyan supported his Russian counterpart. “It
is a pity to lose what many generations have achieved,” he remarked.
“All of us will win from mutual enrichment,” the Armenian president
believes. “We will try to create an instrument, so that we could
tackle these problems,” he pledged.

CIS ministers mull axing Kyrgyz-phase of joint drills – Tajik source

Avesta web site
25 Mar 05

Dushanbe, 25 March: The first phase of the Rubezh-2005 exercises
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO; members are
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan],
which is planned in Kyrgyzstan, probably will not be held.

A source at the Tajik Defence Ministry has told Avesta that this
issue is currently being discussed by the defence ministers of the
CSTO state members. The source said there were no changes made to
the second phase [of the drills], which was planned in Tajikistan.

The exercises are scheduled to be held from 29 March to 6 April on
the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The exercises will work
out issues relating to drafting and implementing joint decisions
on the use and management of forces and means of the collective
security system during a joint operation to protect the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries.

Putin, Kocharyan to discuss relations’ prospects, int’l problems

ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 24 2005

MOSCOW, March 24 (Itar-Tass) – Presidents Vladimir Putin of the
Russian Federation and Robert Kocharyan of Armenia are to meet on
Thursday to discuss the entire spectrum of bilateral relations,
including agreements on “transfer of property to settle the debt”
and military technical cooperation (MTC). The two leaders are also
to compare their positions on regional problems of current concern,
security in the Caucasus, in particular.

A Kremlin official has pointed out, “The two leaders are to discuss,
as a priority, the state of and prospects for the development of
trade-and-economic cooperation: projects in the fields of energy,
non-ferrous metallurgy, banking, construction, and transport, and
the implementation of the agreement on the transfer of property to
settle the debt, and efforts to give greater scope to MTC”.

“Such items as humanitarian cooperation, the deepening of contacts
between the citizens of the two countries, interaction between public
organisations, and the strengthening of the positions and importance
of the Russian language in Armenia and of the Armenian language in
Russia will figure importantly on the agenda (of the two presidents’
meeting),” the official said.

The leaders of the two countries are to exchange views on a number
of international problems of current concern. “The two presidents are
to compare notes on matters concerning the coordination of efforts in
such major areas as the neutralisation of the threats of international
terrorism and extremism, the ensurance of security and stability in the
Caucasus, and solutions to regional problems,” the Kremlin expert said.

“Special attention will be devoted to the two countries’ interaction
in the reforming of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the
mutually beneficial participation of Russia and Armenia in the Eurasian
Economic Community and in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation,”
the Kremlin official pointed out.

DESPITE ABUNDANT SNOWFALL “ZVARTNOTS” AIRPORT WORKS IN NORMAL
CONDITIONS

YEREVAN, MARCH 21. ARMINFO. An abundant snowfall started Mar 20 in
Yerevan did not cause faulty in operation of “Zvartnots” international
airport, responsible for public affairs Gevork Abrahamyan told ARMINFO.

In his words, no delay is registered on arrival or departure of
airplanes. “Navigation equipment of the airport allows to fulfill
take-off and landing under 350 m visibility”, Amrahamyan noted. Two
flights of the “Perm airlines” to Kazan and Perm scheduled at 18:00
p.m. are postponed on 3.15 because of the air-carrier, and the flight
to Mineralniye Vodi (“Kavminvodiavia”) are postponed entirely. As
ARMINFO was informed in the press-service of the Armenian national
air-carrier “Armavia” company, 6 of 21 flights scheduled on Mar 21
morning has taken off with little delay.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

ARMENIAN CAUCUS CO-CHAIRS BACK PUBLIC REMARKS AFFIRMING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Joint Letter to Secretary Rice Stresses Importance of U.S. Recognition

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly praised Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone,
Jr. (D-NJ) today for expressing to Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice their support of recent affirmations of the Armenian Genocide
by leading U.S. officials.

In a joint letter sent to Secretary Rice on Friday, the Co-Chairs
declared their support for remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans who publicly stated, “The Armenian Genocide was the first
genocide of the twentieth century.” Evans repeatedly and properly
characterized this crime against humanity during meetings with Armenian
communities across the country late last month.

The Co-Chairs also noted former Ambassador to Armenia Harry Gilmore’s
comments to the media that the crimes against the Armenians do indeed
constitute genocide. The former diplomat told Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty on March 7 that the United Nations Genocide Convention,
which was adopted after World War II, “sets up a standard and that
the massacres and deportations of the Ottoman Armenians meet that
standard fully.”

Knollenberg and Pallone explain in their letter that both Evans’
and Gilmore’s comments are in keeping with the past statements of
Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1981 and George Bush, who in 2001 employed
the textbook definition of the Genocide in his April 24 remarks to
the Armenian-American community.

Additionally, the Co-Chairs reason that the U.S. National Archives
contain thousands of pages documenting the crimes and that over 120
renowned Genocide and Holocaust scholars have proclaimed the Armenian
Genocide as an “incontestable historical fact.”

Furthermore, the letter also references the findings of a key legal
study backed by the State Department. That study, by the International
Center for Transitional Justice, concluded that: “The Events, viewed
collectively, can thus be said to include all of the elements of the
crime of genocide as defined in the Convention, and legal scholars as
well as historians, politicians, journalists and other people would
be justified in continuing to so describe them.”

In other news, Knollenberg and Pallone are asking their colleagues
to sign on to a letter urging President Bush to honor the United
States’ historic leadership in defending human rights and to properly
characterize the Armenian Genocide as such in his remembrance statement
next month.

Over 80 Members of Congress have signed on to this letter, however,
many more signatures are needed in order to make an impact.
For information on how you can help reaffirm the U.S. record on the
Armenian Genocide, log on to the Assembly Web site at
or send an email to the Assembly’s grassroots branch ARAMAC at
[email protected].

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

###
NR#2005-032

Editor’s Note: Attached is the full text of the Congressmen’s letter
to Secretary of State Rice.

March 18, 2005

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State Department of State
2201 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20520-0001

Dear Madame Secretary:

As the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,
we are writing to express our support for the recent remarks made by
United States Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, when he invoked the
Armenian Genocide.

Following the letter and spirit of America’s statesmen and scholars
before him, Ambassador Evans repeatedly and properly characterized the
attempted annihilation of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during
WWI as Genocide. Speaking at the University of California, Berkeley,
and other venues in the United States last February, he said: “The
Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.”

The Ambassador’s comments are in keeping with past statements by
American public officials. Proclaiming on the Days of Remembrance of
Victims of the Holocaust on April 22, 1981 President Ronald Reagan
noted that “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the
genocide of the Cambodians which followed it – and like too many
other such persecutions of too many other peoples – the lessons of
the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”

In his first annual message to the Armenian-American community on April
24, 2001, President George W. Bush used the textbook definition of
Genocide, “Today marks the commemoration of one of the great tragedies
of history: the forced exile and annihilation of approximately 1.5
million Armenians in the closing years of the Ottoman Empire.”

Evans was recently followed by Harry Gilmore, the first American
Ambassador to Armenia, who said in an interview with Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that “from my thorough study of the
events of that period I am persuaded that they do indeed constitute
genocide.” Gilmore argued that the United Nations Genocide convention,
which was adopted following World War II, “sets up a standard and
the massacres and deportations of the Ottoman Armenians meet that
standard fully.” Gilmore added that when the author of the Genocide
convention Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide, “the Armenian
events were one of the two archetypes he used in his work.”

The U.S. National Archives contain thousands of pages documenting
the Genocide. As this crime against humanity was being committed,
the United States helped launch an unprecedented diplomatic, political
and humanitarian campaign to end the carnage and protect the survivors.
Evans’s remarks build on this definitive and comprehensive historical
record towards an inevitable, full and irrevocable U.S. reaffirmation
of the Armenian Genocide.

This characterization also corresponds with the signed statement in
2000 by one hundred and twenty-six Genocide and Holocaust scholars
affirming that the World War I Armenian Genocide is an incontestable
historical fact and accordingly urge the governments of Western
democracies to likewise recognize it as such. The petitioners, among
whom is Nobel Laureate for Peace Elie Wiesel, also asked the Western
Democracies to urge the Government and Parliament of Turkey to finally
come to terms with a dark chapter of Ottoman-Turkish history and to
recognize the Armenian Genocide. These scholars asserted that facing
history squarely would provide an invaluable impetus to the process
of Turkish democratization.

In a February 3, 2003 legal study backed by the State Department,
the International Center for Transitional Democracy (ICTJ) concluded
after reviewing available evidence on the massacres and deportations
of Armenians that these “events… include all of the elements of the
crime of genocide as defined in the Convention, and legal scholars as
well as historians, politicians, journalists and other people would
be justified in continuing to so describe them.”

Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an
unbiased study by historians of claims that millions of Armenians were
victims of genocide under Ottoman rule during World War I. Given the
objective findings of the ICTJ report, this official proposal seeks to
avoid any contemporaneous affirmation of the facts on this subject,
and continues Turkey’s current policy of denial. In order to become
the plural, democratic and European Union-integrated state it aspires
to be, Turkey must make peace with its past. American clarity will
further this goal.

We look forward to the President’s April 24th commemorative statement
and, as always, stand ready to work with you on this and the many
other matters of importance to our nation.

Sincerely,

Joseph Knollenberg
Frank Pallone, Jr. Member of Congress
Member of Congress

####

–Boundary_(ID_qAPWBPCzDUeTm6yZXEuXKw)–

Turkish foreign minister denies EU entry, Armenian genocide claims linked

Anatolia news agency
20 Mar 05

Ankara: Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has
said that there is no direct or indirect link between the alleged
Armenian genocide and Turkey’s accession to the EU.

In his response to a question tabled by Ummet Kandogan, an MP of the
True Path Party from Denizli, Gul pointed out that Turkey had fulfilled
the Copenhagen political criteria set out as a precondition for the
start of accession talks with the EU, which, he noted, was confirmed
both in the Progress Report and the Recommendation released by the EU
Commission on 6 October 2004 as well as the final communique issued
after the EU summit held on 17 December 2004.

Noting that the conditions related to the negotiating process had
been clearly defined for each candidate country and that the process
of Turkey’s admission to the EU would take place within the context
outlined in the EU’s acquis communautaire, Gul went on saying: “Thus,
there is no direct or indirect link between the Armenian allegations
of genocide and Turkey’s accession to the EU. Although this issue is
occasionally brought up by certain groups, EU circles are aware of
the clear and firm policy that country has been pursuing about the
matter in question.”

Pointing out that a historical research group, which was set up
within the Turkish History Institution in order to investigate into
the Armenian allegations and consists of a group of distinguished
historians, had undertaken significant work with a view to supporting
Turkish arguments in response to Armenian allegations, Gul said that
books written as a result of scientific work undertaken by the group
would soon be available to the Turkish public and the international
community.

Gul went on saying that there was satisfactory coordination between
the agencies and organizations concerned with respect to formulation
of policies in response to unfounded Armenian allegations, adding
that funds needed to support the activities being conducted into
Armenian claims had been earmarked by the Promotion Fund under the
Prime Minister’s Office.

STRENGTHENING OF US-RUSSIAN COOPERATION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS TO BENEFIT
ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 19. ARMINFO. Intensified US-Russian cooperation in the
South Caucasus will certainly benefit Armenia but this requires
political will on Russia’s part, says the leader of Liberal
Progressive Party of Armenia Hovhannes Hovhannissyan.

Meanwhile Russia is seeking to enlarge or at least retain its empire
ambitions over the neighboring regions with the recent events in
Moldova being the best evidence of that. The objective of Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s shortly coming to Armenia is to find out if
Armenia is still Russia’s outpost or not.

As to the situation in Iran Hovhannissyan doubts that there will be
war there. Iran is not Iraq and the US and Europe will more likely try
to carry out deep democratic reforms in that country. But still one
cannot rule out the possibility of war if Iran refuses to freeze its
nuclear programs.

PRESS RELEASE

March 18, 2005

American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576

Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]

AUA and Ministry of Health Provide International HIV/AIDS Training Workshops

In February 2005, Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, Director of the School of Health
Care Management and Administration (SHCMA), in cooperation with Dr. Bernardo
Ramirez, professor, University of Central Florida, was invited by the
American International Health Alliance (AIHA) to conduct a training course
workshop on HIV/AIDS Clinic Administration and Management in Kiev, Ukraine.
The Regional Knowledge Hub for the Care and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in Eurasia
jointly organized the training program with the WHO Liaison Office in
Ukraine. This opportunity closely followed a successful course delivered in
Ashghabat, Turkmenistan, in January.

The Ministry of Health established the SHCMA in 1999, naming Dr. Mihran
Nazaretyan, himself a former Minister of Health, as its Director. The
fledgling program benefited from an AIHA partnership alliance with the
University of Alabama Birmingham and Creighton Universities before evolving
into a jointly sponsored status between the Ministry of Health and the
College of Health Sciences of the American University of Armenia in 2001.
SHCMA is certified by the Ministry of Health of Armenia as a post-graduate
education program and represents a unique partnership between AUA and the
government.

As Dr. Nazaretyan notes, `It often seems that the SCHMA is more widely
recognized outside Armenia than within,’ having delivered courses in Tbilisi
and Batumi, Georgia, Alma Aty in Kazakhstan, Tver in Russia, Sarajevo and
Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ashghabat, Turkmenistan. AUA
President and Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Haroutune Armenian
noted, `The SCHMA is a very good example of the synergy that AUA creates in
many of its programs. This is an effort that has resulted in hundreds of
health care professionals in Armenia being exposed to the basics of modern
health care management. The program has extended itself to the various
regions of Armenia as well as to regional countries. This is consistent with
a broader mission that AUA has set for itself for the next decade. ‘

AUA’s College of Health Sciences benefits from an affiliation agreement with
the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a
member of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European
Region. The Center for Health Services Research and Development (CHSR) is
an applied research and development center within the College of Health
Sciences. The Center’s principal objective is to provide supervised field
training opportunities for students enrolled in the AUA Public Health
Program. Students have played integral roles in many of the Center’s
projects, including a recent evaluative survey on family planning and
contraceptive practices, quality of care assessments of a major medical
facility, and national surveys on infant mortality, breastfeeding practices,
and the treatment of acute respiratory infections, as well as a major USAID
funded project benefiting Nagorno Karabagh.

*******************

The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit educational
organization in both Armenia and the United States and is affiliated with
the Regents of the University of California. Receiving major support from
the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight
graduate programs. For more information about AUA, visit

Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

Friday, March 18, 2005
PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Armen Carapetian
Tel: (818) 500-1918

ANC LEADS EFFORT TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS AT GRANT HS

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA – The Armenian National Committees (ANC) of East
and West San Fernando Valley mobilized on March 8 when a fight broke
out between several hundred Armenian and Latino students at Grant High
School requiring police intervention. The incident resulted in the
arrest of four and expulsion of eight students, and has garnered
significant attention on television news, talk radio, and print
media. The ANC met the following day with the Committee on Armenian
Students in Public Schools (CASPS) and Grant High School officials to
immediately quell the alarming situation.

Within two days after the incident, the ANC co-sponsored meeting with
parents and Grant High School officials which was attended by over 300
people. During the entire week after the incident, members of the ANC
were on campus collaborating with parents of Armenian students and
school administrators to analyze the causes leading to the incident
and how to prevent such incidences from occurring in the future.

`The fights that broke out at Grant High School between Latino and
Armenian students are of serious concern to all communities including
the Armenian American community,’ stated Manug Haladjian, Chairman of
the East San Fernando Valley ANC. `This has been an issue at Grant
High School in prior years, and this latest incident is evidence that
this issue must be taken more seriously by all concerned parties,’
continued Haladjian.

The ANC and CASPS recently organized several meetings on the issue
with experts in the field from various schools in the area. In
addition to meeting experts, parents, students, and school officials,
on March 17, the ANC and CASPS also met with representatives from the
City and County of Los Angeles Human Resources Commission, and the
offices of State Senator Richard Alarcon, Assemblywoman Cindy
Montanez, and Los Angeles Councilwoman Wendy Gruel to arrange a
meeting between Armenian and Latino leaders in the area.

`Excellent education can only be achieved through a safe, healthy and
positive school environment that fosters respect and understanding for
all cultures,’ said Ara Papazian, who chairs the West San Fernando
Valley ANC. `We strongly encourage school officials to view this issue
with an eye toward system-wide, long-term solutions that raise the
level of cultural understanding among school administrators, teachers,
students, and parents.’

Beginning in 2004, the ANC recognized the need to address the issues
facing the increasing number of Armenian students in the public
schools. The ANC began implementing a course of action which sought to
raise awareness of the challenges facing the Armenian students and
look for ways to improve their educational environment. Over the past
six months, the ANC has organized meetings with Los Angeles Unified
School District Officials, including School Board Member Jon
Lauritzen, Grant High School Principal Sandra Cruz, and various other
LAUSD administrators and teachers.

In an effort to improve their understanding of the cultural
differences of Armenian students, 20 educators from Grant High School,
including Principal Cruz, will be participating in the March 30
Armenian Cultural Conference in Pasadena. Now in its tenth year, the
Armenian Cultural Conference, which is sponsored by the school
districts of Burbank, Glendale, EIEP of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and
Montebello, aims to raise awareness and understanding of the Armenian
culture among public school teachers and administrators, so that they
may deliver more effective and culturally sensitive education to
students of Armenian descent. The ANC, along with CASPS and Grant High
School, will co-host a meeting on March 31 with parents of Armenian
students at Grant High School to discuss concerns and start looking
for long-term solutions and programs to address the various issues
with Armenian youth in public schools. In addition, a meeting will be
organized for students to air their concerns i! n April. On May 4,
the ANC, CASPS, and Grant High School will host a town hall meeting
for the entire community on this issue.

`We stand ready to work with school officials, parents, students and
other community groups in the spirit of partnership, implementing
programs that will address these issues and their root causes,’
affirmed ANC leaders in a joint statement released last week.

The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a
broad range of issues.