Author: Kamalian Hagop

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
May 1, 2005

New Contact Information for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Beginning on May 1, 2005, the long distance area codes will change for
international dialing into Armenia. To contact the Catholicosate of All
Armenians and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, please note the new area
codes.

To reach the main switchboard of the Mother See, please dial:
(374-10) 517-100 or (374-10) 517-110

To send a facsimile to the Mother See, please dial:
(374-10) 517-301 or (374-10) 517-302

##

Turkey reaches out to Armenia

The Independent – United Kingdom
Apr 30, 2005

ANKARA Turkey’s Prime Minister offered to establish relations with
Armenia if the sides agree to jointly research the killings of
Armenians during the First World War. Armenians accuse Turkey of
genocide. Turkey rejects that but has been opening up on the issue
under EU pressure. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said talks could be held in
parallel with a genocide inquiry.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
April 28 2005

Armenia Gives Cautious Reply to Turkish Offer for Study of Historical
Claims

Jan SOYKOK – Armenia says it could take part in a commission with
Turkey to study decades-old Armenian allegations.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian said the proposal would only work
if the two countries improve bilateral relations. The neighbors share
a border, but have no diplomatic ties. Armenian does not recognise
Turkey’s national borders and Armenia continue to occupy 20 percent
of Azerbaijan territories.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul earlier this month said Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the offer in a letter to the
Armenian president.

Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic ties with Armenia because
of Armenian occupation and Armenian irredentist declarations against
Turkey and Azerbaijain. Moreover the Armenian campaign to gain
international recognition of the World War One killings as genocide
damages Turkish-Armenian relations. Hundred thousands of Turkish and
Armenians were killed during the First World War. The armed Armenian
groups killed about 523,000 Turkish and Kurdish and many Armenians
died at the same period. Armenians call the 1915 events genocide
while Turks accuse the Armenians of comming massacres against the
Muslims.

Armenian Ottomans in the eastern provinces rioted against Istanbul in
order to establish a separate Armenia, but they failed.

RA MINISTRY OF REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION BECOMES PART OF A NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL ADJUNCT TO RA PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, April 28. /ARKA/. By the RA President Robert Kocharyan’s
decree from April 27, 2005 amendments and additions are made to the
decree on the National Security Council adjunct to RA President. As
the Presidentâ=80=99s Press Service states, according to the
amendments the RA Ministry of Regional Administration among other
structures is included in National Security Council adjunct to RA
President. To note, the Chairman of the National Security Council is
the RA President, and the Secretary – RA Minister of Defense Serge
Sargsyan. The postof a Minister of Regional Administration is occupied
by Hovik Abrahamyan. By today’s decree of RA President, the
Department for Emergency Situations, Department for Migration and
Refugees, as well as the State Committee of Water System adjunct to RA
government are re-organized into Ministry of Regional
Administration. A.H.-0-

Pan Armenian News

KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE PERMANENT

28.04.2005 06:10

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `I do not admit even for a minute that David Atkinson
report on Nagorno Karabakh can anyhow serve as basis for applying force,’
stated the Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis. `If any of the
parties launches hostilities in the Karabakh conflict zone, the Council of
Ministers will instantly respond to it and will undertake preventive
measures without a PACE decision,’ Terry Davis said. The CoE Sec. Gen.
reminded that the OSCE Minsk Group holds the mediator mandate in the
conflict settlement. `The CoE does not try to replace the OSCE MG and the
work of the Co-Chairs, we try to support and assist the Ambassadors to solve
the problem,’ he noted. In his words, the mediators make many efforts to
reconcile the parties to conflict. `The Karabakh settlement should not be
permanent, the solution of the problem is both in the interests of Armenia
and Azerbaijan,’ the CoE Sec. Gen. underscored, reported Arminfo.

A1plus

| 20:10:28 | 27-04-2005 | Politics |

DIRECTIONS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL ARE READY

The results of the recent monitoring on the Armenian-Azerbaijani borderline
realized by the OSCE Caucasus region representative are ready. Defense
Minister Serge Sargsyan claimed that very soon the Defense Ministry
Administration of pulic links will announce the results of the montoring.

According to Mr. Sargsyan this monitoring does not differed from the others.
«As you know, a monitoring has been done on another contact line of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border». The Minister said that the decision of the
Armenian participation in the military training in Ukraine in 2005 within
the frame work of the program «Best Joint Effort» of the Cooperation for the
Sake of Peace is still in vigor, although the dates are not yet known. «We
will inform you about that too as it is no secret».

The Defense Minister informed that the 30-page Directions of Security are
ready. «The document will firstly be distributed to the Defense Ministry
workers, and the journalists will be able to get aquainted with the Security
Directions in the Defense Ministry internet site», said Serge Sargsyan.

A1plus

| 19:36:37 | 27-04-2005 | Politics |

ARMENIA WILL BE HELPED

«Although the issue of the RA Constitutional Amendments was not included
into the PACE agenda, the EU will continue to support Armenia», said EU
Secretary General Terry Davis in his press conference today. According to
the radio station «Freedom», he has referred to the report about Nagorno
Karabakh. Let us remind you that before being elected Secretary Davis was
the reporter on this issue.

Terry Davis did not accept that there are dangers of controlling war.
According to him, in case of violence by both Armenia and Azerbaijan the EU
Ministers Committee will immediately answer without waiting for the PACE
decision. Terry Davis has once more underlined that the Karabakh conflict
must be settled within the OSCE Minsk group framework.

AZG Armenian Daily #075, 27/04/2005

Concern

PROBABILITY TO LIBERATE ARMENIAN PILOTS IMPRISONED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA
INCREASES

Ara Abrahamian Says ‘Negotiations with Malabo Authorities Took the Right
Course’

Ara Abrahamian, chairman of the World Armenian Congress, said during the
press conference in Yerevan that the probability to liberate the six
Armenian pilots imprisoned in the Equatorial Guinea increases. “The
negotiations are conducted in very beneficial for us direction. We have made
such suggestions (to the authorities of the country) that the probability to
liberate the Armenian pilots is rather high. Soon, everything will be
clear,” Ara Abrahamian stated.

He added that “one should be patient in this issue”. “If we say that, for
instance, tomorrow or in a month they will release the Armenian pilots, that
can hinder the negotiations. I recently met with the representatives of the
Equatorial Guinea in Europe. We have made suggestions that are being
discussed now. We are already close to the final settlement of the issue,”
Ara Abrahamian said.

Six Armenian pilots were arrested in the Equatorial Guinea in March of 2004
and were sentenced to 14-24 years of imprisonment accused of a coup d’etat
in Equatorial Guinea. Since the day of imprisonment they are being kept in
the notorious “Black Beach” prison together with other foreign prisoners.
Some days ago the International Amnesty issued a special release that said
that the prisoners are expected to starve to death. The Malabo authorities
immediately denied the news.

Ara Abrahamian assured that the Armenian pilots are not ill. “I try to
improve their state, to help them out to better condition than the rest of
the prisoners. We care about their health,” he said. These days the
delegation of Ara Abrahamian has again left for Malabo. Ara Abrahamian has
send $500 for each pilot, just like he did during the previous visit.

Ara Abrahamian has already visited this country once. Vartan Oskanian, RA
foreign minister, visited Equatorial Guinea in February. He met with the
authorities of the country. We know that Oskanian also rendered financial
help to the Armenian pilots.

Earlier, the mass media informed that Ara Abrahamian promised to liberate
the Armenian pilots till June 12.”When RA Foreign Ministry applied to me, we
arranged that I will be given three months to deal with this issue. That’s
an issue that should involve either the Armenian authorities or somebody
else. If there is a mediator, one shouldn’t hinder. I was asked whether it
is necessary for the authorities to apply. I said yes, they should apply, as
I can’t help them without the appeal of the Armenian authorities. Otherwise,
that may do harm to the case,” Ara Abrahamian said, touching upon the news.

“I asked for three months (from RA Foreign Ministry). The deadline is June
12. I will either settle the issue or fail. We have agreed with RA Foreign
Ministry to concur our steps without hindering each other,” he said.

By Tatoul Hakobian

A1plus

| 19:15:24 | 26-04-2005 | Official |

BORDERS OUTLINED

The outline of the borders of over 100 communities of the Aragatsotn, Lori,
Shirak, Syunik, Gegharkunik, Ararat and Kotayk regions of Armenia will be
submitted to the consideration of the RA Government for approval.

Today the outline was presented to the governmental commission on
administrative borders of communities and regions. The sitting was presided
by Minister of territorial administration and coordination of
infrastructures Hovik Abrahamyan.

Pan Armenian News

WASHINGTON NOT ACKNOWLEDGING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – ASSISTANCE TO TURKISH
DISHONORABLE POLICY

26.04.2005 04:54

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “While we appreciate the President George Bush’s
willingness to join with Armenians around the world, we remain deeply
troubled by his continued use of evasive and euphemistic terminology to
obscure the moral, historical, and legal meaning of Turkey’s genocide
against the Armenian people,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the Yerkir newspaper
reported. “This statement, sadly, once again, represents a form of
complicity in the Turkish government’s shameful campaign to deny a crime
against humanity,” he added. The ANCA has also expressed concern that the
Administration’s refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide reflects a
broader unwillingness to confront genocide – as evidenced by the White
House’s failure to take decisive steps to bring an end to the genocide in
the Darfur region of Sudan. The ANCA is working with a broad coalition of
organizations to pressure the Administration to respond in a timely and
meaningful way to the worsening crisis in Darfur. “If we are to end the
cycle of genocide, we must, as a nation, generate the resolve to forcefully
intervene to stop genocide when it takes place, to unequivocally reject its
denial, to hold the guilty accountable, and to secure for the victims the
justice they deserve,” added Hamparian. It should be noted that in February
of 2000, then presidential candidate George W. Bush, campaigning for votes
among Armenian voters in the Michigan Republican primary, pledged to
properly characterize the genocidal campaign against the Armenian people.
However, in his statements as President, he has consistently avoided any
clear reference to the Armenian Genocide, and his Administration has
consistently opposed legislation marking this crime against humanity.