Author: Nalchajian Markos

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS MEETS WITH ARMENIAN STUDENTS

“THE LANGUAGE OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN
ARMENIANS SHOULD BE ONLY ARMENIAN”

SAYS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

As part of His Pontifical visit to Canada, His Holiness Aram I met with the
young Armenian students of Toronto on September 30. The students of the
“Koloyan Elementary-Secondary School of the Armenian Relief Society (ARL)”,
as well as those of the “Babayan Kindergarten” prepared a special program to
commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the Consecration of the Armenian
Alphabet.

His Holiness first visited the “Babayan Kindergarten” with Prelate
Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, V Rev Fr Meghrig and the delegation accompanying
him from Lebanon. The youngest representatives of the new Armenian
generation put out a well-prepared performance in honor of the Catholicos.

The ceremony in ARL’s elementary and secondary school started with the
welcoming remarks of teacher Moushegh Karakashian, followed by a speech by
Haroutioun Shitilian, chairman of the educational committee.

The latter drew out a connection between the 1600th anniversary of the
consecration of the Armenian Alphabet, the 75th anniversary of the Seminary’
s establishment and the 10th anniversary of His Holiness’ enthronement.

Shitilian pointed out that the prominent individuals who have contributed to
the school’s success in the past and do so in the present are all graduates
of the Antelias Seminary.

The students then took to the stage, with representatives from the eleventh
and twelfth grades delivering speeches in Armenian and English about His
Holiness’ activeness and the achievements of his 10 year tenure.

“Nightingales of Kantsasar”, a children’s choir composed of students from
the second and third classes, entertained the audience with enthusiastic
songs.

Prelate Archbishop Hagopian delivered a speech outlining His Holiness’
international efficacy, particularly in the international ecumenical,
inter-faith and political fields.

His Holiness then delivered a lecture on the 1600th anniversary of the
Consecration of the Armenian Alphabet. He highly praised the students, the
administration, teachers and the board of trustees, emphasizing the
importance of remaining loyal towards Mesrob Mashdots and his work.

“Being an Armenian first and foremost means speaking in Armenian, reading
Armenian, writing in Armenian, singing in Armenian and opening to our
cultural values. Our nation receives its spiritual and national nourishment
from the Armenian language and culture,” said His Holiness.

“Therefore, the only language of conversation between us, Armenians, should
be Armenian. We will speak in various languages with foreigners, but we will
speak in Armenian with one another. Otherwise what value does this building,
which has been erected for you with such huge sacrifices, have? You give
life to this building with your pure Armenian language. Mesrob Mashdots
lives in this building when you speak with each other in Armenian,” he
continued.

His Holiness then blessed over 350 students with “Bahbanitch”.

His Holiness gave a press conference to the local Armenian and Canadian
media on the morning of September 30. The Catholicos focused on the role of
the church and the importance of finding better means of attracting the
youth.

Answering the questions of reporters, His Holiness also spoke about
advancing cooperation in the meeting places of religions and cultures in
multi-religious societies, in order to fight against globalization and its
threat to identities with united efforts.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the dioceses of
the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

GUILTY AS CHARGED
By Patrick Watson

Advertiser Adelaide, Australia
Oct 3 2005

AN INTERVIEW with Diamanda Galas is a bit like meeting St Peter. It
could go either way. “I’ve had eight or 10 interviews this morning.

Some journalists ask the most stupid f…ing questions. I might go
hang myself in the bathroom,” she says.

It’s the kind of threat that, perhaps, holds just a hint of truth.

After all, this is the same woman who wrote The S… of God, walked
the streets as a prostitute in Oakland, California, and has dedicated
four albums to the AIDS epidemic.

A classically trained pianist with an opera singer’s voice of four
octaves, Diamanda Galas has been performing her frighteningly haunting
ballads since 1978.

On her upcoming tour, Guilty Guilty Guilty, she promises a program
of homicidal love songs, including Johnny Cash’s Long Black Veil,
Edith Piaf’s Heaven Have Mercy, and Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome
I Could Cry.

They’re not exactly the kind of genres you’d associate with the gaunt
Galas, but at least the subject matter rings true. “Morbidity and
depression aren’t fascinating. It just happens to exist in everything,
like everything else. I’ve my share of the s… that life is composed
of,” she says.

“The stoics said if you expect from life only happiness, you’re a
fool. They had it figured out. I don’t make it up. I’m not fascinated
about going through morbid states, but when I talk about it, I talk
about it in an undiluted way.”

The LA Weekly called her “the original badass musician”.

It seems to make sense, particularly for the blatantly nonconformist
artist who has previously written works such as Plague Mass, Concert
for the Damned and something called Defixiones, a meditation on the
Armenian genocide and the politically co-operative denial of it. She
is, she confesses, a ratbag of the worst kind and rejects most of
what society has to offer.

“It’s just a different way of doing it. People think that’s so
depressing and so desperate and it’s so this and that. In fact,
there’s no more to it than Greek women who mourn the dead saying
hello to those below,” she explains.

“It’s not scary music. What is scary to me is not to be able to
express myself. Not expressing myself, now that’s really scary.”

Asked what she thinks about being labelled the “princess of darkness”
and she is outraged: “I’m not the princess, I’m the queen of
darkness. I don’t address these things at all.”

She also hates the term “Goth”: “In America, you’re either black,
white or Hispanic. They look at my white skin and black hair and say
Gothic. They don’t see that I’m Greek.

“Lots of people come up with different opinions. I just do what I do.”

Which includes, of course, her legendary fascination with AIDS:
“When I become involved with an issue like that, it’s not going to
last just two months. It’s a lot of work. It takes years to get to it.

“You have to look at opportunistic infections, medicines, suicide.

Most artists exhaust a subject in five minutes and tomorrow will be
in Hawaii.”

But despite the jutting bones, the black clothes, the skin pallor
and the pagan poetry, Diamanda Gala says she’s just a musician. And,
like many, she feels she’s often misunderstood. Not that she cares.

“I think I’m the most lovable individual in the f…ing world,”
she says.

“And, in case you’re wondering, I’m not going to go hang myself in
the toilet after this interview.”

Diamanda Galas performs Guilty, Guilty, Guilty at the Adelaide Town
Hall on October 16 at 8pm. Bookings at BASS.

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 2 2005

42-Year Old EU Journey at Critical Crossroads
By ALI IHSAN AYDIN

Turkey’s European Union (EU) journey began with the Ankara agreement
signed in 1963. If accession negotiations begin on October 3, the
long period of “promise for marriage” without engagement will finally
be concluded.

The engagement period, which is predicted to last 10 to 15 years,
will begin, but no one knows whether this process will end in
marriage. Ankara says, “Let’s not water down business from the start;
engagement is for marriage.” EU is confused. It wants to insert the
condition, “Let’s remain friends if we do not marry” to the treaty.

The relations were frozen following the coup

Turkey, which preferred to stand with the West in regards to its
foreign policy following the World War II by becoming a member of the
European Council in 1949 and of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in 1952, applied to the European Economic
Community (EEC) for membership in 1959, during the premiership of
Adnan Menderes.

The EEC accepted the membership applications of Ankara and Athens in
the same year. The Ankara treaty, which is considered to be the
starting point of Turkey-EU relations, was signed three years later,
in 1963.

The Treaty, seen as a mark of Europe’s positive answer towards
Turkey’s marriage offer, envisaged a three-staged process of
preparation, transition and conclusion. Turkey would become a member
of the EEC only after passing through these stages.

Turkey could complete the transition period, which began with the
Value Added Protocol signed in 1973, with a 10 years delay, in 1995.

According to the Ankara Agreement, the transition period could last
up to 12 years. The relations with the EEC followed a path with ups
and downs bearing on the political developments in Turkey. EEC
decided to freeze its relations with Turkey on 22 January 1982,
following the military coup in Turkey.

Ozal’s demand satisfied in 1999

In the meantime, Greece, which had applied for EEC membership
together with Turkey in 1959, obtained full membership in 1981.

Three years before Greece was accepted, EEC called Turkey to
immediately file an application for full membership. However, Bulent
Ecevit, the Prime Minister of the period, declined the offer,
addressing the EEC representative who came to communicate the
invitation with: “We do not think to enter the EEC. For, if we enter
the EEC we will become your market. Our economy cannot stand this
partnership.”

Ankara made its application to the union for full membership in 1987
during the prime ministry of Turgut Ozal. However, the European
Commission (EC) rejected Turkey’s application in 1989 on the grounds
that the EEC could not accept it as a new member until it created its
own internal market.

Turkey continued to knock on EU’s door in the following years and
accomplished the 22 year period of transition on its way towards the
EU with the Customs Union Agreement in 1995 and started the final
period. The only target forTurkey from then on has been full
membership, which was also a target in the Ankara Agreement.

Turkey’s manner reflected

The EU announced Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Bulgaria,
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the Greek Cyprus as candidate
countries in the summit of presidents and the prime ministers in
Luxembourg in 1997. However, it did not give the candidacy status to
Turkey. In the summit, it simply noted Turkey was able to become a
candidate. As a response to this decision, Ankara suspended its
political relations with the EU.

The EU summit on 10-11 December 1999 in Helsinki started a new period
for EU-Turkey relations.

Turkey was accepted as a candidate in the summit. However, it is
noted that there were several reforms that Turkey had to accomplish
before becoming a member of the EU. Turkey started an expansive
reform process after the summit in order to accomplish the EU
criteria and has been continuing this process ever since. The
coalition government under the prime ministry of Ecevit abolished the
death penalty in 2002 as a historic step towards the EU. The
Copenhagen Summit on 12-13 December 2002 moved Turkey closer to the
EU. The council finally decided that negotiations would start without
any delays if Turkey accomplished the Copenhagen political criteria
by the December 2004 Summit. The Summit also decided that 10 new
candidates including Greek Cyprus would be members of the EU on 1 May
2004. As Greek Cyprus became a member of the EU, the, principle that
countries with boundary problems cannot be members of the EU was
violated.

December 17: Maddening night

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, that took office
in November 2002, showed great determination in the EU proccess and
passed the reform packages, which enabled Turkey to accomplish the
Copenhagen Criteria.. The European Commission noted on 6 October 2004
that Turkey fulfilled the political criteria and advised that the
negotiations should start.

The European Council (EC) decided on 17 December 2004 in Brussels on
the recommendation of the Commission that Turkey’s full-membership
negotiations should begin on 3 October 2005. The Council, however,
stipulated that Turkey must sign the Additional Protocol, which
extends the Customs Union Agreement to the new ten countries
including Greek Cypriots. The summit saw some crisis for a while due
to the fact that some members tried to win further concessions from
Turkey. The Turkish group, under the leadership of Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, set forth their final opinion in
scathing terms and left the room. British Prime Minister Tony Blair
managed to convince Erdogan to return to the meeting.

Last minute again, war of nerves again

Turkey signed the Additional Protocol on 29 July 2005, which
stipulated that the Customs Union should cover the 10 new European
Union (EU) member countries. Ankara issued a declaration saying that
the signing of the protocol does not mean the recognition of the
Greek Cypriots. As France showed a huge reaction to the declaration,
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin just emphasized the need
for Turkey to recognize the Greek Cypriots in order to be part of the
EU. The European Council did not, however, specify that Turkey’s
recognition of the Greek Cypriots was a prerequisite for the
negotiations, but the pressure on Turkey just began to increase. The
EU decided to publish a “counter declaration” in response to Turkey’s
refusal to acknowledge the Greek Cypriots. The EU member countries
had difficulty in reaching an absolute agreement about the counter
declaration, which specifies that Turkey should allow the Greek
Cypriots to use airports and seaports. Twenty-five EU member
countries were also unable to reach a definite agreement on “The
Framework Document”, which is intended to be a set of specifications
of the negotiations. The reason for the lack of agreement between
these countries resulted from Austria’s proposal of privileged
partnership. It is argued that Austria intended this proposal in
order to make it possible for Croatia to resume its previously
suspended negotiations. The EU Public Works Council will meet on
Sunday October 2 in Luxemburg to approve the Framework Document. The
document discloses that Turkey will not be eligible for a
full-membership before 2014 and the negotiations are open-ended.
Turkish officials refuse to go to Luxemburg as long as the content of
the Framework Document is unclear, adding that Turkey will not agree
to any option other than full-membership.

On the other hand, the EP took a decision at the general meeting on
September 28 in Luxemburg to postpone the approval of the Additional
Protocol to a later date, asking Turkey to acknowledge the so-called
‘Armenian genocide’.

Armenpress

KOCHARIAN, EU REPRESENTATIVE DISCUSS ENP, KARABAKH AND CONSTITUTION

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian and Heikki
Talvitie, a special representative of the UE to the South Caucasus,
discussed today issues related to preparation of a plan of actions, stemming
from Armenia’s inclusion into European Neighborhood Program (ENP).
Kocharian press office said the two men also discussed the latest
developments in the Karabakh conflict resolution process and referred also
to regional problems, as well as to the process of constitutional
amendments. Kocharian and Talvitie were reported to emphasize the
constitutional reform, describing it as ‘a new opportunity for Armenia to
advance and strengthen democracy.”

National Legal Internet Portal, Belarus
Sept 29 2005

Marina Dolgopolova: sincere bilateral interest in national traditions
is core of cultural cooperation between Belarus and Armenia

Cultural cooperation is an important component of the bilateral
relations between Belarus and Armenia, a component which has become
ever stronger over the recent years. Its core is sincere interest in
culture and traditions of the two peoples, a desire to promote
reinvigoration of what once was a single humanitarian space for the
today’s CIS countries, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenoipotentiary
of Belarus to Armenia Marina Dolgopolova told BelTA.

According to her the cultural cooperation between Belarus and Armenia
has notably invigorated over the recent years. Minsk widely
celebrated the 100th anniversary since birthday of a brilliant
musician Aram Khachiaturian. Last year Belarusian viewers got
familiar with the works of a famous Armenian Martiros Sarian. In the
near future the Belarusian capital is expected to host an exhibition
`Treasures of Echmiadzin’.

Yerevan held a large-scale photo-exhibition `The Heritage of Belarus’
which numbered 200 pictures illustrating centuries-old Belarusian
history. Today, Belarus and Armenia are mulling over the issue to
hold an exhibition of works of Mark Shagal. A book of his poetry has
already been published in Armenian.

According to Marina Dolgopolova, in 2004 for the first time Armenia
played host to the Days of the Belarusian Television organized by the
National State TV and Radio Company of Belarus and the Public TV and
Radio Company of Armenia. In May 2005 the return Days of the
Television of Armenia were held in Belarus.

The Public Television of Armenia broadcast live concert programs of
the international art festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2004 and
in 2005. Besides, this year minister of culture and youth of Armenia
Ovik Oveyan was an honorary guest of this international forum. And
singer Kristi of Armenia participated in the contest of young
singers.

The diplomat believes that intensifying the cooperation between
Belarus and Armenia in culture promoted building up of the
legal-treaty base: in 2003 the culture ministries of Belarus and
Armenia concluded cooperation agreement and a plan of actions for
2005-2007 in 2004.

The television companies of the two countries signed the agreement to
bring the cooperation onto a new level. According to Marina
Dolgopolova, the move would let the citizens of the two countries to
learn more about socio-political, economic and cultural lives of the
two countries.

Marina Dolgopolova noted the role of the Belarusian diaspora in
popularizing the history, culture, national traditions of Belarus and
the Belarusian language in Armenia. Though being few (about 200
ethnic Belarusians) the community `Belarus’ with assistance of the
embassy takes an active part in the Slavic written language days,
children’s music festivals of the national minorities of Armenia, art
and folk art exhibitions. The community `Belarus’ was awarded
honorary diploma of the culture ministry of Armenia in 2004 at the
art festival of national minorities.

TRIAL OF AZERI OFFICER RESUMES IN HUNGARY

Space TV, Baku, in Azeri
27 Sep 05

[Presenter] The trial of Ramil Safarov, an officer of the Azerbaijani
army, who is charged with murdering Armenian officer Gurgen
Markaryan, is coming to an end in Budapest at the moment. Another
officer of the Armenian army testified in the first part of the
trial. Safarov’s defence lawyer Adil Ismayilov has details from
Budapest.

[Ismayilov by telephone] The Armenian officer testified during the
trial and said that Ramil had tried to kill him as well. In turn,
Ramil denied his accusations. There were some contradictions in his
testimony, which is why defence lawyers examined them and filed a
protest.

Moreover, we have experts here and they will be questioned as well.
One of them has already testified and the other one will testify
soon.

CHINA TO PROVIDE GRATUITOUS AID OF 10 MLN YUANS FOR ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2005

BEIJING, SEPTEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by Artashes
Tumanian, Head of the RA Presidential Administration and Chairman
of the Armnenian part of the Armenian-Chinese Trade and Economic
Commission, left for Beijing on September 26 in order to participate
in the fourth sitting of the Commission.

During the meeting with Chinese Deputy Minister of Trade Tszin,
the sides presented to each other the process of economic reforms
in Armenia and China and discussed the prospects of developing the
bilateral economic cooperation. It was noted that the realtions between
the two countries in the political, economic, cultural, scientific and
other spheres started developing intensively after the establishment
of diplomatic relations between Armenia and China in 1992.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, at the end
of the sitting on the first day, an agreement was signed, under which
China will provide a gratuitous aid of 10 mln yuans (about 1 mln 120
thousand USD) for Armenia.

The Commission’s sitting was continued on September 27.

AZERBAIJAN NOT TO TAKE PART IN NATO PA ROSE-ROTH SEMINARS IN YEREVAN

Pan Armenian News
27.09.2005 03:37

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Representatives of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan
will not participate in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Rose-Roth
seminar of the scheduled in Yerevan October 6-9, Press Secretary of the
Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan Ramiz Melikov stated. “We do not have
information about the NATO meeting in Armenia yet. If the meeting is
held nevertheless, representatives of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan
will not participate in it,” R. Melikov said. Meanwhile, Chairman of
the Armenian Standing Parliamentary Commission on Defense, National
Security and Internal Affairs Mher Shahgeldyan stated last week that
60 MPs from 22 countries had agreed to participate in the Rose-Roth
seminar. Nagorno Karabakh settlement, regional cooperation, army and
police reforms are matters to be discussed in the course of the event.

Armenia is ready to receive Azeri representatives at that ensuring
their security, M. Shahgeldyan also remarked, reported RFE/RL.

GROUPS IN SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI ADVOCATE AUTONOMY

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Sept 26 2005

A group of non-governmental organizations based in Georgia’s southern
region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which is predominately populated by
ethnic Armenians, held a conference on September 23-24 and discussed
current problems in the region.

In a resolution adopted at the conference, the Council of Armenian
non-governmental organizations in Samtskhe-Javakheti called on the
Georgian leadership to consider granting autonomy to the region with
“broad authority for self-governance, including the right to hold
elections for all bodies of governance,” the Russian news agency
regnum reported on September 26.

Text of the resolution also says that by offering the broadest form of
autonomy to South Ossetia and Abkhazia the Georgian authorities are
“discriminating other ethnicities living in Georgia – the rights of
[other ethnicities] who have demonstrated civil loyalty are being
ignored.”

“Meanwhile, those regions who have violated the country’s territorial
integrity [South Ossetia, Abkhazia], are offered solutions, which
should also be available for [ethnic populations] densly residing in
some of the regions of the country,” the resolution says.

Participants of the conference stated that a federal arrangement
of Georgia could be the best solution to the problem and called on
the Georgian leadership to consider creating a “Samtskhe-Javakheti
Parliament through free and direct elections, which would be authorized
to carry out cultural, education social and economic policies, as
well as [will be authorized] to protect public order.”

OSKANYAN IS ALMOST ITALIAN

A1+
| 17:41:24 | 26-09-2005 | Official |

On September 24 in Verona, Italy, the RA Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan was awarded the “Great Venice Gold Award” (Grosso d’Oro
Veneziano). Oskanyan was awarded the medal of the Italian MASI Fund
for his contribution to the process of Armenian integration into
the European structures and the enhancing of the Armenian-Italian
relations.

In this connection Vardan Oskanyan made a speech in the 25th solemn
ceremony in the Verona St. George Church of the 8th century where
he referred to the determination of Armenia to develop according to
the European standards, to the inner development of the country, the
Armenian-Italian relations, as well as represented the events of the
Armenian-Italian friendship days to be organized in Yerevan in October.

The MASI fund was founded and is now headed by the inheritors of the
Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Every year distinguished representatives
in the literature, art, science, and economy fields are awarded these
medals. They are usually awarded to Italians.

Up to now the only foreign politician who had won the award was the
former President of Slovenia Milan Kuchan.