Author: Torgomian Varazdat

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

October 14, 2004
___________________

UNITED NATIONS COMMUNITY WELCOMED AT ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL

By Jake Goshert

With drums and energetic voices, the Yared Ethiopian Choir welcomed the
Holy Spirit. In Syriac, the Syrian clergy offered the Lord’s Prayer and
other prayers for peace. Those in the congregation spoke with many
toungues, but all had come to New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral on
Tuesday, October 12, 2004, for one purpose: to pray for peace.

“We come today to witness as Orthodox Christians to our respective
communities, and to the world at large,” said Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean
of St. Vartan Cathedral, as he welcomed about 250 people to the 4th
annual Orthodox Prayer Service for the United Nations Community. “We
are here to say we are part of this greater community, and it is for the
world and for peace that we come together to offer our prayers.”

Organized this year by the Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church for
the Eastern United States, the event brought together the Oriental
Orthodox churches — the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Malankara, and
Syrian — with their Eastern Orthodox sister churches — Albanian,
American Carpatho-Russian, Antiochian, Bulgarian, Greek, Orthodox Church
in America, Romanian, Serbian, and Ukrainian.

The annual event is designed to promote a pan-Orthodox voice in the
international community. Dozens of U.N. ambassadors from around the
world were in attendance at the service, which was dedicated this year
to overcoming violence in the world.

“As Christians, we are called upon to be peacemakers,” said Metropolitan
Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim, Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese
for the Eastern United States. “By virtue of our baptism, we are given
the charge to deliver His good news of peace, which He promised to those
who followed His word.”

Guest speakers from the U.N. community included Kaha Chitaia, deputy
permanent representative of Georgia to the United Nations and Ambassador
Teruneh Zenna, deputy permanent representative of Ethiopia to the United
Nations. They spoke of the role religious organizations play in
promoting world peace.

“Religion should serve to promote peace and understanding,” Ambassador
Zenna said. “But we should not forget that if misused, religion can
serve a destructive end as well.”

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent a personal message to the group
via his personal representative, Undersecretary-General Giandomenico
Picco.

“We need more than ever the contribution of men and women of faith to
extend and promote dialogue,” read the statement. “It is assuring to
know you’ve gathered in celebration of your commitment to overcome
violence in the world. There has never been a more pressing need for us
to promote greater tolerance and understanding of all people in the
world.”

The U.N. Orthodox prayer evening is organized annually by the Joint
Commission of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, the broadest forum
of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox cooperation in North America.
Established in 1996 by the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox
Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) and the Standing Conference of Oriental
Orthodox Churches in America (SCOOCH), the commission works to promote
dialogue, organize joint educational initiatives, and provide a common
voice on political, social, and moral issues.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), and Bishop Dimitrios, of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, serve as co-chairmen of the commission.

“It is important that we all come together as children of the Lord.
Only through such dialogue and togetherness can we bring about peace,”
Archbishop Barsamian said.

Earlier in the day the Primate and Bishop Vicken Aykazian, diocesan
legate and ecumenical officer, welcomed to the Diocese for a reception
in his honor Mor Gregorius Yohanna Ibrahim, the Syrian Orthodox Church
leader in Aleppo, Syria.

— 10/14/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), reads a prayer during the
4th annual Orthodox Prayer Service for the United Nations Community at
St. Vartan Cathedral on October 12, 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Bishop Vicken Aykazian, legate and ecumenical
officer of the Eastern Diocese, reads a prayer during the Orthodox
Prayer Service for the U.N. Community at New York City’s St. Vartan
Cathedral on Tuesday, October 12, 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Clergy from 14 Orthodox churches — including Fr.
Simeon Odabashian, pastor of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of
Providence, RI, second from right — took part in the U.N. prayer
service organized by the Joint Commission of Eastern and Oriental
Orthodox Churches.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): Leaders from the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox
churches gather at the altar of the St. Vartan Cathedral in New York
City following the 4th annual Orthodox Prayer Service for the United
Nations Community on Tuesday, October 12, 2004.

# # #

Levitin says Armenia 3rd in CIS in terms of Russian investment

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
October 13, 2004

YEREVAN, Oct 13 (Prime-Tass) — Armenia occupies third place among CIS
countries in terms of Russian investments into the country’s economy,
Russia’s Transportation and Communication Minister Igor Levitin told
an international economic forum Wednesday.

Levitin said, “Russia’s investments into Armenia’s economy have been
in different sectors of the economy, but mostly in the industrial
and banking sectors.”

In 2003, Russia’s direct investment in Armenia’s economy amounted to
U.S. USD 68 million, accounting for 44% of total foreign investments
in the Armenian economy. End

Yeshiva student arrested for brawl with clergy
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS

Jerusalem Post
Oct 10 2004

An Israeli Yeshiva student who spat at a Sunday morning procession
of Armenian clergymen in Jerusalem’s Old City and then scuffled with
them was placed under arrest, police and church officials said.

There were no injuries reported in the morning melee, but a chain of
the deputy Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem was broken during the brawl.

Police said that the suspect, a resident of the southern Israeli city
of Beersheba who was studying at a Jerusalem Yeshiva, claimed that
he spat at the procession of clergy “in order to protest idolatry.”

The suspect was to be remanded in a Jerusalem court Sunday afternoon.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Oct 9 2004

VISIT OF FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN TO ITALY
[October 09, 2004, 13:12:03]

On 6-8 October, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar
Mammadyarov on the invitation of senator of the Veneto region Mr.
Juseppe Gaburro has been with an official visit to Italy.

As was informed to AzerTAj from the press center of the ministry, the
purpose of visit to Veneto consisted in carrying out of meetings with
business circles of region, giving information on economic
opportunities of Azerbaijan and carrying out discussions in the field
of attraction of the local companies to Azerbaijan.

At the city of Abano Terme, province of Padova, there started a
conference on presentation of Azerbaijan. President of the province,
heads of local law-enforcement bodies, Mayor of Abano city, rector of
the Padova University, other officials attended the meeting held at
the business center with participation of 100 companies. The Chamber
of Commerce of Padova and the Azerbaijan-Italy Chamber of Commerce
just functioning in Italy organized the event.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in his remarks at the conference informed
about important geo-politic and economic situation of Azerbaijan, its
rich natural resources, the successes achieved at macroeconomic
level, large power projects carried out in the country. Having noted,
that development of non-oil sector is a priority question with a view
of branching of economy in Azerbaijan, the Minister has stopped on
the ample opportunities available in the field of agriculture,
manufacture of chemical, textile-knitted wear, food production, in
spheres of tourism, processing of leather, etc. He has emphasized
wide experience of the small and medium companies of Italy in these
spheres, has invited them to Azerbaijan. Then, the Minister has
answered questions of participants of action.

Elmar Mammadyarov has met in Venice Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Veneto region Ms. Marialuisa Coppola. At the meeting, discussed
were the question of establishment of direct communications between
Azerbaijan and Veneto, value of economic experience of Veneto.

At the meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of
Vatican Juseppe Loyano, on 7 October, were held discussions on
prospects of development of links, opportunities of opening in Baku
of diplomatic representatives of the State of Vatican, the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh problem, and also exchange of
vies on the international questions, in particular, position in Iraq
and Afghanistan.

The same day, Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov has met Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Italy Franco Frattini. The sides have emphasized high
level of relations between Azerbaijan and Italy in political,
economic, humanitarian spheres, value of the further development of
cooperation in the field of economy, in particular, in non-oil
sector. Discussions also concerned meetings and actions, which will
be carried out within the framework of the program of official visit
of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Italy forthcoming in
the first quarter 2005. At the meeting, the sides had exchange of
views concerning peace settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny
Karabakh conflict on the basis of norms and principles of
international law, and also the general position on the Caucasus.

At the meeting with chairman of the commission of foreign relations
of the Chamber of Deputies of Parliament of Italy Gustavo Selva and
Chairman of the Italian Senate Marcello Pero, discussed were issues
of present state of relations between two countries and
inter-parliamentary ties, the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh
conflict, global political problems.

RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER REMAINS CLOSED WITH OVER 1,000 VEHICLES STUCK

Armenian Radio First Programme, Yerevan
8 Oct 04

(Presenter) The Russian-Georgian border remains closed. It is not yet
known when it will reopen.

(Correspondent Tatul Akopyan by phone from Georgia) The
Russian-Georgian border remains closed. As has already been reported,
more than 1,500 vehicles have piled up on the Russian-Georgian
border. Most of them are heading for Armenia, some are delivering
various Armenian products to Russia and other CIS countries. The
condition of the Armenian drivers who are still on the so-called
“neutral zone” is very difficult. They must either wait till the
opening of the border, and is not known yet when this will happen, or
return to Armenia with cargo and pay extra transit duties.

The employees of the Armenian embassy in Georgia visited the Verkhniy
Lars checkpoint yesterday to familiarize themselves with the situation
on the spot and try to help the Armenian drivers. It must be noted the
Armenian drivers have been caught unawares. They are living in their
vehicles and the nights are very cold. There is also a bread problem;
people have spent all their money.

The number of people stuck at the border is less than 100; they are
bus passengers. After waiting for many days most of them returned to
Armenia or Russia. The Georgian authorities gave assurances that they
were ready to open the border for three hours but the Russian side
violated the agreement. Yesterday when we asked the Russian border
guards why they did not open the border, they answered that they had
received an order from on high not to.

The Russian border guards said that even if they opened the border for
three hours it would not be possible to allow more than 10-15 vehicles
to cross the border.

Tatul Akopyan, Tbilisi.

(Note: Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 1015 gmt 8 Oct 04 reported that
yesterday evening three lorries were able to cross the border with a
special load destined for the Armenian Nuclear Power Station)

Luchtzak Aviation, Belgium
Sept 30 2004

Rus sia stops providing aero-navigational services to some CIS
airlines
Posted on Friday, October 01, 2004 @ 8:43 AM CEST by sn26567

SN30952 writes “Beginning October 1, Russia plans to stop providing
aero-navigational services to the planes of several airlines from CIS
countries.
The ban will affect the airlines from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan
and Ukraine.
The majority of debts come from companies that have already gone
bankrupt or stopped flying to Russia. But this fact doesn’t bother
the Russian Transportation Ministry, which believes that in this case
the debts have to be repaid by the country’s authorities.

The debt of Armenian airlines which no longer fly to Russia amounts
to almost $2.7 million, while the airlines that still have flights to
Russia, owe $6,000. 16 Georgian airlines, which no longer fly to
Russia, owe the Russian authorities more than $3.6 million for the
flights between 1994 and 2001.
Kazakhstan owes $5.5 million, while 37 Ukrainian airlines owe more
than $5 million.
The Georgian side have left all of Russia’s requests without answer,
which means that Georgian airlines are likely to be banned from the
Russian skies for a long period.”

Georgian border closure not to affect Russian-Armenian relations – paper

Hayots Ashkarh, Yerevan
6 Oct 04

Text of Vardan Grigoryan report by Armenian newspaper Hayots Ashkarh
on 6 October “Situation at Verkhniy Lars and around it”

The fact that hundreds of lorries bound for Armenia have been stranded
at the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border is
being assessed differently.

The situation was created after the incredible terrorist act in Beslan
when the Russian leadership decided to close land borders with Georgia
and Azerbaijan. But this has affected Armenia more than the countries
mentioned. It turns out that due to limited communication
opportunities and the blockade imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan,
Armenia has found itself in this situation “through no fault of its
own”.

It has nothing in common with the rumours disseminated recently that
allegedly by closing the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint on the
Russian-Georgian border, Russia is trying to punish Armenia along with
Georgia for cooperation with NATO or for the intention to send
Armenian servicemen to Iraq. If Russia had really wanted to punish
Armenia, it could undoubtedly have found more effective levers.

This forcible step taken by Russia in the context of the antiterror
fight has created a very contradictory situation in both
Russian-Georgian and Armenian-Georgian relations.

The speaker of the upper chamber of the Russian State Duma, Sergey
Mironov, who was in Yerevan recently, promised that the situation
would be settled. Moreover, he hinted that the problem of the
Transcaucasus railway link to Sukhumi would be also
settled. Certainly, it is a very pleasant piece of news for Armenia,
but at present the settlement of such a complex problem is coming up
against the political dispute about the return of Georgian refugees to
Gali District, as well as the fact that the Sukhumi-Zugdidi sector of
the railway is badly damaged.

A question arises: Are these measures of Russia fruitful while it is
evident that terrorists penetrate this country through mountains and
gorges? Georgia, which has sea ports and receives large western loans,
does not at all submit to Russia’s requests to capture and extradite
them [terrorists] to Russia. Thus, the problem is not in closing the
Verkhniy Lars checkpoint but in turning the measures against Georgia
into “targeted” ones. We think that in this context economic and
political steps could be taken which will not directly affect
Armenia’s interests. This gives us the hope that they will finally
find mutually acceptable solutions that will take Armenian cargo
transportation out of this misunderstanding.

By the way, the closure of the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint may be used by
some forces to call into question Russian-Armenian strategic
partnership. Certain political forces in Armenia are interested in
this, they are spreading incredible rumours about Moscow-Yerevan
relations and politicizing the problem. But the majority of the public
understand that the situation created at the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint
is not that problem which can cast doubt on Armenian-Russian strategic
partnership. Russia is not the country which Armenia can have problems
with because of this kind of incidents. Thus, we are sure that today’s
search for mutually advantageous options to resolve the situation
created around the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint will yield positive
results and thwart all attempts to discredit Armenian-Russian
relations.

CARDIFF CITY COUNCIL RECOGNISES THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Following in the steps of Gwynedd County Council that recognised
the Armenian Genocide by a unanimous vote in March 2004,
Wales again leads the way today.

The Council of Wales’ capital City, Cardiff, has now officially recognised
the truth of the genocide by deciding to incorporate references to it in
its Holocaust Memorial Day service in 2005 and in future years.

We believe that this is the first time a major city in Britain (in this
case the capital of Wales) has decided to accord such recognition
to the Armenian Genocide in its Holocaust Memorial Day Service.

In a letter to Wales-Armenia Solidarity, an associate body of CRAG
in Wales, Councillor Rodney Berman, Leader of Cardiff Council, wrote:

Ref EM2071

29 Sept 2004

Following further consideration I am writing to inform you that we will
be incorporating specific reference to the Armenian Holocaust in the
commemorative service of 2005 and for future years.

I am sure this will meet with your agreement.

Councillor Rodney Berman
(Leader of Cardiff Council)
Leader’s Office
Room 525
County Hall
Atlantic Wharf
CardiffCF10 4UW

CRAG congratulates Cardiff for its charting initiative, and also thanks
Wales-Armenia Solidarity, and particularly Mr Eilian Williams, for the
tireless efforts expended toward this goal.

With HMD 2005 fast approaching, it is high time that due consideration is
shown to the Armenian British community in terms of the pain it carries
with the history and memories of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Armenian, Bulgarian leaders sign Karabakh communique

Mediamax news agency
5 Oct 04

YEREVAN

Armenia and Bulgaria welcome the intensification of talks in 2004 to
settle the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, said a joint communique signed
between Armenian and Bulgarian Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Georgi
Purvanov in Yerevan today.

“Both sides are united on an opinion that the conflict should be
resolved only peacefully,” the document said.

“Armenia and Bulgaria are expressing their support for the efforts of
the OSCE Minsk Group and its co-chairmen aimed at finding a lasting
and comprehensive solution acceptable for the sides,” the joint
communique by Kocharyan and Purvanov said.

Azerbaijan, Georgia reinforce links
By Christina Tashkevich

03/10/2004 22:58
The Messenger

An Azerbaijani governmental delegation including the country’s foreign
and education ministers continues its visit to Georgia.

The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov, already met with
President Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and the
Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili. Meanwhile the Minister of
Education Misir Mardanov brought humanitarian aid with him to
distribute to Azeri schools in Georgia. The Azeri schools in Marneuli
and Bolnisi regions will receive textbooks and computers as a gift
from the Azerbaijani government.

Georgia’s Minister of Education Kakha Lomaia has traveled to Georgian
schools in Azerbaijan in similar programs to deliver text books and
supplies.

Azerbaijan’s senior Islamic clergyman, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allakhshukur
Pashazade is also in the delegation and is participating in an
international religious conference in Tbilisi. Meanwhile, Pashazade
invited the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II to visit Azerbaijan in the near
future.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and the Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Zhvania discussed the future construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum
gas pipeline during their meeting on Tuesday.

The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will begin
only after the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is constructed
sometime in 2005.

According to Mamedyarov, they discussed other issues of bilateral
relations as well, including economic issues of cooperation. “We have
very good, useful and intensive exchange of opinions,” said the Azeri
foreign minister.

The Azeri media reports that the development of transport
communications between the two countries was also discussed at the
meeting.

Meanwhile, speaking at the Tuesday briefing Mamedyarov said, “There
are no problems in the relations of Azerbaijan and Georgia. There are
only issues which are being decided on in constructive ways.” He added
that both countries have common interests both “on the regional and
international level.”

Talking about Georgia’s possible role as a mediator in resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the foreign minister said, “Baku will only
welcome it if the Georgian side will show this initiative.”

During his visit to celebrate the ‘Contract of the Century’ on
September 20, Zurab Zhvania met with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev,
who expressed strong support for Georgia. President Aliev said, “A
successful Azerbaijan means a successful Georgia. And the welfare of
Georgia means the welfare of Azerbaijan.”

The Azeri president also declared that Baku supports Tbilisi in its
fight against “aggressive separatism” and recognizes the territorial
integrity of Georgia.