Author: Vardanian Garo

The state of democracy in Armenia
With Emil Danielyan

Moderator: Nicole Rosenleaf Ritter
Wednesday, July 7, 2004; 04:00 pm CET

In his recent article “A Dictator in the Making,” noted Armenian analyst
Emil Danielyan writes that repression against the political opposition “is
turning Armenia into a vicious police state where human rights are worth
nothing when they threaten the ruling regime?s grip on power.” Do you agree?
Mr. Danielyan will be on hand in a live discussion on Wednesday, 7 July, at
4:00 p.m. CET to discuss the situation in Armenia and to answer your
questions. Emil Danielyan works for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
bureau in Yerevan, where he is a correspondent and editor of the
Armenian-language daily news site He is also
a frequent contributor to TOL and other publications covering the
post-communist region. Join in the discussion on the 7th, or submit a
question in advance below.

The transcript follows.

Editor’s Note: Transitions Online moderators retain editorial control over
Live Internet discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests
and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Prague, Czech Republic: Hello and welcome to everyone who is joining us for
the discussion. Emil, thank you for being with us today.

Emil Danielyan: Thank you for this opportunity to communicate with your
readers.

Prague, Czech Republic: So what can be done to change the situation in
Armenia. Opposition did its best and got no result.

Emil Danielyan: It’s a good question which is difficult to answer. First of
all, the overall situation with human and civil rights in Armenia must not
depend on whether or not the Armenian opposition is fighting for regime
change. Those are natural rights that are guaranteed by Armenia’s
constitution and stem from its international obligations. I believe that
Armenian citizens must simply resist their country’s slide into
authoritarianism with various forms of peaceful protest. I, for example,
sympathize a lot with several local NGOs that have recently joined forces to
fight against the blatant human rights abuses. I wish more Armenians had
been involved in such activism. But my greatest disappointment is with the
West which has largely turned a blind eye to these alarming developments. If
the United States and Europe are unwilling to go to great lengths in
advancing Armenia’s democratization (which I believe they can), they must
admit that openly. That would be more honest than what they are doing now.

Minsk, Belarus: What is your opinion about the Dictator of Belarus ? Belarus
parliament adopted new law for KGB yerstoday.. KGB transform to stalin NKVD
of USSR Dr.Valery Hrytsuk [email protected] P.S. Armenia is near at
Belarus

Emil Danielyan: Frankly, I have no in-depth knowledge of Belarusian
politics. But I do know that the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko is arguably
the most undemocratic and authoritarian in Europe (the South Caucasus
included). It is “natural” for such regimes to rely heavily on a
Soviet-style security apparatus. Fortunately, Armenia’s political and media
environment is still more pluralistic than that of Belarus. However, the
overall direction in which my country is moving is certainly the one which
Belarus took when Lukashenko came to power a decade ago.

Yerevan, Armenia: Emil, when riot police attacked opposition supporters
camped out overnight on Baghramian Avenue during the early hours of the
morning, did you see any sign of provocation from the crowd that justified
the use of water cannon, electric batons and stun grenades? As I understand
that you had to literally run for safety during the attack, did you consider
identifying yourself as a journalist so as to avoid being beaten as Hayk
Gevorkyan was and so that you could cover events from the sidelines?

Emil Danielyan: I didn’t see any actions by the crowd that might have
provoked such a brutal reaction from the riot police. The protest was
absolutely peaceful. At that moment it didn’t really matter whether you are
a journalist, a woman or an elderly person. On the contrary, having a camera
was likely to get you in greater trouble. I was simply lucky to escape
unschathed.

Brussels, Belgium: Armenia’s defence minister, Serzh Sarkisian, is often
said to be the second-strongest man in the country. To an outsider, the
notion of an army man being so strong and the prominence of the army in
Armenian life since the Karabakh war seems profoundly disturbing and
ominous. How would you describe the relationship between Kocharian and
Sarkisian? Is Kocharian making any attempt to reduce the army’s influence?
Or is the army a weapon that Kocharian is completely confident about?

Emil Danielyan: The Armenian army as such does not have much influence on
politics and is not a separate institutionalized player as is the case in
countries like Turkey or Algeria. It’s just that Armenia’s defense minister
(a civilian) is the closest and most powerful associated of President
Kocharian. They have always worked in tandem, both in Armenia and Karabakh.
Serzh Sarkisian is indeed the second most powerful man in the country is
Kocharian’s most likely successor. His pervasive influence on economic
affairs is indicative of the serious problems with the rule of law in
Armenia. Lucrative business still requires strong government connections
here.

Taipei, Taiwan: If both Armenia and Azerbaijan are really eager to solve
their problems on Nagorno-Karabagh and Nakhichevan, why don’t move the
people (from NK to Nakhichevan and from Nakhichevan to NK) and then change
their names of both places (Nakhichevan as NK, and NK as Nakhichevan)?

Emil Danielyan: I don’t think the Armenians (especially those living in
Karabakh) and Azerbaijanis will ever agree to such an unusual solution. At
issue is Karabakh, not Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave. And as far as this
discussion is concerned, I must stress that the Karabakh issue is only
indirectly connected with domestic Armenian politics.

Vienna, Austria: In the West, we often hear about Armenia as relates to the
diaspora. What remains of the influence of the diaspora on the country these
days? Are they a help or a hindrance in moving Armenia forward?

Emil Danielyan: The Diaspora influence on Armenia’s political, economic and
social life has been marginal. They have rightly poured millions of dollars
worth of assistance into this country since independence, but have done
little to promote Armenia’s democratization and make its post-Soviet rulers
respect human and civil rights. For example, the only Diaspora reaction to
the dramatic events in Yerevan was a toothless statement by an
Armenian-American lobbying group calling for “dialogue” between the two
rival camps. Many Diaspora Armenians fail to understand that their
historical homeland can not become prosperous without having free elections,
freedom of speech, an independent judiciary and things like that. They often
dismiss international criticisms of the Armenian authorities’ human rights
record as being part of a U.S. ploy to make us stop campaigning for
international recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire and become dependent on modern-day Turkey. For them, the recipe for
development is nationalism, not liberal democracy. The Diaspora
organizations in the US and Europe must stop ignoring this country’s
fundamental flaws.

London, Britain: In the article that you wrote for TOL, you wrote about the
police being given “a new KGB-style function of keeping track of and
suppressing opposition”. How secret is this new role? How widely is this
known in Armenia, and do you get a sense of growing fear in the country?

Emil Danielyan: The revival of KGB-style policing is particularly visible in
small towns outside Yerevan where everyone knows each other, there is no
civil society and independent newspapers, and the authorities find it much
easier to persecute oppositionists. The recent draconian imprisonments of
several such activists are a vivid example of that. The entire
law-enforcement apparatus was given functions of secret police ahead of the
opposition campaign. That kind of policing has eased since the end of the
opposition rallies in Yerevan last month, but I have no doubts that it will
intensify again in the event of another anti-Kocharian campaign. As for a
sense of fear, I must admit that for the first time in my life felt kind of
scared while doing my job last April. If journalists experience fear during
their work then there is really something wrong with their country.

Armenia, Yerevan: Emil, you are considered one of the best and most
professional journalists in Armenia today and the authorities can’t be happy
with the coverage that RFE/RL gave to last year’s elections and the
opposition protests that occured in April and May. Do you ever feel under
pressure not to write some of the articles and analysis that you do? Has any
direct pressure been asserted on either yourself or RFE/RL? In general, are
journalists protected and able to work freely in Armenia?

Emil Danielyan: To my knowledge, there have been no instances of
intimidation or direct pressure on any of the RFE/RL reporters in Armenia in
recent years. Maybe the fact that we work for a US-funded broadcaster gives
us additional protection, I don’t know. But as I write in my article, the
April events saw the worst-ever violence against Armenian journalists. That
can not fail to make us feel more jittery, and I guess we now think more
about the consequences of our critical reporting than we did before this
crisis. But so far I have faced no government reprisals for freely
expressing myself.

Leipzig, Germany: Armenia’s history in the 1990s was turbulent and bloody,
with tanks on the streets and the 1999 massacre in parliament. What would
you say are the chief differences between then and now? Is the repression
and violence being perpetrated by Kocharian now really something new?

Emil Danielyan: The scale and the nature of the repressions is definitely
something new. After all, we didn’t have rank-and-file opposition activists
sentenced to 18 months in prison in the past. And it’s not an exaggeration
to say that Armenia has obvious political prisoners for the first time in a
decade. Fundamentally, Armenia’s current political system is no different
from what we had in the mid- and late 1990s. It’s just that there is now
more government recourse to brute force despite the fact that we a member of
the Council of Europe and should have been more democratic.

Yerevan, Armenia: Emil don’t you think that Armenia needs another 10 to 15
years of development to overcome all the hardships of transition period –
enough time for Komsomol activists to leave the sceen to new generation of
Armenian politisions.

Emil Danielyan: Well, there were plenty of Komsomol guys in East Germany,
Poland or Hungary in 1989, but that didn’t prevent those countries from
developing into established democracies. The problem is that Armenia’s
oligarchic system is becoming more and more entrenched and it could be more
difficult to change it in the future. Prospects for democratization should
improve if there is real economic development that would strengthen civil
society and make citizens less dependent on their government. But that
primarily depends on the overall situation in the South Caucasus, notably
the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Prague, Czech Republic: Emil, thank you very much for your thorough and
thoughtful answers, and thanks to all the people who sent in questions.
Please join us again for the next TOL discussion.

Emil Danielyan: Thank you too.

Azerbaijani soldier killed near disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory

AP Online
Jun 28, 2004

An Azerbaijani soldier stationed near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
territory was killed by gunfire that appeared to come from
Armenian-held positions, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Monday.

Private Elnur Aliyev died from a gunshot wound to his chest Sunday
evening in Agdam, which borders Nagorno-Karabakh, defense officials
said. The soldier, who was born in 1985, was buried Monday.

Azerbaijan and forces backed by Armenia fought a 1988-94 war over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a largely ethnic Armenian enclave inside
Azerbaijan. More than 30,000 people were killed and a million driven
from their homes during the conflict.

The Armenian-backed forces won control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seized
some surrounding Azerbaijani lands. Despite a cease-fire, the two
countries continue to face off across a heavily fortified no man’s
land, and shooting occasionally erupts.

At least four soldiers have been killed since the beginning of this
year, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said. Three civilians have also
died.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani authorities also reported that a 60-year-old
farmer was seriously wounded when his harvester struck a land mine on
Saturday. Eleven Azerbaijan citizens have been killed by land mines
this year, and nine injured, authorities said Monday.

Ex-Armenian foreign minister warns of “disastrous” consequences

A1+ web site
27 Jun 04

Commenting on [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan’s speech at a
session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the
head of the Centre for National and Strategic Studies, Raffi
Ovanisyan, said: “Regrettably, he has failed to present Armenia as a
democratic country. The domestic distrust, which has been prevailing
since the presidential elections, is conducive to this.”

The former foreign minister [under the Ter-Petrosyan government] is
advising Kocharyan: “The president of our country should first of all
have a mandate of 100-per cent public trust in all international
structures.”

Ovanisyan believes that if the domestic political situation continues
to remain alarming, nothing new awaits us in the near future: “The
domestic political infirmity poses a great threat to our foreign
policy, the consequence of which could be disastrous.”

Associated Press Worldstream
June 26, 2004 Saturday

Armenia will take part in NATO-sponsored exercises in Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, Armenia

Armenia will take part in NATO-sponsored exercises in Azerbaijan this
fall in spite of tensions between the two countries, a top Armenian
military official said Saturday.

Col. Murad Isakhanian, the chief Armenian representative at the Baku
planning conference for NATO’s Partnership for Peace maneuvers, said
Azerbaijan had given security guarantees for the Armenian contingent
at the Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises in the Azerbaijani
capital Baku in September.

Earlier this week, several protesters broke into the planning meeting
in Baku and called on Azerbaijan to stop negotiations with Armenia.
The incident highlighted tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh – a territory
disputed by both countries. Isakhanian and another Armenian officer
were among those attending the conference.

Protesters and hotel security guards suffered minor injuries in the
incident in the hotel. Eight people were detained by police.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave,
which Armenian forces seized from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. A
1994 cease-fire has largely held, but no final settlement has been
reached. Neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan are NATO members, but both
former Soviet republics participate in NATO’s Partnership for Peace
program.

Isakhanian said Saturday that Azerbaijani authorities had apologized
for the Baku incident.

Azeris protest in Strasbourg against Armenian leader’s visit

Turan news agency
23 Jun 04

BAKU

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan was met with a protest action
staged today by a group of Azerbaijanis outside the PACE
[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] building in
Strasbourg.

The action was organized by the congress of world Azerbaijanis, the
society of cultural relations and a local student organization of
Azerbaijanis.

The pickets chanted “Karabakh” and “Down with Armenian occupation”,
and demanded that the UN resolutions urging Armenia to vacate the
occupied Azerbaijani territories be enforced.

The picket was still under way when the Armenian president opened an
exhibition in the PACE lobby on the Armenian genocide by Ottoman
Turkey. The exhibition, organized by the Armenian side, features photo
materials and correspondence documents of researcher Fridtjof Nansen
who helped some Armenian refugees from Turkey at the beginning of last
century.

Bellona, UK
June 23 2004

EU is freezing 100m euros of aid to Armenia after refusal to shut
down its nuclear plant.

“Our position of principle is that nuclear power plants should not be
built in highly active seismic zones.”

It was said by Alexis Loeber, head of the EU’s delegation in Armenia,
BBC reported. The European Union, as part of its general policy
seeking the closure of elderly nuclear plants constructed in
territories of the former Soviet Union, agreed to give the grant aid
($122m) to Armenia for finding alternative energy sources and for
helping with decommissioning costs at the plant. In return, the
government in Yerevan would commit to a definite date for the plant’s
closure. “We cannot force Armenia to close the plant,” says the EU’s
Mr Loeber. “We feel that should definitely be well in advance of the
end of Metsamor’s design lifecycle in 2016.” The Metsamor plant has
no secondary containment facilities, a safety requirement of all
modern reactors, BBC reported.

Another concern is that due to border and railway closures with
surrounding territories, nuclear material to feed the plant is flown
into Armenia from Russia. “It is the same as flying around a
potential nuclear bomb,” says Mr Loeber. “It’s an extremely hazardous
exercise.” Areg Galstyan, the country’s deputy minister of power,
says $50m has been spent on upgrading safety at Metsamor. “It was a
big mistake to shut the plant in 1988,” says Mr Galstyan. “It created
an energy crisis and the people and economy suffered. Electricity
industry specialists say that due to the expansion and updating of
existing thermal and hydro-energy plants, the country has become an
electricity exporter in recent years. A major new power source will
come on stream in 2006 when a pipeline supplying gas from
neighbouring Iran is due to be completed, BBC reported.

At the same time PACE prepared four documents urging to close the
station. Despite some calls of international organizations to close
the station, the Armenian government did not respond to them.
European Union many times suggested Armenia to close Metsamor but
Armenia rejected them. As a result, European Union had to impose an
economic sanction on Armenia by refusing to allocate $100 million.
the
Armenian Trade Minister Chshmaritian reiterated Yerevan’s rejection
of the offer, saying that as much as $1 billion is needed for safely
shutting down Metsamor safely and putting in place an alternative
source of inexpensive energy. He added the Armenia-EU body decided to
set up a working group that will look into the issue in detail and
present its findings by the end of this year, Baku Today reports.

The Metsamor Nuclear Power plant produced 1.9 billion kilowatt hours
of electricity in 2003, or 36 percent of the total generation of
electricity in Armenia. ZAO Inter RAO UES, a subsidiary of Russia’s
Unified Energy System, and Armenia signed a contract in September
2003 to hand over trust management of the plant to Inter RAO UES.

Iranian Foundation To Present Parajanov Works

Tehran Times, Iran
June 23 2004

Tehran Times Art Desk

TEHRAN (MNA) — The Niavaran Foundation of Artistic Creations plans
to present movies, paintings, and collages of the Georgian filmmaker
and painter Sergey Iosifovich Paradzhanov during a program which will
start from June 24.

His films “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” (1964), “Color of
Pomegranate” (1968), “Legend of Suram Fortress” (1984), and “Ashik
Kerib” (1988) as well as two documentaries of Parajanov and another
documentary about him are scheduled to be screened at the
Cinematheque of the foundation until June 30.

The films as well as his works in painting and collage will be
reviewed by Vigen Barkhordarian from Armenia and the Iranian critics
and artists Robert Safarian, Tahmasb Solhju, Habib Derakhshani,
Ashkan Rad, Ahmad Mir-Ehsan, and Ya’qub Rashtian during the weeklong
program.

Parajanov (1924-1990) directed more than 15 films and several
documentaries. He also created many outstanding paintings and
collages, which are housed at his museum in Yerevan in Armenia.

NO INDEPENDENT MASS MEDIA

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 21 2004

The training with the topic “Monitoring of the mass media during
elections” organized by the Stepanakert Press Club with the financial
assistance of the international organization “Article 19” ended. The
topic of the third day was the activity of the non-governmental
organizations before elections as well as the cooperation of the mass
media and non-governmental organizations in conducting monitoring.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations took part in
the training on the third day: chairman of the public organization
“Institute of People’s Diplomacy”, coordinator of the international
organization “Caucasian Forum” on Karabakh Irina Grigorian, chairman
of the Association for Protection of Rights of NKR Citizens Georgy
Safarian, chairman of the public organization “Tradition” Valery
Balayan. The conductors of the monitoring asked them to tell about
their experience of election monitoring. According to G. Safarian,
five Karabakh public organizations took part in the monitoring for
transparency of the NKR presidential elections in 2002. There was
only one complaint at the Association for Protection of Rights of the
Karabakh Citizens, from candidate Albert Ghazarian whom the association
assisted to send the claim to the head public prosecutor’s office
(the town public prosecutor did not accept the claim). And on the
election day no violations of the law in effect were observed. Irina
Grigorian confessed that the monitoring started late therefore the
results were not complete. However, the first and small experience
will later become important basis by all means. Mrs. Grigorian also
informed that a club of non-governmental organizations operates
in Stepanakert, which involves about 10 public organizations. The
chairman of the public organization “Tradition” Valery Balayan
mentioned that if the experience of the observer is small, the
experience of the participant in elections is rather big. The first
election to the Supreme Soviet of the newly founded NKR in 1991 was
most fair and transparent. The question of propaganda of legislative
acts in the mass media and by non-governmental organizations was
also discussed. In this connection Alexey Koshel who conducted the
training mentioned that propaganda is a rather difficult problem
which requires long-lasting and determined work. According to him,
in Ukraine the school of political analysis is established which is
called for education of a new generation of analysts. He set forth
for discussion the problems of mutual understanding of journalists
and the mass media implementing monitoring. In this reference the
organization of coalitions (temporary associations of non-governmental
organizations and the mass media), press centers whose work will
become an important source of information for the mass media. The
peculiarities of coverage of the “black PR” during the elections were
also discussed. According to Mr. Koshel, extending truth to the reader
can be the only way to fight this phenomenon rather spread both in
the West and the entire post-soviet territory. Summing up the findings
of the three-day training, Alexey Koshel said, “In fact there are no
independent mass media.” Although he thinks that the tendency of the
mass media to become independent becomes apparent day by day. And in
this process the alternative mass media play a big role. The way-out
is self-organization and financial self-sufficiency by which the mass
media may certainly achieve at least relative independence. 

SUSANNA BALAYAN

June 17, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Distribution

Armenia Tree Project
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: 617-926-8733
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Armenia Tree Project Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Special Anniversary Event Held on June 5 in Boston

BOSTON – The Armenia Tree Project (ATP), one of the few Armenian
Diaspora-based environmental protection organizations working in
Armenia, held a special celebration event on June 5 commemorating 10
years of greening Armenia. The event was held in the Grand Ballroom
of the Seaport Hotel.

The evening’s program included award presentations, congratulatory
messages, and honorary speeches as well as dinner and dancing, with
musical performances by Artie Barsamian’s Big Band, the Seventh Veil,
and the Richard Hagopian Ensemble.

Ms. Stella Aftandilian, the 10th anniversary committee co-chair,
opened the program by welcoming and thanking the nearly 600 attendees
and guests. Several dignitaries were present at the event, including
Armenian Ambassador to the US Dr. Arman Kirakossian, US Congressman
Edward Markey, and State Representative Peter Koutoujian.

ATP Executive Director Mr. Jeff Masarjian was the program’s first
speaker, who briefly discussed the progress the organization has made
since 1994.

“The ATP has planted and restored over half a million trees in
Armenia, while providing jobs for hundreds of people, Mr. Masarjian
explained. “Our plans for the next decade include expanding our
community reforestation programs in partnership with villagers and
other organizations, which will also provide social and economic
development opportunities. Our new tree nursery in Vanadzor will
produce over one million saplings each year to begin reforesting the
devastated landscape of Armenia.”

Mr. Masarjian then introduced a film depicting the ATP’s new
reforestation and poverty reduction programming in remote Armenian
villages. The 18-minute long film was produced and directed by Kennedy
Wheatley of Los Angeles.

Following the film, 10th anniversary committee co-chair Mrs. Annie
Balikian announced that over $1 million had been raised thus far
in honor of the ATP’s 10th anniversary. These collected funds will
provide a firm foundation for expanding the ATP’s community forestry
and economic development programs and launching its large-scale
reforestation program in the northern city of Vanadzor.

Several ATP staff members based in Yerevan were also in attendance,
including Country Director Susan Yacubian Klein, Deputy Director Jason
Kauffeld, and Program Managers Anahit Garibyan-who is the ATP’s first
Yerevan staff member-Samvel Ghandilyan, and Tigran Palazyan.

Ms. Garibyan discussed the history of the ATP’s activities in Armenia,
and how the two-person staff was at first equipped only with a donated
laptop computer, working in a corner of the Armenian Assembly of
America’s Yerevan office. She commented on how far the organization
has grown, citing its multiple accomplishments and the increase of
the Yerevan office staff to over 45 employees.

Ms. Carolyn Mugar, the ATP’s founder, presented a brief history
timeline of the organization and how it came into existence, beginning
with her 1993 visit to Armenia. She honored Dr. Nora Gabrielyan, who
holds a PhD in botany and is the author of over 16 books studying
Armenia’s diverse plant life. Dr. Gabrielyan spoke about Armenia’s
unique and varied ecosystems and identified examples of rare and
endangered flowering plants that rely on rapidly disappearing forest
habitats.

“The forests, which recently covered only 10% of the territory of
our country, now cover even less,” Dr. Gabrielyan explained. “If
trees are chopped down without any plan or thoughtful system, the
consequences will affect everything-underbrush with rare plants
immediately disappears, the rain washes away soil, springs dry up,
the biodiversity becomes impoverished, and the climate changes.”

Dr. Gabrielyan is the first recipient of the John T. O’Connor
Environmental Activist Award, which was presented to her by
Ms. Mugar. Additionally, Dr. Gabrielyan has been awarded a $25,000
grant by a private donor for publishing her latest book, printed
in English and Armenian, titled the “Illustrated Guidebook-Index of
Armenian Flora.”

Ms. Mugar continued by honoring Ms. Regina Eddy, ATP’s former Executive
Director, for her tireless efforts in guiding the organization during
its early years. She revealed that Ms. Eddy rose to the challenge of
spearheading the organization’s initial project planning by performing
extensive research on Armenia’s biodiversity as well as the grave
environmental risks facing the country in modern times. Ms. Eddy was
honored with a special plaque commemorating her achievements, which
was accepted by her close friend Ms. Ellen Kurz, due to Ms. Eddy’s
inability to attend the program.

Another advocate recognized for the preservation of Armenia’s
environment was Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, who passed away earlier this
year. He was a founding member of the Land and Cultural Organization
and was the chief planner for the renovation of St. Gevorg of Moughni
Monastery in Armenia, having also planted several hundred trees
in its surrounding environs. He also served as an advisor to ATP’s
programs in Armenia and inspired the planting of over 19,000 trees
at 51 church sites during ATP’s 1700th Anniversary of Christianity
in Armenia tree planting campaign in 2001.

Mr. Robert Aram Kaloosdian, ATP advisor and supporter, gave closing
remarks and made reflections on the importance of the organization’s
undertakings. Ms. Mugar and her late parents, Stephen and Marion
Mugar, were also honored for their long-standing commitment to Armenia,
as plans were revealed to develop a special site for reflection and
contemplation at the Tsitsernakerberd Armenian Genocide Memorial
in Yerevan.

The organization is now gearing up to expand its programs in Armenia,
which will include large-scale reforestation, social and economic
development in rural villages, public education, and the promotion
of sustainable forest management policies.

The ATP is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1994
during Armenia’s darkest and coldest years with the vision of
safeguarding Armenia’s future by protecting its environment. Funded
by contributions from Diasporan Armenians, the ATP has planted and
rejuvenated 531,000 trees at more than 400 sites ranging from Gyumri
to Goris.

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:

June 16, 2004
___________________

SEMINARY’S FUTURE FOCUS OF CELEBRATION

By Jake Goshert

They arrived at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary from Philadelphia and New
Hampshire, and everywhere in between. Some special guests flew in from
London, California, and Canada. The crowd of more than 150 included
senior leaders of the Armenian community and energetic toddlers. They
came to the seminary to honor the past by building for the future.

On Saturday, June 12, 2004, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and President of the
Board of St. Nersess Seminary, presided over a service blessing the
ground and cornerstones of the seminary’s future His Holiness Karekin I
Theological Center and St. Hagop Chapel.

“This is truly an extraordinary day in the life of the Armenian Church.
It is a day of new beginnings. A day of dreams reaching their
fulfillment. A day for setting our sights high, to a beautiful,
promising vision of the future,” said Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.
“Clearly, it is a day of transforming significance for St. Nersess
Armenian Seminary. It is also a day — I deeply feel — which will have
great and fruitful consequences for the Armenian Church as a whole.
Without a doubt, this monumental new center is our doorway to a bright,
glorious future”

MIND AND SPIRIT

The new Catholicos Karekin I Theological Center, skillfully designed by
architech Armand P. Avakian, will feature a two-story complex which will
include a library that will house the Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan Library
collection of books,a high-tech lecture hall, seminar facilities, and
offices.

The St. Hagop Chapel, to be built adjacent to the new academic center,
will serve as a proper place of worship for the seminarians at St.
Nersess.

“I am convinced the Armenian Church has two pillars upon which our
identity rests, and our future rests,” said Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean
of St. Nersess Seminary. “Our future rests upon our faith, which is
experienced in prayer. Secondly, it rests upon learning and studying
the glorious faith and traditions of our parents, grandparents, and
ancestors. The only road ahead for the Armenian Church in America, is a
road to a church that has in its midst a spiritual and an academic
center.”

The new space is needed at the seminary, which this September will have
12 students, including eight studying full-time as they prepare to enter
the priesthood.

“We are reaching a new level in the vision of Catholicos Karekin I, of
blessed memory. His vision, though, remains our challenge: To raise
knowledgeable, able, and faithful clergy to lead our church,” Fr.
Findikyan said. “We have already begun to produce a generation of
clergy in whom we can be proud, a generation which will inspire people
throughout the world with their faith.”

HONORING A FRIEND

Haig and Elza Didizian, whose ties with His Holiness Karekin I, of
blessed memory, the late Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, go back more than 40 years, personally tended to the
Catholicos during the illness that would ultimately claim his life. It
was during that time that Haig Didizian promised to fulfill Vehapar’s
wish for a theological center of higher education that would benefit all
Armenian clergy.

The Karekin I Theological Center is being funded by Haig and Elza
Didizian, who donated $1.6 million in honor of their late friend the
Vehapar.

“The Armenian Church has always been the strongest force in bringing and
keeping the Armenian community together,” said Mr. Didizian during the
ground blessing ceremony. “This center is a necessity, not a luxury,
for coming generations. Ensuring that Vehapar’s wish would become a
reality is an honor and an act of love.

“We are confident Vehapar’s legacy will prove to be immortal,” Mr.
Didizian added. “Our children and grandchildren will be able to know
him through his writings and recordings and, ultimately, through the
institution we are dedicating today.”

Furthermore, Haig and Elza Didizian, their children Marly, Hagop and
Donna, Chris and Caroline, and Haig’s late brother Setrak Didizian’s
fund, will be joined by Haig’s siblings Mr. and Mrs. Albert and
Dikranouhi Margossian, Mr. and Mrs. John and Mary Aslanian, Dr. and Mrs.
Ara Ankine Dakessian, and Dr. and Mrs. Noubar and Elizabeth Didizian, in
donating $800,000 to build the St. Hagop Chapel in memory of their
father and grandfather, Mr. Hagop Didizian, founder of the family
company, established in 1923, and their mother and grandmother, Mrs.
Khengaper Didizian.

The completion of the St. Hagop Chapel and the His Holiness Karekin I
Thelogical Center is scheduled for the later part of 2005.

Haig and Elza are also the sponsors of the publication of the complete
works of the late Catholicos Karekin I. Three of those volumes have
already been published.

About 100 community leaders attended a dinner hosted by Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian at the Diocesan Center in New York City on Friday, June
11, 2004 — organized by Vicki Hovanessian and emceed by her husband,
Dr. Raffy Hovanessian, a member of the St. Nersess Board who served as
master of ceremonies during the ground blessing service — to pay
tribute to the Didizians. During the dinner, several friends spoke of
the love and generosity of the Haig and Elza Didizian.

“Haig proved he was really a friend of Vehapar, because he has been
doing everything humanly possible to make sure people don’t forget him,”
Mr. Kevork Hovnanian said. “We both believe the church has been our
anchor for 1,700 years, and it is important to have a strong church.
And to have a strong church, you have to have able clergy, which was
Vehapar’s dream. I hope that dream will be accomplished when we see
graduates from St. Nersess who have studied at this library and prayed
at this chapel.”

“When Haig and Elza love somebody their love is limitless,” said Dr.
Haroutune Mekhjian. “Their love to Vehapar was legendary. During his
illness, they moved their home and business from London to New York City
to be with him. Every detail was taken care of. I remember how
tenderly Haig took the glasses of the Vehapar in his hands and gently
cleaned them. It is not surprising Haig and Elza decided to immortalize
our dear Vehapar by being benefactors of this theological center.”

The friends praising the Didizians’ generosity and love towards the
Vehapar, also detailed the immense need for the seminary’s expansion.

“The preparation of Armenian clergy with American backgrounds is
essential for the future of the Armenian Church,” said Mr. Hagop
Kouyoumdjian. “This princely donation is a way to achieve that. I hope
it will become an example for other benefactors.”

During the dinner held in honor of the Didizians, the Primate presented
the pair with the St. Vartan Award for their ongoing generosity and
devotion to the Armenian Church.

“This gift is truly an extraordinary example of the love and respect of
the Didizians,” Archbishop Barsamian said during a special dinner
honoring the Didizians at the Diocesan Center on Friday, June 11, 2004.
“They are true models of the virtues and blessings of the Armenian
Christian way of life. Their love for each other and their family, as
well as for the Armenian Church is beautiful to behold.”

— 6/16/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Haig and Elza Didizian — flanked by Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese and Archbishop Yeghishe
Gizirian, former Pontifical Legate and Primate of the Armenian Church of
Great Britain — break ground on Saturday, June 12, 2004, at what will
soon be the Catholicos Karekin I Theological Center and St. Hagop Chapel
at St. Nersess Seminary in New Rochelle, NY.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Hagop and Christopher Didizian join their parents as
the Primate blesses one of the cornerstones (donated by the Armenian
Mission Parish of Charlotte, NC) for the new center and chapel for St.
Nersess Seminary.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Priests, seminarians, and deacons sing during the
ground blessing service for the new academic center and chapel complex
at St. Nersess Seminary on Saturday, June 12, 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): A computer-generated view of what the completed
Catholicos Karekin I Theological Center and adjoining St. Hagop Chapel,
designed by architect Armand P. Avakian, will look like when completed.

PHOTO CAPTION (5): More than 150 people join in prayer during the
ground blessing ceremony for the new complex to be built at the St.
Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, NY.

PHOTO CAPTION (6): Archbishop Barsamian presents Haig and Elza Didizian
with the St. Vartan Award during a dinner at the Diocesan Center in New
York City honoring the couple on Friday, June 11, 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION (7): Guests look at the architectural drawings of the new
St. Nersess academic center and chapel complex during a dinner at the
Diocesan Center in New York City honoring the benefactors who are
underwriting the construction project, Haig and Elza Didizian.

PHOTO CAPTION (8): Armenian media interview the team from Armand P.
Avakian and Associates, the architects of the Catholicos Karekin I
Theological Center and St. Hagop Chapel to be built at St. Nersess
Seminary, during a special dinner on June 12, 2004, honoring the
benefactors of the project, Haig and Elza Didizian.

PHOTO CAPTION (9): Mr. Hagop Didizian, in whose memory, and that of
Mrs. Khengaper Didizian, the Didizian family is building the St. Hagop
Chapel at the St. Nersess Seminary.

PHOTO CAPTION (10): Mr. and Mrs. Haig and Elza Didizian.

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