Category: News

ArmenPress
March 10 2004

ARMENIAN NAVY BAND TO PERFORM IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Navy Band of Arto
Tuncboyacian, founded by the percussionist and vocalist of Armenian
descent, has again come to Armenia to celebrate here on March 13 the
opening of Avant-garde Folk Music Club and present their latest CD
called The Voice of Our Life.
Arto Tuncboyacian, percussionist and singer, was born in Turkey in
1957 of Armenian descent. One of his greatest influences of music and
life was his brother Onno, musician himself, who encouraged Arto to
develop his character not just as a brother but as a friend and as a
musician.
At the age of 11, he began his career playing and recording
traditional music with his brother establishing himself as a
professional musician throughout Turkey and Europe. In 1981 Arto
moved to United States to explore new creative influences and to add
a new dimension to his own vision of life. Since then, he has given
solo concerts of his own music throughout the world.
The group has performed very successful for the first time in
Europe in February/March 2000 in Italy, Germany, Austria and Spain
and during the second tour in October/November 2000 in Sardinia,
France, Brussels and Holland, after a stay in Istanbul for the
recording of the new album to be released in January 2001 for the
Turkish label Imaj Muzik.
The group is composed of twelve young Armenian musicians. The
compositions are all original of Arto Tuncboyacian which – using his
words – “have the sound of my life”; this music is pervaded by
sonorities taken from the Armenian and Anatolian tradition fused with
elements coming from different musical experiences, such as jazz,
among them. The Armenian Navy Band will stay in Armenia until April
10 to perform at the club.

ArmenPress
March 10 2004

COCA COLA BOTTLERS ARMENIA SAYS ITS DRINKS SAFE

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS: A senior representative of
Coca-Cola Bottlers Armenia brushed aside fears that locally produced
soft drink may be dangerous to public health. Fears appeared after
reports that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in India sold soft drinks
containing pesticides harmful to human health and misled India’s 1
billion people over claims that their products were safe for human
consumption. Tests by campaigners showed Pepsi’s soft drinks had 36
times the level of pesticide residues permitted under EU regulations
and Coca-Cola’s had 30 times the level.
Coca-Cola Bottlers Armenia representative said the concentrates
used for manufacturing Indian and Armenian DRINKS are different.
“Armenian Coca-Cola is safe for consumption,” he said, adding that
Coca- Cola Armenia, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Hellenic Holding,
receives the concentrate, like its 25 other subsidiaries in Europe,
from France, which meets all EU regulations and is regularly tested
by an Armenian laboratory and a centralized laboratory in Brussels.

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:

March 11, 2004
___________________

ARCHBISHOP MEETS WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), focused on the Diocese’s ecumenical work this week,
through a series of meetings with religious leaders from around the New York
City area.

On Monday, March 8, 2004, the Primate, along with Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean
of St. Vartan Cathedral, met with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the recently
installed head of the Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn.

The Primate knew Bishop DiMarzio from the many years he had been involved in
the Newark, NJ, Diocese. The Primate and Fr. Chevian congratulated Bishop
DiMarzio on his recent appointment to head the Brooklyn Diocese — which has
290 parishes and 135 schools — and presented him with an icon from the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

On Wednesday, March 10, the Primate had a lunchtime meeting with Bishop Mark
Sisk, head of the Episcopal Church in New York City. The discussion covered
a variety of topics of concern to both denominations.

Next week, the Archbishop Barsamian will attend a series of meetings and
events with All His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of the
Orthodox Church, who is visiting New York City and delivering a public
lecture on Thursday, March 18, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
City, which has an exhibition on Byzantium art.

“It is important to meet with other religious leaders, to educate them about
the vital Armenian Church and to learn from their experiences,” the Primate
said. “By working together we can further our individual relationships with
God.”

— 3/11/04

E-mail photos available on request.

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), presents Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio,
head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, NY, with an icon from the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin during a meeting on March 8, 2004.

# # #

Submitted by Janoyan Ana

ArmenPress
March 11 2004

INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT IN KARABAGH IRRITATES BAKU

BAKU, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijani authorities reacted
strongly to the first-ever international sporting event in Nagorno
Karabagh, a major chess tournament that was opened in Stepanakert
last Tuesday by a former world champion Boris Spassky. A statement by
Azerbaijani foreign ministry claimed that Armenian authorities
ignored FIDE’s calls not to hold the event and its warnings that the
tournament’s results would not be recognized.
However, the ten-day tournament that brought to Nagorno Karabagh
grandmasters from Armenia, Georgia, Switzerland, Poland, Latvia and
Iran was organized by the Karabagh government and is being held under
the auspices of the world chess governing body, FIDE and is dedicated
to the 75th birth anniversary of the late Tigran Petrosian, the
ethnic Armenian former world champion in the 1960s. Before the
official opening of the tournament, a welcoming letter from the FIDE
president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was read out in which he said he was
convinced that the holding of the international tournament in
Stepanakert will contribute to the development of the unique Armenian
chess culture.
The statement by Azeri foreign ministers said that “despite FIDE’s
warning Armenian and Karabagh authorities did not lose another chance
to stage a propaganda show.”

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
March 11 2004

Briefly

Brown to be guest on Zarian show

GLENDALE – Former Glendale Unified School District Supt. Jim Brown
will be tonight’s guest on “The Larry Zarian Forum.”

Brown, who retired in January, will discuss his accomplishments
during his tenure with the district, his plans for the future and his
community involvement in Glendale.

The show airs at 7 p.m. on Charter Communications Channel 26. To ask
questions during the show, call 547-3668.

Josh Kleinbaum

Science Olympiad deadline is Monday

GLENDALE – The Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America will have
its third annual Science Olympiad on March 28 at the Ribet Academy,
2911 San Fernando Road, Los Angeles.

Glendale students who want to enter the event must submit
applications by the Monday registration deadline. Glendale students
who want to participate must be of Armenian descent and enrolled in
grades six through 12.

Participating students have to submit science projects that fall into
the categories of engineering, physics and biological sciences.

Applications for the science fair can be downloaded online at
or by e-mailing aesa_olympiad2004 @yahoo.com. For
more information, call 662-0264.

Gary Moskowitz

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku, in Azeri
11 Mar 04

Azeri ombudsman urges interior chief to prevent police mistreatment

[Presenter in studio] Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova has appealed to
Interior Minister Ramil Usubov over the rude treatment of citizens by
the police. The Azerbaijani rights activist has sent another appeal
to her Hungarian counterpart.

[Correspondent] The ombudsman is expected to report on the human
rights situation at the Milli Maclis at the end of this month.
According to Azerbaijani ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova, her
institution has discovered that employees of the law-enforcement
bodies maltreat citizens. In this connection, an appeal has been sent
to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

[Suleymanova] We don’t have information that people are being
tortured by the police, but there is rude treatment. Our appeal also
concerns general improvements in the work of the police and the role
it can play in restoring human rights and in cooperating with the
ombudsman’s institute.

[Correspondent] The ombudsman also said that she had appealed to her
Hungarian counterpart asking for assistance in ensuring a fair trial
for Ramil Safarov who is suspected of killing an Armenian officer in
Budapest.

[Suleymanova] We have appealed to the Hungarian ombudsman over Ramil
Safarov’s case and I hope that this can contribute to the fair trial
of our citizen.

ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri
10 Mar 04

Azerbaijan protests against chess tournament in occupied Karabakh

Baku has demanded explanation from Georgia, Russia, Iran, Latvia,
Poland and Switzerland as to why they are sending their
representatives to a chess tournament organized by Armenia in
Azerbaijan’s Nagornyy Karabakh under occupation, the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry said in a statement circulated today.

The statement said that the Azerbaijani sports public had called on
the World Chess Federation, FIDE, to appeal to Armenia which is
controlling Nagornyy Karabakh and other Azerbaijani territories under
occupation [to call off the tournament].

FIDE issued a statement saying that it would not recognize the
results of the tournament. Nevertheless the Armenian government and
the puppet establishment under its control did not want to miss the
chance of staging another propaganda show.

The organization of such tournament in the occupied Azerbaijani area
despite FIDE’s official warning is an obvious example of Armenia and
the separatist forces which it supports using sports for their dirty
tricks. The countries which sent their sportsmen to Nagornyy Karabakh
should realize that Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s integral part and any
events held in this area without Azerbaijan’s consent are illegal.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

March 11, 2004

BYZANTINE EXHIBITION OPENS AT
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM WITH
ARTIFACTS FROM CILICIAN SEE
The much awaited exhibit Byzantium: Power and Faith, (1261-1557), will
open to the public on March 23 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
City. It will remain on view through July 4, 2004. The exhibit includes some
Armenian artifacts from that era-which is the Cilician period-that have been
loaned to the museum by the Catholicate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon.
Included in the exhibit are two manuscripts, one of which is the famous
Gospel of Partserpert, and the reliquary of the right hand of St. Nicholas.
Archbishop Oshagan will attend a special preview opening and dinner on
Monday evening, March 15, in the presence of His All-Holiness Bartholomew,
Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch.
This exhibit, which is the museum’s third major exhibition on Byzantium,
brings together some 350 masterpieces from churches, monasteries and museums
around the world to demonstrate the great flowering of art and culture
within the Byzantine Empire and among its East Christian rivals during the
Empire’s last centuries. Included are icons, textiles, metalwork, and
manuscripts made primarily for the Orthodox Church and other East Christian
peoples as well as paintings, manuscripts, and metalwork of the Latin West
and the Islamic world.

THIRD LENTEN LECTURE
CONTINUES TO EXPLORE THE FAMILY
The third Lenten Lecture, delivered by V. Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian,
pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, last night continued to explore the
general theme of the Family.
Rev. Fr. Muron focused on the family as a school of religious formation.
Using biblical references from both the Old and New Testaments, Hayr Sourp
described the characteristics of a family and especially the Christian
family. He described how religious education can be transmitted within a
positive environment in a family. He also spoke about the difficult teen-age
years with the many negative influences in society.
A question and answer period followed the lecture. A time of fellowship
was enjoyed by all of the attendees as discussions continued over a
satisfying Lenten meal prepared by the Prelacy Ladies Guild.
The Lenten Lectures are sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education
Council and the Prelacy Ladies Guild.

FOURTH LENTEN LECTURE WILL BE PRESENTED BY
REV. FR. KHATCHADOUR BOGHOSSIAN
Rev. Fr. Khatchadour Boghossian, pastor of Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey, will present the fourth lecture of the Lenten
Lecture series next Wednesday, March 17. Der Khatchadour will speak about
the Family as a Small Church.
The lectures take place at St. Illuminators Cathedral, 221 E. 27th
Street, New York City. Lenten service begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary,
followed by the lecture and fellowship in Pashalian Hall. All are welcome.

SEMINAR IN GRANITE CITY
SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 13
A seminar devoted to Badarak: Supreme Expression of our Communal
Spirituality will take place Saturday, March 13, at St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church, Granite City, Illinois. Deacon Shant Kazanjian, Director
of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), will lead the daylong
seminar.

PRELACY BIBLE STUDIES GROUP
WILL DISCUSS THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
The Bible Studies group that meets at the Prelacy every 1st and 3rd
Mondays of the month will discuss the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the
Christ, on March 22, 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. Deacon Shant Kazanjian leads the
discussions. The group plans to see the movie this Monday, March 15, in New
York City. For more information contact Deacon Shant, 212-689-7810.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT:
SUNDAY OF THE STEWARD
We have come to the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is the Sunday of the
Steward (Tntesi Kiraki). The reading on this day is from the Gospel of St.
Luke, chapter 16, verses 1 to 8, which relates the parable of The
Unrighteous Steward. This parable is about a shrewd rich and his steward.
The steward was one who looked out for his own personal benefit and through
his cunning arrangements made deals with those who were in debt to his
master. Jesus used this parable not to condone the behavior of the steward
but rather as an illustration of qualities that have a necessary place in
the life of true disciples. Since we are stewards of this world, we are
accountable to our Lord for the talents we have and that which has been
entrusted to us.
The Prelacy bookstore has several books on Armenian Church Feasts and on
the Lenten season leading to the Great Week. Visit the Prelacy web site,
for these and other books, or contact the
bookstore at 212-689-7810.

If you have family or friends who would like to receive our electronic
newsletter please send their names and e-mail addresses to
[email protected]

Visit our website at

Kavkasia-Press news agency, Tbilisi, in Georgian
11 Mar 04

Georgia introduces two-language ballot papers for ethnic minorities

Tbilisi, 11 March: Voters living in the Kvemo Kartli and
Samtskhe-Javakheti Regions [largely populated, respectively, by
ethnic Azeris and Armenians] will be provided with two-language
ballot papers [in the 28 March parliamentary election], Georgia’s
Central Electoral Commission [CEC] Chairman Zurab Chiaberashvili said
at the commission’s meeting today.

Chiaberashvili said that the ballot papers will be published in the
Georgian and Azeri languages in the Kvemo Kartli Region and in the
Georgian and Armenian languages in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region.

The CEC plans to publish 3m ballot papers for the entire country.

Also today, the CEC approved a sample ballot paper which lists
political parties and blocs participating in the elections. Names of
four of the [19] registered parties and blocs will now be listed in a
slightly revised form, as follows:

[No. 1] Socialist Party of Georgia – as “Socialist Party”;

[No. 5] Saakashvili – National Movement – as “National
Movement-Democrats”;

[No. 11] Motherland bloc – as “Motherland”; and

[No. 18] Freedom political movement – as “Freedom political movement
– Konstantine Z. Gamsakhurdia”.

These parties had themselves petitioned the CEC to change their
names.

Bilik Dunyasi news agency, Baku, in Russian
11 Mar 04

Over 1m dollars amassed in Azeri help-the-army fund

BAKU

The amount of funds amassed so far in the help-the-army fund of the
Azerbaijani armed forces totals 6.72bn manats [1.37m dollars]. A total
of 14,000 dollars have been transferred into the fund in foreign
currency, the press service of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has
told Bilik Dunyasi news agency.

The ministry spokesman, Ramiz Malikov, said that these donations
would not be spent on Azerbaijani officer Sr Lt Ramil Safarov who is
being charged with killing an Armenian officer in Budapest.

“The Azerbaijani president and commander-in-chief, Ilham Aliyev,
keeps the fund’s spending under his personal control,” Col Malikov
said.