GAZPROM HEAD AWARDED ST. MESROP MASHTOTS ORDER

Pan Armenian News
16.06.2005 07:36

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with
Chairman of Gazprom company Alexey Miller, reported the Press Service
of the Armenian leader. R. Kocharian handed Alexey Miller St. Mesrop
Mashtots Order that was awarded to him in compliance with a decree of
the Armenian President of June 15 for strengthening and development
of Armenian-Russian relations. In the course of the meeting the
parties discussed and said they were satisfied with ArmRosgazprom
activities. Besides, interlocutors discussed questions of building of
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline and other investment programs of Gazprom,
being implemented in the energy system of Armenia. The topic of
regional energy programs was also touched upon.

RUSSIAN EXPERT: ENOUGH BASES FOR NKR TO HOLD FAIR ELECTION

Pan Armenian News
16.06.2005 08:08

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I think the parliamentary elections in Nagorno
Karabakh will be one of the most transparent and fair ones in the
history of the Karabakh Republic and will continue the baton of
the latest democratic elections in the NKR”, stated Vigen Badalyan,
the leader of the Moscow Consulting Firm, which engaged in political
technologies and political consultations, reported the Press Service
of the NKR Foreign Ministry. According to the expert, the NKR has
enough bases for conducting fair and transparent elections. “Everything
depends on how well the observers from parties, candidates, alliances,
etc will work. For some reason, I am inwardly sure that no “faults”
or other violations will occur and voters themselves will not allow
it”, the Russian political technologist said. Vigen Badalyan was
at the backgrounds of the Karabakh television, has authored various
broadcastings of famous Russian TV channels. He is a lecturer of the
chair of public politics in the Highest School of Economy (Moscow).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PM MET WITH MOSCOW VICE-MAYOR

Pan Armenian News
16.06.2005 08:53

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan met
with Moscow Vice-Mayor Vladimir Resin, reported the Press Service of
the Armenian Government. In the course of the meeting A. Margaryan
congratulated Mr. Resin on becoming Yerevan Honorary Citizen and
thanked for the active participation in development of mutually
favorable cooperation between Yerevan and Moscow. A. Margaryan
underscored that the efficient interaction of the Russian and
Armenian Governments, as well as Moscow and Yerevan Administrations
has a positive impact on the Armenian-Russian relations. As noted
by V. Resin, visiting Armenia 17 years after the great disastrous
earthquake in 1988 he is impressed with the changes in the country,
specifically in the disaster zone. As a professional constructor he
appreciated the might and the quality of construction works launched
in Armenia. He noted the importance of the project of building of the
House of Moscow in Yerevan and House of Yerevan in Moscow. The parties
said they were satisfied with mutual visits of senior delegations of
Moscow and Yerevan. The agreement on cooperation of the executive
of both capitals in 2005-2007 signed resulting from these meeting
will allow enhancing the Moscow-Yerevan cooperation. As noted by the
interlocutors, the holding of the Year of Russia in Armenia and the
Year of Armenia scheduled in Russia in 2006 promote Armenian-Russian
relations. The parties mentioned using the potential of the Armenian
community of Russia for further strengthening the Russian-Armenian
relations. The interlocutors discussed matters of attraction of
investments of Moscow business circles to the Armenian economy and
other questions.

U.S., Turkey must say the words ‘Armenian genocide’
By Jim Boren / The Fresno Bee

Fresno Bee, CA
June 16 2005

In the close-knit Armenian families of the San Joaquin Valley, the
stories of the first genocide of the 20th century are passed along
to each generation at dinner tables and family gatherings. It’s a
ritual to ensure that this scar on world history won’t be forgotten.

But this isn’t just a history lesson about nameless victims of the
Armenian genocide of 90 years ago. These stories are very personal.
They trace how family members made their way to the Valley and the
tragic circumstances of those who died in a calculated slaughter that
meets every definition of a genocide.

They talk about the great-grandmother whose children were murdered
by the Turks and only escaped the genocide by being hidden in a
basement by a friendly doctor and his wife. Or the 8-year-old girl
whose brother was killed and her only hope was to find a way to
survive a Turkish death march through the desert.

They talk about how 1.5 million Armenians were killed during a massacre
that the Turkish government still won’t acknowledge.

U.S. reluctance The Turks’ intransigent attitude about those events
still angers many Armenian-Americans. There’s also disappointment
because the United States government has buckled under threats from
Turkey if our nation dares call this tragic chapter what it is — a
“genocide.”

Because Turkey sits in a strategic spot in the world, the U.S. State
Department, several presidents and Congress have refused to officially
declare that a genocide occurred.

The United States doesn’t want to offend the Turkish government.
Never mind that our leaders are offending the survivors of those
1.5 million Armenians slaughtered during World War I. This wasn’t
the collateral damage of war. The Armenians were rounded up by the
Turks and executed.

But the politics of this issue could change thanks to Turkey’s desire
to become part of the European Union. French President Jacques Chirac
says Turkey must admit to the genocide as one of the conditions of
entry into the EU.

That says a lot about Turkey standing on principle. Its leaders won’t
acknowledge the genocide, but they may admit to it occurring if the
Turks get an economic benefit. That tells you all you need to know
about this ally of the United States.

Today is a special day for the Armenian community. It’s the 90th
anniversary of the genocide and a series of commemorative events have
been held the past week across the Valley. One of those was a dinner
by the Armenian Community School of Fresno that honored survivors of
the genocide.

In a north Fresno banquet room last week, family members told moving
stories about how their relatives were killed in the genocide and
what it took for some of them to survive. They all know these family
stories very well, and they will not shield their children from this
awful history.

It’s something that must be passed on.

Harrowing experience

The Armenian Community School honored genocide survivors from four
families. All but one have since died, but Oghda Boghosian, at age
98, was there to receive her honor surrounded by family members. Also
honored were Mourad and Elizabeth Bedrosian, Anna Boyajian Koligian
and Dertad and Siroun Tookolan.

Oghda Boghosian was 8 when the Turks came for her family. Her oldest
brother was killed and her mother thought her best chance at survival
was to send Oghda on a march with her brother’s wife.

Going on a march usually meant death to participants, either through
the sheer torture of the procession without adequate food and water
or being shot when Turkish soldiers tired of marching along with
their victims. But it also could be a chance to flee.

Oghda was taken from the march by two Turkish boys and given to a
Turkish family that wanted an Armenian girl to keep. She ultimately got
away, and then finally arrived at Ellis Island in 1920. She married
Nigholas Boghosian, and after several years they ended up in Fowler
and went into the farming business.

Oghda Boghosian’s story is not unusual and this 98-year-old woman
knows all too personally that there was a genocide that claimed family
members, and so many others. It only compounds the tragedy for this
genocide to be officially ignored.

The Turkish government knows the truth. The American government knows
the truth. It’s time for both to speak it publicly.

Jim Boren is The Fresno Bee’s editorial page editor. His column appears
Sunday. E-mail him at [email protected] or write him at 1626 E St.,
Fresno 93786.

Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
16 June 2005

U.S. Embassy Brings Bluegrass Mountain Music to Armenia
“Bob Perilla’s Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band” performed several concerts in
Gyumri, Dilijan, Lake Sevan, Vayots Dzor, and Yerevan, at the invitation of
the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

U.S. Embassy Brings Bluegrass Mountain Music to Armenia

“Bob Perilla’s Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band” performed several
concerts in Gyumri, Dilijan, Lake Sevan, Vayots Dzor, and Yerevan,
at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. Bluegrass, a
uniquely American form of music, is vibrant, fast and fun. Known for
the distinctive sound of the banjo, four-part harmonies, and raucous
fiddle playing, the bluegrass sound originated among 18th century
settlers in the Blueridge Mountains (which run along the America’s
east coast, from Georgia to Virginia.)

“Bob Perilla’s Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band” is a five-member
bluegrass band based in Washington, DC, which performs bluegrass,
country, folk and original material and boasts over 100 years of
combined musical experience.

The band’s instrumentation includes: guitar, fiddle, upright bass,
banjo and mandolin. The group has appeared several times at the Kennedy
Center, is performer-in-residence at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
and performs regularly in Washington, DC area music clubs.

The band completed its tour of the Caucuses in Armenia, after
performing in both Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Taz, die tageszeitung
16. Juni 2005

Meinung und Diskussion; S. 11

Ohne EU keine Armenien-Debatte;
DIE RESOLUTION DES BUNDESTAGES IST BEREITS WIEDER ÜBERHOLT

von STEFAN REINECKE

DIE RESOLUTION DES BUNDESTAGES IST BEREITS WIEDER ÜBERHOLT

Es gibt viele gute Gründe für und gegen einen EU-Beitritt der Türkei.
Das Thema Armenien, der Völkermord, der 1915 von den Jungtürken an
der armenischen Minderheit verübt wurde, gehört zu jenen, die für
einen EU-Beitritt sprechen. Die Fortschritte in der Türkei sind zwar
höchst zaghaft. Aber dass das Jahrzehnte währende Sprechverbot
aufweicht, ist ein Ergebnis des Drucks der EU. Druck ist dabei eine
ungenaue Beschreibung: Es ist schlicht klar, dass die Türkei ohne ein
halbwegs aufgeklärtes Verhältnis zu den eigenen Verbrechen nicht
Mitglied der EU wird. Dass kürzlich eine wissenschaftliche
Armenien-Konferenz in der Türkei verboten wurde, ist ein schlechtes
Zeichen – aber kein Dementi der segensreichen Rolle der EU. Solche
Aufklärungsprozesse verlaufen nie geradlinig, sondern stets umwegig.

Die parteiübergreifende Armenien-Resolution, die der Bundestag heute
verabschiedet, wirft nun ein zwiespältiges Licht auf die Lage. Zum
einen ist diese Resolution moderat im Ton und eindeutig in der Sache
– und damit ein Beispiel, wie man ohne moralisches Herrenreitertum
und Besserwisserei Kritik übt. Das ist auch ein Verdienst der CDU,
die die Debatte nicht als Munition gegen einen türkischen EU-Beitritt
benutzt hat. Gleichzeitig scheint diese Resolution schon heute von
gestern zu sein. Denn seit der Armenien-Debatte im Bundestag vor acht
Wochen hat sich die Welt verändert. Das Nein zur EU-Verfassung hat
die Erweiterungsbefürworter geschwächt. Mit Merkel und Sarkozy sind
in den wichtigsten EU-Staaten entschiedene Gegner des türkischen
Beitritts auf dem Weg zur Macht.

Falls Merkel und Sarkozy den Schalter in den Verhandlungen mit der
Türkei auf “Non” umlegen, dürfte auch die Armenien-Debatte erledigt
sein. In der Türkei, weil man sich, nicht zu Unrecht, betrogen fühlt
– in der EU, weil die Frage aus dem politischen Fokus verschwindet.
Damit droht der faszinierende Prozess, wie Druck von außen und
Selbstaufklärungskräfte im Inneren im Zusammenspiel das Bild einer
Gesellschaft verändern, am Ende zu sein – noch bevor er richtig
begonnen hat.

–Boundary_(ID_f93Tg5r2ctdf19NsN2RrWA)–

Kommersant, Russia
June 17 2005

Gazprom Returns to the State

// A controlling interest in the company is nationalized in the
course of work

Government and business

Gazprom’s board of directors met once again in the Kremlin yesterday
and agreed on a deal for the sale of 10.74 percent of Gazprom’s
shares by four of its subsidiaries. The historic decision was made in
the absence of CEO Aleksey Miller, who had flown to Yerevan, and the
board was unable to agree on the procedure for paying Gazprom for its
property. Nevertheless, the chances of the state arriving at the
meeting of Gazprom shareholders on June 24 with a controlling
interest have sharply increased.

We remind our readers that, when it met on Wednesday evening,
Gazprom’s board of directors was supposed to approve the alienation
of 2.5425 billion of the company’s shares by four of its subsidiaries
~V ZAO AB Gazprombank, OOO Gazprominvestholding, the Gazfond
nongovernmental pension fund, and AO Gazpromfinance B.V. However, the
board was unable to make a decision, because the instructions to the
state representatives for voting on this question never arrived from
Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov’s office.

Around midnight, the meeting was held over until the following day.
According to Kommersant’s information, it opened in the Kremlin at
15.00. According to an anonymous Gazprom official, it was much easier
to assemble all the state representatives there. Within an hour, the
board approved the purchase price of the shares ~V 203.5017 billion
rubles, or about $7.11 billion. And since this question was the only
item on the agenda, the meeting adjourned.

It is unknown what happened to the state’s plan to buy out the
Gazprom shares on the night of June 15 or why Prime Minister
Fradkov’s office could not prepare the document on time. According to
Kommersant’s information, the voting instructions for the state
representatives stipulated this exact buyout price and been approved
three days before by the Federal Property Management Agency
(Rosimushchestvo), the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade,
and the Ministry of Industry and Energy. We can only assume that on
the evening and night of June 15, the prime minister, having learned
from the bitter experience of constant changes in the merger plan for
Gazprom and Rosneft, was waiting for final approval of the deal from
President Vladimir Putin.

Somehow or other, by midday, the document was signed. We note that
Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller was not present at the historic board
meeting, which approved the legal nationalization of the state
shareholdings in Gazprom. First Deputy CEO Aleksandr Ananenkov and
Elena Karpel, the head of the economic examination department,
represented Gazprom in the kremlin, while Konstantin Chuichenko, the
head of Gazprom’s legal department, gave a report at the meeting.
However, one should not look for political motives in Miller’s
gesture ~V on Thursday morning, he flew out to a planned meeting with
Armenian President Robert Kocharian.

And there was hardly any discussion at the meeting; the format and
location of the meeting apparently did not anticipate any. Moreover,
according to Kommersant’s information, the board of directors did not
discuss the procedure for paying Gazprom the $7.11 billion. According
to the plan, the official buyer of the shares is AO Rosneftegaz.
According to Kommersant’s information, Dmitry Medvedev, the chairman
of Gazprom’s board of directors and head of the presidential
administration, announced only that payment would be made in
installments in several tranches.

The Gazprom share market did not react to the events; everyone was
already resigned to the fact that the amount paid for the
10.7-percent share package would be less important to foreign brokers
and would not imply a premium for consolidating the controlling
interest. Thus, Ilya Shcherbovich, the president the United Financial
Group, a minority Gazprom shareholder, told Kommersant yesterday that
~SOverall, I support the board’s decision, since it will impact
favorably on the process of liberalizing the Gazprom share market.~T
And Rosimushchestvo has already announced plans to transfer the
Gazprom shares to the fixed assets of Rosneftegaz before June 24, the
day of the annual meeting of Gazprom shareholders.

So far, Gazprombank looks like the only victim of the deal. According
to Kommersant’s information, alienating 1.25 percent of Gazprom’s
shares from its fixed assets would cause a hole to appear in them.
However, information appeared yesterday on the appointment of Nikolai
Senkevich, the head of OOO Gazprom Media, as vice president of
Gazprombank. A source from Senkevich’s circle associated this
appointment with the possible transfer of media assets from Gazprom
Media to Gazprom bank in order to close this hole. The same source
estimated that the value of these media assets was exactly equal to
the values of the Gazprom shares belonging to the bank.

Yesterday, a hastily assembled general meeting of Rosneftegaz
shareholders approved the purchase of the Gazprom shares. Now we have
only to wait for two events ~V a favorable conclusion of the deal
before June 24 and the signing of the documents liberalizing the
Gazprom share market. On the assumption that the deal was approved on
June 15 and 16, we can predict that both events will occur, but the
investors will still have something to worry about in the approval
procces.

by Dmitry Butrin, Natalia Grib, Elena Kiseleva

Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
16 June 2005

U .S. Ambassador John Evans Expresses His Support for the Office of the
Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia

On June 16, 2005 U.S. Ambassador John Evans met with Larisa Alaverdyan,
Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia. Ambassador
Evans expressed his support for the Office of the Ombudsman and the
democratic principles for which it stands. As an expression of this
support, Ambassador Evans presented the office with a computer to aid
in its important work. The rights of women, children, refugees, and
other vulnerable groups is an important priority for the U.S. Embassy.

Germans press Turks on Armenian slaughter

The Associated Press

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2005

BERLIN Germany’s Parliament on Thursday urged Turkey to examine its
role in the killing of an estimated one million ethnic Armenians a
century ago – an issue that could affect Ankara’s hopes of joining
the European Union.

Lawmakers adopted a cross-party resolution asking the German government
to press Turkey to investigate the “organized expulsion and destruction
of the Armenians” and foster reconciliation.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it “regrets and strongly condemns”
the decision. A ministry statement added that Turkey had cautioned
Germany that the text was “biased, contained serious errors and lacked
information,” and had warned that its approval would “deeply wound
the Turkish people.”

Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the killings as part of
a campaign from 1915 to 1923 to force Armenians out of eastern
Anatolia. At the time, Armenia was part of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey remains extremely sensitive about the issue. It denies that the
killings were genocide and insists that the death count is inflated
and that Armenians were killed or displaced along with others as the
empire tried to quell civil unrest.

The motion did not mention Turkey’s effort to join the EU, but said
the Armenian issue was an example of how Turkey needs to guarantee
freedom of speech – an area where Ankara has been told it must improve
if it is to join the 25-nation bloc.

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany has been one of Turkey’s
strongest supporters in its campaign for membership. But the
conservative opposition – which hopes to win national elections this
autumn – argues that Turkey should be offered a lesser “privileged
partnership.”

The German motion noted that “numerous independent historians,
parliaments and international organizations” describe the killing as
genocide, but stopped short of using that label itself.

The motion proposed the establishment of a commission of Turkish,
Armenian and international historians to examine the killings. It
complained that the Turkish authorities were stifling debate at
home. The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement retorted that the country
“has opened up its archives to all researchers, including Germans and
Armenians, on the premise that historic events can only be assessed
by historians and not by parliaments.”

BERLIN Germany’s Parliament on Thursday urged Turkey to examine its
role in the killing of an estimated one million ethnic Armenians a
century ago – an issue that could affect Ankara’s hopes of joining
the European Union.

Lawmakers adopted a cross-party resolution asking the German government
to press Turkey to investigate the “organized expulsion and destruction
of the Armenians” and foster reconciliation.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it “regrets and strongly condemns”
the decision. A ministry statement added that Turkey had cautioned
Germany that the text was “biased, contained serious errors and lacked
information,” and had warned that its approval would “deeply wound
the Turkish people.”

Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the killings as part of
a campaign from 1915 to 1923 to force Armenians out of eastern
Anatolia. At the time, Armenia was part of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey remains extremely sensitive about the issue. It denies that the
killings were genocide and insists that the death count is inflated
and that Armenians were killed or displaced along with others as the
empire tried to quell civil unrest.

The motion did not mention Turkey’s effort to join the EU, but said
the Armenian issue was an example of how Turkey needs to guarantee
freedom of speech – an area where Ankara has been told it must improve
if it is to join the 25-nation bloc.

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany has been one of Turkey’s
strongest supporters in its campaign for membership. But the
conservative opposition – which hopes to win national elections this
autumn – argues that Turkey should be offered a lesser “privileged
partnership.”

The German motion noted that “numerous independent historians,
parliaments and international organizations” describe the killing as
genocide, but stopped short of using that label itself.

The motion proposed the establishment of a commission of Turkish,
Armenian and international historians to examine the killings. It
complained that the Turkish authorities were stifling debate at
home. The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement retorted that the country
“has opened up its archives to all researchers, including Germans and
Armenians, on the premise that historic events can only be assessed
by historians and not by parliaments.”

–Boundary_(ID_hLB0Ys09NVC0YEZpYakeSw)–

Armenian National Committee of Illinois
1701 North Greenwood Road
Glenview, IL 60026
Contact: Greg Bedian
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

June 16, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Genocide Curriculum Measure Awaits Illinois Governor’s Signature

Springfield, IL – The Armenian National Committee of Illinois today
called on Governor Rod Blagojevich to sign legislation mandating that
Illinois public school students receive instruction on the Armenian
Genocide and other acts of genocide.

The bill, HB312, cleared the legislature with commanding margins
earlier this spring, passing the Illinois House on March 1st and
passing the Senate on May 11th. The bill must be approved or vetoed
by the Governor within 60 days of receipt from the legislature. If
no action is taken after 60 days, the bill automatically becomes law.

“By signing this bill, the Governor can not only demonstrate his
concern for victims of previous genocides, he can play an active
part in a process that will hopefully help deter future genocides,”
stated ANC of Illinois representative Karine Birazian.
“The Armenian community of Illinois is looking
forward to a successful conclusion of the enactment process for
this legislation.”

On May 11, the Illinois Information Service (part of the state’s
official government media communications office) reported that
Gov. Blagojevich confirmed that he would sign the bill. That
commitment was later confirmed by community members who met with
the Governor. Blagojevich also mentioned his support for genocide
education in a recent gubernatorial proclamation issued to mark the
90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In it the Governor stated
“both recognition and education concerning past atrocities such as
the Armenian Genocide is crucial in the prevention of future crimes
against humanity.”

After the bill was introduced, the Armenian National Committee helped
to mobilize Armenian and non-Armenians alike to work for passage of
the bill, which was introduced by Representatives John A, Fritchey
(D-11) and Paul D. Froelich (R-56). Upon passage in the Illinois
House by a vote of 96-11, HB312 was forwarded to the Senate where
Senators Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16) and Ira Silverstein (D-8)
led the effort to a 47-5 victory in the Senate.

During the weeks leading up to the bill’s passage, the ANC lobbied
Illinois House and Senate members to work for passage of the bill by
organizing grassroots email, telephone and letter-writing campaigns
as well as conducting office visits with legislators. The ANC also
made presentations to various groups to encourage their participation
in this activity

“It was gratifying to see that our efforts led to a successful
outcome,” stated Karine Birazian, who heads up the ANC of
Illinois’ Genocide Education Committee. “It’s important for the
many constituents, and especially the public school students, who
participated in this endeavor to see that their voices were heard
and that their actions could make a difference on such an important
issue as Genocide education.”

HB312 provides “that in addition to the unit of instruction studying
the events of the Holocaust, the curriculum of every public elementary
school and high school shall include a unit of instruction studying
other acts of genocide across the globe, including, but not limited
to, the Armenian Genocide, the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and more
recent atrocities in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan.”

With the passage of HB312, Illinois joins several other states,
including California and Massachusetts, which have mandated expanded
genocide education. Birazian added that the ANC will be working with
groups in those states as well as other organizations to help assemble
the necessary resources to help schools implement the new requirements
once they become law.

The Armenian National Committee of Illinois is a grassroots public
affairs organization serving to inform, educate, and act on a wide
range of issues concerning Armenian Americans throughout the state
of Illinois.

###