PROTECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN KARABAKH
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
01 Oct 04
The chairman of the parliament committee of foreign relations and
information Vahram Atanessian undertook the bill `On the protector of
human rights’ which was included in the schedule of the ninth session
of the NKR National Assembly. The bill may be discussed in October. If
the law is adopted, for the first time in our country an ombudsman
will be appointed whose only responsibility will be to protect
people’s rights. The notion of ombudsman first appeared in Sweden. In
the second half of the 20th century most countries of the world
already had the institution of the protector of human rights. Usually
the ombudsman is appointed by the parliament although in some
countries the president also takes part in this, but originally this
is a parliamentary form of protection of human rights. The ombudsman’s
decisions, as a rule, do not have force of law, however, being
included in the report of the ombudsman with a negative shade is a
blow to the carrier of any official. It is notable that the protector
of human rights views the actions not only from the point of view of
correspondence to the law but also to justice and appropriateness. As
a rule the person who is known in public as frank, respectable, able
to work independently is appointed as ombudsman. Who will be ombudsman
in Karabakh after the adoption of the law is not discussed
yet. Perhaps it will be discussed along with the law.
NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
01-10-2004

Abkhaz presidential race in final lap
By Zaal Anjaparidze for The Jamestown Foundation (30/09/04)
Georgia has watched the unfolding of the presidential race in its breakaway
republic of Abkhazia with a strangely Olympian calm.
On 3 October, voters in Abkhazia will choose a successor to their
ailing president. Vladislav Ardzinba led the region in its fight for
independence from Georgia in 1992 and 1993 before becoming president
of the self-declared republic in 1994. The new president of Abkhazia
will win a five-year term, subject to a two-term limit. The Georgian
government has watched the unfolding campaign with an Olympian
calm. As recently as 21 September, Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili described plans to re-incorporate Abkhazia into Georgia
at the 59th session of the UN General Assembly. No comments on the
election were made at the traditional commemoration of 27 September,
the day the Abkhaz capital, Sukhumi, fell 11 years ago, effecting the
secession of the region. Earlier, Saakashvili dismissed the elections
as illegitimate and Nino Burjanadze, chair of the Georgian parliament,
warned Russia against conferring any recognition or legitimacy on
the elections.
Favored candidate, radically anti-GeorgianA number of candidates have
registered, although several refused to comply with a controversial
new law passed on 3 August that requires candidates to pass an
Abkhaz-language test and to have been resident in Abkhazia for the past
five years. Alexander Ankvab, a popular former Abkhaz interior minister
now living in Russia, and Nodar Khashba, a former mayor of Sukhumi
and now a high-ranking official in the Russian Civil Defense and
Emergencies Ministry, were denied registration by the Central Election
Commission (CEC) after they refused to sit the Abkhaz language test and
failed to meet residency criteria. Among the registered candidates,
the front-runner is Raul Khadzhimba, a former prime minister. His
running mate is Vitaly Smyr, the Abkhaz minister of agriculture and
food. Khadzhimba has a KGB background and the endorsement of President
Ardzinba plus rumored backing from Moscow. He also is supported by
many divisions and bureaucrats in Abkhaz state agencies. Georgian
commentators depict Khadzhimba as the most radically anti-Georgian
of the candidates. Khadzhimba has already made it clear that he plans
to make major changes to the constitution if elected. The amendments
include giving the president the power to dissolve parliament and
introducing parliamentary confirmation of new governments.
United AbkhaziaSergei Bagapsh, director-general of the Chernomorenergo
electricity company, trails Khadzhimba. Bagapsh served as prime
minister from 1997 to 2001. He is standing as a candidate for the
recently merged United Abkhazia movement and the Amtsakhara veterans’
organization and is regarded as the main opposition candidate. His
chances are thought to have increased after the disqualification
of Aytayra movement candidate Alexander Ankvab, who, in return for
urging Aytayra supporters to back Bagapsh, has been promised the
post of prime minister in the event of a Bagapsh victory. Both the
Georgian and Abkhaz media have made a point of the fact that Bagapsh
has a Georgian wife, but remain divided over how this will affect his
policies and popularity. Analysts speculate that a united opposition
would decrease the chances of a Khadzhimba victory. Bagapsh’s running
mate is the historian Stanislav Lakoba. Sergei Shamba, former foreign
minister, is running third with a platform urging “greater political,
economic, and humanitarian” integration with Russia. Shamba has angrily
denied rumors that he intends to pull out of the presidential race at
the last minute and throw his support to another candidate. Shamba’s
running mate is Vladimir Arshba, head of the Ministry of Defense
General Staff. The other two candidates concede they have slim chances
for victory. Anri Jergenia is also a former prime minister (running
with Ruslan Kishmaria, chairman of the Gali district administration),
while Yakub Lakoba is leader of the Abkhaz People’s Party (running
with Fatima Kvitsinia, arbitration court judge).
Fairness increasingly doubtfulThe fairness of the elections is
increasingly doubtful. The CEC denied requests from the League of
Voters for Fair Elections to serve as monitors. This NGO had severely
criticized the CEC’s performance. The CEC claimed that the election
law contained no provision for NGOs to act as observers unless they
have been invited to do so by the Abkhaz authorities. The UN and
OSCE do not consider the elections legitimate and therefore will
not send monitoring teams. Instead, members of the Russian State
Duma and representatives from Russia’s North Caucasus republics,
South Ossetia, and Karabakh are expected to act as election
observers. Although the Abkhaz CEC lists 165â^À^Ù 248 eligible
voters, down from 216â^À^Ù000 in the 2002 parliamentary elections,
Georgian sources further lower this figure to 70â^À^Ù000, due to
widespread population shifts before and after the war. Additionally,
most voters in Abkhazia are believed to hold Russian citizenship, and
therefore may not be able to prove their eligibility to vote. Abkhazia
has yet to introduce internal passports and officials are issuing
special forms as an interim measure. Bagapsh shared his surprise that
the CEC still did not have the exact number for Abkhazia’s population
and the number of voters. “How can you hold fair elections without
these data?” he asked.
Abkhazia not mentally prepared for pollMore critically minded
commentators are pessimistic regarding the elections. Oleg Damenia,
an Abkhaz analyst, argues that the Abkhaz electorate is not mentally
prepared for a fair election, as its psychological makeup still
bears Soviet-era habits. “The pre-election campaign has overstepped
all permissible limits, and thus it’s difficult to forecast whether
the electorate would behave within the licit framework,” he said.
According to Damenia, losers will likely protest after election
day. Candidate Shamba has warned that vote rigging would only play
into the hands of external forces, and Abkhazia might see a replay
of the Georgian or Yugoslav revolutions. Recently, representatives
of the Sukhumi-based branch of Soros Foundation have dismissed some
media allegations that the Foundation might financially support a
“pro-Georgian” candidate. Some analysts still consider that Ardzinba’s
departure creates an opportunity to change the relationship between
Georgia and the Abkhaz leadership. They argue that Tbilisi could take
advantage of the struggle between the Moscow-backed Khadzhimba and
his opponents. But the Abkhaz separatists have resolutely rejected
any plans for reintegrating Abkhazia with Georgia. On 29 September,
the Abkhaz Ministry of State Security claimed that Georgian task
forces and weaponry are concentrating along the Abkhaz border,
and it called on residents of Abkhazia to exercise vigilance. The
ministry’s special statement also claims that President Saakashvili
directed Georgian special services to step up subversive activities
in Abkhazia, particularly in the Georgian -populated Gali district, in
order to provoke conflict among supporters of the Abkhaz presidential
candidates. Tbilisi has not responded to these statements.
This article originally appeared in Eurasia Daily Monitor,
published by The Jamestown Foundation in Washington, DC., at
(). Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan
organization supported by tax-deductible contributions from
corporations, foundations, and individuals.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/01/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ARF Armenia Pushes Accelerated Reforms to Resolve Critical Issues 2) ANCA-WR Praises Effort by Lawmakers to Reaffirm Armenian Genocide 3) Chirac Promises Turkey EU Referendum 4) Another Sosse Kindergarten Opens Doors 5) Noah's Ark Libarary Continues The Quest for Knowledge 6) ADAPTATION or WHEN HOLLYWOOD MET WASHINGTON 1) ARF Armenia Pushes Accelerated Reforms to Resolve Critical Issues YEREVAN (Yerkir)--Armenian Revolutionary Federation's (ARF) Supreme Body representative Armen Rustamian and National Assembly's ARF faction leader Levon Mkrtchian held a news conference on Friday to present the party's activities in the past year, along with future plans. Rustamian, who mentioned that the party's Supreme Convention is scheduled for October, said, "In order to make the discussions more effective, we need to know public opinion on our activities. Then the convention will shape our strategy for the next two years." Speaking of ARF's motives to join the ruling coalition, Rustamian pointed to two reasons. "First, we wanted the issues we deemed critical to be considered as such by the government, and to ensure our participation in resolving those issues. The coalition greatly contributed to establishing stability in the country, as well as strengthening the country's position on the international arena. When the political situation escalated this year, however, it became clear that there is definite discontent." "The coalition's main objective should be to accelerate the country's development so as to decrease the level of objective discontent," Rustamian continued. He noted that due to specifics of the transitional period, the country is shifting to a plutocracy rather than democracy. As for those measures aimed at curtailing negative developments, Rustamian pointed to the fight against corruption as a pivotal step, adding that the ARF's faction in the National Assembly will soon introduce a number of draft laws related to the issue." He also noted that accountability should play a key role in the policy of choosing people to public offices, and that a system of checks and balances must be instituted. He detailed the party's stance on the Constitution, Elections Code, social issues, and the justice system. Asked to comment on the coalition's activities during the past year, Rustamian said not enough has been done to resolve crucial issues, and deemed it necessary to accelerate the pace of reforms. 2) ANCA-WR Praises Effort by Lawmakers to Reaffirm Armenian Genocide --Members of Congress Urge House Speaker to Schedule Genocide Resolution and Maintain Schiff Amendment in Foreign Ops Bill WASHINGTON, DC--The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) praised the bipartisan effort of sixty-four Members of Congress who joined Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (R-CA), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in sending a letter to House of Representatives Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) in support of a resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide (H.Res. 193) and calling on the leadership of the House to maintain the "Schiff Amendment," which unanimously passed in the House of Representatives by a voice vote on July 15, 2004. "Next year will mark the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide," Congressman Schiff said, "and it would be a noble and fitting gesture for this nation to recognize the deaths of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children, while some of the survivors still remain." Among the signatories to the letter were Representatives Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Bob Filner (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Nick Lampson (D-TX), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA)Mike Thompson (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Congresswoman Eshoo, who will be honored at the upcoming ANCA-WR 2004 Banquet on October 24 in Pasadena, CA, also joined her fellow Congressman of Armenian descent, Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-NY), in issuing a separate letter to Congressional colleagues urging them to co-sign the letter to Speaker Hastert. Thousands of Armenian Americans from across the United States utilized the ANCA's WebFax tool to communicate their support for this effort to their Representatives in Congress. "Given all of this support, it should be clear to the House Leadership that the American people prefer justice to indifference and hypocrisy when it comes to genocide," remarked Ardashes Kassakhian, Executive Director of the ANCA-WR. "We're calling on House Leaders to do what's right and end their opposition to this simple, commonsense piece of legislation," said Kassakhian. H.Res. 193, and its Senate companion S.Res. 164, is a resolution that officially recognizes the Armenian genocide and marks the 15th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan signing the 1987 genocide Convention Implementation Act, also known as the Proxmire Act. H.Res. 193 passed the House Judiciary Committee on May 22, 2003, shortly after its introduction on April 10, 2003. The House of Representatives voted to adopt the Schiff Amendment to the House version of the Foreign Operations spending bill, which aims to prohibit the Government of Turkey from using US foreign aid to lobby against H.Res. 193. 3) Chirac Promises Turkey EU Referendum STRASBOURG (Reuters)--President Jacques Chirac has promised to hold a referendum on Turkey's entry to the European Union if the bloc agrees to its accession, despite the risk that France could block its membership. Bowing to political pressure for French people to have a say on Turkey, Chirac said he had urged the government to propose changes to France's constitution so that referendums have to be held on any other future enlargement of the 25-member bloc. His call is likely to alarm Ankara and could cause concern among all prospective EU members. "Let me reassure you right away--the French people will have their say," Chirac told a news conference following talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Strasbourg in eastern France on Friday. A referendum is unlikely for more than a decade. But an opinion poll this week showed 56 percent of French people oppose Turkey's immediate entry due to fears on jobs and concerns about letting in a mainly Muslim country that links Europe to Asia. Chirac's ruling conservative party has also opposed Ankara's candidacy and called for a referendum, even though the president supports Turkey's accession. Chirac's promises of a public vote are intended to prevent voters' concerns over Turkey clouding a referendum next year on the EU constitution and increasing the chances of France rejecting the treaty--a vote which could torpedo it. Chirac gave no details of the changes he wanted in France's constitution, apart from saying votes on future EU enlargement should be put to a public vote. "It would be compulsory to ask the French people via a referendum on this enlargement or any other possible enlargements, and not via the parliamentary process," he said, COMMISSION REPORT The European Commission is expected to recommend in a report on Wednesday that the EU opens entry talks with Turkey. A final decision will be taken when EU leaders meet in December; the accession talks would be expected to last for several years. There was no referendum in France before the EU expanded to 25 members in May. French people are concerned that France's influence in the EU has been diluted by enlargement and that the entry of a country of 71 million people will water it down more. Chirac said he and Schroeder agreed that Turkey had made a lot of progress by introducing democratic and economic reforms but had not yet fulfilled all the terms for entry. "We have an interest in having Turkey with us," Chirac said. "It creates a prospect of democracy and peace taking root on the whole of the European continent ... so that we avoid the mistakes and violence of the past." France's foreign and finance ministers, both of whom are members of Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, have in the past few days proposed holding a referendum on Turkey's entry when the time comes. There is some hope for Turkey. This week's poll showed 63 percent of French could one day foresee Turkey's accession. Chirac did not make clear whether he wanted changes made to France's constitution in time for a further enlargement expected to take in Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. Croatia is expected to join the bloc soon after Romania and Bulgaria. 4) Another Sosse Kindergarten Opens Doors --Misserlians fund ARS Shushi school SHUSHI (Noyan Tapan)--The Armenian Relief Society 'Soseh' Kindergarten of Shushi in Mountainous Karabagh Republic, officially opened on September 30, offering elementary education and devoted care to 50 children. Yetvart and Vergine Misserlian of San Fransisco are the benefactors of the new kindergarten. The ARS founded its first 'Sosse' kindergarten in Stepanakert, in 1997, offering the children of Artsakh basic care and elementary education in Armenian culture. This worthy endeavor has continued for the last 7 years, to provide education to more than 520 children in Karabagh, and gainful employment to over 100 adults. 5) Noah's Ark Libarary Continues The Quest for Knowledge By Ani Shahinian Asbarez Staff HOLLYWOODSeptember 26 marked the official opening of the Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School's state of the art gymnasium and library. It was a significant day in the school's 35-year history as it represented the culmination of years of tireless work and dedication. Inspired by the biblical story of Noah's ark, the library finds itself in "floating" form as it hovers above the gymnasium roof. School Principal Viken Yacoubian expressed that the library symbolizes transition and the immigrants' voyage, yet it is anchored firmly with huge columns representing Armenia's heritage and culture. Many community members and supporters were on hand, as student council president Ara Tomassian, the afternoon's emcee, welcomed them. After Reverend Vassilian offered his blessings and congratulations, Board of Regents of Prelacy Schools member Roubina Peroomian spoke enthusiastically about the worthwhile project and its journey to completion. Inspirational words by US Congresswoman Diane Watson, representing California's 33rd Congressional district, encouraged the preservation of ethnicity and culture and praised the school's integral role in educating young Armenian American students. She said the 33rd district, with its mix of Armenians, Greeks, Hispanics, among other ethnicities, is a true reflection of what America is about. The Congresswoman spoke of parallels between the Armenian and African American communities, remarking, "We share a common heritage of having been transported through the diaspora to a new home in America." Watson noted the resilience of the Armenians, despite its history of suffering, and the unique contributions the Armenian American community has made to society. Pledging her continued commitment to representing Armenians in her district, Watson said that through such endeavors, "Your children and children's children will never forget who they are." On behalf of the school's finance committee, Marie Demirjian extended gratitude to all who helped endlessly in the actualization of the project. Angela Sassounian, a member of the educational committee, said that the library will not only serve the needs of the students, but also the school's teachers and parents, as well as the larger Pilibos family. As the afternoon came to a close, Principal Viken Yacoubian acknowledged not only those who dedicated themselves to the project in the present time, but specifically extended appreciation to "those who came before us. It is the force of their vision, love, and commitment that has made the project possible." He remarked that the school will continue on its path, as the vision of becoming an integral part of the larger society, while being "anchored" by our Armenian heritage is realized. StudioWorks Architects' principals Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray, who designed the stunning building, were also present during the ceremony. They found harmony in the contradictory building types by fusing "exercise of the body" and "education of the mind." The pomegranate-red library can be entered through an existing four-story classroom building by elevator or via outdoor stairs with metal treads and jaunty nautical railings. Inside, the library is one big, long room housing 9,000 Armenian and English-language books, a reading room, a children's storytelling nook, an online research area, and a librarian's office. The 14,000-square-foot gym includes regulation high school basketball and volleyball facilities, bleacher seating for 275 people, a student store, an exercise room, locker rooms, restrooms, coaches' offices, a maintenance shop, and equipment storage. 6) ADAPTATION or WHEN HOLLYWOOD MET WASHINGTON By Skeptik Sininkian Ok, now I know I promised you the sequel to last week's drama/comedy/action thriller but I couldn't help but digress for just a bit considering that Thursday night everyone I knew was watching the Presidential debate. In fact, last night's match up provided me with enough material for three different columns and I am tempted to dump the continuation of last week's column all together. But I won't let you down. A promise is a promise and we'll pick up from where we left off with Episode 2 of our Hollywood script-turned-reality. And as before, with any highly anticipated movie, we have to have at least 20 minutes of nonsensical previews! So in the spirit of remaining true to the Hollywood theme, we will now cover the debate in preview format. Well, what can I say, just when I thought it was safe to put some money down on the election, Kerry pulls off a big win. The smart money is still on Bush but Kerry came through big mainly because he stood to lose more than George W. Bush in the debates. The President, on the other hand, had been handicapped by his Achilles' heel, namely, his lack of intelligence. But it wasn't Bush's lack of knowledge on the issues that cooked his goose. It was his smug arrogance which, when juxtaposed with Kerry's cool and calm demeanor, made him look like a spoiled and impatient brat. The President did make some good points, jabbing Kerry repeatedly on his inconsistency on the Iraq War. (Don't you love living in an era where we can be at war without formally DECLARING war? I'm being sarcastic. Quick Skeptik Factoid: Did you know The United States hasn't formally declared war on anyone since World War II). Kerry was unable to respond clearly to the President's inquiries into his stance on the war because Kerry doesn't really have one. During the same debate, he questioned going to war numerous times and then said that he could do the job better. My Democrat friends were dancing in the street after Kerry's performance in the debate but I wasn't sure why? Kerry's apparently back in the race and that's supposedly a good thing? From what I understood during the debate, Kerry's planning on staying in Iraq and I don't know what magic wand he's going to use to make our boys and girls immune to enemy bullets. (Sigh) But Kerry did make the point that Bush became distracted during his War on Terror and shifted his focus from the Mountains of Bora Bora (I just like saying Bora Bora) where Osama Bin Laden was hiding and redirected troops to Iraq. And speaking of Iraq and the debates and the election and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden...we are now ready to continue or regularly scheduled program. (By the way, my mother still thinks that there's a conspiracy to catch or reveal the capture of Bin Laden before Election Day). When we last left our kingdom in chaos, we had an inexperienced king with delusions of greatness leading his people into a war against an invisible enemy. The king wastes the surplus of the kingdom's coffers and squanders away any respect that the other kingdoms had for Act V The Rat Race or It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World [Setting: Washington, DC] The ceremonial day of selecting a new leader is fast approaching. Initially, the king's challenger appreciated widespread popularity, not as much for his own abilities but out of dislike toward the king. The king responds by having his servants attack the challenging prince's credibility as a veteran of the foreign wars. Both men hold great festivals to curry favor with the people but the king emerges stronger from his celebration. As the day of the actual festival to select the next king draws closer, rumors begin to circulate that the king is about the capture his adversarythe infamous and elusive invisible enemy. People work themselves into frenzy at the prospect of capturing and finally seeing this monster in the flesh. Act VI Sleeping With the Enemy? The festival has nearly arrived and rumors abound about a potential attack or the message a change in leadership would send to the elusive enemy. Some think that he has already been captured while others are certain that he is lurking outside the gates of the realm waiting for the right moment to attack. Just before the festival day, the king makes a grand speech about patriotism, the call of duty, and the legacy of all the kings that came before him. The subjects cheer their king and believe that he is the only person who can rid them of this mysterious evil that threatens them. The king's demoralized challenger sulks as he watches his opponent play upon the insecurities of the people and run off with the crown yet again. Now this is the part in the movie where the camera begins to pan out over the crowd and we see a lone horseman riding into the town interrupting the king's speech. Out of breath, the young soldier announces that the enemy has been cornered in the mountains far off on the outskirts of the kingdom. The king announces to his subjects that they will embark on the crusade to bring the villain to justice as dawn's first light, but tonight...they will elect the new leader and prepare for war the next day. People begin to cheer in frenzy at the prospect of capturing the enemy and the movie ends with the teaser for the final and third episodeThe Phantom Menace. Le Fin. The End. To be Continued...but not by this Skeptik. This is how it will go down, in the next few weeks we'll start hearing reports of how we're "closing the noose around the neck of Bin Laden" which will give us hope that he will be brought to justice. In the meantime, Bush will continue to campaign as a Wartime President. And come November, unless Kerry gets off his clam chowder sipping' New England Ivy League derriere, we'll have four more years of Bush, a miserable economy, more war, more lives lost along with respect. It's sad to think this but sometimes I wonder if Bush was glad that he became known as the "Wartime President;" otherwise he'd just be remembered as being radical and mediocre at best. It's strange how Hollywood and Washington DC work sometimes and how a zero turns into a "hero." Well, that's it for me this week. We'll be back next week after these messages from our sponsors. Skeptik Sinikian has been brought to you by "Madzoon" [yogurt]the breakfast of champions! And "Skhtor" [garlic]"For when plain Madzoon just isn't enough!" Sinikian can be reached at [email protected] or visit his blog at All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;
October 2, 2004
* * *
PRIMATE OF NORTH AMERICAN (ESATERN, WESTERN US) AND CANADIAN DIOCESES MEET IN
TORONTO’S HOLY TRINITY ARMENIAN CHURCH
On Thursday, September 30, 2004 the Primates of Eastern and Western USA and
Canada met at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Toronto. This is the
third meeting of the Primates.
His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian (Diocese of Canada), His Eminence
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian (US Eastern Diocese) and His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian (US Western Diocese) had discussions over various issues concerning
the role and the mission of the Armenian Church in North America and Canada.
The Primates agreed to further organize and cooperate in making the mission
of the Armenian Church more vibrant. Discussions focused on Christian
Education, Youth, the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, 1600th anniversary of
the creation of Armenian Alphabet as well as pilgrimages both Inter-Diocesan
and to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
* * *
JOINT CELEBRATION OF ARMENIA’S 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE AND OF
LAVAL’S HOLY CROSS CHURCH’S 11TH ANNIVERSARY
Under the auspices of H.E. Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of Canada, and according to a precedence set last year
as well as in collaboration with Armenian community organizations, on the
weekend of September 25-26, the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church of Laval
organized a large-scale celebration of the Church’s 11th anniversary and of
Armenia’s 13th anniversary of independence.

The main celebration took place on Saturday, September 25, when a candle
light dinner and dance was held under a large tent set on the church grounds. In
attendance were the Primate, Federal MP Raymonde Folco, Mayor of the City of
Laval Mr. Gilles Vaillancourt, a representative of Quebec Minister of Education
and Social services Mrs. Michelle Courchesne, representatives of
municipalities, Vicar General of Canada Rt. Rev. Fr. Ararat Kaltakdjian, Rev. Fr. Hayrig
Apegha Hovhannisian, Rev. Fr. Vazken Boyadjyan, pastor of St. Gregory
Illuminator Cathedral, Mr. Stephanos Mamdouh from the Coptic community, Diocesan and
Parish Council representatives, and community organization representatives. The
invocation was offered by Fr. Ararat and welcoming words were presented by Mr.
Shahan Keushgerian, chairman of the organizing committee. Me. Vartan
Dellekian, chairman of the Parish Council, spoke in French and acknowledged the
presence of the dignitaries. Fr. Ararat Kaltakdjian, Pastor of Holy Cross, took the
podium to hand out plaques of appreciation to a score of dedicated
parishioners of the church. He then invited Bishop Galstanian to deliver his message.
The Primate congratulated all those present on the dual anniversary occasions
and wished continued success and prosperity to Motherland Armenia and to the
Holy Cross Church.
His Eminence had special words of gratitude to Mayor Vaillancourt for his
compassion and understanding towards the needs of the Church, and expressed
optimism that working closely with the Mayor’s office, hopefully next year this
celebration will be held in the new church. “The sea hates cowards,” said the
Primate, and added, “we are in the sea and are prepared to face the challenge of
owning our church building and our community center to be able to serve better
our enlarging community in Laval.”
Mayor Vaillancourt thanked the community for the invitation and expressed
appreciation of the Armenian community in Laval for their diligence and
participation in the rapid development of this city. He then assured that everything
will be done to clear any obstacles by way of this community’s dream of a new
church building to come true. The Mayor’s words were received by a thunderous
applause. In her address, Liberal MP from Laval Raymonde Folco expressed her joy
that for the second year she is sharing the joy of the Armenian community in
the dual celebration of the anniversaries of Armenia’s independence and of
Holy Cross’ establishment.
Following a sumptuous dinner, the music was started by Arthur Apkarian’s
dynamic band, and soon the platform was filled with dancers. At the height of
jubilation, even Mayor Vaillancourt joined the Armenian popular “shourchbar”
dances.
The next morning, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Bishop
Bagrat Galstanian, assisted by Fr. Ararat and Fr. Vazken. The altar servers and
the joint choirs of both churches conducted the singing. At the end of the
Divine Liturgy, a special ceremony of Grace and Thanksgiving was conducted to
celebrate the 13th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
The congregation was then led by a procession of the clergy and the choir to
the front yard of the church where the scouts of AGBU had erected a wooden
Cross and were prepared for the blessing of Armenia’s flag. Following special
prayers and songs of hymns, everybody joined to sing Armenia’s anthem “Mer
Hairenik”, while the flag was being raised slowly. The Primate spoke
enthusiastically thanking the scouts for their patriotism and invited everyone to join in the
major effort of building our new church in Laval and to work toward the
prosperity of the Diocese and the Armenian community in Canada.
Shortly after, the tent area was set up for lunch, and more celebrations with
music, songs and dances brought this festive occasion to a happy ending.

On Sunday, September 19, 2004 Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Toronto
celebrated the 13th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia. Upon the
directives of His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the Armenian
Church of Canada, all churches were instructed to celebrate this event with the
blessing of the national flag. Four students representing the Armenian Schools
of Toronto from Holy Cross School, Zaroukian School, St. Sahak & St. Mesrob
Saturday School and the Holy Trinity Armenian Church Sunday School, carried the
national flag to the altar where Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian blessed
it and delivered his sermon to the faithful. In his sermon, Fr. Zareh called
upon everyone to love, cherish and support our beloved homeland, Armenia.
Following his sermon Fr. Zareh invited Mrs. Rebecca Sevazlian, asking her to say
a few words to the faithful. Mrs. Sevazlian, who is 95 years old, is the
beloved mother of our church. She is a survivor of the Armenian Genocide and
dedicated her life to the Armenian Church by working voluntarily, and giving both
moral and monetary support over the years. In a very emotional moment, Mrs.
Sevazlian proclaimed “Keep and honor our flag, for this flag represents our
beloved Armenia”, she said.
* * *
NEWS FROM THE MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

On Sunday September 26, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, ordained the Chancellor of Holy
Etchmiadzin, Fr. Arshag Khachatryan, as a bishop in a ceremony in the
Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians has assigned Very
Reverend Father Megerditch Apegha Broshian as the Dean of Vazgenian Theological
Seminary in Sevan. Fr. Broshian is a graduate of Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
During the year 2001-2004 he studied at Mir field College-Leeds University and
earned the degree of Masters in Theology from the University of Cardiff.
* * *
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CANADIAN DIOCESE PARTICIPATE IN PAN NORTH AMERICAN
YOUTH MEETING
Upon the directive and instruction of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian,
representatives from the Canadian Armenian Diocese Talar Chichmanian, Shogher
Melengutchian, Armen DiMaria, David Kaprielian will participate in Pan North
American Youth meeting in Greenville, New York at Ararat Center (October 1-3).
The intent of this initiative is to bring together four young adult
representatives from each of the three North American Dioceses (Canadian, Eastern and
Western US) for a meeting to discuss common concerns and challenges related to
youth involvement in the Church. The meeting will be an appropriate occasion
to explore the possibility of a joint event that would assemble youth from the
three Dioceses as well as to investigate the feasibility of sponsoring a joint
pilgrimage to Armenia. Participants will draft a document to present to the
respective Primates and Diocesan Councils on ways to involve youth in the life
of the church.
* * *
SUNDAY SCHOOL OF ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL ORGANIZED APPLEPICKING
Yeretsgin Marine Zouloyan-Boyajyan
Sunday, 26 September was a memorable day for the Sunday School students of
St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of Montreal. Organized by the Parents’
Committee of the School, the students enjoyed a day in nature by apple picking.
Following breakfast hosted in the residence of the School’s principal, Mrs.
Houri Hakimian, the children headed by bus to the orchards in the suburb of St.
Eustache, accompanied by members of the Parents’ Committee. It was a joy to
see the happy children going from tree to tree, engaged in picking apples and
filling the baskets they were carrying. Some had to stay in line to climb the
ladders to be able to pick the more attractive apples.
Besides giving the children of our Sunday School a happy and memorable day,
the aim of the trip was to bring the children in contact with the God given
nature and its blessings. At the end of the day, the children expressed their
heart-felt thanks to Mrs. Hakimian for the love and care she lavishes on each and
every of them.
* * *
MEETING BETWEEN HOLY TRINITY ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH AND THE ARMENIAN
BENEVOLENT UNION
On Tuesday September 14, 2004, Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian and the
Parish Council of the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church held a joint
meeting with the newly appointed board members of the Toronto Armenian General
Benevolent Union.
The purpose of the meeting was to re-establish cooperation between the two
organizations and coordinate activities towards strengthening the Toronto
Armenian identity for future generations.
Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian stated that the time has come for these
two pillar organizations to exert a concerted effort in bringing back the
youth.
* * *
INTERFAITH COALITION CELEBRATES 20TH YEAR OF PEACE GARDEN
On Sunday, September 19, 2004 the Multi-Faith Peace Coalition celebrated its
20th anniversary. The celebration began at 12:00 p.m. in Nathan Phillips
Square at Toronto’s City Hall and continued into the late evening. The
celebration was full of performances by singers and musical bands. At 3:00 p.m.
spiritual leaders from the coalition stepped up to the stage and began prayers and
readings from Holy Books. Following the prayers a tree planting ceremony was
held as a symbol of peace and friendship. Dn. Vrej Berberian, Assistant to Rev.
Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian, represented the Armenian Holy Apostolic
Church of Toronto, and expressed the respect and homage of the Armenian Church
towards all martyrs.

Twenty years ago on March 5, 1984 Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau
turned the sod to begin the construction of the Peace Garden. On October 2, 1984
Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the Garden. On September 14, 1984 the flame in
the Toronto Peace Garden was lit by Pope John Paul II from and ember that Rev.
Fr. Massey Lombardi, Chairman of the Multi-Faith Peace Garden Coalition,
carried to Toronto from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. He also poured the water
from Nagasaki into the pool of the Toronto Peace Garden. The Peace Garden
was erected as a remembrance of the nuclear conflagration that engulfed both
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also to remind all of us of the dangers of hatred and
the importance of tolerance and mutual respect. As such the Peace Garden is
both a somber memorial and shining reminder that we must pursue peace with all
of our strength and determination for it is surely within our grasp.

Twenty years after its completion, the flame of commemoration still burns
brightly, as does the dream of peace in the hearts of men and women of good will.
But events in Canada and around the world show that peace is a delicate
thing that must be cultivated with care and diligence. It is in that spirit of
stewardship that a collation of more than 20 faith communities has recently been
formed with the Honorable Art Eggleton as Honorary Chairman, to develop a
program that would celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Peace Garden. On
Sunday, September 19, 2004, thousands of Torontonians from all walks of life came
together to celebrate the diversity that is one of our city’s greatest
strengths, and through fellowship, reaffirm our commitment to peace in this city, in
this country and in this world. Everyone was confident that the commitment of
the coalition would make this a successful event. At the same time, they hoped
that they could count on the assistance of the City of Toronto to make this
celebration a meaningful occasion for all participants.
* * *

The Messenger
Friday, October 1, 2004, #187 (0711)
Javakheti’s rough road to integration
Residents cite economic depression, poor transportation and education
issues as major concerns
By Keti Sikharulidze
Integration: while Tbilisi uses the word to describe Georgia’s future
relations with Europe, ethnic Armenian residents in the region of Javakheti
are debating what it means for them and their future in Georgia.
Last week the European Center for Minority Issues (ECMI) made a presentation
of a project called “The integration of Javakheti region” into Georgia. The
center took journalists out to Akhalkalaki in Javakheti so they could see
first hand the issues of the impoverished area.
The Javakheti region has been identified by the government and international
organizations as one of the regions least integrated into the economy,
politics and society of the rest of the country. One result is that
residents live in serious poverty.
One of the largest economic activities is the Russian military base and as a
result the currency of choice is the Russian ruble instead of the lari.
Now ECMI hope to support the integration of the Javakheti region and its
major cities of Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda to the country’s center and
produce a network of national and regional specialists.
ECMI member Oscar Pentikiainen told The Messenger that last weeks meeting
was designed to form a forum of Javakheti inhabitants. The forum would work
on economic, social, informational and technical matters that mostly concern
all the inhabitants of the Javakheti region.
“Our project is at the very beginning and in several weeks we will formulate
concrete plans on what we exactly intend to do in the future. There are too
many problems in the region, and we are not magicians that can solve all the
problems, but we will try our best,” he said.
The manager of the ECMI project Mikael Hertoft added that “because of the
hard situation, lots of people leave the region.”
Hertoft also talked about other leading problems, such as telephone
communication problems, road problems and the language barrier.
“The main purpose of this project is to help the Javekheti region and other
parts of the region as well. As in most parts of Georgia there is a hard
economic and political situation, problems with electricity and roads. But
the main problem that still exists here is the language problem because
Armenians are heavily located in this region and the main language is
Armenian. It is very important to solve the language problems to share their
interests and ideas with the other parts of Georgia,” stated Hertoft.
The reality of ‘not speaking the same language’ is apparent throughout the
region: analysts say that 85 percent of the population is Armenian and the
rest Georgian, Russian, Greek and other ethnic minorities. According to
local residents, Georgian is the third language in the region after Armenian
and Russian.
Most of the legal documents are in Georgian, which means they cannot be
understood by most of the people. One of the main demands at the meeting was
to translate these documents into Russian because “people have a right to
know the law,” as one participant at the forum stated.
But integration is a complex issue and the head of Akhalkalaki gamgebeli
Melik Raisian explained that people have no need to use Georgian language in
everyday communication.
“People are very irritated by the word ‘integration:’ we do not need any
integration,” he told The Messenger, “because we are a part of Georgia and
the word integration causes provocation for the Armenian population.
Georgians and Armenians are friendly.”
But as NGO leader Mamuka Bekauri said, integration means that a lot is at
stake. “When we are talking about integration, it means that everyone should
take part in the formation of the state and in order to form it, we should
know Georgian,” stated Bekauri.
There are government efforts to help resolve this problem and a language
center called ‘Georgian House’ has recently started offering classes. The
main aim of this program is to teach Georgian to those officials who do not
know Georgian.
“It is very nice and friendly for everybody who wants to learn Georgian
language. We have lots of books, dictionaries and encyclopedias,” said
Georgian teacher Dali Astromeladze. “We have unique films that are rare in
Georgia and also Georgian press. The local population got very interested
and our main aim is to teach Georgian language not only to officials, but to
children too. We want to involve everybody from different ages in this
program.”
At this time of year residents say their most important issue is preparing
for the notoriously brutal winter in the region. Snow and poor roads cut off
major transportation and residents say they need at least GEL 400 to survive
the winter.
For some residents, integration first means solving these economic issues.
“First we must solve these problems and then discuss the problems with
languages,” said Akhalkalaki resident Mikhail Kulikidzi.
Still other residents, like resident Levon Leonian, say education is a
sensitive issue and children should be able to learn more about Armenia.
Studying only Georgian history, he said, “has a negative influence on
children since they do not know the history of their own homeland, Armenia.
Our children know more about the history of Georgia then their own
homeland.”
The leaders of the project state the first stage will occur from September
2004 to December 2005 and project leaders will examine the economy, social
issues, education, access to information and the media.
In a briefing paper given to journalists, the ECMI explained why they think
integration is necessary: “There is a seriously low standard of living,
there are also problems with corruption and the lack of law and
administrative standards create the precondition of tense situation because
of the social and economic situation. And this may aggravate the situation
and cause an ethnic conflict.”

Armenianow.com
Oct 2, 2004
Stranded: Anti-terrorism reaction leaves Armenia disconnected from Russia
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Russia’s reaction to terrorism in Beslan has caused problems for travelers
and cargo trying to reach Armenia from Russia by overland travel.
As part of its security tightening, Russia closed the border of North
Osetia, closing, too, the Lars check point, which is the only yes overland
connection for reaching Armenia via Georgia.
For centuries, Armenians have referred to the pass over the deep gorge of
the River Terek through the steep slopes of the Caucasus Mountains as the
“Alanian Gate” – so named for the Osetians, who are also known as Alanians.
It is strategically located on the so-called Georgian Military Road a 19th
century passageway connecting Vladikavkaz, Russia with Tbilisi, Georgia.
But since September 15, when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered
Georgian connections cut off with North Osetia, Armenians such as driver
Armen Poghosyan – who has been stuck on the other side for 10 days – call
the crossing the “Alan Dead End”.
(Borders are also closed at four check points leading to Azerbaijan,
canceling more than 20 bus routes between Russian and Azerbaijan.)
At the Lars-Kazbegy point cars are backed up for several kilometers,
including about 2,000 bound for Armenia.
“People spend nights in the open air,” says Yerevan resident Gevorg
Gevorgyan, who managed to reach Yerevan on September 22, but only after
crossing the border on foot and hiring a taxi to Yerevan.
“Spending nights in the Lars gorge is always dangerous, let alone the
absence of basic sanitary needs,” Gevorgyan says. He also said that a dead
body was found in the tunnel, suspected to be a murder victim.
And with desperation has come inflation.
“By September 20 a loaf of bread in Lars already cost half a dollar and it
is likely that today it costs more. Opportunists thrive at the border.
Taking advantage of the desperate situation of Armenians stuck there, local
taxi drivers, Georgians, offer really astronomical prices for their
services.”
The situation is creating problems for Armenian businesses that rely on
lorries to bring products from Russia.
“For more than a week my company has been expecting the arrival of 510
passenger cars and 6 trucks,” say Armenia-Lada president Rafael
Shahmuradyan. “So far, they haven’t been able to cross the Russian-Georgian
border.”
Tuesday, Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan said that a vehicle carrying fuel
for repair of Metsamor Power Plant has been stuck in the queue of traffic
for two days. Russian and Georgian border guards have tried to find the
vehicle but because of the long line and the narrow gorge, it has not yet
been located.
Margaryan said it is a serious problem for Armenia, but “its solution does
not depend on Armenia”, adding that “problems which are of first priority
for Armenia can be of second priority for Russia”.
Political analysts in Yerevan say they don’t remember a time when an
Armenian prime minister has been critical of the Kremlin.
Meanwhile Georgia’s Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has demanded that the
border open, pointing out that “serious problems connected with closing the
border in this direction have arisen not only affecting of citizens of
Georgia, but Armenians as well.”
Shahmuradyan says he has sought help from various government agencies in
Armenia, but without success.
The press office of the Government of Armenia said in this regard that
Yerevan has practically no levers of influence in the current situation.
“This is a matter of two sovereign states – Russia and Georgia,” says the
head of the government’s press service Mary Harutyunyan. “Armenia can only
assist in settling the tension, however the problem itself has to be solved
between those two states.”
Monday, Armenia’s Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukyan
said that “negotiations are being held with the Russian side in order to
solve the problem.” However, he didn’t say anything more precise.
” . . . It is obvious that Moscow did not introduce any special sanctions
against Yerevan,” says historian Vardan Khachaturyan, who specializes in
Armenian settlements in the South of Russia, “but, in fact, it is Armenia
that ended up isolated.
“Probably, proceeding from the general political situation in the region,
the Kremlin has to provide citizens of Armenia with a right for an unimpeded
crossing of the border. Let them have a more thorough checking but the
crossing has to be guaranteed. If you look at the problem deeper then it is
within the interests of Moscow itself. Moscow cannot afford to question the
factor of Armenian-Russian strategic partnership.”
At present there is no known progress toward lightening Russian-Georgian
tensions. In fact, beginning today (October 1), Georgian planes are no
longer allowed to fly in Russian airspace.

Armenianow.com
Oct 2, 2004
Outside Eye: This Week, An Insider Looks Out
By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow Reporter
This week I joined hundreds of Armenians in the long line of dreams, waiting
outside the US Embassy in Yerevan for a visa to America. The process is a
test of endurance.
Having previously taken papers, we all were invited between at 9 -9.30 a.m.
and were told to wait. Two by two, applicants disappear inside for about 20
minutes at a time. I was 15th in the line and grew weary calculating when my
turn would come.
I decided instead to indulge in eavesdropping. . .
Two people in front of me and three behind were angrily discussing the
increased price for visiting a consular service. Last year it was $50 and
now it is $100. Even if you don’t get the visa, you pay the fee.
“For what we are paying, for being rejected?,” asked one woman.
“Because here in Armenia it is anarchy,” answered one man. “And the
Americans decided: ‘Why do we have to pay $20 at the airport for leaving
their country. If so let them pay too for entering our country’.”
“They just collect money from people and give visas to a few,” said the
other man. “How do you think the Americans are building their new embassy
here? Each week they collect $20,000 from people like us and it goes to the
construction works and to the wages of embassy employees. They get at least
$1,000, and it all comes from our pockets.”
You can learn a lot about your countrymen, listening to them trying to
leave. By their words, they neither like where they are nor where they are
going . . .
They went on, accusing President Robert Kocharyan of corruption, anarchy,
poor economy in the country and in allowing Americans to take so much money.
“I would never leave Armenia if I feel protected here, if I have job. If my
president can not provide me with a job, I will go to serve another
country,” one man said.
It is a sunny September in Yerevan. The sidewalk, the walls, the pavement
and the heated words are enough for a headache.
I crossed the roped off line to stand in the shadow of a tree between the
stone barriers built by the embassy after 9/11. People watched, perhaps
enviously, but none left the line to join me. However in about five minutes
an embassy guard approached to put me back in line.
“I can’t. It’s too sunny there,” I told him.
“Please go back,” he repeated, politely, but firmly. “You can’t wait here”
“Did I do something illegal,” I asked, jokingly. “I want to wait here and I
see no problem.”
“You hinder the way of passersby,” the guard said. “See everyone stands,
even old people. Please sister- jan go back, otherwise I will be in
trouble.”
Of course I was not obstructing pedestrians, but his last argument persuaded
me.
I returned to the line to find global issues on the talk agenda.
One man predicted an imminent energy crisis in the US.
“Soon Americans will not fuel their cars because it will be too expensive
for them,” the man said. “And they will be deprived of electricity and gas.”
“If it is so, then why are you going there?” a woman asked.
“I go to see my grandsons, whom I’ve never seen,” the man replied. He then
told that his two sons are not US citizens and could not send him an
invitation.
In an hour of listening I realized that I was probably the only one in the
line who had an official invitation from a US entity (for a Duke University
media fellowship) – the only one in that hot line who had reasonable hope.
And I guess that for most people the visa was a one way ticket. For a group
of people I saw, mostly middle-age and old the visa stamp was the most
desirable thing they could wish for.
But what impressed me most was the people’s sympathy towards each others,
their uniting around the common aim. The frankness of Armenians reach its
apex in the visa line. Or so it was that day I was watching people’s true
stories about their life in Armenia and purposes in US. People were so
easily sharing their secrets of their true intentions in US as if we were at
a private party.
A woman of about 40 with emaciated face was telling people around that she
is going to get a job in the US but she would tell the embassy interviewer
that she goes to the US to visit her god mother. The woman had no paper, no
invitation and no idea how she would get a job in the US. The only thing she
knew was that she has to leave Armenia to get a job in America, because no
one of her five family members has a job here.
“If I get a visa we will sell a car to cover the ticket cost,” the woman
said. “And I will not be back for at least five years.”
I tried to persuade her that it is not so easy to get a job and warned her
that she could become a victim of cheaters. But she replied that her friend
left last year and now is a housemaid at one of the hotels in Utah. She too
wanted to be a housemaid. I asked her if she is ready for this job, why she
does not try to find a similar job here.
“I can’t do this job here. My relatives will know about it and I will feel
uncomfortable. If I go to the US I will tell them that I work as a
babysitter.”
In 20 minutes the woman told me the story of her life, about her husband, of
her uneasy relations with her mother-in-law.
I was trying to follow her logic, logic of a tired and unprotected Armenian
woman, who told me her secret only because I was a stranger. I asked her if
she is not concerned that one of the people in line is an employee of the US
embassy who learned about her true purposes. As soon as I said that, others
in the line joined our discussion, saying that no matter why you go to US,
if they (interviewers) decide to give you a visa they do not care why you
are going to their country.
In that line I learned that all the US consular employees are psychic, and
no matter what papers you have, they look at you and make a decision.
Face-control, in other words. I also heard that the most severe consular
agent is a bald American of middle age who rejects everybody.
“There are three windows in the consular room, try to approach the windows
with two young Americans, they give visas,” said one old woman, whose sister
was rejected last month by the bald American.
People in line were generously giving advice on how to behave to get a visa.
The one I liked most was from a woman who was going on her second trip to
visit her daughter.
“Whatever you are asked, you have to tell ‘no’,” the woman said. “Do you
have relatives in US? Say ‘No’. Do you intend to stay in the US? ‘No’. I did
so last time and got a visa.”
Finally my turn came. I got the bald guy.
He went through my papers for five minutes without saying a word. Then he
started asking questions. Turns out that all my answers, in fact, were “No”.
“Do you need a translator,” he asked in Russian. “No,” I replied. “Do you
intend to study or work in the US?” “No.” “Did someone else fill out your
application?” “No.”
I was the last to leave the US embassy that day. The guards asked me the
results, then sincerely congratulated me.
There were some people outside who were rejected but stayed near the
building as if it could help them. One woman was crying, men were smoking.
They all looked very depressed.
I was looking for the woman who indented to go to the US for work, but I did
not see her. I hope that she is aware of human trafficking. And I want to
hope that whatever she does she will not be involved in a bigger trouble.
I looked at them all – at people whose life turned in a way they could never
expect. At people whose children, though safe in the US, can not see their
parents. At people who know the US life only from movies and want to go
there to be in the country where dreams come true. For some.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
30 September 2004
Armenia Becomes Member of UN UPU Administrative Council
On 29 September in Bucharest, the 23rd Universal Postal Congress of
the United Nations Universal Postal Union (UPU) held elections in its
Council of Administration and other bodies. Armenia was elected to the
Council, which is composed of 40 states and coordinates UPU
operations. A French delegate was elected as UPU Director General and
representative of China was elected as Deputy Director General.
UPU is a specialized agency within the United Nations system that
establishes a universal framework for postal operations. The Union
establishes indicative rates, sets limits on weight and size of posted
items and regulates terms for processing of mail and post items.

Referendum Surprise for Turkey
Zaman
10.01.2004 Friday
After the approval of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) in the parliament
put Turkey-European Union (EU) relations back on track, the French
referendum demand inflamed the discussions about Turkey in Europe.
First Nicolas Sarkozy, who is expected to lead the ruling Union for a
Popular Movement (UMP) party come November, and now French President
Jacques Chirac, who strongly supported Turkey so far, entertains the
idea of holding a referendum on Turkey.
Political parties other than Radical Left and the Greens, both of
which have no impact on political life in France, view Turkey’s
membership either negatively or as conditional.
Gathering the rightist parties under one umbrella, UMP defended from
the beginning that Turkey has no place in Europe. Meanwhile, the main
opposition Social Democrat Party wanted Turkey to recognize the
So-Called Armenian Genocide as a prerequisite to starting
discussions. Despite his party’s negative attitude, Chirac, who sends
warm messages to Turkey, announced that he would make his decision
according to the results of the Progress report. In addition, polls in
France indicate that more than half of the French do not want Turkey
in the EU.
Political parties did not hold back from using Turkey as a political
tool in recent local and European elections. After it became
increasingly obvious that the progress report will most likely be
positive, the referendum issue was thrown into the mix. It has reached
a point that the rightist parties seem likely to turn the EU
Constitution referendum, which is planned for 2005, into a “yes” or
“no” referendum on Turkey.
French Parliament EU Delegation Vice President Christian Philip
comments that the end of this process amounts to the “EU running into
a brick wall.” Phillip, in order to emphasize the importance of
France’s attitude, reminded that Charles de Gaulle vetoed Great
Britain. The EU parliamentarian suggests that other countries are
likely to take the issue to referendum as well.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time that a referendum has been
required for a candidate country’s EU membership. In 1972, then
President Georges Pompidou had sent the British membership, which De
Gaulle had vetoed twice, to referendum. Only 68 percent of the public
said “yes”.
The referendum demand in France could be interpreted as the first
concrete confrontation between a Europe that has so far regarded
Turkey’s accession to EU as “distant” and a Turkey that sees Europe as
a reality.
10.01.2004
ALI IHSAN AYDIN
Paris

Mount St. Helens a Volcanic ‘Ring of Fire’
WILLIAM McCALL
Posted on Fri, Oct. 01, 2004
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. – Three or four times every minute, Mount St. Helens
shivers. Sometimes the majestic peak even shudders, the trembling
beneath reaching a crescendo, a magnitude of 3.3.
The earthquakes that started a week ago Thursday – almost certainly
precursors to an eruption – are a reminder that the 8,364-foot
sleeping giant is but a part of a volcanic “ring of fire” so vast that
it encircles the Pacific Ocean.
Indeed, the other 12 major volcanoes in the Cascade Range of northern
California, Oregon and Washington state lie within this geological
phenomenon as well.
The entire ring – from the tip of South America up through Alaska,
Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, down through the
Philippines and Indonesia into New Zealand – includes about
three-fourths of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes, scientists
say.
Most of the activity is related to shifting in the vast sections of
the Earth’s surface known as tectonic plates, continent-size chunks of
crust that float atop the planet’s molten core.
Mount St. Helens and the Cascades lie near the edge of the Juan de
Fuca plate, which is diving under the North American plate to create a
700-mile long “subduction zone” along the ocean floor that triggers
earthquakes and pushes molten rock upwards.
Called magma underground and lava when it surfaces, the molten rock is
forced up through fissures and weak spots in the crust.
Mount St. Helens lies along a particularly weak area of the crust,
causing it to be the most active volcano in the Northwest over the
centuries, said Jon Major, a U.S. Geological Survey researcher in
Vancouver, Wash. Its most spectacular showing was in May 1980, with an
eruption that blew the top 1,400 feet off the mountain.
“It sits near the St. Helens seismic zone, an area where the crust is
pulled apart a little bit,” Major said. “That lets magma push up and
explains why it’s so active and others are not so active.”
For example, Mount Adams lies only about 50 miles east of Mount
St. Helens but has not erupted in thousands of years, Major said.
Mount Jefferson, which lies between Mount Hood and the Three Sisters
in the Oregon stretch of the Cascades, appears to have been dormant
since the last Ice Age despite relatively recent eruptions on
neighboring peaks, he said.
In the rest of the Cascade Range, which stretches from Canada to
Northern California, two of the tallest peaks – Mount Rainier in
Washington state and Mount Shasta in California – both have erupted at
least once in the past 200 years and have had several more over the
last 2,000 years. Most were considered minor, according to USGS
figures.
The Northwest, in turn, has been relatively quiet compared to other
areas of the ring, according to Jim Luhr, director of the global
volcanism program at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
The Aleutian Island chain in Alaska, Central America, Japan and
Indonesia have all been more active recently, Luhr said.
“The Aleutians are one of the most vigorous volcanic parts of North
America,” he said.
But he noted that other parts of the world have plenty of dormant
volcanoes, including France and Germany.
Luhr recently returned from a trip to Armenia where ancient
petroglyphs show evidence of eruptions.
“There are relatively young volcanoes all over Armenia,” he
said. “None have erupted in the last 4,000 years, but clearly ancient
peoples have seen them.”
There is a chance that other Northwest volcanoes could erupt. But like
Mount St. Helens, it will probably be mostly rock and ash that spew
forth, not the dramatic, fiery rivers of lava that accompany eruptions
in Hawaii, scientists say.
The Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 killed 57 people, but other
volcanoes have taken a deadlier toll.
In January 2002, lava rolled down the slopes of the African volcano
Mount Nyiragongo and flooded the streets of Goma, Congo, killing at
least 75 people.