As We See It
By Prof. Osheen Keshishian
The Armenian Observer
2 June 2004
Recently I told a friend: “Did you know that the Armenian government
sold the AGBU-sponsored and donated cold storage facility for
$150,000?”
The answer was: “What else is new? Isn’t that routine?”
For some people the sale of the Gumri (Armenia) cold food storage
facility did not come as a surprise because for months rumors
were circulating in Armenia and the Diaspora about the transfer
of ownership. But the real surprise was the price tag: $150,000! A
storage facility which cost $5 million to build…
It’s not hard to figure out — the facility was sold for 3% of it’s
value… What a sham! And all this, as they say, in broad daylight. I
would have bid had I known it was on the auction block. Did anyone
else get a chance to bid?
The 10,000-ton cold storage facility was built by Intercool, a renowned
Danish company, for $5 million. The Armenian General Benevolent
Union (AGBU) raised the money and built the facility following the
devastating 1988 earthquake with the hope that food will be stored in
the summer so that during the harsh winter season in this northern
region of Armenia, people will have something to eat. What a great
idea it was and the community quickly raised the funds. Unfortunately,
the facility did not function for a while because of the energy crisis.
Hagop Avedikian, editor of the Yerevan-based Azg daily and Tatul
Hagopian, a writer, in a signed article revealed some interesting
details.
The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Garen Jeshmaridian (the last
name literally means “truth-teller”) in a letter to the writers states:
“I am informing you that Gumri’s cold storage facility was on the
list of the denationalization program of 1998-2000 but procedures were
not initiated. At the same time I am informing you that by decision
of the court, dated April 18, 2002, the cold storage facility has
been declared non-solvent and on March 12, 2003, the entire facility
was sold at auction to the Gechor company.”
Non-solvency in Armenia means the enterprise did not pay taxes. Since
it was a gift to the government of Armenia, and belonged to the
government, then who collects taxes and from whom? Or, who pays
taxes to whom? Probably, you collect taxes from… yourself? Does
this make sense?
Technically, the AGBU cannot make an issue out of this because
it was given as a gift and the receiver can do whatever he wants
with it. Right? But as I understand, and I may be slightly wrong,
if a facility is sold in Armenia by the government, the donor of the
facility should have first option to bid on the entity. Just like the
51% stockholder in an enterprise in Armenia is given the opportunity
to buy the rest of the stocks.
The law is there, and I am not sure if anyone has enforced it. On
the contrary, several Diasporan Armenians have lost their shirts
(maybe not their entire shirts, only their sleeves…)
This is a serious matter, and if it is not clarified, relations
could spiral downward and I think we should not be satisfied with
the worn-out statement that “Armenia is a new country. Give it a
chance.” No band-aid solutions, please.
There are laws enacted in Armenia. But, unfortunately, they are not
enforced. The government has only selectively enforced the laws,
presenting an opportunity to people to abuse their authority and
position, whether related to human rights or economic graft. US senior
State Department official, Ambassador Carlos Pascual only recently
said that the Armenian Government’s human rights record remains poor.
The AGBU was planning to invest money in Armenia in the near
future. The organization should think twice (or three times) before
taking new steps.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA PRESSES STATE DEPARTMENT ON CONTINUED EXCLUSION OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM OFFICIAL WEBSITE ON ARMENIAN HISTORY
— State Department Website’s History of Armenia Fails
to Make any Mention of the Systematic Destruction and
Exile of the Armenian Population between 1915 and 1923
WASHINGTON, DC – In a detailed letter sent today to Secretary of
State Colin Powell, Armenian National Committee Of America (ANCA)
Chairman Ken Hachikian pressed the State Department to end its
practice of excluding any mention of the Armenian Genocide from the
history section of its official website on Armenia.
The State Department website features Background Notes on one
hundred ninety-eight nations. Each entry includes a brief
historical review. The historical section for Armenia makes no
mention of Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of over one and
a half million Armenians, or the “demographic disaster” described
by the Library of Congress as having “shifted the center of the
Armenian population from the heartland of historical Armenia.” The
ANCA issued an action alert on this issue in January of this year.
Hachikian’s letter was written in response to a State Department
letter, dated May 6th, sent to Joe Dagdigian, Chairman of the
Merrimack Valley ANC chapter. Dagdigian had earlier written a
letter, dated April 20th, documenting a series of serious
shortcomings in the State Department website on the history of
Armenia. Dagdigian noted, in part, that:
The historical survey of Armenia omits any reference
to the Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey
beginning in 1915. To recount nearly 3,000 years of
Armenian history without the inclusion of this
cataclysmic and relatively recent event in the history
of the Armenian people is inexcusable. Rather than
contributing to an understanding of the region, it
obscures the region’s history and fails to provide the
background necessary for understanding current
Armenian and regional issues.
In response to Dagdigian’s letter, John Fox, the Director of the
Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs, noted that:
Country background notes on the State Department’s
web-site were designed to provide interested readers
with concise and up-to-date information regarding key
economic and political issues in the country, as well
as travel conditions and commercial opportunities.
Country background notes also provide a very brief
introduction to the country’s history. Typically,
each background page will collapse over 2,000 years of
history into 3-4 concise paragraphs. Consequently,
even episodes of great historical importance are often
not treated in our background notes.
Hachikian, responding to this letter from John Fox, wrote a sharply
critical letter to Secretary Powell spelling out the historical
inaccuracy, the basic inconsistency, and the moral bankruptcy of
the State Department’s position of excluding the Armenian Genocide
from its history of Armenia. In this letter, Hachikian wrote that:
Rather than acknowledging and taking steps to correct
this obvious error – or even indicating a willingness
to review this flawed document, the State Department’s
letter, signed by John Fox of the Office of Caucasus
and Central Asian Affairs, instead, sought to reduce
this issue of profound historical and contemporary
significance to a simple consideration of space.
The Hachikian letter then provides an in-depth review of the
assertions made in the State Department letter, concluding that,
“we find it plainly disingenuous, if not outright dishonest, to
imply that the exclusion of the Armenian Genocide is based on space
considerations.” Hachikian added, that, “it is clear that this
historically inaccurate refusal to even acknowledge the
premeditated extermination between 1915 and 1923 of fully two
thirds of all Armenians by Ottoman Turkey and the exile of a nation
from its historic homeland of more than three thousand years,
represents another very sad chapter in the State Department’s
complicity in the Turkish government’s ongoing immoral campaign to
deny the Armenian Genocide.”
Hachikian closed his letter by sharing with Secretary Powell, “how
truly regrettable I find it to have to engage in word-counts to
illustrate the ridiculous and reprehensible lengths to which the
State Department goes to help the government of Turkey to deny the
undeniable – the crime of genocide committed against the Armenian
nation. In the interest of basic morality, historical accuracy,
and the State Department’s credibility, on behalf of the American-
Armenian community, I ask you to immediately correct this obvious
and insulting ‘error.'”
Armenian Americans can express their concern about the Armenia
Background Notes by visiting the following link on the ANCA website.
The full text of the ANCA letter to Secretary Powell is provided below.
#####
Text of ANCA letter to the State Department – June 4, 2003
June 4, 2004
The Hon. Colin Powell
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St NW 7th Floor
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Powell:
I am writing to share with you our grave concerns regarding the
State Department’s response (see attached) to the letter that our
Merrimack Valley Armenian National Committee Chairman, Joe
Dagdigian, sent on April 20th to Under Secretary Margaret Tutwiler,
regarding the Country Profile of Armenia on the State Department’s
website.
I refer specifically to the point raised by Mr. Dagdigian that the
State Department’s “historical survey of Armenia omits any
reference to the Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey
beginning in 1915. To recount nearly 3,000 years of Armenian
history without the inclusion of this cataclysmic and relatively
recent event in the history of the Armenian people is inexcusable.
Rather than contributing to an understanding of the region, it
obscures the region’s history and fails to provide the background
necessary for understanding current Armenian and regional issues.”
Rather than acknowledging and taking steps to correct this obvious
error – or even indicating a willingness to review this flawed
document, the State Department’s letter, signed by John Fox, the
Director of the Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs,
instead, sought to reduce this issue of profound historical and
contemporary significance to a simple consideration of space. In
his response, Mr. Fox specifically noted that, because “typically,
each background page will collapse over 2,000 years of history into
3-4 concise paragraphs. . . even episodes of great historical
importance are often not treated in our background notes.”
Although we are deeply troubled – morally, historically, and on
humanitarian grounds – by the Department’s willingness to dismiss
the Armenian Genocide in this fashion, we, nonetheless, took a
serious look at the defenses offered in Mr. Fox’s letter. First,
we surveyed the lengths of each of the one hundred ninety-eight
Background Notes on the Department’s website (see attached list).
Next, we examined the entries for nations that are universally
understood to have suffered genocidal crimes. And, finally, we
reviewed each entry against the standard that “even episodes of
great historical importance” are often not included in Background
Notes due to space considerations. Based on this review, we
discovered the following:
1) Space considerations:
At three hundred three words, the history section in the Armenia
Background Notes is among the shortest of all the one hundred
ninety-eight nations on the State Department’s Background Notes
website. While we appreciate that word length does not necessarily
correlate to the merits of a particular historical overview, we
observe, in light of Mr. Fox’s comments about space limitations,
that fully one hundred sixty-eight entries are larger than
Armenia’s, many being substantially larger. For example, the entry
on Honduras is five times larger, while the one for Bangladesh is
ten times the size of Armenia’s entry; fifty-seven countries are
over one thousand words.
Given that the length of the Armenian Background Notes history
section is less than half the average word-count of eight hundred
sixty-two words, we find it plainly disingenuous, if not outright
dishonest, to imply that the exclusion of the Armenian Genocide is
based on space considerations.
2) Other instances of genocide
Unlike in the Armenian case, the Department of State does properly
address the issue of genocidal campaigns in the Background Notes of
three other nations, namely Cambodia, Israel, and Rwanda, whose
people experienced genocide in the 20th Century. The relevant
portions of these Background Notes are provided below:
Cambodia: “The regime controlled every aspect of life
and reduced everyone to the level of abject obedience
through terror. Torture centers were established, and
detailed records were kept of the thousands murdered
there. Public executions of those considered
unreliable or with links to the previous government
were common. Few succeeded in escaping the military
patrols and fleeing the country. Solid estimates of
the numbers who died between 1975 and 1979 are not
available, but it is likely that hundreds of thousands
were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of
thousands more died of starvation and disease–both
under the Khmer Rouge and during the Vietnamese
invasion in 1978. Estimates of the dead range from 1.7
million to 3 million, out of a 1975 population
estimated at 7.3 million.”
Israel: “Mounting British efforts to restrict this
immigration were countered by international support
for Jewish national aspirations following the near-
extermination of European Jewry by the Nazis during
World War II.”
Rwanda: “The killing swiftly spread from Kigali to
all corners of the country; between April 6 and the
beginning of July, a genocide of unprecedented
swiftness left up to 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus
dead at the hands of organized bands of militia­
Interahamwe. Even ordinary citizens were called on to
kill their neighbors by local officials and
government-sponsored radio. The president’s MRND
Party was implicated in organizing many aspects of the
genocide.”
3) Exclusion of “episodes of great historical importance”
In Mr. Fox’s letter, he notes that “even episodes of great
historical importance” are not included in Background Notes due to
space considerations. This apparent effort to excuse the absence
of any mention of the Armenian Genocide prompted us to review other
entries in order to determine if this standard was applied
uniformly. While the Department could not find the space, even in
a sentence or two, to deal with a central event in modern Armenian
history, it did manage to include the following entries for other
countries:
Papua New Guinea: “Early garden crops–many of which
are indigenous–included sugarcane, Pacific bananas,
yams, and taros, while sago and pandanus were two
commonly exploited native forest crops. Today’s
staples – sweet potatoes and pigs – are later
arrivals, but shellfish and fish have long been
mainstays of coastal dwellers’ diets.”
Lithuania: “…the Roman historian Tacitus referred
to the Lithuanians as excellent farmers.”
Mali: “Malians express great pride in their
ancestry.”
Based on this review of the Department’s response, it is clear that
the exclusion of the Armenian Genocide from the Background Notes
entry for Armenia is not, as Mr. Fox implied in his letter, based
on space considerations. Rather, it is clear that this
historically inaccurate refusal to even acknowledge the
premeditated extermination between 1915 and 1923 of fully two
thirds of all Armenians by Ottoman Turkey and the exile of a nation
from its historic homeland of more than three thousand years,
represents another very sad chapter in the State Department’s
complicity in the Turkish government’s ongoing immoral campaign to
deny the Armenian Genocide.
By any historical standard, the Armenian Genocide represents an
important chapter in world history and a major milestone in the
life of the Armenian nation. The Library of Congress Country Study
of Armenia, which estimates the number of Armenians killed in the
Armenian Genocide at up to two million, describes the Genocide as
“a demographic disaster that shifted the center of the Armenian
population from the heartland of historical Armenia.” The
exclusion of the Armenian Genocide from any history of Armenia,
however brief, is morally and historically inexcusable.
I will close by sharing with you how truly regrettable I find it to
have to engage in word-counts to illustrate the ridiculous and
reprehensible lengths to which the State Department goes to help
the government of Turkey to deny the undeniable – the crime of
genocide committed against the Armenian nation. In the interest of
basic morality, historical accuracy, and the State Department’s
credibility, on behalf of the American-Armenian community, I ask
you to immediately correct this obvious and insulting “error.”
I would be pleased to meet with you personally to discuss this
matter in greater detail.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Kenneth V. Hachikian
Chairman

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 9, 2004
___________________
RECORD NUMBERS OF YOUNG LEADERS HEAD TO TEXAS FOR BUSINESS, FELLOWSHIP,
AND WORSHIP
The young people of the St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX, chapter of the
Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) played host to
hundreds of ACYOA members during the group’s energetic and successful
General Assembly and Sports Weekend.
The Assembly, from May 27 to 28, brought together 40 representatives
from 17 parishes. It was the first time the Dallas chapter hosted the
events.
“This was my first time attending the General Assembly, and it was very
encouraging and inspiring to discover that others share the same
dedication, hope and excitement about having a successful ACYOA, locally
and nationally,” said Melissa DerPilbosian, an ACYOA member from the
Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA
YOUNG STEWARDS
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, told the
young faithful that it is never too early for them to step forward and
take roles of responsibility in the church community.
“Armenians, throughout our history, have beautifully exemplified the
Christian tradition of stewardship. All of our worthy achievements, our
long survival in the face of terrible obstacles, are in the deepest
sense a record of faithful stewardship, by the Armenian people to our
Almighty Lord and Master,” the Primate said. “Our parents and
grandparents did not take on all these challenges because they felt
there was something in it for themselves. Quite the reverse. They
worked and sacrificed and contributed because they regarded the church
itself, and service to God, as something greater than themselves: as a
duty they had inherited from prior generations; as a legacy they were
obliged to hand down to generations yet to come.”
“Now, all of this heritage has been placed in your hands,” he told the
young delegates. “You are the new stewards of the Armenian Church. It
is now your turn — your obligation — to be its care-takers, its
defenders, its creative builders.”
The Primate also read to the Assembly a message from His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; and led
the young delegates in a bible study dealing with the idea of
stewardship. The Primate then hosted the delegates for a luncheon,
during which he answered questions on a variety of issues.
The Assembly was a chance not only for the delegates to get business
done, but to get to know the Primate better and get to know each other
as well.
“It’s always a pleasure being with people my age who share the same
faith and values that I do,” said Dn. Armen Jesralyan, an ACYOA member
at the St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ. “I can’t express how much of
an influence this has on me.”
Also speaking during the assembly was Jason Demerjian, the Eastern
Diocese’s college ministry facilitator, who spoke on remaining a
faithful Armenian Christian. His ministry is the newest effort by the
Eastern Diocese to reach out to those who do not attend regular
services.
“It was a true blessing to witness the strong commitment and fresh ideas
demonstrated at the Assembly,” said Gregory Andonian, ACYOA
representative from the St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland, OH.
“The Armenian Church and its people have a bright future.”
CHOOSING NEW LEADERS
The ACYOA delegates voted for three Central Council seats. Re-elected
for another two-year term were Maria Derderian of the St. Sahag and St.
Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, PA; and Rita Akaraz of the St. John Church
of Southfield, MI. Also elected was Karen Khatchadourian of the St.
Thomas Church of Tenafly, NJ.
“The ACYOA Central Council continues to be an integral part of the
Armenian Church. Their wisdom and passion has helped strengthen this
organization in the past few years,” said Steve Megrdichian, the youth
director from the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI.
“Their mission has been to collectively put forth each of their talents
to promote the ACYOA and its programs.”
The new Central Council officers for the 2004-05 year are: Jennifer
Morris, chair; Dn. Diran Jebejian, vice chair; Rita Akaraz, treasurer;
Tammy Bagdigian, secretary; Maria Derderian, public relations;
Christopher Tashjian, chapter relations; and Karen Khatchadourian,
programming.
“This year’s Central Council is composed of strong leaders and
passionate servants of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” said Morris,
who begins her last year on the Central Council after 15 years of
involvement. “We will work together to continue strengthening the ACYOA
on the national level, while focusing on effective communication and
programming to help benefit young adults throughout the Eastern
Diocese.”
CELEBRATING THEIR FAITH
On Sunday, more than 75 of the young delegates joined the faithful
parishioners of St. Sarkis Church for a Divine Liturgy, celebrated by
Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of St. Nersess Seminary. Fr. Haigazoun
Najarian, pastor of the St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church of Wynnewood,
PA, delivered the Armenian sermon and the English sermon was delivered
by Fr. Vazken Movsesian, from the Western Diocese.
After the liturgy, the Primate conducted a special Service of
Installation for the new ACYOA Central Council.
“We, and the faithful present here, ask for God’s blessings upon these
servants of the Church, that they may continue to serve God and the Holy
Mother Church of Armenia,” said Nancy Basmajian, executive secretary of
the ACYOA, as she presented the council to the Primate.
SPORTS AND GAMES
Following a weekend of business and church services, 350 young adults
from the Eastern Diocese took part in the Sports Weekend, which ran from
May 28 to 31, 2004. The Sports Weekend committee was chaired by Evelyn
Boyajian. More than 172 athletes from 12 parishes competed in events
ranging from chess and tavloo to track and basketball.
Along with sports events on Saturday, there were also a series of
workshops, covering topics such as: college life and the church; the
realities of sex, drugs, and violence; the state of marriage; a
discussion on the movie “The Passion of the Christ”; and presentations
on the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Armenian Genocide
Museum and Memorial.
The young members of the Eastern Diocese were joined by the chair of the
Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO) of the Western Diocese, Hovig
Artinian, who was accompanied by about 50 ACYO-WD members. He told the
ACYOA delegates at the Assembly that he hoped a new era of open
communication could build joint ventures between the two organizations.
Several clergymen also spent the weekend with the ACYOA members,
including: Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of the St. Nersess Seminary; Fr.
Nersess Jebejian, pastor of the St. Hagop Church in St. Petersburg, FL;
Fr. Garabed Kochakian, pastor of the St. John Church of Southfield, MI;
and Fr. Haigazoun Najarian, pastor of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church
of Wynnewood, PA.
* * *
Taking home first place honors during the ACYOA Sports Weekend were:
Men’s Basketball – St. Vartan Cathedral
Women’s Basketball – St. John Church, Detroit, MI
Volleyball – St. James Church, Watertown, MA
Soccer – Holy Ascension Church, Trumbull, CT
Tug-of-War – St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Bull Riding – Onnik Madanyan, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church,
Chicago, TX
Chess – David Avanesov, St. Gregory of Narek Church, Cleveland, OH
Tavloo – Ara Minassian, St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Ping-Pong – Fernando Maraslioglu, St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Track, Men’s 100 meters – Diran Belekian, California
Track, Women’s 100 meters – Kelly Karakashian, St. John Church, Detroit,
MI
Track, Men’s 200 meters – Diran Balekian, California
Track, Women’s 200 meters – Kelly Karakashian, St. John Church, Detroit,
MI
Track, Men’s 400 meters – Diran Balekian, California
Track, Men’s 800 meters – Charlie Stamboulian, St. John Church, Detroit,
MI
Track, Men’s 1,600 meters – Thomas Stamboulian, St. John Church,
Detroit, MI
Massis Award – St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Babayan Cup – St. James Church, Watertown, MA
— 6/9/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), with the newly chosen ACYOA
Central Council at St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX, the host of the 2004
ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): The Primate discusses stewardship with the delegates
at the 2004 ACYOA General Assembly in Dallas, TX.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): A team takes part in the tug-of-war competition
during the ACYOA Sports Weekend in Dallas, TX.
PHOTO CAPTION (4): Basketball was one of the sports in the 2004 ACYOA
Sports Weekend, hosted by the St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX.
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Aremenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
E-Mail: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2004
Contact: David Zenian
E-Mail: [email protected]
ASSEMBLY EXTENDS CONDOLENCES TO MRS. REAGAN
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly this week expressed its “deep
sadness” and “heartfelt condolences” to Mrs. Nancy Reagan and her family
over the death of her husband, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the
United States.
In a joint letter signed by Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian and
Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian, the Assembly praised the late
President for his ardent support of genocide reaffirmation, freedom,
democracy and human rights.
“Your husband is to be commended as the only President of the United States
to recognize the Armenian Genocide via official proclamation. As the
Governor of California, he frequently issued proclamations accurately
characterizing the cataclysmic events of 1915 as genocide,” the letter said.
In his unprecedented proclamation issued on April 22, 1981 during his first
term in office, the late President Reagan said:
“Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the
Cambodians which followed it – and like too many other such persecutions of
too many peoples – the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”
Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian said:
“His remarks are now part of the historical record and contributed to the
growing international trend of Armenian Genocide reaffirmation. His
statement did not damage U.S.-Turkey relations, contrary to the often
expressed concerns of past and present administrations as they oppose
congressional resolutions on this vital issue.
“President Reagan’s quest to end the Cold War set the stage for the fall of
the Berlin Wall, and created the momentum for the eventual collapse of the
Soviet Union, an end to communist rule and the re-birth of an independent
Republic of Armenia,” Hovnanian said.
Following is the full text of the Assembly’s letter of condolence which was
sent to Mrs. Nancy Reagan this week.
June 8, 2004
Mrs. Nancy Reagan
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Dear Mrs. Reagan:
On behalf of the Armenian Assembly and the Armenian-American community, we
wish to express our deep sadness on hearing of the death of your husband.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
Throughout his career in public service, the President distinguished himself
as one of America’s most ardent and eloquent champions of freedom, democracy
and human dignity worldwide. To that end, your husband is to be commended
as the only President of the United States to recognize the Armenian
Genocide via official proclamation. As the Governor of California, he
frequently issued proclamations accurately characterizing the cataclysmic
events of 1915 as genocide.
In foreign policy, the President’s motto was “peace through strength,” as he
embarked on a quest to end the Cold War, reunite Germany, reduce nuclear
arms, and confront terrorism. He is credited for his singular role in
ending the Cold War and setting the stage for the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Armenian-American community will always remember the vision and
leadership your husband exhibited in his successful mission to liberate the
nations absorbed by the former Soviet Union.
With every fundamental challenge he encountered in life, the President met
it with good humor, kindness, conviction and optimism in a way that inspired
and continues to inspire the American people. As the nation grieves with
your family, we also celebrate the life of your husband.
Sincerely,
Hirair Hovnanian
Anthony Barsamian
Chairman, Board of Trustees Chairman,
Board of Directors
NR#2004-054

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 9, 2004
___________________
AWARDS PRESENTED TO PEOPLE DEDICATED TO YOUNG FAITHFUL
As part of its General Assembly and Sports Weekend, the Armenian Church
Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) awarded several honors to
dedicated leaders during its weekend of events in Dallas, TX, May 27-31.
The Gregory Arpajian Award, given to an individual who displays
leadership and service to the Armenian Church and community, was
presented to Saro Kalayjian of the St. Mary Church of Washington, DC.
The Sam Nersesian Award, which honors an individual who displays
Christian values, was awarded to Karen Khatchadourian from the St.
Thomas Church in Tenafly, NJ.
The Chapter “A” Award, annually given to an ACYOA senior chapter that
has best fulfilled the requirements as seen by the ACYOA Central
Council, was awarded to the ACYOA chapter at the St. Sarkis Church of
Dallas, TX.
“We will definitely remember the southern hospitality of the Dallas
ACYOA and St. Sarkis parishioners as we return home to our parishes
throughout the Diocese,” newly installed ACYOA Central Council Chair
Morris said. “The countless hours of planning and preparations led to
the success of the weekend and proved that Dallas’ ACYOA Seniors were
truly worthy of receiving the Chapter ‘A’ Award this year.”
The V. Rev. Fr. Haigazoun Melkonian Award, named after the beloved late
pastor and given each year to a priest in recognition of his dedication
to the youth, was given to Fr. Nersess Jebejian, pastor at the St. Hagop
Church in St. Petersburg, FL.
“I knew Fr. Haigazoun for many years and, in fact, was his mentor for a
time, so I’m especially pleased to be awarded this in his name,” Fr.
Jebejian said. “I pray that the ACYOA continues to grow and fulfill its
mission and that it lives up to the vision of its founder, Archbishop
Tiran Nersoyan.”
The group’s newest honor, the Rev. Fr. Haroutiun Dagley Award, also
named after a beloved departed pastor, and presented to a layperson who
has supported the youth of the church, was awarded to Dean Shahinian, a
delegate from the St. Mary Church in Washington, DC.
“We are brothers and sisters in a family that God has created,” said
Shahinian, who on Saturday, May 29, also lead an Insights Session for
the participants, during which they focused on morals. “We are bound
together with love and respect for each other, although we are at
different stages in our lives.”
— 6/9/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Fr. Nersess Jebejian, pastor of the St. Hagop Church
in St. Petersburg, FL, is presented with the V. Rev. Fr. Haigazoun
Melkonian Award during the ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend in
Dallas, TX.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Saro Kalayjian, from the St. Mary Church of
Washington, D.C., is presented with the Gregory Arpajian award during
the ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend, May 27-31, 2004.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Dean Shahinian, from the St. Mary Church in
Washington, D.C., is presented with the ACYOA’s Rev. Fr. Haroutiun
Dagley Award, during the group’s 2004 General Assembly and Sports
Weekend, hosted the St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX.
# # #

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 9 2004
AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF ASSEMBLY OF
TURKISH AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS
[June 09, 2004, 23:19:53]
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received at the
Presidential palace a delegation led by Chairman of the Assembly of
Turkish American Associations /ATAA/ Mr. Ercument Kilic, June 9.
Sincerely greeting the guests, the Head of State Ilham Aliyev noted
in particular that the Assembly of Turkish American Associations has
a great prestige, and plays an important role in development of the
Turkey-US relationship. We are closely watching your activities and
pleased at you achievements, he said.
The President pointed out active participation of Azerbaijani
delegation in the Assembly’s January 2004 Congress, and expressed
satisfaction with development of Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the
organization. He also mentioned activity of the State Committee for
Working with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, which had been founded at the
initiative of nation-wide leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev.
As you know, Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship has always been
very friendly, we are brotherly countries, President Ilham Aliyev
stressed. He noted that Turkey had been the first country to recognize
Azerbaijan after re-gaining the state independence, and that relations
between the two states had been brought up to very high level since
then.
These relations have brought great benefit to both peoples; Turkey
and Azerbaijan are implementing large-scale economic projects in the
region, and we have always supported each other in the international
organizations, the Head of State said.
President Ilham Aliyev also pointed to high-level relationship between
Azerbaijan and the United States both in political, economic and
other spheres. He described Azerbaijan as very reliable partner of
the United States. For the last decade, he said, we showed more than
once our adherence to this policy not only by issuing statements but
also by taking practical steps, the President emphasized.
The Head of State noted with great satisfaction the recent formation of
the US-Azerbaijan working group in the United Sates Congress, and the
importance of dissemination of truthful information about Azerbaijan
among the Congressmen. Despite the US President’s waiver of the
unfair Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act regarding Azerbaijan,
the President said, it still remains in force. He described the
Section 907 as one of the results of the great job Armenian lobby in
the United States is doing against Azerbaijan.
We are trying to settle peacefully the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, President Ilham Aliyev continued, but unfortunately,
there is no result yet. Everyone should be aware, and the American
public in particular, that exactly Azerbaijan is a victim of the
conflict; it is our land that is under occupation, and over one
million of our people have become IDPs and refugees from the conflict;
what we want is observance of the international legal norms, and as
its reflection – withdrawal of the Armenian occupation forces from
our lands and restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
President Ilham Aliyev concluded.
Having thanked the Head of State for the sincere meeting, ATAA
Chairman, Mr. Ercument Kilic noted that it is a great honor for him
to meet the President of Azerbaijan.
The guest expressed his great satisfaction with the positive changes
occurred in Azerbaijan for the past years, among which he called new
airport, hotels etc. He also pointed out the evident achievements
of the country in the spheres of democracy development, transition
to market economy, as well as its participation in the international
peacemaking operations that according to him, is widely propagandized
in the United States.
Having stressed the good relations established recently with American
parliamentarians, Mr. Ercument Kilic noted that members of his
organization are actively involved in clarifying the situation with
respect to Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. He said Karabakh is a
common wound, and on behalf of the 300 thousand American Turks and
20 thousand Assembly members assured President Ilham Aliyev that they
would do their best to achieve the goal.
In conclusion, the ATAA Chairman extended to the Azerbaijan President
best wishes for every success in his activity.
Present at the meeting was Chairman of the State Committee on Working
with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad Nazim Ibrahimov.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT IN CONTROL AS OPPOSITION PROTESTS FIZZLE OUT
Emil Danielyan: 6/09/04
EurasiaNet Organization
June 9 2004
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian appears to have warded off a
challenge to his authority, surviving a two-month opposition protest
campaign that aimed to force his resignation. Even though the protests
failed to attract large numbers of Armenians, some political analysts
in Yerevan say the opposition campaign inflicted considerable political
damage on Kocharian.
Since April, opposition leaders had promised “decisive action”
against Kocharian. At the most recent street protest June 4 in
central Yerevan, however, the opposition acknowledged that it lacked
sufficient backing to fulfill its aim, and abandoned plans to march on
Kocharian’s residence. “We believe that we are not yet ready to carry
out actions needed for achieving our final victory,” a leading member
of the opposition Justice bloc, Albert Bazeyan, told a thinning crowd.
The unrest stemmed from the February-March 2003 presidential election
in which Kocharian secured a second term amid allegations of vote
rigging. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. His
opponents still refuse to recognize the legitimacy of his reelection
and were unsuccessful in a 2003 attempt to have the voting results
invalidated. Kocharian critics later decided to embrace protest
tactics, striving to imitate the success of Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili, who came to power amid the “Rose Revolution”
in Tbilisi. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The opposition unveiled the protest strategy in early April. The
most critical moment occurred early on in the protest campaign, as
riot police, during the early hours of April 13, dispersed opposition
protesters as they marched towards Kocharian’s official residence in
Yerevan. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The leaders of Armenia’s two main opposition groups, the Justice
bloc and the National Unity Party (AMK), have since continued the
unsanctioned rallies in the city center. The protests have flagged
in recent weeks as many opposition supporters grew increasingly
frustrated over the lack of “decisive action.”
Bazeyan and other opposition leaders said they will continue to rally
supporters in the capital to keep up pressure on the authorities.
“There will be no stability in the country as long as Kocharian remains
in power because stability and Kocharian are incompatible things,”
the most radical of them, Aram Sarkisian, said.
But few observers believe that demonstrations attended by several
thousand people will pose a serious threat to the ruling regime.
Given the effective end of the protest campaign, political analysts
are examining the question of why the Armenian opposition failed
to mobilize what one of its leaders described as a “critical mass”
of demonstrators.
In the view of Aghasi Yenokian, director of the independent Armenian
Center for Political and International Studies, Justice and the
AMK never had a clear action plan. He said the opposition also lost
popular trust due to its inability to successfully press its appeal
over the presidential election tally. “The opposition has shown on
several occasions that it can let the people down at any moment,”
Yenokian said.
Still, some local political experts believe that the protests,
which provoked the worst-ever government crackdown on the Armenian
opposition, dealt a blow to Kocharian’s legitimacy at home and
abroad. That, they say, could open new cracks in the country’s shaky
governing coalition, rendering the medium- to long-term political
situation in the country unpredictable.
“Armenia is entering a period of political apathy where there is no
effective government and [no] effective opposition,” said a recent
commentary in the pro-opposition daily Haykakan Zhamanak.
Authorities have maintained throughout that the opposition protest
campaign was unconstitutional. On June 8, one of Kocharian’s top allies
declared victory in the political struggle. “The opposition has failed
to achieve its goals,” Prime Minister Andranik Markarian said.
Throughout the crisis, Kocharian stressed that Armenia’s strong
security apparatus ensured that a repetition of the “Georgian scenario”
would not occur in Yerevan. At the same time, Kocharian has sought
to placate building popular frustration.
Kocharian has long tried to cast himself as the custodian of a
fast-growing economy. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. The benefits of economic growth, though, are not evenly
distributed in Armenia, as many in the country continue to grapple
with poverty. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. In recent weeks, Kocharian has expressed renewed interest in
improving living conditions. His schedule in early June, for example,
was full of meetings, heavily publicized by state-controlled television
channels, with officials at all levels of government to examine issues
ranging from suspected corruption in high school graduation exams to
patchy supplies of drinking water.
In addition to the high-profile effort to address popular concerns,
authorities have cracked down on the opposition, arresting hundreds of
government critics. The crackdown continued even after strong criticism
voiced by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in late
April. Since then, a 24-year-old man has been sentenced to an 18-month
jail term for hurling a plastic bottle at a riot police officer during
the April 12-13 events. Four other opposition activists received up
to 15-month prison sentences stemming from their participation in
another protest.
Although Kocharian is the winner of the latest round, experts
believe the political bout will continue. Yenokian, for one, viewed
the deepening intra-governmental infighting as a source of political
turmoil down the road. “The processes should not be considered over,”
the analyst said. “They may well have a continuation.”
Editor’s Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES MEMBER OF GERMAN KfW BANK COUNCIL
ArmenPress
June 9 2004
YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: The president of Armenia Robert Kocharian
received today the delegation of Kredietenschaft fur Wiederaufbau
(KfW) bank, headed by member of KfW council Ingrid Matheus Mayer,
which arrived in Armenia within a regional visit.
The presidential press office reported that Robert Kocharian stated
with satisfaction that the program carried out in cooperation with KfW
are the most successful ones from the point of their effectiveness. He
particularly outlined the cooperation in the sphere of energy and
banking system.
According to Mrs. Mayer, the cooperation in various spheres is on
the excellent level. She said that KfW pays serious attention to the
development of small and medium business. In this regard she outlined
the importance of the German-Armenian fund’s activity. She said the
cooperation in the spheres of energy will be continued. In her words,
there is a certain interest towards the water system.

US AMBASSADOR VISITS SYUNIK
ArmenPress
June 9 2004
KAPAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: US ambassador to Armenia, John Ordway,
paid a two-day working visit to the southern province of Syunik on
June 8-9 to get a first-hand information on the ground about the pace
of implementation of an array of projects, funded and supported by
his government.
The first leg of his visit was to Meghri, home to one of the biggest
copper and molybdenum plant, that was privatized by a US-based company
recently. The same day the ambassador met with representatives of local
non-governmental organizations and community leaders in Meghri and then
in Kapan to introduce them to the projects, implemented in the region
with the support of the US government and hear also their opinions.
On the second day of the visit John Ordway visited a local kindergarten
being repaired by Save the Children Organization on USAID funds and
then attended a ceremony marking the end of a major repair of the
local mental clinic, funded also by Save the Children.

MAP BUILDS MODERN BUTCHERY
ArmenPress
June 9 2004
YEGHEGNADZOR, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: A butchery that will comply with
US and European standards is being built in Yeghegnadzor, in the
vicinity of ARID Goat Breeding and Research Center with the support
of USDA Marketing Assistance Project (MAP).
According to Sos Avetisian, a public affairs officer of the MAP,
the refrigerating room and other auxiliary facilities, also two
shops, one for processing the hide and the other for butchering are
ready. There is also a special window for visitors who can watch the
entire production process of the butchery. A US experts is invited to
teach local specialists European methods of operating a butchery. The
butchery’s capacity will be around 3,000 goats a year. MAP is planning
to build another five such butcheries.
The ARID Center houses imported purebred goats from the United
States. These purebred goats are crossed with native Armenian goats
to obtain a crossbred animal with increased milk production. This
improved milk production increases village farmers’ financial incomes
and provides the milk necessary for goat cheese factories to make
exotic goat cheeses that are exported abroad.