AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
March 25 2004
OMBUDSMAN MEETS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF SWISS FEDERAL ORGANIZATION
FOR REFUGEES
[March 25, 2004, 17:23:37]
Commissioner on Human Rights in Azerbaijan Republic (ombudsman)
Elmira Suleymanova has met with representatives of the Swiss Federal
Organization for Refugees Kristina Ptaifer Romano and Hans Peter
Blair.
During the conversation, Elmira Suleymanova stated that considerable
moral and property damage has been caused to the people by the
Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan. She drew the guests’
attention to the pressing needs of those who had lost their
relatives, property, and now live under hard conditions in refugee
camps. According to the Ombudsman, 51,1 % of this category of people
are able-bodied, and 34,6 % – under the age of 15. She stressed the
necessity of humanitarian aid to these people from international
donors, pointed out concern the President of the country and the
Government showed about the displaced people, and told of the measure
aimed at solving their problems. Dwelling on the business relations
between the State Committee on Refugees and Internally Displaced
Persons and representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
in Azerbaijan including conducting joint seminars-trainings, Mrs.
Suleymanova expressed hope for fruitful cooperation with the Swiss
Federal Organization for Refugees. The Commissioner on Human Rights
answered questions from the guests, and updated them on the work
carried out to ensure international protection for Chechen, Afghan,
Iraqi and other foreign asylum seekers, who had arrived in Azerbaijan
escaping from the extreme conditions in their homelands, as well as
restoration of refugee women’s and their children’s rights.
Kristina Ptaifer and Hans Peter Blair expressed satisfaction with the
meeting and promised to render assistance to solve the problems of
refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan.

Turlock Journal, CA
March 25 2004
Piro: Assyrians need louder voice in Iraq
By Kimberly Horg – Turlock Journal
Lazar Piro, president of the Assyrian National Council, has a
different perspective on the situation in Iraq than what is shown on
television news each night.
Piro, who frequently travels to the Middle East for business and
personal purposes, told a group of Turlock Rotarians Tuesday that
Arab people are upset with Americans because of the government’s
support of Israel, but people in Iraq are pleased with the U.S.
presence. Even so, Iraqis are concerned about getting their country
back in order, he said.
`Most people in the United States don’t exactly understand what is
going on over there so it is good to have someone visit the Rotary
Club who does,’ said Sharon Silva, CEO of the Turlock Chamber of
Commerce.
Piro was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1942 and came to the United
States in 1979 with his wife, Francia. He studied business
administration and began his career marketing and selling health
products. He speaks English, French, Arabic, and Assyrian. He started
Piro Trading International in Turlock during 1984 which specializes
in dental and health care (which he exports internationally). Piro is
the owner of the local franchise for Strings Italian Cafe and has
been a resident of Turlock for 25 years.
He told Rotary members how he thought the U.S. should begin a
democratic Iraq and gave an overview on the Middle East.
`Most of the people in Iraq agree that the people of Iraq must
establish their own government and control,’ Piro said.
`The region is divided into three different areas. The arbitrary
boundary lines have been drawn over many years and battles have
caused grief, anger and political problems,’ Piro said.
As president of the Assyrian National Council, a coalition of 21
religious, social and civic organizations in Stanislaus County, Piro
said he wants to promote the social, cultural and spiritual welfare
of the Assyrian people in Stanislaus County. Stanislaus is home to
over 20,000 Assyrians people who are direct descendants of the
indigenous people of Iraq so many of the city’s residents have
relatives in Iraq, particularly in Northern Iraq and Baghdad.
He recently wrote a letter to President George W. Bush about the law
of administration for Iraq regarding the Assyrian people to be
reconsidered as a nation – not a community – in Iraq. A major concern
of the council is that the law gives the regional government the
territory which includes the northern part of Iraq. This includes
Neneves which used to be the capitol of the Assyrian empire but this
land was given to the Kurds instead.
`We were the indigenous people of Iraq so we would like to get a
voice,’ he said.
The Assyrian and Armenian genocide that took place more a hundred
years ago, in which many people were murdered because of their
beliefs. The Assyrians and Armenians were among the first Christian
peoples. In present times they have the right to practice their
religion, but this was not always a freedom that they could enjoy.
Even though a great number of people were killed, it is not widely
known or spoken about.
In the Bible, Mesopotamia was where present-day Iraq is located ,so
religion has always been a big part of the culture. The Middle East
is the birth place for three major religions: Christianity, Islam and
Judaism. Religion is a strong part of the culture in Iraq, so people
have a clash of different values and different points of view, he
said.
Because there is a mix of religions in the area, democracy in Iraq
will take years.
`It is very difficult to put a democratic government in Iraq,’ Piro
said.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER: March 25, 2004
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN RETURNS
FROM MEETINGS IN LEBANON
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan returned from Antelias, Lebanon after
attending a conference bringing together representatives of the Eastern,
Western, and Canadian Prelacies. Joining Oshagan Srpazan as representatives
of the Eastern Prelacy were two members of the Executive Council, Richard
Sarajian, Esq., (chairman) and Noubar Megerian. The Prelacy representatives
met with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and members of the Religious and
Executive Councils of the Catholicosate.
The discussions centered on the need for advancement in Christian
education; Armenian language and culture education; recruitment and training
of clergy as well as deacons, choirmasters, teachers, Ecumenical Relations,
Charitable work in Armenia, and various other issues of mutual concern.
CILICIAN CATHOLICATE PARTICIPATES
IN ECUMENICAL SEMINAR
Rev. Fr. Magar Ashkarian, Assistant to the Dean of the Cilician
Theological Seminary, Antelias, Lebanon, participated in a seminar on the
nature and purpose of the Church in the Orthodox and Evangelical tradition.
The seminar is a follow-up to two earlier seminars, which brought together
Orthodox and Evangelicals in Bossey, Switzerland, to strengthen the World
Council of Churches initiatives to build meaningful relationships between
the two traditions.
The seminar focused on the nature and the mission of the church. The
theme of the seminar was the understanding of salvation and the role and
place of the Bible in the two traditions. The participants sought ways of
reconciliation, better common understanding and mutual support. The findings
of the seminar will contribute towards the conference on World Mission and
Evangelism in 2005.
FIFTH LENTEN LECTURE GIVEN
BY PROFESSOR VIGEN GUROIAN
The fifth Lenten Lecture, delivered by Dr.Vigen Guroian, professor of
theology and ethics at Loyola College, in Baltimore, Maryland, took place
last night. Professor Guroian spoke about the Christian Family Under Fire.
Professor Guroian began by speaking about Aldous Huxley’s book Brave New
World, written in 1932. What seemed totally impossible and far-fetched 72
years ago is becoming real. He described the forces of society that are
nearly destroying marriage and the family as we know it. We are not far from
Huxley’s world, he said, where human beings are manufactured in laboratories
rather than through the physical union of a man and a woman. Professor
Guroian spoke about the role that the Church must play in challenging these
forces. The Christian Church is under fire, he said. Recognizing the
difficulties of challenging these forces, nevertheless, he said, the Church
will be abdicating her duty if she does not stay true to her beliefs.
A lively question and answer period followed the lecture well beyond the
time allotted. The conversation continued during the fellowship hour while
sharing a Lenten meal prepared by the Prelacy Ladies Guild and the Ladies
Guild of St. Illuminators Cathedral. The Lenten Lectures are sponsored by
the Armenian Religious Education Council and the Prelacy Ladies Guild.
DEACON SHANT KAZANJIAN WILL DELIVER
FINAL LENTEN LECTURE ON MARCH 31
Deacon Shant Kazanjian, the Executive Director of the Armenian Religious
Education Council will be the featured speaker on March 31 at the sixth and
final Lenten lecture. Deacon Shant will explore The Family as the Household
of Faith.
The year 2004 has been proclaimed the Year of the Family by His Holiness
Catholicos Aram I, and the Lenten lectures have all focused on an aspect of
the family.
The lectures take place at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 E. 27th
Street, New York City. Lenten service begins at 7:30 p.m., in the Sanctuary,
followed by the lecture and fellowship in Pashalian Hall. All are welcome.
JEOPARDY TOURNAMENT THIS SATURDAY
The Mid-Atlantic Jeopardy Tournament will take place on Saturday, March
27, at Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen Blvd., Ridgefield, NJ. Armenian
school students from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC,
will compete in the tournament organized by the Armenian National Education
Committee (ANEC).
For information contact Gilda B. Kupelian, Director of ANEC,
212-689-7810. ANEC is co-sponsored by the Eastern Prelacy and the Armenian
Relief Society, Eastern Region.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES
ARMENIA IN MARCH ISSUE
The March issue of the National Geographic magazine has a feature
article on Armenia. Titled The Rebirth of Armenia, the 22-page article is
written by Frank Viviano with photographs by Alexandra Avakian.
We have learned that the magazine has received criticism from Turkish
sources. We urge you to purchase the issue, if you haven’t already done so,
and contact the editor and congratulate him on the article. You may write
to:
William A. Allen, Editor-in-Chief
National Geographic Society
P.O. Box 98199
Washington, D.C. 20090-8199
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 202-828-5460
SIXTH SUNDAY OF LENT:
ADVENT SUNDAY
This Sunday, March 28, is called Advent Sunday (Galstyan Kiraki). During
Lent the faithful are encouraged to meditate on the mystery of salvation.
Christ came to this world for the Salvation of Humankind, and particularly
on Advent Sunday the faithful are asked to think about Christ’s second
coming. Advent Sunday has its own special hymn, in which it is said that the
mystery of Christ’s advent was known to the apostles, who were filled with
awe and anxiously awaited Christ’s arrival to save humankind. In the hymn,
the story of the expulsion from paradise is repeated, and an appeal made to
Christ to ask the Heavenly Father to establish peace on earth.
Saturdays during Great Lent are dedicated to the saints of the Church.
This Saturday, March 27th, is in remembrance of St. Gregory the Illuminator
and his descent into the deep pit (Khor Virab).
MUSICAL ARMENIA CONCERT IS NEARLY SOLD OUT
At this date there are only a few tickets remaining for the 21st Musical
Armenia concert this Sunday, March 28, 2 p.m.
The concert, which will take place at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital
Hall, is sponsored by the Prelacy Ladies Guild each year and features young
Armenian talent. The featured artists this year are Ani Kalyjian, cello and
Karine Poghosyan, piano. Barbara Podgurski will accompany Ms. Kalayjian on
the piano.
Call the Prelacy office, 212-689-7810, immediately if you wish to
purchase tickets.
Visit our website at

Pan Armenian Network, Armenia
March 25 2004
ARMENIAN LOBBYISTS TO WORK HARD
In the draft report of the European Parliament on Turkey’s membership
in the EU the genocide and blockade of Armenia are mentioned
indirectly.
Representative of Christian-Democratic party of the Netherlands Ari
Osterlander has elaborated a report, ”Progress of Turkey in EU is a
very important document for Ankara. The Armenian lobbyist
organizations of Europe do their membership” which has been put on
the agenda of the upcoming session of the European Parliament. This
best in order to have clauses connected with the Genocide and
Armenia’s blockade included in the final text of the report.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The report was discussed recently in the commission
of the European Parliament on foreign affairs, human rights, defense
and security. The draft of the report was significantly modified,
also as a result of the activity of Armenian lobbyists. A day before
the voting of the report clauses concerning the blockade and genocide
were included in the report.
However, the word Genocide is not mentioned. ”The tragic experience
of the past mentioned in the resolutions of the European Parliament
adopted earlier”. This long and strange phrase has come to replace
the word ”Genocide”. The authors of the report see the overcoming
of the problems caused by the ”tragic experience of the past” in
”establishment of a dialogue between the Turkish and Armenian
academic circles, NGOs and public organizations”. It is evident that
the Foreign Ministry of Armenia and the Armenian lobbyist
organizations have to carry out a certain amount of work so that the
final text of the report to be approved at the plenary session of the
European Parliament the Ankara’s policy towards Armenia is formulated
more precisely.
The same with Turkey’s blockade of Armenia. The word ”blockade” was
not included in the report. It only urges Turkey ”to open the
borders with Armenia, establish good-neighbor relations … and to
give up any action impeding the conciliation of the two countries”.
At the same time, the draft report reads that Turkey has lot of
things to do before starting the negotiations about the terms of
entering the EU. The document urges the European commission to make
pressure over Ankara in order to oblige it to solve its problems with
human rights, legality and settlement of the Cyprus conflict. The
report notes that the military officers have a great influence over
the decision-making process in the country; it speaks about the
tortures, violation of rights of religious minorities, etc. We should
note that if all these negative facts are not eliminated, the
European Parliament will have the right to postpone the negotiations.
According to an agreement concluded earlier, it is planned to start
the negotiations in the end of this year.
Submitted by Janoyan Ana

RockRage
March 25 2004
System Of A Down announces support acts for benefit concert
As we had reported before, System Of A Down will be headlining the
`Souls 2004′ benefit concert on April 24th at the Greek Theatre in
Los Angeles, CA. with proceeds benefiting `organizations that work to
eradicate the atrocities of genocides across the globe, including the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), an organization that
supports legislation in the U.S. Congress to recognize the Armenian
Genocide that was perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during World War 1.’
System has just confirmed all the supporting acts for the event and
they include Saul Williams, Bad Acid Trip, and Zach Hill.
Saul Williams is an influential and award-winning
rapper/poet/actor/screenwriter who co-wrote and starred in the film
`Slam.’ He has also received awards including the Grand Jury Prize at
1998’s Sundance Film Festival.
Bad Acid Trip is an innovative and eccentric band that recently
signed on toe System frontman Serj Tankian’s label Serjical Strike
Records and will release their debut on April 20th.
And opener Zach Hill is a much buzzed-about drummer scheduled to
`perform one of the most astounding drum solos you’ll ever witness.’
He is also the drummer for Sacramento-based duo Hella, and also
played drums for Team Sleep, the side project fronted by Deftones
vocalist Chino Moreno.

ArmenPress
March 25 2004
ARMENIAN, AZERI FMs MEETING IN PRAGUE CANCELLED
BAKU, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: Russian co-chairman in the OSCE Minsk
group, Yuri Merzlyakov, told in an interview with an Azerbaijani ATV
channel that the planned meeting of Armenian and Azeri foreign
ministers with the group’s chairmen, scheduled for March 29 in
Prague, will not take place.
Merzlyakov explained that the meeting was cancelled at the request
of one of the sides, but did not elaborate. “Those who accuse the
Minsk group of inactivity should look at the efforts of the
conflicting sides aimed at its regulation,” he said, adding that the
confrontation can be resolved by the sides themselves, but not by
mediators.
A spokesman for Armenian foreign ministry, Hamlet Gasparian, told
Armenpress that the meeting was most likely cancelled at the request
of Azerbaijan, “as Armenia responded positively after receiving the
relevant invitation from the Minsk group.” He said no other messages
were received since from the co-chairmen.

ArmenPress
March 25 2004
DISSIDENT COMMUNIST WARNS AGAINST DESTABILIZATION
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: Yura Manukian, a dissident expelled
from the Communist Party of Armenia, who was elected today the chief
of the new, United Communist Party, argued that maintaining political
stability is “more vital than air and water,” and that the sovereign
country with a short record of independence has no right to treat its
fate lightly.
Manukian went on to argue that “every Armenian citizen has to
contribute to help resolve the country’s pressing problems.” The main
reason, according to him, behind the opposition’s failure to come up
by a united front is not ideological differences but its leaders’
ambitions. He also called on the latter and the party’s regional
chapters to refrain from moves that would destabilize domestic
stability.

ArmenPress
March 25 2004
ONASSIS FOUNDATION HELPS ESTABLISH NEW CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER IN
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: A new cardiovascular surgical
center was inaugurated in Yerevan today with the financial support of
the Greek Onassis Foundation in the premises, owned by Yerevan
Medical University. The building was completely repaired, while
medical equipment came as a donation from the Greek Foundation.
One of the major peculiarities of the new Center is that patients
are discharged the next day after being operated on, and unlike a
similar center at Erebuni hospital, not only operations on heart are
performed, but also other congenital disorders are mended. Though six
specialists of the center were trained in Greece, the first
operations are going to be performed by guest surgeons from Greece
with listed patients from Middle East waiting for their turn already.
The rector of Yerevan Medical University, Vilen Hakobian,
expressed hope that adolescent patients should be operated free, as
part of state order. Greek ambassador to Armenia, Antonios Vlavianos,
education and science, social affairs ministers and other dignitaries
were present at the opening ceremony.

The Toronto Star
March 25, 2004 Thursday Ontario Edition
A stab at greatness
Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian is tops among the best crop of singers
Canada has ever produced Makes Toronto Symphony Orchestra debut amid
ever-widening acclaim, writes William Littler
Noticing that her interviewer was eying her coffee cup, the scientist
in Isabel Bayrakdarian spoke up quickly:
“This has soy milk in it. You get to like soy. I don’t know if you
ever get to love it.”
Dairy products? The cup bearer shook her head, her dark eyes flashing
as she added, with a wicked smile, “And coffee leaches the calcium
from your body!”
Tempted as he was to pull his chair away from Columbia Artists’
boardroom table and submit his body for detoxification, your humble
servant decided instead to change the subject.
It was too early in the morning to confront, across a table, an
honours graduate in biomedical engineering from the University of
Toronto.
It was almost too early to confront her more recent identity as
Canada’s fastest-rising young soprano, the one she will exhibit in
her debut performance with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra next
Wednesday at Roy Thomson Hall (repeat performances take place April 1
and 3, with an added April 4 performance at North York’s George
Weston Recital Hall).
After all, she had just spent the previous evening across 57th St. on
the stage of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, joining three other
singers (mezzo-soprano Norine Burgess, tenor Michael Schade and
baritone Russell Braun), accompanied by pianists Carolyn Maule and
Serouj Kradjian, warbling her way through an all-Canadian
presentation of Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52, and Schumann’s
Spanish Liebeslieder.
Yes, I said all-Canadian.
With all four singers under contract, her manager at Columbia
Artists, Elizabeth Crittenden, had sold Carnegie Hall on the maple
leaf package and at the concert’s end, a cheering audience applauded
the decision.
The concert was emblematic of Canada’s current crop of vocal talent,
perhaps the most remarkable the country has yet produced.
Canadians are singing now on almost all the world’s major stages,
including those on Manhattan’s 57th St.
Indeed, three of the four Liebeslieder singers had already appeared
under Carnegie auspices. Bayrakdarian had not only sung her own
recital there, she had begun a complementary career at the nearby
Metropolitan Opera House, initially in a year ago as Catherine in
Willliam Bolcom’s A View From The Bridge, more recently as Teresa in
Berlioz’ Benvenuto Cellini. Not bad for someone who only took up
singing to improve her vocal skills in church.
Born in Lebanon, one of six children of Armenian parents, Isabel
moved with her family at age 14 to Toronto, where singing in an
Armenian church choir became a big part of her life. It still is. Her
debut CD for CBC Records, titled Joyous Light, celebrates several
centuries of Armenian liturgical music.
“I love the haunting quality of this music,” she explained, between
sips of coffee. “There is a bitter-sweetness and you can put so much
of yourself into its interpretation. I can go into an Armenian church
anywhere in the world, join the choir and start singing. It always
feels like home.”
It was during her vocal studies at home in Toronto with Jean McPhail
at the Royal Conservatory, carried on in tandem with her academic
studies at the University of Toronto, that the possibility of a
career in singing gradually emerged for the young chorister.
“We all need idols and when I grew up there was no Armenian operatic
singer I could look up to, although I later learned that Lucine Amara
was Armenian. So it took time for me to realize I could have a
career. All my biographies now say Canadian-Armenian soprano. I’m
Armenian by heritage but I belong to Canada.”
Canada and the world, actually. The journey from membership in the
Canadian Opera Ensemble (she made her debut in major roles as Rosina
in a production of Rossini’s The Barber Of Seville in February, 1999)
to stardom in New York, Paris and Salzburg has taken only a brief few
years.
“My path to opera was not planned.” she smiled. “And my path through
it will be as spontaneous as I can make it. Someone asked me recently
what I will be doing in January, 2009. I just will not commit that
far. Two or three years ahead yes, but my god, five?”
Bayrakdarian’s reason for caution is obvious. With so few roles under
her belt, she is still experimenting with what works for her. “Tosca
is a great role,” she explained, “but not for my voice. And I’m not
an ‘ina’ (as in Donizetti’s Norina or Mozart’s Despina), the kind of
(soubrette) voice that sings until the age of 40, when they start
looking for younger versions of you.
“It is a blessing that my voice has developed at the extremes and
gained much more depth in the middle. I find that if you lead a
healthy lifestyle, the voice is healthy. Use food as a fuel, not as a
way of dealing with emotional problems. I love what Birgit Nilsson
said: ‘Sad birds don’t sing.'”
An obviously happy bird at this stage of her career, Bayrakdarian was
effectively launched on the international stage by winning Placido
Domingo’s Operalia Competition in 2000. Her combination of vocal
freshness, physical beauty and an outgoing personality have continued
to dazzle the experts as well as the general public.
Offstage, she loves fast cars, holds a scuba-diving licence and can
mix a drink with the skill that put her through the Bartending School
of Ontario.
No, I’m not joking. “Just a little wine is enough to make me whooo,”
the soprano laughed. “But with my bartender’s licence I can be a
great host. I guess it’s the chemist in me.”
It’s the singer in her that she is concentrating on these days, with
the international scope of her career making her a connoisseur of
travel.
“Every day I count my blessings that I do what I do,” she insisted.
“And having a partner who is also in music and experiences all this
with you completely changes you (Serouj Kradjian not only makes music
with his fellow alumnus of Toronto’s Armenian community, he happens
to be her fiance).
“I love the travel. But I can’t wait for my Toronto Symphony
Orchestra debut. It’s singing at home. I love the idea of being able
to drive to work. It’s as close to a normal job as I’ll ever have.”
Does she miss the biomedical engineering? “I don’t regret spending
those years in science at all. But I am a different person now. Music
brings out the best in you. It refreshes the soul. I feel it has made
me a better person.”
Who: Isabel Bayrakdarian
Where: Roy Thomson Hall,
60 Simcoe St.
When: Mar. 31, Apr. 1, 3
Apr. 4 @ Weston Recital Hall
Tickets: $31 – $98 @ 416-872-4255 (416-870-8000 for Weston Recital Hall)
GRAPHIC: “My path to opera was not planned. And my path through it
will be as spontaneous as I can make it,” says Toronto-based soprano
Isabel Bayrakdarian, seen here as Pamina for the Cincinnati Opera.

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
March 24, 2004
VTB finalizes deal to buy 70% of Armenia’s Armsberbank
MOSCOW, Mar 24 (Prime-Tass) — Major state-owned Russian bank
Vneshtorgbank (VTB) has finalized the deal to purchase a 70% stake in
Armenia’s savings bank Armsberbank, one of the largest in the
country, VTB’s press service reported Wednesday.
The purchase came as a planned step in the implementation of VTB’s
development program, which envisages the creation of a subsidiary
chain in Europe and the CIS, the press release stated.
Armsberbank, with its broad chain of branches and developed client
base, including small and middle-sized businesses, will serve as a
starting point for VTB’s further expansion to Armenia’s banking
sector.
Up until now, the bank was fully owned by the MIKA Armenia Trading
company.
As of end-September, 2003, Armsberbank’s own capital totaled 2.652
billion drams, and pre-tax profit amounted to 181.1 million drams in
January-September.
(561.55 drams – U.S. USD 1) End