ASBAREZ ONLINE [05-20-2004]

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05/20/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Turkey's Interior Ministry Rejects Draft Constitution for Armenian Patriarchate 2) Russian Defense Chief Arrives in Armenia 3) Georgian Leader Visits Turkey, Urges Closer Ties 4) Armenia Turns to Cyprus as Bridge to EU 5) COMMUNIQUE 1) Turkey's Interior Ministry Rejects Draft Constitution for Armenian Patriarchate ANKARA (Marmara)--Turkey's interior ministry opposed a new constitution drafted by the country's foreign ministry for the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, reported Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper. Citing the Treaty of Lausanne, the interior ministry said the rights foreseen by the constitution exceed those of the treaty, and would succeed in making Armenians of Turkey a privileged minority, thus setting an unfavorable precedent for other minorities. To date, the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey has not had a constitution, and Patriarchal elections have always been carried out based on the decision of Turkey's Council of Ministers. The government of Turkey does not officially recognize the Patriarchate. It appears that the foreign ministry drafted the constitution in response to numerous appeals to correct the situation. Though the details of the document are not public, the interior ministry said the function of the Partriarchate is solely religious, and in no way does it possess political or executive privileges. The interior ministry also reminded that the Treaty of Lausanne makes no mention of the Armenian Patriarchate, and that its elections have been guided in accordance with the 1961 bylaws of Turkey's Council of Ministers, saying that the trend must continue. What is most disturbing about the Cumhuriyet article is the interior ministry's proposal on defrocking the Patriarch. The paper reports that whereas the foreign ministry draft constitution stipulates that only the religious assembly has the authority to remove the patriarch from his position, the interior ministry grants the authority to Turkey's Council of Ministers, recommending the body amend its constitution to grant itself this power. "If it becomes understood that the elected Patriarch does not possess the expected qualifications, or abandons any one of the qualifications at any point, as confirmed by the courts, then the Council of Ministers may defrock the Patriarch, on the recommendation of the interior ministry," writes Cumhuriyet. 2) Russian Defense Chief Arrives in Armenia YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov arrived in Yerevan on Thursday to hold talks with Armenian leaders and attend a meeting of his counterparts from the Commonwealth of Independent States. No further Russian-Armenian military agreements are expected to be signed during the two-day visit, which will underscore close military ties between the two countries. Ivanov said that military cooperation is "developing dynamically." "We are going to discuss the whole spectrum of Russian-Armenian interaction in areas of defense, security, and military-technical cooperation," he told reporters on his arrival in the Armenian capital. He said he will also discuss regional issues such as the Karabagh conflict. Asked whether Moscow plans further arms deliveries to Armenia, Ivanov replied, "We discuss such issues regularly within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty organization. All relevant political decisions have already been taken. The deliveries of weapons, military hardware, and other military production [to Armenia and other organization members] are being carried out at domestic Russian prices." Visiting Yerevan last November, Ivanov assured that Russia will continue to supply the Armenian military with new weaponry "on privileged terms," and plans to modernize its military base in Armenia. No details have been given by the two governments since then. Ivanov revealed later in the day that the Armenian Defense Ministry has purchased two Russian-made Ilyushin-72 transport planes within the Collective Security Treaty framework. He said they landed at Yerevan airport shortly after his arrival, but Armenian and Russian officials declined to disclose how much the aircrafts cost Armenia. The military alliance has been the linchpin of Armenia's defense strategy since its independence. Yerevan has tried to balance it in recent years with its growing participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program. The Armenian government will host an annual meeting of the defense ministers of the CIS countries on Friday. 3) Georgian Leader Visits Turkey, Urges Closer Ties ANKARA (Reuters/Zaman)--Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili urged Turkish investors on Thursday to help rebuild his country's battered economy, including that of the formerly breakaway Black Sea region of Ajaria which borders Turkey. Saakashvili took charge of Ajaria earlier this month pledging to entrench democracy there with new elections after forcing its rebellious leader Aslan Abashidze to flee. "The resolution of the Ajaria problem brings a chance for closer relations. New possibilities are being created for improving our economic relations and border trade," Saakashvili said at the start of a two-day official visit to Turkey. "We expect Turkey and Turkish investors to contribute to Ajaria's development and to the Georgian economy. What is important for us is to improve economic cooperation." Turkey and its NATO ally, the United States, have strongly backed the youthful Saakashvili, fearing that prolonged instability in Georgia could imperil an oil pipeline under construction across its territory. The pipeline, which is being built by a BP BPL-led consortium, will pump crude from Azerbaijan's Caspian oilfields across Georgia to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. It is due to start operating from May 2005. Georgia said recently it expected to receive revenues of about $50 million a year from the pipeline. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reaffirmed Ankara's support for Georgia's territorial integrity and praised the 37-year-old, American-educated Saakashvili's handling of the Ajaria crisis, which ended peacefully. Sezer said Turkey hoped Georgia would be able to resolve its disputes with two other rebellious regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in the same peaceful way. Georgian officials say winning back these two provinces will prove much tougher because, unlike Ajaria, they have fought ethnic separatist wars with the authorities in Tbilisi. Georgia's young leader will hold a series of meetings in Istanbul and Ankara during his 3-day visit to Turkey. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer welcomed Saakasvili earlier on Thursday. The Georgian President will also meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul during his visit. Saakashvili will be unable to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan because Erdogan who will be in Romania during the duration of Saakasvili's visit. 4) Armenia Turns to Cyprus as Bridge to EU NICOSIA (dpa)--Cypriot Parliament President Dimitris Christofias, said that his country can act as a bridge between the European Union and its neighbors, including Armenia, after meeting with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who is on a working visit to the island. The latest developments in Cyprus were discussed, as well as the prospect of enhanced bilateral cooperation. "Friendly relations, development of economic and cultural exchanges, when accompanied by practical steps, become more solid," Christofias said. Noting the absence of political differences between the two countries, Christofias said that they will continue to cooperate in international organizations, along with an increased focus on economic development. Meanwhile, Oskanian also met with his Cyprus counterpart George Iacovou, where on the meeting's agenda were Cyprus' accession to the EU, the problems in the Caucasus, and the Karabagh issue. Oskanian said, "We see Cyprus as a friendly country, as an insider in the EU, and we can rely on its help to further advance our integration processes with European structures and particularly with the EU." Iacovou referred to the presence of an active economic, social, and political Armenian community in Cyprus. Oskanian said the Cypriot minister also explained the UN unification plan, which envisaged joining Turkish Cypriots with Greek Cypriots, and the reasons the Greek Cypriot community rejected it in an April 24 referendum. "We also talked about other regional matters, particularly Armenia's relations with its neighbors, Turkey in particular," he noted, adding that "as a goal before us, we have the normalization of ties between Armenia and Turkey." 5) Communique THE 32ND REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY UNANIMOUSLY RE-ELECTS ARCHBISHOP MOUSHEGH MARDIROSSIAN PRELATE RELIGIOUS AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS ALSO ELECTED UNANIMOUSLY On behalf of the 32nd Representative Assembly of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, we are pleased to announce that the Representative Assembly unanimously re-elected His Eminence Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian as the Prelate of the Western Prelacy, and also unanimously elected the new members of the Religious and the Executive Councils of the Prelacy. The Representative Assembly presided by His Eminence Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian was convened Friday through Saturday, May 14-15, at the Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church "Avedissian" Hall in Encino. The Assembly reviewed the activities of the Prelate and both Councils of the Prelacy and discussed the plans for the forthcoming year in diverse activities of the Prelacy, beginning with spiritual guidance, the expansion and organization of the parishes, as well as the educational mission of the Prelacy and the schools functioning under its auspices. At the conclusion of the first day's agenda items, His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian was unanimously re-elected as the Prelate of the Western Prelacy for a third four-year term. The Assembly resolved that the forthcoming year should be a period of rejuvenation of the Parishes, so that not only should the current activities be revitalized, but should also be extended to new areas. For that purpose, the Prelacy should prepare plans to establish new churches, through which the spiritual services should extend to many more believers in the Armenian Community on the West Coast. Furthermore, the Assembly stressed plans to revitalize and expand the activities of youth organizations under the auspices of our churches, because the new generation has spiritual needs that can be fulfilled through the expansion of Bible Studies sessions and the creation of an atmosphere in which our younger generations practice their belonging to our churches directly. The Assembly was content about the fulfillment of the first part of the new Prelacy Building. The renovation plans will hopefully reach its final stage by the next Representative Assembly meeting next year. After a detailed discussion of the plans for the fiscal year 2004-2005, the Assembly unanimously elected the new Religious and Executive Councils. The members of the Religious Council are: Very Rev. Vrouyr Demirjian, Rev. Fathers Vicken Vassilian, Hrant Yeretzian, Vazken Atmajian, Vahan Gosdanian, Razmig Khatchadourian, Nareg Pehlivanian, Khoren Babochian, and Ardag Demirjian. The members of the Executive Council are: Armand Keosian, Esq., Arsen Danielian, Esq., Hagop Yedalian, Jack Kahvedjian, Peklar Pilavdjian, Hagop Der Megerdichian, Vahan Bezdikian, Dr. Sahag Arslanian, Hrayr Balian, Garbis Bezdjian, and Boghos Sassounian. The unanimity observed at the election of the Prelate and the Religious and Executive Councils is the latest expression of solidarity of the Prelacy Parishes with respect to the mission of the Western Prelacy and all units functioning under its auspices. The Representative Assembly strongly believes that the Prelate and the both Councils will successfully carry on the tasks entrusted to them. The Divan of the 32nd Representative Assembly All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. 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