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10/04/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Senator Jackie Speier One of Many Guests to be Honored at October Annual Banquet 2) Catholicos Aram I Honored by Swedish Church 3) Kocharian, Mironov Talk of Increasing Cooperation 4) EC May Take up Destruction of Armenian Cultural Monuments 5) Dynamite Threatens Ancient City of Ani 1) Senator Jackie Speier One of Many Guests to be Honored at October Annual Banquet --ANCA-WR Meets with State's Highest Ranking Armenian Democratic Public Official GLENDALE--California State Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco, San Mateo) visited the offices of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) on September 28 to discuss issues of concern to Armenian-Americans in California with community leaders. Members of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors and the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) greeted the Senator and were briefed on the issues that the Senator has been working on in the State Capitol. Senator Speier will be among the many public officials in attendance at this year's Annual Banquet which will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California on October 24. ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian welcomed Senator Speier to the ANCA-WR headquarters and thanked her for steadfast support of legislation and issues that affect Armenian-Americans in the state. The Senator is the state's highest ranking Democratic elected official of Armenian descent and the only Armenian-American woman currently serving in the State Legislature. ANCA-WR Board Member Steven Dadaian briefed the Senator on economic developments in the Republic of Armenia and highlighted the necessity for the State of California to remain committed to its promise of establishing the California Regional Trade Office in Armenia. Angela Savoian, Chairwoman of the ARS Western United States, also briefed the Senator on the history of the ARS and described the essential social services that the organization continues to provide to immigrants. During the meeting, Senator Speier reiterated the importance of her Armenian ancestry in shaping her commitment to being a public servant and fighting for justice. Senator Speier's career-long commitment to public service was nearly cut short in 1978 when she traveled as legal counsel to California Congressman Leo J. Ryan to Jonestown, Guyana as part of a US fact-finding mission that was to investigate rumors that people, including many Bay Area families, were being held hostage by cult leader Rev. Jim Jones. On November 18, 1978, at the end of a two-day investigation, gunmen from the Peoples Temple cult ambushed, shot, and killed Congressman Ryan and four others in his traveling group. Speier, then 28 years old, was struck by five bullets and was "left for dead" on a jungle airstrip for 22 hours. The day she was shot, 911 cult members committed mass suicide or were murdered at the Peoples Temple compound. Senator Speier has stated that "the Jonestown tragedy is a daily reminder that no one is guaranteed tomorrow . . . this has absolutely molded my philosophy and my zest for work and for life." To this day, she carries two bullets in her body from the incident. Two years after the Jonestown shootings, Speier became the youngest member ever to serve on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors when she won her first election by defeating a 20-year incumbent. Senator Speier served in the State Assembly from 1986 to 1996 before being elected to the State Senate, where she is completing her second term. Senator Speier has announced her intent to run for Lieutenant Governor of the State of California. If elected, Senator Jackie Speier would become only the second Armenian-American to serve in statewide office since Governor George Deukmejian (1983-1991). "Senator Speier's dedication to public service and to the people of California is truly admirable and an excellent example for other young aspiring Armenian-Americans to follow," commented Ardashes Kassakhian, ANCA-WR Executive Director. "We're looking forward to having her attend our Annual Banquet on October 24th and joining us in honoring other Armenian-American public officials who have paved the way for future leaders," added Kassakhian, referring to the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet which will honor Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) with the ANCA-WR Legacy Award and State Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) with the Person of the Year Award. Individuals or organizations interested in attending the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet may call the ANCA-WR Offices at (818) 500-1918 to reserve their table or individual tickets. 2) Catholicos Aram I Honored by Swedish Church ANTELIAS--During an evening reception on Saturday, October 2, held in honor of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, Sweden's Primate, Archbishop Karl Hammer of Uppsala, bestowed His Holiness with the highest honor of the Swedish Church. "Only three individuals have received this honor--you are now the fourth," noted Archbishop Hammer. "We decided to extend this medal as a token of appreciation for your leading role in advancing interfaith cooperation during these fateful times." After thanking the Archbishop and the Swedish Church, the Catholicos spoke about the Armenian people and highlighted their will to overcome the various difficulties that resulted from the genocide of 1915, and the church's role in assisting the survivors. His Holiness then moved on to address the international efforts in promoting cooperation amongst churches, and commend the role played by the Swedish Church within the ecumenical movement. A guest of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, His Holiness, who arrived in Sweden on the morning of Thursday, October 5, met with a host of international organization representatives, participated in the Swedish ecumenical meetings, lectured at universities in Uppsala and Helsinki, and delivered a Sunday sermon at the Cathedral of Uppsala. 3) Kocharian, Mironov Talk of Increasing Cooperation YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--President Robert Kocharian pledged to continue relations with Russia as political allies and strategic partners when meeting with Russian Federation Council Chairman Sergey Mironov on Saturday, before the Russian delegation wrapped up its official visit to Yerevan. Sources in the Russian delegation told Itar-Tass that the visit began a new phase in Russian-Armenian relations. Mironov remarked that the talks had a candid atmosphere, as the two discussed a range of issues related to Russian-Armenian relations. "We are ready for cooperation not only on a bilateral basis, not only within the CIS, but also in other international organizations," Mironov said, adding that Russia and Armenia still have potential to cooperate that is not yet fully realized. Cargo transit via Georgia to Armenia was also discussed, as the Russian-Georgian border is closed, impacting the Armenian economy negatively. "We discussed possible solutions to the problem, bearing in mind our partnership with Armenia," Mironov said. A joint declaration was signed by Mironov and Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Bagdasarian, which provides legislative steps in the anti-terrorist fight. "Not only Russia, but also all countries of this unique land need stability in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia," Mironov told servicemen of a Russian regiment stationed in Yerevan. "You are one of the outposts of security on Russian southern boundaries," he said. 4) EC May Take up Destruction of Armenian Cultural Monuments YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--The issue of preserving Armenian monuments in Azerbaijan is currently on the European Commission's (EC) agenda, following calls--by the Armenian delegation to the EC--for an inquiry on their destruction. The Armenian Foreign Ministry's Interim Head of Council of Europe Division Ara Margarian, noted that the destruction of cross stones in the Jugha cemetery in Nakhichevan has specifically garnered attention, and that an EC fact-finding mission may be dispatched there. "The destruction of Jugha's cross stones is a premeditated act of vandalism, so as to erase all remnants of Armenian culture in the area--and is proven by the footage and photos shot from the Iranian side," said Margarian. He revealed that while Armenia has consistently welcomed monitoring groups, Azerbaijan has resisted. But because of its recent aspiration to integrate into Europe, Azerbaijan has agreed to allow monitors in the country to review the current state of Armenia's historical monuments. According to the European Convention for The Protection of Architectural Heritage, all member countries inherit the responsibility to preserve cultural and historical monuments found on the territory of member states. According to the same convention, if a country is found guilty of destroying cultural, historical monuments, they must be punished accordingly. 5) Dynamite Threatens Ancient City of Ani ISTANBUL (Armenpress)--The Turkish newspaper Zaman reported that detonations at Armenian stone quarries across the border damaged some of the ruins located in the 6000-year-old city of Ani on the Turkish-Armenian border. Sabit Osman Avci, President of the Protection of Historical Heritage Foundation and a former Speaker of the Turkish Parliament (TBMM), conducted studies in the region and said that up until two years ago, there was only one stone quarry in the region; presently, the number is eight. He warned that the dynamite being detonated at these quarries is damaging the ancient city of Ani. The ancient ruins of Ani are among the 100 historical works in the world that are in need of protection. The ancient city was a great center of trade and is mentioned in records of the Silk Road from the Middle Ages. 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. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress