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01/20/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan to Take AGBU to Court on Melkonian Issue 2) Assistant US Secretary of State's Statements Hinder Peace Process Says Karabagh ARF 3) Kentucky Democrat Chandler Joins Armenian Caucus 4) Azeri Ex-Brigade Commander Refuses to Fight Again for Azerbaijan 1) Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan to Take AGBU to Court on Melkonian Issue LOS ANGELES--Reliable sources have confirmed that, in the matter of the Garabed Melkonian Trust, Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan, in his fiduciary capacity as Patriarch of Constantinople, filed a lawsuit against New York-based Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) on January 13, 2005. The suit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles by plaintiff Mutafyan's California-based attorney. The lawsuit mainly addresses the formal announcement made by the AGBU in March 2004 that it would be closing the Melkonian Educational Institution in Nicosia, Cyprus at the end of the 2005 school year. In July 1921, wealthy Armenian businessman Garabed Melkonian donated a gift to then Patriarch of Constantinople Zaven Der Yeghyayan, to establish and maintain Armenian schools, as well as carry out various charitable works for the Armenian people. In 1924, the value of the gift was at least $3.5 million and per Melkonian's request, an Armenian school and orphanage named the Melkonian Educational Institute was established in Nicosia, Cyprus. In 1925, Patriarch Der Yeghyayan transferred the entire Melkonian gift, including the Melkonian Educational Institute, to the AGBU due to the latter's expressed ability to better manage the trust's assets and execute the donor's intentions. The suit, Arch. Mesrob Mutafyan vs. Armenian General Benevolent Union, petitions to compel AGBU to perform the Trustee's duties and redress a breach of trust by payment of money or otherwise. Asbarez tried to contact Mutafyan for comment but has not yet received a response. 2) Assistant US Secretary of State's Statements Hinder Peace Process Says Karabagh ARF YEREVAN (Yerkir)--Responding to outgoing US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones's recent statement concerning Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR), Grisha Hayrapetian, a member of the MKR Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Central Committee (CC), said that the comments are "extremely damaging to the peace process." On Wednesday, Jones called for increased US engagement in resolving regional conflicts in the former Soviet Union, stating: "It is in Russia's interest for these areas--for Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Mountainous Karabagh--to be stable, for corruption to end there, for the criminal secessionists who rule there to be removed. It is not appropriate for this kind of instability and criminality to exist right in the middle of Europe." In the article that appeared in the newspaper Aparazh, Hayerapetian emphasized that Jones's statement contradicts those of high-ranking US officials who have repeatedly said that democratic process in MKR has advanced significantly, specifically in contrast to the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan. He also stressed that the removal of any given country's leadership remains an internal issue for citizens to decide through free elections. 3) Kentucky Democrat Chandler Joins Armenian Caucus Second term Congressman Serves on House International Relations Committee NEW YORK (ANCA-ER)--Representative Ben Chandler (D-KY) became the newest member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues on Wednesday, boosting the Caucus's membership to one hundred forty-five. Congressman Chandler was first elected to the US House in a special election in February 2004 to replace Rep. Ernie Fletcher, who left his seat to successfully run for Governor of Kentucky. Chandler was re-elected to office in November 2004, with 59% of the vote. Congressman Chandler serves on the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on International Relations, and the Select Committee on Homeland Security. "We welcome Representative Chandler joining the Armenian Issues Caucus and look forward to working with the Congressman on a number of issues of special concern to his Armenian American constituents," said Doug Geogerian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER). "As a member of the Committee on International Relations, we look forward to his support on gaining official recognition of the Armenian Genocide, working to foster stronger US-Armenia bilateral relations, and obtaining a just settlement for the people of Mountainous Karabagh," said Geogerian. Founded in 1995, the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues is a bipartisan forum for the discussion of policies to foster increased cooperation between the United States and Armenian governments and to strengthen the enduring bonds between the American and Armenian peoples. Its two co-chairs are Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ). 4) Azeri Ex-Brigade Commander Refuses to Fight Again for Azerbaijan BAKU (PanArmenian.net)--"I will not fight for Azerbaijan anymore," announced retired Colonel Azer Rustamov, in an interview with Azeri weekly Obozrevatel.net. "I do not wish to fight and others will not go either. They'll prefer to trade in bazaars." Rustamov rose to the rank of full colonel and commander of a brigade in the Fizuli district, where he served from 1999 to 2001. He resigned from the military in 2003. "If war breaks out now, I am not sure whether I'll fight. I witnessed the attitude showed towards the memory of the killed and those, who remained invalid after the war," said Rustamov. "The army, of course, will fight for a certain period. But what will happen when their depleted ranks would need to be replenished? Who will go if over two million people now work in Russia?" Rustamov is also critical of Azerbaijan's foreign policy rhetoric. At present, he is focused on forming "Combat Brotherhood," a non-government organization that would focus on veterans of Afghanistan and other wars. A veteran of wars in Afghanistan and Karabagh, Rustamov was decorated by both the Elchibey and Aliyev administrations with the Order of the Red Star, awarded for length of service. A group of 100 Chechen volunteers, headed by Shamil Basayev and Salman Raduyev, significantly helped the Azeri army, according to Rustamov. CORRECTION In Tuesday's article "Twenty-two Novices Refresh Ranks of ARF," we incorrectly reported that Khajag Dikranian served as the godfather to the novices entering the ranks of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation on January 15; it should have stated Khajag Dikidjian. 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. 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