Month: April 2007

Armenia’s foreign trade soars in Q1

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
April 28 2007

RBC, 28.04.2007, Yerevan 16:51:09.Armenia’s foreign trade surged 44.4
percent to $876.4m in January-March 2007, the republic’s National
Statistics Service reported today. Exports stood at $231.2m (up 25.1
percent) and imports amounted to $645.2m (up 52.9 percent), Armenia’s
news agency ARKA reported. The trade deficit reached $413.9m ($396.7m
if reduced by humanitarian aid – related shipments).

In the first quarter of 2006, Armenia’s foreign trade stood at $606.8m.

Armenian wine-making companies cannot occupy the niche of Georgian
wines on the Russian market

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
April 28 2007

Yerevan, April 28 /Mediamax/. The embargo for import of Georgian wines
to Russia did not influence on the volumes of export of Armenian wines
to the given country at all, the Chairman of the Union of Armenian
Wine-Makers Avag Harutiunian stated in Yerevan today.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference within the
framework of the international forum on the market and the law on
grapes and wine-making production, taking place in Yerevan, Avag
Harutiunian described as ~Sincommensurable~T the export volumes of
Georgian and Armenian wines to Russia.

According to him, before the placement of embargo, Georgia exported
to Russia 40mln bottles of wine annually, and Armenia ~V 500-800
thousand bottles.

Avag Harutiunian stated that the potential export capacity of Armenian
wines makes maximum 3-4mln bottles a year. He also noted that the
main consumer of Armenian wines in Russia is the Armenian Diaspora,
which today uses as much wine, as it did use before the placement of
embargo for the Georgian and Moldavian wines.

All this, according to the assessment of Avag Harutiunian, suggests
that the Armenian wines cannot occupy the niche on the Russian market,
which previously belonged to the Georgian production.

The Director of the French SYGIL Consulting Company François Bobrie,
answering the question of Mediamax on how French wines could appear
in the Armenian retail network at the prices lower than the national
wine production prices, noted:

~SUnfortunately, law quality French wines appear on the Armenian
market, which, of course, influences the reputation of the French
wines on the whole. This can become a lesson for the Armenian exporters
not to export to external markets brandy of bad quality~T.

It is expected that following the results of the forum, there will be
a resolution approved on establishing an association of wine-makers
of 10 countries of the Black Sea basin.

–Boundary_(ID_uIziKYfBCl7iBLQvWMAtLg)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OMX Group to buy Armenian Stock Exchange, Central Depository

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 28 2007

13:13 | 28/ 04/ 2007

YEREVAN, April 28 (RIA Novosti) – Sweden’s OMX Group, a Nordic Exchange
operator, will buy Armenia’s Stock Exchange and Central Depository,
the Central Bank of Armenia said Saturday.

"The Scandinavian stock exchange group OMX, the government of Armenia,
and the Central Bank of Armenia have signed a memorandum of intent
in which OMX stated its intention to purchase the Armenian Stock
Exchange, ArmEX, and the Central Depository of Armenia," the bank
press service said.

Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan welcomed OMX Group’s decision
to participate in developing Armenia’s capital market.

"The government and the Central Bank of Armenia will do all they can
to help OMX attain its goals," he said.

NKR DEFENSE ARMY HELD ASSEMBLY

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 28 2007

A few days ago Assembly devoted to the issue of strengthening
the NKR Defense Army’s companies and batteries was held in the
Nagorno-Karabagh.

In the course of the measure the NKR Defense Minister,
Commander-in-Chief of the Republic’s Defense Army, Lt. General Seyran
Ohanian noted small subdivisions made the base of army’s power,
IA REGNUM reports. In his word, more attention should be paid to
small subdivisions’ coordinated actions, taking into consideration
the district’s specificity. The Commander-in-Chief stated it was
important to study the Karabagh war’s experience.

In the course of the sitting the participants also considered the
issues referring to raising the level of soldiers’ fighting efficiency,
holding offensive and defensive battles. Deputy Commander for work
with staff Vladik Khachatrian dwelled on the issue of soldiers’
interpersonal relations and discipline, role of the lower flights’
commanders in educational process. At the end of the sitting Seyran
Ohanian decorated commanders and servicemen of a number of companies
and batteries, who had excelled while serving at a front line, with
charters and memorable presents.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 28 2007

The Department of State reaffirms Nagorno Karabakh as inalienable
part of Azerbaijan, says Azeri ambassador to the US

[ 28 Apr 2007 13:23 ]

"The U.S. Department of State’s having restored the original version
of country report on human rights practices [in Armenia] comes as
return of status-quo," Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the United States,
Yashar Aliyev, told APA Bureau.

He hailed the new decision as reflection of reality. "The Department
of State reaffirmed that Nagorno Karabakh is an inalienable part
of Azerbaijan. We had watched the process since the first day and
made necessary efforts. Our position is that Nagorno Karabakh is an
integral and ancient territory of Azerbaijan and this issue can not
be tabled as a topic for discussion," he added. He also said he is
far from presenting the recent changes to the report as victory. /APA/

Turkish Daily News, Turkey
April 28 2007

A collection of Armenian stamps in the Ottoman Empire
Saturday, April 28, 2007

Elif Ozmenek
NEW YORK – Turkish Daily News

If there is anyone who thinks that Turkish-Armenian reconciliation
is impossible they should get to see Mihran Adman’s stamp collection.

Adman, an Armenian who was born and raised in Istanbul, now resides in
New York and brings two communities together every time he exhibits his
amazing collection of Armenian postal history in the Ottoman Empire.

Quite different from the history books when one looks at this
incredible collection one realizes that the past of the two communities
is inseparable and closely knitted. The stamps in his collection are
not only an important part of Armenian history but also Ottoman/Turkish
history. "A lot of nations’ postal history starts with the Ottoman
Empire," Adman says in explaining the intricate connection.

His collection goes back to 1840, the first year official seals were
used as a part of the Ottoman postal service. However Adman also owns
every single stamp that was printed in the republic’s history.

With his remarkable collection one almost travels in time.

Adman started collecting stamps when he was 15. "I bought my first
collection of stamps for $1,000. That was an incredibly high amount in
1960. This almost led to a family tragedy," Adman smiles. As a fifteen
year old visiting his aunt in Paris he realized a book of Anatolian
stamps and asked his aunt to help him out to buy the collection but
of course she said no. Then Adman managed to entice his grandmother
as the only grandchild in the family. His father went ballistic when
he heard that Mihran paid that much for this one collection. That
was the starting point of his life long journey.

I would have never thought a stamp collection could tell so many
different stories. "If you do not know history well you won’t be
able to collect stamps, or let’s say you won’t be able to form a
collection," Adman says. "For example stamps have deckle edges. In
my collection two of the same stamps have different edges. One has
twelve punched deckle edges the other one has five. The reason for
that was during the war the hole-puncher broke and they used sewing
machines instead to punch holes for the stamps in Istanbul."

The first stamp was published in Istanbul in 1860. "Greece for example
published its first stamp in France because they did not have the
technical capacity. The Ottoman Empire published its first stamp in
Istanbul," said Adman.

Armenians played a crucial role in establishing such a strong postal
service in the empire. Krikor Agaton, the director of general of the
Ottoman postal administration in the 1850s, convinced the Europeans
to use the Ottoman postal service instead of their own.

This way the empire could both control what was being sent and
collect postal taxes. However, after Agaton’s sudden death the
Europeans withdrew from the agreement and never gave up their postal
services until the foundation of the republic. Adman says he feels
upset that today Armenians’ role in such a strong postal service
are not remembered at all. "On some of the envelops I collected over
the years from the Ottoman years the addresses were only written in
Armenian and they reached their destinations just fine because most
of the postal service workers knew Armenian." However, Adman does not
want his stamp collection to be a part of a long lasting political
debate. The Armenian diaspora asked Adman to give his stamps to be
exhibited in the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. He, without
hesitating, refused. In May Adman will be exhibiting his collection
in the Turkish Cultural Center in New York. He also says one day he
wishes to exhibit it in native Istanbul as well.

Adman, who loves Istanbul very much, had to leave his hometown in
1980 because of the increasing attacks on minorities. However, he
never lost touch. Adman is very well known and respected among the
Turkish community in Long Island as well.

"On this boat ticket," he says, showing one interesting piece from
his collection, "There are four languages, Ottoman, Greek, Armenian
and French on four different corners. That is how multicultural the
empire was," Adman says with a hope that one day Turkey can embrace
its multicultural past full heartedly.

On April 24 of this year, like the last 92 years, many think that
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation is impossible: To those who think
this way I recommend that they find Adman and look at his amazing
stamp collection.

Turkish Daily News, Turkey
April 28 2007

Turkey criticizes Canada’s reference to alleged genocide
Saturday, April 28, 2007

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Ankara strongly criticized Canada on Thursday for referring to the
killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire as genocide,
saying that it was "unacceptable, unfair and incompatible with
friendly ties."

Despite the Turkish government’s warning, Canadian Prime Minister
Stephen Harper recognized the killings of Armenians during World War
I years as genocide in a declaration he issued on April 24, a day of
commemoration for the alleged genocide.

"We consider such a reference in the statement by the Canadian prime
minister to be unacceptable, unfair and incompatible with our friendly
ties," stated a written statement released by the Turkish Foreign
Ministry late on Thursday.

The ministry warned that Harper’s declaration would neither contribute
to friendly ties between Turkey and Canada, nor to normalization of
ties between the two neighboring countries, Turkey and Armenia.

"We believe that Mr. Harper continues to be misled and suggest instead
that he encourage competent Canadian historians to study the events
of 1915 on a proper basis," it added. The ministry reiterated the
Turkish proposal of setting up a joint committee of historians to
study genocide allegations.

Today, Azerbaijan
April 28, 2007

Yuri Merzlyakov:"Meeting on June 10 in St. Petersburg depends on
Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev"

28 April 2007 [12:18] – Today.Az

"There are some variants concerning the meeting of Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents. One of them is organizing the presidents’
meeting on June 10, 2007 in St. Petersburg. But much depends on Ilham
Aliyev and Robert Kocharian," said Yuri Merzlyakov, OSCE Minsk Group
Russian co-chair.

He underlined that the meeting will take place on June 10 in St.
Petersburg if the presidents agree.

OSCE Minsk Group French co-chair Bernard Fassier told the APA that
the Presidents will not possibly meet before parliamentary elections
in Armenia.

"We said in our latest statement that we will try to arrange a
meeting between Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian after parliamentary
elections in Armenia. We are making arrangements for the meeting at
present. I hope that the presidents will meet on June 10 in St.
Petersburg," he staid.

Armenian president Robert Kocharian said at Yerevan State University
that he will meet with Azerbaijani President on June 10 in St.
Petersburg.

URL:

Burbank Leader, CA
April 28, 2007

Group gets grant, but not an apology

Committee chair reads a statement that calls reference to society’s
name unfortunate, awards it $7,500 in funds.

By Chris Wiebe

CITY HALL – A bulk of the nonprofit groups that applied for Community
Development Block Grant funds came away from Tuesday’s City Council
meeting reasonably happy, but not the Armenian Relief Society.

The chairman of the Community Development Goals Committee read
a prepared statement Tuesday calling comments that some felt were
anti-Armenian in nature that were expressed during a committee meeting
"unfortunate" – but not offering an apology.

The committee, tasked with making recommendations to the council
regarding dispensation of block grant funds, took heat this month over
allegations that during a meeting, some committee members suggested
that the Armenian Relief Society would be more likely to receive
funding if the organization removed "Armenian" from its name.

The Armenian Relief Society provides assistance to immigrants and
refugees to the United States and was one of more than a dozen local
agencies requesting public funds Tuesday.

Responding to the allegations for the first time in a public forum,
committee chairman Kirk Bowren read a letter to the council on behalf
of the committee.

"Questions and comments were made in reference to the connotation
of the Armenian Relief Society name, but only in the context of the
universality of services and whether or not the name alone would
tend to limit its clientele and attract only given segments of the
community," he said. "No condition or other funding prerequisite was
intended or meant by any question or comment."

But the statement did not satisfy some Armenian community members in
attendance Tuesday, who noted that the committee’s recommendations
included reduced funding for the relief society this year.

"I did hear the chairperson of that committee speak and I appreciate
those comments," said Shant Minas, a Burbank resident who was speaking
on behalf of the Armenian National Committee Burbank Chapter. "However,
it did sound like he was trying to paint what was said at some of
those meetings – some of those slighting comments and sentiments –
in a different light and make it sound like we were taking words out
of context."

Some committee members had voiced reservations about handing
over public funds to an organization that identifies itself with a
particular ethnicity or religion – a sentiment maintained by Councilman
Dave Golonski.

"I would recommend … reducing the funding for the Armenian Relief
Society to zero," Golonski said, before the council decided on this
year’s funding amounts. "And I fully respect and understand the work
that the Armenian Relief Society does. But I can’t support public
funding for them because I don’t believe that they are as inclusive
as they need to be to justify the public funding…. I think that
when we go down the path of funding ethic-centric relief groups,
if we do it for one, we’re going to have to do it for all."

The goals committee recommended a $5,000 disbursement for the relief
society this year, but the council sided with the recommendation of
the city’s executive staff, awarding the nonprofit $7,500.

"I concur with the executive staff recommendation on the Armenian
Relief Society, when we recognize that somewhere in the vicinity
of 20% of our population has some Armenian relationship or descent,
or is part of the Armenian community," Councilman Jef Vander Borght
said. "This is a portion of the Burbank community that needs to have
funds allocated and they are performing services that go directly to
provide help for those members who live in Burbank and are residents of
Burbank…. They’re primarily of Armenian descent, but it is certainly
not an exclusionary entity and I believe that it’s a service that
has got to be provided."

Armenian Relief Society officials have maintained that a significant
portion of the organization’s clients are non-Armenian and that the
organization provides assistance in several languages, including
Russian, French, Farsi and Arabic.

Of the $202,606 in block grant funding available for public service
agencies this year, the Burbank Unified School District received the
most money, with $48,000, which was on par with last year’s figure.

The Family Services Agency, which provides social services to
low-income families, was awarded $32,500, slightly more than the
$30,000 the organization received in 2006.

The Boys and Girls’ Club of Burbank received $20,000, down from
$23,168 from last year.

"The city has been very generous to us over the years," said Shanna
Warren, executive director of the Burbank Boy and Girls Club. "It’s
a little bit less than we got last year, but I understand that that
sometimes happens. And the funding that we got will be used for our
after-school programs at Miller and Emerson elementary, as well as our
deaf and hard-of-hearing program, which serves kids from Washington
[Elementary School], Muir [Middle School] and Burbank High."

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center received $32,106, about $4,000 more
than the organization received last year.

The Salvation Army received $13,500, about $3,000 less than last year.

BCR A place to grow, formerly the Burbank Center for the Retarded,
received $9,000, the same amount that the non-profit received in 2006;
the Burbank YMCA also received the same grant funding as in 2006,
with $10,000.

The Library Department’s literacy program received $3,000 and the
Burbank Noon Lions was given $2,000, both of which were identical to
the organizations’ grant funding in 2006.

CHRIS WIEBE covers City Hall and the courts. He may be reached at
(818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at chris.wiebelatimes.com.

WorldNetDaily, OR
April 28 2007

Widow of slain Christian: ‘Forgive them’
‘She said what 1,000 missionaries in 1,000 years could never do’

Posted: April 28, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Editor’s Note: This report contains a graphic description of the
martyrdom of three Christian men.
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

In an act that hit the front pages of the largest newspapers in
Turkey, the widow of a martyred Christian told reporters she did not
want revenge against the Muslims who killed her husband and two
others, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs.

"Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do," she said,
agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23.34), according
to a letter Christians in Turkey have written to the worldwide
church, a letter released through Voice of the Martyrs.

"In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as
breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church
of how this comment of Susanne Tilman has changed lives," the letter
said. "One columnist wrote of her comment, ‘She said in one sentence
what 1,000 missionaries in 1,000 years could never do.’"

Necati Aydin, Tilman Geske and Ugur Yuksel, (L to R) who were
martyred by Muslims in Turkey

She is the widow of Tilman Geske, a German citizen who along with two
Turkish Christians were martyred recently ~V allegedly by five Muslims
who met the three victims at a Christian publishing company for a
Bible study.

Authorities have taken several suspects into custody, and their cases
remain pending.

The letter titled "A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant
Church of Smyrna" was received by VOM shortly after the slayings, and
the ministry organization that works with the Persecuted Church
worldwide is publicizing it.

"The Voice of the Martyrs has already been actively involved in
assisting the families of these courageous Christians. We encourage
you to pray for them as they grieve, and to pray that this will be a
significant turning point for the gospel in Turkey," the organization
said.

VOM noted that 2,000 years earlier, this location of Christians was
addressed in Rev. 2:8-11: "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna
write~E ‘Do not fear any of those things which you are about to
suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be
faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who
has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who
overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’"

The letter describes the work Geske, 46, was doing on a new Turkish
Study Bible. That morning, he went to the offices of Zirve
Publishing, which produces and distributes Christian literature to
Malatya and other parts of eastern Turkey, for a Bible study. Pastor
Necati Aydin, the father of two, also left for the same office, as
did Ugur Yuksel.

"None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible
study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which
would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown
of righteousness from Christ," the letter said.

Also heading to the Bible study were five men thought to be "seekers"
who had been guests of Pastor Necati at an invitation-only
evangelistic service earlier.

"No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they
listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were
they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of
hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story," the letter
said.

"The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for
their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot
of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible study, around 10
o’clock," the letter said. "Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter
from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and
Tilman’s hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on
their cellphones, they tortured our brothers for almost three hours."

The letter included the following graphic details of the torture:

"Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times and Ugur~Rs stabs were
too numerous to count. They were disemboweled, and their intestines
sliced up in front of their eyes. They were emasculated and watched
as those body parts were destroyed. Fingers were chopped off, their
noses and mouths and anuses were sliced open. Possibly the worst part
was watching as their brothers were likewise tortured. Finally, their
throats were sliced from ear to ear, heads practically decapitated."

The letter released by Voice of the Martyrs said neighbors thought
the noise was a domestic argument so they did not respond.

Another believer, Gokhan, arrived about 12:30, but couldn’t get in,
so he called.

"Ugur answered his phone. ‘We are not at the office. Go to the hotel
meeting. We are there. We will come there,’ he said cryptically. As
Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone’s background weeping and a
strange snarling sound," the letter said. He called police.

When officers entered, they found, "Tilman and Necati had been
slaughtered, practically decapitated with their necks slit from ear
to ear. Ugur’s throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive," the
letter said.

Several assailants were caught in the room, and two nearby, including
one who apparently tried to jump out a window to flee and was
seriously hurt.

The letter said persecution of Christians ~V bombings, physical
attacks, verbal and written abuse as well as media propaganda —
moved into the intense range following a decision in 2001 by the
National Security Council of Turkey to consider Christians a threat
to national security on the same level as al-Qaida.

The letter described cameras in churches to promote fear and
antagonism towards Christians.

What Turkey witnessed from its Christians was something else.
"Hundreds of believers and dozens of pastors flew in as fast as they
could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the
believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the
media," the letter said.

When Susanne Tilman desired to bury her husband in Malatya, the local
officials spread rumors it was a sin to dig a grave for a Christian,
so volunteers from the church in Adana dug the grave in an untended
100-year-old Armenian graveyard, the letter said.

Ugur was buried with "his believing fiancée watching from the shadows
as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur
had so long professed and died for," the letter said.

"Necati’s funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where
he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though
the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians
were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the
plane from Malatya, it went through two separate X-ray exams to make
sure it was not loaded with explosives," the letter said. "Necati’s
funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, thousands of
Turkish Christians and missionaries came to show their love for
Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ.
Necati’s wife Shemsa told the world, ‘His death was full of meaning,
because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ~E Necati was a gift
from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with
honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.’"

Then Susanne Tilman expressed her forgiveness in a television
interview that was reported on front pages across Turkey.

The letter said the Malatya missionaries most likely will move, as
they’ve been identified as targets in that hostile city, and the
remaining 10 believers have gone into hiding.

"What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most
likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers
from other cities will go to lead the leadership church," the letter
said.

"Please pray for the Church in Turkey," wrote Pastor Fikret Bocek.
"Don’t pray against persecution, pray for perseverance."

"This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving
their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being
stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus," the letter said. "Someday the
video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the
strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross,
about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for
their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side."

"We pray ~V and urge you to pray ~V that someday at least one of those
five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of
Tilman Geske, who gave his life as a missionary to his beloved Turks,
and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the
first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church," the letter said.

Susanne said she planned to remain in Turkey with her children,
Michal Janina, 13, Lukas, 10, and Miriam, 8.

Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, interdenominational ministry
working worldwide to help Christians who are persecuted for their
faith, and to educate the world about that persecution. Its
headquarters are in Bartlesville, Okla., and it has 30 affiliated
international offices.

It was launched by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who started
smuggling Russian Gospels into Russia in 1947, just months before
Richard was abducted and imprisoned in Romania where he was tortured
for his refusal to recant Christianity.

He eventually was released in 1964 and the next year he testified
about the persecution of Christians before the U.S. Senate’s Internal
Security Subcommittee, stripping to the waist to show the deep
torture wound scars on his body.

The group that later was renamed The Voice of the Martyrs was
organized in 1967, when his book, "Tortured for Christ," was
released.

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–Boundary_(ID_f4mAxrmGKzsCKBlI 9odLCw)–