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PARTIES CLOSE TO SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLCIT, OSCE RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR SUPPOSES

05.04.2005 08:44

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov has positively assessed the current stage of the talks
over the Karabakh problem and noted that parties are close to its
settlement. From that point of view he indicated the importance of
the potential meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The moment has come for the two state leaders to give concrete
instructions to their ministers and mediators on the future actions,
Merzlyakov said in an interview with RFE/RL. In his words, the OSCE
Minsk Group already has a package, which can be suggested to Robert
Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev. Now everything depends on the decisions
of the Presidents of the two countries, the Russian diplomat noted.
At that he added that that the Armenian and Azeri authorities should
make certain concessions, however the societies in both countries
are not ready to compromise yet and much has to be done to that end.
Today it is clear that the settlement of the Karabakh problem can
only be political, Yuri Merzlyakov emphasized.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HERMAN DE CROO: ARMENIAN-BELGIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION HAS MUCH
POTENTIAL

05.04.2005 05:50

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Prime Minister received President
of the House of Representatives of Belgium Herman de Croo. As the
Press Service of the Government of Armenia told PanARMENIAN.Net,
the Armenian Premier noted that contacts between the two countries
have intensified, which in his opinion will let strengthen further
political and economic relations between the two countries. A.
Margarian thanked the Belgian Government for contribution in issues
important to Armenia within international structures. He also noted
that he expects the Belgian Parliament assistance in adoption of NATO
and OSCE PA balanced reports regarding Armenia. Touching upon regional
issues A. Margarian appreciated the activities of international
structures, specifically the NATO, OSCE and CE, in establishing
stability in South Caucasus. Within the context of Turkey’s accession
to the EU the parties discussed Armenian-Turkish relations. The
Armenian Premier also thanked the Belgian Parliament for passing a
resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide in 1998. He acquainted
the guest with the process and outcomes of economic reforms in the
country. Margarian emphasized that Belgium is number one commercial
and economic partner for Armenia. In his turn de Croo noted the large
potential of economic cooperation of the two countries and that the
activation of the parliamentary ties can contribute to its realization.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH OPENS IN YEREVAN

05.04.2005 05:30

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Jazz Appreciation Month opens in Armenia April 8,
the Press Service of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia reported. Armenia’s
favorite jazz artists will take center stage for a series of concerts,
as well as the Otar Magradze Trio from Tbilisi will perform. The
Franck Amsallem Quartet, with guest vocalist Sara Lazarus will hold the
final concert of this year’s festival. Besides, within the framework
of the festival film screenings about jazz will be held.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE

Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon

George Apelian presents his new book “A Life-Sentence of Martyrdom”
in a ceremony at Haigazian University

Mr. George Apelian, writer and author of two books, “Helé Helé
Kessab” and “A Bride Named Anna,” presented his most recent work,
“A Life-Sentence of Martyrdom,” during a book signing ceremony which
took place at Haigazian University, on April 3, 2005, at 6:00 p.m. in
the University Auditorium.

The University’s Public Relations Director, Mrs. Mira Yardemian,
started the ceremony with a note of welcome, and invited the audience
to consider Apelian’s work a commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
and its 1.5 million martyrs.

The President of the University, the Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian,
addressed the audience with satisfaction at the publication of this
new book, noting that the author is a Haigazian alumnus. Moreover,
Haidostian emphasized that this book could also be entitled, “A
Life-Sentence of Faith, Service and Growth,” due to its endeavor to
preserve Armenian identity.

After a reading by Mrs. Tsoler Manisadjian of some moving passages
from the book, Miss Narine Boulghourdjian then introduced the author,
highlighting his social, educational and cultural contributions to
the Armenian community.

On behalf of the “Moussa Ler” Compatriotic Union, Mr. Yessayi Havatian
delivered a short speech in which he considered the work: unique in
its kind, interesting, and written with a strong Armenian spirit.
Moreover, he emphasized that the book can be used as a documentary
source to retrieve information on survivors of the Genocide. ”
‘A Life-Sentence of Martyrdom’ is the glory of the Armenian people,
because in it Armenians don’t die; instead they meet, unite and build
new families. In the book we witness the overcoming of the Armenian
Genocide,” noted Havatian.

To close the ceremony, the author, Mr. George Apelian, shared his
heartfelt words with the audience, stating that it was a privilege for
him to return to Haigazian University, 41 years after his graduation,
and present his work to the public.

Apelian expressed his deep gratitude that the publication of his
book coincided with the Armenian Genocide’s 90th anniversary, the
1600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian alphabet, and the
fiftieth anniversary of Haigazian University.

Apelian concluded his speech by sharing with the audience the inner
drive that moved him to write his book: “It was in order to perpetuate
the memory of a few survivors, to reveal the pains and sorrows of a
few orphans, and to honor the struggle of a few mothers, that I wrote
this book,” Apelian modestly noted.

After the ceremony, the audience gathered in the University’s Arthur
Matossian Gallery amid animated conversation, while the author signed
copies of his new book.

–Boundary_(ID_asfZmzhjiLmEApjJHIdbqA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Messenger.ge, Georgia
Tuesday, April 5, 2005, #061 (0835)

New railways in the South Caucasus

Economic – and political – ambitions unfold in plans for new rail lines
connecting East to West
By M. Alkhazashvili

Several new railway projects are currently being considered across the South
Caucasus, railway lines that would allow the region to at least partly
capitalize on its potential as a transit hub.

Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish engineers are in Baku on April 4-5 to work
on the issue of the proposed Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway.
According to reports, meanwhile, Russia is seeking to rent the Kars-Gyumri
railway linking Turkey with Armenia. Kazakhstan has also proposed a
cross-continent line linking China with Turkey, though the current route
will bypass the Caucasus and run via Turkmenistan and Iran.

Transporting cargo between Asia and Europe remains an economic, and
geopolitical, problem in need of resolution, but is also an area of huge
potential for the strategically located countries of the South Caucasus. The
economic collapse in the region in the 1990s, along with the various
conflicts, has meant that the region is yet to capitalize on this potential.
One example is the Kars-Gyumri-Yerevan-Nakhichevan-Baku railway linking
Turkey with Azerbaijan via Armenia. The line has been closed since the
beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and its reactivation remains
dependent on the successful resolution of this frozen conflict.

As a result, it was proposed more than a decade ago that a new railway be
constructed linking Turkey with Azerbaijan via Georgia. This would meaning
constructing a new line between Kars in Turkey and Akhalkalaki in southern
Georgia. Such a line would not only link the three countries’ railway
systems together, it would also allow cargo to be transported from the
Caspian to the Mediterranean direct.

Construction of this railway could potentially jeopardize relations with
both Russia and Armenia, however, and as Rezonansi writes, the Shevardnadze
administration was never courageous enough to take this risk. Although they
would benefit economically from the link, furthermore, the predominantly
ethnic Armenian population of Akhalkalaki have always opposed the railway.

Since the Rose revolution, however, the governments of Turkey, Azerbaijan
and Georgia have taken strides towards constructing the railway, which will
cost an estimated USD 1.5 billion. 68 of the 96 km stretch is in Turkey, and
the Turkish government has already pledged to finance the main part of the
work.

Meanwhile, Russia is hoping that the project will be made unnecessary by the
renewal of the Kars-Gyumri railway. Russian Minister of Transport Igor
Levitin said this week that Russia had asked to rent the railway line,
adding that transporting cargo via this line would be twice as cheap as by
the Kars-Akhalkalaki section. The Minister told the countries to put aside
their political differences and discuss the issue solely from an economic
point of view, although it is virtually impossible to keep politics out of
it, as Russia’s offer is motivated less by economics and more by politics.

Even if Turkey agrees to this, however, Azerbaijan will not permit cargo to
cross between Armenia and Azerbaijan, even if via a third country such as
Georgia and bound for a fourth – Turkey. The Karsi-Gyurmi railway can thus
not be seen as an alternative to the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway.

These ongoing disputes between the South Caucasus countries are holding the
region back from fully capitalizing on its potential as a transit hub, and
this can be seen in Kazakhstan’s initiative to build a 4,000 kilometer-long
railway from the Kazakh-Chinese border that would bypass the Caspian and
South Caucasus and pass instead through Turkmenistan and Iran.

The project was presented recently by Kazakh Transportation and
Communications Minister Hajimurat Nemanov, who said that the railway would
be constructed entirely from scratch, as current railway systems in
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan do not adhere to European standards and are
unable to carry modern cargo trucks. Nemanov stated that cargo could be
transported along this route from Chinese eastern ports to the major Dutch
port of Rotterdam in just 13 days, as reported by newspaper Akhali Taoba.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI FM DOES NOT RULE OUT PARTICIPATION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH AT
CERTAIN STAGE OF SETTLEMENT PROCESS

04.04.2005 05:19

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov does not
rule out that Nagorno Karabakh will joint the settlement process
at a certain stage of the negotiations. “The negotiations between
formal Baku and Yerevan should produce effect first; then experts
and specialists will proceed to work”, Elmar Mamedyraov said when
commenting on Azerbaijan’s position. The Azeri FM confirmed the meeting
with Vardan Oskanian scheduled for April 15 in London. In his words,
the format of the upcoming meeting to be held with the participation of
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and OSCE Chairman-in-Office’s Special
Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk is being discussed at the moment. To
note, the Armenian Foreign Ministry has not confirmed the information
on the meeting yet.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE

April 4, 2005

American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576

Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]

AUA Appoints Harvard Grad, Renee Richer to Lead Environment Program

A faculty search committee chaired by American University of Armenia
(AUA)’s Vice-President for Research and Development, Dr. Kenell
Touryan, announces the selection of Dr. Renee Richer to direct
AUA’s Environmental Research and Conservation (ECRC) Center and her
appointment as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Richer received her Ph.D. in
June 2004 from Harvard University in Biology and her Bachelor’s Degree
from the University of Chicago. She recently received the Derek Bok
teaching award given by Harvard students for excellence in all areas
of instruction.

Dr. Renee Richer’s graduate research took place over a 3 and
1/2 year period in the rural forests of Zimbabwe. Her thesis work
required procuring nearly $300,000 of funding and leading a team of
15 multinational assistants in rural Zimbabwe and in the laboratory.
She worked closely with the University of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe
Forestry Commission, in addition to leading an American and Zimbabwean
exchange project with local Zimbabwean and American primary schools
to facilitate cultural exchange and encourage environmental awareness
and participation in science.

“We welcome Dr. Richer to AUA and are confident that her international
research experience in developing countries, commitment to
environmental conservation, and strong record of independent funding,
will serve our programs and Armenia well,” stated VP Kenell Touryan.

Established in 1992, the Environmental Conservation and Research
Center conducts research into conservation, ecology, environmental
contamination, and sustainable development in the Republic of Armenia,
and serves the community through education outreach programs and
collaboration with local scientists and organizations. ECRC is funded
by the generous support of Mr. Sarkis Acopian.

*********

AUA is registered as a non-profit educational organization in both
Armenia and the United States and is affiliated with the Regents
of the University of California. Receiving major support from the
AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight
graduate programs. For more information about AUA, visit or
For more information about the AUA Environmental
Conservation and Research Center visit

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PATRIARCH OF TURKEY EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES TO HOLY SEE OF ROME

ISTANBUL, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian
Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, addressed a letter of condolences
to His Eminence Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, Camerlengo of the
Holy See of Rome, Lraper Church Bulletin of the Armenian Patriarchate
of Istanbul reported. The following is the Patriarch’s letter:
“It is with profoundly deep sentiments of sympathy that I write
to you these humble words of cordial condolences, on the passing
of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, the Holy Father, the `Papa’ of
countless numbers of Christians all over the globe, Roman Catholic or
not. It is impossible for me, as a person, and as a junior brother
of his in the episcopate, to forget the many encounters with him
and the opportunities we had to pray together. His visit to Turkey,
and the Armenian Patriarchal See of Istanbul, in November 1979,
will never be forgotten by our faithful. The Holy Father leaves
a grand legacy of selfless faith in God, of effective witness to
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, of peace-making amongst nations,
of dialogue and reconciliation between Christian denominations and
other religions, of upholding morality and justice for all peoples
in this age and time. We, in the Armenian Church, feel very close
at this time of Paschal mystery to our brother bishops in the Roman
Catholic Church and to all Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in the
world, at the passing of this great Christian Pastor. This morning,
on the Second Sunday of the Quinquagesima, I presided over the Divine
Liturgy in the Holy Mother-of-God Patriarchal Church here in Kumkapi,
Istanbul, to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope John Paul II –
a beloved and loyal friend of the Armenian Church and people. May he
rest in peace. In the Risen Lord, Mesrob II Armenian Patriarch of
Istanbul and All Turkey” Patriarch Mesrob sent letters likewise to
Their Eminences Cardinal Angelo Sodano (former Secretary of State of
the Holy See of Rome), Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (former Prefect of
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), Cardinal Walter Kasper
(former Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity) and His
Excellency Archbishop Edmund Farhad, Nuncio of the Holy See in Ankara.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARCHBISHOP KHAJAG BARSAMIAN: POPE JOHN PAUL II REPRESENTED SUPREME
POWER OF HOPE, FAITH, AND FREEDOM

NEW YORK, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Press Office of the Eastern
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America provided “Noyan Tapan” with
the Message of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese,
on the occasion of the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II: “It
was with great sadness that I learned of the death of His Holiness
Pope John Paul II, one of the great spiritual leaders of our era. All
Armenians are united in offering their prayers for his soul, as he was
not only a friend to our people but to all those who seek freedom. I
have been fortunate at many points in my ministry to meet with the
Pope and benefit from his wisdom. I have vivid memories of the Pope’s
meetings with His Holiness Karekin I, and His Holiness Karekin II. And
no one will ever forget the Pope’s historic visit to Armenia in 2001,
when he stood before the world as a true friend to the Armenian Church,
recognizing the suffering and tragedy Armenians have borne for their
Christian faith, but also casting his eyes forward with optimism to
our future. Just a few months earlier, in 2000, when I was privileged
to be a part of the delegation joining Catholicos Karekin II on a visit
to Rome, the Pope personally acted to return relics of St. Gregory the
Illuminator to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. In his actions and
his deeds he was, indeed, a true Christian. Pope John Paul II shared
something else with out people: a long, but finally successful,
struggle against tyranny. During the dark days of the Cold War,
when the Pope’s Poland and our own motherland were shrouded in the
atheistic fog of communism, he stood as a beacon of faith and light
to all Christians, not just Roman Catholics. Against naysayers and
politicians ready to give up to totalitarianism, the Pope represented
the supreme power of hope, faith, and freedom. Our shared belief in
the importance of religious freedom and the power of Christ is what
truly made Pope John Paul II a brother to all Armenians. May our Lord
welcome him into His blessed kingdom.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Police Have Become Politicized
By Fatih Altayli

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Published: 4/4/2005
Source: Hurriyet

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Hurriyet reporter Fatih
Altayli at the hotel in Kizilcahamam where AKP is having a retreat
this week. In the conversation, Erdogan had this to say about the
recent breakdown in public order and service: “Politics have entered
into the police force. The police have become politicized. There are
information leaks.”

(Hurriyet) “Public order is breaking down more and more every
day. There is a security problem. Purse snatchings, muggings, these
sort of incidents are increasing. Is the police force not taking
these things seriously, and does the government plan to do anything
about these things?”

(Erdogan) “At the base of it all is poverty. Actually, recent police
operations have had a serious effect on breaking down some of this
disorder…..one thing is clear, and that is that migration (to
Istanbul) is a factor in all of this. The other thing is that the
police force personnel is not growing. When I was mayor of Istanbul,
the force numbered 32,000, but now it is down at 27,000. For this
reason I say let’s add university graduates to the force….Let me
also add this: the police have become politicized.”

(Hurriyet) What does that mean? In order to wear you down, some people
are using the police? Would this be your political foes?

(Erdogan) Well, there are information leaks. We learn some things
from the press before the police have even processed them. But there
are some things that must remain silent.

Armenian Genocide and the American Congress

(Hurriyet) The Armenian issue is heating up again inside Turkey. The
American Congress has announced that it is gathering the 90 signatures
necessary to bring the genocide bill before Congress. What is being
done about this in Turkey?

(Erdogan) We have begun with the British. We have spoken with
the opposition leaders in this country, and they are being very
understanding. We are breaking down the accusations made in the
Blue Book….which is completely a tool for propaganda. Armenian
cargo planes can land and fly from Turkey, including Istanbul. The
Culture Ministry is restoring the Armenian Church located on the Van
Lake Island. It seems that while the Armenians living in Armenia are
approaching relations with Turkey this positively, the Armenians living
outside Armenia are fighting against it. They have taken the idea of
migration and told the whole world that it’s genocide. Migration is
one thing, genocide is another.

(Hurriyet) Well, will the bill pass in the American Congress? If I’m
not wrong, US presidents have in the past prevented it twice. Will
Bush do the same thing?

(Erdogan) I have absolute trust in him. Because he is very sensitive
on this issue. I believe he will take the right steps at the right
time. Anyway, we are making a point to have our groups make contact
with US groups at the appropriate times.

“He is Also Uncomfortable With the Way Things Are Going”

(Hurriyet) How are relations with the US going? It seems that everyday
some other problem happens.

(Erdogan) I speak with Bush myself about this matter. He is also
uncomfortable with the way things are going. He has asked me what
I think we should do to get over this crisis. We talked, and have
decided communicate at the highest level. When there is a problem,
the two of us will speak directly.

(Hurriyet) Turkey is being attacked even in cartoons in the US. Is
there perhaps a communications problem between the two countries?

(Erdogan) Well, if it has to be admitted, yes. The Foreign Ministry
is focusing on this right now. And so are we. But we need the support
of citizens and the press on this matter.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress