Author: admin

PENSIONS AND BENEFITS INCREASE FROM BEGINNING OF 2005 IN NKR

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. From January 1, by the decree of
NKR government, the basic pension of NKR was increased by 1000 drams
and now makes 4000 drams (nearly 8.5 dollars) and basic unemployment
benefit was increased from 3900 to 9000 drams. According to the data
of NKR Social Security State Fund, 140 drams for 1-year length of
service were increased to 160 drams. The state sets up compensation in
the amount of 3000 drams against the former 1000 drams for production
traumas.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

New ‘achievements’ of Georgians in Armenian Studies

Yerkir/arm
01 April 05

In mid March, speaking to a Georgian newspaper, Georgian presidential
advisor on ethnic issues Georgi Gachechiladze, had expressed his
views on the Armenian Genocide, Javakhk and the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF).

Following a statement by the ARF press service, ARF representatives’
meeting with the Georgian ambassador to Armenia, the Georgian
president’s press service and the Georgian ambassador officially
announced that the advisor’s views were his own and the Georgian
government did not share them.

So, the incident could be considered settled but Gachechiladze
and another presidential advisor, Igor Kvaseleva, continued making
similar statements in the Georgian press. The core of their statements,
echoed by other authors, charge Armenians of Javakhk with being used
by Russians against Georgia.

[The article in full is available in Armenian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Catholicos Aram I makes statement in the wake of Pope’s death

04.04.2005  16:34    

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Cilicia Catholicos Aram I made the following
statement expressing his profound sadness following the announcement
by the Holy See of the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II:

“His Holiness Pope John Paul II will remain an outstanding figure
in the modern history of world Christendom. In fact, his relentless
effort to make the Gospel of Christ a living reality in the life of
people, his unyielding prophetic witness to make the moral values
the guiding principles of human societies, his firm commitment to the
cause of Christian unity, his openness to other religions with a clear
vision of living together as a reconciled community in the midst of
diversities, and his continuous advocacy for justice, human rights
and freedom made him an exceptional figure of great achievements As
moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee and as
the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, I had the privilege to meet His
Holiness on different occasions and witnessed the strength of his
faith, the depth of his wisdom and the clarity of his vision.”

–Boundary_(ID_mXOcItnB+s57CVtK9zVrsg)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Genocide conference draws scholars

Elazar Barkan, from Claremont Graduate University, presents a lecture
on “Amnesty, Truth, Reconciliation” as part of “The Enduring Legacy
of the Armenian Genocide.”

By Neal Larkins
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
4 April 05

[email protected]

The UCLA International Conference Series in Armenian Studies
commemorated the 90th Anniversary of the Ottoman Turkish genocide of
Armenians in a three-day conference held this weekend.

Richard Hovannisian, UCLA professor emeritus of Armenian history
and organizer of the conference, titled “After Nine Decades ~@”
The Enduring Legacy of the Armenian Genocide,” opened up the event
by asking the mostly Armenian audience how many years the genocide
should be commemorated.

“For the Armenian Genocide to find its proper place, it must be
integrated into the collective human experience,” he said.

Armenian scholars from across the country and world converged at UCLA,
from Berry College in Georgia to Columbia University, and from France
to Argentina.

The first day of the event on Friday was held in Pasadena, and
featured speakers from Damascus University in Syria and Erevan, the
Armenian capital. The speakers at the Friday event spoke in Armenian.
The Saturday and Sunday events were held at UCLA in English.

At the Saturday event at Moore Hall, Henry Theriault from Worcester
State College challenged the common notion that for genocide to
occur, the victim must be dehumanized in the mind of the perpetrator.
He argued that unlike the Nazi killing of Jews during World War II, the
Turkish slaughter of Armenians during World War I was “unnecessarily
brutal” to the point of inefficiency.

“The levels of violence was from the enjoyment of the leaders.
Killing an ant is not that pleasurable,” Theriault said. The more
human the victim, the greater the enjoyment of the killer, he said,
adding, “The Armenians were recognized as human.”

The violence that Armenians believe killed 1.5 million of their people
began on April 24, 1915, and continued until 1923.

In 1908, the Ottoman sultan was overthrown by the Young Turks, the
regime that would commit the genocide.

“At some point a critical mass of Young Turks became
ultra-nationalistic. At some point the ultra-nationalists became
genocidal,” Theriault said.

Speaking about U.S. foreign policy during the genocide, Suzanne
Moranian of the Armenian International Women’s Association said
American policy toward Armenians was “paradoxical.”

The “self-interest that impelled the United States to help the
Armenians is the same as the self-interest that caused them to abandon
Armenians,” Moranian said.

While then-President Wilson pursued a policy of neutrality with Turkey
during WWI, American missionary groups conducted a substantial relief
operation in present-day Syria that was supported financially by both
Congress and private citizens. But “America’s post-WWI retreat from
internationalism” and Wilson’s attention to his planned League of
Nations decreased American support for the Armenian cause, Moranian
said.

She said that the policy for dealing with Armenians in WWI formed
the blueprint of U.S. foreign policy for the future.

The United States has not officially acknowledged that a “genocide”
took place. In his February visit to UCLA, U.S. ambassador to Armenia
John Evans said that the term genocide, created in 1943, should not
be applied to the events of 1915.

Turkey continues to deny a genocide took place. Recently, however,
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan took a small but symbolic step to address
the issue by announcing that Turkey’s official archives would be
opened to historians.

Examining the philosophical and literary response to genocide, Michael
Papazian of Berry College in Georgia said that many Young Turks were
educated in Germany, and that the Jewish “Holocaust was perpetrated by
(Germany’s) most philosophically advanced group.”

“Jewish philosophy can be a guide for Armenian philosophers to come
to terms with the genocide,” he said. He also warned Armenians to “be
mindful not to make death and destruction the central theme in Armenian
history, rather than the Christian ideas of life and rejuvenation.”

Philippe Videlier of the National Center for Scientific Research in
Lyons, France was inundated with many questions after his lecture on
“The Armenian Genocide and French Society.”

Questions from the largely middle-aged and elderly audience were
about the absence of foreign intervention during the genocide and
recognition of the genocide in countries around the world today.

Videlier said France did not intervene with the genocide because they
were occupied fighting a war with Germany, even though at the time
the government and intellectuals were aware of the atrocities. Later,
France was pressured by Turkish government lobbyists into banning
the release of a film about the genocide, he said.

While these statements brought scoffs from the audience, the crowd
offered a roaring applause after he noted that “four years ago the
French government recognized the 1915 genocide.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Neighbors fated for cooperation

The Messenger
Monday, April 4, 2005, #060 (0834)

Despite divergent foreign policy directions, Georgia and Armenia remain
close friends. Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s unofficial visit
to Gudauri, where he met with President Mikheil Saakashvili on April
1, can be seen as an urgent need for consultation between the two
countries’ leadership, however.

Saakashvili’s press service, which learned of the unannounced visit
first from reporters, states the two presidents discussed issues
of strategic cooperation and regional security among neighboring
countries. Saakashvili himself underscored the close relationship
between the countries, explaining that state formalities were not
always necessary. “We do not need ceremonies and political limitations
with our neighbors. Without any prior preparations we can always
visit and hold talks with each other,” he said.

Georgia’s relations with Armenia have necessarily been affected by
the fact that Armenia was and still is Russia’s principal ally in the
South Caucasus. Armenia has benefited significantly from this alliance,
first of all during the war with Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and
afterwards as the conflict froze in Armenia’s advantage. At the end
of the last decade, Georgia and Azerbaijan found themselves looking
to the west in order to balance Russia’s domineering role in the
South Caucasus; by contrast Armenia was openly pro-Russian oriented.

The new century, however, has ushered in new realities, with the west
and particularly the United States strengthened its position in the
South Caucasus Georgia’s categorical demand that Russia withdraw
its military bases from the country has created a situation that
could eventually lead to Russia losing its domineering role in the
region. Once oil begins flowing through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline this fall, the west will take an even greater interest in
the region.

Russia, however does not want to give up so easily, especially
regarding the military bases. Only after great resistance have Russian
negotiators reduced their timeline for base withdrawal from a laughable
11 years to 3-4 years. Still, in recent months Moscow officials have
repeated demands for USD 300 million in order to finance the withdrawal
and construct new bases on Russian soil.

For Georgia, the issue is also connected to domestic ethnic issues.
Over the weekend two rallies in Akhalkalaki and Batumi demanded
that the cities’ Russian bases remain in place. In Akhalkalaki in
particular, Russia’s base is of major economic importance for the
community. The ethnic Armenians living in the remote city are cut
off from most of Georgia’s political and economic life; only through
protests were they able to get a national passport office in their
town last month. Despite its large population, Akhalkalaki’s residents
were forced to go to distant, and smaller, towns like Akhaltsikhe for
this purpose. Moreover, with dwindling infrastructure and no major
transport routes to the center, residents find themselves dependent
on the Russian base for survival.

Tbilisi’s relationship with Yerevan becomes all the more important
as Saakashvili makes his latest gambit against Russian influence in
the area. Not only is Yerevan in a position to intervene positively
in talks between Akhalkalaki and Tbilisi, it is also a reliable
supplier of electricity. Armenian support is of great importance,
and Saakashvili seems to have won this, President Kocharian stating
that the withdrawal of Russian military base from Akhalkalaki was
Georgia’s decision and Yerevan would never support any anti Georgian
force, as quoted by Khvalindeli Dghe.

Although neither president has commented in detail on the talks,
it seems likely that as well as the withdrawal of Russian bases,
the tough economic and social condition faced by the predominantly
ethnic Armenian population of the region and transportation of cargo
to Armenia would have been the main issues discussed.

Georgian experts think that while the Armenian president could defuse
the situation in the Akhlakalaki region, Saakashvili could for his
part help Yerevan develop stronger ties with the west and also help
the country avoid a velvet revolution predicted by several regional
analysts.

Saakashvili Comments on the Armenian President’s Visit

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi
2005-04-04 12:11:12

In an interview with the Rustavi 2 television network on April 3,
President Saakashvili said that there was nothing surprising in
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s unplanned visit to Georgia on
April 1-2.

“When there are some issues that need to be discussed, or even if there
are not any, we can visit each other without any prior notifications
and meet and have a talk. We will always have something to talk about
with our neighbors, including Armenia and Azerbaijan. Because, we
are inter-linked, inter-dependent, there are many mutual problems,
so you would be a fool to reject these contacts,”

Saakashvili denied speculations that Robert Kocharyan arrived
in Tbilisi at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Armenia is an independent state and a well-disposed country towards
Georgia,” Saakashvili said.

–Boundary_(ID_bR5ZBR68LpDa0PHSRUZTcw)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey Allows a First New Year for a Tiny Minority
By KATHERINE ZOEPF

New York Times
Published: April 4, 2005

MIDYAT, Turkey, April 1 – A windswept hilltop here in southeastern
Anatolia has become the site for a reunion that once would have
been unthinkable, as thousands of Assyrians from across the region
have converged to openly celebrate their New Year in Turkey for the
first time.

Like many other expressions of minority ethnic identity, the Assyrian
New Year, or Akito, had been seen by Turkey as a threat. But this
year, the government, with an eye toward helping its bid to join
the European Union, has officially allowed the celebration by the
Assyrians, members of a Christian ethnic group that traces its roots
back to ancient Mesopotamia.

Yusuf Begtas, one of the celebration’s organizers, said that because
most of Turkey’s tiny Assyrian population – about 6,000 people in all
– lives in a heavily Kurdish region that has seen frequent clashes
between the Turkish government and Kurdish militias, strong assertions
of Assyrian ethnicity have long been politically impossible. But
Turkey’s political culture has been changing rapidly.

“Turkey is showing itself to the E.U.,” Mr. Begtas said. “When we
asked the authorities for permission to celebrate this year, we knew
it wouldn’t be possible for them to deny us now. Turkey has to show
the E.U. that it is making democratic changes.”

The festivities here on Friday were the culmination of a celebration
that started on March 21, the first day of the Assyrian New
Year. Behind Mr. Begtas, on a raised stage near the wall of the Mar
Aphrem monastery, a balding baritone sang in Syriac, the Assyrians’
language, a Semitic tongue similar to Aramaic.

He was followed by a group of girls wearing mauve satin folk costumes,
dancing in lines with their arms linked. They were cheered on by an
audience of about 5,000, including large groups of visiting ethnic
Assyrians from Europe, Syria and Iraq.

Iraq, where Akito is celebrated openly, has the world’s largest
population of Assyrians, about a million. Most of Turkey’s Assyrians
were killed or driven away during the Armenian massacres early in
the last century, and the bullet scars on some of Midyat’s almost
medieval-looking sandstone buildings still bear witness to those times.

In recent years, Assyrians have suffered quieter forms of persecution
and discrimination. Since the 1980’s, under those pressures, thousands
of Assyrians have emigrated abroad. Kurds, with whom Assyrians have
long had a tense relationship, are now a majority in Midyat, which
until just a generation ago was 75 percent Assyrian.

Haluk Akinci, the regional governor of Nusaybin, a district next to
Midyat, suggested that the Turkish government might see allowing the
New Year celebration as a partial atonement for past persecutions.

“In the past, freedoms for minorities were not as great as they are
now,” he said, though he noted that in years past, private Assyrian New
Year celebrations had generally been ignored by the authorities. “The
Turkish government now repents that they let so many of these people
leave the country.”

After years of intense political and population pressure, the Turkish
Assyrians say, public celebrations like Akito have huge emotional
significance, and the participation of Assyrians from abroad has
become particularly meaningful.

Terros Lazar Owrah, 60, an Assyrian shopkeeper from Dohor, in northern
Iraq, said he had driven 14 hours for the opportunity to attend the
celebration. “So many of us are leaving the region,” he said. “It’s
very important for Assyrians from everywhere to get together in
one place.”

Thanks in large part to greater political freedoms granted recently in
Iraq and Turkey, the Assyrians say, a sense of pan-regional Assyrian
identity seems to be gathering strength. And though Turkey does
not have any legal Assyrian political parties, there are those who
would like to turn this rapidly developing sense of solidarity into
a political voice, even into a discussion of nationhood.

Representatives from several overseas Assyrian political parties were
present at the celebration.

Emanuel Khoshaba, an Iraqi Assyrian who represents the Assyrian
Democratic Movement in Damascus, pointed out that Midyat lies between
the Tigris and the Euphrates, the Mesopotamia that the Assyrians
believe to be their rightful homeland.

“Protecting our national days is as important to us as preserving the
soil of our nation,” Mr. Khoshaba said. “Whether they live in Iraq or
Syria or Turkey, our goal is to bring Assyrians together as a nation.”

That is unlikely to happen. With countries in the region increasingly
wary of the flowering of Kurdish nationalism in northern Iraq, smaller
nationalist movements seem to have even less of a chance of finding
political support in the region.

Still, the relaxation of Turkish antagonism toward the New Year’s
celebration was a significant enough start for many who attended.

“It’s about coming together in spite of our rulers,” said Fahmi Soumi,
an Assyrian businessman who had traveled from Damascus to attend
the Akito festivities. “When we unite like this, there is no Turkey,
no Syria and no Iran. We are one people.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE

Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317

Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

POPE JOHN PAUL II: OUTSTANDING FIGURE IN MODERN CHRISTENDOM, ONE OF
THE MOST COURAGEOUS SPIRITUAL LEADERS OF OUR TIME

His Holiness Aram I made the following statement expressing his
profound sadness following the announcement by the Holy See of the
death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II:

“His Holiness Pope John Paul II will remain an outstanding figure
in the modern history of world Christendom. In fact, his relentless
effort to make the Gospel of Christ a living reality in the life of
people, his unyielding prophetic witness to make the moral values
the guiding principles of human societies, his firm commitment to the
cause of Christian unity, his openness to other religions with a clear
vision of living together as a reconciled community in the midst of
diversities, and his continuous advocacy for justice, human rights
and freedom made him an exceptional figure of great achievements. As
moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee and as
the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, I had the privilege to meet His
Holiness on different occasions and witnessed the strength of his
faith, the depth of his wisdom and the clarity of his vision.”

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about
the history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may
refer to the web page of the Catholicosate,
The Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church
is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Demonstrators in Georgia rally against Russian military’s withdrawal

.c The Associated Press

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Georgian
cities Thursday to protest the withdrawal of Russian military bases
which the government wants closed.

During a protest in the southern city of Akhalkalaki, some 700 people
urged President Mikhail Saakashvili’s government to reconsider its
push for a quick pullout of the Russian base there, saying that its
closure would leave most local residents without jobs.

Saakashvili has promised to create other jobs, but protesters on
Thursday urged the government to do that before the base’s removal.

About 200 protesters gathered in the Black Sea port of Batumi, where
the second Russian base is located. They also protested the pullout,
and urged the government to improve relations with Moscow.

Georgia and Russia have been sparring over the timetable for
withdrawal. The small former Soviet republic wants the troops out
within two years, while Moscow insists it needs at least four years to
complete the job.

03/31/05 08:30 EST

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
April 3, 2005

Catholicos of All Armenians Extends Sympathies on Death of Pope John Paul II

On April 3, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, sent a
letter of condolence on behalf of the worldwide Armenian Church to the
Vatican, wherein he extended his sympathies to the Roman Catholic Church,
her clergy and faithful, on the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
(The text of His Holiness Karekin II’s letter appears at the end of this
release in its entirety.)

In 2001, at the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II on the occasion of the
1,700th Anniversary of the Great Conversion of the Armenians, His Holiness
John Paul II was the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church to travel to
Armenia for a fraternal visit. Pope John Paul II was also the first head of
the Catholic Church to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide and
condemn the tragic events which befell the Armenians in the final days of
the Ottoman Empire.

The same afternoon, following Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin, the Pontiff of All Armenians presided during a special Requiem
Service offered for the repose of the soul of His Holiness John Paul II.
Prior to the service, His Holiness Karekin II stated in part, “.Today in our
Mother Cathedral we offer our prayers to heaven, commiserating with our
sorrowful brothers and sisters of the Catholic Church. We ask God to
receive the soul of our dear Brother in Christ in His eternal kingdom with
loving mercy and grant him rest. The passing of Pope John Paul II is truly
a great loss for the world. He was an untiring preacher of peace and
defender of Christian moral values. His Holiness’ desires and efforts were
renowned, aimed at reconciliation, cooperation and mutual understanding
between nations, peoples and states.”

In attendance for the Divine Liturgy and Requiem Service were high-ranking
bishops and priests of the Armenian Church, Polish Ambassador and Mrs.
Tomasz Knothe, and staff of the Polish Embassy.

* * *

His Eminence Eduardo Cardinal Martinez Somalo
Cardinal Chamberlain
Vatican City

Your Eminence,

It is with a heavy heart that we write this letter, having learned of the
death of our Brother in Christ, His Holiness John Paul II, Pope of the Roman
Catholic Church. On behalf of the worldwide Armenian Church and people, we
convey our sentiments of deep sympathy and consolation to our sister Roman
Catholic Church, and all of your clergymen and faithful.

Before the Holy Altar of Descent in the Mother Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin, we offer our solemn prayers up to God, asking for the repose of
his soul. His Holiness’ death is a great loss for all of Christendom. May
the Almighty bring solace to his pious and faithful flock.

We fondly recall our meeting with His Holiness in the Vatican, as well as
his historic visit to Armenia in 2001, the first visit of a Bishop of Rome
to our biblical land. In recent years, we witnessed the courage and
strength displayed by our Brother in Christ during his illness, which
provided the most excellent example of dignity, faith, hope and submission
to the all-providential Will of God. Throughout the 26 year tenure of Pope
John Paul II, His Holiness was a vigilant defender of life and champion of
justice. His constant appeals for peace and reconciliation among nations
were always based firmly on his strong moral convictions and love of
mankind. In more recent years, through his efforts and the work of our
predecessors of blessed memory, the fraternal love and solidarity between
our two Churches were greater reinforced and made stronger.

Today, Armenians dispersed throughout the world sympathize with your Church
and faithful, and we stand ready to continue together on the paths of
righteousness and service, all for the greater glory of God.

Offering our affectionate greetings and our blessings to you all, we pray
that the protective Right Hand of the Almighty grant progress and renewal to
the Roman Catholic Church. It is our plea that Our Risen Lord bestows you
with strength and wisdom at this difficult time for the benefit of your
faithful flock.

With Blessings,

KAREKIN II
SUPREME PATRIARCH
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
April 3, 2005