Author: Chatinian Lara

EU ENVOY SAYS AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA "PLAYING FOR TIME"
By Ahto Lobjakas in Brussels

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 5 2006

Both Azerbaijan and Armenia appear to be "playing for time" in
their conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Union’s special
representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, said on Thursday.

Semneby told the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee that
Azerbaijan in particular appears to be hoping that income from energy
exports will make it progressively ‘richer and militarily stronger.’
"The rearmament is a serious issue, or concern, and I think it has
contributed to a lack of urgency, if I may formulate it that way,
on the part of Azerbaijan to seek a solution to the conflict," he said.

But, Semneby said, Armenia is similarly playing for time. He
said Yerevan is waiting to see "what the Kosovo settlement could
contribute," and "hoping the situation on the ground would cement
itself."

However, the EU envoy said the situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace talks is "not completely hopeless," adding the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers will meet this week in a fresh attempt
to break the deadlock.

Agreement on the meeting was reached during the American, French and
Russian mediators’ visit to Baku and Yerevan earlier this week. The
envoys said they still hope to broker a framework peace agreement in
the coming months.

FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC’S SO-CALLED GENOCIDE REMARKS INTIMIDATE FRENCH FIRMS

Journal of Turkish Daily,
Oct 4 2006

PARIS – Reactions to French President Jacques Chirac, who implied
during his Yerevan visit that Turkey should recognize the alleged
Armenian genocide to become an EU member, are growing. France is one
of the biggest investors in Turkey.

French firms are now concerned that their investments in Turkey
would be negatively affected by the remarks. The draft law that would
penalize those who deny the alleged genocide has also deepened such
concerns.

French paper Le Monde, drawing attention to the financial difficulties
of the French companies interested in Turkish bids, stressed that the
remarks could cause a substantial loss totaling billions of dollars.

A political advisor of Chirac stated that it has become apparent the
president needs to clarify his remarks.

In Turkey, some of the societies called not to buy French good till
the French President clarify his words.

Speaking to Le Monde, Chirac’s advisor noted that there was no
change in the president’s supportive position regarding Turkey’s
EU membership. The advisor, who stressed that Chirac’s remarks were
political, not legal, noted that it is now imperative for Chirac to
make an explanation to Turkey concerning his statements in Yerevan.

The draft bill that stipulates the punishment of those who deny
the alleged genocide will be discussed in the plenary of the French
parliament on Oct. 12. French firms are highly concerned that the
draft will be adopted because of the upcoming elections. Before
the parliamentary discussions held to review the draft bill in May,
the foreign trade ministry had sent a note to the deputies referring
to the economic risks for France in case of its adoption. The note
published by Le Monde stressed that the firms interested in Turkish
bids would have to face billions of dollars loss if the bill were
adopted. The French firms interested in Turkish bids include large
firms such as AREVA, Eurocopter, Alstom and Credit Agricole.

In a statement he made to Le Monde, French politician of Armenian
origin, Patrick Devedjian, recalling that Chirac has made a clear point
for the first time, cited his remarks as an historical turning point.

Devedjian noted that Chirac, by making the remarks, transformed the
2001 genocide law, which is of legal character, into a political
action. Drawing attention to the analogy Chirac made between the
Holocaust and the alleged genocide, he further noted that Chirac is
the first leader who made a connection between the Jewish genocide
and the alleged Armenian genocide.

ISRAEL REJECTS ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE HOLOCAUST
AND THE ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS

While Chirac makes connection between the Armenian allegations and the
Jewish genocide, the Jewish people and Israeli Government reject such
attempts. The Nobel Prize winning Israeli statesman, Shimon Peres,
for instance says the 1915 Events was not genocide:

"We reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust
and the Armenian allegations. Nothing similar to the Holocaust
occurred. It is a tragedy what the Armenians went through but not a
genocide… Israel should not determine a historical or philosophical
position on the Armenian issue.

If we have to determine a position, it should be done with great care
not to distort the historical realities." (‘Peres: Armenian Allegations
are Meaningless’, Turkish Daily News, 10 April 2001; Haig Boyadjian,
‘Peres Claims Armenians Did Not Experience Genocide’, Asbarez, 10
April 2001).

Turkey accepts that the Armenians went through a tragedy during the
1915 Relocation Campaign, yet the Government has never accepted that
the tragedy was genocide. According to the Turkish approach most of
the Armenians died due to the bad weather, war curcumstances, epidemic
diseases and ethnic clashes, mostly the Kurdish tribal attacks. More
than 520.000 Turkish and Kurdish were killed by the Armenian gangs.

ARMENIAN EXPORTS HURT BY RUSSIAN BLOCKADE OF GEORGIA
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 3 2006

Armenian companies trading with Russia said on Tuesday that they are
already incurring losses as a result of Moscow’s decision to impose
a transport blockade on Georgia in retaliation for the arrest of its
Tbilisi-based military officers accused of espionage.

The Russian government suspended all land, sea, and postal links with
Georgia on Monday despite the release and repatriation of the four
officers who allegedly worked for Russia’s GRU military intelligence.

It also threatened to ban cash remittances from hundreds of thousands
of Georgians working in Russia.

The extraordinary move, criticized by the European Union, further
complicated Moscow’s already tense relationship with the pro-Western
administration of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. It could
also seriously hamper Armenian exports to and imports from Russia.

Those account for a considerable part of Armenia’s external trade.

Prime Minister Andranik Markarian downplayed the blockade’s effects on
Armenia, arguing that the Russians had already closed their main land
border crossing with Georgia in June and that Armenian companies can
continue to ship cargos to Russia via Ukraine. However, the owners
of some of those companies were far less sanguine, saying that they
are already counting the possible cost of the Russian blockade.

Ashot Baghdasarian, chief executive of the Kilikia beer and soft
drinks company, said a batch of its products bound for Russia was
left stranded in a Georgian Black Sea port following the suspension
of a regular Georgian-Russian ferry service. Kilikia is also unable
to import Russian raw materials used for the packaging of its natural
juices, he said.

"I have information that our cargos were stopped at the border
yesterday," Baghdasarian told RFE/RL. "This is a very big problem for
businessmen." The businessman, who is also a parliament deputy from
the governing Republican Party (HHK), urged the Armenian government
to help sort out the problem.

The government seems reluctant to raise the issue with the Russian side
for the time being. "We have not yet received an official notification
from the Russian side on restrictions placed on shipments of our
goods." the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian,
said.

Great Valley, a major Armenian brandy firm heavily oriented towards
the Russian market, has also seen its exports grind to a halt. "There
is an option of shipping things by air, something which we have done in
the past," its owner Tigran Arzakantsian told RFE/RL. "But that is very
expensive. We are now examining ways of making shipments via Iran."

Arzakantsian also owns a textile factory in his native town of Gavar
that exports most of its production to Russia.

Other Armenian exporters said they have so far been unaffected by the
escalating Russian-Georgian crisis. Arsen Ghazarian of the Apaven
cargo company said it continued to successfully ferry freight to
Russia on Tuesday. MAP, another major liquor manufacturer, likewise
reported non transportation problems.

"Only the shipment of Georgian cargos has been suspended," the MAP
chairman, Alik Petrosian, told RFE/RL. "So our cargos keep going to
[the Georgian port of] Poti and then proceeding to Russia."

But Petrosian too was worried about the situation. "Nobody knows what
will happen tomorrow," he explained. "Everyone understands what a
serious blow to our economy could suffer."

Armenian exports to Russia, dominated alcoholic drinks and agricultural
products, were already dealt a severe blow with the closure last June
of the main Russian-Georgian border crossing.

Armenian leaders tried unsuccessfully to get the Russians to reopen
the Upper Lars crossing. This prompted renewed complaints by Armenian
politicians and commentators that Russian ignores the interests of
Armenia, its main regional ally, in its dealings with Georgia.

Russian officials have denied any political motives behind the closure
of Upper Lars, saying that the "temporary" measure was necessary for
repairing roads and customs facilities on the Russian side of the
mountainous frontier.

Despite stepping up its economic and diplomatic blockade of Georgia,
Moscow has not cut off its vital natural gas supplies to Georgia and
on to Armenia, something which would have even more severe consequences
for both South Caucasus states.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: "THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE SHOW HONOUR TO JACQUES CHIRAC"

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. French President Jacques Chirac’s
three-day state visit to Yerevan (September 29-October 1) passed
at a high level. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian
stated about it after the ceremony of seeing off the delegation
headed by J.Chirac. Quating the French delegation members’ words,
he also mentioned that "the President of France is really impressed,
first of all, by our people’s warmness."

In V.Oskanian’s words, during the days of the visit to Yerevan,
J.Chirac said on some occassions that he simply did not expect such
a warm reception. "So our people showed an honour and expressed its
gratitude to Jacques Chirac," the Foreign Minister mentioned.

According to his information, at RA President Robert Kocharian’s
and French President’s September 30 meeting the interlocuters
mainly stopped on the Karabakh conflict and regional problems. In
V.Oskanian’s words, "President Chirac was really very interested in
President Kocharian’s viewpoint" concerning the nuclear program of
Iran and the whole progress connected with it, events taking place
in the field of the Georgian-Russian relations.

Responding the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, if there are
responses by Turkey concerning viewpoints expressed at the September
30 joint press conference of the Armenian and French Presidents,
V.Oskanian mentioned that at the same night he watched news on
international Euronews, Al Jazeera, BBC TVs where J.Chirac’s visit,
especially the statements at the press conference connected with
Turkey, was touched upon a rather volumniously. "I think that the visit
was well covered internationally as well," the Foreign Minister stated.

The RA Foreign Minister found it difficult to answer the question if
visits of presidents of other countries of the (former) Great7 to be
paid to Armenia are expected, after the visit which the President
of France paid to Armenia first. "One thing is obvious that day
by day this region gets bigger importance. Armenia’s regional and
international weight and prestige also grow with Armenia’s political
stability and economic growth. I think that President Chirac’s visit
was not only a result of our two peoples’ historic ties, the French
Armenian community’s factors, but also of the fact that for France,
for other great states, Armenia is really a factor of stability in
this region, a reliable partner," V.Oskanian mentioned, expressing
an opinion that heads "of other similar countries" will aslo visit
Armenia.

As he reminded, the Presidents of Armenia and France emphasized in
Yerevan that the two countries’ relations develop dinamically. "The
more our relations with the European Union deepen, the more important
the role of France will become for us, as France has been in the
leading positions of a country encouraging in the processes of
Armenia’s democratization, making corresonding all its conditions
to the European ones for a quickest integration into the European
structures," V.Oskanian mentioned. He expressed an opinion, that
this direction of the Armenian-French relations "will be dominating,
and we’ll continue our cooperation with France."

The RA Foreign Minister added that the sides touched upon the bilateral
economic cooperations mainly after the working dinner party. J.Chirac
approved proposals made by the Armenian side relating to future
introduction of French business, insurance companies, banks, in
Armenia. "I think there will be positive movements on this occasion,"
V.Oskanian said, adding that "we’ll see rather seriouss activeness
in the Armenian-French relations in the nearest future."

Radio 1, Tbilisi,
28 Sep 06

GEORGIAN TV REPORTS ARREST OF TWO MORE SPY SUSPECTS

The Interior Ministry yesterday [27 September] arrested two more
members of Russian intelligence services. Aziz Aslanyan, an ethnic
Armenian citizen of Georgia, born in 1973, was arrested in Batumi.
Ruslan Skrylnikov was arrested in Tbilisi. Both are suspected of
spying.

Another suspect, Zia Samnidze, remains at large.

[In a report at 0401 gmt on 28 September, Interfax news agency
referred to Aslanyan and Skrylnikov as "Russian servicemen".]

RUSSIAN GAS DELIVERIES TO ARMENIA STOPPED

Armenpress
Sept 29 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Russian gas deliveries to Armenia
were stopped on September 29 noon. A spokeswoman for HayRusGazArd
joint Russian-Armenian venture that ships the Russian gas to Armenia
via Georgia, said the shipment was stopped because of reconstruction
of a section of the main pipeline in the territory of Georgia.

The spokeswoman said supplies of the Russian gas are expected to resume
in four days. Until then Armenia will use gas from its underground
storage in Abovian.

EP PUTS DEMANDS BEFORE TURKEY

AZG Armenian Daily
27/09/2006

On September 25, a regular sitting of the European Parliament discussed
the report of its External Relations Committee on Turkey that harshly
criticizes Turkish authorities. The report also labeled unsatisfactory
all reforms carried out in regards to freedom of speech, religious and
ethnic minority rights and improvement of relations with Cyprus. EP
representatives have also called on Turkey in the report to open its
border with Armenia and to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

NIS INTERSTATE COMMITTEE HOLDS XX SESSION ON EMERGENCY

Panorama.am
13:13 26/09/06

XX session of the interstate committee of Newly Independent States
(NIS) on nature-caused or man-caused emergency situations kicked off
in Yerevan today.

Andranik Margaryan, Armenian prime minister, addressed the guests
saying the committee has successfully accomplished its tasks in
the field. "Different man-caused and nature-caused disasters cause
considerable harm, including among developed countries," he said.

Margaryan informed the guests that Armenian rescue services comprise
4000 employees against 700 ten years ago. He also mentioned that the
law on rescue service is adopted in Armenia and a State Academy for
Emergency Administration is established. The prime expressed belief
that the XX session will be another step forward to cooperation among
rescue services in NIS.

PROSECUTORS TO INDICT ARMENIAN JOURNALIST FOR "INSULTING TURKISHNESS"

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
25 Sep 06

Istanbul, 25 September: Istanbul’s Sisli Prosecutor’s Office
prepared an indictment against Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of Agos
newspaper, and two other administrators of the newspaper on charges of
"insulting Turkishness".

In the indictment, the Prosecutor’s Office referred to Hrant Dink’s
interview with a foreign news agency, and recalled that the Agos
newspaper wrote a story about Dink’s remarks.

Hrant Dink is accused of saying: "Of course, I am saying that this
is a genocide because it can be seen from the outcome. We see that
people, who lived in these lands for about 4,000 years, disappeared
after the incidents."

The prosecutor asks for prison terms up to three years for not only
Hrant Dink but also Arat Dink and Serkis Seropyan, under Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

September 25, 2006
___________________

AVAKS START FALL SEASON WITH SEVERAL PLANNED EVENTS

By Florence Avakian

The St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks senior citizens group began its fall 2006
season recently with a myriad of activities planned for the next few months.

Already on the menu is a three-day trip — from September 26 to 28 — to the
Diocese’s Ararat Center in picturesque upstate New York. Participants on
the trip will enjoy comfortable sleeping quarters, three delicious meals
daily, worship services, Bible study, films, excursions to nearby locations
such as apple orchards, and fellowship.

Meetings take place every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Avaks
first attend a one-hour Bible study with St. Vartan Cathedral Dn. Sebuh
Oscherician. A delicious lunch is served at 12:30 p.m., followed by an
interesting program is presented. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan
Cathedral, directs the group.

Highlights of the spring season included a five week Lenten study session,
starting with a supper appropriate to Lent, a service in St. Vartan
Cathedral conducted by Fr. Chevian, and Bible reading and discussion.
During the Feast of Ascension (Paregentan), Diramayr Shakeh Kahdejian
organized festivities which included the vijag ceremony, where fortunes are
told.

The spring 2006 season was filled with a number of films, videos from
Armenia and Jerusalem, as well as interesting lectures and trips. Featured
musical performers and speakers included St. Vartan Cathedral choir director
Khoren Mekanejian, singer Maro Partamian, Diocesan Zohrab Resource Center
Director Aram Arkun, Diocesan Armenian Studies Coordinator Gilda
Buchakjian-Kupelian, and journalist Florence Avakian.

In June, more than 90 people attended an outdoor picnic which took place
under sunny skies on the Cathedral plaza. It was followed by dancing to the
music of John Vartan and his band, and special prizes to the lucky ticket
holders.

The much-anticipated climax to the season’s activities took place from June
20 to 22, as 30 Avak members and guests journeyed in two large vans to the
Diocesan Ararat Center in upstate New York. Stopping first at the St. Peter
Church in Watervliet, NY, they were given a tour of the sanctuary by the
pastor, Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, after which they enjoyed Armenian
refreshments in the church hall.

During their two days at the Ararat Center, nestled among the magnificent
hills of the Catskills, the Avaks attended daily morning services conducted
by Fr. Chevian, and Bible study classes taught by Dn. Oscherician. A
shopping trip to a nearby mall was also undertaken. In the evenings, films
were shown, followed by music and singing, and always accompanied with a
special snack of wine and fruits.

For Ara and Rosemary Akian, the trip was "beyond expectations, a very
spiritual experience, with well organized programs in very inviting
premises."

For long-time Avak member Araxie Chirishian, "everything was perfect, the
best. It couldn’t have been better."

And Sarkis Matossian called the institution of the Ararat Center by the
Diocese of the Armenian Church "a great accomplishment, in not only training
Armenian youngsters to serve the Church, but also as a wonderful meeting
place for all Armenian groups to come together in a place of superb mountain
scenery."

— 9/25/06

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Members of the St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks senior
citizens group enjoy the annual picnic on the cathedral plaza in June 2006.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Members of the St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks senior
citizens group take part in a program on staying physically fit during one
of the group’s spring 2006 sessions.