Author: Chavushian

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
April 7, 2006, Friday
11:28:26 Central European Time

Russia charges Armenia more for natural gas

Russia Friday announced it was raising the price of natural gas
delivered to Armenia to 110 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres from the
earlier 56 dollars.

The new prices were set by agreement in Moscow with visiting Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan.

As part of the agreement, Russia guarantees not to raise the prices
again for three years, and will receive in return control of all
Armenian pipeline projects.

A 25-year cooperation agreement also will see Russia invest up to 800
million dollars into the Armenia gas industry, according to estimates
out of Moscow.

Armenia has a strategic importance for Moscow as a possible supply
route for Iranian natural gas.

The Russia gas monopoly Gazprom has raised prices for all the former
republics of the Soviet Union.

At the beginning of year, there was a week-long row with Ukraine,
which refused to accept a price rise to 230 dollars per 1,000 cubic
metres from 50 dollars. A price of 95 dollars was finally agreed.

>From 2007, Moscow will attempt at least to triple prices for close
ally Belarus which currently pays 47 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres.
dpa so mga sc

EU AND GERMANY TO CARRY OUT PROJECT FOR JAVAKHETI ARMENIANS

Armepress
Apr 06 2006

AKHALKALAKI, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS:The European Union and Germany’s
Association of People’s Universities are planning to carry out a
30-month long project in Georgia’s region of Samtskhe- Javakheti with
a total budget of 500,000 euros.

A-Info news agency operating in this predominantly Armenian-populated
region, quoted Adriana Longon, director of EU Programs, as saying
that the purpose of the project is to protect the rights of ethnic
minorities in Georgia’s southern regions and help their integration
with the rest of the country. A-Info said as part of the project
People’s Universities will be founded in the region to teach students
civic rights and also Georgian language and entrepreneurship.

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:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PUBLISHES
A NEW PUBLICATION IN GERMAN ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ZUM 90. GEDENKJAHR DES VÖLKERMORDES AN DEN ARMENIERN STIMMEN AUS DEUTSCHLAND
Antworten, Aufsätze, Essays, Reden, armenische Augenzeugenberichte
(Antelias 2005, S. 418)

“VOICES FROM GERMANY ON THE OCCASION OF THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE
Answers, Articles, Essays, Speeches, Eyewitness Accounts”
(Antelias 2005, 418 pages)

The above book was recently published by the Catholicosate of Cilicia with
the financial support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. As its title
reflects, the book has a diversified content.

The publication has been edited and prepared for publication by Ishkhan
Chiftjian, a student of theology in the University of Leipzig in Germany.
The foreword is written by His Holiness Aram I who is also the patron of the
publication.

In the foreword entitled “Memory and Justice,” His Holiness stresses the
undeniable effect of memory on the life of an individual or people and the
importance of justice. The Pontiff then draws connections between the
Armenian Genocide and the concepts of memory and justice, emphasizing the
urgent and imperative need of recognizing the Genocide and compensating for
it.

The introduction by Ishkhan Chiftjian is entitled “Genocide: The Definite
Plural.” The editor explains: 1) The multi-faceted character of Genocide; 2)
the presence of many terms synonymous to the word “Genocide” in the Armenian
Language; 3) the pluralism in the scientific fields that study Genocide
(history, politics, etc.). He emphasized that Genocide is a comprehensive
blow directed to a people’s unity.

“This publication aims at giving a wider scope to the memory of the
approximately one and a half million victims of the Armenian Genocide as
well as the numerous cultural riches (churches and schools, literature and
press, manuscripts and dialect, etc.) that were destroyed, by collecting and
presenting statements, positions, contemplations, questions from Germany on
the most cruel incident of the most recent chapter of the Armenian History.
What is presented here is only a picture and is not comprehensive,” writes
Chiftjian.

52 German authors and one Swiss Genocide Scholars have contributed to the
publication.

In the first part, entitled “Answers”, 37 contributors answer to the six
questions prepared by the editor sometimes in a few short paragraphs,
sometimes in five-six pages. The questions are related to the authors’ first
encounter with the Armenian Genocide and the unfolding developments. The
contributors to this section include catholic and protestant theologians,
spiritual servants, historians, religion scholars, sociologists, linguists,
authors, publishers, journalists and students.

Most are acquainted with Franz Werfel’s publication, which has triggered
their interest in the issue. Others have gained interest in the matter
because of Turkey’s EU bid. Some of these authors have been involved in
scientific and publishing work related to the Armenian Genocide (Ralph
Giordano, Prof. Dr. Hermann Goltz, Wolfgang Gust, Rev. Manfred Richter,
Prof. Dr. Martin Tamcke, etc.).

The contribution of two internationally renowned theologians (Prof. Dr.
Wolfhart Pannenberg and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Moltmann) alongside the son of a
great and unforgettable friend of the Armenian nation, Johannes Lepsius
(Rainer Lepsius – former professor of sociology in the University of
Heidelberg) to this section should be distinctively noted.

The following research papers can be read in the “Articles” section:
– “The aspects of a Genocide” (Dr. Hilmar Kaiser, historian, United States)
– “Germany, Armenia and Turkey: Incentives of a critical dialogue between
historians” (Prof. Dr. Hans-Walter Schmuhl, historian, University of
Bielefeld)
– “The acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide is not a debate between
historians; it is the topic and task of the lawyer. (Note addressed to the
members of the German Parliament)” (Prof. Dr. Otto Luchterhandt, lawyer,
University of Hamburg).
– “The Taboo as a basis of the psychological illnesses embedded in the
Turkish disgrace” (Esther Schulz-Goldstein, psychiatrist, Berlin)
– “The Armenian Genocide and the Hebrew Holocaust: The boundaries and
possibilities of a comparison” (Dominik J. Schaller, historian, Genocide
Scholar, University of Zürich, Switzerland)
– “Of what interest are Armenians to us? – The Armenian Genocide and our
silence” (Prof. Dr. Georg Meggle, philosopher, University of Leipzig)

The “Essays” section includes the following titles:
– “Giving a voice to people who have become voiceless” (Dr. Tessa Hofmann,
Institute of Eastern Europe, Berlin)
– “Denied memory: About the contemporariness of Armenian Genocide” (Prof.
Dr. Wolfgang Benz, Center for Anti-Semitism Studies, Berlin)
– “About the Heavy Burden of History: A report about the experiences of an
Evangelical Academy during the study of the Armenian Genocide” (Prof. Dr.
Wolf-Dieter Just, Evangelical Academy of Mühlheim)
– “German Poet Armin T. Wegner a brave witness of the Armenian Genocide”
(Adelheid Latchinian, writer, University of Leipzig)
– “Arekagn Artaroutian, Djarakait Orhnoutian, Papak Bahbanial..” (Naregatsi)
– “Thoughts about Atom Egoyan’s ‘Ararat’ movie” (Jürgen Gispert,
ethnographist, University of Leipzig)
– “Nobody can come out of his nation’s history” (Jan Amery) (Huberta von
Voss, journalist, Berlin)
– “Red wool hats in Amassia” (Jochen Mangelsen, writer, Bremen)
– “My Armenia. A Memory” (Kurt Oesterle, writer, Tübingen)
– “Against the moment of rage” (Betinne Reichelt, writer, Leipzig)

The fourth section entitles “Speeches” includes two speeches delivered on
two separate occasions:
– “The portrait of hope: The Armenians” A presentation of Huberta von Voss’
Publication” (Bishop Dr. Wolfgang Huber, President of the Protestant Church
of Germany, Berlin)
– “Injuries of the past – signs of the future” (Helmut Donat, editor and
publisher, Bremen)

The following translations can be found in the fifth section on “Eyewitness
Accounts”:
– “The martyrdom of children” (Papken Indjearabian)
– “Black experiences – strong as death” (Hovhannes Balian)
– “Golgatha: The dreadful year of the Turkish-Armenian clergymen and its
community (Nor Ghevontiank)” (Theotig)
– “The plan of extermination of Turkish Armenians” (Rev. Fr. Krikoris
Balakian)
– “On the path of blood” (Guiregh Khrayian)
– “Episodes from real life” (Rev. Fr. Krikor Faradjian)

The last part of the publication, the Annex, includes the following
documents:
– The position of the Assembly of European Churches on the occasion of the
90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
– “Remembering for the sake of reconciliation”:
– The statement of the Council of Evangelical Churches of Germany on the
occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
– “Armenia Verdict”: The statement of the PEN International Writer’s
Association.
– “Memory of the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian
deportation and massacres”: Resolution presented by the German party CDU-CSU
– Text of the debate in the German Parliament, topic number 6, discussions
around the resolution of CDU/CSU, 21 April 2006.
– “Transforming the memory of the Armenian fate to a starting point for
reconciliation”: The statement of the SPD party.
– “Memory of the deportation and massacres of Armenians (1915): Germany
should help reconciliation between Turks and Armenians”: The resolution of
the SPD, CDU/CSU, BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN and FDP parties.

The above publication, the first book in German to come out of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia’s publishing house, is proof of the expanding
international efforts of the Catholicosate. It introduces authors to the
viewpoints and knowledge present in German intellectual circles in relation
to the Armenian Genocide.

The Imperial Government of Germany was an ally of the Ottoman Empire during
the First World War and an accomplice in the Armenian Genocide. The current
Federal Republic of Germany, which holds about 2.5 million Turks or
Turkish-Germans within its boundaries, has friendly relations with the
Republic of Turkey. It is only recently that Germany started to review these
friendly ties, particularly in light of Turkey’s EU bid. Thus, it was on 21
April 2005 that Germany officially debated the Armenian Genocide in its
Parliament for the first time and unofficially recognized the truth.

The Armenian Genocide has started to be widely discussed in Germany. The
media often talk about the subject and interested and knowledgeable people
can be found in student circles. Scholars and publishers continue their work
in the field.

The Turkish side does not remain silent, however. Fanatic Turks organized
unsuccessful protests against Armenian “lies” on March 15 and 18 of this
year. Amid the interest of Germans in the issue and the denial of Turks
living in Germany, this publication will no doubt play an important role.

##
View photo here: tm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the books
published in the Printing House 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.

RAILA INSISTS MARGARYAN LED RAID ON ‘STANDARD’
By Parliament Team

Kenya Times, Kenya
April 5 2006

Artur Margaryan, one of the alleged mercenaries, was inducted into
the dreaded Kanga squad as the commander ahead of the raid on the
Standard Group, Parliament was told yesterday.

Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga (Narc), while contributing to a question on
the operation of the Police Force which he had asked on behalf of his
Ndhiwa counterpart, Orwa Ojode (Narc), claimed that Margaryan was
recruited into the Kanga Squad to command the raid on the Standard
Group’s premises at I&M Building and Likoni Road printing press.

Odinga asked Assistant Minister for Internal Security, Mirugi Kariuki
to explain to the House how Margaryan was inducted to Kanga squad as
a commander without the knowledge of the Commissioner of Police.

Ojode’s question had sought to know the number of formations that
exists in the Kenya Police and their respective commanders.

According to Mirugi, no unit exist as Kanga and there are nine
formations in the Kenya Police commanded by officers who report to
the Commissioner of Police. He denied allegations that Margaryan was
inducted into the Police Force.

Mirugi however, alluded that the Police on special occasions come up
with special units to deal with specific crimes.

Odinga’s claim was a culmination of a heated debate on the alleged
mercenaries raised by Mathioya MP, Joseph Kamotho (Narc) in which the
government was roasted for protecting personalities of questionable
backgrounds under the guise of foreign investment.

Saboti MP Davies Nakitare said Margaryan and his alleged brother Artur
Sargsyan had no investment plans for the country as Trade Minister
Mukhisa Kituyi confirmed and that Kenya was in a serious state of
insecurity to have such people around.

But Mirugi maintained that the duo were genuine businessmen and
that the Government of the Republic of Armenia had confirmed they
were its citizens and two hold its passports. He could not however
ascertain the amount of investment the duo were bringing into the
country despite insisting that they were registered consultants in
marketing, business development and finance and were tax compliant
according to records from the Kenya Revenue Authority.

Odinga also questioned why the duo were accorded state security and
why they were moving in vehicles with concealed number plates. He
also expressed surprise when Mirugi said that there was a suit in
court by Magaryan in which he (Raila) was a defendant, adding that
he had not been served “yet the minister can state here that I have
a case in court. What does it amount to?”

The Lang’ata MP also wondered why the two Armenians had to register
a company, Kensington Holdings Limited under a name that already
existed in the books of the Registrar of Companies if the intention
was not suspect.

Emuhaya MP, Kenneth Marende said it was illegal for anyone to use
on Kenyan roads vehicles with concealed number plates, adding that
under normal circumstances the two Armenians should have been arrested
and prosecuted.

SECOND MEETING OF CHRISTIAN CONFESSIONS OF GEORGIA TAKES PLACE IN PRIMACY OF VIRAHAYOTS DIOCESE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 04 2006

TBILISI, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The second meeting of
primates of the Christian confessions of Georgia took place on March
27 at the primacy of the Virahayots Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church. Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, the primate of the Roman Catholic
Church in Georgia, Bishop Malkhaz Songhulashvili, the primate of the
Baptist Church, and Bishop Andreas Stoekl, the primate of the Lutheran
Church participated in the meeting. The meeting started with a pray
after what Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, the primate of the Virahayots
Diocese welcame all those present and mentioned the necessity of
continuing the ecumenic dialogue among churches. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the Press Services of the Virahayots Diocese, the necessity
of getting a legal state by signing a special agreement among the state
and church confessions because of absence of the law “On Freedom of
Conscience and Religion” in Georgia became the first subject of the
discussion. Concerning the issue, His Holiness Vazgen proposed to
address a letter to the President of Georgia, and for intercession,
to the Patriarch of Georgia. The primates of the churches welcame
the proposal of His Holiness and agreed to sign the joint letter. The
primate informed those present that he met with Akhund Ali Aliyev, the
spiritual primate of the Mahometan community who has already given his
agreement to sign the letter. His Holiness Vazgen expressed hope that
he will soon get a positive response from Rabbi Avimelech Rosenblath,
the spiritual primate of the Jewish community as well. His Holiness
Vazgen emphasized that the Government of Georgia must recognize
the rights of representatives of both Christian confessions, and of
Mahometan and Jewish communities, as they made together more than 1
mln people who are full citizens of Georgia. For avoiding religious
and ethnic conflicts in Georgia, His Holiness Vasgen proposed to
create a “Round Table” in Tbilisi which will implement some programs
joint with the “Round Table” functioning in Armenia. By the proposal
of His Holiness, representatives of both Christian confessions and
Mahometan and Jewish communities will be involved in the council
staff. The primates of churches discussed terms of holding the
evening party of spiritual songs at the end of the meeting. The
Primate of the Virahayots Diocese proposed to hold the party of
spiritual songs on April 24, All Saints Day, which coincides this
year with the 91th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide conducted in
Ottaman Turkey. Giving his agreement, Bishop Malkhaz Songhulashvili,
the primate of the Baptist church attached importance to the idea of
holding the event on that day. Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto proposed that
the evening party of spiritual songs become a tradition and is every
year held on Monday following the Easter, symbolizing victory of life
and light against death and darkness. The primates of the churches
agreed to discuss schedule of the next meeting at the evening party
of the spiritual concert.

ARMENIA NEEDS ABOUT 300 MLN DOLLARS TO HAVE ITS OWN SATELLITE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. A seminar “Regional Satellite
Communication Systems: The Current State and New Systems Creation
Prospects” of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
is being held in Yerevan on April 4 with the participation of
representatives of CIS countries. The participants will discuss
issues related to the use of the orbit and radio frequency range
with respect to the radio regulations, coordination of space devices,
frequency distribution and the modern technologies and production of
satellite communication. RA Minister of Transport and Communication
Andranik Manukian told reporters that although Armenia does not have
its own satellite, it has areas for its operation. According to the
minister, about 300 mln USD is needed to have a satellite and cover
its operational costs, while Armenia lacks such an opportunity at
the moment. However, in his words, a program on a common satellite
with CIS countries with a 7% participation of Armenia is now under
discussion. It was noted that Azerbaijan has already applied to the
International Union of Electrocommunication with a request to have its
own satellite. To recap, the ITU, whose membership numbers 190 states,
is an international organization that functions within the system of
the UN and aims to coordinate the activities of various governments
and the private sector in the sphere of global telecommunication
networks and services.

ARMENIAN NGO DELEGATES TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN TOMORROW

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006

A conference of non-governmental organizations delegates of the
South Caucasus will be held in Baku from 5 to 6 April. Heads of
Georgia’s NGO Coalition Gogi Khuchishvili and Anna Dolidze told a
news conference. The Georgia bureau of APA reports that discussions
at the conference will focus on adoption of Roman statute.

Khuchishvili said that Azerbaijani side is ready to ratify the
document. Armenian side, however, hesitates to ratify it. The NGO
Coalition heads also noted they suggested Azerbaijani and Armenian
NGO to ratify the Roman statute. They consider that joint activity
of all NGOs in the South Caucasus will promote settlement of ethnic
problems in the region.

Roman statute is an international document that assesses local
conflicts. The conference hosted by Baku will also bring together
delegates of Armenian NGO. As coming to who invited Armenians to Baku,
it is kept secret. Azerbaijani NGOs say they have not been informed
about it.

YALCýN DOðAN: A SOLUTION TO THE KURDISH SITUATION IS STILL OUT THERE

Hurriyet, Turkey
April 4 2006

The Democratic Society (DTP) Party official from Siirt who called on
Kurdish citizens to protest is young, still a university student. He
is in his twenties. Would the DTP really have such a hard time finding
a reasonable person to take this guy’s place? For the past week now,
I have been watching and reading about the events taking place in the
Southeast and in Istanbul from abroad. The stance of the foreign press
as to what is taking place here is frightening: they present it with
headlines like “Kurdish uprising in Turkey.” They don’t perceive it
as terror. To counter this, I have been listening to the opinions of
some of my collegues who have actually been in Diyarbakir, and seen
the events live and in person.

Here is the first hand account of one of them:

“I have seen everything happen in Diyarbakir. Those who were attacking
the banks and the stores were in no way shouting PKK slogans. These
were young people who had migrated to the big city from the surrounding
countryside, and who had definitely never entered a big store to
do shopping, who had never set foot into a bank. And now they were
attacking banks, stores, and cars. Above and beyond the PKK, the real
problem for these youth is unemployment, even hunger.”

The PKK is behind these people on the streets. After all, poverty
is the biggest source of support for the PKK. Business owners in
the Southeast have been making the same observations. They are now
repeating the same thing they have been trying to tell Ankara for
years: “The region needs economic development.” This is not new.

On the look out for an identity

Of course, while this all may be true, it is not accurate to view
the events only through the lens of the economy, nor simply through
the lens of terror. There is, after all, Kurdish nationalism to deal
with too. This is Kurdish nationalism that rose with the fall of the
Ottoman Empire. Some theories say that nationalism creates nations,
while other theories attest that nations create nationalism. I say
that nationalism is really a search for identity. On the question
of identity, the famous novelist Amin Maalouf has this to say: “An
attack on a person’s language is the biggest attack possible on his
identity.” (This is from Maalouf’s book, ‘Deadly Identities.’)

Another writer on the topic, Hakan Ozoglu, notes in his book “The
Ottoman State and Kurdish Nationalism” that “land played an important
role in opening the way to Kurdish nationalism and thus the development
of the Kurdish identity.” Ozoglu’s thesis is that land is in fact more
important than language and religion in terms of identity formation. I
think Ozoglu is right here.

Three historical reasons

Today’s separationist movement rests on a demand for land. The
fight over identity is at the forefront of this movement. I wonder
how effective today’s Kurdish nationalism would be had there been a
wide-spread initiative to boslter the Kurdish identity, and to remove
the barriers from economic development in the region? Historically,
there have been three factors which instigated Kurdish nationalism.

These were the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurdish-Armenian
clashes, and the pressure of Turkish nationalism. Despite the seeming
desperation of the situation we find ourselves in today, there is
a solution.

There are two basic precautions that could be taken, one political,
the other economic, to prevent further disruption to life in the
Southeast and throughout Turkey. The political precaution would
be to reduce the 10% vote threshhold in the elections. Because of
the current 10% threshhold, an entire region has no parliamentary
representation. This matter is one of the most basic barriers to
solving the Kurdish problem. Let the 10% threshhold be reduced, and
allow Kurdish parties representation in the Turkish Parliament (TBMM).

The second precaution that could be taken is economic. There has
to be a shift in programs that will help reduce unemployment in the
region. Programs favoring investment in the Southeast must be given
priority. The sabotage by the PKK against some of the new investments
in the Southeast only serves to underline what a potentially important
effect these programs could have on the region. The time when we
could simply view these events as terrorism has now passed.

We are facing a problem which must be solved as a whole, not just in
bits and pieces.

–Boundary_(ID_DspLojBs97NSx1vxzkMW4Q)–

THE HAGUE BAKU CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS GARABAGH

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006

Baku, April 3, AssA-Irada
The International Tribunal of the Hague will hold an international
conference in Baku on April 5-6. The event will be attended by
an advisor to the tribunal’s chairman, NGOs which are part of the
coalition supporting The Hague, representatives of the presidential
administration and the ministry of justice, says a former justice
minister of the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia, Paata
Davitaya, who currently leads We Ourselves movement.

He said the International Tribunal had supported his claim that
Georgians were still being exterminated in Abkhazia.

The Abkhaz politician said the conference would discuss the role of
the Tribunal in conflict resolution, the Armenian-Azerbaijan dispute
over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh and the cooperation with the tribunal.

He said the fair position of the former Azerbaijani president, Heydar
Aliyev, and of the incumbent president, Ilham Aliyev, towards settling
the conflict could create a platform for the country to raise the
issue before the international court.

“Azerbaijani law-enforcement authorities have sufficient evidence
of the crimes the Armenians have perpetrated against Azerbaijanis in
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh. This can simplify the procedure for filing
a suit with the court,” Davitaya said.

PRESS RELEASE
ANC, NORA
82 Wall Street, Suite 300
New York, NY 10005
Contact: Chris Parnagian
Tel: (212) 425-1401
Fax: (212) 425-1421
E-mail: [email protected]

New York Armenian-Americans Host Reception for Native Son, Rep. John Sweeney

NEW YORK, NY – Armenian-Americans from throughout New York gathered at the
home of Chris and Lisa Parnagian on Monday, March 27 for a fundraising
reception for one of the Armenian Cause’s strongest Congressional
supporters, U.S. Representative John Sweeney (R-NY). The ANC of New York,
The Friends of ANC and the National Organization of Republican Armenians
(NORA) co-sponsored the reception.

The highlight of the event was a moving speech by the Congressman about his
Armenian heritage and his devotion to the Armenian Cause. Reflecting on his
own family’s experience, he noted that, “My grandfather Oscar, who survived
the genocide, would be deeply moved if saw me here today speaking with
you – my people – about how we will work to see the Armenian Genocide
recognized. The greatest democracy in the world has an obligation to speak
the truth about the enormous crime perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against
our ancestors. I’m not resting until it does.”

Also offering remarks during the evening were Chris Parnagian and Robert
Setrakian, who co-chaired the event, Doug Geogerian representing the
Armenian National Committee of America – Eastern Region (ANCA-ER), ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian, and Antranik Boudakian, from the Friends
of the ANC.

Co-chair Chris Parnagian, on behalf of his family, welcomed the Congressman,
his wife Gayle, and daughter Kelly to their home, and shared his pride with
all in attendance at the highly respected public service of a fellow
Armenian-American. Robert Setrakian, who joined with his wife Silvia in
co-chairing the program along with the Parnagians, noted that the “The
Congressman’s record speaks of incredible integrity and of personal
dedication. Our communities across the United States must support a fellow
Armenian-American, who has accomplished so much in government.” He added,
“I’m sure grandfather Oscar would be incredibly proud today, and even
prouder, if you one day became Co-Chairman of the Armenian Caucus.” “The
community is so eager to support you, Congressman. You have done so much
towards strengthening U.S.-Armenia relations already. Please know that we
stand ready to help you in anyway we can,” said Friends of ANC
representative Antranig Boudakian.

ANCA Regional Director Doug Geogerian reminded guests that, “Congressman
Sweeney sits on the powerful Foreign Operations Subcommittee, which has
overseen the appropriation of over a billion and a half dollars in aid to
Armenia. As a Republican, he has been willing to forcefully challenge his
party’s own leadership on their refusal to allow a vote on Armenian Genocide
legislation. As Armenian-Americans, we owe it our community, our cause, and
our nation to provide Congressman Sweeney with our energetic support.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian stressed how proud Armenian-Americans
are that the Congressman – in addition to helping to secure increased aid to
Armenia, continued aid to Karabagh, and military aid parity for Armenia and
Azerbaijan – helped to write the legislation for the Millennium Challenge
Account, which earlier that day granted $235 million to build roads and
irrigation systems in rural Armenia. Hamparian urged all in attendance to
encourage increased support for the Congressman as he rises in seniority and
influence in the political system.

Among the community leaders form various organizations was the Very Reverend
Father Anoushavan Tanielian, representing Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan of the
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who was in Washington, D.C. for
the signing at the State Department of a new foreign aid agreement with
Armenia. Hrachia Tashchian, the Counselor for Armenia’s Mission to the U.N.,
represented Ambassador Armen Martirosyan, who was unable to attend due to
urgent diplomatic developments.

####