Author: Emil Lazarian

OSKANIAN SAYS INTERNATIONAL GENOCIDE RECOGNITION TOP PRIORITY FOR 2007

ASBAREZ
1/10/2007

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian detailed the 2007 foreign policy agenda Tuesday saying the
international recognition of the Genocide, as well as international
condemnation for the destruction of Armenian monuments in Julfa,
Nakhichevan would be priorities on the agenda.

"In 2007 we anticipate important developments in a number of
countries–particularly France and US–in connection with the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The activation of the process
of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide has caused
serious anxiety among political circles in Turkey," said Oskanian.

The Foreign Minister said that prioritizing the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide did not interfere with developing
diplomatic relations with Turkey. He opined that the Karabakh conflict
was the main obstacle in that realm.

Oskanian assessed that no major progress was seen Armeno-Turkish
relations

Armenian-Turkish relations.

"Turkey continues to associate the improvement of Armenian-Turkish
relations with a number of preconditions, while Armenia stands
for establishment of relations without any preconditions. Armenia
repeatedly has expressed willingness to hold talks to settle issues
that exist between the two countries," explained Oskanian.

The foreign minister also emphasized that by pursuing non-constructive
policies, Turkey and Azerbaijan continued to isolate Armenia from
regional programs and projects.

He went on to underscore the importance of garnering international
condemnation for the destruction of Armenian monuments in Nakhichevan.

Oskanian said Armenian diplomats would work to have the Council of
Europe, UNESCO and other international organizations to condemn this
barbaric act.

The monuments in question are intricate stone-carved crosses in the
cemetery in Julfa, Nakhichevan. Azeri soldiers have systematically
destroyed the crosses. Photos supporting the claim were shown in
Strasbourg, France, and will be moved to a new city every two months.

Late last year the Armenian government launched a traveling photo
exhibition detailing the destruction of monuments at the Armenian
cemetery in Julfa.

In discussing prospects for peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Oskanian said a "very tentatively" meeting with his Azeri counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov was scheduled to take place in Moscow on January
23. A spokesman for the Azeri foreign ministry confirmed this report.

The talks will presumably be attended by the French, Russian and US
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The mediating troika is pressing
the parties to build on progress that was apparently made by the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan during their last face-to-face
meeting held in Minsk on November 28.

President Robert Kocharian made it clear last month, however, that
Yerevan will not cut any peace deals with Baku before the Armenian
parliamentary elections due next month. Oskanian insisted on December
19 that the negotiating process has not been put on hold and will
continue with "less publicity" in the coming months. The Minsk Group’s
US co-chair, Matthew Bryza, was likewise reported to say that the
mediators and the parties will continue to "work together quietly."

Oskanian implied on Tuesday that a breakthrough could be achieved
later this year. "I have repeatedly said that quite an interesting
[peace] proposal is on the table," he told a news conference.

"Assuming that there is political will, one can expect serious progress
in this process at any moment."

Oskanian reiterated that further progress in the peace process hinges
on Azerbaijan’s acceptance of the "Nagorno-Karabakh people’s right
to self-determination." The Minsk Group’s current peace proposals
seem to uphold that right, envisioning a future referendum on the
disputed region’s status.

However, Azeri leaders say they will never agree to Karabakh’s
independence or unification with Armenia. In his New Year address to
the nation, President Ilham Aliyev said Baku could grant the Karabakh
Armenians only "greater autonomy opportunities within Azerbaijan."

For his part, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Tagizade
claimed Tuesday that their right to self-determination is not
incompatible with Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Also. Armenia is looking to benefit from an ambitious project to build
a natural gas pipeline that would stretch from Central Asia to Turkey
and Europe via the Caspian Sea, Oskanian said on Tuesday.

The idea of putting in place a new export route for the Caspian
region’s rich hydrocarbon resources was actively promoted by the
United States in the late 1990s but never got off the drawing board for
geopolitical and economic reasons. The European Union is now trying to
revive it as part of a long-term strategy of easing Europe’s growing
dependence on Russian gas.

The EU hopes that work on the 3,300-kilometer pipeline, dubbed Nabucco,
will start in 2008 and end in 2011. The pipeline would pump gas from
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and have a maximum capacity
of 30 billion cubic meters per year.

According to Oskanian, official Yerevan regards the $5.8 billion
project, which was formally approved by five EU nations last June,
as an opportunity to further diversify Armenia’s energy resources
in the long run. "Armenia will try to have some involvement in that
project," he said.

"No practical steps are being taken in that direction yet. But
negotiations are going on, and we are trying to be involved in
those discussions in order to ensure the diversification of our gas
supplies," he added without elaborating.

Azerbaijan is extremely unlikely to agree to Armenia’s participation
in the project before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
though. Besides, the Transcaspian pipeline would almost certainly
link up with a newly built pipeline that will soon start delivering
Azerbaijani gas to Georgia and Turkey, suggesting that it would bypass
Armenia in any case.

Armenia will instead be able to receive gas from neighboring Iran
through a much smaller pipeline. Officials in Yerevan and Tehran say
work on its first Armenian section has all but been completed. A
senior Iranian official reportedly said over the weekend that his
country is ready to start supplies "at any moment."

But Oskanian insisted that the 40-kilometer facility still needed
to undergo technical tests. "The pipeline is physically complete. We
just need to test it," he said, adding that Iranian gas will therefore
not start flowing into Armenia before March.

In the meantime, Russia will remain Armenia’s sole gas supplier.

Russian energy companies, notably the Gazprom monopoly, also own the
country’s gas and electricity distribution networks as well as several
major power plants. Furthermore, the Armenian government is widely
expected to give Gazprom a controlling stake in the pipeline from Iran.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Department of Communications
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. 160; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

January 9, 2007
___________________

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES ECUMENICAL EFFORTS WITH ARCHBISHOP
BARSAMIAN AND OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), was part of a three-man delegation of religious
leaders to meet with Ban Ki-moon, the new United Nations secretary-general,
on Monday, January 8, 2007, a the United Nations headquarters in New York
City.

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, president and founder of the Appeal of Conscience
Foundation, led the group, which also included Roman Catholic Theodore
Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, D.C. The Primate serves as a vice
president for the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, which works around the
globe to promote religious freedom and human rights.

"General-Secretary Ban knew about the Appeal of Conscience Foundation from
previous events and efforts," the Primate said. "So he welcomed us warmly
and thanked us for our work. He supports our mission of using
interrelations and interfaith dialogue to bridge civilizations."

The trio of religious leaders spoke with General-Secretary Ban on how the
religious community can help find solutions in areas such as the Middle
East, Lebanon, and Darfur.

"We told him we were ready to work in partnership with the United Nations to
help bring peace and understanding to the world," the Primate said. "We
offered him our prayers, and our support as he begins his tenure at the
United Nations."

— 1/9/07

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

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, joins other religious leaders from the Appeal of Conscience
Foundation in meeting with United Nations General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon on
Monday, January 8, 2007. (UN Photo/Mark Garten)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRICE FOR PETROL DECREASES BY 10.6% AND FOR DIESEL FUEL GROWS BY 1.7% IN 2006 DECEMBER AS COMPARED WITH SAME MONTH OF PREVIOUS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Jan 08 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2006 December as compared with
2005 December, price for petrol decreased by 10.6% in Armenia and
average price for diesel fuel increased by 1.7%.

According to the data of RA National Statistical Service, in 2006
December as compared with November, price for petrol and diesel fuel
decreased by 4.7% and 1.8%, respectively.

In 2006 December as compared with the whole 2005, fall in price for
petrol made 3.6% and growth in price for diesel fuel 5.5%.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON ARONIAN TO PARTICIPATE IN VIJK AAN ZEE SUPERTOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Jan 08 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. First big chess tournament of this
year will be held on January 12-28 in the city of Vijk ann Zee,
Holland. Levon Aronian will be also among 14 strongest chess-players
of the world taking part in the tournament. The tournament is of 19
class, it consists of 13 tours.

Aronian’s second, Gabriel Sargsian will also play in the second
tournament of Vijk ann Zee. If he plays successfully he will gain
the right to take part in the chief tournament next year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BILL ON RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY U.S. TO BE SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS IN COMING DAYS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jan 08 2007

WASHINGTON, JANUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. "I hope the
bill on Armenian Genocide will be at last ratified thanks to the newly
elected Congress," U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff declared adding that
not only U.S. administration, but also Turkey should recognize the
genocide committed towards Armenians.

Schiff made his statement before Armenians who went on five-day
hunger-strike in front of the building of Turkish Consulate General
in Los Angeles.

In the article under the title "Turkey’s Efforts Were in Vain:
U.S. Congress Will Pass the Armenian Bill" Kasim Cindemir, Washington
correspondent of Turkish Hurriet daily wrote that Schiff is going to
submit the bill on recognition of the Armenian Genocide by U.S. to
the Congress in the coming days.

The correspondent also reported that everybody in Washington believes
that the Armenian bill will be adopted. "The public opinion is that
even President George Bush will not be able to prevent adoption of
such a bill," Hurriet writes.

According to the same source, U.S. former President Bill Klinton who
7 years ago intervened and prevented ratification of the bill in the
House of Representatives of Congress, informed Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan than it will be difficult to avoid adoption of
this bill in these conditions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT CALLS MARTYRS ILLUMINATING STARS OF IRAN’S CONTEMPORARY HISTORY

Tehran Times, Iran
Jan 9 2007

TEHRAN (IRNA) — President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said Saturday evening
that Iranian martyrs are the illuminating stars in the sky of the
country’s contemporary history leading to salvation.

Addressing a group of families of the martyrs from Iran’s Armenian
community who fell victims to Iraqi-imposed war (1980-1988), the
president said "We are all like members of a single family heading
for common goals," a reference to integration of the Christians in
the entire nation.

He said mothers of all Iranian martyrs, who have, so far, met him,
speak in similar way regardless of being Muslim, Christian, Jewish
or Zoroastrian.

"They all stressed that their children have sacrificed their lives
for sacred aspirations emanated from their religious beliefs," said
the president.

He expressed hope that the world would soon witness a day when peace,
justice and friendship would prevail over all human communities
adding that all nations should play an active role to help such a
dream come true.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TRANSIT COST HIKE COULD CREATE PROBLEMS WITH ARMENIA
By M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger, Georgia
Jan 8 2007

Now that Georgia has agreed to buy Russian gas at the increased
price, the question is will Georgia increase its transit price to
Armenia. Armenia receives Russian gas via Georgia’s pipeline. The cost
of Russian natural gas to Armenia did not increase significantly this
year due to a deal that was worked out last year who sold an electric
power station’s fifth unit in exchange for cheap natural gas.

But Armenia is still faced with Georgia’s transit cost, and if Georgia
increases this fee considerably to help cover the cost of their own
gas price hike, it could have a negative impact on Georgian-Armenian
relations.

Political analyst Soso Tsintsadze believes the government might take
such a step but doesn’t agree it’s the best solution, "the Georgian
government first is considering alternatives [to an increase in the
transit fee to Armenia] but the possibility is still on the table,"
he told the newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika.

MP Niko Lekishvili chairman of the parliamentary committee of sector
economy and economic policy categorically denies the possibility
of such a decision. He says that Georgia will not take a step which
could hurt its relations with Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BIGOTRY AND PREJUDICE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

Hartford Courant, CT
Jan 8 2007

Mel Gibson is never mentioned in the hourlong documentary
"Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence" (WGBY and CPTV,
10 p.m.). But some of his drunken utterances are certainly echoed
by others.

The film from Oregon Public Broadcasting narrated by Judy
Woodruff shows that some of the most influential and widespread
anti-Semitism originates with elaborate TV miniseries with roots in
the long-discredited "The Protocols of Zion," propaganda many still
take as truth.

Giving light to ugly thought may not seem the best way to combat
it, but filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, whose previous film was the
controversial "The Armenian Genocide," has never shied from direct
confrontation and doesn’t in this important, well-told report.

/hc-tveye108.artjan08,0,6123913.story?coll=hc-head lines-life

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WOMAN SHARES MEMORIES IN NEW BOOK
By Jenna Ciaramella

Torrington Register Citizen, CT
Jan 8 2007

KENT – A local woman shares the memories of her Armenian heritage in
her latest book about her grandmother.

After about four years of writing, Georgianne Ensign Kent announced
the publication of her self-published biography of her

Armenian grandmother entitled "Vartanoosh: My Grandmother’s Story"
in late December.

Born in Ridgefield, N.J., Kent graduated from Northwestern University’s
Medill School of Journalism,Illinois in 1961.

She said she’d always had a knack for "strange creative" interests
like art, drawing and singing, but non-fiction writing was always
her largest passion.

"I always, always wanted to write, especially about my own background
through my grandma and grandpa," Kent said.

The book Vartanoosh, meaning "sweet rose", is named after Kent’s
grandmother and traces her escape from Erzeroum, Armenia to Beirut
from the Turkish massacres in the 1890s.

Before Vartanoosh Sarkisian, nee Tarzian, died in the 1970s, Kent
said she was able to tape record all of her grandmother’s memories.

"I wanted to know about her memories," Kent said. "I had 275 single
spaced pages typed out (of memories) and that formed the basis of
the book."

Kent said she learned that her grandmother and grandmother’s brother
were hidden in saddle bags during the escape, and Sarkisian was later
placed in a in an Episcopal home for "half-orphans" for children with
one parent.

It was there that Sarkisian was taught how to speak English, American
customs and hygiene, Kent said.

"That is the luckiest thing that could have ever happened to my
grandmother," Kent said.

Later on in Sarkisian’s life, she met Thomas Edison and used to wash
his clothes, which were covered in wax, during the time he was working
on sonographic records using wax cylinders, Kent said.

"She used to tell me, ‘a white-haired man in front of my eyes, honest
to god,’" Kent said. "The things she saw were just very interesting."

Kent also has some interesting stories of her own.

She said that while in junior high school the students were required
to write a book report on Jack London’s "Call of the Wild."

The teacher had made an announcement using Kent’s report as an example
of how someone did not read the book, but copied it from a flyleaf.

"I had read it and I had written it," Kent said. "The other kids were
saying she can write, she can write, and the teacher apologized. I
think that was a strong indication that I sounded like I could write
much too professional at that time."

Kent has published three other non-fiction books, including a young
adult’s book "The Hunt for the Mastodon," about the excavation of a
mastodon in Hackensack, N.J. by the American Museum of Natural History;
"Great Beginnings: Opening Lines of Great Novels"; and "Great Endings:
Closing Lines of Great Novels."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ORTHODOX CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

The Gazette (Montreal)
January 6, 2007 Saturday
Final Edition

It’s Christmas this weekend for thousands of Montrealers – Greeks,
Ukrainians, Russians, Armenians, Serbs and Copts – who follow the
Julian calendar.

The Armenians mark Christmas today and the others tomorrow; masses and
special services are being held at a dozen local Orthodox churches
and cathedrals and five Ukrainian Catholic churches. Of all the
communities, Greeks are the only one split on when to celebrate:
The vast majority marked Christmas Dec. 25, abiding by the Gregorian
calendar used by most of the Christian world. Romanian Orthodox
Christians also mark Christmas on Dec. 25.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress