Author: Emil Lazarian

THE AZERIS ARE COLLECTING SIGNATURES
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[07:28 pm] 27 June, 2006

At present the Azeri delegates are approaching the deputies in the
corridors and collecting their signatures in support of their project
– to make a report "on setting a deliberate fire by the Armenian side
in the occupied territories."

Samed Seidov, head of the Azeri delegation claims that they have
already collected the necessary quantity of signatures, the document
is ready and they have got material supporting it. "It is upon the
CoE to make reports but it is important to us to make public the fact
of fires for the international community," he said.

Asked the question by the "A1+" correspond that according to the
NKR authorities the cause of the fires was the dry weather Samed
Seidov answered, "Karabakh is neither Baku nor Mingetchaur where the
temperature goes up to 40 – 45 degrees and it is quite normal for
them. We have all been in Karabakh and the lawns don’t burn there
because of dryness."

By the way, two months ago the NKR authorities demanded in their
statement to reveal the fire initiators as fires are mainly caused
in areas where the Azeri side frequently violates the cease-fire
regime. "Too many hectares couldn’t have burnt because of a few
shoots," rejected Samed Seidov.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SELECTION COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ANTHEM RECEIVED ON PROPOSAL ONLY

Panorama.am
15:16 27/06/06

The selection committee of the Armenian national anthem has received no
more proposals besides the one submitted by Robert Amirkhanyan. The
committee will accept proposals by August 1. A committee member,
poet Davit HOHVHANNES thinks that there will be no miracles and a
new text and music of the national anthem will not be suggested. Perz
Zeituntsian, on the other hand, thinks that Aram Khachatryan’s music
is a valuable piece of art and is worth to be selected as a national
anthem. "If you find any other music that will be better that Aram
Khachatryan’s, I will be for it with both hands," he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA DOES NOT COMPLY WITH RESOLUTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, ALIYEV

Democracy Azerbaijan
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007

"The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and all other
international issues should be settled only within some framework.

This problem cannot be solved in accordance with anybody’s desire,
in particular, if this desire does not reflect the reality and is
beyond the framework of the international law", said President Ilham
Aliyev in his speech at the graduation ceremony at Heydar Aliyev High
Military School.

"International law applies to all countries. If international rules,
norms of behavior, decisions of international organizations are
not observed and the decisions do not result in taking measures,
it will break all international rules of behavior since the world
is governed in accordance with some rules. All countries are members
of the United Nations and UN is the world’s major organization. This
organization has adopted four resolutions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict, which openly state that armed occupation forces should
unconditionally leave the occupied territories" he continued.

"Unfortunately, Armenia disregards this and does not comply with
these resolutions. In this case, we no longer count on international
mechanisms of settlement", President Ilham Aliyev added.

–Boundary_(ID_QYacdVcji7hEta9Y2J6WiA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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:

June 27, 2006
___________________

GENEVA GATHERING FOR WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

Bishop Vicken Aykazian, legate and ecumenical officer of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern), traveled to scenic Bossey,
Switzerland, just outside Geneva, from May 16 to 19, 2006, for a meeting of
the World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee.

The 20-member body oversees the work of the WCC, representing 348
denominations. During this meeting, committee members discussed future
activities of the WCC to tackle important issues in Africa, Asia, Latin
America, and the Middle East.

The committee members focused on the need of international religious leaders
to bring about peace and disarmament. They also discussed various human
rights issues. The planning was for programs and efforts that will take
place from 2007 to 2013.

The program plan approved by the committee members lists six areas which
will provide the framework for the WCC’s activities in that period. These
are: WCC and the ecumenical movement in the 21st century; unity, mission and
spirituality; public witness; justice and "diakonia"; ecumenical and faith
formation; inter-religious dialogue and cooperation.

"We also discussed problems related to terrorists and anti-terrorists and
counter terrorism," Bishop Aykazian said. "It is something that really
concerns the world, the human family around the world."

Bishop Aykazian was elected to the WCC Executive Committee during the
group’s general assembly earlier this year in Brazil.

— 6/27/06

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

PHOTO CAPTION (1): WCC officers attending the WCC executive committee
meeting in Bossey, Switzerland. From left: WCC central committee vice
moderator, Metropolitan Prof. Dr. Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople), central committee moderator, Rev. Dr.
Walter Altmann (Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil),
general secretary, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia (Methodist Church in Kenya),
central committee vice moderator, Rev. Dr. Margaretha M. Hendriks-Ririmasse
(Protestant Church in the Moluccas (Indonesia)), with executive committee
member Bishop Vicken Aykazian. (Photo courtesy World Council of
Churches/Peter Williams)

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Bishop Vicken Aykazian, legate and ecumenical officer of
the Eastern Diocese, far right, attends the World Council of Churches
Executive Committee meeting in Switzerland. (Photo courtesy World Council of
Churches/Peter Williams)

PRESS RELEASE
Hamazkayin Boston
Contact: Ara Nazarian
Phone: 617.924.8849
Email: [email protected]

Announcement of the Winners of Hamazkayin-Boston’s Impact of Genocide
Student Art Exhibit

WATERTOWN, MA – June 27, 2006 – It is Hamazkayin-Boston’s distinct
pleasure to announce the winners of The Impact of Genocide Student Art
Exhibit. This exhibit was held at the Copley Square branch of the Boston
Public Library during March of 2006. The winners are Ms. Areni
Kashkashian from Newton North High School (First place), Mr. Aidan
Fensterman (Second place) and Ms. Jenna Clark (Third place), both from
Brimmer and May School. These students along with all other participants
submitted excellent works of art reflecting upon the ills of humanity in
their own special and enlightening ways. The clarity and the power that
messages were conveyed in these works of art were truly moving; as such
expressions highlight the universal nature of pain, suffering, rebirth
and compassion.

Most importantly, Hamazkayin-Boston would like to thank the students who
submitted their works of art to this exhibit and gave us their
thoughtful impressions of the most unthoughtful acts committed by
mankind. We congratulate all participants for their wonderful works of
art and their parents and teachers for their help and support.

Hamazkayin-Boston will scan all the pictures in the near future and
place them in an online gallery on its website (hamazkayin-boston.org).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALL ARE EQUAL
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[04:31 pm] 27 June, 2006

The PACE deputies are preparing for a campaign. The youth campaign
"All are different, all are equal" will initiate in Strasbourg on
June 29. Terry Devis, CoE Secretary General invited the deputies
to participate in it. The youth campaign which will last till the
2007 autumn has the following slogan, "Diversity, human rights and
participation."

By diversity the campaign initiators mean that Europe presents various
cultures and traditions. The protection of human rights is the CoE
priority and finally by participation they assume that each person may
have his share in the establishment of the future Europe where each
person will have a right to be different but at the same time equal.

By the way, the CoE has initiated campaigns with the title "All are
equal, all are different" a few times.

The 1995 campaign was devoted to racism, xenophobia and intolerance
combat. But this time the campaign will involve more spheres. "We
just want to say that we are all different and equal regardless of
our skin colour, culture, belief, mental and physical abilities and
sexual orientation," says the statement of the campaign committee.

IT’S STILL TOO EARLY TO DREAM OF QUITTING THE MONITORING PHASE
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[04:29 pm] 26 June, 2006

"Monitoring can’t stop until Armenia and Azerbaijan have settled
the conflict", Rene van der Linden, PACE President told the "A1+"
correspondent. According to him, this is a problematic issue not only
for the CoE, but also for the other international structures.

"I hope the conflict will be settled finally after such a long time",
the PACE President told a news conference in Strasbourg. He also
referred to a number of issues among which those included in the agenda
of the session and combat against terrorism. A report on "Alleged
secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers in Europe" will be
represented in the session. "This is not an anti-American report", Mr.

van der Linden said. He claimed that the authors of the report have
carried out much work and gathered enough information in order to
reveal the truth.

Although there are no issues directly concerning Armenia in the agenda
of the session, the Azerbaijanis will probably mention the name of
our country many times. For example, during the press conference one
of the Azeri journalists informed the PACE President that forests
are burning "in the territories occupied by Armenia" and this issue
must be represented in the session during the discussions about the
protection of forests.

By the way, Azeri delegate Rafael Huseynov has already represented
a document "About the exploitation of the mines in the Azeri areas
occupied by Armenia".

According to the document, Armenia creates danger for the future of
Azerbaijan and its people. In particular, they are concerned by the
fate of the gold mines in Gizibulag, Veynal and Zod.

FORMATION OF BEAUTY INDUSTRY IN ARMENIA REQUIRES FIVE YEARS

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 26 2006

YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. The formation of the beauty industry in
Armenia requires about five years, President of the Armenian Union
of Hairdressers and Cosmetologists, International Referee Marina
Arakelyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to her, this industry is just in the making in Armenia.

"Beauty shops are now opened in Armenia for hobby or business. I hope
that the situation will change in time, and this sphere will become
a business industry," she said.

According to Arakelyan, beauty shops must ensure a high quality of
services for this industry to develop, and professional producers of
cosmetics must be represented in Armenia.

She pointed out that the only representative of the world producers
of cosmetics in Armenia is the L’Oreal company. "There are no specific
obstacles to the development of beauty industry in Armenia.

What is needed is time," Arakelyan said.

In his turn, Head of the Department of Trade and Services, RA Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development, Gagik Kocharyan pointed out that
hairdressing and visagism is a relatively new industry in Armenia
that is dynamically developing. "The consumers have a wide selection
of quality and prices on this market," he said. G. Kocharyan added
that competition promotes professionalism.

The Armenian Union of Hairdressers and Cosmetologists was founded
in 1999. This allowed Armenia to join the World Organization of
Hairdressers founded in 1907 (headquarter in Paris).

The main goal of the Armenian Union is raising the professional level
of local specialists. The Union is closely cooperating with the renown
Russian stylist Sergey Zverev.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR PEOPLE’S OPINION MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 26 2006

YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. Karabakh people’s opinion must be taken
into account in Karabakh conflict settlement, Russian political
analyst Victor Nadein-Rayevski said Saturday at a press conference
held in Yerevan.

He is convinced that Karabakh people must decide its own fate and
pointed out that this is the essence of democracy.

Nadein-Rayevski finds it wrong to distance Karabakhi people from
the process of negotiation on the conflict settlement regardless of
whether the republic enjoys international recognition or not.

The political analyst thinks time is needed to comprehend what was
said above. He said the years of the republic’s de-facto independence
have played their role and Karabakh people’s and authorities’ worry
is completely.

KAREKIN PROTESTORS SLAP DOWN OLD WOMAN

BÝA, Turkey
June 26 2006

Group of protestors including rightwing lawyers stage protest against
visiting Armenian Patriarch Karekin and attack old woman on Heybeliada
(Khalki) island. Police detain one suspect but release Muammer
Kocadagli who is reported to have hit the victim.

BÝA (ISTANBUL) – Rightwing Jurists Union members lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz
and have staged an attack on an old during the visit of head of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II to the Heybeliada
(Khalki) Island, 20 miles to the south of Ýstanbul on Marmara Sea.

Lawyer Kerincsiz and friends are a unique group of fierce nationalists
who fight against liberal reforms along Turkey’s EU membership
bid. They were responsible for the ban on the Ottoman Armenians
Conference in Istanbul after a complaint to a local administrative
court and as well as a series of criminal complaints against a number
of leading intellectuals including author Orhan Pamuk and journalist
Hrant Dink, Attempting to stage a protest against Karekin, the group
of nationalists attacked the unidentified woman in front of witnesses
when she verbally objected to their presence and said "don’t disturb
us, just go".

Witnesses of the incident said the person in the group who hit the
woman on her face was Muammer Kocadagli who was briefly detained
and released after opening a protest placard near the Aya Triada
Monastry. Police on the scene detained one suspect and escorted the
woman to safety.

Police on the island had to barricade the roads from the Heybeliada
port to the Clergy school when the group attempted to march there.

Attorney Kerincsiz, who’s acts at court against Turkish intellectuals
and freedom of expression defendants have reached aggressive
proportions, told the police if they were not allowed to march, he
would go to the school using a horse coach. The police told him to
go to Buyukada where he could travel in a coach.

The first visit to Turkey by the head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church triggered protests by ultra-nationalist and Islamist Turkish
groups immediately after his arrival in Istanbul last Tuesday from
the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

At the airport Karekin II was greeted by dozens of protestors waving
Turkish flags and boasting a banner "We won’t let any Christian
clergyman into our homeland!" Police had to intervene and escorted
the cleric out of the terminal using another door after detaining
four protestors.

–Boundary_(ID_6H6Fglgxozhmyw5zkqJUGg )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress