Author: Kanayan Tamar

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
September 9, 2005
His Holiness Karekin II Departs for France
On September 10, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians will depart for Lyon, France, to participate in the annual
“International Meeting of Prayer for Peace” from September 11 to 13,
sponsored by the Roman Catholic Community of Saint Egidio of the Diocese of
Milan, Italy. His Holiness has been invited to the conference and will be
the guest of His Eminence Philippe Cardinal Barbarin, Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Lyon.
On September 11, the meeting will be officially opened by the celebration of
a Catholic Mass, during which the Catholicos of All Armenians will deliver
his sermon to the ecumenical and inter-faith participants. On September 13,
His Holiness will preside during the closing ecumenical prayer service.
Participating in the international meeting dedicated to peace will be heads
of Churches, high-ranking Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant
clergymen, as well as representatives of international ecumenical
organizations and delegates from different faiths and religions. Also
present will be high-ranking political and civic leaders from France and
other countries.
His Holiness will be met at the airport in Lyon by a delegation led by
Cardinal Barbarin, as well as members of the local Armenian community led by
His Grace Bishop Norvan Zakarian, Vicar of the Pontifical Legate to Western
Europe.
His Holiness will be accompanied by Rev. Fr. Vasken Nanian as Staff-bearer.
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CAUCASUS DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE ANNOUNCED CONTEST FOR JOURNALISTS IN ARMENIA
Pan Armenian News
06.09.2005 07:18
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ South Caucasian branch of the Caucasus Democracy
Institute development foundation announces contest for Armenian
journalists, specializing in covering Armenian-Russian relations
in politics, economic, humanitarian field and culture. The contest
starts September 15, 2005. The organizational committee will receive
applicant works until October 15. Materials published in the Armenian
press not earlier than January 1, 2005 and no later than October 15 may
be submitted for the contest. Director of Arminfo information agency
Emmanuil Lazarian, editor-in-chief of the Delovoy Express newspaper
Eduard Naghdalyan, editor-in-chief of the Yerkir newspaper Spartak
Seyranyan, chief editor of Transcaucasian chief editor’s office
of IA Regnum Vigen Hakobyan, deputy editor-in-chief of the Golos
Armenii newspaper Levon Ghazaryan make part of the organizational
committee. A money prize is established for the winners. Authors of
5 best materials will go to Moscow, where they will visit editor’s
offices of leading Russian newspapers and journals. They will
also be provided an opportunity to get acquainted with the work of
their Russian colleagues. Works are being received at the following
address: 28 Charents St., apt. 6, Yerevan. Tel.: 55-34-38. E-mail:
[email protected].

NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROGRESS
Written by Brussels journalist David Ferguson
Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
Sept 6 2005
“Resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be achieved only
through political dialog,” said OSCE Chairman Dimitrij Rupel.
Speaking in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, Rupel, currently Slovenian
Foreign Minister, saw ‘signs of progress’ on Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
The armed spat over Nagorno-Karabakh that broke out between Armenia
and Azerbaijan in the dying days of the Soviet Union, leaving 30,000
dead, is far from frozen. By the time a ceasefire was brokered in
1994, the conflict had left significant Azeri territories occupied
and over a million displaced people in miserable conditions on both
sides. “Several people are killed along the line-of-contact every
year,” said Swedish MP Goran Lennmarker, who, in 2002, was appointed
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.
However, in Baku on Monday, OSCE Chair Rupel praised recent progress
and high-level contacts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both countries
presidents also met on 27 August at the Commonwealth of Independent
States’ Summit in Kazan, Russia. The OSCE’s Minsk group on the
conflict has been active also bringing together Armenian and Azeri
foreign ministers.
“I hope that everything possible will be done in order to prevent
any increase of tension along the front lines,” said Rupel, who also
met Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and other high level officials.
Azerbaijan will hold parliamentary elections in November, although
opposition parties are still complaining of controlled media and fear
a repeat of the electoral fraud seen in October 2003.
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PRESENTATION OF AFCENTER COMPANY AND INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF EXCHANGE TRADE FOREX CLUB
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5. ARMINFO. Today AFCenter company and International
Academy of Exchange Trade Forex Club were presented in Yerevan.
For beginner traders the companies offer education on the basis
course “Analysis of the financial market and trading in financial
assets.” Within a year period of time Forex Club represented by AFCener
prepared 123 specialists-traders in Armenia from 300 participants
of the seminar. The participants receive the necessary spectrum of
knowledge in the course of the education on fundamental and technical
analysis of financial markets, currency rates forecast and capital
management. The course is paid – $50-$260. At present the number of
Forex Club’s clients in Russia and CIS reaches 20,000 people. The
network of branches and representations of Forex Club embraces 16
towns in Russia, Armenia and Ukraine. –

Pamuk poursuivi pour avoir évoqué le génocide arménien
Libération , France
1 septembre 2005
L’écrivain turc Orhan Pamuk passera en procès à partir du 16 décembre
à Istanbul et risque de six mois à trois ans de prison pour “insulte
délibérée à l’identité turque”, a annoncé hier son éditeur.
Son crime : avoir évoqué le génocide arménien (1915-1917). Dans
un magazine suisse, Pamuk, régulièrement la cible des cercles
nationalistes, avait affirmé qu'”un million d’Arméniens avaient
été tués en Turquie”. Ankara soutient officiellement que 300 000
Arméniens et au moins autant de Turcs ont été tués au cours de
troubles suscités par le soulèvement des Arméniens. Controversé en
raison de son engagement en faveur des causes arménienne et kurde,
Pamuk, 53 ans, apparaît rarement en public.
–Boundary_(ID_1aWhml1D2cO1GImyT1pBCg)–

“Génocide arménien”: l’écrivain Orhan Pamuk inculpé pour “insulte” aux Turcs
Agence France Presse
31 août 2005 mercredi 11:07 AM GMT
ISTANBUL 31 août 2005 — L’écrivain turc Orhan Pamuk a été inculpé
par une cour d’Istanbul pour “insulte délibérée à l’identité turque”
dans des propos tenus dans un magazine suisse sur le massacre des
Arméniens en 1915, et son procès doit débuter le 16 décembre, a
indiqué mercredi sa maison d’édition.
L’écrivain traduit en plus de vingt langues risque de six mois à trois
ans de prison aux termes de l’article 301/1 du code pénal réprimant
l'”insulte délibérée à l’indentité turque”, précise un communiqué
des éditions Iletisim à Istanbul.
Dans l’interwiev publié en février dernier, M. Pamuk, qui est
régulièrement la cible des cercles nationalistes pour sa défense des
causes arméniennes et kurdes, a affirmé qu'”un million d’Arméniens
avaient été tués en Turquie”.
Un sous-préfet turc avait réagi par excès de zèle en ordonnant la
saisie et la destruction de ses romans.
Le romancier de 53 ans, auteur de “Neige”, “Le château blanc” ou encore
“Mon nom est rouge” et qui est domicilié à Istanbul, a été le lauréat
du prestigieux Prix de la paix des libraires allemands de 2005.
Très lu en Turquie où il a autant d’admirateurs que de détracteurs,
l’écrivain qui vit quelque peu en reclus, apparaît assez rarement en
public et moins encore sur les écrans.
La question du massacre des Arméniens est ultra-sensible en Turquie.
Les Arméniens affirment que jusqu’à 1,5 million des leurs ont péri
entre 1915 et 1917 lors de massacres orchestrés par l’empire ottoman,
auquel a succédé la République turque.
Ankara soutient que 300.000 Arméniens et au moins autant de Turcs
ont été tués au cours de troubles suscités par le soulèvement des
Arméniens, qui ont fait cause commune avec les armées russes en guerre
contre l’empire ottoman, et lors d’une déportation rendue nécessaire
par cette sédition.
–Boundary_(ID_mLqejCFvU4BOokhp9Vz8cw)–

OSCE CHAIRMAN TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA
Azerbaijan News Service
Sept 1 2005
OSCE Chairman, Slovenian foreign Minister Dimitri Rupel will arrive
in Baki on September 6, and leave for Armenia from there to receive
information on results of negotiations between Azeri and Armenian
presidents-Ilham Aliev and Robert Kocharyan, held in Kazan, Russia.
He will meet with Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliev during the visit.
“Mister Rupel in his meetings in Baki with Azeri officials will also
discuss the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.” said OSCE
Chairman Office to “Radio Freedom”. Urdur Gunnarsdottir, spokesman
for OSCE Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Bureau said that
the Organization hopes its recommendations given after the previous
elections in Azerbaijan would be satisfied. “OSCE will observe these
elections attentively.”, said the OSCE spokesman. He called the Azeri
Government to receive the recommendation on using election finger ink
while voting. Urdur Gurnarsdottir said that many countries use ink,
and the main reason is to increase people’s belief towards election
process and prevent from repeated voting.

OSCE OFFICE PRESENTS PUBLICATION ON ARMENIAN ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
Armenpress
Aug 31, 2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Office in Yerevan and the NGO
Environmental Public Advocacy Center (EPAC) presented a publication
on the existing Armenian environmental legislation.
“This publication will contribute to a greater awareness of
legislation amongst the population, which is key for its effective
implementation”, said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan. The book, entitled “Environmental Law of the
Republic of Armenia”, which is a compilation of existing Armenian
environmental legislation, fills the present information gap. It
is primarily intended to serve as a resource book for legislators,
judges, lawyers and government staff — the decision-makers in the
fields of environmental protection and human rights.
The book can also be used by all members of the general public with
an interest in environmental legislation.
Aida Iskoyan, President of EPAC and editor of the book, emphasized
that the publication will contribute to the implementation of the
main principles of the Aarhus Convention in Armenia, such as access
to information, public participation in decision-making and access
to justice in environmental matters. Around 30 representatives from
the National Assembly, Government, Prosecutor’s Office, Constitutional
Court, and civil society participated in the discussion, following the
book presentation and underlined the importance of such a publication
in their daily work.
Implementation of the Aarhus Convention is a priority of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan. One of the immediate steps after ratification by
Armenia in 2001 was to establish a Public Environmental Information
Center (known as the Aarhus Center) in 2002, supported by the OSCE
Office, the Ministry of Nature Protection, civil society and the
international community. The Office intends to open regional Aarhus
Centers in coming months.

TURKISH WRITER FACES CHARGES OVER COMMENTS
Benjamin Harvey
Contra Costa Times, CA
Sept 1 2005
ISTANBUL, Turkey – A Turkish novelist has been charged with insulting
his country’s national character and could face prison, his publisher
said Wednesday.
Orhan Pamuk is scheduled to go on trial on Dec. 16 and could face up
to three years in prison for comments on Turkey’s killing of Armenians
and Kurds, publisher Tugrul Pasaoglu said.
Turkish court officials were not immediately available to comment.
“Thirty-thousand Kurds and one million Armenians were killed in these
lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it,” Pamuk was quoted as
saying in an interview with a Swiss newspaper magazine in February.
Armenians claim the the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks around
the time of World War I was the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey vehemently denies an Armenian genocide took place, saying the
death toll is inflated and Armenians were killed in a civil war as
the Ottoman Empire collapsed, eventually giving way to the Turkish
Republic in 1923.
The “thirty thousand Kurds” mentioned by Pamuk refers to those killed
since 1984 as Turkey fought a war against armed Kurdish separatists.
The fighting ended in 1999 after a cease-fire was called by the rebels,
but has resumed since then.
Turkey, along with the United States and the European Union, considers
members of the main rebel group – the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or
PKK – terrorists.
Turkey, which has been trying to improve its human rights record as
it vies for membership in the European Union, is extremely sensitive
about both the Armenian and Kurdish issues, and the new Turkish penal
code makes it a crime to denigrate Turkey’s national identity.
Pamuk’s books include the internationally acclaimed “Snow” and “My
Name is Red” and have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Pamuk has not shied away from dealing with Turkey’s more controversial
historical issues, drawing criticism for his statements.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
30-08-2005
Minister Vartan Oskanian receives Kim Traavik, Norwegian State Secretary
August 30, 2005
On August 30, Minister Vartan Oskanian received Kim Traavik, Norwegian
State Secretary.
During the meeting the Minister brought up Armenian-Norwegian
relations, underlining the willingness of the Armenian side to
strengthen and extend bilateral cooperation. In this context both
sides stressed the continued importance of conducting and maintaining
high-level relations between the two countries.
The Norwegian State Secretary stressing his country’s interest in
settling existing conflicts in the South Caucasus region presented
the cooperation projects of Norway and the UNDP, according to which
Norway to invest in the implementation of development programs in South
Caucasus region. The programs would be in the field of management,
energy and the protection of the environment.
In this context, both parties positively evaluated the efficient
relations of Armenia’s authorities and the UNDP office in Armenia
and expressed confidence that the new programs would encourage the
regional cooperation.
Presenting Armenia’s approach towards regional issues, Minister
Oskanian briefed his counter-part on the recent developments of the
Nagorno Karabakh peace process, as well as Turkish-Armenian relations.