Author: Khondkarian Raffi

ARA ABRAHAMIAN: IMMATURITY OF UKRAINIAN SOVEREIGNTY OBVIOUS

Pan Armenian News
27.06.2005 03:24

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ara Abrahamian, the Chairman of the World Armenian
Congress and the Union of Armenians of Russia subjected to sharp
criticism the Ukrainian leadership for speaking out against the
decision by the Crimean parliament to commemorate the Armenian Genocide
victims. In Abrahamian’s words, the negative response of official
Kyiv is the evidence of “immaturity of the Ukrainian sovereignty
and unavailability to the commonwealth of democratic states.” In
his turn Russian political scientist Andranik Migranian says that
“Kyiv’s actions question Ukraine’s joining to the EU and depreciate the
democratic rhetoric of the Ukrainian administration, Mediamax reports.

Financial Times, UK
June 26 2005

EU to discuss framework for Turkish talk

By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Vincent Boland in Ankara
Published: June 26 2005 19:24 | Last updated: June 26 2005 19:24

The last act in Turkey’s decades-long quest to hold membership talks
with the European Union will begin this week, when the European
Commission sets out the proposed rules for the negotiations.

Unless all 25 EU member states can agree on a version of the
`negotiating framework’ which sets out the principles, procedures,
and issues for the planned talks the process will not begin on
schedule on October 3.

Olli Rehn, enlargement commissioner, has called on the EU to honour
its commitment, as has Tony Blair, incoming president of the council
of EU member states.

At present, EU officials believe the negotiations will begin on time,
but are still not certain. The key discussion between EU governments
is likely to be in September, just when Germany is expected to hold
elections that could be won by the Christian Democrats, who oppose
Turkish membership.

Turkey itself plays down any risk of delay, but also sounds a much
more cautious note than last year about its chances of membership.
`The negotiations will start on time because no European leader wants
to risk a rupture of EU-Turkish relations right now,’ said a Turkish
official. `Whether in six or seven years, people decide in favour of
some kind of privileged partnership rather than membership, that is a
different issue.’

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister, underlined Turkey’s position at
the weekend, saying it would not agree to any new conditions for EU
membership.

But in line with decisions endorsed by EU leaders, the Commission’s
proposed negotiating framework for Ankara, due to be presented on
Wednesday, will be far tougher than the ground rules for the 10
countries that joined last year.

Turkey, like Croatia, the EU’s other formal candidate for membership,
must not just promise reforms but implement them during the
negotiating process.

Even so, France and the Netherlands, two countries where wariness
about Turkish membership played a role in No votes on the EU
constitution, want the EU to look at Turkey’s record in recent
reforms before even beginning the talks.

Turkey pushed through a package of reforms this month, but Paris and
the Hague want the EU to examine their implementation ahead of the
Commission’s October report on the country.

Murat Yetkin, a columnist for Radikal newspaper, wrote on Friday that
Ankara had to be prepared for more difficulties ahead in Turkey’s
relationship with the EU.

He said the government needed to be ready to address difficult
questions such as Armenian claims of genocide in 1915, recognition of
the government of Cyprus, and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from
the divided island.

Anatolian Times, Turkey
June 26 2005

“Armenian Atrocity” Exhibition Opens In Germany

BREMEN – “Armenian Atrocity Exhibition“ has opened in Bremen,
Germany on Saturday as a result of initiatives of several Turkish
non-governmental organizations.
Visitors observed a minute of silence in memory of Turkish people who
were massacred by Armenian gangs during the era of the Ottoman
Empire.

There are many documents and photographs in the exhibition: “The
Other Side of the Coin“ showing Armenian atrocity against Turkish
civilians.

Turkish Consul General in Hannover Birgen Kesoglu said, “the events
in 1915 caused bitter grief among both Turkish and Armenian peoples.
Republic of Turkey has nothing to be ashamed of in its history.
Documents and photographs in this exhibition are the proofs of that.
Unfortunately, the Armenian diaspora has been trying to deceive the
world public opinion with its baseless allegations.“

The exhibition will remain open till June 30th.

A panel discussion will be held during the exhibition on so-called
Armenian genocide.

Meanwhile, a demonstration will take place in Bremen on July 2nd to
protest allegations about so-called Armenian genocide.

Armenpress

IRANIAN NATIONALS IN ARMENIA LINE UP FOR PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF

TEHRAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS: Several hundred of Iranian nationals living
in Armenia are lining up in front of Iran’s embassy in Yerevan to cast their
ballots in a presidential runoff and to select between the Expediency
Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani or Tehran Mayor Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, who emerged from the first round with most of votes.
Rafsanjani gained a total of 6,159,452 votes in the first round of the
presidential elections held on June 17 while 5,710,354 people voted in favor
of Ahmadinejad. The deputy Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Ali Akbar Jokra,
said the majority of Iranian nationals in Armenia, in the first round voted
in favor of Rafsanjani, who held the post between 1989 and 1997. He also
said the voter turnout was a little lower today than a week before,
explaining that the majority of Iranians here are students who left for
home. Ambassador Ali Reza Haghighyan reiterated today that regardless of who
is elected next president Iran’s relations with Armenia will not be affected
and they will go on to develop. Candidates require 50 percent of the votes
plus one, officially known as absolute majority to win outright.

SPOUSE OF NKR MP WHO WAS BEATEN UP ON JUNE 21 THINKS THE LIFE OF HER
HUSMAND STILL IN DANGER

YEREVAN, JUNE 23. ARMINFO. The spouse of the NKR MP representing the
bloc ARFD- Movement 88 Pavel Manukyan who was beaten on June 21,
Marine Manukyan, has applied to the NKR Prosecutor’s office demanding
immediate initiation of a criminal case on the given incident.. A
statement of ARFD Artsakh Central Committee says that in her appeal,
M.Manukyan asks NKR Prosecutor General to allow move the suffered from
Stepanakert military hospital to Yerevan. She motivates her request by
the fact that the situation in NKR is controlled by the persons who
beat her husband, which threatens his life. The statement also says
that the health of Pavel Manukyan is stable and the diagnosis is as
follows: ” craniocerebral trauma”. It should be noted that P. Manukyan
was beaten in the cabinet of NKR Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan with
the latter’s direct participation.

Armenian National Institute
1518 K Street, NW Suite M
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 383-9009
Fax: (202) 383-9012
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: <;

PRESS RELEASE
June 23, 2005

NEW JERSEY COMMISSION ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION INTRODUCES NEW ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE CURRICULUM

The State of New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education announced on
June 20, 2005, the introduction of a new human rights and genocide
curriculum focusing on the Armenian Genocide. The curriculum represents
a new threshold in public education on the Armenian Genocide – making NJ
the first state in the country to recommend comprehensive courses on the
subject to teachers in public and private schools.

Holocaust and genocide education has received strong support from both
legislators and educators in the state. As such, the NJ Commission on
Holocaust Education developed one of the earliest models for teaching
the Armenian Genocide and this year, on the occasion of the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, adopted the outstanding new
resource book entitled “Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: the
Genocide of the Armenians” developed by Facing History and Ourselves
Foundation (FHAO) of Brookline, Massachusetts, as its new curriculum.
Additionally, the Commission developed a special teacher’s guide for the
FHAO resource book, which it is distributing to educators statewide.

Executive Director of the Commission, Dr. Paul Winkler, who announced
the new curriculum at a press conference in the State House, thanked the
Armenian National Institute (ANI) for its cooperation in developing the
NJ teacher’s guide and for originally alerting the Commission of the new
advances in teaching about the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Winkler also
recognized the Armenian Assembly of America for bringing this initiative
to the attention of then NJ Governor James McGreevy two years ago.

The Commission on Holocaust Education is an official body of the state
of New Jersey, which was established in 1982 under Governor Tom Kean as
the Council on Holocaust Education. Later, Governor McGreevy, as a
state Assemblyman, voted to make the council a permanent commission and
introduced the original mandate legislation. In 1991 Governor James
Florio signed the legislation establishing the Commission and in 1994,
Governor Christine Todd Whitman enacted the law mandating the teaching
of the Holocaust and genocide. Current acting Governor and President of
the Senate Richard J. Codey has been a strong advocate of Holocaust and
genocide education.

Prior to the announcement on the new curriculum, the General Assembly
passed a resolution commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The resolution was cosponsored by Assemblywoman Joan Voss and
Assemblyman Robert Gordon. Introducing the resolution, Assemblywoman
Voss, a former history teacher, spoke about the importance of
remembrance and education. “The world closed its eyes to the Armenian
Genocide,” Voss said. “It is frightening how similar the Holocaust was
to the Armenian Genocide.”

Assemblyman Gordon, in his remarks on the floor noted that “the emotion
runs strong in the Armenian community for their losses in the Armenian
Genocide.” They were joined by colleagues who made additional floor
statements. Assemblyman William Payne, also an educator, invoked the
memory of Reverend Martin Luther King in defending human rights.
Assemblyman Bill Baroni spoke of the challenges Armenia continues to
face in its relations with modern-day Turkey.

Former New Jersey Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian was also on hand as a
special guest for the bill’s passage. He was recognized in the Assembly
by the current speaker, Albio Sires, and given the floor after a
standing ovation by former colleagues from both sides of the aisle. He
spoke movingly of the losses in his family during the Armenian Genocide
and of the importance of continuing to stand witness to the memory of
the victims and the survivors. He was joined in the gallery by other
guests from the Armenian-American community, clergy, and students from
the Hovnanian School in New Milford, New Jersey.

The bill’s passage was followed by a press conference. Voss told members
of the media that New Jersey is one of the few states that has mandated
teaching on human rights and genocide and commended the Commission for
its leadership role. ANI Director Dr. Rouben Adalian, for his part,
thanked all the educators and curriculum developers of the New Jersey
Commission including Helen Simpkins, Vernoy Paolini, Gary Kulhanjian,
and Dr. Joan Rivitz, for their commitment to human rights education, and
Dr. Mary Johnson of FHAO who coordinated with the Commission. FHAO was
represented at the press conference by Shannon Planck.

The Armenian National Institute is a Washington-based organization
dedicated to the study, research, and affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide.

Ukrainian president replaces envoys, dismisses property officials

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev
22 Jun 05

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has relieved Mykhaylo Reznyk of
his duties as Ukrainian ambassador to the USA and also to Antigua and
Barbuda, the Interfax-Ukraine reported at 1308 gmt on 22 June, quoting
the presidential press service.

According to the same report, Yushchenko dismissed Volodymyr Tyahlo as
Ukraine’s ambassador to Armenia and cancelled the presidential decree
dated 31 December 2004 appointing Oleksandr Bozhko as Ukraine’s
ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. Instead, Yushchenko appointed Tyahlo as
ambassador to Kyrgyzstan and Bozhko as ambassador to Armenia.

He also dismissed the Ukrainian ambassador to Slovakia, Serhiy Ustych,
the agency said.

Interfax-Ukraine reported at 1305 gmt that Yushchenko had promoted
Inna Yemelyanova from deputy justice minister to first deputy justice
minister.

In another report at 1233 gmt, Interfax-Ukraine said that on 21 June
Yushchenko dismissed Oleksandr Bondar and Leonid Kalnychenko from the
posts of first deputy heads of the State Property Fund. He also
relieved Vladyslav Zburzhynskyy of his duties as deputy head of the
State Property Fund.

Yushchenko also accepted the resignation of another first deputy head
of the State Property Fund, Yevhen Hryhorenko, the agency said.

A1plus

| 11:56:18 | 22-06-2005 | Official |

NEW APPOINTMENT

By the decision of the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan Eghishe
Nazaretyan has been resigned from the post of the RA deputy Minister of
Labor and Social affairs.

By another decision of the PM Artsroun Aghajanyan has been appointed deputy
Minister of Labor and Social affairs.

The 50-year-old new deputy Minister is an economist. In 1999-2003 he was
deputy of the RA NA, and member of the Standing Committees on Social
Affairs, Health Care and Environment, and on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and
Economic Affairs. Since 2003 he had been working as deputy governor of the
Shirak region.

The new deputy Minister is also member of the «Orinats Yerkir» party.

BRITISH OBSERVER MISSION DOES NOT RECORD SERIOUS VIOLATIONS IN
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN NKR

STEPANAKERT, June 20. /ARKA/. The British observer mission has not
recorded any serious violations in the parliamentary elections in
Nagorno Karabakh, Mark Almond, British Helsinki Human Rights Group,
told reporters. He pointed out individual technical problems during
vote-count. This procedure may be organized in conformity with the
OSCE requirements in Nagorno Karabakh, but the mechanism is not quite
effective, he said.

Almond stressed that elections in Nagorno Karabakh have been much more
democratic than in many recognized countries. During last 14 years the
British observer mission has monitored 100 elections, and this fact
can be stated with calm conscience, he said. The opposition says that
the administrative resource was used, but these are the fault of
democracy characteristic of all countries, Almond said. P.T. -0–

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:

His Holiness Karekin ii
catholicos of all armenians
In the western DIOCESE

his holiness CONDUCTS
groundbreaking ceremony
at armenian church of scottsdale, arizona
June 16, 2004

On June 16, 2005 His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians, accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,
Primate, and members of his entourage, arrived at the airport in
Arizona, where they were greeted by members of the Parish Council and
Ladies’ Society, and led to the Armenian Apostolic Church of
Scottsdale, Arizona.

At 7:00 p.m. in a procession of youth and the choir, His Holiness
entered the Church. Following the service the Primate introduced to
the faithful and the guests in attendance the 132nd Catholicos of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, who in his second Pontifical visit to the
Western Diocese has created a Renaissance of Faith throughout the
Diocese. He then invited the Catholicos to address the faithful.

His Holiness praised the Lord for the second opportunity to pay a
Pontifical visit to the Armenian Church of Arizona, and to witness
the happy smiles of the faithful. The Catholicos extended to the
faithful the blessings of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the
love and greetings of or people in Armenia.

The following guests were in attendance: Kevin Osterman, Scottsdale
City Councilman; Rabbi Robert Kravitz, American Jewish Committee,
Scottsdale; Dr. Stephen Batalden; Instructor Siranush Khandanyan, and
8 ASU students taking Armenian language; Rev Dr. Thomas Stiers, Church
of the Beatitudes, Phoenix; Rev. Andrew J. Barakos, Assumption Greek
Orthodox Church, Scottsdale; Rev. Fr. Philip Armstrong, St. Katherine
Greek Orthodox Church, Chandler; Very Rev. Arch Abbott Gabriel, St.
Peter & Paul Orthodox Church in America, Phoenix; Rev. Fr. Alan
Munteanu, St. John the Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church, Glendale,
AZ; Rev. Fr. Janko Terbovic, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church,
Phoenix; Rt. Rev. Stephen Washko, Vicar General for Eparchy of Van
Nuys, CA; St. Stephen’s Byzantine Catholic Church, Phoenix; Honorable
Sam Mardian, former Phoenix Mayor for 3 terms.

The first gathering of Armenians in Arizona took place in 1957. On
October 16, 1963 the Armenian Church of Maricopa County was formally
established by a `Bishop’s Committee’ assigned by His Eminence
Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, then Primate. The church acquired its
own site in 1982 through the donation of a two-acre land by the
Hosepian family, particularly tanks to Miss Marguerite Hosepian.

In 1991 ground was broken for a 14,000 square foot, $850,000
cultural center. Construction was completed the following year and
the dedication of the Armenian Church Cultural Center and Melikian
Hall took place on January 12, 1992.

The Armenian Educational and Social Center was opened on February
12, 2000 housing the Nikit and Eleanora Ordjanian Library, the
Karam/ACYO Center, and the Der Levon A.K. and Yeretsgin Grace
Arakelian Memorial Collection.

The visiting pastor of the parish is Archpriest Fr. Shahe Altounian.

GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY

With the singing of hymns and the participation of a great crowd the
Catholicos was led out of the church to the site of the future church,
where he consecrated a Stone Cross and performed the Ground breaking
ceremony.

In his address Catholicos Karekin II emphasized the importance of
having a House of Worship, in order to provide the community with
spiritual nourishment, particularly to plant within our young
generation the messages of the Gospel. His Holiness stated that this
church, like the other churches of the Diocese, will be a golden
bridge with the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. He commended the
benefactors, the Building Committee, Parish Council, auxiliary bodies
and the entire faithful and expressed his hopefulness that with the
help of God and the leadership of the Primate the beautiful church
bearing the Armenian style will soar into heaven.

A reception took place at the end of the ceremony during which
faithful and guests in attendance had the opportunity to personally
meet the Pontiff of All Armenians.

Office of the Western Diocese June 17, 2005
Burbank, California