Author: Liana Toganian

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
THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH OF DENMARK
IN ANTELIAS
Antelias, Lebanon – The Head of the Church of Denmark, Bishop Erik Norman
Svendsen visited the Catholicosate of Cilicia on Tuesday, the 8th of
February and held a meeting with His Holiness Aram I. The two spiritual
leaders discussed issues related to Christian education and inter-church
relations.
His Holiness expressed his belief about the importance of renewing the
ecumenical movement and making it relevant to people’s lives. In this
context, the Catholicos and His Grace also discussed the Middle East, the
birthplace of Christianity. They emphasized the importance of speeding up
the peace process and bringing to a halt the emigration of Christians.
The two spiritual leaders continued their discussions over lunch and spoke
mainly about the social service activities of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Thanks to the support of the Danes, the “Birds’ Nest” orphanage, has in the
past provided shelter to thousands of Armenian orphans. The orphanage is
currently under the patronage of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, but the
Church of Denmark continues to aid the institution. Bishop Norman assured
His Holiness of his intentions to keep the orphanage the center of his
attention.
Bishop Norman had visited the Catholicosate of Cilicia four years ago and
His Holiness Aram I had last year been the official guest of the Church of
Denmark.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities 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.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Deacon Vagarsag Seropyan
Lraper Bulletin
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970
F: +90 (212) 516-4833
[email protected]
Patriarchate Chancellor Remarks On the Melkonian Grant
Concerning the press release of the AGBU Central Board of Directors,
on the lawsuit filed by His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of
Istanbul and all Turkey, the Revd. Dr. Krikor Damadyan, the Chancellor
of the Patriarchal See, made the following statement:
“It is difficult to comprehend how the closure of a prestigious school
in the Middle East, and one of the very few Armenian educational
institutions in the European Union could be in the best interests of
the Armenian nation. We believe that this decision, taken by a few
executives, is a wrong one.
“The AGBU Central Board of Directors claims that it will continue to
honour the vision of its many generous benefactors including the late
Garabed Melkonian, for the benefit of all Armenians worldwide. This
is a remarkable statement since the AGBU is confessing publicly that
the Armenians in Turkey are not considered part of “all Armenians
worldwide,” since, unlike the Gulbenkian Foundation and the Apcarian
Trust, the AGBU has not taken much interest in how Armenians in Turkey
have wrestled to maintain their community organisations during the
last seventy-five years. However, we do acknowledge receipt of minor
sums sent us by donors through AGBU means.
“The only way to honour the vision of the Melkonian Brothers is to
keep the Melkonian Educational Institute in Cyprus open. The AGBU
should refrain from closing down the MEI and selling the property,
lest she should declare herself untrustworthy before all Armenians
worldwide. Why should people make grants to a charity organisation such
as the AGBU, if following their demise a few executives will deal with
the grant in a way that will not do justice to the benefactor’s memory?
“The AGBU should also publish how she has executed the Melkonian Trust
since 1926. As the present successor to Patriarch Zaven of blessed
memory, His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob takes dutiful interest as to
whether the terms of the grant have been implemented responsibly. Every
charity organisation should be accountable to the public and should
not take offense when asked for accounts. AGBU executives who donate
their own family wealth on charity are appreciated dearly by all
Armenians worldwide. Nevertheless, that should not allow them any
right to do as they please with the grants made by other benefactors.
“His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob has magnanimously made it known to
those Californian Armenians who would like to act as mediators that
he would be willing to receive a delegation in Istanbul in order
to discuss a meaningful settlement of this critically important
issue to the Armenians of Europe. Great justice will be done if the
AGBU reverses her decision to close down the Melkonian Educational
Institute. This is our Patriarchate’s wish and prayer, as also
expressed by numerous Melkonian alumni worldwide. ”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 25 2005
SPEECH BY NEWLY ELECTED UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, NAGORNO-KARABAKH, ‘YUKOS
CASE’ ON PACE’S WINTER SESSION’S AGENDA
STRASBOURG, January 25 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian President Victor
Yushchenko is to address the winter session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
As was stressed in the lobby of the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg,
the new head of the Ukrainian state, who assumed office just last
Sunday and paid his first foreign lightning visit to the Russian
capital, is expected to send a clear and unambiguous signal of
Ukraine’s European aspirations and outline the process of the
nation’s further advance along the path of democratic reform.
In addition to Yushchenko’s address, high on the agenda is discussion
of the report on the handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh situation and
OSCE’s Minsk Group role in it. Nagorno-Karabakh is the Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan. In the early 1990s, it renounced Azerbaijan’s
jurisdiction.
The draft resolution on the issue denounces the attempts at using
force and highlights the necessity of solely peaceful approaches to
settling the conflict as well as suggests a provisional PACE
commission on Nagorno- Karabakh be set up.
Another high-profile item on the agenda is discussion of the report
on the circumstances in which leaders of Russian oil producer YUKOS
were arrested and subjected to legal proceedings.
Authored by German parliamentarian Sabina Leuthauser-Schnarrenberger
on behalf of the commission on legal affairs and human rights, the
report expresses suspicions of grave violations during the
prejudicial inquiry and questions the impartiality and unbiasedness
of the authorities.
The draft resolution proposes, in particular, that PACE should demand
from the Russian authorities full independence of legal proceedings
against the YUKOS leaders from any attempts at influencing them and
the public’s access to the court hearings.
Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the Russian delegation, told RIA
Novosti that the Russian side regards the repot on YUKOS as biased.
“This is another attempt by a number of European parliamentarians at
pushing the subject into the limelight,” Mr. Kosachyov emphasized.
He also said that the Russian delegation had prepared an individual
opinion as for the report.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Jan 10 2005
Georgia Cautious over Restoration of Railway via Abkhazia
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said after talks with
visiting Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin on January 10, that
number of conditions should be met before restoring railway
connection between Russia and Georgia via breakaway Abkhazia.
`Restoration of the railway link is related to the number of
conditions. On the other hand situation in Abkhazia is still quite
unclear yet. Restoration of the railway was not the top issue
discussed today,’ Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said; however
he did not specify these conditions.
Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin told reporters, that experts
from Russia are currently assessing those needs, including the
financial, which will be necessary for restoring railway link from
Sokhumi, capital of breakaway Abkhazia, to administrative border with
Georgia.

Last November, Russian Transport Minister, who visited Georgia and
Armenia, proposed that the countries of the South Caucasus set up a
joint Russian-Georgian-Armenian-Azerbaijani company which would
restore traffic on the Trans-Caucasus Railway, which ceased
functioning after conflicts in Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh in the
early 90s.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Greek Cypriots bitter over EU’s talks with Turkey
By Andrew Borowiec
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
December 20, 2004
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Frustrated and bitter, Greek Cypriots saw the
outcome of last week’s European Union summit as a blow to their
aspirations and a major boost to the European ambitions of their
archenemy Turkey.
Some politicians described the situation as a “complete catastrophe,”
and editorials predicted other setbacks for the Greek-Cypriot majority
of this divided Mediterranean island.
The EU summit approved the start in October of membership negotiations
with Turkey, a process that will require at least 10 years and involve
numerous hurdles. As a new EU member, Cyprus could have vetoed the
decision, but did not, despite the urging of some 60 percent of
Greek Cypriots.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hailed on his return
home from Brussels as “the conqueror of the EU” and “the new star of
the EU,” commented the Cyprus Mail. But the Greek-Cypriot delegation
returned to Nicosia “glum-faced and mumbling words of unconvincing
satisfaction.”
“For weeks, the president’s lieutenants waxed lyrical about our power
of veto,” the newspaper wrote, referring to Greek-Cypriot President
Tassos Papadopoulos. “We could still have vetoed, but we didn’t,
proving that while we have the right of veto, to exercise it is not
as easy in the face of the full force of power politics.”
“The summit has starkly exposed the realities of our position,”
the newspaper concluded.
According to some diplomats, the summit’s decision implied growing
international sympathy for Turkey and a lack of interest in Greek
Cypriots’ long-standing demand that the island be reunited on their
terms.
The Cyprus issue — and Turkey’s refusal to recognize the
Greek-Cypriot administration on the island — had threatened to
capsize the summit. Under a carefully crafted compromise formula,
Turkey agreed to sign a customs union protocol with the 10 recently
admitted EU members, including Cyprus.
But Mr. Erdogan said bluntly that such a gesture did not imply
recognition.
Cyprus was forced to accept the uncomfortable formula.
Turkey, which has some 35,000 troops on the island, is the only backer
of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which governs 37
percent of the territory.
According to Greek-Cypriot parliament member Marios Matsakis, the EU
decision means that there will be “no recognition, no withdrawal of
Turkish troops, no recognition of the Armenian genocide.”
Turkey successfully opposed the inclusion in the summit agenda of
the Cyprus problem or of the World War I massacres of Armenians by
the Ottoman Empire, which some countries wanted to use to prevent
Turkey from being admitted to the EU accession process.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A Definition Crisis: Terror Or Resistance
By Ali Al-Hail
Al-Jazeerah
December 3, 2004
In their statements American officials and to some extent European
Union representatives give the impression that they are fanatically
preoccupied with the concept of `terrorists’ when referring to
Palestinians who get brutally massacred in Gaza almost every day by
Israel.
Though amongst them infants, adolescents and children in general,
those governmental agents don’t seem to make a distinction between an
innocent child or an infant and an adult as long as they all are
Palestinians, persisting on liberating their land and refusing to go
away.
This is sufficiently enough to make those agents lumping all sections
of Palestinians together. How dare these people have the
`luxury’ of such a `wishful thinking’?!
A week or even a day doesn’t pass over without Israel firing missiles
from American-made Apache helicopters on people in Gaza or without
demolishing homes here or there in the Palestinian lands
or… or… etc.
>From the representatives’ point of view that is `all acts of
self defense’ and `they (Israeli soldiers) have to react’ as
Fulbright used to say. Reacting against whom? A group of children
throwing `not grenades’ but stones on tanks and solidly-armed
soldiers occupying their land since 1967, which is the oldest ever
occupation on earth?
And reacting how? By firing live ammunitions and intimidating children
(with every right on earth to resist occupation) with tanks? Isn’t
that view of those politicians at least, sounds odd and incongruous?
How on earth can some one defending herhis land be portrayed as
`terrorist’?
And by whom? By people who are supposed to represent `constitutions’
of `the civilized and modern world’ in which `Resisting the occupying
forces and Liberating the land’ is embedded with triumph and
jubilation. The view of those politicians is emphatically and
definitely inconsistent and paradoxical. Ifthe Palestinians had not
consistently, pursued their cause since the Israeli occupation of
Palestine in 1947, The Palestinian cause would have been faced the
same fate the Armenian cause had.
By this understanding held by those politicians, Israel has the right
to remain in Palestinian and other Arab lands.
Neither is any body amongst the new allies against `terror’has
the guts to categorize Israel’s massacres as `acts of terror’
(up to this minute, Israel killed approximately, 3000 Palestinian
infants, adolescents and children asa whole, about 5000 children,
adolescents and infants casualties, up to 400 children and adolescents
in jail, plus 12,000 murdered adults including women and about 8000
men and women in prison since September 28, 2000), nor are the
Generals in Israel who give the orders with cold nerves to carry out
the massacres described as `terrorists’. What a wonderful New
World Order we have been subjected to?!!!
Having said that however, I am still, (despite the definition crisis
on what is terror and what is resistance) adamant that the USA in
particular and the EU in general have the potential and the capability
to become the impartialand fair leader of a free world–not the killer
of other nations. Either directly as it is the case in Afghanistan and
Iraq or indirectly as it is the daily case in Gaza and West Bank.
Professor Ali Al-Hail
Professor of Mass Communications
Board Member of AUSACE, Member of ASC, IABD, IMDA, AEJMC, BEA, NEBAA
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI GUNMEN, SO-CALLED “KARABAKH PARTISANS” WAITING FOR
AGREEMENT OF AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO START MILITARY ACTIONS IN
KARABAKH
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. Azerbaijani gunmen, the so-called
“Karabakh partisans” are waiting for an agreement of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to start military actions to “bring the
occupied territories back,” says a letter of one of the defendants in
the case of Karabakh partisans Rovshan Badalov to Supreme
Commander-in-Chief of Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev,
Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov and Chairman of Supreme Court Sudaba
Hasanova, National Security Minister Eldar Mahmudov, on behalf of his
like-minders, Zerkalo newspaper reports.
Pointing out the strategic importance of this fight and the tactical
preparedness of the group for partisan war, Badalov writes that
besides them hundreds and thousands of patriots will join this
struggle. He writes that partisan war will prove Armenians, who
“created the so-called NKR that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan.” He
says that in case of a secret intervention into Karabakh lands, the
partisan movement will assume wide scope, which will bring Azerbaijan
international recognition and positive progress of Azerbaijani in
official negotiations.
It should be noted that “Karabakh partisan” attempting to unleash
partisan war in Karabakh were arrested in the summer of 2003 by the
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for formation of illegal armed
groupings, illegal crossing the state boundary, contraband and other
charges. At present they are waiting for court verdict fixed for Dec
7, 2005. If recognized guilty, they are threatened with 3-8 years of
imprisonment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian minister says UN debates on Karabakh Azerbaijan’s “mistake”
Mediamax news agency
23 Nov 04
Yerevan, 23 November: Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita
Boniver said in Yerevan today that the European Union member countries
would in all likelihood abstain in the vote on a draft resolution
“On the situation on occupied Azerbaijani territories” at a UN General
Assembly session.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan today said that “Azerbaijan
is making a mistake by initiating the discussion of this issue at the
UN, and after a while, it will understand its mistake”. At the same
time, the Armenian foreign minister said that “we are not concerned
that the resolution might be adopted, we are more concerned at the
further fate of the political process of settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict”.
Commenting on a proposal to dispatch a multinational mission of
observers to the occupied territories, which is envisaged in the
Azerbaijani draft resolution, Oskanyan recalled that Yerevan and
Stepanakert [Xankandi] had been recently urging the international
community to send a mission and put an end to Azerbaijan’s ungrounded
accusations.
“The Armenian and Karabakh authorities are ready to render every
assistance to the activities of such a mission. However, the OSCE
Minsk Group itself has a mandate to dispatch such a mission and
in this case, the decision should not be adopted at the UN level,”
the Armenian foreign minister added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian security service arrests school bomb hoaxer
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
20 Nov 04
[Presenter over video of Chekhov School] The criminal who made a
hoax phone call about an explosion at the Chekhov School has been
arrested. Criminal responsibility and imprisonment are envisaged for
such an act.
An anonymous phone call was made to the headmistress of Yerevan’s
Chekhov School No 55 on 19 November at around 1000 [0600 gmt] to say
that an act of terrorism was expected.
As a result of operational measures undertaken by the Armenian
National Security Service the caller has been found and subjected to
legal investigation. He is a Yerevan citizen, born in 1961, with a
previous conviction, Armen Serezha Nadzharyan. He is deputy chairman
of the Hope public organization.
It was revealed that Nadzharyan made the phone call to the school
from a phone box on Mashtots Street on 19 November at 0947 [0547 gmt]
and spoke about an alleged terrorist act.
Criminal proceedings into the case have started. Nadzharyan has been
arrested. An investigation is now under way.
The National Security Service appealed to citizens to refrain from
such actions, which inflict moral and material damage on society, and
recalled that criminal responsibility and imprisonment are envisaged
for such acts.
[Video shows Nadzharyan]

A1 Plus | 14:48:08 | 18-11-2004 | Social |
HEALTH CONDITION OF CHILDREN AT SPECIAL SCHOOLS IS ALARMING
Children with special needs placed at special/boarding schools in
Yerevan face myriad health and development problems, according to the
Assessment of Health Condition of Children with Special Education Needs
conducted upon the request from the Ministry of Education and Science of
the Republic of Armenia by the Children’s Health Care Association with
UNICEF’s support.
The study which provides an in depth analysis of health and development
problems of children was carried out at Nubarashen No. 1 and 11 schools
for children with mental retardation, school No. 9 for children with
hearing impairments and Nubarashen No. 18 special school for children
with behavioral problems.
The objective of the study was to assess health condition of children,
identify whether children are placed in a proper special school and meet
new admission criteria recently adopted by the Ministry of Education and
Science.
Out of 514 children registered in the surveyed schools, only 391 (76%)
were available for screening. Over 60% of children were from Yerevan,
while the rest were from neighboring regions.
The screening revealed that along with children with special educational
needs, schools also accepted their siblings without such needs solely on
the basis that they belonged to the same socially vulnerable families.
On the average for 16% (62 children) of the surveyed children the
schools that they were placed in were not appropriate. However, the
reintegration of those children into mainstream education is already
impossible.
According to the study findings, poverty (50% of children) and family
problems (62 % in Nubarashen No. 18 special school) are major causes for
placement of children in a special school.
Many of the children suffer from chronic diseases, including cases which
require immediate medical intervention. In particular, up to 17% of the
surveyed children have hearing problems caused by chronic tonsillitis
and otitis. In many cases, however, school administrations were not able
to provide relevant medical assistance to the children due to the lack
of qualified medical personnel and absence of legal power to authorize
specialized medical intervention.
In addition, the study indicates that out of 391 children 28 (7%) were
subjected to physical violence within their families, whereas 9 children
(2%) were subjected to violence at the schools.
The assessment once again brings up the importance of regular medical
checkups of all children in special schools as well as the need to
revise curriculum in those institutions. Moreover, the development of
the state policy on early identification of childhood disability and
early intervention will lead to timely integration of children with
disabilities into the society, thus preventing many children from being
placed in special schools.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress