Author: Madatian Greg

PACE PRESIDENT WOULD BE AGAINST REPLACING OSCE MINSK GROUP WITH CE

YEREVAN, AUGUST 19, NOYAN TAPAN. PACE President Rene van Der Linden
said at the August 19 press conference in Yerevan that he would be
against if the Council of Europe (CE) replaced the OSCE Minsk Group
in the issue of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

According to him, this problem is quite delicate and sensitive, and
it must be solved by the two countries – Armenia and Azerbaijan. At
the same time, PACE President noted that the organization headed by
him may prove useful in the process of reconciliation, particularly
through parliamentarian contacts.

ECONOMIC PROGRAM OF “DASHNAKTSUTYUN” APPROVED BY TWO MINISTRIES IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17. ARMINFO. ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau has elaborated
an economic program aiming security of growth of export from Armenia,
Adviser for Economic Affairs of ARFD Bureau Ara Nranyamn informs
ARMINFO.

Growth of exports is the only opportunity to considerably and
comparatively rapidly increase GDP in Armenia, as the possibilities
of the internal market are exhausted, Nranyan thinks. He says
that Dashnaktsutyun has sent the draft with specific proposals on
increase of exports to all the competent bodies and party offices
of the country, including opposition ones. The document has already
received high assessment of the Ministry for trade and Economic
Development, Ministry of Energy and Customs Service. He says the
elaborated proposals do not provide for quotation or other limitation
of imported production. Nranyan promised to submit the draft to the
public consideration in September 2005.

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

Armenian version:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE
WSCF CONFERENCE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Antelias, Lebanon – The World Students’ Christian Forum’s (WSCF)
intra-regional conference on international women’s planning took
place on 34-31 July in Manila, the Philippines. The main theme of the
conference was “violence against women: the role of men and women in
today’s society.”

Young females from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and America
participated in the conference. Carla Khijoian from the Armenian
Church’s University Students’ Association, which enjoys the support
and patronage of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, represented the Middle
East during the conference.

Khijoian delivered a lecture entitled “Violence against women: The
family and community experience in the Middle East.”

The participants visited the poor neighborhoods of Manila and
several of the country’s women’s organizations and unions, meeting
with physically and psychologically violated and tortured women and
consoling them.

At the end of the conference, the participants adopted an international
plan to neutralize the crimes and violence committed against women
in the world.

##

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.

YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR STRUGGLE AGAINST INCREASE OF MINIBUS FARE

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Several youth organizations of
Armenia called upon citizens and students of Yerevan to struggle
against the recent 30% increase of the minibus fare, social oppression
and aggravation the already poor social conditions of the population.

The youth organizations of the party “Hanrapetutyun” (“Republic”), the
National Democratic Union, the Bloc of National Democrats, the Liberal
Progressive Party of Armenia, the party “Heritage”, the Union of
Armenian Aryans, the NGO “For Justice” and the People’s Party of
Armenia issued a joint statement on August 11. They demand that
Mayor’s Office of Yerevan declare its August 8 decision about
increasing the minibus fare invalid. The statement says that the fare
increase in inadmissible, taking into account the low standard of
living of Yerevan citizens, their low incomes (salaries, pensions,
benefits).

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x137
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, August 11, 2005

AGBU LONDON SPONSORS INTERNATIONAL GENOCIDE CONFERENCE AT THE HOUSE OF
LORDS

London, England — In commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, AGBU London sponsored an international conference
entitled “Recognizing Genocides” on June 15, 2005 at the House of
Lords. The conference was organized by the British-Armenian All Party
Parliamentary Group (BAAPPG). Over 200 participated in the day’s
commemorative events, including parliamentarians, government
officials, scholars, media and community leaders as well as AGBU
London members and officers.

The daylong program began with a requiem service at St. Margaret’s
Church Westminster, otherwise known as the “Church of the British
Parliament.” The service was officiated jointly by Canon Robert
Wright, Rector of St. Margaret’s Church, and His Grace Bishop Nathan
Hovanissian, Primate of Armenian Churches in Great Britain. Readings
were given by Rabbi Baaden, Reverend John Winburne and Bishop
Hovanissian, who also delivered a message on behalf of His Holiness
Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.

Immediately following the service, attendees made their way to the
Moses Room at the House of Lords for the conference, which was chaired
by His Excellency Dr. Vahe Gabrielyan, Armenian Ambassador to the
United Kingdom, and moderated by Baroness Caroline Cox, Deputy Speaker
of Britain’s House of Lords.

Conference participants included keynote speaker Vartan Oskanian,
Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; François Rochebloine, a member
of the French Parliament and Chairman of the Franco-Armenian
Parliamentary Group; Sarkis Assadourian, a former Canadian Member of
Parliament and Senior Advisor on the Caucasus to the Canadian Prime
Minister; and James Smith, the Executive Director of the Holocaust
Memorial Trust Beth Shalom.

All speakers noted the significance of holding the conference in the
House of Lords and expressed the wish that the British Parliament
would, in the future, recognize the Armenian Genocide joining the
seventeen other countries that have already done so.

“The saddest point is that governments such as the United Kingdom in a
house such as this will have to carry the shame of repudiating the
genocide,” said Smith. He went further by saying that remembrance is a
message to perpetrators that justice will eventually prevail and is a
deterrent for the future.

Speaking on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, Oskanian emphasized
that, unlike Turkey, Armenia wanted to normalize relations with Turkey
without any preconditions and was prepared to do so now. However, he
stressed that this did not mean that the Armenian Government would
stop demanding the recognition by Turkey of the Armenian
Genocide. Citing the latest adoption of document 305 of the Turkish
penal code that makes the use of the term genocide a punishable crime,
Oskanian said, “One does not knock on Europe’s door by blindfolding
historians and gagging writers.”

In his address, Rochebloine reminded the conference how the Turkish
Government used the usual twin methods of applying pressure and
threats against the economic interests of France to stop members of
the French Parliament from voting for recognition of the
Genocide. “The Armenian Genocide no longer needs to be proved.” He
continued by stating that Europe’s values ” must not be diluted by
accepting a nation that practices bargaining on such values…the
process of international recognition must be irreversible.”

He spoke of Turkey’s continued use of enormous resources to subvert
the truth and discredit all those who campaign for the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide with lies and misinformation, like the DVD that
was distributed in the June 6, 2005 issue of Time Magazine. “The
existing negationist state discourse is completely unacceptable. It is
trying to wipe out memory,” said Rochebloine referring to Turkey’s
endorsement of Armenian Genocide denial as official foreign policy.

Ambassador Gabrielyan closed the conference by thanking speakers,
guests, AGBU London for its generous help and sponsorship, BAAPGG and,
in particular, BAAPPG Executive Secretary Odette Bazil for organizing
the event.

Following the conference, a petition of over 3000 signatures urging
Her Majesty’s Government to recognize the Armenian Genocide was hand
delivered to 10 Downing Street, the home and office of Prime Minister
Tony Blair by a delegation comprised of BAAPPG members and guests (as
pictured).

The AGBU London-sponsored commemorative activity concluded with a
parliamentary debate at the House of Lords on July 14, 2005 following
a question by Baroness Cox of whether Her Majesty’s Government would
reconsider its position with regard to the recognition of the Armenian
massacres of 1915 as Genocide.

Founded in 1910, AGBU London is dedicated to preserving and promoting
the Armenian identity and heritage through humanitarian, educational
and cultural programs in the United Kingdom and Armenia. For more
information, please contact AGBU London by visiting ,
emailing [email protected] or writing Harout Aghajanian, P.O. Box
3102, Barnet EN4 0ZL, U.K.

For more information on AGBU and its worldwide chapters, please visit

Public TV to Start Broadcasting in August

Baku Today
09/08/2005 23:42

The Public TV (PTV) will start broadcasting during August, the Public
TV Director General Ismail Omarov told the news conference on 9
August, Trend reports.

He noted, the PTV proof programs were successfully broadcast and
during August the TV will transmit on the 14-th channel. Two TV
studios equipped with modern facilities are already prepared.

According to Omarov, in terms of its technical equipping the PTV will
be the leading TV channel in Azerbaijan. He also noted, PTV cooperates
with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies for
establishing the mobile 10-camera studio.

PTV is not able to transmit to Nakhchivan, Karabakh,
Zagatali-Belokani, the western and the northern part of
Azerbaijan. However, some months later the translator will be set up
and PTV will be accessible within 98% of the country’s area.

The morning PTV broadcasting will commence with the `New day’ program,
the ` Djarchi’ (`Messenger’) news issue will be broadcastevery three
hours. The PTV broadcasting will be intensive, programs on various
subjects, preparations to the elections and `soap operas’ are in the
pipeline.

PanArmenian News Network
Aug 8 2005

RA AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT WILL COMBINE OFFICE IN ETHIOPIA, LIBYAN
JAMAHIRIYA, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AND SUDAN

08.08.2005 06:39

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ August 6 Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed
a decree on dismissing Sergey Manasarian from the post of the RA
Ambassador to Algeria, Ethiopia, Libyan Jamahiriya and Sudan.
According to another decree the Armenian Ambassador to Egypt will
combine office in Ethiopia, Libyan Jamahiriya, Republic of South
Africa and Sudan.

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Czech Republic
Aug 8 2005

Azerbaijan: Relations With U.S. Enter A New Phase
By Richard Giragosian

(RFE/RL)
The working visit to Washington last week by Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov came at a very significant time for both
countries and could represent something of a turning point in
bilateral relations. Following a sweeping reevaluation of U.S.
policy, those relations have been subject to a dynamic, yet subtle
shift in recent months, driven by a set of external developments
ranging from the impact of the so-called colored revolutions in
several former Soviet states to a new emphasis on democratization as
the strategic priority of the second Bush Administration.

The shift in U.S.-Azerbaijani relations has also been dictated by
internal considerations, further exacerbated by Azerbaijan’s looming
parliamentary elections set for 6 November. Set against the wave of
democratic change in Georgia, Ukraine, and most recently, in
Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan faces new pressure to ensure a free and fair
election. And it is this need to meet heightened democratic standards
that is the new determinant in the U.S. approach to Azerbaijan.

The necessity for improved electoral credentials in Azerbaijan has
been repeatedly stressed in recent months by the Council of Europe,
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and
was reiterated during last month’s visits to Baku by former U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and current Deputy Secretary of
State Paula Dobriansky. But Washington’s insistence on
democratization in Azerbaijan is not merely an end in itself, but
stems from a broader American recognition of democratization as
essential to domestic stability and regional security. It also
reflects a new tool in the global war on terror, although it remains
to be seen if this “muscular Wilsonian” approach will yield better
results.

For Azerbaijan, this priority for democratic elections has sharply
raised the threshold for the regime of President Ilham Aliyev. But
preparations for the election have fallen far short of the shared
expectations of the international community and the Azerbaijani
opposition. Specifically, Azerbaijan’s electoral reforms remain
incomplete, with shortfalls in both the composition of electoral
commissions and the planned monitoring of the ballot (See “RFE/RL
Caucasus Report.”). American disappointment with election
preparations to date was also a central message in Mammadyarov’s
talks with his American hosts.

This is also a lesson for others, however. For neighboring Armenia,
which will be facing its own elections within the next two years, and
even for Georgia, whose Rose Revolution was rewarded by an American
presidential visit and by U.S. help in pressuring Russia to withdraw
its troops from the country, but which has since created a Central
Election Commission wholly dominated by supporters of the ruling
party, there are significantly higher standards and greater
expectations.

In addition, Mammadyarov’s visit was largely overshadowed by
speculation about an imminent agreement for a new U.S. military base
in the country. This speculation has been largely fueled by the
recent demand by Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov to close the
U.S. and coalition air base at Karshi-Khanabad within six months. The
loss of the use of the base in Uzbekistan is viewed by some experts
as an immediate setback to the U.S. military’s operational
capabilities in nearby Afghanistan and, as the thinking holds,
necessitates the opening of new air base in Azerbaijan. While this
view is correct in recognizing the importance of the South Caucasus
air corridor as a “lifeline” between coalition forces in Afghanistan
and bases in Europe, it is flawed by a superficial understanding of
the nature of the U.S. military mission and presence in Azerbaijan,
as well as by the practical limitation of aircraft needing to refuel
en route from Azerbaijan to Afghanistan.

Despite reports predicting a “new” U.S. military engagement in
Azerbaijan, in reality, there has been a significant American
military mission there for at least three years, comprised of two
components. The first component was the creation of the “Caspian
Guard,” an initiative involving both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
focusing on maritime and border security in the Caspian Sea. The
Caspian Guard initiative incorporates defensive mission areas,
including the surveillance of Caspian airspace, borders, and
shipping. It encourages greater coordination and cooperation in
counter-proliferation efforts by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. This
effort was further bolstered by a $20 million program launched in
July 2004 and implemented by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency
to train the Azerbaijan Maritime Border Guard. Additional training
and combined exercises were also provided by U.S. Navy SEALS to
Azerbaijan’s 41st Special Warfare Naval Unit in June 2004.

The second component was the establishment of several “Cooperative
Security Locations,” tactical facilities with pre-positioned stock
that provide contingency access but, unlike a traditional base, have
little or no permanent U.S. military presence. These locations are
designed to increase the mobility of U.S. military forces and, most
importantly, facilitate counter-proliferation missions along
Azerbaijan’s southern border with Iran and northern borders with
Georgia and Daghestan.

In line with the U.S. military need to project military power
rapidly, the U.S. presence in Azerbaijan may be further expanded from
the existing Cooperative Security Locations to Forward Operating
Sites, host-country “warm sites” endowed with a limited military
presence and capable of hosting rotational forces. These forward
operating sites can also serve as centers for bilateral and regional
training.

Thus, while the utility of a permanent, traditional military base in
Azerbaijan is seriously limited, the expansion of the forward
stationing of forces is likely. (Azerbaijani presidential aide Novruz
Mamedov’s recent statement to Interfax that Azerbaijan will not host
“U.S. military bases” may draw a fine semantic line between “bases”
in the traditional sense and forward operating sites.) Yet even the
military relationship is in the final analysis contingent on
Azerbaijan’s ability to meet the new, more stringent U.S. standards
of democracy and free elections. The steadfast refusal by the
Azerbaijani authorities to amend the composition of election
commissions and their reluctance to permit the marking of voters to
preclude multiple voting cast doubt on President Aliyev’s repeated
assertions that the ballot will indeed be free, fair, and
transparent.

The Economist
August 6, 2005
U.S. Edition

When history hurts; Turkish historians

ANKARA

A series of setbacks for open historical research in Turkey

Times are tough for outspoken scholars

IF TURKEY is ever to join the European Union, it will need to
acknowledge-and allow free discussion of-the mass slaughter of the
Ottoman empire’s Armenian subjects both during and after the first
world war. That, at least, is the opinion of some EU members-especially
France, where many Armenians live, and where objections to Turkish
entry run high.

In theory, Turkey’s rendezvous with the Union-entry talks are due
to start in October-should be good news for the Turkish scholars
who have risked prosecution by challenging the official line, which
holds that the mass deportation of Armenians in 1915 did not amount
to a conspiracy to kill them. And earlier this year, there were some
good signs.

After decades of denying that the killings-which Armenians round
the world regard as genocide-ever took place, Turkey in April called
on international scholars to determine once and for all what really
happened, saying they were free to examine the Ottoman archives. This
invitation from Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, won strong
praise from EU governments. But the few intrepid souls who took him
at his word have had nothing but trouble ever since.

In May, a group of Turkish historians (many of whom challenge the
official view that the main cause of death among deported Armenians
was exposure and disease) suffered a sharp setback. They had to cancel
a conference which was due to debate the Armenian tragedy after the
justice minister, Cemil Cicek, accused them of “stabbing Turkey in
the back”.

Another bad sign: Hrant Dink, the publisher of Agos, an Armenian
weekly in Istanbul, is facing up to three years in jail for telling
an audience in 2002 that he was “not Turkish” but “an Armenian of
Turkey”. In a separate case, also filed this year, Mr Dink is facing
up to six years for urging Armenians and Turks to stop hating one
another. In both instances, Mr Dink was said to have “insulted the
Turkish state”.

How do these prosecutions square with Mr Erdogan’s stated wish to take
the sting out of Turkish-Armenian relations by allowing some honest
research? “Easily,” insists Mr Dink. “There are forces in this country
who are working night and day to stop Turkey from joining the EU and
part of that is silencing people like me.”

But these days, the problems of liberal Turkish scholars-and advocates
of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation-are not all caused by their own
country. Take the case of Yektan Turkyilmaz, an internationally
acclaimed Turkish scholar who was arrested in Armenia on June
17th on charges of seeking to smuggle antique books out of the
country. Fluent in Armenian, Mr Turkyilmaz is among the few Turks
who say the Ottoman policy in 1915 did amount to deliberate killing.
The first Turkish academic to be granted access to Armenia’s national
archives, Mr Turkyilmaz is being held in a maximum security prison in
Yerevan. He will face trial next month for violating Article 215 of
the Armenian Criminal Code, which equates the smuggling of antiquities
with trafficking in weapons of mass destruction. He could incur a
jail sentence of up to eight years.

Mr Turkyilmaz insists he had no idea about the law, and that the
dealers who sold him some 100 volumes never said he would need
permission to take them out. In an open letter to Armenia’s president,
Robert Kocharian, some 200 academics, campaigning for the historian’s
freedom, said the arrest would “raise serious doubts as to whether
Armenia encourages independent scholarly research on its history.”

Whatever view you take of the Armenian tragedy, it can get you into
trouble-in unexpected places. Dogu Perincek, an eccentric Turkish
leftist, was briefly detained in Switzerland on July 23rd. The Swiss
authorities say he breached article 261 of their penal code, which
makes the denial or justification of genocide a punishable offence.
Mr Perincek had told a conference that to speak of Armenian genocide
was an “imperialist lie”. Oddly enough, the Turkish authorities
seem far more indignant about his minor travails than they are about
Mr Turkyilmaz.

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

Armenian version:

INTELLECTUALS MEET WITH PROSPECTS FOR
ARMENIA-DIASPORA COOPERATION IN MIND

A gathering of intellectuals will be held in Antelias on August 11-13
on the initiative and under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I.

A group of intellectuals will be invited from Armenia and the
Diaspora for this purpose. They will discuss contemporary educational,
cultural, economic, political and other issues within the context of
Armenia-Diaspora cooperation.

His Holiness Aram I will deliver the opening remarks of the three-day
meeting. A summary of the discussions and the expressed viewpoints will
be prepared after each session and will be published as press releases.

Those who wish to attend the gathering as observers should contact the
Catholicosate of Cilicia’s Information and Communication Department
on 04-410001 from 9:00 AM till 12:00 PM.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the mission 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.