Author: Madatian Greg

Syrian envoy notes serious progress in ties with Armenia

Arminfo
4 Mar 05

YEREVAN

The speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan,
today received the Syrian charge d’affaires to Armenia, Ghassan
Raslan, in connection with the expiry of his tenure, the Armenian
National Assembly press service told Arminfo new agency.

According to the source, the ambassador thanked the speaker of the
Armenian National Assembly for his help during his tenure in
Armenia. He pointed out that considerable progress has been made in
Armenian-Syrian relations, intergovernmental agreements have been
signed and spheres of cooperation have been defined.

Wishing the ambassador success, Bagdasaryan expressed his hope that
the activities of the next ambassador will promote the development of
mutual relations and expand spheres of cooperation.

The sides noted the importance of Syria’s Armenian community, which is
playing an important role in the country’s socioeconomic and public
life. It was also noted that the Syrian authorities have a good
attitude to the Armenian community whose representatives are
law-abiding citizens and are taking an active part in the development
of the state.

Georgia requests to release freight carriages

Baku Today
05/03/2005 12:17

Georgia has requested Azerbaijan to release 415 freight carriages
detained on the border.

The Georgian side has said it is ready to issue a written document
guaranteeing that the consignments are not bound for Armenia, Deputy
Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov told local ANS TV channel.

Abbasov said that he is in touch with the Georgian Prime Minister over
the phone and the latter had repeatedly requested to release the
carriages. Tbilisi aspires to continue co-operating with Azerbaijan
without hurting bilateral relations, the Azeri Deputy Prime Minister
added.

Turkish Daily News
March 3 2005

Gündüz Aktan: The second biggest obstacle
Thursday, March 3, 2005

I have written on various occasions that I considered the liberal
intellectuals to be the biggest obstacle blocking our country’s path
to European Union membership. Their attitude is paradoxical. In the
past these intellectuals had a leftist vocation. Yet now they
advocate Turkish membership in the EU more vigorously than any other
group of people in the country. They are supported by big capital and
media. Like everybody else who wants EU membership, they too aim to
ensure the development of Turkey, a country with chronic problems,
via EU membership. However, their basic aim is to `tame’ the state
that had made them suffer in the past — by means of the radical
democracy to be built with the EU’s help.

This existentialist aspiration is very strong. In fact, it seems
there is no price these liberals would not be willing to pay in order
to ensure that we become an EU member. In Cyprus they supported the
Annan plan, including its initial version. And now they have a warm
reaction to Papadopoulos’ demand for recognition. Tomorrow they may
welcome the potential caprices of Greece, who is no longer willing to
take the Aegean conflicts to the International Court of Justice in
The Hague. They believe the demands the EU is making in the name of
minorities should be met in full. They have already started
indirectly accepting the Armenian genocide claims.

It is in the nature of foreign policy that such conflicts are in
the eye of great struggles and form the subject matter of tough
negotiations. If, in such cases, the views of the other side were
accepted with the `EU membership at any cost’ kind of mentality, the
other side would inevitably toughen their stance. The attitude of the
liberals, for whom no price is too high for EU membership, is the
most serious obstacle on the path to EU membership because that
stance is causing the other side to demand that Turkey pay the kind
of price that simply cannot be paid.

Let us assume that, miraculously, we have managed to overcome the
Cyprus and Aegean issues, the Armenian problem and the minorities
issue and that the technical talks with the EU have begun. This time
we will encounter an equally important obstacle, one we have not
thought about: the state of our bureaucracy.

Most of the work that must be done for EU membership falls on the
shoulders of the bureaucrats. They would be implementing the measures
called EU standards, measures that would extend into all segments of
our socioeconomic structure. And the judiciary would be resolving the
conflicts involving these standards. From this angle, selecting the
chief negotiator and conducting negotiations with the EU in the best
manner, seem lesser problems.

These standards evolved in countries over the centuries in
countries that are much more advanced than we are. It took centuries
of accumulated information and struggle to formulate these standards.
These standards would enable society to step into a new age, but how
would our bureaucracy and our judiciary manage to implement and check
these standards, which entail an extraordinary amount of cost for an
economy that is not yet fully developed? In the context of
criticizing the `state’ the liberals ignore this problem altogether.

It is true that in the course of the membership process that began
with the 1999 Helsinki summit we have received very little EU aid in
the form of grants. However, it is also true that we have not made
full use of EU facilities. This is because our bureaucracy does not
have the ability to prepare projects. That was a problem when we
entered into the customs union. Adequate capability has yet to be
created.

The prime minister often complains about the `bureaucratic
oligarchy.’ His complaints primarily involve the privatization
process. The main problem is that since we embraced the democratic
system, the bureaucratic positions have been filled and used in a
partisan manner. The current government has made mistakes of its own
in this regard. We have seen what the bureaucrats appointed have done
in such fields as rapid trains and energy. You can imagine the things
we haven’t seen.

Those suggesting bureaucratic reforms seem to be missing the basic
problem. No reform can be a substitute for improvement of the quality
of civil servants. The Japanese, who launched their modernization
drive in 1868, in the 1890s passed two laws that have basically
remained the same until now. One of the two laws in question bans
recruiting civil servants without an examination, and the other bans
politicians’ attempts to influence the bureaucracy. It is thanks to
these bureaucrats who are barely short of genius that the Japanese
economy has developed. The Japanese political class accepted as a
basic rule that politicians should not influence the work of these
bureaucrats. Over there, no abstract debates on the `state’ and the
`bureaucratic oligarchy’ have taken place.

Unless we, too, make a similar bureaucratic reform, albeit with a
two-century delay, we will not be able to enter the EU.

So, there is no reason for Sarkozy and Merkel to be worried.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 28 2005

TURKEY DEMANDS CLOSING OF ARMENIAN ATOMIC POWER STATION
[February 28, 2005, 17:02:20]

Taking into account the danger, which the Armenian atomic power station
represents, and its location in the seismic zone, Turkey has demanded
closing of the station. In this connection, Turkey has directed an
official statement to the European Union and the International Atomic
Energy Agency (ÝAEA).

In turn, the European Union also has demanded closing of the atomic
power station in Armenia. Armenia, referring that 30 percent of the
electric power consumed in the country are made at this station,
has stated that it will function until 2016.

Having considered the said statement unsatisfactory, Turkey has lifted
the question in the International Atomic Energy Agency. Having noted,
that concern of Turkey is clear, this structure has declared carrying
out of wide audit on the mentioned question.

Before the International Atomic Energy Agency carried out corresponding
audit in Iraq. It is expected that now such audit will be carried
out in Iran. The states, which hamper work of the experts of Agency
or not carrying out the decisions of the said structure, will face
with the most serious economic sanctions.

–Boundary_(ID_fv1uFRrL/2WDDOTYi/a+xw)–

Harold Doan and Associates, CA
Feb 26 2005

Armenia: World Bank Supports Improvement of Water and Wastewater
Services in Yerevan

Feb. 25 2005

Press Release – World Bank

The World Bank’s Board today approved an International Development
Association (IDA) credit of US$20 million for the Yerevan Water and
Wastewater Project (YWWP). The credit will assist the Armenian
Government in its efforts to improve Yerevan’s water and wastewater
system by continuing and expanding accomplishments achieved under a
previous IDA-financed Municipal Development Project (MDP).

The YWWP will help provide Yerevan with safe, continuous water supply
while reducing environmental pollution. This is the third
IDA-financed water and wastewater project in Armenia. The World Bank
also financed the initial Municipal Development Project to support
Yerevan’s Water and Sanitation Company (YWSC) and a more recent
(FY04) Municipal Water and Wastewater Project for Armenia’s medium
and small-sized cities.

`Because of Government’s visionary leadership of the Armenian water
sector, and diligent efforts by all project participants, significant
improvements have been made in Yerevan’s water service since the
first project began in 1998,’ said Brian Steven Smith, head of the
World Bank team designing the YWWP, – `Much work still remains of
course, and we look forward to continued improvement during
implementation of the new project.’

The Project benefits directly from Yerevan’s successful experience
with a management contractor recruited under the MDP. For the YWWP,
Government will increase private sector involvement and competitively
recruit an operator for YWSC under a lease contract. The Project will
finance investments in YWSC during the first five years of the lease.

The Project has two components: a YWWP Fund and Technical Assistance.
The YWWP Fund will finance investments undertaken by the water
utility operator during implementation, which will yield energy
savings, improved reliability of supply, and reduction of
environmental pollution. The Technical Assistance component will fund
interim operational management of YWSC, project financial and
technical audits, and incremental operating expenses.

The Credit will be made to Armenia on standard IDA terms, including
40 years maturity and a 10-year grace period.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments
to Armenia total approximately US$ 860 million for 38 operations.

ARKA News Agency
Feb 21 2005

Round-table on `multicolored revolutions’ to be held in Yerevan

Speaker of RA NA to pay visit to Austria

Total capital of new BNF-Bank CJSC to make $5 mln

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s National Assembly reiterates Karabakh
people determination to build independent democratic state basing on
the self-determination right

NKR Ministry of Defense: Murder of Armenian lieutenant Gourgen
Margaryan is considered as a result of anti-Armenian and militarist
propaganda of Azerbaijan

A youth movement was organized in Stepanakert on the occasion of
Artsakh Revival Day

*********************************************************************

ROUND-TABLE ON `MULTICOLORED REVOLUTIONS’ TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 21. /ARKA/. A round-table to discuss the phenomenon
of `multicolored revolutions’ is to be held at the Caucasian
Institute of Mass Media (CIMM) in Yerevan on February 25. Acording to
the information reported by the Institute, the following subjects are
to be discussed: `External influence or internal processes?’, `Who is
next?’, `What is Armenia`s place in this list?’, `Does this await
Armenia or has it already been?’. CIMM Director, political scientist
Alexander Iskandaryan is to make a brief reports. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

SPEAKER OF RA NA TO PAY VISIT TO AUSTRIA

YEREVAN, February 21. /ARKA/. An Armenian delegation headed by
Speaker of the RA National Assembly Artur Baghdasaryan is to be on an
official visit to Austria on February 22-25. The public Relations
Department, Ra National Assembly, reports that the Armenian
delegation is to hold meetings with Austrian President Heinz Fischer,
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, Chairman of Bundestag Andreas Holl and
other representatives of the country’s Legislature and Executive. The
Armenia delegation is also to hold a meeting with the President of
the Austrian Academy of Sciences. On February 24, the Armenian
delegation is to take part in the ceremonial opening of the winter
session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Speaker of the
Armenian Parliament is to hold special meeting with the Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Christian Schtrohal,
Slovenian Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dmitry Rupel
and OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubish. A meeting owith the Armenian
community in Austria is also planned. On February 25 the Armenian
delegation is to return to Yerevan. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

TOTAL CAPITAL OF NEW BNF-BANK CJSC TO MAKE $5 MLN

YEREVAN, February 21. /ARKA/. Total capital of BNF-Bank, a new CJSC
in Armenia, will make $5 mln, as stated the Chairman of Armenian
Central Bank Tigran Sargsyan. In his words, one of the bank’s key
shareholders is Canadian entrepreneur making his business also on CIS
territory, the Middle Asia and the East. According to Sargsyan, the
businessman, who is familiar with Armenian law, thinks it is
acceptable to him as well as to Armenia’s banking system.
It should be reminded that the CBA Board made a decision on February
1, 2005, to approve preliminarily the idea of giving license to the
BNF-Bank CJSC to authorize its bank activity.
By January 1, 2005, total capital of the bank system of Armenia
increased by 30% up to AMD 65 bln. The authorized stock capital made
AMD 40.1 bln rising by AMD 3,4 bln. Along with that, weight share of
non-residents in the authorized stock capital made 52,6%. Today 20
banks and 230 branches are functioning in Armenia. ($1 = AMD 472,68).
M.V. -0–

*********************************************************************

NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REITERATES KARABAKH
PEOPLE DETERMINATION TO BUILD INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC STATE BASING ON
THE SELF-DETERMINATION RIGHT

YEREVAN, February 21. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s National
Assembly reiterated Karabakh people determination to build
independent democratic state basing on the self-determination right,
Karabakh Parliament stated in its address on the occasion of the 17th
anniversary of the historic parliamentary session of the Council of
national deputies of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region held on
February 20,1988, when the decision on independence declaration was
made.
In its address, the Parliament says Karabakh authorities keep seeking
peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the OSCE
Minsk Group and urge Azerbaijani leadership to abandon
having-no-prospects policy of confrontation and concentrate efforts
on reaching peace and stability in the region and forming the
atmosphere of trust and tolerance.
`NKR National Assembly addresses all countries’ parliaments calling
on them to promote international recognition of NKR as independent
state and hope that international community will give due
appreciation to Karabakh people efforts focused on creating lawful
state and civil society’, says the National Assembly’s address on the
Artshakh Revival Day. M.V. -0–

*********************************************************************

NKR MINISTERY OF DEFENSE: MURDER OF ARMENIAN LIEUTENANT GOURGEN
MARGARYAN IS CONSIDERED AS A RESULT OF ANTI-ARMENIAN AND MILITARIST
PROPAGANDA OF AZERBAIJAN

STEPANAKERT , February 21. /ARKA/. Murder of Armenian Lieutenant
Gourgen Margaryan is considered as a result of anti-Armenian and
militarist propaganda of Azerbaijan, which is of consistent
character, as stated in the message of NKR Ministery of Defense on
the occasion of killing Margaryan when asleep with an axe by
Azerbaijani Officer Ramil Safarov in Hungary.
According trot he message, such policy creates an atmosphere of
intolerance between the peoples of the parties in conflict, thus
affecting adversely to Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and threats
peace and security in the region. `This outrageous crime not only
failed to be condemned in Azerbaijan, but on the contrary, the
criminal was declared a national hero, notwithstanding the fact that
Azerbaijani authorities proclaim from the house-tops about democracy
and human values’, he said.
According to the message, such an image of Azerbaijan, the attempts
to make the criminal a hero once more testifies to the fact that the
independence of Nagorno-Karabakh is not only the matter of
self-determination of the nation, but also its existence, which in
itself should be a precondition for any version of the conflict
settlement.
`NKR Defense Army is an important guarantor for regional stability,
and under the conditions of the absence of international peacekeeping
forces, in the zone of tension caused by Azerbaijan it assumes the
role of a deterring factor. For successful carrying out of the
mission, NKR Defense Army will continue increasing its alertness, in
order to defend both independence and territorial integrity of the
republic in case of necessity’, as stated NKR Minister of Defense.
A.H. -0–

*********************************************************************

A YOUTH MOVEMENT WAS ORGANIZED IN STEPANAKERT ON THE OCCASION OF
ARTSAKH REVIVAL DAY

STEPANAKERT, February 21. /ARKA/. A youth movement was organized in
Stepanakert at the initiative of Karabakh Youth Organization `Hayki
Serund’ (Haik’s generation) under the motto `Following the Path of
Elders to Final Victory’ on the occasion of Artsakh Revival Day.
Representatives of youth organizations of NKR, students of schools of
the republic and teachers collectives, as well as delegates of
military-sport college after General Christopher Ivanyan participated
in the youth movement.
According to ARKA’s reporter in Stepanakert, the participants of the
movement gathered on the Victory square of the republic. The rector
of Artsakh State University, an activist of Karabakh movement hamlet
Grigoryan spoke on the square and stated that exactly 17 years before
the square had been full of thousands of Karabakh people, and they
had been proud of being able to speak freely, not being afraid of
decisive steps, and now it’s the time to show the world that Artsakh
was Armenian and remains to be Armenian territory. Also he told the
people present that some details of the events tracing to February
20, 1988 and appealed to people for continuing the deeds of older
people not only on the battle field but also in all areas of life.
Afterwards, the youth movement directed to the Memorial Complex of
Stepanakert, where they paid tribute to the memory of the soldiers
perished in Karabakh war.
To remind, on February 20, 1988 a special session of the Council of
Deputies of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAR)took place. The
crucial decision on ` submitting a petition to the Supreme Councils
of Azerbaijani and Armenian SSRs regarding withdrawal of NKAR from
Azerbaijan and becoming a part of Armenia’ was taken at the session.
This decision was preceded by analogous ones made by regional
Councils of national deputies. However, the political bureau of CC of
CPSS adopted a decree on February 21 which contradicted to
international principles for self-determination of peoples: the
political solution of the problem was attempted to be replaced by the
political bureau with social-economic ones, which caused categorical
protests of the population. The Azerbaijani side replied with
aggression to the decision of NKAR to join Armenia. A.H. -0–

PanArmenian News
Feb 22 2005

AZERBAIJAN MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO LIBERATE SOLDIERS TAKEN HOSTAGE IN
KARABAKH

22.02.2005 17:22

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan makes every effort to liberate soldiers
taken captive by the Nagorno Karabakh army when trespassing the
border, stated Eldar Samedov, the deputy chief of the working group
of the State Commission of Azerbaijan for work with captives, the
missing and those taken hostage. In his words, Azeri servicemen
Khikmet Tagiyev, Khayal Abdullayev and Ruslan Bashirov are safe and
sound. He noted that the Armenian party also confirms that the
captives are safe and sound. Eldar Samedov noted that the
negotiations with the International Committee of the Red Cross Baku
office over liberation of the captives continue. In his opinion, the
issue of liberation of the Azeri captives will be decided soon. It
should be reminded that February 15 servicemen of the fifth defense
territory of Nagorno Karabakh discovered and took captive three Azeri
servicemen, who had trespassed the border. After clearing out the
circumstances the Azeri captives will be exchanged to all appearance.

Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
February 21, 2005

VOLTCHKOV SENDS SARGSIAN CRASHING

Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter

–>Belarussian Vladimir Voltchkov sent top seed Sargis Sargsian
tumbling from the qualifiers for the main draw of the Dubai Duty Free
Men’s Open yesterday.

Voltchkov beat the Armenian in three sets 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to make his
second main draw entry in this tournament.

Sargsian took the first set in the tie-breaker 7-6. But Voltchkov
came back to win the second set tie-breaker and force the game into a
decider.

The Belarussian was leading 3-1 and 5-3 in the second set tie-break.
But Sargsian drew level. “But I couldn’t do more than that,” Sargsian
said later.

With fatigue setting in, Sargsian found the going tough as he became
more prone to unforced errors.

Also advancing to the main draw was Ivo Minar with a swift 6-2, 6-4
win against Igor Kunitsyn. Minar will face top seed Roger Federer in
the opening round.

Results: Ivo Minar bt Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-4; Jean-Rene Lisnard bt
Andreas Seppi 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Vladimir Voltchkov bt Sargis Sargsian
6-7, 7-6, 6-2; Marco Chiudinelli bt Bohdan Ulihrach 6-3, 6-4.

Lebanon Is on the Brink. Syria Begins Arming its Supporters

DEBKA file, Israel
Feb 19 2005

DEBKAfile Special Report

Lebanon’s climate has been charged with latent violence since the
assassination Monday, February 14, of Lebanese former prime minister
Rafiq Hariri, and his funeral two days later. Sparks began flying
when the opposition unveiled their “peaceful democratic uprising for
independence” Friday, February 18, and, as revealed by DEBKAfile’s
intelligence sources, Syrian forces began distributing weapons to
groups supporting Damascus and the 1.4 million expatriate laborers
in the country.

The resignations of president Emil Lahoude and the Karame government
were forcefully demanded by the opposition leader, Walid Jumblatt,
head of the Lebanese Druses who speaks for a rare multiethnic coalition
made up of his own community, Christian factions endorsed by Maronite
Catholic Archbishop Nasrallah Sfeir, and Sunni Muslims led by the
dead billionaire’s oldest son, Bahaa Hariri, with the blessing of
the Sunni Muslim Mufti of Lebanon.

Saturday, February 19, Omar Karame, who succeeded Rafiq Hariri as
prime minister, accused this group of attempting a coup d’etat.

The belligerent Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned (or
threatened) that “popular agitation against Syria’s grip on the country
following the killing of Rafiq Hariri could plunge Lebanon into civil
war again. Backed solidly from Damascus and Tehran, he exhorted the
100,000 Shiites massed in Beirut to mark the Ashura festival not to
forget the real enemy. “Death to Israel!” they roared after him.

All three uprisings launched in the Middle East in five years were
steeped in violence. In 1991, after the first Gulf War, Iraq’s Shiites
rose up against the Saddam regime. Thousands were savagely mowed down
by his tanks. Syria’s Kurdish community challenged Assad in 2003,
only to lose thousands of dead and many more thrown into Syria’s
prisons. The Palestinian confrontation with Israel has left 5,000
Palestinian and 1,300 Israelis dead since 2000.

The sparks will fly in earnest when government and Syrians move into
aggressive mode to crush the opposition, which will become increasingly
inflamed by multiplying leads to Syria and its Lebanese minions as
Hariri’s assassins.

Our sources report that US, French and Israeli intelligence have
already gathered solid evidence that General Rostum Ghazallah of
Syrian military intelligence orchestrated the murder on orders from
Damascus with the aid of Lebanese general intelligence and its chief
General Jamil al-Sayad.

The Damascus-backed government in Beirut and its masters has no
intention of going quietly. Bashar Assad desperately needs the
political and economic benefits he extorts from Lebanon to prop up
his regime.

Monday, February 21, presidents George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac
meet in Paris. With Lebanon at the forefront of their agenda, they
will have to look hard at some tough questions. How to handle the
situation if Assad orders his Syrian troops in Lebanon to march on
Beirut in defense of his puppet government? And worse still, what
if the full weight of the Syrian army is sent across the border to
squash the uprising? Will the two Western leaders dispatch a joint
US-French force to repulse the Syrian onslaught?

If they did, it would be the most drastic event to hit the Middle
East since the March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. The second American
invasion of an Arab land might this time be partnered or endorsed by
a European power.

To force the hands of the American and French presidents, the leaders
of the Lebanese uprising are preparing a spectacular event to coincide
with their summit. One proposal is for a hundreds of thousands of
protesters to march through Beirut’s streets and seize the parliament
building.

Other “intifada” events in the planning:

1. Giant rallies to strangle normal life in the capital.

2. A human chain from Hariri’s tomb to government headquarters on
the seam-line dividing the Hizballah-dominated southern district from
the Christian-controlled West that would aim to paralyze government
activity

Opposition leaders have notified Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,
head of the Shiite Amal, that the only session they will allow to
be held is an open debate on the murder of the former prime minister
that produces the formation of a state inquiry commission.

3. This commission’s mandatory guideline must be to call General
Rostum Ghazallah as its first witness.

4. The mobilization of Lebanese expatriate communities in the United
States and Europe for synchronized street rallies to generate broad
international popular sympathy on the same lines as Ukraine’s Orange
Revolution.

5. Armenian Christians in Lebanon and Western countries will be asked
to join the struggle.

The campaign waged by this anti-Syrian coalition faces three major
challenges:

First, to keep a tight rein on the uprising so that it does not run out
of control and degenerate into a bloodbath and all-out civil strife.

Second, to divide the hitherto pro-Syrian Shiite community against
itself. If parliament speaker Berri can be won over to the opposition
side against the government, the Shiites will be split between Amal and
Hizballah. This will sunder the entire pro-Syrian front and seriously
shake the government.

DEBKAfile’s Lebanese sources report that most Karame cabinet ministers
have departed Beirut to avoid the sound and fury following the
assassination; the tourism minister has resigned. President Lahoud
has not so far uttered a word on the crisis, no doubt waiting for
his script to be written in Damascus.

Third, The opposition must prove it can get the masses out on the
streets for long, sustained rallies. Its failure to muster sizeable
popular backing would foredoom the intifada to failure. If the struggle
peters out, Syria will tighten its grip on Lebanon and go from strength
to strength, with adverse effect on America’s strategic position in
the region and a setback for Israel too.

With the old Levant under their jackboots, the Syrians will quickly
expand their role as main crossroads for international terrorists
moving back and forth among their targeted arenas – whether into Iraq
or over to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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:

ARAM I REMINDS THE GLOBAL CHURCHES THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE UNPUNISHED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

In his report to the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches,
which meets once a year, His Holiness Aram I referring to the Armenian
Genocide, said: “This year my church and people will commemorate the 90th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. During the First World War in 1915,
one-and-a-half million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman-Turkish
government according to a well-devised and systematically executed plan.
Although my generation did not directly experience the tragic past, the
Armenian Genocide has had a strong impact on our spiritual and intellectual
formation. The past haunts the victims; we cannot free ourselves from the
past unless that past is duly recognized”.

This reference was made in the context of His Holiness’ analysis of the
question of forgiveness and reconciliation. He said: “The acceptance of
truth is the sine qua non condition for forgiveness. The past must be
confronted boldly and be challenged responsibly. Neglecting the past with
its wounds will not help to build a new future. When the memories are not
healed, they hold us hostage to the past; when they are healed, through
confession and forgiveness, they empower us to rebuild relationships,
promote mutual trust and acceptance, and engage in a process of
transformation. Unhealed memories cause violence, hate and fragmentation.
Forgiveness, as a response to confession, is a determining factor in the
healing and reconciliation process. Through forgiveness, we accept each
other in truth and justice. Forgiveness is costly; only confession must lead
to forgiveness, which is a pre-condition for real healing and
reconciliation”.

On the occasion of the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide several
activities are organized in the world-wide Armenian Communities.

##
View printable pictures here:

**********
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.