Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

ARMAN MELIKIAN: NAGORNY KARABAKH WILL PROCEED FROM MAXIMUM GUARANTEES
OF SECURITY
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22. ARMINFO. Nagorny Karabakh will not proceed from
minimum guarantees of its security. Minister of Foreign AFfairs of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arman Melikian stated during the news
conference in Yerevan, Tuesday.
“We shall proceed from maximum guarantees of security”, the minister
said, but, refusing to make concrete. According to him, now NKR is not
involved in the negotiation process for certain reasons, but its
results do not give today a clear estimate how the continuation will
be. Answering the question of journalists, the minister mentioned that
the situation can be considered normal in the case if the problem is
solved, and the parties are satisfied with the resolution. “But to
speak about the increasing threat for Nagorny Karabakh I also consider
groundless”, the minister stressed.

Eurasia Insight:
ARMENIA: US SUPPORT FOR KOCHARIAN HOLDS FIRM
Haroutiun Khachatrian: 2/22/05
When a top US diplomat recently referred to Nagorno-Karabakh leaders as
“criminal secessionists,” policymakers and pundits in Yerevan worried that
the White House was rethinking its support for Armenian President Robert
Kocharian’s administration.
Armenia’s ties with the United States have long been a subject of vigorous
discussion in Yerevan. While the United States ranks as the country’s main
foreign aid donor, Armenia has traditionally hinged its foreign policy on a
strategic partnership with Russia, the only country in the South Caucasus to
do so. Maintaining equilibrium between the two powers has not been easy for
Armenian authorities, and recent events have strained the policy still
further.
The January 2005 deployment of 46 Armenian military personnel to Iraq was
met by strong public opposition, mainly caused by concerns that the move
might spark anti-Armenian reactions in Iraq and other Middle Eastern
countries with Armenian minorities. Opposition members claimed that the
troop deployment was an ill-calculated maneuver by Kocharian and Defense
Minister Serge Sargisian to curry favor with Washington. [For background see
the Eurasia insight archive]. Government officials, however, have denied
that support for US Iraq operations was ever named as a condition for aid to
Armenia.
After the so-called Orange Revolution in Ukraine, in which opposition
demonstrators in late 2004 reversed the results of a rigged presidential
election, some regional political analysts suggested Armenia might be next
in line for a political make-over, noting some similarities in the political
mood in both Yerevan and Kyiv, in particular the bitter relations between
government and opposition forces. They went on to suggest that the United
States might welcome any regime change in the region that was viewed as
accelerating the pace of democratization.
Not all analysts agree. “I do not see a reason why the American
administration, which has cooperated with Kocharian so far, should take any
moves to remove him now,” Alexander Iskandarian, a Caucasus analyst and
director of the Caucasus Media Institute in Yerevan said. Tevan Poghosyan,
executive director of the International Center for Human Development, a
Yerevan-based think tank, agreed. For the United States, stability in
Armenia and the South Caucasus is the most important factor, he said.
Conjecture about Washington’s intentions reached its peak in late January,
when reports circulated that US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones
had used the term “criminal secessionists” to describe ethnic Armenian
leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. Despite Jones’ later apology, many analysts
and opposition politicians in Yerevan saw the comments as a sign that
Washington’s stance on Nagorno-Karabakh was becoming “anti-Armenian.”
Aid numbers tell a different story. Armenia remains one of the world’s
largest recipients of US financial assistance, in per capita terms. Although
the US draft budget for fiscal year 2006 would leave the country $20 million
less than was allotted last year — $55 million – the document also contains
the first humanitarian assistance for Nagorno-Karabakh, some $3 million.
More assistance could also soon be in the works. As part of Washington’s
Millennium Challenge program for developing democratic countries, Armenia
could receive up to $350 million in the next two years.
Despite the aid commitment, some political observers believe that Armenia is
a comparatively low foreign policy priority for Washington. “For the USA,
the key countries in this region are Azerbaijan, for its oil, and Georgia,
for its role as a territory needed for the stable [transport] of this oil,”
said Poghosyan. “Armenia presents an interest for the American government
mainly due to the 1.5 million ethnic Armenians who are American citizens.”
Even as Armenia struggles to balance its relations with Washington and
Moscow, it continues to look to diversify its policy options. In recent
years, Yerevan has cultivated relations with Iran, which plans to build a
gas pipeline to Armenia that would allow the country to break its dependency
on Russian natural gas. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Tehran has also indicated a willingness to broker a resolution to the
standoff with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition, Yerevan has
begun talks to gain observer status in the League of Arab States and the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, while exploring an expansion of
trade ties with the Persian Gulf states of Kuwait and Bahrain.
So far, Washington has not publicly responded to the strengthening
Yerevan-Tehran relationship. Armenian leaders are thus treading carefully,
hoping to avoid angering the Bush administration. For now, though,
Washington appears ready to accentuate the positive – at least in public.
Speaking at a February 11 meeting in New York City with representatives of
the Armenian Diaspora, Ambassador John Evans was succinct: “Armenia today is
on the right track.”
Editor’s Note: Haroutiun Khachatrian is a Yerevan-based writer specializing
in economic and political affairs.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA OF NEW AMBASSADOR OF ARMENIA TO IRAN KAREN NAZARIAN
YEREVAN, February 18 (Noyan Tapan). It was already mentioned that by
RA President Robert Kocharian’s decree Karen Nazarian is appointed
Ambassador of Armenia to Iran. The press service of the RA Ministry
of Foreign Affairs provided Noyan Tapan with the biographical data
of the newly appointed Ambassador. K. Nazarian was born in Yerevan
on November 29, 1966. In 1990, he graduated from the Yerevan State
University, the Faculty of the Oriental Studies. K. Nazarian has worked
in the system of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1991, he
worked at the Department on Military-Political Problems. In 1992-94,
he worked at the Embassy of Armenia in Russia. In 1994-96, he was
the Chief of the Secretariat of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the Head of the staff. In 1996-2002, he worked in Geneva as the
Ambassador of Armenia to the UN and the Resident Representative. From
2002 up to his last appointment he worked as the Adviser of the RA
Minister of Foreign Affairs, being a member of the Armenian-American
Inter-Governmental Commission. His has the diplomatic degree of
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He is married,
has two children.

Opposition Azeri leader receives support in France
The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 18 2005
Azeri newspaper Ekho. Baku reports that leader of Azerbaijan’s
opposition Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli, visited several foreign
countries recently, including France.
Within the framework of the Paris meetings, Kerimli visited the
lower chamber of the French Parliament. MPs also met with Kerimli
and were primarily interested in the situation in Azerbaijan and the
run-up to the new parliamentary elections in the country. According
to the paper, Kerimli spoke about the devotion of the Azeri people
to democratic reforms.
In addition French MPs were interested in the influence of the events
in Georgia and Ukraine on Azerbaijan. They also asked about the
potential for democratic forces and opposition in the country. The
paper writes that Kerimli replied that the majority of Azeri people
prefer democracy and the lifestyle of freedom.
“Sooner or later, democracy in the country will be restored,” stressed
Kerimli and called on the French politicians to render support to
democratic changes and reforms in Azerbaijan.
The settlement of the Karabakh conflict was addressed during a meeting
between Kerimli and the French co-chairman of the Minsk Group of the
OSCE, Bernard Fassie. Fassie stated that he supports the continuation
of negotiations between the ministers of foreign affairs of the two
opposing sides. He also noted that the Minsk group will support any
compromise between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Kerimli replied that the
conflict should be solved only within the framework of territorial
integrity and international laws.

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:
IN HIS REPORT TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF THE WCC HIS HOLINESS CALLED FOR THE REDISCOVERY OF THE CHUCRH’S HEALING
MINISTRY
In his annual report to the Central Committee of the World Council of
Churches His Holiness Aram I, the Moderator of the WCC, focused his
reflections on the healing ministry of the church. He said: “The dawn of the
21st century is marked by growing uncertainty and anxiety. The world in
which we live is broken, a world dominated by evil forces that are
generating a culture of violence and hopelessness. The world is in desperate
need of healing in almost all spheres of human life”. The renewed concern
and awareness towards healing in a new world context raises for the
churches, His Holiness said, “fundamental theological, missiological,
ethical and pastoral questions that require critical scrutiny”.
Catholicos Aram I started his theological and missiological analysis by
healing as the “transforming, empowering and reconciling missionary action
of the church”. He referred to healing as a vital dimension of the Church’s
ministry and an ecumenical priority. Speaking about healing as a missionary
concern, His Holiness said that “healing is an ontological and not a
functional reality. It pertains to the essence of the Church”. He emphasized
the importance of “holistic approach” to healing and called for the
integration of “scientific healing” and “divine healing”.
Catholicos Aram I developed his reflections under three major healings:
healing as transforming, healing as empowering, healing as reconciling.
1) As transforming power of God “healing is the beginning of new life in
Christ. It is the restoration of the brokenness of life. It is the recovery
of life’s wholeness. The Christian understanding of healing is ultimately
salvation”.
2) Healing is God’s power acting through the Holy Spirit in Jesus
Christ (Lk. 4: 14)”. Human power is “ambiguous and ambivalent”. Catholicos
Aram I called for “a moral criterion in the exercise of power to avoid the
misuse and abuse of power”. Speaking about the importance of transforming
the ambiguity of power, Aram I stressed the need to move “From violent to
non-violent power; from sufficiency to vulnerability of power; from absolute
to accountable power; from centralized to shared power”. Speaking about the
Christian perception of power, he said: “God’s power is revealed through the
powerlessness, God’s powerlessness is life-generating; it is the church’s
source of empowering”.
3) Reconciliation is a significant feature of healing: “The Christ event
is a source and a message of reconciliation” said His Holiness, and focused
his analysis on confession and forgiveness as the way towards
reconciliation. In this context, Aram I considered forgiveness “a gift and a
task”. He said that “forgiving is not ignoring the past. The acceptance of
truth is precondition for forgiveness. And forgiveness must lead to
reconciling memories and it must generate justice”.
His Holiness called the churches to renew their mission of healing: “Today,
the brokenness of the world is being experienced existentially and acutely.
Humanity is caught in a state of deep fear and insecurity. The world is
increasingly becoming confusing and threatening. Lack of mutual trust and
tolerance between communities is polarizing them and making them more
violent. Is there any more credible and urgent mission for the church than
to become a true instrument of God’s healing, transforming, empowering and
reconciling power? Against human power Christ revealed His powerlessness;
against human pride He revealed His humility; against human hatred He
revealed His love; against human divisions He revealed His reconciliation;
against human sin He revealed His salvation; against human death He revealed
His life. This is the way of Christ. This must became the way of His church.
God’s mission calls for a healing church in the midst of a broken,
fragmented and alienated world”.
Read the full text of the WCC Moderator’s report to Central Committee here
##
View printable pictures here:
res63.htm
ictures64.htm
********
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.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
PRESENTED AT SIAMANTO ACADEMY
by Gilda Buchakjian-Kupelian
NEW YORK, NY-Students at the Siamanto Academy of the Armenian National
Education Committee recently had the privilege to attend a most edifying
lecture by ethnomusicologist Krikor Pidedjian, and participated in the
second session of a theatrical workshop with acclaimed actress and producer
Nora Armani.
Mr. Pidedjian’s lecture focused on the work of Gomidas Vartabed on the
occasion of his 135th birthday. A Gomidas specialist and the author of
several authoritative books and articles on the various expressions of
Armenian music, Mr. Pidedjian introduced Gomidas Vartabed as the cleric who
rescued ancient Armenian songs from extinction by gathering them from remote
villages. A special part of the presentation included Mr. Pidedjian’s own
collection of books, awards and original music by Gomidas, including a
recording in his own voice and a sample of his handwriting.
Siamanto Academy students attended the second session of the highly
awaited theater workshop conducted by Nora Armani. Principal Krikor
Lakissian introduced the renowned guest, who hails from Egypt, and who has
had an auspicious presence on the European, Middle Eastern and American
stage and silver screen, garnering several awards for her work. Ms Armani
divided the students into small groups and led movement and vocal exercises.
An enthusiastic question and answer period followed.
The above programs are indicative of the rich, cultural exposure given
to the students of the Siamanto Academy. In an effort to benefit a larger
circle of Armenian youth, the Academy is seeking to include students from
Philadelphia and alumni from the New Jersey Nareg Saturday School in
sessions conducted by guest lecturers. Furthermore, Siamanto Academy
students have been invited to participate in the Hamazkayin of New York
chorus in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Genocide.
Mr. Lakissian thanked the presenters on behalf of the Armenian National
Education Committee and the Siamanto Academy. “Your expert and captivating
presentations, which will be remembered by the students with pride, are an
important part of their education,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Death of Georgia’s Prime Minister Fuels Speculation
By Anna Arutunyan and Oleg Liakhovich
The Moscow News
14.02.05 Monday
Georgia’s Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania died last week in what appeared
to be a tragic accident involving household gas, but his death has
fueled fantastic speculations surrounding Georgia’s geopolitical
relationship to Russia since President Mikhail Saakashvili came to
power one year ago in a coup much like Ukraine’s.
Zhvania, accompanied by security guards, was visiting his friend,
deputy governor of the Kvema Kartli region Raul Yusupov, in his home
on Wednesday night. After the guards lost touch with him over the
phone, they broke down the door and found the prime minister dead,
slumped over a table set with food and backgammon. His friend was
found dead in the kitchen.
Preliminary investigations linked the deaths with gas poisoning.
Investigators initially suspected a gas leak, while medics determined
the cause of death to be carbon-monoxide poisoning. There were no
signs of violence in the apartment or on Zhvania’s body. But there
was also no evidence of a gas leak in the stove; investigators believe
that carbon monoxide had accumulated in the room.
The Prosecutor General has said that FBI experts will join a team of
forensic analysts to ascertain the circumstances of Zhvania’s death.
Zhvania seemed an unlikely target for an assassination. He had
headed the majority political party under Eduard Shevardnadze’s
administration, and was instrumental in guiding the country through
a bloodless transformation when Shevardnadze was ousted from power
after Saakashvili’s landslide victory. Saakashvili, however, insisted
on territorial integrity for his country, which has suffered years
of war in two breakaway regions – Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia,
meanwhile, has backed the separation of Abkhazia, going as far as to
grant Russian citizenship to its residents. After the Revolution of
Roses, the conflict in the regions escalated, heightening tensions
between Russia and the former Soviet state.
In light of this, Georgian parliamentarian Amiran Shalamberidze
said on Thursday that Russia was behind the poisoning, and linked
Zhvania’s death to a car bombing that killed three policemen in Gori,
the Georgian city nearest to South Ossetia, earlier this week. On the
day he died, Zhvania had cautioned against blaming South Ossetians
for the car bombing.
The allegations were immediately blasted, however, by Georgian
officials. Indeed, Zhvania was a moderate who had always tried to
seek a compromise, and had backed Russia for peaceful negotiations
in Abkhazia.
Still, Saakashvili’s slip of the tongue – “About Zhvania’s
murder… I’m sorry, death” during a conference Friday only added
more weight to various allegations. The wife of Yusupov suggested that
the meeting between her husband and Zhvania was initially planned for
another apartment. And former speaker of Shevarnadze’s party, Irina
Sarishvili-Chanturia blatantly implicated the Georgian government in
Zhvania’s death.
If it was a rumor, it never seemed to die. While Russian commentators
speculated on national television that Saakashvili himself may
have been behind Zhvania’s death, the murder of Zhvania’s friend,
Georgian businessman Mamuk Dzhincharadze, in Moscow on Saturday,
only corroborated the speculations.
Dzhincharadze headed the SlavTek oil company in Russia, where he was
a parliamentarian in the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk. But he had
also been invited personally by Zhvania to take part in last summer’s
Russia-Georgia business forum.
With over a week to go before the official verdict on Zhvania’s cause
of death, Moscow tabloids, citing law enforcement authorities, rushed
to note that Dzhincharadze had enemies both in Russia and Georgia.

Peace in Karabakh to help ensure stability in Caucasus – FMs
By Valery Litvinenko
ITAR-TASS News Agency , Russia
February 10, 2005 Thursday 12:23 PM Eastern Time
ANKARA, February 10 — Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Azerbaijan –
Abdullah Gul and Elmar Mamedyarov – agree that the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement is one of the main conditions for peace in the Caucasus.
On Thursday, the foreign ministers held talks on the development of
bilateral relations, world and regional problems. Much attention was
riveted to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Gul said upon completion of
the talks.
Economic relations between the two friendly countries are developing
dynamically in the last years. The volume of economic ties reached
500 million U.S. dollars, the Turkish minister stressed.
Gul said he is hopeful that the peace talks on this problem will
yield success, which will help normalise relations with Armenia.
Mamedyarov thanked his Turkish counterpart for support that Ankara
provided to Azerbaijan in order to solve this Nagorno-Karabakh
problem. The Azerbaijani minister said he believes that the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan gas pipeline will be commissioned in 2006 or 2007.
According to Anatolia News Agency, the talks focused on Azerbaijan’s
participation in the isolation of the so-called Turkish Republic of
North Cyprus. Gul said, “In this aspect Baku’s policy may become an
example for other countries.” In response the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry stressed that this problem is considered by experts.

RUSSIAN FM TO VISIT ARMENIA FEBRUARY 16
ArmenPress
Feb 10 2005
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign ministry press
office has confirmed today that Russian foreign minister Sergey
Lavrov will pay a two-day visit to Armenia on February 16 to discuss
the details of Russia’s Putn’s visit to Yerevan later this year. The
ministry said Lavrov’s visit is “the continuation of an intensively
unfolding dialogue between the two countries in an effort to deepen
cooperation between Armenian and Russian foreign ministries, as well
as various-level bilateral ties.”
This will be Lavrov’s first official visit to Armenia where he and
top Armenian officials are expected to discuss a wide array of issues
on of strategic bilateral partnership and interaction between Armenia
and Russia within different international organizations.”
The ministry also said a special focus in the talks will be on the
current pace of Nagorno Karabagh conflict regulation, as well as on
building an atmosphere of mutual understanding in the South Caucasus.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 9 2005
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES DELEGATION LED BY EU
SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS HEIKKI TALVITIE
[February 09, 2005, 17:32:11]
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received at the Presidential
Palace a European Union delegation led by EU Special Envoy for South
Caucasus Heikki Talvitie, February 9.
Head of the Azerbaijan State expressed satisfaction with the
intensive development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the
European Union, of active participation of the Republic in the EU new
neighboring policy. Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan’s
position related to the problem bases on the norms and principles of
the international law – that is, on territorial integrity and
inviolability of borders.
He stated that the conflicts existing in the former soviet space and
followed by aggressive separatism damage peace and stability in the
region. From this standpoint, the objective position condemning the
Armenian separatism and the aggression of Azerbaijan against
Azerbaijan in the documents of the Council of Europe and other
international organizations is of great significance. Head of the
Azerbaijan State stressed confidence for further cooperation of
Azerbaijan-European Union.
Mr. Talvitie gave high assessment to expansion of the relations
between the European Union and Azerbaijan, stating these relations
will develop and strengthen in the years ahead.
At the meeting, also were discussed various aspects of EU-Azerbaijan
co-op, regional questions and other issues of mutual interest.