Author: Tambiyan Samvel

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:
HIS HOLINESS MEETS WITH A DELEGATION
REPRESENTING THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION
His Holiness Aram I met with a delegation representing the Lebanese
Opposition on March 17. The delegation, headed by Simone Karam,
explained the different aspects of the current situation of Lebanon
to His Holiness, expressed their concerns and presented their offers.
His Holiness informed the delegation about his views regarding the
country’s current situation. He stressed on the importance of solving
problems through dialogue and mutual understanding.
##
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.

ChristianIraq.com, IL
March 21 2005
ChaldoAssyrians need Congress Too
Filed under: Christians Editorials- Gordon Lake @ 8:09 am
Observation by Gordon Lake
When Congress rushed back into session and the President flew back
to Washington for the sole purpose of keeping one person alive I was
impressed. And when they assured the media that this was not about
politics and this was not because Terri Schiavo was in the headlines,
the American inside of me wanted to believe.
I thought, if Congress cared this much about one life, then surely
they would care about millions of lives at risk in the minority and
Christian communities in Iraq.
Iraq’s ChaldoAssyrian Christians, Turkmen, Yazidi, Shabak and Armenians
are not headline names like Shiite, Sunni or Kurds, but as Congress
has pointed out, it’s not about headlines, it’s about life. And the
lives of Iraq’s minority communities are at risk.
Those communities are seeking a safe haven in Iraq where they can
determine the future of their children and stem the ethnic cleansing
that has already begun, causing ten of thousands to flee Iraq since
the fall of Saddam Hussein.
I want to believe that Congress cares as much about the lives of
millions on the back pages as it cares about the life of the one on
the front page.
I want to believe that this is not about adding an extra line to a
re-election campaign commercial, or using Terri Schiavo as a talking
point in a political debate. I hope this is not about turning this
woman’s situation and her family’s agony into a campaign button or
bumper sticker.
If this is real, if Congress and the White House really does have a
heart for human life even if it’s not in the headlines, then there is
a possibility that Congress will take a look at the struggles of Iraq’s
ChaldoAssyrian Christians, Turkmen, Yazidi, Shabak and Armenians.
If this is not real, it means we have all lived to see the day when
Congress and White House no longer governs this nation, the media does.

Jamestown Foundation
March 18 2005

SECESSIONIST LEADERS PARADE IN MOSCOW
By Vladimir Socor
Sergei Bagapsh, Eduard Kokoiti, and Arkady Gukasian, leaders
respectively of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Karabakh, spent most of
this week meeting with Russian officials in Moscow. They also held a
publicly reported meeting there among themselves on March 16.
Transnistria leader Igor Smirnov was expected in Moscow for the March
16 meeting, but was advised at the last moment to delay his arrival.
His public appearance in that meeting would have provided Moldovan
President Vladimir Voronin with political ammunition against Russia’s
“centrist” and leftist allies in Chisinau, who intend to unseat
Voronin and force repeat elections when the new parliament convenes
next week.
The three participating leaders made public a decision to convene a
“summit” of the leaders of Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and
Karabakh in April in Sukhumi. They cited “the tense situation around
Transnistria and South Ossetia” as a justification for holding such
meetings at this time. Bagapsh, Kokoiti, and Gukasian also met
separately with the Russian presidential administration, government,
military, and Duma officials without publicity.
Bagapsh, on his first visit to Moscow as leader of Abkhazia,
reiterated the previous Abkhaz leadership’s position that economic
cooperation issues must be resolved between Tbilisi and Sukhumi as a
precondition to discussing any political issues; and that “Abkhazia’s
political status can not and will not be a topic of discussion with
Georgia,” because Abkhazia has already defined its status for itself,
as Bagapsh told a news conference. (Interfax, March 16). Responding
to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s offer to meet with
Bagapsh in Tbilisi or in Sukhumi, Bagapsh insisted that economic
agreements would have to be prepared in advance for signing at such a
meeting. Such emphasis on concluding economic agreements is a
shortcut toward de facto equality of status between Tbilisi and
Sukhumi while avoiding political negotiations.
Calling for reconstruction of the Abkhazia stretch of the railroad
that runs from Russia via Georgia to Armenia, as envisaged by the
2003 Sochi agreements, Bagapsh ignored the Abkhaz authorities’
commitments under those agreements, which stipulated “synchronizing”
railroad reconstruction with the organized and safe return of
Georgian refugees. Furthermore, he announced that the process of
handing over Russian citizenship to Abkhazia’s population would
continue; and that returning Georgians would have to accept Abkhaz
internal passports, with “dual Georgian-Abkhaz citizenship,” a
possibility to be discussed. Bagapsh himself has “Russian citizenship
and Abkhaz citizenship,” he said.
Abkhazia would “not allow any peacekeeping troops other than Russian
to be deployed;” and, should Georgia exercise its legal right to ask
the Russian “peacekeepers” to leave, an Abkhaz force would instantly
be forward-deployed in their place,” Bagapsh warned. He also invited
Russia to use the Gudauta military base permanently as an
“anti-terrorist center.” (Russia has unilaterally re-designated
Gudauta a base for “peacekeepers.”) During Bagapsh’s Moscow visit,
the Abkhaz authorities announced that their coastal guard vessels had
chased a Georgian cutter out of “Abkhazia’s territorial waters” and
escorted a Turkish cargo ship safely to Sukhumi.
Bagapsh’s hard line is not necessarily his last word. He may have
felt under pressure to please Moscow on his first visit there as
Abkhaz leader — a position he owes to one faction of Russian
intelligence services. While in Moscow he was flanked by his more
hardline deputy and rival, Raul Khajimba, who is the favorite of
another faction in Russia’s intelligence services. Moreover, Bagapsh
was speaking in the wake of the assassination attempt on his ally,
Alexander Ankvab, who is a moderate among Abkhaz leaders.
The Kremlin timed the secessionist leaders’ visit deliberately to
overlap with Georgian-South Ossetian talks, held on March 16-17 in
Moscow in the framework of the Joint Control Commission (JCC) under
Russia’s “mediation.” The timing appeared designed to demonstrate
that Russia can now overtly pursue a duplicitous policy — “mediator”
in conflicts, as well as protector of secessionists — with impunity.
Georgia’s State Minister and representative to the JCC, Giorgi
Khaindrava, was reduced to commenting plaintively about the
secessionist leaders’ meeting, “What can I say about the creation of
a separatist movement? I feel sad that this policy is being persisted
with, and I don’t think that it would be to Russia’s benefit.” He
went on to express concern that the holding of the secessionists’
summit in Sukhumi “could bring the negotiating processes close to
collapse.” Nevertheless, Khaindrava promised not to bring up this
issue in the JCC meeting. Although failure to bring up this issue in
the JCC rewards the Russian “mediators’ ” duplicity, South Ossetian
representative Boris Chochiev repaid Khaindrava’s restraint by
accusing him of “interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign
republics.”
Throughout the week, Russian government officials from Prime Minister
Mikhail Fradkov on down (with German Gref dissenting) warned that the
government is considering imposing economic sanctions on Moldova, in
response to the Duma’s two recent resolutions accusing Moldova of
hostile actions against Transnistria.
Source: Jamestown Foundation, 18 March 2005

TRIUMPH OF ARMENIAN BEAUTY IN MOTHERLAND OF FASHION
Azg/arm
16 March 05
It is for the first time that the Armenian beauty Lousine Tovmasian
was awarded the First Prize at Miss Europe competition, yielding to
the 22 years old beauty from Germany who won the title of Miss Europe
2005. On March 12, Miss Europe 2005 competition took place at the
sports palace in Paris. The competition was broadcast by RA Public TV.
The representatives from 36 countries participated in the 58th beauty
contest. Before leaving for Paris, Lousine Tovmasian stated that being
accepted among the best five would be the best result for her. “The
most exciting moment was when they were announcing the names of the
best 12 beauties. After they announced the name of the girl from
Turkey, they announced my name. I was very excited but also very
proud,” Lousine Tovmasian said.
Karen Aristakesian, head of Miss Armenia agency, wasn’t less excited
when watching the competition. “When Lousine was included in the best
five, thatwas already a big victory for us. We didn’t expect that she
would win the first prize,” Karen Aristakesian told.
Charles Aznavour, great singer, was included in the jury. Lousine said
that she learnt about that from the advertisements. The beauty said
that the audience applauded for ten minutes, honoring the great
singer.
“Charles Aznavour played definite role in Lousine’s victory. He stated
from the beginning that he came to support the Armenian beauty. But I
should say that Lousine prepared for the competition rather well,”
Karen Aristakesian said.
Lousine was preparing for the contest with other 36 beauties for
almost a month. She made friends with all the participants during this
period. “I made friends with the girl from Germany, in particular. We
lived in one room anddidn’ t expect that we would compete with each
other in the final stage”, Lousine said. The Armenian beauty stated
that all the participants deserved the victory, but she thought the
representative of England was her main opponent. Lousine received a
dress from one of famous designers as a prize.
Lousine received many suggestions and invitations already in the
preparation stage. She said she is going to stay in her homeland for
the coming week.
The Armenian beauties participated in Miss Europe competition for 7
times and only twice they managed to be included among the best 15.
By Arevik Badalian

Zaman, Turkey
March 15 2005
Muslims Converting Christianity of Other Religious Origins
By Istanbul
Published: Tuesday 15, 2005
zaman.com
It was determined that approximately 2,000 people who converted from
Islam to Christianity in the past 88 years were of Armenian, Syrian,
Greek or Jewish origin.
The weekly news magazine Aksiyon in its latest issue drew attention
to a subject that to date has not come to the agenda, “Converted
Christian Turks”. According to the article, thousands of “house
churches” have opened across Anatolia and tens of thousands of
Turkish youths have converted to Christianity.
However, Aksiyon’s article indicated that the reality is very
different. The article indicates that hundreds of Turkish Citizens
who have Turkish names and therefore for many years have been assumed
to be Muslims have recently returned to their former religions and
names. It was noted in the report prepared by Hakan Guven that about
100 people converted to Christianity through marriage.
Among the converted who provided statements for the article are the
relatives of soldiers, politicians and academics.
Some of the political arguments relating to and the actual number of
“Converted Christian Turks” can only be answered by looking at the
official population statistics, and what nationality individual come
from can only be established by researching the population records
through a few generations.
Today, the grandparents of an individual who bears a Turkish-Muslim
name can be from different nationalities. A report that has been in
the media recently is an example of this. The Hurriyet newspaper
reported on February 22 that Ergun Caner who was elected as the
theology dean at Liberty University, known as the castle of
Evangelist Christians, was the son of an imam who immigrated to the
US to spread Islam.
According to the article by Aksiyon, although Caner’s mother Inez
Manica has been considered as Muslim, in reality she is a Swedish
Christian. According to research conducted into those who converted
to Christianity, the conversions mostly take place in Istanbul,
Diyarbakir, Adiyaman, Batman, Sivas, Tunceli, and Malatya.

Une exposition sur l’Arménie
La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
11 mars 2005
Les 12 et 13 mars aura lieu, salle du conseil de la mairie de
Saint-Genouph, une exposition sur l’Arménie. En raison de cette
exposition, le 12 mars, la bibliothèque municipale sera fermée et le
secrétariat de mairie fermera à 11 heures.
–Boundary_(ID_zsLuafnMO0y8oIkwh4saTQ)–

Turkish Daily News
March 10 2005
Turkey ready to face past
Thursday, March 10, 2005
The CHP’s Elekdag is confident that Ankara is now well placed to tell
the West to encourage scholarly investigation into genocide
allegations instead of just listening to the Armenians and passing
resolutions recognizing what they say as fact
FATMA DEMÝRELLÝ
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
In a rare show of solidarity, the Turkish ruling and opposition
parties have joined forces to call for an impartial investigation by
historians into allegations that Armenians were subject to genocide
at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, a bold response to a
decades-old Armenian campaign and mounting international pressure to
force Turkey to recognize the alleged genocide.
The two-party agreement, which came after a Tuesday meeting between
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, requires a three-step
strategy of initiating a joint investigation of Turkish and Armenian
historians; opening of national archives to scholars, not only in
Turkey and Armenia but also in other countries concerned; and the
establishment by an international organization, such as UNESCO, of a
notary mechanism to make sure the investigation will be conducted in
a strictly scientific manner.
The initiative is hailed as unique because it represents a break
with the traditional Turkish reaction of denying allegations and
condemning parliamentary acknowledgements of them, which has prompted
calls in Europe for Turkey to dare to face its past.
“This is motivated by a desire to be proactive; a desire to stop
being defensive and start an offensive,” said Þükrü Elekdag, a deputy
in the CHP, during an interview with the Turkish Daily News. A former
diplomat who worked extensively on the Armenian issue, Elekdag is the
architect of the strategy that was adopted on Tuesday by both the
ruling and opposition parties.
Parliaments in a number of European countries have passed
resolutions recognizing the allegations that 1.5 million Armenians
were killed in a genocide campaign from 1915-1918, the twilight years
of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey denies the allegations and says
Armenians were killed in a partisan war that also claimed many Muslim
Turkish lives. Turkey also accuses Armenians of carrying out
massacres while siding with invading Russian troops. No serious
scientific investigation has been carried out so far to shed light on
this disputed in history.
Turkey has threatened severing ties with countries whose
parliaments acknowledged the allegations. Observers warn a much
bigger wave of pressure to recognize the alleged genocide may descend
upon Turkey in the months to come as Armenians across the world are
preparing for large-scale commemoration activities to mark the 90th
anniversary of the alleged genocide.
Elekdag said Turkey has a solid case to make now before the
Westerners are likely to push Turkey to recognize the Armenian
allegations as facts.
The issue is becoming more important in connection with Turkey’s
bid to join the European Union. Some conservative politicians in EU
countries have already argued that Turkey’s recognition of the
alleged genocide must be a condition for further progress in its bid
to join the EU.
The call for a scientific study is likely to get a better reception
in Europe than strong official condemnation of parliamentary acts by
Turkey. One Western diplomat described the investigation proposal and
the call for supervision by an international actor as “quite useful.”
“Parliaments in European countries have passed resolutions, and
what we did was to appeal to European lawmakers not to do so. But now
it is in a position to say something more meaningful. Turkey can now
tell them to encourage the proposed scholarly investigation instead
of passing resolutions on the basis of one-sided allegations,”
Elekdag said.
Getting ‘Blue Book’ right:
The Turkish initiative also includes attempts to invalidate charges
made in a World War I-era book written by British diplomat James
Bryce and historian Arnold Toynbee called “The Treatment of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire, 1915-1916,” or the “Blue Book,” as it is more
commonly known.
Turkish parliamentarians are now planning to send a letter to the
British House of Lords and House of Commons, asking the British
Parliament to declare the book a “propaganda tool” and thus deny its
arguments that Ottoman Turks had perpetrated a grave crime against
humanity on Armenians in the era concerned.
Elekdag called the book a “masterpiece of British wartime
propaganda” designed to win over the wavering pro-Entente neutrals,
in particular the United States. A letter drafted by Elekdag calling
on British lawmakers to declare the book propaganda material includes
footnotes referring to the British archives.
The “Blue Book” is one of the basic and most frequently cited
documents presented as a basis for Armenian genocide allegations.
Elekdag said even the British investigators who were trying to find
evidence for the alleged genocide to charge some 144 Turkish
officials detained by the then occupying British forces in connection
with the allegations did not use the book’s arguments as a basis.
–Boundary_(ID_IR6o91HA4ts9H75dUm74Gg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Karabakh forces ready to repel Azeri attacks -NKR Defence Minister Seyran Oganyan
Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan
12 Mar 05
Text of Armen Akopyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar on
12 March headlined “The enemy’s provocations have been prevented and
they are being duly repelled”
Even though the calm on the border is always relative, in recent days
the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly broken this seeming calm.
Nagornyy Karabakh Defence Minister Seyran Oganyan comments on the
situation on the border.
This week alone, the Azerbaijani armed forces have seriously violated
the cease-fire regime two or three times, resorting to sabotage and
similar acts near the defence lines of the Artsakh [Karabakh] armed
forces.
[Ayots Ashkhar correspondent] How would you explain the enemy’s
recent activity on the contact and demarcation lines? Do these steps
of the Azerbaijani side pursue only tactical goals or are we dealing
with well-prepared provocations?
[Seyran Oganyan] The recent events on the contact line give rise to
concern, especially as they are regular and are often accompanied
with gunfire. I do not think that these steps by the Azerbaijani side
pursue tactical goals. These are rather provocative acts and the
units of our defence army have taken and will continue to take
relevant steps to prevent them.
[Correspondent] How possible do you think is the supposition that the
Azerbaijani side resorts to such provocations only to find out the
combat readiness of the Armenian armed forces in order to launch more
large-scale attacks? If yes, what is your assessment of the situation
in this context?
[Oganyan] If we suppose that the Azerbaijani side resorts to such
provocations only to find out the combat readiness of the Armenian
armed forces, the recent events on the border, which were not in
favour of the enemy, open great opportunities to draw relevant
conclusions. In this aspect, the idea of launching large-scale
attacks in the future has no prospects. Our armed forces are on alert
and are able not only to repel any large-scale invasion, but also to
launch a proper counter-attack.
[Correspondent] What possible consequences will the enemy’s activity
on the contact line and constant provocations have?
[Oganyan] Additional tension and nothing else. I would describe the
Azerbaijani side’s steps on the front line as fruitless attempts to
achieve something, which will bring them nothing but unjustified
losses. The provision of security on the border is in the focus of
the attention of the NKR army’s command and personnel and it will be
defended under the principle “no falling back.”
[Correspondent] What is your assessment of the information
disseminated by the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry and mass media that
it is the Armenian side that attacks and violates the cease-fire
regime?
[Oganyan] The Azerbaijani propaganda machinery as always is trying to
put Armenia in a bad light in front of the international community by
distorting facts. It is a special policy and in order to combat it,
we must take relevant steps and present the reality.
And the reality today is that apart from violating the cease-fire
regime, Azerbaijan is also constantly taking steps to move its
checkpoints closer to the lines of the NKR defence army. In such a
situation, the armed forces have to take relevant steps to solve
their tactical tasks, which are of great importance to it. They often
have a preventive nature as well. It is a reality that should be
presented to the international community.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia, Switzerland sign accord on reacting to emergencies
Arminfo
11 Mar 05
Yerevan, 11 March: The Armenian and Swiss governments have signed an
agreement on assistance to Armenia’s system of reacting to
emergencies. The document was signed by the head of the Armenian
government’s department for emergencies, Maj-Gen Edik Barsegyan, and
the Swiss ambassador to Armenia, Stephan Spek.
Barsegyan said that as part of the signed agreement, a programme of
assistance to Armenia’s system of reacting to emergencies will be
implemented. The purpose of the programme is to strengthen Armenia’s
decentralized rescue system. The programme envisages courses for
rescuers and firefighters and provides them with special equipment.
The programme is valued at 420,000 Swiss franks, of which 300,000
will be channelled into the acquisition of technical equipment and
120,000 into training. The money has been provided in the form of a
grant. The programme will be implemented in Armenia’s Lori and Syunik
Districts.
The first stage of the programme effectively started on 28 February.
Prior to that, research had been carried out in the aforesaid areas.
The first stage will take 12 months to complete, while the next stage
of the programme will cover other parts of the republic as well.
A total of 11 technical and humanitarian programmes totalling 6.4m
Swiss franks are currently implemented in Armenia with financial
support from Switzerland.

Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
March 11, 2005
____________________
FAR SUPPORTS GROUND-BREAKING SCIENTIFIC AND SCHOLARLY RESEARCH IN
ARMENIA THROUGH ANSEF
People seem surprised when they hear about Armenia’s cutting-edge
research and tremendous young talent. After all, Armenia is a country
known to have an economy in transition, a GDP per capita well below the
world average, and a population mostly struggling to meet basic needs.
Could world class research even be conducted there?
The answer is a resounding YES! This fact is confirmed by Dr. Yervant
Terzian and his work through ANSEF, the Armenian National Science and
Education Fund, operating under the auspices of the Fund for Armenian
Relief (FAR), that provides annual grants for ground-breaking research
in Armenia.
Dr. Terzian, the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences in
the Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell University,
was appointed the Director of the NASA New York State Space Grant in
1996. He is also a Research Professor with the National Astronomy and
Ionosphere Center. With a career spanning 40 years, speckled with
multiple accolades and awards, including the Clark Distinguished Award
for Excellence in Teaching, Dr. Terzian’s fields of expertise include
the physics of the Interstellar Medium, Galaxies, and Radio Astronomy.
In addition to authoring or co-authoring more than 200 scientific
publications and being the editor of six books, including “Carl Sagan’s
Universe,” Dr. Terzian is a founding member of ANSEF.
A group of prominent academic and community leaders, including Vartan
Gregorian, Tavit Najarian, Edgar Housepian, Harut Barsamian, Anahid
Kazanjian Longobardo, Tamar Hajian, Mihran Agbabian, Aram Chobanian, and
Terzian, gathered in 1999 to discuss what could be done to encourage the
scientific and scholarly talent in Armenia. “I remember making a
passionate speech that first day in support of ANSEF’s creation. I had
just returned from a visit to Armenia where I met with university
students and researchers; I knew the needs,” remembers Dr. Terzian.
>>From the moment Dr. Terzian became Chairman of ANSEF’s Research Council,
each fall, he and his committee coordinate the peer-review of the
proposals submitted by Armenian scientists and scholars to ANSEF
annually. “I treat every proposal like my own; each is handled with
tender care, exactness and objectivity,” said Dr. Terzian, who has
received 1,086 proposals in ANSEF’s five years. “Each one is
peer-reviewed by at least two, sometimes three, experts at major
research universities and institutes throughout the U.S., for example
Harvard, Stanford, Cal. Tech., U.C. Berkeley, and the N.I.H. (National
Institute of Health).” These experts are leaders in their respective
fields and include Nobel Prize laureates.
To be eligible for an ANSEF grant, Dr. Terzian insists that the
proposals from Armenia follow a strict format and meet international
standards: they are written in English, describe the proposed work and
anticipated results, and include the curriculum vita and bibliography of
each researcher, as well as, most importantly, a detailed budget.
While ANSEF awards 25-27 grants per year, 200-300 research proposals are
submitted annually. “Our peer review efforts have shown that a large
fraction of the work being proposed is cutting-edge science in Armenia,”
said Dr. Terzian, “we should feel proud and continue supporting this
world class research, to encourage the young talent in the country.”
The attraction to ANSEF within the scientific and scholarly community in
Armenia is two-fold: first, its recognized confidential, fair
peer-review process to identify grant winners, and second, the prestige
accompanying an ANSEF grant award serves as international validation and
confirmation of cutting-edge work from among the best in the world.
When asked about his attachment to ANSEF, Dr. Terzian replied, “My
motivation is to encourage Armenian talent, including the youth, and to
spark their vision of a strong scientific and scholarly Armenia. I feel
happy that, through ANSEF, we have done some good work in Armenia.” Dr.
Terzian also showed enthusiasm for creating two additional ANSEF/FAR
programs, one to establish a fund to provide travel expenses for
scientists from Armenia to attend international meetings and present
their research work, and another fund to support stipends for graduate
students in Armenia.
In the past five years, ANSEF has supported 129 projects. The seemingly
small amount of an ANSEF grant ($5,000) allows a team of investigators,
on average three to five researchers, to continue its creative efforts
and to produce outstanding research for an entire year. At least 500
senior and junior researchers have been able to continue their work in
Armenia thanks to ANSEF.
Dr. Terzian said, “I receive e-mails from researchers in Armenia
expressing appreciation and gratefulness to ANSEF, the support from
abroad, and for the recognition they receive through the fair,
peer-review system.”
“Thank you very much for awarding our research team an ANSEF grant for
the year 2005. This is very important for our laboratory that involves
four students in our scientific research. This ANSEF grant will help us
support young scientists in Armenia,” wrote Dr. David Sarksyan of the
Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Institute of Physical Research
within the National Academy of Sciences to Dr. Terzian. Dr. Sarksyan is
a 2005 ANSEF grant winner for his research on “Atomic Ensemble of Free
Rubidium Atoms Confined in an Optical Nano-cell.”
The mission of ANSEF is to maintain and strengthen the Armenian
intellectual community by providing peer-reviewed research awards to
support scientific, technological and scholarly research.
“Historically, Armenians have made significant contributions to the
sciences. Each of us is proud of their accomplishments,” said Kevork
Hovnanian, Chairman of the FAR Board of Directors. “We need to support
this strong scientific tradition in Armenia. I encourage the
Armenian-American community to help foster a dynamic research
environment in Armenia.”
To support the country’s leading scientists and scholars, send your
tax-deductible contributions to FAR/ANSEF at 630 Second Avenue, New
York, NY 10016. To learn more about ANSEF’s activities, visit
; telephone (212) 889-5150, e-mail [email protected].
— 3/11/05
E-mail photo available upon request.
CAPTION: Professor Yervant Terzian promotes scientific and scholarly
research in Armenia through ANSEF.