Author: Tvankchian Parkev

Cooperation with CSTO, NATO gives more security to Armenia
By Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
December 17, 2004 Friday

YEREVAN, December 17 — The accession to NATO is not on the current
foreign political agenda of Armenia, Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisyan
said at Friday debates organized by the Public Dialog and Development
Center.

He was speaking about regional security in the South Caucasus.

“At the same time, Armenia is realistic about regional security. It
does not make premature statements but develops cooperation with
the North Atlantic Alliance step by step,” the minister said. “In
this light relations with NATO have a serious role in the provision
of Armenian security. Finally, our country has chosen European
development, and NATO is a leading organization ensuring European
security.”

“Relations between Armenia and NATO will develop as long as there is
no contradiction between international commitments of the republic
to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and NATO,”
the minister said. “Cooperation in the CSTO and NATO is mutually
supplementary and gives additional security guarantees to Armenia
and the region at large,” he said.

“The CSTO Charter does not put limits on contacts with other countries
and international organizations,” the minister said. “Also, we think
that rapprochement between the CSTO and NATO in a number of issues
and common threats and tasks give us rather broad possibilities in
the development of relations with NATO,” he said.

“Relations with NATO do not have specific political goals, they are
developing naturally and are based on the need to neutralize dangers
and threats the country is facing,” Sarkisyan said.

GEGHAM GHARIBJANIAN: “ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF IRAN BECAME THE GREATEST
REVELATION IN MY LIFE”

TEHRAN, December 17 (Noyan Tapan). Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Iran Gegham Gharibjanian said goodbye
to the neighboring friendly country and its Armenian Community,
completing his 6-year diplomatic mission in Iran.

A farewell party was held upon the joint initiative of the three
Armenian Dioceses of Iran at the hall of the “Ararat” cultural
organization on December 11. Head of the Armenian Diocese of Isfahan
Archimandrite Babken Charian, Head of the Atrpatakan Diocese Nshan
Topuzian, two MPs from the Armenian community in the parliament of
Iran, employees of the RA Embassy, representatives of the “Alik”
(“Wave”) institution and other guests went to say goodbye to Gegham
Grigorian.

Doctor Anna Hovhannisian, the Head of the Armenian Diocesan Council
of Tehran, came up after the artistic part of the arrangement. She
highly estimated the diplomatic activities of Gegham Gharibjanian,
coming up on behalf of the three Dioceses.

In his speech of gratitude Ambassador Gharibjanian said: “Six years
ago, when I arrived in Iran as the RA Ambassador for the first time,
the fact that there is an admirable community with mighty potential
and mighty spirit here became, perhaps, the greatest revelation in my
life. And if I knew only some notable representatives of the community
that time, I know all of them now. I wish you every success and good
luck. Thank you.”

According to the Tehran “Alik” (“Wave”) newspaper, the honorable
guests handed the Ambassador a souvenir on behalf of the three Armenian
Dioceses after the completion of the official part of the arrangement.

UN News Center
Dec 16 2004

Lack of funds forces UN agency to halt food aid to 140,000
Azerbaijanis in need

16 December 2004 – Food distribution for 140,000 Azerbaijanis
displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia a decade ago
will come to a complete halt next month because of a $10 million
shortfall in aid sought for the three-year operation by the United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

“We have tried everything, even halving the rations last month, but
we just don’t have enough food stocks left to go around,” WFP Country
Director Rahman Chowdhury said. “Most of the displaced are so poor
they don’t have the means to buy food. It’s a dreadful situation,
especially in winter, when temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees
celsius.”

Three quarters of those affected are women and children, a large
number of them still living in makeshift shelters like railway cars
and dugouts. Only WFP ‘s school feeding programme that supplies food
to 5,300 primary school children will continue, but on a limited
scale.

One essential ingredient of the take-home rations, which are being
provided to the youngsters five days a week, is vitamin-fortified
wheat soya blend, whose stocks will also run out in January, Mr.
Chowdhury said.

WFP sought $21 million for the operation, which started in January
2003. Since 1994, the agency has been pivotal in assisting hundreds
of thousands of Azerbaijanis displaced by the conflict in which more
than 600,000 people fled from Nagorno-Karabakh the region, now
occupied by Armenia, to other parts of Azerbaijan.

Most of the displaced live in remote areas of western Azerbaijan,
such as Agjabedi and Imishli regions, where employment possibilities
are extremely limited.

Georgia Straight, Canada
Dec 16 2004

Classical Spin: Tigran Mansurian/Kim Kashkashian

By alexander varty

Monodia (ECM New Series)

According to Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian, interviewed in his
new CD’s liner notes, the essence of his country’s music “reveals
itself in an extreme frugality of expressive means. Whether
intonation, rhythm or the shaping of tone colours–everything is
employed very sparingly.” Traditional Armenian melodies, he adds,
“shift as slowly and laboriously as the search for fertile soil among
the jagged Armenian rocks”.

We’re lucky, then, that Mansurian is a modern Armenian, open to
global influences and not bound by his culture’s often tragic past.
He’s happy to take advantage of a variety of expressive
means–Monodia’s two CDs feature a violin concerto, a viola concerto,
a duet for viola and soprano saxophone, and a piece for viola and
four voices–and although some of his charts can be both jagged and
rocky, they also move with the quicksilver speed of the information
age.

Typical of that is …and then I was in time again, scored for
Armenian-American violist Kim Kashkashian and the Münchener
Kammerorchester. It’s true that the overall pace of the work is more
slow than not, and that its melodies have something of the keening
quality typical of Armenian liturgical music. But emotionally, it can
spin the listener from great heights of exaltation to bottomless
despair in the course of a few short seconds. Though championed by
Pierre Boulez, Mansurian does not share his Parisian mentor’s
technocratic bent; instead, he’s concerned with finding sophisticated
ways to project primal feelings of loss, sorrow, terror, and,
occasionally, ecstatic peace.

That’s especially obvious on Lachrymae, a haunting duo for
Kashkashian and saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Here the resources really
are few and the melodic material plain, but Mansurian frames them up
as a kind of dialogue between hope and foreboding. Again, the music
manages to be both harsh and eloquent; those stony fields lie deep in
Mansurian’s soul, but so too does a great deal of urbane
intelligence.

–Boundary_(ID_UCgaVlj+2RjzOi2Ehem1eg)–

Turkish PM heads to EU summit on confident mood
By Gareth Jones and Aine Gallagher

ANKARA/STRASBOURG, France, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan voiced confidence on Wednesday that Turkey would win a date
for opening long-delayed European Union entry talks at a landmark
summit of the bloc’s 25 leaders this week.

Diplomats in Brussels confirmed the leaders would agree on Friday to
open talks with the populous Muslim country in October or November
2005 with the clear aim of membership.

“Politics does not allow for emotions and we are not emotional. We
want to carry out this process in a mature way,” Erdogan told a news
conference at Ankara airport before flying to Brussels for the summit,
which starts on Thursday evening.

French President Jacques Chirac gave Turkey further cause for optimism
by backing its membership bid in a television interview intended to
break down opposition in France and ease fears that Turkey’s entry
would change the face of the EU.

“The question we have to ask is — is it in the interests of Europe,
and notably France, to have Turkey join us? My answer is yes —
if. Yes, if Turkey fulfils all the conditions necessary for every
candidate to join our union,” he told TF1 television.

Some French leaders in recent weeks floated the idea of Ankara being
offered a deal that falls short of membership, but Chirac distanced
himself from this possibility. He said Ankara would never accept a
“privileged partnership” with the EU.

Turkish-EU summits have sometimes been stormy affairs. Ankara froze
ties in 1997 after the bloc failed to make Turkey a candidate for
membership. It finally became a candidate in 1999.

After a 41-year wait to start talks, Turkey could not join the
bloc until 2015 at the earliest. The negotiations will require a
transformation of its economy and society far beyond the political
and human rights reforms already enacted.

CONCILIATORY NOTE

Striking a conciliatory note, Erdogan said he wanted to focus on
how Turkey could contribute to the EU and help turn it into a global
power, but he reiterated his readiness to walk away from the table
if the bloc imposed too many conditions.

“We don’t expect any conditions that we cannot accept. But if they
try to impose them…we would put relations on ice and continue on
our own path,” Erdogan said.

The message from EU institutions on Wednesday was upbeat.

“It is now time for the European Council to honour its commitment to
Turkey and announce the opening of accession negotiations. A clear
date should be indicated,” EU Commission President Jose Manuel
Barroso told the European Parliament.

“We accept that the accession process is open-ended and its outcome
cannot be guaranteed beforehand,” Barroso added, reflecting continued
European wariness about embracing Turkey.

The European Parliament, meeting in the French city of Strasbourg,
also urged EU leaders to open talks “without undue delay” in a
non-binding but influential resolution approved after heated debate
between Turkey’s supporters and opponents.

The directly elected assembly adopted the resolution by 407 votes
to 262 and also rejected decisively amendments offering a “special
partnership” or refusing full membership.

Lawmakers urged Ankara to continue human rights reforms, negotiate
with Kurdish separatists who renounced violence and recognise mass
killings of Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as “genocide,” something
Turkey adamantly rejects.

Diplomats said the summit statement would add that whatever the
outcome, the EU would keep the strongest possible bond with Turkey,
implying there could be another outcome if it failed to meet EU
standards or chose to go another way.

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, one of the strongest sceptics
on Turkish accession, signalled on Wednesday that such wording would
enable him to agree to opening negotiations.

Turkish financial markets, buoyed by Tuesday’s deal with the
International Monetary Fund, have soared in anticipation of a
“yes.” The lira currency rose to around 1,409,000 to the dollar,
though the main Istanbul share index shed 0.55 percent to end at
23,289.69 points on profit-taking, still near historic highs.

12/15/04 19:55 ET

Agence France Presse
Dec 15 2004

Powell, Gul discuss Turkey’s EU accession

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (AFP) – US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke
Wednesday with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on Turkey’s EU
accession, which could benefit from strong US backing.

“The secretary spoke this morning with foreign minister Gul, just to,
kind of, check in and see where things are,” State Department
spokesman Richard Boucher said.

“I think foreign minister Gul is already in Brussels working with the
European Union there. And we’ll continue to keep in touch with
Turkish leaders on the subject,” he told reporters.

The European Union is waiting to give its approval to Turkey’s
negotiated accession during a summit to open late Thursday in
Brussels.

In Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, no stranger
to hard bargaining, stood firm on the eve of the Brussels summit.

“We do not expect any unacceptable conditions to be put before us,
but if such conditions are imposed … we will definitely put the
matter in the refrigerator and continue on our way,” he said before
heading for Brussels.

Ankara notably wants the EU talks to start in the first half of 2005,
as opposed to later next year as sought by some EU states. It has
also dismissed an offer of a “privileged partnership” as an
alternative to full EU entry.

Turkey has also repeatedly rejected calls to give formal recognition
to the government in Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974, when Turkish
troops occupied the northern third of the island in response to a
coup engineered by the then-ruling military junta in Athens to unite
the country with Greece.

Only the Greek-Cypriot south has been able to enjoy the benefits of
EU membership since the island joined the bloc on May 1, after Greek
Cypriots rejected a UN blueprint to reunify Cyprus.

In Brussels the EU has sought to maintain pressure on Ankara to
recognize Cyprus — by signing a formal EU diplomatic agreement which
amounts to a de facto recognition.

“Otherwise we will have a problem with Cyprus, that’s absolutely
clear,” said an EU presidency source.

Although Washington has long favored Turkey’s entry into the European
Union, Boucher did not offer to take a position on how that would
happen, saying that the two sides would have to work out the details.

When asked if recognition of a “genocide” of Armenians in 1915 by
Turkey should be an EU demand for entry, he said, “As the secretary
said about four times last week: All these matters are matters for
the Europeans to decide.

“We believe that Turkey has gone a long way in meeting the
requirements of membership and the requests that were asked of
Turkey, and it will be for the Europeans to make that judgment
themselves.”

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 15 2004

Topographic map of Upper Garabagh to be drawn

A new topographic map of Upper Garabagh is being drawn, MP Jamil
Hasanli told a Tuesday meeting of the Milli Majlis (parliament). He
said that 2.2 billion manats has been allocated from the state budget
for the purpose.
The new map will suggest the administrative zone of Upper Garabagh
based on historical facts. Moreover, the towns and villages, which
have already been renamed, will be presented with their original
names.*

Agence France Presse
13 décembre 2004 lundi 6:37 PM GMT

La Fédération euro-arménienne contre l’intégration d’un pays “négationniste”

BRUXELLES 13 déc

La Fédération euro-arménienne a écrit aux 25 chefs d’Etat et de
gouvernement de l’Union européenne pour exiger la reconnaisssance par
la Turquie du génocide arménien de 1916 avant toute négociation sur
l’adhésion d’Ankara à l’UE, a-t-elle annoncé lundi.

Dans ce courrier, également tranmis au Haut représentant pour la
politique étrangère de l’UE Javier Solana, la Fédération demande
“solennellement que soit instamment mise en avant la nécessaire
reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens par la Turquie et la levée
du blocus de l’Arménie par ce pays”

“Nous avons demandé au Conseil européen de ne pas dénaturer le projet
des pères de l’Europe en intégrant un pays négationniste, qui met en
danger la sécurité aux frontières de l’Europe”, a-t-elle déclaré dans
un communiqué.

L’initiative fait suite à un appel contre l’adhésion d’Ankara à l’UE
lancé par la Convention des Arméniens d’Europe qui s’était réunie en
octobre au Parlement européen.

Le mouvement avait alors jugé “inadmissible” que les critères
politiques pour cette adhésion n’incluent pas “la reconnaissance par
l’Etat turc du génocide des Arméniens, ainsi que la levée du blocus
que la Turquie impose à l’Arménie depuis plus de 10 ans”

Il avait accusé la Turquie de “mettre en danger la sécurité et
l’équilibre régional du sud du Caucase en opposant des conditions
préalables à l’établissement des relations avec l’Arménie”.

La Convention avait également déploré que “l’Europe n’ait pas
instamment et explicitement demandé à l’Etat turc de cesser toute
forme d’expressions négationnistes”.

CHRISTIAN INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION MEETING HELD IN ANTELIAS

ANTELIAS, December 9 (Noyan Tapan). The Christian International
Information Meeting started at the Mother Church of the Catholicosate
of the Great Cilician House in Antelias on December 5. It was held
upon the initiative of the Church World Council. The special
commission of the Church World Council participates in the
meeting. Manushak Boyajian is the Chairwoman of the Committee, she the
Chairowman of the Inter-Church Committee of the Catholicosate of the
Great Cilician House simultaneously.

According to the press divan of the Catholicosate of the Great
Cilician House, the work of the meeting completed on December 9.

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;
December 11, 2004

ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL OF MONTREAL MARKS 34TH ANNIVERSARY

This weekend, St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral will celebrate the 34th
anniversary of the establishment and consecration of the Church under the
auspices of the Primate, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian.

Saturday night, December 11, 2004 is dedicated to the Sacred Music of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. Prof. Khoren Palyan is specially invited from the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to deliver a speech on the foundation, structure
and development of the Armenian Sacred Music at St Gregory the Illuminator
Cathedral.

On Sunday, December 12, 2004 His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian will
celebrate the Divine Liturgy starting 10:30. A special requiem service will be
held in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the passing of His Holiness
Catholicos Vasken I, of blessed memory.

* * *

THE PRIMATE CELEBRATED DIVINE LITURGY IN TORONTO

On Sunday, December 5, 2004 His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate
celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon in Holy Trinity Armenian
Apostolic Church of Toronto. The parish marked the 51st anniversary of the
consecration of the Church and the 76th anniversary of the establishment of the
congregation.
Serving the Holy Altar were the Pastor, Rev. Archpriest Fr Zareh Zargarian,
Deacons Krikor Tozak, Shanour Aynedjian, Nourhan Ipek and Vrej Berberian as
well as the Acolytes-dpirs. The Church choir sang the Divine Liturgy conducted by
Deacon Mark Ipekian. Professor Khoren Palyan accompanied the Choir.
On this occasion Serpazan blessed 16 Oil Lamps KANTEGHS which were made by
artists George Sandrouni and Samuel Mamikon from Jerusalem. Serpazan thanked
both artists, godfathers and sponsors and wished them good health and prosperous
life. His Eminence then conveyed his message and emphasized on the spirit of
Love. On this occasion Bishop Galstanian highly praised the efforts of Rev
Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian to further flourish and better serve the community
and the Holy Trinity Armenian Church. The benefactors for the Oil Lamps
KANTEGHS are Gregory Kasbarian, Nazar Madjarian, Noubar Yeretsian, Jirayr Pederian,
Bedros Kokorian, Sarkis Melkonian, Arpine Mansourian, Taniel Madzounian, Iza
Basmadjian, Hrant Citak, Anahit Toughlayan, Habibian Family, Souren Adjemian,
Zvart Boyadjian and family, Manuel Sakarya, Mario Gumushdjian.
A requiem service took place for the repose of the victims of the December 7,
1988 earthquake in Armenia as well as for the souls of late pastors,
parish council members, benefactors, sponsors and parishioners of the Holy Trinity
Armenian Church.
A reception followed the Church celebration at Magaros Artinian and Maral
Ishkhanian halls. The MCs were Ms. Talar Yardemian and Mr. Levon Stepanian. A
brief cultural program was presented by the Church choir and Sassoun dance group.
The Diocesan Council chairperson Mr. Jack Stepanian, Parish Council
chairperson Mr. Hratch Shishmanian and Pastor Rev. Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian
greeted the 450 attendees. On this occasion, donations were made to the Holy
Trinity Church by.-
Levon and Perouz Babayan Foundation 20.000 to the Church, 20.000 elevator
project, 8.000 Saturday schools, 2.000 Sunday school of the Church.
Ladies Guild Auxiliary 35.000
Ararat-Gamar Cultural Union 8.000
Seta Pederian Library 2.500
Siroun Hamamdjian Seniors Organization 4.750
Knights and Daughters of Vartan 1.500
A.C.Y.O.C 500.00
Certificates of Merit were given to the members of the Church honoring their
committed service and devotion to the Church. Seta Kandaharian (Woman of the
Year), Mario Gumushdjian (Man of the Year). From the youth Mariana Gharibyan
and Gregory Kalaydjian. Certificates of Appreciation were given to Bedros
Kokorian, Hovig Tanielian, Barouyr Sevazlian and John Hovagimian.
The Holy Trinity Church is the most flourishing Church within the Canadian
Diocese which has 35auxilliray organizations. May God bless our Church, the
Diocese and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Amen.
* * *
REINSTITUTING AN EARLIER TRADITION TO “BREAK BREAD”

On Wednesday, December 8, 2004, His Eminence Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, Primate
of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church in Canada and Economos Anthony Gabriel
hosted a luncheon at St George Orthodox Church, 555-575 Jean Talon East.
Attending the luncheon were high ranking spiritual leaders of Orthodox,
Maronite, Assyrian, and Catholic Churches. On behalf of the Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Canada Very Reverend Fr. Ararat Kaltakjian and Deacon
Hagop Arslanian were present to convey the greetings of the Primate, His
Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian.

Economos Anthony Gabriel welcomed the attendees and thanked them for taking
time to “share the bread as well as common concerns”.
The invocation was presented by His Eminence Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, Primate
of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church in Canada. During the luncheon, Very
Reverend Fr Ararat Kaltakjian conveyed the greetings of His Eminence Bishop
Bagrat Galstanian, who was out of the city and sang the hymn “Ourakh Ler”. He then
thanked both Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim and Economos Anthony Gabriel for hosting
the luncheon and praised the initiative of these gatherings, more specifically,
for reinstituting a long standing tradition of “Breaking Bread” of the Middle
Eastern Church Leaders-Representatives, affirming the common spiritual and
cultural heritage.
* * *

VISIT TO ST. SAHAG AND ST. MESROB SATURDAY SCHOOL

His Eminence, Primate, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian with an entourage of Diocesan
Council Members and Arch. Rev. Father Zareh Zargarian, Pastor of the Holy
Trinity Armenian Church visited the Holy Trinity Armenian Church St. Sahag and
St. Mesrob Saturday Scholl on Saturday December 4, 2004 at noon recess and was
met by the Board of Trustees, Principal, Staff and students who were gathered
to greet His Eminence on his first official visit of the current scholastic
year.

On behalf of the school the Principal, Mrs. Lucy Hopyan, greeted the
dignitaries and Hovsep Kazandjian, a grade 6 student, said welcoming words on behalf
of the students. A short program was presented after which His Eminence took
the podium, greeted the children with enthusiastic words and wished them all
well. He promised to come back in the future and with prayers and blessings
dismissed the students.

The Board of Trustees for a brief coffee break greeted the Primate and
entourage in the library.

* * *

DONATION TO THE ARMENIAN CHURCH CANADIAN DIOCESE

It is with immense joy and gratitude we announce to our faithful that the
Levon and Perouz Babayan Foundation has donated the sum of 43.000 dollars to the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada.

The 25.000 to the general fund of the Diocese, 10.000 to the Primate’s Annual
Appeal and the other 8.000 to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary in the
blessed memory of the late Catholicos His Holiness Karekin I. The donation is
intended to promote the spiritual mission of the Diocese and to foster the
realization of many projects.

For the past twenty years, under the auspices of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada has been serving the
faithful of the Armenian Church by advancing spiritual, cultural and educational
enrichment.

On behalf of the Primate of the Diocese, the Diocesan Council, the Clergy and
the faithful, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Haig Selian, President
as well as to each and every one in the Babayan Foundation governing board.
We pray that Almighty God protect and grant them good health and long life.
* * *
VISIT TO MANOIR CARTIERVILLE
Through the coordination efforts of Father Vazgen Boyajyan, students from
Ecole Alex Manooguiabn visited a group approximately 30 Armenian senior citizens
residing at Manoir Cartierville on Grenet Street on Monday, December 6th.
The students sand festive songs in Armenian, French and English to the
enthusiastic response of all. Various students also read poems that were much
appreciated. The students were accompanied by Mrs. Vartouhie Balian, Mrs. Vartouhi
Festekjian, and Mr. Arto Muhendisian who worked with our students to prepare
them for this week’s trip that proved to be emotional not only for our senior
citizens but also for our young students.
Mr. Robert Kechayan, Principal, presented a “poinsettia” plant and a copy of
the school’s current souvenir yearbook to Mrs. “Bolos”. Mr. Kechayan promised
to arrange regular visits to Manoir Cartierville over the course of the new
year.
* * *

DONORS REGISTRATION FOR (ABMDR) PROJECT AT THE DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH

On Sunday December 5, 2004 donors registration for the ABMDR project took
place under the auspices of the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese at St. Gregory
the Illuminator Cathedral’s Marie Manoogian Hall, 615 Stuart Avenue. Around 30
members of the Church participated in this drive. Next year, Donors registry
will take place in Toronto, February 12-13, 2005 on the Feast of Dyarentaratch
(presentation of our Lord to the temple) which is the blessing day of Newlywed
couples that symbolizes the continuation of life.

Founded by Dr. Frieda Jordan and Dr. Sevak Avagyan in 1999, the ABMDR is a
member of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and the World Marrow Donor
Worldwide (WMDW), and although it shares its database information with other
registries around the world, it still needs as many donors as it can recruit.
The first donor and honorary chairperson of the ABMDR is the First Lady of the
Republic of Armenia, Dr. Bella Kocharian.

The mission of the ABMDR is “to recruit and provide matched unrelated donors
for Bone Marrow Transplantation in the Republic of Armenia and to the Armenian
communities of the Diaspora and worldwide. To create and maintain the
registry and data bank of information about Armenian donors. To coordinate and
process patient search request rapidly and provide bone marrow matching services for
potential bone marrow transplant recipients”. For more information visit

* * *

DIOCESAN COUNCIL MEETING IN TORONTO

On Saturday Dec. 4, 2004, the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of The Armenian
Church of Canada, held its regularly scheduled meeting in Toronto at the Holy
Trinity Armenian Church. The meeting was presided by His Eminence Bishop
Bagrat Galstanian and Chaired by Mr. Jack Stepanian. In addition to the
operational and administrative matters, the Diocesan Council reviewed a number of new
proposals and studies pertaining various parishes as well as the youth. Given
the future vision of the Diocese, the level of supporting resources as well as
the generosity of our faithful, the Diocesan Council registered its favorable
endorsement of a number of new initiatives that will be announced in due course