Pan Armenian News
NATO LEAVES KARABAKH SETTLEMENT TO OTHER INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS
24.06.2005 07:50
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NATO is not willing to get involved in the security
issues in the South Caucasus, Alliance Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer stated when addressing PACE yesterday. When asked by the
Azerbaijani delegation how much NATO is concerned with the Karabakh
problem, the Secretary General responded the Alliance leaves the issue
to other international mediators.
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 24 2005
Azerbaijan, Armenia to be in CE focus in the coming months
Baku, June 23, AssA-Irada
Azerbaijan and Armenia will be in focus of the Council of Europe over
the coming months, says chairman of the CE Ministerial Committee,
Portuguese Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas Amaral said.
Speaking to a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, Amaral said that a number of documents were passed at the
summit held in Warsaw in spring outlining implementation of future CE
objectives.
`First of all, we must make sure that CE member states comply with
its standards in the area of democratic development, human rights and
the rule of law. Therefore, South Caucasus will be in our focus over
the next few months, considering the important developments relating
to the referendum on constitutional changes in Armenia and the
parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.’*
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 24 2005
NATO official discontent over Russian arms transfer
Baku, June 23, AssA-Irada
If the Armenian government grows discontent with the stationing of
Russian bases in its territory, NATO will assist Yerevan on this
issue, said special envoy of the NATO Secretary General on South
Caucasus and Central Asia. In an interview with journalists from S
Caucasus countries in Brussels, Robert Simons praised the last round
of the Russo-Georgian talks. In conclusion of the discussions, Moscow
stated its readiness to honor the commitments it made at the OSCE
summit in Istanbul, Turkey in 1999 and pulled out its military bases
from Georgia.
Although Simons welcomed the withdrawal of Russian bases from
Georgia, he voiced discontent with the fact that Russian forces
remain in Armenia, as the latter may grow discontent over Russia’s
military presence in its territory.
`Russia has maintained its military base in Armenia. This is in line
with the Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe. On the other hand,
this is undesirable, as certain challenges may arise if Armenia grows
discontent with Russian military presence in its territory.’
The NATO official said the presence of Russian bases in Armenian
territory is not likely to affect NATO-Armenia relations.
`This is not a problem for NATO. The alliance does not build ties
with its with partner states based on competition and does not see
Russia as its rival in the Caucasus.’
Simons said that in terms of its ties with NATO, Georgia is far ahead
of Azerbaijan and Armenia and is the only Caucasus state to have
expressed its willingness to enter the alliance.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh,
Simons said NATO fully supports OSCE and does not aspire to replace
its mediating Minsk Group. The alliance does not see itself as an
intermediary in the conflict settlement but `will discuss’ the issue
if it is offered a greater role in the process, he added.*
NKR PRESIDENT: TODAY IT’S SENSELESS TO SPEAK ABOUT RETURN OF ANY
TERRITORIES
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Today it’s
senseless to speak about return of any territories as Azerbaijan’s
position in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh’s status isn’t clear yet.
When we see a constructive position on the part of Azerbaijan, we will
be ready for being constructive, too,” NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian
declared. According to the Liberty radio station, NKR President also
mentioned that all issues need to be solved, including issues
connected with status, security, refugees and territories. Nagorno
Karabakh is ready to discuss the above-mentioned issues. Answering the
radio station’s question, NKR President said that there have always
been contradictions with Armenian authorities but these contradictions
“aren’t strategic.” “There are points, around which we argue, try to
persuade them of the rightness of our opinion and I consider that this
is a normal process,” A.Ghukasian mentioned. As regards possible
return of liberated territories, Grisha Hayrapetian, representative of
the ARFD Artsakh Central Committee, declared to the radio station: “We
consider that Karabakh should have its Constitution that should also
mention these territories, and any of our Presidents should take an
oath on this document. Otherwise, it’s impossible to live in Karabakh
without these territories.”
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 23 2005
Turkey, Azerbaijan to sign several documents
Baku, June 22, AssA-Irada
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan will visit Baku June
29-30.
During the visit, Erdogan will meet with President Ilham Aliyev and
Prime Minister Artur Rasizada to discuss the situation in the region
and the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh, Turkish
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Turan Morali said in an exclusive interview
with AssA-Irada.
The Ambassador did not rule out that bilateral documents on economy,
education and mapping will be signed during the visit. Turkish and
Azerbaijani foreign ministries are in talks on the issue, he said.
This will be Erdogan’s first visit to Azerbaijan as Prime Minister.
He visited Baku for the first time in 2003 as a party chairman.*
ITAR-TASS
June 23 2005
Putin says presidents satisfied with CIS security organization’s
summit
Moscow, 23 June: Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that
all six presidents of the members states of the CSTO (Collective
Security Treaty Organization uniting Russia, Belarus, Armenia,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan) are satisfied with the
results of today’s summit.
“As always, openly and in a business-like manner, we discussed the
most important issues of multilateral cooperation and reached a
number of practical agreements of principle,” the head of Russian
state told a news conference following the summit.
Putin said that by the end of the session, the sides signed, among
other documents, an agreement on training military personnel. “I am
convinced that (it) has in many ways a defining significance for our
cooperation,” the Russian leader noted. In his view, “the decision to
set up an inter-state commission for military-economic cooperation
serves as a stimulus for closer cooperation of our (CSTO countries’)
military-industrial complexes”.
Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MET NORWEGIAN COUNTERPART
22.06.2005 07:58
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan met with
his Norwegian counterpart Jorgen Kosmo, RA NA press center reported. During
the meeting Artur Baghdassaryan noted that the visit of the Norwegian
delegation can become a good start of the Armenian-Norwegian cooperation.
The interlocutors highly appreciated the formation of the Armenian-Norwegian
friendship group and discussed the cooperation within different
international organizations as well as in economic and agricultural fields.
Artur Baghdassaryan thanked the Norwegian government for activities of the
Norwegian Council of Refugees in Armenia and noted the importance of this
mission. In his turn Jorgen Kosmo said he will contribute to the cooperation
between the parliaments of the two states. Pointing out to Armenia’s role in
establishing peace and stability in the region he stressed the necessity of
political settlement of the problems available and establishment of regional
ties.
AZG Armenian Daily #115, 23/06/2005
Diaspora
PRESENTATION OF NEW PUBLICATION
The France-based Haraj newspaper informed in one of its issues that Cilicia
Catholicosate and the Armenian branch of Gulbekian Foundation republished
“Kyotahia’s Porcelain and Ceramics in St. Hakob Church of Jerusalem.” The
book is published in English. Aram A. Catholicos wrote its preface. The
first publication of the book was issued in two large volumes by Oxford
University in 1972. These rarities belonging to the Armenian Church of
Jerusalem were gifts of the pilgrims made mainly in 17th century during the
times of Hovhannes Kolot and Grigor Shghtayakir Patriarchs.
By Gohar Gevorgian
PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
22 June 2005
2005 DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY MEETS IN THE PARISH OF MELBOURNE
Sydney, Australia – The Diocesan Assembly of 26 delegates was hosted this
weekend by St Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Melbourne. The Assembly
was presided by His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand and chaired by
Mr Garo Setian. Mr Varoujan Agacian was appointed Armenian Secretary and Mr
Vasken Kanjian, English Secretary.
The meeting commenced with prayer and the reading of a message from His
Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The
Primate then presented his 2004 annual report. The Diocese report followed
outlining statements on the activities of the Diocese over the year and
financials. Fruitful discussions ensued and constructive decisions were made
concerning the Church and general community life.
The Assembly was attended by delegates from Sydney and Melbourne and
included both clergy and laymen.
ml
UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
OFFICE OF MEDIA RELATIONS
Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation Holds 2005 Meeting
WASHINGTON (June 20, 2005)¯Relations between Oriental Orthodox and
their Eastern Catholic counterparts in the United States, and the
positions of the churches regarding proselytism, were topics discussed
at the 2005 meeting of the United States Oriental Orthodox-Roman
Catholic Consultation.
Co-chaired by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany and Very
Rev. Chorbishop John Meno of the Syriac (Syrian) Orthodox Church of
Antioch, the meeting was held at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New
Rochelle, NY, June 9.
The meeting was somewhat abbreviated due to the absence of one of the
presenters, His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim of the
Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of the Eastern United States, who was
called away on urgent business. On the Catholic side, Fr John Long,
SJ, offered an overview of the Catholic Church’s understanding of
proselytism, with special emphasis on relations with the Coptic
Orthodox Church, in the period immediately following the Second
Vatican Council. Fr. Ronald Roberson, CSP, then explained the
development of this policy after the end of communism in Eastern and
Central Europe, especially as described in the 1992 Vatican document,
“General Principles and Practical Norms for Coordinating the
Evangelizing Activity and Ecumenical Commitment of the Catholic Church
in Russia and in the other Countries of the Commonwealth of
Independent States.”
The members of the dialogue also had an opportunity to review major
developments in their churches during the past year. The situations of
the Syriac Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Coptic Orthodox Churches
were considered, as well as the death of Pope John Paul II and the
election of Pope Benedict XVI, the visit of the Syriac Patriarch to
India, and the seventh meeting of the heads of the Oriental Orthodox
Churches in the Middle East. Fr. Roberson reported on the second
meeting of the International dialogue between the Catholic Church and
the Oriental Orthodox Churches which took place in Rome last January.
The participants were particularly grateful to Fr Daniel Findikyan,
the Rector of St. Nersess Seminary for the gracious hospitality they
experienced during the meeting. They also warmly welcomed two guests
at this session, Most Reverend Gregory J. Mansour, the Bishop of the
Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, and Most Reverend Manuel
Batakian, Apostolic Exarch for Armenian Catholics in the United States
and Canada.
The 2006 session of the dialogue is due to take place on May 30-31,
2006, at the Cardinal Spellman Retreat Center in Bronx, New
York. Metropolitan Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim will give his paper on
relations between the Oriental Orthodox and their Eastern Catholic
counterparts in the United States, and the way in which the various
churches deal pastorally with divorce and remarriage will also be
examined.
The United States Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation was
established in 1978, and is sponsored jointly by the Bishops’
Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Standing
Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in America. The Standing
Conference includes representatives from the Armenian, Coptic,
Ethiopian, Syriac, and Malankara Syrian Orthodox churches. In 1995 the
Consultation published “Oriental Orthodox-Roman Catholic Interchurch
Marriages and Other Pastoral Relationships,” which includes pastoral
guidelines for marriages involving the faithful of the two communions
as well as ample documentation about the development of the ecumenical
relationship between the two communions in recent decades. In 1999 it
issued “Guidelines Concerning the Pastoral Care of Oriental Orthodox
Students in Catholic Schools.”