Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

CO-CHAIRS PROPOSE AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS TO MEET IN ST PETERSBURG

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 27 2007

OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs have proposed Azerbaijani and Armenian
Presidents to meet in the framework of the economic summit scheduled
for June 10 in St Petersburg, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov told journalists, APA reports.

The Minister confirming that the President will attend the summit
stated that the head of state will decide whether or not to accept
the proposal.

Mr.Mammadyarov said that co-chairs will visit the region after the
parliamentary elections in Armenia. He said that he will possibly meet
with his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanyan before the elections. The
meeting will be held during NATO’s meeting on "26+1" formula, scheduled
in Brussels on May 2.

Mammadyarov will make an official visit to Morocco after Brussels,
then will visit Egypt together with Azerbaijani President.

THE DIVERSE SOUNDS OF TIGRAN MANSURIAN
By Mark Swed, Times Staff Writer

Los Angeles Times
Calendar Live
April 25 2007

A program of his work traces its roots to Armenia as well as
Modernism. The packed Zipper Hall listens.

Tigran Mansurian’s time may not have quite arrived, but it’s getting
very close. The Colburn School’s Zipper Hall was full Monday for the
chamber music component of "A Mansurian Triptych," three concerts
sponsored by the Lark Musical Society. Friday night had been devoted
to choral works. Tonight at the Alex Theatre in Glendale two big
concertos are scheduled, including one for violin that premiered in
Sweden this year.

Zipper was full because the concerts were programmed to coincide with
the anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915 and because Mansurian
is, for Armenians – of whom there are many in Southern California –
a legendary musical figure. The rare presence of the composer onstage
to accompany violist Kim Kashkashian in arrangements of "Four Hayrens"
– short pieces of profound beauty from 1967, originally written for
voice and piano – was the kind of thing you take your children to so
they can tell their grandchildren about it.

In fact, it probably doesn’t make much sense to try to separate
Mansurian’s works from what they represent to a people who have had
more than their share of cultural and political struggles in modern
history. Yet though his music is Armenian to the core, it also shares
many of the spiritual concerns of other Eastern European composers of
his post-Shostakovich generation, including the Estonian Arvo Part,
the Pole Henryk Gorecki, the Georgian Giya Kancheli, the Russian
Alfred Schnittke, the Ukrainian Valentin Silvestrov and the Tartar
Sofia Gubaidulina.

Like them, Mansurian, who was born in 1939, is a former musical
dissident who as a young man adopted forbidden Western Modernist
techniques but later reconciled them with more traditional music of
deep religious conviction.

The six chamber works Monday covered nearly 40 years, yet the
kinship between "Four Hayrens" and the Agnus Dei for clarinet,
violin, cello and piano, written last year, was evident. In both,
Mansurian displayed melodic restraint. Lyricism is ever present as is
a gentleness of spirit. Expression comes in small, intense moments,
in tiny tremblings of tone.

In the Agnus Dei, which lasted 15 mesmerizing minutes, the clarinet
(exquisitely played by Gary Bovyer) reached such a degree of quiet
tenderness that the ending felt more like a mystical breeze lightly
touching the skin than sound waves striking the ear.

The String Quartet No. 3 begins in a harsher, almost Bartokian
fashion, but it too ends somewhere beyond, with an Adagio full of
strange outbursts and ethereal violin solos. The gripping, expert
performance was by violinists Movses Pogossian and Searmi Park,
violist Alma Fernandez and cellist Armen Ksajikian. If they haven’t
thought of forming a quartet, they should.

Madrigal II from 1976 is an attempt to wed Armenian music and
Monteverdi for soprano, flute, cello and piano. Soloist Shoushik
Barsoumian’s nervousness was part hers, part the music’s, though both
score and soprano eventually quieted down.

"Lamento" for solo violin, written in 2002, begins wrathfully but also
gradually calms to a state of sad resignation. The violin writing is
virtuosic, and Pogossian, one of the tribute’s organizers, played it
very well.

After "Four Hayrens," in which Mansurian proved downright haunting in
the intensity of his piano playing, Kashkashian joined Lynn Vartan in
Duet for viola and percussion, written for the violist in 1998. The
work, given its West Coast premiere last week at the University of
Judaism, is, like its title, abstract, a study in the raw expression
of sound.

Here, it was Kashkashian who cast a spell with every tone she played.

Vartan supported her with a rainbow of shimmering effects on marimba
and gongs. The score seemed both very old and very modern, very
sophisticated and very elemental, all at the same moment.

PALLONE COMMEMORATES 92ND ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

States News Service
April 24, 2007 Tuesday
Washington

The following information was released by the office of New Jersey
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.:

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), co-chairman of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, gave the following statement last night on
the House floor to commemorate the 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide.

"Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to commemorate the 92nd anniversary
of the Armenian genocide. As the first genocide of the 20th century, it
is morally imperative that we remember this atrocity and collectively
demand reaffirmation of this crime against humanity.

"On April 24, 1915, 92 years ago tomorrow, that day marked the
beginning of the systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide
perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire. Over the following eight years,
1.5 million Armenians were tortured and murdered, and more than
one-half million were forced from their homeland into exile. These
facts are indisputable, but to this day the U.S. Congress has never
properly recognized the Armenian genocide.

"The historical record, Mr. Speaker, on the Armenian genocide is
unambiguous and well-documented with overwhelming evidence. The U.S.
Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time, Henry Morgenthau,
protested the slaughter of the Armenians to the Ottoman leaders. In
a cable to the U.S. State Department on July 16, 1915, Ambassador
Morgenthau stated that, ‘A campaign of race extermination is in
progress.’

"Mr. Speaker, if America is going to live up to the standards we set
for ourselves, and continue to lead the world in affirming human
rights everywhere, we need to finally stand up and recognize the
tragic events that began in 1915 for what they were: the systematic
elimination of a people.

"Despite pleas by Members of Congress and the Armenian-American
community and recognition by much of the international community,
President Bush continues to avoid any clear references to the Armenian
genocide, while consistently opposing legislation marking this crime
against humanity. Instead, he has chosen to succumb to shameless
threats by the Government of Turkey.

"I strongly believe that Turkey’s policy of denying the Armenian
genocide gives warrant to those who perpetrate genocide everywhere,
because denial is the last stage of genocide. If the cycle is to end,
there must be accountability. And just as we would not permit denying
the Holocaust, we cannot accept Turkey’s falsification of the facts
of 1915.

"Mr. Speaker, I must say that in the last few months the Turkish
Government has made every effort to try to prevent the Armenian
genocide resolution from coming to the floor of the House of
Representatives. But I just want to show why denial is such a bad
thing in a sense.

"Last week, I came to the floor and I pointed out that when the U.N.
wanted to do a project or an exhibit at the United Nations headquarters
talking about the genocide in Rwanda, because the Turkish Government
protested the inclusion of the Armenian genocide, the Rwandan genocide
never took place. There again, if you deny one genocide, you end up
denying or impacting the other.

"And the fact of the matter is that when some of my colleagues say
to me, ‘Well, why do you need to bring up something that occurred 92
years ago,’ I say, ‘Because by denying this, the Turkish Government
continues to perpetrate genocide or oppression of its minorities.

"Just a few weeks ago, there was something in the New York Times
about how the Turkish Government continues to persecute the Kurdish
minority. Many Kurds have been killed, driven from their homelands in
the same way Armenians were. The Kurds happen to be a Muslim people,
not a Christian people. That doesn’t matter. The Turkish Government
consistently oppresses minorities. They refuse also to open their
borders with Armenia. They have actually had a blockade of Armenia in
placed for several years, which contributes to the economic instability
of Armenia.

"So this is something that must be done. It must be accomplished,
that we recognize this genocide if it continues in various ways in
Turkey today.

"The second thing I would point out is that the Turkish Government
has been basically hiring lobbyists for millions of dollars to go
around and tell Members of Congress that if they pass the genocide
resolution, there will be dire consequences: Turkey will not allow
supplies to go to U.S. troops in Iraq.

"They have actually taken to having Members of Congress called and
told that their own soldiers in Iraq might be threatened if they pass
the genocide resolution.

"Well, again, this is the type of bullying that we, as a free
government, should not allow because bullying is essentially the same
thing that takes place when genocide takes place. Why should we give
in to the threats of a country that tries to bully our country over
such an important issue as the genocide?

"Now, let me just mention, Mr. Speaker, to wrap up, that tomorrow
evening at 6:30 the Armenian Caucus, which I co-chair, will host
an Armenian genocide commemoration event with the Armenian embassy,
and I hope that many of the Members will attend this."

ILS AIDENT DES ENFANTS ET ETUDIANTS A RENOVER UNE ECOLE EN ARMENIE
par Bertrand GILET

La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
23 avril 2007 lundi
Edition INDRE ET LOIRE

Basee a Saint-Avertin, Ararat Developpement 37 a deja parraine
cinquante-deux enfants et six etudiants.

N ous ne pouvons pas rester les bras croises, ne rien faire. Quand
on a ete en Armenie et vu le denuement dans lequel les gens vivent,
on se dit qu’on ne peut pas les laisser tomber. Patricia Audenet
a donc decide d’agir. Après plusieurs voyages dans le pays, dont le
premier trois ans après l’independance (en 1991), elle a fonde en 1998
Ararat Developpement 37, une association basee a Saint-Avertin. Elle
compte une cinquantaine d’adherents dont quelques Armeniens de
l’agglomeration. " Très tôt nous avons fait le choix de parrainer
des enfants. Nous pensons que l’education, ils y ont droit. Nous
avons aide des ecoles a s’equiper, fait de l’aide medicale, aide a
financer les etudes d’etudiants. Et depuis 2003, nous participons a
la rehabilitation d’une ecole dans le village de Haïkachen. "

Ararat Developpement 37 veut de la transparence : " A Erevan, quatre
personnes de l’association recherchent et choisissent les enfants et
etudiants, en fonction de critères precis. Et un de nos membres se
rend chaque annee la-bas pour s’assurer du bon fonctionnement et du
suivi des actions. Quant a l’argent verse, nous tenons a ce qu’il le
soit integralement : 15 collectes, c’est 15 directement pour l’enfant
ou l’etudiant. Tous les frais de fonctionnement sont finances par
nos actions en Touraine et en France. "

C’etait le cas, samedi soir, au domicile de Patricia Audenet : une
trentaine de membres d’Ararat Developpement etaient invites, chacun
donnant son obole pour la poursuite de l’objectif. " Le parrainage va
bien au-dela de l’aspect financier. Le parrain peut etablir une vraie
relation avec son filleul. Ararat a parraine cinquante-deux enfants
et six etudiants. Sans faire de bruit, l’association de Patricia
Audenet et de Jean Tateossain continue son travail : " L’Armenie
a besoin d’aide. Le salaire moyen est la-bas de 20 par mois et le
besoin vital d’une personne est estime a 35 . "

Ararat Developpement 37 : 141, rue des Ormeaux a Saint-Avertin. Tel.
02.47.39.54.5.

Patricia.audenetwanadoo.fr

G RAPHIQUE: Une soiree de soutien a eu lieu samedi soir au domicile
de Patricia Audenet. Avec, dans le rôle de l’animateur de la soiree,
le chanteur Robert Counioux (membre de l’association). Les fonds
collectes lors de cette soiree iront a l’association.

–Boundary_(ID_5uyPZppaS9RvKSWdok0 02A)–

TOROSYAN SENDS CONDOLENCES TELEGRAMS ON YELTSIN’S DEATH

Panorama.am
19:32 25/04/2007

Today Tigran Torosyan, speaker of the Armenian parliament, sent
condolences telegrams to Boris Grizlov, Russian State Duma chairman,
and Sergei Mironov, Federation Council chairman, on Boris Yeltsin’s
death. Torosyan pinpointed to the great role Yeltsin played in
development of Armenian-Russian ties.

The speaker rendered his condolences to "Russian nation, relatives
and friends of Boris Nikolaevich."

AZERBAIJAN SENDS PROTEST NOTE TO RUSSIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 24 2007

Russian ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan
Vasili Istratov was today called to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry,
the ministry told the APA.

Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister received the ambassador and
officially protested to the Russian RTR channel’s report on ‘Nagorno
Karabakh Republic’. Araz Azimov said that the report casts shadow
on Nakhchivan’s belonging to Azerbaijan and this position does not
coincide with Russia’s official position. Deputy Foreign Minister
expressed hope that the RTR will not broadcast reports propagating
separatist tendencies any more.

Following this, Araz Azimov gave the protest note to the Russian
ambassador.

Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan told the APA that Vasili Istratov
said he will inform Russia of the position of Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry.

PARTICIPANTS IN TRADITIONAL TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION TO WALK BY YEREVAN STREETS TO TSITSERNAKABERD MEMORIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Arminfo
2007-04-23 17:48:00

Participants in traditional torchlight procession to walk by Yerevan
streets to Tsitsernakaberd Memorial of Armenian Genocide Victims.

A traditional torchlight procession of ARFD Dashnaktsutiun party
members will be held tonight in Yerevan in memory of the Armenian
Genocide victims in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. As ARFD’s press-service
told ArmInfo, the torchbearers will walk to the Eternal Fire of
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex.

RUSSIA MAY INJECT HEAVY FUNDS IN ARMENIA’S URANIUM PROJECT

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 23, 2007 Monday 07:50 AM EST

Russian federal atomic energy agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko does
not rule out that Russia may inject several hundreds of millions of
dollars in Armenia’s uranium project.

"I believe that Russia may inject from several dozens up to several
hundreds of millions of dollars in Armenia’s uranium exploration and
development via a joiÎt venture," he said.

–Boundary_(ID_P6H8z+uEPyld4QunzEFn+A)–

TURKS STAGE DEMO IN US AHEAD OF APRIL 24

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 23 2007

The Federation of Turkish-American Associations (TADF) and the Young
Turks Association held a joint rally titled "An End to Armenian Lies,"
in a show of protest against Armenian allegations of genocide days
before April 24, when Armenians mark the anniversary of what they
claim was the beginning of a systematic genocide campaign at the
hands of the late Ottoman Empire.

Addressing more than 500 participants ahead of the four-hour long rally
on Saturday, TADF President Atilla Pak called on the US administration
to be fair, while also saying that their primary goal was to give
accurate information about the alleged genocide.

"Bringing up allegations of genocide spells hiding the truth. Today
unfortunately truths are being denied and facts are being distorted.

Turks have never committed genocide along their thousands year long
history," Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Baki
Ýlkin, who also attended the rally, told reporters for his part.

Meanwhile, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once more declined to
meet with a group of Turkish parliamentarians who were lobbying in
Washington a resolution based on Armenian allegations of genocide,
as she did with two other Turkish parliamentarian group in the
recent past.

The resolution was presented to the US House of Representatives
earlier this year, though the timing of the vote has yet to be
decided. Turkey has warned that passage of the resolution would harm
strategic relations with the United States and undermine cooperation
in key regions across the world, in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

During a February visit, Pelosi refused to meet Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul as well.

–Boundary_(ID_NcCD3wQMSvPyc91sUdREIA)–

Hardship didn’t steal life’s joy: Survivor of massacres in Syria served God,
others.

Jim Steinberg, The Fresno Bee – California – KRTBN
Published: Apr 20, 2007

The Rev. Harry M. Missirlian of Fresno survived Ottoman Turkish
massacres of Armenians in Syria, suffered his parents’ and siblings’
disappearance and began life as an orphan with nothing.

Then he began a new lifetime of learning and prayer.

The Rev. Missirlian, who arrived in Fresno in 1953 to become minister
of Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church, died April 11 at 94.

Reflecting on his life, he wrote in his book, "Treasures in Earthen
Vessels": "Bitterness takes the glory out of sunset, the joy out of
life, the song out of a gurgling brook, the light out of stars. Let
bitterness bury itself. There are more important things to do."

The Rev. Missirlian spoke Armenian, Arabic, French, Turkish and
English. He read the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament
in Greek.

He did not dwell on his traumatic childhood but told daughter Dora
Crawford about early terror.

"He was in a train car or on a wagon with a bunch of boys in the
Syrian desert," she said.

"Dad realized this was not good, that they were being taken to
be killed."

Young Missirlian, about 4, managed to free himself, running literally
for his life. He heard others screaming.

He lived in doorways, begging for food, Crawford said, but his
harrowing memories never drowned the Rev. Missirlian in mourning.

He wrote in the third person in his book that he "carries no hatred
in his heart" and "is grateful to God for having miraculously survived
the massacres."

He became a ministry student and did field work in the slums of Beirut,
elsewhere in Lebanon and in Syria.

He married his first wife, Lydia, and worked toward a doctorate at
the University of Chicago.

Before he could write his dissertation, he received a call from the
Pilgrim church in Fresno. He had become used to subzero temperatures
in Chicago, but arrived in Fresno on July 1, 1953. It was 104 degrees.

He served 27 years, drawing satisfaction from construction of its
present campus at First Street and Dakota Avenue, particularly the
sanctuary.

Architect Richard Manoogian designed the church in close consultation
with the Rev. Missirlian, accentuating Armenian history and the life
of Jesus on Earth.

"He was overjoyed about a new sanctuary," Manoogian recalled.

Lydia Missirlian died in 1991. The Rev. Missirlian married his second
wife, Arousiag, a lifetime family friend, in 1993.

She recalled her husband’s compassion, religion and memory of hardship.

"He gave his heart and soul to that congregation," she said. "He
loved the children."

The Rev. Karl Avakian said that the Rev. Missirlian considered
the evil he had seen and suffered within his understanding of God:
"It is remarkable what he overcame. He did not hold that against
humanity and the world."

Arousiag Missirlian said her husband’s outstanding qualities were
compassion, his Christian faith and understanding of hardship: "He
loved the Christian church. He loved visiting people in sickness and
bereavement. People said that whenever anything happened, Harry was
right there."

A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Pilgrim
Armenian Congregational Church, 3673 N. First St. The family requests
that any remembrance be sent to the Armenian Evangelical Union of
North America, 609 E. Colorado St., Glendale, CA 91205.

The reporter can be reached at [email protected]_
(mailto:jsteinberg@fres nobee.com) or (559) 441-6311.