Turkey steps up EU offensive
EUPolitix.com, Belgium
Wed, 20 Sep 2006
Turkey will step up efforts to win over MEPs a decision to delay
publication of the European commission’s progress report on the pace
of Ankara’s reforms.
EU officials have delayed a highly sensitive assessment of Turkey’s
EU entry negotiations until November 8, the report was originally
due for publication on October 24.
European parliament political fixers are also looking for delay,
say sources, to head off a Strasbourg plenary vote attacking Turkey’s
record.
Sources close to negotiations indicate that the commission’s delay
will give Ankara more time to lobby over a critical report on Turkey
from Dutch MEP Camiel Eurlings.
“The Eurlings report is the most critical parliamentary report yet. It
contains 80 paragraphs and about 75 are critical,” a parliament
official told this website.
“And it looks like it would get backed. Eurlings has supporters within
the centre-right and the socialists.”
But moves are afoot within the parliament’s corridors of power to
kill a September 27 vote on the Eurlings findings.
Socialist MEPs – the centre-left is the parliament’s second biggest
bloc – will use a Thursday meeting of political group and committee
leaders to push for delay.
“The Eurlings report is a mess. It has been very heavily amended and
is too negative,” said a source.
The Dutch right winger’s report says Turkey must recognise the Armenian
genocide as a precondition for EU entry.
His report laments a “slowdown in democratic reforms” and calls
on Ankara to remove or amend articles that allowed judges to limit
freedom of expression as well as normalise relations with Cyprus.
A delegation of MPs from Turkey recently branded the European
parliament’s findings as “nasty and negative”.
The commission says its decision to delay its progress report on Turkey
is not a political one, and was motivated purely by administrative
constraints.
Reports on Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro,
Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will also now
be published on November 8.

Adventist Press Service APD, Switzerland
Adventist Pastors of Euro-Asia Region Meet In
First-Ever Theological Pastoral Congress
Zaokski, Tula Region, Russia, 20.09.2006 / ANN/APD
Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Euro-Asia Division in
Moscow/Russia An estimated 1,500 Seventh-day Adventist pastors from all
over the church’s Euro-Asia region gathered for a four-day congress in
Zaokski – about two hours outside of Moscow – where they were educated
and challenged, church leaders say. It is believed to be the first time
that such an event has been held for field pastors, many of whom are
serving in remote locations across a region that spans 11 time zones.
“This wasn’t only fellowship, but we all gained a lot of insight,”
said Pastor Ted N.C. Wilson, a general vice president of the world
church who was among a number of speakers at the event.
“I was overjoyed to see the maturing and nurturing that is taking
place in this [region],” Wilson, who was president of the Euro-Asia
Adventist Church region from 1992 to 1996, remarked.
Added Pastor James A. Cress, world church ministerial association
secretary, “this region of the Adventist church has really come
into its own. They have addressed the professional growth, spiritual
development and motivational encouragement of the local pastors with
these meetings.”
Cress added, “It augurs well for the local church because their
leaders have been given hands-on training to develop local leaders,
prayer ministries and to reach out to families in need.”
Congress presenters and pastors Ted N.C. Wilson, Artur Stele, and
D. Ronald Watts receive memorial gifts. Photo: Valery Ivanov During
the five-day session, Adventist pastors from all over the territory
of the former Soviet Union shared experiences, met old friends,
listened to a number of seminars, held roundtable discussions, and
began preparations for a 2007 satellite program, which will take
place in March 2007 in Kiev, Ukraine. Peter Kulakov, senior pastor
of Lakeview Seventh-day Adventist church in Atlanta, Georgia (USA),
will be the speaker for that evangelistic programm.
One goal in the church region for the next five years is to help
launch 10,000 small Bible study groups with an aim toward introducing
50,000 people to Jesus Christ, and the pastors in attendance shared
their insights and observations about the program during days that,
according to Wilson, were filled with activity. Every evening, two
church areas, as well as attached “fields,” gave reports on Adventist
work in their areas.
Some pastors travelled as many as six days to reach the event and
were thus highly motivated to utilize the seminar information.
Pastor D. Ronald Watts, president of the church’s Southern Asia region,
gave three seminars and shared experiences from Adventism’s fastest
growing area.
Pastor Mark Finley, a general vice president of the world church,
revealed his vision of evangelism and called all those present to
unite their efforts in soul winning and prepare for the upcoming
satellite series.
While listening to the reports from various church areas, Finley said:
“Seeing you and listening to you, it remind[s] me again and again
that we are part of [a] world church, we are brothers and sisters,
united by one church.”
Also participating in the events were Adventist pastors Lucial
Cristesku, ministerial secretary and evangelism coordinator of the
Adventist Church in Romania; Paul I. Khiminets, church growth and
development leader for Adventists in North Rhine-Westfalia, Germany;
and Michael P. Kulakov, the first president of the Adventist church
in Euro-Asia.
An estimated 144,500 Seventh-day Adventist members worship in nearly
2,000 churches in the Euro-Asia region, including the states of
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. [Editors:
Valery Ivanov, Mark A. Kellner and Christian B. Schaffler for ANN/APD]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmeniaNow.com-September 8, 2006
HERITAGE GATE?: POLITICAL PARTY DEMANDS PRESIDENT BE QUESTIONED
Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
The Heritage political party held a press conference this week in which
it demanded that the Prosecutor General of Armenia question President
Robert Kocharyan, concerning allegations of a “mini-Watergate”.
Party founder and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Raffi
Hovannisian, made reference to the famous US scandal that ended the
presidency of Richard Nixon. He equated it to actions taken against
the Heritage party. The party alleges that information has been stolen,
and that the President’s office knew about it.
The background:
On March 4, Heritage party’s offices were shut down by the government,
which claimed the party no longer had a right to operate from space
provided at the Paronian Theater.
The party offices were sealed until May 29, while the party filed
action that eventually led to getting the offices back.
Upon regaining its facilities, Heritage staff learned that one of its
computers had been tampered with, during the period that the office
was supposed to have remained sealed. It filed a complaint with the
Kentron Division of Yerevan Police, demanding an investigation.
On August 30, the police returned a decision saying there was no
grounds for an investigation.
A lawyer for the party, Zaruhi Postanjyan, however, says experts at the
National Bureau of Examination at the National Academy of Sciences,
has shown the computer had been switched on for 22-24 minutes during
the night of March 8. The examination also found that a different
monitor and a memory device had been connected during that time.
“This is a mini-Watergate scandal being repeated in Armenia,” said
the party’s fiery founder. “In a country with a declared rule of law
they close one’s office in the night without any court decision, they
penetrate into the office in the night four days after the closing,
switch on the computer there and get the secret information about
the party and its activists.”
Hovannisian, among the strongest and most persistent of Kocharyan
adversaries, says the Office of the President is aware of the spying
on his party and that theft has been committed.
Attorney Postanjyan alleges that the police were negligent.
“The results of the examination are enough to bring a case into
action,” she says. “However, ignoring the law and justice, law
enforcers refuse to hold a relevant investigation referring instead
to the lack of the corpus delicti,” says Postanjyan.
Hovannisian believes that, in addition to other documents, a list
of party activists was stolen, with the intention to intimidate
sympathizers.
“I hope the national Security Service has no connection to all of this,
because the information was so badly stolen, that I wouldn’t like
to learn the Service operates so poorly,” Hovannisian sarcastically
stated. “I am confident the incident was a response to our recent
civil activity taking place in an atmosphere of fear.”
The leader of the party complained that appeals by the party have
been denied at every level of the justice system.
During the press conference, he also commented on Wednesday’s murder
of the head of Armenia’s “tax police”.
“It reflects the illness of our authorities, our state and our
society,” Hovannisian said. “We can keep speaking about law and
democracy, but unless everyone – whether a President or an ordinary
citizen – is equal before the law in this country, this kind of things
will continue to happen.”

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 27.00.03, 27.16.00 (temporary)
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46 (temporary)
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:
September 21, 2006
THE HERITAGE PARTY’S INDEPENDENCE DAY GREETING: ON THE ROAD TO TRUTH
AND RIGHT
The fifteen-year anniversary of Armenia’s independence is a fitting
occasion to reassess the watershed significance of sovereign
statehood. This opens before our nation vast horizons to live and
create in freedom and without shackles, to make the Republic prosper,
and to build a bright future for the generations next in line.
Armenia’s independence has other implications and lessons as well. This
liberty was achieved after a long-lasting intermission in statehood,
and the sacrifice of thousands of patriots, thus further underscoring
its historic mission and modern meaning. Real sovereignty and
democracy, respect for human rights, and other universally accepted
values–which we certainly shall attain through our united and devoted
work–will turn Armenia into a cradle of civil freedoms and equal
protection, rule of law and due process, and a country liberated
from the parochial arbitrariness of ruling cliques and extralegal
permissiveness for the privileged.
The duty of building a new and strong Armenia has fallen to our
generation.
We must place its cornerstone with a firmness of will, a trueness
of conscience, and a nobility of commitment so that the preeminence
of right, the letter and spirit of legal and ethical benchmarks,
and the expectation and conduct of a dignified life may long endure.
Let us once again become the masters of our rich history and
civilizational heritage, adding our contemporary share to them and
faithfully passing them on to those yet to come. This is the paramount
order of the day.
On the occasion of this glorious anniversary for Armenia and the
entire Armenian nation, we extend our hearty best wishes to all
members and supporters of the Heritage Party and, more importantly,
to the children of Armenia the world over, whose might and mind, in
our deep conviction, will continue to open ever-new avenues toward
the Homeland of our dreams.
Raffi K. Hovannisian Founder
Vardan Khachatrian Chairman
September 21, 2006 Yerevan

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 20, 2006
___________________
ACYOA CENTRAL COUNCIL MEETS IN WATERTOWN
On Saturday, September 9, 2006, the ACYOA Central Council, along with ACYOA
Executive Secretary Nancy Basmajian, met at the St. James Church of
Watertown, MA.
Also attending portions of the meeting were Diocesan Council members James
Kalustian and Fr. Arakel Aljalian. Julie Hoplamazian, the Diocese’s new
college ministry facilitator, also attended to share her ideas with the
ACYOA leaders and to explore ways in which she and the youth organization
can collaborate.
This was the second meeting of the council elected during this spring’s
ACYOA General Assembly.
“I have a lot of confidence in this group of young people. They’re hard
workers and have a deep sense of commitment to the ACYOA and its mission. I
think we’re going to get a lot done this year,” Basmajian said.
Among the agenda items at the meeting were programming goals for the 2006-07
year which will include a regional retreat series, the Archbishop’s
Tournament (to be hosted this year by the Watertown ACYOA chapter from
October 6 to 8), the annual leadership conference, the Armenia Service
Program, a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and satellite college chapters.
The ACYOA this year also has plans to produce a new promotional brochure and
to publish several issues of its official newsletter, “Hye Hokin.”
During the September 9 meeting, Central Council members also discussed ways
in which they will advance the year’s Diocesan theme: “Church and Home: One
in Spirit.” The Primate has asked the young leaders to assist in recruiting
young adults to help implement and evaluate the activities being planned for
the year.
The ACYOA Central Council members are: Chair Gregory Andonian of the St.
Gregory of Narek Church of Cleveland, OH; Vice Chair Ani Tovar of the St.
Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX; Secretary Sarine Zenian of the St. Mary Church
of Washington, DC; Treasurer John El Chemmas of the St. John Church of
Southfield, MI; Programming Coordinator Talin Hitik from the St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church of Chicago, IL; Public Relations Coordinator Alex
Derderian of the St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, PA; and
Chapter Relations Coordinator Stan Sheridan of the St. Mesrob Church of
Racine, WI.
For more on the ACYOA, visit its newly-redesigned website:
— 9/20/06
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): The ACYOA Central Council members, with Executive
Secretary Nancy Basmajian, and Fr. Arakel Aljalian, member of the Diocesan
Council and pastor of the St. James Church of Watertown, MA, after the
liturgy on September 10.
# # #

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 20, 2006
___________________
SEMINARY GRADUATE HEARS CALL TO SERVE ARMENIAN CHURCH
By Jake Goshert
It’s a new term for college students, and this year they’ll be greeted by a
new face at the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
Julie Hoplamazian has joined the Diocesan staff as its college ministry
facilitator, taking over for Jason Demerjian, who established the program
over the past two years and is now furthering his studies at St. Nersess
Seminary.
“Julie brings broad experience in teaching, youth ministry, music, and
religious education to our effort to reach our college students,” said
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate. “She has a deep love for the Armenian
Church. That devotion, combined with her God-given talents, will help her
expand and strengthen this vital ministry of the Diocese.
A Philadelphia native, Hoplamazian has a bachelor’s degree in music
education from Gettysburg College and has taught music at various levels.
This past May she received a master’s of divinity degree from Princeton
Theological Seminary.
“Ever since I was little, I always wanted to devote my life to God in some
way,” she said. “And after a series of twists and turns, He has led me this
way.”
As college ministry facilitator she will work with priests and parish
leaders to reach out to Armenian American college students throughout the
Diocese. She will visit campuses and organize events for students.
Reaching directly to students she will oversee the Diocese’s college
ministry website — — and manage the monthly
e-newsletter, “Eh-mail.”
LIFE OF DEVOTION
Even in elementary school, Hoplamazian felt a strong connection to God.
“When I was young, I’d have friends or cousins who would do things I knew
were wrong, and my response always was ‘Jesus wouldn’t want you to do
that,'” she said. “I had no problem reprimanding them. I always thought
Jesus was my special friend.”
She said seeing her mother and grandmother devote their time and resources
to the church made her feel strongly connected to God. It is a relationship
that has only grown and deepened as she matured.
“It is still changing. There are times my relationship with Jesus is that
of a friend. Sometimes my relationship with God is that of a child to a
parent,” she said. “But overall, it is a deeper sense of identity. As my
relationship with God grows, my identity becomes more and more inseparable
from being a child of God.”
While she knows her strong relationship with God might be unique among young
people in today’s more secular society, she believes she can talk to
students about the importance of their faith because it has a universal
appeal. She says people sometimes tell her being religious is a good choice
for her, but not for them. However, her belief in the truth of Christ means
she sees His teachings as universal, not something that only works for some
people.
“We’re encouraged think that God is a novel idea, a relative reality, as
opposed to an absolute truth. It is hard to have a Christian life with
integrity where you can say ‘I believe this is true,’ as opposed to ‘This is
true just for me,'” she said. “But deep down the core of our faith is right
for everybody — your deepest meaning is found in God.”
Hoplamazian hopes to bring more programs and activities to the Diocese’s
college ministry program. By encouraging the students to take part in fun
and meaningful activities, she believes they will look for opportunities to
take part in the life of the Armenian Church.
However, she knows she can’t do it on her own. She will be working with
parishes to identify students, invite them to services and events when
they’re away from home, and provide an Armenian Christian “support system”
for them.
“I can’t reach out to every Armenian student. If parishioners know of
students in their area, they should try to be their parents away from home.
Otherwise, their parents away from home will be partying, drinking, other
bad influences,” she said. “The college kids I’ve met love their Armenian
heritage and Christian roots and want to be a part of the community. We
just have to make sure to invite and welcome them into our parishes.”
If you know an Armenian-American college student, contact Hoplamazian via
e-mail at [email protected] or by calling (212) 686-0710.
— 9/20/06
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Julie Hoplamazian is the new college ministry
facilitator for the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Url:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact ~ Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]
Armenia Fund Unveils International Telethon Campaign
Telethon 2006 to Benefit Hadrut Regional Development
Los Angeles, CA – On Wednesday, September 13, 2006, Armenia Fund
United States Western Region launched the 9th annual international
telethon’s campaign with a special reception at the Alex Theatre
Forecourt. The event highlighted the start of the campaign with a
special telethon logo unveiling program with the participation of
all major Armenian-American organizations as well as religious and
community leaders.
In the light of the 15th anniversary of the Republics of Armenia and
Artsakh, the 2006 campaign is dubbed as “I Love Armenia” and “I Love
Artsakh”, which features a pomegranate with its seeds in formation of
a heart as the telethon logo. The dual international campaign jointly
launched from Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Yerevan will be widely
used by Armenia Fund’s 19 international offices to promote the 2006
Telethon as well as highlight the 15 years of independence of the
republics. The Telethon is set to air internationally on Thanksgiving
Day, November 23, 2006.
Los Angeles based graphic artist Helena Gregorian designed the logo.
Gregorian draws years of experience in the graphic design and arts
industry.
Armenia Fund’s Telethon 2005 was designed by Gregorian as well.
The special reception drew hundreds of Armenia Fund supporters,
community leaders and activists, as well as special guests. Present
were also Armenia Fund’s Board members. The Fund’s Board has a unique
composition of the heads of all major Armenian organizations, churches
and political parties.
Essentially, the Fund is the only Pan-Armenian organization both within
Armenia and the Diaspora at large. Chairperson of Armenia Fund United
States Western Region Maria Mehranian welcomed the attendees to the
event and thanked all those who were once again at the forefront of
supporting Armenia Fund’s nation building projects. “Today, Armenia
is a better place thanks to your continued support. Whether it is the
modern water pipeline that doubled the water supply in the Martakert
Region, the regional hospital with new ambulances, 3 new schools, and
the first agricultural cooperative, Artsakh is truly on the path of
socio-economic recovery”, stated Mehranian during her opening remarks.
“Over the past months, Armenia Fund and its 19 affiliates have
been actively collecting the promised pledges from Telethon 2005,
undergoing rigorous financial audits, and closely monitoring the
critical implementation of the Martakert Regional Development plan”,
stated Sarkis Kotanjian, Executive Director of Armenia Fund, Inc.
Building on the merits of the Martakert Regional Development plan,
which is underway, Armenia Fund plans on implementing a parallel
program in the southernmost borderline region – Hadrut. During the
liberation war, nearly all regions of Nagorno Karabakh came under
heavy fire from Azeri forces. The brutal war brought insurmountable
damage to the infrastructure as well as the local economy.
Armenia Fund continues implementing major regional development projects
aimed at enhancing the socio-economic standards of Nagorno Karabakh.
Although the final international status of the region remains
uncertain, mediating groups have urged the worldwide donor community to
continue rebuilding the region through the construction of healthcare
facilities, schools, water pipelines, and various socio-economic
projects designed to alleviate the humanitarian crisis of the region.
Armenia Fund’s 9th international telethon will air in all major U.S.
markets as well as internationally in Europe, the Middle East, Asia,
South America, and Australia. Please visit for
more information.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698

AFI FEST Sets “Bobby” for Opening Night and Unveils 13 World Premieres
Indiewire.com
September 20, 2006
Emilio Estevez’s “Bobby,” the story of the night Robert F. Kennedy was
assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968, will open
the 2006 AFI FEST, the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival,
much of the large ensemble cast from the film are expected to attend
the opening night at the festival. Also announced were 13 of the films
that will have their world premieres at the 2006 AFI FEST, including
David Cunningham’s “After,” J.B. Rutagarama’s “Back Home,” Chad Lowe’s
“Beautiful Ohio,” David Boyle’s “Big Dreams, Little Tokyo,” Alan
White’s “Broken,” Daniel Jones & Dann Sytsma’s “Comic Evangelists,”
Alante Kavaite’s “Fissures / Ecoute Le Temps,” David Stenn’s “Girl 27,”
Henry Jaglom’s “Hollywood Dreams,” Yokihiko Tsutsumi’s “Memories of
Tomorrow,” Sedika Mojadidi’s “Motherland Afghanistan,” Arnie Williams’
“No Sweat,” and Carla Garapedian’s “Screamers.” The festival will run
from November 1 – 12, 2006, anchored again at the ArcLight Cinemas
in Hollywood. For more information, visit the festival’s website.
[Screamers follows the rock band System of a Down as they tour Europe
and the US pointing out the horrors of modern genocide that began in
Armenia in 1915 up though Darfur today.]

NKR Leadership Interested in Development of Economic Ties with Iran
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.09.2006 16:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian trade and industrial delegation has paid
a visit to Nagorno Karabakh to get familiarized with the output of
local companies and meet with the leadership of the republic. NKR
Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan gave a positive estimate to
the meeting and described the visit of the Iranian delegation as a
new and important step for the development of bilateral trade and
economic relations.
In his words, the two states have friendly ties in various sectors
of economy, science, education and culture. He also remarked that
though Karabakh has made considerable economic progress it needs
foreign investments, reported Iran.news.

Karabakh Problem Priority Issue for Armenia
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.09.2006 16:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia should be ready for any developments in
Nagorno Karabakh, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan told reporters
when commenting on Azerbaijan’s attempts to convey the discussion of
the Karabakh problem to the U.N. “We should be ready for any move,
since the Karabakh problem is a priority for us and is immediately
bound with our security and future,” the RA MOD head said, reports
newsarmenia.ru.