AN ORDEAL FOR THE DIASPORA REPRESENTATIVES DURING THE FESTIVAL
A1+
[02:35 pm] 27 June, 2006
The PanArmenian second festival “One nation, one culture” initiated in
the sports-concert complex after Karen Demirchyan with the belief that
only the complex hall may hold all the participants of the festival
that have arrived with large delegations this year.
But many Diaspora representatives had to vacate their seats as they
were “occupied in advance” (though the entrance was free) and they
either took seats on the stairs or being offended missed the opening
ceremony.
As for the festival program the concert was over late at night with
firework. Then the fire brigades had to extinguish the burning electric
lamps which were set on fire as a result of the firework.
The festival continued in other regions of the republic the following
days as well. The most striking were the scenes in Tsaghkadzor and
in Sevan where all the participants were to be present and a fire of
union was to be lit. But the fire was not lit.
Besides, the concert ended just before it began because of the lack
of organization, sudden unexpected rain and severe cold.
As for the food they were certain problems on this score as well. The
participants got sandwiches with cheese and sausage only on the buses
on their return way. Prior to that, “Each person was to feed himself
the way he could,” says one of the participants from Lebanon.
The same can be said about the hygienic state. Many people found the
existence of the lake even in such conditions great happiness. Three
members of the Russian chorus couldn’t get on busses and missed the
Tsaghkadzor concert and had to go to Sevan immediately.
By the way, each participant of the Russian delegation which is the
largest group this year took 2 – 3 friends or acquaintances with him
as a result of which the busses became overcrowded and this caused
extra problems for the initiators.
Nevertheless, the Diaspora representatives try to conceal their
displeasure and the drawbacks of the festival enjoying every ounce
of their stay in their homelands especially those who were in Armenia
for the first time.
They even put candles during their Echmiadzin visit wishing to return
to their homeland more frequently.
“We are very delighted to meet and get acquainted with our compatriots
from all angles of the world. This is an exclusive chance for us,”
says Eran Zeytuntsyan, an actress from Syria.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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:
Watch the recorded video here:
ANTELIAS SEMINARY CONCLUDES ITS ACADEMIC YEAR WITH ITS 76TH ANNUAL CEREMONY
The Theological Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia marked the
end of its 76th academic year in a ceremony held at Bikfaya on June
23 under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I.
The program of the ceremony included readings from the Bible and
“Nareg” as well as a performance of a musical poem by the Seminary’s
choir on the occasion of the year of the Armenian School.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishian expressed
his gratitude to the Pontiff, the Seminary’s management and staff
for their role in his and his classmates’ spiritual formation.
V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian read the year-end report that included
details on the work of the Seminary’s management and staff, the
religious, educational and social aspects of the Seminary’s life and
this academic year ‘s graduates.
Congratulating the students with the highest grades and the highest
records of good behaviors, V. Rev. Fr. Chiftjian invited the Catholicos
to distribute the diplomas and pass on his pontifical blessings to
the graduates.
Praising the work of all those involved in the Catholicosate
of Cilicia’s Seminary, His Holiness said: “We do not speak about
our work; let the nation itself be the judge. We will increase our
carefulness, particularly in the face of misleading phenomena our
approach will be clear and tough. We have the courage to say “no”
to personal and on-the-side interests in the face of our nation’s
and church’s collective interests.”
Addressing the graduates, His Holiness then said: “a person is a
value in as much as he serves the collective values of the church
and nation. It is with this spirit and commitment that we formed
you under this roof to send you off to our people. Whether you serve
as spiritual or as secular men, you will pretend to hold on to the
Bible, but you will live it and bring it to life in the lives of the
faithful. Go and take with you what you received in the Seminary,
put it in the service of our people through yourselves.”
A reception followed at the end of the ceremony.
## View photos here:
es86.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about
the Theological Seminary of the 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.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 9, No. 23, 26 June 2006
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL’s Newsline Team
******************************************** ****************
HEADLINES:
* IRAN FEATURES IN U.S. PRESIDENT’S SPEECH
* TEHRAN WANTS TO START NUCLEAR TALKS BEFORE MAKING A DECISION
* TEHRAN WILL NOT DISCUSS IRAQ WITH WASHINGTON
* IRAQIS ATTACK IRANIAN CONSULATES IN AL-BASRAH, KARBALA
* PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NOTES IRANIAN FUNDING
* LEBANESE ‘RESISTANCE’ FIGURE VISITS IRAN
* ISRAELI MILITARY CLAIMS IRANIANS NEAR NORTHERN BORDER
* IRAN’S ONGOING DIPLOMATIC SHUFFLE LEAVES VEXING QUESTIONS
* UNITED KINGDOM GETS NEW IRANIAN AMBASSADOR
* IRANIAN OFFICIALS HAIL SCO MEETING IN SHANGHAI
* DOES THE ROAD TO SHANGHAI GO THROUGH TEHRAN?
* UN REFUGEE AGENCY DESCRIBES ACTIVITIES IN IRAN
* IRANIAN MINISTERS ADDRESS NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
* RUSSIAN LEGISLATOR HAILS POSSIBLE ‘GAS ALLIANCE’ WITH IRAN
* SUSPECTED IRANIAN DRUG SMUGGLERS DETAINED IN MUMBAI
* AHMADINEJAD’S POPULARITY VARIOUSLY DESCRIBED
* AFTER ONE YEAR, IS THE AHMADINEJAD HONEYMOON OVER?
******************************************** ****************
IRAN FEATURES IN U.S. PRESIDENT’S SPEECH. President George W.
Bush focused on Iran during a June 19 commencement address at the
United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, Radio
Farda reported. Bush charged that the Iranian leadership sponsors
terrorism, represses its own people, threatens Israel, and defies
international treaty obligations by “pursuing nuclear activities that
mask its effort to acquire nuclear weapons.” Bush expressed his hope
that Iran will suspend uranium enrichment and commence negotiations
with the United States and other countries, and he described the
international proposal submitted to Tehran in early June as a
“historic opportunity.”
Bush also reached out to the Iranian public, praising the
country’s history and culture and acknowledging its scientific
accomplishments. “We believe the Iranian people should enjoy the
benefits of a truly peaceful program to use nuclear reactors to
generate electric power,” he said. “So America supports the Iranian
people’s rights to develop nuclear energy peacefully, with proper
international safeguards.”
Bush referred to $75 million in the U.S. budget that he said
will contribute to “openness and freedom,” fund radio and television
broadcasts to Iran, support human rights activists and civil-society
groups, and promote academic exchanges (see “RFE/RL Iran Report, 22
February 2006). Bush said he anticipates a day when Iranians can
enjoy “the full fruits of liberty.”
In an address that preceded Bush’s, Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a June 19 meeting in Tehran with
government officials that “the most vital challenge which originates
from abroad is anti-Iranian sentiments and moves of the U.S.,” Fars
News Agency reported. Khamenei attributed perceived U.S. hostility to
Iran’s anti-imperialism and to its anti-U.S. policies. More
American plots are on the way, Khamenei warned, because economic
sanctions, the 1980-88 war with Iraq, and the cultural offensive have
not yielded results.
Khamenei also condemned Al-Qaeda and its activities in Iraq.
BS
TEHRAN WANTS TO START NUCLEAR TALKS BEFORE MAKING A DECISION. EU High
Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana
visited Tehran in early June to submit an international proposal that
purportedly calls on Iran to suspend its uranium-enrichment
activities in exchange for various incentives until international
inspectors confirm that the country’s nuclear program has no
military applications. Since then, there has been speculation on the
nature of the proposal formulated by China, France, Germany, Russia,
the United Kingdom, and the United States, although official
confirmation has not appeared yet.
Furthermore, there are questions about when Iran will respond
— the international community is encouraging Tehran to act soon.
Tehran does not seem to be in a hurry, however, saying it wants to
examine the proposal closely. Furthermore, Iranians will not want to
be perceived as submitting to pressure. Nevertheless, the Iranian
side says it is willing to begin talks immediately, if there are no
preconditions. Engaging in such seemingly unstructured discussions,
however, is unlikely to be productive and could be an Iranian
delaying tactic.
The pressure on Tehran kicked off with President George W.
Bush’s June 19 commencement address at the United States Merchant
Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, Radio Farda reported. Bush
expressed his hope that Iran will suspend uranium enrichment and
commence negotiations with the United States and other countries, and
he described the international proposal submitted to Tehran in early
June as a “historic opportunity.”
The next day, Radio Farda quoted anonymous European diplomats
as saying that Iran faces a June 29 deadline for responding to the
proposal. The alleged deadline was conveyed to the Iranian government
by Solana when he visited Tehran in early June, according to Radio
Farda. June 29 is significant because it is when G8 foreign ministers
meet in Moscow.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki denied in Baku on
June 20 that Iran is facing a deadline and suggested that
international negotiations get under way. “Some kind of negotiation
can start even before [Iran gives] the final answer,” Mottaki said,
according to Radio Farda. “I mean, there can be some questions and
some doubts which need clarification, and that is why starting
negotiations between Iran and the other parties, of course without
any preconditions, can help all the parties come together more
closely.”
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad announced a seemingly
self-imposed deadline during a speech in the western Iranian city of
Hamedan on June 21, Radio Farda and Iranian state television
reported. “We have said many times that we are in favor of dialogue
and negotiations,” Ahmadinejad said. “We will announce our views on
the proposals towards the end of Mordad [month ending 22 August]. We
support talks but they must be on equal and just terms.”
Speaking at a press conference in Vienna on June 21,
President Bush sounded impatient with the Iranians and said Iran
should hurry up and accept the international community’s proposal
on its nuclear program, “The Washington Post” reported. “It
shouldn’t take the Iranians that long to analyze what is a
reasonable deal,” Bush said. “Our position is we’ll come to the
table when they verifiably suspend. Period.”
Yet it is not just the U.S. that is eager for an Iranian
response. Other country’s leaders voiced similar views. Austrian
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said on June 21 that Iran “should not
play with time,” “The Washington Post” reported.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said
on June 22 that Iran should make a decision soon on the nuclear
proposal, AFP reported. “In our minds, it’s a question of weeks,
not months,” Mattei said. “The offer from the six [China, France,
Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States] to Iran
is a good proposal. We urge Iran to give a positive reply.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu expressed a
similar view on June 22, Xinhua reported. “We hope Iran would be
highly attentive to the concerns of the international community, take
a positive attitude, and make a formal response to the package
proposal at an early date,” she said. Jiang also called for the other
parties to be patient.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with Iranian Foreign
Minister Mottaki in Geneva on June 22 and said at a joint news
conference afterward that he hopes Iran decides on the international
proposal soon, Radio Farda reported. “I believe [Iran] is considering
this offer very seriously, as I have urged it to do, and I hope it
will give its official answer before too long,” Annan said. He noted
Iran’s insistence that its nuclear program is peaceful, and he
stressed the importance of convincing other countries of this by
cooperating fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted
Mottaki as saying at the same news conference that Tehran is studying
the proposal closely and would welcome talks about it “without
preconditions.”
Western diplomats who have negotiated with the Iranian
government warn that such talks can be a painful and ultimately
unproductive process. Some of the tactics the Iranians employ include
playing up factional differences in their own governing apparatus, as
well as trying to play up differences among their interlocutors and
creating splits between them. The Iranians, furthermore, will
negotiate on the terms of an agreement, and afterwards, they will
either negotiate on the implementation of the agreement or ignore the
agreement completely. Finally, the Iranian side may just choose to
string out the negotiations. (Bill Samii)
TEHRAN WILL NOT DISCUSS IRAQ WITH WASHINGTON. Washington called on
Tehran to begin bilateral talks on Iraqi affairs in autumn 2005, and
Tehran agreed to this in March 2006. The Iranian pretext for this
decision was a request by Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Not only have the
talks failed to materialize, despite al-Hakim’s continuing
interest in them, but the Iranian government has made clear that it
is no longer interested. The reason for Tehran’s decision is far
from clear, but American officials’ recent allegations of Iranian
interference in Iraqi affairs are not likely to make Iran change its
mind.
Tehran’s Hard Line
Al-Hakim is visiting the Iranian capital in connection with a
July 8-9 meeting in Tehran of foreign ministers from Iraq’s
neighboring states and from Organization of the Islamic Conference
member states. During a June 17 news briefing in Tehran, Al-Hakim
told reporters that Iranian-U.S. talks would benefit Iraq, the
official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. He expressed
the hope that obstacles to such talks will be removed.
The next day, however, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza
Assefi said Tehran is unwilling to discuss Iraqi affairs with
Washington, despite previous indications to the contrary, Radio Farda
reported. “Because we respected the opinion of Mr. [Abd al-Aziz]
al-Hakim, we accepted his request to talk to the United States,”
Assefi said. “But the Americans showed unreasonable and inappropriate
behavior that made the talks impossible.”
The Iranian official did not describe the supposed
“unreasonable and inappropriate behavior.” Tehran’s refusal to
hold the talks probably has more to do with its perceived
self-interest than with anything done by the U.S. Tehran may believe
that holding the talks now will appear to legitimize the U.S.
occupation of Iraq. Tehran may also fear that participating in the
talks at the same time that it is considering the international
proposal on its nuclear program would at worst seem weak and at best
would divert attention from a bigger issue.
Al-Hakim continued to meet with Iranian officials, and state
media did not describe his sentiments on the collapse of Iran-U.S.
talks on Iraqi affairs. Al-Hakim met on June 18 with President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad and Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Ali-Akbar
Hashemi-Rafsanjani, IRNA reported. Hashemi-Rafsanjani said the
continuing presence of foreign forces in Iraq is causing regional
instability, and that political activism by religious leaders will
contribute to national unity. Al-Hakim concurred on the importance of
religion and said ethnic and religious divisions will lead nowhere.
Al-Hakim met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on
June 20, IRNA reported. Khamenei said the withdrawal of occupation
forces and the management of national affairs by Iraqis would
strengthen national security.
Allegations Of Iranian Interference
Washington’s feelings about the Iranian refusal to
discuss Iraqi affairs are unknown. In recent days, however, there
have been renewed complaints from U.S. officials about alleged
Iranian interference in Iraqi affairs.
Ambassador David Satterfield, currently the senior advisor
for Iraq to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, noted
continuing Iranian interference in the affairs of its western
neighbor, “Al-Quds al-Arabi” and “Al-Sharq al-Awsat” reported on June
21. Satterfield just completed a tour as deputy chief of mission in
Baghdad, and he also has served as deputy assistant secretary of
state for Near Eastern affairs and U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.
“Everyone is worried by Iran’s interference in Iraqi affairs,
especially the interference that has led to acts of violence and dead
Iraqi and coalition forces,” Satterfield said. He encouraged
Iraq’s other neighbors to pressure Iran to cease and desist.
One day later in Washington, the top commander of U.S. forces
in Iraq, General George Casey, told a news briefing at the Pentagon,
“We are quite confident that the Iranians, through their covert
special operations forces, are providing weapons, IED [improvised
explosive device] technology and training to Shi’a extremist
groups in Iraq.” This training, Casey said, is taking place in Iran
and in Lebanon. Casey accused Iran of using its surrogates to conduct
terrorist operations against U.S. forces and against Iraqis. Casey
conceded that Iran is not directing these attacks, but asserted
nevertheless, “They are providing the material to Shi’a extremist
groups that operate as their surrogates.” (Bill Samii)
IRAQIS ATTACK IRANIAN CONSULATES IN AL-BASRAH, KARBALA. Followers of
cleric Mahmud al-Hassani claimed on June 19 that guards at the tomb
of Imam Hussein in Karbala blocked their access to that Shi’ite
holy site, Baghdad’s Al-Sharqiyah television reported.
Al-Hassani’s faithful then staged a demonstration in front of the
Iranian Consulate in Karbala after a cleric identified only as
al-Kurani claimed on Iran’s Al-Kawthar satellite television
station that al-Hassani’s followers conspired in the unsuccessful
attempt on the life of Islamic scholar Seyyed Murtada al-Qazwini.
Al-Sharqiyah identified al-Kurani as an Iranian, but scholar Asad
Abu-Khalil claimed on his blog that Ali al-Kurani is a Lebanese
Shi’ite cleric who was affiliated with Iraq’s Al-Da’wah
al-Islamiyah party. After the demonstration, the Iranian consul
received a letter demanding an apology, and then an Iraqi flag was
hoisted on the consulate. Similar events transpired at the Iranian
Consulate in Al-Basrah. BS
PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NOTES IRANIAN FUNDING. Just back from a
trip to Tehran and other Asian cities, Palestinian Foreign Minister
Mahmud al-Zahhar said at a June 17 news conference in Gaza that that
Iran has donated $50 million to the Hamas-led government,
Bethlehem’s Ma’an News Agency reported. He said other sources
of funding include $50 million from Libya, $30 million from the Arab
League Fund and other sources, and $60 million in taxes that Israel
owes the Palestinian Authority. BS
LEBANESE ‘RESISTANCE’ FIGURE VISITS IRAN. Mustafa Dirani, a
leading figure in Lebanese Hizballah who until late 2003 was
imprisoned in Israel, met in Tehran on June 19 with Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Mottaki, IRNA and Mehr News Agency reported. Mottaki hailed
Dirani’s “resistance” during imprisonment and said this
symbolizes the struggle against Israel. Dirani thanked Iran for the
spiritual support it has given the Lebanese and Palestinian people.
Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Lebanese
Hizballah, praised Iranian support for Arabs during a June 6 speech
in Beirut, Al-Manar television reported. “Iran is a power for the
Arabs,” he said. “It is a power for the Muslims. It is a power for
all of us. It is a power for Lebanon, Palestine, and for all our Arab
and Muslim peoples.” He claimed Shi’ite-Sunni conflict is being
fostered and Iran is being portrayed as a Shi’ite threat.
Nasrallah went on to say that the United States is encouraging “this
confrontation,” and that “the killers in Iraq, no matter what sect
they belong to, are Americans and Zionists and CIA and Mossad
agents.”
Writing in Beirut’s “Al-Mustaqbal” daily on June 5,
journalist Qasim Qasir reported that Tehran-Beirut relations have
deteriorated. The ceremony marking the most recent departure of an
Iranian ambassador, Masud Edrisi, was attended solely by Shi’ite
organizations, including Hizballah, Amal, and the Higher Islamic
Shi’ite Council. Qasir reported that Edrisi’s predecessor,
Mohammad Ali Sobhani, established “strong relations” with all
Lebanese parties, “especially Christian ones,” and a greater variety
of people attended his going-away party.
Iranian diplomats have improved ties with Druze legislator
Walid Jumblatt’s enemies in reaction to his open opposition to
alleged Iranian interference in Lebanese affairs, journalist Qasim
Qasir claims in his June 5 article in “Al-Mustaqbal.” Jumblatt said
in a May 25 interview with Al-Arabiyah television that Iran should
stop sending supplies to Hizballah, and that he has received
information that Islamic Revolution Guards Corps personnel from Iran
have come to Lebanon recently. “They are being prepared for special
operations,” he added, possibly hinting at assassinations. Jumblatt
did not identify the prospective targets of such operations. BS
ISRAELI MILITARY CLAIMS IRANIANS NEAR NORTHERN BORDER. Israeli
Defense Forces (IDF) personnel located along that country’s
northern border claim they have detected Iranian personnel on the
Lebanese side of the frontier, Jerusalem’s Channel 2 television
reported on January 19. Brigadier General Alon Friedman, head of IDF
Northern Command Headquarters, said the Iranians are visible to the
naked eye. “They are not soldiers, but we know definitely that they
are associated with Iran,” Friedman said. “We can see them easily.”
Friedman did not explain how the Iranians’ nationality was
determined. BS
IRAN’S ONGOING DIPLOMATIC SHUFFLE LEAVES VEXING QUESTIONS. Tehran
is expected to dispatch new ambassadors to London and Paris as part
of an ongoing diplomatic shuffle that began shortly after President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s inauguration in August. Hints of the
diplomatic housecleaning emerged last fall, with reports that the
envoys to the UN mission in Geneva, Germany, Malaysia, and France and
the U.K. had been recalled or would soon be replaced. Could the
appointment of experienced envoys to two European capitals
consolidate hard-line gains in the diplomatic corps — or keep more
radical elements at bay?
Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi announced in early
June that Iran’s new ambassadors to the United Kingdom and France
would take their posts soon. Ali Ahani — whose most recent
assignment is ambassador to Belgium and the European Union and who
has previously served as ambassador to East Germany, France, and
Italy — is headed to Paris. Rasul Movahedian-Attar, who has served
as ambassador to Portugal, will serve as Tehran’s ambassador in
London.
Their posts have been in limbo since observers warned of a
looming purge of Iran’s diplomatic corps by the new president,
Mahmud Ahmadinejad, months after he took office in August.
Ahmadinejad had embarked on a confrontational foreign policy
path, and it appeared that he would select foreign representatives
more in tune with his tougher approach — particularly on the nuclear
issue.
Cleaning House
The rapporteur of Iranian legislature’s national security
and foreign policy committee, Kazem Jalali, said at the time that the
Foreign Ministry had submitted a list of 30-40 envoys who would be
“removed, replaced, or whose tenure will come to an end” by March 21,
2006, according to the Iranian Students news Agency (ISNA).
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki confirmed that statement,
adding that “some ambassadors have reached the retirement age or
asked for early retirement,” Fars News Agency reported on November 2,
2005. At the same time, Mottaki denied that Iran’s permanent
representative at the United Nations in New York, Mohammad Javad
Zarif, would be replaced.
The substitution of foreign envoys is not unusual for an
incoming executive like President Ahmadinejad. But complaints soon
emerged over perceived delays in naming replacements.
In late January, a reformist daily, “Etemad-i Melli,” on
January 28 quoted anonymous sources who said the ambassadors to
France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom had been selected, as
well as a new representative to the UN mission in Geneva. But the
newspaper also argued that the new ambassadors selected by
Ahmadinejad’s fundamentalist government had neither the
“experience, expertise, [nor] command enjoyed by their counterparts
in the reform government [of Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami].” The
paper conceded that they were not complete novices. It named
Movahedian-Attar and Ahani among the planned appointments.
The paper added that Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh, who most
recently represented Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) in Vienna and who previously served as ambassador to the U.K.
and to Pakistan, would be sent to Paris. It predicted that Alireza
Moayeri, who previously served as deputy foreign minister for
research, would serve in Berlin.
Abolfazl Zohrevand, who served as the consul in Herat, would
serve as ambassador in Rome, the reformist daily continued. While
Zohrevand is a relatively junior figure, he reportedly is close to
Mujtaba Hashemi-Samarei, one of the president’s top advisers. The
daily added that Zarif, the representative at the United Nations, is
“facing enormous pressure to resign.”
The selection of Ahani, Movahedian, and Zohrevand was
confirmed in early February by another reformist daily, “Mardom
Salari” reported on February 6.
Writing On The Wall
An official report in mid-April then announced that 60 of
Iran’s ambassadors would be replaced. The appointment of two
specific diplomatic representatives was announced at that time.
Ambassador to the IAEA Ali-Asghar Soltanieh would take over as the
new Iranian representative at the UN office in Vienna, while
Soltanieh would replace Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh, who would serve
as ambassador in Berlin, Mehr News Agency reported on April 16.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi has said that
the replacement of 60-70 ambassadors has been planned since
Ahmadinejad took office, IRNA reported on April 18. He added that 120
ambassadors are replaced every three years — or 40 ambassadors in an
average year.
Some Iranians have been critical of the diplomatic
housecleaning, arguing that mass personnel changes might weaken the
country’s diplomatic apparatus. Others have recommended waiting
to see whether the replacements are truly qualified or mere political
appointees, “Aftab-i Yazd” reported on April 18.
But legislator Suleiman Jafarzadeh hailed the changes as long
overdue. He praised President Ahmadinejad’s policies, and said
that only ambassadors who believe in them wholeheartedly can act
convincingly and effectively. Jafarzadeh suggested that “one of the
reasons the Ahmadinejad government has not had a suitable image
abroad is the failure by the ambassadors to adequately defend
[Ahmadinejad’s] image around the world.” He called such a failure
“a betrayal of Ahmadinejad.”
The country’s powerful hard-line Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) has remained in the background during all this
diplomatic bloodletting. But should the new ambassadors and the
Foreign Ministry stumble, the IRGC is ready to fill the vacuum. The
IRGC’s public-relations chief, Seyyed Ahmad Mohieddin Morshedi,
said in mid-May that the IRGC is well known internationally and is
ready to participate in international relations, “Farhang-i Ashti”
reported on May 17. The spokesman explained that “the IRGC has
military relations with many countries, and those who want to stand
against tyranny in the world follow our model.” He cited Hizballah as
an example of a “purely Lebanese system,” adding ominously that while
the IRGC has “no direct part in it…our models significantly
influence the revolutionary movements of Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq,
and Afghanistan.” The spokesman also said that while “the IRGC is not
a meddler, it has a part to play in international diplomacy.” (Bill
Samii)
UNITED KINGDOM GETS NEW IRANIAN AMBASSADOR. The Iranian Foreign
Ministry announced on June 19 that Rasul Movahedian-Attar has been
selected as Iran’s ambassador to London, IRNA reported on June
20. Movahedian-Attar previously served as ambassador in Prague and in
Lisbon. The appointment could prove significant in connection with
the United Kingdom’s role in nuclear diplomacy. BS
IRANIAN OFFICIALS HAIL SCO MEETING IN SHANGHAI. Iranian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi on June 18 described as
“positive” the recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), IRNA reported. By attending the event, Assefi
continued, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had the opportunity to inform
his counterparts of the Iranian stance on a number of issues. Iran
currently has observer status in the SCO but has expressed an
interest in full membership, and Assefi said Iran would like to
increase its cooperation with member states on a variety of issues.
One day earlier, Ahmadinejad said his trip to Shanghai was
useful, state radio reported. Ahmadinejad spoke with Russian
President Putin, saying, “We share same views in many areas including
regional security, world peace, and development of economic ties. We
made good decisions regarding the energy issue.” Ahmadinejad also met
with Chinese President Hu Jintao, saying, “We have a high rate of
official and unofficial trade exchange with China, including mutual
investment, commerce, and industry. We discussed current issues
facing Asia and the international community. Fortunately, we share
the same views on these issues.” BS
DOES THE ROAD TO SHANGHAI GO THROUGH TEHRAN? New variables are
entering the geopolitical calculus of Central Asia. An ongoing
Russian-Uzbek rapprochement is only the most visible sign of
resurgent Russian influence in the region, which is an important
source of natural gas to feed Moscow’s ambitions of becoming a
21st-century energy superpower. Chinese interest in Central Asian
energy resources is also growing. And the United States continues to
maintain close, energy-inflected ties with Kazakhstan and a military
base in Kyrgyzstan. But the newest variable is the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), which brings together China,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in an ambiguous
alliance that many in the West are beginning to view with
trepidation.
The SCO will soon celebrate its fifth anniversary with a
summit of member states’ leaders in Shanghai on June 15. Last
year’s summit, in Kazakhstan, was notable for a declaration
asking members of the “antiterrorist coalition” to provide a time
frame for the withdrawal of military forces from SCO territory. It
was a pointed reference to U.S. military bases in Uzbekistan and
Kyrgyzstan. Only two weeks later, Uzbekistan evicted the United
States from its Karshi-Khanabad air base.
This year, the summit will open against a backdrop of reports
that Iran, which currently holds observer status in the SCO (along
with India, Mongolia, and Pakistan), is looking to become a
full-fledged member.
‘OPEC With Bombs’?
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mohammadi set the
speculation rippling in April, when he said that Iran hopes to join
the SCO in the summer. The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan and
Tajikistan subsequently downplayed the possibility, citing a lack of
formal mechanisms to accommodate new members. But the gambit, coming
in the context of Iran’s strained relations with the West over
Tehran’s nuclear program, drew notice. “The Washington Times”
quoted David Wall, professor at the University of Cambridge’s
East Asia Institute, as saying that “an expanded SCO would control a
large part of the world’s oil and gas reserves and nuclear
arsenal. It would essentially be an OPEC with bombs.”
As it emerged that Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad would
attend the SCO summit in Shanghai, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld also addressed the issue of Iran’s potential membership
of the organization, “The New York Times” reported on June 4.
Singling out Iran, Rumsfeld remarked that it was “passing strange
that one would want to bring into an organization that says it is
against terrorism one of the leading terrorist nations in the world.”
SCO Secretary-General Zhang Deguang quickly retorted, AP
reported on June 7, firing back: “We cannot abide by other countries
calling our observer nations sponsors of terror. We would not have
invited them if we believed they sponsored terror.”
Mutual Support
Three points follow from the reactions to the SCO’s
Iranian gambit. First, the SCO represents an approach to multilateral
relations and an understanding of terrorism that do not, in fact,
define Iran as a sponsor of terror and would permit Iran’s
accession. Second, it is unlikely that Iran will join the SCO in the
near future. And third, even if Iran joined, the SCO would have a
long way to go before becoming a genuine “OPEC with bombs.”
The SCO’s charter helps to explain why SCO states —
primarily China and Russia — do not consider Iran a sponsor of
terrorism. While the charter’s “aims and objections” list “joint
opposition to terrorism, separatism, and extremism in all their
manifestations,” its first principle is “mutual respect for
states’ sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and
the sanctity of borders, nonaggression, noninterference in internal
affairs, the non-use of force or the threat of force in international
relations, and renunciation of unilateral military superiority in
contiguous areas.”
The crux of the matter is that, for SCO member states,
“terrorism, separatism, and extremism” are viewed not as distinct
abstract phenomena with global relevance to be dealt with globally,
but rather as a single phenomenon that is locally defined by the
ruling elite and left to sovereign states to combat by any means they
see fit. For Russia, it is Chechen separatism; for China, Uighur
“splittism”; for Uzbekistan, religious extremism. The task of SCO
member-states is to support each other as they combat perceived
threats to existing power relations, as Russia and China did when
Uzbekistan labeled May 2005 unrest in Andijon “terrorism” and crushed
it with maximum force.
It is the locally bounded definition of terrorism that leads
SCO member states to reject the labeling of Iran as a sponsor of
terror, and the globally defined emphasis on sovereignty and
non-interference that makes them amenable to granting Iran
membership. Iran does not support Chechen separatists, Uighur
“splittists,” or Uzbek “religious extremists.” The SCO’s
understanding of terrorism is not based on globally applied
principles — hence the inclusion of the fight against “terrorism,
extremism, and separatism” in the charter’s aims and objectives.
So if Iran chooses to support individuals and groups it defines as
“legitimate resistance” in a theater outside the SCO region, that is
Iran’s business. But absolute sovereignty and non-interference
are global principles to the SCO (hence their inclusion in the
charter’s principles), which is thus sympathetic to Tehran’s
plight as, in their view, a sovereign state that is the target of
outside interference.
Tehran Overreaching
That said, Iran remains an unlikely candidate for full
membership of the SCO. The possibility of Iranian membership has
raised the organization’s profile on the international arena. But
actual Iranian membership could significantly reduce the leeway that
leading members China and Russia have until now enjoyed in the
diplomatic jockeying over Iran’s nuclear program. As Yevgeny
Morozov put it in a June 8 commentary on TCSDaily, Moscow and Beijing
don’t want to be responsible for “Iran’s loony statements
about Israel or its nuclear program.” RIA-Novosti political
commentator Dmitry Kosyrev made a similar point in an Outside View
op-ed for UPI on June 8. Kosyrev argued that Iran “will not join in
the foreseeable future” because the SCO is having trouble coping with
a flood of new initiatives and needs to put its current house in
order before expanding.
Yet even if Iran were to join the SCO, would it strengthen or
weaken the organization? Today, the solid common ground in the SCO is
its emphasis on non-interference — a not-so-subtle expression of
unhappiness with Western cajoling on rights and reforms. Beyond that,
individual members have their own concerns. For Central Asian
governments, any forum that allows them to balance Chinese and
Russian interests holds obvious attraction. For Beijing, the primary
significance of the SCO appears to be as a vehicle for managing
China’s growing commercial and energy interests in Central Asia.
For Moscow, it is an eastward-looking body that goes beyond the
borders of formerly Soviet space.
Furthermore, the SCO’s four Central Asian members share
numerous unsettled scores of their own. And specific Russian and
Chinese interests in the region have the potential to diverge
significantly, especially if China starts pushing for expanded access
to Central Asian energy resources currently exported through Russia.
On the military front, while Russia and China held war games in
August under the SCO aegis and the organization plans
counterterrorism exercises in Russia in 2007, Russia still handles
the bulk of its military involvement in Central Asia through the
Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Iran surely shares the SCO’s particular understanding of
non-interference. But beyond this common ground, it has a host of its
own concerns — most of them bound up with the politics of the Middle
East, not Central Asia. It is difficult to see how the addition of
those concerns to the SCO’s already disparate mix of Chinese,
Russian, and Central Asian interests would lend the organization
greater cohesion or clout.
Nevertheless, the SCO represents two tendencies that are
likely to become increasingly pronounced in international affairs.
The first is the natural resistance of entrenched domestic elites to
outside pressures that they perceive as a threat to their hold on
power. The second is a desire to turn that common ground into a
platform for greater global influence in the face of what the
secondary and tertiary powers see as the primary power in the current
world order. As an expression of these rising tendencies, the SCO is
noteworthy whether it expands or contracts. (Daniel Kimmage)
UN REFUGEE AGENCY DESCRIBES ACTIVITIES IN IRAN. The United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) described the nature of its
efforts in Iran in its “Global Report 2005,” which was released on
June 19, one day before World Refugee Day. Some 289,600 Afghan
refugees repatriated in 2005, and 5,200 Iraqis returned to their
homeland in 2005, according to the report. The UNHCR regards it as
important to ensure that repatriations are voluntary and to alleviate
residency restrictions in Iran. The UNHCR reported that access for
its screening teams was “restricted,” although they could have helped
prevent the wrongful arrest of documented Afghan refugees during a
clampdown on undocumented workers. Overall, UNHCR reported, the
number of “arbitrary arrests and deportations” fell in Iran in 2005.
The UNHCR report did not specify the number of refugees currently in
Iran. “For the millions of displaced persons around the world, please
help to keep their hope alive and remember World Refugee Day,” UNHCR
goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie urged in a webcast on the UNHCR
website. BS
IRANIAN MINISTERS ADDRESS NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. Iranian Justice
Minister Jamal Karimirad and Foreign Minister Mottaki addressed the
newly established UN Human Rights Council at its June 22 meeting in
Geneva, IRNA reported. Karimirad complained that UN human rights
rapporteurs gave factually incorrect and politically motivated
reports on the countries they visited. He said he hopes that major
powers do not interfere in the activities of the new council.
Karimirad said he discussed cooperation with his counterparts from
other countries including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Mottaki told the audience that cultural and religious
diversity threaten human rights, IRNA reported. He added that the
dominance of great powers undermines the legitimacy of UN human
rights organs. Mottaki complained of alleged “mass killings” that the
“Great Powers” either support or commit directly, citing the U.S.
detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib prison as
examples.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on June 21 condemned the presence of
Tehran Prosecutor-General Said Mortazavi in the Iranian delegation to
the UN Human Rights Council. A former press-court judge, Mortazavi
has ordered the closure of upward of 100 publications and is
implicated in numerous cases of torture, illegal detention, and
coercion of false confessions, according to the media watchdog.
Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi died in Evin prison in June 2003
while in the custody of personnel led by Mortazavi; her body
allegedly showed signs of torture. The deputy director of HRW’s
Middle East and North Africa division, Joe Stork, described Mortazavi
as “the poster child for rampant impunity in Iran.” BS
RUSSIAN LEGISLATOR HAILS POSSIBLE ‘GAS ALLIANCE’ WITH IRAN.
Mikhail Margelov, who chairs the Federation Council’s
International Relations Committee, was quoted on June 17 by the
state-run daily “Rossiiskaya Gazeta” as saying that Putin’s
recent meeting in Shanghai with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad
could mark the beginning of a “gas alliance” between the two
countries that would benefit them both (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,”
June 19, 2006). At their meeting, Ahmadinejad suggested that the two
countries work together to determine the price of natural gas.
Margelov noted that “considering that Iran ranks second in the world
after Russia in terms of gas reserves, a coordinated gas policy for
our countries could make the blue-fuel market more stable and
predictable.”
In related news, the daily “Gazeta” on June 19 discussed the
possible implications of an Iranian offer for Gazprom to participate
in a gas pipeline linking Iran, Pakistan, and India, which could be
extended to China. The paper noted that Russia could exert pressure
on its European customers by participating in a pipeline project that
would link it to potential Asian buyers. The daily added, however,
that “the only problem is that Europe might decide to deal with
Russia’s gas blackmail seriously and find alternative energy
sources. In that case, Russia would have to sell its gas to Asia, but
[Asians] won’t pay the high prices that Russia charges Europe.
Moreover, Gazprom is preparing to help Iran, which is a potential
competitor” on the European market. (Patrick Moore)
SUSPECTED IRANIAN DRUG SMUGGLERS DETAINED IN MUMBAI. Three Iranians
allegedly carrying $545,000 worth of cocaine were arrested at the
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai late on June 20,
the PTI news agency from New Delhi reported the next day. Senior
Police Inspector C.K. Chavan alleged that Iraj Seifullah Davudnadi,
Mohammad Raja Rajabali Ghanbali, and Azizullah Habibullah Kheri were
about to board an aircraft headed for Tehran. In Tehran on June 20,
Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai complained that Iran has
not received much international assistance in its counternarcotics
campaign, Mehr News Agency reported. Speaking at a meeting of NGOs
that deal with drug abuse, Rezai said the central government must
develop a plan that will encourage international cooperation with
Iran. BS
AHMADINEJAD’S POPULARITY VARIOUSLY DESCRIBED. Unnamed “Iranian
officials and Western diplomats” say President Ahmadinejad’s
popularity is “surging” among his compatriots, “The Guardian”
newspaper reported on June 21. A Tehran University political science
professor, Nasser Hadian-Jazy, told the newspaper, “He’s more
popular now than a year ago.” The trend is being attributed to the
president’s populism, his communication skills, and his
provincial tours. An article in the June 19 issue of “Mardom Salari”
newspaper, on the other hand, reports that the president’s
popularity has fallen sharply because of his inability to make good
on his campaign promises. “Mardom Salari” reports that while people
respect his modest lifestyle and apparent dedication to resolving
their problems, he has failed to bring the country’s oil revenues
to the voters’ tables, as he said he would. “Gradually,
Ahmadinejad and his advisers came to the conclusion that they would
not be able to implement their numerous economic promises,” the paper
writes. Unemployment and inflation have climbed, and the
administration has alienated its fundamentalist supporters, according
to “Mardom Salari.” BS
AFTER ONE YEAR, IS THE AHMADINEJAD HONEYMOON OVER? One year ago this
week, on June 24, 2005, the little-known, hard-line mayor of Tehran
was elected as Iran’s president. Once in office, Mahmud
Ahmadinejad quickly grabbed international headlines with his fiery
rhetoric about Israel, the Holocaust, and Iran’s disputed nuclear
program. At home in Iran, Ahmadinejad has portrayed himself as a man
of the people, with an accompanying modest lifestyle. He has vowed to
improve people’s economic situations and narrow the gap between
rich and poor. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari spoke with
analysts and other observers about Ahmadinejad’s performance and
Iran’s political fortunes one year into his administration.
President Ahmadinejad came to power on a populist platform
that promised to serve Iranians and improve their lives. He talked of
putting the country’s oil wealth “on their tables,” and vowed to
fight corruption and pursue a path of moderation.
Ahmadinejad also promised the electorate a “government of 70
million.” He said, “Without a doubt, the government emerging from the
will of the people will be a government of affection and moderation
— a government of friendship, a government of tolerance. The
government will serve all the Iranian people.”
The energetic Ahmadinejad has spent much of his time inside
the country touring Iran’s provinces, frequently with talk of
economic sweeteners.
Unlike his reformist predecessor, Mohammad Khatami, who spoke
of “rule of law” and “civil society,” Ahmadinejad speaks in terms
that can be grasped quickly.
Here he was in April, promising money for local projects in
Khorasan Province: “God willing, in addition to expanding the
university, a scientific department will also be created here (crowd
cheers). Let me also add something else about the youth: In the
government meeting, [we will decide] about two new sports saloons for
your city — first for girls, then for boys (crowd cheers). I also
love all of you.”
While it is tricky to reliably track public opinion in Iran,
some observers think Ahmadinejad’s popularity is increasing among
the broader public — particularly those who regard him as one of
their own.
His defiance toward the West and his appeals to nationalism
are probably contributing to his popularity, as well.
But Dr. Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of political science at
Tehran University, tells RFE/RL that many voters are still waiting
for Ahmadinejad to fulfill his promises.
Zibakalam cites growing concern over the perceived absence of
a long-term economic plan to tackle problems like inflation and
unemployment. “So far, unfortunately, not only has there not been any
concrete or serious results, but in the first three months of the
Iranian year we’ve faced an unprecedented rate of inflation.
What’s really causing concern is that apart from nice talk and
beautiful slogans, it seems that in practice Ahmadinejad’s
government does not have a concrete and well-designed plan.”
Last week, a group of 50 prominent Iranian economists
publicly criticized Ahmadinejad policies for “lacking a scientific
and expert basis.” They argued that current policies will lead to
more poverty, economic slowdown, and brain drain.
They also warned that more of the same could reduce trust in
the government.
Professor Zibakalam claims that Ahmadinejad’s government
is reversing a trend toward economic liberalization and free markets:
“We are witnessing tighter government control over the economy. This
will lead to a faster capital flight and also to a deterrence of the
very little foreign investment that has existed.”
Ahmadinejad has also been criticized for increasing the
influence of the hard-line Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
on the political scene — and replacing senior managers with
relatively inexperienced ideological allies.
“A new group of conservatives that we call the
neo-conservatives have come to power,” according to Hussein Bastani,
editor of the online “Rooz” daily. Bastani continued: “They are
usually second-generation conservative managers who in the past 27
years have been in middle management or lower posts. They have been
involved in military bodies. Because of their lack of experience in
top management, many slogans and ideals that have proven impractical
[in the minds of] conservatives still seem attainable for them —
like a state-controlled economy.”
Some in Iran’s existing power structure have criticized
Ahmadinejad for official purges and a confrontational approach to
politics.
The influential former President Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani
and the former head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
are among those critics.
Bastani says there is a growing rift among conservatives who,
since Ahmadinejad’s election, have gained control of all of
Iran’s levers of power. “In a very short time, [Ahmadinejad] has
created an unprecedented rift among the conservatives. And, in fact,
although he came to power promising to bring unity to the
establishment, he has in fact been unable to fulfill that [promise]
like his other promises. It seems that the international crisis over
Iran’s nuclear program is now holding the establishment together,
so all the disputes have been postponed until after the [nuclear]
crisis is resolved.”
There are other developments that are causing serious concern
among intellectuals and human rights activists.
Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, a cofounder of the Tehran based Center
of Human Rights Defenders, tells RFE/RL that Iran’s political
atmosphere is becoming increasingly “tight-knit.” He also says the
human rights situation is deteriorating: “We have gone backward, and
we have lost the progress that was achieved under [President] Khatami
and the new hope. We see that NGOs do not enjoy the freedom they had
— gatherings are facing new judiciary action, and journalists are
facing new [pressures]. Another disastrous implication is that
political views have cast a shadow on cultural matters.”
There are also reports of growing pressure on universities —
including the summoning and expulsion of student activists.
Last month’s arrest of a leading philosopher and scholar,
Ramin Jahanbegloo, has added to concerns over academic freedoms.
But for most low-income Iranians, the number-one priority
remains how to deal with problems like poverty and unemployment.
Many observers suggest that Ahmadinejad has given them hope,
and increased their expectations of a better future.
But if those expectations go unfulfilled, the honeymoon might
soon be over.
******************************************* **************
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The “RFE/RL Iran Report” is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
Newsline, and other news services. It is distributed every Monday.
Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
For information on reprints, see:
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Back issues are online at

Additional information and updates can be found at
or
ARMENIA DIASPORA III
Conference to take place at the Demirchian Sports Complex, Yerevan

September 18, Monday

8:30 — 9:30 Arrival at the Conference venue
9:30 — 10:15 General Plenary Session: Opening Ceremony
10:15 — 13:00 General Plenary Session: Statements
13:00 — 13:45 Wreath-laying at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial
13:45 — 15:00 Lunch Break
15:00 — 19:00 Second Plenary Session: Rural Poverty
Eradication Program

September 19, Tuesday

9:30 — 13:00 Forum: `New Answers to Old Questions: Armenians in the
21st century’/ First Session
13:00 — 14:30 Lunch Break
14:30 — 18:00 Forum: Second Session

September 20, Wednesday

9:30 — 12:00 Forum: Third Session and Conclusion
12:00 — 13:30 Third Conference Closing Ceremony
GENERAL INFORMATION ON ARMENIA DIASPORA III
ArmeniaDiaspora III will take place in Yerevan, from September 18 to 20.
The conference will be comprised of three segments: A general plenary
session; a plenary session on rural poverty eradication and a forum
entitled `New Answers to Old Questions: Armenians in the 21st
Century.’
CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION
Everyone is invited to attend the conference and participate in
discussions. Participation is open to all. Registration can be done
at or or through
Armenian embassies and consulates. Communities, organizations,
churches, political, social, religious and educational entities, their
members and representatives, as well as any and all individuals are
welcome to attend, participate, interact, form networks, and engage in
new programs.

CONFERENCE STRUCTURE AND SEATING
General plenary session: During this opening session, speakers will be
given seven minutes to make presentations and will be asked to
examine, analyze, assess our past and consider how history and current
geo-political realities raise new issues before our nation, and to
explore the possibilities and prospects for resolving them
together. Sitting around the table will be the representatives of the
government of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the heads of Armenian
churches, representatives of pan-Armenian organizations, and heads of
each national delegation. The latter is a symbolic post and allows
for each community to be represented around the table by one person,
with other members of that community sitting around and behind him or
her. All participants will be sitting around the delegations, or in
the stands immediately surrounding the table.

Rural Poverty Eradication: During this plenary, the Rural Poverty
Eradication Program will be launched. Sitting around the table will be
government representatives, international organization representatives
and those individuals or organizations that have agreed to sponsor a
village in the Rural Poverty Eradication Program. Other participants
will be sitting around these groups or organizations, or in the stands
immediately surrounding the table.
Forum: New Answers to Old Questions – Armenians in the 21st Century In
this open forum, keynote speakers will address the audience, followed
by panel discussions. Seating will be theater-style. All participants
will be able to participate in discussions, to the extent that time
allows.
CONFERENCE TIME AND PLACE
The conference will run three days, Monday thru Wednesday, September
18 to 20. Participants are encouraged to arrive Sunday
evening. Conference hours and preliminary agenda are attached.
The conference will take place at the Demirchian Sports Complex, on
the hill adjacent to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial Monument.
There will be a security check upon entry. Therefore, all participants
are encouraged to arrive early. The conference will start on time
each day.
TRAVEL TO AND FROM YEREVAN
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to Yerevan
and from the Yerevan Zvartnots Airport to the city.
LODGING
Participants are responsible for procuring their own lodging in
Yerevan. Hotel information is available on
TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE CONFERENCE
Buses will run from Republic Square to the conference site from 8 am
to 10 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm each day. Buses will operate free of
charge.
Taxis will be available throughout the day for those who need them.
CONFERENCE WORKING LANGUAGE
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Armenian, English,
Russian and French.
SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THE CONFERENCE SITE
Coffee and lunch will be available, for purchase, on the premises. A
variety of Yerevan’s cafes and restaurants will be setting up at the
conference and offering food and drinks throughout the three days.
A computer center will offer internet connections and local telephone
and fax service.
There will be screens throughout the hall and in the open areas.
RELATED EVENTS
On Wednesday, September 20, at the conference site, the Ministry of
Trade and Development, and the Ministry of Agriculture will present
the Armenia Diaspora Second Economic Forum.
On Friday, September 22, at the conference site, the two ministries
will present Pan-Armenian Expo 2006.
Further information about both are available at
CULTURAL EVENTS
Various cultural events will take place during and around the
conference week. Information and ticket information can be found at
or
15th ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE
All independence related events, including a parade, a concert and
other festivities in Republic Square, are open to all participants. A
list of such events is available at or
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES CAN BE
FOUND AT or
Armenia Diaspora Desk
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2 Republic Square, Yerevan 375010
Tel. +37410.523531
Fax. +37410.543925
E-mail: [email protected]
Www.armeniaforeignministry. am
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Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, June 26, 2006
Contact: Maral Habeshian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
California Leo Sarkisian ANCA Interns Hard at Work in the Nation’s Capitol
GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Leo
Sarkisian Summer Interns from California arrived in Washington, DC
during the past week to immediately begin work on current ANCA
Congressional initiatives.
Intern Coordinator Megan Young explained that the internship program
kicked-off as the ANCA is pursuing the Administration and the State
Department to provide answers about the untimely dismissal of the US
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans. Western Region participants Meri
Davtian, Babken Der Grigorian, Talar Kivork, Berj Parseghian, and
Vache Thomassian are hard at work, urging Senate Foreign Relations
Committee members to press aggressively for answers about the Evans’
recall during the upcoming confirmation hearing for the President’s
nominee to serve as the next ambassador to Armenia.
Commenting on his direct involvement in the political process,
twenty-year-old intern Berj Parseghian from Pasadena said: `Washington
DC has empowered me to another level as I have been given the
opportunity to step into the center of our nation’s political arena
and experience firsthand the struggles we face and the day to day
progress we make.’
`This is great because it is a practical application of all the
things we’ve studied in school and now we are able to apply them
directly towards Hai Tahd,’ said an equally excited Meri Davtian.
The interns will also have an opportunity to directly participate in a
conference on the conflict in Nagorno Karabgh Republic (NKR), which is
scheduled for next week and features NKR National Assembly Speaker
Ashot Ghulian and NKR Foreign Minister Georgi Petrosian.
“This year’s interns have already shown the determination and
dedication that makes the ANCA and our grassroots campaigns
successful. I look forward to spending the summer watching them grow
as ANCA activists,” stressed Young.
The Leo Sarkisian Internship Program provides Armenian American youth
leaders from the across the U.S. the first-hand opportunity to learn
about the inner workings of the American political system. Now in its
23rd year, the program operates out of the ANCA headquarters in
Washington, DC and runs for eight weeks.
The ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship Program is the cornerstone of the
expanded ANCA Capital Gateway program, designed to provide university
students and recent graduates opportunities to intern or find career
positions on Capitol Hill or at other U.S. government agencies in
Washington, DC. For more information visit the ANCA website

For more information on these and other ANCA programs log on to
or call the ANCA-WR office at (818) 500-1918

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Berjouhi Saladin
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 94; Fax: (212) 683-2609
E-mail: [email protected]
June 26, 2006
___________________
WHITE PLAINS CHURCH USES CHALLENGE TO PROMOTE GIVING TO ARMENIAN CHURCH
ENDOWMENT FUND (ACEF)
Last year the parishioners of the St. Gregory the Enlightener Church of
White Plains, NY, were challenged to create a secure financial footing for
future generations of that parish.
Harry Keleshian, a member of the board of directors of the Armenian Church
Endowment Fund (ACEF), stood up during the parish assembly and spoke about
the importance of creating endowment funds to benefit the parish.
“I told them how enthusiastic I am about the endowment fund. I feel the
endowment fund dictates the future of our church,” Keleshian said.
At that time, the parish benefited from about $650,000 in endowment funds.
Keleshian thought the parish should have $1 million. So he and his wife
Edna challenged parishioners to establish endowment funds to benefit the
parish or put more principle into existing funds. Over the next five years
he would match any new $1,000 endowment funds benefiting the parish or
$1,000 added to existing funds.
“The idea is to get us up to $1 million over the next couple of years,” he
said. “And I made it clear that you don’t have to be creating new
endowments. The people who gave before, if they give again I will match
that as well.”
Last year, six new funds were started with $1,000, and Keleshian made a
matching $6,000 donation. So far this year, five new funds were started
with $1,000 and $4,000 was added to an existing fund.
CREATING A FUTURE
Keleshian said building the endowment funds which benefit his parish allows
the church to do more ministry, outreach, and children’s programming, today
and well into the future.
“I believe so much in endowment funds and what they stand for: creating a
perpetual income for our parish,” he said. “I really don’t want to see our
parish dependent upon our children. I want us to be able to minister to and
educate them, and the next generation and the next.”
If his goal of building the endowment fund to $1 million is successful, the
St. Gregory the Enlightener Church would receive approximately $45,000 a
year in income in perpetuity. “That is a very good piece of change,”
Keleshian said.
The Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF) is an independently chartered
organization which manages investments for endowment funds earmarked for
parishes, Diocesan ministries, organizations such as St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, and the operations of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
“I think the endowment fund is probably not fully understood, but with
gestures like this it will be much more understandable to the lay people in
the parish,” Keleshian said. “The endowment fund is looked upon as
something for only those who have greater means. I don’t think people
understood that even $1,000 is valuable because the $1,000 is not spent and
instead generates income for generations.”
PERPETUAL INCOME
The principle of the funds is never touched, only the interest made from the
investments is used to provide income to the designated beneficiaries.
ACEF’s policy is to provide beneficiaries with annual payments worth
approximately 4.5% of the invested principle, which allows organizations to
more accurately plan their budgets.
If the ACEF investments generate more than the guaranteed 4.5% needed, the
balance, minus expenses, is attached to the original principle as
undistributed appreciation. That undistributed appreciation generates more
interest in the future. It is also used to provide beneficiaries with 4.5%
distribution in years when the financial markets are not doing well.
“Endowment funds are very important, not only for the church in general, but
also for our parish,” said Fr. Karekin Kasparian, pastor of the St. Gregory
the Enlightener Church of White Plains, NY. “It is especially important
because our endowment funds give some sort of guarantee that in the future
we will be able to meet our demanding and challenging expenses.”
“If we reach the goal which Harry has set for us, which we will, that will
give us a substantial amount of revenue annually; that will be a great
help,” Fr. Karekin added. “It certainly helps us a great deal, especially
with our education and youth work and the various liturgical programs we
have here.”
Currently there are several endowment funds benefiting St. Gregory, with a
total principle of $817,038. Adding the attached undistributed
appreciation, the value of the funds increases to $980,449. That translates
into annual income of approximately $44,120 for the parish.
“Down the road, what’s happening with the cost of living, especially in our
neighborhood, the burden on the next generation will be very heavy just to
cope with their own mortgages,” said former St. Gregory parish council chair
Zaven Tachdjian, who has created an endowment fund benefiting the parish.
“But we, the present generation, are working hard to leave a big chunk of
money in ACEF, so there will be money in perpetuity to help the next
generation balance budgets. For the sake of our children and their children
we’re trying to foresee potential issues that might come up and provide
funds to help.”
EXCELLENT RETURN
ACEF is able to provide a steady income stream because its highly skilled
board makes decisions with the advice of talented consultants. Also, with a
portfolio of $73 million, ACEF can access investment tools individuals
cannot approach.
Those advantages have lead ACEF to generally outperform the market. In
2005, the S&P 500 saw a return of 4.9%, while the portfolio managed by ACEF
provided an annual return of approximately 7.5%.
The security of ACEF investments is making it easier to promote Keleshian’s
challenge, Tachdjian said.
“Parishioners are eager to participate knowing that this is secure money and
that it is an income stream to the parish and its budget,” he said. “Any
parish has good years and bad years, and to be able to cover up any
potential deficits with this steady income is welcome. ACEF is such a great
tool, I think all parishes should push it.”
LIVING LEGACY
Establishing an endowment fund is a way to leave a living legacy. Not only
does it provide future income, donors are also remembered by having their
names live on through their endowment fund.
“One good aspect of endowment funds is that once you give, your name is up
there with the endowment. Your name is there forever and you won’t
disappear,” Keleshian said.
He was introduced to the idea of endowment funds by fellow parishioner Suren
Fesjian, one of ACEF’s original leaders, who himself lives on through his
endowment funds benefiting St. Gregory the Enlightener.
“I think that it is very important that people know when they give their
hard earned dollars, they will not be forgotten,” Keleshian said. “I hope
that people understand the importance of having an endowment fund for any
parish or for the Diocese. It is important for us to maintain our identity
and our spiritual leadership, so we don’t lose the spirit of Armenia we were
brought up with.”
ESTABLISH YOUR FUND TODAY
With as little as $1,000, ACEF endowment funds can be established to benefit
any parish, Diocese, or Armenian Church related non-profit organization.
For more information on establishing an endowment fund, contact Berjouhi
Saladin by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling
(212) 686-0170 ext. 34.
* * *
Over the past two years, the following members of the St. Gregory the
Enlightener Church of White Plains, NY, have answered Harry Keleshian’s
challenge to increase the parish’s endowments by establishing or adding to
funds held by the Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF):
Leon Chutjian
Thomas Daw
John and Laura Damboragian Jr.
Anahid Anita Essayan
Shahen and Sally Guiragossian
Lisa and Lenna Kouzoujian
George and Catherine Papalian
Avadis and Alice Sakalian
Irene Shadoian
Zaven and Gladys Tachdjian
John and Anita Wolohojian
— 6/26/06
E-mail photos available on request.
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Harry Keleshian, a member of the board of directors of
the Armenian Church Endowment Fund (ACEF), is personally matching endowment
funds created by his fellow parishioners to benefit his parish, the St.
Gregory the Enlightener Church of White Plains, NY.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

California Courier Online, June 29, 2006
1 – Commentary
State Dept. Should Pay a Price
For Dismissing Amb. Evans
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – The Actors’ Gang Brings Director/
Actor Simon Abkarian to U.S.
3 – Ararat Nursing Facility Receives Honor
From State Department of Health Services
4 – Balakian Visits Athens and Thessaloniki for
Greek Edition of ‘The Burning Tigris’ Book’
5 – Doctors Visit Shepherds and
Families in Armenian Highlands
6 – Paris High Schools Distribute Armenian
Genocide Circular to 500,000 Students
7- Western Prelacy Allocates
Scholarships to Students
8 – Catholicos Karekin II’s Pontifical Visit
Sparks Protests by Turkish Nationalists
************************************* *************************************
1 – Commentary
State Dept. Should Pay a Price
For Dismissing Amb. Evans
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
For several months now, State Department officials have been hiding behind
such nonsensical statements as “ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the
president,” when confronted with questions regarding the dismissal of John Evans, the
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.
More than 60 members of the House and Senate have sent letters to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice asking for an explanation for the dismissal of Amb.
Evans after acknowledging the Armenian Genocide during his visit to California
in February of 2005. Following protests from Turkish officials, the State
Dept. forced Amb. Evans to issue a retraction, not once, but twice. He alsolost
a “Constructive Dissent” Award that he was scheduled to receive from the
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) for his candid remarks on the Armenian
Genocide. According to the Washington Post, the State Dept. contacted the AFSA
to rescind this distinguished award.
The State Dept. has not responded to any of the congressional inquiries nor
to the large number of e-mails sent by members of the Armenian American
community on this issue in the past 5 months. State Dept. officials can no longer
hide, as the Senate has a constitutional oversight responsibility on
ambassadorial appointments. This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding
a confirmation hearing for Richard Hoagland, the Ambassador Designate to
Armenia (in replacement for Amb. Evans) on Wednesday, June 28, at 2:30 p.m.(East
Coast Time). The nomination hearing can be viewed live on the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee website:
Members of the Armenian American community should request that all 18 members
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee attend this important hearing.
Unless urged to do so, most committee members usually do not attend such hearings.
It would be particularly effective if voters could urgently contact the
Senators from their own state. Please call the Senate switchboard (202) 224-3121
and ask to be connected to the legislative aides of the following Senators and
send e-mails, urging the Senators to attend the June 28 hearing and ask Amb.
Hoagland what he knows about the dismissal of Amb. Evans and what instructions
he has been given about his use of the term Armenian Genocide after his
confirmation:
Richard Lugar (Chairman, R-Indiana): [email protected]
Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska): [email protected]
Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island): [email protected]
George Allen (R-Virginia): [email protected]
Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota): [email protected]
George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio): [email protected]
Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee): [email protected]
John E. Sununu (R-New Hampshire): [email protected]
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): [email protected]
Mel Martinez (R-Florida): [email protected]
Joseph R. Biden (Ranking Member, D-Delaware): [email protected]
Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Maryland): [email protected]
Christopher J. Dodd (D-Connecticut): [email protected]
John F. Kerry (D-Massachusetts): [email protected]
Russell D. Feingold (D-Wisconsin): [email protected]
Barbara Boxer (D-California): [email protected]
Bill Nelson (D-Florida): [email protected]
Barack Obama (D-Illinois): [email protected]
Given the evasiveness and unresponsiveness of State Dept. officials to the
letters and e-mails sent to them by members of congress as well as the public
at large, Senators have no choice but to demand that the State Dept. provide an
honest explanation regarding the dismissal of a distinguished career
diplomat, before they confirm his successor. If Amb. Evans’s career is indeed being
terminated for acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, State Dept. officials should
have the courage to face the U.S. Senate as well as the American public and
say so.
The Armenian American community should not allow such ill-advised action be
taken by cowardly officials who are hiding behind closed doors. Let them come
forward and subject themselves to the scrutiny of U.S. Senators and the
American public. If the State Department gets away with sweeping this sinister
decision under the rug, it would be encouraged to repeat it over and over again
with impunity.
Unless meaningful and honest explanations are provided, Senators should be
asked to place a temporary hold on the confirmation of Amb. Hoagland. It makes
no sense to replace an ambassador without being told the reason why.
Otherwise, a few months from now, the new ambassador could also get dismissed without
any public explanation.
Callous and arrogant State Dept. officials must be made to pay a price in
terms of public humiliation and delay in the confirmation of the new nominee, so
they would think twice before taking such capricious decisions in the future!
It is simply unacceptable that a group of individuals in the upper echelons
of the U.S. government act as accomplices to the denialist regime in Turkey!
****************************************** ********************************
2 – The Actors’ Gang Brings Director/
Actor Simon Abkarian to U.S.
CULVER CITY, CA – The Actors’ Gang brings French director Simon Abkarian to
the U.S. for its final offering of the 2005-06 season, Love’s Labor’s Lost.
The seldom-produced romantic comedy by William Shakespeare opens for the press
on Saturday, July 22 and continues through September 16 at The Gang’s new home
in Culver City’s Ivy Substation. Low-priced previews begin July 8.
Ferdinand, King of Navarre, and three of his friends give up women and the
world to devote themselves to learning. But their foolish vows can’t bar Love –
from their gates or from their hearts. Will Love’s labors be lost or won?
“One of the many reasons I’m drawn to this play is because it talks about the
secret relationship between women and men, and because I’m 44 and that’s
still a question for me,” laughs Abkarian. “Also, when you’re an actor andyou
play in Shakespeare, it’s like a dancer going back to the bar. There is no
escape.”
“Simon’s insightful and provocative approach promises a thoughtful, amusing
and reconstructed look at one of Shakespeare’s most challenging comedies,” says
Actors’ Gang co-founder and artistic director Tim Robbins. He and Abkarian
have remained friends since they first met at a workshop during the 1984
Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles.
In Paris, Abkarian was a member of Theatre du Soleil, a company that, under
the direction of the legendary Arianne Mnouchkine, is known for interspersing
modern theater techniques with masks, music, movement and classical and world
traditions such as Italian and French “commedia dell’arte,” Indian “Kathakali,”
and Balinese “Topeng.” Abkarian directed
three major productions for the company. He left Theatre du Soleil in 1993
to work with various companies in and outside of Paris, and finally createdhis
own, T.E.R.A., for which he most recently staged a critically-acclaimed
production of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus in Paris. He also continues to work
as an actor, both on stage (he is a recipient of the Moliere Award for Best
Actor for his work in Beast on the Moon, the haunting tale of two Armenianswho
flee the Turkish genocide of 1915); and in film, including villainous roles
in Cedric Klapisch’s Neither For Nor Against and the new James Bond remake,
Casino Royale, and the romantic lead in Sally Potter’s Yes, opposite Joan Allen.
Love’s Labor’s Lost runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays
at 2 pm, July 22 through Sept. 16. Fridays through Sundays, tickets are $25;
students and seniors pay only $20. Tickets to all Thursday evening
performances are Pay-What-You-Can. Preview performances take place on July13 at 8 pm;
July 14 at 8 pm; July 15 at 8 pm; and July 16 at 2 pm. Preview tickets are
$15.
The Actors’ Gang is located in the Ivy Substation at 9070 Venice Boulevard
(near the intersection of Culver and Venice Blvds.) in Culver City. Two hours
free parking is available throughout downtown Culver City.
For reservations and information, call The Actors’ Gang Box Office at
310-838-GANG (310.838.4264).
************************************************** ***********************
3 – Ararat Nursing Facility Receives Honor
From State Department of Health Services
LOS ANGELES – The Mission Hills Ararat Nursing Facility again received a
“Zero Deficiencies” report from the California State Department of Health Services.
This is the third time in four years (2003, 2004 and 2006) that the Nursing
Facility at Mission Hills has received this award. There are approximately
1,500 similar facilities in California and less than one percent are awarded the
“Zero Deficiencies” classification each year.
While Ararat Home’s Eagle Rock Convalescent Hospital has not yet been
examined by the Department of Health Services in 2006, they received the “Zero
Deficiencies” status in 2003 and 2004.
John Yaldezian, Chairman of the Board, said, “We are honored to again receive
this prestigious designation. The Board of Trustees are most appreciative of
the staff at our facilities and to Mission Hills Nursing Facility
Administrator Walter Hekimian and Executive Director Margo Babikian, as well as Eagle
Rock’s Administrator Violette Alahaidoyan. These individuals and their staffs
continually strive to offer the best possible care to patients from the Armenian
community.”
The Ararat Home and Nursing facility has been serving the Armenian community
in Southern California since 1949. It currently has four facilities, two in
Mission Hills, Eagle Rock and Montrose that can accommodate more than 400
residents and patients.
For additional information, contact Beatrice Malkhasian at: (818) 838-4860.
**************************************** **********************************
4 – Balakian Visits Athens and Thessaloniki for
Greek Edition of ‘The Burning Tigris’ Book’
By Doris V. Cross
Peter Balakian recently returned from a week in Greece where he was invited
to speak about The Burning Tigris, published in Greek this spring by
Kastaniotis Editions. As a Michael Dukakis Fellow in Public Policy at Anatolia College
in Thessaloniki (May 12-15), he delivered a public lecture on May 15 that was
co-sponsored by the Thessaloniki Hamazkayin cultural organization and the
Anatolia College alumni association. The lecture commemorated the 120th anniversary
of the founding of Anatolia College in Marsovan, Ottoman Turkey. Earlier in
the day he also met with two classes to lead discussions on cultural identity
with more than 50 students and faculty.
Balakian’s Greek translator, the distinguished novelist Joanna Karatzferi,
was instrumental in arranging the tour as were Garabed, Anahid, and Diroui of
the Kalfayan family of Thessaloniki.
In his introduction to Balakian, College President Richard Jackson called him
the “most prominent American voice for historical justice for the Armenian
people.” He also recalled Anatolia College’s close ties with the Armenians of
Sivas Province, who constituted the majority of Anatolia’s early student body.
Balakian, he noted, has written of the role played by missionary schools such
as Anatolia in bearing witness to the fate of the Armenians, and also quotes
George White, president of Anatolia in 1915, in his narrative. In Black Dogof
Fate, Jackson added, Balakian relates that it was a former student in another
missionary school-Balakian’s grandmother, who attended the missionary school in
Diyarbekir–who helped him discover his own voice as a writer.
In his opening remarks, Balakian said: “Your institution has had a remarkable
and profound history. As Anatolia College of Marsovan, it witnessed the
devastation of the Abdul Hamid massacres in 1894-96 and then again, in an even more
dramatic way, the deportation and massacres of your own Armenian students in
the Armenian Genocide of 1915.”
“As if that weren’t enough, your college was also occupied by the Nazis
during WWII; for drama and trauma it’s hard to top this.”
“Congruent with the history of the liquidation of the Christian minorities
from Turkey (the Greeks, Armenians, and Assyrians) during the genocide period,
Anatolia College also made the migration west, to freedom–to Greece–to this
great city-in 1923 to continue the project of higher education. It is hard to
think of another school that has borne witness to such history.
On May 17, Balakian spoke in downtown Athens to a capacity crowd at the Hall
of Speech and Drama. The program was sponsored by Kastaniotis Editions and the
Hamazkayin, and accompanied by a panel that included journalist Stavros
Theodorakis; journalist and translator of The Burning Tigris, Elias Maglinas;
actress Christina Alexanian, who read passages from the book; and Hamazkayin
director Stavros Abarian.
Balakian’s visit was covered by the major press in Athens and Thessaloniki.
He also did several major television interviews.
“I was delighted and surprised with the intensity of the coverage of my
visit,” Balakian remarked. “The Greeks are as engaged in the Armenian past as any
country in the world.” He also noted how deeply the genocide of the Pontic
Greeks at the hands of the Ottoman government in 1915-17 is now gripping the Greek
people.
“I was in Thessaloniki just as the new memorial there to the Pontic Greeks
was making headlines. When Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan visited the city in
May he made a diplomatic complaint about the monument to the Greek government.
It’s a sad and ongoing pattern with Turkey–the refusal to accept its own past.”
********’***************************** ************************************
5 – Doctors Visit Shepherds and
Families in Armenian Highlands
Reuters, UK
For the first time, doctors visited shepherds and their families in the
pastures of Armenia’s northern Lori region thanks to World Vision Medical Outreach
Teams (MOT) project and local polyclinic doctors.
A fully equipped truck with a medical team – general doctor, laboratory
technician, gynecologist, and pediatrician – drove through almost impassable
mountain paths to provide important primary healthcare to the highland families.
‘During the summer months, people in the pastures are too far from villages
and health posts, so they can’t see doctors for months. Our goal is to take
doctors close to them,’ explains Marat Manoukian, Lori ADP Health Coordinator.
Animal breeding is the main source of income for many rural populations in
Lori. The shepherds take the cows or sheep to far-off mountains with rich
pastures and live with their families in small temporary dwellings usually made of
old wooden panels or rusted plates. Staying for far away from their native
villages, for four to five months, they suffer many hardships such as no access to
even the simplest health services.
“This is the only way for me to earn a living for my family nowadays: in
winters I have no work to do,” confesses Mukuchyan Saro from Odzun village,a
specialist in the energy industry who has worked as a shepherd for the lastfour
years.
In summer, Saro stays in a pasture of Garakhach mountain with three other
shepherds, milking some 80 cows a day. This backbreaking work caused him severe
pain in his arms. After a medical examination, MOT doctors found certain
problems with his joints, prescribed medicines and referred him for future treatment
to the local polyclinic.
“I’m happy that my children will be examined by specialists: the conditions
here are far from being ideal for children, so I constantly worry about their
health,” said a surprised Shushan Sargsyan, mother to 11-year-old Serine and
13-year-old Sargis. Serine helps her mother with cooking and washing dishes,
while her brother helps the men to tend the herd.
Seventy-five-year-old Mhoyan Syomka helps his younger counterparts look after
the herds. He is short of breath and speaks with
difficulty. Syomka says it’s the first time he has been examined by a
physician in his life: “If it were not World Vision, I would never see a doctor.”
The doctors concluded that Syomka’s condition is quite serious and decided to
hospitalize him.
“Ultimately, World Vision’s assistance contributes to the expanded role of
local health care providers and strengthens the community-based health system,”
said Robert Dilbaryan, Head of Lori Health Department, commenting that the
regular monthly visits of MOTs serve as a basis for the Health Ministry to
develop new regulations, to ensure health services are made available to rural
population at least once a month.
World Vision’s MOT project funded by USAID started in Lori in July 2004. MOT
team regularly visits remote and needy communities, and provides free medical
services that include laboratory tests, ultrasound examinations and referrals
to district doctors.
***************************************** *********************************
6 – Paris High Schools Distribute Armenian
Genocide Circular to 500,000 Students
PARIS – In May 2006, 500,000 high school students and 80,0000 teachers and
government officials of the French Ile-de-France region, which represents the
Paris metropolitan area, received an informative brochure about the Armenian
Genocide written by the Regional Council of Ile-de-France in cooperation with the
Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF-Paris).
Emphasizing that the history of the Armenians is part of the history of France, the
four-page color document, entitled “Genocide of the Armenians,” was writtenby
historians Philippe Videlier of CNRS in Lyon, Claude Mutafian, and Raymond
Kevorkian, the Director of AGBU’s Nubarian Library in Paris.
The brochure’s content was tailored to the region’s high school students and
included the crucial facts and lessons of the Armenian Genocide. Intended for
use as an educational tool, teachers have been using the materials during
classroom discussions on the topic. The document illustrates the context ofthe
Ottoman Empire at the time, the situation of the Armenian population on theeve
of the Genocide, the tragic decision to eradicate the Armenian population by
the Young Turk government, the creation of concentration camps, the role ofthe
Young Turk Central Committee, and the criminal Turkish trials that followed
(1919-1920). It also includes a brief history, complete with photos and maps,
of the forced Armenian exile, and presents an overview of the Armenian diaspora
and realities faced by Armenians in present day Turkey.
The Armenian Genocide brochure was a result of the vision of CCAF, that after
seeing that the Regional Council of Ile-de-France published several documents
pertaining to the Holocaust, contacted the region in 2004 and persuaded them
of the necessity to relate an important event that has impacted the lives of
all French Armenians.
Other French regions, including Provence-Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes, are
considering distributing similar informational brochures to their students.
The Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) brings
together 23 French Armenian organizations, 17 of which are permanent members
(AAAS, ADL, AGBU, ANACRA, CBAF, CDCA, FRA, GIIA, JAF, MAFP, Nor Seround, SD
Hentchak, UCFAF, UMAF, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian CatholicChurch,
and the Armenian Evangelical Church), to coordinate joint initiatives. In
addition the “Genocide of the Armenians” document, this year’s CCAF activities
also included the organization of April 24th commemorations, the mobilization
against Turkish denial efforts, the inauguration of Lyon’s Armenian Genocide
memorial, and the organization of demonstrations that supported the law that
would criminalize genocide denial.
The mission of AGBU’s Nubarian Library, based in Paris, is to preserve,
promote and highlight the Armenian heritage. Historians, researchers, musicians,
movie producers, and journalists consult the library’s rich archive-which
includes over 40,000 books, periodicals, photos, post cards, musical scores, and
maps-for projects ranging from academic studies to television documentaries. The
library also publishes books, as well as, the quarterly journal, “Revue
Arménienne des Question Contemporaines
*********************************** ***************************************
7 – Western Prelacy Allocates
Scholarships to Students
LOS ANGELES – Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, and the
Western Prelacy Executive Council announced that, as in previous years, theWestern
Prelacy allocated scholarships to students of Prelacy schools who met the
eligibility requirements.
There are several scholarship funds under the auspices of the Western
Prelacy, the annual interests of which are allotted to students of Prelacy schools
who meet the conditions.
The scholarships, amounts and recipient schools are: Angel Arpajian
Scholarship: $150 to a student from Rose & Alex Pilibos School; Robert Artounian
Scholarship: $400 to two students from R. & A. Pilibos School who excel in Armenian
and English; Alex and Maro. Iskenderian Scholarship: $400 to two needy
students from Pilibos School; Haroutioun & Araxie Keosseian Scholarship: $250 to a
student from Ferrahian School; Victoria Minassian Scholarship: $900 to three
students from Ferrahian School who excel in Armenian; Charles Keyian
Scholarship: $2,800 to the top four graduating students of Mesrobian Schooltowards
their college education.
Two allocations were made from a special scholarship fund; one in the amount
of $1,500 to a university student in Beirut, and the other in the sum of
$1,000 to a university student in Los Angeles.
Currently, candidates are being considered for the Garikian Scholarship,
which is specifically for college students.
**************************************** **********************************
8 – Catholicos Karekin II’s Pontifical Visit
Sparks Protests by Turkish Nationalists
ISTANBUL – The Lraber newspaper, the official publication of the Armenian
Patriarchate of Turkey, noted last week that the arrival of Catholicos Karekin II
of Etchmiadzin for a pontifical visit to the country last week was marred by
a rowdy demonstration of about 50 Turkish nationalists at the Ataturk Airport.
Eggs were thrown at the motorcade of Patriarch Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian and
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. No one was reported injured.
The Catholicos was taken to the Patriarchate in Istanbul which, according to
the Lraber report, is guarded around the clock by Turkish security forces.
“We are worried and this refers not to the Catholicos but nationalism and
chauvinist moods,” Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian said. The same day, Lraber reports,
the Patriarch of Constantinople addressed a written request to Istanbul
governor take strong security measures.
The Turkish Daily News reported that the ultranationalist head of the Turkish
Lawyers’ Union, Kemal Kerincsiz protested the visit of the Catholicos to the
closed Greek Orthodox Monastery in the Heybeliada Island near Istanbul. Police
prevented Kerincsiz from traveling to the seminary.
The Halki Seminary was closed in 1971 under a law requiring state supervision
of university-level religious education.
“Religious education being given by a seminary is against the Turkish
Republic’s Constitution and the principle of secularity,” Kerincsiz said.
Turkey sees Patriarch Bartolomeos as the leader of the Greek Orthodox
community, although the world Orthodox community considers him to be their spiritual
leader.
Turkey’s position puts it at odds with the European Union, which it aspires
to join, and the United States, which consider the status of the patriarch as a
matter of religious freedom. In its regular progress report assessing
Turkey’s membership efforts, the EU Commission urged Turkey to improve religious
rights for non-Muslim communities and complained, among other things, that “public
use of the ecclesiastical title of ecumenical patriarch is still banned.”
A U.S. State Department report on international religious freedom in 2005
highlighted concerns related to the status of the patriarch and reopening of the
Orthodox seminary.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
<; PRESS RELEASE 26-06-2006 Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taking into account the statement that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group presented to the OSCE Permanent Council, in Vienna, on June 22, and the interview that Matt Bryza, the new US co-chair gave soon thereafter, where albeit partially, the principles of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict were revealed for the first time, and also taking into account the recent desperate calls by Azerbaijan for a military solution and autonomy for Nagorno Karabakh, we would like to make several observations. 1. The co-chairs have partially revealed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution principles; they have left out references to a corridor linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia, and issues relating to Nagorno Karabakh¹s interim status until a referendum; 2. The co-chairs have, for the first time, affirmed that the people of Nagorno Karabakh shall determine their own future status through a referendum; 3. Those items over which the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to disagree does not include a referendum; that concept has been agreed to by the presidents; The area of disagreement between the presidents has to do with the sequence in which the consequences of the military conflict are removed; 4. In an attempt to resolve this remaining area of disagreement, a proposal was made by the co-chairs after Rambouillet. This proposal was accepted by Armenia in Bucharest. Azerbaijan rejected it; 5. Armenia finds that the basic principles, overall, on the table today remain a serious basis for continuing negotiations; Armenia is prepared to continue on that basis to negotiate with Azerbaijan; 6. Armenia believes that Azerbaijan¹s wavering on these principles is a serious obstacle to progress in the negotiations. If this policy continues, Armenia will insist that Azerbaijan conduct direct negotiations with Nagorno Karabakh; 7. Finally, we would remind Azerbaijan once again that regardless of the size of their military budget, they cannot force the people of Nagorno Karabakh to renounce freedom and the right to self-determination.

PRESS RELEASE
NKR Tufenkian Charitable Foundation
20 Capitol Drive Moonachie, NJ 07074
Contact: Antranig Kasbarian
Tel. (201) 221-1055
Fax: 201.221.1070
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
TUFENKIAN FOUNDATION PRESENTS GIFTED & TALENTED SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS IN
STEPANAKERT CONCERT
STEPANAKERT, NKR-Friday, June 16 was a bright day for the people of
Stepanakert and the Tufenkian Foundation, as the Foundation sponsored
its first year-end concert featuring scholarship winners from its
Taghandavor Yeridasardner program for gifted-and-talented youth. The
concert took place at Stepanakert’s Palace of Youth and Culture, drawing
an enthusiastic crowd of more than 350.
The concert featured 14 young talents who offered outstanding
performances in a variety of settings and genres. Some performed on
instruments including the piano, violin, guitar as well as the
traditional Armenian tar and shvi. Others contributed with vocal
renditions of a wide range of musical repertoire. Prior to the concert,
there also took place an exhibition featuring medals, diplomas, and
works of other recipients active in sports and the fine arts.
The program concluded with a short speech by Armen Sargsyan, a member of
the NKR Parliament and head of the project’s supervisory commission: “We
welcome the actions of the Tufenkian Foundation in implementing this
project along with various other projects like resettlement, grape
cultivation, and infrastructure development. The current venture not
only pursues the discovery and development of talent among our youth,
but also keeps alive our national traditions and Armenian culture,”
Sargsyan noted. Taghandavor Yeridasardner can become a bridge that
connects the entire Armenian nation, spreading our centuries-old
traditions and innovations worldwide.”
Conceived in conjunction with the NKR Ministry of Education, Taghandavor
Yeridasardner (Talented Youth) provides higher education and
professional development for youth who show the potential to make major
contributions in their respective fields. During its inaugural year, the
program supported the activities of 28 young talents in Stepanakert, and
this year will expand to include Karabagh’s Martuni district as well. In
coming years, Taghandavor Yeridasardner will likely cover the whole of
Karabagh. The program’s development has been facilitated, in part, by
the generous co-sponsorship of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church (NY).
The program’s supervisory board consists of specialists drawn from
appropriate professions-specifically sports, fine arts, education, and
vocal/instrumental music. This year’s program will expand to include
film as well. Scholarship criteria are based on talent as well as need,
and recipients receive one year of support in the form of tuition
rebates or coverage of performance-related expenses.
The Tufenkian Foundation was established in 1999 by New York-based
entrepreneur James Tufenkian. The Foundation currently pursues a wide
array of humanitarian projects in Armenia and in Karabagh, and also
sponsors the “Armenian Forests” NGO. To learn more about the
Foundation’s efforts, please see the Foundation’s website now under
construction at , or contact Antranig
Kasbarian at (201) 221-1055, ext. 327 or at
[email protected] .
###
The Tufenkian Foundation, Inc.
20 Capitol Drive Moonachie, NJ 07074 ??Voice: 201.221.1055 Fax:
201.221.1070 ??TufenkianFoundation.com

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 27, 2006
His Holiness Karekin II in Istanbul: Genocide is Not a Matter for Debate
On Sunday, June 25, following a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral
of St. Astvatsatsin of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, His
Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
participated in a press conference organized on the occasion of his visit to
Istanbul.
Present for the press conference were both Armenian and Turkish
journalists. During the conference, a number of questions were asked
regarding the pontifical and inter-church visit of His Holiness.
In response to a question by a Turkish journalist regarding the Genocide of
the Armenians, the Catholicos of All Armenians stated, `The Armenian
Genocide is a reality that happened and can never be an item for debate’.
Regarding a follow-up question about how relations between the Armenian and
Turkish peoples could be improved, the Pontiff of All Armenians stressed the
necessity for the Republic of Turkey to come to terms with its past and
recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Responding to another question regarding the convening of conferences about
the events that occurred in the final days of the Ottoman Empire during the
First World War, His Holiness noted, `It shall be possible to welcome
similar initiatives if they are intended to present the actuality of the
Genocide to Turkish society’.
During the press conference, His Holiness Karekin II also reflected on his
impressions of his visit to Istanbul, and highly appreciated the warm and
brotherly spirit of Ecumenical Patriarch His All Holiness Bartholomew I, as
well as expressed his contentment with the Armenian Patriarchate of
Constantinople and the faithful Armenian sons and daughters who live and
work under her spiritual authority.