CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel:+995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax:+995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: <; Call for Letters of Interest The UNDP/GEF project Reducing Transboundary Degradation of the Kura-Aras River Basin and the Environment and Security Initiative are pleased to announce this call for letters of interest for NGO participation in the third international workshop entitled `Involving Civil Society in Transboundary Water Resource Management - The Inaugural NGO Forum' that will be dedicated to the inauguration of NGO Forum charter. During this meeting NGOs will discuss the future of the NGO Forum, the role it can play in the region and suggest input into international projects. During the workshop participants will be updated on the progress of the cross-border water projects that are financially supported by international donors. Representatives from non-governmental organizations from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey with activities in the sphere of environmental protection and water resource management in the Kura and Aras River Basin are invited to submit letters of interest. The workshop will take place in Gudauri, Georgia, in mid July of 2006. The working languages of the workshop will be English with simultaneous translation into Russian provided. The expenses of the selected participants, including travel, accommodation, and meals, will be covered by a limited grant to the NGO Forum from UNDP. The letters of interest should be 1-2 pages in length and include the following information: * Participant's name, title, organization, and contact information * Brief description of the participant's organization (no more than ½ page) * As mentioned above, the major activities of the workshop will be discussed on the future of the NGO Forum. Please describe in detailed how you see the role of the NGO Forum in the future in the Kura Aras basin region and what activities you suggest be taken by the NGO Forum to involve civil society and the public in the water resources management of the region. The deadline for submitting letters of interest is 6 pm on Monday, June 12, 2005. Those wishing to participate who are not selected are welcome to attend at their own expense. Please notify Nino Tevzadze for details. Letters of interest should be submitted to [email protected], with copies (cc) to: [email protected] For program questions, please contact: [email protected] or [email protected] Participants will be notified of their acceptance by end of June, 2006. Looking forward of seeing you in Gudauri!

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:
sconsecration.wmv
ORDINATION AND CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS
IN ANTELIAS
His Holiness Aram I ordained V.Rev.Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian (Ecumenical
Officer of Norhtern America), V.Rev.Fr. Papken Charian (Primate of the
Diocese of Isfahan) and V.Rev.Fr. Neshan Topouzian (Primate of the Diocese
of Tabriz) as Bishops in the service of the Armenian Church. The Pontiff
conducted the ordination and consecration services on June 3 and 4 in the
St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias.
CALLING SERVICE AND SIGNING OF THE OATH
According to the rites of the Armenian Church, the calling service was held
in the Cathedral on the evening of June 3 in the presence of His Holiness
Aram I. Recommendations were read from the Executive Councils of each
corresponding diocese asking the Pontiff to ordain the three candidates as
bishops.
The various ranks or spiritual servants in the Armenian Church, acolytes,
sub-deacons, deacons, priests and bishops came up to His Holiness and bent
down before him. The Pontiff read out prayers as a testimony to the true
faith and the candidates then acknowledges the true faith according to the
doctrine of the Orthodox Church.
The candidates then knelt down and recited their oath, publicly pledging
loyalty to the Catholiocsate of Cilicia, obedience to the Pontiff and their
readiness to serve to the Armenian nation and Church.
ORDINATION AND CONSECRATION
The ordination of the Bishops was held on June 4. Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan (Primate of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States) and
Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian (Primate of the Diocese of Tehran) participated
in the service alongside the Catholicos. The assistant was Bishop Khoren
Doghramajian (Prelate of Greece).
The Pontiff consecrated the foreheads of right thumbs of bishops Anoushavan,
Papken and Neshan with Holy Chrism and gave them the bishops’ ring and
staff.
The Catholicos then delivered a sermon, pointing out that by taking up the
responsibility to serve the people, the newly ordained bishops will become
the servants of the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s mission, showing commitment
towards all the tasks expected of them. He stressed the importance of
keeping the oath to remain loyal to the traditions and laws of the Armenian
Church, as well as the principles of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
“The prayers of the ordination had one outlook: the oath and loyalty to it.
The oaths of humbleness, integrity, holiness and obedience were mentioned
there. Today, once again you pledged to be obedient to God above anything
else and not to humans and their interests. To pledge and vow also mean to
be accountable to God and to have not our selves in front of us, but God and
our service. We are not in need of numbers, but spirituals who would be
loyal to their pledges, who would work for the achievement of God’s plan and
not their personal agendas. As such, you will bring the people close to God
and God closer to the people through your service and God-centered life,”
said His Holiness.
During “Voghtchouyn” members of the Cilician Brotherhood and other
spirituals came up to the altar to congratulate the newly ordained bishops.
A large number of the faithful from the Eastern Diocese of the United
States, Isfahan, Tabriz and various regions in Lebanon expressed their love
to the Pontiff by kissing his right hand after the ordination service. The
faithful then received the first blessings of the newly ordained bishops.
The Catholicosate’s choir then performed the Pontifical Song and “Cilicia”.
##
View photos here: tm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician 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.

Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
The Fight Against Trafficking in Persons in Armenia
On June 5, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice released the Department of
State’s fifth annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. This annual report
is intended to raise global awareness of human trafficking, underscore the
growing efforts of the international community to combat this problem, and
encourage nations around the world to take effective actions against this
abuse. The report puts it bluntly: Trafficking in persons is modern day
slavery, and it is a crime that affects virtually every country, including
the United States.
To my regret, Armenia still has a significant trafficking in persons
problem. This year, Armenia was once again placed on the TIP Report’s Tier 2
Watch List. Countries that do not comply with the minimum standards to
combat trafficking, but that are making significant efforts to meet those
standards, are classified as Tier 2. Armenia was placed on the Watch List
for a second consecutive year because of its failure to show evidence of
increasing efforts over the past year, particularly in the areas of
enforcement, trafficking-related corruption and victim protection. While the
government improved overall implementation of its anti-trafficking law, it
did not impose adequate penalties for convicted traffickers. It did not
vigorously enough investigate and prosecute ongoing and widespread
allegations of public officials’ complicity in trafficking, and victim
protection efforts remained in an early, formative stage.
In order to improve its efforts and to avoid dropping to Tier 3, a step that
can lead to the withholding of U.S. non-humanitarian and non-trade related
assistance, Armenia needs to more aggressively prosecute traffickers and
mete out more significant penalties to convicted traffickers. The government
ought to vigorously investigate and prosecute all allegations of public
officials? complicity in trafficking, and should improve its victim
protection efforts to help victims of this serious crime.
The United States, the Republic of Armenia and all countries around the
world must work together to combat and eventually eliminate trafficking in
persons. In addition to the $400 million in international anti-trafficking
assistance that it has contributed to date, the U.S. government continues to
fight trafficking in persons in the United States and throughout the world.
As President George W. Bush recently noted, “Our nation is determined to
fight and end this modern form of slavery.” For millions of enslaved people
around the world, this new abolitionist movement has come none too soon.
John M. Evans
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia

Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
2006 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT ARMENIA (TIER 2 WATCH LIST)
Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination
country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to
the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Turkey. Traffickers, many of them
women, route victims directly into Dubai or through Moscow. Traffickers also
route victims to Turkey through Georgia via bus. Profits derived from the
trafficking of Armenian victims reportedly increased dramatically from the
previous year.
The Government of Armenia does not fully comply with the minimum standards
for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so. Armenia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for a second
consecutive year because of its failure to show evidence of increasing
efforts over the past year, particularly in the areas of enforcement,
trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection. While the government
increased implementation of its anti-trafficking law, it failed to impose
significant penalties for convicted traffickers. The government failed to
vigorously investigate and prosecute ongoing and widespread allegations of
public officials’ complicity in trafficking. Victim protection efforts
remained in early, formative stages. Victim-blaming and lack of sensitivity
for victims remain a problem among Armenian officials, particularly in the
judiciary.
Prosecution
In 2005, the Government of Armenia increased the use of the 2003
anti-trafficking statute under Article 132, which prohibits trafficking in
persons for forced labor and sexual exploitation. However, many courts
overturned convictions handed down under Article 132, and reduced sentences
by converting the charges into lesser pimping charges. The government
continued to apply other criminal codes to about half of its trafficking
cases in 2005. During the reporting period, the government investigated 30
trafficking cases, resulting in 14 prosecutions and 17 convictions. While
Article 132 provides for longer sentences, penalties actually imposed
continue to be insufficient and not commensurate with those for other
equally grave crimes in Armenia. During the reporting period, only a few
convictions resulted in actual imprisonment; the remaining offenders
received suspended sentences, corrective labor and fines. Lack of public
confidence and allegations of official complicity continued to hurt the
credibility of the government’s anti-trafficking efforts. The government
established a special task force in February 2006 to investigate widespread
allegations against an official within the Prosecutor General’s
anti-trafficking unit. However, after a cursory investigation, this task
force found no evidence of any wrongdoing. The government failed to provide
direct training to educate prosecutors and judges on its new trafficking
law, although it distributed to police practical guidelines on methods to
investigate trafficking cases.
Protection
The Armenian Government continued to rely on international organizations and
NGOs to provide protection and assistance to trafficking victims; these
non-governmental groups cited good cooperation with government officials.
Victim assistance programs reportedly sheltered 16 victims in 2005, the
majority referred by Armenian officials. Notably, the police took the
initiative to invite NGOs to screen and interview four suspected trafficking
victims. A formalized screening and referral mechanism has yet to be
developed or implemented among law enforcement officials. Some victims
continue to receive poor treatment during court cases, reducing the
likelihood of future victims willing to come forward to testify against
their traffickers.
Prevention
In 2005, official recognition and acknowledgment of trafficking in Armenia
improved and the government began to implement its January 2004 National
Action Plan (NAP). Government officials made public appeals to help raise
awareness about trafficking. The government joined UNDP in raising awareness
about trafficking. The Department for Migration and Refugees (DMR) included
trafficking information in its outreach activities through the distribution
of brochures and visits to rural regions in Armenia. The DMR also developed
a draft law on regulating labor migration, to include licensing for
employment agencies that recruit people for jobs abroad. The government
continued to provide housing to vulnerable children released from Armenian
orphanages.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x141
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
HYE GEEN CO-HOSTS CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ISSUES
On April 8, 2006, AGBU Hye Geen hosted a conference entitled, “The
Status of Armenian Communities Living in the United States” at the
California State University of Los Angeles (CSULA). Co-organized by
Hye Geen’s newly formed Forum for Armenian Cultural and Social Studies
(FACSS) and CSULA’s School of Social Work, the event attracted over
140 people, including students, scholars and interested community
members.
The all-day conference consisted of a diverse program that included
presentations by nine prominent speakers, as well as remarks from Sona
Yacoubian, Hye Geen Chairwoman and Nayiri Nahabedian, FACSS
Chairwoman. Featured speakers shared their expertise from a variety of
professional backgrounds in the fields of psychology, art and
medicine. Hye Geen’s objectives for the conference were to bring
together researchers, educators and community groups in order to
examine social and cultural issues facing Armenians in the U.S. today,
and to build a network of professionals serving Armenian communities.
In the sphere of psychology, keynote speaker, Professor Hagop
Der-Karabetian, PhD, discussed Armenian Communities in context of
Armenian ethnic identity, while Lisa Arslanian, PhD, lectured on
Armenian cultural attitudes and beliefs in a psychological
context. Mary Harutunian, Psychology Doctoral candidate, discussed
Armenian women’s sexuality. Marriage and Family Therapist, Shakeh
Yegavian, spoke about traditional Armenian values and their impact on
Armenian-American couples.
Houri Keshishian, MA and teacher at the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
School in Canoga Park, California, spoke about identity issues for
immigrant Armenian-American youth. Professor of Social Work, Rita
Ladesma, PhD, discussed the bonds between culture and notions of a
homeland.
To present a varied number of perspectives, the conference also
included cultural entrepreneur Stepan Partamian, who offered his ideas
on Armenian communities from his media experience, emphasizing the
social and cultural struggles of Armenians living in the United
States.
In the field of medicine, nurse Loucine Daderian Huckabay, PhD, shared
her knowledge of health issues impacting Armenian-American immigrants,
while Dr. Jack Der-Sarkissian, family practitioner as well as amateur
historian and musician, lectured on Western musical perspectives of
the Armenian Genocide.
The conference was dedicated to AGBU’s Centennial, as well as the 12th
Anniversary of the founding of AGBU Hye Geen.
Part of the AGBU Southern California District, AGBU Hye Geen preserves
and honors the achievements of Armenian women around the world,
promotes the role of women in family and society through research,
education and advocacy and provides overall support for the
empowerment of women as guardians of the Armenian heritage. For more
information on AGBU Hye Geen, please call the AGBU Pasadena Center at
(626) 794-7942.
To find out more about AGBU events or to view the accompanying photos
online, please visit

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 6, 2006
___________________
YOUNG LOUISIANA COMMUNITY SEES CHURCH AS WAY TO CONNECT GENERATIONS
By Jake Goshert
Vasken and Higo Kaltakdjian feel pride when they see their children, Serop
and Niree, 21 and 17, taking part in church services at the newly
consecrated St. Garabed Church of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Serop is an
altar boy and his sister often reads from the Bible during the badarak. For
Mr. Kaltakdjian, the parish council chairman, the involvement of his
children is a connection to generations past.
And when Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), consecrated the mission parish’s sanctuary on
May 14, 2006, it signaled to Vasken Kaltakdjian the continuation of the
Armenian faith for generations to come.
“Our church is something we have to continue,” he said. “It is not
something we can let go. And having our own church building will help our
children feel this is something to be proud of. And they’ve seen us working
hard, and know it is not something that just happens.”
SMALL, YOUNG COMMUNITY
The state of Louisiana has about 60 families and during monthly badarak
celebrations, about 80 people fill the church: a former furniture store
marvelously renovated into a distinctly Armenian-flavored sanctuary.
Kaltakdjian said most of the members are immigrants from Syria or Lebanon,
with strong family ties to the Armenian Church. Kaltakdjian, for example,
came to the United States at 19, after serving as an altar boy in the St.
Sarkis Church in Damascus, Syria, where his grandfather was a parish council
member.
“We all played parts in our churches over there and we want to continue the
traditions our fathers and grandfathers taught us. We learned the church is
very important to the Armenian community,” he said. “So even though we’re a
small community, the church has kept us together. It protects our
nationality, our language, our faith. We thought it was important to have a
church here.”
The mission parish first began to form in the mid-1980s, but the new
immigrants were unable to fund a building. As they found success in the
opportunities of America, they raised enough money to buy and renovate their
church.
The community has many young families with children, and parish leaders see
the newly consecrated church as a way to energize parishioners, who consider
the church to be necessary for their children’s education.
“It was so wonderful, all the community came out to see the service,” said
Boghos Moutafian, the former parish council chairman. “This was our dream.
And the consecration definitely made our community stronger. People are
coming together, the kids are starting to talk Armenian, and they love our
religion. They’re singing and serving at the church.”
Archbishop Barsamian was joined during the badarak by the parish’s visiting
pastor Fr. Nerses Jebejian, Fr. Aren Jebejian from Chicago, Fr. Ararat
Kaltakjian of Canada, and Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, coordinator of music
ministry for the Diocese.
The Primate said that the parish was an example of parents passing the flame
of the Armenian Christian heritage to the next generation.
“Throughout the centuries, Armenians have heard the message of St. Gregory:
‘Come, let us build an altar of light,’ and they have acted on that
message,” the Primate said. “And here in Baton Rouge, they have come
together and built a community based on our faith.”
During a banquet following the consecration, the Primate presented Moutafian
with a pontifical encyclical from His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians. Kaltakdjian was presented with an
encyclical and the St. Gregory Medal.
“These men learned from their fathers, mothers, and grandparents. They
learned the importance and power of Christianity,” the Primate said. “More
important, they then passed that love for our church on to their children
and into their communities. They are truly passing the flame of our faith
forward to the next generation.”
— 6/06/06
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Parishioners fill the St. Garabed Church of Baton Rouge,
LA, as Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, leads the consecration service
on May 14, 2006.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): As parishioners look on, the Primate blesses a cross
during the consecration of the St. Garabed Church of Baton Rouge, LA, on May
14, 2006.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): The Primate blesses a cross on the altar of the St.
Garabed Church of Baton Rouge, LA, during its consecration on May 14, 2006.
PHOTO CAPTION (4): The Primate performs the “Opening of Doors” ceremony on
May 13, 2006, the night before the consecration of the St. Garabed Church of
Baton Rouge, LA.
PHOTO CAPTION (5): The Primate, other priests, altar servers, choir
members, and parishioners walk towards the St. Garabed Church of Baton
Rouge, LA, as a prelude to the “Opening of Doors” ceremony, on the first of
a two-day consecration of the church May 13 and 14, 2006.
PHOTO CAPTION (6): The Primate presents a pontifical encyclical and the St.
Gregory medal to Vasken Kaltakdjian and his family on behalf of His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, during a
banquet following the consecration of the St. Garabed Church of Baton Rouge,
LA, on May 14, 2006.
PHOTO CAPTION (7): The Primate presents a pontifical encyclical to Boghos
Moutafian, a founding leader of the St. Garabed Church in Baton Rouge, LA.
PHOTO CAPTION (8): The newly consecrated St. Garabed Church of Baton Rouge,
LA.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
06/06/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Chess Team Returns to Armenia after Winning Gold 2) Armenia And Azerbaijan Announce No Progress in Karabagh Talks 3) US Replaces Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group for Karabagh Settlement 4) MKR Draft Constitution to Be Introduced before Parliament 5) Leader Says Independent Kurdistan is Kurds' Right 1) Chess Team Returns to Armenia after Winning Gold YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Armenpress)--The Armenian National Chess team and their coach Arshak Petrosian received a hero's welcome in Armenia, after winning the 37th Chess Olympiad over the weekend in Turin, Italy. Five of the six men--Vladimir Hakobian, Gabriel Sarkisian, Artashes Minasian, Smbat Lputian, and Karen Asryan--arrived at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport shortly after midnight on Tuesday. Levon Aronian could not return to Armenia immediately after the Olympiad, citing personal reasons. They were greeted at the airport by Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, most members of his cabinet, as well as top police and army generals. Armenia, bronze medalist of three previous Olympiads, won the game's most important team competition, which drew to a close on Sunday, for the first time in its history. Its six top grandmasters, led by the world number three Levon Aronian, were the only undefeated team among 148 participating nations and finished far ahead of tournament favorite Russia. "We've made history," Petrosian said. "This is a great achievement for Armenian chess. We are very happy to have achieved that result." "We were anxious, happy and cheerful. It was great," said Gabriel Sargsian, the youngest member of the Armenian team. The 19 year old grandmaster's strong performance at Turin--8 wins in 13 games--proved crucial for the overall Armenian victory. The Olympic champions then headed to the city's Freedom Square where more than a thousand people waving Armenia's red-blue-orange flags and chanting "Armenia! Armenia!" gathered to cheer them on. The celebration, featuring speeches by senior officials and performances by Armenian pop singers, was broadcast live on state television. Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, who also heads the Armenian Chess Federation, stayed with the Armenian players in the northern Italian city throughout the two-week tournament. "Our chess players have managed to justify our nation's hopes," he said. "Your support from Yerevan was the most important thing for the guys," he told the jubilant crowd in Freedom Square. "This was only our first major victory. More victories lie ahead." 2) Armenia And Azerbaijan Announce No Progress in Karabagh Talks (AP/Yerkir)--The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia said Tuesday that talks between their countries' leaders had made no progress toward a settlement of the dispute over Karabagh, but that they had instructions to continue negotiations. Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev discussed the conflict on the sidelines of a Black Sea summit in Bucharest, Romania, on Sunday and Monday. Representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is trying to broker a resolution of the 18 year old conflict, were also present. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told state television that the talks had been conducted "in a normal atmosphere, but they did not succeed in registering progress and giving a positive impulse to solving the problem of the Karabagh conflict." Still, he said that he and Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov had orders to try to find points on which they could bring the two countries' positions closer. Mamedyarov said that, in spite of the lack of a breakthrough, the Aliyev-Kocharian meeting had seen a "wide discussion" of the details of a settlement. "We decided to continue the process and, if necessary, to hold another meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers," Mamedyarov said. However, Mamedyarov added that, "there is still hope for the peaceful resolution of the conflict and we are eager to continue efforts in this direction." The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group said that the meetings took place in a good atmosphere and expressed hope that the conflict can be resolved this year. "The co-chairs still believe that 2006 is the window to reach an agreement regarding Karabagh, and I don't want to characterize exactly where we might be in that process," said Steven Mann, the co-chair representing the US in Bucharest. Mann also said that the mediators believe that the Karabagh conflict can still be resolved this year. "The co-chairs still believe that 2006 is the window to reach an agreement regarding Karabagh," he said. Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said that the responsibility for the conflict resolution should not be laid on the two sides only. "They should themselves reach an agreement but with the support of the mediators," Merzlyakov said. 3) US Replaces Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group for Karabagh Settlement (Yerkir/Armenpress)Another diplomat will replace the American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann, who has been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State on Central and South Asian Affairs. According to Mann, it is a usual rotation. "Another co-chairman will represent the US during the talks about the settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict," said Mann. Azeri Foreign Affairs Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said that changing the American co-chairman will not have a negative impact on negotiations. He told journalists that his conviction is based on the professionalism of American diplomats. "The important thing is that the Americans remain in the regulation process and want to continue it," said Mamedyarov, noting that one or two months will be enough time for the new chairman to become involved in the process. 4) MKR Draft Constitution to Be Introduced before Parliament YEREVAN (Yerkir)Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) held a meeting of its Constitutional Commission working group in Stepanakert, to discuss the introduction of a Draft Constitution to Parliament. During the meeting, MKR President Arkady Ghoukassian said that the Draft Constitution will be introduced before the Parliament. He also commissioned the working group to continue their activities to study and discuss proposals that have been received. Ghoukassian said he appreciated the activities of the MKR Constitutional Commission, noting that their work has received positive feedback from experts. 5) Leader Says Independent Kurdistan is Kurds' Right ERBIL (The New Anatolian)President of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, said Monday in an interview with Al-Arabia television that an independent Kurdistan is the right of Iraqi Kurds, but for now remaining within the borders of a federalist, democratic Iraq serves their interest. Asked whether Iraqi Kurdish groups might seek an independent state, Barzani said that struggling for and dreaming about independence is "a right of every Kurdish individual" and further that "nobody can deny this right to the Kurds." "But for now, remaining within the borders of a federal, democratic Iraq fructifies the Kurdish interest. Presumably the dream and desire of an independent Kurdistan for the next generation or even in our time will be realized," Barzani said. Barzani also expressed optimism about the resolution of the Kirkuk issue by the new Iraqi Government and stressed that pursuing the issue is a priority of the regional government in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Iraqi Kurdish leader further expressed his belief that "the Kurdish question of neighboring countries" can be solved by democratic and peaceful means, through dialogue. Barzani's remarks are likely to cause concern in Ankara, which fears a civil war in Iraq and wider regional instability should the country fall apart and the Iraqi Kurds seek independence. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Times (UK)
June 06, 2006
How dare you take my queen?
By Rajeev Syal and Raymond Keene
Battle of the chess grandmasters as leading England player ‘attacks’
rival over dancefloor move

[Picture]Arianna Caoili, Australia No 3 – described as the Anna
Kournikova of chess.

FOR one British grandmaster, his rival had made a move too far. Danny
Gormally, one of Britain’s leading chess players, allegedly attacked the
world No 3 at an international tournament for dancing with a beautiful
Australian player.
Levon Aronian, leading light of the Armenian chess scene, was apparently
punched and shoved, and ended up on the floor during a party at the
recent Chess Olympiad in Turin.
He had been spotted jiving with Arianne Caoili, 19, an Australian
grandmaster known as the Anna Kournikova of the chess world. Mr Gormally
was known by team-mates to be fond of her.
But the next day, after the England captain apologised to the Armenian
team, the repercussions continued. When Mr Gormally went out for a
coffee with friends, he was attacked by a group of young Armenian
players seemingly bent on revenge for their star player.
The unseemly events are expected to lead to an urgent inquiry by the
English Chess Federation into Mr Gormally’s behaviour. He was advised to
leave the tournament early to avoid further confrontation.
Allan Beardsworth, the England captain, said that drink appeared to play
a part. “Danny seems to have punched Aronian for innocently dancing with
a girl that he liked. The following day, there was a retaliatory
incident. It is a shame, and something that we will have to look into
properly,” he said.
The Olympiad is held every two years between 150 international teams and
brings together the world’s best players. While the tournament went
badly for Mr Gormally and the England team, the Armenians eventually won.
The party was held four days ago at a nightclub called “Hiroshima Mon
Amour”. Mr Gormally, 30, from Durham, spotted Ms Caoili, with whom he
had struck up an e-mail relationship, according to colleagues. They are
also known to have met in London.
Ms Caoili, a child prodigy of Filipino descent who has ambitions of
becoming a professional singer, was dancing “energetically” with Mr
Aronian. She is ranked No 3 in Australia. Mr Aronian, 23, often referred
to as a future world champion, is adored in his country where chess is
the national sport.
For Mr Gormally, the sight of the pair dancing was apparently too much –
but his actions were unjustified, according to Mr Beardsworth. “I have
spoken to several people who were there, and there is no doubt that
Danny was in the wrong. Aronian is a lovely guy and at the very peak of
his national sport. I have been told that he is treated like David
Beckham at home,” he said.
The England team’s management was informed of the incident and held an
impromptu meeting. By 11am the next day, it had apologised to the
Armenian team leader, who also happens to be the country’s defence
minister. There is no suggestion of any criminal inquiry.
Mr Gormally was informed, and hoped that the incident was over. However,
when he went out with friends for a coffee, he was spotted by young
chess players from Armenia. “They set upon Danny – he was hit several
times. Luckily, one of the team-mates with Danny could speak Russian and
managed to calm them down,” Mr Beardsworth said.
Denis Jessop, president of the Australian Chess Federation, said that he
may launch his own inquiry. “I have heard that an incident took place
and that Aronian was thumped and that it was over Arianne.”
“I am not surprised at anything that chess players do. It is not the
first time that there’s been an argument at a chess tournament and
people have hit each other,” he said.
Mr Gormally, 30, a professional player, declined to comment from his
home, where he lives with his parents. On asked why he had been sent
home, he replied: “It’s personal. It’s nothing to do with you.”

Hero’s house reborn: Armenians’ savior lived in Lancaster
By Karen Nugent
WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
Jun 6, 2006
LANCASTER – Most historic homes in town bear some marker naming the original
owner.
And most of those owners had highbrow Brahmin names such as Thayer and
Wilder, along with those of early Yankee settlers – Rowlandson, Prescott,
Damon and Rice.
The name `Bogigian’ is decidedly different.
But Hagop Bogigian, a once-poor Armenian immigrant, had connections, the
first being Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Eventually, his friendship with the
poet allowed Mr. Bogigian, an Oriental carpet importer, to build a hugely
successful business in Cambridge and Boston that gave him enough money to
build a summer home in Lancaster.
Not that Mr. Bogigian was a summerhome type of guy.
Besides saving hundreds of fellow Armenians from the Turkish genocide in the
early 1900s, the lifelong humanitarian went on to dedicate much of his life
to helping widows (his own mother was widowed when he was only 4) and
children, and to educating women.
`He was very unusual for his time,’ said Jeanne A. Blauner, the current
owner of the circa-1907 mansion at 509 Neck Road.
As the 100th anniversary of the house approaches next year, and with an
effort under way to have it listed in the state and national historic
registers, Ms. Blauner has decided to open it up for tea and refreshments
from 9 to 11 a.m. June 17. Admission will be free.
There will be an exhibit and presentation on the history of the house and
Mr. Bogigian’s personal story. His grand-nephew, Hagop Martin Deranian, a
Worcester dentist, is expected to be there, along with members of the
Lancaster Historical Commission.
Dr. Deranian is the author of `Worcester Is America: The Story of
Worcester’s Armenians.’
He paid to have a historic marker honoring Mr. Bogigian placed in front of
the house in 2002, which was dedicated by the Lancaster Historical
Commission. Dr. Deranian at the time said his great-uncle crossed the
Atlantic 87 times in the course of his business and humanitarian activities.
Several years ago, a publication by Old Sturbridge Village had a section on
Mr. Bogigian written by Mildred Tymeson Petrie, a Worcester historian and
author. In it, Ms. Petrie says Mr. Bogigian, then an `importer of Oriental
goods’ opened his first shop in Harvard Square in 1878 with three rugs
hanging in the window.
Longfellow, who lived nearby on Brattle Street in Cambridge, spotted the
rugs and promptly bought one for his home. He also referred then-Harvard
College president Charles Eliot Norton to the shop, who also bought a rug.
Needless to say, Mr. Bogigian’s business took off, and he later moved to an
even better location in Boston, near the Statehouse. There were more rich
customers buying rugs from that locale, eventually allowing Mr. Bogigian to
buy an 18-room house overlooking a reservoir in Framingham, and the 88-acre
lot in Lancaster, which included a pond, orchard and rose gardens.
Meanwhile, he married the former Helen J. Carrington in 1887, whom his
grandnephew described as a Connecticut Yankee. They did not have any
children.
Both husband and wife died in 1931, and much of the land was sold off, Ms.
Blauner said, noting that it was a six-family apartment house in terrible
shape when she bought it in 1999. It has since been renovated and divided up
into six condominiums. At one point, it was a nursing home, and before that,
in World War II, a family built a makeshift soup factory behind the house.
Ms. Blauner had no idea of the significance of the house when she bought it,
but she said people kept asking her about it.
After a while, she went to the Lancaster Historical Commission office and
began researching it, with the help of Joan Richards, the commission’s
coordinator.
`I called my parents, and I told them I thought I bought a dilapidated
six-family, but I really bought a historical mansion,’ she said with a
laugh.
The original house is thought to date from the early 1800s as part of the
old Damon farm. Ms. Blauner said it sat closer to Neck Road, but Mr.
Bogigian, who bought the property in 1905, moved it back and had it set on
the new foundation, and then built around it. Part of his addition included
his rug gallery and two more bedrooms, she said.
According to Ms. Richards, Mr. Bogigian, who was born in 1856 in Kharpoot,
Turkey, saved Armenians from the Turkish massacre by paying for their
passage to the United States and helping them get settled here. He also
intervened with officials at Ellis Island to prevent them from being
deported to Turkey, and contacted President Grover Cleveland and the
American Red Cross to help raise money for displaced Armenians.
Later, he gave money to Mount Holyoke College and Wilson College in
Pennsylvania to be used for the education of young Armenian women.
After he moved to town permanently from Framingham, Ms. Richards said, he
contributed heavily to town projects.
Ms. Blauner said she and previous owners and tenants all felt a certain
positive aura in the house – perhaps leftover karma from Mr. Bogigian.
`It’s a good house. This is a happy place,’ she said.
Photo: The Bogigian house, a circa-1907 mansion at 509 Neck Road in
Lancaster, is being considered for state and national registers of historic
places. (T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR)
rticle?AID=/20060606/NEWS/606060414/1116

RTE SPORT
Nalbandian through to semi-finals
Tuesday, 06 June 2006 6:58
David Nalbandian is through to the semi-finals of the French Open
David Nalbandian, the third seed from Argentina, ousted sixth seed Nikolay
Davydenko in four sets to progress to the French Open semi-finals for the
second time in three years.
Nalbandian, 24, who reached the last four at Roland Garros in 2004 only to
be beaten by Gaston Gaudio, overcame his Russian rival 6-3 6-3 2-6 6-4.
After winning the first two sets, Nalbandian suffered a lapse in form in the
third, with Davydenko raising his game to narrow the deficit.
In the fourth set, however, Nalbandian broke his opponent in the fifth game
to take a 3-2 lead and held serve thereafter to seal victory.
Nalbandian won the Masters Series event in Shanghai in 2005 after defeating
world number one Roger Federer, who he will now face in the last four at
Roland Garos.