PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
APRIL 27, 2006
GENOCIDE OBSERVANCE ON CAPITOL HILL
Archbishop Oshagan attended the 11th annual ANCA Armenian Genocide
Observance on Capitol Hill, yesterday. Wednesday, April 26. Armenian
Americans from around the United States joined with members of Congress to
mark the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
In his message and invocation to the gathering, His Eminence remembered
the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “In the End, we will remember not the
words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” His Eminence said:
“To this day the genocide of the Armenians is denied not only by the
perpetrators, but also by own government here in Washington. The same
government in whose archives are thousands and thousands of documents that
attest to the annihilation of the Armenians. The denial by our government is
the most difficult for us to comprehend and fills our hearts with grief
because denial is another assault-another genocide.”
“Our faith in You never waivers,” the Prelate continued. “Our hope in
You is steadfast. We believe that through You truth will prevail, because
You have told us, ‘Truth endures and remains forever and ever.’ (I Esdras
4:38)”
APRIL 24th IN ANTELIAS
Thousands of Lebanese Armenians assembled at the Catholicosate of
Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, on April 24 to commemorate the Armenian
genocide. Divine Liturgy was offered at the Cathedral of St. Gregory the
Illuminator, celebrated by Bishop Kegham Khatcherian, Primate of the Diocese
of Lebanon. Thousands of the Faithful then proceeded to the Martyrs’ Chapel
where a Requiem Service was offered.
His Holiness Aram I said: “Today is a day of national struggle and
accountability. This is how I characterize April 24 on our nation’s
calendar. We are gathered with the spirit of accountability and demands.
Struggle means accountability. Our martyrs demand explanation from us
today.. April 24 is not a single day in our calendar. Every day is April 24
for the individual who considers himself Armenian and lives as an Armenian.
Today we renew our pledge from Armenia to Antelias gathered around the
remains of our martyrs. In all the corners of the world we renew our pledge
to walk down the path of our martyrs, remaining true to their legacy; walk
down the path that will lead us to justice, because that is the road that
leads to the truth.”
THE ‘G’ WORD
Even with strong support from more than 200 House and Senate leaders,
asking President Bush to properly acknowledge the Armenian genocide, the
President’s annual message failed to use the “G” word, instead words like
“horrible tragedy,” “mass killings,” and “forced exile” were used.
In contrast to this, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper,
issued a statement on April 19 acknowledging “the terrible suffering and
loss of life” in “the first genocide of the twentieth century.”
VICAR IS ATTENDING PRAYER FOR PEACE IN D.C.
V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan, Vicar General of the Prelacy, attended the 2006
International Prayer for Peace yesterday and today at Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
The gathering, which is sponsored by the Community of San’ Egidio, the
Archdiocese of Washington, Georgetown University, and The Catholic
University of America, marks the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s
historic interfaith gathering for peace in Assisi. This is the first time
that this annual event, the largest regularly held interfaith gathering in
the world, is taking place in the United States.
PRELACY LADIES GUILD MOTHERS DAY LUNCHEON
WILL TAKE PLACE MONDAY, MAY 8
The Prelacy Ladies’ Guild’s Mothers’ Day Luncheon will take place on
Monday, May 8, at The St. Regis, 2 East 55th Street, New York City. The
event, which has become an anticipated event for women in the metropolitan
area and beyond, will take place in the beautiful St. Regis Roof with
reception beginning at 11:30 am, followed by luncheon at 12:30 pm. A special
Musical Interlude, “Voices of Spring,” will provide entertainment and the
“Mother of the Year” will be announced and honored.
For more details about the luncheon click here:
NATIO NAL ASSEMBLY WILL CONVENE IN NEW JERSEY
The Eastern Prelacy’s National Representative Assembly will convene May
17 to 19, at the host church, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey.
The concluding reception and banquet will take place Friday evening, May
19, at the Fort Lee Hilton, Route 4 East, Fort Lee, New Jersey. During the
banquet program a number of individuals will be honored including “Persons
of the Year,” “Spirit of Armenia,” and “Youth Leadership” awards.
“Certificates of Merit” will be presented to deserving members of the local
host community. To make reservations for the banquet ($75. per person)
contact any of the following: Sts. Vartanantz Church, 201-943-2950; Bea
Movsesian, 201-445-6867; Sonia Setrakian, 201-313-7157; Lynn Mahlebjian,
201-440-3018.
Full details about this and other public events during the NRA will be
included in next week’s Crossroads and will also be on the Prelacy’s web
page.
PASHALIAN FUND TRUSTEES MEET
The annual meeting of the trustees of the Pashalian Family Education
Fund took place Tuesday, April 18, at the Prelacy offices in New York. The
trustees reviewed the financial reports of the Fund and then discussed the
distribution of funds for the current year. The recipients of the 2006
grants will be announced shortly.
The Pashalian Fund was created in 1992 by gifts in memory of John
Pashalian by his family and friends. The Fund supports Armenian Schools and
Prelacy educational programs.
The trustees of the Fund are: H.E. Archbishop Oshagan (exofficio), Ms.
Gloria Tarsy, Dr. George Dermksian, and Michael Derian.
REGISTER NOW FOR DATEV SUMMER PROGRAM
Early registration deadline for the St. Gregory of Datev Summer
Institute is May 1. Act now to take advantage of the early deadline
discount. The weeklong program will take place July 2 to 9 at the St. Mary
of Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania. This year the Institute is
marking its 20th anniversary and all kinds of commemorative events are being
planned. We will provide full details in the coming weeks.
For registration information as well as information about the Institute
click here:
THE ART OF EMMA GREGORYAN
TO BE EXHIBITED AT THE PRELACY
The works of noted artist, Emma Gregoryan, will be shown beginning on
Friday evening, May 12, at the Prelacy’s Vahakn and Hasmig Hovnanian Hall,
138 E. 39th Street, New York City. The opening reception will take place
Friday, May 12, at 7 p.m. The artist will be present to welcome guests.
Refreshments will be served.
Ms. Gregoryan’s works are currently being shown at the Susquehanna Art
Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as part of an exhibition of the Armenian
art collection of the late John Vartan.
Born in Gumri, Armenia, Emma Grigoryan graduated from the Fine Arts and
Theatrical Institute of Yerevan. Her paintings have been exhibited in
Yerevan, Paris, Beirut, New York, Washington and throughout Canada.
HILL MUSEUM PUBLICATION FEATURES
CILICIAN SEE COLLECTION
The latest issue of “Illumination,” a publication of the Hill Museum and
Manuscript Library (HMML) in Collegeville, Minnesota, features a number of
Armenian manuscripts including the collection of the Holy See of Cilicia in
Antelias, Lebanon. For the past four decades HMML has been photographing
manuscript collections in Western Europe, Ethiopia and Malta, producing the
largest microfilm collection of its kind. In recent years with the advance
in technology, photography of the manuscripts has been digital. In recent
years collections in the Middle East and elsewhere have been added to the
project of the Benedictine monks whose mission is to preserve the
manuscripts and provide scholarly access to them.
Last year they began photographing the collection at Antelias. The
magazine writes: “The manuscript collection of the Armenian Apostolic
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia was brought to Lebanon in the
early 20th century along with other precious items rescued from the former
home of the Catholicosate in Sis, Cilicia, a region of southeastern Turkey
that was the last independent Armenian kingdom until it was conquered by the
Ottomans in the late 14th century. Many Armenians remained in Cilicia until
the Armenian Genocide during World War I, when Catholicos Sahak II and many
of his people were forced to flee. The refugees carried their most precious
manuscripts and sacred objects with them to Syria and, finally, to Lebanon.”
Accompanying this is an image of the 17th century Armenian Book of the
Gospels, Letter of Eusebius to Carpian, from the Antelias collection. The
image on the cover of the magazine is from a 14th century Armenian Book of
the Gospels, frontispiece to the Gospel of Luke, from the collection of the
Armenian Catholic Clergy Institute of Bzommar, Lebanon. The Bzommar
collection is also being digitized by HMML.
THIS SUNDAY IS “GREEN SUNDAY”
This Sunday, April 30, the third Sunday of Easter is Green Sunday
(Ganach Giragee) also called World Church Sunday (Ashkharhamadoor). The name
“Green Sunday” most probably comes from an ancient folk holiday in
celebration of spring. Our forefathers, seeing mother earth bloom after long
winter months, glorified the Creator with an act of thanksgiving, and
celebrated by bedecking the Church and themselves with greenery. Green is
the color of life, freshness and promise and after a barren winter we are
filled with hope, life and love.
It is also called World Church Sunday in the sense of the church
belonging to the whole world beginning with Christ and the Apostles who met
regularly to pray and partake of the Holy Sacrament of Communion.
Perhaps it is an appropriate time for us to remember our obligation to
be good stewards of the earth and the gifts that have been given to us by
God.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April 29-Presentation by comedian Vahe Berberian at St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York. For details 718-224-2275.
May 5-Reunion of all students beginning from the 1930s who attended St.
Illuminator Armenian School in New York. Dinner Dance at Terrace on the
Park, Corona, NY. For reservations or information contact the St.
Illuminator’s Day School, 718-478-4073.
May 7-Mothers’ Day celebration at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
May 8-Mothers’ Day Luncheon by Prelacy Ladies Guild, St. Regis, New York
City.
May 12-Exhibition of the works of artist Emma Gregoryan at the Prelacy, 138
E. 39th Street, New York City.
May 13-Dinner-Dance organized by the St. Sarkis Church Ping-Pong Club. For
details 718-224-2275.
May 17-19-National Representative Assembly (NRA), hosted by Sts. Vartanantz
Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Concluding reception and banquet will take
place Friday, May 19, at the Fort Lee Hilton, Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Reception at 7 pm, followed by dinner. For information/reservations: Sts.
Vartanantz Church office, 201-943-2950.
May 16 and 17-Conference of Yeretzgeens in conjunction with the National
Representative Assembly, hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey.
May 20-Year-end Hantes for Sunday School and Saturday School, St. Sarkis
Church, Douglaston, New York. For information, 718-224-2275.
June 4-16th Anniversary Celebration of the new St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York. For information, 718-224-2275.
July 22-Ladies Guild of Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
and Ani Chapter of Armenian Relief Society co-host gala dance at Greek
Orthodox Annunciation Church. For information, 401-286-8107.
September 28-4th Annual Golf Outing hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey. Bergen Hills Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
For reservations and/or information: 201-943-2950.
Visit our website at

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee
Eastern United States
P.O. Box 1066
New York, NY 10040
Contact: Doug Geogerian
Tel: 917 428 1918
Fax: 718 651 3637
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: anca.org
ARF, ADL COUNTER TURKISH PROTEST IN NYC
Rally preceded by press conference featuring Reps. Weiner, Maloney
NEW YORK – On Saturday, April 22, a group calling itself the `Young
Turks’ gathered 100-150 Turkish demonstrators in midtown Manhattan, in
an effort to spread denial of the Armenian Genocide. The demonstration
took place on Broadway at 39th Street, and was advertised as a
response to the annual Times Square Genocide commemoration that was
scheduled for the following day.
In response to this action, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and
Armenian Democratic Liberal organization organized a counter-protest,
which took place two blocks south of the Turkish rally. The Armenian
gathering included 200 people – young and old alike – with a strong
showing from the Armenian Youth Federation. After a brief program
featuring speeches from community leaders, the protesters held banners
and shouted slogans including `Turkey guilty of genocide,’ `Return our
lands,’ and `Armenians demand reparations.’ Meanwhile, Turkish
demonstrators openly expressed hatred and contempt for the Armenians,
shouting `Armenian lies’ and `Armenians killed Turks,’ in an attempt
to portray Armenians as having massacred Turks during World War
I. Many of these protesters appeared to be Azeris, who linked Turkey’s
denial campaign with Azerbaijan’s goal of retaking Karabagh by force.
The modest turnout by the `Young Turks’ stood in contrast to their
advance publicity, which claimed they would be gathering up to 5,000
demonstrators.
Cong. Weiner, Cong. Maloney Condemn Deniers Just prior to the
protests, US Representatives Anthony Weiner and Carolyn Maloney held a
press conference at which they spoke out against Turkey’s denial of
the Armenian Genocide. The press conference took place at Herald
Square in Manhattan, just south of the protest sites, and featured the
presence of Armenian community leaders as well as media
representatives. In their remarks, both officials referred to the
monstrous irony of Turkish chauvinism – in which the deniers pin blame
on the victims for crimes committed by their own.
The press conference marked Weiner’s second appearance in a month to
combat Turkish revisionism. A few weeks earlier, the congressman drew
attention to Turkish efforts to cast doubt upon a PBS genocide
documentary prepared by US filmmaker Andrew Goldberg. Weiner’s
statements generated momentum that led to the cancellation of a
Turkish-led roundtable that would have immediately followed the
documentary broadcast.
`We are greatly encouraged by the support of Representatives Weiner
and Maloney,’ stated ARF representative Antranig Kasbarian. `They have
never shied away from the issue of denial, even when the deniers are
staring us right in the face. We are also encouraged by the youthful
turnout at today’s counter-protest. Turkish deniers must realize that
this problem will never go away; not until they come to terms with the
Genocide and its consequences.’
###

From: Embassy of Armenia
Subject: Embassy of Armenia Commemorates Genocide Anniversary
PRESS RELEASE
April 27, 2006
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected] ;Web:
Embassy of Armenia Commemorates Genocide Anniversary With a Remembrance
Event, Photo Exhibit
On April 26, 2006, the Embassy of Armenia hosted an event commemorating the
91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Over 500 Armenian Americans and
friends of Armenia, representing the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Armenian-American organizations and individual community members laid
flowers and wreaths at the khatchkar located on the Embassy premises.
A joint prayer service for the memory of the Genocide victims was conducted
by the pastors of St. Mary’s and Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Churches in
Washington, DC.
In his address, Ambassador Tatoul Markarian expressed appreciation for the
Genocide recognition efforts by the Armenian Diaspora throughout decades. He
noted that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide remains on
Armenia’s foreign policy agenda. Stressing the importance of continuing
unified efforts of all the Armenian organizations on this issue, Ambassador
Markarian emphasized the significance of existence of the independent
Armenian statehood in achieving success in recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
Also on April 24, the Embassy unveiled a photo exhibit on the Armenian
cultural and historical monuments outside of the modern-day Armenia. The
exhibit, prepared by the Research on Armenian Architecture, presents
photographic evidence of the systematic campaign to destroy the Armenian
cultural legacy in Turkey and Azerbaijan. In his remarks during the opening
of the exhibit, Ambassador Markarian expressed appreciation of the efforts
to study and collect documental evidence of the Armenian architectural and
historical monuments abroad. The Ambassador emphasized the urgency of the
need to preserve the Armenian architectural heritage in neighboring
countries, noting that this had been once more underscored by the recent
barbaric destruction of the Armenian khachkars in Nakhichevan.
The ten-day exhibit has already been attended by hundreds of
Armenian-Americans, as well as U.S. officials.

Jordanian Armenians commemorate the Genocide
Azad-Hye, Dubai, 27 April 2006: The Armenians of Amman marked on 24th April
the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The commemoration was
initiated by the National Council of Armenians in Jordan and organized by
the Prelacy (based in the capital Amman), in association with all Armenian
organizations.

Raquel Markarian welcomed the attendants and invited them to a moment of
silence in memory of our martyrs. In her speech she pointed out to the
importance of remembering our victims, expressing confidence that one day
justice will prevail.
Masis Guloyan addressed the public in Arabic language, noting that the
Armenians know how to respect their martyrs. He said that our forefather
sacrificed their life and did not compromise their values. He also expressed
gratitude towards the Kingdom of Jordan for sheltering the Armenians during
the Genocide and for providing means for future prosperity and development.
Armenians now are integral part of the Jordanian society and have equal
rights.
Suzy Sanjian, Lousin Koulaksezian, Narineh Demirdjian and Alice Babigian
successively performed and recited songs and poems of known writers such as
Kevork Emin, Vahan Tekeyan and others.

The H.M.E.M. choir performed a series of patriotic songs such as “The Adana
Massacres”, “The Exile Song”, “Sons of Armenians”. Well-known photographer
Zohrab presented a series of pictures taken by him during his recent visits
to Armenia and Artsakh (Karabakh). He also conveyed to the public his
impressions on the above journeys.
The main speaker was Dr. Nora Arissian, specially invited from Damascus,
specialist in Genocide documentation. She introduced the recent developments
in the Genocidal studies, underlining the importance of different national
and private archives.
Arissian encouraged the youth to support Hay Tad efforts by collecting
archival material. Referring to the significance of the Arabic archives in
Genocide research, she quoted some of the memoirs of Arab intellectuals who
described the Armenian Genocide.
Arissian gave details about the new horizons opening in front of Hay Tad
(the Armenian cause), in which young people can have greater role.

She concluded her lecture by emphasizing that “our wealth is in our memory.
The opponent today is weak and shameful in front of the humanity and we are
stronger with our will, awareness and the knowledge of our heritage”.
The choir of Saint Thaddeus Church under the leadership of Sevag Chekerkian
presented a group of religious chants.
At the end of the commemoration Nerses Nersesian expressed the hope that
more and more countries would acknowledge the Genocide and humanity would
unite in preventing future human calamities.
URL: 21afl41

The Indian Armenian Community observes the 91st Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide
Azad-Hye, Dubai: On 24th April Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian, the Manager of the
Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (ACPA), performed a requiem
service for the souls of the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Church
compound, near the Memorial Stone dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
At the end of the service Fr. Gulgulian addressed the congregation and
reminded them never to forget the sacred memory of our martyrs.
The service was attended by His Excellency Ashot Kocharian, Ambassador of
the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Church Committee, members of the
Calcutta Armenian community and the ACPA students. The representatives of
the Armenian Church and the Community placed wreaths on the tomb of the
Unknown Solder.
Rev. Fr. Oshagan, accompanied by the members of the Armenian Church
Committee, paid a visit to “Future Hope”, a philanthropic organisation
dedicated to the welfare of children, where 120 homeless children are cared
for. Fr. Oshagan handed over to the representative of the organisation, on
behalf of the Armenian Church, a cheque, the proceeds of which will feed the
children for one week.
In the evening Fr. Oshagan, His Excellency the Ambassador of Armenia and Mr.
Haik Sookias, Chairman, Armenian Church Committee, planted an evergreen tree
(see photo) in the compounds of the Collage, in memory of the Armenian
Genocide victims, which was followed by a memorial evening.
The evening was opened by Deacon Tigran Baghumyan, the Administrator of the
ACPA. Ambassador Ashot Kocharian read the manifesto signed by the President
of Armenia Mr. Robert Kocharian on the occasion of the 91st Anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide. The Ambassador gave a brief talk dedicated to the
Genocide. During the evening the audience was shown a documentary film
dedicated to the Genocide.
The evening was also attended by the Consul General of Cyprus, Slovakia,
representatives of the Russian Consulate, Head of the Cultural Centre,
members of the Armenian Community and the students of the ACPA.
See photos and Armenian text at:
140afg54

From: Hrach Kalsahakian Subject: Two admirable schools need your attention
Azad-Hye, Dubai
By Taline Babikian
 
24 April is not a day of mourning only, but a day to celebrate life that we
are still here and alive.
 
Under what circumstances the Turkish government might accept the Genocide,
no one knows. No one even knows if we will see this acceptance, but we all
work in our own ways to see it come true. No blood is cheap, no soul is
worthless. We are humans.
 
I thank all governments who have accepted the Genocide, I thank all
individuals and organisations who work for this cause. I thank all who keep
the proofs of the Genocide alive, be it pictures, stories, diaries,
documentaries, schools. I thank teachers who teach who we are, where we come
from, the values of our heritage and the ability to balance all these with
our immediate environment.
 
Education is a universe that opens doors to many things; with wisdom hand in
hand with education much could be done.
 
My letter today is not mainly about 24 April, we know this by heart. My
letter today is about 2 institutions that have marked my life – Birds’ Nest
and Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI).
 
Both have been the shelters of victims of 1915 events.
Birds’ Nest is a home now for children from broken families and orphans who
live and study there. It is also the school where the small Armenian
community of Byblos send their children to. A multi-purpose institute.
Birds’ Nest needs your help. Birds’ Nest’s history is very important as it
served as a home to many children back from the 1920 till today. The
archives show many pictures from that time, many victims of the 1915. Birds’
Nest was founded by Ms Mary Jacobson, an admirable character of compassion
and strength. It needs your donation.
 
Melkonian on the other hand even though it was founded in the 1920s as a
shelter and orphanage evolved into something much greater then one could
expect. From an orphanage that sheltered children from the 1915, to a well
known educational institute recognised, admired and complimented by many.
This Institute was founded by 2 brothers Krikor and Garabed Melkonian. Their
aim was and is to have graduates from their Institute to be strong in
whatever corner of the world they go. They have a vision and that vision is
to have as many students from the diaspora to attend their school and get
deep and strong knowledge of their ancestors, culture heritage and of course
combined with admirable level of education. Thousands passed from Melkonian,
thousands went into the four corners of the world, having the knowledge of
who they are.
 
Whatever your background, you came out knowing more about Armenian history,
music, folk dance … much more than a typical Armenian school can offer.
Coming from diverse social environmental life, the students were able to
learn how other students lived in their respective countries and built
frienships and many later married.
 
In their will the Melkonian brothers asked AGBU CB of that time to manage
the school with conditions ensuring that the school functions at all times
and if at any time AGBU CB is not able to manage they must hand over the
management of MEI to the Patriarch of Istanbul as sole inheritor.
The MEI court case has ordered now to freeze all assets of MEI in Cyprus.
 
Alumni in many countries, individuals, Pro Edvcatio, joined efforts to stop
this wrong and unjust move of the CB of AGBU who at first ignored the
letters, petitions, emails that were sent to their head office in New York.
Many AGBU members who are Melkonian graduates were not able to support due
to the fact that they are employees or somehow been manipulated and couldn’t
voice their opinion. Even AGBU members who are not “Melkoniantsi” do not
approve what’s happening at the top of the management, but their questions
and remarks are falling on deaf ears.
The school’s Board of Directors was ignored. In the last 2-3 years the
school was actually run by Mr. Anderson, whose job turned out to be
establishing the closing procedure of MEI.
Many still believe in the noble aim of AGBU, but AGBU is something and its
CB is another issue, from whom the members must start to demand transparency
of accounts in all the departments, something that we haven’t seen in ages.
Blind trust is not advisable in any institute.
AGBU unfortunately is not run with the same spirit of late presidents, even
though the motto is the same it is only on paper.
I hope to see AGBU CB reverse its point of view. The rent that the CB is
collecting from the commercial centers that should be going to the school’s
fund is going to the pockets of the AGBU.
That income must have gone to MEI’s fund many years ago.
There is no shame is reversing a decision, it will not discredit AGBU CB,
but it will show to all that even our leaders like our parents make mistakes
that they should fix.
A genocide of education and culture is taking place while we’re looking back
at past events.
This message is against the decision of closing MEI, it is to support our
schools, to send our children to our schools rather then putting them to
local schools from early age.
Two admirable schools need your attention.
Taline Babikian could be reached at the following e-mail:
[email protected]
Find more details about how to support Melkonian Educational Institute:
www.savemelkon ian.org
 
See collection of photos on Cyprus Armenians, including photos taken of
students during the last academic year in the Melkonian Educational
Institute (2004-2005). Azad-Hye photo collection:
 
lbumpicture.asp?al=qhsdtrnshy101376a
Photo: Students during the last academic year 2004-2005
p?newsId=876aff95
From: Baghdasarian

From: “Alexanian, Moorad”
Subject: Why White House woos Azerbaijan
from the April 28, 2006 edition –
html
Why White House woos Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Washington Friday comes as the
country’s oil and geography make it increasingly important.
By Brendan Hoffman | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – In the boxing ring of international diplomacy and
influence, Azerbaijan punches above its weight.
Coming at the White House’s invitation, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev will meet Friday with top administration officials – including
President Bush – in his first official visit to the US since taking
office in a widely criticized election in October 2003
The visit, analysts say, is part of a broader effort by the Bush
administration to gain support in a key region in the face of a
growing confrontation with Iran, particularly from Muslim countries.
But Azerbaijan’s history of corruption and its poor human rights
record have raised eyebrows about strengthening ties with the Central
Asian country, and many point to oil as another driving factor in the
relationship.
The visit is “a little anomalous,” admits Cory Welt, deputy director
of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, though he adds that there are “a number of
reasons why Azerbaijan is of particular interest to the US now.”
The predominantely Shiite Muslim country of 8 million shares a
380-mile border with Iran, with whom it retains close economic and
cultural links, though it maintains its political distance. That
geographical position makes Azerbaijan a natural ally for the US, said
Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on a recent visit to
Washington.
“The US is improving its relations with all countries on Iran’s
periphery,” explains Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow at the
Heritage Foundation. “In case economic sanctions or other measures are
to be taken on the Iran issue, we should have a better relationship
with Azerbaijan than the other side.”
Dr. Welt adds that soured relations with Uzbekistan, home to a key US
military base, impelled the US to develop other potential military
allies in the region.
But many experts point to a different key factor: oil. A major oil
pipeline stretching 1,000 miles from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku
through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean was
recently completed and the first tanker ship will be filled this
summer. A natural-gas pipeline is being constructed parallel to the
so-called BTC (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) oil pipeline, designed to deliver
upward of a million barrels of oil a day.
Azerbaijan’s location may become even more pivotal if a plan to extend
the pipeline eastward to provide an outlet for gas and oil from
Kazakhstan, currently under negotiation, bears fruit. Vice President
Cheney will travel to Kazakhstan to meet President Nazarbayev in early
May.
With oil prices at record highs, Azerbaijan’s state oil company will
soon see an unprecedented influx of cash. The government has
established a special fund to manage the extra oil revenue, and
President Aliyev has indicated that the money will be used for
military budget and citizen benefits such as improving living
conditions for internally displaced persons.
Up to a million Azeris fled their homes in the autonomous
Nagorno-Karabakh territory during fighting in the early 1990s with
Armenian soldiers, who remain there. More than 100,000 still live in
refugee camps while tensions simmer under a cease-fire agreement.
While some experts have expressed concern that the conflict could boil
over and draw in other countries, more international attention has
been focused on Azerbaijan’s poor governance.
The US vocally criticized its elections last fall, one in a string of
polls held since gaining independence from the Soviets in 1991 that
have not met international standards.
According to Transparency International, an anticorruption watchdog
group, Azerbaijan is one of the most corrupt countries in the
world. And human rights groups like Amnesty International have
criticized forceful responses to political protests and politically
motivated arrests. This week, Human Rights Watch called on President
Bush to push for concrete improvements to Azerbaijan’s human rights
record.
But if the US is to leverage the two countries’ growing closeness to
promote change in Azerbaijan, it will have to be “much more upfront
and harsher with [Aliyev],” says Charles King, a professor of foreign
service and government at Georgetown University in Washington.
| Copyright © 2006 The Christian Science
Monitor. All rights reserved.

CURRENT REALITY SUGGESTS RECOGNITION OF NKR
Lragir.am
25 April 06

The joint statement of the parliamentary groups and factions of the
National Assembly of Nagorno Karabakh Republic on the settlement of
the Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict
The parliamentary factions of Democracy and Hayrenik and the
parliamentary group ARF-Movement 88 of the National Assembly of
Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
reporting
compliance of the Declaration of Nagorno Karabakh Republic and all the
legal and political steps, emanating from the NKR Declaration, with
the tenets of the international law and the legislation of the USSR;
emphasizing
that the Azerbaijani Republic did not use the opportunity to settle
all its problems with Nagorno Karabakh Republic through a dialogue,
and carried out a policy of ethnic intolerance, resorted to coercion,
and it has not given up the policy of resolving the conflict through
military means so far;
noting that
the peoples involved in the conflict suffered tremendous human and
material losses, and are still endangered by resumption of the armed
confrontation and its unpredictable consequences;
announcing
they are responsible for about half a million Armenians displaced by
violence and massacres in the former Soviet Socialist Republic of
Azerbaijan;
asserting
commitment to an overall resolution of the existing issues through
negotiations, which would enable preventing hostilities, and efforts
to change the agreements through force,
define the armed Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict of 1991-1994 as
aggression of the Azerbaijani Republic against Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, further actions of NKR as self-defense of people which
underwent aggression, observation of the indivisible right set down in
Article 51 of the UN Conventions, and the current reality of the
conflict area as the consequences of this aggression;
find that Azerbaijan as an aggressor is responsible for the war it
waged and its consequences, the fate of hundreds of thousands of
people of the conflict parties displaced by military actions, and
internally displaced persons, therefore it has to pay material and
moral damages, considering the factor of loss of homeland, independent
of ethnic identity;
starting
from the 1994 protocol of Bishkek on the ceasefire and the pact signed
in the same year, ratified by the envoys of Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
Azerbaijan, Armenia and the mediators, as well as the conclusions of
the OSCE Summit in Budapest and other documents in which Nagorno
Karabakh was recognized as a conflict party;
invite the OSCE Ministerial Council to honor the equal participation
of Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the talks for the settlement of the
conflict, for any agreement without NKR cannot have legal force;
believe that the recognition of independent, democratic and viable
Nagorno Karabakh Republic, established under the results of the
universal referendum of December 10, 1991, by the international
community is the current reality and will become an important factor
of regional stability and security;
inform the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the parliaments of the OSCE Minsk
Group members, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe,
NATO, the European Parliament.
On behalf of the parliamentary factions of Democracy and Hayrenik and
ARF-Movement 88 parliamentary group of the National Assembly of
Nagorno Karabakh Republic about the adoption of this document,
Vahram ATANESYAN
Arayik HARUTIUNYAN
Armen SARGSYAN
Stepanakert
NKR
21 April, 2006

Agence France Presse
23 avril 2006 dimanche
Lyon: source de polémiques, le mémorial du génocide arménien inauguré
lundi (AVANT-PAPIER)
LYON 23 avr 2006
Le mémorial lyonnais du génocide arménien, objet de vives polémiques
ainsi que d’une récente profanation, est inauguré lundi après-midi,
jour de la commémoration du 91e anniversaire d’un génocide reconnu en
janvier 2001 par l’Etat français mais qui reste nié par la Turquie.
Plusieurs milliers de participants sont attendus dans le centre de
Lyon lors de cette manifestation qui fera l’objet de dépôts de gerbe
et discours, dont celui d’un responsable de l’Union des étudiants
juifs de France (UEJF), le mémorial ayant vocation, selon ses
concepteurs, à rendre hommage aux victimes de tous les génocides du
XXe siècle.
Vendredi et samedi, un colloque international sur “les mémoires
partagées des génocides et des crimes contre l’humanité” est par
ailleurs organisé à Lyon, par le collectif d’associations
Reconnaissance.
“Certaines choses nous ont éprouvés, alors nous sommes heureux
d’arriver à l’inauguration”, a déclaré à l’AFP Jules Mardirossian,
président de l’Association pour le mémorial lyonnais du génocide
arménien et du collectif Reconnaissance, au terme d’une construction
ponctuée de polémiques.
La plus vive a éclaté le 18 mars après l’apparition de slogans
négationnistes – “Non au mémorial d’un prétendu génocide”, “Il n’y a
jamais eu de génocide arménien” – lors d’une manifestation
pro-turque.
Critiqué pour avoir autorisé le défilé, dont le télescopage avec un
rassemblement anti-CPE avait provoqué des heurts, le préfet du Rhône
avait indiqué que tout autre cortège de ce type serait interdit.
Le 18 avril, la polémique a toutefois rebondi avec la profanation du
mémorial, toujours sur la base de slogans négationnistes.
Outre les représentants de la communauté arménienne, cette
profanation de 5 des 26 stèles du monument a entraîné de vives
condamnations, notamment dans le monde politique, par le PS et le
ministre de l’Intérieur Nicolas Sarkozy.
Entre-temps, le mémorial, érigé Place Antonin Poncet, dans le IIe
arrondissement, a également fait l’objet d’une “guérilla juridique”,
selon les termes de la mairie centrale, de la part de riverains
opposés “par esthétisme” à sa construction.
Malgré une brève suspension des travaux, l’inauguration a néanmoins
pu être maintenue au 24 avril, date à laquelle une célébration
identique a lieu à Marseille. Selon la fédération euro-arménienne
pour la justice et la démocratie, au moins 500.000 personnes
d’origine arménienne vivent en France. M. Mardirossian estime que
80.000 Arméniens résident dans la région Rhône-Alpes.
“Si on dénombre une trentaine de mémoriaux arméniens en France, c’est
sans doute celui de Lyon qui émerge le plus dans l’espace public. Il
est en coeur de ville, dans un lieu très passant”, avance Jules
Mardirossian pour justifier la controverse inédite autour du mémorial
lyonnais.
Conséquence de cette polémique, le groupe socialiste à l’Assemblée
nationale a annoncé qu’il allait déposer une proposition de loi afin
de compléter la loi du 29 janvier 2001, dans laquelle l’Etat français
reconnaît le génocide arménien mais ne prévoit pas de poursuites pour
propos négationnistes.
De 1915 à 1917, les massacres et déportations d’Arméniens sous
l’empire Ottoman ont fait 1,5 million de morts, selon les Arméniens,
entre 300.000 et 500.000, selon Ankara qui rejette catégoriquement la
qualification de génocide.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Whitehouse.gov (press release), DC
April 24, 2006
/04/20060424-8.html
Presidential Message
April 24, 2006
Today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century
— the mass killings and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million
Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was a
tragedy for all humanity and one that we and the world must never
forget.
We mourn this terrible chapter of history and recognize that it
remains a source of pain for people in Armenia and for all those who
believe in freedom, tolerance, and the dignity and value of every
human life. It is a credit to the human spirit and generations of
Armenians who live in Armenia, America, and around the globe that
they have overcome this suffering and proudly preserved their
centuries-old culture, traditions, and religion.
We praise the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought to
examine the historical events of this time with honesty and
sensitivity. The analysis by the International Center for
Transitional Justice, while not the final word, has made a
significant contribution toward deepening our understanding of these
events. We encourage dialogues, including through joint commissions,
that strive for a shared understanding of these tragic events and
move Armenia and Turkey towards normalized relations.
Today, we look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia’s
Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the
importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform
and advancement of free markets. We seek to help Armenia bolster its
security and deepen its inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic family. We
remain committed to securing a peaceful and lasting settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hope the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan will take bold steps to achieve this goal.
On this solemn day of remembrance, Laura and I express our deepest
condolences to the Armenian people. Our nations stand together,
determined to create a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for
the citizens of our countries and the world.
GEORGE W. BUSH