MEKHITARISTS’ STOLEN TREASURES FOUND
By Nana Petrosian
AZG Armenian Daily
19/04/2006
More than 55 works of art, including 54 books and a medieval world
map, belonging to the Mekhitarist Congregation were found after a
two-year-long series of stealing.
Lebanese-born 31-year-old man came to the Mekhitarist Congregation
in Venice to study theology and philosophy. Later on he was included
in the Congregation’s choir and served at the newly built library
compound. For two year he has been selling the Congregation’s books to
an antique shop in Vienna sending his profit of 40.000 euros to his
family in Lebanon. The false seminarian’s thefts remained unnoticed
until the November of 2005 when Haji Ahmad’s world map dated 1559
disappeared. Noticing the loss, Mekhitarist representatives informed
the police. By then, the Lebanese had sold the map for 15.000 euros;
the buyer spent additional 10.000 for the map’s restoration. All 55
items of art are now returned to the Congregation, and the suspect
is detained and has confessed to stealing.

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF AGBU CELEBRATED IN YEREVAN
AZG Armenian Daily
19/04/2006
On April 15, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian General benevolent
Union was celebrated in Yerevan.
Among 150 guests that Van hall of Golden Palace Hotel hosted were old
and new members of the AGBU, students from Aleppo and Beirut, head of
Aragatsotn diocese Torgom Tonokian, former consul and ambassador to
Aleppo and Damascus, Levon Sargsian, Melgonian Educational Institution
graduate painter Hakob Hakobian, writer and translator Karpis Surenian,
president of Tekeyan Cultural Association Ruben Mirzakhanian, president
of Gevorg Momjian Fund Romen Kozmoyan, author of “AGBU History” Eduard
Melkonian, Lebanese member of AGBU, philanthropist Armen Harutyunian,
actor humorist Ashot Ghazarian, rector of the Academy of Fine Arts
Aram Isabekian, head of the American University of Armenia Anahit
Ordian with American and Armenian staff members, actor from Aleppo
Vahe Samvelian and others.
After the blessing of Father Torgom, Hovik Yordikian, secretary of the
Armenian Embassy in Lebanon, opened the dinner party. Ashot Ghazarian,
head of AGBU Yerevan office, held a brief speech representing the
work of AGBU in Armenia after its independence. In a short while
the participants had a chance to watch on a big screen the Public
Television’s film about AGBU’s activities in Armenia and Artsakh.
Later on the orchestra and 4 singers performed folk songs and a lottery
was held. After serving the jubilee cake young couples conquered the
dance floor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE RA IS READY TO NEGOTIATE WITHOUT THE NKR STATUS CLARITY
A1+
[07:37 pm] 18 April, 2006
INSIDE THE HALL
“We always claimed that the NKR status must be finally decided so
that the Armenian side could negotiate and implement the procedure of
abolishing military conflict outcomes; territory, refugee and security
issues,” the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said today in the
8th session of the EU – Armenian Parliamentary Cooperation Committee
and added that this position already changed as a compromise from the
Armenian side and today’s position is as follows, “We simply say that
the Azeri side accepted the fact that the population of Karabakh has
a right to self-determination and even if the self-determination is
to be realized in the future the Armenian side is ready to discuss
the abolishment of the conflict outcome; the territory, refugee
and security issues. I think this is a serious compromise from the
Armenian side.” According to him the Azeri side has not responded
yet and they have much work to do with the Azeri side so that they
will make a “step ahead in favour of Armenia’.” Vardan Oskanyan also
spoke of a one concerning matter – the Azeri militarist announcements,
“If this problem had a military solution it would have been solved
long ago. There is no solution, Armenians participated in two wars and
won both of them but we don’t consider ourselves winners. We won the
battle but the menace of the war is still apparent as Azerbaijan is
inclined to make militarist announcements; but we need peace.” Then
Vardan Oskanyan asked the Europeans to make the Azeri stop their
militarist oratory, “They must be clearly told that nobody will allow
them to launch a war with Armenia, this will be very essential and I
think that the EC will be involved in this procedure, Azerbaijan must
realize that there is no other alternative for peaceful settlement.”
OUTSIDE THE HALL
The Foreign Minister told the journalists after his speech during the
briefing, “Even judging from the Azeri announcements we can assume that
the compromise spirit is not the same with the two sides. We stepped
into a phase which requires compromise spirit and political will
power. Without them the prospect of the conflict peaceful settlement
is improbable and obscure. The Azeri announcements arouse concern and
it is very vital that the EC and other European institutions put the
question directly before Azerbaijan.” The Foreign Minister informed
that the co-chairs’ separate visits mustn’t be covered in other way,
“There is no political matter, just the dates and schedules didn’t
match; the co-chairs will visit the region together at the beginning
of May.”
Asked the question whether the Minister is sure the Armenian society
will accept the authorities’ decision to go on a compromise in
such a way Oskanyan answered, “They are unaware of the details, the
principle of regional wholeness has always been prevailing, that is
why it is important today that the Armenian side fixes the right to
self-determination at first and then goes ahead. Only after it we
can share with the population.”
By the way, Vardan Oskanyan informed the Europeans in his speech
that the meeting of the Presidents in Rambouillet was not a failure;
“The Rambouillet meeting didn’t turn out well as the matter was not
solved; the Presidents were not able to solve the issue but this was
not a total failure of the procedure.”
he also stated that there was serious ground for the co-chairs meeting
with the Presidents in Rambouillet, “It was agreed upon in 2005 and
was put on the agenda of the day and it gave a hope for having certain
progress and achievement in the next months,” said Vardan Oskanyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES OF PACE TO VISIT ARMENIA IN CURRENT YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Apr 18 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN. PACE ad hoc commission on the isssue of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict will visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabakh in October of the current year. Head of the PACE Armenian
delegation, RA NA Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosian informed about it at
the April 17 press conference.
He informed that during the PACE spring session held on April 10-13
in Strasbourg the head of the Armenian and Azeri delegations met with
the Chairman of the above-mentioned commission Lord Russel Jonston
for the purpose of discussing the further work. In particular, they
reached an agreement on reconsideration of the commission’s staff: it
is envisaged that two delegates from Armenia and two from Azerbaijan,
two co-reporters on issues of Armenia and Azerbaijan in PACE from
Armenia and two from Azerbaijan, a representative from each group of
the Assembly will take part in the further work. According to Torosian,
at the meeting it was also established that henceforth the commission
should take control of the fulfilment of the recommendatioms of the
Assembly Resolution N 1416. T.Torosian informed about the Assembly
representatives’ visits to Armenia. In particular, at present Russian
deputy in the Assembly Vera Oskina is in Armenia. She is preparing a
report on the position of women in the South Caucasian countries. In
late May – early June, British deputy in PACE Edvard O’Hara will
pay a visit to Armenia for the purpose of preparing a report on the
condition of the monuments in the South Caucasus. On June 5-9 ,
PACE deputy from Netherlands Leo Platvoet will visit Armenia for
the purpose of preparing a regional report on missing people. On
September 25-27, two co-reporters on the issue of Armenia from the
Monitoring Commission will pay a visit to Armenia for studying the
further application of the constitutional amendments in the Armenian
legislation. According to T.Torosian, after the 2007 parliamentary
elections the co-reporters will make up a final report on fulfilment
of the commitments of the country towards CE. According to the
preliminary agreement, in mid-October a sitting of the Assembly’s
Monitoring Commission will be held in Armenia and the sitting of the
Commission on Political Issues in 2007 spring.

ROUND TABLE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN SLAVYANSK
AZG Armenian Daily
19/04/2006
On the initiative of social and political circles of southern Russian
town of Slavyansk, Kuban, a round table on the Armenian Genocide will
be held at Pedagogical Institute on April 19. According to Yerkramas
newspaper, the following issues will top the meeting agenda: Armenian
Genocide as a crime against humanity; international recognition and
Turkey’s legal responsibility; Genocide recognition by Turkey itself;
ideology of Pan-Turkism as a real threat to Europe and the world;
solution to the Armenian Cause. Yerkir Media TV has prepared film
“I Condemn” to be shown at the round table.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSMAN’S DREAM
By Caroline Finkel
Wall Street Journal
April 11 2006
(Basic Books, 660 pages, $35)
The Ottoman Empire passed into history in 1922, a mere lifetime ago.
Yet in a certain way it feels as distant as ancient Athens or Rome,
known to us mostly through architectural relics, a few striking events
and a mythical aura. Kemal Ataturk’s secular Turkish republic, the
empire’s successor state, consciously rejected much of the Ottoman
heritage and most of its traditions, while the empire’s colonial
outposts have reverted to the imperatives of their local identities.
Yet the religious aspect of the 9/11 attacks has made the Ottomans,
who led the Muslim world for half a millennium, topical again. The
sultans are famous for sacking Constantinople in the 15th century and
besieging Vienna in the 16th. Both events became symbols of Muslim
aggression against Christendom. And the “barbarian Turk” is still
a villain in the folklore of the empire’s northern reaches. Yet
such caricature fails to do justice to the remarkable Ottomans,
whose story is a corrective to the perceived wisdom that Islam is
inherently unable to reconcile itself with the West.
Caroline Finkel takes the title of her Ottoman history from a founding
myth, apparently invented in the 1500s, nearly two centuries after
the death of the first sultan, Osman. It was said that, one memorable
night, Osman dreamed of a beautiful, enormous tree growing from his
navel, a tree whose shade “compassed the world,” including distant
mountains and mighty rivers. It was a tale heavy with imperial
symbolism, meant for a young state that, despite humble beginnings,
had come to dominate parts of Europe and would eventually extend
across northern Africa, including Egypt, through the Middle East and
eastward toward Persia. Osman’s tribe was, after all, only one of
many Turkomen groups that had ventured into Anatolia from Central
Asia and fought against other Muslims for supremacy.
The Ottomans first got Europe’s attention by conquering parts of
Byzantium, the eastern half of the Roman Empire and the protector
of the eastern Christian church. They went on to take the Balkan
peninsula and moved northward toward Hungary. Indeed, for much of
their history, the Ottomans were a notable European power — and not
only geographically. For all the empire’s exoticism, it was flexible
enough, as it spread across continents, to accommodate local laws and
customs, even local ideas and religions. Unlike many European states
of the day, the Ottoman regime was tolerant, multiracial and highly
decentralized, all apparent keys to its success. Jews and Christians
weren’t forced to mass convert, although many did in order to pursue
a better career or lower tax bill.
When Spain expelled its Jews in 1492, the Ottomans opened their arms.
“Can you call such a king” — i.e., Spain’s Ferdinand — “wise and
intelligent?” asked Sultan Bayezid at the time. “He is impoverishing
his country and enriching mine.” Even so, the Ottoman embrace was
limited. To take but one example: The Jews brought the printing press
to Ottoman lands from Spain and Portugal, but Sultan Bayezid II soon
made publishing a crime punishable by death. Only two centuries later,
during the so-called Tulip Age, when European influence was at its
height, did the Ottomans allow the printing of books in Arabic script.
Throughout the empire’s history, architecture expressed its blending
character. Ottoman mosques are decorative and warm by comparison with
those in Arab countries. They often resemble Christian churches,
which isn’t surprising, since Armenian architects designed a lot
of them. When Sultan Mehmed II captured the seat of the Orthodox
Christian church in Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia (the Church of
Holy Wisdom), he turned it into a mosque with only a few alterations.
Practicing a more tolerant strain of Islam, the Ottomans clashed with
fundamentalists, like the Wahhabi who rose up against them on the
Saudi peninsula in the 18th century. This conflict rages on today in
different forms. In the Balkans and now in Iraq, Saudi money pays for
the razing of Ottoman houses of worship. The zealots prefer glass-and-
steel mosques.
The peak of the Pax Ottomanica came in the 16th century under Suleyman
the Magnificent, who ruled, lest we forget, at the same time as
Britain’s Henry VIII and Russia’s Ivan the Terrible. He surpassed both
in the glories of his court, the arts of his culture and the extent
of his lands. Suleyman defied tradition in one crucial respect: He
fell in love with a slave girl, Hurrem, and had five sons by her; by
convention, concubines were to bear only one. When the sultan married
her, “Hurrem was accused of having bewitched him,” writes Ms. Finkel.
While the empire’s source of legitimacy was the Islamic caliphate in
Istanbul, religion played a fitful role in political life, just as
it did in Christian lands. Wars were justified as “holy” often after
the fact. At various times the French, British and Germans — even the
pope in Rome — stood with the Ottomans against Russia, the Hapsburgs
and the Poles. Such affiliations were built on the universal concept
of self-interest. Before joining the Axis powers in World War I, the
Ottoman rulers called for jihad against the Allies, but geopolitics
obviously had more to do with the alliance than religion.
Ms. Finkel describes the rise of the Ottomans in exhaustive detail,
and their fall, too. Financial trouble, internal strife, wayward
foreign ventures and rising local nationalism — all helped to hasten
the empire’s decline. Napoleon seized Egypt at the turn of the 19th
century. By the middle of it the Ottoman Empire was the “sick man of
Europe,” a phrase coined by Russia’s Nicholas I, who did his share
to enfeeble his own country, not least by leading Russia against the
Ottomans and courting defeat in the Crimean War.
One wishes that Ms. Finkel had taken up the hard questions about
the empire’s end. Was there a fatal flaw — imperial overreach, for
example, or the lack of a renaissance in the Ottomans’ intellectual
culture? Was there something in Islam itself, even the Ottoman version,
that could not adapt to modernity? Ms. Finkel does not say.
But her clear prose keeps the story going right up to the end, where
we get another surprise: After the Turks killed more than a million
Armenians in 1915 — the number, the reason and the responsibility
are hotly debated to this day — the Ottoman powers investigated the
soldiers involved and started to put on “the first war crimes trials
in history.”
Ataturk put a quick stop to the trials, drawing a black line through
parts of the past after his new Turkish state was born in the so-
called 1921-22 war of independence (from whom, exactly?). Just as
the Ottomans replaced the turban with the fez in the late 1820s,
aiming to “Europeanize” their culture, Ataturk forced the brim-hat
on his people, to de-Islamicize his own. His experiment in social
engineering went well beyond clothing design.
Will Ataturk’s imperfect secular creation morph into a thriving
democracy or fail again to modernize itself? The jury is out. Yet in
no small part thanks to the remnants of the Ottoman heritage, it is
hard to think of a Muslim country that has a better chance than Turkey
of putting in place a modern economy and a liberal political order.
Mr. Kaminski is editorial page editor of The Wall Street Journal
Europe.

THE MOST CONCERNED COUNTRY IS IRAN
A1+
[06:24 pm] 18 April, 2006
Iran has the most concerned attitude towards the Armenian monuments
among our neighbors. In comparison with other countries Iran not
only preserves Armenian churches but also repairs them. On the eve
of the Armenian Genocide anniversary “Nikol Aghbalyan” Students’
Union organized an exhibition titled “Cultural Genocide” in the
Yerevan State University in which the photos of about 60 Armenian
monuments in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and Iran were presented in
their former and current shape. The photos were taken and given by
the Yerevan Office of the organization observing Armenian architecture.
“This exhibition reveals the attitude of our neighbour countries
towards our historical – cultural values and towards Armenia as
well. It is aimed at acknowledging Armenian youth with the cultural
values and achievements which are not in Armenia but belong to our
civilization,” says the member of “Nikol Aghbalyan” Students’ Union,
the chairman of the History Faculty students’ council Vahe Sargsyan.
The Union organized such an exhibition last year as well but only
the monuments of Western Armenia were presented then. The organizers
are not surprised by the fact that Armenian monuments are ruined in
Turkey and Azerbaijan on the governmental level, but they are sorry
that our Christian neighbour Georgia behaves in the same way.
“This is not an attitude expected from a fried country. I am the first
advocate of the Armenian – Georgian friendship but I cannot forgive
such vandalism. This is an attempt to create hostility between the
two countries. None of us can benefit from it. But we can solve the
matter to certain extent with the help of scientists and clergymen,”
claims Vahe Sargsyan.
The exhibition will be opened today and tomorrow. The Union plans
to open such exhibitions in other educational establishments as
well. They are also going to release a joint letter appeal to the
Embassies and other international institutions registered in our
country on this issue.

A TALK WITH KARASIN
A1+
[07:59 pm] 18 April, 2006
The RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received the Deputy of the
RF Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin.
They discussed the prospects of regional and international urgent
issues interesting the two sides as well as the dynamic development
of the bilateral relations.
The sides also referred to the posibilities of restoring
the transportation net, the current conflict settlements and
developments in the South Caucasus underlining the importante of
peaceful negotiations.
Then they spoke of the current situation in Iran as well as the issues
connected with the Armenian – Turkish relations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“PEOPLE MUST PREVENT THE FURTHER COLLAPSE”
A1+
[08:29 pm] 18 April, 2006
THE ARMENIAN INTELLEGENTSIA FORUM COUNCILLOR APPLIED TO ARMENIAN
CITIZENS; “The Armenian nation and statehood got a stab in the
back. The criminal group guided with the saying, “After us the deluge”
made a disgraceful deal “property in place of debt” in order to save
its power.” This deal is neither socially nor politically profitable
for us. With the estrangement of the 5th block of the Hrazdan heat
generating plant the country lost one of the important bases of
its statehood and thrust a wedge in Armenian – Iranian friendly and
mutually profitable relations.
During the years of the criminal group’s ruling the nuclear power
station, Sevan – Hrazdan cascade, the Hrazdan energy and power
station, the airport “Zvartnots,” part of the Kentron district, means
of transportation and communication, water and cognac were aliened
from the country… Soon the list will be added by the Armenia –
Iranian pipeline and “ArmenTel.” As a result of it foreign power was
established in our country, and now Armenia is on the verge of losing
its statehood irretrievably.
This devastating and deepening fall must be prevented by the
population; by intelligentsia and youth faithful to their origin and
with joint measures and activities of wise political figures.
The Armenian Intelligentsia Forum joins all the organizations
combating this criminal group and calls on the population of the
country to return the power captured by the group with all possible
and decisive measures.” The letter was signed by Rafajel Ghazaryan,
Silva Kaputikyan, Khoren Palyan, Hrachya Matevosyan, Ervand Manaryan
and Anna Boyajyan.

DEFENSE MINISTER ACCEPTS US AMBASSADOR
Author: E. Javadova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
The Azerbaijani Defense minister, general colonel, Safar Abiyev has
accepted the extreme and plenipotentiary US ambassador, Reno Harnish
on April 17. The reason for meeting was an end of Harnish` s diplomatic
service in the country, the ministry press-service told Trend.
The minister emphasized the development of bilateral ties during
the ambassador `s service, including development of the military
connections. Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict he noted that
US have to make more efforts towards its peaceful resolution within the
international law frames and territorial integrity of the state. “I
believe that the visit of American co-chairman, Mann will positively
affect the regulation process,” Abiyev said.
Harnish confirmed that relations between the two countries are
strategic ones. And the visit of the Azerbaijani president, Ilham
Aliyev to US will give an impetus to the development of cooperation
between our countries, he said.
Perspectives of future cooperation between the 2 states have been
discussed at the meeting. Abiyev thanked Harnish for his diplomatic
service and wished him the best in his future career.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress