KAZAKH LEADER SAYS SAPPER BATTALION TO STAY IN IRAQ
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty
1 Sep 05
Astana, 1 September: Kazakhstan does not intend to pull out its sapper
battalion from Iraq, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said.
“I have had to discuss repeatedly our foreign political priorities
lately. They will remain unchanged. We are using this approach indeed
to consider the continuation of our sapper battalion’s mission to
help the Iraqi people,” the president said in Astana today, opening
a regular parliament session.
“They (Kazakh peacekeepers) are there to save people’s lives though
the number of the international coalition members has been reduced
lately,” Nazarbayev said.
The Kazakh sapper battalion of 27 people has been in Iraq since August
2003 in rotation. They are mainly engaged in mine sweeping.
“In the same way, we deem it very important to be an active member of
the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization comprising Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan] and the SCO
[Shanghai Cooperation Organization including China, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan] while deepening cooperation
with our closest neighbours,” the president said.
“Kazakhstan remains an active supporter of wide international
cooperation aimed at nuclear proliferation, fighting international
terrorism, religious extremism and drug trafficking and other
present-day threats,” the president noted.
“Developing cooperation with Russia, China, the USA and the European
Union is a priority direction for us,” the president said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Mediamax news agency
1 Sep 05
Yerevan, 1 September: The Armenian National Assembly passed the draft
constitutional reform in its second reading today. The draft law will
be put up for a nationwide referendum in November this year.
A total of 97 MPs voted for the draft with no-one opposing it and
one MP abstaining, Mediamax has said.
The opposition factions, the Justice bloc and the National Unity Party,
left the assembly hall of the parliament yesterday and did not take
part in today’s voting.
The draft constitutional amendments were prepared by the ruling
coalition and agreed with the Council of Europe Venice Commission.
The main purpose of the reforms is to ensure the equality of all
branches of power.
The constitutional reforms were one of the key points of Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan’s election programme and one of Armenia’s
basic commitments to the Council of Europe.
The Armenian president’s representative on the constitutional
amendments, Armen Arutyunyan, said today that the role of the
parliament will increase in the country if the constitutional reforms
are adopted in the referendum. Specifically, the National Assembly
will play the main role in forming the parliament and appointing
the prosecutor-general, and the president will be able to personally
adopt a decision to dismiss the prime minister.

ARMENIA AGAINST KAZAKHSTAN’S BID FOR OSCE PRESIDENCY
Mediamax news agency
31 Aug 05
Yerevan, 30 August: The Armenian Foreign Ministry is categorically
against Kazakhstan’s bid for the OSCE presidency in 2006 since
Kazakhstan’s position on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is not neutral,
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has told journalists.
He said that Armenia treated Kazakhstan’s bid for the OSCE presidency
carefully taking into account its opportunities. However, Armenia
has some reservations. Armenia will come up with its final position
in the OSCE when the issue will be discussed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FM: KARABAKH SETTLEMENT MAY ONLY BE BASED ON COMPROMISES
Pan Armenian News
01.09.2005 05:10
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “In spite no progress is registered in the course of
the talks between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Kazan,
the Armenian party positively evaluates its outcomes,” Armenian FM
Vartan Oskanian stated. In his words, the conflict settlement may only
be based on compromises. The Armenian Minister emphasized that the
Kocharian-Aliyev meeting paves way for further talks at the level of
the FMs. “I suppose the Azeri party positively evaluates the outcomes
of the Kazan meeting as well,” the Armenian FM hoped. V. Oskanian
noted that his recurrent meeting with Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov is
possible soon, as well as a visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
to the conflict region. At the same time he did not specify the
date of those events. The Armenian FM did not link the negotiation
process with either the coming parliamentary election in Azerbaijan
or the referendum over the Constitution in Armenia. “These processes
will take place in our countries this year and the talks have not
produced an outcome that could be registered on paper. Thus, I do not
see a direct relation in the time in this case,” he noted. It should
be noted that the Kocharian-Aliyev meeting in Kazan was devoted to
the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs, representing Russia, US and France were present at the
meeting, reported IA Regnum.

RUSSIA READY TO CONSIDER EU PROPOSALS ON “FROZEN” CIS CONFLICTS
RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 31 2005
MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is ready to consider any
proposals the European Union may have on “frozen conflicts” in the
Commonwealth of Independent States, a senior diplomat said Wednesday.
Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s permanent representative to Europe,
told a news conference that the EU was ready to discuss and help
resolve two regional conflicts in Georgia, the stand-off between
the self-proclaimed republic of Transdnestr and Moldova, and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“We are ready to consider any proposals be they in the political
or material sense,” Chizhov said, stressing that this idea did not
affect the format of talks on resolving the conflicts.
“All conflicts have their own formats for talks,” the Russian
representative said. “Maybe they are not ideal, but they are the best
achieved through the sufferings of the parties to these conflicts.
These are the only formats that are acceptable to all countries today.”
Chizhov said the EU should assist conflict resolution within the
framework of these formats and not through “shattering” them. He added
this position had been officially registered in a joint Russia-EU
statement adopted in 2003 in Rome.

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ARGENTINA IN PARLIAMENT
National Assembly of RA (press release), Armenia
Aug 31 2005
On August 30 the NA Vice President Vahan Hovhanissyan received the
delegation, being in Armenia with an official visit, headed by Rafael
Antonio Bielsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and
Cults of the Republic of Argentina.The members of Armenia – Argentina
Parliamentary Friendship Group participated in the meeting.
Welcoming the guests, the NA Vice President highlighted the
strengthening of relations between the two countries, considered
necessary the development of inter-parliamentary communications,
allocating in this plan activity of parliamentary friendship groups.
Vahan Hovhanissyan highly estimated the positive position of Argentina
in the international structures during the discussion of the issues
related to Armenia, thanked for voting in the United Nations for
the benefit of Armenia in the context of the Karabakh conflict, and
also for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Argentinean
legislative body and institutions of local self-government bodies
and for the special reference towards the issue. Armenia also is
ready to promote Argentina in various international structures. It
was noted that Argentina is the greatest country – investor in the
economy of Armenia, in this context the activity of Eduardo Eurnekian
was highlighted.
Rafael Antonio Bielsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International
Trade and Cults of Argentinean Republic also emphasized the
activation of mutual cooperation of the two countries, development
of inter-parliamentary ties, the cooperation in the international
structures. The importance of parliamentary diplomacy, the necessity
of activation of cooperation of parliamentary friendship groups was
noted. Minister noted that by the end of this year the embassy of the
Republic of Argentina will be opened in Armenia. Addressing to the
problem of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the minister
noted that one of the leading conservative newspapers of Argentina
in its editorial touched upon the problem of the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, writing that historically the Armenian Genocide is
one of the most insufficiently discussed genocides, which, according
to the minister, is important in the process of the discussion of
the issue and recognition of the Genocide.
By the request of the guests Mr. Hovhanissyan touched upon the
constitutional amendments being underway in Armenia, presented in
detail the amendments being made in the Constitution.
Aug 31 2005
RUSSIA READY TO CONSIDER EU PROPOSALS ON “FROZEN” CIS CONFLICTS
MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is ready to consider any
proposals the European Union may have on “frozen conflicts” in the
Commonwealth of Independent States, a senior diplomat said Wednesday.
Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s permanent representative to Europe,
told a news conference that the EU was ready to discuss and help
resolve two regional conflicts in Georgia, the stand-off between
the self-proclaimed republic of Transdnestr and Moldova, and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“We are ready to consider any proposals be they in the political
or material sense,” Chizhov said, stressing that this idea did not
affect the format of talks on resolving the conflicts.
“All conflicts have their own formats for talks,” the Russian
representative said. “Maybe they are not ideal, but they are the best
achieved through the sufferings of the parties to these conflicts.
These are the only formats that are acceptable to all countries today.”
Chizhov said the EU should assist conflict resolution within the
framework of these formats and not through “shattering” them. He added
this position had been officially registered in a joint Russia-EU
statement adopted in 2003 in Rome.

TURKISH PM’S PROMOTION OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE CAUSES DISPUTE IN RULING PARTY
Milliyet web site, Istanbul
29 Aug 05
Text of report by Abdullah Karakus, “‘Encounter’ supported by Erdogan
creates controversy”, published by Turkish newspaper Milliyet web
site on 29 August; subheadings as published
The “Meeting of Civilizations” with the theme of “inter-religious
dialogue” that is to be held in Hatay from 25 to 30 September
has brought a reaction from within the AKP [ruling Justice and
Development Party], despite support for it from Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. AKP Hatay parliamentarian Fuat Gecen, who has come
out against the meeting, to which Erdogan ascribes great importance,
has said: “Hatay is turning into a Vatican under the name of peace.”
Conveying to Erdogan via the deputy [parliamentary] group chairmen his
criticisms of the First Hatay Meeting of Civilizations, at which the
three religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam will be represented
and messages of peace will be conveyed to the world, and calling on
him to intervene in the situation, Gecen spoke as follows:
“An effort is being made to turn Hatay into a Vatican. Certain things
have begun to be done one after another. First the rhetoric on the
Kurdish issue, then the Armenian game [the Istanbul conference on
the Armenian genocide issue], and now incidents of people changing
their religion. The church bell, the cantor and the call to prayer
[rhymes in Turkish: can , hazan, ezan] will all be heard at the same
time. They talk of peace and dialogue, but these things harm us. It
is the common people who suffer and no one sees this.”
Stressing that the efforts carried out under the rubric of
“inter-religious dialogue” are misguided, Gecen said: “Sensitivity
should be displayed on the topic of religion. The EU is reportedly
financing this meeting with a great deal of money. Why? Because
it suits their interests. A fourth church is about to be opened in
Hatay. They provide assistance to poor students and they change their
religion. Missionary activities in Hatay are increasing with every
passing day. Preventive measures should be taken.” Stating that in
order to protest against the meeting being held in Hatay, he did not
attend the meeting in Ankara that Erdogan went to, Gecen said: “An
emblem has reportedly been prepared for the meeting of civilizations
in Hatay. But the minaret is barely visible in it, and can’t be made
out. They have just put its shadow, so as not to cause reproach. This
is outrageous.”
Erdogan sees as important
Erdogan had said at the publicity meeting held in Ankara that he
ascribed great importance to the First Hatay Meeting of Civilizations.
Erdogan had said: “A different message will be conveyed to
Europe there. People should no longer be victims of the clash of
civilizations. Let us never enter into pessimism on account of
beliefs and let us not be disrespectful towards people of different
beliefs. Let us not foist ideologies upon believers as ‘religion’.”
Soydan: Hatay meeting is proper
Meanwhile, AKP Hatay parliamentarian Mehmet Soydan has said that he
considers it proper for the meeting to be held in Hatay. Soydan spoke
as follows: “I think that whatever people’s beliefs are, they should
live them. Those who complain about the increase in churches should
first be of assistance in people’s learning Islam and in eliminating
the obstacles to Koran courses. We have to respect other religions
as well. We have to attach importance not to the conflict between
religions but to their coexisting in peace. As long as there are great
goals, I don’t consider it correct to concern ourselves with minor
issues. Nor do I share Fuat Gecen’s thinking in terms of Hatay. No one
is obliged to believe the way I do. Those who have religious beliefs
can espouse their beliefs. There has to be this freedom. The Turks
in Europe also live their Islam. We cannot have anything such as not
allowing other religions to live in our own country. In the past,
our ancestors also allowed the three
religions to live together. And Jerusalem is an important place for
all three religions.”
Missionary activities falsehood
AKP Hatay parliamentary Ismail Soylu also gave support to the
meeting. Noting that people should live together without any
distinction in terms of religion or sect, Soylu said: “The important
thing is for people to be people. It does not matter whether one has
become a Jew or a Christian. The allegations that Muslims in Hatay
are being turned into Christians are lies. There cannot be any such
thing. Everyone is living in accord with their own beliefs.”

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:
August 31, 2005
___________________
ACYOA MEMBERS HELP YOUNG KIDS, STRENGTHEN THEIR CONNECTION TO HOMELAND
By Christine Williames, age 18
Parishioner of the Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA
Twenty-six young adults gathered on June 21, 2005, for a pilgrimage that
would last three and a-half weeks and change their lives forever. We
were taking part in the Armenian Service Project (ASP), a program run by
the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA).
Through the trip, we young Armenian Americans would discover what it was
like to walk in the footsteps of our grandparents, great-grandparents,
and figures from the Bible as we journeyed, many for the first time,
into the historic land of our ancestors.
LANDING HOME
Having traveled 11 hours on the plane from New York to Yerevan, via
Prague, yawns and murmurs filled the cabin of the plane as we arrived.
Looking out the window from far above in the vast, ashen sky, the lights
of the capital city illuminated the ground like a thousand shimmering
stars. We were wide awake now, filled with wonder, fascination,
excitement, and fear of the unexpected.
Once all the bags were claimed, we traveled to the hotel, where we were
greeted with a warming sight. “Our rooms were assigned, and we went up
to settle in. My room has a beautiful view of Mount Ararat,” said
Adrienne Ashbahian from the St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ.
The next morning, flinging open the curtains, we saw the sun’s rosy
fingers stretched over the mountain peaks, birds in flight singing in
ageless voices, and an ancient town nestled in the emerald mountains.
We realized we were far away from home.
TRAVELING TO THE PAST
After breakfast on our first day, the “Great Green Machine” — a.k.a.
our green tour bus — arrived to carry us to one of the most
heartbreaking sites in Armenia: the Genocide Memorial. As we entered
its underground museum, it felt as though we were entering a tomb. We,
children of the diaspora, learned important lessons that day. We
grasped the reasons, and methods of the Genocide, and learned how our
grandparents and great-grandparents managed to escape. We are indeed
the greatest survivors on earth; and that we should be proud of who we
are.
Outside the museum, at the eternal flame, prayers were said to comfort
the souls of the fallen, and to let them know that even though they are
with our Almighty Father, their efforts and lives have not been wasted,
and that we are the product of their sacrifices.
SEEING TODAY’S ARMENIA
Along such reminders of the past, we also witnessed Armenia’s present
during a stop to Yerevan’s Children’s Reception and Orientation Center,
run by the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR). At the center, we were hit
by the harsh reality of life in a developing nation like Armenia.
We met children who lived on the streets with no family or friends and
very little money. One 9-year-old boy touched the heartstrings of our
group. His named is Yoni. Every few days we would run into him and buy
the items he was selling then buy him treats. In his shimmering,
youthful eyes we saw ourselves at that age and thought: “What is it like
to go hungry at night? To have nothing of what we have? What is it like
to be in his shoes?” We could only imagine the answers.
SPENDING TIME AT CAMP
After touring many of Armenia’s historic sites, we traveled to Camp
Siranoosh, where we met dozens of Armenian children from various parts
of the country. Our time serving as counselors there gave us a chance
to learn Armenian, the way they lived, and how they played. In turn, we
taught them how to play hopscotch and American football, American hand
games, and some English. All of us came out of camp with a deeper
appreciation for the shower, the washing machine, and beds without bugs.
After days working at the camp, our final four days in Armenia seemed
incredibly sad. We knew we would miss being together as a group. But
we were able to smile with the knowledge that we all had grown closer
together in such a short time. We had experienced something incredible
and knowing that we hugged and said our goodbyes. But they were more
like “see you laters,” for this group will never be able to truly say
goodbye. Not after what we’ve seen together.
— 8/31/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Participants in the Armenian Service Project (ASP)
2005 look out across their Armenian homeland.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Members of the ASP trip, organized by the Armenian
Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), with some of the campers
at Camp Siranoosh.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Karinne Hovnanian, a participant in the 2005 ACYOA
ASP trip, is greeted by a young Armenian.
# # #

Turkish novelist faces jail for ‘insulting national character’
By Benjamin Harvey in Istanbul
Published: 01 September 2005
The Independent (UK)
One of Turkey’s best-known novelists has been charged with insulting
the country’s national character and could face a prison sentence.
Orhan Pamuk is scheduled to go on trial on 16 December and could
face up to three years in prison for comments on Turkey’s killing of
Armenians and Kurds, his publisher, Tugrul Pasaoglu, said yesterday.
“Thirty thousand Kurds and one million Armenians were killed in these
lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it,” Pamuk said in an
interview with a Swiss newspaper in February.
The “one million” refers to Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks at about
the time of the First World War, which Armenians and several nations
recognise as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey vehemently
denies that genocide took place, saying the death toll is inflated and
Armenians were killed in a civil war as the Ottoman Empire collapsed,
eventually giving way to the Turkish Republic in 1923.
The “thirty thousand Kurds” mentioned by Pamuk refers to those
killed since 1984 as Turkey fought a vicious war against armed
Kurdish separatists.
Turkey, which has been trying to improve its human rights record as
it vies for membership of the EU, is extremely sensitive about both
the Armenian and Kurdish issues, and its new penal code makes it a
crime to denigrate Turkey’s national identity.
Pamuk’s books, which include the internationally acclaimed Snow and
My Name is Red, have been translated into more than 20 languages. His
publisher said yesterday:”We have to wait for the court. Then he
[Pamuk] will make his speech in the court.”

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:
DR. YEGAVIAN VISITS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I
The director of the Armenian Affairs Department of the Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Dr. Zaven Yegavian, visited Lebanon
recently and became the official guest of His Holiness Aram I.
During the two-day visit His Holiness and Dr. Yegavian reviewed and
discussed the cooperation between the Catholicosate of Cilicia and
the Gulbenkian Foundation during the past decade.
They expressed satisfaction regarding the fact that many achievements
had been made possible in the educational, publishing and construction
spheres during this period. They also outlined the fields where
cooperation should take a new momentum.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the 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.