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:

March 29, 2005
___________________

EASTER A TIME OF JOY AND HOPE

By Jake Goshert

“Hope” is one of the greatest gifts available each Easter. And this
Easter, it could be found throughout New York City’s St. Vartan
Cathedral, as 2,000 people packed the pews, joined in prayer, and
stepped forward to take communion.

There was hope in the eyes of new parents, flanked by their young
children decked out in frilly dresses and pint-sized suits. Hope was in
the on faces of old and young, as worshippers joined in singing the Hayr
Mer.

Hope abounded as the faithful filled the plaza to watch Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America (Eastern), and others release 12 doves, symbolizing the 12
apostles being sent by Jesus to spread His gospel.

The same hope — a deep and unbending faith in a life to come — in the
past saw Armenians through their darkest hours. By choosing to die to
offer us hope of everlasting love, Jesus affirmed that He would be next
to all those who faced death.

“This is a powerful thought for us this year — 90 years after the
Armenian Genocide of 1915,” the Primate said in his message to the
packed Cathedral. “Our ancestors living in Ottoman Turkey were
captives, awaiting death at the hands of an unjust power. For the most
part, we do not know how they viewed their final hours — although
nearly every Armenian has a story of some lost family member who met his
or her fate with a kind of bravery we can hardly imagine today.”

But hope can be found, the Primate said, in the fact that throughout all
the devastation and death that has haunted Armenians for generations,
and all the pain that will befall us individually, Christ has been there
and will be there beside us.

“What we recognize today, on Easter Sunday, as we contemplate this
sorrowful anniversary, is this: That the losses we have endured as a
people, the scars we still bear today, Christ has borne before us. He
bore them in anticipation of our own suffering. He bore them out of His
love for us, to show He abides with us, in triumph as well as tragedy,”
the Primate added. “He bore them, above all, to assure us that
affliction is not the End. Our hope — the hope of Easter — is that a
day will come when we are made new again: made whole in our bodies and
spirits, and re-united with those we have lost along the way.”

RELEASING THE DOVES

After the inspiring Divine Liturgy — celebrated by the Primate and sung
by the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir under the direction of Maestro Khoren
Mekanejian with Florence Avakian on the organ — worshippers filled the
cathedral plaza for the traditional release of doves ceremony. Barbara
Lorincie served as “godmother.”

“Though she now lives in California, her heart is always with us,” the
Primate said of Mrs. Lorincie. “She has done so many good deeds for the
Armenian people, especially for the children of Armenia through the Fund
for Armenian Relief.”

The faithful were also invited to a reception in Haik and Alice
Kavookjian Auditorium, organized by Anie and Gregory Manuelian, during
which the Primate performed a home-blessing service. Musical
entertainment was provided by Apo Sarkissian and orchestra.

HOLY WEEK

The Easter services were just the culmination of Holy Week services at
St. Vartan Cathedral, orchestrated by Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of the
cathedral, who celebrated a Divine Liturgy and the Turun-Patzek or
“Door-Opening” service on Palm Sunday, March 20, 2005.

Fr. Chevian also led a special mid-day Divine Liturgy on Holy Thursday.
Later that night the Primate officiated over the “Washing of the Feet”
ceremony.

The cathedral also held Divine Liturgies on Holy Friday and Holy
Saturday, sung by the St. Vartan Cathedral Youth Choir, under the
direction of Maro Partamian, and scripture readings delivered by
students of the Diocesan Khrimian Lyceum.

— 3/29/05

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, offers communion to one young Armenian during Easter services
at New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral on March 27, 2005.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): The Primate is greeted by the more than 1,500
faithful who filled St. Vartan Cathedral for Easter services.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): The crowd gathers on the St. Vartan Cathedral plaza
for the releasing of doves, following the Easter Sunday Divine Liturgy.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): Archbishop Barsamian prepares to release one of 12
doves on Easter Sunday, symbolizing Christ’s dispatching of the
apostles.

PHOTO CAPTION (5): Children release doves following the Easter Sunday
Divine Liturgy at New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral on March 27,
2005.

PHOTO CAPTION (6): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, joined by Fr. Mardiros
Chevian, conducts the home blessing service following Easter Sunday
services at St. Vartan Cathedral on March 27, 2005.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 19:17:01 | 29-03-2005 | Politics |

KAZIMIROV SUGGESTS STEPWISE SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH PROBLEM

Former Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov does not
understand the phrase “liberated territories”. During today’s hearings
in the National Assembly he asked, “From who and what were these
territories liberated? From the population or buildings, where they lived?”

He called Armenia not to hide behind the wording “guarantor of
security”, as everyone knows that the conlfict broke out between Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

He also stated that the Azeri party, which adhered to the military
resolution of the conflict, waged the war and lost it. “I have many
times spoken to Heydar Aliyev and he always reiterated he is not going
to fulfill the demands of the Security Council”, he said. Ilham Aliyev,
in Kazimirov’s opinion, does not wish the problem to be resolved as
speaking of the liberated territories, he mentioned about Karabakh as well.

Proceeding from the situation Vladimir Kazimirov suggested a stepwise
settlement of the conflict as it is impossible to resolve the problem by
a package one. “You do not want to see Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is of an opposite opinion, it would be hara-kiri for Ilham
Aliyev”, he said. In case of stepwise settlement each conflicting party
will raise its priority issues. For Armenia it is the status of
Karabakh, for Azerbaijan – the returning of the territories.

Vladimir Kazimirov also stressed the importance of providing the
guarantees for bilateral security.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 29 2005

OFFICE OF RUSSIAN ANTI-DRUG SERVICE TO BE OPENED IN AFGHANISTAN

MOSCOW, March 29 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian federal anti-drug
service intends to open an office in Afghanistan by the end of 2005,
service’s deputy director Alexander Fyodorov said.

“The plans to open our office in Kabul are being implemented,” he
noted adding that the necessary legal basis would be drafted in 2005.

According to Fyodorov, about 130 tons of drugs were seized on Russian
territory in 2004.

“The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs recommends relevant
organizations to study and use the Russian anti-drug experience,” in
particular, on the post-Soviet space, Alexander Fyodorov noted.

Director of the Russian Federal Anti-Drug Service Viktor Cherkesov
and Armenian police chief Aik Arutyunyan signed an agreement on
cooperation against illegal trafficking of drugs, psychotropic
substances and their precursors on Tuesday.

“In compliance with the agreement, the joint work of the Russian and
Armenian law enforcement bodies will include anti-drug trafficking
activities, joint operative and preventive measures, development of
direct contacts, exchange of experience, legislative and other
normative acts, statistic information and recommendations and
professional training of staffers,” the PR center of the Russian
federal anti-drug service reported.

AMIC’s Newsletter, Montreal, Canada
AMIC’s Info-Flash
2340 Chemin Lucerne # 30
Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec
Tel : (514) 739 8950
Fax : (514) 738 2622
Web :
Email: [email protected]

March, 2005

1. Article 2: “Training programs in Infectious Diseases for
health care professionals of Armenia in
Argentina”
2. Article 3: “Birthright Armenia”
3. Article 4: “The Mental Healthcare in Armenia”
4. Article 5: ” Dr. Carolann and George Najarian’s judiciary
problem in Armenia
5. Article 6: “Armenian and Russian versions of the Dash
outcome measure
6. Article 7: “Armenian health-care professionals listed on the
New York Life Insurance list.
7. Article 8: ” What is AMIC?”
8. Article 1: “The 9th AMIC World Medical Congress in San
Francisco. Fairmont Hotel, June 29 to July 3,
2005

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2- Training programs in Infectious Diseases for health care professionals of
Armenia in Argentina.

Under the scientific and general supervision of FIDEC (Fighting Infectious
Diseases in Emerging Countries), with the financial support of the Armenian
community in the diaspora, the construction of an Infectious Disease unit at
Yerevan Pediatric Hospital was completed and opened on September 17, 2003.
This unit includes an equipped Microbiology Laboratory, areas to be used as
an Immunization Center, and offices for physicians who assist ambulatory
patients with infectious diseases.

Professional exchange visits have been ongoing since the project started.
Dr. Monica Graziutti and Dr. Gabriela Mikaelian, FIDEC’s collaborators in
Argentina visited in turn Yerevan for scientific follow-up in October, 2002
and July, 2003. Dr. Ara Azoyan, Director of the Infectious Diseases Hospital
of Yerevan and Dr. Avet Arslanian (Pediatric Surgery Hospital of Yerevan)
visited Argentina in March, 2004.

In May 2004 a cooperation agreement was signed in Buenos Aires between FIDEC
(Dr. Daniel Stamboulian) and the Rector of the Yerevan State University Dr.
V. P. Hakobyan, who visited Argentina for that purpose: the agreement
establishes continuing medical education and fellowship programs in
Argentina, for health care professionals from Yerevan State University, and
the Yerevan Pediatric Hospital.
Dr. Vigen Azoyan, the Chief of the Laboratory at No 1 Yerevan Pediatric
Hospital came to Argentina in August, 2004 for a two months period, for a
training in General Laboratory, including Bacteriology and Serology lab. He
learned different techniques, like ELISA and Inmunofluorescence.

“I came to Argentina with the purpose of learning how to use different new
laboratory techniques that are very necessary in Armenia. At this moment, in
the new Laboratory of Yerevan, we have automatized machines,
inmunofluorescence microscope and other new equipment”, confided Dr. Vigen
Azoyan.

The program also includes initiation to General immunization and Travel
Medicine because FIDEC is going to open an Immunization Center at Yerevan
Pediatric Hospital in order to provide routine and special vaccines that
will be administered by personnel trained by FIDEC according to
international immunization standards.

****************************************************************

3- Birthright Armenia

Birthright Armenia, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, was created to
increase the number of young diasporans experiencing Armenia via volunteer
work, offering opportunities to study abroad and helping strengthen the
bridge between diasporan and homeland youth. To implement this ambitious
program, the organization provides roundtrip travel fellowships, with home
stay living, jobsite placement, free weekly educational excursions, help for
those who do not have basic proficiency in Armenian with language
instruction, and designs weekly seminars from which all volunteers can pick
and choose among topics like “better understanding the current political
cultural and socio-economic issues in Armenia today”.

This past summer, during its pilot year in operation, Birthright Armenia
successfully sponsored forty young volunteers between the ages of 18 and 32,
who represented seven different organizations and three countries. These
individuals traveled to their historic homeland, worked in a service
capacity, and studied the Armenian language to better understand Armenia,
contribute to the on-going development of the nation and to create
ever-lasting ties to the people and organizations they encountered.

In its first year of inception, the organization sponsored the Armenian
Assembly of America, the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America, the
Armenian Student Association of New York, the Armenian Volunteer Corp, the
Armenian Youth Federation and Land and Culture Organization, so their
volunteers could have the added benefit of all the incentives listed above,
ensuring their experiences were of the best quality. Also, Birthright
Armenia worked with one local NGO, the Armenian Medical Association, and
supported its newly created internship programs being implemented by local
NGOs in Armenia in a wide array of sectors including arts, education,
environment, human rights, social services and youth affairs.

For 2005, Birthright anticipates a total of 125 volunteers and with the
addition of several new local and diasporan NGOs, will be able to provide a
more diverse range of volunteer experiences. Alongside Armenians from
Britain, the USA and Canada, Birthright will be recruiting from France and
Switzerland, as well as sponsoring at least two dozen Iraqi-Armenian youth
for community service and study abroad programs. For more information on
Birthright Armenia, please visit heir Website at
or email [email protected]

****************************************************************

4- The Mental Healthcare in Armenia

Armenia is a country with an approximate area of 29743 sq.km. Its resident
population is approximately of 3.200 000. The country is in the low-income
group country (based on World Bank 2003 year criteria). During recent years,
the average length of life declined: the life expectancy at birth is 69.9
years for the male population (comparing with data of 2002, when it was
72.3) and 75.8 for the female population (comparing with data of 2002, when
it was 77.1)

There is a mental health policy, which was initially formulated in 1994. The
components of the policy are mental health advocacy promotion and
prevention. A national mental health program is not developed yet.

There is legislation on compulsory treatment. It was recently adopted and in
September, 2004, the specific law on psychiatric care was enacted. There are
budget allocations for mental health. In 2003, 1.560 000 Euros were provided
for mental service, which matches to 5.8% of the whole health budget and in
2004 the sum increased to 1.740 000 Euros, which corresponded to 4.5% of the
whole budget. The primary source of mental health is tax based.

Patients with disablement and chronically mentally ill patients receive
monthly payments for disability pension from the government. The treatment
of psychiatric patients at specialized institutions (in-patient and out
patient) is financed by the state. Regular training and retraining for
hospital nurses is not carried out in the field of mental health. There are
community care facilities for patients with mental disorders. Each community
and locality has its mental health providers.

Some statistics of the mental health care structures in Armenia:

Total psychiatric beds for a population of 10 000, 4.03
Psychiatric beds in mental hospitals (pop. 10 000), 3.8
Total number: 1220
Psychiatric beds in general hospitals (pop 10 000)
0.23. Total number: 75
Psychiatric beds in other settings (pop 10 000) 0
Number of psychiatrists (pop 10 000) 3.52
Total number: 113
Number of neurosurgeons (pop 10 000) 1.03
Total number: 33
Number of psychiatric nurses (pop 10 000) 0
Number of neurologists (pop 10 000) 7. Total number: 225
Number of psychologists (pop 10 000) 0.4
Number of social workers (pop 10 000) 0.08

Psychiatric services provision in Armenia is carried out by 2 kinds of
medical service: outpatient and in-patient. Five medical institutions are
providing mental healthcare. The treatment of patients is mainly organized
near their home, in close cooperation with the local primary care service.

NGOs are involved with mental health in the country. They are mainly
involved in advocacy and promotion. From 1999 and on, with the assistance of
the international organization “Médecins Sans Frontières”, it became
possible to organize seminars, workshops, social advertising, exhibitions
and even open a mental health center at the biggest psychiatric hospital of
Armenia. There are mental health reporting and data collection systems.

The country has specific programs for mental health for refugees, disaster
affected population and children that are financed by the state.

The drugs used for the treatment of mentally ill patients are outdated, very
few of them are new (such as Olanzin, Resperdal, and others), because of
their high prices. To the patients receiving ambulatory treatment, the drugs
are given free of charge.

As a result of a disastrous earthquake, military conflicts and other
disasters, there have been an increased number of persons in Armenia who
need medical and psychiatric care. International agencies and developed
countries as well, have helped the country in the process of restructuring.

For the improvement of mental services, the following is to be implemented:

-To elaborate the law on mental health
-To organize the training and retraining of hospital nurses in the field of
mental health.
-To create and open special community houses (centers) for the
post-rehabilitative therapy of mental health patients, where psychologists,
sociologists and nurses should be working.
-For the patients receiving protracted psychiatric treatment in mental
houses, work therapy should be organized.

****************************************************************

5- Dr. Carolann and George Najarian’s judiciary problem in Armenia.

In the Armenian Medical World, Dr. Carolann Najarian is well known. After
the earthquake of December 1988, she was among the first if not the first,
to run to Armenia; for nearly 16 years, she has been delivering medical
supplies, equipments, undertaking hospital and school renovations, assisting
villagers, invalids, veterans, orphans. She established medical centers,
like the Primary Care Center in Gyumri in 1994 and the Arpen Center for
Expectant Mothers in Artsakh (1995).

Above all, her action became the model, the reference to follow, as many
physicians told us; her book (A Call from Home, 1999), relates her emotional
and personnel journey to her “ancestral home”.

Knowing all this, one would think that “Carolann” should really feel and be
“at home” in Armenia; and yet since 2003, Carolann and her husband George
have been living a nightmare. Why? One would ask.

Responding to the Armenian government’s pleas to invest in Armenia, Mr.
George Najarian undertook projects and investments, trusting a person in
particular that he knew since 1988, as his representative in Armenia, only
to find out later, that he had been fraudulently deprived of his properties.

Since then, they have resorted to the judiciary system to ensure their
rights.

The only wish one would make is that the properties in question will be
promptly given back to their legitimate owners, and that Dr. Carolann
Najarian will have enough resources left in her to continue her wonderful
humanitarian work.

****************************************************************

6- Armenian and Russian versions of the Dash outcome measure. (This message
was sent to Info-Flash by Drs. Gevorg Yaghjyan, Davit Abrahamyan and Arthur
Gevorgyan).

The self-administered English questionnaire “Disabilities of the Arm,
Shoulder and Hand” (DASH) is a widely accepted tool for measurement of
upper-limb disability/symptoms. The purpose of our study was to translate
the DASH into Eastern Armenian and Russian, and evaluate their validity for
the patients living in Armenia. The whole process of cross-cultural
adaptation was performed according to the published guidelines of Guillemin.
This process lasted almost 1.5 year: from September 2003 when Plastic
Reconstructive Surgery and Microsurgery Center of University Hospital No1,
Yerevan, Armenia received official permission for this, up to January 2005.
As a result the final DASH-Armenian and DASH-Russian versions were devised
with excellent internal consistency and good construct validity assessed
using Spearmen correlations between DASH and SF-36 scores. These findings
suggest that the Armenian and Russian versions of the DASH outcome measure
retains the characteristics of the American original and may be a reliable
and valid instrument to measure disabilities/symptoms in Eastern Armenian
and Russian speaking patients with different disorders of the upper limbs.
It can also be used in patients, recently emigrated from Armenia or other
ex-soviet country who speak Eastern-Armenian or Russian and still are not
“culturally adapted” for the life in a new country. We encourage the use of
the DASH-Armenian and the DASH-Russian, which will facilitate international
multi-center studies and clinical trials by establishing standard measures
and obtaining comparable data. Both Armenian and Russian versions of
DASH-questionnaire are proposed to American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
(USA) to be recommended as formal translated versions and they are available
on the website of Institute for Work and health (Canada) at

****************************************************************

7- Armenian health-care professionals listed on the New York Life Insurance
list.

Info-Flash received the list that was in circulation a few months ago among
Armenians, from New York Life Insurance Company in which 2300 names of
insured Armenians killed during the genocide (without leaving heirs) were
mentioned. On the list, one could read the names and surnames, the
professions and the geographical locations of the insured.

Out of curiosity, I tried to see how many health-care professionals had
contracted insurance policies in those days. Five categories were recorded:
Chemists/Druggists (probably the British terminology to indicate
pharmacists), Nurse (only one located in Kinzurk), Doctors, Dentists and an
Optician, (in Constantinople). Contrary to what one would think, the
Chemists are in larger number than the physicians (30 against 22). Also,
contrary to what one would think, there are no geographical clusters: 5
chemists residing in Constantinople form the only noticeable group. Among
the chemists/druggists we can read the name of one “Master of Pharmacy” in
Palou, and one “drug clerk” in Adana; and among the doctors, there are 2
“medical practitioners” in Sivas and M. el Aziz. The only other detail to
retain is that among the 10 dentists listed, there is one who had given the
city of New York as his place of residency.

Only 2.8% if the insured are health care professionals!

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8- What is AMIC?

The Armenian Medical International Committee was created fifteen years ago.
It is an umbrella organization that unites Armenian medical associations
throughout the Diaspora, creating thus a large network through which
information and data are exchanged.
AMIC organizes Armenian Medical World Congresses. So far eight have been
held in different cities of the Diaspora. In 2003, “The First International
Medical Congress of Armenia”, organized by Armenia, was held in Yerevan from
July 1 to July 3.
The 9th AMIC Congress will be held in 2005 (from June 29 to July 3), in San
Francisco (USA). You can have the latest news by visiting the website
and reading carefully the first paragraph of this issue.

AMIC publishes since 1988 an online newsletter and sends it freely to all
Armenian Health Care professionals. If you are a health care professional
and are interested in receiving Info-Flash, please send us your e-mail
address ([email protected]). To all those who already receive the Info, please
send it to colleagues, or give us their e-mail address, and do not forget to
send us your new e-mail address when you change it.
For further information visit our website:

A useful information to remember: you can send freely from wherever you are
located, medical equipment/medicine through the services of the United
Armenian Fund; President Mr. Harout Sassounian ([email protected])

********************************************************************

8- The 9th AMIC WORLD MEDICAL CONGRESS IN SAN FRANCISCO FAIRMONT HOTEL,
JUNE 29 TO JULY 3, 2005

EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE- APRIL 1,
2005

URGENT! URGENT! URGENT!

The deadline for early registration is fast approaching. You must register
and pay by APRIL 1 2005 in order to take advantage of reduced registration
fees. Until APRIL 1, 2005 fees are as follows:

Regular US $475
Nurses & Allied Health US $375
Residents & Students US $275

After APRIL 1, 2005 fees will be as follows:

Regular US $525
Nurses & Allied Health US $425
Residents & Students US $325

The registration fee includes light breakfast (Thursday, Friday, Saturday),
lunch (Thursday, Friday) and coffee breaks!

Visit the website at and print out the registration form and
fax or mail it. On the site you’ll notice the first class program of
speakers on topics of vital concern to Armenians worldwide scheduled for the
entire Congress; a unique opportunity to meet and discuss with
world-renowned specialists on Hypertension, Depression, Alzheimer,
Diabetes.. etc.., as well as to discuss projects and health issues in
Armenia and Karabagh.

Of course this is also a chance to visit fabulous San Francisco and an
interesting social program has been scheduled for all!

AMIC’s General Assembly will be held on Saturday July 2, from noon to 16
pm.

Don’t miss the 9th Medical World Congress and please ensure that your
friends and colleagues are made aware as well.

[28-03-2005 ‘Armenia-Azerbaijan’]
————————————————- ———————
PUTIN’S VISIT TO ARMENIA IS A POSITIVE FACTOR FOR AZERBAIJAN
Source : “Zerkalo” newspaper (Azerbaijan)
Author: F. Teymurkhanly

Political scientist Vafa Guluzade does not exclude the possibility for
liberation of certain occupied territories after this visit.

It is quite possible that President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Yerevan
was conditioned by the concerns over the `velvet revolution’ likely to
occur in Armenia. Thus, in the conversation with `Zerkalo’
correspondent, Vafa Guluzade commented on the trip of Head of Russian
state to Armenia. In his opinion, Russia will totally lose control
over this country in case these events do happen. The political
scientist thinks that Russia today is more than ever interested in
promoting Karabagh conflict settlement. `The point is that Russia is
seriously concerned over the sweeping `velvet revolution’ in
Kyrgystan. As a logical consequence, the new forces, getting power in
this country, will conduct their own policy free from Russian
influence. However, there were some statements that Kyrgystan will
keep developing friendly relations, however these ties will be built
on the equality principle”, V. Guluzade stated.

It is for this reason, as V. Guluzade thinks, that Russia has fears
over the events in Armenia to develop on the scenario common for
Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgystan, which in its turn means for official
Moscow losing its main outpost in the South Caucasus. Alongside this,
V. Guluzade noted that Putin’s attempts for setting a barrier on the
path of “velvet revolution”, likely to reach Armenia sooner or later,
are doomed to failure. According to the political scientist, Armenia
realizes that it can hardly afford the services of the `elder
brother’. `Therefore, Armenians currently aspire to developing
relations with USA and view the latter as a stronger pillar of
support”, V. Guluzade emphasized.

Developing this thought, the political scientist noted that after
Armenia’s independence from Russian control, Karabagh conflict will be
settled. According to V. Guluzade, it is Russia that became initiator
of the Karabagh conflict that was later frozen, again with the
involvement of the northern neighbor. “Without Russia, Azerbaijan and
Armenia will easily come to mutual agreement in Karabagh problem
settlement’, V. Guluzade emphasized.

In other words, V. Putin’s visit to Armenia will not only exclude any
negative impact on Azerbaijani-Armenian relations but, on the
contrary, will promote a considerable improvement. V. Guluzade thinks
that after Putin’s meeting with President of Armenia, several occupied
Azerbaijani districts will be liberated in exchange for opening
communications. According to the political scientist, Russia will thus
attempt to keep Azerbaijan and Armenia as allies. However, these
attempts are domed to fiasco. Answering the question if Putin’s trip
to Armenia is a new twist in the struggle for the South Caucasus in
the light of Bush’s visit to Georgia, V. Guluzade stated that Russia
is too weak for fighting USA. Supporting his argument, V. Guluzade
noted that in other case the events in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgystan
would not have occurred. As the political scientist thinks, from a
global superpower Russia has long been transformed into a regional
one, therefore its abilities should not be overestimated.

Thus, President of Russia, Vladimir Putin arrived in Armenia on a two
day working visit the day before. In the course of Yerevan
press-conference, Russian President stated that Russia will do its
best for promoting resolution of Mountainous Karabagh conflict. He
also expressed hopes that a regular round of negotiations between
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon be held. Head of the
Russian state informed the journalists that in the course of the
meeting with President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, regional problems,
including the process of settlement of Mountainous Karabagh conflict,
were specially considered. According to Putin, both Russia and
Armenia are interested in stabilizing the situation in the Caucasus.

[26-03-2005 ‘Region’]
———————————————————————-
NEW INTEGRATION PROJECTS ARE NEEDED, PRESIDENTS OF RUSSIA AND ARMENIA HOLD
Source : `Golos Armenii’ newspaper (Armenia)
Author: Aris Ghazinian

The joint press conference of the heads of Armenian and Russian
states, Robert Kocharian and Vladimir Putin, was held in Yerevan on
March 25. It could not embrace the whole spectrum of most principle
issues of bilateral cooperation, apparently due to time limitations
(it took place two hours later than planned – the Presidents exceeded
the protocol limits).

Certainly, similar events do not always allow to `embrace the
unbounded’, however the problematic issues in the sphere of
Armenian-Russian ties apparently demand official comments. Somehow or
other, the Year of Russia started in Armenia, which was qualified by
Vladimir Putin as the best evidence of productive cooperation between
Yerevan and Moscow.

`Russian-Armenian relations develop practically in all directions’,
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin stated on March 25.
Agreement was reached about further promoting of the participation of
Armenian and Russian entrepreneurs in investment and privatization
activity in Armenia. We see significant prospects in the development
of industrial cooperation in energy and banking spheres’.In the
context of a greater activation of bilateral economic ties, the Heads
of Armenia and Russia paid special attention to the fact of starting
the long-awaited ferriage from `Caucasus’ port to the Georgian port of
Poti on March 25. `Despite the fact that the first cargo, grain, is
for Georgia, I hope this route will be used for transporting goods to
Armenia as well’, the Russian President noted. `It will open larger
opportunities for business and will promote strengthening of
integration processes’.

On his behalf, President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, stressed the
importance of running the ferriage, pointed to the necessity of
working out certain issues of tariff policy as well. Thus, the arrival
of the first ferry in Poti was conducted in accordance with the
Agreement on organizing direct railway-ferry communication via the
ports of Poti and `Caucasus’ between the Ministry of Economic
Development of Georgia and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian
Federation. Nevertheless, official Yerevan is both an interested and
de facto negotiating party in this process. The letter of
congratulation of the Georgian Minister Alexi Alexishvili, addressed
to his Armenian colleague Andranik Manukian on the same day, March 25,
is a good evidence of it.

In the course of Armenian-Russian negotiations on the highest level,
the Karabagh issue was certainly an issue of discussion. In this
respect, the heads of the two countries did not state anything
new. `Russia will do its utmost to solve this problem and hopes for a
forthcoming meeting and negotiations between Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan’, Vladimir Putin emphasized.

Though the Karabagh problem has not inspired new ideas with the heads
of the states, in the aspect of CIS development prospects, they
proposed quite fresh approaches. `CIS was established for the process
of USSR disintegration to proceed in a more civilized manner, as softy
as possible, with minimum losses in economic and humanitarian sphere’,
President of Russia emphasized. `I think CIS never had any top
priorities, particularly in the sphere of economic integration. If the
European states worked jointly for integration within European Union,
CIS was created for a civilized divorce. Herein lies the principle
difference between these structures, the rest being political babble
and empty talk. The disappointment comes from high expectations’.

Robert Kocharian also referred to the futility of such expectations,
`CIS is definitely not European Union, and we should not really pose
strong challenges for it. It is rather a good platform for frequent
meetings on the highest level to solve specific problems. Thus, I
never miss the chance for dealing with two-three tasks in the course
of such forums. We should be satisfied with the current stage’.

In this aspect, heads of Armenia and Russia stressed the necessity for
developing new, particularly integration and far-reaching projects,
among which Russian President names Eurasian Economic Society
(EurAsEC) and the New Economic Space. `They include elements of real
economic cooperation and set grounds for new and voluntary
integration’, Vladimir Putin noted.

In the course of the press conference, the recent events in Kyrgystan
were naturally discussed. Kyrgystan is not only an active participant
of EurAsEC but also a member of Organization for Collective Security
Agreement (OCSA) military strategic bloc, including Russia and Armenia
as members. `The events in Kyrgystan were not unexpected for Russia’,
Vladimir Putin commented on the issue. `It is the result of the
weakness of the authorities and aggravation of social economic
problems. It is really a pity that in a country of post-Soviet space,
political problems are solved through illegal means. We rely on the
opposition leaders to take the situation under control and stabilize
it. If Askar Akaev wishes to visit Russia, we will not object’.

—
Yerevan Press Club of Armenia presents `MediaDialogue Web Site as a
Regional Information Hub’ project. As a part of the project
web site is maintained, featuring the most
interesting publications from the press of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey on issues of mutual concern. The latest updates on
the site are weekly delivered to the subscribers.

Swiss minister travels to Turkey after diplomatic spat put paid to previous
trip

Swissinfo web site, Bern
29 Mar 05

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey is travelling to Turkey on
Tuesday [29 March], 18 months after a diplomatic spat put paid to a
previous trip.

Ankara withdrew its invitation at the last minute after a cantonal
parliament voted to recognize the 1915 slaughter of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians as genocide.

Three months later – in December 2003 – a similar vote in the House of
Representatives reached the same conclusion, drawing fresh
condemnation from Turkey.

Armenians say around 1.8m people were killed; Turkey disputes this,
putting the figure closer to 200,000.

The Turkish foreign ministry warned parliamentarians that the decision
could have “negative consequences” on relations between the two
countries.

The Swiss foreign minister is due to holds talks with her Turkish
counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on a wide range of issues.

Roberto Balzaretti, Calmy-Rey’s diplomatic adviser, told swissinfo
that discussions would cover mutual concerns such as “human rights,
minorities and economic relations”.

Asked whether Calmy-Rey would raise the Armenian question, Balzaretti
said it would be difficult “to avoid issues that have caused problems
in the past”.

Tread gently

Francoise Saudan, a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs
committee, who visited Turkey in August, cautioned that the Swiss
foreign minister would need to tread gently.

She said the genocide remained a touchy subject for Turkey, which had
not faced up to its past in the same way Switzerland addressed the
Holocaust-era bank accounts scandal.

But Jean-Jacques de Dardel, head of international security policy at
the Swiss foreign ministry, said this week’s visit was not about
resurrecting past disagreements.

“[She] is not going to Ankara to rekindle tensions, but to strengthen
relations between Switzerland and Turkey,” he said.

The issue of Turkish membership of the European Union is also likely
to feature during talks between both foreign ministers.

Calmy-Rey made it clear in December that the Swiss stood to benefit
should Turkey join the bloc.

Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, has signed a series of
bilateral agreements with Brussels covering areas including trade.

Iraq, which borders Turkey, and the Middle East are also expected to
be on the agenda.

Kurdish question

On the second day of her visit Calmy-Rey is due in the city of
Diyarbakir in the mainly Kurdish southeast of the country, where she
is expected to meet local representatives and non-governmental
organizations.

This section of the trip was viewed in poor light by Ankara in
2003. Shortly after the invitation was withdrawn, the Turkish
authorities accused Calmy-Rey of meeting a member of a banned Kurdish
organization in Lausanne.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office later launched an investigation to
find out whether the Swiss foreign minister had been spied on by
Turkey’s secret service.

On the final day of her trip, Calmy-Rey is due to give an address to
Swiss and Turkish business leaders in Istanbul.

“Turkey is Switzerland’s most important business partner in the Middle
East. Around 40 Swiss firms move there every year,” said Balzaretti.

Swiss exports to Turkey totalled 1.9bn Swiss francs ($1.6bn dollars)
in 2004 – up 17 per cent on the previous year.

Last week the government lifted restrictions on arms exports to
Turkey, which were imposed in 1992 during a Turkish crackdown against
the Kurds.

Poll suggests great mutual ignorance in Turkey, Armenia

NTV Online web site, Istanbul
28 Mar 05

A study entitled “Project on mutual perceptions of citizens of Armenia
and Turkey” suggests a very high level of ignorance in the two
countries about each other.

The study conducted in the two countries jointly by TESEV [Turkish
Economic and Social Studies Foundation] from Turkey and HASA or the
Social Sciences Centre in Armenia is aimed at revealing prejudices in
the two societies. Polls conducted among 1,200 respondents in Turkey
and 1,000 respondents in Armenia suggest that Turks and Armenians know
little about each other.

TESEV and HASA, which conducted the study over a two-year period,
include in the conclusions of their report the following assessment
which is very important in terms of the resolution of the Armenian
problem:

“The two neighbouring nations do not know each other. Armenians hold
more unequivocal and negative views about Turkey. Despite these
adversities both countries have the psychological foundation necessary
for a dialogue.”

The study shows that the people of Turkey and Armenia are seriously
ignorant about each other. For example, 17 per cent of the respondents
from Turkey believe that Armenians are Jewish.

Another area of ignorance is related to the government forms in the
two countries. For example 13.5 per cent of the respondents from
Turkey are certain that Armenia is run by a communist
party. Conversely, 6 per cent of the Armenian respondents think that
there is still a monarchy in Turkey.

The study suggests that the Armenians are more prejudiced in terms of
their perceptions of the other side. For example, while 68.7 per cent
of Armenians describe Turks with derogatory adjectives, only 34 per
cent of Turks think the same way about Armenians.

Another piece of information that echoes mutual prejudices is that
94.1 per cent of the Armenian respondents and 68 per cent of the
Turkish respondents would not allow their daughters to marry a man
from the other group. Similarly 67 per cent of Armenians said they
would not trust a Turkish doctor compared to 24 per cent of Turks who
said they would not trust an Armenian doctor.

The TESEV-HASA study also seeks answers for the future relations of
the two countries. Approximately 30 per cent of Armenians think that
“prejudices on both sides are blocking relations”. The corresponding
figure for Turkish respondents is 24 per cent.

The most dominant view shared by 37.4 per cent of Armenian respondents
and 30.8 per cent of Turkish respondents is that “relations will
remain as they are now in the near future”. In addition, 81.7 per cent
of Armenians see the “genocide” issue as the most important hurdle
blocking the normalization of relations. In contrast only 19 per cent
of Turks see genocide allegations as the biggest obstacle blocking
relations.

Russian head of ex-Soviet military pact warns of radical Islamic threat

AP Worldstream
Mar 29, 2005

The Russian head of an ex-Soviet military pact that includes three
Central Asian nations warned Tuesday that the organization’s members
must act urgently to combat the threat of radical Islamic groups.

In the wake of the ousting of Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev, observers
have said that such groups could step up activity as Krygyzstan’s new
leaders try to restore order, and suggest that religious militants in
Central Asia could find inspiration in the swift and almost effortless
overthrow.

Nikolai Bordyuzha, secretary general of the six-nation Collective
Security Treaty _ a pact that links Russia with Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan _ said in an interview with the
Izvestia daily that coordinated action was essential to stop the
threat from spreading further.

“We should take coordinated steps to counter the attempt of Islamic
extremists in all member states of the organization. I stress that the
efforts should be coordinated because these networks are like mercury
that flows from one country to another,” he said.

The radical group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which advocates the creation of an
Islamic state in the Central Asian region, is a particular worry, he
said.

“Hizb-ut-Tahrir is very active throughout Central Asia, damaging the
consciousness especially of young people, importing religious dogmas
in a bid to form a social base.

“We have to prevent this trend. Otherwise we will face a lot of
problems,” he said, warning of a “struggle based on religion that has
no peaceful resolution.”

Authorities in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan _ which is not a
member of the Moscow-led security pact _ blame Hizb-ut-Tahrir for
attacks there last year that killed more than 50 people. The group,
which is banned in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and in Russia,
claims to reject violence.

Radical Islamic groups emerged in predominantly Muslim Central Asia
after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have both
seen bombings and incursions blamed on extremist groups.

Villagers in south Azerbaijan protest at police abuse, bribery

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
29 Mar 05

[Presenter] Residents of three villages of Astara [District in
southern Azerbaijan] have protested in front of [the building of] the
executive authorities of the district at the work of the
law-enforcement bodies. They called for an end to pressure from local
law enforcers bodies on residents.

[Correspondent, over video of protesters holding portraits of late
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and Azerbaijani flags] About 400
residents of Astara held the protest action outside the building of
the executive authorities. The protesters called for the resignation
of local law enforcers whom they accused of unfair treatment and
procrastination.

[Elder resident, no caption, complaining in loud voice] This is my
son. He was disabled in Karabakh [war]. The court has set him against
my other son.

[Correspondent] Residents of the villages of Kakaluz, Qamisovka [and]
Balaca Sahqaci said that some law enforcers had illegally intervened
in the activities of villagers and entrepreneurs, harassed them and
even raided their homes and searched their homes without any reason.

The chairman of the municipal council of the village of Balaca
Sahqaci, B ahram Aliyev, said that the police searched his home
without any sanction or reason on the holiday of Novruz.

[Bahram Aliyev, chairman of Balaca Sahqaci municipality, captioned,
shown speaking] Neither the head of the executive authorities nor
anyone else can cope with this kind of mafia. They have solid
backing. Whenever you encounter them one would claim having a minister
as his godfather, the other would say that someone else backs him.

[Woman captioned as villager shown speaking] The police must protect
us. They must not subject us to attacks. This is to start with. We
cannot now speak to each other because of the police.

[Passage omitted: recalls the past]

Our complaint is about them taking 1,000 dollars from someone who has
been beaten and 500 dollars from someone else who has not been. They
should take measures in this regard.

[Another protester, no caption, shown speaking] If the police are so
self-confident, let them attack the Armenians and free our nation. Why
don’t they do that?

[Correspondent] The executive authorities of the district pledged to
look into the complaints and to act on them if they happen to be true.

Mahsati Sarif, Ilkin Rzayev for “Son Xabar”

Arab tribal leaders pay tribute to Genocide victims

29.03.2005 14:27

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – A delegation of 12 Arab tribal leaders, accompanied
by National Assembly’s Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) faction
and theARF Armenia Supreme Body members, visited Tuesday the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian
Genocide.

The delegation members prayed for the victims’ souls. Speaking to
reporters, they pointed out that no one can deny the reality of the
Genocide that is proven by numerous documents.

The Arab tribal leaders of the northern Syria are in Armenia to take
part in the events commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The trip has been organized by the Armenian community of
Syria.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress