IRNA, Iran
January 16, 2005 Sunday 8:10 AM EST
Iran ready to boost academic cooperation with Armenia
Tehran
Minister of Sciences, Research and Technology Ja`far Towfiqi said
here Sunday that Iran was ready to bolster academic cooperation with
Armenia in the framework of signed agreements.
According to the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of
Sciences, Research and Technology, Towfiqi made the remarks in a
meeting with his Armenian counterpart Sergo Yeritsen.
He called for further scientific relations including exchange of
students and professors as well as holding joint seminars.
Towfiqi said that the number of universities and research centers in
Iran has been increased, adding the country attaches great importance
to scientific and research works.
The Armenian minister, for his part, outlined his country`s
activities, particularly in the fields of Iranology and Persian
language, calling on Iran to bolster higher education relations.
The Armenian delegation headed by Yeritsen arrived in Tehran on
January 15 at the invitation of Towfiqi.

Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA)
January 14, 2005 Friday
Idaho Edition
?Healthy skeptics? find spirituality by following Ancient Traditions
by Virginia de Leon Staff writer
Kamori Cattadoris is a skeptic.
“The healthy kind,” explained the founder of Ancient Traditions
Community Church, a new congregation in Hillyard. “The kind that
wants to know truth. Not the cynic who rejects everything.”
Although she spent years questioning religious doctrine, Cattadoris
was still open to finding a path to God.
Spirituality eventually became possible for her, she said, through
ancient teachings found in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Sufism,
Tibetan Buddhism and other traditions.
After starting a study group four years ago for “healthy skeptics” in
search of faith, Cattadoris and her husband, Bob, bought an old
church building in north Spokane and established Ancient Traditions.
On Saturday, the new church will open its doors to the community by
offering several activities that emphasize traditional ethnic music
and dance, as well as Middle Eastern foods that members have spent
the past few days preparing.
Ancient Traditions is not a new religion, members say. While its
teachings are based on early Christian principles, it is an
interfaith congregation that doesn?t force anyone to believe in
anything, Cattadoris said. Their goal is to work together in pursuit
of personal transformation ? to “drop our inflated self-importance,”
she said, and to “seek God within the human heart.”
At the altar of the church sanctuary is a large wooden cross, left
behind by the previous congregation. “We?ve made it our own,” said
Cattadoris, emphasizing that the group is not exclusively Christian.
To the right of the altar is a Tibetan gong; to the left in another
corner hang half a dozen handmade bells from India. The white walls
will eventually be decorated with Egyptian papyrus and Tibetan art
painted on rice paper. The church?s library includes books like the
Quran, the Dalai Lama?s “Training the Mind” and Jon Kabat-Zinn?s
“Wherever You Go, There You Are.”
Many who joined this group have been influenced by the teachings of
George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, an Armenian mystic, author and composer
who established a religious movement in the 1920s through the
Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man.
Born in 1872 in Alexandropol near the Russo-Turkish frontier,
Gurdjieff spent years in Central Asia, North Africa and other areas,
where he came into contact with esoteric teachings. As a result, he
developed his own teaching: that ordinary people could attain a
higher state of awareness. After his death in 1949, Gurdjieff?s
followers started spiritual centers all over the world.
While Gurdjieff study groups exist throughout the United States, the
Spokane crowd is one of only two in the country that has evolved into
a church, Cattadoris said.
“We are an experiential group,” said Lyn Lamb, who joined Ancient
Traditions last year when it was still a study group. Through her
interaction with other members, she has focused on certain tasks each
week that include refraining from negative thinking and an emphasis
on self-observation ? actions, she said, that have given her more
awareness.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Film/Music Recommendations
The Absolute Sound’s 2004
Golden Ear Awards
2004_golden_music_awards.jsp
Welcome to our annual Music Golden Ear Awards, with each writer choosing up
to three of his favorite records and/or multi-disc series released in 2004,
giving equal consideration to musical and sonic merits. The selections aren’
t meant as the reviewers’ definitive Top Three from 2004, but as three of
the year’s unequivocal best.
BOB GENDRON
Diamanda Galás: La Serpenta Canta. Blaise Dupuy, producer. Mute 9255 (2 CDs)
Buy CD
Diamanda Galás: Defixiones: Will and Testament, Orders From the Dead. Blaise
Dupuy, producer. Mute 9254 (2 CDs) Buy CD
An inimitable performer whose confrontational methods and avant-garde
approaches are nearly as famous as her disarming four-octave vocal range,
Diamanda Galás has returned after a five-year hiatus with two astonishing
double albums, both recorded in concert during 2001 and ’02. Each finds her
sounding demonically possessed. A solo record of voice and piano, La
Serpenta Canta is a harrowing set of blues, spiritual, soul, and country
covers that Galás’ fiery voice makes shiver, shriek, and haunt. Fiendish,
mighty, and delicate, her radical reinterpretation of traditional American
song probes the psychological depths of loss, death and horror with a stark,
sacrificial vision. Gorgeously packaged in hardcover-book form with detailed
liner notes and translations, Defixiones: Will and Testament is a
multi-language song cycle of poems that speak to Armenian, Greek, and
Assyrian genocides committed by Turkey in the early 20th century. Unearthing
atrocities condoned by the Allied Nations, Galás invokes past historical
injustices, her arresting passion and dramatic ache capturing human tragedy
in an apocalyptically surreal manner. Galás turns piano keys into sharp
icicles that prick and pierce. Faint electronic treatments provide chilling
background ambiance. Against it all, her voice hisses like a snake,
screeches like a bat, and bellows as if it were that of a sinner trapped in
the bowels of hell. On both records, intimate sonics give listeners a
carnage-splattered front seat to the world’s ongoing social and political
conflicts, and bring Galás’ transfixing grief-stricken voice up-close and
personal. Both sets close with a sensory-shattering rendition of Blind Lemon
Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” the singer’s extreme cadence
ricocheting as if the song’s two white horses are being tied together and
pulled in opposite directions until all that remain are shallow pools of
blood.
Elliott Smith: from a basement on a hill. Smith, et al., producers. Anti
86741 Buy CD
Initially deemed a suicide, Elliott Smith’s death remains an unsolved
mystery. The artist’s battles with depression, isolation, and drugs-which
provided him bittersweet inspiration, even here-were widely known. But
according to close friends, before his untimely death, the sensitive
Portland singer-songwriter was approaching life with newfound zest. If from
a basement on a hill-circumstantially Smith’s last album, 15 beautiful and
often intimate songs he completed before passing-is any indication, he wasn’
t a man planning to die. Sunshine bursts through even the thickest liquor
hangovers and pharmaceutical hazes, Smith’s mellifluous voice softly
hovering over a harmonious blend of crashing cymbals, radiant rhythms,
glowing acoustic strumming, light piano notes, and ballroom romance. He
wistfully professes to being “strung out again,” yet if this heartbreaking
and hopeful batch of radiant pop waltzes, scintillating melodies, and
shimmering poetry says anything, Smith was drunk on life’s dreams. The album
‘s sonics-from the warm washes of guitar chords to the finger-pick scraping
of strings-make it painfully evident that, like Buckley and Cobain before
him, this shooting star streaked across the sky much, much too soon.
The Clash: London Calling (Legacy Edition). Mick Jones, producer; Tony
Dixon, mastering. Columbia/Legacy 92923 (2 CDs) Buy CD
Universally and justly regarded as one of the ten best albums in rock
history, The Clash’s London Calling has been significantly expanded and
given the red-carpet treatment as a two-CD, one-DVD 25th Anniversary “Legacy
Edition.” Originally released in December 1979, the 19-song double-LP
telegraphed punk’s vital cry out to every corner of the world, lassoing
reggae, soul, rock, blues, country, funk, and jazz as no artist had
previously done. Featuring 21 unreleased performances-including four unknown
Clash songs-the long-lost Vanilla Tape recordings, finally discovered in
March by Mick Jones, fill disc two of this seminal set. Though of rough demo
quality, they’re a window on rehearsal sessions that went down at Vanilla
Studios, the London car repair shop that functioned as the setting for
material that became a generational juggernaut. Remastered and loaded with
two booklets, superb liner notes, and photos, London Calling has never
sounded better.

Webindia123, India
Jan 16 2005
Kids refuse to part with baby elephant gifted by government to
Armenia:-
Bangalore

Dozens of children, some as young as five, lined the streets of
Bangalore protesting the Centre’s decision to send a baby elephant to
Armenia as a goodwill gift.
The children, many wearing elephant masks and struggling with banners
twice their size, shouted slogans and pleaded to the authorities to
let “Veda”, the six-year-old female elephant, to stay.
The baby pachyderm is currently spending its last few days at the
Bannerghatta National Park on the outskirts of the city.
People for Animals, a voluntary organisation spearheading the
campaign, says the cold and dry climate of the tiny European nation
is unsuitable for Asian elephants and “Veda”, who is used to the
warmth of the coast , faces a serious survival threat even in the
special climate controlled enclosures provided by the zoo.
Urging the government to reconsider its decision, Siddhant, also six
years old, said Veda was his friend and like him could not stay away
from home. “This elephant should not be sent to such a cold climate
which is zero degree. If my parents send me away to a cold climate I
cannot live,” he said.
Activists say that elephants are extremely sensitive and emotional
and little Veda will face both loneliness and confusion when shifted
from the sanctuary. Sharat Babu, an activist, said even the
government was not aware about how well the Armenia zoo was equipped
to handle Veda. “We are actually protesting against the illegal
transfer of Veda, the baby elephant which has for six years been in
Bannerghatta to Armenia, where temperatures are totally unsuitable
and the housing is incorrect in the Armenia zoo,” he said.
Armenian officials had asked the Indian government for a female
pachyderm in 1999. Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
promised them an elephant during a visit to Armenia last year. (ANI)

Turkish Daily News
Jan 16 2005
Erdoðan’s diplomatic landing in the Kremlin
Yüksel Söylemez
In relation to President Vladimir Putin’s historic state visit to
the Presidential Palace in Cankaya the words of William Shakespeare,
“Within a month, yet within a month,’ are I feel apposite in the
context of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan losing no time and
hurriedly embarking upon a quick-fix businesslike return visit to the
Kremlin.
Why was he in such a great hurry? Setting aside the hair-trigger
timing “a la Erdogan” as the fastest Turkish leader of the decade not
wanting to lose momentum, the apparent pretext may have been the
long-delayed opening of the Turkish Center in Moscow built by the
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) that took
seven troublesome years to complete.
Erdogan’s declared aim was better and bigger business with the
Russians and to increase the volume of trade from last year’s $10
billion to $25 billion, or at least Putin’s more modest target of $15
billion, or $50 billion annually in 10 year’s time.
But how do they propose to achieve this? Russia, after all, is
already Turkey’s second largest trading partner after Germany.
Turkey is dependent on Russian natural gas for 60 percent of its
energy requirements. Energy by other means, coal for example, is
becoming less and less preferred in Turkey as natural gas is cleaner
and comparatively cheaper, although the Blue Stream natural gas
prices that Turkey has to pay are higher than those for other
customers of Russia. Moreover, under the agreed contract Turkey has
to pay for even what it cannot use, however, these are the same
conditions Iran once imposed upon Turkey. Putin, however, offered to
sell electricity cheaply to Turkey from under the Black Sea and a
study group will now be established towards this end.
The Russian private sector will be participating in international
bids concerning the distribution of natural gas in Turkey, as well as
building depots for storing gas underground, thus evening out winter
and summer prices. Russia wants to sell its oil and natural gas to
Israel by an extension of the Samsun-Ankara pipeline. Russia also
now wants to export Russian oil to Europe through Turkey using the
Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline that they were previously against. Russian
interest may not stop here in matters of energy, but go over and
beyond Turkey’s prospective nuclear power plants, rumored to cost
about $20 billion of more, Chernobyl or no Chernobyl notwithstanding.
This three-day visit to the Kremlin came with a clear message from
Erdogan to Putin. To paraphrase, “Russia will continue to be
Turkey’s trading partner on an even greater scale, with or without
Turkey’s European Union membership. Contrary to the serious concern
you expressed in Ankara in December, Russia is not going to lose
Turkey or say “farewell” to it as a trading partner. Quite the
opposite as our trade and cooperation will increase by leaps and
bounds. Remember, Turkey’s customs union with the EU did not
diminish our bilateral trade, but did, in fact, increase it to a
greater extent. We are here in Moscow for business, friendship and
strategic a partnership.”
Never before has Prime Minister Erdogan been accompanied by an army
of 500 plus businessmen in four planeloads, as well as four
ministers, 50 members of Parliament and 90 media members underlining
his message. Some 20 prominent businessmen were among the chosen few
personally introduced to President Putin, probably for their
investment in Russia that is expected to increase from $2.5 billion
or more.
Erdogan proposed joint ventures with Russia in Iraq. Turkey and
Russia are also to cooperate in military procurement and hardware,
such as the Erdogan’s helicopter and aircraft deal which has yet to
be decided, perhaps as a give-and-take in return for reducing natural
gas prices — also to be paid in kind rather than in cash on an
offset basis. The Turkish and Russian navies are now scheduled to
make joint naval exercises against maritime terrorism in the Black
Sea, where Russia is concerned about the presence of non-coastal
navies and the Marmara and Aegean Seas, all of which are on the route
of Russian oil tankers.
Erdogan, including his delegation and entourage, was given an
extraordinary welcome in Moscow. To underline this auspicious
welcome, he and Emine Erdogan were entertained in Putin’s home in
Novo Ogareva as a sign of exceptional courtesy to show genuine
Russian hospitality reserved for only a select few. Putin’s, “I
trust Erdogan because he keeps his word,” shows that there is a
strong personal chemistry between the two leaders with a clear
political will to cooperate, truly and sincerely, in order to replace
centuries of mistrust and enmity, especially after the lost decades
of the USSR to communism when it was considered by Turkey to be
national threat number one. In fact, what is happening now is the
revival of the Turkish-Russian rapprochement era of the National
Liberation War of Mustafa Kemal and the first 10 years of
Turkish-Russian friendship in the 1920s and early `30s.
This visit confirmed that the dialogue started by Putin in Ankara
would continue. This visit, to say the least, confirms the
normalization of bilateral relations and underlines that Turkey is a
regional power, alongside its EU prospects. It definitely brings new
volume to the bilateral relations of two important countries
belonging to the region encompassing Iraq to the Caucasus and to the
problems of that region, of which, broadly speaking, they share
similar views.
In his tete-a-tete with Putin in Novo Ogareva during dinner with
the normal protocol sampling three kinds of exceptionally delicious
caviar, probably wetted with quality water rather than the best
Russian vodka, `Tayyip’ may have asked ”Vladimir’ whether Russia
could be more flexible over the Cyprus problem; and who knows whether
in a light-hearted moment `Vladimir’ did not try to persuade `Tayyip’
in return for such a favor to change his drinking habits and toast
him with Stolichnaya?
It is a two-way street after all, and now that Putin made a
surprise call to the U.N. Secretary-General to say that Russia will
now support his efforts to solve the Cyprus question, Russia is in
the picture to exert pressure on Greek Cypriot leader Tassos
Papadopoulos for a peaceful and equitable settlement that will be in
the best interests of Russia as well. Erdogan presenting the
Chairman of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (KKTC) Chamber
of Commerce Salih Tumar to Putin heralded a volte-face in Russian
traditional policies that hitherto historically favored their Greek
Orthodox brothers as Russian investments abound in Greek Cyprus.
Putin said, “The economic isolation of the KKTC is not fair and
should be ended.” This concession is an outright meeting of Turkish
sensitivities and a quid pro quo for Russia’s large investments in
Turkey.
On Armenia, Putin offered to act as a go-between, but Erdogan’s
condition for establishing relations requires Armenia to recognize
the 1923 Kars Agreement fixing Turkey’s eastern borders that may be
hope against hope.
As Erdogan runs from success to success with his foreign policies,
this visit to Moscow was realized quicker than in the wildest dreams
of all Russian watchers — to say the least. There seems to have
been a sea change in Russia’s traditional policies with much more
understanding shown to Turkey. Now we have to watch that things
agreed take concrete shape and translate into reality. As they say,
`the proof of the pudding is in the eating.’

Luchtzak Aviation, Belgium
Jan 16 2005
Armavia cancels flights to Europe: poor sales

SN30952 writes “Armenia’s flagship airline, owned by Russia’s
second-biggest Sibir airline, has cancelled weekend flights between
Yerevan and three major European cities, despite growing demand.
Armavia, the Russian-owned private carrier, stopped flying in
weekends to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris as from this month,
immediately after obtaining exclusive rights to the flights from the
Armenian government.
Armavia cited poor ticket sales to justify the move. Armavia’s sole
Western European destination now is Paris.
The cancelled flights used to be operated by Armenian International
Airways, a small private company now facing uncertain future. Its
traffic rights expired last month and were transferred to Armavia
which thus effectively became the sole Armenian-based airline.
Or how to kill an airline?
Austrian Airlines, the third largest carrier of passengers to and
from Armenia, increased the frequency of its regular Vienna-Yerevan
flights. OS flies presently five days a week.”

The Scotsman, UK
Jan 16 2005
The Russian evolution at Hearts
DAN BRENNAN
SINCE Anatoly Byshovets’ name was first mooted in relation to Hearts
last autumn, references to the former Russia coach have often been
laced with negativism and suspicion. Much of this has been down to a
lack of understanding over his future role and the perceived threat
to home-grown hero John Robertson.
In his first full interview in Scotland, Byshovets was keen to stress
his growing admiration for Robbo and hinted that he will only assume
a permanent role as Hearts director of football if it is clear that
there’s a real job for him to do and it is with the full blessing of
the manager.
“There’s been much talk that I will come in as sporting director but
this has yet to be finalised,” said Byshovets. “For the moment I’m
just continuing to help out on an informal basis. I believe I have a
good relationship with John and the players. To my mind John has
behaved with a lot of dignity and professionalism through what has
been a difficult time for everyone associated with the club, I have a
great deal of respect for him.”
The fact that he has largely kept his counsel until now may have
fuelled the conspiracy theories. But, like Vladimir Romanov and
Robertson, he has until recently been in limbo and thus limited in
what he could say or do. Now that last Monday’s agm clears the way
for Romanov to push forward with his plans, Byshovets hopes the
position regarding his own future will soon become clearer.
“The situation at the club needs to be fully stabilised and any
remaining tensions need to be resolved before I would want to commit
my future more permanently. At this stage I don’t have a contract
with Hearts and I don’t have a contract with Mr Romanov.”
Having enjoyed a long and fruitful coaching career both at club and
national team level including stints in Russia, Ukraine, South Korea,
Portugal and Cyprus, Byshovets has previously stated that he is
already financially secure enough to make a job description of more
import than the salary.
“From a personal point of view the main thing is to be involved in a
project that interests me, and the challenge of helping Hearts
compete with Celtic and Rangers is certainly an interesting one.”
In Byshovets’ case there is good reason to assume that this is not
just cheap talk. A few years ago he surprised many back home by
refusing more lucrative offers from abroad to take up a post at
Khimki in the Russian second flight. In Russia he also has a
reputation as a coach who knows his own mind and is not afraid to
speak it, something which has not always pleased his club presidents.
The president of one of his old clubs Zenith St Petersburg once said
of him: “Byshovets is the best coach in Russia but as a person he’s
impossible.”
Byshovets responded as follows: “If the club driver or the cleaner,
the fans or the players had said that about me I would have been
upset. But if it was my bosses it doesn’t bother me.”
Events after the Basel game where he reportedly chastised the Hearts
players for over-celebrating their UEFA Cup win saw him branded an
interfering killjoy. He feels he has been wrongly portrayed and,
though he is too seasoned a campaigner to worry too much about what
the boys in the press room are saying, he is keen to ensure that
neither Robertson nor the Hearts fans view him as anything other than
a benevolent force.
“The uncertainty that has affected the club until recently affected
everyone involved with the team, including me. The latest
developments have gladdened me a lot as it means we can talk already
about the new players that John Robertson wants to bring in.”
With Mark de Vries and Alan Maybury having already left, the issue of
squad replenishments requires even greater urgency. When it was
announced that some 20 players from Lithuania were coming over to
Edinburgh the knee-jerk conclusion in many quarters was that this was
a mass trial and that Robbo, like it or not, was due to be besieged
by Balts. The truth was somewhat less radical.
“It was part winter training camp and part trial,” explained
Byshovets. “The players were preparing for their new season but also
John wanted to see them in action and see if there were any players
that interested him.”
In the former Soviet Union winter training camps are the norm. Clubs
often head for the sunnier climes of Cyprus, Turkey or perhaps Spain
but with Romanov keen to cross-fertilise his football interests, the
notion of bringing them over to the less clement surrounds of
Edinburgh made sense and for the Kaunas squad it was a timely warm-up
for this month’s Commonwealth Cup in Moscow competed between the
champions of the 15 former Soviet republics.
“We had three control matches so there was plenty of opportunity for
John to see what was on offer,” continued Byshovets. “I have to
stress that the idea of bringing them over was agreed with John
before hand and had his complete backing.”
The players – 25 of them in all – hailed primarily from the Kaunas
squad but there were also a handful of players from MTZ RIPO, the
Belarussian club that also comes under the umbrella of Romanov’s
international football development fund.
Aside from the Kaunas men were three young Belarusian players:
goalkeeper Pavel Chesnovsky and midfielders Mikhail Asanasyev and
Yuri Prokopchik, and also 31-year-old Armenian international Hamlet
Mkhitarian whose CV sounds as exotic as his name including stints in
Lebanon and Kazakhstan. While for the Belarussians and for Hamlet it
was perhaps a case of not so close and no cigar four of the
Lithuanians will be heading back to Scotland. “John was impressed
enough by four of the players to bring them to Hearts,” confirmed
Byshovets. “Again, I emphasise that the decision was John’s.”
The pick of the Hearts new boys who have all signed on until the end
of the season is Andrius Gedgaudas, Lithuania’s current player of the
year. The others are Saulius Mikoliunas and under-21 internationals
Marius Kysis and Gediminus Vicius.
The Baltic quartet are all midfielders. The issue of signing another
striker remains the top priority. Like Robertson, Byshovets was a
hitman of some standing in his day (playing for the USSR he was one
of the top strikers at the 1970 World Cup). He knows what to look for
but that doesn’t make the task any easier.
“The problem is finding players who are match fit and ready to go
straight into the team which rules out a lot of European players who
are on their winter break,” Byshovets said. “And we also obviously
need a player who fits the British style. And then getting strikers
of star calibre is never easy.
“I think working in Britain has to be a big attraction for anyone.
Everyone talks about the quality of the English Premiership and the
atmosphere in the stadiums there. But I see so much potential in
Scotland too if only they can build up a couple more clubs to compete
with the big two.”
While restating his desire to assume a meaningful role at Tynecastle
longer term, Byshovets also confirmed he was not short of other
offers with a varied international menu to choose from. “I can say
that I’ve been asked back to South Korea to manage a club team and I
also have proposals from Russia and Portugal. But none of the other
offers I’ve received interest me nearly as much as the prospect of
working in Britain.” The message is clear enough: Tynecastle is where
his heart is but unless he is certain that a Byshovets-shaped vacancy
exists he won’t be signing on.
“This is an important season for Hearts. Hopefully they will finish
high up the league and I think there’s a good chance they can do well
in the Cup. Whether I am part of that remains to be seen.”

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Jan 16 2005
President Issues two Decrees
Damascus, Jan 16, (SANA)-
President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday issued decree number 13 for 2005
to ratify cooperation protocol between Syria and China in the gas and
oil field.
Another decree to endorse a cooperation accord between Syria and
Armenia in the field of health and medical sciences was issued today
by President Assad and entitled decree number 14 for 2005.
S. Younes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 15 2005
ARMENIA-IRAN RELATIONS MARKED IN 2004 WITH START OF GAS PIPELINE
LAYING
YEREVAN, January 15 (RIA Novosti) – The main achievement of the
Armenian-Iranian relations in 2004 was the beginning of the
construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline’s Armenian section, as
well as the commissioning of the second high-voltage transmission
line “Agarak-Shinuair,” reads the final report of Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan for 2004 provided by the Armenian Foreign
Ministry information and press department.
The report notes that among the priority tasks of Armenia-Iran
relations in the sphere of the economy is the construction of the
Kajaran tunnel, a hydropower plant on the border river Araks, as well
as boosting cooperation in the field of alternative power industry.
In line with the report, intensive dialogue on further development of
political ties continued between Armenia and Iran in 2004. It is
noted that during the first official visit by Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami to Armenia in September 2004, the two countries’
heads discussed a wide range of issues relating to perspectives of
bilateral cooperation. After the two presidents’ meeting, an
agreement on the principles and fundamentals of cooperation between
Armenia and Iran was signed.

Zenit News Agency, Italy
Jan 15 2005
Muslims Identify Christians As Western Enemies
BAGHDAD/MOSUL, Iraq — Being a Christian, “of the same religion as
the Western soldiers,” is enough to be the considered an enemy in
Iraq, says a Chaldean monk.
Father Waheed Gabriele Tooma’s statement was echoed by Fides news
agency, recalling the recent incident involving two Chaldean monks of
the Dora monastery south of Baghdad, kidnapped a few days ago by
unknown individuals and released two days later.
The “flourishing industry of kidnapping knows no end,” the agency
reported. The targets of religious Muslim fundamentalism are
foreigners, wealthy Iraqis — because of the ransom –, and religious
personnel, especially Christians.
Father Tooma, religious brother of the kidnapped monks, said to Fides
that “Iraq is a nation that dies every day, and not only because of
lack of food and medicines. It dies morally and culturally, deprived
of its identity, freedom, and right to live in peace as the other
nations of the earth. The path of this nation is dark; it seems to be
without a future. Children die no sooner they are born, without a
smile.”
It’s a situation from which the people flee. “More than 3 million
have emigrated abroad, among them, Christians,” he said.
“Only in the last months, after the attack on the Christian Churches,
more than 50,000 Iraqi Christians have emigrated to Syria, Jordan,
and Turkey, because of the threats received by Muslim
fundamentalists. What is the offense? Being Christians, that is, of
the same religion as the Western soldiers.”
On Dec. 7, two attacks destroyed the Armenian-Catholic church of
Mosul and the Chaldean Episcopal Palace of that city. They were part
of a series of attacks against churches which began in early August,
when four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul were hit. Dozens of
Christians died in these attacks. Attacks against stores owned by
Christians in Iraq started earlier.
>From Mosul, the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation recently
confirmed, in a statement sent to ZENIT, that the situation of danger
for Christians is such that many have been obliged to emigrate “to
Syria or Jordan, and have left all their property to save their
lives.”
The nuns’ house in the Iraqi city is located in an area between “the
Americans, on one side, and the terrorists on the other,” which means
a constant danger that impedes them for days from leaving the
convent, even to go to Mass.
Despite the problems, the sisters are not thinking of leaving, given
that, as they affirmed, “we are here, in this neighborhood, our
neighborhood, and we will stay to witness to Christ crucified but
risen from the dead.”
The congregation has seven communities in Iraq, in which some 40
religious work in education and run residences for young people,
children’s homes, and health centers such as St. Raphael’s Hospital
in Baghdad.