Armenia to seek support for ‘genocide’ charges at CIS
Turkish Daily News
09 December 2004
Yerevan is planning to push for a discussion on the alleged genocide at the
Parliamentary Assembly of the former Soviet Union countries next year
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
Armenia is planning to take the issue of recognition of an alleged
genocide against Armenians at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire
to the Parliamentary Assembly of the former Soviet Union states,
a senior Armenian official said.
Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Vahan Oganesian said Armenia
would bring the issue to the attention of parliamentarians of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 2005, the year that marks
the 90th anniversary of the alleged genocide.
“This would be of significant benefit to us,” he was quoted as saying
in Yerevan by the Anatolia news agency.
Turkey, which was created following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire,
categorically rejects “genocide” charges and says there were killings
on both Turkish and Armenian sides as the Ottoman Empire was trying to
quell civil unrest caused by an Armenian uprising in Eastern Anatolia
during World War I.
Influential Armenian diaspora has successfully pushed for recognition
of the alleged genocide in several European countries and in the
European Parliament. The European Union, however, has dismissed calls
to recognize the alleged genocide as a condition for Turkey to open
EU accession talks.
Oganesian, in a press statement in Yerevan, said there could be
different consequences of bringing the issue onto the CIS agenda,
emphasizing that there was no guarantee that the outcome would
necessarily be in favor of Armenia.
Turkey says Yerevan’s cessation of support of Armenian diaspora
efforts for worldwide recognition of the alleged genocide is one of
the conditions for the normalization of ties with the land-locked
country. Ankara is also in solidarity with Azerbaijan, whose territory
in Nagorno-Karabakh is held under Armenian occupation, and keeps its
border gate with Armenia closed.
–Boundary_(ID_VNhKsX6g6VPJNyyQduRZCA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
12/08/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ANCC, ARF Canada Youth Organization at Liberal Party Convention 2) Clerics Condemn Church Bombings 3) Karabagh President Awards Canadian Armenian Photographer Hawk Khatcherian 4) Armenian Court Gives Green Light for Iraq Deployment 5) BRIEFS 1) ANCC, ARF Canada Youth Organization at Liberal Party Convention YEREVAN (Yerkir)--The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) and the Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Canada participated in convention of the ruling Liberal Party of Canada, on December 2 in Toronto. Addressing the convention, Prime Minister Paul Martin spoke of the relations between his country and the United Sates, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Iraq elections. Meeting with Prime Minister Martin and Defense Minister Bill Graham, the ANCC representatives addressed the issue of opening a Canadian embassy in Armenia and including Armenia in the Canadian International Development Agency's projects. 2) Clerics Condemn Church Bombings MOSUL (Combined Sources)The attack on Mosul's Chaldean and Armenian churches on Tuesday did not go unnoticed by religious heads. Condemning the violence, Catholicos Karekin II of the Holy See of Etchimiadzin, warned of a "danger to the centuries-old co-existence of the Christian and Islamic peoples" of Iraq, and urged Iraqi spiritual leaders to prevent the continuing unrest in the country from degenerating into a religious conflict. Karekin II's alarm was echoed by Pope John Paul II on Wednesday. "I express my spiritual closeness to the faithful, shocked by the attacks," John Paul said, speaking from his apartment window above St. Peter's Square on the Roman Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception. The harshest condemnation of Tuesday's attacks, however, came from Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia. "One cannot understand fully and accurately the history of the Middle East, with its upheavals and tensions, challenges and achievements, without the Christian-Moslem co-existence which remains a vital dimension of the history of this region," His Holiness noted. "In fact, Christianity and Islam have made a significant contribution to the history of the Middle East, particularly in the areas of culture, science, civilization and politics. "The centuries old Christian Moslem co-existence has developed mutual understanding and trust among the peoples of the region. That is why I often remind our Western friends that Christian-Moslem dialogue in the Middle East is not an intellectual notion, but an existential reality and an integral part of the daily life of the people. And, in view of the growing concern for Christian-Moslem dialogue, I often remind our friends in the West that Christian-Moslem dialogue in our part of the world is deeply rooted in our common history. For centuries, not only Christians and Moslems have talked to each other, but they have lived together, worked together, dreamed and struggled together and have sustained their life by common moral and human values," said Aram I. Referring specifically to the attacks, the Catholicos stated: "I cannot understand and accept these bombings of churches in Iraq. How such a thing happens between followers of two religions who have lived together for centuries as one community and as good neighbors. I cannot understand such an attitude towards Christians who have been inseparable part of the Middle Eastern society and have played a major role in all aspects of the society life. I consider these bombings serious attempts aimed at endangering the Christian-Moslem co-existence, undermining the importance of common values and aspirations which have sustained the life of the Middle Eastern societies, and questioning the importance of human rights and religious liberties. Such attempts also underestimate the unity of the Arab world and the credibility of the Arab cause. Therefore, I urge and appeal to the leaderships of Christian and Moslem communities in Iraq to come together and to re-affirm the Christian-Moslem co-existence as well as their national unity." Numbering 1.2 million, the country's Christian community has been subject to several attacks since the onset of violence within the country. On November 8, at least three people were killed and 45 wounded when two suspected car bombs exploded within minutes of each other outside two churches in southern Baghdad. In a coordinated assault on August 1, six car bombs killed 10 people and injured 50 others outside churches in Baghdad and Mosul. 3) Karabagh President Awards Canadian Armenian Photographer Hawk Khatcherian STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)--Mountainous Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghukasian awarded well-known Canadian Armenian photographer Hrair Khatcherian the prestigious "Gratitude" medal on December 8 for his notable contributions to the development of Karabagh's culture, since the onset of the Karabagh national liberation struggle. Khatcherian remarked that Karabagh provides a source of creative inspiration not only for him, but also for all art and cultural activists in the diaspora. Presenting one of his works to the President, Khatcherian thanked Ghukasian for the high praise. Khatcherian has made photographic voyages to Artsakh on various occasions almost every year from 1992-1999, his vision motivated by the natural beauty of the mountains and the fields, the rich farms and historic villages, the ancient churches and monasteries of Artsakh. He has also visited Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, Romania, Lebanon, Cyprus, and the Island of St. Lazzaro in Venice, Italy. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Khatcherian always dreamt of becoming a pilot as a child. Instead, he spent most of his time in school fiddling with cameras, snapping pictures of anyone and anything that was around. His dream finally came true in 1982, when he moved to the United States, and became a certified commercial pilot. He returned to Lebanon to pursue his dream, but because things did not go as planned, he returned to the US. He then moved to Toronto, Canada in 1984, dedicating himself to freelance photography. He first visited his ancestral land in 1992. "Psychologically, I was prepared to visit Armenia along time before my first visit," says Hrair of that trip. With his photographs, he tried to capture the everyday life of Armenians. Diagnosed with cancer in 1993, Hrair was in a stage so advanced, that he was given one week to live. His only option was enduring heavy doses of chemotherapy. On his 32nd birthday, he attended his first session. After five more sessions and a bone marrow transplant, he pulled through, calling it his "rebirth." During his illness, the people of Karabagh and their troubles constantly occupied Khatcherian's mind, making him even more determined to survive to return to Armenia; and ever since, he has returned many times. In 1997, he published his first album, Artsakh: A photographic Journey--the story of Artsakh in 200 color photographs: its land, its monuments, its people, its culture, and its struggle. Khatcherian captured the vitality of the people and the courage of their struggle to be free. The story of Artsakh is witnessed in these remarkable photos. Between the covers of this book, one will also find the story of Artsakh. It is carved in stone and written in books, scratched into the sides of hills; recorded in the village graveyards. Hrair "Hawk" Khatcherian has used his camera to portray an ancient and beautiful civilization in an ancient and beautiful land. When asked about the nickname Hawk, Hrair explains that as a child in school, he had an American pen pal who had trouble pronouncing his name, so she asked him to come up with a nickname. Having a particular interest in birds, he decided to call himself Hawk. The nickname stuck, and now even appears on his passport. He says he feels a connection with this bird: they both like to fly, they both have good eyesight (in Hrair's case, to see a photo opportunity), and they both like to be alone when choosing a target. 4) Armenian Court Gives Green Light for Iraq Deployment YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Armenia's Constitutional Court gave the government the green light on Wednesday to send Armenian non-combat troops to Iraq, paving the way for a debate on the issue in parliament. Some members of parliament hold serious misgivings about the wisdom of such a deployment, sharing concerns about the security of Iraq's Armenian community. But Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian brushed aside those concerns as he addressed the panel of nine judges. "Armenia could not have stayed isolated from regional developments," he said. "Hence, the Armenian authorities' decision to participate in the process of Iraq's stabilization." Sarkisian warned that Armenia's failure to follow neighboring Azerbaijan's and Georgia's example and join the US-led "coalition of the willing" in Iraq "could create certain obstacles to a further expansion of Armenia's cooperation in the international arena." He did not elaborate. The one-day court hearing centered on an agreement between Poland and 18 other countries that have troops in a Polish-led multinational division controlling south-central Iraq. Armenian President Kocharian promised to place about 50 Armenian military doctors, sappers and truck drivers under Polish command during a visit to Warsaw last September. The Constitutional Court found that the agreement does not run counter to the Armenian constitution. Sarkisian said Yerevan will sign up to the document on the condition that Armenian military personnel take part only in "defensive and humanitarian activities" and avoid joint contact with a larger Azerbaijani contingent. "Performance of joint tasks with the contingent of Azerbaijani armed forces stationed in Iraq will not be acceptable," he said. Speaking to reporters afterward, Sarkisian was confident that the National Assembly would endorse deployment plans endorsed by the US. "I think that the overwhelming majority of our parliamentarians care about Armenia's future and will not make emotional decisions," he said. Critics have been warning that an estimated 25,000 Iraqi citizens of Armenian descent could face retaliatory attacks from Iraqi insurgents once Armenia becomes part of the US-led occupation force. The insurgents have routinely kidnapped and killed citizens of countries cooperating with it. Leaders of the Iraqi Armenians have themselves exhorted Kocharian not to send any servicemen. Underscoring their fears was Tuesday's bombing of Armenian and Chaldean churches in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. News reports said gunmen burst in and set off explosions inside the buildings, damaging them but hurting no one. In Yerevan, meanwhile, one of the Constitutional Court judges, Kim Balayan, wondered if the planned deployment could put the lives of Iraqi Armenians at greater risk. Sarkisian countered that they will be insecure regardless of Armenian military presence in Iraq. 5) BRIEFS CE Committee Report Highlights Ill-Treatment in Azeri Detention Facilities YEREVAN (Yerkir)--The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) published Wednesday its first report on Azerbaijan. The report, concerning the CPT's periodic visit to Azerbaijan in November/December 200, concluded that those detained by the police in Azerbaijan run a significant risk of being ill-treated. The Committee recommends that high priority be given to professional training for police officers and that legal safeguards against ill-treatment be applied. The report also highlights serious shortcomings in the detention centers, including overcrowding and a lack of constructive activities for inmates. EBRD Invests in Armenian Bank YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) purchased on Wednesday a 25 percent share in a major Armenian commercial bank in line with its pledge to boost direct investments in the country's private sector. Senior EBRD executives said they will pay Armeconombank $1 million and grant it $500,000 in "technical assistance" as they sealed the deal in Yerevan. "This is our first investment [of its kind] in Armenia, and if further opportunities arise we will certainly consider them," an EBRD finance director, Maria-Luisa Cicogniani, told a news conference. Azerbaijan to Raise 2005 Defense Spending BAKU (AFP)--Azerbaijan's defense spending will increase by 30 percent next year, and may eventually grow by 200 percent, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said late Tuesday, linking the hike to his country's conflict with neighboring Armenia. "Next year, defense spending will be increased to 250 million dollars, which is 30 percent more than in 2004," Aliyev told a cabinet meeting. "And in the future, we will continue to increase defense spending. As long as our land is occupied," he added, in a reference to Karabagh. Armenian Court Gives Green Light for Iraq Deployment YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--Armenia's Constitutional Court gave the government the green light on Wednesday to send Armenian non-combat troops to Iraq, a deployment which Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian claimed will spare the country international isolation. The ruling paved the way for a debate on the issue in parliament, with some concerned about the security of Iraq's Armenian community. But Sarkisian warned that Armenia's failure to follow neighboring Azerbaijan's and Georgia's example and join the US-led "coalition of the willing" in Iraq "could create certain obstacles to a further expansion of Armenia's cooperation in the international arena." Leaders of the Iraqi Armenians have themselves urged Kocharian not to send any servicemen. Underscoring their fears was Tuesday's bombing of Armenian and Chaldean churches in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Russia Lifts Restrictions on Abkhazia Section of Border MOSCOW (Itar-Tass)--Russia lifted restrictions imposed on the Abhkazian section of its border, aide to the Russian prime minister Gennady Bukayev said on Wednesday. "The decision was made over an address of the leadership of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia and the normalization of the situation in the republic," he emphasized. The Russian side imposed instructions on the Abkhazian border section on December 2. The railway communication between Moscow and Sukhumi was suspended on the same day. Growing tensions in Abkhazia caused restrictions of the border-crossing regime," Bukayev emphasized. Last Monday Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khadzhimba, who are running for the presidency, signed an agreement uniting in one team for the upcoming new Abkhazian presidential election, settling an acute political crisis in the self-proclaimed republic. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
=================================================
Wednesday 8 December 2004
AZERBAIJAN: “WE DON’T NEED BAPTISTS HERE,” SHOUTS OBSTRUCTIVE OFFICIAL
“We don’t need any Baptists here,” Najiba Mamedova, the notary of
Azerbaijan’s north-western Zakatala [Zaqatala] region shouted at Forum 18
News Service, asked why she has for more than a year refused to notarise
the signatures on the registration application of a local Baptist
congregation. “We don’t want a second Karabakh,” Najiba Mamedova
screamed, adding “Who financed you? Go to them,” before throwing
Forum 18 out of her office and threatening to call the police. The church’s
pastor, Hamid Shabanov, told Forum 18 that “She always spoke to us
like that.” The church began applying for registration in 1994, making
it the religious community which has been denied registration in Azerbaijan
for the longest period. The head of the Aliabad administration, Gasim
Orujov, has refused to allow the Baptists to build a church in the village.
“There is Islam here and we have our mosque,” he told Forum 18.
AZERBAIJAN: “WE DON’T NEED BAPTISTS HERE,” SHOUTS OBSTRUCTIVE OFFICIAL
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service
“We don’t need any Baptists here,” the notary of Azerbaijan’s
north-western Zakatala [Zaqatala] region shouted at Forum 18 News Service
on 27 November when it tried to find out why for more than a year she had
refused to notarise the signatures on the registration application by a
local Baptist congregation. “We don’t want a second Karabakh,”
Najiba Mamedova screamed, referring to the Armenian-populated region that
broke away from Azerbaijani control more than a decade ago in a brutal war.
“Who financed you? Go to them,” she added before throwing Forum
18 out of her office in Zakatala’s court building and threatening to call
the police. “She always spoke to us like that,” the church’s
pastor, Hamid Shabanov, who had witnessed Mamedova’s response, told Forum
18 sadly.
Shabanov’s church – one of three Baptist congregations in the village
of Aliabad, two of which are members of the Azerbaijani Baptist Union
– lodged its latest registration application for notarisation with
Mamedova some fourteen months ago, but she has consistently refused to
process it, church members complain. Without the notarised signatures of
the church’s founding members the application cannot be processed and the
congregation cannot get legal status.
The church began applying for registration in 1994, making it the religious
community which has been denied registration in Azerbaijan for the longest
period.
Ali Abasov, a professor at the National Academy of Sciences and president
of the Azerbaijani branch of the International Religious Liberty
Association, said he could well understand how the authorities in a place
like Aliabad could “illegally obstruct” the registration of a
minority religious community. “It is a question of ten minutes at the
notary’s office,” he told Forum 18 in the capital Baku on 29 November.
“Officials should do their job in accordance with the law.”
“It is wrong for the notary to refuse to notarise the documents,”
Azer Sharafli, head of the general department of the State Committee for
Work with Religious Organisations, told Forum 18 in his office in Baku on
24 November. “It’s their job to do so.” He said although his
committee is in charge of the registration of religious organisations, it
is not its responsibility if other officials refuse to do their job.
“No-one appealed to us,” he claimed. He said if the Baptists have
any complaint they should take their case to court.
“If all the paperwork is in order, notarisation is a question of no
more than 30 minutes maximum, that’s my view,” the head of the Aliabad
administration, Gasim Orujov, told Forum 18 under outsized portraits of
President Ilham Aliev and his late father Heidar Aliev in his office in the
village on 27 November. Although no fan of the Baptists, he said he was
unable to tell if the authorities want to register the Baptists or not.
“It’s not my responsibility. I won’t interfere.”
Orujov readily admitted that the Baptists – like believers of any
other faith – have the full right to practise their religion.
“There’s democracy here.” He claimed to be ready to give the
Baptists any documents they require to complete the registration process.
However, he resolutely refused to allow them to build a church in the
village. “There is Islam here and we have our mosque,” he told
Forum 18, gesturing to the nearby minaret. “People wouldn’t allow a
church nearby. There would be conflict.” (He did not mention that
Aliabad used to have a Georgian Orthodox church, which was closed during
the Soviet period.)
Orujov brushed aside suggestions that one group of citizens cannot prevent
another group of citizens exercising their rights. “Can we allow a
church to be built after they have been here for only ten years?” he
asked. “Let them pray at home.” Told that registered places of
worship of a wide variety of faiths exist in Baku he responded: “Baku
has people of many faiths and different backgrounds – it’s OK for
churches to exist there.”
For more background information see Forum 18’s Azerbaijan religious freedom
survey at
A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
las/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba
(END)
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved.
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News
Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at
–Boundary_(ID_cE2H6REQQciX9D7knivOiA)–

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Monday, December 6, 2004
In this issue:
Armenia concerns with EU decision on Turkey
Efforts to release pilots held in Eq. Guinea continue
Most funding for Karabakh highway secured
Statement of Slovak MP on Armenian Genocide
ARMENIA URGES EU TO DISCUSS TURKEY’S DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES
Armenia wants the European Union (EU) to consider Turkey’s Armenia
policies as it mulls Turkey’s bid for membership at the December 17
summit. In a letter sent to the EU leaders last week, Armenia’s
President Robert Kocharian urged the EU to discuss Turkey’s ongoing land
blockade of Armenia. The EU summit is expected to give conditional
approval to negotiations on Turkey’s membership application. Earlier EU
calls for lifting of the blockade were followed by bilateral
Armenian-Turkish talks, but no practical results.
Turkey refuses to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia and has
kept the mutual border closed for over a decade. As the main
precondition for relations, Turkey wants Armenia to end the
international campaign for the affirmation of the Armenia Genocide, led
primarily by the descendants of survivors of the crime now living in the
Diaspora. The new Turkish Penal Code makes the Genocide’s affirmation
within Turkey punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Turkey has also
pressured foreign governments not to discuss the issue. A European
Parliament committee has already called for a repeal of the Penal Code
clause and Turkish protests last week did not stop the Parliament of
Slovakia from joining a growing numbers of countries worldwide from
condemning the Armenian Genocide.
For its part, Armenia is ready to establish normal relations without any
preconditions. Armenian officials have generally backed Turkey’s EU bid
in a hope that the process would contribute to changes in Turkey’s
policies. And in fact, Turkish officials have until this year hinted
that they are considering normalization, but bilateral talks have so far
been fruitless. Last October, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian publicly
expressed concern that by not putting stronger emphasis on the issue,
the EU was sacrificing its principles for the sake of perceived
political expediency.
As part of an apparent effort to draw closer to the EU states such as
France and Germany, Turkey has stepped up its criticism of the United
States’ policies. The Turkish parliamentary human rights committee
accused the United States of conducting a ‘genocide’ in Iraq. Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul justified the remarks as reflecting
“freedom of speech” in Turkey (where it is now illegal to publicly refer
to the Armenian Genocide or call for Turkish forces’ withdrawal from
Cyprus). In a public response to an apparent back-channel warning from
the U.S., Gul considered a possible U.S. congressional statement on the
Armenian Genocide to be “blackmail.”
A prominent Yerevan commentator Aleksandr Iskandarian suggested last
week that Turkey’s joining the EU “as is” may become an “insurmountable
obstacle” for Armenia’s own effort to integrate with Europe. Turkey has
already lobbied against Armenia in organizations such as the World Trade
Organization, Council of Europe and the Western European Union, where it
is already a member. (Sources: Armenia This Week 10-18; Turkish Daily
News 11-12, 28; Noyan Tapan 11-22, 30; Reuters 11-26; Arminfo 11-30,
12-3; WEU PA 11-30; Zaman 11-30; European Armenian Federation 12-2;
Associated Press 12-3)
ARMENIA TO FIGHT ON FOR PILOTS IMPRISONED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian promised last week to
continue to do everything possible for the release of Armenian pilots
currently imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea. In a trial characterized by
Amnesty International as “grossly unfair,” the crew of Armenia’s private
Tiga Air company was last month sentenced to between 14 and 24 years in
prison on charges of involvement in an attempted coup. Ambassador Sergei
Manaserian, who has made repeated trips to the African country, said
this week that Armenia will continue to seek the pilots’ release through
appeal, negotiations or extradition. Both Armenian officials and Amnesty
International, which monitored the trial, insist that EquatoGuinean
authorities failed to provide credible evidence to support the
accusations.
The local authorities claim that Armenian pilots contracted by a German
company to fly in cargo to the oil-rich country were abetting an
international conspiracy to topple the local ruler. According to the
governments of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, the
conspiracy involved dozens of South African and Angolan mercenaries and
was allegedly financed by Mark Thatcher, son of the former British Prime
Minister. Key co-conspirators have repeatedly denied that Armenian
pilots have been part of the plot and the pilots themselves maintain
they are innocent. Manaserian confirmed that the pilots are held in
difficult conditions, subject to torture and lacking in adequate food or
medical care. (Sources: Arm. This Week 8-30; RFE/RL Arm. Report 12-1;
Noyan Tapan 12-2; Arminfo 12-6)
MOST FUNDING SECURED FOR KEY KARABAKH HIGHWAY
Some $11 million has been pledged for a key throughway in Nagorno
Karabakh in the latest fundraising campaign completed by the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund last week. The amount, which is almost twice as much
as was collected in a similar effort last year, includes over $1 million
in donations from within Armenia, with most of the money due to come
from Armenian-American contributors. Half of the 105-mile $25 million
highway, which is designed to connect the northern and southern tips of
Nagorno Karabakh, has already been finished. The Fund’s executive
director Naira Melkumian anticipates the highway’s completion within two
years. (Sources: Armenia This Week 11-22; Arminfo 12-3; RFE/RL Armenia
Report 12-3)
Visit the Armenia This Week archive dating back to 1997 at
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
122 C Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 393-3434 FAX
(202) 638-4904
E-Mail [email protected] WEB
November 30, 2004
Statement by a Member of Slovak Parliament Frantisek Miklosko
[AAA Note: English translation provided by Noyan Tapan news agency
12/3/2004.
Miklosko was the first Parliament Speaker of independent Slovakia and
past presidential candidate.]
“On the Christmas of 1990, immediately after the first free elections of
that year, the Slovakian National Assembly adopted its first historical
statement, a request for apology addressed to all the Jewish compatriots
for their deportation in 1939-1945 and the tragic aftermath.
In February 1991, the Slovakian National Assembly adopted another
statement addressed to the Carpathian Germans who had lived in the
territory of our country for centuries. It was again a request for
apology for their collective deportation. Meanwhile, the Slovakian
Parliament verified the principle of collective sin.
Thus, we were eager to start a new era in 1989. A retrospective glance
with acknowledgement of one’s own sins may be a reliable glance at the
future. I tell you this, because today I am going to speak of a key
issue, the Genocide that the Ottoman Empire committed against the
Armenian people in 1915.
True, as introduction to the aforementioned statements we, as the
representatives of Slovakia, commented on our own problems, but it is
also true that in the global unification of continents and the world, as
well as in conditions of freedom and democracy, there exist no internal
problems of a country, especially when the matter concerns a crime
against the humanity and it is also true that the Turkish state, of
which we speak today, has refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide so
far.
What has occurred in reality?
Two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire during the World War
I. The decision to commit a Genocide against Armenians was made by the
Ottoman authorities in 1915. Over a million people were deported and
expelled to the Der Zor desert of Syria in 1915. Thousands were cruelly
massacred in places. Many died of hunger in the way, others died of
exhaustion and epidemics in concentration camps. Mass deportation and
massacre were carried out by Turkish nationalists in 1920-1923. Those
nationalists were representing a new political union against Young Turks
who had adopted a similar ethnic and ideological orientation. Thousands
of Armenians fled to Russia where they lived as refugees. The so-called
regiment of Young Turks intruded into the Caucasus in 1918 where about
1.8 million Armenians lived under the Russian ruling. The Ottoman units
crossed Azerbaijan to get to Southern Armenia and continue massacres. It
is well known that over 1.5 million Armenians were killed in 1915-1918.
The historic Armenia and minor Asia had been relieved of Armenians by
1923. The Armenian community was abolished from that part of the world.
What’s the situation today?
Turkey has not recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide so far. As soon as
Armenia was declared an independent state, Turkey closed the border with
Armenia. Armenia has neither a short way to Europe nor any economic or
diplomatic relations with Turkey. The Turkish Parliament has adopted a
law condemning any public statement about the Armenian Genocide or the
division of Cyprus. The Armenian community now living in Turkey is
usually exposed to political pressure as a national minority.
When entering Poland Hitler stated: “Who speaks of the Armenians today?”
In what way are his words being carried out today and how does the world
feel for this tragedy? Statements, declarations and laws on the Armenian
Genocide have been adopted by the governments and parliaments of the
following countries so far. Canada adopted it in 2004, Argentina in
2004, Uruguay in 1965, 2004, Switzerland in 2003, European Parliament in
1987, 2000, 2002, Italy in 2000, Vatican in 2000, UN in 1985, France in
2000, Lebanon in 1997, 2000, Sweden in 2000, Belgium in 1998, Greece in
2003, Russia in 1995, Cyprus in 1982, the United States in 1916, 1920,
1984, 1996.
Theodore Roosevelt once stated “…The Armenian massacres have been the
most serious war crime, thus the inability to oppose to the Ottoman
Empire means to forgive those actions. A weak or non radical treatment
of the Turkish horror means wasting empty promises and ordinary nonsense
providing guarantees of peaceful future…”
Unfortunately, the decades that followed came to prove his rightness.
Let us express our sympathy to this small nation with ancient history
and culture, the people who have struggled for survival throughout their
existence.
Joining the aforementioned countries I suggest that the Slovakian
National Assembly adopt a Statement on the 1915 Armenian Genocide.”

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
December 8, 2004
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Issues Statement on Church Bombings
in Iraq
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is greatly troubled to learn from
the Armenian Diocese of Damascus, that Armenian and Chaldean churches
were attacked and bombed yesterday in Mosul, Iraq.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, condemns these terrorist attacks on the churches in Iraq
and their endangerment of the peaceful centuries-old coexistence of
Christian and Muslim peoples. Regarding Iraq’s political crisis,
His Holiness appeals to the country’s Christian and Muslim leaders and
people to display willingness and understanding in halting the danger
of the conflict being categorized as a religious one. The Catholicos
of All Armenians calls upon spiritual leaders and faithful to work
together in brotherly love to reestablish the natural inter-faith
and social life of Iraq.
##

PRESS RELEASE
December 8, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:
Ambassador Arman Kirakossian Visits San Francisco Bay Area Armenian American
Community
On November 28, 2004, Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Arman Kirakossian
visited San Francisco to participate in an event hosted by the Irene
Gyulnazarian Educational Fund for Armenia (IGEFA), a recently founded
charitable organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. IGEFA
presented its report on the activities during its first year of existence.
The mission of IGEFA is to support academic and cultural institutions and to
help improve the quality of education in Armenia. IGEFA officially announced
its founding in February of 2004 in the San Francisco Bay Area, California,
a ceremony attended by the Rector of Yerevan State University Dr. Radik
Martirossian. Last October, the IGEFA held its first official ceremony of
scholarship awards in the Scientific Council Auditorium of YSU in Yerevan.
IGEFA Board members and representatives introduced the fund and its plans to
the university administration, faculty, students and other guests of the
ceremony.
Having set its mission to support academic and cultural institutions and to
help improve the quality of education in Armenia, the Irene Gyulnazarian
Educational Fund has awarded seven student scholarships, conducted
professional training, helped to enhance the professional library, and
donated equipment to the Psychology Department of the preeminent institution
of higher education in Armenia, the Yerevan State University. The choice of
Yerevan State University was not accidental as many of IGEFA’s Directors are
YSU alumni, and some of them previously worked at this university.
IGEFA’s Chairperson, Dr. Ruzanna Ohanjanian is a former Associate Professor
of Psychology at YSU and currently practicing psychotherapist in California.
In collaboration with the faculty and administration, she is developing an
advanced curriculum for the Psychology Department and organizing a
Psychology Training Center for graduate and undergraduate students, with
integrated training experiences in variety of topical areas as well as
student peer counseling services. In addition, IGEFA is working with
several Armenian and U.S. high-tech companies to provide research grants for
the Computer Science Department at YSU. IGEFA further plans to expand its
activities to other Departments of YSU in the near future.
Addressing the participants of the event, Ambassador Arman Kirakossian
praised the organizers and supporters of the Irene Gyulnazarian Educational
Fund for Armenia for the significant headway they had been able to make
during such a short period of time.
The November 28 event was attended by representatives of the Bay Area
Armenian-American community, academics, as well as by Russia’s Consul
General in San Francisco Victor Lizun, Consul General in New York Sergey V.
Garmonin, and Deputy Consul General in San Francisco Yuri Bedjanian.
For more information on the Irene Gyulnazarian Educational Fund for Armenia,
please visit

13,000 DRAMS FOR NORMAL NOURISHMENT?
A1 Plus | 19:18:11 | 08-12-2004 | Social |
Armenian officials adopted the law on the minimum basket of goods and
is convinced that it makes 13,000 drams in Armenia. One is estimated
to need 7,000 for food.
European organizations’ representatives shared their experience with
the republic officials at a seminar held Wednesday in Marriott-Armenia
hotel in Yerevan.
After looking through the calculations Europeans came to conclusion
that political, not economic approach prevail in calculating minimal
basket of goods in Armenia.
Armenian health ministry has worked out its own version of the minimal
basket that differs from the existing one, according to which 30,000
drams are needed for normal nourishment.
However, it is clear this amount is too scant for that.
–Boundary_(ID_uQNxm8CCm+cNK31qNuIEUA)–

Armenian medical body blasts government for drafting doctors into army
A1+ web site
7 Dec 04
Members of the public organization called the Armenian medical
association have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Armenian
government’s decision to call up reserve officers from the first
group of medical personnel for military service. Incidentally, the
decision applies even to those holding an academic degree (PhD or
doctor) and have three or more children.
“We doubt the correctness of such decisions because it is not clear to
us how the Armenian armed forces can experience a shortage of medical
specialists. The ranks of the Armenian armed forces have been joined
by graduates of the medical-military department of Yerevan Medical
Institute for 10 years,” the statement said.
The problem of the lack of medical personnel should have already been
resolved, but the Armenian Defence Ministry says every year that it
needs 70 doctors. A question arises where the ministry’s personnel
are disappearing.
Under these circumstances, doctors are ready to cooperate and if
necessary help the Armenian government and the Defence Ministry
by submitting constructive suggestions on ways out of the current
situation. Members of the Armenian medical association have sent an
open letter to the Armenian president, the prime minister and the
speaker of the National Assembly.

Armenian Constitutional Court approves memorandum on sending troops to Iraq
Mediamax news agency
8 Dec 04
Yerevan, 8 December: Armenia’s Constitutional Court said today
that the memorandum “On sending a multinational division as part of
stabilizing forces to Iraq and on solving other issues of this kind”
is in line with the republic’s basic law [constitution].
This means that the memorandum will be submitted to parliament for
ratification in the near future, Mediamax reports. After the memorandum
is ratified, Armenia plans to send to Iraq up to 50 military doctors,
drivers and sappers who will be handpicked among military contractors.
Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan said that Armenian troops
will be used exclusively for humanitarian purposes in Iraq.
“This position is dictated by the interests of Iraq’s Armenian
community and their scientific, cultural and historical centres,”
Sarkisyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Deputy speaker says Russia impeding Armenia’s independent foreign policy
Noyan Tapan news agency
8 Dec 04
Yerevan, 8 December: The recent meeting of the Armenian-Russian
commission on interparliamentary cooperation held in Moscow discussed,
among other issues, the possible deployment of an Armenian military
contingent in Iraq. The deputy speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly and co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian interparliamentary
commission, Vaan Ovanesyan, said that the Russian side voiced its
concern over such a prospect.
The Armenian delegation, in turn, asked whether the fact that Russia
has written off Iraq’s multi-billion debt to Russia meant economic
support for the government of this country installed by the “occupier”,
the United States. Vaan Ovanesyan stressed that at the same time,
Russia has not cancelled Armenia’s much smaller debt.
“We told our Russian counterparts that their conduct in the
international arena does not encourage free and independent
decision-making on the part of Armenia,” he said.
The deputy speaker said the Russian side had displayed certain
“jealousy” over Armenia’s relations with NATO.
“We made it clear to our counterparts that this is one of the
directions in our independent foreign policy and we have no intention
of backing down on it,” he said. At the same time, the head of the
delegation noted that an agreement had been reached with the Russian
side to conduct preliminary interparliamentary consultations on
NATO-related issues.