PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – November 11, 2004
PHILADELPHIA IS WELCOMING ALTAR SERVERS
AND PARISH LEADERS FOR SEMINAR AND MEETING
As we told you in detail last week, St. Gregory Church of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, is hosting two events this Saturday, November 13.
Altar servers from the Mid-Atlantic area will attend a seminar to
further their knowledge of the Armenian Church services. The new Badarak CD
will be introduced as a teaching tool to establish uniformity in our
churches in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. A total of twenty altar
servers will participate representing the following parishes: St.
Illuminators Cathedral, New York City; St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New
York; Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey; Soorp Khatch Church,
Bethesda, Maryland; and St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia parish is also hosting the regional meeting of boards
of trustees with the executive council, on Saturday. This is part of a
continuing program that started two years ago to establish a better chain of
communications between the boards and the religious and executive councils.
CHRISTMAS FAMILY CONCERT IS SOLD OUT
All tickets for the Prelacy’s Christmas Family Concert have been sold.
The concert featuring NVAIR and Friends and Taline from California on
December 4 at the Alliance Francaise in New York City is the culmination of
the Prelacy’s year-long celebration of the “Year of the Family.” Thank you
all for your support.
PRELATE WILL BE IN WASHINGTON, DC THIS SUNDAY
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will be in the Washington, DC area where on
Sunday, November 14 he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Sourp Khatch
Church in Bethesda, Maryland. He will also attend the banquet marking the
40th anniversary of the church.
PRESIDENT OF KARABAGH WILL VISIT PRELACY
ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Arkady Ghougassian, the President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh
will visit the Prelacy office next Tuesday, November 16, at 3 pm, to meet
with the Prelate and a select group of individuals. President Ghougassian is
in the United States in support of the Armenian Fund’s annual Thanksgiving
telethon.
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN WILL ATTEND BENEFIT DINNER
Archbishop Oshagan will attend a benefit dinner reception hosted by Mr.
and Mrs. Raffi and Haigouhi Megerian on Tuesday evening, November 16. The
benefit on behalf of the Armenia Fund USA will take place at the home of the
hosts in Bayville, New York. His Excellency Arkady Ghougasian will be a
special guest. Proceeds of the event will benefit the rehabilitation of the
drinking water distribution project in Stepanakert.
PRELATE AND VICAR WILL PARTICIPATE IN
WCC EVENT
Archbishop Oshagan, Prelate, and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian,
Vicar, will participate next week in the WCC International Affairs and
Advocacy Week. During the week the WCC will host a high level delegation of
ecumenical church leaders from around the world. The goal is to spark
dialogue amongst member churches in order to further develop revitalized and
prioritized WCC advocacy role within the United Nations. The seminars and
reception will be attended by key International Affairs people from the
ecumenical community from all over the world.
The World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on
International Affairs has a historic relationship with the United Nations.
The Commission was present during the foundation of the UN. Its historic
goal has been to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war through
the establishment of mechanisms in society, which promote human rights for
all persons.
The closing reception will take place next Thursday, November 18, at the
Church Center for the United Nations, 777 U.N. Plaza, 2nd floor, New York
City.
CATHOLICOS ARAM I CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT BUSH
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, sent a
message to President George W. Bush congratulating him on his re-election on
behalf of the Cilician See and the United States Eastern and Western
Prelacies. His Holiness emphasized the important role the United States
plays in the struggle for justice and human rights, understanding between
nations, and peace on earth.
OPENING OF ACADEMY FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN ANTELIAS
Catholicos Aram I presided over the official opening of the Academy for
Religious Studies, in Antelias on November 1. The opening was under the
sponsorship of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, with the support of the
Christian Education Department, as well as the ecumenical information, and
youth departments of the Catholicosate. Classes will be held regularly every
Monday and Thursday evenings. The first semester will take place during
November, December and January. The second semester will take place March,
April and May.
SAYAT NOVA DANCE COMPANY TO PERFORM
AT BENEFIT FOR ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL
Massachusetts area Armenian Americans will have the opportunity to
attend an encore performance of the Sayat Nova Dance Ensemble and support
the St. Stephens Armenian Elementary School at the same time.
The Ensemble will perform this Sunday, November 14, at the Brookline
High School, 115 Greenough Street, at 5 pm. Proceeds from the performance
will benefit the 2005 graduating class trip to Armenia. For information call
617-899-8823.
LEVON SARYAN ARTICLE IN JOURNAL
We recently became aware of an article written by Dr. Levon Saryan that
appeared in the American Journal of Numismatics. The article is titled, An
Unpublished Silver Double Tram of Gosdantin I (1298-1299), King of Cilician
Armenia.
The article presents a unique silver double tram of King Gosdantin I of
Cilician Armenia, who ruled for about one year between 1298 and 1299.
Dr. Saryan was ordained a deacon of the Armenian Church last month by
Archbishop Oshagan in Racine, Wisconsin.
WINTER IN OUR GARDEN
We experienced our first frost this week in the Mid-Atlantic area,
bringing an end to the last remnants of life in our garden. Even the herbs,
so hearty against the elements, seemed to say, Enough, it is time for us to
sleep. We gave in and performed the necessary winter maneuvers. We cleared
the dead plants, pulled up the stakes, shut the water, gathered the hoses,
prepared the soil, and cleaned the shed. Ready for winter. And, yes, for
spring, too.
VETERANS DAY
Today is Veterans Day, a federal holiday in the United States. We
related the history of the day last week. This week we simply express the
wish that every soldier of every country will return safely home.
We leave you with the last two stanzas of a poem by Khrimian Hayrig, The
Memorial of the Lamenting Soldier:
O Jesus, Savior bringing peace.
Our world you came and saw.
Men are insane; they have not yet
Mastered your Gospel’s law.
Angel of love incarnated.
You said all men that live
Are brethren; give to us your peace,
Which this world cannot give.
Visit our website at

Cambridge Chronicle, MA
Nov 11 2004
Student muscle-power lights bulbs
“Come on, pedal harder. We got the incandescent bulb up to 100
degrees, enough to boil water!”
Tad Sudnick encouraged his students, but try as they might, the
compact fluorescent bulb wouldn’t break 30. Using a bicycle rigged to
generate electricity and turn on a light bulb, the students used
their muscle power to experience the difference between a 60-watt
incandescent and 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb.
“A 15-watt compact fluorescent light bulb gives off the same
amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, so where does the
rest of the energy go?” explained Elke Hodson, a volunteer from MIT’s
Students for Global Sustainability group.
As the students discovered, it becomes heat. We don’t use light
bulbs to heat our homes, so this is wasted energy. “That’s why our
parents tell us to turn off the lights to stay cool in the summer,”
said Rashaad Wharton.
The bicycle-lighting experiment was part of an Energy Project
between the Tobin School and an Armenian School in Cambridge’s sister
city, Yerevan. While the United States consumes very high levels of
electricity, Armenia has been forced to conserve due to a severely
restricted supply. Eighth-grade students are exchanging questions
over the Internet, and will compare their personal consumption and
sources of energy. To learn more, visit the Project’s Web site a
More calculations were necessary to decide which bulb was
preferred because a fluorescent bulb can cost twice as much as an
incandescent. But the expense of the extra electricity to light the
incandescent far exceeded the fluorescent bulb’s initial cost.
Compact fluorescent bulbs save between $10 and $15 per year in energy
costs, and their bulbs last five to 10 times longer than standard
incandescent bulbs.
Elke also explained fluorescent bulbs currently contain mercury,
a toxin. The solution to not poisoning the landfill is to recycle
fluorescent bulbs. Cambridge accepts fluorescent light bulbs and
other mercury devices for recycling at the Public Works drop-off
center, 147 Hampshire St., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From: Baghdasarian

2005 budget expenses to exceed $2bn
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 11 2004
The 2005 state budget expenses will constitute $2.030 billion,
representing an increase of $456 million from 2004, Minister for
Finance Avaz Alakbarov has told journalists.
Alakbarov said that as a result of reforms conducted in the country,
per capita budget expenses have increased 2.4 times over the last 5
years to make up 1.2 million manats, or $244.
The minister emphasized that per capita budget expenses make up $72
in Moldova, $69 in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, $179 in Armenia, $153
in Georgia and $129 in Ukraine.

Gul: If the EU Fails Us, We’ll Go Our Own Way
Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 10 2004
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said if Turkey doesn’t
receive a satisfactory decision from the European Union (EU) summit
on December 17th, “we’ll leave it alone and go our own way.”
At a Parliamentary Budget Commission for Foreign Ministry meeting,
Gul said the progress report on Turkey released by the European
Commission on October 6th was a great achievement for the country,
but that the Foreign Ministry is continuing its efforts to achieve
an affirmative decision at the December 17th summit.
“At the end, we’ll have done everything in our power. If we are not
satisfied with the outcome, we’ll leave it alone and go our own way.
We never have never said we would enter the EU unconditionally and
agree to everything,” continued the Foreign Minister.
He emphasized it is out of the question to recognize the Cypriot Greek
administration as part of the process. As for the Greater Middle
East Project, Gul said, “This project could have a hidden agenda,
but if we become active in it we can prevent any wrong doings instead
of watching [the process].” The Foreign Minister also reiterated his
wish for normalization in Turkish-Armenian relations.
11.10.2004
Suleyman Kurt

Armenian Minister not to Attend Baku Conference
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2004
Armenian Minister for Transport and Communications Andranik Manukian
will not participate in a conference entitled “Expansion of transport
relations between Caspian basin countries and neighboring states” to
be organized by the European Union in Baku November 13-14, according
to the Armenian Ministry. The Armenian official is not invited to
the event, the ministry said.
Manukian told local journalists on Tuesday that ‘time after time the
Azerbaijani side puts Armenia into a time-out situation under the
pretext of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict’.
Commenting on the matter, head of the Azerbaijan Transport Ministry
Secretariat Namig Hasanov said that the planned participation of the
Armenian minister in the conference is undesirable for Azerbaijan.
“The Azeri government and the Ministry of Transport state that no
relations will be established with Armenia unless it withdraws armed
forces from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan,” Hasanov stressed.
The two-day conference will discuss issues of expanding cooperation in
automobile, railway and air transport, ensuring security in automobile
transportation and the work done within the TACIS program.
The event will be attended by representatives of transport ministries
from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Georgia and Turkey.

Nazi crimes evoke memory of like abuses
The Michigan Daily
Nov 10 2004
LSA Junior Nicole Kruz looks at a display on the Diag yesterday, to
commemorate Kristallnacht. The display aimed to get their thoughts on
the tragic event and human rights abuses. (MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily)
By Ann Beisch, For the Daily
November 10, 2004
One of the most tragic, unforgettable days of the Jews’ oppression
under Nazi Germany was commemorated yesterday.
The 66th anniversary of Kristallnacht — or the “Night of Broken
Glass,” which consisted of organized Nazi raids against Jewish homes
and synagogues on Nov. 9 and 10, 1938 — was commemorated on the Diag
in a two-part event to remember and reflect on the violation of human
rights under the Third Reich and around the world.
The first half of the day included a display of quotations meant to
spark insight in passersby, such as: “Peace or Justice: which would
you choose,” or, “Is it possible to forgive?” Students wrote down
their various opinions on a sheet of paper provided below. Among the
remarks were written, “You can forgive, but you can’t forget” and
“I will never forgive.”
“The Holocaust is not just a Jewish problem, it is a representation of
the human rights violations,” said LSA senior Jeremy Lacks, co-chair
of the Kristallnacht Commemoration. “We have expanded our focus,
instead of just dealing with the Holocaust.”
That meant remembering other atrocities that have taken place during
the past century. These events were represented by various photographs,
art objects and quotations pasted on the display. On one side, child
laborers in Pakistan were shown next to a photograph of brutalized
Pakistani women. Another section of the display showed a Rwandan
woman staring at hundreds of human skulls thrown into a ditch as a
result of the 1994 civil war in the country.
Startling statistics were posted as well, including, “1.5 million
Armenians have been killed by Turks from 1915-1921.”
“We are putting this on so that people will remember,” said LSA junior
Jillian Steinhaurer, who helped man the station. “History can only
repeat itself if we allow it to happen. It’s our responsibility to
be informed and active to ensure the safety of our future.”
The second part of the commemoration included a speakers’ panel
on human rights violations in the Vandenburg Room of the Michigan
League later yesterday. The panel was presented by the University’s
Hillel group, which is also organizing the 26th annual commemorative
Conference on the Holocaust from March 15 to 23.
Among the speakers was history Prof. Sidney Bolkosky, who has
conducted interviews with more than 200 survivors of the Holocaust
and now teaches at the University’s Dearborn campus. Contributing to
the discussion on global human rights violations were LSA Humanities
Institute Prof. Jose Kagabo — who spoke about the Rwandan genocide —
and RC lecturer Javed Nazir, who spoke on problems with human rights
in Pakistan.
Planners of the commemoration said they intended the day to keep the
student body aware of the human abuses that have occurred throughout
history, in order to prevent them from happening again. The sentiments
of some of the attendees indicated that the event was successful
in this regard. One message on the Diag board for example, read,
“If it were not for our personal memory, we would cease to progress
as rational humans.”

FOREIGN AMBASSADORS PRAISE TURKMEN AMNESTY
Turkmenistan.ru, Turkmenistan
Nov 10 2004
Foreign ambassadors accredited to Turkmenistan have highly rated
the republic’s amnesty act that granted freedom to 9,000 inmates,
including 150 foreign nationals, the Ashgabat correspondent of
Turkmenistan.ru reports.
It should be recalled that in 1999 Turkmenistan adopted the law,
“On the annual amnesty and pardon on the occasion of the holy “Gadyr
Gijesi” (the Night of Omnipotence), according to which inmates
convicted for minor crimes are released from jails every year under
the amnesty and pardon.
In an interview to the State news service (TDH) published in today’s
newspapers Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Turkmenistan
Golamreza Ansari said in particular that a tradition set by Saparmurat
Niyazov to release inmates right on the night of “Gadyr Gijei” “is
one more evidence of the friendly Turkmen people’s true spirituality
and commitment to the Islamic values, affirmation of high principles
of humanism and justice in the modern Turkmen society.”
The Iranian Ambassador expressed appreciation of the policy pursued
by the Turkmen leader as well as hope that the amnesty act, thanks
to which there were also released citizens of Iran, would further
strengthen ties of friendship and understanding between the two
friendly peoples.
Ambassador of Turkey to Turkmenistan Bahaddin Gursoz said in an
interview to the TDH that there were four Turkish citizens among
inmates pardoned by Saparmurat Niiyazov. “All of them are impressed
by humanity and mercy demonstrated to them, and they keep thanking
President Saparmurat Niyazov for allowing them to return to their
families,” Bahaddin Gursoz said.
Armenian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Aram Grigoryan said in an interview
to the TDH that there also were four citizens of this Caucasian
country. Expressing hearty gratitude to President Saparmurat Niyazov,
the head of diplomatic mission noted that preparation work by the
Armenian Embassy together with the Turkmen Foreign Ministry to send
pardoned Armenian citizens back home is currently under way. The
diplomat also said that the President of Turkmenistan “is equally
merciful toward its own people and citizens of foreign countries.”
Another representative of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ashgabat,
Ambassador of Kazakhstan Vyacheslav Gizzatov, said in an interview to
the TDH that the amnesty is “the expression of high generosity and
humanism.” According to him, several citizens of Kazakhstan will
“return to their families” as a result of this action and “will
be able to take on the path of repent and get down to creative
work.” The Ambassador also stressed that “clemency granted by the
head of Turkmenistan will be never forgotten by relatives and close
friends of the pardoned” and the act of humanism by Saparmyrat Niyazov
“will further strengthen traditional bonds of friendship and good
neighborhood that connect our two friendly peoples from the ancient
times.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
09 November 2004
Hamlet Gasparian, Spokesperson of Foreign Ministry, answers a question
by ArmenPress News Agency on international recognition of Armenian
Genocide
Q: The foreign policy section of Armenia’s state budget draft for
2005 does not contain provisions related to international recognition
of Armenian Genocide, which caused speculation in the mass media,
particularly in Turkey and Azerbaijan. How would you comment on
this situation?
A: Armenia’s policy for international recognition of the Genocide has
not changed. Like before, Genocide recognition continues to be high
on Armenia’ s foreign policy agenda; it does not depend on provisions
of the state budget and does not require a specific reference in the
government’s explanatory note to the draft budget.
International recognition of Armenian Genocide is a matter of concern
not only for Armenia and Armenians, but is a challenge facing all
mankind. As such, this recognition cannot be packed into a budget
line or any other financial estimate.

GEORGIA RESTORING THE S-125 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMPLEX
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 10, 2004, Wednesday
The Georgian Defense Ministry stated that restoration of the S-125
complex will soon be accomplished. This complex broke over ten years
ago. Georgia needed special devices in order to restore this complex
to arsenals of the Poti military base. At present representatives of
the Defense Ministry are holding negotiations with Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Bulgaria over the supply of such systems.
Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, November 4, 2004, p. 3

Governator in action-packed best-selling debut
by Peter Alford
The Australian
November 10, 2004 Wednesday All-round Country Edition
Tokyo
Arnie launches his ‘buy California’ roadshow with its biggest investor,
Japan
HE’S baaack and, as always, he’s selling something. This time it’s
the world’s sixth (or fifth, depending on whose figures you believe)
biggest economy.
The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, arrives in Tokyo today with
his first trade mission — 57 business people, farmers and state
officials — “to promote California as pro-business, pro-environment
and pro-workers”.
There’s characteristic calculation behind even that bluff
sloganeering. Schwarzenegger hopes to persuade Toyota to build a new
Prius plant in California, arguing his state is the biggest single
US market for the eco-friendly hybrid vehicle and any high-wage
disadvantage would be offset by skills and technology resources.
No one who’s followed Schwarzenegger’s career would be remotely
surprised he’s chosen Japan to road test the “buy California” pitch
he’ll take next year to China, Mexico and possibly Australia.
Firstly, there’s Japan’s importance to his state’s economy. Japan
is the biggest foreign investor in California, owning $US30 billion
($39.5 billion) of assets, a major source of foreign tourism and the
state’s second-largest foreign market, after Mexico.
But the $US11.7 billion of exports Japan bought last year are almost
30 per cent down on the high-water mark of $US16.4 billion in 2000,
before Japan’s most recent downturn and the slump in world demand for
Californian electronics and software. Secondly, Japan loves Arnie and
he reciprocates. Schwarzenegger made a point of accompanying each
of his new movies to Tokyo, the last occasion being the release of
Terminator3: Rise of the Machines 16 months ago, when his spiel was
interrupted by questions about whether or not he was stalking then
California governor Gray Davis, predator-style.
Schwarzenegger had collided with politics in Japan even earlier,
as an unwitting terminator of justice minister Shozaburo Nakamura’s
career. Nakamura was forced out in 1999 after first allowing the actor
into the country without a passport, then allegedly souveniring the
entry papers to impress his wife and daughter.
Schwarzenegger made a lot of money in Japan and not just at the box
office. His portfolio of Japanese television ads during the 1990s
— flogging energy drinks, pay-TV, noodles and beer — set a still
unmatched benchmark for wackiness (check some at www.jap ander.com)
and earned him about $US2 million per contract, which usually involved
two or three 15-second ads in a year.
But one thing the super-salesman won’t be visiting on this trip to
Tokyo is a trade office. At least 27 US states are represented in
Tokyo — along with most Australian states — but not California.
It used to be. But in the depths of the Davis administration’s
financial crisis last year, a Democrat-led push in the state
legislature shut California’s 12 overseas offices and removed the
governor’s powers to open new ones.
Oddly enough, the same lawmakers let through a privately funded trade
office in Armenia — possibly less of a tribute to Armenia’s economic
dynamism than to the considerable influence of Armenian-American
business people on the west coast. They then refused several other
bills proposing to reopen state offices on the same basis.
The Governator is not pleased to have had his wings clipped in
this way by the Sacramento girlie-men. Particularly since Democrat
lieutenant-governor Cruz Bustamante, a remnant of the Davis regime,
exploited a legislative loophole and his position as chairman of
the California Commission for Economic Development to open de facto
offices in Taiwan and Beijing.
But it’s doubtful any shopfront Bustamante happens to open can rival
Arnie’s selling powers, and certainly not in Japan. The big fella
put it best in his first State of the State address in January: “If
I can sell tickets to my movies like Red Sonja and Last Action Hero,
you know I can sell anything.”