SYMBOL FOR PAN-ARMENIAN FESTIVAL IS CHOSEN
Azg/am
27 July 2004
Recently the journalists were among the happy that saw Nare and Narek,
the young Armenians, symbols for “One Nation, One Culture”
Pan-Armenianfestival. They wore tricolor national dresses decorated
with Armenian ornaments. R. Sahakian managed to elaborate this
variant after testing many. Over 100 volunteers will accompany the
participants of the festival on August 14-23 in Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh. The employees of the hotels, cafes and halls will wear the
uniform. Karnie Khodikian, RA Deputy Culture Minister, Naira
Melkumian, RA Fund’ s director, and Hrachia Ashughian, director of the
festival were present at the meeting with the journalists.
The festival will contribute to the development of the relations
between Armenia and Diaspora, it will represent the cultural values
and help discussing the art and cultural issues.
By Marieta Makarian

ANOTHER STORY ON ARMENIAN NAVY TRADITIONS
Azg/am
27 July 2004
“Respecting the traditions and the customs of our ancestors, the Human
Rights Declaration, we call for all the nations of the Earth to spare
no efforts to preserve peace in our planet that is fragile like a
highland crystal,” wrote “Cilicia” sailors in their statement,
enclosed it in the bottle of a newly drunk vine. On the very first
moment of the Sochi-Novorossiysk voyage Karen Balayan, the captain,
will throw the bottle into the sea. The statement also runs that the
sailors carry the Armenian state flag with pride. The sailors saidthat
the flags of the countries they will travel to will wave by the side
of the Armenian flag constantly. “By this, we not only follow the
traditions of the international navigation ethics but we also express
our sincere respect to all the nations of the planet,” the
declarations stretches.
“Cilicia” is very likely to continue its voyage. Hmayak Tarakhchian,
Deputy-Chairman of the club, informed Azg Daily that thanks to the
efforts of Stepan Kargosian, head of the Armenian Community
headquarter in Sochi, a new pair of steering oars is being made in one
of Sochi’s graving docks. He said that the sailors would have an
additional pair of steering oars to be on the safe side.
By Tamar Minasian

His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate of Western Prelacy
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: 818-248-7737
Fax: 818-248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])
SPIRITUAL CONCERT IN MEMORY OF ARCHBISHOPS
SAHAG AYVAZIAN, MESROB ASHJIAN AND ZAREH AZNAVORIAN
The Christian Education Department of the Western Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America held a spiritual concert on
Wednesday, July 14,2004 at the St. Marys Church in Glendale. The
unique cultural event was dedicated to the memory of three members of
the Holy See of the Great House of Cilicia, Archbishops Sahag
Ayvazian, Mesrob Ashjian and Zareh Aznavorian who had passed lately.
The concert was held under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, the Prelate. Present were the representatives
of the Central Executive of the Holy See, Prelacy Council members,
Parish Boards representatives and hundreds of faithful parishioners
who had gathered to pay their respect in memory of the Archbishops.
The evening started with the Lord’s prayer. Very Rev. Fr. Vrouyr
Demirdjian introduced the program and the speaker of the event
Mr. Garo Bedrossian, a well known educator. Mr. Bedrossian and Arch
Ayvazian had been classmates in the Seminary of the Holy See in
Antilias. He had also collaborated with the Archbishops Ashjian and
Aznavorian as educators. He spoke about his experiences and the legacy
of the three Archbishops stressing that they had served the Armenian
Church and the nation deservedly and left a tremendous cultural and
spiritual inheritance to the new generation.
The program continued with a series of contemporary spiritual songs by
a young artist, Salpy Keleshian from Beirut, Lebanon. Many of the
songs were newly composed works of Armenian artists and were delivered
by the singer in an atmosphere of spiritual enlightenment.
At the end of the concert, His Eminence the Prelate delivered his
message. He highlighted the life long mission of his spiritual
brothers and thankedMr. Garo Bedrossian and Salpy Keleshian for their
part in the program.
The event was concluded by a benediction by the Prelate and the song
`Cilicia ‘.

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Monday, July 26, 2004
U.S. ENVOY COMPLETES ARMENIA TOUR, SEES “ACROSS THE BOARD” PROGRESS IN
RELATIONS
U.S. Ambassador John Ordway, who is completing his three-year tour in
Armenia later this week, said he was encouraged by the “really strong
improvement in relations” between the United States and Armenia. Ordway, who
is due to assume the post of the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, will be
replaced by Ambassador John Evans, a decorated foreign service veteran with
experience in Eastern Europe and Iran.

In his farewell press conference last week, Ordway said there was “across
the board” progress in bilateral relations, noting particularly “remarkable
improvement” in the military and security relations, deeper cooperation via
the U.S.-Armenia Task Force and successes of U.S. assistance programs in
Armenia.

At the same time, Ordway said that last year’s elections and post-election
political confrontation were the “biggest disappointment.” While noting the
civil society’s development, Ordway said that everyone’s hopes were for more
rapid progress. The U.S. envoy further urged the Armenian opposition to end
its boycott and return to the parliament in order to “work together to
achieve solid aims for the country.”

Turning to Armenian-Turkish relations, Ordway said that since “Armenia has a
policy of being ready to improve relations and open the border without any
preconditions” the focus was “to have Turkey take more steps towards
improving the relationship.” Commenting on recent activation of the Karabakh
peace process, Ordway said that “while it is a little early to tell whether
[an agreement] would be possible” there is renewed hope for some progress.

Ordway dismissed frequent speculations that Armenia was somehow a
“pro-Russian country.” “To Armenia’s credit it has not pursued a sort of
single vector direction for its foreign policy,” Ordway said, pointing again
to the development of U.S.-Armenia relations and Armenia’s efforts to
integrate into the international trade system and with Europe.

Also last week, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh hosted a delegation of U.S. and
European non-government representatives led by Bruce Jackson, a former
Pentagon official and President of the U.S. Committee on NATO, a group that
has facilitated NATO expansion into Eastern Europe. Meeting with Presidents
Robert Kocharian and Arkady Ghoukasian, Jackson pledged to work for greater
U.S. and European involvement in the settlement of the Karabakh and other
post-Soviet conflicts. Ghoukasian urged an end to a militant rhetoric by
Azerbaijan as the first necessary step towards reconciliation. (Sources:
Arminfo 7-22, 23; Mediamax 7-22)
AZERI PRESIDENT SACKS SECURITY CHIEF
President Ilham Aliyev dismissed Azerbaijan’s long-time National Security
Minister Namik Abbasov last Friday, replacing him with a mid-level police
official. In charge of the Ministry for nearly a decade, 64-year-old Abbasov
had been a key sponsor of anti-Armenian and pro-war propaganda actions and
rhetoric. Abbasov’s agents also sought to shut down peace-building contacts
between Armenian and Azeri civic groups.

Most Azeri commentators linked Abbasov’s sacking to Ilham Aliyev’s effort to
create a new, more loyal ruling structure. They point to Abbasov’s unusually
cordial relations with the opposition and his initial reluctance to endorse
Ilham as a successor to his father, Heydar Aliyev. The Azeri daily Zerkalo
reported that Abbasov was in Europe last week and unaware of the President’s
decision. Five of Abbasov’s immediate predecessors were either exiled or
imprisoned following their dismissals.

A former Communist Party apparatchik and Heydar Aliyev’s protégé, Abbasov
rose through the ranks of the Soviet Azeri KGB to become its deputy director
by the late 1980s. During anti-Aliyev purges in Azerbaijan, Abbasov
relocated to Russia to head a provincial KGB office there. Upon returning to
Azerbaijan, Abbasov promoted Stalinist-style paranoia of foreign and
opposition “conspiracies,” and branded all Azeri POWs in the war over
Karabakh as “traitors.”

The new National Security Minister, 47-year-old Eldar Mahmudov, was only
recently reinstated as a department chief within the Ministry of Interior
and put in charge of narcotics trafficking. In 1999 Mahmudov was sacked as
Interior Ministry’s department chief in charge of economic crimes on the
insistence of Western companies working in Azerbaijan who claimed they were
harassed by Mahmudov’s department. Analysts at Azerbaijan’s leading news
agency Turan suggested that an appointment of a policeman to lead the Azeri
successor to the KGB showed that President Aliyev distrusted Abbasov and his
cadres. (Sources: AAA R&I; Armenia This Week 7-11-03, 1-30, 3-26, 6-25;
Azertag.com 7-23; Turan 7-23; Zerkalo 7-24)
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issues since 1997.
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
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US MEDIATOR URGES PARTIES TO KARABAKH CONFLICT TO MAKE COMPROMISE
Turan news agency
26 Jul 04
BAKU
The USA is interested in a negotiated settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. Washington stands for stability in the region and
against any developments that could undermine it, the US co-chairman
in the OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann, has told Regnum news agency.
The breach of regional stability could pose a threat to such major
regional projects as the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, he added.
Commenting on the results of a recent visit to the region by the Minsk
Group co-chairmen, Mann noted that it was an attempt to bring the
sides’ positions closer together and help them find ways of resolving
the conflict.
According to him, co-chairmen understand how difficult the situation
is for the heads of the two countries. Tensions on both sides run
high, however, the issue must not be dealt with under the influence of
emotions.
“We will do everything to prevent a new tragedy,” Mann stressed.
Responding to the criticism of the Minsk Group Mann said: “We are not
gods, a solution to the conflict has to be found by the parties to the
conflict themselves.”
The US co-chairman believes that a solution has to be found by the
heads of the two states. Responsibility rests with them, not with
mediators, Mann said. He added that the parties to the conflict had
chosen the OSCE themselves and that the Minsk Group would continue its
work.
Mann also spoke in favour of Nagornyy Karabakh’s involvement in the
talks. In his opinion, this may speed up a settlement.
At the same time, the diplomat dismissed reports that he had urged
Armenia to unilaterally vacate some of the occupied territories.

KARABAKH DENIES PRINTING CURRENCY – ARMENIAN AGENCY
Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
26 Jul 04
STEPANAKERT
No Karabakh currency has ever been printed, the central bank of the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic has told Noyan Tapan news agency.
Noyan Tapan contacted the bank in connection with the report carried
by the Baku-based Ekho newspaper which claimed that a “journalistic
investigation” had revealed that the Austrian state printing works had
printed “Karabakh currency”.
(Passage omitted: Recap of Ekho’s report)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRENCH SOCIALISTS CONSIDER RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS
CONDITION OF TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP IN EUROPEAN UNION
PARIS, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). The Socialist party of France considers
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as an indispensable condition
for Turkey’s membership in the European Union. Francois Holand,
Secretary General of the party, reported about it after his meeting
with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayipp Erdogan, answering Turkish
correspondents’ questions. “It is impossible to specify the term of
negotiations on membership as long as Turkey didn’t recognize the
Genocide,” he said. According to the “Marmara” newspaper of Istanbul,
when journalists said that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
isn’t considered as a criterion in the issue of the EU membership, and
for what basis the Socialist Party lays down such a condition,
F. Holand reminded that the French parliament had recognized the
Armenian Genocide. News agencies report that the issue of the Genocide
was touched upon during the Holand-Erdogan meeting and Erdogan noticed
that this issue should be submitted to historians for discussion.

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF GEORGIA SALOME ZURABISHVILI VISITS HOLY
ETCHMIADZIN
ETCHMIADZIN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Georgia Salome Zurabishvili visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
on July 22.
Bishop Paren Avetikian, Head of the Monastic Council, manager on
administrative and organization issues of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, received her and conveyed the best wishes of Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II. Greeting the Georgian guest, the Bishop
touched upon the warm and brotherly relations both between the
countries and churches. Salome Zurabishvili expressed her gratitude to
the Holy Father for his reception. She also presented the internal
situation in Georgia and the regional problems. According to the
Information System of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Georgia accompanied by Bishop Avetikian visited
the Cathedral and the museum at the end of the meeting. Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Georgia Georgy
Khosroev and other officials were also present at the meeting.

“ARMROSGASPROM” INVESTS 13 MLN DOLLARS TO SPHERE OF GAS-SUPPLY THIS
YEAR
YEREVAN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). This year the “Armrosgasprom” company
will invest 6.76 bln drams (about 13 mln dollars) to the sphere of
gas-supply of Armenia. Abgar Budaghian, senior specialist of the
Commission on Public Services Regulation, said about it during the
July 23 sitting. It should be mentioned that “Armrosgasprom” submitted
the 2004 investment program to the commission for discussion. According
to it, 372.8 mln drams will be invested with the purpose of study,
restoration, reconstruction and re-equipment of the gas-supply system,
178.5 mln drams will be invested with the purpose of the decrease of
losses in the gas-supply system, and 23.3 mln drams – with the purpose
of the purchase of machines and mechanisms in the system of gas
transportation. The decrease of losses in the gas-distribution system
made 350 mln drams as a result of investments. 530-kilometer new gas
pipeline will be constructed, and 160,000 people will receive an
opportunity to join the network of gas-distribution, including 98,000
people will become real subscribers. It should be mentioned that
according to the data of 2003, there were 54,000 subscribers in the
republic. The same day, the commission approved the investment program
of “Armrosgasprom”.

USDA MAP CONTRIBUTES TO AIGEZARD WINERY
YEREVAN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). According to Brent Trelan, USDA MAP
wine-making expert, the production of the winery of the village of
Aigezard of the Ararat region is the best among the Armenian dry and
half-dry wines. B. Trelan carried out the great work directed at the
increase of the quality of this wine.
According to the USDA MAP, which contributes to the enterprise, the
works were carried out with participation of B. Trenal, in particular,
on the line of the prolongation of terms of storing of and bottling of
wines. According to the message, the history of the winery-brandy
enterprise of Aigezard started in 1929. The winery being idle since
1998 and resuming its work in 2002 has an opportunity to annually lay
in at least 10 tons of grapes today.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress