Mayor Alibeyoglu launches a campaign to gather signatures of Kars’ residents to appeal to government to open border gate with Armenia and for the closure of the Metzamor nuclear power station in Armenia
The mayor of the Turkish city of Kars, which is close to the Turkish-Armenian border, appealed on Tuesday for the opening of the border gate between Turkey and Armenia and the resumption of border trade after an 11-year interval.
The Turkish government have stressed that the border gate, which was closed in protest of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijan’s Nogorno-Karabakh district, could only be reopened if Armenia withdraws all its troops from the mountainous region, thus allowing Azerbaijan to restore its sovereignty over the area and all the displaced
Azerbaijanis to return to their homes.
From time-to-time over the past few years various Turkish governments have tilted towards reopening the border gate with Armenia, but out of concern that such a move would upset Azerbaijan — a country in which Turks have ethnic, cultural and religious affinity — have so far refrained from doing so.
Some 1.5 million Azerbaijanis have been living in tent cities and old train carts since they were forced out of Nogorno-Karanakh by advancing Armenian troops and local Armenian forces, equipped and armed by the Armenian government.
Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said reopening the border gate with Armenia would boost the economy of the city.
The mayor, concerned by the Metzamor nuclear power station in Armenia, said he has started collecting signatures of Kars’ residents in order to appeal to the Ankara government to press for the closure of the power station.
He said Metzamor was built with “primitive technology” and would cause a disaster in the entire region should it develop any malfunction. “We do not want to live under such a threat,” he said.

PACE mission assessing political situation in Armenia
15:49 2004-06-14
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has sent a mission to Armenia to assess the political situation in that former Soviet republic.
Meeting Monday with the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan, the visiting PACE officials emphasized the need to resume political talks between the incumbent government and the Opposition and to create conditions for Opposition parties to return to parliament and take part in the revision of the republic’s Constitution and Election Code, the National Assembly’s PR department reports. It quotes Mr. Bagdasaryan as saying to the PACE delegation that Armenia is trying to do its best to meet its commitments on schedule.
The PACE officials also met with Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. “My primary objective is to prepare a considered report, one that reflects the real picture of processes going on in Armenia,” Co-Rapporteur Jerzy Jaskiernia said to Mr. Oskanyan. He then went on to tell the minister about his earlier meetings with Armenian Opposition politicians and community activists.
Mr. Oskanyan, for his part, told about his trip to Strasbourg following the PACE’s adoption of a resolution on Armenia this past April. “The Armenian authorities took the resolution very seriously, and are now making active steps to solve problems raised in this document,” he assured the PACE delegation.
Unauthorized, Opposition-staged protests have been underway in the republic since April 9. The protesters demand the resignation of President Robert Kocharyan.
On April 28, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution urging Armenia to settle its political crisis by September. If it fails to, the PACE will contemplate the suspension of the Armenian delegation’s mandate.

ESTONIA SUPPORTS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF THE STATES
Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info agency
June 14 2004
In the interview to correspondent of AzerTAj about the purposes of
visit the Estonian minister has told: “I am one of candidates on post
of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, therefore, it was
necessary to meet delegation of Azerbaijan in this structure and my
colleague Elmar Mammadyarov. The basic purpose of my visit consists in
that having met with them, to have exchange of opinions on development
of our bilateral relations, and also on the question representing
for me special value. I should note, that after the admission into
the European Union and the NATO, Estonia aspires to development of
relations with the countries of Southern Caucasus. It is necessary to
recognize, that the relations between our countries cannot be named
wide, therefore, we should do serious work in this area. Estonia is
interested in it, next week our governmental delegation will arrive
in Baku. Besides, next week the ministers of the European Union will
discuss a question of expansion of structure to the Caucasian region
and principles of good neighborhood. My country supports position of
the European Union in the said question. To tell the truth, in region
there are a number of problems, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorny Karabakh conflict. All problems following from this conflict
will not be solved yet the question constantly should be on the
agenda of all international organizations, including the Council
of Europe. It is necessary for us to prosecute seriously these
subjects. The concrete position of Estonia in the said question is:
Estonia supports respect of territorial integrity of all states and
protection of principle of inviolability of borders.

Party Leader Shot in Azerbaijan
The Associated Press
06/14/04 05:42 EDT
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – An opposition party leader known for his bold
military exploits in the war over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave was
shot and killed early Monday in Azerbaijan’s capital, police said.
Fatulla Huseynov’s body was found by his neighbors outside his Baku
home, said Yashar Aliyev of the city police. Neighbors reported
hearing between four and six gunshots minutes earlier.
Aliyev said police did not yet have a motive or suspect.
Huseynov, 67, was one of the leaders of Azerbaijan’s opposition Justice
party. He also served as the vice president of the Association of
Football Federations of Azerbaijan. He had previously worked in
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry and headed the nation’s road police.
In 1992-93, Huseynov fought in Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan, where he earned the nickname the “black colonel”
for his unit’s military feats.
Azerbaijani forces were driven out of Nagorno-Karabakh, and
a cease-fire was signed in May 1994. But Nagorno-Karabakh’s final
status has not been resolved and firing sporadically breaks across the
“line of control,” a demilitarized zone that separates Azerbaijani
and Armenian forces.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PACE REPORT ON ARMENIA TO BE READY IN OCTOBER
ArmenPress
June 11 2004
YEREVAN, JUNE 11, ARMENPRESS: A senior official from the Council of
Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), monitoring the fulfillment
of Armenia’s membership commitments said today he received full
information from the chairman of Armenian Constitutional Court on a
decision the Court issued in the aftermath of last year’s presidential
election, the outcome of which was challenged by the opposition. Though
the Court upheld Kocharian’s election on appeal from Stepan Demirchian,
his main opposition candidate, who charged that government workers
falsified results, the Court yet attached a recommendation to its
decision, advocating a popular referendum on confidence in the
president within a year in a bid to diffuse the high tension.
The Court’s ruling admitted that violations “that are incompatible
with the further development of democracy” occurred at “separate
polling precincts” during the voting and subsequent vote count. In
conclusion, it shared the concerns expressed by monitors from the
Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe about violations of electoral procedures. It ruled that
law-enforcement officials, including judges and prosecutors, failed to
act adequately in many instances. Yet the court ultimately upheld the
Central Electoral Commission’s March 11 decision to declare Kocharian
the winner.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Constitutional Court chairman,
Gagik Harutunian, Jerzy Jaskiernia (Poland, SOC), co-rapporteur on
Armenia of the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee, who arrived today
in Armenia on a fact-finding visit to assess the state of Armenia’s
honoring of its obligations and commitments, said he was going
to discuss with justice and other law-enforcement officials the
reformation of the country’s judiciary and constitutional reforms
with the parliament leadership. He said the final text of his report
will be ready in October.

PACE MONITORING GROUP IN ARMENIA
A1 Plus | 17:42:12 | 11-06-2004 | Official |
Jerzy Jaskiernia, PACE Monitoring Commission Reporter and Commission
Secretary David Chupina are arriving in Armenia today. Meetings with
Ambassadors of CE states in Armenia, OSCE Office head, international
organizations, national minorities, Media representatives, and Armenian
Constitutional Court Chair Gagik Harutyunyan are scheduled.
Tomorrow meetings with Armenian Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan,
Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan, members of parliamentary committees
and parties are envisaged.
On June 13 the delegation will leave for Vanadzor.
On June 14 the delegation members will meet Robert Kocharyan, PM
Andranik Margaryan, Justice Minister David Harutyunyan, Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan, Defense Minister Serj Sargssyan, Police
Head Hayk Harutyunyan, General Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan, Police’
Yerevan Department Head Nerses Nazaryan, members of Radio and
Television Commission, CEC Chair Gevorg Azaryan and members.
On June 15 the delegation will leave Armenia.

Framed?: Political leader’s arrest on drug charges have questionable foundation
By Vahan Ishkhanyan, ArmeniaNow reporter
ArmeniaNow.com
June 11, 2004
Human rights activists, an attorney, neighbors and relatives of a
Baghramyan political party head are charging that police in their
region “planted” illegal drugs in the leader’s home, in order to
justify his imprisonment.
Lavrenti Kirakosyan, 44, has been in jail since April 10, since first
being arrested during a political demonstration at Yerevan’s Opera
House. He was arrested for failing to obey a police order, however
court records do not say what that police order was.
Armenian police are often accused of planting evidence, and a retired
officer told ArmeniaNow that the practice is not unusual. In the case
of Kirakosyan, however, the allegedly false charges are believed to
be an attempt to discredit him for political reasons.
Kirakosyan’s wife, Laura, is among those who believe he is being
framed. Kirakosyan is head of the National Democratic Union of
Baghramyan, one of several political parties that, over the past three
months, have staged demonstrations against the current government
administration and have called for the resignation of President
Robert Kocharyan.
The party head was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention. He
did not have a lawyer. Two hours before he was to be released, the
court ruled to allow a search of Kirakosyan’s premises, on allegations
that he was keeping weapons in his home that belonged to two Yezidies
who are accused of violence against the head of a village.
Kirakosyan testified that he did not know the men in question.
Police searched Kirakosyan’s home. No weapons were found, but they
did turn up 59 grams of marijuana. A case has been initiated against
Kirakosyan for possession of illegal drugs, for which the sentence
on a guilty verdict could be up to three years.
Kirakosyan has retained an attorney, who says his client is being
framed.
Two residents of Kirakosyan’s neighborhood who were brought along
on the first search as witnesses, say police coerced them to sign
a document verifying that the marijuana had been found in a water
heater on Kirakosyan’ s premises.
“When they first entered the house they searched the water heater but
there was nothing there,” Misha Shmavonyan, a neighbor who police
asked to witness the initial search, told ArmeniaNow. “Then they
searched different rooms and cowsheds. One policeman together with
Gevorg (another search witness) climbed onto the roof and searched
there. They found nothing. They returned to search this place (the
water heater) again.
“Gevorg said, ‘Mr. Lazarian (deputy police chief), you have already
searched here,’ but policeman said they would search it again.”
On a second search, a white package was found. Inside the package
was 59 grams of marijuana.
Kirakosyan’s brother-in-law shows were drugs were found. Shmavonyan
says that, although a plastic vase found in the same place was covered
with dust, the package containing the marijuana was not dirty – proof,
he believes, that it was put there just moments before police claim
they found it.
Police produced a protocol of the search, and demanded that the men
to sign it.
“Gevorg and I said ‘Why should we sign? The first time you searched
there was nothing there.’ But they told us two or three times to
sign. Then Gevorg signed and I signed.”
Kirakosyan’s sister, Gayane, says she saw police plant the package.
“They didn’t let me enter the room. I was secretly watching through
the crack in the door,” the sister says. “I saw a policeman going
upstairs, then he threw something. I said what did he throw? But I
didn’t notice how he took it out.”
Investigator Seyran Martirosyan refused to answer ArmeniaNow’s
questions about the search.
After the search Kirakosyan was taken to Republican Narcological Center
where his urine was tested and found to contain traces of marijuana.
Chief of Laboratory of the Narcological Center Svetlana Minasyan,
who detected drugs in Lavrenti’s urine, says he probably used drugs
before being arrested and that traces can last up to three weeks in
the blood system.
Kirakosyan’s neighbors defend his innocence, saying that they’ve
never even seen him smoke cigarettes.
But the drug specialist says marijuana can be cooked and ingested in
food or by drinking as tea, as well as smoking.
Lawyer Vardan Zurnachyan says the day before taking a urine sample,
Kriakosyan was served cutlet and bread in the police department and
after eating he felt bad, threw up and felt dizzy. A doctor from
Baghramyan polyclinic came and gave him an injection.
Kirakosyan’s relatives believe his illness was a reaction to marijuana
suffused into his food by police. They say either police put the drug
in his food, or else the test was faked.
“Drug addicts will never feel bad after using marijuana as they are
used to drugs,” Minasyan says. “And if someone, who never used drugs,
eats them then I cannot say what can happen.”
There is no answer to investigators’ question whether Kirakosyan has
ever used drugs.
His sister says she watched through the door while police planted
evidence. His legal past, however, is not as clean as neighbors might
suggest are his living habits.
In 1996 Kirakosyan was accused of keeping a bomb in his apartment
and was sentenced to six months of imprisonment.
In 1998 he was once again convicted for inflicting bodily injuries
to his nephew (sister’s son) with scissors, however, he was not
imprisoned. (His sister says he was set up by police on those charges,
too.)
Deputy Head of Baghramyan Police Department Perch Khachatryan refused
to comment on Kirakosyan’s case. He would only say that Kirakosyan
had a previous conviction and that a policeman could not practically
hide 59 grams of marijuana on his person, as the package would be
too noticeable.
Lavrenti Kirakosyan graduated from the Yerevan Polytechnic
Institute. He has three children, including a son in the army. For
a living, he breeds cattle.
Residents in his home of Karakert praise him as a community
leader. Some 1,500 have signed a petition calling for his release.
Kirakosyan was also arrested for 10 days during last year’s
demonstrations against the presidential elections.
With the help of the head of the International Union of Armenian
Lawyers Tigran Ter-Yesayan, Kirakosyan sent an appeal to the European
Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg , France appealing an Armenian
court’s decision on administrative imprisonment over last year’s
arrests.
In the testimonies concerning the latest case Kirakosyan says:
“The head of Baghramyan police department told me, ‘you didn’t learn
how to behave and again went to a demonstration. That’s why I put you
in prison for ten days.’ After that they took me to Armavir court,
where the judge didn’t listen to me and didn’t talk to me. I was
ordered to leave the courtroom. Then I was invited again and told
they had sentenced me to 10 days of imprisonment.”
It is mentioned in the testimony that after the search, the deputy
head of Baghramyan police department promised Kirakosyan to set him
free on condition that he would give up his political activities.
Misha Shmavonyan. “(Deputy Head) Lazarian said, ‘I will tell the
head of police department that you have 100 percent promised to never
ever participate at any mass meetings and to give up your political
views and that you promised to inform us about everything that your
leaders are planning and talking about in the headquarters’.”
The investigation on the drug charges has been completed and sent
to court.
“Consistent political persecutions are conducted against Lavrenti,”
says his lawyer, Zurnachyan, who has taken Kirakosyan pro bono. “He
is arrested as if he demonstrated disobedience of a policeman’s demand.
“But his house is conducted in accordance with another case and finally
criminal charges are brought with a completely different accusation.”
Zurnachayn says the police denied his request to examine the men
whose guns Kirakosyan was allegedly keeping.

New Lessons: Armenia prepares for significant changes in secondary education
By Gayane Abrahamyan, ArmeniaNow reporter
ArmeniaNow.com
June 11,2004
A Project on Education Quality and Compliance has been in public
discussion for several months and proposes fundamental changes in
Armenia’s schools of general education.
According to the new state education system, beginning 2006 secondary
education in the republic will be 12 years and children will be
admitted at the age of six. (Presently, the system is 10 years,
with students entering at age six.)
Ten years will become 12 for general education students..
The new education system was developed by a working group selected
through competition, 40 percent of which were teachers, the
others were professors at universities, members of the center for
educational reforms at the Ministry of Education and Science and also
representatives of non-governmental organizations.
According to this educational system secondary general education will
be carried out through a three-level system: 4 years elementary school
(1st to 4th grades); 5 years secondary school (5th to 9th grades);
and 3 years senior school (10th to 12th grades).
The complete program of reforms also includes a methodical re-training
of 40,000 teachers, publishing of new textbooks, providing computers
and introduction of a new evaluation system.
According to the Minister of Education and Science Sergo Yeritsyan in
the aspect of educational reforms Armenia is not only behind European
but also CIS countries. It has been several years that Russia, Belarus
or other CIS countries have passed on to a 12-year education plan.
“We haven’t had a defined educational strategy after independence,”
Yeritsyan says. “Different tests have been done, a project has been
developed proceeding from the present moment, while this new project
is complete. It involves pre-school education up to post graduate
education.”
The Minister points out that one of the main advantages of this
project is that the new educational system will give an opportunity to
combine final school exams with entry exams at institutes of higher
learning. It will also allow for a lighter load of subjects and at
the same time it will add 20 percent of new subjects.
According to the director of Educational Project center Karine
Harutyunyan, the project will be implement by a $45 million credit
allotment from World Bank.
NIE director Melikyan is in favor of the changes..
The new educational system became subject to active discussions among
society. For instance, the dean of the journalism faculty at Yerevan
State University, Garnik Ananyan, believes the new educational policy
will lead to a weakening of the education system.
And Anahit Simonyan, a teacher for 30 years, says a four-year
elementary system isn’t needed, as three years are more than enough
for the material provided to cover that level.
Gagik Melikyan, deputy director of National Institute for Education,
says objections to the new educational system initially was the lack
of awareness and wrong opinions. Included in the misunderstanding was a
wide-spread belief that Armenian children would start school at age 5.
“All those conversations that in case of passing on to a new
educational system children will go to school at the age of five,
are not true. Moreover, nothing is said about it in the project,”
points out Melikyan.
He clarifies that the issue of 5 year-old children was touched since
there was some discussion of organizing a pre-school education program,
aimed to bring those children who are not attending kindergartens to
the necessary level.
“Not everyone can afford to take their children to kindergartens,
and as a result the child comes to school unprepared,” says Melikyan.
According to information of the National Statistics Service
today in Armenia only 18 percent of 5-6 year-old children go to
kindergartens. To fill in this gap the new educational system provides
state assistance thanks to which the last kindergarten year will be
free of charge.
“It does not mean that kindergartens will lose their main
activity which is to prepare children for school, like many people
think. Simply, if now that process is carried out by communities then
in case of passing to the new educational system it will be carried
out through the means and with the control of Ministry of Education
and Science,” adds Melikyan.
A lot of attention in the project is paid to teachers’ training,
re-training and re-qualification, as well as to the issue of computer
usage. According to Melikyan there already is a group consisting of 40
teachers who have been re-qualified abroad and who will be teaching
at the branches of the Institute for Re-Training that exist in all
the regions of the republic.
There also is a center for knowledge evaluation and testing, which
will be carrying out both current and final school exams, which will
at the same time be entry exams. According to Yeritsyan, the new
evaluation method will give an opportunity to prevent corruption.
To clarify society’s opinion the Armenian Sociology Association
recently sponsored an opinion poll.
Six hundred teachers, principles, high grade pupils and parents and
160 experts from 100 schools randomly chosen from five regions of
Armenia participated in the poll.
Sixty five percent were dissatisfied with what they knew about the
proposed system. Forty-seven percent believe the reform is aimed
at improving the quality of education. Twenty percent answered that
the reform is for monetary gain of the specialists and six percent
believe it is to improve personnel.
Twelve percent think that reforms will lead to deterioration of the
educational system. Nine percent think the number of unemployed
teachers will increase as a result of reforms. According to 4.5
percent the number of schools will be cut.
The topic on which there was overwhelming agreement was teacher salary:
Almost 92 percent of those who took part in the poll complained of
the amount of salary paid to teachers and they pointed out that it
is not enough to take care of their family needs. One third of them
have no choice but doing something else in addition to their main job.

Parliamentary Assembly’s summer session: highlights include monitoring of
Turkey, domestic slavery and the media in Italy
Strasbourg, 11.06.2004 – A recommendation to end the monitoring of Turkey,
measures to combat the “domestic slavery” of au pairs and mail-order brides
and a call for an end to political interference in the media in Italy are
among issues to be debated during the Parliamentary Assembly’s summer
session (Strasbourg, 21-25 June 2004).
Other subjects due for discussion include a Europe-wide ban on corporal
punishment of children, the role of women in conflict prevention and
resolution, the Italian law on legitimate suspicion and the honouring of
obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina – the first assessment
since the country joined the Council of Europe in 2002.
There have been requests for urgent debates on the situation in Iraq and on
the political, humanitarian, human rights and security situation in the
Chechen Republic.
The Assembly is also due to debate the euro and the Greater Europe, with the
participation of European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, as
well as a report on the contribution of the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) to economic development in central and eastern
Europe, with the participation of EBRD President Jean Lemierre. The Assembly
will also elect the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
Guest speakers include Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Norwegian
Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik (23 June). Norwegian Foreign Affairs
Minister Jan Petersen, who is chairing the Committee of Ministers during
Norway’s six-month presidency, will present the communication from the
Committee of Ministers (22 June).
The final order of business will be decided by the Assembly itself only on
the first day of the session.
* * *
Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, will give a press
conference on Monday 21 June at 11 a.m. (Room 1). Other press conferences
will be announced on the spot.
./..
The following is a provisional order of business which may be altered by the
Assembly on the first day of the session.
Monday 21 June
Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing Committee
The euro and the Greater Europe
Statement by Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank
Composition of the Bureau of the Assembly
Tuesday 22 June
Election of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Honouring of obligations and commitments by Turkey
Implementation of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights by Turkey
Communication from the Committee of Ministers presented by Jan Petersen,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway and Chairman of the Committee of
Ministers
Contribution of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
to economic development in central and eastern Europe
Statement by Jean Lemierre, President of the EBRD
Domestic slavery: servitude, au pairs and mail-order brides
Wednesday 23 June
Election of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (possible second
round)
Honouring of obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina
Strengthening of democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Address by Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister of Norway
Address by Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia
Conflict prevention and resolution: the role of women
Thursday 24 June
Monopolisation of the electronic media and possible abuse of power in Italy
The italian law on legitimate suspicion
Europe-wide ban on corporal punishment of children
Friday 25 June
Situation of refugees and displaced persons in the Russian Federation and
some other CIS countries
Management of water resources in Europe
Transboundary water basins in Europe
See the Assembly’s website, , for further details.
Additional information may also be found on the Council of Europe web
portal,
Contact:
Communication Unit of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93 – Fax +33 3 90 21 41 34; e-mail: [email protected]
Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 298a04
Tel: +33 3 90 21 50 26
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
[email protected]
internet:
The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 626 members from the national
parliaments of the 45 member states.
President: Peter Schieder (Austria, SOC); Secretary General of the Assembly:
Bruno Haller.
Political Groups: SOC (Socialist Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European
People’s Party); LDR (Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group);
EDG (European Democratic Group); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Ave.
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Marc A. Mamigonian
“ROOTS OF AN ARMENIAN AMERICAN”
IN ILLUSTRATED TALK AT NAASR
Most Armenian Americans feel a bond to their ancestral lands, be
they in Eastern Turkey or the Republic of Armenia, and many will
visit those lands. But only a few form a deep involvement with the
areas from which their ancestors were either forcibly uprooted or
voluntarily departed.
Harry Parsekian, a life-long resident of Watertown, Massachusetts,
will speak about his extensive experience traveling in and working
for the betterment of Armenia in an illustrated talk at the Center of
the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR),
395 Concord Ave., Belmont, Mass., on Thursday, June 24, at 8 p.m.
Extensive Travels and Humanitarian Work in Armenia
Parsekian first visited Armenia in 1968, but his real ties began in
1987 when the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association was founded.
Since then he has been to Armenia on many occasions – volunteering
to deliver supplies for the United Armenia Fund, monitoring the
distribution of food in the earthquake-stricken Shirak region,
or simply traveling for pleasure and recreation such as climbing
Mt. Ararat. One of his most memorable experiences was in 1986 when
he visited his parents’ villages of Nirze and Efkere, as well as
other historic cities and towns in Historic Armenia.
Parsekian has been and continues to be deeply involved in Armenian
life in the diaspora as well as in the homeland. He has documented
his far-flung travels in photographs, and he will share images and
emotional anecdotes about his extraordinary journeys, with particular
attention to the issue of Armenian identity in diaspora.
Final NAASR Talk Until Fall
Parsekian, a well-known figure in the Boston-area Armenian community
and active in numerous Armenian organizations, will provide the final
talk in NAASR’s Spring 2004 Lecture Series. Plans are underway for
a busy fall schedule of lectures and seminars.
Admission to the lecture is free (donations are appreciated).
A question-and-answer period and reception will follow the lecture.
The NAASR Bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m.
The NAASR Center and Headquarters is located at 395 Concord Avenue
near Belmont Center and is directly opposite the First Armenian Church
and next to the U.S. Post Office. Ample parking is available around
the building and in adjacent areas.
More information on Mr. Parsekian’s lecture or about NAASR and
its programs for the furtherance of Armenian studies, research, and
publication may be had by calling 617-489-1610, by fax at 617-484-1759,
by e-mail at [email protected], or by writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave.,
Belmont, MA 02478.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress