PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
May 21, 2004
___________________
NEW YOUTH GROUP FINDS HOME IN FAMILY PARISH
By Jake Goshert
Last fall, Gregory Andonian, 24, thought he was the only young person
involved at the St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland, OH. He didn’t
think he could even find five people needed to revive the parish’s ACYOA
chapter.
He started with a soccer team, then a discussion on an Armenian
philosopher, then social dances and altar-server training. Now the
local chapter of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America
(ACYOA) has about 30 people. Some young members are born in America,
others come from Armenia, Baku, and the Middle East. One is
half-Armenian and half-Polish.
“And he’s the ACYOA secretary,” Andonian says of the young man whose
mother is Armenian and father is Polish. “Now that he’s involved in
ACYOA, he’s taking Armenian lessons and writing and reading almost
better than Armenians can and is coming to church.”
“A lot of the young people involved in our ACYOA are coming to church
more often, too, which is the core of what ACYOA is about,” Andonian
added. “Young Armenians want to be part of the church. It’s just a
matter of whether you can make them feel comfortable enough to feel
truly special inside.”
YOUTHFUL SPIRIT
During a recent pastoral visit to the Cleveland community on Saturday
and Sunday, April 17 and 18, 2004, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), spent more
than three hours eating pizza and talking with the young members of one
of the Diocese’s newest ACYOA chapters.
“The interaction was wonderful; they were talking about all kinds of
stuff. It was important for them to get to know him,” said Mona
Karoghlanian, parish council chairman at St. Gregory of Narek Church.
“I’m so happy our ACYOA is growing, because I grew up in ACYOA. Now our
youth will be able to enjoy the same experiences I had. That is why I
am so tied to the church: because of that involvement in ACYOA and the
relationships I developed over the years.”
The Primate and former Cleveland priest Fr. Arshag Khatchadourian, now a
pastor in Los Angeles, also met with about 50 young Sunday and Armenian
School children during the visit. Joining the Primate on the visit was
Dr. Sam Mikaelian, executive director of the Diocese.
The parish, with about 100 active families, has been without a parish
priest since the untimely passing of Fr. Haroutiun Dagley in 2002. But
thanks to the tight family feel of the parish, it emerged from the
mourning period stronger.
“There’s just something different here,” Karoghlanian said. “Our parish
— we’re a family. Even though we’re not all related, we feel like a
family. When something happens to somebody, good or bad, everybody’s
there. We’re a very supportive, loving, welcoming type of parish.”
The warmth of the parish has kept it going for more than 40 years.
During the Primate’s visit, the parish marked the 40th anniversary of
the church’s consecration. The original dream of the parish extends
back another 40 years, when the grandparents of today’s leaders — who
were then fresh immigrants in America — went door to door selling
hard-boiled eggs on Easter to raise money for the church.
“It’s hard to imagine the amazing journey our founding generation went
on, as they moved from one way of life to another,” the Primate said
during a banquet commemorating the anniversary. “Our church, too, was
led on this journey. Carried in the hearts of the Armenian faithful,
the flame of our faith moved from the Old World, and settled into the
New. Here, in America, the Armenian people and their church moved
forward together, to achieve strength and prestige in the surrounding
society.”
The Primate stressed the dedication of generations of leaders that went
into making St. Gregory of Narek Church a reality.
“As a community, we have been blessed with something else, as well:
visionary leaders, who dreamed about what could be in the future, and
set to work laying a solid foundation on which to build,” said the
Primate. “The idea of building this church required profound vision and
imagination. Like many bold actions, it took courage to accomplish.”
FINDING STRENGTH
Along with the young spirit of the community members, the parish has
been held together by the dedication of Dn. Serop Demirjian, who was
honored by the Primate with the ST. Vartan Medal. With Dn. Demirjian,
the parish is able to hold weekly services. He has also served in
various other positions, such as on the parish council and as an advisor
to the newly restored ACYOA chapter.
For Dn. Demirjian, who came to America in 1981 from Jerusalem, where he
attended seminary, serving on the altar each Sunday is natural.
“If I miss a Sunday, I feel I am missing something. I feel an emptiness
if I don’t attend church services,” he said. “At the same time, it’s
very rewarding to serve the people. I see the joy and faith in them
that I bring to them, so that is my reward.”
Even though he has to drive 45 minutes each way to the church, the young
father of three who owns his own international shipping company gladly
gives of his time to work with the young ACYOA members. He meets with
them on a regular basis and has taken several under his wing to train as
altar servers.
“They’re very faithful and strong Armenians,” Dn. Demirjian said. “But
I want to encourage them to continue and not only attend services but to
partake, in the choir or on the altar or as an usher. That is more
rewarding for them, because they come and participate and feel they are
actually part of it. When you partake, everything becomes more
meaningful than just standing in the pews.”
— 5/21/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), celebrates the Divine
Liturgy at the St. Gregory of Narek Church of Cleveland, OH, on Sunday,
April 18, 2004.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Archbishop Barsamian joins present and former parish
leaders in cutting an anniversary cake on Saturday, April 17, 2004, at
the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the consecration of the St.
Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland, OH.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): The Primate listens as former Cleveland pastor Fr.
Arshag Khatchadourian speaks to the parishioners during a banquet
marking the 40th anniversary of the St. Gregory of Narek Church.
PHOTO CAPTION (4): The Primate visits with some of the youngest members
of the St. Gregory of Narek Church of Cleveland, OH, during a pastoral
visit there on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18, 2004.
# # #

Moscow Supports Turkey For Cyprus
Zaman, Turkey
May 21 2004
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, currently in Moscow attending a
series of meetings as part of the Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC) Troika, secured Russia’s full support of Turkey in the Cyprus
issue.
Gul met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and requested
that Russia, as a United Nations (UN) Security Council member, support
the lifting of the international sanctions imposed on Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Gul, talking about the meeting afterwards,
conveyed that Lavrov said Russia supports the removal of TRNC sanctions
because establishing trade relations and ending the economic isolation
of TRNC is the right thing to do.
Gul added that Russian companies would not act as obstacles to ending
TRNC’s isolation. Russian companies have investments totaling over
US$40 billion in the Cypriot Greek side.
Gul, the first Turkish Foreign Minister to visit Moscow in eight
years, said that he and Lavrov discussed the Georgian issue and that
the both Turkey and Russia reached a consensus on the Adzharia issue.
Lavrov also thanked Gul for supporting Russian membership to OIC. The
Nagarno Karabag issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia was also
underlined during their talks.
05.21.2004
Mirza Cetinkaya

Armenia doesn’t intend to join NATO – defense minister
Interfax
May 21 2004
Moscow. (Interfax-AVN) – Accession to NATO is not a part of Armenia’s
foreign policy agenda, Defense Minister Serzhik Sarkisian told a
Friday news conference.
“The answer to the question about Armenia’s intentions of joining
NATO is clear from the start because the leadership of the republic
has said on many occasions that it does not include this issue in
its foreign policy agenda,” he said.
Armenia also has no intention of quitting the Collective Security
Treaty Organization in the near future, he said. Membership in it is
a component of Armenia’s national security, he said.

Cyprus, Armenian FMs discuss regional issues and bilateral relations
Cyprus News Agency
May 20 2004
Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) — The Cyprus problem, Cyprus’ accession to the
EU, the Cyprus – Armenia relations, the problems in the Caucasus region
and the issue of Nakorno Karabagh were on the agenda of discussions
here today between Cyprus Foreign Minister George Iacovou and his
Armenia’s counterpart Vartan Oskanian, who is paying a working visit
to Cyprus.
In his statements after the meeting Oskanian stressed the importance
of Cyprus’ accession to the EU for Armenia noting that “we see Cyprus
as a friendly country, as an insider in the EU and that we can rely
on its help to further advance our integration processes with European
structures and particularly with the EU”.
He also said that the reason of his visit to the island is “first of
all to advance and deepen our bilateral ties at all levels.”
Iacovou said “Armenia is a friendly country with very old ties with
Cyprus” and that their modern ties develop continuously at all levels
and mostly at the political level.

Arrested Oppositionist Begins Hunger Strike
By Karine Kalantarian and Ruzanna Stepanian 21/05/2004 12:37
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
May 21 2004
Suren Sureniants, one of the opposition activists arrested last month,
has gone on hunger strike to protest his continuing imprisonment
and demand the release of all “political prisoners” in Armenia,
his lawyer said on Thursday.
The attorney, Robert Grigorian, told RFE/RL that his client is refusing
food in protest against the refusal of the Armenian Court of Appeals
to grant him bail pending the ongoing criminal investigation into the
opposition campaign against President Robert Kocharian. Sureniants and
several other senior members of the opposition Artarutyun alliance,
among them former Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian, have been
held in custody for more than a month, accused of publicly advocating
a “violent overthrow of constitutional order” and “insulting” senior
government officials. They strongly deny the charges.
The Artarutyun activists top the list of 14 opposition detainees
who have been declared political prisoners by several local
non-governmental organizations. Three of those detainees have already
been sentenced to one year in prison on charges of “hooliganism”
stemming from their violent clash with Kocharian supporters and
plainclothes police that tried to disrupt an opposition rally in
Gyumri in late March.
Armenia’s presidentially appointed human rights ombudsman, Larisa
Alaverdian, on Thursday admitted that the case against Sureniants
and the other oppositionists is politically motivated. “These cases
contain a political component,” she told RFE/RL, specifically deploring
the pre-trial arrests.
Alaverdian also urged Sureniants to end the hunger strike. “The
situation is not yet such that he has to resort to such actions,”
she said.
Meanwhile, Artarutyun and its opposition ally, the National Unity Party
(AMK), said 28 of their activists around the country were rounded up
and questioned by the police on Thursday ahead of Friday’s opposition
rally in Yerevan which could end in another march towards Kocharian’s
residence. Opposition sources said some of them were sentenced to
ten days’ imprisonment under the Soviet-era Code of Administrative
Offences.
A spokesman for the national police in Yerevan refused to refute or
confirm the information.

Made In Rostov
Gateway 2 Russia, Russia –
May 20 2004
To make create the kind of “footwear region” found in China or Italy,
Rostov shoe manufacturers need to expand their range of products,
create brands, and improve distribution
Maxim Borisov
If you take a look at Russian men’s shoes, you will see many of them
wear boots made in Rostov Province. Although these boots are not the
height of fashion, they are comfortable, made of natural leather with
a high-quality sole, and last for several seasons.
Men’s footwear manufacturing has been developing rapidly in Rostov
Province for the last several years. Factories and workshops number
over a thousand, the demand for footwear specialists has long exceeded
the supply, and they receive the highest salaries in the industry.
Footwear production in Rostov-on-Don increases yearly. The rapidly
growing Rostov manufacturers have taken the local market for inputs
and components to a new level. The soles and heels made in Rostov
are of better quality than those made in China. The Rostov region
is being dubbed Russia’s “footwear province.” However, it is still
a long way from China’s Guanzhou or Italy’s Marka.
Footwear city
There are a number of explanations for the Rostov “footwear miracle.”
Rostov Province is one of the most southern Russian regions. Rostov
is home to an extensive Armenian diaspora, and Armenians are famous
for their footwear traditions.
The footwear industry in Rostov Province developed rapidly in
the Soviet era. After the collapse of the USSR, Rostov’s shoe
factories, like the entire industry, were in crisis. At many factories
production ground to a halt and personnel fell by half. As a result,
many shoemakers found themselves on the street. “In the early to
mid-1990s, Rostov shoe factories faced serious problems,” says Andrei
Grekov. “But as soon as people with a different mentality replaced
the old directors, the Rostov footwear boom began.”
The most active changes began after the 1998 crisis. “Before the
crisis, we had very low profitability,” Expert heard at Nine Lines,
one of the largest Rostov companies to date. “Only after the August
1998 crisis, we had an opportunity to increase profitability and
develop production. At that time, there were as few as three lasts
at the factory and two or three models were being produced on each
of them. But demand was huge. The shoes we made in one week would
sell out like hot cakes, in one day.”
Unemployed Rostov shoemakers began to return to the footwear business,
and small workshops developed rapidly. “I started my business with one
sewing machine; today, 30 to 50 people – depending on the season – work
at my enterprise. In four years, my company has attained high enough
production volumes that we have begun to participate in exhibitions,”
Tatyana Kokurina, General Director and owner of Astrum Shoe Company
told Expert. And there are hundreds of enterprises like Astrum in
Rostov Province.
Men are easier
Nobody knows exactly how many shoe enterprises operate in Rostov,
nor does anybody know what their turnover is, since along with large
companies and small legally operating enterprises, a multitude of
nameless factories and workshops sew shoes in the province. Many
manufacturers prefer not to come out from under the table, as they
don’t pay taxes, and only wholesale buyers of Rostov footwear are
aware of the existence of these clandestine manufacturers.
A distinctive feature of the Rostov footwear region is that its
companies specialize exclusively in men’s shoes. “The man hours for
women’s and men’s footwear are incommensurable. Today, we are not
ready to take on women’s shoes, neither morally nor technologically.
Rostov is only strong in men’s footwear for the time being,” says
Kokurina. The companies sew popular classical models, mainly in black
leather. Rostov shoemakers don’t conceal the fact they adopt design
from others. Over the last few years, they have started to play a
significant role on the Russian market. In their price and model
group, they are putting pressure on other Russian manufacturers and
Chinese shoes. “All Rostov manufacturers focus on the same single
target audience. They make similar models and operate in the same
price niche. Of course, this can’t help but affect the market,” says
Anastasia Tatulova, Marketing Director at Belka Company (makers of
Ralf Ringer brand shoes). “We consider them our rivals in the casual
and classic shoe segment. However, the classic models made by Rostov
shoemakers compete to a greater extent with Chinese manufacturers of
formal footwear.”
The China syndrome
Rostov shoemakers have managed to gain a significant position on the
market due to a number of factors, the same factors that caused the
Chinese footwear boom. First, the folks in Rostov promptly respond to
demand. “If a model hasn’t sold well, we change it within a few days,”
says Grekov. “As soon as I learn that a model is selling poorly,
we immediately stop cutting it on my call. Since we sew quickly, the
number of already cut shoes is rather small. It takes us one week to
develop a new model, from concept to realization.” The specialization
in men’s footwear allows for efficiency and enables Rostov shoemakers
to outstrip companies that order shoes from Chinese manufacturers. For
importers, the logistic cycle can last as long as a few months.
Secondly, a stable components market has been established in
Rostov Province. Numerous small companies bring leather, soles, and
accessories to the province. In 2003, local manufacturers of soles
meeting European quality requirements, and not just Chinese ones,
emerged in Rostov.
Many specialists explain the success achieved by Rostov Province’s
shoemakers also by the fact that most of them don’t pay taxes. They
greatly underreport their production volume or operate completely
illegally. “In Rostov, you can now see what would have happened to
the Russian footwear industry if it had been exempt from taxes or
if taxes had been reduced to 10-15%,” says Sergei Donskoi, Marketing
Director at M. Shoe Company. “Regrettably, it is only profitable to
produce shoes in Russia illegally now.”
Women are harder
Still, one should bear in mind that Rostov’s shoemakers have achieved
their success based on small workshops making a technologically simple
product that meets basic market requirements in terms of price and
quality. Increasing competition is now forcing manufacturers to move
to a new technological level. If this doesn’t happen, the rapid growth
of the footwear province will swiftly come to an end.
The problem is that Rostov shoemakers make men’s footwear exclusively;
that different factories’ products are virtually indistinguishable;
and that these factories only compete with each other by lowering
their prices. They are beginning, however, to think about brands that
would distinguish their shoes from the general mass.
Specialists are of the opinion that Rostov shoemakers should abandon
price competition in order to get a second wind. This means that they
should make more diverse collections, use materials of better quality,
and expand distribution.
Many companies are ready to widen their range of products right now.
This would enable them to target different market niches. Some
factories would focus on men’s casual shoes, some on the “classics”,
some on athletic shoes, and some might even venture into women’s
footwear. So far, none of the Rostov shoemakers have attempted this.
“It’s more difficult to predict demand for women’s shoes than men’s.
Moreover, no one had to, because everybody made a decent amount of
money on men’s boots,” says Vladimir Kazaryan. Women’s footwear
requires new lasts, more diverse materials of better quality,
and a greater emphasis on design. However, notwithstanding all
the difficulties, many manufacturers are either developing women’s
collections now or planning to do so soon. The competition on the
women’s footwear market is much tougher, though, and the Rostov
shoemakers will immediately confront Moscow and Chinese manufacturers
in this segment. The Chinese have a firm grip on the greater part of
the women’s footwear market.
Rostov shoemakers will be able to compete with them only if they
develop a distribution system, and their system lags far behind at
the moment. “Over the years, Rostov shoemakers have focused only on
making shoes and selling it to intermediaries. They have paid no
attention to the further fate of their footwear,” Expert was told
at Legre Company. “Only recently have we begun to sell our shoes
ourselves. We understood at once how much of our profits had gone to
middlemen. All Rostov shoemakers used to work this way, and now they
have realized their mistake. If we had worked without intermediaries
from the very outset, we would have made greater progress in terms of
output and quality. We would have had enough money for both advertising
and new equipment.”

Russia won’t withdraw troops from Armenia
RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
May 21 2004
RBC, 21.05.2004, Yerevan 10:01:19.Russia will not withdraw its military
base from Armenia, said Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, ARKA
reports. “We have repeatedly said that we see bilateral relations with
Russia as part of our national security, and, naturally, the Russian
military base is in the sphere of our bilateral relations,” he said.
For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov said Russia did
not interfere in Armenia’s internal political affairs. “We have good,
frank and trust relations with Armenian authorities,” he stressed. “We
are building our relations with Armenia as with our strategic partner,
based on our cultural, historic, religious, military and political
ties, and we see Armenia as an ally,” Ivanov noted.
The 102nd military base is located at the town of Gyumri.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CYPRUS, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS TIES, REGIONAL ISSUES
Cyprus News Agency
20 May 04
Nicosia, 20 May: The Cyprus problem, Cyprus’ accession to the EU, the
Cyprus-Armenia relations, the problems in the Caucasus region and the
issue of Nagornyy Karabakh were on the agenda of discussions here today
between Cyprus Foreign Minister Yeoryios Iakovou and his Armenia’s
counterpart Vardan Oskanyan, who is paying a working visit to Cyprus.
In his statements after the meeting Oskanyan stressed the importance
of Cyprus’ accession to the EU for Armenia noting that “we see Cyprus
as a friendly country, as an insider in the EU and that we can rely
on its help to further advance our integration processes with European
structures and particularly with the EU”.
He also said that the reason of his visit to the island is “first of
all to advance and deepen our bilateral ties at all levels”.
Iakovou said “Armenia is a friendly country with very old ties with
Cyprus” and that their modern ties develop continuously at all levels
and mostly at the political level.
He referred to the presence of many Armenians in Cyprus that
participate to the economic, social and political life of the country
and noted they discussed various issues.
Iakovou said he briefed Oskanyan on the latest developments in the
Cyprus problem, Cyprus’ accession to the EU and the prospects created
by it while Oskanyan briefed him on the problems at Caucasus region
and Nagornyy Karabakh.
Oskanyan said during the past 12 years of Armenia’s independence
“we consistently upgraded our bilateral ties.”
“Our relations are at a very good level at this moment. We’ve been
closely working together in international organizations and we will
continue to do so in the future,” he said.
He added that he was extremely satisfied with his talks with Iakovou
and that their discussion was very useful.
“We’ve addressed our bilateral relations, we’ve assessed where we stand
today and we’ve talked as to how we can move forward,” Oskanyan said.
He also described “extremely helpful” the analysis and the explanation
of the Cypriot minister about the Annan unification plan and the
reasons behind the ‘No’ that the Greek Cypriot people expressed on the
24 April referendum, adding that “now I understand better the reasons.”
“Also the minister analysed and explained what are the expectations
for the future since truly the intention here is to see a unified
Cyprus as a member of the EU,” he added.
He said that on his part he briefed the Cypriot minister about the
talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh issue “where we stand and what are the
prospects for the peaceful resolution of this conflict in our region.”
“We’ve also talked about other regional matters, particularly Armenia’s
relations with its neighbours, Turkey in particular,” he noted, adding
“as a goal before us we have the normalization of ties between Armenia
and Turkey.”
He also said he very much hoped that the Cypriot minister will have
the opportunity to visit Armenia in the near future.
Asked if during his meetings here he discussed the issue of the
Melkonian Educational Institute, after the Armenian General Benevolent
Union’s (AGBU) which governs the institute decided to shut down,
Oskanyan said he discussed it both with Cypriot Minister of Interior
Andreas Christou and Nicosia Mayor Michael Zambelas.
“This is an issue that concerns the Government of Armenia and I simply
heard the views of the Cypriot government officials as to what they
think about the future of the school and I should also say that I met
with the community members yesterday and I focused on the Melkonian’s
closure,” he added.
“We in Armenia like to see a solution to this issue that will meet
the needs of everyone”, the Armenian Foreign Minister said and added
that Armenia was ready to offer its good offices, if it could be of
any help, to reach a positive conclusion to this issue.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
May 20, 2004
___________________
BAPTISM DISPLAYS CONTINUANCE OF ARMENIAN FAITH
There were a few unusual aspects to the baptism at St. Vartan Cathedral
on May 13, 2004. First off, it wasn’t a child being baptized, it was a
24-year-old named Sergey Grigoryan. Secondly, since he is a pastry chef
who works on the weekends, he had to get baptized on a Thursday. And
that meant that along with his family, the St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks —
who normally meet on Thursdays — were in attendance for the
celebration.
Grigoryan was born in Russia and came to America in his teens. His
mother is Jewish, his father is Armenian. He decided to receive baptism
after years of reflection and more recently discussions with Fr.
Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral.
“It was just my free will,” said an emotional Grigoryan, who took on the
additional Armenian name of Sarkis. “It feels good; very good.”
After the baptism, Grigoryan and his family were congratulated by the
Avak members who attended. With hugs and kisses, they welcomed their
newest grandson into the church.
“This is a great chance to join two generations of Armenian faithful,”
Fr. Chevian said. “Through this unusual Thursday baptism, we were able
to welcome a new member to our church family, and the Avaks were witness
to the fact that our faith does live on.”
— 5/20/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Members of the St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks group
attended the baptism of Sergey Grigoryan on Thursday, May 13, 2004, at
the cathedral in New York City.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): An immigrant from Russia, Sergey “Sarkis” Grigoryan
decided to be baptized at St. Vartan Cathedral on Thursday, May 13,
2004, in front of his family and the members of the Avaks, his newly
adopted church family.
# # #

Melkonian on the agenda in talks with Armenian minister
By Jean Christou
Cyprus Mail
May 21 2004
THE CLOSURE of the Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI) in Nicosia
was discussed yesterday during discussions between Foreign Minister
George Iacovou and his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian, who is
on an official visit to the island.
Speaking after the meeting, Oskanian said the issue was discussed with
Iacovou, as well as Interior Minister Andreas Christou and Nicosia
Mayor Michael Zampelas.
“This is an issue that concerns the Government of Armenia and I simply
heard the views of the Cypriot government officials as to what they
think about the future of the school; I should also say that I met
with the community members yesterday and I focused on the Melkonian’s
closure,” he added.
“We in Armenia like to see a solution to this issue that will meet
the needs of everyone,” the Armenian Foreign Minister said, adding
Armenia was ready to offer its good offices, if it could be of any
help, to reach a positive conclusion to this issue.
Last month, the government slapped a preservation order on the
Melkonian, giving the school, slated to close next year, a temporary
reprieve from the developers, but so far there are no assurances
about the school’s continuation beyond June 2005, after which a good
number of Armenian students living in Cyprus would be deprived of a
national-language school, while boarding students would be sent home.
The central board of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU)
in New York said in March that the 78-year old school should close
in June 2005.
The loss-making Melkonian is sitting on a £40 million plot in the
capital’s commercial district and reports have been rife that it is
up for grabs by developers.
The AGBU said in November that the school was not for sale but
then changed tack and announced the closure. The schools alumni are
convinced the foundation’s only aim is to “take the money and run”.
Staff at the school are also outraged over comments by the AGBU
that the standard of education at the MEI was not up to scratch,
and threatened this week to take industrial action.
Iacovou and Oskanian also discussed the Cyprus issue, the island’s
EU accession and relations with Armenia during yesterday’s meeting
Oskanian stressed the importance of Cyprus’ accession to the EU for
Armenia. “We see Cyprus as a friendly country, as an insider in the EU
and that we can rely on its help to further advance our integration
processes with European structures and particularly with the EU,”
he said.