EAJC Update -  June 2002

 

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress




EAJC Presentation in Israel, June 18-21, 2002
Moscow meeting with EJC delegation, June 23, 2002
Visit to Novgorod the Great, June 25, 2002

The Presentation of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) was held in Israel June 18-21. An official EAJC delegation arrived in Israel to take part in the event.

A visit’s program included meeting of EAJC President Mr. Alexander Machkevich with President of Israel Mr. Moshe Katsav and Rabbi-in-chief of Israel Eliyahu Bakshi-Daron. An article of these meetings are downloadable from the website: 

Head of Prime Minister’s Office of State of Israel Mr. Dov Weissglas received a group of EAJC delegates headed by EAJC Secretary General Mr. Mikhail Chlenov. The sides discussed the terms and agenda of a future meeting of Mr. A. Machkevich with Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Ariel Sharon. Negotiators underlined the importance of establishing direct contacts between EAJC and top leadership of Israel, agreed on new contacts to specify a date of meeting with Mr. A. Sharon.

The negotiating sides also included: Mr. Mark Baron – advisor of head of Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Roman Spektor – head of EAJC public relations and media department, Mrs. Diana Salganik – representative of EAJC executive board office.

Later the EAJC delegation of the same members together with an Israeli Russian Vaad representative Mr. Alexander Zhukov visited the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the State of Israel Mr. G. P. Tarasov in his Tel-Aviv’s office. The adviser-envoy of Russian diplomatic mission Mr. V. Y. Smirnov also participated in the meeting.

Diplomats thanked M. Chlenov for an invitation to attend the EAJC presentation in Jerusalem. “We are the Russian Embassy of not to the Middle. East conflict, but to Israel”, – noted Ambassador G. Tarasov and offered to consider possibilities to further cooperation with EAJC. According to Ambassador, nearest partnership opportunities may become the events on St.–Petersburg 300 years celebrating, Congress of Soviet and Russian higher educational institutions graduates and marking 250 years of the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.

At the end of the meeting EAJC Secretary General Mr. M. Chlenov, on the Ambassador’s request, commented on today’s situation with Russian–speaking Israelis and mass media oriented at the “Russian” audience of Israel.

June 23, 2002 in Moscow EAJC Vice–Presidents Mr. Mikhail Bezeliansky and Mr. Vyacheslav Kantor and EAJC Executive and Financial Director Mr. Fyodor Osinin on behalf of EAJC President Mr. A. Machkevich gave a reception for the delegation of European Jewish Congress (EJC) headed by EJC General Secretary Mr. Serge Cvajgenbaum.

The reception took place after the official meeting of the EJC delegation with leaders of Jewish communities of Russia and leadership of Russian Parliament Chambers: Deputy Speaker of Council of Federation Mr. V. Goreglyad and Chairman of the Right-Wing Alliance faction in the State Duma Mr. B. Nemtsov.

June 25, 2002 the EAJC delegation in the person of EAJC Vice–Presidents Mr. V. Kantor and Mr. M. Bezeliansky, EAJC Executive and Financial Director Mr. F. Ossinin and head of EAJC public relations and media department Mr. R. Spektor took part in the opening of a Jewish Community center and a synagogue in Novgorod the Great (Russia).

The leadership of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) headed by of Russian Rabbi-in-chief (FJCR) Berl Lazar attended the solemn event.

Governor of the Novgorod region Mr. Mikhail Prussak, speaking at the opening of the synagogue, underlined that organizational and financial participation in this noble cause of EAJC Vice–President Mr. V. Kantor – the main stockholder of the Novgorod the Great city–planning enterprise, Chemical industrial complex “AKRON” – is the first considerable EAJC contribution into a social infrastructure of the region and a precious gift to the city residents.

Festivities on this occasion ended up in a banquet and gala–concert which scenery had been projected by a famous art–manager Mr. Boris Krasnov. This was held in a 1,000–seat Palace of culture also reconstructed owing to AKRON.

EAJC Vice–President Mr. V. Kantor and Governor of the Novgorod region Mr. M. Prussak exchanged toasts in which they underlined a natural character of partnership between the Jewish community and authorities of Russia. “A stable future of the country can be secured only through interaction of thousand–year old traditions, among which the Jewry of Russia takes a obviously bright place”, – emphasized Governor Mr. M. Prussak.


June 2002
Michael Chlenov, EAJC Secretary General / Moscow initiatives

Mr. Michael Chlenov, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Secretary General reported on the results of his work in Moscow (Russia) in spring 2002 in an interview given to the EAJC Public Relations and Media Department.

Mr. M. Chlenov met Mr. A. Saltanov, Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. M. Bogdanov, Head of the Middle East Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. M. Chlenov informed the officials about the EAJC establishment and reported about its goals and initiatives. The discussion on setting up of regular operative contacts between EAJC and the Russian MFA was the main topic of the meeting.

They discussed also the following matters:

- The orgy of anti-Semitism in Western Europe and possible expression of concern in this connection by Russia;

- Anti-Semitic publications in the Urals region (Russia) and spreading so-called “Elders of Zion Protocols” under the aegis of several Russian Orthodox Church representatives;

- Inadmissibility of further voting of Russia in the United Nations and its Committees (the Civil Rights Committee, in particular) for pro-Palestinian resolutions (as it was in March, this year).

Mr. Michael Chlenov also met Mr. A. Ignatenko, a staff member of the Russian President’s Administration. They discussed the questions of regular contacts between EAJC and the Administration, dissemination of anti-Semitic literature in the Urals region, the EAJC plans in the field of international and inter-religious dialogue, including possible participation of Russia in such projects.

Developing topic of Russia’s international policy, Mr. M. Chlenov told the representatives of EAJC Public Relations and Media Department about his role in co-ordination the public campaign against stopping the criminal case on the above-mentioned anti-Semitic publications in the Urals.

Mr. Michael Chlenov, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Secretary General concluded his interview by mentioning about EAJC leadership participation at the Press-conference, given by the Russia’s main Jewish organizations leaders, during which they expressed their solidarity with Israel in its fight against terror.

- Roman Spektor, Head of the EAJC Public Relations and Media Department