Month: November 2006

MOSSAD IN TURKEY TO ASSIST POPE’S SECURITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2006 14:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Security precautions for Pope Benedict XVI, which are
the same for visiting heads of state, will also reportedly be taken
up by Israel’s intelligence service the Mossad. The Italian daily La
Republica has reported that Mossad agents and Italian and Vatican
security and intelligence officers have arrived in Turkey to help
Turkish security units. La Republica also reported that security units
in Istanbul arrested a group in preparation for an attack on the pope a
few weeks ago in Istanbul. However, no detailed information was given
on the identity and nationality of the suspects. The paper also wrote
that Cardinal Walter Kasper, the head of the Council for Promoting
Christian Unity, who is visiting Turkey with the pope, might also
have been chosen as a possible a target, reports Anadolu News Agency.

DALAR VILLAGE ELECTS NEW MAYOR

Armenpress
Nov 27 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: The Sunday election of a mayor of
a village in Ararat province that was a scene of a bloody incident
last August went on without any reported breaches.

On August 30 the then head of the village of Dalar, Tigran Petrosian,
was shot and killed by a former village head Gegham Badalian, who
turned in to the police and admitted to the murder. He was taken into
custody and a criminal investigation was instituted into the case.

Local newspapers said the feud between the two village heads, Badalian
and Petrosian, was prompted by the 2003 presidential election that
divided the two friends into different camps with Badalian supporting
Robert Kocharian and Petrosian supporting an opposition candidate
Stepan Demirchian.

After being elected new head of the community in 2005 Tigran Petrosian
launched an inquiry into his predecessor’s work that revealed a
string of serious abuses and wrongdoings and asked local prosecutors
to launch a criminal investigation into the allegations.

In yesterday’s election Gagik Alexanian was elected new village
head. He was supported by 739 votes. His rival Armen Khachatrian
was backed by 596 voters of the overall 1,371 people who went to the
polls. The new village mayor is not affiliated with any party.

YEREVAN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY TO HAVE NEW STATION BY 2010

Armenpress
Nov 27 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: A deputy Yerevan mayor Slava
Avetisian said today the authorities plan to build a new station for
the Yerevan Underground that will reach to a suburb on the northern
outskirts of the city.

Speaking to reporters today the deputy mayor said though next year’s
government budget does not earmark money for resumption of construction
of the station in Achapnyak district, money may come from the reserve
fund of the government.

Avetisian said the construction of the new line is estimated to cost
about $27 million. He said some $6 million worth work had been done
already. The government subsidy for the Underground next year is 909
million Drams.

WHO DOES THE FABRICATED CONSTITUTION BELONG TO?

A1+
[01:14 pm] 27 November, 2006

The group "Civic disobedience" has organized a protest action opposite
the Constitutional Court.

The participants of the action have sent an open letter to President of
the RA Constitutional Court Gagik Haroutyunyan, judges Hrant Nazaryan,
Felix Tokhyan, Volodya Hovhannisyan, Zinavor Ghoukasyan, Rafayel
Papayan, Valeri Poghosyan, Kim Balayan, and Henrik Danielyan. The
letter runs as follows:

"In the Republic of Armenia, as a result of your criminal
permissiveness:

– The power is concentrated in the hands of the criminal group of
Robert Kocharyan;

– Since 1995 all the elections have been fabricated;

– The Mass Media is controlled by the Government, and the right of
the citizens to get unbiased information is restricted;

– Thousands of citizens have been deprived of their property under
pretence of "state needs".

You faced the fabrication of the Constitutional Referendum by Robert
Kocharyan on November 27, 2005.

Who does the fabricated constitution belong to?

Which Constitution do you serve?

Don’t you see that your activity is devoid of any meaning?

Come to your senses and join the civic disobedience movement".

GAS TARIFFS WILL BE REVISED

A1+
[02:31 pm] 27 November, 2006

On November 29 the State Committee Regulating Public Relations will
discuss the applications of "ArmRusGasArd" about revising the tariffs
of natural gas, the press service of the Committee reports.

The company offers to make the price of 1000 cubic meters of gas 178.72
USD instead of 146.5 for those consumers who use more than 10 thousand
cubic meters of gas. As for the population which uses mainly not more
than 10 thousand cubic meters of gas, the price will remain the same –
90 thousand AMD.

UCLA Engineering

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
News Center
ds%20Dinner%202006.htm

[Photo]
2006 Alumnus of the Year Linda Katehi and Dean Vijay K. Dhir

UCLA Engineering Celebrates Accomplishments at
Annual Awards Dinner

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
celebrated the accomplishments of alumni, students, and faculty at this
year’s annual awards dinner, held on Friday, November 3, at the Four
Seasons’ Beverly Wilshire Hotel ballroom.

With nearly 450 colleagues and friends in attendance, awards were
presented to 13 individuals, including provost and vice chancellor for
academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Linda Katehi, honored as the 2006 Alumnus of the Year.

KNBC 4 reporter and engineering alumnus Patrick Healy, along with UCLA
Engineering Dean Vijay K. Dhir, emceed the event.

`We’re proud of the work our faculty and students do. The work we do
today makes a difference in the world tomorrow,’ Dhir told the crowd.
`In the past, they used to say the sun never set on the British Empire.
I say that the sun is always shining on UCLA Engineering, through its
exceptional alumni living and working all over the world.’

The evening’s big honor was given to Katehi, Alumnus of the Year, for
distinguishing herself in both academia and in integrated circuits and
systems.

`Linda Katehi’s work has been described as visionary, pioneering, and
innovative,’ said Dhir in his introduction. `She is a truly
extraordinary researcher and educator.’

Katehi, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, thanked the school for
honoring her achievements and talked of her journey to the United States
to attend school early in her career.

A humble Katehi said she was simply an average student who had an
extraordinary mentor during her time at UCLA. Her successes at UCLA, she
said, led her on to even greater things.

Dwight Streit, vice president of electronics technology at Northrup
Grumman and Ronald Sugar, chairman and chief executive officer of
Northrop Grumman took the stage together to present the 2006 Northrup
Grumman Excellence in Teaching Award to computer science assistant
professor John Cho and civil and environmental engineering assistant
professor Steven Margulis. The award honors junior faculty who
demonstrate a commitment to high teaching standards, reflected in the
positive course evaluation scores from students, as well as the
professor’s contributions to the curriculum.

Electrical engineering professor Behzad Razavi received the 2006
Lockheed Martin Excellence in Teaching Award from Lockheed’s
Aeronautical Engineering Director Larry Pellett. The award was given to
Razavi for dedication to his students; a vigorous commitment to high
academic standards; and his many contributions to electrical engineering
education.

James Plummer (BS ’66), dean of the Stanford School of Engineering,
received the Alumni Achievement in Academia Award from Associate Dean
Steve Jacobsen for his many contributions to engineering education.
Plummer was honored for his major contributions to the field of silicon
devices and technology, including the integration of CMOS logic and high
voltage lateral DMOS devices on a single chip, the development of
silicon process modeling standards, and designing nanoscale silicon
devices for logic and memory.

Associate Dean Greg Pottie introduced the Lifetime Contribution Award,
which he presented to computer science Professor Emeritus Gerald Estrin.
Dean Boelter recruited Estrin in 1956 to develop a computer engineering
research program. Estrin was honored for leading substantial research
activities in computer architectures, parallel processing, computer
instrumentation and computer networks, and importantly, for laying the
groundwork for the development of what is now the department of Computer
Science.

Last year’s winner of the 2005 Professional Achievement Award, Jeff
Lawrence, founder, president and CEO of Clivia Systems (BS ’79), this
year presented the 2006 award to the founders of Blizzard Entertainment:
Allen Adham(BS ’90), Michael Morhaime (BS ’90), and Frank Pearce (BS
’90). The three were honored for founding Blizzard Entertainment
(originally Silicon & Synapse) in 1991, just a year after they received
their bachelor degrees from UCLA Engineering. The company has since
become one of the most successful game development studios in the world.

Asad Madni, president of the Engineering Alumni Association, presented
the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award to Ani Garabedian (BS ’99) with a
heartfelt introduction. He cited Garabedian’s exceptional technical
skills, as well as an extraordinary drive to give back to UCLA. She
currently serves as chair of the UCLA Society of Women Engineers Alumnae
Advisory Committee, a member of the electrical engineering alumni
advisory board, and is active in the UCLA Alumni Association.

Friend of the school Edward K. Rice himself presented this year’s Edward
K. Rice Outstanding Student honors, which recognize excellence both in
and outside the classroom: 2006 Outstanding Undergraduate Student, Baley
Akemi Fong, 2006 Outstanding Master’s student, Christine Lee, and 2006
Outstanding Doctoral Student, Alireza Mehrnia.

The evening also included a video showcasing innovative faculty research
and new developments over the past year, featuring mechanical and
aerospace engineering professor Greg Carman and his work with thin film
nitinol heart valves for children, research on beach sand bacteria
conducted by civil and environmental engineering professor Jennifer Jay,
and electrical engineering professor Abeer Alwan’s efforts to develop a
computer speech program for kids whose native language is not English.

The film shared innovative new work by computer science professor Majid
Sarrafzadeh on computerized medical treatment devices, and focused on
two new interdisciplinary research centers headquartered at the School,
the Western Institute of Nanoelectronics and the NIH Nanomedicine Center
for Cell Control.

###

11.06.06
-M.Abraham

Armenia Solidarity Press Release
ARMENIA SOLIDARITY
c/o the Temple of Peace
Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales
07876561398 or 00447876561398(int.)
[email protected]

UK Foreign Minister admits over a million Armenians were killed in the
massacres of 1915/1916

The first cracks appear in the UK government’s wall of silence and
denial of the Armenian genocide

Following representations from the M.P. of an "Armenia Solidarity"
member, the Rt Hon Geoff Hoon M.P. the Foreign 0ffice Minister
responsible for UK/Armenia relations, admitted in a letter that during
1915/1916 "over a million ethnic Armenian citizens of the 0ttoman
Empire were killed. Many were massacred….."
He went on " The massacres of 1915….1916 were an appalling
tragedy, which the British government of the day condemned"obviously
refering to the joint declaration by France, Great Britain and Russia
on 24th may 1915 which mentions "massacring Armenians with the
connivance and often assistance of 0ttoman authorities" and which refers
to "those new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilisation" "We
fully endorse that view", he continued.
This position is certainly at variance with the official Turkish
position that the Armenian deaths resulted from" a bitter confrontation
instigated by Armenian radicals in colloboration with or in the service
of invading foreign forces…..in the form of rebellion,conspiracy,
sabotage, large scale atrocities, and the massacre off an estimated
three million Turkish and other Muslim civilians in Anatolia by Armenian
militants and armed gangs" (K.Haktanir, Turkish Ambassador to UK
27/11/2002)
We recognise that genocide recognition will have to be fought for
clause by clause, comma by comma,and so this change of tone in the
British government’s reply is believed to be signifigant. A book of
evidence on the genocide,"Remember," compiled by John Torosyan of the
Armenian/Welsh Friendship Society, was presented to Prime Minister Tony
Blair at the Annual Conference of the Labour Party in september.
While again not using the term Genocide, this is a less ambiguous
statement than previous attempts to bury the issue by successive UK
government ministers.

We request that more UK Armenians make contact with us at
[email protected]

Nov. 26, 2006, 4:40PM
Turkey’s Christians await pope’s visit

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey – Next door to a store selling artificial limbs in a
run-down area of Turkey’s capital, the Protestant church sits on the ground
floor of a dreary apartment block, with barred windows and kitchen chairs
for pews.
The 100-strong congregation of the Kurtulus Church, which is linked to the
U.S.-based International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, rents the space
because authorities have not responded to its request for land and a permit
to build a proper chapel.
When Pope Benedict XVI visits Turkey for four days starting Tuesday, he will
try to ease anger over his recent remarks linking Islam and violence. But he
is also expected to press the 99 percent Muslim country to give its
Christian community more rights. Some of those Christians are forced to
worship in so-called "apartment churches," and suffer prejudice,
discrimination, even assault.
"The pope will discuss the rights of the religious minority" with Turkish
officials, said Monsignor Luigi Padovese, the pope’s vicar in Anatolia. "In
a secular country, people must have the right to believe in whatever faith
they choose to believe."
The pastor of Kurtulus Church, the Rev. Ihsan Ozbek, sees an opening for
dialogue. "We face serious problems. Turkish citizens who converted to
Christianity, especially, face serious discrimination and violence," he
said.
The windows of his makeshift chapel have twice been smashed by suspected
Turkish nationalists, reflecting a widely held conviction that conversion is
treason and that Christian clergy are missionaries or spies for Western
powers.
Of Turkey’s 70 million people, some 65,000 are Armenian Orthodox Christians,
20,000 are Roman Catholic, and 3,500 are Protestant, mostly converts from
Islam. Another 2,000 are Greek Orthodox and 23,000 are Jewish.
The shrunken Christian presence belies the church’s deep roots in latter-day
Turkey.
Constantinople _ modern-day Istanbul _ was the Christian Byzantine capital
for more than 1,000 years until it fell to Muslim forces in 1453 and became
the seat of the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
St. John the Apostle is said to have brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus, 400
miles southwest of Istanbul, where she is believed to have spent her final
years, while St. Paul traveled through much of modern-day Turkey on his
missionary journeys.
Iznik is the former Nicea, where early Christian doctrine was formulated in
325 A.D. All seven major churches of early Christianity, mentioned in The
New Testament, are in present-day Turkey. The pope will make a pilgrimage to
one of them at Ephesus.
Today, Istanbul remains the center of Orthodoxy and the seat of Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I, considered "the first among equals" among the
Orthodox leadership.
But membership is dwindling. The sole seminary training Greek Orthodox monks
was ordered closed in 1971, and no alternative site has been granted.
Turkish law also makes it impossible to import non-Turkish seminarians, and
requires that the patriarchs be Turkish citizens, severely reducing the pool
of candidates to succeed 66-year-old Bartholomew.
The Armenian Orthodox community’s seminary is also closed, confronting it
with the same challenge, while Greek and Armenian communities are struggling
to recover property that the state confiscated in the 1970s.
Turkey wants to join the European Union, which is pressing it for greater
tolerance. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted government
has taken some steps toward change, amending laws to allow religious
minorities to recover some property. The government has also indicated
willingness to reopen the minority seminaries, but has failed to find a
formula that conforms with the country’s secular laws.
Even though Turkey is secular and Turks are considered moderately religious,
authorities often report students who attend Christian meetings to their
families to prevent possible conversions, and proselytizers are detained and
extradited.
The distrust is so deep that non-Muslims are barred from the police force
and military.
In February, a Turkish teenager shot dead a Catholic priest, Rev. Andrea
Santoro, as he knelt in prayer in his church in the Black Sea port of
Trabzon. The attack was believed linked to widespread anger in the Islamic
world over the publication in European newspapers of caricatures of the
Prophet Muhammad. Two other Catholic priests were attacked this year.

2006 Lake Norman Magazine
Volume 24, Number 12, December 2006
lakenormanmagazine.com
Luxury Underfoot Oriental rugs are lasting investment

Oriental rugs seem synonymous with both elegance and mystery. Found in some
of the most beautifully decorated homes, they can be the starting point of a
room’s design or simply a sophisticated accessory.
This centuries-old art form, however, often intimidates and confuses
shoppers. Authentic Oriental rugs can be quite expensive and are considered
collector’s items. Copies exist, especially with today’s computer
technology, that are less well made but can fool the untrained eye.
Even the collective term Oriental rugs only broadly defines the colorful
patterned rugs that come from many exotic places with names not easily
pronounced. Though the majority of Oriental rugs existing in the United
States today date back to only the 19th and 20th centuries when U.S. markets
became more open to their trade, mention is made of woven rugs and carpets
as long ago as 500 B.C. in Old Testament biblical and classical writings.
Two dealers in the Lake Norman area are third generations of families
steeped in the industry. Both have businesses in Mooresville and can offer
buyers not only the benefit of their individual experience, but also the
collective knowledge and inventory connected with their families’ businesses
still operating in the New York area.
Shawn Navab and partner/wife Sible Winebarger own and operate Rugs-N-More on
North Broad Street.
Steve Markarian owns and operates Markarian’s Home Gallery, expanding from
it’s downtown location to a new 18,000-square-foot facility at I-77, exit
33.
Is it collectible?
Both merchants explain that there are at least three distinct differences
between a collectible rug and one that is not. The first is whether it is
handmade or machine made. While some machine-made rugs can be quite
beautiful, handmade rugs are considered authentic and more valuable.
Understanding the difference is easier when seeing them side by side.
Although the fronts of the rugs may look similar, the backs tell the true
story. Often described by the number per square inch, knotting of the
handmade is noticeably finer and more dense, increasing durability, causing
the pattern to be clearly discernable on the reverse side. A handmade rug is
usually heavier, as well. Machine-made rugs have more stubbly yarn showing
on the reverse, sometimes looped instead of knotted, and the pattern appears
more muddy.
Type of wool is another important factor, with the finest wool coming from
New Zealand and Manchester, England. Silk and silk/wool blends also are very
desirable, but pure silk should be used in low-traffic areas or as wall
hangings.
The third factor is dye. Natural dyes derived from plants and other organic
materials, used since the art form began, retain their color and integrity
for generations and don’t degrade the wool, while chemical dyes may run and
fade with the first spill or cleaning.
Know the seller
How does a customer determine these more subtle details such as wool,
knotting and dye? Know the seller, say both Navab and Markarian. If a
customer wants to be sure of getting the authentic product, this is not a
purchase to be made at a parking lot tent sale or from a temporary business
that may be here today and gone tomorrow. Both Mooresville dealers stand
behind their rugs, offer to take well-cared-for rugs on trade-in from their
customers, and wash, repair and restore collectible pieces. If a rug dealer
offers an incredibly low price for a rug claimed to be handmade with fine
New Zealand wool and natural dye, Navab says, you can be assured it is not
authentic.
"In our shop, a typical handmade room-size rug, about 8 by 10 feet, will
begin at about $1,800 and go up from there," he says. "We have rugs here
that cost as much as $70,000," explains Navab, who also appraises rugs. "It
will take one or two people anywhere from eight months to two years to weave
one room-size rug on a loom. And if a rug like that was handmade in the
United States, with our labor costs, the price would probably be at least
$200,000."
"It’s an emotional purchase because we’re asking to get into your hip
pocket," says Markarian, third generation in an Armenian/Irish family of rug
dealers who has been in business in Mooresville for 10 years. "You have to
trust who you’re buying from. And it is a purchase that needs to be
explained to the customer."
That’s why Markarian asks new customers what they desire from the rug. Do
they simply want a rug with the right colors to blend with their décor? In
that case, they may not want to invest in a collectible handmade rug. Or are
they looking for a work of art to pass down to their children? He says he
can accommodate either buyer.
Regional differences
The different types of Oriental rugs derive their names from their
geographic origins. Designs and colors are repeated in a region for hundreds
of years, becoming indigenous to that area. For instance, the popular
patterns of Tabriz, Kashan and Ispahan are some of the names of rugs that
come from states in Iran. The Agra is a popular design from India and
Oushak, from Turkey. Caucasian rugs from the Caucasus mountain region of
Armenia, Georgia, Daghestan and Azerbaijan are some of the more prized in
recent years.
"There is an endless list of designs," Markarian says.
Smaller villages and more rural areas have what are known as tribal designs
that are often less formal and more primitive than those that are made in
urban areas.
"Iran still makes the finest rugs in the world. They’re called Persian
rugs," says Navab, whose family is of Persian descent. Persia is now known
as Iran. "Thirty percent that come from Iran are the most superior in the
world in quality and workmanship. They are the original weavers – rug making
began there. Right now, India produces the most rugs sold in the U.S.
Fifteen years ago, it was China. Even their handmade ones are inferior,
though (to those from Iran)," he adds.
The beauty of age
Because Oriental rugs wear well with proper care, both Mooresville
businesses deal in vintage and antique rugs, called heirloom pieces. In good
condition, they often cost more than new ones and are desired for their aged
patina and muted colors.
Essie Sakhai, a respected expert on Oriental rugs, advises purchasers in his
book "The Story of Carpet" to get a certificate of origin from the dealer
when buying any rug, but especially an older one, because authenticity is
difficult to establish without one. An "antique" rug is one that is more
than 100 years old; "very old" is 70 to 90 years old; "old" is more than 55
years; "semi old" is between 35 and 55 years old. Any rug up to 20 years old
is considered new. Markarian has a new line called a Museum Collection,
which has new handmade pieces made to look old.
But will your children be able to actually use that rug you pass down to
them in their own home’s décor? Markarian explains that such rugs can often
still can be used because they contain a wide spectrum of colors so that any
one might be pulled out to adapt to a room’s color palette.
Sible Winebarger notes that Orientals, typically found in traditional
settings, can be used in transitional and contemporary settings, as well.
"Tibetan pieces blend well with contemporary and modern design, and Oushaks
with transitional," she says. Much of the company’s vintage rug business
comes from customers wanting to trade grandmother’s Oriental for just the
right rug for their own setting.
The collectors
Peter and Evangeline "Vangie" Schlesinger have collected eight Oriental rugs
that grace their home in Mooresville. When he retired from Ingersoll Rand,
the couple returned to the Lake Norman area after living in Germany for 10
years and built their house here more than three years ago. He says that
each of their rugs is valued between $8,000 and $12,000.
"The rugs fit our home and our taste," he says. "My wife’s favorite is a
Heriz in the sun room, and it is over 60 years old. We like the richness of
the color."
"I’ve been in rug stores all over the world," says Schlesinger, who bought
one of his favorites, an Indian silk rug, while in Europe. "Of course, you
must like the color and pattern of a rug first. But, in reality, no one will
count the knots (in a rug). The most valuable advice I can give anyone is to
find someone you can trust."
Caring for Your Oriental Rug
Vacuum regularly and use a good underlayment to help protect and extend the
life of the rug. Some experts recommend shaking rather than vacuuming if
rugs are smaller.
In high-traffic areas, turn the rug around occasionally for even wear.
Shawn Navab recommends professional washing every three to five years. The
cost is typically about $200 for a room-size rug, with the first washing
covered in the cost of his company’s rugs.
Take care of stains right away. Steve Markarian urges his customers to call
him at any time, day or night, to ask about treatment of stains that will
not come out with tap water or the suds created from a liquid soap
detergent. For those they are unable to remove, he advises covering with a
damp towel until it can be treated professionally.

The Financial Mirror
26th of November 2006
Armenian President expresses sorrow over division of Nicosia

It is very sad to see Nicosia divided and know that this is happening in
Europe, President of Armenia Robert Kocharian said on Friday, after visiting
the ceasefire line in Nicosia.
”It is very sad to see this old city divided and know that this is
happening in Europe. Not only the city was divided, by also human lives were
lost and many people are still missing,” Kocharian wrote in the visitors’
book.
Accompanied by Nicosia Mayor Michalakis Zampelas and other officials,
Kocharian and his entourage visited the ceasefire line, dividing the
government-controlled areas from the Turkish occupied northern part of the
island, since the Turkish invasion of 1974.
The Armenian President, who is on a state visit to Cyprus, wished that the
island will be united again and that the people of Cyprus will live under
conditions of prosperity and peace.
Earlier, Zampelas presented the Golden Key of the City to the Armenian
President during an official ceremony at the town hall.
In his address at the ceremony, Kocharian said that ”although this is my
first visit in Cyprus, all things around me seem so familiar that I get the
impression that sooner or later people will start talking to me in
Armenian.”
The Armenian President wished that justice will prevail in Nicosia, just as
in the case of Berlin, were the wall was demolished and now the city has
become a symbol of peace.
”I was recently in Berlin. It is a city that proved how justice in the end
prevails. I wish that Nicosia is again reunited and the Cyprus issue is
resolved according to the wishes of the Cypriot people,” he said.
He also made a proposal that the capital cities of Yerevan and Nicosia
become twinned.
In his address, the Nicosia Mayor referred to the traditionally friendly
relations between Cyprus and Armenia.
Referring to the Armenian people living in Cyprus, he said that they are an
important part of the Cypriot people and contribute to a great extent to the
political, economic and social prosperity of the island.
Later on, the Armenian President visited the Armenian Archbishopric, Church
and School in Nicosia.
A warm welcome was awaiting him by Armenians living in Nicosia, who
applauded and thanked him for his visit.
Kocharian was welcomed by Archbishop of the Armenian Church in Cyprus
Varoujan Hergelian.
Armenian pupils, holding Cypriot and Armenian flags, greeted the official
Armenian delegation and prepared a cultural programme with traditional
dances for its members.
Speaking to the press, Representative of the Armenian Religious Group at the
House of Representatives Mahdesian Vartkes referred to the friendly
relations between Armenia and Cyprus, saying that the living conditions of
Armenians on the island are excellent.