JOINT EFFORT-2007 MILITARY EXERCISES TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
18.04.2007 17:13
"Joint Effort- 2007", the military exercises of the US European
Command will be held in Armenia April 27 – May 10 at the Aviation
Institute after Khanpheryants, Press Secretary of RA Ministry of
Defense, Lieutenant Colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan informs.
RA PRIME MINISTER CONTINUES GETTING CONGRATULATION TELEGRAMS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 18 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Serge Sargsian continues getting
congratulation telegrams on the occasion of the latter’s appointment
on the RA Prime Minister’s post.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Government’s Information and
Public Relations Department, President of the Federative Republic of
Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Prime Minister of Syria Naji Al-Utri,
World Bank Regional Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Shigeo
Katsu, Management Board Chairman of the RAO UES company Anatoly
Chubais and Armenian Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia Catholicosate
Nerses Bedros XIX sent congratulation telegrams to Serge Sargsian.
ROBERT KOCHARYAN RECEIVED THE PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN BROADCASTING
ArmRadio.am
18.04.2007 17:59
President Robert Kocharyan received the President of the Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting Seyyed Ezattollah Zarghami.
Emphasizing the positive development of Armenian-Iranian relations,
the parties noted with appreciation that the cooperation is gradually
expanding, embracing new fields.
Turning to the rich historic-cultural heritage of Armenia and Iran,
Robert Kocharyan stressed the importance of television in presenting it
to each other. According to the President, the Armenian-Iranian media
cooperation should be targeted at presenting precise and large-scale
information about the two countries, which will help Armenian and
Iranian people to better know each other, get acquainted with each
other’s culture and traditions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
REPORT: 3 KILLED IN ATTACK ON PUBLISHING HOUSE THAT PRINTS BIBLES IN TURKEY
AP Worldstream
Published: Apr 18, 2007
Attackers killed three people Wednesday at a publishing house that
had been the subject of protests for distributing Bibles in Turkey,
the government-run Anatolia news agency reported.
Police were giving no immediate information about the attack. Dogan
news agency said, however, that the three people killed had their
throats slit. It said a fourth person jumped from a window to escape
the attack, and was hospitalized with injuries.
Anatolia also said one person was hospitalized with a throat injury
but later died.
The Zirve publishing house in the city of Malatya has been the site
of previous protests by nationalists accusing it of proselytizing
in this mostly Muslim but secular country, Dogan reported. Turks are
considered moderately religious, however, and view proselytizers with
suspicion. Many are detained and extradited.
Video footage broadcast on the private NTV news channel showed police
tackling one man outside the publishing house, and rescue workers
loading another man in a neck brace onto a stretcher.
The attack would be the latest on members of Turkey’s tiny Christian
community, comprising less than 1 percent of the population.
In February 2006, 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. Two other Catholic priests were attacked later that
year. A prominent Armenian Christian editor, Hrant Dink, was killed
earlier this year.
Malatya, known as a hotbed of nationalists, is also known as the
hometown of Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981.
Last year, tens of thousands protested the visit by Pope Benedict
XVI to 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.
Of Turkey’s 70 million people today, only about 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 Christians.
US EMBASSY NOT TO CONDUCT EXIT POLLS IN ARMENIA – ENVOY SAYS
Mediamax news agency
18 Apr 07
Yerevan, 17 April: US charge d’affaires in Armenia Anthony Godfrey
stated in an exclusive interview to Mediamax that "we don’t have
plans for nation-wide exit polling or alternative calculations"
during the parliamentary elections in Armenia.
"Frankly, exit polls have been problematic in the United States
and elsewhere, largely due to technical problems, which have raised
issues of their accuracy. But of course, the USA supports fully the
work of the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR). US observers will be taking part in the short-term mission,
and we have an expert in the long-term mission.
We are confident that our view of how the elections went will coincide
with the OSCE ODIHR’s view", Anthony Godfrey stated in an interview
to Mediamax.
Yevda Abramov: "Azerbaijani, Turkish and Jewish Diasporas need to make joint efforts"
Today.Az
18 April 2007
"Israel businessmen are interested of investing in Azerbaijan’s
tourism, agriculture and high technology sectors," said Yevda Abramov,
Azerbaijan MP, chairman of Azerbaijan-Israel Friendship Society.
He told APA that newly established Azerbaijan-Israel International
Association will contribute to the expansion of friendship and
cooperation between the two countries, stimulate political and
economical partnership relations.
Yevda Abramov stressed the particular contributions to the new
association by Israei Knesset and Azerbaijan Friendship Group’s
Chairman Iosif Shagal and Nazim Ibrahimov, head of State Committee
for Azerbaijanis living abroad.
"Now there is a strong Diaspora bringing together 120 thousand
Azerbaijanis in Israel."
Touching the issue of opening of Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel,
Yevda Abramov said it would soon find its solution. "I hope we will
see that day," he added.
Abramov stressed the urgency of Jewish and Turkish Diasporas
cooperation.
According to him, Jewish Diaspora works in close contact with
Azerbaijan and Turkish Diaspora.
Abramov said Azerbaijan Diaspora should cooperate with Jewish and
Turkish Diasporas to force out Armenian Diaspora, which has strong
political and media recourses.
TURKISH RIGHT-SIDED OPPOSITION PARTIES TO "HELP" ERDOGAN IN ENSURING NECESSARY NUMBER OF DEPUTIES IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 18 2007
ANKARA, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached an agreement with leaders of Motherland
and Right Way Grand National Assembly’s opposition right-sided parties
to provide the necessary number of deputies, 367, in the parliament
in the forthcoming presidential elections.
The biggest parliamentary opposition faction, Republican-People’s
Party, organized a rally on April 14 in Ankara with participation of
nearly 1 mln people, during which the leaders of the parties expressed
their indignation and protest to Erdogan’s nomination for the post of
country’s President and demanded to see "a secular, not pro-Islamic
citizen" on President’s post.
According to the Sabah Turkish newspaper, Erdogan declared that in the
formed conditions there is a danger in connection with nomination of
his candidature on the post of the President. "We will not run risks,"
he said.
To recap, nomination of candidates for presidency in Turkey started
on April 16. Starting April 26, the Turkish parliament should elect
head of the state within 20 days. The elections will be held on May
22. The deadline of registration is April 25 and the Prime Minsiter
declared that he will give a final answer before that day.
SITTING OF PERMANENT COMMITTEE OF MIDDLE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCHES CONVENED IN ANTELIAS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 18 2007
ANTELIAS, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The regular
sitting of the permanent committee of the Middle Eastern Orthodox
Churches with participation of representatives of the Copt, Assyrian
and Armenian Churches was convened at the Antelias Cathedral on April
16. The goal of this sitting is the preparatory works of the agenda
of the annual meeting of the three Middle Eastern Orthodox spiritual
heads to take place in Damascus soon.
Members of the permanent committee, headed by Metropolit Bishop Bisso
(Copt Orthodox Church), Metropolit Bishop George Saliba (Assyrian
Orthodox Church) and Bishop Narek Alemezian (Armenian Apostolic Church,
the Great House of Cilicia Catholicosate), met with Aram I Catholicos
after the sitting and presented the issues put on the agenda of the
coming meeting to him.
MONTEBELLO MAYOR’S OFFICE MARKS 40th ANNIVERSARY OF MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BUILT BY ITS DECISION
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 18 2007
MONTEBELLO, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The other day
Montebello Mayor’s Council adopted a declaration, according to which
the 40th anniversary of decision of Mayor’s Office on building a
memorial to the victims of Armenian Genocide will be marked. According
to that decision, dozens of years ago the memorial was built and
placed at the Bignell public park.
During the solemn ceremony, at which more than a hundred members
of Armenian community of Montebello, representatives of ARFD party,
clergymen and pupils of Mesropian national college were present, Mayor
Norma Lopez-Reid read the declaration and handed it to representative
of memorial’s council, Michael Minasian.
Vigen Bagratuni, Chairman of Armenian National Committee, expressing
gratitude to the Mayor and members of Council invited the latters
to the political rally to be held on April 23 near the memorial to
the victims.
Highly estimating the brave conduct of Montebello Mayor’s Council
in his speech, Bagratuni, in particular, said: "Fourty years ago
Montebello Mayor’s Council resisted the pressures of Ambassador
of Turkey to U.S. and built the memorial to victims of Armenian
Genocide. Two years ago it opposed to the pressures of Ambassador
of Azerbaijan to U.S. and approved the status of sister cities with
the capital of the independent republic of Artsakh, Stepanakert. We
are grateful to the Mayor’s Council, moreover, we are proud of their
brave conduct."
ROBERT KOCHARIAN: IRAQI ISSUE SHOULD BE SOLVED THROUGH STAGE-BY-STAGE REDUCTION OF FOREIGN MILITARY PRESENCE IN IRAQ
Noyan Tapan
Apr 18 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN. News agencies reported that during a
meeting with ambassadors of the League of Arab States, the Armenian
president Robert Kocharian said that development of the situation in
Iraq shows that the initial plans did not turn out to be justified and
no simple solutions can be used in this country quite complex by its
structure. The Armenian president noted that the Iraqi issue should
be solved by stage-by-stage reduction of the foreign military presence
in Irag, establishment of a dialog among various ethnic groups within
the country and involvement of interested countries in the process
of peaceful settlement of the situation in Iraq. Robert Kocharian
pointed out the necesity of parallel implementation of these processes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress