Month: May 2008

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS RECEIVES MINISTER OF CULTURE OF BELARUS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

ETCHMIADZIN, MAT 26, NOYAN TAPAN. His Holiness Karekin II, the
Catholicos of All Armenians, received Vladimir Matveychuk, the
Minister of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, accompanied by Gagik
Gyurjian, the RA Deputy Minister of Culture, and Marina Dolgopolova,
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic
of Belarus to the Republic of Armenia, in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin on May 21.

During the meeting His Holiness welcomed the cooperation program
signed between the Ministries of Culture of the two countries and
wished productive process for the implementation of the program. His
Holiness Patriarch referred to the warm friendly relations existing
between the two peoples with content and attached importance to the
intercultural contacts and relations in their development.

They also referred to the life of the Armenian community of Belarus
and the religious mosaic picture of the latter.

300TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDATION OF HOLY NAZARET ARMENIAN CHURCH OF CALCUTTA TO BE CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

CALCUTTA, MAY 26, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. During the week of
November 8 to 15 the Armenian community of Calcutta will celebrate the
300th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Holy
Church of Nazareth with a delay of one year. The Church was initially
built in 1707. Under the auspices of the Armenian Church Committee
it has recently been fully restored and renovated. The church will
be re-consecrated during this event.

MEETING OF CHAIRMEN OF CHURCH COUNCIL OF MIDDLE EAST CONVENED IN ANTELIAS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

ANTELIAS, MAY 26, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. A sitting of the
Chairmen of the Church Council of the Middle East presided over Aram
I, the Catholicos of the Great Cilician House, was convened in the
Mother church of Antelias on May 23.

The details of the congress organized by the Council of Antelias in
the passing month were, first of all, discussed in the sitting. His
Holiness received the reports of the meeting on the current state
of the Council and some work to be organized. In this respect, the
complete participation of the member churches and the investment of
the Middle East Church Council in the prosperity of the Christian
life of the region were considered as necessary.

Issues and programs connected with the administrative structure,
economic state and foreign relations of the Council were also
discussed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CATHOLICOS ARAM I MEETS WITH MINISTER OF CULTURE TAREK MITRI

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

ANTELIAS, MAY 26, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. Tarek Mitri, the
Minister of Culture of Lebanon, visited Aram I, the Catholicos of the
Great Cilician House, on May 23. The meeting between His Holiness
and the Minister, which was held in the office of the Catholicos,
was of intimate character. It is mentioned that they are close friends
and have worked together for many years within the frameworks of the
interchurch movement of the World Council of Churches.

Minister Mitri toroughly introduced the situation hindering the Qatar
meeting of the political forces of Lebanon, and the issues on the
inner folds of the consultations during the conference.

His Holiness expressed his content with the victory the whole Lebanon
has registered, "where there are no losers, there is only one winner:
the whole Lebanon with all its communities and parts, with its people
and authority."

KOMITAS CHILDREN’S CHOIR OF NOR JUGHA TO TAKE PART IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST-FESTIVAL IN POLAND

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

ISPAHAN, MAY 26, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The Komitas children’s
art school choir of Nor Jugha is in Poland for the purpose of taking
part in the international spiritual music contest festival, which is
being held in the city of Haynovka on May 22-26.

As Alik daily reports, 22 singers aged 10-15, under the leadership
of Armen Amirkhanian, are performing Armenian spiritual songs in
the festival.

ATOM EGOYAN DELIVERS LECTURE IN TEL-AVIV UNIVERSITY

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 26, 2008

TEL-AVIV, MAY 26, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The Bar-Shira
Auditorium at Tel-Aviv University was packed with cinephiles eager
to see Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan’s film. In Israel
Egoyan delivered a stunning lecture on the Armenian genocide, using
his critically acclaimed film Ararat as a springboard for discussing
the representation of history in art, and the tragically unending
efforts of the Turkish government to deny the atrocities of the
past. The lecture was followed by a candid question and answer period.

LEADER OF NEW TIMES RELEASED ON RECOGNIZANCE NOT TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY

arminfo
2008-05-26 20:49:00

ArmInfo. Today the prosecutor general of Armenia Agvan Hovsepyan ruled
to release the leader of the opposition New Times party Aram Karapetyan
on recognizance not to leave the country because of poor health.

To remind, on May 16 Karapetyan was taken to Erebuni Medical Center
for medical examination.

He was arrested on Feb 24 on charge of false denunciation.

REPRESENTATIVES OF HERITAGE PARTY REFUSE TO CHAIR ANY OF THE STANDING PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONS

arminfo
2008-05-26 20:58:00

ArmInfo. The parliamentary group of the opposition Heritage party has
not received proposals to chair any of the standing commissions of the
Armenian parliament, says the member of the group Larisa Alaverdyan.

This rumor is being spread by the mass media and is aimed at spoiling
the rating of Heritage. "We refuse pointblank to chair any of the
commissions," says Alaverdyan. She says that there are other ways to
enhance the role of the opposition in the parliament. "First of all,
we should reach agreement on the adoption of political decisions. The
parliamentary majority has never followed principles or legal criteria
in solving problems. They always vote "pro" on the basis of preliminary
agreement. One should not take the proposals of the opposition as
the order of some other country, this is elementary culture. I think
that we should set up an interim parliamentary commission on moral
and ethical problems," says Alaverdyan.

To remind, today the Armenian Parliament adopted a law on
parliamentary regulations saying that the parliament will have 12
standing commissions.

OPPOSITIONAL HERITAGE PARTY WELCOMES THE CHANGE OF MEASURE OF RESTRAINT FOR NEW TIMES LEADER ARAM KARAPETYAN

arminfo
2008-05-26 20:56:00

ArmInfo. "We welcome the change of the measure of restraint for New
Times Party Leader Aram Karapetyan and we hope that his release,
as well as the recent release of Karapet Rubinyan, Yerjanik Abgaryan
and Souren Sourenyants are a promising beginning foe releasing all
political prisoners in Armenia", Press-secretary of the oppositional
Heritage Party Hovsep Khurshudyan said to ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, it is the release of all political prisoners
that may become a good premise for dampening the domestic political
tension caused by the post-election processes in the country. Asked
how the frequent cases of change of measures of restraint for
some oppositionists, can be explained, Khurshudyan stressed: "The
authorities simply have no other choice, as an alternative to the
political prisoners’ release is a new domestic political explosion".

To recall, the leader of the New Times Party, which supported Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s candidacy during the presidential election, was
arrested on February 24. He was accused of false denunciation. Today
Prosecutor General of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan ruled to release Aram
Karapetyan on recognizance not to leave the country.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JUSTICE MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND SLOVAKIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

arminfo
2008-05-26 20:51:00

ArmInfo. Today justice ministers of Armenia and Slovakia Gevorg
Daniyelyan and Stefan Harabin signed a cooperation agreement.

The agreement is aimed at ensuring further development of bilateral
cooperation in the judiciary and is based on the agreement signed by
the prosecutors general of the two countries two months ago. Harabin
pointed out that the agreement envisaged exchange of experience and
visits by experts groups. Slovakia is ready to share its experience
with Armenia so as to help the country to improve its judiciary and
to avoid problems. Harabin invited his Armenian colleague to visit
Slovakia.