ARMENIAN TENNIS PLAYERS BEAT ANDORRA SPORTSMEN IN SECOND TOUR OF DAVIS
CUP TOURNAMENT
YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The 3rd group men’s tournament of Davis
Cup Tournament Eurafrican Zone continues in Yerevan. Armenia’s national
team competed with sportsmen of Andorra in the second tour on May 8.
Hovhannes Davtian lost and Haroutiun Sofian won mono games. In pair
games the Haroutiun Sofian – Hayk Zohranian pair beat their competitors.
ARMENPRESS
MONITORING CONDUCTED IN CONTACT ZONE OF NAGORNO
KARABAKH AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES
STEPANAKERT, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE mission
has conducted today a monitoring in the Aghdam sector
of the contact zone of Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijani armed forces.
Karabakh Foreign Ministry press service told
Armenpress that the monitoring has been conducted by
coordinator of the OSCE office, Colonel Imre Palatinus
(Hungary), field assistant of the personal
representative of the OSCE chairman in office Irzhi
Aberle (Czechia).
The monitoring has been conducted according to the
schedule, no violation of cease-fire regime has been
registered.
From the Karabakh side the monitoring group has
been accompanied by the representatives of country’s
foreign and defense ministries.
Prime Minister of Armenia demands explanations on press publications
from Minister of Agriculture
2008-05-08 15:31:00
ArmInfo. Thursday, before the beginning of the Government meeting,
Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan instructed Minister of
Agriculture to make explanations regarding the publications by some
newspapers on shady mechanisms of importing nitrogen fertilizers in
Armenia and the poor quality of fertilizers. The premier instructed the
ministry to verify the information and report to the public.
The premier called the sharp rise of tariffs for liquid gas in early
May another reason for publications in the press. Tigran Sargsyan
stressed the necessity of verifying if the market comprising 214
gas-filling stations is competitive and the economic entities get
surplus profits from the rise of tariffs.
Tigran Sargsyan also mentioned that half of the population complaints
to the government are connected with the illegal construction in
Yerevan. He instructed finding out if the problem of legislative or
administrative nature.
NAIRI IRITSIAN ELECTED CHAIRPERSON OF AKHALKALAK REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION
AKHALKALAK, MAY 8, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN.
Nairi Iritsian was unanimously elected Chairperson of the Akhalkalak
regional administration in the May 2 sitting of the Municipality Bureau
of Akhalkalak. This information has been rpovided by A-Info.
Haroutiun Hovhannisian, the former Chairperson of the Akhalkalak
regional administration resigned after two months on that post on
account of being nominated as a candidate of MP by the majoritarian
system in the region of Akhalkalak by the United National Movement
ruling party in Georgia.
Zenit News Agency, Italy
May 7 2008
Armenian Patriarch to Visit Benedict XVI
Churches Seek Unity After Split in 451
VATICAN CITY, MAY 6, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians, is responding to an invitation from Benedict XVI to visit
him in the Vatican.
The Pope’s secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, visited
Armenia last March and was received by Karekin II. The Vatican
official presented a handwritten letter from the Holy Father, inviting
the Patriarch to the Vatican.
Karekin II, elected as the 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
all Armenians in October 1999, arrived in Rome today and will
participated in events through Sunday.
According to a communiqué released by the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, the patriarch will be accompanied by 18
bishops of the Catholicosate of all Armenians and by a group of 75
Armenian Apostolic faithful.
On Wednesday, the patriarch will pray at the tomb of St. Peter and
visit the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator, patron saint of
Armenia, which is located in the north patio of the Vatican Basilica.
The Pontiff will welcome him at the beginning of the general audience
in St. Peter’s Square. In the afternoon, the Catholicos is to receive
an honorary doctorate in the theology of pastoral care of youth from
the Pontifical Salesian University.
On Thursday, the Patriarch will visit the Pontifical Armenian College
and, during the afternoon, participate in an academic congress being
held at the Pontifical Oriental Institute on "holy sacrifice in the
Armenian tradition."
Friday morning, Karekin II and his entourage will visit the offices of
the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, after which
Benedict XVI will receive the Catholicos in the Vatican Apostolic
Palace. Following a private meeting between the two, the Pope will
also receive the bishops accompanying the Patriarch. A celebration of
the word of God is due to take place, jointly presided by the Pope and
Karekin II, at which the Armenian Apostolic faithful of the
Patriarch’s entourage will also participate.
On Sunday evening, the Catholicos and his entourage will participate
in the celebration of Vespers at the papal basilica of St. Paul
Outside the Walls, the final event of the Patriarch’s visit to Rome.
In November 2000, scarcely a year after his election, Karekin II
visited Pope John Paul II.
During that visit, the Pope and the Patriarch presided at a Liturgy of
the Word in the Vatican Basilica during which John Paul II gave the
Catholicos a relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator, which had been
conserved for many years at the Convent of St. Gregory the Armenian in
Naples, Italy.
In September 2001, John Paul II made a visit to Armenia and to the See
of Etchmiadzin where the Catholicos resides. The Patriarch also came
to Rome for the Polish Pontiff’s funeral on April 8, 2005.
The communiqué concluded by explaining that, on the occasions of the
various meetings between Bishops of Rome and the Catholicos of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, joint declarations have been signed on
questions of great ecumenical importance in the historical,
theological and pastoral fields.
More than 90% of Armenian Christians are under the Armenian Apostolic
Patriarchate, which separated from Rome after the Council of Chalcedon
in 451. A key step toward overcoming this division was taken in 1996
when Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Karekin I signed a joint
declaration on the nature of Jesus.
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YOUNG SCIENTISTS DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS OF MOLECULAR AND
CELLULAR BIOLOGY
YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The youth conference titled "The
development prospects of molecular and cellular biology" was launched
on May 5. It has been organized by the Institute of Molecular Biology
with the assistance of the presidency of the RA National Academy of
Sciences. 50 young scientists, who are involved in the programs of a
number of scientific institutions, Higher Education Institutions and
scientific and medical enterprises, are taking part in the conference.
Reports on malignant diseases, diabetes, study of molecular basis of
immunal insufficiency, intermediaries of cellular activeness and
molecular-biological researches on use of information technologies have
a very important place among the works introduced at the conference.
According to the Information Service of the RA National Academy of
Sciences, at the end of the two-day conference 8 best works will be
awarded special prizes.
Economic Times, India
May 5 2008
Nestle apologies for gift gaffe after Azeri protest
5 May, 2008, 1904 hrs IST, REUTERS
MOSCOW: Swiss-based food company Nestle has apologised to Azerbaijan
after CDs it handed out free with packets of breakfast products
angered the former Soviet state by accusing it of provoking war with
its neighbour.
Azerbaijan made an official protest after discs aimed at children
across Russia stated it had provoked a war with Armenia over the
separatist Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Nestle has halted distribution
of the CDs.
"It’s a complete disaster as a statement, first it is incorrect, there
are many views. It is also absolutely not the right place for it, it
is a catastrophe," said Andrey Bader, Nestle’s corporate affairs
director for Russia.
The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh between Azeri and Armenian forces
claimed an estimated 35,000 lives and despite a ceasefire in 1994 the
issue remains highly sensitive in both countries. Armenia supports the
separatists.
Azerbaijan wrote to Nestle’s headquarters in Switzerland to complain
about the disc.
"We have sent an official letter expressing discontent and Nestle
offered apologies and withdrew all the CDs which had been
distributed," said a spokesman for the Azeri Foreign Ministry. "Every
measure which was possible has been taken," he said, noting the CDs
were not distributed in Azerbaijan itself.
EMOTIONAL ISSUE
The bonus computer disc was being distributed across Russia from April
10 to April 30 with two breakfast products — Kosmostars and Nesquik
— and contained nuggets of data about different countries. "Now,
regretfully, it has become pretty emotional in Azerbaijan," said
Bader.
The content for the disc was prepared by an outside company and
although the same details had been distributed since 1996, this was
the first time it was noticed, said Bader. Nestle has now temporarily
halted the promotion, but will resume it once revised discs are
despatched.
Bader said he did not know how many discs would have to be destroyed,
but said it was a substantial campaign covering major cities across
Russia, which has a population of 142 million. He could not estimate
the cost to Nestle, but said the decision to halt distribution was
taken after consultation with its Swiss headquarters hours after the
problem came to light.
"Nestle took time to officially apologise with its consumers, with a
recorded speech on Azeri TV, we brought this in a very loud way to
consumers," he said.
AZG Armenian Daily #085, 06/05/2008
Statistics
DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR JOURNALISTS
In 13 countries of the world journalists’ murders
remain unrevealed.
Since 1998, the Committee to Protect Journalists
(center in New York) has carried out researches and
published the list of the countries according to
"impunity index", "Azatutyun" radio-station reported.
The Committee list involves countries, where more than
5 unrevealed murders remain from 1998 to 2007.
The list includes also Russia, where murders of 14
journalists are not revealed yet.
Iraq has the most unrevealed murders – 79.
The list involves also Sierra Leone, Somalia,
Columbia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Afghanistan, Nepal.
Mexico, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
The report mentions that though there are no war
operations and conflicts in most of the
above-mentioned countries, journalists periodically
become targets for murderers here and no one takes
responsibility for it.
Translated by L.H.
Banker.am banking portal congratulates ARKA Agency on 12th anniversary
YEREVAN, May 6. /ARKA/. Dear Mr Petrosov,
The Banker.am banking portal is congratulating you and your staff on
the 12th anniversary of your brainchild ` ARKA NEWS agency.
The Banker.am portal highly appreciates ARKA’s professional skills and
contribution to the development of high-quality and reliable mass media
outlets in Armenia.
We wish you further success and prosperity.
Andranik Barseghian, Pavel Sargsian
Founders of Banker.am project
PRESS RELEASE
For further information please contact
Ms. Gloria Caudill, Administrator
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
[email protected]
(734) 763-0622
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GEORGIA PLANNED
BY ARMENIAN STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Conference will be Webcast Live
The Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
is pleased to announce the convening of a major international
conference on "Georgia: The Making of a Nation," to be held at the
International Institute of the University on May 15-18, 2008.
More than 30 scholars from Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Japan,
Canada and the United States will take part is this unique event. The
themes to be considered by the conference include: "Christian Georgia:
Culture and Identity in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period," "The
Emergence of Modern Georgian Nationalism," "Diversity and Unity in the
South Caucasus: Discourses of Division," "Expressing the National,
Performing the Nation," "Evolution and Revolution in Georgian
Political Development," and "Challenges of the Modern Moment: Georgia
in the Globalizing World."
Details of the program can be found on the website of the Armenian
Studies program:
The conference is part of the series "Armenia and Its Neighbors." The
conference is open to the general public. Equally important is the
fact that the conference proceedings will be broadcast live on the
Internet. Interested individuals can follow the presentation of papers
and the discussions at the following web address:
052008.asx. (Michigan is in
the Eastern US time zone, the same as New York.)
Professor Ronald Suny is the main convener of the
conference. "Considering the increasing importance of the South
Caucasus region to the international community and of Georgia
particularly, we think this gathering will constitute a milestone that
will not only make this important country known to our audiences but
also bring together scholars from around the world who have devoted
time and energy to understand it," stated Professor Suny. "From the
Armenian point of view," he added, "it is essential that all neighbors
be understood first in their own context."
The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of History, the
Department of Near Eastern Studies, the Rackham Graduate School, the
International Institute, the Center for Russian and East European
Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, and
the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies at the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor; and by the American Research Institute of the
South Caucasus (ARISC, based at the University of Chicago).
Gloria Caudill, Administrator
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Armenian Studies Program