Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA’S GREEK COMMUNITY ACTS AS BRIDGE CONNECTING ARMENIA TO GREECE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 19, 2011 – 18:01 AMT

Armenia’s Greek community acts as a bridge, connecting Armenia to
Greece, according to the head of the Greek community.

“At present, about 1300 Greeks reside in Armenia. Many left Armenia in
early 1990s because of complicated social and economic conditions. To
me, Armenia is a second motherland, my historic motherland,” Arkady
Khitarov told a news conference in Yerevan.

As Mr. Khitarov noted, Greeks in Armenia are perceived as a full
fledged members of the Republic, which is explained by many mixed
marriages in the community.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

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“ARMENIANS IN LEBANON WILL ALWAYS FULFILL THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND REMAIN
VIGILANT TOWARDS THEIR RIGHTS”, Stated Aram I in Kuwait

In honor of His Holiness Aram I, Ambassador Bassam Al-Noumani of Lebanon in
Kuwait organized a dinner where he had invited ambassadors from the Arab
world and Europe, as well as from the Gulf countries. His Holiness Aram I
was present with his delegation, the Pontifical Vicar and representatives of
the Armenian community, Diaspora Minister of Armenia Heranoush Hagopian, and
the press.

When the Ambassador welcomed his Guest of Honor, he also spoke of the
positive role the Armenian community in Lebanon played during the war in
Lebanon, and the special role of His Holiness Aram I both locally and
internationally.

In his response, Holiness Aram I thanked the Ambassador and said that the
Armenian community is aware of its responsibilities and rights as one of the
seven major communities in Lebanon. He then continued, “This unique
structure of the country is both its strength and unique message to the
world.” However, he warned, “Safeguarding diversities, should also mean
harnessing its unity”. The Catholicos then spoke of the love and respect the
Arab world has shown to Armenians since their deportation from their land in
Turkey. He also reminded those present that the Armenian people will
continue their demand for justice until it has been achieved.

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

ARMENIAN MP AND BUSINESSMAN DISOBEYED POLICE DEMANDS (PHOTO)

news.am
May 19, 2011 | 17:39

YEREVAN. – Armenian MP and businessman Tigran Arzakantsan disobeyed
demands of traffic police and abandoned the scene.

Traffic police officers stopped MP’s car, BMW-740, and its escort
vehicle, Mitsubishi Pajero, because the drivers of both vehicles did
not wear seatbelts, informs photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan.

When police asked to provide driving licenses the MP declared that
police do not have the right to search his car and abandoned the scene.

EU AMBASSADORS MET WITH ARFD DELEGATION

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:12:13 – 19/05/2011

Today the delegation of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun headed by the
representative of the ARFD Supreme Body Armen Rustamyan met with the
EU ambassadors to Armenia.

The head of the EU delegation Raul de Luzenberger, the ambassadors of
the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Poland, Romania and Netherlands,
as well as other officials participated in the meeting.

>From the ARFD, Member of Parliament Lilit Galstyan and the head of
the director of the ARFD office of political affairs Kiro Manoyan
participated in the meeting.

The EU ambassadors were exposed to the ARFD opinions on the home
processes, the Election Code, the Karabakh settlement, as well as the
normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations, the ARFD Press
Service informs.

SECURITY SYSTEM IN EUROPE DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR LASTING PEACE: CSTO SECRETARY GENERAL

/ARKA/
May 19, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, May 19. / ARKA /. The current security system in Europe
does not ensure a lasting peace for all, does not guarantee equal
security for each state – large or small, Nikolai Bordyuzha, secretary
general at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) said
today at an international conference on “Collective Security Treaty
Organization and the South Caucasus: Prospects for Peace and security
in the region. ”

“In these circumstances unbiased observers got convinced that the
role of regional security organizations has increased and demands
further perfection,” said Bordyuzha.

He recalled that the Russian president proposed to conclude a legally
binding treaty on European security.

According to him, Russia continues to promote this idea that received
support from all members of CSTO, as well as from some countries in
Europe and Asia.

“I am convinced that the existence of such a treaty would contribute to
the resolution of regional conflicts, including in the South Caucasus”,
he said.

COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL OF ARMENIA’S WATER DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS MAY COST ABOUT $600 MILLION: DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS

/ARKA/
May 19, 2011
YEREVAN

A comprehensive overhaul of Armenia’s water distribution networks
is estimated to cost about $600 million, deputy prime minister Armen
Gevorkian said today.

Speaking to journalists Gevorkian who is also territorial
administration minister, said the problem could be solved only though
attracting large scale investments and the greater part of the money
must be spent on replacement of battered pipes.

According to him, the government is considering its cooperation model
with water distribution operators, albeit the current model is quite
successful. He said some changes may be made to concessional contracts
to raise the efficiency of the system.

Yerevan’s water distribution network s run by Yerevan Joor (Yerevan
Water), a company run by French Generale des Eaux that won an
international tender announced by World Bank to take up a long-term
management of the Yerevan network in 2006.

There are four more companies managing water distribution networks
across the country.

ARMENIAN INTERESTED IN BELARUS AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT

news.am
May 19, 2011 | 14:48

Armenia is interested in supplies of Belarus agricultural equipment,
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said during the meeting with his
Belarus counterpart Mikhail Myasnikovich.

Premier Sargsyan explained agricultural equipment has not been recently
modernized in Armenia.

“It must be a strategic partnership: supplies, service,” he said,
adding Armenia needs experience of Belarus in this field.

The Armenian official said that the country is also interested in
importing Belarus buses, infobaza.by reports.

AAA STATEMENT ON OBAMA’S NOMINEE TO SERVE AS AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

hetq
10:07, May 20, 2011

Washington, DC – Last night, President Obama nominated John A. Heffern
to serve as the next Ambassador to Armenia, reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly). The Assembly expects a rigorous Senate
confirmation process in the months ahead.

Current U.S. envoy to Yerevan Marie L. Yovanovitch, nominated by former
President George W. Bush, will conclude her three-year mission in June.

In the mid-1990s, Heffern worked for former Congressman Doug
Bereuter (R-NE) who was consistently one of the most pro-Turkish and
anti-Armenian Representatives to serve in Congress.

Without pre-judging nominee Mr. Heffern personally, he will have a
steep hill to climb in explaining and distinguishing his views from
those of former Congressman Bereuter. For example, in 1995-1996, when
Heffern was on the Congressman’s International Relations Committee
staff, Bereuter voted against several measures aimed to promote not
only Armenia’s interests, but human rights interests around the world.

These measures included, most notably, the Humanitarian Aid Corridor
Act, which prohibits U.S. economic assistance to any country that
impedes or restricts the transfer or delivery of U.S. humanitarian
assistance to another country. Heffern’s former boss also voted against
an amendment to cut $25 million in aid to Turkey, which was proposed
in reference to Turkey’s human rights violations and ongoing blockade
of Armenia. Further, the Congressman voted against an amendment to
cut aid to Turkey until it had “taken all appropriate steps to honor
the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.”

The Assembly hopes Mr. Heffern can successfully climb that hill and
represent America’s views and clear record, not only on the need to
squarely recognize the Armenian Genocide and its consequences, but also
on addressing Azerbaijan’s aggression against the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic to ensure peace in the region with open borders, respect
for human rights and commitment to democracy.

John A. Heffern is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and
currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission
to NATO in Brussels. Prior to his current post, Mr. Heffern served
as Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs
and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia. Mr.

Heffern’s career has also included overseas assignments to Japan,
Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Guangzhou, China.

NKR PRESIDENT: KARABAKH CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT KASHATAGH

A1Plus.am
18 May 2011

The existence of Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state is impossible
without the Kashatagh region, President of the Artsakh Republic Bako
Sahakyan said in the town of Berdzor when attending a festival event
dedicated to the 19th anniversary of Berdzor’s liberation.

Mr. Sahakyan underlined that the liberation of Berdzor marked a
significant military, political and psychological victory for the
whole Armenian people and added that without this victory it would
have been impossible to defend our country’s independence and freedom.

He considered the development of Kashatagh to be a strategic issue
of pan-Armenian importance, underlining that the state would do
everything possible for its prosperity.

AZERBAIJAN CONDUCTS MILITARY EXERCISE AT THE FRONTLINE

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:15:05 – 18/05/2011

Trend Agency reports that the armed forces of Azerbaijan led by the
minister of defense Abiyev are conducting a large-scale military
exercise at the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontline. Land troops and air
force are participating in the exercise.