Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA READY FOR HUMANITARIAN COOPERATION WITHIN CIS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 3 2007

YEREVAN, October 3. /ARKA/. Armenia is ready for any initiatives to
develop humanitarian cooperation with the members of the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS), RA Premier Serge Sargsyan stated at his
meting with a delegation of the CIS Humanitarian Cooperation Council
and Board members, Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation,
headed by Assistant to RF President Jahan Pollyeva.

The Public Relations Department, RA Government, Premier Sargsyan
welcomed the initiative of holding a conference on humanitarian
cooperation in Yerevan. He pointed out that the Armenian people has
always had a special attitude to literature, arts and culture.

"This is the reason for Armenia’s readiness to take part in all the
initiatives of humanitarian cooperation," the Premier said. He pointed
out the symbolism of the conference being held simultaneously with
Translator Day marked in Armenia in October.

Sargsyan also said that the development of humanitarian ties between
the peoples having common cultural and spiritual values requires
great will. According to him, everything possible must be done for any
event of this nature to evoke a response in the life of the nations.

Pollyeva expressed her gratitude for a warm reception and organization
of the conference and a working meeting of the Council and of the
Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation. She stressed that a number of
documents have been approved since the Council and the Fund have
been established. The documents concern a preliminary schedule of
priority international events of humanitarian cooperation between the
CIS members in 2007-2008, the Fund’s program of action, under which
the conference "Translation as field of gravitation toward cultural
interpenetration".

Pollyeva pointed out that the CIS members have common humanitarian
interests, favorable conditions for cooperation, and they only have
to combine their efforts in this direction. She said that the goal of
the 2nd conference of CIS scientists and workers of art and culture
in Astana is to accomplish this task. She added that she expects
Armenia’s active participation in the important event.

The meting participants pointed out the role of science, education
and culture in strengthening spiritual ties and friendship between
nations, which can serve as a good basis for the development of
economic cooperation.

The delegation, which includes Ambassador-and-Large, Kazakh
Foreign Office, Dusen Kasanov, Board Chairman, Interstate Fund for
Humanitarian Cooperation, Head of the RF Federal Agency for Culture
and Cinematography, Mikhail Shvydkoi, is in Armenia to take part in
the conference "Translation as field of gravitation toward cultural
interpenetration".

Participating in the meeting were the member of the CIS Humanitarian
Cooperation Council, Assistant to the RA President Vigen Sargsyan,
the Board member, international Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation,
RA minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan.

FRESH SPLITS IN ARMENIAN OPPOSITION THREATEN ITS EXISTENCE
by Natalia Leshchenko

Global Insight
October 2, 2007

The leader of the oppositional Orinats Yerkir party and the former
parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian will stand in Armenia’s
forthcoming presidential election, Radio Liberty informs. This means
that Baghdasarian will not partake in any possible opposition effort
to put forward a single candidate to challenge Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkisian in the presidential elections due in February or March 2008.

Significance:Ruling out the prospect of joint opposition action
may seem reasonable from the Orinats Yerkir party’s perspective,
given that it showed the strongest performance of all the opposition
parties in May 2007 election, winning eight parliamentary seats. Yet,
it leaves the other parties with the rather dramatic and unpalatable
prospect of either backing Baghdasarian or effectively losing
any feasible possibility of a joint action. The single opposition
candidate tactic is not necessarily or unfailingly the winning one,
but the continuous bitter struggles in the opposition camp are a sure
sign of the dwindling importance and continued marginalisation of the
opposition. The elite contest is gradually shifting to within the real
power holders around the government, so that one could rather expect
the emergence of a new opposition–if acting within the government
and in a non-transparent way–rather than any success of the present
challengers of the authorities.

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:

Western Diocese of Armenian Church

Third Pontifical Visit of His

Holiness Karekin II

Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Aremenians

We joyously inform the faithful members of the Western Diocese, of
the Third Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin II on the occasion
of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Western Diocese of
the Armenian Church, by the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian, the Diocesan Primate.

The fallowing are the four major events during the Third Pontifical
Visit that will be graced by His Holiness’ presence:

I. Meeting with students at Kalaydjian Hall.

II. “Hrashapar” and Consecration of Main Alter of St.
Gregory the Illuminator Church in Pasadena.

III. Groundbreaking ceremony of the Mother Cathedral.

IV. Gala Banquet.

Arrival

Sunday, September 30, 2007

With the blessing of God, on the Sunday afternoon, His Holiness and
His entourage arrived safely at the Los Angeles International
Airport, and were greeted by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese, Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian—Primate of the Armenian Church of the Eastern Diocese
of the Armenian Church of North America, Dr. Barlow Der Mugrdechian,
Diocesan Council Chairman, Joseph Kanimian Esq., Diocesan Council
Vice Chairman, Mr. Armen Liloyan, the Consul General of the Republic
of Armenia and other representatives.

His Holiness was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Yezras
Nersisyan—the Primate of New Nakhijevan and Russia, His Grace
Bishop Arshak Khachatryan—Chancellor of the Holy See Mother
Etchmiatzin, Very Reverent Father Hovnan Hakobyan—Staff-bearer
of the Catholicos, Reverent Father Ktrij Devedjyan—Head of the
English Media Department of the Holy See, and Mr. Suren Ter
Grigorian—Cameraman of “Shoghagat” TV program.

< /allimages/arrival1.jpg>
<http://www.armenia nchurchwd.com/news/allimages/arrival2.jpg>

Panorama.am

20:04 28/09/2007

`Experienced diplomats are giving credence to Turkey’s games’

`In reality, it is sad that eight experienced diplomats are doing this
for Turkey’s benefit,’ Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan
announced today, adding that he has already written to House speaker
Nancy Pelosi expressing his deep concern about the diplomats’
statement urging not to allow any debate about human rights or the
Armenian Genocide to take place on the House floor, as it could harm
relations between the US and Turkey.

We note that in recent days eight former US secretaries of state
appealed to Speaker Pelosi to not allow debate about House Resolution
106, which would recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Returning to that `dishonest announcement, that a debate would harm
US-Turkey reconciliation efforts,’ Oskanyan underlined that nothing
exists that should interfere with progress in reconciliation efforts
between the two countries. `Their expressing concern about harming
something that doesn’t exist is ridiculous,’ he said, adding, `Armenia
is always ready to establish normal relations with Turkey. Yet, every
attempt we`ve made has been rejected by Turkey.’

Oskanyan pointed out that Turkey seems ready for unending talks, even
though the countries have no diplomatic relations, and that the talks
they propose don’t have the purpose of establishing real relations.
`Their challenge to establish a historical committee, to examine that
painful era, is not serious, considering the lack of free speech and
criminal charges filed against anyone who passes certain limits, as
well as Turkey’s maintaining the closed border situation with
Armenia,’ Oskanyan concluded.

We remind that House Resolution was introduced on January 30 of this
year. The document challenges the president to speak correctly about
human rights and the Armenian Genocide, which is well documented in US
archives. There are currently 226 members in the House in favor of the
resolution.

Source: Panorama.am

NKR MINISTER OF SOCIAL MAINTENANCE

Azat Artsakh Tert, Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Sept 27 2007

Narine Azatian Narine Azatian was born in 1976, November 4th, in
Stepanakert. In 1993 she finished school number 3 of Stepanakert. In
1993 she graduated from Artsakh State University, economic faculty with
excellent marks and in 2003 – post-graduate course of the Institute
of economic researches of RA Ministry of Finance and Economics. In
1998-2000 she worked at the administration of economics and structural
reforms of the NKR Government’s Stuff. In 2002-2005 she was the chief
of the Department of the policy macroeconomical and state incomes of
the NKR Ministry of Finance and Economics. In 2005 she held a post
of the assistant of the NKR Minister of Finance and Economics. She
is not married.

JOINT USE OF GABALA RADAR BASE TO BE DISCUSSED IN MOSCOW OCT. 12

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.09.2007 15:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian Minister of Defense and U.S. Secretary of
Defense will discuss the possibility of joint use of the Gabala radar
base at a meeting in Moscow October 12, RF Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Vasily Istratov told a news conference in Baku.

"The issue will be a part of the Moscow-Washington dispute over the
anti-missile defense shield," he said, Novosti Azerbaijan reports.

"Certainly, Gabala will not be the only topic of discussion,"
Amb. Istratov added.

The first meeting of U.S. and Russian experts was held in Baku
September 18.

TURKEY DISAPPEARED FROM MAP OF EUROPE DESIGNED FOR NEW 1 EURO COINS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2007 15:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey disappeared from a map of Europe designed
for new 1 euro coins. A common design for the "tails side" of euro
coins is to be rolled out in 2008 with an updated graphic showing an
enlarged EU and new countries, such as Cyprus, that are joining the
single currency.

Papers given to Euro-MPs under Brussels open information rules show
that the European Commission proposed a standard format map of Europe
extending as far as the Caspian Sea and including Turkey.

But, following the intervention of unnamed national governments,
Ankara was short-changed in the final design as Cyprus was moved
hundreds of miles west, to rest near Crete, while Turkey was cut from
the map altogether.

Marco Cappato, an Italian Liberal Euro-MP, is angry that Turkey, an
EU membership hopeful, has been removed from a design that includes
Moldova and Belarus, countries with poor human rights records.

He believes the omission is a deliberate "provocation" by euro zone
members, such as France, who are hostile to Turkish EU entry.

Current euro coins use an accurate map based graphic to depict the
15 countries that were EU members in 1999, before the Union grew to
its current 27 members, Telegraph reports.

SERZH SARKISYAN: "I DO NOT RULE OUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 25 2007

"I do not rule out running for President. But everything will be just
clear at Republican Party’s November congress", Armenian premier Serzh
Sarkisyan told journalists in Moscow, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

Mr. Sarkisyan told that he would run for president just after being
Prime minister. He stressed that he would take part in the elections
as ruling party won half of the seats.

ARMENIA APPRECIATES IRAN’S ROLE

Press TV, Iran
Sept 25 2007

Iran-Armenia joint gas pipeline
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan terms Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
deal as a key cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, he said that
his government attaches great importance to expansion of economic
relations with Iran.

The 144-km joint gas pipeline, which was commissioned in March 2007,
would promote the energy security of both countries, he added.

Turning to Iran’s decisive role in the development of Armenia’s
relations with other countries, he hoped that no war would be launched
against Iran.

He stressed that the relations between Iran and Armenia are not
against the interests of any third country and such ties contribute
to expansion of ties among sates in the region.

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

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY VISITS ANTELIAS

The Head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan
Williams, will visit Antelias next Friday. The Archbishop will first hold a
private meeting with Catholicos Aram I. The two spiritual leaders will then
be joined by representatives of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the
Anglican Church. The Armenian Pontiff will organize a luncheon in the
evening in honor of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Archbishop’s visit to Lebanon falls within a series of official visits
to a number of countries including the United States, Israel, Palestine,
Armenian, Syria, Lebanon and other countries.

Historical ties bind the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Anglican Church.
The predecessors of Archbishop Williams have visited Antelias previously.
Several of the Cilician Catholicoi have also paid official visits to the
Archbishops of Canterbury.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities 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.