Author: Basmajian Ani

7190 VETERANS OF PATRIOTIC WAR LIVE IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 08 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. 7190 veterans of the Patriotic War live in
Armenia at present. About 6300 of them are invalids. Anahit Gevorgian,
the Deputy Chief of the Department for Invalids and Elderly People’s
Issues of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Issues informed the
Noyan Tapan correspondent about it.

She mentioned that the average size of veterans’ pensions make 20
thousand drams (about 56 U.S. dollars). Besides, according to the RA
law on Patriotic War Veterans, all the veterans got monthly honour
payment, 10000 drams and, starting from 2004, assistance of 3800-5700
drams instead of some privileges.

A.Gevorgian mentioned that veterans pay for flat, cleaning the
dust, radio and phone at the size of 50%. They also make use of the
privileges of getting free medical assistance, medicine, in the case
of necessity free apply for accommodation in a sanatorium as well as
free run in the territory of the CIS countries once a year.

"DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY MUST NOT RELATE TO ONLY FEW OPULENT PEOPLE,"
ARMEN RUSTAMIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. "Taking into consideration the
achievements fixed during these years, we must do such a choice for
not lose them but, the opposite, to multiply." Armen Rustamian, a
representative of the ARF Armenia Supreme Body stated about it at the
May 5 meetings with electors of the village of Proshian, the marz of
Kotayk, adding that the party has worked out such a pre-electoral
program which will give possibility to multiply those achievements.

"The country development must not relate to only few opulent people.
Everybody must enjoy those fruits as the Armenian people which has
seen numerous difficulties, deserves living in good conditions,"
A. Rustamian mentioned.

Touching upon the elections, A. Rustamian mentioned that a
competition of ideas, unfortunately, does not function in Armenia
today as "money, force and boorishness compete." That is the reason
that, in his words, the ARF pre-electoral program became a subject of
discussion by some parties. "If the ARF put such stakes that they
attempt to make a subject for discussion, it means that we reached
success. And the issues arisen by the ARF are realistic," A.
Rustamian mentioned.

The Advocate, CA
May 5 2007

Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society Conference, May 12 in West Hollywood

Event date: May 12, 2007

The second annual Armenian LGBT conference will be held on Saturday,
May 12, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Plummer Park in West Hollywood,
Calif. The event is hosted by the Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society,
and the theme for the conference is "Coming Out to the Armenian
Community."

The conference will include a panel discussion with GALAS members and
their families and the presentation of two papers. A networking mixer
is scheduled for Friday, May 11. Saturday night after the conference
there will be a black-tie fund-raising event to benefit the GALAS
scholarship program and other outreach efforts.

For more information, visit

"PRE-ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN PROCEEDS IN NORMAL WAY," TIGRAN KARAPETIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
May 04 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. "The pre-electoral campaign proceeds in
the normal way, and our only displeasure is connected with sociological
surveys."

Tigran Karapetian, the Chairman of the People’s Party made such a
statement at the May 4 meeting with journalists. According to his
characterization, "they make the normal sphere (NT – sociology) a
mean of black PR." By the way, in T. Karapetian’s words, results of
sociological surveys held by different centers contradict each other
what proves their being false.

T. Karapetian mentioned that the PP does not give electoral bribe
during his propaganda mission, following demands of the law. In his
words, he gave medicine, carriages and other type of assistance to the
population of villages still in 2003-2004 what may not be considered
an electoral bribe. And in T. Karapetian’s words, "the people’s need
and demand of medicine what is a political problem" is shown in the
pre-electoral clips of the PP.

In the PP leader’s words, "people, who, though consider the elections
to be an evil, but will requite the PP according to its deserts for the
recent 4-year work," will vote for them. T.Karapetian agreed with the
observation of one of journalists that the PP inclined on its side a
part of voters of the People’s Party of Armenia (PPA). Touching upon
the way of actions of the PPA, T. Karapetian mentioned "If the tree
grows on a slope, the fruit can roll down far away."

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF KARABAKH NEGOTIATIONS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 4 2007

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has announced some details of
the negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
APA reports.

Noting that Armenia violates confidentiality in the negotiations,
Azerbaijani head of state underlined that he wants to publicize the
content of the negotiations.

The President noted that the negotiations are held in the framework
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and said official Baku agrees
to give the highest autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh.

"Peacekeeping forces can be temporarily deployed in the territory.

Peacekeepers are used in the conflict zones in the world. There
is an agreement on returning of seven regions. Armenians could
persuade the international community in the initial stage of the
negotiations, but in further stage we could prove that Armenia
continues to occupy Azerbaijani lands. All these determine the
format of the negotiations, and no discussion is possible beyond
this format. This is Azerbaijan’s unambiguous policy. I have stated
several times that the conflict can be solved in the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Armenian people already achieved
their self-determination, they have their own state. If the Armenians
living in Nagorno Karabakh again want self-determination, they should
go to Armenia… We are loyal to these principles and I am glad that
international organizations give preference to these. This may be
of no great practical importance in connection with the solution
of the problem now, but it will be political support for us in the
process of negotiations or when the talks suspended. We used to
preserve confidentially. However, Armenian officials have recently
made false statements on the process of negotiations. They say that
the parties have agreed on a principle. It is false," Azerbaijani
President underlined.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that internal situation strained in
Armenia, and therefore, the officials make such statements to pacify
the people. These statements take into consideration the internal
situation in Armenia.

"Why does Armenia want to suspend the negotiations on the eve of
parliamentary elections? If the negotiations favored them, they would
accelerate the negotiations," he underlined announcing Azerbaijan’s
position again.

"All the occupied territories of Azerbaijan should be returned
unconditionally. At the early stage it was proposed to return only
five regions and leave Kalbajar and Lachin to further round of the
negotiations. But we never consented to this. We will never agree
to the returning of Kalbajar and Lachin conditionally. There is a
consent in the current negotiations that seven regions are returned to
Azerbaijan. Of course, we understand that we can solve this through
stages. But this stage should not be delayed. We hope that after the
peace agreement, seven regions should be returned, Nagorno Karabakh
Azerbaijanis should be brought back to their original places. This
is our principal term. This position has been approved.

Both the mediators and Armenia have accepted this in the negotiating
process. Who is lying to his people does not concern me. I only
publicize the principal momentums of the negotiations. We have no any
secret plan. Seven occupied regions of Azerbaijan should be liberated,
Azerbaijanis should be brought back to Nagorno Karabakh, including
Shusha. Only after this, the status of Nagorno Karabakh will be
defined. The status of Nagorno Karabakh cannot be defined without
our consent. No country has recognized recent illegal referendum
in Nagorno Karabakh. Several international organizations – European
Union, Council of Europe, Organization of the Islamic Conference, GUAM
countries condemned this referendum. We will never agree to separate
Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan, we will restore our territorial
integrity in any way. Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh arrived their as
guests, and should behave as guests. Nagorno Karabakh had status in
the Soviet times. We can give a higher status.

We are prepared to give the highest status to Nagorno Karabakh but
in Azerbaijan. All international organizations, including OSCE Minsk
Group support our position. We do not need to bring peacekeepers to
the territory, Armenia wants it, as it fears and wants to ensure its
safety and we agreed. It exists in the world practice. Lachin corridor
can be used to for contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. So,
these are the principles that are being mainly discussed…," President
Aliyev stressed.

Touching on the military build-up in Azerbaijan, the head of state
stressed that Azerbaijan’s military budget equals to Armenia’s general
budget.

ITALIAN PROMETHEUS STRING QUARTET TO PERFORM CONCERTS IN YEREVAN FOR FIRST TIME

Noyan Tapan
May 03 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. A joint concert of the Italian Prometheus
string quartet and singer Anna Mayilian took place in Yerevan, on May
2, within the framework of the National Gallery third international
music festival. The quartet performing in Armenia for the first
time presented works of Haydn, Brahms, Mendelsson, Bartok as well
as Komitas.

The Prometheus quartet performed for the Armenian spectators for the
first time, and we hope that it will be valued and loved by Armenians,"
Roberto Nocella, the First Secretary of the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Armenia mentioned.

In A. Mayilian’s words, he has cooperated with this quartet for
about 10 years. The singer performed with Prometheus in the last
year with an embracing program formed from works of Komitas in one
of the cities near Milan. It was accepted by the Italian spectators
with great enthusiasm and warmness.

According to member of the quartet Aldo Campanari, the invitation to
perform a concert in Armenia was accepted with great love as there
was a wish to get acquainted with the Fatherland of Komitas. "We know
Armenia first of all with the help of music as well as with the help
of our Armenian colleagues’ presenting it," he said.

It was also mentioned that a festival of the Prometheus quartet will
be soon held in Italy. Almost all the musicians cooperated with the
quartet, including A. Mayilian, will participate in the festival.

ATATURK’S REPUBLIC MAY STOP EXISTING

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.04.2007 GMT+04:00

Analysts call the probable election of Abdullah Gul as the president
of the country a step which may do a serious harm to Turkey on the
country’s way to EU.

The Presidential elections which for Justice and Development party
seemed easy to win, may lead to crisis in the country. The Turkish
General Staff, which is rather experienced in removing candidates
it has no need in, also got involved in the issue. The Turkish Army
realized military overturns three times in 1960, 1971 and 1980.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Besides, in 1997, under some military pressure
the head of the government, the Islamists’ leader, the founder of
the Justice and Development party and Abdullah Gul’s "godfather"
Necmettin Erbakan, was removed. The truth is that later their ways
parted, when Gul leaded a riot against Erbakan after the latter’s
party was deprived of power by the militants in 1997.

Act of secular system and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s constitution
protection is the second one which has been organized over the last
several days. According to different information over one million
people participated in it. On April 14, in Ankara there was a similar
manifestation, where again according to different sources from about
500.000 to one million people took part. Slogans like "The Republic
is in danger!", "Stand for the secular system!" were displayed during
the manifestation.

After the first stage of elections, when pessimistically l needed 10
more votes, the army supervision announced that it is concerned about
the situation regarding the presidential elections, and warned that
the armed forces are the guarantee of Turkey’s secular system. To be
elected the president, a candidate needs to have 367 votes out of 550.

According to Turkish Constitution to win in the first and in the
second stages of elections it is necessary for a candidate to secure
the constitutional majority.

The opposition immediately demanded to cancel the results of the
voting taking the question to the Constitutional Court. The verdict
of the Constitutional Court must be reached by May 2, when the second
stage of the elections is planned to be held. The Turkish analysts
are disposed towards Gul’s opportunities to influence the president’s
position rather pessimistically. Analysts call the probable election
of Abdullah Gul as the president of the country a step which may do
a serious harm to Turkey on the country’s way to EU.

The modern Turkish Republic was established on the basis of secularism
and all the presidents of the country have respected country’s secular
values. If Abdullah Gul is elected, he will become the first Turkish
leader, representing a party which is based on Islamic ideologies,
and he will become the first president whose wife wears yashmak. It
should be mentioned that the Turkish president, in fact, has less
power, than the Prime-Minister.

However the presidential institution in Turkey, where the first
president was the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, carries a very significant symbolic meaning for the people
of the country. The president has limited constitutional rights,
including the right of veto. Ahmet Sezer, leaving the post of the
president, has used his right on veto several times to ban some bills
suggested by the ruling party.

In the observers’ opinion Abdullah Gul is highly respected both in and
outside the country, and he has never been accused of bribery. He is an
economist by profession and a diplomat by his character. His candidacy
doesn’t evoke as many objections among the secular parties as the
image of the Prime-Minster itself. Besides, no one in Turkey would
like to have a president who has been sent to prison for preaching
Islamic poems. R. Erdoghan was elected deputy after amendments in
legislation, which in its time didn’t give him any benefits. However,
Gul has always been standing closer to the traditional Turkish
political Islam, than Erdoghan. There are all the reasons to think
that the selection of the Turkish Foreign Minister’s candidacy was
a victory for the conservative-Islamic wing of the party. Member of
Islamic ruling party, R. Erdoghan’s best friend Gul announces that
he doesn’t have any intentions to give up the fight for obtaining the
post of the country’s president. He offers a number of reforms in the
legislative system of the country and assures, that he will continue
following the course of Eurointegration: "I am not going to give up
the fight. I believe the disorders in the country are organized. We
will continue following the course of reforms."

"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department

May 3, 2007

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Website: <;

PRELATE WELCOMED PRESIDENT OF THE
UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA MR. ARA ABRAHAMYAN

On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 2nd, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed the President of the Union of Armenians of
Russia and the World Armenian Congress and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mr.
Ara Abrahamyan to the new Prelacy headquarters.

Mr. Abrahamyan was accompanied by Union of Armenians of Russia
Vice-President Mr. Apet Tapaltsyan and Prelacy friend Mr. Artur Artenyan.
Alongside the Prelate were Christian Education Department Directors Very
Rev. Fathers Muron Aznikian and Barthev Gulumian, Executive Council
Vice-Chair Dr. Hagop Der Megerdichian, and Executive Council members Dr.
Navasart Kazazian and Mr. Garbis Bezdjian.

During the meeting the Prelate briefed Mr. Abrahamyan about the
history of the Prelacy, its parishes, and schools. In turn, Mr. Abrahamyan
conveyed to the Prelate details about his current endeavors and future plans
and stressed the importance of collaboration between different Armenian
organizations.

At the conclusion of the meeting the Prelate and Mr. Abrahamyan
wished each other success in their respective upcoming endeavors and
exchanged mementos.

GRAND MASTER ASHOT ANASTASIAN SHARES 5-10th PLACES AT DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
May 02 2007

DUBLIN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Dublin Open international chess
tournament finished in the United Arab Emirates on April 30. The best
among the delegates of Armenia was grand master Ashot Anastasian. He
gained 6.5 points from the 9 possible ones and shared the 5-10th
places with 6 participants.

PRESS RELEASE:
Chess Federation of Armenia
Contact: Smbat Lputian
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Levon Aronian vs Vladimir Kramnik Chess Match

On May 4-6, 2007, the top Armenian chess player Levon Aronian will
square off against the reigning World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik from
Russia. The six game (time control = 25 minutes for each side per
game with a 10 second increment per move) rapid match will take place
in the Yerevan Opera House with the games beginning at 18:00 (GMT+4)
and at 19:45 on May 4, 5 and 6. The chief sponsor for the match is
the Armenian Chess Federation.
For more information and to follow the games live, please visit the
official match site