ELECTRIC CABLES ON THE GAS PIPE
A1+
[03:31 pm] 15 November, 2006
On November 14 at 08:22 p.m. a fire broke out in Shiraz str. 48,
Yerevan. A fire brigade left for the site immediately.
The fire fighters found out that the electric cables fell on the gas
pipe of the building resulting in gas leakage and fire. The fire was
put out after the gas supply of the building had been stopped.
IN VARTAN OSKANIAN’S WORDS, LOGICAL PROPOSAL, INTERESTING IDEAS ARE ON NEGOTIATIONS TABLE
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 14 2006
BRUSSELS, NOVEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia held a press conference in Brussels on November
13. At the press conference headed by European Union External Relations
Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Armenian and Azeri Foreign
Ministers were very well inclined towards each other, however, their
interpretations seriously differed from the statements published at
previous similar meetings, Radio Liberty states.
Both ministers appreciated in their preliminary interpretations the
Actions Plan of the European Union Neighbourhood Policy.
Do the interpretations seemed to be friendly mean anything for the
Karabakh negotiations to start on Tuesday? Foreign Minister of Armenia
Vartan Oskanian answered this question: "We do not know what will
tomorrow happen. A logical proposal, interesting ideas are on the
table, one must normally sit, negotiate and express will. So that,
it was expressed by our statement today."
In the opinion of Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov,
"the issue must be observed within that context that the time already
push us forward, and the understanding also grew that one must move
from the dead point, from there where they stopped in the issue of this
conflict." "And in the given case, I think, there is good possibility,"
the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan said.
As for the Actions Plan of the European Union Neighbourhood Policy,
Vartan Oskanian mentioned: "Our relations are given a new quality,
it is a rather voluminous document, great possibilities are put by
this document, integration processes are started, so that one must
concentrate and do the best."
"We want not only to sign but to completely use, as it really will
bring Armenia to a new qualitative level in 5 years, both politically
and economically," the Foreign Minister of Armenia stated.
In an exclusive interview to Radio Liberty, Benita Ferrero-Waldner
characterized singing of the Actions Plan as a "new stage." "We
today start a new stage. We want to move our values: human rights,
democracy, hegemony of law, to those countries," Mrs.Ferrero-Waldner
stated. "We listen to their wishes as well. But it is important for
us to stimulate the regional cooperation," she said.
Peter Semneby, the European Union Representative to South Caucasus,
explaining, what the Actions Plan of the European Union Neighbourhood
Policy will give Armenia, said: "The European Neighbourhood Policy,
first of all, will give some money, but this money must be used to
change these societies, Azerbaijan and Armenia, to make them more
European."
Semneby also said that the European Union will with great attention
observe the parliamentary and president’s elections expected in
Armenia: "Those will be important exams for Armenia."
The Armenia-European Union meeting is expected on November 14, during
which the Actions Plan of the European New Neighbourhood will be
adopted. And in some hours after it, the Karabakh negotiations with
the participation of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
as well as of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen, will start at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium.
November 9, 2006
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 PRESENTS REV. BARKEV DARAKJIAN WITH A PONTIFICAL ENCYCLICAL
On the morning of Wednesday, November 8, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed Rev. Barkev Darakjian, long time Pastor of
the Armenian Evangelical Church, to the temporary Prelacy offices, where he
presented him with a Pontifical Encyclical by H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia, in honor of his 50 years of service.
On October 21, the Armenian Evangelical Union honored Rev.
Darakjian’s 50 years of service with a special ceremony. Very Rev. Fr.
Barthev Gulumian represented the Prelate at the event, where he read the
text of the Encyclical and conveyed the Prelate’s best wishes.
At the meeting, Rev. Darakjian was accompanied by a delegation
of clergy and representatives from the Armenian Evangelical Union, namely
Rev. Joe Matossian, Rev. Ron Tomassian, Mr. Hagop Lousararian, Mr. Avedis
Demirjian, and Mr. Zaven Khanjian. Also present were Prelacy Christian
Education Department Directors Very Rev. Fathers Muron Aznikian and Barthev
Gulumian.
The Prelate once again congratulated Rev. Darakjian, wishing for
God to grant him many more years of service. Rev. Darakijian then presented
the Prelate with a letter of thanks.
The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss issues of concern
to the Armenian people, and the efforts of both communities to alleviate
these issues.
POLITICIANS SAY ARMENIAN RUSSIAN RELATIONS BAD
Panorama.am
16:37 07/11/06
Armenian-Russian relations have never been as bad as today, Aram
Manukyan, Pan Armenian National Movement (HHSh) board member told at
national press club today, also saying "only the Armenian side is to
be blamed for that."
Manukyan thinks Armenian-Russian relations are "humiliating" saying
Russia treats decently only to those countries which behave decently.
Aram Sargsyan, chairman of Armenian Democratic Party and a member of
parliament, supported Manukyan saying Russia would consider us as a
partner if we behaved like a partner. "Corrupt authorities cannot
conduct independent policy" and therefore keep to imposed policy,
he said.
OSCE SUPPORTS AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN, GREEK AND RUSSIAN COMMUNITIES OF GEORGIA
Author: A.Ismaylova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 7 2006
The results of an OSCE-financed project which aimed to promote civic
participation in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia, where there are
many national minorities, will be presented in Tbilisi on November 8,
Trend reports with reference to the OSCE Information Office.
Set up by the association Women of Multinational Georgia, the project
helped establish NGOs focusing on gender, human rights issues,
and democratic development in the Dmanisi, Tsalka, Bolnisi and
Marneuli districts, which are inhabited by Azeri, Armenian, Greek
and Russian communities. Under the project, training courses and
seminars were organized to develop leadership, financial, personnel and
organizational management skills. A newsletter, published in Georgian,
Azeri and Armenian, was also distributed in the Kvemo Kartli region.
ARMENIAN RESIDENT WOUNDED BY AZERI SNIPER – TV SAYS
Public Television, Armenia
Nov 4 2006
A 28-year-old resident of the village of Aygepar [northeastern
Armenia], Maksim Pogosyan, was wounded by an Azerbaijani sniper on
3 November.
The incident happened on the Aygepar-Movses road at 1350 [0950 gmt]
yesterday, the press secretary of the Armenian Defence Ministry,
Col Seyran Shakhsuvaryan, told "Aylur" news programme.
Pogosyan was taken to hospital of the town of Berd.
NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO HOLD REFERENDUM ON NEW CONSTITUTION
Agence France Presse — English
November 6, 2006 Monday 4:32 PM GMT
The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh will hold a referendum next
month on its first ever constitution, the region’s ‘presidency’
said Monday.
The territory, whose self-declared independence is recognized by
no-one, has nonetheless organized three presidential elections and
four legislative votes since breaking away from Azerbaijan in 1991.
Now, the region’s largely Armenian population will cast their vote
December 10 on a proposed constitution already approved by Karabakh’s
national assembly.
The referendum coincides with the 15-year anniversary of the enclave’s
announced secession from Azerbaijan, which sparked a six-year war
between Baku and neighboring Armenia that caused tens of thousands
of casualties on both sides.
Despite a 1994 ceasefire, the status of the region — located 270
kilometers (170 miles) west of Baku — is unresolved, and the situation
remains tense.
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers failed to make a
breakthrough during October talks in Paris. They are scheduled to
meet again in Brussels this month.
ARMENIA DOESN’T EVEN GET A SATISFACTORY MARK
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[05:41 pm] 06 November, 2006
"Corruption traps millions in poverty," said Transparency International
Chair Huguette Labelle during the launching of the 2006 Corruption
Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International (TI). It
points to a strong correlation between corruption and poverty, with
a concentration of impoverished states at the bottom of the ranking.
The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index is a composite index that draws
on multiple expert opinion surveys that poll perceptions of public
sector corruption in 163 countries around the world, the greatest
scope of any CPI to date. It scores countries on a scale from zero
to ten, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and
ten indicating low levels of perceived corruption.
"Despite a decade of progress in establishing anti-corruption laws and
regulations, today’s results indicate that much remains to be done
before we see meaningful improvements in the lives of the world’s
poorest citizens", Mr. Labelle said.
A strong correlation between corruption and poverty is evident in
the results of the CPI 2006. Countries with a significant worsening
in perceived levels of corruption include: Brazil, Cuba, Israel,
Jordan, Laos, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and the
United States. Countries with a significant improvement in perceived
levels of corruption include: Algeria, Czech Republic, India, Japan,
Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Paraguay, Slovenia, Turkey, Turkmenistan
and Uruguay.
The weak performance of many countries indicates that the facilitators
of corruption continue to assist political elites to launder, store and
otherwise profit from unjustly acquired wealth, which often includes
looted state assets.
According to the report, the CPI of Armenia is 2.9 which has remained
unchanged in comparison with that of last year. If the CPI is less than
"3", is means that corruption is wide-spread in the country.
United Armenian Fund donates $4.5 million to all 28 Armenian schools in
Lebanon
ArmRadio.am
04.11.2006 15:40
The United Armenian Fund, through a generous grant from the Lincy
Foundation, is donating a total of $4.5 million to all 28 Armenian
schools throughout Lebanon.
This contribution is prompted by the economic crisis of the
past few years, which was aggravated by the devastating attack on
Lebanon last summer. Thousands of needy Armenian families could no
longer afford the tuition for the Armenian schools their children
attended. Consequently, most of these schools were in no position to
pay the salaries of their teachers and staff.
The UAF funds contributed to these schools are designated for three
specific purposes: $3.2 million to pay full or partial tuition for
5,092 needy Armenian students, which constitutes close to 75% of the
7,029 students enrolled in all 28 schools during the 2006-07 academic
year; $757,000 to cover the salaries owed by most of the schools to
536 teachers and staff for the past academic year; a total of $513,000
for the general operating expenses of these schools.
Harut Sassounian, the President of the United Armenian Fund, is
currently in Lebanon to visit all 28 Armenian schools, meet with their
principals and educational councils, and deliver the earmarked sums
to each school.
"The UAF’s contribution will be allocated to all Armenian schools in
Lebanon, without exception," Sassounian said.
Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel. (613) 235-2622 Fax (613) 238-2622
E-mail:[email protected]
Fo r Immediate Release
November 1, 2006
Contact: Kevork Mangeulian
Tel. (613) 235-2622
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Withdraws its Sponsorship of
Turkish Conference
Ottawa-The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
has withdrawn its sponsorship of "Turkey in the World: Implications
for Canada" one-day conference organized by the Turkish Canadian
Advocacy Group and sponsored by DFAIT and the Turkish Embassy. The
conference will take place on November 3 in Ottawa.
One of the most disturbing aspects of the conference is a "special
lecture" titled "History as a Present Day Problem: the Ottoman Armenian
Question" to be delivered by Prof. Guenter Lewy, a well-known Armenian
Genocide denier engaged in Turkish propaganda rather than in scholarly
research.
Prof. Lewy’s participation in a DFAIT sponsored conference is in
conflict with the policies of the Canadian government and public
pronouncements of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
Moreover, the conference included discussions on Middle Eastern,
Mediterranean and Caucuses issues without representation from those
regions.
Rather than make the conference an open and pluralistic forum conducted
by academic, diplomatic and expert participation, organizers had
hand-picked panelists who are guaranteed to deliver the message the
organizers wanted to hear.
The withdrawal of DFAIT from the conference followed an October
23 letter by the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) to
Minister MacKay and a presentation to DFAIT of the concerns of the
Canadian-Armenian community.
The ANCC considers such a sponsorship morally and ethically
unacceptable and at odds with Canadian values and what Canada stands
for. "The conference and Prof. Lewy’s "headline" participation is
an insult to the Canadian government, to the House of Commons and to
Senate Members, to Quebec, Ontario and to British Columbia–the three
provinces which recognize the Armenian Genocide as a historic fact,"
said Aris Babikian, executive director of ANCC.
"The ANCC would like to take this opportunity to thank DFAIT and other
political authorities for their understanding and valuable input in
upholding the government’s principled stand on such important human
rights issues as the Armenian Genocide," said Babikian.
#
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range
of issues.
Regional Chapters
Montreal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge – St.
Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver