Author: Chilingarian Babken

PM Serge Sargsyan to visit Brussels and Strasbourg

armradio.am
08.12.2007 11:56

December 9-11 RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan will leave for Brussels
(Belgium) and Strasbourg (France) on a three-day working visit. The
delegation headed by the Prime minister comprises RA Minister of
Education and Science Levon Lazarian, Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian, other officials.

The delegation will arrive in Brussels in the evening of December 9th.
December 10 PM Serge Sargsyan is expected to meet with the Secretary
General of the EU Council Javier Solana, EU Commissioner for Science
and Research Ianes Potochnik, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer and the Mayor of Brussels Freddy Thielemans.

December 11 the delegation headed by RA Prime Minister will leave for
Strasbourg, where Serge Sargsyan will have meetings with the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis, President of the European
Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering, Chairman of the European Parliament’s
Committee on Foreign Relations Yatsek Sariush-Volski and EU
Commissioner for Foreign Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

In the framework of the visit PM Serge Sargsyan is expected to give
interviews to Reuters Agency, EuroNews TV Channel, La Stampa and
Financial Times newspapers, and other media.

BAKU "INDIGNANT" AT BRITISH SUNVIL TOUR TO KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2007 14:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ British SUNVIL travel agent is launching a 10-day
tour to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The agenda includes tours to
the ancient monastery, churches and museum complex of Echmiadzin,
the seat of the Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of all Armenians,
to the Sardarapat Memorial celebrating the Armenian victory over
the Turkish invaders in 1918, to the spectacular and romantic 7th
century fortress of Amberd located 2300 meters above sea level in the
mountainous Ashtarak region. The 4th century Hovannavank monastery
complex, founded by St. Gregory the Illuminator will also be visited,
as well as the 13th century Saghmosavank, famous for it depository
of manuscripts.

It also includes a full day tour north to Lake Sevan at 1900 meters
above sea level with a visit to the 9th century Sevan Monastery and
then on to the beautiful mountainous region of Dilijan and a visit
to the romantic setting of the 11th century Monastery of Haghartsin.

Visit to the Museum of Natural History then on to the unique 1st
century Temple at Garni followed by the spectacular 4th-13th century
cave monastery of Geghard, considered by many to be superior of that
of Petra in Jordan, is also scheduled.

On Day 7, the tourists are supposed to set off to Stepanakert,
visiting the monasteries of Khor Virap and Noravank on the way. Then
through wooded mountains in what is considered to be the historically
richest part of Armenia with stops at the spectacular mountain top
monastery of Tatev (conditions allowing), at the town of Sissian and
the Shake waterfall. Continue on to the town of Shushi before arriving
in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh.

Upon return to Yerevan the visitors will attend the House-Museum of
Sergei Parajanov.

In response to Baku’s "indignation" at Karabakh tours via Armenia,
SUNVIL administration said the tourists themselves decide on the route.

Details of the tour and information about Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
can be viewed on the agent’s web site.

Panorama.am

20:31 06/12/2007

I DID NOT BRIBE BUT THERE IS CORRUPTION

The International Corruption Barometers conducted a survey about the
corruption in 60 countries to find out which institutes are considered
to be more corrupted and which ones take bribes and especially how it
is developing.

Today Varujhan Hoktanyan said in a meeting with the journalists that
2481 citizens of Armenia participated in the poll and 54% of them are
sure that the corruption will be increased in the nearest future in
Armenia and only 24% of them think that the corruption will be
decreased. Whereas the situation is quite different in the neighbor
country Georgia: here people seemed to have more optimistic views as
only 25% of them think that the corruption in their country will
increase and 44% says the opposite.

The next question was which institutes are more corrupted and the
scene is as following: 96.6% – justice, 96% – education field, and
95.5% – the police. 92% of the participants think that the customs
administration are corrupted, 90% says the media and 80% – the
army. The less corrupted body in Armenia is the church as 49%
mentioned about it. In fact 54% of the participants to the poll think
that the struggle against the corruption in Armenia is not effective.
These data are quite the same in Georgia, particularly the most
corrupted bodies are considered to be the political parties and the
parliament (94%) and justice system (95%).

The most exciting thing is that although the records are so high only
9.1% of the participants confessed that he/she gave bribe during the
last year. This record is even lower in Georgia: here 0.6% confessed
giving bribe. Most probably people are more careful when they talk
about themselves. In comparison note that 27% of people in Greece
participated in the poll admitted that they gave bribe during the last
year.

Source: Panorama.am

ARAM KARAPETIAN CONSIDERS RESULTS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO BE PREDETERMINED

Noyan Tapan
Dec 6, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. No doubt, the results of the
February 19, 2008 elections are predetermined and the authorities’
candidate will be elected President through falsifications. Aram
Karapetian, the Chairman of the Nor Zhamanakner party, stated this
at the December 6 press conference, expressing confidence that the
country will undergo no change as a result of the elections.

Saying that he will take part in the election campaign, A. Karapetian
promised at the very start of the campaign to make public the names
of the two candidates, who will pass to the second tour, and the
percentage of votes the candidates will receive in the first and
second tours. At the same time, he gave assurance that the issue
of the presidential elections will be finally decided in the days
following them, "as this is done in all CIS countries," and the Nor
Zhamanakner party will prepare for the very thing.

According to A. Karapetian, he will not support any candidate and the
Nor Zhamanakner party is not going to unite with any other political
force. At the same time, he did not exclude joint events with the
forces, which will prove in the election period that they are really
opposition. The NZ Chairman also promised to make public many facts
discrediting the authorities, by using all available means.

"SIL CONCERN" BLAMES CERTAIN MEDIA FOR DISCREDITING SUKIASIANS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 6, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The lawyers of the "Sil Concern"
are preparing documents for starting a corresponding court procedure
in connection with the discredit of the Sukiasians, the owner of
the Sil Concern, by certain mass media. According to the information
provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by the Concern, certain media,
including the Public and Kentron TV companies, are making attempts
"to discredit the prestige of the Sukiasians, setting false rumours
going, as well as intentionally leading the population into error."

It should be mentioned that checkings have been made in a number
of enterprises belonging to the Sil Concern by the collaborators
of the Department for Struggle against Organized Crime under the RA
Police and the State Tax Service, Gevorg Safarian, the Director of
the "Pizza Di Roma", and Martin Sukiasian, the Head of the "Silvia"
printing-house, have been put under arrest.

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 7 2007

ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN THINKS GOVERNMENT SHOULD ADMIT FAILURE OF STRATEGY

`For us, anti-corruption strategy is primary. By the way, the
government has decided to draft a new strategy. It turned out that
the previous anti-corruption strategy was not effective, and the
mechanisms of implementing the strategy were not created at all,’
stated the leader of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction Hrair Karapetyan
during the parliamentary briefings on December 7. He once again
underlined the approach of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun that it is
necessary to set up one anti-corruption body. `No such body was set
up. Several bodies were set up, and how effective they are will be
seen in future, especially considering that according to the
amendments to the Constitution, an independent supervisory and
control agency was set up which is not part of the National Assembly.
We are hopeful that this agency will have a dramatic role in
struggling corruption. But in order to struggle corruption it is
necessary to have political will, first of all forces are necessary
which will struggle against this phenomenon, and will make everyone
equal before the law, independent from the position they hold,’ Hrair
Karapetyan says.

Unlike his opinion on the first anti-corruption strategy that it did
not fulfill its role, the government states the new strategy is
worked out not because the first was not effective but because it
fulfilled its role, and now a new strategy is needed. However, Hrair
Karapetyan holds on to his opinion. `If you look through the first
strategy, you will see that the previous includes far-reaching goals.
I do not think these goals were achieved, therefore it is necessary
to work out a new strategy. I think it is necessary to admit that the
strategy was incomplete, and did not include all the approaches which
should be adopted today to battle corruption,’ Hrair Karapetyan says.

Council on Foreign Relations, NY
Dec 5 2007

Kosovo’s End Game

December 5, 2007
Author: Lee Hudson Teslik

Kosovo’s expected declaration of independence could have consequences
for a handful of breakaway post-Soviet provinces. (Sipa via AP
Images)

After more than eight years under a UN protectorate, and centuries of
ethnic wrangling, Kosovo seems on the verge of settling its political
status – sort of. On December 10, a UN deadline for settling the
Serbian province’s `final status’ seems all but certain to pass
without a clear resolution. The United States and many EU supporters
of a supervised Kosovo independence plan are deadlocked with
veto-wielding UN Security Council member Russia, which wants Kosovo
to remain part of Serbia. At some point after December 10, Kosovo’s
ethnic Albanians, the overwhelming majority of the province’s
population, say they will unilaterally declare independence (AP).
What might happen after that remains anyone’s guess, but
international troops are bracing for possible violence (VOA).

A unilateral declaration raises several potential problems. First, it
would further complicate a transition away from the current UN-led
administration. Kosovo can call itself a country, but with Russian
opposition, it can’t be admitted into the United Nations. Moreover,
UN peacekeepers won’t be allowed to stay in Kosovo, and the idea of
transitioning to an EU-led peacekeeping force is complicated by the
fact that some eastern EU members likely won’t recognize Kosovo
(B92). Yet the need for peacekeepers isn’t likely to fade. Pockets of
Serb and Roma minorities remain throughout Kosovo. As recently as
November 2007, the UN reiterated the need to protect these groups.
The pressing question is whether a power vacuum might set off new
bouts of ethnic killing.

A declaration of independence might also leave Kosovo in an awkward
position regionally. Certainly it would calcify relations between
Kosovo and Serbia, at least in the short term. Richard C. Holbrooke,
the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the architect of
the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, says in a new interview with CFR.org
that Belgrade remains `intensely nationalistic’ and considers Kosovo
`sacred soil.’ Given the entrenched stances on both sides, the senior
EU representative at meetings on the future of Kosovo recently
expressed regret that `no additional options’ (Deutsche Welle)
remained for compromise in talks between Pristina and Belgrade.

Perhaps the biggest question, geopolitically, is what the precedent
of Kosovo declaring independence would mean for other states in
limbo, particularly in the former Soviet sphere. Russia’s staunch
opposition to Pristina’s push for independence comes partly from
concern that a handful of other breakaway provinces in the Kremlin’s
`near abroad’ would use the opportunity to follow Kosovo’s lead
(Economist). Two regions within geographical Georgia, South Ossetia
and Abkhazia, are rattling for internationally recognized statehood.
Russia is a major patron to both regions but has stopped short of
endorsing independence. Only recently has Moscow quelled separatism
in its republic of Chechnya. Azerbaijan and Armenia are also locked
in a nearly two-decade-old standoff over the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, and Moldova remains bedeviled by the unresolved
status of its Trans-Dniester region.

Moscow might benefit if the upshot of negotiations in Kosovo is a
`frozen conflict’ that would halt the expansion of NATO forces, says
a top RFE/RL analyst on Kosovo. In either case, Holbrooke says that
the most pressing matter now is for the United States and the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to dispatch additional troops
into Kosovo to stave off the immediate possibility of violence. `We
always talk about `preventative diplomacy,” Holbrooke says. `Here is
a classic case where a few troops now might prevent the need for more
troops later.’

ovos_end_game.html?breadcrumb=%2Fpublication%2Fpub lication_list%3Ftype%3Ddaily_analysis

BILL IN RAILWAY TRANSPORT ADOPTED IN FIRST READING

Noyan Tapan
Nov 28 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 28 special session,
the RA National Assembly adopted in the first reading the government’s
bill on railway transport and the addition (proceeding from this bill)
to the Law on Public Services Regulatory Body.

According to the main speaker – the RA minister of transport and
communication Andranik Manukian, in absence of the respective law, the
sector is now mainly regulated by legal acts of the former USSR. The
government envisages to pass Armenia’s railway for concession
management soon, however, no operator will assume management
("especially as, management of the blockaded Armenian railway")
due to the absence of the legal field.

In the words of the minister, the bill was developed with the
participation of World Bank experts and is in line with international
standards. The bill envisages that the powers to develop the
methodology of calculating payments for use of infrastructures in the
transport sector and to make and approve the calculation of payment for
use will be reserved to the RA Public Services Regulatory Commission.

November 29, 2007

Upcoming Events

Diocese of the
Armenian Church
of America (Eastern)
630 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10016
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Contact us <mailto:[email protected]>

DIOCESAN NEWS

KHRIMIAN HAYRIG POSTAGE STAMPS NOVEMBER 2007

As we celebrate Khrimian Hayrig for his vision and legacy, the Diocese’s
Khrimian Lyceum students have been studying the contributions he bestowed on
the Armenian Church and nation. During their fine arts class, the Khrimian
Lyceum students created artwork inspired from photographs of the great
Catholicos.

First class US Postage stamps depicting the students’ art as well as the
actual photograph of Khrimian Hayrig will be available at the Armenian
Studies department to benefit Khrimian Lyceum. The first set in the series
have sold out and a new series has been published. Please contact Gilda
Buchakjian Kupelian on 212.686.0710 ext 148 or [email protected]

______________________ _________

ARMENIAN STUDIES COORDINATOR IN WATERTOWN, MA

Subsequent to the First Church and Home Regional Workshop scheduled in
Cambridge, MA, Gilda Buchakjian Kupelian, Armenian studies coordinator of
the Department of Youth and Education will conduct a workshop at the St.
Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian School, St. James Armenian Church in
Watertown, for the New England Armenian school principals and teachers on
Saturday, December 8, 5:00 – 9:00 P.M. For those who have not done so yet,
please make your reservations with [email protected]

______________________ __________________________________________________ ____

DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION’S NEW KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM

With the school year now well underway, kindergarten classes in Sunday
Schools throughout the Diocese are starting to reap the benefits of a new
curriculum released by the Department of Youth and Education. The name of
the curriculum remains the same, but We Believe’s format, text,
illustrations and color photographs are an updated, modern approach to
Christian teaching and story-telling that has had both teachers and students
captivated since its release in September.

An abundance of visual images and simple language are the key components in
the entirely new curriculum, with full-color lessons formatted in a
child-friendly newsletter style and accompanying story books and teacher
resources. Responses have been very positive. For further information about
these and other Diocesan Christian Education materials, to receive a
Christian Education catalogue electronically, or to place an order, please
contact Elise Antreassian at Diocesan headquarters,
[email protected] or (212 686-0710).

_______________________________

CHURCH AND HOME NEWS

NEW ENGLAND WORKSHOP TO TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK

The first Church and Home Regional Workshop for all parishes in the New
England Region will take place next Saturday, December 8th, at Holy Trinity
Church in Cambridge, MA. Come join Dr. Tom Samuelian and members of the
Department of Youth and Education in a day-long workshop designed
specifically to help parents and family members gain the tools to build an
Armenian Christian home. Each family will receive the first installment of
the new Year of Church and Home Family Resource Book. The workshop is free
of charge, and lunch will be provided.

Mark your calendars for upcoming workshops in your area:

Feb 9 St. Hagop – St. Petersburg, FL

March 15 Holy Trinity – Cheltenham, PA

April 5 St. Mary – Washington, DC

May 17 St. James – Evanston, IL

CHURCH AND HOME PUBLICATION SHIPPED

The latest Church and Home publication, a reprinting of the popular booklet
entitled ‘Notes on Holy Communion in the Armenian Apostolic Church,’
prepared by Dr. Tom Samuelian’s Arak-29 Charitable Foundation, has been
shipped out to all parishes who placed orders. It is currently available
free of charge. This booklet breaks down the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the
central part of the Divine Liturgy, into eight sections. It is a wonderful
tool for those who want to increase their understanding of the Divine
Liturgy and gain exposure to Classical Armenian. To receive a copy, e-mail
Maria Derderian, Coordinator of the Church and Home Program, at
[email protected]

_______________________________

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Prayer for the Week

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, great in mercy and abounding in the gifts
of your beneficence, you who of our own will did endure the sufferings of
the cross and of the death on account of our sins, and did abundantly bestow
the gifts of your Holy Spirit on the blessed apostles; make us also, Lord,
we beseech you, sharers in your divine gifts, in the forgiveness of sins and
in the reception of the Holy Spirit.

More prayers
< .asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5246&
HS=1 > <;

Scripture for the Week

Phil 4:1-7
Lk 9:1-6

1 Thes 2:17-19

Lk 12:49-59

1 Cor 12:26-13:10

Mt 9:35-10:7

1 Thes 4:1-11

Lk 13:1-9

2 Cor 3:18-4:6

Lk 21:12-19

1 Tm 2:1-7

Lk 7:1-10

1 Thes 5:1-11

Lk 13:10-17

Heb 11:32-40

Mt 10:37-42

1 Thes 5:12-28

Lk 14:1-11

2 Tim 3:10-15

Jn 10:11-16

More < hp> Bible Readings
< s/index.php>

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details of your parish events to us at [email protected].

RA GOVERNMENT APPROVED STRATEGY OF DISABLING ANPP

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.11.2007 15:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian government has approved the strategy on
disabling the Armenian (Metsamor) Nuclear Power Plant, the government’s
press office reported.

The NPP operation life expires in 2016. However, with signature of
the European Neighborhood Policy, Armenia undertook to close the NPP
in the shortest terms.

Closure of the Metsamor NPP by ‘green lawn’ principle will demand
some $240 mln.

The ANPP consisting of two power generating units with 815 MW capacity
was first closed in 1988. The second unit with 407,5 MW capacity was
restarted in 1995.

Armenia announced intention close the NPP is case of creation of
alternative energy sources.

Russia and the U.S. have already expressed readiness to assist in
building a new 1000 MW power plant, which will cost some $2 billion,
IA Regnum reports.