Author: Ekmekjian Janet

USA Expressed Condolences to Armenia’s people in View of Untimely
Death of RA Prime Minister

Arminfo
2007-03-25 18:54:00

The United States of America grieve about untimely death of RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan, it is said in the message of the Charge
d’Affaires of US Embassy in Armenia Anthony Godfrey . "We give the due
for the contribution made by Andranik Margaryan within his whole life,
from his participation in a dissident movement of the National Union
in 1960-1970 and gaining of independence by Armenia to his governing
by Armenia’s Government. The Armenian prime Minister was a worthy
partner of the USA, in particular, being the Head of the Council on
implementation of the "Millennium Challenges" Fund’s Armenian
program. I express my deep condolences to the whole Armenian people",
it is said in the message of Anthony Godfrey.

UNLESS IRAQI PROBLEM IS SOLVED PEACEFULLY ARMENIAN YEZIDS WILL HOLD PROTEST ACTIONS IN FRONT OF FOREIGN EMBASSIES AND OFFICES IN ARMENIA

Arminfo
2007-03-22 19:13:00

Unless the Iraqi problem is solved peacefully, the Armenian Yezids
will hold a series of protest actions in front of the foreign embassies
and the officers of international organizations in Armenia, the leader
of the world Yezids Aziz Tamoyan said during a press-conference today.

He said that Yezids condemn the invasion of US-Turkish troops in
northern Iraq, especially in Lilish, the sacred place of Kurds and
Yezids. If there are problems with Kurds, they can be solved through
negotiations. "Why shed blood!?" wonders Tamoyan.

Concerning the problem of Iran, the best way is to solve it peacefully
in the framework of the UN. In case of military attack on Iran
Armenia will sustain big losses as it will lose one more link with
the outer world.

ELECTIONS OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES TO BE HELD ON MARCH 25 IN 1 URBAN AND 17 RURAL COMMUNITIES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 22 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armavir Mayor’s elections will
be held on March 25. The community head’s elections will be held on
the same day in 1 rural community of the marz of Gegharkunik, 3 rural
communities of the marz of Ararat, 6 ones of the marz of Syunik and
7 rural communities of the marz of Shirak. As Tsovinar Khachatrian,
the CEC Press Secretary informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, no
elections of local self-government bodies will be held in Armenia in
April and May, provided by holding the May 12 parliamentary elections.

March 22, 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: <;

WESTERN PRELACY LENTEN SERVICES AND BIBLE STUDY

The forty days of Lent preceding the Glorious Resurrection of
our Lord Jesus Christ is a time of prayer, introspection, and spiritual
renewal and growth. During this period, sunrise and evening services are
offered in all Prelacy Churches on Wednesdays and Fridays.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, has been
presiding over services regularly at our Prelacy churches and offering his
spiritual messages to our faithful, encouraging them to live repentantly and
prepare for the feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ with renewed
faith.
Throughout the rest of the year, spiritual guidance is offered
to our faithful and especially to our youth through Bible studies and
spiritual gatherings under the direction of Very Rev. Fathers Muron Aznikian
and Barthev Gulumian, co-chairs of the Religious Education Department, with
the following schedule;

– Tuesdays: St. Mary’s Church in Glendale from 7-8 p.m. by Hayr Barthev
– Wednesdays: Crescenta Valley parish from 7-8 p.m. by Hayr
Muron
– Wednesdays: St. Sarkis Church in Pasadena from 7-8 p.m. by
Hayr Barthev
(Youth Gathering)
– Thursdays: St. Garabed Church in Hollywood from 7-8 p.m., by
Hayr Barthev
(Youth Bible Study)
– Saturdays (twice a month): St. Mary’s Church, from 5-7 p.m.
Hayr Barthev and Hayr Muron
(Youth Bible Study)

Bible studies are also conducted regularly by Mr. Krikor
Misserlian and the Armenian Ecclesiastical Brotherhood, at St. Garabed
Church, St. Mary’s Church, Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello, Holy Martyrs
Church in Encino, and Forty Martyrs Church in Orange County. The schedule
is as follows:

– St. Garabed: Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m., Thursdays 9:30-11:00 a.m.
– Holy Cross: Mondays 7:30-8:30 p.m., Fridays 7:30-8:30 p.m.
– St. Mary’s: Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m., Thursdays 10:30a.m.-12:00 p.m.,
Thursdays 12:30-2:00 p.m., Fridays 9:30-11:00 a.m., Saturdays 3:00-4:00 p.m.
– Holy Martyrs: Tuesdays 7:30-8:30 p.m.
– Forty Martyrs: Mondays 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
– St. Sarkis: Thursdays 7:30-8:30 p.m.

By the ordinance of the Prelate, spiritual guidance also
continues to be offered to Armenian inmates in the Los Angeles area under
the supervision of Chaplain Raffi Garabedian. In addition, Very Rev. Fr.
Barthev Gulumian visits the North County Correctional Facility in Valencia
every Saturday while Rev. Ashod Kambourian, Pastor of Holy Cross Cathedral
in Montebello, visits inmates at the Twin Towers prison in Downtown every
Monday.

PRESIDIUM OF ARMENIA’S NAS APPROVES CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTORS

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2007

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. The presidium of the Armenian National
Academy of Sciences (ANAS) approved the candidates for directors in
the non-commercial organizations of the NAS scientific center.

Vigen Goginyan was approved for the office of the
scientific-technological center of microbiology and deposition
of microorganisms. G. Sargisov is commissioned for the scientific
center of zoology and hydro-ecology, and Ararat Malkhasyan – for the
scientific-technological center of organic and pharmacologic chemistry.

State non-commercial organizations of the ANAS Scientific Center were
formed by the Government’s decision on March 12, 2006.

THE GENOCIDE MUSEUM-INSTITUTE TO PRESENT A NEW DISPLAY ON APRIL 20

Armradio.am
20.03.2007 15:08

Prior to the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the Genocide
Museum-Institute of RA Academy of Sciences will have a display of
new documents.

Director of the Genocide-Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan told Armenpress
that the display will open on April 20, 4 days ahead of April 24,
when Armenians worldwide will mark the 92nd anniversary of this crime.

Hayk Demoyan said they will be working in the next five years to
prepare what he called "a super new exhibition of facts and evidence
of the first genocide in the past century."

Demoyan said all questionable documents of vague origin will be
removed from the current display, saying also the Museum will undergo
a sweeping interior remodelling and part of the new display will
depict the life of Armenians in their homeland in Western Armenia,
which is now in Turkey before Turkish rulers ordered the complete
annihilation of the Armenian race in 1915.

The Director also said the Museum will also seek contacts with
Diaspora-based Armenian organizations which have many documents and
evidence of the genocide. He said an online bulletin in English and
French will be released beginning from Aril to present the Museum
and its activities. Another direction of the activity, according to
Demoyan, will be to collect the evidence of survivors of the genocide,
whose number is dwindling with each passing year.

AHMADINEJAD TO OPEN FIRST STRETCH OF ARMENIAN GAS PIPELINE FROM IRAN

The New Anatolian, Turkey
March 20 2007

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian counterpart
on Monday formally open the first stretch in Armenia of a natural
gas pipeline.

Ahmadinejad and Armenian President Robert Kocharian will inaugurate
the 40-kilometer (25-mile) section in the town of Meghri, just over
the border from Iran.

Under the first stage of the project, Iran is to deliver up to 400
million cubic meters (14 billion cubic feet) of gas a year; when the
pipeline is completed and extends to the capital, Yerevan, the volume
could rise to 2.5 billion cubic meters (88 billion cubic feet) a year.

Rain and fog prevented a helicopter flight that was to transport
Ahmadinejad, and he was expected to arrive later by road.

The project was launched in 2004 after more than a decade of
negotiations.

Russia, which supplies most of Armenia’s gas, had objected to the
project. Armenian officials said last year they were discussing the
prospect of Russia’s natural-gas monopoly Gazprom purchasing the
Armenian section of the pipeline from Iran.

Landlocked Armenia has developed its relations with Iran amid
economic troubles caused by the closing of its borders with Turkey
and Azerbaijan in the wake of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a region of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenian and ethnic Armenian
Karabakhi forces.

Iran also has sought projects and influence in other parts of the
former Soviet Union, mostly in Central Asia.

Last year, Ahmadinejad opened an Iranian-financed tunnel improving
connections between impoverished Tajikistan’s north and the capital
region. Tehran has focused mostly on transport and infrastructure
projects and restoring historically close cultural ties.

IRAN-ARMENIA NATURAL GAS PIPELINE PROJECT PUT INTO OPERATION

Fars News Agency, Iran
March 19 2007

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The pipeline project for the transfer of
Iran’s natural gas to Armenia was put into operation in the presence
of the Iranian and Armenian presidents.

Iran-Armenia natural gas pipeline project that transfers Iran’s
natural gas to Armenia was put into operation a few minutes ago in
the presence of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Armenian
president Robert Kocharian.

The Iranian natural gas pipeline is 40 kilometers long from the
Iranian border spot.

The project has cost USD33 million through joint investment by Iran
and Armenia and will go into complete effect when final tests have
been conducted within the next few months.

The project has been commissioned and implemented entirely by the
Iranian experts and contractors.

I LEFT OYP AS I HAD NO REASONS FOR BECOMING OPPOSITION, VAYOTS DZOR’S
GOVERNOR, CURRENTLY ALREADY RPA MEMBER, DECLARES

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. "When the Orinats Yerkir (Country of
Law) Party left the coalition, I as a Governor had no reasons for
becoming opposition, so I left OYP," Samvel Sargsian, Vayots Dzor’s
Governor, currently member of Republican Party of Armenia (RPA),
declared at the March 19 press conference. S. Sargsian has been
nominated by majoritarian system at electoral district N 39
(Yeghegnadzor-Jermuk) by RPA for the forthcoming parliamentary
elections.

"I am leaving my post and I am going to legislative work in order to
be able to continue my programs aimed at region’s further
development," he said. In S. Sargsian’s words, though the governor
does serious and responsible work, he does not have as great powers as
a deputy.

S. Sargsian also assured that at the forthcoming parliamentary
elections fair elections will be held concretely at their region and
as a Governor will not use his levers.

And Ararat Governor Alik Sargsian said that for already third time RA
President has strictly ordered everybody to hold fair elections. "In
case of any violation the representative of empowered body, in this
case the Governor will be punished," he said.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Reconstruction of St. Cross Church on Akhtamar is a political decision
16.03.2007 16:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Opening of the Armenian St. Cross Church on Akhtamar
will contribute to constructive dialogue between the two states, RA
Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosian told a news
conference in Yerevan. `Reconstruction of the church is a political
decision. Nevertheless, the church will be open for attendance and
it’s a positive fact for Armenia. The final composition of the
Armenian delegation will be determined next week,’ the Minister said,
reports Novosti-Armenia.

The Turkish government has assigned $1.5 million for reconstruction of
the church. The works were accomplished by the Turkish Ministry of
Culture and Tourism jointly with the administration of Van city. The
church is a unique monument of Armenian medieval architecture. It was
built in 915-921 AD by architect Manvel under the rule of King Gagik
Artsruni.