Author: Emil Lazarian

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

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE REPRESENTATIVE OF PATRIARCH ZAKKA

His Holiness Aram I received yesterday Metropolitan George Saliba,
representative of Patriarch Zakka I of the Syrian Orthodox Church. The
Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, Bishop Nareg Alemezian also
attended the meeting.

Metropolitan Saliba briefed His Holiness on a number of issues related to
the Syrian Church as well on the upcoming meeting of spiritual Heads in the
Syrian Patriarchate in Damascus. The Pontiff stressed the importance of
cooperation between the churches especially in the current circumstances,
when the life of the church and its mission are full of daily troubles.

Bishop Nareg will travel to Damascus in the next few days to have a meeting
with Patriarch Zakka on behalf of His Holiness Aram I.

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View the photo here:
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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.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR EUROPE AND EURASIA DOUGLAS MENARCHIK VISITS ARMENIA

Armenpress
Feb 12 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS: U.S. Assistant Administrator for
Europe and Eurasia Douglas Menarchik is visiting Armenia February
10-13, the US embassy in Yerevan said.

It said the purpose of Dr. Menarchik’s visit is to observe projects
run by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and
its partner organizations, and to witness the progress that has been
made in Armenia through U.S. assistance, which has totaled over $1.6
billion since 1992.

Douglas Menarchik was appointed USAID Acting Assistant Administrator
for Europe and Eurasia on January 16, 2007. This interim designation
follows a formal nomination announcement made earlier this month for
which Senate approval is pending.

As Acting Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia,
Dr. Menarchik will direct a $700 million annual budget that supports
economic growth and fiscal reform, democracy-building, and social
transition projects in 23 European and Eurasian countries receiving
U.S. assistance. Dr. Menarchik joined USAID in 2004 as Assistant
Administrator for Policy and Program Coordination.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WAR DESIRED BY AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER?
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
13/02/2007

Safar Abiev, Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, on a meeting with
Peter Rodman, councilor to US Defence Minister, said that "it is
time to demand from Armenia to leave the occupied lands". "Novosti
Azerbaijan" website informs that the Azeri minister added that neither
the Kocharian-Aliev meetings nor all the efforts of the OSCE Minsk
Group have had any effect on the peace process on Nagorno-Karabakh.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ELMAR MAMMADYRAOV: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA WILL NOT HINDER THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS

ArmRadio.am
13.02.2007 13:50

"I don’t think the parliamentary elections in Armenia can be an
obstacle for continuing the negotiation process on the Karabakh
conflict settlement," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
told Day.az.

"Different elections are held in most countries of the world, but it
does not mean negotiation processes should be suspended," he noted. For
the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict the political will
of the parties is needed, the Azeri Foreign Ministers considers.

"It is very pleasant that the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
Matthew Bryza came up with the statement that un unprecedented
activeness will be observed in the negotiation process after the
parliamentary elections in Armenia," Mammadyarov underlined. He
characterized the efforts of Moscow, Paris and Washington in this
direction as constructive.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FMS MAY MEET EARLY MARCH

ArmRadio.am
13.02.2007 14:00

The recurrent meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan may take place early March, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists Trend reports. He informed that
Monday he held negotiations with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
who presented their suggestions about the date and place of the
recurrent meeting.

Commenting on the recent meeting between the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow, Mammadyarov said "the parties
connected great hopes with it, but it not come up to expectations."

"Issues come up during the discussion of details," he noted.

TOP TURKISH GENERAL IN US TO BLOCK GENOCIDE

ASBAREZ
2/13/2007

ANKARA (Combined Sources)–Turkey’s senior armed forces commander
was expected to caution US officials that Turkish-US military ties
would be harmed if the US Congress adopted a resolution recognizing
the Armenian Genocide.

The visit of General Yasar Buyukanit, Turkey’s Military Chief of Staff
to Washington comes days after Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s visit
to the Capital to lobby against the Genocide bill.

During his visit, General Buyukanit is scheduled to meet Vice President
Dick Cheney, Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace, Under Secretary
of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman, and US Army Chief of Staff General
Peter Schoomaker.

In his meetings with US officials Buyukanit will also be discussing
issues such as Iraq, the fight against terrorism, and recent
developments in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Gul said over the weekend that President George W. Bush
would write to members of the Democratic-controlled Congress to urge
them to oppose the Armenian Genocide resolution.

"A resolution that would recognize the World War I era killings of
Armenians as genocide would poison ties between strategic allies
Turkey and the United States," Gul warned late Saturday.

Gul said if passed, the resolution would cause permanent damage to
relations and it will cause a deadlock in our relations. Gul asked the
U.S. administration to take action. "It won’t have a fleeting effect;
its results will be deep and lasting. I called on the U.S.

administration to take urgent action. Secretary of State Rice will
carry out an important work in the coming days. She will visit the
Congress," Gul told reporters.

Fresh off his US visit, Gul Monday backed amending Turkey’s
controversial article 301, used to prosecute intellectuals including
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink who was later shot dead.

"I want this article amended because it puts a shadow on Turkey’s
reform process," Gul said at a joint news conference with visiting
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. "It is damaging
Turkey’s image. It is portraying Turkey as a country where hundreds
of journalists and intellectuals are jailed for their speeches. This
is wrong."

Gul’s remarks came days after a group of trade unions and other
non-governmental organizations proposed a new wording to the article,
which makes insults to the Turkish state or its people a crime. The
groups said the new wording would set clearer limits to what
constitutes insult and what is legitimate criticism.

Some non-governmental organizations were demanding scrapping the law
completely, but Gul made clear the government favored amending it.

"We want everyone to freely express their thoughts as long they
don’t incite violence or amount to insult," Gul said. "These cannot
be allowed. They are not allowed anywhere else."

Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and murdered journalist
Hrant Dink were both prosecuted under the broad law criminalizing
the denigration of "Turkishness." Both had spoken out about the
mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th century. Numerous other
writers, journalists and academics have also been prosecuted.

On Saturday, police detained two men on suspicions that they were
planning to hold up an Istanbul ferry to protest the fact that
pro-Armenian slogans had been chanted at Dink’s funeral. An Istanbul
court ordered the two men released after questioning, saying there
was not enough evidence to charge them.

Acting on a tip, police detained the two men at the city’s entrance
Saturday, a police official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity
because of rules that bar civil servants from speaking to reporters
without prior authorization.

Police said the two men–from the eastern city of Igdir, near the
borders with Iran and Armenia–allegedly planned to hijack a ferry
sailing between the Asian and European shores of the Bosporus,
copying a ferry hijacking last month in the Dardanelles strait,
police said. That hijacker had threatened to blow the ferry up in
protesting the pro-American slogans. He had been carrying a gun,
but no explosives, and after about two and a half hours surrendered
to police. No passengers were harmed.

As the two men detained Saturday left the courthouse, they shouted:
"Turks have no other friends but Turks!" the state-run Anatolia news
agency reported.

Dink’s funeral inspired a massive outpouring of support for
reconciliation between Armenians and Turks, with thousands chanting
"We’re all Armenians." Nationalists however, were angered by the
pro-Armenian slogans.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FALSE BIBLES

A1+
[12:44 pm] 13 February, 2007

Today various sectarian organizations in Armenia publish Bibles and
booklets which are altered and adjusted to their belief.

Those books and booklets are sold in the bookstores, book stalls,
distributed during the campaigns and given to the passers-by out
of charge.

"Some words and phrases are changed in the booklets of one of the
sects. For instance, "undeserved kindness" is used instead of "gift"
or "divine" instead of "God", Ter Shahen Hayrapetyan, bishop of St
Sargis Church told A1+.

In his words, while using the word "divine" instead of "God", that’s to
say using an adjective instead of a noun, the whole meaning is changed.

False Bibles don’t have signs and signatures which lead the public to
confusion, and many think these books are published by the Armenian
Apostolic Church.

In order to avoid suchlike false Bibles Ter Shahen Hayrapetryan
advises, "If you don’t find the blessing of the All-Armenian Catholicos
His Holiness Garegin the Second in the book or if the book is not
printed in one of the Archbishop’s universal publishing houses,
these factors are already a serious peril for the whole public".

To note, according to the verified data, over 300 – 350 thousand
Armenians profess various sects.

According to the board dealing with the issues of religion and national
minorities, there are 56 registered religious organizations in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BACHELOR EDUCATION SECTOR OF RA INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO PASS TO CREDIT EDUCATION SYSTEM IN 2007-2008 ACADEMIC YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The credit system of education
will be used for the first year students in the bachelor education
sector of Armenian institutions of higher education in the 2007-2008
academic year. As Ruben Gasparian, the Chief of the University
Professions Department of the RA Ministry of Education and Science
mentioned during the February 8 discussion taken place at the RA
Ministry of Education and Science, passing to the credit systen will
be carried out based on results of the experience earlier worked out
for the system in some institutions of higher education. In Ruben
Gasparian’s words, passing to the credit system is closely connected
with introduction of three-degree education system in institutions
of higher education. In his words, the RA Government affirmed on
that occasion in November of the previous year the program of events
addressed to implementation of the Bologna principles presented by the
Ministry. The program on passing to three-degree educational system
was one of the primary tasks of the program. R.Gasparian mentioned
that working groups on three-degree education, accumulation and
passing of credits, creation of national system of qualifications,
guarantee of quality and financing were created for implementation of
complex reforms to be implemented in the higher education sector. In
the words of Levon Mkrtchian, the Minister of Education and Science,
to complete the complex reforms in the higher education system, they
started negotiations with the Yerevan branch administration of the
World Bank, and, most probably, they will in future have financial
assistance as well. Levon Mkrtchian also mentioned that the process
of higher educational reforms must be implemented in non-state
institutions of higher education as well. During the discussion,
the working group on passing to three-degree educational system in
institutions of higher education presented the already worked out
program which will be soon affirmed by the Minister.

Other working groups soon will work out and present the program in
a complete way to the Minister’s adoption after what guarantees for
implementation of the process will be decided which will be given to
institutions of higher education.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTASHES GEGHAMIAN IS SURE, OPPOSING PARTIES TO HAVE 65-70% MANDATES IN NEW PARLIAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The opposing parties will have
65-70% mandates at the NA of the next convention to be formed as a
result of the May 12 parliamentary elections. Artashes Geghamian,
the NA "National Unity" faction head expressed such an opinion in the
February 9 breifing. In his words, "naturally, very serious mental
discussions on the main directions of the RA development will be
in that case." In A.Geghamian’s words, "all those political forces
which publically give impartial estimation characterizing the state
of the country, mention those guilty by names and show the ways
through which we must come out of the created extremely serious
moral-psychological crisis and deep social-economic crisis" may be
considered the opposition. In the words of Mher Shahgeldian, a member
of the "Orinats Yerkir" (Country of Law) faction, the picture which
the society wants will come out in the case of normal elections. In
his opinion, the opposition today has a very wide basis in the RA,
a great part of the society is the opposition co-thinkers. In the
opinion of Grigor Ghonjeyan, a member of the ULP faction, political
forces having different ideology will be presented at the next
parliament. In his words, all the opposing forces being represented
at the parliament today have all the possibilities to be represented
at the next parliament.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AIR TEMPERATURE TO RISE BY 2-4 DEGREES FROM FEBRUARY 16 IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. No precipitations are forecast in
the coming week in Armenia, light snow is forecast in some regions on
February 16-17. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Zaruhi
Petrosian, Head of Haypethydromet Department’s Meteorological Forecasts
Unit, until February 15 air temperature will not essentially change
and at night of February 16 will rise by 2-4 degrees. At night of
February 12-18, air temperature will be -13 -18 at night in country’s
mountainous regions, – 9 -12 in Ararat valley, -7 -12 in another
regions and +1 +3, +1 +4, +9 +14 in daytime, respectively.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress