Author: Emil Lazarian

ANTI-SMOKE PROJECT IMPLEMENTED

Panorama.am
16:47 20/06/06

Despite of the fact that our country has ratified World Health
Organization convention on fight against smoking and has adopted a
law on limitation of tobacco use but nothing has been changed with the
adoption of these documents because they have not been reached to the
addressees, Vahe Ter-Minasyan, head of public relations department
of Armenian Medical Association said. The organization has been
implementing OSI project on fight against smoking trying to engage
first help medical clinics in anti-smoke fight.

A monitoring has been conducted including unexpected visits to 30
medical clinics. The monitoring revealed that 17 out of 30 clinics
have anti-smoking posters, smoking is prohibited in the halls of 25
of them and cigarettes are not sold in neither of them.

As a result of the monitoring, number 22 clinic has been announced as
the winner and has been provided with a computer as planned in the
project. The Head of the clinic Ludmila Lazarian said they needed
a computer direly.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY LOOKS TO SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR ANSWERS TO AMBASSADOR EVANS FIRING

ArmRadio.am
21.06.2006 10:24

Armenian Americans across the US will be closely following the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearings for US Ambassador
to Armenia nominee Richard Hoagland, in hopes of gaining concrete
insight into the exact nature of the State Department’s policy of
complicity in Armenian Genocide denial – particularly as it relates
to the firing of the current US Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall
Evans, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The nomination hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 28th at 2:30
pm in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee room, 419 Dirksen Senate
Office Building and is open to the public.

The hearing comes as Armenian American activists across the US continue
to call on Senators to demand a full explanation for the early recall
of US Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE MISSION PLANNING TO CARRY OUT MONITORING OF THE CONTACT LINE

ArmRadio.am
21.06.2006 14:15

The OSCE Mission intends to carry out monitoring at the contact
line of the Armed Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the
direction of Aghdam.

June 15 NKR Ministry of Defense had applied the Office of the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office with the request to
hold a crisis monitoring at the border with Azerbaijan to assess the
real situation with the objective to deny the imaginary reports of
the Azeri media on arsons on the territories under NKR control.

NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed readiness to assist the
OSCE Mission in conducting the monitoring.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

&quo t;CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORMS THE HEART
OF THE CHURCH’S MISSION"

SAYS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

"Christian education is the spreading of the truths, values and principals
introduced through Bethlehem. The aim of Christian education is not only to
spread these values and truths, but also to form a conscious Christian.
Christian education is not the teaching of biblical and religious knowledge,
but in its essence, it is the formation of the Christian man. It is a path
of life, a purpose of life. It is with this approach and perspective that
Christian education should be organized," said His Holiness while speaking
to a group of clergy and lay people participating in a conference dedicated
to Christian education in Beirut.

Referring to the need to re-evaluate Christian education in light of the
current world’s imperatives and challenges, His Holiness said: "Christian
truths are eternal; but it is essential that they are passed on according to
unique circumstances and concepts of the current time and environment. It is
not possible, for example, to engage in effective Christian education
following the same methods in Lebanon, Palestine and the United States.
Different religious-cultural environments demand different approaches. The
content should be the same, but the cover should be adjusted to the
corresponding environment."

On textbooks related to Christian education, the Pontiff said: "It is true
that a textbook is essential, but a textbook convenes information only.
Faith, spirit, dedication, love can’t be passed on through textbooks. This
is where the church’s role as an educator comes to the fore; here comes the
role of teachers dedicated to Christian education."

Representatives of the Catholicosate of All Armenians (Holy Etchmiadzine)
and the Catholicosate of Cilicia are also participating in the conference
along with participants from many countries in the world.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
jurisdiction and the Christian Education activities in both the
Catholicosate and the dioceses, 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

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

14-06-2006

Minister Oskanian Meets with Azerbaijani Counterpart

A meeting was held between Minister Oskanian and his Azeri counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov on June 13, in accordance with the agreement
between the Armenian and Azeri Presidents reached in Bucharest on
June 5 during their last meeting. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Bernard
Fassier of France, and Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia, and Andrzej Kasprzyk,
Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, were present
at the meeting.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed the principles to settling
the conflict and the problematic areas which remain unresolved.

The Ministers expressed willingness to continue negotiations in order
to try to bridge the different positions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

15-06-2006

Ministers Sargsian and Oskanian Attend North Atlantic Council –
Armenia Meeting

On June 14, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian and Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian attended the North Atlantic Council (NAC) – Armenia
meeting with the ambassadors of the 26 NATO members.

The meeting agenda was a discussion of Armenia’s implementation of
the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP). This followed the
first assessment meeting by a delegation of NATO international staff
to Armenia in May to evaluate the implementation of the agreement
between NATO and Armenia.

In their reports, the Armenian ministers focused on deepening
Armenia’s cooperation with NATO, as well as measures targeted at
IPAP implementation.

Following their presentations, Ambassadors of the NAC member states
made statements assessing Armenia’s pace and progress in implementing
provisions of the IPAP. In this regard, the Ambassadors attached
importance to the democratization process in Armenia as the groundwork
for security, reforms in the defense sphere, and extension of the
political dialogue with NATO.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
June 20, 2006

His Holiness Karekin II Departs on Pontifical Visit to Turkey

Today, June 20, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians departs for Istanbul, Turkey for a
seven-day Pontifical Visit.  His Holiness is traveling to Turkey upon
the joint invitation of His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian,
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople; and His All Holiness Bartholomew
I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

During this first Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin II to
Turkey, the Catholicos of All Armenians will visit Armenian churches
and holy shrines, extend his pontifical blessings to the Armenian
community of Istanbul, and meet with Armenian intellectuals and young
men and women.  On Sunday, June 25, His Holiness will celebrate a
Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Armenian Patriarchate’s Cathedral
of the Holy Mother of God.

For two days during the trip, His Holiness will also be the guest
of the Ecumenical Patriarch in a fraternal visit.  His Holiness will
have a number of ecumenical meetings in the Armenian Patriarchate as
well.  Also planned is a meeting between the Pontiff of All Armenians
and the Governor of Istanbul.

His Holiness is scheduled to return to the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin on June 28.

Accompanying the Catholicos of All Armenians during the journey is His
Eminence Archbishop Dirayr Mardigian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese
of Romania and Bulgaria; His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of
the Armenian Church of North America; His Eminence Archbishop Karekin
Bekdjian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Germany; His Eminence
Archbishop Yeznik Petrosian, Director of the Publications Department
of the Mother See; His Eminence Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan, Vicar
General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese; His Grace Bishop Vicken
Aykazian, Diocesan Legate for the Eastern Diocese (USA); His Grace
Bishop Arshak Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See; His Grace
Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Damascus;
and Rev. Fr. Vasken Nanian, Staff-Bearer for His Holiness.

##

–Boundary_(ID_lv5o3V8mxVGtDl9ZQ0sq Hg)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVED THE OSCE REPRESENTATIVE ON FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA

ArmRadio.am
20.06.2006 18:01

June 20 RA Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Baibourdian received the
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti.

Issues related to the freedom of media over the OSCE territory,
the reforms of the sphere in Armenia, as well as the suggestions of
implementing joint programs.

The parties expressed appreciation for the current level of
Armenia-OSCE relations in the sphere of freedom of media and showed
interest in upholding the cooperation in the future.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

400 PERCENT BLACK PETROL MARKET

Lragir.am
20 June 06

"In Armenia monopoly is not battled, on the contrary, there
is consolidation and growth of black market. Clans are being
developed," stated Member of Parliament Tatul Manaseryan June
20 at the Hayeli Club. According to him, the Armenian economy is
uncontrollable. "Emergence of monopolies hampers competition greatly,"
says Tatul Manaseryan.

If black economy in Armenia is about 70-80 percent, on the petrol
market it is 400 percent. Presently, twice as less petrol is
imported to Armenia than in 1995. Whereas the customs services boast
considerable collections from the import of cars. According to the
Department of Motor Vehicles, the number of cars has tripled since
1995. "Please multiply and get twice as less petrol by the rules of
arithmetic that we have been taught," suggests Tatul Manaseryan.

Another Republican Member of Parliament Gagik Melikyan thinks that
the declining consumption of petrol is caused by the rising number of
cars running on gas. "Why are the filling stations closed down?" asks
Gagik Melikyan for his part. Certain filling stations were closed
because they did not comply with standards, and the number of cars
running on gas did not go so high as to cause consumption of petrol
to decline twice, insists Tatul Manaseryan.

Nevertheless, he is optimistic and he thinks that we will have a
normal economy because it is simply imposed on us.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN CONCERNED ABOUT RUSSIA SUPPLYING MILITARY BASE IN ARMENIA WITH ANTIAIRCRAFT EMPLACEMENT

Georgian Times, Georgia
June 20 2006

Russia indents to supply its military bases abroad, especially the
102nd base in Gumru, Armenia with S-400 antiaircraft missiles in
near future. APA reports quoting military sources that one of the
antiaircraft battalions in the 102nd base will be supplied with
the S-400 antiaircraft missiles. A group of officers and technical
staff of the base will attend trainings of Russian Air Attack Defense
Troops to master technical and tactical characteristics of the S-400
emplacements.

Russia has started supplying its Armed Forces with new S-400
antiaircraft missiles since last year. It plans to establish five
missile brigades supplied with S-400 antiaircraft emplacement within
five years.

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry press secretary, Colonel Ramiz Malikov
told the APA that the Ministry have control on the armament process
in the region and is informed about it.

"We were informed about this. Russia’s arming the aggressive Armenia
and sending additional forces to this country poses threat to not only
the South Caucasus but the entire Europe," the press secretary said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress