Author: Emil Lazarian

An account has been opened to help Abraham Karapetyan

ArmRadio.am
28.04.2006 16:45

A few days ago `Radiolur’ informed about three-year-old Abraham
Karapetyan, who suffers retina cancer. To save the child’s life, one
of his eyes was ablated two years ago. To keep the second eye, the
child needs to be operated on in large hospitals abroad, particularly
France and England. Through `Radiolur’ Abraham’s mother applied all
charity organizations and individuals to help the child. Following
this publication we have received a number of responses already.

We would like to inform that those willing to help three-year-old
Abraham, can transfer their donations to the following account in
Unibanck ` 24.10.41.01.50.17.

PRICES OF APARTMENTS GROW

Lragir.am
28 April 06

The average price of apartments in Yerevan grew by 24.5 percent in
2005. The news agency ARKA received this information from the National
Statistics Service. According to the National Statistics Service, 65.1
percent of 14 098 of apartments purchased or sold in Yerevan are in
blocks of apartments. The highest prices were reported in the City
Center and Arabkir communities, 157.3-435.9 thousand drams and
112.3-314.6 thousand drams per square meter respectively. The lowest
price was reported in the community of Nubarashen – 53.9-112.3
thousand drams per one square meter. In the regions the growth was
25.9 percent.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“SARDARAPAT MEMORIAL COMPLEX” STATE INSITUTION REORGANIZED INTO STATE
NONCEMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. In accordance with the RA Law on State
Noncommercial Organizations, the Armenian government made a decision
to reorganize “The Sardarapat Memorial Complex, State Museum of
Ethnography and Liberation Movement of Armenia” state institution
under the jurisdiction of the RA Ministry of Defence into a state
noncommercial organization (SNO) of the same name. NT was informed
about it from the RA Government Information and PR Department. It was
decided to transfer the state property worth 92,248 drams (about 205
USD) of the indicated state institution (except state lands,
buildings, constructions, as well as property of historical and
cultural value and property exceeding 10 minimal salaries) to the
newly established SNO with the right of ownership. The state lands,
buildings, constructions, property of historical and cultural value
and property exceeding 10 minimal salaries of a total of 279,894 drams
owned by the state institution will be transferred to the NSO with the
right of free and perpetual use. It was noted that the above mentioned
decision will enable to organize the management and activities of the
memorial complex most efficiently.

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: 
April 28, 2006

Defense of Doctoral Theses in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Four New Vardapets in the Armenian Church

On April 21, three members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin and one
member of the Brotherhood of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
defended their doctoral theses before the doctoral examination committee in
the Mother See.

Rev. Fr. Abgar Hovakimian, Vicar of the Diocese of Syunik, defended his
doctoral thesis entitled `St. Dionysius the Areopagite in Armenian
Bibliography’.

Rev. Fr. Mkrtich Proshian, Dean of the Vaskenian Seminary of Lake Sevan,
defended his doctoral thesis entitled `An Analysis of Feminist Sotierology’.

Rev. Fr. Hovakim Manukian, Office Director of the Department of Inter-Church
Relations, defended his doctoral thesis entitled `Ecumenism in the Twentieth
Century and the Armenian Church’.

Rev. Fr. Sahak Mashalian from the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
defended his doctoral thesis entitled `Faith and Miracle’.

The examination committee was comprised of His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian
(Chairman); His Grace Bishop Mikayel Ajapahian, Primate of the Diocese of
Shirak; and His Grace Bishop Arshak Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother
See.

Following each candidate’s presentation and question and answer period, the
committee determined that all four presentations were acceptable and deemed
the priests worthy to be granted the rank of `Vardapet’ (Archimandrite).

On Saturday, April 23, in the Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots in Oshakan, His
Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian, bestowed the rank of Vardapet on the three
members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin.  The priests recommitted
themselves to the service of the Armenian people and Holy Church by taking
an oath near the tomb of the `Great Teacher’ St. Mesrop, whereupon they
received their doctoral staffs.

Rev. Fr. Mashalian will be granted his doctoral staff in the month of June.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Frank Pallone: Bush’s remarks failed to properly characterize Armenian
Genocide

ArmRadio.am
28.04.2006 11:35

Representative Frank Pallone, Jr, co-chairman of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, made the following statement after
President Bush’s proclamation on the 91st anniversary of the start of
the Armenian Genocide: “The President should have used today’s 91st
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to promote a United States
foreign policy that reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
to human rights, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Instead, President
Bush failed, once again, to honor his pledge to properly characterize
the Armenian Genocide as “genocide” in his annual April 24th
remarks. Despite a plea by over 200 Members of Congress last week, he
continues to avoid any clear reference to the Armenian Genocide.”

“It’s time the U.S. government recognizes these actions as genocide so
that we can renew our commitment to prevent such atrocities from
occurring again. By properly affirming the Armenian Genocide, we can
also help to ensure its legacy and rightfully honor its victims and
survivors,” Frank Pallone concluded.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian officer wounded in ceasefire violation

Arminfo
28 Apr 06

Yerevan, 28 April: An officer of the Armenian armed forces has been
wounded in a ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side.

The Armenian Defence Ministry press service has reported that at about
1530 yesterday [1030 gmt 27 April], the Azerbaijani side fired on a
section of Idzhevan-Noyemberyan road. As a result, Sr Sgt Gegam
Mikhayelyan, who was travelling in a Kamaz lorry, was wounded. The
officer was admitted to Noyemberyan city hospital at about 1600 [1100
gmt]. Doctors describe his condition as satisfactory.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net

Russia’s Position on American-Iranian Opposition Neutral

28.04.2006 21:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Russia’s position on the American-Iranian
opposition is neutral at present. As regards the Iranian nuclear
problem, the Russian Federation bases on the IAEA assessment, senior
specialist of the Institute of World Economy and International
Relations at the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Krylov stated
in a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

In his words, if the U.S. ventures to bomb Iran, Russia will have to
react, since during the U.S. aggression against Iraq Russia’s
position was mild. `Iran’s trouble is that it has almost no allies
left. However, there is the Islamic factor that can work as a token
of solidarity with Iran and can result in a wave of terrorist acts
throughout the globe. We should not forget that Russia also embodies
evil for the Islamic radicals and September 11, 2001 can repeat in
Moscow,’ Krylov underscored.

CHARITY EXHIBITION-SALE OF HANDWORKS OF “PRKUTIUN” ORGANIZATION’S STUDENTS HAVING MENTAL DEFECTS TO OPEN ON APRIL 28

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition-sale pf handworks of the
“Prkutiun” (salvation) NGO students having mental defects will open at
13:00, April 28, by blessing of Bishop T.Navasard Kchoyan, the primate
vicar of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese. The exhibition-sale that
will take place in the building of the “Prkutiun” NGO (Chekhov, 33),
will last three days. The organizer of the exhibition-sale is the
“Ararat” youth union of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA IN NEED OF STATE PROGRAM ON PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Over 50% of deaths in Armenia are
due to cardiovascular diseases, Deputy Director of the RA Institute
of Cadiology Parunak Zelveyan told NT correspondent. According to
studies conducted in Yerevan, more than 200 thousand people or 28%
of the city population suffers from high blood pressure, which
is a risk factor in ischemic and cerebral diseases. According to
P. Zelveyan, no preventive measures are being taken in the country,
while more money and time is spent on elimination of the consequences
of these diseases. Work is underway to develop a state program on the
prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Besides, according to the deputy
director, in order to reduce the risk factors of arterial hypertension
and cardiovascular diseases, it is necessary to create a constantly
functioning information service and implement measures aimed at early
diagnosis of such diseases. P. Zelveyan said that it is envisaged to
establish a new diagnostic service and a prophylactic cardiological
center at the RA Institute of Cardiology in the near future.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FIRST ARMENIAN OMBUDSPERSON PRESENTS 2005 ANNUAL REPORT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The first Armenian ombudsperson
Larisa Alaverdian on April 26 presented the 2005 Annual Report
on the Activities of Ombudsman and Violations of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms in the Country to the public. To recap,
the new ombudsman Armen Harutyunian presented the 2005 report in
the National Assembly, while the former ombudsperson was invited
to participate in the report’s discussion “with the right to make
a speech”. “Taking into account that the public has the right to
know what avtivities were carried out by the Ombudsperson in 2005,
how she contributed to the protection of human rights and freedoms,
how much a person is protected from arbitrariness of public bodies
and officials and from abuse of official position, to what extent
the state policy in the field of human rights corresponds to the RA
Constitution and the principles and norms of international law, the
2005 Annual Report on the Activities of the First RA Ombudsman and
Violations of Human Rights and Freedoms in the Country is presented
to the public,” the preface of L. Alaverdian’s report reads. The
report was a message of the first RA Ombudsperson to large sections
of the society, which are committed to the idea of establishing a
democratic, social and legal state and which do everything possible so
as to reach, through a dialog and cooperation with the authorities,
a civil consensus on the fundamental principles and goals, the most
important of which is protection of human rights. The report was based
on the analysis of written and oral complaints, visits to marzes and
settlements, studies conducted on the Ombudsman’s own initiative and
by various NGOs, mass media publications, as well as the reports,
which were submitted by Armenia to the appropriate bodies of the UN
and international organizations on human rights and the responses to
these reports. According to Larisa Alaverdian, “for the highest bodies
of power, both human rights as an absolute value and the notion of
“ombudsman” still remain equally not comprehended, and the solution
of this problem is still on the agenda.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress