Author: Emil Lazarian

ARMENIAN CUT DIAMOND OUTPUT PLUMMETS 60% IN Q1

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
April 13, 2006 Thursday 1:55 PM MSK

Armenia reduced cut diamond production 60.4% year-on-year in the
first quarter of 2006 to 17.471 billion dram ($38.8 million), Gagik
Mkrtchian, the Armenian Trade and Economic Development Ministry’s
official in charge of gemstones and jewelry, told Interfax.

Mkrtchian said sales fell 66.7% to 18.895 billion dram ($41.9 million)
and that exports were down 63% to 17.795 billion dram ($39.5 million).

Mkrtchian said disruptions at Shogakn, Armenia’s biggest diamond
cutting plant, were to blame for the drop. Shogakn, which produces 40%
of Armenia’s cut diamonds, will resolve what he described as internal
organizational problems soon.

Armenia produced 113.583 billion dram ($248.5 million) in cut diamond
sin 2005.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DEVELOPMENT ON OLD FARM BY GAITHERSBURG OPPOSED
by: Nancy Trejos, Washington Post Staff Writer

The Washington Post
April 13, 2006 Thursday
Final Edition

Just outside Gaithersburg, off Interstate 270, is a 182-acre parcel
filled with grass, broken-limbed trees and a few paint-chipped houses
and barns. Crown Farm, as it is known, is one of the last large pieces
of undeveloped land in central Montgomery County.

That could all change under a plan by Gaithersburg businessman Aris
Mardirossian to turn it into a bustling residential and commercial
center with up to 2,250 homes and 320,000 square feet for shops and
office buildings.

But with the County Council scheduled to begin considering the
proposal Tuesday, some residents and civic groups are gearing up
for a fight. They said the development — east of Sam Eig Highway,
south of Fields Road and west of Omega Drive — would cause school
overcrowding and too much traffic.

“These folks have been used to a 180-acre farm in that area,” said
Jim Humphrey, a Montgomery County Civic Federation official. “Let’s
make sure this project can be accommodated by the infrastructure
before we go approving it.”

If approved, the development would include condos, townhouses,
single-family homes and high-rises, some as tall as 20 stories. About
400 or 500 of those units would be above stores or offices, maximizing
space for parks and pedestrian walkways. Mardirossian, who leads a
development team that bought the property from the Crown family over
the summer, said he and the builders, who include Los Angeles-based
KB Home, plan to run buses from the homes to the nearest Metro
station. “It’ll be like Connecticut Avenue. A real urbanist design,”
Mardirossian said.

Mardirossian has asked the city of Gaithersburg, which has its own
council and mayor, to annex the property. Because his plan would
require rezoning, it must go to the County Council first. County
planners and city officials have been scrambling to hammer out the
details of what would be one of the city’s most significant projects
in years.

Last week, the County Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic
Development Committee — made up of Nancy Floreen (D-At Large),
Marilyn Praisner (D-Eastern County) and Steven A. Silverman (D-At
Large), who chairs the panel — voted to require that 12.5 percent
of the homes be set aside as affordable housing.

Because Crown Farm is in a location designated as a “receiving area”
— or a place where the county encourages development — Mardirossian
ordinarily would be required to pay transferable development rights
to a farmer in the agricultural reserve. But the council committee
recommended instead that he be exempted in lieu of a $1 million payment
to the county’s agricultural easement program, a fund for preserving
open space.

Because the donation would be much less than what he would probably
pay in development rights, Mardirossian has offered to donate 34
acres for a new high school.

“To let a developer off the hook is just what they don’t need to do,”
said Pamela Lindstrom, a Gaithersburg resident who has been vocal in
opposing the project.

Silverman estimated that the transferable development rights would
cost Mardirossian about $11 million, far below what it would cost
to buy land for a school. “If you have a developer who’s prepared to
give us a high school site for free and save the taxpayers 60 or 70
million dollars, we ought to take the deal,” he said.

Praisner said she did not agree with the exemption. “I’m not
necessarily opposed to the annexation,” she said. “My point is that I
think it’s moving too fast and there are certainly complexities that
need to be worked out.”

Opponents say Mardirossian’s deep pockets and political connections
are driving the project.

Since January 2003, Mardirossian has donated $750 to council member
Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring) and $500 to Floreen, Board of Elections
records show. One of his companies, Aris Mardirossian Inc., donated
$2,500 to council Chairman George L. Leventhal (D-At Large).

Farm Development Coop, a company Mardirossian manages, donated $4,000
to Silverman. The company gave $2,000 to Floreen and $2,000 to council
member Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty), records show.

Mardirossian acknowledged that he and his family have given money to
candidates. “They cannot see that I came from Armenia and I created
something wonderful from this country and I can express my ideas,”
he said of his critics.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FINAL PLANNING CONFERENCE OF “RESCUER-2006” EXERCISES TO BE HELD ON APRIL 19-21 IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The final planning
conference of the U.S. European Command’s “Rescuer-2006” exercises will
be held on April 19-21 in Yerevan. Noyan Tapan was informed about it
by Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, Spokesperson for RA Defence Minister.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENT IN FIRST READING DISCUSSES NEW BILL “ON CONSTITUTIONAL COURT”

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. On April 13, RA National Assembly in
the first reading discussed the new bill “On Constitutional Court”. It
will be voted at the next four-day session. The government motivates
adoption of the law in new edited variant by the necessity to bring
it in correspondence with the reformed Constitution. In particular,
the circle of Constitutional Court’s powers ans subjects applying to CC
was enlarged, the forms of judicial control were increased. The bill
also clarifies the order of applying to CC reducing the possibilities
of refusing to accept the application by formal bases. In connection
with the latter the bill stipulates that an application submitted to CC
is subject to obligatory registration. If it is obviously not within
the powers of the CC to examine the issue raised in the application
or the issue is presented by a body or person not having the right
to apply to the Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Court gives
back the application within a 5-day term. An application submitted
to the CC can be withdrawn by the claimant before the beginning of
the court examination.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

64 COMPANIES PRIVATIZED IN ARMENIA IN 2005

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 13 sitting, the RA
government approved that the draft law on approval of the 2005 annual
report on implementation of the state property privatization program,
which will be submitted to the National Assembly in prescribed
order. It was noted that no new program on privatization was adopted
in 2005, so under the RA Law on State Property Privatization,
the RA Law on 2001-2003 State Property Privatization Program was
in force. Taking into account that the 2001, 2002 and 2003 annual
reports on implementation of this program, as well as reports on
the 2001-2003 state property privatization program were submitted
to the RA National Assembly for consideration, the above mentioned
report includes the process of privatization carried out in the
calender year of 2005. Deputy Head of the State Property Management
Department Ashot Markosian told reporters after the sitting that
64 companies were privatized in 2005, with 37 companies being sold
through investment-oriented direct sale, while the remaining ones –
through tender. According to A. Markosian, in 2005, the state budget
revenues from privatization made 75 mln 850 thousand 21 dollars and 1
bln 310,439 mln drams (about 2.9 mln dollars). Besides, the new owners
made investments of 20 mln USD and 20 mln Russian rubles and created
3,680 jobs. The State Property Management Department filed 14 claims to
law courts for nonfulfilment of investment obligations. A. Markosian
pointed out a number of obstacles to implementation of the state
property implementation process, particularly large debts of companies
subject to privatization, as well as the fact that some of the
companies included in the program are in the process of bankruptcy
and their property is being confiscated.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN DOES NOT SUPPORT APPROACH THAT EVERYTHING WAS LEGAL DURING PRIVATIZATION PROCESS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The presentation of the report on
implementation of the 2001-2003 state property privatization program
was completed at the RA National Assembly on April 12. The report,
which also includes the privatization process in 2004, will be voted
on April 13. RA NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian noted in his speech that
he does not support the approach that everything was legal during the
privatization process. According to him, it is also evident from the
facts registered in the annual report of the Control Chamber (CC) to
be discussed in the parliament soon. He promised to send the materials
containing these facts to the Office of the RA Prosecutor General after
the discussion of the CC report. Particularly, the CC has revealed that
the 3 thousand sq.m construction at 67 Hanrapetutyan Str. Yerevan
was sold for $65 a square meter, whereas the market price is no
less than $1,200; the Nairi Cinema – for $40 a sq.m. (market price –
$1,000-1,200), while a 1,840 sq.m construction at the intersection
of Bagramian Avenue and Aygedzor Street was sold for only $50,000,
that is, for $30 a sq.m. (market price – $900-1,000). It was found
as a result of a monitoring of about 200 privatized companies that
only 27 such companies have assumed investment obligations. According
to A. Baghdasarian, most of the companies were privatized by direct
sale at a previosly known price. He also pointed out the absence
of necessary state control over investment obligations assumed
by enterprises. The monitoring of nearly 100 enterprises allowed
the Control Chamber to reveal that obligations of only 37 mln USD
were fulfiled out of a total of 140 mln USD. In his words, while
“selling buildings with one hand”, at the same time the state has to
rent other buildings to ensure the activities of some state bodies,
and the state budget envisages allocations for this purpose.

PRIVATIZATION OF “SMALL” OBJECTS ALMOST COMPLETED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. 1,925 companies, 7,266 “small”
objects and 80 incompleted construction objects were privatized in
Armenia in the period from 1994 to January 1, 2005. As a result, the
funds received from state property privatization made 142 bln drams
and 45 mln USD. Head of the State Property Management Department
adjunct to the RA government Karine Kirakosian stated this at the
April 11 sitting of the RA National Assembly, when presenting the
report on implementation of the 2001-2003 state property privatization
program. According to her, since 2004 the pace of the privatization
process has slowed down due to a number of objective reasons,
first of all, low attractiveness of some enterprises on the list of
companies subject to privatization. The maintenance, modernization and
operation of most of these enterprises require considerable investments
because of their deterioration and moral depreciation. Most of state
property was sold at 25% of its estimated value for the reason of
low attractiveness. However, there were cases when state property was
sold at a higher price than the estimated value. K. Kirakosian noted
that the privatization of “small” objects has almost been completed,
and one third of 1,000 companies included in the program have filed
for bankruptcy because of their “poor operation”. 300 companies have
not yet been privatized, so they were included in the 2005-2007 state
property privatization program sumitted to the NA for approval. The
privatization process was criticized by some representatives of
Justice, National Unity and Orinats Erkir factions and independent
deputy Manuk Gasparian who said that they will vote against the
report. The deputies brought examples of various companies that
were privatized at a lower price than the market value. According
to Secretary of Justice faction Victor Dallakian, Orbita company
assessed at 3 bln drams was privatized for 150 mln drams, the 45.7%
state stake of Luys Publishing House – for 10 mln 825 thousand drams,
while the construction complex, including the office of Orinats
Erkir Party, at 14 Koryun Str. – for 45 mln drams. According to the
deputy’s information, the compex was sold to the RA Minister of Trade
and Economic Development.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERGE SARGSIAN APPRECIATES OSCE MINSK GROUP’S EFFORTS AND EXPRESSES HOPE THAT FINALLY THEY WILL YIELD DESIRABLE RESULTS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The current state
and prospects of Nagorno Karabakh settlement were discussed at the
April 13 meeting of Secretary of the National Security Council under
RA President, Defence Minister Serge Sargsian with OSCE Minsk Group
French Co-chair Bernard Fassier. As Noyan Tapan was informed by Colonel
Seyran Shahsuvarian, Spokesperson for RA Defence Minister, Minister
Serge Sargsian appreciated the efforts of the Minsk Group expressing
the hope that finally they will yield their desirable result.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

April 13, 2006 04:45:06 PM | <;
Archive | <; Russian |
< ot_news.html> Hot News |
<; Vacancies in Georgia |
<; CENN |

13.4.2006

News From Georgia < > >>

What Is this: Criminal Lobbyism or Incompetence?

Under such title on April 5, 2006 Entrepreneurs Party held press conference
in the building of State Parliament of Georgia.

The theme of press conference was duty on natural resources usage.

On December 29, 2004 Georgian Law on Duty for Natural Resources Usage
entered into force. At the same time the parallel amendment was made in the
Law on Basis of Duty System (06.02.1998) that was necessary as the law
forbids any kind of duty that is not listed in it.

On March 25, 2005 from the basis law sub item on Duty for Natural Resources
Usage was removed. Now, under the government initiative parliament was
presented proposal on amendment in Law on Basis of Duty System. To the fifth
article of the mentioned law will be added sub item on – Natural Resources
Usage that as it was already mentioned has been removed in 2005 year.

As Zurab Tkemaladze, leader of the opposition Industrialists party, declared
all the dues (that makes several million GEL) collected during this one year
are illegal and should be returned to entrepreneurs

All these amendments doubts that government either is lobbing certain
business or this is just results of Georgian government incompetence. Any
way, all this is at the expense of business, said Mr. Tkemaladze.

2006-04-06

Prepared by CENN

13.4.2006

News From < jan> Azerbaijan >>

Azerbaijani expert: BTC pipeline potential miliTary target for Iran

Source: The Messenger, 2006-04-06

“In case of US attack on Iran, says Egypt Al-Ahram newspaper, Iranian
missiles could strike the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. The statement was
made by Azerbaijani military expert Uzeir Jafarov, re-ports Day.az. He added
that in case of US military operation against Iran Azerbaijan will not be
able to remain aloof.

“Even if Azerbaijani gives no consent to using its territory by US troops,
it should be not ruled out that Tehran, being in a desperate situation,
would strike objects of US economic interests in Azerbaijan: works in the
Caspian Sea, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline,” believes the military
expert.

It should be mentioned, last week the UN Security Council gave a month to
Iran for curtailing its nuclear program. Tehran responded immediately that
it would not stop uranium enrichment.”

13.4.2006

News From Armenia < > >>

ARMENIA AND “GASPROM” COMPLETE NEGOTIATIONS FOR TARIFF OF RUSSIAN GAS

Source: ArmInfo, 2006-04-05

Armenia and “Gazprom” completed negotiations for tariff of Russian gas. As a
result, they signed relevant agreement. An official of “Gazprom”, who wanted
to remain unknown, said this in the interview to “Liberty” Radio Station,
today.

According to him, Armenia agreed to hand 40 kilometers of Iran-Armenia gas
pipe line and the fifth energy block of Hrazdan TPP to “Gazprom” in exchange
to considerable decrease of tariff for Russian gas. The source refused to
tell the new tariff for gas, stating that “Gazprom” will make relevant
statement in the morning.

It’s worth mentioning that since April 1, 2006, “Gazprom” began selling gas
to Armenia at the new price that totaled to $110 for 1 thousand cubic
meters, but according to Aleksander Medvedev, deputy chairman of “Gazprom”
board, the given price is no final for Armenia. The unofficial sources State
that the tariff of gas for Armenia will amount to $68 for 1 thousand cubic
meters.

13.4.2006

International < tional> News
>>

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR, LEGISLATURE TAKE AIM AT CLIMATE CHANGE

Source: ENS, 2006-04-04

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to do battle with climate change.
Today he directed the California Environmental Protection Agency to host a
series of public presentations statewide to discuss recommendations to
combat global warming in the state’s Climate Action Team’s report, released
Monday. New legislation would set the nation’s first statewide limit on
greenhouse gas emissions.

13.4.2006

International < nce> Seminar /
Conference / Meeting >>

Annual Meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Develo pment
(EBRD)

We hope that you have received your invitation to attend the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development’s Annual Meeting on 21-22 May in London.

If you have not received the official invitation, please let us know and we
shall be happy to make the necessary arrangements in order for you to
register.

As always, NGO participation is free for two persons per organisation.
However, the Bank does not provide any financing related to participation.
Travel and accommodation costs are the responsibility of each organization.

Likewise, participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements.
Please remember to take the original letter of invitation with you to the
British Consulate when applying for a visa to United Kingdom. Information on
application forms, photographs and any other documents required for
applications is available at the various consulates.

This year the Annual Meeting will take place at the Hilton London Metropole
on Sunday 21 May and Monday 22 May, with the Business Forum starting at
09:00 on Sunday and the Board of Governors Session at 10:00 on Monday.

The deadline for pre-registration is 5 May, however we strongly recommend
that you register as soon as possible to avoid delay upon arrival at the
Annual Meeting venue in London. NGO representatives can register also online
at

We invite you to acknowledge by 21 April any specific topic or project you
would like to discuss at the Annual Meeting. This will help both you and
the Bank prepare for productive meetings, especially since the Annual
Meeting is spread over only two days. Since the Annual Meeting is in London
more EBRD staff will be available for one-to-one meetings and we are happy
to arrange these meetings for you.

Please let us know by 21 April, if you would like to have such a meeting and
on which particular topic or EBRD project. Please refer to the NGO
newsletters and our web pages for more information on projects and other
NGO-related topics at the following link

In order to help you plan your schedule at the Annual Meeting, the
provisional NGO programme is as follows:

Saturday: 14:00-16:00 – Sakhalin II, Phase 2 project

Sunday:

08:00-09:30 – Political Counsellors

10:00-11:00 – Public Information Policy

11:15-12:45 – Environment

12:45-13:30 – Working lunch

13:30-15:00 – Energy

15:30-17:00 – Board of Directors

17:30-18:30 – NGO reception

Monday

08:00-09:00 – Revenue Transparency and Production Sharing Agreements

10:00-11:30 – Infrastructure (Transport, Water and Waste)

12:00-13:00 – Project Evaluation

13:15-14:00 – Sandwich lunch

14:30-15:30 – Turnaround Management & Business Advisory Services

Tuesday

09:30-11:30 – Meeting with the President at EBRD Headquarters

Along with the main thematic panels, the Bank is holding a “Scenario
building” session which is designed to spark debate and identify drivers of
change that will affect the future of the EBRD region. It will be an open
exchange of ideas in small group discussions as well plenary, to allow
participants to network actively and engage with each other, while
contributing thinking that will help the EBRD plan ahead. The other panels,
which will most certainly benefit from your interest will be “Transition of
transition” and “Conserving the future: financing to fight climate change”.

The 2006 Country Promotion Programme will include for the first time a new
type of event: country update and networking sessions. Six countries have
chosen to hold country update and networking sessions (Albania, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia and Kazakhstan).

Your contact in London is:

Doina Caloianu

Manager of Outreach & NGO Relations, EBRD

Tel: +44 20 7338 6620 / Fax: +44 20 7338 6102

We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the EBRD’s Annual
Meeting 2006.

Outreach and NGO Relations team, European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development

13.4.2006

< ; Job / Internship / Study
Opportunity >>

Master Programme

The School offers two Master Programs for the academic year 2006 / 2007:

The 10th International Master Program in Cooperation and Development;

The 6th International Master Program in Cooperation and International
Economic Integration.

For more detail information, please see – I
< df> taly-2006-2007.pdf.

13.4.2006

Grant/Tender < gt; >>

Municipal Development Fund of Georgia

Invitation for National Bidding Trade (Bidding)

Municipal Development Fund of Georgia announces tenders on the following
activities:

1. Kharagauli District Village Vani Secondary School Repairs;
2. Shuakhevi District Village Chvana Secondary School Repairs
3. Kharagauli District Village Ghoresha School Construction;
4. Kazbegi District,v. Kobi Water Supply System Reconstruction;
5. Kharagauli District Village Lashe School Repairs;
6. Ozurgeti District Village TV Tower Installation;
7. Shuakhevi District Village Shubani Secondary School Repairs;
8. Shuakhevi District Village Uchamaba Secondary School Repairs;
9. MDF Project II: Consulting Service (Expressions of Interest).
10.

MDF invites all interested persons to participate in the tenders.

For additional information, please see Tender
< oucement%20.zip> Announcement.

Municipal Development Fund of Georgia

Address: 7b, Yetim Gurjy st. 0105

Tel: (99532) 94 32 40, 94 29 47, 92 34 69, 92 34 70

Fax: (99532) 94 04 39

E-mail: [email protected]

web site: <;

13.4.2006

Announcement < ement> >>

Only Two Days!

Source: The Messenger, 2006-04-12

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia
would like to inform you on the 8th Internationals Tourism Fair of Silk Road
Countries, organized by Exhibition Center ExpoGeorgia on April 12-14, 2006.
On the event will be presented once inaccessible but now opened to everyone
the Georgian protected areas that for travelers looking for a new outdoor
destination is truly unique.

The Georgia protect areas offers everything for the savvy traveler-from
ancient village life, as it has been for hundred of years, to hospitable
mountain people serving glorious Georgian food and wine to old Georgian
architecture to an amazing array of truly untouched nature such as
mountainous landscape, rivers and the only badlands in all of Europe.

For more information, please visit:

<;

<;

Address: 118, Tsereteli ave.,

0119a, Tbilisi

Georgia

13.4.2006

Subscribing Information

CENN lists are created to maintain e-mail discussions of Caucasus
Environmental NGO Network members. CENN has been distributing information
since 1998.

All the published digests and bulletins issued in both English and Russian
languages present incredibly rich environmental information base that give
the reader the whole picture of the environmental process taking place
during the recent 5 years in the South Caucasus region as well as abroad.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from CENN mailing list service, please send an
email to <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] and place the “subscribe” or
“unsubscribe” command as the first line of the message body.

If you would like the information about your organization and activities to
be distributed via the CENN mailing lists (the current number of CENN
mailing list members represents 11049), if you want your voice to be heard
around the world, please send your information at the following email:
[email protected].

For more information about the program, please visit CENN web-page:

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network 2006

< l?abkhazia&0&digest>
BannerDots Network
< pl?digest>

CENN INFO

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Tel:+995 32 75 19 03/04

Fax:+995 32 75 19 05

E-mail: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]

URL: <;

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE

Mr. Viken L.Attarian
Chairman
AGBU Montreal Inc.
805 Manoogian street
Ville St-Laurent, QC H4N 1Z5
Tel: 514-748-2428
Fax: 514-748-6307
E-mai;: [email protected]
Website:

AGBU MONTREAL CENTENNIAL INAUGURAL EVENT AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS

Montreal, April 10, 2006 – On Friday April 7, 2006 AGBU Montreal inaugurated
its centennial celebrations with a unique event in the presence of the great
Canadian opera diva, Ms. Isabel Bayrakdarian and her talented pianist
husband, Mr. Serouj Krajian. Ms. Bayrakdarian is an internationally renowned
opera superstar whose credits include the soundtrack of the Oscar winning
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Ms. Bayrakdarian and Mr. Krajian
jointly won the 2006 Juno Award for best Classical Album of the Year.

The event started with a special cocktail reception in the Demirdjian Hall,
for selected guests to meet the two great artists. Soon after, well over
300 attendees had filled the AGBU Jirair and Elise Dervishian hall to the
brim and there was standing room only all the way into the entrance hall.
The event was held under the auspices of the Primate of the Canadian
Diocese, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian. Attendees included many
community leaders and dignitaries, as well as Mr. Francesco Miele,
representing the Hon. Stephane Dion, Member of Parliament and leadership
candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada, Mr. Yvan Bordeleau, Member of the
National Assembly of Quebec, Ms. Mary Deros and Ms. Nouchig Eloyan,
Counselors for the City of Montreal.

“This was certainly a top quality event and being a fan, I am extremely
thrilled to have met Ms. Bayrakdarian in person”, said Mr. John Mitchell,
who was representing Mountain Lake PBS of NY.

Mr. Viken L. Attarian, chairman of the chapter, thanked the attendees and
the organizers of the event. He outlined a brief history of how the AGBU
was founded and what its ongoing mission was, and he stressed the importance
of art and culture in the context of that mission. He then introduced the
guest artists and invited the audience to watch the Montreal premiere of the
unique documentary made about Ms. Bayrakdarian’s visit to Armenia in 2004 A
Long Journey Home.

After the screening, Ms. Bayrakdarian was presented with a special
centennial plaque in recognition of her showcasing of Armenian music and
culture. Isabel and Serouj then took the stage and graciously answered
several questions from the audience about their work and future projects.
The evening concluded with the word of His Eminence, Bishop Bagrat, who
focused on the pride created for Armenians by artists such as Isabel and
Serouj.

For further information, please contact the AGBU at 514-748-2428 or at
[email protected]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress