Author: Hunanian Jack

Armenia, Belarus agree to deepen bilateral relations

armradio.am
28.11.2008 11:18

On November 27 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, paid
a one-day visit to Minsk, Belarus.

The same day Edward Nalbandian was received by the President of the
Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

Greeting Edward Nalbandian, the President of Belarus noted that the
visit of the Armenian Foreign Minister will give new impetus to the
relations of the two friendly countries. According to the assessment of
the President of Belarus, the warm relations between the leaders of the
two states greatly contribute to the friendship between Armenia and
Belarus. President Lukashenko underlined that all preconditions exist
for intensifying the bilateral relations.

Minister Nalbandian conveyed to Alexander Lukashenko the greetings of
the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan. Stressing the high level of
bilateral relations and the dynamically developing cooperation, Edward
Nalbandian emphasized the importance of reciprocal visits, cooperation
between parliamentary, local self-governance bodies, intensification of
cultural and scientific cooperation. Minister Nalbandian expressed hope
that the sitting of the Armenian-Belarusian Intergovernmental
Commission in the first quarter of 2009 will serve as a new drive for
moving forward in those directions.

‘IRAN TIES GUARANTEE FOR CAUCASUS CALM’

PressTV
l=english
Nov 24 2008
Iran

Artur Baghdasaryan(L) and Ali Larijani(R) meeting in Tehran.

Stable and comprehensive Tehran-Yerevan ties guarantee regional
security and tranquility, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani
states.

In a meeting with visiting Armenian National Security Council Secretary
General Artur Baghdasaryan in Tehran on Monday, Ali Larijani expressed
satisfaction over growing bilateral relations. He also pointed to
common areas of interest as well as deep bonds between Iran and
Armenia.

‘Broad based relations between Iran and Armenia are rooted in
historical bonds between the two nations. Such enduring and all-out
ties secure security and stability in the region," Larijani said. He
noted that great steps have been taken in recent years with respect
to improvement of Tehran-Yerevan relations.

Baghdasaryan, for his part, labeled Armenia-Iran relations as
‘strategic’, stressing that the expansion of political, economic,
trade and infrastructural ties with Tehran comes as one of the foremost
goals of Yerevan’s foreign policy.

He underscored that Iran’s policy is to support peace and stability
in the Caucasus and prevent further conflicts in the region. "Iran
plays an effective and constructive role in establishing security
and stability in the region."

The Armenian official arrived in Tehran on Sunday and is accompanied
by Deputy Armenian Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan, deputies
of the National assembly Hovhannes Margaryan and Sukias Avetisyan as
well as other officials.

MP/MMA

Nov 24 2008

Papal Greeting to Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenians

"Continue to Shape the Culture of Your Nation"

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Benedict
XVI delivered today when he presided at an ecumenical celebration
with Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenians. A delegation
from the Catholicosate also participated in the event.

Aram I is on a visit to Rome that will include a pilgrimage to
St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

* * *

Your Holiness,

With heartfelt affection in the Lord I greet you and the distinguished
members of your delegation on the occasion of your visit to the Church
of Rome. Our meeting today stands in continuity with the visit which
you made to my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II in January 1997,
and with the many other contacts and mutual visits which, by God’s
grace, have led in recent years to closer relations between the
Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In this year of Saint Paul, you will visit the tomb of the Apostle
of the Nations and pray with the monastic community at the basilica
erected to his memory. In that prayer, you will be united to the
great host of Armenian saints and martyrs, teachers and theologians,
whose legacy of learning, holiness and missionary achievements are
part of the patrimony of the whole Church. We think of Saint Nerses
Shnorkhali and Saint Nerses of Lambon who, as Bishop of Tarsus, was
known as "the second Paul of Tarsus". That testimony culminated in
the twentieth century, which proved a time of unspeakable suffering
for your people. The faith and devotion of the Armenian people have
been constantly sustained by the memory of the many martyrs who have
borne witness to the Gospel down the centuries. May the grace of that
witness continue to shape the culture of your nation and inspire in
Christ’s followers an ever greater trust in the saving and life-giving
power of the Cross.

The See of Cilicia has long been involved in encouraging positive
ecumenical contacts between the Churches. Indeed, the dialogue between
the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church has benefited
significantly from the presence of its Armenian delegates. We must
be hopeful that this dialogue will continue to move forward, since
it promises to clarify theological issues which have divided us in
the past but now appear open to greater consensus. I am confident
that the current work of the International Commission – devoted to
the theme: "The Nature, Constitution and Mission of the Church" –
will enable many of the specific issues of our theological dialogue
to find their proper context and resolution.

Surely the growth in understanding, respect and cooperation which has
emerged from ecumenical dialogue promises much for the proclamation
of the Gospel in our time. Throughout the world Armenians live
side by side with the faithful of the Catholic Church. An increased
understanding and appreciation of the apostolic tradition which we
share will contribute to an ever more effective common witness to the
spiritual and moral values without which a truly just and humane social
order cannot exist. For this reason, I trust that new and practical
means will be found to give expression to the common declarations we
have already signed.

Your Holiness, I cannot fail to assure you of my daily prayers and deep
concern for the people of Lebanon and the Middle East. How can we not
be grieved by the tensions and conflicts which continue to frustrate
all efforts to foster reconciliation and peace at every level of
civil and political life in the region? Most recently we have all
been saddened by the escalation of persecution and violence against
Christians in parts of the Middle East and elsewhere. Only when the
countries involved can determine their own destiny, and the various
ethnic groups and religious communities accept and respect each other
fully, will peace be built on the solid foundations of solidarity,
justice and respect for the legitimate rights of individuals and
peoples.

With these sentiments and with affection in the Lord, I thank Your
Holiness for your visit, and I express my hope that these days spent
in Rome will be a source of many graces for you and for all those
entrusted to your pastoral care. Upon you and to all the faithful of
the Armenian Apostolic Church I invoke an abundance of joy and peace
in the Lord.

ARMENIA TO DELIVER ELECTRICITY TO TURKEY BEGINNING FROM 1 MARCH 2009

ArmInfo
2008-11-24 14:12:00

ArmInfo. Armenia will start delivering electric power to Turkey
beginning from 1 March 2009, Armenian Energy and Natural Resources
Minister Armen Movsisyan told journalists, Monday.

He also added at present the Turkish party is implementing work on
restoration of the Kars electric power line and of energy substation
for organization of delivery of the Armenian electric power. He said
this work will be finished in 6 months from the moment of signing
of the contract on electric power supply with Turkish company UNIT
International, in Yerevan, in September 2008. "Several days ago I
received information from the Turkish party that the work is being
implemented according to the schedule", -the minister said and added
that technical problems from the Armenian party have been already
resolved.

The minister said earlier that at the initial stage Armenia will
deliver to Turkey 1,5 bln kWt/h per year. Later the volumes of delivery
will grow up to 3,5 bln kWt/h.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, November 24, 2008

AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble Lights Up Stage at Columbia University

On October 4, 2008, the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble performed in front
of a sold-out crowd of 600 at Columbia University. The full-length show
featured traditional Armenian dances, with many modern twists, at
Columbia’s Roone Arledge Auditorium.

The Armenian Club of Columbia University sponsored the program as a
cultural exhibition for the community. The audience enjoyed the show
from start to finish, which also included a few short humorous skits
based on the theme of love, and the performance concluded with an
enthusiastic encore. Antranig is spearheaded by Joyce
Tamesian-Shenloogian, who is the group’s artistic director, and Gagik
Karapetian, the leading master in artistic Armenian dance choreography,
who advises the group annually.

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Antranig Ensemble, which is
headquartered in New Jersey but was founded in Manhattan. The group
plans a special celebration in 2009, which will feature some of the most
creative and newest dances in the Ensemble’s history.

For close to forty years, the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble
() has dazzled thousands upon thousands of audiences
around the world with its full-length productions, exemplifying the rich
Armenian dance culture. Through a variety of folk dances from different
regions in Armenia, vibrant costumes and exceptional choreography, the
Ensemble continues to perpetuate the Armenian heritage in support of
AGBU’s mission.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.

Xinhua, China
Nov 23 2008

Iran says Armenia supports its civilian nuclear program

2008-11-23 23:47:14

Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

TEHRAN, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) – The Secretary of Armenian National
Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan said here on Sunday that Armenia
supports Iran’s "civilian nuclear program," Iranian Students news
agency (ISNA) reported.

Baghdasaryan made his remarks during his visit with his Iranian
counterpart Saeed Jalili.

The United States, Israel and their Western allies accuse Iran of
secretly developing nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear
program is only for generating electricity.

He urged the expansion of ties between Iran and Armenia on a
multiple grounds of "economic, diplomatic, defense and security
relations."

Meanwhile, Baghdasaryan also called on Iran to actively cooperate
in Caucasus security, the report said.

Caucasus suffers the two unsettled conflicts, one is between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, the other is Russia and Georgia. Iran has made
several attempts to have a role in the region’s hot issue.

"Iran’s basic policy seeks practical support for promoting
regional peace and preventing crisis," Jalili said, adding that
"cross-regional forces’ interference only creates crisis and regional
issues need to be settled only by regional countries," according to
ISNA.

Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX
Nov 22 2008

1,700-year-old ritual encounters modern age
By LOUIS SAHAGUN
Los Angeles Times

Every seven years since A.D. 301, priests have trekked to the ancient
Cathedral of Etchmiadzin in Armenia to retrieve freshly brewed muron `
a sweet-scented holy oil stirred with what is said to be the tip of
the lance driven through Jesus’ side ` and carry it back to their
respective dioceses.

Prepared in a massive silver caldron, the mixture of herbs, flower
extracts, spices, wine and pure olive oil is derived from an original
batch mixed at the Armenian Church’s founding 1,707 years ago. It is
replenished every seven years by pouring old into new.The priests have
traditionally traveled home with their portions in jars cradled in
their arms; muron is supposed to be handled only by ordained clergy.

But in late September ancient tradition met with a 21st-century
obstacle: As a liquid, muron cannot be taken aboard commercial
airliners, under airport security rules.

"We were very worried ‘ in the old days, we carried the muron in our
hands," said His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, which is
based in Burbank, Calif. "I would never have given away that
privilege, but we had no option."

Derderian bundled his six containers in layers of cloth and then
packed them snugly into three suitcases. Baggage handlers took it from
there.

"I was confident that nothing would happen to it," he said. "You do
your best, and then trust in God."

Derderian’s containers arrived safely after a 20-hour flight.

A genial man with a black beard, Derderian declared mission
accomplished Oct. 7 when priests from churches across Southern
California gathered around a massive oak table in his office.

Their 7-ounce portions of the amber-hued oil were presented on a
silver tray: 15 small glass jars with white screw-cap lids, each
marked with a label written in English and Armenian: "Holy
Muron. September 28, 2008. Holy Etchmiadzin."

After prayers and solemn hymns, the clergy, clad in black robes, stood
and formed a line. Fist-size silver crosses, some studded with
precious stones, dangled from silver chains around their necks. They
approached the table, in turn, with heads bowed and kissed the jars
that Derderian placed in their hands.

A few minutes later, they were heading back to their churches, where
the oil would be transferred into dove-shaped sterling silver
containers symbolizing the Holy Spirit.

Over the next seven years, the muron will be used ‘ a few drops at a
time ‘ primarily for christenings in Armenian churches the world over.

"Armenians everywhere are bound by muron," said Zaven Arzoumanian, a
theologian with the Western Diocese. "It receives special powers from
relics used in its preparation. The gifts of the Holy Spirit come from
it in church ceremonies.

"That is why," he added with a smile, "our people have always said,
‘My child must be muronized.’?"

Muron’s origins date to the founding of the Armenian Church in the
early fourth century by St. Gregory the Illuminator, patron saint of
Armenians. He established the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin.

St. Gregory is said to have blended the first muron there as a
unifying religious symbol of forgiveness and peace, and as a medicine
for healing.

Over the centuries, church leaders say, muron helped sustain a people
decimated and dispersed by war, conquest and genocide.

This muron season, more than 70,000 people braved drenching rains to
watch His Holiness Karekin II, supreme patriarch and catholicos of
Armenians worldwide, lead a procession from the Cathedral of
Etchmiadzin to an outdoor altar where the mixture had been
steam-heated for 40 days and nights.

The ceremony culminated with a pitcher of fresh muron being combined
with the old in a gigantic engraved silver caldron and stirred with an
assortment of religious relics: a cross believed to contain a fragment
of the wooden cross on which Jesus was crucified; a foot-long iron tip
of the lance believed to have pierced Jesus’ side, and a life-size
gold-plated "Right Arm of St. Gregory the Illuminator" said to be
embedded with a fragment taken from St. Gregory’s grave.

When clergy bring back muron to their home churches, its arrival
process, as Arzoumanian described it, is "a beautiful tiding for our
communities."

The interplay between past and present continues when churches hold
special ceremonies in which urns of water are anointed with a small
drop of muron.

Congregants are invited to scoop up samples to take home or to drink
then and there.

"It’s important to be a part of the muron process," Derderian
said. "It really takes you back in time."

Armenians everywhere are bound by muron. ?.?.?. The gifts of
the Holy Spirit come from it in church ceremonies."

Zaven Arzoumanian
theologian with the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America

097.html

STATE COMMISSION OF ARMENIA FOR PROTECTION OF ECONOMIC COMPETITION INFORMS ABOUT CUT IN PRICES FOR PETROL AND FOODSTUFFS

ArmInfo
2008-11-21 10:52:00

ArmInfo. Monitoring of the State Commission of Armenia for Protection
of Economic Competition revealed cut in prices for a number of
essential commodities from August 1 to November 15. As the State
Commission told ArmInfo, the prices for wheat, bread, oil, rice,
as well as petrol and diesel fuel dropped. In particular, the price
for a kilogram of prime-grade wheat reduced by 22-25% to 200 drams
on average, as compared with August.

The price for a kilogram of oblong rice reduced from 400 – 700
drams to 350 – 600 drams. The prices for bread also fell by 20%,
the State Commission reported. The price for the Russian oil came
down insufficiently – from 850 -1000 to 800 – 900 drams. Moreover,
representative of the State Commission says, cut in prices for oil
is not proportional to the world price cutting, as the prices for
the indicated commodity in the world markets fell by 37% on average
and by 6 – 10% in Armenia.

The prices for petrol fell by 23-25% as compared with August. Thus,
the price for 1 liter of "regular" petrol made up 310 drams, "premium"
– 330 drams and "super" – 360 drams, while their price in August
was 410, 440 and 470 drams, respectively. The price for diesel fuel
reduced from 410 to 310 drams per liter.

GEORGIAN POLICY AGAINST ARMENIAN CHURCHES GROWS MORE AGGRESSIVE

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2008 17:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The latest incident in St. Norashen Church in
Tbilisi is the continuation of Georgian policy of demolition of
Armenian churches, an Armenian expert said.

"If preventive measures are not taken, we will lose out cultural
heritage in Georgia soon," Haykaz Alvrtsyan told a news conference
today. "Unfortunately, neither the Armenian government nor Holy
Echmiadzin developed a precise position on the issue," he said.

"We just react to what is happening but we have to understand that
the Armenian community can’t solve the problem without assistance
of the Armenian authorities. We must assume a tough position, not
fearing of consequences," Alvrtsyan said.

On November 16, Georgian monk Tariel Sikinchelashvili instructed
workers to raze to the ground the graves of Mikhail and Lidia
Tamamshev.

This barbarian act outraged Armenians, who demanded to let the graves
in their place. However, Father Tariel gave a harsh response.

Upon arrival of representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church and
parliament member Van Bayburt, the Georgian monk said he just wanted
to replace the gravestones to "clean under them."

DISCUSSIONS OF THE PRESENT ROUND OF KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION KICK OFF IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
Nov 20, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: On the initiative of the staff of
the Armenian president discussions on the present round of Karabakh
conflict regulation kicked off today in the conference hall of
K. Demirchian sport-concert complex with the participation of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsian and the heads of political parties.

At the beginning of the meeting the president promised that such
gatherings will have a regular character. Serzh Sargsian reminded his
address to the people in the NA in which he had noted that he will
initiate regular thematic consultations on strategic issues which
are of vital importance for the country.

According to him, such mechanism of discussions will not only
contribute to the increase of the role of parties in the process
of decision making, but will also become an impetus for the further
development of the political field.

"Each of our meetings in this format will be dedicated to one
concrete issue. I don’t exclude that in future we will also have
outgoing consultations, which will be organized in the place which
concerns the discussed issue, outside of the capital. I think that
the importance of such consultations is first of all in hearing
each other, understanding the variety of opinions and approaches,
thinking over the vital issues together and in case of opportunity
forming a joint position on separate issues," Serzh Sargsian said.

The Armenian president also noted that during the discussion which
will be held behind the closed doors, the participants are free to
express their approaches.

Heads of dozens of political parties take part in the meeting.

S. Sargsian also congratulated everyone on brilliant performance of
Armenian chess players in the World Chess Olympiad.

TV-MARATHON ON 27 NOVEMBER

Panorama.am
17:40 19/11/2008

The director of "Armenia" all Armenian foundation Ara Vardanyan
is leaving for Los Angeles on 20 November, to take part in annual
money-collecting TV Marathon on 27 November. A week before the marathon
Mr. Ara Vardanyan is going to have meetings with the local institution
of the foundation and the representatives of local community. A wide
range of questions will be discussed to improve the activities of
the foundation.