Author: Jidarian Alex

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

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CHAIRS THE G8 PREPARATORY
MEETING IN ROME

Upon the invitation of the organizers, His Holiness Aram I chaired the
deliberative sessions of the G8 Preparatory Meeting on Wednesday 17th June.
In his brief introduction he urged the participants to work together in
order to overcome the current economic crisis. He said, "We should treat the
problems holistically because political, economic, social issues and
religion are interrelated".

He then invited the participants to share the priority concerns of their
regions. The Japanese representative spoke of the proliferation of nuclear
weapons; the Africans asked industrialized countries to assist them to
eradicate poverty and to help them halt the HIV/Aids pandemic; the main
issue for the representatives of Europe and North America was the influx of
refugees from other regions into their countries; the participants also
discussed global warming and the question of security. In its final
declaration, the participants identified the credit crunch with its
repercussions and security as the two issues affecting the daily lives of
many peoples.

The meeting was concluded with a press conference, which was led by
Catholicos Aram I and included two other representatives.

For the final declaration of the Meeting click the following link:
o/leader_religiosi,1.pdf

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View the photos here:
tos/Photos387.htm#9
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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 history and
the mission 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.

ARMENIAN STUDENTS FROM ISTANBUL WIN THIRD PLACE IN MIND LAB INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIAD

Noyan Tapan
June 18, 2009

Istanbul, June 18, Noyan Tapan – Armenians Today. Students of the
Armenian Merametchian college based in Istanbul won the third place
in the Mind Lab International Olympiad in Venice.

Students of the Armenian Merametchian college from Ferigiugh Shant
Taghlian, Allen Polad, Arman Cham, Shahin Parmaqsez, by taking
part in Mind Lab’s competitions became champions of Istanbul first,
then of Turkey. They obtained the right to represent Turkey in the
Mind Lab International Olympiad, Marmara reports. 10 national teams
participated in the finale, representing Turkey, Israel (A and B),
Hungary, U.S., Romania, Great Britain, Brazil, Italy and Portugal.

Olympiad was organized in six tournaments, during which Armenian
children had shown remarkable play: before the last game Armenians
from Istanbul were at the second place after Israeli A group, and only
in the last game moved to the third place yielding to Israeli B group.

ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION
POST OFFICE BOX 29111
LOS ANGELES, CA 90029
PHONE: 323-666-6288
EMAIL: [email protected]

ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION’S 20TH ANNUAL MEETING WITH GOVERNOR GEORGE
DEUKMEJIAN

Several hundred legal heavyweights and dignitaries, along friends and
family, celebrated the Armenian Bar Association’s (ArmenBar) 20th
Anniversary at a gala on May 9, 2009 at the Glendale, Hilton. The banquet
culminated a spectacular weekend complete with legal seminars, a pro bono
community workshop, a star studded luncheon, and receptions.

"This was a fabulous meeting," said Armen Hovannisian, past Chairman of
ArmenBar, and the meeting organizer. "After 20 years, we reaffirmed our wide
relevance, special community role, and dynamic vibrancy. Our report card
shows that we continue to make a positive difference for Armenian
communities throughout the world," said Hovannisian.

Governor George Deukmejian, one of an elite group of ArmenBar Honorary
Members, was the keynote speaker at the gala dinner banquet . He wowed the
crowd with the delivery of a true statesman and also with his comical
anecdotes from the annuls of Nasreddin Hodja. Four hundred enthusiastic
supporters were on-hand to witness the recognition and awarding of
distinguished ArmenBar members.

Raffi K. Hovannisian received the highly coveted Hrant Dink Freedom Award
for his principled stand on Genocide recognition throughout the world. He is
the founder of ArmenBar, the First Foreign Minister of the Republic of
Armenia, and the first Armenian from the Diaspora to become a member of the
Armenian Parliament.

Professor Ann Lousin, the only three term Chair of ArmenBar, and a professor
at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago received a Lifetime Achievement
Award for her extensive service and mentoring to lawyers and law students.
Vicken Simonian, the longest-serving Board member of ArmenBar, received a
Public Service Award for years of pro bono service to the Armenian community
and for his sustained volunteerism in the Los Angeles County court system as
a judge pro tem, mediator, arbitrator and settlement officer.

California Supreme Court Justice Ming Chin was the main luncheon speaker,
and was introduced by fellow California Supreme Court Justice Marvin
Baxter, a founding and Honorary Member of the Armenian Bar Association.
After drawing parallels between his own family’s immigrant past and the
experiences of the Armenian community, Chin praised the outreach efforts of
ArmenBar and encouraged the group to promote and help preserve impartiality
in the judiciary.

A panel on human and civil rights in Armenia, and the role of the courts in
protecting such rights , was an important part of the legal seminars.
Renowned Armenian civil rights attorney and Member of Parliament Zaruhi
Postanjyan was the guest speaker. She was joined by Raffi K. Hovannisian on
the panel.

Nicholas Koumjian, a prosecutor in several international criminal tribunals
and currently working at the Hague, was a special guest speaker in a panel
focusing on the prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Koumjian is the chief prosecutor in the highly publicized, current trial of
Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia. The trial is taking place
in The Hague, and Taylor is the first former African head of state to appear
before an international tribunal for crimes against humanity.

Phillip Lynch, an Assistant U.S. Attorney who was appointed by the U.S.
Department of Justice to be the Rule of Law Coordinator in Baghdad, Iraq in
2007, joined Koumjian on the panel. Lynch has had the unique experience of
helping to establish Iraq’s legal system following the fall of the Saddam
Hussein regime, and shared some of those experiences. He discussed his
first-hand involvement relating to the trial of Saddam Hussein, which
resulted in a death sentence and execution. The panel was moderated by John
Lulejian, an Assistant United States Attorney who prosecutes violent and
organized crime, and is a Board Member of ArmenBar.

Garo Ghazarian, Dean of the People’s College of Law, lead a panel discussion
on "Crime and Justice in the Armenian Community." The panel included Steven
Lubell a Commissioner in the City of Burbank, Thomas Lorenz and Tigran
Topadzhikyan, both Seargents with the Glendale Police Department and Fred
Mesropi, a Deputy District Attorney with the County of Los Angeles. The
topics included the perception of Armenians within the local communities,
helping the community with rulings from the bench and certain types of
crimes including those related to traffic, alcohol, identity theft and
health and welfare fraud.

During the celebratory weekend, ArmenBar held a pro bono workshop for the
community at the St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale. The
workshop featured a number of outstanding local attorneys giving practical,
and where possible, one-on-one, advice to community members on issues of
interest such as immigration, domestic violence, landlord/tenant disputes
and criminal matters. The panelists included Alice Yardum Hunter, Lucy
Avedissian, Hagop Tashjian, Betty Jamgotchian, Victor Hairapetian, Raymond
Hovsepian, Raymond Zakari, Vicken Simonian, Varoujan Agemian, Sarkis
Babachanian, Theresa Gibbons, Azniv Ksachikian, Nigol Manoukian, Garo
Ghazarian and Dorine Martirossian.

The meeting was presided over by Armenbar Chair Sonya Nersessian from
Boston, Massachusetts.
All of the Officers of the organization were installed to a second term,
including Nersessian as Chair, Edvin Minassian from Glendale as Vice-Chair,
Sara Bedirian from Beverly Hills as Treasurer and Christine Engustian from
Providence, Rhode Island as Secretary.

"The strength and vitality of the Armenian Bar Association during this
celebratory weekend is a springboard for the future growth and continued
success of this organization," said Nersessian.

The group will next meet in Toronto in early October for its mid-year
meeting. More information can be obtained by visiting the ArmenBar website
at:

KARINE HAKOBYAN: TURNING RECREATIONAL PLACES INTO GAMBLING CENTERS IS SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER

Noyan Tapan
June 17, 2009
Yerevan

Turning Armenia’s well-known health resorts and recreation places, such
as Tsakhkadzor, Sevan and Jermuk, into gambling centers is a social,
cultural and environmental disaster. This opinion was expressed by
Karine Hakobyan, president of the Reform NGO at a press conference
on June 17 in Yerevan.

Let’s remind that according government’s decision of June 11,
starting from January 1 of 2013 all casinos must operate in these
three recreation locations (Sevan, Jermuk and Tsakhkadzor) and nearby
Zvartnots airport.

According to K.Hakobyan, Armenia has not yet elaborated the concept
of safe and secure development and the strategy of preserving and
developing its small towns. According to her, the smaller the town, the
faster gambling addiction spread. In Karine Hakobyan’s opinion removing
casinos to small towns will lead to their degradation. K. Hakobyan
voices concern that the issue hasn’t drawn a necessary public
attention. "Casinos must be established in desert areas, away
from residential settlements. Nature mustn’t be destroyed because
of them." Karen Tamazyan, a senior representative of RA Finance
ministry, says the governmental decision was adopted to encoure
tourism industry inside the country. According to him, that type
of business is forbidden in neigboring Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan,
and Armenia’s only competitor in the region in respect to gambling
business remains Georgia.

ARMAVIA RESUMES FLIGHTS TO MOSCOW SHEREMETYEVO AIRPORT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.06.2009 10:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armavia national carrier resumes flights to Moscow
Sheremetyevo Airport.

Starting from 01 July, 2009 Armavia resumes operating U8508/507 flight
with the routing: Yerevan-Moscow (airport Sheremetyevo)-Yerevan,
increasing the number of frequencies to Moscow up to five per day. From
now on our passengers may take a flight to Sheremetyevo almost every
day, except Fridays.

The flights will be operating with the following schedule: Departure
from Yerevan 02:50 (local time) Arrival in Sheremetyevo 04:45 (local
time); Departure from Moscow 07:05 (local time) Arrival in Yerevan
10:50 (local time), the company’s press office said.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH TIES NORMALIZATION TO CURTAIL PRODUCTION VOLUMES IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.06.2009 20:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The only gain Armenia will have from opening Turkish
border will be a Nobel Prize awarded to President for normalizing
bilateral ties and establishing peace in the region," New Times party
leader Aram Karapetyan said. There’s no guarantee that Turkey will not
repeat history, attempting to destroy Armenia through new methods,
Karapetyan said, adding that he didn’t find closed borders serious
impediment to Armenia’s economic growth. "Our export volumes do not
exceed the 40% limit. Global crisis cut down transfers and credits
by 40%, deteriorating our economy" the speaker noted, expressing
confidence that after opening border, one year would be enough for
Turkey for attacking our domestic market and ousting local producers
from there. With regard to MCC’s decision to suspend funding project,
Karapetyan said he didn’t understand US policy. "On the one hand they
deprive us of millions, on the other hand, World banks gives us $
542 million credit. I can’t understand such tricks," he stated.

MAIA CHIBURDANIDZE CUP CHESS TOURNAMENT FINISHES IN TBILISI

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 15, 2009
TBILISI

The Maia Chiburdanidze Cup chess tournament with the participation
of 57 female chess players finished in Tbilisi on June 14. Georgian
players Bella Khotenashvili and Leyla Javakhishvili earned 7 points
each and shared first and second places. Of Armenian chess players,
Lilit Galoyan took 7th place with 6 points, Lilit Mkrtchian – 12th
place with 5.5 points, and Siranush Andreasian was 19th with 5 points.

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA TO SPEAK AT LOC

-ambassador-to-armenia-to-speak-at-loc/
June 15, 2009

Marie L. Yovanovitch, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia,
will deliver a Report from Armenia at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June
30, in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the James Madison Memorial
Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event, which
is free and open to the public, is part of the Armenian Seminar series,
sponsored by the Near East Section of the Library’s African and Middle
Eastern Division, with the cooperation of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.

Ambassador Yovanovitch will discuss the situation in Armenia since her
appointment to the position on Aug. 1, 2008. Her report will cover the
contemporary Armenian scene, U.S.-Armenian relations and USAID-funded
programs and initiatives in Armenia. The presentation will be followed
by questions and answers from the audience. A native of Connecticut,
Ambassador Yovanovitch is a graduate of Princeton University, where
she earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and Russian Studies. She has
studied at the Pushkin Institute and earned a Master of Science from
the National War College. In 1986, she joined the Foreign Service
where she is a Career Member, Class of Minister Counselor.

Prior to her appointment as the sixth U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
Yovanovitch was ambassador to Kyrgyz Republic from June 2005 to July
2008. From August 2004 to May 2005, she served as senior adviser to
the undersecretary of state for political affairs. From August 2001 to
June 2004, she was the deputy chief of mission of the U.S. Embassy in
Kyiv, Ukraine. Prior to this assignment, from May 1998 to May 2000,
she served as the deputy director of the Russian desk. Her previous
overseas assignments include Ottawa, Moscow, London and Mogadishu.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest
federal cultural institution.

The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further
human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge
through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many
of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website
at and via interactive exhibitions on a new, personalized
website at myLOC.gov.

The Near East Section of the Library’s African and Middle Eastern
Division is the repository of a growing Armenian-language collection
that has benefited from a close working relation with the Embassy
in Yerevan. Its collections are available to all researchers above
high school age; it hosts events on Armenian cultural, historical and
literary topics; and it is actively contributing to the digital age
by making its resources available on the Library of Congress’ website.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT QUALIFIES BEHAVIOR OF BELARUS AS "MEAT – MILK HYSTERIA"

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.06.2009 13:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian president Dmitri Medvedev expressed
hope that Russia and Uzbekistan will make a decision to participate
in joint rapid-reaction force of Collective Security Treaty, in his
speech at the joint press conference with the Armenian president in
Moscow. According to him Belarus and Uzbekistan could sign the CSTO
summit’s decisions, after they reevaluate the situation, adding that
such a move would be welcomed. According to him, every state has a
right to have independent position in respect to membership in any
organization.

According to Dmitri Medvedev, "meat-milk hysteria will not damage works
aimed at creation of joint rapid-reaction force of Collective Security
Treaty for the very Belarus, since the advantages are apparent here,"
Russian president stressed.

Belarus and Uzbekistan have not signed the agreement on creating a
joint rapid-reaction force of Collective Security Treaty. Only five
out of seven CSTO member states approved the document at the Moscow
summit: Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Earlier, Russia banned imports of over 1,000 types of milk
products from Belarus, a major item of its budget revenues, saying
producers in the ex-Soviet republic had failed to comply with new
Russian standards. Official Minsk blames Russia in undermining its
economic security, and qualifies Russian’s actions as direct economic
discrimination. Belarus leadership immediately links their country’s
economic security with CSTO’s collective security.

ARMENIA HANDS OVER TEMPORARY CHAIRMANSHIP IN CSTO TO RUSSIA

ArmInfo
2009-06-15 10:03:00

ArmInfo. In view of refusal of Belarus to take part in Moscow
summit of the Collective Security Treat Organization, Armenia has
handed over the temporary chairmanship in CSTO to Russia, President
of Russia Dmitry Medvedev said at a press- conference in Moscow,
ArmInfo correspondent reported.

‘The decision was made by the presidents of CSTO member-states in view
of absence of our Belarusian counterparts. We decided to hand over
the temporary chairmanship to Russia as a country which is holding
the relevant summit’, the president said at CSTO Council session.

To note, the Belarusian delegation, headed by President Alexander
Lukashenko, refused to participate in CSTO summit and explained its
step by ‘the economic discrimination by one of CSTO member-states’.

To note, the chairmanship in CSTO passed from Kyrgyzstan to Armenia
in 2008.

CSTO members are seven states – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.