Author: Kamalian Hagop

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:

EASTER IN ANTELIAS

"IT IS ME, DO NOT BE AFRAID":
HIS HOLINESS INSPIRES STRENGTH IN BELIEVERS

Jesus Christ’s miraculous resurrection was celebrated in the Saint Gregory
the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias on Easter Sunday. His Holiness Aram I,
who performed the Holy Mass, entered the Cathedral packed with a large crowd
of believers on the sounds of "Herashapar" and the tolling of the church
bells. He headed a procession that moved from the Veharan towards the
cathedral.

In his Pontifical message on this occasion, His Holiness inspired strength
in the believers by stressing the victory of the Resurrected Savior.
Speaking about truly following Christ’s path, he outlined the
characteristics of true Christianity. The Pontiff specially stressed the
importance of constantly feeling the presence of Jesus Christ.

"Christianity is not a label, Christianity is not an external mask,
Christianity is not a form and structure. Such perceptions and approaches do
not assure the presence of Christ in human beings. They only drive Christ
away from our lives. Christianity is a way of life in which Christ’s Gospel
shines. Following Jesus’ promise that "I will always be with you until the
end of the world", the true Christian is the one strengthened by Christ. The
true Christian is the person who rests strong in his faith in the face of
all the dangers and challenges of life," he said.

With a quotation from Jesus Christ, "It is me, do not be afraid", the
Catholicos inspired strength in Armenian believers living in all the corners
of the world, stressing that the Armenian Church stands beside its children
in all the difficulties they face.

His Holiness then spoke about the political developments in Lebanon and
the role of the Armenian community, with its viewpoints and approach.

His Holiness received congratulations from spiritual leaders and
government and political officials on the occasion of Easter.

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View the photos here:

NATIONAL NGO FORUM APPEALS TO OSCE CHAIRMAN FOR CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER

Today, Azerbaijan
April 10 2007

President of National NGO Forum (NNGOF), parliamentarian Azay Guliyev
has appealed to OSCE Chairman-in-Office Miguel Anhel Moratinos for
release of the captured Azerbaijani soldier Samir Mammadov, the
forum told.

The appeal says that Samir Mammadov was captured by Armenians four
months ago, but Armenian side does not want to hand him over.

The parliamentarian noted that the negotiations of Azerbaijan’s
relevant bodies and international organizations have no results.

The NNGOF, which has 422 member organizations, asked the OSCE
Chairman-in-office to assist the solution of the problem through
influencing Armenian side.

The copy of the appeal has been sent to the Council of Europe Secretary
General Terry Davis and International Committee of the Red Cross
president Jacob Kellenberger, APA reports.

URL:

GRIGOR AMALYAN – NCTR CHAIRMAN

A1+
[08:54 pm] 09 April, 2007

Today the National Commission for Television and Radio (NCTR)
convened its recurrent sitting. Grigor Amalyan was appointed the NCTR
Chairman and Zhirayr Dadasyan – Deputy Chairman. To note, six members
participated in the NCTR sitting.

To remind; under President Robert Kocharian’s decree Grigor Amalyan
was appointed NCTR member for six years’ time.

A1+

AZERBAIJAN HASN’T CHANGED ITS STANCE
[02:18 pm] 09 April, 2007

The venue of the Armenia-Azerbaijan football meeting will likely be
known on April 18, Faud Asadov, the head of the Football Federation
Association of Azerbaijan, reports.

Asadov refuses to make any predictions what influence Mishel Platini,
newly appointed president of the UEFA, will have on the negotiation
process; `You had better ask Platini the question. I spoke to him
before his appointment. I asked Platini how Azerbaijan can secure the
safety of the meeting in case there are millions of refugees in the
country who are eager to see their compatriots.’

Reminder; Michel Platini will host the Armenian and Azeri delegations
in the Swiss city Neon on April 11. The RA delegation will be headed
by Ruben Hairapetyan, President of the Armenian Football Federation,
and executive director Arman Minasyan.

The UEFA Executive Committee will convene a sitting on April 17 in
Cardiff to decide the venue of the meeting.

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US backs genocide tribunal

>From Ker Munthit in Phnom Penh

Sunday Herald, UK –
April, 07, 2007
nternational/display.var.1315248.0.0.php#comments_ form

A SENIOR American official urged Cambodian and foreign judges
yesterday to put aside their squabble over legal fees and move forward
with the much-delayed Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal. "The Khmer Rouge
tribunal is really the opportunity for Cambodia to show the
international community how far it has advanced," said Eric G John,
the US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific
affairs. "And it would be a shame not to be able to show how far it’s
advanced by letting this tribunal get hung up on what is a relatively
down-in-the-weeds monetary issue," he said at the end of a four-day
visit to Cambodia.

On Friday, Cambodian judges for the UN-backed genocide tribunal blamed
their international peers for delaying the trials, which were due to
start this year.

Foreign judges decided earlier this week to boycott an April 30
meeting meant to adopt rules that will guide the trials. Their
decision was prompted by the refusal of the Cambodian Bar Association
to reverse a decision to impose high legal fees on foreign lawyers
wishing to serve at the tribunal.

The foreign judges have described the $4900 (£2500) charge as
prohibitive and said it would allow the accused to argue that they
have not been afforded the right to have counsel of their choice, in
breach of international agreements on civil and political rights.

The Cambodian judges said, in a statement on Friday, they regretted
the foreign judges’ decision, which "would further delay the process
of the court".

Many fear that internal disputes could delay efforts to bring the
Khmer Rouge’s few surviving leaders to trial for crimes against
humanity for the deaths of about 1.7 million people during the group’s
1975-79 rule.

TURKEY AIMS TO PRESSURE EUROPE OVER GAS PIPELINE
By Judy Dempsey

International Herald Tribune, France –
April 5 2007

BERLIN: Turkey said Thursday that it was suspending talks with
Gaz de France on joining a major natural gas pipeline consortium,
a political move aimed at putting pressure on both Paris and Brussels
that EU officials said could further delay one of the European Union’s
biggest energy projects.

Turkey, which is angry about a pending French bill that calls the
mass killing of Armenians during Ottoman rule a genocide, said that
it would await the outcome of presidential elections next month
in France before deciding if it would allow Gaz de France into the
five-nation consortium that is leading the project, the Anatolia news
agency reported, citing the Energy Ministry.

"We will decide according to policies to be followed after the
elections," a senior Turkish Energy Ministry official, who declined
to be identified, was quoted as saying by Reuters in Ankara.

Turkey’s blunt message to France was also seen as a reminder to
Brussels of the strategic importance of the country for the EU’s
energy ambitions at a time when talks on Turkey’s application for
membership to the bloc are going badly. Negotiators are about to
tackle the energy section of the discussions.

One European Commission official, speaking on condition of anonymity
because of the sensitivity of the talks, said Turkey "knows its value
as the major transit country for this project and is making the most
of it."

The official said that the suspension had more to do with politics
than the economics of the project, conceived in 2002 as the EU’s
first attempt at forging a common energy policy.

The consortium wants to build the [email protected] billion, or $6.2 billion,
Nabucco pipeline, which would bring natural gas from Iran and the
Caspian sea across Turkey to Western Europe, bypassing Russia. The
project is already a year behind schedule, with completion now planned
for 2012.

OMV, the Austrian energy company that heads the Nabucco consortium,
said Thursday that a feasibility study had been carried out, and
confirmed that it was seeking another partner to share the costs.

"Financing possibilities are currently being evaluated," said Andrea
Hof, a spokeswoman for OMV. The other consortium members include
MOL of Hungary, Transgaz of Romania, Bulgargaz of Bulgaria and Botas
of Turkey.

But she would not confirm that the consortium was holding talks with
Gaz de France, after talks with Total, also based in France, collapsed
this year. "There are ongoing talks with several possible partners,"
she said.

Reached by phone, a spokesman for Turkey’s Energy Ministry confirmed
that the consortium had been holding talks with Gaz de France. But
he declined to comment on any suspension, or if Gaz de France had
been notified.

"We do not want to comment on this because it is a political issue,"
the ministry spokesman said.

Turkey says that claims by Armenia that the Ottoman empire committed
genocide against 1.5 million Armenians during World War I are greatly
exaggerated.

Ankara protested loudly last year after the National Assembly of
France passed a bill that would make it a crime to deny that the
killings amounted to genocide. The bill still has to be approved by
the Senate before becoming law.

In Paris, a spokeswoman for Gaz de France would not comment on
Turkey’s decision, or even confirm that it was negotiating to become
part of the 3,300 kilometer, or 2,050 mile, Nabucco pipeline. "What
we can say is that we are interested in the project," Sabine Wacquez
said. By joining the Nabucco consortium, Gaz de France would be able
to further the diversification of its natural gas supplies.

Gaz de France this year agreed to a contract with Russia’s giant
state-owned energy company Gazprom. Gazprom will for the first time
use Gaz de France’s distribution network to sell Russian natural gas
directly to French consumers. In return, Gaz de France will receive
more Russian natural gas in the form of long-term contracts. France
already gets 16 percent of its total natural gas needs from Russia.

Natural gas accounts for 15 percent of all energy consumption; most
of the country’s energy needs are met by nuclear power.

Turkey, which is almost completely dependent on energy imports, hopes
Nabucco will give it the chance to become an energy hub in this part of
Europe. At the same time, it wants to diversify its energy imports away
from Russia, on which it – like most of Europe – is very dependent.

Because of its location between Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia,
Turkey has become strategically important for the energy ambitions
of both the EU and Russia.

Russia has already built the Blue Stream natural gas pipeline that
reaches Turkey by running under the Black Sea. Gazprom now plans to
extend this pipeline up through Romania and Serbia into Hungary with
Hungarian support, even though Hungary is a member of the Nabucco
consortium.

Ferenc Gyurcsany, the prime minister of Hungary, and Vladimir Putin,
Russia’s president, agreed last June to extend the Blue Stream pipeline
up through southeastern Europe to Hungary.

During an interview last month, Gyurcsany said Nabucco was "a dream.
An old dream. We cannot heat apartments with dreams." He also said
that an extended Blue Stream project was much better organized.

Turkey has made threats against France before. After the vote in the
National Assembly, Turkey’s armed forces said that they would freeze
bilateral ties with its NATO ally. But officials at NATO say that
there has been no sign of any change in French-Turkish relations.

ARMENIA: IN SEARCH OF ALTERNATIVES; ARMENIA IS THROUGH WITH LISTENING TO MYTHS ABOUT RUSSIA
by Gajane Movsesjan
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Vremya Novostei, April 6, 2006, p. 5
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
April 6, 2006 Thursday

Armenia may decide that it doesn’t need Russia after all; Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanjan’s two-day visit to Moscow begins
today. Oskanjan will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov
and Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov. He met with US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington the other day.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanjan’s two-day visit to Moscow
begins today. Oskanjan will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei
Lavrov and Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov. Official reports
on the agenda are brief. They indicate that it includes bilateral
relations, the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, regional matters, and
cooperation within the framework of international organizations.

Sources from Armenian diplomatic circles say that this is just a
routine visit, nothing more.

What is interesting, however, is that Oskanjan discussed the same
matters with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington
the other day. Oskanjan and Rice signed an accord on March 27 to the
effect that Armenia will receive $236.5 million under the Millennium
Challenges program over the next five years. The millions will be
used to repair roads in rural areas, reconstruction of irrigation and
drainage systems, and reduction of impoverishment in the agricultural
sector.

Rice herself undermined political undertones of this seemingly economic
event at the signing ceremony when she began elaborating meaningfully
on the necessity of advancement of democratic reforms in Armenia in
the light of the parliamentary and presidential elections there in
2007 and 2008. Armenian observers took her words as an admission
of Washington’s desire to bring political and economic processes
in Armenia under its own control. Moreover, the program itself
(Millennium Challenges) was taken as but an additional instrument of
American influence with Yerevan.

Shushan Khatlamadzhjan, an analyst with the Armenian Institute of Civil
Society and Regional Development, believes that the Armenian-Russian
strategic partnership is in a crisis. "The problem is rooted in the
lack of transparency of the talks between the Armenian and Russian
authorities," she said. "Armenian society feels disassociated from
public politics and cannot help ascribing it to some clandestine
accords between the governments of the two countries… Like a
recompense to Armenia for high gas tariffs in the form of a discount on
Russian military hardware as some Russian media outlets speculated. In
short, even pro-Russian political forces in Armenia begin promoting
the necessity to develop foreign policy on the basis of the actual
national interests and not the old myths…"

Now let’s consider the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. Chairmen of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia and the United States have headed the
mission of intermediaries for a decade now. With nothing to show
for it in terms of the formula of a lasting peace. A meeting between
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in France was arranged this
February but even it failed as a means of accomplishing anything.

Foreign intermediaries are analyzing the situation again now. The
United States is particularly impatient. American diplomacy put Yerevan
and Baku under pressure in March. Daniel Fried, US Undersecretary of
State for Europe and Eurasia, was dispatched to the region. Fried
announced that the United States wanted a compromise between the
warring sides reached this year.

The United States is impatient and the European Union is certainly
getting active. Armenian analysts and observers ascribe these
trends to the desire on the part of the West to resolve conflicts
in the post-Soviet zone in such a manner as to weaken Russia’s
positions. As far as Khatlamadzhjan is concerned, it is precisely
from this standpoint that specialists should contemplate the renewed
debates over the so-called "Marshall Plan for the Caucasus." The idea
boils down to substantial economic aid to countries of the southern
part of the Caucasus in return for political concessions. "Russia
is in the situation where a new and effective policy with regard to
Armenia becomes a must," Khatlamadzhjan concluded.

Khatlamadzhjan also believes that "the myth in Armenia of there being
no alternatives to strategic partnership with Russia is in its last
throes." "Armenia may solve its regional problems and resolve conflicts
without military and other cooperation with Russia, accepting instead
the plan and investments from the West. There is the widespread opinion
in analytical community here that there can be no war or peace without
Russia, but we shouldn’t make a fetish of this fact or demonize it,"
she said.

WITHDRAWAL OF ARMAMENT FROM THE RUSSIAN MILITARY AKHALKALAKI WILL BE RESUMED ON APRIL 12 AND ACCOMPLISHED BY THE END OF MAY

Source: Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 13, April 04-10, 2007, p. 5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
April 6, 2007 Friday

Six automotive columns with armament and property of the base will
be sent from Akhalkalaki (Georgia) to the Russian military base in
Gyumri (Armenia) between April and May and on May 17 and 24 a part
of armament and property will be transported to Russia by railway
in two trains. The schedule of withdrawal of armament, property
and servicemen of the base was approved by the Defense Ministry
of Georgia. A representative of the command of the base reports
that the withdrawal of Russian servicemen from Akhalkalaki and the
reassigning of objects of the Russian base to the Georgian Defense
Ministry will be accomplished by July 1. All heavy armament of this
base was withdrawn from Georgia in 2006. The withdrawal of property
and equipment of the Russian base in Batumi started two years ago
and will be restarted in April, to be accomplished in 2008.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: I AM CONVINCED THAT IN THIS RESPONSIBLE PERIOD SERGE SARGSIAN IS ABLE TO HEAD GOVERNMENT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. RA government’s sitting took place on
April 5. It was conducted by RA President Robert Kocharian. Before
touching upon the issues on the agenda the President presented
the members of RA government his April 4 decree "On Appointing RA
Prime Minister," by which Acting Defence Minister Serge Sargsian was
appointed as RA Prime Minister.

"I think there is no necessity to introduce Serge Sargsian. I will
only remind that he has been member of government since 1993 up to
present and in this period he worked in the president’s staff for
nearly 6 months. More than 8 years, nearly 8 years and a half, he
has been a Defence Minister heading the Armenian army, the army all
of us are proud of. And of course, it is difficult to overestimate
Serge Sargsian’s contribution in full formation of the army.

I personally have known him long: he is a hard-working, decent,
consistent personality. I am convinced that he is able to head the
government in this responsible period, especially as we have no other
person having such experience," R. Kocharian said.

As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA government Information and Public
Relations Department, RA President called members of RA government for
organizing their work in the whole preelectoral period so as not to
damage the normal work of Ministries’ staffs and for these processes
not to have an impact on the quality of the work in any way.

MY MEMORIES, MY COUNTRY
By Margaret Kemp

FT
April 5 2007 18:21

The artist Sarkis Zabunyan, known worldwide as Sarkis, was born in
Istanbul in 1938. In 1964, to widen his horizons, he decided to visit
Paris with Isil Akyuz, his young Turkish wife. They never left.

I grew up in Istanbul. My father was a butcher; my mother a
housewife. They had no schooling whatsoever and certainly no interest
in art. Armenians from Anatolia, they escaped the massacres and in
1915 arrived in Istanbul, which was then Constantinople. Because I
learned French at the Lycée Saint-Michel, a very strict Catholic
school run by priests, I became intrigued by France.

After my architectural studies at the Academy des Beaux-Arts, Istanbul,
and my marriage to Isil, a philosophy student, we both wanted to
discover the Louvre, to see real works of art such as Uccello’s
"The Battle of San Romano".

When I was young I worked in a pharmacy and seriously thought of
becoming a doctor. I would have done but I can’t stand the sight of
blood. When I discovered Edvard Munch, aged 15, I knew I wanted to
become an artist. I didn’t want anyone to know I was painting so I
studied architecture.

I have kept my mother’s house in Istanbul. It’s in the centre of
town. All her furniture is there and I’m adding some of my works,
so they can be side to side. One day I’ll probably turn it into
a museum. There are so many memories. I was a child of the second
world war and it has marked my life. We were always toiling, trying
to make enough money to survive. When she came to Paris to see me,
my mother said she didn’t know how I could live with all the odours
and constant stress but I suppose that’s what I thrive on. As Nietsche
said: "Only that which never stops hurting remains in the memory."

I am very proud that the Louvre asked me to create a concept exhibition
for them as part of Armenia Year in France.

My project is a meditation on space and time. Through video
transmission I invoke the four works that have meant the most to me
in my life as an artist: " The Battle of San Romano", "The Issenheim
Altarpiece" by Mattias Grunewald, "The Werkcomplex" by Joseph Beuys
and the painting that decided my career, Munch’s "The Scream". With
a technique never used before, three of the works are transmitted
direct from the museums where they are exhibited and projected live,
in the Louvre, on three large screens. It was not possible to transmit
"The Scream" so I show my video film tribute to Munch entitled In
the Beginning, Munch’s Eye. It’s my own virtual museum, realised with
state-of-the-art technology.

The Louvre gave me ‘carte blanche’. I like to encourage promising
young artists. Patrick Neu’s extraordinary technique, whereby he
paints "The Battle of San Romano" on smoked crystal wine glasses, is
displayed alongside my installations. At the same time I also have an
exhibition at the Musée Bourdelle and Neu exhibits some pieces. I
also invited Jean-Marie Perdrix to decorate Antoine Bourdelle’s
typical French apartment with experimental African art – awesome
pieces created using recycled black plastic bin bags, found objects
and wood, all gathered in Burkina Faso. It is part of the movement
called Yambaplast. Over there rubbish is a way of life. It makes the
earth sterile so something must be done.

I don’t own a car. I discover everything by walking or taking the
metro. My studio is a former printing factory in Villejuif. I do not
consider it to be a Paris studio in the same way I don’t consider
myself to be a Paris artist.

There’s the entire world inside. I live within walking distance of the
studio and compose works in my head while striding along the road. To
bring me down to earth I stop for an espresso in a bar where they
make the best coffee in Paris. I would know the taste blindfold. Or
I stop at Le Rebelle, where a very large chef makes the best hot dogs
in the world.

I am always pleased to return to Paris. This is because I have
developed regular habits in and around the city. I have travelled
the world and clocked up 450 exhibitions in 100 museums. Returning
to Paris, I get so much pleasure from the Pompidou Centre; the
architecture is brilliant. Also the City of Music at La Villette,
where the acoustics are so magnificent. I have just spent a few days
in Le Croissic, near La Baule. I need to be in the wilds, to feel the
wind, watch the strength of the Atlantic Ocean crashing on the rocks
and cut myself off (except for Isil) from the world. But after three
days I can’t wait to turn the lock on the door of my atelier. Looking
abroad, I am fascinated by India, China, Africa and Europe. My nature
is such that I always look on the bright side, never find it necessary
to be negative.

The Villejuif metro station always stops me in my tracks. I really like
living in Paris when I see Mario Cucinella’s design. I take people
there to see it. His focus of interest lies in the environmental
quality of architecture and I admire the play on light and space.

I lead a very simple life. I’m always working, even when I’m not
working. I love to listen to music. In my studio I have a wonderful
sound system. Then there’s the City of Music at La Villette, the
cinema, arriving home to the aroma of Isil’s cooking.

I consider myself to be a citizen of the world. I would like to witness
the opening of the frontiers between Turkey and Armenia. In France,
following Armenia Year 2007, they will celebrate Turkey in 2009. I
would like to see the French invite young artists from both countries
to exhibit their work together.

You know, my motto is "Anilarim vatanimdir – My memories are my
country".

–Boundary_(ID_C8AQm7KyZvGc+O8q OjKhsw)–