Author: Karagyozian Lena

PRESS RELEASE
U.S. Embassy Yerevan
1 American Avenue
Yerevan, Armenia 0082
Telephone: (+374 10) 46-47-00
Email: [email protected]
September 14, 2006
U.S. Embassy Invites Armenian-Americans to U.S. Assistance Presentation
The U.S. Embassy welcomes all U.S. citizens visiting Armenia to
participate in the September 18-20 Armenian Diaspora Conference to
attend a presentation of U.S. government assistance programs in Armenia
at the U.S. Embassy (1 American Avenue) This event will follow the
concluding session of the Diaspora Conference and will take place on
Wednesday, September 20 at 2:30 p.m. America is fully engaged to help
Armenia become a more secure, more democratic and more prosperous place
for all who live here, thereby becoming a stronger partner for the
United States.
The U.S Embassy invites all those interested in attending the event to
register by 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 19, by sending an email with
their name to [email protected]. All those who register must present a
U.S. passport and must arrive by 2:30 p.m. in order to enter the U.S.
Embassy.
Only those who have registered prior to the event and have a valid U.S.
passport will be allowed to attend.
The Embassy event will include:
* Presentations by U.S. Charge D’Affaires Anthony Godfrey, USAID
Director Robin Phillips and Millennium Challenge Corporation Country
Director Alex Russin
* An opportunity to learn about various aspects of U.S Government
assistance to Armenia
* The screening of Bridges for the Future, a film on
American-Armenian Diaspora and U.S. government partnerships in Armenia
* Optional visits for a limited number of participants to
assistance sites outside Yerevan

PRESS RELEASE
Burbank School Board Member Paul Krekorian
Contact: Adrin Nazarian
Tel: 818-512-4045
September 12, 2006
PAUL KREKORIAN EARNS STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT IN RACE FOR STATE ASSEMBLY
Paul Krekorian, Burbank School Board member and the Democratic nominee
for the State Assembly, has announced two major environmental
endorsements. Both the Sierra Club California and the California
League of Conservation Voters have formally endorsed Krekorian for the
upcoming November general election.
The Sierra Club was founded by John Muir in 1892 and is by far the
largest environmental organization in California, with approximately
200,000 members. “This year, environmental issues–especially in
relation to energy issues, are front and center in races across the
country,” said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club’s Political Director. “The
real strength of the Sierra Club endorsement is mobilizing our members
to support candidates with a record of protecting clean air, clean
water and special places. We’ll do everything we can to help these
pro-environmental candidates win.”
The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) is the
non-partisan political action arm of the state’s environmental
movement. CLCV’s mission is to protect the environmental quality of
the state by increasing public awareness of the environmental
performance of all elected officials, working to elect environmentally
responsible candidates, and holding them accountable to the
environmental agenda once elected.
The 43rd Assembly District includes Glendale, Burbank, Los Feliz,
Silver Lake, North Hollywood, Van Nuys and Valley Village.
# # #

GEORGIAN AND ARMENIAN MFAS HOLD CONSULTATIONS ON RA CITIZENS’ DETENTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.09.2006 16:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Presently the RA Foreign Ministry is holding talks
with the Georgian MFA on the fact of Armenian citizens’ detention,
RA MFA Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.
In his words there were cases of detention of Armenian citizens in
Georgia. “We constantly contact with the Georgian Foreign Ministry
and the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi,” Vladimir Karapetian remarked.
Meanwhile, RA Embassy advisor Levon Hakobian refused to answer the
question whether the information on detention of 100 Armenian citizens
corresponds to reality. “We are not empowered to comment on the issue,”
he underscored.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SATISFIED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN-IRANIAN RELATIONS
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 12 2006
YEREVAN, September 12. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian is
satisfied with the development of the Armenian-Iranian relations. The
president stated that when receiving the Iranian delegation, led by
Iranian Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel.
Kocharian pointed out that the partnership in the sphere of development
of infrastructures binds the two countries with more perspective
programs.
The president also pointed out that the Iran and Armenia display
significant consistency in the timely and qualitative implementation
of joint programs.
They also discussed tendencies of the development of the
Armenian-Iranian relations and the process of joint programs
implementation.
The Iranian speaker said that Armenia occupies a special place among
Iran’s friends that it obtained after the collapse of the USSR.
As incentive for the full use of the cooperation’s potential, the
Armenian president and the Iranian speaker emphasized the importance
of the interparliamentary relations, and pointed out that this sector
gives way to the cooperation in the sector of legislation for the
level of development.

SPEAKER STRESSES EXPANSION OF PARLIAMENTARY TIES WITH ARMENIA
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Sept 12 2006
Visiting Iranian Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel in Yerevan on
Monday called for bolstering of parliamentary ties with Armenia.
Haddad-Adel, who arrived in the Armenian capital Yerevan Monday on
the first leg of a two-nation visit, met with the chairman of the
Armenia National Assembly, Tigran Torossian.
The speaker, who described Tehran-Yerevan bilateral relations as
“outstanding” during the past 15 years, said that since the victory
of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 Iran has endeavored to establish
ties with states based on justice and Islamic teachings.
He urged strengthening of mutual relations through enhanced cooperation
of the two states’ parliaments, and expressed the Iranian parliament’s
readiness to enact laws to boost cooperation particularly in the
economic field.
Haddad-Adel also expressed hope relations between the two states would
receive a further boost through exchange visits between the two sides’
MPs and members of their parliamentary friendship groups.
Torossian, for his part, said he was happy with the visit of the
Iranian parliamentary delegation to Armenia, saying it would be an
important step toward consolidation of ties.
He praised Iranian assistance provided to Armenia after the country
obtained independence.
The Armenian chairman stressed the importance of implementing the
two sides’ gas pipeline project as well as the Aras water power plant
and high-voltage electricity line.
He called for upgrading of parliamentary ties with Iran.
Haddad-Adel, following his visit to Armenia, will next pay a visit
to Kyrgyzstan.
The Majlis speaker’s official visits are upon the invitations of his
counterparts in these countries.
He is accompanied by a number of executive officials and Majlis
deputies.

MOST IMPORTANT TASK OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION TO RESTORE PEOPLE’S CONFIDENCE
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 11 2006
YEREVAN, September 11. /ARKA/. The most important task of the Armenian
opposition is to restore the confidence of the population’s confidence
in itself and its actions, Armenian MP from the Justice opposition
faction Hrant Khachatryan reported at a press conference Saturday.
“Restoration of the Armenian people’s confidence, which is already
almost lost, must become the basic goal of the opposition’s activity.
This task can be done not only by organizing meetings or discussions.
The opposition, first of all, should give clear-cut evaluation of
the authorities’ actions,” he said.
Khachatryan also pointed out that the opposition “should always be
up to the mark to merit the people’s confidence”.
The MP expressed an opinion that by organizing meetings, the opposition
will not manage to prove that “it has the majority of votes”.
“The opposition should create an atmosphere, where the population
and the society of the country not only have trust in the honesty
and incorruptibility of the opposition, but also in its political
actions.” Khachatryan reported.

OSCE HELPS CONDUCT STUDIES ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
07.09.2006 11:28
The results of two studies on trafficking in human beings in Armenia
conducted with support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan will be presented
on September 8.
A general study on “Trafficking and Labor Exploitation of Armenian
Migrants.
A Sociological Survey” was carried out by the Armenian Sociological
Association (ASA) while the focused study entitled “Children in
Orphanages and Special Schools in Armenia: Potential Victims of
Trafficking and Exploitation?” was implemented by the Armenian Relief
Society (ARS).
Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan,
Mr. Valery Mkrtoumian, Chairman of the Inter-Agency Commission on
Anti-Trafficking Issues and Head of the International Organizations
Department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry and Ms. Blanka Hancilova,
Democratization Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan will address
the audience. The two authors of the studies– Ms. Alvard Petrosyan,
Member of the Armenian Parliament, Chairwoman of the Executive Board
of the Armenian Relief Society and Dr. Gevorg Poghosyan, President
of the Armenian Sociological Association–will present the results
of respective surveys.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
5 September 2006
COMMUNITY OF SINGAPORE WELCOMES ARCHBISHOP BALIOZIAN
Sydney, Australia – Following his representation of His Holiness
Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians at the
VIII World Assembly of Religions for Peace in Kyoto, Japan, Primate
of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand,
His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian stopped over in Singapore
for a two day pastoral visit with the Armenian Community of Singapore.
The Archbishop was greeted at Singapore’s Changi Airport on Wednesday,
30th August by Mr Greg Basmajian, a trustee of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of St Gregory the Illuminator and Mrs Karine Sahagian, a
devoted volunteer of the Church office. A private dinner was held
the same evening to officially welcome the Primate to Singapore.
On Thursday and Friday, the Archbishop received visits from the
local Armenian Community at the Parsonage which provided excellent
opportunity for one-on-one meetings to establish closer acquaintances
and engage with the diverse range of expatriates. On Thursday evening
a dinner was organised with community members at the Park Royal Hotel
in honour of the visit where some dozen or so gathered in the presence
of the Archbishop.
The visit culminated on Friday evening with a prayer service in the
Armenian Church of St Gregory followed by a traditional Armenian dinner
in the Parsonage attended by 30 community members before Archbishop
Baliozian headed for a late flight home the same evening.
Whilst the small Armenian Community of Singapore maintains personal
connections with each other, it is rare opportunities such as this
that forge the Community together as a whole rooted in the spirit of
their heritage.
The Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illuminator is
the oldest church in Singapore and is located at 60 Hill Street
Singapore. For information on the Church or the Armenian Community of
Singapore contact the Parsonage office by email [email protected]

SENDING TROOPES TO LEBANON WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR ARMENIA
A1+
[08:23 pm] 06 September, 2006
Turkey has made a decision about sending a peace-making mission
to Lebanon. Let us remind you that the Armenian community had
previously expressed concern in this connection. Armenia is not going
to participate in the peace-making activities, speaker of the RA
President Viktor Soghomonyan had informed late in August. “Armenia
is not ready to send a peace-making mission to the conflict zone,
especially as at present the UN has not yet established the mandate
of the peace-making forces”, he underlined.
Ex Minister of Defense, Lieutenant-general Vagharshak Haroutyunyan
finds peace-making missions important in today’s world. “Peace-making
missions are a serious factor in the foreign policy of the
country. Taking into account its chances, Armenia has to actively
participate in peace-making activities. It is favorable for the
country”, he said.
According to Vagharshak Haroutyunyan, in case of Lebanon we must take
into account our relations with the country and the support Lebanon has
shown after the Genocide granting asylum to those Armenians who escaped
from Ottoman Turkey. Besides, “There can be serious developments in the
region. It is the center which has the main stores of oil. That region
is the center of the collision of the interests of super powers”.
Referring to the peace-making mission sent to Iraq, Vagharshak
Haroutyunyan said that these are two completely different cases. “The
Armenian forces in Iraq were considered part of the anti-Iraqi
coalition, and conflict in Iraq was between the forces and the
population. In these circumstances we created a dangerous situation
for our community and with this step involved the community into the
conflict. In case of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, the sides
are interested in the allocation of peace-making troupes. That is, in
one case we have to do with war, and in the other – with a conflict”.
The other ex Minister of Defense, Vazgen Manoukyan also thinks that
the Armenian forces must participate in the peace-making activities
in Lebanon. “I was against the Armenian troupes being sent to Iraq
first because of the Armenian community, and then I did not find it
a right war. In case of Lebanon I think we ought to do it as we have
a large community there.
Besides, what is taking place in the Arabian world is extremely
important for us as we have an advantageous ground in the Arabian
world. Even if we have victims, war is war; it won’t result in
hostility with Israel or the Arabian world. On the contrary, it can
contribute to closer connections. On the whole, I think it would be
right to send troupes to Lebanon”.

SHAHEN HOVHANNISYAN KILLED IN THE CENTER OF YEREVAN
ArmRadio.am
06.09.2006 11:58
At about 9:30 this morning member of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, Head of the Operative Investigation Department of the
Governmental Tax Agency Shahen Hovhannisyan was killed at Byron Street
near the Yerevan Conservatory. According to preliminary data, Shahen
Hovasapyan’s GAZ-31 car was exploded.
“Radiolur” correspondent reports there are signs of blood at the
site of the murder. Law-enforcement bodies do not comment on the
accident. No other details are known.