Author: Karapetian Hovik

VOLUNTEER ACCUSED OF STEALING $120K FROM WATERTOWN NONPROFIT
By Globe Staff

Boston Globe, MA
Nov 30 2007

The former athletic director of a Watertown organization for Armenian
youths was accused today of embezzling $120,000 from the nonprofit
and blaming the missing funds on the Internal Revenue Service. Some
of the money allegedly included deposits paid by young athletes so
they could attend an Olympic-like competition in Athens.

Raffi Donoyan, 49, was indicted by a Middlesex grand jury on two
counts of larceny over $250 for allegedly stealing from Homenetmen
Eastern Region Inc., an international charitable organization.

Donoyan, of Belmont, volunteered at Homenetmen from early 2003 to
August 2005 and was athletic director and a board member.

According to press release from the state attorney general, Donoyan
made cash withdrawals from the organization’s account and wrote checks
payable to himself. The money included deposits for the Homenetmen’s
World Athletic Games in Athens in July 2005.

In 2005, the treasurer and president of Homenetmen allegedly confronted
Donoyan about irregularities in the bank account. Donoyan blamed the
deficiencies on the IRS, saying the government had taken money out
of the account, according to the attorney general.

Donoyan is to be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge
on Dec. 5.

Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
November 30, 2007 Friday 11:36 AM MSK

KfW to provide Armenia 64 Mln euros in loans

YEREVAN Nov 30

Germany’s KfW will provide Armenia three loans for a total of 64
million euros for energy programs, KfW representative in Armenia
Karapet Gevorkian told Interfax.

The agreement was reached during intergovernmental talks, he said.

The sides are working on a framework agreement to be signed in
January, he said.

The financing will be provided in the second half of 2008 after all
official procedures are completed, he said. The temrs of lending are
being confirmed, but some of the loans will be provided at low rates
and some at commercial rates, Gevorkian said.

Germany has provided Armenia 150 million euros in loans and grants
since 1995. That included 30 million euros in grants and the rest in
low-interest loans for 40 years with a 10 year grace period at 0.75%
annually.

Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office applies to OSCE Office in Yerevan
to help receive a part of foreign experts’ conclusion on the case of
Levon Ghulyan’s death

2007-12-01 13:55:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office applied to the OSCE
Office in Yerevan to help receive a part of foreign experts’ conclusion
on the case of Levon Ghulyan’s death.

The press-service of the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office reports
that in early November German independent experts’ conclusion on the
reasons of Levon Ghulyan’s death was received. This conclusion was
translated into Armenian, however, it became clear soon that the
conclusion was incomplete. In this connection, Deputy Prosecutor
General of Armenia Mnatsakan Martirosyan applied to the OSCE Office in
Yerevan to help receive a part of the conclusion.

To recall, 31-year old Levon Ghulyan, the director of the "Pandok"
restaurant, died on May 12, 2007, in the police station. Ghulyan was
invited to the police to give testimony on criminal authority Stepan
Vardanyan’s murder case. According to the official version, Ghulyan
asked for water over the talk and remaining alone in the room tried to
escape, jumped from the window of the second floor and died of injuries
on the spot. However, his relatives think that either Ghulyan was
preliminarily beaten and then thrown into the window, or he was forced
to run away because of tough treatment.

GEORGE KATSIRDAKIS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA TOMORROW

armradio.am
03.12.2007 15:30

George Katsirdakis, the Head of the Defense Partnership and Cooperation
Directorate of NATO’s Defense Planning and Operations Division,
will arrive in Armenia tomorrow.

Mediamax was informed form the NATO Information Office in Armenia that
December 4-5 George Katsirdakis will hold meetings at the National
Security Service, the Police, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and
Defense, and will visit the National Academy of Sciences.

George Katsirdakis will meet with students at NATO Infomation Office.

CHAIRMAN OF MOVEMENT OF INTELLECTUALS OF AZERBAIJAN: I BELIEVE THAT OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE ENOUGH WISDOM TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT FAIRLY AND PEACEFULLY

arminfo
2007-12-03 14:47:00

ArmInfo. Chairman of the Movement of Intellectuals of Azerbaijan
Eldyaniz Guliyev believes in fair and peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict, he told the Day.az.

"Of course, it will be difficult for our peoples to forget the victims
of the war. However, the peoples’ wisdom is that they do not live by
yesterday but, analyzing the mistakes of the past, avoid them in future
and solve the existing problems. I believe that our peoples will have
enough wisdom to settle the Karabakh conflict fairly and peacefully,
for which we have to, first of all, learn to listen to each other,
passing from talks about each other to the talks with each other",
Guliyev said. Talking of Russia’s role in the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Guliyev said that "its role is great". He
added that it is just enough to remember the lessons of the history to
understand that Russia always tried to create conflicting relations
among the neighbouring countries and peoples to have a mechanism of
pressure on them, later positioning by the country able to solve these
conflicts. "Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples were
short of wisdom to understand who and what push them for.

However, I hope that we shall draw conclusions from our own mistakes",
E. Guliyev said.

GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA APPROVES PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES OF GENERAL DEPARTMENT FOR CIVIL AVIATION

ARKA News Agency
Nov 15 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, November 15. /ARKA/. The Government of Armenia approved the
program of activities of the General Department for Civil Aviation of
Armenia as required by the norms of the National Security Strategy,
the Press Service of the Armenian Government reported.

The decision was adopted on the basis of the presidential decree
"About Approval of National Security Strategy" and the decree of the
Prime-Minister "About Approval of Schedule for Discussion of Programs
under National Security Strategy".

The National Security Strategy of Armenia was upheld by the Council
of National Security on January 26 and was signed by the President
on February 8.

The document sets the fundamental values of the national security
of Armenia, including independence, security of the state and the
people, peaceful existence and international cooperation, as well as
preservation of Armenian uniqueness and well-being.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: NEITHER OPPOSITION NOR AUTHORITIES CAN BE FULLY UNITED

arminfo
2007-11-16 14:52:00

ArmInfo. Neither the opposition nor the authorities can be fully
united, RA President Robert Kocharyan, who was present at the ceremony
of opening of the Northern Avenue in Yerevan, told journalists today.

The president said the political forces, the programmes of which
have some commonness, are united in Armenia’s ruling coalition. "The
oppositional forces can also unite by the same principle, however,
unification of the opposition into a common front is impossible", he
said. The president did not rule out possible appearance of several
oppositional forces with common contact points. Along with it,
R. Kocharyan avoided to tell journalists about his political career
in the next five years, after abandonment of RA president’s post.

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: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE CHRISTIAN LEAGUE

His Holiness Aram I received a delegation from the Christian League of
Lebanon on November 15. The main purpose of the delegation’s visit to
Antelias was to hold talks on the upcoming presidential elections in
Lebanon. Earlier that day the League had met with Patrairch Sfeir of the
Maronites and was scheduled to hold a meeting later with Bishop Aoude
(Primate of the Greek Orthodox community of Beirut).

The delegation briefed the Catholicos on its meeting with Patriarch Sfeir.
The visitors asked the Armenian Pontiff about his views concerning the
worrying situation vis-à-vis the elections. His Holiness summarized his
thoughts in the following points:

The presidential election must be held within the constitutionally provided
deadline at any price.

Lebanon is a country of coexistence, harmony and balanced approaches.
Despite due respect to democratic principles, it is necessary to elect the
president by consensus.

The elected president should be the president of all the Lebanese, keeping
an equal distance from all communities and effectively representing Lebanon
within the international community.

In relation to the preparation of a list of candidates by the Patriarchate
in Bekerke, The Catholicos expressed some concerns while affirming the
importance of joint efforts with Bekerke and all the Christian communities
of Lebanon in order to bring the country out of its current stalemate.

During the past few days, the Pontiff has received numerous phone calls from
political leaders and presidential candidates for consultations on the
situation in Lebanon.

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View the photo here:
tos/Photos55.htm#1
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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 Ecumenical
activities 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.

CHAIRMAN OF SARGIS TKHRUNI STUDENT UNION BEATEN CRUELLY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 15, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Narek Galstian, the Chairman
of the Sargis Tkhruni student-youth union of the Social Democratic
Hnchakian Party, was beaten cruelly by unknown persons in the morning
of November 15. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by a reliable source.

At present N. Galstian is in the rehabilitation department of the
Grigor Lusavorich medical center.

JAVAKHETI ARMENIANS ARE DISSATISFIED BUT DO NOT PROTEST

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 13 2007

People went on protest against the government on November 2 all
over Georgia except the regions of Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda and
Tsalka which have an Armenian population, A-Info reports. In this
connection, the representative of the Armenian NGOs of Javakheti
says: "The regions of Georgia populated by Armenians did not go on
protest against government but it does not mean that the Armenians
are satisfied with the government of Saakashvili. On the contrary, the
Armenians of Javakheti are dissatisfied with the government, however,
the opposition does not guarantee the solution of the national problems
of the Armenians of the region either."

According to the spokesman of the NGOs, they had initiated a meeting
to raise the issues of the status of the Armenian language, the
establishment of a Georgian-Armenian university. Later, however,
the meeting was cancelled not to have the meeting related to the
actions of the opposition.