Author: Maghakian Mike

CEC ESTABLISHES FORM OF APPLICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF DISTRICT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONS TO BE FORMED FROM APRIL 23

Noyan Tapan
Apr 19 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 19 sitting RA CEC
established the form of application of appointment of members of
district electoral commissions. The application of appointing members
of district electoral commissions by a member of constituency electoral
commission will include the latters’ personal data and the number of
qualification certificate. The copy of qualification certificate will
be attached to it.

To recap, according to the schedule of preparation and holding of
the main events of May 12 parliamentary elections, district electoral
commissions should be formed from April 23 to April 26, 18:00.

CEC also made a decision about using electoral documents’ sack of
one-time use. According to the decision, in case of necessity to
recalculate the votes, the sack will be opened from below, then it
will be closed by laces of one-time use intended for ballot-boxes
and will be sealed and signed by commission member.

By another decision the commission rejected accreditation of observers
of Noyemberian’s Association of Young Christian Women NGO due to lack
of issues of democracy and human rights among the regulation issus
of the organization.

As CEC Chairman Garegin Azarian stated, as of April 19, 28 NGOs and
5 international organizations are accredited in CEC. To recap, the
deadline for accrediting observers is May 2.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

World Public Rejects US Role as the World Leader

Majorities Still Want US to Do its Share in Multilateral Efforts,
Not Withdraw from International Affairs

Mixed Views on US Overseas Bases

April 18, 2007, 01:00 GMT
Contact, International Findings:
Steven Kull, 202-232-7500
Christopher Whitney, 312-451-1040

April 18, 2007, Yerevan, 06:00
Contact, Armenia Findings:
Stepan Safarian, 37410-528-780
Syuzanna Barseghian, 37410-274-818

Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
today convened a roundtable discussion to present the results of the fourth
in a series of reports based on a poll of worldwide opinion on key global
issues. The report was devoted to the role of the United States as a world
leader. The meeting brought together citizens, members of leading think
tanks, analysts, and media representatives.

ACNIS director of research Stepan Safarian delivered opening remarks. "The
attitudes in Armenia and the rest of the world with respect to US global
policy are mixed," he said. "For the most part, this is a reflection of the
double standards endorsed by the current US administration and ongoing
policies that often contradict the precepts of American democracy. The
study, nonetheless, has indirectly revealed the public need and desire for
improving US-Armenia relations." ACNIS analyst Syuzanna Barseghian then
presented survey results.

A multinational poll finds that publics around the world reject the idea
that the United States should continue to play the role of preeminent world
leader. Most publics say the United States plays the role of world policeman
more than it should and cannot be trusted to act responsibly.

But the survey also finds that majorities in most countries want the United
States to do its share in multilateral efforts to address world problems and
do not want it to withdraw from world affairs. Views are divided on whether
the United States should reduce the number of military bases it has overseas
and in some countries publics perceive an improvement in their bilateral
relations with the US.

Americans largely agree with the rest of the world: most do not think the
United States should remain the world’s preeminent leader and prefer that it
play a more cooperative role. They also believe United States plays the role
of world policeman more than it should.

This is the fourth in a series of reports based on a worldwide poll
conducted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and
WorldPublicOpinion.org, in cooperation with polling organizations around the
world. The larger study includes polls in China , India, the United States,
Indonesia, Russia, France, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South
Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel and Armenia-plus
the Palestinian territories. The publics polled represent about 56 percent
of the world’s population. Not all questions were asked in all countries.

Steven Kull, editor of WorldPublicOpinion.org notes that this poll
reinforces the conclusions of other recent global surveys, which have found
that the United States’ image abroad is bad and growing worse. But he added
that this survey also explores what kind of role the international community
would like the United States to play in the world.

"This survey shows that despite the negative views of US foreign policy,
publics around the world do not want the United States to disengage from
international affairs, but rather to participate in a more cooperative and
multilateral fashion," Kull said.

Majorities in all 15 of the publics polled reject the idea that "the US
should continue to be the preeminent world leader in solving international
problems." However in only two of them (Argentina and the Palestinian
territories), do majorities say that the United States "should withdraw from
most efforts to solve international problems."

Publics in all of the countries surveyed tend to prefer that the United
States pursue a cooperative, multilateral approach by doing "its share in
efforts to solve international problems together with other countries."
This is true in South Korea (79%), the United States (75%), France (75%),
China (68%), Israel (62%), Peru (61%), Mexico (59%), Armenia (58%),
Philippines (55%), Ukraine (52%), Thailand (47%), India (42%) and Russia
(42%).

Just as they reject the idea that the United States should continue to be
the world’s preeminent leader, most believe the United States is "playing
the role of world policeman more than it should." Majorities in 13 out of
15 publics express this view, including large majorities in France (89%),
Australia (80%), China (77%), Russia (76%), Peru (76%), the Palestinian
territories (74%) and South Korea (73%). More than three out of four
Americans (76%) also agree. The only exceptions are the Filipinos, a
majority of whom (57%) disagree that the United States is playing world
policeman more than it should, and the Israelis, who are divided on the
issue.

This desire for a reduced American role may flow in part from a lack of
confidence that the United States can be trusted to "act responsibly in the
world." This lack of confidence was the most common view in 10 out of 15
countries. Two Latin American countries show the highest numbers
expressing this mistrust–Argentina (84%) and Peru (80%)–followed by
Russians (73%), the French (72%), and Indonesians (64%). But in four
countries, majorities or pluralities say the United States can be at least
"somewhat" trusted to act responsibly, led by the Filipinos (85%), Israelis
(81%), Poles (51%) and Ukrainians (49%).

Despite the widespread belief that the United States should be more
cooperative and less dominant, countries express mixed views about whether
the United States should reduce its military presence around the world. In
only five out of 12 publics polled does a majority favor decreasing the
number of overseas US military bases: Argentines (75%), Palestinians (70%),
the French (69%), Chinese (63%), and Ukrainians (62%). In four, majorities
favor either maintaining the current number or increasing it: Philippines
(78%), Americans (68%), Israelis (59%), and Poles (54%). Armenians and
Thais lean in favor of maintaining or reducing, while Indians are divided.
No country favors increases.

Also contrary to their negative views of the United States’ role in the
world is the perception in some publics that relations between their country
and the United States are getting better. Majorities in India (58%) and
China (53%) say relations with the United States are improving. Pluralities
think so in Australia (50%), Armenia (48%), Indonesia (46%) and Thailand
(37%). In the other countries polled, majorities or pluralities say
relations with the US are staying about the same: 60 percent in Poland, 56
percent in South Korea, 52 percent in Israel, 52 percent in the Ukraine, and
45 percent in Russia. In no country does a majority or plurality say
relations with the US are getting worse.

"The publics in many countries differentiate between their negative views of
the US international role and their perceptions of bilateral relations,
which are seen as improving in a significant number of countries, even some
that are highly critical of the United States," said Christopher Whitney,
executive director for studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

For details, please see or
WorldPublicOpinion.org is a publication of the
Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

For the Armenian version, visit Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s
first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K. Hovannisian and supported by a
global network of contributors, ACNIS serves as a link between innovative
scholarship and the public policy challenges facing Armenia and the Armenian
people in the post-Soviet world. It also aspires to be a catalyst for
creative, strategic thinking and a wider understanding of the new global
environment. In 2007, the Center focuses primarily on civic education,
democratic development, conflict resolution, and applied research on
critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax
(37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected] or [email protected]; or visit

MOTHER WHO FEARS FOR HER LIFE DEPORTED WITH FAMILY
By Yakub Qureshi

Manchester Evening News
April 16, 2007 Monday

AN Armenian journalist who feared for her life after revealing alleged
election fraud has been deported from Britain.

Gina Khatcharyan, 30, had been living in Bury since 2003 with her
husband Vahan and five-year-old daughter Elena while seeking asylum.

The Home Office accepted that the TV journalist had received death
threats for exposing ballot rigging in her home country – but believed
the risks to her and her family were exaggerated.

The family were placed on a flight from Heathrow destined for the
Armenian capital Yerevan, via connecting flights through Malta
and Russia.

Campaign groups, including the National Union of Journalists, had
staged a desperate attempt to apply for a delay in deportation,
but were unable to file papers in time. The Maltese authorities had
been asked to offer the family temporary asylum, but were unable
to intervene.

The family was hoping to seek leave to stay in Russia rather
than completing the final leg of the journey to Armenia, where Ms
Khatcharayan expected to be arrested on arrival. The family’s daughter
Elena had been attending classes at Heap Bridge primary school in
Bury and campaigners say English is her first language.

Sue Arnall, of the Bury Castaways asylum group, said: "I spoke with
Gina before she left and she was just desperate. She did not have a
lawyer because she had been refused legal aid.

"There was a last attempt to re-examine her case with people
contributing money to pay for a human rights lawyer but unfortunately
it was too late."

Ms Khatchatryan claims to have witnessed ballot stuffing while a
polling booth observer during local elections and said she subsequently
received death threats after alerting the authorities.

Although the central Asian country has improved its political and trade
links with Europe since leaving Soviet control in 1991, it has been
routinely criticised by international observers for electoral fraud.

It was also named as the 101st worst country out of 168 for press
freedom restrictions by Reporters without Borders in 2006.

TURKEY’S BEING MUSLIM STATE NOT A CAUSE FOR EU REJECTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.04.2007 18:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Rene van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, welcomes the moves Turkey undertakes
for joining the EU. During a news conference in Strasbourg today he
said the EU doesn’t consists of Christians only and Turkey’s being
a Muslim state is not a cause for EU’s rejection. The PACE President
also voiced content with his visit to Cyprus and a clearer vision of
the problem existing between the North and Greek Cyprus.

He said he requested TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat for a visit to
the Council of Europe, Trend reports.

MOSCOW SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN POWER HANDOVER
By Emil Danielyan

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
April 16 2007

With less than a month to go before Armenia’s crucial parliamentary
elections, Russia has signaled its support for an anticipated handover
of power from Armenian President Robert Kocharian to newly appointed
Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian. In a series of early April visits to
Yerevan, senior Russian officials indicated Moscow’s strong opposition
to regime change in the loyal South Caucasus state. The Russians
also plan to send a record-high number of election observers, in an
apparent bid to counter and/or water down Western criticism of the
Armenian authorities’ handling of the May 12 vote.

Control of Armenia’s next parliament is essential for the success of
Sarkisian’s plans to succeed Kocharian after the latter completes
his second and final term in office in March 2008. His governing
Republican Party (HHK) is widely regarded as the election frontrunner
not so much because of its popularity as its vote-rigging capacity
that manifested itself during the previous legislative polls. Talk of
Sarkisian’s presidential ambitions intensified after he was named to
replace Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, who died of a heart attack
on March 25. Some Russian media and pro-Kremlin analysts said that
Sarkisian is Moscow’s preferred candidate for the Armenian presidency.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov effectively confirmed
this as he visited Yerevan on April 3. "The official position of
Russia coincides with the unofficial position of Russia," he told
journalists. Lavrov stressed the need for continuity in the Kocharian
administration’s policies, which he said have proved beneficial for
Armenia. Russia wants to see a "continued movement in that direction,"
he said. "Russia, which traditionally plays an important role in
internal political processes in Armenia, has made it clear who it
has sided with," the Moscow daily Kommersant wrote on April 9.

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov made it even clearer
during a separate visit to Armenia two days later. Ivanov said he
and Sarkisian had developed "not only good businesslike but also
personal relations" in their previous capacity as defense ministers
of the two countries. "The human capital which we developed in the
past few years is very useful and allows us to discuss many issues
in a straightforward and frank manner," he said at a news conference.

Sarkisian underlined the significance of Ivanov’s trip by greeting
and bidding farewell to the Russian deputy prime minister at Yerevan
airport, despite his higher government rank. Russian backing has helped
him and Kocharian to keep the Armenian opposition at bay throughout
their nearly decade-long joint rule. It will also bode well for the
realization of his presidential ambitions, which seem to be approved
by Kocharian. The Armenian constitution bars Kocharian from seeking a
third five-year term. But he is clearly keen to remain in government
in some other capacity.

The administration of President Vladimir Putin has little reason
to be unhappy with Armenia’s two most powerful men. After all,
they were instrumental in the signing in recent years of highly
controversial agreements that have given Moscow a near total control
over the Armenian energy sector. Sarkisian has personally negotiated
those deals in his capacity as co-chairman of a Russian-Armenian
inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation. He and
Kocharian have also bolstered the Russian presence in other sectors
of the Armenian economy such as telecommunication. In addition,
membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the
continued presence of Russian troops in Armenia remain key elements
of Yerevan’s national security doctrine.

All of that has more than offset Yerevan’s increased security links
with the West, including the launch of an individual partnership
action plan with NATO and the dispatch of Armenian troops to Kosovo
and Iraq. True, the Russians have covertly sponsored some pro-Russian
opposition groups in Armenia. But they seem to have done so in order
to hold the Kocharian-Sarkisian duo in check, rather than to cause
its downfall.

Moscow appears to be disinterested in regime change in Armenia also
because of its broader opposition to the democratization of the
political systems of this and other former Soviet republics. Two of
those states, Georgia and Ukraine, are now led by staunchly pro-Western
presidents as a result of democratic revolutions sparked by rigged
elections. Armenia could likewise have a less pro-Russian regime if
its current leaders hold a democratic election and run the risk of
losing power.

Incidentally, the first foreign visitor received by Sarkisian after
his April 4 appointment as prime minister was Vladimir Rushailo,
the Russian executive secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent
States. Rushailo arrived in Yerevan to discuss preparations for
the upcoming elections. After the talks he announced that the CIS
Secretariat plans to deploy some 200 election observers in Armenia,
far more than it did in the past. Unlike their counterparts from
the OSCE and the Council of Europe, CIS observers described the
previous Armenian parliamentary and presidential elections tainted
with widespread fraud as "free and fair." Their next verdict will
hardly be more negative. The drastic increase in the size of the CIS
observer mission, to be headed by Rushailo, is clearly aimed at giving
its statements greater credibility.

Russia also intends to seriously influence the findings of some
330 mostly Western observers that are due to monitor the Armenian
elections on behalf of the OSCE. Their opinion will be key to the
international legitimacy of the vote. As a leading OSCE member state,
Russia can contribute up to 10% of the organization’s vote monitoring
missions. As Lavrov stated in Yerevan, Moscow, which has slammed the
OSCE for questioning the legitimacy of former Soviet governments,
will for the first time use its participation quota in full.

(168 Zham, April 12; Haykakan Zhamanak, April 10; Kommersant, April 9;
RFE/RL Armenia Report, April 3, April 5)

OMBUDSMAN FUNCTIONS TO SPITE OF PRESENT AUTHORITIES, RA FIRST
OMBUDSPERSON FINDS

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Ombudsperson in separate cases
manages to re-establish violated human rights, but in general, it is
too difficult to liquidate negative deep phenomena. First RA
Ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian expressed such an opionion in the
interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent. In her words, those
phenomena were not liquidated both during the years of her officiating
and during the years of the present Ombudsman’s officiating. "It is a
pity, protection of the human rights does not make a part of the
policy carried on by the present authorities, what means that the
Ombudsman functions against those authorities," L. Alaverdian
mentioned.

In her words, though it is fixed by the RA Constitution that a person,
his rights and fundmental freedoms are a supreme value but Serge
Sargsian, the Council Chairman of the RPA, the recently officiating
party, the newly appointed Prime Minister stated that the economic
growth is more supreme for Armenia than the human rights. In
L. Alaverdian’s words, it means that the authorities are ready to
secure economic growth, ignoring or violating the human rights.

In L. Alaverdian’s words, power shift is necessary to change the
created situation. It will give possibility to implement system
reforms. She emphasized that in those countries where no power shift
has taken place for a long time, a stagnation process starts. As the
former Ombudswoman emphasized, "how small the hope of holding fair and
free elections in Armenia is, the ruling system must be changed only
with the help of fair elections."

This article is located at:

How Armenia "Invented" Christendom
Steven Gertz

Only a week prior to his attack on Poland in September, 1939, Adolf
Hitler reportedly delivered a secret talk to members of his General
Staff, urging them to wipe out the Polish race. "After all," he argued,
"who remembers today the extermination of the Armenians?"

Hitler was referring to the genocide of nearly 1.5 million Armenian
Christians at the hands of Ottoman Turks from 1915 to 1923 in what is
now eastern Turkey. Turkish authorities deny the atrocities ever took
place, but the story of bloodbath in Armenia is one of the
well-documented tragedies of our time.

Still, it’s unfortunate that Armenia (today located directly east of
Turkey and west of the Caspian Sea) is now known for this story above
any other. It says nothing about the people of Armenia, or the part they
have played in global Christianity. For contribute they did, in a manner
that might surprise even a seasoned church historian.

Tortured for Christ

No man has more stature in the Armenian church today than Gregory the
Illuminator. While not the first to bring Christianity to Armenia,
Gregory is, at least in the minds of Armenians, the nation’s spiritual
father and the people’s patron saint.

Born into a wealthy family around 257, Gregory nevertheless had a rough
beginning-his biographer, Agathangelos, tells us Gregory’s father
murdered the Armenian king and paid for it with his life. But the boy
was rescued from the chaos following the murder, and his new guardians
raised him as a Christian in Cappadocia (east-central Turkey). There,
according to Agathangelos, Gregory "became acquainted with the
Scriptures of God, and drew near to the fear of the Lord."

When Gregory’s tutors told him of his father’s wickedness, Gregory
approached the murdered king’s son, Tiridates, to offer his service (all
the while concealing his identity). Tiridates accepted Gregory’s offer,
but when Gregory refused to worship Anahit, an idol the king had raised
in gratitude for military successes, Tiridates became furious: "You have
come and joined us as a stranger and foreigner. How then are you able to
worship that God whom I do not worship?"

Tiridates tortured Gregory, hanging him upside-down and flogging him,
then fastening blocks of wood to his legs and tightening them. When
these tactics failed, he tried even more gruesome measures. Still the
saint refused to bow the knee. Tiridates then learned that Gregory was
the son of his father’s murderer, and he ordered that the missionary be
thrown into a "bottommost pit" filled with dead bodies and other filth.
There Gregory sat for 13 years, surviving only on bread a widow threw
down each day after receiving instruction to do so in a dream.

Converting the King

At about this time a beautiful woman named Rhipsime arrived in Armenia,
fleeing an enforced marriage to the Roman emperor Diocletian. Tiridates
took a liking to her too, and took her forcibly when she refused to come
to him. But "strengthened by the Holy Spirit," she fought off his
advances and escaped. Furious, Tiridates ordered her execution, and that
night Rhipsime burned at the stake. Her abbess Gaiane soon followed her
in death, along with 35 other companions.

The king, still lusting after Rhipsime, mourned her death for six days,
then prepared to go hunting. But God visited on him a horrible
punishment-Agathangelos calls it demon possession-reducing him to
insanity and throwing his court into chaos. Tiridates’ sister had a
vision to send for Gregory, imprisoned so long ago. People laughed at
the idea Gregory might still be alive, but recurrent visions finally
convinced a nobleman, Awtay, to visit his pit. Astonished to find the
missionary living, Awtay brought him to meet the king, who was feeding
with swine outside the city.

Tiridates, along with other possessed members of his court, rushed at
Gregory. But Gregory "immediately knelt in prayer, and they returned to
sobriety." Tiridates then pleaded for Gregory’s forgiveness, and the
king and his whole court repented of their sin and confessed faith in
Christ.

Assessing Gregory’s Legacy

Scholars disagree over how much Agathangelos’s history can be taken at
face-value. After all, he wrote his book in 460 (Tiridates is believed
by Armenians to have converted in 301), and much of his story has
elements of hagiography that lead one to wonder whether the events ever
happened. But even skeptics acknowledge that Gregory was a real person
with considerable ecclesiastical influence in Armenia-the signature of
his son and successor Aristakes can be found among those ratifying the
Council of Nicaea in 325. And even if we can document little about the
man, his pre-eminence among Armenia’s heroes of the faith is
unassailable.

Why? First, Gregory persuaded the king to build a string of churches
across Armenia, beginning with Holy Etchmiadzin- according to some
scholars the oldest cathedral site in the world and an important
pilgrimage site for all Armenians. The seat of the Armenian church would
pass to other cities, but Gregory "established" Christianity in Armenia
via this church.

Gregory also introduced Christian liturgy to Armenia. These rites
consisted of psalmody, scriptural readings, and prayers recited in Greek
or Syriac. After Mesrop Mashtots invented an Armenian alphabet at the
beginning of the fifth century, both the Bible and the liturgy were
translated into the Armenian language.

Most importantly, Gregory set in motion the mass conversion of Armenia
to Christianity. According to Agathangelos, the king ordered all pagan
shrines to be torn down, and Gregory proceeded to baptize more than
190,000 people into the new faith. Whether the nation converted as
quickly as Agathangelos implies is difficult to discern. Certainly by
the fifth century, Armenia was well on its way to becoming a "Christian"
nation.

Armenia is an ancient-if not the oldest-model for what we now call
Christendom. Church historian Kenneth Scott Latourette notes that the
Armenian church "was an instance of what was to be seen again and again,
a group adoption of the Christian faith engineered by the accepted
leaders and issuing in an ecclesiastical structure which became
identified with a particular people, state, or nation."

Certainly the Roman Empire is a prime example of this, but Armenia is at
least as old, and perhaps a more impressive example given the invasions
and persecution it endured at the hands of the Turks (and before them,
Arabs and Persians). Indeed even Byzantium attempted to bring Armenia
within its orbit, but the nation resisted, arguing that its apostolic
origins were on par with Rome.

So lest you assume Rome is our first example of Christendom, think
again. Long may Armenia’s church endure.

Copyright (c) 2005 by the author or Christianity Today
International/Christian History & Biography magazine.

Copyright (c) 1994-2007 Christianity Today International

Iraqi Kurdish parliament discusses tensions with Turkey
YAHYA BARZANJI, AP Worldstream
Published: Apr 14, 2007

Iraq’s Kurds are ready for talks with Turkey but will not accept any
Turkish military interference in Iraq, the prime minister of the
Kurdish regional government said Saturday.

Nechervan Barzani spoke after the Kurdish parliament held a meeting to
discuss rising tensions with Turkey. The leader of the Kurdish
autonomous region, Massoud Barzani, has suggested Iraqi Kurds would
interfere in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast if the country
meddled in Iraq’s affairs.

"We are ready to sit with them for a dialogue at any time and in any
place," said Nechervan Barzani, who is the nephew of the Kurdish
president. "We don’t accept any military interference inside Iraq’s
territory."

On Friday, Turkish troops killed four armed Kurdish guerrillas who had
crossed over the border from northern Iraq, according to Turkey’s
government-owned Anatolia news agency. The guerrillas were killed in a
gunbattle that broke out among troops and a group of about 15 rebels
near the town of Semdinli on the Iraqi border, Anatolia said.

The deaths bring to 17 the number of guerrillas killed this week in
clashes in Turkey’s southeast. Earlier in the week, the head of
Turkey’s armed forces requested permission to launch an operation into
northern Iraq to attack the Kurdish rebels at their bases there.

"Threats do not solve the problems. We are neighbors and should solve
our problems through dialogue," the prime minister said.

Close to 40,000 people have died in fighting since autonomy-seeking
rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, took up arms against
the Turkish state in 1984.

UNESCO APPROVED THE CLAIM ABOUT ST. THADDEUS
By H. Tsulikian

AZG Armenian Daily
14/04/2007

"Culture Heritage Information" of Iran reports that the Armenian
church of Srub Tadevos (St. Thaddeus) was included in the UNESCO
List of World Culture Heritage upon the request of the Government
of Iran. The church, also known as Karakilisa ("the Black Church"
in Turkish), is situated in the Western Azerbaijan province of the
Islamic Republic of Iran and was constructed about 1700 years ago,
being one of the oldest Christian shrines. According to the legend,
verified by certain historians, Apostle Thaddeus, who preached
Christianity in several regions of Armenia and Iran, is buried
there. At present the church belongs to the Armenian community of
Iran and each year a holy service and a feast is held there.

Expectedly soon a UNESCO expert group is to arrive there so as to
get acquainted with the church and nearby historical buildings.

"PHOTOLUR" DIRECTOR HERBERT BAGHDASARIAN PASSES AWAY
Author: Tonoyan Susanna
Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Herbert Baghdasarian, the Director of
the "Photolur" (Photo news) agency suddenly passed away at the night
of April 12-13. As the Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the
agency, H.

Baghdasarian was recently operated on. To also recap, his 75th birthday
anniversary was to be marked this year.