Author: Nadirian Emma

REPRESENTATIVES OF U.S. INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE AND RA NA SPEAKER ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO DEEPENING OF DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

Noyan Tapan
May 17 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues relating to the activity of
the U.S. International Republican Institute (IRI) in Armenia were
discussed at RA NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian’s May 17 meeting with
Institute’s Director on Issues of Eurasia Stefen Nicks and political
expert Rasa Alisauske. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA NA Public
Relations Department, the meeting participants emphasized the necessity
to deepen democratic reforms. The guests presented Artur Baghdasarian
the results of their studies on different problems.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION CAMPAIGN LACKS COORDINATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 18:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Genocide recognition campaign lacks
coordination, President of the World Armenian Congress (WAC) Ara
Abrahamyan stated at a press conference in Yerevan today. In his words,
the traditional parties of the Diaspora are engaged in maintaining
the culture, language and traditions and pay little attention to
the Genocide issue. “The WAC is called to fill this gap and during
several years already we hold annual international conference with
the participation of outstanding historians, politicians and public
figures to bring the Armenian viewpoint to the notion of the whole
world,” he said.

Meanwhile ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Office Director Kiro
Manoyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that the ARFD have been pressing
for the Armenian Genocide recognition for 45 years already. “As result
18 states including France, Russia, Belgium as well as majority of
the U.S. states recognized the Armenian Genocide,” Manoyan emphisized.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IS NOT SO SERIOUS AND INDEPENDENT FIGURE FOR HIS RESIGNATION TO CAUSE INTERNAL POLITICAL CRISIS

Yerevan, May 17. ArmInfo. “The Armenian Parliament speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan is not so serious and independent figure for his
appointment or resignation to cause any internal political crisis”,
a well-known Russian political scientist, professor of MSIIR,
a chairman of the Russian Commission of Public Chamber Andranik
Migranyan told ArmInfo.

Migranyan considered the event so miserable that “it is even awkward
to comment it”. “Well, a man is appointed and resigned “, he said
and expressed an opinion that the information about A. Baghdasaryan’s
expected resignation glided in the Armenian political life.

PERNOD RICARD KEEPS RIGHTS FOR ARARAT COGNAC

EASTBUSINESS.ORG
May 15, 2006 Monday 4:09 PM (Central European Time)

Pernod Ricard, maker of Chivas Regal and Martell cognac, won a ruling
from the Russian government upholding its rights to the Ararat cognac
brand, a mark of quality since the Soviet era, Vedomosti reported.

The Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks
ordered the Ararat Cognac Factory in St. Petersburg to stop using the
brand after Paris-based Pernod filed a complaint, the newspaper said,
citing copy of the agency’s ruling.

Pernod bought the rights to the Ararat cognac brand in Russia and
Armenia from the Armenian government “shortly after” Armenia sold its
St. Petersburg factory to Russian investors in 2002, Vedomosti said.

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:

Watch the recorded video here:

A STUDENT EVENT DEDICATED TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

“REMEMBER, REMIND ABOUT AND DEMAND
THE VIOLATED RIGHTS OF OUR PEOPLE”

ADVISES HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

The Central Committee for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in
Lebanon organized a special student gathering in the Catholicosate of
Cilicia on May 9. Dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, the event brought
together the students of Armenian schools in Lebanon.

The event was held under the Pontifical patronage of His Holiness Aram I,
who also delivered his message to the hundreds of Armenian students gathered
in the Catholicosate’s courtyard.

The primates of the three Armenian religious communities, the principals of
Armenian schools, teachers, members of the educational committee, members of
boards of trustees and prominent educational figures attended the event.

The students took the stage consecutively to recite poems, play music and
read parts of special works all of which were rich with the legacy of the
nation’s victim and its cause.

The Pontiff then delivered his pontifical message to the students, stressing
the importance of preserving the legacy of Armenian victims. His Holiness
summarized the Armenian student’s responsibility towards Armenian martyrs in
three words: remember, remind and demand.

“We stand before the remains of our martyrs, in their spiritual presence.
They ask us to remember them in all the fields of our life; And oh, shame on
us if we forget our martyrs and heroes who give meaning to our lives, who
have safely guided the boat of our history through all its storms,” he said.

“Our martyrs tell us: remind people about our cause. Remembering is not
enough; remembering should turn into reminding. We should first remind
ourselves, then foreigners, our surrounding that in 1915 Ottoman Turkey
massacred one and a half million Armenians in order to erase Armenia and
Armenians from the face of the earth,” the Pontiff continued.

“Our martyrs tell us: demand. When we have a right, we should demand it.
When someone has taken our right, we should demand it at all costs. We do
not demand the rights of others, but the violated rights of our martyrs from
criminal Turkey and the whole world,” concluded the Catholicos.

The students then repeated His Holiness’ three words, “remember, remind and
demand”, promising to remain loyal to the legacy of Armenian victims.

##
View photos here:
es65.htm

*****

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
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.

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 11 2006

ARMENIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ACCOMPLISH IN DEVELOPING BILATERAL
RELATIONS

YEREVAN, May 11. /ARKA/. Armenia and the United Arab Emirates have
accomplished a great deal for recent years in developing bilateral
relations, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said Thursday at his
meeting with the UAE Ambassador to Armenia Halifa Shahin Al-Merri.
Presidential press service says Kocharyan pointed out that the
relations between the countries are developing dynamically and
stressed the importance of investment programs implementation along
with trade contacts development.
The press release says the sides also discussed prospects of widening
room for joint programs. M.V. -0–

PanARMENIAN.Net

Bill Providing for Punishment for Armenian Genocide
Denial Introduced in Belgian Parliament

12.05.2006 15:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A bill calling for criminal
responsibility for the Armenian Genocide denial was
introduced in the Belgian parliament by influential
Movement of Reforms serving on the ruling coalition.
The party members suggest the Armenian Genocide denial
be classified as a crime. According to them the law
providing for criminal responsibility for the
Holocaust denial should also refer to the Armenian
Genocide of 1915, reported Marmara.

NORTHERN AVENUE DEVELOPMENT MISTAKES ARE CONDITIONED BY NECESSITY TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN A SHORT TIME, UAA CHAIRMAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
May 11 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The mistakes related to high density
and the large number of storeys in development of Northern Avenue
in Yerevan are the result of the haste, which was conditioned by
the necessity to make investments in a short time. Chairman of the
Union of Architects of Armenia (UAA) Mkrtich Minasian expressed this
opinion during the May 11 discussion with the participation of the
Chief Architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielian and the Director of
the Yerevanproject Institute Gurgen Musheghian. In the words of
M. Minasian, Northeren Avenue would have been better developed,
if the existing problems had been discussed in a more detailed
way. G. Musheghian noted that Northern Avenue and other zones currently
being developed in the center of Yerevan will be transformed from a
residential and business area into a business district, which is due
to the process of the city’s natural development.

According to S. Danielian, the issue of land allocation in the green
zones of Yerevan has also been dealt with in a hurry. In his opinion,
if large land plots in these zones had been leased, the number of cafes
would have been smaller. M. Minasian said that many owners of cafes
near the Opera and Ring-Shaped Park have realized that these green
zones are overloaded, and they intend to reduce the development work
in these parts of the city. The chief architect noted that unfounded
land allocations are the cause of irregular development in Hrazdan
Gorge – the only recreational zone of the city. However, according
to UAA Chairman, the situation is improving: there have been some
successful architectural solutions, while the city authorities are
now implementing restoration work, particularly, the river-bed is
being cleaned.

ORINATS YERKIR PARTY TO PRESENT ITS EXACT POSITION ABOUT PROCESSES INSIDE PARTY AND FACTION IN COMING DAYS

Noyan Tapan
May 10 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. In the coming days the Orinats
Yerkir (Country of Law) Party will present its exact position
about the processes going on inside the party and the parliamentary
faction. Mher Shahgeldian, party’s Vice-Chairman, Chairman of RA NA
Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs,
informed about this preferring to refrain from any commentaries for
the present. According to him, as of May 10, in the recent 4-5 days,
5 businessmen MPs put in applications on leaving the party and the
parliamentary faction. They are Melik Manukian (electoral district
N 45), owner of the Bellagio restaurant complex Grigor Margarian
(electoral district N 13), Kotayk Governor’s brother Samvel Shahgaldian
(electoral district N 43), Arshak Mkhitarian and shareholder of
the MAP company Alexan Petrosian (the last two were elected by the
proportional system). To recap, earlier one more businessman MP,
owner of the SAS supermarkets’ network Artak Sargsian, was expelled
from the party for voting “for” the report on fulfilment of the state
property privatization program, against the party’s position. The MPs
who left the party according to their own application abstained during
the voting with the exception of M.Manukian who was absent from the
voting. According to M.Shahgeldian, no reason for leaving the party and
the faction was mentioned in the applications of the above-mentioned
MPs. To recap, according to some rumours, other businessmen MPs also
have serious intentions to leave the party and the faction, faction
head Samvel Balasanian is also mentioned among them. As Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed by Hovhannes Margarian, member of the
party board, Vice-Chairman of RA NA Standing Committee on State and
Legal Issues, personally he “does not see any tragedy or shock if,
for instance, 61995 or 61994 out of over 62 thousand members of the
Orinats Yerkir Party remain”.

He also mentioned that they have passed a 3-year joint way with the
MPs who left the party and there is “a mutual confidence and respect
towards one another”. According to him, “black agitation campaign, a
crusade” has started by different political forces towards the Orinats
Yerkir Party in the recent month, but “they have obtained immunity
towards all this”. He assured that henceforth the Orinats Yerkir
Party will protect the principles adopted by it and the estimation
given by its electors will be the most important for the party.

“Not being for suppositions and prognoses” the MP said that he has
no apprehension that in the near future the party can found itself
among the minority, according to the rumours, having only 5-6 instead
of 21 MPs included in the party in advance.

PARISHIONERS DEFEND PRIEST

Hartford Courant
May 10 2006

By DANIEL E. GOREN, HILDA MUÑOZ And DON STACOM, Courant Staff Writers
NEW BRITAIN — Clara Semerdjian rushed in her car through the rain
to the home of her parish priest and friend of more than a decade.

Semerdjian had come to check on Krikoris Keshishian, 53, the longtime
priest at St. Stephen’s Apostolic Armenian Church on Tremont Street,
who was arrested Tuesday on charges that he molested a 12-year-old
girl.

Word spread quickly in the tightly knit Armenian community that
their patriarch had been accused of a terrible crime. The church’s
parishioners quickly rallied behind their pastor, protesting the
charges and wondering if he was being framed. They said their church,
regardless of what happens in the courts, will be devastated.

Police said Keshishian, of 21 Garry Drive in New Britain,
inappropriately touched the girl while acting in his official
capacity. He is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and impairing
the morals of child by sexual contact. He was released on a promise
to appear and is scheduled to be arraigned in New Britain on May
23. Fourth-degree sexual assault is a felony punishable by 1 to 5
years in prison.

The charges stem from a single incident in May 2005, but there may
be more counts involving the same victim, said Sgt. Michael Baden.

He said the victim reported the alleged abuse to a family member,
who then called police.

Keshishian, who was aware of the investigation, went to police
headquarters Tuesday morning to be interviewed but did not know he
would be arrested, Baden said.

Keshishian lives with his wife, Arsha, in a two-story house owned by
the church in a quiet suburban neighborhood.

A silver Honda that the church leases for the priest’s use was parked
in his driveway Tuesday. No one answered his front door.

Semerdjian said she could not believe the accusations against her
friend and priest.

“Someone must be trying to do something terrible to him,” she said.

“He is a loving man, a wonderful man, who would give his heart to
anyone. … Something is very wrong with this.”

Parishioner Sophia Hovhannisyan of Berlin said a rumor spread through
the church in the winter but that nobody believes it.

“I heard that story – I think it’s a false statement. That’s
impossible,” Hovhannisyan said Tuesday night. “He is not this man.”

She said she trusts Keshishian with her 15-year-old daughter, Annie,
who is frequently at the church with him.

“I feel she is safe when she is with him,” Hovhannisyan said. “I
don’t believe that happened.”

She said Annie was at the church about six to eight months ago when
a 12-year-old girl fell and Keshishian helped her up.

“My daughter saw it. She said nothing happened. But the girl was
crying, and then crying more after [he picked her up],” she said.

“She was saying something happened, he touched her.”

Hovhannisyan said the girl had only recently joined the church and
never returned.

Hovhannisyan and her husband, Tigran, moved from Armenia with Annie
and their son, Vahe, about 10 years ago. She said she wants to help
Keshishian, but hasn’t been able to talk with him since the arrest.

“He’s like family,” she said. “I called his home, but I can’t find
him or his wife.”

Stephen Kevorkian, 90, and his sister, Shirley Kevorkian, 91, have
been a part of the church since their father helped build it in 1925.

Shirley played the organ at the church for 60 years and said she grew
close with Keshishian after he was hired more than a decade ago from
an Armenian church in Racine, Wisconsin.

Both siblings described Keshishian as a honorable man who would reach
out to help his parishioners. When Stephen Kevorkian had open-heart
surgery in 2001, the siblings said, Keshishian waited with Shirley
Kevorkian at the hospital until doctors said her brother was OK. “We
want to help the man,” Stephen Kevorkian said Tuesday. “Our community
needs to help. His life is finished. His reputation is ruined. Even
if he gets off the charges, the scar will still be there. It is going
to devastate the community.”

“It is going to ruin our church,” Shirely added.

–Boundary_(ID_S1qDKBHu6oSGMa46mCRDhA)–