Author: Nahapetian Samvel

Panorama.am

14:42 14/07/2007

VARDAVAR TOMORROW

This year on July 15 the Armenian Apostolic church celebrates the
transfiguration of Jesus Christ, that is the Vardavar
festival. According to the church calendar this festival is to be
celebrated 98 days after Easter, has 35 days mobility and can be
within June 28 to August 1 period. The transfiguration of Jesus Christ
is one of the five pavilion festivals. It is Petros, Hovhaness and
Hakobos apostols’ transformation remembrance in front of the Christ,
which according to the legend was on the top of Tabor mountain. The
Armenian church names the transfiguration of the Jesus Christ also
Transformation Festival or Vardavar.

The latter has the name of an old Armenian custom from which also
bursts the custom of throwing water over each other. As regards to
archimandrite Ter-Minasyan Vardavar is more than four or five thousand
years formed by Noy patriacrch.. Those days Armenians make corollas
out of coloured flowers,as well as decorate temples with them, that is
why the it is called `Vardavar’. Armenian pour water on each other,
swim in rivers and make pigeons fly for the remembrance of Noy and the
flood.

As people used not to eat grape till blessed at Our Ladies
transfiguration day, they didn’t eat apple till Vardavar either. The
habit was called «apple fast».Armenians celebrate the Vardavar
differently. According to the folk custom at the night of Vardavar
there comes light on the graves of all the saints, and the one who
sees that can wish anything and the wish is thought to come true. As
the Araratyan Patriarchal diocese press informed the following Monday
after the transfiguration day is the Memorial Day. A Holy Mass is led
in the church that day after which people go to the graves of the
late.

Source: Panorama.am

OSCE MG: PRESERVATION OF THE STATUS QUO IN THE KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY SEEM LESS DIFFICULT FOR SIDES THAN MUTUAL COMPROMISES

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2007 21:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As OSCE Secretariat Press Officer told
PanARMENIAN.Net., the three Minsk Group Co-Chairmen – Ambassador
Yury Merzlyakov of Russia, Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France and
Ambassador Matthew Bryza of the United States issued the following
statement upon today’s meeting in Vienna:

"1. We, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group find it necessary to give
our assessment of the emerging situation in the settlement process
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in light of the recent meeting
between the President of the Republic of Armenia R. KOCHARIAN and
the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. ALIYEV in St Petersburg.

2. At the Co-Chairs’ suggestion, during this meeting the Presidents
concentrated their discussion on a limited number of obstacles that
stand in the way of agreement on a set of basic principles for the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Unfortunately, the Presidents could not overcome these remaining
differences. Thus, the two sides are approaching 2008 – a year of
presidential elections in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, when, as past
experience shows, chances for progress will likely be overshadowed by
the electoral campaigns. Without an endorsement of the basic principles
at the presidential level, it is impossible to start drafting the
text of an agreement on the peaceful settlement of the conflict,
or to secure the progress of the past three years of negotiations in
order not to reopen them from scratch whenever they resume again.

3. The Co-Chairs recognize that preservation of the status quo after
thirteen years of "no peace-no war" in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
may seem less difficult for the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan
than the mutual compromises that will lead to an equitable and lasting
settlement of the conflict and, ultimately, to a new era of peace and
prosperity for their people. However if the parties to the conflict
choose nevertheless to avoid making courageous decisions now, we as
mediators cannot make these decisions in their place.

4. We take due note of the parties’ recent statements of their
willingness to continue the negotiations on the basis of what has
been developed over the past years. We urge them to give life to
these statements in the limited time remaining and to make resolute
efforts to consider again the fairly distributed benefits of the
solution embodied by the proposed basic principles. To that end,
the Co-Chairs are ready to assist the parties in the preparation for
their next summit, at the first opportunity, in the coming months.

5. Recently both sides showed their ability to create more favourable
conditions for preparing their public opinion for peace by organizing a
joint visit to Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan and Baku of a group of their
intellectuals. The Co-Chairs welcomed and highly appreciated that
event, which they consider as a first concrete confidence building
measure such as the Co-Chairs have constantly proposed and encouraged
in numerous fields to develop trust between the parties.

In this respect, the Co-Chairs regret that the recommendations of
the OSCE-led environmental assessment mission last year have not
been carried out and call upon the parties to make possible their
implementation.

6. Unfortunately, the Co-Chairs observe with concern several current
developments that, in their view, do not contribute to preparation
of the populations for peace. Among these are militaristic statements
threatening use of force and creating the dangerous illusion that war
is an option for resolution of the conflict. The upcoming so-called
presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh have already caused an
increase in tensions. Recalling their statements with respect to
previous votings in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs reiterate that,
like all other members of the international community, their countries
do not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state, and such
"elections" should not have any impact on the peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Finally, the Co-Chairs stress the primary role of the OSCE Minsk
Group in mediation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They note that
unilateral initiatives in other organizations can increase tensions
and disrupt the negotiation process. Therefore, they urge the sides
to focus their attention in the coming months on making real progress
in the negotiations mediated by the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen."

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 DEPARTS FOR ETHIOPIA AND EGYPT

His Holiness Aram I started an official visit to Addis Ababa yesterday
upon the invitation of the Spiritual Leader of the Ethiopian Church,
Patriarch Paulos. In addition to visiting the Ethiopian Church, the visit
aims at reconciling the differences between the Ethiopian and the Coptic
Churches, a task to which the Armenian Catholicos has been dedicated during
the last few years.

During his visit, His Holiness will hold meetings with senior government
officials. Accompanied by his Ethiopian counterpart he will then visit
Cairo, Egypt, where a meeting with the Spiritual Leader of the Coptic
Church, Patriarch Shnouda III is scheduled.

Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer), V. Rev. Krikor Chiftjian
(Communications Officer) and Armenian philanthropist Gabriel Chemberdjian
accompany the Pontiff on his trip. The Catholicos will return to Antelias on
July 14.

PRICES FOR FOODSTUFFS FALL BY 0.7% IN 2007 JUNE IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Jul 10, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. A 0.7% fall in prices for foodstuffs
was registered in 2007 June, as compared with May, in Armenia, which
was mainly conditioned by a 14.2-2.6% fall in prices for vegetables,
fish products, eggs, and granulated sugar.

According to the data of the RA National Statistical Service, in
2007 June, as compared with 2006 June, a 18.2% growth in prices
was registered in the potato commodity group, and a 14.2% fall in
prices as compared with May 2007. The latter was mainly conditioned
by a 47.1% fall in prices for green beans, 46.8% for cucumber, 37.2%
for tomato, 35.5% for green pepper, 31.6% for cabbage, and 18.6% for
onions. The prices for potato in the above mentioned period fell by
2.4%, and prices for garlic, egg-plants, beets, and carrots increased
by 1.4-52.8%.

A 6.2% fall in prices was registered in the fish commodity group in
May-June 2007, at that, in June, as compared with May, prices for
fish products fell by 5.9%. The latter is mainly the result of the 7%
fall in price for fresh white fish.

The average price for eggs in May-June 2007 in Armenia decreased
by 4.8%, at that, a 4.7% fall in price was registered in June, as
compared with May.

A 2.6-0.1% fall in prices for granulated sugar, dairy products, and
soft drinks was registered in June 2007, as compared with May. A 7.3%
growth in prices was registered in the baked products commodity group
in June 2007, as compared with May, which was mainly conditioned by a
7.5% growth in prices for flour, 10.3% for bread, and 13.3% for grain.

A 30.7% growth in prices was registered in the fruits commodity group
in June 2007, as compared with June 2006, and a 0.7% growth in prices
as compared with May 2007. In June 2007, as compared with May, prices
for lemons, pears, oranges, and apples grew by 1.8-14.4%.

A 0.1% growth in prices for vegetable oil and butter was registered
in June 2007, as compared with May, and prices were kept unchanged,
as compared with the previous month, in the commodity groups of meat
products, coffee, tea, cocoa, confectionery, other goods, alcoholic
drinks, and cigarettes.

Bank ‘ACBA-Credit Agricole’ increased its general capital by 8,2% up to
$58 mln over the first quarter of 2007

arminfo
2007-07-06 17:55:00

Bank increased its general capital by 8,2% up to $58 mln over the first
quarter of 2007, and by 2,5 times as compared with the same period of
2006, ensuring this indicator by 1 July at the level of 19.781 bln
drams or $58 mln. As Arminfo was informed from bank, assets of the bank
grew by 52,4% over a year, and by 11,4% over the current halfyear,
reaching to 58.728 bln drams or $172.2 mln by July 1.

The source also says obligations of the bank increased by 14,9% over
the first six months of the current year, and by 30,3% reaching 39,6
bln drams or $116,3 mln as compared to the same period of 2006.

According to the data of Ranking of commerce banks of Armenia, prepared
by ARMINFO, assets of bank amounted to $157.6 mln (third place in the
bank system of the country) by April 1, 2007, obligations – $105.6 ¬« –
(4th place), general capital – $52 mln (1st place).

19 percent of respondents disbelieve the election will be free and fair

07-07-2007 14:56:16 – KarabakhOpen

The results of the poll conducted by the Independent Center for
Humanitarian and Political Studies last week suggest that 41 percent of
respondents get information on the public and political life from the
Public Television of Artsakh, 22 from independent sources, including 43
from the Demo Newspaper, 14 from the official print media and 10.5 from
the Internet.

Over 32 percent of respondents trust the Public Television of Artsakh,
7.3 percent trust independent media, 5 percent trust the official print
media, 8.1 percent trust the Internet.

28 percent declined to answer the question on the media, found it
difficult to answer and said they do not trust any media. It shows the
low level of interest of respondents in the public life and elections,
as well as the low level of trust in the media. It is largely due to
the pro-government politicians and journalists, as well as different
agencies, which instill in public that the outcome of the election is
predetermined, and the government’s candidate and leaderships of
parliament parties have agreement on ministerial posts.

In answer to the question `Are you aware of the right to vote set down
in the NKR Constitution?’ 37 respondents said yes, 40 percent said `not
so well’, 5 percent are unaware, 13 percent did not answer this
question. Over 86 percent of respondents said they will vote, 13 will
not vote or have not made a decision yet. (In addition, most
respondents who think the outcome is predetermined and decided not to
vote declined to take part in the poll.)

It is notable that 19 percent of respondents do not believe the
election will be free and fair, 16 percent said their participation
will not change anything, 4 percent will have gone away. 42 percent
explained their decision to vote by their civil duty, 41 percent want
to change life, 10 percent want to support the candidate whose ideas
their share.

MAN NEAR OBAMA WAS NOVELTY-SELLER
By Abby Simons – register staff writer

DesMoinesRegister.com, IA
July 6 2007

The owner of a Cincinnati novelty product company said Thursday the
man arrested outside Barack Obama’s hotel in Ottumwa on Wednesday
morning was simply looking for the next rally to sell playing cards
bearing the candidate’s image.

Davit Zakaryan, 24, remained in the Wapello County Jail on Thursday
on $6,825 cash bond.

But Ottumwa police do not intend to question Zakaryan further and did
not consider him dangerous, Lt. Mike McDonough of the Ottumwa Police
Department said. "I don’t think he was ever considered a threat,"
McDonough said.

David Krikorian of Parody Productions said Zakaryan was no threat
to anyone when he was arrested for not having a driver’s license and
possessing a knife with a blade over 8 inches long.

The knife had been purchased at a souvenir shop, Krikorian said.

Police said the ornamental knife was found in Zakaryan’s car.

"He went out, like hundreds of other people do, to go to these rallies
and sell political items. That’s all he did," Krikorian said.

"His crimes have nothing to do with the Obama campaign whatsoever,
even if he’s committed crimes."

Zakaryan was arrested about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when he was spotted
loitering in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn in Ottumwa.

He was questioned by U.S. Secret Service agents and later arrested
by Ottumwa police for not having a driver’s license. He had furnished
to police only a foreign identification card.

His arrest made national news because Obama, a Democratic presidential
candidate, was staying at the hotel.

Krikorian said he first met Zakaryan, an Armenian who came to the
United States to study physics, last week when Zakaryan came into his
office, by way of a mutual friend, looking for work. Zakaryan bought
Obama- and Hillary Clinton-themed playing cards from Krikorian and
traveled through Iowa on Independence Day to sell them.

Krikorian said his "jaw hit the desk" when he first heard of the
story Thursday morning.

Zakaryan’s roommate contacted him after the Secret Service searched
their Cincinnati home.

Krikorian has since contacted the Obama campaign, the Secret Service
and reporters to try to clear up the situation. He has also spoken
with Zakaryan’s mother in Armenia, who was "on the phone sobbing."

Records show Zakaryan was convicted in Cincinnati in 2005 of stealing
a $16.99 brown wallet from a T.J. Maxx store.

"It sounds to me like everybody thinks this was a huge
misunderstanding," Krikorian said. "But again, the kid still sits
in jail."

Obama has been provided 24-hour security by the Secret Service since
May. Unspecified threats have been made toward the U.S. senator,
although spokesman Tommy Vietor said the incident involving Zakaryan
was the first arrest of its kind.

Krikorian said Zakaryan speaks and understands English, although his
accent is thick.

"The thing is, he looks foreign and speaks with a foreign accent, and
with terror alerts being high and other things going on, obviously
the Secret Service and police have a job to do and they did their
job in checking this person out."

Krikorian, who is Armenian-American, frequently hires and helps young
Armenian immigrants who arrive in the United States in various stages
of citizenship.

While several peddle campaign wares such as the playing cards, few
have a grasp of the American political process.

"When I talk to these gentlemen about the political situation,
they’re not very knowledgeable – they don’t know Obama from Rudy
(Giuliani). All he was doing was hustling his business as an
entrepreneur," he said.

STATE DEPARTMENT TO BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANY LEGISLATION THAT WILL LIMIT BROADCASTING POSSIBILITES OF RADIO LIBERTY

Noyan Tapan
Jul 03 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. "The United States of America supports
freedom of expression and media and evaluates negatively any attempt
of limiting media freedom in Armenia or in any other country," the
statement spread by the U.S. State Department on July 2 read.

Presenting the position of the U.S. State Department about the
bills being discussed at the RA National Assembly, the authors of the
statement said: "We do not understand how the proposed legislation can
promote the wish announced by the RA government, related to permanent
democratization, especially after the parliamentary elections held
in May, which registered a step forward, meanwhile reflecting the
necessity of further improvement in the direction of democratic
standards." "In particular, we will be deeply anxious about any
legislation, which will limit the possibilities of Radio Liberty’s
broadcasting in Armenia," the State Department’s statement read.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT MUST NOT SILENCE RFE/RL

armradio.am
2007-07-02 16:42:00

The Armenian parliament should not adopt two draft laws that would
effectively ban future broadcasts of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE/RL), a key source of independent information in that country,
Human Rights Watch said today.

The first, an amendment to the law "On Television and Radio" prohibits
retransmission of foreign broadcasts on Armenian Public Television
and Radio frequencies. The second, an amendment to the aw "On State
Taxes" establishes heavy fees for private companies that air foreign
broadcasts.

Both draft laws passed a first reading on Friday in the National
Assembly of Armenia, but must undergo a second reading, expected on
Monday or Tuesday, before they become law. "These new laws clearly
restrict access to a crucial independent news source for many Armenians
and deal a serious blow to RFE/RL and to freedom of the media in
general," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at
Human Rights Watch. "The parliament should under no circumstances
pass this bill in the second reading."

The parliament’s actions appear to specifically target RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service, the only foreign broadcaster that relies on Armenian
National Radio, the country’s public radio station, to reach the
majority of its audience. RFE/RL is one of the only independent
broadcast media outlets remaining in Armenia. Although there is a
vibrant print media, the government maintains close control over the
much more accessible broadcast media, and recently closed the last
independent television station, A1+, in 2002.

RFE/RL is also occasionally broadcast via some private radio stations
in the country’s capital, Yerevan, and surrounding regions, but under
the under the proposed laws, private Armenian broadcasters would
pay more than US$200 in taxes each time they retransmit a program
produced by a foreign media organization. This fee is 70 times more
than broadcasters must pay for a locally made program.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE)
representative on freedom of the media, Miklos Haraszti, criticized the
bills, saying that they infringed Armenia’s commitments to safeguard
media pluralism and access to information, and called on the Armenian
authorities to drop them. Opposition politicians in Armenia lamented
the parliament’s decision to pass the bills and charged the government
with trying to control the media.

The two bills are incompatible with Armenia’s obligations under
the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Article 10 of the
ECHR guarantees the right "to receive and impart information and
ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of
frontiers." This right can only be restricted for limited and specific
reasons such as national security or public safety. The restrictions
placed on the rights of expression and imparting of information
by the bills do not meet these requirements. The importance of the
rights protected by Article 10 has been repeatedly emphasized by the
European Court of Human Rights. The court maintains that freedom of
expression is one of the essential foundations of a democratic society
and that the media plays a pre- eminent role in a state governed by
the rule of law. The court insists that any efforts by a government
to restrict freedom of expression be strictly scrutinized and the
reason convincingly established.

"By passing these laws, Armenia risks violating its international
commitments to freedom of expression and the media," said Cartner. "As
Armenia prepares for presidential elections in 2008, the world will
certainly be watching to see if the government respects freedom of
the media and other freedoms necessary for a free and fair vote."

The move is not the first effort by the Armenian government to limit
independent media. The independent television station A1+ lost its
broadcasting license in 2002, after regularly airing criticism of the
government, and lost 12 subsequent tenders for television and radio
frequencies. In June 2006, A1+, which produced a weekly newspaper and
maintains a website, was forced to vacate its offices, after losing
a court case in 2005 challenging a notice of eviction.

Human rights groups have reported violence against journalists in
retaliation for their work, and in September a court sentenced Arman
Babajanian, editor of the opposition newspaper Zhamanak Yerevan, to
four years in prison for failing to serve the compulsory two years of
military service. Although Babajanian admitted to forging documents
in 2002 in order to evade military service, the harsh sentence is
suspected to be retribution for the journalist’s persistent criticism
of government policies (draft evaders are usually sentenced to between
two and three years in prison).

AZERI CITIZEN DETAINED AFTER CROSSING KARABAKH BORDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.07.2007 13:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 30, the NKR Defense army officers detained
an Azeri citizen in the Aghdam direction of the contact line of
the Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces. The NKR state
commission on missing and POWs said the detained man did not have
any identity documents.

The Azeri said his name is Samandar Namaz ogly, 35. He was born in
Shushi and lives in Uch settlement of Aghdam region.

The appropriate NKR bodies are clarifying the motives of the
trespasser. The state commission on missing and POWs informed the
OSCE Office and the ICRC of the incident, the NKR MFA reported.