Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

OPENING OF FILM FESTIVAL “GOLDEN APRICOT” WAS MARKED WITH CONCERT
YEREVAN, JULY 12. ARMINFO. A concert was held at National Theatre of
Opera and Ballet on July 12, which marked the start of the Second
International Film Festival “Golden Apricot” under the motto
“Crossroads of cultures and civilizations”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Vardan Oskanian
read the greeting message to the participants of the festival. Well-known
cinematographers from 45 countries arrived in Yerevan to participate
in the “Golden Apricot” Second International Film Festival, under the
“Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations” motto. The opening ceremony
of the festival will take place today in the evening at the National
Opera Theatre. Film directors, critics, actors and producers will
present 140 films at competitive, out-of-competition and special
views. Three contests – of fiction, documentary and animation films
will be organized to elect the best works.

FIRE DESTROYED 3.5 HA OF FOREST IN RAZDAN GORGE IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, JULY 12. ARMINFO. A big fire broke out in the Razdan gorge in
Yerevan Jul 11.
As ARMINFO was informed in the press-service of Armenia’s Emergency
Department, the information of the fire broken out in Tsitsernakaberd
park at “Getap” restaurant was received at about 17:00. About 3.5
hectare of forest burned down. The fire was extinguished at about
20:45.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CONDEMNS THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN LONDON
His Holiness Aram I condemned the consecutive terrorist attacks in London
that took the lives of many innocent victims. In a letter sent to the
spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Rowan Williams of
Canterbury, on July 8, His Holiness expressed his condolences, sympathy and
support for the English people.
In his letter His Holiness says: “Such terrorist acts are against the
religious, moral and human values and principles. We must join our efforts
as churches and religions to condemn violence in all its forms and
expressions.”
His Holiness also expressed support to the families of the victims, and
wished quick recovery to all those who were injured in the attacks.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the 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.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] gives population figures
Mediamax news agency
8 Jul 05
YEREVAN
The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] had a population of 145.600 in
2004.
During January-June 2005, the natural rate of population growth came
to 13.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, the NKR
national statistics service has told Mediamax news agency.
[Passage omitted: population growth decreased by 316 people compared
with 2004].
The death rate has decreased by 7.1 per cent during January-June 2005,
compared with the same period of 2004.

A1plus
| 20:47:55 | 08-07-2005 | Social |
PENSIONERS WON
The citizens who did not receive their old-age pensions for six month will
complain no more. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the people
renouncing social cards have finally reached an agreement. According to
member of the council `Christians Against Numbering People’ Khachik
Stamboltsyan, all their demands have been taken into account and they will
not continue their sit-down strike.
Khachik Stamboltsyan informed that they have been promised to make
legislative reforms so that the social card will be used in the social field
only. The cards used in other fields will have other numbers.
The most important achievement of the two-weak combat, however, is that the
pensioners will be able to get their pensions of 6 months which they did not
get because of the absence of social cards.

Armenpress
LINCY FOUNDATION WILL ALLOCATE $60 MILLION FOR NEW PROJECTS IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS: A press release by the Lincy Foundation
(established by an American Armenian billionaire Kirk Kerkorian) said the
Foundation announced on July 7 that it would allocate $60 million for three
new infrastructure projects selected by the Government of Armenia.
The work will commence once the necessary approvals have been obtained
and agreements between the Armenian government and The Lincy Foundation have
been signed. The Government of Armenia will implement these projects with
the assistance of The Lincy Foundation. The $60 million to be provided by
The Lincy Foundation would be used for the much-needed renovation of
schools, the upgrading of Yerevan streets, and the improvement of various
roads throughout Armenia.
The school renovation project would significantly improve the educational
environment for thousands of students who have been studying in dilapidated
school buildings for many years. The upgrading and improvement of various
city streets and roads would facilitate the movement of people and goods
throughout Armenia. These new projects follow Lincy’s successful completion
of $150 million of infrastructure renovation that included the construction
and repair of 270 miles of highways, 5 bridges, 2 tunnels, 17 major city
streets as well as the Republican Square in Yerevan, 3,674 apartments in the
earthquake zone, and 34 cultural institutions throughout Armenia. In
addition, The Lincy Foundation provided $20 million of loans to small and
medium-size businesses in Armenia.

“LET US PRESERVE OUR CULTURE” ALL-ARMENIAN FESTIVAL TO TAKE
PLACE IN ARMENIA FROM JULY TO NOVEMBER
YEREVAN, JULY 6. ARMINFO. Actions within the “Let us preserve our
culture” festival’s framework is starting July 8 and will last within
the next five months in all the regions of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.
The festival is organized by the “United nation, united culture”
Fund. As the festival organizers noted at today’s press-conference,
it will be opened solemnly in town Metsamor, Armavir region. All the
sphere of art are included in the program: art of dancing, vocal,
instrumental art, artistic-and-applied art and dramatic art. Concerts
and trade exhibitions will be organized within the festival
framework. One of the terms of the festival is to present especially
national works. Best groups and individual participants of the
festival may take part at the 2nd All-Armenian Culture Festival
“United nation, united culture”.
The festival, organized for the first time, is financed by the
individuals. Chairman of the tutorial council of the Fund Tamara
Poghosyan noted that “neither country’s government nor the ministry
for culture and youth issues assisted the festival in any ways”. The
final stage will be conducted in Yerevan in December.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 5, 2005 Tuesday 12:51 PM Eastern Time
Extremist youth grouping gets on trial in Petersburg court
By Julia Andreyeva
St PETERSBURG, July 5 – A trial over members of a youth grouping
bearing an English name of the Mad Crowd has begun in the City court
of St Petersburg.
The Mad Crowd guys are accused of attacks on foreigners out of the
motives of ethnic intolerance.
The court is hearing the case of six youngsters aged from 17 to 20
years old. Investigation has proved their involvement in five attacks
that victimized seven people, including citizens of China, Armenia
and Azerbaijan.
Law enforcers are charging the six activists of the Mad Crowd with
offenses falling under Article 217 of the Russian Criminal Code that
stipulates punishment for acts of ethnic strife.
One of the youngsters is also accused of planning a murder, and he is
kept in custody while five others are free on written recognizance
not to leave the city.
The Mad Crowd’s leader, a 20 year-old man, and his closest assistant
have been placed on an international wanted list.
“The grouping was set up in 2002, initially as a group of football
fans aiming to organize riots,” a law enforcement source said in an
interview with Itar-Tass.
“It was later joined by youngsters from an outlawed nationalistic
youth grouping called Schultz’88, some members of which had already
stood court trials, and the Mad Crowd got totally different
objectives then,” the source said.
All the attacks on foreigners were carefully planned, and the
extremists would sometimes invite spectators – the teenagers whom
they later planned to invite to the Mad Crowd.
Last October, the Prosecutor’s Office merged several criminal cases
into one and investigated them as crimes committed by an organized
grouping.
Investigators confiscated printed literature during searches, but
they did not manage to establish the printing houses where it
originated from or the people who might have financed the printing.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
June 30 2005
ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV AND
TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
[June 30, 2005, 16:11:05]
After the official welcoming ceremony, President of the Republic of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held one-on-one conversation with Prime
Minister of the Turkish Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Presidential
Palace on June 30, reported AzerTAj.
Azerbaijan’s President has once again warmly welcomed the Turkish
Prime Minister Having highly estimated Mr. Erdogan’s official visit
to Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that the
visit will be served as important impulse for further development of
the multi-facetted relationship – political, economical, cultural
cooperation between the two brotherly and friendly countries. Head of
the Azerbaijani State has thanked for Turkey’s position and its
support on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his satisfaction on
the steadily developing multi-facetted cooperation. Turkish Prime
Minister has also especially noted the cooperation between the
countries will be continued within the international organizations
frame and Azerbaijan’s fair position would have found its support
henceforth.
Also discussed at the talks were issues of mutual interest.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN VISITED MONUMENT IN HONOR OF TURKISH MARTYRS
[June 30, 2005, 14:31:21]
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 30 2005
On June 30, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited
the monument at the Alley of Martyrs that was erected in honor of
the Turkish Martyrs, reported AzerTAj.
Turkish Prime Minister was informed that here were buried 1130 Turkish
soldiers who had given their lives in 1918 fighting against the
Armenian-Bolshevik military forces those has been committed massacre
of Azerbaijanis. The monument was built by Turkish and Azerbaijani
architects. The monument on the pedestal of that has been writing names
of the heroes, was opened in 2000 by Azerbaijan and Turkey presidents.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has laid wreath on the pedestal
of monument and left a note in the Book of Memory.