Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

NEITHER ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S NOR S.SARGSIAN’S SCENARIO TO COME TRUE IN 2008, ANM BOARD MEMBER IS SURE

Noyan Tapan
Jan 16 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. In the case of success of the
Armenian National Movement (ANM) party in the coming parliamentary
elections, the party "will secure as much as possible a favourable
field for its President’s candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian’s active
political activity." Aram Manukian, a member of the ANM board stated
about it in the interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent.

In his words, RA President Robert Kocharian, as the first person
of the country, will attempt to independently "appoint" the next
President. "And as in a year R.Kocharian will not be official
person number one in Armenia, RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian who
has his mafiosi group and big financial possibilities, will think
why he himself can not be that "appointing" person," A.Manukian
said. But, in the ANM board member’s opinion, neither R.Kocharian’s
nor S.Sargsian’s "scenarios" will not come true in 2008, the year of
president’s elections.

A.Manukian also mentioned that there are many bases for arising
conflicts between the President and the Defence Minister. That’s why,
in A.Manukian’s words, pro-governmental parties, particularly the
"Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia) party, postpone as much as
possible holding of their congresses, striving to orient till it who
of them to support.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Father 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: "THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
NEEDS FRESH AIR"

Receiving a high-ranking delegation from the Presbyterian Church in the USA,
His Holiness Aram I said: "The ecumenical movement cannot ignore the new
environment in which our churches are called to witness to our common Lord.
Ecumenism is essentially a movement, it must interact with its changing
milieu. The institutional ecumenism in its present state lacks the inner
power to respond to the challenges of changing times. The transformation of
ecumenism is an urgent necessity".

Speaking about the need for the transformation of ecumenism Catholicos Aram
I, who has served the World Council of Churches for two successive terms (15
years) as Moderator of the Central and Executive Committees, said: "The
transformation of the ecumenical movement must start with people. We need
qualified, visionary and committed people, firmly dedicated to the
ecumenical cause. We need young people, men and women, who, with their new
perspectives and fresh thoughts, can bring freshness to the aging ecumenism.
Transformation of ecumenism also entails new priorities, new approaches and
new ecumenical culture".

The delegation was lead by Reverend Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of
the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and it
included:
– Ms. Linda Valentine, Executive Director of the General Assembly Council
– Reverend Dr. (Ms.) Allison Seed, Chairperson of the General Assembly
Council
– Rev. Dr. Victor Makari, Area Coordinator for the Middle East
– Ms. Sara Lisherness, Director, Peace and Justice Program Unit
– Mr. Douglas Dicks, Regional Liaison to Israel, Palestine and Jordan

Also the situation in the Middle East was discussed during the meeting. In
response to some concerns and questions, His Holiness shared with the
delegation his own evaluation of the prevailing situation in the Middle
East.

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View the photo here:
*****
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.

GARNIK MARGARIAN: IN CASE OF OPPOSITION’S PASSIVITY CRIME WILL SEIZE
POWER IN COUNTRY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. "None of attempts of the opposition
to change the situation in the country were crowned with success last
year. I estimate the political year of 2006 as a year of opposition’s
bad work." Garnik Margarian, Chairman of the Homeland and Honor Party,
declared this in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent. He
regretted to say that in 2006 like in 2005 the opposition did not
manage to consolidate, to which in his opinion, ambitions of some
politicians and their incapacity to go beyond the limits of narrow
party interests impeded.

At the same time, G.Margarian said that the opposition has done much
within the framework of anti-criminal movement. "To some extent the
opposition managed to break the situation. True, we are far from
declaring about achieving success in fighting crime." In his opinion,
the Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party, RPA and the
People’s Party of Tigran Karapetian "prepare a criminal coup in the
country."

G.Margarian supposed that the year 2007 will be a year of sudden
changes. However, in case of passivity of opposition forces, unless
they are organized and consolidated, in G.Margarian’s opinion, crime
will seize the power in the country or power shift will take place
within the power itself as this happened once in 1998.

Associated Press Worldstream
January 10, 2007 Wednesday 11:26 PM GMT

Democratic senator again blocks nomination of envoy to Armenia

A Democratic senator on Wednesday again blocked the nomination of a
career diplomat to be U.S. ambassador to Armenia and urged the Bush
administration to submit another candidate.

Sen. Robert Menendez placed a hold on the nomination of Richard
Hoagland for the second time because of Hoagland’s refusal to call
the World War I-era killings of Armenians genocide.

A hold on nominations is a parliamentary privilege accorded to U.S.
senators.

Menendez said that "the State Department and the Bush administration
are just flat-out wrong in their refusal to recognize the Armenian
genocide. It is well past time to drop the euphemisms, the wink-wink,
nod-nod brand of foreign diplomacy that overlooks heinous atrocities
around the world."

Hoagland’s predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty
as ambassador to Armenia cut short because, in a social setting, he
referred to the killings as genocide.

Menendez blocked Hoagland’s nomination after he refused to use the
word genocide at his confirmation hearing in June.

The Bush administration resubmitted Hoagland’s name Tuesday because
it effectively expired at the end of the previous Congress in
December.

The administration has warned that even a congressional debate on the
genocide question could damage relations with Turkey, a moderate
Muslim nation that is a NATO member and an important strategic ally.

Turkey has adamantly denied claims by scholars that its predecessor
Ottoman state killed Armenians in a planned genocide.

‘FROZEN CONFLICTS’ AMONG OSCE’S CHALLENGES – NEW CHAIRMAN SAYS

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Jan 11 2007

Among the challenges needing the OSCE’s attention are the so-called
"frozen conflicts" in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh, the
new OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos, said while addressing the organization’s Permanent Council
in Vienna on January 11.

"In each of these disputes, walls have been built up, dividing peoples,
and these walls must be torn down. To achieve a sustainable solution,
we must intervene now to provide a solid basis for progress," he said.

In his speech Miguel Angel Moratinos outlined the fight against
terrorism, protecting the environment, encouraging participation
in pluralistic societies and strengthening the OSCE’s role as top
priorities of the organization for 2007.

The Spanish Foreign Minister holds the rotating OSCE chairmanship
for 2007, following in the footsteps of Belgium Foreign Minister
Karel De Gucht in 2006. The latter put solving frozen conflicts in
former Soviet states and tackling organized crime as the OSCE’s top
priorities for 2006.

PRESS RELEASE
"Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Anush Babayan
Tel: 3741 52 09 40
Fax: 3741 52 37 95
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

11.01.07

Telepthon – 2007 is Ahead

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has clarified the projects that will be
implemented in the Hadrout region of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic with
funds raised at the Telethone – 2006. It has embarked on it appraisal
process already. Construction tenders have been announced within this
project, including one for rehabilitation of the water supply system in
Hadrout.

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is currently preparing for its annual
meeting of the Board of Trustees that is to take place on May 8, 2007.
The board will define the project for which funds will be raised at the
forthcoming Telethone.

ARMENIAN ARMY IS 15
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
09.01.2007 16:12

After the 1988 events in Sumgayit it was quite clear that reliance
on Soviet Armed Forces was simply naïve. Once again experiencing
the cruelty of genocide, the Armenian nation understood that if it
does not defend itself, it cannot rely on anyone else. It was then
when the first divisions were formed.

Certainly, then it was not army, it was the start of something very
important.

"In 1990, when I was Prime Minister, we still comprised part of the
Soviet Union and we could not declare we are creating an independent
Armenian army, therefore we took this cunning step: there were armed
divisions within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We recruited
employees of the structure who had gained skill during military
actions. In fact, within the official structure of the Interior
Ministry we started laying the first seeds of our army," remembers
Vazgen Manukyan, former Defense Minister.

This can be considered the start of the Armenian army. In 1991 the
first Defense Committee was created. Vhan Shirkhanyan was appointed
Chairman of the Committee.

Parallel to political transformations, step by step the Armenian army
was being shaped. Vazgen Manukyan says that from the very beginning
they had the view of our today’s army.

Divisions created by volunteers having military experience were
participating in military actions and struggling against the enemy at
the front, while on the rear the new army was being formed. "We were
trying not to involve these 18-year-old guys in military actions for
our army to have the opportunity to proceed and develop. Actually,
we had two armies, one of which was fighting, while the other one
was at the stage of formation," says Vazgen Manukyan.

"Willed with love for army and with future anticipations many gave
their strength and even life. Many became more familiar than they
deserved. Some remained in the shadow. What we have today is the army
created by all of us, it was not created by one particular person,"
Vazgen Manukyan said and added, "We have a rather experienced
structure, but I hope that we’ll never have the necessity to test
its strength in military actions.

–Boundary_(ID_DqIGodV5cF0iEo4yhJPJzA)–

Waterloo Record, Canada
Jan 6 2006

Christmas comes but twice a year

Orthodox and eastern-rite faiths are celebrating this weekend

MIRKO PETRICEVIC

PHOTO:
MIRKO PETRICEVIC, RECORD STAFF
Rev. Gomidas Panossian stands in the sanctuary at Soorp Nishan
Armenian Apostolic Church in Cambridge where he will be conducting
three masses this weekend. Armenians celebrate Christmas today. Other
Orthodox churches observe Christmas tomorrow.

WATERLOO REGION (Jan 6, 2007)

While most Christian clergy can take a breather after the busy
Christmas season, Rev. Gomidas Panossian’s workload is just reaching
its peak.

Last night he planned to conduct mass at the Soorp Nishan Armenian
Apostolic Church in Cambridge, where he serves as pastor.

Today he is serving mass. Tomorrow, another mass. And during the next
month he will visit about 100 homes where he will bless parishioners’
water, bread and salt, as per tradition.

No matter, he said in an interview earlier this week.

"It’s our job. No problem. We’re ready all the time."

About half-a-dozen congregations in Waterloo Region are celebrating
Christmas this weekend.

Armenians celebrate today. Other eastern-rite churches mark the birth
of Jesus tomorrow.

Orthodox and eastern-rite churches in the region include Armenian,
Serbian, Coptic (Egyptian Christians), Ethiopian, Ukrainian-Catholic
and Ukrainian-Greek congregations.

Although most churches in the West follow a calendar refined by Pope
Gregory XIII in the 16th century, many eastern churches observe holy
days according to the Julian calendar, which was commanded by Roman
dictator Julius Caesar in 46 BC.

Not all Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas this weekend. Some,
like most western churches, mark Christmas on Dec. 25.

Priests aren’t the only busy people this week. Many lay people —
choir directors and other volunteers — are scrambling to organize
family dinners or church celebrations.

Nick Skomorowski, 86, helped erect the Christmas tree at the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Sophia in Waterloo earlier this
week.

Mary, his wife, had already started preparing a meal for their five
children and eight grandchildren planned for tomorrow.

But Christmas this year is a bit more relaxed than in other years
because it falls on a Sunday.

In years that it falls on a weekday, some people have to cut back on
the celebrations and continue to go to work, Nick Skomorowski said.

"You can’t just drop it. You have to go to work."

In years when Christmas falls on a weekday, there are fewer
volunteers available to help get the church ready for Christmas, said
Mike Buzadzija, longtime member of Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox
Church in Kitchener.

But there’s always enough help to get the church and dining hall
prepared for tonight’s Christmas Eve mass and communal supper, he
said.

The Waterloo man has been busy all week helping put on the
festivities.

On Tuesday, Buzadzija drove to a friend’s property in Goderich and
collected a van-load of oak branches.

Children from the church’s folklore dance troupe tied the branches
and strands of straw into hundreds of little bundles. Parishioners
will take them home after tonight’s service.

Volunteers shuffled tables and chairs in the church hall for
tonight’s dinner of fish, beans and bread.

Tonight, Buzadzija and three other men will brew a special Serbian
tea made of plum brandy and boiled water mixed with a bit of sugar.

As parishioners file from the church into the dining hall tonight,
most will take a cup of the special tea which is only made on
Christmas Eve, he said.

"That’s the old tradition," he said. "It’s to keep you more warm this
evening — usually it’s cold (outdoors)."

ABC30.com, CA
Jan 2 2007

Armenian Genocide Survivors Have More Time for Lawsuits

1/2/2007 – Survivors of the Armenian genocide and their heirs now
have more time to file lawsuits to recover lost assets. The victims
and their heirs have so far recovered nearly 40 million dollars from
insurance companies.

The money is from the policies of those killed in the genocide
between 1915 and 1923. A new state law extends the statute of
limitations for such lawsuits for another ten years. Survivors will
now have more time to recover what’s rightfully theirs.
Barlow DerMugrdechian, Armenian Studies Advisor, says, "It’s a very
important case because there are now some new instances coming to
light where the ottoman Turks stole property from the Armenians who
they exiled eventually murdered and then deposited those in European
banks."

The new law primarily targets two German banks.

Lawyers say they may be able to recover millions of dollars, for
thousands of Armenians in California.

State Senator Chuck Poochigian of Fresno helped pass the measure in
Sacramento.

section=local&id=4899581

New details in the case against Jirair Sefilian and Vardan Malkhasyan

ArmRadio.am
29.12.2006 15:30

Press Center of RA National Security Service told `Radiolur’ that in
the result of operative-investigative measures undertaken by the
National Security Service, an unprecedented number of weapons was
revealed in the house of Vahan Aroyan, resident of Lusarat village in
Ararat Marz, during the search organized in the framework of the
criminal case launched against leaders of the ` Unity of Armenian
volunteers’ organization Jirair Sefilian and Vardan Malkhasyan.

Press Center of the National Security Service informs that Vahan
Aroyan was detained, the investigation of the criminal case continues.