Author: Tvankchian Parkev

AMERICAN-ARMENIAN BENEFACTOR JIRAYR HOVNANIAN HAS DIED

Noyan Tapan
Aug 17, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. American-Armenian benefactor Jirayr
Hovnanian died at the age of 80 in his Mountain Laurel house in the
United States of America on August 14.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, Robert Kocharian, the RA President, sent
a letter of condolence to the Hovnanians.

The letter of condolence runs as follows:

"I learnt about the death of Jirayr Hovnanian with great sorrow.

Jirayr Hovnanian, being the representative of the benefactor
Hovnanians, was a deserving continuer of Armenian charitable
traditions, who promoted a productive activity both in his homeland
and in the Diaspora.

I present my condolences to the Hovnanians and their relatives."

Arkadi Ghukasian, the President of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh,
has also sent a letter of condolence to the family of famous benefactor
Jirayr Hovnanian on the occasion of the latter’s death. The letter
of condolence says:

"I learnt about the death of Jirayr Hovnanian, a devoted son of the
Armenian people and a great friend of Artsakh with great sorrow.

Being far from his historical homeland, he, nevertheless, managed to
completely donate his rich experience and patriotic vigour to the
provision of the economic progress of Armenia and Artsakh and the
welfare of the Armenian people.

The memory of this true patriot will always be bright in the
recollection of all the Armenian people.

Accept my sincere condolence and support at this hard moment of sorrow
for your family and for all of us.

I wish you patience and courage of soul."

Jirayr Hovnanian was born in an Armenian refugee family in the city
of Kirkuk in Iraq. He immigrated into the United States of America in
1948. In 1952 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He
founded J.S. Hovnanian & Sons construction company in 1968, which
has built over six thousand buildings mainly in Burlington, Camden,
and Gloucester during the past 40 years. Jirayr Hovnanian was granted
the Ellis Island medal of honor in 2006 for his services rendered
to America.

MINISTER ASSESSES POSITIVELY PROCESS OF ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 17, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Throughout the process of entrance
examinations, the examination commissions kept using the same
standards and principles, the RA minister of education and science
Levon Mkrtchian stated at the August 17 press conference, assessing
positively the examination process. According to him, the number of
appeals declined notably as compared with last year.

L. Mkrtchian said that this year almost all competitive scores
(scores allowing students to enter the chosen higher educational
institution) were lower. In his words, this is mainly conditioned
by the fact that considerable part of entrants received medium
scores. Thus, the competitive scores were lower by 4-5 points
in natural science specialities, by 3 points – in the speciality
"International Relations", by 2 points – in "Political Science",
and by 2.5 points – in "Law".

The minister noted that entrance examinations passed successfully
in marzes (regions) as well where the number of entrants with good
scores who have failed to enter is not large.

L. Mkrtchian said that this year 100 paid and free educational places
and 870 places without the right of postponement were added.

2.5THND SPORTSMEN FROM 94 WORLD CITIES TO TAKE PART IN PAN-ARMENIAN GAMES

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug 16 2007

YEREVAN, August 16. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian,
who is the honorable chairman of Pan-Armenian Games Committee, speaking
Thursday at the committee’s meeting, said that 2.5thnd sportsmen from
94 world cities will take part in the fourth games.

"This is the record number of participants in the games. Sportsmen
from 64 cities have participated in the third games. This year’s
number proves our success", Oskanian said.

He said that the Pan-Armenian Games play a major part in Armenia’s
relations with Armenian communities worldwide and one of the most
successful nationwide events.

The first Pan-Armenian games were held in 1999, the second in 2001
and the third in 2003. A brown bear is chosen as the games’ symbol.

AZERBAIJANI MILITARY CAPTIVE WROTE SECOND LETTER

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 13 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. Zarbaliyeva / Anar Aliyev, the resident
of Azerbaijani Terter region, has written a second letter to his
relatives. Maarif Aliyev, the father of Anar Aliyev, has stated that
the Azerbaijani representative of the ICRC has submitted the letter to
them. Aliyev had not made any complaint on his health and he reported
that he had received the first letter.

Aliyev Anar was arrested on 2 August by Armenian Armed Forces.

Mammadov Ashraf was arrested on 24 December 2006.

Elmira Suleymanova, the ombudswoman, appealed to the President of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger,
regarding the release of the Azerbaijanis captured by Armenian
Armed Forces.

REPRESENTATIVE TEAM OF ARMENIA DEFEATS THAT OF ANDORRA IN SECOND STAGE
OF GROUP IV TOURNAMENT OF EUROPEAN/AFRICAN ZONE OF DAVIS CUP TOURNAMENT

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The games of the second stage were
held in the Group IV tournament of the European/African zone of the
Davis Cup Tournament in Yerevan on August 9. Among Armenian tennis
players Ashot Gevorgian was defeated and Haroutiun Sofian gained a
victory in the solo game during the meeting with the team of Andorra.
In the couple game the Hayk Zohranian – Haroutiun Sofian couple
defeated the Andorrians with the following scores: 5:7, 7:5, and 8:6.

The Chernogoria – Rwanda competition finished with the advantage of the
first.

August 10 is a day-off for the Armenian representative team. In the
following stages the Armenian representative team will compete with
those of Botswana and Chernogoria. It should also be mentioned that
irrespective of the outcomes of these meetings, the Armenian tennis
players have already provided themselves with the right of being
included in the Group 3.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug 10 2007

ARF youth congress discusses problem of youth in Armenia, Diaspora

YEREVAN, August 10. /ARKA/. The participants in the 10th all-Armenian
congress of the youth wing of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) (ARF) discussed problems of young people in Armenia
and in the Diaspora.

The ARF representative, Advisor to the RA Minister of Education and
Science Nvard Minasyan reported that the goal of the discussion is to
draw the Government’s attention to the resolution of young people’s
problems.

`Young people must be afforded the opportunity to get involved in
social processes, state construction for them to show their
individuality,’ she said.

According to Manasyan, the congress participants are to discuss the
major problems facing Armenian young people, particularly problems of
education, healthcare, employment, with special importance to be
attached to the family’s role.

`The fundamental problem now is to ensure the succession of
generations, as an overwhelming majority of Armenia’s citizens are 35
years old and were brought up and educated in the Soviet time, which
is radically different from the present day,’ she said. Manasyan
pointed out that young people can contribute to the resolution of the
problems thereby ensuring public unity.

In his turn, the ARF member Sevak Gasparyan reported that the
discussions can facilitate the creation of `a healthy and
constructive atmosphere in the Diaspora’, which is beneficial for
Armenia. He pointed out that the ARF’s priority activity is to ensure
ties between the Homeland and the Diaspora and to use the latter’s
potential.

The 10th all-Armenian congress of the ARF youth wing was opened in
Yerevan on August 9, 2007. Among the participants are about 100 young
people aged 19-24 from 13 countries. The participants are discussing
various issues, particularly the prospects for Armenia’s economic
development, major problems of Armenian young people and the Armenian
Cause. P.T. -0–

RA FM: CLOSE AND FRIENDLY RELATIONS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND IRAN SINCE DECLARATION OF RA INDEPENDENCE

arminfo
2007-08-09 13:02:00

Close and friendly relations have been established between Armenia and
Iran since declaration of RA independence. These relations prepared
a basis for implementation of joint projects in different spheres,
RA FM Vardan Oskanyan told "Huys" ("Hope") newspaper issued in Iran.

He said that efficient steps were made over the past years in the
direction of implementation of projects of mutual importance. The
minister recalled that solemn opening of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
was held on August 19 with participation of Presidents of Armenia
and Iran Robert Kocharyan and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The same
day, the two countries’ Energy Ministers signed an Agreement on
construction of hydropower plants on Arax river and cooperation on
their operation. Other programmes of cooperation in energy are also
discussed at present. "Undoubtedly, the Armenian-Iranian cooperation is
rather voluminous and is not limited to the energy sphere only. The
active and efficient cooperation is also developed in transport,
trade, agriculture, science, education and culture", RA FM said. He
recalled that the intergovernmental commission on coordination of the
Armenian-Iranian relations carries out a rather efficient work as well.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region

104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200

Glendale, California 91206

Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353

[email protected]

PRES S RELEASE
: August 9, 2007

Contact: Haig Hovsepian

Tel: (818) 500-1918

Hacob Shirvanian To Be Honored At ANC-Western Region Banquet

Los Angeles, CA – Longtime community activist and Armenian National
Committee supporter Hacob Shirvanian will be honored with the ANC Legacy
Award at the organization’s banquet this fall. The honor is among the
organization’s highest awards and is being granted to Shirvanian for his
decades of support for the ANC. The banquet, which is set to be a sold out
event, will be held on September 30th at the Universal Sheraton in Los
Angeles.

"We are proud to be honoring Hacob Shirvanian," remarked ANC-Western Region
Chairman Raffi Hamparian. "As someone who spent over three decades on a
number of prestigious state boards, Hacob has shown, by example, that
Armenian Americans need to be engaged in politics. We are pleased that
Hacob, who has supported the ANC’s work and mission his entire life, will be
receiving the ANC Legacy Award," Hamparian added.

Hacob Shirvanian was born in Tabriz, Iran in 1923. He is the son of a
family that played a prominent role in the defense of Van during the
Armenian Genocide. As a youth, Hacob’s first interaction with America was
serving as a translator for American forces in Tehran during World War II.
Following the war, he opened a jewelry shop and married Mina Der
Hovanessian, his wife of over 60 years. To this day, Hacob and Mina are
actively engaged in any number of Armenian organizations.

Arriving in America in 1956, Shirvanian moved to Los Angeles after a brief
stay in Springfield, Massachusetts. After securing a job as a machinist in
southern California, he would later join his brother Kosti and sister Savey
in a waste management business based in Gardena, California. That company,
over time, would grow to become one of the largest waste management
companies in California.

Since his first days in the United States, Hacob was actively engaged in the
Armenian American community. He began his involvement as a member and later
as chairman of the Van Compatriotic Union in Los Angeles. Hacob served as
the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ferrahian School while his
wife Mina assumed the role of PTA President for 3 years. Together, they
played an important role in building the strong foundation of the Ferrahian
School.

Some years later he would join and begin his lifelong involvement with the
Armenian Educational Foundation. As Chairman of this organization,
Shirvanian helped to provide support for Armenian schools in Beirut, Cyprus,
Iran and later on was instrumental in establishing a network of Armenian
private schools operating under the auspices of the Prelacy of the Western
United States. Over the past ten years, Shirvanian has made a number of
philanthropic donations to rebuild or construct new schools in
Nagorno-Karabagh (Stepanakert, Lachin and Kelbajar) and in Javakh, which is
in the southern portion of the Republic of Georgia.

Hacob Shirvanian has the distinction of having been the longest serving
Armenian American on state commissions in California. In 1973 he was
appointed by then-Governor Ronald Reagan to the State Solid Waste Management
Board where he served for 12 years. In a strong display of his bipartisan
credentials, Shirvanian would go on to be appointed to a number of other
state commissions by Governors Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian, Grey Davis
and Pete Wilson. Additionally, Shirvanian was appointed to California’s
Small Business Administration Board by Governor Deukmejian. During this
period, Shirvanian consistently leveraged his relationships with senior
government officials to advance the concerns of Armenian Americans in the
State of California.

For more information, contact ANC-WR Banquet Coordinator Felicia
Garver at (818) 500-1918.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the
Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated
organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

ELECTION LEAVES LEBANESE CHRISTIANS DEEPLY DIVIDED

Kuwait Times, Kuwait
Aug 7 2007

BEIRUT: The deadlocked struggle between the pro-US government and
mainly Shiite opposition deepened after a tense parliamentary election
showed a sharp divide among Christians, a key swing bloc.

That deadlock was reinforced when pro-government candidate Amin
Gemayel, a former president and the head of one of Lebanon’s most
powerful Maronite Christian families, conceded defeat Monday by a
mere 418 votes in Sunday’s election in the Christian stronghold of
Metn north of Beirut.

The victor was little-known Kamil Khoury, who was backed by the most
prominent Christian leader in the pro-Syrian opposition, Michel Aoun.

Khoury took 39,534 votes to Gemayel’s 39,116. The result "reaffirms
the existing stalemate," said Rami Khoury, an analyst with the Issam
Fares think tank at the American University of Beirut. "It shows
a very polarized Christian community." Sunnis are the base for the
ruling coalition, which opposes Syrian influence.

Shiite Muslims, led by Hezbollah, overwhelmingly back the pro-Syrian
opposition. Neither side has been able to decisively lure the
Christians, around a third of Lebanon’s 4 million people, to their
camp. Many fear the deepening stalemate may lead to the formation
of competing governments if it is not resolved before the race to
replace pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, whose term ends Nov. 23.

Under Lebanon’s division of power among its sects, the presidency must
be held by a Maronite Christian chosen parliament. Now, no Maronite
leader can boost his bid among lawmakers by claiming to represent the
entire community. Prime Minister Fuad Saniora’s backers are hoping
to finally put in place an anti-Syrian figure in the presidency to
strengthen their power. They rose to control the government after
Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon in 2005, ending Damascus’
decadeslong control of Lebanon.

But the political struggle with the Hezbollah-led opposition has
sapped the anti-Syrian movement’s power and paralyzed the government.

Gemayel’s loss is a setback for his potential as a candidate. Aoun
has said he will stand for the presidency. But the slimness of Kamil
Khoury’s victory Sunday damages his patron Aoun’s attempts to present
himself as the top Christian politician. "Aoun is still a formidable
figure but cannot really present himself as the leading Maronite
figure anymore.

That’s probably the single most significant element in the election,"
said Rami Khoury, the analyst. Gemayel, 65, was running in his
home district with an implicit endorsement by the powerful Maronite
patriarch. He was seeking to replace his son, Pierre Gemayel, who
was gunned down in November in an attack that government supporters
blamed on Syria. Gemayel got more of the Maronite vote than his rival-
75 percent, according to press reports. But Aoun’s candidate made up
for it by winning other Christians’ votes.

Gemayel supporters blamed his loss on the large ethnic Armenian
community in the Metn district and said Kamil Khoury was not
representative of the Maronites, who form a majority in the district
and are the largest Christian sect in Lebanon. Armenians are largely
Catholic or Orthodox Christian. Another election Sunday was to replace
lawmaker Walid Eido, a Sunni Muslim who was killed in a June car
bombing there. A pro-government candidate, Mohammed Al-Amin Itani,
won that race easily.

RUSSIA’S DIAMOND GIANT ALROSA TO LAUNCH ARMENIA JEWELRY BUSINESS

RusData Dialine – BizEkon News
August 7, 2007 Tuesday

Russia’s largest diamond producer ALROSA could launch a jewelry
business in Armenia, the company’s president said on August 6.

The government of Armenia and ALROSA, which accounts for 97 percent of
Russia’s raw diamond production and for 25 percent of global output,
signed on August 6 in Yerevan an agreement on cooperation in the
jewelry and diamond- cutting sectors.

"The Russian jewelry market has huge vacant niches and we do not
rule out the possibility of utilizing the capacities of Armenian
jewelry enterprises for the placement of orders," Sergei Vybornov,
ALROSA’s president, said.