Author: Varosian Antranik

SERGE SARGSIAN: ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TOCONTINUE REFORMS WITH NEW EFFORTS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 27 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving the World Bank Yerevan
Office Director, Aristomene Varudakis, on June 26, the Armenian prime
minister ,Serge Sargsian, expressed his gratitude to the World Bank
for its assistance that has helped Armenia with the development and
solution of problems since the country’s independence. According to
him, the Armenian government expects this cooperation to continue and
expand. S. Sargsian underlined that the government is determined
to continue reforms, which are stipulated in the RA National
Assembly-approved program of governmental activities for the next
five years.

A. Varudakis, in his turn, noted that it is the WB’s mission to assist
with the implementation of the government’s plan. Presenting in detail
the World Bank’s activities in Armenia and the programs related to
almost all sectors of the economy (both implemented and current),
the WB Yerevan Office director said that the current stage of the
country assistance strategy will finish in 2008, after which the
directions of cooperation in the next four years will be discussed
with the Armenian government. In the words of A. Varudakis, these
directions will be in line with the priorities of the governmental
program for the next five years.

The WB representative said that after the completion of the
two main tasks of the current 2004-2008 program, the program
on the improvement of traffic in Yerevan and the program on the
modernization of the Armenian Railway, the World Bank envisages
to continue cooperation in the social sector, particularly through
assistance to education and health care, improvement of the business
environment encouraging the economic growth, assistance with the
implementation of second-generation reforms, and the development of
the private sector and the capital market.

According to A. Varudakis, the World Bank is prepared to discuss the
indicated directions with the Armenian government and, if needs be,
to amend them. He said that in developing its programs, the World
Bank will take into account the programs of other donors operating
in Armenia.

S. Sargsian noted with satisfaction that the indicated directions
are among the priorities of the program on the Armenian government’s
activities. He expressed a hope that during the implementation of the
next 4-year WB program, the World Bank will again register an efficient
implementation of programs in cooperation with the Armenian government.

KAZAKHSTAN STARTING TALKS ON OIL TRAFFIC THROUGH BAKU-CEYHAN LINE
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
26/06/2007

Representatives of the "Kazmunaygaz" company, Kazakhstan, ended their
visits to Baku, where they held talks with the State Oil Company
of Azerbaijan.

REGNUM news agency informs that this were the first step of
implementing the intergovernmental agreement on transportation
of Kazakh oil. To be reminded, the agreement was endorsed by the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in 2006.

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
01-349230/1

Beirut, 25/06/2007

Haigazian University Baccalaureate Service 2007

"There are several areas of your life you can ruin, and if we put our heads
together we can come up with effective ways to ruin each area, including
personal health and well-being, family and friends, country and society, and
environment and world," said Rev. Nishan Bakalian, Haigazian University
Campus Minister, facetiously to the graduating class of 2007 during the
Baccalaureate Service, on Sunday, the 24th of June 2007, held in the First
Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut.

A large number of graduates and their families participated in this
ceremony, a service of dedication and thanksgiving, which began by the
graduating class walking through the church sanctuary during the
processional hymn.

The service began with a call to worship by John Sagherian, Haigazian
University Board Member, followed by a hymn of praise, "Our God, Our Help in
Ages Past", and the prayer of invocation.

In his word of welcome, the President of Haigazian University, Rev. Dr.
Paul Haidostian, invited the graduating class to pause and say thanks to
God.

"Proper preparation for life and work can never be complete and
meaningful without the proper openness before God," Haidostian noted.

Several graduates took part in the service: Rana Merhi and Sylva
Bardakjian read biblical selections, Lily Malky shared her reflections as a
student with the audience, while Shoushan Artinian on the cello and Vartan
Agopian on the piano played J.S. Bach’s "Arioso".

"How to Successfully Ruin Your Life" was the theme of the message of
the day, delivered by Rev. Nishan Bakalian, who brought the example of
"Jesus Christ who successfully ruined his life at a fairly young age, paying
the price for taking on all of what we call human sin." He also included
several examples of people who have made their modest contributions for the
betterment of Lebanon in the past year.

Rev. Bakalian concluded his speech by motivating students to follow
Jesus’ steps. "I do take Jesus and his words very seriously. I do want to
‘see the kingdom of God come with power.’ And I want to do it the right way,
even if it means being considered a ‘failure’ in the eyes of the world; by
thinking of my (as yet unconceived) grandchildren as I live my life; by
spending my energy, not entertaining myself, but doing something that
matters – to the Lord and to the world he loves. And I wish that each of you
the same – to live a ‘successfully ruined’ life, by the grace of God,"
Bakalian noted.

It is worth noting, as Rev. Robert Sarkissian, Vice-Chairman of
Haigazian’s Board stated in his introduction of the speaker, that after 7
years of unwavering service to Haigazian University as its Campus Minister,
Rev. Nishan Bakalian will be leaving Beirut, and heading back to the United
States with his wife, Maria, as Pastor of the Armenian Martyrs’
Congregational Church of Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning Sept.
1, 2007.

A prayer of dedication by President Haidostian followed, after which
Wael Bahnan and Taline Chakerian read the pledges of the graduates to carry
the light of truth, freedom & service to the world: "We, the class of 2007
of Haigazian University, in receiving this light, pledge to hold high the
light of truth, to defend the light of freedom, and to spread the light of
service to our communities, our country and our world".

While the graduates shared the flame among fellow-classmates, the
President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near
East, Rev, Megrdich Karagoezian pronounced the benediction, whereupon the
class of 2007 marched out the sanctuary with the recessional, each carrying
a light out into the world.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SETS UP COMMITTEE FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Mediamax news agency
25 Jun 07

Yerevan, 25 June: The chairman of the parliament’s standing committee
for European integration, Avet Adonts, has said in an interview with
Mediamax that "our committee has much work ahead".

Avet Adonts said that "apart from the fact that our committee is a new
structure in the National Assembly, it is yet the only official body
in Armenia in whose name the words ‘European integration’ are used".

He noted that the committee would be dealing with Armenia’s relations
with the European Union, the Council of Europe and other European
organizations, and with bringing Armenia’s legislation into line with
European standards.

Avet Adonts said that in autumn, cooperation with the European Union
would be stepped up as part of the Action Plan within the framework
of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

"This is a long-term programme which provides for bringing our
legislation closer to European standards and harmonizing it in all
directions. In this respect, we have serious and large-scale work
ahead," the chairman of the committee said in his interview with
Mediamax.

Avet Adonts noted that "we are interested in broadening political
dialogue and economic cooperation with the EU and its member states,
and we intend to develop cooperation with the European Parliament both
within the framework of the existing committee for inter-parliamentary
cooperation of Armenia and the EU, and by means of establishing direct
contacts with the committees and factions of the European Parliament".

The chairman of the committee said that the Council of Europe "is an
excellent format for lobbying the issues of importance for us".

"At the same time, one should not limit the activities of the
delegation only to the issues which directly relate to Armenia. We
should make our stance clear as to the whole spectrum of European
architecture and fully participate in the processes going on in
the Council of Europe," the chairman of the parliament’s standing
committee for European integration said.

NKR PRESIDENT MET CHAIR OF TORONTO BRANCH

Azat Artsakh Daily Newspaper, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
19-06-2007

On June 16 NKR President Arkady Ghukasian met with the chair of the
Toronto branch of Armenia Foundation Mkrtich Mkrtichian, the acting
press secretary of the NKR President reported. They discussed the
programs currently implemented by the Armenian community of Toronto,
Canada, in NKR. Arkady Ghukasian commended the contribution of the
Armenian community of Canada to the solution of the problems Artsakh
is facing, and said this cooperation is invaluable both politically
and psychologically for the social and economic development of NKR.

Regional TV project ‘Kids’ Crossroads’ continues in Armenia

arminfo
2007-06-22 13:08:00

A regional teen-produced TV project "Kids’ Crossroads" is successfully
implemented in Armenia.

Internews public organisation told ArmInfo that project is a peculiar
TV weekly on the public televisions of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Schoolchildren in Armenia have been producing a cycle of programmes
"Our Express" telling about the everyday life of teenagers in Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan for already four years. The program has
announced already the fourth selection this year. An independent
commission selected 12 of 72 applicants who will be on air throughout
the year. Six of them will participate in the Summer TV Camp in
Georgia. Internews specialists and specially invited
experts will teach them the bases of journalism. The young journalists
will produce video-reports and authors programme "Summer News." At the
camp, teenagers from Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan
will be taught social advertising, the bases of news report making. By
returning to their countries, they will continue their work there. The
TV programme "Our Express" was first on air in 2005. Now it is
broadcast once in a week on the Armenian Public Television at 10:45am
local time. In 2007, the USAID financed the project with the support of
UNICEF. Over the next two years, the British programme, GLOBAL CONFLICT
PREVENTION POOL will finance the project, the source reports.

POLITICAL SCIENTIST FORECASTS NEW WAVE OF REGIONAL MILITARIZATION

Panorama.am
14:31 16/06/2007

"The world is changing rapidly and we must be able to react swiftly,
especially, that the changes touch Armenia’s interests," Stepan
Grigoryan, a political scientist and member of Armat NGO, said at
Azdak Club.

Grigoryan referred to tense relations between Russia and the
West connected with suspension of general armaments agreement by
Russia. The contract envisages certain restrictions in armament,
which also concern the three Transcaucasian states. In case Russia
really halts its membership, it would mean "we must expect a new
wave of militarization in the region," Grigoryan said. The political
scientist says in case Russia indirectly supports Azerbaijan in
armament, Azerbaijan will obviously increase the number of its arms,
which must be concerning for the Armenian authorities.

Meeting at NKR Permanent Representation to Armenia

16-06-2007 10:35:58 – KarabakhOpen

Karlen Avetisyan, permanent representative of Nagorno-Karabakh, met
with the fact-finding mission of the Caucasian-Caspian commission
visiting the region at the NKR Permanent Representation to Armenia.

George Reed, a member of the mission, said in telling about the purpose
of the civil initiative that soon the commission will release a report
on the settlement of conflicts in the South Caucasus, as well as the
participation of the EU in the regional processes.

At the request of the guests Karlen Avetisyan presented the stance of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on the developments regarding the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict. He said hopefully the EU will contribute to
the settlement of the conflicts and reconciliation of peoples in this
region, the press service of the NKR Permanent Representation to
Armenia reported.

PRESIDNET OF GREECE TO VISIT ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
14.06.2007 18:15

At the invitation of RA President Robert Kocharyan, June 26-28 the
President of the Republic of Greece Karolos Papulias will arrive in
Armenia on a state visit with his spouse.

The delegation headed by the President of Greece will comprise
the Minister of Interior Affairs, Public Administration and
Decentralization Prokopis Pavlopulos, Depty Foreign Minister Teodoros
Kasimis, other senior officials and businessmen.

SARKOZY FIRM ON RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The Daily Star, Lebanon
June 16 2007

French President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated Friday his support for the
recognition of the Armenian genocide. "I believe the recognition of
the genocide by Turkey is a moral responsibility. You can be certain
that I will continue to speak out and work on this issue with full
commitment," he said in a letter to the Armenian Orthodox Catholicos
of the House of Cicilia, Aram I Keshishian. Sarkozy also reiterated
France’s support for Lebanon. "In the name of the French-Lebanese,
centuries-old friendship that binds the two countries together, France
will always defend Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and integrity."