Author: Vasilian Manouk

September 7, 2007

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Website: <;

PRELATE TO CELEBRATE DIVINE LITURGY AT

THE CRESCENTA VALLEY PARISH

On Sunday, September 16, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. According to our church calendar
a week-long fast takes place preceding each tabernacle feast. Thus, Sunday,
September 9 is the eve of the Fast of the Holy Cross.

On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will
celebrate Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at the Armenian Apostolic
Church of Crescenta Valley. Following the services, the Prelate will
preside over the opening ceremony of the building adjoining the church. The
hall will be utilized by the youth group and for Sunday School activities.

PRELATE TO ATTEND HAMAZKAYIN FUNDRAISER

On the evening of Saturday, September 8, a fundraising event will take place
organized by the Hamazkayin Regional Executive and hosted by Mr. and Mrs.
Sarkis and Becky Berberian.

The Prelate will attend the event and will convey his
commendation to the Executive as well as his best wishes for the successful
realization of their future endeavors.

DIVINE LITURGY AT THE PRELACY CHAPEL

On the evening of Saturday, September 15, Divine Liturgy will be celebrated
at the Prelacy St. Dertad and St. Ashkhen Chapel. The service will begin at
6:30 p.m.

The Prelate will preside over Liturgy, which will be celebrated by Rev.
Hrant Yeretsian, pastor of Forty Martyrs Church in Orange County. The
Prelate will also deliver the sermon.

PRELACY SCHOOLS COMMENCE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR

On the morning of Wednesday, September 6, Prelacy schools commenced the
2007-2008 academic year with traditional opening ceremonies and prayers led
by our pastors.

H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, accompanied by St. Mary’s
pastors Rev. Gomidas Torossian and Rev. Ardag Demirjian, attended and
participated in the opening of Vahan and Anoush Chamlian School. Also in
attendance was Board of Regents representative Mr. George Chorbajian, and
education committee representative Mrs. Aline Babayan.

On this occasion, the Prelate conveyed his message to the
students in which he reminded the students that H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia, has declared 2007 the Year of the Armenian
Language, urging them to coordinate various events to celebrate our
language.

Principal Mr. Vazken Madenlian, Vice-Principal Mrs. Rita
Kaprielian, and Mrs. Aline Babayan also delivered their remarks to the
students.

Parish pastors visited other Prelacy schools where they led
prayer services and conveyed the Prelate’s back to school message to the
students and administrators. Prelacy Christian Education Department
Co-Director Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian participated in the opening
ceremony of Mesrobian High School in Montebello.

The Prelate was also in telephone contact with all the
principals and directors of our schools and pre-schools to offer his
blessings and wishes for a successful year.

SEMINAR FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL DIRECTORS AND TEACHERS

In keeping with tradition, all Prelacy Sunday Schools will resume classes on
Sunday, September 16, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In
preparation for the new school year, a one-day seminar has been organized
for Sunday School directors and teachers.

The seminar is taking place under the auspices of the Prelate and will be
led by Christian Education Co-Director Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian. It
will be held at the "Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian" Hall from 4:00 to
6:00 p.m.

BIBLE STUDY SESSIONS RESUME IN PRELACY PARISHES

Following summer break, Bible Study sessions have resumed in our parishes.
The sessions are led by Prelacy Christian Education Department Directors
Very Rev. Fathers Muron Aznikian and Barthev Gulumian and pastors.

There are also sessions led by Mr. Krikor Misserlian and the
Armenian Ecclesiastical Brotherhood in most parishes.

Please contact your local church office for further details.

FRENCH SOCIALIST PARTY HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED INITIATIVES REGARDING ARMENIA’S INTERESTS, PARTY LEADER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Sep 6, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to development of
Armenian-French relations were discussed at the September 6 meeting of
RA President Robert Kocharian and the First Secretary of the French
Socialist Party, Francois Holland, who has arrived in Armenia on
a cognitive visit. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the President’s
Press Office, they also touched upon the regional developments,
issues regarding Armenia-Turkey relations at the meeting.

R. Kocharian said that Armenian-French traditional friendly relations
become stronger year by year and involve new spheres of cooperation. In
that respect he welcomed the contacts established between Armenian
and French political forces, in particular, the efficient cooperation
established between the ARFD and the French Socialist Party.

In his turn, F. Holland said that their party has always supported
initiatives regarding Armenia’s interests and is ready to contribute
to implementation of new programs and proposals aimed at development
of cooperation between the two countries.

Groups backing Armenian genocide resolution

Published: 09/06/2007

An Armenian American group has lined up an array of Jewish groups to
back a congressional resolution recognizing the Ottoman-era genocide.

The Armenian National Committee of America had garnered the support of
at least 12 groups by Thursday including the Union of Reform Judaism,
Americans for Peace Now, the Zionist Organization of America and the
Progressive Jewish Alliance.

The effort comes in the wake of the Anti-Defamation League backing
down last month and recognizing the 1915-16 massacres as "tantamount
to genocide" after a number of Massachusetts towns threatened to cut
off the ADL because it refused to recognize the genocide.

The resolution, introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a Jewish
congressman with a substantial Armenian American community, has
majority support in the U.S. House of Representatives but has yet to
come to a vote. A number of Jewish groups including the ADL had
quietly opposed its passage, saying it could harm Turkey-Israel
relations and jeopardize the Jewish community in Turkey.

Source:

ARTISTS’ UNION OF ARMENIA CELEBRATES ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY
By Ilona Kamalian, Translated by Anoush

AZG Armenian Daily #160
05/09/2007

An important cultural event is to take place in Yerevan. The renovated
building of RA Artists’ Union will soon open with new exhibition
hall to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the union. Karen Aghamian,
chairman of RA Artists’ Union, said that already in 2-3 months the
union will open its exhibition halls for the art -lovers.

According to Aghamian, at present, positive developments are being
observed, including the realization of the union’s renovation
program. In the course of the last few years, the union enlarged
its activities, in particular, became a member of International Art
Union at UNESCO. Armenia has already participated in the All-European
conferences of the union in Moscow and Istanbul, as well as in Athens
and Peking. In Peking they discussed the means of transportation of
works of art in the conditions of globalization. The transportation
of the works of art should be ruled by international regulation.

Every year, the International Union of Artists’ Union holds
exhibitions, where Armenia is provided with 50 square meters of
exhibition halls.

Aghamian isn’t very encouraged by the current situation of Fine Arts
in Armenia. He said that about 100 of 1000 members of RA Artists’
Union have left the country.

Many painters sell fake pictures instead of genuine art. Only
authority experts in art can judge the pieces of art and include the
best ones in the exhibitions of the union. Here, the art lovers can
make their choice.

Today RA Artists’ Union organizes various exhibitions for free. Last
year, a retrospective exhibition of Armenia based painters was held
in Stepanakert.

Earlier, the Union organized the exhibition of Armenian painters from
Artsakh, Javakhk and Goris in Yerevan.

But, anyway, RA Artists’ Union still needs the support of state
bodies. RA Law on Creative Unions is likely to solve some of the
problems for painters. One of such problems is the tax on property
that has been increased by 690 times. The high prices for territories
force the artists leave their studios.

"The state should be farsighted. Irresponsible policy in the cultural
sphere may cause spiritual and cultural decline. Such values are hard
to restore than the material ones," Mr. Aghamian underscored.

IRAN AND ARMENIA TO BOOST CULTURAL COOPERATION

Mehr News Agency
Sept 4 2007
Iran

TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (MNA) — Armenia’s Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan
visited her Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi during
a meeting here on September 3.

Saffar-Harandi noted that Iran was amongst the first countries to
officially recognize Armenia’s independence. However, he said that
although the two countries have expanded their economic and political
ties in recent years, there is still a wide gap in their cultural
relations.

He commented that the forging of strong mutual cultural links will
help to develop affinity between Iran and Armenia, adding that cultural
associations between nations guarantee good relations in other fields.

Poghosyan said that Iran provides the essential facilities for Armenian
residents in Iran to preserve their own national identity.

She also mentioned that the two countries already cooperate in
the areas of cinema, libraries and the preservation of historical
monuments.

She concluded that cooperation between Iran and Armenia could be
boosted by the holding of reciprocal cultural festivals in both
countries.

DEFENCE EXPENDITURES OF ARMENIA GROW BY 25.3% IN JANUARY-JULY 2007 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Sep 4, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Out of budgetary expenditures of
282 bln 816.9 mln drams (about 798.7 mln USD) in January-July 2007,
50 bln 139.1 mln drams was spent in the defence sphere, which exceeds
by 25.3% the index of the same period of last year. The ratio of
defence expenditures to Armenian GDP grew from 3.6% in the first
seven months of last year to 3.9% in the same period of this year.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, budgetary
expenditures on public order protection, national security and justice
amounted to 22 bln 477.8 mln drams in the first seven months of 2007,
exceeding by 10.9% the index of the same period of last year. The
ratio of these expenditures to GDP declined from 1.8% last year to 1.7%
in January-July 2007.

Expenditures in the sphere of education and science amounted to 49
bln 466.2 mln drams (19.8% growth as compared with January-July of
last year), while their ratio to GDP remained unchanged – 3.8%. 35
bln 825.9 mln drams was spent in the sphere of social insurance and
social security (25% growth), the ratio of these expenditures to GDP
grew from 2.6% to 2.8%; 20 bln 710.5 mln drams was spent in the sphere
of public health (13.5% growth), their ratio to GDP declined from 1.7%
in January-July 2006 to 1.6% in the same period of this year.

16 bln 100.6 mln drams was spent in the sphere of transport, road
maintenance and communication in January-July 2007 (3.5% decline
as compared with the same months of last year). The ratio of these
expenditures to GDP declined from 1.5% in January-July 2006 to 1.3%
in the same period of 2007.

FOURTH KARABAKH FORUM TO BE HELD IN BAKU
Trend corr. S.Ilhamgizi

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 3 2007

The Union for Democracy (UD) will hold the fourth Karabakh Forum in
September, Mirmahmud Miralioglu, the chairman of the Classic Popular
Front Party represented in the UD, said to the Trend News Agency on
1 September.

It will be the third forum held by the Union. The main issues of the
forum were ways of solving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as liberation of Azerbaijani territories
from Armenian occupation. The package of proposals developed during
the forums has already been submitted to the Azerbaijani President
Administration.

The Presidential Administration informed that the package ahs already
been considered. The Task Group of the Karabakh Forum met with Anne
Derse, the US ambassador to Azerbaijan and discussed the Karabakh
issue.

The results of meetings will be discussed during the fourth Karabakh
Forum.

MUNICIPALITY OF YEREVAN ADOPTS NEW PROCEDURE FOR PROTECTION, CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 3 2007

YEREVAN, September 3. /ARKA/. The Municipality of Yerevan adopted
new procedure for protection, construction and reconstruction of
buildings that form the face of the city, Chief Architect of Yerevan
Samvel Danielian told journalists Monday.

According to him, the new procedure settles all the issues related to
protection, construction, full or partial reconstruction of buildings,
their facades, roofs, fences, billboards and other architectural
structures.

Owner or lessee of building or territory is to assume responsibility
for the execution of the procedure. People violating the provisions
will be held responsible.

"From now on only the projects that meet the requirements of urban
planning legislation and this procedure will be receiving permission
for implementation," Danielian said.

He also pointed out that the procedure does not have retroactive
force and does not cover architectural buildings that have been
built previously.

"The given procedure does not imply total destruction of the buildings
constructed, as many inhabitants made changes to facades legally,"
Danielian said.

ILLEGAL VODKA BOTTLING ROOM DISCOVERED IN ARMAVIR

Noyan Tapan
Sep 3, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Employees of the State Tax
Service (STS) adjacent to the RA government discovered an illegal
vodka bottling room in an apartment of the city of Armavir (Armavir
marz). NT correspondent was informed from the STS press service that
STS employees confiscated about 600 bottles (0.5-liter, 0.7-liter and
1-liter ones) of 10 vodka types without excise stamps, 300 liters of
not yet bottled vodka, 100 liters of spirit, 2,000 plugs and empty
containers. The damage done to the state only as a result of absence
of the respective food licence and the right to bottle vodka makes
15 million drams (about 44 thousand dollars).

According to the same source, 130 bottles of brandy with faked excise
stamps or without stamps were discovered at Yerevan’s Airarat Fair.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 1 2007

Russian Deputy Prime Minister meets Sheikulislam Allahshukur
Pashazadeh

[ 01 Sep 2007 13:34 ]

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Narishkin today met with
Sheikulislam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, chief of Caucasian Muslims
Office, APA reports.

The meeting was also attended by bishop of Baku and Caspian Orthodox
Alexander Vladiko, head of religious community of Mountain Jews of
Azerbaijan Semyon Ikhilov and head of religious community of
Azerbaijan European Jews Gennadi Zelmanovich.
Sheikulislam addressing the meeting said that all religious
communities are leaving in a friendly atmosphere like a family in
Azerbaijan. He reminded the visit of patriarch of Moscow and all
Russia to Azerbaijan adding that their positions regarding the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict coincide.
Sheikulislam presented Mr. Narishkin with a carpet. The guest also
reminded that believers of Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism are
living in peace in Russia.
Mr. Narishkin particularly stressed the cooperation between
Azerbaijan and Russia in the fight against terrorism. /APA/