Author: Zaminian Bedik

ORDINATION OF DEACONS AND PRIESTS
Divan of the Armenian Patriarchate

AZG Armenian Daily #135
19/07/2007

Armenian Church

By the arrangement of His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian,
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, students of the Third Grade of the
theological Faculty of the Seminary, stall-bearers Samuel Safaryan,
Nareg Megerdchyan, Ararat Zargaryan, Pavel Garabedyan and Sahag
Hovagimyan, were ordained subdeacon on Friday, July 13, 2007, at the
Chapel of Holy Etchmiadzin of St. James Cathedral, following vespers,
and next day, on July 14, they were ordained deacon by the Grand
Sacristan His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian.

Their Presenter was His Eminence Archbishop Aris Shirvanian.

The same afternoon following vespers, the ceremony of the Call to
the Priesthood of two graduated of the Theological Faculty of the
Seminary Deacon Avedik Alekyan and Deacon Pavel Tavtyan, as well as
of Deacon Arthur Paloyan, took place at St. James Cathedral.

Presiding over the ceremony was the Grand Sacristan.

Next day, on Sunday, July 15, on the Feast of Transfiguration
(Vartavar), the three ordinands were ordained celibate priests by His
Eminence during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Deacon Avedik
Alekyan was consecrated and renamed Father Vazken, Deacon Pavel Tavtyan
was consecrated and renamed Father Yeghishe, and Deacon Arthur Paloyan
was consecrated and renamed Father Shnork. Their Presenter was His
Eminence Archbishop Aris Shirvanian.

The same afternoon following vespers at St. James Cathedral, the
newly ordained priests received their cowls, symbol of celibacy.

The new priests will spend their forty-day period of preparation of
their new mission at the Armenian Convent in Bethlehem.

ANUSHAVAN DANIELYAN: TERRY DAVIS’ STATEMENT IS LACK OF RESPECT FOR COLLEAGUES

armradio.am
19.07.2007 14:50

The Prime Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Anushavan Danielyan voted for
the presidential candidate who stands out for "honesty, faithfulness
and accountability."

Casting his ballot in one of Stepanakert precincts, Anushavan Danielyan
declared that these elections allow to look into future, to assess
the work done and think about future. "Nagorno Karabakh moves along
a correct path of democratization," he noted.

Anushavan Danielyan characterized the statement of the Council of
Europe Secretary General Terry Davis that the CoE will not recognize
the elections in Nagorno Karabakh as "lack of respect for colleagues."

"When representatives of such organizations arrive in Stepanakert,
the ask for a meeting with the President, the Parliament Speaker and
the Prime Minister. If they negotiate with us, making such statements
afterwards is lack of respect," he declared.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FUND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)

The Messenger, Georgia
July 18 2007

USAID and the EBRD’s Early Transition Countries (ETC) initiative
are funding a second round of the Business Advisory Service (BAS)
program in Armenia. USAID is providing a USD 1.6 million grant, and
the EBRD ETC allotted USD 500 000 to support the program, according
to the news agency Regnum.

US Acting Charge d’Affairs to Armenia Rudolf Perina says USAID and EBRD
have long cooperated in developing local entrepreneurs and businesses.

The biggest challenge for hopeful business startups in Armenia,
says USAID, is a lack of financing.

Perina said that the US administration will soon allot an additional
USD 8.4 million in aid to Armenia, for use in the financial sector,
information technology, and tourism development.

A BAS representative in London says the 3-year second round of
the program is working to increase the numbers of micro and small
enterprises throughout Armenia, including the villages.

About 180 consultation programs are hoped for using USAID’s finances,
and 55 with money from EBRD ETC. Program reports predict this will
increase companies’ turnover by 10 percent and available jobs by
20 percent.

BAS has been operating in Armenia since May 2003. Since then, nearly
400 projects have been carried out under the program.

SERGE SARGSYAN PRESENTED THE NEW CHIEF OF THE STATE TAX SERVICE TO THE STAFF

armradio.am
17.07.2007 16:11

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan presented the newly appointed Chief
of the State Tax Service Vahram Baghdasaryan to the staff of the
State Tax Service of the Republic of Armenia.

The Prime Minister thanked the former Chief of the State Tax Service
Felix Tsolakyan for his work during the past four years, underlining
that certain difficulties were overcome during his tenure in office:
tax collection increased 2.5 times, reaching 280 billion AMD instead of
120 billion, which is a tangible result, but there is still much to do
in the direction of improving GDP-taxes relations. The Prime Minister
expressed the hope that Felix Tsolakyan’s work as RA President’s
Assistant will be as productive.

Presenting the new Chief of the State Tax Service, Serge Sargsyan
expressed confidence that he will have a new say and will apply
new approaches and mechanisms, simultaneously maintaining the good
traditions.

Vahram Baghdasaryan assured that new approaches and methods will be
applied, which will be visible in a short period of time and will
allow to increase the effectiveness of the Service’s activity.

TURNOVER OF ARMENIAN ENTERPRISES INVOLVED IN TAM/BAS PROGRAMME INCREASES BY 65%

Noyan Tapan
Jul 17 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. EBRD’s TurnAround Management and
Business Advisory Services Programme-TAM/BAS Programme has been
implemented in Armenia since February, 2003. It has provided assistance
to 389 companies so far. They have received business consultation by
69 advisory companies qualified within the framework of the programme
and functioning in Armenia.

Natalia Melyunas, TAM/BAS’ Regional Director in Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Moldova, said this on July 16. In her words, the turnover
of each of Armenian enterprises involved in TAM/BAS programme in
average has increased by 65% and the number of jobs by 29% or by 14.

It should be mentioned that within the framework of the TAM component
(it is financed by the European Union, the EBRD’s Early Transition
Countries (ETC) Fund and the government of Taiwan) 13 programmes
of 1.2m euros have been implemented in Armenia, 6 out of which are
still underway. Five enterprises receiving assistance have attracted
EBRD’s investments.

53% beneficiaries of 389 programs implemented within the framework of
the BAS component (it is financed by the European Union, the EBRD’s
Early Transition Countries (ETC) Fund and the Canadian International
Development Agency) are in the regions. A grant of nearly 1m 535.5m
euros has been provided to beneficiary enterprises.

According to the accounts presented for 264 programmes, thanks to the
grants and advisory assistance of 926 thousand euros provided to the
enterprises involved in these programmes, their total turnover has
increased by 78m euros, the number of employees has increased by 3576.

It should be mentioned that the same day an agreement was signed
between the USAID and the EBRD on assistance provided to EBRD Business
Advisory Services Programme for Armenia.

WITH ARBITRARINESS REPUBLICANS STAND A GOOD CHANCE

Lragir, Armenia
July 17 2007

What are the chances that the Republican Party will win the
presidential election? On July 17 the reporters asked two parties of a
debate at the Hayeli Club, Nicol Pashinyan, member of the Alternative,
and Republican Armen Ashotyan. "Let us define what we mean. If we
mean the elections, the Republican Party stands no chance, if we
mean arbitrariness, the Republican Party stands a good chance,"
Nicol Pashinyan says.

Naturally, Armen Ashotyan holds the contrary opinion. He is convinced
that the Republican candidate will win. Unlike the deputy leader
of the Republican Party, Ashotyan even pronounces the name of the
Republican candidate. "The Republican Party stands a good chance to
win the election. Nobody, not even the most stern critics doubt this,
and this is the reason for the nervous expectation that the victory of
the Republicans is imminent. Although there is always an alternative
to democracy in elections in terms of mechanisms but there is no
alternative to Serge Sargsyan’s victory," Armen Ashotyan says.

Nicol Pashinyan says when he was a reporter and heard that people
hate the government, Robert Kocharyan and Serge Sargsyan, I did
not believe, but when he became involved in politics, and had more
frequent and intensive contact with citizens, he understood that
there is hatred. "If we had a mechanism of free expression of will
in the election, it is highly illogical to suppose that a citizen
will voluntarily vote for a person for whom he has deep antipathy,
to put it mildly," Nicol Pashinyan says.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN: "STATEMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CONCERNING FACT OF NOT RECOGNIZING NKR ELECTIONS ARE NOT EXTRAORDINARY"

Noyan Tapan
Jul 16 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The statements concerning the fact of
the forthcoming presidential elections to be held on July 19 in the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh not being recognized by international
institutions are not extraordinary ones. This opinion was expressed
by Tigran Torosian, the Speaker of the RA National Assembly, at
the July 13 press conference. He classed them as "duty statements
made by international institutions before the elections being held
in a not recognized state." According to him, even if international
institutions do not recognize these elections as state institutions
forming ones, they will, no doubt, recognize them as elections of
representatives of the NKR people. Tigran Torosian also mentioned
that all this has nothing to do with the settlement process of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

TURKEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BIGGEST DANGER FOR ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.07.2007 14:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "At the moment Turkey’s foreign policy is targeted at
Northern Iraq and improvement of relations with Georgia and Azerbaijan,
what includes development of communications and military-strategic
partnership," Professor of international relations and politics of the
Universidad de San Andres in Buenos Aires, Dr Khachik Ter-Ghukassian
said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

If Turkey’s succeeds in realizing its plans Armenia will be isolated
from the world, according to him.

"Curiously enough, such state of things is not convenient
for the U.S. which insists on opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border. However, normalization of relations without preconditions
is a dangerous tendency. Turkey doesn’t open the border proceeding
from political reasons: the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Armenian
Genocide and absence of fixed border with Armenia. The only legal
basis for demarcation of borders is the Sevr Treaty. No agreement
signed after Sevr, namely the Kars and Moscow treaties, do not have
juridical effect, since the signatory powers stopped their existence as
elements of international law. The Sevr Treaty was signed August 10,
1920. Borders with independent Armenia had to be marked by a neutral
mediator, namely the United States, according to it," he said.

"At that we should not forget that Turkey has always been the biggest
danger for the Armenian people. This opinion should be shared by
the whole nation, both in Armenia and Diaspora. On the other hand,
opening of borders can tell on Armenia’s economy. Georgia, where the
local industry was destroyed because of the abundant flow of cheap
Turkish goods, can serve as an example. Certainly, Armenian economy
can’t compete with the Turkish, but we will have an outlet to the
world, at least. Although, we are not ready to make a reality of the
scenario we will be offered," he said.

DINK’S FAMILY PUSHES FOR ACTION AGAINST POLICE

armradio.am
16.07.2007 15:22

The family of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink asked
prosecutors Saturday to launch judicial action against the police on
charges of protecting the murderer, the Turkish Daily News reports,
referring to Anatolia news agency.

The application concerns members of the security forces who took
"souvenir pictures" with the self-confessed killer after he was
captured in the northern city of Samsun, a day after shooting Dink
in Istanbul on January 19.

Footage leaked to the media at the time showed officers posing with the
17-year-old suspect as he held a Turkish flag, unleashing accusations
that some officials may secretly approve of the murder.

"The officers… greeted the murder suspect as a national hero and
queued up to take souvenir pictures with him," the Dink family’s
lawyers said in their application against 21 members of the police
and the gendarme, a paramilitary force policing rural areas. "A kiss
on the forehead was the only thing he was not given," it said.

The lawyers demanded that the officers be put on trial for "abusing
office," "protecting a criminal offender" and "commending crime,"
Anatolia reported.

The application called for the annulment of an earlier decision by
prosecutors in Samsun that there was no ground to indict the officers
on the said charges.

The police are also under fire for failing to prevent the murder
despite having received intelligence of a plot to kill Dink being
organised in the northern city of Trabzon, the home of Samast and
most of his 17 suspected associates. No official has so far been
charged over the murder.

At the first hearing of the trial this month, the court accepted
demands by the Dink family’s lawyers to expand the investigation
after they accused the police of "almost an intentional negligence."

ALL SHOPS SELLING COMPUTERS IN ARMENIA HAVE A POSSIBILITY TO SELL THEM WITH LICENSED PROGRAMS OF MICROSOFT

Noyan Tapan
Jul 12 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Microsoft through its website started
using an anti-pirate system, which does not permit users of unlicensed
operation system to renew or to charge program production from the
above mentioned site, as well as warning that 30 days are given for
charging the licensed operation system. After that term a computer can
be turned on only in the regime of safe mode and the possibility to
enter Internet for the user to have a possibility to get the licensed
system for installation. Grigor Barseghian, the Director of Microsoft
RA (the Armenian branch of the Microsoft company) said this on July 11.

In his words, all shops selling computers in Armenia have the
possibility to buy licensed programs from the BiLine company, the
official distributer of Microsoft’s production in Armenia.

It was mentioned that Microsoft RA works with big companies, banks,
communication sphere operators, which receive Microsoft’s licensed
programs on special conditions.

In G. Barseghian’s words, according to the data of the Business
Software Alliance international organization, Armenia takes the first
place by the level of piracy among 123 countries, which is equal to
95%. He reminded that according to the Criminal Code, use of the object
of copyright amounting to 200 thousand drams and more (nearly 600 USD)
is punished by 2 years’ imprisonment. G. Barseghian assured that the
company is not going to use punitive sanctions in Armenia, but intends
to gradually establish use of licensed computer programs in Armenia.