Author: Zargarian Hambik

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT: ARMENIA IS TO ACCEPT THE REALITY THAT AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS NOT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 25 2007

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s speech at the summit
of Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSECO) met a severe
reaction by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Addressing the summit for the second time following the statement
"The only thing that Armenians want from Azerbaijan is to allow their
living and self-defense" by Oskanyan president Ilham Aliyev, "The
war has not yet ended. So there is no winner. Only the first stage
of the war is over. The current situation can not last long. We have
determined our decision: Karabakh has been occupied. This situation
can not be regarded fair in the 21st century. Armenia is to accept
this reality taking into account its existence in the 21st century.

The reality is that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not
topic of discussion. Armenians have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijani
territories. They should immediately withdraw from these territories,"
Azerbaijani president underscored.

PACE PRESIDENT HOPES THE RESULTS OF ARMENIAN ELECTIONS WILL ENCOURAGE THE FINAL SOLUTION OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

ArmRadio.am
25.06.2007 14:35

In response to the request of Radiolur correspondent in Strasbourg
Tatul Hakobyan to comment on the recent parliamentary elections in
Armenia, which the European institutions assessed as corresponding
to European standards, René van der Linden, the President of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said: "I am
very happy that Armenian parliamentary elections met the criteria,
were free and fare. And I hope it will be an encouragement for the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict final solution.

It is always difficult before elections, best time is after
elections. The results of the Armenian elections must be seen as an
encouragement for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict solution."

–Boundary_(ID_s4O/S9KtWsavaUFqwU MZrQ)–

LEVEL OF BILATERAL RELATIONS IS NOT SUFFICIENT

A1+
[04:04 pm] 20 June, 2007

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received Ms. Rina Pandey, the
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Armenia.

Ms. Rina Pandey focused on bilateral relations and underlined their
warmth and sincerity.

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan expressed gratitude to the Indian
Government for the support to our country, especially in the field of
agriculture and expressed willingness to uphold the steps directed
at the development and reinforcement of cooperation between the
two countries.

The parties noted that although Armenian-Indian relations are
developing year by year, and the annual commodity turnover tends to
increase, the level of these relations cannot be considered sufficient,
taking into account the great unused potential.

Mrs. Rina Pandey highly appreciated the Armenian-Indian cooperation
within international organizations.

EXHIBITION OF FRENCH-ARMENIAN PAINTERS IN ECHMIADZIN
By Hasmik Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
19/06/2007

Recently, the exhition of French-Armenian painters opened at the
Manouk Abeghian Gallery in Echmiadzin.

The art lovers and art critics of echmiadzin had the opportunity
to see over 60 pieces by Edgar Shahin, Jansem and Garzou. The
pieces are permanently exhibited at the Yerevan State Picture
Gallery. The same exhibition opened in Yerevan last year. This year,
the administration of the Yerevan State Picture Gallery decided to
exhibit the abovementioned pieces in Echmiadzin. Manoush Hovhannesian,
head of the Manouk Abeghian Picture Gallery, stated that the exhibition
is a very important event both for the art lovers of Echmiadzin and
for the employees of the museum itself.

"These painters are considered to be among the best painters of the
20th century. Though they were born in France and represent the French
school of painting, they are Armenians. We are very proud that our
fellow-citizens have the opportunity to see the pieces by the great
masters and admire them," Mrs. Hovhannisian said.

Many of the Echmiadzin dwellers confessed that daily routine and
financial difficulties frequently hinder participation in the cultural
events of the capital.

They expressed hope that such events will be held more frequently
and will even become a good tradition.

30 KM ROAD WILL APPEAR UNDER WATER

Lragir.am
18-06-2007 16:01:42

The rising level of water of Lake Sevan will cover 30 km of the
highway running along the shore by 2034. If the level of water in Sevan
rises by 6 meters, by 2034 all the buildings and roads below 1908.98
thousand meters above sea will have been covered with water. About
200 buildings are below this level. "The law on Sevan bars building
fundamental buildings below this level, and let land for more than
3 years, therefore the government will not provide compensation to
the owners of these buildings," says Derenik Hovanisyan, a senior
official of the regional administration of Gegharkunik.

IN AZERBAIJAN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO REALIZE THAT THE WAR FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S TERRITORY IS COMMITTED TO DEFEAT

PanARMENIAN.Net
Analytical Department
14.06.2007

"The image of the enemy" is once and for all formed and if things go
on like this, perhaps the inner instability will lead to civil strife
like it had happened before Heydar Aliyev.

The President of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan didn’t come
to any common conclusion in Saint Petersburg just like it should have
been expected. However the meeting of the two Presidents gave grounds
for different announcements and discussion of the document about the
resolution, which according to the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vartan Oskanyan, will firstly determine the status of Nagorno-Karabakh
and then will help find answers to the other questions.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In Baku immediately after the meeting the Karabakh
Forum with participation of deputies and political parties was held. It
launched with a scandal. On the list of the announced organizers there
was the name of the political scientist Ilgar Mamedov, who, according
to the articles, is against the radical means put forward by Akif
Naðý. Day. az has published the announcement made by Mamedov, where
he emphasizes; "The information about my participation in organizing
the Karabakh Forum is a complete lie. I encourage practically all
the initiatives of the public discussion of the Karabakh Conflict
and I always take very active part in their works. However, I never
agreed to become one of the organizers of the mentioned Forum. That
is why I am surprised and disappointed that the Karabakh Liberation
Organization has mentioned my name among the initiators of this event,
while I had agreed to participate in the discussions only."

But the matter is not in Ilgar Mamedov only, but that Baku seems to
have started to realize that sooner or later it will have to reach the
agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh status and only then solve the other
problems, such as territorial problems, the problem of refugees,
borders and so on.

"Karabakh Liberation Organization thinks that Azerbaijan should cancel
the idea of holding the referendum on determining the further status
of Nagorno-Karabakh," announced Akif Naði. The president of the party
of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan Ali Kerimli said in his speech that
"The international organizations strive to once and for all tear away
Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan." According to him, in case Kosovo
gains its independence, Azerbaijan will have a rather serious danger
to face. Kerimli also said that it was very unreasonable to hold
the referendum on the status of Nagorno Karabakh in Azerbaijan. The
President of the oppositional National Democratic Party Bozgurd
Iskender Hamidov came forward with the idea of discontinuing the
OSCE Minsk Group’s activity, as well as demanded to reject the
implementation of the policy of "National Diplomacy".

All the participants of the Forum are active supporters of the conflict
resolution by use of force, who for some unknown reasons forget that
as Agber Hasanov writes, "If on the streets of Baku there is no one
ready "to liberate" Nagorno-Karabakh, in our opinion it means that
this land didn’t and doesn’t belong to Azerbaijan". Moreover, Baku
will hardly dare to unleash any war, in spite of all the preparations
being held within and beyond of the borders of the country. "The image
of the enemy" is once and for all formed and if it goes on like this,
perhaps the inner instability will lead to civil strife like it had
happened before Heydar Aliyev. Then the President Aliyev will hardly
be concerned about Karabakh, as he will have to save his position by
all means, even by war. The hope will fall upon oil and gas supplies,
yet, as it has already been mentioned, war cannot be won by the help
of growing military budget only. Elmar Huseynov is one of the few
journalists in Azerbaijan, who paid with his life for his views, wrote
in 1997 "We lost the war, because we didn’t fight for our land. Our
refugees do not want to return, as it is not their land…" These
lines were published in the newspaper "Monitor", which was shut down
by Heydar Aliyev. This was and still remains the only truth.

–Boundary_(ID_ZBgjmrEn8NqgzsGzYndYOQ)–

THREE HIGH-RANKING MEMBERS MORE LEFT ORINATS YERKIR

ArmInfo
2007-06-15 12:42:00

Head of the youth wing of "Orinats Yerkir" party Samvel Farmanyan,
secretary on foreign political issues Tigran Lazarian, deputy
chairman of the party’s youth wing Marsel Abramyan have left the
"Orinats Yerkir" party.

According to them, this decision is dictated by the fact that the
statements of the party’s leadership on adherence to the European
values are of false nature and have selfish ends. Moreover, the
principles of democracy have been recently violated in the party,
the party structures have been neglected, the international processes
were given contradictory assessments.

ARMENIA AND CHINA HAVE BIG POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.06.2007 17:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Hong
Jiuyin handed the copy of credentials to Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian. The RA FM wished every success to the head of
the mission, who has for the first arrived in the Caucasus. The
parties discussed bilateral relations and noted big potential for
development of relations, specifically in the economic field. The
Armenian Minister familiarized the Chinese Ambassador with the
current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process,
the RA MFA press office reported.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

First AGBU Chapter Observes 100th Anniversary

Founded in 1907, the AGBU Alexandria chapter marked its 100th
anniversary with two community events, which featured three
Armenian-themed documentaries from Armenia, Lebanon and France on
January 19 and March 9. Alexandria, Egypt, is home to the oldest of
the AGBU organization’s 73 chapters on six continents.

On January 19, 2007, over 100 guests attended the first centennial
celebration. The evening’s varied program began with welcome speeches
by community members, Maro Mazlemian and Mary Kartalian. His Eminence
Archbishop Augustine Koussan of the Armenian Catholic Church of Egypt,
who had assisted in the production of one of the featured
documentaries, also made opening remarks.

The first part of the program featured a documentary entitled
"Armenians of Lebanon," a production of LBC International written and
directed by Lebanese filmmaker, Carmen Labeki. The film tells the
riveting story of one of the most active Armenian diasporan
communities, and outlines many of the contributions Lebanese Armenians
have made to the predominantly Arab nation.

Between the viewing of the first and second documentaries,
scholarships, made possible by the Satenig Tchaker Fund of AGBU Cairo,
were awarded to students of the local Boghosian National School, who
had excelled in their studies.

The documentary, "Destination Armenia," which is produced by AGBU, led
off the second half of the evening’s program. It highlights the
organization’s educational, humanitarian and cultural projects in
Armenia and Karabakh.

Guest speaker, His Highness Consul General of Lebanon Nedal Yehia,
spoke about the historical relations between Lebanon and Armenia, the
current political relations between the two nations, and the history
of the Armenian community of Lebanon.

In his closing comments, Archbishop Ashod Menatsaganian of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Egypt encouraged people to put aside
differences and work towards a common goal–a strengthening of bonds
and support between the diaspora and Armenia.

On March 9, 2007, AGBU Alexandria hosted a second centennial event in
the Melkonian Hall of the Boghosian National School, where they
screened a documentary film about the Armenian Genocide entitled
"Restitution," by French filmmaker Laurence Jourdan. The film tells
the tragic story of the first genocide of the twentieth century and
contains interviews with, among others, the noted historian Yves
Ternon. The French film attracted a great deal of attention this year
when it was included free of charge in the February 12, 2007 edition
of "Time Magazine Europe," as part of a deal struck with European
Armenian groups demanding "Time Europe" clarify its editorial policy
on the Armenian Genocide. The controversy first began when in the June
6, 2005 edition of "Time Europe," a tourism DVD, paid for by the
Ankara Chamber of Commerce, contained a pseudo-documentary that
proposed that the Armenian Genocide never happened.

Special guests at the March 9 program were Father Krikor Mouradian,
the Armenian spiritual leader of Alexandria; Levon Kaghtatsian,
Chairman of the Diocesan Council of Alexandria; Mr. and Mrs. Vahe
Benohanian; Asdghig Alexanian Papazian, Chairwoman of the Dikran
Yergat Armenian Cultural Association; Sarkis Vartsbedian, Chairman of
AGBU Alexandria; members of the National Authority with their spouses;
executive committee members of athletic associations; Shushan
Ganimian, principal of Boghosian National School; and a large crowd of
Egyptian Armenian youth.

Closing remarks were delivered by the Armenian spiritual leader of
Alexandria, who ended the program with the Lord’s Prayer and
benediction.

Established in 1907, Alexandria, Egypt, is AGBU’s oldest chapter and
is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Armenian heritage and
identity through humanitarian, educational and cultural programs. For
more information on AGBU Alexandria, please email,
[email protected], or call, (20)(3) 592-0469.

For more information on AGBU and its worldwide chapters, please visit

RADIK MARTIROSIAN AND VLADIMIR BARKHUDARIAN AWARDED "SAINT SAHAK – SAINT MESROP" ORDERS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 12 2007

ETCHMIADZIN, JUNE 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II on June 8 presented the President of the RA National
Academy of Scinces (NAS), member of the Supreme Spiritual Council
Radik Martirosian and the Secretary of the RA NAS Armenian History and
Social Sciences Department, member of the Supreme Spiritual Council
Vladimir Barkhudarian with "Saint Sahak – Saint Mesrop" orders in
recognition of their partriotic and church-building activities. The
ceremony took place at the Patriarchal Residence in the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin.

According to the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
Bishop Arshak Khachatrian opened the ceremony with a speech of
welcome. In their speeches, the RA NAS Vice President Yuri Shukurian,
the Director of the NAS Institute of History Ashot Melkonian,
academicians Nicolay Hovhannisian and Sergei Hambartsumian expressed
their gratitude to His Holiness for his constant attention to and
appreciation of cultural workers and scientists.

Then the Patriarchal kondaks were brought in and read by monks of the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness decorated R. Martirosian
and V. Barkhudarian with "Saint Sahak – Saint Mesrop" orders.

The honoured persons delivered thank-offering speeches.